#the void calls but when you pick up the phone it makes a good light to see with | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

genshinluvr · 2 years ago

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Final Moments

Pairings: Various Honkai Star Rail Men x Isekai'd!Reader

Summary: You're somewhere alone, bleeding, and on the verge of death. Everyone is scrambling to reach out to you, but you're not picking up your phone, and no one knows where you are. Not even Nanook knows your whereabouts. You didn't think you could die in a universe you didn't belong to, but you were wrong. At least you were able to hear their voices in your final moments, right?

Note: I haven't written angst in so long. This is probably not the best angst I've written. This is an answer to an ask I received not long ago. I'm not sure how I feel about this mini-fic, but I think something sad happening for once is somewhat good for a fanfic one-shot series. To be really honest, it doesn't feel like angst to me. Idk if it's because I wrote it or if it's because it's not sad enough. Who knows. I don't post anywhere else but on Tumblr (Genshinluvr) and on AO3 (Aaliah_exo).

Warnings: Major character death, blood, probably my worst angst

Word Count: 3.9k

Your connection with Nanook has been severed. Whenever you sleep, you and Nanook communicate while you’re asleep. When you’re unconscious due to being knocked out by a flying prosthetic arm, Nanook is there— while you’re physically unconscious. You and Nanook have always been connected through body and mind since your arrival to their— Nanook, your Astral Express, Stellaron Hunter, Xianzhou Luofu, and Jarilo-VI companions— universe. However, this is the first time you realize you and Nanook are no longer connected to each other.

In the state of unconsciousness, you’re in the void. Only this void is different from the one where Nanook is covering the sun and sky. This abyss you’re in is pitch black, and you’re the only living being in the endless darkness. There’s no sky, no sun, no stars to light a path along the way in the void. At first, you’re uncertain whether you’re physically in this void or if you’re just unconscious.

That is until you hear ringing in your ears, and light starts flooding in. You gasp aloud as if you finally made it to the surface after being underwater for more than you can handle. Your lungs hurt, and so does your head. As a matter of fact, now that you have regained consciousness, your entire body aches, and you’re tired. So tired. Your eyelids threaten to shut, but you’re trying your best not to lose consciousness again.

Where are you?

What happened?

You push yourself upward and slump against the wall, choking out a gasp and breathing heavily. Your heart hurts— you didn’t think it was possible for you to feel your heart hurting to the point where you want to cry. Your vision is blurry, and you try to rub your eyes, but you can’t feel your arms. Exhaustion soon overtakes your body, and you fall unconscious.

Meanwhile, on the Astral Express, everyone is crowding around on the Parlor Car, their phones facing upward on the table. Everyone has been trying to call you, only for them to get a voicemail, or the call would fail to go through. The monotonous beep haunts their minds as everyone frantically tries to reach out to you.

“Are you sure the signal is good? Maybe we can’t call them because of the awful signal on the Astral Express,” Caelus comments, chewing on his nails.

March ignores Caelus’ comment. She presses her phone against her ears, listening to the ringing. If the signal was terrible, then how come the phone call was going through for her? The ringing stopped briefly, making March gasp, startling everyone on the Astral Express.

“Hi, this is [Y/N]! Sorry, I can’t come to the phone right now—”

March groans, ending the call. “Never mind. I thought they answered my call, but I was wrong,” March sighs in defeat, sliding her phone on the table.

The lights on the Astral Express flicker, and the door slams open. Nanook steps into the Parlor Car, his gold eyes scanning the Parlor Car, searching for your face. Nanook sighs and stays close to the entrance, running his hands through his hair. Just as Nanook feared: you’re not on the Astral Express either.

Welt furrows his eyebrows at the Aeon of Destruction. “Nanook. Your presence is sudden,” says Welt.

“Where is [Y/N]? Are they not on the Astral Express?” Nanook asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Unfortunately, they’re not on the Astral Express. We,” Jing Yuan gestures to him, Blade, Luocha, Luka, Sampo, and Gepard, “were contacted by the Astral Express in hopes that [Y/N] is on the Xianzhou Luofu or Jarilo-VI. To everyone’s disappointment, they are nowhere to be found.”

After hearing Jing Yuan’s explanation, Nanook starts to visibly panic. The Aeon of Destruction paces back and forth, taking deep breaths and muttering something under his breath. Everyone on the Astral Express gazes at Nanook worriedly. This is the first time they see him act this way. Nanook has always had this cool, calm, and collected exterior. Nothing can phase him, and only you can get a reaction out of him.

Sampo raises a finger. “Hold up. Why are you asking us where [Y/N] is? Aren’t you the one who can communicate with [Y/N] inside their dreams?” Sampo asks, crossing his arms over his chest and raising his eyebrows at the Aeon.

“Nanook, have you been able to contact them by any chance? We’ve been hitting countless dead ends, and we’re really worried about them,” Gepard says, looking at Nanook pleadingly.

Nanook sighs and stops pacing. He looks at the people on the Astral Express with a deep frown. While Sampo is correct about him being able to communicate with you through your dreams, the people on the Astral Express, Xianzhou Luofu, and Jarilo-VI aren’t the only ones whose struggling to get into contact with you.

Nanook wasn’t able to contact you through your dreams prior to your disappearance. When Nanook brought you into this universe, Nanook made sure to form this connection with you— this unbreakable bond between you and him. But despite creating this unbreakable bond, it somehow severed, and he can no longer contact you through your dreams and unconscious state.

This bond is supposed to be a way for him to track you anywhere in this universe. No matter how out of reach you are from him. Whether you’re in the Astral Express, on Jarilo-VI, the Xianzhou Luofu, the void, etc., Nanook should be able to feel your presence somewhere throughout the universe. Nanook mutters something, closing his eyes and pulling at the roots of his hair with frustration.

“What’s Nanook saying?” Himeko whispers, not taking her eyes off the anguish Aeon.

Luka whispers, “He’s muttering something about [Y/N] and the bond between them. I can’t hear what Nanook is saying, but those are the things I can pick out.”

Dan Heng stares at his phone intently, staring at your contact picture while listening to the monotonous ring. This is the fourth attempt. The fourth time he’s tried to call you, only for there to be a voicemail or just constant beeping that’s shaking him to his core. You can be anywhere in the universe, and finding your precise location without you telling them where you’re at will be the most challenging thing they deal with.

“Are they still not answering their phone, Dan Heng?” Luocha asks, approaching the black-haired man.

Dan Heng sighs, ending the call when he hears your voicemail through the speakers. “No,” Dan Heng mutters, shaking his head.

Blade stares at the panicking Nanook, frowning deeply. Blade sighs, rubbing his temples with shaky hands. As much as Blade wishes he was mishearing the things Nanook was muttering to himself, the more Blade thinks about it, the more it makes sense. Nanook is the one that brought you into this universe— he should know your exact location no matter what planet and fleet you’re on. Nanook should be able to communicate with you through your dreams or unconscious state, and because Nanook is visibly panicking and stressing out over your whereabouts, Blade concludes that—

“Your connection with [Y/N] has been severed, isn’t it?” Blade asks, breaking the tense silence in the Astral Express and bringing Nanook out of his thoughts.

Nanook clenches his jaws, nodding. “It has been severed, unfortunately. I do not know how it happened, and I’m sure [Y/N] isn’t the one that severed it. There’s no way for them to sever the connection,” Nanook replies.

Everyone stares at Nanook in horror. If Nanook is unable to contact you, then it’s very unlikely they’ll be able to find you sooner. You, [Y/N]. The same person not from their universe, the same precious star everyone holds dear to their hearts— whether as a best friend, little sibling, or a small crush that developed into something bigger— the same star that shines the brightest in the universe. You’re somewhere out there in the universe, exposed to dangers you’re not used to handling. Heck, everyone didn’t plan on letting you be exposed to any hazards that exist in this universe, but now?

“So, you’re saying there’s no way for any of us to contact [Y/N]?” Welt asks, raising his eyebrows at Nanook.

While Welt looks calm on the outside, the man is freaking out internally. How did this happen in the first place? You were supposed to be safe and sound under his watch, but you suddenly disappeared without a trace, and no one was able to reach out to you or track you down. Not even the Aeon of Destruction is able to track you down, and the Aeon has connections with you— well, had a connection with you.

“What are we going to do now, Mr. Yang? Searching for [Y/N] seems impossible at this point,” Caelus says, plopping down on the chair and running his hands through his hair.

Jing Yuan shakes his head. “I’ll have Yanqing lead the Cloud Knights to search throughout the Xianzhou Luofu,” Jing Yuan says, taking his phone from the table and sending rapid texts to his blond retainer.

Gepard nods. “And I will have the Silvermane Guards patrol the Overworld and the Underworld. If they see [Y/N], their duty is to detain [Y/N] until we arrive to get them,” says Gepard as he grabs his phone to message Dunn.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Detain [Y/N]? As in, keep them in cuffs and behind bars?!” Sampo exclaims, propping his hands on his hips, and looks at Gepard with disbelief.

Gepard, Welt, Nanook, and Dan Heng sigh simultaneously, rubbing their temples and pinching the bridge of their noses after hearing Sampo’s question. March snorts, rolling her eyes. The door to the Parlor Car opens. Pom-Pom waddles into the room, his eyes scanning the Parlor Car for a familiar face other than the ones that are present.

Pom-Pom sighs with disappointment. “I see that none of you have found [Y/N],” Pom-Pom says, crossing his arms over his chest.

Himeko gives Pom-Pom a sympathetic look. “Sorry, Pom-Pom, but we still haven’t found them. They’re not answering our texts or phone calls, and not even Nanook can contact them,” Himeko replies.

Pom-Pom sighs and waddles to the Phonograph, pressing his forehead against the machine. A dark stormy cloud looms over Pom-Pom’s head as he lets out a string of whimpers and sniffles. Everyone on the Astral Express nearly forgot about how close you and Pom-Pom are. The closeness between you two is adorable, and Pom-Pom treats you like his favorite passenger on the Astral Express. Well, you are his favorite passenger. There’s no denying it. Sometimes, when everyone is asleep, you would keep Pom-Pom company and spoil him with his favorite snacks.

Of course, that was before Nanook became a passenger on the Express. Now you would keep Pom-Pom company on the nights you can’t sleep or when Nanook isn’t on the Astral Express due to his duty as the Aeon of Destruction.

“Pom-Pom?” March asks softly.

Pom-Pom turns to face them, his eyes blurred with tears. “How could all of you fail to protect someone that protected me!?” Pom-Pom wails, tears cascading down his cheeks. “What if we never see them again? They could be in danger!”

Everyone looks away, their shoulders slumping. Pom-Pom’s right. They did fail to protect you— this is the second time they failed to protect you, and they wish they could turn back time and prevent it from happening.

“There’s nothing to worry about. We’ll find [Y/N] and bring [Y/N] back to the Astral Express, alright?” Luka says, kneeling in front of Pom-Pom and patting the conductor’s head.

Pom-Pom whimpers. “But what if they’re injured?” Pom-Pom whispers.

“Then I will do everything in my power to heal them,” Luocha answers.

You’re rudely awoken by the sharp pain in your lower abdomen. You gasp and sit up, letting out a strained gasp and whimper. You look down at your body, now realizing the state you’re in. You don’t remember what exactly happened, but the more you look at your surroundings, the more you start piecing things together. You were attacked by the Mara-struck. It happened so fast that you weren’t able to comprehend what happened before it was too late.

And now you’re here, on Cloudford, bleeding out, going in and out of consciousness, with no cell signal to call or text your traveling companions. You can’t even contact Nanook due to the severed connection between you and the Aeon of Destruction. No matter how many times you lose consciousness, Nanook isn’t there— even if you scream his name, bloody murder. You will always be in the void, alone and searching for the Aeon that brought you into his universe.

You sprawl out on the ground, digging your phone from your pockets. Your vision blurs every few minutes, making it hard for you to do your task. You turn your phone on, attempting to call the first person on your contact list. Blade.

You tried to call Blade, but the call didn’t go through. You tried calling every person on your contact list, but the call continues not to go through. You push yourself off the ground, nearly slipping on the pool of blood beneath you. It’s a miracle that you manage to hold on for so long. The question is: how much longer can you hold on? Black dots dotting your vision, you’re extremely tired, your eyelids are threatening to close, and your legs and arms are tingling.

“I can do this, I can do this,” you chanted, limping as far away as you can. “I’ll be okay. I’ll be okay.”

You’re not sure if giving yourself a false sense of hope is going to do any better. Still, it’s better to do that than lay in your puddle of blood, watching the time tick away and your life slipping from your fingers. With each step you take, you feel your strength slipping away. You’re exhausted, and everything hurts. The Mara-struck did not go easy on you until they assumed you were dead.

As much as you wanted to blame yourself for not being careful enough, there’s no one else to blame. Not even yourself. People will blame you for not being careful and watching your surroundings, but is it really your fault? The Mara-struck are ruthless, and they’ll attack anyone and anything that is alive and not Mara-struck like them.

You’re brought out of your thoughts and self-pity when your foot gets caught over the other, sending you to the ground with a loud thump. You let out a screech of pain and remain on the ground as every part of your body is stinging and throbbing with pain. The small cuts on your body reopen as fresh blood oozes from the wounds, spilling to the ground.

“Please, just end my misery,” you whisper, tears rolling down your bloodstained cheeks as you slowly drift in and out of consciousness.

The faint sound of buzzing coming from your phone wakes you up. You gingerly turn your head to see the screen of your phone lighting up and vibrating. You reach for your phone and roll over on your side to see Blade calling you. You swipe to the green button and hear a faint scream and frantic voices coming from the other end of the call.

“Blade?” You croak, wincing when you feel how dry your throat feels.

Blade sighs in relief on the other side of the call. “Thank the Aeons, you’re okay. Where are you? Are you safe?” Blade asks.

You chuckle bitterly, close your eyes and continue to lie on the ground. At least you’ll be able to hear their voices one last time, right? It’s better to listen to their voice before…. Someone calls your name, grabbing your attention.

“Huh? Sorry, I didn’t catch onto what you were saying,” you mumble, squeezing your eyes shut and fighting back a whimper that’s crawling up your throat.

“[Y/N], please tell us where you are. We’re very worried about you,” Dan Heng says.

You sniffle. The pain is beginning to feel unbearable. Everything hurts so much, and you want someone or something to end your pain and suffering already. You shouldn’t have played dead when the Mara-struck attacked you for who knows how long. You should’ve let them end you right then and there so you wouldn’t have to continue to suffer like how you are right now.

“[Y/N]? Are you still with us?” Caelus asks, his voice crackling through the speakers.

Fuck. Is the connection starting to act up?

“Yeah, yeah. I’m still here,” you reply, black dots dotting your vision. Is it normal to see a small burst of stars in your eyes each time you blink? “Sorry, I’m not feeling well right now.”

The other end of the call falls silent after hearing your response. As of now, Jing Yuan and Gepard haven’t received any reports from the Silvermane Guards and Cloud Knights about finding you.

The General of the Xianzhou Luofu and the Captain of the Silvermane Gaurds text their trusted companions regarding the search, only for Dunn and Yanqing to reply that they have yet to find out despite the number of Cloud Knights and Silvermane Guards scrambling to find you.

Mr. Yang walks over to Blade and takes the phone from his hands. “Sweetheart, can you look at your surroundings and tell us where you are? Even if you don’t know the precise location, do you know whether you’re on the Xianzhou Luofu or Jarilo-VI?” Mr. Yang asks.

“I’m on, uh, the Xianzhou Luofu. The Mara-struck…” you trail off, closing your eyes. Your hands are shaking— you don’t think you can hold your phone up any longer. Your arms feel awfully weak, and your phone feels heavy.

Jing Yuan’s voice crackles over the speakers. “What happened with the Mara-struck?”

Jing Yuan sounds frantic.

You shrug, completely forgetting that the others can’t see you. “They attacked me out of nowhere. They left me for dead, and there’s blood. So much blood,” you whisper, cracking your eyes open and looking at your surrounding.

“[Y/N], can you turn on the video call so we can see where you are?” Gepard asks, his voice crackling in the speakers.

You sigh, gritting your teeth as you turn on the video call. Your face appears on the screen— if you weren’t bleeding out and losing consciousness every few minutes, you would be gasping in horror at the sight of your reflection. Dear Aeons, you look horrendous. You blindly show your surroundings for the men to see where you’re at, but you don’t think you’re doing it correctly. Your arm soon grew tired, and your arms collapsed beside you.

“I’m really sleepy, guys,” you whisper, swallowing the lump in your throat. You nearly gagged when you tasted a mouthful of blood. You don’t know how much more you can hold on until they find you.

“Does anyone recognize that area? We’re not from the Xianzhou Luofu— nothing looks familiar for us,” Sampo mutters, gazing at the others worriedly.

Luocha steps forward and takes Blade’s phone from Mr. Yang’s grasp. “I know this is going to be complicated for you, but do not fall asleep, alright? Keep your eyes open and try to stop the bleeding. We’ll be right there soon,” Luocha instructs.

The men hear and see nothing coming from Blade’s phone. The camera is pointed to the sky of the Xianzhou Luofu— they see the color of your hair peeking in the corner. You rub your eyes and press your hands against the deep gash on your abdomen. You lift your head to see various cuts on your body. All are bleeding.

You whisper, “Which ones do I cover? There’s too many,” you mumble, gazing at the gashes with bleary eyes.

You let your head fall back on the ground, attempting to cover up as many as you can. How much longer are you going to hold on? You can hear a commotion coming through Blade’s phone as you lie on the ground, your phone lying beside your head. You didn’t think you could die in a universe you didn’t belong to.

“Stay on the phone with us, alright? We’ll be there soon, we promise,” you hear Blade say through the phone.

You can’t tell if Blade is panicking or not. He sounds so far away, no matter how close your phone is to your ears. How could this have happened anyway? It was all your fault, wasn’t it? Were you reckless like last time? No, no. Last time, the Astral Express was under attack. But this time, you left the Astral Express and ended up getting attacked by the Mara-struck. And now look at you, bleeding out on the Xianzhou Luofu while trying to stay conscious.

“You’re not mad at me, are you?” You whisper, staring at the clear blue sky above you.

Luka grunts. “We’re not mad at you, [Y/N]. We’re very worried about you,” Luka replies.

Luka is trying his best to remain calm, but his heart is racing against his chest to the point he fears it might burst.

You close your eyes, feeling nausea hitting you. “Is Nanook mad at me?” you ask weakly.

Dan Heng looks at Nanook from the corner of his eyes as they run through Cloudford, searching for you. It’s just them racing against the clock to get to where you are— racing against the clock to save you. But will they make it on time before you lose consciousness?

Dan Heng shakes his head. “I’m sure he’s not mad at you, [Y/N]. Why do you think that?”

You crack a smile. “I… Nanook and I aren’t connected with each other anymore. Did I do something wrong for him to sever that tie between us?” You whisper, tears blurring your vision. “If I did something to upset him, please let him know that I’m sorry for whatever it is that I have done to upset him.”

Nanook snatches the phone and gazes into the camera, his gold eyes searching for your face. “I’m not mad at you, little one. However, if you lose consciousness, I will be upset with you,” Nanook states.

You laugh weakly, tears rolling down the side of your face. “I’m sorry, everyone. I’m sorry for not being strong enough,” you whisper.

Just when you lose consciousness, you feel someone cradle you in their arms. Your vision slowly turns black as the voices around you fade away— almost sounding like you’re underwater, sinking deeper into the depths.

“No, no, no, no! Please don’t leave me,” Nanook whispers, pressing you against his chest.

Your head lolls back, laying limp in his arms as blood continues to pour out of your wounds. Luocha kneels before you and Nanook, frantically trying to heal the cuts and deep gashes on your body. Sampo, March, and Himeko look nauseous at the sight of the pool of blood below you and Nanook.

March looked away, closing her eyes as a stray tear made its way down her cheeks. “Please tell me [Y/N]’s going to be okay, please,” March pleads.

Nanook presses his index and middle finger against the side of your neck, frantically searching for a pulse. Nanook buries his face into your neck, his body wracking with sobs as he holds onto you tighter. You can’t be gone. Please, please, please, please. Luocha’s hands fall to his side, and he looks away.

“Well?” Dan Heng demands, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths.

Luocha shakes his head, tears rolling down his flushed cheeks. Luocha grabs your cold hand and presses a kiss on your knuckles. Maybe in another lifetime, you will meet them again. But for now, stars don’t live on forever.

Note: Just because this is angst with death doesn't mean it impacts the overall HSR isekai series. This is a mini-fic, and to make it up to all of you, I will make a Nanook smut for this upcoming week! Yes, smut is finally here! Nanook got the majority of votes. Therefore Nanook is the first HSR male character to be getting smut! As I have stated in my Genshin Isekai fics, the fics in the series are like my multi-verse. Anything can happen in these fics, but it will not significantly impact the overall series. So, even if something traumatic happened to the reader in one fic, the next fic, it never happened to the reader. Some things will impact the story, but others won't be mentioned in other fics. For those who want to be on the taglist, here is the [Google Form]. For those who want to join the Discord server but weren't able to, here is the new temporary link to [Zhongli's Abode]! Please make sure to read the server rules— you can lurk, chat and hang out on the server if you'd like! If you don't vibe with the server, you can leave whenever you want ^^ To my new and/or returning readers, please keep in mind that I ONLY post on my Tumblr (Genshinluvr) and my AO3 (Aaliah_exo)! Nowhere else except Tumblr and AO3!

Taglist for the HSR one-shot series: @mompt2, @elegantnightblaze, @lunavixia, @jadedist, @reversearrowhead, @pinksaiyans, @aurelia-xyt, @lilliansstuff, @ssunset0, @starrry-angel, @kaoyamamegami, @kodzuvk, @for3very0urs, @a-cosmicdawn, @g3n0dtt, @theblades, @raaawwwr, @immahuman, @irisxiel, @siaracarroll, @crazydreamcat, @sagekun, @orichalcumthief, @dyingsweetmackerel, @rosiesareblue, @ichikanu, @hispasian-otaku, @asoulsreverie (Accounts that I was unable to tag are not tagged in this fic. Those who do not want to be tagged in a specific fic are not tagged. Remember to check your settings to see if you're allowing people to mention you/tag you in posts or not)

Read more of my works on my Masterlist / Masterlist 2 | Maybe support me by tipping me on Ko-Fi or by reblogging my fanfics! ^^ I will also be posting exclusive fanfics on Ko-Fi as well very soon! I might post all of my stories on there too, but who knows. You can also tip me on Tumblr if you'd like as a way to show support! ^^

#Honkai Star Rail x reader #Honkai Star Rail imagine #Honkai Star rail fanfiction #Honkai Star Rail fanfic #HSR x reader #HSR imagine #HSR fanfiction #HSR fanfic #Dan Heng x reader #Gepard Landau x reader #Sampo Koski x reader #Welt Yang x reader #Blade x reader #Jing Yuan x reader #Luocha x reader #Caelus x reader #Nanook x reader #Luka x reader #genshinluvr

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daydreaming-in-letters · 8 months ago

Note

I don’t have a picture specifically but it is my birthday today! Can you write something with Andrew surprising you when you thought he’d be on tour somewhere else and wouldn’t be able to make it for your birthday? Can start out fluffy but then turn into smut please :)

Well, let me present you with a picture then... (He is on his way.)

Happy Belated Birthday, love. (It seems we share that special day. 😉) I hope you don't mind I kept it fluffy this time. I'm having a mild fever and I couldn't handle more heat than I am already battling with.

warnings: language; a little heartache

Only fifteen minutes left. Thank god, you thought. You could not wait for this day to be over.

It was your birthday today. And you loved your birthday. But birthdays without Andrew sucked. It did not even feel like a real birthday, much less like a day you wanted to celebrate. And so you had not.

You had told your friends and family that you would be busy at work all day and that after that, you definitely would not be in the mood for company. And astonishingly, they had all accepted your excuse and taken to calling or texting you instead of coming round to congratulate you in person.

All the better, you thought, as you prepared to go to bed. Disposing of your empty glass in the sink, you walked over to the open window. The world outside lay in complete silence, slowed by the darkness of night that had settled a while ago. It was time to let go of the day and rest.

But how could you let go? How could you find peace when a part of you was missing, leaving a void in your chest that seemed to grow bigger with every passing second, like a black hole that swallowed all the goodness you should have felt on a day like this?

You sighed. This was unfair. You knew it was. It was unfair to you as much as it was unfair to him. If there would even be the slightest chance, the tiniest possibility, he would be here with you right now, no doubt. And still you felt like crying.

He had called you, first thing in the morning and you had talked for a long while. He had reserved some extra time for you, more than he usually could, and still you missed him. So much. More than you had ever thought it possible to miss someone. In some moments, the worst of them, when you just could not hold up your walls anymore, it hurt. It hurt to a point that you needed to lie down and roll up into a bundle of misery, and all you could do was just stay like that until the pain had faded.

Afterwards you always felt a little stupid for being so whiny. He would be back with you soon enough, no time to act like a clingy puppy. But most importantly, he could never know. It would break his heart. And one broken heart was bad enough already.

You jolted as your ears picked up the harsh buzzing of your phone on the living room table. Probably another message of birthday wishes, you assumed, as you walked over to pick it up. But as soon as you read the name on the screen your heart jumped a little. It was his goodnight text. He sent you one every night.

Told the moon to hold all my love. So don’t be surprised if it shines a little brighter tonight. Just for you.

Well, someone had clearly been listening to an awful lot of Mitski lately, you thought, and chuckled to yourself. But only one glance outside was enough to make your heart drop, opening the vaults, and letting your eyes spill over. The moon was nowhere to be seen.

If only he were—

But you did not get to end that thought as the clock made you jump again, telling you it was midnight. Your birthday finally over.

The wave of relief that washed over you made you sigh through the tears. Time to go to bed at last. With two harsh strokes of the back of your hand, the visible remains of your heartache were gone and you were just about to switch off the lights, when an unexpected noise startled you for the third time tonight.

Had that been a knock on your door? At this time? It could not be. You had probably misheard. Still you chose to stay for a moment and wait, and it did not take long before it came again. Loud and clear this time.

This was impossible. Insufferable. Had you not been absolutely clear about not wanting any company today? Well, obviously not. But you would correct that mistake right away.

“I told you I didn’t want to see anyone. Go away!”

But instead of some well-earned silence, there was another knock.

“For fuck’s sake, can’t you just leave me alone?”

Obviously they could not. Just as they most likely could not read the atmosphere to understand when it was time to leave. And when they even showed the audacity to knock yet again, you felt like you had no other choice. With a huff of pure rage you stomped over to the door, let your hand smash down on the knob and yanked it open. May god have mercy on the poor soul that was waiting outside.

There had been so many words on your mind, all the curses and swearwords your vocabulary had to offer, but as soon as your eyes landed upon the intruder that stood in your doorway, you could not remember even the simplest one of them all.

“I just wanted to make sure the moon is shining perfectly for you."

This was not real. It could not be. You had probably fallen asleep and your desperate mind had chosen to give you exactly what you needed, what you had been craving ever since he had left through that exact same door, looking back at you from a pair of watery green eyes. But it seemed you were not granted this little treat for long as tears began to blur your vision once again.

“The moon is not even shining tonight,” you managed to pipe up, your voice breaking halfway through your statement, making it sound awfully shrill.

“So, it’s a good thing I came then. Because how else would you have know how much I love you?”

A loud, clattering noise echoed through the night as his bag fell to the ground. It had taken him less than a heartbeat to decide whether to hold on to it or hold you instead, and as his arms closed around you now, the familiar warmth of his body pressed against yours, back where he belonged, for the first time in months your heart seemed to remember its natural rhythm again.

“Sorry I’m late, baby.”

You hugged him a little tighter, basking in the way his breath slowly crept along your neck as he spoke, the way even one word from his mouth was enough to silence the white noise in your brain and let you breathe again.

“It would be so out of character if you weren’t.”

You chuckled, and so did he.

“Happy Birthday, my love.”

#hozier #hozier x you #hozier x reader #request

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ebodebo · 8 months ago

Note

I need Alex coming home to you after being MIA for months and finding you coping not knowing where he was and assuming he was dead by buying a bunch of dogs. Your favorite dog Ali (your nickname for Alex) tackling him when he comes in the door fr. Angsty fluff ykwim? 🙂‍↕️🤝

A Pleaser

NSFW CONTENT

—alex keller x f!reader

—2.2k+

wanna be on my taglist ? fill out this form !

Glancing from your kitchen to the bay window in your living room, you see the first flakes of snow begin to fall, each unique and delicate. However, you can't get yourself to care about the serenity of the first snowfall of the season and the holidays coming right around the corner.

Your boyfriend, Alex, had left for a mission in June. You had no idea where he was going or why; the details he spared were extremely vague. The only detail he spared was that it would likely only last two or three months at most. However, it was now December, six months from when he left.

Three months ago, Captain Price called to say the team had returned. You were ecstatic; Alex was coming home, and the timing he had said was on the dot.

"But,"

One singular word. One single word had single-handley splintered your heart, breaking it into two. He explained how Alex had gotten separated and was now considered MIA. You didn't care to hear anymore, so you hung up. You figured if-when-they found him, they would call, but three more months later, your phone was dry. With no indication of his whereabouts. And no indication of if he was dead or alive.

The last couple of months have felt like hell personified. It felt as though an unpredicted storm had torn through your life, leaving a grave deal of devastation in its wake. Every day, you wake to feel the emptiness of the bed beside you, a constant reminder of the void in your heart.

The silence in the house was deafening; even with three new dogs, the creak and groans of the wood could never replace the laughter you both shared. Grief wrapped its cold fingers around your heart and squeezed tighter every single day.

Not to mention, every corner of the house now felt haunted. Memories shared, kisses given, laughter spilled. You couldn't walk anywhere in the house without hearing, feeling, or seeing him. Everywhere was him. He was everywhere. Something you were both equally grateful for and spiteful of.

Grateful for all reminders of him because you would never forget him.

Spiteful because it was just a constant reminder he wasn't there with you.

Your thoughts were seized, and tears threatened to spill down your plump cheeks as you felt your dog, Ali, rub her head against your hip.

"So needy," you laugh out, wiping your tears with your hand. Using your opposite hand, you reach out to scratch her head. Your other dogs, Junie and Riley, were quick to run over to you and Ali.

"Jealous girls," you smile, sitting on the floor as they all engulf you, licking your neck and laying on you. You let out a laugh as Ali lays directly on your diaphragm on her stomach, back legs sticking straight out. Riley lay on your legs, and Junie lay behind your head. You pick your head up and scoot back to lay on her stomach.

"My good girls," you contently sigh as you scratch Ali's head and slowly drift off to sleep with the sound of your dog's light snoring and the clicks of the heater kicking on.

You sprung awake to the sound of the front door handle moving back and forth, while your dogs growled. You quickly stood up, glancing outside to see the darkness of the night staring right back at you.

"Shit," you curse, roaming through the kitchen drawers to find a knife you could use to attack the intruder. Once you find one, you hear a soft curse and the soft drop of keys outside the door. Your eyes widen at the familiarity of the voice. No. It can't be.

You stepped closer to the door, but it flung open before you could open it, making you jump back and drop your weapon to your side. Your dogs were quick to jump on the man, making him fall to the ground and drop his duffle bag.

"Thought you didn't like dogs?" Alex roughly asked, a smile playing on his lips as he gently scratched Ali's head.

"Alex?" You questioned, slowly approaching him, unsure if you were still dreaming.

"It's me, baby." You hesitated only for a moment before tackling him on the ground where he lay. He winces at the interaction.

"Shit... sorry. Did I hurt you?" You pull back, tears fully streaming down your cheeks, dripping onto your shirt.

"Hey, hey. It's okay. You didn't know." He brought his hand up to cupped your face, feeling the wetness from your tears.

"Hate to ask, but could you... can you-" He asked, gesturing to himself. You move to kneel to his side as he wraps his arm around your shoulders, placing only a bit of his body weight onto you.

"You can put more weight on me. I can handle it." You assure, as you help him regain balance as he stands.

"I know you can." He smirked as you playfully rolled your eyes at his comment.

As he's leaned up against you, with his arm around your upper half, you feel something wet connect with your skin through your shirt.

"Why are you wet?" You gently carry him as you make your way through the front door.

"Just a little blood." He casually said.

"Bl... blood?" You question, stepping to the side a bit to get a better look. A little blood is an understatement. It was thoroughly drenching the bottom side of his white shirt.

"Oh my God... that's a lot of blood!" You exclaim, again placing your arm around his shoulder to lead him to the bathroom.

"Nah. It's not that much." You carefully guided him to sit on the seat of the toilet. You frantically grabbed an emergency kit from under the sink and started pulling out some antiseptics, gauze, and bandages.

You turn to be met with his face. It was your first time seeing his face in such clear light in six months. It felt so bittersweet. You knew how Alex was before he left, but you didn't know how much of him would still be the same. What if it changed him? What if the real him was gone?

You kneeled in front of him and delicately pulled his shirt up off his head. The sight made you tear up once again. Cuts, some already bandaged and some minor. Yellow, blue, and purple bruises covered his entire body. Then, a gash on his side, the one currently oozing out blood. It all made you feel sick.

"Hey, hey. I'm okay. I promise. Just got a little roughed up, that's all." He assured you, reaching out to grab your hand. You squeezed his hand tighter before you spoke.

"I know. I just... I hate seeing you like this." You breathed out. "It kills me seeing you in pain." You confess, grabbing a wet cloth and lightly cleaning the blood around his wound before using some antiseptic to wipe across it.

"I know. I shouldn't have come like this. I just... I needed to see you." He winces at the stinging sensation, gripping your hand harder.

"I'll take care of you." You lightly smiled as you placed a large gauze bandage on top of the cut, lightly pressing the sides of it to secure it to the skin.

"Already feel better." He smiles, gently pulling you down so he can press a deep kiss to your lips. "God, I missed you," he gruffly says as he leans his forehead onto yours.

"I missed you too." You pull back a moment before he pulls you back to his lips. It was sensual. Maybe even a little rough. But, his lips felt the same as those you'd kissed many times before.

His hands moved up and down your hips, occasionally sliding to grip the fat of your thighs before moving to grip your ass, making you throw your head back at the contact and eliciting a moan from you. Alex's eyes light up at your whiny noise, and your mouth slightly open. He let go of you and smoothly stood to grip your shoulders, making you sit on the toilet while he gently sunk to his knees.

“Alex… your bandages.” You protested as you attempted to stand up.

"You took care of me; let me take care of you," he said as he sat you back down on the seat.

"But…" You started before he interrupted.

"Are you arguing with me?" He tilted his head, eyes full of desire.

"No-I." You started before chewing on your bottom lip, looking down at him with glossy eyes full of hunger. God, he could just eat you alive.

"I guess I am."

"Let's deal with that attitude." He's quick to pull down your pajama shorts, paying no mind to the painful ache he feels on his side. He has another ache he needs to tend to.

"You're gonna hurt yourself… again." You caution as he peels down your underwear, eager to feel you around his fingers.

"Please. I'm tough. I think I can handle this." He leans in between your legs and presses deep, hot kisses along your lower thigh, moving higher and higher.

The feeling of his overgrown facial hair tickling your upper thigh, slightly grazing your cunt, made your head spin, even making you whimper at the loss of contact when he pulled his head back.

"You miss me?" He grunted, moving back between your legs to plant more deep kisses on your thigh, gripping your calf with his hand. Your throat had betrayed you. Becoming too dry to form any words, just letting out a pathetic whimper.

Usually, he would make you answer his questions to piss you off, to edge you, but he could feel your neediness, and he so craved a taste of you after so much time apart.

He pulls his head back and supplements his mouth on your thighs, for his fingers in your needy cunt, crazing your sensitive clit. Immediately feeling your tightness and arousal pooling on his fingers, almost dripping onto the bathroom floor.

"Oh-fuck-I can tell." You throw your head back at the sudden contact, moaning, as you feel his fingers glide in and out of you with ease.

"You're so tight." He grits as he feels you tighten around his finger.

"And wet." He pulls his finger out, making your eyes stare into his.

"Why'd you stop?" You question, your tone carrying more desperation than you intended.

"Wanna add another." He muttered, looking at you as he sunk two fingers into you before gently massaging your labia, softly teasing.

"I don't need foreplay, Alex. I need you to make me come." You hiss as you feel him touch your clit again.

"So demanding." He gruffs as he moves his finger to stimulate your clit, making your eyes roll. You harshly gripped his bicep as his fingers moved faster in you.

"What did you do when I was gone? Huh? You touch yourself?" He groaned out, watching your mouth open wide as you released another loud moan.

"I did." You manage to say, voice shakey and husky.

"Did it feel good?" he says breathily as you look back down at him, then drift to his fingers, connecting you two.

"Not this good." You affirm, gripping his arm tighter as you feel your stomach tighten.

He speeds up his movements. "Did you think about me?"

"I always think about you." You breathy respond as you throw your head back once again, trying to suppress the pleasure coursing through you.

"Fuck-I thought about you too. I thought about doin' this to you every single night." He grips your chin with his other hand, bringing it down so he can examine it.

"Seein' you bite that lip." He brings his thumb up to wipe it across your lip, now covered in a light layer of blood from digging your teeth too far into your flesh.

"Hearin' your breathy noises." You let out a shaky breath.

"Feelin' you tighten around my fingers-just like that." You gripped his arm as you felt your body intensely pulsate, your cunt tightly gripping his fingers as he continued rubbing your clit.

"Oh-fuck-just like that." He groaned as the ecstasy fully spread through you, touching every part of your body, clenching harder onto him. A rainbow of color strikes your eyelids. A foam of music coaxes you through your ears.

Once you thoroughly rode out your orgasm, you slumped against Alex's shoulder, unable to sit up on your own.

"That... was-" You trail off, sitting up a little to look at him.

"Best orgasm you ever had?" He fills in, gently slipping your underwear back onto you.

"One of the best." You press a kiss to his lips as he cocks a brow.

"Remember the bar?" You plant your hands on his shoulders, gently tugging on your bottom with your teeth.

"Ah-how could I forget?" A smile takes over his face as he presses another kiss to your swollen lips.

You can't remember how long you and Alex sat there. Your ass hurt from sitting on the hard porcelain for so long, and you imagined Alex's side was hurting from kneeling for so long, but you knew he could give less of a shit about himself. All he cared about was you. Protecting and caring for you were his only objectives in life.

Oh, and pleasing you. The man aims to please, and pleasing he does.

reblogs & comments are encouraged!

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lil-frenchfri77 · 5 months ago

Text

Begin Again Chapter 2

Summary: Ever since Bella came back to Forks things between y/n and her boys have been different. Embry and Quil stopped answering phone calls and texts, they’ve even been avoiding her everytime she shows up at their house. So y/n does the only thing she can think to do, she latches onto Jacob just like Bella, and when he starts acting like Embry and Quil did, she makes the decision to not put so much effort into a friendship that is clearly one sided. But what happens one day when Sam’s pack is in town at the same time as y/n and her new friends and two certain boys imprint on their former best friend? And what happens when a former best friend doesn’t feel the same way?

Authors note: Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!! I am actually so freaking excited that so many people liked the first chapter. When I posted this I never thought that I would be getting any kind of traction or reads but the 20 people that liked my first chapter are really making me feel good about myself and my writing skills. I don't know how consistent my chapter updating will be I have a really hard time with sticking to things but the enthusiasm i'm feeling after posting for the first time is really making my productivity flow.

Not beta read, lemme know If there are any egregious spelling or grammar errors and I will 100% go back and fix it

Word count: 1.8k

Embry Call x Fem!Swan!Reader x Quil Ateara

Slight Stiles Stlinski x Reader

Chapter 1 | Master list | Chapter 3

For the next two weeks your routine is almost exactly the same. You meet Scott and Stiles by your locker every morning and sit with their friends at lunch. It is such a crazy thing to think that if you had gotten to school any later that day then you would have never met them. And looking back, you can’t imagine not being friends with them now. They were filling the void that Embry and Quil had left in your heart.

Your life was looking up and you were doing great, even Bella seemed to be doing better. She was hanging out with you and Jacob, and had even started going out with some of the kids from school. You and Stiles were getting closer to each other too. You spent most of your time in class, the ones you shared, talking to him and goofing off. You both had gotten in trouble a few times but that didn't deter you from talking. Like now.

“Hey, so I was thinking about going into town this weekend, I need to do some clothes shopping and I was wondering, if perhaps, you’re free?” You had been meaning to ask him for the past few days but you had only now just worked up the courage. It was the first time you would be spending any time together outside of school and you were nervous.

“Oh, uhh. Yeah totally!” His response was almost instant and the way that his cheeks turned a light pink told you that he didn't mean to answer you that fast. “Um, I mean, Yeah. I’m down to go with you.” Stiles blushed even harder and then turned forward to pay attention to what the teacher was saying.

“Okay, cool. I’ll come pick you up around noon on Saturday?”

“That’s good.” That was the end of the conversation. It seemed he was too caught up in the fact that you had asked him out to remember to talk to you for the rest of class.

After school that day Jacob was leaning on your car, waiting for you to come out. He had been doing this a lot lately, waiting for you to get out of school so he could get a ride from you back to the reservation. Which didn’t really make sense to you but you figured if he liked doing this then why change it.

“You will never guess what I did today.” It was the first thing that came out of your mouth when you got close enough to him. You couldn't wait to tell him about your hang out with Stiles on Saturday. “I asked Stiles on a date and he said yes!” You couldn't contain your excitement. It was too hard to give him the time to guess what you did so you decided to just tell him.

“Wow, that's a big step for you.” Jacob smiled, glad to see you happy. He knew that after the last few months you had that you deserved all the happiness you could get. “When are you going? Your sister asked me to go to the movies with her and this Mike guy on Sunday night and I really don't want to have to deal with it all alone.”

“Well, we’re hanging out Saturday afternoon so I'm totally free to go with you guys on Sunday.” Jacob had had a crush on Bella for as long as you could remember, but you knew that he didn't want to be stuck in an awkward situation with her and some other guy.

“Sooooo?” Stiles drawled, “what exactly are we looking for? Or what exactly are you looking for?” You two had been out for about 2 hours now and so far all you had found was a puffy green jacket and a pair of fluffy brown socks, which you only bought because they matched Stiles eyes.

“I don’t know yet. I guess I'll know when I see it.” Your reply was nonchalant but you knew exactly what you were looking for. You just didn't want to let him know before you actually found it. Last week when you and your dad were in town you had seen a book that Stiles had been talking about religiously and with his birthday coming up you thought it would be the perfect gift.

“Do you want to grab lunch too or do you want to just eat at my house?” you ask him, not seeing the way he turns to look at you with heart eyes.

“We can go to the diner after you're done shopping.” He suggests.

“Yea totally.”

That’s when you heard it, the loud rumble of laughter from a group of boys at the other end of the street. You both looked up to where the noise came from. A slight gasp came from your parted lips as you saw Quil and Embry play fighting with the other boys from Sam’s group. Your face dropped as the two boys seemed to look up in unison and lock eyes with you.

“Do you know them? They look like they know you.” Stiles asked, looking over at you to see you in some kind of trance staring at them. “Hey, y/n/n? Are you okay?”

That seemed to snap you out of whatever daze you were stuck in. You looked away from them and back to Stiles before nodding and grabbing his hand to drag him into the nearest building. Which happened to be the bookstore you were looking for in the first place.

“Sorry about that, they were just some old friends of mine. We don't really talk anymore and I haven’t seen them in some time so it was kind of shocking.” The apology spilled out of your mouth before you could stop it but that make it untrue. It was hard seeing them like that, happy and having fun when they left you feeling the way that they did. But you also couldn't help feeling a sort of resentment at them.

“Nah it’s alright.” He dismissed taking a look around the bookstore. You had completely forgotten why you were in this store for a second, but when you remembered you had to hurry and spot the book before he could.

Luckily you were able to find it and discreetly buy it while he looked around the store and grabbed a few things off the shelfs. When he was done checking out you slipped your hand into his, locked fingers, and led him out of the store.

They had never felt like this before. As they locked eyes with you they saw their future flash before their eyes. You, Embry, Quil, and a happy little family. The euphoria and sense of calm that washed over them as they saw all of this was the most exquisite feeling either of the boys had ever felt. It was like nothing they had ever experienced and they had an inkling that they would never feel it again without you.

When they watched you grab that boy's hand and run off it was like their entire world came crashing down. Their hearts, now beating in unison, felt like they were cracking. Before they could ever have you, you were gone and with someone else. Embry looked away first, face crumbling under the weight of these newfound emotions. He had never felt anything so fast, and to have it all ripped away from him so suddenly felt like a knife right into his soul.

Quill was no better. The two boys had always shared everything growing up, they were the closest to each other of all the pack members. So it made sense that they would imprint on the same girl. And of course that girl would be their childhood best friend. The same girl they pinned after for years before turning for the first time and never speaking to her again. It was the hardest thing they ever had to do, and now, because of their actions, they were reaping the consequences.

The dejection and rejection they were feeling was amplified by each other, every emotion coursing through their veins heightened by what the other was feeling. They wanted to whine and curl up into a ball at your feet and beg you to forgive them for the rest of their lives if that's what it took to make it up to you.

It seemed as though the other boys around them knew not to say anything. No teasing remarks or mocking jabs were taken at the expense of the boys. All of them could sense that Embry and Quil had just imprinted on you. Everyone saw the way that you ran off like the sight of them would burn you if you looked for too long.

“Come on, I think it’s time to head back.” it was Sam who spoke up. Always the one to take charge and take the lead in situations where no one knew what to do. But even now, he was struggling to find the right words to say or the right actions to take that could help these boys. He had never heard of an imprintee rejecting their mate.

“No, but, we should go talk to her.” Embry whined out. Just the thought of leaving you behind after just finding out that he was supposed to spend the rest of his life with you sounded like agony. He would rather never be able to shift again than leave without you.

“I think it's pretty clear that she doesn’t want to talk to either of you right now. Give it time. Think about how you want to approach her, what you’ll say. Right now is not the time or place for any of this, especially after that reaction.” Sam reasoned. He knew that getting everyone back to the pack house right now was his only option. He couldn't let Quil or Embry do something stupid and impulsive that could put people in danger.

Everyone could see the way that the two boys hesitated to do what Sam asked. The longing and desire to be with you, so present in their eyes that they were waiting for something to happen. So Sam did the only reasonable thing he could think to do in that moment, and he commanded everyone to head back to the pack house at that instant.

Begrudgingly Embry and Quil did as they were told and turned around to head back to the house. Looking back every so often, while the shop you had disappeared into was still in sight, to see if they could catch another glimpse of you through the windows or see you leaving. Just as the shop was about to disappear from their view the door gently swung open and you walked out laughing, head thrown back and a hand on your stomach as you full body cackled at whatever the mystery boy you were with voiced. Said boy, who was holding your other hand as he exited the building after you.

It tore their hearts even further in two. So with their tails, real and figurative, tucked between their legs they made their way back. Heads hung low and spirits completely drained.

What had started out as a normal Saturday had officially become one of the worst days of their lives.

#embry call imagine #embry call x reader #quil ateara x reader #teen wolf #twilight #twilight saga #twilight x reader #twilight imagine #stiles stilinksi x reader #stiles stilinski imagine #teen wolf imagine

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siremasterlawrence · 3 months ago

Text

Paying My Dues

Hey guys last new story for a week or two I need to take a break after some strange three half weeks. Nearly had two incidents with cars, had family medical health issues and I need to focus on me. See you guys in two weeks.

The moon is full circle during super high tide all over the house as midnight appears it is shining on full display looking quiet bold and white dancing across the sky as I welcome my many guests on honor.Ten actors who are either clearly in of help from someone who is willing to go their even if they don’t appreciate them at all because well I am Master Lawrence and I am fucking super awesome no matter what you think. I am standing in front of my mansion as they all walking through the door as I slide them both to the side fully opening the door for him as I smirk and watch as Chris Evans is exiting the car happily. I spot him from a faras I smirk waving him forward in to the void of my home he soon notices the place is at odd totally empty and he panics as he can’t escape all that’s left is a letter written in ink for him to read.

Tom Hardy walks in to the home with a hot and heavy world of some sort of issues for me to play with as my appetite only grows the more I play and I lead him in to similar room as Chris. His issues grows intensely as he takes another step he is stuck in the center of the room as his life flashes by him and all he can do is fear what’s next no way he can fight it. No matter what he does, he says or thinks, and feels he stuck here with a strange letter on the table as he picks it up for a chance of a lifetime and he opens it to a shock. He grabs the knife cutting the top of it open as he yanks the letter from the envelope, inside on the piece of paper he isstun to see the words you will get freedom from all that plagues you if your give me your talent and career.

“Alan…Alan” a ethereal voice calls to him as he is recording a new video on his waked YouTube channel.

“Why are you so conflicted?”

“Who are you? Is that portal?”

“Never mind that, you have lost your way and you need help.”

“I can see when someone does not appreciate what they have.”

“I do and you are a crock shit “

“Why are you so scared then?”

“I am not scared of anyone “

“So come to the mirror”

“Fuck! Fine”

“Hey wait! Release me “

“Read this “

“What the…”

“I give you permission to take the life I have and all that comes with it “

“Hell no! I did not authorize that “

“Hahaha “

“What’s is funny?”

“You just did dummy “

“Where are am I?”

“Hey Liam!”

“How did you get here?”

“All good buddy “

“We agreed to me”

“Since when?”

“It’s not important “

“You think so?”

“I know so”

“Who are you?”

“I am you now, we agree to switch”

“Impossible “

“Look in the mirror”

“I am your life”

“No? Get out of my body”

“This fine specimen is my body “

“You will learn to love this new world like your allies “

“Bastard! I will…I will…what was I saying?“

Chris Pratt use to appeal to me as the super kind affable guy I could hang with until this bullshit with his kids and his wives because he is wolf in sheep’s clothing because he is a dick. It’s the perfect night to stay at home with his wife and kids unfortunately for him my future pet he is a total dip shit that is totally unaware that his family disappeared until 8 pm. He sighs getting up from his seat as he roams out of the living room in to the ever winding hall to his mansion but he soon is distracted with a bright light in his master bedroom as he races upstairs. What finally hits him he is alone a he stares in to a empty room from the hall and he creeps in like the little shit notices the mirror is glowing in a wake blue color he sneaks closer and a hand yanks him in.

Stephen Amell should learn to stay at home instead of wondering our of his front door in such a state early in the morning, nah just joking I woke him up with a phone call early in the morning. He screamed at me as if I care I mean really nobody is going to think twice that man loves to make scenes like when he went off in his wife in a drinking stupor on the airplane such a embarrassing man.

“Why do I feel like the house is stifling me tonight?”

“That strange call left me feeling hot”

“Seeing my wife irritated “

“She will kill me if she wakes up”

“Ah fuck it”

“Such a bitch “

“I need man time for myself “

“By my”

“Out in the…the…woods…who the fuck are you?”

“I am the guy …”

“On the phone ?”

“God! You are tense “

“You are major trouble”

“Shit! Should I be scared”

“Not! Zip it “

“I am charge now “

“I will be disappointed”

“So time for a lesson”

Tom and Colton are in a major independent project shooting in England somewhere in the background of the set the camera is all a go ready to roll and they talk unsuspecting the danger looming ahead.

“Where is everybody?”

“Anybody?”

“Say cheese “

“Fuck! I can’t see”

“Am I blind?”

“Your eyes will return momentarily “

“Bastard “

“Pussies! Do a me favor?”

“Never “

“How collaborative?”

“Not working “

“Kneel NOW!”

“You can’t…”

“Tell me”

“No way!”

“Kneel “

“Much better “

“Good bois “

Ben and Chris this is a party like no other

as they enter into a misty plane through the door into a whole new world, the doors been closed their lives are vanishing into avoid of dreams, self-destruction, self obsession and happiness into complete submission.

“Congratulations! You made one hell of a Faustian deal!”

“All of you in here will escape the lives you are dreading.”

“What do you get in return?”

“Your talent, your life and your everything “

“No takesy backseys”

The end

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kiruamon · 4 days ago

Text

A Villain's Light AU - Everyday Life

Some little glimpses into their daily life.

Let's start with a wake up call.

Not that Eclipse really sleeps, but he does run a lot of his systems down when charging up. Although if he forgot about the time and worked through all of the night it could happen that he couldn't fully charge himself up until Snowcone woke up. He learned from it and mostly goes now to bed at the same time as Snowcone, just to make sure he can be at his best if his little one is ready to start the day.

Second... cookie baking! It was very yummy according to Snowcone.

Snowcone was allowed to lick the spoon clean, but not more then once. But the cookies were even better.

Eclipse can't digest any food or drinks. But he started to pretend eating meals with Snowcone after the first few days when he found out that Snowcone was no ordinary fox cub. He also cooks and prepares all the meals himself. Even as there had been a few obstacles to overcome at the beginning. (Like kidnapping and blindfolding a random human from the city to make him taste test Eclipse's first cooking attempts, before throwing the guy out on the street again when he was satisfied with the ratings. Poor dude didn't know what was going on at all.)

Also when the first snow came Eclipse did go on a walk with Snowcone and allowed his little boy close to the end of it to change forms even though Snowcone had to promise him not to change back before they got home so he wouldn't catch a cold. Eclipse still wrapped him into his scarf to make extra sure his little boy would stay as warm as possible after having jumped around in the cold weather.

During a more sunnier and warmer time in the year Snowcone gathered some flowers for his papa and placed them in Eclipse's lap.

Also bedtime stories are always good.

And some sketches of sleepy Snowcone and Eclipse.

And how about having a few small glimpses into the future?

This one here isn't even too far away from the heroes intrusion.

Snowcone will encounter a new friend. (Maybe some of you remember the joke-post with hero Sun? There it was mentioned that Moon is picking up stray cats from the streets sometimes. Well aaaand this here is the one he kept as his pet.) Snowcone adores her a lot. And the first time he saw her, he called her Prince like his plushy, because of how similar she looked to it. After Moon explained to him his cat was female and named Void the little guy switched to calling her Princess Void instead.

I also made a little redraw of it during a gartic phone round.;)

And if we look even further into the future...

He still loves his 'little' boy. And it goes both ways.

Aaaand for last, have two random bonus drawings from Gartic Phone Icebreaker promts. One was to draw your OC with their favourite animal and the other one was to draw them as a pirate. Well... so I figured it was a good chance for Snowcone to show off his plushy friend.

#fnaf au #a villain's light au #fnaf eclipse #oc #own character #dca #fnaf dca #daycare attendant #fnaf daycare attendant #traditional drawing #digital drawing #sketches #my art #do not reupload #the colored pics are from gartic phone #honestly just a bunch of sketches with cozy little moments from the au with no drama at all #Snowcone can't speak while in fox form. So he will make all kinds of silly and happy fox noises instead.#cuteness overload

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kiachiako · 2 years ago

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april nct recs

my library of favorites from APR <3 all creds to authors

[ sorted by word count ]

series

JAEMIN | better than your next (i'm the next) | @ddeonuism 11.9k [ part one ]

RENJUN | messenger | @dojunie — smau | You find a phone number written on the mirror of the Sulim Library's second floor bathroom. It’s scrawled messily across the glass in erasable expo marker, the handwriting underneath almost closer to hieroglyphics than lettering— and what you thought it read, was ‘SEND DUCK PICS FOR A GOOD TIME.’ (You suppose, in hindsight, it was a good thing this person’s penmanship was so shit— because if you knew what it really said, you might have never stumbled across the oddly intriguing inbox of one Huang Renjun.)

oneshots

[m] JAEHYUN | seeds of pomegranates | @anashins 29.5k — The day the god of the underworld steals you away, he expects to have found a timid wife to make his isolated life more bearable. Little does he know that the rose he picked from the garden called earth bears knives instead of thorns, and he might not have found a timid wife, but a queen with a heart as dark as his.

[m] JAEHYUN | hearts are won at practice | @angelwonie 21.2k — jung jaehyun is an obnoxious, way too handsome footballer whom you have no intention of getting to know. at least until a series of coincidences forces you to spend time with him, and you realize there might be more to him than what meets the eye.

CHENLE | potential | @rrxnjun 20k — rich kids au, childhood friends au, friends with benefits au. angst, fluff, suggestive | You saw his potential without seeing credentials. And maybe that's the issue.

[m] HAECHAN | monochrome | @sundaysundaes — Lee Donghyuck once believed in the concept of soulmates—how fate would connect a red thread from one lover to another, in a form of dreams and memories. That was how his parents met, that was how they claimed their happiness, and he wanted nothing more but to live his life the way they lived theirs. Until one day, as he sees her slipping away from his hands, he has no choice but to stop believing entirely.

CHENLE | i still love you | @xiaodejunletsact 17.4k — high school can be complicated. thats why when your crush of three years, zhong chenle, approaches you out of nowhere offering to drive you home you are right to question his intentions.

HAECHAN | free trial wedding style | @liliansun 10.6k — when a random, cute, guy comes up to you and practically asks for you to follow along, you do so without much thought. that is until you get home and see he’s your new neighbor who just might need your help a little more than you expected.

[m] HAECHAN + MARK | the girl is mine | @luvrkives 10.5k — mark and hyuck can't stop fighting over you. who fucks you better, who makes you laugh more, who you like most, who fucks you better, yada yada yada. but honestly, why argue when you would happily take them both?

JAEHYUN | love you goodbye | @serendipityseulgi 10.3k — the one with the story of dysfunctional love between you and jaehyun. aka, you both want different things and your love isn’t always enough.

[m] JOHNNY | color evasion | @ncteez 8.7k — or the one where you join a kink website and a specific dom’s profile catches your attention enough to actually meet him at a hotel and practically ignore your safe words bc man, he’s good.

[m] HAECHAN + JAEHYUN | mine too | @waithyuck 7.5k — donghyuck x jaehyun x reader (f), smut, basically pwp

JAEHYUN | eye of affection | @aitarose 6.6k — for as long as he can remember, jaehyun’s world has been in black and white - giving him no reason to appreciate his mother’s profession as an artist and the beauties that art can provide. however, an accidental meeting with you gives him reason to doubt his former beliefs - proving to him that there may be true beauty in a world that’s void of everything bright, that beauty being the sunshine that you provide.

HAECHAN | full of love (and stars) | @httplastic 6k — friends/roommates to lovers, light angst

[m] HAECHAN | unavoidable | @sunpopz 5.8k — after swearing to yourself you're done catching feelings for people; you meet someone who makes that incredibly difficult. you think you can avoid him... then you're assigned a final together.

RENJUN | hard to let go | @cinnajun 4.3k — your high school friend group had an ambiguous and messy end, and you never got any closure for anything. two years later, and lee donghyuck’s girlfriend lives on the same floor as you, and you’re forced to face huang renjun, whose abandonment hurt you the most.

HAECHAN | she's quiet | @ijuliet 3.4k — although you were not looking to make new friends, the ones you had tried their hardest to push you out of your comfort zone to find something abnormal for you. which is why you’re at a frat party on a thursday night, watching as lee donghyuck observes you from afar.

[m] HAECHAN | all bark no bite | @jjsneo 2.5k — lee haechan is the most annoying man you’ve ever encountered. but that doesn’t mean you don’t find him hot; and maybe that’s why he has you flat on his mattress one night at a random frat party.

JAEHYUN | in the rain | @sehunniepotwrites 1.9k — All this time, you were looking for love in the wrong places and in the wrong people. As a serial dater, you never thought you would find it in the pouring rain and in the person you trusted the most.

. . .

ur fav recs n fics blog is back hehe | happy reading <3

xoxo

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ryus3i · 2 years ago

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Hi, Mai!!! Hru?

I'm thinking bonten trio (ran, rin and sanzu) going through a rough time and (y/n) being there on their sides and consoling them.

What you say ^o^ ?

COMFORTING BONTEN TRIO DURING HARD TIMES ft. Ran Haitani, Rindou Haitani and Haruchiyo Sanzu

Bonten Trio x gn reader

Genre; Angst

Cw; cursing, intoxication, gremlins (children) in Rindou’s, reader is a parent in Rindou’s. Horrible endings. Possibly ooc.

A/n; Hi!!! I’m good Hru?? Thank you sm for requesting, I’m sorry I took so long but it’s finally done and I hope you like it. Lmk what you think!

RAN HAITANI

“Ran, is everything alright?”

Ran wasn’t the type of lover to enter without a sound. Ran wasn’t the type to avoid your kisses or walk right past you so why did he today?

You can only watch your husband from the door frame as he begins to unbutton the first buttons of his dress shirt. The dress shirt that was once void of wrinkles was now riddled with lines and creases that spanned the shirt.

It is only when Ran sees you through the reflection of your shared vanity mirror that he takes a step back. He takes a seat on the edge of your bed and lets out a sigh, a sigh that signals to you that something was bothering Ran. Did something happen at work? Was he alright? Was Rindou alright?

You took this opportunity to take a seat by Ran’s side, where you hoped he would want you to be. Taking his hand in yours you lace your fingers with his slender ones. Giving him a light squeeze you lift your eyes to find his, to find where they were.

“What’s wrong” are the only words that can come out. They come out just barely but are quickly sucked into the space you and Ran occupy. They float until Ran gets a hold and takes them in.

“I’m just worried about Rin, I know he’s not a little kid anymore but I can’t help wanting to keep him close. He wants to go on missions alone, without me. It’s always been the two of us, the Haitani Brothers.”

“Ran, I know it's hard to just let him go but Rin needs room to grow. He won’t have you around forever, we both know he can handle himself so let him.”

“Y/N, what if he gets hurt, what if he can’t handle it?”

“I’m not saying, let him go forever. Why not just give it a chance, give him a chance? Rin did learn from the best didn’t he”. Ran can’t help but let out a chuckle, one that you didn’t know you missed.

“Besides, maybe Mikey will let you approve of his missions or even let you spy on him a bit. Just give Rin a chance, love.”.

“You’re right, he’s leeched onto me long enough. Little shit needs to be a man now.”. You know Ran will give Rindou some sort of lecture before Mikey even lets Rindou go on a mission but you know Ran just wants the best Rindou.

“Okay, I’ll let you freshen up while I heat the food”.

Just before you can leave, strong arms make their way around your waist, pulling you into the warmth of your lover.

“I love you y/n, thank you”. Ran places a soft kiss filled love on your forehead.

RINDOU HAITANI

“When’s Daddy coming home?” Your little girl couldn’t understand why her father wasn’t home yet and neither could you. You had tried to call him countless times and left numerous messages but all were delivered and never answered.

Maybe he was on a mission and just couldn’t pick up the phone? Or what if he was in a meeting? It couldn’t have been the same reasons over and over these last weeks where Rindou would come home unexpectedly. All these questions swam around your head in circles but ultimately got stuck in the whirlpool of your worries.

A jolt of fear runs through you when the front door to your home suddenly opens. Rindou was finally here but it didn’t ease the worries in your head.

Making your way towards him you place a kiss on his cheek, the typical way you’d greet him daily. You can sense the tension that lingers around the Haitani. You can feel the way the tension slowly builds up and tightens its hold around him as takes off his coat and gives his daughter a quick hug before going to his study.

“Okay, now that you’ve seen daddy and gotten a hug it is time for you to sleep. You’ve been up long past your bedtime. Make sure you clean up all your toys”.

As your little one begins to do as she was told your mind drifts off to Rindou. The whirlpool has settled down but the questions are stuck in motion. You had decided on the first day of Rin’s change in action that it was a one day thing. On the second you let him have the space you know he needed but after a week you would get the answers you needed.

While your daughter drifts into the land of dreams you drift toward the study where your husband has been secluding himself from the rest of your house.

Slowly opening the door, your eyes lay on the figure of your husband hunched over the auburn desk the two of you had selected years ago to match the rest of the room. You can hear the sound of pen marking paper, ink leaving its forever behind on paper that won’t quite keep it forever.

You call out his name but it never goes through, you try again but it's never received. A light tap on Rin’s shoulder breaks him out of the trance that paperwork has lulled him into.

“Hey, did you need something”

“No, but do you have a minute to talk?”. A minute wouldn’t be long enough to get him to let everything out but a minute was all you needed to get him to speak even a little bit and explain himself.

“Look Rin, I just want to know what’s been going on, you’ve been coming home later and later and you don’t even respond to my messages or pick up calls”.

“y/n, I’m so busy I really can’t do this now”

“Rin, please just answer me then I’ll leave you alone. I’m worried about you, coming home late day after day without a word is so unlike you. Even your daughter is getting worried about you, she just wants some time with her father.”.

“I’m doing this all for her and you, I’ve been slacking off recently and I need to get it together. I’m sorry but I need to sacrifice time with you two for her.”.

“Rin I understand but please, right now all she needs is your attention.”.

“My attention alone will not give her the best life”.

This back and forth with Rindou was frustrating, it was going nowhere. He would only become more upset the longer he was taken away from his work so it was just to leave before things could escalate. It would be better to continue this conversation at some other time.

“I just don’t want to let her down”.

In that moment everything clicked, the missing piece of the puzzle was now in place. Rindou was afraid. Afraid of history repeating, afraid of becoming the parent he had resented his entire life.

It was years ago when Rindou had told you of childhood. Years without parents who loved or even cared. Rindou knew what it was like growing up practically living on the streets so he wanted to do whatever he could to keep his daughter as far away from it as possible but he fails to realize that he’s pushing her away from himself.

“Rin, you could never let her down, you’re an amazing father. I know you want to give her anything she could ever want but right now she just needs your attention.

“What if it’s not enough”.

“Trust me Rin everything you do for her is more than enough.”.

“I’m sorry love, I’ll take a couple days off for you two, we can do whatever you and our little princess choose”.

HARUCHIYO SANZU

Haruchiyo would do anything to push back the feelings. If it meant running away from reality and escaping to the land of intoxication he would do it. He can’t take the emotions that swallow him whole, the emotions that drive him crazy and take wheels steering his life. His feet take him away from you but his emotions drop him off at your doorstep.

From the peephole of your door you can see a disheveled mess of oh so familiar pink hair. Haruchiyo was drunk again, wasn't he? What else would he be doing at your door after leaving your heart to pieces a month ago, when he confessed he didn’t love you any longer, that he didn’t want you any longer.

Opening your recovering heart you wrap one arm of the man who no longer loved around your neck and take him inside your home.

Haruchiyo can only allow you to take him in and place him on the couch where memories from before resurface, memories from when he could keep you happy resurfaced.

“Here, water you look like you need it.”. Reaching out for the glass of water he slowly takes in the water and his thoughts. Why was he here? He doesn’t deserve any of this. He should be somewhere else, maybe in a shady alley or anywhere but here.

“Haru, it hurts. God knows if you even care anymore but it hurts. You hurt me so bad. I spent days crying over you. I can’t think without having your words replay in my mind. I hate you, I hate you so much”.

Tears can only pool at Haruchiyo’s eyes as he hears the three words he knew he deserved to hear come out of your mouth. Tears push past his eyelashes as he watches tears of your own fall down the sides of your face as you try your best to hide them. Tears finally break free as he watches you stand up, why can he only watch as his only love walks away from him. There has to be something he can do.

“Wait, I love you”. Before the words can register in his mind they fall out for you to catch. The three words he never said in your year together suddenly leave his mouth before he can even think.

The three words you’ve only ever wanted him to say finally leave his mouth but why aren’t you celebrating. Why aren’t you cheering and jumping? It’s because you don’t think he means it, he’s drunk off his mind. He’s just saying anything.

“I meant it y/n, I love you”. As you turn around to face him you watch as makes his way closer to you. Every footstep he takes closer to you brings his words closer and closer to your heart.

“I know, I know you think I’m lying just to make you stay but I mean it. I hurt you, I broke your heart and I don’t deserve you but I still love you. I never stopped loving you, this past month has been hell without you, I can’t sleep, I can think, I can’t live without you.``.

Haruchiyo is now on his knees with his head in hands. His throat tries to hold in his sobs but his heart can’t hold them any longer. Dropping to his side you bring him into your arms, no longer wanting to watch him hurt. His words from a month ago were forgotten as you brought him closer, you hurt but Haruchiyo was always hurting. You don’t need Haruchiyo you wanted him but Haruchiyo needed you.

You were is his everything but you never realized. You loved him more than anything but he never realized. You both had your flaws but together you could make things work.

“We can figure this out Haru, I'm always going to be here for you no matter what. I’m sorry for never realizing how you felt. I’ve been so selfish, please forgive me. I love you Haru.”.

“I love you too. I’ll always love you. I’ll forgive you if you forgive me for hurting you. Let’s figure this out together”.

#☾mai works #~tristitia~#~💌~#tokyo revengers fanfiction #tokyo revengers x gn!reader #Tokyo revengers x reader #tokyo revengers angst #ran haitani x reader #rindou haitani x reader #haruchiyo sanzu x reader #bonten x reader #rindou x reader #ran x reader #sanzu x reader

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marabelle5 · 7 months ago

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The 'Vigil' Keeper

Pix looked up from his book as the bell rang. It was Xisuma Void, the principal of the school the next street over. Pix chuckled to himself, he remembered that someone told him that the kids were calling Hermitopia for some reason. Pix smiled. The shop had few customers this time of day and at this day of the week. It had been an uneventful Tuesday.

“Good afternoon Xisuma. How are you doing?”

“I’m doing well. How are you?”

“I’m great. Thanks for asking. So what brings you to Pixandria on this dark and gloomy afternoon?” Pix replied.

Pix pulled down the sleeve of his dark blue sweater. It was cold even with all the candles lit. Pixandria was not a dark place, it was far from it. Between the candles lit all around to the replica of the ancient ‘Vigil’ to the four mysterious ‘conduits’ (lamps Pearl painted for him) he put around the place, it was quite bright.

“Could I pick up the 200 candles I ordered?” Xisuma asked then quickly he said. “No dyes or scents.” Pix smiled again.

“Of course. What do you need it for?” Pix said while he went under the counter to grab the order. Xisuma laughed.

“Well Tango said how it would be fun to do a lab with candles for the kids and Cleo immediately agreed saying it would be fun to experiment with the wax for an art project.”

“Ah I see. Looks like you’ve paid for everything beforehand.” Pix was about to hand the box to X when a couple kids ran in and stared at the ‘Vigil’.

“Um King Pixl Riffs? What is that?” A boy with dirty blond hair and hazel eyes pointed to the ‘Vigil’.

“Well. It is what I call the ‘Vigil’ . Every time an emperor is ‘pranked’ by another empire I put up a candle and if they get 12 candles I make a paper lantern of the color of the empire. I have a list of who did the ‘pranks’ and we talley them up at the end of the year and then I reset the ‘Vigil’.”

The kids who had entered with the boy now had big smiles on their faces.

“You guys prank each other?” A boy with curly brown hair asked excitedly.

“Like we do at school sometimes?” A girl with black hair said. Pix laughed as Xisuma sighed.

“What kind of pranks do you do?” The trio shouted in unison.

“Well one time Jimmy and I changed all of fWhip salmon pictures to cod pictures but he caught on quickly and they were all changed back within a day and fWhip gave Jimmy a salmon statue saying sense he loved salmon so much he should have it. And there was another time when Pearl and I went around asking everyone weird or confusing trivia and it all bottled down to who makes the best honey which isn’t really a prank but a fond memory. We also all said hi to Gem each in a different way then we normally did it but how another emperor said hi.”

When Pix stopped talking.

“Thank you King Mr. Vigil Keeper.” The children said and they ran out of the store no doubt going to Pearl’s to get a drink of hot cocoa that she sells in the winter. The name made a chill go up Pix’s spine.

Pix waved goodbye to Xisuma. He flipped his sign to closed and headed down the very long stairs to the basement. The wooden stairs creaked under his feet but as he got lower the stairs became stone and you could hear his sandals slap against the stone. The walls have a spot for candles to light the path but Pix usually ignores them and thinks about events that happened during the day. The basement has two layers where the stairs turn to stone. You can see Daivd and when you get to the end of those stone stairs you will step on to the ground only to find that it is sand. If you walk a bit in this sand you’ll find a very old and ancient monument called The Vigil.

Pix looked at The Vigil every candle was burning bright. He sighed. He felt his phone buzzing in his pocket. He took it out and pressed the answer button.

“Hello Zloy, how are you doing?”

“Pix, Pix the Copper King might be out tonight! Can you come?” An excited Zloy said.

“No sorry I have…” Pix trailed off thinking of an excuse.

“Oh. Are you free for recording tomorrow?”

“Let me check my schedule and I’ll get back to you.”

“Okay. Lyarrah and I are going out to record in the field tonight.”

“Alright. See yuh tomorrow.”

“Good night.”

“Good night.” Pix took off his blue sweater. He put on a brown undershirt and pants. He bore a sandy color jacket with copper shoulders and lining down. And went up to The Vigil and put on perfectly on top of his head a copper crown. He then grabbed his trident.

The Copper King smiled as he exited his underground lair. He turned on his com and took his watch.

#empires smp #hermitcraft #empires au #pixlriffs #xisumavoid #this is my first fan fic #hope you like it #zloyxp #Emperors of Empires Street #Children of the town #emperors of empires street fics

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oh-mother-fucket · 11 months ago

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*..STARS..*

A fic in which Hank has a hyperfixation.

Featuring: Hank, Hank's illiteracy, 2BDamned, and Deimos

====

If you looked up at a Nevadean night sky, you wouldn’t see stars. No one really knew what a star was, at least outside of the five-pointed ones that went on the doors of the Slaughter Time contestants’ rooms.

No, instead of stars, you’d see a big black void. That’s it. Depending on the time of night, it might be more red, but it wouldn’t change besides that.

When Hank was little– about five or six– he was told that once upon a time, there were tiny pinpricks of glittering light speckled across the night sky. They used to believe it, until he turned fifteen and had bigger things to worry about.

Hank didn’t think about those old myths anymore. They were about as inconsequential to them as Santa Claus would be to a middle-aged childless man. After all, Hank had things to do, fun to have, people to kill. No time to waste on an old wives’ tale.

It was nighttime when 2BDAMNED sent Hank a text. Hank was staring up at the sky, so he didn’t notice he was getting messages until they realized their phone was buzzing. They looked at the previews on his screen.

“Wimbleton,” the latest one read, “call me now.”

More than a tad amused at the order, Hank scoffed. He looked back up at the sky.

Nothing. Like always. Hank could pretend that he saw glints of light from the darkness above, but pretending could only get him so far.

Their phone began to ring. Chuckling, they picked it up and hit “answer”.

“Hank J. Wimbleton, you’d best have a good reason for not–”

“Sky.” Hank shrugged. “Lookin’.” He didn’t feel like talking much, and in any case, he knew his short answer would piss Doc off– which was their goal.

A loud sigh from Doc. “And I thought I was hard to deal with…” A short pause before he started talking again. “Deimos is asking me about shit I think you’d know about. He’ll probably be blowing up your phone once he gets home.”

Hank tensed up, irritation seeping into them. “Not gonna,” he growled lowly. They hung up the phone and went back to looking at the sky.

…The phone rang again.

Goddamnit. Hank picked it up. “Not gonna.”

“Wimbleton, hang up on me again and I’ll rearrange your teeth.” Doc sighed. “I know he can be… difficult to deal with, for someone like you.”

Hank scoffed. “To say the least,” he remarked.

“Uh-huh, yeah, whatever. I don’t care anymore. Just answer his questions or you’ll be receiving an extra knuckle, and not in the mail.” Doc hung up, leaving Hank in silence again.

If there was anyone, anyone at all that Hank would say he had strong negative feelings about– well, it would be Tricky, but Deimos came in close second.

Just the way he was ticked Hank off. That dumbass outfit, his fidgety nature, his raspy voice–

Ugh. Made Hank pissed just thinking about it.

He shoved his phone in his pocket and went inside. The building was attached to several others– an apartment complex, was it called? Hank preferred the term “chain house”.

The interior looked nothing like the exterior. Shockingly, Hank had put in the effort to spruce up the place ever since he claimed it as his hiding place. It didn’t have a carpet– Hank couldn’t afford one– but it did have a red rug in the living room.

They collapsed onto the beat-up couch and sighed. Deimos would call any minute now, and Hank was dreading it.

Any minute now…

Bzzt. There it was.

Hank picked up the phone, and was immediately greeted by Deimos’s voice. “Hey Hank! Had some questions I thought you might like to answer.” The man laughed. Hank could practically smell his smoky breath.

“Hit me.” Hank leaned back, getting comfy on the couch. Knowing Deimos, this would be a while. He took off his goggles, putting them on the coffee table.

Deimos chuckled. “Thanks, pal! Knew you’d let me bother ya.”

A scoff escaped from Hank. Let you? Yeah, whatever makes you happy.

“So, like, you’re old,” Deimos began. “You ever seen stars?”

What a strange question. “Not sure what my age has to do with my propensity to get lightheaded,” Hank replied curtly. He brought his finger to the “end call” button, but stopped when Deimos clarified.

“I meant like, in the sky. You ever see those?”

Hank paused. He hadn’t thought about stars… in a long time. “Haven’t.” He hung up.

The phone started ringing again soon after, but Hank tried to ignore it. What made him curious about stars? Hank wondered. It’s not like Deimos was ever interested in anything that wasn’t guns or eating or pissing him off. How strange of him to ask about that.

Stars weren’t ever something Hank could remember dwelling on. Maybe when he was first told about them, he might have obsessed a bit, but they couldn’t recall.

The phone stopped ringing after a few minutes, but Hank’s head was still buzzing. Stars. I wonder if they ever did exist. They laid back on the couch, trying to ignore the thought. It wasn’t important, and besides, Deimos would forget in a few hours. And so would they, hopefully.

~ ~ ~

The sound of metal tearing through flesh was like music to Hank’s ears, a brief reprieve from thoughts about that old myth.

Gunshots sounded through the room. “Heads up!” Cried Deimos, a bit late. Hank ducked just in time to get the top of his head grazed by a bullet, and one lodged itself in his shoulder. They hissed in pain, ignoring the thump of the bodies in front of him and snapping his head to glare daggers at Deimos.

Deimos merely chuckled. “Be faster next time!” he exclaimed. He ran past Hank and grabbed one of the agents the pair were slaughtering, pulling them close and shooting them point blank in the face.

Rolling his eyes in irritation, Hank stood up and turned to take care of the remaining agents on his side of the room. He pounced on one, beating their face into a pulp, until he was grabbed by another agent.

They growled, falling limp and forcing the agent to buckle under their dead weight, then got up and stomped the agent’s head in. He grabbed a knife off the agent and pounced again, tackling a nearby agent and slitting their throat.

If Hank could still smile, he would probably laugh.

He nearly jumped feeling someone grab their arm, and reached around to throw the person over their shoulder. “Yeowch!” Deimos yelped, hitting the ground hard. Hank chuckled as Deimos got up, glaring. “Dude, it’s just me!”

“Serves you right,” Hank replied. Deimos flipped them off with a scowl.

Hank looked around, surveying the carnage. Not a single agent even twitched. He sighed, the adrenaline slowly wearing off and giving way to exhaustion. Their chest heaving, they began to walk to the door.

Deimos sprinted up to them, grabbing their arm. “Woah woah woah man, we can’t leave yet!” He tried to tug Hank back, but they refused to budge. Deimos sighed. “We gotta double tap! Y’know… make sure everyone’s dead and that.”

Oh, right. How did Hank forget that? He’s normally eager to do a second sweep for survivors. They shook their head. Probably won’t happen again.

They yanked Deimos’s gun from him– briefly admiring the make, it looked well cared for– and started firing at the corpses with total abandon.

Blood spurted from the bullet wounds, but not a soul cried out. A shame, really.

“There,” said Hank. For some reason, he didn’t feel the same satisfaction they usually did. Maybe something was weighing on their mind.

… Something like stars.

God damn it. There it is again. They’d been thinking about those damn things all week, and Deimos had been pestering him about it near-constantly through text. He’d hoped that this mission would get his mind off it, but alas, that appeared not to be the case.

“Yo, Nevada to Hank, you there?”

Hank stiffened, suddenly noticing that Deimos was waving his hand in front of them. Hank shoved Deimos, a bit irritated. “Next room. You.” He dropped the gun into Deimos’s arms and went to lean against the wall, much to the smaller man’s confusion.

Deimos stood silent, flabbergasted for a few moments. “Seriously?” he finally exclaimed. “Yer normally all over this, dude!”

A simple shrug was Hank’s response. He hoped Deimos would drop it and leave to check the rest of the facility. Hank just wanted to be alone with their thoughts, for once.

Deimos growled. “You better not be plannin’ on leavin’ the whole rest o’ the place t’ me!” He took a step towards Hank, teeth bared. Hank stared.

The two stood silently, glaring daggers at each other for a few minutes. The tension was thick. If it were a person, Hank would have a hard time cutting it.

Finally, Hank decided to make a move. They reckoned that if they didn’t, Deimos would just stand there forever. Probably start whining at them too.

Hank unsheathed a knife he kept in a case on his back– it was a huge hunting knife, almost as big as a particularly small sword. He held it up at Deimos threateningly. “Go clear.”

The threat was obvious– and Deimos was keenly aware that Hank wasn’t bluffing. With an angry grumble, Deimos left the room.

Leaving Hank alone to think.

He wondered if he ever made drawings of stars, when he was little. He knew he’d never be able to retrieve any drawings, if they existed– he couldn’t remember bringing anything but what he was wearing at the time when he left Nexus City.

Maybe he could make some drawings later today, when he got home… but Deimos would question him if he brought paper with him into the car, and besides, he didn’t have any crayons. He’d probably break them anyway.

Briefly, he pondered if stars ever existed. Maybe they didn’t. Maybe it was just a myth parents told children to keep them from losing hope or something.

They probably didn’t exist, actually. Hank growled to himself. This is so stupid. They got up and made their way outside.

The thought was still in the back of his mind though, and for a small moment, he considered looking upwards. Perhaps tonight, they’d see a sky full of stars.

What a stupid thought. They shook their head and walked to the car, getting in the passenger seat to wait for Deimos.

A tiny bright dot glittered overhead.

~ ~ ~

So, it turns out, leaving your partner to do all the work was not a good idea.

Hank could hear Deimos’s snarling and whining pretty clearly even through the walls. The guy was loud.

Doc had run out of anesthesia, so he was using booze to keep Deimos suppressed. It wasn’t working very well.

Deimos had probably run through the group’s only supply of beer by now– and if he hadn’t, it was probably because Doc had given up on trying to get the guy to pass out.

The shouting made Hank cover his ears. God, this was the worst.

He tried to let his mind wander, wanting to distract himself from the annoying ruckus.

And what better thought to think of than stars?

Hank was convinced at this point that stars were cursing him. Hell, he couldn’t even look at the sky without swearing he saw something glimmer!

But he’d take thoughts of stars over Deimos screaming any day.

Were stars really that tiny? Maybe they were, and they were just really bright. Sort of like how a lightbulb in a dark room can still be seen from far away.

Maybe they were really hot, too. Making light for so long makes heat– Hank knew that much. If they were hot, they’d probably warm up Nevada super hot every night. But that didn’t make sense… maybe stars were actually super far away. Maybe there weren’t that many. Maybe he should write this down so he doesn’t end up thinking about this tangent again…

Hank got up from the couch and went to Doc’s room, grabbing a notepad. He tore out all the pages that had writing on them and grabbed a pen.

wat i no abowt stars

brit

smal maybe

hot

He paused. Was that it? He quickly scribbled one more thing down.

sparkly

Yeah, this all sounded about right. They stuffed the notepad in their pocket and went back to the couch. The loud pained noises had died down a bit, so they didn’t feel the need to cover their ears. Hopefully Doc was almost done, and hopefully the impending lecture wouldn’t be too long.

About an hour later, Hank realized that he was napping. Oops. He sat up and stretched, then paused.

There was a blanket draped over them. They quirked their head. Did Doc do that? Probably. It wasn’t like Deimos would, after all.

Hank threw off the blanket and looked around. He was surprised Doc hadn’t woken them up for a stern talking-to. Maybe the guy was busy. Not like Hank cared. If anything, this was just a chance for Hank to leave. Maybe he should’ve done that when Doc was working on Deimos, but whatever.

When Hank left Doc’s place through the hatch on the living room ceiling, they couldn’t help but look up. This was pretty normal– Hank tended to look where they were going, which in this case, was up. What wasn’t normal was what they saw.

Tiny pinpricks of light flickered in and out of vision, twinkling like…

Like stars.

There weren’t many in the sky, just ten or maybe twenty. But the way Hank was enraptured with them, you’d think the sky was full of them.

Hank just stood there, his head poking out of the open hatch, staring at the sky. He wondered if the stars were marveling at the earth, too.

With his hands shaking wildly, Hank crawled out of Doc’s bunker. They laid down on the ground, staring up at the stars. He wished so badly that he could smile.

The air around them was surprisingly cool. I guess stars aren’t that hot after all. Of course, they didn’t mind.

It was hard to stay still, if their trembling hands was any indication. They wanted so badly to jump to their feet, to run around, to tear at something– but he felt like if he looked away, the stars wouldn’t be there when he looked back. He didn’t want to risk it.

Hank’s mind was racing– they really couldn’t help it. Here he was, laying under the stars… it was hard to believe. There were so many thoughts in his head. Is this a normal amount of stars? It’s so cool out– they must not make heat. I wonder how they light up… are they just so far away that I can’t feel the heat?

For a few minutes, he didn’t notice that the stars had begun to dim. But if there were twenty before, there must have been only fourteen now. I have to take a picture!

He took out his phone and quickly opened the camera. He stared. The stars didn’t look the same through the phone, but Hank didn’t want to waste time going to get an actual camera.

Click.

There it was. The stars, immortalized forever on Hank’s shitty phone.

Hank looked back at the sky, where only a few stars remained. They put down their phone and let his arms rest at his sides, watching as the stars faded into blackness.

#madness combat #madcom hank #madcom #hank j wimbleton #> davekansprite: write fanfiction

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roxannarambles · 10 months ago

Text

Rough Legends Arceus/Volo Headcanon Notes

While playing through Legends Arceus, while I was bored grinding out research tasks I amused myself with developing headcanons for the game.

These are for an OC in the player role/player is not Akari, though. (It's for my character June, who was a Bug Catcher while she was growing up, never did the gym circuit in her region, just liked bugs and casual pokemon battles and hanging out with her pokemon. She was attending her local junior college when she got snatched by the Void)

Headcanons focused on June & her "friendship" with Volo.

They chat about her work with Galaxy. She doesn't actually enjoy it much. She loves pokemon, sure, and the nature's pretty, but the survey work is tedious, lonely, boring, dirty, hazardous, etc. Pokemon research sounds fun in theory but not in practice-- not in ancient Hisui, anyway. The research tasks the Professor assigns her seem so arbitrary and weird, there are very few people in the Survey Corps who are brave or skilled enough to help her out so she usually works alone, she lacks all the conveniences of modern civilization, etc. Camping out for a week in the bogs and going to bed each night caked in mud and slime, not able to bathe 'til you get back to the village, so forth.

Volo comments, 'Well they must pay you handsomely at least?' No, the pay isn't that great, most money she makes is from stuff she picks up off the ground. But, well, at least they're housing and feeding her. It's something.

He calls her sky child.

She remembers her life from before she fell here. She doesn't know why she came to be here, and why that weird phone appeared along with her. She half-remembers a weird pokemon that she dreamed about while in the rift, but she can't remember what it said to her. It was probably just a dream, anyway.

The phone is weird. It has a map of the area, and icons light up sometimes, and she also gets texted mysterious messages. She thinks maybe she accidentally fell through a portal to another realm, but the presense of this phone makes her suspect it's more than that. Did a person intentionally create a portal and push her through it? And now they're ordering her around with this phone? They seem to want her to study the pokemon here.

She doesn't like being used.

The phone has a Notes app. She thought about using it to record her thoughts, but she's paranoid that whoever sent this phone could be spying, reading her notes. She doesn't know if writing on a paper journal is good idea either though, anyone here could find it. She's not sure who to trust here, they already seem so mistrustful of her, they'd likely rifle through her stuff. She wouldn't put it past them, anyway.

Eventually she asks Volo if he can get her a journal with a lock on it. If such a thing exists here. He seems very curious about her request, but doesn't push questions on her about it. A few days later, he appears, having procured her a leatherbound journal with a sturdy locked latch.

He keeps a copy of the key in secret.

Sometimes she camps out for many days in a row during her field work. It's often gruelling and lonesome. People from the Security Corps bring her meals sometimes and supplies to the campsite, but they are not always there-- they come and go. The pokemon professor drops by on occasion too but he's often busy with work back at the village. At night June sits in her tent and writes in her journal by the light of her phone. She can't even get attached to her pokemon, since her rearch forces her to constantly change her team. Supplies are precious, too, so she often can't afford to use tons of potions, and her pokemon faint a lot. They work as hard as she does, to the point of exhaustion, and she imagines they resent her for it.

"So how are things going with your Galaxy friends?"

She tells Volo about how most people in the village seem to act nice enough around her, or polite in the very least. But even after all of these weeks here, she can tell none of them trust her. She can see the looks they cast her, from the corner of her vision, the way they still whisper about her when they think she can't hear. Some are still openly mistrustful or hostile, like the Commander of the Security Corps, although most are a little more subtle. Either way, it's exhausting to deal with. She's worked herself to the bone for them, and they tell her, "you're a part of our family now, we have your back," but it's not true, she know it isn't true. And she's realized by now that no matter how hard she works, how many favors she grants, how many missions she fulfills, it's never going to be enough, is it? She'll always be a stranger here, always out of place.

Even the Pokemon Professor and Rei, the people who are friendliest to her in the village, she doesn't feel close to. They seem nice enough, but in the end they're just using her too, aren't they? To get their research done. So who's to say whether their kindness isn't conditional? It always seems conditional here, in this place. Maybe she's just paranoid, but it's hard to tell. It's hard not to resent them all. She feels scared and alone. She has no one here.

She tells all this to Volo. She's not sure why. Maybe because he seems like an impartial party. Maybe because he's the only one who doesn't look at her with the eyes of someone who's mistrustful. Maybe because he's just there and she has to tell somebody, she can't bear not truly talking to somebody anymore. He listens compassionately. Seems to understand. And tentatively, he tells her that if it pleases her to think it, he'd be happy to call her friend.

She's quiet for a while. So far, her rapport with the Gingko merchant over the weeks had been friendly, but she hadn't been sure whether it had qualified as friendship. He had been straightforward in the past that his motives were professional ones; being congenial with customers was just good business sense. Still, she had always liked to think perhaps it might become more than just being chummy with customers. He'd seemed like a genuinely nice person, and she'd always enjoyed their conversations.

She smiles and shyly thanks him, realizing she's maybe not entirely alone in this place. She's quiet a while, but soon says she wants to give him something. She digs through her satchel. She doesn't have much right now, but she pulls out a curious little fragment of stone, pretty and angular and red. She says she found it while exploring one of the space-time distortions that everyone else is too afraid to approach. He asks if she's sure she wants to give it to him. She says yes. He thanks her and promises he shall treasure it.

Later, he has a jewler turn it into a necklace. He makes sure to wear it all the time, usually beneath the folds of his clothing, so that one day June can 'accidentally' see it.

They run across each other at random times. He's always traveling, and so is she, but their paths always seem to cross eventually. They stop for a spell to chat whenever it happens.

He helps to teach her survival skills, sometimes, like cooking food out in the wild. She cannot always rely on the Survey Corps to bring her food, after all, especially when she's in a more far-flung area all alone. He tells her what fish are good for eating; Basculin are best, Magikarp are worst. He teaches her how to scale and gut and clean fish, how to cook them. He tells her that Sitrus berries are toxic when unrripe, how to find Razz berries, where to look for mushrooms. In turn, she brings him things she finds sometimes that are curious, old verses that Ursaluna dug up, shards of pottery, photos of ruins, strange pieces of colored glass.

One day, they see each other while out in the mirelands, and walk together for a time. He's on his way to gather caster ferns. She warns him not to head in that direction, an alpha has been patrolling there lately. He's never seen an alpha there before and has been to that spot dozens of times, hundreds by now, so he sort of just ignores her, insisting it will be fine, until they hear the cry echoing across the marsh and he stops.

"Er . . . perhaps . . . I will gather some other day."

She decides to catch the alpha so he doesn't have to do that. She's happy she can do something to help him out for once, since it always seems like he's the one helping her. She knows he only has Togepi, after all.

"So what have you been doing to pass the time here, June? When you finally have the chance to rest for a spell from all that survey work of yours, that is."

"Not much. Overthinking, mostly."

"I see . . ."

"What do you do to pass the time, when you're out traveling?"

"Probably much the same."

She looks to him, surprised. The comment had been dropped quietly, carelessly, and he seemed to quickly rebound.

"With all these mysteries to ponder, after all, I'd hardly have much chance to be bored!"

She isn't sure that's really what he'd meant, but she doesn't push it. He tells her he also reads quite a bit. They chat about books and he says he can loan her one of the ones he'd finished reading. He gives her a well-worn book, and when she opens it for a peek, a piece of paper slips out that he'd been using as a bookmark. When she picks it up, she sees there's a charcoal drawing of Togepi on it. It looks beautiful. She holds it up and asks Volo if he drew it.

He seems briefly distressed, but stifles the expression, admitting he did. She tells him he shouldn't be shy, it looks really good! He awkwardly thanks her, saying it was just idle scribbling, really.

When she reads the book later in her tent, she finds he's also left some notes scrawled in the margins. She suspects he's forgotten about them. She enjoys the book but finds his scribbled notes the most interesting part of the book.

When they meet again, they chat about the book she borrowed, discussing the story and characters. One day she asks him if he can teach her to draw. He seems in a rather laid-back mood and indulges her.

She tells him about the Arc phone, eventually. She usually doesn't whip it out in front of people, feeling reluctant to do that; she knows it's a strange piece of technology and it tends to make others uneasy of her, not to mention some might see it and think to steal it. But eventually she trusts Volo enough to show the device to him. It comes up in conversation when he finds her with her pokemon team, taking a group photo of them. (All Alpha Bug pokemon)

He's very curious about it. She shows him the map app, and how to use it. He picks up the basics quickly. He asks her how the technology works. She's not sure how to explain a tiny, pocket-sized computer to the people of this era. It doesn't help she has a poor understanding of how computers work, herself, even coming from an era with them. She gives a very stilted explanation of computer chips and computer code and how a ton of data can be crammed into a very small space. It's not a good explanation but he appreciates her trying. He asks what else her device can do. She shows him the camera app, they take a few photos and a selfie together. He's fascinated with it. What else can it do? There aren't a ton of apps on it, there's a clock, a notes app, a flashlight function . . . she switches the light on. Volo says that must be very handy. Does this device require fuel? She isn't sure. Normally phones do need an energy source, you need to plug them in to charge them, but there doesn't seem to be any charger for this phone. Not that she'd have a way to plug it in, if there were. She's been using this phone for weeks and it's yet to lose power, so she doesn't know if it's solar powered somehow or if it's some other energy source . . . she honestly doesn't know.

"So if you use this device for too long, it's possible that . . ."

"Yeah. It might die eventually, and then never work again. That's why I try not to use it too often."

She doesn't mention the weird text messages she gets on the phone, or the way icons light up on her map sometimes as objectives.

One time she comments Volo seems like a man with a lot of secrets.

"Who, me?" He holds his chin and acts as though he's thinking.

"Mmm, well. In my line of work, you get to know a lot of people. You must be good at small talk, getting to know your customers, and people do like to talk, so I end up hearing a lot of gossip . . . so I suppose I do know some secrets."

He asks June if she'd like to know any gossip and she says sure. He tells her that her Galaxy Commander, he sleeps with a Teddiursa plushie. She laughs. He asks now that she knows it, will she try and blackmail him? So that she could continue getting paid but no longer need to do this tedious survey work?

She says no. She'll have an easier time dealing with the jerk, just knowing the information now. She's not the sort to blackmail, anyway. Volo tells her that she's a good person. June isn't so sure.

He procures for her a bigger bag, like the ones the Gingko Guild use. It's much roomier than the tiny satchel. It's well worth the purchase.

During conversation with him June mentions one time that she gets cold easily and has been freezing her butt off lately during work. A few days later, Volo appears with a nice warm jacket and gloves for her, that fit her perfectly. She is very excited and grateful. He's always charged her for the things he gets her (although he sometimes offers a friendly discount) so she expects the same here. But when she asks how much she owes him, this time he says not to worry about it. She is flustered at first, saying they must have cost him a lot, is he sure . . . but he insists. It would not do him any good if his favorite customer died of hypothermia out in the wilds.

At the Coronet Highlands, there is a place called the Fabled Spring, a secret little alcove by a calm lake, with trees and soft grass and wildflowers. This is where Volo finds June laying there, staring out at the water, idly picking grass, looking very lost in thought.

"Fancy seeing you here."

She looks up in surprise. She asks what he's doing here and he responds he comes here for razz berries. He asks if he might join her, and she nods. He sits with her.

Conversation turns to the next Noble she's meant to face. She's nervous. He tells her he's sure she'll be fine, she handled the last one so well, after all.

She says it's getting harder each time. The last time, with the Arcanine, she got burned very, very badly, and she had to withdraw her first attempt. They had to carry her home. Back in Jubilife, they had a special medicine they used to help heal her, although it still took several days for her to recover.

"So you recovered fully?"

She did. It was a powerful medicine, made from an herb that was a pokemon. But she still remembers the pain of those burns. She returned and soothed the Noble on her second attempt. She's worried this next Noble will be even harder, though.

"Well . . . if it goes rough, all you need is more of Galaxy team's medicine and you'll be as right as rain again, right?"

Maybe. What if they run out of medicine though? She could tell it was precious to team Galaxy and rare, difficult for them to harvest and make. Or what if . . . something worse happens to her than just burns or a little paralysis. They are both quiet a while.

Volo eventually tells her he's sure everything will work out. He changes the subject so she won't dwell on her worries. Shares some leftover fish with her. She loves how it tastes. He has spices that Galaxy doesn't use. It's so much better than that potato mochi she's so tired of.

After she defeats the Electrode Noble, he asks her how it went. Surprisingly well. Easier than Arcanine. He acts pleased, told you it would be all right.

She's been thinking though, about the rift. Since the Commander keeps bringing it up. See, for now, Galaxy and June's goals are aligned. But they might not always be. And she knows this, and it troubles her. Galaxy wants to close the rift, eventually. But what if, in order for June to get home, she finds out she needs to leave the rift open? Or even . . . to widen it?

Could she do that? To leave everyone to that chaos and just bounce? Especially when she's the only one around here strong enough and brave enough to face frenzied Nobles?

Volo says it is an interesting conundrum she brings up. (She says she wouldn't use the word 'interesting' to describe it...) What would she do? he asks.

She doesn't know. It is a horrible thought, she doesn't think she can do it, just leave and screw everyone. Do that to a whole region, a whole group of people?? That'd be awful. But on the other hand. To not only never see her family ever again, but her entire world and timeline....to be stuck in what's to her, a backwater era that's super technologically primitive, among people she doesn't even like (well, except for you, you're pretty cool), to be forever displaced in time....it's....god, she doesn't know if she could face that either. She'd be out of place, out of time and a stranger her whole life, here.

After a span of silence she asks quietly,

"Would you blame me if I left?"

He murmurs a response so gently she almost doesn't hear.

"I wouldn't."

She gives him a bunch of colored fragments and stardust that she's collected.

"Take these, Volo, just . . . just in case."

He asks, what do you mean, June? She says, if things get bad, if worse comes to worst, you can sell these, maybe get out of the area altogether. You're a merchant, you must know how to get out of here in a hurry. So at least . . . you'd be safe . . .

"June--"

She explains she has a ton of money now, nobody ever wants to approach the rifts, and she collects the stuff there in droves. People are too afraid of the powerful pokemon there and of being sucked into the distortions. But she goes towards them, hoping the distortions will bring her home again. Picks up valuables while there. She still works for Galaxy but now not for the money. But because she needs them as allies for now. They are powerful. And she needs their help learning more about all these mysteries, so she can hopefully get home.

"It's just in case. Hopefully it never comes to that. And I may not even decide-- you know--"

"All right, June. I'll take them."

One hot day, June overworks herself to the point of nearly fainting. Volo finds her on the ground, dizzy and weak. He carries her to a safer place where pokemon are less likely to harass them, under the shade of a tree, gets her some food and water. Asks things such as when's the last time she's eaten, or bathed, or slept. She mumbles her answers. It's been days since she's slept any longer than ten minute stints, she was lost in areas with way too much pokemon activity to let her guard down.

"Days?!"

He starts to wash the grime from her face with a wet washcloth, chewing her out for letting the Galaxy people overwork her, and treating her for any less than she's worth (if those idiots realized how valuable an asset she really was, they should never do that, and she's worth her weight in gold), she has to take care of herself--

June starts to cry while being chewed out. Mostly from being overwhelmed from it all. He apologizes awkwardly, tries to comfort her, touching her face and telling her it will be okay. Dries her tears and washes her face, then wants to pull her hair back to help with her cooling down, has to brush her hair first but it's all snagged and caked with dried mud, he gets a comb from his bag and brushes it all out, carefully, so that it doesn't hurt her. Gets her to nap, eventually, convinces her he shall watch over while she sleeps. She is concerned he will be bored, he laughs, he's very much used to passing time. She tells him to look in her bag, she got a book she wanted to give to him next time she saw him.

He reads her diary while she sleeps.

She records her struggles. Her fears and confusion. How much she misses home, how estranged she is here. Her desperate attempts to figure things out, speculations. She hates the public bathhouse the town has, she hates the food, she hates the way everyone looks at her, she hates the cold, the mosquitoes, so many things. The weeks spent filthy in the bog before finally returning to town for a pathetic amount of research points. It's recorded here, so raw.

She talks about the townspeople she meets. Including the Gingko Guild trader named Volo. She analyzes him shrewdly, cautious about trusting anyone, including him. But he's caught her interest, enough to make note of it.

Her entries continie to talk about the professor and Rei a lot, the Commander, the 'stupid potato mochi resturuant jerk' (she hates the mochi too, just because it's all they ever eat), but she also writes about Volo. Mentions each time she comes across him.

He begins to show up in the diary more and more. She eventually says, 'He's the only one who's any fun to talk to, really,' saying that she finds his pure curiosity in investigating things to be refreshing, (as opposed to the Galaxy people, whose research is motivated by protection/safety but claims to be scientific; or the Pearl/Diamond clan's petty squabbles and nonsensical arguments) and his directness about his motivations refreshing too (he's a merchant, he's being friendly because it's good business). It stands in contrast to everyone else. The other Gingko guild folks are fine enough but not particularly engaged in talking with her, the way Volo is. And just not . . . hmm. The sort of person who's interesting, she supposes. He's engaging, intriguing. Still, June knows she musn't be too open with things when talking to him. She knows nothing about the charismatic merchant, nothing about anyone really, and she must be careful in this world.

"He never talks about his past. I often wonder why. I can tell he's carrying secrets, though. I try to ask him about his past, but he always deflects. Sometimes I think he's a criminal on the run from the law, and he's traveled to this region to avoid punishment. He could be a serial murderer, for all I know. Of course, he might simply not want to think about his past, perhaps something painful happened to him or his family. It could be many things, really. We all have our reasons for keeping secrets, I suppose . . . I won't try to push it, just see what he feels like sharing."

Volo begins to flip more hastily through the diary to directly hunt for mention of his name. He sees their interactions through her point of view now. He is pleased with the effectiveness of his infiltrations but also impressed with her attention to detail and her sharp observations and analyses and continued caution. Her descriptions of him stroke his ego and as the entries continue they grow more and more flattering, more and more detailed. He gets to the part where she is analyzing the comments he'd left in the margins of that novel.

June stirrs and he quickly puts the diary away.

When she recovers enough, she's embarassed she worked herself hard enough to get to that point, and is very apologetic to Volo. He tells her not to worry about it, it wasn't any trouble for him; she just had to promise him she'd take better care of herself in the future.

She is asked to quell the final Noble. She drags her feet getting around to it. She needs to earn a 5 Star Rank before they let her go there. She's earned plenty of research points for that but delays telling them, pretends she needs to get more research done.

She's trying to learn more. She's afraid once she quells the last one, the rift will close and she will never get home. She tells this to Volo. But she can't delay forever, she knows; sooner or later Team Galaxy will catch wise. The two settle on a plan; June will try to hunt for those plates and those verses with Ursaluna. And Volo will do what he can to find out more for her, too. They decide to meet up again in a week, choose a place and time.

Eventually, even with what info June turns up, it's not enough. And Volo has his own contacts, but they insist that they have nothing more to tell him. They are still no closer to understanding this mystery.

"In truth, June, it seems the best shot we have at learning more is for you to face this final Noble. Perhaps doing so will help us learn more about these strange frenzies. Perhaps the others are right and something may happen once you calm them all."

"Yeah . . . I was afraid you were going to say that."

He tells her that he's sorry he couldn't be of more help to her. She shakes her head, says it isn't his fault.

He tries to comfort her.

"Who knows, June. Perhaps nothing will happen when you calm the final one. Or something will, but the rift may not close, that's just pure speculation, something else could happen. Perhaps the Almighty will be pleased with your work and send you home!"

She chuckles.

"That's always possible. Although I dunno if I believe in Sinnoh."

"Oh? . . . I suppose an outsider has no real reason to. . ."

June apologizes and realizes it was probably a rude thing to say. He says that no, he's glad that she feels comfortable enough around him to be honest. She asks if he believes in Sinnoh. He says he knows it by a different name, but that he does indeed; he's studied it for most his life. 'What more proof do you need than this strange rift in the sky and the fact that you are here?' June explains her perspective. That portals to other realms are not beyond the realm of possibility. That she may not need the explanation of divine intervention for them. They simply may be an aspect of nature, the same way that the sky, the air, the trees, the sun are . . . and that strange lightning. Perhaps that is just a weird sort of weather. Odd that it strikes the Nobles, but uhm, maybe it's like a lightning rod and hits the strong ones, you know? Who knows. Point is. She doesn't know. But. It is possible that Sinnoh exists and brought her here. She really doesn't know. They are quiet and thoughtful a while.

He speaks again.

"Well. The only way for us to learn is to keep asking questions, to keep searching for answers, and to keep moving forward."

She agrees that is true, smiling faintly. He asks if she is ready. She nods.

When nothing seemed to change after quelling the final Noble, June was glad. The forboding hole in the sky frightened everyone but her. Where they saw fear, she saw hope that she might still return home. They returned to Jubilife and dined on bland, tasteless mochi that sat heavy in her stomach, while the Professor nattered on about pokedex work. There was a certain comfort in it.

The next morning, it all went to shit.

Even June was frightened at the sight of the blood-red sky, which made the rift look like an open wound. It seemed like armageddon. When they summoned her to a meeting, she wasn't too surprised what came next. Was she angry? Yes. But she wasn't surprised. Part of her had always hoped she had been wrong about the Commander, about all the people here, and that they wouldn't turn on her, so it still hurt when it happened, but it really didn't surprise her. That asshole had been looking for a scapegoat the day she landed here, and today she was the lamb chosen for the slaughter. They whispered and stared as she was led out of town like some kind of criminal.

For what it was worth, the professor and Rei tried to help her, sort of. They suggested she seek out the Diamond and Pearl clans. However, the clan's respective leaders could only offer sympathy. They explained they could not help June, lest they risk war with Team Galaxy. The professor and Rei likewise were unwilling to directly disobey their superiors and risk banishment themselves. There was a lot of hand-wringing and sad looks, but not much else. After everything she'd done for them, all the times they swore she was family now, that they had her back. Not a single person stepped up to help her in return, now that she really needed it most.

They sent her away into the wilderness, alone. She had her big backpack stuffed with everything she could carry, and her team of six bug alphas, pokemon who still hardly knew her at all, since she rarely had opportunity to even bond with them. She sat on the hill overlooking Gruelling Grove, under the blood-red sky, just staring out at the fields numbly and wondering what to do next, and trying not to give into the fear threatening to overtake her.

Eventually, a voice startled her from her dark thoughts, and she looked up, meeting with a familiar, friendly face. The corners of Volo's eyes crinkled and his face lit up with his usual sunny smile, even under the cast of the grim, terrifying sky.

"I've been looking for you everywhere, June," he said.

She had only cried once since she'd fallen through the rift, when Volo had found her dizzy and exhausted that one time, but not since then. She felt the tears begin to fall now, though. Volo spoke soothing words and helped pull her to her feet.

She pulled him into a hug, squeezing him fiercely, causing him to wheeze, sounding startled and flustered.

It had felt like an angel had come to save her.

He brought her to his humble campsite to shelter her. "It isn't much, but it's home, and you're welcome to it," he tells her cheerfully. They sit around a campfire; he makes what are essentially shish kebabs for dinner, chunks of vegetable and meat skewered and roasted over the fire. While they eat, he tells her excitedly about one of his contacts and how he's going to take her there to meet her tomorrow morning. This mysterious contact was now feeling much more cooperative, once Volo told her that June had quelled the last Noble and apparently met with her approval. He says that she is very wise on the myths passed down from the Celestica peoples of old, and she will surely be able to help them sort out this space-time mystery.

They share his tent that night. It's a snug fit, and June doesn't sleep much, her mind swimming with thoughts.

She never paid attention in school when they discussed ancient mythology. In hindsight she wished she had. Maybe if she did, she would have noticed sooner that something was amiss.

It wasn't until the two of them reached the top of Mount Coronet with all the plates, and he chose to reveal his true colors, that she learned the truth. She trusted him right up to the end.

When he told her how he bid Giratina to tear a hole in the sky, the one that she fell through, it felt like being run through with a knife.

After everything that happens on top of that mountain, when June returns and gives her report, she doesn't mention Volo tried to destroy the world and everyone in it. She just says they finished collecting the plates, and climbed to the top of the mountain to see if anything would happen. Giratina appeared there, and she battled it, but it escaped before she could catch it.

Technically, all of it was true. She just left out some important parts, is all.

Later, when she's alone doing her survey work, he finds her and grabs her roughly by the shoulder, hisses at her,

“You! What game are you trying to play here?!”

She asks what he means.

“Don't play dumb. I know you didn't tell your Galaxy fools about me. Why not? If you're hoping to use it as leverage, you can forget it, I won't be anyone's puppet--”

“That's-- that's not why I did it!”

“Then why?”

She confesses she's not exactly sure why.

“I guess I just . . . look, if I told them, I'm not sure exactly what they'd do, I don't know how you even punish someone for that kind of crime, but in the very least they'd do something, banish you from basically all of Hisui, probably. And that's what you deserve. But I also know if they did it, there'd be zero chance of you . . . getting better.”

He demands to know what that means.

“Becoming a better person? It . . . it sounds stupid when I say it outloud, I guess. I know the past few months you've spent just lying to my face and using me, but part of me still wants to believe that maybe a small piece of all that wasn't a lie. That there was a grain of truth to it, that the goodness I saw in you is still buried down in there and wasn't entirely made-up.”

She looks into his eyes, trying to find even a flicker of evidence for that. She's not sure. She can't trust her own judgment, anymore. He stares back for a time, then silently turns and skulks away without another word.

She does not see him again for a long time. When he reappears again it's to demand a rematch. She wins again, by a narrow margin. He rants and raves about how close he is to defeating her, fumes about Arceus having chosen her. They argue. As he storms away she yells after him, voice choked,

“I'm being used by Arceus like a puppet, I don't think that's something to envy!”

He stops.

His demeanor changes. Like flipping a switch.

Eventually, says,

“If you resent Arceus, why do you still scamper about and do their bidding?”

“. . . because I want to go home.”

He turns. Asks her if her world is as cruel and unforgiving a place as it is here. June argues she doesn't think the world is cruel and unforgiving, then amends, well, it can be sometimes. But it's also filled with good things, too.

“And why should such ugliness and horror exist alongside such beauty? Why should some prosper while others are left to dine on naught but dust?”

She . . . she doesn't know.

“That is why I want to meet them. So that I may ask. And . . . perhaps fix things.”

“Volo, I understand wanting to make things better, but I don't think the solution is to mass murder everyone on the planet and starting over from scratch! There are better ways . . .”

He remains silent for some time. Then he pulls on the cord about his neck, takes his necklace off. The one he made out of the comet shard she gave him. He gives it to her.

“I don't deserve to keep something accepted under false pretenses.”

Then he leaves. June stares after for some time, confused. Why was he even still wearing it? If he'd been wearing it only to manipulate her, why continue the act once she knew the truth? Did part of him actually care? Or was he still trying to manipulate her now?

He didn't seem to be. It seemed to be a good-bye, in fact. She had a feeling he didn't plan to see her again.

She finds Giratina one day, in a small, dark cave she stumbles across while exploring the coastlands. She's shocked that she can capture it in a pokeball. Gods shouldn't be so easy to subjugate, surely. Perhaps the Pearl cand Diamond clans were right to fear the contraptions. They were strangely chill about her capturing their sacred Palkia and Dialga in pokeballs, but she had promised it was a temporary thing, so perhaps it just went to show how much trust was finally placed in her now.

When she told the Professor about Giratina, he revealed something that surprised her. He said Volo had approached him not long ago and spoke to him. Told him that Giratina had been responsible for tearing the rift in space-time, but that once it battled June, it realized that it was no match for her. It chose to instead protect Hisui, and it was no longer a threat to them.

June should catch it. So that you may study it, he told him.

Perhaps that's why it had been so easy to capture. June was still shocked, though. Shocked that Volo had bothered to speak to the Professor at all. Why did he? Did he feel protective over Giratina and wanted to ensure its safety? Did he want to reassure Team Galaxy that they didn't need to worry-- a peace offering, of sorts? Did he do it for June?

She didn't know. The Professor told her the last thing he said was that it was probably the last time he'd see him; and then he wandered off. She's pretty sure he meant it. She hadn't seen him for a month now, not since he'd given her the necklace.

Later, June sent Giratina out of its ball, when she was alone out on the coastlands. She stared at it, calmly, and spoke to it.

“You spoke to him after you fled the mountain, didn't you? What did he plan on doing? Where did he go?”

The dragon stared back at her silently.

“Please. I . . . I'm worried about him.”

In truth, Hisui wasn't the same without him. She hated what he did, what he did to her, and it felt like twisting a knife whenever she thought of him, but she also missed him.

She was reminded of him constantly, and she spent hours upon hours going over the memories. Sometimes she searched her memories for hints of his subterfuge, wishing she'd noticed sooner, wishing it had been different. Sometimes she'd daydream of getting revenge. Sometimes she'd spend the time wondering if any of his friendship had been real, hoping at least something had been. Often she wondered what was going through his head, who he really was, what he was doing now.

She'd been alone with her thoughts for too long and they were driving her mad. She needed closure. She needed to know what became of him. And she needed something more than the daily life she was living now. Once he'd left she'd turned her obsessive focus to finishing the Pokedex, as Arceus seemed to demand of her. She hardly had spent time doing anything but that work. She was withdrawn with everyone else. She'd gotten closer to her main team of pokemon, that was about it. It was horrifically lonely and monotonous.

It took June time to realize Giratina had lowered to the ground, uncoiling its long body, almost in invitation. She blinked at it.

“Do you want me to, um, climb aboard?”

She was nervous, but when she approached, it remained still. She climbed onto its back, half-surprised to find it felt solid, despite it being a ghost. She settled onto one of its golden ribs, as though it were a saddle. Silently, the dragon raised up once more, and began to fly through the starry sky. It felt surreal.

He misses her and their "friendship," now that she's gone. It takes him by surprise. Why should he miss such a thing? It wasn't a real friendship on his side, of course, but it wasn't real on her side, either; since she had merely liked the lie, not the real him. He was certain she wouldn't have liked the real him. Certainly not after what he did. Naturally.

But he missed it, anyway, that beautiful lie he'd created with her. Perhaps because he hoped like she had liked at least a part of him. Perhaps because it was just nice to pretend.

He hated to admit it; he'd spent so very long in denial that he had cared about her at all, and it still churned his stomach to think about the ugly truth, but it was becoming impossible to deny.

Because he can't seem to stop thinking about her. And it's driving him a bit mad. He's lost now, no clue what he's going to do. He just keeps thinking of the way she once looked at him with such kindness and affection. And how it all transformed to anger and hurt and mistrust and pain instead. Like a lovely flower plucked and crushed.

It didn't matter.

It was too late. It wasn't as though she'd ever forgive him. It wasn't as though he wanted her forgiveness.

. . . perhaps he did. But he certainly didn't deserve it.

What was he? Some poor wretch who'd fallen from Arceus' grace. Even Giratina had turned its back on him, in the end. The one creature in all the realms he thought would understand him. He didn't blame it; he'd failed it, after all. He was not worthy to weild its power.

He hid from the world, tucked away deep in a corner of Hisui that others dared not tred. The days passed in a blur, and he barely thought to eat. He spent much time sleeping, but still found little rest, tormented by his dreams.

At first he assumes the Hoopa portal that abducts him is Arceus finally choosing to smite him from this mortal plane.

Giratina leads her to the cave Volo had been staying at. She picks through the refuse, it's disgusting there, a total mess, and his possessions are strewn all about, but she finds no one home. She grows more and more anxious as she searches. There is a fire still smoldering as if he'd been there recently; what's more, she eventually finds his pokemon team is left there. She asks Giratina what happened but the dragon either doesn't wish to speak or she cannot hear it.

The portal finds her too eventually. She's sucked into it in a much better position though. She has her backpack and her full pokemon team on her. When she's spat out on some grass somewhere, she is . . . unamused, though. It feels far too familiar. Powerful pokemon transporting her across time and space at their whimsy.

She wanders around, and eventually comes across Volo. He's disheveled, disoriented, and devoid of most possessions, save for a single pokeball, which has a Togepi. He won't say why he has it (it's the child of his Togekiss). He's shocked when she appears, and says it musn't be the afterlife after all. He asks why she's here, she explains she went searching for him, found his camp empty, Giratina led her there. Then a portal got her. He wants to know why she went searching for him at all, but their conversation is interrupted when they are discovered by some friendly locals. They're led back into town by them. They learn this place is an island called Pasio.

At first June is very, very excited. She thinks she's landed in her native time-line. However, once she gets a phone and contacts her family, she is shocked to learn a version of her already exists in this place. So close to home and yet so far.

In the meanwhile, Volo is amazed by the future and his changed situation and the gears in his head are quickly turning. He tries to lie to the people here and pretend to be nothing but a simple merchant from the past with an interest in myths and the research into sync stones. But June is having none of his bullshit. Once she figures out what he is up to, she goes right to Professor Bellis and the Prince and warns them what he tried to do in the past, and that he might try to do the same again. She doesn't want them to simply lock him up, though, so she asks if there might be some other solution. They thank June for the warning and decide to restrict Volo's access to certain things, such as learning about sync stone research. They also put June in charge of keeping an eye on him, so that he does not cause trouble.

When she delivers the news to Volo, he's shocked, at first, then tries to act innocent, saying he wasn't lying to anyone, he merely didn't see a reason to bring up the past; he'd hoped he could start fresh, turn over a new leaf. June gets very angry, and hurt, yelling,

"Are you KIDDING me? You're still trying to lie to me, even now?!"

This seems to get to him, and he stops trying to convince her his intentions were all purely innocent. She finishes explaining the deal to him, including the fact she's responsible for keeping him out of trouble, now. His mouth curves in a smile and he laughs, dry, bitter.

"So you are to be my warden."

Things don't go very well at first with this new arrangement, and he's not cooperative at all, keeps trying to get away with things, manipulate her, and they keep arguing over his obsessive goals. Tensions mount and they keep butting heads until an especially heated argument, June just snaps.

She barks an order to her Alpha Scizor; it immediately reaches out and grabs Volo around the neck with its massive claw. She screams at him,

“If you're so eager to meet Arceus, why don't I help send you to it?!”

Scizor lifts Volo up off the ground until his feet are dangling. Eyes wide, he looks down at her.

He looks terrified.

She hesitates and then sighs. She tells Scizor to put him down. It was only an empty threat because she was absolutely sick with anger, but seeing the genuine fear in his eyes made her immediately feel bad. She could never actually hurt him.

Maybe she was too good of a person for her own good.

Things change after that. Volo seems to realize June isn't going to be manipulated anymore. He grows more cooperative, more contemplative. (Other plot stuff happens that I only have vaguely defined, but one of them is he starts to become sort of friends with Jacq-- for real this time, not like at the start when he was putting on an act. He also is doing work while on this island, so is June, and he's battling trainers, sometimes, and learning more about the world and the future here.)

Their relationship gradually shifts, and they start to have conversations that are not purely antagonistic.

One day he tells June he read her diary, back in Hisui.

June is appalled but reigns in her anger and asks why he's telling her this. He explains he asked her to start telling her the truth.

"I did say that, didn't I . . . ugh. Okay, that's fair, I guess. But why did you feel the need to even do that to begin with?"

He explains that he thought perhaps Arceus had sent her to Hisui for some purpose, and he needed to figure out why, because perhaps she could be the key to him meeting it. He hoped to find more information there. She sees the cold logic in his choice, and then asks with some trepidation how much he actually read. He relays what he could recall reading, and then starts to ramble about his judgments of her, which were very harsh judgments at that (he thought she was weak, and soft, and pathetic, and she whined and complained about how everything was difficult, and he didn't understand why Arceus would choose her) and she gets understandably ticked off, face flushed in anger.

He cuts her off before she can yell at him, though, when he says reading her diary started to shift his thinking, though.

He says it made him realize just how much she was up against every single day. She had the deck stacked against her from the start. No one and nothing was kind to her in this place, and every gain she made was as hard-fought as possible, and yet . . . she kept going. The weight of the world on her shoulders, pressing down on her, but she didn't buckle. She bent but didn't break.

She awkwardly thanks him for acknowledging it.

One day they are having a relatively minor disagreement and she says,

"I could have just told them to lock you up, you know."

"I know."

"Would a 'thank you' kill you?"

He hesitantly explains no it would not, but he doesnt want to say something to her that he doesnt mean.

She is very unamused.

"So it's not that you can't say thank you, it's that you're incapable of feeling gratitude. Great."

He's quiet for a time.

"...possibly. I'm not sure."

One night he rushes to her room and shakes her awake.

"Hnnngh . . . Volo? What is it? What's wrong??"

He instantly loses nerve and apologizes for waking her, and says that it isn't important

"Wh-what??" She demands to know what it is, it must be important enough to charge into here like that, but he apologizes again and starts to leave and she grabs his wrist. His eyes widen.

She senses his uncertainty and speaks much more gently.

"No, w-wait, Volo, don't go. Tell me what it is." He looks to her.

"Please."

He hesitates a while, working himself up to it, face a little red and licking his dry lips. Finally says,

"Thank you."

She is confused. "What?" With difficulty, he repeats,

"Thank you."

"For what?"

After a bit, he tells her,

"For asking them to allow me to remain."

"Oh."

He explains it does not benefit her in the slightest, on the contrary, it inconveniences her at every turn. Even when he's made it clear he shall never feel indebted to her or help her in any way, she persists . . . she continues to help him. And he doesn't understand why, after everything he's done . . .

He seems to realize he's saying more than he meant to.

"I don't know why I'm here saying all this. I'll let you get back to sleep--"

"It's okay, really, I don't . . . mind you at all. You can come talk to me anytime. Even in the middle of the night."

He seems uncertain.

"Truly?"

"Yes. I mean, within reason, maybe knock on my door gently next time instead of giving me a heart attack, but yeah. Also, um, you . . . you are wearing pants, right?"

The room's still very dim but she can see that he's shirtless. He looks down at himself, considering the question and looking alarmed she might think that. He stammers,

"Yes, of course, I-- I was in bed, but I'm wearing pants--"

The incredible awkwardness in his voice makes her giggle a little. In relief, she says,

"Okay, good, just checking."

He is spellbound for a time by the feeling that goes shooting through his chest when she giggles. It is the first time he's heard her laugh in his presense since he'd pretended to be her friend.

When he returns to his bed, laying there, staring at the ceiling, he decides he'd do anything to be the reason for her to smile and laugh again.

#pokemon #legends arceus #volo #OC #headcanons #I knew the main twist of the ending ahead of time obviously #mystuff

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