#they're not twists exactly. you're like yeah i *should* have been able to see this coming

[gideonisms]

but I do think all of you should read ancillary justice. It's basically nothing like tlt but if you like me choose favorite books based on how much they make you say oh SHIT out loud in public then it has its moments

[elswing]

in defense of elrond

it is ironic that elrond keeps accusing galadriel of being too blinded by pride while he's fallen equally victim to being blinded by his own frustrations. neither of them are being particularly rational about the situation because they're both hurt and feeling betrayed, and i think elrond's remark about how galadriel only sacrificed herself to save the ring instead of the company perfectly encapsulates that—because, yeah, that is a fair interpretation of it, but she did just tell him five seconds ago that she was only there to protect them, a fact that exists simultaneously with her possessiveness over nenya.

it isn't One Or The Other, just like both of their opinions on the rings, because in actuality they are both right about them. elrond has a limited perspective on it, but from his pov he is completely justified in hating the three feanorian crafted shiny magic jewels that everyone around them covets (🤨). all he knows is that sauron had a hand in making them and no one can possibly know how much influence he has over them because the true art of his craft is subtle. as in, you don't know it's happening to you until you're suddenly slapped with the consequences of it. it is equally fair of him to be suspicious of galadriel herself, because it is impossible to rely on whether she now believes herself to be free of his corruption when she never knew it was there to begin with. also, again, for emphasis—she knew sauron walked among them, she knew he'd helped make the rings, and she let it happen anyway. that doesn't exactly inspire trust, especially when it's the exact antithesis of the point she's trying to prove to elrond and she hasn't done anything to try and rectify that breach of friendship except offer an apology that does sound quite empty given she is still championing the rings.

on the other hand, galadriel is the one who spent time with sauron all this time. galadriel is the one who befriended him, and while even we as the viewers can't be sure which parts of halbrand were an act and which were genuine moments of connection, the main point is still clear: whether she wants it or not, they understand each other. even without their friendship, you can't spend thousands of years dedicating your life to hunting someone down without them becoming familiar to you in some way, and i think there is a specific manner of vulnerability that loss and grief gave her and it just tore her wide open for all sorts of habits and traits to take root. she became so devoted to her vengeance against sauron that the lines between identity and purpose began to blur.

i am not of the opinion that galadriel loves sauron (or vice versa, but that's a whole other post), as fascinating as their dynamic is to me. i do think that she is a passionate individual who was made for love and boldness, and losing everything she did was never going to mellow her out or slow her down. in her, vulnerability takes the form of rage, and it is there, in that twisted, not-quite-galadriel version of herself, that sauron was able to find a reflection.

there is no way elrond can possibly understand any of that, even despite suffering similar losses, because that's just not who he is. galadriel has the better intuition on sauron's manipulations, and she has a far better understanding of the depth of them, so of course her opinion should count here.

the issue is that they're both too raw and hurt that neither of them are willing to say "okay, so we BOTH have good points here. let's hear each other out instead of waiting for one of us to see reason and blindly agree with everything the other is saying"

i think it should also be noted that galadriel does end up being right about the rings' capabilities as a force for good, especially since the One to control them hasn't been forged yet. as unlikely as it might seem to elrond, her intuition isn't leading her astray here. we just haven't reached that point in the story yet (nor have we reached the point where galadriel begins to humble herself to the elves and seeks to redeem herself like morfydd mentioned, but i have a feeling they're getting into that now. after all, she did give nenya up to the guy who hurtled face-first off a cliff hoping to destroy them, so that's gotta count for something. baby steps!)

[dylanlila]

sometimes we forget how much of a light house is in cuddy’s life that her PERSON!!!

this is exactly what i needed in my inbox for personal reasons so thank you :") but yeah... they're both weird!!! is the thing!!!! and house is so loud about it because that's how he avoids being accused of anything and cuddy tries to undermine her weirdness because that's how she avoids being accused of anything, but both of those mechanisms are a way of not being one's true self to the fullest. because if you are determined not to do what you consider to be the things only other people can do and you believe in this because it was proven to you time and time again that you don't exactly fit in, you might miss out on the simplicity you're unexpectedly able to appreciate and engage in. and if you're constantly trying to meet everyone's expectations, where is the space for you to be you? and house IS a light in cuddy's life in this very unexpected, unusual way because he somehow still preserves while living in a way that's completely against the idea of what life should or is supposed to be. something cuddy struggles with throughout the entire show almost... even the things she wants that fit the perfect life narrative she tries to make herself want them more. i am instantly brought to tears thinking about her wish to have a kid which seemed more real to me than her attempts to find a romantic partner... because i really feel like she wanted to have someone who would at least hear her if not be like her -> that's why wilson is so significant to her. he's wilson! he hears what nobody else can hear... but she also wanted somebody to love without worrying about whether she was doing it right. so the fact that she admits not to feel what she thought she would feel towards rachel makes such compelling character drama... because the most crucial thing that cuddy does wrong is the fact that she thinks not to fit within the realm of supposed and should is to fail. and that brings me back to house because he does not care about the supposeds and the shoulds and he is a great doctor, maybe even because of this very thing more than anything else. and yes that does disrupt cuddy's whole worldview, but it's also hopeful i think. because if not sticking to the rulebook works for someone else, maybe she's not doing anything wrong when she's not married with kids by the time her mother deems appropriate. maybe she's not doing anything wrong it she gets overwhelmed by how much work she has to deal with. this is EXACTLY why house is the one to help out in that cuddy centric episode. because that's what he is to her. he jumps out of the ordinary and makes it work. so it's okay for cuddy to be cuddy. so there's no right way to feel something. and it's pretty fascinating because that same thing is what easily turns into one of house's greatest flaws (the fact that he won't let himself do or god forbid enjoy something ordinary or boring), but to cuddy it's inspirational. (the horror on her face when he admits that he values her over his work comes to mind) and there is something very human about all that which is mainly why theirs is my favourite relationship on the show. humans do that! we see something in someone and find light in it, but to that person to believe that something they've been called crazy for (by others or themselves) or have felt bad about to the point of it becoming an integral part of their very being and simultaneously an inevitable source of some kind of twisted, survival-rooted pride can be viewed in a different way is world-changing and on the edge of world-ending. that's the main conflict between these 2 characters i think. the fact that the very thing that they're inspired by in one another is what terrifies them when they get too close to each other. loving the other one is easy. it's loving themselves enough to be a person with them that's paralysing.

[according2thelore]

HOLY shit you should write a time travel fic!!!! I want to see them all locked in the bunker together….. ES Sam and LS Dean watching their alt selves sew themselves together with horror and jealousy. ES Sam seeing LS Sam and thinking it’s the worst saddest thing he’s ever seen in his life.

I also think LS Sam and Dean fight more violently when they do fight? At least if we’re comparing season 1 and, like, 10, but even like s14. ES them watching that with a mixture of fury but also like. It’s unfortunately hot.

hello!!!!

i have actually been gently nurturing a ES!Dean and LS!Sam fic for months like coaxing a deer out of the woods. It's slow work and every time I open the doc it flees but ARGH!!! I HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY ABOUT THEM!!!!!!!!!!! hopefully i will be able to finish it soon

but all of them TOGETHER??? omg...your brain...is so big...let's discuss

ES!Sam would be ripping himself apart in jealousy, and would not even really know why. both deans flock to sam like he's the axis of the world, like he's the only person to ever exist, like he's some kind of god that drips sun from his fingers.

he's never seen his dean this vulnerable and weird and desperate for approval (not even recognizing that dean has also been desperately seeking his approval but whatever), and he HATES LS!Sam for it. he's openly hostile, and keeps making rude comments at him that make ES!Dean so angry lol.

bc LS!Sam also gave up on their dream! he doesn't even pretend to want to get out of hunting. he lives in a secret bunker and sleeps with guns under his pillow and talks of their father with warm hesitation like 'yeah he was messed up but he was good' and sam can't stand him. and he looks at his brother (both of them now, young and old like some weird mirror) like he's never seen anything more worthy. it makes sam sick, because he sees this as a defeat. LS!Sam is a coward, who gave up. not for wanting dean, but for betraying everything he's stood for for twenty-odd years.

(he doesn't know, of course, that sam has the life he wants)

LS!Dean, however, would know exactly why he's so fucking furious. and because ES!Dean is still dean, he'd be so mean to his younger self lol. he'd purposefully stop talking when his younger self walks in, keeps trying to separate he and LS!Sam, keeps trying to leave him behind on stuff so he can have 100% of sam's attention and love and concern again.

which i think LS!Sam would not tolerate lmao. he sees the kicked-puppy-earnest look in young dean and it's like sticking a steak in front of a starving man--he cannot resist!!!

LS!Dean makes ES!Dean more appealing to LS!Sam by being mean to him and ES!Sam makes ES!Dean more defensive of and devoted to LS!Sam by being mean to him lol

it's a lot of deans and sams to keep up with but they would be so tangled and messy

ES!Sam and LS!Dean keep catching each others' eyes when LS!Sam and ES!Dean are being sappy or open w each other, lips curled in jealousy. and at first it's some kind of twisted camaraderie, but at the end, LS!Dean walks up to ES!Sam because, god, he'd dreamed about this kid for years.

he's missed how angry sam used to be, how much faith he had in himself and his convictions, how passion lights him up all the time and not just when they're alone.

and maybe he claps a hand on sammy's shoulder and god, when did dean's hands get so big? when did he develop smile lines and crow's feet and scruff at his jawline? and why does it make sam feel like this?

the first time that LS!Sam&Dean fight, ES!Sam&Dean are absolutely gobsmacked. bc every fight with them is An End Of The World Fight. it's messy and personal and hurtful, only low blows, and barely-not-teary and you're-my-brother-i'll-let-the-world-burn and when did they start saying that shit out loud?? and dean watches the way LS!Sam towers over him, how his fists clench and his eyes flash and his lip curls and...uh-oh. and sam can't look away from how strong LS!dean is, how he carries himself like a blade and not a person and jesus christ.

LS!Sam&Dean would see the way that ES!Sam&Dean dance around each other, but how painfully earnest they are all the time, how cocky they are, and how narrow their idea of "things that can go wrong" is and it's heart-breaking but also...bolstering? reassuring? hopeful?

not to woobify dean, but i genuinely think that he Would Need LS!Sam's Approval Like He Needs To Breathe. i think LS!Sam would genuinely be charmed by this like one is charmed by a dog tripping over its own feet. and ES!Sam and LS!Dean are sick with jealousy abt how openly they let themselves need each other.

anyway. this is probably nothing. it's word vomit. but you get it!!!!!! anon <3 lovely anon <3 mwah

-lizzy

(ES = early seasons, LS = later seasons, for those who missed the last post here)

[theminecraftbee]

I’m really curious as to how Zedaph’s social link would work, so I’d love to hear your ideas!!

Zedaph is making a face and kicking rocks by the side of the lake when Impulse finds him. Impulse grimaces. Well, that's not a particularly good sign for how well his experiments had gone. Carefully, Impulse lets his eyes slide over to the trees, where a glowing blue door sits.

...he already has Kikuri-Hime. He's prepared to deal with this. If Zedaph once again asks him to do odd things with his persona, he can handle it.

"So, how did -"

"It doesn't make any sense!" Zedaph says, throwing up his hands. "I'm so close to understanding it, Impulse! I'm so close."

Ah. Today is a smile and nod sort of day. Impulse smiles and nods. "You're honestly even better at most of this Negative World stuff than any of us," he says.

"Yeah, I guess, but it isn't good enough," Zedaph says. He kicks another rock. It bounces off the edge of the lake into the water. "It's the most interesting thing to happen to me in... in years, Impulse. And I can't even understand it well enough to do anything interesting with it at all!"

They've had exactly this conversation... what rank are they on... six times, probably, in different flavors. He almost wants to say: every time we talk about how you've hit a wall in researching the Negative World, I come here, you get a new lead from me, and you stop being so upset about it. But that's just a bit mean, is the thing, and there's something different about this time.

"Have you considered you don't need to understand?" Impulse says instead.

"I do," Zedaph says.

"I don't know, man. I think there are more important things than 'how exactly the Negative World works'," Impulse tries. "I mean, it's important we understand like, how the sleeping sickness works, I guess, but -"

"I have access to a magical world and I can't even do anything weird with it," Zedaph says.

Impulse sits down by the lake. Zedaph sits down next to him.

"I mean, the thing you tried to do with fusion," Impulse starts.

"I still think you were lying about fusing personas, by the way," Zedaph says.

"I wasn't! Swear I wasn't!"

"And your magical blue train station," Zedaph continues.

"If I could show it to you I would!"

"If a weird blue man you made up with a long nose can do it, I absolutely should be able to do it as well," Zedaph concludes.

"I mean, we can try again, but last time I passed out for an hour and you made Skizz cry," Impulse says.

"I'll come up with a technique eventually. Then we can fuse our power together like Voltron."

"Oh yeah. Like Voltron," agrees Impulse.

They're both quiet for a bit.

"I hate that I don't know how it works," says Zedaph. "I should know by now. I've been trying for months. I know it's magic. I know it's supposed to just all be intuitive. And when it's intuitive, it's great. It's like... all the mysteries of the world are right there, and I never have to watch my best friend die again."

Oh.

Well. That... that would be what this is about, wouldn't it.

"You didn't have to," Impulse says slowly.

"Tango knows Recarm," Zedaph says, pulling his knees to his chest. It's sort of an agreement. It mostly isn't.

"I came here to help you with an experiment. It was our deal," Impulse says. "If you have any ideas -"

"No, it's fine," Zedaph says.

"Maybe instead of the fusion thing - even if you can't get extra personas like me, we still haven't tried out seeing what happens if you negotiate with shadows yourself. And hey, that's gotta go better than you poisoning us all by trying to make magic food."

"That wasn't a poisoning," Zedaph says, sniffing. "That was a clinical trial, and you know it."

"Sure," Impulse says. "Whatever you say, man." He stands up. "You wanna go to the hospital to try to talk to shadows, or..."

"No, I think for now I'll stay here," Zedaph says. "Besides, I also wanted to test - could we use the twisted shadows to store items we can't carry in our bags? That could be very useful."

Impulse opens his mouth. He wants to say: you know you don't have to be useful, right? You know we're scared too, right? I always have a persona on me with Recarm too, you know? It's okay if this is less for science and more for other reasons.

Then Impulse thinks about the fact he made sure to bring Kikuri-Hime along to talk with his friend, and decides that perhaps he can't talk.

"Alright, man. Well, you know how our deal works. Anytime you need me to test something out..."

"Yeah. Catch you later, Impulse."

"...you too, Zedaph."

[Rank up! The Priestess, Level 7]

[harmonyckrs]

Act 3, Scene 2 of Twisted Veronaville: A Family Confrontation and a Fake Wedding

THE LAST PAGE

As a result of Pascal bailing on the meeting to complete his unfinished business, the Knights of Order failed to obtain the information that they wanted from Aktu and Sita.

Zoya: I have a new idea.

Hamza: What is it?

Zoya: We stage a wedding and send an invitation to them...and everyone in town.

Hamza: So that's why we went clothes shopping...why did you have to buy a blue dress with a red mask, by the way?

Zoya: The color contrast is nice.

Hamza: No, it's clashing! It'd look much better with a blue mask or a red dress. You can't wear both colors at the same time!

Zoya: Oh, shut up! At least I'm not wearing all black!...speaking of which, who should be the "bride" and the "groom?"

Hamza: Well, there's only one person who can make that decision for us...

Hamza: Crystal, we need you to make a decision.

Crystal: Hang on, give me a couple of seconds...why are you two dressed so formally? And Zoya, what's the deal with your clothes? Why couldn't you wear a red dress or a blue mask?

Hamza: That's what I said!

Zoya: You two just don't understand fashion...anyway, Crystal, if you were to marry any of us, who would-

Crystal: Hamza.

Zoya: That was fast.

Crystal: Hamza's not the one wearing a solid blue dress with a red mask. So, what's the plan?

Hamza: A fake wedding and we send them an invite...we didn't get you a wedding dress, though, since neither of us really knew your size. Sorry about that.

Crystal: Sure, I'll do it. In exchange, you need to buy me a nice dress for our ACTUAL wedding.

Hamza: (Huh? Our? Is she hitting on me? Someone like her actually wants to get married to someone like ME?) Yeah! Sounds good.

Crystal: (Perfect.) And I want a huge bash for our fake wedding, not just some basic family party!...Let's invite everyone in the neighborhood!

Hamza: (Wow, they both actually came!...now if we could just get a chance to talk to them...)

Crystal: (This plan's going perfectly. I have no idea who this brown haired woman is, but she just keeps rambling. So much that Hamza hasn't even gotten the chance to talk to Aktu despite them sitting next to each other!)

Bianca: It's just so nice to meet new people! How long have you two known each other for?

Crystal: Probably about ten years, dated for six and then I popped the question about three years ago!

Crystal: (This woman really has the AUDACITY to wear white at MY fate wedding? When I can't? I'll make her pay!)

Hamza: (I wonder if we have any red wine in the cabinets.)

Bianca: Oh, that's beautiful. You're really pretty, by the way! Tell me where you got the dress

Crystal: Not if you tell me where you got yours first, hehe!

Crystal: (Aktu's getting up to go to another room while Hamza's getting the wine...nice.)

Zoya: Congrats on this plan somehow working, Hamza. Tank should have an easy outlet getting to Ripp, now that Aktu and Sita are both here.

Hamza: Thanks, but have you been able to talk to them yet?

Zoya: Nope. Aktu keeps talking to other people. I didn't even know he was capable of that.

Sana: ...I made eye contact with him while he was talking to that pretty brunette in the white dress.

Hamza: She's not all that. Anyone who wears white to a wedding isn't worth anything...even if it's a fake one.

Zoya: Well, it's a pretty plain dress, so I don't think we need to judge her that harshly. You need to stop treating it as your actual wedding.

Hamza: I'm sorry! It's not YOUR fake wedding, is it?

Sana: I'd hate to see how you act during your actual wedding...

Sita: (They're so busy arguing they haven't even noticed me standing next to them...I should probably warn Aktu and Ripp about this, though.)

Sita: Hey, Aktu...what exactly are you wearing?

Aktu: Well, it's Hamza's wedding, so I have to dress formally. It's a pretty big occasion, you know.

Sita: That's formal to you? Oh, and also, this wedding is fake and an elaborate ruse to get us to talk to them. We should go before they actually get the chance.

Viola: No offense, but you probably should've been able to tell by the fact that every part of this wedding was rushed...the icing on that cake looked like someone slathered it on in five seconds.

Aktu: That's a fair point, but man. Here I thought Hamza actually found somebody!...I put on my best suit and everything!

Sita: I'd hate to see what your worst suit looks like. Let's actually go, though, before we get cornered.

Viola: Can I come with you?

Sita: (She has no ulterior motives.) Yeah sure, go ahead.

As Hamza and Crystal went along with their fake wedding, Tybalt and Ripp had met up in the wintry side of Veronaville in order for the former to vent about his current scenario.

Tybalt: So yes, Grandfather isn't happy with this...he's even brought back the arranged marriage system, and now I am to be wed to some girl named "Ginger Newson" the day after my eighteenth birthday. I don't know what to do...

Ripp: (Something's off about this...) Maybe you can try running off with him?

Tybalt: I suppose that could work...but then they might come searching for them.

Ripp: Well, you two could try faking your own deaths and then running off. Then they'll just think you're dead.

Tybalt: Oh, yeah! That's a good idea, Ripp. I'll ask Oberon for the potion that puts you in a coma and makes you look like you're dead. Thank you for your help.

Ripp: Of course! Just let me know if you need anything else.

Ripp: ...That was interesting. I should tell Aktu and Sita about it-

*BAM*

Ripp: Ow...where am I?

Tank: Inside some facility. I was told to take you captive, for some reason.

Ripp: I thought Dad didn't want me. He literally gave someone $500 to take me away! Now he wants me back?

Tank: He did WHAT? I thought that was a joke!

Ripp: Nope.

Tank: That's...really messed up. And here I thought he was actually worried about you and using humor to cope...

Ripp: Tank, that man has no sense of irony. He probably broke his funny bone in combat.

???: You two can stop bantering now.

Zoya: I'm glad you're enjoying the computer, Ripp. There's no internet attached to it, so don't think about messaging anyone for help.

Ripp: Don't worry. I'm not.

Zoya: Good. We're keeping you here in order to protect you from the dangerous criminals who kidnapped you. We're going to help you fix the mess you were forced to create, and then you can return home. Does that sound good?

Ripp: You want to revert the story of Romeo and Juliette back to the way it was before? You realize everyone's going to die at the end, right?

Zoya: Yes, but it's necessary in order to maintain order in the world. Veronaville is destined to become a ghost town, and everyone here is fated to die. We're all going to die eventually, you know.

Zoya: Maybe you should read the updated version. I have the copy here...

Ripp: The story's called Mercutio and Tybalt now, huh?...let me flip to the last page.

Ripp: ...For never was there a story of more woe, than that of Tybalt and his...Mercutio...

Zoya: Yep.

Ripp: You've got to be kidding me...so, is it just not possible to save them? We're doomed?

Zoya: Exactly. So no matter what, the story will end in tragedy.

Ripp: (So everything I've done has been in vain...)

Zoya: It's okay. You were tricked, and my siblings used you. We're not mad! We're here to help you. We'll be able to restore order and change the story back to how it was before...

Ripp: (There's a door! If I just walk around her...)

Ripp: I don't give a shit about order.

Zoya: They've-hey! Get back here!

Ripp: (That was really fucking easy.)

Ripp: (I should get home before they find me again, though. And I've got to warn everyone else, too...)

Ripp: (...And I've got to find a way to save everyone, for real!)

THE NEXT PAGE

[rappaccini]

I get what you're saying. I adore him in spiderverse though I think he's better in the comics, but I get the feeling the writers think they have to bend and twist other characters to prop him up, which isn't needed at all. Its like how they changed Miguel to an asshole, Peter is made to look incompetent and careless and Gwen's entire character is sacrificed and water down to sell her as a love interest. I lowkey get the feeling they're gonna try to make it to where Peter's more inferior than him: like how they're framing it so far, Peter couldn't do this, or that, he couldn't save this person but Miles can cause he's better. He's special. And yes, he is a great character but you don't have to water down other characters for his sake. He's already great on his own. I mean as someone who loves both Peter and Miles I think they should be able to coexist without putting one another down, but it kinda feels they're setting up the story to be that way. And while yes, hit at the critics and racists who bash Miles all you wany, but putting it to where you think he's a superior than Peter because...whatever isn't exactly the way to do it and will only make things worse.

yeah, i feel that.

i wrote a whole novel about how i hate that gwen's been watered down to make miles look more special, so i won't repeat that here.

man i feel sorry for comic miguel fans. they've been fighting for their lives bc of atsv. i have conflicted feelings about this version of miguel, because on the one hand i think the role he plays in the movie works and he's a great villain, but i still wonder if they could've come up with a different plot for atsv that didn't revolve around responding to the backlash against miles, or at least made someone who isn't another poc the face of the backlash.

peter b though... hm. one of the biggest problems with him in the comics pre-itsv (which still pops up, but less lately) is that he keeps being built up as this oh-so-special chosen one that all the other spider-ppl have to kiss the ring of (especially miles), and it's so annoying. so taking him off the pedestal and saying 'no, he's kind of a loser' is very satisfying.

it also highlights how the presence of miles in his life can inspire him to finally grow the hell up for good instead of being stuck in this constant state of arrested development. and since itsv was most people's first impression of miles, it was SO important for miles to not be following peter around with puppy dog eyes, and for peter to instantly understand and appreciate how special miles is (because if peter does it, so does the audience).

atsv is where i think the problem comes in. peter b being so benched doesn't track with his characterization. like, you're telling me a girl miles went on one bus ride with who friendzoned him is risking her life to come see him, but the guy who mentored him for days and loved miles so much he decided he wanted to be a father because of him won't? no. absolutely not. if anyone was going to sneak away from the society to see miles it should have been peter. and no way in hell would he be grinning taking selfies with his baby while miles is being hunted by the society. they flushed the miles-peter dynamic down the toilet to replace it with miles-gwen and it sucks.

it also doesn't work with the metacommentary. because let's be real: the canon events all center around peter parker. he's the blueprint, and the movie doesn't mention it at all. like, isn't that weird? there are more peters at hq than any other type of spider-person, and nobody mentions it? wouldn't peter be uncomfortable with being put on a pedestal like that? wouldn't miguel have a huge inferiority complex about not being peter parker? wouldn't this be a great opportunity for the original spider-man to tell the racist fans who won't accept miles that they're full of shit? why is he just wandering around in a robe and slippers.

as for miles being superior... i think btsv is what'll make or break it. as of the end of atsv, miles thinks he's better than the spider-society and that's why he thinks he's going to be able to break canon. he's proud of himself for "beating" them, he keeps telling gwen he's gonna be the guy who'll be different for her (he won't), he wants to be the most special spider-man who gets to cherrypick his canon events and he hasn't considered that the idea that canon events are mandatory might be the real problem. if btsv revolves around miles realizing he's wrong and helping everyone else break their canon too, i love it. but if btsv ends with the theme of 'sure, canon exists, but some people, like miles, are special enough to be the exception' instead of 'everyone deserves better' that undermines the whole story. i'm just gonna wait on it.

[woodelf68]

Not sure if or when you're going to hear from me again; I have a leg clot and the leg's in really bad shape as far as pain and swelling, and the big problem is, the last time anything a doctor ever prescribed for me worked was probably like 30 years ago. Pain meds and anti inflammatories don't work, blood pressure pills caused difficulty breathing and a racing, pounding heart. I've had s badly swollen right leg for years, and looked into getting compression stockings a long time ago -- but they're all nylon based, and guess what one of my many allergies is? (Absolutely could not wear nylon against the skin, and my leg was already swollen beyond the largest size offered anyway.) So...heading for the hospital days after I should have (for reasons see details under the cut) with the leg having gotten even worse and not having even a tiny hope that the blood thinners and whatever else the doctors are going to try to get the swelling down are going to have the slightest effect.

Woke up around 5 am Tuesday night, excruciating pain in my leg when I tried to move to get out of bed. It went all the way up from my ankle to my groin, my best guess was it had somehow twisted badly and spasmed in my sleep? I'd already been in severe pain for the previous two days after one of the top bones of my spine went out, so my skull was locked in a tilted forward position, couldn't really open my mouth, too nauseous to eat anyway, felt like I was on the verge of constantly throwing up, too dizzy to even just read fic. So I went into the chiropractor; unfortunately I need someone to give me a ride, I chose the closer one who is okay as a maintenance guy if you keep up a regular schedule, but I hadn't been able to get in a couple of months (not through lack of trying! he keeps much shorter hours than he used to and has recently been going out of town a lot), My better, original chiropractor, is a much longer drive away, but he actually puts his hands on you and feels the bones and makes sure your neck will turn in both directions. The one I saw just does a visual check and I should have stressed more exactly in which way my head felt locked, because I left not feeling any better and with no advice on my leg either. And I am 100% sure that the further away chiropractor would have heard my leg pain symptoms and known exactly what was wrong, because he had already noticed my leg swelling and remarked on it in the past and asked what was being done about it. (Trying without success to get blood pressure down was the answer at the time.) And his office is really close to the hospital, so I could have gone in the ER right after I left. Plus HE would have actually used his hands to make sure my neck was turning in all the directions it was supposed to and that would have been fixed.

As it was, I was left to do my own internet research when I got home, and a niggling memory from somewhere led me to look up blood clots, and the symptoms were a perfect match. Unfortunately, with my skull still jammed forward and tilted down, had another day/night of constant nausea, dizziness, diarrhea whenever I tried to force a few nibbles of anything down, plus the intense leg pain. Wasn't sure I'd be able to get out, but was desperate enough to try a bath to see if that would help the leg. And while I was actually in the bath, yeah the pain was so much better if I lay still (although I was also trying to press the swelling upwards like a stocking would have). Was in there a long time, by the time I got out the high barometric pressure was dropping, which allowed some of the congestion pressure in my forehead to ease, which helped the nauseas, and the swelling around the base of my skull to ease just enough that I was able to get my jaw to click a tiny bit wider open, enough that I was able to manage a very small and rather mushy cut up apple and a few slices of thin cut lunchmeat on some soft white bread. First thing I'd had in days, and my stomach immediately startling gurgling madly and kept it up for hours, but it stayed down and I collapsed exhausted into bed in the early morning. It had nearly been 48 hours since I'd slept, and that kind of seemed the most important thing at the moment. Got up around sunset. Leg no better, possibly worse, but was able to eat a soft but normal size meal without a problem. (neck still an issue but bearable atm.) Thurs. night realised I couldn't go to my dr's office, since they no longer open on Fridays at all, so the plan was go straight to the hospital Saturday, but after being up all night Friday, was really sweaty and in horrible pain and hoped a bath would help at least somewhat again, but the leg was in so much worse shape by then it didn't really and having to keep the water so much colder than comfortable because it felt scalding on the swollen leg made me feel even worse. Didn't think I'd ever be able to get out of the tub, because the right leg just wouldn't bend back at all, and I was so exhausted by the time I'd dried off and dressed as much as possible, I had to lay down briefly just to catch my breath. The pain is agonising, can't even touch the skin let alone pull up a sock and nothing will fit on my foot as far as footwear goes. I've probably been up thirty hours by now, having trouble breathing and just finally had a bowl of cereal while I wrote this because I didn't just want to disappear and I don't have any mobile devices if I end up checked into the hospital for weeks or even die. Blood clot reaching the heart or lungs is a big possibility if the blood thinners don't work, getting covid also is since I couldn't get vaccinated due to a screwed up immune system. Can't wear any of the synthetic masks (allergic reactions to them all) and never found a cotton one that fit that I could breath through, and I have spent so much time looking for alternate styles that didn't suck into my mouth with every breath (can't breathe through nose at all, ever). Was hopeful for a tutorial I saw online but getting fabric took time and I was still trying to work out the mask pattern because I stopped being able to see out of my one old contact that was all I had left or my glasses and it's been all I could do just to survive each day atm. So all I've got is a single thin layer mask that I cobbled together that first week of lockdown when anything was better than nothing and we needed groceries, it gets soaked through very quickly and was just good enough for a super quick run into the grocery store once a week and that's it, there have been times I've felt on the verge of passing out while wearing it as it is due to having breathing issues while NOT wearing a mask. I won't be able to leave it on the whole time I'm at the hospital and if I get covid...pretty sure I'm going to die.

I wanted to get out in the afternoon and now it's 11:30 pm and my dad is like 'just wait till tomorrow' and that there will be no doctors at the hospital till morning but I'm pretty sure that would risk losing my leg or my life, it's that bad and he has no idea how it feels. He doesn't want to drive in the dark, which is understandable, and I'm like fine, I don't expect you to, I will call an ambulance, so...I'm just so tired and want to go to sleep. And I can't, and won't be able to for a long time. And my multiple chemical sensitivities kick in every time I've been in a hospital, to the point where I had to walk out after waiting for hours in a room after going there for breathing trouble; literally as soon as I got out of there and into the car with some cool air blowing on my was the first full breath I'd been able to take since I got there. So I'm scared, and I don't know what's going to happen, and I just wanted to post this so I just don't disappear; tumblr and the people I met here have been my only link to the outside world since I became almost entirely housebound about five years ago, and the only reason I keep struggling at life. Wish me luck.

(Please don't reblog this.)

[octarianstrength]

When they aren't in times of major conflict, the Octarian military has quite a large hand in other facets of life in the domes. As such, Yulia's assignment for the day is to help a citizen that's been having some troubles with power in their home. The report wasn't specific, but she can only assume that it's not too large of an issue as she's not exactly a trained electrician, though she does have some knowledge in the area.

Equipped with no weapons, Yulia simply carried a small toolbox with her. One stocked up well enough that it would most likely be able to cover for whatever issue she'd be dealing with.

Upon arriving at the house in question, a small metal shack on the fridges of this particular dome, Yulia knocked on the door and waited.

She wouldn't have to wait long at all, as the door swung open about two seconds later. An octotrooper with a short body and a single, very long tentacle had come to greet her. From here she could also gather that the interior of the house was rather bare and dimly lit by a few torches and a fireplace in the back. Those probably had the added benefit of keeping the place warm.

"Oh hi...! Are you here for..."

The smaller Octarian trailed off before Yulia interrupted and gestured towards herself.

"Yes. Yulia Quelaan, Kraken class infantry of the Great Octarian Military. I'm here to help you with electrical issues."

The Octarian seemed to stare in awe for a moment. It's clear the person that had come to help them was of high status thanks to her medals and unique armour, but to hear it's someone who's basically in charge of the entire military... This has to be unheard of.

"Oh...! Of course! Come in, come in, please ma'am! Can I offer you some tea? Perhaps some cookies? The trip here must have been a long one..."

Yulia almost cut them off again as she made her way inside, while she wouldn't mind staying and chatting for a bit, she's here to do her job. Nothing more.

"No need. They're better saved for someone else. Just tell me about the issue you're having. Our report was pretty vague."

"Ah... right..." The Octarian looked off to the side rather sheepishly, drawing their tentacle to their lower lip. "Well... This is kind of embarrassing, but there's a light switch by the door that's not working. We don't even end up using it all that often, but it's nice to have to worry about fires when the kids are around..."

I'M HERE TO FIX A LIGHT SWITCH!?

Yulia held back a sigh. She'd at least hoped that this would be something a little more... exciting. Regardless, she'll have to remain composed while on the job, and in front of a civilian no less.

"I'm... assuming it's this one."

Yulia flipped the switch beside her and to no one's surprise, nothing came of it. She flipped it on and off a few times just for good measure, but there was still no response.

"Yep... it's broken alright. I'll go turn off the power and figure this out from there."

Turning off the power was as simple as going back outside to the front of the house, finding its power box and flipping a switch, halting the flow of electricity to this person's home and shutting the power egg receptacle next to the box.

Upon returning to the interior of the house, Yulia was able to quickly get the panel the light switch had been connected to off the wall with a screwdriver.

"Alright... let's see what we've got here."

It didn't take long to figure out what the issue was.

"Ah... I see your problem. You see the copper wires here? Yeah, the one going to your switch has just been cut completely. Was probably a bug or something that chewed through it."

Do bugs even do that...? Probably not, but I can't take back what I said.

"Luckily this should be a pretty easy fix. Just give me a minute."

Yulia took a short length of copper wires from her toolbox and twisted one end around the frayed wire of the light switch and did the same to the other part of the wire that had been cut. Once they were secured, she took out a small, cylindrical piece of rubber that had been cut vertically down one side and fitted it over the two pieces of wire she had connected. That would majorly reduce the risk of this being a fire hazard.

"Alright! That should do it. Let me fix this up and then we'll give it a test run."

"Oh, already? You're too fast! You've only been here five minutes!"

Yulia turned the power back on, came inside and tried out the light switch. To her delight, it worked once again. Like it had never been broken in the first place.

"Thank you!" The Octotrooper cried, a wide smile quickly covering their face. "Now we'll be able to have the whole family over for my birthday! No worries about it!"

"Glad you're happy. Was there anything else you wanted me to look at while I'm here?"

"Oh yes of course!" The Octotrooper ran over to the fireplace and retrieved some photos and hurriedly brought them over to show Yulia. Each photo was of a large group of Octarians, some octolings that looked quite old, some that were definitely no older than a few years and an entire troupe of other Octarians in each one. "This is my family! Almost all of them are going to be at my birthday party next week!"

"Wait wha-"

The Octotrooper continued, pointing to another photo.

"And this one's me and all my buddies from school! They're also gonna be there! You should come too!"

"Okay but that's not what I really-"

They went on and on, despite Yulia's attempted protests. This carried on for a few minutes before figured out the best way to escape the situation.

"QUIET!"

The Octotrooper practically froze upon hearing Yulia's booming voice, staring at her with all the fear of a soldier that knows they've done something wrong.

"...Sorry about that. But if there's really no other issues here, I should be going. I do have other things to do today."

"O-Of course! I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me..."

"Don't... worry about it. Just don't let it happen again."

With that bizarre occurrence behind her, Yulia was finally able to leave the building. Another successful job done... albeit a strange one. She smiled to herself as the distance between her and the house grew, even letting out a little chuckle.

"That was so stupid..."

[dementedspeedster]

Lonnie also has a gift for Thad! A few, actually.

First, a custom collar for Cheeto, which has her name, her address, and a subtle nod to either of her owners' identities: the round tag is gold, and features a little lightning bolt beneath the information. And on the other side, there is an unidentifiable bird in flight. Not enough to give anything away, but enough to be recognizable to those who Knew. "I know it's technically for the cat, but I was working on other laser cuts and engravings, so I thought I might add this in as a small extra gift."

Next, a new pair of goggles, which-- "They're not quite finished, yet, but I wanted to first simply offer the hardware to you. They should be extremely comfortable, but if they don't fit exactly right, then we can make some tweaks easily. Because here's the next part: I wanted to work with you on this, since you're the one who has to wear them-- I was wondering if you'd let me program some software into them. Give you a heads-up display, with whatever information or functions that you find valuable. You can engage and disengage it at anytime, and it can have about as many features as a computer could have. Which is to say, I can very literally give it the ability to do whatever you want."

They're not done, yet, though.

"I know what Tim gave you, so I tried to keep this just a bit different. Still, this is a photograph of our particular Outlaw generation. I grabbed it from the recordings of one of our first missions as a team, and went ahead and took the liberty of framing it. I thought the sentimentality might be nice."

They smiled brightly. "Lastly, I know that you... don't quite have the same documentation that we do, given your time traveling status. And I'm sure you could just steal whatever books you want, but... I think that this might be a nice way to engage with your community a bit, as well." They hand him a valid library card for the entire library system of Gotham. And then another one, for Keystone.

"Happy Birthday, Thad. I'm so happy to have met you, and I hope that this next year treats you impossibly well. You deserve it." <3

It was Thad's (and the blog's) birthday on January 1st!

@libertytaken

“Grife, Lonnie. This is amazing.“ He grins as he holds up Cheeto’s new collar and traces his thumb over the bird and the bolt on the respective tags. The speedster might have even gotten a bit misty eyed at the sentiment.

And the goggles too were spectacular. He gives them a once over as he feels the weight of them in his hand and gives them a quick try as he looks around in the lenses, twisting his head around to see how well they fit and stayed, though Lonnie’s craftsmanship was impeccable, “They’re great and they fit well, so no worries there.” He said taking them off and handing them back to Lonnie, “As for the tech...Yeah, lets do it. I’d be more than happy to work with you and incorporate some software into it.” Having his goggles be able to do practically whatever he wanted was a treat. Thad had never needed to pull up information before for others sake or needed to be in communication with anyone save for Craydl. He had worked with what information he already knew and had in hand and instinct. “I’m honestly out of my depth honestly after stubbornly working one way most of my life, so how ‘bout we get together and talk about what functions you think would be handy in this line of work, yeah? But really this is amazing.”

Grife, he had never expected something like this, but it and the usefulness and utility of it was appreciated by the speedster.

"You’re spoiling me, Lon. Seriously.” He jokes with a chuckle, but as he sees the framed photo of all of them together, a part of him truly does feel spoiled. This had been an interesting, weird, and oddly delightful year for him. So much good had happened to him and it simply had been that. He had experienced good and opportunities and chances and he cherished them.

He looks to Lonnie with a bright grin as he promises, “I’m going to find a really nice place to put this.”

And lastly he’s handed the library cards. Lonnie was right of course. He could just go and steal whatever book he wanted, and he had also been speed reading his way through the titles that were of use or of interest to him for years without ever checking them out. No one knew he was ever there except for the glimpse of a blur of color that rushed in and out, or a gust of wind that seemed out of place deep inside the libraries he frequented. He was like a ghost. He didn’t make small chat, he didn’t associate or stop for others. That was the way it practically had always been for Thad. He was perfectly fine alone and in his own solitude, but...

...Maybe he did need to associate with his community a bit more. Maybe he would more now. He could take some time and smell the roses so to speak.

To get on everyone else’s speed for once. He already found it to be nice with people like Tim, and Deb, and Match, and Lonnie and the rest of the Outlaws, so why not others. He flipped the cards in his hands and smiled at Lonnie.

"Thank you so much. I love them.”

[pop-punklouis]

Hi loveee 💞

You might be right bc the first time I've heard my older cat hiss was when we showed her our younger cat lmaoo

Yesss attachment theory is so interesting I truly think it helps you understand yourself and others!

No exactly. That or I need someone to like encourage me. Being a perfectionist and having a fear of failure AND procrastinating are the unholy Trinity it runs together. The only reason I didn't abandon painting after a day is bc I somehow was okay at it. You bet your ass I've never watched a single tutorial I simply don't have the patience. I'm either decent naturally or it's not for me 💀

Re: fandom friends: I wholeheartedly agree

Re: shows. Nooo how do you do that 😭 I can't even watch more than one show at a time (unless they're all ongoing shows). I automatically go for light shows as like, coping but I also feel like watching several complex ones at once would be me if I wanted to cope but HARDCORE jfhfhf. Ooh I kinda get that. I liked ST season 3 simply for vibes and aesthetic and like, robin. I thought season 4 (while incredibly different from all seasons) was kinda cool but they kinda ended it messily which sucks. Guess we see where they go for the finale. Supernatural was good then bad then good then wtf?? Then good 👀 then the ending was: trauma I deserve compensation 😭 I do enjoy the earlier black mirror eps more but also I'll eat up more if they did more. White bear is a fav. I also like shut up and dance. I should rewatch it all I've got terrible memory. And I'll deffo be watching midnight mass!

Re: food. Oooh yes Mac and cheese. Simple yet so good. For me I think just Italian food. Pasta. I could have pasta for the rest of my life I think it's just so good.

For today: saw that you're graduating!! Congrats! But that made me realize I didn't know what you're graduating in, so if you feel like sharing, what did you study? Is this a postgrad? Future plans? (I usually hate this question so you can skip the last one!)

Have a wonderful day babe 💗

~🌱

hiiiii babe sorry this is so late this week has been so busy rip but!! i love that about you painting. yeah, i have to at least see some sort of potential in a skill or else i abandon it all together 💀 see! i’m like the opposite of a procrastinator?? if i see i have to do something like three weeks in advance i will think about it obsessively until i do it even though i still have like three weeks to have it done rip it’s so bad. i stress myself over something like i’ve got two days to do it instead of 18 days 🙃 but anyway yeah tutorials have never been my forte either. i like watching paint tutorial videos to help calm my mind down to sleep at night but otherwise

re: shows dude i KNOW i’m truly a masochist with my own brain watching shows. if i’m not watching three at a time i don’t know what i’m doing. it’s so bad. i could never watch multiple shows with other people because it would be a mess 👐🏼 omg how did i forget about robin yesss season 3 of ST had it’s good moments and i loved the robin character introduction. i think i would’ve liked season 4 a lot more if they had stuck to the original lore of the series instead of throwing new thinks in for shock value and plot twists to create new monsters and villains. and holy shit i forgot about the shut up and dance episode of black mirror that was also a really cool one. maybe i also need to rewatch the seasons again. but fr if they came out with more i’d watch them in a heartbeat. pls update me on midnight mass!!! also i recommend you watch 1899 too. i just finished it and i wish i was able to watch it again for the first time. it’s too good ✨

re: food. please love how pasta is both of our favorite foods. what kind of pasta is your favorite? i love cheese tortellini if i had to choose (besides mac & cheese of course)

and yes!! i graduated wednesday with my masters in film & media studies 🥺💕 i truly very little future plans at the moment besides relaxing for the next 5 or so months at home while i figure out what i want to do rip i have a lot of experience in a lot of different things in the industry but nothing has really grabbed me rip would rather just work in an antique store (own one is the dream) for the rest of my life. would be v happy i think 👐🏼

how has your week been? 🤍 have you done any christmas shopping? (if you celebrate!) i feel like christmas has just came so quickly i’m scrambling to do all the shopping and decorating two weeks out 😮‍💨 we just decorated our tree last week so it’s been frantic lol

[like-rain-or-confetti]

Can I please request rogues reactions to their s/o revealing that they have lordosis/kyphosis/scoliosis? (I hope it's okay to request this. If not, I'm sorry!!)

Okay I've done some googling but here comes another Disclaimer! I'm not a professional and I also am not being treated for these conditions. I don't think it needs to be said that don't look at this as medical advice 😂

You had been able to hide it with some baggy hoodies too big for you. Or generally trying not to move around too much. However the longer you two were dating, the less you could hide it. Naturally, you had to tell them eventually.

The Riddler: He hummed. "I figured." He said finally. "Hm?" You quirked an eyebrow. "You wore baggy clothing despite weather conditions or temperature and never dressed in anything else around me. However, your closet does show that you own tighter fitting clothing. Therefore, I theorised you either had a self-esteem problem or you were hiding something. Perhaps both." Edward explained. "Oh...uh, and does it bother you that my spine is different?" You asked. "Of course it does." He answered and your stomach dropped. He continued. "I don't like the idea that you're in pain nor do I like that you feel you need to hide from me. It's not going to put me off."

Scarecrow: He nodded. "Okay." That was strange. "Okay?" You repeated. He nodded. "You're...good with that?" You asked. "Of course. How much issue is it giving you? Is there anything I can do to make things easier for you?" Jonathan asked. That was easier than expected.

Black Mask: "I...don't know what that is." Roman replied honestly. You explained it to him. "So your back is fucked?" "Kinda, depends on the outlook. My spine isn't straight so it limits what I can do like twisting and...it gets sore." You admitted. "It's why I sit down a lot. It can be uncomfortable to stand after a while." He nodded. "Can I see?" He asked. "Give me your hand." You held your hand out before taking off his glove. With your arms you put his hand flat against your back. "Feel my spine?" You asked. "Yeah." He said quietly as his fingers ran back and forth over the vertebrae. "Okay, now follow the length of my spine." You said. He complied and his brow furrowed when his fingers glided across, lost the feeling and searched again to find the vertebrae in to the far right of your back before it made its way to the back of your neck, slightly off centre and tense. "If it hurts, is there something we can do?" You smiled slightly. He didn't seem scared off as you had worried.

Two-Face: "Can I see it?" Harvey asked quietly. "I dunno Harvey, I...I don't want to put you off, it's not exactly pleasant." "Neither is mine and you were very good about it." He replied. You opened your mouth to retort how his scars was only exterior and didn't impact his shape but found the argument falling flat before you could speak. You sighed before removing your hoodie and turned your back to him, lifting your shirt to reveal your back. You jumped slightly when you felt a smooth hand flat on your back and travel upwards, following the route of your spine. "Does it hurt?" Harvey asked softly. "Sometimes." You replied quietly. "It can hurt because it makes some of my muscles tense and then they're stuck holding the weight that should be evenly distributed." You looked to the floor. "I can't twist my body." You let out a soft gasp when you felt chapped lips press a kiss to your back. "You let us know when it hurts okay?"

Penguin: "I have a limp." He reminded you. "You don't gotta worry about scaring me off. You ain't gonna scare me. Even if you tried." The two of you had a mutual understanding of living with pain on a regular basis. "You tell me what you need though, got it? Need me to rub your back and you got it. Anything that takes the edge off on a bad day, I'm here for you." He pressed a kiss to your cheek.

[viatagrinner]

Our new beginning. Kagemaru

Key: thoughts, narration, speech

The heroine and Oboro bought dango and return to hideout the Senkitai.

Oboro grinning at MC mischievously:

"But are you sure I'm the one you should've asked to go with you?"

МC: What do you mean?

Oboro: Wouldn't you preferred, say... Kagemaru? He is kind of your boyfriend.

(Is that how the rest of the Senkitai see us?)

МС: Mmm, how should I put it?

If I'm completely honest, my relationship with Kagemaru is still a bit of a mystery to me.

(Somehow we've kissed, but we've never outright admitted how we feel about each other. I just can't tell what that guy is thinking.)

MC: See, he's not exactly my boyfriend…

Oboro: Huh? But Kagemaru himself said you guys are dating.

МС: That was just a tactic to ensure I'd be able to come and go around here without any questions being asked. I mean, there are still Ayakashi who can't stand human coming and going as they please.

Oboro: You sure about that? You really sure?

Oboro pouts, looking dissatisfied.

Oboro: I think you really caught Kagemaru's eye, MC.

MC: What?

Oboro: He's the kind of guy who knows what he wants. If he didn't actually like you, he wouldn't call you 'his girl' even for the sake of a lie.

(You think?)

A feeling of warmth blossoms within my chest.

Oboro: You're a great catch, Airi. You should be more confident in yourself.

Oboro declares, his gaze moving toward my hair: Oh yeah, that ribbon you're wearing is different from the one you usually wear.

MC: Oh, uh. Yeah, I bought it a little while ago.

Oboro: It's really pretty. Now Kagemaru's bound to fall in love with you all over again, huh?

MC: Th-That's not why I bought it!

Half-amused, half-frustrated by Oboro's comments, the two of us arrive at the Senkitai's hideout. We head underground and Oboro begins to lead me toward his room. Along the way, we run into a familiar face.

Oboro: Oh, Kagemaru.

Kagemaru: ......

My eyes meet his and for a second he looks startled.

Kagemaru: "Back again, are ya?"

(Same old, same old. )

Oboro: Huh? Kagemaru! What kind of way to speak to your girlfriend is that? Look, she came all the way over here just to see you---

Mc: A-And that's enough outta you, Oboro! Shall we be on our way?

Hiding my disappointment, I urge Oboro along.

Kagemaru: Oi.

To my shock, Kagemaru grabs my shoulder and pulls me closer to him.

MC: Um?

Kagemaru: .......

We're mere inches apart, his hand reaching toward my cheeks.

(What's going on? In the middle of a hallway? Really?)

His hand brushes past my cheeks and continues to reach for my ribbon, undoing it with a rustle.

Kagemaru: What're ya wearin' somethin' as scruffy as this for?

MC: Come again?

Kagemaru: Yer supposed to be the boss' girl 'round these parts. If yer comin' to see me, ya can at least dress the part.

(What's wrong with my ribbon? Meanie ).

Embarrassed at mistaking his gesture for even a second, I blush red.

Kagemaru: Guess ya don't give me much of a choice. I'll go get---

MC: .......

Filled with a rage I can't quite understand, I push him away as hard as I can.

Kagemaru: !

MC: Sorry, Oboro. I'm going home.

Oboro: W-Wait!

I ignore Oboro's pleas for me to stay and head straight back outside again, leaving them both behind me.

•••••••Flashback•••••••

Several days later.

(Oh, that hairpin is beautiful!)

During a shopping trip in Asakusa, a hairpin on display in front of a store catches my eye.

(It's really stunning. There's something special about it.)

I instinctively draw closer for a better look, the display having caught my full attention.

(They're so pretty and sophisticated. No way anyone would ever call them scruffy.)

•••••Flashback•••••

Kagemaru: Yer supposed to be the boss' girl 'round these parts. If yer comin' to see me, ya can at least dress the part.

•••••End Flashback•••••

(Looks like what he said about me is still on my mind.)

A mixture of frustration and anger welling up inside of me, I bite my lip.

Man: ......

I sense someone approaching my side - out of the corner of my eye it appears to be a man wearing a cap.

Man: ......

(Wait!)

He snatches one of the hairpins and quickly scarpers.

(A thief?!)

Mc: W-Wait!

Bewildered by what I just witnessed, I go to chase after him.

Man: Hey, you're in my way!

Man: !?

A woman adorned in a kimono grabs him by the arm, twisting it.

Man: That hurts!

Yuzuru: My, what a gorgeous hairpin.

Catching a glimpse of the hairpin the man is clinging onto, Yuzuru beams.

Yuzuru: And yet it seems so wasted on a scruffy old pickpocket like you.

Passersby take note of the scene and come to a halt, raising their protests.

Onlooker 1: Hey!

Onlooker 2: You get'em, Ma'am!

(She's so cool!)

Not long afterward, the thief is taken in by the police and dragged away.

Hairpin Shopkeeper: Thanks a million, Yuzuru. That guy's a thief who's been stealing what he can from around here lately. I don't know how many times he's targeted my shop.

Yuzuru: As if I could stand the thought of such a gorgeous hairpin in the hands of a slimy creep like that.

Yuzuru goes to hand back the hairpin, but the shopkeeper shakes her head: No, I want you to have it. Consider it my thanks.

Yuzuru: My! You sure about that?

Hairpin Shopkeeper: It's the least I can offer! Considering what you just did for me.

Yuzuru: …Very well. Don't mind if I do.

Yuzuru thanks the shopkeeper, then turns toward me with a smile on her face.

Yuzuru: .....

Several moments later, I'm leaving the shop with Yuzuru - or rather, Kagemaru dressed as his alter ego.

MC:  Um, are you heading to work?

Yuzuru: Oh, not today. I'm in town to pick up a little rouge for my lips.

(She's a million miles away from Kagemaru!)

(Also, I didn't realize she was still entertaining people as a geisha.)

I'm so shocked by the transformation that I'm practically lost for words.

Bar Goer 1: Hey, you two pretty ladies over there!

Two men call out to us from a nearby stall, raising their drinks at us.

MC: Um. Yuzuru…

Bar Goer 1: Whoa, you two really are something.

Bar Goer 2: What do you say we buy you a drink?

With that, Yuzuru suddenly grabs my arm.

Yuzuru: Read the room, boys.

She pulls me up against her, making sure the two men get a bird's eye view of the situation.

(Whoa!)

Bar Goer 2: Wait! What?

Yuzuru: Can't you tell? We're having plenty of fun just the two of us. And we don't need any men around to interfere.

Bar Goer 1: ...Huh?

Yuzuru: Shall we?

Yuzuru and I pass by the bewildered men, still arm in arm.

(When I first laid eyes on Yuzuru, I was struck by how beautiful she was.)

I can feel my heart start to thump as we walk along together, still pressed right up against one another.

(Yuzuru's the perfect definition of a girl crush. She's so cool and gorgeous you can't help but fall for her!)

(I mean, I know she's really Kagemaru on the inside, but still!)

(I can't even tell if it's Yuzuru or Kagemaru making my heart flutter this much anymore.)

(But I like it.)

(I hope we can stay like this for a bit longer.)

Yuzuru: Sorry about that, Miss.

When the two men are no longer in sight, Yuzuru finally goes to let go of me.

MC: Wait, um!

I keep my arm wrapped around hers and squeeze, not letting her do so.

MС: There's somewhere I'd like to go with you!

I job a finger toward the same Japanese sweets parlor that Oboro and I visited the other day.

Yuzuru: Hah?

Yuzuru: Why'd ya want me to---

For a second, Kagemaru slips back into his usual self, but, conscious of passersby, quickly clams up.

MC: You don't have work today, right? So you can spend some time with me!

I take Yuzuru's hand and start to lead her into the sweets parlor.

We take a seat and I excitedly pour over the menu.

Yuzuru: .....

Yuzuru: …Someone looks like they're having a good time.

(Ah. She might be mad.)

MC: Well, it's not every day a chance like this comes along...

Yuzuru: …I suppose.

At first, there's a slight hint of irritation in Kagemaru's eyes.

Shopkeeper: Here you go!

Yuzuru: Thanks, doll.

Yuzuru aims a dazzling smile at the shopkeeper as they deliver our sweets.

(Yuzuru really is stunning.)

(Boy, girl, it doesn't even matter. That kind of beauty is ethereal.)

I spend an afternoon captivated by Yuzuru's beauty while enjoying the delicious sweets.

By the time we leave the shop, it's already evening.

MC: I had a really great time today. Thanks for humoring me.

Yuzuru: Oi.

I say my thanks, about to leave when Yuzuru grabs me by the arm.

MC: Huh?

Yuzuru: Ya made me go along with that act for long enough. Ya think I'm jus' gonna let ya wander off home by yerself?

(Huh?!)

Yuzuru starts pulling me along surprisingly in the direction of my own house.

(Is she walking me home? Is that it?)

I look up at her from my side and she stops in her tracks. I feel a rustle as she fixes my hairstyle.

MC: What is it?

Yuzuru: Turn around.

I do as I'm told, my back toward her, when I feel her undoing my hair ribbon and running her fingers through my hair.

I feel a rustle as she fixes my hairstyle. She finishes off by adorning my new look with the hairpin she received earlier as thanks.

MC: Oh wow! Thank you so much!

Yuzuru: So ya don't complain when it's Yuzuru, do ya?

I hear the faint click of a tongue and something soft brush my neck. In my shock I turn around.

MC: Um?!

Yuzuru: Ah well. Might work out for the best.

(Was that a kiss just now? And that smile…)

Yuzuru: Yer beloved Yuzuru will have ya trained in no time.

Yuzuru: She'll make ya into exactly the kinda woman fit for the head of the Senkitai.

MC: Train me?

Without giving me a chance to refuse, Yuzuru's face comes closer, her lips against my ear.

Yuzuru: I'll show you how to make the most of your feminine charm.

MC: !

Her voice is so alluring and seductive that I'm already shivering in anticipation.

(I can't let my guard down around Yuzuru anymore than I can Kagemaru…)

I tell myself as heat gathers in my cheeks from how intimately close she's standing…

Afterword:

1. The heroine's pansexuality is proven.

I want to note that MС used the pronoun "she" in relation to Yuzuru, although she knows that this is Kagemaru's alter ego. It's great that a girl accepts her partner as he/she is.

2. It's great that we decided to show Yuzuru. Now I am interested in the attitude of the heroine's father to Yuzuru/Kagemaru.

3. Oboro is the best family psychologist. When a 12-year-old child is better versed in relationships than adults. I think it's time for this boy to start a psychological practice.

4. A little criticism.

The relationship between the heroine and Kagemaru at the very beginning of the story was a little annoying.

I understand that the heroine is 15 years old, that in these years the girl wants romance and showing feelings.

Therefore, there were such phrases and such thoughts:

"(Is that how the rest of the Senkitai see us?) Mc: See, he's not exactly my boyfriend… That was just a tactic to ensure I'd be able to come and go around here without any questions being asked".

The girl doesn't understand that not everyone can or wants to flaunt their feelings.

It is clear that Kagemaru wanted to help, but it looked so toxic. In the role of Yuzuru, Kagemaru is more affectionate and understanding. He could learn from his alter ego how to communicate with young girl. 😄

Yuzuru showed herself better as a partner than Kage.

I hope that in the next sonnet/event, the couple will understand how to communicate with each other.

[bangtanreadingcorner]

despite it all • park jimin

chapter 2 — soft spot

plot – when you finally go to the bar on 17th street, it's not for help.

words – 3.1K

chapter 1

For a long time you thought you would never take Jimin up on his offer to go to the bar on 17th Street.

Then the day came that you did.

***

Things go back to normal for a few weeks after the night you helped Jimin. You go to work and for the most part it's easy to put that night out of your mind. Then there's the hours when you can't sleep or you don't have a shift, and it all comes rushing back. You visit your dad's grave and you tell him about Jimin, asking if he'd be mad at you for helping him. You don't talk to your mother, she never could forgive you for becoming a first responder.

Three weeks after that night, you get called to the scene of a gunshot victim in an alley. You and your partner Jeongguk immediately start to help him. Or you try to, at least. He's so young, no older than eighteen or nineteen.

"Come on, kid, hold on!" You mutter under your breath as you try to stop the bleeding. You look at Jeongguk, who looked at the victim with wide eyes, face pale. "Hey! Snap out of it! We need to get fluids in him, start a saline and blood line."

You work on him for almost fourty minutes before he's gone. Your gloved hands and shirt are drenched in blood. You sit back on your heels, a sense of defeat coming over you. You take a second to pull yourself together before you reach over to close his eyes, sending Jeongguk to get a blanket to cover him with, and that's when you see it.

The outline of a tattoo on the left side of his neck. Your blood runs cold and you hope that you're wrong. You reach out with shaky fingers, turning his head just a little, to get a full view of the tattoo. You suck in a deep breath when you see it.

A serpent.

You were right. This kid is in the same gang that Jimin is in.

"Funny, isn't it?" A voice asks above you.

You look up, and the badge around his neck tells you he's a cop. You frown slightly at him, "Who are you?"

"Detective Choi, Gang Unit."

"Well, Detective, I don't see anything funny about this situation." You are tempted to glare at the man.

"They spend their days breaking the law, hurting people and then expect to be helped when they get shot as a result of their own actions." He said, sneering down at the body.

"They're still people." You say, heart twisting at the man's careless words.

"Barely." The detective scoffed, looking down at the body with interest, pointing down at it. "But this one. He was important."

You don't understand what a kid has to do with all of this as you frown crossly up at the detective. "He's just a kid."

"Yeah, but he's a Park." The detective says, a glint of excitement in his eyes. It makes anger stir inside of you. "Park Jihyun, in fact. Second in line to the most dangerous gang in the province."

"So, what? Because of that he doesn't deserve to live?" You scoff in disbelief as Jeongguk returns and start to cover the body. Before the press could arrive and take pictures and videos for the six o'clock news.

The detective shrugs, "I'm just saying, no one will cry over his death."

"You just said he has a family. I'm sure they will." You remind him.

The Detective shakes his head, "No, they're not gonna cry. They're gonna go to war."

"And what? You're going to use the war to catch his brother? While he's grieving? Seems a little cold." You say as you push to your feet. You could see Jeongguk frowning as he looked back and forth between you and the detective.

"I figured I'd give them a taste of their own medicine."

"Are you going to tell that to his brother when you notify him?" You retort, mentally yelling every kind of curse you could possible think of at him.

"I'm not going to tell him."

Your mouth drops open in shocked disbelief, appalled by the detective. "What? You have too. You're bound by law."

"They don't follow the law. Why should I extend them that courtesy?" He shrugs.

"Because his family will be worried sick! And you're a cop!" You exclaim, voice rising a little.

"I'm counting on it." The detective grins before walking away.

You clench your hands into fists, an overwhelming urge to hit the detective coming over you. You look at Jeongguk, who still seemed out of it. You frown at him, he's never reacted like this to seeing someone being shot before. "Hey, are you okay, Jeongguk?"

"Yeah," He nods quickly, a little too quick, but you don't say anything. "Just, his family . . .

they deserve to know."

"They do." You agree immediately. "And I'm going to make sure they find out."

Jeongguk's head whips to you, curious and kind of relieved. "How?"

"I know this guy, he's in the same gang as the kid is, or was."

For a second, Jeongguk looks amused. "You know a guy in a gang."

"Shut up." You feel you're cheeks burn, suddenly feeling shy. "And yes, I do. His name is Jimin and I helped him out once. He told me that if I ever need something to go to the bar on 17th Street. I may not need something, but I figure he would probably be able to tell Jihyun's family."

You turn to Jeongguk, who went quiet by your side. His eyes was open wide again, but this time there was a sliver of fear in them. "A guy named Jimin, who is in the same gang as the kid with a bar on 17th Street?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Nothing." Jeongguk all but squeaks, shaking his head furiously, eyes still wide.

You side eye him, "You're judging me for doing this, aren't you? Meh. Whatever. They deserve to know. I'm telling them."

***

After your shift, you immediately go to the bar on 17th Street. It was a nice, casual kind of place. On another day, you could see yourself having a drink there. You look around and you don't see Jimin, so you head to the bar to ask for him.

The bartender is tall and buff. And gives off a scary vibe with his tattoos and the emotionless expression on his face. You notice the same serpent tattoo Jimin has on his neck, on the bartender's forearm. This guy is probably your best bet on finding Jimin.

"Uh, hi, I'm looking for Jimin." You blurt at the bartender, who is busy wiping down the counter. You feel a flush rising on your cheeks. That sounded so demanding.

"Who's asking?" The bartender asks without look

"Y/N."

That gets the bartender's attention. He stops wiping the counter and looks at your with sparkling eyes, a boxy smile breaking the blank look on his face, making him look more like a puppy as he shakes his curls out of his eyes, "So, you're Y/N."

You're caught off guard by the fact that he seems to know you. It makes you a little defensive, "What does that mean?"

"It's means you're the girl, or woman, who saved Jimin." He says, looking like the cat who ate the canary.

Your cheeks heat up even more, "I didn't save him, just helped him out."

"The cops and the gang who he went after by himself, like the dumbass he is, was after him. If he was alone that night, he would have been killed. Or worse." The bartender tells you, restarting his task of wiping the counter, but there's only one thing that registers in your mind.

"I helped a fugitive?" You yelp, feeling your heart stutter in shock.

The bartender frowned at you, "I thought Jimin said you know who he is."

"I know he's in a gang."

The bartender stops in wiping the counter, looking at you with scarily serious eyes. "Y/N, Jimin isn't in the gang, he leads the gang."

Your mouth drops open and it feels dry. "I helped a gang leader, who is also a fugitive?"

"Aren't you one for the history books." Taehyung notes with a boxy grin.

"Not exactly something I'd like to be remembered for." You tell him, legs feeling weak all of a sudden.

"Eh, apples, oranges." The bartender shrugged, putting down his cloth. "I love strawberries, by the way. Anyway, my name is Taehyung. I'm Jimin's best friend and second in command, in case you were wondering. You said you're looking Jimin right? Well, he's busy right now, but he did say to call him right away if you ever come, so, I'll go get him for you."

And with that, the bartender - Taehyung - disappeared. You looked after him in bewilderment, "What the fuck?"

Less than five minutes later, Jimin walked out from the door where Taehyung disappeared into. He looked different from the last time you saw him. He was wearing black skinny jeans with a black polo neck sweater and a black leather jacket. He looked more dangerous than when he was covered in blood. More attractive, too. You very carefully cut that train of thought off before it could grow roots. You watched as everyone in the bar eyed Jimin, but also gave him a wide berth.

When he stopped infront of you, his features softened ever so slightly. You frowned down at his clenched, bloodied fists, "Have you been punching people again?"

"Punching people is in my job description." Jimin answered, jaw visibly tensed. He looked at you, and you could tell right then that something is very wrong. "You are always welcome here, Y/N, but right now I'm a little busy. One of my men has been taken and I am trying to find him."

You face falls and suddenly a lot of things make sense. "I think . . . I think I might know where he is."

Confusion falls over Jimin's face, "You? How could you know?"

"I had a call today. Gunshot victim in an alley. He had that tattoo-" You point to Jimin's neck, where his serpent tattoo is. "And I wanted to come and tell you. I mean, I didn't know if you know everyone in your gang, I didn't every know that it is your gang, until Taehyung told me just now, but I just wanted to tell you in case you knew him."

Jimin looks at you with wide eyes, a spark of light returning to those cold eyes. "What did he look like?"

"Uh, he was young. I didn't really notice much else, sorry. I was trying to save his life." You tell Jimin, and then something occurs to you. "Wait, one of the detectives on the scene told me his name. I don't know how they know but-"

"His name." Jimin interrupted, a little sharp, but there was an urgency to his voice.

"Uh. Jihyun. Park Jihyun." You tell him, watching as Jimin both deflate and light up in the span of five seconds. You almost get whiplash with how quick his mood changes.

"What hospital did you take him too?" Jimin asks eagerly, hopefully.

You heart twists, knowing that you're the one who has to break that hope. You soften your voice, making it as gentle as possible. "Jimin, we didn't. We tried our best, but we couldn't save him. By the time we got there, he had already lost too much blood. I am so sorry."

Jimin's expression shutters and it makes you feel like someone punched you in the gut. He takes a breath before saying, "Thank you for coming to tell me. And thank you for trying to save him."

Jimin walks away and you want to stop him, to comfort him somehow, but you don't because it's not your place.

You turn to Taehyung, who looks so incredibly sad it broke your heart a little. You know you should leave but you can't just put leave without at least trying to help. "Are you okay, Taehyung?"

"No," He shakes his head, fiddling with the cloth he used to wipe the bar down earlier. "But I will be."

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Yeah, actually." He says, surprising you pleasantly. You thought he would refuse your offer. Your heavy heart lifts a little, happy to help, and you nod at Taehyung, indicating to him to tell you what he wants you to do. He looks at you for a long while and it makes you fidget a little. He's not going to ask you to hurt someone, right? You sincerely hoped not. Finally he spoke and you could have never guessed what came out his mouth next. "Jimin is going to come to you. I don't know when, but he will. I don't know what exactly happened between you and him the night you saved him, but it changed something in him. He's been different since that night and it's because of you. So, he'll come to you and seek comfort and when he does, I only ask one thing."

You swallow thickly, having no idea what to do with everything Taehyung just dumped on you. "And what is that?"

"Please be gentle with him. People think he's dangerous and fearsome, and he is. For the most part he really is, but that's not all he is. Underneath that, he has the biggest heart. A heart he usually keeps hidden and locked far away, but somehow, you made it past all of his defences in a night. And right now, his heart is hurting badly."

You give Taehyung a strange look, thinking that he must be reading something wrong somewhere because you and Jimin didn't spend that much time together. Maybe two hours. How could that have been enough time to get past his defences, as Taehyung said? "Uh, I think you might be exaggerating the situation but okay. If it will make you feel better. I promise to be gentle with him. Whatever that means."

Taehyung was visibly relieved by your sincere promise. "Thank you."

"It's nothing." You waved him off. "Anything else I can do for you?"

"No." Taehyung smiles, small and much dimmer than the bright boxy grin he gave you earlier, but just as true. "But I think I'm starting to see it."

"See what?" You look curiously at him.

"Why Jimin has a soft spot for you." He answers nonchalantly.

You very almost choke on thin air. "I helped him out once and told me he'd return the favour. That does not mean he has a soft spot for me."

"Yes, he does. Have you not been listening to a word I've said?" Taehyung all but demanded, placing his hands on his hips.

"I'm listening," You give him a slight smile. "Still working on believing."

"Well, believe it." Taehyung huffs. "Earlier, when you came in and asked for Jimin and I went to get him? He was busy, uh . . ." Taehyung trails off, unsure how much Jimin wants her to know. He knows better than to outright lie though. He settles on a word that is both discreet and understandable. "He was interrogating a guy for answers about Jihyun's whereabouts. You are the only person on this planet I was allowed to interrupt that interrogation for."

"He did say to come anytime I want." You defend, feeling heat creeping up your cheeks again.

Taehyung looks like your words just proves his point. "Exactly."

You sigh, resigning yourself to the fact that you won't be able to change his mind. You glance in the direction where Jimin went and your mood deflates, "You think he's going to be okay?"

"I don't know." Taehyung admits honestly, eyes lingering on the door.

"I have this foreboding feeling that this is the calm before the storm." You say, nodding in the direction where Jimin went. "He was too quiet when I told him the news, but I could see the grief in his eyes. Was he close to the guy who was killed?"

"Very." Taehyung nods. "Jihyun is, or was, Jimin's brother."

You felt your heart drop to the bottom of your feet as the last pieces of the puzzle fit together. You should have realised, the detective told you Jihyun's brother is the leader of the gang and Taehyung told you Jimin leads the gang. "Oh my God."

"Yeah." Taehyung nods, biting his lip.

"I can't imagine how Jimin must feel right now." You say, wanting nothing but to barge through those doors and go hug Jimin.

"I think it helps that it came from you, instead of the police. Those smug bastards would have just rubbed his nose in it." Taehyung says with a distasteful look on his face.

"Why would they do that?" You ask, deciding not to tell Taehyung that the police wasn't even planning on telling Jimin at all.

"Because we're in a gang. Although, they can't proof anything against us. Especially against Jimin. They don't know much, but they know he's our leader. He took over from his dad when he retired, when Jimin was twenty-one. Which really pisses them off." Taehyung looked a little smug over that fact.

"I get that. I mean, my dad was a cop, before he died in the crossfire of a gang war. I was seventeen at the time, so I can still remember how he would get angry or frustrated when he couldn't solve a case or find evidence to prove his case."

"Sorry about your dad." Taehyung says, looking like he actually means it.

It makes you smile a little, "It's okay. I mean, it still hurts like hell sometimes, but they found the guy who pulled the trigger and he's spending the rest of his life in jail."

"Want me to take him out for you?" Taehyung offers. "We got a couple of guys in prison and I'm sure Jimin wouldn't mind."

"No, absolutely not!" You exclaim with wide eyes, heartbeat kicking up its pace as panic shoots through you for a second. "Jesus Christ, first Jimin and now you. What is wrong with you two?"

Taehyung's eyes get a wicked gleam and you somehow know what he's going to say before he opens his mouth. "We're-"

"In a gang, yeah, I know. That isn't an excuse." You sigh, running a hand over your face. A heaviness settles around your heart. "This is going to get ugly, isn't it?"

"Maybe. Maybe not." Taehyung shrugs. "But probably."

"Great." You mutter. Better stock up the ambulance then.

***

chapter 3

A/N: I hope you enjoyed it!

[rpmemesbyarat]

DISNEY'S "GARGOYLES" SEASON 2 QUOTES RP MEME

Why do you read that stuff?

I like a man who brings me weapons.

Nice wake up call.

We won't have to find them. They'll find us.

Revenge, as they say, is a sucker's game.

I'll settle for tearing this jerk IN HALF!

Want to see me use both hands?

That's no way to treat a lady!

That was no lady.

Thanks for saving my bacon before it got fried.

Look, just promise you'll call if there's trouble.

Go ahead, try something!

I'd love to do that again!

That wasn't a tranquilizer dart.

It was loaded with a mutagenic formula!

You don't know anything about her!

Why are you stomping on my friend here?

I was particularly proud of my death scene.

You never let me drive.

The important thing is, you're alive.

Are you sure this is a good idea?

Something's not right here.

Then you leave us no choice!

How are we supposed to find them?

Please, I beg you, be quiet.

This isn't a good idea.

I'm best qualified to go.

My memories are clouded.

Why should I trust you?

If you can't trust me, then trust your heart.

Why do you fight me, my love?

We are destined to be together for all eternity.

I will choose who I love!

Now we'll see what this creature looks like up close.

Why stare at marks on a page when you can rent the video?

Well, I can't read and I don't think I'm missing anything.

Harrier jets! They can take off and land like helicopters. When your life's this exciting, who needs books?

Are you all right?

I had a little trouble.

This beach isn't safe after dark.

Do you need a doctor?

Come on in. I've got a fire going.

There's little I can offer in return, except my thanks.

You understand, I don't get any real pleasure from this. Well you've got courage, beastie. I'll give you that.

Funny, something about your voice made me think you were a soldier, once.

You were there.

I'm old, but I'm not that old.

I'm glad you came back.

I'm afraid I can't stay, but I think I left something on the terrace this morning.

Have you come across a large canister?

The name sounded phony.

I do know him, but he's not a friend!

A magic book?

They're worthless. No magic at all.

The written word is all that stands between memory and oblivion.

Without books as our anchors, we are cast adrift, neither teaching nor learning.

Books are lighthouses erected in the dark sea of time.

Is this how you welcome all your guests?

They have a sense of humor. You have none.

Yeah, I know, you're as relieved I am that everything's back to normal.

Wouldn't it be great to be a shapeshifter?

Well, let's just get this over with, shall we?

How can I be of service, hmm?

Out with it. I haven't got all night.

I'm sure you'll fit right in.

What is it you really want?

This just might be fun after all.

I thought everyone knew this.

Shapeshifters, elves, fairies, you mean they're real?

You mean, you thought I was ugly?

I want you to get rid of the humans. ALL of them.

Does this look like Aladdin's lamp? I have limits, after all.

Humans love a battle hearty.

I'll never get the hang of jumping off rooftops.

I'll always be there to catch you.

Do it, and you win your freedom.

It will be my pleasure. But afterwards, I'm going to need a very long nap.

There. You're free.

The sun, it's glorious! I never thought that it could feel so good.

I'm sorry about the bomb. But it proves how dangerous this case is.

When someone messes with your partner, you're supposed to do something about it.

You still haven't learned that crime doesn't pay.

A trade?

Let's just say, I don't trust you with it.

So, now you know my weakness.

Only you would regard love as a weakness.

A momentary lapse, I assure you.

Halloween! Tonight is the night!

Come on. I've wanted to stroll down a city street with you for a long time.

Marry me.

Are you serious?

We're genetically compatible, highly intelligent, and have the same goals.

You could've been hurt. I should've been with you.

Oh-well, spilt milk. Let's move on to plan B.

Don't listen to him. It's a trick! He couldn't tell the truth if his life depended on it!

Even if what you say is true, why should I help her?

Because you know what it means to lose some you love.

Not a good night for you.

You can't believe anything he says.

If someone like him can love, perhaps there is some hope for this world.

Take this as token of my love.

Upon this I pledge my heart to you forever.

Why do you need all this?

I wanted it, so I took it.

It's so unlike you to attack first.

I simply invited you here to talk.

Our past encounters have not inspired me to trust you.

It's crazy to even consider going!

I'm not interested in reminiscing!

Have you no respect for anything?

Believe me, I know exactly how you feel.

I will never be like you!

I do not wish to hurt you.

I do not wish to be you!

What am I to do?

Do nothing.

Do not worry.

Live in the moment.

Attend the petty angers and jealousies that fill your heart.

Fortify yourself with love and trust.

Fulfill the vows of love you make, for they can surely save you.

Time travel's funny that way.

Get away from me, you sentimental fool.

It's a pretty good likeness.

You know more than you're letting on.

T'was your handiwork.

very life is precious.

Take care not to become what you fight against.

Vengeance begets only a further cycle of more vengeance.

Do you want vengeance or a solution?

This is bigger than either of us has ever faced.

We'll have to work together to stop her.

Truce?

You are the cause of all this.

Humans will learn to respect you.

I would rather they fear me.

What are you doing to help?

That's one way to settle an argument.

I thought I'd rid myself of you long ago

You've forgotten about me.

You're too late. You can't save them. No one can!

I'm not here for them. I'm here for you.

I want it over between us!

I wear this as a reminder of your treachery.

Let's not start that again. You blame me, I blame you. Aren't you tired of talking about it?

I'm not here to talk.

Killing me will gain you nothing but your own death.

Death is never the answer. Life is.

I'm just so tired

Your thirst for vengeance has only created more sorrow.

I offer you one last opportunity for forgiveness and mercy.

I merely offer a sample of what you planned for me.

You have learned nothing.

I will still have my revenge!

What do we do with them?

You come in handy now and then.

I'm quite glad the plan worked.

I'm no hero, I just do my job, and my job for tonight is over.

All I want to do is hit the sack.

Why would you want to hit a sack?

How long was I out?

Even shadows must be true to their shade.

We don't need to wait for sunset.

Is it supposed to hurt that much?

Just get on with it.

Recognize the woman?

She seemed familiar, but I just couldn't place her.

You're getting real good at bypassing alarms

Don't give me credit.

It was too easy!

Maybe misery loves company.

If you're human, then you're subject to human laws.

Either way I win!

I fear no human!

There are forces at war within me.

I will return some day, if I can.

You sound like every human employee I ever fired!

Crush all of them together and you couldn't squeeze one iota of personal integrity from the lot!

No excuses, creature!

Learn to take responsibility for your own actions! And STOP whining!

Oh, I am trembling in my chair.

You believe I am not responsible. Yet I remain your prisoner?

Who said you're not responsible?

It doesn't matter that you were tricked, you know now that your actions inflicted grievous damage. Do you take responsibility for them or not?

Well, what are you going to do?

You seem distracted, having second thoughts?

We'll celebrate over breakfast.

No more excuses. I accept full responsibility for my actions. I was wrong.

Integrity is never easy. It's a daily struggle, a costly struggle.

I know I owe you a great debt for the mistake I made a year ago.

If the text wasn't new to me, it was at least worth revisiting.

All I know is I'm about to be wiped out!

It doesn't have to be that way.

I can break these chains. But only you can get me past the bars.

Automatons know nothing of betrayal or honor. They know only what they're programmed to know.

Only living beings possess the ability to change, and make new choices.

You've given me much to consider.

We are friends.

I'd rather not have your death on my conscience

You'll never reach the bridge!

You have two minutes until impact, one minute before I detonate.

I don't want any innocents hurt!

If it goes down, I'm going down with it.

I knew you wouldn't let me down.

Yes, well, you have that effect on people.

I built this company for you!

I'd probably give it to you, if you'd just stand up and ask me for it honestly!

Asking for it wouldn't be any fun at all.

'Fun' is still more important to you than honor. I can't understand that.

Well, maybe you'll have better luck relating to the next generation.

You should've heard him laugh.

Made my hair stand on end, if I had any.

Surely you know I am not in the habit of playing childish pranks or laughing maniacally in the dark.

Do you even know how to laugh maniacally?

Don't tempt me.

Typical. You do and do and do for them, and what happens? They twist the knife in you!

I think I've created a monster.

Have you ever considered the bounties of genetic engineering?

Or maybe cybernetics is more your style?

Save the horror show for Halloween.

I'm sure tired of taking punishment, and I'd love to be able to give some back

That's the source of the trouble.

I hope you not planning to eat your catch.

Now that I'm in charge, I'm not taking any more of your cracks!

You're barely our species!

I'm in charge, here!

I find him very attractive.

Well, that's sicker than usual.

I'm a partner in a freak show!

I should'a figured it was crazy to stick with this crew

And if you play it smart, there'll be plenty of lettuce for everyone!

I should get my own cable TV show.

Oh, me and my big mouth.

It is the cure! It has to be!

Of course it's the cure! You must trust me!

It was you all along! I trusted you!

You turned me into a monster and I defended you!

I'm sorry it had to turn out this way.

You always overplay your hand

Tell me something' Why me?

You're old, and getting older.

I thought you might even appreciate the opportunity.

Growing old terrifies you, doesn't it?

Nothing terrifies me, because nothing is beyond my ability to change.

True immortality isn't about living forever, man; it's about what you do with the time you have.

When all your scheming's done, what will be your legacy

You're still alive! It's a miracle!

Boy, the city sure is different when it snows.

Not a bad life, all things considered.

There is a cure. There must be!

You can't keep me in here forever!

I'll get out! Do you hear? I'll get out!

About time you came back.

Why did you kidnap me? What do you want of me?

See, it wasn't as hard as you made it sound.

Ah, you wish to be immortal.

If the procedure is successful, I'll release you.

This is just a sculpture's model. The real thing is life sized, and lifelike.

What's in this for you?

Service is its own reward.

I wouldn't even know where to start looking.

You may as well be of some use to me.

Open this cage, and I'll show you how 'useless' I am.

It's hard to top that.

What you seek demands a heavy price.

Death and old age have their price as well. And it's too expensive for me.

Without your sword, you're helpless.

Swordless? Maybe. Helpless? NEVER!

What you choose to do with your life is your own affair, as long as it's got nothing to do with me.

You're just full of surprises.

No, let him go. He's earned it.

I wish it hadn't turned out this way.

I was so close to finding out if the legend was true. Now there's no one to test it on.

Throw down your weapon!

Is this a whole city of fools and lawless ruffians?

I'm the law here, pal!

You are a guardian, like myself.

I will submit to your law.

You are learning.

It will take some time.

Prepare to do battle!

I have no fight with you.

What is this, merit badge test night?

Oh well, better make sure it's an uneven fight.

The weak are to be protected, not exploited.

Aaah, who died and made you king?

If you don't know anything, why were you shooting at us?

Do I really need an excuse to have a good time in my own home?

They say a man's home is his castle, and what fun would a castle be without a dungeon?

If it gets any more saccharine in there, I'm going to put a finger down my throat.

I'd sure like to know how you got here, but I'm programmed to shoot first and ask questions later.

I demand a favor.

Death is always pointless. That is the point.

I demand reparation! My son was cruelly and unfairly taken from me!

Death is the ultimate fairness. Rich and poor, young and old - all are equal in death.

Our planet cannot support so many lives at once.

I apologize for any trouble I caused in my efforts to reclaim it.

It seems I'm out of practice dealing directly with mortals.

It seems I am unaccustomed to dealing with a god

We have all gained rare enlightenment this night

Mmmm, what a peculiar sight.

Now, that's odd.

Do you often go wandering about at night, young lady?

My dear, are you saying you don't remember your own name?

I can't seem to remember anything. I feel lucky I know how to talk.

How did I end up in the middle of the Pacific?

I guess I could use a ride

I thought you looked familiar. We've met before.

Do you know what a scroll is?

Get your claws off me!

You might want to reconsider your request.

We're gonna die!

I will not let anything harm you.

You win. I'll behave.

I cannot believe you pulled the trigger on me.

Just shut up and land.

I just don't remember! I'm not even sure I want to remember!

I understand your words, I simply do not believe them.

You have been long expected.

This trough is filled with acid. In about ten minutes its going to do a very nasty job on that soil carving, not to mention your rugged good looks.

It's my first real stab at clichéd villainy. How am I doing?

How are you doing this? No machine can hold me!

I should sue you for trademark infringement.

I've always considered myself a trickster at heart.

History cannot be changed.

You will not win!

What are you going to do? Bite my kneecaps off?

I know from experience the transforming power of a child's love.

The future is not written yet.

I have a sunny disposition and I'm always kind to animals

I've always respected you as a fellow inmate

He's a fool, but he may be useful.

I can work with that!

Now, now! That's your friends' genetic make-up you're insulting.

You are master now?

I should've known. But why this subterfuge?

Hey, I live for subterfuge!

I do not want escape, I want vengeance!

There's no such thing as "a little" vengeance.

No catches. No tricks. No strings.

So, things have come full circle.

You know how I feel about you, right?

[hoseokslefteyebrow]

You've Met With A Terrible Fate, Haven't You? || BEN DROWNED

Pairing : Yandere! Ben Drowned X Reader

Genre : Fluff, Angst, Yandere

Summary : Appears as a normal dude, but plot twist he's really not.

Wordcount: 4k lol

WARNINGS : This is fic is labeled as Yandere, for those who don't know what it means: "Somebody who is sweet and kind at first glance. But when it comes to their love (crush)they will act obsessive and violent." - Urban dictionary, poorly (but still disgustingly) described dead people, I know Ben originally doesn't kill but in the story he does, idk? Shit written¿ 

Also disclaimer this is my first time I've tried doing a yandere and it's obviously not my strongest point. Hope you enjoy either way.

You glance at the abandoned game console which your friend had dumped at your place earlier this day.

According to him, something was very, very, wrong with it. The Nintendo 64 was old, of course, but your friend mentioned not being able to pass the boss battle. He mentioned something along the lines of 'it keeps glitching and Link keeps dying'. In other words ' I know you're a hacker and I suck at this game, please hack it for me so I can feel less like a loser'.

You keep writing the email you're supposed to sent to your boss for another thirty minutes, before letting your curiosity lead you. 

Before you know it, you've plugged in the old console with more cables than originally planned because of how old it is, and with how modern your tv is. The first odd thing that strikes you is that there's only one account on it, and it's not labeled with your friend's name. 

Instead of 'Noah', it's labeled with 'BEN DROWNED' in bold passive aggressive letters.

Simply pushing it to the back of your mind, you start playing.

The second odd thing about the game is that the game has a specific date and it mentions how far BEN, or well, Noah is in the game. Yet when you click it, you have to start all over.

You shrug that off too, simply noting it as the game being old.

Before you know it, several hours pass, and you're finally at the boss battle Noah mentioned. Deciding to see if you can beat it first, you do not plug your laptop in at the Nintendo 64, and opt to play instead.

However just like Noah mentioned, you die as soon as you're close to winning and the game starts glitching.

It takes you barely ten minutes before you're fed up with it, and soon enough you plug your laptop in. You start up some programs and open up a few sites, quickly starting to work. Your fingers glide over the keys of your laptop as you type in the codes in order to hack the game, however after a few minutes, the game starts glitching heavily, and suddenly there's a sentence in bold red letters on the screen of your tv.

' YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT'

It says before the glitching becomes way too much, and some weird kind of red circle appears. Your eyes widen before unplugging the tv and game console, forgetting that your laptop is connected to it.

You miss the small glitches on the laptop screen.

- - - ᒪᓍᗩᕲᓰᘉᘜ - - -

He gritts his teeth as the access to his portal is suddenly denied, the power cut early enough to avoid him.

His red eyes wander in the green coded space, looking for an exit, something that'll make sure he can get his hands on whoever this is. Lucky for him, there's a small white space what'll lead to the outside of it.

Once he's trough, he realizes he's still close to his victim. In fact, he's even closer now.

He smirks as he realizes.

Killing her is fair game now.

- - - ᒪᓍᗩᕲᓰᘉᘜ - - - ᖴᓰᒪᘿ ᓍᘉᘿ - - »

You tap your chin as you look as the items on the shelf.

" Should I get the red one or green one?" You mumble to yourself.

" I'd recommend the green one. Green is always better." A voice from behind you startles you.

You whip your head around to look at the stranger who's talking to you.

Behind you is a male you don't recognise from anywhere. And as you start to study him, you realize he's quite handsome. He's got blonde hair, blue eyes and a rosy skin colour. He's wearing black ripped jeans, a dark green shirt, along with a black zip up hoodie, which is left open, he's got a few black ear piercings in his right ear, and has a gold chain around his neck, which disappears beneath his shirt, weighed down by a charm hidden away from your eyes. To top it all of, he's got a matching dark green beanie on top of his messily styled bangs.

" What? Did I say something wrong?" The blonde boy suddenly sweats.

You smile and shake your head.

" No, you didn't. I just tough I was alone here." You smile at him.

ØⱧ ₴₩ɆɆ₮ⱧɆ₳Ɽ₮, ɎØɄ Ⱨ₳VɆ₦'₮ ฿ɆɆ₦ ₳ⱠØ₦Ɇ ₣ØⱤ ₳ VɆⱤɎ ⱠØ₦₲ ₮ł₥Ɇ ₦Ø₩.

" I take that you talk to yourself then?" The male spits at you.

You're not sure if that's meant offensive or not.

" Um, yeah? I tend to do that sometimes yeah." You say, looking down at your hands who're still holding the red silk scarf and green silk scarf.

Đø₦'₮ ฿ɇ ₳₣ɽ₳łđ, ł ₩ø₦'₮ ⱨʉɽ₮ ɏøʉ. Øɽ ₩łⱡⱡ ł?

The unknown male's eyes soften subconsciously, looking at you with an emotion you're not familiar with.

" My name is Ben. What's yours?" 

Ben? Haven't you heard that somewhere before?

You smile at him, oblivious to the fact that you're talking to a killer.

" I'm Y/N. Nice to meet you Ben."

- - - ᒪᓍᗩᕲᓰᘉᘜ - - - ᖴᓰᒪᘿ ᓍᘉᘿ - - - » ᖽᐸᘉᓰᐺᘿS ᓍᖇ ᕼᘿᗩᖇᖶS ? ¿ »

His mind flooded with ideas.

There's so many options on what he can do to her.

Should he mess with her laptop?

Should he just kill her now?

Or should he become closer?

Maybe he should.

He looks at her trough the screen of the laptop, which is almost always open, today not being any different.

He watches her as while she watches something behind the laptop, from the sounds he can hear trough the mic, she's most likely watching tv.

Perhaps he should become closer to her.

Pull her closer only to have her blood staining his hands.

Oh yes, her blood shall soon become his.

- - - ᒪᓍᗩᕲᓰᘉᘜ - - - ᖴᓰᒪᘿ ᓍᘉᘿ - - - » ᖽᐸᘉᓰᐺᘿS ᓍᖇ ᕼᘿᗩᖇᖶS  ? ¿ » - - - ₭₦łvɇ₴

She doesn't realize it when her laptop suddenly starts itself up, nor does she know that there's a figure crawling out of it.

He stared at her with deciphering eyes, silently wondering how she isn't dead yet.

If this was anyone else, he'd had them killed already. Their blood would already be staining his face and she would already be screaming in pain and dispair.

Yet here she was, laying peacefully on her bed. Asleep, obviously not dead. 

He wonders exactly what he should do next. She doesn't know that he's standing right next to her. It almost makes him laugh.

She doesn't even know that he exists.

She doesn't know that he's here.

He glares at her before moving back into the world of codes and technology.

For now, she lives.

- - - ᒪᓍᗩᕲᓰᘉᘜ - - - ᖴᓰᒪᘿ ᓍᘉᘿ - - - » ᖽᐸᘉᓰᐺᘿS ᓍᖇ ᕼᘿᗩᖇᖶS  ? ¿ » - - - ₭₦łvɇ₴ - - - ᖴᗩᓰᒪ

" And then it suddenly started glitching and stuff. Weird isn't it?" You finish off your story as you look at your new friend, Ben.

After meeting in the grocery store, he had suddenly texted you. 

Not knowing how he got your number, you got concerned, and asked him. According to him, you had given it to him yourself. At first you didn't believe him, until he told you to check the time of his first message, which somehow was indeed around the same time you were in the grocery store. After that you just shrugged it off as that you forgot it yourself. After all, you knew yourself to be a person with the memory of a goldfish.

Today the two of you met up again, for the fourth time this week.

" Odd indeed. What did you do after that?" Ben asked, acting as if he's interested, even tough he's really not.

" I unplugged it. I think I'm gonna lay off hacking for a while." You shrugged, taking a sip of your drink.

Before he could even think of a response, there was an unknown woman at your table, also holding a cup of coffee.

" Y/N? Long time no see." The new woman greeted you with a smile, sitting down beside you on the booth.

Ben scowled at the newcomer.

Ⱨø₩ đ₳ɽɇ ₴ⱨɇ ₴ł₮ ฿ɇ₴łđɇ ₩ⱨ₳₮'₴ ₥ł₦ɇ ₩ł₮ⱨøʉ₮ ₥ɏ ₱ɇɽ₥ł₴₴łø₦

" Hey, Sara. It's indeed been too long. How are you?" You started chatting with Sara.

Meanwhile Ben's anger only grew.

" My names Ben." Ben suddenly dryly joined your conversation as he slammed his drink down onto the table aggressively, looking straight into Sara's eyes.

" Sorry. Didn't see you there. I'm Sara nice to mee-"

" Yeah, yeah, whatever. Leave. We didn't invite you to come sit with us." Ben spat at her, looking at her with an intense look in his eyes.

Both you and your friend turned to look at him in confusion.

" Is something wrong with me being here? Did I offend you?" Sara asked, genuinely concerned.

Ben was fuming now, on the inside. Who does this girl think she is? First she comes to sit at their table uninvited, then she's capturing the attention of his new favorite plaything, and now she's questioning him? She has to go.

- - - ᒪᓍᗩᕲᓰᘉᘜ - - - ᖴᓰᒪᘿ ᓍᘉᘿ - - - » ᖽᐸᘉᓰᐺᘿS ᓍᖇ ᕼᘿᗩᖇᖶS  ? ¿ » - - - ₭₦ŁVɆ₴ - - - ᖴᗩᓰᒪ - - - ᖇᘿᗷᓍᓍᖶ SᖻSᖶᘿᘻ

He heard her conversation with a male he certainly doesn't know trough her phone, using the microphone without her knowing.

According to what he knows, they're on a date. And according to her contacts, his name is Jaime. He can't find where they met, nor did he know why they met up.

But now that she's checked her reflexion one too many times, and made a pic of her full outfit to send to him, probably to mock him for not having her, ɏɇ₮, he realizes that she's on a date.

After some research by surfing quite literally trough the internet. It turned out this 'Jaime' person was Mexican, and had a soft persona. On his facebook page were pictures where he's working with animals or doing volunteers' work or overall just something where he's helping others. He found the black haired male pathetic, weak even.

In all honesty, even he himself didn't really find him a threat. Not when he looked like that and was overall just kind and bambi looking.

However, all his expectations are thrown out of the window when he hears them say their goodbyes.

" You know, I had a lot of fun tonight. You're really a nice person. In fact, I'd like to go on another date with you again." This voice was definitely that of a male's, probably Jaime.

" I agree. I had a lot of fun too." She said.

₣Ʉ₦? ⱧØ₩ ₵₳₦ Ł₮ ฿Ɇ ₳₦Ɏ ₣Ʉ₦ ₩Ł₮ⱧØɄ₮ ₥Ɇ?

" Good. Do you have a ride or would you like me to drive you home?-" He blocks out the rest of their conversation.

It appears that the good guy needs to go too.

- - - ᒪᓍᗩᕲᓰᘉᘜ - - - ᖴᓰᒪᘿ ᓍᘉᘿ - - - » ᖽᐸᘉᓰᐺᘿS ᓍᖇ ᕼᘿᗩᖇᖶS  ? ¿ » - - - ₭₦ŁVɆ₴ - - - ᖴᗩᓰᒪ - - - ᖇᘿᗷᓍᓍᖶ SᖻSᖶᘿᘻ - - - ᖇᘿᗷᓍᓍᖶ ᑢᓍᘻᕵᒪᘿᖶᘿ - ᓍᕵᘿᘉ ᖴᓰᒪᘿ ∆

" We should spend more time together." Ben says randomly as the two of you snuggle on the couch.

You giggle, your ears tinting red.

" We're already together all the time tough." You tell him softly.

" I know, but still. By the way, did your stupid date reply yet?" He asked, eyes focused on the tv in front of the two of you.

" No, and don't call him stupid." You pout, softly scolding him.

₲ØØĐ

He grins at you with mysterious eyes.

You shrug it off, knowing it's part of him. The two of you have been hanging out for a while now. Almost three months to be precise. And you two have gotten very close. What used to be keeping distance and keeping the line between acquaintances and friends, had turned into friends or something more. You two almost hung out every day, you were basically attached to each other's hip now.

After a few peacefull moments, you excused yourself to the bathroom.

Right as you left, your phone rang.

He turned to look at the disturbing sound  his eyes widening at the name which is appearing on the screen.

 SARA

He stumbled over the couch to pick it up, an unpleasant feeling of suprise rising whitin him.

" Y/N?! You have to listen to me! Ben is not who you think he is! He's this-"

" I'm this what?" Ben smirked.

Damn you were taking a long time in the bathroom, not that he minded.

The other end of the line was dead silent.

" Don't worry. You don't need to say anything. I'll come home soon. And trust me, once I am, you will never be able to speak a word again." He spoke, an eerie calm in his voice.

" Goodbye, Sara." He said before hanging up.

" Sara called?" Your voice suddenly startled him.

" What? Oh, yeah. But she was in a hurry so she said she'd call you later." He smiled innocently.

You nodded and the two of you resumed watching the movie.

" Isn't there a way, that we could spend more time together?" He suddenly wondered out loud.

You sighed and turned to face him.

" I'm sorry Ben, but I have a job and I like spending time with other people too. So I'm afraid not." You told him softly.

An idea coded itself into his mind.

JɄ₴₮ ₮ⱤɄ₴₮ ₥Ɇ, ɎØɄ'ⱠⱠ ฿Ɇ ₥Ł₦Ɇ ₴ØØ₦

- - - ᒪᓍᗩᕲᓰᘉᘜ - - - ᖴᓰᒪᘿ ᓍᘉᘿ - - - » ᖽᐸᘉᓰᐺᘿS ᓍᖇ ᕼᘿᗩᖇᖶS  ? ¿ » - - - ₭₦ŁVɆ₴ - - - ᖴᗩᓰᒪ - - - ᖇᘿᗷᓍᓍᖶ SᖻSᖶᘿᘻ - - - ᖇᘿᗷᓍᓍᖶ ᑢᓍᘻᕵᒪᘿᖶᘿ - ᓍᕵᘿᘉ ᖴᓰᒪᘿ ∆ - - - ᕲᓍᘺᘉᒪᓍᗩᕲᓰᘉᘜ

You sighed in dispair in the night air as you walked home. Once again, you were rejected in a job interview.

A few days ago you were fired from the job you actually liked. You couldn't understand why either. You didn't do anything wrong, you were quite hardworking and always finished the documents in time.

Your supervisor looked afraid, terrified even when he told you to immediately pack your bags and leave, and ever since you just can't seem to get in anywhere. Not even the gas station wanted you in charge.

" Well hello there. What do we have here." A creepy voice suddenly sounded from behind you.

You turned around only to be greeted by a man with a creepy smile and even creepier, eye lid-less eyes. He was holding a knife, making his intentions obvious.

You didn't need to think twice about his intentions and whipped your phone out of your pocket with the intentions to call the cops and running.

The killer sadly isn't stupid, and has you on the ground under him whitin seconds.

Your phone's screen crack and slides to the other side, the dialed number not pressed on call yet.

" Don't cry sweetheart. It doesn't suit your pretty face. Don't fret, I'll make sure, you'll smile forever. " The killer tells you happily.

Both of you don't realize that your phone screen suddenly lights up in a green colour. Nor does either of you realize the figure crawling out of it.

The both of you don't realize, until the killer is off you and tackled down on the ground beside you.

" I've told you before. She's fucking mine. Go bother someone else." Ben's voice sounds suddenly.

You turn your head to look at him.

This time he does not wear jeans and a sweater. No  this time, he looks like he came straight out of a... Video game? He looks like Link, the main personage of the game which your friend Noah had dropped off at your place around six months ago. 

Ben never told you he was into cosplaying.

Your ears suddenly tinted pink as you realized, he called you his. Suddenly you felt a little giddy, the guy you like so much might actually like you back.

The killer underneath Ben growls out something you can't hear before throwing the shorter off him and leaving.

" Are you okay?" You ask him.

He turns to you with red eyes.

Red. Fucking. Eyes.

And that's not the only thing about his eyes that changed.

Instead of the usual white eyes have, his are now black.

And even there it doesn't end.

There's blood running down his eyes onto his cheeks, as if he's crying blood.

You take a step back.

What the fuck is this?

" Don't be afraid! I know I look a little... Weird, but it's all just part of my..... Cosplay." He explains.

You ponder over it.

He's never gave you a reason to not trust you right? Or did he? 

You ignore the instinct to run away from him, instead choosing to calm down and follow your heart, which is telling you to trust him.

" Come with me. You can stay at my place tonight." Ben tells you, holding his hand out to you.

You take it.

₲ØØĐ ⱠŁ₮₮ⱠɆ ₱Ʉ₱₱Ɏ

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It took longer than expected to reach his house. The whole road to his house is creepy. Ben appartly lives in this supermodern house in the woods.

Which is off already, the woods are known troughout the whole town as mystery. According to urban legends, there's creatures loving in there who shouldn't exist. Because of that, there's barely any people there. According to Ben, everything is all clear and safe, and you trust him with your heart.

You don't question him after his answer and instead follow him into the,indeed very,modern little house which is situated hidden behind the trees.

You get directly hit in the face with a copper scent as soon as you step foot into his house.

" Would you like something to drink?" He asks you as you enter his house, neither of you bothering to take your shoes off.

" Just water please." You tell him as you study the place.

The inside of the small house is more modern than the outside, with a big living space and an open kitchen. There's also three doors in the hallway.

One to the bathroom, one leading upstairs and one leading into the basement.

" Here you go." Ben returns, handing you a glass of water.

" Thanks, aren't you going to take off your make up and lenses?" You ask him.

His smile fades a bit, and for a moment you think you've accidentally offended him, but he nods with a pout before you can think about it twice.

" Yeah, that's probably a good idea. The livingroom is at the end of this hallway, feel free to make yourself comfortable." He smiles before going upstairs.

You stand still for a moment in the hallway as an eerie feeling suddenly starts crawling up your spine.

You ignore it, and instead start walking towards the livingroom.

Until the sound of something falling reaches your ears.

A sound that is directed from the basement.

Your first idea is to call for Ben, to alert him that you two probably aren't alone.

You don't do that however, because it could just be something falling off a shelf, right?

And so you decide to investigate it yourself.

As soon as you open the door to the basement, you're directly hit in the face with a very prominent copper scent. The same on you already smelled when you entered his house, except it's way too strong and there's something eerily familiar about it which you just can't pinpoint.

You silently push the door open, and turn on the lightswitch to the basement. Behind the door is a stony staircase, the rest of the basement is hidden away behind a wall. Curiosity takes over you, and you make your way downstairs before you can think about it twice.

As soon as you near the bottom, you spot blotches of red. The deep red substance is spread like a trail from he bottom stairs onto the rest of the room.

And then it clicks in your mind. It's blood. That's also the smell in the air. Was the intruder injured?

You step down the stairs while following the blood trail with you eyes.

You stumble back in fear and unpleasant suprise at the sight that greets you.

There's dead people down here. Most of which you don't recognise, but a few you do. 

You gasp as you look into a pair of wide blue eyes.

Sara.

She's sitting there, eyes wide open, with cuts all over. There's big ones in her rib case and near her organs, you can even see Intestines spread over the floor.

She's obviously dead.

But how come she's here?

Ben didn't do this? Did he?

Next to her is Jaime, who's eyes are closed but his chest is rising and falling.

He's alive.

You run over to him and shake him awake, not minding the blood that's now on your hands.

" Jaime! Please! Wake up!" You say desperately, tears now escaping your eyes.

" Y/N? Y/N! You have to get out of here. Ben, he's not who you think he is!" He tells you desperately.

" I'm not leaving you! Can you walk?" You ask him trough your tears.

" I'm chipped Y/N, you have to go. Get help. Ben's insane. He's a de-"

" Demon? Mass murderer? Failure? Dead? Is one of those what you wanted to tell her? How dare you lie to her! I'm none of those!" A voice suddenly booms trough the air.

You turn around while starting to shake. Jaime tries to hold you close to him with the little strength he has left. There Ben stands, still with red pupils and black eyes, dried red streaks still on his cheeks.

" Don't fucking touch her." Ben screams angrily, ripping you all but gently away from the male, causing you to tremble against him.

" Don't be afraid my love, he won't touch you again." Ben sushes you.

Is he really thinking that you're afraid of him?

" N-no. Let me go. Do-don't touch me." You tell him, pushing away from him.

He looks confused by your behavior.

" What's wrong baby? Please don't believe whatever lies he told you.-"

" What lies?! That you've killed my friend?! That you've killed these innocent people?! That you've chipped him?!" You yelled.

" They all deserved it Y/N! They're all in the way of our love!" Ben yells back desperately, stepping towards you.

" I don't even know these people!" You say, stepping back into the wall, knocking into a shelf.

You turn around to see what you knocked into.

Wait, is that the Nintendo 64?

" They all stared at you with sick twisted ideas! They really do deserve it." He tells you.

Suddenly it clicks in your mind.

" You're Ben from the game." You state.

He nods.

" Yes bu-"

" How?.."

" You clicked my game onto your computer remember."

" It was you wasn't it? You're the reason I've lost my job. You're the reason my friends all turned their back to me." You wishper, eyes now gathering in your eyes.

You've been so incredibly fucking stupid.

He's the reason your life has turned down the drain.

" Yes. But it's good right. Now we can finally be together." He says like a crazy man in love.

Which he is.

You start sobbing as you fall onto your knees realizing, all these people here. They've all died because of you.

" Hey, don't worry my live. We can now finally be together."

ɎØɄ'VɆ ₥Ɇ₮ ₩Ł₮Ⱨ ₳ ₮ɆⱤⱤŁ฿ⱠɆ ₣₳₮Ɇ, Ⱨ₳VɆ₦'₮ ɎØɄ?

 ᘜ ᗩ ᘻ ᘿ  ᓍ ᐺ ᘿ ᖇ.