#you know she tried to kill your friends right

[undeadentropy]

Yeah my family told me that love was unconditional so I guess I just believed them? Had a bad habit of trusting people most of my life. Don't worry ex family, I'm cold and bitter and slow to trust people like you now, so mission accomplished I guess ✌️

Anyhow to any young autistic people, just because they don't hit you and they make some sort of apology after yelling at you doesn't mean they actually care. My family was all that and they literally kicked me out to starve to death on the streets because I tried to kill myself. Both sides, the only thing they ever agreed on after the divorce. Turns out if both sides are intelligent gaslighters, you can be conditioned to accept a lot of shit you had no idea was even bad. Take care of yourself first. Don't self sacrifice out of love.

Here is the golden rule to know if your instincts are right about friends or famIly. If you can't safely unmask around them, or don't feel safe unmasking around them for reasons other than past abuse, don't fucking trust that person more than you can throw them. I'm so serious right now. I'm well past halfway through my life expectancy now and this rule hasn't been wrong even once.

If this advise can protect even one of you then I will considered it an acceptable trade. I want you all to live better than I did. Had I known then what I do now my life would have gone very differently. I should have left my damn mask on and kept going forward.

And whatever they've done to you, don't kill yourself. Dont give then the satisfaction. Die with honor and meaning if you must die. But don't you dare go quietly. Every day you survive this world gives you a chance to make it better off than how it started. Protect others from what you've been through. We go forward together across broken glass and blood at tears if we must. But we go forward.

If you have absolutely no one, then know you got this random faceless internet stranger crying as she types this. I love you. And I will never stop fighting for you.

a bottom-tier autistic experience is being told throughout your entire childhood that you are just an overthinker when it comes to social situations and later finding out that your friends did, in fact, hate being around you and tried to communicate that through weird little hints

[holylulusworld]

Ari & Leo (Leo’s pups snippet)

Summary: Leo is about to become a daddy too.

Pairing: Alpha!Ari Levinson x Omega!Reader x Leo 😉

Warnings: a/b/o, a/b/o dynamics, fluff, daddy Ari

A/N: This drabble is part of my Leo & Alpha verse. It’s the fourth snippet of their story.

“Leo! Leo!” Ari runs around the park, desperately looking for your dog. You’re waiting for him to return, sitting on a bench while watching over your five-month-old twins. “I’ll shave your fur if you don’t come back!”

You giggle because your tall alpha is running around the park, chasing your dog. You’re not worried about Leo running off. He always comes back. Maybe he found a new friend and wanted to greet him. Your dog is not a runaway. He knows his home and loves it.

“Daisy!” You cock your brow when a woman calls for her dog. “Daisy Flower!” She coos to lure the dog in. She looks your way, sniffling as her dog runs off too.

“Can I help you, miss?” You offer the seat next to you on the bench, but she huffs and storms off. “Or not. Bitch!” You hiss. “Babies, you didn’t hear mommy curse.��� Looking at your babies,, you sigh. They are sleeping peacefully in their stroller.

“LEO! Noooo!” Ari yells loud enough to make you flinch. “You dirty bastard! Nooo!” You gasp and get up from the bench. Something must be wrong with your dog.“ Ari yells and growls, using his alpha voice.

“Ari?” You murmur your husband’s name. “Ari! LEO!!!” You call for your alpha and your dog.

“Wait! You beast! How dare you run off!” The woman from earlier chases after Leo, who runs toward you. The huge Leonberger hides behind you, whining low. “I’ll kill you for ruining my Daisy!”

“Hey lady, stay away from my dog!” You growl at the woman who tried to hit Leo with her bag. “I’m warning you!”

“Your dog ruined my award-winning dog!” She snarls and tries to hit your dog again. Leo growls as she accidentally hits your shoulder with her bag. Before she can do it again, Ari’s hand wraps around her wrist, twisting it. He drags her away, growling at her.

“Get away from my omega and pups!” Your husband is about to lose control. His instinct kicked in, and he’ll rip the woman apart if he must. “Leo did nothing wrong.”

“That monster mounted my poor princess!” She cries and looks at her dog, who seems very pleased. The Leonberger walks toward Leo to lie next to him. Your dog immediately nuzzles her fur and purrs low in his throat. “She's useless now!”

“Your princess looked very happy when Leo mounted her,” Ari grunts in the woman’s direction. “What do you want for her?”

“What?” She hisses at your alpha.

“How much for the dog? Leo likes her, and you said she’s ruined now that he gave it to her good.” Your alpha smirks like the devil when the woman’s face flushes red. Flustered, she looks at her dog.“

“Six thousand,” she snaps at your husband. “I bet you don’t even have six bucks. I’ll sue you for ruining my breeding bitch.”

Ari grins. “Lady, your princess is now my dog's breeding bitch,” he snickers when she makes a face. “Give me five minutes and I'll get your money.”

Getting his phone out, Ari keeps an eye on the woman. He calls his right-hand man, telling him to bring the money and a contract to the park.

While your dog is having a blast licking Daisy’s fur, you sigh. Now you got a second dog, and you fear things will change. “Leo, you naughty dog.” You whisper and pat his head.

Daisy lifts her head to look at you, expecting cuddles too. You pat her head, earning a purr from the new member of your family.

“Hey, keep your hands off my dog!” The woman complains.

“You mean my dog,” Ari bites back. He points at his right-hand man, walking toward him. “Buck, thanks.” Ari takes an envelope filled with money and the contract out of Bucky’s hands. “I assume Andy prepared the contract?”

“He did,” Bucky nods. “A new dog, huh?” The brunette watches you struggle to pet both dogs. “Hm…I like cats more.” He hums as his boss pays the woman and tells her to sign the contract.

“Now it’s my dog. Go and buy a new dog, but treat them better,” Ari turns his attention toward you and his toddlers. “Let’s head home, shall we?”

“Why?” You giggle.

“I fear we will adopt more pets if we stay longer…”

“Leo, buddy,” Ari sighs as Leo is busy playing with his favorite toy. “You’re not a pup any longer. You’re a man and got a pregnant and pretty lady at home.” He points at Daisy sleeping soundly on your bed, next to you. “You’re going to be a daddy soon.”

Leo whines. He drops his toy and jumps onto the bed to lie next to Daisy. Snuggling closer to his pregnant mate.

“Leo, that’s my spot on the bed.” Ari huffs because there’s no space left for him. “Y/N, I fear we need a bigger bed.”

You smile. Leo looks happy, just like Daisy. They are inseparable, and you couldn’t be happier for your dog.

“What will happen after the pups arrive?” Ari asks. “We can’t keep them all…”

Tags in reblog.

[sunnyie-eve]

52 | Tattoo

Series: Unexpected

Paring: Matt Sturniolo x OFC Brock!

Word Count: 1.4k

Warnings: Tara knows secret, fans being annoying

| MASTERLIST |

"Should we prank Dani?" Matt asks Nick and Chris while they were live on Twitch, "Like do something to her room?"

Chris looks down at his phone to see Dani texting him, who was at Tara's place watching them, "Oh Dani says... If any of us go into her room... She will..." Chris reads the texts.

"Of course she's watching us right now." Matt looks at Nick.

"But she said she will kill us if we pass through her doorway." Chris finishes reading the text, "Her room is off limits. If we don't listen to her, we're gonna regret it big big big time. So she says listen to her." He tells the two.

"Don't worry Dani." Nick smiles, "I'll listen to you. I stay out of your room when you're home. Unlike these two, mainly Matt."

Chris looks down at his phone and it was Dani telling him that the food he asked for was arriving, "I'll be right back." Chris leaves to go get his food.

As Matt tries to read chat he laughs saying he thinks he needs glasses while Nick reads so too, "Dani was in a Loony Tunes photoshoot."

"Lola Bunny." Matt says making Nick look at him, "What?"

"Stop."

"What? That's who she was in that shoot." Matt says then goes back to reading chat and they start talking about tattoos, "Matt, tattoo tour."

"Give them one." Nick tells him, "You only have this one arm tattooed right?"

"Yeah, there's two I've never shown people."

"Which ones?" Nick leans in to hear him.

"I can show them." Matt laughs.

"Matching set?"

"No, I'm not showing that one off and I have to take my shirt off to do so." Matt explains.

"So you're showing only this one?" Nick looks at the tattoo, "I think they've seen it."

"No, they've tried too. They've almost seen it. They've taken guesses."

"I think they've seen it." Nick sticks to it so Matt shakes his heads.

"Nope, never seen it." Matt turns to try to show it off.

"Dani wants one similar." Nick says, as Matt has trouble showing it off.

"It's a gargoyle." Matt finally shows it, "And then the back of my shoulder has the matching set."

"Same spot as Dani." Nick adds.

"I'm not showing it off because I just don't want to. It's super meaningful to me." Matt explains to chat as Chris comes back.

"Did you show them the matching set?" He asks him.

"What are you about to eat?" Nick looks at his food.

"Dani order what I wanted." Chris shrugs, "But did you show the matching set off?" Chris asks again.

"No, I told chat I wasn't going to."

"Why?" Chris asks curious because Dani doesn't try to hide hers from being seen.

"Because I personally don't want to show it off. As I said, it's super meaningful to me. I will say that mine is the moon while Dani has the sun but I'm still not showing it off."

"I kind of get it since some people like to get matching tattoos with people they're fans of and yours is meaningful to you." Nick speaks up and they see some of the chat saying why is it so meaningful if it's just with a friend.

"It's just with a friend..." Matt reads and can't help but roll his eyes, "Not just any friend, guys. It's with Dani and she's family now. Plus she designed our tattoos so they are personal to us." Matt explains.

"She did? I didn't even know that." Chris was surprised and Nick was too.

"Yeah, that's why it's my favorite tattoo."

"Wow, more than our matching set." Nick plays around.

"Way more. The tattoo is like my baby that I'm protective of." Matt laughs, and Dani, who was still watching them laughs as well with Tara.

"Someone said matching tattoos is something to be serious about." Nick reads and rolls his eyes a bit as well. Yeah, that was true with most people but not   Matt and Dani.

"It is, that's exactly why we got them. Thank you for worrying. I know exactly what I was doing. It was my idea and she designed it."

Tara can't help but laugh muting the live for a second to look at Dani, "Why did he want to get a tattoo with you?"

"At the time he said he wanted to make our bond stronger and permanent so he came up with the idea of a matching tattoo." Dani explains to her then unmutes the live.

At the moment the topic slightly changed but she was still the main focus of chat. "Dani's a pick me." Nick reads, "I'm gonna start banning people like you. If I or any decent person sees hate towards Dani will ban who said it."

"Do you even know the definition of pick me?" Chris asks, "She has never seeking our attention. It's actually the opposite. We seek her attention." Chris laughs making the girls laugh as well.

"As we've said in the past... Dani isn't going anywhere so love her as well or leave. Because she's really not going anywhere at the moment and I don't plan on it either." Matt tells chat and Tara screams startling Dani.

"YOU GUYS ARE SECRETLY DATING!" Tara jumps up and down screaming. "That was such a dead giveaway to me. At the moment! He doesn't plan on it either! AHHHHH!"

Dani watches Tara run around the room happily, "Are you done yet?" Dani laughs at her.

"AND YOU AREN'T DENYING IT! AHHH YES!!!!" Tara rushes over grabbing her by the shoulders shaking her, "I'M SO HAPPY!"

Dani just laughs at her, "I can tell."

"How long? Tell me everything!"

"Late March, I slipped up and he asked me out. I told him that if maybe he asked me instead of Chris, my answer would've be different." Dani tells her and Tara screams.

"THREE MONTHS! Who all knows?"

"Marylou, Justin, Madison, and you now. I think we're getting to the point where me might tell certain people like Nick, Chris, Sam, my family, Jimmy, and their friend Nate. I just really don't want to tell Colby, you know." Dani turns off the live.

"Well, he's gonna have to get over it. I know he likes Matt but only dislikes him when you're around. Out of anyone, Matt is someone he doesn't have to worry about dating you. Matt is so sweet and truly cares for you."

"Honestly, I haven't spoken to Colby since our fight we had. And no, I don't want to get into it right now." Dani leans back on the couch.

"I'm sure once he sees you two as a couple it will finally hit him that Matt makes you happy and feel loved." Tara smiles, "Anything else you wanna tell me?" Tara gives her a look.

"Hey, knock it off." Dani laughs, "You don't need to know all the details of my relationship with especially private stuff."

"I know, I know." Tara laughs then types in chat hoping the guys will see it and they don't but fans let them know Tara said hi.

"I don't trust you Tara." Matt looks right into the camera so Dani texts him she knows as well now.

"Dani!" He shouts then leans closer to the camera, "What the hell?" He asks so she calls him.

"Oh look, she's calling." He shows the camera his phone and her poster for when she calls was her giving Trevor a kiss as they sat on his bed back home and her name also had a heart after it.

Most people wouldn't care about the picture but some had pointed out she was in his room, wearing his shirt, and tiny boyshorts.

"What do you want?" He answers the phone.

"Why are you yelling at me through a livestream?" She asks him and he laughs before putting her in speaker.

"Hi Dani, Hi Tara." Nick waves.

"HIIII!" Tara yells then sees some of the comments, "Guys, Dani's name in my phone also has a heart after her name. It's not a big deal." She adds leaning closer to Dani's phone to be heard.

"Look." Nick grabs his phone to show he also had a heart next to Dani's name as well, "It's nothing."

"Chat, even in my phone each brother has their favorite color heart next to their name." Dani ;ets them know, "Okay, I'm turning y'all off so we can watch a movie. Love you guys." Dani says then hangs up then turns off the live.

"Some fans are so annoying." Tara rolls her eyes.

"I know and you deal with a lot with you still being close friends with Jake."

[kyywritess]

CHAPTER 11: KNOW ITS FOR THE BETTER

pairing: aged up!katsuki bakugo x fem!reader

summary: After six intense years in Japan, YN LN has firmly established herself as a renowned gym owner. She's known by many pros for her charm, strength, and boxing abilities. She has a strong support system and amazing friends... her life in Japan was everything she dreamed it would be.

But everything changes one fateful night when a mysterious package appears on her doorstep. No note, no return address—just a plain box wrapped with a single pearly pink ribbon. As she unravels the contents of the box, she’s drawn into a dark, twisted mystery that seems to reach deep into her own past—a past she thought she had buried when she left her old life behind.

wc: 3.6k

an: Another cliffhanger I'm sorry, dont be mad at me.

---

If there was one thing Katsuki Bakugo wanted in his current life, it was you. After the car crash, rage consumed him, his mind bent on tearing apart the driver responsible. But everything shifted when he heard Kirishima's frantic voice calling his name. The look on Kirishima's face made his heart plummet into his stomach.

He had barely dropped the man he intended to pummel when blinding white lights flooded the area. Three cars screeched to a stop, surrounding him and Kirishima.

Then, a man stepped out—tall, pale, and with piercing green eyes that Bakugo could never forget. Moretti.

Instinct screamed at him to run to you, to grab you and flee. He tried, unleashing explosion after explosion, each blast aimed at Moretti and his men. But amidst the chaos, Kirishima had disappeared to get help, and Moretti’s men had reached the wreckage.

They were pulling you out of the car. Limp, lifeless. Blood poured from your leg, staining the ground in a deep crimson pool.

“Get in the car, or I shoot the girl,” Moretti commanded, his tone as cold as steel.

Bakugo froze. There was no real choice. His gaze locked on you—your ghostly pale skin, hair matted with blood and dirt. You looked strangely serene, as if you'd made peace with the horror unfolding.

He wouldn’t let them kill you. Not while he was alive to stop it.

So he got in the car, seething with suppressed fury as they bound a tourniquet around your leg and checked your pulse. The contradiction gnawed at him: Moretti threatened your life, yet kept you alive. Why?

Now he sat in a chair too small for his broad frame, wrists bound but mind racing. Across the room, you lay unconscious, your chest rising and falling faintly—a fragile sign of life.

Your skin was deathly pale, a dark wound visible just above the blindfold they’d placed over your eyes. The blindfold seemed ridiculous—after all, you’d been unconscious for hours.

For two excruciatingly silent hours, he hadn’t seen or heard anyone and it was driving him mad.

The warehouse they were in was heavily guarded. Armed men patrolled the perimeter like it was a military base. Inside the room, there was only one door and a single vent leading who knew where. Security cameras loomed over the room, scanning every corner—except behind him.

He flexed against the ropes, testing their strength. He had to get out, to get you somewhere safe.

It was painfully clear now that you weren’t working for Moretti. Guilt hit him like a sucker punch as he remembered his earlier accusations. He’d jumped to conclusions, faster than he ever had before.

The thought of you lying to him, keeping something so monumental hidden, had stung more than he’d imagined. But the sight of you now—broken, fragile—eclipsed his hurt.

If you both made it out of this, he’d spend every day making it up to you.

He knew Kirishima had to be rallying backup, but the real challenge was figuring out where they were.

And then there was James. Whatever your connection to him, Bakugo had to hope James had realized you were missing.

But right now, nothing else mattered except getting you out alive.

---

When you first came to, you were met with complete darkness. A coarse fabric was draped over your face, muffling your breath and adding to the suffocating sense of confinement. You tried to move, but your wrists were bound tightly behind you, the rough texture of rope biting into your skin. The faint ache in your leg brought the memories flooding back—the car crash, the chaos, and then... nothing.

The silence in the room was deafening, broken only by the distant sound of dripping water. You weren’t sure how much time had passed, but the shift in the air told you all you needed to know: Moretti had found you.

The harsh scrape of a chair across concrete jolted you. You flinched instinctively, your pulse quickening as a familiar presence filled the room. That scent—carmel and musk, faint but distinct—was unmistakable.

“Stupid fucking chair.”

Bakugo’s voice cut through the darkness, low and gruff, filled with irritation.

Relief and dread tangled together in your chest. He was here. They had taken him too. Your heart sank at the realization. Not only had you been captured, but now the one person you’d tried to protect was caught in this nightmare with you.

You remained silent, your breathing shallow as you processed your surroundings. The pressure wrapped around your thigh was unmistakable—a makeshift tourniquet, crudely tied but effective. The pain was simmering, dulled only by the adrenaline still coursing through your veins.

The scrape of Bakugo’s chair yanked you from your thoughts.

“Stop. Head hurts,” you muttered hoarsely, wincing at the sound of your own voice.

The noise ceased, leaving the room to drown in silence once more.

“Fuck, you’re alive,” Bakugo muttered, almost to himself.

“Mmm,” you hummed, your mind still foggy. “How’d Moretti get you?”

“How’d you know it was Moretti?”

The words slipped out before you could think. “He’s notorious for tying people up in chairs. Plus, I can feel him.”

“Feel him?”

“Are you gonna keep asking questions?” you shot back weakly.

His voice darkened, low and dangerous. “Are you gonna keep lying to me?”

The accusation hit you harder than you expected, but now wasn’t the time to argue. “I only lied to you because I care for you.”

“Right.”

The weight of his skepticism pressed down on you. You needed to steer the conversation elsewhere.

“Do you have a blindfold on?”

“No, but hands are tied.”

The deadpan response caught you off guard, and before you knew it, laughter bubbled out of you. It wasn’t the right time, and you knew it, but the absurdity of the situation made your head spin.

“Glad to see you still have a sense of humor.” Bakugo snapped, his irritation palpable.

You struggled to catch your breath between fits of giggles. “I’m sorry—it’s not funny… it’s just—how did they even capture you?”

“They rolled up on us after the crash,” he admitted, his tone sharp. “They were gonna kill you if I didn’t comply. I had no choice.”

The laughter died in your throat, replaced by a lump of guilt.

“Yeah, not so funny now,” he added bitterly.

You bit your lip, your mind racing. There was only one reason Moretti would take Bakugo—it wasn’t just about you anymore. Moretti had been watching, studying you, and he knew exactly what buttons to press.

“Katsuki—”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he cut you off, already piecing it together.

“Why?” you whispered.

"Cause I couldn’t stand there and watch another man take you. Even if nothin’ made sense,” he murmured, the softness in his voice catching you off guard.

“I’m sorry. I never wanted to hurt you,” you said quietly.

“Did—was anything ever real?”

The question hung in the air like a blade poised to strike. Of course it was real. The way your heart beat for him was real. 

“The way I feel about you is real,” you said, your voice trembling.

You could feel his eyes on you, even through the darkness. A smile crept onto your face despite the situation. “Stop staring at me like that.”

“Wha—”

“I have a lot to explain to you,” you said, cutting him off.

“Yeah.”

“Is Kiri okay?” You asked, redirecting the conversation again.

“Yeah, he was able to escape before they got to him.”

Relief washed over you. The plan you and Kirishima had made flickered in your mind. He’d be on his way to the cabin now.

“Good,” you muttered.

Bakugo spoke up, an unusual softness to his voice. “M’sorry. Thought you were working with him.”

You let out a bitter laugh, shaking your head even though you knew he couldn’t see it. “I’d never work for a person like Moretti.”

“Then how are you tied to him?”

“No relation. Just a scumbag I want dead,” you said bluntly.

“Tch. Tell me about it.”

“One day,” you promised, your voice dropping to a whisper. “I’ll tell you everything. But right now, we don’t have time.”

The air shifted again, heavier now, as if Moretti’s presence loomed closer. You could sense it before it happened.

The sound of footsteps echoed from outside the room, growing louder. Bakugo stiffened in his chair, and you could feel his energy change, coiling like a spring ready to snap.

“Don’t fucking touch her,” he growled, his voice like thunder as the door creaked open and footsteps moved towards you. 

A pair of hands fiddled with the knot of your blindfold, yanking it away. Blinding white light seared your eyes, and you blinked rapidly to adjust. When your vision cleared, there he was: Moretti.

His piercing green eyes bored into yours with a predatory gleam, a smug smile spreading across his face. He looked older than you remembered, the years of prison etched into the lines around his mouth and eyes, but the malice was as strong as ever.

“Well, isn’t this a treat? Two of Japan’s finest, tied up like common prey,” Moretti drawled, his voice dripping with venom. “Dynamight, the explosive hothead. And Y/N, America's sweetheart. Tell me, do you think the public will mourn you more if I kill you together or one at a time?”

The tension in the room thickened like a fog, suffocating and heavy. Bakugo’s crimson eyes burned with defiance as he pulled against his restraints, the cords creaking ominously under the strain. “Try it,” he spat, his voice a razor-edged promise. “See how far you get before I blow your head off.”

Moretti chuckled, a low, mirthless sound that sent a chill down your spine. “Ah, there’s that famous temper. But let’s not forget who’s holding all the cards here, Dynamight.” He gestured to you, his fingers grazing your cheek in a way that made your stomach churn. “One wrong move, and she’s gone.”

Bakugo’s jaw tightened, his entire body trembling with barely contained rage. He wanted to lash out, to reduce the entire building to ash, but the sight of you—still pale, still weak—kept him anchored.

You shifted slightly, your hands numb from the ropes biting into your wrists. Despite the fear gnawing at your resolve, you forced yourself to speak. “You wont kill me.” Your voice was hoarse, but steady enough to earn his attention.

Moretti’s smug expression didn’t falter. If anything, his predatory smile widened, his piercing green eyes boring into yours with a sinister gleam.

“Of course, you’d say that,” he drawled, his voice low and venomous. “But let’s not play coy. I didn’t kidnap you on a whim. I know exactly what you know.”

You froze, the ropes biting into your wrists as your blood turned to ice.

“That’s right,” Moretti continued, circling your chair like a vulture. “You know where my daughter is. The one thing the police couldn’t break out of you, even when you testified. You kept that little secret buried, didn’t you? To protect her, I assume. But how long do you think you can hold onto it when his life is on the line?”

Bakugo’s eyes flicked toward you, sharp with confusion and fury. “What the hell is he talking about?”

Moretti’s grin widened as he watched Bakugo’s expression twist with confusion and rage. “You really don’t know, do you?” he said, a mockery of sympathy in his tone. “Oh, this is rich. Japan’s greatest hero, clueless about the woman sitting next to him.”

Moretti turned his attention back to you, his green eyes gleaming with amusement. “You didn’t tell him?” He leaned in closer, his voice dripping with mock disbelief. “You mean to say you’ve been playing the role of a helpless civilian this whole time? That’s cold, even for you, Nova.”

Bakugo’s gaze snapped to you, the weight of Moretti’s words settling between you like a live wire. “Nova?” he questioned, his voice low and dangerous. “What’s he talking about?”

Your stomach churned, but you kept your expression neutral. “Don’t listen to him,” you said quickly.

Moretti laughed, the sound cutting through the tension like a blade. “Oh, no, no, no. Let’s not brush past this. Dynamight deserves to know who he’s risking his life for.”

He straightened, turning to Bakugo with an almost theatrical flourish. “Meet Nova, America’s former golden girl. Once a top-tier hero in her own right—complete with a shiny little quirk she’s kept hidden from you.”

Bakugo’s eyes widened slightly before narrowing into slits. “You’re lying.”

“Am I?” Moretti raised a brow, then gestured toward you. “Go ahead, ask her. Ask her about the years she spent hunting down villains like me. About the testimony that put me in prison. About the daughter she stole from me.”

“Shut up,” you snapped, your voice cutting through the air like a whip.

But Bakugo was already staring at you, his crimson eyes ablaze with confusion and betrayal. “Is it true?”

You hesitated, the words catching in your throat. 

Moretti clapped his hands together, delighted by the unraveling tension. “Ah, the sweet taste of betrayal. Isn’t it delicious?”

“Shut the hell up!” Bakugo snapped, his glare burning a hole through Moretti.

Moretti’s cold, predatory smile grew as he savored the moment, watching Bakugo struggle with the weight of his words. “And if you thought this was the worst of it, you’re in for a surprise, Dynamight.” He turned back to you, his gaze like a vulture eyeing its prey. “She didn’t just hide her quirk from you, or hide who she was. No, she faked her death.”

Bakugo’s eyes snapped to you, the fury and confusion in his gaze sharp enough to cut through steel. “You were the hero that died in the car accident?” 

Moretti’s laugh echoed around the room, harsh and mocking. “Yes, indeed. That little stunt she pulled after her so-called ‘hero career’ ended. She made everyone believe she was dead—her friends, her family, even the people she’d worked with. But the truth is, she’s been hiding from me. Hiding because she knows I’ll never stop hunting her. Not while I’m still breathing.”

Your heart hammered in your chest. This was worse than you could have imagined. Moretti was unraveling everything you’d fought so hard to bury. Every secret, every lie, coming to the surface in the worst way possible.

Bakugo’s gaze never left you, his expression a mixture of disbelief, anger, and hurt. “Why?” he growled, his voice low and dangerous. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I had no choice,” you said, your voice trembling despite your best efforts to stay calm. “Moretti was looking for me. He had connections everywhere. I couldn’t let him find me, so I made them believe I was dead. I had to disappear. I couldn’t risk anyone else getting hurt.”

He leaned closer, his grin widening. “Your precious Nova here is the reason I rotted in prison for six years. She testified against me. She took everything from me.”

You struggled against the ropes, your voice steady despite the tremble in your body. “You don’t deserve to find her. After everything you’ve done, after all the lives you’ve destroyed, she’s better off without you.”

Moretti’s smile disappeared, replaced by a dangerous glint in his eyes. He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper. “You don’t get to decide that.”

Bakugo snarled, thrashing against his restraints. “You touch her, and I’ll kill you. I swear to god, I’ll rip you apart!”

Moretti glanced at him, amused. “Oh, its not her you should be worried about Dynamight. No, I’ll break her—piece by piece— as she watches, until she tells me what I want to know.”

He straightened, motioning to the guard still holding the syringe. “And when she does, I’ll kill her anyway. After all, she’s the reason I lost everything. Call it poetic justice.”

The guard stepped closer to Bakugo, gripping his arm, and panic surged through you. “Moretti, if you hurt him, you’ll never find her,” you said quickly, your voice rising.

That gave him pause. He raised a hand, signaling the guard to stop, and turned to you with narrowed eyes. 

“You know I’m the only one who knows where she is,” you said, forcing yourself to keep calm. “If you kill him—or push me too far—you’ll lose any chance of finding her. Forever.”

Moretti’s jaw tightened, his expression unreadable. He leaned in close, his voice a low growl. “Then start talking. Or I’ll make sure you wish I’d killed you instead.”

Beside you, Bakugo’s crimson eyes blazed with rage and desperation. “Don’t tell him anything!” he shouted. “He’s lying—he’ll kill you no matter what!”

But you weren’t ready to give up. Not yet. You had to play this carefully, or neither of you would make it out alive.

Taking a deep breath, you looked up at him. “She’s dead.” 

Moretti froze, his eyes narrowing, his hand still suspended in the air, ready to give another order. The silence that followed felt like an eternity. Bakugo's furious protests faded into the background as Moretti processed your words.

“What did you just say?” Moretti’s voice was low, dangerously calm.

You swallowed hard, forcing yourself to hold your ground. “She’s dead. Milly’s gone.”

Moretti’s gaze turned icy, a flicker of disbelief flashing across his features. “You’re lying,” he hissed. “You’re just trying to buy yourself time.”

But the raw edge of fear in his eyes gave him away. He was already questioning everything.

“I’m not lying,” you said, your voice unwavering despite the terror clawing at your chest. “I knew you’d come for her. After I received your little ‘gift,’ I realized I had to act. She didn’t deserve a life with you as her father, so I did what had to be done.”

Moretti’s eyes narrowed in disbelief. “What are you talking about? What did you do?”

“She’s in a place now where you’ll never reach her,” you continued, your words cold, resolute. “A place where you can’t hurt her anymore.”

Moretti’s expression twisted into a snarl. “WHAT DID YOU DO?”

The room seemed to grow colder at the intensity of Moretti’s roar. His fists clenched tightly at his sides, and his breathing quickened as his eyes locked onto you, as if trying to burn a hole through you with sheer force of will.

You held his gaze, knowing full well what you had just said would push him beyond the edge. “I did what I had to do,” you repeated, your voice firm even as your heart hammered in your chest. “She’s gone, Moretti. I made sure she was safe. You will never find her. No one will. She’s in a place where you can’t touch her anymore.”

Moretti’s chest heaved, his anger mounting with each word you spoke. “No,” he spat, his voice low and dangerous. “No, you didn’t. You didn’t do this. You didn’t kill my daughter.”

“I did,” you said, the weight of your lies sinking deep into your chest. “I made sure she was free of you. From your cruelty, your obsession. I couldn’t let her grow up under the shadow of someone like you. You’re a monster, Moretti. And she didn’t deserve that life.”

Moretti’s face twisted in fury, his eyes wild with disbelief. He took a step toward you, the threat of violence hanging in the air. “You’re lying. You’re lying to protect yourself. Tell me where she is. NOW.”

The guard, still holding Bakugo's arm, prepared the needle, but you hadn't noticed. You were focused on Moretti—the man who had destroyed so many lives, including his own daughter’s. You didn’t back down.

“She’s gone, Moretti,” you repeated, your voice colder now. “I ended her suffering. And now you’ll never get your hands on her. Not now, not ever.”

The silence in the room was suffocating, thick with the heavy realization settling in Moretti’s mind. His jaw clenched, his muscles trembling with barely contained rage, but there was something else there, something darker: desperation. He had nothing left to hold onto.

“You think I’ll let you get away with this?” he growled, taking another step forward, his hand reaching out as if to strike you. But something in your eyes, something in your stance, seemed to hold him at bay. For a brief moment, the fury in his eyes faltered.

“You already lost her,” you said, your voice low, cold with the finality of it all. “And now, the only thing left to you is vengeance.”

The guard beside Bakugo glanced nervously at Moretti, who was seething with rage, but it was clear he was struggling to process the depth of what you had just said. His emotions were a storm, a swirl of grief and anger, confusion and disbelief.

“Take her down the hall,” Moretti commanded, his voice sharp and final as the guard moved from Bakugo to your side.

You glanced over at Bakugo, watching his face twist in confusion and fury as he processed the weight of your words. His protests grew louder, his anger mounting with each passing second. But the guard was relentless, yanking you to your feet and dragging you toward the door.

You didn’t know if you’d ever see Bakugo again, but in that moment, you knew this was the only way. Moretti would stop at nothing to get what he wanted—he’d torture you until you spoke. So, you had given him the answer he was desperate for.

Now, all you could do was hope. Hope that while Moretti took his time with you, it would give Bakugo the chance to escape, to find a way out before it was too late.

---

TAGLIST: @emmaafinchh@faetoraa@iissza@theasgardianmexican @cax-per

[angelic-writer]

Everything was normal for the evening with the triplets dutifully helping Bill with the food. In fact, every citizen in Crestwood county continued with their normal routine. Mavis did some of his homework, Charlie talked with her friends online, Carter got his mother’s medication and Tyler and Gavin briefly talked about the day over text.

Soon, 6 PM came. Everyone at home gathered in the living room in front of the television to watch the broadcast. People who were currently working had their eyes glued to whatever monitor they had at their workplace.

Mavis sat by his mom, dad and sister in the living room, watching the news anchors wrap up their reporting.

Carter was with his family in the same position, sitting by his mother to make sure she doesn’t exacerbate her condition.

Tyler sat with his foster parents in the same spot with his arms crossed, waiting for the broadcast to air.

Gavin had his phone in his hand, seeming to not have a care in the world while his father sat in the easy chair.

The Flammia family were bunched together on the living room couch, their eyes glued to the screen. Cathy was a bit nervous considering what she saw on her phone. She had a feeling that after the broadcast, they would get the same alert on their phones yet again.

When that time hit, life for them would change every night.

It was a night where everyone needs to be vigilant.

“We interrupt this program to bring you this important broadcast.”

"Good evening, citizens of Crestwood. We interrupt this program to bring you this important message. It is now 6 PM and we hope all of you stayed home tonight. If you're still at work when the broadcast is on, continue working like normal until your shift is over. When it's over, immediately return home. Do not stop for anyone.

"For citizens at home, stay in your house, lock all windows and doors, and have a loaded weapon with you at all times. All of this is to protect you from mimics.

"Mimics are supernatural creatures that can take the form of you and can either drive you mad or kill you. Some mimic class types are very dangerous and it is important that you know who they are.

"Let's go over the ones that are considered safe.

Type 1 - Batesian

"Batesian mimics are what we consider to be harmless. They pose as a harmful mimic to ward off anyone they tries to hurt them or their human.

Type 2 - Mullerian

"Mullerian mimics are two or more mimics that advertise themselves as harmful to ward off predators. These mimics often work in groups of two or three.

Type 3 - Emsleyan/Mertensian

"Emsleyan/Mertensian mimics take the form of a less harmful mimic to deceive the predator and kill them.

"Since these mimic types appear similar to predators, it is important that you remain vigilant.

"Now, onto the dangerous ones.

Type 1 - Predators

"Predators are a mimic group where they take the form of a loved one, deceive them into thinking they are the real person and then use psychological manipulation. Those are the most dangerous types of mimics and we strongly advise to avoid them at all costs.

"In the event of a mimic attack, follow the S.A.F.E. principle.

S - Secure yourself in a room.

A - Access the situation. Learn how the mimic operates.

F - Fire your weapon. If the mimic attacks, do not hesitate. It can mean life or death.

E - If possible, escape. Do not let them win.

"Here are some pictures that'll show you which one is a mimic or not."

Two pictures of a man in a well dressed business suit appeared on the screen. At first glance, they appeared to be identical. But upon further inspection, the people watching noticed how the man's eyes looked off like someone tried to paint a face, but couldn't get the eyes right.

It continued for some time with the pictures growing more and more distorted until it was a formless black void.

REMEMBER THESE TYPES

FOLLOW THE SAFE PRINCIPLE

STAY SAFE

Curfew is now in effect from 6 PM to 6 AM. No one is allowed to go outside during this time. Anyone caught outside during curfew will be fined a total sum of $200. Repeat offenders will be jailed.

At 9 PM, all residents are encouraged to shut off all electronic devices (TVs, cell phones, laptops, etc.) During the time period, you may only use your phone for emergency use. If an emergency occurs during curfew or the 9 PM restriction, immediately call 911.

REMEMBER THESE TYPES

FOLLOW THE THINK PRINCIPLE

STAY SAFE

Curfew is now in effect from 6 PM to 6 AM. No one is allowed to go outside during this time. Anyone caught outside during curfew will be fined a total sum of $200. Repeat offenders will be jailed.

At 9 PM, all residents are encouraged to shut off all electronic devices (TVs, cell phones, laptops, etc.) During the time period, you may only use your phone for emergency use. If an emergency occurs during curfew or the 9 PM restriction, immediately call 911.

The Department of Babylonian Crusaders and the Crestwood Police Department thanks you for your cooperation. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

Project Mimicry (Vol 1) - Chapter 1

"In the beginning, God created the heaven and the Earth." - Genesis 1:1

1983

"This is a test. This station is conducting a test of the Emergency Broadcasting System. This is only a test."

A long, screeching noise blared from the old TV. The Markson family had a different program on when they announced the test. It was some cowboy show their dad loved so much. For eleven year old Jade, it made her stomach churn. It was an odd sound, different from the sounds of horses and gunfire that came from the living room while they were doing family worship. It made her want to jump into her mother's arms and pray to Jehovah for the noise to stop.

Her mom, dad and brother were silent as the attention signal droned on. After a minute, it stopped.

"This is a test of the emergency broadcasting system. The broadcasters of your area in voluntary cooperation with federal, state and local authorities have developed this system to keep you informed in the event of an emergency. If this had been an actual emergency, the attention signal you have just heard would have been filed by official information, news or instructions. This station serves the northern Alabama area. This concludes this test of the emergency broadcast system."

Jade fiddled with the pages of her book, trying to think of the right words to say. Her brother, Caleb had resumed work on his drawing, seeming to not care about anything. Her mother let out a small sigh. "I swear, can they not scare the kids like that?"

"Mom..." Jade quietly said. "Why do they send out something like this? What if it hadn't been a test? Are... Are we gonna die?"

Opal got up from her chair and pulled her into her arms. "Oh sweetie, we're not gonna die. Everything's gonna be okay. This whole thing will blow over in no time."

"Well Jade," Opal's husband, Simon, chimed in. "They played the test on our TV because they want to inform us on what's happening. The world is at a very turbulent time at the moment so they are doing their best to keep us informed. If we were actually under attack, we would've been hiding in the basement." He let out a small chuckle.

"Well, what can we do to make it better?" Jade asked.

"Pray to Jehovah, of course. Our safety is his priority and if we pray to him, he'll protect us."

Jade smiled and snuggled into her mother. Jehovah is the only thing she knew. She may not be like the other "worldly" kids, but she didn't need all those material goods. She didn't need to see the latest movie or buy the newest toys. As long as she had her family and Jehovah, she can get through anything.

Caleb let out a soft coo.

"Oh, we didn't forget about you!" Simon lifted him out of his baby chair and gently rocked him. The whole family began to giggle.

This was their life. This was their routine. Jade was determined to be a good older sister to Caleb. And soon, he will be baptized.

-------

December 24th, 1983

"This is an important message from the Crestwood police department. This is not a test. I repeat, this is not a test. The Crestwood police department has issued a Shelter-in-place Warning for the county of Crestwood until further notice. Reports of unknown figures have been confirmed by law enforcement and the Department of Babylonian Crusaders. For your safety, until 5 PM to 6 AM, stay home, lock all doors and windows and, in the event of a break-in, have access to a loaded weapon at all times. Do not call 911 unless you need to report an emergency. The Crestwood police department and the Department of Babylonian Crusaders thanks you for your cooperation.

Stay tuned for a message from the representative of the Department of Babylonian Crusaders."

"Hello. My name is Dr. Lloyd Evans from the Department of Babylonian Crusaders. We have been receiving reports of unknown organisms that we've decided to call mimics. You may have already gotten the alert from the EBS about this phenomenon, but we're here to tell you about what those mimic types are and what you can do to protect yourself.

The first type are the defensive mimics. They are a sub group of mimics that take on the role of a protector when they find a human. Some pose as aggressive mimics to ward off other humans or they deceive humans they perceive as harmful with their harmless look and kill them. Think of it as a predator camouflaging itself in order for them to eat their prey.

There are three types of defensive mimics. There are Batesian, Mullerian and Emsleyan or Mertensian mimics.

Batesian mimics are harmless. They pose as a harmful mimic to ward off anyone they tries to hurt them or their human.

Mullerian mimics are two or more mimics that advertise themselves as harmful to ward off predators. These mimics often work in groups of two or three.

Emsleyan or Mertensian mimics take the form of a less harmful mimic to deceive the predator and kill them.

These ones can be considered safe, but you should still be wary of them. Aggressive mimics are the ones you need to watch out for. Now, aggressive mimics are the type of mimic that pose as humans to kill them. These types use mind games to toy with their victims. If they haven't committed suicide, the mimic will finish the job.

Predators are a mimic group where they take the form of a loved one, deceive them into thinking they are the real person and then use psychological manipulation. Those are the most dangerous types of mimics and we strongly advise to avoid them at all costs.

Parasites are [REDACTED DUE TO SIGNAL GLITCH]

Now, here's what you can do to keep yourself safe. Stay in your homes after 6 PM, lock all windows and doors and keep a loaded weapon with you at all times. In the event of a mimic attack, follow the S.A.F.E. principle.

S - Secure yourself in a room.

A - Access the situation. Learn how the mimic operates.

F - Fire your weapon. If the mimic attacks, do not hesitate. It can mean life or death.

E - If possible, escape. Do not let them win.

We hope this message keeps you safe. We're very sorry for the interruption and we hope you have a Merry Christmas!"

Though this message was broadcasted to most TVs, some of them reported the S part saying something different. According to reports, it said "Surrender yourself to the Lord."

--------

1987

The young man's back was pressed up against the wall. The shotgun he had in his hands had one shell left. The creature that was at his door kept calling out to him in a mockery of his wife's voice.

"Ralphie... Please let me in... I'm sorry for sca-a-a-aring you back there. You know how I am."

His grip tightened. That wasn't her. That wasn't his wife. She was dead. And now, he was going to die too. His eyes started to fill with tears.

Marla... I'm so sorry... I couldn't protect you... I couldn't save you from these things.

The image of his wife sprawled out on the kitchen floor flashed in his mind. Her neck that was gushing blood... He swallowed, trying to hold back his vomit. They had followed the rules. They had done everything the broadcast said. What did they do wrong? They had to have done something wrong for something like this to happen.

He gritted his teeth. Pondering over this won't help him now. Remember the S.A.F.E. principle, Ralph. Remember.

He secured himself in his bedroom, grabbing his shotgun so he could protect himself. He analyzed the situation. The creature, the mimic, was trying to use his wife's voice to lure him out, using his nickname. Ralphie was what she would call him when he came home from work. The way she said it made his heart soar. However, when it said his nickname, it felt like nails on a chalkboard.

The high school sweethearts had moved into the rural Alabama town after they had gotten married in New York. They thought getting away from the bustling city life would help them. They were in the talks of starting a family when the broadcast came on, talking about reports of mimics.

"Talk about bad timing. On Christmas too." Marla had said while bringing out the cookies and milk. "Let's hope Santa gets there okay."

"I hope so too. But hey, look on the bright side. This lockdown will end at 6 AM tomorrow. We've still got time to celebrate, right?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Besides, anything's fun with you." She gave him a light peck on the cheek.

A low sob escaped him. There was so much they wanted to do together. So many things they had planned. Their entire life... They were now gone.

Oh Marla... Why did they have to take you? What did we do?

God, please... Please help me.

He wiped his face. No, crying and pleading to some higher being isn't gonna solve anything. I have to survive. I have to live on for Marla! If I can get out of here, I could alert the police.

With a sense of courage taking over, he pointed his shotgun at the door. The mimic had begun to claw at the door, no doubt leaving scratch marks in the wood. "Ralphie... Please... Let me in. It's so cold. My neck hurts. Help..."

"Shut up... You're not her..."

The doorknob rattled.

"You're not her. You're not her! You're not her!!"

There was a sudden loud banging making him jump. "Ralph, open the goddamn door! You'd really leave me out here with these things?! How could you?!" The thing screeched.

"You're! Not! Her! Leave me alone!! You killed her, you monster!! You're not- You're not her!" He screamed, tears streaming down his face. "Just try and get me! I dare you! I'll fucking shoot you if you try anything!"

"Ralph..." His 'wife' had begun to cry. Normally, it would cause him to go over and hug her, but he will not be swayed. What it was doing, it was disgusting. It's desecrating his wife's memory, his image, his everything. The nerve of the creature...

The door flew open, allowing Ralph to see the monster. Though it was hard to see through the darkness, what he could see made him freeze.

Its form was tall and lanky, its arms and legs stretched out to an almost inhuman degree. What little hair it had on its head was beginning to fall off. Its skin was beginning to sag. Ralph could swear he was beginning to see bones. The mimic looked at him with empty eyes yet it pierced his soul with an intense glare. It opened its mouth to speak, but all that came out were rasps and gargles.

Ralph began to shake, his aim wavering as he stared at... He didn't even know what he was seeing. It was human, but at the same time, it was not. It looked like his wife, but it was like looking at a decomposing carcass. The smell... It smelled like rotten eggs left out on the hot sidewalk. Bile threatened to come up his throat, but he held it in.

One shot. He had to make it count. If it failed...

The creature began to laugh. It was the kind of laugh that made you cringe. It was an ear-piercing, gurgling laugh that was like if you tried to imitate a toy clown on its last legs.

Ralph pressed his finger on the trigger. Taking a deep breath, he screamed out.

"I will not let you kill me!!"

The gun went off.

--------

2017

The group of kids stared at the small house as their two older brothers talked to the movers. The smallest one of the bunch hugged her teddy bear. Though leaving their home state of Florida didn't seem like a huge deal at first, Catherine still had her doubts. Sure, they were free from all the hurricanes, but they still had friends there. They still had people they could talk to.

But now, she and her brothers moved to a new town. There was no one she knew there. And there was... an abundance of churches. Lots and lots of churches.

@chibisrpblog

[the-real-sasuke-uchiha]

hii since i was intrigued by your last post about your 10 reasons you love sasuke. in one of the reasons you stated that sasuke doesn’t kill the innocent ( correct me if im wrong) he definitely did try to kill sakura though, i wasn’t sure if it was intentional or if he was on a killing spree; sakura is pretty innocent she hasn’t done anything against the village! i want to know your thoughts on that?

thank you so much!

xoxo

shisui

Hi there, my friend!

Thing is, Sasuke never even envisioned killing Sakura. He didn't even dedicate her a thought. The only reason he tried to kill her, was because she was the one who went to him with the intent to kill. She tried to perform a sort of summary execution for Konoha that, funny enough, nobody asked her to do. So, she freely decided to go murder Sasuke, she wasn't coerced or even requested to do so, she can hardly classify as an innocent. She was of course innocent of other issues of the shinobi world, but not innocent in her conflict with Sasuke. She was acting as a soldier for Konoha, trying to eliminate someone who represented trouble for the village. Sasuke was in his legit right to defend himself.

Thanks to you for your asks, lovely person 🤗🤗🤗

[formylovetodaryldixon]

"Like there was no tomorrow." Daryl Dixon—Chapter 5.

Chapter Summary: Just when you thought you'd gotten rid of the Claimers, they arrive to try to destroy Carl and April's lives. There, Aeris gives you the second you and Rick need to protect the others, but the truth of the burns on your wrists comes to light as you confront one of the perpetrators. And upon the group's arrival at Terminus, you stay behind as the truth behind that "sanctuary" comes to light as well.

PAIRING: Daryl Dixon x reader

ERA: From prison onwards.

A/N: Hi! First of all, in an episode of TWD it is shown that the claimers want to SA Carl, so I want to warn you that this chapter talks about that. (Y/N) also talks about that with Daryl, telling him what happened to her best friend. It's not graphic because I don't like to talk about it too much, but I'm so sorry if anyone here went through that. I don't know what to say, but I'm so sorry. From here, I send you all my love!

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

You thought, mistakenly, that you had left the claimers behind two days ago.

But now, the not so lonely night grows darker, more terrifying as you feel the edge of the knife on your throat, with one of them pressing it against you as he keeps pushing you towards the ground with his body, feeling him in places you don’t want to feel him. In a second, everything happens in a second and with the violence of a hurricane: Rick is on the ground in front of Joe, one of them pointing at Michonne while others continue to beat Daryl as he tries to fight back, with the sound of kicks and punches filling the emptiness of the world.

But the morbidity of those two men pushing Carl and April to the ground makes bile rise in your stomach, to the corner of your throat as you try to utter a word, and it is like taking a breath after being submerged in water for too long—nothing makes sense.

The rules had changed in that new world that arose with the awakening of the dead, but some things remained the same: selfishness, the desire to destroy, the ability of some to break you into pieces but leave you alive so that you feel it in your skin, in your mind and in your heart.

But you are not going to let that happen, not again.

And the pressure that the man exerts on you triggers memories, that trauma of that night, but it also awakens that force that sometimes, under the right situation, is more overwhelming than fear.

"Any last word before we start having fun, doll?" He smiles, victoriously as his hand starts touching you.

And in that world that tries to bring you down at every moment, you find a way to spit your words at him.

“Yeah, I'm not gonna let anyone else go through this shit, fucker!”

You find the force to press your lips together, leaving a small space to let out a sharp, loud whistle, the signal that Aeris takes to push her wings back and dive from the tree where she was hiding, landing with the force of a bullet against the man above you, embedding her hooked beak in his eye, so hard that a few drops of blood fall on your face.

The man screams and pulls himself off of you, hands on what's left of his eye. And like a fast-motion situation, everyone (who would become your group too as well) starts to gain strength. Joe, stunned, loses a second in his surprise, eyes wide in shock as Rick sinks his teeth into his neck, pulling on a piece of skin tied to Joe's body.

And the act is shocking, freezing the still-living bodies of Joe's group, but it is the second that Michonne uses to take the gun from the one threatening her, shooting him in the face, shooting the man behind Daryl, giving him the opportunity to take down another with a punch, his boot against the man's head until there is nothing left.

But while Rick kills the one holding Carl, you approach the man who was holding April down, (the little girl who runs towards Daryl’s arms) hands in the air in surrender. Your body, small in comparison to his, and your anger looms over him like the shadows of the night—and it is like as if everything loses meaning and sound, as if that anger had made you deaf, but that pang in your chest still gnaws painfully inside you, like a loud scream that only you can hear. Sam’s scream, begging them to stop.

You squeeze the knife in your hand at the memory, so hard that the pain reminds you that you are alive.

"You don't remember me, do you, Gary?"

The man's face, who is kneeling on the ground now, is contorted in shock the moment he realized who you are, a frown over his terrified wide open eyes. And though you're not aware of how the others are standing in their places with their gazes on you, the memories you once pushed to the back of your back flash across your eyes with a destructive force—and it’s painful and sickening.

“You…” He exhales the air his body can no longer hold.

“Yeah, me. You don’t look as big as you felt that night while you were raping my friend.” The words are disgusting in your mouth, and you stop yourself from spitting out the bile on your tongue. “I killed three of your friends that night while you all ran away, but I told them that sooner or later I would kill you too, so I'm waiting for the missing one. By the way…” You chuckle, humorless, with an emptiness in your chest that could fill the night. “I did find your brother a little bit later in a camp... and he died crying like a pussy.”

Hearing your words makes his blood rush to his face, his expression changing to one of pure hatred, eyes fixed on you, holding the last expression in his life until the moment you plunge the knife sideways, embedding it in his neck, so deep that all the edge disappears into his skin.

But as his body falls to the side, eyes frozen in emptiness, you feel absent, like an empty shell, like a body without a soul, numb, feeling absolutely nothing, just like Sam felt after that night. Shit, you think in shock as the possible truth hits you hard, was that what happened to April's mom too?

The rest of the night passes in an almost gloomy silence, as if a thick fog has settled around the living, as if the knife has been embedded in all of you and not in them. Michonne's lap welcomes Carl's head inside that old car in the middle of the road after the sun rises, stroking his hair as soft as a mother's memory. Outside, Daryl uses his pocket handkerchief to wet it and hand it to Rick, who has an absent-minded look.

“We should save that water to drink.” Rick tries to be logical, even in the midst of his foggy confusion.

“Ya can’t see yerself, but he can.” Daryl hands it over, referring to Carl and his expression when his dad stabbed that man several times. Dary sits on the floor next to him, their backs against the car door, unable to swallow the lump in their throats at the result of a seemingly peaceful night that ended in death. “We didn’t know who they were. (Y/N) and I… we thought we'd be okay when we got separated from ‘em, I thought April would be safe. Joe told me that someone had attacked one of his group, but I didn't know that someone was ya.”

Rick is calm, absent, but calm.

"How did you three end up with them?"

Daryl shrugs.

"(Y/N) and I spent several days in the woods after the prison, tryin’ to get to the house where she was stayin’ with an elderly couple. Along the way we found April and Ruby, her mom, but she shot herself, but not ‘fore tryin’ to kill her daughter. That old couple was dead too when we got there, and after a few days we decided that we should keep lookin’ for our group until we came across ‘em. We knew they were bad, but they had a code. It was simple, or so it looked like."

Rick nods, a little more present in the now.

“You two were alone while taking care of a little girl, and I get that you had to protect your daughter.”

There's a small laugh from him, a sound like the crackling of a campfire, warm and promising that makes Daryl scoff softly.

"April ain't really ma kid, but I want ma monkey to be safe. She deserves it." Like a dagger stuck in his chest that doesn't let him breathe, Daryl tries to calm his racing heart. “Two days ago they said they spotted the man who killed their friend. Ain’t sound right for us so we left, and yesterday when we met ya all, I thought we could forget ‘bout ‘em.” Daryl takes a moment, has to, to try and swallow the guilt that occupies his body, that bubbles up inside as if it has replaced his blood. “I didn’t know what they could do. But shit, they almost destroyed Carl and April's lives.”

Remorse causes Daryl’s gaze to fall to the ground, but Rick keeps his on him.

“It’s not on you, Daryl. Hey…” His voice is soft but firm, a calling that makes Daryl able to look him in the eyes for a few seconds. “It’s not on you. You being back with us, now, that’s everything…" Rick has to take a breath, but his next words are so meaningful that they are easy to say. "You’re my brother. Okay?”

Rick's gaze is fixed on Daryl—and it is transparent, full of honestly, so they take a moment to process those words, to digest them and give them a deep meaning that from that moment on, will be tattooed on the other's minds.

“What ya did last night, what (Y/N) did… everyone would have done that.”

Rick nods slowly, because his response to the impending danger still weighs on him, although deep down, he feels like a monster. It's like a crossroads, the constant reminder of having lived his life by moral rules, versus having acted like a savage, breaking those basic rules.

“Is (Y/N) okay?”

Daryl shakes his head.

“Dun know. I didn’t know her friend was assaulted.”

He falls silent, but the fear of finding out if you were too makes the world so quiet it threatens to drive him mad.

"Make sure she's okay."

"I can't." Daryl swallows, but his throat is so dry that he grimaces. "I feel like s’ma fault. If I hadn't left her alone, we could have left town the night it all began and nothin’ would have happened to ‘em. I know she didn't want to leave me, but I pushed her away."

Rick frowns, confused.

"Can I ask why? I mean, you clearly love her, so I don't understand why you did that."

Daryl rubs his face with his hands before resting his head against the car, but his mind has a twisted sense of humor, and it shows him all the good times he had with you, cruelly mixing in with the night he told you he was ending the relationship.

“I always thought I didn't deserve her, that she could be with someone better, but I hid those insecurities ‘cause I wanted to be with her too. But one night, her father found out what kind of person she was datin’, and with a little diggin’, he knew ma idiot brother was a drug dealer. Her father was a drunken bastard but he was a cop too, so he threatened to put Merle in jail if I didn't stay away from his daughter. Shit, I loved her, man…" A sad, soft smile finds its way to Daryl's face, and in the midst of that sadness, Rick finds a way to smile too. "Like I never knew I could love someone, and fuck, I will always do, but Merle was ma only family, so I let her go.”

Rick nods, taking in his words, until he decides there is only one answer.

"Go with her, Daryl. The past is the past but she's here with you now. That’s all that matters."

Daryl wants to argue, to hide behind his fears like April hid behind his body, but he knows he can't, that the path behind him has burned down, forcing him to take only steps forward. So Daryl stands up and walks over to you down the road, April between your legs as she strokes Aeris who rests in her small hand. His heart is painfully squeezed as he sits down next to you, and if the world were a quiet place, everyone would be able to hear his heartbeat racing and pounding in his chest.

Your sleeves are still rolled up to your elbows, because now that the truth has come to light, there is no point in hiding the burns, and you can finally feel the warmth on your skin, the wind that travels freely.

“It was about two months later after the end of the world began.” Your voice is soft, full with an overflowing sadness, but there’s also a hint of calm amidst the stormy memory. “Sam and I kept going on until we came across a group. A few men and two women, and I foolishly wanted to believe that people didn’t think about hurting other people anymore… until they did. The rope around my wrists was cutting off my circulation, but it was worse the sight of those men taking turns…”

You glance at April, but she’s more interested in admiring Aeris, as if she’s capable of blocking out any kind of pain. Daryl feels like he's going to throw up from the anger as he thinks of the pain Sam and the other women went through, from the pain you went through seeing them, seeing your best friend like that.

"Did they touch ya too?"

But when you shake your head, he can feel just a little peace.

“One of them told me they were saving me for last because they liked how feisty I was. It took me a while to burn the rope into the fire next to me, and the pain was so excruciating that afterward my body didn’t recognize it as pain anymore. I didn’t feel a thing. When I stood up, I was lost, and I grabbed the first thing I found and stuck it into the neck of one of them. It’s almost funny to think of their scared faces, like they’d seen the chupacabras in person…” Your gaze meets Daryl’s for the first time, and you both find a second to give the other a promise of a smile. “It was easy to kill them with their pants down while three of them ran away like cowards, scared of a little person who at that moment, had nothing left to lose: maybe they saw that in me. After that, I found Gary's brother in another group some time later, and he knew who I was when I strangled him while he was sleeping. I guess this other one found the claimers after we left them. Now, I just have to find the last one.”

Your gaze is lost in a fixed point in the woods, but even so, Daryl can feel the weight of hatred in your eyes, the irreparable way in which they damaged you, although they didn't destroy you all the way, but they did something worse: they hurt the only person who mattered to you more than your own life.

"Ya will be okay, peach." Daryl is scared of losing you, like never before in his life. No, more scared than living without you after the breakup. But when your gaze meets his, he can see a small spark of hope. “We will find a way. Okay?”

You nod, softly, but a fear stirs in you, dangerously.

"I guess you have a different image of me now."

But Daryl shakes his head, his eyes on yours for you to see he means it.

“No. Ya did what ya had to do to save yerself and Sam, to save this monkey.” That word crosses April's ears and instantly, she snaps out of the dream, her frown deepening as she looks at Daryl, who returns the same expression. “What? Ya are.”

April shakes her head, too.

“No. I’m not!”

Daryl snorts, and that's the fire that ignites a funny argument between them, and you look at them in silence, wishing that they are that path to a better life.

But a moment later, when everyone feels calm again after the storm, you all take your things inside the car before heading back down the road, holding out hope that Terminus will indeed promise a safe haven. Michonne is ahead with Carl, Daryl and April behind them, but being last in line, as if the confusion of the outcome of events is still pulling you two down, you and Rick share a look before he speaks first.

“You okay?” He says, softly.

You knew him little but you know he's good, and you can see his monumental attempt not to drown in his own actions to save his son.

“Yeah. You?”

“I’m okay.” He smiles a little bit, sharing with you a look of hope before looking at Aeris now on your shoulder. “I wanted to thank you for what you did. Your bird was the one that gave us that second in which we could save ourselves.”

You smile, softly too.

"Thanks. This bird is like my daughter; you know? I may have given her a chance when she was a baby, but it's she who saved my life."

Rick nods.

"When we find the rest of our group, you can stay with us. I know you will be a good addition to the family."

You think about his words for a few seconds, nodding at him silently when you two reach the others, who are looking at a wood sign on the ground, with the name Terminus written there.

“We’re gettin’ close.” Daryl says, making Rick nod.

“Yeah. Now we head through the woods.”

Everyone turns off the main path, heading deeper into the woods until finally, after an hour or so, you all find the place surrounded by a fence. It's like a school or a factory, old, big and forgotten, with its name written on the windows for the people on the outside to see. Rick advises that you all split up into small groups towards the back, to get a better look at what could be a new home, so you do, and Daryl, April and you take the path to the left.

But why do you suddenly feel a pain in your chest? The weight of your backpack is heavier, and the strange feeling threatens to drown you, but it's like something you've already experienced, like when your body warned you that Mark and Ellie weren't okay, like when you woke up sweating before that call at the hospital to say your mom was gone, like that day your older brother got lost and never found his way back home. However, when you all reach the back fence, a new big panic takes over you as you feel the emptiness in your jeans pocket.

"I need to get back. I think I left Mark's watch on the side of the road."

Daryl looks at you, incredulous, his frown deepening.

"Ya ain’t goin’ anywhere. Are ya crazy, woman?"

You chuckle at his words.

"I didn't ask for your permission, Dixon." Your gaze stays on him, while the others staying silent, but sensing the tension. "But Mark was more of a father in one month than my own father was my entire life. So I'm going back... can you take care of April or not?"

"(Y/N)..." Rick takes a step between you, cutting off the frustration you're both starting to feel. "If that watch is that important, I can go with you. Okay?"

You shake your head, trying to smile softly at him.

"Thanks, Rick, but you have to take care of your son. I know it sounds stupid, and I know it is, but that watch was important to Mark because it was the first gift from his wife when they got married. And I've been taking care of myself just fine this whole time, so you don’t need to worry about me." You look back at Daryl, softly this time while ignoring the plea in his eyes. “Can you, or can you not?”

For Daryl, it's like letting you go again, unprotected, exposing him to the terror of you leaving him forever, but Daryl knows what not feeling your dad as a dad left in you, so holding on to the last memory of Mark is what gives you the strength to continue. So he nods, defeated. But April clings to your hand, tighter this time, telling you with her eyes and sweet voice not to leave her, so you crouch down in front of her, your hands that are bigger than hers enveloping them in your warmth.

"I'll come back for you, baby. I'm not going to leave you alone."

You look confident, but April has to make sure of that.

"You promise?"

"I promise, love." When you try to get up, her unsure and timid voice keeps you on one knee. "Yes?"

For a moment, April can't look you in the eyes, as if she understands the devastating fear of rejection, because at her young age, she had experienced what it was like to feel rejected by her own mother, left to her own devices, unloved or unwanted by either of her parents.

"When you come back, will you... be my mommy?"

It’s strange, but when her gaze finally meets yours, the world suddenly makes sense again, it has a purpose, because April is stronger than she thinks, brave and resilient, but innocent too despite everything, and you want to keep that intact. And it's also sweet how that feeling of protection towards her blossomed when Ruby told you that April was your baby from that moment on, and even though you haven't given it a title, you feel that way.

"Of course, sweetheart." To let her feel your warmth, you push her hair back, your hand on her cheek. "I've been your mommy since that afternoon, so you're stuck with me forever."

It's overwhelming the feeling that doesn't fit in her small body, pushing her into your arms for a moment before pulling apart from each other, watching them jump over the fence, walking towards different directions.

Rick takes the lead as they cross the back yard to the door of that building, Daryl keeping April in the middle while holding his crossbow, Michonne and Carl at the end. The hallway is deserted the whole way, but a woman's voice from the speakers echoes everywhere, until they walk through another door, into a large warehouse-like space. A few people are working around, unaware of the new presences until Rick approaches the woman at the desk, eyes wide in surprise.

Rick's voice saying hello echoes through the big place as well.

“Well, I bet Albert is on perimeter watch.” One young man says with sarcasm, surrounding one of the desks where he was working with a few people. “You here to rob us?”

“No. We wanted to see you before you saw us.” Rick takes a few steps.

“Makes sense.” The young man chuckles, taking a few steps too, opening his arms as a sign of welcome. “Usually we do this where the tracks meet. But… welcome to terminus. I’m Gareth. Looks like you’ve been on the road for a good bit.”

“We have.” Rick nods, looking at the rest to introduce them. “I’m Rick. That’s Carl, Daryl, April, and Michonne.”

Gareth waves his hand, smiling warmly, stopping a few steps away from Rick, whom he seems to recognize as the leader.

“You’re nervous, I get it. We were all the same way. We came here for sanctuary. That’s what you are here for?”

“Yes.” Rick answers.

“Good. You found it. Hey, Alex…” Gareth looks back for a second when the other man approaches. “This isn’t as pretty as the front. We got nothing to hide, but the welcome wagon is a whole lot nicer. Alex will take you, ask you a few questions. But first, we need to see everyone’s weapons, so, if you could just lay them down in front of you.”

The group falls into a silence, debating internally whether doing this is right as they look into each other's eyes, but in the end, Rick nods, pulling his gun front his waist to put it on the ground like the rest of them when the men come closer to search for any on their bodies.

“Hi, baby…” Gareth smiles at April, who is hiding behind Daryl. And satisfied, he steps back. “Just so you know, we are not those kind of people out there, but we aren’t stupid either. And you shouldn’t be stupid enough to try anything stupid. As long as everyone’s clear on that, we shouldn’t have any problems. Just solutions.”

After that, the group pick up their guns and weapons.

“Follow me.” Alex smiles too, a little bit nervous.

There is another door on the opposite side of the place, and when the young man opens it, the sun shines again like a lie, like a false sign that everything is okay as they all step out, walking between two big buildings.

“So how long’s this place been here?” Daryl asks, his hand holding April's.

“Since almost the start. When all the camps got overrun, people started finding this place. I think it was instinct, you know? Follow a path. Some folks were heading to the coast, others out west or up north, but they all wound up here.”

They stop in the front yard, with a woman smiling at them, cooking something on an old grill.

“Mary, would you fix each of these new folks a place for me?”

Michonne looks at Alex, suspiciously.

“Why do you let people in?”

“The more people become a part of us, we get stronger. That’s what we put up in the signs, invite people in. it’s how we survive."

Alex starts delivering plates full of meat, but in that moment, after Rick finished analyzing the situation, his eyes stop on the chain tied from Alex's waist towards the pocket of his pants. It's an old watch and he instantly knows who it belongs to, so Rick raises his gun to place it at Alex's temple from behind, using his body as a shield as the people around him draw their own weapons, with his group doing the same.

Alex threatens that there are more of them, but Rick doesn’t care.

“Where did you get that watch?”

Alex raises his hands.

“I got it from a dead man. I didn’t think he’d need it.”

“Yeah? What about the riot gear? The poncho?”

“Got the riot gear off a dead cop.” Gareth is behind, calm even when Rick uses Alex’s body to protect himself. “Found the poncho on a clothesline.”

“Gareth, we can wait.” Alex tries to talk, but Gareth shuts him.

“Not. Talk to me.” Rick says.

“What can we say? You don’t truth us anymore. Rick, what do you want?”

“Where are our people?”

Right there, everyone knows it's all a trap, a lie, an ambush. Rick shoots Alex, and Michonne takes April in her arms as she tells Daryl to use his own gun, shooting at a couple of people as Carl does, while Gareth’s people shoot at their feet, leading the group down a path, cornering them all the way until they stop in front of another fence next to a train car.

There are too many for the group to handle, and momentarily defeated, they all do as Gareth orders, entering the wagon. The darkness they are plunged into is stifling when someone closes the door, but the sight of the remaining members of their group is like a breath of fresh air, like a little light filtering through the door.

Scared and confused, April holds Daryl's hand, who, furious, still finds a little hope among those ruins, his gaze fixed on Rick—just like Michonne’s, Carl’s, Glenn’s, Maggie’s, even Sam’s, your best friend and everyone’s else. Rick and the others are scared, but the leader still finds his voice, confident enough to prove them that they are stronger.

“They’re gonna feel pretty stupid when they find out they’re screwing with the wrong people.”

And it's a promise he's willing to keep—with your help and with the help of someone else.

@fluffy-dixon @stunkbiggu @kurogxrix @ffsjustletmesleep @kaz11283 @daryldixmedown @enretrogue

If you don't want to be tag, just let me know please :)

[comradecowplant]

so things are not going well with my new elderly socdem friend unfortunately.

[shizukais]

[todayisafridaynight]

no cuz fr the most unexplainable thing would be how they didn’t reunite sooner like,,, Mine could have been staying away because he wansnt good enough for daigo (in his mind) but still i don’t think he’d stay THAT far away 💀 at most bro is down the street at any given time 😭

reviews are in for Mine Isn't Dead Actually But He Is Emo So

[girlivealwaysbean]

hey god if you've created someone for me can you introduce me to them sooner? i kinda need them now

[intertexts]

hm. trying to figure out why my brain thinks now is a great time to make me vividly recall redacted memories that i haven't thought about in years.

[iftitah]

.

[ameriel]

thanks for playing 💕

[destielcumcoffeeshopau]

I ran out of tags so I'm gonna continue here.

Read the tags first lol

Anyways so she explodes right and he's like oh no and then he goes back to Sonic's time and Sonic's fucking dead somehow and he's like wtf guys I left you for like five minutes

And then they bring Sonic back to life with the chaos emeralds

And then he teams up with Shadow and Sonic and goes super and then they kill the gods together

And then he wanders around the timeline, he has nothing left besides his self inflicted duty of protecting the future and he tries not to affect any of the places he goes bc he technically shouldn't exist anymore

Eventually he gives in to his loneliness and starts hanging out with Sonic and his friends and he makes friends with the past version of his cat friend

Anyways

He's a silly lil guy.

He's Italian and he loves apples and he's kinda feral and he's temperamental and determined and kind and he's soooo autistic and he's honest and straightforward and follows a strict personal moral code and he doesn't understand social cues very well and he's considered rude by social expectations

He loves ice skating and being active and nature and he has his own garden and he loves Christmas and holidays and he lives to make others happy and he's oh so fluffy and silly and he even has a job where he's a delivery boy and he LOOOOVVVEEESSSS it he loves giving people their packages and he loves their smiles

He's soo cute

Hehehe

GUSH ABOUT YOUR F/O IN THE REBLOGS TO ME AND I WILL ACTUALLY LISTEN AND RESPOND TO THEM ACCORDINGLY BECAUSE YOU 🫵 DEAR READER DESERVE TO HAVE YOUR INTERESTS TREATED WITH RESPECT AND NOT JUST GET A "wow that's neat"

doubles and proshippers dni! Doubles you also deserve respect I'm just not very good at sharing I'm so sorry!

[d1anna]

sorry i haven’t been online i’ve been hyperfixating on bolstering my dynasty in ck3