#they were just chilling underground when he found them tried to fight them and got knocked into the portal gun they’d been using to commute
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noctude · 11 months ago
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this idea has been in my brain for over 2 months and I finally had time to make it. is this too earnestly cringe to upload? i am beyond the capacity to care. enjoy
now on youtube!
[link to drive folder w/ downloads including instrumental]
Everything was chill back in Hermitcraft 6 (lying)
Then Grian got up to his usual tricks 
The name of the game is kill or be killed
No swords no bows no PVP skills
First Rendog found his inner fish
But he couldn’t stick the landing and his bones went squish
Stress flew through the dares with talent and grace
But she didn’t catch the totem and she fell on her face
Then Ren came back with a sinister vice
Tricked X with a race and blew him up twice
Looks like steel beams can’t be melted by slime
‘Cause Jevin didn’t see Mumbo’s tower in time
Stress set a trap at the shopping district
And dropped Scar right into a pufferfish pit
Cub’s stunt got stuck and X felt robbed
So he got a skeleton to finish the job
This is the Hermitcraft showdown of Hermitcraft destiny
Players, mobs, and explosions as far as the eye can see
And only one will survive, I wonder who it will be
This is the Hermitcraft showdown of Hermitcraft destiny
Tango and Impulse were shopping at the mall
But the store detonated and it killed them all
Grian had a no-good-very-bad-day 
And when he made it back home he got blown away
Then False broke a block and before she could speak
A giant underground explosion sent her into next week 
Cleo signed up for a warehouse tour
But she didn’t read the waiver and she fell through the floor
And TinFoilChef went laughing to the grave
Then without another word went back into his caves
Tango’s game was a race against the clock
And Keralis threw an egg at the most explosive block  
Now revenge is a dish that’s best served cold 
But Bdubs got it boiling as Cleo foretold
And when Joe got the rug pulled from under his feet
He tried to play it cool but he couldn’t take the heat 
This is the Hermitcraft showdown of Hermitcraft destiny
It’s 90% explosions as far as the eye can see
And only one will survive, I wonder who it will be
This is the Hermitcraft showdown….
In another dimension
With danger abound
Mumbo threw his ender-pearl
But missed solid ground
And Doc had played smart
But Grian played mean
He was dead on arrival,
The trap unforeseen
Then one player remained,
One Dragon Head left-
For the ride of his life, 
Iskall auctioned his death
He beat Joe Hills And ZombieCle-o
And every other member of the Dragon Bros:
FalseSymmetry and BDoubleO
And Grian and Mumbo Jumbolio 
Also Rendog, Jevin, TangoTek and Cubfan, 
Stress, Scar, and X just couldn’t beat the Iskallman
TinFoilChef or ImpulseSV
Doc can rock with blocks but can’t flee
So Grian and Impulse forged a team
And together they built a death machine
With a narrative arc from beginning to end
And a wild surprise around every bend
When the show and the ride were finally done
Our champion knew that his course had run
All that remains from the end of this fight 
Is a piece of bloodstained diorite 
This is the hermitcraft showdown of hermitcraft destiny
Just way too many explosions - where do they get all that TNT???
And only one will survive, I wonder who it will be
This is the Hermitcraft showdown
(this is the Hermitcraft showdown)
This is the Hermitcraft showdown  
(this is the Hermitcraft showdown)
This is the Hermitcraft showdown 
(this is the Hermitcraft showdown)
Of Hermitcraft destiny
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saibug1022 · 11 months ago
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Love, I See You Now
Word Count: 1.1k
Aerin Valleros x Asterin Nightbloom (m!elf!mc), background mentions of Asterin x Tyril and Asterin x Mal
A/N: Everyone say thank you to @gretchen-nightbloom for their post on Aerin's shadow form and @oh-so-youre-a-nerd being the one to find and send me the post. Also it is late and I am tired so this is unedited. If you see a typo no you don't. Title from Underground but Cody Fry
Slash. Strike. Block. Roll. Arrow. Bind. Roll. Shatter.
The battle for the Whitetower Rift was in full swing and Asterin could barely remember a time before it nor imagine a time after. All they could focus on was the split second they were in and what they had to do next. If they got distracted for even a moment they were dead.
He rolled and fired off cleansing fire in one direction, not even watching long enough to see it hit. He brought up his staff to block a sword and lashed out with his chain, entangled the soldier's legs and yanking her down. He'd long lost track of his friends and allies. He kept slipping in blood and he didn't even know where he was injured.
As it turned out, his leg was injured. He tried to lean on his left leg to sidestep an arrow but instead a flame of white hot pain burst from his leg and he cried out. He didn't get the chance to remember why he was stepping before the arrow found its mark in his chest.
Asterin didn't even scream as he fell, only made a choked off groan. It didn't even hurt much at first, he just stared at the arrow in his chest in shock. Then the pain hit all at once, so intense he couldn't cry out, only whimper as it overwhelmed his senses.
“ASTERIN!” A voice called his name and Asterin almost dismissed it as a hallucination. It sounded like Aerin but it was echoing, like a chorus of whispers repeated his every word.
A soldier appeared above him as his vision washed in and out. He could only make out the sword the soldier held from how it glinted in the sun. The soldier raised the sword and Asterin felt tears gather in his eyes.
He'd failed.
Asterin made one single mistake and now he was losing everything. Any chance to heal. Any chance to go on true adventures instead of desperate quests. Any chance to rebuild things with Aerin. He was losing Tyril and Mal and any life he could have had with them. He was losing Imtura and Nia. He was leaving Kade alone.
He didn't want to die…
Suddenly the air dropped so drastically Asterin could feel the frost on his armor. The sunlight seemed to be edged with violet.
Then a bolt of pure darkness armed right over Asterin and slammed into the chest of the ashen soldier about to kill him. Asterin's vision was still fading but as he tried to focus it he caught glimpses of a fight and the suffocating feeling of Shadow Magic. For a brief moment he wondered if Valax saw him fall and had betrayed her mother to save him.
But when Asterin's vision cleared it wasn't Valax kneeling down next to him. It was Aerin. Not as Asterin knew him now. His skin was gray with black veins cutting across it like cracks. His eye were a familiar silver that chilled Asterin to the bone. It was exactly how he'd looked when he'd betrayed them all to the Shadow Court, when he sacrificed Nia, when he nearly killed Asterin.
Aerin reached for him but Asterin flinched away, trying to put distance between them. He was already in so much pain, the agony alone would suffocate him. He didnt know what Shadow Aerin would do but his addled brain didnt care. He just didnt want to hurt anymore.
“No, it's okay,” Aerin spoke, his voice gentle but frantic like one would speak to an injured animal. Asterin supposed that was what he was. “Please, stop moving, you'll only hurt yourself.”
“And you won't?” Asterin tried to scoff but instead his words came out slurred and breathless.
“Of course I won't,” Aerin promised. “I swore to you I would never hurt you again. But you're seriously hurt in the midst of a massive battle, I need to get you to a medic.”
“A medic?” Asterin hummed. It was loud like one would expect to find in a battle. And he supposed he did need a medic. He did have an arrow in his chest. “Nia's a medic. Let's find Nia.”
“Perfect,” Aerin nodded and came to Asterin's side.
This time the elf didn't flinch away and let Aerin scoop him up. Normally he'd wonder where Aerin's shadow form came from and how he was able to pick up Asterin, but all Asterin could focus on was the whimper he let out as the wound was shifted. It was only worse as Aerin started running.
“AH!” Asterin cried, reflexively curling around himself. “Stop, stop it hurts, please.”
“Soon, stay strong for me Asterin,” Aerin promised.
“You promised you wouldn't hurt me anymore,” Asterin whimpered, but every step Aerin took sent shockwaves of pain through Asterin's entire system. Aerin made a face like someone had burned him, tears making his dulled skin sparkle.
Asterin was shifted once more and the agony that washed over him was like nothing he could have ever imagined. He heard a scream but he couldn't be sure if it was from him or the battle. His vision completely blacked out and he would have let the darkness take him if not for a cold hand taking his.
“Asterin, please, please open your eyes,” Aerin's voice pleaded. He liked Aerin. “You're stronger than this. You're the strongest person I've ever known. You won't let all this end to a stray arrow. Open your eyes, darling, please.”
His eyes were closed? He opened them again and saw Aerin amidst a cloud of white and gold. The gray was fading from his skin as he gripped Asterin's hands in both of his. He looked beautiful. So beautiful. With the shadow or without he would always be beautiful because he was Aerin.
“Shadow…?” Asterin wondered, his thoughts not quite making it to his mouth.
“I thought it was gone,” Aerin admitted. “But when I saw you on the ground and heard you scream something came over me. It was an anger and fear I'd never felt before and it brought forth whatever traces of Shadow Magic were left in me.”
“You're okay?” Asterin asked. “Still my Aerin?”
“Of course,” Aerin swore and squeezed Asterin's hand. “I'll always be your Aerin.”
“Good,” Asterin muttered. “I lo’ my Aerin…”
There was more to say, it was on the tip of his tongue. But he couldn't find the strength to form the words. He thought he could hear Nia now and there was something bright but Asterin was too tired to look. He tried to fight the darkness like Kade always did for him, he really tried, but his head lulled and his eyes fell shut.
“Asterin, no, open your eyes, ASTERIN!”
Eventually he couldn't open them again.
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assjuice4ever · 1 year ago
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One of my rants on the fic I want to write.
In this one Suguru is leaving the school forever but he meets you. Suguru is a bit dense, he likes you but he doesn't understand it. You like Satoru, you're not in love but it's the first person you really care about since forever.
I've described the eyes without thinking. Sorry but I'm not deleting that.
Suguru wasn't really sure on how to take you. He was planning on leaving school by tomorrow without saying any goodbye, Satoru wasn't there, Shoko was studying, he thought you wouldn't care and nobody would notice until the next day. After his parents would be found dead.
But when he passed near you he felt the chilling sensation of your gaze.
You rarely watched people, you usually had this unfocused glaze. He would have sweared on God that you needed glasses to see and that your eyes were of a pale black. For the longest time Suguru the sensation that you were unable to discern his face.
Until you watched him for the first time.
Your eyes were like a black hole, attracting him with a unfightable pressure, not even light escaped them. They were terrific. No light shined on them. They only thing breaking the pitch black were blood red streaks.
He always wondered how Satoru could just walk to you and talk as if it was nothing when you watched him. Maybe it was thanks to his dark black glasses, or maybe because he was the strongest.
Suguru wasn't able to do that. Even talking to you became difficult, his legs started to give up and his heart thundered in his ears, telling him how dangerous you were.
-What are you going to do? - You knew already that he was going away. It didn't surprise him. Satoru always called you stupid because you couldn't understand how cursed energy and techniques worked yet Suguru wasn't sure if he ever saw somebody else as smart as you in his whole life. He needed some time to understand how different you were, you weren't smart as him or Satoru, but you were able to understand people on a deeper level. What they wanted, what they were going to do, their quirks and their thoughts with a simple look. He always felt naked in front of you because you knew perfectly what was going on with his mind. Everybody else just got fooled by your harsh and rude behaviour.
Suguru inspired before sitting near you on the school staircase. If it was you then maybe he could be understood.
-I want to leave the school. I can't stand anymore how we are dying for the sake of people who don't know us and that wouldn't hesitate to kill us to save themselves. How can we go on like it's nothing while our friends are dying one after the other? - The imagine of the old men smiling over Riko's dead body never left his mind. He was being folded by the weight of his companions death. What were their meaning? Why didn't they have the right to live a normal life? Yu was young, too young to die. He remembers him telling everybody on the canteen that he was trying to save money to buy his sister a ticket for her favourite idol. He was still unable to cook an omurice without burning something and now he was dead. Five feet underground. Being eaten by worms while slowly decomposing. What was the meaning of his life? Why he had to die for somebody else?
It was breaking Suguru and pulling him apart.
Yet you didn't say anything. You just watched him in silence.
-Why don't you come with me? I'll need strong people, and you don't care about the pleb. - He asked. He had to try. You were strong, unpredictable, but he knew you weren't enslaved by the jujutsu rules. You obeyed only to yourself. He couldn't ask better companionship other than you.
-I don't care about the pleb. - You answered. You weren't watching him anymore now, your eyes were lost in the night. -I don't care about sorcerer too and I don't feel like fighting for somebody else ideal.-
Suguru felt a hint of disappointment but he tried again, you were too precious to just leave there without trying. If you were with him, maybe, wherever he was going, then he could stand a chance even if he crossed path with Satoru. The idea of doing that was abhorrent but he wasn't so hopeful to believe that Satoru would be just okay with it.
-Are you okay in living in a world that doesn't value our life? - He asked.
You laughed. It was a pretty laugh, one he didn't really heard from you frequently.
-Does my life have any value? - You asked back to him, your face closer to his, he could feel the heat of your body. -Or is my power that has value?- Your skin smelled of lemon and sugar, you voice was low and slow, dragging the words out.- Or maybe is my body? - You wondered while biting your lower lips, Suguru eyes fell onto it automatically. He swallowed air, his mouth dry.
Then you straighten your back, distancing yourself from him.
-Sorcerer or not, if they die I don't care. I'm here just because it's comfortable for me. - You stated coldly. -I like having a bed, food and everything else.-
Suguru adjusted himself, breathing slowly to calm himself, he wasn't prepared to have you so near. His hands were trembling a little. He knew you and your family were in a strange relationship, he could understand your disinterest in helping them, but did you really not care at all about people in the school?
-What about me, Shoko or Nanami? What if we died? - He asked.
-Maybe I would be sad. - You answered with a shrugh.
-And what about Satoru? - Your body went rigid. It stung how you only reacted to his name. Your face slowly morphed in a mask of anger, as if you never thought about him until that moment.
-What about Satoru? - You asked back. Your tone sarcastic and full of venom.-Do you really feel like asking me about what would I feel if he died, when you are the one breaking his heart? -
Suguru closed his mouth. It was true. The idea of Satoru dying for the sake of the argument was as unlikely as the world ending in that exact moment thanks to a meteor. Maybe the meteor was more probable. But breaking Satoru heart, that was going to happen. No matter what he did. He couldn't be there anymore for Satoru, not if he wanted to free himself and the other from the chain of that world. Not if he wanted to be happy again with his friends. He needed to break his heart for now. But it was hypocrite for him to ask about your feeling for Satoru when he was the one planning to hurt him.
They stayed there in silence for an hour, maybe two, watching the stars. The night sky was clear. You breathed so slowly that sometimes he watched you with the corner of his eye to see if you were sleeping but you weren't. It was the first time he was so near you, and you were so calm and silent.
-You don't want to come? - He asked again.
-No. -
-You don't want to change my mind? -
-Would it work? - You asked back.
-No. - It was a whole year were he dwelled up on that idea, where he worked on it but always stopped himself from doing anything. Now it was too late to stop him. Maybe, if things went differently, if he never met the girls, now he would be in his dorm room sleeping but he couldn't do that. Not if he wanted to watch himself in the mirror every morning, not if he wanted to be true to himself.
-Then I won't try. - You answered back.
He stayed there until sunrise. When the sun rays started to paint the world red and your hair stated shining under the sun.
He got up and watched you and you watched back. He thought about sayings goodbye, about saying to you to take care of Satoru but he stoped. Did he have a right to say that to you?
-Take care. - You said to him, breaking the silence and Suguru could only smile back.
-Take care. - He answered before walking away from you, from his life, from Satoru.
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witchcraftandburialdirt · 2 years ago
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For now, at least, some semblance of calm has fallen over the room as their eyes keep track of one another and Robin's memories begin to leak in through the bursts of pain he's experiencing. Had…had he killed someone? No. And yet his hands were trembling and his ears felt as though firecrackers had been set off within them, unsure of what exactly had happened as he tried to grapple with the reality of the situation he had found himself in. Despite all of the inward fright gripping at his very soul, he mostly was praying for the sweet sound of silence once more, his head felt like a hammer had struck it and he could barely say his own name when it was asked who he was to confirm that his injuries did not trickle into that of deadly.
"And the date? Do you know what month it is?"
"A….April..? I…I think.. Uh, its Tuesday."
The nurse's expression is not lost on Robin as she marks down his answer across her clipboard and quietly murmurs something to the doctor beside her, who nods and disperses from the room. It is all methodical and somewhat robotic, Robin can't help but notice it, the nauseating trauma he was experiencing was just another day for these folks. He imagined they saw horror stories worse than his own 3 times a week with no room for breathing or adjustment. What was the worst day of his recent life was probably the easiest day of his nurse's week, and the thought sours his expression as they finish out the boring, tedious questions. Who knew he could forget his own mothers maiden name so easily?
Although there was one thing he was vastly aware of when it was relayed to him, about the solitary woman in the room who had supposedly found him bleeding to death in an alleyway. Prepossessing in every sense of the word was her unfathomable beauty, and yet when he gazed upon her at being informed she was his boss, even his scattered brain knew that was a lie. A lie that somewhat chilled him to the core with the knowledge of who he had worked for before, was she someone from the underground too? Now dangling the key to his life over his head with the threat of being accused of murder? Had he killed that man? He couldn't remember, and he wouldn't dare go against her wishes at the moment, not when it would land him in an even worse position. So…he nodded in agreement, hoping that his spotty memory would give him some slack from the prying nurse.
Once he was allowed to lay back down, he did not fight the sleepy warmth of the blanket nor the calming dose of morphine administered into his veins. Oh yes, not even being seated in the jaws of a beast could make him get up from this spot, and as the patrons of the room filtered out, he was left with just the woman with eyes like coins. His, without choice, boss-- a complete stranger who had shown him an act of mercy and collared him at the same exact time.
…Why was she so familiar…?
The way she stood, the way her hair fell, the curve of her lip…all now so clear after the blood had been drained from the sockets of his eyes. All so nostalgic in their appearance and Robin seemed to recall memories that no longer existed, memories of a distant, long forgotten life where he didn't survive the encounter in the alleyway. He wants to speak, unable to do so before her phone, one of three separate devices, rings loudly and makes him spasm with its volume.
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"This has got to be the shittiest apartment I've ever been in," he breathes out a sigh as the smoke vents through his teeth whilst he yanks the string of the blinds, scoffing in disgust at the visage below of children playing basketball. The entity glances around the room with a silent indifference, taking note of the little nick nacks all about as he twirls the key he'd snatched in all of the mayhem. The crimson orbs roll in their sockets to land on a single object that takes the entity's interest, and he approaches it readily.
A picture frame.
Unhidden claws pluck it from its space on a somewhat dusty shelf to bring it closer to examine the details of the photograph within. He checks the date--last year--and turns it back over to be greeted with smiling faces of 2 white haired teenagers and 2 tired, but happy, parents. Abel skims over the image as a flood of uncertainty sweeps through him, a feeling he had not experienced within the past century--but then again, had it felt anything within the time since Robin's original passing? The group all had startling matching eyes, hair color--and this was the first time, the entity realizes, that it has gazed upon the faces of the individuals that Robin had so vehemently clung to. The family he had tossed his life away for was above ground this time around, and Abel could not help but chuckle at all of the little details Robin had forgotten over time.
Abel sets the frame back down, glancing towards it once more before he continues the tour of the apartment, cruising into the bedroom which is littered with various flora, a green house in its own right. One teeming with life carefully cultivated by the hands of his previous vessel, how he had always been so meticulous…how he had always been so gentle. Unable to stop himself, his fingers brush against the leaves as he examines each one with a mild curiosity that feels displaced in its honesty. Yet, there is no reason to hide it, no prying eyes and no competition currently, and so…he allows the feeling to encompass him, and within the quiet…
He exhales a shaky breath. Somehow, in someway, this all felt as though it were happening far too soon and far too late within his own realm of existence. He isn't ready to confront this. Not yet, not alone--not when the hollow chambers of his chest still wail with the loss of someone returned to him; how was one supposed to mourn such a thing? Even more perplexing in its nature, how was he? How far set apart was Abel from its core? Why did it want to curl up within the sheets of Robin's bed even if just to catch the scent of him? Anything to remind him of what once was--
Right.
The entity dials Evelynn's number into his phone and lifts it to his ear, patiently waiting within the space that is reminding him more and more of the garden in Ionia. When the dial tone clicks he speaks before she can, a bad habit of his that he's never cared to break,
"I found his apartment, it's a fucking shithole. 1203 on 22nd Avenue, apartment K4. Is he still alive? Heh---I guess he has to be considering I still am. Give me some info Eve, what's going on on your end?"
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His agreement, while unexpected, delivers relief to Evelynn before she begins dialing those accursed numbers humans live by. Perhaps she's gotten a little too soft over these years, judgement clouded by previous trauma that she longs to not witness a scene once more. Amusing, because he was never her hunt -- never had she placed a charm.
The operator's words are thick, concern becoming more evident with the passing moments. Whether it's for the bloody human by their hands, or the lack of distress in Evelynn's voice, she doesn't care. She's spent years crafting her skills, to present herself numb to stray the truth from prying ears and eyes.
She can at least play it off as shock, if she must.
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The ride in the ambulance is no less torturous than finding him in the alley. Humans, all desperate to keep him alive as the vehicle moves as vast speeds throughout the streets. Only a few times do EMTs glance her way, brief yet critical questions that she can only supply single worded answers for. The pull to eat is constant, practically tearing at her insides as the agony the man emits. It is Evelynn, who struggles to keep herself sane with a grip so intense on her knees knuckles turn white.
And this is only the beginning.
"You said you're his...?" a feminine voice breaks her out of a trance, curiosity laced with concern.
Evelynn lets her lips part, barely restraining a hiss. In truth, she is nothing to this man -- she cannot supply an answer for what they were. Yet, it is not beyond her for white lies, or perhaps to what they could become. "I'm his... boss."
She doesn't care if they believe her, for her attention has shifted back to him. Who still clings to life, albeit what feels like a thread as moments pass. A meal that continues to waft, ever growing and becoming more torturous. Yet she cannot long for them to arrive, for she knows the further agony that awaits her.
And it is as she expects, a wave that floods her senses and one of the EMTs quite literally has to escort her out of the van. Her thanks comes as a quick glance, for her words remain stuck on her tongue. Hands twitch as she follows close, needing to keep his scent of pain close for she knows she'll trail elsewhere and consume. Evelynn nearly wishes that she was the one to dispose of the body.
At the very least the room they supply him is dimly light, granting a break to her eyes from the very strain she's been enduring. Whether it's for the time of night (which really, she's lost track of that due to the lack of her own phone) or to not cause unease as the doctor and nurses begin prompt work, she's unsure. She does not question why they let her remain in the room, yet perhaps it is because of how she's in a constant state of snarling to keep herself from pouncing.
His gargling breaks the numbing silence, causing her to rise immediately from her seat. While the nurse beats her, Evelynn cannot help the silent scowl as she reluctantly lowers her back to the (very uncomfortable, by the way) chair she's been provided. Her stare remains, unwavering and intense as his pain shoots her figuratively -- another tease to a meal she cannot claim.
Evelynn waits for the nurses to leave, a half hearted wave to them as they mention he's "stable". While she could very well be the judge to that, she dismisses them entirely. Glad to finally be alone, all these hours later, she rises once more from her seat and tuts closer to the man who finally lays somewhat peacefully in a deep slumber. The temptation remains, growing by the second, and Evelynn has to stop the hand that reaches out.
IT WOULD BE SO EASY.
Hours now, has she sat in this white room, FIGHTING the desire to feed. Of his agony, and of everyone else that resides in this pathetic building. Humans that are so desperate to help another to live another day -- just to die later? She doesn't understand, and perhaps she's not meant to. Yet, she is the very one who wanted to bring him here to have that chance to continue on.
Ominously does she stand, fighting the urge to finish him. Not because she wants to kill him -- no, but due to the fact she's forgone a meal for weeks now. A promise, albeit suffering, to Ahri that she wishes to keep. Her trance breaks as his voice cuts the silence, a tone she's nearly forgotten and he jumps up in his bed. Her eyes widen, for his pain returns to dull her and she forces a step back.
They hold eye contact. Evelynn feels a rush that she's pressed away for so long, catching in her throat and lets a breath hitch. She's not ready.
Grateful for the nurse that rushes in, Evelynn finally draws her gaze away. Fleeting is that feeling in her chest, and ultimately does she let a breath out that she's been holding. She allows herself listen to the monitor, the one steady in the entire room, as the nurse begins bombarding with questions. For now, she has to hope they can play the same game.
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Text
Sic Semper Tyrannis
A syndicate x Platonic! Reader/ Technoblade x Reader
Warnings: murder, kidnapping, blood, a somewhat graphic depiction of getting stitches
Word count: about 2800
Ao3 Link: wow.
I’m excited to share this. I did write a version with an angsty ending, which is up on my Ao3 account here if you want to read that one as well. Fair warning though, while writing it I found myself dying inside so I don’t know how you guys would feel. It was the original way I wanted to take the story but as I was writing I also created this one which is an alternate, fluffier ending. Reader is a raccoon hybrid in this one. Don’t forget to like and follow for more. Enjoy!
It almost seems to be a mistake, Techno thinks. The woman- no girl- standing in front of him never struck him as the anarchist type. She was always too soft, too nice for any of it. Yet here she stands next to Philza, shivering from the chill of the cave and rubbing her bare arms. 
“This is the new recruit I was telling you about.” The winged man smiles at Techno.
“She seems… soft.” He mutters, taking in her shivering form before handing her a cloak.
She only nods, accepting the cloak gratefully and clipping it around her neck with ease before burrowing into the thick material. 
“Trust me. You wouldn’t be saying that if you knew her how I do.” Phil mutters, rubbing at his shoulder.
“Fine. But do you swear to uphold the values of the syndicate? Do you promise that you’ll help in our mission to destroy the corrupted governments that threaten the freedoms of its citizens?” Techno stands over her, red eyes practically glowing.
She nods hastily under his seven foot tall frame and he seems satisfied as he backs away. “Okay then. Come take a seat. We have a lot to talk about today.” 
Techno makes his way up the stairs to the table behind him, taking a seat facing the entranceway. Y/n looks up at Philza and he only shakes his head. 
“Don’t worry about him. He seems scary but he won’t hurt you. In fact, that’s the nicest he’s been to someone that’s tried to join yet.” Philza says before walking towards the table.
“Wait- what do you mean ‘tried to join’? Phil, what happened to them?” Y/n says in a panic.
“We don’t talk about them.” Ranboo chimes in. “Now, come on. Don’t want to be late to your first meeting.” 
Y/n scurries up to a chair at the table, taking the one across from Phil and next to Ranboo. She sits furthest from Niki and Techno who both seem to be scrutinizing her every move.
“Now, let’s get this meeting started. First things first, we have a new recruit. This is Y/n. You all know her, but she’s going to be joining us. You’ll need a codename.” Techno states, and Y/n thinks a moment as they stare at her.
“Dolos. I’ll go with Dolos.” Techno nods, eyes flashing with an unknown emotion before returning to their usual blankness.
“Okay. Now that that’s over with, is there anything in particular you guys wanted to discuss? Any new information or governments?” 
Phil nods, standing as he stands from the chair and speaks to the group. Y/n zones out a little for the rest of the meeting, nodding along but not really listening. Soon, it’s time to go and they’re all standing, the sound of chairs scraping on the floor loudly and Ranboo’s laughter at something Niki said echoes through the small space.
“Y/n, can I speak to you alone.” It’s not a question, and the woman swallows thickly as she follows the piglin hybrid into a small room that connects to the main one.
“So why Dolos? I mean, of everything you could’ve chosen, why’d you choose Dolos?” He asks, standing against the door to the room, blocking her in.
“Ah, well- you see, I’ve been told I’m good at deceiving people and that I’m so good at it, no one ever knows until I tell them, and even then they don’t believe me. I think that it’s a good codename, that’s all.” She stutters out, and Techno’s eyes narrow.
“I’m not easily fooled. If you’re lying, or you’re here as a spy, I’ll figure it out. And then not even Phil will be able to save you. Do you understand me?” He grunts out, standing over her with his sword held in his hand.
She nods and all but teleports out of the room to get away as quick as possible. He looks after her, seeing the disappointed look on Phil’s face outside and the confused glances from Niki and Ranboo. He steps out of the room as well and leaves the meeting hall without another word. 
It’s a week before anyone hears directly from Y/n again, and when they do it’s not for reason they would have ever expected. 
“I need your help.” Techno takes in the sight of the blood soaked clothing that covers the young woman.
“What happened?” He’s bewildered, the first time he’s been surprised in a long time.
“It’s not my blood. Most of it’s from the people we were fighting, but some of it’s his.” She points behind her where Phil stands, holding up a severely injured Tommy.
“Come on.” Techno grunts, ears twitching. The voices chime in, but he pushes them aside. 
“Set him on the couch.” Phil lays him down gently and gets to work brewing potions for the young boy. 
Y/n sits next to him, clutching his hand tightly with one of hers as she continues putting pressure on the gaping wound in his stomach. Her striped tail swishes nervously on the floor behind her and the large black ears lay back against her head.
“Get his shirt off. I need to sew it up.” Techno has his sleeves rolled up to the elbow as he comes over with a small first aid kit.
Y/n uses her sharp nails to cut away the stomach section of Tommy’s shirt, revealing the ugly looking gash. She pales at the sight of it, getting up and running to the bathroom to most likely vomit. Techno only sighs as he gets to work, wiping off the dried blood around the wound and starting to stitch it up. Tommy shifts uncomfortably on the couch, crying out at the needle threading in and out of his skin. 
Once done, Phil shoves the healing potion in Tommy’s face, which he drinks and then promptly passes out. Y/n comes back from the bathroom, hair tied back from her face.
“What happened?” Techno asks, standing in front of her.
“We were running through the woods, having fun- y’know, kid things- when we came across a small group of people. They started to attack us, and we started to fight back, thinking there weren’t anymore of them. Well, we were wrong. Very wrong. We wouldn’t have escaped if it wasn’t for Phil. Before we got away though, they said something like ‘down with the order’. I don’t know what they meant though. It was hard to understand them through their masks.” Y/n spews out and Techno only stares at her.
“‘Down with the order’? That sounds like they know something. What did they look like? Any distinct markings for kingdoms or anything?” Techno says softly.
She shakes her head. “Nothing that I could see, unless I missed it. I could probably lead you back to the place we fought at. I don’t know if more came to collect the bodies or not.” 
“Take me there. But first, go get cleaned up. We don’t need you walking around drenched in blood.” Techno says, nodding to the bathroom. 
One shower and change of clothes later, the pair are on their way to where Y/n and Tommy were attacked. Techno notices her fidgeting more than usual, constantly looking around them and watching as she jumps at the smallest of noises. He chalks it up to having been just attacked and they continue walking.
She stops in a clearing and he stands beside her. No sign of bloodied bodies is anywhere to be found. In fact, there’s no evidence a fight even occurred here. No blood spots on the ground, no scrapes in the ground, no disturbance of wildlife.
“Are you sure this is the place?” He turns to look at her, but she’s gone. Suddenly, something hits him from behind and the last thing he sees is Y/n, crying softly as someone holds onto her.
Techno slowly opens his eyes, registering the cold metal against his wrists and multitude of people surrounding him. The voices scream out in rage- rage at Y/n for getting them captured, rage at himself for allowing this to happen, anger for not trying to stop him and Y/n from being captured. They’re angry at a lot of things, and he grunts as he feels a headache coming on.
Y/n stirs in the chair across from him, whimpering softly and her tail waves behind her slowly. “Where-”
“That doesn’t matter. What matters is that you need to tell us who the rest of the members of your little club is, or else you both die. Tell us, and you live. It’s that simple.” A voice speaks out, a young man with brown hair and light eyes.
He rests a sword on Y/n’s shoulder and looks Techno in the eyes. He says nothing, glaring at the man instead.
“Are you going to tell me? If not, then I guess I’ll need to encourage you to do so.” The young man sighs, and takes out a knife, grabs hold of Y/n’s tail and presses the knife against the base of it.
Y/n screams loudly, and Techno hates the sound of it more than any other sound he’s heard. The voices seem to hate it as well, yelling at him to just tell the man the names of the other members to end it.
“Fine.” Techno gives in. 
The young man smiles, dropping Y/n’s tail and wiping the knife off on her shirt. “Oh good! That’s very good.” 
“Don’t do it. It’s not worth it. My life’s not worth it.” Y/n mumbles, tears falling down her face as she clenches onto the armrests of the chair tightly.
“You might know one of them. His name is Zephyrus. Has black wings, wears lots of green. Another one is named Lethe. He’s half enderman. Good luck catching him though. The last one is Nemesis. You might never find her though. She spends most of her time underground.” Techno states and Y/n almost laughs at the use of the codenames.
“You’re lying.”
The young man holds the knife to Y/n’s throat and presses gently, causing a small trickle of blood to run down her neck. “You have one more chance to tell me their names before I kill her and then you. I’ll give you to the count of ten. Ten…” Techno growls at the man before him, the sight of his knife pressed against the woman's throat more than angering.
“I told you. Those are their names. It’s not my fault if you don’t believe me. Now let her go. I don’t even like her. Killing her wouldn’t get me to reveal anything.” Techno says calmly.
The man considers this, pausing his counting. “You’re still lying. I saw you help her and her friend, the blonde. I’m surprised the cut didn’t kill him, to be honest. I think I’ll have to go back to your cabin when I’m done here and finish the job.” 
Steam is basically pouring out of Techno’s ears and his eyes glow a bright red. “Don’t fucking touch him.” 
“Yes! I will, unless you tell me the real names of the other members of your little club.” He releases Y/n’s head from his grip, and pulls his knife away from her neck. 
“Phil, Niki, and Ranboo. Those are their names. Now let her go.” Techno growls and Y/n shakes her head.
“He’s lying. Those aren’t their names. There’s not even more than one other member of the group. The third member of the group is named Dream. He’s currently in prison for killing several people and blowing up a country not once, but twice as well as manipulating kids. He’s the only other member of the group.” Y/n says, hoping that they don’t know she’s lying and buy her bluff. 
The god currently sits in prison, waiting out his days monotonously. They would definitely all die the minute they try and kill him- if they even do get to him, considering Sam would kill them the minute they step foot in the prison.
“Finally, someone here is telling the truth. You’re going to give me the exact coordinates of where the prison is, and then you two are going to stay here while we go kill him.” Y/n gives him the coordinates and the man is almost bouncing in joy. “For your sake, we better not be walking into a trap. Let’s go boys.” They leave the room and Y/n sighs, her head hanging forward heavily, as if her neck can’t hold itself up anymore.
“What was that?” Techno asks and she shrugs.
“I told you. People don’t believe I’m capable of lying to them. They’re all going to die trying to get to Dream, or he’s going to kill them himself.” Y/n yawns.
“Yeah, and we need to get out of here in case some of them survive.” Techno says, struggling against the restraints holding him to the chair and eventually manages to break them.
“Alright, let’s get you out of here.” Techno mumbles, picking the lock on Y/n’s restraints and lifting her up easily in his arms.
The maze of hallways is nearly impossible to escape, but they do it somehow and step outside to a snowy tundra. The wind blows frozen ice shards through the air and it bites at their skin. They were stripped of gear and their cloaks. The cold is no match for Techno, who produces enough body heat to stay warm enough, but Y/n shivers in his arms and presses her face against his chest in an effort to keep warm.
Techno’s communicator beeps as it regains signal, and he works it out of his pocket, seeing the messages from Phil and quickly shoots one back with their coordinates and a request for blankets.
Looking around, the only shelter Techno can find until Phil arrives is the building they came out of but that’s not an option in case the people come back. Techno settles for sitting on the ground and hugging the woman to his chest, doing his best to protect her from the wind and cold. 
“Oh my god…” Phil says as he lands in front of the pair, quickly grabbing Y/n and wrapping the cloak around her.
“Take her back to my cabin. She needs to get warmed up and is going to probably need stitches in her tail.” Phil nods, passing his sword to Techno.
“Will you be fine walking back? I can zip right back here to get you. Tommy’s healed and can look after Y/n while I do so.” 
Techno shakes his head. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me. After all, you need to check on Ranboo and Niki. Make sure they’re okay. We’re not extremely far from the cabin, I’ll make it back before the end of the night. Now go already.” Techno says and Phil nods, taking off quickly with Y/n.
He looks back at the building they were in, and heads back inside. If there’s anyone left here, they’ll pay for what happened.
It’s a few days before Techno comes back and Philza spends the time either worrying over it or about the worsening condition of Y/n, who seems to have developed a bad cold or flu or hypothermia or all of it, really, as well as making sure Tommy doesn’t rip his stitches trying to do stupid stuff. When Techno does come back, he’s covered in blood and doesn’t even stop to talk to the members of the syndicate sitting in the living room or even wash up, instead going straight for the room where Y/n is sleeping and peeking in.
“She’s not doing well at all. I stitched her tail up, but she’s developed a fever and is still freezing cold all the time and isn’t getting any better, even with a ton of healing potions. I don’t know if she’s going to make it.” Phil mutters beside Techno and he only nods.
He steps out of the doorway and leaves to take a shower, taking extra care to scrub the blood out of his hair and changes into comfortable clothes. Peeking into Y/n’s room again, he sees her shivering underneath the blankets. Well no wonder she’s sick, she’s still freezing cold, he thinks to himself before opening the door further and stepping into the room. He climbs under the covers and Y/n instantly curls up to him, soaking in his natural warmth.
“Thank you, for getting me out of there.” She mutters, before falling back asleep.
“Anything for you.” He whispers, holding her tighter against him in an almost protective manner. 
Phil watches from the doorway, smiling as he watches Techno fall asleep curled up with her.
Tagged: 
@thegeekisheere
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my2phetaliaheadcanons · 3 years ago
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So on the one ask about the yandere marriage. What would happen if the same characters darling escaped and actually tried fighting back? Probably won’t work out but they tried.
You are correct, darling tried. But it didn’t work, and lead to some harsh consequences.
Germany – The sweet and outgoing nature of his kitten made her seem docile. Luther didn’t count on her claws coming out when she was cornered.
Luther’s love for his kitten will cause him to gloss over her rough behavior at first. Every protest would be seen as a concern that could be swept under the rug. Yelling and screaming would be a lover’s quarrel. It wasn’t until her hand hit his face that Luther would realize that harsher methods would be needed.
Luther’s methods would start off simple, leaving Kitten in a sealed room for a day or two. Each time-out session’s length would be based on what the actions of rebellion would be. After trying this for a couple of months, and reaching isolation periods of two weeks, or having a weapon drawn on him, Luther would up the intensity.
Instead of just isolation, it would start to include chains, starvation, and darkness. These restrictions could eventually break Kitten down to the point of submission. If she hadn’t won Luther’s trust through fake affections and obedience first.
She would either escape through an open window or convince Luther to get extremely intoxicated to the point of passing out. At that point, she could walk right out the front door.
Once Luther realizes what happens, Kitten had better pray that she stays ahead. Luther’s methods are reminiscent of a hunting dog. Persistent and willing to use the pack. If Luther couldn’t find her within three days, then he’s calling the other axis members. More than likely, the help of the other members will corner Kitten quickly.
After she is found, Luther doesn’t wait. He swoops in the second she is away from witnesses and knocks her out. All Kitten manages to squeak out is a “Luther!” and then it's dark.
When she awakens, all she can feel is pain. Luther broke her dominant leg, and though it was well wrapped, she noticed a couple of other new things. The chains that once wrapped only around her ankles became a harness. It's not cutting off circulation, but it was tight. The room she’s in is small, stone, and cold. The only light in the room came from the crack in the door.
This would be the punishment for escape. Luther had been worried and at least this way he knows where she is. Maybe on their five-year anniversary, she could come out.
Sweden – Hustru was a ray of sunshine. Beautiful, bright, and also hot. Not just in terms of attractiveness, her warm cherry attitude would easily change to a blistering fury. This was amusing to Bernard, despite being from an area known for chills, this heat was welcoming.
Going the route of a true yandere, Bernard would hide you away, his logic would be that all newlyweds need some time. Though since it was done with approval from both of their bosses, it would not be in one of his unknown places, rather a newer and known spot, one designed just for her. It would be a simple house, out in the foggy Swedish forest. The outside would be reminiscent of a by-gone area, but the inside would be a mix of modern and medieval.
Bernard thought she enjoyed it until she started to fight against his ‘simple’ rules. Things like yelling and screaming would be funny to him. It was showing Bernard a side that he hadn’t yet witnessed, and he enjoyed that. Each action of rebellion would be recorded by him with joy. Until that is, hustru decided to get physical.
Bernard, like Luther, is fine with backtalk. Physical fighting though is a sign of distrust and the breakdown of his bond with his hustru. At this, hustru would be restrained and with his silver tongue, he would talk her out of attacking. His voice would sound joyful, but his eyes would communicate anything but that.
That would be her only warning. If hustru would attempt another attack, Bernard wouldn’t hesitate to break a limb. This should quell her fire for a time, and at that moment Bernard would coo at her. A sweet voice asking how she could be so clumsy, and how she should allow Bernard to take care of it.
Eventually, it would reach the boiling point she would make a break for it. Bernard would have been waiting for this moment. After all, he already takes people to his home, Bernard knows that it's only a matter of time before they run.
He would follow behind slowly, fully understanding what she would be looking for in an escape route. Each turn hustru would make, she could hear Bernard taunting her and making false promises. Whether or not hustru would realize it, Bernard would be herding her like a ewe to the slaughterhouse.
Bernard would end the chase by cornering hustru. It would either be by a cliff or a lake. Her look of panic would thrill Bernard, and he would descend upon her like a wolf. Their struggle would last until Bernard could give either a hard blow to the back of her head, chokehold, or hold her head in the water.
Holding her now unconscious body close, Bernard would take her away. She would not return to the nice home in the Swedish forest but instead would find herself in an unfamiliar place. It was Sweden’s oldest and best-hidden spot.
This one is underground and like a hobbit hole. Though the inside is much bigger and maze-like. Hustru will never find the door, but Bernard will always be there to give her affection.
Russia – Viktor knew marriage was an adjustment for both the husband and the wife. They were living together for the first time, and that meant getting used to each other’s constant presence. Well, at least for родная, since Viktor knew everything about her. Though, he was reaching the end of his patience with her insults.
Viktor would be willing to turn a blind eye to any rebellion for about a week or two. As I said, marriage is an adjustment, and he would be willing to give родная some time. After that period, and if she is still fighting their love, then Viktor sees reason to correct the bad behavior.
As a yandere Viktor is fine with the occasional comment. Should родная do it more often than that, or attempt to lay it on thick Viktor is gonna act. His punishments are always smart and calculating with the purpose of ensuring submission. It starts simple; restricting her time outside the home and the disappearance of specific privileges. Things like entertainment and basic comforts are the first to go. As time goes on, and if she chooses to escalate her acts, then it's only gonna get worse.
Physical attacks lead to periods of isolation, additional housework, and prevention of sleep. These three together would make it easier for Viktor to shape her behaviors and throughout ask her specific questions to see how she is coming along. If родная is smart enough, she will submit quickly to avoid seeing how far he is willing to take this.
If родная should escape, she then there must be an insurance that Viktor is not home. Once out of the home, then she has no choice but to take the alleyways. Viktor’s men are well-rounded and without a doubt one of them is well versed in hacking. Once found, whether it be via a security camera, or through the use of documents, Viktor will bring her home.
It won’t be a pretty moment. One, it would be in public and there would be screaming and begging. Two, no one would help, mainly because Viktor would appear not only her husband but provide papers to make it seem like she had some illness that required guardianship.
In the end, she’s in a basement tied to a chair. From there Viktor would work once again with his previous taming methods, this time though he would make sure it sticks.
England – Oliver was quite pleased on their wedding day. It was beautiful and perfect, but the events since that wonderful day have been troubling to him. His sweet little Dearie appeared to not be adjusting well to married life, but he’s got the tools to help.
Oliver has always had a need for control, and after the American Revolution, it had gotten worse. When Dearie fights, it’s almost like a flashback for him. He doesn’t handle it well, Oliver is willing to give a warning, after all, it is his wife. Though after not only having his warning ignored but receiving back-to-back threats and the claims that he is a monster, Oliver decides that his wife needs lessons on how to be a lady and housewife.
These lessons range from proper posture and basic manners to tea ceremonies and fancy dances. The length and frequency of the lessons depend on the severity of her crimes. Which to Oliver, each is extremely severe and must be taught out of his sweet little dearie.
For each lesson, Oliver has an enchanted device. For posture, a corset with celestial bronze and white silk. Each attempt of slouching or relaxing causes it to tighten like a python with a rabbit in its coils. Dance lessons involve iron shoes, not only do they burn when the dancing stops, but they can only be removed by Oliver. These are just two of many that he has.
Her escape would not be easy. Oliver’s flying bunnies, Chocolate and Strawberry would always be nearby. Waiting and ready to report. Her best chance of escape would be a moment of pure chaos. Whether she caused it or she had been blessed with it, this would be her only chance of escape.
Once he realizes that she had run away, Oliver would open his dreaded spellbook. The magic would flit and fly around him as he reads various spells. Creatures of all kinds would be summoned and with the leadership of his bunnies, they would spread across the land like the shadows that appear with the setting sun.
Eventually, she would be found. Caught and dragged away by the various shadows Dearie thought she had escaped.
Once Oliver had her back in his arms, an enchantment would be placed. Nothing too harmful, just something that would bind their souls together. Forever.
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megurodivision · 2 years ago
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Saji's Thoughts on Second Members
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Jiro Yamada
"Jiro's in several of my classes. He and I aren't close enough to be friends, but we are acquaintances who talk when passing. Truthfully, I don't mind the guy so much, but he can be a little obnoxious when he talks. If he isn't boasting about himself, he's boasting about his brother, Ichiro. I'd say the guy needs to chill out with all that, but I guess it is nice to have a brother that you look up to and admire."
Jyuto Iruma
"Would you believe me if I told you that I saw this dirty piece of crap at my underground fighting ring? He tried to blend in with the crowd, but he underestimated just how well we are at spotting pigs (or in his case, rabbits). Afterwards, while I was walking home, the guy stopped me and tried to blackmail me into giving him my winnings that night. Shame no one told him I'm not that one you want to mess with. The pig soon found himself surrounded by a bunch of us, and we gave him a clear message: stay the hell out of our fighting circuit or else. Seems he was smarter than we thought. The pig ran off with his tail between his legs and we haven't seen him since.
Gentaro Yumeno
"Let me state now for the record: I really dislike this guy. ...Okay, I have nothing against him, personally. But I really dislike his books. Why? My English professor always assigns several of his books for us to read as assignments. And to make sure that we actually did read them and didn't just get the summary offline or something, he always randomly calls one of us out in the class and has us read an entire paragraph from a random page from a random chapter... in English! That wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact that this guy uses such long, overdrawn phrases and words. And his style of writing is always so old." Saji sighs.
"If I wind up failing English class, then you all know why."
Hifumi Izanami
"Yeong got all of us a gig at a host club in Shinjuku. That's where we ran into this guy. He struck me as a playboy, which was no surprise since many women kept asking about him. They tried making passes at the three of us, but Vito and I wanted nothing to do with it. Yeong though... well, you can already guess what Yeong was doing. But later on, the guy thanked us all for our hard work and paid us well.
"I told Yeong he could do that gig by himself next time. Nothing personal, but I don't care much for those type of places."
Rosho Tsutsujimori
"If you had told me a year or so ago that Rosho-sensei of all people was going to be participating in the D.R.B., I'd probably socked you one for both lying and wasting my time. But... well when I saw the guy going up against the Buster Bros!!! on stage, well... needless to say, I was shocked!
"Nothing against him. Rosho-sensei is actually a pretty good teacher. He just... well, the guy has a problem with speaking in front of a large group of people. It makes learning from him somewhat... difficult. But to hear and see him on stage actually rapping... like I said, I was shocked. If he can do something like that, teaching a class with a lot of people should be a piece of cake."
Jyushi Aimono
Saji sighs at the photo of Jyushi. "I know it doesn't mean much now that your grandmother is dead, but... I'm sorry Jyushi. I saw that were being bullied and picked on by those idiots in our class, but I just stood by and did nothing. Not because I was afraid. If I wanted, I could've beat any of those losers any day of the week. But... I was dealing with my own shit at the time, and I couldn't be bothered to lift a hand to help you. I'm sorry.
"For what it's worth, I'm glad you doing okay. I hope things get better for you. I really do."
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dodo-begone · 4 years ago
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Trapped with a Leviathan
Pairing: Yandere!Ranbob x Reader
Word Count: 5.7K
Warning: Death, unhealthy behavior, yandere, blood, abandonment, memory loss, angst at the end (?)
Finding Karl’s little library was such a treat. It looked so cute, so quaint. It was small and cramped, but the type that still held so much comfort. Though you had no idea you weren’t supposed to know about it until Karl came from somewhere else in the library. His panicked expression told you everything you’d need to know. 
After a long talk about the library, what he did in it and you swearing to keep mum about Karl’s secret, you both went your separate ways.
That didn’t stop you from bothering him about it though. You begged him for weeks on end to bring him with you on one of his adventures. Each request was met with a hard no from Karl. His reasoning everytime was “it’s dangerous on the other side. You never know what could be on the other side. You never know what could go wrong”.
One attempt did lead to the answer you craved. You were jumping for joy when Karl finally relented and said you could join him on the next trip. He said that it should be safe enough for you to come with him because the adventures so far hadn’t been dangerous. 
 With Karl’s acceptance, you were so excited for the trip, words couldn’t describe the euphoria you felt. You could just feel that the adventure would be life-changing. 
You somehow managed to stay yourself, which apparently wasn’t an uncommon occurrence. Karl had mentioned how sometimes the portal would spit you out as someone else and how it’s sometimes didn’t change you one bit. 
It felt very strange, wrong in a way. It was painfully obvious that this wasn’t your time period. You were even in the clothes you had on before the adventure, which made you stick out like a black lamb in a flock of white. When you talked it out with Karl though, he said that you didn’t look that bad or out of place. If you acted more naturally, maybe took a bit after his lead, then you’d fit in better. The only thing that made you stick out, he said, was the fact that you acted like you stuck out. You just had to blend in, act like you belonged there.
It felt very strange, wrong in a way. It was painfully obvious that this wasn’t your time period. You were even in the clothes you had on before the adventure, which made you stick out like a black lamb in a flock of white. When you talked it out with Karl though, he said that you didn’t look that bad or out of place. If you acted more naturally, maybe took a bit after his lead, then you’d fit in better. The only thing that made you stick out, he said, was the fact that you acted like you stuck out. You just had to blend in, act like you belonged there.
So between the two of you, y’all agreed that you’d go along with what the fishermen were going to be doing. At least, that’s what you both agreed on doing.
Once you looked around again, you got a better assessment of the fishermen. They were barbaric. Absolute heathens. The shenanigans had escalated to Cletus and Benjamin punching each other. Although it started as playful, it quickly escalated to something on the very border between playful and a true fight. What had once been playful punching evolved to actual full-force punches and harsh pushes. The third fisherman, Charles, was pretty much ignoring it all. And Isaac, oh boy, you were wrong in assuming that the two of you would be taking the back seat for this adventure. 
Isaac was trying his best to get control of the group, yelling at them to stop what they were doing so they could actually get something done.  It wasn’t very effective, as it just added another layer onto the chaos, but it was some effort. Much more than the other three were doing. 
With a defeated sigh, you also try to calm the group down. You don’t remember much of what happened though. It was all a blur. People running around, a book, some boats, and then you were in a strange building just above the ocean. In the middle of nowhere. There was no land in sight. How far had y’all gone? 
Your thoughts were interrupted by Cletus chanting “open sesame”, with his face pressed to an iron door.  Although amusing, the attempts proved fruitless. Charles and Isaac had gone back outside for some odd reason. You couldn’t recall them stating a reason as to why they left, but that wasn’t too important. What was important was stopping Cletus from slamming himself against the door. It was frightening how little he actually cared for his well-being. 
Cletus’ attempts were stopped, but not by you. You had gone over to stop Cletus, and were in the process of holding him back when Benjamin called for everyone to come to him. Charles and Isaac came back swiftly, with Isaac inspecting the new-found item. You and Cletus could barely get over to them before Isaac was ushering Benjamin over to the door. Isaac stated that this was the supposed key that should let them into the locked room. Though you had no recollection of him ever stating that a key was necessary to get in. It made more sense then what Cletus was doing, so you kept quiet. 
Once Benjamin and Isaac were at the door, Isaac took the key and inserted it into the lock. The door was swiftly opened by Isaac, and he walked in to investigate further. Not even two seconds passed before the others were repeatedly closed and opened the door. They seemed to be having fun twisting the key and running around. You couldn’t get through the doorway with them running in and out of the room, so you stayed away from the traffic until Isaac came back out. A book was visible from the doorway, but indecipherable from the position you were in. Isaac soon stood over the book, blocking it entirely from view. 
After Isaac read the book to the group, which the others didn’t really seem to pay too much attention to, they crowded into the room to read the book for themselves. You would’ve gone in, but small and tight spaces like that with so many people in it was suffocating. It was just easier to let them figure everything out then to panic and crowd the room with them. The men must’ve found something of interest in there, maybe another key or something similar, because soon there was a small piece of the wall being moved. With the obstacle removed, it revealed a ladder leading underground, or more specifically under the surface of the water.
Cletus had absolutely no impulse control and jumped down the hole almost immediately, though you really should’ve expected it by now. Nothing this man did showing any real thought process. He did climb back up to y’all though with no sign of injury, so that temporarily satiated the fear you had for his safety. Though that small peaceful was short lived as Cletus demanded y’all close the opening on him while he went down. 
Screaming as the door closed a little too close to Cletus’ head, the group frantically tried to open the passage-way to check on Cletus. Panicking only led to chaos as they all tried to open it at the same time. Which resulted in the opening repeatedly being covered and closed in quick succession. You were petrified, frozen in place, fearing for Cletus’ safety and wellbeing. Had he actually been hurt?
Luckily the group got their act together and the passage-way was cleared for Cletus. While everyone gathered by the opening to find any sign of Cletus, the man of the hour made his appearance. 
Perfectly fine. He was perfectly fine. He even started joking about how he had been decapitated, slowly making his descent back down. Everyone else followed after him, down with him and with his joking. You were the last to follow.
Before arriving at the bottom, you could hear the others yelling about something. Only “there’s a guy” could be discerned from the cacophony of voices. When you finally got to the bottom, all of the noise made sense. 
There was a man. Well, it wasn’t exactly a man. But it was some-what humanoid. The thing resembled Ranboo, surprisingly. Must’ve been part enderman or something. They were the most noticeable thing. Everybody started introducing themselves, with Isaac starting first. The next was the new being, who’s name was Ranbob. It was odd how he took so long to answer, but he was apparently alone for quite a while. So socializing and remembering names weren’t really necessary. Then the introductions went on with Benjamin, to Charles, to Cletus, then yourself. Cletus loudly smelling Ranbob made you very uncomfortable, so you finally directed your attention elsewhere.
The new sight was much more pleasant to the eye. You hadn’t realized before that y’all were in a room made almost entirely of glass. Walls showing you the dark outside word with kelp practically obscuring the possible view. There were barrels and chests clumped together in different areas around the room. Though you made a chilling discovery when you finally looked down.
Blood. A dried spot of blood. It sent you into a small panic. Frantically looking around the room led to a shocking discovery. There wasn’t just one small puddle of dried blood. Instead there were multiple, all varying in size. You weren’t the only one who noticed the blood though.
Ranbob was talking about where you were, about how many people used to live there. Isaac must’ve felt something was off because he made a snarky remark about how Ranbob didn’t clean the blood off the floor. This made the other three look at the floor, discovering the blood they had once looked over. The only excuse that Ranbob gave was that “many people died here”, which wasn’t very reassuring. It was so blunt, so apathetic to what could’ve happened here. You brushed it to the side though, making the excuse for him that, since he was alone, he would be blunt about everything because he was so used to it. 
Isaac trusted him enough, for some reason, to ask him to show everyone around the city. Though Ranbob only got to one room before Isaac and the others went on ahead to explore. Their excursion was short lived as they came to a dead end; two imposing doors were locked, blocking all outsiders from the contents inside. Cletus tried his tactic of slamming himself into the door to get in, which proved useless. What was worse this time was the other fishermen were cheering him on. Giving some ideas on what could be done to ram it open. Although funny, it was a pitiful sight. 
Though the energy just radiating off of them was too much. They were practically bouncing off the walls from their want to get into the room. Honestly it looked more like children got into candy and were on a sugar high rather than four grown men trying to get into a room. 
With a heavy sigh, you realized it was going to be a long day. 
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Ranbo was rather quirky. He was awkward, but it was so endearing. While the fishermen were running around, touching and reading into everything they could in the rooms, you stood by Ranbob as he talked about each room. 
With each explanation, there was at least one interruption from the others. They all talked over each other, and Ranbob was not spared from this treatment. It embarrassed you how they would ask him questions yet never listen to him. Ranbob’s irritation was obvious, yet he kept his cool. Isaac and the others didn’t even acknowledge Ranbob other than to ask about the rooms. They treated him like he was a robot or something. Either not there or not human.
As the tour went on, you progressively got more embarrassed and irritated. Their treatment of Ranbob was consistent, if not worse, as time progressed. So you did what you could; you listened to Ranbob intently. It was the least you could do, since they weren’t listening to him. It wasn’t like he didn’t have interesting information to share. Why it was quite the opposite. The history he shared was fascinating, an insider’s view of each room was more in depth and immersive than the information found scattered around. And the conversation was pleasant; you even had bantered with each other. Ranbob’s remarks were quirky and quite hilarious, yet cute at the same time.
While he went on his tangents about Mizu’s history, you both wandered around, taking a look at the city without the disturbance of the others. He was specifically talking about what research he had done about Fundy when he stopped walking. It took you a second to realize he stopped, but when you did, you immediately went back to him. He was looking around, almost frantically. Stopping his search, he looked you directly in the eye. The sudden eye contact made you uncomfortable, but the look in them put you on edge. They were panicked, with a hint of something else. You couldn’t identify it, but all you knew was the look in his eye didn’t match the expression of his face. 
“Can you wait here,” he asked, looking you in the eyes. “I forgot something in one of the other rooms. I won’t be long.” Suddenly he grabbed your shoulders, his voice changing from its usual monotone to a more desperate one. “Please stay here. I just need to grab something really quick.” His actions started to scare you, but you agreed. 
“Thank you. Remember: I’ll be right back. So wait here. Please.” With that, he left. 
When he started to leave, you finally took in your surroundings. You had ended up in the meeting room again. Ranbob’s actions unnerved you, ticked at something deep inside of you. Your instincts were begging you to run, yet you ignored them, staying in the room that Ranbob left you in. Watching Ranbob jogging down one of the hallways, you had to mentally reassure yourself. 
Everything is fine. It’s just Ranbob. Ranbob is socially awkward. He hasn’t been with other people in a long time. He won’t do anything bad. He couldn’t do anything bad. That’s just how he is. 
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It felt like you had been waiting forever. Time moved oddly, you mused. Yes, time was a human construct, but it was also a universal constant. Always correlation with either the sun or moon. And you had no idea what time it could’ve been. All light that would’ve made its way down to you had been blocked by the ocean water and kelp. The light from inside danced across the kelp scattered along the ocean with fish darting between the kelp like children on a playground. This was the only form of entertainment you had while waiting for Ranbob. You didn’t want to touch or disturb anything that was in the room. Being so zoned out, you had no idea you had company until you were being violently shaken.
Disturbed from your thoughts, you swiftly turn to look at who had messed with you. And right behind you were the fishermen. Isaac, Benjamin and Charles. They were panting, and quite hard at that. Feeling overwhelmed by their sudden reappearance, you were dazed. You were practically zoned out, but weren’t at the same time. Everything looked normal, but you couldn’t hear anything besides a general buzz. Your only que about what was going on was Isaac and the others making grand gestures and touching you. 
Fighting the trance-like state was hard. So hard to focus on them, but they looked so panicked. You had to get out of it, for them. And luckily you did. Only to hear a question that just made no sense. 
“Did Ranbob hurt you?”
You couldn’t tell who asked the question, but you found the question odd. Reverting back to blocking everything out, you went back to thinking on what that phrase could mean. Ranbob? Hurting you? That’s just preposterous. Ranbob was an odd fellow, that was true. But not that odd. He was kind at heart and couldn't hurt a fly. They must’ve been overreacting or something since you were away from them. 
Trying to get back to reality was a struggle, but one you had to make. The panicked faces of you friends were saddening, and they got worse the longer you didn’t answer. You had to be quick about this. 
“No, Ranbob didn’t hurt me.” was all you could get out before they started to talk over you again. You had more to say, but the words wouldn’t come out. It was like the noise was making you mute. So you stayed silent, going with what the others were doing. With how long you were examining things, you wondered how you missed one detail. It was so big, it should’ve been noticed by you at the beginning. 
Cletus wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Frantically you look around, wanting to find any sign of the rambunctious man. But you found nothing. Only Charles was seen. Benjamin and Isaac were already going down another secret passage way in the meeting room. Charles gently led you to the opening, giving reassuring words about how it's safe and that he’d be right behind you. 
Down below, it was much darker than above. Practically no sunlight could get to y’all. The only light source you found was from an open room. A room with a bright light could wait though. A skeleton with a book definitely couldn’t. It was undeniable, hard to believe that the dead of Mizu weren’t properly buried. Grabbing the book, since the skeleton wasn’t really needing it, you read the book aloud. You didn’t grasp any of the information on the page. Didn’t have a clue if you were actually reading aloud or if what you said was actually making sense. But it was, because they started to talk about how the room with the light, as the book stated, had to have the key to the next room. 
Looking around didn’t give you much information on what they were talking about. Another room? There were literally walls everywhere. How could there be another room down here?
But you kept quiet, not wanting to make the situation worse with your silly questions. After all, it was probably answered in the book and you just weren’t paying attention. 
That's besides the point. What was important was getting that key. Walking into the next room made a pit grow in your stomach. The key was in there? Somewhere in this lava-flooded room? Where could it even be? You had to look around the room multiple times to finally understand what was going on. There was some parkour leading up to a small crevice in one of the walls.
Not long after your discovery, Benjamin took on the challenge of grabbing the key. Every jump made you gasp in fear. Fear that Benjamin would fall to his death. Every trip or stumble made your anxiety grow uncontrollably. Isaac saw your panic though, which you were grateful for. He walked over to you, grabbing your hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. 
“Don’t worry too much about Benjamin,” Isaac said,” He’s a professional at this”. He tried his best to reassure you by looking into your eyes. Uncertainty and hope danced within his. The attempt at a reassuring look only emphasized the emotions in his eyes, making you feel on edge. You had to be strong though. For Isaac, for Charles and especially for Benjamin. 
After calming down, you looked back up to see Benjamin’s progress. He was almost at the top. Two more jumps to go. With the tension growing, Benjamin prepared for the second to last jump. It felt like time slowed once he left the platform. He was flying in the air, bending his knees for the anticipated landing. Touching the platform, you thought he was safe. How wrong you were in this assumption. His foot slipped out from under him, making him slip off the edge and into the lava below. 
His screams of agony were overwhelming, scratching something deep inside of you. It scared you, made you feel horrible. Screams soon turned to silence. The bubbling of the lava in the new-found silence was absolutely deafening. 
All three of you looked amongst each other. It was undeniable; all three of you were scared to take on the challenge. You were absolutely paralized in fear and frantically looked between the two of them, hoping that they’d come up with some alternative plan. 
“I’ll go,” Isaac stated after a long moment of silence. You and Charles looked at Isaac, scared for his safety after the example Benjamin left for you all. But Isaac chose to possibly sacrifice his life for the two of you. Silence was the best answer to someone who had already decided to face death head-on. 
Every one of Isaac’s jumps made you more anxious than the last. He definitely wasn’t as good as Benjamin. Almost every landing ended with him stumbling to regain his balance. But after an agonizing wait, Isaac made it to the top, brandishing a shiny key to you and Charles. You both cheered for Isaac’s accomplishment, but soon grew silent. 
“How’re you going to get down?” Charles hollered in hopes of being heard over the bubbling lava, looking around for an alternative way down. There seemed to be only two options. Option one was going back the way he came, which was rather dangerous. It was hard to get there and it looked even harder to travel the same path backwards. Option two was just jumping to you and Charles from where Isaac was, which was also very risky. Neither option was optimal.
Charles and Isaac soon got to talking about a plan. They both were talking about Isaac going back the way he came, but soon decided that it was much too perilous. Isaac soon started to yell back about how he’d just jump from where he was to the beginning, where you and Charles stood. You and Charles started to object when Isaac disappeared into the crevice. He got a running started and jumped at the very last second. It seemed like he was soaring with how slowly time passed. But he made it safely. Isaac’s landing was a catharsis for you and Charles. You both were so happy that you gave Isaac a group hug that almost sent the three of you into the lava. 
After the hug, the three of you went back into the room leading back up. Isaac went up to the wall adjacent to the lava room and inserted the key in a small hole, which had gone unnoticed by you until that very moment. Once the doorway was opened, the three of you walked in, feeling like y’all could defeat the world together. 
Now all the rooms before had been unique, especially the ones representing and holding the items of historical figures. But this one just felt so different from the others. It was much darker than the others, with no view of the water surrounding y’all. The walls, floor, and ceiling were pitch blkac. With lime green pillars and baseboards around the outer rims of the room. All of the items looked to be of much higher quality than the contents of other rooms. Yes they were all filled with historical artifacts, but the value of everything in this room felt much greater than almost all of the rooms combined. There were chests, anvils, diamond armor, diamond swords, barrels, enchantment tables, and a little enclosure room. There was even a disc engraved above the doorway.
It was obvious that whoever made this room really liked whoever this room was themed after. The little enclosure was well made. Almost looked like the world above the ocean with a green field, a blue sky with clouds and a little cave with lava and gold visible from the glass of the enclosure. But the main centerpiece was, well it was unnerving. It looked so much like Dream. A little lime-green thing in the center with Dream’s little white blobby face on it. The sight was sickening to you. He was everywhere, even in the damn, well whatever time period it is. Finding out if the new reality had already happened or could happen hadn’t been a priority. But now you really wished you found out because this was absolutely bullshit. 
Isaac screaming diverted your attention to the Dream exhibit to whatever was behind y’all. And boy was it a pleasant sight. It was Ranbob! And he looked unharmed, which was even better. Could it get any better than this?
In unison, you and Charles called out to Ranbob. Saying how glad y’all were that he was alright while running over to give him a hug. That was until Isaac screamed at the two of you to stop, which y’all did. When you both looked at Isaac, the sight was frightening yet devastating. He looked scared and tears had already started to grow in his eyes. That wasn’t it though. The raw anger that painted his eyes and face seemed so out of place. What was his problem? It was just Ranbob.
“Are you kidding me” Isaac screeched, running up to you and Charles. When he got to y’all, he pushed and pulled with all his might to get y’all away from Ranbob. “What do you mean ‘thank god’? He killed Cletus!”
Isaac’s claim was shocking, yet Charles went right along with it. Taking back everything he said and spouting about how he killed Cletus. The news left you numb. 
No way. There was no way Cletus was dead. Maybe he just got lost? Or knocked unconscious? Maybe left as well? And Ranbob wouldn’t have done that! Yeah he’s different and definitely isn’t socially sauve, but he isn’t the type of person to just hurt others. He’s just an easy target to push Cletus’ disappearance onto. There was no way that Ranbob killed him, right? 
But the panicked faces of the fishermen haunted you. Accompanied with their sudden reappearance without Cletus was all that was needed to know that he was actually gone. 
That creates another question; what had actually happened to Cletus? He was so full of life. Not the sharpest tool in the shed, but definitely should’ve lived longer than he had. Even with his level of intelligence, it shouldn’t have killed him yet.
You looked at Isaac in hopes of an answer, but all you got back was a face that screamed “I fucked up”’. Silently you begged for questions, which Isaac went over to gladly give.
While Isaac was making his way over to you, Ranbob started to explain the room and who it was made after, since it was apparently made to honor somebody. Your suspicion on it being for Dream was confirmed by Ranbob as he went on to talk more about the other themed rooms. 
He talked about how each room was themed after someone, how each room was dedicated toward someone the previous residents worshiped. Each room made for an “idol”; some historically important person who the people looked up to. The idols were revered as god-like people. When Ranbob went on about who he worshipped, Isaac interrupted, like usual, asking if Ranbob’s idol was Ranboo. Because that’s Ranbob’s ancestor, so that seems like the obvious choice, right? But Ranbob denies it, saying his Idol was Dream. 
Isaac went back up to the glass, pointing into the enclosure toward the green abomination. “Is that this man” he asked, breaking the glass without a care in the world. Ranbob curtly answered with a “yes” before he went on with his speech. 
You unintentionally zoned out on Ranbob’s speech, which had been a first for the day. It was a low buzz  compared to the shattering of glass that gave under Isaac’s fists. You, Isaac, and Charles went into the enclosure, as Ranbob talked about how Dream was a good man. When you turned to look at him again, you were shocked by what you saw.
Ranbob was right behind what remained of the glass, still in the main room, looking in on the three of you. During his speech and everyone moving, he had grabbed one of the diamond swords. His voice showed no emotion, no indication on what could happen next. He started to stalk closer to y’all, following into the enclosure. 
“Nobody leaves here” he utters. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a fucking toothpick. 
“What do you mean ‘nobody leaves here?’” It barely comes out as a whisper, but it echoed off the walls. Too quiet, it was too quiet. You wanted the noise back. You wanted your noisy boys back. 
No immediate answer was given. After a tense moment, the answer was given. It wasn’t a verbal answer. The answer was Ranbob lunging at Charles with his sword ready to strike. 
Everything happened so fast after that. Before every death seemed to happen in slow-motion, but now Charles’ death couldn’t have come any quicker. A few slashes from Ranbob’s sword was all that was needed to silence the poor man. The other shrieks of fear weren’t silenced though. If anything, they raised in volume because of the fear for their own lives. Only you and Isaac remained of the original visitors. During Charles’ slaughter, which you wanted to view as a valiant sacrifice to not feel as guilty, Isaac runs out of the enclosure while you are momentarily frozen by fear. 
Not even a second after Charles’ agonizing howls of pain cease, a portal on the other side of the room appears. It’s obviously one of Karl’s portals because of the odd swirly thing in the center. When the portal appears, you do your best to dash out of the enclosure without Ranbob getting to you. Whatever god took pity on you wanted some fucking entertainment because you only escaped by the skin of your teeth. 
Isaac is almost at the portal when you’re barely halfway across the room.
“Isaac, wait” you cry, hoping to get any help you could from the man. But he didn’t turn around, didn’t pay attention to you. “Isaac please, wait. Help.”
Your attempts were proving futile, but you didn’t want to give up yet. “Karl wait” you bellow as loud as humanly possible. It was your last hope. The portal closed before you were even three-fourths across the room. 
You slow to a stop, stunned by what had unfolded in front of you. He just left you? Karl left you? No, there’s no way he’d purposely leave you there, especially with a murder, right? Maybe he just didn’t hear you? Trying to make excuses for Karl were useless. You knew the reality; Karl purposely left you for dead. To get himself out of a sticky situation. 
Bitter, betrayed, numb. They were only a few words that could describe how you felt right now.
A presence on your shoulder shocks you back into reality. Or as much reality as you can handle right now. The world felt so disconnected. Unreal. You turn around to Ranbob, who’s obviously talked based on the fact that his damn mouth is moving. This motherfucker. Why won’t he just kill you already? It’s so obvious that you’re next. You could care less if he killed you now. Death was just sitting in front of you, taunting you with her lethal weapon. Everything you loved had just been ripped away from you by somebody you had trusted with your safety, your life. 
But Ranbob doesn’t lift his sword. Instead he grabs your shoulder, leading you out of the room. As he exits, he drops his bloodied sword by the doorway. 
You heard one thing he said, and you wish you hadn’t heard anything at it. His words would haunt you till the day you die. 
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.”
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The previous adventure had been hard on Karl. He almost honking died back there! He’s dazed by his close encounter with death, but fine. Perfectly fine. No harm was brought to him, which was great! 
As quickly as he could in his tired and dazed state, he went back to the main part of his library. There he pulled out a blank book and started to document his most recent adventure. 
It was hard to remember what he had gone through, and even harder to write all of it down. So he did his best in shortening it. He talked about how the future was bad and how he needed to change events in the present to prevent the future he was presented with. That Dream kinnie had to be stopped before he even appeared. 
After hours of pouring his previous trip into a book, which was mostly spent thinking of words and staying awake, he felt satisfied. Most of the important bits made it into the book, or at least he thinks it did. He doesn;t even remember what he put in the book now. 
Giving the room a slow scan, he grabs another book. The book was completely empty, just like the last book he grabbed. He sat and stared at it, pondering if he should write in it. And if he did, what he'd write in it. Without much thought, he grabbed a quill and ink pot to start writing in the new book. Writing a small, quick thing wouldn’t hurt. 
This book was going to be a more personal entry thing after his journeys, he decided. For how he felt after each adventure. After all, the other books are meant to be full of facts for future reference about what could/had happened. Not a honking diary. 
Karl started off talking about how his memory was starting to fail him and asking himself if he should continue, which he decided that he had to do. “For the safety of the future” was his reasoning. His fear of forgetting his loved ones appeared on the page, but he just couldn’t forget about how all of the people on the last adventure reminded of someone in the present day. But there was someone that just seemed odd. Out of place. They were familiar, but a stranger all at the same time. Something was different about this compared to the others. 
It felt like he met that person before…
313 notes · View notes
strangerivy · 4 years ago
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Confessions in the Snow
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Summary:  The first winter for Levi and Y/n on the surface and in the corps. A misstep in the training course reminds Levi of how easily it could be to loose you. Warnings: Swearing | Spoilers! for OVA No Regrets Pairings: Levi Ackerman x Reader (y/n) Genre: 18+ | Fluff | Tiny Angst Word Count: 3.7k Author’s Note: Let me know what you guys think! and if anyone wants to be tagged in future Levi fic’s just let me know and I’ll start a taglist 😊 💜
|| Masterlist | AOT Masterlist ||
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Year 844 - Winter
It was your first winter on the surface and you so far were not a fan. It was cold all the time, you were starting to forget what it felt like to be warm. You were laying in your bunk now the blanket pulled tight around you, but you were still shaking from the cold.
You heard a heavy sigh from behind you and then some footsteps coming towards you stopping right at the side of your bed. You turned your head to look behind you to see an annoyed Levi staring down at you.
“You can’t be seriously that cold,” He stated, and you shot a glare up at him
“I’m sorry I’m not cold-blooded like you,” You spat turning back over pulling the covers tighter trying to stop from shaking but it only lasts a second before it started up again. He clicked his tongue pulling the covers completely off you, causing you to start shivering even more legs pulled to your chest as you tried to preserve what little heat was left. 
“What the hell Levi!” You yelled sitting up ready for a fight, he looked at you with a bored expression.
“You can sleep with me tonight if you’re that cold,” He said walking towards the door to head to the men’s barracks, you quickly shot up scrabbling out of your bunk grabbing your cloak since you were only in a nightshirt and shorts. Which was probably one of the reasons you were cold but you refused to sleep in pants, they made you feel too constricted to sleep. You caught up to Levi pulling your cloak tight as you walked down the hall.
“Are you sure?” You asked shyly your voice coming out smaller than you intended, he looked back over at you with gentle eyes giving a small nod before opening the door to the men’s barracks it was quiet except for the sound of snores. You scurried over quietly to Levi’s bunk at the end of the room climbing into the blanket. You heard a small scoff and peaked up from the blankets to see Levi shaking his head at you, a small smile on his lips. This made you smile, he looked so nice when he smiled. You wished he would do it more often.
He laid out your blanket on top of his for extra warmth before telling you to scoot more, climbing into bed wrapping an arm under you pulling you close to his chest making you freeze up. Eyes wide with nerves.
This wasn’t the first time you two had cuddled, but this was the first time you both were doing it consciously. Of course, when you had slept in the same bed in the underground you had woken up countless mornings wrapped in each other’s arms. You used him more as a pillow than the pillow that was there. You had offered on multiple occasions to get another bed, but he always said it was a waste and to not bother.
Furlan would go on to tell you that Levi never slept in the bed until you had come around from that first night. You smiled softly at the memory as it passed through your mind closing your eyes. You rolled over so that you were now facing Levi, his other armed draped across you.
You took a deep breath trying to relax your nerves, snuggling more into the pillow. You felt a gaze on you that had you open your eyes, he was looking at you with a gentle gaze, the hand draped across you rubbing small circles on your back. You don’t know how long you two looked at each other like that like there was so much more between you than what was shown. Like you meant everything to him. You fought to keep your eyes open and he noticed another small but rare smile gracing his lips. One that only seemed to be reserved for you.
“Go to sleep, Y/N,” He whispered pulling you closer to him, you let out a small quiet yawn your eyes slowly closing.
“Levi,” You mumbled, he hummed in response, you tried to open your eyes to look at him before muttering a small thanks. You felt his chest vibrate for a second and then the faintest feel of his lips on your forehead and the small sound of something leaving his lips but sleep was already taking you to hear what it was.
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Your ear twitched as you picked up on something in the room, you let out a groan snuggling further into the blanket. It was so warm you weren’t ready to get up. The blanket shifted under you. Wait, blankets don’t move. Your eyes slow open blinking sleep out of your eyes. You gazed up at a sleeping Levi without moving to not give away that you were awake to the guest in the room.
“Honestly, I wish they would just admit it to each other already, I mean look at them!” Your eyes widen as you realized you two were no longer alone in your barracks. “Plus, it would probably soften up shorty over there,” You recognized the voice as Hange, you felt Levi shift under you and that is when you realized the position you were also in. Your leg was draped completely over Levi and his hand had found its way up the back of your shirt hugging you close to him. The blanket that was once pulled tight around you two was now at your waist being pushed down at some point in the night.
Levi shifted under you and you glanced up seeing his eyes flutter open before instantly going into a cold glare once he was fully awake.
“What the hell are you doing here?” He asked clearly annoyed by Hange’s presence and whoever was with her.
“Just coming to get you two lovebirds for training, and to remind you that she isn’t supposed to be sleeping in the men’s barracks, but I know you won’t listen,” She said cheerfully not even phased by Levi’s cold tone. “Make sure to wear your jackets, we got some snow last night.” You went to sit up a rush of excitement running through you, never having seen snow before only reading about it in the few books you had collected down in the Underground, but Levi was quick to pull you back down covering you up with the blankets.
“Out.” He demanded with a stern voice, Hange grinned with a chuckle before leaving you two alone to get ready for the day. You sat up quickly once the door was shut and you heard no one else in the room everyone already going on with their business for the day.
You raced over to the window looking out hands on the windowsill as you bounce on your toes out of excitement to see the white snow outside. You let out a soft wow as you looked out the window. The trees covered in the stuff, little pillows of snow covering each branch. You felt Levi grab your arm spinning you around while putting your cloak on you then turning you to face towards the door.
“Go get ready,” He demanded not having any of your bright energy this morning. You let out a chuckle as you went out the door and down the hall to women’s barracks going to your bed getting changed into your uniform.
You were getting your boots on when Levi appeared at the other end of the room leaned up against the door frame all set for training this morning. You buckled your boot getting up grabbing your clock putting it on as you walked towards him with a bright smile. You walked side by side down the hall.
“I hope you know I won’t be slowing down for you because of the weather,” He informed you, keeping his eyes straight ahead before opening the door for you. You sucked in a breath when the winter air hit you, but you were completely mesmerized by your surroundings the snow-covered ground and trees, looking through the frosted window did not do it justice.
A chill ran up your spin that you shook off as you adjusted to the cold, “You're just mad because I beat you the last time at the obstacle course,” You gloated giving a toothy smirk as he let out an unamused scoff before heading towards the training grounds with the snow crunching under your boots. You noticed that even though there were people out and about around HQ it seemed oddly quiet for it. A peaceful quiet that you had never really thought possible.
“That’s because I didn’t let you win, you would have thrown a tantrum like a child,” He said coolly making you frown.
“Would not,” You protested making his lip move into a smirk “Don’t be such a sore loser,” that’s when you got an idea which he was quick to notice the mischievous glint in your eye,raising an eyebrow at you curiously knowing this would not bow well for him. “Why don’t we make a bet?” you suggested, I mean there is nothing wrong with healthy competition when training for life and death scenarios, right?
“What do I get?” He asked as we reached the forest training ground getting our ODM gear ready. He helped you adjust the straps so that the gear sat better.
“The winner buys the other a box of their favorite tea?” You suggested and his eyebrow went up curiously, you looked up and saw Hange giving you the signal to get ready, Mike, getting ready to follow you two to observe though it wasn’t really needed, you both proving to be a skilled duo.
“I’m not buying you a box of chai,” Levi deadpanned, getting into position, you gave a small smirk.
“So, you’re saying I’m going to beat you?” You smirked
“Tch not a chance,” Hange could see you were both in a competitive mood and looked at the two of you gleefully to see what kind of maneuvers she would see from the two of you today while Mike looked slightly annoyed at the idea of having to keep up with the two of you.
“Alright you two we are almost reset,” She announced waiting for the signal from a Scout in the forest, you and Levi both waiting ready to go the second you saw the signal, and when you did you both were gone before she could even tell you to go a loud squeal of excitement as you two flew off.
The air was crisp as you flew through the trees, goosebumps forming all along your skin, but you didn’t let that slow you down, moving faster from tree to tree. You twisted and turned through them with ease making sure to keep your eyes open for the wooden titans to appear.
A fake titan appeared in front of you as you maneuvered out of a path of a tree and you gracefully bounced off of a trunk of tree going higher into the air flipping upside down dragging your blades deep into the fake nap cutting out a more than deep enough cut to kill. You flipped back up with missing a beat moving on.
“Careful Y/N, you'll dull your blades before we’ve even started,” You heard Levi mock somewhere in the trees, you continued through the trees another titan appearing on your right but before you could make your move Levi came out of nowhere just a quick flash of green.
You let out groan in frustration picking up your pace. Another Titan appeared on your right and you went for the kill but when you went to use a tree branch as a launch point you hit some ice on the branch losing your footing. You let out a small gasp as you lost control and began falling to the forest floor, you quickly caught yourself though sending out your grappling hooks pulling yourself back up just barely giving you enough time feeling your hair drag against the ground before swinging yourself back up in the air.
The last titan in the course showed up on your right and you couldn’t hear Levi anywhere and just as you were about to swing your blades for the kill, he flew past you taking the kill for himself. You grumbled to yourself as you reached the end of the course landing down on the ground.
“I didn’t even hear you!” You shouted walking up to him, he turned to face you with an annoyed look, “Where the hell did you even come from?”
“You need to be more careful,” He critiqued not even minding to address your question, you gave him a confused look.
"Yeah I didn't see the ice on that branch," You smiled at him but something was really bothering him with your slip up. He narrowed his eyes at you letting out an angered huff. 
"You would have been dead from that slip up you had," He spat
“What do you mean? We aren’t outside of the walls Levi,” You questioned him not sure why he was starting to grow this angry with you.
“That one misstep outside of these walls could cost you your life, y/n!” He snapped at you, he walked up to you anger fuming off him and that’s when you could see it in his eyes that this wasn’t about the slip you had. This was more than that. Mike moved on back to the start of the course noticing that you two were now fighting and did not want to get in the middle of it. “I am not about to lose you to the filthy beast outside of those walls! I can’t lose you!”
“Levi…” Your voice was quiet as you stood there unreactive to his anger as you stared at him with sad eyes the faces of Isabel and Furlan running through your mind. It hadn’t even been a year since you lost them. Levi hid his pain well. Until now it seems.
It had started to snow once again; you could see each breath of his coming out in heavy pants. You reached out quickly pulling him into a hug so he couldn’t reject it. He stiffened sucking in a breath at the sudden gesture so openly out her in public. You gripped onto his shirt snuggling into his chest, his arms slowly wrapping around you as he accepted the simple display of affection and comfort you offered. He pulled you tighter to him his head falling to your shoulder his breath tickling your neck.
“You’re not going to lose me, Levi,” You felt a tear fall from your eye, your hand traveling up weaving your fingers into his hair holding his head, “I promise I’ll always find a way back,” You whispered, you felt him grip you tighter at your words.  You both stood there holding one another quietly as the snow fell.
"Do you think they would have liked the snow?" You whispered to him, he let out a small scoff
"Isabel would probably be as excited as you were this morning, I can't imagine we would get anything done," He muttered fondly to you as you both thought of your two dear friends.
Levi pulled away just enough to look into your eyes his hand reach up and rubbing your cold and reddened cheeks from the winter air. You felt the familiar butterflies in your stomach that you always felt when you were together like this that you always managed to push aside but it was getting hard each passing day especially after that day when it became just the two of you left.
He had been growing more and more affection over the past couple of months leaving you completely confused on what his intentions were. You thanked god it was cold out to hide the blush on your cheeks as he looked at you. He leaned forward leaving a small kiss to your forehead.
“Ohhhh loovvvebirds!” Your eyes went wide at the sound of Hanges voice, Levi, and you both pushed the other away feeling your cheeks heat up at being caught in such a state. You stared at the ground as you heard Hange get closer and closer.
“What the hell do you want four eyes?” Levi’s voice back to his unamused self, pretending as if Hange didn’t walk into something meant only for the two of you. You looked up to see her grinning widely as she looked at the two of you innocently.
“We are getting ready to just go over some maneuvers, hurry up!” She shouted from where she stood waving her arm wildly around for you two to follow, Moblit standing right beside her shaking his head amused by her.
“On our way!” You shouted back with a wave looking over at Levi with a smile. He clicked his tongue before starting to head towards the others with you in tow. The moment you and Levi shared already pushed aside, stored in the very back of your mind.
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You dragged your feet back towards your bed ready to take off your uniform and gear for the day, Levi turning what was supposed to be a simple training into an all-day event after your little slip in the woods making sure you had it down by the end on how to spot where you should and should not land when there’s snow and ice out.
You changed into a simple shirt and pants putting on some shoes heading back out into the hall towards the mess hall. You spotted Levi at your usual table a tray of food next to him that was meant for you. Hange smiled as soon as she spotted you. You took your spot next to him starting to eat your food.
Hange was probably your closest friend in the Scouts besides Levi of course. You would spend most of your time that wasn’t with Levi with her, helping with her experiments when needed or helping her organized her very messy office so she could actually find notes she needed when she needed them instead of days or sometimes months later.
As soon as you settled into your seat, she actually started talking to you about the idea of trying to capture a Titan but that she couldn’t get the approval.
“I mean that has to be really risky, wouldn’t it?” You asked her taking a drink of water from your mug, Levi rolled his eyes and you elbowed him under the table to knock it off.
“Yeah, and unfortunately, I can’t think of a way to make it safer,” She sighed disappointedly staring out past you, you could see the gears turning in her head that never seemed to stop with her.
"Well," you started, taking a bit of bread "If there's anyone that can figure it out, its you"
The rest of the meal was quick, and you said goodnight getting up disposing of your tray and dishes before heading back to your bed, but as you, passed a window, you noticed it was snowing again. You decided to go up to the roof to watch for a while. You stopped by your bed to grab your cloak before heading up.
It was cold but it felt good and it was quiet. No one around to disturb your peace this late. You walked over to the ledge whipping off the snow to clear a spot for you to sit. You dangled your feet over the edge looking up at the sky watching the snowfall around you. Blinking softly as a few flakes hit your lashes.
You closed your eyes letting out a relaxed sigh until you felt a presence. You opened your eye to see Levi staring out into the world. He held two cups of tea in his hand, offering the closest one to you. You gladly took it taking a sip letting out a hum from the warmth that coursed through your body. Levi took a seat next to you falling into a comfortable silence between the two of you.
There was that feeling again, the one that started in your stomach and filled your chest whenever you were with him. So many years of pushing it aside, it was easy at first but now it felt almost impossible but somehow you still managed not wanting to ruin the friendship you had. He was, after all, all you had left and vice versa.
“What are you thinking about?” your head snapped to look at Levi, a faint blush on your cheek as you forgot he was right next to you for a moment.
“N-nothing,” You stuttered taking another sip of tea, Levi still stared at you with his intimidating look that was just his face but still, it made you nervous when he stared like that. When he released you weren’t going to let up, he hummed getting gup from his spot leaving you to your thoughts.
You thought he was already gone but then you felt him right behind you kneeled down so his head was right next to your ear making you freeze to the spot as you felt his breath on your neck small goosebumps appearing on your skin.
“Come on, before you freeze yourself to death,” He whispered sending a small shiver down your spine. You turned your head to face him and noticed just how close he was to you, so close you could feel his breath hit your lips. You couldn’t help but glance down at his lips swallowing nervously when you looked back up to his eyes.
“Okay,” Your voice so quiet that you weren’t sure anything really came out. The corner of his mouth moved slightly into a small smirk, he leaned into you and you couldn’t move letting out a small gasp when you felt his lips just on the corner of your mouth before it was quickly gone. His hand grabbing yours and guiding you back up and back inside as you stared at the ground to hide the deep blush on your cheeks. He really didn’t need anymore boost to his ego, at least for tonight.
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restlessfandoming · 4 years ago
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“the president and the troublemaker” (part 1) (chilumi fic)
“Lumine is the student council president and Childe is the school’s number one troublemaker. They cross paths more than they’d like. Especially when Childe finds out Lumine’s big secret. Highschool AU à la Kaichou wa Maid-sama.”
if anyone has seen maid-sama, Lumine and Childe sometimes reminded me of Misaki and Usui so i had to write it hehe :3 if you haven’t seen it, i highly suggest it, its a very cute anime and if you like chilumi, you’ll definitely like the main couple in it! its on netflix! :D
[Fic Masterlist] // [AO3 Link]
* * *
“the president and the troublemaker” (part 1)
“Childe, for the last time, earrings are against the school uniform code,” Lumine said to him, eyes narrowing at the red jewelry dangling from his ear. He may have towered over her, but she was the student council president—she had to enforce the rules no matter what. 
Childe tilted his head, fingers grazing over his earring. “A tiny thing like this? Surely you can let me off the hook, Madame President?” 
“No exceptions. Remove it now or I will forcibly confiscate it from you.” 
He scoffed, turning away. “I’d like to see you try.”
Lumine clenched her jaw, watching his back retreat down the hallway. Oh, she could easily take it from him. But this wasn’t the place to use brute force. As much as he boiled her blood, she wouldn’t dare reveal her secret here. 
Childe, the school’s number one troublemaker: always getting into fights, never listening to authorities, doing whatever he pleased. And the worst part? He always got away with it. 
The girls of the school fawned over his good looks, the boys envied his strength, and the elders fell victim to his charisma. 
Not Lumine though. She refused to be influenced by him. Maybe that’s why he always seemed so annoyed by her. Good. 
She ripped out a page of her student council notebook, scribbling out Childe’s name and dress code violation, pocketing it to turn in later. 
She practically stomped her way into the student council room, earning a glance from the Vice President—her twin brother Aether. 
“Childe?” he asked, going back to typing on his laptop. 
Lumine slumped in her chair. “Yes,” she nearly growled. “How did you know?”
“Because he always puts you in the worst of moods,” her brother answered. “Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to put him in his place.”
“And get kicked out of school for murder? No thank you; I’m not ruining an absolutely clean record for the likes of someone like Childe.” She flipped through her notebook, seeing all her citations on said troublemaker. “Soon enough, that boy is going to get expelled, mark my words.”
Suddenly, the door burst open, and the student council reporter—a student named Bennett—dashed in, holding the side of his face.
“Madame President!” he announced. “There’s a fight breaking out in the hallway!”
Both Aether and Lumine stood. “What happened to your face, Bennett?” Aether asked. 
The reporter let out a sheepish laugh. “I, uh, tried to break up the fight but ended up getting punched in the face.”
“Okay, c’mon, let’s get you to the nurse,” Aether said, walking Bennett out the door. 
Lumine quickly walked out after them, hearing the commotion down the hallway. As she turned the corner, there was a crowd of students circled around the tussle. 
“Out of the way!” Lumine shouted. 
At the sound of her voice, many students scattered back to their classrooms, leaving only the perpetrators still fighting: a short boy with cropped blue hair and—Childe.
“Hey!” she yelled. “Break. It. Up! Or it’s suspension for the both of you!” 
The short boy gave Childe a harsh shove, adjusting his odd cap with tassels on the sides. “You don’t have to fight me every time you see me, you brute,” the boy hissed. 
Childe laughed. “C’mon, Scaramouche, don’t be like that,” the ginger said. “We were just having some fun, Madame President; no need to make a big fuss out of it.” 
Lumine glared at him. “Why are you always at the center of trouble?” 
Childe shrugged. “Life’s too boring.” 
Taking out her notebook, she scoffed. “Well, it’s about to get a whole lot more boring for you. Detention. After school. Both of you.” 
“It was just some play fighting between friends, Pres,” Childe insisted. “Don’t be so stuck-up.” 
“Not play fighting when one of my council members gets hit in the face,” she retorted angrily. 
“Can I at least be let off the hook?” Scaramouche interjected. “He was the one who attacked me.” 
The blonde sighed. “Fine. This was your first offense anyways.” 
“Today’s his first day after all,” Childe supplied. 
“It’s his first day and you welcomed him by attacking him?” Lumine asked, crossing her arms. 
He smiled. “What can I say? We know each other.” 
I want to punch that smile off his face. “Scaramouche, go back to class. Childe, you’re coming with me to in-school suspension.” 
Scaramouche muttered something under his breath and walked away, while Childe cheerfully waved goodbye to him. 
Lumine started walking down the other way, towards the ISS room, Childe’s footsteps falling in behind her. Most of the way was done in silence. Until—
“Say, Pres, why are you so stuck-up?” Childe asked. 
Lumine grit her teeth. “Have you ever thought maybe I’m not stuck-up, and maybe you’re just a troublemaker?” 
“Hey, at least I make your life a little more interesting, don’t I?”
“Not interesting. So much more unbearable.” 
“Maybe you should loosen up. Being like this won’t make you many friends.” 
“And fighting people will?” 
“Fighting is fun. You’re telling me you’ve never watched a fight and found it entertaining?”
Lumine stopped in her tracks. “Of course not. You only do it when something’s seriously on the line. Not for fun.” 
“Uh-uhm, excuse me,” a timid voice said. 
Lumine turned to find a girl, she looked young, probably a freshman, clutching a card. “Can I help you?” the president asked.
“A-actually,” the girl responded, “can I t-talk to Ch-Childe? A-Alone?” 
The blonde glanced at Childe, who shrugged back at her. Letting out a sigh, she said, “Yes, go ahead.” She was doing this for the girl. Not Childe. 
She walked ahead and turned the corner until she was out of sight and unable to hear. After a minute or so, the freshman girl ran past her, hysterically crying. Brows furrowed, she went back to Childe. 
“So, where are we going?” he asked nonchalantly. 
Asshole. “What the hell did you do to her?” Lumine asked. “Do I really need to write you up again?”  
“What? All I did was reject her confession.”
A glare at him. “Be nicer. Don’t make girls cry.” She continued walking. 
“Or maybe she should just be stronger.” 
“Don’t you dare insult a girl’s strength in front of me.” 
“I’m not insulting the strength of a woman. I’m just saying people in general could do better if only they were stronger.” His strides quickened, and soon he was in front of her. He flicked the earring dangling from his ear. “For instance, if you had the strength, you could easily rip this from my ear, and you could stop stacking up those useless dress code citations for me.” 
Lumine had to clench her teeth to stop herself from murdering him on the spot. “I’m your student council president. I don’t solve things through violence. Which is why you and I are different.” Lie, her gut hissed. 
She stopped, throwing open the door to her left, gesturing into the room. “You’ll spend the rest of the school day here.” She turned in, looking at the teacher. “Mr. Diluc, you have a student here for in-school suspension for the rest of the day.” 
Mr. Diluc glanced up from his book, expressionless. “Childe. Back so soon?” 
Childe sauntered in, taking a seat. “You know our Pres. Always working on cleaning up the school from scum like me.” 
“Good for her,” Diluc said. “Thank you, Lumine.”
Lumine nodded and closed the door behind her. Finally.
At least Childe wouldn’t be causing anymore trouble today. 
* * *
Lumine shivered as the chilling locker room hit her bare skin. Shedding her hoodie, she donned a simple black sports tank top and shorts. 
“Are they ever going to get heaters for these locker rooms?” she muttered. 
“It’s an underground fighting ring,” Aether said, “You think they can afford state-of-the-art locker rooms?” He tossed her a roll of hand wraps. 
She caught it, unraveling it, and started to wrap them around her knuckles. “You’re right. As long as they pay me, I shouldn’t be complaining.” 
Aether nodded, taking her gloves out from her gym bag. “Are you ever going to tell Mom how you get all this cash?”
“Never. She’d probably die of a heart attack.” 
“And your injuries?” 
“I try not to get any,” she said with a smirk. “If I do, then, hey, the restaurant business can be dangerous...and I can be clumsy.” 
And that was her big secret. 
In the night, Lumine was a top tier fighter in Teyvat’s underground fighting ring. She was known as “The Outlander.” 
After their father had walked out on them years ago, Lumine, Aether, and their mother were left with a huge amount of his debt to pay off. Their mother took on two jobs to support them, leaving her exhausted, sickly, and barely home. Lumine and Aether couldn’t find decent paying jobs at their age, so Lumine took matters into her own hands. 
Through her tenacity, she trained hard and started showing up to the underground fights, learning her way through the system, and eventually began fighting herself. Sure, it was illegal due to the violence and betting system, but it made good money—fast. Enough money to support their family, pay off the debt, and save some aside for her and Aether’s future.
Aether of course still worked as a cashier at a local grocery store (next to the restaurant Lumine claimed she worked at); Lumine would never let her dear brother participate in her line of work. He was only allowed to come along to cheer her on.   
She was also good at it. After some training, her instructors all praised her natural fighting instincts. In a matter of months, she had become one of the top fighters in her area. 
It was out of necessity. They needed the money. 
Of course, no one knew who she really was. She always fought with a mask on—she couldn’t let her identity be compromised. A high school student beating up all these grown adults? A chance she could be recognized and reported to authorities? No. Way. Plus, people liked the mysterious Outlander figure. Might as well milk it. 
The cheers above her swelled, and Lumine did her final stretches and prepped to go out on stage. 
“You ready to fight tonight?” Aether asked. 
Lumine slipped her mask on. “Always.” 
She made her way up the staircase, and the buzzing crowd grew louder and louder, until she entered the arena, and the cheers became deafening. 
The arena was probably around the size of her school gym, maybe smaller, but packed to the brim with cheering fans and a boxing cage in the middle. 
She made her way up to the cage, chants of “Outlander” swirling around her, and took her walk around the area, getting a feel for the night. Eventually, her mind blurred out the crowd, focusing on becoming in tune with her body. 
Tonight, her opponent was another member of the Hilichurl gang: a gang notorious for entering lots of members into these types of fights, even if they weren’t good, as a way to try and earn any kind of money for their gang. It was an easy win. Lumine barely got hit. (The Hilichurl on the other hand ended the night sobbing his heart out on stage. Lumine felt kind of bad. Kind of.)
Soon enough, she and Aether were on their way home with a fresh wad of cash in their bag, practically skipping their way past the dim street lights. As they made their way towards their bus home, Lumine rifled through her bag, realizing she had left one of her textbooks in the locker room from when she had been studying before the fight. 
She cursed. Now she had to go all the way back to the arena. “Aether, you need to get home—the next bus won’t be here for another hour.” 
“Lumine, I am not leaving you alone in this sketchy part of town.” 
“And you have to be there when Mom gets back, otherwise she’ll get suspicious.” Lumine was already turning around. “Tell her I had to stay behind at the restaurant to help clean up.” 
Her brother pursed his lips. 
“Aether. I’ll be fine. Did you seriously forget what I did to get that stack of cash?” she reassured. 
He sighed. “Fine, fine. You’re right.” He hugged his sister. “Still. Be careful, please.” 
She held up her fist which was still wrapped in the fighter’s tape. “Of course. See you back home.” 
With that, the twins went separate ways. 
Now maskless, Lumine went the back ways to the arena, entering through a side door, avoiding the still rowdy crowd of spectators gathered for the late night fights. She successfully grabbed her textbook, and walked back out the side door. Straight into somebody. 
Shit. “Excuse me,” she mumbled, keeping her head down, hoping they wouldn’t ask why some little high school girl was sneaking around the underground fighting arena. 
But then the person spoke. 
“Wow,” a familiar voice said. 
Lumine looked up, wide eyed. Shitshitshitshit—
“This is a surprise,” Childe said, “Madame President.”
* * *
[part 2]
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inomios · 4 years ago
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Beauty behind the madness || levi ackerman x reader || PART I
Summary: “You knew that under all of his layers of grief and rage there was something worth loving; he knew that under your easy smiles and sweet words there was something dark lurking. He wanted all of you and you wanted all of him.”
Genre: Fluff, Angst
Words: 7,4K
TG: Brief allusion to soldiers’ suicides; little description of a panic attack on the seventh part (I can’t feel my face); brief talk about death and addiction; and even though I wrote it all using gender neutral terms, at some point I used the term girlfriend because partner sounded too cold for the situation.
-        If you are triggered by some content that I haven’t mentioned, please tell me so I can add it to the list and prevent it from happening again.
Author’s note: Mushing my favorite album with my comfort character is being so much fun. I’m enjoying so much this process you wouldn’t believe it. The second part will be up next Tuesday, and it’ll be the ending. Please, share, comment and like if you enjoyed, it would mean the world to see your reactions and impressions. As always, English is not my mother language, so sorry for the mistakes.
                                                          . . .
1. REAL LIFE
He had carved on his soul, heart and mind the words that Kenny had once told him, back when he was a scared and weak kid under his wing in the Underground, back when Kenny had caught him crying in the dead of night over his mother.
‘Boy, you won’t survive a day with that attitude. Your mother was a whore and now she’s a dead whore, get over it. You don’t have time to mop over her, crying is for people who have nothing more important to worry about.’
Kenny, for better or for worse, had taught him many lessons that became the key to his survival, advices he would never forget, and this was one of them: ‘Grieving is a waste of time.’
Every second he cried over his mother was time he could have spent granting his sorrowful existence. He couldn’t let his grief control him, because missing his mother wouldn’t make him last another day, she couldn’t protect him now that she was gone. So, for better or for worse, he let his sadness and rage aside and started focusing on what was important: survival.
Grieve is a tricky feeling, it makes you think you can control it, while it just keeps bottling up until it explodes, and you better be ready for when that happens, because you may not be able to fix the mess it’s going to leave behind.
Levi thought he had masqueraded his feelings pretty well, he tried to shrug everything off, as if nothing mattered to him, but it did, and Kenny knew it and he loved to tease him about it, he loved to press his buttons, Levi had learned that pretty soon in the relationship, but he was trying to handle his feelings, he wanted to prove Kenny he was worthy of his time, that he was strong, that  he wasn’t weak, not anymore. So, whenever Kenny tried to get a reaction out of him, he kept his mouth shut, but he couldn’t water down the fire in his grey eyes and Kenny could see it, he always could.
‘You are as worthless as your mother, maybe I should leave you in a brothel too, then you would be useful for something.’
A loud howling laughter.
Levi’s brow twitched.
‘Did your mom have time to teach you how to read or was she too busy fucking half the Underground?’
He thought he had said something hilarious. He bent over his back.
Levi had a little knife clutched in his hand.  He was starting to see red.
‘You’re as worthless as your mother.’
He was pushing him to his limits.
Levi had already passed them.
He liked to think that there was a dark abyss inside of him, a bottomless place where he could hide all his emotions and thoughts, they were useless, so he ignored them, he kept them away, far from the surface. Levi thought that he could detach from his pain, but it was a part of him, and if you stare into the abyss for too long, the abyss stares back at you. The Levi who grieved was still there, looking at him, the Levi who felt too much but said nothing wanted to get out, so he did, he escaped from the abyss and took control.
He run towards Kenny, eyes gleaming with unshed tears, knife in his hand, aiming for his heart, but Kenny was faster, quicker on his feet, he moved just in time. However, Levi still managed to scratch his shoulder, he teared his shirt and he could see the blood slipping, tainting the white fabric.
Kenny got mad. Levi had never seen him that furious. He grabbed his scrawny body and gave him the beating of his life. When he ended, Levi couldn’t even move, he was lying on the floor on a puddle of his own blood.
‘Listen kid, I don’t give a fuck about your shitty problems. You think you’re special? Guess what, you are a piece of shit, just like everyone else. Everyone here has issues, solve them or do whatever you want to do with them, but don’t you ever dare to pull a stunt like that again, because I’ll will leave you here to die, boy.’
That was the second lesson Kenny had told him: ‘Control is vital.’
He thought that by ignoring his feelings he was controlling them, but he was wrong, he realized that when those bottled emotions caused him to be bed ridden a few days.
Instead, he decided to let his feelings out in really calculated moments, he started to canalize all his rage into more productive stuff, like cleaning. He liked to think that by cleaning he had control over something, there was something cathartic to him in scrubbing floors, doing the laundry, and mopping floors. It was the Underground, it was filthy no matter how much effort he put into it, but it gave him something he could focus on, something he could use to let his frustrations out.
So, he cleaned, for his mother who deserved a better live.
For the innocent child that he once was, who had been stripped from everything he loved.
For Kenny, who he despised and was cruel and ruthless.
For all the things he had to do to survive.
He cleaned and cleaned, and he never had an outburst again. He was in control.
Looking back, he is sure that part of Kenny’s fury that day was that a kid made him bleed. You see, Kenny liked to think of himself as some kind of god, a ruler, someone who could control everybody, someone who was holding your fate between his calloused hands. And when he hurt Kenny, both of them realized two things, especially Levi, who discovered this: ‘Gods bleed to.’
Levi learnt his third lesson that day. No one could control him, the same way he couldn’t control anyone. You are the one who makes the decisions, just be sure to choose one you won’t regret. Kenny had no power over him, he wasn’t a god and if he was, Levi wouldn’t bow down to him.
Kenny learnt that Levi, that child, had a fire within he couldn’t tame, Levi wasn’t going to be a submissive, brainless follower. He had potential, he had willpower, he didn’t really need him, but the boy didn’t know it yet. So, when the moment came, he left. He had grown to care about his nephew, at least a little, but Levi was a survivor and Kenny knew he would fight with teeth and claws until the very end. Therefore, Kenny left him with the only person who could protect him: Levi himself.
When Kenny left him at his own, alone again in the Underground, he learnt his fourth lesson: ‘Love is a risk he wasn’t going to take again.’
  2. LOSERS
Stupid is next to ‘I love you.’ He was pretty fucking sure of that.
He made a bow to himself: he wasn’t going to love anyone ever again, people are bound to leave, and whenever they left, they took away a part of him, and he was already too broken for that. However, life happens, and it turns everything upside down, it doesn’t ask for consent, so his plan of never loving again was ruined sooner than he would’ve liked.
Furlan came first. He wasn’t looking for a companion, at all. A companion meant more people to care about, a distraction, and he didn’t need any of that. However, Furlan managed to convince him that he could be useful to him. Whenever he looks back, he thinks that both of them knew that Levi didn’t need anyone, he could survive on his own, he was tougher than anyone else in the Underground, but he was alone, so alone, and a part of him yearned so much for someone that he let Furlan come with him.  
Their relationship was weird at first, not sure where the boundaries of the other laid, what they could do or don’t. Furlan didn’t want to overstep and piss off Levi and Levi didn’t want to overshare with him, he didn’t want to show him his weaknesses, but at the same time he wanted to spend time with him.
He remembers that there were moments when Levi desired to say something, talk about pointless stuff, but he never did, after Kenny he was deprived of human contact that he even thought that he had lost his voice. However, as time passed them by, they fell into some type of routine, boundaries became clearer. Furlan started to get Levi, how he would never start a conversation no matter how bad he wanted; how his mind was always plotting something; how he always had an ace upon his sleeve… Furlan grew fond on him, he knew that there was a lot Levi wasn’t telling him, but from time to time he got to see a glimpse of all the man he was under his façade and layers of secrets, and he wanted to learn about him, he wanted to be his friend, he wanted to have someone to help and he wanted someone to take care of him, he wanted to stay.
On the other hand, Levi liked how Furlan seemed to know when he could talk and joke around and when he had to stay silent, it was like he understood him, Furlan was prudent and chill, thinking before acting, and he knew when to fight and when to give up. Levi started to care about him, a lot, against his better judgement, he just hoped he wouldn’t regret his choice.
Then, Isabel appeared on scene. Levi was happy enough with Furlan, he didn’t need someone else to worry about, that was more trouble, more chances to get hurt. However, he soon found he had a soft spot for the girl. She was so energetic, so bubbly, eyes always gleaming with hope, she was a ray of light in the darkest place. She was messy, reckless and wild, she balanced them out. When she asked to join them, Levi wanted to let out one of his characteristic ‘Tch’ and turn his back on her, there was no room for compassion in the Underground, but he couldn’t, he was weaker than he thought. He couldn’t leave her at her own knowing she could get herself killed, he didn’t want to be like Kenny, he wasn’t going to be like him.
The three of them became a gang, well, not just a gang, a family too. They looked after each other, they looked after Levi, just like his mother did. They were the best criminals in the Underground, and sometimes Levi felt like a god with the world at his feet. He shouldn’t have forgotten his third lesson: ‘Gods bleed too.’ He thought they were invincible, they weren’t, they were no gods, life wouldn’t bend at their will.
When Isabel and Furlan died, he didn’t even have proper bodies to bury, he just did two little makeshift graves and carved their name on the gray stone. He was the only person who would remember them, so he visited them at least once a week (he still does), mainly during his sleepless nights, when no one would ever question or notice his absence. Talking with them was the only reason why he hadn’t given up long time ago, he was their leader, he told them to always keep going, to never back down.
So, he kept going, for his mother, for Isabel and for Furlan. For the only people who ever loved him.
Maybe he didn’t really keep going, maybe he just let life pass by, what mattered was that he was alive and fighting for a purpose, he owed them that, their deaths wouldn’t be in vain.
Why did he always have to lose everything?
Why there was nothing good in store for him?
He was bound to lose to lose everything.
Stupid is next to I love you.
He was so fucking foolish.
3. TELL YOUR FRIENDS
The mission had been a carnage, a lot of fallen soldiers. He could still hear their screams and see the fear in their eyes, more images to haunt him while he was sleeping, as if they weren’t already enough. He couldn’t save anyone, he never could, he was human after all, even if some people thought about him like a god.
He had had a problem with his ODM gear during the mission, the gas cylinders were failing and wasting too much gas, so he ran out of it pretty quickly, which costed him a seven meters fall, breaking his right leg, his left arm, a few ribs and a concussion in the process. He could have died and a part of him wished he had, then, the pain would have ended. Luckily, Hange arrived just in time to help him, he still thinks that maybe they knew what was going on in his head, that he had thought about giving up right there, and that’s why as soon as they arrived back home, they sent him to the infirmary, not wanting to leave him alone. Hange still says it was because he couldn’t take proper care of his injuries by himself. They both knew he had had it way worse than that.
The infirmary was clean, and that meant a lot according to his standards, but your desk wasn’t, not at all and it was driving him crazy, if he could, he would get up and clean it himself. However, you seemed unphased by it, every day you would drop more documents on your table (but no document ever left, they just kept piling up); he had seen you drop coffee on some paper and not giving a fuck a single fuck about it; you had seven books on your table, none of them related with medicine, you just had them there because you wanted; and if you asked him what irked him the most, he would say the brush, you had a brush in your desk and it was full of hair. He couldn’t get his eyes of your desk, and if you ever noticed, you never did anything about it; or maybe you did notice and since you are a little shit, you just wanted to see how far you could go before he went feral. We will never know.
If you had been any other person, like one of the members of his squad, he would have said something way earlier, but you weren’t his subordinate, you were a medic and as far as he knew, he didn’t have the right to scold you at your own workplace.
You were competent, you just talked when necessary and you would always ask him if he wanted something, no matter how many times he had said ‘no’ and whenever Hange came to visit, you would always talk with them and ask them about their experiments and research. Hence, Hange thought you were the sweetest person ever, they had even told him that he better not be giving you any trouble.
You both had an easy routine. You would come in first hour in the morning, trying to be silent with no success at all, you were so noisy, luckily for him, he never sleeps more than four hours. You would sit on your desk and write a letter, every day, who the fuck had so many people to talk to or how many things worth telling did happen in your life? Then, you would go out to get him breakfast and you brought more documents with yourself, his breakfast always came with a cup of tea, a shitty cup of tea, but at least it wasn’t coffee or juice, he didn’t know if you were the one behind the tea, but if you were, he was glad you didn’t work on the kitchen. After breakfast, Hange would pay him a visit and talk with him, his squad would often visit him after training and Erwin once or twice a week, whenever his work let him a little free. At midday you would water the plants on the window, you had once called them ‘Asphodels’ and after watering them you disappeared, at the beginning he thought you just went to eat, later on, he would find why you did that. The rest of the day was the same, you wrote and read documents and he would either look annoyed at your desk or he would vert his gaze at the window to distract himself.
This routine changed the second week, because you asked him two questions that made him be more comfortable around you.
‘Why do you look at my desk as if it were making you sick?’
‘Tch, because is making me sick, it’s dirty as fuck.’
Okay, not the best words, but you asked, and he answered. He would be lying if he said he didn’t feel better after telling you. You blushed a little and scratched your neck bashfully.
‘Sorry, I can be a little messy sometimes.’
‘I can see.’
That day you spent the evening emptying your desk, any other person would have asked you not to bother, but Levi couldn’t care, after all, his last thread of sanity depended on that desk. When you finished cleaning, you asked the second question.
‘You hate my tea, but you drink it anyways, why?’
He felt his ears getting a little red, and he just shrugged and looked away.
‘You are taking care of me, didn’t wanna be a bitch about it.’
You smiled, a smile brighter than the morning star, and for a fraction of second he forgot how the breath, but he obviously didn’t say a thing about it.
‘I promise you that tomorrow you’ll have the best tea ever.’
‘Tch, if you say so.’
He appreciated your gesture, kindness wasn’t something he was used to, it felt weird and strange to have someone to do good things just for the sake of doing them, it made him wary, he would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought that maybe you wanted to get something from him and that’s why you acted so nicely around him.
The next day, after writing your daily letter, at your then clean desk, you brought him breakfast with a steaming cup of tea. He drank the beverage under your expecting gaze and to his surprise it was nice, not the best tea ever made, but definitely not the worst.
‘It tastes better.’
‘Thanks, this time I followed the recipe.’ You admitted proudly.
‘How the fuck were you even making tea before?’
‘Instinct?’
He looked at you astonished, how come you were a doctor, but you couldn’t follow a three-step recipe? At that moment he thought his health was in the hands of dumbest medic in the area, however, he didn’t really care, well, at least not as much as he would have expected. You had something, an aura around your persona, that was soothing and endearing, rather than infuriating.
At the crack of dusk on that same day, he was the one who asked a question.
‘Who are you always writing?’
For a moment he swears he saw your happy demeanor quivering, as if he had opened a cage that should have remained closed, but you quickly fixed, the funny glint coming back at your eyes as fast as it had left. It was in that moment when he knew that you weren’t as shallow as he may have deemed you to be.
‘I’m just telling my friends about this annoying patient I have. Do you know he made me clean my office desk?’
Your voice was laced with amusement, you were trying to divert his attention to another topic, and he knew, but he was no one to press you about it.
‘Well, as soon as I’m free, I’m telling my friends about how my medic is a fucking shitshow.’ Too blunt, but you brushed it off.
‘They sound like a nightmare.’
‘They are.’
You smiled, yet again as blinding as the sun.
He didn’t smile, he didn’t even grimace, his face was as stoic as always, but for a split of second, a smile nearly slipped in.
To his surprise, he actually talked about you to his friends. When he had the medical lease, the first thing he did was visit Isabel and Furlan’s impromptu graves and talk about you. It wasn’t a lot, he just mentioned you a few times. It didn’t mean a thing, and at the same time, it meant everything.
 4. OFTEN
It didn’t mean a thing.
Not a single thing.
It was unimportant.
He was like that with everyone.
Except he wasn’t and he knew it.
What the hell was wrong with him?
He would always find himself at your door, not because he was sick or harmed, he just felt the need to see you. He didn’t even talk with you that much, he wasn’t good at opening up or even small talk. He was foul-mouthed, snarky and his words could cut deeper than a knife. You were soft, kind, funny and there weren’t uncomfortable silences with you, your presence was comforting. Levi didn’t get why he felt that way about you, he barely knew you, but you had something that drew him in, maybe it was the normalcy you brought him. You were a doctor, you healed people, you tended their injuries; you hadn’t seen the titans, you hadn’t seen comrades die at their merciless hands, you didn’t know what was outside the walls and he liked that. You were an escape. It was as if his life was only centered around Titans and his existence had no other point but to kill or think about to kill Titans: Hange were always babbling about Titans; his paperwork was always a painful reminder of fallen mates; Erwin was always tracing missions and plans; and the whole point of his squad was training to defeat those beasts. He never had a break, but visiting you felt like it.
He knocked at your door and it opened, you were at your desk, which was an unorganized mess then again, humming some song he didn’t know while you were reading some medical reports. And the asphodels in the window looked beautiful as always.
‘Hi, Levi.’ You looked up and gave him a smile.
Your smiles.
Oh man, he took them in like a dehydrated man would savor the first droplets of rain.
He just nodded as a salute and walked towards the window to see the asphodels.
‘Why asphodels?’ he asked, you loved those flowers, and they weren’t necessary the most beautiful.
To him you were more like yellow lilies, he had read somewhere that yellow lilies meant joy and happiness. They always brought a simile to one’s face because they are the true depiction of the sun, just like you were.
‘I don’t know, they are special’ you said with a small voice, the same haunted look in your eyes, the same that appeared when he asked about your letters.
‘I guess they are.’
A comfortable silence fell in the room. He was getting used to these havens of peace.
That night at dinner, he was sitting next to Erwin, Hange in front of him, looking at him quizzically.
‘What’s going between you and y/n? You’re always at their place.’ They ask.
‘Tch, nothing, I just visit them often.’
Lies
‘So, there is no ulterior motive, like, I don’t know, our Short king having a crush?’ Levi sometimes forgot how punchable Hange’s face was.
‘No.’
More lies.
Something was going on, they both knew, but he was too scared to think about what it was.
 5. THE HILLS
Another fight. More deaths. What was the point of it? He felt like he was fighting for a pointless cause, the more deaths, the less they knew. He would have to send more letters to the families, telling them that their sons and daughters fought bravely until their last breath and sacrificed their lives for the sake of humanity. However, broken families would come to him and ask him if it was worth it, if the death of their children, cousins, brothers and parents brought them answers, if their deaths meant that humanity was closer to taste the freedom they longed for. He had always said that no death was in vain, but he was starting to question that.
He had barely seen you after the mission, he retreated to his quarters, drowning himself in reports and regrets, if he had been better, he could have saved more lives, but he wasn’t enough, he was no hero, he was a human. He had been fighting his whole life and he just wanted it to stop, he wanted peace and tranquility, not more deaths at his shoulders, no more ghosts to haunt him at the end of the day.
He never slept, at least not for more than a few hours. However, after a mission he didn’t sleep at all, the images of his comrades’ deaths still fresh on his mind, their screams still piercing his ears, his sanity vanished a little bit more every time he tried to close his eyes, so he just laid awake looking at the roof, thinking about all the things he could have done to save them, repeating their names as if he was asking for their forgiveness.
Sometimes it all got too much, and he needed to walk to clear his mind, there were nights when he walked for hours with no direction at all, but that night he did have a direction: your office. He didn’t really know why he was doing it, but he was too tired to turn back and ask himself why you. He thought that you would probably be asleep, but to his surprise there was a dim light coming from your office, so he knocked, just like all of those times before, and your soft voice told him to come in.
He had never seen you so disheveled and tired, dark bags under your eyes, traces of tears on your face and bloodshot eyes. He also noticed four new asphodels on your desk. He looked at them and then he looked at you. He wanted to ask, but he couldn’t, so you spoke.
‘My regrets follow you to the grave.’ He barely heard you.
‘What?’
‘That’s what asphodels mean, you asked me about them once, you remember?’
He nodded, that’s all he could do.
‘I couldn’t save them, I tried, but I wasn’t good enough.’ You broke down to tears.
He wasn’t good at processing his own emotions, let alone other people’s. What was he supposed to do? He knew that people hugged to show support, but as he would say, he was ‘emotionally constipated’, so he just stayed there, looking at you.
Do something.
Do something.
Do something.
But he remained stiff, it was like watching the scene happen in third person.
‘I’m sorry, I know this is making you uncomfortable, it’s just that it’s been a long day.’
‘It’s been a long day for me to.’ His voice was hoarse. ‘You told me that asphodels mean ‘my regrets follow you to the grave’, that’s why you have them? Because you feel guilty?’
‘I plant one for every soldier that dies on my watch.’ That was the first time you opened up with him.
‘I keep the badges of their uniforms.’ That was the first time he opened up with you.
Right then everything shifted.
‘It wasn’t your fault.’ He knew those feelings, the remorse and the guilt, he was so painfully familiar with them that they had become a part of his being.
‘It wasn’t your fault either, Levi.’
It wasn’t your fault either.
It wasn’t your fault either.
It wasn’t your fault either.
Your words echoed in his mind like a drum and for a moment he believed them.
You came closer and you wrapped your arms around him, he tried to respond, embracing you in strangely, you laughed at his antics and in that moment, he wanted to disappear. You smiled and you readjusted his arms around your waist. He brought you closer, slowly, not wanting to scare you away and break the moment. You laid your head in his chest, right above his heart, and he hoped you couldn’t hear his heart beating wildly. He hid his face in the crook of your neck, his breath tickling your skin and your smell intoxicating him. For a moment he felt like home, even though he didn’t understand what ‘being home’ meant, but it had to be very similar to that: comforting, reassuring, peaceful, safe.
That night, he spent what felt like hours holding you, until you had to part separate ways, the only witnesses were the asphodels and the hills at the distance.
  6. ACQUAINTED
What are we?
Levi couldn’t stop asking himself that question.
Friends didn’t have what you two had. Maybe he wasn’t the most amicable person, but he had had some friends in his life: he once had Isabel and Furlan when he was younger, and now he had Hange and Erwin, and maybe he could even consider his squad friends. And none of what he felt for them was like what he felt for you.
He tried to make sense of his thoughts by writing them, but words weren’t his forte and he just ended more and more confused.
You were nice.
You were beautiful.
You made him laugh, well, not laugh, but close enough.
You were kind.
He appreciated you, he cared for you and he wanted to protect you, but he also felt the same towards Erwin, Hange and his squad. Then, if it was the same, why it was completely different.
He kept visiting you, everything looked like it was the same, but everything had changed. It felt like the calm before the storm, as if something was about to happen, the tides were shifting, he could feel it. There were words unsaid lingering in the atmosphere and sooner or later, someone would have to utter them. But who? And if you spoke them, what would he say?
He also spent a lot of his time thinking about that too, if you happened to confess your feelings for him, if you had them, would he be able to respond them? Normal people would try, give it a shot and see what would happen, what the relationship had in store, let things flow; but he wasn’t normal, he was far from normal, he knew he wasn’t the easiest to love. He was rude, mean, a control freak, he wasn’t the one for big displays of affection, he was the last person someone would want as a partner. People yearned for epic love stories, something that could take your breath away and he wouldn’t be able to do that, he wouldn’t be able to give you the bare minimum.
Also, after all the people he had lost, he didn’t want your name to be added to that list. He preferred the uncertainty of your relationship than the possibility of losing you. If he left more people in, more people he could lose. He wasn’t stupid, he knew you were already in, but there were still boundaries between both of you.
He had also fantasized about laying himself bare in front of someone, share all of his trauma and memories, share the burden with someone, but who would love all of him? If he couldn’t even stand himself most of the days, how could he expect that someone would   do it?
‘If you were a flower, I think you would be a gladiolus.’ You would always blurt nonsense out of the blue, but for some reason, he found it endearing instead of annoying.
‘Tch, what’s even that supposed to mean?’
‘I don’t know, it’s just, gladius symbolize strength, generosity, faithfulness and I guess those are things I associate with you.’ Your cheeks were tainted with the softest tones of red and you weren’t looking at him, your gaze was fixed on your paperwork.
Those words had a way deeper meaning, he knew it and you knew it, it was as if you were testing the water by putting the tips of your feet in it. As per usual he didn’t know what to say, what was he supposed to say to that? Thanks? I think I may be falling for you?
‘Sorry, I made things weird, I should just-’ you couldn’t finish because he had started talking.
‘I think you would be a yarrow flower.’ Amazing, now he was the one talking nonsense.
Not so long ago he pictured you as yellow lilies, joy and happiness, but after getting to know you better, he realized that that description was too shallow for what you meant to him. He didn’t know a lot about flowers, he wasn’t really into botany, but he had heard about yarrow before, he had heard merchants inside Sina call them ‘plant doctor’, since they would be often placed near other plants to keep the pests away, he had also heard that it was considered invasive too, because how easily it spread. Therefore, the association came quickly to him, you were healing, a solace from the cruelty of his world; and you were invasive, because he couldn’t be away from you, you consumed him.
‘That means a lot.’ Your blush was now more pronounced now and he wondered what you had made out of his words.
He felt a wave of panic travel through his body, maybe that statement was too deep, maybe he screwed it all, so he decided to excuse himself and ran away from the situation he had created. He had told you he was going to his room, he lied, he was going to the library, he needed to see what his words had meant. He wasted all his evening looking for books about the meaning of flowers, he sure looked like a madman, he hadn’t even gone to the Mess Hall to have dinner, he needed to found answers, and he found them at two a.m.
“The secret language of flowers” said the title, he opened the book and he started looking for the yarrow’s meaning.
Healing and Good Health
Courage and War
Everlasting Love
When he read the last symbolism of the flower, his heart stopped for a whole minute, did he just declare his feelings, that he wasn’t ever sure of, to you? He wanted to disappear in the spot, just vanish into the air.
He went to his room, holding the book close to his chest. He spent the rest of the night reading the book, he wouldn’t mess up again, if he ever wanted to talk about flowers with you, he would be informed. When the sun rose, his head was buzzing with flower meanings, and he would be lying if he said that he hadn’t thought about you while reading some of them.
At breakfast he did go to the Mess Hall and took his usual place.
‘Where were you yesterday at dinner?’ asked Erwin.
‘With his girlfriend.’ Replied Hange with a big smile.
‘She’s not my girlfriend.’ He said with a grunt.
‘What are they then?’ Hange was using the tone, the one which meant “I know you’re hiding something, and I won’t stop pestering you until I discover it.”
‘We are just acquainted.’
‘Liar.’
 7. CAN’T FEEL MY FACE
He remembered how there were days when Kenny would drink himself to oblivion, Levi didn’t understand why he did it. He didn’t see the point of passing out in the floor, and when he asked, Kenny answered that ‘his vices kept him sane’. It still made no sense to him, how a man could be so cunning and sharp, while he wasted his nights and days with alcohol, women and many other things that Levi wasn’t interested on trying. He had seen Kenny drunk and it was far from having control. The first lesson Kenny had told him was that control is vital, then, how come he was powerless in his own life, letting alcohol take control of him.
‘You’re old enough to try it, boy. Take some if you want.’
The first time Kenny offered him alcohol, he had declined, he had said no, and Kenny had shrugged it off, as if saying: ‘more for me.’ He wouldn’t get it, it didn’t make sense, Kenny, who prided himself on his cold-blood and his steel nerves, would renounce to that control so easily, he didn’t want to be like that, never in a million years, he would never give up his self-control.
Until he did.
He had lost control. And he now understood Kenny.
He knew he should distance himself from you, he didn’t want more Furlan’s and Isabel’s, he was getting dangerously close to you and he didn’t want that. He should run away, disappear. You were kind and sweet, you would find someone else to feel the void he would inevitably leave. He had always been the one being left behind, and he survived, you would too. Also, it’s not as if he contributed a lot to your life. He was sure you both would be better with the other far away, I mean, the facts were there. Actually, they had been spiraling in his head for a while.
Then, if he knew all of that, why was he helping you cut clean bandages, especially so close to you that he could smell your shampoo? Oh yeah, because you asked him to, as easy as that, all his conviction melted away from every fiber of his body.
Why did he do that? Why was he so helpless around you? Oh yeah, because you made him feel so damn good. You had him wrapped around your finger and you didn’t seem to notice, you acted as if it was nothing, you had power over him, you had Humanity’s Strongest at his knees.
‘My family died a long time ago, I couldn’t save them, I moved in with my aunt and I decided that I’d study medicine for them.’ You said out of the blue.
You cut one bandage.
‘The letters I write are for them. It’s stupid, but it makes me feel closer to them.’
You cut another bandage.
He didn’t say a thing.
He hated himself, any other person would have hugged you or said something, he just stayed there, frozen and acting as cold as always. Why did you confide in him something so personal? He wasn’t the one to go when you are sad, he didn’t even know how to process his own trauma and baggage most of the time. What was he supposed to do?
On the other hand, you trusted Levi more than anyone in your life. He brought you peace and solace, something you thought you would never have.
You lost your family when you were really young, always feeling guilty for being the one who survived, and you promised to yourself you would vow your life to help the others, never putting your needs first. When you joined the military, you watched many soldiers die on your hands, you could still hear their last words, how scare they were, how they didn’t want to die like that, alone and far away from their family; you could also recall their mutilated bodies; and you could also remember how many of them would survive the Titans but lose the fights against their own mind and end up being another fallen soldier that died for nothing. You loved your job, but it also killed a part of you every day, there were no victories on a war, and you knew it. That’s why you picked up gardening, you planted a flower for every soldier who died, something to remember them.
When you met Levi, you admired him, you had heard the stories about him, his courage, mood changes, sharp tongue, skills, intelligence… You would be lying if you said he didn’t make you curious, you were used to soldiers haunted by the horrors they had faced, but something about him was different, maybe because you saw yourself in those grey eyes. You two were similar, you both had so much pent up that you could not talk about, you had an image to keep, and it was exhausting. He had a name to uphold, people looked up to him, if he failed, if he crumbled, everyone else would; you were a doctor, and no matter how hard things were, you had to be strong for your patients, never showing how much their pain took a toll on you. You could let your mask down, because even though he didn’t talk too much or overall understand why you were sharing that, it felt good, liberating.
Sometimes, he would also talk about him, not a lot, but enough to make you feel understood, and those moments, when he showed the man underneath the façade, glimpses of his true persona, those few minutes, sometimes even seconds, were responsible for your growing feelings for the captain.
‘It’s not stupid, I talk to my dead friends’ graves.’ He said nonchalantly, as if he wasn’t baring a piece of him in front of you.
Those kind of flashes of the man he was underneath took your breath away every single time.
You came close to him, slowly, testing the waters, not wanting to scare him away. Maybe it was too forward, too reckless, too much at a time, but he didn’t move. You brought your hand to his cheek. He didn’t jump away. You looked into his eyes, pools of mercury. He held your gaze, expecting your next move. You could feel the tension. He could too.
‘They would be really proud of you.’ You said, voice thin and trembling.
He was silent. Your words caught him of guard.
He was feeling too much. His heartbeat was erratic, beating wildly, he could hear it. He felt the blood boiling under his skin, he was so hot, he was sweating. He couldn’t move, but he felt his body trembling. He could feel the room closing on him, trapping him. He wasn’t in control.
It was a too familiar feeling, one he had experienced a thousand times before.
‘Levi, are you okay? I’m sorry I’ve made you uncomfortable.’ You said worriedly.
He didn’t know what to do, he just wanted the pain in his chest to end.
You were too close. You were trapping him too. So, he pushed you away from you and run from the infirmary. You couldn’t see him like that, no one could.
Why did he share that with you? Why did you get too close? Were you going to kiss him?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why was he like that?
Why did he ruin things?
Why did he lose control of himself? He couldn’t even feel his face when you touched it.
He felt pathetic. He felt like the little kid he once was.
Control is vital.
Control is vital.
Control is vital.
If he was with you, he wasn’t in control. And if he lost his control, then he would have nothing.
He had to get away from you, because you were stripping him from the only thing he had: his control.
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thekillingjoke-haha · 4 years ago
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Prime Time,Bitch!
Tagged: @spnquotebingo the keep reading function is messing up for me
Sam said he was locked up tight in the dungeon. He was never locked in with her. She was locked in with him. The hunter becomes the hunted with no where to run.
Warning: Mature Language,Blood,Gore,Character Death?
-"Thoughts"- (they are red for those who can see)"Quotes" 'Reading'
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"I'll be right back. This demon side is fighting to stay in control. I just need a few more pints of blood." Sam said as he slung a bag on his shoulder. "Yeah I got it get some food to!" Y/n said with a smile as she walked him to the impala. The roar of the engine rumbled as she waved him off going back inside what she didn't know was Dean knew that Sam just left and a chilling smile grew on his face.
Y/n popped popcorn as she sat in her room a horror movies playing as she got comfortable. A scream came from the movie drowning out the sound of the dungeon door opening up. The youngest Winchester laughed as a girl tripped over nothing her and Dean always make fun of them they had no real reason to hit the ground so they should get right up. This made her slightly sad. Was Sam going to fix Dean or was it already to late for him? Shaking off the thought the killer was about to crush the women's skull when the power cut out,but the red emergency lights didn't cut on yet which was weird. "God damnit." She grumbled getting up and grabbed a flashlight and went to the breaker to fix it walking right past the open door. Flipping the switch the normal lights don't turn on only the red ones and she turned around to get her phone to call Sam when she dropped her flashlight. Y/n gazed at the empty chair in the center of a devils trap she took off running to her room,but paused he knew she would run there for her phone and Dean or the demon he's become won't let her get help. She changed course to Sam's panic room to hide.
"Oh N/n where are you? I miss my little sister don't you miss me?" A metal sound of something dragging on the floor made her tense. Thinking of all possible things it could be of how she's going to die.–'It could be a bat,but we don't have any metal ones in the bunker. Maybe a sledgehammer,but that would have ment he when into the garage and the power going out would have locked everything.''– Her eyes widen as she released what it was he must have been carrying around she was sharpening it with the rest of the blades earlier that day."Have you figured it out yet? I know how you think when a horror movie is playing you see ever scenario before the movie can catch up. No wonder Sammy says you cheat at Clue!" Dean laughed as he seemed to wander to each room. The sound of wood splitting as he yelled "Here's Johnny!!!" It seemed so much worse that Dean was the evil this time a normal demon would know her so personally this seemed almost cruel him quoting films they watched together. "What to clichés? I admit the axe is old school."
The panic room the size of a cubbie it was so small,but just big enough I could calm down and think properly. Looking up another version of myself sat in front of me...my conscience. I could speak,but she could she's in my head after all. –"You can't run. There's nowhere to go doors locked down the moment the lights went."– I saw a illusion of myself running through the halls just to hit a corner and get a axe to the chest before it faded away. –"Can't go for your phone or your laptop he probably broke it the moment he noticed you weren't in your room."– I saw myself creep into my room just to see a shattered phone and my laptop with a cracked screen buffering to open instant messenger to text Sam. The laptop was slammed shut on my fingers causing some to break and get sliced by the glass looking up the sick grin of the Demon caught my eye before the axe ended that path. –"The burner. The one in your dresser Dean doesn't know about it so neither would the demon.Get it and get back here as quickly as possible. "– It was settled call for help. Listening for any foot steps I creep out of the hiding space a faint whistle going off down one of the many halls way from my room. Sneaking down the hallway staying low I get to my room where the door is torn to shreds as I open my drawer and fish out the phone. Going back down the hallway I get back to Sam's room and immediately call him.
"This call has been forwarded to a automatic voice message at the tone ples–" Hanging up I call again and again with no answer. At this point help was no longer a option. The whistling seemed to get closer and I rushed to the panic room until I paused. –"A enclosed space in a closet. There's not much space to move around if he finds you there your done for."– I back away slightly. –"Behind the door offers a easy place to hide and get out,but if he does the same to Sammy's door he did to yours it's not much of a hiding spot then."– A axe goes through the door creating a massive hole and Dean peaks inside and sees the white of you tank top in your (f/n) flannel. The door was whole again as I looked around the sound of metal getting louder running out of time. –"Under the bed allows you to see him without him seeing you,but like the panic cubbie not a lot of wiggle room if he hears you your done."– It was too late running to the metal door of the panic room she slams it shut not to loud to sound like she's trying to hide it,but just loud enough for the demon to register it. Sealing it shut I slip under the bed and wait for the time to get out and hopefully find a weapon.
Boots walked into the room turning to the closed closet. "Oh N/n!~ There's only so many places to hide in such a small room. Did you really think I wouldn't hear that heavy ass door close?" He chuckled darkly as he opened the closet and went to the small door. Dean tried turning the wheel to unsealed it,but it seemed to dawn on him that it could only be opened from the inside. With a huff anger he began pulling the brick of the wall started to bend outwards and crack. I was glad I wasn't in there. Going to slip out from under the bed while he's distracted the burner phone rang its annoying ringtone. Not even bothering to stop it I rush to get out faster,but a firm grip caught my ankle and dragged me out. Turning onto my back Dean stood their his apple green eyes staring at me. "Found you." He lifted up the axe having let go of my ankle lifting up my feet I put as much strength as possible into kicking his stomach. The demon was knocked back into the closest hitting the ground. Unfortunately axe still in hand. Stanfing up I ran leaving the phone behind. -"Sam took Baby so the trunk armory is out of the question. The garage has so pretty handy tools too bad that it was sealed along with the front and only entrance. Kitchen has knifes none that can hurt him,but just enough to slow him down. Library demon blade was in there last you checked,but Sam could have grabbed and put it on a high shelf."– Too many options and the kitchen was closer so that was the first stop grabbing a knife I held it tightly as a stalked slowly to the Library to see if there were any supernatural weapons.
The library was dark and the red lighting barely lit up the large room. "Would you like to play a game?" Dean mocked in a deep voice as he went around the bunker his voice echoing no real pinpointing where he is. I can't call Sam and prying to Cas hasn't worked meaning Dean made angel banishing symbols in most of the rooms. Y/n was getting desprit the bunkers massive size most of it was unexplored by them so being lost in a underground maze b wasn't the best option. "Are you scared yet Y/n? Well be afraid. Be very afraid. I'm what goes bump in the night sweetheart! Never thought the Winchester’s downfall will be by the hands of the oldest. What a twist!!! Right?" Dean yelled turning to the table I saw the supplies I cleaned with,but the weapons were gone and a note was left on in their place. 'Hey Y/n I put the weapons back into the trunk for tomorrow's hunt so you wouldn't have to...you're welcome and your blade was just sitting on the table so I put it up. ~Love Sam' I wanted to cry oh chuck nothing can save me in this buncker Bobby was sending us gallons of holy water next week because we were low...all rooms were demon proof,but he seemed to be a exception now,so no calling Crowley either.
Turning around the library doors open and I duck behind one of the many shelves. "Welcome to my nightmare!~" He said with a chuckle that bounced from every wall. Dean knocked down books and destroyed anything in his way while he looked around. Crawling on the ground I go to leave when the sound of something whooshing in the arm made me drop like a bag of rocks. The axe meet the shelf and I gazed at the red illuminated face of my brother eyes now black and demented. Laughter bubbled out of his chest as he mumbled. "Carful dear wouldn't want to lose you head." Yanking the axe free many books tumbled down. Taking the kitchen knife in hand I slash his calf and go for his thigh when the knife is flung out of my hands. "You little bitch!!!" He hissed now holding the knife and showing it into my stomach. A silent cry came from my lips bot to give him the satisfaction of my screams just yet. I look up at him and just past his head where I couldn't normally reach was the handle of my blade peeking over the shelf.
I begin to giggle and it turns into fits of laughter. Black eyes flicker back to confused green ones. "What's so funny?" I catch my breath as I lean up slightly. "You picked the wrong place to corner me. Wanna play?" Grabbing his knee and pulling it buckled under him causing Dean to hit the shelf letting the blade fall freely. Reaching out I catch it "Let’s play." Stabbing upward into his stomach the same place the knife was lodged in my own stomach. He howled in pain as I removed the blade and ran keeping pressure on the knife wound as I turned corners just to get away. -'He played with your head play with his. The intercomes...a good distraction can lead him away and let you get the jump.'- I hurry to the intercoms not before making a pit stop.
Demon!Dean POV
I growl at the wound on my body the little shit stabbed me. This makes killing her so much easier then she can be just like me. Grabbing the axe I stomp through the bunker. "What a excellent day for an exorcism." Her voice sounded through the speakers now I know were she is. "Would you like that?" I said aloud with a grin. "Intensely." Y/n said trying to make her voice horse before the clipping sound of the intercom stopping rang out before being replaced with a creepy melody that always scared her. "There was a crooked man. He walked a crooked mile he had a crooked six pence upon a crooked stile." It went on with childish like tones until it got further in the song it was so god damn loud though. "The crooked man stepped forth and... rang the crooked bell and thus his crooked soul... spiraled into a crooked hell.Murdered his crooked family... and laughed a crooked laugh." My ear drums almost burst at the loud deep voiced scream ears still ringing I didn't register the blade being driving into my sholder flinging her back I turn around as she's running down the narrow hallway taking the axe with both hands throw it straight and the axe hit her almost dead center in the spine. The audio cut off after the song and I stood over her. Y/n had her face turned coughing up blood I definitely hit her lung. "Thanks for catching it for me." I smile as I heavily put my foot on the small of her back pulling the axe out. She screamed out it was mildly gurgle from the blood. Turning her over my little sisters eyes shined with unshed tears. "Oh,no tears,please. It's a waste of good suffering." I said with a small whipping the few that slipped by she whimpered Sam's name and I grew frustrated. Lifting the axe again. "Looks like you couldn't make the cut,N/n. Just another extra that stuck around for too long." Dropping the axe down it went into her chest the creaking of her collar bone and sternum were whispers compared to the blood curdling cry. They soon died out as her skin paled and her breathing stopped she'llmake a strong demon. "See you soon." Taking the axe out I begin to drag her body.
The lights in the bunker cut back on meaning Sammy was home. Having placed her perfectly in the chair I was tied to I wait until he finds her standing next to the door. "Y/n?! Y/n!?" He yelled most likely having gone to her room rushing the the dungeon his heavy foot steps abruptly stopped. "Oh God! Y/n come on!" The moose of a man rushed in the room cradling her face in his hand. "You were too late, Sammy. She called your name before she went,but I guess five missed calls wasn't enough for you to rush home. N/n fought for so long waiting it out just for you to never show." I said closing the door as he turned to me standing infront of her corpse. "You didn't make things easy on her. I mean you took all the weapons and put the only thing to defend herself on the top shelf...like keeping the cookie jar way from a child. In some way you killed her before I could." Lifting the demon blade that had his own blood on it. I stalked towards him cornering him in the room. "Sure you won't give me a good chase,but woah she wore me out." Holding the blade to his throat when a gun shot fired and a sting hit my arm causing me to drop the knife.
Y/n stood colt in her left hand the axe keeping her up in her left. "Demons always so sure that what's dead is dead and can't be undead. Ever heard of a pulse jackass. " so distracted that she was alive Sam was able to restrain and she held a handful of bags of blood. "Let's get this over with." She bagan to inject me and I felt myself become mire human and I started thrashing hard. With the last vile in hand she looked into my eyes. "You should be dead." I hissed as she pushed the needle in. "Sorry. I'm into survival."
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A/n This is the last one in round one of the Spnquotebingo and I ended with a dozen quotes.
Title: "Prime Time,Bitch!" Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
"Here's Johnny!" -The shinning
"Would you like to play a game?" - Saw
"...be afraid. Be very afraid"- The fly
"Welcome to my nightmare."- Nightmare on Elm Street
"..lose your head." Alice in Wonderland
"Wanna play?"- Child's Play
"What a excellent day for an exorcism...Would you like that?....Intensely." - The Exorcist
"There was a crooked man. He walked a crooked mile he had a crooked six pence upon a crooked stile." It went on with childish like tones until it got further in the song it was so god damn loud though. "The crooked man stepped forth and... rang the crooked bell and thus his crooked soul... spiraled into a crooked hell.Murdered his crooked family... and laughed a crooked laugh." - The Conjuring 2
"Oh,no tears,please. It's a waste of good suffering." - Hellraiser
"See you soon." - Coraline
"She called your name before she went,but I guess..." -Hadestown
"...what's dead is dead and can not me undead." -Jacksepticeye (DBD playthrough)
"I'm into survival." ‐Nightmare on Elm Street
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blueeyedheizer · 4 years ago
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«I love you» - billy/four
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REQUEST: (the request is a spoiler, skip it if you don't want to be spoiled) WHAT IF either billy or the reader's side is evil,,, and they say "choose your last words wisely," and then the other goes, "i love you." "
WARNINGS: Billy is out of character, death, kind of descriptive murder, mention of sex (one paragraph)
A/N: this is not really accurate to the request cause i can't write proper angst but i hope you like it anyway :)
•••
You and Four had been recruited at the same time. The Underground had tragically lost two members in the span of a week so when One came to you, he was in desperate need for two new members in order to keep the team strong. Not having much to leave behind, you accepted his offer and joined the Underground as a spy. You easily made friends with everyone in the small team, but you couldn't quite say the same about Four.
He had brought a sense of discomfort into the group and you always felt like something was off with him. He was always in the back, never joining the fun when there was any. It almost felt like he was plotting something behind everyone's back. You quickly shoved that thought aside thought, knowing that you were all legally dead and that you couldn't have any contact with the outside world.
You thought that maybe he wasn't made for this life, maybe he wasn't ready to let go of everything that was dear to him and started regretting his decision of joining the Underground. One thought the same thing and made sure to remind him that there was no going back.
But still Four remained cold, distant. During a group meeting, Five suggested that he was probably just adjusting to his new life and that it wasn't that big of a deal. Three agreed, remembering that he was also distant when he first joined them. Becoming legally dead overnight wasn't something easy to live with, especially if you had a good life before giving it up.
It was only two months later that you both eventually warmed up to each other. You could tell he still had this tough facade when it came to everyone else, but for some reason he was different with you. He eventually opened to you and became the person who saved your life multiple times, the person who always fought for you and wanted to go back to save you whenever One assumed it was too late. You owed him so much.
One night after a particularly dangerous mission where you both almost got killed, you found yourself in his trailer, your moans resonating through the thin walls as you finally released the sexual tension that had been building between you for the past months, the fear of losing each other finally pushing you to take that well anticipated step. It happened once, then twice. The third time arrived shortly after. Then it went on and on.
And yet, after your 10th mission together and countless nights spent in each other's trailer, you wished you'd looked deeper into your doubts.
A gun is aimed at you from that same person you have grown to love while his arm has a firm grip around One's neck.
"Why are you doing this?" you blurt out, voice strangled by tears as you hold your hands up in surrender.
"You shouldn't be here, Eight. This isn't about you. They killed my family."
"What are you talking about?"
He adjusts his grip on the weapon before moving it to One's temple and looking down at him.
"That time in Paris. You remember don't you? The building you set fire to. My wife was in there. My wife and my unborn child were in there." your heart felt like it broke into a million pieces inside your chest. His wife and unborn child?
"I had no idea, man. I— you've been on missions with us, you know how it is, we can't always prevent accidents from—"
"You had one target and blew up the entire fucking building, don't you fucking try and tell me this was an accident!" he suddenly yelled, causing you to jump and cover your mouth with both hands in attempt to prevent your sobs from breaking out. One was having a hard time breathing, his neck caught in Four's tight grip. He couldn't do much to defend himself in this position.
"Let go of him, Billy." you tried softly. Your body was shaking uncontrollably at this point, your knees could barely keep you up. "Please."
"He killed my family Y/N. The only fucking family I had. I thought you'd understand." he spat, looking up at you.
Billy could see the fear in your eyes, the look on your face and the way your body gave away your emotions.
"Billy, please. Just— just think about this, okay? You know they'll all want you dead if you kill him." you say, taking hesitant steps closer while more tears fell down your cheeks. "I can't lose you, Billy." you took a deep, shaky breath before finally admitting in the softest voice; "I love you, okay? I can't lose you."
Your words caught him off guard, causing him to freeze and look at you with wide eyes. Before he could say anything, One managed to give him a hard kick on the leg and manoeuvre himself out of his grip while Four groaned in pain. Then One threw himself on him to try and get the gun, causing them both to fall to the floor.
You stared at them wide eyed, completely still. Your body was frozen in shock, unable to break from its position and get involved in the fight.
And just like that, the impossibly loud bang of the gun echoed in the abandoned building.
You squealed as you crouched down and covered your face from the noise, your heart racing a million miles a minute. After a moment you gradually removed your hands, choking out a sob and gasping at the sight.
A hole was torn right through One's head, his body laying unconscious on top of Four whose breathing was still unsteady and heavy. He pushed the lifeless body off himself and slowly got back on his feet meanwhile you just stared at the scene in front of you, mouth and eyes open, your shaking breaths coming out in short little puffs. You were unable to speak, so great was the shock of the violence that you had just witnessed.
Billy approached you slowly, which caused a chill to run through your body in response. You couldn't tear your eyes away from the corpse, your mind repeating the memory of your friend's death over and over again. You opened your mouth to speak but nothing came out of it. Once he was face to face with you, Billy cupped your cheeks with both hands and lifted your head up so that your eyes met. His face was covered in blood.
"You better keep your mouth shut about this."
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→ feedbacks are more than welcome. Whether it's just a keyboard smash, an emoji or a single world, it's always appreciated and motivating. ♡
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northerngoshawk · 3 years ago
Text
No Air
@whumptober2021
Rating: T (for violence, torture (maybe), and choking)
Summary: Aang slumped and looked around, dully watching the firelight flicker. It was rather unfortunate, he mused, that he was captured by the Fire Nation, but honestly, he couldn't bring himself to care that much about it, not if his friends were able to escape safely.
Better him than them.
Or: Aang gets captured by Azula.
Written for Whumptober Day 2: "Talking is overrated"
Prompts: Garrote | Choking | Gagged
Word Count: 2.2k
AO3 || FF.net
The world first appeared as blurred red-orange blobs that blended together with the dark brown, almost black background, like a painting that had been smudged together. Even when Aang blinked a couple of times (why were his eyelids so heavy?), the world seemed oddly muted, indistinct.
Gradually, however, the borders between objects sharpened, and Aang found himself kneeling on the cold ground with his hands behind his back, staring up at huge menacing walls of brown brick that stretched over him into a large arch over his head. It reminded him of the holding cell he had been in when he had been captured by Zhao, which was not what he wanted to be reminded of at all.
He closed his eyes, trying to remember what had happened to lead up to this point. Everything was a whirlwind, a blur of activity that he could barely decipher—and the fact his head throbbed fiercely did nothing to help jog his memory. He squeezed his eyes even harder, mentally racking his brain with something, anything that could help him remember.
Fire roaring through the courtyard, hot air searing his skin.
The screams and shouts of his friends as they ducked for cover.
Whirling around frantically, searching for them, hoping, begging that they were alright.
Something hard and heavy being slammed into the back of his head, stars exploding in his eyes.
Katara's wide, horrified eyes the last thing he sees before the world goes black.
The back of his head throbbed harder than ever, like it was loudly protesting his getting caught by the Fire Nation. Aang instinctively made to rub the aching spot, but when his hands jerked, he looked behind him and realized his hands were chained to a grate in the ground, metal links wrapped around its bars.
He suppressed a sigh. Of course.
Aang slumped and looked around, dully watching the firelight flicker. It was rather unfortunate, he mused, that he was captured by the Fire Nation, but honestly, he couldn't bring himself to care that much about it, not if his friends were able to escape safely.
Better him than them.
They could take care of themselves, he knew, which is why he's confident that they escaped; they wouldn't have made the same mistake he had, letting a Fire Nation soldier sneak up on him like that.
(he wondered if Toph had seen—well, felt—it happen, and amused himself with the thought of her lecturing him when he got himself out of this mess)
(if he got himself out of this mess)
The sound of the metal door scraping against the stone floor echoed throughout the chamber, and Aang glanced over to see four firebenders enter the chamber, followed by…
A cold stone of dread began congealing in the pit of his stomach. "Azula."
The Fire Princess placed her hand over her heart, her eyebrows lifted in mock surprise. "So you do remember me." She smirked, her eyes calculating and mirthless. "How flattering."
The scar in his back tingled.
"What do you want from me?" he demanded loudly, trying to ignore the twinge in his back. He had meant it to sound confident, firm, maybe even angry, but it sounded more scared than he wanted it to.
And from the sadistic gleam in her eye, Azula heard it too.
"What makes you think we want something from you?" she purred, circling him in an almost predatory fashion, as if she were a wolf eyeing a piece of fresh meat. Aang tried to shrink in on himself, unnerved by the piercing look in her eyes. "Why, you're the Avatar; you were the only obstacle standing in our way to total victory." She walked away from him, her back to him. "There wouldn't be anything else we would want from you, other than your capture.
"Unless, of course…" She turned to regard him with a sly smile that Aang didn't like the look of. "You're saying you have information we would want."
"I don't," Aang said quickly, realizing too late a bit too quickly.
And from the way Azula's eyes narrowed, it didn't go unnoticed. "I see."
She stopped, tilting her head to the side, as though considering something. "Actually, now that I think about it," she said—something in her voice made ice slither down Aang's back, "there is something that you would be most… helpful in providing for us."
Fear crawled up Aang's throat at the way her golden eyes gleamed. No… she couldn't possibly…
Azula leaned in so close, all he could see was her flaxen eyes that gleamed menacingly in the dim firelight as she hissed, "Where is my traitorous brother?"
Aang jerked his head away from her, leveling a defiant glare at her as he tried to hide the terror he felt. "I don't know," he said forcefully. "And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you." He tilted his chin up, squarely meeting her narrowed gaze with his own.
Azula's eyes flitted over his face, as though gauging for any weakness, any vulnerability in his face. Aang kept his gaze steadily fixed on her, refusing to waver.
Then, she did the last thing he expected her to do.
She smiled.
"I know," she said pleasantly—a chill ran down Aang's back. She stepped away from him, a sly, menacing smile fixed upon her face. "Which is why we have the perfect bait."
Aang's breath caught in his throat as it hit him. "No…"
"Oh, yes." Azula twirled her bangs, looking as though she were very much enjoying the panic that was now rising in Aang's chest. "I take it they're very… fond of their Avatar. It would be a shame if they were to come back for you and"—she sneered—"something were to happen to them."
No, no, no— Aang jerked against his chains, cold panic filling his lungs and rising in his throat. He strained against his bindings, but it's not enough, not as Azula begins speaking.
"Perhaps we'll throw the earthbender into a lake of water," Azula mused aloud. A sadistic smile flitted on her face. "I hear she can't swim."
No no no—
"Or maybe we'll throw that water tribe barbarian into the fighting ring. I'd be interested in seeing how long he lasts before he inevitably perishes."
"Stop!" The word exploded from Aang's mouth on its own. He was only distantly aware of cold tracks on his face as he struggled against the chains tying him down. He squeezed his eyes shut, not caring about the tears running down his face or how pathetic he sounded, and wished with all his might that he could block out Azula's sickeningly sweet voice.
"Maybe I'll personally escort poor Zuzu to our father." Cruel disdain dripped from her tone as she inspected her nails. She sneered with contempt. "Perhaps our father will burn in the lesson he never learned the last time he rebelled."
Nonononono—
"And, of course, the water tribe wench."
Aang's heart stopped.
A finger slid under Aang's chin and tilted his head up, forcing him to stare into those cold, cruel eyes. "Now I wonder," she said softly, deliberately, "what the best way to kill a waterbender is. Perhaps it would be fitting, to bind her hands and drown her in her own element. Or maybe she should suffocate deep underground, where no one will ever hear her scream."
No…
"But do you know what I think is the best way to kill one?" Azula leaned in so close to his ear, her lips brushed against it. "Burn them alive."
Something in him snapped.
One second, Azula was right in front of him; the next, she was slamming against the metal door across the room with a resounding BONG! before crumpling to the ground in a heap.
Aang ducked as a fireblast shot overhead, the firebender guards snapping into action upon seeing their princess lying prone on the ground. A firebender came at him, fist cocked and wreathed in flames, but Aang brought his feet out from underneath him and slammed them into the guard's midsection, sending him reeling into another firebender.
Another guard charged towards him, throwing out his fist towards Aang's face. Even with the limited maneuverability of having his hands tied down to a grate, Aang managed to dodge before sweeping his leg out, tripping the firebender. The guard stumbled over his own feet before crashing to the ground, rolling into a heap.
He felt the air currents ripple and moved just as a katana sliced through the air, barely missing him by a hair. He turned and kicked out, sending an airblast that slammed the guard head-on and sent him skidding back several steps.
The firebender backed up, sword brandished warily as though second-guessing his choice of engaging in battle. Aang glared at him. I like to see you try.
As if taking his silent challenge, the firebender charged again, steel blade whirling as he advanced on Aang. Aang slipped around his slashes and stabs easily, and the firebender visibly grew more frustrated with every blow that failed to connect, his sword swings growing more aggressive and reckless.
Finally, Aang jerked forward just as the sword came down, and it sliced clean through his bindings. He lurched forward, his hands free, and whirled around, punching out an air blast that sent the guard slamming into a brick wall.
For several moments, all was still. Aang looked around at the firebenders laying prone on the ground, their groans the only sounds echoing in the chamber.
Then he felt a ripple of heat in the air currents, and he turned just as blue flames filled his vision.
Aang slammed against the wall, head smacking hard against the bricks and making stars explode in his eyes. A palm slammed into his throat, fingers closing around his neck, and suddenly he couldn't breathe.
Aang gasped for air that wouldn't come, scrabbling at the hand (or was it a claw?) pinning him against the wall, at the fingers digging into his windpipe. Frantically, he kicked out, desperately trying to dislodge his attacker, but the fingers clenched into his throat tighter until his vision flashed white.
Wheezing, he pried desperately at the vice-like grip around his neck as he fought for air, fought to breathe. The world was beginning to spin all around him, turning inside out and flipping upside down until he was no longer sure what was up or down.
Gasping desperately, he opened his eyes to see piercing gold eyes staring back at him.
A cold smirk played on Azula's lips as she forced his head around, studying him with no more interest than an insect she was about to dissect. "I've always wondered what would happen if you cut an airbender off from his precious air," she sneered. Her fingernails dug into his skin, piercing into his throat, and his vision whitened.
Wild now with blind panic, Aang thrashed. He reached out for his element, pleading, begging for respite, for the very thing his body was starved of.
Never had he ever been so deprived of his own element.
(all alone)
He clawed
(why were his fingers so heavy)
at the crushing grip around his throat.
(so tired)
Darkness marching steadily over his vision.
(why was he still fighting?)
His fingers slackening from the hand against his neck.
(so heavy)
The world falling away to black.
(sleep)
He closed his eyes.
(floating, intangible, untouchable)
(nonexistent)
(what was up?)
(what was down?)
(was he flying?)
(or had he always been falling?)
When the world faded back into reality, Aang found himself limp on the ground at the feet of the firebenders, involuntarily coughing and sputtering, his throat burning but free of the crushing grip. His chest heaved laboriously as he gulped in air, his limbs floppy and still like a broken doll's.
He was sure Azula said something, but it was lost in the blood roaring in his ears, in the pounding of his head. Every sound was muffled as though he were underwater, every object blurred and indistinguishable except for splashes of color that flitted in his vision.
Azula said something else that he couldn't hear, but the sinister tone behind her words were enough. Then footsteps retreated, followed by the sound of a heavy door slamming shut.
Aang curled in on himself on the cold stone floor, body trembling involuntarily. His breaths sounded unnaturally loud and ragged in the sudden spacious emptiness of the stone chamber, echoing eerily all around him.
He thought of Zuko, of Toph, of Sokka, of Katara. He thought of their passion, their determination, their compassion, their willingness to fight. They would come for him, no doubt.
Then Azula's sadistic laugh echoed in his head, and his throat constricted in on itself.
Please, he prayed to the spirits, a tear rolling from his cheek. Keep them away. Don't let them come after me.
He squeezed his eyes shut and reminded himself to breathe, just breathe. He breathed and breathed and breathed, inhaling and exhaling over and over again, trying to reassure his body that there was air, trying to convince himself that he was safe.
And if there was something warm trickling down his neck, he ignored it.
He was still breathing.
He was still breathing.
He was
still
(claws digging into his throat)
breathing.
(but how long until they take that from him too?)
18 notes · View notes
angelanimedesaray · 4 years ago
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Wings in the Dark Chapter 7:  Subversion
AN:  I’m gonna admit, I was half asleep writing the first half of this cause the fatigue hit me HARD once I got home.
Also, I forgot to put this up a few chapters ago, but this story IS on AO3.  The link is on the AOT Vampire Masterlist, but also right HERE.
I felt like I was missing something, but no matter how many times I looked at it, I couldn’t think of what it was...If it occurs to me, I’ll probably just find a way to work it into the next chapter, lol
Also if you want a good soundtrack for this series, honestly, all you gotta do is listen to the Forgotten Odes album by Eternal Eclipse, I always pull it up when I’m writing these XD
Characters:  Levi, Fem!Vampire!Reader, Erwin
Pairing:  (Eventual)  Levi x Fem!Vampire!Reader
Warnings:  Language, Blood, Death, Dead Bodies, ummm...idk, Vampire Legends?  Is that a Warning?
Word Count:  5391
<----Previous Chapter    Masterlist    Next Chapter---->
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*Levi’s POV*
"I've been trying to catch her sneaking out for weeks, now, Erwin, but it's like she knows when I'm awake and watching for her.  I can never catch her when she's leaving, it's always when she comes back."
Levi paced slightly in front of Erwin’s desk out of agitation as he stressed why, after all this time, he still hadn't managed to follow her into the Underground and see what she was doing.
"Do you at least know when she usually sneaks out?  The time, or the days?" Erwin asked calmly.
"It's always when everyone's asleep...and it is fairly regular.  Every week, I think, though the exact day varies."
"If you can't follow her, then you'll need to get ahead of her. Get down there before her. You know the window of time when she'll be down there, and you know the Underground."
"But I have no idea what she's doing down there. It could be anything--and the Underground isn't a small place where I can wander around and /hope/ I run into her."
"Then narrow down your search based off your theories.  We considered she might have family down there, so you would be looking at residences, or asking around about a woman of her description.  And your theory of the worst she could be up to--"
"Murder or treason.  I know the places you'd go for that--more so than normal, anyway," Levi murmured, mind already conjuring the worst areas in the underground, the places where the Underground's worst elements like to stalk the streets, the areas of the highest risk, the worst gangs, the shadiest deals.
The residence search could take months--no one was going to want to talk to a soldier, a surfacer, even someone who had once been a part of the Underground.  Not to mention, they had no idea what Y/N Frazier looked like, or what name she was going under while she was hiding in the Underground--if she was, in fact, hiding in the Underground.
Besides, shouldn't he rule out the worst, first?
"I know where to start," Levi said decisively.  "It's still going to take some time, though, because she's still aware I'm watching her, and she's good at shaking tales and evasion.  Not to mention part of it is going to be based on luck--that I manage to go to the right place at the right time without knowing where she'll be."
"You're good at what you do, Levi.  You'll find a way."
So began the unpleasant ritual of Levi going down into the Underground every night of every other week, all in the name of hopefully, eventually, managing to find L/N.  All it would take was one glimpse, one time seeing her, and he could follow her, learning from the mistakes of last time to make sure that he didn’t lose her this time.
And he could finally find out what was happening below ground--what had been happening for years since she’d suddenly appeared on the surface.
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While Levi had made a name for himself Underground, enough so that it became general knowledge not to test him, he hadn't gone around looking for the kind of trouble that would have brought him to the places he found himself in, now.  He’d always been aware of these dark holes in the Underground, and on a few unpleasant occasions had to make a trip to one of them.  The worst elements of the Underground were found in these holes--she shadiest deals, the scum of the earth, the darkest corners with the most blood and carnage seeped into and tainting the earth around them.
Levi’s every step in these places was careful and quiet, his guard always up, his hood always drawn to hide his face.
Even with the name he'd made down here, he was cautious to use it as a warning sign to keep danger at bay.  Not only did he want to avoid sticking out and alerting L/N to his presence if she was down here, but there were always going to be the idiots who wanted to challenge someone who'd made a notorious name for themselves like he had.  There might be more than normal who wanted to test him if they knew who he was, people who thought that he was a prime target because his name still stood, but his time above ground might have made him soft.
A terrible, foolish notion, really, since his time above ground and part of the Scouts had only made him more dangerous.
He'd been coming down here regularly since his talk with Erwin, scouting the area and looking for any signs of L/N, whatever they may be.  Not many people down here were the talking type, and those who were couldn't give him anything about any surfacer woman prowling the streets.  The only thing they could tell him was to not wander these more dangerous parts of the Underground alone because people who did tended to turn up dead or go missing.
That wasn't news to him. He was already well aware of the dangers of these parts of the Underground that had spawned chilling legends even for the people who saw the darkness of the Underground daily.  He knew what he was doing was dangerous, which made L/N's presence here all the more questionable if he did manage to see her.
Levi glared fiercely at a man who'd been giving him the target sizing look after glimpsed his clean surfacer clothes.  The man slunk back into the shadows and Levi's skin prickled, his senses on high alert for any kind of ambush someone might be tempted to spring on the man leaning against the wall at a four way intersection.  He was keeping his head down to keep his face well shielded, but his eyes were constantly flickering around to take in his surroundings, to watch every figure that passed or came down one of the alleys, tense and ready for a fight every time someone came close to him.
This search was slow work, but with no hint to L/N’s motivations for being down here besides the scent of blood on her cloak, it was the best option he had.
A familiar, dark robed figure flashed by the opposite end of the alley on his right, and Levi straightened, disbelief flashing through him.  Surely that hadn’t been…
Before he lost her in his disbelief, Levi moved quickly through the alley to at least get her within his sights, being mindful not to get too close, even though he needed to at least be able to confirm that it was her.
Sticking to the shadows, Levi peered around the corner of the alley, just enough so he could see the cloaked figure and watch them as they continued down the path at a fairly leisurely pace, as if they were strolling along the lakeside instead of through one of the most dangerous parts of the Underground.
He was fairly certain that was her cloak.  It was the right color, and a quick glance down revealed that yes, it was long enough to drag along the ground like hers did, but at the moment it was gathered and tucked into the waist to keep it from dragging through the filth, keeping it just above the ankles instead.
And those boots were dark brown, leather, suspiciously similar to the Scout’s uniform--even though he couldn’t see the rest from this angle, he was willing to bet they went up to the knee.  The height was right, the posture seemed militaristic--it was a hard thing to shake, especially when still in active duty and so soon after graduating from the cadets, to boot.  Levi held his breath, watching intently and hoping for something a bit more defining that could give him one more bit of evidence to convince him it was her, besides this gut feeling of his.
She took a turn, and while she kept her head down, hood hiding her face, he saw a flash of hair, and glimpsed the civilian clothes underneath--
Civilian clothes he knew were hers because of the day he’d gone through her stuff and saw what she had.  She didn’t have much, so it was easy to tell this was one of the four pairs she owned.
Not wanting to lose her like he had that first night, Levi hurried forward, keeping his steps as quiet as possible.  He had to give her more space then he was used to giving someone that he tailed--he hadn’t forgotten how during the expedition, she seemed to have immensely attuned senses, with how quickly and easily she could pick up on what no one else could see.  He still didn’t want to lose her because he fell too far behind, but he had to be careful--something kept tipping her off to his presence, and while he didn’t know what, he had to control everything he could and make it harder for her to notice his presence.  Distance was his friend, right now.
It was hard, trying to trail someone while having to put so much distance between them that she frequently turned out of sight, but he kept it up, heart pounding in anticipation as his mental map of the area tried to come up with where she was heading.  Right now, it just felt like she was aimlessly wandering, like there was no real direction to where she was going.  What the hell was she doing?
After several minutes of following her around like this, Levi started to grow impatient, wondering if she was aware he was following her and was just walking random places until he got bored and left.  If anything, it was more likely to make him confront her.
Except he needed to see what she was really doing down here, and if she was aware he was following her, that wasn’t going to happen.
Another shadowy figure entered their line, in front of Levi but behind L/N.  It was a man, staying far enough back that he clearly wasn’t walking with her--another tail.  Someone with more sinister intentions, too, Levi would guess, by the way he seemed to be stalking her.  With how far back Levi was, he hadn’t been noticed by this new party, but he was close enough that Levi was certain L/N had noticed them.
Except...she wasn’t trying to shake them.  She should have been able to do it with ease after she had lost Levi so easily that first night, but she didn’t do anything differently.  Her pace remained the same, unhurried and with no real direction, even as the intruder got gradually closer.
What the hell?
Was he wrong?  Was it someone she knew that she was meeting up with?  No, that looked like something else, Levi knew exactly what this was, he’d seen it enough times to recognize when someone was about to get jumped.
On the other hand...this was perfect for him.  Horrible as the initial thought might have been, if he tailed her tail, it put plenty of distance between himself and L/N, and as long as her tail didn’t lose her, even with her completely out of sight he wouldn’t lose track of her.  And if something went wrong, well, he was right here.
Levi shifted his cloak aside at the waist, turning slightly and waiting a few moments before he fired the cables into the nearest building, using it to get onto the roofs and nothing more.  The rest could be on foot, no more use of the gear.  ODM had a very distinct sound any soldier who had been around them as long as L/N had would recognize instantly, so he didn’t dare use it any more times until he’d found what he was looking for.  He didn’t know how keen those remarkable senses of hers were, if it was her hearing or her sight or hell, even her nose like Miche, that had allowed her to spot those Titans.  Because he didn’t know how, he couldn’t risk it.
Now with the advantage of a higher vantage point, Levi followed L/N’s tail from quite a distance, able to see him further and more comfortably from so high up, his footsteps still light and silent even though he was alone on these rooftops.
Being up here reminded him of several things he hadn’t fully realized when he’d lived down here, or that he’d learned to ignore or had forgotten in his time above ground.  How there was no wind down here, which was disconcerting after so long above ground with fresh air and cool breezes.  How dark it really was, even with the orange glow of firelight from homes, impacting his visibility and making it hard to pick out details from a distance.  And the stench--he’d been blocking it out, something he’d trained himself to do down here when he wasn’t in his own space that he could keep clean, but now that he was higher up and not in the thick of the shit, the air wasn’t quite as thick with it.
Slightly.  Just barely.
The man he was following sped up and took a sudden turn into a narrow alley, causing Levi to speed up his step as well, keeping an eye on the opposite end of the alley in case he exited the alley before Levi could reach it.  Crouched low so that he wouldn’t be spotted if someone happened to look up, Levi reached the edge of the building before the alley, his hand placed lightly on the dirt-covered edge as he peered over with care, trying to lean far enough he could see but where he couldn’t be seen, or at least would hardly be seen.  L/N’s tail hadn’t left the alley, so they should be--
Before the alley became visible, Levi realized there were no sounds coming from the alley--no sounds of a fight, no drip of blood, no talking, nothing.  If her tail had caught up to her, there should have been /something/ coming from the alley below.
A few seconds more, and he had visual confirmation that the alley was empty, even though he hadn’t seen anyone leave it from either end.
Levi kept himself calm, not allowing himself to even worry about losing sight of them--he didn’t have the time for that.  Clearly he’d been far enough behind that he’d missed something that had happened.  Maybe they had cut through the building opposite the one he was standing on.  There were no sounds coming from there, either--it was silent as the grave in this part of the city, unsettlingly enough.  But it let him know they weren’t simply hiding in one of the buildings beneath him.
He knew this area--he knew the Underground, had grown up here, walked these streets or at least mapped out in his mind the best and worst places for all kinds of situations.  He could figure out what had happened.  Whether she got the drop on her tail or her tail had successfully jumped her, if they weren’t here they would have gone somewhere discreet, somewhere private that was also nearby.  Not a residence, and anything that was dilapidated beyond even entry wouldn’t work.  What was the best spot for that criteria that was also nearby, close enough it could be quickly ducked into without anyone noticing?
Levi jumped over the edge of the building and dropped back down into the mud, knees bent to absorb the impact before he quickly shifted, navigating the streets quickly and with a purpose as he closed in on the building that came to mind.  He was still careful to be quiet and stealthy lest he spook L/N and lose his chance, but he was now running out of time--the longer they were out of sight, the greater the chance he would fail to see what was happening.  And he’d come so close, he couldn’t let the opportunity slip past him again.
Her being in trouble didn’t even cross his mind--he knew she could have shaken that tail if she wanted to, and she had beaten him in a sparring match.  Even if that tail jumped her, he doubted she would be the one in trouble.
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*Reader’s POV*
The one thing you hated the most about coming to the Underground to hunt was the smell.  With how sensitive your senses were, it was absolutely horrid for you.  It had taken all of your focus and much of your time when you’d first come down here to learn how to block that foul smell out, though usually it involved handicapping your sense of smell altogether--except for with blood.  Blood always pierced through any mental block you’d constructed for yourself.
Still, you were down one sense when you came down here to hunt, refusing to breathe through your nose so you wouldn’t become nauseous, sickened by the stench in the air.
The only time that changed down here was when you fed--when the scent of blood filled your every breath with your teeth latched into your most recent kill, warm at first but growing gradually colder as you drained the life from them, a hand over their mouth to muffle any sound or screams until they could make them no more.
Of course you had known about the shady individual tailing you--you had wandered aimlessly in one of the worst parts of the Underground specifically so you could draw someone out, could lure in one of the many victimizers that lurked in these dark corners and turn the tables on them, making their chosen path of victimizing and terror a fatal one.  As soon as he entered the dark, isolated alley that you had turned into, you had grabbed him and dashed away with that inhuman speed of yours, pulling him into the nearest abandoned, unowned building where you immediately sank your teeth into him to satiate the hunger that had started to claw at you once again.
Hidden in the darkest corner of the abandoned building, the man had stopped moving beneath you, body turning cold, though from experience you knew he still had more blood to give.  You were going to take it all, so it would last you just a little while longer before you had to delve back into the Underground’s cesspool for a fresh kill to satiate the hunger again after it returned.
By now, this was normal for you.  You had been doing it for decades, and had long worked out your feelings over the moral implications of it all.  This was just your way of life, how you survived.  And it would continue to be for years and years to come.
One thing about scents down here--there was no wind to carry them away or towards you.  So when you picked up on someone’s scent, it usually meant they were close...very close.  Especially since you went out of your way to block scents down here unless you were in the middle of a feed, like right now.
As such, you stiffened when you caught the beginning traces of a familiar scent, one that was usually carried towards you on a breeze and let you know you were being watched.  Tea leaves, cleanliness or cleaning products, hints of mint that might have just been a figment of your own imagination because it was something you associated with a clean smell.
Levi.  And if you were catching his scent strongly enough for it to pierce through the blood you were feeding off, then he was dangerously close.
Immediately, you tried to gulp down every last drop you could, wanting to still finish so you wouldn’t have to come back down here so soon, even though your instincts were yelling at you to get out of here before he found you.  As a result of your suddenly rushed attempts to finish your meal, you made a bit more of a mess than you usually did.  Blood smeared across your face and dribbled down onto your shirt, some unfortunately falling to the ground below as your teeth tore into the man’s neck in an attempt to get this last bit to gush out.
You could hear him, he was just outside the building, you couldn’t wait any longer, you’d already waited too long.
How much had he seen?  How long had he been onto you?  How had he found you?
You could worry about that when you were safely back at the Scout’s headquarters and in the process of cleaning up any evidence you’d ever been to the Underground, right now, you had to leave.
Now you didn’t even have time to try and hide the body.
Teeth unlatching from the man’s neck, hood pulled low over your head to hide all of your features, you finally bolted, heading for the opposite side as you heard the door open, worried that you still had been too late, that he might have seen your hasty exit, or at least a flash of your cloak disappearing around the corner of the open doorway.
There was no chance to take it back now.  The best you could do was damage control and dig in your heels.  He might have seen your cloak, maybe, but as far as you knew, he had no way of knowing it was you.  No definitive way, anyway.  He hadn’t seen your face, hadn’t seen any defining features.  As far as you were aware, he’d only seen your cloak.  You still had a chance.  Especially if you cleaned your clothes fast enough and thoroughly enough there wasn’t a trace of blood or the Underground on them.
Heart pounding as you attempted to keep yourself calm so you could act rationally and not tip your hand and give yourself away by panicking, you raced back to the surface to start disposing of evidence in the safety of your quarters.
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*Levi’s POV*
Levi tried to be quick when he opened the door, intending to catch L/N in the middle of whatever was happening in here and then act accordingly.  As far as he was aware, he’d acted fast enough and quietly enough he should have gotten the drop on her, even with that apparent sixth sense of hers that had allowed her to avoid him thus far.  The door swung open, and he saw a blur of motion--a blur he tried to write off as simply his eyes still adjusting to the scene at first--and the flash of a dark cloak disappearing around the corner.
Levi’s eyes widened at the realization that blur or at least the cloak was L/N fleeing from the scene, a ‘Tch!’ escaping him as he dashed across the abandoned building to try and make it out the other side before she could disappear again, hand on the edge of the doorway as he slid out into the alley on the other side.
Nothing.
He rushed to the mouth, hoping that maybe she had just turned out of sight, that he wasn’t about to lose her again like he had the first time he’d followed her.
Again, nothing.  Not even the sound of retreating footsteps.  She was just...gone, like the first time.
“Shit!”
Swearing loudly to himself, with the sound surprisingly disconcerting when it was thrown out into the silent streets, Levi turned back to the abandoned building, the only thing he had now that L/N had fled.
She had fled, which meant that this time she might have left something behind for him to find in her haste to leave.  People got sloppy when they were in a rush, and he was going to take full advantage of it.
Giving one last frustrated look down the deserted street, Levi doubled back to the abandoned building she had been inside, standing in the middle of the room as his eyes did a quick roam over his surroundings, looking for anything out of place, anything out of the ordinary.
Over in a dark corner, there was a mass, some kind of shape that looked distorted and unlike any kind of furniture or item found in an abandoned building like this.  It wasn't moving, but Levi still approached with caution, the dark shape slowly taking form as Levi approached, gradually becoming clearer as Levi silently came closer.
It was a body.  The tail he'd been following, from the looks of it, though Levi still didn't have a cause of death.  The body was distorted and lying unnaturally, head bent at an odd angle--not broken, just left in an odd position--and it was lying face down, as if it had been dropped in a rush.
He had interrupted something.  The question now was what had he interrupted.  His gaze had already darkened with the realization she'd left a body behind, but whether this had been intentional or self-defense remained to be seen.  The motive, her intentions, were largely going to affect how he reacted.
Levi turned the body over with his foot and froze, staring at the man’s throat.  It was ripped out, like an animal had sunk its teeth all the way in but had been startled into tearing away before it was ready, bringing half the man’s throat with it.  Yet, despite the gruesome sight, there were only a few drops of blood on the ground beneath the body, a couple light smears around the wound itself.  When Levi crouched down to touch the body, it was ice cold against his fingers.  Algor mortis shouldn’t have even started yet, the man had hardly been dead for a few moments, but there was next to no blood despite his manner of death, the body lacked all warmth--the warmth shouldn’t have drained from him for at least a half hour.
There should have been blood all over this place--should have still been some blood in him draining to the parts of his body lying on the ground.  And yet…
A memory was making its way unbidden to the front of his mind, whispering sinister, impossible, dark thoughts into his mind as Levi stared at the dead man's throat.  A memory of a legend Kenny once tried to scare him with, one he had dismissed as nonsense and scoffed at the impossible tale.
A tale about an immortal creature that plagued the Underground as long as there had been an Underground, choosing the miserable place because of its darkness and isolation from the sun, and its plethora of people that no one would even care if someone went missing every now and then.  An undead demon with glowing red eyes, the last thing a man saw before it feasted on his blood and drained the life out of him, leaving his empty body lying in the street with his throat ripped open.
Kenny had told it to him once to scare him, to keep him from getting too cocky and thinking he was untouchable.  And Levi had called him out on it, called it the bullshit he'd been so sure that it was.  There was no such thing as demons or bloodsucking monsters.  There were real monsters in the world, but not of this dark, fantastical variety.
And Kenny had taught him the lesson that had led him here.  And made him a bit more wary of the darker corners of the world.
"Maybe not demons...or maybe there are. There's Titans above ground, right?  Why wouldn't we have our own brand of monster down here?"
Kenny scratched his chin.  "Whether you believe in the demon part or not, there's always a little truth to every legend.  At the least, there's probably a killer somewhere down here with a signature like that who caused the stories."
Levi looked dubiously at Kenny. "Yeah?  How do I know they're not just legends about your murders."
"Because, Runt.  I slit throats, I don't rip 'em out."
Levi felt his blood run cold, chilling him to the core.
What he’d witnessed...she had not been a target, she had never been someone’s prey; she had been the hunter luring in an unsuspecting victim.
How long had she been doing this?  A couple years at least, going off how long she'd been sneaking out to the Underground, but it probably went on before that, before she joined the military, before she even showed up on the surface.  When he'd caught the smell of blood on her cloak he hadn't expected this to be the source.
“I...conduct blood rituals to achieve perfection.”
That deadpan delivery at the table in the mess hall--had she been secretly mocking them?  Or, more accurately, secretly mocking him, the one trying to figure out what she was hiding?
Was she...even human?
It was insane, but so was the thought of the empty grave before he’d opened that coffin.  It was madness, but it fit, it made things that had seemed alien suddenly belong in this greater picture.  Where else would all this blood have gone, especially with how quickly she had to leave because of his interruption?  How else would she have these senses that told her when Levi was near--that allowed her to know when she was being followed when it should have been impossible, that allowed her to see him in detail in the shadows from a distance yet still draw a perfect portrait, and had made her aware of the Titans before anyone else?  That strength and ease in all of her physical requirements as a soldier had to have come from somewhere, like Levi’s, but this hadn’t been what he was thinking.
And then there was the undead thing, the immortal thing, from the story he’d heard as a child.
No, no that was pushing it too far.  That she might not be human was a hard enough pill to swallow, even when he had his own superhuman abilities and lived in a world of Titans.  He was not a superstitious person, and this was a hard thought to even entertain, let alone to take seriously.  Even when he was staring at a corpse that strongly suggested the truth of the tale.
Even if it would explain how Y/N Frazier crawled out of her grave when it was supposed to be humanly impossible.  Even though it smoothed away the question of how Y/N Frazier and Y/N L/N were connected by suggesting they were the same person.
No matter what the full truth was, he was at a point where he had to confront her either way, for everyone’s safety.  He might be the only one who could match her, physically, and even then he’d have to be extra careful about his approach, because she could still overpower him if he wasn’t careful.  At the very least, she was a murderer, a serial killer who hadn’t stopped even after joining the Scouts and was still regularly killing, and somewhere he used to live, no less.  He had hated living down here, but part of him still took that personally.
At the worst, though, she was a monster of shadowy legend.  One that preyed on humankind, like the Titans.  A true enemy of mankind that it seemed almost no one was aware of.  Now he knew, and he had to do something about it.
But first, the confrontation.  And he better make sure he had her cornered and that he was ready for a fight.  It was likely she would lash out, and he needed to be prepared for a fight for survival.  He needed to be ready to handle the situation as soon as he had the truth, because whether she was a murderer or monster only affected how the fight would go and the severity of the stakes.  If she was a legitimate monster as well as a murderer did not affect the fact that a fight was inevitable--it just decided how deadly it would actually be.
And he needed a contingency in case the worst happened, so the truth wouldn’t die with him.
The Scouts needed to know what lurked within their ranks.  Erwin needed to know.  It was all a front--something deadly was masquerading as one of them, and it needed to be stopped before it could do irreversible damage.
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Next Chapter---->
Levi Tags:  @clary-quinn @humanitys-hottestsoldier@whalerus @sunny-flo @thirstyforsometea​
Wings in the Dark Tags:  @regalillegal @animeluver23 @theshylittleelfgirl @queenthorin1 @dilucs-thighs @sociallyanxiousmouse
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justatiredpotato · 4 years ago
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Set Me Free | Chapter 1
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Chapter List
Pairing: hybrid!Yoongi x human!reader
Genre: Angst, fluff, coffee shop AU, hybrid AU
Word Count: Chapter: 6,000~  Total: 40,000~ (I’m sorry xD)
Updates daily at 10pm MST
Warnings: violence, discrimination (against hybrids), mentions of injuries and blood, anxiety, panic attacks
Summary: Yoongi, a cat hybrid, has been hurt time and time again by a world that would have him believe he’s worthless. One day he finds himself in your protective care, and gets a new family to boot. But is it really that easy to escape the past and embrace a new beginning?
Author’s Note: I love writing reader inserts but I just can’t write Y/N. It feels weird to me. So in this fic the reader’s name is Yeoji. I hope this isn’t too confusing for anyone! This is my first time posting my work so I appreciate any support it gets!
You raised the blinds just high enough to let a sliver of pre-dawn light in, but low enough that you wouldn’t be blinded when the sun crested the buildings across the way. You peered through the sheer fabric onto the square outside. The area had seen a lot of development in the last few years. Trendy little shops now lined the street. The coffee shop you owned and operated was tucked between a couple of over-priced restaurants with laughably tiny servings. 
While you weren’t thrilled with the increase in your overhead costs, you couldn’t deny the recent boost in business. There was a steady flow of customers through the whole week, not just in the early morning or on weekends. It had even become necessary to hire a couple of part-timers to keep the place open longer. Not that you minded. You were actually glad for the opportunity to give your friend, Jungkook, a job. 
The rabbit hybrid was nervous by nature despite his imposing appearance; he stood at least a foot taller than you. Your brother, Namjoon was fiercely protective of him. Jungkook came into your lives in your final year of college. The police brought a battered and terrified Jungkook to Remedy shelter, which was run by your friend Jin. They hadn’t seen what happened to him, and he wouldn’t say. As far as you knew, Namjoon and Jin were the only people he ever told.
Your eyes focused on the patio before you, as the very bunny you were thinking of appeared at the door. One of the boys came in on the weekends to work alongside you and help with the rush. The square was usually packed with couples on dates, window-shopping and listening to musicians that busked along the sidewalks.
“Morning, noona!” Jungkook chirped with his wide bunny grin.
“G’morning Koo,” you said, attempting to match his energy level despite the early hour. He laughed sweetly at the nickname. You were the only one he let call him that since he turned seventeen.
“Did you have your coffee yet?” He asked. You shook your head no. “Waiting for your favorite hybrid to make it for you?” 
“Don’t let Jimin hear you say that. You know he’ll take any opportunity to pout,” you said. 
Jungkook chuckled at that. Jimin was the shop's other part-timer. Many hybrids were affectionate, but the ragdoll hybrid took it to another level. He spent every possible second with his arms wrapped around his nearest friend. You were counted among his friends from pretty much your first meeting. When the chance to work at your shop had opened up, he thought it would be a great chance to have some independence. 
Jimin had been rooming with Jin for years. Despite his desire for independence he simply couldn’t stand living alone. So he shared an apartment with Jin and Taehyung, a sweet tiger hybrid. Taehyung had been hard to adopt out because despite his good nature, he was an exotic breed, and a predator no less. Few wanted to risk taking responsibility for him, and those that did had less-than-good intentions for him.
Life was scary as a hybrid. Between the massive industry of underground fighting rings, sex trafficking, and abuse in even seemingly decent homes, any adoption was a gamble. Jin tried his best to vet each family, but he couldn’t catch every red flag. You and Namjoon knew better than most how that haunted him.
Several years ago, the two of you stopped by the shelter. Neither of you could reach him on the phone and you were starting to get worried. You finally found him in his office, passed out over his desk with several empty bottles of soju scattered around. Namjoon tried to rouse him, but all he could mumble was ‘dead, dead, dead’ between hiccuping sobs. The next morning you learned that a hybrid he’d helped earlier that year was found dead in a seedy part of town. The couple that adopted her were being investigated on suspicion of hybrid trafficking. 
He wasn’t the same after that. He got back to his usual smiling self, but he was slower to trust, and slower to laugh. Every time a hybrid left the shelter for their new home there was a flicker of sadness and fear in his eyes.
“Noona? What’s wrong?” Jungkook asked, breaking your train of thought. You turned to look at him, blinking to stop your eyes watering at the memory.
“It’s nothing Kookie, just thinking about this sad movie I watched last night.” You and Namjoon both agreed that it was best to keep the more tragic events from the shelter quiet. Jungkook had been through enough in the past, and you didn’t want to hurt him further by bringing up old memories. Jungkook frowned at the response.
“It must’ve been really sad,” he said, sniffing lightly. His frown deepened and he searched her eyes. He seemed to debate pressing it further. You knew that his hybrid senses were telling him you were lying. But he seemed to decide it was best to let it go, instead holding out a hot cup of your favorite coffee, a soft smile returning and making his eyes scrunch.
You took it, grateful for the coffee and his letting you evade the question. You set about your morning tasks, laying out chairs, brewing coffee for the self-serve station, and checking that there was creamer chilled and ready. Sunlight sparkled in the air, reflecting off the morning frost. 
It was supposed to snow that night. You shuddered. You hated winter for forcing you to pay for heating, if nothing else. Whenever your friends got together at your house—a tiny one-bedroom apartment above the cafe—Jimin whined about the cold temperature. But you refused to pay for anything beyond what would keep your pipes from freezing. It was expensive enough to own a building in your area already. Instead you wore layers and piled blankets on your bed. Jimin wasn’t really upset anyway, he loved any excuse to cuddle. Movie night usually ended with him and Taehyung asleep on either side of you.
“You actually going to turn on the radiator tonight?” Jungkook teased.
“I have my radiator on! It’s just… turned down,” you said.
He chuckled, knowing you were too stubborn to waste money on ‘luxuries.’ He turned away at the jingle of the door bell. The first customer of the day came as no surprise. A familiar, slouching form appeared, dropped a couple of equipment cases off at the side of the door, and shuffled up to the counter. The young man had black hair that hung down and nearly covered his eyes, which flicked up to meet hers. His lips twitched in a hint of a smile.
“Good morning, Yoongi” You said with more than your usual morning cheer. Jungkook scoffed and you threw him a dirty look. The young man in front of the counter didn’t seem to pay attention, his eyes determinedly focused on his beat-up boots.
“Morning,” he mumbled, glancing up to briefly meet your eyes.
“The usual?” you asked, trying to hold his gaze.
“Yeah,” he said. This time offering you a genuine smile before he looked away again. He busied himself looking through a well-worn notebook while you relayed his usual order to Jungkook: cheese toast and a small hot americano. You returned to the counter and accepted his punch card. He practically filled one every other week, since he was in nearly every day. 
“Performing in the square again today?” you asked. He was one of the buskers that was a regular in the area. He nodded. “You should put on a coat. It’s supposed to snow later. You’re going to freeze if you’re out there all day like that.”
You looked over his clothes. The hoodie he wore was ragged at the sleeves. He had the hood up, cinched a bit against the biting wind. His signature beanie was just peeking out from under it. He scuffed his feet, uncomfortable under your appraisal. 
“I’ll be fine,” he answered shortly. He looked up at you, eyes wide as he realized how curt he sounded. “I stay warm when I’m performing.”
You weren’t sure how standing behind a keyboard and laptop could keep you warm, but you didn’t press the issue. You handed back the punch card and gave him his total. He rummaged in his pockets before frowning and looking up at the menu.
“That’s wrong,” he said.
“Hm?” you asked, though you already knew what he meant. He pointed to the menu over your shoulder.
“Your prices went up, but this is what it always costs.” He pulled a jumble of crumpled bills and coins from the pocket of his hoodie, counting through them. A couple of coins fell and clattered across the counter.
“I gave you the regular customer discount,” you said. Jungkook chuckled as he joined you at the register with the completed order.
“That’s not a thing,” Yoongi said as he finished counting out his change and handed you the total with the new prices.
“It’s my shop. I’m making it a thing,” you argued, pushing the money back toward him.
“Please, Yeoji-ssi. I don’t need a hand out.”
“I didn’t mean that you need it, I just wanted to,” you finally stammered after an awkward pause. Now you were embarrassed, and you felt bad for unintentionally insulting him. Yoongi cursed quietly under his breath. Beside you Jungkook’s ears twitched, and he sniffed curiously; no doubt sensing something you couldn’t.
“I know, I’m sorry. That’s very generous of you,” he said as he gently pushed the money back toward you. Tucking his toast into the backpack and taking his coffee he hurried back toward the door. He fumbled for a minute, trying to carry his equipment and the hot beverage. As he finally got his things together and went to push the door open, you called after him.
“Hey, drop by if you get a chance to take a break and warm up.”
“I’ll try,” he said, turning around and flashing another soft smile as he pushed through the door.
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You thought about Yoongi a lot through the rest of the day. Jungkook noticed and teased you all day. You couldn’t scold him for it though, you’d teased him plenty about his first crush.
As long as Yoongi had been coming to the cafe you’d been curious about him. He was quiet, handsome, and talented. You’d heard him perform in the square before. He played the keyboard but also produced tracks that he played from his laptop, blending the simplicity of the piano with a full-bodied studio sound.
You often wondered why he wasn’t working at a studio, producing for idols. He could have been an idol himself with the good looks he hid behind a beanie, hoodie, and bangs. The more you learned about the boy, the more you wanted to know. On your break, you googled his name and found a few YouTube videos of performances at clubs and underground rap battles. Apparently he wasn’t just a musician, he was a talented lyricist and rapper as well.
“Doing some research on your boyfriend, I see?” Jungkook said, resting his chin on your shoulder. You jumped, turning to swat at him as he quickly danced away.
“Don’t read over people’s shoulders! That’s rude,” you scolded. You could feel your face turning pink, and it irritated you to know that he could sense your embarrassment. “He’s not my boyfriend. And I was just curious about his music.”
“Mhm, right,” Jungkook said dismissively. “You’re seriously browsing Google? Come on, doesn’t this guy have an Instagram?”
“Not one that I can find.” Your tone made it clear that you had made a thorough search and failed.
“Wow, really? No social media presence at all? Maybe he has Twitter.” You shook your head. “Facebook? LinkedIn? MySpace? AOL?”
“AOL did IM and email, you dork,” you interrupted, cracking a smile. “And no, I can’t find him on any platform besides YouTube. He doesn’t seem to have his own channel…”
“Weird…” Jungkook said. “Are we sure this guy really exists?” You snorted. “I’m serious! For someone to be completely off the grid on the internet is like, unheard of. Maybe he’s hiding from the law! Or in witness protection. Noona, what if your boyfriend is a drug dealer!”
You swung at him again, this time successfully landing a smack on his shoulder. He ran back out front when the door chimed.
“He’s not a drug dealer, stupid!” You called after him. “And he’s not my boyfriend!”
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Namjoon picked up Jungkook after closing that evening. They were having a boys night at Jin’s house.
“Are you sure you don’t want to join, noona?” Jungkook asked, pouting a little bit to try and convince you.
“We really don’t mind, noona. Jimin and Tae would love it if you came,” Namjoon added.
“I appreciate the invitation, but I’ll be fine Joon. And Koo, you know Overwatch isn’t my style. You have fun with the boys. Make sure to let them win a few times,” you said, getting on your toes to ruffle Jungkook’s hair affectionately.
“I will,” Jungkook said, leaning into your hand for one last ear scratch.
You waved off the boys and set to cleaning up for the night. After mopping and turning out the lights in the front you went in the back to wash the dishes. Through the door leading out into the alley, you heard shouting. Listening for a minute, you shrugged it off. Probably just college kids from a local frat house. You often heard them as they stumbled home from the local bar. It was Friday night after all.
That explanation left your head quickly when you heard a scream. The sound nearly made you drop the mug you were washing. That wasn’t a scream of young men goofing around, it was a cry of pain and fear. Before you could think better of it you shook the water off your hands, grabbed your  phone, and raced for the door. 
You burst out into the alleyway struggling to stay upright on the thin layer of freshly fallen snow.
What you saw made your stomach turn. A group of four young men were crowded around the dumpster. Something, or more likely someone, was crumpled in the corner between it and the wall. You couldn’t see much, just rumpled fabric and a couple of bags laying around. The bags were opened, the paper and garments they had contained tossed around the alley. 
The men took turns throwing brutal kicks at the person in the corner, who was now curled so that the only thing you could see besides the snow-soaked hoodie was his hands clutching something to his chest. 
“You thought you could fool everyone? Thought you could scam a buck out of us?” One of the men sneered.
“Too bad. We know what you are. Just because no one wants you doesn’t mean you get to do whatever you want,” another said
“You’re just a toy that someone threw away. What were you thinking trying to pull something over on real people?” another said, punctuating his point with a kick to the ribs that sent the victim sprawling onto the snow.
“Hey!” you shouted before you could think better of it. You hurriedly lifted your phone to dial the police. It was dead. Panic shot through you as the four guys turned to you. Thinking quickly you put the phone to your ear and started talking. 
“Hello? I need the police. I’m in the alley behind ***********. There are some young men here and I think they’ve hurt someone.” One of the men took a step toward you, further illuminating his face in the dim security light. You took a step back. “Hey, I have all of this on CCTV! Your faces are on it!” you warned before returning to the imaginary phone call. “Yes, the cameras run 24/7. Everything should be on there…”
The guy closest to you stepped back into the shadows, cursing.
“Let’s go,” he said, turning to walk away and nodding for his friends to follow him. One of them turned to spit on the figure in the corner before walking away.
“You’re lucky, freak.”
You kept talking until the group disappeared around the corner. As soon as they were gone you rushed to the person in the alley. The person flinched away as you approached, tucking in on himself. You stopped, listening as he said something. It was muffled by his arms, which were held up in an attempt to protect his head. 
“What did you say?” you asked, moving a little closer.
“I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry…” he repeated over and over again. The man’s voice trembled to the point it was hard to understand him, but his voice was undeniably familiar. As you came within arms reach you got a clearer view, and your blood ran cold. There bundled in a thin, soaked hoodie, was Yoongi. The snow that had melted over him from his body heat was quickly refreezing. He shivered so badly you could hear his teeth chattering.
“Yoongi?” you asked in a choked whisper.
He looked up at you then. One of his eyes was blackened, almost entirely swollen shut, with a cut through his eyebrow dripping blood onto his eyelashes. His nose was bleeding, possibly broken. The split in his lip lined up with a quickly darkening bruise on his jaw.
“Oh my god, Yoongi! What happened?” you asked, reaching out for him.
“Please,” he said, more of a whimper than a word. You froze. He was scared you were going to hurt him.
“Yoongi?” you said, more softly this time. “It’s okay. They’re gone. I’m not going to hurt you. Would you please let me help you?” The panic in his eyes seemed to clear a little, and he seemed to really see you when he met your eyes again.
“Yeoji-ssi? I shouldn’t be here. I’m sorry. I’ll leave,” he mumbled, wincing as he tried to stand.
“Woah, hold on.” You reached out to steady him. He flinched at the sudden movement, but didn’t pull away this time. “You aren’t going anywhere. Come on, let's get you inside before you freeze.”
“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry. It’s really not worth the tro-“ he started.
“Yoongi,” you said in your older-sister voice. He seemed to realize that that was the end of the discussion, because he sagged against you as you slung his arm over your shoulders. His free hand was still clutching something to his chest. You glanced at it and your eyes widened. A tail. You looked up at him with a clearly shocked expression. He let out a kind of tired, resigned sigh.
“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry. Like I said, I can just go. You can leave me. You probably don’t want me here.”
“Why would you say that?” you said, immediately regretting your tone. He shrank into himself, curling his shoulders in to make himself smaller, even as he winced at the pain of moving.
“Sorry,” he repeated meekly, pulling his arm off as if he expected you to shove him away. You grabbed his hand and settled it back over your shoulder.
“I’m not mad at you, Yoongi. But why would you think I would leave you here?” you said. As you limped toward the door into the café he couldn’t meet your eyes. He’d embarrassed you, again. Of course you’d want to get rid of him. He hung his head and obediently followed you inside. His heart broke as he saw his bags, open and empty, strewn around the alley. His notes littered the floor, already soaked and probably illegible. He glanced around, seeing the edge of his keyboard where it had been shoved under the dumpster in the scuffle. Turning, he realized his backpack—containing his laptop, important papers and notes, and what little money he had saved—was still lying in the corner where you’d found him. 
He turned to you to say something, but found you were already at the door. As soon as the door closed behind him, what little strength he had left him. You eased him to the ground as best you could. He grunted, muffling a whimper of pain. He already felt pathetic enough.
“Okay, I’m going to call the police and an ambulance,” you said, tossing your dead cell phone on the counter and hurrying to the landline. Thank god you hadn’t hadn’t got around to cancelling it yet. Yoongi’s eyes widened and he lurched forward, trying to stand. He only made it one step before he fell, yelping in pain and landing on his hands and knees on the tile. You rushed back to his side.
“Don’t,” he begged through gritted teeth. You stopped short, thinking he didn’t want you to touch him. “No cops. No ambulance,” he got out before lowering himself to lay on his side. You quickly moved to lay his head on your lap instead of the cold floor.
“Yoongi you’re hurt. And those boys should be arrested! Besides, I’m sure someone is worried about you. Don’t you have a…” you trailed off, looking for the right word.
“Owner?” Yoongi said, disgust clear in his voice.
“I was going to say guardian. That’s what most of my friends call their arrangement.” 
“You have hybrid friends? Or your friends own hybrids?” Yoongi asked.
“I guess both, not that my hybrid friends are anyone’s property-“ you cut yourself off. “Yoongi this isn’t important right now. You need help.”
“No. The hospital will call the police, and the police will put me in a shelter.”
“You’re alone?” you asked cautiously.
“Yeah. I’m better his way. If I can just sleep here, I’ll be gone in the morning. Please,” he said. His voice kept getting quieter, losing its bite the more he spoke.
“No,” you said firmly.
“I’m sorry, I know you don’t want me here. I’ll be gone before you wake up. I won’t touch anything. You can just forget all of this.”
“No, Yoongi. I meant I’m not letting you leave like this. I’m getting you help and you’re going to let me.”
You took off your sweater and put it under his head so you could stand and get the phone. Yoongi moved to protest, but you threw him a look and he surrendered. You dialed and watched as Yoongi’s eyes fell closed despite his best attempts to fight it.
“Noona? What’s up?” came the answer on the phone.
“Hoseok, I need your help,” you said, not wasting any time. You could hear the sound of video games and trash talk pause in the background as the other boys asked Hoseok what you called for.
“Shut up a sec and let me ask,” he said to the younger boys who were no doubt hovering around the phone trying to eavesdrop. “Sorry, noona. What do you need? It’s late. Is everything okay?”
“I need a doctor.”
“Are you okay?” he asked immediately, his voice more urgent now. You could hear a whine on the other end already, probably Jungkook, already worried.
“I’m fine, Hobi, but could you take this conversation somewhere more private?” you asked, not wanting to expose the younger boys to any unnecessary trauma. There was shuffling and complaints on the other end of the line, then the sound of a door closing.
“Talk. What’s going on?” Hoseok demanded. The door opened and closed again and you heard Namjoon’s voice.
“What’s happening? Is she okay?” he asked. “Are you okay?” He repeated more clearly, evidently sharing the phone with Hoseok.
“Yes, I’m fine! But I have an injured hybrid here. He doesn’t have a guardian and he’s too scared to let me call an ambulance.”
“What happened to him?” Hoseok asked. He was a doctor specializing in hybrid medicine at the nearby hospital. He often helped out at Jin’s shelter. You felt some relief as you sensed he was in what Taehyung liked to call ‘doctor mode.’
“Some kids beat him up. It’s bad. He’s passed out on my kitchen floor right now. Drenched from the snow too. I can’t carry him into my apartment myself and it’s way too cold in this kitchen.”
“I’m on my way. I’ll have to grab some supplies from the shelter.” 
You heard the door opening again, and a bunch of voices throwing questions at Hoseok and Joon.
“Jin-hyung, shelter keys?” Hoseok requested over the noise.
“I’m going too,” Namjoon chimed in. There was more arguing and shuffling noises as coats were grabbed and shoes were put on and everyone insisted they were coming. You were distracted by a soft murmur from Yoongi, still on the floor behind you. You stretched the phone cord and returned to his side.
“What is it, Yoongi?” you asked, pulling the beanie off to brush some of his fringe off his face. His soft black ears were flattened against his head, and you gently smoothed over them too.
“My bag,” he mumbled, eyebrows creasing even in unconsciousness.
You interrupted the arguing boys on the other end of the phone.
“Bring the boys,” you said.
“Are you sure about that?” Namjoon asked, knowing that you, Jin, and himself all agreed it was best to protect the three maknaes from this kind of situation when it was possible. 
“They can’t come in and see him, but I have a job I need them to help me with. Make sure they dress warm,” you said.
“If you’re sure,” Namjoon said, deciding not to question you. 
“We’ll be there in twenty minutes,” Hoseok said. “Do your best to keep him warm until then.”
“Okay. Please hurry.”
As soon as you hung up, you quickly ran into your apartment in the back. You pulled as many extra blankets as you could carry out of your closet and rushed back to Yoongi. You debated for a minute before pulling off the drenched hoodie, only to find that the black t-shirt he wore underneath was no drier. You weren't confident that you could get the garment off without further hurting him, so instead you piled blankets on top of him. You filled a couple of hot water bottles and tucked them around him; then filled a couple more and tucked them into your bed so that it would be warm when the boys carried him in.
You returned to the kitchen, where Yoongi was barely visible for all the blankets he was packed in. Glancing at the clock, you saw that only 10 minutes had passed. It felt like you’d been waiting for hours. The time crawled as you alternated between watching the seconds tick by and watching Yoongi’s chest rise and fall.
You jumped when the knock finally came at the door. They’d come to the back, the front door to your apartment, and you ran to let them in. Hoseok immediately slipped past you and headed to the kitchen. The others moved to follow, but you stopped them.
“I need you guys to help me with something,” you said. “Those thugs trashed his stuff threw it all over the alley. Joon, can you take the boys and go gather what you can and see if any of it can be salvaged? I know he said his bag is back there. It seemed important to him.”
Namjoon nodded and quickly herded the boys around the building and into the alley. You pulled Jin inside.
“I need you to help Hobi and I get him inside.”
“That bad?” he asked, frowning. You just nodded. He followed you back to where Hoseok was already taking stock of his patient.
“You did good, noona. Seems like you staved off the shock. Move him, and then I’ll dress these wounds.”
You carefully pulled the blankets away.
“Be careful, he was really protective of his tail. I think it’s injured somehow,” you warned before Jin and Hoseok picked him up. They exchanged a glance as they moved toward the apartment door.
“What?” you asked. “Is something else wrong?”
“No,” Jin tried to assure you, though his tone wasn’t comforting. “It’s just… Hobi, I know he isn’t a big guy, but is it normal to be this light?”
“No,” Hoseok answered grimly. “Definitely not.”
Now that your attention was drawn to it, you noticed how slight Yoongi was. His ribs were clearly visible through the thin fabric of his t-shirt. You felt a lump in your throat and looked away, hurrying to open the door.
“You can put him in my room. I put some water bottles to warm the bed.” They nodded and quickly settled him on the bed.
“Do you think we could cut away this stuff?” Hoseok asked, gesturing to his clothes. “It’s all trashed anyway.”
“I don’t know if he has much else…” you said, hesitant to ruin his things.
“I just don’t want to risk further injury trying to get them off intact. And we can’t leave him in these, he’s already nearly hypothermic,” he said.
“We can replace them,” Jin suggested. “I brought a change of clothes. It’s in a bag on your coffee table, noona.”
“Right, great,” you said. “I’ll go get them.”
You hurried out of the room to get the bag Jin mentioned. When you came into the living room you found Jimin, hovering by the door.
“Noona, there was a keyboard by the trash and papers everywhere. Are they his? Should we get them too?” he asked, shifting from foot to foot. His nose twitched, and you realized he could probably smell the anxiety and pain in the air. You sighed.
“Yeah, grab everything you can. We can sort through it in the morning, and see what we can save.” He nodded and turned to leave.
“Chim,” you called and he turned. You wrapped him in a comforting hug. “Thank you.”
A purr echoed in the boy’s chest, even as you heard him sniffle. You knew this whole experience was hard for him. He was one of the volunteers at the shelter the day Jungkook was brought in. That experience still haunted him. It’s why he stopped working at the shelter and took a job at the coffee shop. His tail curled around your waist as he hugged you back tightly.
“He’ll be okay, Chim,” you said, stroking his hair. “We’re going to help him.”
A pained groan came from the room behind you, and you pulled away from Jimin.
“Go back out and help the boys. Once you’re done, leave the stuff in the living room and go to the cafe. Tell Jungkook I said everyone needs a hot chocolate,” you petted his hair one last time and guided him out the door. A shout echoed out of your bedroom, and you couldn’t tell if it sounded pained, angry, or scared. Snatching the bag off the coffee table, you dashed back into the room.
“Get off me!” Yoongi shouted, tail clutched to his now bare chest. Jin stood back, hands up in surrender as Hoseok tried to calm the panicked cat. 
“Look man, your clothes are soaked. We’re risking hypothermia if we don’t get you into something dry.”
Yoongi looked down, seeing what remained of his ratty t-shirt cut open and in the trash. The right leg of his jeans was sliced along the outer seam up to his mid-thigh.
“What the hell did you do to my clothes?” He shouted again. He winced and swayed from the strain of sitting upright.
“Yoongi,” you started softly. Yoongi turned to you, eyes wide with panic. You approached slowly, not stopping when he spat at you to leave him alone, hurling threats and nonsense at you. As you sat on the edge of the bed he shrank back into the bedding around him and refused to meet your eyes.
“Please,” he said, his voice so quiet you hardly heard him. “Please just leave me alone. Please don’t hurt me.”
“Yoongi,” you said again, “I want to help. You’re safe. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.” You reached out to gently take his hands. “I swear, I’m going to protect you. Please let me. These are my friends, and they’re trying to help.”
He drew a shallow breath, wincing at the pain in his ribs and nodded. You stood and moved to leave, trying to spare him some privacy.
“Wait!” he said, stopping you. “Please don’t leave me.”
You turned back to him and took in his face, still chapped from the winter wind. You couldn’t leave him. So you stood with your back turned, awkwardly rocking on the balls of your feet as Jin and Hoseok helped him change.
“That’s much better,” Hoseok said, evidently satisfied that his patient was no longer at risk for hypothermia. You turned to find Yoongi with his ribs already wrapped and Hoseok working on dressing the wounds on his brow and lip. The flannel pajama bottoms Jin had brought were much too big for him, you might’ve giggled at how cute he looked if the situation were different. Without the dark hoodie and ripped jeans, Yoongi was undeniably adorable.
“I brought my clothes since I wasn’t sure what size would fit. I guess we should’ve borrowed Jimin’s instead,” Jin said with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood.
“Thank you,” Yoongi said, bowing his head in thanks.
“It’s no problem. I’ll bring by something that’ll fit you better tomorrow.”
Yoongi glanced from you to Jin to Hoseok, then back to his hands in his lap. He focused on Hoseok’s hands, which were now busy setting the break in his tail.
“Don’t worry about it, I probably have something in my bag I can wear…” He trailed off, remembering the state his belongings were in the last time he saw them. “I’ll go clean up my stuff as soon as it’s light tomorrow. Don’t worry, I’ll be out of the way before you know it.”
“Yoongi,” you said, trying her best not to sound frustrated. Yoongi’s ears flattened and you knew you hadn’t succeeded.
“I’m sorry. I can leave now if you want,” he said, tail curling back around him as soon as Hoseok released it.
Your heart, already cracked from all the events of the night so far, finally broke completely. Hoseok stepped aside to make room as you came to sit beside Yoongi again. He was shaking, and you realized that he was terrified. He genuinely believed that you wanted him gone; that you’d throw him out in the snow right then and there.
“Don’t leave,” you said, your own voice trembling now. You reached out and lifted his chin so he’d meet your eyes. He did, and you found they were shining with tears of pain and fear that he was desperately trying to hold back. “Please don’t leave. I want you to stay.”
His shaking hand came up to rest over yours, which still cupped his cheek. He leaned in to the first gentle touch he’d felt in years, and the tears finally fell. You pulled him into your arms, and he let you. He buried his face in your neck and cried as you pulled a blanket over his shoulders. 
Eventually the sobs quieted. His breaths came in little gasps now, as he tried to catch his breath despite the pain in his ribs. You leaned away after a while to look at his face and saw he’d fallen asleep. 
You looked back to find that Jin had gone to check on the boys. Hoseok sat quietly at the end of the bed, not wanting to interrupt. He gave you an approving smile, and you thought his eyes were a bit wet too. It took you a moment to notice Namjoon standing in the doorway. Hoseok helped you ease Yoongi down to lie comfortably, and you carefully disengaged herself from his arms. The two of you exited the room as quietly as you could.
“You were great with him, noona,” Hoseok praised. Namjoon beamed with pride before pulling you into a tight hug.
“I’m proud of you,” he said, planting a kiss on top of your head.
“Thank you, Joonie.” Your voice broke and you finally felt all of the emotions hit you. Your shoulders shook and you struggled to stay quiet as you sobbed into Namjoon’s sweater.
A/N: So so so much thanks to my beta reader @sunshineboysbts​ for helping me create and edit this whole fic! She’s been listening to my ramblings for actual months while I worked on this. Love you, girl!
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