#tw: major character injuries

[untoldsoup]

Worked on this all day to make sure I could get this update out earlier than planned lol. Thanks for all your patience over the past 1.5 months waiting for this update!! Anyway big things coming in part two! Please read the tags for this before reading as some content can bother some people. Comments appreciated i worked so hard on this.

previous: chapter 1 and 2

next: here

This is a sequel! First comic can be found here.

[radio-writes]

It's about time for your blood to spill + you should sleep + we were soulmates

(Congrats on the 300 followers btw!)

Now, The Echoes Interlace

300 Followers Event

Warnings: Blood, physical injuries to reader, ambiguous major character death(s), angst

Tags: Alastor x reader, gn reader, relationship can be read in any way

MDNI

"You always have looked so pretty in red, Al." You hummed as your combed your fingers through his soft hair. You pressed your fingers against his scalp, lightly massaging against his antlers.

The light static that varied in volume crackled. "Fuck you." Alastor managed to say as his head laid on your lap.

His smile was strained—present, of course, as it always was, but strained. The trail of blood from his mouth dripped from his chin, joining the warm pool under both your bodies.

"Rude." You scolded him. Your breath coming out in a hiss as Alastor dug his claws into an open wound on your leg. 

"Must you continue to hurt me? You're already dying." You glared down at him as you would at a misbehaving pet.

You leaned forward, easily removing his hand from your body without much of a struggle. He only had so much strength left after all. 

"Fuck you." Alastor repeated, static morphing his voice this time around.

"Yes, well, I get that you're mad, Al." You continued your casual tone. "But it was about time for your blood to spill, don't you think?"

You grunted as you leaned your back against the cold wall again, sighing as the tension on the wound across your stomach was lessened.

"F—"

"Fuck me, yes yes." You cut him off. "Save your strength or you'll die out faster."

Alastor didn't mean to listen to you, but he just felt far too tired to argue otherwise.

Your hand returned to his head, damp with sweat and blood, and yet somehow still so adorably fluffy. Leave it to this guy to still look so presentable even when dying a second time around.

Your fingers scratched at one of his tufts of hair, causing it to give a slight, involuntary twitch.

"So they are ears." Your voice was soft. "I always assumed but was never really sure, you know?"

Alastor didn't respond. His red eyes continued to glare at you.

He adjusted his hands to lay over his chest. A weak attempt to slow his loss of blood. He didn't even have enough energy to press on it anymore.

"Hey, Al." You wheezed, breath slightly knocked from you. You had adjusted the way you sat so the demon could lay more comfortably on your lap. "Do you remember how we first met?"

"You told me that cheesy pick up line. How'd it go again?" Your hand paused as you tried to remember. 

A rather dashing demon slid up to you at the bar; charming, sharp smile, on full display. You've seen all sorts of sinners by now, but none so happy while rotting in hell.

You expected him to sell you drugs, or quite bluntly tell you to sleep with him. What you got instead was a very corny: 

"You must be buried treasure, because I am absolutely digging you." You let out a tired laugh, hand continuing to pet Alastor once more.

The sound of static crackling again was the only response you got. You think it meant fuck you. 

"Well you must be treasure as well, Al. Because it seems I'll be burying you tonight." You met Alastor's harsh glare with a soft smile.

"What? That absolutely was funny, you can't deny it." You defended yourself.

Alastor didn't think him dying was funny at all, actually, but he didn't exactly have any energy left to say that.

His smile was a tight, close lipped one, but you see his lips try to curl just a tiny bit in what you assumed would have been a snarl. 

"You always thought I was hilarious." Your own hand moving over the gash on your neck as if it was a mild inconvenience. You titled your head as you looked down at the demon on your lap. "What changed?"

Alastor merely glared at you.

Your eyes traveled down his body, staying on the deep wound oozing across his chest.

"That's not fair, Al." You laughed tiredly, eyes staying on his bloodied torso. "I always thought you were incredibly handsome—sinfully so really. But your attempts at killing me never changed that."

"Fuck you." The static over his voice was gone now. His tone was as spiteful, angry, and condescending as always, but much, much weaker.

Your eyes drifted back to his face. His smile was still present, but his lovely red eyes seemed more unfocused than they were a second ago.

Your hand in his hair stopped their movements. For a moment, the world was still as you wondered if your company had already left.

But it was merely for a heart beat, as a ragged breath from his lips snapped time back into motion.

You pealed your fingers from his hair, bringing them down to softly rub your knuckles down his cheek. He doesn't so much as flinch, but, you knew he would have had he been able to.

"Hey, old pal." You cooed softly. "You should sleep, you look so very tired."

His fingers on his chest twitched once, but you didn't get much of a reply anymore after that.

You sighed heavily. Your hands rested on his face as you leaned your head against the wall behind you, face craned upwards to the red sky that covered all of Hell.

Your own eyes closed, realizing just how tired and weary you yourself were.

Still, you were never one to be silent around a friend—or foe. It had always been unclear to you when it came to Alastor.

"We were soulmates, wouldn't you say so, Al?" You continued softly. "But in a funnier way, I think, where we were always meant to destroy the other."

Alastor's skin felt as it always did beneath your fingers. The stench of blood heavy as it always was around him. You felt his familiar eerie presence by you, as you always did.

And yet, you were unsure if he actually was still there. You were quite conflicted about how you were supposed to feel about that, truth be told.

"Fuck you, old friend." You sighed, eyes remaining closed, smile tiredly stretching across your own lips.

[aainiouu]

Just…

———

Buck gets reckless again, with his own life, and he gets hurt.

He gets hurt rescuing Tommy.

And when Tommy gets to Buck, him being little banged up but otherwise ok and Buck knocking on death’s door.

Buck grins and coughs out and he’s clinging to conciousness.

”I bet you didn’t see this coming, that actually, you would be my last.”

Tommy screams ”Evan! EVAN!?”

But Buck can no longer hear him.

———

Sorry?

[clangenrising]

Month 19 - Leaffall

Lakepaw was trying to sleep, her head aching and her skin clammy, when the night was split by sudden caterwauling. She jolted out of her nest, head swimming, as a cacophony of screaming voices flooded into the den from outside. 

“What’s going on?” Sagetooth groaned weakly, trying to sit up.

“I dunno,” Lakepaw whispered. Steadying herself, she crept quickly and quietly to the mouth of the den, staying low and light on her paws. Out in the clearing, a horde of cats was engaged in combat, hissing and clawing at each other with bloody muzzles and fur between their claws. Lakepaw’s eyes widened in fear. 

“It’s rogues!” she whispered back to Sagetooth. “There’s rogues in camp!” 

“Fox-dung!” Sagetooth spat under her breath.

Lakepaw tried to pick familiar faces out of the storm of fur and teeth. There, Yarrowshade dodged blows from two separate kittypets. There, Pantherhaze tumbled with a black and white cat twice his size. There, Ospreymask grabbed a kittypet by the ear and tore him off of Slatepaw’s struggling form only for another cat to lunge for the apprentice’s tail as soon as she was on her feet. The warriors were outnumbered and fighting tooth and nail to keep their heads above the metaphorical water. 

“Get off me!” Lakepaw heard Yellowkit screaming and her gaze whipped to the nursery where a scarred smoky tabby was struggling to lift the kit by the scruff while another kittypet pursued Bluekit deeper into the den. 

“I have to go help them!” Lakepaw said, looking back at Sagetooth. The old healer had heaved herself from her nest and tossed the moss from her forehead, stumbling back to the herb stores with a wobbly step. She didn’t seem to register what Lakepaw had said and suddenly she wasn’t so sure if she should leave Sagetooth alone. 

“This way,” she heard a stranger’s voice close by and instinctively pressed herself against the wall of the den and out of sight. “Their herbs are stored in one of these dens.” 

“Not this one,” another voice said from somewhere to the side -- Goldenstar’s den, most likely.

Lakepaw backed away from the entrance, tail bristling and tried to make herself as big as she could. If the rogues got to the herbs, cats would surely die of injuries. She couldn’t let that happen. Besides, Sagetooth was back there, heat-stricken and vulnerable. Lakepaw took a slow deep breath and tried to remember everything Floodstrike had taught her, deeply grateful she had been putting in extra battle training hours lately. 

Two kittypets pushed their way into the den, the first of them a smallish brown tabby with a dark mask and a silver collar. He narrowed his eyes as he saw her, back arching slightly. The other, standing a step behind him, was a white, snub-nosed tom who raised his brows and cocked his head, an amused smile on his face.

“Aww, she’s trying to be intimidating,” the white cat purred mockingly. “Should we take her with us too?” 

“If you want to deal with her, be my guest,” the tabby scowled. “I’m going to do what we came here for.” He took a step forward and Lakepaw hissed loudly, rearing up on her toes. 

“Stay back!” she spat, “You’re not allowed in here!” 

“Oh no,” the tabby said sarcastically, “I guess we’ll have to turn around.” Then he glanced over his shoulder and said, “Casper?”  

The white cat shouldered his way past the tabby and prowled towards her, grinning. Lakepaw knew she had to move. She bunched her legs underneath her and lunged at his face, swatting at him with a series of quick claw strikes. He hissed and reared back before headbutting her squarely in the nose. She cried out and thumped gracelessly onto the ground. Her pre-existing headache throbbed nauseatingly and she nearly gagged when a heavy paw pressed down on her abdomen. She vaguely registered the tabby picking his way past her with careful pawsteps. 

He opened his mouth to scent the air as he ventured deeper, saying to himself, “Alright, now where are those-” 

He cried out suddenly as Sagetooth’s familiar hiss sounded over the noise of a solid thwap. Lakepaw tilted her head to watch the kittypet recoiling, blood pooling over the bridge of his nose. Sagetooth had apparently been waiting around the corner and now she struck out again, scraping her claws against his cheek. 

“Get out, you faithless, snake-hearted kittypets!” the old healer snarled, swaying on her feet. “Begone! And may StarClan curse you for all your days!” 

“You backwards old hag!” the tabby spat back and struck Sagetooth on the side of the head so hard that her face collided with the wall of the den. With a loud thunk, she slid to the ground, groaning weakly. 

Lakepaw twisted and bit the paw pinning her down as hard as she could. Casper yanked it back with a hiss of pain and she scrambled to her feet then charged the smaller tom. With a leap, she sank her claws into his back and the two of them toppled under her momentum. The tom cried out, flailing his legs in her direction, but she clung tightly with her forepaws and rabbit-kicked as hard as she could with claws unsheathed. His flesh tore under her blows and another wave of nausea overtook her just long enough for the tom to wrench himself free from her grasp. 

“Insufferable little-!” the tabby puffed up as he got to his feet, looking like he’d just suffered a terrible indignity. 

“Lakepaw, run,” Sagetooth managed to say, shifting her weight as she tried to stand. 

“Ah, ah, ah!” the tom said as if correcting a naughty kitten and smacked Sagetooth sharply on the forehead again. She crumpled to the ground but that didn’t stop him. He kept raining blows on her head one after the other after the other. Lakepaw screamed and lunged for him but Casper intercepted her with a hook of his claws, pulling her tight to his chest. She thrashed, vision blurring through tears, but couldn’t seem to free herself. 

“That’s what you get!” the tabby shrieked with one final strike. “How dare you lay your paws on me?!” Lakepaw held her breath and strained her ears but Sagetooth didn’t even moan. A tense silence filled the den, contrasted by the sounds of battle still raging outside. Lakepaw desperately blinked the tears from her eyes and nearly burst into tears again when she saw the blood dripping out of Sagetooth’s nose, the healer’s eyelids moving sluggishly over her fully dilated pupils. 

“Sagetooth!” she wailed, paws shaking. 

The tabby took a deep, slow breath and let it out shakily then ran his tongue over his paw like he had dirtied it by touching her. When he straightened back up, he was wearing a placid smile as if nothing had happened. 

“Right,” he said to himself, glancing over at the cat holding Lakepaw captive. “Are you really going to bother with that thing?” He frowned at her in distaste. 

“Maybe,” Casper shrugged. “We’re here for their kits, aren’t we?” Lakepaw trembled against his chest, too afraid to move. 

“We’re here for the exalted kits,” the tabby scoffed. “This one’s a savage through and through. Look, she’s already bitten you. Just be done with her and help me with the actually important work.” 

“Fine,” Casper sighed and suddenly teeth were in Lakepaw’s throat. She gasped sharply, clawed at his face and kicked at the paws holding her still but they didn’t budge. With a tug of his head, he ripped something in her neck and then dropped her to the floor, stepping over her with a few quick strides. She fumbled to stand but collapsed again, slipping in her own blood as it soaked her fur all the way down her right foreleg and pattered into the dirt. 

“Everything gets destroyed,” the tabby said. “I don’t want a single usable leaf left.” 

“Whatever you say, Sardine,” said Casper. 

Lakepaw crawled across the floor, feeling dizzy. It took all of her strength to drag herself over to Sagetooth and gently rest their foreheads against each other. 

“It’s… gonna be okay, Sagetooth,” she murmured, closing her eyes so she could focus on the words. “We just have to hang on… It’s gonna be… okay…” Sagetooth didn’t respond. Lakepaw sniffled and tried to purr, hoping that maybe -- just maybe -- that would be enough to keep Sagetooth awake until someone came to help them.

UPDATES: - Sagetooth and Lakepaw are killed by rogues.

[hmshermitcraft]

joel had a head. two arms. two legs. plain to see. he also had one pair of wings. it wasn't plain to see.

so he lied. he said he was as human as the sky was blue. and then when they asked about his antenna, something he forgot humans didn't have, he lied some more. one quarter ogre he said. said he loved shrek to seal the deal a bit more.

nobody needed to know about the remains of his wings, charred edges that stuck out like small pretty and shimmering blue pieces of burnt paper against scarred skin.

he'd never fly again. that was plain to see.

so nobody needed to know what happened or why.

that's how he liked it.

that's how he would've liked it.

because as like all things, grian knew. joel didn't want to know how or why, but he knew.

And yet, Grian never does anything about it. If anything, the guy seems more awkward around Joel for knowing. It's like a strange, unspoken issue neither of them dare bring up. Makes for some stupidly awkward conversations; Joel feels bad for all the friends he's dragged in to mediate.

And yet, when Joel is dealing with pain from the scarring, he spots Grian fleeing from his house. He doesn't think the guy saw Joel, and Joel finds a pot of cream that ends up working better than anything he's tried before left behind.

Joel leaves some flowers. As thanks. It's the best he has to offer.

[typicalopposite]

𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝙸 𝚃𝚛𝚢 𝚃𝚘 𝙵𝚕𝚢 (𝙸 𝙵𝚊𝚕𝚕)

BuckTommy Fic | M | 41,371 Words

Link to AO3 | Original Tumblr Post

Summary: They tried to tell him. They tried to warn him. He let his own inner voices be louder than the ones who were pleading with him to look at the damage he was causing. Then when he finally decides to listen… It's too late.

There is blood on his hands…

Tommy’s blood is on his hands…

Hello beautiful people! I decided to just make my normal Fic Post for this last one, so if you're just finding this fic, the ao3 link will take you to chapter one. If you're all caught up, the epilogue is posted to ao3 now I just want to thank you all for going along this ride with me! I really never expected it to become what it did, it was just a sad little idea I had... but I'm really glad I wrote it! <3

Tagging the OG's and then some that showed interest from the beginning. Hope you all enjoy it <3

@bucksxkinard @30somethingautisticteacher @girlwonder-writes @kinkley-are-adorkable-flirts @sira1420 @somethingaboutfirefly @ilikethe-internet @itsametaphorok @mannafromtevan @marvelousbuckley

@houseofevanbuckley @parrishjeanna @samar-arijjj @peppermintquartz @saraliiinn @sunset-bobby @onthewaytosomewhere

[mika-writes-fanfics]

As It Was

Dabi x Reader Angst

Warnings/tags: angst, hurt/no comfort, brief mentions of burns, major character death, pre-established relationship, reader cares for flowers

Synopsis: Dabi returns to you after completing his life's mission, his body now badly burned and damaged. He wonders, will you accept him with open arms? Will you take what is left of him?

Author's note: I've been on a Hozier binge. "As It Was" from Wasteland, Baby! was giving me major Dabi vibes. This is kind of different from the content I usually like to write and read, but I felt so inspired I just had to write it. Word count: 1.1K

He’s now thankful your home is on the outer reaches of the city, tucked in a secluded pocket between the border of the forest and the concrete hell of the city. After what he’s done, there’s not a person in Japan that wouldn’t recognize his face. Had you not lived in the middle of nowhere, he’d already be arrested by some weak police officer or jumped by some rookie hero. 

It’s ironic, the thinks, that his opinion has changed. He hated it, at one point. You lived so far away from his shitty apartment at the time, meaning that every time he wanted to see you, he had to take the agonizingly long train rides. It was like you lived in a fucking retirement community since all the elderly would take the same train, giving him judgemental stares all the while. It pissed him off to no end. And if that wasn’t enough, being in the forest always reminded him of Sekoto. 

But still, he bore it all for you, back before he let his rage consume him. 

Before he devoted himself entirely to revenge. 

Before he started burning himself all over again. 

Before he fucked it all up.

Despite the way he left you, he hopes you’ll be kind enough to him to accept his return, to not instantly slam the door in his face.

If he even makes it to your doorstep, that is.

Each step he takes feels like a battle between life and death. These heavy and labored movements exhaust him, made worse by the state your driveway is in. Of all the days for it to rain, it just had to be today. The torrential downpours make the path harder to traverse. Mud clings to his boots with every trudging step he takes, threatening to suck him into the earth, burying him at his final resting place. 

The puddles of water settling in the tire tracks of your car show him grim reminders of his appearance, showing him glimpses of just how ghastly he’s become.

He’s a burnt husk of what he once was.

Nothing is left of him now that he's achieved his life’s purpose. 

The only thing that remains of him is this homing instinct to return to you.

To go back to the start. 

To give you what’s left of him.

To feel his final sensation of comfort.

To feel loved again.

He’s faced with the reality of how long it’s been when he finally catches sight of your home. In the year he was by your side, he never saw those Foxgloves bloom once, as he met you in the late summer. But now, judging by the towering violet, bell-shaped flowers framing the sides of your window, it’s been three years.

It’s in this moment that his mind replays the memory of the following summer, the one in which he noticed you agonizing over the flowerless plant beds. He remembers it, with surprising clarity amongst the mental fog. 

“Why do you bother taking care of those stupid flowers if they never fucking bloom?” He asked you, critically. 

“They’re foxgloves,” you answered. 

“So?”

“So, they do bloom, just biennially, and their flowering season just passed. You’ll see why I keep ‘em around in another year,” you explained.

The fact you even implied he’d still be in your life a year from then filled him with a sense of security. Whether you meant it or not, he took it as a promise, and kept it tucked in the darker reaches of his heart. 

Three long years have passed since he left you, since he abandoned you without a word. But he has known you have a patient side to you, he’s seen it in the way you always gave him space in his darkest days, how you allowed him the time to come back to you when he was ready, how you never took his frustrating habit of pushing you away to heart, weathering his toxicity with love and carefulness. Maybe, since you’re so patient, you have been waiting for him. If you welcomed those flowers despite their long absence, maybe you’d accept him, too. 

Normally, he’d sneer at the thought of you turning him into such a hopeless romantic, a weaker version of himself, but considering how there’s nothing left of him anyways, he’s fine with the idea. Maybe the positivity you give him would turn him into something beautiful again. 

He finally climbs up to your doorstep and stumbles against the door. When his shaky and weak hands turn the knob, expecting to be met with a locked door, it turns easily without resistance. Your door is unlocked, which in his state of hopeful delusion, he interprets as you waiting for him.

Maybe you knew he would come back.

You had made it easy for him to crawl back into your life.

Or maybe you just forgot to lock it. 

He swings open the door as he leans against the door frame. Any other time, the sound of the groaning hinges would grate at his ears, but right now, the sound feels familiar and comforting. It feels like nothing has changed, everything is as it once was.

He trudges deeper into your home, shambling past your living room and tracking mud all over your floors. There’s a pit of anxiety forming in his stomach the longer he walks through your home without seeing a glimpse of you. But it’s when he approaches the kitchen that he hears you humming, the sound calming his mind. 

His boots thud on your tiled floor, loud, and uneven. He sways as he walks, bumping into one of your dining chairs, the movement scraping the chair against the floor. Your humming abruptly cuts off at the sound and you turn to the source, on high alert, only to see him propping himself up against the walls.

A sharp gasp escapes your lungs. 

All he can see is you as the edges of his vision grey out. Against your better judgment, you rush over to him as his legs start buckling underneath him.  

He starts to collapse on the spot. You close the distance and open your arms around him, catching his fall and attempting to bear the brunt of his weight. 

Despite what he’s done, despite how he left you so suddenly, he can still feel your love for him.

It’s in the way you try to make sure he doesn’t fall, despite tripping being the least concern to him given his injuries.

It’s how your voice sounds frantic as you ask him if he’s okay if he can hear you, if he’s still in there.

It’s how you start to sob at seeing the state he’s in. 

You’re so worried about getting him to lie on the ground safely and checking his pulse that you fail to see him softly smiling at how you fuss over him, what’s left of his burnt face forcing out a peaceful expression. 

The last thing he hears, the last thing he feels, the last thing he thinks about, is you.

[etherealstrike]

Tw hypothermia and major blood and visible ribcage

"It is sae cold..."

.

.

.

"Have ye seen mah brother.....Donald?"

[layraket]

Day 18 - Revenge

Character(s): Sky and Legend (LU)

Words: 446

Summary: Sky will do anything for his family, blood or not related. This time the first one was the reason of bloodshed

Whump scale: 4 (see the full scale here)

Warnings: Major Character Death, sliced bread and strawberry jelly used to describe violence, injury, derealization(? I didn't wrote this as that, but now reading it again I'm putting the warning just in case

-

Sky was too slow, always too slow.

Every time he tried to reach for the ones he searches for, each time he’s faced with the consequences of his slow pace.

If he was a second faster, if he decided to ignore that injury, he would be holding in his arms the one he desired to protect.

He would not be seeing Legend’s throat, open like a clean cut on bread bathed in strawberry jelly. The bakers being these stupid-looking-banana-obsessed assassins.

If his insults didn’t make sense, that’s because his head wasn’t making sense. The only thing that was as clear as the water that Faron protects and keeps as her terrain is that he’s angry.

Angry towards the ones that sliced his sweet, grumpy and still so young descendant’s throat. Angry towards himself for not being fast enough, again.

Voices were distant, someone was talking to him. Wavy hair, a blonde that reflected the light, almost making it look like it was shining, inexistent gusts of wind playing with it. Not a soft straight hair, darker blonde and parts of a soft pink.

He will never be able to see that hair without red tainting it ever again.

These voices, people he thinks, aren’t important right now. The ones holding him back weren’t important. His child was the priority.

Fi. Were was she? Her glow, easily seen across the room, got his attention. These fuckers hold her hostage, a light more closely resembling an orange one, but still her.

Running never was his stronger ability, but when he needed, he ran. Fast. Fi was in his hands, safe and powerful.

So powerful, so fast, that strawberry jelly turned to be the main toping for this amount of sliced bread.

Someone was talking, a topic about a stupid pig or something like that. He didn’t want to hear.

The bread was ready, strawberry jelly spilled all across the place.

He was hungry. He didn’t like strawberry jelly; a simple apple was enough to make him satisfied. His favorite apple wasn’t here anymore. Just strawberry jelly and sliced bread.

Someone else was talking, more people at once maybe, the voices were familiar. One wasn’t there, he knew why.

His favorite apple, the one that he had worked so hard to make sure that will grow to be sweet and strong. The bunny, fast and intelligent, ready for any problem presented in front of him. His descendant, losing his precious, young life. Even if the cut wasn’t in the throat, he was sure that no words would come out of him ever.

‘DAD!’ So, this is what Gaepora meant when he told him that one day he will understand?

[all-the-gory-details]

My request: A Whumpee who's crying from pain being comforted by something or someone scary

TW: captivity, injury, choking, beating, death

The cellar was dark.

There was no light except the fading daylight that seeped through a small basement window, and even that would soon be gone.

Whumpee wrapped their arms tighter around themself, backing further into the corner furthest away from the stairs.

When Whumper had thrown them down here, it was still light outside. They had banged on the locked door, tried to reach the window so high up on the wall.

Eventually, Whumper came back.

They didn't dare make any noise after he left.

Their throat was still painfully sore from Whumper's hands. Bruises covered their body, and they were pretty sure they had a broken rib or two.

God it hurt.

"I'm sorry."

Whumpee's head snapped up, eyes searching the dark cellar. There... was nothing. Nobody there.

"H-hello?" They called out, voice cracking and hoarse, barely able to push out the word.

When the translucent figure appeared suddenly, only a foot in front of them, they couldn't even scream.

The ghost backed up, eyes widening in realization. "Don't be scared, I won't hurt you." Its voice was soft and sounded strange, like the words were being spoken from the other end of a long tunnel.

Whumpee shook like a leaf, wide, terrified eyes not daring to stray from the spector. "Y-you're a ghost-"

"I am."

"What... why? Why are you here? C-can you help me?"

The spirit seemed to deflate a bit, biting its lip as it shook its head. "I cannot. I am stuck here as much as you are. I'm sorry."

"You... stuck? What do you mean, stuck?"

The ghost looked up, eyes filled with sorrow. "You... are not the first Whumper has taken. I wish I could help you. The most I can do is tell you I know what you're going through."

Whumpee's eyes widened, tears welling up at the realization. Whumper had killed before... and they would probably kill again.

Only this time, it was their life on the line.

It was a few minutes before they could compose themself enough to speak again. They didn't know what to ask...

Finally, they wiped their eyes on the back of their hand, sniffling. "Does... does it hurt?"

"Dying? No. What hurts is what comes before. But it will end, one way or another. And I will be here no matter what. You won't be alone."

Whumpee nodded, sniffling. The broken ribs hurt so much. Being choked was worse. They couldn't imagine what else was in store. They didn't want to imagine.

Finally, after a few long moments, they wet their lips. "Can... can you hold me? Please?"

They looked up to the ghost, which hesitated for a moment before moving closer. It sat next to them, as much as a ghost could sit, and put an arm around Whumpee tenderly.

Whumpee couldn't feel pressure on their side or around their shoulders, but they could see it. Contact with the ghost felt tingly and warm, almost like a limb falling asleep, but without the pain of the pinpricks.

Whumpee sighed, leaning their head against the wall. "Whats your name? I'm assuming you heard Whumper say mine earlier."

The ghost nodded. "I'm Caretaker."

"Caretaker..." Whumpee repeated sleepily. "...thank you. For helping."

Caretaker smiled sadly as Whumpee fell asleep in their arms, gently stroking their hair with as much corporality as it could muster. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more, Whumpee. I'm so sorry."

[linkedspirit-fanartfunart]

Warning: This page contains semi-realistic graphic injuries & discussions of character death

[Image Description: A 8 panel colored Legend of Zelda AU comic  “Linked Spirit”. Panel 1: Princess looks at a book, Hope hugging her from behind, looking over her shoulder. "Spirit, look over here," Princess says. Hero points their thumb at their self, "What? Me?" Hope looks at them flatly, "Yeah you Ghosty. Princess found a book about you." Panel 2: "This book has some details about how different spirits are created. Some are separated from their bodies by magic," Princess explains, gesturing at Hope. Hope stands next to her, eyes wide exclaiming "Don't tell them that-" Princess ignores him, "I've seen that before with Link." Panel 3: A dark purple ooze climbs into a purplish armor shoe. Princess continues "Others are lingering spirit s of the dead." Panel 4: A purplish Iorn Knuckle stands in the background, posed like a statue in the background by a window. Hope, in the foreground, is turned away from Princess, arms crossed, pouting. Princess holds the book up for Hero to see, "Unlike ghini you don't seem to be fueled by dark energy, rather... you seem more like these... strong, magically charged spirits who have a lingering role in the world..." Hero lifts a hand to their mouth, brows furrowed. Panel 5: "...I'm not dead..." Hero says, appearance changing to look like Rinku after Link's Awakening, "No. No. I'm- Im the first one. I-" Panel 6: Hope says "Look, my spirit experience was a magic accident. You’ve kinda got a knife in your back. Pretty sure you’re KERK” she gestures a slice along the neck with one hand, leaning against the table. Princess frowns, fist at her sides "LINK Don't say it like that?!" Hero looks on, one hand on their chest, eyes wide. Panel 7: Hero's appearance changes to look like pre-ressurection Breath of the Wild Link, heavily injured, hair cropped short in the back. They gesture at theirself with both hands, shouting, "This isn't what being dead feels like!" Panel 8: Hero's appearance shifts between LA Rinku, BotW and their usual look, looking down, eyes wide and startled, holding their hands loosely together against their chest "...How do I know that?" End ID]

masterpost

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[genyawritesshizz]

A Hum of Time. Toshinori Yagi x Reader

Part 4

Summary: An innocent relationship between two workaholics could not possibly be that eventful. Just two individuals finding comfort within each other's company and the occasional cup of coffee. What happens when a secret that could ruin both of their careers brings the whole thing crashing down? In a heart wrenching decision, you must do what is best for all three of you and brave the future alone. Will you ever tell the truth? You might not have a choice.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Tigger Warning: This chapter contains graphic depictions of violence, blood and gore! Depression and unhealthy coping mechanisms.

4550-word count

Unleashing the angst MUHAHAHHA >:)))))

He could not just let you go. 

The night his personal world stopped spinning burned itself into his mind. Replaying the memory on a repeated loop until he was inevitably pulled into another mind busying task. All in attempts to shun it from his visage, yet it always came back. Vivid and raw the memory played. 

Coming back from a late night at the office with eyes battling the sting of sleep he wandered into the safety of your shared apartment. Far too tired to think he contemplated collapsing on the couch, yet a growl from his stomach pushed him past the cushions. He had not eaten today, something you’d surely scold him for. A sickening wet crunch under his shoe when he entered the kitchen caused his eyes to fully open, his consciousness returning. Finally taking notice of his surroundings the area was akin to a homicide scene. Shattered glass littered the tiled floor. The wooden door to the cabinet lay splintered. At first glance his frantic mind feared blood smeared on the walls, but as the stinging pungent stench of alcohol and fruit penetrated his nose it was thankfully wine.

“(Y/N)?” He called, voice higher in pitch with panic. The sound echoed through the house yet received no reply. Cold sweat of dread ran down his forehead, his intuition screaming in unease. Calling for you again he paced the hallway towards your shared bedroom. Maybe you’d fallen asleep? Maybe you had partaken in too much wine and passed out? His heart hammered against his chest; adrenaline coursed through his veins as he flung the door open. Eyes scanning the room, his anxiety swelled to a peak at seeing the room in disarray. Clothes littered the floor and storage boxes once hidden under the bed lay strewn about. Running to the conjoined bathroom as a last hope, it too was barren. With labored breath he pulled his cellphone out, fingers hammering against the numbers as he prepared to call the authorities until the buzz of a text made his heart stop.

(y/n): ‘I can't do this anymore Toshinori. Please, take care of yourself.’

“No..” 

“Your call has been forwarded to an automotive voice mess-””

“NO! NO! NO!”

“Your call has been forwarded to an automotive voice messaging system. At the tone, please record your message.” His fingers lost their grip around the device. He soon joined it. Fallen and broken on the bathroom floor. 

‘She’s gone? She left? Why?’ 

Through grief he pondered why. Why did you leave? Why did you not talk to him before making such a drastic decision? He knew the answer, any fool with half a heart could understand why. When was the last time the couple genuinely had a moment together? When has there ever been time to discuss it? Guilty and heartbroken at knowing he had failed you he curled in around himself. Laying on the cold tile floor until the sun arose anew and the duty that had taken him from you and in turn you from him, called once more. 

The real world stopped for no one.

A transfer request from an American agency sitting atop his desk two weeks later solidified it in his mind, you were truly gone. Off to America to continue being a hero, back on course to living your dream, without him. He pushed you away, just like everyone else.

In reality your life had been anything but a dream. Your own heartache grief had set in upon watching the life you’d spent years creating grow distant from the window of an airplane. Anything you had to show for it had been stuffed in a carry on and two suitcases. Finding comfort only through rubbing the small swell of your stomach, all of this was for them. It did not matter how you felt, as long as Toshinori and this child could continue living on, it would all be worth it.

‘Do it for them.’

Those words pushed you through the hellish ensuing months. 

From the cold nights sitting homeless in the streets desperate to find rest to signing a lease on a dilapidated studio apartment. From anguished job searching and inevitably failing due to awaiting international credit transfers to suiting up once again ready to hit the streets for patrol. From anonymous women's health clinics being subjected to hours of lecturing on the danger of continuing this path to the announcement of his gender. From redesigning your suit to hide the growing bump to taking a ‘leave of absence’ as your baby boy prepares to make his debut. From the broken amniotic sac to pushing alone. From your crying to his as he was birthed into the world. 

Through all the pain and hardship, you forged a new life for them. 

To some you were Siren, a young Japanese hero who decided to adventure out into America for the thrill of crime fighting. To others you were (y/n) (y/l/n) the single mother who worked overtime just to put food on the table. A double life. 

Determined to make it work you pushed yourself above and beyond, plus ultra, for them.

It’s been years since you left, two to be exact. Yet he still caught himself coming home in the early hours of the morning after a long night of crime fighting in his sleep deprived and battered state expecting you to be curled up in your shared bed asleep. Sometimes he’d instinctively open the microwave expecting a plate of dinner you always left out for him. Only to stare blankly into the appliance, the rotating plate stained with splats of dried noodles and spilled soup from his countless cups of instant ramen. Any hints of your cooking lost in the charred remains. 

He’d just go to bed hungry, not like he had much of a stomach anyways. 

The oversized costume slid off his boney shoulders with ease plopping into a heap on the floor. He did not bother to hang it up. Without you there to cook and badger him into eating actual meals coupled with already being on a downhill slide post injury his physic deteriorated drastically. Outside of flexing to be All Might he was skin and bones, any muscle or stored fat had eroded rapidly.

The bed was, as always, abandoned. Sheets still crumpled and thrown to the floor from when he had previously rolled out hours ago. Feeling far too large, too cold, too… empty; He lay awake, insomnia plagued.  Even before your relationship he struggled to rest, now without you to coax him into laying down and calming his mind within your arms he slipped back into old habits. More often than not he laid in silence, mind wandering into the abyss of what ifs. Either the phone or computer were his only distractions, though they only fueled his obsession. 

“Holy shit!” The live feed cellphone footage currently playing on his computer had his full attention. 

Toshinori watched, his hand gripped tight into a white knuckled fist. Eyes locked onto the computer screen volume blaring through the speakers. The flashing brightness from the screen illuminates the darkened room. He’d been keeping a close watch on any and all of your heroic activities since you had left for the states. He initially told himself it was for ‘research purposes’ that the agency could somehow possibly benefit from this. But deep down he knew it was simply for his own mental stability. He’d search your hero's name, sometimes your personal name. Though any of your true accounts which you managed had been privatized, he was removed as a follower long ago, he still checked. 4am in Japan meant 12pm for you, he could almost always catch live feed of either interviews or street footage of a battle. If not, the latest articles or reruns would have to work. His go to being your first interview.

‘Just a few minutes’ he’d tell himself, a lie of course. He always ended up doom scrolling, anything to avoid the inevitable void of his own mind. He knew he should not be so invested; he should have let you leave and cut all ties. But his need to know of your well-being had a mind of its own. Even the most minute of detail never lost on needy eyes. From your confusing costume redesign debut to the media’s comments on your weight gain and even the fan-made blogs; he absorbed it all. He distinctly remembered a time when he thought he’d lost you, when it had been announced that you’d taken a leave of absence. Fearful that he had lost his only way of seeing you he asked his entrusted ally and friend David Shield to keep tabs on you. It was bordering on stocking, yet he had to know. David reassured him, offered an open ear and allowed the broken man to voice his woes. However, at the mention of therapy he swiftly declined, he did not have time for such nonsense. He’d be okay, as long as he knew you were. Sympathetic to his friend's bleeding-heart David agreed.

It was wrong but he could not stop. 

Definitely not now. 

Tuning into another live feed a man holding a cellphone ran through the debris field. A large-scale attack had left the bodies of both civilians, heroes, and villain's littering the ground. Some crushed with rubble others fallen in combat, the scene resembled an old war movie. The camera man's labored breath puffed against the recording as he crossed no man's land. Occasionally zooming in when recognizing a body with a slew of swears. Crouching down behind mounds of concrete he steadied the phone to face the ensuing battle. 

You were the last one standing. 

Already taking out four smaller opponents, fatigue begged your body to retreat. Yet as the man before you stood strong any hope of rest would have to wait. With smooth, languid swipes of his fists you struggled to defend. Their combat style was telling that they were trained and trained well. As well as their quirk, whatever it was it somehow allowed him to withstand several of your ear-piercing cries and punch with enough force to crater the ground. Some kind of enhancement.

Whoever this was, they were strong and clearly outclassed you.

You were not a close combat-based hero, your quirk worked better at distance. But as he continued advancing the unavoidable fist fight ensued. Sweat beaded down your forehead, heart pounding and chest heaving. 

Overuse of your quirk and the never-ending bursts of evasions were pushing your already exhausted body past its limits. He had managed to graze you a couple times, even mostly dodged, the attacks crushed the bones beneath. Swallowing back a thick mouth full of blood you pushed harder. 

“You heroes are nothing more than slaves to the government. Cogs in the machine.” Whipping his body around with full force his left fist slammed into your defensive body. You smirked, 

‘Finally!’ He had used this exact move pattern two times before. ‘Left jab, advance then he’ll try to swing again.’  You were finally beginning to memorize his fighting style. 

On the offense you began targeting his unguarded areas. Opening your mouth, you launched a screech to flinch and stagger him. Then began landing crucial blows. Even if it could not directly damage him the cries force still allowed much needed leverage. Though weak, in quick succession your punches would break down his defense. Just had to keep it up. If you kept staggering him with your quirk and chipping away, you could win. Even though your throat burned, and thick hot liquid again pooled into your mouth you had to push through it. It will heal eventually. 

Toshinori smiled, seeing you succeed filled his chest with bittersweet pride. This was unlike anything he’d seen you involved in over the years. A true brawl, much like his own encounters.

You got too cocky.

A fatal mistake. 

As you rushed to attack again the foe had grabbed your fist mid punch in one hand. With a tightening grip the fragile ulnar and radius bones snapped. 

He too had memorized your predictable pattern. 

‘How.. How'd he grab me? I thought he was at least a li-’

It happened within milliseconds; with unyielding strength he slung your body forward as if you weighed nothing and into his other hand aimed right at your abdomen. The steeled fingertips pierced through the soft skin with a sickening snap and pop. Obliterating through the organs and protruded out of your back. 

“NO” Toshi’s desperate scream was drowned out by your horrifying cry echoing through the speakers. The sounds bounced off the walls and pounding into his eardrums.  

This was unlike anything he’d heard from you before. He was accustomed to your ultrasonic cries as that was your quirk, but this… this was from deep within your soul, screaming in excruciating agony. 

You had fallen into the foe's trap. One move out of place, one misjudged situation, and now the villain's hand had practically disemboweled you. 

Toshinori’s smile had vanished, and his heart fell through his partially removed stomach. His mouth now hung open in shock. He could do nothing but watch as your face twisted and contorted in pure torture as the scream howled through your body. He felt queasy.

You could not move, held in place, speared, in shock. Your scream died out and with what little energy it had left your body convulsed and flinched against the intruder. Until it inevitably gave up, slumping onto the villain, your forehead falling to his collar. The amount of fluid pouring from your lips and nose ran like a river coating his chest. Black gripped the edges of your vision; it was getting harder to breathe.

You always imagined that when you died, you’d be held by someone you loved, to hear their heartbeat against your ear, their breaths falling down on your face in soothing comfort. Instead, the man ending it all stared down at you, a twisted smile on his face as he took great pleasure in your suffering.

Glancing over with dazed vision your eyes made contact with the small group of citizens huddled together. A little girl stood out amongst the crowd, Clutching onto the pant leg of her mother. Her face dirty and bloodied with tears stained her puffy cheeks, she shook in terror. No child should have to witness such atrocities. No child should fear for their life. No child should be without their mother.

You are a HERO goddamit. You must fight until your last breath. You CANNOT give up. 

For her.

For these people. 

DO IT FOR THEM .

Adrenaline coursed through your veins; the once mind shattering pain dulled into a distant buzz. Reaching both hands up you grabbed the shocked villain's head and pushed yourself forward, now face to face. Sucking in air you filled your lungs to the point of bursting and expelled the strongest ultrasonic scream you could belt. Bits of bloodied flesh, most likely parts of your larynx, sprayed along the sound waves. Yet there was no pain.

Any window within the five-block radius shattered, and car alarms blew. The phone camera Toshinori watched from vibrated and quality blurrely faltered.  Even if this villain had a resistance to your quirk at such point blank range nothing could withstand such raw power. His eardrums shattered and head felt on the verge of bursting. Capillaries shattered and skin threatened to tear from bones.

Letting go of his now limp body he fell backwards. The hand forcefully dislodged from your abdomen as he collapsed in a convulsing heap. He would never recover from this injury, you’ll surely have a strike on your license for this… if you survive.

Your body waved and staggered, stumbling to find solid footing. The adrenaline was running out, so was time.

The crowds remained silent, staring in awe and horror as you finally stood straight. The gaping hole ripped through your torso threatened to spill your internal organs, a few weeping strands hung loose. With one hand you attempted to cover it, the feeling of your own entrails squishing within your hand was unable to process. Out of body. 

Shaking but standing, your other arm slowly lifted, spasming you held it above your head, fist clenched. A pose many had come to know and love. A symbol of victory. 

‘My pose’… 

As the cheers began you could not hold the dam within your throat, in a splattering cough the pavement ran with your blood. 

Slamming to your knees you fell, body going limp and falling face first into the soaked concrete. 

No, you cannot die now. 

Your son needs you. 

You need to get up.

You have to.

For

Them. 

Fighting away the cold that threatened to swallow you as long as possible with one final breath it consumed you in seconds. 

The bystander recording dropped his phone and ran away. Audible sobs snuffled as his heavy footsteps grew distant. The phone continued recording for over thirty minutes. Sounds of police sirens and support hero’s arriving at the scene could be heard in the background before the live stream abruptly ended, the battery ran dead. Toshinori could not look away even as the screen blackened. His mind spiraled, failing to realize what he had witnessed. 

Did he…

Did he just watch you die ? 

He needed someone there, now.

“David”

“I know I saw, I'm on my way”

Opening your eyes yet surrounded in darkness. A heavy weight placed over your face. Opening your mouth nothing more than rushed air escaped, something thick had lodged itself into your throat preventing the sound from escaping. Panicked, your hands began flailing, desperately trying to grab the foreign object. Grasping it you tugged, retching as it slid halfway out of your throat. Going for another tug until another set of hands gripped onto your arms, trying desperately to hold you down.

“Ma’am please calm down, you’re in-” 

You tried to yell, again garbled behind the plastic. Words could not form, your throat felt as if you had swallowed glass. With all your strength you whipped your head side to side, the device finally dislodged.

“You’re in a hospital, I’m a nurse. You’ve suffered life threatening injuries, please-”

Hot bloody saliva splattering across your bandaged face and trickling down to pool into your matted hair as you thrashed, Screaming loud echoes of broken sentences. Fragments of your quirk activating ricocheted round the room. As you continued thrashing, the feeling of something ripping within the depths of your abdomen gave birth to white hot pain. Only amplifying the howls.

The hands let go, a door opened and closed. A few moments passed before the sound of it repeated again. Heavy footsteps approached your bedside, followed by the sound of rusted wheels scraping against a hard floor.

“Ripped out the endotracheal. Incision site reopened.”. 

“It’s going to be okay,” An unfamiliar male voice called.

The world turned blank once again, sounds became distant, fading from consciousness.

“Can you hear me ma’am?” The world spun an endless loop of muted colors before shifting back to reality. The face of an unknown woman filled your vision, her deep skin wrinkled into a smile as she looked down to you. “My name is Natasha, I’m your nurse. I’m glad to see you’re finally awake!” 

She leaned away from your bedside and began typing on her laptop.

You did not try to reply, her words finally registering. Staring into the white painted wall your mind felt like a vast ocean of emptiness, all ships of thought crushed under the waves, except one. As if reading your mind the nurse glanced back down.

“You should not try to speak but, you’ve got a couple guests waiting on you, would you like to see them?” 

Your head whipped around, eyes burrowing into hers with silent pleases. She smiled. 

“I’ll go get them. Just be sure to keep the blanket above your chest, wouldn’t want to scare the little one.” 

The door opened and her footsteps trailed off. Lifting the blanket in curiosity the sight of several tubes entering the dressing covered gap parted in the once smooth skin of your abdomen filled you with horror. Before beginning to dwell on the marred sight footsteps returned, this time tiny shoes ran close behind. 

The one thing on your mind, the one person you needed most right now, ran through the door.

“MOMMA!” The child screamed, his small hands gripping at the sheets trying to climb into the bed with you. Your wrapped hand met his tiny set, rubbing gently at his smooth skin. 

“...en..o” You cried to him. His forehead wallowed into the white sheets, wiping his tears. Your heart felt heavy, seeing your once always smiling baby deduced to hysterics all because of you. His mother, his protector, did this to him. Guilt.

That was close. 

Too close. 

Never again. 

Your hero career is over.

They can fix you up, heal the broken bones and bruises, close up the wounds, but…

The thought of having actually died and leaving your four year old son to face this cruel world alone was far worse than the shame of such a public beat down. Far worse than even death itself. 

You can not do this anymore. 

The delusional thought that you could somehow live in the best of both worlds simply was impossible. Nana was right, balancing both was impossible. The life of a hero was your fantasy, but you had already lived it. Raising this child and being there for him was your new dream.

As of now, Siren is dead. She died on the concrete saving the people. At least that’s what was told to the media. 

To live a life free from that career you had to lay low. Uproot and leave again and start over. Abandon it. 

It had run its course.

A cough from the doorway caught your attention, looking over a man you had heard so much about from your former lover stood. His back leaned against the wall as he watched mother and son reunite. A face of penance drawn onto downcasted aqua eyes.

“We’ll talk later.” Taking a seat facing away from your bed he waited. 

‘ I can’t go back.’ The engineer looked from the yellow notepad held in your hands, the words on the page scribbled in haste, to the little boy sleeping beside you. Your son's hands clung to your gown, careful of the tubbing flowing from underneath, his under eyes dark and dried snot clung to his reddened skin. No child should feel this way.

“He’s Yagi’s isn’t he?”

You nodded ‘yes’. 

“Does he know?”

 Sighing deeply you shook ‘no.’

The brunet took in a deep breath, his head throbbing with the weight of his upcoming actions. Taking your notepad you wrote another note; ‘No one can know.’

“I know.”

The government could cover anything up. Falsifying documents was light work.

‘KIA’

The bold red letters under your hero name only caused the already endless black hole in Toshinori’s stomach to plummet deeper. With no reply from David, he had spent hours searching for an update, anything regarding your condition. News articles had reported on the gruesome scene yet held nothing in regard to your well being, instead focusing on the trauma such a sight made for civilians.The sun had already risen above the skyscrapers hours ago yet time held no meaning for him. 

Pulling out all the stops he tried to bypass all encryptions to read the full report the moment it had been posted. First as the head of the All Might Hero Agency, Yagi Toshinori.

Permission denied.  

Something wet hit his hands as he furiously kept typing, his fingers practically hammering the keys in half. 

Finally a new page loaded. As the world's number one symbol of peace, All Might, he could access almost anything relating to heroes. Several links loaded onto the page.

What he saw made him nauseous.

‘Postmortem Examination Report’ ‘Autopsy Report’ ‘Death Certificate’  

His hand had a mind of its own, shackly double clicking on a link . He refused to accept this.. 

‘it couldn’t be…’

He wished he hadn’t. Yet he could not go back.

‘ Autopsy Report conducted by; US FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF FORENSIC SCIENCE.

Patient name: (y/n) (y/l/n) - Siren. Quirk; Voice

Manner of death; Homicide.

How Injury Occurred; Heroism.

Anatomical Summary:

Blunt Trauma.

Blunt trauma of head.

Multiple lacerations to face, scalp, and neck.

Multiple fractures of skull and face.

Evisceration of larynx.

Blunt Trauma of Chest and Abdomen, Fatal. 

Multiple fractures of ribs.

Traumatic injuries on the neck.

Evisceration of internal organs. Fatal. 

With both fists clenched he slammed them down on the keyboard. With a loud crack the hard plastic splintered, sending letter tiles flying. 

“God damnit!”

Toshinori shook, his body trembling. He’d read more than enough autopsy reports, yet he couldn’t hold back the vomit mixed blood that now lurched out of his mouth. Caring not as the mixture ran down his face and onto the desk. He heaved over and over until no more came.

He accepted the break up, he accepted you moving, he accepted that you were no longer in his life. But, accepting that you had died in battle? He couldn’t-wouldn’t. 

If he was stronger, if he had more time in his Might form he could’ve helped, could’ve done something, anything! Even if you were halfway across the world.

 if he just had more time…

If he had not driven you away…

If he had not…

He cried loud billowed sobs until his eyes burned red and his head woozy from dehydration.  

His phone rang, buzzing on the counter. The ringtone far too loud, too boisterous.

He didn’t have time to grieve. 

He had to pull himself together. 

The world stopped for no one,

And it still needed him.

This however could not stop the outbursts, the accidents, nor the mask from slipping from time to time. He felt as though he was losing his mind, not that it was completely sound before, but now more than ever he felt the edges of insanity encroaching. Try as he might to appear unfazed, Toshinori Yagi, All Might, was broken. 

Out in the streets until his body gave out, he on more than one occasion found himself failing to pull his punches, accidentally using far too much force to take down a villain. Landing convenience store robbers in the hospital for months of recovery with broken ribs and mangled appendages. 

The media was beginning to notice this shift in their symbol. He was losing control.

Inside the office was where a whole other beast was unleashed. Dozens of broken laptops and computer screens lined the recycling bins, destroyed in a moment of reminiscing. The long hours turned overnight as his caffeine intake and workload skyrocketed.  The cafe was his cesspool of self loathing, he drank coffee there almost as a form of torture at this point, each freshly brewed cup a slap in the face as the scent and scenery only reminded him of something that will never be again. 

He was truly a shell of his former self. Empty, Hollow, Broken.

[clangenrising]

Month 15 - Newleaf

Battle With Razor Pt 4

It wasn’t long after the start of the battle proper that Razor made a break for it. Goldenstar couldn’t believe the absolute cowardice on display, especially from a leader. He didn’t call a full retreat, he just looked around, seemed to come to a conclusion, and fled. 

“Come on,” she’d barked to Orangestar and the two of them had bolted after him. Luckily, his size and the jingling of his bell made him easy to follow. 

“He’s going deeper into the woods!” Orangestar shouted. 

“Why would he do that?” Goldenstar called back above the noise. They burst from the throng of cats in pursuit of Razor’s fleeting tail tip. 

“I don’t- Ah!” Orangestar cried out and fell to the ground. Goldenstar whipped around to see the ginger cat she had met in the city pulling roughly on Orangestar’s tail. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” he growled, reeling her in. 

Goldenstar dropped into a crouch. “Orangest-”

“Keep going!” the other leader ordered, rolling over to kick at the tom’s face. “I’ll catch up with you! Don’t lose him!” 

“Got it,” Goldenstar nodded and pivoted again to charge deeper into the woods. Orangestar was right. The point was to kill Razor. If they let him go, the whole meeting would have been for nothing. 

She bounded through the woods after his scent trail and the faint jingling sound of his bell. The massive tom left a path of broken twigs and scattered leaf-litter in his wake that wasn’t hard to spot. As she raced through the trees, her mind was also racing. He was barrelling west, north-west, deeper into EarthClan’s territory and away from the city. Why would he do that? It wasn’t like he was headed for their camp. How would he have even known where it was? If they kept going, they would eventually run into the river but she couldn’t imagine he would run for that long. 

She couldn’t hear the bell anymore. She paused, looked around, and realized that the trail had vanished too. She looked around at the trees, tried to figure out if he had jumped up one, but that didn’t make any sense given where the trail had ended. It was as if, in the middle of a clearing, he simply disappeared. The fur along her spine prickled with unease as she padded carefully to the end of the trail, mouth open to find his scent. He was close, she was certain, but where exactly? The muffled breeze was blowing against her face but there was no trace of him on the wind. The smell of mulch and growing green things was distractingly strong. 

“Where are you?” she mumbled under her breath, eyes flashing around the clearing. She turned around to try retracing her steps and there he was, looming behind her. She gasped in a particularly undignified manner, puffing up to twice her size. 

Razor laughed. “Did I startle you?” 

Goldenstar lunged. There was no time for fear or conversation. She raised her claws to swipe at his face, aiming to blind him, but he reared up and slammed one of his heavy paws into the side of her head, sending her tumbling into a gnarled root. She groaned and heaved herself to her feet but he was on her again, laying multiple swats on her skull in quick succession. The world spun dangerously. 

“Shh, stay down, girl,” he soothed, one giant paw pressing down on her throat, claws unsheathed. She coughed and clawed blindly at his leg to no result. She quickly realized that he hadn’t been taking the fight seriously before. She had underestimated him, the one thing Scorch had told her she should never, never do. 

“I’m glad we could get some time alone,” he continued, his other paw trailing feather light along the ridge of her sternum. “A girl like you deserves special attention, don’t you think?” 

Goldenstar snarled and he chuckled to himself. As her vision started to clear, his face swam into view, silhouetted against the blood red light filtering in through the canopy above. His too-white smile spread like a menacing butterfly across his face, his pale eyes roving intrusively over her body. Goldenstar knew that, pinned as she was, her hind legs wouldn’t reach any part of his body that would matter so she settled for curling up to try and kick at his leg in a desperate attempt to dislodge it. 

Razor’s smile widened and he pressed harder on her throat, drawing blood and cutting off her air. Her body panicked at the sensation and she thrashed her body as hard as she could against his weight but there was nothing she could do. He was too heavy and seemed unfazed by the claw marks she was leaving on his legs. 

“This is my favorite part,” he purred. “I think it’s just adorable: the moment when a creature realizes there’s nothing she can do. If you stop struggling, this will be easier for both of us.” Goldenstar tried to hiss at him but there was no air in her lungs. She gaped helplessly, starting to feel darkness encroaching on the edges of her vision. Razor frowned and very slightly lifted his paw to allow her to gasp for air. With the immediate threat of death removed, her eyes shut tightly and her body went slack, save for her chest which heaved over and over again as she greedily gulped down air. She couldn’t think straight.

“That’s it,” he said, “stay with me. As fun as it would be to see you choke and squirm until you turned blue, that’s too good for you.” His free paw trailed down from her sternum to her stomach. As it went, he unsheathed his claws and Goldenstar yelped as they scraped her skin hard enough to draw blood. 

“No,” Razor rumbled,  “you thought you could take what was mine and get away with it. But nobody,” and here, he sank his claws deeper into her belly and twisted them, causing her to nearly bite through her own tongue, “gets away with stealing from me.”

“I didn’t steal anything,” Goldenstar choked out around the blood now pooling in her mouth. “She couldn’t wait to get away from you!” 

“I know,” he laughed and Goldenstar nearly gagged. “She’s always been a flighty little bird.” He dragged his claws across her stomach and flicked them out of the flesh, tearing it away in a spray of dark blood. Goldenstar whined in pain and threw her eyes upward to try and focus on the branches of the tree, hoping it would distract her from the overwhelming pain.

He purred at the sound and kept speaking. “But she’s always known her place. It was your influence that fooled her into thinking she could live without everything I gave her.” He lifted his bloody paw and swiped his tongue between his toes, grinning down at her all the while. 

“You tortured her,” Goldenstar spat, trying to thrash again. 

Razor’s smile contorted into a furious snarl. “I love her!” he shouted, slamming both paws down on her throat. “I’ve shown her more kindness than she’d ever known! More kindness than a jealous little bitch like her deserves!” He sank his claws into her neck, that look of bloodlust back on his face. Goldenstar gasped and felt an uncomfortable flutter in her windpipe as the air escaped around his claws. If she didn’t do something soon, she was going to die. 

She kicked her hind legs up at him again, scrabbling at his now bloody arm. She twisted her head to try and sink her teeth into anywhere on his body she could. He snarled again and sank his claws in even further. 

“What could you possibly give her?!” he roared. “I am the Speaker! I am excellence personified! I am the most powerful cat alive! What are you?! You’re nothing!” The world was growing dark again, his voice fading as blood pounded in her ears and her focus started to drift uncontrollably into the void. She had failed. Tears welled in her eyes, not just from pain but from the shame of knowing she hadn’t been strong enough to protect anyone. The cold earth was leeching all of the heat from her body. Her paws started to grow stiff and numb. She couldn’t find the strength to lift her legs anymore. 

Distantly, she registered that Razor let go of her throat and heard him shout, as though at the end of a long tunnel, “Dammit! Don’t you dare die yet!” 

In one last act of defiance, she ignored him.

[aftgficrec]

Hi! I was wondering if you know of any fics that explore the friendship between Andrew and Kevin? Especially how they became close after Kevin came to the Foxes with a broken hand. I just think their friendship is so interesting, and I am so curious about how it started. Thank you!

@lynntjeeee and @sayonara-you-weeaboo-shits: These asks overlapped, so we combined them and separated fic types with subheads. The last ones under ‘you may also like’ don’t fit neatly but still hold the main ideas found in pre canon Kevin & Andrew stories. Unfortunately most are not very long. -A

also see:

‘a foxhole collection…’ Chapter 30 here

‘The gentle violence of loving you’ and ‘I Don't Know How to Breathe’ here

‘I came for the safety (stayed 'cause you made me feel)’ here

‘Searchlights’ here

‘Trust Me’ here

you may also like:

Andrew loving toward Kevin: friendship or kandrew here

Andrew & Kevin here

kandrew fluff & smut here

Kevin centric here

‘breaking every finger, praying that it makes me clean’ here 

‘do you care?’ here

‘Have a Kevin of the day’ Day 2 here

‘They All Burn the Same’ here (updated)

‘a lot's gonna change’ here

‘splinters beneath our nails,’ ‘Not again,’ and ‘Reasons’ here

‘Just Short Of A Fairy Tale’ here

‘the prince in the raven tower’ here

‘white soap’ here

‘Pieces of Ideas for Works’ ch 12 (also ch 43) here

‘Cross the Board and Crown Yourself Queen’ here

Rescue Me by Demiwitchwoodwalker [Rated T, 4564 Words, Complete, 2022]

Part 1 of Someone(s) To Stay, part 2 here 

“I can protect you, from him and yourself,” Andrew said in a tone Kevin couldn’t quite place after a long moment filled with nothing but the muffled noise of the game playing on Kevin’s laptop. “I can help you stay instead of running further or back.” Kevin stared at him then, finally letting himself actually look at him, and the same feeling from before returned, feeling like a hand clenched itself around his lungs and heart. He pushed his laptop closed, the game’s audio abruptly cutting off, and turned slightly to face Andrew, whose expression had shifted back into the grin that seemed to constantly be present in the day and whose eyes looked almost dead. Kevin’s lips parted, words rising in the back of his throat, but he couldn’t get them past his tongue. How was he supposed to do this? The memory of Andrew the night before floated through his mind again, when he was as close to sober as he could get, more vulnerable than Kevin felt he’d ever seen a person despite the fact that Kevin was the one halfway through a breakdown. "Why?" --- Aka, how Kevin and Andrew make their deal. (Potential triggers are listed in the tags, please be careful!)

tw: self harm, tw: panic attacks, tw: implied/referenced suicidal thoughts

broken wings by diabolicalandderanged [Rated G, 4625 Words, Complete, 2023]

Highlights of the year Kevin Day joins the Foxes as assistant coach!! Including: making the deal, meeting Wymack and taking down Riko

tw: implied/referenced abuse

Escape by 38booksonmyshelf [Rated T, 3430 Words, Complete, 2023]

The night Riko broke his hand, Kevin's only thought was that he had to get out. He went to his father.

tw: implied/referenced abuse

From Bones and Ashes by ScriptaManent [Rated T, 3006 Words, Complete, 2023, Locked]

Kevin has a mental breakdown during the weeks following his injury. He’s “safe” with coach Wymack but he can’t do anything, he can’t even hold a fucking glass and it pisses him off. He knows Riko is out there, looking for him (well, not yet, but he knows he will eventually). Kevin drinks to forget but his mind keeps going back to Riko, to that night when he broke his hand and when Jean collected him, to that night he got out of Evermore without looking back, and to that night he knocked on Wymack’s door, a living mess barely able to think straight. Then, without even a knock on the door, a first glimpse of hope manages to get him back to the surface, at least for a while.

tw: violence, tw: assault

take off your clothes and disappear by lackingsoy [Rated T, 3075 Words, Complete, 2020]

They recognize each other from the start. A yes, a no, and a maybe between Day and Minyard.

tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon, tw: implied/referenced abuse, tw: implied/referenced violence, tw: alcohol, tw: medication addiction, tw: withdrawal 

Silver Crimson Black by sweetlikesugar [Rated T, 1076 Words, Complete, 2019]

Kevin can barely stand. He keeps swaying from side to side, vision blurry. Whether it’s sweat or tears he doesn’t know, and he doesn’t want to know. All he knows is the sickening rage, boiling and curling like a poisonous snake. He’s mindless with it, he’s feral with it.

TWO. by mostly_maudlin [Rated T, 2944 Words, Incomplete, Updated June 2024]

The Foxhole Court is the only place in South Carolina that makes sense to Kevin, but it lacks the discipline, rigor, and partnership that kept him grounded for years. Over four nights at the court in the spring of 2006, Kevin attempts to recreate the only life he knows how to live.

tw: implied/referenced abuse

oh icarus how do you fall (so hard and so pretty) by wxltedrxses [Rated T, 1008 Words, Incomplete, Updated Feb 2022]

An analysis of the rise and fall of Kevin Day

tw: alcohol abuse/alcoholism, tw: implied/referenced abuse

don't want no other shade of blue but you / no other sadness in the world will do by snnycarisi [Rated G, 1713 Words, Complete, 2024]

For just a moment, he could pretend that this man was Jean, that they were both free to do something as frivolous as go dancing, that they were both free at all. He imagined that those were Jean’s hands on his waist, Jean’s breath on his neck, Jean’s body heat making his cheeks colour. That Jean would even want this — want him — after everything he’d done was possibly the biggest fantasy of all. --- After a drunk encounter with a stranger at Eden's Twilight, Kevin calls Jean.

tw: implied/referenced abuse

tfc!written word au by @unkingly [Tumble Fic, 2016]

in a world where what someone believes about you is written on your skin, Andrew and Kevin make their deal.

Andrew & Kevin hc by @filippa-kosta [Tumblr, 2018]

I want to talk about the significance of Andrew & Kevins relationship bc tbh I think it's devalued and misinterpreted a lot, despite the fact it's hugely significant to the series, vital to the plot, & important to Neil

andrew and kevin’s individual recovery arcs… meta by @ketterdamns [Tumblr, 2017]

kandrew/kandreil:

Make Me Believe That You Need Me Most by sambutwithbooks [Rated E, 10598 Words, Complete, 2022]

The problem was that Kevin expected exy to be enough.  Most people went through life without finding a calling, without a modicum of the talent Andrew had and still found ways to live normal, fulfilling lives. Exy- and the comfortable life it offered- should have been enough to tempt and satisfy any rational person.  And maybe that was his first mistake- believing that Andrew was a rational person. 

tw: implied/referenced abuse, tw: implied/referenced alcohol abuse/alcoholism, tw: explicit sexual content

Take me as I come (or discard me like the rest) by elias_day [Rated M, 9675 Words, Incomplete, Updated Dec 2022]

Kevin’s breathing picks up. “What would you take for your protection?” “It’s not like you can offer much,” Andrew says. It’s true. What could a broken man like Kevin Day offer him? A man crippled by fear, someone without the backbone to stand on his own feet? Nothing. He could give Andrew nothing. “You’re wrong.” ___ Kevin never thought he could keep his end of the deal with Andrew. Turns out in the end, he did. Only not in the way he thought. A.K.A pre-canon KANDREW turned post-canon KANDREIL with lots of pining and emotionally repressed lack of communication

tw: implied/referenced abuse, tw: nightmares, tw: vomit, tw: ptsd, tw: recreational drug use

What is love when it's never fully consumed? by CamilleDuDemon [Rated T, 10522 Words, Complete, 2021]

5+1 significative moments in the relationship between Andrew and Kevin, before and after Neil Josten's sudden arrival at Palmetto State University.

tw: medication addiction, tw: implied/referenced abuse

Temperature of Healing by ReeseMH [Rated M, 5482 Words, Complete, 2024]

Kevin Day, picked up by Andrew Minyard, hand broken and eyes glossed over because he is dead. There is nothing for him, and he doesn't even remember using his good hand to dial that number, coughing up blood before he could tell Andrew where he was. He didn't even know where he was going but the lights of the highway are pretty, and even though he is dead... he's not alone for it.

tw: major character injury, tw: implied/referenced abuse, tw: anxiety, tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon

invisible machinery by grainpatron380 (onesourfish) [Rated T, 2445 Words, Complete, 2020]

Andrew drags his mouth southward and doesn’t bother with apologizing for imagined horrors or future ones. Doesn’t bother to say, I won't, I couldn’t, I would never do something like that to you. Can't promise it. Months before Neil arrives at PSU, Kevin has a nightmare. Andrew questions him.

tw: nightmares, tw: violence, tw: implied/referenced abuse

I Am Ready Now by IKnowWhoYouAre_Damianos [Rated M, 6477 Words, Complete, 2019]

The problem is, he doesn’t hate him. He wants to. Wants to hate this monster so badly, wants to feel the urge to kill him like Andrew does, wants to drive out to West Virginia and waltz onto the court, choking Riko to death until his eyes turn from black and white to red, his skin from tan to blue. But he can’t. Kevin thinks about his relationship to Riko when he was still at the nest. He thinks he's falling. But someone will catch him this time. Can he let go?

tw: domestic violence, tw: explicit sexual content, tw: assault

kevin day prefers the night by thewintersolstice [Rated T, 3027 Words, Complete, 2021]

Part 1 of aftg: everything's the same except kandreil's real, duh. series

Months after breaking his hand and arriving at Palmetto State, Kevin's still struggling with leaving Evermore and Riko's still got a ghostly grasp on him. Andrew takes him for a drive. “Snap out of it,” Andrew says, simple again like it’s easy, and pushes hard fingertips into his skin until finally, finally Kevin can breathe, can fight the sick roll of his stomach and he shuts his eyes, focuses on the warmth of Andrew’s palm until it’s gone again. He pulls away and Kevin hears the press of the bed as he stands up. “Let’s go.”

Oh Captain, Let’s Make a Deal by takitalks [Rated M, 3690 Words, Complete, AFTG Mixtape Exchange 2023]

An exploration of Kevin and Andrew navigating this stand off pre-canon, with a sprinkle of getting together.

Broken promises by ok555 [Rated M, 10783 Words, Incomplete, Updated June 2024]

Kevin doesn't know if he will ever forgive Andrew for what he did to get information about Neil on their ride to Baltimore. What will Andrew do to try and win his forgiveness? Will he even care? Andrew doesn't believe in regret, but what if just this once he does?

tw: implied/referenced self harm, tw: suicidal thoughts, tw: depression

you may also like:

higher ground by darkoceanbottom [Rated T, 6085 Words, Complete, 2021]

Kevin Day and identity.

tw: implied/referenced abuse, tw: canonical character death

Roaring Like Beasts Full Of Rage by Sashe [Rated E, 30713 Words, Incomplete, Updated June 2024]

The PSU Foxes' luck takes a turn when they take in the Raven's injured goalkeeper Andrew Doe. Andrew isn't exactly happy to be there, treated as a spectacle by the media, an outcast by his new team and a let down by the family that never wanted him. He's especially not happy about the new striker recruit, who no one else seems to think is supicious. or Roleswap canon divergent where Raven!Andrew has a broken hand and Wymack has been raising Kevin.

tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon, tw: implied/referenced csa, tw: implied/referenced abuse, tw: implied/referenced self harm, tw: implied/referenced psychological abuse, tw: implied/referenced drug addiction, tw: panic attacks

The Truth Hurts Worse by mcmeasle [Rated T, 2742 Words, Complete, 2024]

Kevin chattered on as Andrew opened the door and tuned out the cadence of his voice, Kevin’s full attention on Andrew. Immediately, Andrew locked on to the man with bright red hair sitting in his desk chair, feet thrown on top of the desk with ankles crossed, tapping an impressive looking knife blade over his fingertips. “Welcome home,” the stranger said cheerily, a sharp smile wending its way onto his lips, icy blue eyes locked onto Andrew. —- Or Butcher!Neil makes a house call

tw: violence, tw: implied/referenced abuse, tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon

decline of the empire by drewdrugs [Rated T, 1507 Words, Complete, AFTG Mixtape Exchange 2024]

Kevin embraced the idea that, even he had never been taught by his father, he was learning to lose now. The structures of his coliseum were crumbling and there was nothing that could be done to stop it. This time, Andrew couldn't do anything for him. Or at least that's what he believed.

tw: recreational drug use, tw: implied/referenced abuse, tw: implied/referenced self harm

NB: this last one is the culmination of Kevin & Andrew’s deal from the very beginning

Interesting by ashestoashes7 [Rated T, 6632 Words, Complete, AFTG 2024 Olympics]

Andrew decided to make the Exy Olympic Finals more interesting. No one else knew what to do with that, not even his own teammates, but Andrew and boredom was a recipe for the unexpected. After all, it was not every day a goalkeeper slammed the ball down the court and bathed the opposition in red.

[tildeathiwillwrite]

Merry Whumpmas 2023 Day 28: Scars

Week 4 of this bullshit. Only 3 more days left to go! Enjoy.

This is a direct continuation of Day 6: No Where to Go.

Hero x Villain Masterpost

TW: painkillers, anesthesia mention, death mention, surgery, burn scars, mentioned abuse

Hero awoke slowly, their thoughts moving sluggishly through their tired mind. Their eyelids were heavier than bricks, but they forced them open, unease and uncertainty roiling in their stomach. The harsh lights overhead hurt their eyes, and they squinted, trying to filter out the brightness and make out their surroundings.

“Oh, you’re awake now.”

Hero turned their head, finding Villain leaning over them. They realized they were sprawled on a flat, uncomfortable surface. Villain’s head was bowed, their concentration intent upon Hero’s side. Hero tried to see what they were looking at, but they couldn’t raise their head.

“Sorry, I guess I didn’t sedate you enough,” Villain mumbled, reaching for something out of sight. “You were already unconscious, so I had to estimate. I think I gave you enough analgesics though. Does it hurt?”

Hero realized with a sudden jolt of fear that they couldn’t move anything but their eyes and head. Were their arms tied down? They couldn’t feel any restraints… “N… no…” they whispered through numb lips.

Villain nodded, distracted. Their hand returned, now clutching a pair of tweezers with gloved hands. The gloves were splattered with blood. “That’s good. Let me know if that changes. It’s not gonna be fun once they wear off.”

Hero swallowed, eyes darting about the room. The walls were exposed brick, and the only lighting appeared to be the one directly overhead, illuminating Villain’s work. Whatever that work was. Was the blood on their hands Hero’s? The only exit appeared to be a door to Hero’s right, behind Villain.

Metal clicked on metal, and Hero’s eyes darted back as Villain exhaled in relief. “Got the bullet out. Now I just gotta stitch you up and give you some more analgesics and maybe some anesthesia.”

Their words sounded almost foreign to Hero. The only thing they understood through the hazy fog was that Villain… seemed to be helping them? “O… okay….”

Villain worked in silence for a few minutes. Hero still couldn’t see what they were doing, so they gazed at Villain instead. Sometime between when Hero had passed out in that dark alley and when they’d woken up in this room, Villain had removed their mask. Their hair had been hastily pulled back, and Hero could clearly see their profile.

They looked normal enough at first, but as Hero’s eyes adjusted to the harsh lighting, they noticed the long, dark scar snaking down Villain’s face. It was old, blending in with their skin tone, but unmistakably a burn scar.

As if in response, the skin on Hero’s upper back tingled, where one of their allies had grazed them during a training session. They’d been drilling reflexes by launching small fireballs at Hero nonstop until they got hit. Once they did, the ally chastised Hero and ordered them to go to the medical bay. They didn’t even help Hero to their feet.

The incident had been almost a month and a half ago, and the burn still wasn’t fully healed. The affected skin itched constantly, especially when Hero tried to sleep. But Hero’s team leader refused to give them anything besides a small amount of aloe on the grounds of ‘building pain tolerance.'

It was all bullshit, as Hero later learned when they broached the idea of taking a break from the team for a little while. None of their ‘allies’ had responded well.

Hero closed their eyes. They didn’t know how long they were trapped in the team headquarters before escaping and fleeing to Villain’s section of the city. They barely remembered most of it, and they didn’t want to. But thinking of it brought images of Whumper, of them beating and belittling Hero for their weakness.

But Whumper was dead now.

Villain had shot them.

Villain had saved Hero.

As if in response to Hero’s thoughts, Villain spoke. “Alright,” they said softly, “I’m done.”

Hero opened their eyes. Villain massaged the sides of their temples, bloody gloves removed. “You’re one stubborn person, Hero,” they said, mouth cracking into an exhausted grin.

“Uh… tha… thank you….”

A look of concern crossed Villain’s face. “You’ve lost a lot of blood, both from the gunshot and…” they gestured to the various cuts and bruises all over Hero’s body. “Honestly, it’s a miracle you woke up at all. I patched up the worst of it, but you’re gonna be recovering for a while.”

Hero blinked, the memory of their team leader fresh in their mind. “Are… are we… safe… here…?”

Villain glanced over their shoulder to the door. A beat of silence passed before they answered. “Yeah, pretty sure. We’re in one of my safe houses right now, no one saw us come in. And the only one who saw you come to me is now dead in an alley which—” they grimaced— “isn’t going to bode well for me whether or not your former team connects the dots.”

“...I’m… I’m sorry I…”

Villain held up their hands, scowling. “Do not apologize. You needed help, you still need help, and I promise you: I’m not gonna let those assholes lay a finger on you. Understand?”

Hero nodded to the best of their ability. Their movement was still limited, but they had begun to regain sensation in their fingers and toes. They wiggled them experimentally. It was like moving someone else’s hand.

The motion caught Villain’s eye, and they smacked the side of their head. “Right. Analgesics. I’ll be right back, you do not want the painkillers to wear off anytime soon.”

Hero watched them leave. They slowly exhaled, trying to calm their racing nerves.

They were safe.

Villain had promised.

Everything would be okay.

Part 1 | Part 3

[hmshermitcraft]

(Tw gore, self-hatred)

Everyone knows Something Bad happened to Etho when he used to eat redstone.

Everyone knows it did something to his face. It's why he wears the mask after all.

No one knows how lowly he thinks of himself since.

He's so stupid! Of course the radioactive dust wasn't safe to eat!

And he's so goddamn ugly. Most of the skin around his mouth is completely dissolved, his teeth are permanently stained red and the little skin that is left is covered in red stains that he can't figure out if they're redstone, blood or both. And his eye. Gods, don't even get him started on his eye. He can't see out of it, and it's ugly?

Joel was the first person to see his face since The Incident. It was an accident. During Double Life, Etho took his mask off for a minute, and Joel happened to walk in. Etho thought for sure Joel would hate him. After all, he hates himself, why would Joel think any different? But Joel doesn't care. He thinks Etho is beautiful, scars and all. He just wishes Etho could see it.

-purple heart but i'm on a laptop and emojis aren't working rn ;-;

Etho is just Etho. Why would Joel ever judge him for that? Yeah, he's a little worried about if it hurts - solely 'cause they're teamed together, that's the only reason, duh - but... he's not going to judge Etho for his face. Plus, it's hardly like Etho is the only one who did something stupid in his youth. Joel used to be green.

So, yeah. Joel thinks Etho is hot, mask on or off. What's Etho going to do about it, huh?