#their finger heals normally and they can't use it to invade

[squaretablehold]

An incredibly indulgent drabble about Hunter feeling out of place and missing home. Also Varré is there because I think its funny when he gets freaked out by tarnished that are weirder than him.

Blood Under Moonlight

The sound of hooves splashing through the swamp at an easy canter wake Varré from his slumber against the wall of the church. He doesn’t stir immediately, movement attracts attention and he’d like to know a little more about whoever approaches before he makes his move. A familiar whooshing sound followed by two feet hitting the ground singles that it can only be that frustrating tarnished that gallivants around on that damn steed. He stays as still as possible, hoping they’ll move on or at least have manners enough not to “wake” him.

Lucky for him they pass right by and wade into the bloody pool behind him, sloshing about as if demanding attention. Their call of course is answered as yet another sanguine noble is summoned from the crimson depths. There’s a cackle that’s distinctly not appropriate for one of noble blood as the ring of weapons clashing sounds across the island. The tarnished starts singing out the notes to a wordless song as they fight.

“La, Da-da, Da. La Da-da!” If the surgeon strains his ears he can catch the squelch of the tarnished’s rapiers sinking into flesh on each note. “La, Da-Da Da, da-da Da!” The singing and sounds of fighting continue until a heavy splash signals the noble has fallen. Again. This particular tarnished seems to take great pleasure in pitting themself against his back up. Really they could put that bloodlust to far better use but either couldn’t find an appropriate sacrifice, or were dragging their feet on their final task. His stewing is interrupted by the very cause of his irritation. 

“Oi! Dollface, you awake?” Varré tenses but doesn’t move, how they manage to make such an affectionate nickname sound like an insult is beyond him. Uneven footsteps pad closer and slow to a stop nearby.

“You dead?” Oh please don’t poke him. He’s seen them poke things they believed were dead, seen them trot happily up to Rhys with the slimy corpse of some lake vermin skewered on their sword like a cat with a dead bird. Varré makes a very subtle point to breathe and shift the slightest bit, still hoping he can avoid their attention.

“Ah, well, sweet dreams then,” they pass him by and round the side of the church. He hears them summon their steed but instead of mounting it and leaving they start tending to it. 

“Alright, c’mon upupupupup! Can’t have any lake goo rotting in your hooves.” The steady scrape and drop of each hoof as it’s cleaned is almost enough to let Varré drop back into a doze until he hears the tarnished speak again.

“Ya know, of all the people to remind me of her you wouldn’t think it’d be him.” They speak with a quiet pensiveness Varré’s never heard them use before, and he strains to listen as they can only be speaking of him. “Rasberry’d make more sense, but I guess the whole porcelain face thing is what sold it. At least he breathes in his sleep, you know how many times she nearly scared the shit outta me taking a nap? I mean how do you even sleep in a dream? Makes no sense.” 

Varré isn’t sure what he’d been expecting other than more nonsense. No, yet again Hunter fails to say anything intelligible. At least if they’re comparing him to someone in a dream they had that explains the whole not breathing part of it. Absently he wonders if the horse has a better idea of who Raspberry is than him. The beast snorts as Hunter scrambles up onto a ruined wall so they can sit as they start brushing its mane, so maybe it does. 

“I miss her, the Doll, didn’t think I’d be leaving her behind like this.” Ah, now that was grief. The kind of grief he’d expect from a maidenless welp like them, but he’d never expected to hear it so plainly from the frustratingly unflappable tarnished. Though that is the point of eavesdropping, still Varré’d like to think himself a better conversationalist than a horse. 

“Thought I’d see her again, in the dream. It’s supposed to be mine now after all, but…” They trail off, swallowing down their pain along with the end of their sentence. Varré tilts his head slightly to try and catch whatever they’re going to say next. The mention of a dream again piquing his interest. What was that cult, St. Trina’s? Maybe that was the key to understanding their madness, a different kind of religious fervor to the two fingers' sheep. Perhaps Varré might actually be able to unravel something about this tarnished.

“Well, you know better than anyone don’t ya, buddy?” Of course not. The horse knows, because they’re talking to a horse, at midnight, with blood undoubtedly having seeped into their boots. Varré’s not sure why he even bothers.

“Do you know why I keep coming back here though?” Varré must be having a nightmare, surely his own subconscious would be the only thing precise enough to torture his curiosity so.

“It’s cause it smells like home.” 

What? The surgeon almost sits up at that. He’d never smelled anything like the church before.

“Bloody, but sweet and cloying, with the faintest hint of starlight.” Exactly, but where else would smell of holy blood? Nowhere the tarnished should have access too. Definitely nowhere they ought to be calling home.

“Wrong kinda flower though. You think it’d kill the guy to plant some lilies? Oh Flora of the Moon of the Dream…” Hunter dissolves into half-hearted chuckles, at least somewhat aware of their own nonsense this time. Varré tumbles what they’ve said over and over again in his head, trying to pull what he knows about lilies and carian sorcery from the depths of his mind as he does but only succeeding in frustrating himself. He isn’t sure whether to be grateful when Hunter pulls him out of the maddening task they’ve unknowingly set him too.

“Thing is, I’m not sure when I started thinking of it as home, the city or the workshop. I guess only once I started to miss it. Funny how that works, couldn’t stand the place until I left it, now I just wanna go back. Not to the hunt mind you, but the Doll, and the old crow, and Gilbert. Fuck. Gilbert. I shoulda left when he told me too, ran as far as I could on a little bit of blood and then died by the side of the road wherever. I mean it’s not like they even fixed me just patched me up enough to throw me out to the literal wolves! Fuck, I just-” 

Varré can’t see what they do when their voice cracks, he imagines they must bury their face against the horse's neck or something of the like. He doesn’t even try to make sense of all they said, just strains his ears so he doesn’t miss a single word.

“I shouldn’t have woken up. Shouldn’t have started dreaming. Maybe then I wouldn’t be this. Would be able to sleep. It’s all so familiar, the gods, the hold even, the blood…" Varré grinds his teeth as they trail off again, resisting the urge to storm over and shake answers out of the tarnished. What blood? Is there another sect of The Formless Mother out there? If there is Luminary must be informed if he doesn't know already. They could have allies across the fog…or competition. Varré not sure which he'd welcome more.

"I shouldn’t be here. This place seems like it might actually still have something of a chance, but if I stick around well…” The laugh they let out at that is sharper even than their swords. “We’ve seen the mess Marika’s already made, they don’t need their own Mergo too.”

Varré’s thoughts grind to a halt. Were they likening themself to Marika? Through this Mergo figure sure, but still, what foolish illusions of grandeur this tarnished must have. To think a lowborn fool like them would be worth comparing the scum on the bottom of his shoe much less a goddess. Really he ought to stop trying to spin gold out of whatever rotting straw passes for their brain.

The horse nickers softly, making the tarnished give a watery laugh. "I know, I know, I'm not quite Mergo, managed to stay locked away thanks to the Doll I suppose, but still. This is a bad idea, Torrent, I really should figure out how to go home, but I just… I get it now. That longing. That loneliness. Don't get me wrong, the Doll's great but I miss other people." They pause for a moment and for the first time that night actually manage to tug at Varré's heartstrings. Even if everything else was gibberish, the pain of isolation he could understand. 

If only they'd return the favor soon they could be welcomed properly into the dynasty. He could unravel their mysteries and patch together their broken mind. The sanctuary here already seemed to soothe their homesickness, Moghwyn would be the perfect place for them.

"Though I'm really not sure I get to call myself people anymore. I mean, granted, I was never the most popular, but at least I could hold a conversation with someone other than a horse!" Yes, there's hope for them yet, their self awareness hasn't completely fled. Varré's sure that whatever delusions they've taken solace in can be brushed aside by the right hand. They can be guided, nurtured, healed, all with the right shepherd. 

Their steed whinnies, and they laugh again, obviously pleased with the acknowledgement. Varré refuses to be suckered into thinking how oddly response the beast is to them, as if it actually understands. 

"No, you're right, I couldn't ask for a better listener. Too bad I can't take you with me when I go. Don't think I've got enough space to keep you happy, and wouldn't wanna push my luck trying to expand." Varré hears their feet hit the ground as they push off the wall.

"That's probably good for now. I really oughta grab those roses for Rhys, guy goes through them like candy." Torrent snorts and paws at the ground in a way Varré’s forced to admit sounds incredulous. 

"Okay, yeah, I walked right into that one but listen! It's not my fault the magic grease tastes like starlight, stuff's addictive!"

Do they eat magic grease? For a moment Varré forgets he's supposed to be pretending to sleep and covers the eye holes of his mask with his hand. The horse lets out a put-upon sigh and he surprises himself by how fiercely agrees with the animal at that moment.

"Well, you know the drill, sleep well, or whatever it is you do." Hunter dismisses their steed and Varré carefully returns to his false slumber, not fancying the idea of being  caught now. He listens as Hunter goes sloshing back into the flooded church, steps far less pointed this time. He's just about to tune out and leave them to their gathering when they do something not all together unusual.

They start to sing. 

The difference this time is that, contrary to their usual boisterous and over the top belting, the melody is low and crooning. Varré's fascinated to learn the tarnished actually has a decent voice when unhindered by fighting or buffoonery. What unsettles him though are the words.

"Your blood's gone bad. I knew it would…The devil came, made you bad for good…" 

Given everything he's heard tonight it shouldn't be surprising they're singing about what's on their mind. The tarnished always had an uncanny ability to conjure up a relevant song. Still.

"So death is coming to purge this town. I know your name, and I'm gonna cut you down…" 

Their voice echoes with resigned malice, and it stirs a strange fear at the base of Varré's spine. The words dripping with intent even when sung as a gathering song.

"You can run…You can hide… You can pray… But I'm gonna cut you down…" 

They can't know he's awake. They aren't singing to him. They're not even doing anything threatening, just picking roses and singing, so why does the surgeon suddenly feel like a rabbit staring down a hungry wolf.

"I don't bring forgiveness. I don't bring peace. I've come to slay you, come to kill the beast…"

As viscerally unsettling as their voice had become, Varré also finds himself drawn in by the naked sorrow shining through in the night. The song is a lament, a funeral dirge, a serenade from a reluctant executioner. 

"I'll search the shadows you wear like a crown. You know it's coming, and I'm gonna hunt you down…"

Varré’s struck with two incredibly foolish notions at once. The first, that Hunter's name may be more of a title than anything, distracts him while his body acts on the second. Silent as a mouse he creeps towards the doorway to catch a glimpse of his late-night visitor.

"You can run… You can hide…You can pray…" 

As the surgeon peeks around the corner he half expects them to meet his eyes and charge, rapiers bared like teeth. They don't. They're facing away, trailing their fingers along the tips of a rose and drawing a bead of blood from their skin.

"But I'm gonna cut you down…" 

Varré watches as the droplet rolls down the petal, catching the light of the moon with an unnaturally bright reflection. Its color crimson beyond even what it should be when shining in blood, as if the moon itself were red not white. It hits the stem and Hunter moves, beheading the rose with a slash of their sword.

"You can all run if you want to!"

Their voice soars as they spin and dash forward to cut down another rose. It echoes eerily off the walls of the church, folding back in on itself as if they were singing with extra throats. 

'Want to, want to!' Varré shudders but can't turn his eyes away. The cut stems weep crimson and, as the tarnished dashes around the pool, sending ripples across its surface, the white reflection of the Moonlight turns a sinister vermillion.

"You can all hide if you need"

Varrè ducks out of the doorway as if their words were an order, pressing his back against the wall to avoid any possibility of being seen. Something in the deep, instinctual part of his brain tells him it won't be enough. 

"But I'm gonna cut you down…"

Varré fights with the panicked prey animal his mind insists he is for another peak at the tarnished. He needs to know what it is about their voice that makes the bleeding walls of the church join in. 'Down, down…' 

If he could just look, if he could see, he's sure he'd understand why it seems to call to the very blood. It must, because he can feel it, feel the song echoing in his veins, reverberating with a power he's only ever felt in the presence of his Lord. If that were it surely he'd be able to glance round the corner, but what stills him and sets his hands shaking is the difference. Like a slightly different floral aroma, a lily as compared to a rose, a nightmare instead of a dream.

"I'm gonna cut you down…"

The final note fades, mournful even in its brutality, and the tight ball of fear in Varré’s chest starts to loosen. He peaks back around the threshold to the church to see the tarnished standing there with bloody rapier in hand. They're almost too still, he feels as if he should be seeing their outline ripple like the pool, but he can't focus his eyes right. The sensation fades as the blood settles, and, just before it stills completely and returns to white, he notices the Moonlight shining red.

Hunter sighs and when he looks back to them they seem the same as they always are, albeit covered head to toe in viscera from the noble and the church itself. They start gathering the sliced flower blooms, shaking the excess blood off their petals and storing them away. 

The surgeon watches in stunned silence, trying to make sense of what he saw and feeling as though he might go mad from it. He ought to report this to his Lord but he's not exactly sure what it is. 

Would it be heresy? To admit he'd felt a power not unlike that of the Luminary radiating from a lowly tarnished? Has he gone mad after all? Maybe dreamt up the whole encounter? That would make the most sense, but he knows in his blood it's not the case. More than anything he wants this to be a nightmare and not whatever actually happened. He, of course, fails to realize how true the instinct is.

[violetrainbow412-blog]

You are here [P. P]

⚠SPIDERMAN NO WAY HOME SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT ⚠

Andrew Garfield!Peter Parker x reader

MASTERLIST

Word count: 4.1k

A/N: I was very inspired to write this as soon as I saw the movie and couldn't wait. I'm sorry if I spoiled someone but hey, it's a risk you take when you enter social networks. I hope you like it and if you want more content follow me because I think Peter is here to stay <3

And I'm sorry if there is something wrong with the pronouns, I'm very tired and can't see well X2

“Let me have Connors, I already healed him once. It's easy”, he pronounced, balancing in his hand the device that the youngest offered him. The two men looked at him for a second and he shrugged “What? It is easy"

"Huh, yeah cool" he replied, letting the boy in the robe search for his own work table.

“I think I can make an antiserum for Dr. Osborn. I've been thinking about that for a long time…” he heard behind him. He decided to focus on his own work and forgot the conversation the two variants of his were having when he started looking for the necessary chemicals.

The whole thing was crazy. He first he had fallen into that new universe he knew he was definitely not Spiderman, then he saw the villains on the news and it finally turned out to be those guys who found him. And he was grateful for that because at that moment he could realize how much they needed his help. That is, it would be much easier to beat the villains if you had someone on your team who had already fought them. And yet his variant wasn't just trying to beat them, he wanted to heal them. That was truly admirable.

He worked normally and I would even say a bit of enthusiasm when at one-point whispers in front of him caught his attention.

He and… well, the other Peter looked at the Peter from that timeline talking quietly to his friends and began to make up their own theories.

"Everything is fine?" asked the older one, who was still wearing his civilian clothes.

The youngest of the three turned and his friends did the same, but they could tell from the expressions on his faces that not much good news was coming.

"I think... huh... well, we have a friend who is... she's great with this engineering stuff and I think she can help us."

"Perfect, then call her" encouraged the boy with the robe. But the teenagers made another face. "After all, I don't think she cares much about the two of us, does she?"

"That's the thing" MJ began to explain "You... I remember you told us you lost your girlfriend, right?" she asked and he nodded barely perceptibly. He was still a wound that did not heal and he hated that someone reminded him "And that his name was Y/N"

"Kids, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but where do you want to go with all this?" murmured the older one, a little impatient.

"With the help of the girl we want to call we will finish in half the time, but she is also called Y/N and we don’t know if she looks the same as your dead girlfriend so we want to warn you that it is a possibility" Ned spoke, with so quickly that it was hardly possible to understand it.

Silence completely invaded the environment and it took everyone a second to assimilate what the boy said. All eyes were on Peter in the robe, who just hearing your name was so immersed in his own memories of him as to notice it.

"Come on, Peter!" you yelled in his direction, feeling the autumn wind hitting your face hard. Even though the boy had a city to protect, you had decided that a day off would do him good and that's why you were both in the Finger Lakes National Forest. You were a nature lover and Peter didn't hang out very often, so you thought it would be nice to go for a walk together.

Well, it was being nice to you, because he looked like a little boy complaining.

"Y/N, I wanna rest," he said pouting and stopping behind you "I'm cold and my feet hurt and I'm hungry...”

"You are a cry baby!" you complained in the direction of him, approaching him "Every night you run away from our bed so that dozens of guys hit you without saying anything and now you complain that your feet hurt"

"It also hurts when guys hit me!" he huffed and you laughed at his tantrum.

“So, the problem is when your girlfriend…?

"Fiancée"

"What?"

"You’re my fiancée now" he corrected you, looking at the engagement ring on your left hand. He playfully took your hand and kissed your knuckles, completely loving the way you wore the ring that once belonged to his family. Now he was yours, you would become his family.

"Anyway, the problem is that I ask you to do something together?" you asked pretending to be hurt and he smiled sheepishly.

"I didn't mean that..." he started to say, looking genuinely sorry "You know I adore you"

"Well, it doesn't seem like it," you said crossing your arms and looking the other way. He smiled and leaned over to spray multiple, repeated kisses on your cheeks, which ended up making you laugh “Okay, okay. You win, Pete” you said amused, slapping his chest gently. You thought that maybe you were being a bit harsh with him, after all the boy must have brought the fatigue from the previous nights, “What do you say if we go over the bridge and sit down to eat something? I'm starving too” you confessed.

"Sounds great" he replied kindly. You began to walk hand in hand until you reached the bridge, where you let go and ran like an excited girl.

"Love, did you bring your camera? This place is beautiful for a photo” you said happily, climbing on the railing to sit there. Peter smiled and was about to tell you something when he felt a chill on the back of his neck. He saw everything as if it were a slow-motion shot, as you slipped backward and he ran in your direction to try to hold you down. However, he didn't make it, and instead, he threw a cobweb at your chest, hoping to keep you from falling into the river below you.

"Y/N!" he said worriedly. He poked his face down and sighed when he saw you safely "Are you okay?" he asked, climbing towards him little by little, but you could only answer him with a smile.

"I'm fine" you exclaimed naturally, but he didn't seem so amused "Come on, the worst that could happen is that he gets a dip" you continued and he shook his head. He kind of reminded you of your father when he was upset about something.

"It's not funny. I can't be saving you from all the falls that your clumsiness causes”

"And why not?" you said smiling and approaching him to wrap your hands around his neck "That's what superheroes do, right?" you asked softly. He tried to ignore you, but you brought your lips close to his, trying to steal a kiss from him, and after a bit of effort you finally got a smile out of him.

"You're lucky I can never get mad at you" he murmured pinching his nose. You finally connected your lips with his, forming a soft and slow kiss that made him melt.

“I'm not scared, Spidey. I know you will always catch me”

"Peter, are you okay?" the adult asked, pulling the boy out of his thoughts. He realized that he had to give an answer and he had to be quick if they wanted to defeat the villains.

"Yes..." he answered vaguely, trying to erase the images of the love of his life, dying in his arms. He had to focus, get over it, and move on. "No problem, do whatever it takes," he said, nodding and going back to working on the antidote at the previous pace. The three young men took that as green light and Ned put the ring back on, taking a deep breath.

"Okay, then let's find Y/N" he exclaimed nervously. He repeated the same process as when he had searched for Peter and after a few attempts, a portal opened in front of everyone, showing a disoriented girl. You were wearing a rather pretty skirt and a light blouse, as well as a pair of delicate slippers, like those of a ballet dancer.

"Y/N! I'm sorry we have to meet like this, but do you remember when you told me in avengers tower that I could call you when I needed your help? Well, this is the moment” the boy began to explain. Your hair looked different, with dyed strands of bright color, and you looked a little bigger than the last time he saw you, but he thought it was all due to the time you lost contact "I imagine you have seen the thousands of news"

"How do you know my name?" you asked scared. He didn't expect that kind of response.

"How do I know your name? Y/N, we work together on various missions, did you…?”

"Peter" interrupted MJ. When he turned to her, the girl pointed a finger at your hands: there was a ring. That was definitely not there before "I don't think she's our Y/N either"

There was no time to tell you anything else because a second later you noticed the other people in the room and you were already running towards the other Peter, whom you surrounded in a desperate hug.

“I knew you would be here. I was so scared and I didn't know what to do and I saw the news and I knew that I was not in my world and I didn't understand a damn about everything that was happening” you said frantically. You hugged him tightly, but he was completely still. When you felt his heavy breathing, you pulled away and saw his pale face like a sheet of paper “Are you okay? Something happened to you? I was with you and I fell from that building and a second later I appeared in this place, I don't understand how or why, but…”

You couldn't say anything else; you were interrupted by his lips desperately kissing yours.

You could feel the salty taste of his tears and the passion with which he wanted to kiss you as if he had never done it in your life. His hands clung to your waist and you felt the atmosphere fill with something like anguish. There were so many feelings floating in the air and so many feelings between your lips that you just started to get dizzy. You were short of breath, the touch was careless and rough, but still, Peter refused to let you go.

Finally, you carefully parted and when you looked at the boy you noticed that he was wrapped in tears. You understood absolutely nothing.

"You're here" was all he could whisper, shortly before wrapping you in his arms and letting go of crying. You looked over his shoulder at the rest of the people in the room and noticed that one of them was dressed as Spiderman. You knew him from the news, however, the other you had never seen. Still, they all seemed to know you and you felt like they clearly knew something that you didn't.

"Peter, what is it?" you asked in a whisper near his ear "Why are you crying, love?"

"You don't have a Y/N in your universe, do you?" Ned asked of the other man. What did he mean by a Y/N?

"Guys I'm sorry to ruin your moment, but time is really running out," said the boy you had seen on the news. Your boyfriend separated from you and wiped the tears with the sleeve of his robe because he had forgotten for a moment the difficult situation in which he found.

“I will explain absolutely everything. I promise” he sobbed and brought your lips together again. But this time it was a sweet and soft kiss, the kind that made you feel safe "Now we don't have time, we have to finish these artifacts"

“Well, Ned, find our Y/N. We still need an engineer” asked the young man, but you approached him immediately.

"I can help," you said watching them "I don't know what it is about, but ... I worked at Oscorp, I can repair almost anything"

"Oh, thank goodness you're not the least bit different from the one we have here,” said the boy. You didn't understand the comment, but you still let him guide you to a table where he already had several pieces. "Well, let's start with this..." he said, pointing to a set. He began to explain to you what it would be for and what he needed and then he got to work on his own project. You looked back and as if Peter had known he looked up from him as well. You still had a lot of questions, but you knew it wouldn't do any good to overwhelm him with it, so you showed him a sincere smile instead. Then he smiled in the same way and nodded softly, with that expression that could only mean: we’ll be alright.

"So..." you started to say, never stopping working. To the surprise of the young people, you worked in half the time of the Y/N of their universe. That turned out to be a blessing. "From what I understood, all the people who know that Peter Parker is Spiderman are here thanks to a magical guy who you asked for help to make people in your universe forget that you are Spiderman, right?"

"Yes"

"And you want to help them avoid the fate of their own universe, which in this case is death."

"Yeah"

"And the Lizard and Electro are here from our universe"

"It’s right"

"And you have three others even worse from another Peter's universe."

"Aha"

"Wow..." you exclaimed in amazement. It was a lot to digest "You guys are really screwed up, kid"

"Yes, I really appreciate your optimism," said the young man with evident sarcasm, while he was putting the finishing touches on the machine for Electro.

"It's not optimism, I'm just telling the truth" you smiled at him and when he was about to answer you, a voice interrupted him.

"Peter?"

"Yes?" the three-spoke "Oh, sorry you mean..."

"Peter, Peter"

"We are all called Peter"

"Peter Parker"

"Same again, bro," they said in unison again and you stifled a laugh.

"Computer!" half yelled the brunette. Everyone was ready, so the smaller Peter started talking to them about the plan and you stood next to your boy. He looked more composed now, but you could still see a bit of terror in his gaze when he focused on you.

You listened to the whole plan carefully and to be honest you were a bit impressed by the confidence with which the boy spoke. Although he was young, he felt that spark of a leader that was impossible to ignore.

“Well, it's now or never. What do you always say?” he asked his girlfriend "If you hope to disappoint...”

"No," she interrupted, "Not this time. Let's kick butt”

"To heal" the man corrected. He made you think of an old man, but tenderly "To heal butt"

"To heal butt" repeated the brunette. It was agreed that the three Peter Parkers would be at the Statue of Liberty and the youngest's friends would stay in the apartment, communicated by a portal to protect the box.

"And me?" you asked the boy "How can I help?"

An awkward silence filled the atmosphere and you looked at everyone present. It seemed like you said something terrible.

"You stay here," your Peter said, quite firmly. You looked to your side expecting to see him smile, but it was not like that.

"What?"

“You heard me. You stay here"

His tone of voice was severe and you could even tell that he looked angry, which only confused you more. The boy had cried, he had laughed, he had not stopped looking at you and now he looked annoyed, a whole cocktail of emotions that you did not know how to assimilate.

"I think it would be best to let you guys talk for a moment alone, youngsters," the man said in a low voice, gesturing for the three teenagers to move away a bit.

"What are you hiding from me?" you asked watching your fiancé. The whole thing was very strange "I know you and you have never spoken to me like that, what the hell is nobody telling me and everyone seems to know? Is there a villain there who has my face?” you said rolling your eyes.

"Y/N, you wouldn't understand" Peter began, as he made a poor attempt to breathe normally. Failing to do so, he simply closed his eyes and turned away to escape your accusing gaze. “Please, I just need you to stay here. When we return home, I will explain everything to you "

“Will they put that girl and boy in danger? I can help and you know it!” you insisted. You wanted to feel useful, for them to know that they had your support.

"I’ve said no"

"Why not?"

"Because I can't lose you Y/N! No again!"

The words you were about to say stayed in your throat and suddenly everything made sense, so that deathly silence was back, although this time with more heaviness.

You weren't stupid, you both knew it, and you had managed to connect the dots sooner than expected. Peter seemed to regret saying that instantly, as his eyes crystallized and you believed that he would start crying just as he had when you left that portal.

"Villains are not the only ones who are destined to die... are they?"

Peter started to shake his head, reluctant to talk about anything he had to do with it and pulled away from him to try and regulate his breathing, holding on to the nearest wall.

"Peter..."

“Please don't ask me anything. I don't know if I can answer you” he said and his voice seemed to break on the last word.

You thought that knowing that the fall of the building had killed you would leave you in shock, but the truth is that you did not feel anything when you learned that information. You weren’t afraid because you knew that at that moment you were safe.

The only thing you were worried about was the trembling and sobbing boy in front of you.

"Peter..." you whispered again, moving closer to him. You wrapped him around his back and hugged him gently, trying to reassure him. You rested your cheek on his back and closed your eyes for a moment as you stroked the skin covered by his suit with your thumbs.

"I'm so sorry" he sobbed, still not wanting to look at you "It was my fault, I should never have let you accompany me”

"Shh," you whispered gently "I'm sorry I pushed you, I'm a fool. I… we'll talk about this later, okay? Forgive me"

"No, no... I..."

"Peter," you said seriously. You stopped hugging him to sneak in until you were between the wall and his body “We have to concentrate, that child needs your help. I didn’t know that this was so, otherwise I wouldn’t have asked you anything” carefully you extended your hand to his face, wiping the tears from his cheeks “I will stay here, safe. I promise. But I need you to promise me that you will stay safe too” you asked. The idea of ​​losing him terrified you more than the idea of ​​something happening to you.

"What if something happens to you?"

"Nothing's going to happen to me, darling," you exclaimed, trying to reassure him. By God, you felt so cruel about what had just happened and at the same time you were incredulous "Trust me, yes?"

"Yes," he exclaimed, nodding his head gently. He was scared, but he knew he had to focus and fight. For you.

Without warning, you approached her lips and gave her the third kiss of the night, one that now represented the promise of a next meeting and a hope. It was delicate and slow, but firm.

"Now go there and if you don't have time to come back for me then I hope the next time I see you will be in our universe," you said with a smile, gently caressing her cheek. A clear throat interrupted them and they saw the older Spiderman in front of you.

"Sorry to interrupt"

"No problem, Peter was leaving" the boy turned away from you and gave you another look, just to make sure you would stay there "Try to come back in one piece, you still owe me a wedding" you tried to joke and he smiled through tears.

"I will try"

The boy walked through the portal and you saw the other two versions of him watching you closely, but before your boy got too far you called him again.

"Peter"

"Yes?" he asked, turning around with a worried expression. You, on the other hand, smiled at him.

"I love you" you admitted. If it was a moment to say it, this was it.

The boy smiled widely and felt his heartache a little. He had heard those words so many times in his dreams that I doubt they were real this time.

"And I love you too"

Night had already fallen in New York and winter was beginning to appear. Luckily your apartment was heated and the only window in the room was closed. The place felt familiar and homey, perhaps as it had never felt in your life.

Your body ached, the tears in your eyes seemed to have run out after he told you the full story of what he had lived without you, and your chest felt heavy with the emotional charge. But you were fine, even with all that, because you were finally by his side.

"Peter?" you asked when the noise of a siren woke you up. You turned towards him a little and simultaneously saw the clock on the nightstand. Even though you were seeing blurry, you could tell that it was already dawn and he was still looking up at the ceiling just like before you fell asleep.

"Huh?" he asked distractedly. He was not wearing a shirt and that allowed you to see some wounds from the battle he had fought hours before.

"Why are you still awake, love?"

"Oh... it's just, huh, I'm not sleepy" he tried to lie. But the dark circles under his tired eyes said otherwise.

"Yes? Well, I don't believe you a little bit "you whispered. You were sleepy, so you struggled a bit to keep your eyes open. You kept quiet, watching him for a few minutes, and then spoke again “You won the battle, everything is fine. Now you should sleep, you need to rest”

"I can’t. I'm scared" he admitted and finally turned his head to look at you.

"Scared of what?" you asked curiously. He was silent a second time and didn't speak again until he finally plucked up his courage:

"I am terrified of waking up and that you are no longer here"

Your heart contracted a little at his confession and the urge to cry washed over you. The darkness made him look even more vulnerable and his features had softened considerably.

You got up from your place and climbed onto his lap, lying on his semi-naked body, and stretched your neck until you reached to leave a kiss on his lips. As you kissed him you felt how the tension in his body was disappearing and the heat took its place.

"I'm not going anywhere" you whispered against his lips. You both felt dizzy with love "I promise you. But now I need you to rest, honey” you said quietly “Can you do that? For me?” you asked him in a whisper. He ended up giving up and nodded, as he held you tighter against himself. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep and you made sure of that so you could sleep too. The boy rested as he hadn’t in many months and slept well into the morning.

And when he woke up, you were still there.

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[honey-sweet-hiraeth]

Breathe Part Seven

Warnings ⚠️⚠️: Mentions torture, lots of trauma, descriptions of panic attacks and ptsd flashbacks, language

You let the doors slam shut as you walked into the training room, heading straight for the track, but not before popping your headphones in and starting your favorite playlist.

You took off running as fast as you could, keeping to a steady pace as you moved around the track, racing your invisible demons in a desperate attempt to silence your mind.

Fifteen minutes later you slowed to a walk and let your steps take you to the nearest punching bag, immediately slamming your fists into the side, making it swing.

You started into a repetitive pattern and tried to focus on the feeling of your hands slamming into the rough material of the bag. The firm impact kept you grounded as you worked through your emotions.

Images flashed through your mind as you hit the bag harder, Grey walls, gas chambers, experiments that used to be human, Strucker.

His sick smile is ever-present in the forefront of your mind. The glimmer of sadistic joy in his eyes as he twisted every part of who you were, mentally and physically. The way he laughed as you begged him to just kill you and be done with the endless torture.

The memories played on so vividly you could swear you were going through it in real time, all over again. They truly scared you, but you just bit back your cries, letting your fear fuel you.

You hadn't realized you were screaming until you felt strong arms wrapped around your middle, pulling you back. You clawed at the air with bloody, probably broken fingers, still in a frightened haze as the person behind you held you tight, whispering comforting words that you weren't processing.

"No!" Your voice cracked as you yelled exhaustedly, trying desperately to fight the arms holding you still. "You can't take me! I won't let you!"

You swung your fists wildly and the arms released you momentarily before slender hands gripped your wrists and green eyes met yours.

"Y/n, y/n!" Natasha's soft features invaded your sight and you stared at her wide eyed and breathing heavily.

She stood with you, just holding your wrists and watching you as your breathing slowed, studying your face. Her usually stoic expression was replaced with one of worry and a hint of her own panic.

Your heartbeat returned to normal and you noticed your hands throbbing wildly, slowly lifting them into view.

"Holy shit" You whispered breathlessly as you studied the bruises forming on your knuckles and the blood running down your arms. Natasha's hands were still loosely attached to your wrists as she chuckled softly at your response.

"Let's go get you cleaned up" Her voice soothed you as she spoke, Nat always made you feel safe. "Then can we talk about what just happened there?"

You glanced up at her in surprise. Of all the help they provided no one had asked you to talk about it yet. They either already knew or didn't want to end up triggering another panic attack. Usually, they offered a distraction or a hug or even some words of support but they hadn't asked you to talk about it. They just didn't.

You nodded slowly in confusion as Nat smiled at you encouragingly, leading you out of the training room and to the nearest room with a sink.

You were thankful the kitchen was empty for once as you sat on the counter in silence while Natasha helped you rinse the blood from your arms and hands.

Your broken fingers and split skin were already healed but Natasha was still insistent in gently wiping down your skin, making sure not to make any sudden movements, much to your amusement.

"Okay, you're clean" Natasha smiled and you hopped off the counter with a chuckle.

"Not really- i need a shower to really be clean" You joked and Nat made a face.

"You're clean enough for now- Let's go talk"

Your face fell at the idea of the discussion that awaited you. You knew you needed to talk to someone at some point, but you weren't even sure how to verbalize what was going through your head.

***

The vase seemed so out of place compared to the grey and black scheme of her minimalistic room. Everything was simple, almost as if it came from a lifestyle magazine. Natasha didn't have many baubles or decorations, she never saw the point in them. She didn't like to think of herself as the sentiment type, at least she would never admit to being sentimental.

The blues, purples, reds and orange of the vase stood out against the monochromatic scenery before you.

You sat on the couch in Natasha's room staring at the vase as it seemed to stare back from her coffee table. It was the same one you'd filled with Sunflowers nearly a year ago. The sunflowers were long gone but Natasha never moved the colourful vase from its spot.

***

"It looks like a child's drawing transferred onto clay" Natasha made a face as she spun the vase in her hands, studying it closely.

You, Natasha and Wanda had a day off and since you'd been wanting to go thrifting, Wanda excitedly offered to come with you. You obviously agreed and the two of you dragged Natasha along for the sake of getting her out of the training room for once.

"You don't think it's pretty?" Wanda joked and Natasha let out a breath, suspiciously similar to a laugh.

"It's hideous"

"I don't know" You spoke up from where you stood, folding a shirt and returning it to the shelf you'd picked it up from. "I like it"

Natasha looked up at you, searching for any sign that you could be joking but found none. Her eyes filled with confusion before she looked at the vase again, glancing back up at you with a serious expression.

"Really?" She deadpanned and you nodded. "I'm buying it"

Natasha walked to the cashier immediately as you giggled behind her, paying for the vase and turning back to you. The indifferent expression never left her face but you could see the amusement dancing behind her eyes.

"Where are you even going to put that?" You asked and Natasha's eyes widened as she stammered for an answer.

"Uh- I didn't think that far ahead" She admitted and you burst into giggles as her face flushed with embarrassment. "I guess i'll put it on a shelf or something"

***

"Are you going to say anything or are we just going to sit here staring at the Bob Ross and Warren Mackenzie collaboration no one asked for?" Natasha broke the silence and you snorted at her comment.

"Why do you still have it if you hate it so much?" You asked in genuine curiosity and Natasha looked at you with an unreadable expression.

"It reminds me of happier times whenever I need some encouragement." She shrugged "You know, before you were taken and we were still close, when you would drag me to thrift stores and gift shops, when I wasn't fighting with Wanda."

Natasha trailed off and you sighed.

"When *we* weren't fighting with Wanda"

"You fought with Wanda?" Nat sounded shocked and you nodded sullenly.

"I called her the wicked witch of depression" You groaned, hiding your face in your hands and Natasha snorted, holding back a laugh.

"Why would you do that?" It was hard not to notice the amusement in her voice.

"She said i needed therapy and i got.... angry"

"You might not want to hear it, y/n but you definitely need to talk to someone" Natasha sighed and you turned to her with a frown "You need someone who can help you sort through the trauma and overwhelming emotions."

"I know" You sighed dejectedly and leaned on the assassin, resting your head on her shoulder.

"You know I'm always going to be on your team right?" Nat asked suddenly and you hummed in affirmation. "And to really be on your side means to call you out when you're wrong"

You groaned already knowing where this was going.

"I know i know- I need to apologize to Wanda"

"Yeah" Nat whispered and you took a deep breath "Do you want me to come with you?"

"Yes- but i should go alone and make sure she knows i actually mean it"

"Trust me y/n she'll know"

"I hope so" You smiled weakly before heading toward the door to find Wanda.

"Y/n" Natasha's voice called your attention back to the redhead as she looked at you thoughtfully. "If you still want to talk later, don't be afraid to come find me okay? It doesn't have to be anything too overwhelming."

"Why would I be afraid?" You smiled softly, but it didn't reach your eyes. "It's just a conversation"

"Right. Just a conversation."

"Exactly. I might actually take you up on that though. Thanks Natty" You turned to the door and walked away to go find Wanda.

A/n: I hope this isn't absolutely terrible. I've been fighting so major writers block and have had so little motivation to even exist it's not even funny, but I managed to pull this together and I'm hoping it's okay :) Sorry for the later post. I usually try to post around the same time every week but it just didn't happen this time.

Anywho- y'all be safe.

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[amane-by-together]

Hanafuda || Amane Yugi

(Part 4 of 10)

genre: fluff, school, slice of life, modern au (where all wonders live)

warning: cursing

summary: amane yugi spends his school days skipping classes until he meets [name] [surname], a student from the other class, who was also skipping classes and eventually the two of them formed a platonic friendship. cutting classes and playing hanafuda together strengthens their friendship but soon unexpected feelings blossom between the two.

“I don't know how I will face her...” Amane was wiping one of the tables in the cafe he's working in. It's a donut cafe, no wonder why he chose that. “Is [name]-san mad at me?”

The two teens decided to take the whole class out of awkwardness. “Yo, Yugi-san!” one of his seniors playfully smacked his back. “You've been sputtering nonsense while blushing, you okay lil bud?”

“It's no big deal Senpai.” Amane sheepishly laughs, rubbing the back of his neck with imaginary flowers surrounding him. Akaji is Amane's senior who is in college and probably the only person he could talk to in the cafe.

“Hm.” Akaji took a seat and skeptically looked at Amane. “My gut instincts told me you're having girl problems.”

“S-Senpai!” Amane swatted his hand while chuckling nervously. Currently, he's having problems wondering what was [name]'s reaction when he tried to kiss her.

Akaji grinned, putting his legs on top of the table as he crossed his arms. “Girl problems then, I knew this day would come—ow?!”

“Ah, Good evening! Matsubara-senpai!” Amane bowed when the sky blue-haired girl whacked the back of Akaji's head.

“Good evening to you too, Yugi-kouhai.” Matsubara greeted him back in a stern tone. Akaji rubbed the back of his head and gave the female a sour look. “You should set a better example towards your juniors, Houta!” she scolded.

“I was about to tell him some advice, Kanon.” Akaji deadpanned. Matsubara was Akaji's childhood friend, they're both in college but they go to different schools. “Looks like Yugi-san has a crush on someone from his school.”

“So what if I do?” Amane retorted back.

“Stop it.” Matsubara gave Akaji a cold glare to prevent him from teasing Amane even further. “It's normal to have a crush on someone from school, besides we've been through that phase.”

Amane slumped his shoulders while pouting slightly. Asking advice from his seniors from work is a handful, Akaji is someone who would give bad but useful advice while Matsubara, being a calm and collected woman, is the one telling them whether you should follow his ways. “I do have a crush on someone from school...”

“But I may have made things awkward between us.”

“What did you do though?” Akaji asks.

“I almost kissed her...” Amane mumbled which Matsubara and Akaji heard him. Akaji lets out a small snicker, earning a pinch from his childhood friend. “So I decided to go to class without saying a word to her.”

“I think she hates me now.” Amane covered his face. Matsubara stayed behind the counter as a cashier. Akaji stood up to stretch his arms. Amane pulled out his phone to check out the time. It was already 6:17 pm.

“Who's that on your wallpaper?” Akaji places his arm on top of Amane's head while looking at his phone.

“Akaji-senpai!” Amane hid his phone from the redhead quickly. Akaji snickered mischievously at his embarrassed junior. Akaji is like that one friend who had polished nails and hoops who knows all sorts of tea. “I-It's none of your business—”

“Houta!” Akaji flinched at the blue-haired girl's voice coming from the counter. “Give the kid some personal space!”

“Isn't Yugi like 16?”

“Guys, guys, cut it off.” Amane prevents them from bickering by raising his left hand like a cop. Sometimes you would think that Amane is the mature one in the trio yet he was dubbed as childish from [name]. “We don't want customers to think that the two of you aren't working together.”

Amane adjusts his apron wrapped around his hips. He brushes his choppy locks between his fingers while licking his lips. The door opened with a ringing of the small bell. “Welcome—[name]-san?!”

[name] entered the cafe with eyes of bewilderment as her eyes landed on Amane. She was wearing an unzipped oversized hoodie, a tucked-in white shirt, and a denim skirt. “E-Eh? A-Amane-kun?!” she stammered.

Her little brother, who's in grade school, was standing next to her. “Neechan?” Jiro asked, looking up to his big sister. The siblings sat at a table near the counter. Amane couldn't look at [name] in the eye without blushing.

“So you work here, Amane-kun?” [name] asked in a slightly teasing tone. Amane averted his gaze while holding the notepad, waiting for [name]'s order. “Not gonna lie, your outfit suits you.”

“I told you it's embarrassing.”

“I said it's not, you're pretty handsome Amane-kun.” [name] convinces him otherwise. Amane's heart skipped a beat and wrote down [name]'s order. “You know, I almost cried recently...”

“Why did you cry?” Amane worryingly asks [name] until he realizes why. He went to the bathroom and never came back to the rooftop since he decided to take classes to avoid her. He didn't mean to do it, it's just that he's too flustered. “Wanna sort things out privately?”

“That sounded like a booty call to me—”

“Houta, you ass!” Matsubara pulled on to Akaji's ear, pinching it painfully. “There's a kid!”

[name] nodded slowly in Amane's direction. She told Jiro that she needed to sort things out with Amane so that they could go back to being best friends again. The two of them went to the locker room. “I'm sorry,” Amane apologizes. “I didn't come back, it was an accident I swear—”

“I thought you hate me or something...” [name] started to tear up. Amane died a little inside because of how precious she is, like, you just gotta protect [name].

“No, no.” Amane cupped her cheeks while smiling fondly at [name]. “I will never hate you, [name]-san.”

“Really?” [name] asked while placing her palms on top of Amane's warm hands. Amane hummed in response, he doesn't hate [name], how could he hate her if she keeps making him fall for her even more?

“You're too cute, I swear to god~” Amane nuzzled his nose against [name]'s, eliciting a blissful giggle from the female. “By the way, I'm still sorry about before I invaded your personal space.”

“It's fine.” [name]'s face lit up with happiness with a warm blush enveloping on her mochi cheeks. “You can be affectionate and clingy around me. I felt really warm when you gave me that hug.”

“Then, will a kiss on the cheek suffice~?”

“I'll just hug you—” Amane interrupts her by pressing a kiss on her cheek. [name] froze yet she was warm. Amane chuckled at her reaction, so he gave her a closed eye grin.

“They say kisses heal a burn so your whole face is burning, can't help it~” He says at her blushing state, then he lightly pinches her cheek. “Cute~”

“Okay, okay, that's enough—” [name] pried his hand off her cheek. Amane obliged and pulled his hand away. “So we're good now?”

“Always~!” Amane dusted off his apron. “I gotta go work now or Akaji-senpai will get the wrong idea if we take too long.”

Amane turned around to leave the locker room. [name] twiddled her fingers while smiling. “You know, it would have been better if you continued it...” she mumbled.

“Hm?” He turned his head back to [name]'s direction. Amane was sure she had said something but he couldn't make out what he had heard. “Were you saying something?”

“Nothing.” [name] flails her hands with a quick smile to reassure him that it wasn't a big deal. Amane sighed in relief and headed out first as [name] followed.

“Neechan!” Jiro waved his french fries to get [name]'s attention. Her eyes brightened as she immediately went over to her little brother. “I watched your milk tea and donuts by the way.”

“Thanks, kid.” [name] ruffled his hair and sat back down to her seat as she grabbed her milk tea with pearls. “Sorry I took longer, I had to sort things out with Amane-kun.”

“Is he your boyfriend Neechan?”

[name] choked on the pearl when Jiro asked if Amane was her boyfriend. “J-Jiro—!” she scolded between coughs. “Why so sudden?”

“Here, have some fries Oneechan.” Jiro offered her some of his fries. Amane chuckled at their dynamic, to think that [name] was also an older sibling is admirable.

“He's your younger brother?” Amane grabbed a chair and sat in front of their table.

“Yeah,” [name] replied. “Jiro [surname], he's 5th grade.”

“Nii-chan, want some?” Jiro handed Amane a donut. Amane quickly thanked the little boy and received the donut, munching it gratefully. “Ah, Oneechan! A classmate of mine is gonna come over tomorrow!”

“Ne, Amane-kun.”

“Hm?”

“When's your shift over?” [name] asked.

“Later at 7:00 pm, why?” Amane questioned her back.

“I was wondering if you'd like to come over to my house...”

Amane choked internally. He looked at [name] in pure disbelief, shakily pointing a finger at her. “You want me to come over?” he asked.

“I hope you don't mind, it's okay if you decline of course.” [name] swats her hands in front of Amane. “You're probably busy after this.”

“Maybe some other time, [name].” Amane answers, it made [name] a little bit sad but it's fine nonetheless. Amane felt kind of bad for declining her request of coming over. He has his own life too, like taking care of his brother or doing the housework. But then an idea came to mind. “I'll walk you two home instead.”

“Is that okay for you, though?”

“I don't want you to go alone at night, it might be dangerous.” Amane insists. [name] nodded and sipped on her milk tea slowly. He slowly averted his gaze with a small blush on his face. “And I can't afford to lose you...” he murmured.

[name]’s cheeks warmed at his sudden words. She glances away from the amber-eyed boy and continues to sip on her milk tea to compose herself before she can face him again. Amane shyly stares at [name]. He lets out an exaggerated sigh, thinking to himself that he was crushing so damn hard on [name].

Amane pulls out his phone from the pocket of his apron. “Ah, [name]-san,” The amber-eyed boy looked at the time. “My shift is finished, come on, let's get you two home.”

“We'll wait for you outside.” [name] stands up from the table along with her little brother. Amane cleaned up the table with a stupid in loved smile upon his strikingly perfect visuals.

Akaji rests his elbow on top of Amane's choppy hair. “So, that's your crush?” he asked with a teasing tone. Amane blushes and pried his senior's arm off his head. “It's amusing seeing you being in love~”

“Then what if she is my crush?” Amane glared at him as his whole face was heating up like crazy. He let out a small 'hmph' from his lips and headed over to the locker room.

[name] was waiting outside, carrying her brother's school bag while humming. Amane got out of the cafe and tiredly smiled at her. “Sorry if I take too long.”

“No worries.” [name] reassured the boy. “Come on, let's go.”

The three started to walk together in the night. Amane side-eyed the female next to him and his amber eyes trailed down to her hand. ‘Am I in love with [name]?’

Amane subtly wrapped his pinky finger around [name]'s while looking away. ‘Amane what the actual crumbs are you doing—? Should I pull away—?’

[name] clasps his gentle hand, her face warms along with her ears. The two teens averted their glimpses from each other as they continued walking alongside without the knowledge of her little brother. Amane is definitely feeling butterflies in his very own stomach, maybe this isn’t platonic at all since he’s catching feelings.

“Ah, we’re here now,” [name]’s eyes trailed down to his hand that was still interlocked with hers. Amane seems he doesn't want to let go of her gentle hand. “Amane-kun, your hand…”

“Sorry!” The choppy haired boy quickly drew back his hand and scratched his cheek. [name] beckoned her brother to go back inside the apartment just to have an alone time with Amane. Now, the two of them grew silent waiting on who will talk first.

Fate decided, Amane should speak. “No hard feelings?” he winced, shrugging his shoulder like a dork he is. Y/n smiled softly and spread her arms.

“Hug?” she asked. Amane ran in her arms and gave her a big hug, pressing his cheek against hers and squealed a bit as. “Hey Amane-kun?”

“Yeah?” His face warms up.

“I like you.”

Amane pulled away from the hug to look at her while processing what the girl had said. “So I'm going to stay by your side no matter what.” then she swatted her hands to betray her feelings. “Of course I meant it as a friend thing—”

“I like you too, Y/n-san.” He reached over to mess with her hair. “You’re the first girl who ever told me that she liked me, I appreciate that.”

“I gotta go home now,” Amane pats her shoulders and walks away a bit. “I'll be making lunch for us two, so better look forward to it~”

Y/n gave him one last smile. “Always,”

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[artsyxloner]

Not just a Monster

Warning: Blood, Violence, death

24: Secrets out

Read 3rd P.O.V

Soo-Nico laid on top of the other dead body's some of her group and others of the invaders. Flies were landing on them as blood seemed in more through their clothes creating large puddles of different types of blood.

The monster inside of Soo-Nico was beginning to fester. Taking over every inch of her body, telling the dying girl to wake up. That it wasn't her time or ever will be inevitable. She was going to evolve into something much more stronger and powerful.

In no time she'll be a ticking time bomb, as her wound was healing already. It would be like nothing had happened. The color was coming back to her ghostly green pale skin going back to its original color Gradually.

" come on!" Her inside monster would yell. " get up." Even though the monster wasn't supposed to care or worry about its host it somehow felt bad. I remembered when I said I'll be real soon the desire to resist us too tempting.

Maybe it was time for it. She couldn't stay full human forever. For humans to survive, they would have to change it was the only way as Soo-Nico had no choice but to Evolve.

Her body gave into the deep void of death that wanted to swallow her whole. Her fingers and toes started to twitch one by one her chest began to rise up and down again.

Then all in one moment her lids flashed open revealing nothing but fully black eyes. Tears dripped from down them As her head inhumanely twisted from side to side giving off sinister smile.

" They think they can kill me?" She laughed crazily, " oh, they can try but they can't kill the desires that are inside!" Soo-Nico sat up. Staring at the dead bodies she sat on top of.

" They can't kill my friends!" Those were the last words that slip out of her bloodied-up dried lips. Thinking about her friends. Those invaders were all going to die.

Soo-Nico P.O.V

When I woke up I didn't recognize myself. I didn't know why I was crying? However, I began to smile, for some reason looking from side to side I felt different.

It was like I had awoken in someone else's body. Soon a couple of memories came flooding back to the surface of my brain. Little fragments here and there. I had stayed with a group inside this apartment building.

But I can't remember anyone else or anything before I came here? I wondered why I was In a darkish closet that smelled weird. And files were everywhere.

I then realized what happened invaders had come in. Attacking my people killing some and trying to kill me in the process little did they know?  My smile widened. " they think they can kill me?" I began to laugh and not the type where I find something funny.

" oh, they can try but they can't kill these desire inside!" I desired to get back at the ones who harmed me did me wrong they were foolish just to kill anyone. I sat up seeing the dead bodies my some of my people, and the invaders.

" They can't kill my friends!" those were the last words that left my lips that tasted strange and felt dry. I thought about my friends and how the others were going to die for what they did.

Standing up I walked towards the door grasping the nob opening it slowly. The light was bright that I had to Squint my eyes and look away for a moment. The air was filled with dust and smoke giving off a haze.

I stayed there for a few seconds until continuing. Soon a dead body came into view it was on fire. It was Sun-Young. Guess she turned too.

Passing the Elevators and the large column that was right around the corner a large man was standing in front of a group I knew who they were.

Their faces showed sorrow, " she's going to die isn't she?" The man with the glasses said. But the guy with the gun wasn't so thrilled and told him to shut up.

Threatening him with his gun, no one noticed me yet as I was standing in someone's blood. Soon others came in I recognized one, with the crazy hair and the sickening urges for girls.

I felt my fingers' nails sharp as I clenched my fist. I wanted to kill him. " Where the hell have you been?!" The man that was guarding asked.  " Shut your trap your breath stinks—" he glanced over at me.

Eyes going wide, I grinned a little. " what the fuck is wrong with that chick?" He pointed and soon everyone was taken back in surprise. By Fear mixed in with relief and confusion. The girl in the red jumper stood up.

" Soo-Nico?!" The girl called, I remembered her name to be Eun-Yoo, she knew about me being infected. Tears were in her eyes. " sit down!!" the man screamed at her. Her brother Eun-Hyuk pulled her down.

" so the bitch is a monster all along," The crazy hair boy walked over to me. " I can't wait to kill you!" He spits raising his weapon but I didn't give him time to by grabbing the inside of his mouth gripping at his jaw.

My black eyes stare into his brown ones he made some gurgling sounds and in one swift move, I jerked his mouth right off of his dirty mouth he won't be able to use.

He fell to the floor with a thud as his blood-covered my hand. My eyes hardened as I saw one of the other men. They pointed their guns at me and began to shoot at me.

I felt the bullets go throw but it didn't hurt. I kept going like it didn't bother me which it didn't. The men began to shake back up, as my bloodied hand shot out into the man's chest.

He Screamed, yanking on to my arm trying to pull away. I felt around then grabbing what I wanted clutching it feeling wet as it beat. I ripped it out staring at the guy's heart I ripped out his eyes rolled in the back of his head as he tried to gasp for air.

I pushed him to the ground, he was already dead before hitting the concrete. Dropping the squishy heart, screams were let out. I turned to them, they wall-scooted away terrified at what they just witnessed. I began to walk towards them but I some began to feel tired my knees went weak. I felt my sticky Palms of my hands hit against the cool concrete. I breathed in and out slowly my eyes went back to normal.

Someone got up and run over to me. It was Eun-Yoo, " are you alright!" she crouched down beside pulling me into her embrace. " I– I'm fine." a huge lump formed into my throat I tried to swallow but it was nearly impossible.

Tears formed in my eyes it all came back to what I just did. " she's– she's one of them a Monster!!" Jae-Hwan called out. I knew it, I looked up they were all staring at him. " well you saw what she did she could do that to us if we don't—" he was interrupted.

" So what Jay-Hwan she saved us?!" Eun-Yoo barked back at him defending me. I stared in awe, she didn't have to do that. " I knew about her being infected for a while now but didn't say anything knowing how you'll react."

Her brother didn't look surprised when I stared at him. " you what she could of—" jay-Hwan tried to speak but Eun-Shook her head. " but she didn't!" The conversation was soon stopped by someone jumping down from the ceiling.

" Eun-Yoo right, she risked her life for us the least we can do is thank her I would have kept it a secret too." Hi-kyeong walked towards us. " thank her?!" Jay-Hwan stood up about to fuss again but expectedly, Eun-Hyuk got up to them and faced him.

" it doesn't matter now, her monster or not she with us." He walked over towards me. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, " I'm sorry Soo-Nico, for putting you through all that trouble." He stuck out his hand.

They didn't hate me, I smiled. With my other none bloodied one I took a hold of his and he and his sister helped me up. " I should have said something but I was nervous that you guys would kick me out."

I stared at the group but then noticed Hyun-Su wasn't there. " where's Hyun-Su?" They were quiet, " Jeung-Seob and a couple of others took him to the roof." Eun-Hyuk clarified. Was he okay? Were they going to kill or hurt him?

By the Expression on my face, he could tell what I was thinking. " he was wounded but he'll be okay for now we need to Focus on a plan on what we are going to do." Yi-Kyeong nodded.

" We need to go," she motioned for us to come along Eun-Hyuk helped me walk. But a man came out in front stopping us. " I knew this would happen!" he slapped Ms. Cha and grabbing her from behind pointing his weapon.

" Drop your gun!" Yi-Kyeong threatened to point hers. " we should make a bet on who can kill more people!" He then shot Duk-Silk in the shoulder my eyes widened. Hearing people scream backing up.

" you're going to lose, so drop your fucking gun!" He yelled but Yi-Kyeong held her ground. This pissed him off more than she already was. " I said  drop your fucking gun, you bitch!"

He wasn't playing around, she knew it lowering the weapon. Dropping it on the floor, He soon pushed Ms. Cha harshly and ran to Yi-Kyeong slapping her. She fell to the floor, " This is just the beginning, you bitch!" He cursed kicking her.

I couldn't let this happen as he continued to kick and hit her with the end of his gun. I looked around and found a crowbar grabbing it I got out of Eun-Yoo's hold and ran over towards him bashing it against his head. I backed up as Eun-Hyuk and Byeong-II pushed him up against the tank but the guy's gun went up and began shooting the ceiling. We ducked for cover as Bullets it the glass chandelier shattering into tiny pieces flying everywhere.

The guy with the gun soon flew back hitting the column as his blood splattered all over it. He was dead Turing my head it was Yi-Kyeong the one that shot him. her chest huffed up and down like she was tired.

We all waited a couple more minutes before doing anything making sure there was no one else. I sat down on the ground staring at the mess and the Stench of blood and a burnt body.

Everyone was scared and shaken up as the guys dragged the men That were killed by Me and Yi-Kyeong. I hoped Hyun-Su was okay, if he were to come to do here and see me I wondered what he will think? It was hard to say watching the girl he liked died in his arm, then getting taken by the leader not on when he'll come back if he does then finding out the girl that was supposed to be dead is alive and he'll think the only reason is that she's infected.

What was I going to say? I lied to him all this time making him think I was human. I couldn't remember anything about my family still. Did I even have a mother a father or a brother, sister? Something tells me I didn't have much of one.

Even school I don't remember anything at all it's all a blur in my mind. Hanging my head low tears dripped from my eyes. I made a big mistake of coming here. Maybe I would have been better off I thought until there was the sound of an elevator door opening.

Thinking it was Hyun-Su I quickly got up running over towards it but it was him it was another guy. The others came pointing their weapons at him. Faces Contoured in anger.

He held up his hands in Surrender, " stop it! Stop this we don't have time for it!" The guy cried, " what do you mean?" Byeong-II questioned, " if they come down we're all dead!" I raised an eyebrow who?

Was he talking about Hyun-Su? " what are you talking about?" People pressed their weapons more towards him I was standing right beside Eun-Yoo. " All right I'll put my weapon down, okay!" He laid it on the ground.

Then pulled something out of his Pocket it was a red piece of paper. " here, read this!!" He handed it over to Yi-Kyeong she looked at him suspiciously then took it. Hye-In read it out loud to us.

" special infectee Report guide." She began, my heartbeat started to pick up. " We guarantee the safety of anyone Who reports a special infection. You will be transferred to a safe camp."

She finished my heart dropped in the pit of my stomach. They wouldn't report me, right? My fist clenched, " what does that mean?" I rolled my eyes did that person not listen? " they want to report people like me!" I said out loud looking down.

Of course, something like this would happen. I Sensed they were all staring at me, after hearing that I wasn't sure if I and Hyun-Su were safe here anymore. Anyone will do anything if that means they are assured safety.

It was quiet until a dig went off, slowly my head Rose to see the numbers on the elevator we're going down. " there coming, there coming!" Byeong-II said all Panicked everyone pointed their weapons. I didn't have one and if it was Hyun-Su I wouldn't use it.

Everyone was still as the numbers hot in the Single digits. I counted down from five if they were going to shoot him I would protect him.

THREE, TWO, ONE!

I said in my head as the elevator doors opened.

@xetherealbeautyx @yeolsbubbles

[xxisxxisxxis]

Preview: Gateway Drug | Eighty-One

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.

.

.

I lay down and just stare at the mirror ceiling looking back at me, an ugly crack causing my reflection to scatter in multiples. 

Nikki must've broken it at some point before leaving. 

I don't know what the point of getting a mirrored ceiling was...perversion or whatever, I suppose. But the money and time spent repairing the damn thing over the years…

I glance at Whisky, curled up on Nikki's side of the bed, talking in his sleep while his back legs twitch a little. 

Maybe he's actually reliving a good memory of Nikki. 

All I can think of is, 

"I got on it to help with my shoulder and finish my parts of the album so it would be ready in time." He tells me honestly.

"And your shoulder's healed now, Nikki. So why are you still bothering with it?" I ask, looking at him. 

"It's not like I'm injecting the shit, Vivian." He argues, getting defensive. "Go read your Bible or pray or something...anything."

And,

I throw the syringe at him, screaming out, "when did you start doing this?!" as tears reappear in my eyes. 

I expect him to come fight me, he instead ignores my outburst and leans down to grab the box of needles.

I get up and follow after him, my hands shoving at his back, nearly causing him to trip over himself. 

"Answer my fucking question!" I demand him, my voice shaking. I get the reaction I want, the plastic of syringes and metal of needles colliding loudly with the wall when he throws the box of them angrily and spins around.

"Vivian, it's just recreational. It's not serious. I got it under control." He tries to defend himself and I close my eyes, realizing I'll never win.

Then, 

Andy." I cry out, keeping my hands on Nikki's chest, but the Finnish rockstar keeps yelling back and forth with the dealer. "Andy." I repeat, louder, but he still doesn't hear me. "Andy!" I'm pleading in a holler, catching his attention. "I-I can't do this, I'm sick, just call an ambulance!" I beg and Andy heads to the phone hanging on the wall.

And,

"Vince, I'm scared." I say in a whisper.

"Viv, you guys are gonna be okay. I'm sure you'll find a way take fix things just to spite people saying you two won't last." He assures me, his hand rubbing comfortingly up and down my back. "Look at me." He says and I do, and he wipes at my tears. "It'll be fine, alright?" I nod. "Okay?"

"Okay." I reply, sniffling again.

Also,

I'm hitting the floor as fast as I can, screaming as my ears ache from the noise as he just starts shooting repeatedly, and the house shakes, my only chance of protection is getting under the bed and I rush to get there, covering my ears as my spine paralyzes with fear and more shots fire out. I hear things in our house breaking and shattering from  buckshot that flies through the open doorway as Nikki is shouting "GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE!" with raw tears in his voice.

Then, 

"I'm getting married, look." Vanity states, taking her left hand out of Arsenio's hold and flashes a shining ring on her ring finger and my ears perk up, apparently Tansy's pulled from her drugged stupor, because her heavy eye lids pop open and her face pales when I look at her as I hear Arsenio comment, "okay, um, here's something for Jett magazine," going with the sudden turn of events presented by the starlet.

"Did you know she was engaged?" I ask Tansy and she's at a loss of words. "I didn't even know she was dating anybody." 

"Vivian." Tansy's tone is dreadful and I wait for her to tell me about it, Arsenio cracking jokes in the background, causing Vanity's enthusiastic laughter to infiltrate the room.

"This is a beautiful ring." He states, grabbing my attention once more. 

"Isn't it pretty?" Vanity agrees as he examines the rock on her finger. 

"You, didn't you--"

"--Nikki Sixx." She interrupts him, and my brows furrow even more, confusion taking over me.

And,

"How could you do this to me?!" I cry out as he starts trying to walk to me, trying to keep his anger low, but I get away from him, throwing a hotel lamp at him, only for it to shatter on the wall behind him. "What did I do to make you hate me so fucking much, Nikki?! To make you pursue another girl--one of my friends--so fucking hard that you propose to her?! Am I just that fucking forgettable?!" I'm throwing dirty dishes Tommy's used tonight, all of them breaking when they miss Nikki by merely centimeters, hitting the wall. 

"Vivian, fuck it off!" He barks and I grab Tommy's switchblade off the nightstand, throwing it next, and it barely misses Nikki's face. 

"I hate you!" I say back. "I fucking hate you!"

Finally,

“What's new…" He says with a small smirk, thinking about something before the corners of his mouth fall slowly. "...I've done a lot of shit." He starts and I look at him. "Shit I'm not proud of. I don't fucking know when to just do something a little bit. I can't have a bump, I've gotta go through an eight ball as fast as possible. I can't have a drink, I gotta drink the place dry. I can't have a serious girlfriend, I've gotta marry her." He says, and I glance at him and he shakes his head. "I can't just have a one-night stand, I gotta have a fucking affair." He finishes and I lick my lips, keeping my tears back. "This might be fucked up, but I've realized I don't feel like I shouldn't have had anything with her." He says in reference to Vanity and I furrow my brows. "I just feel like we shouldn't have gotten married to begin with."

I decide to have mercy on myself, refusing to relive anymore of our memories--good or bad--because they don't matter anymore.

Careful not to wake the dog, I get out of bed, hearing Duff's car pull into the driveway, and glance at the clock. 

How is it already 4:00a.m.?

I can't help but feel butterflies in my stomach, excited to see him because I've missed him.

When he gets in, he braces himself against the doorway of the foyer, cursing under his breath when his feet dare to slip from underneath him. 

"Did you have fun?" I ask him softly, smiling at him and he slowly lifts his head to look at me. 

"Y-You're still up?" He asks me, rubbing his face and I chuckle, taking a step to him. 

"Yeah?" I reply, wrapping my arms around his waist…

...Noticing he's keeping his hand on his eyes as if he's rubbing them, and his lids are squeezed together. 

"Are you okay?" I ask next, reaching up to pull his hand away from his eyes but he stops me. 

"Yeah, baby, I'm fine, just go to bed and I'll be there in a second." He tells me calmly, slurring a little. 

"Duff, what's wrong?" I don't listen, not buying it for a second. 

"Viv…" he sounds disappointed.

"Just look at me," I giggle and move his hand again and he hesitates for a second, before sighing, looking me in the eyes. 

I can't speak as pin-pointed pupils look down at me, the sudden smell of smack fumes on his clothes invades me, faint but still there.

I go to open my mouth to speak but I can't…

He's floating on heroin and my hopes of normality are drowned.

[suppressedanxiety]

and logan, what, exactly, makes you think he will heal on his own? in his current state, he is not as strong as he usually is, and it's a possibility that he can't generate more energy to heal in this state without outside influences, for example his room. you're logic, and yet you seem to be making a lot of assumptions about Anxiety

@lostchoirchild said: Logan, Roman. Have you considered that it will be extremely difficult/nearly impossible for Virgil to properly heal from his injuries (that you CAUSED, in case you've forgotten) without access to his room? I know you are trying to do an "unbiased" test to see if Anxiety is actually necessary, but you are knowingly keeping another living being from healing. That isn't right at all, regardless of what you are trying to prove.

When Logan returned to the room, Anxiety was sitting in a corner of the box, slumped over for a moment. As soon as Logan stepped closer, though, he jerked up as though he’d been electrocuted and snapped his head around to look at him, eyes wide with panic. 

Logan paused. “Anxiety?” Had he been sleeping? Why not use the bed?

In a concerningly short amount of time, the tiny side’s face reverted to his normal dismissive scowl. He rolled to his feet, and somehow didn’t wince or move stiffly even though Logan knew those bruises had to be paining him. “What?” He snapped sharply. 

Logan eyed the hunch of his shoulders and bit down on the questions he had. “... Nothing important.” He sat down on his desk and rifled through the first aid kit Roman had left behind, quickly locating the arnica cream. Anxiety slouched against the wall of the box in a way that looked casual, but his eyes were locked on every movement the larger side made. 

“I have arnica cream, which will help your bruises if you massage it into the affected areas. Since you have bruises surrounding your front and back, it would be more efficient if I helped you apply it.” 

Anxiety, who had been leaning forwards slightly to peer at the tube of cream Logan held, drew back, squinting at him. “You know there’s no way that’s gonna happen, right?”

Logan sighed. “Without my aid, I doubt that you’ll be able to reach all of your bruises-”

“No. I can handle it fine on my own.” 

Feeling a tinge of irritation at being interrupted by the harsh refusal, Logan was tempted to inform that there wasn’t particularly anything he could do to stop Logan at his current size.

@justanotherpurplebutterfly said: "After capturing him against his will, injuring him and terrifying him to the point of fainting, as well as neglect his bodily needs (food, water, etc.) and ignore his opinion on every aspect of this matter, it would be cruel of me to leave him alone and give him a chance to recover without invading his privacy." I see some logical fallacies in your reasoning, Logan. You're just twisting your words to fit your goals so you don't feel guilty for abusing this power dynamic.

Before he could open his mouth to speak, though, his eyes caught on the way Anxiety’s hands were fisted in his hoodie, knuckles white. He sighed. “Very well.” 

The way Anxiety’s eyes went wide would have been comical if it wasn’t so disheartening. Logan unscrewed and slid the tube into the box, his hand passing through the construct easily, and Anxiety took a couple of wary steps back, as though expecting a trick. The tube was huge compared to his tiny arms, but hopefully not too difficult to lift or manipulate. 

Logan moved to return his work, and then paused again, remembering how he’d never seen the other side with any skin exposed. Removing clothes and caring for wounds were both actions that typically inspired feelings of vulnerability when done in front of others.

With a flick of his fingers, a wooden canopy slid into place over the bed, draped with heavy dark curtains that looked out of place next to Patton’s colorful bedspread. Anxiety jumped, twisting around to look at it and sending Logan an odd look. “What’s that for?”

“I understand that unlike Roman’s… decorating choices, this construct leaves something to be desired in regards to privacy. As such, I believe these will work as barriers to use if you so choose.” At Anxiety’s skeptical look, he continued. “I will not interact with the bed or it’s overhang without your explicit permission.”

“Sure.” Anxiety muttered as Logan turned away. 

But when he next glanced over, both the tube and Anxiety had vanished behind the curtains, and he allowed himself a small smile. 

[yodawgiherd]

Scars that time can't heal, pt.2

Rating: T

>>>Read on AO3<<<

First of all, I was blown away by how many of you commented on the last chapter, thank you all very much for that. Taking and processing all your opinions, I've concluded that there was enough support for me to get to work on the second part. To the readers who wanted this thing to continue, this chapter is entirely your doing, and I hope you enjoy it at least as much as the previous one.

Stay cool. :D

Alone, as she should be, as she spent the long years of her life. It was good, solitude, it taught a person to be independent, not to rely on anyone or anything. When Mikasa was sure that Eren was truly gone, she dragged herself from the bed and towards the shower. Look, maybe her place was a mess, but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t give her body the basic care package, including peeing after sex and having a shower. Her legs still felt weak from Eren’s performance, as it was some time since Mikasa got laid and her body probably forgot the strain. Leaning on the slick wall, she ruffled her boyishly short hair, a cut that she had from her days in the army to today, made so short that it wouldn’t tangle in any gear. Lazy thoughts swirled in her head.

Eren was probably never coming back. That was the thing with one-night stands, they lasted, as the name aptly suggests, one night. As of now, standing under the water with her eyes closed, feeling positively ravaged yet in a good way, Mikasa would definitely go for the guy again, but that wasn’t happening. Meh, you can’t always get what you want, right? Right.

It was better like this anyway, repeated encounters could lead to unpleasant questions. For example, Eren could ask to see her naked, an understandable request considering that they had sex and all, but Mikasa didn’t feel like flaunting her scars in front of just anyone. They were hideous, spread over her body like a web of snakes, marking the otherwise pleasantly smooth skin. The price you pay for foolishness.

Abruptly ending her self-pity session, Mikasa turned the shower off and crawled back to bed, not even bothering with dressing herself. One of the many benefits of being alone – no one can see you.

The sleep was exactly as peaceful as she predicted, with no nightmares or dreams to bother her, leaving her positively refreshed in the morning. No headache either, but recalling the events of last night, Mikasa couldn’t say that she was surprised. She didn’t drink much, neither did the guy, which posed the question why the hell did that last night even happened. It wasn’t much of drunk sex, it was more like normal sex with some alcohol involved. But why? Was it as Jean said, and Mikasa was simply looking for some fun? And why did that guy’s voice sound so familiar? It felt as if he was a part of some repressed memory, imprinted deep into her brain but unrecognizable, and it pissed her off. With a muttered curse, Mikasa rolled off the bed in search of some clothes, yearning to get out and fill her head with something else but that mysterious stranger.

How was Jean awake and looking like he just had a full night's sleep was still a mystery. Seeing Mikasa, his face split into a grin and he gestured for her to come closer.

“So?”, he began, as soon as she sat down on the barstool, “How was it?”

Mikasa shrugged.

“How was what?”

“Oh come now, I saw you luring that poor man into your lair last night.”

She didn’t say anything to that, simply pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. Another souvenir from her time in the army, not only the scars but also a crippling nicotine addiction. For god and country.

“T’was fine,”, Mikasa mumbled, nondescript, filling her lungs with smoke.

“Just fine?”

“Nothing special.”, she lied, looking up to meet Jean’s eyes, “Not great, not terrible. Just sex.”

“Really?”, Jean dragged the word out, eyes squinting in suspicion, “Why do I find that hard to believe…”

“No idea.”

But he didn’t drop it, as Mikasa hoped he would, instead Jean stroked his chin, somehow mimicking a detective who’s trying his damndest to crack open a case. It irritated her.

“Look,”, she snapped, “It’s not like you tell me all about your fuck adventures, so why should I?”

“I don’t tell you about them because you want to hear it,”, Jean shot right back, “You’re my best friend, Miks, I’d tell you every dirty detail if you cared.”

Seeing that Mikasa still wasn’t very prone to talking, Jean decided to switch into another tactic. Extortion.

“See, I have made a cup of coffee for someone who would tell me about their last night,” with an overly dramatic sigh, he stirred the liquid, “But since there’s no one, I guess I’ll just have to pour it in the sink…”

Bribes are hard to refuse, especially when they are this tempting. And sometimes, giving ground in an argument for temporary gain is acceptable, Mikasa decided. Reaching out, she swiped the cup away from Jean, who had a devilish smirk on his face, and took a sip. God-sent brew.

“Well,”, he said, watching her gulp it down, “I’m waiting…”

Setting down the now empty cup, Mikasa organized her thoughts. She couldn’t tell Jean everything, of course, but some choice facts could be said between friends.

“You were right,” she nodded at him, “When you said that I needed some fun. It was pretty good, made me sleep well too. And... Uh… He knew what he was doing, that’s for sure.”

“What was his name?”

“Eren.”

“Eren… ?”

“I didn’t ask about his surname,”, Mikasa frowned at Jean, “Why should I?”

“Because you guys were talking for hours here?”, he apparently had a hard time believing her, “What did you talk about then?”

“Uhm… Stuff?”

“Such as?”

“I…”

But even trying to remember as hard as she could, Mikasa couldn’t recall anything specific. They talked, sure, but it was just the classic small talk. She didn’t know his full name, what he worked as, his hobbies, nothing. The time simply went on so fast when they were sitting together and….

“I honestly have no idea.”, she confessed.

“You two were just so taken with each other that you didn’t even notice how the time flies? Well, you know I would call that?”, Jean’s smirk was smug for a change, “I’d call it lo-…”

“Don’t.”, Mikasa interrupted him, “Don’t say that.”

“What? Why not? If you enjoyed his company so much then..”

“We talked, we fucked, that’s it. End. Over. Done.”

“Mikasa…”, Jean’s voice softened, “You haven’t been in a relationship since we broke up. Maybe you should stop sinking everything around you and give it a try.”

“There’s nothing to be given try to.”, she shook her head, “It was a one-night stand, that’s all.”

“I feel like you are unnecessarily hostile towards the idea. It didn’t work out for us, sure, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t find someone else.”

“I’m not going to stalk a guy just because he’s good at sex, that’s hardly a solid base.”

“Not all couples have a dreamy beginning. Remember how we started?”, Jean leaned on the wood, eyeing her face, “I saw you at high school, the goth girl sitting all alone, and I instantly thought that you are the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen. So summoning all my courage, I walked up to you and told you that your hair looks beautiful. Do you remember what you answered?”

Mikasa couldn’t hold back her own smirk at this point, her and Jean’s first interaction was quite hilarious.

“I told you to fuck off.”

“See? Not ideal now was it.”, Jean tapped the wood with one finger, “But I didn’t stop, I just kept following you around and being a nuisance until you agreed to go on a date with me.”

“A decision I never came to regret.”, Mikasa smiled at him, “We had a good run, even if it ultimately didn’t work out.”

“I loved you as my girlfriend, and I love you still, as a friend. And I wish nothing more than to see you happy, Miks.”

“Can you stop being the overly nice ex for a minute.”, Mikasa massaged her temples, “Can we talk about something else? Please?”

“Fine.”, with a sigh, Jean collected the empty cup from her, setting it down behind the bar, “But you should really think about what I said.”

“I won’t.”, Mikasa claimed, unmoved, “I appreciate the advice but I’m sure I’ll forget about this soon enough.”

A week went by.

Then another.

She didn’t forget.

During her days, it was fine, as long as she kept herself busy Mikasa didn’t waste time with reminiscing. But evening and nights were bad, when she was alone the memories came flooding back, making her toss and turn on the bed, finding no rest. Jean’s words didn’t help either. But even if she wanted to find the guy, to talk to him again, she couldn’t. Eren left no trace behind, appearing and disappearing over the span of a few hours. She washed his scent from her skin, changed the bedsheets, and it was as if he was never even here. If only the memories would stop.

To suppress them, Mikasa spent most of her evenings drunk, indulging her alcoholism to the max. Jean didn’t comment on it, but the sideways glances he threw her way from time to time were enough to know that he didn’t approve of her coping method. Well if he was this judgmental, there was another way…

Jean didn’t seem much surprised when Mikasa came down one night just as the bar was closing, meaning that it was very early morning already. They often talked over a drink, about stuff that was happening. Mikasa talked about her fights, about her training, about Louise, while Jean would tell her how the bar is doing, how many new girls he met and some of the life stories he was told by the unfortunate souls who felt the need to confide in a bartender.

“We should hit the gym together more often,” Mikasa was just suggesting, making him laugh.

“I’d love to, but the bar isn’t going to open by itself.”

“You know, there’s a new workout I’ve been willing to try,” moving a bit closer, Mikasa eyed him up and down, “One I need a partner for.”

“Really?”, Jean was a bit taken aback by how much Mikasa was invading his personal space, “And what’s that?”

“This.”

And she kissed him. Reaching out to wrap Jean in an embrace, Mikasa pushed on, doing her best to get him to cooperate, but for some reason, his mouth was slack beneath hers. But then, finally, his hands came to rest on her shoulders and he, he…

Pushed her away.

“I know what you’re doing.”, Jean had sort of a melancholic smile, as he kept her at an arm’s length.

“Well, that’s obvious, isn’t it? You want to take this straight upstairs or…”, Mikasa looked around the empty bar, “We never christened this place properly. You could lay me across the counter and then…”

But Jean interrupted her before she could finish her sinful fantasies.

“That’s not what I mean.”

“Then what’s the problem? Don’t you want to fuck me?”, sneaking one hand down Jean’s body, Mikasa moved her mouth to whisper into his ear, “Do you remember what you used to call me when we were dating? Do you?”

“I do.”, completely stoic, Jean reached down to take gentle hold of the hand that was making its way towards his crotch, lifting it to his lips instead, “I called you my dark princess.”

And with a fleeting kiss to her knuckles, Jean stood up, leaving Mikasa alone at the table. Crossing the distance to the counter, he leaned on it, turning to face her with the same sad expression. It only made her angrier.

“Jean, what the fuck is the problem? We are friends, right, can’t we be friends with benefits?”

“If you asked me this question back when we broke up, I’d definitely go along with it.”

That didn’t explain anything.

“Then what the fuck changed?”

He smiled, but there was no happiness in it.

“You met that guy.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“You’re not trying to sleep with me just because of that act itself, you’re trying to do it to see if it helps you forget about him.”

“Bullshit…”, Mikasa whispered, but the blush on her cheeks betrayed the fact that Jean had guessed it perfectly.

“I just value our friendship too much to ruin it by this.”, Jean continued, “You know that it would only complicate things, for no good reason, right?”

“But…”

“There’s no need to pretend, Mikasa. Do I find you attractive? Of course, I do, you are damn beautiful, even if you don’t realize it. But am I willing to fuck over the thing we’ve been building for years just to get you to bed? No.”

“Fine…”

With a sigh, Mikasa stood up, heading towards the stairs without looking at Jean. She couldn’t bear his eyes, not after he shut her down this perfectly. Because every word he said was true.

“I’m going to sleep,”, she called over her shoulder, “Night Jean.”

His reply was something half-hearted, and Mikasa couldn’t even hear it properly as she made her way up the stairs and into the bed. This night, her sleep was once again restless.

And another week passed, gone in a dull grey mist that descended over everything.

“Oh! And he’s down again!”, the scream of the commentator was loud enough to pierce the cheering of the crowd, “After such hit, how will he ever recover?”

Dancing back, Mikasa cautiously watched her opponent on the other side of the cage, crumbled down into a shape on the ground. Her breathing was quick but steady, and the few bruises on her body that he managed to score didn’t even hurt. This match, as it looked, was safely hers, which meant that a bit of taunting was in order. These underground fights were basically like Rome colosseum, Levi always said, the more popular the gladiator the fatter the pay after each duel. And people loved a good show.

Raising her arms above her head, Mikasa faced the packed spectator seats, causing even more applause and cheering to erupt. She could see Louise, of course, the girl was bouncing in her seat and clapping wildly, eyes only for her idol. Levi was watching too, arms crossed on his chest, his scarred face not betraying any emotion.

“That’s right!”, Mikasa shouted, getting them even more ecstatic, “I’m the best!”, she hit her chest, “Me!”

Just at that moment, the cheering subsided and a wave or murmurs ran through the crowd.

“Oh? It looks like we have been celebrating too early!”, said the commentator’s voice.

Turning around, Mikasa could see that the guy was indeed picking himself up, standing on shaky legs.

“You fucking bitch….”, he growled through gritted teeth.

Looking him up and down, Mikasa saw that he had it bad. Eyes unfocused and watery, the muscles of his neck clenched, he was holding himself up by the sheer force of will, the trashing he got from her rather thorough.

“Dude, stay down.”, Mikasa advised him, in a much quieter voice, “It’s over.”

She had no problems beating people up, but this guy could be one of the cases that will just keep standing up until they are physically able to. Mikasa didn’t want to kill the guy, damn it.

“Shut the fuck up, jap whore.”, with a pained grin, he reached down to his shorts, “Let’s see how you like this.”

And he pulled out a fucking knife. Short, thin-bladed, but still a knife, glistening dangerously in the lights. The arena erupted. The cage fights had next to no rules, almost anything was allowed, but weapons were strictly forbidden. You could beat someone to death, and it happened a few times already, but you had to do it with your fists. Levi shouted something behind her, people screamed, but none of that mattered. She and the knife holding maniac were locked together in the cage, one that had no chance of opening quick enough for Mikasa to get any kind of help. She had to do this on her own.

For a man who was beaten half unconscious, he moved fast, closing the distance between them in a few short steps. And then he attacked. Short stabs, a slash, one dangerously close. Mikasa gave ground, retreated, looking for an opening, but then her back hit the steel bars of the cage. No more ground to give. Her opponent saw it, and with a maniacal glint in his eyes moved in for the kill. It was a good move, stab at her stomach, hard to miss and quickly executed. Yet Mikasa was faster. Moving with the hit, she jumped to the right, stepping forward at the same time and bringing her elbow down at his outstretched arm. He screamed in pain, but to her surprise didn’t let go of the knife, somehow keeping his grip. The second slash was wild, unprepared, and it caught her off guard. The blade slid along her forearm, leaving a red path in its wake. But the attacker paid for this by leaving himself completely open, and Mikasa took full advantage. The left hook was strong and quick, executed just in the right angle to land on his face, breaking the maniac’s nose and sending him flying at the same time. Falling on the ground with a thud, his body twitched but didn’t move anymore, and from how his eyes fluttered close, it was clear that Mikasa had finally knocked him out. And the crowds cheered once more.

“How did he get a fucking knife into the cage.”, Mikasa’s words were pained, pushed through her teeth while Levi examined the cut on her arm, “How?”

“I don’t know.”, face calm, her brother cleaned he blood before dabbing the wound with something that burned, most likely to prevent an infection. “But I will find out, I promise.”

Focusing on the pain instead, Mikasa closed her eyes, really wishing that she had something to drink. Like a bottle of scotch.

“Is it bad?”, she asked instead of thinking about alcohol.

“Not really. The cut isn’t very deep.”, nodding to himself, Levi continued, “Do you want me to get someone to stitch it for you?”

“No, I’m sick of this place. I’ll ask Jean to do it.”

They healed each other wounds in the army, and Mikasa saw no reason why Jean wouldn’t help her now. Not questioning her decision, Levi bandaged the arm. It gave her time to study her brother’s face. Mikasa was not the only one with scars in their family, Levi had his own, even worse than she. Right over one of his eyes, permanently closing it, and one of his hands was missing a finger, the middle one. Levi’s wounds didn’t happen in the army though. He was an underground fighter, before Mikasa, and the same as she, he was very, very good. Too good. And despite his height, Levi had his pride, which in the end was his downfall. In short, Levi was asked to lose a match, because the boss wanted him to, and he refused. In retaliation, he was ambushed in an alley, and multiple men with their own knives made sure that he got the message.

To everyone’s surprise, Levi didn’t disappear into some dark corner to lick his wounds, instead, he came back as Mikasa’s trainer, once again ruining everyone’s day with how unbeatable his sister was. It made the mafia respect him enough that they even indirectly apologized for what they’ve done to him, and assured Levi that nothing similar threatened him or Mikasa ever again. This meant that whoever orchestrated today’s accident, whoever helped the fighter smuggle in the knife, was at this very moment probably regretting his decision.

“And Levi?”

“Hmm?”

“You don’t have to look into this, I’m sure the mafia will clean up their own mess.”

“Someone tried to cut up my little sister.”, Levi’s voice was quiet, but it had a deadly threat in it, “I’m definitely making them pay.”

Standing up, he made his way to the door of Mikasa’s dressing room.

“You go back home and have Jean stitch you up.”, he said, right before leaving, “I’ll make sure that his incident will never repeat itself.

And he was gone, leaving Mikasa with a slightly itchy arm and no answers.

Something was wrong. Mikasa could see it as soon as she entered the bar, Jean’s posture just gave it away. And when she came closer with a question clearly written in her face, the bartender answered it for her.

“He’s back.”

They both knew who the “He” is. Eren sat at the same table as last time, with a drink in front of him, once again looking up as Mikasa neared him.

“Care to join me?”, he asked with a smile, holding up his glass, “I’m willing to buy you a drink again.”

Sliding into the offered seat, Mikasa patted her pockets, searching and finding a pack of cigarettes and lighting one up. Seeing how Eren eyed the box, she offered him one too, but he shook his head.

“I quit.”

“Suit yourself.”

Taking a drag to calm her nerves, Mikasa blinked a few times, doing her best to ignore the pain her arm.

“I’m going to guess that you are here to see me, right?”, she began.

“Maybe I’m just here for the drinks.”, Eren argued, but from his tone, Mikasa knew he was joking.

“I doubt that. And considering that I’m part owner, I do have certain authority on that subject.”

“All right, you got me.”, Eren picked up his glass, “I’m here to see you.”

Mikasa had to get rid of him, and fast, considering that her arm was still bleeding and overall she felt like shit. Being attacked by a knife didn’t really set the right mood. So, pulling out her best resting bitch face, she went on.

“Well, too bad, because I’m not in the mood today.”

Eren arched an eyebrow at that.

“Not in the mood for me?”

“Not in the mood to fuck.”, she corrected him, “That’s why you’re here, no? To fuck?”

“That’s a bit jumping to a conclusion.”, Eren wasn’t that unbalanced by her bluntness as Mikasa hoped, keeping his cool, “In fact, I’m here to talk.”

Right, like she believed that. But the sooner she lets him say his piece, the sooner she can tell him to fuck off. Dragging another smoke from the cigarette, Mikasa nodded at him.

“Talk then.”

Leaning forward, Eren put his hands on the table, serious for a change.

“I haven’t been entirely honest with you, last time we met. You see…”, holding out his right hand, he made sure that Mikasa saw that band of gold on his finger that surely wasn’t there last time around, “I have to tell you something. I’m married.”

Mikasa stared at him, at that ring, wondering why the hell did that piece of information made her feel so squished around the heart. If she felt like shit before, now she felt like a double shit, and the needles that prickled her skin weren’t helping. It just didn’t make sense. What did it matter to her that he was married, why should she care? And why the fuck did she feel like crying all of a sudden? Pushing all those negative emotions back, Mikasa kept her face without expression, shrugging.

“So?”

That finally broke his cool.

“Well, I mean…”, Eren scratched the back of his head, the uncaring attitude not the one he was expecting.

“I don’t give a fuck that you’re married, it’s your problem that you’re cheating on your wife, not mine.”, Mikasa pressed on.

“I…”

He was close to the breakpoint, close to just getting up and leaving, so Mikasa continued.

“What’s wrong? Now what you were expecting?”, she let her lips curve into a cruel smile, “Or are you just sad that your wife doesn’t make your cock hard like I do, sad that…Ah…”

Whatever she wanted to say was lost, because her damn arm chose just that moment to bring itself back to life, the painkillers she took to survive the bike ride here apparently running out. With a curse, Mikasa clutched her arm, baring her teeth against the pain.

“Mikasa? What’s wrong?”, Eren’s tone changed completely, the surprise replaced by something that sounded like genuine concern, “Are you hurt?”

“I-I’m fine…”, she growled but wasn’t fooling anyone.

“You’re holding your arm.”, he observed, “Can I help?”

“No, you can’t.”, Mikasa was angry, hurt, and just wanted that guy who kept messing with her head fucking gone already, “Unless you are a doctor, I don’t see how you could.”

For some damned reason, that made him smile.

“As chance would have it, I am a surgeon.”

Well, that answered her question of what he was doing for a living.

“A surgeon huh? Well…”

Yes, Mikasa just wanted to send him to seven hells, but her arm hurt like shit and only a stupid person would refuse the help of a professional. So, instead of telling him to fuck off, as intended, they once again ended in her room, sitting on her bed, while Eren gently took off her jacket.

“You should take off your shirt, the blood…”, he began but was promptly cut off.

“I’m not taking my shirt off.”, Mikasa shook her head, “Out of the question.”

The scars were still there, last time she checked.

“But…”

“No buts.”

Eren signed, rubbing his forehead.

“Fine, have it your way.”

Then, blessedly, he finally shut his mouth and got to work. Mikasa couldn’t deny that Eren knew what he was doing, his stitches were neat and fast, and before she realized it he was done, once again covering her arm in a clean bandage. But it was getting dangerous, the proximity, the body heat she felt radiating from him, bringing back the memories of their night together. His smell was intoxicating too, although Mikasa couldn’t recognize it, and she found herself dreaming. How would Eren respond if she asked him to spend the night with her? Nothing would have to happen, they could just lay down on the bed together, cuddle and…

No. She slapped herself, mentally, cursing her own naivety. A single glance on her scars would send him running, and to add insult to injury, he was married. Damn it, Eren only came here because he was bored of his wife or some shit, maybe she had a headache often and it sent him out in hunt of a more willing pussy. She was a broken woman, he was an unfaithful bastard, and that was it. Nothing will ever happen between them, nothing, so stop fucking lying to yourself, you dumb bitch.

“It should be fine now.”, he said, standing up from the bed, “But if something hurts or…”

“Nothing will hurt, I’m fine now.”, Mikasa jerked her chin towards the door, “You can go now.”

“I…”

“Just leave, okay?”

“Right...”, he made a step towards the door, but then as if he remembered something, Eren fished in his pocket, pulling out a business card.

“A precaution, all right?”, he set it down on her table, “If anything unusual happens, call me.”

Almost out of her room, between the door, Eren was stopped by Mikasa who finally remembered her manners. She should probably thank the man who stitched her up so nicely.

“Eren?”

He stopped.

“Yes?”

“Thank you. I…Ehm… I appreciate it.”

Eren smiled at her, and for some reason it made Mikasa feel all warm inside.

“Don’t mention it.”

And then he was gone, just like last time, yet with one significant difference. This time, he left behind his card, and picking it up, Mikasa finally learned the good doctor’s surname. The man who was supposed to be just a night one stand and turned into a much more complicated thing had a full name.

Eren Yeager, his name was Eren Yeager.

[st-riley-the-brave]

☆ 🕯| Riley's eyes widened in shock at Raiden's words...

" -- a 'undred 'n' sev'nty!?"

The polearm had dropped to the ground as Riley covered her mouth, stunned at the fact that she was this far into the future. She had to stop for a moment: "'Undred 'n' sev'nty... 1849, 1949... '59... '69..." she quietly counted to herself with her fingers until -- "...anno Domini two thousan' nineteen..." Taking a (shaky but) deep breath, she slowly nodded in acceptance. This was wild...

Now with the knowledge of both where and when she was, she used that free hand to reach into her messenger bag and take out her journal. It was time to explain to Raiden what had happened. The Lore Elysium, which had been accompanying her for at least a decade, was a gift to her from her storytelling friends, along with special ink and a quill. Because of her Story-weaving gift, Riley was able to bring illustrations in Elysium to life... which she used to an extent. Not for personal gain or amusement, but more for such a time as this. Displaced, and mayhaps a bit afraid at first.

"Elysium" Riley spoke up to the journal as she carefully held it in her right hand and opened it with the help of her chin, the left hand still holding up the lantern. "I need th'updated map 'f m'Graveyard please." Its pages quickly flipped -- it seemed like it had seen so many pages that it never ended -- until it stopped at her sketched map of the Stormy Oaks Graveyard. Her distinct handwriting scrawled at the top right-hand corner, Updated 14 May 1849, 5:19pm.

"This is th'Graveyard 'f Stormy Oaks, England. Situated 'bout a mile or so outside of town" she explained to the Thunder God, showing him the map. "I'd jus' started th' Night's Watch, which is against grave thieves, marauders an' sky pirates invading both m'residence as well as th' town itself. Here" -- she motioned to what looked like a mausoleum -- "is m' 'ome, th' 'Ouse'oleum... and o'er there" -- she motioned to the northwest corner of the Graveyard -- "is where m'adoptive big brother found th'light." She then spoke to the journal, "Current page, please."

Quickly it flipped to the page with the current date -- 12 July 1849 -- and her handwritten notes - Constables on Duty: Audergine Wright + Anselm McPherren - Left upper arm: Dressings changed at 5:15pm, change at 11:15pm, check for signs of healing, update Dr. Rowan if condition worsens - Afternoon weather: Storms - Time Lock set to LOCKED to prevent accidental time trips - Send report to Lord Constable in the morning. It was on this page that she needed to set Lucerna down and take the quill and ink. Quickly open the bottle. Dip quill nib in ink.

Standing back up, she sketched out the light she saw. "This, was in th'darkest corner of th'Graveyard. Audergine called to my attention." As the illustration was given some detail, it came to life briefly with Elysium's magic as she recalled its flickerings. "It sparkled of gold, blue, green. Audergine stayed back, as I had asked of 'im to, yet... it seems it was me it wanted?" The light puzzled her as she willed the illustration to be bound to the page once more. "Or else it would 'ave taken him with me. But it did not call to him..."

She then made a face. "Th'Time Lock, along with m'Time Key, is m'time travel device, when it's set to LOCKED it normally means that I am not time travelling, nor sent on a time trip by accident." And a sigh. "Unfortunately in this case, this also means that I... can't go back 'ome. I am locked out. I was forced out for some reason or another... but... why me? 'Cause it's not like I can just use th'Time Key to open a portal back 'ome. I can't when the Lock is on."

She looked down. "I... think I'm goin' t'need some tea t'cope with this..."

st-riley-the-brave‌:

“You are intruding on sacred grounds – identify yourself!”

The words hit Riley like a ton of bricks and for a moment, she almost panicked. “Sacred ground!?” she whispered to herself. “Am I in someone else’s Graveyard or–!?” Heaven forbid she’d end up in someone else’s jurisdictional authority as far as graveyards and cemeteries were concerned. And while that hasn’t happened yet, she was definitely not up for that anytime soon. (Then again, she was the only known Gravekeeper in existence, but that’s a whole other history lesson for another time!)

Quickly – but painfully and even having to slow herself down – she sat up, before carefully pulling herself to her feet and adjusting her messenger bag. She took the lantern in her left hand, disregarding the pain in the upper arm for the moment – before taking the sickle-polearm in the right, holding it blade-down as a sign that she came in peace. Raising her lantern she quickly took in her surroundings and realised… she was definitely not in another graveyard. Her storm-blue eyes soon fixed upon the man who loomed over her… and seemed far more than a mere man. Almost god-like…

“Aurelia M'rie Cranst'n, Gravekeeper of Stormy Oaks, England” she introduced herself. “From th'year 1849, in th'Reign o’ Victoria.” She took a step closer to the man before giving him the closest she could to a curtsey, given her hands were full. “I arrive here solely in peace, as I’ve been forced out of m'home time frame while I was on duty and I’ve no idea where I am now, or why I am ‘ere. My apologies, m'lord.”

Having spoken the truth of the situation in as simple a summary as she could, she took a deep breath, lowered her head – and awaited her fate.

          *:･ﾟ⚡┇ He observes as she makes to stand. Adjusts her messenger bag. She looks out of her time, with her lantern, that long dress of many layers, and her sickle, held down and he does understand she may not want to cause harm, yet she is still trespassing.

             Staff in hand, he remains stoic a moment, listens to her woe as she introduces herself with every possible detail, more so than he would have expected from an intruder. ❝1849❞, he repeats, whispers. Impossible — as they were well engaged into the 21st century — and yet he detects no lies in the woman; either she is telling the truth, or she is delusional beyond belief; perhaps she found a rogue portal? But her cornflower blue eyes indicate no lunacy on her part; fear, perhaps, but no madness.

              ❝Aurelia Marie❞, he speaks her name: her accent is indeed thick with English dialect, and as she makes to come forward, he too approaches, steps down a few steps toward her. ❝If what you say is true, you are a hundred and seventy years out of your time.❞ His eyes carry to the sickle, and decides on a leap of faith, his own weapon vanishing from his hand, crackling lightning in its wake before there is nothing but his hand which falls at his side. ❝I am Lord Raiden, God of Thunder and protector of Earthrealm, and you are currently at the Sky Temple. You say you were forced out of your home. Care to explain?❞