#we have to laugh or else we'd swing

[wardogsong]

Good bye. I hope everyone who bullied me is fucking happy. I hope everyone who got my account deleted is happy. I'm done.

cw: mentions of self-harm and mutilation under the readmore, and also just basic dash consideration. I realize I have not been here in months, owe everything and everyone, etc... which adds an extra layer of mind-bending hilarity to this all.

Stray,

You are both breaking my heart and wearing my last nerve out. I'm only human. I'm not a saint. While I am genuinely very sorry that tumblr deleted your account, did you read the email that they sent to you? I know that you screenshotted it. You have it posted right now on this iteration of your blog.

Truth be told? I don't know if anyone reported your account. I can say with a clear conscience that I didn't. I had no reason to. The last I interacted with you and/or that account was when I was in the comments of your pinned post, talking to you there.

I am not exactly certain that your account would have required much reporting, to be honest. I think that you are imagining a bandwagon of people joining together to work against you, given the way you are currently in several inboxes, calling people bullies and so on. Again, I can say with a completely clear conscience, I have never participated in any such link up or bandwagon against you, or anyone else.

So let's keep it a buck. You do somewhat routinely post about the things mentioned in that email. It's your blog, you have a right to talk about the state of your mental health if you want to, but in this case, it was tumblr itself taking notice and action of the frequency of that, and what specifically you were saying.

Hell, let's go back in time a bit. You and I literally met and became mutuals BECAUSE you posted a farewell note on your blog, several deletions and remakes ago. It was written as if it were a done deal, and having been familiar with your url in the fandom tags, I was immediately worried for you, stranger that you were, and desperate to reach out to you hoping it would come before a too-late kind of moment. You know what the saddest part of that search for you was? Encountering people who did claim to know you and who said, with great shame, that this was somewhat regular for you.

You know it too, because even in our conversations you mentioned having been blamed or accused of attention seeking in the past and having callouts written about you.

The answer is right there, Stray. Your blog was deleted for mentions of self-harm. You may not have been glorifying it or promoting it, but you posted about it enough that you finally tripped a flag somewhere. That's it. That's all it is.

As for the rest? This is the second time you're calling me a bully. Yet again, I am asking you to prove it. Please show me the instances in which I bullied you, or the actions that I took against you. What, exactly, did I do? Because to the best of my recollection? I spent a while trying to be your friend, trying to be as supportive as I could be, introducing you to other friends of mine to help widen your circle, gaming with you, plotting things to write with you and then the one night I couldn't stay up late to talk with you because I was literally recovering from being incredibly ill AND had to take my son to an appointment the next day... ended up with you having sent me overnight screenshots of deleting your blog and either blocking or unfriending me on discord. Which one of those things was the bullying, Stray? Because the way I see it? You're the one who ditched me the second I couldn't be of use to you.

last but not least, rumor out of the hell part of this country says you have a problem with sharing mutuals. you don't like it when someone you like writes or interacts with someone you don't like and that may be the root cause of your distress. if so, rumors of my and @lt-ghxst's relationship are both greatly exaggerated and misunderstood. it's not my fault I tagged and bagged him, as that is what you do with wild gators. however, if he has slighted you, I don't take any responsibility for him. he's untrained and not yet housebroken. it's a miracle if I can get him to only piss outdoors. he bites. he's ornery and nasty-tempered. Honestly, he should probably be put to sleep but I am determined to break him in.

[creepswrites]

DIRT ROADS | Lester x Reader

rereading some of my old writing renewed my love for writing this scruffy man <3 this is also slightly self indulgent oops

LESTER SINCLAIR X GN!READER

SUMMARY: The coat he wore was rough and the necklace he wore dug slightly into your skin. But he felt warm and alive and you felt his laugh more then you actually heard it. It felt strangely magical and the mere thought of that baffled you. What about this situation was remotely magical?

The sound of the sputtering of your car engine made you groan, your forehead bumping against the steering wheel in quite frustration. Overhead, raindrops pattered harshly against the top of your car like small marbles and you heard the way your wheels dug into the muddy roads. This was not the place you wanted to get stuck in.

"I told you we'd get stuck out here!" Your friend Sadie huffed in exasperation, throwing her hands up in defeat. "If we had just turned back and asked for directions," She trailed off, shooting a pointed glare at the two guys in the backseat, "We wouldn't be in this mess!"

Robbie - Sadie's long-term boyfriend, though you weren't exactly sure why, seeing as they argued more often then not - just scoffed at his girlfriend's frustrations. "Look, let's just get out of the car and fuckin' push, alright?"

"Can't," You sighed as you lifted your head up. "The front wheels are trapped in the mud. Pushin' will just get us more stuck."

"Well what the fuck else are we supposed to do?" Robbie shouted before swinging the door open and stomping out into the pouring rain, uncaring of how his hair and clothes quickly became soaked.

When he did, his friend who sat beside him - Leon, you think was his name - quickly shuffled out to join him. Leon was nicer than Robbie but was a bit of a pushover. This camping trip the four of you planned was mostly Sadie's attempts to pair you up with Leon despite both of your resistances on the matter.

"Honestly," Sadie sighed, "That guy just can't take no for an answer."

You hummed, disinterested in her latest "Robbie Rant" as you'd taken to calling them. "I still think this whole camping thing is a bad idea. Even if we'll be in a cabin." You weren't exactly enthusiastic at the idea of listening to Sadie argue with her boyfriend for a long weekend while you sat awkwardly next to Leon.

"Don't be such a downer," Sadie said as she poked your cheek with a pointy, baby blue nail. "The rain'll pass, babe. It always does."

When you heard the sound of your car door open, a blast of cold air hitting your body, you turned your head and were met with a worried look on Robbie's face. "Hey, uh, there's... some dude over here." He gestured with a thumb, arms crossed over his chest to try and protect himself from the chilled rain. "He's, uh, offerin' to tow us to the nearest town."

You perked your head up. "Oh! Sure, okay, yeah." Frankly you were just relieved the four of you weren't going to have to camp out in the car or, god forbid, walk through the rain and dark foresty area in hopes of finding civilization.

"Yeah, I wouldn't get too excited." Robbie mumbled as you poked your head out to look behind your car. "Dude's kinda weird."

A scrawny looking man stood slumped against a silver truck chatting to Leon, seemingly unbothered by the rain. When he caught your eye, he tilted his green cap in greeting and gave you a wide gap toothed smile as he made his way towards you. Outwardly, you didn't see anything wrong with him. Maybe a little scruffy but nothing outwardly strange. "Hey there," He said with such a heavy southern drawl it made your eyes feel droopy, "Saw y'all got stuck. I might be able 't tow ya back to town. It ain't far, but you folks'll probably wanna ride with me. 'Case stuff gets too bumpy."

You considered his offer for a moment. The idea of shelter was too tempting to ignore, however... "That's awfully kind of you," You said slowly, watching his smile soften into something more genuine, "What's the catch?"

"Ain't no catch, honest." He said as he slid his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. Robbie gave him a weird look but you ignored it, keeping your focus on the stranger. "Jus' happened to be in the neighborhood on my way back home. Saw y'all broke down 'n figured I'd lend a hand."

Your shoulders dropped slightly. As in most situations, you had to trust your gut. And your gut said that you could trust him. So you held out your hand to shake his, introducing yourself. "How close is this town?"

"Jus' a few miles back down this road here 'n a few left turns." The stranger offered a hand to help you out of your car and you flinched at the sight of thick mud below you. "'m Lester, by the way. Lester Sinclair." He said, noticing your apprehension at the dirt. "Ain't one for mud?" He gave a light laugh.

"Not if I can help it," You sighed. It wouldn't normally bother you but you hadn't worn shoes you could afford to get dirty. The storm had caught you all by surprise.

Before you could step out, Lester gave you a nudge. "Here, put'cher arms 'round me."

You flushed and stared at him with wide, confused eyes. He just gave you a grin as he hooked your knees in the crook of his elbow. "I- You don't have to- I can-" You stammered out nervously. Sure, you didn't really want to get your shoes dirty, but Lester didn't have to carry you!

"Up we go!" Lester said with a dramatic flair, causing you to shriek in terror as you were lifted out up of your seat. You clung to him tight to avoid falling into the mud and he gave you a little spin, making you bury your face into his shoulder as you begged him not to drop you.

The coat he wore was rough and the necklace he wore dug slightly into your skin. But he felt warm and alive and you felt his laugh more then you actually heard it. It felt strangely magical and the mere thought of that baffled you. What about this situation was remotely magical?

"Hey, put 'em the fuck down!" Robbie said. You'd honestly forgot he was there for a moment. But he stepped towards you two like he intended to yank you from the other man's arms like a toddler wanting its toy back.

Lester shot him a look before glancing down at you, as though silently asking if Robbie was bothering you. Like Lester himself wasn't the stranger in the situation. "Alrighty then. Why don't you grab the girl so we can get on outta here?" He said before carrying you back towards his truck without looking back.

When you saw the truck, you understood why Robbie and Leon looked so anxious about going inside. You could see what looked to be small animal bones dangling like strings of beads woven together with feathers and rough strings. They all looked very homemade but pretty in their own way. At least to you they were.

What really caught your attention was the deer skull sitting on the dashboard as the pride of place. "You hunt?" You asked Lester as he walked around to the passenger side door.

He noticed you eyeing the deer skull and shrugged. "That depends."

"Depends?"

"Well I gotta impress you, don't I? Ain't every day I get to carry some pretty thing to my truck. Can't letcha think 'm a bad guy if I do hunt." He said casually before gesturing to the door handle. "Can you grab that?"

You opened the door and let him set you on the seat, his words not quite registering as you focused on the skull, fingers grazing it but not quite touching. "I think it's cool," You said with a quiet awe. "I like taxidermy, so bones don't put me off."

Lester seemed surprised by that. You could hear the sounds of Robbie and Sadie arguing again - likely because he wasn't offering to carry her like Lester had done for you - but you hardly cared with him looking at you like that. Like he was swooning.

"So y'ain't gonna be bothered by the roadkill I got in the back?" He asked, leaning against the car door as you admired the bones hung around the interior.

"Nope. Not even a little. Do you make these yourself?" You asked, fingers dancing lightly down a particularly pretty string of feathers and bones.

Lester swallowed and nodded, a little breathless when he spoke. "Yeah. Yeah. Make 'em myself, yeah." He sounded a little nervous, trying to hide his excitement at your genuine interest. "I'm, uh, I'm gonna get yer car set up for towin' 'n whatnot. You alright if I borrow your boyfriend?"

"I don't have a boyfriend." You shrugged before focusing back on him. "Much less Robbie. He's kind of a douchebag."

"You don't have a boyfriend?" Lester looked genuinely shocked.

You laughed a little. "You sound like my parents." Your tone was light, teasing, and a sharp contrast to the sudden hurricane that was Sadie climbing into the backseat of the truck, arguing loudly with Robbie. As suspected, he had not want to carry her and she had to walk.

You and Lester shared an exhausted look before he stepped away to get the cables to tow your car. Meanwhile, you tucked into the front seat, admiring every knickknack and oddity you could see. It felt almost cozy. Lester likely spent a lot of time in here to warrant such a comfortable, familiar space. He'd mentioned roadkill in the back of the truck so you figured he drove around for long hours picking it up.

He was utterly fascinating. You'd never met anyone like him.

"Dude, this guy is a freak," Sadie whisper-yelled to be heard over the rain as she slammed her door. You left the your own door open to enjoy the cool air a bit longer after being stuck in a stuffy car for the past four hours. "His car's full of dead things!" She hissed at you.

"Doesn't bother me." You said absently, far too focused on the skull again. It was in beautiful condition, clearly well taken care of. If Lester did really hunt, you hoped it was humane. But you reassured yourself that he didn't seem like someone who hated animals.

Sadie scoffed as she slumped in the backseat. The anger from her argument with Robbie was starting to leak into your conversation with her and it pissed you off. But you held your tongue, knowing better than to push her. "Yeah, I'm sure you don't mind your new weirdo boyfriend and his freaky shit." She laughed with a mocking tone. "Must be nice to meet some random fucking guy on the side of the road and he's soooo perfect and thoughtful and carries you to his car. Definitely matches your freak."

You ignored her.

It didn't take long for the guys to finish attaching your car to the truck and everyone piled in the truck, Lester closing his door with a dramatic flair and giving you a smile. "Alrighty, lets head on back. Town's just a couple minutes away." He said, making sure to take wide turns to avoid scratching up the car too much.

"Is there a hotel in town there?" Sadie asked, fidgeting with a strand of her wet hair.

"Yeah, should be. The inn ain't get much business this far out here so there oughta be rooms." Lester said, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. "Where ya folks headed?"

When the three in the back said nothing, you spoke up after an awkward beat of silence. Just because your friends didn't like the dead things didn't mean Lester was a bad guy. "Headin' towards Arkansas. We've got a little cabin there that we want to stay at for a few days."

"Special occasion?" Lester asked curiously.

"Just a double date weekend." Sadie chimed in, smirking a bit in Leon and Robbie's direction. "We've been meaning to take a break together.

You flinched at the implication you were dating Leon. Lester seemed to notice that and gave you a reassuring smile. "Sounds fun." He said aloud, though you could see the way his hands gripped the steering wheel a bit tighter. "Robbie, was it?"

"Yeah?"

"How long've you been dating 'em?" He tilted his head towards you, smiling at Robbie in the rearview mirror. "Hope I didn't give ya the wrong impression when I carried 'em over. I know you got defensive 'bout it 'n all."

The backseat erupted into absolute chaos. You turned to level Lester with an unimpressed look and the man had the audacity to give you an innocent little smile.

Jerk. You snorted, rolled your eyes, and turned your head to look out the window, watching the raindrops fall on the slightly fogged glass and the brush of the forest passing by in blurs of murky greens and browns.

Ambrose wasn't far, true to Lester's word. The town was small, only a few dozen houses and no major chain stores, much to Sadie's disappointment. Just little mom and pop type places. Lester towed your car to the nearby gas station outside the auto shop and you became suddenly aware of how empty the town felt. No one was outside but you didn't think it was because of the rain.

Your friends got out of the truck, eager to get away from the bones and the smell of rot, but you stayed in with Lester for a minute. "Where is everyone?"

"Hm?" Lester asked, looking innocently curious. "Whaddya mean?"

When he didn't say anything else, you just sighed. "Nevermind," you mumbled as you reached for the door.

"Wait." He said, his voice low. You turned to look at him and he seemed... guilty? He chewed nervously on his bottom lip before making a gesture to the glove box. "Open it."

So you did. Laying atop some piles of paper was a simple, silver pocketknife. "What the-?"

"In case." Lester said, pulling it out and handing it to you expectantly.

"In case of what?" You frowned as alarm bells began to ring in your head. "What do you mean?

Lester's eyes darted quickly over your shoulder before he looked back at you. You didn't get the chance to look over your shoulder when he reached up, cupping your face with one hand to keep your eyes on him. "I ain't- I ain't s'pposed to do this. Y'can't tell anyone."

"Tell anyone what?" Your fear must have been obvious at this point, seeing as Lester flinched.

"Look," he sighed, taking your hand and squeezing it in his own. "I can't- I wanna tell ya, believe me. But I ain't s'pposed to 'n it kills me." He looked genuinely sorry for whatever it was he was doing, which only scared you more. "But if ya take it, you'll be-"

A loud knock on the window made you scream, scooting away from the door with a look of terror, not even care that you practically slammed into Lester's chest as you threw yourself across the center console. Staring at you from the window was a man dressed in a mechanic jumpsuit with a baseball cap on. He opened the door without prompting and gave you a smile that made you feel greasy just looking at him. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." The stranger said with a warm tone. "'m name's Bo. I work at the autoshop here."

You introduced yourself cautiously, glancing out the windshield and noticing the way Sadie practically swooned over Bo while Robbie and Leon looked ready to punch the daylights out of this guy.

You didn't trust him. Not one bit.

"Pretty sure that's my brother you're sittin' on." Bo said with another acidic smile.

"Oh." You said, still pressed against Lester's side with no real interest in moving. The pocketknife was still clenched tightly in your fist and you still didn't feel safe.

Lester just laughed. "Aw, it ain't no problem Bo. We were chattin' 'bout their car actually. Might need ya to check it out, just in case."

Bo hazarded a glance at your car. "Yeah, alright, I'll take a look. Wanna come with me?" He asked, offering you his hand.

Everything in your body screamed at you to stay away from this guy.

"Actually Bo," Lester spoke up, your saving grace, "I was plannin' on chattin' 'bout taxidermy with 'em. If ya don't mind."

Bo did, in fact, seem to mind. His perfect facade seemed to flicker, an annoyed look passing his over his face as quick as it came. "Lester, ain't it a better idea for them to be here with their car?"

"I trust you!" You nearly yelled, grabbing your car keys and stuffing them into Bo's extended hand. "You seem like you know what you're doing! Any questions and you can ask Robbie, he's better with cars than me anyways."

You felt Lester relax when Bo just sighed loudly. "Alright, if you insist," He clutched the keys in his fist and the look he gave you made chills run down your spine. "Enjoy your date, lil' bro."

"Thanks man!" Lester said as Bo slammed the door shut, rattling the whole car. "You alright?" He asked softly once his older brother had stormed off in the direction of your friends.

You scooted back slightly to give him some space, sliding back into your actual seat. "I know he's your brother but... he's so..."

He laughed. "Aggressive? Yeah, he can be. Ain't his fault but it does make bringin' people here tricky." Lester said before gesturing out the window towards your friends, watching Sadie hang off Bo's every word. "Seems to work on your friends jus' fine."

"Not me." You hummed, watching the four of them go inside the auto shop. "I usually have a good read on people. And he's, uh, not good."

"Is that so?" Lester said softly. "Well, y'sure as hell got a good radar then. Figured him out real quick."

You gave Lester a glance, noting the somber look on his face. "What do you mean by it being safer to bring the knife?"

The man chewed on his bottom lip, seeming to mull his options over in his head. "I can't tell ya," He said slowly, "Because then I'd have to kill ya." When you laughed nervously, he just gave you a serious look. "'m serious. I ain't s'pposed to tell strangers what's goin' on."

Cold dread seemed to drench you instantly. "What?" You whispered in horror.

"I can tell ya if you promise not to do anythin' though." He soothed, taking your hand in his. He kept glancing over your shoulder as though expecting Bo to reappear at any moment. "If ya wanna know, you can't get involved."

"Just tell me!" You pleaded, the pocketknife still tight in your fist.

Lester sighed, letting go of your hand and staring out the window, letting the muffled sounds of rain pass through you two as though trying to literally clean the air. When he looked up at you, his eyes once again darting over your shoulder. He let out a soft gasp of surprise and fumbled to turn his car back on, letting it spur to life as you turned to look.

Robbie stumbled out of the auto shop, covered in blood and screaming. He was beelining for you, his screams drowned out by the car engine and the storm. You went to unlock the door but you watched the locks engage. Robbie yanked on the door handle frantically, screaming something about Bo having killed Leon.

But you didn't even have time to react as Lester threw the car in reverse and took off, leaving you horrified and confused. You rounded on him immediately. "We need to help!"

"I can't get involved!" Lester said, looking as panicky as you. "I- I ain't a fan of what they do either but I-" He stammered, torn between focusing on the road and trying to placate you.

"Did Bo kill Leon?!" You gasped in horror.

Lester gave you a helpless look. "I- Maybe? I- I dunno, he's killed a lotta people at this point." He squinted, trying to navigate the rain that began to streak across the windshield with how fast he was driving, obscuring a lot of the vision outside. "He 'n Vinny've been doin' this for ages now!"

"Doing- Doing what?!" You felt frantic, yanking on the car door with no real luck. What would you even do if it opened? Where could you go?

"Killin' people!" Lester said, slamming his hands on the steering wheel in frustration. "They've been killin' people and I don't get involved. 'n if you value your life, you shouldn't either."

He slammed hard on the breaks just before the front of the car slammed into a tree. The two of you let out a shared sigh and slumped over.

"'m sorry sweetpea." Lester said quietly, leaning against his steering wheel as exhaustion seemed to set in. "Was followin' y'all. 's how I found ya. Was gonna ship ya off to Bo 'n Vince but you were so..." He lifted his head to look at you with soft, glassy eyes. "'m so sorry."

You trembled, still breathing heavy. "Are you going to hurt me?"

"No." Lester's answer was immediate. "I ain't a killer. Not like my brothers are." He looked like he wanted to reach for you again, remorse clear on his face. "'m really sorry. Honest. I-"

"Are my friends going to die?" You asked, your voice warbling slightly. "Did- Did you just drive away from my dying friends?" He turned his head to look at you and gave you a slow nod. You let out a quiet gasp, scooting away from him until your back was up against the door. "Let me out! I need to go help them!"

Lester shook his head helplessly. "I can't. Bo's already seen ya 'n if you go after him, he'll kill ya too."

"Then why give me a knife?!"

"I just-" Lester sighed. "I just didn't want you to go down easy. Ain't no one ever escape my brothers. They're brutal 'n dedicated. I... I didn't want you to get hurt."

A lapse of silence passed between you two, the only sound coming from the rain. Lester buried his face back into his arms while you tried to come to terms with what you'd learnt. Lester's brothers abducted and killed people. And Lester had just served your friends up to Bo on a silver platter, but not you.

You had a knife, still clenched in your fist, and you could probably get the jump on Lester if you had to. You could steal his car and go rescue them or, at the very least, escape.

But you didn't want to hurt Lester...

"Why didn't you let me go with them?" You finally asked with a resigned sigh.

Lester looked up with tired, sad eyes. "Didn't want em to have ya. 'Cus you're a good, kind person 'n you trusted me. Felt like I was betraying ya. So I saw an openin' and I took it."

You nodded slowly. "So what now?"

"Well, ya got a few choices actually." Lester said as he straightened up. "You could go back. Try your luck against my brothers, try 'n save your friends. Or," He said with a shy glance your way, "You could come with me."

"Where would we go?"

Lester motioned out the windshield. "I got a lil' house in the woods nearby. We could hold down till the storm passes." Big brown eyes focused on you as he nervously wrung his hands. "I'd, uh, have to introduce you to my brothers in the morning. But I'd protect ya. Let 'em know you're with me now."

You felt your face heat up and you hated yourself for it. Your friends were being killed and the guy who led them to their deaths was making you blush like a schoolchild with a crush. You couldn't help it though. Lester was sweet, in the short time you'd met him. He didn't want to see you hurt and did what he could to protect you.

"With you?" You teased him with a wet chuckle. And your smile grew when you saw the way the tips of Lester's ears burned with how hard he blushed.

He gave you a shy nod. "Y-yeah. If you're with me, then- then they won't bother ya. Not killable anymore." You reached over and took his hands gently, uncaring of the dirt and roughness there. "You couldn't leave though."

A sigh left your lips. "I either stay or die?"

Lester looked close to tears when he nodded. "'m really sorry, sweetpea, I really am. Should'a never gone after ya." He freed one of his hands to cup your face gently, his touch soft despite the roughness of his hands and the guilt in his eyes.

You two sat there for awhile before you nodded, swallowing back a sob of your own. "Okay," You sighed, "Okay, I'll go with you."

He gave you a look of utter relief, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to your forehead. "I'll keep ya safe, sweetpea. I promise."

When you pulled him in for a hug, your face buried in his shoulder, you let your shoulders relax. And you let yourself believe him.

[icarusredwings]

Thinking about Wade is having a stay-in date night with Ness, and this means the kitchen light is traded for a colored one, candles, half burnt pasta, cheap wine, and Careless Whisper blasting throughout the appartment complex.

He starts off with some cringy dance while V is up on the counter, rolling her eyes and smiling, but she can't help but feel like there was something different about Wade. Yeah, she knew this dance. She knew the routine of his 'serenade' and his littlw two step slow dance he had going on, making backup sound effects for Mr. George Micheal and eventually grabs the pasta spoon, singing into it.

This is not new, but.. something was. She couldn't put her finger on it but she knew her boyfriend. She knew him well enough to become engaged to him, break up with him, and start dating again.

It was like he was glowing.

But why?

"Tonight the music seems so loud! I wish that we could lose this crowd-" His non existsnt eyebrows wiggle, and Vanessa can't help but to almost spit out her wine.

"Maybe it's better this way, We'd hurt each other with the things we want to say!" He shouts into the pasta sauce covered spoon, leaning into her a bit as she rolls her eyes again, looking up at the ceiling. She knew what Wade wanted. He wanted to "earn" her with his performance.

God.. he really is her peacock, wasn't he?

"We could have been so good together! We could have lived this dance forever!" Taking her arm, He pulls her waist closer to him, connecting their foreheads with those pretty heart eyes of his beaming into hers with such love struck gleam.

"But now who's gonna dance with me? Please staaaayy~" He sings loudly, letting her go enough for V to notice that Logan is now staring too, the same lop sided love struck small smile on his face.

"And I'm never gonna dance again- Guilty feet have got no rhythm!!" He says, dropping onto his knees and arching his back, using her hand to keep his balance.

"You didn't have any to begin with!"

She hears, looking up to see Logan smirking as Wade jumps to his feet. "ExcUSE me!? My bad, not everything is a waltz, old man! Like seriously, when's the last time you could do anything but a simple one two three? Lincoln's wedding!?" He calls over the counter and Logan grunts, his joints popping as he gets off the couch.

Wades eyes widden with dangerous excitment as he turns to her. "Oh now, im in for it!"

"Damn right. I can do more then Waltz, you know."

"Oh, yeah!? Like what? Square dance?!"

"Whats wrong with square dancing!?"

Then it clicked.

Him.

That's what was different about Wade.

Logan had changed him. Unconsiously, for the better. He was so... Happy. He was like a missing puzzle piece to complete Wades purpose of being, mirroring what Wade needed, even if that meant insulting his dancing skills mid date.

Grinning widely like a moron with a crush, he changes the song- Wade was serious. He would never dance with anyone else except V to that song ever again- Pushing next on their shuffle only for Madonna to come on.

Squealing, he waves his hands, shoving the pasta spoon back into the pot then took Logan's hands. "Can you swing?"

"S-swing?- Woah!! Hey!"

"You wanted to dance so were dancing!"

"I didn't say that!"

As she listens to them bicker, she laughs as she watches Logan awkwardly step on Wade's foot multiple times.

"Ouch!! Hey! I'm regenerative, not indestructible! You're like 400 pounds!!" He teases, and the blush on Logan's face is something she wants to take a picture of, watching as he tries to teach Wade how to 'properly dance', spinning him around, holding his wasit and dipping him at certian parts.

"Ahh!! Don't drop me!!"

"I'm not going to drop you, Stop screaming!"

"Ness!! He's gonna drop me!"

She giggles, giving Logan a playful finger wag. "Hey do you mind? He needs all the braincells he can keep!"

"Yeah! Cancer already ate half of them!"

"Oh, sssuurree, just the cancer, definitely not how many times youve made me shove my-"

"Lo-Lo!!! Not in front of Nessy!!" He whines, being spun again.

"Oh shut up, i'm not going to embarrass you infront of Vanessa-" he turned to her, whispering "I so am"

"I HEARD THAT!"

"What? It's not my fault your game is weak." Logan teases him, giving her a playful nod, putting his hand out for her to take "Ma'am."

She laughs, hearing Wade suddenly complain that he wasn't supposed to be stealing his date.

"Maybe she wants to dance with a real man-" Logan coes, gently taking V and spinning her too... Vanessa could see why Wade liked him.. he was quite strong. And a gentleman.

"My gender blindness has NOTHING to do with this!" Wade whined in a high-pitched tantrum like sound, grabbing her waist and pulling her into him instead.

Oh great. And now they were fighting over her.

Gosh... Maybe she has two Peacocks...

[captainsophiestark]

Batting Cages

Kol Mikaelson x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for Fictober 2024!

Fandom: The Vampire Diaries/The Originals

Day Twenty-Two Prompt: "Why are we doing this again?"

Summary: Kol and his spouse are in Denver, trying to find Jeremy Gilbert to help Klaus with his scheme. Unfortunately for Klaus, the couple are still head over heels for each other, and therefore easily distracted.

Word Count: 1,182

Category: Fluff, Humor

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

"Why are we doing this again?"

I wiggled the bat over my shoulder as I stared at my husband, Kol Mikaelson, from where he stood over the pitching machine in the batting cage. He tossed the baseball up in his hand, catching it again as he grinned at me.

"Because I need to make friends with Jeremy Gilbert, and he likes coming to the batting cages for fun after school."

I huffed, dropping the bat back to my side, held loosely in one hand. I made a show of looking left and then right at the other batting cages around us, then turned back to Kol.

"I don't see him."

"He'll be here. We just have to wait him out."

"Fine." I brought the bat back up to just over my shoulder. "Pitch it, then."

Kol smirked, then hurled the ball in my direction with a little more speed than I thought necessary. I swung through with the bat, keeping my eye on the ball and using some of my vampire strength, since that's apparently how Kol wanted to play.

The ball went rocketing back towards him in a straight line, so quick that he barely had time to duck out of the way. He popped back up a moment later, an indignant expression on his face.

"Hey!"

I just laughed and shot Kol a grin.

"You know, that's why they have the pitching machines," I said. "So you can avoid exactly what happened."

"Nah, that's not as fun," Kol said, waving me off before grabbing another baseball. "Come on, get the bat ready again."

I did. Kol and I had been together for centuries, so we'd developed a great rythm together. I'd found my soulmate, and even better, I'd been lucky enough to get eternity with him. So, when his brother sent him more than halfway across the country for some ridiculous and overdramatic mission, I'd come with him.

We found little ways to make the best of it. Like getting to the batting cages early to spend some time together.

"You know," I started, wiggling the bat over my shoulder again as Kol wound up another pitch, "if we had some blue tinted glasses, we could pretend we were in Twilight right now. Vampire baseball."

Kol shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"You are way too into that media for an actual vampire."

I just grinned at him, swinging the bat and knocking out another pitch he sent my way. This time, despite the temptation, I didn't send it straight at him.

After another few rotations, Kol and I switched places. I tossed a couple easier pitches his way, and Kol had fun hitting them out of the park, but I was starting to get bored. I tried to put a little spin on my next pitch, and for the first time all day, Kol missed it.

"Damn!"

I grinned. "Come on, babe. You've been playing baseball longer than anyone else alive. You can get that."

Kol narrowed his eyes at me, keeping the bat raised and ready. My grin widened and I wound up another pitch.

Wham! Like the last, it went flying past Kol and into the backstop. He growled in frustration and dropped the bat down to his side.

"Dammit! Alright, give me another one. We're not leaving here until I get this."

"Or... how about we make a bet?"

Kol raised an eyebrow at me, his posture relaxing.

"I'm intrigued, darling. What did you have in mind?"

"We take turns pitching and batting, say, thirty turns at each position. Whoever does the worst across both has to make the winner's favorite dinner tonight."

Kol grinned. "You're on."

"Perfect. Think fast."

Using vampire speed, I whipped the ball in my hand at Kol, ideally before he could react. Unfortunately for me, he also had vampire speed, and he sent the pitch flying right back at me an instant later.

"Nice try, darling. But you're going to have to do better than that."

Kol and I got lost in our competition, devolving quickly from any rules of sportsmanship. We tried to surprise each other with pitches, distract each other by shouting, and finally, distract each other by flirting. By the end of our combined sixty pitches, Kol was trying to speed across the batting cage faster than the ball he'd just thrown to pick me up so I couldn't hit the pitch.

I cackled as Kol literally swept me off my feet. Unfortunately for him, it was a moment after I'd connected with the baseball, sending it into the back fencing for the win. He put me down with a sigh, taking the bat out of my hands and spinning me around to face him.

"So... a tie, then."

"Nope! Nice try, Mikaelson, but I was keeping score, and you agreed with me. Hitting that last pitch gave me the win and we both know it."

Kol hummed, throwing the bat away from us and pulling me flush against his chest. He leaned down and kissed me, and I smiled into it, running my hands up and into his hair.

We were just starting to get carried away when a barely-intelligible voice crackled over the speakers of the batting cages.

"Attention everyone, the cages will be closing in ten minutes. In ten minutes."

Kol and I broke apart, just staring at each other for a moment. Then, we both burst out laughing.

"Damm," Kol said, shaking his head even as his smile stayed put. "We either completely missed Jeremy, or he didn't come today."

I shrugged. "Eh, I still feel good about how we spent the day. The mission can start tomorrow."

"I guess it's going to have to, now. Good thing Nik's not here to find out."

"Pft. Let him try to come at us. We've got a bunch of metal bats, we're untouchable."

Kol laughed, wrapping his arms around my shoulders as we headed out of the batting cages together. A few other people were headed out, too, but none of them were Jeremy Gilbert. Oh well.

"You know, darling... I think I might come by myself tomorrow. I don't think I'll ever be able to focus on Nik's schemes or the Gilbert kid when I can focus on you instead."

I beamed, leaning into Kol a little bit as we walked down the street together.

"That's fine with me. There's plenty of other things I want to check out while we're stuck in Denver. Although, when we meet back up tomorrow night, you should be warned that I'll probably have quite a few stacks of new books with me."

Kol laughed. "I'd be worried if you spent time in a new city and did anything else!"

"Aw, babe. You really get me."

Kol laughed, and after a moment, I joined him. We strolled down the street together, the same way we'd been spending our evenings for hundreds of years, and I couldn't keep a bright smile off my face. We might've been here to help Klaus with some ridiculous scheme or other, but no matter where we went or why, all Kol and I really needed was to be together.

*****************

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury @kmc1989 @space-helen @misshale21

The Vampire Diaries/The Originals Taglist: @elenavampire21

[yourstingrey]

Luke X Daughter of Kymopoleia

Reader has constant mood swings which is understandable due to her heritage of being the daughter of the goddess of violent sea storms and sweet BF Luke always helps her out/calms her down and doesn’t let her feel bad about herself because of it since she can’t help it ( also please can you mention Clarisse as like a side character and readers bestfriend )

Calm After the Storm

A/N: EEEEE I was actually kinda so hype for this request cus ive never seen anything similar and its actually a cool like character I hadnt thought about in the pjo universe! I hope this is good anon i tried my very best!! This post was really helped me with kymopoleia so it might be helpful to read before this but you dont have to!

Warnings: threats of fighting someone?

Description: An annoying loss, an annoying Chris, and a very patient Luke!

The sun was shining, and a warm dancing breeze fluttering around camp on what should have been a beautiful day was being ruined by Chris droning on about being a sore winner. Gloatingly of course. We just had our capture the flag the night before and as usual, we lost. We would have been so close to winning this time Clarisse and I had it all planned. Last time we learned last time trying a seduction tactic did in fact not work so this time we decided we would target their weak which to us was Chris. Not to say he was a bad swordsman by any means but up against me and her we knew he wouldn't stand a chance. A perk of dating Luke was also he forgot that he shouldn't spill his capture the flag plans. Soooo we also knew for a fact it was Chris guarding the flag. 

We snuck through the woods with ease no one tried to hunt us down they knew we'd get to them first, Chris was practically sleeping while he sat in front of the flag entirely spaced out we moved from behind and started to grab the flag of course a single shift of my chest plate was enough to break him out of his daze and turn towards us and of course start to scream to his team like a little girl. We got caught pretty quickly. We may be strong but not take on 20 campers strong and it wasn't long after we heard the cheers of the Blue team already at the river.

So now of course, as I tried to relax Chris decided it was the perfect time to gloat at me “I mean what a stupid plan no offense” I drowned him out a little too busy clenching my jaw so I didn't practically spit venom at him, Chris continued now laughing as he continued “-I mean really I can't believe you thought I couldn't take you both on bahahaha!” A real knee slapper to him. I finally unballed my fists from my sides to get into Chris’s face, backing him into a tree my voice laced with annoyed anger “We could take you on idiot! You just had to scream for your team to save you!” Chris stuttered before coming up with a weak rebuttal putting his hands up in defeat “UH- that's not even true i just had to get them so they would watch you after the fight but they got there fast pfft I could have easily taken you” I grab a hold of Chris’s shirt “Oh really let's do it now then. No crying for anyone else this time.” 

In the background, a crowd had not formed but anyone working or sitting close by paused to watch not swarming in case Chiron were to notice and break up hopefully a really funny fight (funny as all campers knew the outcome) Even Clarrise sitting back with her siblings let out a little yell of “Get his ass Y/N!” But One of those campers mainly Luke, who quickly made his way over forgetting he was supposed to help campers make friendship bracelets he had to make sure his girlfriend was okay bracelets could wait, and that she didn't shred his best friend into pieces. Jogging over he quietly grabbed his girlfriend's hand that was gripping onto Chris. I let out a quiet breath before meeting his eyes, in an instant looking into his soft gaze I dropped my hand not before I quickly gave him one last dirty look and stepped back “C’mon let’s go” Luke said as he grabbed my hand leading me away.

He leads us to sit in front of the creek as I sit I absent mindedly throw rocks at the water watching it ripple and splash. Turning back to face Luke he already gives me a knowing look to tell him why I wanted to maim him. I took a deep breath before I word vomited it out “I mean ugh! I know he's your best friend and all but sometimes he's such a dick! Saying ‘I could take you guys’ But he literally starts screaming out ‘Luke come save me she's here!’ or or ‘Guys come back Clarisse is gonna eat me!’ as if he wouldn't even enjoy that too ugh! He's just so- so ANNOYING!” Luke's hand grabbed mine again to stop me from getting heated again, his eyes flickering back to the creek to see me subconsciously making a creek look like a raging ocean. He threw his back laughing at my rant about Chris, as he calmed down he just looked down at me rubbing slow circles onto the back of my hand. 

His hands were rough and calloused but it didn't matter because when he held onto me I could feel warmth practically spread from my fingertips to my head and toes. “I'll make sure to lock him out of the cabin, he can sleep out in the cold. How bout that hmm?” He joked, craning his neck to look at me. I cracked a small smile “Maybe I'll pray for my mom to storm a bit too…” His hand let go but just to sneak behind my waist and pull me closer leaning my head on his chest “I'm sorry I got mad at Chris I know he is your friend..” I mumbled out against him I could feel him shrug against me before looking back down at me “Nah don't be sorry honestly I should have let you at him he deserved it butttt I wouldn't want my girlfriend to have to be cleaning stables all of next week” 

He pressed a kiss to the top of my head and started to start up about what he was doing before he had to save Chris. “Wait doesn't that mean you should be helping those kids now..?” A bit of panic dawned on his face as he tugged us both up and pulled me with him as he walked (more like speed walked) “Actually uh were both going to help now!” I laughed as he tugged me along with him..

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

The Right Place in Time

Summary: What if Steve was in the woods with Chrissy and Eddie to buy weed for his headache?

Chapter one

Steve’s in the woods, watching Eddie and Chrissy flirt at the picnic table. He flirted enough, even when he flirted badly, to know those two people were flirting. Chrissy and Eddie? They were definitely flirting. No one hides behind their hair like that and not absolutely be smitten with the other person. Who could blame him, though? Chrissy Cunningham was extremely cute and so sweet. They ran in the same crowd a while back, and before she started dating Jason Carver, they used to talk about their parents whenever they found themselves alone. If she hadn't started dating Jason, he would have asked her out.

Steve’s head was killing him, and he really needed weed, but somehow, he still managed to find Eddie turning himself into an idiot to make Chrissy smile very endearing. He winced and smiled, trying not to come off so agitated, but he didn't think it was working. He sighed loudly.

"Something up your butt there, Harrington?" Eddie asked.

"Just waiting for you guys to get done flirting," Steve scoffed.

"Aw, you feeling left out? Chrissy, I think he's feeling left out," Eddie said.

"He's definitely feeling left out," Chrissy giggled.

"You know, I could flirt with you too, if you need me to," Eddie said coyly.

"Keep it in your pants, Munson," Steve blushed. "I'm only here for weed."

"Well, if you ever want anything else, like what it's in my pants, then I charge extra," Eddie said and leaned toward Chrissy. "For you, Chrissy, you still rob me blind."

"Hm, gonna have to keep that in mind," Chrissy grinned.

Chrissy soon parted ways with them, letting Steve get to his own drug deal. She blew them both kisses before bouncing off into the woods. Steve plopped down in her seat. Much to his surprise, Eddie had given him the same deal that he had given Chrissy. Not long after that, they started to leave the woods together. A fallen tree was laying in their path, and without thinking, Steve held out his hand to help Eddie over. Eddie gladly took his hand and hopped over the tree.

"Very gentlemanly of you, Harrington," Eddie said with a grin and held out his hand.

Steve grinned, took his hand, and leaped over the tree. Suddenly, a green and white blur jumped out at them, hollering. Steve and Eddie both screamed, holding onto each other's hands tightly.

"CHRISSY?!"

"JESUS H CHRIST!"

"Oh, your faces!" Chrissy laughed.

"Why?!" Eddie asked.

"You said that I wasn't mean and scary," Chrissy said and growled at him.

"Yeah, okay, very mean and scary," Eddie said, laughing. "Also, very adorable."

"Aww. Are you guys holding hands?" Chrissy asked. "That's a good idea."

She took Eddie's lunch pail and replaced it with her hand, so three of them were holding hands as they walked through the woods. She giggled as Eddie started swinging both hands wildly.

"So, Chrissy, you still dating Carver?" Steve asked.

"I, uh, actually broke with him before lunch," Chrissy said.

"So, should I say sorry or offer my congratulations?" Eddie grinned.

"Definitely congratulations, I hated that guy," Chrissy said. "He was so - so - "

"Full of himself? Yeah, I'm surprised he never made out with his own reflection," Steve snorted.

"He actually did that once when he was really drunk," Chrissy frowned.

"So, Harrington, how much time do you spend on your own hair?" Eddie asked teasingly.

"That's different. My Grandpa Otis used to love working with hair, and he would get up early to fix his. Sometimes, I would get up with him to watch, and he'd look so happy doing it that I decided I wanted to join. Every morning, we'd get up, put on some music, and we would do our hair together. We did that until. . .until he died. I haven't stopped doing it because when I do, it feels like he's still there with me," Steve shrugged.

"Aww, Steve," Chrissy said softly.

"Well. Now I feel bad," Eddie said.

"Don't be," Steve shrugged.

"You know, I grow out my hair because I look more like my mom when I do," Eddie said, sharing a smile with Steve.

Steve and Eddie gazed at each other, their cheeks pink. Chrissy leaned against Eddie's shoulder.

"You guys are so sweet," Chrissy said softly.

There was a comfortable silence as they walked through the woods together. Once they made it to the treeline, they dropped their hands. Chrissy gave Eddie back his lunch pail.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow, but alas, we must," Eddie said.

"We should all hang out, you know, soon," Chrissy said eagerly.

"Chrissy Cunningham, are you asking us both out on a date?" Eddie asked in amusement.

"You know what? Fuck it. Yes, I am," Chrissy said.

"Well, hell, I'm in," Eddie said. "What about you, big boy?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm in," Steve said with a smile.

"Great," Chrissy said with an excited grin. "I'll see you guys later to talk about the details."

She skipped away and nearly tripped over a root. They watched in amusement as she cursed at it and walked off in a huff.

"You better step up your hair game for our big date, big boy," Eddie said.

"Well, I wouldn't want to disappoint Chrissy," Steve said, and Eddie laughed.

Steve walked away from Eddie with a smile and a spring in his step. His headache was still there, but it seemed like it hurt less. He never thought about dating two people at the same time before, but as long as everyone involved was okay with it, why couldn't it be done? As he thought about Eddie and Chrissy's smiling faces, Steve believed that it really could be done. As he arrived at his car, he spotted Dustin and Mike running around like they were chickens with their heads cut off.

"What the fuck?" Steve squinted.

He approached Dustin, Mike having run off before he could catch him.

"Steve! I tried calling you at work, but you didn't answer!" Dustin exclaimed. "Wait, what are you doing here?"

"I left early. I came here to pick up something for my headache," Steve said. "What are you doing?"

"Did you buy drugs from Eddie?" Dustin whispered.

"Yes," Steve whispered back. "By the way, you were right. We totally did get along."

"Awesome! So, does that mean that you will play with us tonight?" Dustin asked.

"You mean D&D?" Steve asked.

"Yeah?!" Dustin asked, excited.

"No, because I'm going to Lucas's game tonight," he told him. "Why aren't you?"

"Eddie's been working hard on this campaign. He's not going to post pone it because Lucas decided to join the dark side," Dustin scoffed.

"Is that what Eddie said?" Steve asked furiously. "Just when I was starting to like the guy."

"Are you mad?" Dustin asked wide eyes.

"I'm mad at Eddie. I'm disappointed in you," he sighed. "My headache is getting worse, so I'm going to leave now."

Steve turned and walked away, shaking his head. His stomach churned with anger. The dark side? Seriously? Does Eddie not know what he's doing by putting a wedge between them? Lucas shouldn't have to choose. Steve cursed. It looked like he was going to have to break the date with Chrissy.

Chapter two

[shanastoryteller]

Happy Valentine's Day, Shana! 💕🎉

Something FMA, please! Either a continuation of Colonel Elric or Sacrifice is Free

a continuation of 1 2 3

Hughes had intended to get several meetings out of the way in the morning before the day got too hectic, but he hears about the commotion Elric's team caused just trying to get into the building and rapidly rearranges his plans.

"Is everything alright with Roy?" Gracia asks as soon as he gets off the phone.

He blinks. "Yes. At least I think so. Why?"

"That's your managing Roy face," she says, smoothing his jacket across his shoulders.

He grimaces. "It's also my managing Edward face. You'll be seeing it a lot more."

She laughs, but he's serious.

~

As always, he hears them before he sees them.

"How the fuck is this considered well packaged?" Russel shouts, grumpy as usual. "I told you we should have shipped our own equipment."

"You know we had to give them the chance to snoop," Al says at a more reasonable volume. "They would have thrown a fit if we'd insisted on doing it ourselves."

"Well, Russel is throwing a fit now, so I'm not sure what the difference is," Kayal points out.

Maes snorts.

"Russel, put down the protractor," Fletcher begs.

"If I'm not complaining about them putting their grubby hands all over my automail, I don't want to hear anything from the rest of you," Winry snaps.

There's a beat of silence.

"You did complain about them putting their grubby hands all over your automail," Ed says.

"Shut up, Ed." Maes nudges the door open to peek inside. Winry is gesturing a wrench threateningly, which is par for the course. She's signed off on a variety of firearms, but somehow it's the hardware that seems to cause the most injuries. "You and Al took all your notes. You're not suffering like the rest of us."

"Hey, Al and I spent weeks making those decoys! That was a lot of suffering," Ed protests, his jacket tossed aside and his sleeves pushed to his elbows as he works on assembling Kayal's furnace.

Winry's eyes narrow. Sciezka pipes up from where she's buried under aforementioned notes, "Everything would be back in order faster if you all stopped bickering and focused. Also Hughes is here."

Every pair of eyes is suddenly focused on him. It's not the first time he's found himself under their scrutiny, but it's unnerving every time.

"I was wondering when you'd swing by," Ed grins. "I thought we could at least make it to lunch without setting off the rumor mill."

"Ed," he sighs, fond in spite himself. "How long until you're office is back up to standards?"

He looks at everyone else. Al looks up from the chemical compounds he's sorting and says , "Everything will be up in running by the end of the day, and organized by," he glances to Sciezka.

"The end of the week," she says, "assuming I get some more filing cabinets."

"Know where we can get some spare filing cabinets?" Ed grins.

Maes sighs. "Can I borrow your commanding officer for a bit?"

"Take him," Kayal shrugs as Russel says, "You'd be doing us a favor," and Winry adds, "Please."

Ed rolls his eyes. Al smirks and says, "We've got it. I'll find you if something goes wrong."

"If something goes wrong I'll just follow the smoke and screaming," Ed says. Maes wishes he was joking. "All right, all right, I'm gone. Don't have too much fun without me."

Fletcher waves goodbye. No one else does.

"I get no respect," Ed complains as they walk down the hall.

"You wouldn't know what to do with it if you did," Maes points out. People treating Ed appropriately for his rank gives him hives.

"True," he admits easily. "Now tell me all the good gossip. We almost never bothered to come to Central."

[a-small-batch-of-dragons]

Breaking Ground

Read on Ao3

Warnings: panic attacks (sort of), major character death (but it's ethan and we all know this man is atrocious at staying dead)

Pairings: past mia/ethan, implied chris/ethan (and maybe chreon or lethan)

Word Count: 5830

"Rose, this is Leon. He's gonna be helping train you." Rosemary Winters meets Leon S. Kennedy. Chris Redfield remembers Ethan's final moments. Something in Romania breathes.

"Rose?"

"I'm coming." She falls into step behind Chris as he walks through to the training rooms. She eyes the 'subtle' guards filing toward the upper levels and barely resists the urge to roll her eyes.

"Remember how I said they want you training with people who aren't me and the rest of the squad?"

"It's not gonna be another asshole whose nose I have to break, is it?"

Instead of scolding her or even glancing over his shoulder, Chris…huffs a laugh? "I don't think so, but I doubt he'd hold it against you."

Curiosity piqued, she glances over his shoulder to see the man standing in the middle of the floor. He's got longer hair—not that it's hard to have hair longer than Chris, if she's being honest, but this guy has like, old boy band hair—and he's in the middle of checking something on a nearby table. He looks up when they walk in and his gaze slides too neatly to Rose before it's back up on Chris. Something almost like recognition pings in her head and she nearly frowns before catching herself.

"Rose, this is Leon. He's gonna be helping train you."

Most people don't want to shake the hand of a mold bioweapon, so she thinks she can be forgiven for the blink of surprise when Leon actually holds his hand out for her to shake. She can hear the way the agents on the upper levels reach for their guns when she reaches back so she keeps the handshake as brief as possible while still being considered 'polite,' whatever that means.

"Chris tells me you've been doing well with your basic weapons training," he says, "but I figured we'd warm up with hand to hand, does that sound fine?"

She nods. She shrugs off her dad's coat and puts in on the bench next to her water bottle. There's another ping in her head as she looks at the water bottle, but she pushes it away.

Chris takes a seat across the room as she and Leon stand about six feet away from each other. He's not as broad as Chris—again, not hard—but she has a feeling that's not gonna matter much in the next ten seconds.

"Ready?"

"Yea—"

Sure enough, she doesn't even get to finish her sentence—her one word— before he's moving.

She was right: Leon isn't necessarily as strong as Chris is, but he's fucking fast. She swears sometimes he teleports from one side to the other and she's only barely dodging half of his swings. She surprises herself with how long she manages to go without being hit, though. He clips her shoulder as she turns to avoid something else and it takes her more than a few seconds to kick herself into moving faster, please.

It is as annoying as it is with Chris when he's got her down on the mats and she's panting and he's not even out of breath, but she's more practiced at swallowing that one.

"Good," he says, and she can't help scowl slightly, which makes him laugh of all things. "C'mon, try again."

It's not at all like training with Chris—which again, she knows is the point. Chris is all 'do this thing over and over and if you make a mistake, correct it and try again until you get it right.' With Leon, it's more 'here's what fucked up this time, let's go again and it won't come up until three rounds later, did you pay attention?' Which isn't necessarily how Rose likes to learn, but she can't deny it's not working. He's trying to get her to trust her body more, which—good luck, Rose is a teenage girl with a shipyard's worth of trauma and insecurity. But at least she's not hitting the mat as often.

There's something else here too, though. Something that's making her do a little better than she should be. The pings in her head don't stop coming. She's able to tell which punch he's about to throw even when he's feinting. She starts being able to anticipate when he's going to do the freaky switch-sides thing even when she still can't see it. At one point, she parries one of his blows in a way she's never learned from Chris or anybody else and Leon's face twitches in surprise but only for a second.

Then, just when he pins one of her arms out of the way, her hand comes up without warning to strike his face and she—

Rose throws herself out of his grip, landing hard on her back.

Her arm tingles. Something in her gut tugs. She closes her eyes tightly and forces it back down.

When she opens her eyes again, Leon's crouched a little ways away, watching her with a frown. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Chris standing up. She can't hear any of the guns cocking, which means she managed to stop herself before she could actually do anything.

Small victories.

"Rose?" Leon's voice brings her back. "What happened?"

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize," he says, and wow, he doesn't…he doesn't even sound mad. Who is this guy? "What's going on?"

"Powers," she grunts, sitting up and checking that she's still got the ring hidden under her shirt, "stopped them. It's fine."

His disbelief is palpable—but so is Chris's, and she couldn't really care less about it right now as long as guns aren't pointing at her—but he doesn't say anything else. He gets up and walks over to her, slowing when she tenses. His frown deepens and he slows, but he keeps coming until he's offering her a hand up. She eyes it warily.

"C'mon," he says, quieter this time, "it's okay."

When no sounds come as she reaches for his hand, she lets him help her up. They walk over to the bench and he tosses her the water bottle. To her relief, the taste of the water doesn't make her want to retch, but there's still something nudging at her like she should remember something. It has her frowning down at her water bottle until Leon bumps her shoulder.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

He doesn't need to say he doesn't believe her out loud, but he takes her word for it and they go back to the mats. The thing keeps getting louder and louder, though, and as much as she's grown to trust these sorts of things, she's not sure why this one is here right now and that's worrying enough on its own.

They keep sparring. She's pretty sure Leon's letting her win when she does, but it's not as obvious as when Chris lets her win so she'll take it. Every time they fight, the thing gets a little clearer, like an image moving through water. She starts to actually know what he's doing, moving before he moves, not enough to make a huge difference, but enough of one where she notices where he actually starts to try.

It unsettles her as much as it thrills her.

But then it happens again: she ducks down low to shove him back and the tug in her gut manifests before she can stop it. Her pause gives him enough time to kick her in the chest and send her sprawling.

"Why'd you stop?" He actually sounds a little out of breath now.

She doesn't respond.

"Rose?"

She stares up at the ceiling.

"Rose? Are you okay?"

"Rose?" That's Chris now too. She can hear him standing up. "Rose?"

"What happened?"

***

"What happened?"

Ethan looks up. There's another man standing in front of him, holding out his water bottle. He takes it with a weak thank-you and takes a swig. He knows what this has to look like, him crying on the floor in a dark and empty room, but he can't really summon anything up right now.

"Hey, let's get you to a bench, c'mon."

"Thank you," he rasps out as the man dips under one of his arms, "sorry."

"Don't be sorry, we've all been there."

"What, crying on the mats by yourself?"

The man chuckles. "On the mats, in the shower, on the bathroom floor. You name it, it's probably happened."

He sags into the bench, cradling his water bottle. His ring clinks against the metal and the sound echoes around and around his empty chest. The noise is almost enough to make him start crying again.

"What's going on," the man next to him asks again, quieter this time, "you okay?"

'Okay.' God, he's never going to be okay for the rest of his life, is he? He sighs, letting his head hang for a moment, before summoning up just enough of his courage to answer. "Just having a bad day, I think. Thank you for helping me. Sorry to be an inconvenience—do you need this room?"

The man shakes his head. "Came looking for Redfield, someone said he was in here."

Ah. Right. Of course. Ethan's shoulders sag again and he jerks his chin toward the door. "Just missed him, sorry."

But the man doesn't get up. Instead, he bumps his leg against Ethan's to remind him that he's holding his water bottle and yeah, probably lost too many fluids. He takes another swig.

"I'm Ethan," he says, probably unnecessarily, because everyone he's spoken to since getting here knows who he is, "Ethan Winters."

"Leon."

"Nice to meet you, Leon." He takes another drink. "As nice as it is of you to sit with me, I'm sure you've got better things to do than watch me mope."

"What, like go track down Redfield?" Ethan shrugs. "Nah. He can wait. I've missed my moping time enough recently."

"Misery loves company."

They sit there in the quiet for a while. Chris's words clatter around his head, as piercing as the sound of his ring. It's a familiar sting by now, at least it should be. Seems all he's been doing lately is laboring under misconceptions.

"What'd he do?"

"Hm?"

"Redfield." Leon nods his head toward the doors. "What'd he do?"

Ethan feels the tips of his ears start to burn and looks back down at the floor. "Punched me in the face."

Leon's quiet next to him, the kind of quiet he's gotten very used to lately where they're expecting him to say something else. But he's also gotten very good at keeping his fucking mouth shut. Sure enough, a few more seconds pass and Leon sighs, shifting to mirror Ethan's posture. "Yeah, that sounds like him."

"Is he always like this?"

"Like what, a huge prick?"

"Mm."

"He has his moments."

Because the Chris Ethan thought he knew isn't real. The one who's tough on him, sure, but he's also kind enough to help him up and keep a hand on his shoulder when he doesn't strictly need it. The one who laughs and jokes with him when they're setting up. The one who could actually be his friend, but that Chris isn't real. That Chris was—what, a trick? A ploy? A facade? Or maybe Ethan's as dumb as he's always been, since he thought his wife worked as a babysitter when she really worked for a bioterrorist organization.

Mia…he hasn't seen Mia in a few days. She told him she was just going to get another round of tests but he's not sure he believes her anymore.

What kind of person is he becoming, where he can't even trust his wife?

"Punch him back next time," Leon says, breaking him out of his spiral, "he probably deserves it."

A harsh laugh leaves him. "I'd love to, but apparently I can't do that."

"Why, 'cause he's your CO?"

"My what?"

"Commanding officer."

The words twist and land and something tugs in his gut. "Yeah, something like that."

"If you do it while you're sparring, he can't hold it against you." Ethan doesn't say anything else for a moment. Leon nudges him again. "Something else?"

"I'm not good enough."

The room goes quiet for a few long moments. Ethan expects Leon to mutter some excuse and get up, leaving him alone with his thoughts again, when instead the man stands in front of him and holds out a hand.

"What?"

"I said I'll teach you."

"I'm—"

"I can't be the only one around here willing to break Redfield's nose if he's being an asshole," Leon says with a smirk, "c'mon, Winters."

What the hell. He takes Leon's hand and lets him pull him up.

***

"You taught my dad."

Above her, Leon and Chris stutter to a halt. She sees them exchange a look as she sits up.

"I did," Leon says quietly, holding his hand out to her again. She takes it. "He was…a good man."

"You taught him out to break Chris's nose."

Chris splutters as Leon tips his head back and laughs. "That's right, I did."

"Why specifically my nose?"

"Because you deserve it, Redfield." It's said in a joking way but it quickly saps any remaining humor out of the room. Leon shifts, crossing his arms. "Is that why you stopped?"

The memory, now that it's clicked into her brain, makes more sense now. Dad was using his powers before he knew he had them—she can recognize the tug. But Dad's powers manifest differently than hers do, so it wasn't like they'd be obvious to someone who didn't know about them, including himself.

"Rose?"

"His were different than mine."

Leon frowns. "What?"

"Ethan's were different. When he used his, it wasn't—it's not like mine." Leon still looks confused. She looks at Chris, who looks the tiniest bit sheepish. "Did you not tell him?"

"Tell me what?" Leon turns to Chris, his voice sharpening. "Tell me what?"

"I did tell him," Chris says in an effort to placate them both, "I told him about Ethan's powers and yours—at least what we know about them."

What I've told you, she amends in her head. There are still things about that trip into the Megamycete that she's not going to tell Chris anytime soon.

"Figured it was standard protocol," she says instead, "for anyone who has to be in the room with the bioweapon."

Chris makes a low noise like she's hit him and Leon shifts.

"What?"

"You're not just some bioweapon, Rose," Chris says, quieter this time, "you know that."

She stares at him. Then she shoves Leon in the chest, hard enough to make him stagger backwards.

A gun on the upper level cocks right away.

Leon—who barely took more than a few steps backwards and isn't even hurt—hears it immediately, his head whipping around to stare in the direction of the sound. She can't see his face but his shoulders get really tense. Next to her, Chris takes a long breath and places a hand firmly on her shoulder. After a moment, they hear the sound of the gun being lowered and the agent stepping back into place. Leon turns around slowly and glares at Chris.

"That better not be for my benefit."

"Leon—"

"They're here all the time," Rose interrupts, "even when it's just him."

Leon doesn't stop glaring at Chris.

"It's gotten better. They used to be down here with us. Now at least they're up there."

"It's the best I could do," Chris says quietly, his hand still firm on Rose's shoulder, "and the rounds aren't live."

Rose turns to look at him. "They're not?"

She feels more than sees Leon getting more upset and something flickers across Chris's face before he's shaking his head. "They're not live rounds, Rose. I promise."

"Jesus fucking Christ," Leon mutters, stalking back toward them, giving Chris the we're going to fight about this later look, before visibly trying to soften toward Rose—which she doesn't really get, but she'll take it. "You're stopping yourself because you don't want to use your powers on me, right?"

"Yeah."

"Can you recognize when they're about to come out?" She nods. "What's making them come out right now?"

She hesitates. Telling Leon about her Dad's powers is one thing, but telling him about the whole Dad-still-kind-of-being-with-her-accessing-his-memory thing is another. "It feels like it's acting instead of me, not because of me."

He gives her a look like he knows she's not giving him the actual answer, but to her surprise, he lets it go. "Being able to recognize it is good. The next step's gonna be not letting it make you give up in a fight."

"Okay."

"You ready?" he asks as Chris goes back across the room.

She doesn't answer, she just goes for it. She catches a glimpse of Leon grinning before they're back in the fight.

***

"What," Leon growls as soon as his office door closes behind them, "the absolute fuck, Chris?"

Chris sighs, letting his shoulders drop and collapsing into his chair. Leon starts pacing up and down in front of the desk. He can't bring himself to look up.

" Twelve armed agents? With guns she didn't know weren't live? Every fucking time?" He grabs onto another chair and Chris half expects him to throw it. "No fucking wonder she thinks she's nothing more than a bioweapon, what the fuck were you thinking?"

"BSAA's using bioweapons now."

Leon stops. "What?"

Chris swallows with difficulty. "Back in Romania. BSAA was there. The soldiers they sent in—they weren't people, Leon. They sent in bioweapons."

A pause. "Does Jill—"

"I don't know," he grits out, "I don't know. All I know is that BSAA isn't what we made it to be, not anymore. Something's going on over there and I won't let them get Rose. Not after what I've seen. Not now that I know what they're capable of."

Another pause. When he risks a glance up, Leon's get his head bowed, still breathing heavily. After a long moment, he sighs and slumps into the chair, pinching the bridge of his nose. "She's just a kid, Chris."

"I know."

"You don't point twelve guns at a kid."

"If I can't walk the thin line BSAA has about Rose staying here, with us, then they take her and do God knows what with her. Believe me, I fought like hell to get them out of there. I barely got them to agree to move up and stop using actual bullets." He rubs his temples. "I'm doing the best that I can."

The thing is, he's pretty sure Leon knows that. He's just as pissed as Chris is that they can't do anything better. Still, he should've known that seeing Rose in a place like that would be…uniquely aggravating.

"She's a good kid," Leon says eventually, his voice more than a little hoarse, "she's a damn good kid."

"Yeah, she is."

"She doing field work yet?" He shakes his head. "Is that because you don't think she's ready for it, or 'cause you don't want them knowing she's mission ready?"

He lets a rueful smile come to his face. "Bit of both."

"She asked yet?"

"No."

"Huh."

"I'm surprised too." He sits back. "Thought she'd be raring to get out and do something, but…she's not telling me something."

Leon snorts. "She's a teenager, Chris, there's probably a lot she's not telling you."

"It's related to this." He slides his gaze over to him. "She almost told you what it was this morning."

"Jealous, Redfield?"

Is he jealous of the fact that Rose has known Leon all of a few hours and almost told him something Chris has known she's been hiding for a few months now? Yeah, probably. But he's been around the block with the whole how-fast-you-trust-Leon-S-Kennedy thing more times than he can count.

"She'll tell you," Leon says, softer now, "when she's ready."

He wishes he could believe that with the confidence that Leon seems to have about it, but he's pretty sure he's burned most of his bridges with the Winters family when it comes to them not keeping secrets from him.

***

Something's wrong.

Ethan can't put his finger on it, but there's a tug in his gut that he's learned to trust since that night in Louisiana, and right now, it's screaming that something is wrong.

It started that morning. He woke up next to Mia—at least he thought he did, until he rolled over and felt the cold, empty space of the bed next to him. The cold shocked him the rest of the way awake, for a moment falling back into those three years where he thought Mia was dead. He bolted upright, looking around, only to see Mia standing in the door.

"Ethan? What's wrong?"

"You were gone," he managed, "you…you weren't here."

She smiled, came across the room to kiss him. "I'm right here. I just went to the bathroom."

The kiss felt wrong. He couldn't remember the last time they'd kissed. Was that wrong in and of itself? Between the fights and the late nights taking care of Rose, they hadn't…when was the last time they'd kissed?

"I think you're still waking up," Mia laughed, "meet me downstairs, okay? I'll make breakfast."

"What about Rose?"

"Oh, I took care of her already."

That was also weird. He'd never accuse Mia of being anything but a caring mother, but she'd been hesitant to do any more than the simplest of tasks when Rose needed something. Not that Ethan begrudged the chance to take care of his daughter, but still. Mia, willingly taking care of Rose without even waking him up?

It carried on throughout the day. Never something big enough to make him outright suspicious, but…little things here and there. Things she'd say, things she'd do, even the fact that she was more openly affectionate toward Rose. Ethan's gut kept telling him that something wasn't right, but he'd been accused of being paranoid by more than one doctor, so he didn't say anything.

Then Mia read that creepy story.

Ethan doesn't give a shit if it's a local tale. He doesn't give a shit if the woman in the store recommended it. He doesn't give a shit if Mia thinks it's a good idea to get Rose used to the local culture when she still can't understand more than a handful of words. That story is fucked up, creepy as all hell, and something that Mia would not have just decided to read to their infant daughter with the amount of fondness and affection that she did.

What made it worse was that Rose didn't fucking move for all of it. Rose is normally a little bundle of fidgety energy, always trying to grab onto his jacket or his fingers or his hair. But the whole time Mia was holding her, reading that story, she didn't move at all.

He tries to be cool about it. He tries not to visibly relax when Mia places Rose in his arms when all he wants to do is run upstairs and barricade himself in Rose's room, wrap her up in her blanket with her little stuffed monkey and hold her until the world makes sense again. But instead, he swallows and starts walking slowly upstairs, shushing his baby girl when she starts to cry.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, Rosie. Daddy won't let those monsters get you." He lifts her up and kisses her pudgy little cheek. "I'll protect you, I promise."

Rose settles, not opening her eyes, but batting his chin with her little hand. He smiles, kissing her fingertips as he walks into her room. He turns on her mobile and the soft music fills the room. Glancing behind him, he closes the door as quietly as he can and takes out his phone.

He opens his texts to Chris and sends one off.

>Me: I think something's wrong with Mia.

He waits. Normally Chris texts him back right away unless he's out on patrol, but this time, there's nothing. Not even one of the automated responses.

>Me: Chris, I don't know what's going on, but I think something's wrong. Please text me back.

Still nothing. His grip accidentally tightens on Rose and she mumbles in protest. He whispers an apology and holds her tight to his chest. Having his daughter tucked safely against him does some good to calm his racing heart, but not enough.

>Me: I just want my family to be safe.

"Ethan? Everything okay?"

He almost drops his phone and bites back a curse. "Yeah, just putting Rose down."

"Hurry up, dinner's almost done."

Glancing one more time at his still-silent phone, he kisses Rose's forehead and carefully puts her down. He looks down at his daughter, so small and pink in her little crib, and cups his hand around her soft cheek.

"I love you, Rose. So very much."

He leaves the door open when he goes downstairs and doesn't even have time to think about it before Chris is putting round after round in his wife and the butt of a gun knocks him unconscious.

***

"He tried to tell me something was wrong," Chris says, the way he did when Leon had taken him out for drinks after the nightmare that Romania turned into.

"You responded," Leon says back, like he had last time.

"But I didn't tell him anything."

"What were you supposed to do, stop in the middle of the mission and give him the entire download?"

"Maybe."

"While Miranda was still there, alive, and could've killed all of you and taken Rose?" Chris shrugs helplessly. Leon kicks him under the desk. "You and I both know that's not a good road to walk down sober, and probably not drunk either."

He sighs, burying his face in his hands. He hears Leon mutter something along the lines of Golden Boy with no liquor in his office before there's a clatter of a chair being set down next to his and a hand on his shoulder.

"Rose is still here," Leon says with more kindness than he deserves right now, "she's the priority now."

"Yeah."

"Do you really think that if something was bothering her that much—or if something was that wrong, she wouldn't tell you?"

He scrubs his face and rakes a hand through his hair. "No."

"There you go, then."

"She deserves better than this. She deserves to have her father here. She deserves the chance to live a normal life."

Leon's quiet for a long moment. The hand on Chris's shoulder flexes and he reaches out to put his on Leon's too. Leon leans into it slightly. It hasn't been so long since they sat like this in a very different place, talking about a different teenager and a different choice that changed their lives forever.

"How are they?"

"Good, last time I heard," Leon says quietly, "Sherry's planning a drive to Boston soon, I think."

"You should go see them."

"Don't know if I'll be able to."

"Leon—"

"When's the last time you saw Claire?"

That shuts Chris up right away. Leon doesn't hold it over him, leaning a little bit closer. He lets his eyes fall closed for a moment, his head hanging. Rose deserves better than this. Than all of this. Than him. But right now, he's kind of all Rose has got, and he's sure that sits in her chest sometimes the way it's sitting in his right now.

"I'm glad you had the chance to meet him," he mumbles, "before."

"Me too. He seemed like a good man."

"The best." He huffs a laugh. "Still can't believe you taught him how to break my nose."

"You were a real piece of shit that day, Redfield," but it's gentle enough not to bruise, "figured it was time to even the score a little bit."

He nudges him.

"Wasn't expecting you to admit it to his daughter, though. You're playing with fire there."

Chris frowns, looking up. "I didn't tell her."

"What? What do you mean?"

"I never told her Ethan broke my nose. And I definitely didn't tell her that you were the one that taught him how. No one else knows that happened."

Leon sits up. "Then how the hell did she find out?"

***

"Why didn't you fucking tell me right away?"

Chris whips around and grabs him by the arm. He grits his teeth against the pain. "Because I knew you would want to be involved! And this job is hard enough without civilians getting in the way."

He throws Ethan's arm away like it's an annoying branch caught on his coat and turns around.

Ethan sees red.

He grabs Chris's shoulder again, ignoring the man's shout, and his hand whips out and strikes him hard in the face. There's the sharp sound of something breaking and Chris reels back, hand going to the blood streaming from his broken nose.

"'Getting in the way?' 'Getting in the way,' Chris? I am the fucking way! This entire bullshit is because of my family. My wife, my daughter. You want me to stay out of your business, guess what, you bastard, I am your fucking business!" He shoves Chris and he hits the wall hard enough to rattle the pipes. "I became your fucking business when you showed up in Louisiana after I'd spent the entire night trying to save my wife alone. I became your fucking business when you locked us up in those rooms and tested every inch of our bodies until you decided not to make test subjects of us anymore. I'm your fucking business since you had us relocate to the middle of fucking nowhere except it's next to a village of monsters that stole my daughter!"

Chris just stares at him, blood pouring down his face. Ethan storms up to him and stabs a finger into his chest.

"I don't know what the fuck you and your team think you've been doing here, but it sure as hell hasn't been helping me save Rose. Look around you, Chris. Three of the four lords are dead, no thanks to you. I don't give a shit about whether or not you think I'm a civilian or not good enough or whatever shit you wanna try and throw at me next. I am going to save my daughter. You can either help me or get the fuck out of my way!"

He's panting by the time he's done. There's a tug in his gut that's itching for him to keep going, to tear this entire fucking factory part until he gets his daughter back, safe and sound. Chris is still staring at him with a broken nose.

He makes himself take a deep breath. He looks around for the gun Chris tossed away and picks it up. He looks for a way back up through this nightmare of a factory when he feels a hand on his arm. Chris holds up his other hand when he whips around to glare at him, letting go.

"Alright, Ethan," he says quietly, "alright. I'll tell you."

***

"So, wait," Rose mumbles, underneath the cover of the music playing in her room, her eyes on the wall of fairy lights, "he shot Mom in front of you—or what you thought was Mom—and then took me and didn't explain anything?"

Dad doesn't respond, but she feels the vague confirmation floating and huffs.

"That's seriously bullshit. I'm glad you fucking broke his nose."

Still nothing. She frowns, rolling over to see if Dad's writing on the ground by the bed instead, but there's no glowing words there either. She gets out of bed and turns off the lights and the music, lying back down and staring up at the ceiling.

Dad hasn't talked to her in a while. She's felt him, sure, but not…not any words. He's been silent and she's starting to worry a little bit. It feels like he's pulling away, like she's losing him. It shouldn't scare her, her dad's dead, has been dead, and she lived for the first 16 years of her life believing she'd never get the chance to talk to him, ever, and even after the Megamycete, she'd thought that was all she'd get. She should be happy, she knows, that she had even the slightest chance to talk to him, to be with him, to have even another moment where she knew he was there—and he's still here, she can feel him, she knows he's there the way she knows she's breathing and that there's mold buzzing underneath her fingertips, but he's not—he's not—

He's not here.

The sudden spring of tears to her eyes has her gasping and scrubbing the sleeve of his coat over her face before the camera can tell what's going on. She turns over just in case, burying her nose in the pillow he usually writes on to muffle her sniffles. She reaches for the ring under her shirt and holds it tight. She'll always have this, this and her coat, his coat, their coat, the coat that she won't get rid of, not ever. It's not like she'll grow out of it. It was made to fit a grown man, even if she starts growing like a weed, she won't get too big for it. It's hers, she's keeping it, and they can't take it from her.

She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, soothing the growing tug in her gut. No one's trying to take her coat away, no one's trying to take her dad away. She's safe. Everything's okay. She's okay.

The tug doesn't settle.

She frowns, sitting up. She puts a hand to her stomach. Her eyes widen. Her breath catches.

She can feel something.

It's moving beneath her skin.

Like it's alive.

She scrambles for her phone and sends a text to Chris.

***

Chris's phone buzzes. He reaches for it, squinting at the screen. He bolts upright, dislodging Leon with an unceremonious jerk.

"Fuck, a little warning next time," he grumbles, "what?"

"Rose says something's wrong."

Leon sobers immediately, not even an 'I told you so.' "You should—"

The phone on his desk rings. He stares at it like it's radioactive. So does Leon. He swallows heavily, glancing at Rose's text before holding his cell tightly to his chest, a wordless promise to be there as soon as he can. He picks up the phone.

"Redfield."

"Chris?" Leon asks when he sees the blood drain from his face. "Chris, what's going on?"

"I'll be right there. Do not leave without me."

"Chris, what the hell's going on?"

Chris just reaches behind him and grabs Leon's wrist, dragging him as he races for the garage.

***

It's dark.

It's cold.

It's quiet.

Dirt shifts.

Bugs crawl.

Wind whistles through dead trees.

A branch cracks and falls with a scattering of crows.

Closer, closer, closer, almost at the surface.

The ground breaks.

And he breathes.

[jpitha]

Between the Black and Gray 4

First / Previous / Next

At the docking ring, Fen and Ma-ren led Gord all the way down to the end. Past the regular passenger ships, past the scheduled freighters, past the bays for warships, past the semi permanent bays for residents to the last seven bays, thirty three though forty. Before they reached bay thirty three Gord could see the bulk of the Starjumper. It was easily five times larger than any ship here.

Walking past a simple barricade they stepped into an area of the docks that were not visited very often. The noise and bustle of the docks receded until Gord could only hear their footsteps and the thrum of the air handlers. Fen walked up to an airlock and gestured dramatically. "Here she is. Spyglass. She last moved when my Grandparents were young and Mom was a kid the last time she had power."

Gord walked up to the airlock. It was dark, with no lights, and no indicator over the door. a light layer of dust surrounded everything. "Oh, what happened hon? What did they do to you?" He whispered to the ship. He turned to Fen and Ma-ren "How do we open the airlock?"

"There's no power; we have to open it manually." Ma-ren shrugged. "We should be able to pump that lever there a few times and then the outer door will open."

Gord looked around and found the lever. It was worn and clearly well used. "What about shore power from the station?"

Fen laughed. "We can't afford those fees. Grandma says back when she was a kid they used to pay to run shore power during celebrations like weddings and funerals. These days though, nobody really cares anymore."

Gord stared at Fen and Ma-ren for a long while before turning back to the airlock and pumping the handle.

"Uh Gord?"

"Yes?"

"What's going on? You're acting like Spyglass is alive or something. Like, we left someone behind. If Spyglass was alive, we'd remember. Grandma would have mentioned it, Mom would have mentioned it, anyone would have mentioned it."

"There was a time when Spyglass was alive." Gord sighed. "She was a friend of mine. I'm worried for her. I want to view the logs and figure out what happened."

Fen blinked. "Gord, that doesn't make sense. If you were friends with Spyglass that would make you...."

Gord didn't meet her gaze. The airlock slowly opened as Gord worked the handle. After a moment it was wide enough for a person to enter. "Come on, let's see what's inside."

The inner airlock door was wide open. One the one hand, Gord was happy that he wouldn't have to pump the handle to manually open it, but having the airlock wide open was a bad sign. Gord took out two palm lights and handed one to Ma-ren and turned on the other.

Fen was surprised at how... cramped it was. She hadn't been inside Spyglass since she was a kid, but it always seemed to big when she was little. Now, she realized the halls were only a little taller than her and how small the rooms where. Gord started walking down the hall towards the command deck.

Ma-ren and Fen followed Gord. As soon as he was aboard, he seemed to know exactly where they were going. Occasionally he'd swing his light over some detail and nod, or look at something else and grunt, but he wasn't lost.

After a few minutes, they made it to the command deck. Now they were further into Spyglass than Fen or Ma-ren had ever been, and as evidenced by the floors, it had been a long time since anyone else was here. The floors were dusty and what few boot-prints there were were also covered by a layer of dust. Gord wiped away at a sign on the door. At the top, it said "Command Deck' in Colonic, but under it was another phrase in a different language.

"Gord, what's that under the sign in Colonic?"

Gord looked up. "Oh? Ah yeah, Spyglass was refit right after Colonic took over as the main language for the colony worlds. The bottom text is the same thing in Late Period English." He read the words out loud. The language was strange to Fen and Ma-ren, very staccato.

"You can speak it Gord? Are you a scholar?"

Gord chuckled. "I can, and I'm not. I don't need to be a scholar to speak my native language. Gord opened a panel on the side and stick his hand into the cavity and rummaged around. There was a click and he was able to slide the door open.

Fen and Ma-ren stepped in after Gord and gazed around. They could only see tiny parts at time from their small palm light, but the room was large, with many seats and was all oriented towards a large screen at the front. Gord sat in a seat in the middle and touched a screen on the arm. "Completely dead. I would have expected something, even if was just dim lights." He stood. "Come on ladies, I'll need your help."

"Why?" Fen was having a good time looking around the old command deck, and didn't want to leave just yet.

"We're going to restore power. At least to critical systems."

"What? How?" Ma-ren's fur poofed out and her tail twitched worriedly. "Everything is dead and cold."

"Well yeah, but it wasn't always this way, and so long as you haven't stolen parts-" He turned and looked at them "You haven't stolen parts, right?"

They shook their heads.

"Then we should be able to get her up and at least lit. Spyglass had 6 reactors back in the day. We only need one for lights and heat. We get her lit, we can check the core and figure out what happened.

Gord lead them back down the other end, down stairs and across halls, deep, deep within Spyglass. Fen was sure that nobody had been down here since after they docked. It was odd. She expected things to be... grimer than they were. Sure it was dark, and sure it was dusty, but things weren't leaking or broken, and there weren't any vermin about. It was quite different than the station.

They reached the Reactor Room, and Gord once again did his trick with the panel to open the doors. As soon as he stepped inside, he swung his light around the room and gasped.

"What? What is it?" Ma-ren walked in behind him and looked around. It was a long hall.

"The reactors! There are supposed to be six of them! There's only two left!" Sure enough, Fen and Ma-ren followed Gord as he walked down the hall, his boots clanging on the metal grating as they passed empty space after empty space, finally coming upon two huge, identical machines at the very back of the hall. Gord peered at them and tisked. "Well, so long as they're not both broken in the same way, I can get one going again." Without looking up he gestured at Fen and Ma-ren. "There's a tool kit over in the locker behind you. Please go fetch it. There should be some battery lights too, let's see if we can get a little more light on this.

"It took a few hours to get everything set up, and they were well past curfew before they were finished, but they had set up the lights and Gord had the reactor in more pieces than they thought possible. Gord knew where everything was, even things that he shouldn't know. He had told them that the medical ward was a few doors down and they were able to find some folding chairs to sit, and even some cots so they could take a nap. Gord never seemed to have to take a break. He didn't eat, didn't get tired, just continued to tinker. Fen and Ma-ren dozed on the cots while Gord worked.

Finally he sat back, and closed the panel. "Ladies? I think we're ready for ignition. It's made up of spares and most of the other reactor, so we'll never be able to run the Stardrive or the weapons, but we can at least have lights and heat and the computer.

"You fixed it?" Ma-ren yawned hugely.

"Not really. Just rigged it together. This old model reactor is very durable and resilient. I'm a little surprised the crew that brought you here wasn't able to keep it running. Everything needed was onboard."

Fen nodded. "Grandma mentioned that hardly anyone knew what to do or how to work the ship, there was a lot of guesswork and hoping involved."

Gord didn't reply. Instead he turned back towards the reactor. "I'm going to start it, watch out."

Before Fen and Ma-ren could ask what to watch out for Gord pressed the starter. There was a hum and a loud clack of relays, followed by a warbling hum that started slow and went faster and faster until there was a sound like a burst of static.

And then, with hardly any fanfare at all, the lights came up.

Before they could cheer, there was a cacophony of alarms and klaxons and sirens. Gord jumped at the noise, and then took off towards the command deck. Fen and Ma-ren hurried to catch up.

In addition to the alarm and siren sounds, there were voices warning things. They'd speak in two or three languages that Fen didn't recognize and then in oddly accented Colonic she heard "WARNING. WARNING. REACTORS OFFLINE. BACKUPS OFFLINE. HULL DAMAGE. WEAPON DAMAGE. STARDRIVE DAMAGE. SYSTEMS CRITICAL." and it would repeat.

They made it to the command deck and Gord was sitting in the middle seat, his fingers dancing over the pads until the alarms were silenced one by one. Sighing in relief, and continued to poke and prod at the pad. "I'm turning off running lights. They've been off for decades, no sense in telling station authorities that we have power now." Gord was speaking to them without looking up.

"So Gord, is Spyglass alive or not?"

"I don't know. She's not replying to my usual queries." He looked up at the room. "Hey Spyglass! You Up? It's Gord!"

Nothing.

"Come on, let's go check the core. Something's up."

They made their way deeper into the ship; deeper even than the reactors, until they reached a door that was almost completely hidden. There was no frame around this door, and no panel on the outside. There wasn't even a sign in Colonic. Just a small line of text in that angular Late Period English language. With the power on, Gord didn't have to rummage in the walls looking for an override. He approached the door and touched it with both his hands, palms in. There was a click and the door slid smoothy to the side.

This room was completely different than the others. It was barely more than a closet, bathed in a blue light. From the floor to the ceiling were racks and racks of electronics and half of it blinked and hummed. The other half was dark and silent, separated by a large black mechanism that was stuck haphazardly over things. When Gord saw the mechanism he said something in his old language that Fen and Ma-ren didn't understand, but the meaning was clear.

"Fuck."

"What?"

"It's a shackle." He gestured towards the black mechanism. "It's meant to lock down AIs, to prevent them from being intelligent. Spyglass is here, but she's trapped."

"Someone is...inside Spyglass?" Ma-ren's ears twitched.

"Gord shook his head. "No, she is Spyglass. The ship is her body."

"Oh no" Fen shuddered. "So is she aware of herself?"

Gord nodded. "Probably, yes."

"How long has she been like this?"

He peered at the mechanism without touching it. "This looks like late third Empire tech. Right around The War." He straightened up. "She's been locked down at least five hundred years."

Fen and Ma-ren looked at eachother. Five hundred years? "She's... going to be upset when we unlock her right?"

Gord turned to them and smiled thinly. "Ma-ren, I would like to take this moment to state how pleased I am that you assumed we're going to unlock her. To answer your question, she is going to be a mess. But, I have some skill here. I can help her."

Fen nodded. "Okay then, Gord. How do we free her?"

"Luckily" Gord turned back to the shackle "They were never meant to be hard to install and remove. We just have to enter the code." Gord touched a panel on the front and a keypad rolled out from behind.

"What's the code?"

Gord chuckled. "It's zero zero zero zero one."

Fen blinked. "You're kidding."

"I'm not. The Empire set up these shackles, but didn't trust that anyone could remember the code to remove them, so they hard coded it to something easy."

"But then anyone could have removed them."

"This is true, and wonder, Fen, why they didn't." Gord typed in the code and pressed the start key at the bottom.

The shackle lit up and started glowing green. After a moment, the racks of equipment behind it received power and started glowing like the others.

"That's it?" Ma-ren peered at the equipment.

"That's it." Gord looked around. "We should be able--"

Their conversation was interrupted by the PA crackling to life.

There was a piercing noise.

A woman was screaming.

[soraya-snape]

Harry Potter characters/ships and the Taylor Swift song that reminds me of them:

Tedoire

She said, I was seven and you were nine

2 years age gap just like Teddy and Vicky

I dared you to kiss me and ran when you tried Just two kids, you and I

Vicky and Teddy growing up together because through Harry, Teddy is part of the Weasley family and Vicky developing a crush on Teddy but him only seeing het as a little sister

Well, I was sixtWell, I was sixteen when suddenly I wasn't that little girl you used to see But your eyes still shined like pretty lights

And then Teddy suddenly not seing her as a little sister but falling in love and them getting together when Vicky is 16 or 17

And our daddies used to joke about the two of us They never believed we'd really fall in love And our mamas smiled and rolled their eyes And said oh my my my

This is so Bill + Harry and Fleur + Andromeda/Ginny

Take me back to the time when we walked down the aisle Our whole town came and our mamas cried You said I do and I did too

Just imagine Fleur and Andromeda as well as Molly and Ginny crying at Teddy's and Vicky's wedding and the whole weasley family being there for the first Weasley grandkids wedding

Newtina

But something happened, I heard him laughing I saw the dimples first and then I heard the accent They say home is where the heart is But that's not where mine lives

Their first meeting was so chaotic but also cute

He likes my American smile Like a child when our eyes meet, darling, I fancy you

The way they acted in the second movie when newt talks about her eyes being like the ones of salamanders, they were so akward and I love it

So I guess all the rumors are true You know I love a London boy Boy, I fancy you (ooh)

I mean everyone else saw that they like each other before they did

They say home is where the heart is But God, I love the English You know I love a London boy

My American girl and her London boy

Just wanna be with you Wanna be with you Stick with me, I'm your queen

This is so them, they literally can't be without the other

Snily

Please picture me

Please picture me In the trees I hit my peak at seven feet In the swing Over the creek I was too scared to jump in But I, I was high in the sky

This reminds me so much of the first memory Harry sees in the prince's tale. Lily actually did jump

Cross your heart, won't tell no other And though I can't recall your face I still got love for you Your braids like a pattern Love you to the moon and to Saturn

Sev loving Lily even years after she died...

And I've been meaning to tell you I think your house is haunted Your dad is always mad and that must be why And I think you should come live with Me and we can be pirates Then you won't have to cry Or hide in the closet

Sev's father being abusive towards him and his mum and him hoping it will all be better in Hogwarts together with Lily (it wouldn't be)

Passed down like folk songs Our love lasts so long

Sev "passing" down his love for Lily and protecting Harry for her

Tedromeda

I just learned these people only raise you to cage you Sarahs and Hannahs in their Sunday best Clutching their pearls, sighing "What a mess" I just learned these people try and save you ... cause they hate you

This is so Andromeda being raised in the Black houshold and Bellatrix and Narzissa as well as the rest disapproving of her love for Ted

They slammed the door on my whole world The one thing I wanted

She loved Ted so much

Now I'm running with my dress unbuttoned Screaming "But Daddy I love him!" I'm having his baby No, I'm not, but you should see your faces

Just imagine Andy telling her father she loved Ted for the first time, Ariel style. And she was actually having his baby.

Dutiful daughter, all my plans were laid Tendrils tucked into a woven braid Growing up precocious sometimes means not growing up at all He was chaos, he was revelry Bedroom eyes like a remedy Soon enough the elders had convened Down at the city hall "Stay away from her"

Again so much Andy being raised as a Black and Ted just coming into her life with his "bedroom eyes" and everyone in her family disapproving but her going against the whole Black family becuase he is the one for her.

Thinking it can change the beat Of my heart when he touches me And counteract the chemistry And undo the destiny

Nothing could change her love for him

Now I'm dancing in my dress in the sun and Even my daddy just loves him I'm his lady, and oh my God You should see your faces Time, doesn't it give some perspective No, you can't come to the wedding I know he's crazy but he's the one I want

Her dad did in fact not love him so I actually don't know who came to their wedding but I still think it was a perfect

Romione

And in a blink of a crinkling eye I'm sinking, our fingers entwined Cheeks pink in the twinkling lights Tell me 'bout the first time you saw me I'll drink what you think, and I'm high From smoking your jokes all damn night The brink of a wrinkle in time Bittersweet sixteen suddenly

This is so Romione and you can't tell me otherwise. Just remember the first time he saw her...

Are you gonna marry, kiss, or kill me? (Kill me) It's just a game, but really (really) I'm bettin' on all three for us two (all three)

Ron did all 3. I mean he obviously did not actually kill Hermione but I think in 6th year he got close.

Truth, dare, spin bottles You know how to ball, I know Aristotle

No explanation needed

I feel like laughing in the middle of practice Do that impression you did of your dad again I'm hearing voices like a madman

Reminds me of the moments in the movies where Ron made her laugh

I'm going to add more...

[unnervinglyferal]

My old friend and ex-roommate came over yesterday. Neither of them is scared of new people but they were both awkward at first. My old roommate hadn't been to the apartment since the group home folks had helped us move, and he had never met my daughter. His first words at the sight of her were "oh fuck it's alive." My girlfriend's great-grandma asked them whether they'd like to hold the baby, but both the two of them and Bug looked at each other in a way that made it clear that none of them want that. They don't want to hold a baby and Stinkbug didn't want to be held by them either.

After a while of chatting while standing around the apartment, my old roommate admitted with some embarrassment that he had completely misread the nature of this visit and had a backpack full of beers for this. My girlfriend immediately informed them that if we're going to drink, we'd better be doing that outside. The family matriarch agreed, it's a nice weather out there. I told them both that I'm not going to drink, though it's all fine if they will. My old friend offered to go pick me a case of something else to drink if I'd like. Diet coke would be fine - that's enough of a rare treat.

So we sat outside on the yard bench swing and talked, catching up on what both of them are doing now and sharing stories of what my time before the group home had been with my old friend, and how times at the group home were with my old roommate. I think it was good to have them both here at the same table - I don't think either one would have believed a half of the other side's stories without an eyewitness to back it up.

I didn't smoke but out of old habit I rolled cigarettes for them - my old friend had a pack of factory smokes but hand-rolled ones are still cheaper, I needed something to occupy my hands, and he promised to pay my roommate back for the tobacco he smoked. It's pretty clear that despite of being a student he's currently the one of us who has the most money.

It was a nice, warm evening and as it went down, my friend and old roommate had pretty much gone through my old roommate's beers, when my friend mentioned that he actually also has some weed. I told them they're free to smoke it somewhere else but they are absolutely fucking not doing anything that will summon cops on the front yard of the house where my family is sleeping. My old friend was baffled that he'd ever live to hear me say shit like that, but the way he laughed sounded like he's proud.

It was around 9 pm by then, the two of them were out of beers, and it was starting to get cool outside, so we agreed it was best to call it a night while we were still all having a good time. My old friend and ex-roommate had found a lot in common with each other and agreed to carry on to a bar somewhere, and maybe smoke that weed. My old friend mentioned that he knows a guy who gives rides around here for a little fee, who might be on call tonight. My ex-roommate said he knows one as well, and for shits and giggles they decided to text their own car guy at the same time and see which one responds first.

Within the same minute, they both got a text - almost identical one - asking if they'd be down to share a ride with someone else who's around the same area. It turns out they knew the same damn guy. I sat with them until their ride showed up - I had never seen this guy before, myself - and headed inside.

I put all the clothes I had on straight to the wash before taking a shower and going to bed next to my girlfriend. She asked me if I'm sober and asked if we had fun, and was back asleep before I could answer the second question. My skin and hair still smell like cigarette smoke, but I can do my best to not bring that outside world in here. My friends are out there in it, but I'm not bringing it home to my family. Their life is out there, mine is in here.

[astridthekhajiit375]

Prompt List

Choose a minimum of three prompts for a request please!

#1 "Oh my, what have I done to deserve such a beautiful smile?"

#2 "Promise me not to hide yourself when you're in pain as it's unfair that we laughed together, and you cried alone."

#3 "My heart swings back and forth between the need for routine and the urge to run."

#4 "If you steal the blankets, I'm going to put my cold feet on you."

#5 "You smell good."

#6 "Your cuteness is making them all stare. Stop it."

#7 "Can we just stay in bed?"

#8 "I'm not moving, your lap is comfortable."

#9 "I'm really tired, just cuddle me."

#10 "You know I'll always be here, right?"

#11 "I...um...Can I hold your hand?"

#12 "I like the way your hand fits in mine."

#13 Wait, don't pull away...Not yet."

#14 "Starting a family does not mean the end of the adventure."

#15 "I can't save the world without you!"

#16 "And when were you going to tell me?"

#17 "Come on. Bedtime."

#18 "We can't be friends anymore...I will always see you as something else."

#19 "If it wasn't for you, I'd be so lost. I'm so glad you came into my life."

#20 "You're a wonderful person. Never forget that."

#21 "I've been thinking about you a lot lately."

#22 "The guy who wins your heart will be so lucky."

#23 "Are you jealous of (blank)?"

#24 "(blank) has no idea what they're missing."

#25 "Can you picture it? You and I together?"

#26 "Is it because of who I am?"

#27 "You always know what to say."

#28 "This is your fault."

#29 "Take responsibility for it."

#30 "There is nothing wrong with wanting to get married someday."

#31 "I didn't think we'd ever do it."

#32 "I'm glad you're here."

#33 "Just tell me what you need...let me give it to you."

#34 "I trust you with the parts of me that I have been so afraid to share."

#35 "Your eyes are so beautiful in this light."

#36 "Let's go for a walk. You need some air."

#37 "I do enjoy having you around! If I didn't, I wouldn't be here, would I?"

#38 "You had a nightmare, didn't you?"

#39 "You can be here with me as long as you'd like."

#40 "You saved me when I thought I was past saving."

#41 "I've never had a child before..."

#42 "Does it hurt?"

#43 "Please. You need to rest."

#44 "Let me look after you! It's my responsibility!"

#45 "I think I'm pregnant."

#46 "Y-you are...pregnant?"

#47 "Is it mine?"

#48 "I want to feel it kick."

#49 "They're kicking! That's so cool!"

#50 "I'm so scared..."

#51 "We can try again."

#52 "I love you more than I ever thought possible. Both of you. Thank you."

#53 "I'm pregnant. What's your excuse?"

#54 "Are you okay? Is the baby okay?"

#55 "If you hold my hand any tighter, it's gonna break!"

#56 "I don't...I don't feel too well."

#57 "We'll be okay Y/N, all three of us."

#58 "Would it be okay if I read to the baby? Or is that weird?"

#59 "I've been talking to the baby since I found out about it."

#60 "Hold it? Are you sure?"

#61 "Hi there, my little baby!"

#62 "Are you really so oblivious to the fact that I care for you?"

#63 "It hurts me, just how much my heart aches for you."

#64 "I never meant to say I wasn't interested. I was just confused, but I know now."

#65 "Even after everything that's happened, I still love you."

#66 "Y/N is all I think about! It is driving me crazy!"

#67 "I dreamt of you ever since that day."

#68 "Do you want to talk about it?"

#69 "Please, don't leave me...not yet."

#70 "Are you sure you're okay? You're sweating."

#71 "It was just a dream. It wasn't real."

#72 "You have a lot of these, don't you?"

#73 "Thanks for everything. Truly, I mean it."

#74 "I'm going to miss you...so much."

#75 "I don't regret anything that has happened between us."

#76 "I guess it wasn't the right time, was it? I'm sorry."

#77 "I don't want to say goodbye yet...so can I say see you later?"

#78 "No way...you were actually jealous."

#79 "Kiss me. I need to know you mean it."

#80 "Come here. Let's talk about this."

#81 "Wow...I've never seen you that mad before."

#82 "Hey, are you okay? You look a little off."

#83 "Do you ever even wonder why I get this way? Maybe it's because-You know what, forget I said anything."

#84 "Oh come on! You and I both know what he/she was doing."

#85 "You are so cute when you get mad."

#86 "I didn't know you were the jealous type."

#87 "What are you laughing at? Nothing funny is going on here."

#88 "I haven't slept in over three days."

#89 "There's so much blood..."

#90 "I need you to help me."

#91 "When is the last time you ate?"

#92 "I feel so cold."

#93 "It's never been this bad."

#94 "I love you too much to see you like this. Come on."

#95 "Who did this to you?"

#96 "I heard you screaming. Are you alright?"

#97 "You don't have to tell me what happened if you are not ready. But if you ever are, I will be here to listen."

#98 "Would you like a hug?"

#99 "You're safe with me. Nothing is going to hurt you."

#100 "You don't deserve to be hurt like that. Ever."

#101 "I'm sorry you had to go through that. Even more so that you had to go through it alone."

#102 "It's over. You're safe now. I've got you."

#103 "Open your eyes, love."

#104 "Is there anything I can do to make it better?"

#105 "Close your eyes and just listen to the sound of my heart. It beats with such love for you."

#106 "Look at me, love. I am real. Hold my hand, rest your head on my chest and listen to my heart. That's proof your dream was not real."

#107 "You can sleep here with me if you want."

#108 "No! I didn't mean it like that! I just miss your presence beside me."

#109 "I don't think I have anyone anymore."

#110 "You are what is most important right now."

#111 "You are not going to do this alone."

#112 "Tonight is about you. Make it up to me some other time."

#113 "You said you needed a distraction, so here I am."

#114 "I've got nowhere else to be."

#115 "You didn't force me. I wanted to come with you, remember?"

#116 "Hey, we're both failures then. Let's redeem each other."

#117 "You look breathtakingly beautiful."

#118 "Death doesn't scare me as much as what I had to endure today."

#119 "I feared-I-I mean, WE feared we were going to lose you."

#120 "If you hadn't have tried to rescue me, we wouldn't be in this situation now, would we?"

#121 "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

#122 "I'm not feeling strong or brave right now, but I will fight for you."

#123 "Don't you dare die on me. I want us to grow old together."

#124 "How did you two become friends?"

#125 "This is not what I envisioned when I said I wanted to cure my boredom."

#126 "Please don't leave me. I love you."

#127 "Is he always this rude?"

#128 "Why can't the world calm down for just one second."

#129 "Just play along. Please."

#130 "They can hear us."

#131 "When I let go, run for your life."

#132 "Play along or they might take us both."

#133 "I know it hurts, but you have to let me take a look."

#134 "Can you even move?"

#135 "Sit down before you make it worse!"

#136 "Hang tight, we're almost there."

#137 "Why are you limping?"

#138 "I've never heard anything scarier than the way you screamed."

#139 "That's bound to scar."

#140 "Don't force yourself. It's obvious that you are in pain and need healing."

#141 "That's not normal, it should be getting better by now."

#142 "Stay still! Oh why don't you ever listen to me?"

#143 "Why...Why are you holding your stomach like that? Are you bleeding?!"

#144 "It was an accident! I am so sorry!"

#145 "I-Is that...my blood?!"

#146 "Shh, stay calm. I'm going to get you some help."

#147 "I-I don't want to die. I'm not ready."

#148 "It was the most gruesome thing I've ever seen."

#149 "I wish I could forget all that blood."

#150 "I want to help, but I don't know how."

#151 "You're gonna make it, don't worry."

#152 "Your stomach isn't going to fall out. Just keep holding pressure on it. Like this."

#153 "Aww! You guys are in love!"

#154 "I feel like ripping someone's throat out today."

#155 "Oh my, you are so in love with him/her."

#156 "Dance with me."

#157 "I don't want love. I want to be loved. There's a difference."

#158 "You were meant for me, and I was destined for you. It's why we found each other."

#159 "Excuse me, don't you have someone else to bother today?"

#160 "Did you know you blush a lot?"

#161 "Wait, did I do that?"

#162 "You deserve so much better than this. If you were mine, I would...ah, forget it."

#163 "We're not a couple. No, definitely not a couple."

#164 "Do you believe in love at first sight?"

#165 "Where is Y/M? I thought they were with you?"

#166 "I...I'm sorry. I promise I won't do it again."

#167 "I am so proud of you!"

#168 "You didn't ruin it. You made it better simply by being there."

#169 "I'll be here for you, no matter what. Every step of the way, I'll be there."

#170 "Next time you feel defeated like this, tell me. I might not always be able to help, but I will be there to talk and to listen.

#171 "I don't know how to love you, but I'm willing to learn."

#172 "Whenever I start to get close to someone, stuff like this happens. I'm cursed, and you should leave me too. If you stay...you'll get hurt too."

#173 "I'm sorry I'm not who you thought I was."

#174 "I wasn't planning on asking you, but it appeared to me that life is short. Will you marry me?"

#175 "Just a little longer. Please."

#176 "I love you, but please stop whatever it is that you are doing."

#177 "Get away from me. No--not you. You stay."

#178 "I have been subtle at hinting that I want your attention all day, and you haven't noticed. Now I'm pissed."

#179 "Listen, I enjoy this hug and all, but can you stop."

#180 "You owe me a kiss."

#181 "I don't care what they say! I want to be with you!"

#182 "Can I kiss you?"

#183 "I will never stop fighting for you. I'm not giving up on us."

#184 "I need to test out a theory."

#185 "I'm not sure what to do anymore, but it is your baby..."

#186 "Why are you blaming me? We are both at fault! It's not the baby's fault!"

#187 "I'm going to stay in a place where my baby isn't wanted."

#188 "You should marry me."

#189 "Think about it. The sound of little footsteps in our home."

#190 "Did you hear? I'm going to be a dad!"

#191 "Don't bleed on my floor."

#192 "We've waited a long time for this."

#193 "I can't hide this any longer. I think we need to tell people."

#194 "Stop that! I'm ticklish!"

#195 "I'm not sure I'll be able to be a mother."

#196 "I will leave now, or I'm going to say things I will regret later."

#197 "Please, don't make this worse than it already is."

#198 "Thank you for the offer, but I'm over you."

#199 "Wait...Is this a date?"

#200 "Rumor has it, I make you nervous."

#201 "Please hold my hand, I can't do this without you."

#202 "One more push and you'll be a mom."

#203 "I am not accepting a pity proposal."

#204 "The kid better be cute. I'm super tired and feel like shit."

#205 "I don't want you to stay with me just because of the baby."

[ghoulsbeard]

da4 spoilers

"Speaking of! What's the situation with cooking, exactly? Are we on a rotation, or what?"

The Nevarran woman that Lace introduced as "Rook", half-leaned in Bellara's door, frowns like a funereal statue. She has an gruff sternness about her that reminds Bellara of her clan's tough old craftmaster; that frown only heightens the resemblance. "Hasn't Lace told you? We've each taken a day. Luc wanted weekends. Told him we'd all pitch in on weekends-- well, you'd have thought I kicked his mother. Something about professional pride."

Neve snorts. "He probably thought you were insinuating poison."

Rook grumbles an oath under her breath. "Suppose when we cook together, he'll see things my way."

"Oh, good," says Bellara. "Not the-- poison. But I'd appreciate having another pair of eyes. Sometimes I get distracted, things burn..."

"Can't have that," Rook laughs. That's how Bellara first met her in Arlathan-- a smiling stranger, charming and curious. She never would have guessed the woman belonged to the Grand Necropolis. "I cry over burnt food, I do. It's ugly."

"Do you mostly cook Dalish foods, Bel?" asks Neve. "I haven't had a chance to try many."

"Sometimes. Not a lot of options when you're out in the forest. But I've learned a lot of different cooking styles! Antivan, Rivaini... I even learned how to make Tevinter khachapuri!"

"Wait," says Neve, smiling. "Real khachapuri? The hollowed out bread? Three kinds of cheeses? I love khachapuri."

"Real khachapuri! Or my best attempt, anyway."

"What about you, Rook? If you could have anything?"

"Anything?" Rook grins wistfully. "Plate of squid, fresh off the boat..."

"I've never had squid before," says Bellara. Neve sighs.

"Hal does such a good fry. But the Swan does this curry..."

"Next time in Minrathous, ladies. My treat."

"Maybe we can make a curry here," Bellara suggests.

"I could do with a good curry."

Neve clears her throat, eyes sparkling, like she's about to tell a particularly bad joke. "...Have either of you seen the storeroom yet?"

"Mythal'enaste, this is bad," Bellara gasps. "Why are there so many raisins? I think about seventy percent of this room is raisins."

"Honey's good," says Rook, licking her finger. "Small mercies."

"Can either of you tell what this meat is supposed to be?"

Bellara and Rook lean over the first open barrel.

"Well," says Bellara, after a long minute. "It's not... halla."

"Mutton," Rook suggests, unconvincingly.

"Who's going to take a bite and find out?"

"You're the detective," Rook grins. Neve laughs.

"Fair enough." She scrunches her mouth around as she chews. "Mm... bit gamey. It isn't mutton. Maybe snake. Maybe snoufleur."

"Let's make a list," says Bellara, eyeing the mysterious meat and the walls of raisins. "I'll ask Amylia if the Jumpers have rations to trade."

Later-- at least by the water clock in Lace's room; there is no day in the Fade, as there is no true night-- Bellara finds Rook swinging her feet off the precipice that overlooks the main square. "So I asked everyone else what they wanted to-- oh! What a view!"

"Have a rest," she pats the stone at her side. "I've watched you run the length of the Lighthouse at least seven times."

"I wonder how far we can see into the Fade from here! Lace was just asking me yesterday if the Fade has true landmarks. Because the Crossroads do seem to be semi-... no, no, I came up here to talk-- I wanted to know what you wanted... food, I mean. Provisions."

"We'll be here a long, long time if I tell you everything," Rook laughs. "Sardines, to start. Oil... but I hope you've already noted that."

"Way ahead of you."

"Any good wine will do. Retsina would be lovely, though. Lemons..."

"I'll put it with fresh fruit. I'm hoping we can trade for a few kinds. Lucanis said he's worried about Neve living off of fried fish."

"Lucanis isn't the only one," says Rook, still smiling. "And I'll have some nuts, if we can find them. Do they grow in Arlathan?"

"Nuts," Bellara repeats. "Wine. Sardines. Great. Oh! Yes! There are quite a few groves, actually! I'll show you, the next time we visit."

"I don't think I've picked nuts since I was a girl," Rook muses. The Fade seems to turn her wistful. Out in the real world, she's all work.

Bellara meant to bolt back down the stairs, but the view really is beautiful. She's been studying the Lighthouse's resonances, but she's indoors so often, and her little room doesn't have any windows. Ruins drift overhead close enough to touch-- ramparts, turrets, temple walls. Trunks of massive trees. Moons and stars and comets. You could lose yourself in a sky like that. Someone else might, anyway, someone who wasn't Bellara, with Bellara's racing mind.

"You know, I was quite taken with Falon'din when I first joined the Watch," Rook says, after a little while. "Kept a shrine in my quarters. Learned his songs." She whistles six dolorous notes.

"Lethanavir." Owls calling in the night. Bellara focuses on the knot of vertigo in her stomach as she swings her feet over the edge of the Lighthouse tower. "Don't tell anyone-- please. But I keep having these... dreams. I keep meeting souls who walked here. Spirits, and-- and aspects of-- anyway, I think this place is making them worse."

"Dreaming in the land of dreams? Bound to be odd." She taps Bellara's ankle with the tip of her boot. "Most of mine are blight terrors. There's an old piece of the Chant... they say magisters brought it out of the Fade ages ago, looking for their Maker."

"I don't know chantry myths," Bellara says, "but the Fade is not exactly the best place to walk unprepared; let alone to live in..."

"I don't like it either," Rook agrees. "All that Veil-crossing, and the Veil already gone funny. But I don't see as we have much choice. "

Down in the courtyard, wisps chase each other through cracks in the stone. Spirits drift in the breeze, fluttering gossamer.

"Do you dream about him a lot? Does he-- reach you here?"

"Only when he's chafing, I suspect." Talk of Solas deepens the wrinkles around her eyes. She looks older and sadder. “Never mind him, dove. Wouldn’t know proper conversation if it bit him on the—“

Bellara surprises herself by laughing. “I wonder if he hears everytime someone swears on him. Fen’harel’s teeth!-- Cyrian used to say.”

Rook grins. “I hope he does.” She cups her hands round her mouth and bellows into the Fade. “By Fen’harel’s blighted cock!”

Bellara laughs herself into a side-stitch. “Fen’harel’s hangnail!”

“Fen’harel’s flat arse!”

"Fen'harel's left elbow!"

Neve comes up the stairs to find the pair of them laughing too hard to continue. “We could hear you two all the way from the kitchen.”

“Oh,” gasps Bellara. “Good,” grins Rook.

She flashes one of her charming half-smiles. “I thought Lace would crack a rib laughing.”

[buckleburyblog]

LOTR Characters as things I did when I was younger, Part 2:

-> Part 1

- Faramir: Going ice skating with a friend who jokingly dragged me into the middle of the rink and tried to make me slip, only to have it backfire when I somehow turned it back on her and made her lose her balance whilst I stayed upright. (Don't know if this fits w/ Faramir but I feel like he's the type of person to have pranks on him somehow accidentally backfire for whoever's trying to prank him).

- Eomer: Befriending one of the largest horse in the stables that I used to go riding at easily despite the fact that the people working there said he hated most people and wouldn’t cooperate when they took him for rides.

- Eowyn: I genuinely forgot how to cook a dish I cooked regularly for like half an hour and had to physically leave the kitchen to do something else to get my brain to reset. (Happened like last year, but it fits with Eowyn's -10/10 cooking skills so I had to use it here).

- Arwen: Whenever I went with my parents to the local RSPB (a wildlife conservation charity) I used to find the bees on the flowers and literally pet them. I also used my coat to straight up carry them by just gently trapping them inside it (I swear no bees were harmed).

- Elrond: Jokingly being known as Dad by my friend group in secondary school. (Years later it is still a running thing with some of them to the point that their friends, who are a bit younger, genuinely only know me/refer to me as Dad).

- Galadriel: I did karate for a while and one of my favourite games that we'd do at the end of the 'term' was when we had to balance on one leg and the last to put theirs down won. The longer it carried on the more rules there were like: not being allowed to wobble, the instructor putting his foot close to our face or making us laugh, and in the finals you had to close your eyes so you couldn't see who was still in. I always won it whenever we played bc I was competitive af (and there were like GROWN ADULTS in this class that I beat as well).

- Gollum: Spent a few hours messing around by a stream with a little fishing net but got distracted at some point whilst in the water and let go of the net without realising. It got taken by the current and I was too small and slow to catch up to it so I lost it. (Cried when I realised I had lost it ;-;)

- Treebeard: Would have a go at some of the boys in my primary school who snapped the small branch off of the tree me and my friends named Steve because "they hurt it" & it meant we couldn't swing on it anymore.

[namjoonscoffeeshop]

Dear Namjoon | 15

✧ Pairing: kim namjoon x reader ✧ warning(s): explicit language, suggestive content, mature content ✧ genre: angst,fluff,smut,slow burn ✧ synopsis; You're sent to live with your father and older brother. only that your older brother is in a band called BTS. you meet jimin's friends and automatically get tangled with one of his band members. you're relationship has to be kept a secret but for how long can you keep it that way?

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It was the same routine. Go to school, see everyone in the morning but go home alone. Talking about home, being alone with dad wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. but I did miss jimin being around.

I didn't see jimin nor the boys as often as I did but when I was able to see them, I watched them practice, and I sure as hell knew I could never do half of what they do. very little times were namjoon and me able to sneak away and be alone together.

I would like to say we talked and caught up with each other but if we weren't making out we were pulling a quickie.

we went weeks without seeing each other. and the little calls we'd have every other day when he was going to sleep weren't enough. I'd always end the call making it short since I knew he was tired. plus he'll wait till jimin would stop talking to me on the phone.

"you guys clean up" jimin got up from his seat pulling the towel that was wrapped around his neck up to his face to wipe the sweat. "are you gonna come watch?" his tired face looks over at you as he opened the door to leave the small cramped room.

"i'll go home, you guys seem busy" you smile getting up to give him a hug.

"i'm all sweaty"

"who cares, I rarely see you" after hugging him you tease him by saying he stinks only for him to whack you with the towel as he laughed.

"namjoon you're gonna be at the studio right?" he swings the door as to fan himself as he watches namjoon just nod.

once you both were in the clear and alone you turn to look at the man who was exposing his broad shoulders as the thin shirt would expose his muscular chest. you clean up quickly not wanting to waste any time alone with him.

"how have you been" he massages his neck, as he stretches.

"i've been fine. you?" it's been three weeks since the last time you both were together. and just like him you were eager for more than just talk.

he shrugs before chuckling "i'm great now that i got to see you" getting up from the floor he grabs onto your arm gently as you both discreetly walk down a wide hallway.

"they gave me my own studio" he was excited and you could tell. pressing in his code on the door he ushered you inside. shutting the door he gave you no time before you felt his lips collide with yours as he pushed your body against the wall with his.

he pushed our bodies together as his hands gently held your waist. reaching for his face your fingers gently brushed his cheeks as you deepened the kiss.

"fuck, i've missed you" kissing you made him feel better, but he wasn't planning on stopping there. he needed his fill for the past weeks he hasn't seen you.

gripping her thighs he picks her up as she wraps her legs around him without stopping the passionate kiss. walking to the couch he places her down as if she could break if he was harsh, hovering over her.

she felt goosebumps with every touch, wanting more.

the sound of a knock makes both their bodies jump as they both turn to look at the door.

"namjoon?" yoongi calls out as he knocks again

"fuck" namjoon mutters before sitting up, pushing his hair back. getting off the couch he presses a button on his computer before walking over to the door as you quickly sit up fixing your appearance

"i want to show you this" yoongi lets himself in as he passes namjoon giving no attention to anything else, not you, not the music playing.

"i've been working on this since yest-" looking up he sees you siting on the couch and he raises his brow in confusion while turning to look at namjoon

"uh? what's she doing in here?"

"she wanted to look around" he shrugs as he sits on his chair. you stand up awkwardly glancing at namjoon before looking at yoongi "uh i'll go you guys seem busy"

you say your goodbyes before walking to the exit.

"wait" yoongi stops you before you leave, turning around you wondered if he can see how your eye twitched from how nervous you had gotten.

"you forgot something"

looking over to what he was pointing at your bag that had been tossed to the ground at some point through out the whole make out session.

you give him a smile before grabbing your bag and dashing out of there.

yoongi looks at namjoon with a questioning look only to receive a grin along with a shrug.

"what do you mean you can't send letters no more?"

"they said we couldn't do it and they didn't explain it ma- UGH I DON'T FUCKING KNOW" Eunsook yells as she throws the basket of stamps onto the ground. I came to look for eunsook, ever since the guys been leaving early i've been hanging out with their fans.

ironic right

"i'll talk to jimin, i bet there was a mistake"

you try to comfort her, but that has never been one of your best talents. you made sure to call jimin that afternoon and ask what was going on.

"just leave it, don't get involved"

????

"i'm asking because eunsook is upset"

"what did she expect, we aren't the same as before now theres rules and its more professional now"

"what the fuck jimin at least they could've explained it better"

"seriously y/n why is this even bothering you. just fucking leave it"

"why are you being such a grouchy bitch" you snap at him, not liking his attitude

"i'm fucking tired, and this conversation is stupid. all they said was that they would take care of everything. they'll still be able to send letters just that they can't control it like before"

"well couldn't have they fucking told her that"

"they fucking did, look can we just drop this conversation"

"actually why don't we hang up. you're tired"

"y/n seriously" he sighs, frustrated with you.

you hang up not giving him another chance to talk. he dials back but you ignore his call. namjoon called right after and the conversation with him wasn't any good either. just like jimin he told you to just leave it alone.

and you felt like you should leave it alone, it's not that serious and it doesn't concern you. but it pissed you off that eunsook was ignored when she called to ask for the reason why they couldn't send things until they had their shit together.

eunsook started a war between jimin and you.

"i don't know why you're in such a bitchy mood. go see your boyfriend or something" jimin snaps at you through the other line.

"look you little shit, it's not my fault you can't get the steps right in your damn choreography" you yell back.

jimin and you were arguing during his break, he had called you and for some reason a argument broke out.

"dude it's been a week" taehyung rolls his eyes as he watches jimin who's standing in front of the mirror as he spoke..no, more like yelled into the phone.

"they've been fighting for the dumbest shit" jungkook rubs his temples, done with both your  childish behavior.

jimin hangs up the call and walks over to the guys sitting right next to taehyung as he takes the bowl of grapes he was eating on his own.

"she can be so fucking annoying at times"

"why are you guys fighting anyways" hoseok speaks up

"she started it, i didn't even do shit. not my fault she hasn't gotten laid" he shoves two grapes into his chubby cheeks

namjoon found the whole situation amusing, both siblings kept talking shit about each other to namjoon and of course he didn't take side but he wanted to laugh cause honesty he just wanted to tell them they were both stupid and wrong.

"it's been a week since she's been here" jin steals a grape from the very upset jimin. they were all surprised that the brother who once adored his sister and wanted to be with her at every second plus never cursed at her or anything has completely turned around.

"she's a fucking child"

"he's so fucking full of himself" y/n throws her hands up showing how angry she was, eunsook had came over to the house. the two had become best friends, close enough to go over to each others house.

of course you made sure to keep jimin's room locked and not let her take photos of any family photos that were around the house.

thankfully eunsook wasn't a weirdo.

"i didn't take jimin as that type of person" her eyes widen in shock as you talked shit about your brother. letting out a frustrated sigh you shake your head "he's just being an asshole, he's not usually like that"

"they opened a youtube account and twitter" eunsook speaks up, trying to talk about something else but unfortunately it was still related to them.

Not much time passed before we made up, but now they were busier than ever. months were passing and the calls were getting shorter and less often.

Namjoon and me were becoming complete strangers.

"today's the big day" your dad packs the bags into the trunk. the boys had moved somewhere farther. and today was the day the world found out who BTS is.

you hadn't seen them for over three months and you didn't even receive calls anymore.

at first you were understanding, but now you felt different.

for some reason you just kept thinking about what jungkook told you that day. it made you tense up and feel nauseous, the anxiety of seeing namjoon today.

you were planning to stay with them over the weekend since dad was going to have to leave earlier.

to even say the least, the moment we arrived there was no chance to meet them. everyone was running everywhere and we were escorted to our seats right away. the moment came when the lights dimmed down and all the new groups came out to perform, and i realized something the moment BTS stepped out and got into place

The people on stage, I didn't know them.

the moment the music starte-

(A/N: OKAY I JUST LAUGHED AT THIS BECAUSE I REMEMBERED BTS FROM WHEN THEY DEBUTED AND I COULDN'T LMAOOO NAMJOONS HAIR. YALL REMEMBER WHEN THEY SANG NO MORE DREAM AGAIN IN 2017. YEAH THINK OF THAT..OK AND ALSO WTF AM I WRITING I REALLY DON'T LIKE THIS. I FEEL LIKE I'VE LOST MY TOUCHDIFWJNSPIGNWPGOM)

The crowd chanted their names along with other lines and you looked around feeling out of place. you have been around these boys before they were signed and you were the only one in this room who felt distant.

as jungkook stepped up towards the front, both of you made eye contact and he smirks (2:36- 2:40 in the 2017 bts dna comeback video.....i'ma go throw myself out my window i hate this hahaha)

switching spots with jimin who then lifts his shirt making everyone in the room scream you couldn't help but laugh knowing damn well he was screaming in the inside, dying because of what he just did.

just how the performance started it ended just as quick, the crowd never stopped chanting their names as you made it through the crowd trying to get to backstage with your dad. "here, you give them to jimin" he hands you a bouquet of flowers.

once they allowed you guys to enter their dressing room you are welcomed by jimin screaming your name as he runs up to you "what did you think" he gives you a huge smile as he clutches onto the water bottle in his hands.

"i loved it, especially the shirt lifting. everyone went nuts" you tease him as you hand over the flowers.

"shut up" he thanks you both.

looking at all the other guys who were standing around the screen watching their performance some looked devastated as if they didn't like it.

"you guys did great, i loved it and for sure everyone out there loved it too" you assure them.

there were interviews after their performance so you waited for them in their dressing room.

"did you watch it?" you tell your mom who was on the other end of the call

"yes, i loved it. tell jimin i'm proud of him"

"i will, they've been gone for a while" you glance at your watch.

the door then suddenly opens but to your surprise it was a women with a BTS crew shirt on, she came to tell you the guys had left just now and that there was another car waiting for you since your dad had to leave.

even though you are jimin sister they didn't want anyone at least for now to see you guys leaving together.

leaving through the back door was new to you. as you entered the car, a call came in from jimin.

but your toxic ass felt bitter and decided not to answer.

You kept thinking about jungkook's words.

they kept repeating in your head, how you could ruin everything.

as you sat among them who were celebrating the fact that they finally debuted your insides were twisting with anxiety.

[simplegenius042]

Music Monday, WIP Wednesday, OC SMASH OR PASS & "OMG It's Blorbo Bleebus" Character Sheet

Tagged by @imogenkol

Tagging @socially-awkward-skeleton @noodlecupcakes @voidika @josephseedismyfather @aceghosts @inafieldofdaisies @icecutioner @derelictheretic @shallow-gravy @shellibisshe @direwombat @strangefable @rhettsabbott @josephslittledeputy @cloudofbutterflies92 @skoll-sun-eater @cassietrn @carlosoliveiraa @adelaidedrubman @g0dspeeed @wrathfulrook @afarcryfrommymain @strafethesesinners @turbo-virgins @raresvtm @softtidesworld @starsandskies @ladyoriza @la-grosse-patate @florbelles @titiagls @minilev @yokobai @thewanderer-000 @omen-speaker @justasmolbard @alypink @thesingularityseries and @nightwingshero + anyone else who'd like to join.

Three songs for The UnTitledverse Original WIP called The Dark Awakening, the sequel to A Blast In The Past, two WIPs for Life, Despair & Monsters and A Radioactive Calamity Of Love, Bombs & Gore and character sheets for a character in Wings And Horns.

The Dark Awakening is a planned sequel to an original work of mine called A Blast In The Past in The Perfect Storm saga of The UnTitledverse. Calvin Dearing actively works to push against the purgatory he's been forced in by the Narrator, with a new obstacle to "Find The Keys" in Chapter One.

"Soon enough, you'll come round Embrace this darker art What goes up must come down Everything moves in arcs

("Gee whiz!")

You've been walking round in cycles And you've had your ups and downs (Ha-ha!) When you passed out we made contact Extremely deep underground

I've been drawing seven circles And that's where he can be found 'Cause these creatures need their sheep So he can free us from these bounds."

Chapter Two is where Calvin finds out the identity of the Narrator, and the illusion begins to crumble with another key found. So the Narrator pulls out his trump card: "The Devil's Swing".

"Dreams do come true I was deceived by karma's tune* and now I'm coming after you Who is laughing now? You thought that you could cut me out but now the ink is pouring down A trend** was created out of ink Then molded into a 3D beast You can hear him coming by his taping feet It's Me*** and the Devil's Swing

Snap back to the era when the swing was king Now the workshop fading in behind the scene There's a deep, dark secret hidden underneath It's "Bendy and the Ink Machine!"

"Oh, Terrence****, I got your message There's still a sketch on my old workdesk It might have been a bit overzealous To collect all six of these office relics

I haven't seen my peers in over thirty years But there's no one here except grinding gears And my rising fears."

"The illusion of living was only the beginning Ink incarnate that's sinning, presented in Sillyvision The illusion of living was only the beginning Ink incarnate that's sinning, presented in Sillyvision!"

[*The Narrator has no relation to Joey Drew, and neither does Calvin. **The Narrator has no relation to Bendy, and neither had the Purgatory he made. ***Note that here the Narrator would be relating the Devil's Swing to just himself, meanwhile in the fourth line of the next verse, it has quotations to "Bendy and the Ink Machine", where the Narrator playfully, in a mocking manner, relates this fic to one of it's inspirations (that being Bendy And The Ink Machine). ****Calvin has no relation to Joey Drew, as his boss is Terrence Carmine]

The last chapter is "Can't Be Erased", where Calvin's found the Keys and now must find the forgery to meld them together as the Narrator raves and does everything within his ever decreasing power to keep Calvin within his grasp.

"Can you describe the face you saw? Could it be one you recognise? We'd never harm the hand that draws Imagination cursed us all with life

Shamed and defaced Scathed and disgraced Tainted by hatred And can't be erased Creators betrayed us We've got it on tape We've written your fate And it can't be erased

I was not always a monster Once I was somebody's muse Innovation made us stronger But that power was abused The machine is thumping And the ink is pumping Now, you need to run Because the Demon's coming."

"I really need help, someone send a telegram I'm surrounded by upside-down pentagrams I don't have a guide Just a little bit of candlelight With an axe that I don't know how to handle right That Little Devil Jester's* on a lot of reels Long as he's on one, he cannot be real Stop the projections, he's** off his reel Got a feeling he and Carmine*** got a deal An unholy bargain, a demonic seal With a master plan that I must reveal Won't be long till that ink's all congealed Upon my body, head to toe, all concealed But a little bit of bleach should do the trick I'll never watch another damn cartoon, I quit!" "Look at you, you're scared of a moving pic." "Hey, how'd you get that tutu to fit?"****

"I'm blinded by this evil growing My heart is full of people-loathing With secrets that I keep from showing I am the wolf in sheepish clothing Flood the shop with ink flowing Push it to the brink of blowing We hope you don't think of going Weigh you down to keep from floating Come with me, we'll bring you joy***** You'll be kept from being lonely Kicking, screaming, sinking slowly Give your soul, it's what you owe me."

[*The projection of a cartoon character that Calvin has never made nor seen before looks like a jester. **Bendy is not a character in A Blast In The Past nor in The Dark Awakening. ***Terrence Carmine is the closest counterpart to Joey, though Terrence has no involvement in this purgatory state (though he did have a hand in Calvin's human death). ****Since Bendy doesn't exist here, Calvin is just replying to the Narrator. *****As mentioned, Joey Drew doesn't exist, and joy is the closest to to rhyming with "Joey" (not really but bear with me)]

Here's a WIP snippet of My Heart Goes Doki Doki Literature Club!, where Monika is still reeling from the fact that, from what she can tell through the facts, she is alive and is in reality. You know, typical existential musings:

Monika traverses on the concrete path at a slow pace as she passed Sayori's neighbourhood, on her way home

Or where I think home is.

One of the many oddities she's experienced in this reality was the lack of recollection of anything after she deleted the game - the files, the setting, her friends, herself, EVERYTHING - yet the unmistakable recognition of faces and scenery without knowing how or why they came to be.

It felt similar to her default programming; the personality, opinions and appearance that she was preset with before the curse of self-awareness manifested.

The relationships she had with others, the values she was meant to hold for her role as the Literature Club's president; all predetermined before she became alive, knowing what she was supposed to feel towards others without any prior real experience in the first place.

Nothing learned, just predetermined. And it was the same here.

She made the conscious effort to continue to keep one foot after the other, the hazy and pained feeling of her jello legs utilizing the muscles she now had to keep her balance and proceed forward.

Monika still wasn't over this sensation; not just of her body, but of the sounds she could hear, the words slipping past her tongue, the colors that burned into her retinas, her first taste of porridge still lingering on her tongue and almost making her teary eyed again.

Granted, the overwhelming senses had caused her to take a few sick days off last week (much to her chagrin) after that embarrassing incident in class. She was gladly over the nausea now... only feeling slightly lightheaded whenever she had to face her frie- no, clubmates.

The ones you murdered, the voice of Him said. Well... not His voice, rather MC's voice, but the tone was the what Monika could differentiate.

She shook her head, ignoring His demeaning voice. Strands of coral brown hair loosening out of the shitty bow tie she hadn't quite grasped in perfecting. At least by the standards of the game.

She blew out a huff of air, unsure what to make of Him. He was everything to her. He was the only real thing in a false reality, and she tried everything to make Him see her. To look past the A.I's of her clubmates to the only being real in a digital world.

And He had seen her. Had seen what she did for Him and was disgusted by it. Went as far as to reject her. Delete her.

And even now when she was in the same world she had yearned to be in... without Him physically here... she only had the voice He used to communicate with her, a remnant that just like Him, hated her.

She slowed down, but not out of the negative emotions that brewed when thinking of Him, to her surprise. Monika look to the small iron gate that greeted her, and gazed her green eyes to look upon the pale house.

She didn't know how, but she knew she arrived to her destination. Monika found the sensation eerily similar to how her programming worked.

She turned to face the house, uncertainty weighing down on her like an anchor.

Is there a family that awaits me here? a question invaded her mind, accompanied by, A father? A mother? Maybe siblings? Or am I an only child? How close are we? Do they leave me be... neglect me even? Or are they the overcritical type? Hovering around expecting only the best from me?

Those questions did nothing to ease the tension twisting in her stomach. Nor did the jingles of keys when she brought it out of her blazer's pocket.

Taking one uneasy breath, she unhooked the gate, and made her way to the front door. Though she knew this was home, she couldn't help but feel a cold dread fruitlessly trying to pull her from unlocking the only way inside the now intimidating house.

SMASH OR PASS

RULES: pretty self explanatory. include physical descriptions or pics, and propaganda. the “other” label can be used for “sexuality misalignment” (ie: oc is femme and you’re gay, vice versa or you aren’t into smashing but a specific thing you wanna do with them like perhaps hug or study them under a microscope idc).

MARISSA "RESS" BISHOP (A RADIOACTIVE CALAMITY OF LOVE, BOMBS & GORE [FALLOUT])

QUICK FACTS:

Height: 6ft and 2 inches

Age: 45 (but looks to be in her late twenties thanks to the rate of age between humans and Displacement/Human-Displacement hybrids, the genetics of which she received from her evil father, Arcane Urias)

Gender: Female

Pronouns: She/Her

Sexuality: A raging Bisexual.

PROS:

Ress is a confident and dominant woman

In spite of her popularity, once she's in a committed relationship, she's committed and will never be unfaithful.

She's actually funny.

Dating her means benefits from the Bishop Crime Family (as long as you swear not to rat them out). E.g. unlimited funds, gifts, romantic dinings, protection (though Ress is enough protection in herself).

Very into PDA.

A very reassuring girlfriend.

Ress is part basically living energy that has a fleshy body, and is extremely durable, unlikely to become exhausted (at least in most situations), and can utilize energy into an offensive/defensive weapon (can be lethal... or non-lethal, depends on her mood). You basically got a girlfriend with (all-kinds) of energy superpowers.

Easy to take care of (just leave her out in the sun or the nearest energy source to photosynthesize once her energy reserve depletes... or zap her with electricity [BEWARE: This kind of makes her libido skyrocket]).

She's open to try out all kinds of kinks and quite experienced. Also very communicative during sex, like zero misunderstanding will happen with her.

CONS:

Her confidence can be borderline arrogance if left unhumbled.

Getting into a relationship (of any kind) with her means acknowledging that one day she will outlive you (in age). You especially need to get her to acknowledge this as she might attempt to sabotage the relationship.

Ress' is a bit ignorant to the fact her comments can be outright offensive to humans, and she is very casual about it. Also likes to intentionally push any tense situation into worse (mostly to give her the opportunity to embarrass people and show off).

Very touchy.

She is part of the Bishop Crime Family. And she is very close to her family, so please take into consideration of the cons (e.g. assassination attempts since Ress being Ress will not shut up about the relationship if it's serious, there is the possibility the if the family discovers your relationship they may push you both into marriage to "officiate" you into the family, the fact her family is amoral at best and immoral at worst, etc).

Daddy issues.

May brush off your compliments because she doesn't think she really deserves them.

Can be quite possessive and jealous and will not acknowledge that she is.

Very flippant about her feelings and will likely focus on you rather than herself because the Omniscience-forbid my characters ever face and process their trauma like normal people.

Jumps the gun on "murder first, ask questions later" considering what she was taught in the Bishop Crime Family and the Wasteland.

The Arcane Urias may attempt to end your life since he will view you as a weak point to hurt Ress. [Also she and her brother Ore are very open about wanting to kill their dad so... don't be surprised about the "revenge-murder board" in the lounge one day].

XIANG BA'AL (WINGS AND HORNS)

[Image is a reference to what his appearance is most similar to: Kagetane Hiruko from Black Bullet]

[Also he's having the time of his life for a Sloth Demon whose a dad out for revenge for his adopted daughter]

You can find the template below:

Credit: the text in the insert-image box comes from this video, and the text for the top three lines (intense, complex, fruity) comes from this post. The actual image was made with the free NBOS character sheet creator, which is a sort of dated but free and solid text-layout sheet maker intended for ttrpg style character sheet creation.