#these fragments are good. these fragments are lucky! why them and not me?

[rangerdoubt]

i mean i’ve been fiddling w my whole crew already so. might shake things up on different runs. once school lets out and i feel less blech

i think my art thief step has some things to confront about himself tbh

[perfectlyoongi]

HUSBAND!NAMJOON who writes you a song as a marriage proposal. as intelligent as Namjoon could be, when he was nervous it was difficult for him to express himself verbally and he knew perfectly well that in that request he would run over every word and choke on them; that's why Namjoon decided to open his soul in the most natural way for him: the song was small, brief, just a verse and a chorus, but every word was beautiful, peppered with the love he felt, ringing with a melody of hope from an eternal future by your side. “i’m not very good with words, i hope the song is enough for you.”

HUSBAND!NAMJOON who hires a painter to portray your special day. yes, photographs were beautiful, faster, saving every moment and action they could; but, for Namjoon, there was magic on a canvas, in how each brushstroke was like a fragment of your dreams and hopes, the vivid colors complementing each other and appearing as an omen for your married life. “i think a portrait of us is more intimate. i think it’s with oil paints that you can clearly see our love and happiness.”

HUSBAND!NAMJOON who writes your initials in the corners of his music sheets. Namjoon felt like it was nonsense, a small, insignificant and quite embarrassing detail, but, in a way, he couldn't stop himself from doing it; like a lucky charm, your initials decorated the various pages with a touch of magic, as if the letters designated for you blessed Namjoon's mind and all his work. “i know it doesn't make much sense, but i feel like it really helps me. at least it always gives me strength when i see your initials in my art.”

HUSBAND!NAMJOON who gives you a bouquet of flowers every monday, even when he's on tour. Namjoon wanted to make sure you had a good week, he wanted to motivate you to get through five more days of intense work and complex people; so, he came up with a simple solution that, in addition to filling your living room with sweet smells of passion and longing, also brought with it bright colors that painted the gray days that could lie ahead. “i hope you have a good day today. don't forget that the world only makes sense because you are in it. i love you.”

HUSBAND!NAMJOON who goes on sunset walks with you. if when you were dating the two of you shared the sunrise on a bicycle, now in your marriage your attention has turned to the sunset, as if a natural representation of your love — at sunrise your love was still blooming, but now, already together with promises and vows of eternity, your love was based on a sea of reds and oranges that forever warmed your hearts. “i feel so complete with you. i still can't believe we're actually married. you just make my life better.”

HUSBAND!NAMJOON who takes you on surprise dates. it wasn't because you were married that Namjoon was going to stop dating you; without telling you, or simply spontaneously, Namjoon would take you to dinners or aquarium, ceramics classes or evening picnics, the possibilities seemed endless and Namjoon swore to you that he would explore each one of them with you. “just because we’re married doesn’t mean the romance is over. i hope you know that i will take you on dates even if we are eighty and use canes.”

HUSBAND!NAMJOON who swore an eternity of love for you. in any adversity, Namjoon promised you that your love would not weaken; in any opportunity, Namjoon promised you that your love would only grow; in any future, Namjoon promised you that your love would never end, for you were chosen by the stars, blessed by the gods — there was nothing that could ruin your love. “the dust of the universe are crumbs of our love that could not fit into our hearts in this life.”

[boredpotate]

Happier Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Arcane or any music I link. I only own the concept for this story.

Concept: Isekai Fem Reader turns back time to fix her timeline, but has unforeseen consequences.

Powder Pov

"You really are a little artist. You like your new addition to your army kiddo?" I ask Isha as she colors another toy that Ekko made for her. She nods her head rapidly, not breaking her focus on coloring the toy robot while wearing a smile on her face.

"Good to know you like it." Ekko says, sitting on the other side of Isha, keeping the kid between us, before reaching to wipe some food off of her face.

It's been a few days since that operation happened; five days to be precise. After things calmed down for everyone, Vi and Cait went more into detail about what happened in those mines before leaving to check on how the others were doing, and then report their findings. Apparently some old rich guy from Piltover was running the gang and they were using orphans to work in the mines.

"Did she finish her food?" Dad asks as he walks over our table, making Isha pick up and present her empty plate to Dad, "Good job kid. Looks like you're getting your appetite back." he says as he pats her head which makes Isha giggle before going back to her coloring.

After all the kids from the mines were checked on by doctors, we decided to take Isha with us back home and dressed her since Y/n seemed to really care for her.

'Y/n.'

Their name echoes in my head again. I recall her lying down on the table again. Coming back with uncle's medicine to see a more clear view of her injuries with her clothes cut open. Watching as fragments were removed from the surface level of her body. I didn't get to see much more after Professor Heimerdinger arrived, but just by the look on his face before Ekko and I stepped out of the room, I was able to tell it wasn't good. Even when that Viktor guy arrived, it didn't help ease my nerves.

She had some close calls when it came to some deeper wounds in her back, but they would heal with time. The worse was her leg. They said she may recover, but if she woke up she wouldn't be able to walk right for awhile. Cait offered to house her until then but..... that didn't feel right for some reason. Luckily dad suggested housing her in one of the guest rooms we have available since buying out the old building connecting to ours. It being a more familiar place for her to wake up than in a fancy place was his reasoning.

Uncle Silco and the professor pay visits to check on her condition and make sure her IV is working. We sometimes find Isha checking in on her too.

Speaking of Isha, she's been a bundle of joy for the place. Took time, but eventually when she started getting comfortable she started showing her kid self more. Doesn't cause trouble and if she does it's harmless stuff. Ekko and I have taken over the duty of watching over her; I can see why Y/n cares for her a lot. Only took a few days for me to grow attached to her, and it looks like the same goes for the others. She doesn't talk, but she's expressive enough to convey how she's feeling and actually knows some sign language. Can write too.

"Kid must feel lucky. She's got her own personal attack dog ready to go rabid for her." Benzo says as dad brings the plate behind the bar to clean.

"Tch. More like a reckless bodyguard. Ignored all the thugs in the area and just gave into impulses." Sevika says as she nurses her drink at the bar, sitting near Vi and Cait. All of them off duty.

"I wonder what that's like?," I say sarcastically as I glance at Vi and Cait. Cait giggles a little while Vi gives me slight glare before I look back to Isha, "Take my advice kid, and appreciate it while it lasts. Next thing you know she's gonna get all lovesick for a cutie and start stalking her." That get's a chuckle out of people that hears, since pretty much everyone knows how protective Vi is.

"C'mon Pow Pow, y'know I would do the same for you. AND. I did not become a lovesick stalker. Right, Cupcake?" Vi says and looks to Cait to back her up, but get's a skeptical look instead.

"Mmmm, it's not completely wrong." Cait says making Vi look betrayed and the rest of us smirk.

"What!?"

"Sweetie, did you really think I believed that you would "conveniently" run into me every time I went on patrol around Zaun?"

"......It wasn't every time." Vi says, defeated and slightly embarrassed making us all have more of a chuckle from it.

"I did find it cute though. You also made patrols less boring." Cait says with a kiss to her temple to cheer her up, which makes Vi immediately perk up. The scene makes me smile before turning to look at Ekko.

"Hey, I'm gonna go check on her real quick. Keep an eye on her?"

"Go ahead. I got her." Ekko says and I ruffle the girl's head as I stand up and make my way up a set of stairs.

The walk to her room isn't too far from the bar. We decided it would be best that she was close to check on and just in case she woke up with no one with her.

I open the door to see Y/n still lying down on the bed, not having moved a muscle, the light from a nearby window slightly shining on her. I walk to the side of the bed and go to check her IV to make sure nothings wrong and doesn't need to be switched out. Once that is done I turn to look down at her again, this time much closer, and I take a moment to look her over. I see some of the bandages wrapped over her shoulder and collar bone that sticks out from underneath the blanket and take a quick look under the blanket to make sure her wounds haven't opened up again.

Once I see that she's fine I find myself staying to watch her for a little. Usually I'd find this type of thing weird, especially since I hardly know her, but something about her makes me stay longer than needed. It's comforting. She eased the headaches Ekko and I have been having. At first I would just do a quick check up, but then I started staying longer to just watch her sleep. It wasn't just me either. Sometimes Ekko and I will just stay in here and talk while keeping an eye on her.

I take a glance at the door and listen if anyone is coming before sitting down on the side of the bed. It felt nice to be close to her. It felt.... right.

I slowly reach forward and brush aside a few strands of hair behind her ear and I hesitate before laying my hand gently against her cheek and jaw. After caring for her and keeping her clean there's no longer any smudge of dirt or smog on her face.

"Why do you make us feel this way? Why do those headaches go away when near you?" I whisper, knowing she can't hear me or respond. I get lost in my thoughts before noticing my thumb brushing against her cheek and quickly pull my hand away. Calling my strange behavior there, "What is wrong with me?"

I stand up and quickly go to leave, but I take one last long look at her before closing the door and heading back to the bar. Feeling guilty of my strange behavior that I know I should be stopping.

"Why do I not want it to stop?"

Reader Pov

I feel my senses start coming back to me from what feels like a long sleep. I go to open my eyes, but find them hard to open from a bright light. I raise an arm and try to sit myself up on the bed I am laying on and feel myself struggle slightly to do the simple task.

'Wait. A bed?,' I realize before quickly covering my eyes from the light and open them to see myself in an unfamiliar room. I then notice the unfamiliar large shirt I am wearing and lack of pants. I finally see the light that has been causing me trouble is the sun shining through a nearby window, there's what looks to be a leg brace leaning on the wall near the nightstand and I notice that I am connected to what looks like an IV before taking out the tube connected to my wrist, 'Where am I?'

I remember what happened before falling unconscious in Isha's arms. I slowly shift to the edge of the bed and go to stand up; finding myself struggling slightly with my legs feeling weak. One leg feeling very painful to put weight on, so I hold onto the IV stand for support and make my way towards the nearby window and look out after my eyes adjust to the light. I see the streets of Zaun with people going about their day and kids playing.

"Good morning!"

I jump in shock, instinctively reaching for my gun which isn't there, but calm down once I see Professor Heimerdinger.

"Oh, sorry for frightening you. It's good to see you awake. How do you feel?" he asks in his always joyous tone.

"Uh, yeah. Thank you, I feel fine. Some pain in my back, but mostly my leg. My body feels weak though." I say which get's me a chuckle.

"Well that is expected for someone who has been in a coma for five days. S-"

"Five days!?"

"Yes! Now I must ask that you take a seat on the bed so that I may give you a quick check up." he says and I follow instructions while thinking about how long I was bedridden for.

Heimerdinger first jumps onto the bed and checks my eyes before asking me to lift the back of my shirt to look at the bandages I only now notice were wrapped around my torso. He then drops down to look at my injured leg.

"Um, quick question. Where am I?" I ask as he looks it over.

"Oh right! Don't worry young one, you're safe. Currently you're in The Last Drop, the owner of this establishment was nice enough to house you." he answers which makes my eyes widen.

"Vander."

"Yes! You were in quite a severe condition from your task with the enforcers, but you were rushed here to get help. You're lucky nothing vital was damaged. After removing all the embedded fragments and making sure you were stable, Vander and her daughter suggested housing you here. He said it would be better for you to wake up in a place you're more comfortable with than in the Kiramman estate like Caitlyn had offered," Heimerdinger explains before finally looking satisfied with his examination of my leg, "Well, Y/n, it looks like most minor injuries have healed and the more concerning ones are healing fairly quick. The only one that brings concern is your leg. It took a bad hit and will take awhile for you to recover before you can use it normally again, but don't worry. Viktor and Jace both made a leg brace just for you based off your measurements. Easy to put on too." he explains and I nod my head before looking down at the oversized shirt I am wearing.

"Do you mind telling me where my clothes are?"

"Ah, right, well unfortunately they had to be cut open in order to operate on you without risking making things worse. Your armor also did not survive the blast and was fractured in my places; stopping some fragments from hitting you, but also some of it cracking and stabbing into your back. I don't know what was done with it afterwards," he explains and I nod with a disappointed sigh, "Though I am sure Powder will have some clothes for you. Oh! I need to inform them of you waking up! Wait here." he says before rushing off back out the door he came in. I smile at his antics before my eyes explore the homey room.

It has some simple decorations like lamps, a shelf and a wardrobe. Decide to get lost in my thoughts for a few minutes about the situation I find myself in while I wait.

'I really messed up this time.'

*knock* *knock* I hear before I see the all too familiar blue head of hair before seeing Powder's whole head poke in. I see a smile on her face when she sees me.

"Hey, it's good to see you recovered well," she says as she steps in with folded clothes under her arm and cane held in the other, "These should fit you well, and Heimerdinger said you're gonna need the cane to walk. I hope you don't mind if my clothes don't match your tastes. Oh, and your shoes are just by the door." she says as she sets the cane near the nightstand and hands me the clothes.

I over the simple clothing of a pair of pants and a white collared shirt with long sleeves and smile.

"Thanks. This is fine, and thanks for housing me." I say and notice her shoulders drop slightly to be more relaxed.

"Don't mention it. Plus it wasn't that hard to look after you. Even Isha helped a lot." Powder says and makes my eyes widen.

"Isha's here!? I-Is she okay?" I ask and Powder sets a hand on my shoulder.

"She's fine. We took her in after the doctors looked her and the rest of the kids over. You clearly cared a lot for her so we thought it would be best for her to be here," she explains which makes me sigh in relief, "Now if I were I'd hurry before Isha finds a way to sneak up here herself. Ekko and I can only keep her at bay for so long. By the way, how do you know her anyway?," she asks which makes me freeze, "She told us she doesn't know who you are, but she does really like you now for saving her. She makes sure to check up on you every morning."

'Shit. Did not think about that.'

"I..... I kinda knew her parents. They weren't in the best position to support her, so they gave her up." I make up on the spot.

"Where are they now?"

"They passed away. I didn't know which orphanage she was in, and even if I did I couldn't care for her. My lifestyle would have put her in danger." I continue to build off of the lie.

"Hm, how did you know it was her then?"

"It..... It was a feeling," I lie which get's me a brow raise, "I know. It's weird, but it really was just a feeling. I-I can't explain it." I lie again, knowing it's not hardly gonna work to kill her suspicion.

She stares for a second before nodding and goes to leave, but before she does I see her stop for a second before looking back at me.

"H-Hey, are you gonna need help...... y'know... undressing?" she asks with a light blush on her cheeks and I my own cheeks heat up at the question.

"No-No I-I got it. Thanks for offering though."

"Alright, yeah..... cool. I-I'll see you down there. Just head over here when you're ready." she says, pointing down the hall before shutting the door and I hear her footsteps quickly leave.

I take a few seconds to calm my blush down before I start changing. Turns out, I did not completely have it. The pain on my back making it a little hard to take off the shirt I'm wearing, but I still manage to get it off before changing into the clothes given to me. Honestly it felt kinda weird to wear something that was clean and good quality.

I fold up the sleeves just before my elbows before reaching for the leg brace. Now holding it closer I can see the quality of the brace and a part of me hesitates before strapping it on. Once I make sure it's on correctly I use the cane to stand up from the bed and immediately notice the lack of intense pain in my leg because of the brace.

I awkwardly make my way out of the room, trying to get used to the brace and using a cane, before making my way down the hallway to another door where I hear noise. I walk through and find myself on the 2nd floor of The Last Drop. I spot familiar faces sitting at the bar before heading to the stairs. I try to take a step down, but find it a little difficult with the brace and cane making the movement unfamiliar.

"Need help?" I hear and see Ekko walking up towards me, but doesn't make a move to help until I smile and nod.

'Always a gentlemen.' I think before he helps me balance and walk down the stairs.

"Thanks. Not used to moving around with a cane, let alone a whole leg brace."

"No need to thank me. Does it hurt?"

"Nothing I can't handle, the brace helps a lot. I just gotta get used to it. Name's Y/n by the way."

"Oh right! I'm Ekko, sorry, forgot we haven't met yet." he says sounding a little panicked, making me laugh a little.

"Who doesn't know about "The Boy Savior"?" I ask which makes him groan, making my smile widen.

"Man, and here I thought you wouldn't know about that. I don't know why people call me that."

"'Cause you help people. From what I've heard you always try your best to help people."

"So? A lot of people help people."

"Not as much as you do "Boy Savior"," I say again teasingly which makes him roll his eyes, "Sometimes all people need is for someone to care. It gives them hope." I say as we finally reach the bottom step.

"Well, looks who's finally woken up." I hear Vander say and finally notice all the eyes on me now.

"Mornin'," I say not knowing what else to sayin in the moment, before I notice Isha staring at me from behind Powder's legs which makes me smile, "Hey kid, good to see you're alright."

'Most likely kinda scared after I we-' I don't finish the thought because she comes running from behind Powder and crashes into a lower half; hugging me close, 'Maybe, not.' I thought as I run a hand through her hair.

"She's been waiting for you to wake up for days. Always checkin' up on you to see if you're awake," Vander says as I take a moment to take a moment to hold Isha close, old memories of her death going through my head, "Here, you better eat." he says as he places a plate of food on the counter once Isha pulls away, but still holds the bottom of the shirt I'm wearing.

"You-You didn't have to do that." I say which makes the professor look aghast on his stool.

"Nonsense! After being stuck in bed for so long it's best to have a nice meal to start building back your strength and readjust your body." he says and Isha grabs my free hand before tugging me to the corner of the bar counter where Vi, Cait and Sevika are sitting; insisting that I eat, "See? Even the young child agrees." he says which makes me let out a sigh before sitting down at the counter; Isha trying to climb up the high stool next to me to sit down so Powder helps her up.

"Thank you." I say to Vander and begin eating the fresh meal.

'It's felt like forever since I last ate a hot meal.'

"So, I have informed Vander of your condition. I believe after some rest and not putting too much weight on your leg you will recover in no time." Heimerdinger explains and I nod.

"Thank you again. Uh, how much is the brace gonna cost exactly?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. Free of charge! Viktor was the one who wanted it made and insisted you not worry about any payment."

"Really?" I ask in slight disbelief before continuing when I get a nod, "Huh, I guess that's one less thing to worry about. Just gotta figure out how to get back home." I say as I take another spoonful of food. Though I sense a tone shift in the room.

"About that. I, or more like we, were wondering if you got anyone back home to help you recover. We thought someone would come asking for you eventually, but no one showed up." Vander asks as he picks up a glass to wipe down.

"Oh uh, no," I answer which makes Vander look concerned, "I should be fine though. I could hunker down for a few day." I say as I continue eating.

"And if some gang tries something?," he asks and I stay silent; not able to provide an answer, "Mmhm. You're staying here until you recover." he says, making me choke on some food.

"Taking in two more strays I see?" Silco jokes from across the bar with Benzo letting out a small laugh, as Isha pats my back.

"Wait. No I can't st-" I go to protest, but Vander gives me a look which makes me shut up, and Benzo laughs harder.

"Haha! You still got it, huh Vande'!?"

I sit there in defeat after already being shut down of any protests like a damn child, while the three men break off into their own conversations.

'This isn't fair. He used the "Don't test me" look.' I thought as I hear giggles from Powder and Vi.

"Nice try, but when Dad decides on something like this it's better to just roll over. I've tried." Vi says as she gives me sympathetic look.

"Plus I doubt this kid would let you go by yourself. She'd probably follow you down there and I don't think any of us want that." Powder says as she ruffles Isha's hair and hands her a toy robot.

"Thanks. And I'm sorry for screwing up the whole operation." I apologize, but Sevika scoff and waves it off.

"Whatever, it's fine. Wouldn't be the first time we had someone go off the rails on the team," she says as she and Cait give Vi a quick glance, making the pink head roll her eyes, "Plus it turned out better than expected. That explosion caused a noticeable rumble above ground, so when some enforcers found Chross and his guys come out of a tunnel up in Piltover, they put them into custody." she explains making me curious.

"They ended up in Piltover? I didn't know there were mining tunnels there." I voice my curiosity and Cait jumps in to give an explanation.

"There are a few old ones that have been abandoned. Turns out that's how he moved shipments to the Undercity. After interrogation his thugs broke and admitted to crimes, such as paying off some caretakers at orphanages to stay silent and lie about the whereabouts on the children," she says which makes me glance down to Isha who is now coloring the toy, "and the rest of the gang are scrambling without order. Overall a much better outcome than expected, even given the way it went. Your payment will be given in a few days time after we finish our overall report for our investigation." Cait finishes with a satisfied tone and expression on her face before I hear the door of the bar opening.

"Woah, look who woke up. It was about time." I hear and turn in time to see Mylo get elbowed by Claggor.

"Sorry about him. He's still learning how to behave," Powder says as she leans back against the bar counter next to me, "Y/n, these are my brothers, the gangly one is Mylo and the big one is Claggor. Guys, meet the new residence of The Last Drop, Y/n."

"Wait! She's staying here!? Why!? Isn't she still technically a criminal?" Mylo brings up which makes me glance at Cait.

"Right. I forgot to mention. My mother took a closer look at your record and insisted on pardoning you of charges on your record. It was pretty easy to get when it was obvious you weren't targeting any civilians. Though she recommends putting your skill to good use with the enforcers; if not then she suggests at least getting a mercenary license if you want to operate as a mercenary." Cait explains which makes me even more confused.

"There's licenses for mercenaries?"

"Yes. Though it is no longer as common to have mercenaries working around; Silco suggested making it available so that mercenaries would lean towards a more legal line of work instead of working with gangs, which worked." Cait explains making me wonder just how much has changed with laws.

"You didn't know about merc licenses?," Ekko asks as he walks over next to Isha and sets down a pack of what looks like crayons for Isha, and I shake my head, "It was a pretty big deal. Helped a lot when Piltover and Zaun made peace. The council paid any mercenary willing to help with clearing out gangs in Zaun, even if it was just some info."

"See Mylo, she ain't that bad. Stop being an ass" Claggor says, but Mylo scoffs before looking me up and down.

"Well, at least you aren't dressed in rags anymore. You really need a sense of style." he says with a smug look which makes me look deadpan at him.

"You really gonna judge my look, Eyebrows?" I ask, getting a few chuckles from the others and Mylo looks offended.

"I've been telling him the same thing for years." Powder tells me which gets another scoff from Mylo.

"I am, not, getting my brows done. That's a girl's thing." he says which makes Ekko raise a hand.

"Powder does my eyebrows sometimes." Ekko argues.

"Whatever, that's different. I'm not getting my brows done." Mylo continues to protest as he folds his arms, making Powder roll her eyes.

"Fine. If not the brows, then shave the facial hair," which makes him look aghast at the suggestion, "At least the sideburns."

"What!? No way! They're the main part of my look. It's manly. Right guys? Tell her." Mylo says as he looks at Claggor and Ekko to defend him on this.

They both look at eachother, then me, then back to Mylo before acting like they didn't hear anything. Looking elsewhere around the room, making the rest of us laugh.

"Oh, c'mon guys! It looks good." he tries to say, but doesn't gain any support. He then looks defeated before making eye contact with now my own smug look.

"Shave the sideburns." I say as I finish the last of the food on my plate, before my attention is grabbed by the capsule contraption Claggor is holding. Is that a flower?

"What's with the flower?" I ask which makes Claggor smile.

"Glad you asked," he says as he brushes past a disgruntled Mylo and sets it on the counter, "This is a hybrid flower to help get fresh air into the Undercity. It's supposed to be able to survive and produce air, even with all the gasses from the fissure." he says as he twists and pulls some things which gives a demonstration on the flower taking in the fissure gasses.

"What a brilliant idea!" Heimerdinger says enthusiastically.

'Mylo and Claggor working with plants? Never would have expected that.'

"Buuuut?" Powder asks with a slight head tilt, making Claggor sigh.

"But it's not fully working as expected. We got it to start feeding off the fissure gasses, but it's not working out fully as expected. They survive, but won't grow and can't produce enough air down here." he explains as Isha taps on the glass of the capsule.

'What about the tree? That somehow survived.'

"Tree?" I hear Ekko ask and turn to see him and Powder both looking at me curiously.

'Oh shit. I was mumbling again.'

"Oh, u-uh nothing. Sorry I was ju-"

"What tree?" Claggor now asks Ekko.

"Y/n said something about a tree." Ekko says, making Claggor and Mylo look to me. Claggor looking very interested, making me slightly nervous.

'Do they not know about it?'

"Uh, y'know. That one tree in the underground? Has some plants growing around it? Why don't you take samples from those?" I ask, but they look confused, "I guess that's a no."

"A tree? What tree? Where?" Claggor asks, now leaning onto the bar.

"It's not in plain sight. It's hidden in some abandon place, probably where maintenance used to be for the old pipes or something."

"W-Wait. So it's like an actual tree? How big is it?"

"Pretty big. I'd say it's been growing down there before any of us were born, maybe even longer than that."

"An actual tree. Can you show me where it is? Maybe if Mylo and I study some samples and the soil, then we can make a hybrid that can actually work for the Zaun." Claggor asks with hope in his voice and eyes."

"Su-"

"Woah, hold on," Vi says with a raised hand, "I don't think you should be walking around with your leg right? You just woke up." Vi says with concern.

"It's fine. I just gotta make sure not to put too much weight on," I say and turn to Heimerdinger, "Right?"

"Hmm, usually I would say you should rest, but I am also fascinated by this recent discovery. If the location of this tree is not hard to get to, then I think your leg should be fine."

"Not hard at all. Just a walk through some pipes and you're there, though I hope you don't mind getting your shoes wet." I say to Claggor and Mylo.

"As long as there's an actual tree, then it's fine by me." Claggor says and Mylo just shrugs his shoulders.

"Cool. I'll come too. Ekko?" Powder asks and gets a nod before looking at Isha, "And I'm guessing you're gonna wanna come too, huh?" Powder asks and Isha excitedly nods.

Vi then groan as she leans back into her seat.

"Maaan, I wanna see the tree too. Instead I need to go on patrol again." Vi says disgruntled and Cait comforts her with a shoulder rub and Sevika rolls her eyes.

"We can go see it another day Sweetie. Speaking of patrol, we better head out. Stay safe on your trip." Cait says as she pays for the drinks before leaving with a disappointed Vi and Sevika.

I stand up from my seat before looking down at my hip, remembering my lack of weapons.

"You guys wouldn't happen to have my stuff?" I ask, Isha perks up as she jump off her stool and rushes to the backroom, making Powder and Ekko chuckle.

"Yeah, about that. Isha found her way to them, so I hope you don't mind. We were supposed to clean them before you woke up." Powder says, making me raise a brow at her before Isha comes rushing back out with her arms full and wearing two helmets.

She looks at me expectantly as I see she made some cosmetic changes to my gear. Blue and green being the most colors that stand out. My shovel having a smiling face with shark teeth on it, my plain holster now being a mix of blue and green, my revolver having some stars and smiley faces with numbers on the spinning chamber, my gas mask has some little markings added where they could fit, and my helmet is much more colorful with bunny ears on the front. Looking at the colorful gear makes me smile as I pick up my helmet from atop Isha's head.

"I like it," I say before putting it on, "How does it look?" I ask

"Somehow, even more scary than before." Ekko says making me nod in approval before reaching to put on the rest of my gear while Claggor and Mylo discuss with the professor about the potential of their hybrid plants.

I do kinda struggle with reaching around with my gun holster before I feel my hand brush against another and turn to see Ekko.

"Let me help with that," he says as he helps me get the holster around and before I know it he helps with buckling it too; I feel a slight heat on my cheeks from the action, "That good?"

"Yup. Thanks," I say and Ekko nods before I take my gun and shovel and strap them on my hips, then put on my gas mask. Only then do I remember one more important thing missing, "Did you happen to find a journal on me too?" I ask, making Powder perk up.

"Oh right! Sorry," she says before reaching into her jacket and holding it out to me, "Don't worry, I didn't look in it. Just thought you'd want it somewhere safe." she explains and I nod before taking and pocketing it.

'It's best for you to never look in it.'

"Thanks. So I guess we can head out now?" I ask and get nods from everyone and Isha grabs my hand and pulls me towards the doors.

"Dad! We're heading out to go see a tree!" Powder says and get's a nod from Vander.

"Stay safe out there, and don't lean on your leg too much Y/n." Silco says before the three men go back to talking.

As we leave and Isha holds my hand in hers, I can't help but have a nice warm feeling in my chest.

'.....Maybe this isn't so bad.'

Ekko Pov

"Hey, you okay?" I whisper to Powder after noticing her lagging behind the group. All of us now walking through an old pipeline that supposedly leads to the tree Y/n has mentioned. Isha enjoying the the walk in the water, while our shoes are ankle deep in water.

"I am, but.... I don't know. This is just weird."

"You think it's a setup? She seems fine to me"

"No, I don't, but that's the problem. This whole thing feels too fine. Feels too right for someone we just met yesterday. Look at them," she says as she gestures forward at the rest of the group. Bantering about things that come to their minds. I see Y/n, her mask now off and attached to her holster, say something that makes Mylo and Claggor laugh, "She fits in. She fits in too well. Mylo would usually be stumbling over his words when met with a cute girl, but instead they're just joking and ribbing each other like they've known each other since forever." she says, making me sigh.

"I know. I was surprised when Mylo was actually able to let out a sentence without a voice crack." I say jokingly, making Powder slightly glare at me and give me a nudge.

"I'm serious. It's weird, but it's good weird. Even you and I have stayed in her room because it felt nice to just be there with her. You know that's not normal," I remember the times we'd spend in that room, using Isha as an excuse of being there sometimes because she wanted to be there, but I know Powder and I enjoyed Y/n being in the same room as us, "She makes me forget that she's a stranger. We all have friends, but we have a pretty tight knit group of people we really really care for. When I saw the condition she was in that day Vi rushed her in; I never felt that worried before. I thought she was gonna die and that made me want to cry. Even now, I still hardly know her, but it just feels right to be with her. She's hiding something and that makes me feel really upset, and I shouldn't be." Powder finishes airing out her thoughts and finally takes a deep breath. Making me wrap an arm around her.

"You're not wrong. I've been questioning it too.... but is it that bad? Maybe she just fits in really well with us?," I try to argue, but then immediately sigh in defeat to myself, knowing that's not it, "Never mind, I'm just lying to myself. I feel it too. That weird pull to her. It makes me want to protect her."

"Exactly! Whenever I think about how she's hiding something, I really wanted to look in her journal but held myself back. It's wrong, but it feels right. I-I think I see it in the others too. What-What's happening to us?"

"I don't know."

'A part of me doesn't want to know. Just accept it.'

"There just up ahead, it should be there." Y/n says as she points to the light at the end of the tunnel. A smile on her face that brings back that comforting feeling and I feel Powder relax under my arm as we catch up with the group.

Once we finally reach the end I blink to adjust to the sunlight and stare in shock at the actual living tree.

"It's real." I say looking at it in awe.

"Amazing! To think that life somehow found a way to live deep down here underground. Imagine what it must have gone through to adapt to it's conditions!" Heimerdinger says looking at it in awe.

Claggor quickly goes up closer to it with Mylo and the professor following close behind. Isha splashes around the area, she looks to be having fun playing in the water and looking at the insects.

"It's beautiful. How did you find this place?" Powder asks Y/n, who is keeping a close eye on Isha with a smile on her face.

"Just wandering around. Eventually stumbled upon this place one day." she says, but I see her fiddling with her shovel handle. I ignore the sign of nervousness and turn back to the tree.

"I can't believe no one knew about this place. It's like a sanctuary."

"A sanctuary for hope," Y/n says as she glances at me, "Even in the roughest conditions. Life finds a way to thrive. Kinda like Zaun." she says and turns back to the tree. I catch myself admiring her in scenery, apparently a little too long because I feel Powder nudge me slightly and give me a knowing smirk. It's then that we see some slight shine onto her eyes, making her blink and rub at them.

"Damn light." she says as she raises a hand over her eyes and blinking a lot, having a hard time to adjust.

"You really aren't that good with light are you? What's up with that?" Powder asks as Y/n moves to a more shaded area.

"I'm just not used to it. I've spent most of my life in the deep end of the Undercity, so light isn't really a thing I'm used to." she says making me raise a brow.

"You've had to have come up from there at least sometimes right? When was the last time you left?" I ask curiously, and also some concern for the health of her eyes.

"Besides yesterday, it's been years. Last time was when that whole speech about peace between Piltover and Zaun happened on that bridge," she says making both Powder and I stare at her in shock and horror, "What?"

"Y/n. You haven't been to the surface in eight years!?" Powder asks in concern, making Y/n nervous as she helps Isha up from the water after she slipped.

"No. Too busy dealing with gangs honestly. Never really kept up with Zaun," Y/n says as she wipes some dirt off Isha's face, "Wake up, eat, hunt down gangs, sometimes wipe them out and if I'm lucky I get a good amount of sleep. Rinse and repeat." she finishes explaining making me connect some dots.

"That's why you look so confused about laws and the way Zaun is now. You've been completely out of the loop," I say, getting a nod from Y/n, "So you haven't seen how Zaun is now? The markets? Stores? Community? Nothing?"

She looks hesitant and too embarrassed to answer, even getting a sympathetic look from Isha.

'She has been living in the past. Literally.'

"Okay. No, we're going on a different trip." Powder says, sounding slightly upset, as she walks up to Y/n, grabs a hand and starts dragging her back to the pipe with Isha following close behind. Y/n gives me a pleading look to help her, but I shrug my shoulders. A part of me also wanting to see where this goes.

"But-But what about the tree and the others?" Y/n asks making Powder roll her eyes, before tugging Y/n forward almost causing her to fall and looping her arm with her own, holding her close to support her and help her walk.

"They're too busy getting samples and admiring the tree, they'll be fine. We, are going to give you a tour around Zaun."

"You do-"

"Shut up. You don't have a choice. Come on you two." Powder calls back to Isha and I. I quickly catch up them and pick up Isha from behind and place her on my shoulders as we follow behind the two. Powder continuing to drag the reluctant girl. That feeling of everything being right, emerging again.

I don't fight the feeling this time.

Hope you enjoyed reading. Sorry if there are grammar mistakes.

[buddierecs]

eddie diaz centric buddie fics

all of these are general audience, teen and up or not rated (no smut) make sure to kudos/comment on these amazing works :)

let's hear it for the boy (my fav fic of all time, i will rec this until i die) by: hattalove "in which eddie attends a self-empowerment group for gbtq men to supplement his therapy, and is empowered to: forgive himself, say "i'm gay" to his own reflection in the mirror, accidentally adopt an adult, make fried rice, and tell his straight best friend that he's in love with him. not necessarily in that order." word count: 56k important tags: self-discovery, coming out, friends to lovers, getting together, gay disaster!eddie diaz give your heart and soul to charity by: 42hrb "eddie dumps God, gets some more therapy, accepts parts of himself he was taught to hate, loves his best friend, and loves himself." word count: 12k important tags: therapy, catholic guilt, emotional hurt/comfort, pining, getting together, minor buck/tommy got me feeling like it's all it's gonna be okay by: wafflesofdoom "eddie struggles to voice his want for physical affection to buck as their relationship turns romantic, and buck helps him embrace his clinginess again." word count: 8.3k important tags: established relationship, ptsd, fluff, light angst counting pulses by: tinyydancerr "eddie diaz’s life is going great. he’s in therapy, he’s got a great girlfriend, a great kid, his friend is getting married to the woman of his dreams, and his best friend just came out to him. how his best friend is dating their new friend. things are going great. he promises." word count: 63k important tags: ocd, catholic guilt, co-parenting, emotional infidelity, therapy, coming out, pining, slow burn and we're back...in the car again by: beulaugh "buck gives christopher permission to finally watch jurassic park, and it sends eddie down a feelings spiral." word count: 11k important tags: feelings realisation, fluff, oblivious!eddie diaz, christopher diaz has two dads wrap me in your love by: kiwibuckley "five times eddie uses a weighted blanket, plus the one time he doesn’t need too." word count: 16k important tags: touch starved!eddie diaz, therapy, comfort, friends to lovers, minor buck/tommy, fluff, oblivious!buddie, nightmares things you don't say reach me somehow anyways by: siblysleaves "eddie tells the family he chose how much they mean to him. all of them except one" word count: 14k important tags: therapy, love confessions, team as family, getting together, first kiss lucky just to linger in your light by: hattalove "in which eddie accidentally waxes poetic about buck to the new york times." word count: 4.9k important tags: pining, getting together, gay disaster!eddie diaz no kingdom to come by: waywardrenegades "when his father experiences a health scare, eddie flies to el paso." word count: 23k important tags: friends to lovers, mutual pining, love confessions, light angst, getting together her real name was grief by: justhockey "the shattered fragments of his ribcage have been rattling around inside of him like a warning siren: you can hear his heartbreak from a mile away. And now - here in his living room, in front of chimney - eddie let’s go...." word count: 5.8k important tags: post 6x11, emotional hurt/comfort, angst with a happy ending, love confessions, getting together, mutual pining the archer (this is a series with fics that have multiple ratings but i am putting it in anyways) by: nonalovesyou eddie repeats his affirmations in the mirror every morning, while he shaves the stubble from his jaw. 'my name is eddie diaz. i am autistic. i am gay. i am a good dad and i am a good person. i deserve to be happy and i deserve to feel good.' (it's taken him a long to be able to say it outside of his head. It's taken him an even longer time to say it and believe it.) word count: 146k important tags: autistic!eddie diaz, therapy, ptsd, falling in love

you wonder why i'm bitter by: simplyylupin “me and buck had sex,” he blurts. hen stares at him for a long time. “i'm going to need wine for this conversation, aren't i?” he nods meekly." word count: 3.9k important tags: pre-relationship, getting together, tommy bashing, miscommunication, pining, jealous!eddie diaz it's always on the tip of my tongue by: allyasavedtheday "eddie diaz vs the great romance paradigm." word count: 17k important tags: demisexual!eddie diaz, therapy, emotional hurt/comfort, character study, season 7, falling in love

[onskepa]

You know? It would be cool if you could make a crossover between sully family and tonowary family with an old human reader who is immortal and has problems with his memory, forgetting very easily a chit chat he had a few minutes ago and can create ice like the ice king from adventure time and is not respected by any other skypeople who always make fun of him in secret and mock him but the reader leaves them be because with great powers come great responsability.

since this basically ice king persona, I watched a few compilations from that good ol' cartoon. Hope its good! Enjoy!

P.S: He is a she in this! Fem reader!

-------------

Zerok

Memories can be either precious or haunting. Depending on the person and circumstances. Some people prefer to lose them, some desire to keep every single fragment. But some are a bit unfortunate, they simply forget. Not like it's their choice, just bad luck. 

Zerok, as many collectively call her, is the oddest person of the human bunch. Yes, everyone is weird in their own way but zerok is just on another level. Many have asked her for something, or if she can assist but zerok….

“What? But I thought you said you wanted the red wires?.....Oh that makes sense, red wires mean KABOOM!! And everyone would be dead. Yeah, you're right, green wires next time!” 

“I wish I had a beard….like a really, really, reaaaaaaaaally long beard. Why? So I can fly! Fly fly so high! And stuff my snacks in it too!” 

“Oh hi! Nice to meet you! I am….uuuuuhhhh…….” 

“Phew, thank you so much lo’ak” norm sighs in relief. Lo’ak climbs down as he just cleared out the vents. Maintaining the airways is a high task that cannot be overlooked if they want to breathe properly. 

“Anytime, uncle” lo’ak replies. 

Norm goes to a monitor to check the air quality that is now flowing. 

“All systems are good. Perfect” 

Satisfied with the current status, they both relax as they feel the cool air enter the room. 

“How are the coolers holding? I'm surprised it's still holding up all these years?” Lo’ak asks curiously. Coolers in the hellsgate has been shut down in certain areas since they are not in use. It does help to save energy and make it easier to take care of the main cooler tanks. 

“So far so good I guess. Zerok takes care of them, "Norm replies. 

“Huh!? Who said my name!? Was it you glob…?” 

Speak of the devil. Or in this case, speak of the ice queen, since now the room felt extra chilly the second she entered. 

“Dad?” lo’ak walks up to his dad with something on his mind. 

“What's up?” Jake replies. 

Lo’ak takes a moment before asking his question, “why is zerok so……odd?”. Didn't want to say weird as it might come off mean when it's not his intention. 

Jake takes a moment, scratching his head, “I honestly don't know. She was already like that when I arrived here. To be honest, she is kind of ok with me. Though she does things that are a bit out of hand…like calling everyone gunter. I have no idea why. I used to remind her, norm, max, everyone tries to remind her of our names. On lucky days she will call anyone by their names, but on not so lucky days, everyone is gunter”

Jake remembers on his first day at the hellsgate. During the briefing, even old quaritch had to warn everyone.

 “And if an old weird lady calls you gunter, just roll with it. Also keep your doors locked at night, we dont need another heart attack” 

“She is harmless and all good” 

“So then why does everyone keep their distance?” lo’ak asks another question. 

“Well, naturally humans dont always feel comfortable around odd things or others displaying odd behaviors. Their senses tell them to back away as possible danger. Or other times they just simple dont like to be near odd people” 

Lo’ak thought of that over and over. He is odd himself, yet people like to be near him. Maybe zerok is a different kind of odd?

“BOOMBAKLAAAAAAAA~!!”

Zerok jumped from the third floor all the way down to the first floor, for some unknown reason.

Norm just shivered everytime he sees her. Quite literally. Its like her presence brings coldness to the air, in times that are not needed.

“Ugh, its that old hag again…” one of the scientists mutters, ready to boil some warm water.

“I'm surprised she didn't go back like everyone else. We are better off without her” another says. But norm just looks at zerok, yeah she is so weird in so many ways but really isn't harming anyone.

“Why the need to say that?” norm asks one of the other guys.

“Come on norm, we already have spider to deal with. With her around making a mess and shit, its like having a toddler in a old persons body”

“Hey now that aint-”

“GUNTER! LOOK THIS WAY!” zerok shouted. Almost instinctively, everyone turned to see a flash of white light. She took a photo, it seems. Another thing norm doesn't understand, zerok has a niche for photography it seems, but it seems in the most random moments. Never giving anyone a moment to prepare.

“Thanks!” and she runs away, the coldness leaves with her.

Tsireya was enjoying the lake not too far from the omatikaya village. The water feeling amazing, a bit warm but amazing nonetheless. Being away from water has made her and her family feed odd. The need to be one with the element is a must. 

But as she takes in the relaxing silence, all of a sudden the water felt….cooler? 

Stopping midway of her swim, she looks around and sees an elderly human. Her hands in the edge of the lake dipping into the water. What was she doing? 

“Hi, I thought you wanted it cold. Alright bye!!!” and the odd human left. 

Tsireya couldn't help but giggle, the human was odd but funny as well.

he side, trying to take in this new update of the old woman. 

“Does she posses something to make water cold?” tsireya asks. 

Lo’ak can only shrug, “to be honest, Im not sure. Everyone keeps mentioning how the air feels colder when she is around. Cold water is news to me” 

Tsireya humms, it would be interesting if she did. 

As they walk, they saw kiri and tuk enjoying some beverages with neteyam. They walk over to see. 

“What are you guys drinking?” lo’ak asks. Tuk can only humm in happiness while neteyam offers him a bowl. 

“Try it” he says. Lo’ak looks at it, was thick in paste but looks smooth as the same time, taking a sip he knew instantly it was banana, but it was mushed and cold? He offers it to tsireya who seems to like it. 

“Its good” she compliments. 

“Zerok made it for us, don't know how but its really really good. She called it a smoothie” neteyam says. 

“Speaking of zerok, has she dont anything weird around you guys? Or seen her doing anything out of the ordinary?” lo’a asks his siblings as he and tsireya sits with them. The other siblings look at each other and try to recall anything. 

“Anything and everything she does is out of the ordinary brother, even for human customs” kiri points. Which is technically true. 

“I like her, she is funny and makes the silliest dance moves” tuk points out. Remembering the few times zerok shows off her silly dances to her. 

“Norm says not everyone likes her, that she is too much to handle” neteyam adds in. Not always he goes to the lab, but when he does, a whisper catches his attention. How many talke so mean behind the old lady. 

“Best to ask spider, he should know a thing or two” 

“She is not normal” spider says bluntly. 

Everyone groaned at his answer, “we already know that cuz” lo’ak mutters. 

Spider shook his head, “no, I mean it literally. She is not normal, like by any human standards or human capabilities” he rephrases. Now this many many head turns. 

“What do you mean by that?” kiri wonders. 

“Best she shows you, come on” 

Spider leads them through a couple of halls, turning left and right. This was tsrieya’s first time seeing human structures, so she seeks comfort by holding lo’ak’s hand. 

Spider leads them all the way down to the air generators. Lo’ak remembers norm telling him how they often need to be maintained, and that zerok is the only one who does it. They all see that the metal parts are  turning slightly red, the temperature growing warm by the second. Spider smiles at this. 

“Perfect! Its getting warm” he says. 

“How is that good? Feels like we are near a fire” 

Spider says nothing more but pushes a button on a nearby wall. In a matter of a few seconds, zerok appears from somewhere. 

“Hi gunter!” she greets. Spider huffs, shaking his head lightly, “its spider, zerok. Always has been”. Reminding her for the millionth time. 

“Ok gunter” she nods. 

Quickly she took notice of the air generators heating up. 

“Oh my gloooooooob! Why didn't you tell me spunter!? This should have been taken care of since 5 megalions ago!” she cries out. 

“What is a…..megalion…?” tsireya whispers. Lo’ak shrugs, “I have no idea”. 

Zerok observes the generator and touches the hottest spot, her hand sizzling from contact. 

“Let it gooooooo!! Let it goooooooo!! Can't hold it back anymooooooooooore~!!” she sings out. And as if by odds, ice spewed out from her hands. Layers of ice began to cool off the hot spots, the air no longer hot. The generator was back to being normal. 

“YAHOOOOOO~!!” going a bit nuts, zerok then creates snow all over the room, to keep the generator cold longer. The kids were in absolute awe. They have never seen anything like this before! 

“Woa!! This is amazing!” tuk cheers, already collecting a bit of snow from the floor. 

“Huh?? Do you guys work here too??” zerok stopped what she was doing to just now notice the tall teens. 

“Uuuuuuuuhhhhh…….yes?” kiri answers awkwardly. 

“Cool!” 

“HUH?! Over 300 years old!?” lo’ak shouts in disbelief. 

After witnessing what zerok’s ice abilities, the kids simply wanted to know more. Apparently she is more than just a wacky old lady with a liking to the gunter name. She is also immortal. 

“Yes” zerok answers as she adds snowflakes to tuk’s ice crown. 

“H-how…?” tsireya’s was also trying to process this information. Immortality is simply impossible. 

“I dunno, its been so long I cant remember. But my only lead, is a prince” zerok answers honestly. 

“If I try to remember, my head begins to hurt, like a loooooooooot. So I dont remember, I forget easily” 

Neteyam noticed her polaroid camera at her side. 

“Is that why you take pictures? To remember” he questions. 

“Yuppa doozers! I have so many pictures, I even forget I took them in the first place! Ok, all done sweetie” 

Tuk stands up and admires her ice crown. Giggling, she prances around, loving how pretty it is while also cooling her head. Zerok grabs her camera and takes a picture of tuk. Her smile is now forever preserved. 

“So when is your birthday?” kiri asks. 

Zerok turns to her curiously, “what birthday?” 

“You know, your birthday, to keep track of how old you are…?” 

Zerok plays with her camera before looking up in a daze, “dang, I can go for have some bacon pancakes…” 

“Zerok? Your birthday…?” kiri tries to remind her. 

“What birthday?” zerok asks again, “I dont have a birthday! I dont even know how old I am!” 

Kiri quietly gave up, seems this human is just simply full of surprises. Even some zerok isnt aware of. 

Night feel, and everyone in the base was heading to bed. Zerok was just putting away her camera while making sure her pillows were extra crunchy with frost. 

“Dabadoo, dadaboo, yada yada, dooooooo~!!” she sings a random melody. Going back and forth to put away things, she stops to notice something. 

“Oh what a pretty blue girl, wonder where she got that crown” she says to herself. Seeing a picture of a na’vi child wearing a pretty ice grown. Around that photo were other na’vi kids. 

“Alright, all set for some sleeps! Tomorrow I should check on spunter, I wonder if he ate anything this month. I know! Ice, who doesnt love ice” 

Climbing onto her bed, zerok gets into a comfy position and lets sleep take over. While her eyes remained wide open, snoring away into the dark abyss that is called her inner mind. 

aaaaaaaaaand that is it for this one! Got stuck on what else to put but hopefully its good! Until next time! See ya!

--------

Zerok = remember

[mrsdarkandyandere7]

(Dark!) Scenario: Sexual Assault

Pairing: Dark Ethan Landry x (female) Reader

▶ This is a yandere/dark work and it may contain triggering content so please READ THE WARNINGS before. Do not read if minor.

More at Masterlist

SCENARIO: Ethan's girlfriend suffers sexual assault.

WARNINGS: Sexual Assault (Rape!) + Don’t read the end if your heart is weak.

Please, reblog and give me feedback.

--

The only person that would be more heartbroken than you is your boyfriend. You can see it in his face how much it hurt - broke - his heart that such a tragedy happened to you.

Blaming himself for what happened. He’s your boyfriend so you’re his responsibility. He should've been there to protect you, to shield you from the evil in this world. 

But he’s here for you now. Every therapy appointment, every medical exam, every police interrogation, he’s always there. Giving you a shoulder to cry on, drying your tears away, giving you all the love and support you need.

He’s the only person that makes you feel better as your whole world shatters. 

You never saw it coming. It’s one of those things that always happens to others, never you. And this time, you weren’t so lucky. 

That whole night is a blur, only shreds of it coming back. It was Halloween’ night party and you went out with your group of friends.

Ethan also tagged along but you vaguely remember kissing him goodbye as he left early because of a headache but not before practically demanding your friends to take good care of you. 

You remember the sharp lights, the banging music, the pushy crowd. A red plastic cup in your hand and while the content seemed normal at the first few gulps, it made you dizzy with a speed that wasn't natural. 

You remember stumbling back to your dorm, you’re not even sure how the hell you managed to walk back in the awful drunken state you were in.

You never saw his face, quickly manhandled into the bed with your face shoved on the bed as he fucked you from behind. You’re grateful for the blurry memories you have, only fragments of it coming back.

The punishing pace he had, like he was taking out his anger on you. The brutal thrusts that lasted forever as he furiously chased his high, ignoring the pain he was causing you. How strong he was, body weighing heavy on top of you, his hands holding your body down, making sure you didn’t get away from him. 

Ethan is the only one that doesn’t pressure you to remember things. Everyone asks for details - any small detail would help, they say - but Ethan allows you to hide in the darkness of the oblivion, maybe he knows that, deep down, you don’t really want to remember. You want to forget it. 

What happened changed you. 

You become more secluded, preferring the comfort of your house as you move back instead of going out. Nights out are a heavy no for you, not even your parents feel at ease with it and neither does Ethan, but you also don’t mind.

You join online college, effectively becoming a hermit. Hiding behind a screen makes you feel safe, people can’t judge you like that. 

Ethan frequently keeps you company after his classes and the two of you spend evenings in a lazy but comfortable way, watching movies or studying. It’s a nice routine and soon you get used to it.

He always hesitates before touching or kissing you and you feel grateful that he’s considerate of your feelings. His kisses are soft and short, never leading to anything more. He knows you still need time to heal from your trauma. 

You slowly push away your friends, avoiding their texts or invitations to hang out. Even when they come to visit you, you barely utter a few words. You don’t know why you’re doing it, maybe it’s a coping mechanism or maybe you blame them for what happened to you.

Maybe if they had stuck closer to you instead of leaving you on your own…

But it’s fine, you have Ethan and that’s all that matters. 

Hugs make you claustrophobic but not his. No, having Ethan’s strong arms around you makes you feel protected, secured. Like no bad thing in this world can get to you. 

One day Ethan comes to your house only to rush back  to the college, having forgotten a book of his. You chuckle when you notice he left his phone behind, but you let it be. He’ll be back soon, anyways.  

You only wanted to check for any games he could have on his phone, but the sweet collection of photos he has in his gallery distracts you. 

It makes your heart melt when you look at them. Dozens of pictures of you and Ethan light up the screen and you fondly recognize them as most of them were taken by you. 

You almost pout when they come to an end and you decide to check his cloud for more photos, he probably has more there given how he likes to keep everything safe in his online account. 

But the warm smile soon slips from your face, heart dropping to your stomach as a video automatically starts playing. 

And you’re in it. 

It’s a bit hard to see, only a dim light illuminating the room but you know it’s you. 

That’s you, pressed against the bed as Ethan hovers over you, his movements never stopping even as you cry. 

Your boyfriend is the one that assaulted you.

[msriri030]

Underground Devil

Adam x reader, heavenly apocalypse au, oneshot?

Disclaimer: murder, slightly heated scene, fighting

Masterlist

The Baptism of the Red Sea.

That was the day the Angels arrived.

Throughout human history, angels had been seen as celestial beings—pure, untarnished by sin. So when they filled the sky, humanity rejoiced. Some stretched out their hands, desperate to touch a fragment of heaven, while others offered baskets of fresh food, gifts for their divine visitors.

Everyone believed the angels had come to end humanity’s suffering.

It was a selfish thought. A human thought. A desperate wish.

Because if they had known the truth—if they had understood what angels really consumed—they would have run.

The Lord’s gospel, they called it.

Angels had come for only one purpose.

To extinguish the human race.

The air, once filled with cheers, became a sea of screams. People trampled friends and family in blind panic, scrambling to escape as angels descended upon them, their holy radiance dripping with human blood. Flesh was torn from bone. Streets ran red.

The ones who survived?

They fled underground, sentenced to a life in the shadows.

Because the surface belonged to the angels now.

And they…

They became the hunted.

But humans couldn’t survive completely underground. Resources dwindled, air grew stale, and no matter how well they hid, they still needed supplies.

That’s why the lottery was created.

Every few months, a group of “volunteers” were chosen—names pulled at random, their fates sealed in ink. Those selected had one job: go to the surface and scavenge for anything that could keep humanity alive. Medical supplies, building materials—if you were lucky, even non-perishable food like canned goods.

Most never returned.

And now, you were one of the unlucky chosen ones.

Night cloaked the ruined city as you moved with your group, a heavy backpack slung over your shoulders, heading back to base. The streets were graveyards of rusted cars and white feathers, their shattered windows like empty, staring eyes. You didn’t check inside. You didn’t want to know what rotted within.

Above, the skeletal remains of skyscrapers loomed, their broken silhouettes clawing at the sky. The wind whispered through the hollowed buildings, mingling with the pounding of your heartbeat.

Still, you kept moving.

Keep searching. But most of all—

You kept watching the sky, because you knew God’s messengers could be watching, too. Yet despite it all, you couldn’t help but admire the stars.

It was the one thing the angels hadn’t stolen.

Above the ruins of a broken world, the heavens stretched vast and untouched, glittering with cold, indifferent beauty. For a brief moment, you let yourself forget the dangers lurking in the darkness. The stars, distant and eternal, didn’t care about the blood-soaked earth below. Maybe that was why you found comfort in them.

"(Y/N)? Is everything alright?"

Magdalene’s voice was hushed, laced with concern. She was the last surviving member of your group—a friend you had made during your time on the surface. Short and lean, with red-dyed hair styled in short space buns that bounced as she walked, Magdalene carried a large gallon jug of clean water in her arms, shifting its weight as she glanced between you and the sky.

You offered a small, apologetic smile, falling into step beside her. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just… looking at the stars."

Her expression softened. "Oh," she murmured, her lips curving into a faint smile. "I guess that is comforting. It reminds me of how we couldn't see them before because of the light pollution. To be honest, when I was a shut-in, I thought I’d finally make friends one day, go shopping in the city, maybe even sing karaoke together… silly, huh?"

Her hazel, droopy eyes—framed by freckles dusting her tan cheeks—met yours for a fleeting moment before turning ahead.

"Not really. I would have loved to go with you, Maggie," you said, your smile widening as you spotted a decrepit mall up ahead. You recalled your Aunt Ruth’s ramblings about malls, remnants of a time when the surface was still full of life. It gave you an idea. "Why don’t we make it a reality?"

Before she could protest, you grabbed Magdalene’s arm, tugging her toward the mall entrance. A brief escape wouldn’t hurt—just a small indulgence in fantasy before you both resumed your journey home. Maybe you could even bring back a few memories with you.

Pushing open the rusted doors, you held them as Magdalene stepped inside.

If only you knew who was watching.

He watched, annoyed, from the old banking tower, playing with a stray kitten he had found. Today was supposed to be a rest day—no killing, no hunting—but then you had to show up. Worse still, you unknowingly brought Him with your scent. Saffron. So he couldn’t pretend he didn’t see you.

His dyed purple hair blew in the wind, stirred by the force of Saffron’s wings breaking before landing onto the platform. The white-haired man was something of a guardian—or perhaps more like his clean-up crew. He never quite understood why Saffron loved to devour human flesh. At least it meant he didn’t have corpses rotting everywhere, he supposed.

"Hello, Adam. Are you hunting those humans too?" Saffron asked, his glowing green eyes locking with Adam’s.

Adam glanced over his shoulder. "If so, I would be happy to join you, even though my wings are designed to be silent compared to yours."

He wasn’t wrong. Saffron’s white wings were long and broad, their pale blue primary feathers reminiscent of a hawk’s, built for soaring high above. Adam’s, on the other hand, were rounded, with soft, serrated feathers—perfect for gliding soundlessly behind any prey he chose.

Adam exhaled, pushing himself to his feet. "Alright. I’ll kill them for you—but stay here."

He stepped to the edge of the platform, spreading his black wings wide. The moonlight caught the silver shimmer woven into the feathers, making them glisten like liquid metal. Then, with a final glance back, he launched into flight.

Magdalene eyed the water jug nervously as she followed you deeper into the abandoned mall. Her gaze flickered around the darkened corridors, shadows stretching unnervingly across the cracked tile floors. "Are you sure we should be here, (Y/N)? Maybe we should keep moving—"

"Don’t worry," you reassured her, kicking an empty can across the floor. "This place connects to the underground railways. We can use them to get to the sanctuary. So, for now… let’s have some fun."

You came to a stop in front of a dusty clothing store display, its mannequins frozen in time, dressed in garments long untouched. A grin spread across your face as you turned to Magdalene. "Maybe we grab some new outfits? And if we’re really lucky, we might even find a working karaoke machine."

Magdalene hesitated beside you, her eyes catching on the glass storefront. The two of you stood side by side, your reflections aligning perfectly with the display behind it. Her breath hitched slightly as she imagined herself in a stunning white dress, Victorian lace trimming the collar and sleeves. Meanwhile, your reflection sported a sleek black suit with red accents—something sharp, something bold.

You watched the flicker of longing in her gaze and nudged her playfully. "What do you think, Magdalene? Just for a moment—indulge in a simple pleasure with me?"

She said nothing at first. Instead, she carefully set the water jug down, her fingers curling into fists. Then, without warning, she darted forward, scanning the debris-littered floor until she found a rusted bat.

With a wild grin, she gripped it tightly and swung.

Glass shattered on impact, the display window fracturing into a cascade of glittering shards. The sound echoed through the empty mall—sharp, defiant, exhilarating. Magdalene stood amidst the wreckage, chest rising and falling, the dim light catching the fire in her eyes.

And for the first time in a long time, she smiled—a real, unrestrained smile, bright and unburdened.

“Let’s!” she exclaimed.

You couldn’t help but laugh as you dropped your things, grabbing her hand and rushing into the store. Laughter filled the air as you both tore through the clothing racks, tossing garments into the air, daring each other to try on the most ridiculous outfits. The weight of survival, the looming specter of danger—it all faded, if only for a moment.

Eventually, you settled on a black sweater with devil horns on the hood, paired with black jeans and combat boots. As you adjusted your sleeves, you glanced toward the fitting room, waiting.

“Come on, Maggie. I wanna see—”

Your breath hitched when she finally stepped out.

Magdalene stood in the same white dress from the display, the Victorian lace softening her silhouette. Her hazel eyes shimmered under the dim mall lights, and in her hands, she held an imaginary microphone.

Then, without hesitation, she began to sing.

"I want you to stay'Til I'm in the grave'Til I rot away, dead and buried'Til I'm in the casket you carry."

Her voice wove through the abandoned store like a whisper from the past, haunting yet beautiful. When your eyes met, both of you burst into laughter—pure, unfiltered joy.

Magdalene plopped down beside you on the floor, resting her head against your shoulder. The light in her eyes dimmed slightly, sadness creeping in beneath the warmth.

“Thank you for everything, (Y/N),” she murmured. “This was the best day of my life…”

You smirked, exhaling softly. “Anything for you, Maggie.”

A beat of silence. Then, you sighed.

“Let’s head back?”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

Magdalene and you gathered your things, still smiling, still holding onto the fleeting warmth of the moment. You reached for the rusted bat, turning to say something—

But then—

A shift in the air, unnatural and wrong.

Your breath caught in your throat as movement flickered in the hallway beyond the shattered display. Silhouettes, tall and eerily still, stood against the dim emergency lighting. Their shapes were almost human.

Almost.

Then, the black feathers.

Sleek, pristine, and dripping with something silver edge.

Your stomach twisted. Your grip on the bat tightened.

“Maggie, is that—”

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“An angel.”

The word felt heavier than it should have, soaked in fear and finality.

The moment of peace was over.

Adam stood before you, his crimson eyes locking onto yours with a gaze so intense it felt like it could pierce straight through your soul. Your heartbeat pounded in your ears, deafening in the heavy silence. Every instinct screamed at you to move—to run—but you couldn’t. You were frozen, trapped in his predatory stare.

A slow, deliberate smirk crept across his lips as he twirled a hunting knife between his fingers, the blade catching the dim light in hypnotic flashes. He always did love getting personal with his prey.

Then, without warning, he lunged.

The glinting steel arced toward you—

But before it could reach its mark, Magdalene yanked you back, her grip tight as she pulled you out of the way. Adam crashed hard into a rack of clothing, sending metal hangers clattering to the floor.

“RUN!” Magdalene’s voice snapped you back to reality.

Adrenaline surged through your veins as you grabbed her hand and bolted, your feet pounding against the tile. You barely had time to process what just happened before you found yourself sprinting toward the underground subway system—your only hope of escape. 

Adam wasn’t going to let you go that easily. His wings were relentless and fast, as he closed the distance with every stride. You and Magdalene sprinted, hearts pounding, but Adam was faster, his sheer presence a looming threat as he tore down the hallway after you.

The end of the corridor was near—just a few more steps, and you’d be at the staircase. But when you glanced over your shoulder, panic surged through you. Adam was almost upon Magdalene, his hand reaching out to grab her, to pull her into his grasp. Without thinking, your instincts kicked in.

You spun around and slammed into Magdalene, knocking her aside just in time to give her enough room to avoid Adam’s grasp. But as you moved out of way, the force sent you tumbling, and Adam’s body collided with you, shoving you both toward the end of the staircase. The momentum was too much. The bat you had been clutching fell from your hand with a loud clatter, skidding out of reach.

In an instant, Adam was upon you. His grip was unyielding, an iron vice that clamped onto your shoulder and wrenched you to the ground with terrifying ease. The impact stole the breath from your lungs, leaving you gasping as pain flared through your body. Before you could react, the cold bite of steel sliced through flesh—a sharp, searing agony that ignited in your shoulder as the blade buried itself deep.

A strangled scream tore from your throat, raw and rugged with pain. The world around you blurred, your vision tunneling into the suffocating haze of agony. Above you, Adam loomed, his twisted smile stretched wide in satisfaction, his golden eyes gleaming with something dark, something insatiable. A predator, savoring the moment before the final blow.

But then—movement.

A shadow flickered just beyond Adam’s shoulder. Your gaze darted to Magdalene. She moved with a silent, deliberate grace, staying just out of his peripheral vision. The dim light glinted off the metal bat in her grasp as she crept closer, her fingers tightening around the handle.

Your breath hitched. Adam, perceptive as ever, noticed. His smirk faltered, suspicion flashing across his face as his eyes narrowed. He followed your gaze, beginning to turn—

You had no time to think.

With a desperate burst of energy, you yanked him down, your fingers tangling into his hair as you crashed your lips against his.

For a heartbeat, his entire body stiffened, wings flaring in sharp, startle reflex. His grip on the knife faltered, just slightly, just enough.

Then, like a dam breaking, something inside him cracked.

His body melted into yours, the rigid lines of control dissolving into something heated, something frantic. His lips moved against yours—hesitant at first, unsure, but quickly growing hungry. Desperate. He let out a low, needy groan, his breath hot against your skin. His fingers twitched at your sides, as if resisting the urge to pull you closer.

His inexperience was obvious—the way his lips parted against yours, searching, unsure but eager. The way he let himself lean into you, pressing closer, needing more. It was intoxicating, the way he surrendered without even realizing it.

Oh. This angel was probably a virgin.

Finally, you let him go.

Adam gasped, staggering back as if the kiss had stolen the air from his lungs. His chest rose and fell with each shaky breath, his usually sharp, calculating expression utterly undone. His golden eyes, wide and unfocused, stared at you with something raw—something almost reverent.

His lips were slightly parted, still tingling from the contact, as if he wasn’t entirely sure what had just happened. His wings twitched behind him, feathers ruffled and disheveled. A deep, rosy flush spread across his cheeks, creeping down his neck, a stark contrast against his usual composed demeanor.he finally breathed, his voice hoarse, dazed,

“What… what was—” 

Slam!

The sickening crack of wood against bone echoed through the night as Magdalene swung the bat with every ounce of strength she had. The impact sent a violent tremor through Adam’s body, his wings flaring wide in a stunned reflex before they crumpled uselessly against him.

A sharp, strangled grunt tore from his throat as the force of the blow sent him toppling off you. He hit the ground hard, his hands flying to the back of his head where Magdalene’s bat had struck. His fingers trembled, gripping at the point of impact, his breath coming in ragged, uneven gasps.

You didn’t hesitate. Ignoring the searing pain radiating from your shoulder wound, you scrambled to your feet. Magdalene grabbed your arm, and together, you bolted toward the entrance of the underground station. The city lights ahead where a beacon of salvation, the cold, sterile glow of the station promising safety.

But Adam wasn’t finished.

With an enraged snarl, his wings unfurled with a powerful snap, propelling him forward at an inhuman speed. The rush of air behind you sent a chill through your spine. He was gaining on you—fast.

You reached the station entrance first, barreling inside just as Magdalene skidded to a stop behind you. Relief surged through you—until you noticed the look in her eyes.

She was smiling.

Something was wrong.

Then, like ice flooding your veins, the realization struck—you weren’t safe yet. The underground station had an emergency gate. A heavy steel door that could be locked from the outside.

Your stomach dropped.

“Magdalene—” You turned to stop her, reaching out desperately, but it was too late.

Adam’s dark silhouette loomed behind her, his towering presence swallowing the dim light of the entrance.

With one final glance at you—something unreadable flickering in her eyes, something fierce and unwavering—Magdalene slammed her hand against the emergency button.

A deafening clunk rang out as the steel gate groaned to life, sliding into place with an unyielding finality.

“No—Magdalene!” You screamed her name, panic clawing at your throat as you lunged for the gate, your fingers grasping at cold steel. But it was done. She was on the other side.

Trapped with him.

A scream tore through the air, raw and filled with agony.

“Magdalene! You sadistic bastard!” Her voice cut through the heavy silence, followed by a sickening tear. The unmistakable sound of flesh being ripped open.

You stumbled back as something warm splattered against the floor beneath the gate. Your breath hitched. Blood. A smear of red spread across the pristine white tiles, seeping under the barrier that now separated you from the horror on the other side.

Your chest tightened, a sob wrenching itself from your throat as you slammed your fists against the steel. No, no, no—

“Magdalene!” Your voice was hoarse, desperate, but there was no answer. Just the wet drip of something pooling.

Then—silence.

A cruel, suffocating silence that made your stomach churn.

Knock. Knock.

The sound was slow, deliberate.

You froze, your blood turning to ice as a voice slithered through the cracks of the door.

“Little devil… are you there?” Adam’s voice was sickeningly sweet, mockingly gentle. “Don’t cry now. It won’t be long before I find a way in…”

A pause. A soft, wet squelch.

“…And when I do, you’ll join her.”

Your breath shuddered, your body screaming at you to move, to run.

You hesitated for only a second before you spun on your heel, sprinting down the underground corridor toward the only safe place left—the hideout.

But even as you ran, Adam’s voice lingered, curling around you like a promise.

A guarantee.

On the other hand, Adam—no, his body—was screaming at him to make you his.

His breath came in ragged pants, his chest rising and falling with an unfamiliar, maddening heat. His mind was a haze, clouded by the remnants of your touch, the ghost of your lips still lingering like a brand against his skin.

A sinful moment. A taunt to his purity.

He clenched his jaw, his fingers twitching as he gripped the hilt of his blade. This is wrong. You were a temptation, a wicked, intoxicating curse wrapped in human skin. His wings trembled, caught between instinct and restraint.

The only way to cleanse himself of this corruption—this unbearable, tormenting desire—was to end you.

To kill you like the devil you were. Or at least, to have you all to himself.

[centuryberry]

lowkwy Highkey need to analyse those visions of the future and past Yue had like

You have no one else to blame but yourself! You did this! You’re the reason why she’s gone-!”

First of all I have so many guesses on who this could be I'm tweaking

“We shall leave it to the Four Guardian Beasts to ensure that balance is kept in the world. This is the only way to keep everyone safe. From them.”

Like those guardian animals guarding Nuwa's stones in LMK season 5?

From who????

Is this a celestial or is it not a celestial? Maybe Buddha or Guanyin? Or Nuwa? Maybe the Empress Mother

“Erase it. Erase every trace of her until the world forgets her name. I don’t care how you do it! Just erase it all!”

Jade Emperor dur

“Not my son! Please! Have mercy on my son! He has done nothing to offend you! Why are you doing this? And you! How can you call yourself a father when you’re standing aside and letting them–?”

Are they talking about Red Son here or someone else?

Sons: Nezha, Redson, MK, Ao something, one of the twins (but I doubt it)

“Look at what they’ve done to him! A pale shade of what he was! This isn’t justice, this is about control! My love, this is not the time to be careful. This is the time to –”

PIF is that you??

“Uncle! You have gone too far with this! They are just–!”

Nezha what happened?

Is he a thrall pls say nah

“I am sorry, my child. I have failed you.”

This is so vague 😭

Deadass could be anyone with a child and I'm too tired to write that my top 5 though: Nuwa, PIF, Empress Mother, Ao Lie, or literally any other parent.

“ – stay dormant through generations as long as the rings are secure and hidden. And before you say anything, this was because of your mistake. This wouldn’t be happening if you hadn’t intervened! This is the best outcome considering the circumstances. For the good of–”

Whos mistake?

Also who or what's staying dormant? The Samadhi Fire?

Honestly the Samadhi fire prolly most likely gonna play a big ass role in this ice zombie apocalypse lmao they're literally White Walkers like the ones from Game of Thrones

“...seal…under the mountain…”

The Bull fam or Wukong

“ –spreading uncontrollably! It can’t be contained! At this rate, this will reach–!”

The infection

now for the futureee wtfd wjqkwbkqkq

"We remember. Even when Heaven wants us to forget you, we will always remember. Even after all the temples were destroyed, we still lit a candle for you.”

We know that was Ma about our girl

“...banished some, executed the others, and subdued the rest. We didn’t understand everything that was happening since we were so young, but we knew that much. So much suffering…”

The twins most likely

😭 give them their talkkkk

“...Island…Lantern…Moon…Scroll…find them all and release…from his shackles...”

Island - Wukong? Similar to the LMK series where flower fruit moment is

Lantern - Macaque oof he is probably been stuck their for centuries imagine waking up and your family's gone to shit most are dead or basically dead, your kids are grown up without you yikes.

I mean it's the same for the rest of them too yikes but damn the guilt from the parents is gonna be real

I thought this wasn't gonna be another major angst fic 😭

Curse you! There better NOT be major character death if any of my hoe's die PERMANENTLY like in "With a Little Soul That Could" imma find where you live 😭 and force you to rewrite that shit now

“Foolish child! This is greater than your petty grudges and old wrongs!”

Damn who we talking to?

“Learn your place, you filthy animals.”

I got nothing a celestial maybe?

“...even…fall…nothing lasts forever…never forgave…”

I feel like I should know but I don't

“Because I love you so much, I’ll give you a hint. What’s the lucky number? C’mon, babe, this is easy stuff! You’re the one who taught me, remember? What’s the lucky number?”

🤯😱

Xiaotian Fragment that you?!!!!

Or is it like those Tony stark pre death hologram videos

One of his clones?

Is it Xiaotian or am I tripping?

“...this world isn’t worth saving…”

Huh.

Lowkey highkey very ominous

Isn't that what Yue and LBD were thinking?

Can Yue hear thoughts or did someone say this aloud?

“Godkiller.”

Our Queen Yue 🎉

I cannot believe I am following another fic of yours 😭 I love it though incredibel writing and the foreshadowing is actually insane

You can't stOP mE frOm makinG My TheORies

Oh my god, "Little Soul" mention on a Tuesday morning???? I can't believe you followed me from the Undertale fandom to the LMK fandom.

Well, as a veteran of my older works, I'll briefly step away from my "no spoiler" stance to reveal this: Queen of the Mountain will have a happy ending. None of that bittersweet tragedy. It will have a happy ending. I will not kill off anyone important to Yue. The Monkey Fam will be together again. (Honestly, I wrote myself into a corner when writing "Little Soul" so I had to pick between forcing a happy ending or keeping the integral message even if the ending was tragic. That won't happen again. I've written so, so many fluffy AUs as an apology for that ending.)

Now, onto the commentary about your theories: These are super detailed! I love the thought you put into your guesses and your comments! We'll see how many of these theories come true in the coming chapters!

[notmorbid]

harrow.

dialogue prompts from harrow by joy williams.

you are a riot today.

my mother lacked good judgment in many things.

they abolished purgatory, but it still exists.

one should guard against excessive fear.

justice punishes, and mercy pardons.

you're just fucking with me.

astrology can be fun, i guess.

throw down your burdens of time and reason.

you are such a cold cunt.

we all live three lives: the true one, the false one, and the one we aren't aware of.

a ginger ale would be just the thing, unless you have a gallon of tylenol pm and a bottle of bourbon.

who asked to be born? not me.

try to be happy for me.

why are you being so unpleasant?

i'm glad ____ didn't live to see all this.

if you've got the right attitude, you're gonna be fine.

we're students at large. the world is our classroom.

you're older than everyone i've ever met.

everyone dies disillusioned.

i used to think ____ was lucky.

i would like to learn, but i can't seem to.

where did you come from? where were you born?

the past is merely a grammatical construct.

if you're blessed enough to save something, it doesn't stay saved.

goodness, i haven't talked this much in years.

our lives don't move in a horizontal fashion anymore.

human destiny has quite played itself out.

to dream of a fish means death, you know.

it's too late to be afraid, i think.

you're cheering me up, and here i thought i was cheering you up.

i foresee possible unpleasantness on a considerable scale.

i may not have handled everything as well as i could've.

i was complimented on my lucidity and calm.

it tastes better than it looks.

tell me everything, whoever you are.

it's been some time since i've had a visitor.

did you leave? you're so quiet.

you can beat the devil and not hobble evil one bit.

the devil's nothing more than evil's color distraction.

ethics is going to be the ruin of this operation.

repulsed or pitying: the emotions have become so similar.

denial is now an art, a social grace. a survival tool.

the more a person doesn't care, the freer he becomes.

the new thinking is that compassion is nothing but self-cannibalization.

every place is like every place else.

you're not as smart as you think you are.

you look as though you signed a new lease on life.

don't you tell me there's any sacredness to places.

mothers always want something more from us, don't they?

i wish i'd kissed ___ when i could have.

winning became losing, as you are well aware.

i've always had a fondness for the minor deities.

calamity is often necessary for rebirth.

in tragedy, everything has happened before it begins.

i don't know much about ____. i don't have the patience for it.

it's not my business to answer why.

we're pioneers, and pioneers have to be unconventional.

we're free to make our own new innocence now.

i like fragments. sometimes i prefer them to the whole.

i would like to take up living, rather than remembering.

i don't like god all that much.

maybe that was god's plan for me: to give me a darkly colored life.

even a rat needs a challenge.

i never should have sent ____ away.

what's it feel like, accepting your past?

you're a bold little brat, aren't you?

i never knew you had so much integrity.

you heartless little turd.

people pass through. that's all they do, really.

you can spot a moral hazard a mile away.

things used to add up. not so much, anymore.

[hyunluvbug]

show me how to love | three - why won’t you love me?

pairing: hyunjin x afab reader

content: some angst :D

a/n: longer chapter, hope you enjoy :)

Sunrays creep in through the bedroom curtains, casting shadows to every corner of the room. Her head races with thoughts of confusion. She only remembers small fragments of what the night before had brought her. She pushes the covers away and places her feet onto the cold wood floor. The sounds of the floor creaking and plates clinking together filled the air. 

She stretches out her arms and stands up to slide on some fuzzy socks. Her warm hand touches her head and she begins to remember how unsober she was yesterday. She opens her bedroom door with a soft creak. A low yawn leaves her lips as she stares at the single pillow and blanket on her couch. Hyunjin stands in the kitchen, his back faces her while he uses the spatula to flip over an omelet. The smells of egg, bacon and cheese fills up her apartment and her stomach rumbles. She pulls out a stool at the kitchen island and sits down. 

“How do you feel?”

“Like I have been run over several times.” 

Hyunjin lets out a low chuckle which causes her to glare at him. He turns the knob on the oven and the sizzling subsides. 

“Any plans for today?” She suddenly asks him, he picks up a plate and places the omelet on its surface. He slides the plate over to her and her mouth practically drools from the smell. 

“Probably heading out after this. Going to meet another groupie.” He teases and moves his eyebrows. 

She stays silent, she messes with the edge of the omelet with her fork. Even though it was a joke, it made her feel uneasy just a bit.

“Okay.” She mumbles. 

Hyunjin sits down beside her and begins to eat his omelet silently beside her. She continues to pick at her food, not feeling hungry any more. 

Hyunjin places a hand onto her bare thigh, spinning her chair towards him softly. She feels tingles everywhere from the touch. “Hey, you have to eat Y/n.” He places his own fork down and picks up hers. 

He cuts a piece of the omelet with his knife and places the fork in front of her mouth. “Open.” 

She can’t help but get a little flustered at his demand, god her mind is in the gutter. She opens her mouth and he puts the fork inside. 

“Good girl.” 

She almost chokes on the omelet from his word choice. He sure makes it hard not to be in love with him. She takes the fork from him and insists on feeding herself now. How the hell is she supposed to get over him when he does shit like this. 

She finishes up her omelet and he finishes his. Hyunjin rinses both of their dishes off and  places both of them in the dishwasher. 

“I am off now.” Hyunjin says, running his hand through his black hair. 

“Thanks again Jin. I appreciate it.” 

“Anything for you.” He smirks and she rolls her eyes. 

She holds the door open for him, “Text me later?” 

She looks at him. His eyes are scanning her body, noticing how her pajama shorts hug her hips. Her legs are out on full display in front of him. She is embarrassed from his gaze.

“Uh yeah! See you later!” He smiles, making his eyes squint up. Her favorite smile to see on his face. 

She gives him a wave and he heads out. She shuts the door behind him letting her back rest against the door. She lets out a deep sigh, letting all the nerves leave her body. From this day forward, she vowed to herself that she would get over Hyunjin. Her crush on him brings her nothing but pain and false hope. She has to remind herself that Hyunjin’s  flirtatious behavior was only on a friendship level. He doesn’t want commitment, he doesn't want to be in love. Love is something she always dreamed of having. But, Hyunjin was the only guy she ever wanted to love. The feeling of wanting someone who didn’t want that at all was agonizing and she could not force him. She had to move on someday. 

But, how could anyone not fall in love with Hyunjin? Hyunjin is the most beautiful man she has ever met and laid eyes on. She is lucky to even have him as her friend. She is grateful for his comfort and presence he would give her. She just wishes it could be different someday. Maybe one day he won’t move his hands away, one day he will hold eye contact. Just maybe. 

—--------------------------------

How did Han convince her to go to another party? She honestly wasn’t quite sure. But, her main drive of the night was to forget about Hyunjin. Maybe find someone else to have a crush on. So now here she is again, another drink in hand and dancing with Han. He was hooping and hollering as her body moved next to his. Her face was warm from all the drinking she had already partaken in. A few of their other friends were scattered amongst the crowd. Some of them are stealing glances their way and laughing at the sight. She wasn’t the best dancer but she’s too drunk to even care. Her heart is beating like crazy and she had never felt more alive than in this moment. 

She closes her eyes and spins around amongst the crowd, her body crashes into a strong build. An arm catches her waist and she opens her eyes, it’s Yeonjun. Yeonjun is another one of Han’s friends and also the host of the party. 

“Hey Y/n.” He lets out a small chuckle. He removes his arm and she stands up straight. 

“Sorry, I was just caught up in the moment.” She said shyly and he smiles down at her. 

“It’s okay. No worries.” 

They both stand together, everyone else dancing around them. She licks her lips and puts her cup to her lips. She takes a big swig of the liquor feeling it trickle down her throat. 

“Having a good time?” He asked, gesturing to the now empty cup in her hand. 

“Very.” 

“That’s good.” 

Her eyes cast away from him, taking in all of them people dancing around them. Her knees begin to wobble just a tiny bit. Her eyes land in a corner of the room where Hyunjin is holed up yet again. A different girl is kissing all over his neck, his arms lazily around her waist. She darts her eyes away already feeling sadness creep up. 

“Hey Yeonjun.”

“Yeah?”

“Wanna makeout?” 

Yeonjun’s eyes widen, she looks at him, not a single sense of a joke coming from her. 

“Uh- sure.” 

That is how they both now ended up sitting off to the side. She sits on his lap while his plump lips tug on her lips. Her lips smack sloppily against his, she couldn't deny it, he was a great kisser. He lays his hands on her waist, she grabs them and places them on the back of her ass. He moans into her mouth once she pushes her tongue into his. The kisses grow even more sloppy the longer they kiss. She pulls away for a second to catch her breath. Yeonjun’s eyes are glossed over and his lips are redder than ever.

“You’re so pretty Y/n.” 

She smiles at him and places her lips back on his. This was the best distraction she could have ever thought of.  

Meanwhile, nearby Hyunjin still sits. The girl in his lap was kissing up his neck. His eyes land on Yeonjun and Y/n. He feels something in his chest as he watches them makeout messily. 

“Stop.” Hyunjin mumbles but the girl continues. 

“I said stop.” He raises his voice a little louder. The girl scrambles away from him. 

She gets off of him and pulls down her skirt. He stands up and keeps his eyes on them. He watches as Yeonjun moves her onto his thigh, now letting her move a bit. She throws her head back and Hyunjin feels furious. 

“Y/n.” 

Y/n hums as she hears her name. But then she realizes it didn’t come from Yeonjun. 

She stops moving on his thigh and turns her head to see Hyunjin. “Oh Jin hey.” She smiles smugly. Hyunjin looks at her face, she looks fucked out. The sight gives him a sensation. 

“Is he bothering you?” Hyunjin has his hands in fists  by his side. 

“Does it look like it?” She asks, wrapping her arms around Yeonjun’s neck. Yeonjun smirks underneath her, enjoying the feeling. Yeonjun begins to kiss on her neck, making her look back at him. 

Hyunjin sighs loudly and grows more angry at the sight. 

“Alright! That’s enough.” Hyunjin gently takes her off Yeonjun’s lap. 

“Hyunjin! What the hell!” 

“Y/n let’s go!” He grabs her wrist and tugs her into the opposite direction. 

Yeonjun sits dumbfounded as he leads her away. Hyunjin keeps walking, his hand circles around her wrist. He leads her through many people until they are outside. He finally lets go and she glares at him. 

“Now why did you do that?” She crosses her arms over her chest. Hyunjin just stares at her, still feeling angry. He looks at her face, how worked up she looks. He can’t deny how hot she looks right now but he can’t focus on that right now. 

“I didn’t want you to make a mistake.” 

“And what mistake is that?”

“Having sex with random people.” 

“Yeonjun isn’t random. I know him.” They both stand there for a moment looking at each other. The cool air blows on her cheeks, she begins to realize just how worked up Yeonjun made her. 

“How many of the groupies do you know personally anyways?” She mumbles under her breath. 

“Y/n, that’s not fair!” Hyunjin yells back at her. She stands there dumbfounded. 

“What’s not fair is how you’re treating me! What the fuck do you expect me to do Hyunjin?” Hot tears begin to well in her eyes, Hyunjin takes notice. His eyes soften as she begins crying, tears streaming down her face. Slowly collecting down into her shirt. 

“Do you know how much you hurt me Hyunjin?” She cries out, her hands shoot up to her face trying to wipe away all the tears. It’s no use as they continue to fall even more gradually. Hyunjin steps closer to reach out to her but she steps back. 

“I really don’t understand you. I don’t understand. Why is it okay for you to have sex with random people but I can’t? What is the fucking difference? I am so sick and tired of this Hyunjin. I just wanted a moment to get over you! To finally not worry about what you’re doing and with who. Is that something so bad to do?”

Hyunjin stands there, his head looking down at his feet. He wishes he could hug her right now and tell her it’s okay. But he can’t. 

 “Why wont you love me?” 

“Of course I love you.” 

“Hyunjin, that's not what I mean.” 

He looks up, her eyes are still filled with tears. He doesn’t know what to even tell her. He doesn’t know how to handle love. He doesn’t want to hurt her. It’s breaking him inside to even look at her right now. His heart is aching and he is sure hers is too. 

 “I love you Hyunjin and it hurts like absolute hell. I don’t know what the fuck I am supposed to do anymore.” She lets out a laugh. 

Hyunjin’s hands are in fists at his sides. His fingers dig into his palm to keep him from crying. He wants to tell her he loves her too but he is absolutely terrified. The only thing he knows how to do is leave. That is exactly what he decides to do. 

“Han can take you home.” He mumbles looking down at the sidewalk beneath him.

“What-”

“Just go home. Please.” 

He turns around and walks away. She watches him as he keeps walking, not turning back.

[venture4treasure]

“Of course I dream of more”

Words: 952

Premise: Servant!Reader washes Noble!Venture hair. They have a conversation. 

Warnings: A bit of forbidden love and mutual pining, but otherwise nothing! 

“Lay down,” you instruct, gesturing at the cot – the edge of the bed frame is pressed against a tub of water. 

Venture does as you tell them, tilting their head back into the water. They try to look at you, but you’re a bit too far out of their peripheral vision. 

Pulling over a stool to sit down across from Venture, you dip your hand into the tub of water, it’s a pleasant warm temperature. You splash water onto dry locks of hair before reaching to brush back their bangs, submerging them. You’ve barely done anything and you can see dirt muddying the clear water.

“Thanks for making it warm,” Venture relaxes. 

“As opposed to… cold?” You raise a brow, “why would it be cold”. 

“Some of the other servants don’t bother with warm water,” Venture pouts, “I’m starting to think they hate me”. 

“I’m starting to think I might hate you,” you comment, brushing your hand through their hair and watching debris wash out, “how do you even get so much filth into your hair? Weren’t you supposed to be sword training today?” 

Venture laughs awkwardly. 

“Sloan…” you drawl. 

“Well… I may have been helping out in the mines instead today”. 

“The mines? Isn’t that below your station?” 

“They tell some of the best stories! Besides, father doesn’t need to know”. 

You sigh in disbelief, switching to massaging soap into their hair and head. Venture stops themselves from whatever they were planning to say to lean into your touch. You chase off the silence by humming fragments of a song you heard in passing – it’s not good singing but Venture doesn’t mind, they like to hear your voice. 

“So, do you ever think about doing something different from this?” Venture asks, waving their hand in the air.

“What do you mean?” 

“Like, don’t you ever want to try something different? A different line of work, like being a scholar! God, I wish father would’ve let me just study instead of trying to shape me up into some kind of perfect heir to the family – that’s what Mauga’s gonna be anyways!” Venture groans. 

You chuckle at their whining. 

“No, not really,” you answer, “I don’t think there’s anything else I can do to earn money. I am very lucky and grateful to be doing this in the first place”.

Venture goes quiet, their expression drops into a thoughtful one. They turn over the idea of needing money to live in their mind, it’s a concept so far detached from their day to day life, they don’t really understand it. There was always food if they were hungry, nice clothes for any occasion they could think of, and there was always a roof to go home to. Everything they needed was always there within arms reach.

“If you had the money, what would you do?” Venture wonders, both to you and themselves, “like, a lot of money”.

“I’d find a teacher to show me how to read and write,” you answer without hesitation, “and then… maybe I would travel to different kingdoms. I’d like to dance in those big ballrooms at least once. And… I’d probably find someone who treats me well to settle down with, in a nice and safe house close enough to the city market”. 

Venture glances up at you, taking in your face. Your eyes sparkle dreamily, a soft smile on your lips. Their heart aches at the sight combined with your words. 

You shake yourself out of the fantasy, “but my life now isn’t so bad either, it could be so much worse”. 

“What is your life right now?” 

“Right now, I work for your family, it pays enough to support me. One day, I’ll probably marry someone who’ll want kids, and I’ll try to raise them right…” you slightly cringe at your own reality, “protect them if I have to. I just hope I marry someone decent…” 

“You don’t plan to choose?” 

“I don’t really get a choice,” you shrug, “I have nothing to my name, I’ll probably just marry someone like me. Have kids so there’s someone to support me when I grow old. That’s how it usually goes”.

Venture doesn’t like your answers, they want to see you as happy as you were to share your dream. 

“Sit up a bit please,” you nudge them forward, and Venture pulls their hair from the dirty water so you can rinse out the soap. You comb their hair and lightly scratch their scalp as you clean away the soap. 

“Mann, that feels so nice”.

You make a noise of acknowledgement. 

Finally you’re done with their hair – you always forget how much of a pain it is when it gets dirt tangled in it. You wrap a towel over it so it doesn’t drip onto their clothes. 

“Okay, I’m done”, you announce, getting up to stretch. 

 Venture almost makes a noise of disappointment.

“Hey,” Venture calls out your name lightly, “would you like it if I taught you how to read and write?” 

You turn to face them, eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “why?” 

They walk over to you, taking your hands into theirs. 

“Because I think you deserve to have a chance at happiness,” they smile, and there’s so much more they want to say, but they keep it to themselves. 

Your face heats up from the touch.

“Ah-” you stammer, “that would be nice, I’d really like that. Thank you”. 

Venture glows at your reaction, smiling wide. 

“Okay, now help me dry my hair, pleaseee,” they beg. 

“You can do that yourself”.

“I’m going to shake”.

“Do not threaten me,” you shoot back.

Venture holds your stare with determination in their eyes and you falter. 

“Okay, fine!” 

Author’s Note: I realized afterward that this setup doesn’t make sense at all and there’s so many logical issues with the concept but I really wanted to write it anyways. Spare me :( 

Mauga is Venture’s older brother in this. 

I just wanted an excuse to write about Venture’s hair. It’s so fluffy and needs to be appreciated. And they most definitely would shake to dry themselves and splash water everywhere. 

[cranquis]

Your recent reblog made me sad, but also makes a lot of sense. I've been following you since I was in medical school, and I'm now in my fifth year of specialty training (I am not American). I did occasionally wonder why I've been seeing less of the kind of content you used to put out.

All I can say is - thank you for the work you do. I've seen enough online to get an idea of what you must face on a daily basis. I think I'm lucky that somehow, the doctor-patient relationship overall hasn't deteriorated to such an extent where I live (yet at least), but I definitely understand the frustration and despair of trying to communicate with people who aren't coming into the conversation in good faith.

You've always been a kind of role model for me in terms of your passion for your work and your open sharing about your faith. I guess I just wanted to say that I hope you find hope and joy in your work, even if those you serve aren't wise enough to appreciate what you do for them.

Hi, my colleague! Hey first of all, thank you for your kind words of encouragement and affirmation. Negative med-related interactions (online or in person) anymore just roll off me, but the positive ones still give my heart a thrill! :) And congrats on your continued journey down the medical pathway.

Second, I'm glad your message gives me the chance to clarify for all my long-time Cranquis Pants* that I still do enjoy my work. I have been doing the exact same Urgent Care job in the exact same location (with quite a few staff turnovers) ever since I finished residency 17 years ago! I still enjoy the bulk of my patient interactions, I continue to hone my diagnostic skills, I feel very confident in my procedural skills, I have a reputation in our local medical community as a reliable and thorough physician, and I have a loyal group of patients who routinely nag me to "quit urgent care and become a regular doctor so we can be your primary care patients". My staff likes and respects me (despite my best efforts to ruin that on the daily, with my puns etc); I like my staff and appreciate the hard work they do in the face of the same administrative and societal opposition that I encounter; I am not distressed when little kids freak out during physical exams (and my success rate of turning those frowns upside down with playful interactions and silly sound effects is pretty darn good).

I am blessed with amazing work-life balance, more than the majority of Family Medicine-trained physicians I suspect. I carry no pager, I take no call, I leave my work at home when I go home. I know my schedule months in advance, I have a shift template that gives me plenty of week-long stretches off, and I have my Sabbaths 100% free to attend church and spend time with my family. My pay is decent and my benefits are solid, my debts get paid and I have a roof over my head. My kids and wife are happy to see me come home. Personally, I really have nothing to complain about.

But the bloom is off the rose for my profession as a whole. The politics and trends of the US health care system continues to disenfranchise physicians, devaluing the years and $$ invested in becoming physicians, over-valuing patient satisfaction scores and inexpensive labor and glitzy administrative initiatives and staff rumor mills more than evidence-based, experience-driven clinical medicine. The power structure is upside down, as if doctors ought to be automatically doubted and disdained by pharmacists, insurance companies, administrators, patients, and APCs because of their systematic educational journeys and reliance upon scientific evidence.

And one of the saddest results is watching medical professionals turn on each other. The fragmentation and super-specialization of every aspect of medical care creates artificial "us v. them" scenarios; specialists and primary-care battling over who does the paperwork for pre-op visits and FMLA, ER and Urgent Care arguing about how much workup should be undertaken by the UC when the patient is obviously going to need ER management, primary-care so overwhelmed with insurance-required goals that their patients can never get same-day/soon-day appointments, pharmacies so understaffed that it's easier for them to tell the patients that "the doctor never sent the prescription" when in reality ...

I could go on.

I miss the old days (said the geezer on the internet), when I could enthusiastically support a pre-med student's dreams of getting into medical school and "helping people as a doctor someday." Now I wince at the idealism in a high-schooler's eyes, and try to find a nice way to say "there's more options for helping people than just becoming a doctor... be sure you have your motivations straight, because medicine is not what it was even 10 years ago..."

So hope and joy in my career? Hope for the profession of physicians, I have little. But I make the joy in my practice when I can make it, and I only expect to find joy in my non-medical time with family and hobbies and travel and friends and the lifestyle which my medical career still does make more feasible than otherwise.

*Probably not the term historically assigned to "fans of this blog", back when I posted frequently -- it's been a minute -- but if not, SHOOT that was a missed opportunity.

[possessiveandobsessive]

The Spirit of Determination

Nyra "Rook" Thorne is somehow responsible for the fate of all of Thedas. If she's going to pull it off, she's going to need a hell of a lot of determination. Lucky for her, she knows a guy and his demon who can help her out with that.

Part 6: The Ugly Truth Beneath The Beautiful Lie

“Failure.” “Worthless.” “Never good enough.” “You couldn’t save anyone.” “You let him down.” “You let them all down.” “It’s all your fault.” “Those deaths are your doing.”

Hateful whispers filled Rook’s ears, accompanied only by the sound of wind rushing around her as she plummeted downwards. The fall seemed never ending. There was no ground rushing up to meet her, only more grey clouds and mist. Well, that wasn’t the only thing she could see. Statues of those she had lost, the friends she had failed were littered on floating pieces of ruined stone floors. None were connected to anything, everything in the area seemed to be floating except her. She was falling. Further and further she plunged into the abyss as it swallowed her whole. It was the whispering that was hurting her the most. Hearing everything that she hated about herself or was terrified of becoming in the voices of those she cared for the most was starting to make her go crazy. Rook flinched harshly as the new wave of berating started.

“You knew it was dangerous!” Bellara accused, “And you still picked me! You chose me to DIE! 

“I would have never been in that clearing with you if you hadn’t chosen me to lead, Rook!” Harding’s usually kind tone was now one twisted with hatred and rage. “I deserved to live! I started this with Varric, and you? You’re nothing! It should have been me that he chose!”

Rook could feel the tears streaming down her face. She agreed with them both. She was the leader, she made the calls. This time, her calls had gotten the people she loved killed. Just like… Her mind blanked for a moment, whatever thought she started to have was gone now. Rook couldn’t think straight enough to find it weird. She was too busy taking hit after hit from the echoes of her friends and their bitter words.

“Poor little Da’len.” With a start, Rook realized she could hear Solas’s voice now joining Harding and Bellara’s. “You were too weak to accept the truth: You cannot win a fight against the Evanuris without paying a heavy cost. I tried to warn you…”

Rook wanted to be angry at him. She was apparently doomed to fall for eternity, surrounded by familiar voices, telling her the worst things she could imagine. Solas had the gall to scold her? He had the audacity to watch her fall and calmly explain why this fate had been inevitable. “Solas!” Rook grit out. She could see him now, the god appearing on the fragments of rock floating around her. He disappeared and reappeared again and again in order for her to be able to see him as she continued to fall helplessly. “Help me!” Rook hated the way she begged him to save her, but she didn’t know what else to do. She was scared and powerless, and he seemed to care not for any part of her suffering.

“I am truly sorry, Rook.” His voice seemed layered and it echoed loudly in her mind as the others did. “You cannot save the world, you cannot stop Elgar’nan. Surely you see this now?” He paused a moment before continuing, “It was never the plan to simply guide your hand to victory, I have always known that you were incapable. No, I molded you into someone who could take my place in this prison. I needed you to be the sacrifice that led to my escape. I will go now, and I will be the one to save the world. I’m the only one who can.”

Rook stared at him, reeling. She had told herself the whole time that she couldn’t trust the Dread Wolf. She promised herself she wouldn’t let him get into her head and manipulate her. Rook had been so sure that she had been the one in control and that he was the prisoner with no choice but to aid her cause. Throughout their time together, he had been the opposite of what he showed her. Solas didn’t care about her or her friends even a little bit. His “advice” had come with strings, and he had given her enough to turn her into nothing more than a puppet. She had only been a tool and he must have relished in her idiocy as she slowly started to believe in him as Varric had.

Rook flailed about, trying to find a way to stop falling so that she could escape with the dagger before the Dread Wolf could reach her. She managed to actually grab hold of one of the many small platforms next to her and let out a hiss of pain from between her teeth as she felt her shoulder dislocate violently. Rook groaned with effort and tried to pull herself up with her right arm alone as the lyrium dagger was still clutched tightly in her left. Before she could make any progress, Solas was suddenly standing above her. He looked down on her injured form with pity painted all over his face. She was nothing but a tragedy to him.

Solas dropped into a crouch and reached for the dagger in her hand. Rook attempted to keep it from him as she stretched her arm back as far as it would go. He sighed in annoyance the way an adult sighs at a child throwing a tantrum. “It’s pointless Rook, you’re already a prisoner.” As the words left his lips, a weight seemed to attach itself to her cloak, nearly ripping her hand from the platform. Rook looked down and was horrified to see a stone statue of Bellara holding the end of her cloak. She wore the same face she had as she had been dragged into the Eluvian by Elgar’nan and it brought tears to Rook’s eyes. 

Then, another statue caught the end of her cape as it descended with her. Harding’s empty eyes stared forward, seeming to hold no emotion at all. She wore the face of a dead woman, because she was. Rook’s fingers were barely gripping the edge of the platform now, and she couldn’t keep the dagger from Solas when he reached for it again. As it left her palm, a new weight joined the first two statues on her back. Rook slowly looked down, not really wanting to see who she had failed now. Her breath caught in her throat and she felt the remaining air flee her lungs. Varric.

Rook had no time to contemplate further, as the third statue was enough to finally pry her fingers from their hold on the platform. She watched helplessly as Solas cut an opening in the Fade prison and made his exit. Rook seemed to feel a combination of everything and nothing at all. She was trapped here, in Solas’s prison made to hold gods, and had no hope of escape. Closing her eyes as she resumed her freefall, Rook had an agonizing thought: I never got to tell him… I never got to make Lucanis understand how I feel about him, and I never got to convince him that he is and will always be enough. Now, I have to sit in this prison and grieve over what I lost for an eternity, and he will never know what happened to me. 

Fresh tears fell down her cheeks again. Rook couldn’t imagine forever in this hell. She wondered briefly if this was her punishment. This awful prison was the result of her daring to believe that maybe she had a chance. Her unwarranted confidence had led to Harding’s death and Bellara’s kidnapping (and likely death) and now this was her penance. 

Rook’s wallowing was brought to a halt when her body made impact with something hard beneath her. She took a moment to try and find her bearings as she sat up and looked around. So there WAS a bottom to this pit. Joints creaked and her dislocated shoulder was enough to make her vision swim as she forced herself to stand. Rook did a quick sweep of the area, and found a gnarled, dead tree surrounded by fossilized spirits. That’ll have to do, she thought darkly as she approached the small tree. Pressing her dislocated shoulder against the tree’s trunk, Rook took a deep breath and violently jerked her body forwards. *Pop!* She suppressed a scream, and sighed with relief as her shoulder settled back into the socket. Rook had only just begun to turn around to get a sense of where she was, when a familiar voice spoke softly to her.

“Alright kid, you’ve got to get out of here. You can’t do anyone any good trapped in this prison.”

“Varric?!” Rook whipped around, trying to figure out where his voice was coming from. “What- Where are you? How are you talking to me?”

“C’mon, Rook, you know you’ve got much bigger fish to fry than my secrets.” He chuckled, “Get moving! The path ahead is filled with things you don’t want to see or hear, but you have to keep moving!”

Rook looked to the long, winding path that simply led: up. The whole island she stood on was suspended in the air with nothing supporting said path, but given that she was in the Fade, it didn’t make sense to question it. She didn’t know what she was going to find at the end, but feelings of anxiety and dread twisted her stomach already. It wasn’t as if she had any other choice though. There were no other paths on the island not covered in rubble and fallen rocks. 

Rook honestly would have preferred to just sit down and throw in the towel at this point. Solas was right, what hope did she, a mortal, have against Elgar’nan? He was also right in that she had failed her friends because of her weakness. Even IF she could escape (and she didn’t think she had great chances of that), how was she going to return to her team and look them in the eyes? Taash must hate me. The thought of the dragon hunter’s face crumpling as tears flowed from their dark eyes was haunting. Their eyes would hold an accusation she couldn’t deny and Rook was certain it would destroy her if her whole team looked at her with those eyes. Maybe it was best she just gave up, and lived out the rest of her life in this prison where her decisions couldn’t hurt anyone else.

Deep down though, Rook knew that she could never just lie down and give up. She was too damn stubborn, and cared too damn much to hide in the Fade while her team fought Elgar’nan alone. You’re a Grey Warden Nyra. You’ve been cornered more times than you can count, and you always find a way out. This isn’t any different. You’re going to do what you do best, make an unimaginably stupid and bold move to shock your adversaries into making a mistake. “Okay,” Rook muttered out loud to herself, “Pep talk is over, time to get to work.” She did what she always did then, she forced one foot in front of the other over and over as she began making her way up the path.

“That’s it kid, keep moving.” Varric’s voice echoed around her again as she walked towards the unknown. She wasn’t sure how or why she could hear him, but she was grateful all the same. He was her anchor when she started to lose sight of herself, and he believed in her more than anyone; far more than herself. She missed having him at her side in the field, and hoped that maybe upon her return he could-  Rook frowned, exactly like earlier, the thought she had been seconds from processing dissolved before she had the chance. The uneasy feeling in her gut seemed to grow, and she knew something was wrong.

Rook didn’t get the opportunity to worry further. She reached the top of the first hill of the path and froze. In front of her was a large statue of Bellara and it, she, looked at Rook with an agonized expression. Rook stared at the large replica of her bubbly friend and was horrified when her familiar voice began to emit from the statue. “You picked me to die. You sent me to an early grave, for what? So you could have your victory? Your redemption?”

Rook felt her hands start to shake a little as Bellara’s words tore into the depths of her soul. The statue seemed to give voice to everything Rook already hated herself for, and she wanted to lay down and cry. Instead, she remained on her feet and forced herself to look the copy of Bellara in the eyes. 

“I’m-” Rook’s voice shook and wavered for a second before she continued, “I’m so sorry Bellara. I’m sorry I didn’t see it in time. I wish I could have done something to stop him from taking you away.” She took a moment to find her nerve and find the words that she knew were just as true. “Bellara knew the risks. She knew how dangerous the gods were, and she knew that by volunteering to take down the wards she was putting herself in greater danger. She did that because she believed in her team, she believed in me.” Tears formed in Rook’s eyes and she had to clear her throat in order to finish. “Bellara was betrayed by her so-called gods, and she needed her own redemption the same way I do. I… I know I made the best choice I could. I didn’t make it lightly, and I considered all of our options. It wasn’t… It isn’t my fault. And Bellara would never tell me that it was.”

Silence hung in the dead air for a second before she heard Bellara’s voice again, except this time it was Bellara’s true voice and tone. “Rook, it wasn’t your fault. There are a million impossible choices you have been asked to make, and you’ve never backed down or tried to force the responsibility onto someone else. I gladly made my sacrifice to stop the gods and save innocent lives, so don’t hold onto regrets about me. I don’t regret a thing.”

Rook felt her lips form a wobbly smile at Bellara’s earnest tone, filled with nothing but  understanding and compassion. Some of the unbearable weight sitting on her shoulders seemed to lift and Rook knew it was time for her to keep moving. Thank you, Bellara, for everything. Rook’s parting words were not said aloud, but that was okay, because the statue was not Bellara. The real Bellara was out there in the physical world, and Rook hoped with all she had, that somehow Bellara would hear her grateful thoughts.

Rook reached the top of the second level on the path more quickly than she had the first. Even though she had a good idea at what would be waiting for her at the top, nothing could’ve prepared her for seeing Harding again. Lace wasn’t a statue like Bellara had been. She looked almost like the real thing, save for the grey tint to her skin and the large, bloody holes in her abdomen. Rook stood frozen in place. Overwhelming guilt swelled up like a tidal wave and threatened to pull her under. Her green eyes seemed to lose their vibrance and were filled with tears again. 

“I-I-” Rook tried to speak. She knew what she needed to do. She needed to acknowledge her pain, and also that it wasn’t her fault that her longest friend on the team was now dead. Only, it still felt like it was her fault. If I had been faster, or been able to dodge that tendril, she wouldn’t have needed to sacrifice herself. She would still be alive.

Harding’s visage began to speak then, and Rook was shocked. The scout’s words weren’t angry or bitter. They didn’t accuse her of failure or blame her. Lace Harding’s words were kind, genuine, and empathetic, just as they would have been in life. “Rook, don’t cry for me.” the dwarf began, “I made a choice. I sacrificed myself because I believed it was the right thing to do. I knew, I know that my sacrifice won’t be in vain, because you would never allow that. I did what I did because I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I hadn’t. Heroes don’t shy away from making sacrifices, they step up and take the hit to ensure that no one else has to. The only thing I’ve wanted to be for the last ten years, Rook, was a hero. Thanks to you, I finally got to be one.” Lace’s expression turned wistful then, “I am sorry to leave you all behind. I didn’t want to die, but to die for all of you, for all of Thedas, was an honor. Tell Taash… Tell Taash I’m sorry. And tell them that in another life, I’ll find my way to them again. Whatever it takes.”

Rook couldn’t help the sob that left her throat with Harding’s final words. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that Harding was gone before it should have been her time. But, Rook also knew that the scout was right. The same way she knew that she needed to say the words aloud. Her mind wouldn’t give her peace until she voiced the truth and made it real. “It wasn’t my failure that killed you, Harding. It’s not my fault that you’re gone. I didn’t kill you or force your hand. Holding on to that regret, it takes the meaning from your sacrifice. I’m sorry for that. Thank you, Lace Harding, for saving me. Thank you for saving the team. Thank you for your sacrifice.”

A wide smile filled with pride split Harding’s freckled face. “You’re welcome, Rook. Now, go face the last one. Remember what you’ve learned here, and go home to save the world.” With that, Rook’s friend faded away, her essence joining with the grey mist that surrounded everything in the Fade. A final tear traced its way down Rook’s cheek as she began moving forward again. Lace’s death wouldn’t stop hurting, not for a long time, and Rook knew that. But, the weight on her shoulders had lessened greatly again, and Rook tilted her chin up. Harding had told her this next obstacle was the last one, and she was determined to face it and find a way home.

                              *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

As Rook entered what she supposed was the “summit” of her climb, she was a little puzzled by the sight that greeted her. She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting to find when she finally arrived, but it wasn’t this. In front of her was the ritual site where all of this shit began. It was dark and the wind was howling as the feeling of a raw and ancient magic caressed her skin. It felt the same as that night. Rook could’ve been convinced she’d been transported back to that night, if it weren’t for the faint sound of her own voice mixing with the rushing sound of the wind. Listening harder and starting to move slowly down the path leading to the inner circle where the actual ritual had occurred, Rook could just make out what was being said.

“He’s my friend, Rook, I’ve got to try and talk him down!” Varric spoke loudly, as he had on that night, in order to be heard over the storm of magic. Rook heard her own voice then, as she responded, “I’ve got your back Varric, even if I’m not sure this is a good idea. Just be careful!”

Rook remembered what had been going through her head at that moment like it was only yesterday. She thought Varric was crazy for trying to talk the ancient elven maniac down rather than kill him or attempt to incapacitate him long enough to render him unable to fight back. That hadn’t stopped her from supporting him though. Varric was her mentor, the first person who had believed in her (even when she sounded insane), and her closest friend. There was no way Rook was going to truly doubt him when he said he had a plan. Well, until minutes later that same evening.

Rook couldn’t actually see anyone standing where she had heard the voices coming from because the thick fog surrounding her made it difficult for her to see anything at all. She continued to push her way forward, certain that whatever she needed to face was inside the perimeter of the ritual circle. Her ears perked a bit as she began to hear voices again. She may not have been able to see, but she could listen.

“Hey Chuckles, hope I’m not interrupting!” Varric had to shout for his words to reach Solas’s ears, even though Rook was pretty sure he had been standing directly behind the elf at this point.

“Varric?” came Solas’s voice, sounding incredulous, “What are- Nevermind. I don’t have time for this. I know you cannot possibly comprehend the magnitude of the suffering I caused by putting the Veil in place, and so you cannot comprehend why I must do this now.”

“How many people are going to have to die so that you can sleep better at night? Are you even thinking about the tens of thousands of lives that will be lost if you do this? What world are you fighting to save, Solas? Because it isn’t this one.” Varric started out in a tone of disbelief and ended in one bordering on anger. Rook didn’t think she had ever heard him speak with that edge to his voice. Then she got close enough to finally see the two of them at the top of the staircase. She watched, stunned as Varric readied Bianca, taking aim at Solas’s center. She hadn’t realized he had actually stayed true to his word, he planned to hurt or kill Solas if that’s what it would take. Varric spoke again, tone full of anger now, “You need to listen!”

“Enough!” Solas shouted, having seen the crossbow go up. He gestured flippantly at Bianca and Rook gasped a little at watching it (her) splinter and break. “Get out of here Varric, I don’t want to see you get hurt.” Solas said this neutrally, as if he hadn’t just broken Varric’s crossbow in a violent outburst. 

Rook just watched, unable to move from her spot at the bottom of the staircase. Varric clenched his jaw before lunging at Solas in an attempt to take the dagger from him by force. The two men struggled for the bright blue, pure lyrium blade. Anxiety started to build up within her body, why had Varric attempted to take it by force? Solas was a mage and a god, and Varric was a man. Rook knew the answer to her own question already: because Varric would always do whatever it took to get the job done.

She continued to watch them and when she saw Solas get the upper hand, time slowed down. Horror gripped her heart as she watched him turn and bury the dagger deeply in Varric’s chest, right where his heart was. Rook couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Not only had Solas just stabbed a man who he had once considered a friend, but he had only watched for a moment as Varric tumbled down the stairs before turning back to finish his ritual. Rook heard the giant statues that made up the border of the ritual circle begin to come crashing down. Then, the sound of Solas beginning to curse her in both elven and the common tongue reached her. But all of it sounded far away, as she stared down at Varric, who had landed at her feet after falling down the stairs. The knife was still in his chest, in his heart, and was glowing green and blue. Varric finally managed to get it out of his body, but he seemed to go limp immediately after. Rook watched as his lips formed her name, the name he had given to her. His eyes drifted closed then, and she saw his form relax completely.

No… No it can’t be… No he’s… NO! Rook felt her mind clear and the fog surrounding her both physically and mentally began to clear. “Varric…” she whispered, not sure what she planned to say.

“Sorry kid.” She jumped a little when his voice broke the silence. Turning slightly, she saw a grey, Fade bleached Varric stride up to stand next to her. “I didn’t mean for things to end up the way they did. Thought I had more time.” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, “Guess not though.”

Rook could do nothing but stare at him for a moment, eyes flicking between the ghostly imitation and real Varric. The real Varric, who was lying on the ground at her feet, lifeless. She managed to find her voice again after a minute or so. “You died.” she stated, “You’re dead, you’ve been dead this whole time.” Fade-Varric just looked at her with sad eyes and nodded.

“How did- How have I been seeing you? We’ve been talking, and you talked to the others!” Rook’s head spun. It wasn’t possible, it had to be another one of Solas’s tricks. She couldn’t actually believe that pretty lie though. She remembered now. She knew the truth.

“Solas.” Varric answered her question with a single word.

“He used blood magic on me… he used our connection to brainwash me. The others, they never actually spoke to you, did they?” “Nope.” came Varric’s reply. “Just you kid. Just you.”

“That BASTARD!” Rook seethed, “He tricked me, in the worst way possible. He KILLED you!” Rook raged, before realizing there were things she needed to say. “I still need you, Varric. I can’t do this alone. I’m not you.” The last words came out in a broken whisper: “I’m sorry Varric. I’m sorry you’re gone.”

Varric sighed and ran a hand through his long, graying hair. “Listen kid, every story has an ending. Mine came a little sooner than expected, sure, but I’ve lived a long life filled with the best friends and companions I could’ve asked for. Don’t feel bad for me, and absolutely don’t blame yourself. It was MY CHOICE to do what I did Rook. I insisted on talking him down, even knowing the risk I was taking. I had to try.”

Rook could feel tears gathering in her eyes again, but she willed them away. Varric was right of course. He had made his choice, and because she cared about him, she would respect it. She knew she needed to say it out loud still. So, with her voice strong, Rook looked Varric in the eye and said: “I am not responsible for your death. Neither of us expected it, and you insisted on talking rather than killing him. I have to respect your choices, especially when I respect you more than almost anyone else. You picked me for this position, and I’m not going to let you down now, Varric.” 

Varric grinned at her before saying, “You could never let me down, Rook. You’re a real hero. You don’t know how to give up, and you protect any and all people you can.” The dwarf took a deep breath before looking at her again, “It’s time for you to go Rook, your team needs you. The world needs you, kid.”

“What will happen to you? Where will you go?” Rook asked.

“I’ll fade away, just go back to being a memory.”

Rook wanted to protest, to tell him she didn’t want him to leave her, but he had accepted his death. It was Rook who couldn’t accept it. 

“Okay Varric, I’m ready. I can forgive myself. None of this was my fault, and even though I want to blame myself, it doesn’t help, or honor those I’ve lost. I can honor them by stopping the gods, and finishing what we started.”

“Well said, kid.” Varric gave her his crinkly-eyed smile, looking proud. “Now all that’s left is to climb that staircase.” He nodded to the one Solas had stood upon before. Rook could suddenly feel some kind of ripple in the magic of the Fade, and heard a voice. 

“ROOK!” That was Emmerich, she thought. Then a second voice joined the first, “Rook! Rook come back! Come back to us!” It was the combined voices of Lucanis and Spite, with Spite being slightly louder in the Fade. Her heart sped up and she ran several steps before turning back one last time. “Goodbye Varric, I’ll miss you.” Rook’s chest ached with grief, but getting to see that wry grin on her mentor’s face one last time, that helped.

Spinning back towards the sounds of her team’s voices, Rook raced up the staircase. She threw herself through a small gap that was forming in the Veil. She felt stuck, but she continued to struggle against the walls of the prison. I have no regrets Dread Wolf, you cannot hold me here! She screamed the words in her mind, pushing harder against the barrier. Hands reached out from the other side and grabbed hold her arms. First she was frightened at the sudden appearance and the strength of the grip, and then she realized that she recognized these hands and arms.

“Lucanis!” she cried, “Lucanis I’m here! Spite!” Rook shouted at them, praying they’d hear her and pull her out. The grip on her arms tightened and she heard a faint reply from the other side. There was a second pair of arms then. With the combined strength of three now, Rook came tumbling headfirst through the Veil and into the Lighthouse. She could feel Lucanis’s chest rise and fall underneath her. Rook had landed on top of him when they came flying out of the small hole that Emmerich and Neve had worked together to cut into the Fade. She looked up to see four more worried faces staring down at her and was filled with relief and warmth. Rook was home.

Part 7 here

Part 5 here

Part 4 here

Part 3 here

Part 2 here

Part 1 here

DATV Masterlist here

[nekohime19]

Heart behind the lie # 18 : New year

New years us coming and the gang organize a party

 “I'm not even living’ cause I want to but ‘cause I don't want to die.”

The words echoed in his head, blurry memories of what happened when he was cowering in his mind, fragments of sounds, of talks he lived through without really being there. 

“I thought… I thought you liked me, maybe I was just delusional. It hurt, to be killed like I'm nothing. You made me feel like I'm nothing. I'm still feeling like I'm nothing.”

He recognized this voice. How could he not when he knew it from such a long time, when he had longed for it for most of his life. But it sounded burdened with uncried tears, on the verge of fading. 

Sun Wukong woke up with a struggling breath, he took several seconds to recollect himself and grasped the scarf neatly warped on his neck. Sock, who was sleeping beside him, woke up with a startle “mrrp?”. She walked towards him and rubbed her head against his sides, purring soothingly to calm his frantic breath. Sun Wukong turned and curled around her, encircling her like the sun encircled the earth at dusk. Sock meowed happily and welcomed his embrace with glee, she found her place in-between his arms and closed her eyes. 

The sage breathed in the familiar scent of his little lady, nose burried in her fur, tail coiling around her, and focused on her heartbeats. He felt good, here, cradling her in his arms. He liked to be like that, to protect, to curl around someone, it soothed the primal need of his nature, of his protective side. 

He stayed here for a long time, waiting for the rise of his little lady, playing with her tail and giggling each time she hissed at him for disturbing her beauty sleep. She never clawed at him, even if he annoyed her daily, instead she pushed him away with her cute pads. And how he loved pads, they were so soft and cushy, he adored covering them in kisses, for the great misfortune of his cat who didn't like his kisses that much. 

Sock woke after a few more hours, like always she jumped out of the bed, pushing him away to escape his embrace, and hurried towards her bowl. Sun Wukong followed after her, the scarf still on his neck, and shushed her demanding moews with food. The sage didn't eat, instead he watched his little lady wolfing her food like it would disappear, mind lost in his dreams. It wasn't the first time he dreamed of past memories, his time as a feral monkey always resurfaced through his nights, even sometimes through his days. 

Sometimes the memories were joyous, fragments of light times he spent by his moon sides. But, on a few occasions, he relived some worrying things. Scenes of anguish, of pain and tears. Some words sliced through his chest, crushing his already quite frail heart. “I'm not even living’ cause I want to but ‘cause I don't want to die.” It worried him. He wanted to run towards the warrior, and to cradle him like he cradled his cat, to hide him, to cover him, to have him in his arms, the safest place on this mountain. But he knew he couldn't, he knew it would break the fragile bound they managed to create. 

Macaque never asked him for magic, never revealed why his body ripped itself apart. So far, the sage had been lucky enough to convince the other, to make him indulge his worried heart, to make him accept his magic. He gave and gave and gave, and Macaque always seemed troubled, as if he shouldn't accept his magic, as if it was a sin in itself to ever hope for any sort of help coming from him. And it worried him to no end, it haunted him at nights. Sometimes, he would dream of it, of Macaque ‘s corpse, laying cold and stiff, as if made of wood. And he would try to give him magic, to give him life, but nothing worked, Macaque would lay, unresponsive. 

Sun Wukong, even if he acted like it sometimes, was no fool. He was old, he lived enough to see empires rise and fall, even if Macaque wasn't revealing the truth, the sage was wise enough to gather some clues. The warrior’s state was odd, his body seemed to need magic to even sustain itself, something that would normally not be possible. Magic could certainly be a life force, but it wasn't meant to be the drive sustaining the body of living beings. 

Those who lived were driven by blood and air, their body didn't need life, it was life itself. 

And he feared this, because if Macaque's body couldn't sustain itself, couldn't live without magic, it meant it wasn't the body of a living being. Sun Wukong knew he killed his moon, but he thought the other was fully resurrected, he thought he was living again. Resurrection was a dangerous magic, but it wasn't impossible. Sun Wukong himself wasn't able to do it, he wasn't built for such delicate operations, his own magic too strong and burning to deal with souls, but he knew it wasn't a fable. 

He thought Macaque had been resurrected, brought back to the mortal planes by some soul master. But his theory was becoming more and more uncertain the more he thought of his moon's weak states. It was highly probable that the Lady Bone Demon was the one behind his warrior's resurrection. And the sage didn't want to believe it, because he knew that, even if she was a master of mind, she wasn't a master of soul, she wasn't powerful enough to bring back the dead among the living. 

If he was correct, it meant the Bone Demon did something unspeakable, something forbidden by those who dwelled in soulcraft. Resurrection was the art of bringing back the souls, for it to be working, the soul had to be full. It was the highest form of healing magic. But for those that weren't powerful enough to dwell with souls and they fickle nature, you could bring back only fragments of it, it was called necromancy. 

Necromancy was the art to break the soul, the foulest of sin for souls dweller. Necromancers broke the soul of those they wanted to bring back, and stole fragments of it, stuffing it in corpses, creating the paradoxical living-dead, creatures that lost part of themselves, rejected by nature, but cherished by life.

Sun Wukong didn't want to believe Macaque was a living-dead, but he knew it was the only reasonable explanation for the other odd state. It was heart-breaking to think that, because it meant Macaque lost parts of himself, parts of who he was, parts of his soul. And the other seemed so full of life each time Sun Wukong saw him, he never struck the sage as incomplete, as broken. 

But Sun Wukong wasn't an expert on souls, mayhaps there could be another explanation, or something that he overlooked. He promised himself to look into it at a later date, for now, he had to chase away his somber musing, tonight was the new year, and he promised MK to celebrate it with his little group. 

The sage spent the rest of his day with Sock, he groomed her, petted her and took her on a walk. Well, it was more of him following Sock around as she explored the outside of the cave. Sun Wukong wasn't very keen on letting her roam around the mountain unsupervised, there were dangerous places here for a defenseless cat. And, yes, even if his little lady managed to scare away every wild animal that dared to cross her (be it foxes or snakes), Sun Wukong still thought her pretty defenseless. She was tiny and fluffy and adorable, she could be stolen, or even eaten by some evil beasts. 

"Are you alright? I bet it scared you! Aww, don't worry lil bud, I'm here now." Cooed the sage as he nuzzled his cat, reassuring her after her encounter with a wild boar. Sock seemed quite unbothered, licking her bloody paws (she did scratch the boar when it jumped her) as if nothing happened. "You're a therapy cat after all, the wild life is too dangerous." Mumbled the sage, Sock looked at him for a second, tilting her head a little and meowing curiously, playing with his snout. "Aww, yeaa, you're just a lil lady, no roaming the mountain for you. I'll create a safe place for you later my lil sage."

He went back with Sock preciously cradled in his arms. Sun Wukong spent quite a lot of time trying to choose the perfect outfit for his little outing, he settled for a brand new hanfu, a striking yellow one, and carefully groomed himself. Once ready, he joined his cat on the couch and set numerous accessories he bought a few days prior in front of her. 

"Alright my lil floof triangle, we're going out tonight, so you have to be dressed too. What do you want to wear ?" Sock looked at him a hot minute, before playing with the yellow necktie next to her. "Necktie it is then, aww we're matching." The sage dressed his lil lady, carefully tying the necktie, and cooed shamelessly at her when she looked down with a frown. Sock played with the necktie a little, caressing it softly with her front paws, before looking up at the sage." Yeah, I know, you're very pretty like that." Sock meowed, as if satisfied, and stopped fiddling with her necktie. Sun Wukong took hundreds of pictures of her, squealing each time she blinked at the camera, or when she rolled on herself and showed her belly. 

The King stopped his onslaught of pictures after a while, he packed his phone and took his lil bud in his arms. 

"Now, I know you rode the cloud once to come here, but don't freak out, I'm here." Softly said the sage, Sock looked quite unbothered when Sun Wukong summoned his cloud, and sat on it. They soared through the sky, both lightened up by the day fading light. Sock hid in his chest to evade the chilling winds, but other than that she looked quite peaceful. "I never met a cat so calm, you know I think other animals would freak out." Laughed the sage, Sock looked up and played with the trims of his hanfu. "Yeah, you're right, you're not like the others. You know Heaven recognized your titles yesterday, I received their letter. So now you have a standing lil sage." Sun Wukong hung his tail above his cat, she pawed at it curiously, playing with the fluffy end." Lil sage of floof~ the floofiest sage on earth."

They arrived at the docks after a few seconds. MK and the others wanted to roam around the festival a bit before heading towards Sandy's to celebrate the new year. And even if Sun Wukong liked the new year, he wasn't fond of crowds. Sandy already gave him the green light to wait for them at his house, he knew the place quite well after his sessions. They did a few sessions after his embarrassing breakdown, Sandy proposed to stop the heavy talks for a bit, and focus on rebuilding their trust. The sage was quite grateful for that, he didn't know if he could handle it if each session ended in tears and bleeding hearts. 

The few exercises they did were fun in itself. They would talk about their days, usually Macaque would talk about the troop, or about his roaming on the mountain, and Sun Wukong would talk about MK and Sock, even showing pictures he took from time to time. Macaque laughed at his first attempts at taking pictures, mocking the blurry and unrecognizable form of his lil lady. Sun Wukong trained in the art of photography just to spite him, and now he could capture Sock's best angles easily. 

They also drew a little, both admitting that they missed it, and never took the time to do it after their breakup. Those sessions were spent in silence, they would each bring their own sketchbook and share the crayons, sometimes showing their art at the end of it if they felt like it. Sun Wukong even got to keep some of Macaque's drawings after asking, he put them on his bedroom wall, proudly showing them to anyone who walked in. He missed the other style, the sharp angles and the comically large eyes never failed to cheer him up on any rough days. Macaque even drew Sock, one time, after the sage kept pestering him with photos of her. He put this drawing in a beautiful framework, one he bought specially for that, and put it on his nightstand. 

They spent the last session, the one from a few days ago, telling compliments about one another at Sandy's demand. It didn't last long, both too embarrassed to keep it going. Nonetheless the few words they said was enough to cheer the sage up, he felt like he walked on cloud nine for the last few days. Macaque had said four things to him, he said he was “good with the kid even if he could learn a thing or two about mentoring”, that he was “strong even for an old man”, that he was “caring and good” and that he could be “handsome in specific lights”. 

And even if three of those were probably backhanded compliments, Macaque uttered them with such sincerity, it touched his heart. In response, Sun Wukong said that Macaque was “kind even if he liked to pretend otherwise”, that he was “a warrior”, that he was “good company when he wasn't a brat”, and that he was “pretty in the moonlight”. The last one fell out of his mouth without his consent, and he has to admit he was quite nervous to see the other after this particular slip of tongue. They talked a bit by messages (they tended to do that a lot after his outing with his clones in the city) but never about this. 

The sage sat on Sandy's couch, and looked at his lil lady to clear his mind. Sock walked towards the other cats and proudly showed her necktie, softly caressing it from times to times with her front paws, and hissing at any that dared touch it. Sun Wukong thought it was adorable and filmed the whole process. 

"I have to send it to Macaque." Giggled the King as he ended the video.

"Send me what?" Sun Wukong jumped and turned towards the kitchen entrance, Macaque was there, hands on his hips, obviously proud of himself for startling the sage, the little rascal. 

"Holy–why are you here??"

"I was here before you. I was making tea in the kitchen." Snorted the warrior. "So, send me what?"

"Just another video of Sock."

"Again? By now I feel like I know her, even if I never interacted with her properly." Sighed the macaque, he looked around and spotted her easily. He walked toward her and crouched down. She meowed happily, seemingly loving his pets, and even showed her belly, when Macaque went for the floof, she didn't bite him, the traitor." The necktie looks cute."

"Yeah, we're even matching." Laughed the sage. "Oh, you know Heaven recognized her titles!"

"Really? When?" 

"I received the letter last night."

"Well then." Macaque took one of her front paws and softly kissed it, as if she was a noble lady from another time. "Pleasure to meet you, Lady Above Else, Little Sage Of Floof."Sock blinked a moment, before using the fact he was quite close to her to boop his snout with the tip of her paws. Macaque laughed at that, he rose and turned toward the sage, who was obviously recording the whole thing. "You want some tea? And stop recording."

"Hm, nah, I'll keep recording. And yeah, purple!"

Macaque rolled his eyes and disappeared in the kitchen while grumbling “of course purple, why did I even ask”. Sun Wukong followed him with his eyes, letting his tail thump on the couch like crazy the second the other disappeared, and stopping when he came back. They sip on their cups, one on the couch and the other on the floor, surrounded by cats. 

"How's your cave project doing?" Asked the sage after a while. 

"It's coming along. I moved some things from my old dojo, and the bedding you bought is quite comfy." Sun Wukong smothered the happy trills wanting to pass his throat with a gulp of tea. 

"That's cool. Need help with anything?" 

"No, that's alright. I got it."The cave project was quite simple in itself, Macaque was only creating his own space on the mountain, in a shaded cave, with the sage's permission of course. The King didn't know where the said cave was exactly, but he didn't try to pry, he didn't want to anger the other. He only knew it was a shaded cave near one of the shores. 

"Okay. Don't hesitate to ask though."

"Yeah, I will."

The conversation died down naturally as they both enjoyed their teas. In the past, those sort of moments would have been unthinkable for the both of them. In his youth, Wukong had hated silence more than anything, always wanting to do something, or talk until his voice was bruised. Macaque hadn't been the type to enjoy quiet moments either, with him at least. And the sage had the inkling suspicion it was because he was insecure about himself, and thought the King would be annoyed if they didn't fill the silence. Nowadays though, Sun Wukong found himself fond of those quiet moments, he liked the peacefulness of existing with the other without the need to fill any void. It was in the serenity of those silences that he could truly appreciate each second, and let himself muse over wandering thoughts. 

"Do you still have trouble teaching MK how to summon his cloud ?" The King let the question echo a second, simply enjoying the way Macaque's voice sounded, before answering. 

"Yeah, the kid has trouble keeping the form, his cloud disperse each time he tries."

"Hm, you know thus far I only did light footwork with MK, but if you allow me I can help with that. I'm quite good with wind related magic."

"Oh yeah." The sage looked at the macaque and met his gaze with fondness. "That would help me, and the kid, thanks."

"You're welcome. Just call me for the next training session." Mumbled Macaque, perhaps embarrassed by his thankfulness.

"I'll do that."

They let the silence embrace them once more, enjoying themself quietly as they petted all the cats that wandered near them. The group arrived after a bit, they greeted them joyously, some more than others, and sat around the living room. 

"Hey Monkey King!!" Greeted the kid as he sat besides his mentor. 

"Hey there, bud. You had fun?"

"Yeah! Mei and I got scammed!" Sun Wukong raised an eyebrow at that, he looked at the pig, the only responsible adult in the lot, and the chef sighed, but he didn't seem to be seething. And if the pig wasn't seething, then it was probably already dealt with. 

"You mean, you got scammed, I was just playing along."Chuckled the dragon girl as she sat beside his mentee. 

" No fair ! You were scammed too."

" I'm too awesome for that." They bickered a little after that. 

The evening was quite nice in itself, they talked about anything and everything, Sun Wukong showed his cat pictures and ranted about how Sock was the cutest cat in the world, Sandy readily agreed that the necktie was cute, to his utter delight. As the evening passed by, the energy died down a little. The kids were gushing about a new video game, Sandy and the pig were talking about tonight's menu, and, surprisingly enough, Macaque was socializing with Tang, at least he believed the other name was Tang. 

The ebony monkey wasn't overly comfortable, the sage could see how his muscles tensed ever so slightly, how his voice wavered, perhaps doubting himself on his own words. But he was making an effort, listening to the scholar's excited rants quite attentively, and answering some of his questions, even sharing one or two laughs. It was lovely, to see the other trying to come out of his shell, to see him make an effort. But it was at the same time very bittersweet, because Macaque didn't even try with his past companions, with the monk's past life. There was a part of him, some deep secretive part he buried, that was upset at the fact that Macaque wasn't looking at him. 

The warrior caught his eyes, one mesle second, when the scholar was busy looking through his notes to ask more precise questions. The sage gulped, feeling as if he was struck in place by those twilight eyes. Macaque looked away, and gently flickered his tail, a tentative invitation. The King, despite feeling nervous, left the couch and sat beside the warrior. 

"So anything interesting going on?" Awkwardly asked the sage. The scholar immediately looked up, and beamed the second his eyes caught him. 

"Monkey King! Perfect, you can also answer some questions for me! Is it true that phoenixes were born because merchants didn't recognize the Egyptian sphinx?" Sun Wukong fidgeted with his hanfu trims, he replied to the best of his ability, and Tang beamed even more. Macaque snickered beside him, and leaned over him, softly bumping his shoulder. 

" Now I'm not the only one suffering through this."

"How dare you lead me into this trap." Snorted the King. 

"I'm just evil like that." Replied the other with a teasing glance, Wukong would forever deny blushing. 

"You rascal."

They spent the rest of the evening answering the scholar's questions, sometimes whispering among themselves, bickering about the silliest of things. Once the night fell, they all got out of the house, preparing seats on the docks to admire the fireworks. As the others settled their chairs and food, the sage noticed Macaque slipping away with his mentee, going to a more shaded place. Curiosity nipped at the King, he quietly followed them, Sock hot on his steps, playing with his tail at each of his steps. 

Macaque and MK were at the corner of the house, in a silent place. Sun Wukong crouched down, peeking from his hiding place, Sock locked in his arms to shush her demanding meows. Perhaps, he shouldn't breach their privacy like this, but monkeys were curious by nature, sue him. 

"What do you wanted to talk about?" Curiously asked his mentee. 

"Hm… I mean…" Macaque took a deep breath, and dived in his mentee gaze. "I just… I wanted to say sorry, you know, for the whole manipulating you, stealing your powers and chasing you thing. Just, sorry. I never told you that, and…well, sorry. You didn't deserve any of that." 

"Oh… I wasn't expecting that." Awkwardly chuckled the boy. "It's alright, I guess. I'm… glad you're telling me this. We can, if you want, maybe work on forgiving and all?" 

"Oh, yeah, totally, that would be swell."

"Swell?"

"Shut it, old habits." Huffed the warrior

"You're an old man." Chuckled his mentee. 

"And you're a brat. Now come on, the fireworks are starting soon."

Sun Wukong scrambled on his feet to get out of the way before they could spot them. His chest was filled with a warm feeling, something fluttering that made him smile foolishly. He put dampening spells on his cat ears before putting her to the ground, not wanting her to be startled by the fireworks. He approached the warrior once he let Sock run wild, innocently taking the place next to him. 

"Hey, hm, did you put spells on your ears and all?"

"Yeah, I'm not an idiot." Snorted the other. 

"No, of course not. Just, you know, just checking." Macaque turned towards him with a raised eyebrow, he seemed to think for a second, before pinching the King's side quite hard. Sun Wukong yelped, and glared at the ebony monkey. "What was that for!?, 

"It's for eavesdropping, you're not discreet, Wukong." Huffed the warrior with an amused glint in his eyes. Sun Wukong wanted to reply, say something to defend his honor, but the fireworks flew, and the night exploded in colors. The colorful lights fell upon the warrior's midnight fur, highlighting him in the loveliest way possible. The sage turned away, heart hammering inside of his chest. 

As always, the fireworks were the best thing invented by humankind. They illuminated the sky as everyone wished for a joyous year, flowers of fire erupting in the dark, turning the night into the day. Sun Wukong gazed at them with wonder, tail wagging widely each time colors bloomed in the sky. Even after they faded away, he could still feel his excitement buzzing in his veins, making his skin tingle with pleasant sparks. He had always loved fireworks, loved the way they made him feel.

 Fireworks had always been the one thing able to clear his mind even on the darkest of days. 

After the show, the group gathered to talk a bit, letting their excitement be known. MK had to leave after checking his phone, he muttered something about “Red Son needing him”, and while that wasn't uncommon (the two of them seemingly closer than before) the look he threw at the dragon girl before leaving, and said girl sharp nods were worrying. Sun Wukong narrowed his eyes, he wanted to follow after his mentee and finally discover what he has been doing for the past few months. But at the same time, he didn't want to leave the warrior's side. This was one in a kind night, and Macaque rarely got out of the mountain, he rarely dressed so nicely. 

The sage turned towards his moon and gulped, eyeing the way his brand new hanfu (courtesy of the dragon girl) was hugging his curves and highlighting his fur, silver definitely looked good on him. 

"Hey, hm, Macaque… you wanna head out?" Tentatively asked the sage, trying to coax him in his shenanigans. 

"Where ?" 

"Oh, just, you know, take a walk, there…" He pointed at the direction MK took, while averting his eyes. 

"You mean the place MK ran to? You want to spy on him?" 

"N-no, I mean, maybe? Don't look at me like that, I know you're wondering what he's doing too…" 

"And so your only solution is to follow after him?" Sighed the warrior. 

"Yes?"

Macaque rolled his eyes and walked away, the sage wondered if he made a mistake, but his musing was cut off by his moon's voice. 

"You're coming or what?" Inquired the warrior, he respectfully said goodbye to everyone and turned towards him, gaze diving in him. The King gulped, feeling himself being frozen, stilling in his place. He was brought back from his frozen state by his lil lady, Sock pawed at his pants, looking up at him with worry. The sage cooed and took her in his arms. He hurried towards the warrior with a skip in his steps. 

"W-wait for me."

Macaque petted Sock the second the sage caught up with him, his lil sage leaned in the touch greedily, the lucky lady. 

"Alright, let's go, I've been curious about what this kid is scheming for months now." Chuckled the macaque, Sun Wukong admired him for a bit before answering. 

"Yeah, leggo !"

+ Mac drawing Sock be like this :

Ch1 / Previous / Next

[ask-postcrash-curly]

(The dragon grimaces)

Curly, I did not mean "represion", in the other timelines you straight up forget about what happened to Anya, because you figured that, at the end, as long as the ship was running smoothly, it simply did not matter, you only started to get worried after Anya took the gun and then more worried after she told him about the pregnancy?

Before that?, nah, and, due to Anya's reaction in that fragment, that's exactly what happened there, she told you, you forgot, and then you said that at the checkup

Now before you feel a certain way, keep in mind that certain timelines can twist your personality, that's why you either get timelines where you do something as inconsiderate and daft as the above, or twisted timelines where you are the one that attacks Anya

My point in all of this is: you at least tried, even if you don't believe you did everything you could, which is a debate for another day, you are miles better than those versions of you

And about your way to fix it, i...don't think it would work

First you have to tell the plan to Anya, and get her to trust you

Second, you have to make Jimmy believe that, not only in the moment but for the entirety of the trip, and Jimmy had enough paranoia to stop a train, the only way that i could see that working if you straight up remove his co-pilot permits or something, i dont even know if you can do that btw

And realistically, and the time, you wouldn't have had any reason to take away those permits, but if even if we say this is like, a time travel situation where you do know better, there are two weapons of board, and you can't exactly change the code on the gun case

You would have had to watch him like a hawk, maybe even put him in the cryopod, but then you would have had one less cryopod in case of emergency and then there's what would you explain to the authorities and i just...(sigh)...I'm not sure what tone of voice you are hearing here, because in my perspective i am literally texting what you hear in your head, but I'm not angry at you, i promise, i am not trying to be harsh here, but it hurts me to see how much you are blaming yourself on a situation where Jimmy has all if not most of the fault, the more you blame yourself, the less blame is falling on Jimmy, do you understand that?

All that aside...I..um...this is embarrassing, my English has failed me, all along i thought you were saying that you would have done that not that you did do that, thats why i "didnt believe you", i was so confused by all the people scolding you

How did Anya react to that, was it the same as the fragment? I'm honestly curious here, you dont need to answer

...

I wouldn't show you Anya hurt, i would show you...well, youself only, i would censor or simply take her out completely, if im being realistic she was...way less lucky than you, if you don't want to though, that completely and utterly fine

...

The musical is about the Oddysey, is called Epic: The Musical, it was made by an Spanish (or Latino?, not sure, either way Spanish speaking, the musical isnt in spanish though) guy called Jorge Rivera

Technically the musical doesnt have visuals, but the community have made animatics for each song

If not, i recently remembered something very very important, i know how to Pirate stuff, and since you were ok with drawn fire, or at least im assuming, theres also the option of a Pokemon movie, my favorite is the one called Arceus and the Jewel of life, don't know if you saw it

In the meantime i can surely present you some of my creatures

This little Gargoyle is called Xena, the youngest out of 5 cats, technically 6 although one is a foster

This little shit is Milo, the second youngest and the one thats suffering under him is Thor, there's another orange cat called Hercules...

Unfortunately both of them are a little scared of humans, even more scared of dragons, they didnt have a good first few experiences with both of them

They are getting braver though which is good

My more or less last cat is this grumpy cat also known as Kiara

I cannot put more photos but that face just about says it all, doesnt it?

Before i go Curly, i literally just received your other message, I will try not to say more biting things around you, its really ok

(The dragon nuzzles you and curls up again)

...Oh.

Yeah I don't know I'm still not convinced.

...

Couldn't take his co-pilot permits. Then he would know something was wrong. Not safe. We could... we could make it work. Somehow.

And if the crash still did happen she'd at least know who caused it.

Mhm. I suppose that makes sense. I'm not— I'm not trying to say it wasn't his fault. I just, well. I'm at fault too here, you know? Even if it's in a different way.

Huh? No, uh, that is what I meant. I never said that to her, thank fuck. I meant, uh... You kept saying you doubted that I would say that. I don't... I don't want you to make me seem like a better person than I am. Please.

...way less— Oh, God. ...I think I have to see it now, sorry, I just— I need to know now. I don't— I can't wonder what you meant by that. It's not fair to her to— to look away.

Right, yeah, I've heard of that. Quite a lot, lately.

Aww... They're adorable. Thank you. Are you able to... Correct me if I say this wrong. Are you able to be a dragon around them? Or do they still get scared?

Pfft. That face sure does.

Thanks. Sorry.

[jojotier]

“Yoo~hoo!! I’m here!!”

Never before had Josuke seen someone so normally stoic scramble to try and hop a fence. With a broken arm. An arm so broken that Josuke could see some of the fragments of bone sticking out of Jotaro’s flesh. All from the sound of that woman’s voice in the front yard. Josuke had been just about to use Crazy Diamond to heal him, and now the stand beside him got into a ready fighting position, waiting as the footsteps started rounding around the house. Josuke started to ask, “Who’s there?!” but Kakyoin spoke over him.

“Miss Holly! We’re back here!” Kakyoin called from where he’d taken up residence in one of the lawn chairs, sending a couple tendrils of Hierophant to catch on the back of Jotaro’s coat and pull him back. Turning a deceptively cheerful smile to Jotaro, Kakyoin went on to say, “We’re just getting JoJo’s broken arm healed!”

If Jotaro’s face could move more than the millimeter his mouth opened at Kakyoin, Josuke might have called the look on his face betrayed. The footsteps hurried, and Josuke heard the woman call, “What?! JoJo, stay still!!! Mama’s coming!” 

Josuke watched Kakyoin stand up, striding over with that sort of walk that villains in the movies use to get to places- that kind of slow, dramatic waltz through life, as if daring it to try something, just fucking do it- and looked up at Jotaro. Hierophant very gently set Jotaro back on the ground as its stand user stopped in front of him, a slow smile widening on his face. Then he said, in a voice that sent shivers down Josuke’s spine, “This is your punishment.”

Jotaro stared back for a moment before muttering, “Rats.” 

He turned a look towards Josuke, and Josuke rubbed the back of his neck, laughing nervously. “Sorry man, there’s not much I can do-!”

The owner of the footsteps appeared, rushing past in a blur of blonde hair and bright jewelry towards her son. Josuke blinked. His first impression of the fifty year old woman was of her essentially pouncing on Jotaro, gushing as she gently looked over the battered arm. “I just knew as soon as Kakyoin gave me a call about the incident with the rats that I just had to see how my little boy was doing!! I know you’re such a strong young man, but you can’t go worrying people like that…”

Jotaro, who had apparently completely given up, said nothing. He only sent Kakyoin a dirty look. Kakyoin smiled that weird, wide kind of muppet looking smile and then tapped Holly on the shoulder, expression slipping into something warm and far more genuine. “Thankfully, we don’t have to worry too much- we have Josuke-kun here to heal wounds and the like. So no need for a hospital visit, although I’m sure our poor JoJo’s emotional scars are still quite fresh… Which is why we’re lucky to have you here, Miss Holly.”

“Oh come on now, you’re just flattering me! You know you can’t just say something so sweet to an old woman like me, it just goes right to the brain...” Holly said cheerfully, putting a hand on her cheek. Then, after a moment, she paused. Her voice was a little lower as she asked, “Josuke… Higashikata Josuke?” 

Josuke’s stomach throbbed a little as he winced. Shit. He’d been kinda caught up and so gobsmacked by the entire thing that, while he was figuring out what to say, he’d completely forgotten. If this was Jotaro’s mother, then this was Joseph’s legitimate kid. The one that mattered- and the one that had every right to be pissed about an affair baby like himself…

He quickly bowed, tensing, “I…I really am sorry, Mrs. Kujo- I know I’ve caused a lot of trouble for your family-” 

“Oh my goodness you’re so cute!!” Suddenly Josuke’s entire self was held hostage by a little woman who barely reached his neck heightwise, because she’d started hugging him. Josuke huffed out a bit of a laugh, but he really had no goddamn idea where to put his hands. Should he hug her back? Maybe try and put some space between them?? What was the protocol for meeting your half sister for the first time-? “Oh, I’ve been wanting to meet you for so long!! Ever since Papa revealed the big secret!!! Well, after I calmed Mama a bit first~”

(found a wip labeled 'hurricane holly' in my drafts lol)