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totallynotshine · 2 months ago

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Mad at Me - Joel Miller x Reader

You get on Joel's last nerve.

warnings: no ellie au, established partnership, unspecified age gap (reader is legal, Joel is in his 50s), brat taming, light choking, dubcon but both parties are enthusiastic, unprotected p in v sex (wrap before you tap folks), dirty talk, spit kink, praise kink, bondage, fingering, oral (f! receiving), rough sex, mean!Joel, dom!Joel, pussy pronouns, softdom!Joel, aftercare. Reader is unspecified but has afab anatomy and uses she/her pronouns. wc: 4.1K notes: first piece for the blog and i went a little crazy. i just want Joel to manhandle me. enjoy, you little freaks. 18+ UNDER THE CUT: MDNI

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You might just throw yourself into the next group of infected you come across. Or take your pistol, put it to your head, and blow your brains out. You‘re miserable; and Joel is making damn sure you stay that way.

Everything you’ve done has elicited a comment from the grouchy older man - you were being too loud, you weren’t sweeping the room properly, you were being careless; and, your personal favorite, ‘M’not yer fuckin’ babysitter. Quit bein’ a pain in my ass and take care of yourself.’ Actually, scratch the suicide plans. You’ll just shoot Joel instead.

You’ve settled for glaring daggers at the back of his head as you trudge along behind him, feet screaming for a break from walking. It’s been hours; Joel’s insisted you both keep going until sundown, despite your remark that ‘Wyoming isn’t going to grow legs and walk away if we stop’. He’d called you a smartass and you’d called him a dick, and now the silence is tense and suffocating. It’s been hours since you’ve said anything to each other that wasn’t something like ‘watch your step’.

“Quit draggin’ yer fuckin’ feet.”

You’re surprised you don’t crack a tooth with how hard you grit your teeth.

“I’m not dragging my fuckin’ feet. This-” You scuff and kick at the ground really hard a couple times, sending leaves and dirt flying. “-is dragging my feet.”

The look Joel gives you over his shoulder is venomous, but one you return with equal ire. His jaw tics as he sucks in a sharp breath through his nose, forearm flexing as his grip tightens on the strap of his backpack. He looks ready to take your head off. The feeling is mutual. You think, holding his gaze.

“Fuckin’ brat.” He grumbles, stalking ahead. “On my last fuckin’ nerve.”

“I’m not a ‘fuckin’ brat’.” You mock his deep southern drawl, temper flaring. “I’m tired and hungry and you’re being shit company.”

“Tough shit. I’m keeping you alive.”

“The only thing you’re keeping is my blood pressure up.”

“Good. Maybe you’ll have a heart attack and I’ll get some peace and quiet.”

“From my understanding, heart attacks are usually more of a concern for people your age.”

Joel stops so suddenly you nearly run into his broad back. He whirls around to face you and you can’t scramble back quick enough; he snags the front of your shirt, bunching it in one large hand to keep you rooted in place. Fear and adrenaline jolts through your body as the dark look on his face reminds you exactly who he is and what he’s capable of. After all - there’s a reason you picked him, of all people, to partner up with back in the QZ.

“I’m sick of yer lip.” He snarls, paying no mind to your nails digging into his wrist as you struggle to free yourself from his grip. “All day in my fuckin’ ear. We’re going till sundown. If you don’t got somethin’ constructive to say, keep yer damn mouth shut.”

The second his grip loosens you’re tearing yourself away from him, heart pounding and blood rushing in your ears. There’s a flash of something in his expression when you put distance between the two of you, but it’s gone when you blink. He just turns and keeps walking like nothing happened. You follow, quietly, still coming down from your brief moment of panic.

Yeah, you were probably gonna kill him.

—----------------------------------------------------------

Sundown brings relief from the walking, but not from the tense atmosphere between you and Joel. Shelter for the night comes in the form of a shack in the woods; Joel makes a comment about how it was probably a hunting cabin in the past, but you ignore him. You’ve been giving him the silent treatment for the last few hours, your fear having dissipated back into anger and annoyance and another feeling you’re too stubborn to name.

“It’s a piece of shit, but it’ll do for the night.” He says, giving the interior a once over. “Find somethin’ to block that door while I get the fire started.”

You don’t answer. You can feel his eyes on you from the fireplace as you drag a dilapidated bookshelf in front of the door, his gaze burning into your back. Was this petty? Maybe. But he wanted so bad for you to be quiet - you’re just giving him what he asked for.

Another uncomfortable silence falls, Joel coaxing the growing flames to life as you set up shop in the corner, rolling out your sleeping bag and digging through your pack for your rations. Stale bread and beef jerky. A five star meal if you’ve ever had one (spoiler alert: you haven’t). You take off your holster, plant your ass on the sleeping bag and finally stretch out your tired legs. God, it feels so good to be off your feet. You’re not moving until morning; Joel can kiss your ass.

“No, I don’t need any help. Thanks fer askin’.”

Jesus Christ. You can’t catch a fucking break, can you? No, you can’t - not with Joel Miller skulking around. God forbid he catches even a whiff of rest and relaxation.

“You’re a grown man.” You snap, unable to help yourself. “Can’t handle building a little fire by yourself? Need me to babysit you? Give me a fucking break, Joel.”

“Here we go again with that smart ass mouth.” He growls, slamming his bag down on the ground. The force of it makes your heart skip a beat. “Always got somethin’ to say when ya need to be pullin’ yer own weight around here. I can’t do everythin’ fer ya, brat.”

“I don’t want you to do things for me.” Your rations sit in the wrapper on your bedroll, forgotten. “I pull my weight just fine. I can take care of myself; I don’t need you, Joel.”

“What you need is a fuckin’ attitude adjustment.” You really want to know what crawled up his ass and died today. “And some goddamn gratitude.”

You don’t have the energy for this anymore. You’re not sure what the fuck his problem’s been for the last few days, but you’re sick of it. “Whatever.”

His eyebrows shoot up towards his unruly salt and pepper curls. “Whatever?”

“Yeah, whatever.” There’s a little voice in your head telling you to stop talking, but you really can’t help but poke the bear. It causes a sick sense of satisfaction and excitement to curl in your gut as you watch the shock, annoyance, and frustration play out on his usually stoic face. “Whatever as in I don’t care, I’m tired, and you’re being a real dick.”

“Yer bein’ awful rude, darlin’.” Darlin’? Where the hell did that come from? And why do you kinda like it? “You better watch that goddamn mouth.”

“Yeah? How about you fuckin’ make me.” It’s out of your mouth before you can stop it. “You ain’t my daddy. I don’t have to listen to you.”

The silence that follows your statement is so still - so charged - that you can’t hear anything but your heart pounding in your ears. Joel’s brown eyes are dark and locked onto you; there’s an unreadable expression on his face, his breathing heavy with something more than just frustration. Something that has your insides twisting and heat pooling low in your gut.

“You wanna try again?” His voice is a low, deceptively calm rumble. It feels like he’s giving you an out; a chance to back out of this, whatever this is. Too bad for him your horny cavewoman brain has the reins now, and she’s more concerned with the way it looks like the fabric of his jeans is starting to tent.

“Nope.” You pop the ‘p’, crossing your arms over your chest and watching as his eyes follow the movement. They stay glued to your chest for a moment as he swallows. You nearly jump when they snap back to yours, but you manage to keep the defiant scowl on your face. He crosses the room, his footsteps heavy on the old wooden floor and you suddenly feel very small when he comes to a stop in front of your sitting form. He’s towering over you now, his eyes darkened with the unmistakable shadow of lust. He crosses those strong arms over his broad chest and it takes everything in you not to glance at the way his biceps strain in that damn flannel.

“Get up.” The words come out as a growl, a warning. A tone that suggests it’s in your best interest to comply. But where’s the fun in that?

“Kiss my ass.”

Before you can blink, he’s snatching you up by one of your arms like you weigh nothing, his grip like a vice even as you struggle and squirm. The ease with which he moves you as he wants shouldn’t turn you on as much as it does, and yet you can feel the dampness in your underwear already. “Get the fuck off me, Joel.”

“Oh no, sweetheart. You wanna act like a fuckin’ brat, yer gonna get treated like a fuckin’ brat.”

Oh. The way he’s talking to you while effortlessly dragging you over to his sleeping bag should not be making you as horny as it is. You should be furious. Smack him for talking to you like that. Instead, you’re fanning the flames. “Maybe if you weren’t such an uptight asshole I wouldn’t feel the need to act like a fucking brat.”

You make sure to really enunciate the last couple of words as he brings you both to a halt in front of his sleeping bag. Joel glowers down at you and you glare right back - the tension of the day is boiling over, morphing into a desire so smoldering it nearly has you sweating just standing there. You open your mouth to goad him further, but he doesn’t give you the chance - a second later his lips are crashing into yours. There’s nothing romantic about it - it’s a frustrated, sloppy mess of tongues and teeth as he crushes you against him.

His hands are rough as they roam your body, greedily feeling as much of you as he can. It doesn’t take long for your shirt to be yanked up and off; your bra joins it a second later. Your own hands have taken to roaming the expanse of his chest, but the second you hook your fingers in the collar of his flannel, intending to rip the buttons open down the middle, one of his big hands slides to your throat and puts just enough pressure to give you pause.

“Don’t.” He warns, pulling away just enough for you to see his eyes. His pupils are blown wide, that scowl still in place. “Hands off and get on the fuckin’ ground.”

The smile that splits your face is equally humorous and defiant. You’re not sure where this confidence is coming from, but he’s hard as a rock in his jeans and you kinda like the way he’s snapping at you. “What if I don’t want to?”

Your answer comes in the form of Joel grabbing you and quite literally tossing you down onto his sleeping bag. You’re not particularly proud of the noise that leaves your mouth when he does, but you don’t have time to think about that when he’s falling to his knees onto the bedroll right after you. You try to prop up on your elbows but he’s already got your biceps in his hands, unceremoniously rolling you onto your stomach and bracketing your body with his thighs.

“Quit fuckin’ squirmin’.” He snarls, using his weight to keep you in place. You hear the clink of his belt buckle as he works it loose. “You were askin’ for this, darlin’. Gratin’ on my goddamn nerves all day.”

“Fuck you.” You spit back, face hot and stomach full of butterflies. You continue to try and buck him off you, though your attempts are half hearted at best. “Eat shit and die, Miller.”

The dark chuckle that rumbles his chest sends a shiver down your spine. Your hands are suddenly snatched up, arms folded behind your back. Your pulse jumps when you feel him cinch his belt around your wrists; and just like that, you can’t use your hands.

“Oh, I’ll fix your fuckin’ wagon.” He rumbles, one hand pressed between your shoulder blades to keep you down as the other slips beneath you to pop the button on your jeans. “Just you wait, sweetheart.”

“Joel, what the fuck does that even mean?” He’s not listening to you, too preoccupied with yanking both your jeans and your underwear down to your knees. The amused huff that leaves him tells you he’s seen how embarrassingly wet your panties are.

“Told ya.” He purrs, leaning over you just to talk in your ear. “You been askin’ for it. You might think ya can lie to me darlin’, but she can’t.”

He sits back up; one of his knees pops when he situates himself, and you have half a mind to comment on it.

The smack he delivers to the skin of your ass chases that thought from your mind immediately.

“Joel!” You can’t believe this shit; he’s fucking spanking you? Seriously? The sting of another smack jolts you from your disbelief. “What the fuck-“

“Zip it.” Another hard smack. Your skin is red and stinging. “Had enough of your fuckin’ mouth today. Enough, y’hear?”

“Too fucking bad.” You just can’t stop. “I’ve had enough of you being a fuckin’-“ smack! “-bossy piece of shit!”

He grabs your hips and forces you to prop yourself up on your knees, ass up and back arched; your cheek is digging into his sleeping bag as you wriggle and cuss, unable to slip your wrists from the makeshift restraint. One of his hands moves from your hip to dip between your thighs, and your breath hitches when he drags his fingers through the wet mess your pussy’s become.

“Fuck.” He hisses, taking the liberty of spreading your arousal around, his thick fingers making a couple teasing swipes at your clit. “M’gonna set that attitude straight, pretty girl. Gonna make it all better. Don’t you worry.”

Do the words coming out of his mouth make you clench around nothing? Yes, but you’re a stubborn bitch. You’ve come this far, you can’t give up yet. So, despite the way his fingers are teasing your entrance, despite the desperate burn of want gripping you, you find the strength to mouth off again.

“Yeah, we’ll see.” You’re proud of yourself for keeping your voice steady, even as he slides two fingers inside you. You can’t quite hide the hitch in your breath at the stretch; his fingers are much bigger than yours, and he’s hitting places you never have while jerking off on your own.

“So damn mouthy.” He pumps his fingers in and out rather harshly, and you grit your teeth to fight the noises threatening to tumble from your lips. “You’re gonna eat those words, babygirl.”

He pulls his fingers away and you nearly whine; you were just starting to get into it. Then you hear him suck them clean with a low groan and you wish you could look past your fucking shoulder to see his face. His hands land on your sore ass and make you jump, face burning as he slides them down so he can spread apart your pussy with his thumbs.

“Christ. What a fuckin’ sight, darlin’. Prettiest pussy I’ve ever seen.” Then that motherfucker spits right onto your cunt, taking the longest second of your life to watch it mix with the mess he made before. “She’s cryin’ for me, sweetheart.”

“You’re fucking gross.” Even as the words leave your mouth you know your body is betraying you, so eager for his attention it’s nearly embarrassing.

“Maybe.” You can hear the grin in his voice without even seeing his face. He shifts behind you, lowering himself. “But ya love it, dontcha baby?”

You don’t get the chance to answer before he’s pressing his face between your thighs, licking a long stripe through your folds that has you gasping for air. The first little noise leaves your lips as his tongue gets to work. You can feel him smiling against you. Then he’s focused on eating you out like it’s an olympic sport and he’s out for gold. It’s sloppy, it’s desperate, and it’s hot.

“Oh my god, Joel.” His hands are digging into the meat of your thighs to keep you still as you try to push back against his face, his beard burning your skin in a delicious way.. “N-No, I don’t love it, I don’t-“

You’re a fucking liar, if the obscene sounds coming from between your legs say anything. You know it, he knows it, and he’s reveling in it. His tongue circles your clit and you feel that familiar coil in your gut, that tension indicative of your impending orgasm; but right before you can crest that ridge he’s pulling off you.

“Asshole!” You can’t be bothered to care if you sound whiny, too devastated over being left on the cusp of release. “You’re…you’re a fucking dick!”

Smack!

That slap on your ass nearly does you in, and the way he’s soothing the stinging skin with his palm certainly isn’t helping.

“Brats don’t get to come.” He barks, his voice a harsh contrast to the gentle rubbing of his hand. “You lay here and take what I give ya. Yer lucky yer gettin’ any at all.”

If you could flip him off, you would. He moves away from you and you can hear him unbuttoning his shirt. You’re frustrated you didn’t finish, mad you can’t see him, and even more mad that he’s winning whatever little pissing match you’ve gotten yourself into.

“Fucking prick.” Your mouth just keeps running, and you try your best to look at him over your shoulder as you hurl insults at him. “Piece of shit. You been nothing but a dick all day, should’ve known you’d be just as bad in bed-“

Your rambling tapers off into a rough hiss when he suddenly notches the head of his cock inside of you, one hand on your hip to keep you still. You can tell just from the tip that he’s fucking huge. He starts fucking himself into you a couple inches at a time, the constant pulling back and pressing in drawing a new noise from you with each motion. The stretch burns at first, but it gradually melts into a pleasant pressure; and suddenly, you can’t find the words you were so eager to spit at him.

“What was that?” He grunts, his hand squeezing your hip hard as he fights to keep his pace slow. “Couldn’t quite hear ya down there. Hearin’ ain’t what it used ta be, sweetheart, you’ll have to speak up.”

You can’t form words. Your brain is pleasantly empty, senses overwhelmed by the drag of his thick cock against your innermost walls. You let out a quiet moan when he finally bottoms out.

“What happened, babygirl?” He taunts, pulling back only to snap his hips against yours, thrusting back into you roughly. You let out a louder cry; he’s hitting so deep, and you’re already a mess because of him denying you an orgasm. “Where’d that smart mouth go, huh? Ya had so much t’say earlier today.”

His pace is rough and harsh and you can do nothing but lay there and take it; your knees are hurting, your ass stings, his sleeping bag is chafing your nipples, and your face is going numb from being pressed against the floor, but goddamn does he feel good. Your vocabulary has been reduced to moans and whimpers as he rails you into the sleeping bag and runs his filthy mouth.

“Coulda made this easy, darlin’.” He’s gritting his teeth, his words caught in a groan. “Woulda been nice to ya if ya just fuckin’ listened. But ya had to be a god. damn. brat. Fuck, baby, yer squeezing me tight.”

You want to hold out for the sake of your pride, but the need to come overrides it. Your cunt is aching and drooling all over him, your clit neglected and throbbing with your heartbeat. You finally break.

“I’m sorry.” You practically sob, tears pricking your eyes. “I’m sorry Joel, I’m sorry, I’m sorry-“

He shushes you, mercifully slowing his overwhelming pace and smoothing a hand around your waist to your poor, neglected clit. “I know ya are, honey, I know. Not so fun anymore, is it? Told ya, all ya needed was a little adjustment.”

He presses his fingers against that bundle of nerves and you jolt; the pressure is both too much and not enough. He uses his other hand to keep you from pressing against him and chasing your release. You let out a frustrated groan and the bastard huffs out a laugh.

“What’d I say? Brats don’t get to come. Ya done being a brat?” You nod quickly and eagerly. “Ya gonna be good for me now, darlin’? Got it all outta yer system?” Another quick nod from you. “Good girl.”

Joel pulls his fingers away and you nearly cry until you feel him loosening the belt holding your wrists behind your back. He frees your hands and pulls out of you completely, turning you over on your back. Now you can see him, blinking up with teary eyes, and fuck - he’s shirtless, sweat clinging to his tanned skin. Your eyes follow the trail of greying hair from his chest down to his soft stomach and finally his dick, which is so hard it looks painful. His eyes are wild but soft at the same time, the firelight catching the brown and turning it to liquid gold.

One of his hands cups your face and he wipes your tears away with his thumb, his voice dropping to a low croon as he guides himself back inside of you. You can’t stop the whimper that catches in your throat at the feeling.

“I know, sweet thing, I know.” He helps you wrap your legs around his waist, then leans down and braces his forearms on either side of your head. His lips ghost over yours as he starts to rock into you again. “S’lot, baby, but you can take it. I know you can. Thaaat’s it, there she is. Good girl.”

Joel’s thumb finds your clit and your back arches, legs locking around his hips as he fucks you a little harder. “Joel..!”

“Shhhh, I know.” His cheek is pressed to yours, his voice husky in your ear. “Poor pussy’s taken a beatin’, huh? I know I was rough with her earlier. M’sorry, pretty girl.”

His words are going straight to your throbbing cunt; your nails dig into his shoulders as he grinds his cock into you, so deep you can feel him against your cervix. You’re moving your hips with him, so, so close, but your release stays frustratingly out of reach.

“Gonna come for me, babygirl?” He presses a kiss to your cheek before pulling back just enough to look at you. His eyes are lidded, curls sticking to his sweaty forehead. “Gonna make a mess on my cock? Can feel her squeezin’ me.”

“I-I can’t.” You sniffle, voice cracking with frustration. “Joel, i can’t-“

“Yes, you can.” His thumb draws tighter circles on your clit and he changes his thrusts to a firm, rolling grind that has your toes curling. “C’mon, darlin’. Ya been good; you deserve it. I gotcha, sweet thing, I gotcha. Just let go f’me.”

Finally, with a broken moan of his name, you come undone around him, clenching down on his dick like a vice as stars dance in your vision. He fucks you through it until you’re shaking with overstimulation; then he pulls out, cursing, fisting his cock until he’s spilling himself all over your stomach. The space is quiet other than the fire and your mingled, panting breaths.

“Feel better? Done bein’ a brat?” He grunts, a smile tugging at his lips. He reaches over to his pack, grabbing a cloth to wipe his spend off your stomach. You lay boneless against the sleeping bag, mind blissfully empty as he cleans you both up.

“Mhm.” You hum, a small smile stretching across your lips. He tosses the rag aside, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to your lips before his lips trail lower. You shudder when he takes his time to lave his tongue over each of your sore nipples in silent apology before kissing his way back to your lips. You tangle your fingers in his sweaty curls and hold him close, smirking against his mouth. “For now.”

#the last of us #joel miller #joel tlou #pedro pascal #x reader #fanfic #tlou fanfiction #smut #the last of us hbo #tlou smut #joel miller x reader #pedro pascal characters

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fluentmoviequoter · 1 year ago

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Yelling at Cops

Part 2 of Flirting with Cops

Pairing: Tim Bradford x fem!rookie!reader

Summary: After you are injured, your fiancé Tim yells at you and treats you like a boot. When Wade and Nyla find out, they tell him what really happened.

Warnings: canon typical danger and action, explosion, r is injured and goes to the hospital, yelling/arguments, fluff, teasing

Word Count: 1.7k+ words

Picture from Pinterest

Masterlist Directory | Tim Bradford Masterlist | Request Info/Fandom List

“Bradford,” Nyla whispers from the other side of the shop. “Tell me this-“

“Do I have to?” you ask.

“Yes, because I am your TO. I’m, like, a goddess in this shop. I have the power to-“

“Have me fired or make me a rookie forever,” you finish with a chuckle. “I know, ma’am.”

“Tell me this,” Nyla begins again. “Does Bradford call you boot?”

“No.”

“Never? Not even when he gets upset?”

“He hasn’t gotten super upset with me yet. Raised his voice once because I almost got hurt, but nothing serious. I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised if he did at some point, though.”

“7-Adam-19, there’s a reported 215 and 245 at Olympic and Burnside Avenue,” control alerts.

“7-Adam-19, show us responding,” Nyla radios.

“Carjacking and assault with a deadly weapon?”

“Welcome to Los Angeles,” Nyla jokes.

As you approach the intersection, you see a man with a large automatic rifle ducking behind a car. There are civilians on the other side of the road and an injured man on the driver’s side of the car.

“Control, 7-Adam-19 requesting backup. One armed, one injured,” Nyla informs. “Block this lane.”

You pull around with your side of the shop toward the gunman. The car is facing you, so he can’t escape unless it’s on foot. Nyla opens her door and slides out before staying low to go around the back of the shop. You watch the man beside you, and when he turns quickly, you lower your window and pull your gun from your holster. He has a different weapon when he twists toward you, and when he aims it toward the back tire, you know he’s going to hurt Nyla. You don’t think before acting, not like you should, at least.

You throw the door open and begin firing as you move back toward Nyla. She yells at you to get down, but you turn toward her instead.

“Run!” you yell.

As you run behind Nyla, trying to get away from the shop, the man shoots the new weapon, and the shop explodes behind you. You fall to the asphalt, and Nyla stumbles ahead of you. Ignoring the pain in your leg, you push yourself up and rush behind a parked car. Nyla’s eyes widen when she sees you, and she pushes up to look through the windows of the car to locate the man.

“Control, this is Harper. Where’s my backup?” she yells into the radio.

“ETA two minutes,” control responds.

“What do we do?” you ask. “He’ll run.”

“You don’t do anything,” Nyla snaps. “Control, send a R/A to my location.”

“Harper, he’s moving again,” you say.

“Not your concern,” she replies.

You look toward her, and she’s looking between your leg and the car across the street. What’s left of the shop is aflame in the middle of Olympic Boulevard, blocking part of the man’s location from view. When Nyla turns toward you, you finally look at your leg. Your pants are darkened with blood, and when you bend your knee, you hiss in pain.

“Don’t move,” Nyla demands.

You don’t listen and gently push your fingers against the side of your thigh. “It’s just a bunch of glass.”

“Shrapnel in your body is not just anything!”

“Harper, we have to do something or he’s going to hurt the other people.”

Nyla exhales deeply before nodding. “Bradford is going to kill me,” she murmurs.

“He’ll come for me first,” you say with a small smile.

“Alright. You go around the shop and I’ll come up from behind. If you have a shot, take it.”

As you limp around the far side of the intersection, you raise your weapon and look for the shooter. Nyla’s gun fires before you see him, and you rush out to cover her. When the man sees you, he drops the rifle in his hands and raises them.

“Nice work,” Nyla tells you. “Now sit down and wait for your ambulance.”

On cue, the ambulance pulls up and two paramedics rush to your side.

“I’ll alert Sergeant Bradford,” someone says.

“No!” you and Harper yell together.

“This is related to his case,” the officer argues.

Wade slams the door of his car and cuts off the rest of his sentence. “I’ll fill in Bradford,” he states. “You, though,” he says to you, “have a lot more to explain.”

“You’re going to tell him?” you ask him.

“Would you rather he find out over the radio?”

You shake your head, and the paramedics move your gurney into the ambulance.

“I’ll try to calm him down, but… good luck, kid. I’ll be by in a few.”

“Thank you. You too, Harper.”

“You saved my life. Sorry I yelled at you,” she offers.

✯✯✯✯✯

You’ve just been moved to a private room after a painful hour of having shrapnel removed from your leg when Tim’s voice echoes through the hallways. He yells your name before his footsteps near your room. When he stops at the door, his chest is heaving, and his nostrils are flared.

“Are you out of your mind?” Tim demands loudly. “Harper should have you fired for that little stunt. I would! You are not here to be a hero, boot, and endangering lives – including yours – is not what being a cop is about!”

“Sergeant Bradford,” Wade says from behind Tim. “A word?”

“With me?” Tim asks. “Why don’t you remind the rookie in here about a little thing called procedure!”

“Tim,” Wade interjects. “Hallway. Now.”

Your eyes drop to your hands as they leave. Tim has never yelled at you like this before, and his insults and threats to have you fired do little to calm your nerves. Harper seemed mad when she first noticed your injury, but that was nothing compared to Tim’s reaction. You wait nervously for Tim, or at least Wade, to return from the hallway.

✯✯✯✯✯

Tim begins to speak, but Wade raises a hand. He takes a deep breath to calm down before explaining everything he knows to Tim.

“I-“ Tim begins.

“No!” Wade says. “You don’t get to make an excuse about not knowing. You have known from the beginning, I told you from the beginning. When you came to me and said you were dating a rookie, I made an exception for you on one condition. I told you that if anything happened to her, it was on you. Not because you’re her superior, but because she is yours. This situation is unique, but you led me to believe you could handle it. Now, I’ll be honest, I did that hoping you’d back out and decide to wait to start a relationship, but once I saw the two of you together, my concerns became about what would happen if the two of you were separated by something or injured. That speech I just heard makes me think you’re just here as a cop. Tell me I’m wrong and I’ll listen.”

“Why us?” Tim asks angrily. “Why are we worth the special treatment and personal attention?”

Somewhere along the way, Wade became like a father figure to you. When he agreed to let Tim continue seeing you without alerting IA, he threatened to demote, fire, or kill him if he did anything to jeopardize your career, life, or relationship.

“Because I care, Bradford. Is that so hard to believe? And right now, I’m wondering if you should go back to patrol or find a new station?”

“You can’t fire me for hurting her delicate little feelings, Wade!”

“And how would your feelings be if you were going to her funeral?” Wade snaps. Tim’s face drops and Wade adds, “Harper just filed her official statement. Their backup was two minutes away, and she would have been dead if your rookie hadn’t stepped in. They would both be dead, and I don’t know about you, but I think some glass shards to the leg is a whole lot better than a funeral.”

Tim’s eyes drop as he nods. “I messed up.”

“You did. Now do something about it.”

✯✯✯✯✯

You look up immediately when the door opens. Tim walks in first, but Wade is close behind him.

“I’m sorry,” Tim begins. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you or threatened to have you fired, especially when I didn’t know as much as I thought I did. Are you okay?”

You nod, but Wade jumps in before you can say anything.

“I’m sorry, too. I went behind your back to keep Tim in line, or so I thought, from the very beginning. I should have been open with both of you, but I’ll do better now.”

“I forgive you,” you whisper, looking at Tim. You turn toward Wade to add, “And thank you for whatever it is you’ve done already.”

Wade nods and smiles before stepping back toward the door. Tim goes in the opposite direction and stops beside your bed.

“You’re really okay?” he asks as he takes your hand.

“Just sore. And I have to buy new pants.”

Tim sighs and pulls you into a hug, bending over to pull you close. You smile against him and rub his back. He’s tenser than you are, and he wasn’t even blown up.

You know that your relationship with Tim will never be easy, but it will always be worth the time and effort. Plus, your friends understand what you are going through and are there for you every step of the way.

“Visitor,” Wade alerts.

Tim steps back as Nyla walks in with a bag of your favorite snacks. Despite her original tough act, she does like you as a cop and as a friend.

“I heard someone yelled at you,” she says with a quick look toward Tim.

“He apologized. Didn’t bring me snacks though. Thank you!” you reply.

“He better keep apologizing,” Nyla adds, talking directly to Tim.

“I will,” he promises. “Glad you’re both okay.”

“Wait, does this mean I can’t help with the Metro case that I almost died for?” you interject.

“Not for a while,” Tim answers. “Gotta heal, first.”

“What was it you said? ‘Just some glass’, then walk it off,” Nyla says with a shrug.

“I wanted to ride with TO Bradford, the scariest in station history.”

You pout, and Tim shakes his head while Nyla laughs. Wade thinks about you and Tim riding together and wonders if you’d manage to get anything done.

“One cop is more than enough in my relationship,” Wade sighs. “I don’t know how you two do it.”

#hanna writes✯#tim bradford x reader #tim bradford x fem!reader #tim bradford x you #tim bradford fic #tim bradford imagine #tim bradford the rookie #tim bradford #the rookie abc #fem!reader #tim bradford fluff

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howi99 · 2 months ago

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From the Nest 9

Nora: *stars in her eyes* You killed an alpha at 7!? That's so AWESOME!

Jaune: *Scratching the back of his head* I didn't kill it per say. *Chuckle* Honestly, it kinda killed itself by running head first into a trap me and my master had made for deer.

Ren: How did you outrun it?

Jaune: Boarbatusks aren't really good in a forest. Zigzagging between trees is basically all you need to do to outmaneuver them. Then when you're near the pit, just stay still and they will charge straight at you.

Nora: Oh, so you were behind the pitfalls then? Waiting knowing you were safe?

Jaune: *remembering dodging the grimm in extremis* ... It would have been smarter, now that i think about it. *Shaking his head* I dodged it like an idiot at the last second.

Raven: *looking at him, furious* KAAAW! *Peck his hand*

Jaune: *frown, looking at his teacher in disguise* Hey, i was 7! Give me some slack, you hag!

Ruby: *chuckle* It's almost like she can understand you!

Jaune: *trying to fend off the relentless assault, protecting his head with his arms* She does and sometimes i wish she didn't!

Yang: *pensive* So... What are you gonna with it in class? I doubt we can bring animals there.

Jaune: Huh? Really? *Turning to Raven, who nod* Well, she IS technically not mine, so she probably would go home.

Yang: Oh, so it's like a family bird?

Jaune: ... It's complicated.

_ _ _

Jaune: *trying to stay awake during Port class* Urgh....

Blake: *reading her book* ...

Jaune: ... *Annoyed* Blake, if you don't suffer with all of us, i'll make sure to spoil you the next volume.

Blake: *side eyeing him* You wouldn't dare.

Jaune: Try me.

Blake: ... *Sigh, putting down her book on the table* Fine.

...

Blake: *yawning* He's not teaching us anything, is he?

Jaune: He is, but it's covered by so many metaphor and flowery talks, it's just a bore to listen to.

Blake: *surprised* Really? He's actually teaching us something?

Jaune: *yawn* Well, not me in particular, but probably most of the people here, yeah.

Yang: *smirk* Oh yeah? And what is he teaching us now, hm? It's just a story about how he protected a puppy from a bunch of grimms while its siblings ran away.

Nora: ...

Jaune: *stretching* Well, replace the puppies by kids. What do you think happened when its siblings ran away? Towards the grimms ambushed in the woods?

Yang: ... *Blood draining from her face* O-oh god... *Looking at the smiling old man* That's...

Nora: I've heard enough... *standing up, walking out of the class*

Ren: I'll go check on her. *Leave too*

Port: *his smile wavering just an instant, enough for the most perceptive to see the sorrow in his eyes* W-well, maybe i was getting ahead of myself with those stories of mine. Let's continue on ursas, shall we?

#jaune arc #ruby rose #yang xiao long #rwby #rwby au #raven branwen #nora valkyrie #lie ren #blake belladonna #from the nest au

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vanteguccir · 1 year ago

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ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤFIGHT FOR YOU * MATT STURNIOLO

SUMMARY　::　where Y/N gets into a fight because of Matt.

FEATURING　matt sturniolo x grumpy!reader　REQUESTED?　no.

WARNINGS　::　physical fight, blood, injuries, anger issues.

AUTHOR'S NOTE　::　that is my work, I DON'T authorize any form plagiarism; copy, "inspiration" or translation! | english isn't my first language, so I'm sorry if there's any grammar error.

Y/N was leaning against her locker in the hallway of her school during a free period, just waiting for the triplets' last class to finish so they could leave.

The girl had her backpack at her feet, her eyes discreetly running over the people circling the hallway, a bored expression on her face, her body language relaxed but attentive.

Her attention to the movement led her to eavesdrop on the conversation between the two most popular and disgusting girls in school, who were a little further ahead of her with their backpacks on their shoulders and arms crossed, wearing their cheerleader uniforms as if it was the only clothes they had at home.

"I don't know how they weren't embarrassed enough to go and create a YouTube channel, it's obvious that they will never become famous, you know?" Kelly, the "lider of the cheerleaders" was talking to her friend, Jennifer, a look of indifference on her face.

"Yeah, they are so weird." Jennifer agreed, rolling her eyes as she chewed her gum annoyingly.

Y/N stared at them blankly from afar, her jaw clenched and her lips in a thin line as she felt anger rise through her body like lava.

"The worst of all is that Matt guy, he's going to be their ruin-"

That was the last straw for Y/N, her feet moved before she could process what she was doing, and before she knew it, she was behind Kelly, her right hand adorned with her recently manicured nails grabbed the girl's hair, yanking her head back. Without letting go of the bunch of hair in her hands, she used her strength to push Kelly's body towards the floor, throwing her there.

"You bitch!" Kelly shouted, catching the attention of those around her, looking at Y/N from where she was with boiling eyes, her skirt lifting a little as she tried to get up, but before she could do so, Y/N sat on her legs, trapping her so that she couldn't move.

"I'll show you who the bitch is." Y/N spoke through gritted teeth, her right hand curling into a fist and going against the face of the girl below her, smiling satisfied when she heard a pop coming from her "perfect" nose.

Kelly screamed in pain and anger, acting on impulse as she raised her hand that wasn't trying to stop Y/N from doing something again, hitting the side of her face, scratching deeply into her flushed cheek, causing a trickle of blood to run from there and down her neck, hot with anger, hitting the necklace that Matt had given her and that she hasn't taken off since.

Y/N turned her face to the side at the impact, her mouth opening in surprise and anger.

"I'll kill you." Y/N's voice came out angrily, her right hand grabbing the hair on the top of Kelly's head, lifting her head and pushing it back with some force, slamming it against the floor.

Y/N stood up after that, knowing that Kelly couldn't do anything else to her because she was disoriented, and feeling satisfied with her work.

"Do you want to be next?" She asked, looking at Jennifer with disdain as her hands touched the deep scratch, then lowered them only to see her fingers covered in blood, running her tongue through her lips tasting the metallic in there.

"You crazy bitch! You ruined my clothes!" Kelly screamed, trying to sit up with one hand while the other touched her blood-stained cheerleader blouse.

"Say Matt's name one more time and it won't just be your ridiculous outfit that will be ruined." The girl argued, shooting Kelly a look before walking over to her backpack, picking it up angrily and starting to walk towards the cafeteria, ignoring the looks of everyone around her.

Y/N knew that the triplets would be waiting for her in there after their last class, exactly because that class was the closest to the cafeteria, and all she needed most at that moment was Matt, the only one who could calm her down before she punched somebody else.

"Move." Y/N said angrily to the boy who was in front of the door, pushing him hard and entering the space, running her eyes through the place and sighing in relief when she found her boyfriend at one of the tables, accompanied by his brothers.

“Matt, isn’t that Y/N?” Nick asked from afar, staring in a certain direction with surprised eyes.

Matt quickly looked up from his phone, turning his head back, his eyes widening comically when he saw the state of Y/N, who looked like she just came out of one of the Scream franchise movies.

It didn't take long for the girl to catch up with them, sitting next to Nick and facing Matt, smiling a mischievous smile.

"What the hell happened?" Her boyfriend questioned her, his blue eyes traveling over Y/N's bloodied face, clothing, and hands.

Chris reached into one of the pockets of Nick's backpack, pulling out a package of tissues he kept there for emergencies and handing it to Matt, who opened it and leaned over the table to get better access to the wounds.

"Don't worry, it's not my blood. At least not most of it." Y/N responded, allowing Matt to bring one of his hands to her injured face, trying to clean the blood that was almost dry.

"That doesn't calm me down at all." Matt grumbled back, ignoring when Y/N winced as he ran the tissue over the scratch.

"Who and what?" Nick asked excitedly, placing his arms on the table and leaning there so that he was in Y/N's field of vision, as if it were the most amazing situation of his life, making Matt hit his leg with his foot and Chris roll his eyes.

"Kelly and Jennifer. It was about time someone put those bitches in their place." Y/N summed it up, shrugging her shoulders as if it was nothing, but the look Nick was giving her made her roll her eyes. "And they talked about Matt."

Matt momentarily stopped his movements, staring at her in disbelief.

"You got into a fight because of me? Again?" He questioned, frowning. Guilt beginning to take over his heart, he didn't like seeing Y/N in fights and getting hurt, much less because of him.

"Stop being ungrateful, your girl defended your honor!" Chris exclaimed, hitting Matt on the shoulder, making him move his hand away from Y/N's face instantly, afraid of hurting her with the sudden movement caused by Chris action.

"Chris!"

"Sorry."

Matt sighed, closing his eyes and using the index finger and thumb of his right hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, trying to calm himself down.

"You know I don't like you getting into fights like that, baby. One day you're going to end up getting kicked out of school, or you're going to find someone crazier than you who is going to hurt you badly." Matt spoke softly, resting his hand with the tissue on the table as his free hand traveled to his girlfriend's face, caressing her bruise-free cheek and carefully moving away the strands of hair stuck on her face.

"I know." She whispered back, closing her eyes due to the caress and lowering her head, feeling embarrassed by Matt's gaze. "I'll try to control myself, but I can't guarantee that I'll hold back if I hear someone talking about you in that way again." Y/N spoke, looking up through her lashes.

"Did you at least break her nose?" Matt asked, looking back at her with his eyebrows raised suggestively, his hand still against her rosy cheek. Surprise passed through Y/N's eyes before she nodded proudly, a smirk growing on her face.

Nick laughed at the interaction, raising his right hand in the air towards Y/N, who did the same, completing the high five.

"Obviously I broke her nose, I almost brought all her hair as a gift too." The girl said, opening a big smile when she received a high five from Chris as well.

Matt shook his head, letting out a low laugh.

"That's my girl."

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edb954 · 2 months ago

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Because you love me… (Coriolanus Snow x Fem! Reader)

(Heavily based on a TikTok Audio!)

Masterlist : Request Info

(Summary: Coriolanus and you were in love that was until you found out he had killed Lucy Gray & Sejanus. That's until you meet again 3 years later)

Word Count: 845

(Warning: Bad Writing💀,Typical Hunger games themes, guns mentioned, Sejanus and Lucy Gray death mentioned, sexual themes)

~~~~

You loved him but when you found out he had killed Lucy Gray and sent Sejanus to the hanging tree. You hated yourself for it. For loving him and caring for him so you ran and hid. One rainy afternoon off a beaten trail you were sure he wouldn't find you. You stayed there for weeks until you thought it was safe and when you finally decided to return back to the covey it turned out he had already been sent home.

It was 3 years before you saw him again. Somebody had taken interest in one of your fashion pieces a year after he had left. Which had land you in the capital little did they know you had joined the rebellion. You were sick of kids killing kids and for what? What purpose?

It was a summer night at a gala, when rebels attacked which you had not known was going to happen to busy sewing people's dresses for said event and in your mincts of hiding. Hiding so they don't think you're apart of it but in that very room Y/n would come face to face with Coriolanus the boy she had loved once. Who was now pointing a gun at her.

~~~

"I was wondering when I'd see you again.." Coriolanus said. Holding the gun directly at her. Y/n froze Turing around seeing the scene bestowed upon her.

She remembered when he had promised her that he would never hurt her but a lot can change in just 3 years. Y/n thought for a moment before taking a deep breath.

"You mean you're actually going to kill me?" Y/n said, shaking as she saw Coriolanus pointing a gun at her.

All he did was stare with eyes that said he would do just that. It had been years since either of you saw each other. Since you left him.. all he could do was stare.

"Well.. go ahead.." She said, looking at him.

Coriolanus looked at her slightly shocked. But not lowering the gun. "I'll do this my own way..."

"You won't do it.." y/n said, realising the clarity of what they both still felt for each other.. even if they both denied it.

"You can't pull the trigger.."

Slowly and hesitantly coming in front of him with the gun against her chest.

"You can't pull it because you still love me.." Coriolanus froze, looking her in the eyes.

"I-it takes a very Brave and a Very Cold man to do that...Coriolanus..." Y/n said, now fully in front of him.

She knew he was cold.. but if he still felt something other that pure hatred he wouldn't do it..

Coriolanus eyes looked into hers and a million thought running through his head.

"I don't think you can..." y/n said with tears she did not realize perking in her eyes. "Isn't that true?"

But as the gun stayed where it was Y/n let out a shaky breath before closing her eyes letting the silent tears fall as she awaited the bang that would end it all.. but for her to hear the safety click back on and the gun being pulled away and thrown onto the table nearby. Her eyes widened in shock as she was pulled into a kiss.

She pushed him away to look at him taking in his features, he had grown more handsome his hair now combed perfectly... but his eyes stayed the same showing the same emotion from those years ago. The love, passion they had once had.

"It's True.." Coriolanus said, almost aggravated and desperate.

Before he pulled her back into another kiss and she let him even deepen the kiss fuelling the passion. He backed you up into a wall if anyone would come in you would be sheltered. Her leg was on his hip her dress bunched up. Clothes became undone. Panties pushed to the side. Neither of you need to say more. Yes, there was a lot to say but nothing could compare to the raw passionate love that had been lost and was now found. The only sound was from both of your lips. Whether it was from splotchy wet kisses or the pleasure becoming overbearing. You both came undone a short while later.

Before Coriolanus snuck you both out hand in hand taking you to his private penthouse apartment where the night continued between silky soft expensive sheets. Going into the wee early hours of the morning until exhaustion overtook the both of you. Laying side by side wrapped in each other's arms. Falling into a blissful sleep. Putting the worries of the future behind and basking in each other's embrace. Waiting for morning to come where you had to face reality.

#coriolanus snow #coriolanus snow angst #coriolanus snow smut #coriolanus snow x reader #coriolanus snow x you #coriolanus snow fanfiction #coriolanus x reader #coriolanus snow fluff #tbosas #the hunger games #thg series #rebels #president snow #tigris snow #sejanus plinth #lucy gray baird #maude ivory #covey #peacekeepers

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plantswithme · 5 days ago

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okay i saw thunderbolts and im going to talk about it,

thunderbolts spoilers ahead!

okay first i wanna clear some things up—for those who haven't seen the film— on how they get called the new avengers. because i saw some stuff about this online 3 days ago and was so confused.

(i was scared walking into this film after reading people’s tweets and stuff, yes my own fault for reading them but after hearing about the post credit scene i was mad and upset so i said screw it and read some reviews. i really recommend you go see the movie or watch it somewhere and to not rely solely on other peoples reviews, i think forming your own opinion from the source material is important.)

okay, let’s get into it.

starting off with the end of the movie for those who just want to know about the whole new avengers name: at the end of the movie when the team are all walking towards valentina, all pissed off and about to take her in, she tricks them into going after her by slipping through an opening in some rubble and then they are met with a bunch of reporters at the other side. she walks up to a podium she must’ve put there and says that they’re the team she was building all along! (she wasn’t! she wanted bob to kill them all, she is taking credit for them coming together to stop her and to help bob)

she says that they’re the new avengers, announces it in front of a bunch of reporters, neither yelena or bucky or alexei or ava or john says that they are the new avengers, they are all so confused (everyone except for red guardian who is excited smh) bucky does not look happy in this scene.

so yeah, valentina is the one who gives them that name, they dont call themselves that.

it’s all valentina’s fault. she was doing human experimentation.. she is the bad guy in this movie.

onto my review: my review of the movie is that i enjoyed it, i liked the movie up until the ending and the post credit scene… when in saw those my opinion on this movie went down. if they had changed those two things and added a good sam cameo, i would have a much better opinion on this film.

it also felt a little slow during some parts, and ava killing taskmaster 20 minutes in was… i did not expect that. and im not a fan of them doing that. she deserved better and ava did too like having her kill her was just… ugh. why??

yelena’s story and the exploration of her childhood trauma did make me cry, but they could’ve gone into it even more. but it’s a marvel movie after all so :/

john is still an ass, his wife left him and took their son… i’m not surprised. never liked john and i never will.

alexei is annoying, what he said to yelena in that scene when she was really struggling was nice, i liked that part. i still don’t care for alexei as a character tho and now i hate him too, fuck him for saying shit about sam.

ava is so cool, i really enjoyed her in the movie, her abilities are so sick and she was funny. her and yelena making fun of john throughout the movie was funny, got me cracking up, they don’t like him at all lmaooo.

bob was sweet i like him, the scene where yelena runs to him to try and save him from the void fully taking over… i was crying, tears down my cheeks. and then the others came and joined the hug, it was a really nice moment. his and yelena’s friendship was so sweet and a highlight for me. she is so caring and kind, asking him if he was okay multiple times, not wanting anything to happen to him, wanting him to know that he the isn’t alone, telling him that she has struggles too, that there is a way out of that darkness. the scene where she tells him that some of the darkness in her has lessen already, oh i was emotional. i really enjoyed their bond in this film.

yelena going into the void… the fact that all of them went into the void after ava was like “we have to follow yelena!?” and after john said that he kind of saw something weird when bob touched him, implying that maybe yelena isn’t dead? maybe you just go somewhere?” that’s when bucky was like, okay, let’s do it, he still didn’t 100% know if they would all die or make it out alive but he was willing to risk it and i think that shows who bucky barnes is. that was one thing bucky did in this movie that i actually liked.

i mean i did like bucky in this film, some of his scenes felt off, and i know sebastian questioned many of his lines and stuff throughout filming, apparently questioning the director and kept asking “why?” a lot, even seeming grumpy too, according to his co-stars..

(adding to this on may 5th: it’s been a few days now and tbh after talking to friends and listening to mutuals’ opinions and thoughts, bucky is ooc in this film. sometimes he felt fine and other times he really didn’t. he’s shown as incompetent and stupid, multiple times, doesn’t read the papers/files he’s given, can’t even talk to reporters, and just seems off.. like bucky is sneaky and intelligent and badass and competent and much more and in TB he has two badass scenes and that’s kinda it? :/ like you mean to tell me that bucky barnes, winter soldier couldn’t have easily infiltrated valentina’s plans and with the the congress stuff been able to lie and act the part and gotten shit done without being caught? (like he said something to mel about finding out secret things or something, he was like “i could but i don’t do that anymore”) but i feel like he still would 🤷🏻‍♀️ like we saw him hijack a car in tfatws, he knows how to do stuff like that! bucky is more in character in mission fics ive read and it’s so upsetting that marvel can’t even find script writers who understand and get bucky. him in that post credit scene isn’t the bucky i know. or the bucky we were shown in cabnw or in tfatws. i won’t be ignoring the PCS bc of how sam is treated, it’s too important to do that. and on bucky’s end, im just, ugh. idk. i love him so much ofc i do, im just disappointed. it’s so upsetting to see both your favorite characters be done like this.)

him getting into congress to keep an eye on val was kind of interesting but didn’t go anywhere at all and i think bucky could actually do some good as a congressman, but it wasn’t shown like that at all.

he tries to get val's assistant mel to tell him stuff and eventuallty she does when she realises that valentina is up to some bad stuff. he had some good scenes, he was sarcastic, badass, grumpy and looked really handsome, but yeah :/ i wish he was in the film a bit more and had some more storyline. but he seems to be in a good place right now, at least, which im happy about, bc i want to see him happy. idk what he saw when he was in the void which could've been a cool thing to see but he really isn't the main character, yelena and bob are. he just makes a joke that he has a great past so he's fine, but i dont think he is.. what did he see in the void...

more stuff and some sambucky talk

it seems like sam and bucky had a disagreement bc bucky for some reason called sam about the copyright claim, having bucky call sam about it in the post credit scene and having him say it went bad is so weird to me. bc bucky knows that sam was asked to rebuild the avengers, bucky knows that, bucky is on sam's side!?(like bucky isn’t upset or mad at sam about that at all, like some ppl said he was smh) he’s upset bc he cares about sam and this whole situation is a mess and bc he messed up. but he wouldn’t even have messed up if he as written in character!! ugh.

like sam and bucky are grown men and i think they would talk this out and not just have one phone call that went poorly. like huh? they’re closer than that, they would communicate better than that, even if sam is angry and upset. like the way they spoke about sam and showed him makes him seem childish about the whole thing, it’s so fucking frustrating.

like having bucky say something like this to yelena: “i talked to sam and it’s a giant mess. he’s not happy which i understand and neither am i” or something!? again: UGH.

sam has every right to be frustrated, upset and angry. and he has the right to copyright the name. he is captain america. he was asked personally by the president to rebuild the avengers, and he told bucky that and now valentina just gives them that name? live on television i assume bc reporters and stuff, like ofc he’s going to do something about it?

people blaming sam and saying that he hurt bucky and nat's sister is fucking crazy, sam did nothing wrong. sam took legal action bc valentina named a random group of people the new avengers, again: on what i assume was live television. it had nothing to do with bucky or yelena be fucking serious.

also, i don’t think they planned on sticking together as a team after the events of the movie, like that to me was kinda obvious? that none of them seemed interested in being part of a team together, but then valentina had to go mess it up.

also in the marvel universe, people don’t like them as the new avengers at all. so in universe, in canon, they are not seen as the avengers to the people, which gives me hope for sam’s team.

it also seemed like no one else knew that sam is planning to build a new team of avengers, he doesn’t seem to have shared that with the media or anyone else other than bucky in the hospital scene, and leila knows too.

since it’s been 14 months since the events of the movie at the time of the post credit scene, i think sam has been in the works of forming a new team which is why he is taking legal action at that point, 14 months later, bc he is working on something.. i really hope that is the case.

so to the people who are mad at sam for this, y’all can fuck right off.

back to the post credit scene for just a second, alexei walks in wearing that stupid matching tracksuit with the “avengerZ”, insults sam and then the camera goes from alexei to yelena, bucky's reaction isn’t shown, i imagine he looks pissed.

then when alexei says that he had other tracksuits made for bucky and the others, bucky looks so done and kinda ignores him. no one seems to take alexei seriously in this scene, and for that im glad, they all seem to kinda see him as a clown, which pleases me.

do i think it’s upsetting and just plain bullshit that they didn’t have bucky stand up for sam? yes.

to me that is some awful writing, whoever wrote bucky in cabnw wrote him right. the person who wrote him in that post credit scene does not know bucky, does not know or seem to care about how much bucky truly cares and adores and admires and believes in sam, and loves sam.

as to why bucky is still working with that team after 14 months is unknown to me, i have some ideas in my head about the whole thing and if you have any ideas yourself, feel free to let me know, bc that part still doesn’t sit right with me… :/

so i cant say i see this movie as a full sambucky divorce, per say, bc to me bucky knows that it's sam's job to form a new team of avengers and that sam has the rights to the name, and not valentina or any of the others. bucky is not mad at sam for taking legal action, why the hell would he be?

do i think sam is angry with bucky? yes, to what degree im not sure of right now. like i said earlier i think they would have a talk about the whole situation and not just one phone call that went poorly.

i want them to be in a good place in canon :/

i will end this with saying fuck that post credit scene.

the fact that steve was mentioned in a more respectful way than sam is fucking disgusting. ava said something like "we know what happens when a good person like steve rogers get the serum. what happens when a man like bob gets powers?" steve wasn’t insulted and made to look like an asshole in the post credit scene, sam was.

sam wilson deserves better, anthony mackie deserves better. sam wilson fans are allowed to be upset, we're allowed to express ourselves how ever we want, sam wilson has been sidelined and ignored since the end of tfatws and before that too.

having valentina announce them as the new avengers is so incredibly disappointing and disrespectful and seeing that they’re still a team after 14 months too, is disappointing and makes no sense to me. at least the world doesn’t see them as the new avengers, they don’t seem to like them at all, so at least there’s that.

i swear if marvel doesn’t give sam a team that he leads soon i am going to be convicted of a crime.

if anyone actually took their time and read all this thank you for reading, even if this post is a little all over the place, i hope it makes sense. have a lovely day

#thunderbolts spoilers #tb spoilers #thunderbolts* spoilers #sambucky #a part of me wants to ignore that post credit scene. wants to ignore that bucky is working with them. wants bucky to go home to sam after+#the events of the movie. and things are fine but a part of me also wants to make sense of it all somehow.#make it make sense how bucky and sam are still on good terms in canon when bucky is on that team.#how i can make it make sense right now is that bucky is somehow for some reason not allowed to leave the team and him and sam talk about it #thats kinda the idea i had like a year ago when we first heard about them being seperated. that it wasn't bucky's choice...#but sam is allowed to be mad at bucky for staying on that team.. so ugh. trying to make sense of canon right now is a mess

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neerons · 11 months ago

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Some of Leon Dompteur's best quotes

"Leon Dompteur. My favorite food is meat and alcohol. Hmm? Alcohol isn't food? Haha, that's true."

"You can imagine I'm some fictional character you like if that works better."

"Never mind the roses—it feels like I'm the one wilting without you in my arms. What then? What if I shrivel up and die while you're gone?"

"(...) Well, I'd rather be liked by you than a bunch of random women."

"Do you want to sleep with me tonight? Hey, I just meant sleeping! What were you thinking?"

"I swear, you're the bravest woman I've ever met. (...) I promise, we'll bring you home. That's the one thing I'm not backing down on. And... Don't do anything reckless." (—Leon telling Emma he'll save her along with his brothers from Obsidian)

"If you're struggling, it's okay to show me. I'm not gonna think less of you for it. So don't force yourself to smile."

"No running, no hiding, no looking away. If you need to cry, look at me and cry."

"When I opened my eyes again, I gazed at the woman before me in awe. She was so stunning that I regretted closing my eyes and even blinking." (—Leon's thoughts)

"I've always wanted to see you in a dress that I picked out... then strip you."

"(...) I'll come duel with you as soon as I'm done here." (—Leon keeping his promise to Licht)

"Good girl."

"But... I've wanted this for so long. I've wanted you... for so long."

"A special skill of mine, huh...? Oh, there's one I can think of right away. I bet I could beat anyone at competitive eating."

"I don't blame him for being charmed, though. She's just that amazing. Emma, you have no idea how much your presence means to me." (—Leon's thoughts about Jin and Emma)

"Good work. Even if no one else is watching you work hard, I will. Okay?"

"You must have taken quite a liking to her to go warning her like that. It was nice of you." (—Leon talking about Emma to Chevalier)

"Why don't I save everyone a lot of trouble and cut the lot of you down right now?" (—Leon to drunken men)

"Ever since I met you... the me I thought I'd killed... the me I thought was gone... he can't stop shouting to the heavens how happy he is."

"Owwww! What the hell? (...) you could at least wake me up some other way." (—Leon being woken up by Chevalier)

"I think it's actually kind of cute. It's meant to look like a rabbit, right?" (—Leon talking about Clavis' food to Clavis, Emma and Nokto)

"I can finally tell you what I've always wanted to tell you. Emma... I love you."

"What matters is that you haven't become a victim for the kingdom. Just knowing that is enough to reassure me. (...) She knew none of you would welcome her, yet she came here as the emperor's representative, to find peace for us all. Is there any of you with more resolve than that?" (—Leon defending Emma during an official meeting)

"Accepting who you are, and being able to open your heart to the people you love—that's what makes us strong."

"(...) I want to flirt with you. Please?"

"I can't be the only one left with a one-track mind. I need you to be as crazy for me as I am for you." (—Leon's thoughts)

"Sorry, I know I sound like a broken record, but you look so fine in that beautiful dress. I wish I had a picture of you to frame."

"She's the silver lining in my clouds, my sun who makes my future bright. When I think about her, I'm filled with the courage to face whatever may come my way. She's truly an amazing woman and the light of my life." (—Leon talking about Emma)

"Maybe instead of the one doing the savoring, you'd prefer to be savored?"

"I adore you. Even if I were to make the entire world my enemy, I'll never let go of you."

"I want to melt you with my touch until you're left crying my name into the night." (—Leon's thoughts)

"I want you to be at my side just as you are, I want you to be my queen just as you are."

"There's only one thing that I can think of that would help stop me being so reckless. (...) Mmm... I don't know, it seems a bit too easy to just go ahead and tell you. Why don't you guess? (...) And every time you get it wrong, I get to kiss or touch you. How does that sound? (...) Can you even think coherently when you're this wet and needy?"

"Honestly, you can call for me even if nothing happens. I don't mind. I'd still gladly come running."

"Every time we touch, every time we kiss, every time we say we love each other, my feelings for you grow stronger."

"If we continue, you're going to see me possibly the horniest I've ever been in my life."

"Sorry, kid, but you were born way too late. Plus, she's already spoken for. But at least he has good taste." (—Leon's thoughts about a boy asking Emma to marry him)

"You're so beautiful that I don't know what to do with myself."

"I'm so harsh on you first thing in the morning, aren't I? (...) I ate my fill, but now I already want you again."

#might update later #leon dompteur #ikeprince leon #ikemen prince #ikemen series #ikeprince #cybird #cybird otome #cybird ikemen #otome games #quotes

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thelovelyruin · 2 years ago

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𝖜𝖍𝖎𝖙𝖊 𝖗𝖔𝖘𝖊𝖘.

𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖘 : choso x fem reader

𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖘𝖚𝖓 : choso has had a crush on you for oh so long.

𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖒𝖔𝖔𝖓 : smut, porn with plot, vaginal sex, oral sex, praise, love, teasing, fingering, edging, (emotional choso lmao).

𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖎𝖔𝖙 : 5.5K

𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗 : inspired by lyrics from white roses by charli xcx.

𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖊𝖒𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖘𝖘 : hello lovelies, thank you so much for reading! i hope you enjoy it, if so, follow me for more. au revoir!

18+ MDNI ADULT CONTENT

Maybe my only light, don't you recognize you're the only one I want?

Choso knew for a while now that he was in love with liked you. How could he not? Not when you’re always sparkling in every room you walk in, and all he wanted was for you to be his firecracker. It didn’t go unnoticed that guys on campus practically throw themselves at you, acting like dogs whenever you wore a particularly short skirt or a tight top, he knew cause he was looking too. Unfortunately for him, you pretty much had him in the friend zone. To be fair, it’s not like he’s made a move yet, so how were you supposed to know? Well, that didn’t stop you from referring to him as a mutual friend while talking to other people. Now, the one person who did know he liked you was his brother, Yuuji.

“Dude, you better tell her before she gets a boyfriend, then you’re really gonna be hurt.”

“Shut the fuck up, Yuuji.”

“C’mon, you know I’m right.”

And he was. When Choso caught wind that you had a thing for Megumi, (which was debunked because he made Yuuji ask you and you told him no), he pretty much wanted to throw up. Not that Megumi was a bad guy or anything, he was your best friend after all, and Choso was just related to Yuuji, who was Megumi’s best friend. His proximity to you was short, while Megumi and you talked all the time. He started thinking about what it would be like to be that close to you, inhaling your scent, seeing your smile when he spoke to you, the way your chest moves up and down when you breath. Then, he realized that kinda made him sound like a fuckin’ weirdo, so he stopped.

Now, he was in hell a bus with a bunch of other people in your friend group, headed to the mountains for a ski trip. It’s not like he didn’t like your friends or anything like that, it’s more so jealousy that the only thing he’s ever been able to say to you is a measly, hey, when Yuuji introduced you to him. That and Megumi and Todo were arguing, about what, exactly? Women. Megumi expressed that he wasn’t picky, which was the catalyst for Todo telling him he has to take what he can get cause he’s so stand-offish. So, now they were going back and forth about Megumi’s ability to pull. And, it was giving Choso a damn headache.

“Hey there, Choso!”

Cold like ice, petrified, lovin' what you're doin' to me.

Choso nearly shit himself the second he turned to his left and you were sitting in the seat with him.

“Um, hey.”

He hated himself for how awkward he sounded. He was too worried about the fact that you never really talked to him, but that was his own fault really. All the times he’s gotten the opportunity to talk to you, walking around campus, parties, and he’s never taken the chance. So much so, Yuuji came to him and asked if he had something against you, which sparked the conversation where he told Yuuji he actually had feelings for you. Then came Yuuji’s antics.

“I know you’re chillin’ over here by yourself, but I wanted to come say hi!”

You looked around the bus, seeing the chaos running amuck.

“I’m sorry about them, Yuuji told me when there’s too much going on, it kinda bothers you, but I can totally get them to shut up, if you want.”

He was gonna fuckin’ kill him. Now, his mind was boggling. What else had Yuuji told you? Lord knows he couldn’t keep his damn mouth closed, for all he knew, Yuuji had went ahead and told you he likes you.

“He said that huh? What else?”

“He also told me that you’re a little shy, but you warm up once you get more comfortable! If there’s anything I can do to help you out, just let me know, kay?”

He was scorching at this point. Why the fuck would he tell you that? As much as Choso wanted to give Yuuji a piece of his mind, his brain wasn’t really working. Because now, he was able to get a good look at you. Pink tinted lip gloss that accentuated your already pretty lips, and that perfume you were wearing, you smelled like a piece of strawberry cake. And he wanted a damn slice.

“Do yo mind if I stay back here with you? I’d rather not go up there and hear them bicker.”

“Uh, um…sure.”

You were infectious. He could feel himself practically light up when you asked him that, you wanted to sit with him? He must be dreaming and he knew he was when he saw you begin to take off your jacket.

“Know it’s cold outside, but this jacket is just way too hot for this bus. Hold it for me?”

Choso obliged immediately, the jacket served as a cover for the tent growing in his pants. Of course today of all days, you wear a v-neck shirt, your tits practically spilling out the fabric and talking to him. If he was hearing things correctly, they were begging him to free them from their captivity. He quickly snapped out of it when you began resting your head on his shoulder.

“Gonna take a nap, kay?”

This was gonna be a long fuckin’ ride.

White roses in the snow, never let me go.

When you guys got to the lodge, Choso exhaled deeply, removing his headphones and preparing for a long day. He had wanted to take a nap on the bus, but all he could think about was your pretty little head on his shoulder, and how it might be the last time. So, he relished in the moment, sighing when you stirred awake. You turned and gave him a little smile, followed by a yawn as you reached for your jacket. Everyone began to walk out of the bus, you were shortly behind, but you forgot you left your purse in the front row of the bus. As Choso walked up behind you, you were about to panic.

“I can’t find my purse anywhere! Did I leave it somewhere else?”

You began to check under the seat, giving Choso a front row view of your ass, stretched out by your insulated leggings. You were driving him crazy. The drive up was already enough for him, but now your ass perked in the air? He was practically edging himself. He knew he probably shouldn’t be looking, but he was mesmerized as you shifted around looking for your-

“Looking for this?”

You jumped up, looking at Megumi holding up your bag. With the assumption that you’d probably forget it, he went ahead and grabbed it to meet you outside the bus.

“Ooo, thanks Megs! You know you could’ve told me you had it!”

“Yeah, yeah. Sorry bout that.”

With that, you grabbed your bag from him and smiled, proceeding off the bus. Choso was stuck, still in awe, but as Megumi was walking off the bus, he shot him a menacing look. Had he caught Choso staring at your ass? Probably. Shit, was he gonna tell you? Choso panicked a bit but took a deep breath and took his exit off the bus. If Megumi was gonna tell you, he deserved it, he had no business looking at you like that. But fuck, was it hard.

Lyin' in your bed and movin' slow, takin' off our clothes, givin' you it all.

Everyone piled into the cabin, which was pretty damn nice for a vacation rental. Everyone had a room fortunately, and there was a hot tub out on the back patio. While the girls went to find their rooms, the guys stayed behind to help with bags. As Choso went to pick up his and a black suitcase that was closest to him, Yuuji intercepted him. With a wink, Yuuji handed him a bubblegum pink suitcase.

“A gift, for you.”

Choso rolled his eyes at him and took the bag, still upset with him for the things he told you. Walking through the halls, he looked for your room, wondering if you were still walking around. When he couldn’t find you, he sat your suitcase down in the room at the end of the hallway, seemingly empty.

“Why thank you, kind sir!”

He turned to see you in the doorway, giving him one of those bright smiles. You looked around confused for a bit, like you were looking for something. Then, Megumi walked into the room with his bags, and of course, your makeup bag. Why hadn’t he thought of that? Megumi shot Choso a confused look that said what the fuck are you doing here?.

“Sorry Megs, this room is off the market!”

“Oh no, whatever will I do? I’ll go find another room, but here, you forgot your makeup case.”

“Awe, we can share the room you know!”

Choso cleared his throat, causing the two of you to look at him. Him and Megumi were both obviously taken aback by your offer, causing you to chuckle at them.

“Awe, I was just kidding, duh! Megs, if you sleep with me, people may get ideas. Promiscuous ideas.”

You gave him a smirk and laughed at his flustered reaction. Choso had to contain himself. You had blatantly friend-zoned Megumi, right in front of him. Then, there was the look of defeat on his face that made Choso nearly jump for joy. Not that he was praying on his downfall or anything, but seeing Megumi lose this little game made him pretty damn excited.

“That goes for you too, Choso! Things like that are how rumors start.”

Now, Choso felt like shit. And it didn’t help that Megumi was now smirking at him with a look that said welcome to the friend-zone, bitch. It’s not like Choso got the idea that he would be sleeping with you, but it didn’t feel very good that you dismissed the possibility altogether. Even more reason to carry on, there was no chance he was admitting his feelings to you now. After that, you kicked them both out, preparing for a day at the lodge.

All I need is you and me alone. Love is like a rose and baby, let it grow.

Once you guys were done at the slopes, it was evening time. Everyone had decided to cook for dinner. Much like a potluck, all of you made something with ingredients you brought from home. Nobara’s pasta salad was pretty good, and Inumaki’s onigiri wasn’t half-bad, but the best thing was your brownies. A little known fact about Choso is that he loves sweets. That’s why when he tried your brownies, he nearly scarfed the whole thing down. You got the perfect texture, rich and fluffy with a decadent chocolate. You noticed him eating one and walked over, a blush on your face.

“So, how do you like them?”

“They’re delicious.”

“Really? You think so?”

“Yeah, good job.”

You were beaming now, so proud of your baking. Choso felt really good, satisfied in the fact that he made you feel that way. Maybe he wasn’t always a fuck up.

“Hey, we’re about to do spin the bottle! You two playing?”

Maki had walked up to ask you, a slight look of annoyance on her face, it was obvious she wasn’t interested in playing, probably dragged into it by Nobara. But, that all changed when she saw the optimistic look on your face, her dread turning into a smile.

“Uh, duh! Sounds fun, you’re coming right, Choso?”

It’s not like he had much of a choice, because before you even finished your sentence, you were dragging him over to the living room. He didn’t really wanna play, but damn, he was happy you were touching him.

“So, we spin it and whoever you land on, you have to kiss. Sounds good? Okay great.”

Mai hadn’t given anyone a chance to answer the question, cause to be frank, she didn’t really care. All of you sat in a circle now, couch and chairs moved back to accommodate everyone’s seating arrangements. Choso sat next to Yuuta on the opposite side of the circle, while Yuuji sat between you and Megumi. At least Megumi wasn’t sitting next to you. Mai crawls over and spins the bottle first, landing on Todo.

“Hell no.”

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“It means hell no! I’m not kissing you.”

As her and Todo sent killer looks at each other, Yuuta went ahead and spun the bottle, landing on Maki, who was blushing like crazy. Everyone knew Yuuta had a thing for Maki, but it was a surprise when Maki kissed him back. After cheers and howls from the others, they sat back in their positions. You went up and spun next, Choso staring at the damn bottle like he had the powers to stop it. It landed on Megumi. Choso nearly lost his shit, I mean, was the damn universe against him? Yuuji raised his hand, a look of concern on his face.

“Uh, Mai, I don’t think she wants to kiss her best friend, that would be kinda awkward.”

“Well, spin again.”

Yuuji, you fuckin’ saint. You give Megumi a playful pout, while he looked like someone’s sad puppy. Crawling up to spin again, Choso held his breath, mentally preparing for who it would land on next.

“Oh!”

He couldn’t fuckin’ believe it. The bottle had landed on him. You give him a sultry smile, crawling over to him and kissing him firmly on the lips. He nearly died in that moment, high on the adrenaline pumping through his body from the feeling of your lips on his. You pull away and smirk at him, crawling back to your position on the floor, earning some whistles and claps from the others.

“You know all you had to do was kiss him on the cheek, right?

“Yeah, but I wanted to make things exciting!”

Oh, Choso was excited alright. All the way down to his-

No one knows the secrets that you know. Come on, pull me close, lay me in the snow.

After playing a few more rounds, Yuuta and Maki got a bit tired, calling it a night. Yeah, right. At that point, someone got the idea it would be fun to go out to the hot tub, which you happily agreed to. Choso couldn’t be more uncomfortable. Sitting in the hot tub with Megumi and the others was the last thing he wanted to do, retreating to his room. That is, until there was a knock at his door.

“Choso, you’re coming out right? Where’s your trunks?”

Choso was about to die, and you were killing him slowly. When he looked at you, he didn’t expect you to be wearing such a revealing bikini, one of those with the triangle tops and thong bottoms. He nearly short circuited when he saw how pretty your tits sat in the cups, rubbing together a bit more due to your lean on the door. It didn’t help that you were fucking pouting again, giving him that look that said you weren’t gonna take no for an answer. And you looked really damn good in pink.

“Uh…yeah, sure.”

“Yay! Hurry up and get changed, I’ll wait out here for you!”

With that, you sat down on his bed, tits bouncing from the gravity shift. He could’ve sworn he was high, but damn it, he had to keep it together. He swiftly grabbed his trunks from his suitcase and went to the bathroom, closing the door shut behind him. For a moment there, he considered relieving himself before having to sit with you half-naked beside him, but there wasn’t enough time for that and it would also be really fucking wrong.

After putting on his trunks, he opened the bathroom door, you still waiting for him patiently. When you saw him, your eyes went wide. Choso was not the type to walk around shirtless, but he knew he couldn’t get into the water with a shirt on. It’s not like he was bad looking, just less built than someone like Todo, so in turn, he was convinced he was mildly unattractive.

“Ooo, Choso, nice abs!”

Who was insecure? Not him, never. Your validation was all he needed to be in better spirits, loosening up a bit as you guided him through the house. Nobara, Yuuji, and Megumi were already in the hot tub. Much to Megumi’s surprise, you were holding Choso’s hand as you walked out onto the patio, and Choso could swear he could see the smoke shooting out of Megumi’s ears. As you got into the hot tub, Choso took a seat next to you, clearly fighting the temptation to stare at your body again. Yuuji started talking about some thing that happened back at school, but he couldn’t pay attention at all, why? Because, thankfully, you were still holding his hand.

I know you can feel it.

You'll be mine every night, I'm tryin' to effortise you're the only one I want.

Everyone had long since gone to sleep, the clock showing 1 AM now. Choso had been tossing and turning all night, just couldn’t stop thinking about the day. It was the most he’d ever interacted with you, and it was making him nuts. The way you touched him, spoke to him. Respectfully, he was in love with you. Tensed, he decided to go out and relax on one of the chairs on the patio.

Hold me tight, Marlboro Light, lovin' what you're doin' to me.

He brought a cigarette to his mouth and lit it, inhaling the smoke like a breath of fresh air. Laying back, he put his arm behind his back, allowing himself to decompress.

“That’s a bad habit, ya know?”

You had come out on to the patio, dressed in an oversized t-shirt and shorts that were practically underwear. He brought his hand to his face wiping down, preparing to fight his boner for the umpteenth time today. You walked past him, taking a seat on the chair next to him and taking the cigarette. To his surprise, you smoked it, inhaling softly and blowing out.

“Thought it was a ‘bad habit’?”

“A habit I never denied having.”

You put your lips around it again, Choso in a trance. He didn’t even care that your sticky lipgloss was staining the filter, all he could think about was how good they would look around his-

“So, you don’t talk much. Why’s that?

“Not really much to talk about.”

“Nonsense, there’s always something to talk about.”

The cigarette is finished now, Choso sitting it in the ashtray. You stood from your chair, walking to the door and waiting for him. He stood up too, noticing how cold it had gotten, following behind you into the living room, fireplace crackling with a light fire.

We're gonna melt down, gonna disappear into the sun.

“Oh yeah, like what?”

“Like, about how we can finally warm up in here.”

You sat on the rug in front of the fireplace, patting the floor beside you, signaling Choso to sit with you. Like a fish to water, he came down and sat, looking between you and the fire.

“So, what are you studying?

“Um…Pre-Med. I wanna be a phlebotomist.”

“Like blood and stuff? How cryptic!”

You playfully jab him, talking for what seemed like forever on all sorts of topics, music, movies, memories. Every thing you said made him fall more in love with you. Your enthusiasm in the way you spoke about your interests, god, he wished you talked about him like that. Eventually he became more and more comfortable, relaxing a bit.

“So, wanna talk to you ‘bout somethin’.”

“What’s up?”

“A little birdie told me you were crushin’ on me, is that right?”

Yuuji was a dead man. Choso locked his jaw and stared down at the floor. This was it, this was the end. He knew damn well you were out of his league, he couldn’t even compare to the guys who approached you. Guys like him don’t pull girls like you, shit, at this point, he had something in common with Megumi. Unrequited love for you.

“Um…I…uh… yes.”

“Is that so?”

You looked him in his eyes now, getting a bit closer to him. He swears he’s gonna combust, your face is so close to his, god, if he had any balls he’d make a move on you right now. He nodded and sighed, ready for the influx of humiliation.

“Yeah, I like you. A lot, actually.”

“So, what are you gonna do about it?”

The fuck did you just say? He was hearing things, has to be. There was no way you were implying he make a move on you, but when you brought your hand over his and gave him that sultry look in your eyes, he knew exactly what you meant.

Gonna burn down together, like fire, we can't get enough.

“Fuck it.”

Choso slammed his lips on to yours, so high on life that he nearly comes undone at the feeling of your hand crawling behind his neck. You start to lean back onto the rug, Choso climbing on top of you, claiming your mouth as his as he begins biting your lower lip. And when that makes you moan softly, he swears he was gonna fucking lose it. He moves down to your neck now, kissing and sucking the skin there while your fingers run through his hair. Can’t help but leave hickies all over it, now that he’s got you, he wants everyone to know you’re his.

We're tied like white roses, you know we're never comin' undone.

As he comes down your neck, his lips find their way onto your chest, licking the skin of your breasts as his hand comes under your shirt to massage your tits. Isn’t it his lucky day? You’re not wearing a bra. Choso’s imagination runs wild for a second there, thinking there was a possibility you were braless because you intended to fuck him, but it was an incomplete thought as he brought your shirt over your head. Back on you immediately, he took a nipple into his mouth, tongue circling on the bud, obsessed with the light moans and whimpers he was pulling out of you. Sucking all over your chest, he was running on lust and adrenaline. Kissing his way down your stomach, making you arch your back a bit, he found his way down to your shorts, taking them down slowly as he kissed the skin around your pelvis. He hit the jackpot. You weren’t wearing any panties either, and to make it better, you spread your legs for him, your lower lips inviting him to indulge.

'Cause I wanna stay forever, I know that you're the only one, only one.

“Wait, what if someone sees us?”

Choso is a bit frustrated now, interrupting him sucking the skin of your thighs. He nearly told you he didn’t fucking care, but when he looked up at you, there was that damn pout again. Swiftly, he scooped you up as you scrambled to grab your clothes before anyone found them. Hoisting you over his shoulder, you giggle a bit as he carries you down the hall and into your room, ensuring no one could hear you from all the way down there. After closing the door and locking it, he sat you on the bed, laying you out and opening your thighs so he could continue is mission. That had you chuckling, which was interrupted by you moaning his name as he took your clit into his mouth. He was a man starved, exploring pandora’s box for the first time. The sweet, sweet treasure he’d been waiting so long for, you exceeded his expectations. He was dedicated, sucking the bud in and out of his mouth and massaging his tongue against it in a circular motion. God, did it feel good, your fingers were pulling at his hair, you could swear it was gonna rip out. But he didn’t care. You could’ve killed him right now, but your pussy was already killing him. Especially when you got wetter and wetter, which Choso decided he wanted to explore before the main event. With two fingers, he brought them into your pussy, feeling your walls stretch around them. He was self indulgent, pumping them in and out of you, curling his finger up to hit that spot that was obviously very effective. He’s heard you say his name over twenty times now, each time you say it his dick is aching more and more. You were being so good, arching your back as he took all you could give, making you feel things you’d never felt before. You’ve had your fair share of lays, but Choso was surely the best so far. You feel yourself getting closer and closer to the edge, whimpering as you rub your pussy on his lips. He was going crazy, his tongue working on its own at this point, fucking in and out of you as his thumb rubs your clit. And he wasn’t ashamed to moan as he ate you, he wanted you to know just how much he enjoyed it, how grateful he was. With one particularly hard suck, you came undone all over his lips. God, you were an angel, back arching off the bed as you pulled his hair, bringing him up to kiss you and kiss you he did. He was hungry now, continuing to finger you as you cracked from overstimulation.

“God, Choso, please.”

White roses in the snow, never let me go.

He wasn’t stupid, he knew exactly what you meant. That’s why he immediately went to work, stripping himself of his pijama pants and top, leaving just his boxers, which he was currently freeing his dick from. Now, Choso wasn’t the thickest guy around, but what he didn’t have in girth, he made up for in length. That’s why you looked in anticipation as he pumped his hands on it, taking some of your cum to saturate it before slipping inside of you. He’s died, thats it. He’s in fucking heaven. His brain can’t even comprehend the way you feel, almost upset with himself he hadn’t made a move on you sooner, knowing he could’ve been putting his dick inside you a long time ago. But none of that mattered now, not when he finally found himself all the way in.

Lyin' in your bed and movin' slow, takin' off our clothes, giving you it all.

Your moans, they were becoming too much. Choso wasn’t selfish, not at all, but the way you were sucking him in, he was tortured, waiting for you to adjust to his size. He was gonna do whatever he could to make this good for you. He didn’t even care about cumming himself, as long as you cum again, he’d be complete.

“You ready, baby?”

“Yes…please…fuck me.”

And with that, he let go. All resolve he had to not rush into things? Gone. Asking you to be his girl first? Gone. He was fucking you, here and now, and you were loving it. You bring your hands up to rub his back, pulling him in closer so you could kiss him, moaning into his mouth as he fucked you. God, you were addicting. He was doing anything he could to hear you say his name, singing him a lullaby that would be etched into his brain forever. All of a sudden, you bring your legs up to wrap around his back, locking him in place to fuck you deeper. That was Choso’s breaking point. He fucked you like he was insane, he swore you two would fall into the mattress. And you? You were so fucked out you were speaking what sounded like it was supposed to be his name. He brought his lips down to kiss you again, feeling the vibrations from your throat of you whimpering in pleasure.

“You like that baby?”

“Yes, Choso, so much.”

“You’re killing me.”

Choso had no thoughts, so focused on the way your pussy sucked him in and out, feeling like it was made for him. You were wrapping around him like a warm blanket, and he was addicted. He saw it when your lips parted to moan out louder, and as much as he loved the way you reacted to him drilling you, he had to bring his mouth up to your ear.

“You gotta be a little quieter, princess. Can’t have everyone hear how good you feel.”

He had gotten a bit cocky now, knowing he was about to make you cum again. It was so obvious, the staggering of your moans, your nails in his skin, your tits pressing against his chest from arching your back. Your whimpers sounded more like begging now and it was sending him over. He felt himself about to cum, but he had a mission to complete first. He brought his thumb up to rub your clit, making you squirm uncontrollably.

“Choso, I’m…I…”

“You gonna cum for me, baby?”

You couldn’t even answer, too busy focusing on every motion of his thumb, like watching every stroke of a paintbrush on a painting. Unfortunately for you, he needed that validation.

“Let me hear you, baby. Am I making this pussy feel good?”

“Yes, Choso, fuck!”

With that, he rubbed your clit even faster, bud sensitive from the second orgasm approaching.

“Wanna feel you cum for me, kay?”

Fuck, you were a good listener. In seconds, you came all over his dick, body jerking as you felt the ripples of your orgasm consume you. You swear you’ve never came that hard before, and Choso was reveling in it. The way your pussy was spasming around his dick, he couldn’t hold it much longer.

“Where do you want it?”

“Inside!”

All I need is you and me alone. Love is like a rose and baby, let it grow.

That was it. With another thrust, he spilled himself into you, heart and soul. God, was he in love with you, even more so that he unlocked a new part of you. His orgasm felt like an eternity like his body was giving him triumph after waiting so long to have you. And when it all came crashing down, he dropped beside you and laid on the bed. It was instinct, wrapping his arm around you to lay on his chest, panting from the fatigue settling in after fucking you the way he did.

Neither of you said anything for a few minutes, Choso instead running his hand over your side, eyelids getting heavy. You shuffle a bit, turning you body to rest on your arms, looking up into his eyes. He was preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. What if you only wanted to fuck him? To be fair, you never told him you liked him back, and when he realized that, he felt himself go back to his typical nervous state.

“So… did you like it?”

“Yeah, a lot.”

“Good, um, glad I could make you feel good.”

You give him a confused look, like you were expecting him to say something else. He shook a bit, intimidated at the way you stared at him. The result? Word vomit.

“Look, I don’t know if you, uh, like me…you know like-”

“I do. Have for a while now.”

His heart skipped a beat, stomach doing backflips. He couldn’t believe it, he must be dreaming.

“You, uh, what, I-”

“Surprised you didn’t know. Everyone else does, even Megs. Sadly for him, I’m crushin’ on you. I mean, why else would I agree to kiss you? Or hold hands with you? Or not say anything when you shamelessly stare at my tits?”

You had a damn point. He felt stupid now, again, wishing he would’ve said something sooner.

“Can…um, do you…shit, will you be my girlfriend?”

“Thought you’d never ask.”

No one knows the secrets that you know. So come on, pull me close, lay me in the snow.

The next morning, Choso wakes up before you. You were like an angel, sleeping and breathing softly under the sheets, still laying on his chest. Begrudgingly, he pulled off of you, needing to piss and have a smoke. When he finished in the bathroom, you were still sleeping, and the last thing he wanted to do was interrupt. So, he quietly put his clothes back on, walked out the room, closing your door softly. He walked down to his room and jumped at the sight of Yuuji at his door.

“Choso, you motherfucker, didn’t think you had it in you!”

I know you can feel it.

♱ the song used in this story is white roses by charli xcx. 🖤

♱ masterlist.

♱ all fics playlist.

𝖆𝖚 𝖗𝖊𝖛𝖔𝖎𝖗, 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖑𝖞𝖗𝖚𝖎𝖓.

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pluckyredhead · 1 year ago

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The Lost Titans in Canon: Rose and Eddie

Hello, friends! Are you ready to get your heart broken?

Rose and Eddie both joined the Titans during the 2006 One Year Later gap (when every DC book jumped one year ahead after Infinite Crisis) and first appeared on the team in #34 of the 2003 Teen Titans series. They're already buddies, at least enough to...hang out in the kitchen together, not facing each other and throwing oranges on the floor? This art is baffling:

What mind-bogglingly prudish teenager instituted that swear jar, let alone decided that "damn" was enough to qualify?

We later learn that Rose vouched for Eddie to get him on the team, apparently two seconds after having met him. Rose herself was on the team because Dick asked Tim to give her a chance.

Eddie is already protective of Rose, like when Cassie, uh...punches Rose hard enough to give her a nosebleed for the crime of being annoying.

Guys, you should...you should probably quit this team. I know it's just your first issue, but yikes.

Their second issue features a drunk Rose climbing into Tim's bed and trying to seduce him, and then Cassie showing up and everyone attacking everyone else, and then Marvin hitting on Cassie (I'm glad you're dead, Marvin), and it's pretty much just trash all around.

But it also features this moment:

Eddie has never recovered and NEITHER HAVE I.

Rose then confesses that she's afraid that the Titans will kick her off the team, since Tim doesn't really want her or Eddie around, just his real friends. (I could write a thesis on how Rose is afraid of being kicked out so she deliberately tries to provoke them into kicking her out, but this isn't the time.)

She hides it better, but Rose has never recovered from this, either.

Then Eddie gets hurt and Rose pulls they "Stay with me!" trope:

It has only been two issues! They're obsessed with each other!

But Rose warns him off:

Eddie continues to be ride or die for Rose, defending her when she's accused (falsely) of being a traitor to the team, and protecting her when his own dystopian future self shows up and tries to kill her. Also, Jaime joins the team and Eddie is wildly jealous of how much Rose seems to like him:

Rose 100% knows Eddie's right there and is doing this to make him jealous, btw. This is extremely explicit in the issue. She doesn't actually care about Jaime one way or the other (and Jaime tells her very clearly that he has a girlfriend).

Meet Rose Wilson! She has absolutely no idea how to cope with liking a sweet boy who is nice to her, so she spends an entire issue trying to make him jealous and making fun of him in a way that's genuinely mean! Oh, honey, no.

Between Rose blowing hot and cold, Tim and Cassie being just incredibly nasty to Eddie all the time for no reason, and the trauma of, you know, having sold his soul to the devil and being functionally orphaned and all, Eddie makes a very bad decision. He invites a bunch of civilian teens to Titans Tower, where they promptly run amuck. The Titans are furious, and Eddie is left feeling completely friendless and about an inch from being kicked off the team completely.

That's when he's approached by the Terror Titans, a team of teenage edgelords led by the Clock King, who DC was trying to make into a cool scary villain by having him *checks notes* fuck teenage girls and constantly murder people on-page as gorily as possible. This whole storyline is trying so, so hard to be cool and edgy but it's just incredibly tiresome.

Anyway Eddie recognizes that actually all these people suck, and refuses to join them and betray the Titans. So they kidnap him and Clock King proceeds to torture him.

Meanwhile, the Terror Titans attack Titans Tower. The only people there are Wendy and Marvin, who are non-combatants, and Rose. Rose defeats every member of the Terror Titans, gets Wendy and Marvin to safety, and then, beat to hell, walks back into Titans Tower to fight the Terror Titans again. Why?

THEY'VE GOT EDDIE.

Rose drags herself back into the Tower, hurt and bleeding, to beat Eddie's location out of the Terror Titans. It's such a good gender reversal of this trope, where the damsel in distress is an eldritch horror and the grizzled warrior coming to his rescue is a teenage girl. The execution of every single bit of this story is absolutely awful and unreadably stupid, but the idea in there is so good! Theoretically!

The Terror Titans manage to escape Rose's wrath, but Rose follows them to where Eddie is being kept: an underground cage fighting ring for captured teenage metas. The Teen Titans also realize what's happening and show up to rescue Eddie as well.

Rose saves Cassie's life and defeats Clock King, but Cassie is still like "Rose is crazy and dangerous and shouldn't be on the team" and Tim's like "Hm maybe you're right"...and Rose overhears.

Meanwhile, Eddie learns that Rose went apeshit when he was kidnapped, and is thrilled because maybe this means he has a chance! He shows up with flowers...

...and Rose is already gone. She's quit the team.

Rose is gone for about ten issues (she temporarily joins the Terror Titans, which is as unbearably stupid as you might imagine), and during that time, Eddie loses his powers and becomes just a regular guy. And then Rose makes her glorious return:

AND EDDIE LITERALLY SWOONS.

But Rose is not okay. She's becoming addicted to huffing adrenaline to enhance her precognitive abilities [insert eyeroll here]. Eddie, of course, is the one who notices:

I love that first panel in the last row. They've moved past the point where Rose can pretend she doesn't care about Eddie and Eddie can't tell the difference. The intimacy of that line (and that touch) - he knows her, and he's telling her so. UGH MY HEART.

Rose gets into another fight with Cassie, and it convinces her that she doesn't belong on the Titans. And, she argues, neither does Eddie, who has no powers and no training.

AND THEN THIS PAGE HAPPENS AND I HAVE NEVER RECOVERED:

Rose leaves. Eddie stays. And in the very next storyline, he dies. YOU SHOULD HAVE GONE WITH HER, EDDIE!

I'm not going to recount Eddie's death because I've done that already, but during this time, Rose had a backup solo feature in the Teen Titans book, and it included her hallucinating conversations with various characters. The last hallucination is of Eddie:

The next page is his last line: "...but that doesn't mean you'll never get another chance someday..." She doesn't know he's already dead. I WEEP. I WEEP ETERNALLY.

And that's pretty much the end of the canon Rose/Eddie story. Rose returned to the Titans in the next issue, but there's no scene of her learning or acknowledging Eddie's death - iirc she never mentions him again, which honestly I feel like is pretty in character. Her grief is private.

The comics Rose and Eddie appear in together are objectively awful. But somehow there's still a really compelling and heartbreaking little almost-romance in there, and now that Eddie's back in canon, I'd love to see someone at DC remember this couple, because they are so, so good together. (And imo much more interesting that Jason and Rose, who are functionally the same person and work better as two halves of the Eddie Bloomberg Defense Squad.)

Anyway if you also think they're neat, I wrote a sequel to The Lost Titans about them! You should read it: Five Couches Eddie (Tried to) Crash on After He Was Rescued from Hell (and One Time He Went Home).

#eddie bloomberg #kid devil #red devil #rose wilson #ravager

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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 1 month ago

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The New Yorker :: @NewYorker [An advance look at Barry Blitt’s “Left to Their Own Devices,” the cover for next week’s issue.]

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

March 28, 2025

Heather Cox Richardson

Mar 29, 2025

“Another wipeout walloped Wall Street Friday,” Stan Choe of the Associated Press wrote today. The S&P 500 had one of its worst days in two years, dropping 2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 715 points, losing 1.7% of its value. The Nasdaq Composite fell 2.7%. On Tuesday, news dropped that the administration’s blanket firings and wildly shifting tariff policies have dropped consumer confidence to a low it has not hit since January 2021. Today’s stock market tumble started after the Commerce Department released data showing that consumer prices are rising faster than economists expected.

AIG chief international economist James Knightley said: “We are moving in the wrong direction and the concern is that tariffs threaten higher prices, which means the inflation prints are going to remain hot.” Business leaders like lower interest rates, which reduce borrowing costs and make it cheaper to finance business initiatives, but with rising inflation, the Federal Reserve will be less likely to cut interest rates.

Makena Kelly of Wired reported today that billionaire Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) is planning to move the computer system of the Social Security Administration (SSA) off the old programming language it uses, COBOL, to a new system. In 2017, the SSA estimated that such a migration would take about five years. DOGE is planning for the migration to take just a few months, using artificial intelligence to complete the change.

Experts have expressed concern. Dan Hon, who runs a technology strategy company that helps the government modernize its services, told Kelly: “If you weren’t worried about a whole bunch of people not getting benefits or getting the wrong benefits, or getting the wrong entitlements, or having to wait ages, then sure go ahead.” More than 65 million Americans currently receive Social Security benefits. Today Representative Don Beyer (D-VA) recorded himself calling the SSA and being told by a recording that the wait times were more than two hours and that he should call back. And then the system hung up on him.

Musk told the Fox News Channel today that he plans to step down from DOGE in May, apparently at the end of the 130-day cap for the “special government employee” designation that enables him to avoid financial disclosures. In February, White House staffers suggested Musk would stay despite the limit.

Today the State Department told Congress it is shutting down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) altogether by July 1. Whatever agency functions the administration approves will move into the State Department. Founded by President John F. Kennedy and enjoying bipartisan support, USAID administers programs for global health, disaster relief, long-term economic development, education, environmental protection, and democracy. It is widely perceived to be a key element of U.S. “soft power.”

USAID was created by Congress, and its funds are appropriated by Congress. Congress and the courts have established that the executive branch—the branch of government overseen by the president—cannot kill an agency Congress has created and cannot withhold appropriations Congress has made. The authors of Project 2025 want to challenge that principle and consolidate government power in the hands of the president. It appears they have chosen USAID as the test case.

As Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shatters science and health agencies, the nation’s top vaccine regulator, Dr. Peter Marks, submitted his resignation today after being given the choice to resign or be fired. Dan Diamond of the Washington Post noted that Marks has been at the Food and Drug Administration since 2012 and has been at the head of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research since 2016.

In his resignation letter, Diamond says, Marks expressed his deep concern over the ongoing measles outbreak in the Southwest—now more than 450 cases—and warned that the outbreak “reminds us of what happens when confidence in well-established science underlying public health and well-being is undermined.” Marks said that although he was willing to work with Kennedy on his plan to review vaccine safety, “it has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the Secretary, but rather he wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies.”

On Tuesday, news broke that Kennedy has tapped anti-vaccine activist David Geier to lead a study looking to link autism to vaccines, although that alleged link has been heavily studied and thoroughly debunked. Infectious disease journalist Helen Branswell notes that Geier does not have a medical degree and was disciplined in Maryland for practicing medicine without a license.

British investigative journalist Brian Deer, who has written about the hoax that vaccines cause autism, told Branswell: “If you want an independent source,… [you] wouldn’t go to somebody with no qualifications and a long track record of impropriety and incompetence.” But, he said, “[i]f you wanted to get in anybody off the street who would come up with the result that Kennedy would like to see, this would be your man.”

Tara Copp of the Associated Press reported today that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has done some targeted staffing, too. His younger brother Phil Hegseth is traveling to the Indo-Pacific with the secretary in his role at the Pentagon as a liaison and senior advisor to the Department of Homeland Security. Hegseth also employed his brother when he ran the nonprofit Concerned Veterans for America, where the younger Hegseth’s salary was $108,000 for his media work. Copp notes that a 1967 law “prohibits government officials from hiring, promoting or recommending relatives to any civilian position over which they exercise control.”

Hegseth and his colleagues are still in the hot seat for uploading the military’s attack plans against the Houthis in Yemen to Signal, an unsecure commercially available messaging app. Yesterday, Nancy A. Youssef, Alexander Ward, and Michael R. Gordon of the Wall Street Journal reported that National Security Advisor Mike Waltz identified a Houthi missile expert whose identity Israel had provided from a human source in Yemen, angering Israeli officials.

Americans, especially those with ties to the military, aren’t happy either. Military, the leading news website for service members, veterans, and their families, titled a story about the scandal “‘Different spanks for different ranks’: Hegseth’s Signal scandal would put regular troops in the brig.” Helene Cooper and Eric Schmitt of the New York Times reported that the story had “angered and bewildered” fighter pilots, who say “they can no longer be certain that the Pentagon is focused on their safety when they strap into cockpits.”

At a raucous town hall held today by Republican representative Victoria Spartz (R-IN), the crowd booed Spartz loudly when she said she would not call for the resignations of Waltz, Hegseth, and the rest of the people on the group chat.

All the mayhem created by the administration has created enough backlash that the White House appears concerned about upcoming special elections on April 1. One is for the seat in Florida’s District 6 that Waltz vacated when he became national security advisor. In 2024, Trump won that district by 30 points, and Republicans considered their candidate, state senator Randy Fine, whom Trump has strongly endorsed, to be such a shoo-in that he barely campaigned. His website features pictures of him with Trump but has only bullet points to explain his stand on issues.

Democrat Josh Weil, a middle-school math teacher who has outraised Fine by almost 10 to one, is polling within the margin of error for a victory in a contest where even a 10- to 15-point loss would show a dramatic collapse in Republican support. Weil has tied Fine to Musk’s unpopular DOGE and to the president, as well as to cuts to Social Security and Medicaid.

Trump is now personally campaigning for Fine and for the Republican candidate to fill the seat vacated by former representative Matt Gaetz in Florida District 1. There, Democratic candidate Gay Valimont is running against Republican Jimmy Patronis in a district that elected Trump with about 68% of the vote. Like Fine, Patronis is strongly backed by Trump and wants more cuts to the federal government; Gay is a former state leader for Moms Demand Action and focuses on healthcare and veterans’ services. She has criticized DOGE’s cuts to VA hospitals. Like Weil, she has significantly outraised her opponent.

Republicans are concerned enough about holding the seats that billionaire Elon Musk, who poured more than $291 million into the 2024 election to help Republicans, has begun to contribute to Republicans in Florida. On Tuesday he spent more than $10,000 apiece for texting services for the Florida candidates.

Musk has contributed far more than that—more than $20 million—to the April 1 election for a ten-year seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Trump loyalist Brad Schimel is running against circuit court judge Susan Crawford in a contest that has national significance. Wisconsin is evenly split between the parties, but when Republicans control the legislature and the supreme court, they suppress voting and heavily gerrymander the state in their favor. When liberals hold the majority on the court, they ease election rules and uphold fair maps. Currently, the state gerrymander gives Republicans 75% of the state’s seats in the U.S. House of Representatives although voting in 2024 was virtually dead even. The makeup of the court could well determine the congressional districts of Wisconsin through 2041, through the redistricting that will take place after the 2030 census.

Musk has told voters that if Crawford wins, “then the Democrats will attempt to redraw the districts and cause Wisconsin to lose two Republican seats.” Not only has Musk said he is going to Wisconsin to speak before the election, but also he is handing out checks to voters who sign a petition against “activist judges,” a suggestion that it would not be fair to unskew the Republican gerrymander. Last night, Musk advertised a contest that would award two voters a million dollars each, with the condition that the winners had to have already voted.

This morning, Wisconsin Democrats issued a press release noting that Musk had “committed a blatant felony,” directly violating the Wisconsin law that prohibits offering anyone anything worth more than $1 to get them to “vote or refrain from voting.” Wisconsin Democratic Party chair Ben Wikler said that if Schimel “does not immediately call on Musk to end this criminal activity, we can only assume he is complicit.”

Musk deleted the tweet and then, eliminating the language that said people had to have voted, posted that he would give the checks to spokespeople for his petition. Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul sued to stop Musk “from any further promotion of the million-dollar gifts” and “from making any payments to Wisconsin electors to vote.” “The Wisconsin Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that elections in Wisconsin are safe, secure, free, and fair,” Kaul said in a statement. “We are aware of the offer recently posted by Elon Musk to award a million dollars to two people at an event in Wisconsin this weekend. Based on our understanding of applicable Wisconsin law, we intend to take legal action today to seek a court order to stop this from happening.”

MeidasTouch reposted Musk’s offer to “personally hand over two checks for a million dollars each in appreciation for you taking the time to vote” and noted: “No matter what side of the aisle you are on, you should be appalled that a billionaire thinks he has the right to buy elections like this.” Former chair of the Ohio Democratic Party David Pepper posted: “Have some pride, America. We are so much better than this guy thinks we are.”

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

#NewYorkerCovers #wipeout on wall street #stock market #Heather Cox Richardson #Letters From An American #Mediastouch #Musk #the big money grab #bankrupting america #AIG #state department

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captainpondlilly · 1 year ago

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Okay! The Gilear plush has arrived. This is my best attempt at all of his lines. Two have been unintelligible to me, and several are pretty long and fast which made it hard to follow.

My search history is.. hospitals near me, foot stuck in object, head stuck in object

You're low, he's low, It's Gilear's day baby!*

A guy on the street kicked me in the nuts as hard he could

I don't like "lunchlad"

Help me to understand what I have done to deserve this

My horoscope says "today is a good day to die motherfucker"

I ate a quick cup of yogurt on the way over here to bolster my spirits after I changed, I'm ever so sorry

What do you mean "When" life gives you lemons

I went to apply for the guidance counselor position but I was usurped by a drug dealing werewolf named Jawbone

In my haste to put the armor on I buckled the leg plate and think I clipped the tip of my penis against one of the leg plates and Everytime I move it feels like it might fall off so I ASSURE you demon I have no pride to speak of!

In highschool I was voted "Most Likely To Get Pushed Out Of A Tree"

My car was repossessed by the ride share app that I was working for

It's actually a good thing that no one came to my birthday party because the bounce house flooded and was swept out to sea

I just discovered that *all* of my emails have been going to everyone's spam

Unfortunately I have been banned from that hot air balloon service not because of anything that happened to me in particular but the guys who run it just sort of know my whole deal

Mmm this yogurt tastes like *potatoes*

I asked the woman at Home Depot why my plants kept dying and she said it seemed like they were reaching away from the sun

I've found out recently that one of my shoes is so filled with mildew because a pipe in my bedroom is leaking and I've developed a fungal infection in my foot which I didn't know was possible for elves to get

I don't think that I've ever "Peaked" in that we started neutral and have been going downhill ever since

I am currently trapped in a storm drain. The bottom half of me is above the ground, the other is below

Another Own Goal for Gilear Faeth, yes

Everyone knows you eat 7 spiders in your sleep every year, but I have a bunch coming into me the backway

My sandcastle I'm afraid was destroyed, as I was about to finish it, the tide came in and with it a man holding a bazooka who shot me and killed me

I know you're not going to believe this but Ive just been kicked by a snake

I found out the hard way that people can legally reject status as an emergency contact

The title of my autobiography is going to be Gilear Faeth: Please Stop

On my way here I was carrying a large bowl of Italian wedding soup which shattered on the ground in front of me and several of the small pasta balls rolled through the cracks and alerted vermin to my presence. I've since learned after a trip to the hospital I am deathly allergic to the sting of millipedes which is a way of me saying I need someone to come down to the hospital and pay for this. There is a doctor holding a gun to my head and now that I think about it this clinic is in the back of a storage unit and I think have gone to the wrong place

he said and I quote "he'd stomp my goon ass" if I ever got on his bus again

Gorthalax it was very nice to meet you, you've made a cuckold of me

We're the throw up boys!*

I've been informed that the brownies I consumed were laced with cannabis and rat poison

I am completely unprepared for the perils ahead and am deeply frightened, I'll go get the coffee

A gorilla monster punched me so hard in the back of the head I died

Today I have been hit by 3 scooters

Everytime you squeeze my hand it breaks several small bones

My imaginary friend as a child ghosted me because he said I was too depressing

Do you want me to go back? I warn you, it will break me

Can I interest you in an herbal soda? You must understand I am an intern at a ponzi scheme*

When I go to sleep at night I dream of a world where I might be able to walk through a field without stepping on a rake or gopher hole

If anyone needs me... I will be surprised.

If it wasn't for bad luck, Id have no luck is both true and what was written upon the billboard I crashed through

I wonder if any of these will feature in Junior year 👀

*Thanks to @cappa-cappa for telling me the lines I wasn't able to make out!!

#d20 #dimension 20 #naddpod #bahumia #brian murphy #emily axford #brennan lee mulligan #gilear faeth #siobhan thompson #lou wilson #ally beardsley #dropout #spire #fantasy high #fantasy high freshman year #fantasy high sophomore year #fantasy high junior year

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eemolu · 1 month ago

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umm.. which d20 season should i watch (to start or next)??

in honor of brennan releasing basically the exact same video on dropout literally today, here's an unhinged list i've been working on for longer than i'd like to admit.

IF YOU’VE NEVER SEEN D&D BEFORE OR ARE LOOKING TO GET INTO TTRPGS • Fantasy High ⁃ I mean obviously. The cast is learning 5e right alongside the players, but also, they’re learning about each other. They’ve never played before. You’ve never watched them play before. There aren’t any inside jokes that you’re missing out on because you haven’t made them yet ⁃ The setting and characters are a great mixture of dnd tropes and familiar media tropes, so even the jokes you don’t get you kind of do also get ⁃ 3 seasons and a movie (counting the liveshows) • Unsleeping City s1 ⁃ Oh, you don’t like fantasy stuff. You find elves annoying. You’ve never seen Lord of the Rings and you don’t care to. Great! This season is urban fantasy and the fairies are all parodies of characters from the Godfather. ⁃ Still early enough that the cast is still fairly new and you’re not missing much. Also it’s incredible ⁃ 1.75 seasons and a stage production (one season, one covid zoom season that’s incredible but takes a sec to get used to, and a madison square garden liveshow complete with pyrotechnics) • Dungeons and Drag Queens ⁃ Learn with the queens. Love with the queens. Cry with the queens ⁃ Brennan is being a Nice Guy DM so generally things go how you want ⁃ It’s kind of like watching a bunch of people remember what it’s like to be in third grade and invent an entire world at recess and decide who has storm powers and who has seventeen imaginary cats and who has a sword that’s also a gun

I DON’T LIKE D&D BUT I STILL WANT TO WATCH!! • Mismag ⁃ They’re not playing dnd they’re playing kids on brooms and Aabria mostly eschews combat, so don’t worry ⁃ First season is a misdirect to get you to the second season ⁃ Smaller cast of characters and only one (haunted) white man. Sick. • A Court of Fey and Flowers ⁃ Technically still dnd but only for the purposes of letting these high drama idiots pretend to kill each other ⁃ They spend most of the air time sending letters, flirting autistically, and massaging butts ⁃ Emily Axford & Lou Wilson spend the whole season serving cunt and invoking jeremy renner • Never Stop Blowing Up ⁃ They made up their own action movie game system ⁃ “The universe was created by a big bang. And in that case, is not all of existence a bullet? You catch the cannonball and throw it at the helicopter” ⁃ Practical fart effects

THEY DON’T DO ENOUGH COMBAT, I THINK. I WANT MORE KILLING. • Coffin Run ⁃ Jasmine Bhullar loves combat. Every time you think she’s done there’s another mini ⁃ Complex train calculations have real world battle implications ⁃ Instead of hit points they drink blood • The Seven ⁃ A bunch of women gather together to kick the shit out of Brennan specifically ⁃ Combat flow charts! Rolling thirty d20 with advantage for your attack geese! Etc!! • A Crown of Candy ⁃ IH season most focused on combat. It’s also the most lethal. Brennan is actively trying to kill them the entire time ⁃ The roleplay episodes WILL make you cry so keep that in mind. This is the season that made Lou start smoking cigarettes again to cope ⁃ There are also the covid zoom adventuring parties which are great

I WANT THERE TO BE A MYSTERY I CAN SOLVE • Neverafter ⁃ This season is the perfect blend of mystery and all the other stuff that makes DnD a great game. Sick combats. Complex yet familiar world building. The line “the smile of a devil you never believed in.” ⁃ Players really at their best and fully dialed into all the various factions which is good bc the lore is HEAVY ⁃ Beardsley is the grandpa with the plot important prop and Murph is a silly divorcée so there are plenty of shenanigans still • Fantasy High ⁃ Every single season of this has a great mystery at the heart with enough clues that you could figure it out ahead of time, maybe. I never did but that’s a me thing ⁃ Brennan kept a secret for 5 years of his real adult life for the sickest reveal of all time. Sam Reich torturing Gamechanger contestants coded. ⁃ Riz Gukgak is there • Mentopolis ⁃ If Inside Out was a 1930s noir ⁃ Large part of the mystery requires them to contemplate what’s going on with their big guy’s junk… there’s buzzing down there! It’s narratively important! ⁃ Hank Green is there • Of Mice and Murder ⁃ I’ve never seen this one but it’s The Mystery Season so. I assume it fits well into this category

WATCHED A FEW SEASONS AND NEED TO KNOW WHAT’S NEXT • Starstruck ⁃ DON’T ask questions just watch NOW ⁃ The funniest season hands down and immediately post covid so the vibes are joyous. Stupid. Perfect. The first major battle includes an exploding MLM sex goo factory and it only goes up from there ⁃ Brennan’s mom is there • Burrow’s End ⁃ IMO one of the perfect ways to get into the d20 sidequests, especially if you’re like “ugh but I’m going to miss the intrepid heroes though…” ⁃ Every PC is related. Specifically Izzy Rolland (my beloved) and Siobhan Thompson (my beloved 2) are playing Brennan’s children and they are having a GOOD time ⁃ Three gross battle sets and a lightning gun

I’M TIRED OF LORE I WANT TO SEE THE GIRLS GO CRAZY • Time Quangle ⁃ The whole point of the tour was to go hm… what would happen if all the characters got smushed together and nothing made sense? ⁃ Does require some knowledge of previous seasons and has minor spoilers ⁃ Also has a Beardsley nat 20 so spectacular the PCs beat Brennan up right there on the stage in front of God and everybody • NSBU ⁃ The directive of the season from Brennan was “what if I never said no? What if I just yes anded everything that got thrown my way?” and YEAH dude he DELIVERED ⁃ Looked right at camera and said “Let me out baby!! It’s time for Daddy to have fun!!!” ⁃ Basically Beardsley is playing the straight man if you can believe it

#full disclosure this is based only on season's i've seen. so if there are others that fit i believe you. i just haven't seen them #d20 #dimension 20 #absolute masterlist. enjoy #mine

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starry-907 · 7 months ago

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Animation vs Life SMP

alright so i said in the tumblr community if we got new life series and influencer arc ep 3 on the same day i'd post my (currently very minimal and disorganized) thoughts for animation vs life series! and uh. we did indeed get new life series today soooooo yeah.

thoughts below the cut cuz it will likely be a bit long shgsldjf

Explanation of life smp

so! for those of you that don't know what life series/life smp is, it's basically hardcore but you have (usually) 3 lives instead of just one (there's been 2 seasons that don't follow that exact idea). when you hit your last life (referred to as your "red life") you get to be hostile and kill others outside of specific circumstances. last person alive wins! there's been 5 seasons so far (and a vaugely canon april fools ep), with the 6th season starting today, leading to me writing this here.

a lot of folks also add in some additional lore with these beings called the watchers, with the lore being that they're the ones organizing the games and kinda keeping the players locked in this loop of death games. i think one of the content creators has his own lore involving the watchers, martyn inthelittlewood.

if you want an explanation of ava/avm i can't type that here or we'd be here all day so instead i'll just link this post i made a while back that should help explain some stuff

The foundation

essentially this au starts with the idea of what if instead of mcyt-ers, the watchers decided to nab some silly sticks for their death game instead? the current lineup that they grabbed is:

Vic, Chosen, Dark, Second, Green, Blue, Yellow, Red, Purple, and Mango. i might add the mercs if i want more people for more complexity, but i'm still in the baby stages of ideation here.

thing is though, the watchers want to have a pawn member actually in the games, so they can manipulate events the way they want to, whenever they need to. so.....

(yeah that's right i made drawings to go along with this explanation)

ok so it isn't just because they're also purple, it's because they seemed the best candidate in terms of skill and such. cunning and resourceful, but still desperate for approval in a way, so just breadcrumb some praise and you should be able to get them to do what you need them to do right?

i mean purple does eventually realize something's up and doesn't listen to the watchers as much (when they can get away with it).

purple's changes

of course, being made a watcher does come with some changes, external and internal.

external, they get these floating eyes around their head, and the watcher symbol on their back. both of them are usually not visible, only really showing up in low light (light level 3 or less) or when under extreme stress. somehow no one's really questioned it? i mean if you're stuck in a death game (that you don't know is a loop of death games), your friend suddenly getting a bunch of eyes isn't a major concern.

what does garner attention (esp cuz these can't be hidden), is the fact that purple's elytra have turned into full on feathered wings (also with the watcher symbol). they don't allow for flight in the games (unfair advantage), but they do serve as a more... permanent reminder of where purple's ultimate loyalties should lie.

(in case you can't tell, i'm working with majority morally dark watchers here. there are some that don't like the idea, but most of them are more than down for it).

ok jumping ahead a bit we're talking curses!

what's a life series without some curses and patterns, eh? i do not have many right now, but i do know what the biggest one is, i'll do that last.

mango gets a curse to always fail to protect a close ally from death at least once

vic is cursed to always have one death that was preventable

blue has sort of a reverse of mangos, she will have at least one death protecting an ally.

ok starry but what about the canary curse?

i'm glad you asked. who's the one that always runs into battle first in ava, and is therefore the one to always die first?

THAT'S RIGHT. HECK YOU *CANARIES YOUR RED*.

i realize there's other characters that could've fit but at the same time canary red just hits so much more to me. granted the watchers didn't know for sure who their canary would be during the first game, but once red died they just collectively went 👀 and hit him with the curse.

after the first game, the ends of red's bandana become stylized to look like wings, and anyone who knows how to look can see faint images of canary wings on his shoulders. only purple knows the exact reason why.

hey so are they just stuck forever or what

uhhh haven't fully thought this part through. HOWEVER! i do know the main focus characters of this au! purple is clearly one of them, since they have a connection to the watchers (kinda against their will). the other primary focus character... well a lot of folks headcanon that the winners get to remember the past game(s) as a reward for their victory, and the first winner is someone who's more than used to dealing with having an urge in the back of their mind to kill.

basically woe, platonic bugduo upon ye. dark wins the first game, learns about the watchers and stuff, and decides to work with purple on trying to break the cycle. also! for those of you who know how third life ended take that but instead it's chosen and dark. tragic siblings.

(i guess dark did wind up fulfilling their code to destroy the chosen on- *gets exploded*)

other misc things/the scenarios imagined

they would go through all the current games, i don't have many ideas for limited life though (i've only watched all of third and secret life, i need to catch up on the others)

i realized that the boogey curse session from secret life could be very interesting to deal with (blue would be the one to start with the boogey curse), i might write that one if i ever write things for this

purple realizing at the start of limited life that everyone had their memories of third life erased (except dark, they realize dark knows but maybe by that point the alliances are already made)

purple gets to go feral at least once as a treat. is it the boogey curse? red life urges? the watchers? who knows but they get to go feral

as i said, dark is able to resist the red life urges a bit better due to experience with the mission code (which is somewhat suppressed by the watchers, they don't want to let their game be ruined by something like that). also remember how scott didn't kill anyone while affected by the boogey curse in limited life yeah dark does that and it's actually the worst

red notices the wings, he knows about canaries but he doesn't know the full significance of them.

idk what associations the winners would get (i'm still thinking about the different winners at this point anyways). I think yellow would win one, maybe also chosen or second...?

unlikely alliances, unlikely alliances as far as the eye can see. double life especially

PLEASE if you have any ideas or questions come yell at me in my ask box, i would like to talk more about this and i'm curious what thoughts y'all might have

#animator vs animation #animation vs minecraft #trafficblr #life smp #i drew this #if you have the means to check the titles of the drawings i made please do i made them kinda interesting #avlifesmp

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j-eryewrites · 9 months ago

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Look for the Light

The final part of A Sinner's Redemption

SERIES MASTER LIST | MAIN MASTER LIST

Word Count: ~9.8k

Author's Note: Agh, I'm honestly crying. It's all too bittersweet. I started this fic over a year ago, and now it's over. I'm happy with how it ended and I'm glad you were all there along for the ride. Thank you for all your support for "A Sinner's Redemption". I hope you all enjoy the conclusion to Ellie, Joel, and Piper's story.

- With much love, the author.

Warnings: Canon typical violence, spoilers for the last episode and game, Joel goes full momma bear, mentions of death, suicidal ideation, mental health, explicit language, major angst and hurt (with comfort), deceit and lies, gun violence, mentions of gore, description of gore, Joel kills a whole bunch of people, mentions of surgery and medical procedures, mentions of infected, descriptions of child birth, mentions of trauma and coping mechanisms, mentions of injuries and scars (let me know if I missed anything)

Look for the Light (the Final Chapter)

Piper seemed to hit every low branch as she was dragged along. The warm hand holding hers was sweaty. Her mother’s long fingers tightened its hold.

“Ow, mommy,” Piper whined. She looked up at her mom, who quickly apologized, fighting off a painful groan.

“Baby, let’s keep going. Come on.” Anna, the girl’s mom, tugged her child along. A distant howl made her blood run cold. Everything was going wrong. Contractions constricted her body’s muscles. A runner was after them. She’d been running for who knows how long with Piper in tow. Despite the overwhelming surge of fear, Anna knew one thing. She had to keep her sweet girl safe. Both of them, now that the other one was fighting to come out into the world.

“Mommy, I-“

Anna pulled Piper along. “I know, sweet girl. I know. Once we get to the house, we’ll be safe. I promise.”

Heavy huffs of breath fall from Anna’s mouth. The pains were getting worse. She couldn’t keep the sound in—the sound the monster used to track them.

“Fuck,” Anna cried, using her free hand to clutch her round stomach.

“Mommy?” Piper peered up at Anna with worried eyes.

Taking a deep breath, Anna softly smiled down at her daughter. “Mommy’s okay, Pipes. Mommy’s okay.” She knew Piper didn’t believe her. Three-year-olds were brilliant, especially when it came to their mothers.

“Look, Pipes.” Anna pointed to the tall gray house up ahead. “We’re here.”

Anna hastily waddled her and Piper along into the house. The door swung open. “It’s me!” Anna announced. No one answered. Frantically, she looked around. “Anyone?!”

“Mommy?”

“Not now, sweetie.” A screech pierced the air. “Shit!” Anna cursed, pulling Piper up the stairs and into the farthest room. “In here, sweetie.”

Letting go of her daughter’s hand, Anna closed the door, locked it, and dragged a chair to barricade the room.

“Mommy?” Piper whispered. Her tiny finger pointed to the puddle of water underneath Anna’s legs.

“Oh…” Anna grasped her stomach. “Sweetie,” Anna winced. “Help mommy sit down.”

Piper ran to her mom’s side, reaching for her hand. With a thump, Anna collapsed against the floor. Gently, she wiped some of the grime off of Piper’s face.

“I love you; you know that, right?” Anna asked. Piper nodded.

Suddenly, glass broke. It came from downstairs. Anna bit her lip to stifle her groan. “Baby, go hide in-,” Anna howled in pain. “Go hide.”

The chair against the door thumped. Growls seeped through the cracks. It found them.

“Piper! Go-“

The door flung open. The infected charged into the room. Its sights were set on Anna’s little girl. Except it didn’t attack Piper. With a swing, the girl was tossed to the side. The infected’s actual target was revealed as it lunged at Anna.

Piper screamed, and Anna fought. With a switchblade, she swiped at the monster, fighting it off as her body fought to push a baby out. The creature gnashed its teeth, searching for something to bite. The rotten bones found home in Anna’s thigh. She cried out in pain, bringing down the blade into the Infected. She grunted with each slice of her weapon until it dropped dead.

A new cry filled the air. It was the baby.

“Oh…oh…” Anna cooed, lifting her baby. She was tiny. Her frail arms flailed in the air. Her dark eyes crinkled open.

“Mommy?” Piper’s voice called to her mom.

Anna glanced up. “Piper, come meet your sister.”

Piper tip-toed over to her mom and new baby sister.

“Hi…hey…” Anna cooed. She turned the baby over to Piper. The young girl brought her face as close as possible to her new sister.

“She looks funny,” Piper muttered.

The baby started to cry again. Anna held her close. “Did I make her cry?” Piper sniffled. Anna shook her head and chuckled.

“No, sweet girl. Babies just cry.” Then Anna turned to the baby. “Yeah, you tell ’em. You fuckin’ tell ’em, Ellie.”

“Hi Ellie…” Piper whispered. Baby Ellie grew quiet. Her bright, wide eyes looked over at her mom and sister. “I’m your big sister.”

“Do you want to hold her, Pipes?” Piper nodded. With her tiny arms, Piper held Ellie close.

“Hold her head like this, and-“ Anna adjusted Piper’s arms. “Just like that.” Anna sank deeper into the wall. Her eyes watched over her daughters, the view growing blurry.

“Yeah, it’s okay…” Anna whispered to herself. The pain in the thigh crawled its way around her body. She could feel the infection spread.

“Piper,” Anna said. “Can you take your sister and sit in the corner over there?” Piper looked confused but did as her mother said.

Anna bit back a growl. “Fuck,” she quietly cursed. She prayed that Marlene and the others would be back soon. She prayed the last thing her daughters would see was their mother become a monster.

“It’s okay.”

When Anna opened her eyes next, crickets began to chirp outside. Silently, she scolded herself for closing her eyes. Beside her, Piper sat, curled up around her baby sister, the two of them fast asleep. Anna lovingly smiled even if Piper had left the corner.

Taking a hand, she began to run her fingers through Piper’s hair. Her voice croaked but quickly smoothed out as she sang to her baby girls.

♪ Hold me ♪

♪ Close to your heart ♪

♪ Touch me ♪

♪ Give all your love to me. ♪

“Anna?” Marlene’s voice called out. Anna sat up straighter as the door to the room creaked open. Bright white lights momentarily blinded her.

“Oh god,” Marlene cursed, noticing the bite on Anna’s thigh.

With a calm voice, Anna looked up at her friend. “It’s not your fault.”

“We were delayed getting out of the zone. I’m so-“

“They’re hungry,” Anna said, looking down at her girls. “The baby needs to be fed, and I…I didn’t wanna nurse her.” Marlene furrowed her brows in skepticism. “I cut it before I was bit, and it never got to Piper. Marlene,” Anna begged.”Before.”

Sighing, Marlene lowered her gun and approached Anna. Her hands gently reached for the baby in Piper’s arms. Unconsciously, the young girl’s grip tightened around her sister.

“Sweet girl,” Anna whispered, rubbing her finger gently up and down her daughter’s nose. “Piper, I need you to wake up.” Piper stirred and snuggled deeper into her mother’s side. “Baby, please.” Piper awoke. Bringing her hands to the sides of Piper’s face, Anna smiled. Her eyes fought back tears. “There’s my sweet girl.”

“Mommy?” Piper said groggily.

“Yeah, it’s mommy. I need you to promise me something, Piper. Can you do that for mommy?” Piper nodded. “Can you promise to watch over your sister?” Again, Piper nodded, wiping the sleep away. “I need you to be a big girl and a big sister.” Tears began to flow out of Anna’s eyes. “I need you to promise me you’ll always be with her. Piper and Ellie forever. Okay?”

“Mommy, why are you crying?” Piper’s hand reached up to her mom’s face. Her tiny fingers wiped away tears. Anna struggled to peel off her daughter’s hands.

“Piper, remember Aunty Marlene? She’s gonna take you and Ellie to a new home.”

“Where are you gonna go, mommy?” Piper asked, and Anna wanted to break in two.

“I want you to…” Anna’s voice trembled as she looked at Marlene. “…take them with you to Boston… find someone to bring them up, and make sure that they’re safe.”

“I can’t do that,” Marlene breathed, but Anna ignored her.

“And I want you to give her this.” Anna handed over a small switchblade.

“Anna.”

“Her name is Ellie,” Anna explained.

“I can’t,” Marlene sternly said.

“How long have we known each other?” Anna asked. Her eyes held strength even as her mind fought the monster crawling within.

“Our whole lives,” Marlene answered.

“So you pick her up right now…take Piper, and then you kill me.”

“I can’t kill you.”

“Please, please, please.” Anna cried as Marlene stepped away with her daughters in tow. “Please!”

“Mommy?!” Piper began to cry, seeing her mother so distressed.

Anna groaned as a growl grew from her chest. It was coming—the monster.

“Marlene!” Anna screamed. Tears poured freely from her face.

“Mommy!” Piper flailed around as Marlene drew her back from her mom. “Mommy!!”

Suddenly, Marlene’s hand withdrew and was replaced by another.

“Here,” Marlene instructed the Firefly. “Hold her head… There you go.” Ellie cooed in the man’s arms. “Cover her ears.” Then she crouched down to Piper. “Cover your ears for me, Piper.”

Piper shook her head. Her only thought was her mother. “Mommy!” She cried. Anna’s sobs followed the sound.

Marlene clenched her jaw and stood up. The gun felt heavy in her hand as she marched back into the room. She had to make it quick. Anna nodded and closed her eyes. Thoughts of her daughters flashed before her as the bullet tore through her skull.

Piper’s ears rang. Ellie cried, and her sister screamed. Piper didn’t stop screaming for her mother until sleep overcame her petite body. Even when she woke up, she still cried for Anna. But she’d never come. Instead, Piper clung to her baby sister. Although memories faded with time, one thing remained clear. Piper promised. It was her and Ellie. Sisters forever.

꧁_____________꧂

A smile beamed from Joel’s face at his surprise find. Pulling himself away from the car, he called out to his girls. There was no response. He sighed.

“Ellie! Piper!”

No reaction. Joel walked closer to the truck the girls sat on. Their eyes glazed over, stuck in their own heads.

“Girls!”

Piper blinked, her ears ringing as Joel’s voice called out to her. With a gentle nudge of her elbow, she pulled Ellie out of her trance.

“D’ya hear me?” Joel asked the girls.

“No…,” Ellie shook her head. “What?”

“Well,” Joel began, “found this in there. Beefaroni. Chef Boyardee.” He proudly grinned at them.

“Oh, cool,” they muttered at the same time. Their postures shrank back down.

“And have you ever played this?” Joel blurted, regaining the girl’s attention. “Boggle? It’s a word game.”

The girls shook their heads.

“Well, if you wanna beat me at somethin’, it would be this.” Ellie’s ears perked up at Joel’s words, but she didn’t speak. Neither of them did.

With each moment of silence, Joel felt his heart tear in smaller and smaller pieces. “Well, all right then. We’re gettin’ close.” He strolled over to the girls, packing away his finds.

“Mm-hmm,” Ellie hummed.

“Hospital that way.” Joel pointed over their shoulders. “May be the one we’re lookin’ for.”

“Got it,” Ellie muttered, hopping off the back of the truck.

Slowly, Piper placed her feet on the ground. Her hands clutched tightly to the metal of the vehicle. Joel’s eyes flashed with pity, looking at the teen.

Scars had littered her body. The biggest one was found on her face like a crevice carved by tears from her now pale eye. She couldn’t see out of it anymore. A consequence Joel blamed himself for. Joel had done his best to help her heal, but it was never enough to stave off the bouts of pain that would arise from time to time. He knew even more scars were hiding deeper under her skin—for both of them.

“Take this for me?” Joel asked Piper, holding up his gun. She held it as Joel slung the backpack over his shoulder. “Thanks.” Piper nodded, brushing her hair behind her ears.

It had grown out since they’d left Jackson. Her dark curls were tucked beneath her chin. The length helped hide some of the more minor scars that lined her face.

“They had a guitar in that RV,” Joel announced as they passed an abandoned RV on the highway. The girls nodded with false amusement. “It was all smashed up but got me thinkin’, maybe I should find one. I haven’t played in forever.” Joel turned to look behind him at Ellie and Piper. “In fact, I was thinkin’ maybe I could teach you two. I bet you guys be great at it. Maybe make our own little band.” A slight chuckle left Joel’s mouth as he thought about a band of the three of them plucking away at guitars. “Do you two wanna learn how to play guitar?”

Piper shrugged before tripping over some rubble. Thankfully, she caught herself before falling to the ground.

“Ellie?” Joel muttered.

“Hm?” Ellie’s brain quickly recovered. “Oh, yeah. That’d be great. A little guitar band.”

Joel smiled at his girls. His grin was big enough for the three of them when neither of his girls felt like smiling.

The birds chirped louder and louder as they entered Salt Lake City. Even in late spring, the city emitted a ghastly heat.

“Okay, so this is what I’m thinking…” Joel began, wiping sweat from his forehead.

“Cut through that building to get around that stuff, find the skyscraper, go up and look around,” Ellie vacantly finished.

Joel’s eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly collected himself. “Uhh, actually, this time, I was thinkin’ we blast our way through that rubble.” The girls looked up at him with expressions of pure confusion. “I found some dynamite in that RV back there,” Joel said, fighting off a telling smile.

“Really?” The girls cocked their brows.

“No,” Joel teased. The smile exploded on his face. “So we’re gonna cut through that building, find a skyscraper, go up and look around. But I had you goin’, didn’t I?”

Piper rolled her eyes and bit back a smile. Ellie scoffed and continued on walking.

“Look at this place,” Joel muttered, peeking around the abandoned construction site. “Talk about bad luck.” Ellie sent him a questioning look, and Joel answered. “Military drops bombs… not one of them hits the building you’re trying to demolish.”

“No way up,” Piper mumbled. Joel peered around, discovering she was right. Spotting the edges of a ladder above, Joel turned to the girls.

“I get you two up there. You guys can drop that ladder down; maybe we go through that way,” Joel proposed. “Come on. I’ll give you a boost.”

Piper stepped up. Her hand clutched onto Joel’s shoulder as he hoisted her up. He could feel her legs shaking in hesitation as she reached for the edge. Suddenly, her legs buckled beneath her.

“You okay?” Joel asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just my leg.” Piper’s hand rubbed the area where she got shot. “Get Ellie to do it.”

“Alright.” Joel nodded. “Ellie?” The girl didn’t answer him. “Ellie?”

“Els!” Piper yelled.

“What?” Ellie said, whirling around. Her attention had been taken away from the flapping construction sheet.

“You alright?” Joel questioned. “It’s just you kinda seem extra quiet today, so.”

“Oh… I’m sorry,” Ellie apologized.

“No, it’s fine,” Joel reassured her. “Did you hear what I…”

“Yeah, boost. Got it.”

Marching over to Joel, Ellie copied Piper’s earlier motions.

“One… two, up.” Ellie stood up tall and reached for the edge. A grunt escaped her mouth as she pulled herself up. The ladder clattered as Ellie slid it down to Joel.

“Ya got it?” Ellie asked.

“Yeah,” Joel huffed, trying to latch onto the ladder. Suddenly, the ladder dropped. The metal clambered to the floor. Joel narrowly dodged the object.

“God damn it, Ellie!” Joel cursed and picked up the ladder. “Shit.”

“You stay there!” He instructed Ellie.

She didn’t listen. Joel heard her voice echo off the walls of the building as she moved away from the ledge. “You gotta see this!” She exclaimed with excitement.

“Ellie?!” Joel yelled. Climbing up the ladder. Upon reaching the top, he helped Piper come to her feet before they ran after Ellie.

“Up here!” Ellie announced.

“Ellie!” Joel reprimanded.

“C’mon!” He could practically hear the young girl jumping up and down with joy. “C’mon, slow pokes.”

“Just wait. God damn it,” Joel grumbled. His knees ached as he trekked up the stairs and after Ellie. When he got to the top, his breath stilled.

His feet didn’t move. He stood there watching Ellie admire a giraffe. Piper stopped beside him, catching her breath before she approached her sister and the animal. Joe wanted to freeze time as the girls stared in awe at the peaceful creature. But time didn’t work like that.

Slowly, Joel stepped forward.

“Don’t scare it,” Ellie whispered.

“I won’t.”

His hands deftly snapped some leaves off the tree the animal was munching on. He passed the leaves to his girls.

“What are you doing?” Ellie asked, taking the leaves.

“It’s all right.” Then Joel stuck out his hand, feeding the giraffe. He raised his brows and motioned for the girls to do the same. “Come here, hurry up. Come on.”

Ellie was the first to step up. Hesitantly, she stuck out her hand as far away as she could from her body. The giraffe sniffed the leaves before opening its mouth to munch on them. Its dark tongue licked around Ellie’s hand. Giggles erupted from the girl’s mouth.

“Ellie, give me a try,” Piper interjected, sticking her hand of leaves to the creature. The giraffe moved from Ellie’s hand to Piper’s and began to feast. Disgust and amusement contorted on the teen’s face.

“God, it’s wet and it tickles.” Piper felt a shiver go down her spine. Ellie laughed and teased her sister.

Scratch what he thought earlier. If Joel could freeze time, he’d do it now. His girls were happy. God, he hadn’t heard them laugh in so long. It was better than any music he’d ever heard in his life.

“So fucking cool,” Ellie muttered at the giraffe. Before the girls knew it, their hands were empty of leaves, and the giraffe had pulled back. Its lanky legs were taking it away.

“Aw, where’s she going?” Ellie hopped back before entering a sprint, determined to follow the giraffe. “Come on, come on, come on, come on!”

Piper skipped after her, eager to spend longer with the animal.

“Okay,” Joel chuckled, chasing after his girls.

When he finally reached them, Joel couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of deja vu. There, Ellie and Piper stood, gazing out across a city. The sunlight reflected off the shattered windows of the skyline. Nature overcame the city. Vines and trees ensnared everything in sight.

“So… is it everything ya hoped for?” Joel repeated himself.

Ellie grinned. “It’s got its ups and downs… but you can’t deny that view.”

Joel laughed and then joined them. The view was lovely. His eyes scanned the scene and froze on what appeared to be a hospital.

“Look,” he turned to Ellie and Piper. “I don’t know exactly where this hospital is…”

“Yeah, we’ll find it.” Ellie didn’t remove her gaze from the view.

“Sure. It’s just…” Joel trailed off, thinking of his following words. “Maybe there’s nothin’ bad out there, but so far, there’s always been somethin’ bad out there.”

“We’re still here, though.” Ellie was facing him now.

“I know. I’m only saying there’s risk.” Taking a deep breath, Joel made sure he had both girls' full attention. “We don’t have to do this. I just… I want you to know that.”

Piper froze. All of a sudden, she felt like she was on fire. Did she want to do this? She knew what awaited her and Ellie. Sick boiled in her stomach, and Piper wished she hadn’t eaten anything that day.

“What do you mean? What else are we supposed to do?” Ellie questioned.

“Nothin’. We just go back to Tommy’s.” Piper could tell it was all he wanted to do by the way Joel spoke. “We forget about the whole damn thing.”

Ellie shook her head. “After all we’ve been through… everything I’ve done… it can’t be for nothing.”

With Ellie’s confirmation, Piper knew her answer. She could see the hope in Ellie’s eyes. Those eyes had been so void of anything since their entrapment with David. Piper had already failed Ellie once. She knew she couldn’t do it again. How would she live with herself if she let her sister mindlessly walk alone into death's hands?

“I know you mean well,” Joel began.

Standing straighter, Ellie interrupted. “I know you wanna protect me. You have. And when we’re done, we’ll go wherever you want. Tommy’s, sheep ranch, the moon.” Joel laughed.

Inside, Piper cried. Her dream flashed in her mind. She returned to it every night and almost stayed in her dream that day. God, Piper wanted more than anything to have her dream come true. But Piper had made a promise. It was her and Ellie until the end, and if Ellie wanted to march right into death's arms, so would she. After all, maybe then Piper could do something good. Maybe in her death, she’d finally be able to do what she always wished- then perhaps she’d be able to save someone instead of killing.

“I’ll follow you anywhere you go,” Ellie continued. “ But there’s no halfway with this. We finish what we started.”

꧁_____________꧂

Joel’s plan was a plan. That was all Piper could say. After they’d found a way around all the rubble, Joel decided they would just walk around. They’d stumble upon the hospital eventually. However, Piper saw through Joel’s confusion. It was hard to comment on anything over her pain.

The worst of it came from her leg. Getting shot wasn’t fun. It's definitely an experience Piper wouldn’t recommend. Next came the pain in her eye. About a day or two after they escaped from the cannibalistic cult, she started to lose vision until she became completely blind.

It was tricky navigating the world with a crippled leg and a narrower peripheral vision. Some days, it was too hard. Phantom pain from her other injuries nabbed at her, cutting deep into her mind. She was weak. Piper couldn’t even walk a few miles without her leg giving out. Most of their travels to Salt Lake consisted of Piper using Joel as a crutch. Eventually, Joel assembled one for her, but she refused to use it. She just couldn’t. Not when she knew how strong she could be. If anything, Piper would just suffer through the pain. After all, it’s what she deserved for failing her sister. Piper deserved it all.

“Was this a FEDRA thing?” Ellie’s voice cut through the torment circling Piper’s mind.

Joel shook his head as they entered the abandoned encampment. “No. Army,” he corrected. “They put these places up all around the first few days after the outbreak. Emergency medical camps. Obviously, it didn't last. They had me in one just like this.”

Looking back, Joel noticed Piper lagging. Her face clenched as her hand grazed over her leg. Nodding to Ellie, he led them to a makeshift bench. The tension in Piper’s face eased.

“Were you there with Sarah?” Ellie asked, resuming their previous conversation.

“No,” Joel’s face dropped as he looked at his hands. “She was gone already.”

“Oh,” uttered Ellie.

“So what did happened?” Piper piped up to distract from the lingering pain in her thigh.

“It was for this.” Joel pointed to the scar on the side of his head.

Ellie’s eyes widened with recognition. “Ah, the guy who shot and missed. I figured that would’ve happened later.”

“No. Second day,” Joel explained.

“Well, I’ve gotta hand it to the Army people,” Ellie sighed. “They were way better at stitchin’ you up than Piper was.” She peered at her sister, hoping her teasing comment would help distract Piper. It didn’t.

“It was me,” Joel admitted. “I was the guy who shot and missed.”

Piper gulped. “Oh…” She breathed. All thoughts of her pain were replaced with concern for Joel.

“There’s no story.” Joel began. He hated telling this story. He was at his lowest. His weakest. He had lost everything. “Sarah died… and I couldn’t see the point anymore. Simple as that. And I wasn’t scared either. I was ready. I couldn’t have been more ready. When I… When I… went to pull the trigger, I-I flinched. Still don’t know why.”

Piper fiddled with her fingers, tracing the scars along her palms. She’d been there. Piper would have done it, and she wouldn’t have missed. In her mind, she saw the mall, the infected, and Ellie and Riley. Unconsciously, Piper trailed up to the scar of her bite mark. The mark was a perfect match to her teeth. She could still hear Riley and Ellie’s begs–asking her to kill them.

“Anyway, the reason I’m telling you all this…” Joel trailed off, looking at Piper’s, whose knuckles had turned white.

“I know why you’re tellin’ me all this,” Ellie interjected.

Joel turned to her. “Yeah, I reckon you do,” he smiled.

“So time heals all wounds, I guess.” Ellie jokingly rolled her eyes at the cliche.

“It’ll be fucking years then…” Piper mumbled, making Joel’s heart shatter.

“It wasn’t time that did it.” It was said so softly, but even through their trauma-induced daze, the girls heard it.

“Oh…” Piper softly said. A faint smile ghosted her lips.

“Well, I’m glad that… that didn’t work out,” Ellie muttered.

“Me, too,” Joel admitted.

Suddenly, he felt a gentle weight on his side. Joel’s eyes trailed over to Piper, who leaned against him. She avoided his gaze, but the gentle pressure said more than anything she could muster. Like a domino effect, he felt Ellie rest her head on the other side. There, they sat in silence, embracing each other’s comfort.

Just as fast as their moment started, it ended.

“We should probably get going,” Joel sighed, pushing himself up.

“Yeah,” the girl half-heartedly agreed.

“You know what I’m in the mood for?” Joel announced.

“What?” Ellie asked.

Joel smirked and peered down at her. “Shitty puns.”

A groan erupted from Piper’s mouth. “God no, Joel, why’d you have to-? “

“Oh-ho-ho.” Ellie chuckled, already flipping through the pages of the book. “People are making apocalypse jokes like there’s no tomorrow.” Joel winced. “Too soon?”

“No, it’s topical.”

Ellie giggled. “Oh, I love this one.”

“Moon rocks taste better than Earth rocks. Why?” She paused, wiggling her brows at Joel and Piper. “Cause they’re meteor.”

“Oh, that’s terrible,” Joel exclaimed.

“Fuck you,” Ellie scoffed. “That was actually good.”

“That’s a… That…,” Joel waved his hands in search of words. “That’s a zero outta 10.”

“All right, all right.” Ellie read a new joke. “What did the green grape say to the purple grape? Breathe, you idiot.”

“That was a three outta 10.”

Ellie shook her head. “Seven, minimum.”

“Uh-uh.” Ellie disagreed.

“I’m sticking with the three,” Piper added from behind the group.

“I’ll give it a five,” Joel settled.

“Five outta 10. Five?” Ellie dramatically gasped.

CLANG!

The trio whirled around. In between Ellie, Joel, and Piper sat a small flash bomb. Joel grabbed onto Ellie’s shoulder, pulling her close. Piper ducked and covered her ears.

As Piper’s head hit the ground, she couldn’t hear anything. She knew she was calling out for Joel and Ellie. It looked like they were saying her name if she squinted hard enough. Her head hurt, and it felt wet. She groaned and fell to her side. Two foggy figures loomed overhead. And then it was black.

꧁_____________꧂

“Is her head okay?” A faint voice tickled Piper’s senses.

Someone was touching her. Piper’s hand clasped around the person. Her eyes whirled open, and then she pounced. She fought until the poor woman lay on the ground. The teen could see the terror oozing from the woman, her hands raised.

“Piper?” A familiar voice commanded. “Piper! Let her go.” Piper tore her gaze off the trembling woman and onto Marlene.

“Marlene?” Realizing she still sat over the woman, Piper pushed herself off. She sent a silent apology, collecting herself. One thing was for sure. Everything hurt, more so than usual. “What happened?” She croaked, rubbing her aching head. Her hand felt sticky. It was covered in a clear ointment mixed with blood. Her blood.

Marlene dismissed the woman, who quickly left the room. “Patrol didn’t know you were coming. You got the worst of it.” The woman pointed to Piper’s head injury.

“Yeah,” Piper scoffed. “I could tell. Where’s Ellie and Joel?”

There was a pause before Marlene answered her. “Ellie’s fine. Been asking about you. Joel’s still unconscious.”

Ellie. The Fireflies. If they were here at the hospital, then… “Can I see Ellie?”

“Piper,” Marlene’s gaze grew avoidant. “All you need to know is that she’s safe.”

It was a bullshit answer. An answer Piper wouldn’t take. “Marlene, where’s my sister?”

Marlene sighed with a look that made Piper fear the answer. “She’s being prepped for surgery…” Piper shuddered, and a gasp left her mouth. She couldn’t look at Marlene. She couldn’t look anywhere. Piper couldn’t do anything as sobs choked their way out.

“You know.” Marlene stood straighter and marched over to Piper. Her eyes glared down at Piper. “Did Ellie-?”

“No,” Piper sniffled. “I…I couldn’t tell her. Not when I had- can I say goodbye?” Marlene shook her head. “Fuck…” Piper whimpered. Tears stung her skin as they trickled from her eyes down her cheeks.

“Piper, I’m sorry-” Marlene tried to comfort her.

“What about Joel?” Piper yelled. She stared up at Marlene. The pools in her eyes reflected the woman’s stern expression. “Can I say goodbye? Please, Marlene. Please.” Marlene didn’t answer her. Piper had to see Joel, she had to–“I’m saving the fucking world, and you won’t let me say goodbye?!”

Marlene took in a deep and steady breath that seemed to last hours. She raised her finger, and in came a Firefly soldier. “Grab her some paper and a pen.” The materials magically appeared. Marlene threw them into Piper’s hands. “Here, you’ll write your goodbye.”

Piper hurriedly placed the papers down and uncapped the pen. “Does Joel know?” She asked.

“Know what?” Marlene’s voice came out harsher than Piper had ever heard it.

“That you’re killing us for the cure.”

There was a deafening silence before Marlene answered. “No.”

“Are you gonna tell him?” Piper asked, tearing her attention away from the letter.

“Just hurry up and write that goodbye,” Marlene hissed.

Piper didn’t need another warning and scrambled to scribble on the papers. Her hands shook so much that Piper worried her last words would be illegible. She inhaled. She exhaled. She calmed herself, but only as much as could be expected from someone about to die. As she wrote, her vision grew sloppier. It was hard to see even with her blind eye. Still, she pushed through. With a trembling hand, she signed the letter. When Marlene snatched it out of her hands, a strangled sob scrambled out.

“Promise me he’ll get it,” Piper begged. “Promise me, Marlene.”

Marlene folded the letter and shoved it into her pocket. “Finish bandaging her up and get her prepped,” she instructed her fireflies. Then, turning on her heel, Marlene stepped out the door.

Behind her, Piper yelled. “Marlene, please! Please promise me. Please!”

꧁_____________꧂

“Welcome to the Fireflies” was the first thing Joel heard once his consciousness returned. Groggy, he pushed himself up to sit opposite Marlene.

“Easy.” Marlene gently spoke. “Ya got hit pretty hard. Patrol didn’t know who you were.”

Joel’s eyes scanned the room. Something was missing. Someone. His girls. “Where’s the girls?”

“Ellie wasn’t hurt,” Marlene began. Her answer relieved Joel, but it was not what he needed to hear. “Not even a scratch. Piper got the short end of the stick. My people are fixing her up now. They’re mostly worried about you.”

“Where are they?” He gruffly asked. His eyes stared down into Marlene’s, who remained calm.

“We lost half our crew crossing the country.” Joel frowned. She didn’t answer him. Why? She refused to answer him. “I had five men whose only job was to protect me. And I still almost got killed. How’d you do it?”

“It was all them,” Joel admitted. “Ellie and Piper fought like hell to get here.”

Marlene shook her head in disbelief. “They would’ve been dead on day one.” Sighing, she leaned back into her chair and crossed her arms. “You are the one person I never wanted to be in debt to. But I owe you. We all owe you.”

“Just take me to them,” Joel pleaded. His voice was soft, and in a tone Marlene had never heard from the man.

“I can’t.” Joel’s face contorted, and his jaw clenched. “Ellie’s being prepped for surgery. Piper soon after.”

“What surgery?” Joel questioned Marlene so slowly it sounded like a growl.

“Our doctor…,” Marlene explained, “he thinks that the Cordyceps in the girls have grown with them since birth.”

His teeth started to grind against the others. His tanned knuckles grew paler by the second. “Why is Ellie in surgery?”

“It produces a kind of chemical messenger. It makes normal Cordyceps think that she’s Cordyceps. It’s why she’s immune. He’s gonna remove it from her, multiply the cells in a lab, produce those chemical messengers… and then we can give it to everyone. He thinks it could be a cure, Joel.”

“A cure,” Joel scoffed. Then he froze.

No. No. No. No. No!

“Cordyceps grow inside the brain,” Joel stated.

Marlene gulped before confirming Joel’s fears. “It does.”

“Find someone else,” Joel gasped.

“There is no one else.” Marlene stood up and held out her hand to Joel. In it were wrinkled papers. He could see dark ink seeping through the thin sheets. “Here, this is for you.”

He snatched them from her hand and flicked them open. His hands gently straightened out any faults caused by Marlene’s mishandling. His breath shuddered, and his body trembled as he began to read.

To Joel:

I’m not really sure when and if you get this, but God, I hope you do. Marlene wouldn’t let me see you; she said you were out. She wouldn’t let me see Ellie either, and I’d rather get out one goodbye than never have said anything at all.

When we started this journey, we were just cargo, and you were our carrier. That’s how it was supposed to be. Then you did something I never thought would happen. You made me trust you. You made me feel safe. You made me feel at home, even when it was the last thing I ever wanted to feel. You reminded me how to live and not just survive.

God…I…there’s so much I want to say, but I can’t. Marlene’s getting impatient. Ellie’s going into surgery, and then I’m next. You came into this thinking we’d walk out, but we won’t. And it’s okay. It’ll be okay, Joel. Maybe now I can save someone. Maybe with me dying, I don’t have to kill anymore.

I just want you to know that when I go, I’m gonna dream of that farm. I’m gonna dream of Ellie and her puns, you playing guitar and yelling at some stupid sheep. Cause that’s my dream. A home with my family. A home with my sister and my dad.

Goodbye Joel Dad

- Piper Williams

With as much care as he could muster, Joel folded the letter and placed it in his breast pocket over his heart. A large tear fell to the floor, and Joel stifled a sob.

Marlene took Joel’s silence as a cue to speak again. “We didn’t tell Ellie. We didn’t cause her any fear; there won’t be any pain. Piper-she knows.”

Joel’s head started shaking. A physical sign of his rejection. He couldn’t let them do this. He wouldn’t lose his girls. Not when he’d just- “No. No, you take me to them. You take me to Ellie and Piper right now!” He stood up, all anger and fury, and lunged for Marlene. Joel was fast, but her men were faster. With a swift kick of the knee, Joel toppled to the floor.

“Please...” Joel cried. You don’t understand.” He kneeled in front of Marlene as if to pray. He needed the girls; he loved them. They were his redemption. “Please.”

“I do. I was there when she was born, Joel.” Marlene glared down at Joel. “I promised her mother that I would save her children. I promised. So I do understand. I’m the only one who understands. I’m sorry. I have no other choice.”

But he did. Joel had a– “I do,” he growled.

“Walk him out to the highway,” Marlene commanded. “Leave him there with his pack. Give him this.” Joel saw the glimmer of Ellie’s switchblade. His baby girl. “He tries anything… shoot him.”

The Fireflies nodded and nudged Joel off the floor with their guns. Joel scowled as Marlene watched him be escorted away. Each step farther away from the room, from his girls, was agony. In the dimly lit hospital hallway, Joel plotted. He was Joel fucking Miller, and he was going to get his girls back. The lights flickered, and Joel saw it. It was a sign reading “pediatric surgery: 6th floor.” The sixth floor. That’s where his girls would be.

“I didn’t hear anyone say, “Stop.” One of the Firefly men shoved Joel along.

“Which way?” Joel mumbled.

“Down the stairs.” They pushed Joel along.

As Joel stumbled down the staircase, he found his feet frozen. He refused to move any farther.

“The fuck are you doin’? Keep walking!” Joel stayed still. He waited. Marlene had only sent two men to escort him out—a mistake. Marlene should have known it would have taken much more to keep Joel away. “I said keep walk–”

Joel brought the heel of his palm into one of the men’s noses. CRACK! Blood poured out of the broken nose. The firefly tumbled to the floor, clutching his injury. Joel saw his chance and grabbed the gun. He cocked it and fired. The second man died. Shot right in the head.

“Where is she?!” Joel demanded, holding the gun to the surviving Firefly's head.

Through all the blood, the man looked up at Joel. “Fuck you.”

“I don’t have time for this.”

BANG! The Firefly fell limp. His radio blared to life.

“Shots fired. Shots fired!”

Joel frowned. They’d all be coming for him now, but he didn’t care. He had to save his girls. Marching up the stairs, Joel began his prowl. Expertly, his gun aimed and fired. The soldiers dropped like flies in the path of Joel’s protective fury.

BANG!

The sound of the gun followed Joel wherever he stalked along the halls of the hospital. Some of the people he came across fought. But like a bear in pursuit of protecting its cubs, they didn’t stand a chance. There was no such thing as mercy for Joel when these very people were out to kill his girls. He was swiftly making his way through the hospital–a trail of bodies in tow.

BANG!

And then silence. His breath stilled as the sign for pediatric surgery came into view. He scoured each room for any sign of his girls. But he found none. Still, Joel trekked. A faint light seeped from beneath a pair of doors up ahead. Quiet beeping sounds echoed louder than the shots from before.

“Do we have enough power?” Someone asked.

Joel pushed the door open with the butt of his gun.

“She’s ready,” a nurse said. Her hands hovered over Ellie.

The young teen’s hair lay long and brushed. All the grim from before had been washed from her body. She looked clean and peaceful as she lay on the surgery table.

“Unhook her,” Joel uttered. The nurses gasped at the sight of the gun, immediately raising their hands.

The surgeon, however, seethed with anger. In his hand, he held a scalpel. The blade glinted over Ellie’s scalp. “How did you get in here?”

Joel carefully watched the blade. “I said unhook her.”

No one except the surgeon made a move. The surgeon surged forward and stood between Ellie and Joel. In his hand, he defensively held the scalpel. “I won’t let you take her.”

BANG!

The surgeon dropped dead. Nurses screamed and cowered.

“Unhook her!” Joel yelled. “Move!”

Quickly, the nurses unhooked Ellie. Silently, they prayed to a god, to anyone to have mercy. The beeping monitor went silent. Blood trickled down Ellie’s arm from where the IV was placed.

“Cover her arm,” Joel commanded. “Fast.”

Within the blink of an eye, one of the nurses had covered the wound.

“Turn around.” Joel watched as the women quickly turned away. Just as fast, Joel lifted Ellie off of the table. She was cold but breathing. Her head flopped against Joel’s shoulder, and he worried. If Ellie was in this state, what about Piper? He didn’t have the arms and the strength to carry both girls out of the hospital. Joel held Ellie tighter. He’d have to do something he never wanted to do. Joel would have to get Ellie safe and then find Piper. He just prayed she’d be fine until he could rescue her.

Elevator doors closed in front of Joel. His arms ached from the unconscious weight of Ellie. He sighed, and Ellie snuggled closer to him. Soon, the silver doors slid open. Joel stepped out into the hospital’s parking garage. If the Fireflies had power, then they’d have cars. Working ones. The low rumble of a car engine drew Joel’s attention. He shuffled over to the vehicle.

CLICK!

“You can’t keep her safe forever,” Marlene taunted. Joel turned around. There stood Marlene with a gun. But it wasn’t pointed at Joel. No. It was pointed at Piper.

“Joel,” Piper sobbed in Marlene’s clutch. Relief flooded her body at the sight of Joel holding Ellie. She was alive. Her sister was alive.

“Piper…” Joel met her dark eyes. “Let her go.” He demanded.

Marlene shook her head. “No. I won’t let you take them, Joel.” Her hand pushed the barrel of the gun deeper into Piper’s head. The girl groaned from the pain.

“Let her go!” Joel yelled.

“Joel!” Piper gasped. “Take Ellie. Take her and let them have me. Save Ellie. Save her.”

Shaking his head, Joel fought back tears. No, he had made it this far. He was going to save them both. He had to save them. “No, Piper. No. I’m gettin’ you both out of here.”

“No matter how hard you try, no matter how many people you kill, they’re gonna grow up, Joel,” Marlene scoffed. “And then you’ll die. They’ll leave. Then what?” Marlene cocked her head. “How long till they’re torn apart by Infected or murdered by raiders?” Piper whimpered under Marlene’s grip. Her grasp tightened around the teen’s neck, making it hard to breathe. “Because they live in a broken world that you could have saved.”

“Maybe,” Joel agreed. “But it isn’t for you to decide.”

“Or you,” Marlene scolded. “So what would she decide, huh? ‘Cause I think Ellie’d wanna do what’s right. And you know it. It’s not too late. Even now…even after what you’ve done. We can still find a way.”

Joel gazed down at sleeping Ellie and then at Piper. They were his world. Maybe he wouldn’t be saving the world by taking them, but he’d be protecting his. It was selfish. He knew, but Joel deserved to be selfish, and so selfish he chose to be.

“Piper…” Joel muttered. “Do you trust me?”

“Yes,” Piper whimpered.

BANG!

The world thrashed around Piper as the tight hold on her loosened. Marlene groaned. Her body was on the floor as blood flooded from her.

“Joel!” Piper screamed, running to him. Her feet tripped over her hospital gown as she ran. “Joel!” She collapsed at his side, clutching his shoulders. Sobs ransacked her body. Joel leaned his head against hers. It was the best he could offer with his hands full of Ellie.

“I got you,” Joel whispered. “I’ve got you, sweet girl.”

A guttural cough cut through their reunion. Joel’s softened face grew dark as his sight landed on Marlene. It was a pitiful scene. The woman’s hands clawed at the floor over to the discarded weapon. A trail of her blood trickled after her.

“Piper,” Joel calmly said. “Take your sister and put her in the car.” He passed Ellie’s body into Piper’s arms. Momentarily, she buckled under the weight. Regaining herself, Piper limped over to the vehicle. She braced Ellie against the doors before lifting her to lie in the back seat.

Behind, Joel stalked after Marlene.

“No, wait.” Marlene raised her hand. “Wait, wait, wait.” Joel peered down at her. “Please,” she begged. Her breaths had become pants as her body pumped more and more blood onto the concrete. “Let me go.”

“You’d just come after them.” Joel cocked his gun and aimed. “You’d come after my girls.”

꧁_____________꧂

They had left the city far behind. Now, the tall buildings were specks of dust in the wind. Piper sat with her head against the passenger window. She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to feel. One thing was for sure: Piper didn’t feel numb. After she danced with death in the smoke of the room, she was almost butchered in; Piper found it hard to feel anything but pain. A part of her only wanted to feel pain. It made everything easier: the guilt of failing Ellie, the guilt of leaving Joel in that basement, the guilt of– Piper hissed. Her nails had dug into the skin around the scar on her thigh. Damn, these hospital gowns for being so thin.

“You okay?” Joel asked, peering over at her.

Piper removed her hand and shrugged. “I’m…” fine. It was the easiest thing to say. She’d said it before, and Joel didn't push. But was it what she wanted to say? “No.” Joel stayed quiet. She was thankful for it. As long as she continued to look out the window, maybe she could trick herself into thinking she wasn’t telling anyone these dark thoughts–that she wasn’t telling anyone the truth. “I don’t think I’ve ever been okay. Ever.”

Getting into a more comfortable position, Piper continued. “I was twelve when I first…when I first killed someone. I thought I could trust him, that he’d keep me safe, keep us safe.” Joel peeked at Ellie through the rearview mirror. “But his safety came with a price. One I couldn’t pay, so I–”

“Piper,” Joel interjected. “You don’t have to tell me.”

“But I do, Joel. I need to. Please?” Joel nodded and remained silent. “I killed him, and then FEDRA decided that if I could kill a man in self-defense, I could kill for them. So I did. That’s all I did for five years.” She stifled a sob. “I couldn’t–mess up, get sick, nothing, or else they’d leave Ellie all alone. It was my punishment. Then, one night, we ended up in the clutches of the Fireflies. They kept us chained in a room until you came along. Next thing I knew, Ellie and I were special cargo to be taken across the country.”

Piper sniffled and then chuckled. “You know when I first met you, I hated you.” She laughed again. “Funny how we ended up here, huh?” Joel gazed over at Piper. Her laughter died down, returning to sniffles. “Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah,” Joel replied.

“When you said,” Piper hesitated, “you weren’t afraid of death, that you welcomed it, what did you–what did it feel like?”

Joel sighed. “It felt…easy. Every day after Sarah’s death was filled with pain. It still hasn’t gone away,” Joel turned to give Piper a comforting smile. “But it has stopped hurting.”

Piper nodded, taking in Joel’s words. “When I was trapped in that building, knowing I failed Ellie, that I’d failed you-” Joel desperately wanted to tell her she hadn’t failed. She had survived. They all had. “I wanted to give up. It was easy just to lay down and breathe in the smoke till I–” She looked down at her hands. “But, I didn’t…and some part of me still wishes I did. That’s why I didn’t tell you or Ellie. It was easy to keep quiet and march like a lamb to slaughter. I wouldn’t be in pain anymore. I wouldn’t have to feel all this guilt and hate. I wouldn’t have to be a killer. I wouldn’t have to be Piper.”

A warm hand encased Piper’s shoulder. Joel’s fingers rubbed up and down in a soothing manner. “Even if some part of me wanted the easy way out, the others didn’t. I-” Piper took in a shaky breath. “Thank you, Joel. For saving me. For saving Ellie.”

Joel knew that no simple “you’re welcome” would suffice. Instead, he wrapped his arm around Piper and pulled her to his side. “Always,” he whispered. “Always.”

Pulling back, Piper wiped tears and snot away from her face. “Joel?” Her quiet voice questioned.

“Hmm?” He hummed.

“What are you gonna tell Ellie?”

Joel sighed. His hand holding the wheel tightened. “I don’t know, kid. I don’t know.”

As if on cue, Ellie groaned. Her body shifted on the back seat. Piper grew quiet and leaned back up against the window.

“What?” Ellie mumbled.

“It’s all right,” Joel cooed. “You’re with me.” Ellie pushed herself up but immediately toppled back down. “Take it slow. The drugs are still wearin’ off.”

“I was with the Fireflies, and then…,” Ellie groggily furrowed her brows. “What drugs?”

“They were runnin’ some tests on you…” Joel trailed off, finding his next words. “And some others. Turns out there’s a whole lot more like you… people that are immune. Dozens of ’em. And the doctors, they couldn’t make any of it work. They’ve actually…They’ve stopped lookin’ for a cure.” Joel heard Piper hold her breath at the lie.

“Where are my clothes?” Ellie wondered in her dazed state.

“Raiders attacked the hospital. I barely got ya outta there. We’ll find you some new ones on the way.”

Ellie laid her head back down, snuggling into the seat. “Were people hurt?”

“Yes,” Joel solemnly said.

“Is Marlene okay?”

Joel gulped. “I’m takin’ us home.” Ellie half-presently nodded before dozing off again. “I’m sorry,” he whispered to the young teen.

After Piper was sure her sister was out, she turned to Joel. “Joel?” She asked.

“You should get some rest,” Joel brushed off her inquiry. “You’ve been through a lot.”

Piper scoffed and shook her head. “I’m not tired.”

A knowing smile crept onto Joel’s face. “That’s what they all say, kid.” Piper wasn’t having it. Sighing, Joel compromised. “Just rest your eyes. It’ll be a long drive.”

“Okay…” Piper reluctantly agreed. She sniffled one last time before closing her eyes. The constant rumbling of the car’s tires rolling against the road beneath lulled her to sleep. Her breath slowed, matching the cadence of her younger sister's slow inhales. All the while, Joel drove. Strangely enough, he found himself feeling content. His girls were safe, and they were going home. Home.

꧁_____________꧂

“Well,” Joel’s hands slapped against his thighs as the car hood shut. Steam angrily fled into the air. “She got us close enough. We gotta walk the rest of the way.” He trotted to where the girls sat and leaned against the car's frame. “Probably about a five-hour hike… but we can manage that. Remember?”

“Yeah.” Ellie nodded.

Piper finished rolling up the sleeves of her shirt. Joel had found both her and Ellie new clothes. The hospital gowns weren’t the chosen attire for an apocalyptic world. “Yeah,” Piper chimed.

Joel flashed them a smile, and then they went off. Piper found herself welcoming their journey. She hated to admit that she missed trekking through nature. While driving in a car was nice, easy, and fast, it wasn’t what she was used to. Besides, Piper preferred feeling the ground beneath her own two feet.

“You know,” Joel huffed. The hike was getting to him. “Sarah and I used to hike like this all the time. I wouldn’t say it was her favorite thing. She wasn’t a fan of the mosquitoes and such. But she was a big climber… or scampering. That’s probably the right word. That girl… she’d see a big rock and just… pew.” He chuckled as a memory of his daughter appeared in his mind.

Piper nodded her head and playfully nudged Ellie. “Sounds like someone I know.” Ellie rolled her eyes.

“Sounds more like you–” Ellie countered.

“Well, you were the one who climbed up a tree and couldn’t climb down.”

“That was–”

Joel snickered at their bickering. “She woulda liked you two.” Piper and Ellie stopped arguing. “Not to say the three of you are the same.” Joel smiled as if he knew some inside joke the girls didn’t. “Definitely different kids.”

“How so?” Ellie wondered, stepping up beside Joel. Piper stood on Joel’s opposite side. Their attention was drawn to Joel.

“Well,” He began, “she was a lot more… I wanna say girly, and I’m not sayin’ that you’re not girly.”

“I’m not,” Ellie smirked. “If anything, Piper’s more girly than me.”

Piper wasn’t sure if she should take it as a compliment or an insult. However, responding to an insult was preferably much more fun. “Hey!” She feigned offence.

“Yeah, you’re not,” Joel agreed with Ellie. “She was taller. She had a killer smile. Again, not sayin’ that you two don’t.” Ellie smiled broadly at Piper and winked. Piper rolled her eyes but smiled back. Joel laughed. “But you know why I think she’d like you, Ellie?”

Ellie’s smile fell. “Why?”

“Cause you’re funny,” Joel stated. “I think you would’ve made her laugh. Anyway, I bet you would’ve liked her back.”

“Yeah, bet I would’ve,” Ellie muttered.

“And for Piper,” Joel said, not forgetting the other girl. “Sarah would love to try and make you laugh. And she’d look up to you.”

Piper paused, and a soft smile appeared on her face. “Thanks, Joel. Sarah sounds nice.”

“She was.” Joel concurred. Briefly, he looked down at the cracked watch adorning his wrist. Once he glanced up, he beamed. Ahead stood the faint outline of Jackson. Home. “Not much further now.”

Joel and Piper eagerly continued down the path. Ellie did not.

“Hey, wait.” Joel and Piper whirled around. Ellie’s eyes widened as if she didn’t expect them to respond. “Fuck,” she softly cursed. “Back in Kansas City, you asked me about the first time I killed someone.” Joel placed his hands on his hips. His ears listened as Ellie spoke. Meanwhile, Piper grew distantly quiet.

“When I got bit in the mall, I-It wasn’t just Piper and me.” Ellie looked away. Piper could see the tell Ellie tried to conceal. “My best friend was there, and she got bit, too.” Ellie sniffled. Piper felt her own eyes grow watery. Riley. Sweet Riley. “We didn’t know what to do, and she says, “We can just wait it out… be all poetic and just lose our minds together. And then she did. And I had to…” Piper wanted to draw Ellie into a hug, but she knew her sister had more to say. The comfort could always come later. “Her name was Riley… and she was the first to die. And then it was Tess. And then Sam and Henry.”

Joel shook his head. “That’s not on you.”

“I know, but…” Ellie tried to argue, but Joel continued.

“Look, sometimes things don’t work out the way we hope.” Joel peered over at Piper. He wasn’t just saying this to Ellie. It was a message for both of his girls. “You can feel like… like you’ve come to an end… and you don’t know what to do next. But if you just keep goin’… you find something new to fight for. And maybe that’s not what…”

“Swear to me,” Ellie interjected. “Swear to me that everything you said about the Fireflies is true.”

Piper looked away. She had never been more interested in her feet. Joel had an expressionless face as he answered her. “I swear.”

After a moment, Ellie spoke. “Okay.”

She had believed him. Piper let out a shaky breath and looked over at Joel. They shared a glance. Their eyes agreed to the lie. It was a necessary one. A lie that they both now concealed.

The rest of the journey to Jackson had been uneventful. Tommy had found them close to Jackson when he was on patrol. The reunion was sweet. Joel hugged his brother before breaking away, allowing Tommy to steal hugs from the girls. They hadn’t been expecting it by how brief and tight the hugs had been, but they had been welcomed embraces.

Maria smiled when they walked back into town. The streets had changed from the snow-covered, Christmas-decorated roads to colorful and lively bustling ones. People discarded their winter gear for lighter clothes. The summer sun and heat crept over the mountains, waiting to pounce. But for now, the air was at a pleasant temperature. As Maria showed them back to the house they had stayed in during their brief stay in Jackson, Piper spotted a familiar head of curls. Charlie. He amicably waved at her. By amicably, Charlie practically jumped where he stood, calling out her name. Piper flushed a deep shade of red and flipped him off. Joel laughed, and Ellie smirked. Her clever eyes darted between the two teens. She had something to tease her sister about.

The sun had begun to set as Joel, Piper, and Ellie settled back into the house. Each crawled out of their rooms after a long nap. Joel was the last to emerge. Age had made his cravings for naps extremely powerful. With a yawn, he pushed open the front door. A wave of deja vu fell over him.

There sat his girls on the porch. Ellie was teasing Piper about the boy they’d seen on the street. Piper rolled her eyes and denied everything, making it hard for Ellie to continue her interrogation. Instead, the young teen pulled out her pun book. Fingers flipped through the pages, landing on a particular joke. Piper dramatically groaned, and Joel realized he had seen this all before.

It was the dream. Joel’s dream. Here they were, his girls safe and sound with a whole life ahead of them. Joel felt a pleasant warmth spread throughout his body. He stood and leaned against the door frame for ages, capturing this moment in his head. The girls had been his redemption–a sinner’s redemption. Now that he had his dream, Joel was content with just living it. This was why he missed that day. This was why he stayed. He, too, deserved a second chance. They all did.

꧁_____________꧂

Thank you all again for your support. If you enjoyed this series please comment and reblog so that more people can embark on this journey with Piper, Ellie and Joel. :)

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