#sorry if you count that as a spoiler but better to be disappointed now than later

[vairiance]

I really think Pokemon should go back to 2D. Not even necessarily like HD 2D or whatever like Octopath Traveler (although that'd be cool I guess), but just what they had going in Gen 4/5, but polished up to modern tech standards.

So much charm was lost in the shift to 3D (not without benefit, of course, but still), and it brought a whole host of space issues, all in the name of making Pokemon look less appealing and having awkward movements. Like, compare these images of Hippowdon:

Leftmost is Gen 5, middle is modern, and rightmost is the (leaked) sprite from S/V.

Gen 5's is awesome! Grainy, obviously, by design, but otherwise it's super cool. You see a fierce looking hippo, posed threateningly, spewing sand to demonstrate its signature mechanic. Perfect.

Modern Hippowdon makes me sad. It's still kind of grainy (beyond what the resolution change of this image did to it), and it just looks like me on a Monday morning. You'd have no idea that this thing shoots sand, and you'd only get to see it look cool for a fraction of a second when it attacks, sometimes.

Then there's S/V Hippowdon. It's just a menu sprite icon, but look how clean it looks compared to modern Hippowdon! Imagine the Gen 5 Hippowdon pose, with the SV Hippowdon style. That'd be ideal for me I think.

3D has its benefits for sure, obviously, but I think 3D should be saved for spinoffs where a smaller scale can be enforced, and thus more care can be put into what is in the game. Comparing the 3D animations of Pokemon Colosseum/XD and what we have now proves this; in the Orre games, the Pokemon really feel alive, because they move in a way natural to what you'd expect, whereas in the modern era, everyone stands there idly and twitches once in a while to attack or get hit.

Move animations suffer as well. Let's compare the animation of Earthquake, a move that's supposed to be a terrifying massive quake of the earth. Here's how it's depicted in Gen 4:

Pretty cool, right? The magnitude of the quake is shown by literally everything shaking violently, with some dramatic flashes and rock effects. Not bad. But this could really benefit from 3D, let's take a look at how a powerful explosion of the earth is shown with the cutting edge graphics of Gen 8:

It is what would be considered a god awful green screen effect if seen in a movie.

Sure, but how much better could a 3D Earthquake animation be? Well, let's turn to the love of my life, Pokemon XD, to see how it's done:

Look, maybe you disagree with my assessment of these images, and that's fine. But I strongly encourage you to go back and play, say, Emerald, or Platinum, or what have you, if you haven't recently. You'll be able to palpably feel the difference between it and the newer games, and the visuals are just the surface of this. They're just what tends to come to mind whenever I think about it.

Idk I just miss when Pokemon games were delivered as strong single player games with multiplayer capabilities meant to last a decent while and then be put down, and returned to in a few years when you're feeling wistful, as opposed to increasingly lightweight multiplayer focused games with increasingly less single player endgame content so that they can push subscriptions of the god awful online pass

[lorsdelapluie]

The doctor's diary.

Pairing: sylus x female reader

Genre: Dark shit going on. Including smut. Please read the content warning.

Word count: 4000+ words.

Content warning: mdni, explicit sexual content (but its chill for now), spoiler warning, mention of human experimentation, cult activities, my own twisted thoughts and theories are literally making this way darker than LADS already is. An oc of mine will appear more often in the next chapters, hate him guys, he is not a good guy. English is not my first language sorry for any mistakes.

Note: This chapter ended up longer than I expected somehow. And it is the first one of a three chapter fanfiction. I tend to write nasty stuff, sex wise but also everything else wise so please be prepared for anything literally. The character Castiel that you will meet in this chapter is my own oc that I made up specially for the LADS universe. I hope you will enjoy to hate him.

Chapter 1:

“You want me to go in the N109 zone ? I thought we weren’t allowed to go th-” 

“We are aware you have been going back and forth between Linkon city and the N109 Zone.” 

You pinched your lips at the words coming from Jenna’s mouth, your hand resting on your hunter’s watch. The times you forgot to turn off your watch comes back to light one by one in your mind. Brushing it off everytime you thought that the HQ wouldn't have the time to check on your status. Her arms were still crossed over her chest as she looked at you straight in the face with her dark gray eyes. You felt like a kid underneath this disappointed glare. You opened your lips to say something, to defend yourself but she raised her hand to stop you from doing so. 

“However, you have mainly been doing this outside your working hours. So it is your private life, and you may keep it a secret if you wish. But since you have been going there multiple times, we figured you might be aware of what is going on there better than we do.” She sighed. You guessed that she wasn't the one behind this idea. Maybe some higher ups that you never had the opportunity to meet.

“So this is why we thought you might be the best suited agent for this mission.”

“Oh uhm… Thank you for entrusting me.” 

“Despite this little disagreement, I am aware that you are one of our best agents. However if you think you might need help, you can still ask Xavier to accompany you. Although he has been quite busy lately.”

“No no no ! Do not bother Xavier for this. I am more than capable of handling missions on my own. As for the mission… Can I ask you what is it that I am meant to do ?” 

“Of course. I wouldn’t let you go into the Lions’ den without information.” She said as she slid her hand on her desk, taking a handful of documents stored inside a pocket and handing them to you. “We need you to participate in an auction for charity.”

“For charity…” you mumbled. You never thought you would see the day of a charity auction being held in the a zone so… uncharitable. You start looking through the papers in your hand, brows furrowed in confusion.

“We are as surprised as you look. As nice as the thoughts around this event are, we are particularly interested in one of the prizes that we wish you would purchase for us.”

Your eyes land on the auction picture of a diary, its cover is made of leather and the pages look old, teared up for some of them. “A diary ?”

“This diary seemingly belonged to one of the most wanted people of our organization. A doctor who previously worked here, in Linkon city, and got too deep in his interest for protocores and their links with people’s evol.” 

“He experimented on humans…” you mumbled as you read the notes next to the picture that the intel team had written for you. "On children..."

“He indeed did. And we would like to prevent this diary from falling into the wrong hands. This is where your part comes in. Buying this diary away from that zone.”

You nodded as you guessed the objective of your mission long before she started explaining the reason why they would go fetch that book in the first place. Plus, that diary might bring you answers you are seeking about yourself. And as you remember your partner's jewel like gaze, about Sylus too. You then raised yours towards Jenna, closing the file between your hands and straightening your back. 

“If you will allow me. I’m going to do the best I can to fulfill this mission.” 

“I know you will. The auction is in three days. I hope it gives you enough time to gather any belongings and travel to a safe place in the N109 zone… If such a place exists.” 

“Do not worry about me. I will be safe.”

You smile as Jenna raises her hand slowly with a peaceful expression as she dismisses you from her office. You exit the room, slowly closing the door behind you before walking to your desk, gathering your laptop and phone on the furniture. You then put the file inside your bag as you were already leaving the building. You would take the time to analyze everything once you were safely in the N109 Zone.

Phone in hand you immediately texted Xavier to let him know that you were leaving for a mission in the outskirts of your beloved city. As your thumbs were patting the screen of your phone, it suddenly started to vibrate. Soon enough the icon of Sylus appeared on your phone, a silly picture of him you took when he dozed off while watching a musical a few weeks prior. You frowned at the VERY convenient timing that he always had and picked up, raising your phone to your ear. 

“Yes ?”

“The twins are going to pick you up at 5 this afternoon. Will you have enough time to be prepared before then?” 

“Don’t tell me you hacked Jenna’s computer again. How many times do I have to tell you to not do that?” You frowned, faking or maybe wanting to be angry about that breach of your private life once again.

“There is no need to get angry at me. Be angry at the twins all you want though. They are the ones who insisted on checking up on you while I was away.” 

“How do they even know how to hack-” you stopped in your tracks as you heard your voice the sound of a bike motor in the background of the call. “Are you calling me while driving ?”

“Now this is a reason you can get mad at me for.” he chuckles as you let out a frustrated sound. “Do not worry, sweetie, I have my helmet on. Just checking on you through earbuds.” 

“Unsafe still. Your attention should be fully on the road.” you finally started walking towards the road that leads to your apartment, going through the usual route that takes you near along a river. “I thought you said you would be the one picking me up after Luke nearly got us in a car crash last time.” 

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, sweetie. But I do have some work meetings that need to be attended to." After a moment of quiet, he continued. “I trust Kieran will be the one driving you three back at home. I will be back before dinner.” 

“Fine. Be careful on your way to your meet up… I will see you later.” you could hear a chuckle, and the picture of Sylus’ grin appeared in your mind. Before he could answer, you hung up. 

You sighed as you crossed the street, pushing the door of your building entrance after entering the password on the door’s pad. Slowly you slid the phone inside your bag, totally forgetting about warning your colleague, and your friends, of the mission that will probably won’t let you have time for chit chat. Once you are inside your place, you quickly pull out a bag from the closet in the entrance, walking towards your bedroom to pack your essentials for the next few days. 

An hour flew by without you realizing it before your phone rang. Luke. As you picked up you hear his cheerful voice coming from outside your building, you walked towards your opened window staring down. 

“Miss ! Your carriage is waiting for you !” the masked man yells waving at you from below, catching glances from other people passing by. 

“Get inside the car ! Can’t you see people are staring at you Luke ?” you frowned shooing him away with your hand. 

“Heeeh. I’m hurt ! Are you embarrassed by me perhaps ?” You wondered if Sylus teasing was coming from spending too much time with them or the other way round. 

You frowned not wanting to let your mind wander at that thought, hanging up and closing the window before picking your bag on your bed and leaving your apartment. Once downstairs you were greeted with no one but the black car with tinted windows that was just in front of the house, without giving it much thoughts you walked to the back of the car and climbed inside. 

After exchanging proper greetings with the twins, and a short trip from Linkon city to the twins’ boss base. 

It was night time now and you were settled down in one of Sylus couch in his apartments. You were going through the file once more, eyeing the clock in front of you from time to time. The meal was soon to be put down in the living room and you were definitely imagining eating alone at this rate. You sighed as you let your head roll on one of the sides of the couch, closing your eyes as you let yourself drift to the sound of the gramophone playing the music you put on earlier. 

“Are you asleep ?” a whisper came above the sound of the music as a finger brushed against your cheek. 

Your eyes opened and you looked up to the figure towering over you. Sylus gazed at you as he was leaning with one hand on the couch watching you slowly wake up from your nap. You slowly straight up, your files sliding from your chest and before you could react, Sylus caught it and put it down on the table next to you.

“Mmm no.” 

“Sure you weren’t.” he smiled as he sat on the carpet next to the couch. “Don’t move.” 

“But the dinner…” you mumbled still drowsy. 

“Dinner is cold by now. I was late and you fell asleep. We are in no hurry anymore.” he says as he takes off his jacket, putting it down on the chair behind him, soon followed by his gloves. You sighed knowing that the man next you wouldn't budge. 

“How did your meeting go ?” you asked as you traced every of his movements with your gaze. 

“Productive. But a waste of time at the same time. We wasted 2 hours waiting for someone who never came. I honestly thought I was going to come back really early.” 

“Would have been better…” you muttered.

Sylus' head turned to look at you with that same grin of his when he catches you being off guard. “Missing me I see.” 

“Whatever.” 

“I missed you too, sweetie.” he muttered as his face was now a few inches away from your face. And as always Sylus was the one to close that distance, his teeth started nibbling gently on your lower lip as he kissed you. His right hand comes to brush a strand of hair away from your face. "I missed you a lot."

There was always this conflict inside of you when you felt the lips of Sylus on yours. A shyness that you wished you didn’t have, pushing you to turn your face away. However the drumming of your heart everytime his lips were on yours made you feel safe. Safe and cared for. The man suddenly started pushing his tongue against your lips, deepening the kiss drawing a sound from you in a sigh. 

“Knowing that you were waiting for me here. Probably lying down on that bed or on that couch…” he muttered as he kissed your lips once again then your cheek and the back of your ear. “I wished I could have just left to join you here quicker.”

“You are… so dirty Sylus.” you whispered as you felt his hand slide on your shirt to start unbuttoning it. When Sylus admitted his excitement for you it always made you shiver. Not that it was rare for him to be so blunt. But being wanted and knowing that he was thinking of you that way, in places where he shouldn’t. God, he was the devil in person and he loved playing with his favorite person. 

“If you want to blame me for the tension rising in this room. Feel free to do so…” he said, lips leaving a trailing of kisses from your neck towards your chest. “I would enjoy that.” 

Soon his lips were not the only thing on your skin, his tongue traveled against you with wet kisses. Teeth sometimes nibble on you, trying to mark you as his. However he knew better than to do that or he would have been met with a warning look. Instead his hand slides away the remaining of your top clothes, revealing your skin to his red eyes ravishing each corner of your body, everytime. 

“Your skin is covered in goosebumps. Are you getting worked up sweetie ?” he says smiling, his lips resting against your chest. A thumb sliding against one of your nipples. “I bet that if I slide my hand in your pants, I might find it dripping with excitement.” 

“You are too sure of yourself.” you said trying to keep your voice steady as his lips brushed against your other nipple. 

A low chuckle vibrates through his body at your answer. “Always so feisty, kitten.” he murmured, pinching with two of his fingers the nipple he had in his hand. 

“Then… Shall we take a look ?” 

As soon as the words left his mouth, you closed your legs, preventing his hand from sliding under your pants and between your thighs. His hand stopped mid-way, resting against your lower body. He slowly quirked up his face, arching a brow with a smile. 

“Getting shy ?” he asks, fingers fondling with the zipper of your pants. He soon pulled it down. “You know I don’t particularly enjoy you playing shy. I’d rather have my feisty kitten biting and fighting me than hiding away.” 

Asshole you thought. 

“Should I take out the ropes like last time ? Pull your legs apart ? I thought you learnt how to behave.” he said with a smile. “Or did you enjoy this so much that you want to try again ?” 

Losing control from time to time was nice. But not tonight, you needed the contrary. You need to feel in control of your body. The next few days were gonna be stressful. One of your hands dared to come rest on his cheek as your legs opened against his hand. 

“Good girl..” he said, his lips coming to nuzzle against your hand. And as usual when a kiss comes first teeth soon follow. His fingers able to slide under your pants and underwear come to slide in between your folds feeling the wetness of yourself under his burning gaze. 

“Just as I thought.” he smiles as one of his fingers pushes inside you and you answer with a moan. His lips nibbling on the flesh of your palm, eyelashes brushing against your fingers as he starts going back and forth with his fingers inside of you. 

Your head resting against the pillow of the couch, eyes closing as another moan came from between your lips as he pushed another finger inside of you. The fingers of your hand slowly extended to grasp onto strands of the man’s hair, while the other came gripping on the back of the couch. 

“That’s it. Let yourself go, kitten.” A growl soon followed when you tug at his hair when his thumb rested against your clit making small circles as he never stopped pumping his fingers in and out of you. 

You arched your back, the stimulation of his fingers rubbing against that one G spot inside of you and his thumb massaging your clit made you see stars. You tug on his hair once again in another sound, coming under his watchful gaze. 

“Sylus…” 

“It’s okay. I’m here. I’m always here.” he answered, coming to put a kiss on your forehead. 

Once he pulls his fingers out of you, he slides a hand under you to carry you against him. You look up at him, arms sliding around his neck to secure yourself. 

“And you ?” 

“Oh ? Are you asking for more, sweetie ?”” he chuckles as you frown at him. His lips slowly come against your own to kiss you once more. “This is what I wanted. Nothing more for tonight. But I can not promise you anything just like this for tomorrow.” A devilish smile spreads on his lips. 

“Did you have a shower already ?” 

“I did… Earlier.” you answered as you rested your head against his shoulder. “What about food ?” 

“You are hungry aren’t you.” He said as he settled you down on the bed. “Tell you what. I will come bring you some food and you can enjoy some while I take a shower. Sounds good ?” 

“Sounds good. I will try to not eat everything.” You smile. 

And just like that three days passed. Now you were standing in front of the door, arms crossed on your chest and Sylus blocking your way with his hands on his hips. 

“I will not change my mind Sylus. I need to attend this auction alone.”

“What if I’d like to be charitable tonight?”

You scoff. “Please. You just want to keep your eyes on me.”

“I want to make sure you are safe and sound.” 

“And I told you I can defend myself. If the HQ knows that I am attending an official mission with the boss of Onychinus, I could get in trouble. Because they will keep an eye on me ! Just like you do.” 

Sylus sighs. You could be so stubborn. He slowly raised his hand to pinch his nose’s bridge. “Take Mephisto with you at least. He could help you in any case of an emergency.” 

“That noisy little…” you were met by a glare that was telling you to not push your luck so you resigned. “Okay.”

“Good.” As soon as you agreed to his terms, he snapped his fingers and Mephisto almost appeared on your shoulder. Resting his claws against the fabric of your dress. “I will drive you there. And I will be there again to pick you up soon after Mephisto lets me know the auction has ended. Understood ?” 

“Yes mom.”

He chuckles before pushing the door open, letting you leave the safe base first to get to the car parked in front of the entrance. He soon followed and got inside the car to start driving across the dark streets of the N109 Zone. Mephisto was awfully quiet, head turning around at each corner, as if the bird was already on a mission analyzing what was around him. You stared mindlessly at the street lamps barely shining some cold light on the pavement beneath them as you fondle with your bag between your fingers. 

You were stressed. Stressed to not be able to bring back that diary. What if you came back in Linkon city with nothing to offer but the news that another potential monster had this fucking diary between their hands. How many children would have to suffer from experiments and be kept in the dark before they all stopped ? Without realizing it, you started clenching on your accessory. And the hand of Sylus left the gearbox to come rest on your thigh in an attempt to soothe you. 

“Do not be anxious. People coming to those kinds of fake charity auctions hunt down people like you. Nice face, seemingly weak and rich.” he said. “Mephisto is a sign that you are under my watch but he can’t dissuade them from doing anything if they are crazy enough to try.” 

“So I need to appear confident…” 

“Exactly. I know you can do it. After all, you showed me your acting skills more than once.” he pressed his thumb against your thigh as he kept looking at the road in front of you. “I’m not here physically but Mephisto is my eyes. And I’ll keep an eye on you.”

“I know.” you sighed before taking another deep breath. It will be okay, you thought, Sylus is right. You had to have faith in yourself and in him. It will go by so quickly, you won’t even realize it. 

The car slows down and you are now parked in front of an immense building, maybe even taller than some of Sylus’s ones. You look up from your seat as Mephisto mimics you. “Where are we ?”

“The place of the auction. The HQ of the Eurydike cult. Weird bunch of fuckers.” 

You hummed before pushing the door open, before closing it you looked at your partner flashing him a smile. “I will be back.” He softly smiles back waving, asking you to be careful once more. And you closed the door, walking towards the entrance of the building, taking out the invitation out of your bag to show the bodyguards that you were allowed to enter the place. 

As soon as you stepped foot inside, you were faced with a display of wealthiness and laughter coming from every corner of the giant hall. You were taken aback, thinking for a second that the only man you thought was this wealthy in the N109 Zone was Sylus. The hall was made of black marble with golden cracks, contrasted by high white walls that reflected the light of the candlesticks. Hanging banners here and there with an unknown insignia, and false plants hanging in green. You looked around, looking for a sign indicating the location of the meeting. But unfortunately the place was badly indicated, this auction was probably a place of regulars. However you spotted some people whispering about getting their place already to get closer to the stage, and you figured it would be the best idea to follow them around. Which you did. Everyone here was accompanied, and you were alone. Well accompanied but by a bird that started to get agitated. The sound of your heels against the marble under your steps was ringing in your mind. You stopped near a waiter, grabbing a glass of champagne. You needed to relax, you needed to look like you belonged here. Alcohol might help you settle down. 

So you went to sit at the first row, crossing your legs as Mephisto left your shoulder to take place on the chandelier hanging above your head. You could see some of the objects being displayed on the stage in front of you. Vases, stuffed animals, jewelry and… Wait. Was that one of Raphayel’s painting ? You frowned while taking your phone out of your purse to take a picture. Before you could press the button, you felt a tap on your shoulder. 

You flinched, turning around. “Miss. Sorry to bother you but you are not allowed to take pictures in this room.” A man with green eyes gazed upon you. He was tall, his hair and lashes almost hiding the gaze that you could feel burning on your face. His face did not seem upset, nor angry. Good… The last thing you needed was to attract angry people. 

You smiled. “Sorry, I just wanted to make sure that painting would interest my husband before I start bidding on it.”  

“Oh ?” He looked up at the stage staring at the painting of the seashore painted with different shades of blue and orange, with the silhouette of a faceless woman dipping her feet in the water. “Hm. It is indeed a wonderful painting. From a very famous painter from Linkon City. Although it is one of his earliest works.” 

“Are you familiar with this painter ?” you asked, interested in the knowledge of the person in front of you. To faint uninterest you slowly raise your glass to your lips looking away from the man.

“Familiar would not be right. We are acquaintances.” He then looks down at you smiling as he circles around the chair to finally sit next to you. “Although we haven’t seen each other for many years.” 

“I see.” you nodded looking at that man dressed in white, your eyes landing on the cross shaped brooch on his tie. You swore you have seen this insignia somewhere. “And you are ?”

“Shh little miss. It’s starting soon. We will have all the leisure to chit chat after that auction is done.” 

The auction began, and you drank the rest of your drink before waving to a waiter to come and get rid of you. Under your seat as under that of all the other participants was a small booklet with the passage numbers of each work or object. The one you were looking for was in last place. A sigh escaped from your lips as the first sums of money were thrown out of control. 

Beside you, still stood this same man, his left leg crossed above the right and his hands clasped on his knees, looking at the scene with a satisfied smile. With the light down, you took the time to linger on her face. He had it very hard, like a man who had to face situations that those of Linkon city did not have to face. But this sweet smile on his lips came in contrast with the portrait that could be made of him. You wondered if Sylus knew the man. You slowly raised your head to look towards Mephisto who was looking straight at you under his watchful red eyes. Just like his master. 

An hour and half passed, and you were starting to get numb to all the money that was being spent. The man next to you also did spend some money. He bought the painting you were eyeing earlier. And then came the mention of the diary. 

As soon as you could, you raised your hand to bid. With a glimpse of mischievousness, the man next to you raised his hand. Followed by some other people in the room. After nearly a minute of bidding, you raised your hand again. 

“Please stop playing sir. My husband is rather interested in this diary.” you muttered to the man next to you. “Stick to your paintings.” 

A suppressed laugh came as an answer as your bid was registered as a final answer. The hand of the man next to you extended towards you as the lights turned on. “It’s a pleasure to be doing business with you, little miss.” 

You frowned looking at the man’s gaze. “Business ?” 

“I am the owner of this building and the organizer of this auction. My name is Castiel, pleasure meeting you.” 

You gasped as you came to shake his hand. Dear god, why did you have to talk like that to the man who setted up a charity auction. This is why his brooch reminded you of something, it was literally plastered in the hall. 

“I am very sorry for my-”

“No offense is taken. Should we talk privately ? I will give you this diary your husband so wishes to have.” he lets go of your hand, getting up before offering his arm. 

“Yes.” you nod as you get up too, sliding your hand on the man’s arm. You were so giddy with the idea of success that you nearly didn’t realize Mephisto was cawing. 

However if you didn’t notice, it was not the case of Castiel that turned his head up towards the bird with a frown. He then asked the security to take care of it, and before you could step in and prevent this from happening, you were dragged into the man’s office. 

Once in his office, he let go of your hand. He headed towards the back of his desk, unlocking what sounded like a chest. In the meantime, you take the time to look around. The place was dark, but golden and green touches enhanced the place. You were basking in a warm light which contrasted with the cold atmosphere that was outside the sacred building. You did not move from the entrance, waiting patiently for you to be given what you had bought. 

“This book was retrieved from a bad man’s hands.” His voice broke the silence that was installed between you two. “If your husband really is interested in this script, you should be careful of him.” He said as he got closer to you handing the overused diary. 

“I will keep that in mind.” you nodded before taking the diary out of this man’s large hands. 

He smiled, flashing his perfect teeth to you. This close, you could see the eyebags between his vibrant eyes. A shiver ran up your back. “I hope our paths will cross again, little miss. If charity is what you are looking for, we could always use new members.” 

Charity… “Sure. I would love to stop by once again. The fate of the N109 zone is very dear to me afterall.” You smiled. 

He hummed. “Smart girl.” his fingers brushed your chin before you stepped back. “We should get going, your husband will surely show up in about a few seconds .”

Before you could answer, Castiel’s hand was on your free wrist and was dragging you out of his office, back into the auction room and in the middle of it stood Sylus. A visibly displeased Sylus. Almost angry. He shouted your name as soon as you came into his vision. The man with dark brown hair let go of your hand softly, placing his hand on your naked back. 

“You should go, little miss. I’d hate for your husband to scare away my guests.” 

You mindlessly nodded as you felt a sensation creeping up your back, and you almost trotted back to Sylus, pushing through the bodyguards preventing him from getting closer to their leader. Once in arms reach, the white haired man pulled you under his arm, hiding you beneath his coat. 

And yet as you were leaving the scene, you could feel Castiel’s gaze burning holes in your back.

[narislvr]

HEY THERE, SUBW4Y GIRL

one-last-stop au ౨ৎ ˖ ࣪⊹ | e.williams x fem!reader

cw? reader is painfully bad at asking women out (she will get better dw) new characters introduced, plot is beginning, literally just fluff for now, book dialog and possible(not really) spoilers, not proofread

nari note ᝰ.ᐟ Hi! I just wanted to say thank you so much for all the support on the first part of this series, it really motivates me to keep going and I hope I don't disappoint! Im not staying entirely book accurate but If you've read the book and want certain scenes to show up then please let me know! If you'd like to be part of the taglist then lmk also! That's all for now, and thank you again ♡

m.list [๋࣭🪻] part one [ 🌆 ] palestine-resources & daily click

"The spark in Subway girls eyes ignites so brilliantly that August half expect her to jump out her seat. "Wait, that's my sandwich! I invented it!" ── page 35

Weekday evening shifts were your favorite.

The lights were always dim, painting the old diner atmosphere in hues of orange and amber, and with how slow it was, you weren't forced to run around hoping that table six wouldn't holler you over as you ran to get pancakes for table nine. It was actually quite nice at times.

Being a waitress at a 24/7 diner was not in your plans when you moved away from your last campus all the way in the other corner of the country, but Millers was nice. The building, despite it’s age and outdated fashion, was homey and even with the annoyance of leaving the place smelling like pancake batter and greasey bacon, it was a place youve come to hold dear in your heart.

Having a soft spot for the place and liking your job, however, didn’t mean that you were necessarily good at it a hundred percent of the time. Sleep deprived rushes particularly, made you loath coming in saturday evenings, but today was good.

The evening had been going relatively smooth so far. In the two and a half weeks you’ve worked here, your mistakes have leveled down to now and then little to mix-ups —not counting wedsdays slip up— and your boss, Eliza, had yet to come in and save the day by placing an extra plate of toast on your tray when you accidentally forget them in the kitchen.

With it being close to nine on a Thursday, work was slow, thus, you found yourself leaning on the front counter scribbling random drawings on your notepad with a Miller’s House Of Pancakes pen in hand. With the scribbling, you mindlessly began to reflect on your week so far; your first full day of lectures went well, and balancing work and lectures hasn't been so bad yet ──but then again, the semester just started. Rent was coming up and you had saved enough to pay your share of the apartment and really other than Monday morning's coffee accident, things have been good.

Monday morning…

Subway girl.

Truth be told, you hadn't stopped thinking about the pretty stranger you met on the train a little over three days ago. Sure, she may have only offered her kindness out of pitty at the sight of your teary face, but it was something touching to you nonetheless. It was something that she needed that day, spmething that went right. You didn't see her on your commute to work earlier today, and a part of you couldn't help but feel disappointed. She was just some girl ──green eyes, freckled cheeks, tall and teasing── you had talked to for no more than five minute and yet your mind couldn't stop replaying her smile and her fingers brushing the curve of your shoulders as she wrapped her scarf around you.

You were hopeless

Eliza comes up behind you, shaking her head with a tut of her tongue as she perches her elbow on the counter beside you. "Slacking off on the job, new girl?" Her brow was arched and despite the edge in her tone, you could tell she wasn't exactly scolding you for it either.

"Sorry," you respond as you straighten yourself up. There's a hint of a smirk on the women's face for a second before she shakes her head.

"You eat?" In the six hours you've been in shift, you hadn't eaten anything other than a pack of fruit snacks you'd taken from one of your roommates snacks in the pantry, but did she really have to know that.

‘Uhm, yes?”

"Liar. That's why you slack off. You don't eat. You have no energy," Eliza shakes her head calling out to the man on the grill before you were even able to argue back.

“Jesse!”

"What!" He responds, annoyance in his muffled voice.

“Ew special”

"I already made you one!" Eliza groans, responding with a "for the new girl, Jesse," in an even more annoyed tone before turning to leave at the sound of table 3 calling for more syrup.

What in the world was an ew special?

—

An Ew Special as it turns out, was a sandwich with hashbrown and some cheesy ketchup concoction which honestly, was way better than you expected.

The time on your cracked screen marked 10:07 as you made your way into the subway station for your commute back home. Atleast tonight you'd get a decent night's rest before another full day of lectures and another evening shift. And with that, you sat on one of the benches under fluorescent lighting waiting for your train.

Around your neck was the scarf from before, this time it being worn to keep you warm rather than to cover a stain on your shirt, and definitely not because it was a gift from the handsome girl from before. Nope.

It doesn't take long for your train to arrive, and as you walk in, you can't help but glance around for a familiar auburn haired girl. And again, she's not there, what were you expecting? She was merely a kind stranger, one of the few you've encountered and have never seen again, why would she be any different?

—

The following morning, you follow your usual routine. Wake up, take your vitamin c gummy and see if there's any breakfast worthy left overs before taking a shower, get ready, and leave the 4th floor apartment to make your way to your station. It was a nice routine, one you wouldn't mind repeating the rest of your days in Seattle with the exception of one new thing you've recently had the habit of doing: look around for the girl on the subway, Subway girl.

Subway girl was a smile lost in the tracks. A girl who showed up, saved the day, and blinked out of existence.

It was embarrassing the amount of times you've looked for her only for the same result, so, in order to save yourself another disappointment, you'd instead focuse on yourself and not look around.

And you don't look around, not intentionally atleast, not until a group of late-twenty year olds step off the car two stops into your ride and you catch a glimpse of a familiar auburn girl.

Subway girl. The flannel she had worn the day you'd first met her sat neatly on her lap alowing for a better view of the outlined tattoos on her arms as her white t-shirt sleeves were cuffed below her shoulders.

You couldn't believe your luck.

Her eyes were closed as her head leaned against the window sill, but as she felt your gaze from across of her, she slowly opened her eyes and her mouth formed a soft "oh" in surprise.

"Coffee girl," She smiles, sitting up in her seat as she turned to face you directly. There's a pleasant glint in her eyes as she looked at you, one that you hoped you'd see forever.

“Subway girl.”

Her smile spreads. “Mornin’.”

Your brain tries to reply with a "hi", perhaps ask about her day, but your mouth goes to say "morning", and so what comes out is, "Horny.”

Maybe it's not too late to jump out the emergency exit. You expect her to turn away, wonder why she'd even tried to talk to you, but instead she snorts.

Her eyebrows raise in amusement before she grins teasingly with her voice ever smooth, "I mean, sure, sometimes." She rolls her shoulders back and pulls down her faded green headphones, the ones you saw the day you met her, before setting them on her lap with her flannel and taking out her Walkman to pause her music. It was interesting, you'd never seen anyone actually use a Walkman ──much less walk around with it── but you didn't question it.

"Sorry, I'm─ morning brain. It's too early," you muster out and something shifts in her expression.

"Is it?" Subway girl asks with what seemed like genuine interest.

"Yeah, um... I had a late night.”

Her brows raise again, and you couldn't help but look away as she seemed to try and guess what it was that had kept you up. "Doing what?”

It's not necessarily a lie, but it's not exactly the truth, and really you just needed some cover to not look like an idiot after the word vomit from a moment earlier. "Oh, uh, I had a night shift. I wait tables at Miller's and it's twenty-four hours─”

"Miller's...? As in Miller's house of pancakes on the edge of the city?”

She rests her elbows on her knees and perches her chin on her hands. Her eyes are wide, and curious, her attention solely on you as she awaited your answer.

"You know it?”

She bites her lip, which is fine, and she shakes her head.

"Oh man, I used to wait tables there too," She says. "The owners would argue about how they wanted to name the place so it would always change until they stuck with that.. Jesse still in the kitchen?”

You laugh, her mind blown expression causing a flurry of butterflies in your stomach. Lucky again. "Yeah, he's been there forever. I can't imagine him ever not being there. Everyday as I clock in he's all─”

"Mornin' buttercup," She says in perfect imitation which earns another small laugh from you. "He's such a babe, right?”

"A babe? Oh god," Your reaction gets yet another snort out of her, and as the two of you meet gazes again you both fall into a fit of laughter. It was sweet, and nice, and maybe, just maybe, meant to be.

"Man, there's this thing they serve there now and.. God, it's delicious. I had it the other day, an Ew special'.”

The spark in Subway girls eyes ignites so brilliantly that you half expect her to jump out her seat. "Wait, that's my sandwich! I invented it!”

"No way! Really?"

"Ew is a play on to my initials E.W," She explains. "I had Jesse make it specual for me so many times that eventually everyone else started having them too. Can't believe he still makes them there. He might be in love with me or something," She quips.

"Maybe. He makes them all the time and it's absolutely delicious, it definitely brings you back after a long shift, so, thank you.”

“No problem,” Subway girl says. Shes got this far-off look in her eyes as if she were reminiscing on the sights of customers and the smells of the diner, but she shakes the look off and lets out an exhale. “God, I miss that place. I don’t know if you feel it but, something about it… It's magic.”

You don’t do magic, but who were you to say that when she looks so wistful as if there was a deeper meaning behind her words so you simply hum in agreement.

‘I don't know how they haven’t fired me yet. I’m not the worst waitress, promise, but I accidentally dropped a pie on a five-year-old two days ago. We had to give him a free T-shirt.”

It takes a second, but Subway girl laughs, loud and hearty before shaking her head. “You'll get the hang of it soon,” She says with so much confidence that you believe her instantly. “Small fuckin’ world, huh?”

“Yeah…” You agree. “Small fuckin world.”

A comforting silence lingers in the air as you smile at each other. Subway girl is the first to break it as she glances at the scarf sticking out of your bag, “Nice scarf, by the way.”

You forgot you still had it with you so you quickly go to take it out and hand it to her but subway girl is quick to hold up a hand. “I told you to keep it and besides,” she pulls out a blue plaid one out of her bag, “It's been replaced.”

You look between the scarf in your hand and the green eyed girl in front of you, “I, yeah– thank you again, so much. I wanted– I mean, it was my first day of class and i was already late and didnt want to show up looking–”

“Hey, I mean, Its not that you looked bad,” Subway girl counters. “You just… looked like you needed something to go right that morning. So.” She shrugs, and the intercom suddenly comes on, announcing a stop that was barely audible from how unusually garbled it sounded.

Subway girl points over at the board. “Thats your stop right? The one heading to the college?”

Shit. It was your stop.

You realize as you swing your bag onto your shoulder and glance at the girl across from you that you might never get this lucky again. You seeing her again after 4 days of disappointment could have just been the world messing with you, raising your hopes up only to have her leave for good leaving you with only the memory of the pretty subway masc who saved the day and left you wanting more.

“I’m working breakfast tomorrow. At Millers,” You blurt out as you stand up. “If you want to stop by I could sneak you a sandwich. As payback for the scarf y’know?”

Subway girl looks up at you with an expression so strange and unreadable that you feel your stomach drop, of course, you had to find a way to ruin this. Whatever “this” even was.

Her expression clears up however and she smiles again, “Oh, man. I'd love that.”

“Okay,” you say and start walking to the door, still looking at her. “Okay. Great. Cool. Yeah-” You were going to stop saying words any second now. God, you usually weren't this awkward about asking people out.

Subway girl only watches you go, an amused look in her eyes as she moves a strand of hair from her face.

“What's your name?” she asks.

You stop in your tracks and turn around accidentally hitting another passenger getting off with your bag. “Ah– It’s [ ]. My names [ ].”

Subway girl's smile softens as if she somehow already knew.

“[ ],” she repeats. “I’m Ellie.”

“Ellie.. Hi, Ellie.”

Subway girl, now known as Ellie, smiles. She brings her hand up to her face and gives you a small salute as you say her name, a dorky gesture but one you found endearing nonetheless.

There's a little warning bell to announce the door closing so you quickly step off while still trying to keep your eyes on the auburn haired girl.

“The scarf looks better on you anyways,” Ellie winks, and the Subway doors close in front of you.

TAG LIST ౨ৎ ˖ ࣪⊹ @seraphicsentences @amberputh @k1ssesworld @mikellie @williamellieslilho @boobdrug

[bluesworldd]

PT1. Infunami !

↳ pairings: miles 42 x reader

↳ cw/tw: cursing, like 70% proofread, miles going through it, pet names: my love.

↳ genre: angst.

↳ synopsis: miles missed one too many dates and the truth comes out. poor miles

↳ blue says: lets just act like i didn’t disappear for a few months, thanks! enjoy

spoilers ahead !

┄┄ ︰ ┄୨୧┄ ︰ ┄┄

fuck

…fuckkkkk

10 missed calls…

miles rushed to get his suit off. fuck how many times has this been? he couldn’t help but think. five..? no five was to little… maybe 10? quickly he called the familiar number.

…ring

…ring

“please leave a-”

fuck. miles had no clue on how he was going to comeback from this one.. its been six months since the two of you started dating and within those six months miles had only took you on about twenty-five dates (yes he counted). now hear him out, 1. the two of you are teenagers and its not much two teenagers can do. 2. it would be way more if you considered cuddling together in your room as a “date”. look miles wasn’t proud of it ok? he s been busy with school and the prowler stuff so hes had a lot on his plate and trust, he does love you, more than you think, but its been a rough couple of months and he cant even remember the last time hes had over six hours of sleep. But fuck it, that was besides the point, now he had to focus on trying to not lose the person he loves….again

quickly he sent a text.

hey..im so sorry about tonight.

he checked the time…only 10:25, you should still be awake. miles knows that because your a bit of a night howl and just like him its hard for you to get sleep most nights…but for different reasons.

anyways.

idk if your still up but if you are just know im coming over.

fuck..im sorry seriously

just please text me back…

after a minute of nothing, in more suitable clothes, miles quickly ran out of his window and straight to you place. ok morales think… maybe a gift? no. miles knows you better, he tried to do that last time and he quickly realized he couldn’t buy your affection back. man that was a shitty three weeks, you had ignored him for a long time before he was at your door for hours begging to talk with him.

miles waited on the sidewalk before a cab stopped near him. getting in he was consumed by his thoughts. so what then? will they even buy the being at work bullshit again?

“kid where to!?” quickly snapping out of his thoughts miles told the cab drive your street address. only 10:33…fuck where did the time go? recently time for miles seemed to be slipping away and fast. never a slow moment to catch his breath or sit down and focus. that seemed to always be the case, especially after…anyways. maybe he could just tell the truth? he chuckled silently to himself. yeah..like thats a fucking option.

“where here” “oh yeah thanks” pulling his wallet out he handed the driver a twenty and a five. “just keep the change” exiting the car miles immediately headed for the back of your apartment where your fire escape was. he couldn’t bother going to your front door, after 6 p.m, no visitors, or rather no boyfriends were allowed in, specifically your mothers orders.

ok morales, just pray you don’t lose your relationships tonight, worry about the rest later. after climbing to the fourth floor he was meet with your window. please be open, please be open, please be- he lifted up the window.

thank god. miles made sure you weren’t in your room before climbing in. ok…now or never. going over towards your door miles knew this was risky. on the off-chance that you mother was up he would be really fucked. before he could open the door someone opened it first.

…miles let out a sigh of relief as he saw your face.

“what the-?!”

he quickly grabbed your wrist and pulled you into the room, shutting the door behind him. “….fuck?” you let out a disappointed sigh. “miles..what are you doing here?” a trick question he knew that you knew he was here to apologize but he didn’t say that part out loud, being a smartass would get him nowhere. “look i am beyond sorry-” “yeah i know miles” damn he could hear the hurt in you voice. you had your back turned to him now, focusing on getting you vanity in order. “…if you allow me, i can make it up to you this weekend” “yeah, i know miles…” is that a yes or…? “so…what day do you want to-” “i can always trust that you’ll make it up to me miles but what after?” ok..what? “what do you mean my love?” sighing you turned around to face him again. you couldn’t help but to roll your eyes, quickly mumbling “why do i even bother”

“ok look miles ill um talk to you later ight? it’s getting late anyways” you made your was towards him trying to get to you door. miles stopped you. “fuck, look i know i fucked up but please dont shut me out” he went to grab your hand but you stepped back. yeah, im fucked. “just please hear me out…” “you’ve released ive been hearing you out four times this month right?!” you said, your tone slightly rising. “and im beyond grateful my love, seriously i am, but if you can just hear me out one more time i can explain” turning back around you went to sit down. “well the floors all yours morales” usually, in any other instance, petty comments like that would have pissed him off but he had no right to be upset as of this moment.

“right…ok, i was called in late today. my manager said it was important and i couldn’t just bail on him you know..?” you slightly chuckled. “even you don’t believe that miles” ok yeah thats fair. “just please let me make it up to you my love.” he took a small step towards you “i already said i know that you will” now he was just confused “yeah so what does that mean? you’re saying nothing and everything at the same time” “it means i know that you will make it up to me miles, you always do, but what about after?” “will anything change…?” you voice grew smaller. miles wanted to respond but practically couldn’t. the room was left silent before you spoke up again “right, if thats your final answer than i think you should just-” “no, no, no. i promise i can change, you just have to be…” you glared at him “right…look i couldn’t be more grateful to have you as mine and i seriously dont want to lose you, just please..”

…a silent pause filled the room.

“than tell me the truth” you replied quietly. another silent pause followed. miles couldn’t do that, or else he would definitely lose you. “i..i cant do that.” your face contorted in confusion with a bit of anger. “and why exactly cant you?” you two stared at each before you made up your own conclusions “i see, maybe your too busy entertaining someone else ?” you huffed out. bow it was time for miles to be confused. “what?? why would i-?” miles sighed “no of course not i would never and you know that!” “so than whats the problem miles?! why exactly can’t you tell me the truth?” your voice gradually got louder, your patience clearer at its end. “if i do than you’ll be upset with me, so upset that you’ll most definitely break up with me” miles said quietly, a slight wobble in his voice although it was still prominent enough for you to hear. now you couldn’t help but be concerned. miles rarely got emotional during intense fights between the two of you, thats not to say miles is emotionally unavailable, just that he always stayed cool under pressure and fights.

“miles i cant be more upset with you than i already am, plus im the one asking for the truth so i can’t be mad at you, no matter what it is” you were slowly walking up to him now. hoping to reinsure him. “ok…listen, i cant tell you the full truth but please know im being completely honest when i say that: most times when i cant make it to our dates its because of my work..” you two stared at each other, miles was unable to read your face, although if you asked him, you looked pretty conflicted. as if you were deciding if he was telling the truth or not. after a small pause you came to your conclusion. “you know what miles? if its so hard to just-“

“fuck, ok im the prowler does that help?!”

the room grew silent as before, neither of you uttering a single word.

┄┄ ︰ ┄୨୧┄ ︰ ┄┄

©️bluesworldd 2023 || All rights reserved. Do not repost, reupload, translate, modify, copy, or claim my work as your own.

[newtthetranswriter]

Soup, Memories, and Feelings

Word Count: 3949

Paring: Reth x Gn! Reader

Summary: Wanting to make something to show your gratitude for all that Reth has done for you, you end up at the Daiya’s farm. After being told about Butternut Squash you remember a small bit of your past. Deciding what better way to show your gratitude than giving the Chef a meal from ancient Humans, oh and maybe some more feelings are shared.

Warnings: None really, maybe just spoilers for Reth’s story

A/n:  Hello people. So firstly sorry I stopped writing for a bit there, my adhd was being crazy and writers block also hit. I also got hooked on playing Palia which is why I decided to write this for the great Soup Boy. Anyways, if you are new here welcome and be sure to check my pinned post for everything you need to know about this blog. Now without further ado enjoy and remember to hydrate or diedrate.

   Waking up in another time with no memories except for my name was such a strange experience. Having to build a new life from nothing was a challenge but luckily I had the help of the villagers in Killima. They all helped me figure out how to take care of myself and be a productive member of their community, not caring that I was human or that I just appeared out of nowhere. Sure they were confused as to how a member of the extinct human race showed up but they eventually just wanted to make sure I was ok.

   Many of them took time out of their schedules to help teach me skills I would need to survive. Teaching me everything from foraging and gardening to hunting and carpentry, each skill I learned helped me establish myself in my new home. And even though I was grateful for each and everyone of them for teaching me these skills, there is one person I can’t help but express my gratitude for. Even while working two jobs in secret to insure his little sister got the medicine she needed, Reth still made it a point to help teach me how to cook.

   After getting to know him and learning of his secret second job, working for the cartel, all I wanted to do was help him out in whatever way I could. Whenever he was in a pinch because either Ashura or Tish were getting suspicious I would help out, running deliveries or helping make food he accidently promised to make. It didn’t matter what he needed, I was there to help out. But even after weeks of helping him out I still felt like there was more I could do to help him, there had to be something else I could do to make sure he knows how much I appreciate him.

  I spent a good portion of my free time brainstorming ideas on how to show my gratitude for the long haired chef. Eventually I settled on making him some food, but I was stumped on what to make for him. I knew it had to be perfect, I also wanted it to be something he hasn’t had before so it couldn’t be just a simple vegetable stew or steak dinner. At a loss for Ideas I head for the Library to look for recipes that might work. 

  Entering the library I nodded to Caleri in a silent greeting before heading to bookshelves that would most likely hold various different cook books. Grabbing a few I sat down at one of the tables and began to flip through them to see what they had to offer. After spending a few hours flipping through the various books, none of the hundreds of recipes seemed to be what I was looking for. Laying my head into the current book I was looking through, I couldn’t suppress the groan that left my lips in disappointment.

  Sitting up from my folded position, I looked around trying to think of an idea on what to do about my dilemma. After looking over the stacks of books that failed me, I looked out the window and watched as Auni ran past. Seeing the youngest of the Daiya family, I was reminded of their farm and how they have a small stall where they sell various seeds and crops. I decided I could look through what they had and maybe get an idea of something to make. Returning the books back to their shelves, I waved goodbye to Caleri as I began heading for the farm.

  When I reached the Daiya’s farm I was greeted by Badruu who was offering some gardening advice to another human who had also recently reappeared. Nodding to the farmer, I began to look through what crops and seeds they had to offer this time of year. They had the classic tomatoes, onions and carrots, as well as some other common vegetables but none of them were really speaking to me. Moving from the fresh vegetables I looked to the packets of seeds resting on the table. As I was looking through them I noticed on one of  the packets there was a picture that looked familiar but I couldn’t quite place what it was, like I had seen it before but the name of the vegetable was just out of reach.

  While I tried to recall what the vegetable was, Badruu came up beside me. “Looking for some new crops to start growing?” He asked, noticing I was looking at the various seeds.

  Picking up the small bag of seeds I nodded. “Yeah, trying to get ideas on some new dishes to make as well.” I explained while still trying to figure out why this one vegetable was so familiar to me. “By the way what kind of seeds are these? I don’t think I’ve seen these before.” I asked knowing that Farmer would have the answer I was looking for.

  “Oh, those are for Butternut Squash. It’s a hearty vegetable that is great for many different meals. Though it does take quite a while to grow, if you planted it would likely be ready to harvest in about three months.” He explained. 

  Hearing the name of the vegetable seemed to trigger a memory from my past. Not a super detailed memory but enough that I knew it was from a long time ago. I could see a beautiful golden soup that was creamy and smelled amazing, it was topped with chopped bacon and served with some nice bread. I was also able to recall how it was made and what all was needed for the soup. With this new found memory of a food from my past, I knew exactly what I wanted to make for Reth. Sure I would have to wait for a few months to be able to make the soup but I was sure it would be perfect.

  Deciding that I wanted to make the soup from my memories, I smiled to myself. “I’ll take them, thank you Badruu you are a lot of help.” I said handing over a few gold pieces before saying goodbye and heading back to my house.

   After reaching my plot, I prepared a small garden plot at the back of my house where it wouldn’t be visible if anyone came by for a visit. I wanted to keep my plan a secret for as long as possible, if everything went according to plan Reth would be the first one to find out about this recently resurfaced memory. Anyways, after getting the plot ready I planted the seeds and watered them. Making sure to put a stake in the soil next to the plot with the bag the seeds came in on it so I knew what was growing there and so I would remember to water it.

   Once that was taken care of I headed inside to the small office I had set up for myself. I grabbed a few extra pieces of paper and began writing down the recipe so in a few months when it came time to make the soup I would remember what I needed to do. I also decided that I would write a second copy so that when I gave the soup to Reth I could also give him the recipe. After writing out the recipe twice, I placed both copies in my makeshift cookbook and placed it on the shelf for safe keeping. All that was left to do was wait for the squash to grow and ripen.

Time Skip

   As I watched the leaves change from green to varying shades of yellow, orange, and red, I also watched as the squash plants grew behind my house. I made sure to keep a close eye on them, not over watering them and making sure no bugs got to the key ingredient of the soup I was dying to make. Each day the squash was getting closer and closer to being ready, and each day it became more difficult to not tell Reth that I had remembered something from my past.

  He had expressed that he hoped that my memories would come back so we could talk about them, and now that I’ve had this memory it was so hard not to run to him and tell him about it. But I wanted the resurfaced memory and the golden soup to remain a secret until I could present him with the soup. So, I held back and regularly checked the squash to see if they were ready.

   Luckily after three whole months, the squash was ready to pick which meant I just had to gather the other ingredients and make the soup. After getting the squash cleaned up and placed in my kitchen I made a quick trip into town. I opted to buy the needed ingredients instead of foraging and hunting for them because it would be quicker and easier then refining everything. I bought some vegetable broth and Surnuk meat from Zeki’s and then bought a few apples and onions from The Daiya's farm. Having all the necessary ingredients ready I headed home to prepare the soup.

  With all the needed ingredients in my possession, I started on the soup. Roasting the squash until it was soft enough to scoop the meat of the squash out of the skin, cutting the apples and ones, turning the meat into bacon. Once everything was ready I put everything except the bacon into a large pot, mixing together the soft squash and vegetable broth with the onions and apples, creating a thick and creamy soup. Placing the pot on the stove, I set it on a medium heat to get warm and happy. 

  While the soup began to heat up, I quickly made a simple loaf of bread that would be perfect with the soup. I also prepared the other things I was planning to give to Reth. I made sure to grab the second copy of the recipe I had written specifically for him. During the months that I was waiting for the squash to be ripe, I decided that I wanted to give a few more things. Knowing that most days Reth barely managed to squeeze in a couple hours of sleep between the inn and the market, I made him a new pillow and blanket to keep in the store room to hopefully make those couple hours more comfortable. Placing the pillow and blanket in the basket I picked out for the occasion, I grabbed the recipe and laid it on top of the blanket.

  Checking the time, seeing that it was close to time for Reth to be done at the Inn and heading to the store room for his short break, I went to check on the soup. After a quick taste test confirming that the soup was perfect, electing a happy feeling and a brief memory of joy at the similarity to the soup from memory, I grabbed the chopped bacon and placed a lid on the pot of soup. Placing the bowl that held the bacon and loaf of bread on top of the basket in my arms, I grabbed two empty bowls and spoons also setting them in the basket. Looking down I confirmed everything I needed was in the basket and then turned and carefully grabbed the pot of soup off the stove.

   When I got into town I took a moment to decide the best route to get to Reth without raising too much suspicion from Ashura or anyone else that may see me carrying the soup. Deciding it would be best to go through Zeki’s shop and into the market than to Reth’s store room, I made my way to the Grimalkin’s store. Carefully making my way into the underground and back up into Reth’s store room.

   I breathed a sigh of relief when I entered the room having not run into anyone between my plot and Zeki’s, as well as making it to the store room before Reth finished meeting with Jel and Tish. After collecting my thoughts I began to set up the dinner I had prepared. I carefully cleaned up one of the small tables, pulling a couple of chairs close to the table. After setting up the table I placed the pot of soup in the center leaving the lid on to keep the heat in, I placed the bread and bowl of bacon next to the pot as well. I then moved to place the bowls on the table alongside the spoons I had brought. Once I was sure the table was perfect, I placed the basket with the other gifts under the table just out of sight so as to not completely ruin the surprise.

  As I took a step back to admire my work, I was startled when I heard the sound of footsteps approaching the storeroom from the direction of the Inn. Quickly calming my racing heart, I turned to face the door as Reth opened it. It took him a moment to register that I was there, but when he noticed me he just stood frozen for a second. As the room was filled with silence I began to worry that I messed up, but before I could start rambling, Reth finally reacted.

  “Hey, Y/n. What’s all this about?” He asked, finally stepping away from the door and making his way towards me, noticing the set table as well as the large pot. “Did I forget a date or something?” Reth tilted his head, trying to remember a date that was never planned.

  Seeing the confusion on his face, I couldn’t help but laugh at the hint of fear he held thinking he forgot something important. “No you didn’t forget anything Reth. This is all me, I wanted to surprise you with a nice meal.” I explained grabbing one of his hands as he stood in front of me. The look of confusion was still present on his face so I explained further. “You work so hard, taking care of the inn during the day, then you go down to the Market and spend the night working there. You do so much to make sure Tish is healthy, even if it means putting yourself at the mercy of the cartel, and I want you to know that I see all that you do and I think you are so strong for dealing with all of this. So I made you this dinner and figured we could eat together and maybe chat while you relax before you have to start working again.” I suggested with a smile, nodding to the table behind me.

  “You didn’t have to do this for me, Fancy Pants.” He said taking in everything sitting on the table. I just shook my head knowing he would try and brush it off as not a big deal, keeping a hold of his hand I pulled him to the table and made him take a seat in one of the chairs. Once he was seated, he sighed in defeat before becoming more curious about the set up. “So what did you make me?” He asked, reaching for the lid of the pot.

  I gently smacked his hand away, shaking my head. “You are not doing anything other than sitting there and letting me take care of you. I said you need to relax and that includes me serving you your dinner.” I informed him before reaching for the lid myself. “As for what I made, It’s Butternut Squash soup.” I told him, sparing a glance his way looking to see if had any reaction to the dish but he just looked confused. “Butternut Squash is a vegetable that is typically in season when the leaves start changing colors, and it’s great for things like soup. This soup was actually really popular this time of year back when humans were still around.” I said pouring soup into each bowl and sprinkling the chopped bacon on top of the soup. “Funnily enough it was one of my favorites growing up.”

  As I placed one of the bowls in front of Reth, I watched as the Majiri processed my words. After a second he spoke up. “Wait, you said it was one of your favorites when you were growing up. Does that mean you remembered something?” He was completely focused on the mention of my past before I appeared in Kilima.

  I smiled as I took my seat across from him, grabbing a slice of bread to eat with my soup. “Well kind of. It wasn’t a super vivid memory but I remember this soup and how to make it. I also remember how good it made me feel to eat it.” I explained while spooning some of the soup onto the slice of the bread.

  Reth also began eating the soup, copying my method of putting some on a piece of bread. “Well at least it’s something, maybe you’ll find more things that trigger memories of your past.” He said, before finally taking a bite of the soup. As he took in the flavors of the soup I couldn’t help but hold my breath waiting for his reaction. After a few seconds a smile spread across his face. “This is some of the best soup I’ve ever had, and that’s saying something because I’ve had a lot of good soup.” I could hear the pure joy in his voice as expressed how much he liked the soup and I couldn’t hold back my own wide smile.

  “I’m glad you like it.” I said, looking down at my own bowl of soup and began eating again to try and hide the slight blush at the compliment. 

   After the brief exchange, we both focused on eating. There was little said between bites, both of us just enjoying the other’s company and the warm meal. Once we had both finished eating, I set the bowls to the side before reaching under the table for the other things I brought. Seeing me reach for something Reth raised an eyebrow in confusion. “What are you doing now Fancy pants?” He asked, trying to look over the table as I made sure everything was in place in the basket.

   “Well, I didn’t want to just give you soup, so I made you a couple of other things.” I said raising the basket and placing it in front of him.

    I watched as his eyes went wide, surprised by yet another gift he did not expect. “You really didn’t have to. The soup was more than enough.” He tried to deflect.

   Shaking my head I thought for just a second before speaking. “Well, how about you think of the soup as a thank you for doing so much for everyone else, and you think of these gifts as a thank you for helping me.” I offered hoping he would understand, but he just looked at me confused. “Reth, even while you were busy with the inn and your debt to the cartel you have taken time to teach me how to cook. But not just that you’ve taken the time to become one of my first friends here. Not to mention how you stole my heart.” I explained with a gentle smile.

   I watched as his look of confusion was replaced with a look of shock, that then morphed to what I could only describe as love. “Well I am a criminal so I’m pretty good at stealing things.” He said with a light chuckle. “But seriously I think you stole my heart first. You also didn’t have to do all this for me.” He looked up at me, making eye contact.

   “You’re right I didn’t have to do any of this.” I said before grabbing one of his hands. “But I wanted to. I wanted to make you this dinner, I wanted to give you these and I wanted to spend the evening with you. I didn’t do it because I had to, I did it because I wanted you to know how much I love you.” I watched as heat rushed to his face, turning it a slight magenta. 

   He quickly tore his eyes away from mine looking back to the basket, clearly flustered by my confession. “Thank you. For everything really.” His voice was quiet but I could tell he meant it. He just wasn’t used to such strong displays of affection. After a couple more moments of silence, he looked back up at me. “I love you too.” He said making eye contact with me. Sure we had given each other our pins, to show that we were serious but this was the first time we uttered the words out loud. I couldn’t help but let my smile grow at the words that meant so much to the both of us.

  Taking a moment to just enjoy the peaceful silence, I looked towards the basket that held the hand made pillow and blanket before looking at the small clock on the wall of the store room. Seeing that there was still a couple of hours before Reth had to be down in the market, I started to stand up, earning a confused look from the chef in front of me. “Don’t worry I’m not leaving. I just thought you might want to try and sleep a little bit before you have to be in the market.” I said, grabbing the pillow and blanket and turning towards the couch. “I’ll stay awake and keep an eye on the clock so I can wake you up before you have to go down there.” I said after placing the pillow against one of the arms of the couch.

   Reth seemed to process my words before standing up and making his way to the couch. But when he sat down he didn’t move to lay down. “Would you lay with me?” He asked quietly. It was clear from his voice that he meant exactly what he said. There was no hidden meaning he really just wanted me to lay down with him.

   After a moment of shock not expecting him to ask for me to lay with him I moved to the couch with him. “Of course.” I said sitting next to him. The couch was rather small but we managed to make it work. After a few moments of awkward adjustments we finally got to a position that was comfortable for both of us. I was laying on my back tucked as close to the back of the couch as possible, while Reth laid on his side next to me. It took a few words of reassurance but he eventually agreed to rest his head on my chest while I wrapped my arms around his back and pulled him in close. 

   Once we were both comfortable it wasn’t long before Reth fell asleep tucked close to my side, head resting above my heart and arm thrown over the top of me. True to my word, I stayed awake watching over him and keeping an eye on the clock. Seeing him so peaceful and truly relaxed for the first time in a long time I couldn’t fight back my smile. I was glad I could offer even a moment of comfort for him after all the struggles he’s been through in his life. I also knew that even though I wasn’t from this time and I had no memories of what life was like before I awoke in Kilima, I would never hope to change how my life turned out.

(dividers by @/cafekitsune)

[keithsandwich]

Loss

Word Count: ~700

Rating: Teen And Up

Tags: Pregnancy, Parenting, Grief, Depression, Memory Loss.

Summary: The former King of Jade congratulates Maeve (OC) on her pregnancy, but the ghosts from the past are haunting him.

Notes: This was written in one sitting yesterday, and although I've edited a bit today, it may contain errors. Spoilers from Keith's route, but mainly some assumptions I'll mention in the end.

"Iris! Please!" Maeve shouted, to no ears. Both Iris and her maid had already disappeared into the garden. The kid was running relentlessly, the woman was trying to prevent her from going too far.

Meanwhile, Maeve sighed where she stood, beneath the shadows of the trees, with one toddler fussing in her arms and a baby kicking inside her belly. She rocked Aurora, attempting to calm her down. Back, and forth, and back again.

"Are you pregnant again?"

The calm voice startled her. She hastily turned to the former King and curtsied awkwardly while holding the little girl. He chuckled. No matter how many times he had told her there was no need for it, Maeve had never lost the habit.

"It just started showing." It had been six moons if her counts were correct. Her belly used to show sooner in the past, but now it had grown naturally round and soft even when she wasn't expecting. "I'm sorry, I thought the kids had already told you about their new sibling."

"I don't recall if they did," the former King said softly. His arms reached to take Aurora from hers. She was still wailing and kicking. Her grandfather started to rock her like Maeve had been doing, but with such gentleness he could easily be mistaken for Keith at a distance.

"I see... They must be used to it by now..." Maeve whispered with disappointment and looked away. Her hand touched her belly idly. In the distance, they could hear Iris laughing loudly as Aurora started to grow quieter.

"No, no, the fault is probably in my memory. It's not working as it did in the past, I wouldn't be surprised if they told me and I just... Forgot it. No offense."

His words captured Maeve's attention again. They looked at each other. Her interactions with the King had always been brief and stiff, although she knew he was a good grandfather -- way better than the father he had been. Having him somehow trying to comfort her was a rare thing.

"None taken. Don't worry about it."

"This is a good thing, you know? Having a big family. This is what we wanted, but..." his voice trailed off as gradually as Aurora's fussing, until they both fell silent. He reached for a flower from a lower tree branch and swirled it in front of her, sparking her curiosity and prompting her to reach for it with her little hands. "Sometimes I wonder if this is why... She passed so soon..."

"You mean...?"

"He knew of our plans. Three was easier to... To get rid of..." The former King looked at her, and in his tired amber eyes, she saw pain. Despair. A quiet cry for help. Maeve had heard that ever since Keith showed him the evidence of Fernand's guilt, the former King had been withering in grief; his mind so consumed by that that it started to weaken. The memories from minutes ago slipping away as he refused to let go of the memories from the past.

Maeve stepped forward, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"There's no way of knowing that. Don't torture yourself overthinking, please."

Then it all happened so fast. Aurora opened the cutest little smile with all of her four teeth and babbled with joy when she grabbed the flower, and Iris dashed in with her maid on her trail. "Granpapa! Granpapa!" she screamed excitedly, throwing herself against his long legs. If he weren't so sturdy, she could've thrown him to the ground.

"Iris, be careful!" Maeve tried to caution her daughter, but the former King used his free hand to tap hers lightly over his shoulder in reassurance. Then he leaned away from her touch to lift Iris up. The two girls giggled, safe in each of their grandfather's arms.

He turned to take a look at Maeve again. His gaze remained a little longer on her belly, as if intrigued by it.

"Oh, there's another one on the way, isn't there?"

Maeve gave him the most gracious smile she could.

"Yes! Yes, there is!"

End Notes: Okay, so, while during Keith's route it is said that he can't prove Fernand's involvement in Til's death, I have a feeling this is something that still can be done as his story is developed. And I assume it would probably be devasting for the King to know he's been blind for so long to the wrong deeds of his brother. Oh, and while Keith's mother passed when Mireille was born, in this fanfic the King is just being paranoid wondering if Fernand had murdered her too.

"Good, good. I should... I shall... I will congratulate my useless son later for doing one more thing right."

Taglist: @olivermorningstar @bicayaya @queengiuliettafirstlady @candied-boys @fang-and-feather @strawberry-scum @m-mmiy @hellecat @nightghoul381 @lorei-writes - let me know if you want in or out on my taglist!

[thefanficmonster]

hii would love anything with sydney adamu x reader if ur still taking requests!! or even just headcanons honestly just need more syd content on here

Hi hun! Oh I'm always delighted to write for Syd, I'm obsessed with her 🙈 Hope you enjoy the fic darling 💌

Pairing: Sydney Adamu x Reader (Gender Neutral)

Warnings: SPOILERS for The Bear S2, Swearing

Genre: FLUFF

Summary: When Sydney's left to do menu research duty on her own, she comes to realize a few things.

Her calls are going straight to voicemail, it's half an hour past their agreed upon time to meet up and she's frankly fucking tired. She's used to doing things on her own, knowing not to expect much from other people. But still she's astounded by how shitty this is. It's not like they have all the time in the world - quite the opposite actually. Every second counts. And Carmy just wasted 1800 seconds of precious time Syd could've used for menu research.

She's given up hope and is now waiting for the train to the first restaurant on her list, puffs of smoke escaping her mouth as she periodically sighs in continuous disappointment she can't suppress no matter how hard she tries. The momentary tranquility she finds from the chaos of the restaurant is time she cherishes, until it's interrupted by her ringing phone.

She's not even surprised to see it's not Carmy who's calling. She is, however, surprised to feel a wide smile stretch across her face when she sees your name on the screen.

"Hello?"

"Yeah, hi." She hears the exhaustion in your voice, the yelling in the background explains the reasoning behind it. "I know you and Carmy are probably eating some wonderful food right now but I really need to talk to someone sane or I'll commit a crime."

A laugh rattles Sydney's chest, a genuine, wholehearted laugh, "Nah I'm actually bored out of my mind waiting for the train. Alone. I'm more than happy to keep you sane for a sec."

"Wait, alone? Why are you- Richie for fuck's sake put the hammer down!!! - Sorry about that. Why are you alone?" Syd hears the click of a lighter on your end, signaling you're out for a brief smoke to prevent the aforementioned potential crime. Possibly a murder. Possibly of Richie.

"Because Carmy has dropped off the face of the Earth." She sighs, stepping onto the train that's finally arrived, rescuing her from the Chicago cold.

"That's unlike him. I'd be concerned if - Fak, honey, you're gonna wreck the fucking pipe! - You know what, never mind that. I'm sure he's fine. You wanna....not be alone maybe? I wanna be anywhere but here right now."

Syd could use some alone time, or at least that's what she was telling herself before you called. Now, she couldn't imagine spending her afternoon any better than visiting different restaurants and doing menu research in your company. "I'd love that. I'll be at The Montgomery."

"Cool, cool. It's a date."

Sydney playfully rolls her eyes as she hangs up the phone, the dory smile refusing to leave her face.

The two of you have been essential for each other's survival and sanity ever since this whole restaurant fiasco started. Her with her brutal realism and you with your unconditional optimism, it's safe to say you balance each other quite nicely, bringing you close and forming a strong bond between you.

Somewhere along the way, flirting started being sprinkled throughout your interactions, mostly from your end. But it's not like it's one sided. You both have fun toying with the potential of there being something more. Just as a joke, of course.

But in every joke there's a half-truth. One half from her and one half from you forms the whole truth - that you're both idiots that should stop hiding behind teasing and sarcasm and just say what you're feeling.

There hasn't really been much time for that though, not among the dust, mold and other substances currently littering the restaurant-in-the-making. You're a little too busy knocking down walls to build bridges.

You make it to The Montgomery half an hour later only to find Syd nose-dived into a notepad, jotting down impressions and ideas. You're not nearly as well-versed into the culinary world as she is but you're still more than willing to endure her long rants about each menu item and how it can be made better and incorporated in their own.

She's been sending you ideas, even cooking a couple of them for you to try these past few days. You don't have the heart to tell her you have the palette of a broke college student - you're not crazy to turn down free and fancy food. But it's not like Syd doesn't know that though. She does it more as an expression of what she cannot say with words. As her very own love language, curated just for you.

"Is this seat taken?" You smile down at her, motioning to the chair across from her.

She looks up, her whole face lighting up when she sees you. "I'm sorry, it's reserved."

Chuckling, you sit down, shrugging off your jacket, "Well, they clearly don't deserve it if they have you waiting here all on your lonesome."

You receive a playful eye roll in response. You get that a lot from her. And you find it adorable.

Syd pushes one of the plates towards you, handing you the second fork, "Try this, it has potential."

With some analysis of the layout of plates and bowls on the table, you quickly gather that what she's offering you is a concoction of two different dishes. You can't pick out what the individual dishes might consist of so this collaboration of the two is a complete mystery to you.

But if Syd says there is potential, you'll be damned if you don't believe her.

You pick around the plate, getting a little something of everything on your fork. The flavor is so full and different, almost overpowering. However, you can clearly see that potential Sydney was talking about.

"Thoughts?" She prompts you, waiting for your rating.

You tilt your head to the side, furrowing your brows, trying your hardest to gauge what ingredients have been used. Unfortunately, to no avail. There's no denying that it's good though. "It's something." You eventually say, causing Syd to scoff and shake her head, "However..." This grabs her attention and her gaze is back on you instantly, "...it's too overpowering. Heavy, even. If we serve this we'll need to plate it with some lemon slices or something to freshen up the flavor. Lighten it up, you know?" Seeing the grin on her face, you find yourself getting a little flustered, unsure if you just made an absolute dumbass of yourself. "Did that make any sense?"

"My thoughts exactly." She laughs, reaching to switch out the plate in front of you for a different one, "Oh and also, I pulled some strings and booked us a kitchen to test some stuff out tonight."

Your brows perk up, the corner of your lips pulling up in a smirk, "Us?"

"Mhm..." She hums in response, avoiding your gaze briefly as she grows slight flustered. Look how the turn tables. "I mean, if you're free, of course."

"I'm always free for you." You contain any flirtier remark from escaping your mouth. Because this is sincere. This is nothing short of the whole truth. You're always free for her. Even if you aren't, you're willing to drop everything for her.

And little do you know, she feels the exact same.

Syd nods, finally meeting your eyes again, "Cool. It's a date."

Fucking dorks

[vodika-vibes]

Happy Follower Celebration!

May I request: Hound, angst/fluff?, white clover & anemone - perhaps Hound has done something wrong (or, quite wrong) to f!reader, and is trying to make up for it. I imagine perhaps somehow a romantic fubar, but could be anything. I'm mainly going for hurt/comfort here!

Thank you so much, and grats again! 🌑

I Promise

Summary: After Hound forgets your Name Day, just like everyone else in your life, you're feeling down. Luckily, your boyfriend can be a sweetheart when he wants.

Pairing: ARF Trooper Hound x F!Reader

Word Count: 1447

Warnings: Angsty but there's a happy ending

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni

A/N: I hope this is close to what you wanted. But so you know, I got sad and teary while I was writing it. So...uh...sorry? Also, I tried to switch to Hound's POV for the second half, but I'm not sure how I did.

You’re mad.

Well. No. Not mad. Mad you could deal with. Disappointed, maybe, is the better word.

You’ve been dating Hound for about three months at this point, and up until now, it’s been perfect. He’s kind and loving, and whenever he plans dates he always makes sure that the both of you have so much fun. And sure, none of his dates are exactly high end dates like your friends go on, but you’ve never minded because the dates have always been geared towards having fun.

And you think it might be love, because you’re at the point where you can’t picture your life without him in it.

But this hurts.

You don’t have any family. And your friends are always so busy.

And you thought that Hound would be here to celebrate with you. But he’s not and you kind of feel like crying.

You shouldn’t have to spend your Name day alone.

And yet, that’s exactly what you’re doing.

Hound hasn’t even sent a message wishing you a happy name day.

And you should probably be mad about it, because you know he saw the date on the calendar and he even asked about it, but you don’t have the energy for mad. Just sad. And disappointed.

And starting to think that maybe, just maybe, you’re more invested in the relationship than he is.

Slowly you rest your chin on your folded arms, and you stare at the cupcake you bought yourself. It’s beautiful. Tastefully decorated with frosting that looks like flowers and with a candle neatly arranged on the top, and just looking at it makes the lump in your throat harder to ignore and burning in your eyes all that more obvious.

Your gaze flickers to your comm, as you check it one more time, and your shoulders slump. Not a single message. From anyone. Not from Hound, not from your friends-

“It’s a stupid thing to celebrate, really.” You say to your empty apartment, as you sit up and push your chair back and get to your feet to shove the cupcake somewhere else.

Maybe it’ll hurt less tomorrow.

Spoiler, it never does.

You carefully put the cupcake in the fridge, after pulling the candle out and tossing it in the trash, and then you grab the bag of take out menus. You feel awful enough that you’re not going to make it worse by forcing yourself to cook.

You dig through the menus, until you find the one you’re looking for. Greasy, salty, horribly unhealthy comfort food. You’re going to regret it in the morning, but you can’t bring yourself to care now.

After all, you did just find out that you’re apparently not important enough to anyone you care about for them to even send you a name day message. 

You sniffle and wipe your eyes with the sleeve of your shirt, and then you place your order, enough food that you’re not going to be able to finish it, before shoving the menus back into the bag, and pinning the bag back onto the fridge. 

For a moment, you trail your fingers over your comm, your gaze lingering on Hound’s contact information. Maybe you should call him…just to make sure he’s okay. You hesitate for a moment, and then you sigh and drop your comm back on the table.

No. He probably won’t answer the call anyway.

You wipe your leaking eyes one more time, and then vanish into your bedroom to change into something more comforting. No point in wearing nice clothes now, after all.

“Kriff, kriff, kriff-” Hound curses under his breath as he dodges through the crowded streets to get home. “I’m so late! Damn it, Fox, why’d I have to stay?” He bitches at the memory of his older brother.

He slows to a walk as he reaches the apartment complex, and he digs through his pockets for his fob to unlock the main door. Only to pause when a delivery speeder pulls up, “Hold the door!” The young man shouts.

“Ah, sure-” Hound holds the door open for the young man. His gaze drops to the clearly labeled bag of food and he arches a brow, “D’you need the lift?”

“I do, yes. I’m heading to apartment 306.” The young man says, and Hound jolts. 

“How about I take that for you. 306 is my apartment.” He explains to the young man. Hound takes the bag of food, and offers a tip, before he summons the lift himself. 

He eyes the bag of food curiously.

His cyare only orders Manacetti’s when she’s had a bad day. But she normally also complains to him about bad days. Hound quickly digs his comm out of his pocket and scans through his messages, just in case.

No. Nothing.

No warnings about you having a bad day. No messages at all.

He stops in front of theapartment and keys in the door code while balancing the bag of food and his comm, and he heaves a sigh of relief when the door opens.

It’s been a long day.

“Cyare! I caught the delivery kid in the lobby, and have dinner!” He calls into the house. The quiet house. The radio isn’t even on. Hound’s lips turn down as he sets the food on the hallway table and quickly pulls his armor off, “Cyare?”

“You didn’t have to do that,” His perfect cyare says as she steps into the hallway, a ghost of a smile on her pretty lips.

Though Hound isn’t paying attention to that. He’s looking at her red rimmed eyes, and the tear stained cheeks. “Cyare? What-” He stops as a memory from several days earlier slams into him. “I forgot that today’s your Name Day.” He says.

Her lips waver for a moment and she blink rapidly, “It’s okay-”

“No. No it really isn’t. I’m…so sorry.”

“You were probably busy-”

“That’s not an excuse,” Hound interrupts, “Kriff, cyare, I made you cry-”

She hastily wipe her eyes, “You…it’s okay, no one remembered-”

Hound’s heart sinks, “…not a single person remembered?”

Her shoulders hunch as she shrinks in on herself, “...it’s a stupid thing to celebrate, really.” She says softly, though her voice is shaking, and Hound knows that the only reason she’s not crying is because of sheer stubbornness.

Carefully, he guides her into the house properly, and sets the bag of food on the kitchen table, before he slowly pulls her into his arms. “I’m so, so sorry, cyare.” Hound whispers in her ear.

“It’s okay.” She replies automatically.

“No. No it isn’t. We, my brothers and I, don't have Name Days. But I know today was important to you, so it should have been important to me.” Hound lightly strokes her hair, “I’m so, so sorry.”

She sniffles, and he rests his cheek against the top of her head as he feels tears soak through his blacks, “I thought that maybe you didn’t…” She hesitates, “That maybe this relationship meant less to you than…-” she seems unable to finish the sentence, and Hound tightens his arms around her.

He presses a light kiss against the top of her head, and then slowly pulls back, his hands coming up to cup her face. Slowly, he wipes the tears off of her cheeks, “Can I let you in on a little secret?” He asks.

She sniffles, but nods.

Hound leans in and bumps his forehead against hers, “I love you.” He whispers, and her eyes widen as she looks up at him in astonishment. “In fact, my love for you is undying. Forever and eternal.”

She drops her gaze, shyly, but there’s a small, genuine, smile on her lips, “You love me?”

“Undying love.” Hound corrects with a small grin, though it fades, “I’m sorry I forgot your name day. I’ll do better.”

Her gaze lifts to meet his gaze, “Promise?”

“I promise,” Hound drops a hand from her cheek, and he holds out a pinky, “Pinky promise, even.”

A muffled giggle falls from her lips, and she hooks her finger with his, “Alright.” She sniffles one more time, but favors him with a slightly watery smile, “I bought enough food for the both of us. And I have a cupcake we can share-”

“Oh no you dont,” Hound leans in and kisses her nose, “After dinner, you can eat your cupcake, and I’m going to dig through all of our stuff and make you a proper cake.”

“...you know how to bake?”

“How hard can it be?” Hound asks with a grin, before he ducks his head and kisses her, “Happy Name Day, Mesh’la.”

And she finally flashes a proper smile, “Thank you.”

[queers-gambit]

The Five Senses of You

prompt: ( requested ) first she saw him, then she smelt him, after, his voice never leaves her head and when in Wyoming, she discovers what he feels and tastes like. or a very shitty Soulmate AU

pairing: Joel Miller x female!reader

fandom masterlist: HBO's The Last of Us

word count: 4.7k+

note: i don't think i got this 'soulmate' thing right, so, i'm very sorry - please be gentle with me.

warnings: cursing, some spoilers, bad bad bad soulmate AU. half edited, author is disappointed in this but that's fine - this is fine. also, please note, author does not have ability to diagnose others with any condition; some listed details are from author's own experiences. ❗️season one spoilers

The first time you saw him, he was hauling euthanized Infected corpses into a bonfire with about 20 other people. In a sea of muted colors, it was his arms in his dingy button-up that first caught your eyes but it was everything about him that made you linger.

He was mesmerizing to watch, so, you paused when you caught sight of him, keeping to the shadows, and watching him for the better part of an hour.

He was an intriguing man that you wanted to know more about, yet nerves always directed you off your wanted-path. Why you felt so magnetic to this man, you were unsure, and yet, so calm about your blossoming attraction. By any means, he wasn't a nice man, but for the life of you, you were desperately curious about the smuggler.

Can you say Daddy Issues?

So, you waited and watched from the shadows; remaining out of sight and mind, always up-wind, and usually from behind a structure. Timid, some might call you. Cautious, others defended. Curious, your friends knew you to be.

Feeling as if he was being watched, Joel would occasionally look up and around when he felt himself being watched - but chalked his nerves up to being the FEDRA officers on duty. You remained invisible to him, but you understood you were done for and he was all you wanted. With a single glimpse, your world had changed, and time would forever slow to an agonizing grind until he was yours.

The first time you smelled him, you were following him on the street - being ignored by him, but allowing for a nose-full.

He was moving stiffly through the crowds, those who were in his way just seeming to sense him - stepping out of the way. It was fascinating to watch, wondering what he'd done to command such respect but after lingering around the dining hall, you understood he was also a dealer.

So, you tailed him for a few blocks and it was then the wind blew, and you were smacked in the face by his scent. He smelt of body odor, yes, but also of fire and burnt flesh. However, because you understood this man to be something vastly different to you than anyone else, there was also a hint of... Lemon, sandalwood, and after another long inhale, leather.

You smirked as his sweat seemingly secreted his natural scent so that only you could truly smell it, wondering what your scent was to him. After three blocks, there was more wind, and you started to feel calmed from the smell, but then, you had to step off into an alley when Joel perked his head up and felt someone watching him again. He paused, looked around with suspicion, but then continued towards his destination.

You formed a plan in your head.

The first time you heard his voice, he was dealing you Xanax and you'd never be the same. Your life wouldn't be the same once you heard his voice, and now that it was in your head, it would live rent free. Once upon a time, when you had a family, the woman who birthed you had explained your sire was her "soulmate" and that you'd find one only after you turned 30.

Why age 30?

Who fucking knew - but it was better than when you turned 18! I know, technically, that's when you're a legal adult but for fuck's sake, being 18 doesn't mean you're grown up. So, for whatever reason, your soulmate wouldn't be revealed until after you were 30, and it took years to finally find him.

His voice was gruff, asking, "What're you lookin' at?"

"Heard if something's needed, you're the man to ask."

Joel eyed you, "Get outta here, kid. Don't got shit for you."

"Oh, how flattering," you quipped, "but I'm not a kid, and just need some help. You're the guy I'm told to talk to."

"I don't sell to - "

"Call me a kid, again," you narrowed your eyes.

Joel Miller scoffed, then sighed, arms tight across his chest, "What do you want, then?"

"Xanax."

Joel paused, "I got some of those."

"So...? Meet where?"

"You know the old Maccy's?"

"Yeah."

"Behind there," he nodded, the two of you parting ways for only an hour. He had stopped to up his stash, showing you the offerings of his slim pickings; surprised when you wanted the whole bag. "It'll cost you - "

"Here," you nodded, shoving the wad of ration cards and plastic baggie back at him.

"Shit, doll, if I knew you were a heavy tipper..." Joel mused, fingering through his haul.

"I don't need them anymore," You shrugged off, lacing your backpack up securely.

"Why's that?"

"'Cause I'm leavin' this place," nodding slowly, you eyed him. "I figured with all that's out there, I'd do well to control my anxiety."

"Smart," Joel shrugged. "Good luck out there."

You nodded, "Good luck to you, too... In whatever the fuck it is you do." With a chuckle, you waved back at him before disappearing - but neither of you would ever be the same.

Now that you knew his voice, he would float in and out of your head. Apparently, now that he knew your voice, too, he could hear it during times of distress, turmoil, and stress. Usually, Joel was asleep when your voice was ringing in his ears, preventing distraction from everyday work, but that didn't mean it was down to an exact science. He learned through your thoughts of panic when Infected attacked that Tommy was with your group - but couldn't communicate to him.

He could only offer you advice and guidance.

And in turn, you could only do the same for him when smuggling missions went sour. It wasn't as frequent during your escape West, but sometimes, you'd dream of Joel and Tess in a high-stress situation, offering words of wisdom and comfort to help direct him.

It was funny the way Joel would snap at you in his head to get out, never wanting to be the dependent on. He never needed help because he was a big strong man.

By that, you mean Joel was stubborn and didn't always listen to your advice, but he stayed alive because you were there, like some kind of angel on his shoulder. Joel's own conscious was the devil, constantly trying to beat your words out of his brain but to no such avail. If he was romantic, he might even say you had the voice of an angel but in this world, Joel didn't have time for romance.

You were like a bumblebee on a summer day: content to be there, content to observe, always dodging [Joel's] swatting hands. Like the bumblebee, however, you didn't give up; still buzzing in his ears.

After that, his voice comes-and-goes in your head by the time you and his brother, Tommy, find the Wyoming commune in Jackson. You're both welcomed after a vigorous interview where you were both granted entrance after being assigned jobs. Tommy would work in carpentry and you would put your old, dusty doctorate degree to use.

Now that you were somewhere safe, Joel's voice stopped visiting you as frequently, but yours remained in his leading up to his mission out West after Tommy. He was faced with endless foes, new and old, and you were constantly dreaming of him at night.

Not that you really minded, but you grew nervous for his safety on several occasions. Being a smuggler had it's ups and downs, and while you wanted to scream at Joel to leave Tess behind and get himself to safety, you always - and I mean always find a way out for them both.

Maria, being Tommy's soulmate and your friend, was there to answer your questions and give you a shoulder to lean on when you grew exhausted. You often wondered if you'd ever get the chance to see your mate again, but tried not to convince yourself it was impossible.

So, when Joel was "assigned" to the immune child, Ellie, you were constantly sleeping-in those days - constantly listening to Joel and offering your advice. This time, he didn't argue, he didn't fight it, he actually listened to you because Tess was dead and he had this child to look after. It wasn't easy, but, you eventually caught a break when they escaped Boston city.

However, that doesn't mean you were off the hook. Joel and this girl he traveled with, Ellie, encountered many enemies in their time outside the QZ, and while you wanted to help, seeing the ground split open and spew mutated Infected outside of Kansas City scared you shitless. You knew you weren't there, they couldn't see you, touch you, let alone hurt you, but you still grew terrified of these... Adaptations.

These weren't regular Clickers.

And then, after that, the two had limited encounters with people or Infected... That was, after Henry and Sam, of course. It's when you'd visit Joel the most; where he wasn't in physical jeopardy, he was in emotional turmoil and needed comfort.

So, you'd sleep longer in an effort to visit him when he was resting; simply being a presence in his mind to try and offer solace where you could. This was where he stonewalled you; refusing to let you in on his secretive past and trying to force you from his mind.

You stopped prying and just spoke to him calmly, letting your voice echo through his dreams as you tried to help his subconscious conjure peaceful images and soothing thoughts. He grew to rely on your words to bring comfort, liking the idea of someone caring enough that they're content to simply just "be".

He's never had that in a partner before, because even though Tess didn't always need to talk, she liked to keep busy and that always filled any silence. Joel didn't always like that.

So, through their journey on foot, you were the single constant Joel had to hold onto after losing everyone in his life. He liked your docile tones and the way your accent was different than his - where his was faded and yours more prominent. Ellie had no idea about the woman in Joel's head, she'd probably think him crazy, but in reality, she'd be excited for the man to finally have something to make him smile.

Or at least calm him down a little bit.

The first time you learned what he felt like was when you were tending to the horses as Maria gave her tour. She made introductions but you knew Tommy and Joel, just not the spitfire 14-year-old traveling with your soulmate. It was pleasant enough, making your introductions, but to say Joel was shocked to see you was an understatement.

However, when he went to had a private conversation with his brother, something in your chest stirred to life. You quickly wrapped up your chores before shouldering your pack and venturing towards town. You were just in time to see Joel lean on a lamppost, feeling his mind twist in confusion enough to make you approach.

"Hey, hey," you whispered, getting under his arm to support him, "don't fight the feeling, Joel, just let it ride."

"What - "

"It's anxiety, my friend," you sighed, nodding at him. "How your heart feels like it's going to break? Or beat right out of your chest? How the muscle walls feel like their coiling and constricting you? 'S hard to breathe?"

He nodded.

"Anxiety ain't no joke, Joel, here, come with me," you nodded, and to your honest surprise, he let you drag him off.

"You're her."

"Hmm?"

"You're who I hear. I-I thought I recognized the voice, but you left the QZ right after our deal."

"Keepin' tabs on me?" You teased with a small smirk. "Here, this way," you turned him, walking onward. He was quiet, looking distraught and his free hand still clutched his chest. You wondered, "What was it?"

"What was what?"

"Your trigger?" Joel sighed, shaking his head. So, you asked, "Your kid?"

His eyes snapped down to glare at you, making you look up at him with little patience. "Don't," he snapped.

"Think you're the only one 'round here who lost someone? Tragically?" You grunted, reaching your house's door. He paused with you and only then did you become acutely aware of your hold around his waist. You tried not to focus on the feel of his arm around your shoulders for balance, his coat blocking most of your feeling, but when you two stepped inside your home, Joel actually shed his jacket. "Make yourself comfortable," you offered, pointing towards the living room.

"That a fireplace? Looks new?"

"Oh, yeah, your brother helped me build it because he knows I prefer a fireplace over central," you shrugged, hanging both your coats up and toeing out of your work boots. "Sometimes the smell soothes me... Reminds me of summer nights before the world went to shit."

"Yeah," Joel sighed.

You nodded and moved to the master bathroom, grabbing the bottle you kept. "Here," you tossed the orange bottle at him, pills rattling like a decaying maraca. "I haven't used 'em all, and you could use one. Maybe two..."

"You still have these?" He asked in shock, shaking the container with a white, child-lock lid.

"I used most on the trip out here," you admitted, getting started on making a kettle of tea. "Wasn't easy... We lost 3/4ths of our group before we even got here."

Joel nodded, "I've seen some things."

"You and me, both, partner," you sighed, handing him some water. "Take one pill now, it'll help your chest."

"Why... Why does it feel like that?"

You paused, nodding at him, "Trauma has a way of keeping its grip on us, squeezing at inconvenient times. 'S not like there's psychiatrists out here, so, that's what I've got to help the pain..."

"It's not enough," Joel whispered, taking the single Xanax pill.

"Nothing ever will be," you eased. "Loss is exactly that, something we've lost. Something missed because loss means no more, to no longer have. Something we mourn because pain demands to be felt. And if we ignore it for long enough, sometimes, it'll build and build and build until it plugs our hearts up with grief."

"Hm."

You dressed the mugs of tea, telling him, "Not talkin' about it doesn't do what you think. We're all human, and one of the things that makes us human is our ability to empathize. Our ability to share stories and emotions and then to understand each other's pain. Look," you set the tea before him, moving for the loveseat in the next room before the fire, "you can put yourself in an early grave from stress or you can take a chance and try to heal yourself. Guilt will only weigh you down, and right now, it's sink or swim, darlin'."

Joel took the seat beside you, sighing, "Who did you lose?"

"Who didn't I lose?" You whispered back. "More than half my family didn't survive Outbreak Day and those who did, didn't last past 3 years. They're all gone, and some of them are gone by my negligence." You sighed and reached between the cushions for a flask, pouring just a hint of whiskey in your mug before doing the same to Joel's.

"What do you mean?"

"My baby sister was under my care and... And she got..." You sighed, shrugging, "Perhaps it's easier giving advice than taking it."

Joel's hand slowly reached out to brush against yours, hearing him whisper, "You don't have to tell me."

You sighed, taking his hand and leaning back into the cushion. "Moral of the story, Joel? It's a cruel world we live in, but you're not alone. You don't have to be ever again... And maybe, you can start working on how to process and let go of your guilt."

It was quiet for three long minutes, only the crackling of logs in the fire and slurping of tea was heard.

"Have you filtered yours?"

"A bit."

"Is that why you have nightmares, too?"

Your head snapped to look at Joel, who sighed, "I can hear your thoughts, kid, when you dream. When you're upset..."

"Just like you do, only... You now dream of both your daughters, don't you?"

"Ellie's not mine - "

"No, but you're responsible for her," you eased. "And now you fear failing her, as you feel you did Sarah, right?" Joel stared at you, but you squeezed his warm hand. "We both have lost much, Joel, and this world really fucked us over... But there's a choice that only we can make about working through our fears, doing better by those who we've lost in the past."

Joel sighed, "Can't believe it."

"Hmm?"

"Sittin' here," he mused, "before a fire, fuckin' tea in hand - with my other hand in yours... No, didn't think this was going to be a thing ever again."

"Hmm?"

"Feelin'... Safe."

You nodded, "Feeling's mutual."

"Hey, uh... How'd you know? That I was having that little episode - "

"It's called an anxiety attack and yes, they're different than a panic attack," you shrugged. "And, well... Do I have to explain it to you, or do you understand why we can hear each other's thoughts?"

"No, I, uh, I get what it means..."

"Then you know, when you feel in-trouble, I can hear you. So, something felt off, and luckily, I trusted my intuition."

Joel nodded, "Yeah... Lucky me."

"Do you make it a conscious effort to always sound like an asshole or is that just... How you are?"

The first time learning what he tastes like was after he came to you for comfort when he was heavily grieving his daughter after yelling at Ellie earlier. You frowned when you saw him, waving him into your house, and again, offering him a single anti-anxiety pill with a mug of room-temp tea.

You asked what happened, and he couldn't find the words. So, he let his guard down and allowed you to freely roam his thoughts as his anxiety still pumped him with adrenaline. You frowned at what he showed you glimpses of, frowning when you heard Joel telling Ellie that she was right, she wasn't his daughter...

"Joel?"

"Hmm?"

"Think you've got a decision to make."

"What're my choices?"

"Live and let live, letting go of the past, or... Let it kill you."

His eyes cut over to yours, "How'd you do it?"

"Hmm?"

"Live and let live, or whatever the fuck."

"If it were easy, everyone would do it," you admitted. "It took time. There's only so much a person can endure before they break, but instead of shattering, I simply leaked. I let my trauma leak by depending on others - not for anything other than human companionship. Your brother? He helped me a lot... He's a good man."

"He is."

"Doesn't mean you aren't. There's little use in comparing your life to others... It's not fair. It's never fair. But you have a choice on accepting the past and trying to heal or letting guilt consume you. That pain in your chest? Feelin' like you can't breathe? Feelin' like your heart is breaking all over again in your chest? That's you bein' consumed, but if you don't like it, you can make a decision about it."

He paused, the effects of the Xanax slowly taking affect as he didn't have much on his stomach and the pill seeped into his blood stream much faster. Then, Joel told you, "It's been hard."

"Doing what?"

"Takin' care of the girl - "

"She's got a name."

Joel nodded, "All right, yeah, Ellie. Taking care of Ellie just feels... Wrong."

"Because Sarah was the same age?"

He stiffened, "Don't - "

"You might wanna get used to the idea that I know about you," you sighed. "It's not his fault, but Tommy told me what happened... He needed a friend as much as I did, and he told me what happened. I can understand how much anxiety this generates for you, taking charge of a child the same age as your daughter when she died. I can understand why this would hurt you, but let me remind you, this ain't on the kids. They didn't do nothing. You think Ellie wanted to be born to help save the world?"

"Tommy tell you - "

"No, you forget, we live in each other's heads," you sighed. "I could hear you guys when your friend got bit..."

"Right."

"This isn't on anyone, Joel. You've reason to be apprehensive but I'm sorry to say, this can't be about you right now. This needs to be about Ellie... And from what it sounds like, she only trusts you and is used to everyone she loves leaving her. Don't give her more reason to hate this world and other people," you frowned. "She's been through enough, don't you think? Trust isn't given, it's earned, and we know if she was with Tommy, either could get hurt because neither trusts the other. You, on the other hand? She won't hesitate to listen and work in tandem with you. You might think letting her go with Tommy is saving her, it's the best and safest option, but she'll be scared shitless without you."

Joel sighed, "Guess since you know my mind so well, I should listen to you, huh?"

"Knowing you, you're still gonna do what'cha want," you eased with a shrug. "Just, one last thing?" He nodded. "Children shouldn't bear the sins of their fathers."

Joel stared at you for a long moment, then nodded sadly. "Think you might be right."

"There's no shame in fear, Joel," you reminded softly. "Whether you're 60 or 16, fear is a universal language we all speak. Especially now."

Joel slowly stood to his feet, "I should go. You probably had plans."

"Oh, yeah, for sure, big plans of sleeping," you teased, standing to face him. "You're welcome to stay."

"I should get back... Got a lot of thinkin' to do."

"All right, well, find me later. I work the morning and afternoon shift at the stable tomorrow."

He nodded slowly, looking between your eyes for a moment. "So... We can hear each other's thoughts?"

"Bit annoyin' when you're tryna work or eat or something and there's just a voice in your head. I learned to control it so that you come in my sleep. I like the ability to focus on you."

He breathed a long sigh, "I gotta admit, it's a comfort to me now. So, it's when we're stressed?"

"Sorta. Big, negative emotions can trigger our connection. It's only because soulmates want to protect each other, so, when apart, they hear emotions of stress, turmoil, anxiety... Adrenaline."

"So, if we're together, we won't hear each other's thoughts?"

"No," you smiled softly, "according to my mother, even if standing beside each other, mates will still hear each other. The goal is, however, to simply be at peace together and avoid stressful situations."

Joel frowned, "Why'd it take so long? To hear you?"

"The Connection between our thoughts aren't solidified until we're both 30. We would've had to meet in order for our thoughts to clash, and, uh, we did right before I left the Boston QZ. We were always destined to come back together, we just had to help each other get to where we needed."

Joel simply stared down at you, then, he nodded slowly, "So, soulmates, huh?"

"If you believe in such a thing."

"Can I try something?"

"That sounds suspicious..."

"It won't hurt."

"You don't sound reassuring at all."

"Just," he paused, sighing, "hold still."

"Oh," you understood, letting your eyes slid shut as his dominant calloused hand rose to hold your cheek. A moment later, his lips were pressed to yours - feeling chapped and raw from the blistering elements. However, when he stumbled through the motions, you took the lead to help him gain his pacing. Joel, by every means, wasn't a very good kisser but that was due to years of inactivity.

He sighed when your tongues swept over one another, deepening the kiss and forcing you two closer together. He tasted a little stale, maybe even with a fleeting taste of that evening's stew. But like his scent, Joel also had a taste that was all his meant only for you to identify. So far, it was a unique taste.

Was it... Pine?

Was it charcoal?

No, no... Could it be chocolate?

Hmm, now that you focused, you could distinguish the bolts of cocoa off his tongue. However, Joel thought the opposite and tasted a hint of raspberry on yours. The kiss was slow, a bit awkward, almost like two teens trying to figure out how to convey their excitement; but then, it turned even-tempoed.

It turned pleasant.

It turned almost exhilarating.

Perhaps it was because you were finally kissing someone or maybe it was because you were kissing your soulmate, Joel Miller. Whatever the reason, the kiss that started weak and turned pleasant soon became passionate and swelteringly hot.

His hands were in your hair, around your cheeks, down to hold your hips and waist, before circling around your waist to pull you in flush - but never disconnected the kiss. You, on the other hand, liked to keep hold of his neck and shoulders, just running your hands around his flesh before tugging on the short strands of hair at the base of his skull. Joel moaned into your mouth, so, you did it again.

"All right," he grit, pulling back, "you keep playin' with fire, girl, and you're gonna get burned."

"Look where we are... Think some heat would do us good."

He sighed, "I can't... Not tonight, not when... Not when she's leaving in the morning."

"Don't you mean, 'we'?"

"Hmm?"

You chuckled, "You meant to say, 'Not when we are leaving in the morning,' right?"

Joel sighed, "I gotta think - "

"I'm in your head, Joel," you whispered, "and I know you already made up your mind. You wouldn't ever actually leave her on her own."

He frowned, eyes darting back and forth between yours. Then, he whispered, "Think I could come back and see you? After all this?"

You nodded, "I'll be here."

Joel sighed, hands squeezing yours before turning and swiftly vacating your house. Like a girl in a '90s sitcom, your fingers toyed with your bottom lip as a grin stretched - and you giggled to yourself. Yeah, you fucking giggled - like you had some kind of crush! You knew you did, but this wasn't just a crush. Joel was your soulmate, and you had finally found him; not willing to let him go, but knowing there was a greater purpose than finding someone to live your life with. Case in point? Ellie - who needed Joel more than you right now.

You calmed your fluttering heart and got to bed, giddy for the morrow. When you got to the stables, nobody was there, so, you started on your chores. Not 20 minutes later, Joel showed up with a pack, and you chuckled before pointing out the horse he could use.

But before, Joel stepped up to you to offer a searing kiss to your lips before getting started on grooming the bay mount he would use. Only, this time? Your smile was impossible to hide, especially when Tommy and Ellie arrived to find their own horses for their journey. Tommy tossed his arm around your shoulders, the two of you chuckling as you thought how, despite her DNA, this feral little fucker was most definitely a copy of Joel.

Everyone seemed to see it but those two.

"Think they'll come back?"

Tommy sighed, watching the two ride off through the commune to approach the front gate. "They better," he muttered, giving to O-K to let the single horse carrying two passenger out of the fort and into the wilderness. "They better fuckin' come back," Tommy whispered with a frown.

"He'll look after her."

"Like you'll look after him," he nodded down at you, and together, you both turned back into the small town of Jackson in order to get morning chores done - after taste of mocha still left in your mouth.

requesting rules and masterlist

TLOU masterlist

[fortune-fool02]

Taken a Chance

Jack Krauser x female, military reader

Requested by: @zer0pm

I think you entertained this idea before… we know Krauser was like a father to his squadron. Imagine he was absolutely smitten with one of his soldiers (can be reader/oc- your call) and one day, he bites the bullet and decides to let his feelings be known.

He takes them to the side, talks them up, and right when it seems like they’re on the same page and things are looking up for our super soldier- bam! They get the call to order for a certain “operation”. And they have to put their conversation on hold.

Sorry, I may have put in too much but if this seems like something you’d love to tackle, I’d love to read it. Love seeing your stuff~

Warning: Spoilers for Operation Javier and RE 4 remake. Fluff. Light angst at the end.

Word count: 1,488

I LOVE THIS!! Thank you so much for requesting this!

Please enjoy!

Krauser made no attempt to hide the smile that lifted his lips a little as he watched [Name] step out from the army-van, along with her comrades, most of them smiling and cheering at their completed mission. Amidst the mass of movement, camo-wearing beings, he could always isolate her out of them. Every single time.

He greeted and welcomed back every single one of his men as they passed him, proud to see them back. But his eyes lingered when [Name] approached him, a smile on her lips as she looked up at him.

"Major Krauser." Her smile cut through him and his own smile grew warmer as he nodded his head back at her,

"[Surname]." His eyes took note of the splotch of purple and blue on her cheek, his brow furrowing very lightly. The sight of it making his chest twinge at the idea of her being hurt in someway. But she was tough, he knew that better than anyone. He trained her, after all. The two stood there for a moment, an air of uncertainty simmered, words both wishing to say but unable to do so.

"Um... I'm gonna... get washed up and... yeah." [Name] forced out with a polite nod of her head before walking off. Krauser watched her leave before silently cursing himself. He had this whole little thing planned in his mind about talking to her, trying to find an excuse to be alone with her. And yet, when the opportunity presented itself, the words refused to come out. Krauser never had any issue barking orders at the rookies, in fact, he often enjoyed it.

But with her? He couldn't even form a proper conversation, stumbling almost like he was back in high-school boy. [Name]'s presence, her existence, it touched something deep inside him that he had buried down, long-forgotten corner of himself, and now, he longed for it. He longed for her to be his.

He watched as she rushed off, catching up with her fellow comrades that were gathering together before she disappeared entirely from sight, twinges of disappointment gnawed away at him once she was gone. He gathered himself and went to continue about his duties, trying to get the thought of her out of his head.

There were bits of paperwork he needed to organise and whatnot. Planning out further training routes. They were going to be taking a trip through the jungle soon, to see how prepared they were for a serious mission. Sharing tents wouldn't be fun, but they would all have to suck it up and accept it.

Maybe he could share a tent with [Name]? Purposely arrange it so she had to share a tent? A heavy sigh left his lips as he ran his hand through his slicked back hair. "Fuck it." With that, he set the pen down on his desk and stood up.

The mess hall was quieter at this time of the afternoon, as everyone had finished eating and gone to take a small break for the evening. A handful of people remained, scattered about either in small groups or their own little world.

Among a small group, he could spot her [Hair colour] easily from across the room, like a black dot on a sheet of white wallpaper. His chest warmed, and he had to fight the smile that tried to form. He had to remain professional among the other rookies. He walked over, taking steady strides as he closed the space between them.

"[Surname], my office, five minutes." His stern voice made the younger woman blink, confusion on her face but she smiled regardless.

"Ooooo! You're in trouble, girl!" One of the soldiers teased as Krauser walked off, the rest of them chuckled a little.

[Name] joined in the chuckle, though she couldn't help but wonder what Krauser wanted. She hadn't done anything to earn her Major's anger, right? From what she gathered, he was quite happy with her progress. Maybe it had something to do with the recent mission?

Questions spiralled in her mind as she watched Major Krauser walk off, her eyes trailing along his build before he vanished. He did have a nice behind. She waited a few minutes before approaching Major Krauser's office. A light anxiousness chewed away at her for a moment before she knocked on the door, entering once hearing him from inside.

Krauser stood with his back to her, taking a breath then turned around to face her. His expression unreadable but held a faint softness around the edges, a softness that he only held to her and her alone. [Name] stood straight, her form professional as she addressed her Major. He nodded his head, a silent manner of telling her to stop.

"You wished to speak to me, Major?" That anxiety from before came flooding back into her mind, swimming around noisily, spilling questions upon questions, doubts drenched in deeper doubts.

"I did, [Name]." His use of her first name both sparked joy and panic. His posture attempted to relax but something kept it firm and stiff despite his best efforts. "As you're aware, your progress here has been incredible. I dare say you're one of the best damn soldiers I've ever seen." A light bubbling sensation filled her chest at his praise, her eyes lighting up in that manner that made him smile, knowing that he caused that spark in her eyes.

"Thank you, Major Krauser. I have only you to thank for that, given your teachings." Now it was his turn for his eyes to lit up. Krauser was always strict with his teachings and his training.

"Coming from you, that means something else." He smiled, his eyes locked on her, taking in every little detail of her form, her face. All of it. "I won't lie, and I'll get right to the point." He took a deep breath and straightened himself, "I can't stop thinking about you."

There were so many things he wanted to say, wanted to spill out to her, but he needed to keep himself composed and organised. He won't crumble because of some emotions. "For some time now, you've been on my mind. You're remarkable. A damn fine woman who won't take shit from nobody. I respect that. And you." She looked up at him, those beautiful [Eye colour] eyes gazing into his soul.

It was hard for him not to smile at her. "I'm not the best with words, and I care about you. Deeply." All these thoughts, this moment, he had played it over and over in his mind countless times. Picturing how he would tell her, how he would confess to her. Even now, it felt difficult but he pushed through it. He would never back down against anything.

[Name]'s expression was soft, gentle and warm, a ray of sunlight in his life, as she always had been. Slowly, she took a step closer and carefully reached her hand out to his. He allowed it. His heart hammering in his chest as her hand gently slid into his hand. Their size difference was always humorous to him. Her hand fitting into his perfectly like a lock and key.

"Major Krauser." She smiled at him, "Jack." His heart hammered louder at this and he tried hard to control his breathing. "I lov-"

Before she could finish her sentence, the door opened up and she quickly yanked her hand away from him, stepping back and looked over. It took great self-control for him not to reach out after her hand, chasing that gentle warmth.

"Forgive me, Major Krauser." A solider spoke, saluting as he stood there, "There has been an update, Operation Javier has been pushed forward. The unit is to leave today." Twinges of disappointment flicked at this as [Name] nodded her head as the solider left, turning to Krauser.

"We'll continue this after the mission, okay?" She smiled at him, ready to leave before stopping. She turned back around and walked up to him, leaning up on her tiptoes, and letting her lips press a soft kiss on his left cheek. With that, [Name] dashed off to meet up with the unit to get ready.

Krauser could still remember that day as vivid as ever. He stood by the edge of the cavern, his eyes holding a distant fog to them. In his hand, he held a dog-tag between his fingers.

'Lieutenant [First Initial] . [Surname] U.S Army - Special Operative'

The scar on his left cheek twitched at the memory of her lips on his skin. His eyes shifting up towards the night sky, the stars more dimmer than ever. "We never continued our talk after the mission, [Name]." He thought aloud, looking up as if she could hear him. But Krauser knew better. He had know better for two whole years.

And yet, he longed for a response. A sign. Something. But he never got one.

[mermmarie]

The Red String of Fate: Ch. 3

Pair: Donatello x Reader

Word Count: 3.9k

Rating: T?? (Characters depicted are adults)

Content/Trigger Warnings: Uuuh... I wish tumblr had a "mark as spoiler" option like discord, but depiction of physical assault.

Authors Notes: I'm sorry this took me so long to get out, but I hope you like it! ;w; The fourth chapter should be the final one (which I have not started yet, lol).

||Chapter 1|| ||Chapter 2|| ||Chapter 3|| ||Chapter 4||

—————————————————–

CHAPTER 3: GUIDING LIGHT

To say you were disappointed when the magical red string hadn’t reappeared on your ring finger when you awoke in the morning was putting it lightly… 

You had tried to convince yourself the night before that it wouldn’t have been a big deal if it hadn’t returned, but really, you were devastated. You canceled all the plans you had for the day and relinquished your responsibilities for the time being. Feeling numb to your mental and physical needs, it was easy to stay in bed for the majority of the day. You just couldn’t be bothered to do anything after taking such a substantial blow like that. 

Somehow, you had squandered a seemingly foolproof opportunity at finding your one true love. Although the myth did insinuate that you were ‘soulmates’; perhaps it meant you would get another chance in another lifetime but you couldn’t be certain. Even if that was the case, it didn’t make you feel any better about losing your shot in this timeline. 

It just wasn’t fair… There was no guide on how to approach this situation. No fairy godmother had presented herself and instructed you on what to do. You didn’t suddenly receive clairvoyant insight along with the mythical thread. How were you possibly supposed to know how to go about it? Yeah, now that you had time to reflect, the string did give you a small indicator of direction, but it had been the middle of the night and you lived in New York. Any sane person knew better to go out after dark, alone, in the crime ridden state. 

And it wasn’t like the string had GPS. You had no clue how far away your soulmate had been last night. They might’ve been somewhere you physically couldn’t have commuted to, hell, they could’ve been outside of New York for all you knew! It was rational to be cautious about going out and finding them right away… At least, that’s what you were telling yourself just to ease your mind. You did your best to fill your head with reasonable excuses to keep the demeaning thoughts out. 

It was difficult to not be hard on yourself, but there was nothing that could be done about it now… Nothing other than to let your sadness flow, which you had been successful with as your pillow was thoroughly wet with tears. Still, as much as you wanted to let the magical occurrence go, there was still the smallest spark of hope within you that it would show itself once more. If it were to give you one more chance to find your soulmate, you wouldn’t hesitate. It wouldn’t matter how far you’d have to travel or what obstacles you would have to overcome, you’d find them. —————————————————– It was a small relief not having to worry about hiding the red string of fate from his other two brothers when Donatello returned to the lair, but it didn’t outweigh the worry he had for it not reappearing. Normally, he’d run multiple tests when he was trying to validate the credibility of something, but he hadn’t wanted to alarm anyone by returning late to his home. He could trust his cool colored brother to not be overbearing about his predicament, but the other two warm colored brothers?…Raphael probably wouldn’t bother him too much about it, but Mikey would surely be insistent. 

He’d tell them soon enough, but after he had scouted you out on his own. Because even if you were his soulmate, there were many things to take into account, for both your sake and his families. The main factor being that you were more than likely human. It was easy for him to grow and maintain an interest in humans, especially when his father had appointed him and his brothers as protectors of the species. But most humans did not share the same interest for them. Sure, they eventually came across a handful of humans who liked and trusted them, but it was still a very small handful. After all–

They only had six fingers as opposed to the human ten. 

Having been accustomed to life at night, the daylit hours were generally spent sleeping, however Donatello knew the task would be pointless. There was no way he could shut off his mind and fall into the rem cycle of sleep when this kind of phenomenon had happened to him. He couldn’t stop thinking about when the red string had first appeared to him tonight. All the articles he had read about the urban legend. You…

Were you man or woman? Or did you prefer to not identify as such? What was your current occupation? He supposed you shared the same or similar interest considering that you were soulmates. He could also assume that you lived relatively close by the information he had learned and how the string tried to direct him to your location, but he wondered if you had always been a New Yorker? Perhaps you had been born and raised elsewhere and recently moved to the Big Apple. 

Were you thinking about him right now like he was thinking about you?... The idea stirred butterflies in his stomach and he felt silly. But also– happy. There was someone out there in the world for him. A seven-foot tall, genetically mutated box turtle who practiced ninjutsu and loved pizza. Being what he was, he never thought he’d have the chance at a relationship, and when his father had said he was destined, he figured it was only to serve the human race. Not to be loved.  —————————————————– You would think that with all the crying you had done you wouldn’t have any fluids left in your body to have to use the restroom, and yet your bladder had been nagging at you for the past thirty minutes to go. It was easy to ignore your appetite and thirst as you napped the day away, but you weren’t depressed enough to self-inflict a kidney infection. Begrudgingly, you got your ass out of bed and did your business. 

Not-so-surprisingly, getting up had motivated you to tend to other needs. After having stretched your back and limbs, you made way to your kitchen. Downing a full cup of water in a matter of seconds before finding something in your pantry to nibble on for a snack while you placed an order on a delivery app for food. Pizza had always been a great comfort to you every other time your problems came crashing down. Surely it would be able to lift your spirits in this scenario as well, at least a little bit.

You had instructed your delivery driver to leave your order at your front door, but when the application informed you that they were dropping off your food a message followed shortly after. 

[Can’t find your door. Can you meet me outside?] 8:58 PM

A low frustrated sigh hissed out of your nostrils. How hard was it to fucking read? You grumbled internally but walked off to the front of your residence. There you had realized you hadn’t flipped on the switch for the outside light after putting in your order and you winced at your passive-aggressive remark. At least you hadn’t said it out loud, so no real harm done. However, opening your door and finding the delivery driver standing right outside it made the corner of your lip twitch in annoyance. 

Couldn’t find the door, huh?

“Sorry about that.” They held out a pizza box for you to take. 

“No problem,” you lied and took the cardboard container into your hands only to feel a tug of resistance from the other end. Confused, you arched an eyebrow at the delivery driver, but their gaze didn’t meet yours. 

Their attention had been pulled below. “What’s that?” They pointed to your hand with a single digit.

You declined your head, following their direction until you found the source of their curiosity and your heart jumped in your chest. 

Red shimmered brightly in the reflection of your glossy eyes. You lifted your ring finger hand, bringing it closer to your body for inspection. You held your breath as you carefully wiggled the digit, testing the authenticity of the apparition as to not get your hopes up. Your chest seized anxiously when the crimson lace around your finger didn’t waver and seconds later you wheezed out a shaky breath. 

It had returned.

“Are you okay?” The delivery driver leaned into your view, snapping you out of your thoughts. 

Your other hand let go of the pizza box, and it slipped out of their hands, falling to the ground with a loud thud. They flinched in surprise and startled again when you slammed your front door shut behind you.

“Uh–” Was all they were able to get out before you thanked them for their service and pushed past them. 

Within a few steps, your bare feet met the cold hard cement of New York’s’ sidewalks but you barely noticed it. Your pounding heart overpowered all sensations at the moment. There had been a very small voice in your head telling you to turn back. Not to give up, but to be rational about the situation. You were going out into New York, barefooted, in your lounging clothes, you hadn’t locked your door, you didn’t have your phone, and it was nine o’clock at night!! But there was no way you were turning back now. 

It didn’t matter if your feet hurt, if you weren’t properly dressed for the occasion, if someone broke into your home and stole your stuff, or if there was little light to guide you in search. You were not going to miss your chance at meeting your soulmate again.

You felt your heart skip a beat when the tail end of your string changed in directions and your breath caught in your throat. Turning sharply on your feet, you began to pick up pace. The sounds of your steps growing louder and louder as your stride changed from walking briskly to full on running. You weaved between the few bystanders still out at this time at night. Each and every one of them breaking their necks to stare you down as you passed them by. You probably looked like a crazy person, running bare foot through the streets with your arm extended out in front of you, but so what? 

Crazier things had gone on in New York. 

It wasn’t long before your lungs began to burn and exhaustion forcibly slowed your pace, but you kept moving. As long as the crimson string existed and led the way, you had no plans of stopping. However, when the thread began to change in hue your stride slowed naturally due to intrigue. The color faded to an orangish-yellow and eventually shined a bright gold. The spectacle brought you to a full-on stop, to which you realized was very much needed by the hard breaths you were swallowing. 

Suddenly, your red string of fate was now golden. Not only that, but the string itself was shining brighter than it ever had before and the tether of the tail seemed to be getting… thinner. As if you were coming to the end of the stra– Taking a deep breath you lifted your head and looked around you. At some point of your search, you had ended up moving from the public streets of New York to a backstreet alleyway. From what you could see, there was no one around, but your string of fate was still pointing off in the distance. Sucking in another breath through your nose, you continued onward. —————————————————– While he was confined underneath New York during the daylit hours, Donatello spent his time putting a trajectory of possible coordinates of your location using the knowledge he already had. Frankly, it wasn’t much to go off of but with his intellect he was able to narrow down his search to three possible locations you resided at. As long as the string returned to his finger when he resurfaced, he would be able to pinpoint your exact location. 

Fortunately for him, the crimson thread returned before he even breached the ground level of New York. A small smile of content crossed his face seeing its reappearance. You were close, and that filled his chest with tingles of excitement. 

Following the tail end of the lace, he recorded his steps into the multitool on his right arm along the way. In the event that he was unable to meet with you personally; say, you were in the company of others, he wanted to make sure he knew the way back to you for when the time was right. A twinge of concern scratched his mind at the thought of you not being alone. He had risked his chance of not finding you by waiting all day before going out on his search. The possibility of not having a moment to himself with you annoyed him.

However, that worry deepened when he considered the opposing angle. What if you were out at this time by yourself? Even with his prowess and size, he generally did not go out on patrol alone. As much as he loved New York, the city just wasn’t safe after dark. Although, he assumed you had managed to be safe up until this point, that fact didn’t stop him from subconsciously picking up his pace. 

He did as he would any other outing on the surface and traveled by rooftop. It was the safest and stealthiest option for someone like him, even in the later hours of the night. Jumping down from one building to a shorter one, the top of his mask pushed upwards behind his glasses as he noticed a change to the string. The stark red of the magical lace had begun to dull into an orangish-yellow hue. 

Immediately, he stopped in his tracks to record the findings into his multitool and consider what had caused the change. There had been no mention of the string changing colors in all the information he had gathered on the phenomenon, and the two times it had shown itself to him before, it was red. Naturally, he wondered if the shift in color was a good or bad thing. From a scientific standpoint, yellow was often a representation of happiness, hope and spontaneity. Which was certainly the case at this point. 

Having to use the fire escape of the building he was currently on to cross to another, the string flared in vibrance as he descended the stairs. The sudden change in brightness caught him by surprise and he recoiled from the light, shielding his eyes with his other hand. Narrowing his eyes to help them adjust to new source of light, an epiphany came to him. He turned his body to look back at the building he was just on and then to the ground below him in silent thought before moving. 

He traveled downwards until he met the bottom of the stairs and then jumped off of them from there. The bottom of his boots making a loud thud when they planted firmly against the concrete ground of the alleyway. Slowly, he rose to standing straight, and his gaze immediately went to the string on his ring finger. 

Still, yellow. No… Gold actually.

It didn’t make any sense. The night before he had been on the surface it was red, and down in the sewers it was red as well. The sudden change in altitude shouldn’t have had any effect on its hue in theory. 

Turning over his hand for further inspection he noticed the thread seemed to be… thinning? Concern prodded at his mind at the idea of the string vanishing again, but the feeling quickly turned into confused curiosity when he realized only the tail end of the string was slimming out. The band around the base of his finger looked as if it was becoming denser and he swore he could feel a subtle hint of weight where it resided. 

Without thought, he raised his other hand and pinched his thumb and pointer together to touch the apparition, but his test was cut short by the sound of hard breaths and padded footsteps approaching. His eyes grew at the sounds, his glasses amplifying the surprised expression. It was then that he realized that all the current changes in the string wasn’t due to change in elevation. It was because he was getting close… To you. 

How could he be so stupid? Of course, that was it! But by the volume of your approach, there wasn’t time to reprimand himself on his ignorance. You were coming, and fast! 

The excitement he had initially felt going out tonight to find you turned into all out panic realizing that it was actually going to come to fruition within a few seconds. What was going to happen when you came down a dark alleyway and suddenly found a giant mutant beast standing within the middle of it? Surely, the only response you would have would be one of fear. Even if you two were soulmates, it would be a reasonable reaction. Hell, he’d be a little thrown off if you didn’t react that way upon first seeing him, but he didn’t want you to flee entirely. 

Your introduction needed to be taken slow. Carefully and with caution. So, he did what him and his family did best. Hid. 

Not having time to climb back up a building, and not wanting to make any noise with the ascension, he opted for a familiar practice and went underground. Fortunately, a manhole cover was nearby for him to escape into, however in hindsight, he realized it wasn’t the best option. The enclosed space quickly became a beacon of light due to the luminance of the now golden string but luckily, real word physics applied to magical construct and he was able to smother the light with the use of his other hand. 

He silenced his breath but his heart sounded off loudly in his ears as it pounded against his plated chest. The seconds waiting for you to arrive felt like hours, and when he finally heard you come into the alleyway his whole body went rigid. Afraid that the slightest moment would give away his location and you would find him. Which was ironic considering that, that was exactly what he wanted to do tonight except in reverse… This would’ve been much easier to deal with if he had been able to come to you, instead of you to him, but within the flood of panic he felt there was a drop of fondness.

You came out all this way in search of him.

Before he could enjoy the feeling, you were on top of him. Out of instinct, he drew in a silent breath and clamped his lips shut. He didn’t dare to peer through the small holes that had been drilled into the cast-ironed lid, and he desperately hoped you had no inkling to look down either. While it was endearing that you were looking for him, he figured you wouldn’t think it was so cute to find him holed up in a passageway to the city’s sewer systems. 

He tensed hearing your feet shuffle on the covering of the hole and he came to the conclusion that the damn string had led you to his exact location, but you were unable to make sense of it due to his lack of appearance. His suspicions were confirmed when you let out an exhausted huff of air, and he prayed that you would step away from the manhole quickly. He wasn’t religious; his existence kind of went against most laws of religion, but he needed some supernatural force to step in and persuade you to move on. 

Seconds of silence went by as he waited for you to do… anything. But it still caught him off guard when you spoke into the empty alleyway. 

“I’m sorry.” You breathed.

Donatello blinked in confusion not expecting at all to receive an apology. You had done nothing wrong, but as if you were reading his thoughts, you were quick to explain.

“I probably look crazy right now and… you’re probably scared. I get it. I’m kind of scared too, but–” He heard the tone of your voice waver as you spoke. “I’m more afraid of losing the chance to meet you more than anything. So, please. If you could… Just tell me that you’re here?” 

The grip on his ring-finger hand tightened as he considered your plea. You sounded so…lovely, and sweet. 

He hadn’t even seen your face, and yet he was falling head over heels at the sound of your voice. For a second he considered that you might actually be otherworldly the way your words had captivated him. As if you were a siren or something of the sort. Whatever mysticism you possessed nearly compelled him to speak, but his own body prevented him from doing so. A massive lump had formed within his throat, choking back any words from coming out as he parted his lips. 

And then he felt something. Something wet. 

He now realized it was his heart that had inched its way up his throat, because it plummeted into his gut when he heard the soft sound of cries emit from your being. Sniffles and hiccups followed the quiet sobs and his mouth gaped at the realization but he was still unable to speak. He hadn’t even known you for longer than ten minutes and he already made you cry. He was supposed to be your soulmate! Shame weighed on him, pulling his head and features downwards to his feet, but he quickly perked to attention when he heard you move off the iron lid. 

The universe had heard his prayer but now he prayed for you to stay. He had to make up for his cowardice! Just as he opened his mouth once more to try and speak again, a different voice came out. One that wasn’t yours…

“You know it’s dangerous to be out at a time like this?” 

Donatello’s chest tightened at the low spoken words knowing the exact implication this unknown voice was getting at with their tone. By the sound of your own, you were aware of it too.

“Yeah, I was just… Taking out some trash. Gonna be heading back inside now.” You lied, but the stranger didn’t even care to call you out on it.

“That’s a bright little thing on your finger. I’ve never seen gold glisten like that.”

Donatello’s blood ran cold at the observation. His gaze dropped to his hands and he uncovered his ring fingered one to take a peek at the magical apparition, only to instantly regret his hesitancy. 

“Stay back!!” You screamed, and he flinched. 

Throwing all caution to the wind, he grabbed the metal ladder to ascend the unground tunnel but he didn’t move quick enough. Something made of glass shattered and echoed in the alleyway, followed by a loud thud of something– someone– collapsing to the ground. 

Despite the bright gold color that lit the space around him; all he was able to see was red. —————————————————–

Tag: @eveandtheturtles If anyone else would like to be tagged on upcoming chapters, please let me know! I'm happy to oblige! 💖

[inkwell-intrigues]

TSTS Annoucement

I was hoping this wouldn't happen. Like, I always knew it could happen -I remember seeing this happen to a bunch of fanfiction writers when I was a kid- but it really sucks.

So, I'm crazy burnt out from writing AND Cuphead has stopped being my current hyperfixation. (I'm also on different medications now- which probably doesn't help.)

Even the thought of Cuphead right now gives me pretty bad stress, because of how far behind I've fallen in writing The Strength and The Sight.

I know I made a post literally a few weeks ago saying that I was back and all that stuff, but... After I sat down and started trying to write I began to realize that not only was I badly burnt out, but also The Strength and The Sight's plot/focus/etc has changed multiple times during the process of me writing it. This has led to a LOT of inconsistencies in terms of the plot, character arcs, and in general, the pacing ended up being all over the place because of it. 

For instance, Chalice is supposed to be one of the main characters, but her role in the story has changed a bunch AND I ended up focusing on her a lot less than characters who were supposed to be side characters- like Ginette. (I love Gin, I swear, but she wasn't supposed to be as big of a focus as she ended up being. -That mainly came about from me getting super obsessed with her character and forgetting my other characters- In multiple chapters, she even overshadows the brothers. Oops. xD)

This all has led me to realize: Even if I wasn't burnt out- I simply cannot continue writing a story that I know has inconsistencies. 

So, does this mean that The Strength and The Sight is over? No. No, it does not.

This post is me announcing that I will NOT be taking a break or canceling the story in the traditional "burnt-out fanfic writer" sense. Instead, I will be REWRITING the entire story- starting with outlining the plot from the beginning in lots of detail and sticking to the plot I set.

This rewritten version will be filled with full-color illustrations, more focused, and A LOT shorter. While mulling over the idea of a rewrite, I realized just how needlessly long TSTS has become. Like, the book which I use as a reference and inspiration, Scythe by Neal Shusterman, is only 102k words, while mine- which is not even halfway done- is 114K. (There are a lot more examples of my word count v.s. other books, but I won't bore you all with those numbers.)

BUT, I don't want to leave you guys in the dark while I begin this intense process of rewriting TSTS. So, instead, I want to continue posting on this current fic as a sort of "journal" of my progress. I know a lot of you guys are writers yourselves, so this could be a super cool opportunity for you guys to see my process and learn some tips and tricks along the way.

My long-term goal is to post a probably 100% finished redone version of The Strength and The Sight when The Cuphead Show is renewed and the new season releases on Netflix. (I'm manifesting so hard, IT WILL BE RENEWED I KNOW IT) Or I'll try and release it if/when Studio MDHR releases another Cuphead thing/game. Whatever comes first.

Until then, I'll be using this as my progress journal. I'll be posting rough sketches (because I'll also be doing updated illustrations!), rough outlines (with redacted spoilers, lol), and more! 

I know this is probably really disappointing. I'm kicking myself quite a bit here and wishing I'd been able to finish TSTS before I got burnt out, but I believe that everything happens for a reason. My hope is that TSTS will be a much better and higher-quality novel because of this rewrite.

Thank you for your patience and I'm truly sorry for all the delays. I promise that I'll do everything I can to make The Strength and The Sight worth the wait.

-- Your Friend, Inkwell Intrigues

[theawkwardanglophile]

TheAwkwardAnglophile's Year in TV shows: 2022

It seems I've started a tradition, and even though I know only very few people will actually see or read this, it's still fun to put together. This is my third time doing this. Feel free to check out my lists for 2021 and 2020 as well.

My criteria for shows making the list is the show either aired new content in 2022, or I'd never watched it before. So, while I did several rewatches, those didn't count. Also, beware: SPOILERS ABOUND! Here's the list in alphabetical order:

Abbott Elementary: What a perfect little sitcom that just stormed onto the scene after so many beloved sitcoms had gone off the air the last few years. They deserve all the accolades! It is genuinely hilarious. Ava probably makes me laugh harder than any of them, and of course I'm here for Janine and Gregory.

Andor: Holy crap, I was not expecting to be drawn into this show as much as I was. What a brilliant deep dive into the Star Wars universe. So many layers and subtleties to it. Luthen's monologue BLEW ME AWAY, and I looooved the prison escape. You get such a better understanding of how terrifyingly far the Empire's reach went.

Baymax: I was expecting a full-blown series, so I was very disappointed to find only 6 short episodes that were only a few minutes long. However, it was more Baymax, which is always a good thing. I think my favorite was the episode Kiko, which had Mrs. Kim from Gilmore Girls (Emily Kuroda)!

Blockbuster: I know it got cancelled, but I actually kind of enjoyed it. It wasn't the best, but it had potential. There were a few genuinely funny moments for me, and I think the episode where they do inventory was my favorite.

The Book of Boba Fett: Ok, so I know there are a lot of Fett fans out there from the past 40 years, but I'm indifferent to Boba. But I found a lot to enjoy in this show. I liked watching Boba connect with the Tusken Raiders. However, the pacing and structure were terrible, Fennec was underutilized, and the Mos Espa "power rangers" left me scratching my head. The BEST PART of it all was the Mandalorian season 2.5 they snuck in there! Watching Grogu with Luke, seeing what Mando had been up to, and the most beautiful father/son reunion!! MY HEART. Sorry you got sidelined in your own show, Boba, but the Mando eps were WIZARD.

Call Me Kat: I'm still watching, still enjoying, but this show is kind of a mixed bag sometimes. I was not happy with how everything went down with Oscar. He was such a sweetheart! Am I happy Kat and Max have become a couple? Yeah, I guess, but I think it could've been done differently. Also, it won't be the same now without the lovely Leslie Jordan, RIP.

Derry Girls: Loved the final season. It's so quirky and fascinating and hilarious. The parents' high school reunion was absolute GOLD.

Dream Home Makeover: It's definitely one of those shows that you question why you're watching, yet you can't turn away. I don't want to like it. The couple is just odd together sometimes, and everything was shown out of order! One minute she was pregnant and then she wasn't, but then they'd go back to her being pregnant!

Emily in Paris: Season 3 was pretty good, although I found Emily a bit grating. I was worried they were going to make the whole season about her shenanigans working for both companies, but thankfully that got resolved quickly. Luc is still such a delight, and Sylvie has even grown on me. Gabriel and Alfie are still 🔥🔥.

Hawkeye: I watched this at the beginning of '22, so it's a bit fuzzy now, but it was enjoyable. Not quite at the level of some of the other Marvel shows (like Loki or Wandavision) but still pretty fun.

History 101: A fascinating little documentary series! I was hooked. Each episode was about a very specific topic and was brilliantly done.

Home Economics: This sitcom is pretty fun. I've always loved Topher Grace (although oddly enough I never watched That 70's Show 🙈), and he still nails awkward comedy. All the family dynamics are fun to watch, the kids are cute. And the Spiderman joke when they were at Disneyland had me ROLLING.

The Home Edit: I devour these episodes whenever they drop, and then I want to revamp my entire house, and life. I love organization, plus Joanna and Clea make everything fun to watch.

How I Met Your Father: I was SUPER skeptical about this one, and maybe still am a bit (HIMYM fans, you understand). But I ended up enjoying it more than I thought. I need to watch the last ep again to prep for the upcoming season 2, because I've forgotten a lot. I'm curious to see where it goes.

Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous: The last season was wild, and I COULD NOT STAND Kenji's dad. The woooooorst. Shipped Brooklynn and Kenji, and happy Yaz and Sammy found happiness together. The ending was very satisfying for everyone!

Moon Knight: Oh DANG, what a ride. So many moments I'm like, "WHAAAAAAT am I even watching?!" But it was a fun, trippy adventure, and Oscar Isaac deserves all the awards.

Name That Tune: Always fun. I slay at this game.

Never Have I Ever: I just LOVE this show. Season 3 was another stellar season, and I am still definitely Team Ben! That ending! And the show still makes me cry, especially the scene with Devi and her mom in the finale. 😭

Obi-Wan: I know this wasn't as well received as was hoped, but I enjoyed it. Young Leia was fantastic! Lola, too (I have adopted her in my club of beloved droids). The story worked, and the Vader/Obi-Wan showdown was pretty amazing. The last 20 minutes of the finale was just a giant checklist of fan service, but honestly, I'm not complaining.

Only Murders in the Building: LOVE LOVE LOVE. This show is so incredible, and season 2 didn't disappoint! It's smart, hilarious, and I love the intro music so much. The intros were actually made even better by each one being slightly different with something related to that particular episode.

The Orville: If this journey for The Orville is truly at an end, then they sent it off well. A satisfying ending. I think the supersized episodes didn't work as well as their punchier 40-minute eps, but man, when they go big they go BIG. Incredibly well done topics, and the effects! INSANE. I swear Hulu must have kept just dumping money on them, like "Go ahead and make whatever effects you want!"

Paper Girls: This was...weird. I went through most of this going, "WHAT AM I EVEN WATCHING?" Obviously I loved all the retro vibes, and I was curious enough in the story to stick it out, but that was about it. It got pretty dark at times, and I thought the language, while warranted, got excessive enough at times to detract from the story. Anyway, if they were trying to capture the magic of Stranger Things, it didn't work, and it got cancelled anyway.

The Rookie: MY HEART! MY OTP. MY BEST SHIP AND SHIPPING EXPERIENCE EVER. My obsession with Chenford has exploded even more, as any of my followers can clearly tell. I love Tim and Lucy SO MUCH, and watching them become canon has been INCREDIBLE. But also, the show itself has stepped up its game in S5. The plots are better, more balanced, and I love all the different relationships shown. Making Thorsen a regular was a fantastic decision. The social media team has been killing it. And the show has gained tons of viewers and fans. We are truly in the golden age of The Rookie.

The Rookie: Feds: I like the show, but don't love it...yet. Maybe I will? It is done well, but it's just there. I watch it when I get around to it. Garza and Laura are probably my fave characters. I do like Simone, but she's also a lot. And I say this only because it's the FBI and there must be some kind of dress code, she should probably cover up the girls more. I swear she's going to end up having a wardrobe malfunction.

School of Chocolate: Pretty fascinating little chocolate-making competition.

Star Trek: Discovery: S4 was kind of a mixed bag. I'm not sure it was as memorable as previous seasons. I hate Tilly left. I did like that there was a running thread throughout of identity and belonging, and mental health. My FAVORITE part was how they found a way to communicate with Species Ten-C. Some brilliant television.

Star Trek: Lower Decks: S3 was ok, not my favorite, but it's still funny. My fave moment actually came in the DS9 ep. The background swing music at Quark's is actually from a band that my mom does booking for, Denver & the Mile High Orchestra, and for other personal reasons I won't go into here, that moment meant a lot to me.

Star Trek: Picard: Insert Picard facepalm here. I wanted S2 to work so badly, and be amazing, and it just wasn't. I mean it had Q and time travel and all the ingredients for something incredible, and it still didn't work. It would take too long to hash it all out here, but if anyone wants to vent with me, I'm around. I am excited (and nervous) for S3, however! I hope they don't let me down.

Star Trek: Prodigy: I still love the animation, and the kids are fun. I'm gonna be real honest, though. I'm mainly here for Janeway and Chakotay, because no, I'm still not over how Voyager ended, and if an animated kids show will let me see more of these two, I will take whatever I can get.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Before I go any further, may I just point out the amazing WONDER that FIVE different Star Trek series aired new content in 2022?! A new record! The Trekaissance is real. This show exceeded my expectations. It's so different, yet still so classic Star Trek style. The characters are great, and the intro is incredible! I cry at that intro. It's sweeping and gorgeous and ahhhhh.

Stranger Things: I've loved Stranger Things from the beginning, was excited for S4, but when I watched 4x01 I almost gave it up. It felt so dark and depressing, and the scene at the end was horrifying. I put it off for a couple weeks before deciding to try again, and I slowly worked my way through the rest of the season. There were still parts I couldn't watch (I really don't do horror, Stranger Things was always about as far as I would go, but then they really upped the horror in S4, much to my dismay), but ultimately I'm glad I did watch, although unlike the rewatchability of S1-S3, I'm not sure I can go through S4 in its entirety again. But there were some BEAUTIFUL moments we got, lots of laughs, lots of emotions. All the reunions in Vol. 2! El seeing Hopper again 😭. And my absolute favorite part...JOPPER IS CANON!!

Supermarket Sweep: Always a lot of fun. Sad that it won't be back.

Young Sheldon: It's losing steam, but I'm still watching. The whole storyline with Georgie has been interesting.

And there you have it! 33 shows in all, which is probably a record for me. Feel free to message me or send an ask if you want to further chat about any of these. If you read this far, YOU ARE A ROCKSTAR AND I APPRECIATE YOU.

[ninjagirlstar5]

Protag Teruya AU - Yuki Maeda's FTEs (Part 1)

I'm BAAAAACK!!!

Dear lord, first of all, I'm sorry I've been mostly radio silent on both of my SDRA2 projects. I was dealing with college, socializing in clubs, I got sick, got better, and then got sick AGAIN, and I've been streaming SDRA2 with my buddy on discord whenever they're available between all of that, so I have! Been! Busy!

But good news is, I've been plugging away at part one of Yuki and Protag!Teruya's FTE during my breaks slowly but surely, and now it's done! Hopefully the next updates won't take as long as before but perhaps we shouldn't get out hopes up too much. It's been a busy semester and I have no doubt it'll get busier now that I'm past the halfway point.

Anyways, are Teruya and Yuki hanging out okay? Let's find out.

AO3 Version

Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

The Protag Teruya AU was inspired by @/anotherprofessional’s post! Beware of Void spoilers though!  

Fic is under read more!

Teruya watches Setsuka and Yoruko leave the U-Mart to hang out. This wouldn’t have bothered him as his own investigation of the U-Mart didn’t yield any clues, although he did get a better understanding of the area. Not to mention that he actually had a bit of fun categorizing and making a list in his head of all the supplies found in the store. It somewhat surprised Teruya that he would enjoy something as bland as this, but he was glad to learn a bit more about himself. Especially since his amnesia had left him with no clues about his own life. But he’s not surprised that Yoruko was a bit more disappointed with the lack of clues to escape the Killing Game. He can also tell that she was getting a bit bored about halfway through the investigation of the U-Mart. So Teruya understood why she’d leave as soon as she could with Setsuka, even if it’s only to take a break.

There was just…He has a hard time calling this a problem but it still left Teruya feeling very uncomfortable.

He slowly turns towards Yuki Maeda, who was also left behind despite investigating with Setsuka just mere minutes ago. Yuki catches his gaze and faces him with a raised brow. Teruya, realizing that he should probably say something, clears his throat.

“So…” Teruya starts, only realizing a few seconds too late that he had absolutely no idea where to go with this. Yuki scratches his cheek with his finger, averting his gaze.

“So.” Yuki said, but didn't add anything else. Almost like he had no idea what to say either. The thought actually gave him a little comfort, knowing that he wasn’t the only one that felt that way. “Um…So you chose the U-Mart as your first investigation?”

“Uhhh, yep.” Teruya gives him an awkward grin, trying to push down the uneasy feeling in his gut. “I didn’t really get a good look around the first time. I…It’s where I found out my amnesia was most likely permanent…” He trails off. Kokoro was the one to tell him that, but can he really trust her word for it? She’s the mastermind, after all. And yet, she’s also the Ultimate Psychologist, so that had to count for…something. Right?

“That makes sense. The U-Mart has a lot more stuff compared to the gift shop on the ship. Honestly, it feels more like a warehouse than an actual store though.” Yuki let out a sigh as if this didn’t really make sense to him. Teruya tilts his head.

“Really? It feels pretty normal to me.” Teruya looks around the store. One side of the store held food for them to pick out from, including convenience bentos that can be eaten cold or warmed up from the microwave, the middle held regular everyday and seasonal items, and the other side had tools that ranged from wrenches to drills. By the register was the alcohol, but he ignored it as he held no interest in it, especially since they were all minors. “Although, I guess if the store was a bit more specific then it would be more odd.”

“Specific…? Like, a clothing store?” Yuki curls his fist near his mouth. Teruya nods his head.

“Yeah, like…You wouldn’t find a clothing store selling food. That would be, like, false advertisement. People would only enter a clothing store for clothes, while they would go to a grocery store for food. Now, if there was a store that sells anything and everything, it’d only be natural that they would have a wide variety of supplies for the customers to search for. It’s not that uncommon…I think.” Teruya pauses. Yuki tilts his head.

“You sound like you know a lot about stores.” He points out. Teruya couldn’t deny that. If there was one thing he was certain about himself, it was definitely this. And yet, he didn’t know why he knew so much about stores. The puzzle piece was there, it’s just that he lacked so many others that there was no way he could understand what it could mean right now.

“It seems like it, haha…” Teruya said, rubbing his head. “I…uh, don’t know what that means about my life. My past life? It’s uh, a lot. It’s a lot.”

“Yeah, yeah, totally.” Yuki quickly goes quiet. So does Teruya and the little bit of small talk they managed to create disappears into awkward silence.

Teruya shifts on his feet.

He wants to say more.

But when he tries to think of something to say, it quickly grows into a struggle. Why? It’s not like they ever met before, at least according to Yuki. So there’s no reason to feel the way he does.

But every time he looks at him, he feels his stomach drop like he had fallen from a tall height. Something that made his chest tighten as his stomach twists and turns. It was a wariness that felt too damn familiar for him to ignore, but Yuki would only stare at him in pure ignorance.

Yuki didn’t know anything.

And with Teruya’s amnesia, he didn’t know anything either.

Which only made these feelings not only confusing but frustrating.

He wanted to talk to him more than anything else but he also didn’t because he doesn’t deserve his attention.

“Um…Teruya?” A small voice reaches his ears, bringing him out of his thoughts. Teruya blinks before focusing his gaze back on Yuki. How long had he zoned out? Hopefully not too long. That would only make things much more awkward between them. “Can we…investigate together?”

“Huh?” Teruya feels floored. And perhaps, a lot more anxious than he appeared to be. He points to himself. “Me? You, uh, want to investigate with me?”

“Yeah! If, uh, that’s okay with you.” Yuki said, giving him a smile. A smile that was stabbing needles into his heart, even as it swells with joy.

“Uh, sure! I don’t mind.” Teruya smiled back as it strains against his cheeks.

He minds. He minds a lot.

“Great. So…where do you want to go?” Yuki asked, adjusting his tie. Teruya pauses before scratching the back of his head.

“To be honest, I already had a…pretty decent investigation of the island with Mikado when we first woke up here. But I barely know anything about the Monocruise.” Teruya then shrugs. “Yoruko brought me outside while I was looking around my room. I didn’t pay much attention to it since I was pretty tired last night.”

“You must’ve spent a lot of energy looking after Mikado.” Yuki said before a smile grew on his face. “You’re really kind for doing that, Teruya.”

“O-Oh, um, thank you.” Teruya felt himself smile more genuinely, a little bashful at the praise. “Just…doing what I need to do.”

“Yeah…um…” Yuki then points to the doors. “Why don’t we make our way back to the Monocruise then? I’ll guide you around and then we can loop back to the entrance when we’re done.”

“Sounds good to me.” Teruya nods and the two of them leave the U-Mart without another word.

Yuki leads the way back to the Monocruise and the two of them are mostly silent as they walk. It was still a little awkward between the two of them, but once they were inside, they immediately focused on trying to investigate the Monocruise. In the hallways were a couple of grandfather clocks but none of them were working, the restrooms, bookshelves filled with books that Teruya didn’t have much interest in, and huge chandeliers that hung from the ceiling precariously. He can only hope that they don’t fall. But what did grab Teruya’s attention almost immediately was the large, double stone door that was to the right of the staircase. But when he tried to enter it, it was completely locked and Yuki explained that “Big Bro,” a.k.a. Shinji, had already tried to brute force it and it didn’t work. In the end, they decided to leave it be for now since there’s nothing they can do about it. At least, not without the risk of breaking one of the school rules.

On the first floor of the Monocruise, there was the infirmary that Teruya had already become familiar with due to taking care of Mikado in it for an entire day, but also a workout room with various equipment, including huge dumbbells, punching bags, and treadmills. There was also a ping-pong table to play, well, ping-pong, a cleaning supplies closet in case there was a spill, a large basket filled with sports balls for the basketball hoops hanging on the walls, and a nearby trash can. There was also a storage room that Teruya had to resist the urge to organize and memorize every bit of supplies and sundries left around inside, and simply said that they should leave this for another time since all of the miscellaneous stuff would take forever to sift through even with the both of them together. Yuki agreed and they left the storage room alone. The auditorium was a bit more of a sad excuse as there was a lot of space in it but nothing else aside from a clock that told the time, a piano sitting next to a desk for someone to speak from and chairs piled up on top of each other by the walls. They stopped by the dining hall to check if there was anything they could’ve missed, but it had mostly stayed the same since they were last there. The large table where they ate their meals together was still where it was left, with the chandelier hanging nearby, and shelves filled with various utensils and cups. Teruya had found some crow cards lying about in those shelves, but otherwise there was nothing useful to be gained by sticking around the dining hall. The kitchen was also attached to the dining hall, fully repaired after Mikado’s poor attempt at cooking nearly destroyed it in a fire. It looked like a fancy cooking station you’d find at a restaurant while still feeling like something you’d find in any other house in the real world. They left the kitchen untouched as well, as neither of them were hungry enough to make something for brunch.

The second floor hallway was pretty identical to the first floor in layout, minus the doorway to the left of the staircase. There were plenty of grandfather clocks and chandeliers, with doors leading to the game room, library, bathhouse, and laundry room. All of which he hadn’t checked out for himself yet.

But the one thing that caught both of their attention pretty quickly was a door almost hidden away in the corner. Unlike most doors, it was metallic with a keypad serving as it’s lock. And to top it off, there was a minigun attached in the corner and aiming directly at the door.

Out of everything they’ve seen so far, this is definitely the most suspicious thing yet.

And yet, neither Teruya or Yuki took a step closer to the door.

“…Do you want to check it?” Teruya asked, making these the first few words he had said in a while. Yuki’s jaw drops as he gapes at him.

“No way! What if I do something wrong and that minigun goes off??” Yuki points at said weapon. “I’ll be turned into Swiss cheese!” Teruya couldn’t help but snort and cringe at the same time.

“Y-Yeah…that wouldn’t be good at all.” Teruya agreed but he couldn’t take his eyes off of the door. Yuki sighs.

“We all tried to think of ways to enter the room, but…none of us has the guts to try the keypad. Not with that minigun silently threatening us with death.” Yuki shudders as he adjusts his tie. “It wouldn’t be a good idea anyways. We don’t have any hints on what the passcode could be, so the effort would just be useless.”

“I think that’s a wise decision. I don’t want you guys to get hurt when our chances are so low.” Still, that door is going to bother him for as long as he's aware that it's here. Teruya forces himself to turn away. "Let's just check out the rest of the floor."

"Ah, right." Yuki doesn't say anything else, leaving the both of them in awkward silence once more.

Teruya almost wanted to say something.

But his mind was blank, so he kept his mouth shut.

The library was, naturally, filled up with books, with the shelves lined up against the walls. The bathhouse has cabinets for changing, a cleaning supply closet, a clock, shower stalls, and, of course, a large hot tub to relax in. Now wasn't the time to take a bath, though, and they left without bringing up the idea of having a shared bath. You know, to deepen their bonds as friends.

He did find some money in the bathtub, though.

("...Who left their card here??")

("I don't know, but it's mine now!")

("You're…surprisingly greedy.")

("Hey, you can't live without money, you know!")

("...Unfortunately, you're right.")

The laundry room was probably the most normal room there was on the Monocruise, being of decent size with a few washing machines and dryers to accommodate everyone on the Monocruise. The game room, though, was everything a minor should steer clear from for their age: roulette tables that reminded Teruya of casinos, slot machines that pour out coins when you manage to line up three of the same images, and a shelf behind the counter that held plenty of alcohol of different types. Teruya can’t help but grimace at the amount of games that are just begging to give someone a gambling addiction.

“I can’t believe there’s a room like this here. Isn’t this supposed to be a school field trip for high schoolers?” Teruya questioned, absently running his hand along a nearby pool table. It was clearly of high quality and he had a feeling that Setsuka would love spending her time here if she hasn’t already.

“Honestly, I’d agree with you if this was a normal school trip.” Yuki said before a random note of a piano key being hit was heard. Teruya turns the corner to see his fellow student nearby the piano, testing it out if only to distract himself. He closes his eyes with a sigh. “But this is the School Trip of Mutual Killing. Nothing about this has been normal since we got here.” He then pauses before furrowing his brow. “Besides, Hope’s Peak Academy did invite the Ultimate Gambler before. Stuff like this on a Hope’s Peak school trip would probably be normal since they would want to see the Ultimate Gambler in action.”

“…That would actually make a lot more sense.” Teruya scratches his forehead. If Hope’s Peak Academy was more than willing to invite students that had more…questionable talents, then of course they’d have the resources to help support and nurture them as well. Hell, they had Yoruko, who was the Ultimate Hostess, and Syobai, the Ultimate Broker. While Yoruko’s talent is a lot more innocuous compared to the literal criminal, she was still breaking the law by lying about her age to work in an age-restricted job. And yet, they were still willing to take both of them. Albeit they had to blackmail Yoruko to agree to come. Syobai…he’s not certain about his reasons for why he chose to come, or if he was also blackmailed, but either way, he was here as well. “…Still, none of us are the Ultimate Gambler so I don’t know why we have this room.”

“Yeah, it kinda just…exists. It’s not as if we can’t have fun here and we don’t really have any money to make any bets anyway…unless you count the Crow Cards.” Yuki then pulls away from the piano, smiling as he points to a set of double doors. “But, hey. At least there’s a gift shop here.”

“Oh yeah! Monocrow mentioned the gift shop before.” Teruya said, lighting up at the mention. He raises his hands as his body automatically moves towards the door without another thought. “So it’s here? What’s in the shop?”

“Well…about anything you can find at a tourist shop, I think. With some…odd stuff mixed in.” Yuki said, scratching his cheek with his finger. Teruya pauses upon grabbing the handle, turning to direct his raised eyebrow at Yuki. The student simply shrugs as he smiles awkwardly. “I think you’ll understand once you see it.”

“Alright…” Despite acknowledging the strange comment, it didn’t stop the feeling of excitement rising in his gut. Teruya tugs on the handle and the door slides open, revealing what was inside.

And his heart nearly lept in joy.

Inside were rows and rows of shelves filled with all sorts of supplies of different varieties. Art supplies, notebooks, snacks…you name it, the gift shop probably has it. It was decently large for the amount of goods it had in store, and even had a register counter by the front to pay for the supplies, although no one was there to man it. Teruya almost wondered if someone had tried to shoplift from the gift shop but he quickly shoots that idea down in his head. With the existence of Crow Cards, Monocrow would clearly want that currency to be used throughout this school trip. And while there was no repercussions from taking anything from the U-Mart, it may be because the mart was on the island since it was founded and would have convenience goods that wouldn’t be out of place for its store. The gift shop, on the other hand, was a part of the Monocruise, and is under Monocrow’s jurisdiction. If Monocrow wants them to pay for the goods in the gift shop, he will make them even if he has to threaten them with punishment.

Not that Teruya found himself caring.

He was just…so excited and comforted at the sight of the shop.

He doesn’t know or understand why he’s reacting the way he is now. It was just a shop, after all. One that you can probably find anywhere in the world, as long as the concept of currency or even bartering existed. A place where you can find goods that range from daily necessities to snacks to entertainment to unnecessary knickknacks and decorations.

But, Teruya didn’t care.

It made him happy to be here. And for once, he allowed himself this moment to bask in it, regardless of the circumstances that surrounded him.

“Oh…Oh my god…!” The words slipped out of Teruya’s mouth without thinking about how he looked. He just runs over to the nearest aisle, unable to keep himself from bouncing off of his heels as he goes. The aisle seems to be where the toys are, and he grabbed a rainbow spring toy off the shelf to let it hang from his hand. Yuki, who seemed to have followed him inside, watches as the amnesiac played with the toy in his hand. “Yuki! Yuki, look at this! There’s so much to look at!”

“I-I can see that, Teruya.” Yuki laughs like he was unable to comprehend what he was seeing before him. “Geez, you look like a kid exploring a new place for the first time.”

“I mean, technically, it is a place I haven’t been to before.” Teruya tosses the spring toy back to its little basket. Not a single bit of his memories have come back to him yet, but that didn’t mean he was going to push away this sense of comfort. He walks over to Yuki and wraps an arm around him. Yuki blinks in surprise at the closeness and Teruya was too distracted by his own joy to take note of the uncomfortable tightness in his chest. He points as he speaks. “But there’s loads of stuff you can get here! There’s shampoo and conditioner in that aisle, snacks over there, some stationary supplies and…” He falters when his eyes land on something he feels like he shouldn’t be seeing so out in the open. “Is…Is that bondage gear?”

“Yeeep.” Yuki closes his eyes with a grimace. “Like I said before, there’s some odd stuff.”

“I, why is there bondage gear here!??” Teruya scrunched up his face, pulling Yuki closer to him. “We’re…We’re minors! And this is a school trip, I…What the hell??”

“Let’s, uh, just ignore it! We’re here to investigate, not, uh, get distracted by weird stuff.” Yuki suggests, taking his arm off of his shoulder. Teruya ignores the jab of disappointment upon the lack of contact but he gets over it pretty quickly.

“Right, right. Let’s just…avoid that aisle then and look around.” Teruya agrees, deciding that it was best to move on unless he wished to waste any more time. He heads to the back of the room and finds two other oddities in the shop. One was a vending machine that was half black and half white, like it was shaped in Monocrow’s image and he instantly didn’t like it. The other was the rows of arcade games that ranged from Pac-Man (shaped like, again, Monocrow) and a dancing game that wasn’t Dance Dance Revelution, but definitely similar where you have to time your steps to the beat of the song. He approached the games with curiosity, and Yuki almost instantly appeared by his side like he was also interested in the arcade. “Huh…Why do you think this is here? It’d fit more in the game room itself.”

Yuki opens his mouth to make a suggestion but—

“Allow me to answer that question.”

They couldn’t help it.

They screamed, jumping into each other’s arms as the person — no, that damn thing called Monocrow — suddenly pops out of nowhere in front of the arcade cabinets. The minute they realized who it was, their fear was immediately replaced with disdain.

“You — You son of a bitch!” Teruya snaps, nearly swatting Monocrow off of the cabinet. He squawks indignantly, flapping his wings as if to make himself bigger.

“Hey, hey! Violence against your teacher is against the school rules!” Monocrow says, reminding Teruya that he was on thinner ice than he liked. Yuki scowls at him with furrowed eyebrows.

“You’re not our teacher! You’re a part of the mastermind’s scheme!!” Yuki yells as he clenched his fists. Monocrow sighs, lowering his head.

“Both can be true, you know…” The crow then shakes his head. “But nevermind that. I will let go of your near violation since the hit didn’t land. But you best not risk that again, Mr. Otori.” Teruya grimaces but slowly nods his head. He shouldn’t put his life in danger for something as stupid as breaking a school rule. Especially one that can easily be avoided. “Anyways, you’re curious about these arcade machines, are you not?”

“I mean…yeah.” Teruya admits and slowly nods his head. Yuki lowers his hands but he was watching Monocrow warily. Teruya eyes the arcade cabinets. “Why are they in the shop instead of the game room?”

“Well, to put it simply, I thought having these games in here would be more convenient for you all.” Monocrow said, raising his head. Yuki frowns.

“Convenient?” Yuki adjusts his tie and Monocrow nods before rubbing his wing against his beak.

“Indeed. You see, not only did I hide Crow Cards all around the island and Monocruise, I’ve installed these games to reward you!” Monocrow spreads out his wings, almost as if he was proud of himself. Teruya didn’t understand what he meant by that until Yuki’s eyes go wide.

“Wait…Are you saying that these arcade machines can give us Crow Cards?” Yuki cranes his neck at the machines and Teruya does a double take. Arcade games that give out free money? Even with his amnesia, this feels like a first for him.

“Absolutely! I know not all of you are willing to go on a scavenger hunt for the Crow Cards I’ve hidden throughout the island, even though I encourage investigation…But I couldn’t just leave my students penniless! Consider this as an…alternative way to gain money. To an extent of course.” Monocrow nods his head at the cabinets. Teruya managed to catch his last words and frowns.

“‘To an extent?’ What do you mean by that?” Teruya raised an eyebrow at the bird. Monocrow simply huffs, turning his beak up at him. Which would’ve been funny with how small he is compared him, but the amnesiac only found it annoying.

“I mean that you all only have a limited amount of tries for the games. I can’t just let you get rich so easily by spending all of your hours playing games!” Monocrow flaps his wings at Teruya again. “Each student has about three tickets on their e-handbook+, and regardless of which games you play, the cabinets were made to keep track of the amount of tickets you have. In other words, you can’t spend three tickets on Crow-Man and then try to spend three more tickets on DanceRush Stardom.”

“Please tell me that’s not your version of PAC-Man.” Yuki asked, despite already knowing the answer just by looking at the arcade machine in question.

“Regardless, the tickets will be replenished by the end of the week, and you’ll only get enough Crow Cards according to your high score.” Monocrow said, completely ignoring Yuki’s words. The student narrows his eyes at the bird but sighs, completely giving up on the topic.

“So, basically…” Teruya frowns as he tries his best to understand Monocrow’s words. “If you get a good score, you’ll get plenty of cash. However, if you sucked at the game and get a bad score, you won’t get much and end up wasting your time.”

“Precisely!” Monocrow blushed (somehow), speaking almost cheerily at Teruya’s words. Teruya wasn’t sure if he should be proud of himself or disturbed that Monocrow was praising him at all. “So do choose your games wisely! There’s nothing wrong with having too much cash, after all.”

“I…see.” Teruya eyes the arcade cabinets before him. Now that Monocrow explained what their purpose was, it made more sense to have them inside the store than the game room. While the game room was literally one door away, having the one and only arcade games that give out money inside the store made sense if you want your customers to spend their money there. After all, you can’t forget to spend your money when you’re literally inside the store. And if you want a specific item but don’t have enough cash, you can just walk over to a game right then and there and play a round in the hopes of getting a decent score that would reward you. Teruya brings his gaze towards the black and white vending machine and points to it. He might as well gather as much information that he can squeeze out of Monocrow while he’s here. “What about that one?”

“Oh, that’s the Monocrow Machine I mentioned before.” Monocrow lowers his wings and turns towards the vending machine in question. “For five-hundred Crows, you can get any item from the gift shop for cheap, however, it is completely randomized and based on luck. So you’ll have to hope you’ll get what you wanted. But who knows? Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to get some special gifts.”

“Special gifts? What kind?” Yuki looks over the Monocrow Machine, more curious than anything else now.

“That, I will let you find out on your own.” Monocrow brushes his wing against his beak. “If that is all the questions you have, I shall be taking my leave.”

“…You wouldn’t give us a reason on why this killing game is happening anyway, would you?” Teruya muttered as his gut twists. Monocrow chuckles, only confirming his suspicions.

“Is despair simply not a good enough reason for you?” And before Teruya could tell him ‘no, it isn’t,’ Monocrow disappears behind one of the machines and is gone. He knew the moment he left his sight that there was no point in trying to chase down the stupid bird to grill him for answers. It would just be a waste of time anyways.

“Well…I think that’s all we can get from the gift shop, right, Yuki?” Teruya said, turning to his classmate. Just in time to see Yuki pull on the lever of the Monocrow Machine. He gapes. “Wha — Yuki!”

“Huh?” Yuki jumps at the sudden call of his name. He turns away from the machine with wide eyes. “What??”

“Why are you using the machine?? You don’t need to use it when you can just buy what you need here, right?” Teruya gestures to the shelves with all the goods that were in plain sight. Yuki winces but frowns.

“I mean, you’re right…but, if you can get anything from the machine for just five-hundred Crows, that’s actually really cheap and some of the stuff here can be really expensive.” Yuki said, scratching his cheek as if he was embarrassed. Teruya frowned before glancing at the nearest price tag, which just so happened to be for a Playrotation4 and…

Oh.

That’s actually pretty steep.

Even Teruya, who had been scavenging every nook and cranny to find Crow Cards, didn’t have enough Crows to buy it right off the shelf.

“…Okay, I can see your point — wait a minute!” Teruya whirls around when a realization hits him and he points at the game station. “Why would anyone spend money on a Playrotation4?? It’s not like we need something like this and we’re in the middle of a killing game! We shouldn’t get ourselves distracted by stuff like this.”

“A-And you’re right! It’s just…just…” Yuki hesitates, mumbling something under his breath. Teruya raises an eyebrow at him but remains patient as he tugs on his tie nervously. “Sorry…I just…I can't concentrate on the killing game all the time. When I do, I…I get really, really scared. And then I remember how Syobai nearly stabbed me, and start thinking that anyone might be willing to do that, and then it just…just spirals from there. You know?”

“Ah…” That…actually makes sense. It’d be natural to suspect that everyone was out to get each other. Especially since one person already tried to take a life, even without hearing all the rules. How can Yuki not be paranoid? Teruya feels himself soften up as he presses his hand against his chest. “I think I understand. It is a dangerous situation, and you could’ve gotten hurt.”

“Yeah…Which is why I’m glad you were there, Teruya.” Yuki smiles at him, almost stopping Teruya’s heart as it clenched tightly. “If you hadn’t intervened, I might not be standing here right now. Even if you could’ve gotten hurt in my place…”

“O-Oh, it’s…it’s no problem.” Teruya forced himself to smile. “I…I mean, anyone would do that if they weren’t frozen in shock. Hell, I bet Shinji would’ve done everything in his power to protect you if he wasn’t carrying Mikado at the time.”

“Haha, y-yeah, I bet he would.” Yuki chuckles as he closes his eyes, scratching his cheek. The Monocrow Machine goes off and something clatters into the drop-off box, but neither of them paid much attention to it right now. He sighs, the smile falling off of his face. “I’m…grateful that you did that for me. But I also wished you didn’t have to. You could’ve gotten hurt in my place.”

“Hey, don’t say that. You, You’re worth protecting.” Teruya ignored the way he stuttered on his last words. He means it, he really does.

So why was it so hard to say it out loud?

“Mmm…Still…I wish I can repay you back. You deserve something in return for protecting someone like me. And protecting Yoruko, too.” Yuki slumps over and Teruya can’t help but feel surprised at the sight. He didn’t think Yuki had such a low opinion of himself. Sure, he was an ordinary student that got into Hope’s Peak Academy through a lottery, but he had still made it, didn’t he? Teruya didn’t even know his own talent or his past thanks to his amnesia, and the few clues he had were small things that barely told a full story. He didn’t know himself, but at least Yuki knew who he was.

Right?

…He should try to cheer him up. Maybe…

“…Maybe you should take me out for lunch?” Teruya suggested before he could doubt himself again. Yuki lifts his head, opening his eyes wide with surprise. The amnesiac just gave him a shrug. “You won’t stop expressing your gratitude to me, even though I’ve already accepted it. Sooo, if you want to do something more, you can just take me to your favorite place to eat and we can call it even. Once we get out of here, of course.”

“Teruya…” Yuki said, almost like he was in awe. Teruya tried not to shift. It’s not like getting lunch with someone else was anything weird or noteworthy. It’s something people do all the time. Yuki then smiles. “Yeah, I can do that.”

“Huh? Really?” There it was again, that surprise. An emotion that only lasted for a moment, but it was there.

“Yeah. There’s actually a really good ramen shop near my house. I’ll take you there, alright?” Yuki said, almost like he was happy at the thought. Teruya…wasn’t sure how he felt about this. He thought for sure Yuki would have turned him down. But he returns the smile, feeling more genuine this time around.

“Then it’s a promise.” Teruya then gestures to the Monocrow Machine, trying to keep up this nonchalant air about him. There’s no need to make a big deal about it. “What did you get?”

“Oh…! Right, uh…” Yuki turns towards the machine, kneeling down to grab his item from the drop-box. The minute he pulled it out, Teruya felt his heart leap at the sight. It was a spray bottle, one with a black cover that made the rainbow stand out in contrast. Yuki furrows his brow. “Oh, it’s just a spray bottle…”

“It is, isn’t it??” Teruya couldn’t stop the excitement that leaked into his voice. Yuki gapes at him as he hovers right over his shoulder. “D-Do you mind if I see it? Just for a second! I’ll give it right back!”

“Uh, sure. Go nuts.” Yuki gives up the spray bottle pretty quickly, letting Teruya snatch it right out of his hand. He takes a moment to marvel at it, rubbing his thumb along the rainbow colors of the spray bottle. He then lifts it up, keeping the button angled away from him before pressing down on it.

A beautiful spray of rainbows comes out and Teruya grins from ear to ear.

“Good golly! This…This thang is the real deal! Look at this color here, Yuki! It’s so vibrant!” Teruya said, spraying the color out a few times to emphasize his point. Yuki laughs, albeit awkwardly and perhaps a little confused.

“Wow, uh…what’s with that sudden accent?” Yuki asked, and Teruya raised an eyebrow at him.

“What accent?” He said, completely missing the way his accent had changed in his excitement.

“…Nevermind. It’s not important.” Yuki is quick to drop the topic and Teruya wasn’t interested in pursuing it anyways. He looks down at the spray bottle in his hand, almost reluctant in giving it back even though it would be going against his word. The student stares at him before smiling. “You can keep it if you want?”

“Really?!” Teruya can feel his eyes shining as he raises his head. “Y-Ya sayin’ I can have it?! For free?!” And when Yuki nods his head, Teruya tosses his arms around his classmate before he could think better of it and starts jumping up and down. “Thanks, Yuki! You have no idea how happy I am about this!”

“I-I’m glad you’re happy, Teruya…” Yuki said, although his voice was a bit muffled due to having his face buried into Teruya’s chest. Before he can complain about it, though, the amnesiac lets him go and starts putting away his precious gift. The student sighs and straightens his posture. “I think that’s everything we can investigate from this place. Right?”

“Mmm…I think so?” Teruya looks back at the aisles, thinking over what he saw and had been told. “…Even with just a glimpse, I can tell that this spray bottle isn’t in stock.”

“Huh…Is that what Monocrow meant when he said you can get special gifts from the machine?” Yuki asked, curling his hand near his chin. Teruya frowned.

“That sounds like a gacha system.” Teruya said, before approaching the machine to test that theory out for himself. With just a quick examination of how it works, all Teruya had to do was swipe his handbook over the scanner to use the Crow Card function, and then pull the level. After some loud scattering sounds inside the machine, it rings as it drops its prize into the drop-off box. He kneels down and pulls out…another mineral water bottle. Which he can get anywhere else, even at the U-Mart. The disappointment was palpable. “It is a gacha system.”

“You sound so disappointed.” Yuki deadpans, which only prompts Teruya to tighten his fists.

“Of course I am! It’s a money sink that relies purely on luck for the one thing you desire. A system that practically encourages gambling in exchange for a single item you may not even get. And even if you don’t mind having the common items, you’ll run out of space eventually if you’re aiming for the ‘best’ prize. You’ll need some good goddamn luck to get what you want in your first few pulls, otherwise you’ll just be wasting money you could be spending on something else.” Teruya huffs as he crosses his arms over his chest. “I worry about the customers' wallet sometimes.”

“Wow, you’re…surprisingly passionate about this.” Yuki points out, surprised at his sudden rant.

“Of course I am. How can people spend money if they’re spending too much of it on this one thing that isn’t guaranteed to give them what they want. Not to mention the kind of repercussions a gambling addiction can have on someone’s life…” Teruya trails off.

Why…is he so passionate over something like this? It’s not as if it’s his business on how much money people spend on something they want, right? But…what if they need that money for something they need? Like, food, water, clothes…If they spend it all on a prize that may not have much use of, how can they support themselves?

…Teruya decided to simply chalk it up to human decency. No one in their right mind would want someone to end up with an addiction of any kind. 

“Well…whatever. Here, you can have this, Yuki.” Teruya said, raising the water bottle up to his classmate. Yuki blinks his eyes before his hand hovers over the drink.

“Are you sure? I think this is mineral water.”

“Yeah, I already got one back at the U-Mart.” There was no point in having two when he hadn't even opened the first one yet. That seemed to encourage Yuki to take the water bottle from him with a smile.

“Thanks, Teruya. I was feeling a little parched from all the talking.” Yuki immediately opens the bottle to take a sip from it. Teruya brings his attention back to the Monocrow Machine, frowns, before swiping his handbook over the scanner again. Yuki sputters on his drink. “Y-You’re using the Monocrow Machine again?”

“Yep.” Teruya pulls the lever down. “…You said you wanted the Playrotation4, right?”

“Uh, yeah, I do, but…you don't have to go out of your way to get one. Especially when you don’t like the Monocrow Machine. And like you said before, I don’t really need it…” Yuki tries to get him to back out of the idea but Teruya just smiles at him.

“Because you said that you can’t concentrate on the killing game twenty-four seven, right? When you do, you get scared and paranoid…That’s not good when we’re in a killing game.” Teruya kept his tone gentle and tried not to sound overbearing in the process. “If playing games helps distract you from your thoughts and keep you calm, I don’t see why you shouldn’t have it. Besides, I wanna get you something and I don’t have enough Crow Cards right now to buy it off the shelf.”

“But…” 

“No buts! I’m getting you that Playrotation4, I swear it.” Teruya wags his finger at Yuki and he starts to crack a smile again.

It was then that the Monocrow Machine started to act out.

It rings, signaling that the prize had fallen into the drop-box, but then it shakes and rattles violently. Teruya and Yuki both jumped at the sounds as it felt as though something was going to go wrong. But, nothing else happens and the Monocrow Machine goes silent again.

Teruya didn’t take another step forward. He only turned to Yuki with a paling face.

“…It didn’t break…right?” Teruya asked nervously. After all, it was against the rules to break school property, and that would include the Monocrow Machine, right?

“Uh…” Yuki looks around. Even when a minute passes, no one shows up and he shrugs. “I think you’re fine. Monocrow hasn’t popped out of nowhere yet, so…”

“I-In that case, I should grab my prize before anything else happens.” Teruya leans over and reaches into the drop-box. However, when he grabs a hold of its thin, seemingly rectangular frame, its side hit the opening of the drop-box and couldn’t be slid out. Teruya frowns, trying to pull it out again but even when he tries to tilt it at a different angle or wiggle it out, the results are the same. “Shit. I think it’s stuck. Hey, Yuki, can you keep the flap open for me?”

“Oh, uh, sure!” Yuki kneels down beside him and Teruya scoots over to give him a bit more space. After what felt like more than five minutes of wiggling, adjusting, and a little bit of cussing over the prize, they finally manage to slide it out of the opening.

And Teruya nearly drops it when he sees it.

It was a portrait of a young man, probably — no, definitely their age and staring straight at them in boredom. His hair was a mess and his tie was undone along with the collar of his button-up, but he knew this face.

He knew it was Yuki Maeda.

Yuki Maeda, who he should know.

Yuki Maeda, who was his classmate.

Yuki Maeda, who was his friend.

And Yuki Maeda was standing before him, bored as he felt himself sink to his knees. Hearing the words he was saying but struggling to comprehend it all.

To deny it all.

And yet, he kept talking.

He kept talking about a truth he was desperate to deny.

“—your money. So, your friends’ deaths? They’re all your fault.”

And Teruya Otori felt himself sink.

Teruya.

Teruya.

“Teruya!”

Teruya blinked.

He stares at Yuki, who has started to shake him by his shoulders.

“Teruya! Finally!” Yuki sighs, as if he was relieved. Why? “You looked so pale and stopped responding to me when I tried to talk to you. Are you okay?”

Okay? How was he okay?

“…It’s you.” The words slip from his mouth numbly. Yuki blinks at him and Teruya’s gaze slowly goes back to the portrait that laid between them. “That’s you in the portrait.”

“Ah, the portrait…” Yuki let’s go, finally. He stares down at the portrait and visibly shudders. “I mean, it’s really uncanny. I won’t deny that. But…”

He frowns.

And then looks Teruya straight in the eye.

“But that’s not me.”

….It’s not?

“Uh, yeah. It’s not.” Yuki said, almost pouting now. Teruya swallows as he realizes that he had said that out loud. “I’ve never had myself painted before, so it couldn’t be me. I mean, I’m pretty sure the guy is wearing my school’s uniform but…” His frown became deeper as Teruya kept staring at him. “Look, maybe it’d be easier for you to believe me if you compare me to the guy in the picture.”

“Uh…” Teruya tried to come up with something to say. To tell Yuki that no, that really is him in the portrait. That this repulsive person looked too much like him to deny it.

But, he couldn’t say it.

Not when his heart ached so much in a way he couldn’t describe.

And when Yuki carefully props the painting beside him so Teruya can better compare their looks, he slowly realizes that he was right.

The differences were subtle. Sure, when you ignore the bored expression and messy appearance, they still looked similar enough to be mistaken for each other. But when you actively compare them side by side, it'd be hard not to notice those subtle differences. The one in the painting had much tanner skin in comparison to Yuki’s obviously paler complexion, along with dark brown eyes and a rounder facial structure. The Yuki Maeda sitting before him has lighter brown eyes and a slightly sharper face. Even their ginger hair was different, as the man in the portrait had a darker shade that leaned more towards yellow while Yuki’s was brighter and more red. And to top it all off…

“...He’s missing your ahoge.” Teruya noticed out loud, almost dumbly. Yuki blinked, looked back at the portrait, and then started to pout again.

“That’s the most important thing you noticed?” Yuki said, clearly exasperated. The tone of voice actually got Teruya to chuckle, feeling the tension slowly seep out from his shoulders as he sagged. It was still there, but he started to feel…a bit more like himself. A bit more ingrained in reality now.

“Sorry, sorry. It was just the first words I thought to say.” Teruya felt himself smile a little bit as Yuki’s pout only got stronger.

“Seriously…? It’s not my fault that this is the only cowlick I can’t get rid of.” Yuki muttered, even though Teruya could still hear him. It was obvious that the ahoge is a bit of an insecurity with the way he kept brushing his hand over it the minute it was brought up.

“If it’s any consolation, I think it’s cool. It makes you stand out.” Teruya reaches over and flicks the ahoge with his finger. Yuki swats his hand away.

“Stop that! I sometimes spend an hour trying to get rid of it. Don’t you do the same??” Yuki points at the tall ahoge Teruya sported himself. Teruya felt a smile grow on his face, even though it was definitely an awkward one.

“...Actually, I have to use hair gel to get my hair like this.” He admits sheepishly. Yuki’s stare quickly becomes incredulous.

“...You do it on purpose?!” Yuki gaped at him with those wide eyes again, and Teruya finally laughed. The student huffs before pushing the portrait into his space. “W-Whatever, just take your prize already!”

“Alright, alright!” Teruya takes the portrait from Yuki, still chuckling over his classmate’s overreaction. Yuki rubs his cheeks as if to forcefully get rid of the smile that Teruya had caught a glimpse of before going back to a neutral expression. Teruya looks down at the portrait, his smile falling off of his face as the man stared back at him. “...He feels familiar.”

“Well, he does look like me. It’s really eerie.” Yuki mutters as he closes his eyes and a sweat drop forms on his cheek. Teruya frowns.

“No, I mean…” Teruya tightens his grip on the portrait. “I think I knew this guy.”

“...Oh!” Yuki opens his eyes in surprise. “Did you remember something?? What is it?”

“I…don’t know.” Teruya lays the portrait on his lap. He stares at his bored eyes and wishes he could wipe that damn look off of his face. “...I think I hate him.”

“...Oh.” Yuki deflates upon the realization that it wasn’t a happy memory. If Teruya could even call it a memory. It was more of a gut feeling than anything else. He sighs. “Well…Not everything in your life is gonna be sunshine and rainbows.”

“I guess…” Teruya hesitates, his eyes darting between the portrait and Yuki. He swallows and takes the plunge. “Yuki. Are you…sure we have never met before?”

Yuki was silent.

And for once, his eyes were really scrutinizing him. Like he was actually trying to figure out if he had seen him before or not.

But he slowly shakes his head.

“No. We’ve never met personally.” Yuki said, before looking down and curling his hand near his chin. “…Sorry.”

“Oh…” What else could he say to that? It’s not like he can just tell Yuki that he’s a liar. He’s not the one with amnesia. Teruya was. And he doesn’t have any evidence that would contradict this.

Aside from the very heavy feeling on his tongue every time he speaks his name.

But besides that, he can only take him at his word right now.

“…Okay. Sorry that I keep bothering you over this.” Teruya said, even though this probably isn’t something he had to apologize for. Yuki gives him a small smile.

“H-Hey, you don’t have to apologize over that. I wish I could do more for you but alas…” Yuki waves his hands placatingly as he trails off. He then drops them into his lap. “Anyway, should we keep investigating the Monocruise?”

“Hm…” Teruya thinks it over his head, wondering if he should keep investigating with Yuki. But then he takes his eyes off of him, sees it — or rather, her — and thinks better of it. “Actually, I think that’s all we can do on the Monocruise. We explored everything we could…at least, not without spending hours going through every nook and cranny in the storage room. And the next two floors are for the dormitories, so I’m sure everyone explored their rooms to the best of their ability.”

“That’s true…There’s nothing else up there other than the bathrooms.” Yuki said, scratching his finger at his cheek. He then stands up, sending Teruya a smile. “Then, I guess I’ll go investigate somewhere else.”

“Yeah, I think I’m gonna stay here for a couple more minutes. Maybe stop by the storage room later.” Teruya nods his head towards the exit of the store. “I’ll see you around, Yuki.”

“See ya, Teruya.” Yuki then turns to leave the store, sees her, and tries to ignore her as he leaves. Teruya watches him go until he disappears, and then brings his attention back to the portrait.

…He could throw it out.

No one would be able to stop him if it did.

And it was technically his, so he had the right to do whatever he wanted with the portrait.

But…it’d be a waste for him to do that.

He just spent five-hundred Crows for this prize. Even if he didn’t like it, he should at least find some sort of use for it. Or just give it away to someone that may like it. Maybe Iroha or Emma would take better care of it than him.

Even if his heart tugged in a way he had trouble explaining.

Teruya manages to put the portrait into his backpack, and clasp it back closed, hefting it back onto his shoulders with a grunt. His eyes rove over the items in the store, lingering on the pens and journals in the school supplies section. Something that he considers buying right this second. But eventually, he turns back to the Monocrow Machine and pays the necessary Crows again. He felt a bit of shame in playing into the gacha ploy. But even he couldn’t resist the idea of getting those rare items.

And Teruya did swear he’ll get Yuki that Playrotation4 somehow. He just has to be careful with how much he spends on the Monocrow Machine.

At least hanging out with Yuki wasn’t as bad as he thought it was going to be.

He just can’t shake off this uncomfortable deja vu he’d been feeling this whole time.

…Or the drone that has been watching his every move since his investigation of the U-Mart.

Your relationship rank with Yuki Maeda has risen from 0 to 1!

Yuki Maeda’s information has been recorded in the e-Handbook+’s profile page.

[gizkasparadise]

Yaaay loved that list. (Spoilers ahead)

Now the most disappointing deaths. Either because they were too carelessly handled. Too “fridged”. Too brushed under the rug very quickly. You know what I mean

Like Natasha from avengers. They did her dirty

Like the guy from city hunter. I’m sorry but he deserved a little better than dying on the DAY HE RECONCILED WITH HIS EX. Cheap shock value if you ask me

And so many fridged women that I can’t even count

girl (gender neutral) we would be here all night!!

here's some deaths that didnt land for me in dramaland to keep it focused. spoilers below/enter at your own risk:

jung jae heon, sweet home. im probably in the minority here, but his death just felt...so avoidable? and because of that his death scene was aggravating rather than sorrow-inducing. his funeral scene was good, but like. why kill off this interesting character that would be a nice foil to some of these characters?? i know it's adapting from the source material but idk this one just felt off to me

tantai jin, till the end of the moon. we're gonna spend a ton of episodes just beating this guy down and then have him die because living was too cruel. but if people are worried, he's in a dragon scale. perhaps forever. okay? okay. (WHAT?)

a'du, goodbye my princess. for a drama chock full of impactful, painful death scenes, this one felt rushed/choppy :/ especially egregious because she was the last person xiaofeng really had and (imo) her death was the last push toward xiaofeng choosing suicide

kang sae byeok & cho sang woo, squid game. the last deaths of the show didn't land for me. it made more narrative sense for either sae byeok or sang woo to win -- they were both more ruthless and smarter competitors. that gi hoon was the final victor was boring and predictable

bonus: shows where more people should have died, honestly

alice in borderland (s2)

bloody heart

love like the galaxy

[quillandink333]

The Anti-Siren

Kazuma Asougi × Original Character

SPOILERS FOR THE GREAT ACE ATTORNEY CHRONICLES ~ Read ahead at your own risk!

Rating: T

Word Count: 0.9k

WARNINGS: amnesia, psychosis, physical violence, intoxication, racial slurs, suicidalism

Summary: When the foreigner among whites is met with a barbaric display of bigotry, something buried deep within the psyche of his travelling companion that neither she nor himself were aware of bears its thorns.

Masterlist

He couldn’t remember how he’d gotten into this situation. Why his feet were now hanging inches above solid ground while this mountain of a man in front of him held him up by his bruised chin, sneering up at him, nor why his arms and legs refused to cooperate.

His body hit the deck with a resounding crash and his lungs ceased to function.

Was this it? Had he reached the end of the line at last?

A clumsy kick to the skull had his ears ringing loud enough to briefly drown out the never-ending din within. He couldn’t make out the words of the voice anymore. The whole world had gone fuzzy, tipping and trembling to and fro.

His life could have at least flashed before his eyes before he closed them. What a predictable disappointment.

“What are you doing?! Get away from him!”

His eyes opened unexpectedly when he was propped up on someone’s knee.

“Miss Gardner…?”

“Oh, you’re alright.” Her blur of a face filled up with colour where a frightening paleness had set in. “Thank God…” A drop of warmth pattered onto his chest, immediately followed by a second. “Can you stand?” She slung his arm over her shoulders and teetered a bit before managing to bring him to his feet.

“What’s the big idea, poppet?” jeered the assailant. “Don’t tell me you’re really gonna side with this outcast.”

“Excuse you?” she snapped. “I’m not certain what definition you yourself have assigned the term, but in my eyes, this man is not the real outcast in our midst.”

The Goliath scoffed with a crooked smirk. “What’s that supposed to mean? Look at him! He’s…he’s a chink.”

“Do you know what you are?”

No sooner than she’d spoken those words, the sun dimmed as a mass of clouds passed in front of it, casting its shadow over the Vitesse.

“I know your type,” she continued. “You, sir, are a miserable old shag-bag with nothing better to waste his time doing than to go about causing trouble for those who have it any better than he does.” The one caught at the end of her piercing glare shifted his stance, but stood his ground. Cecelia shook her head. “I’d go so far as to say you’ve never received an ounce of love from another person your entire life.”

“Oy! Wh-What’s it to you?!” He stepped back, voice cracking, and her relentless eyes narrowed. “And, what’s a bitch like you gonna do about it anyhow?”

“I could let the whole crew know what a pathetic piece of shit you are, if you’d like. Then we’ll see who here is more the ‘outcast.’”

She hadn’t moved an inch from where she’d steadied her companion upright, and yet the great drunken coward was already on the retreat. His cornered gaze darted between the two, sweat running down his all but hairless head. Then his calves made contact with the deck railing behind him. He was not pushed, nor threatened, nor thrown off balance. The man simply fell backwards.

Moments later, there came a cry from the sidelines of, “Man overboard!”

Cecelia and the still reeling Japaneseman remained where they stood while those around them rushed to fish the drunkard back out safely. In the end, he didn’t resist the efforts to save his life, but the look on his scraggly face the instant before his dive had been unmistakable.

“Are you alright?” she finally asked after a jerk of the head. “Nothing broken? No bleeding?”

“Yes, fine. Just—ah.” He winced when she came across a ghastly bruise on his shoulder.

“Sorry!” She tore her hands away. “I’m sorry. Damn it—I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s…it’s fine. Don’t worry,” he pleaded, part of him almost missing that hellish air she’d had about her until just then. “That was…incredible.”

She sighed, staring down at nothing with a knit in her brow. “I only wish it didn’t need to come to that. It’s strange; I’m not usually one to get so vicious.”

This made him crack a slight smile. “You’d call that ‘vicious?’”

“Well, relatively speaking.”

“Relatively speaking, it was nothing compared to brutes like him or what God knows I might’ve done to him if he’d been beating y—”

The words caught in his windpipe.

Time screeched to a halt as she waited with her tender eyes boring straight into the space between his and making the voice in his head pour out and all around him. “N-Never mind…” His erratic heart rate levelled out as he gathered his thoughts. “What I mean to say is…you were only putting him in his place. He tossed himself over.”

The empty smile that came and went across her lips planted an ache in his chest. That or it was merely an after-effect of having the wind knocked out of him earlier. “It did rather seem that way, didn’t it?”

“Therefore you’re innocent, as far as I’m concerned.” This time her smile was genuine and aimed at him, turning the ache in his chest into something else entirely. “Well…oth-other than utterly humiliating me by coming to my rescue,” he added, returning her smile and averting his gaze.

A sunny little laugh bubbled out of her at that sentiment. “At least now we’re even. Right?”