#want to ghost everyone again and start anew | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

firsttimewriter92 · 1 year ago

Text

Neighborly shenanigans Pt. 1

Simon "Ghost" Riley x f! reader (Neighbor AU)

Part 2; Part 3; Part 4

Description: You´ve just moved in a couple of weeks ago, trying for a new start. A brief encounter with your neighbor gets your endorphins and imagination going. What is it about the mask?

Warnings: cursing, some dirty thoughts, fluff, a little pining

Word count: 1.917

A/N: Hi everyone <3 This is my very first Simon Riley x reader fic. I´ve written about several characters of CoD but Ghost was always kind of an enigma to me. I never knew how to make him the love interest. But and idea popped into my head after reading some characterization that made it much easier to write for him. So here you go :) Let me know if a part 2 is something you´d be interested in.

“Jesus fucking Christ” you swore as you tried your best to push your heavy apartment door open and balance your bag and groceries through the door. It was a struggle to say the least, but you were damned if you did second trips. Grumbling through your teeth you saw no other possibility than setting down your bag, holding the door open with your foot and grabbing your groceries a little more securely. Bending your knee, you gave your door a forceful push and slid through into your small hallway. Foregoing taking off your shoes you made your way into your open kitchen and set the heavy paper bags down on your kitchen island.

A sigh escaped you and you took a moment just to stand in your kitchen and take in the chaos around you. Half emptied moving boxes were strewn all around your living room, amidst not yet hanging shelves, plastic plants and several DIY projects. Another sigh left your lungs with a huff. Moving and starting anew had seemed like your only option a couple of weeks ago but now you dreaded the silence. You wanted this, ___, you thought. It was your decision.

Your new job was everything you ever hoped for, and training turned out to be smooth sailing. You loved it, you loved your apartment, even though it was far from being finished yet. But still, what you´d left behind still lingered in the back of your brain all too clearly at times. Especially when your heavy door closed behind you every evening and there was nothing but you, your DIY projects, an occasional phone call with your parents and then silence. Silence to wallow in, rake your brain and memories. Memories not even a good Podcast or music were able to drown out.

You weren´t as close with your colleagues yet as to be invited out to the pub after work but that was to be expected. The chances were good though. Maybe just a couple of days more and you´d have at least some kind of social interaction. One step after the other, you reminded yourself. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Your own impatience with yourself was yet again trying to make you feel like you´d made a mistake by moving. A humorless laugh bubbled from your lips as you shook your head. Calm down, you thought. This is your life, your pace. Relax.

A couple of minutes later your food was stored away, veggies and salmon steaming away and finally you sat down on your couch, glass of wine in hand and Netflix on your TV.

“Bloody hell” you cursed as a shot of adrenalin set your brain into overdrive. Your bag. You jumped off your couch and hurried over to the door. Swinging it open with a yank you initially thought someone had put out the lights in the corridor. All you saw was black and not a second later you collided with something solid.

Shaking your head, you realized three things. It was 7 o´clock on a warm day in July, so it couldn’t be dark out already. Your hallway had several windows and yes, the sun was still out. The black wall you just ran into turned out to be a massive chest.

Heat was ascending your neck as you took a small step back and lifted your head to look at the face this quite impressive physique belonged to. What the…?

Before you stood a man, several inches taller than you, frozen in place with his arm lifted as if he was just about to knock on your door. He looked down on you with impressive, hazel eyes. Honey blond, tousled hair adorned his head, falling slightly onto his forehead, wet tips clinging to his temples and a bead of sweat disappearing behind his ear. But that was about all you could make out.

Seeing people wearing a facemask had of course not been an unusual sight for the last three years but he wasn´t wearing one of those surgical ones. His nose, mouth and chin were covered in thick, black material, even spanning over his cheekbones and disappearing behind his ears. When your eyes caught his again you saw them narrowing just slightly and one blond eyebrow ticking upwards.

Something wriggly moved inside your belly.

The man slowly lowered his arm, simultaneously lifting the other slightly, holding out your bag.

“This yours?” a deep, calm voice broke through the silence and the wriggly something inside you spread out towards your chest, down your arms and into your fingertips. You swallowed, trying to gather your wits again.

“Uhm…yes. Yes, that´s mine. Forgot about it” you said with a nervous laugh as you took it from him. He hummed deep inside his chest in understanding. The sound only letting your eyes snap onto his again trying to decipher if the squinting was an annoyed one or an amused one.

Amused, as it turns out. He took a deep breath, the black material of his running shirt as you now realized it was, stretching across the expanse of his chest.

“You know, that´s how you get your identity stolen. Or at least your wallet.” Yeah, there was no question now, he was grinning behind his mask, his tone mildly rebuking but not at all belittling.

A small smirk of your own crawled onto your lips as you cocked out your hip and nodded your head.

“You´re absolutely right, Sir. I´ll cuff my bag to my wrist from now on so this inconvenience shall not occur to you a second time.” You want to be cocky, mister? Fine with me.

Your answer made him chuckle. It was short but genuine. One hand in his pocket he stepped back slightly and only now did you notice the heat that his body had emitted. With one last narrow of his eyes, making the edges crinkle ever so slightly he answered. “Not an inconvenience, Miss. Have a good evening.” He nodded once and walked away to your right.

“Y-you too” you cursed the way your words tumbled. To your surprise he halted in front of the door next to yours and your heart jumped into your throat as he took out his keys. Your eyes still fixed onto his side profile (you still couldn’t really make out any features), he gave you one last look before opening his door.

“And thank you” you rushed out.

He only lifted one hand to give you a small little wave that seemed way too juvenile for a man of his stature and closed his door.

Kind of shellshocked you turned around yourself and let your door fall shut behind you. Clutching onto your bag you didn’t even notice how long you were just standing in your hallway, trying to sort out the wriggling nerves. Who was that? Idiot. Your neighbor. Your neighbor that you´d never seen before. A man like him you´d remember seeing. There´d never been any noise from the apartment next to yours so you just thought it was either a very quiet tenant or one that only went there to sleep.

Sitting down on your couch again you stared at the wall behind your TV. He was behind that wall, doing…things. Existing. Why did that feel so exciting to you? Maybe it was just because that´d been your first real social interaction apart from talking to your colleagues?

Laughing incredulously at yourself you buried your burning face in your hands and giggled. No. No that wasn’t it and you knew it. It was stupid. So very stupid and weird and nerdy and…that damn mask!!

“Whhhyyyy…..?” you moaned grinning and rubbed your temples, finally letting all the pent up adrenalin and endorphins rush through your blood stream unstopped. What was it about men wearing those damn masks? Not being able to fully see their face. Having to find out what there was to them by just their actions.

The fist time you really thought you´d lost your mind was when you actually developed a burning crush on a literal tin can from the Star Wars universe. Oh yeah, sure. Give me a brooding, sarcastic, overworked loner with PTSD and give him a freaking child to protect. Watch him become a devoted, loving single parent. Of course! Yes, let me thirst after him. And did it stop there? Of course not. The pandemic hit and the lockdown had everyone in a chokehold.

The only chokehold you wanted to be in at the time however was one carried out by a video game character called Ghoul from “Call of Obligation”. Tatted up, burly, sharp, dutiful, loyal and fucking hot.

The only thing you were able to see of him? His eyes. Just his eyes and an occasional forearm here and there. Everything else covered in tactical gear and a scary facemask. God that character haunted your dreams almost every night. And now, you had his existing, breathing, heat emitting, real human equivalent living next to you. You felt your insides burn as another funny noise came from your mouth. There had to be something wrong with you. Why was half a visible face or even less, so damn attractive to you?

“Shit must be some kind of kink” you murmured to yourself as you reached for your wine glass.

Why was he wearing that mask anyway? People weren´t obligated to wear one anymore. Was it some kind of training technique while running?

Anyhow, you appreciated the encounter. Your mood instantly better even though the both of you hadn’t talked much at all. He seemed witty. Cocky almost and you liked that.

Emptying your wine, you put the glass back in the dishwasher and walked over to your bathroom when you heard it. The shower in the next apartment was running. Immediately you halted all movement and tried to not even breath. The situation seemed so delicate, like thin glass ready to break. You stared at the wall when something else caught your ears.

No. Did you hear this right? Was he…?

You walked carefully over to your shower and stepped in. Trying not to care about how crazy you must look at this moment, you turned your head to the wall slightly, closed your eyes and listened as hard as you could. There it was.

Low, melodic and absolutely captivating. Over the sound of the water hitting the tile you heard your neighbor singing. Your forehead hit the tile and you breathed as quietly as possible, marveling in the baritone sweetness that could be heard through the wall. All too soon, about a minute later it was over. The water was shut off, the singing stopped.

As if in trance you got your nighttime routine going and a couple minutes later, slid into bed. Knowing where his bathroom was now, you were positive that his bedroom had to be next to yours as well. You tried to hear more, but nothing else penetrated the walls. It made you glad actually. If you would be able to hear him in his bedroom, sleep would turn out to be an impossibility to achieve.

This way, you closed your eyes, got comfortable and let your thoughts drift and wander. Not long after, you were dead asleep. Your dreams yet again haunted, but now, the usual scary mask of Ghoul was replaced with a solid black one and instead of clawing at a fully clothed head between your legs, your fingers tangled into soft honey blond curls.

_____________________________________________________

I hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading. Please consider interacting with this post and give me some feedback. Comments and reblogs always help not only to push my work that I love, but also help to improve my writing and get my imagination going.

Thank you for considering it <3

436 notes · View notes

jiangwanyinscatmom · 4 months ago

Text

Once more exorcising spirits or using them like WWX does, doesn't stop them from reincarnation, you all gotta stop this when the only thing that is said is if resurrected WWX doesn't fulfill his "term" HIS primordial soul is forever destroyed based on the usual points of Mo Dao usage that is performed by everyone else that is not Wei Wuxian (i.e. Jin Guangyao, Mo Xuanyu, Xue Yang and Su She).

The nature of this “sacrificial ritual” was a type of curse. The caster was to harm themselves with a weapon, making cuts on their body and using their own blood to draw the array and write the spells within. They would then sit in the center of the circle and give up their mortal body to evil spirits, using the annihilation of their soul as the price to summon a nefarious, malicious ghost. This was all done in order to request the fulfillment of a wish. Thus, it was the opposite of “possession.”

This is the part that I can see confusing others, but, with doaist belief, there are several souls, the human (living one, the three hun and seven po that remain in death). Mo Xunayu did not sacrifice his right of reincarnation just the living one he had at the time, and frankly the one that is cared about in the moment as that is where karma is accrued in order to be judged throughout the circles of Diyu until a soul is purged clean to enter their next reincarnation cycle, samsara. Your karma only follows you based on what you did in your wordly life in consequence and a soul is thusly free to garner further negativity or, better itself to enter the next samsara. When it comes to the Po that stay it can be for any reason, and are liable to rise apart from the "human" as they are only the emotions left at the time of death or, of the "human" daily actions that were strongest. Once the hun souls (these ARE essentially the parts of the person that are essential in spirit and is the primordial existence of that life) are all reunited within Diyu, the human can move on. The Po can still roam the world and why funerary rights and respect are performed and met.

While both were forbidden magics of ill repute, the difference was that the former was much less popular than the latter. After all, few wishes were so strongly desired as to make someone willingly sacrifice everything they had. This was why the technique had been nearly lost after centuries of disuse. The examples recorded in ancient books had only a handful of cases that were backed by reliable evidence, and every single one of them had been for revenge. Every malicious ghost summoned by the ritual had fulfilled the caster’s wishes perfectly, in cruel and bloody ways.

He also did not make anything to do with this ritual or any of the actual mo dao curses (a whole one which we see in book which is the one hundred holes and what it's backlash is for Su Shi using it). What Mo Xuanyu does is also true Mo Dao as it is manipulating the primordial spirit self of another and his human existence. It is a disruption of several Samsara and consequence that will be righted, good or bad for either. Wei Wuxian's cycle just started anew sooner as he was given life again and paid for his karma with his previous death, as reiterated through the novel and himself. Mo Xuanyu has only swapped their places in samsara and death and life.

But the tough thing was, the Sacrificial Ritual followed the will of the caster first and foremost. So it didn’t matter how much he objected… He was already inside this body, which was a silent acknowledgement that both parties had formed a contract. He had to fulfill the wish of the caster, or the curse would rebound, destroying the possessor’s primordial spirit and extinguishing it forever.

Following the rules of karma and Samsara, Mo Xuanyu already gave his place in the human world, he fulfilled his part of the ritual as needed and will eventually reincarnate based on whatever karma he accrued in that life. Wei Wuxian still has to fulfill the wants of that sacrifice before he is free to do as he wants as his primordial humanity is what will be destroyed, the part that always is made to enter Diyu in order to reincarnate.

In all of this, it is not gui dao, as gui dao uses what is already in existence in order to be used with the many Po souls that can arise and still be found in the likes of graves and disturbed places. Po can be disturbed even after years of rest and why you also do not bring negativity into temples, ancestral worship places and areas, or the graves itself. Po being the emotionality left to the world are prone to aggression and can make themselves rise as jiangshi 僵尸, stiff corpse, or as the work calls mutations of them 走尸, zou shi, walking corpse and 凶尸, xiong shi, fierce corpse. None of these retain human characteristics other than the po it relies on that already have existed before Wei Wuxian was present.

I have said this before but I'm expanding on this as it fandom falsely put the onus of this all on Wei Wuxian still for a sacrifice. Or to put the death of Mo Xuanyu, the caster, on Wei Wuxian, who wasn't sure why he had been summoned back to life and was not expecting that. Wei Wuxian had already been dead, nor within that thirteen years he had been, conspired, as what most Mo Dao users do when they break their nascent souls, to eventually revive physically.

In the very first chapter it has already exposed that the moniker of the book is false. The practitioners of Mo Dao are Mo Xuanyu, later Xue Yang, Su She and Jin Guangyao, not Wei Wuxian who we see works in a totally different medium of physical cultivation and meditation that does not warp or manipulate a soul itself to become defiled, the po wandering the human world are not the human soul that are being made into jiangshi. The point of Mo Dao is to corrupt a living soul (the self usually)by evil manipulations.

Wei Wuxian is not, never was, a Mo Dao demonic cultivator, nor was the first as there were centuries of techniques for this, and his crafting of ghosts is falsely defined within the same category. This is also foreshadowed with his argument with Lan Qiren about the exorcism and suppression of ghostly spirits being the only orthodox means of dealing with them, and the lack of understanding orthodox clans approached spirits as a social taboo.

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #wei wuxian #saying this again #and again #...and again

144 notes · View notes

mentauxx · 17 days ago

Text

What led Saitou Yakumo to decide to live in solitude?

(Minor spoilers for Volume 11 - file 01 and MAJOR spoilers for the prequel Blue curse)

You see, Yakumo never wanted to be alone. He didn't always have his forced poker face. He used to smile and laugh like everyone else.

So, what caused such a bright boy to end up the way he did? I think this excerpt from volume 11 explained it quite well (since it was written from his POV):

Humans would feel reassured if they were the same as their fellow peers. They felt safe when obscured within a group. Yakumo didn't intend to criticise that fact. For the kind of people who chose to form society based on groups, such a thing was inevitable. However- Such a decision had another side to it. Without mercy, they would reject those who were different from them. Yakumo's red left eye had been a target of that rejection. "Disgusting."

"What's with that eye?"

"Don't come any closer, you monster." He had no idea just how many hurtful words he had been subjected to because of his red left eye. Having received such a treatment countless times, Yakumo realised he couldn't be with other people. Ostracised from the group and forced into solitude, Yakumo had chosen to build a wall around his heart, shutting himself inside as means of self-defence. As he became a middle school student, he had used a black contact lens to conceal his red left eye such that his outward appearance wouldn't be feared. Yet, doing so hadn't put his heart at ease. He had merely been hiding it. The fact that his left eye was different from others had remained unchanged. Besides, the thought that his secret might get exposed kept him anxious. He couldn't blend well with others despite already concealing his red left eye.

Because he knew that people would ostracise him as an abnormality once they discovered the truth. In the end, Yakumo stayed away from getting too involved with others and chose to be alone. Of course, his differing appearance hadn't been the only reason he had suffered. Being able to see spirits that others couldn't on the daily in itself was a form of suffering. The world of the living and the realm of the dead -constantly being able to see both caused the barrier between the two to blur, until he himself saw his own existence as something dangerous.

So we can say that he was quite literally forced into solitude.

But, how far did Yakumo try to be accepted?

during his elementary school years, Yakumo discovered that he was the only one seeing what he sees and thought that he was the abnormal one, so he tried wearing an eye patch thinking that if he covers his eye people would accept him which failed as we know.

After being shunned by everyone Yakumo decided to start anew and started wearing a contact lens when he started middle school, but just like he mentioned; doing so didn't put his heart at ease.

On top of that, those who went to the same elementary school as he did were spreading nasty rumors about him. They said his parents were missing and that HE was the one who killed them. His classmates would call him a murderer, accuse him of cheating on his exams using clairvoyance (like stfu) which all led to him getting severely bullied.

Rumors about him seeing ghosts and the fact that his eye was red were there too.

At that point Yakumo realized that being accepted by "normal" people is impossible (Isshin was the only exception. Which greatly confused Yakumo, but then he came to the conclusion that, just like he told Haruka: 'That’s the sort of person he is.’)

And so, his middle school years went by until a particular incident happened in his third year. A "meddlesome" teacher refused to just let him be which again greatly confused Yakumo because why would a teacher do so much for a student? She should just leave him alone like everyone else. Akemi didn't listen to that and she actually had Yakumo open up completely to her (Yes, I'm referring to that one scene before she confessed to the police). Boy was even happy she'd marry his uncle. But of course just when his life was taking a turn for the better, he lost her as well and completely shut off his heart. Even went as far as trying to gouge his red eye out with a cutter, but thankfully Isshin made it just in time.

You might think that was the point when Yakumo decided to live alone, but it doesn't stop here.

6 months later he enters high school.

His iconic speech at the entrance ceremony unintentionally (and to his annoyance) left a vivid impression not only on the students but on the teachers as well.

Tons of people were interested in him.

However, Yakumo didn't care whatsoever.

From experience, Yakumo knew it was impossible for him to get along with “normal people” and that he'll just end up getting hurt in the end, so he brushed it all off.

His unapproachable air made the boys call him a "weirdo," and the girls whispered that he's "mysterious."

Rumors about him seeing ghosts were ofc there as well.

A particularly disgusting one about him “killing a teacher”.

Like how tf did it escalate to this? I DON'T KNOW.

(To the person who spread these rumors: Please seek help. You need it.)

No one really believed any of that shit because it's simply ridiculous af, but some people (who didn't believe it either) did try to use it as an excuse to harass him (*cough cough* Kawamoto *cough cough*)

Surprisingly, there was one person Yakumo was ACTUALLY interested in.

That is—Aoyama Takumi.

Yakumo wasn't like others, therefore he was rejected by them.

In other words, someone with similar past and experience wouldn't reject him would he?

Takumi wasn't aware of it, but Yakumo actually knew Takumi way before the entrance ceremony.

Yakumo happened to visit an art museum where Takumi's award-winning painting was on display.

Seeing the unique use of colors in that painting, he was convinced that the world Takumi sees is different from others.

And that's when he doubted that Takumi might have synesthesia.

When they ended up in the same class, Yakumo started observing Takumi and confirmed the fact that he has synesthesia AND sound-color synesthesia on top of that.

His reasoning being: “When Takumi talks to people, the area around his eyelids and tear ducts moves a lot. It's similar to the muscle reflex that happens when exposed to strong light. Even though there's no light source nearby, that reaction occurs.”

(Boy, are you sure you're a high schooler?)

Anyways during the interrogation when Takumi was pretending to be the culprit to protect Maki (since he thought she was the murderer), Yakumo was trying to get Takumi to admit that he did see a girl in a school uniform standing on the balcony of the art room which Takumi firmly denied.

However, Yakumo's insistence made Takumi blurt out that it was probably just a ghost.

And that's when Yakumo decided to reveal the fact that he sees ghosts. To prove it, he took his contact lens off and showed his red eye to Takumi.

However—Takumi's reaction wasn't one that he expected—

Here are some excerpts from that scene:

If I accepted it here, all my efforts would be in vain. More importantly, I wouldn't be able to save her.

'So what if it's red? That doesn't mean you can see ghosts. Besides, seeing ghosts is ridiculous.' 'I misjudged you...'

Yakumo's red voice pierced the deepest part of my heart like a sharp thorn.

—What does he mean by misjudged?

From the way he said it, it seemed Yakumo had some expectations of me. Even though we had hardly spoken before the incident.

'What do you mean?'

'I've known for a long time that you have sound-color synesthesia.'

It was truly a beautiful painting. I had never seen such a beautiful painting before.'

Yakumo had a look of ecstasy on his face.

It was clear from his tone that it was not flattery or anything like that.

'Even though he saw a different world from others, there was no pessimism or despair in it. He accepted the world he saw and sublimated it into art. For me, who also sees a different world like Takumi, it was a culture shock.'

'A different world?'

'When I saw Takumi's painting, I felt ashamed of myself. I envied that he could turn being different from others into his strength.'

'…….'

“Yet now, Takumi is denying the world that only I can see, saying it doesn't exist.”

'…….'

“I thought Takumi, who had seen a different world from others, would understand. But it seems I was wrong.”

'I...' My strength was draining away. Yakumo was right. I had been denied because of the world that only I could see and had suffered a lot for being different from others. Even though I should have known the pain and sorrow of not being accepted, I was treating Yakumo the same way I had been treated.

Even though he did it to save Maki, Takumi regretted it so much, but even at that point he still couldn't take it back; all his efforts to convince the police that he was the culprit would be in vain after all (this conversation literally took place after Takumi managed to trick the police during his interrogation. The reason Yakumo was even able to be there was because he used his "connections").

Later on they ended up solving the case and Takumi moved to Kyoto.

The part that hurts most is the fact that Takumi saw Yakumo's voice as red. At first, Takumi didn't know what the red color really meant, but he soon came to the realization that the color red is the color of the voice of someone who wishes for death.

The only reason Yakumo hadn't done it at that point is due to the fact that he can see the spirits of the dead. He knows that there's no point in doing so.

Having been rejected by "normal people" and "those who were like him", I personally feel like this was the point when Yakumo completely gave up on trying to “belong” to a group.

I thought he became like that after that one time his mother tried to kill him, but Blue curse changed my perspective a bit.

It made more sense to me tbh. Why? Haruka explained it amazingly in volume 10:

“All of it has led you to keep your distance from others and conceal your own weakness, no? If you’re by yourself, you won’t get hurt and won’t get others hurt. That’s what you think, right?” “…….” “But you’re actually scared of being lonely, so you can’t completely sever your ties with other people. If it’s to avoid hurting anyone, you could’ve just lived in solitude, but you can’t do it.”

That's exactly it. He can't do it and couldn't do it.

It's especially true when it comes to Haruka. He admitted in Volume 8 that all this time, he was trying not to get attached to Haruka (which he successfully failed at).

If that man could handle living in solitude, he wouldn't have allowed Haruka to come to his room whenever she liked, wouldn't have told her to call him by his first name, etc.

He admitted, also in Volume 8, that he wanted her to know him and him to know her, But instead of doing that, he spent two years trying not to get attached to her while still enjoying her presence by his side.

His idea of trying "not to get attached to her" is honestly hilarious.

If all that was you trying not to get attached to her, what would spending your time carefree with her be like?

But yeah, reading the prequels made me realize that Haruka was TRULY the first person to acknowledge him.

His reaction when she called his eye "beautiful" is PRICELESS.

That's why the anime sucked hard. Like did y'all really want to ruin that scene that much? Where did the part where Yakumo laughed until he was clutching his stomach go? Is he not human too?

Bee train studio the disappointment you are smh

Ok, I'm getting off topic.

Now in case this isn't obvious: I'm by no means blaming Takumi (that guy is amazing), neither did Yakumo.

In fact during their last farewell, when Takumi thought Yakumo would blame him, Yakumo actually thanked him.

'There's one thing I forgot to mention.'

Yakumo, without much of a greeting, began speaking in a stern voice. 'Forgot to mention?' The confusion in the case was my fault. Because of that, Yakumo must have been dragged into it and had a hard time. If things had gone wrong, someone could have died. I thought he would blame me for that. But the words that came out of his mouth were unexpected. 'Takumi's parents have been watching over you.' 'Watching over... ' 'They are standing behind you even now. Don't hold back. Live freely—that's their message.' Yakumo said this while pointing behind me. I turned around, but I couldn't see anything. However, Yakumo's left eye must have seen my parents. 'Did you come all the way just to tell me that?' When I asked, Yakumo's expression twisted slightly. It looked both angry and amused. 'Thank you—' I bowed deeply. 'I should be the one thanking you.'

'Why?' Without answering my question, Yakumo slowly walked away down the hallway. Maybe I should have chased after him. But I couldn't move from that spot. Yakumo doesn't like getting too close to people. No matter what happens, no matter what I say, he will continue on his own path. I just watch him go.

Honestly, it was all a misunderstanding that no one could be blamed for.

If the circumstances were different, things wouldn't have ended up that way.

Despite everything, Yakumo and Takumi did in fact consider each other as friends.

They were just really awkward.

Takumi is just as reserved as Yakumo is.

He wasn't one to actively try to get to know others either.

And I don't blame him for being oblivious to the fact that Yakumo wanted to be his friend.

Yakumo is too twisted for his own good.

Instead of straight up trying to get to know Takumi, he ended up observing him until he had a chance to talk to him when that incident occurred.

And even when they did talk, Takumi thought his existence annoyed him lol.

It was no wonder that Takumi wasn't aware how happy Yakumo was when he stood up for him when Kawamoto tried harassing him and calling him a thief.

High school boys are idiots is all I'll say.

Loved their friendship tho.

8 years later, Yakumo and Takumi meet again in Tokyo, However, Yakumo's voice was no longer red. It was as soft and white as his monk uncle's voice—

#this took forever to type #had to translate some dialogues as well #excuse my packed schedule #mentauxx yaps about shinrei tantei yakumo #shinrei tantei yakumo #saitou yakumo

15 notes · View notes

ashes-writing-corner · 1 year ago

Text

Hey guys so I'm back with this last part for Ghosts that We Knew! The story isn't over, I'm still gonna write for ghost!Ghost, just think of this as like...a season finale if that makes sense! I'll be back for "season 2" in December but I wanna take this month to work on my original story. That being said, this is kind of a long one! I hope you guys like it ^^

Taglist: @stargatenovus

Ghosts That We Knew

Part 8- Abandonment Issues

You were more than excited to hear the news: your deal had gone through for your new Cafe and bakery! The lease would be there for two years, and if your business was profitable, the place would become yours. The previous owner, now your lease holder, was a sweet older lady who had originally tried to use the place as a small tea shop, so everything you needed was mostly there. You sat Ellie down and told her the news, the little girl squeaking loudly with excitement. It was only a short distance away, about a ten minute drive from your place, so you didn't need to move, much to Ghost's relief.

He was happy for you, he really was. But he was certain that he wouldn't be able to bear it if you left. Maybe it was his abandonment issues talking, but he always had a feeling you would leave. He couldn't blame you. The apartment wasn't the best admittedly, despite your best effort to make it a home. His death, he knew, left a heaviness around and he knew that wasn't good for Ellie. Or really you for that matter.

Now that he knew the truth, he had been contemplating the best way to tell you. But how best to do it? You even said you didn't want to know about your donor, that the heart would feel even less like yours. But if you found out on your own, it would breed resentment.

There was no "right" way to go about this. Only the lesser of two evils. A rock and a hard place.

Wasn't the first time Simon was stuck in a situation like that, though he had hoped the last one would legit be the last one.

He was selfish, he knew. He didn't want you and Ellie to leave. As far as he was concerned, you two were his family and he loved you both as best he could. But at the same time, he knew his presence in your life would only hold you back. He had thrown away his chance to live and he knew it was wrong to be so clingy to the living.

But it was a fact. One day you and Ellie would leave, and most likely he would never see you two again. The thought filled him with dread. He wanted you to stay, but knew that just wasn't possible. The thought of you one day leaving broke something in him as he turned from the living room and back down the hall to his closet. It slammed shut, startling you and Ellie as the room grew cold.

"Ghost?!" Ellie hopped off the sofa to the closet door and thief to open it, but it wouldn't budge, "Ghost?! What's wrong?!".

You followed after your little girl, worried for him too. "Ghost? Hey, what's going on? Come talk to us"

You pulled the communicator app back up, wondering what was going on. He hadn't done anything like that in months and it was concerning. He didn't want to talk, though. He wanted to be left alone, to get used to solitude again. It was best to start breaking hearts now rather than waiting for you two to break his anew.

"Ghost…please. I can't fix this if I don't know what's wrong".

"You can't fix this" he wanted to tell you, just like you had told him that night a few months ago, but he stayed quiet.

"Ghost, are you mad at us?" Ellie asked, sad and worried.

Horrid negative thoughts were going through his mind, the same ones from the night he died. He was useless, thinking that he could make the world a better place by himself. No one loved him, and anyone who did was dead because of him. Everyone would be better off without him, they just tolerated him because of the job. And now he felt like you two only tolerated him because you lived here. The hall was going icy cold as those thoughts pervaded his mind.

Ellie wasn't about to stand for it. The little girl stepped to the closet door and put her hand on the knob. You moved to grab it.

"Sweetie no, that's his space" you told her.

"He needs us mama! We gotta go in there!".

"Nöelle, listen to me. We do not overstep boundaries. Much less the boundaries of the dead when they've drawn a hard line. The closet is his space and we need to mind it"

"But mama-"

"Nöelle L/N! No more. You heard me. He will come to us in his own time. He'll be fine, I promise".

Ellie looked saddened at that as she looked at the door. "I just want him to know that we're here for him…he thinks of us like family".

Your tone softened at that. "He does now?".

The little girl nodded. "We talk a lot".

"I can imagine…" you responded thoughtfully, "we talked a little bit a few nights ago. I…I actually saw him, felt him".

"You think Didi would've liked Ghost?" Ellie asked, cocking her head.

Didi was the title Ellie had given to your late partner, and she hadn't talked about them in a long time. Although assigned male at birth, they didn't conform to gender norms and preferred to be referred to by they/them. When picking a parent title upon Ellie's adoption, they picked Didi because one they thought it was cure, and two it was probably the least confusing option.

"I think Didi would've taken a while to like him, but I think they'd be good friends in the end" you finally answered.

"Maybe Didi sent him!" Ellie's face lit up at the idea, which made you smile.

"It's…plausible" you shrugged a little.

As negative as his feelings were in the moment, Ghost listened in. He definitely wasn't sent by anyone, but he didn't want to crush Ellie's belief in that. From what he understood, Didi had also been a soldier, unfortunately killed in the line of duty while trying to protect younger members of his unit. They had died honorably, a hero's death, very much unlike himself.

"Fucking coward" his mind hissed at him viciously, "at least their death fucking meant something…while you made yourself brain dead in a tiny cramped closet…".

He didn't want to think about it, but the mind was a terrible thing even in death…

Ghost didn't know how long he stayed in that closet, wallowing in his misery. It made him feel pathetic. He was supposed to be better than that, stronger than that. But ghosts were by nature miserable creatures, and unfortunately he was no exception. When he did finally emerge, he didn't know who to really go to first. You were in your room, making plans for your new bakery and Cafe. He didn't want to disrupt you. Ellie was in her room, playing with her stuffies and dressing them up for the night's events.

It was that day again.

Halloween.

It explained why he felt his emotions more vividly today. It was the anniversary of his death. Now it was three years ago…

Damn time really did fly by when you were dead.

He watched from a corner of Ellie's room as she sat her three favorite plushies (a bunny, a red panda, and a grizzly bear) at a play table and was giving them tea. It seemed he was interrupting a Halloween themed tea party. This could've been his life, he realized sadly. He could've been here playing with her, or at least helping you with preparations.

Could've, Would've, and Should've…the three damn stooges of life (and death apparently…).

He knew it was selfish, but he didn't want either of you to leave. He wanted this to be forever, to be permanent. You and Ellie were all he had now, all that reminded him of what it was like to be alive. You both made him feel something so sweet, a feeling that filled his chest and seemed to spread to every fiber of his being. It was warm, so warm, he realized, that for a moment he almost felt like he was indeed alive again.

Was this love? Was this obsession? Maybe a combination of the two? He knew he didn't want it to go away. He didn't want either of you to leave him. Ghost just…didn't want to be alone anymore.

"Ghost?" Ellie's voice pulled him away from his thoughts, "what's wrong?".

Something inside of him softened at the question. Ellie was a complete sweetheart and he adored her. She had a huge heart for someone so small.

"I'm alright, lovely. It's just…a rough day for me is all" he answered.

"Why's that?" Ellie asked, pulling out a small chair for him at her table.

Behind his mask, he smiled half amused. It was so tiny but he'd never turn down an offer to sit with the little girl's favorite friends. He sat down and she stayed close to him.

"Halloweens a rough one for me. I…I did a really dumb thing that-"

"Did you die today?" She asked, still feeling sad for him.

There was no point in hiding it. "Unfortunately…"

"What's it like?".

"To die? Not something you need to know about yet. Not for a very, very long time".

"Like when I'm thirty!"

He couldn't help but chuckle at that. Kids were funny even when they weren't trying to be.

"Way longer than that lovey".

Her eyes widened. "When I'm a hundred?!".

That actually got him full on laughing. "That would be preferred actually".

A long full life is what she deserved. It's what they both deserved, really. Ellie looked at him, her eyes warm and sweet, but there was concern in them.

"What's the matter, Ghost? Why were you sad earlier?" She asked.

"It's not something for you to worry yourself with sweetie" he tried to assure her, "my troubles are mine to deal with".

"But Ghost…you're family" she told him, "and family's always there for each other".

Ghost frowned but his eyes softened. "It's just…I don't wanna lose you and your mum. I care about you girls, a lot. More than I ever expected to. But at the same time…I know you guys can't stay forever".

"Who says that?" Ellie asked.

"It's complicated. You may be able to stay now but…eventually I know you both are gonna wanna leave. And when you do, I don't know if I'll be able to follow you. I mean, I might but it's gonna take a lot out of me".

"We would never leave you" Ellie looked at him with utmost determination, "at least I wouldn't".

"Thank you darling. I wouldn't even think of leaving you either" he wanted to keep himself from going into too much depth about his feelings.

A lot of them were too heavy, too complicated for a little child to understand. He just didn't want to feel like he did in his last days: alone, and like he had no one. His loneliness was not her burden and he wouldn't dare burden her with it.

"Oh! Mama helped me get a costume together! I'm gonna be a skeleton ghost like you!".

Ghost blinked. Wait…she wanted to be him for Halloween? That was…interesting. He looked at Ellie intrigued.

"I'll show you! I won't look as cool as you, but I wanted to do something like you-".

"Honey?" Your voice called through the door, "Ellie? Is everything okay?".

"Yeah mama…Ghost came out of the closet!".

That got a chuckle out of him. Ellie turned to him.

"Something funny?" She asked as you came in.

You yourself couldn't see him but felt he was definitely there. The chill was the best indicator. It wasn't a sad chill unlike earlier though, it was more of just how he was naturally.

"Just a funny thought, dear" Ghost told Ellie as he stood when you came in.

You looked at Ellie. "We'll need to get you ready soon. Is it alright if I borrow him for a bit?".

Your little girl nodded. "He likes to talk to you mama. I don't mind. I think he was scared earlier".

"Scared?".

Ellie nodded. "He'll explain it if he's up for it".

You raised a brow as you looked toward the empty seat. "I'll wait for you in my room".

Ghost nodded, though he knew you couldn't see. Mostly out of respect, being rather disciplined even in death. You waited for him as Ellie busied herself for the night's candy hunt, setting up the app and placing the phone between the two of you.

"So…Ellie says you're scared. Something scares you?" You asked, looking ahead, as Ghost stood at the end of your bed.

He responded, the app only picking up: Don't. Leave.

"I'm just taking Ellie out for-" it dawned on you, "wait you mean…don't leave here, as in don't leave you?".

Yes.

You frowned at that. "Ghost, we aren't gonna leave you. You're pretty much a part of our family at this point. Why would you think we'd just up and leave you?".

Better. Home.

"Well yeah the apartment's a bit small, and eventually I would like to get my own place-".

Don't. Leave. Me.

"Ghost, can't you follow us? I've seen ghosts do that on TV all the time".

Not. Strong. Enough.

That didn't help things. "We have a few years, Ghost. We'll cross that bridge once we get there. But I want you to know that Ellie and I, I promise you, we will not abandon you. If you're able to come with us, if we do get a new home, there will always be space and room for you. I'll even make sure we get a spare room, to use for you most days. My sister or my mom might come over every so often so you'd have to take the haunting down a tad, but other than that, it'd be yours. I just want you to be happy and if we make you happy, then you're definitely free to come with us. I won't stop you. I don't want to".

And you meant it. Ghost really was a part of your family, in a way. He made life interesting. He was kind, when he could be, and gentle when he had to be. Who knew a ghost could be such a positive thing? To an extent, you wondered if he was a guardian angel of sorts, perhaps even sent by your partner. It was a stretch but an interesting thought.

As for Ghost, he sensed no lies on you. You meant every word and then some. He could trust you, despite something in him deep down telling him it wasn't smart.

"Be careful who you trust, sergeant. People you know can hurt you the most" he remembered telling Soap all those years ago…

But just like Soap, he trusted you. You, just like him, had weaseled your ways into his heart, figuratively and literally. It seemed his defenses were easier to slip through than he realized…

Soap.

"What?" That was the second time in the past month he mentioned soap. You looked at your phone puzzled.

Johnny.

You didn't know anyone named Johnny. You looked up at the supposed blank space where the apparition was. "Who is that?".

Mac. Tavish.

"Johnny and Mac Tavish?" You didn't get it.

Soap.

"Okay you aren't making any…wait" you blinked, putting the pieces together, "Johnny MacTavish? I don't know anyone with that name".

You picked the phone up and made a note in it of the name. If time allowed, perhaps you could look it up?

"Friend of yours?" You asked.

Yes.

At least yes or no questions could be easily answered. You gave a soft half smile. "I'll try to look him up later. Gonna help Ellie get ready for trick or treating. Wanna try and join us?".

Try.

And that was all you could ask of him. It's all anyone could really ask of anyone...

If you guys liked this please let me know! I love when you guys comment so please feel free to like, comment, and please reblog and tell me your thoughts! I'll be continuing this in December, but for now, I got an original story to work on ^.^ thank you so much :)

-Ash

#fanfiction #ghosts that we knew #ghost x reader #ghost call of duty #simon riley x reader #simon ghost riley × reader #simon ghost riley #ghost!ghost #paranormal friendship #eventual paranormal romance #cod fanfic

44 notes · View notes

hp-mcd-fest · 1 year ago

Text

Kill Your Darlings 2023 - Anon Master list & prompts 💜💀💚

First of all, a huge thanks to everyone who participated — prompters, writers, artists, beta readers, and cheerleaders. Without you, this fest would not have been possible.

Author reveals will be mid-day Friday Oct 6!!

💀 Drarry 💀

Title: Devour The One You Love by starlitsilvereyes - a PodficRating: E Characters/Pairing: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter Length: 2.5-3 hours Warnings: Graphic violence Summary:A ghost of the past — a love story bleeds into the palm of his hands. A voice echoes from the cupboard under the stairs as figures appear in the mirror. It’s been seven years since the war. Darkness comes back in different forms, wearing the skin of the one that you love.

—

Prompt: Self-prompt - A podfic of the fic "Devour The One You Love" by starlitsilvereyes, one of last year's submissions.

~💜~

Title: Whatever it Takes Rating: Mature Characters/Pairing: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter Length: 15,244 words Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Main Character Death Summary: Harry Potter has been given a sacred mission to find all of Voldemort’s Horcruxes and he will do anything to succeed. He, Hermione and Ron hadn’t expected Draco Malfoy to become a part of that plan, but he had—and now Harry couldn’t imagine trying to do it without him.

—

Prompt: #88 - Harry goes on Horcrux journey with Hermione and Ron only to realise at the end they both already died. Harry sees them because of the resurrection stone and Snape obliviated him so he can finish his mission. He has been hunting horcruxes alone.

~💚~

Title: Dream A Little Dream Of MeRating: M Characters/Pairing: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. Ronald Weasley. Length: 1,419 words Warnings: Major Character Death. Summary: After the war, Draco Malfoy is tried by the Wizengamot for his involvement in the Dark Lord’s army as a marked Death Eater. He is sentenced to 18 months house arrest, alone in Malfoy Manor. Shortly after the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry Potter goes missing. Some rumour he has fled his past and started anew overseas, some believe he was killed. He is not present for the Death Eater trials and is not seen again until 18 months later. When the Ministry-mandated trace on Draco’s wand alerts aurors to the use of an Unforgiveable, Ron Weasley is the first to discover where Harry has been all this time, and who’d kept him hidden from the world he’d saved.

—

Prompt: #78 - A dies in B's arms. B sings A a sweet song/lullaby. A tries to join in.

💀 Dramione 💀

Title: mirrored scars (show the true beast within)Rating: E Characters/Pairings: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy Length: 2613 words Warnings: MCD, dead dove Summary:Draco Malfoy was a completely stressed mess of a teenage boy during his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and all because he had been given a task from Lord Voldemort, simply because Draco’s own father had failed his task the year previously at the attack at the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic. He was being forced to kill Albus Dumbledore. However, while having what he guessed was a panic attack, he had been attacked by his sworn enemy, Harry Potter, using a spell that he had never even heard of before. Draco resented the Sectumsempra scars. He wanted revenge. But, not on Potter himself. No, he knew that attacking Potter would never work well. Instead, he set his sights on seeking revenge on Potter in a different way. Attacking Potter’s best friend.

—

Prompt: #67 - Draco resents his sectumsempra scars and the people around him who never have to see their own marred skin every single day. He sets out to give scars to either one particular person or as many people as possible, because he refuses to suffer alone.

~💜~

Title: IlluminationsRating: E Characters/Pairing: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy Length: 8,087 Warnings: Major Character Death, Breeding Kink, Infidelity, Pregnancy Summary:Everyone stretches the truth. Everyone covers things up, tells little white lies to make things a bit more palatable. When they walked into the interview, Draco and Hermione certainly expected to. Instead, they found themselves needing to be a bit more honest than either was prepared for.

—

Prompt: #67 - Survive until sunrise.

~💚~

Title: Can you hear me screaming? (Please don’t leave me) Rating: General Audiences Characters/Pairings: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson/Harry Potter. Along with Granger-Malfoy children Length: 5,062 Warnings: Major Character Death Summary: Draco Malfoy’s life is turned upside down when he wakes up next to his unmoving wife, Hermione Granger-Malfoy.

—

Prompt: #70 - Draco/Lucius/Pansy wakes in the morning, rolls over for a 'good morning' kiss and finds Hermione/Narcissa/Harry has died unexpectedly but peacefully in their sleep.

💀 Wolfstar 💀

Title: The banal evilRating: Explicit Characters/Pairing: Remus Lupin, Fenrir Greyback, Sirius Black || Sirius Black/Fenrir Greyback, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin Length: 5450 words Warnings: MCD, Non-con, Violence Summary:Remus comes to Azkaban expecting something unpleasant when he tries to speak to Greyback. He couldn’t even start to imagine this.

—

Prompt: Self-prompt - In Azkaban Sirius finds an unlikely ally. He keeps him safe, at least until the Order of the Phoenix finds out about it.

~💜~

Title: dormivegliaRating: Mature Characters/Pairing: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, James Potter Length: 5,402 Warnings: Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Torture Summary:Dormiveglia (n) The space that stretches between sleeping and waking. Like a record skipping round a turntable, memories skip and stutter, too.

—

Prompt: #64 - They're in a secret relationship during the war even if they're on opposing sides, but now one has to kill the other in order to survive. There's no other way around it because they're being watched by spies from both sides.

💀 Sirius/James/Lily 💀

Title: flickering light in an endless night Rating: Mature Characters/Pairing: Sirius Black/James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/James Potter Length: ~4466 Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Child Death, Murder, Mention of Suicide Summary:Harry Potter is dead, taking Voldemort with him. While the rest of their world celebrates, Lily, James and Sirius struggle with their grief.

—

Prompt: #50 - Harry dies in Voldemort's attack taking Voldemort with him, but Lily and James survive. With their house partially destroyed and full of bad memories they go to live with Sirius. How do the three of them deal with the grief and guilt of surviving while their 1yo son / godson is gone? How do they deal with their son/godson's death being celebrated by the wizarding community?

~💚~

Title: Please?Rating: M Characters/Pairing: Sirius Black & James Potter, Sirius Black/Lily Evans, Lily Evans/James Potter Length: 3.5k Warnings: Violence, Sexual Content Summary: Lily and Sirius decide to take Justice into their own hands after James’ death.

—

Prompt: #89 - James dies to save Harry. Heartbroken and angry Lily and Sirius go on a tear to keep Harry safe and avenge James's death.

💀 Snily 💀

Title: Let Me GoRating: G Characters/Pairing: Severus Snape, Lily Evans Length: ART Warnings: Time Travel Summary: No matter what he tries. He fails. He’s meant to.

—

Prompt: #2 - Severus is in a timeloop where Lily keeps dying and he tries to save her but it always resets after her death. There is no saving Lily. He has to let her go to end the timeloop.

~💜~

Title: The Sea LilyRating: M Characters/Pairing: Lily Evans/Severus Snape Length: 743 words, 10:35 min Warnings: MCD, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Rape/Non-con Elements (forced marriage) Summary:A tragic ballad of obsessive love based on traditional folklore of the selkies.

—

Prompt: #18 - When character A traps a mermaid/merman and takes them from the sea, they expect they will fall in love. They do, but the merperson pines away for the sea. They can't live without it and eventually they die.

💀 Hestia/Emmeline 💀

Title: To Have Loved and LostRating: Teen & Up Characters/Pairing: Hestia Jones/Emmeline Vance Length: 3,527 words Warnings: Major Character Death Summary:From the unfinished book on the nightstand to the empty seat at the kitchen table, everything about their shared apartment reminds Hestia of Emmeline. But now, in the days that follow Emmeline’s death at the hands of the Death Eaters, Hestia knows she will never walk back through the door. How can she find a way to move forward after losing the woman she loved?

—

Prompt: #53 - Emmeline is murdered and Hestia struggles after her death.

💀 Luna/Ginny 💀

Title: so let the stars fallRating: M Characters/Pairing: Luna Lovegood/Ginny Weasley Word count: 1,012 words Warnings: Major character death, graphic depictions of violence Summary: She had known that getting involved with Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter’s known girlfriend, was a bad idea, but now that Luna knows that Ginny will die it’s that much worse.

—

Prompt: #49 - Character A killing character B, accidentally or on purpose.

💀 Charity/Narcissa 💀

Title: her eyes.Rating: T Characters/Pairing: Narcissa Black Malfoy/ Charity Burbage Length: 1044 Warnings: MCD Summary:��Her eyes are the worst part.

—

Prompt: #77 - The Dark Lord murders Charity Burbage, and Narcissa is forced to watch.

💀 Narcissa/Lily 💀

Title: out with the lanterns, looking Rating: T Characters / Pairing: Narcissa Black Malfoy / Lily Evans Potter Length: 9,920 words Warnings: Creator Chose Not to Use Archive Warnings, MCD Summary:Narcissa is a moth to Lily’s flame, forever at her mercy, ready to sacrifice the remaining shards of her sanity for a sliver of Lily’s love and the promise of Lily’s life. She’s so desperate in her attempts that she forgets one simple truth—all promises can be broken just as easily as they’re made. or, how the burden of knowing might change the outcome of war.

—

Prompt: #28 - What if they found out about the Horcruxes during the first war with Voldemort?

💀 Draco/Ginny 💀

Title: Red, Gold and True Love’s Soul Rating: M Characters/Pairing: Draco Malfoy/Ginny Weasley Length: 2,333 Warnings: Major Character Death Summary: Draco had thought there was hope once more in the form of Ginevra Weasley. A beautiful beacon that promised the world still existed in his heart. Until she takes on another form, and becomes embedded into his life forever in more ways than one. Forever like he wanted, but as a sadistic reminder brightness and golden souls can’t exist in his world.

—

Prompt: #29 - Voldemort wins . . . and he's not known for mercy.

💀 Snamione 💀

Title: lead feet, dead belief Rating: M Characters/Pairing: Hermione Granger/Severus Snape Length: 6976 Warnings: Character Death, Torture, Crucio/Aftereffects, Mild Sexual Content Summary: They have no idea how many days it’s been since they were brought to the island. What they do know is that the creatures beneath the dark, shimmering surface of the water guard their escape. It’s all rather hopeless, really.

—

Prompt: #16 - They are trapped, and will all die if they do nothing. They have even figured out a way to escape. Thing is: one has to stay back or it won't work.

💀 Tomarry 💀

Title: Love me, love me Rating: Mature Characters/Pairing: Harry Potter/Tom Riddle Length: 2129 Warnings: Serial Killers, Angst, Hurt No Comfort, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Manipulation, Character Death, Minor Character Death, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Death, Possessive Behavior Summary:“NO!” Tom ran up to him, laying his head on his legs, “Don’t leave me! You promised!”

—

Prompt: #39 - Insane and obsessive love where Character A will do just absolutely everything wink wink to be with Character B. Can also be inspired by the song 'Lovefool' by The Cardigans.

💀 Viktor/George 💀

Title: Catch a Cold Out ThereRating: M Characters/Pairing: George Weasley/Viktor Krum Length: 3,187 Warnings: Major Character Death Summary: Having a life built around quidditch, George didn’t think anything could go wrong. Quidditch related injuries, let alone deaths, never entered his mind. Looking back, he supposed he should have been more concerned as they grew older. Beating back bludgers wasn’t exactly an old man’s sport. Reminiscing over the past though, very much was.

—

Prompt: #1 - Main Character dies from a quidditch related sporting accident. Whether it is from an official game or just an at home game the only stipulation is that the character dies from the sport.

💀 Bellatrix/Rodolphus 💀

Title: Glory and Gore Go Hand in HandRating: M Characters/Pairing: Bellatrix Lestrange/Rodolphus Lestrange, Bellatrix Lestrange & Andromeda Tonks Length: 2807 Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence, major character death Summary: Destruction and bloodshed have always come easy to Bellatrix Lestrange.

—

Prompt: #42 - First kill vs last kill vs the character's own death.

💀 Romione 💀

Title: My Darling, Who Knew?Rating: Teen Characters/Pairing: Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley Length: 551 words Warnings: Character Death, Splinching, Heavy Angst Summary: Hermione and Harry struggle with losing Ron.

—

Prompt: #24 - P!nk's song "Who Knew"

💀 Luna/Draco 💀

Title: dreamersRating: Teen and up Characters/Pairing: Draco Malfoy/Luna Lovegood Length: 908 words Warnings: MCD Summary: In which Luna isn’t the only dreamer, and dreams are realized.

—

Prompt: #26 - "A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight." Oscar Wilde

💀 Black Sisters/Voldemort 💀

Title: The Art of OcclusionRating: M Characters/Pairing: Voldemort/Andromeda Black; Voldemort/Narcissa Black; Voldemort/Bellatrix Black; Length: 5435 words Warnings: Main Character Death, Bigamy, Marital Rape, Forced Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Minor Violence, Torture, Murder Summary: When Voldemort decides to marry all three of the Black sisters, they quickly learn that only one can be his Queen.

—

Prompt: #86 - Black sisters all married to Voldy, concubine witches competing to be queen. Some would kill for it.

💀 Gen Fics 💀

Title: The Fallen Fifty-OneRating: T Characters/Pairing: Pansy Parkinson Length: 2,720 Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Summary: 5 years after the Battle of Hogwarts, witches and wizards flock to Hogwarts School to commemorate those Fallen Fifty who passed in the final battle of the Second Wizarding War. Pansy Parkinson is one of the only almuni from that year who chooses not to attend. Instead, she sits at her writing desk and pens a letter with no address.

—

Prompt: Self-prompt - Pansy Parkinson's suicide note.

~💜~

Title: every city's got a graveyardRating: Mature Characters: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley Word count: 1,660 Warnings: Major character death, graphic depictions of violence Summary:After sacrificing everything for one measly victory, Harry is left to learn what that sacrifice means.

—

Prompt: #55 - After taking the position of Master of Death, the most feared moment has come: The first time they have to take a/their loved one.

~💚~

Title: This is how it endsRating: Teen and Up Characters/Pairing: Draco Malfoy & Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Black Malfoy Length: 6234 Warnings: MCD Summary: The executioner leaves through the same door that he came, his face hidden behind a mask. It’s ironic, really. Draco’s father was sentenced to death because of the mask he had worn, and now his life has been taken by someone wearing a different one. A mask for a mask.

—

Prompt: #83 - Draco's father is sentenced to death. A kindness compared to the Kiss and prolong stay in Azkaban. People are happy with the sentence and Draco has to deal with grief and complicated emotions.

~💜~

Title: hungerRating: T Characters/Pairings: Basilisk, Poppy Pomfrey Length: 140 words Warnings: MCD Summary:The basilisk is hungry and someone dies.

—

Prompt: #30 - How did most of the professors survive considering how often they missed the signs of what was happening right under their noses in Hogwarts?

~💚~

Title: lifelineRating: T Characters/Pairing: Gen, Harry Potter & Ron Weasley, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Gabrielle Delacour Length: 1115 words Warnings: MCD, drowning Summary: Rescuing two people instead of one shows moral fiber even if it doesn’t work.

—

Prompt: #56 - Ron or all drown in the lake during the second task of the Triwizard Tournament.

~💜~

Title: I have never known a silence like the one fallen here(never watched my future darken in a single tear)Rating: Teen and Up Characters/Pairing: Hermione Granger & Draco Malfoy; Hermione Granger & Bellatrix Black Lestrange; Bellatrix Black Lestrange/Voldemort Length: 5k Warnings: Major Character Death Summary: Hermione has been kept prisoner at Malfoy Manor for longer than she cares to remember. Broken beyond the point of no return, she finds herself in the wolf’s den with nothing to lose. She is going to die, she knows that much, but she ill not go without a fight. And she certainly isn’t going alone.

—

Prompt: #12 - Character A knows he is going to die soon, but he wants one last hurrah. Going out in style was always an option.

~💚~

Title: As the Death Wishes Rating: M (for the topic only) Characters/Pairing: Lily Evans, Severus Snape, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Mary McDonald, Albus Dumbledore Length: 8,623 words Warnings: major character death, discussions of suicide and homicide Summary:For Prompt #10. Severus Snape commits suicide, leaving only a letter for his former best friend - Lily Evans. A letter which changes her entire life.

—

Prompt: #10 - Someone's dying wish is for revenge, but killing is not something easily done. How to attempt it? And can one go through?

Make sure to leave a kudo & comment, and share with all your wretched friends 💜💀💚

48 notes · View notes

randomfandoms234 · 1 year ago

Text

Bumblebee and ghostscream showing up in

Shattered glass would be so funny In the bee of the multiverse au

Because bumblebee would wake up In the body of a future evil guy and would nope out of there and leave the current town to go to another one and start life anew there ghostscream coming along and agreeing.

Instead of lies and tricks bumblebee made a name of himself with kindness and was approached by Megatron. By then he knew this universe was a reverse one with the way he’s seen his old friends acting he would reluctantly agree to join their forces.

He makes fast friends with the SG decepticons and helps out soundwave with morale

He’s also good friends with SGstarscream much with ghostscreamw chargin he often speaks of how he feels like his colouring is all wrong to Starscream and eventually gets a paint job making him yellow and black again

But imagine the hilarity of Optimus prime noticing something weird with bumblebee and has his scientists research it more and finds out bumblebee is from another dimension. The decepticons feel betrayed but bumblebee simply stated “I can’t control it and I didn’t want to worry you guys..” it takes awhile for everyone of the SG crew to forgive him for hiding this but they do and now he’s able to talk to ghost scream about stuff

Yea the others are appalled by their other selves whenever bumblebee tells them about the other dimensions he’s been to

He tells. Them about weaknesses in the autobots that most likely stayed

He probably gets kidnapped at some point so the autobots can research the multiverse

#bee of the multiverse au #transformers bumblebee #bumblebee #transformers shattered glass

28 notes · View notes

angelofrainfrogs · 10 months ago

Text

Going Back: Ch. 13

~Coauthored by @zeitghest~

Fandom(s): Five Nights At Freddy’s: Security Breach

Description: Things are looking up for Gregory. After putting the soul of a formerly-immortal killer to rest, he and his new family can finally begin their lives anew. Sure, Gregory might have been cursed with mysterious Remnant in exchange for being involved in this mess—not to mention his caretakers consist of sentient robots and ghosts… But there’s no doubt that the bond they share is unbreakable. They love him, and he in turn.

All in all, life is finally starting to go right for once.

…Unfortunately, true peace is a hard-won battle. There are other things to contend with besides William’s decrepit soul, and Gregory will learn that his role in the lives of the Aftons and Emilys is far greater than anyone could’ve imagined.

Rating: T

Read on Ao3

Far too soon, a group message buzzed Freddy, Michael, and Charlie's phones in unison. It was from Sam, alerting them that dayshift had all arrived and it was time for their grand introductions. After a round of parting hugs and goodbyes, the trio headed back to the surface with Gregory, Mari, and the other Glamrocks in tow. Monty and Bonnie went their separate ways once they'd reached the top, leaving the rest of the group to walk to Sam's office. It seemed the CEO had successfully gathered all employees in one location, as the coast was clear of any humans along the way. Still, the group was cognizant of Gregory's position and made sure to keep him in the center of their huddle, away from any potential prying eyes.

“Sam?” Michael called, knocking on the office door. “We're ready—Gregory and Mari are going to hang in your office for a bit, if that's cool.”

“Come in!” called Sam, who once again was cleaning up around his office. All the spare parts he gutted and repurposed were put away in a recycling canister and Chica was standing, propped up on a barebones recharging station. Its fun casing was removed and a rudimentary stand kept her upright as her battery refilled slowly.

Sam had worked hard; now all that was left was Roxy. Tomorrow night, he’d get around to finishing her up. Then came the next project he planned on proposing at this morning's meeting.

Mari with her mask on had entered first, making Sam jump slightly, unable to recognize who was wearing the Puppet's face like that. That was until his sleep-deprived mind relaxed when the rest of his strange family wandered inside. Samuel rubbed his head, laughing to himself for being so silly. Who else would it have been?

“Yep! Make yourselves at home, you guys—I'll bring everyone back here in no time!” Sam might need to grab a coffee from one of the break rooms, unless he really didn't want to make it to the end of his own meeting...

Freddy had momentarily stalled at the sight of Chica upright and refurbished, hand pressed to his heart. He knew Sam had been working on her, but he hadn't expected her to be ready so soon. The Emilys were full of surprises tonight, it seemed. “Chica looks wonderful, Sam. I am sure she will be ecstatic to be active again.”

“Yeah, awesome job,” Michael praised, gently knocking shoulders with his old friend. He then reached up to pat Freddy's back, simultaneously to reassure him that he wasn't dreaming while also steering him back towards the door. “Come on—we can see her later.”

“Of course,” Freddy agreed, turning slightly to call for Gregory. “Superstar, have fun with Mari! Call Michael on his walkie talkie if you need anything, alright?”

There were a ton of spares lying around the office that the boy could use if necessary, though of course the group hoped there would be no further Gregory-related drama today.

Sam gathered a pen and a clipboard from his desk, grabbing for his own walkie. He was slightly embarrassed at how little sleep he’d gotten, and hoped the others didn't realize how exhausted he was. He had a plan to deliver to everyone and couldn't let them down. After all the chaos over the past week, the staff of the Mega Pizzaplex needed some direction.

“Thanks you guys; nothing some WD-40 and a soft mallet can't do,” Sam remarked said, really thanking his equipment more so than his own abilities. Quickly, he rose the walkie in his palm and spoke to the all-staff channel. “Meeting in 10 minutes, everyone—in front of the main stage.” Clicking off the mic, he patted Gregory's hair. “Be good. If you want to take a nap, there's the couch and a TV. Have fun, you two!”

Samuel tried to put an emphasis on be good. After all, this kid had quickly adopted a lot of Michael's habits and inclination for mischief. He gave Mari the same treatment, ruffling her soft hewn hair in his hands.

“Don't worry, Sammy! Gregory's under my watchful eye,” she said, lifting her mask and winking up to her old friend.

“I'm expecting a full report when we return, Miss Security Bot,” Michael told Puppet with hands on his hips. Then he realized she might take this seriously and added: “Uh, not really—just have fun and keep the kid out of trouble. Don't let him do anything I wouldn't do.”

“Ah, correction—do not let him do most of the things Michael would do,” Freddy remarked, raising a finger as he spoke to emphasize his point. Mike scoffed in offense, batting the redhead's arm.

“The he—eck, Fred, did Gregory give you an attitude update while I was working?” he muttered, barely catching his curse in time.

“I am happy; now that everyone is getting either refurbished or receiving new bodies, I feel as though everything is becoming right again,” Freddy replied simply, never one to shy away from speaking his positive feelings aloud.

The room was silent for a moment, before Michael let out a little sigh and hooked an arm through Freddy's, leading him out of the room before he could spout more pleasant commentary that vaguely made him feel like he wanted to cry.

“Let's go, sappy bear,” the guard said, a little smile on his face as he pulled his friend along to follow after Sam.

“Awh...,” Charlie murmured, thinking of Freddy still as a big teddy bear when it came to his more sensitive side. He cared so deeply for his friends; she was glad Freddy was beginning to feel better about everyone’s recovery. She gave both Gregory and Mari one big hug as she was able to fit the two comfortably in her arms before following the crew out.

***

Samuel felt a little nervous introducing everyone. In reality, not that many people came into work while they were closed. There was no need besides from a few shift managers and some specialized techs to help repair all the messed-up functionality around the Pizzaplex. Really, he wanted this staffing change to mostly spread by word of mouth.

Once arriving to the stage, the idle chatter around the group of people settled and Sam attempted to sound as unbothered and well-rested as humanly possible.

“Morning, everyone! Wow, what a weird few weeks, huh? It's almost time to reopen. And with the system repairs nearly complete, I've decided to hire a few more helping hands for plans going forward!” Sam spoke confidently, showing off the group that followed him. “This is Mike Afton, General Manager and new Head of Security. He’s also taking on some night guard duties. Before any rumors start—no, Vanessa is not fired. She's currently on a wellness retreat and won't be back for some time.”

Clearing his throat he moved onto Freddy, realizing he had no last name to introduce him with. “This... is... Fred Fitzburgh. New stage manager! He'll be helping out with detecting further issues in the band and coordinating the shows. And lastly, Charlie Emily! She'll be helping me out closely, so any questions or concerns you may have for me, you can always direct to Charlie.”

As Sam looked around the room, he felt that some people were confused with the abrupt staffing change—especially Sophie, who thought they already worked at the Pizzaplex.

The terms “stage fright” and “social anxiety” weren't even in Freddy's databank. Completely at home with all eyes upon him, he was the first to step forward with a winning smile, pressing a hand to his chest and giving the meager group of staff a small bow.

“It is wonderful to meet you all,” he said once fully upright again. It felt strange to be re-introducing himself to people he'd worked with, some of them for years. However, that'd been in a completely different capacity and while his animatronic friends might understand and accept the concept of data transfers and android bodies, he knew this would be a lot for most humans to handle. Regardless, he took the situation in stride, sweeping his gaze over the room. “I look forward to working with everyone to make sure that our shows and animatronics run smoothly. Also, please do not hesitate to ask me if you need extra assistance at any time; I am always happy to help!”

There was a hushed murmuring from the crowd as they stared up at the redhead, noting the confident stature and formal way of speaking. His formality was a bit unnerving, but he seemed like a nice person; reminiscent of one of their Glamrocks, in a way...

Before the crowd's attention was lost to speculation, Michael stepped up next to Freddy with a tinnier smile of his own. Unlike the bear, Mike disliked feeling as though he was on display with a passion. He didn't necessarily have a problem speaking to groups of people, but circumstances like these where he was literally forced to be the center of attention got under his skin.

“Hey, everyone,” he greeted with a wave, and the crowd instantly went silent. Whether it was his accent or the fact that he was an Afton that shut them up Michael wasn't quite sure, though he guessed it was a combination of the two. “Like Sam said, I'm here to keep things safe around here, though you can come to me with any issues you have. It's, uh... good to meet you all.”

Charlie gave a small wave before stepping forward next to her friends and brother. Easygoing, she gave off a similar energy to Freddy with her short and sweet speech that got right to the point. “Happy to be working here with all of you!”

She felt a little too closely inspected as the group watched her. She wondered if they were trying to figure out how exactly her and Sam were related. To Sophie, who knew the most out of everyone, Charlie was Samuel’s daughter. It wasn’t a secret that Sammy rarely spoke on his personal life. The Pizzaplex staff simply accepted that, while their CEO was nice for the most part, he wouldn’t get chummy enough with anyone to spill the secrets of his existence outside the neon-lit walls. Sure, the fact that he had a fully-grown daughter was a bit shocking, but with how odd Fazbear Entertainment had been from the get-go, it certainly wasn’t the weirdest thing about the company and its management.

“So—going forward, it’s going to be real busy,” Sam continued, scrubbing at the stubble coating his chin. “After making a deal with a few sponsors, I’ll be working on some new animatronics with my mechanics. I know a lot of you wanted a reintroduction of classic characters. So, in the spirit of trying to keep my own promises—” Sam let out somewhat nervous chuckle. “—we’ve already restored Bonnie to his former glory after his sudden decommissioning. Just know the vandal who ended up breaking him has been taken care of.”

He finished off strong and confidently, flashing his team a grin. “Any questions?”

Sophie immediately raised her hand. Sam was banking on no one wanting to ask in the group setting, but of course there was always one.

“I do—many, actually. Uh—” Sophie began, coughing into her fist to clear her throat. “I thought these guys already worked here?”

Charlie spoke up, giving lying another shot. “We were brought on to help out with the mess of last week. Then, Sam asked us if we wanted more permanent positions.”

Cocking her head to the side, Sophie raised an eyebrow. Considering how odd this meeting was and the timing of everything in general, she felt as if something was fishy about the whole debacle.

“Right…,” Sophie replied, pretending to believe them. “And the vents? Are we allowed to go near them again?”

“No, we’re still working on that rat problem,” Michael replied, unable to stop his eyes from flickering to one of the ducts high up on the far wall. To Sophie’s increasingly disbelieving gaze, he added with a shrug: “They’re really giving us a run for our money.”

Now that Ennard had Sun to spend time with, Michael hoped they wouldn’t track him as much… but he had no doubt in his mind he’d be subjected to the usual stalking at least once a night. Michael realized it would probably be in everyone’s best interest to have a conversation with Ennard at some point about how things were going to change once the Pizzaplex officially reopened—specifically, absolutely no wandering out of the basement when there were children present during the day.

“Just steer clear of vents for a bit longer,” Michael reiterated, managing to relax enough to flash the group an easy smile. “We’ll give you a heads-up when everything’s clear.”

There was another moment of silence until another employee spoke up with a half-raised hand. “So… you said Bonnie’s back?”

“Bonnie and Monty are back in commission, yes,” Freddy replied with an eye-crinkling smile, recognizing this man as one of the techs that often helped with animatronic repairs. “Samuel is working hard to get the others restored soon as well.”

Sophie blinked at this, unable to fully process that Bonnie and Monty were already up and running. The progress that Samuel had made in the past week would probably cripple a lesser man.

“Boss, have you been... sleeping? There's no way you did this all in a week,” Sophie remarked with a slight laugh to punctuate her sentence. The look on Sam's face told her everything.

With a slightly pinched expression and tapping the back of his clipboard, Sam responded with a shrug. “Oh no, not a lot.”

No need for his employees to worry about him, even if every time he shut his eyes Sam saw Redbulls and socket wrenches dancing in his vision.

“I aim to have Roxy finished by the end of the night Saturday; Chica's already on her way to a restart one she finishes charging. We should be ready to re-open next Monday without a hitch. Oh a-and Parts & Services is off limits for the time being. There's going to be some construction work as we move the department to a more convenient location...” Sam warned, knowing he was putting off the most important thing for last: finally sealing off that awful room.

“Like Sam said, any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us,” Michael chimed in, unsure if Sam had anything else he wanted to announce. If not, he was ready to get off this stage and away from the confused and mildly terrified gazes currently turned upon him. “If the person you speak to can’t help, they’ll direct you to someone who can.”

“We are so happy to be working with you all—” Freddy began, though Michael gripped his shoulder warningly. He didn’t want the sweet bear to lay it on too thick, lest the employees think the situation was fishier than they already did. He could tell that Sophie was very suspicious, although he couldn’t blame her.

“Anything else you wanted to cover, boss?” Michael intoned, glancing towards Sammy across the stage.

Sam answered with one last item on the agenda. After flipping through his clipboard, he held up two pictures from security footage for all the crowd to see.

“Yes—these two are named Terry and Rita Smith. Under no circumstances are they allowed inside the Pizzaplex. They're currently under a ban,” Samuel explained, though Sophie's eyes widened considerably once she recognized the couple from the local cable news.

They’d lost a boy—a younger kid with hazel eyes and brown shaggy head of hair. Sophie couldn’t remember the picture clearly as it’d only flashed for a second, but his visage tugged at her subconscious. Terry and Rita claimed that neighbors last saw him and a pair of twins heading towards Main Street. It led them to wonder if they were going to the Pizzaplex...

A murmured affirmation issued from the crowd. Banning people from the Pizzaplex wasn’t a common occurrence, but it happened enough that this wasn’t too strange. Of course some people recognized the Smiths just as Sophie had, but they weren’t going to question Sam’s decisions.

…At least, not to his face. There would be a lot of chatter in the break rooms over the next few weeks, that’s for sure.

“We greatly appreciate your understanding with all of these changes,” Freddy chimed in with his easy smile, though there was a hardness in his eyes imperceptible except to those standing right next to him. The mention of Rita and Terry made him uneasy, though he was glad that now Michael had legal reason to take serious action should they come traipsing around again.

“Absolutely,” Mike agreed, simultaneously clapping Freddy on the back and flashing his own confident grin. “Here’s to a successful reopening!”

With that, most people dispersed back towards their posts. It was going to take a few more days for everything to be as spotless and finely tuned as it once was. Come Monday, everything was going to at least look perfect enough for guests.

“Sam? Could I use the card to buy some hair scissors?” Charlie asked seemingly out of the blue. She’d recognized that some of them may have seen Gregory's wanted poster. So, she had an idea.

“Uh... Yeah—I suppose,” Sam replied, whipping around to look at her strangely. “Can I ask why?”

“I'm going to give Gregory a makeover! It'll make him less... noticeable,” his sister stressed.

“Charlie that is a wonderful idea!” Freddy praised, expression relaxing back into its usual calmness. Everything would be fine. Gregory would be fine. There were so many people looking out for him at this point—living, dead, and something robotic in-between—that it was hard to imagine a scenario where he wouldn’t be alright.

Still, while Freddy always tried to look on the bright side, he was rational and had a penchant for worrying. Changing Gregory’s appearance where they could would certainly help the situation.

“We should see what trouble those two got into… hopefully your office isn’t trashed, Sam,” Michael remarked with a snicker, starting the walk back to Sam’s office.

In the half an hour that the group was gone, Sam's office wasn't so much destroyed as it was a little unorganized. Gregory's drawing pad was in the middle of the floor. The TV played mutely inside the office as he and Mari sat inside a pillow fort made out of couch cushions. They’d created a mighty battlement with it, lining the bottom of the fortress with throw blankets Sam kept for long nights at work. At some point, Gregory had decided to curl up and fall asleep to the sounds of Freddy and Friends. Mari had tried to change the channel out of curiosity, but the remote needed fresher batteries to accomplish such a task...

The little bot still was sitting up, Gregory using her legs as a pillow while she watched the old reruns with a fixed gaze until the door began to crack open. Her head snapped to the sound, always alert.

“Hey, it’s just us,” Michael reassured, slipping into the office with palms raised. The look Mari gave the would-be intruder was calculating and menacing, despite the cherubic face. Mike laughed, taking in the pillow fort. “Wow, you guys have been busy!”

“Thank you for watching over him, Mari,” Freddy told her, stepping up to the pair and running his finger gently through Mari’s hair. His smile widened as the stalwart guardian seemed to lean into the gesture, then turned his attention to his sleeping son. With a gentle shake of Gregory’s shoulder, Freddy quietly tried to wake him: “Superstar, we are back. It is time to wake up so we can return to the hotel shortly.”

Just her friends. Mari's aggressive look dithered out and a smile replaced itself on her face. Leaning into Freddy's hand, she blinked up at him with an innocent look.

“It's no trouble; he's an angel,” Mari assured Freddy before he gently shook Gregory's shoulder's awake.

Gregory startled a bit, not quite used to falling asleep without Freddy around these days. Only when those glowing silver eyes batted themselves to full awareness did Gregory greet them all.

“Guys... Hey...,” he murmured in a groggy voice. With his eyes unfocused and sleepy, he raised a fist to rub the tiredness away. When he could finally see well again, he reached over and hugged Freddy around the shoulders. “How was the meeting thing?”

“I believe it went well,” Freddy replied, hooking an arm under Gregory’s legs and around his back to lift him up, letting the boy settle comfortably on his hip. “Samuel introduced us to some of the staff.” An amused smile crossed his lips. “Apparently I will be known as ‘Fred Fitzburgh.’”

“Yeah, we probably should’ve thought of an alias beforehand…,” Michael remarked, though he had to give the guy credit for coming up with a name on such short notice. “Some people are definitely a little suspicious of the sudden staff changes, but they probably just think it’s nepotism at its finest.”

As Michael spoke, Freddy wandered over to Chica’s resting form. Careful not to dislodge Gregory, he peered close to the meter on the side of the crude charging port. His eyes widened as he realized the bird’s power was at 97%. Looking to the CEO, he asked hesitantly: “Sam, is there a chance we can speak to Chica before we go? It is alright if not, I… simply wanted to ask.” His eyes flickered to the boy in his arms. “As long as it is okay with Gregory too, of course.”

Samuel wasn't super happy with how his staff might be viewing him right now. Then again, it was better than to have them know the strange, terrifying truth of what happened here this past week—not to mention the dark inception that’d started since Vanessa’s sudden “promotion” from beta-tester at a contracted company to a top position in the Pizzaplex.

As Freddy spoke, Samuel watched Gregory hide his face away in the man’s shoulder. He didn't seem too bothered by the prospect of Chica’s reactivation, too tired to really care. If Monty and Bonnie of all the characters were just fine, then Gregory could surmise the rest were purged quite expertly. With Sam's caring hand, the robots were free of this all-encompassing virus.

“Oh! Yeah, of course. She's probably almost done resting! I'll go power her on,” Sam agreed, careful not to step on Gregory's drawing tablet on the way over to the bird. With a swift hand he found her main power button, feeling under a panel at the side of Chica's neck. After pressing down and holding for ten seconds, Sam stepped back to watch the magic happen as she woke up.

Unsurprisingly, a few seconds passed by with no signs of life. Gregory peeked away from Freddy's shoulder with curiosity. Then, two bright blue eyes snapped open and immediately pierced back to Gregory's own silver stare.

"BA-GAWK!” Chica crooned, caught off-guard at the people watching her. Normally she would’ve woken up alone in her room...

But this was just totally weird. Why was she in Sam's office on the repair rig?

“Oh geez! Sorry there!” she apologized, blinking as she carefully moved her limbs off the sturdy structure. She gripped her head as if nursing some robotic hangover. “I must be out of it, man... I remember I was in my room last...”

“It is wonderful to see you back in commission, Chica!” Freddy was quick to speak up, pushing down the twisty feeling in his gut when she turned an utterly confused pair of eyes on him. He’d come to expect his old friends wouldn’t recognize him, but that didn’t make their blank stares any less hurtful. She’d understand his interest in her soon enough, but Freddy figured it best to give her a moment to wake up before regaling her with his body-swapping ordeal.

“You’ve been through quite a bit,” Michael informed the bird, stepping up next to Freddy. He gazed up at her with a satisfied smile, happy to see Sam’s efforts come to fruition. As a testament to how unafraid he was of the Glamrocks now, he thrust out a hand for Chica to shake. “I’m Mike, new head of security. I’ve been helping Sam fix you and the others up. It’s… been a crazy time around here, but everything’s getting sorted out now.”

He gave her a second to process, before adding on: “You might have some memory loss, but all your systems should be functional. How are you feeling? Any problems your internal diagnostics can detect?”

This was a lot to take in. The new guy was named Mike, Chica got that. But who was this dude with the little chick on his hip?

Wait—speaking of the chick...

She’d seen him before. The boy was definitely in her facial recognition bank, but strangely with no profile to match it.

Curious...

Chica shut her eyes, quietly running her maintenance folder before perking up. “Yeah, I'll be fine. Just, like... Totally out of it. Phew.”

She fanned a hand in front of her face dramatically. Her entertainment protocol was kicking in now that she recognized there were two kids in the vicinity. She bent at the waist slightly, looking down to both Gregory and Mari with smile in her eyes.

“And how are you two enjoying the Pizzaplex? You guys must be new pals of my good friend Sam!” she said, recognizing there must be a reason she was here with two tikes and the new staff members.

Gregory wasn't shying away from her, but seemed just a little hesitant before speaking. “Y... Yeah, Sam's my friend. My name’s Gregory...”

Chica cocked her head to the side. Gregory... She searched the name up in her internal hardware folder. A search on just the first name showed that, at one time, someone with that name was previously blacklisted. However, nothing came up in the present.

Weird. It must’ve been an error that was fixed by now. Even if she couldn’t actually recall meeting this kid, Chica reached out and gently patted the top of his head affectionately.

“It's tubular to meet you, Gregory!” she gushed regardless of his previous status in their computer system. It might not even have been for him, anyway—it was rare that children themselves were banned. Usually their parents were the troublemakers.

Freddy could feel Gregory’s tension at the sudden focus Chica gave him, made worse when the bird reached out to touch his head. Gregory flinched but didn’t give any indication of wanting his dad to whisk him away to safety, so Freddy allowed the interaction to take place. When Chica pulled back and Gregory did not look like he was either going to pass out from fear or punch Chica in the beak, Freddy allowed his own tension to ease. Things were going better than expected.

“Okay, I suppose introductions are in order.” Mike chuckled, giving Gregory’s hair a little ruffle of his own. He was proud of the kid for sticking his ground in the face of the things that previously tried to kill him—it was something Michael understood firsthand and made him appreciate Gregory’s resilience even more.

“You obviously know Sam,” the guard continued, gesturing to the older man who looked like he was about to fall over. As soon as this meeting was done, Mike was marching Sam straight to the Daycare for an extended nap… and if he refused, he’d get Sam’s loving animatronics to strong-arm him there.

Pressing a hand to his chest, he went on. “I’m Mike, that’s Gregory, and those are all the names you know. Now this is Charlie—” He pulled the girl to his side, gesturing to her smiling face. “—and she’s also a new employee. The girl with huge eyes staring up at you is Mari, and this is…”

Michael paused, looking to Sam and Freddy for direction. He didn’t want to overwhelm the bird and fry her circuits, although he could see Freddy practically vibrating with the need to let her know that her good friend was right here.

“Freddy,” the redhead piped up, his eyes shining brightly. “My name is Freddy.”

Perhaps she’d pick up the clues on her own and accept him immediately like Bonnie… or perhaps like Monty, she’d need some more convincing—and vouching from Sam—that this was indeed Freddy Fazbear personified as a human.

After waving hi to the girls, Chica was looking between Michael and the man that called himself “Freddy.” Then, she looked from the child on his hip right back to him, her eyes darting as it was clear the gears were turning hard in her head. Her first guess as to why he seemed so familiar didn't make sense.

He acted like Freddy Fazbear. Sounded like the bear, too. But Freddy wasn't a person...

That just couldn't happen. Not that Sam wasn't a genius—but how could Freddy suddenly become a human?!

Chica's hands were raised now, looking like she was halfway between pulling Freddy into a hug or pinching him to see if he was actually real.

“F... Freddy?!” she asked, eyebrows high on her head now as she tried to put it all together. “Like... our Freddy? Are you really real...?”

One of her oldest friends had changed seemingly overnight. But why? Chica would never tell Freddy what he could and couldn't be; only he could decide that for himself. She just wondered why and how he’d done it!

She ran her health diagnostics on the room. Only two people had a health signature profile pop up onto her interface, and that was when she finally nodded her head in somewhat of an understanding.

“You're all robots like me! Wow...,” Chica said, raking a hand through the lush feathers on the top of her head.

“I apologize for the unexpected change,” Freddy said, handing Gregory over to Michael with a grateful smile. As Mike set his little brother on his shoulders, Freddy stepped forward to slip his arms around Chica’s torso, squeezing tightly. Despite his tall android form, for the first time Chica beat him in the height department.

“So much has happened while you were asleep,” Freddy continued, clinging to his feathered friend as long as he could. He loved Monty and Roxy dearly, but there was just something special about finally having almost all the original quartet back that made his heart soar just a little bit higher. “I will explain everything over the next few days, I promise. I needed to take on this form to care for Gregory—as you can probably tell from the people he is around, he is quite a special child.”

“We’ve got a good friend that specializes in robotics who whipped us up a couple of androids,” Michael elaborated. “The rest of us also have, um… extenuating circumstances that necessitated these things. But we can guarantee that the guy hugging you right now is one hundred percent Freddy Fazbear.”

Chica sighed a simulated breath of relief. It was Freddy. She recognized the crushing hug style anywhere. No matter his size, Fred still managed to give bear hugs. Her arms gently slipped around Freddy's shoulders and hugged him close in turn.

“Freddy,” Chica crooned, happy that her friend was okay. Now that she was in her fullest mental faculties, Chica was able to finally express how worried he made her and the rest of the band that fateful night.

“You had us scared, you know—with your gnarly malfunction on stage. I'm glad you're okay...” she said truthfully, then let out a bright laugh. “And as for the kid? Freddy, that's so like you to take care of a little chick in need.”

She sounded so proud, always loving the chance to see the best qualities in her friends shine through, like Freddy's deep empathy for any and all people. And ever since Bonnie had been decommissioned, she was so fearful of Freddy being scrapped next and replaced with something new...

“You have to do what you have to do,” she said, knowing what that meant. Freddy had to leave soon and take care of Gregory. She didn't want to let go... Yet she made herself slowly unclench her hands from around his shoulders to hold him at an arm’s length and really look him over.

“You know, Roxy’s going to be bouncing off the walls when she sees you like this!” she laughed. The wolf might even be a little jealous knowing that Freddy could probably make it outside in such a form.

“I do not doubt that,” Freddy replied with a smile so wide his entire face hurt. “Monty did not put me down for some time when he saw me! And as for—”

Freddy cut himself off, eyes growing wide with excitement. Though he’d need to part with Chica far too soon for his liking, he could leave her with a surprise that would certainly distract her from any negative feelings she might have from his temporary departure. When Chica finally released him he took a step back only to grasp her hand between both of his own.

“When Samuel gives you the okay to free roam, I suggest stopping by the bowling alley. You will be very happy with the recent addition he and Michael have incorporated.” With a final knowing wink like they were kids sharing a secret, Freddy let Chica’s hand slip from his grasp and moved back to Mike, who returned Gregory into his waiting arms.

“It’s great to meet you, Chica,” Michael said, and he meant it. “Any mechanical or technical issues, you can come straight to me, okay? For the next few days we’re all working the night shift, though I show up a couple hours earlier to help Sam out. You let me know if anything feels funky, and I’ll get you fixed up in no time.”

Chica already knew she was going to like Mike. Sending him a thankful grin, she flexed her articulate hand in a wave to the “humans” and watched as the rather sleepy child was transferred back into Freddy's waiting arms. The way he immediately reached for Freddy, dependent like the patrons were for their parents told Chica everything she needed to know that their whole deal was for real.

“Thank you, Mike! I'm feeling pretty good—you and Sammy did a great job!” she praised, thinking that she'd have to go see what was so important down at Bonnie Bowl.

After all, she typically tried to avoid the whole place these days. She wasn't specifically designed to feel pain. Still... When she thought about Bonnie, her throat felt tight as if she just couldn’t sing or move in the ways she usually could. It was sadness—something she wasn't programmed specifically to feel, but had become a learned emotion over time.

“I'll probably head to Bonnie Bowl after I catch up with my good friend Sam!” she replied energetically. Too bad Sam was currently leaning into her like he was going to pass out. “Or... Maybe I'll take him to see Mr. Moon in the Daycare first!”

“I think a trip to Moon is exactly what Sam needs,” Michael murmured, his tone indicating that it wasn’t meant as a suggestion. He gave Sam a brief hug, speaking into his ear: “Get some damn sleep, okay, Sammy? I’ll be back to help with Roxy before night shift.”

Feeling it was time for their departure soon, Mari came over to the group, first silently hugging Michael goodbye around the legs and then moving onto Charlie and Freddy. She took Gregory's hand in hers and rubbed his palm on the top of her head.

“I'll miss you guys. Come back soon~” Mari asked of them, her voice sad to see them go. This must always be what she felt when she sees them leave, as though they'd never come back...

Discreetly, Mari slipped a little green band on Gregory's wrist. She’d insisted Henry make an extra before working on her new body and was determined to use it properly this time. Gregory was too tired to notice it, but was awake enough to rake his fingers gently through her hair in quiet response to her affection.

“We will see you tomorrow, Mari,” Freddy assured the little security bot, offering her his kindest smile.

“Hey, quick request—” Michael piped up as they set out. “—can we swing by the gift shop? I was looking around for cool merch during one of my breaks and I found something good.”

There was an eager shine to Michael’s eyes that was impossible to deny. Whatever he found must have amused him greatly...

“I am fine with that, as long as we do not take too long,” Freddy replied, holding his son close. “Gregory is already falling back asleep…”

“Five minute detour, tops,” Michael reassured with a grin.

Charlie had perked up at this. What on earth was Michael up to? She knew that grin well enough to know it could either be something that made him die laughing at some point, or something he wasn't expecting them to take seriously. Either way, Charlie was dying to see it.

Sam told them with the last remaining brain cells floating in his sleep deprived mind: “Go ahead; you know you can take anything you need—”

As he was interrupted by a yawn, Chica lovingly scooped Samuel up into her arms. She shushed him, and Mari went to get the door for everyone.

“Goodbye, everyone! We'll see you real soon,” Chica bid, happily waving farewell to the group with Samuel's limp hand.

***

When they reached the gift shop, Michael rushed to the storage area and pulled out the box he’d hidden away at the back of a far shelf. He was starting a little collection of things—some items he found cool, but mostly merch he thought his friends might like. It was always good to have a stash of surprise presents; you never know when you might need them!

Soon Michael emerged with a piece of clothing. Freddy instantly recognized it as his color palate, and his old databank of Fazbear merch pulled up exactly what this item was. He let out a little aww as Michael stretched out his prize, revealing one of the limited edition Glamrock-themed zip-up hoodies. This one was of course Freddy’s model, mostly orange with a cream oval on the chest and the signature blue lightning bolt in the center. The thing even had faux red shoulder pads, though arguably the most noticeable—and adorable—feature was the hood designed to look like Freddy’s head, complete with bear ears and a little black and blue top hat.

“Oh, Michael, how sweet!” the former bear exclaimed, his eyes wide with mild surprise. “I thought this sold out months ago!”

“Well, that explains why this was the only one I could find,” Michael replied. “Our biggest concern is Gregory’s face being recognized, so I figured if we can cover it with the hoodie it’ll be a little less stressful for all of us waking to and fro. If he’s in your arms like right now, you’ll just have a mini-Fredbear and no one will question it!”

“That is brilliant,” Freddy praised, and Michael rubbed the back of his neck with an embarrassed laugh.

“Okay, okay, it’s not that smart… Now come on, kid—” The eldest Afton lightly jabbed a finger into Gregory’s side. “—sit up so I can put this on. Then you can pass out for as long as you’d like.”

Gregory opened his eyes again, half attempting to pay attention to the conversations being had inside the waking world. When he processed what he was looking at, Gregory seemed excited to curl up comfortably with the fleece-lined hoodie.

“That's for me?” he asked in a groggy manner. Charlie chuckled at him; the poor kid was so sleepy he couldn't quite pay attention long enough to know. Still, he was good and stretched out his arms to allow himself to be dressed up.

After zipping the hoodie up himself, he flung the heavy hood forward. Then Gregory went right back to stuffing his face into his father's shoulder to try and catch up on some shut-eye. It was hard being a kid without a real sleep schedule sometimes, but Gregory made do.

“Alright, night...” Gregory yawned, grasping the front of his dad's shirt for comfort as he drifted back off to sleep. Charlie reached up, gently tugging the hood further in front of Gregory's face before giving the group a little thumbs up.

“This was a good idea, Mike,” she said, impressed at his little hidden plan to put aside the merch that would help Gregory in the long run.

“I figured he’d like it, what with his Freddy obsession and all,” Michael joked, though it was clear he found the whole thing endearing. No matter what form Freddy wore, everyone would always have a soft spot for the original animatronic bear look. With a chuckle, Michael patted the hoodie’s top hat on his way to the door. “He’s super cute though, I’ve got to admit.”

Thank god Gregory was too exhausted to fight back… Under normal circumstances Michael would’ve been attacked for such comments. For now though, the boy was content to rest in the safe warmth of his father’s arms as the group traveled back to the hotel.

Once they all got to the hotel room, safe and sound without any prying eyes to watch the family's every move, they entered and Charlie immediately went to draw the blinds for Gregory. The sun was far too bright outside, and might intervene with his nap. When she turned around, watching Freddy nestle Gregory on the bed beneath the covers, she couldn't help but smile.

“Look—he's a baby bear cub,” she remarked, knowing if Gregory heard her call him that, there would certainly be hell to pay. Though it was kind of true, being Freddy's kid and all.

Charlie had learned how to use her phone fairly quickly in the past 48 hours. She raised her camera and snapped a quiet picture to remember him like this: peaceful and sleeping in tranquil bliss before he was awake and running around everywhere again. “When he wakes up, I'm going to ask if he wants me to cut his hair...”

Freddy simply nodded in acknowledgement, a faint smile on his face as he ran his fingers through Gregory’s hair. They were both underneath the covers, Gregory still in his hoodie and curled up to Freddy’s chest as his dad rested on his side, one elbow on his pillow to keep his head propped up.

“M’kay, I’m going to follow Gregory’s lead and pass out for a bit,” Michael announced in a hushed voice, kicking off his shoes and hopping into the other bed. He didn’t even bother removing his security guard uniform, suddenly hit with a wave of exhaustion as the day caught up with him. Even these android bodies had their limits, it seemed. Still, it’d be nice to get some actual pajamas in the near future…

But Michael didn’t have time to worry about that right now. Dreamland was calling and he didn’t want to miss his appointment. With a huge yawn, he patted the empty spot next to him.

“You should guys should try and get some rest, too,” he advised, then promptly rolled over so his back was to the others, leaving it up to Charlie whether she’d take his suggestion and crawl into bed as well. Within a minute, Michael’s breathing slowed as he quickly drifted off to sleep.

With everyone having a fully messed up sleep schedule, Charlie had to agree with Mike. It wasn’t long before she was kicking off her shoes as well and flinging herself in beside him. There was hardly any time to argue; her robotic body needed some way to recharge, and sleep was the best answer right then. She made sure to cover them both with the cushiony comforter and took one last look over to her friends in the bed besides them.

She may be overthinking it, but the way Gregory slept had changed a little since that first night in the hotel. Where he was once curled in on himself and huddled in a tight ball Gregory now laid sprawled out, usually with one fist curled into his father's shirt for comfort. It brought a smile to Charlie’s face knowing he was becoming more comfortable. With all the stress in their lives, she could count her blessings that at the moment Gregory—for the most part—appeared to be just fine.

***

Previous Chapter ~~ Next Chapter

Looking for more? Check out the Chapter Masterlist on Tumblr!

Or check out the entire Wires that Bind Us Series on ao3!

#fnaf security breach #fnaf sb #fnaf #fnaf au #five nights at freddy's #michael afton #charlie emily #fanfic #fanfiction #ao3 #angelofrainfrogs #zeitghest #spend the night #going back #the wires that bind us au #sammy emily #gregory #glamrock freddy #puppet fnaf

7 notes · View notes

ink-inkonstantin · 11 months ago

Text

Another year passed, another year ending. This had been the eleventh since Toji had died.

The next day, another year was beginning. It would be the twelfth since Toji had died.

The fireworks lit the sky. The entire world was celebrating.

“Happy birthday, Toji-kun.”

Down below, there was the festival, everyone was happy, having fun, dressed in their decorative yukatas and masks. Naoya used to walk those crowded alleys between the booths holding on to Toji’s yukata sleeve, a kitsune mask on his head. An oni mask on Toji’s. Playing the games, eating the street food, milling with the crowds.

When the fireworks were about to start, they’d find a tall building nearby, go up onto the roof, like where Naoya was standing now, after walking through the festival alone, partaking in nothing. But still he walked the crowded alleyways between the booths, holding on to the sleeve of a ghost.

The fireworks were stunning, as always. But Naoya missed the way the light had played on Toji’s scarred face, danced on the surfaces of his dark eyes.

“It’s like the entire world is celebrating your birthday. A festival and fireworks just for you. With your birthday, the entire year, for everyone, is starting anew.”

“Naoya,” Toji’s hand on his head, ruffling his hair, fireworks blossoming above them, whistling, exploding, colorful thunder in the clouds, rainshowers of laughing sparks, “the only one who celebrates my birthday is you.”

Naoya watched the fireworks, felt the sizzling lights on the backs of his retina, an entire symphony of lurid color and sound in his head, but he was the only one who heard it playing for Toji. He didn’t think even Toji had heard it.

Thank you for existing.

Naoya had tapped it with his fingers on the back of Toji’s hand, had hummed it with his breaths, had danced it with his buoyant feet, had held the shape of it in his grinning teeth. He didn’t know, though, if Toji had ever realized the words that were caught in his throat like a cloud dragon that had swallowed too many stars.

They stung in Naoya’s eyes with the fireworks, now.

Thank you for having existed.

It had been eleven years since Toji had died, seventeen since Toji had left the Zen’in clan, and Naoya never had seen him again. Toji always had been leagues ahead of him. Naoya had always run after him, but Toji had always easily outpaced him. Naoya was still chasing, but he hadn’t caught up to him yet.

“The only one who celebrates my birthday is you, Naoya.”

Toji-kun, don’t say that like that’s nothing. When I die, nobody will celebrate my birthday at all. Nobody will be glad that </i>I<i> existed.

Toji-kun, why didn’t you realize that you meant something to </i>me?

You’re not truly dead, Toji-kun. Not when I’m haunted by your ghost.

The fireworks were in their finale, a grand crescendo of bangs and glittery, shivery flashes of radiant flowers raining—and then all dissipated to smoke, streaking dirty across the sky, ghost images faded and blown gently to smears in the air.

All beautiful things came to an end. Toji’s life was no exception. Toji had been like a living god, but not even the immortal were forever.

The old year was over. It was the start of a new year. The eighteenth since Naoya had seen Toji, the twelfth since Toji had died. Naoya would be turning twenty-seven. When he was a kid the entire Zen’in clan had celebrated it, but it had been mostly a political affair, the clan showing off for the other sorcerer clans, the entire shebang. He was an adult now, and his birthday wasn’t celebrated anymore. Not even he celebrated it. Not when, with Toji gone, there was no one he wanted to celebrate his life with. He didn’t tell himself “Happy birthday, Naoya,” on that date; he told himself, “You survived another year. Good for you. Congrats on still being too proud to kill yourself.”

He hoped that that wasn’t the kind of thing that Toji had told himself on his birthday, when he’d watched the fireworks with subdued eyes while Naoya held onto his sleeve and watched not the fire blossoms in the sky, but their warm light that bathed Toji’s face and the scar through the corner of his lips that Naoya just wanted to see smiling.

Toji-kun, hey, Toji-kun.

Happy birthday.

Thank you for existing.

#toji fushiguro #happy birthday toji #jujutsu kaisen #jjk fanart #my fanart #ficlet #my fic #naoya zenin #jjk fic #jjk #i have covid rn and it sucks lol but i wanted to do something for his bday so here this is #i wanted to do something more ambitious but this is all i could manage fjdskljlk #the art and ficlet don't entirely go together but ah well

9 notes · View notes

cocrante · 10 months ago

Text

I Start Over With You

[SOLANGELO FANFIC]

summary: After the great battle against the forces of Gaea, Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter had formed a long-lasting alliance. Everything had gone well, and everyone was ready to start anew. This included Nico, who, after confessing his feelings to Percy, was prepared to open a new chapter in his life—perhaps the happiest one the Fates had ever written.

note: the chapters will be updated every Wednesday. If you want to read upcoming chapters of the fanfiction in advance, I invite you to follow me on Patreon. Subscribing is not necessary, these chapters will be added for free on the platform on Mondays and Fridays. Following me there is just a kind and free gesture to support my work c:

Reblogs are highly appreciated c:

[CHAPTER 8]

ON THE OUTSIDE, Nico was glad to know that they were friends, yet something troubled him inside. The son of Hades was aware of being complicated to understand; often, he couldn't even comprehend his own thoughts. He lived in fear of his ghosts from the past. Opening up to people was difficult for him because he was afraid of reliving his memories and fears. What he feared most now was that his attitude might drive away even that one ray of sunshine.

Nico lifted his gaze, pushing away those thoughts, trying to focus on the present and how beautiful what Will had just said was. The son of Hades locked eyes with him, his sky-blue eyes so clear that they washed away all worries.

"Thank you, Solace" he whispered, letting a genuine smile escape. Will parted his lips, not expecting to be thanked for so little, though he suspected it meant a lot to Nico. "Don't mention it" he replied, lips curving again. They spent a few seconds shyly locking eyes, caught in a mild awkwardness, before Nico cleared his throat and suggested continuing with the task.

While Nico labeled the vials, Will engaged in small talk, telling him about the development of the gossip mentioned at the bay, happy that everything had turned out well and that the daughter of Nemesis had made up with her boyfriend. Nico listened, feigning interest, nodding occasionally, and attempting to join the conversation. Will was pleasantly surprised by his effort to communicate.

The two often changed topics, shifting from camp gossip to personal information. Nico learned that Will's mother was a country singer, not very surprising given Apollo's penchant for singers and artists. The son of Apollo also shared details about the school he attended, mentioning that he would start his third year in September and was excited about reconnecting with his old friends. Nico smiled spontaneously, Will's joy was truly contagious.

"Do you think you'll stay at the camp?" the son of Apollo asked. Nico bit his lip, looking thoughtful. He didn't exactly remember what school was like in Italy, maybe he didn't even like it, but at that moment, he would have given anything to go back to sitting at a desk like any other boy his age. "I think so" he finally replied. "Life gets complicated when you have all sorts of monsters on your back" Nico quipped, lips twisting into a wry smile. "Although..." he cleared his throat. "I've heard that there are good schools for demigods in New Rome. I'd like to get back to studying" he murmured, embarrassed. It was the first time he had said it out loud, especially to someone. Will's eyes sparkled; he was genuinely happy that Nico wanted to return to school. "That's wonderful news!" exclaimed the son of Apollo.

"I just hope it's not too complicated" he averted his gaze from Will. "It's been a few years since I've touched a book" he joked, flashing a smile that included Will, finding it delightful to indulge in sarcasm. They spent a few more minutes in silence, taking advantage of the time to complete some vials.

"Will you come to the camp in December?" Nico asked after a while, hoping for an affirmative answer. Will looked up at the boy, leaning to apply the labels. "Maybe" he replied somewhat uncertainly, not wanting to give false hope. Nico nodded, understanding what he meant. He knew that, being a son of Apollo, Will wouldn't risk monster attacks during the year.

"But we can still stay in touch through Iris messages" he quickly added, noticing a subtle frown on Nico's face. Nico nodded again, but by now, the genuine smile from earlier had faded. "Sure" he replied, trying to sound content enough.

"And someone has to update me on the daughter of Nemesis, right?" he laughed, wanting to see that smile he knew was reserved just for him. Nico rolled his eyes, not understanding what he found so interesting. From what he had gathered, she was just a possessive girl. He even felt sorry for her boyfriend, who couldn't be with anyone else without facing the wrath of his girlfriend. "I'm not going to spy on them for you, Solace" he frowned. "Find someone else" he added, not wanting to get involved in those matters. Will pouted, a gesture Nico found rather endearing. "Come on!" complained the son of Apollo. "Do it for me, at least" he continued to whine, hoping to evoke a bit of pity.

Nico rolled his eyes. "Fine" he sighed, pointing his index finger at him. He couldn't stand to see Will like that. "But you owe me!" he said before Will could celebrate that meager victory. "Okay" he laughed, raising his hands in surrender.

The two boys spent an entire day in the infirmary, not even managing to complete the work entirely because they were distracted by their conversation. Will managed to get Nico to talk about himself, briefly sharing some episodes of his life, including the time when Bianca was still around. Talking about the academy he attended, he stopped when he reached the topic of the dance. Will remained silent, respecting Nico's pause. He was aware of Nico's crush, and he suspected that, even though Nico claimed it had passed, a part of him still couldn't accept it.

"A really bizarre day" Will commented after a while. "One moment you're just an ordinary guy, and the next moment you find out you have a god for a parent" he sighed. Initially, he had found it fantastic, like being in his favorite game—Mythomagic. But suddenly everything became too real, too heavy to bear alone. In a December day, he had lost everything, and all he gained was a life in the shadows. Will nodded, understanding only partially what Nico was telling him.

"It's strange when it happens" Will confirmed. Nico made a face—"strange" wasn't the term he had used the first time. "When did you find out who your father was?" Nico asked, trying to change the subject. Will leaned back, leaning against the backrest. "Shortly after I arrived" he replied. "I didn't even have time to finish orientation, and poof: Apollo is your father" he loughed. "Not that there was much to be surprised about, anyway" he shrugged. "But I heard your revelation had some pretty impressive special effects" Will said after a while. The boy in front of him chuckled, preferring to forget that day rather than relive it, but with Will beside him, his ghosts from the past didn't frighten him. The son of Apollo infused him with a strange courage. "Yeah" he confirmed, recalling the chasm he had opened in the middle of the camp and how, despite all those years, a scar still remained in the ground. Although that was just the first part. Hades had his own way of leaving a mark on his children. But he preferred to keep it to himself, still feeling the shivers.

"I wanted to ask you something—" Will hinted, laughing, playing with his fingers.

"What?" Nico asked curiously.

"You'll probably laugh" he lowered his gaze, leaning forward, pushing his back, arousing even more curiosity from the son of Hades. "But I'd like to learn how to fight with a sword" he revealed in one breath, leaving Nico looking surprised, biting his lip to stifle a laugh. "Okay" Nico accepted that strange request.

"Really?" he asked, quite taken aback by his statement.

"Sure" he confirmed again. "If you want, we can go to the arena" he suggested, unable to ignore a certain sparkle in Will's eyes. "Sounds great!" he exclaimed with enthusiasm before the conch shell sounded, calling demigods to the pavilion for dinner. The two demigods only then realized that time had practically flown between one word and another. Nico helped Will arrange the boxes with the labeled vials, promising to come back and help him the next day after the training at the arena, and Will gladly agreed.

Together they headed towards the central pavilion, attracting someone's attention, and there they split, each going to their own table. Nico noticed with little surprise that his table was again occupied by Jason. He headed to his table with a sigh, greeting his friend and taking a seat. "How did you get those scratches?" Nico asked, only now noticing the arms covered in cuts and scratches that were slowly healing. Jason shook his head, letting out a weak laugh. "Problems at the wall" he ran a hand embarrassedly through his hair. "I almost got another cut on my lip" he briefly recounted what had happened that afternoon with Percy, who, after all, was right to say he would win. "But rather, how did it go with—" he said, nodding slightly toward the Apollo table, where his children, like every evening, sang and laughed, bringing joy to everyone in the camp. Nico felt his cheeks grow warmer, he wasn't sure whether to tell Jason about the afternoon spent with Will, even though there wasn't much to say since they had spent it labeling vials. Nico shook his head gently. "Fine" he replied. "I just helped him with some vials" he shrugged, avoiding telling him the part where Will asked if he would be at camp in the winter. "Oh" Jason was a bit disappointed by what he had heard.

"We spent a normal afternoon, with some conversation in between" he added, sparking interest in the son of Jupiter.

"On what?" the boy asked, hoping to hear something. Nico shrugged; they hadn't talked about anything too interesting, but he wanted to try opening up to someone else. After all, Jason was one of his closest friends. "Mostly about school" he told him. "About the fact that I'd like to get back to studying" he spoke in a low voice. Jason was impressed. "Good for you!" he exclaimed, happy for him and admiring his choice. Nico nodded. "I was thinking of doing it at New Rome" he confessed a bit embarrassed.

"Have you already talked to Reyna?" Jason asked.

"I mentioned something to her"

Jason didn't ask him anything else, and Nico didn't talk. The son of Jupiter understood that if Nico wanted to, he would tell him the rest of his day, and insisting wouldn't lead to anything. Nico was grateful for that, especially because Jason didn't press him. They had a rather peaceful dinner, surrounded by the chatter of other demigods.

At the end of dinner, as every evening, the campers headed towards the bonfire. Jason asked Nico if he wanted to join them, and just as he was about to decline, he noticed Will staring at him, silently urging him to come with them. Nico rolled his eyes, wondering why he was doing this. "Yes, I'm coming" he sighed, even though a small part of him was genuinely happy. Jason was about to quirk his lips in a pout, accustomed to his standard response. "Really?" he asked a second later, surprised by his new answer. Nico simply nodded and, without much ceremony, walked towards Will.

The demigods gathered in a circle around the fire, enlivening it with their emotions. After various conversations and updates on the last capture the flag game of the year, they began singing. Nico simply listened, devouring as many marshmallows as he could, squishing some between two chocolate cookies.

On the other side of the bonfire, Jason couldn't take his eyes off the two, thinking that it would take just a little push for those two to start holding hands. "Are you still staring at them?" Piper asked, getting only a nod of confirmation.

"It would take so little to get them together" he commented in his girlfriend's ear, who agreed perfectly with what Jason was saying.

"Can we know who you two are spying on?" Annabeth interjected, unable to avoid noticing that both of them had started spying on someone. Piper quickly updated her on the situation, swearing that she could see the cogs of her mind working frantically as she spoke. "Leave it to me!"

[CONTENTS]

1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20

#🖇️ : fanfiction #i start over with you ☀️☠️#solangelo #will solace #nico di angelo #riordanverse #percy jackson #pjo #pjo fanfiction #camp halfblood

12 notes · View notes

sonic43eve · 15 days ago

Note

Please don't skip my message 🍉🇵🇸 to our honorable people in the world My name is Abdul Rahman from Gaza.. I lost everything in life.. My wife was martyred and my child and I were injured by a missile that fell on us.. My life was completely destroyed and I was severely injured all over my body especially my legs.. The missile tore my wife apart while she was carrying our child.. I ask for your support to start my life anew and overcome the tragedy I am going through.. Please help me with any amount no matter how small to treat my injury and my child's injury and get out of the Gaza Strip and start a better life.. And spread my campaign and my story so that everyone can see it 🍉🍉🇵🇸🇵🇸

Vetted by 90-ghost

https://gofund.me/c810ba27

I see your in a country in a war, I just want peace so https://gofund.me_c810ba27 and if you say something again I'll draw whatever you want

Here's a gift from me lol

1 note · View note

punemy-spotted · 1 year ago

Note

will you tell us more about sad little miner Curtis? 🥺 was he born near the company town? generations of his family indebted to Wilford before he broke away or was he a migrant worker that found his way there?

Smoochin' you on the forehead for all your wonderful asks, Brandyyyy.

Curtis is one of my most mysterious, I think, his past is coated in coal dust and decay, but there's still plenty to tell. A born-and-raised West Virginian, he might've grown up a farmer raisin' chickens and maintaining the small apple orchard his great-granddaddy'd planted. The applewood's been long sold by now, and I wouldn't recommend eatin' any chickens raised on that mess of poisoned land. His story's wound in with Snowpiercer's, so you'll see more under the cut.

Read the First Chapter of 16 Tons Here

Come join the Valley Sleepover here!

Snowpiercer wasn't always a minin' town, you see. Was supposed to be a farmin' town, a little place for the locals to go when they weren't tendin' fields, or throwin' hay, or trying to keep the henhouses in good shape.

There'd been some smaller coal companies that tried buyin' out the mineral rights here an' there, but farmers are stubborn folk and the land's somethin' worth protectin'. No one really thought anything of it when the railroad showed up, until the train horn started scaring the chickens so much they wouldn't lay and the smoke started settling everywhere, creosote-covered rail workers comin' in town and causing trouble. 'Course, by the time the station opened up, it was already too late. Ever onward, ever forward.

Real easy to start givin' up mineral rights and selling land when there's no crop to harvest, you see. Pierce & Rumlow Railroad and Mining Combine came in like the specter of death, taking down farm after farm. Couple folks tried to hold out, like the Everetts, but that gets harder when you're buryin' family members — something in the water, the traveling doctor said when Curtis, left on his own by then, asked.

Selling the mineral rights would've let him keep the house if the ground underneath didn't start collapsing within months of Pierce Mineral Resources findin' a new coal seam underneath, and by then he didn't want to spend much more time surrounded by the ghosts of everyone he failed. The land's been repurposed into a ditch of a pond now, collectin' runoff when it rains, and he's been staying at the boarding house to keep outta town, mostly cuz he's liable to punch Minister Mason again. Mining's about the only way to make a living around town now, and while he's sure he could head off somewhere else and start anew, his roots run deep around here, and you never abandon family.

#shroombox #brandycranby #curtis everett headcanon #curtis everett x reader #curtis everett x you #curtis everett #curtis everett imagine #a family sleepover in the valley ⛰#thank youuuu i love you!!

15 notes · View notes

jiangwanyinscatmom · 2 years ago

Text

This is the part that I can see confusing others, but, with doaist belief, there are several souls, the human (living one, the three hun and seven po that remain in death). Mo Xunayu did not sacrifice his right of reincarnation just the living one he had at the time, and frankly the one that is cared about in the moment as that is where karma is accrued in order to be judged throughout the circles of Diyu until a soul is purged clean to enter their next reincarnation cycle, samsara. Your karma only follows you based on what you did in your wordly life in consequence and a soul is thusly free to garner further negativity or, better itself to enter the next samsara. When it comes to the Po that stay it can be for any reason, and are liable to rise apart from the "human" as they are only the emotions left at the time of death or, of the "human" daily actions that were strongest. Once the hun souls (these ARE essentially the parts of the person that are essential in spirit and is the primordial existence of that life) are all reunited within Diyu, the human can move on. The Pocan still roam the world and why funerary rights and respect are performed and met.

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #wei wuxian #it's text and minerals

152 notes · View notes

nrrrdgrrrl2002 · 1 year ago

Text

Since I have a lot of these,

Here’s a list of what Lydia the bards Disney Princess villain songs I would give to certain mascot horror characters

Fnaf: the missing children and Afton siblings

(Specifically Charlie, Cassidy, crying child, michael, Elizabeth, Gabriel, fritz, Susie and Jeremy)

Basically what would happen is the spirits of the missing children and afton siblings would haunt Henry Emily, calling him out for allowing William to get away with his deeds for so long (“we don’t talk about Bruno”would be “we don’t talk about afton”, pointing out how Henry had many chances to fess up or “talk about” what Afton did to the police and stop the bloodshed but didn’t)

I could also see Charlie singing the part about suffering so much heartache and sacrificing for Henry’s sake while Henry put her in a torture device (yeah leftie was very messed up if you’ve seen the blueprints)

(This is for my own sequel/au to batdr)

Batai-Bendy

I could see this incident stemming from bendy and inky getting separated fully. I feel like bendys body wouldn’t do well with the separation and would either evolve into something monstrous

or cause him to melt away, prompting inky and Audrey to find something to save him and it ends up corrupting him in the process.

Either way, bendy becomes more powerful than the ink demon and the change corrupts his mind, increasing his anger at his siblings for being so secretive to him his whole life until he straight up wants them dead.

He’d also probably succeed in killing Audrey and inky since this is basically supposed to be a non canon bad ending to batai

Ddlc- Sayori

This would probably focus on class president sayori, with a corrupted monika tss as king the mirrors role (unbeknownst to sayori)

Maybe the “person” threatening to replace sayori is one of the other girls, maybe it’s the player getting interested in a different game, not sure.

Either way, while sayori doesn’t wanna become like monika, she’s on the verge of doing exactly what monika did in order to not lose her place.

So, To quote the song “the story starts again anew”

Fnaf:security breach-Gregory

This would follow an adult Gregory after going through the disassemble Freddy ending (vanny didn’t get disassembled in this)

He ends up returning to the pizzaplex and takes out all the animatronics for good this time.

He then uses a vr headset in the pizzaplex in order to face off glitchtrap in the vr world.

He actually manages to kill glitchtrap but vanny kills Gregory while he’s wearing the set.

So Gregory’s ghost possesses the vr world, the pizzaplex and the animatronics, essentially becoming the new glitchtrap.

He has vanny killed and sends the animatronics on a rampage in the town, targeting his anger at the people of the town for allowing so much tragedy to happen at the pizzaplex

Amanda the adventurer- Riley and Amanda

What I think would happen here is instead of destroying the tv, Riley would team up with Amanda, sneaking into the Hameln studio and taking out anyone in their way (I don’t know what Riley’s gender is supposed to be)

They end up able to put one of Amanda’s tapes into the studios cctvs, allowing demon Amanda to come out and kill everyone in the studio with Riley’s help

Batdr-Audrey

Basically “what if Audrey found out about all the things joey did?”

I don’t think she’d react well to finding out joey sacrificed hundreds of real people to this ink realm, disowned and imprisoned the ink demon simply for coming out “wrong” and all the other things we know joey did that he didn’t tell her.

So she decides to call him out and join the ink demon 100% willingly, letting the people of the ink realm die so that joey can’t even get the “redemption” he wanted

Fnaf:ruin-Cassie

Ruin spoilers

This would follow Cassie after she got dropped and somehow survived.

I think when it comes to talking about “mother”, she’d start by talking about how her own mom told her to stay away from Gregory and seemed to end up being right, then switch to talking about Roxy when singing lines like “it’s just me and mother now”

She’d manage to climb her way out of the pizzaplex and now hold a grudge against Gregory, using the tech from the ar mask to find him and attempt to kill him

I could also see helpi take the role of pascal in the song.

Bonus (since this isn’t from a mascot horror game (technically))

Babqftim/babitim-cuphead

What would happen here is that cuphead got found out for trying to trick bendy and Boris in order to steal the ink machine pieces from them, after bendy and cups got into a romantic relationship.

Cuphead ends up getting stabbed at some point after this and is slowly dying. He reaches out to his brother, teammates and ex boyfriend to help him, only for them to walk away.

So he ends up dying and going to hell. He manages to kill the devil and take over, now seeking to kill all living beings and get revenge at his former friends and family for abandoning him.

This is fun. What do y’all think? Any suggestions?

#fnaf #fnaf ruin #fnaf ruin spoilers #fnaf security breach #ddlc #amanda the adventurer #bendy #batim #batdr #batai #cuphead #babitim #babqftim #Spotify

11 notes · View notes

fratboykate · 2 years ago

Note

How does Tom handle Kate being pregnant because I figure the answer is, uhm, not well 🙃 Especially as she gets more and more pregnant and he can't deny it in his mind anymore

---

I can only imagine how much of his shit Tom loses when Kate announces she and Yelena are having a baby. I feel like he shows up piss poor drunk at there place. And of course he’s got some choice words for Yelena who’s just trynna be cool. Wonder if Kate ever heard him talking about his shit and she just casually slips in “Yeah, she’s the best I’ve ever had.” To get him to shut the fuck up

///

Okay so I got a lot of variations of these two asks. You guys are always asking for "Part 2" but this is...a prequel lol. This is two weeks before Ri's 9th birthday party which you got some time last week. I think it gives a little context for where everyone was at mentally at that party and what set some things in motion. Anyway...here is 5.1k of...“How A Bitter Ex Ruins A Baby Shower”...bookended with fluff because I’m my 2023 resolution is to be nicer to you lol It’s definitely like a 2:1 ration of fluff to angst because...again...look at me being nice.

---

Yelena feels Kate's lips gliding up her shoulder past her neck and land on her earlobe. When they reach their destination, Kate’s teeth barely graze the skin before she pulls with a soft, playful bite and whispers.

"Your alarm started ringing twelve minutes ago. It was really getting on my nerves, so I turned it off. Wake up. We have so much to do today. We NEED to be ready and out the door by 9:30." Yelena grins into her pillow but refuses to open her eyes. "I know you're awake...No? Shame because Ri is somehow still asleep and these hormones have my sex drive through the roof. Woke up drenched. But I guess no one’s around to help me take care of the problem." Kate flips onto her back. And she waits. "No one? Not one person around?" Yelena finally peeks over her shoulder and back at her wife with sleepy eyes and a devilish smile. "Took you long enough. I'm so horny and I think she has MAYBE fifteen more minutes of sleep left in her, so we gotta be quick." Yelena's smile grows, but she doesn't move. "What?! What are you looking at?! Since when does my wife turn down ANY opportunity for sex? I'm handing it willingly. Don't even have underwear on. Zero obstacles in your way."

Yelena cackles while rolling over and using her elbow to hover over her wife.

"I got my period last night."

"Yeah, well..." Kate throws the cover off herself, revealing her taut eight-month pregnant belly. "...I clearly didn't. You can do me. Besides, you know I don't care. Wouldn't be the first time we've been there, done that."

Yelena sleepily chuckles anew and bends down to dotingly kiss the brunette.

"I feel like shit, love. Truly like someone ran me over. Can I get a rain check? I can get you something from the closet. To...help with “the problem”. Can't have my wife walking around unsatisfied. More than happy to watch. Would make my morning, actually."

Kate pouts and pulls Yelena down to her, forcing the blonde to nuzzle into her neck.

"No. I wanted you. Boooooooo."

"I'm sorry."

"You definitely owe me."

"You can cash in anytime I don't feel like my insides are being torn with shears."

"Did you take anything?"

"Yeah. Cramps kept me up half the night. I took something like three hours ago but hasn’t really helped."

Kate lifts Yelena's head to survey her face.

"Why didn't you wake me up?!"

"What the hell would I do that for?"

"So I could keep you company? Rub your tummy?"

"I'm not eight, baby. That works on Ri, not me."

"You don't know that."

Yelena smiles and lies back on Kate's chest. In response, Kate envelops her in an intimate embrace, pulling her in as close and tight to her body as she can muster. Yelena rests her hand on Kate’s exposed belly and caresses it. The baby promptly responds to the touch, stretching out, leaving the little imprint of a limb poking through the strained skin. Yelena drags her fingers over and ghosts her digits over the same spot.

"So close," Yelena mutters while Kate runs her fingertips through the slept-on, blonde braid trying to break it loose.

"I know."

"Five weeks...Feels like forever but not enough at the same time...Are you as scared as I am?"

"Terrified." They both laugh. "You wanna know what makes me feel better?" Yelena 'hmmms' and tilts her head to make eye contact with Kate. "Getting to hold a tiny thing with your face." Kate traces the contour of Yelena's face with the tip of her index finger. "And your nose." Then the bridge of her nose. "And your lips." Then the outline of her lips. "And your eyes. I can't wait. Terrified but so excited."

They opted to use Yelena's egg for the pregnancy Kate is carrying. It's how they both get to be a part of the baby's gestation. If they ever decide to have a second child, Yelena will carry a baby conceived with Kate's egg and sperm from the same donor they used for this baby. That is their way of ensuring their children are blood-related. Not that it would have mattered to them at all if they were or not. But it was a small thing they thought made it extra special.

"But you have...Ri. You say we look the same all the time."

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah."

A piercing clanking coming from the kitchen abruptly rumbles through the house. Eight-year-old Ereka is awake and on the prowl.

"Hurricane Ereka. Category 5. Alert!" Yelena jokes.

"One of us has to go make sure she isn't burning the place down."

"Uhum."

Neither of them moves.

"Yel..."

Yelena whines.

"I'm comfortable for the first time in hours! We invested in a top-of-the-line fire system for a reason. Something would be beeping or shrieking by now if she was setting something on fire."

"Is that what we're doing? Delegating childcare to AI or whatever that thing is?"

"It cost thirty grand! The least it could do is watch our kid for half an hour while I nap on your limited edition, extra comfy boobs for a bit."

The distinct crack of something large and fragile shattering and exploding into a million pieces in the distance forces an involuntary sigh out of Kate.

"THAT ONE DEFINITELY BROKE!"

They hear the almost nine-year-old Ereka holler from the kitchen, already tinting her voice with shades of ignorance as to what could have possibly happened.

"DO NOT MOVE AN INCH! MOMMA'S COMING!"

Kate shouts in response while pushing Yelena off her and the bed.

"Why am I the mom on duty?!"

"Because you’re the mom with pants on. There’s glass everywhere, she can’t stay still for more than three seconds, and I’m now moving at the speed of molasses." Yelena grunts and begrudgingly heads for the door. "Oh, and babe, you should look into getting a refund on those thirty grand. That thing is a terrible nanny."

Yelena playfully flips her wife off on her way out the door.

"Ri, what the frick are you doing in the kitchen by yourself?!" Yelena admonishes the girl as she runs to her.

Kate can vividly envision the guiltless, ostensibly angelic face Ereka will be making when Yelena walks into the kitchen. Kate is also well aware that “wasn’t me” face will be Ereka's "get out of jail" card even though she is quite literally standing at the crime scene. Yelena is putty in that child’s hands, Ereka knows this, and sometimes takes advantage of that knowledge to walk away scot-free if Yelena is the one supposed to be dishing out consequences to actions.

---

Kate became fixated on the idea that she wanted her baby shower on a rooftop, by a pool, with a picturesque city skyline view. The three things individually? Perfectly doable. Together? IN NEW YORK CITY? IN LATE AUGUST?! Damn near impossible. Not happening.

Thankfully for Kate, she has a filthy rich mother, an unwavering wife, and a Type A elite event planner for the stars hired by the aforementioned women. The event planner is there to make each and every one of Kate’s obstinate, affluent, hormonal girl fantasies come true. Truthfully, she’s also there so Yelena and Eleanor can survive this with their sanity intact and that doesn't have a price tag. The family has two large social events essentially back to back this month, and if they can get someone else to handle Kate and her needs related to those things, everyone will be better for it. So hire an event planner they did and off Kate went...

One of Eleanor's friends knows someone who knows someone who could make the call to give them the okay to shut down the hotel’s rooftop pool Kate fell in love with for a day. Eleanor wrote a blank check and threw caution to the wind. Susan has made it clear she is never having children and Kate has been exceedingly vocal that this was it for her, so if Eleanor is only paying for one baby shower in her life, it will be a grand ol' time.

The theme Kate went with for the event is a “classy summer tea party”. The tables are set with authentic vintage British china and silverware. A tea sommelier makes personal recommendations on which tea to choose from the endless assortment of top-shelf global teas and then brews cups for each guest. Silver cake stands overflow with scones, sandwiches, mini cakes, patisseries, and jams from the best pastry chefs in the city. The kaleidoscopic flower and balloon arrangements put most weddings to shame. The women are expected to wear floral dresses and fancy hats to match the theme.

While the official baby shower only runs from 11-2PM, they've closed down the entire rooftop and pool area until 8PM. Whoever wants to stay and hang out, swim, have drinks, or watch the sunset over dinner is more than welcome to do so. Male friends and partners are also invited to swing by in the afternoon.

Unlike most traditional showers, this venue has no pink or blue in sight. Kate and Yelena decided not to find out the gender of the baby. At least, that's what they’ve told everyone. No one, not a soul, knows that they know. It’s been easier that way.

Since Ereka could form sentences, she's been asking for a little sister. It's been incessant, well beyond the point of evolving into a full-fledged nuisance. When they decided to start trying, they kept it from the little girl. IVF can be a long, arduous process and adding her to the mix was merely going to complicate an already physically and emotionally draining circumstance further. It’s why they decided to keep her in the dark. Kate and Yelena went through a few failed rounds, then...success. When Kate is far enough along that they feel it prudent to share the big news, when they tell Ereka she’s finally going to be a big sister, Kate and Yelena don't think they've ever seen that child any happier. She hasn't come down from cloud eleven since. Ereka talks about her little sister to anyone who will listen. Problem is...Ereka's “little sister” is actually...a little brother. The ultrasound tech saw that penis clear as day on Kate's fourteen-week ultrasound and they've triple-checked on every appointment ever since. At this point, it'd be an act of god if that baby wasn't born with a penis because they've looked at it from every angle at Kate and Yelena's behest and it’s always there.

Kate and Yelena have more or less been living in modest denial and trying to will the willy away, as they strongly feel that extra and unexpected bit of anatomy will not go down well with their daughter. It's more than a strong feeling. They know that with certainty and are endeavoring to put off sharing the information for as long as possible. None of this means they're being irresponsible about their approach. As the birth becomes imminent and the truth harder to conceal, they've begun consulting a family therapist to gradually help them lay the groundwork for when the baby comes and they ultimately have to detonate this bomb on the unsuspecting and eager eight-year-old.

---

The Bishop-Belova trio exit the elevator on the top floor of the ostentatious five-star Brooklyn hotel negligibly late at 11:13AM. Depending on which of them you ask, they'll each blame someone different for the tardiness.

Kate wears a yellow fitted dress with thin straps, a crossover cutout detail that gives a baby bump peek, and a v-neckline that Yelena is quite fond of. This outfit is not at all a “classy tea party” look, but at the very last minute, Kate isn’t feeling the dress she bought for the party and decides she needs to change. If you ask Yelena, this is the reason why they’re late.

When Kate tells Yelena she has to choose a yellow statement piece since that's what she and Ereka are doing, Yelena agrees. Easy enough. Yelena initially wears a light yellow button-down with a navy suit and yellow pocket square. Yelena likes the look. It’s a solid look. She thinks she might even look rather attractive in it. Kate, not so much. Kate flips and makes her wife change the suit because "Blue is for boy. You're being too obvious." and Yelena has to change. That's how Yelena lands on her current very bland and gender-neutral combination of: yellow shirt, a tan blazer, and khakis. If you ask Kate, Yelena having to change is the reason why they’re late.

Before they step into the madness of greeting, mixing, and mingling, Kate knows she needs a quiet moment with Yelena. She taps Ereka’s shoulder blade and jostles her towards the doors that lead to the roof and pool.

“Go find grandma and Suzu. We’ll be right there.”

They watch her go and once the girl has disappeared past the glass doors, Kate pulls her wife into one of the indoor private cabanas behind them and quickly pecks her lips, then runs her thumb over them to wipe her lipstick off.

"The main thing is only three hours, then most people you have murderous fantasies about are going to leave and the people you can somewhat tolerate will stay. You like Greer.”

“Greer’s fine. She’s funny. Sometimes.”

“Exactly. So I made sure you’re sitting next to her. It’s a few silly games, pictures, jokes, ha ha ha, people, joy. All so unfamiliar and very terrible. I know. But you're not going to die. You'll make it. I promise. I love you more than life. Just roll with it. They're not laughing at you; they're laughing with you."

"I'm only here for you."

Kate kisses Yelena once more and speaks against her lips.

"I know."

"No, I'm not saying it to guilt trip you or something. I'm just saying I wouldn't do this shit for anyone else. That's how much I love you."

"I know. I know. You're a grouch, but you're my grouch." Yelena grunts and rolls her eyes. "I truly do love that you’re a ‘get off my lawn’ eighty-year-old man trapped in this young body." Kate cops a feel of Yelena’s ass and squeezes it. "Big fan of the сексуальный русский [sexy Russian] body."

"I should’ve never taught you how to say that."

"I did insist.”

"You did...And I’m not THAT big of a grouchy old man."

"Baby...you LITERALLY chased kids off our lawn the other day. Literally."

"That thing they were playing with was ripping the grass out! I still have to talk to Javier and see if it’s okay or if we’re going to have to mow the whole thing down and wait for it to regrow evenly.”

"Okay, Grandpa Cyrus. I think it’s time for your meds."

"Weren’t you just trying to grope Grandpa Cyrus?"

"Listen, Grandpa, you’re very hot and I’m very horny. You have no idea. I don’t know how you have clothes on right now. I could be tearing them off with my teeth."

Yelena hangs her head back laughing.

"That’s not tea party behavior, love."

"I’m well aware. Part of the reason why you’re not naked right now.”

"Let's get it over with then. Sooner you get me home, sooner you can take my clothes off."

Yelena places her hand on the small of Kate's back, and gently nudges her, guiding her to the door.

"That's the spirit! We'll get you a drink first because I'm a good wife. I'd never make you do this sober. I know who I married."

Guests are already milling about and cheer for them when they make their grand, if ever so slightly shameful, delayed entrance.

---

About an hour and a half later, the function is in full swing. So far, they've managed to play the infamous blind diaper changing game, “Songs With Baby In The Title”, and "How Old Was She?" featuring the most embarrassing photos of Kate and Yelena that Eleanor and Alexei could dredge up.

They're currently in the midst of "You're Craving WHAT?!". Kate's cravings have been LUDICROUS this pregnancy. Yelena figured that if she has had to put up with them, it is only fair for everyone else to do so too. Guests get blindfolded and sample some of the things Kate's been willingly putting in her mouth, then try to guess what's in them. This is the only game that didn't make Yelena’s body fill with dread when she thought about this day the last few weeks, perhaps because she came up with it. She may be a baby shower game genius because, unlike the previous ones, this one hasn't brought her to the edge of suicide even once in the last fifteen minutes. Hard to admit, but...she could conceivably be having a good time.

"KATE, WHAT IS THIS?!" Kate’s blindfolded friend inquires while toiling to chew the sickening blend currently destroying her taste buds.

"Cottage cheese, clementines, spicy ahi tuna, and chocolate milk," Yelena reveals with a delighted grin.

Kate's work friend gags violently and spits the mush onto a napkin.

"My mouth is watering. Hand it over. So good." Kate extends her hand and the cup with the foul concoction starts to make its way down to her.

"That baby is coming out and first thing it's going to do is ask you to say sorry, Kate. The hell...I'm finding out things about you I didn't want to know. What do you mean you've been making my niece eat pulled pork with frosting and alfredo sauce?! That's jail time!" Greer chimes in and the table roars with laughter.

"KitKat, you look so beautiful."

"DADDY!"

The guests turn to find the source of the voice coming from behind them. Before Kate can hold her, Yelena is already on her feet and stamping toward a visibly intoxicated Tom.

Kate exchanges a furtive glance with Susan, who understands and takes firm hold of Ereka, preventing the girl from going after them.

"Dude..."

The distance between where Yelena sat and Tom stands isn’t inconsiderable, yet she reaches him in what seems like a blink. Once she’s in front of him, she continuously rams her open palms across his chest until she’s thrust his body inside, away from everyone.

"Do you have mental problems? Is that the issue here? Do we need to have you committed?"

Kate finally reaches them and jerks Yelena away from Tom. Kate glares at Tom and points at the side door that leads to a small adjacent room filled with a few tables and loungers.

"Go over there." When he starts walking, Kate turns her attention back to her wife. “Let me handle it.”

“You always ‘handle it’ and we still have the issue.”

“I’ll handle it.”

After a beat, Yelena attempts to force herself past Kate. Kate drives her back.

“I’m going over there.”

“If you go over there, I’m afraid you’ll kill him.”

“Exactly. Problem solved forever.”

Kate doesn't even dignify that with a response. She simply steps away and walks to where Tom waits, leaving the door ajar.

“No.”

“KitKat.”

“No.”

“CupKate.”

“No. We’re not doing this today.”

“KaterTot.”

“I probably always hated that one the most. You have to go home.”

“I don’t even care that it’s another man’s baby...”

That incenses Kate.

“It’s not ‘some other man’s baby’! It’s Yelena’s baby!”

“...I’ll raise it...Oh come on! We both know that’s not true!”

“There’s more to being a parent than DNA.”

“Spare me the gay agenda bullshit. There’s a mom and there’s a dad. That’s how babies are made. THAT is some random guy’s baby...” Tom softens up again. “...and I’m totally fine raising it. I want to! I don’t even care! It can be the four of us.”

“I’ve fucking had it with you. I’ve had it. How did you even find out where we were?...Did you text Ri?!...Leave her out of this. Leave her out of it. There’s no reason she should be mixed up in this.”

“I think she should have a say in whether she wants mommy and daddy to be together.”

Kate closes her eyes and takes a centering breath. She refuses to allow herself to lose her cool on this man. Not for his sake, but because she knows if she does, she’s going to go ballistic and it wouldn’t be healthy for her baby.

“Kids don’t get a say in adult matters. Especially not on ones that aren’t a fucking possibility, Thomas.”

Kate expresses with as much composure as she can summon.

“They could be IF YOU STOPPED BEING SO FUCKING STUBBORN AND STUPID!”

Tom leans in to scream in Kate’s face. Yelena's been watching through the door crack and he got much too close to Kate for Yelena's comfort. She’s done waiting. Yelena stomps over, bursts through with such force that the door ricochets off the wall, and grabs Tom by the arm without saying a word, dragging him behind her.

“Yel...Yelena.”

“Let me fucking go.”

Tom fights back, but Yelena’s grip on his arm is iron tight. She continues to wordlessly drag him to the elevator with Kate hot on their tail.

“Yelena, I was handling it.”

Tom aggressively shoves Yelena trying to get her to loosen her grip and that’s her tipping point. That’s her last straw. Her martial arts training kicks in and she swipes his legs, sending him to the floor with a thud. He whines pathetically on impact.

“Give me one good reason for why I shouldn’t beat your ass right now. Just one. Because I can come up with plenty for why I should.”

Kate pulls Yelena back away from him and glares at her.

“Stop! Stop it.” Kate turns to Tom. "Please leave. Please. Please. PLEASE. I don't want you here. We can talk some other day. Please. We’ll talk. Just go."

"Okay, KitKat." Tom gets on his feet and walks over to Kate. Yelena steps between them and they have a staredown but being much taller allows him to lean above her and place a wet kiss on Kate's cheek regardless. "We can talk another day."

He calmly heads for the elevator and his eyes don't leave Kate and her body until the elevator arrives and he steps on it.

"'We can talk some other day'?! THAT'S THE SHIT THAT FUCKING FEEDS HIS DELUSION, KATE? WHAT THE FUCK?!"

"Is he gone or not?"

Kate flings back coldly.

"Until you let me and him beat the shit out of each other, I feel like we'll have a problem. I'm a jiu-jitsu brown belt. Why do you think I can't take him?"

Kate steps up to Yelena, directly to her face. At least as close as her pregnant stomach will allow her to get.

"I don't give A FUCK if you can give him a black eye or break his arm or not. I'm sure you could. That's irrelevant. You are a licensed attorney. You catch a charge, we have a problem. A big problem. You think he doesn't know that? You think he wouldn't LOVE that? He works with his family. He can be angry, and obsessed, and delusional, and slowly become an alcoholic all he wants. He's never getting fired. His last name is on the business cards, on the trucks, on the warehouses. What are you not getting?"

"Then let me talk to my dad. He'll make some calls. It'll actually be handled."

Yelena shrugs, nonplussed. Kate backs away, head shaking with incredulity.

"For the sake of our marriage, I'm gonna pretend you didn't just threaten to have Alexei’s crazy Russian mafia buddies kill my daughter's father."

"I didn't say kill. Never said kill."

"Please stop talking."

Kate bites back curtly. Yelena becomes irate.

"Then what do you want me to fucking do?! What do you want me to do? Because I can't keep standing by while he treats you like shit, treats her like shit, and makes our lives fucking miserable. You ask me to let you ‘handle it’, but nothing ever changes. You won't let me beat the shit out of him and you won't let me get guys who will, so what do you want me to do? Tell me because I don't fucking know what to do anymore, Kate." Yelena's shoulders sag and in an instant, she shifts from livid to defeated. "I don't know what to do, but I can't keep living like this. I don't want to...I don't want him to have to."

Kate approaches, holds Yelena's hand, and places it on her belly.

"I don't want that either...but..."

"Fuck, Kate. What? What is it? What excuse is it now?"

"The next few weeks are gonna be so crazy. Baby's coming soon. I want this to be about us. I don't wanna do anything that's going to send Tom into a spiral or do something crazy. Her party is in two weeks..."

Yelena cuts her off.

"Has he told you if he's coming or not?"

"No. And if he does..."

"I don't want him there."

"...IF HE DOES...I need you to be the bigger person. For her. That's her day. Not a day for you two to have a pissing contest."

"Why can’t you tell him not to come?"

"He's her dad and it's her birthday, Yel."

"So what?! If he makes our lives fucking hell...so what? When does it stop? When do we say enough?!"

"He's never gonna hurt anyone. He's...sad. That’s it."

"It's been YEARS. What the hell does he still have to be sad about? Go to fucking therapy and stop making it our problem...I can't listen to this again."

Yelena walks out.

"Yelena."

---

Kate steps out from the room to find Yelena hovering by the elevators, pressing the buttons furiously as if that'll make them go faster.

"What are you doing?"

"I feel awful, Kate. Cramps are fucking killing me. I just want to curl up and lie down."

"Please don't make me go back out there by myself."

"I feel like actual dirt and I would very much like to go home." Kate stares at her, silently pleading. "You know I won't be able to say 'no' if you ask me again. Please don't ask me because I want to leave."

DING! The elevator arrived.

"I won't ask, but I don't want you to go."

Kate utters shakily, barely above a whisper, tears threatening to fall. Yelena closes her eyes and locks her jaw. She grunts as the elevator doors start to move toward each other and rests her head against the cold metal of the door jamb once it’s fully closed and on its way back down.

"I feel like shit."

"I'm sorry. You can go. My mom and Suze are here. All my friends are here. It’s fine. Call it back up. You don’t have to stay."

Kate walks to her wife and hugs her sideways, pressing a kiss to her temple, and whispering into her ear.

"Go home. I love you."

Yelena shakes her head.

"It's fine. It's your day. It's baby boy's day. I can suck it up."

"Not true. It's your day too. We're a team."

"Doesn't feel like it sometimes."

Kate holds Yelena tighter.

"I meant it when I said ‘not right now’. It doesn't mean forever. Baby could come tomorrow or six weeks from now and I don't want chaos in the background whenever it happens. But..." Kate leans back to look at Yelena. "...as soon as we settle once he's here, let's get a lawyer. Tom loves to threaten with them all the time. Let's finally do it. We have witnesses. We have proof. We have nothing to lose. But I need you to give me a few months. I need these weeks to be about the three of us. Shut Tom out. He doesn't matter. We matter. Baby Russ matters. Okay? Give me thirty more minutes and then we can go home. Yeah? Deal?"

"Kate, you had them shut down this whole thing until eight. You can't go home at..." Yelena looks at her watch. "...one thirty. That's insane. It probably cost your mom like ten years worth of college tuition funds to do this."

Kate chuckles.

"She refuses to tell me."

"We're not going home. It's fine. I'll live."

"If you wanna leave, I won't stop you. But please don’t sneak out. At least tell me beforehand this time. I hate when you do that."

"Sure. Whatever. I'm fineeeee. Let's go." Yelena nudges Kate and they start walking, arm in arm, back to the outdoor area while talking. "It's our party. I don’t need to sneak out of my own party. I just need a drink. By now, people either think we died or are having the craziest sex somewhere."

"I'm not opposed to..."

"Not happening, Kate Bishop."

"That's me getting shut down for sex three times in one day. In case you're keeping track of the ones you owe me."

"I always pay my debts."

"I'm expecting you to."

The party faces are back on when they become visible to the guests through the glass doors. Isn’t all of life a performance anyway?

#I sandwiched our man Tom between fluff so you cant even complain #im being too nice to you lately #you once again walk away with a pain free ending #who am i becoming #what has 2023 done to me #who is this person #i dont like it #kymau #kymaup #anonymous #answers

30 notes · View notes