#we’re passed the spoilers stage right?

[lildoodlenoodle]

If spider noir wasn’t kicked off the ‘elite spider task force’ (I think he was but Imma keep going anyways) then the reason I think he would quit, besides general bad vibes, is Miguel referring to Robbie’s death as a canon event. That man would turn fucking feral.

[solarmorrigan]

Movie Nights

For the @steddie-spooktober day 25 prompt: Frankenstein Friday Rated: T | Words: 1514 | CW: None | Tags: established relationship, outsider POV, I know the movie is over 90 years old but I didn't actually watch it myself until a month ago, so just in case there's anyone else out there who hasn't seen it, Frankenstein (1931) spoilers Divider credit: @steddiecameraroll-graphics

Part 3 of the Good Neighbors series

Gladys can appreciate new things. Books, television, music – the little joys to be found in new discoveries are what make life worth living. She isn’t as set in her ways as some people her age can be, but she does have her favorites.

She loves her mysteries and her thrillers above all else; the likes of Agatha Christie, Elizabeth Peters, and Arthur Conan Doyle line her shelves. She’s dipped into the genre of spies and intrigue, digging into Ian Fleming and John Le Carré. She’s even been known to appreciate a good horror film now and then.

Emphasis on “good.”

“So this is what passes for horror these days?” Gladys asks as a young man on the TV screen is sucked down into his bed, only to be spat back out as an absolute geyser of blood.

Eddie chuckles, glancing up from the screen. “Not your cup of tea?”

Gladys leans on the back of the couch, resting her arms there. She’d only come over to the boys’ apartment to see if they had a spare baking dish she could borrow; they certainly hadn’t invited her in to critique their choice of entertainment. But all the same–

“I just think they should try a little harder to really scare people. These days, it’s all shock and gore. All they have to do is shower people in blood and call it a day,” Gladys says. “I remember a time when they put real effort in.”

“Back in your day?” Eddie teases, grinning at her.

Gladys tsks, cuffing him upside the head – not hard, barely more than a tap, but he still falls sideways onto the couch with a gasp, clutching his head, and then rolls right off and onto the floor with a thump. Gladys rolls her eyes, but doesn’t bother to hide her smile at his antics.

“Hey, will this work for–” Steve exits the kitchen, a glass baking dish in his hands, and stops as his attention is almost immediately diverted to Eddie. “Why are you on the floor?”

“Gladys attacked me,” Eddie replies.

“Oh. Good for her,” Steve decides, holding up the dish again. “Will this work for you?”

“That would be fine,” Gladys says, accepting it as Steve passes it over.

“She also thinks my movie is trash,” Eddie says brightly as he levers himself back up onto the couch.

“I did not say it was trash,” Gladys says. “At worst, I said it was cheap.”

“Okay, but that’s not better,” Eddie says.

“I’m not a huge fan, either,” Steve leans in to stage whisper to Gladys, “but it makes him happy.”

“Yeah, yeah, everyone’s a critic.” Eddie rolls his eyes, then leans back a bit so he can look up at Gladys. “What would you call a good horror movie, if not the genius of Wes Craven?”

Gladys purses her lips, thinking for a moment. “I don’t suppose you’ve ever seen the classics? Dracula, The Creature from the Black Lagoon?”

Eddie lets out a thoughtful little noise, shaking his head. “Can’t say I have.”

“Well, you ought to. You’ll see where it all began, then,” Gladys says.

“And I get the feeling you’d enjoy showing us,” Eddie says, wiggling his eyebrows up at Gladys.

“’Us’? Who’s ‘us’? When did I get roped into this?” Steve asks, and Eddie reaches out to take one of his hands.

“We’re a package deal, baby, everyone knows that,” Eddie says.

“No one around here but Gladys knows that,” Steve reminds him.

“Everyone important knows that,” Eddie amends. “Anyway, what do you say, Gladys? Feel like educating a couple of horror philistines such as ourselves?”

“Well,” Gladys says slowly, “I’m sure I could come up with something.”

This is how she ends up in her armchair the following Friday night, the boys both sitting on the loveseat, all watching as the audience is warned of the frightening nature of the upcoming film playing out on the television.

“Now, this wasn’t Universal’s first horror film, and it wasn’t even the first movie adaptation of Frankenstein,” Gladys says when the opening credits come on, “but it is a bit iconic. I thought you might get a kick out of it.”

“But is it scary?” Eddie teases.

“Well, I don’t know about scary, but maybe a bit shocking. Look at it this way:” Gladys says, “it was 1931. Graverobbing and murder might seem mundane to you, but we weren’t quite as desensitized to seeing it on the screen back then.”

Steve glances over at her. “Do you remember when this came out?”

“Oh, barely.” Gladys wiggles her hand back and forth in a so-so gesture. “I certainly didn’t go to see it in the theater, I was only six or seven at the time.”

“Still, that’s pretty cool,” Steve says, and Gladys favors him with a smile.

If they aren’t altogether horrified by the movie, the boys are at least engaged, keeping up a running commentary that has even Gladys laughing. (“He had that coming,” Steve says when the monster finally catches Frankenstein’s assistant. “Yep. Rest in pieces, Fritz,” Eddie adds.) However, as they reach the midway point, the father onscreen bidding his daughter to go play with her cat while he works, Steve shifts uneasily in his seat.

“Wait, they’re not going to do anything to the cat, are they?” he asks, cutting a worried glance at Gladys.

As if the thought hadn’t occurred to him until Steve voiced it, Eddie sits up straight in his own seat. “Gladys,” he says, pointing an accusing finger at the screen, “you’re not showing us a movie where they kill a cat, are you?”

One brow raised, Gladys regards the pair of them. “You’re worried about the cat, but not the child?”

Steve scoffs. “It’s 1931, they’re not gonna kill a kid,” he says, while Eddie nods in agreement.

Both brows raised now, Gladys only gives them a little “hm,” and turns back to the screen. With some suspicion, Eddie and Steve do the same, watching as the scene unfolds.

“Oh, shit,” Steve says, taken aback as the monster tosses the little girl into the lake.

“Damn. Guess we should’ve worried about the kid, after all,” Eddie says.

“You have to have some idea of how this movie ends,” Gladys says, shaking her head. “Did you really think they’d form an angry mob over a dead cat?”

“I would,” Eddie declares, then looks down at Steve, who at some point in the last half hour had ended up tucked into Eddie’s side (when, Gladys isn’t sure, but it’s sweet; it’s a pleasant feeling knowing how comfortable the two of them are here). “Steve, would you form an angry mob with me if someone killed our cat?”

“We don’t have a cat,” Steve says.

“That’s not the point,” Eddie insists, and Steve relents.

“I would come with you if only to make sure you didn’t get yourself killed,” he decides.

“I’ll take it,” Eddie says with a shrug.

The rest of the movie plays out on the screen – the forming of the mob, the confrontation with the monster, the burning windmill, and, at last, the peaceful conclusion.

“Wait,” Eddie says, brows furrowed as he watches the end credits play, “that’s it? That’s how it ends? A toast to the house of Frankenstein, the end?”

“Yes…” Gladys says slowly. “Why? How should it end?”

“Oh, I don’t know, how about a little restitution for the guy whose daughter got murdered?” Eddie demands, shooting up out of his seat so quickly that Steve has no time to brace himself and falls sideways onto the loveseat with a little ‘oof.’ “How about a little accountability? I mean, seriously, this is just typical; some rich, entitled asshole plays around with things he can’t control, creates a problem he refuses to solve, and the poor end up being the ones to pay the price!”

“Now you’ve got him started,” Steve mutters to Gladys as he sits himself back up.

“Is there any way to get him to stop?” Gladys asks, though she’s a little fascinated with the theatrical way Eddie throws himself around the living room as he rants.

“Uh.” Steve glances over at Eddie and back away again, and there actually seems to be a little color rising in his cheeks. “Not, um…”

“Take him home first, if you’re planning to do something like that,” Gladys says primly, only to lose the fight to her laughter when Steve looks over at her, aghast.

“I wouldn’t–!” he protests indignantly, his face going redder.

“Are you guys even listening to me?” Eddie demands, turning back to face the pair of them.

Gladys declines to answer, asking instead, “Eddie, dear, how did you like the movie?”

“Oh. Aside from the ending, it was great.” Eddie drops back onto the loveseat, reaching out absently to tug Steve back over to his side. “What else ya got?”

“Well,” Gladys says, picking through the stack of tapes she’d managed to dig up at the video store. “If you like entitled rich people, let’s see how you feel about Dracula.”

[joys-of-everyday]

On the fifty shades of morally grey

So quick thoughts on how MXTX writes morally grey.

Sorry, I mean, excessively long meta post on how MXTX writes morally grey. Light spoilers for all three books.

A gazillion caveats to begin with. Firstly, I don’t want to argue about whether character x is morally good, bad, grey, pink or whatever. In my books, arguing about whether someone is or is not morally grey is like arguing whether a colour is green, blue, teal, or turquoise – we’re arguing definitions. To add to that, I’m not saying that concepts like ‘this person is overall good’ doesn’t exist, but I would posit that a morally unquestionable person does not exist. Secondly, I also don’t want to pass moral judgements on any of the characters. That’s for a different post. I strictly want to focus on the storytelling techniques that make the reader think ‘hang on a second, are they good or bad?’. Thirdly, this whole post is mainly based on How Arcane Writes MORAL AMBIGUITY (9 Methods, 4 Rules) - YouTube. Great video, great channel (no knowledge of Arcane required). Would recommend if you are interested in story writing techniques!

1) The information gap and the poor narrator

Best example is Shen Jiu from SVSSS. We barely know anything about Shen Jiu. Almost everything we know is from SQQ’s notoriously unreliable perspective, so we’re left to fill in the gaps ourselves. Depending on exactly how those gaps are filled, you can get two completely different people. E.g. Did he have designs of NYY, or was he just ridiculously misunderstood? Who knows! We’re never told. Even if we were told, we should doubt it because it’s SQQ telling us.

2) 4D characterisation

Schnee’s video goes into this in more details, but this is where you build two narratives on top of one another. Best example is Jin Guangyao from MDZS. Is he an underdog who did what he could out of his situation and tried his best to be a better person working for the good of the common people? Or is he a selfish, manipulative, ambitious snake who at every stage pretends to be good in order to win the favour of those around him? The point is that both narratives make sense in the story. There are moments that lean more one way or another, but you can never quite pin him down completely.

3) Moments of weakness

Best example is Xie Lian from TGCF. On the whole, XL is a wonderful human being who you 100% want to root for. Except… there was that one time he made a mistake. He let his hurt and pain overcome him; he became hurtful himself. The point here is to add in just a few ‘moments’ which fundamentally impacts how the rest of the world perceives them from that point forwards. They are forever trying to redeem themselves, forever weighed down by what is a tiny proportion of their life. The underlying question is ‘is a moment of weakness a moral failure?’

Another good example is Qi Rong from TGCF. On the whole, he’s a piece of s***. But then there are moments when he’s a genuinely good father to Guzi, and that’s confusing.

4) Well-intentioned idiot

Trying to do the right thing and absolutely failing. Best example is Wei Wuxian from MDZS. His intentions are always good. There are extremely few moments where he is selfish or overly cruel. He is always fighting for justice, always self-sacrificing, always kind. And yet the outcome of his actions is pretty bad. The underlying question is ‘should you judge a person based on their intent, or on the consequences of their actions?’

(btw the name of the method is from schnee’s video. No shade on WWX. He is very smart… well, unless it comes to LWJ’s feelings.)

5) Excuses

Yes, they’re bad. But we feel sorry for them! Almost everyone fits into this boat, because doesn’t MXTX love trauma dumping? As one example, let’s look at Jiang Cheng from MDZS. JC’s behaviour towards WWX is pretty bad on its own. But given the context of his childhood being compared to him, of having his self-esteem brutally crushed by both parents? Knowing how much he’s done and sacrificed for him, how much he truly cared for him as family? It hits different.

A small point: ‘excuses aren’t enough’ we say a lot (and I agree, to an extent). But compare, for example, Jin Guangshan vs Xue Yang. JGS seems to be a power-hungry asshole for absolutely no reason. On the other hand, put XY in different circumstances and we feel like he might have been a better person. Just as food for thought, there was a Japanese monk Honen (1133-1212) who said: ‘The good person can reach the Pure Land, so of course the evil person can as well’. The point being that the people who struggle with anger and hate because of their circumstances are most in need of salvation.

6) World building and presenting hard questions

What is acceptable sacrifice in war?

Is it okay to make a super dangerous weapon for the sake of deterrence?

How much personal responsibility does someone hold for a lifetime of circumstances pushing them towards a morally questionable path?

What are the responsibilities of a leader – to do what is right, or to do what is best for their people?

The world of MDZS is imperfect. It’s full of horrors and disasters, as well as a mob of outsiders all trying to impart their opinions despite knowing little about the situation. An imperfect world presents unanswerable questions. We see the characters struggle with these questions, come to decisions, and make mistakes, all naturally arising within the complex world that’s been presented. 

TGCF does this most explicitly. We literally have Kemo and Pei Xiu arguing about the ethics of war and XL concluding that it’s a Hard Question. In fact, every backstory of every Heavenly Official presents a new Hard Question. I don’t know if I like this method over the more subtle style of MDZS, but I have Thoughts about the storytelling styles of both (long story short, I love them both for different reasons).

7) Worlds are colliding

A slightly complicated method that takes a huge amount of set up. To summarise, set up two arcs that we the reader both feel invested in. Then set up a point where the ‘good’ outcome of one is the ‘bad’ outcome of another. For MDZS, we have 1) JC and WWX’s brotherhood arc. 2) WWX standing up for justice arc. They’re both merrily developing all the way through the conflict with the Wens… right until the moment WWX has to make a choice: stand up for justice and leave JC behind, or to fulfil his promises to JC and turn a blind eye to the injustices against the Wens. The decision is a lose-lose scenario because of the way these arcs have been set up.

8) Spectrums, Spectrums, we love Spectrums

Gongyi Xiao is a cinnamon roll. As is Wen Ning and Quan Yizhen. Meanwhile, the Old Palace Master? Literally no redeeming qualities. Wen Chao? Absolute scum. Then there’s everyone lying somewhere in between. We like Lan Wangji more than JC (I think that seems to be the case for most people?) but we certainly like JC more than JGS. Having a spectrum of morality is important because it gives us reference points to contrast and compare. It also emphasises the moral greyness of everything, because sure, Mu Qing isn’t a noodle like Shi Qingxuan, but is he worse than White No Face?

9) Spectrums aren’t enough – adding depth

Almost all of WWX’s moral ambiguity comes from the fact he has hard decisions to make. And for each of these decisions, the outcome is murky. He developed a new technique to fight against the Wens, but at what cost later down the line? He defended the Wens and gave them a few years of life, but was it worth it?

Compare with JGY. JGY does a lot of good. He also does a lot of bad. The magnitude of both lists is ridiculous. Sure, you wouldn’t usually find someone who’s killed most of their family members in any way likable, but how often do you come across someone who literally ended a war?

So one way of creating moral ambiguity is to make each decision difficult, but another way to go about it is to just… make them do loads of things. Like loads of things. Good things, bad things, all the in between things. Judging each thing is not that hard, but then trying to judge the overall person based on it is extremely difficult.

10) Pulling from the real world

Often, moral questions in fiction is hard because (surprise, surprise) moral questions are just hard full stop. Idk enough Chinese history and culture to accurately pin down all of MXTX’s references, but things like stupid misunderstands leading to conflict, poverty and inequality, less than ideal family situations, the horrors of war… these are all things that happen irl. No matter how fantastical the setting, grounding moral conflicts in reality makes us feel more emotional and invested.

Anyway, I hope that was an enjoyable rundown! This is an imperfect list, so comments, criticisms, suggestions greatly appreciated!

[asmromantic]

Ikea Adventure

What starts as a quick trip to Ikea with Kaminari turns into a chaotic adventure as you get lost in the maze-like store. Between navigating endless displays, getting distracted by ridiculous furniture names, and Kaminari’s constant jokes, the day becomes more fun than expected. As the day goes on, you both realize that maybe getting lost in Ikea wasn’t such a bad thing after all - especially when the company is this good.

What was supposed to be a quick trip to Ikea had spiralled into something much more chaotic, as expected with Kaminari. You both stepped into the store with a clear plan: grab a bookshelf for the dorms and leave. Simple, right? You should’ve known better.

The moment you entered, Kaminari's eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store. “Alright! Let’s do this,” he exclaimed, a grin spreading across his face as he grabbed a cart. You tried to remind him that you were only here for one thing, but as soon as the two of you passed the first display, that idea flew out the window.

“Look at this!” Kaminari pointed to a couch with a name that seemed to be missing half the alphabet. “Why do all the names sound like spells? I swear I’m gonna start summoning something if I say them out loud.”

You couldn’t help but laugh, nodding in agreement. “Seriously. How do you even pronounce Snöblig? Is that a chair or a mythical creature?”

“Probably both,” he chuckled, clearly having way too much fun.

What started as a focused search quickly became a maze of endless displays. Every turn led to another set of perfectly staged rooms, each more distracting than the last. Kaminari made it worse by stopping at practically every other item, testing out chairs, and mimicking TV hosts as he ‘sold’ you on various pieces of furniture.

“See this lamp? Mörtkver, it’s not just a lamp - it’s a lifestyle,” he said in a deep, exaggerated voice, lifting the lamp like it was some grand prize. “You need this in your life.”

You shook your head, playfully shoving him. “We need to find that bookshelf, remember?”

“Oh yeah! The bookshelf. Right,” he said, steering the cart down yet another aisle. “I’m sure it’s around here somewhere…”

Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.

You wandered through the store, passing section after section, following arrows that only seemed to lead you in circles. After what felt like an eternity, you stopped to look around, realizing just how far off course you had gotten.

“Are we lost in Ikea?” you asked, half-joking but also kind of serious. The store had this strange ability to make you feel like you were in another dimension, one filled with never-ending home décor.

“Lost?” Kaminari gave you a mock scandalized look. “No way. We’re just… exploring.”

You crossed your arms, raising an eyebrow. “Exploring, huh?”

He winked. “Exactly. Exploring is way more fun than just shopping.”

And, to be fair, he was right. The more time you spent wandering around with him, the less concerned you were about finding the bookshelf. Each display became a new adventure, filled with goofy commentary and impromptu ideas. At one point, Kaminari decided he wanted to test out every bed he saw, diving onto the mattresses dramatically while you tried to stifle your laughter.

“This one’s too firm,” he declared, rolling over on a sleek modern bed. “But this one…” He leaped onto a plush, oversized one and grinned up at you. “This one’s perfect for a post-training nap. C’mon, you gotta try it.”

You shook your head but couldn’t resist. Lying next to him, you realized just how comfortable it was. “Okay, you’re right. It’s amazing.”

“Told ya.” Kaminari propped himself up on his elbows, looking at you with that carefree smile. “Who knew Ikea would be this fun?”

You didn’t answer right away, taking in the moment. What was supposed to be a mundane trip had turned into something unexpectedly fun. Maybe it was the ridiculous furniture names or the fact that Kaminari had a way of turning even the simplest of tasks into an adventure, but you found yourself enjoying every second of it.

“Yeah,” you finally said, meeting his eyes. “It’s been way more fun than I thought.”

His smile softened, and for a second, the chaos around you faded. “You know,” he started, his voice a little quieter now, “I wouldn’t mind getting lost with you more often.”

Your heart did a little flip at that, but before you could respond, he hopped up and stretched. “But first, we have to find that bookshelf! Onward, my fellow adventurer!”

Laughing, you got up and followed him. Despite the chaos, despite getting lost in what felt like a never-ending maze of flat-pack furniture and Swedish names, you wouldn’t have traded this day for anything.

As the two of you finally made your way to the checkout - still without the bookshelf, somehow - you realized that maybe getting lost wasn’t so bad after all. Especially when you were with someone like Kaminari, who made even the most ordinary day feel like an adventure. Though next time, you were just gonna order the furniture on Amazon.

[okay-j-hannah]

The Oak Tree

The Last of Us : Oneshot

Joel Miller x Reader

Word Count: 10120

Warnings: Spoilers for episode 3 😭 angry revenge, blood/violence with raiders, protective ‘who did this to you?’ Joel 🥰 18+ themes, smut, overstimulated, super sensitive, touch starved, unprotected pinv, and aftercare

I’m a massive fan of the video game and PEDRO has been on my mind for WEEKS {thanks TikTok edits} I’m obsessed with this man

Request: This just came from my own head 😊  

A/N: Over the years of making trades, there’s only been one girl that Joel can’t seem to get out of his head

{2007 – four years into the infection}

Just outside of Lincoln was a reservoir, brimmed with reflective water. It was surrounded by oak and hardwood, a line of color differing in shades of green, orange, and red. Joel looked at the leaves rippling against the stagnant water, thinking to himself that’s quite the view.

Tess, as per usual, was able to say those things out loud, “It’s beautiful.”

He didn’t need to reply.

“The neighborhood is just over there,” she continued, hands wound about her backpack straps, “Third house on the left, near the book café.”

Coffee – thought Joel – what he’d give for a black coffee right then.

“I bet she has coffee,” Tess said, speaking for him again. “She probably has that café up and running.”

It was too casual, too normal, to have a life outside of a QZ. The idea someone was living off the land after four years of a fungal apocalypse didn’t sound right. Something would have happened by now – raiders, a hoard of infected, accident with a gun.

“I still don’t like it,” Joel grumbled, following the colorful leaf strewn trail. People just didn’t survive out there on their own. It was unheard of. They always met a tragic end sooner or later.

“You don’t have to like it,” Tess bit back, “But we have a potential customer and I’m not going to pass up on that just because of a feeling you have.”

Joel gave a gruff sound in reply.

“If Frank says she’s okay then I trust her.”

If Frank said the sky was green and the grass was blue she would’ve believed him. They were thick as thieves.

“Maybe we’ll make a friend.”

“Maybe we should stop answering radio calls from Lincoln,” Joel said.

Tess scoffed, “But then we wouldn’t see Bill and Frank again.”

Joel didn’t say anything, holding back the words that he knew Tess could already guess. She spun around, pausing their walk with a stern look on her face.

“If you need to see this as a business meeting, fine – we’re out here trying to get the best trade. But I am going to meet a friend of a friend. And you will act cordial because as much as you can’t stand the thought of getting to know people past the stage of ‘get out of my fucking way,’ I want to.” She gave him a hard stare, “There’s nothing wrong with attempting something normal.”

Like inviting friends out to coffee.

Joel refrained a sigh, staring Tess down with a look of understanding. He only gave a curt nod in return.

When she was satisfied he wasn’t going to object further, she continued on the path. They passed the reservoir and were met with a crossroads, one direction leading towards a historic looking town.

It was small and safeguarded by mighty oak trees keeping watch. It looked like a quaint place people moved to in search of a quiet retirement. There were only a couple shops, a little food market, and half a dozen houses.

“There are more neighborhoods towards the west,” Tess remarked, “Bill and Frank live that way.”

Joel surveyed the area, used to the routine of searching for potential threats. Nearing the fence line, he put his palm against the heel of a gun.

In similar fashion to Bill and Frank’s, an electric fence encompassed the first three houses, the café, and an electronics store. He knew this girl accepted a lot of help from her neighbors, at least after Frank moved in. No doubt there were a number of complicated traps rigged everywhere outside the fence line.

“She knows we’re coming?”

Tess neared the fence gate, “Yeah, she said she’ll be on the lookout and… oh, there she is.”

Coming out of the first house was a woman, younger than him by some years but that wasn’t the first thing Joel noticed about her. He noticed the bright beaming smile on her face – open and welcoming.

“Hi there!” she called out, walking with quick steps, “Tess?”

“(Y/N)?” Tess asked in return.

“In the flesh,” the woman said, still smiling that wide smile, “It’s nice to put a face to the radio voice.”

Tess started smiling too, “I agree. Frank speaks very highly of you.”

“Oh he’s just a chatterbox,” (Y/N) laughed, pressing a few numbers into a keypad and unlocking the gate. “But I love him for it.” She opened the gate with a squeaky clang of the chain link fence.

“Thank you,” Tess said, gesturing behind her as she walked through, “This is my partner Joel.”

“Partner,” (Y/N) beamed, “Nice to meet you.”

Joel had to tear his eyes away from the grinning lower half of her face to meet her gaze. He could only nod.

“That’s how he says hi,” Tess sighed, “Not much of a people person.”

“I don’t blame him,” (Y/N) continued, “Not with how things are these days.”

Unfocused on her smile, Joel now scanned the rest of her. Her hair was clean, her clothes untorn, there was even a smell of flowers about her. She didn’t look like someone surviving an apocalypse. She looked like how the world used to be.

And it put a strange feeling in Joel’s gut.

“I’ll give you the tour,” (Y/N) said, “And then we can talk over dinner.”

“We’re not staying,” Joel said immediately.

Tess gave him a glare that said: don’t be rude. “We shouldn’t stay when it’ll be dark soon.”

“You’re welcome to spend the night,” (Y/N) said, eyes fixed on Joel’s hard gaze, more apprehensive than hurt at his unwillingness to spend any more time there than he had to. “I have a guest house prepared.”

“A guest house?” Tess couldn’t hold in her laugh, “How much do you rent for?”

(Y/N) was smiling again, “We can discuss the details over roast and potatoes.”

Joel’s stomach made the infuriating decision to growl just then.

“I’ll make the tour quick,” (Y/N) flickered amused eyes towards him.

He set his jaw, choosing to look anywhere but the two girls trying to contain their laughs.

“This is my lookout base,” (Y/N) gestured to the first house she just came out of. “It has a nice view of the surrounding area from each window. I’ll spend time up there looking for any incoming infected. It’s how I get my target practice.”

Joel peered into the open windows of the house and found a rifle fitted with a scope leaning against the sill.

They walked down the center street, (Y/N) talking along the way, “The second house is for guests and has a lot of my food storage and extra supplies hidden beneath the floors. This third house is my own.”

She gestured to the one with a large front porch and a flourishing front garden. Snug between the two houses was a roaming chicken coop and another pen right behind it.

“What’s behind the chickens?” Tess asked.

“Rabbits,” (Y/N) said, “I trade them for supplies at Bill’s.”

“Have they ever stayed at your guest house?”

“A few times,” (Y/N) smiled proudly, “Five star reviews.”

They continued towards the center of her little town. The ground was dug up all around the cobblestone street, housing planter boxes and freshly tilled earth.

“Here’s my garden,” she said, “Mostly root vegetables but I’ve been searching for some summer berries or vine plants. Tomatoes and peppers maybe.”

“We could help with that,” Tess mused, “We know where to find seeds.”

(Y/N) beamed again, “Right ahead is the café. I’ve got coffee beans coming out of my ears in that place. And I’ve been using it as my library too – the perfect place to take a load off.”

That feeling in Joel’s gut was persistent and it was making him uncomfortable now.

“And that is an electronics store,” (Y/N) pointed to the last building within her fenced in town. “It’s where I use my radio and keep stock of my power and water.”

Tess turned full circle, nodding her head like she was impressed, “And that over there?” She gestured towards the fence line where large heavy bricks were piled.

“Oh that’s my ongoing project to keep this place more secure,” (Y/N) sighed, “Along with the electric fence I figured I could add another layer of defense. A brick wall would keep people from being able to peer in.”

“That’s going to take a lot of supplies.”

She nodded, hands in her pockets, “I’ve been disassembling a brick house down the road – it got hit with a car. But I’m running low on cement mix.”

Tess chewed her lip in thought, “I think we could manage that.”

Joel kept his eyes on (Y/N), anywhere but her face. She talked like she hadn’t seen real shit yet. She smiled like life wasn’t hard. She looked clean and unnaturally content for the world they lived in.

The nagging, uncomfortable feeling was urgent. It pushed him to ask, “Are you here alone?”

She looked to him with that sudden air of apprehension, “Yes.”

He shook his head towards the ground, “That’s not smart.”

“I have Bill and Frank,” she said, that smile gone with the first word out of his mouth. “And I’m well prepared.”

“You’re one person sitting on a pot of gold,” Joel said lowly.

“I’ve lasted this long,” she said just as quietly.

It was making him mad, “Don’t be stupid.”

“Joel,” Tess said warningly, “We are guests here.”

“I’m just being honest,” he said, “I’ve seen too many good people get killed because of their good intentions. Pretty soon there will only be assholes and killers left.”

There was a pause where (Y/N) stared him down with an edge of fear. It made her look like a rabbit about to dart away and hide.

“And which are you,” she asked quietly, “An asshole or a killer?”

Joel met her gaze with a sizzle of electricity. He thought she was good – it put a fire in her chest, a want to prove herself capable of being good and a survivor. The defiant look on her face only made his uneasy feeling flare tenfold.

She wasn’t safe. She needed someone to protect her.

“We’re both assholes,” Tess stepped in, “That’s what makes us so great at negotiating trades.”

(Y/N) turned her body towards Tess, burned by Joel’s words, “I could use more assholes on my side.” She refused to look at Joel, “Maybe one will end up staying.”

Tess laughed, brushing over the tension that had settled between them, “Sounds like you’ve heard Frank tell their love story one too many times.”

“He says I just need to find my Bill,” she laughed along, walking them back towards her house, “I guess I just need to find an asshole.” She peered over her shoulder to give Joel a raised eyebrow.

He couldn’t stop the sigh that escaped him, still upset and burning with the desire to argue his point further. Maybe he was more upset with the fact that he’d fixated on her need for a protector.

He didn’t need another person to worry about, not when he already had Tess and Tommy. Adding to that list meant adding to the grief he’d endure if he failed to save them.

It was good she was apprehensive of him. It was good there was an edge of fear when she looked at him. He couldn’t get attached.

“That smells amazing,” Tess breathed, entering the house, “Where did you get a roast?”

“Bill,” (Y/N) said, going to the kitchen to check on the slow cooker, “He carved up a cow near a cattle range a few miles away. I traded some sheets, vegetables, and coffee beans for it.”

Joel leaned against the entryway. Better be worth it – he thought – trading supplies for one measly roast.

“I understand if you have to leave,” (Y/N) continued, “But my home is open to you. You’re welcome to stay for some food and rest.”

“You’ll accept us into your trades, then?” Tess asked. “I thought we made a pretty lousy first impression.”

(Y/N) smiled, “Better than you think.” She didn’t look towards Joel. “I know we just met…”

Joel made a gruff sound that seemed close to a laugh.

Still (Y/N) didn’t acknowledge him, “But I trust Bill’s judge of character. If he’s willing to work with you then I don’t see why I shouldn’t.”

“We’ll work up a supply list,” Tess nodded, “And in the meantime I say we set the table.”

“Tess…” Joel said warningly, “We should…”

“Get the plates,” Tess cut in, “I’m starving.”

~~~

{2007 – 3 months later}

The leaves were still crisp and golden along the road to (Y/N)’s town. It was later in the day, much later than Joel would’ve liked, but Tess knew there’d be an invitation to stay the night.

And as much as Joel hated to admit it, a hot shower and a clean bed sounded like heaven. His back was aching with the weight of their trade. Sweat dotted his temples and the falling light made him squint his eyes.

“Fuck, I hope she cooked,” Tess groaned, “That hike felt way longer with full packs.”

Joel wiped his brow, “I told you we should’ve started with seeds.”

“She needs the cement more,” Tess said, “And we’ll get more in return for the mix.”

The town was coming into their sights and Joel was surprised to see the progress made on the perimeter.

The brick wall was finished along one side and barbed wire extended between the electric fence and the wall. Bill had to have shared his high tinsel wire because the fence was reinforced and surrounded by new traps.

They could hear the electric hum of the fence as they neared the front gate. The keypad housed a buzzer to signal (Y/N) of incoming guests, which Tess pressed.

She gave Joel a look and suppressed a smile.

“What?” he asked.

She shrugged, “Still don’t like it?”

He squinted through the fence at the town within, “Don’t be surprised if she’s gone.”

“We talked to her two days ago,” Tess said, “And I think we would’ve seen evidence of raiders if they came through here.”

Joel still sighed his inner turmoil as (Y/N) came out from where the chicken coop was hidden. She smiled that beaming smile and waved at them with garden gloves in hand.

“Long time no see,” she said, “How was the trip?”

Both Tess and Joel hesitated at seeing her limp towards them, a bandage clearly wrapped around her lower leg.

“Long,” Tess finally replied, waiting for the gate to open, “What happened there?” She gestured towards (Y/N)’s leg, unwinding her hands from her backpack to have easy access to grabbing a weapon.

Joel was stiff, a few fingers grazing the gun secured in his pocket.

(Y/N) seemed unphased, waving them off, “I fell while collecting more bricks from the broken house. I got a bad scrape but nothing terrible.” She opened the gate and finally sensed the tension, “Why?”

Tess eyed Joel before muttering, “Show us.”

“Excuse me?” (Y/N) asked.

“We just want to be sure,” Tess said, “We don’t want to be locked in with a biter tonight.”

(Y/N) scoffed, raising her eyebrows, “Um… yeah, sure.” She knelt to one knee with a wince and rolled her pant leg. Blood had seeped through the bandage and made a terrible sound as she peeled it away from her wound.

It was still fresh and speckled with new blood from being torn open again, but it was obviously a scrape and not a bite.

“Satisfied?” she asked, grimacing at the wound, “I’m in need of a clean bandage.”

“Can you blame us?” Tess said, relaxing her shoulders, “We had to be sure.”

“I would think one infected was nothing for you two,” she jested, stumbling to her feet and meeting Joel’s eyes, “I promise it’s nothing.”

Joel didn’t apologize, still touching the handle of his gun.

“You must be tired,” she continued, “I can show you your rooms.” She limped towards the guest house, balling the used bandage in her hands.

Tess followed, Joel left to secure the gate. He grinded his teeth as he fought the sudden urge to lecture (Y/N) about being safe. He had hoped the strange protective feeling of months before would’ve faded. But seeing her again ignited that furious part of him.

“I’ve cleaned your sheets,” (Y/N) said, entering the house and turning for the kitchen, “And there’s extra clothes in the closets.”

“That’s generous of you,” Tess said, “You mind if I shower first?”

Joel shook his head and (Y/N) called out, “No, there should be plenty of hot water for you.”

Tess nodded to her partner and climbed the stairs. Joel listened to her steps, debating on what to do next. He slung the backpack off his shoulders and felt instant relief. A shiver went down his spine as the sweat of his back cooled against the air.

A thud sounded in the kitchen and (Y/N) muttered, “Shit.”

Instinct told Joel to run towards her voice, but he held himself back as he walked into the kitchen.

(Y/N) was leaning against the counter, a stepstool overturned next to her feet. The cabinet above her was open and full of what appeared to be first aid.

Joel put two and two together, choosing not to say anything as he walked all the way over to her. He reached out easily and searched for a bandage and maybe an antibiotic.

(Y/N) inched away, suddenly overwhelmed by his body nearly pressing into hers. “I slipped,” she said quietly.

He didn’t respond, rummaging the top shelf and finding a roll of cloth.

“There’s some medicine up there too,” she muttered, “Next to the hydrogen peroxide bottle.”

Joel found it, placing the supplies on the counter and closing the cabinet.

“Thank you,” she said, waiting for him to move before claiming the first aid. She limped to the dining table, bending over to examine her leg, “I’m making chicken for dinner,” she said, wondering why he was still there, “It should be done soon.”

He leaned against the wall and folded his arms, watching her rub ointment onto the scrape.

“Did you run into anything on your way here?”

He was quiet, standing there with a hard look on his face. His lips were pursed as he contemplated her words.

“You know,” she said, unraveling the roll of cloth, “I’m pretty sure a conversation involves two people talking.”

Joel refrained a sigh, only tilting his head slightly down in her direction. Why he didn’t just go to his room, he didn’t know. The frustration building inside of him was undeniable as he watched her attempt to use the bandage.

“You’re putting it on crooked.”

She lifted her head, “What?”

He grumbled and pushed himself off the wall. He went to kneel in front of her, taking the bandage from her hands and beginning to wrap it around her leg.

She stared at him wide eyed, her mind going blank as he handled her leg. He was surprisingly soft with her, holding her with gentle hands that she didn’t expect. His hair was a soft brown, curled at the edges with the last remnants of sweat. With him bowed before her, she could spy from above easily.

He was warm and toasted from the setting sun, hands still rough and dirty with his travels. He seemed to realize it too as he held her soap scrubbed skin. The flowery smell he found on her months before was overwhelming now. He identified the sweet smell on her skin.

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

The frustration licked his ribs. “Don’t thank me,” he said, “What you’re doing here is going to get you killed.”

She stiffened under his touch, that edge of fear creeping into her vision. “Joel…”

“No,” he said lowly, “What would’ve happened if you got hurt worse than this? There’s no one here to help you.”

“I have…”

“If you say Bill and Frank I swear to god I’ll break this chair.”

(Y/N) clamped her mouth shut, terrified of the sudden anger laced between his words.

“It’s a miracle you’ve lasted this long,” he muttered, “That luck is going to run out eventually.” He tied off the bandage, “And when it does, who will be here to bury you?”

She gulped, voice shaky when she asked, “Why are you so upset? Me being dead just means one less client on your list.”

Joel stood sharply, “It means one less decent person in this fucked up world.” His eyes bored into hers, “Don’t be an idiot.”

“Don’t tell me what to do,” she challenged, but her voice was still so small.

“Don’t you understand what’s out there?” Joel said, that anger fueling his tongue. “There are people that thrive in this end of the world shit. They won’t hesitate to burn this place down and skin you alive for all its worth.”

“So I’ll build up my defenses,” (Y/N) said louder than before, “I’ll set a wider perimeter.”

“They’ll work around it,” Joel ground out, “They’ll find a way when you least expect it.”

She stood from her chair, supported by her good leg, “Don’t underestimate what I can do. I’m not helpless out here.”

“But you are alone,” Joel growled, “Alone and cushioned with your electric fences and hot water and three meals a day. There are people that would kill for that!”

“Are you offering a solution?” she said with more vigor, “Or are you just going to keep telling me what a naïve imbecile I am?”

He fisted his hands, “I’m telling you to get out of here before you get seriously hurt.”

“Why do you care so much?” She breathed heavy, her fear ebbing into apprehension again.

Joel set his jaw, staring at her for a tense few seconds before storming out of the kitchen and up the stairs to his room, the sound of Tess still in the shower above.

He had to physically stop himself from slamming the door as he went for the bathroom. He turned the sink on roughly and splashed himself with cool water.

He was doing it again. He was already getting attached.

She wasn’t his problem – wasn’t his responsibility – she was just another trade route outside Boston. It was the mantra he said to himself throughout the rest of the night.

But not before taking a lukewarm shower to calm down.

In the morning he sat on the edge of the bed with a dull ache in his head. He had a strange dream about (Y/N). It was short lived but left him with a race in his chest. He prayed that it didn’t happen again.

Tess was trading the cement mix with a number of (Y/N)’s storage items downstairs, so Joel figured he’d sneak into the café to get some coffee.

He could smell the bitter roasted beans from outside the shop door and his nerves gave a leap of joy at the thought of straight hot caffeine. He entered the café with his nose in the air and his throat thirsting for a drink.

It was a terrible surprise to see that the fresh pot of coffee came along with (Y/N) behind the counter.

Her eyes met his for a fraction of a second, turning away quickly to put away a sack of beans. Joel stood awkwardly at the door, already preparing to extinguish whatever frustrating protective feelings developed.

“Good morning,” she whispered, pouring a cup of coffee.

Joel eyed the steam curling lazily into the air and he convinced himself it was the coffee that made him stay – not because he wanted to see her beaming smile again.

He gave a gruff reply as he walked over to the counter.

She gave him the cup, “Coffee, black.”

It was too good to resist. He sat down and slid the cup towards himself, “Thank you,” he muttered.

The first sip was the richest, god he hadn’t had coffee in so long. It warmed his stomach, easing the knots in his hunched shoulders.

It’s satisfying taste provoked him to add, “How’s your leg?”

She froze against the counter, trailing her fingers along the edge, “It’s fine.”

He nodded to himself, “Good.”

She laughed under her breath, “Good,” she repeated, walking towards the other side of the shop. There she eased herself into an armchair, propping her leg on an ottoman.

Joel peered over his shoulder and saw with a raised brow, half a dozen bookshelves, each laden with more books than he cared to see in a lifetime.

He sipped his coffee again, eyeing her as she selected a book from a pile beside her. Of course she had a book collection.

“We’ll be heading out in about an hour.”

She nodded, now absorbed in her book, “See you later, asshole.”

He jerked his head around to catch her in the insult, but she was smiling softly behind her pages.

~~~

{2009 – 18 months later}

“You’re such a hypocrite!”

(Y/N) threw a coffee mug at him, successfully smashing it against the wall beside his head. He dodged the flying shards of ceramic, fuming at her accusation.

“Are you insane?”

“You have no right to lecture me about my safety when you came here alone. Isn’t that the one thing you can’t stand about me living here?”

“Tess is staying with Bill and Frank an extra day!” Joel explained, “She’ll be here tomorrow.”

(Y/N) scoffed, shoving against the café door and stomping down the center street. “Why can’t you just leave it be?”

Joel was hot on her heels, “Because I know what’s out there.”

“I’m sick of that excuse, Joel.” She rounded on him, standing in the middle of the garden, “It can’t be the only reason you’re stuck on this argument.” Her hands on her hips, she squared up to him, “I’ve proven myself for nearly two years.”

He clenched his jaw, a twitch in his cheek, “Don’t…”

She grimaced, so frustrated she was nearly disgusted by his retorts. “You make me so angry sometimes.”

In a rush of aggression, Joel grabbed her by the arms, on the verge of shaking some sense into her, “(Y/N),” he ground out. And it struck him then.

Close and hot and breathing each other’s heavy breaths. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to claim her mouth with his own. The want seized him with such urgency he was temporarily struck dumb.

His hands clamped down on her arms, keeping her close to his mouth.

“Joel,” she said full of heat, “What are you doing?”

But she was eyeing his lips now, so near her own. All she had to do was lean in.

Joel was so conflicted he was fighting every instinct in his body. His lip was starting to curl because of it, turning into a snarl as he gripped (Y/N) close to him. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

He wasn’t supposed to get attached, wasn’t supposed to want her.

But god she was so infuriating, so tempting.

His snarl neared her mouth, on the verge of devouring her. But in a sheer act of will he managed to push away – stumble back – and take a deep breath that wasn’t full of her clean, flowery scent.

He was running hot now, growing stiff as he stood there. He couldn’t steady his breaths, hands on his hips as he stared her down.

She was flushed and breathless in a way that spoke of innocent confusion. Her eyes were wide, and a delicate hand was resting on her chest, as if she had to hold back the pounding of her heart.

Oh God.

Joel bit back a growl, “I saw raiders… (Y/N). On my way over here. They were a few miles back but it’s the closest we’ve seen them in years. They’re scouting.” He knew better than to take a step closer to her. “And they will find you here.”

“I’ll be fine.”

He ran a hand over his beard, cursing to himself, “Fucking… this isn’t a joke, (Y/N). You could be in some serious danger.”

“I’ll figure it out,” she said, full of emotion, “I always do.”

That flush was settling in her cheeks and her eyes became glassy with it.

“Don’t be stupid.”

She clenched her jaw, screwing her lips up in a scowl. “I think you should leave.”

“(Y/N)…”

“Go away, Joel!” she fumed, standing her ground, “We made our trade – you have no business staying here any longer.”

He cursed her, making for the exit like he didn’t know what else to do. Hot blood was beating in his ears and as much as he hated her choice to stay, he still wanted her. He still wanted to be near her regardless of how angry she made him.

She knew he could reach Bill and Franks before nightfall or else she never would have sent him away. And at their little compound he pushed past Tess and found refuge in his own room for the remainder of the night.

Frank was curious as ever. “What’s gotten into him?” he asked Tess, “Ran into some trouble?”

Tess sighed, holding her glass of wine, “I told him to go on ahead to (Y/N)’s.” She took a sip, “Maybe I thought they could use some alone time together.”

Frank raised his eyebrows, suppressing a smile, “Little miss matchmaker you are.”

“Obviously it didn’t work,” she said, “But I know there’s something there.”

“I believe it,” he laughed, “Every asshole needs their sunshine person.”

Tess shared the laugh, “And a sunshine person (Y/N) is.” She raised her glass, “Let’s hope she manages to put him in his place.”

Frank eyed where Joel had just stormed off to, “If she hasn’t already.”

They shared a drink and wished each other a good night, oblivious to the fact that Joel was tossing and turning in his sheets, livid with the idea that (Y/N) could control him even when she wasn’t there.

He was angry and restless and resented how his cock twitched with dreams of her – how he very nearly kissed her just hours before.

It haunted him until dawn when he awoke with the distinct wish for a coffee from the café. He rubbed hard at his face, groaning with the lack of control on his own thoughts. (Y/N) was there smiling at him in his minds eye. Her clean flowery scent filling his nose.

He willed the blood to keep from rushing downward.

Tess and Frank were at the kitchen table, enjoying some eggs and toast. There was a black coffee waiting for him, steaming with the heat. His eyes flickered to the counter to see a bag of coffee beans clearly from (Y/N)’s town.

Tess followed his eyes and smirked, “You slept in.”

“Or he’s just been staring at the ceiling all night,” Frank smiled, “Figured you needed a coffee either way.”

Joel glared at them, sitting down and eagerly drinking the bitter coffee. He licked his lips, “I want to get back to the QZ before dark. We should leave soon.”

Frank groaned, “I always miss you guys when you’re gone.”

“Why do you think I stayed so long this time,” Tess said, “But we’ve got other trades to make. And there’s always the chance the QZ finds us missing. I don’t think I want to head back knowing there’s a noose waiting for me.”

There was a thud as heavy footfalls came from outside. Frank was to his feet immediately, knowing who was making the sound.

Bill came through the door, his breath a little labored, “Joel…”

“What is it?” Frank questioned, meeting him at the door, “What happened?”

Joel rose to his feet, a spark of fear igniting in his chest. If Bill wanted to speak with him, it could only mean grave news.

“Outside,” Bill said, “There’s smoke coming in from the east. A lot of it. I tried to radio (Y/N), and I can’t get a signal. Her channel has never been turned off before.”

Tess moved her head from one man to the other, “Joel…” she began as if she was trying to soothe him before something reckless happened. “It doesn’t mean…”

But Joel was shoving his way outside to look towards the east, the sun still rising as the day began. In the distance was a large billowing cloud of smoke. It was wide and black, meaning something big was burning hot and still raging.

East meant (Y/N)’s town. It meant something terrible had happened. And his blood ran cold.

“Joel,” Tess said behind his back, her mouth falling open, “What could’ve…”

Joel ran back inside for his pack, Bill waiting for him with a polished handgun and a box of ammo. A silent wish of luck that only Bill could express. They shared a look of understanding – that this was a moment of dread that people prayed would never happen to someone they cared about.

Joel gave him a nod of thanks and set out with Tess only five minutes later. He was keeping a runners pace until Tess asked him to slow down.

“Let’s not exhaust ourselves before we know what the threat is.”

“It was those raiders,” Joel bit back, “I told you they were heading this way.”

Tess was thinking it too, “She has a fighting chance,” she said. “She’s well prepared.”

Joel fought against the fear planted in his chest, “I shouldn’t have left.”

Tess wasn’t sure how to respond to that. “We’ll deal with it when we get there.”

It was the quickest they had ever made the trip, using the black billowing smoke as their guide. It never wavered and it never died down, meaning the fire wasn’t done burning everything in its path.

It would attract people for miles around.

Reaching a clearing, the pair of them paused to survey the area. Tess, as ever, was saying what Joel thought.

“Oh my god.”

The lookout house was in flames. The open windows were licked with fire, sending plumes of smoke into the open air. It crackled with heat and broke through part of the roof, sending ash and smoldering wood to the ground.

Bodies were littered outside the fence line – raiders that were caught in traps, shot by a rifle, or electrocuted by the fence. Some were tangled with the barbed wire lining the walls, others were smoking from once being engulfed in flames.

And how many managed to get inside, Joel thought.

They ran for the gate, Tess putting in the code that (Y/N) gave them months before.

Joel held up his new handgun, aiming for anything that moved. His breath was steady against the erratic beating of his heart. That fear in his chest controlled only by the instinct of hunting down whoever remained of the raiding party.

They kept their heads down, guns out, and feet moving in quiet steps. They scouted the guest house, checking the storage beneath the floorboards – it was untouched. They moved on to the main house and though it was ransacked, there wasn’t anyone there.

They went towards the shops, slowing down when they spotted two more bodies outside the electronics store.

Tess gave Joel a nod, and he went to check the faces – both raiders – before spying inside the open doors of the store. He could hear the crackle of electricity, could see the vibrant sparks of an open wire. The white smoke told him the radio was probably destroyed.

The sudden swing of the café door had them spinning around with scary precision.

“Oh, fuck!” said the raider, fumbling for a gun strapped to his belt.

Joel made quick work of shooting the guy in the leg. The raider cried out, falling to his side and yelling for any other help.

Tess kept her gun out as Joel ran for the injured thief.

“Help! Help me!” the man cried, grabbing onto his thigh, blood leaking out and beginning to pool beneath him. He tried to scoot away, “No, no, man stop!”

Joel landed a punch to the raiders face. He ignored the shots fired by Tess as she took down another exiting the café.

“Where is she?” Joel muttered. He dropped his gun, using his free hands to grab the raider by the jacket, “Where is she?”

The man jerked, a trickle of blood falling from his mouth, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, man.”

Joel hit him again, “Don’t fuck with me, kid. I’m not in the mood.”

The raider looked terrified, “The girl… that lives here…”

Joel was holding him up in a sitting position, hands itching for his throat, “Where?”

“Couple of my buddies took her in the back.” He nodded towards the electronics store.

With a hard thrust of his hands, Joel slammed the man into the cobblestones of the street. Whether the impact knocked the man out or killed him, Joel didn’t care. He stood to enter the store, gun left forgotten on the ground.

“Joel!” Tess yelled, running after him.

He ignored her, barging into the store and tensing at the sound of whimpering coming from the back room.

He ran towards the sound, tearing open the door to see a sight that had the air knocked out of him.

(Y/N) sat curled in the corner of the room, hands outstretched towards the men above her, pleading them to stop. She was bruised and bloody – no longer smiling like life wasn’t hard, no longer clean with fresh flower soap.

She was terrified and hurt. A combination of things that had white noise filling Joel’s ears. He saw red as the remaining raiders turned towards him. The disgusting sound of their laughter ceased with the fire in Joel’s eyes.

Tess realized then that Joel didn’t need his gun. He didn’t need her for backup. He just went wild.

Raw instinct launched him towards the men, clobbering one and manhandling the other. He slammed one against the wall, hitting him until pain finally registered in his hand. The bloodied raider slumped to the ground, signaling to his partner to get the hell out of there.

But Joel had already turned and found the last assailant stumbling to his feet after being hit. He threw the man into the back room shelves, kicking him into the ground. He knelt over the raider and punished him with the fury that fueled Joel.

By the end Tess had a grimace on her face, a twist in her stomach that knew it would take Joel a while to come back from what he just did. She stood by (Y/N), shielding her until Joel was finished.

“(Y/N),” he rasped, ragged from the fight, “(Y/N)…” He met her on the floor, not daring to touch her yet.

Tess backed up, going outside to ensure they weren’t interrupted by any surprise raiders.

(Y/N) couldn’t control her breathing, silent tears running tracks through the ash and blood of her face. She kept her hands up, as if it were a measly last defense in saving her life.

Joel felt the fire extinguish in his head, pain blossoming across his knuckles as his hands began to shake. “(Y/N),” he tried again, “Hey, it’s going to be okay.”

She finally peeked above her hands at him, “Joel…” she said breathless.

A stab of pain went through his chest, “Yeah, baby,” he said. “I’m here.”

She was hesitant but as a fresh wave of tears came over her in gratitude, she started to lean into him. And Joel grabbed onto her instantly.

He wrapped her up with his arms and drew her close, “I’ve got you. You’re okay.”

“I thought…” she tried to say, “I thought I was dead.”

“No,” Joel cut her off, “I won’t let that happen.” He squeezed her tight to his chest, saying the things he needed to hear just as much as her. “You’re okay. You’re safe.” Because with him there beside her, she was safe. He could keep her that way.

“They used one of the oak trees,” she muttered, “They climbed and secured a rope across the fence and into the house. They waited until I was alone.”

Joel swallowed hard, putting a hand to the back of her head. “It’s over – they’re all gone.” He shielded her from the bloody mess behind them, “Let’s get you clean up. Tess and I… we’ll take care of everything.”

They managed to get (Y/N) into her house and while Tess volunteered to help with a shower and taking care of her injuries, Joel set out to correct his mistakes.

He gathered the raider bodies and burned them outside the fence line, the acrid smoke masked by the house fire. He found the stolen supplies and placed them back where they belonged. He reset the traps and reloaded the weapons. He even managed to dampen the spread of the house fire so it wouldn’t jump to the other buildings.

Late into the night, restless with the events of the day, (Y/N) asked Tess why Joel hadn’t visited her yet. He had been out all day and into the night.

Tess stayed by her side, resting in an armchair. “He’s trying to make things right,” she said, “He’s working out his frustration.”

“At me?”

“No,” Tess said warmly, “With himself. With those raiders. And… I’m not sure he can stand the sight of you hurt.”

(Y/N) laid in bed, contemplating her words. “He’s going to have to come in eventually.”

“He will,” Tess continued, “After he’s figured out how to apologize to you.”

“He doesn’t have…”

“Oh, yes he does,” Tess smiled, “He won’t rest until he feels like he deserves your forgiveness. And even then…” she shrugged her shoulders. “He’ll blame himself for you getting hurt.”

By morning (Y/N) was able to shuffle towards the window, curious at a thudding sound outside. She pulled blankets closer to her bruised body and peered apprehensively towards the still smoldering lookout house.

It was emitting nothing more than ashy white smoke, meaning the fire could no longer find anything more to burn. And behind the house, beyond the fence, was Joel.

With an axe in hand, he was chopping down the oak tree that helped the raiders get in.

~~~

{2012 – three years after the raid}

After many heated arguments and prolonged visits, the old routine came back.

Joel and Tess returned to their usual trade routes, checking on (Y/N) whenever possible. (Y/N) rebuilt her radio and kept more frequent contact with her friends. She managed to rebuild her defenses and even had Bill attempt to break in a couple times to ensure maximum security.

Her wounds healed but left scars.

She no longer beamed, but simply smiled. She no longer welcomed with open arms, but with a small wave.

Joel struggled to look at her during visits. He tried to distance himself from conversation but couldn’t deny how badly he wished her safety. He’d stand on pins and needles waiting for her to pick up the radio. He’d frantically search the town before finding her reading in the café.

He was head over heels now. Dependent on her being alive and well. And that terrified him.

He had a taste of the panic that consumed him when she was in danger. When he saw her hurt. When he thought of her dead. It made him weak in the knees.

Joel knew that if he let himself he would love her until their dying day. He’d deal with their bickering and name calling and teasing because at the end of the day, he’d kiss her and hold her close, and remember a time when it wasn’t so scary to love.

But that panic ate at him. Reminded him of a grief he couldn’t go through again.

It led him to distance himself during visits. At least he tried to. It didn’t stop him from thinking of her when he touched himself at night.

If he let himself… he could love her like she deserved.

He maneuvered around the trip wires guarding the paths to her town. He ducked under explosives and jumped over potholes.

It had been nearly seven months since he last saw her. They briefly spoke each week on the radio just to check in, but it wasn’t the same as seeing her in person.

He knew he shouldn’t be as excited as he was – knew he shouldn’t have gotten her an extra gift with his trade – knew he shouldn’t have gone out by himself while Tess handled other trades.

But he couldn’t help himself.

She was sitting on her front porch when he reached the gate.

Maybe it was the fact she never interacted with other men, but the sight of him put butterflies in her stomach. She hadn’t felt a man touch her in years and the back and forth between her and Joel was putting her frustratingly close to the edge.

“Hey, there,” she called, watching him saunter over. He had one of his blue button downs on, a worn jacket on top. The corners of his lips barely upturned at her voice.

“How have you been?” he asked gruffly, taking a seat beside her.

She shrugged, “Did you find what I need?”

Joel noted her vague change of subject, “Yeah, here.” He opened his pack to retrieve a few packets of seeds and medicine.

(Y/N) became transfixed with how his hands moved, large and strong, her eyes moving along the veins and tendons working on the back of his palm.

She was just following the line of muscle along his arm when he waved the goods in front of her face.

“You okay?” he asked, holding out the medicine bottles, “You don’t need these because you’re sick, right?”

She felt warmth bloom across her cheeks, “I’m fine.” She cleared her throat, “I haven’t seen you in a while is all.”  

Joel’s deep look of concern remained, “What’s the matter?”

She turned her gaze to her town, swallowing hard, “Nothing really.”

“(Y/N),” he said quietly. The baritone of his voice reverberated through her spine. His breath near her ear made her shiver. It was making him suddenly afraid. “What’s going on?”

Feeling him so close was sending goosebumps across her skin. God was she really that touch starved? He was overwhelming her without even touching her.

She stood up jerkily, “Nothing’s going on, as per usual.” She walked into her house, throwing the seed packets on the kitchen table and making for the stairs.

Joel got frantically to his feet, bewildered by her behavior. This wasn’t one of their usual arguments – something was wrong and if she kept evading his questions then he was going to get frustrated.

“Then why are you upset?” he followed her up the stairs and into her bedroom.

She went for the en suite bathroom, placing her new pills in the medicine cabinet. “I’m not.”

Joel felt that annoyance build in his gut, “You are.” He stood in the doorway, cornering her in the bathroom. “Why won’t you give me a reason?”

When she turned to see the way blocked by his broad frame, she gulped. He was bracing himself by putting both hands on the doorway and (Y/N) couldn’t help trailing her eyes along his build.

He was looking at her with a face full of concern, lined and rough with just a hint of frustration at her lack of answers.

It was hot. And (Y/N) hadn’t realized how low that heat had traveled since first seeing him walk through the gate. God she really was that touch starved. She was feeling breathless just looking at him.

Joel looked even more worried, “You sure you’re feeling alright?”

“Could you back up please?” her voice was small and nearly desperate, “Please?”

His eyebrows rose, lifting his hands in surrender and retreating for the bed, “I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to corner you.”

She shook her head, heat putting a flush across her chest, “You know I’ve never had a problem being alone.”

Joel looked at her, silent as he sensed a confession coming.

“I’ve always enjoyed the peace and the freedom,” she said quietly, “But there was something I didn’t expect after all these years.”

She took a step forward and Joel had the sudden urge to grab her and hold her.

“I didn’t expect to feel lonely,” she said, “But I am. I’m so lonely here by myself. And it’s driving me insane.” She took another step towards Joel.

He reacted instantly, reaching out to offer his hand. When he found hers, he pulled her closer to him, “I can help with that.”

If he let himself… he could love her fiercely. And with her looking at him with such wide, desperate eyes, he felt ready to snap his resolve in two.

He pulled her closer, having her stand between his legs, “Would you let me help you?” With his free hand he ran a few fingers up her arm and she gasped. A high breathy sound as a shiver ran through her body.

“Fuck,” Joel said, “How long has it been for you?”

She shook her head, already feeling dizzy, “Help me.”

His cock began to ache as blood flew to it. “Tell me,” he said, “Tell me what you want me to do.”

“Help me feel,” she whimpered, “Not feel so alone.”

He groaned deep in his chest, pulling her closer to him, “If I do, a lot of things are going to change.”

She was lightheaded with his hands pulling on her wrists, placing them on his cheeks, “God I hope so.” She held onto his face, tilting it up to where she could plant her lips against his.

He responded immediately, reaching for her waist, groaning against her lips.

It was overstimulating having him touch her, even the barest of touches on her waist had her trembling. His hand wandered up her back, exploring her body with slow, steady hands. It was making her gasp against his mouth, eyes screwed shut and lips wet with his.

“You’re so sensitive,” Joel murmured, “Don’t worry – I’ll go slow.”

He retook her lips, swallowing her unsteady breaths. He started to stand from the bed, keeping his mouth on hers. His hands went from her sides to her jaw, holding her face up to him.

As he stood, her neck began to crane to keep her lips to his, sucking in breaths whenever she could. With him at his full height, she was flush against his chest. It was evident he was beginning to strain against his pants as she felt the bulge press into her midsection.

It sent fast trickles of warmth down between her legs. “Joel,” she said breathlessly, “God, Joel… it’s so much.”

“It feels good?” he muttered, pulling away to kiss her cheek, “Too much for you?”

She shook her head, easily turning her head to give him access to her neck.

“Needy,” he grinned, kissing the soft skin of her neck, “So needy for me.”

She moaned, planting her hands on his shoulders to steady herself. His lips were hot and wet as he nipped and sucked the column of her throat. He teased a sensitive part above her collarbone, relishing in the gasp it produced.

He sucked until he knew she was branded with his lips. He ran his tongue across the new hurt, already planning for the next spot to bruise with his teeth.

But her legs were slowly becoming water, unable to support her as she gave way to the feeling of Joel taking care of her.

“I’ve got you,” he said into her neck, arms wrapped around her waist, “Let go, baby.”

She fell into him, and he easily laid her on the bed, eyeing her against the sheets as he wondered where to go next. He was drawn instantly to the wet patch growing on the fabric between her legs.

“Fuck, baby,” he growled deep in his throat. “You’re that wet for me, and we haven’t taken off a single piece of clothing yet.”

She responded with trying to take her shirt off, making Joel laugh.

“Don’t,” she said, “Please.”

The desperation in her voice was driving him mad. Joel took her fumbling hands and pinned them above her head with one of his own. “Let me do it.”

He bowed his head and started kissing a trail down her chest and across her shirt. She started to squirm as he kept pressing his lips down her clothed stomach and finally her clothed heat. His free hand crept up her shivering leg and began to tug at her pants.

Her wriggling made it easier as he pulled at one hip and then the other, dragging the pants away. His lips went to kiss each inch of newly exposed skin as her clothes were tugged down. He finally released his hold on her hands, eager to remove her shirt as well.

They made quick work of leaving her in nothing but her panties. Her breasts full and perked with arousal. Joel eyed her with a mouthwatering gaze. She was so desperate for his touch her back was arching off the bed in search of his hands.

“If I had known sooner,” he said, laying on her until his face was level with her chest, “I would’ve done this years ago.”

Needing something – anything – to grab onto, (Y/N) wove her fingers into his hair. He smelt of wood oil and coffee and leather, sending her into another spiral as his lips found purchase between her breasts.

He laid claim to the valley there with new bruises, trailing his tongue after his handywork. With his body pinning her down, he could feel every shiver as he kissed and nipped around her nipple. She pulled at his hair and drew a moan out of him.

“You’ve waited this long, baby,” he teased, “Just be patient.”

She cried out when his took her in his mouth, running his tongue around her nipple. His hand found her other breast, giving it the equal attention it deserved.

The sound of her sensitive cries had him rutting his clothed cock into her. He was starting to lose control of himself, years of pent up frustrated feelings getting the better of him.

“Hang on,” he said, pulling away to remove his shirt, “Nearly there. I want to help you feel good.”

“It’s so good,” she whimpered, “You’re so good to me, Joel.”

He grinned, claiming her mouth once more, “You’re trembling, sweetheart. You’ve been on the edge this whole time.”

She nodded frantically, a look of pain between her brows. She was pushing him by the shoulders – pushing him down to between her legs.

“Is it too much?” he questioned her pained expression.

“Please…” she cried to him, “I need you, Joel. I want you now.”

He knew she was already overstimulated, had been from the start. He would need to be careful about how far he pushed her before it wasn’t enjoyable anymore.

He conceded, “Okay, baby.” He ran a finger along the elastic of her underwear, “You ready for me?”

“Yes,” she pleaded, “Yes, please, god.”

Joel was painfully aware of how aching his cock was now, already spurting with precum. It was an effort not to jerk into his hand as he freed himself from his pants.

She could barely concentrate on the length of him, just inching her hips forward until he grabbed her hips in warning.

“I’ve got you,” he said, “Let me help.” He planted a kiss over her clothed heat before dragging her underwear down and off her ankles.

He groaned, pumping his cock a few times, “You’re so goddamn beautiful.” He ran his tip through her folds, covering himself in her slick, “And so wet.”

He lined up at her entrance before bracing himself above her, chest to chest and lips nearly touching. When he sunk into her an inch, they both moaned at the pressure. He wanted to see the look on her face as he pushed in another inch.

Her hands flew for his face, holding him as she adjusted to his size. Her mouth fell open in a silent gasp, looking at him with pinched brows. He growled at the expression, urging himself to keep going slow. She was already wriggling with how sensitive she was.

If he dared brush her clit, she might have just screamed.

“Tell me if it’s too much,” he watched the slight pain in her pinched brow. He wanted to know the instant it was from actual pain and not pleasure, “I’ll stop – just tell me.”

“No,” she pleaded, “Give it to me, please. God, Joel – fuck me.”

He rutted his hips by accident, bewitched by her words. It was going to be quick, he already knew. The pair of them desperate for love.

He started slow, rolling his hips into hers, keeping himself chest to chest with her. He wanted to be touching as much of her as he could. He wanted to hold her as she came. His lips found hers as his pace started to grow.

She was already tensing around him, every sensitive nerve in her body reaching a breaking point as her orgasm grew. She kissed him back, whimpering with every thrust of his hips.

“I’m…” she said breathlessly, “I’m so close, Joel.”

“I know, baby,” he said, rocking into her with more force, “I want you to. Give it to me.”

She ran her hands down his back, digging her nails in as her body began to seize. Joel wrapped his arms around her, holding her against the bed as she gripped the hair on the back of his head. She cried out from the overstimulation the orgasm was giving her, combined with Joel’s constant motion inside of her.

“I’ve got you,” he breathed against her neck, “You’re doing so good, baby.”

And as she trembled, still clenched tight around him, Joel felt himself start to tip over the edge.

“Fuck,” he ground out, “Fuck…” as he pulled himself out of her to spill between their bodies, hot and thick across their stomachs. They were breathing each other’s air again, pressed into each other in an embrace.

And when Joel realized she was still trembling after he calmed down, he pulled away. “Shit, baby – I’m sorry.”

She was weak with the pleasure, pained with the sensitivity, and dizzy from his body on hers. He pressed a lingering kiss to her hair and went for the bathroom, wiping his stomach clean of his cum before running a washcloth under the tap for (Y/N).

He returned quickly, sitting on the bed and carefully cleaning her skin. She squirmed when he reached between her legs and as an apology he kissed her thigh, “I’m sorry.”

She put a hand to his cheek, drawing his gaze, “I’m okay.” She smiled, “I’m better than okay.”

He looked relieved, dark brown eyes beaming with her smile. He quietly got up and retrieved some clean clothes, dressing himself and then taking his time in redressing her. Much more gentle then how he was taking them off.

It was cautious and intimate, Joel unsure of himself when it came to such acts of love. He didn’t want to overwhelm her any more than she already was.

“I knew if I let myself do this… I wouldn’t be able to turn back.” He crawled up the bed, refraining from touching her sensitive skin too much, “I’m in love with you, (Y/N). And that scares the hell out of me.”

“I know,” she said quietly, completely spent and exhausted from her shot nerves. “I love you too.”

You’d never know Joel was a hardened survivor by the way he smiled at her words. “What took us so long?”

“You’re always getting on my nerves,” she said sarcastically.

“And you’re always driving me insane,” he said in return, settling against the pillows. He looked at her now with a more innocent, inquisitive expression. “How do you feel?”

She turned her head to him, “Like I want to stay in this bed with you all day.”

He continued to smile, but his eyes were still warm, lovestruck. “I can help with that.” He got closer to her, slowly wrapping her up close to his chest. He pulled the blankets over them, asking softly, “Is this okay? You can tell me if it’s too much.”

“It’s just right,” she said, melting into his chest. “All I need is you.”

Joel kissed her hair, remembering how safe she felt in his arms. His own fears drowned out by the contented sigh escaping her.

And suddenly the world was quiet. And they were just two people that fell in love.

~~~

Masterlist

It’s written in my rules, but I’m going to write it here too. I don’t accept requested smut. I’m new to the writing and will only write it when I feel like it. Thank you.

Tag List:

@caswinchester2000 @aria253264 @bippity-boppity-boopa @kaqua @cameleonfrenzy @shyposttree

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[samobservessonic]

We’re continuing the current run of oneshots for the main story, but it's a Kitching & Elson one, so you know it’s going to be great right away. The setting is hardly subtle, with Troopers reaching the stage of grabbing anyone to turn into badniks with the logic that “everyone is guilty of something”

Now, a few issues ago, we saw something interesting in the oneshot about the kid and his badnik friend, where the kid was spoken to by the troopers and then allowed to go about his day. Up until then, I’d kind of been assuming that StC worked a bit more like the games, where any of the Mobians were up for grabs to be turned into badniks. But that isn’t the case here. From almost the start, we’ve seen there are a lot of Mobians who support and work with Robotnik. This makes more sense from the perspective that Robotnik isn’t turning everyone into badniks. And while we as the audience know that Robotnik would indeed take anyone he wanted to throw in a robot, there are definitely a lot of Mobians who believe that they’re exempt from it… so long as they behave “I didn’t think the guy who kidnaps people and turns them into mindless slaves would do that to me” and all that. So basically, in StC, Robotnik’s dictatorship provides him with a following of rightwing supporters. It’s not a million miles away from how Sonic Underground handles it, but it is very different to SatAM and Archie. Which isn’t a judgement on any of these series, just an observation. Since this blog is alo for my stray thoughts about Sonic spin-offs

We’re then given this imposing shot of Robotnik to give some context. The recent destruction of his statue has made it clear to him that Mobius views him as less of a threat right now. With the Emerald Hill folk safely off his radar and the Freedom Fighters bagging more wins, everyone’s assuming that he’s on his way out (spoilers: he is) and he’s digging his heels in to show that’s not the case. Even if it means going after people who, if not support him, at least keep their heads down when the troopers pass by

But it’s time to cut away to our heroes and, as has been the trend lately, we’ve got the trio of Sonic, Amy & Johnny. With Porker retiring from action and Tails off having his own adventures, these three are our main guys at least up until Amy teams up wit Tekno and Sonic is forced to room with the Chaotix for a bit

But for right now, Sonic is mortified by the civilians' assumption that Amy is his girlfriend. Y’know, looking back at these, I think I can safely list StC as the origin of why I never got into shipping SonAmy, since he’s really, really not into the idea of dating her here and even Amy loses interest from a romantic POV later on

Heck, I feel like we’re starting to enter that era now, since this comes across more as Amy teasing a friend than anything else, at least to me?

We can’t have this story just be the crew busting some prisoners out with no opposition though, so here’s our villains of the week

You folks know by now that I generally skip over a lot of the fight scenes. So let’s say “There is a fight scene” and carry on lol

Which is resolved by Amy using her brains and figuring out the ol’ “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtains” trick

Then we have an ending to this battle that I find quite interesting: Amy lets Sonic think that he’s won, but Johnny notices

There’s been a couple of times now when we’ve seen that in his inner-thoughts, Sonic isn’t quite as confident as he puts across. It’s important to him that people have faith in him and his abilities, even if he has doubts about himself that he’d rather hide. I do wonder if Amy knows this and that could be another reason behind her not taking credit, besides that she doesn’t want to take the limelight and thinks being the star suits Sonic better. It's good that the Mobians have faith in Sonic. They need that Regardless of what she thinks, she’ll be well-known as a hero herself soon enough, but for now she’s shrugging her shoulders about this win

I also like when they paint Johnny as the more level-headed and observant one of the group. After this era, we start to see less of Johnny, but I enjoy how he’s being written at the moment

[jokertrap-ran]

[スタオケ] La Corda d'Oro Starlight Orchestra Osakabe Seiji Cast Story Chapter 2 Translation

*Starlight Orchestra Masterlist | Osakabe Seiji's Personal Masterlist *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Osakabe's Route Tag will be #Seiji's Star

Seiji: You’re awfully cheery today, Ryuzaki. Did something good happen?

Hayate: Yeah. Bando-san contacted me recently, and it’s been a long time since we last talked to each other!

Seiji: Bando-san? Now that’s a familiar name.

☆ ━━━━━━━ ∘◦♬◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ☆

Hayate: Oh, you don’t know? Bando-san’s a member of last year’s Starlight Orchestra. He’s currently attending university in another prefecture.

Seiji: He’s a tuba enthusiast.

Hayate: Well, you don’t really see people who are as enthusiastic about it as he is, that’s for sure.

Hayate: He’s still keeping up with those daily training runs he’s been doing ever since his time in the Starlight Orchestra.

Hayate: How nostalgic…

Seiji: Ahh… I’ve heard that those were good for helping increase one’s lung capacity.

Seiji: I didn’t get the chance to join in on that, but that sounds more like something a sports club would do.

Seiji: But, come to think of it now, I remember that you were always doing it with them despite being part of the strings.

Hayate: I was invited, so I figured I might as well build some stamina.

Hayate: I remember as clear as day that he’d often lament about how you’d always turn him down, claiming that you were too busy.

Seiji: …I’m grateful for the invitation, but our schedules never matched.

Hayate: There were even plans for everyone to go running together if we went to Vienna to represent Japan.

Seiji: Oh? I suppose he’s making the best out of his youth.

Hayate: Yeah. I bet it’d make for some unforgettable memories if it actually happened.

Hayate: If it wasn’t for Glanz… It looks like Bando-san’s still pretty hung up about it even now.

Seiji: …

Hayate: We have to defeat Glanz this year and take the world stage.

☆ ━━━━━━━ ∘◦♬◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ☆

Hayate: Oh, right! Why don’t we invite him to our concert?

Hayate: It’s a brilliant chance to show him just how much the Starlight Orchestra has grown.

Seiji: Good idea. I’m sure he’ll be pleased.

Hayate: Now we’re talking! I’ll go get Narumiya to procure a ticket for us.

Seiji: Ryuzaki seems to be in pretty high spirits after getting into contact with an old friend.

Seiji: There’s even a considerable spring in his steps, so much that he may just as likely start skipping as he walks.

Seiji: …Hm?

Seiji: Did something I said pique your interest?

☆ ━━━━━━━ ∘◦♬◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ☆

Seiji: …We have starkly different levels of enthusiasm?

Seiji: How observant of you. I’d almost praise you for it, but…

Seiji: Running in Vienna sounds like a beautiful dream.

Seiji: I'm almost sorry to burst his bubble, but I find it hard to picture a dream like that.

Seiji: Even if Glanz wasn’t in the picture last year, I doubt the Starlight Orchestra would ever be able to take to the world stage.

Seiji: If it truly were an Orchestra capable of taking to the world stage, then I wouldn’t have been able to join them in the first place.

▷Choice: But you won 4th place, didn’t you…?

Seiji: A mere fourth isn’t anything special.

Seiji: A “proper” Orchestra would have even more stringent rules that they’d all have to adhere to.

Seiji: This means that they’ll most likely do background checks on all applicants. And that would make it impossible for someone like me to join them.

Seiji: Though, Ryuzaki is still adamant that last year’s Starlight Orchestra had also been faring pretty well as a “proper” Orchestra,

Seiji: Well, if accepting almost anyone from all walks of life is what makes the Starlight Orchestra stand out from the others, then I suppose the current Starlight Orchestra can be considered a legitimate successor.

☆ ━━━━━━━ ∘◦♬◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ☆

???: (L/n)-san!

Teacher: Thank goodness I managed to catch up to you in time!

Teacher: I needed to pass this document to Osakabe Seiji, you see, and he's part of the Starlight Orchestra.

The document seems to list the entry requirements for a competition.

Teacher: I was wondering if he'd like to participate in another competition again. Of course, that depends on whether he's interested.

Teacher: Osakabe-kun has potential, you see.

Teacher: And apparently, the reason why he came fourth in the Concours last year was because he refused to play the second piece in the finals and withdrew.

Teacher: The outcome might have been different had he remained till the end.

Teacher: That's why I'm hoping that he'll participate in this competition.

Teacher: If he wants to be taught by a music teacher, or if he wants to join Seiso Academy’s music department…

Teacher: Please tell him to contact me, regardless. I will do my best to support him on all fronts.

Teacher: Sorry, but I hope you can help convey my message to him!

☆ ━━━━━━━ ∘◦♬◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ☆

Seiji: …Oh? You're still here?

Seiji: Hm? What's that document you have there?

Seiji: Ahh, information about the Concours? I've already heard about it.

Seiji: What’s the matter? If you have something to say, then out with it.

▷Choice: You withdrew from the finals back then…?

Seiji: Oh dear, I see that word has reached you.

Seiji: I see. That explains why you look so grim.

Seiji: …Dear me.

Seiji: I did waste a great opportunity, but can't you forgive me for having withdrawn?

Seiji: You're way too serious, just like Ryuzaki.

Seiji: I'll take the document though. See you next time.

☆ ━━━━━━━ ∘◦♬Seiji’s Star♬◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ☆

Previous Part: (Chapter 1) Next Part: (Chapter 3)

[slowpoke272]

“the stand” by stephen king

finished: january 2, 2023

oof where to begin. WHERE TO BEGIN

this is my third stephen king novel, i read “IT” in 2019 and read “’salem’s lot” in 2020. i really like stephen king and while i completely understand the desire to bring his stories to the big screen (and many of them are movies/shows worth seeing, too) i think his stories flourish as written word. just makes it so much more thrilling and without any limitations of visuals. stephen king knows our minds are our greatest thrill and he uses that to his advantage.

“the stand” i had heard was the one that was “just like 2020″ because of a deadly virus. it had been described to me like this on an individual and global standpoint: it’s marketed as an apocalyptic novel. and it’s very, very lengthy.

just in case, spoilers ahead?

so we do start off with big scary virus, only unlike the real 2020 pandemic, this one is totally manmade and comes with hefty criticism of the military as they are the ones handling this whole “project.” everything is maintained in labs and all is well until it isn’t, all it takes it one slip up one time from one guard and BAM, end of the world. pretty poetic huh. even though how it happens is way different, to me the most relatable thing is that it’s so believable that something so destructive would be hanging by a thread and upon it being unleashed, humanity has zero preparation to stop it and very little of the population even knows it exists as a threat.

shit hits the fan and we see the trickle effect quickly in action across the county, state, and country. there is an absolute explosion of characters and you can tell king is gonna save some of these characters but definitely a lot of people will be dying. even though you know their demise is coming, it’s still a bit terrifying how some of them come to pass.

frannie right away is our darling heroine, pregnant and without her mother’s love or blessing, we’re drawn to her right away. nick andros was my favorite character immediately, there was just something so charming about him, and he was already so resilient by the time the plague happened. nick and tom cullen’s relationship had to be my favorite bond of the whole novel, the impossibility of their communication is thrillingly tragic but we’re still able to have hallmark moments between the two of them.

i didn’t know what to think of stu for the longest time, for some reason i thought he might end up being like a harold, i guess solely on stu’s east texas context and what he was doing when the accident happened. just didn’t see him being any kind of hero but simply getting by. just like in real life, our first impressions can be very misguided. larry underwood became a fun surprise with his character arc, in fact i think more than anyone else, larry was completely redeemed. really didn’t care much about him at all after rita died, but when he came in contact with nadine and leo, it showed that he was grateful for a clean slate and ready to change. he was a totally different person after that and i slowly came to like him.

harold. you meet him and are disgusted, like frannie you can easily go with ignoring his existence entirely. then you find out a little bit more about him, how he was trying to be thoughtful to frannie, and how he stuck by her to get her out of town... started liking the guy and sympathizing with him. then stu comes along and harold’s jealousy takes center stage in his character arc and it never leaves. it’s like, okay, i get it to an extent, you have a “special” connection with fran because you knew her before the world ended, but once it’s clear the other person doesn’t feel the same way... let it go, man. even if you’re the only two people left on earth, it doesn’t give you any entitlement to anyone or mean that your connection is infinite.

by the time to get to mother abigail’s, the story has already taken on a form i didn’t expect to see coming. this is my third king novel so i felt like, duh, of course there’s gonna be some magical realism going on and of course there are going to be unforeseen twists. king does a great job of creating his universe, one that is just close enough to ours to be relatable, but one he can play in and set the rules for and we’re still just as hooked. the point isn’t whether or not you believe in magic, the point is what the characters are doing with the magic and the likelihood that people would behave this way, and 100% of the time i agree with king regarding predictable human behavior.

this novel is mostly about good vs. evil and humanity’s struggle to keep itself thriving with community without imploding in on itself. the fact that all these characters even survived is a miracle, that they were able to find each other despite no electricity or power is beyond a miracle, but even with all that good fortune on their side, humans have a way of ruining it. you would think collaboration and community would make us stronger, and it does, but king postulates that once a community becomes large enough, it’s only a matter of time before you have a harold, a trashcan man, or worse: a randall flagg.

there are some really graphic moments, including various illnesses and injuries that happen throughout the boulder and vegas communities, a sexual assault, but the most horrifying scene to me was lloyd henreid in the jail. “camptown races.” i really felt his hopelessness, and despite him being an absolutely shitbag previously by killing people, i still thought lloyd’s punishment was way too big for his crimes. i don’t think anyone deserves that. and to have him rescued by randall flagg, a hopeless situation becomes more hopeless in a way because lloyd was very much still imprisoned with flagg.

this novel was so magical to me, hitting all the right elements of “humanity is this dumb and would totally do this.” the ending is superb and not worth spoiling even behind a tag. just go read it. definitely will want to read it again someday, especially knowing which characters survive the longest, i’ll want to pay extra attention to the clues we’re given about their fates early on.

i thought “IT” would remain my favorite king novel, being my first and the one that pulled me in to his writing at all... but i don’t know, “the stand” is so good and has so many layers and while there’s a villain, we learn so much about humanity on the way and our role allowing a villain in. “IT” is my favorite coming of age novel, without a doubt, and i love the way it tackles fear for fear’s sake, but i think “the stand” is a story anyone could enjoy without being too freaked out with fear. i don’t know, it’s hard to pick one over the other when i just adore both so much, but days later i’m really still thinking about “the stand” and the characters and everything that happened.

i read about the two adaptations, one in the 90s and one from 2020, the one in the 90s seems to have the right thing going for it to pay respects to the original story, but the changes i read that the 2020 adaptation made are hard for me to push aside. it’s just not the same story anymore and i think the original story in its original format is best. i do like a lot of 2020′s casting, but that’s about it. i don’t feel obligated to see either one, but i will definitely re-read “the stand” again someday.

rip nicky. you were the best. glen, you were also great. kojak, good boy.

rating: 10/10 this deeply resonated with me, i will re-read it again numerous times and recommend it to anyone i know, the story and characters will stick with me forever; crave discussing it all the time and bring it up unprovoked

[starseedfxofficial]

The Dollar Wobbles as the Fed Steps into the Spotlight: What Traders Need to Know It’s like a game of musical chairs in the Forex market right now, and the dollar is eyeing a comfy seat. But with U.S. inflation data and a squad of Federal Reserve speakers on the agenda this week, traders need to be ready for sudden moves — and, of course, that awkward moment when the music stops. Monday kicked off in a cautious mood, with the greenback bracing itself as traders wonder, “Will we see inflation rear its head or quietly pass us by?” Meanwhile, the Chinese yuan is nursing a hangover, and no, it’s not from a wild weekend. Beijing’s latest stimulus package landed with all the excitement of a soggy firecracker, sparking a dip in the Australian and New Zealand dollars — as if China sneezed and the neighbors caught a cold. Data showed China’s consumer prices in October grew at the slowest pace in four months, while deflation sank its teeth deeper into producer prices. Retail sales and industrial output reports due on Friday might reveal if Beijing’s economic revival attempts are actually moving the needle. Spoiler alert: it's not looking like a Rocky-style comeback just yet. The dollar found itself standing tall against the yuan at 7.1970, nearly knocking on the 7.2000 level. But overall moves were minor — probably because the U.S. bond markets took a holiday, even though stocks and futures were still out to play. Against the yen, the dollar was up 0.1% at 152.90, feeling the effects of possible Japanese intervention like someone eyeing the clock, wondering if their boss might walk in at any minute. The euro, meanwhile, is parked at $1.0711, weighed down by political uncertainty in Germany and an uncertain future for Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government. “Fed’s Tapping the Brakes” or Just Easing Off the Gas? As if the inflation data weren’t enough, we’ve got a full lineup of Federal Reserve speakers this week. It’s like a heavyweight bout where everyone is waiting to see if Jerome Powell will land that knockout punch — or if he’ll just tap dance around rate decisions. Thursday is shaping up to be crucial, with Powell taking center stage, possibly giving the markets some much-needed clues on rate adjustments. And it doesn’t stop there; U.S. consumer prices are also due, and if they come in hotter than the 0.3% core forecast, you can bet your dollar… well, you can bet your dollars that any hopes of a rate cut this December will go out the window faster than last week’s pizza delivery menu. A Note on Politics: Global Turbulence Edition Political jitters weren’t just confined to Germany, as uncertainty swirled around U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s tariff talk. The euro has taken some heat, and investors worry that Trump’s policies might hurt European exports and stoke a trade war. And nobody likes a trade war—except, perhaps, those with a stockpile of popcorn ready to watch it all unfold. For now, analysts think Trump’s proposed policies could heat up U.S. inflation and bond yields, essentially putting the Federal Reserve in a tough spot: How do you ease rates with one hand tied behind your back? “We’re still banking on another 25 basis-point cut at the December meeting, but that might be it for a while. The Fed’s probably going to slow things down to one cut per quarter after that,” said Michael Feroli, economist at JPMorgan. It’s a classic case of hurry up and wait — with the market bracing for just one more rate cut after the Fed hits a 3.5% target. Bitcoin Breaks Records and Busts Myths Here’s where it gets spicy: Cryptocurrencies decided to join the party, with Bitcoin breaking the $80,000 barrier for the first time ever. Thank Donald Trump for that one too — his supportive stance on cryptocurrencies seems to have lit a rocket under Bitcoin. Investors are now buzzing with talk of favorable regulation, and for once, it’s not just speculation — it’s the kind of chatter that might actually make it to the boardroom. Closing Thoughts: Preparing for the Week Ahead So, what’s a trader to do in times like these? Keep one eye on the data and the other on the talking heads — and maybe a third on your risk management strategy if you’ve got one lying around somewhere. As we look ahead, the greenback may be gearing up for more gains if the stars align for a stronger-than-expected inflation reading. But as always, the currency market has a funny way of surprising even the best of us. Remember, while the headlines are one thing, the key is to read between the lines — find the real narrative. It's not about predicting the future; it’s about reacting smarter, with a bit of humor to keep you grounded. Because at the end of the day, if you’re not having fun (even if it’s a bit of nervous laughter), then you might just be doing it wrong. —————– Source inspiration: Reuters Image Credits: Cover image at the top is AI-generated Read the full article

[abigailspinach]

But the two men gave remarkably different answers, neither of which seem likely to bring down the cost of child care.

Vance, speaking to a conservative activist at an Arizona church on Wednesday, thinks parents should look to grandparents, aunts and uncles for those who have them, and also suggested cutting down on training and certification requirements for day care workers. That answer, at least, focuses on the issue at hand, but it won’t satisfy any parent or potential parents who don’t live near their extended family or whose extended family can’t afford to work for free.

Those numbers are so much bigger than any numbers that we’re talking about, including child care. That – it’s going to take care – we’re going to have – I – I look forward to having no deficits within a fairly short period of time, coupled with the reductions that I told you about on waste and fraud and all of the other things that are going on in our country.

Egan has written about the widely held fear among economists that Trump’s proposal to place a new 60% tariff tax on goods from China and a 10% across-the-board tariff on goods from other countries would mostly just be passed along to consumers and not replace income tax for the government. Trump’s not listening to those warnings.

Because I have to say with child care – I want to stay with child care – but those numbers are small relative to the kind of economic numbers that I’m talking about, including growth, but growth also headed up by what the plan is that I just – that I just told you about.

Hear that, parents? The cost of child care is small change compared with all the money the US is going to be bringing in from Trump’s tariffs. What you’re not hearing is a concrete proposal for a tax credit or a program to transform those tariff dollars Trump is sure the US government will be swimming in into help for affording child care.

We’re going to be taking in trillions of dollars. And as much as child care is talked about as being expensive, it’s, relatively speaking, not very expensive compared to the kind of numbers we’ll be taking in.

Repeat: Child care – actually not very expensive, per Trump.

The child care question was put to Trump by Reshma Saujani, founder of Moms First and Girls Who Code. Spoiler alert: Saujani was not satisfied with what Trump had to say.

“I don’t even think he’s actually thought about this, and parents are suffering,” she later said on TikTok, arguing families are being crushed by the cost of child care.

While she might not have been expecting much from Trump’s answer, the question as she posed it on stage was detailed and not at all partisan. Here’s what she said:

President Trump, you – you talked about how the increase in the price of food, gas and rent is hurting families, but the real cost that’s breaking families’ backs and preventing women from participating in the workforce is child care. Child care is now more expensive than rent for working families and is costing the economy more than $122 billion a year, making it one of the most urgent economic issues that is facing our country. In fact, the cost of child care is outpacing the cost of inflation, with the majority of American families of young children spending more than 20% of their income on child care. One thing that Democrats and Republicans have in common is that both parties talk a lot about what they’re going to do to address the child care crisis, but neither party has delivered meaningful change. If you win in November, can you commit to prioritizing legislation to make child care affordable? And if so, what specific piece of legislation will you advance?

-- Reshma Saujani

Saujani is mostly right on her facts. That $122 billion figure comes from a 2023 study by the nonpartisan nonprofit group Council for a Strong America. Luhby reported in May about another report that found in 11 states and Washington, DC, parents with two kids in a child care center could expect to pay at least twice as much for child care as for typical rent. CNN’s Matt Egan has also reported on the child care crisis.

So, this is not a new issue. But here’s what Trump had to say:

Well, I would do that. And we’re sitting down – you know, I was somebody – we had – Sen. Marco Rubio and my daughter Ivanka were so impactful on that issue. It’s a very important issue.

Trump’s off to a good start here. When she worked in the White House, his daughter Ivanka did help add provisions to Trump’s tax cut law that doubled the child tax credit to $2,000 per child for millions of Americans, according to a CNN fact check.

However, those increases were not granted to the millions of children whose parents don’t make enough to pay income tax. Democrats would later further expand the child tax credit by up to an additional $1,600 and also gave the credit as cash even to families who don’t pay income taxes. That additional bump and expanding it to all parents was credited with cutting the child poverty rate nearly in half in 2021. But Democrats failed to get the votes for a longer-term expansion of that experiment.

Vice President Kamala Harris has promised to try to permanently extend and expand that credit, and Vance, not the Trump campaign, has also suggested he supports an expansion, but details are sketchy.

Even Trump’s doubling of the credit to $2,000 is set to expire next year, so this will be a key issue for whoever wins the White House. Luhby has written extensively about the child tax credit.

This is where Trump stops making much sense:

But I think when you talk about the kind of numbers that I’m talking about, that – because, look, child care is child care. It’s – couldn’t – you know, it’s something – you have to have it. In this country, you have to have it.

Yes, you do have to have child care. But what are these numbers he’s talking about?

But when you talk about those numbers compared to the kind of numbers that I’m talking about by taxing foreign nations at levels that they’re not used to, but they’ll get used to it very quickly – and it’s not going to stop them from doing business with us but they’ll have a very substantial tax when they send product into our country.

So Trump has moved from the cost of child care to the taxes – tariffs – he plans to impose on imports.

Those numbers are so much bigger than any numbers that we’re talking about, including child care. That – it’s going to take care – we’re going to have – I – I look forward to having no deficits within a fairly short period of time, coupled with the reductions that I told you about on waste and fraud and all of the other things that are going on in our country.

Egan has written about the widely held fear among economists that Trump’s proposal to place a new 60% tariff tax on goods from China and a 10% across-the-board tariff on goods from other countries would mostly just be passed along to consumers and not replace income tax for the government. Trump’s not listening to those warnings.

Because I have to say with child care – I want to stay with child care – but those numbers are small relative to the kind of economic numbers that I’m talking about, including growth, but growth also headed up by what the plan is that I just – that I just told you about.

Hear that, parents? The cost of child care is small change compared with all the money the US is going to be bringing in from Trump’s tariffs. What you’re not hearing is a concrete proposal for a tax credit or a program to transform those tariff dollars Trump is sure the US government will be swimming in into help for affording child care.

We’re going to be taking in trillions of dollars. And as much as child care is talked about as being expensive, it’s, relatively speaking, not very expensive compared to the kind of numbers we’ll be taking in.

Repeat: Child care – actually not very expensive, per Trump.

We’re going to make this into an incredible country that can afford to take care of its people, and then we’ll worry about the rest of the world. Let’s help other people, but we’re going to take care of our country first. This is about America first, it’s about Make America Great Again. We have to do it because right now we’re a failing nation. So we’ll take care of it. Thank you. Very good question.

Yep. Very good question.

[theasylumchild]

Watched seasons 1-3 of the umbrella academy all in one day at 1.5x speed to get caught up for season 4….

And season 4 sucked. They had already dropped the ball for season 3, but season 4 was just bad. To avoid spoilers I’m putting the rest under the cut

Why did they have that mini romance with Five and Lila??? Yeah I get they were together for seven years trying to find a way back to their family and of course feelings could have come up while they were alone that whole time, but Lila was SO ready to go back when she found out Five had found a way. No hesitation. Yeah it was framed as she was going back to her kids, but if she actually had feelings for Five I feel like there would be a bit of hesitation. Then it seemed like she picked Diego in the end with little to no care for Five.

But also their relationship is so iffy cause the actors are 20 and 35 (talk all you want about age gaps being ok, I’m one of those people, but you have to admit a 20 yo and a 35 yo are at WILDLY different stages. Idc if they’re both actors on the same show, maturity wise they are very different. And it puts pressure on Aiden Gallagher. Was he actually okay with this? Did he have a way to say no to the writers if he was uncomfortable with this? You know we’d be making a stink if it was a 20 yo girl cast when she was 15 who now gets in a relationship with a 35 yo man) And the characters themselves are like 58 and 29. PLUS, obviously the actor playing Five has aged in the years that the show has gone on, but canonically, he’s in the body of his 13 year old self at the beginning of season 1. Seasons 1 and 3 happen within a month, so at best Five is 19 from the six years in season 4. Sure, you could argue he’s 26 now cause of the 7 years he and Lila were in the subway, but… idk I’m not liking it

Last thing about the Lila and Five story line: THEIR PLAN DIDNT MAKE ANY SENSE! Why were they going BACK to the original timeline, to then travel BACK IN TIME to stop Ben and Jennifer from touching. All that would have changed, at best, was that Reginald didn’t kill the two of them that night, but that wouldn’t have stopped Viktor from blowing up the moon in that timeline NOR would it stop any of the shit from the current timeline they’re in. In Five can just time travel no problem with no repercussions, why not do that in the timeline they’re currently in? Also, how did they spend seven years in the subway but no time passed in the current world. I’m assuming they time travel back after they get to the right timeline, but we’re not shown any of that. (and if they did end up 7 years in the future, wouldn’t they have seen that the world ended?)

Then they left Claire and Diego/Lila’s kids to go to another time line… which should have fucked everything up! They say they fixed it and now there’s just one timeline, so either there was no point in trying to save the kids and the ones we see in the finale are not the ones we’ve gotten to know, or they’ve created another paradox which would make this timeline collapse

AND don’t these kids now fall victim to the grandfather paradox that they tried to fight in season 3?

AND AND, where tf is Sloane? You know, Luther’s wife? I know she disappeared at the end of season 3, but what’s the reasoning behind that??? Why did Sloane stop existing, but everyone else was fine? I would have bought it if Ben didn’t exist either but the other siblings did seeing as Ben and Sloane were from the same timeline, but Ben’s fine.

Why bring Ray back at the end of season 3 only to throw him away in season 4 with a line about him leaving Allison at some point? I genuinely think it would have in character for him to leave after finding out what she did to make him her husband in the present day rather than letting him live out his life in the past, but I wish we had seen that development on camera.

Why did Klaus need to get separated from his family for a good chunk of the season just so we could watch him get pimped out? Why did he immediately try to go back to drugs if we didn’t see ANY of the torment he used to face from the ghosts which pushed him to his addiction in the first place? The only ghost we see is the damn dog days after he gets his powers back. I did love that one scene where he lets his old self come back and is a total dick to Claire cause that’s what addiction does to people, but I wish we had explored that dynamic more.

Other quibbles I have with the season: Why did we waste so much time with Gene and Jean?. What the fuck was Reginald’s wife’s motivation? They try and explain it, but it makes no sense for her to have set this whole thing in motion. Why are she and Reginald aliens? What bearing did that have on this?

And finally: Why did all the siblings spend three seasons trying to overcome their abusive upbringing and making themselves better people, spend 6 years learning to live with their loss of powers and inevitable mediocrity for the good of the world… only to essentially kill themselves at the end? We get to see all of these people who are objectively WAY worse than at least some of the siblings (the Swedish brothers, the handler, other commission members) living their best life now that the siblings are dead. Why? WHY???? Why do they get to have a happy ending and not the characters we’ve been following?

[crimefightingspiderguy]

holding out for a hero

Summary: Shaun (Shang-Chi) offers you go out for drinks and who are you to refuse?

Warnings: Drinking. Talk of sex (none actually happens). No spoilers for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the the Ten Rings (but I do give away what his job is in the movie if you didn't know that pre-movie).

Pairings: Shang-Chi x reader

Word count: 2,492

A/N: I did make the female reader bisexual in this piece, but if that's not how you identify, it's only briefly mentioned in a sentence or two and you can just swap out the pronouns, or skip over it really quick, without affecting the plot :) Also, please do not think I'm using the name Shaun because I didn't want to use Shang-Chi or am being disrespectful to his true name. I'm basing this timeline wise, before he reveals his past to anyone close to him.

“Hey guys!” You waved to Shaun and Katy as you walked into the hotel to clock in. You were taking over Katy’s shift. She needed to go home early to go to the doctors, but Shaun was still there for another 3 hours with you. You were very willing to take over her shift when she asked. You loved working with both of them and any chance you got to, you gladly took it. I mean, who wouldn’t want to get paid to hang out with your best friends?

“You’re welcome.” You heard Katy say to Shaun as she was walking inside to clock out, passing you by with a cheeky wink, as you took your spot next to him.

“Well, she’s in an awful good mood for having to go to the doctors. I thought she had a fear of the doctors.” You gasped, “Is she drunk?”

He chuckled, “No. She’s not actually going to the doctors. She just wanted an excuse to leave work early to go to some concert in LA.”

“Oh, that wench! I gave up going on a date to come in for her. I thought she was dying or something.” You pouted, not actually mad at her, but you were still sad you told your date no.

“You had a date? Who’s the lucky one.” Shaun asked.

“Well, she is a lucky gal who I paid to go to dinner without me.” You huffed.

“You paid her to go out to dinner? By herself?”

“Well, we already had reservations, but I told her something came up with work and I had to go in. But she could take the reservation if she wanted, my treat. I’m sure she probably took someone else since it was a reservation for two.”

“So let me get this straight.” Shaun started to laugh, “You paid some random girl to go on your date with someone else?” He was doubled over in laughter by the end of his sentence.

You kicked his shin, “Hey, I was trying to do something nice for someone I stood up… but yeah it does seem like I probably just sent her on a date with someone else.” You started to laugh with him.

“You’re too nice for your own good sometimes.” He patted you on the shoulder. “How about this, after our shift, I’ll take you out for drinks and karaoke, my treat.”

“Well, that would make me feel better.” You grinned at him, leaving his side to help the new guest pulling up.

After the shift, the two of you took a bus to his apartment so he could change out of his uniform. You were going to stop at your house, which was between his apartment and the bar but when you got into his room, a deep blue sweater hanging in his closet pulled your attention to it. You walked into his closet and shut the mirror door over it. Pulling the sweater off the hanger, it was softer than you could ever imagine. You stripped of your uniform top and threw on the sweater. It was so comfortable and after a deep inhale, smelt exactly like Shaun. It was heavenly.

“(Y/N)?” Shaun called out to you, coming out of the bathroom after getting dressed himself. You stepped out of the closet, “Why are you wearing my sweater?” He laughed at your guilty expression as you slowly walked up to him.

“Well, it was just sitting there looking so comfy, I just wanted to try it on, but now that it’s on I’m afraid I’m never going to take it off. It’s too comfy.” You wrapped your arms around yourself, snuggling into the sweater even more.

“It looks good on you.” He smiled.

“It can be our sweater, how’s that sound?” You batted your eyelashes up at him as he threw his head back in laughter.

“Let’s go short stuff before I end up staying here and cuddling. Our sweater isvery cozy, so it’s very tempting.” Him saying he would rather stay home and cuddle with you, and him holding your hand as he pulled you out of his apartment caused you to blush. He let go of your hand to lock his door, turning to you, “Are you blushing?” He chuckled, grazing his fingers over your burning cheeks.

“No, it’s just getting a little warm in this sweater.” You rolled the sleeves up, letting your arms breathe, “There, that’s better.” You lied and turned away to the exit with determination. He just shook his head and chuckled.

You were a few shots deep into your bar night when you couldn’t help but stare at Shaun. ‘Has he always been this pretty?’ you thought to yourself.

“What are you staring at?” He laughed as he set your next drink down. You said nothing but answered him by putting your hand in his hair, “Your hair is so soft. Oh my gosh it’s softer than this sweater.”

“How many drinks have you had?” He burst out laughing, pulling your hand out of his hair and holding it on the table in his own.

“I haven’t had anything to drink.” You slurred as you take a sip of the fruity drink, he put in front of you.

“Mhmmm, and how many fingers am I holding up?” He held up 3 fingers on the hand not holding yours.

“3, now how many am I holding up.” You stuck up your middle finger and stuck your tongue out as he pretended to be hurt and gasped. “I have to pee.” You got up and stumbled your way to the bathroom. It was a pretty simple trip there and back, but when you got out you couldn’t remember where your table with Shaun was. So instead of going to the table you headed up to the stage and picked the first song that stood out to you, “Holding out for a Hero” by Bonnie Tyler. As the intro music was building up you spoke into the microphone, “This one goes out to that beautiful boy right there.” You pointed vaguely in Shaun’s direction and then burst out into song.

He laughed as he made his way up to the edge of the stage. He was mostly concerned that you’d fall off the stage and land right on your face, but he was really enjoying the performance that you’d likely forget tomorrow. When you finished your song, you held your hand out to meet Shaun’s stretched out one to help you off the stage.

“Oh my gosh, thanks for helping me down. That was like a 20-foot drop. You’re the hero I was holding out for!” You exclaimed as you threw your arms around his neck.

“It’s a stage maybe 3 inches off the ground, but I’ll take the credit I guess.” He pulled back from the hug and grabbed your hand, pulling you back to your seats.

“Oh no, I’m empty.” You pouted when you found nothing in your cup at the table.

“I’ll get us refills. Stay here.” He made his way up to the bar.

You pulled out your phone and opened your texts with Katy,

“OMG KATY THIS REALLY HOT GUY IS GETTING ME A DRINK AT THE BAR. I THINK I MIGHT GET LAID 2NIGHT! 🤪”

“I thought you were at the bar with Shaun?”

“Who’s Shaun?”

Shaun came back to your table and set down your glass.

“Well, hello handsome.” You wiggled your eyebrows at him, “Do you come here often?” You leaned your head on your hand, elbow on the table. You were as Katy would describe it to you, “heart-eyeing” him.

“Okay, I’m glad I grabbed you a water.” Shaun chuckled as he took his seat across from you.

His phone lit up with Katy’s contact picture. He answered it, plugging the opposite ear.

“Hello?”

“Hey, are you still with (Y/N)?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Who else are you guys with?”

“No one, why?” his question was met with silence, then a loud laugh from Katy.

“HA! No way, she totally texted me that a hot guy was getting her a drink and she was definitely getting laid tonight. When I asked her if she was still with you she said ‘Who’s Shaun’ and proceeded to stop texting me. She thinks your hot and that you guys are hooking up, this is going better than I thought it would when I called in.”

“Shut up, you’re messing with me.”

“Well, what is she doing right now?”

“She’s staring at me and sighing contently… OH MY GOD SHE DOESN’T KNOW WHO I AM!?” Shaun whisper-yelled into the phone.

“Well of course I know who you are silly! You’re the handsome man who’s sitting across from me and I’m the lucky gal who gets to look at you.” You giggled as you continued to stare at him with a sweet, but glazed over, look.

“Oh my god she’s so far gone.” Katy laughed on the other end.

“What do I do? Have you ever seen her this drunk?” Shaun was beginning to worry that you’d had way past your limit and you were about to get really sick.

“Oh yeah, definitely. All you have to do is bring her home and put her to bed. She’ll be fine, I’ve seen her drunker than this and not get sick.”

“Okay, should I make her coffee or something?”

“She’s allergic to coffee genius.” Katy rolled her eyes.

“Right, right. I knew that. Thanks Katy.” He hung up the phone and got up to grab your stuff.

“Hey where are you going?” You pouted as he walked up to the bar to pay the bill

“I’ll be right back, just wait here for me.” You nodded your head and waited patiently for him to come back.

“We’re going to go home now, alright?” Shaun pulled you out of your seat carefully helping you land on your feet. You nodded your head and yawned, stretching your arms over your head.

“Shaun, I’m too tired to walk.”

“Oh, now you remember who I am?” He chuckled, and you gave him a questioning look,

“Of course, I remember you, why wouldn’t I?”

“Well about 5 minutes ago you didn’t, I brought you a water and I guess it cleared your head enough. Come here.” He bent over enough for you to hop onto his back so he could give you a piggyback ride.

“My hero.” You mumbled into his back, closing your eyes as he started walking out of the building.

“Hey, (Y/N).” Shaun shook his shoulders to wake you up.

“Mhmm?” You moaned.

“Where are your keys?”

You sighed and climbed off his back, reaching into your purse, you handed the keys to him. He grabbed your hand and led you up to your porch, unlocking the front door and bringing you inside. He locked the door behind him and picked you up bridal style. Your head lolled into his chest as he carried you to your bedroom. He put you down on the bed, pulling the covers up and over you.

“Shaun…” You let your hand reach up to pull his arm back to you.

“What’s up?” He looked at you with concern.

“Can you help me take my pants off?” You laughed, and he blushed.

“Uh… yeah, sure.” Once he pulled back the covers, he realized why you asked. He hadn’t realized you were still in your dress pants from work. He went to unhook the buttons and slowly pulled them down your legs, tossing them into your hamper across the room. He pulled the covers back up to your chin and laughed as you happily took them and snuggled farther into the bed. He went to leave again but you stopped him yet again, “Shaun…”

“Yes?”

“Will you stay with me?”

“I was going to crash on the couch. I’ll be right outside, holler if you need something okay?”

“No… will you stay in here with me?” You opened your eyes for the first time since you got into your house. You gave him a puppy dog pout that made him melt.

“I can set up some couch cushions on the floor I guess…” he began looking around the floor to find a big enough space for him.

“No… Shaun… just come here.” You pulled him onto the bed and scooted over, pulling the covers over him. He hesitated for a second, body freezing, but when you snuggled your body into his side, he quickly melted under your touch. Not strong enough to fight off sleep any longer.

Shaun sighed as he woke up, he forgot to set his alarm last night. He probably was going to be late for work. He opened his eyes to see an unfamiliar bedding surrounding him. It then hit him that he was not alone. He was holding onto someone. Looking down, he saw your peaceful face resting into his chest. Your breath fanning over him, tickling him. ‘When did I take my shirt off?’ He thought as he quickly realized why it tickled. He looked under the covers slowly, trying not to wake you, ‘When did I take my pants off?!’ He questioned himself in alarm as he realized he was snuggled up to you in just underwear. He slowly leaned up on his elbow to look around them. Your pants and bra were thrown haphazardly towards your hamper and his shirt, pants, and socks laid at the end of the bed. He laid back on his side and looked down at his current position with you. He had his hand resting on your back underneath his sweater. Your legs tangled with his, and your hands cupping under your face that was cuddled up into his chest still. He couldn’t help the giant grin that plastered his face. He’s wanted to be with you like this for years. He’s wanted to be able to hold you close when he wakes up, to be able to kiss your forehead as you wake up, smiling up at him. He’s wanted to feel how soft your skin is, how gentle your lips rest against his skin. He’s got goose bumps all over his body as he realizes just how warm you are. He started rubbing circles on your back, trying to wake you up.

“Mhmm. That feels nice.” You smiled into his skin. You slowly opened your eyes and looked up at him, “See, isn’t this so much better than sleeping on the couch?”

“This is way better.” He kissed your hairline.

“I hope you know when I said this is our sweater, I meant I’m never giving it back.”

“You look better in it anyway.” He shrugged, tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear, getting a good look at you, ‘Oh yeah, way better in it.’ He thought to himself as he blushed thinking about beautiful you were and how lucky he is right now in this moment.

Find more of my work here.

My work is exclusively posted on Tumblr by me, on this blog. If you see my work posted elsewhere, please reach out to me.

Thank you, xx.

[herri-writes]

Not The Same

Malleus Draconia and Lilia Vanrouge

note: spoilers ahead from twisted wonderland chapter 5-6. please read with caution and expect bad grammars and misspelled words.

translation used by otome_ayui at youtube. salute to this goddess who is one of the translators of twst jp stories.

*sips tea for the love of malleus draconia*

a small fae teleported his way to the ramshackle dorm. what they saw is not the usual ramshackle dorm but partially destroyed and a complete rundown ramshackle dorm. looking around, he saw the person standing inside the destroyed dorm. "i know you're here, malleus." malleus looked at the direction where lilia is and asked him, "...lilia, what's wrong?" lilia explained that sebek was making a fuss because malleus is isn't in his room so he came to look for the fae who disappeared at diasomnia dorm. but when lilia figured out that this fae is at ramshackle, he knew that this will be the only place he'll visit because it's his favorite place ever since he enrolled at night raven college. but that changed after the child of man lilia once spoke of lived in this dorm. "i was disappointed at first after knowing that they will be staying here." when malleus knew that someone lived in ramshackle dorm, he was disappointed but didn't show that expression at his face. "i love abandoned ruins, the ivy that grows at the crumbling wall, and the winds that blow through the broken window... the lonely and quiet atmosphere of abandoned places helps calm me down." not to mention, he became interested because a magic-less human from another world became a student in night raven college. after that, he left and didn't tell his name to the human stood outside of the dorm. "it makes me realized that we're not the only ones being left behind in history." lilia remained silent. his next visit, this child of man called him "tsunotaro" without hesitation. was it because of the horns? yes. this fae laughed and gotten more interested in this human he met and communicated at the dorm. he even accepted the name well that's because he didn't tell the human his name or else he'll scare them and run away from him in fear. "but... why?" since the atmosphere became lively as days passed because of this child of man, he visited this little human during his nightly walks. it became one of his hobby and he even talked about it to his overseer, lilia vanrouge, about his encounters with this human. heck, he even gave him a holiday card with lilia as the messenger at winter. days passed, he's gotten quite used to the human who lived in the formerly abandoned dorm. his next visit is really new to him because he was fimally invited. malleus draconia, the crown prince of the valley of thorns, who was feared by all, was invited for the first time by the human of the ramshackle dorm and the prefect of night raven college. he was surprised because for his entire life he wasn't invited by anyone and this human gave him a ticket to vocal and dance championship or vdc and he accepted it. "after the prefect and the others are gone, i walk around this place that has lost its liveliness..." on the actual day of the vdc, he went inside and saw the violet stage in shambles, like a ruin. he saw the prefect running towards him and called him in the name which only he and this human know. this shocked everyone but malleus didn't mind. when vil tell his name to the prefect, they felt nothing. why? well that's because they're from a different world. "i feel discomfort as if the thorns of the briar are rubbing through my skin." to their surprise, malleus fixed the stage with his magic and told them that he's looking forward to their performance. even the prefect know his name, they still call him "tsunotaro" and he was still fine with it. "it should've returned to the abandoned building i liked before..." and back to the present where he was thinking on what kind of feeling he have right now since the human is not here at ramshackle. "malleus..." lilia looked up and said, "malleus, look above you." "...there is a big hole in the ceiling," he commented. "no, above that. look up at the sky." they look up and what they saw is the brightest stars aligned in a straight line at the night sky. "the stars are lining up beautifully. since ancient times, if the stars line up together, it means there will be good omen, and today is the first time in 18 years..." lilia thought as he placed his hand under his chin. "no, is it 100 years.. or maybe 300 years? anyway, it's been a long time." gosh, he even forgot when was the last time the stars lined up like that. no one can't blame a creature blessed with long life because a decade feels like a few days for them. "hmm... in other words, it's not something that the children of humans get to see every time, right?" malleus tried to understand what lilia meant. "yes, but... you will be seeing the stars lining up again and again in your long life." malleus listened to what lilia is saying and stayed quiet. "by the time the stars line up again, the world must have changed a lot. and you have to accept it. understand?" "i know, that's why i entered this school." lilia, who took care of malleus and became his overseer, saw and knew what malleus have. he is a prince and he have everything what others can't but except one; a friend. "listen, malleus. never forget the pain that you felt in this place today. you must carry this pain with you as you continue to live for a long time in the future." this old man is so glad for malleus to talk to someone other than malleus' family members, lilia and silver, and sebek. and what surprised him is that he made a friend at malleus's unexpected encounter with the human which lilia told him about after the opening ceremony. he was so happy for malleus and his human friend. "...i'll keep that in mind," he answered and lilia complimented him for that. "now, let's pray to that star so that everyone can return safely." he told malleus to make a wish to the stars for everyone far and out there will be safe until their return. while wishing, lilia whispered, "i have made many wished to that star before... but this may be the last time." "...what?" 'please come home safely, young child of man...'

W/N:

death flag? dEATH FLAG???? 

excuse lemme cry for the soon to be released diasomnia chapter after the ignihyde chapter

island of woe is in chaos. the stars is not the sign--

please, old man, don’t tell me that it’s a death flag???

[silyabeeodess]

Just a small thought, but it’s a spoiler for FNAF: Security Breach, so will put below the cut:

Now, this is coming from someone who hasn’t seen the whole game yet, but does anyone else think that Roxanne might have an inferiority complex? She spends a good chunk of dialogue telling herself that everyone loves her and we get that she’s this champion racer, etc.; however, just how often she has to reaffirm this herself reminded me a lot of Papyrus from Undertale.  Then we get to her boss battle, where this doubt seems to slip though.  Instead of saying the usual, the dialogue changes from “Everyone loves you (me)” to “Everybody still loves me... right?” and “You’re (I’m) beautiful” to “I just need a little work done.”

Thinking about it just in terms of the characters replaced in the Fazbear gang, it actually makes a lot of sense.  Bonnie and Foxy are both gone, with Foxy--at least in terms of the real world--probably being the most popular of the group.  We don’t really get the same one-on-one comparison with Montgomery to Bonnie as we do with Roxanne to Foxy, but the idea of them being their replacements is still in our minds.  Think about how often Foxy was portrayed by fans as this kind of broken outcast who could never truly fit in the band or someone who acted moreso as an antagonist if we extend that to the official cartoons in the weeks before Security Breach released.  This is who Roxanne has to top: A fan favorite that, in the game’s world, was nonetheless torn apart and left to rot throughout the various Fazbear generations. 

‘Everybody loved Foxy and the company still treated him like garbage.’ ‘People want Foxy instead of me. How could I beat the fan favorite?’ ‘What happens if fans don’t like me?’ 

Judging by the initial interaction we see with Vanessa and Freddy, with her blaming the ruined show all on him even though he did the human equivalent of passing out on stage, I think it’s safe to say the robots aren’t treated any better than the rest of Fazbear’s employees.  And I get it, they’re machines. Because of that, I can overlook the customer complaining about Freddy being down.  That’s the thing though: The customer pinned the blame on the company, as it being a matter of them poorly maintaining an animatronic: Vanessa put the blame on Freddy himself, as a person.  They seem to in the very least act as if these animatronics have sentience if they don’t already actually know it.  That’s how the company and employees treat their showrunner, now imagine how they treat a new character to the franchise with no legacy, especially if the fans don’t like them or if they started demanding that they bring Foxy back instead.  

Since Freddy kinda hints that he knows why Bonnie’s not around anymore, I imagine the other animatronics do as well.  Just from what I have seen so far though, I don’t think Foxy would’ve been replaced for similar reasons.  It looks more like the company went, “Well, we tried this and this with the character. What if we tried something completely new since we’re already replacing one other character?”  That would explain if Monty shows more security in his role among the gang than Roxanne.  I just feel like this anxiety/fear would exist from replacing Foxy and then there being this possibility of being replaced herself.   

[alixennial]

Hubris C1E17

One thing really noticeable when watching early C1 stuff straight after getting caught up with C3 is the way they vastly underestimated their popularity in the beginning. Having giveaways for every 50 subscribers to the stream at this point meant 3x prize giveaways before they'd even started the game. And they were So Excited about it 💖

Some personal highlights: (There are spoilers under the cut, but not major ones. It’s of absolutely no use as an episode summary. Sorry about that.)

- The way Matt deals with Orion deciding to fuck off right as the game is starting is legendary.

- "I go over and provide very vigorous CPR. No mouth to mouth, just that hand part." GROG!! 

- I don’t really want to go into all the tension surrounding that one player, but at this stage I’m really appreciating the way Travis and Matt in particular keep it light hearted for the sake of everyone’s sanity.

- Scanlan taking a magical dump in an ancient Temple of Sarenrae, in the very religious city of Vasselheim, so that he may watch over Pike. It’s both very touching and very Scanlan.

- Side note: why am I now only just seeing the term ‘Scanthems’.. I love it!

- "So I leave and rejoin my fellows, wiping the tear from my eye and the poo from my bottom." MATT, you allowed this potion to exist jfc! 😂

- Grog, getting some of the spotlight this week: "Like a kid getting too close to an amusement park, I take off running." Cute!

- I just love how Matt gives every character opportunity to have their moments and recognises when it's time to do that ❤️

- Matt comparing Vax and his daggers to David Bowie and his glass orbs. 😍

- Liam wanting to bet 1000 gold on Vax beating Grog in a fight because he lacks any sense of self-preservation.

- That moment when Laura helps Travis out with his maths. Double cute.

- "He's like the Black Knight in Monty Python! He's got no knees!"

- I’ve chewed my nails more over this fight than the last couple of combat rounds!

- Laura being the one to suggest a whorehouse for Grog.

- Grog taking every opportunity to compliment everyone's beards.

- I really hope Grog gets his beard soon.

- "Where do I mark off my loss of pride?" "That would be under additional notes."

- Vax: "Grog, If it's any consolation-" Grog: "What's that mean?" Percy: "It's a group of stars in the sky" 

- Taliesin has legendary timing with his comebacks. Too many go under the radar.

- "You make your way to the third floor to a room in the brothel that has been prepared and awaiting for you, paid for by the Bellows' Respite and you find yourself sloppily disappointing a woman until you pass out in your own sorrow." MATT!!!

- "Plus we have the poo cell phone."

- Travis, already having a humiliating time of it, shining the laser pointer straight into his own eye instead of on the map.

- Taliesin dying having witnessed what Travis just did. 🤣

- "I know! I used it at the fight that you didn't want to fight in." adskfhdksl SAM!

- Laura rolling a natural 20 on her saving throw to avoid damage from her own exploding arrow that Percy made as a gift for Vex. Taliesin: "NOW???!!"

- A slow clap for Orion and his fireballs.

- "Sean Connery's talking now."

- Both Matt and Liam do very decent Sean Connery impressions tbh.

- The death glare Laura gives Liam when Vax says "We're not here for a paycheck"

- Laura/Vex: "I have *enormous* balls."

- Matt/Mertin: "This would have to go to my boss, the Headmaster. My wife." Liam: "I feel you."

- Things are about to get very interesting with the gang being split and ooh special guests next time 🤩

[thefirstknife]

SIGH

Myelin released a video today arguing that Osiris is already dead. I disagree with most of his arguments and also am not a fan of some of them in particular and I want to address this in case people watch and are confused. And I assume people will ask questions about it. I think Myelin himself is also confused about certain things he mentioned and isn't interpreting them properly.

Disclaimer: obviously I am biased when it comes to this. I want Osiris to not die. This isn't an attempt to entirely disprove the theory that he may be dead already. Ultimately I don't know if he's dead. I'll do my best to look at it objectively and also address Myelin's points objectively.

I'll try to summarise Myelin's points and address them but you can always watch his video yourself to make sure I didn't interpret him wrong.

Now, Myelin's main point is that Osiris was possessed by Savathun instead of Savathun making a meat puppet/clone in his image or simply shapeshifting into him. His first proof is the Wolftone Draw bow lore. We've all read the lore and Myelin also reads the lore.

First, he wonders how Osiris is seeing what Savathun is doing. Obviously, we have no answer for this yet. Myelin's position is that this is proof of him being possessed and him trying to break through the possession. He also says that some of it seems like "Osiris views his own body in a third perspective." Which I agree with!

What I disagree with is Myelin saying this could mean Osiris' "physical body was destroyed" and that he may be floating around in some form similar to Toland. I'm not sure why complicate the matter in this way when the most obvious answer to this is simply that Savathun has created a clone or shapeshifted into a form of Osiris and the real Osiris is trapped somewhere. The lore seems to indicate this pretty clearly to me:

I cannot speak, cannot breathe, I reach for Sagira but then I remember… I form a fist but feel nothing, I am bound, and as I thrash the images cut fissures through my mind—

And:

She has stolen my form, my voice, but someone will see my failure and cast her out… they MUST—

These seem to me like he is somewhere and he is seeing through his clone's eyes at certain points. It would fit Savathun's MO to torture him in this way. She assumed his form and the real him is bound elsewhere, somewhere safe. I've said so before, and it turned out to be true: Savathun is using Osiris as a bargaining chip so possessing him would be much riskier to her plan than simply keeping him imprisoned somewhere where we can't get to him and where he can't break free from possession. It would make no sense for her to kill him.

As for how he's seeing things if he's not possessed: Savathun is THE Witch Queen. She has exhibited a wide array of magical and paracausal abilities, including the ability to shapeshift and watch others through objects and living beings. Osiris specifically says that he is "bound" and that the images of what she's doing "cut fissures through his mind" and that he's "thrashing," as well as asserting that Savathun "has stolen his form." If he's bound somewhere in her throne world, she may very well be using some sort of Hive magic to inflict images she wants him to see upon him. Just enough to allow him to know that he is a prisoner.

I'm not sure why Myelin only makes two positions: either he's in third perspective without a body like Toland OR he's possessed. The third option is right there: Savathun assumed his likeness.

That brings both Myelin and me to his next point which he positions as the "real turning point" for him. It's from the Chrysura Melo autorifle:

Savathûn, physical form a twisting instar, emerges from the shadows and crawls over the shattered pieces of the Ghost. She reaches toward the ruined man.

Myelin focuses on the bold part, a specific word: "instar." This is a nice catch btw, something I haven't noticed before. He describes what an "instar" is. Tw bugs for that link, but an instar is "a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each moult (ecdysis), until sexual maturity is reached." Savathun's physical form is described as a twisting instar at this point and Myelin says that she is in the stage of changing herself into a new form. He also says that in this form she "needs a new skin" and therefore steals the skin of Osiris aka possesses him.

But from all the googling and research I've done, I can't seem to find any examples of insect instars needing to acquire a new outside source to change their forms. They simply exist in one larval form (instar) and then change into another as they outgrow the previous one. They don't have to find another body or a host to inhabit.

Seeing as Myelin bases most of his theory on this specific word, I have to challenge that because this is simply not what that word means. Savathun, in the process of changing from one instar to another, doesn't have to possess Osiris. She simply has to change her form from one instar into another. It's still her and it's more likely that she looks to the real Osiris to use him as a model for what new form she will take.

This is why the Chrysura Melo lore page is describing "Osiris" as being uncertain on his legs and confused by human behaviours and slowly falling apart over months and months of existence: this is Savathun's instar in the shape of Osiris which is reaching the end of its lifespan and at the end of that lifespan, Savathun has to shed that instar and turn into another. Generally, moths have a few instar forms before turning into a cocoon and then later emerging out as moths. This is a nice page with pictures, but again, tw for bugs. She has clearly reached the end of her Osiris-instar and shed it away when Mara trapped her in a chrysalis cocoon where Savathun is continuing to grow, like a moth, to eventually assume the form we see in The Witch Queen. Some examples that, to me, allude to Savathun existing in a Osiris-instar and how that shape is unfamiliar to her:

Osiris takes a shaky step forward.

...

He passes the bottle, and Osiris, hands numb, puzzles at it. His mouth hangs in a half-smile before he takes a long drink, slaking a bone-deep thirst.

...

When Saint places a hand on his forearm, Osiris holds impossibly still just to see what the other man will do.

...

Osiris stumbles as he walks through the Last City.

Savathun is describing her life as Osiris and it's clear, from this and other huge amount of lore, that she was very unfamiliar with the human form and that, at the end, it started falling apart on its own. Which is what would happen to a instar of an insect, forcing it to switch into a new stage. In Ripe, she also specifically states "I am ready earlier than anticipated." In the same lore page, she also mentions a lot of really weird descriptions of how her "form" is dissolving essentially and "I clench the gangling black mass that threatens to unspool recklessly from within this shell of flesh. My new arms are too thin, too weak. My new shell still bound with thick mucus." She's barely holding it together. I'm not sure why Osiris' real human body would've been doing this.

There's another aspect from Ripe and that is that she mentions her worm inside of her:

I feel this form splitting beneath its wrappings, held together weakly by wet strands of sinew. And from deep inside, stirred by that latest scrap of deception, I hear the oily growl of the Worm.

This is how we know that her Osiris-form is her. Otherwise, Osiris' real body would've been possessed by Savathun who also holds her worm and that's more than convoluted. What we're looking at, presumably, is Savathun's instar which always has a worm at the center and evolves into other forms around the worm itself.

I'm sorry if this is rambly, but I just really can't see how possession would be possible, especially when based on insect morphology. As a last addition to the whole "instar" business which seems to be the center of Myelin's theory, I want to take a look at the word itself. It's a Latin word, and well... :

īnstar n sg (indeclinable, no genitive)

image, likeness, resemblance

counterpart

worth, value

an equal form (of)

of equal weight/size/form (to)

By the Traveler this can't be happening. Once again I am caught in the euphoria of analysing Latin words being used in Destiny. By all definitions, except maybe number 3, this alludes to a clone. An image of something. Resembling something. A likeness. Counterpart. An equal form of...

Savathun's insect-instar form fashioned in the likeness of Osiris. Not Savathun infecting Osiris: Savathun morphing herself into a counterpart of his form.

With that whole thing done, Myelin focuses on the infamous sidearm Spoiler Alert. It has a description which is just: "Someone is going to die." Myelin uses this as proof that, well, someone is going to die because the last time this gun was issued, Cayde died.

The problem here, even if we're taking this as a serious lore hint, is the timeline. Originally, Spoiler Alert was issued in Warmind. Cayde-6 died in the expansion after Warmind.

Spoiler Alert being issued in Season of the Lost would then be an equivalent of telling us someone is going to die in The Witch Queen expansion.

What does that have to do with Osiris? The position Myelin takes in this whole video is that Osiris is already dead. Not that he will die in The Witch Queen: that he has already died, perhaps at the start of this season when Savathun transformed off-screen OR even further back, at the end of Immolant, when she possessed him. This makes no sense with his other position, that Osiris is observing what Savathun is doing: how, if he's dead and why would we even get this lore if he's dead?

Most of all, Spoiler Alert, if it's alluding to a future death of a major character, cannot allude to Osiris having died before the gun was re-issued OR to him dying literally on the day the gun was re-issued. What kind of a warning is that? If they really wanted to allude to Osiris dying with this gun, the gun would've had to have been re-issued in Season of the Splicer as the final possible season to "warn us."

If Spoiler Alert is telling us some important character will really die, it's telling us this will happen in The Witch Queen. I can't imagine a situation where we save Osiris in this season and then he dies in the next expansion. Kinda pointless plotline. And it also does not fit with the rest of the video which is telling us that Osiris is already dead and Savathun is bluffing about having him as a bargaining chip. I am also not in favour of the theory that we will not find the real Osiris this season and that this plotline will stretch into The Witch Queen because that would be almost a year of grappling with the same plot of "we have to find Osiris." So whatever happens to Osiris, we will know this season. Which means the Spoiler Alert gun is of no relevance to the outcome of the Osiris plot.

The next point Myelin makes is the cutscene from week 1 of Savathun talking to us. He focuses on the image of Osiris looking kinda dead, with moths flying around him and one moth coming out of his mouth. This image is a better argument than any of the above because the imagery here is very clear. No room to misinterpret this really, we literally see Osiris being half-skeletal with a moth coming from his mouth.

However, if we take the position that Savathun made a clone, then the "dead" Osiris in this image is just that clone being dead after it fell apart and Savathun had to transform. The moth coming out of his mouth is probably what this is supposed to symbolise: Savathun outgrowing her Osiris-instar and assuming a new form, currently cocooned in Mara's chambers.

Not to mention that she literally says she "assumed his shape." Not "took his body." She "assumed his shape" to be "more pleasing to our eyes" so she could "guide our victory" against Xivu Arath. Obviously she couldn't guide us if she looked like the Hive. Instead, she morphed into a shape that looks like Osiris and kept him to herself, possibly for information as well as a bargaining chip.

The next part is something I heavily dislike as a point from Myelin.

He starts by saying how there's a trope in movies where you get attached to a character and you just have a feeling that something bad is going to happen to them because the narrative is making you form a bond with that character. And at first I thought he'll say that the narrative has been doing this with Osiris, which is WEIRD, due to how generally disliked he is in the fandom, mostly due to people misunderstanding him, but also due to other reasons which have resurfaced ever since he's been officially confirmed as a gay man in a relationship with Saint.

And of course, Myelin is not talking about Osiris at all. He's talking about Saint. He's saying that the narrative made us attached to Saint and that "they are setting up Saint-14 to lose Osiris." This is aggravating in several ways.

One, that trope about being attached to a character is generally about the character that is going to die. Bungie didn't make us get attached to Cayde so they can kill off Ikora. They made us attached to Cayde and then killed off Cayde. Making us attached to Saint-14 to kill off Osiris is completely disregarding Osiris as a character in his own right and Osiris is by far THE most powerful and important Guardian that has ever lived. To boil him down to an accessory of Saint's story is not just disrespectful to Osiris, it's just utterly wrong.

And second, essentially fridging Osiris for Saint's manpain is just homophobia. As far as I know, Myelin is not a gay man so him making this point is simply homophobic. We do not need Osiris to die to see Saint's pain and drive for vengeance against Savathun. Bungie has made that clear. It's actually never been clearer just how much Saint suffers right now, in how much pain he is and how angry he is.

It's been shown in the voice lines in the main quest, in the cutscene at the start of the season, in the week 2 radio transmission, in voice lines during various activities, in voice lines from other people talking about him (most notably Ikora saying he's "tearing up the system to find real Osiris") and in various lore tabs. We truly do NOT need more affirmation to how much Saint is suffering. We surely don't need to ramp up the angst by killing Osiris off in order to send Saint into a more of a frenzy. His frenzy is already known and already underway. The man has tried breaking into Savathun's chamber to kick her ass already. He is "tearing the system apart." He is broadcasting live. He went on a mission with Mithrax to find Sagira's remains and the most likely place where Osiris went missing. The man is already on a crusade.

I don't think he needs to learn that Osiris has died somewhere, alone, months ago in order for us to see his pain. Or to cause more pain to us, the players. It's simply a completely insensitive way of looking at a story of two gay men who have been through enough suffering already.

I know people dislike and misunderstand Osiris. I know people absolutely adore Saint. I know people would get a kick out of seeing Saint going feral instead of him behaving in a very trope-shattering way by plugging holes in the Wall and feeding pigeons and singing songs to the children of the City.

I think those people don't understand Saint nor do they appreciate him as he is. They certainly have no respect for the man he loves or for their relationship that transcends time, space and reality. And if Saint knew that, he would definitely go feral on their ass first and foremost.

I'd like to think that Season of the Lost is a direct mirror of Season of Dawn. Two very important turning points in Destiny's story that are led by an undying love between Osiris and Saint-14. Just as Osiris risked it all and we all supported him in getting Saint back, right now we are all supporting Saint and risking it all to get Osiris back.

And as an important note, the story so far has been very clear to explain to us that we're looking for "the real Osiris." This is what this whole season is based on. We want real Osiris back. This alone disproves the theory of possession, but it also highlights that this season is about saving someone we've lost. Ending the season that's based on trying to find Osiris by telling us "oh he's dead" seems to be very much narratively senseless.

Speaking of narratively senseless, Osiris' death would not make sense yet. His arc isn't over. His questions and plotlines aren't over (and he has raised many of them in Immolant, which hasn't been followed up on because he got kidnapped). And speaking of Immolant, there is the following, from Sagira:

"Shut up! Listen to my words!" Her iris is bright with Light. "There are great things still left for you; don't lose hope in the darkness." She is luminant.

Osiris breathes the word, as if he could hold it back: "No." He would understand in time. She had seen it.

This seems like a pretty strong implication that his story is far from over. It would be quite a bummer if this was completely ignored and we're delivered Osiris' dead body at some point during this season.

Of course, I'm not discouting the possibility that Osiris will never be the same after this. It's likely that there will be lasting consequences if he's alive.

I am also not discounting the possibility that Osiris may as well be dead. I want to make that clear. It's possible. But I did my best to make a somewhat coherent analysis of why that is probably not the case and why Myelin's position in particular is flawed. And as I said at the start, I definitely am biased in a way that makes me hope that Osiris is not dead. I fully understand that and would not be opposed to people pointing out flaws in my argument if there are any. I am, genuinely, trying to be as objective as possible with this though, but as always, I could end up being wrong in the end.

And that is my TED talk.