#you can always tell when Will got ahold of one of them… paint clings to them all

[http-byler]

judge-y boyfriends are judging you :/

[angry-geese]

Choso Kamo x Reader

Warnings: sfw. mention of nudity but it's really nothing graphic. very brief nsfw mention. fluff. gn!reader

Notes: some fluff with Choso. reader decides to have a spa day and makes Choso join them

Word Count: 1.8k

It feels like it's been forever since you've gotten a day to relax like this.

You've designated today as a self care day. You could really use one. It's been a while since you properly sat back and relaxed. You've decided to go all out, breaking out new skincare and slightly pricier soaps you were saving for a rainy day. Things you always said you’d use, but never did because the situation never felt right. You figure you'll do your hair, too. Might as well. You’ve got time.

You like your showers warm. It always worries Choso that you’ll burn yourself. You sit with your hand in the water, gauging the temperature. A thin layer of bubbles covers the surface. Steam coils off the water. It's hot enough.

Choso can't help but watch with almost a childlike wonder. Wherever you go, he tends to follow. In his defense, he's curious. All the soaps and candles smell good. He's never really seen you do anything like this.

His gaze drifts to the floor when you start undressing. He's not sure why, only that he knows it's wrong to stare. He's seen you like this plenty of times before, but it always makes him blush. Doesn't matter if it's his first time, or his hundredth. You remind him that it's okay to look, that he can see you like this. Only he gets to see you like this. He's certain of that.

You try to distract from the anxiety of being the only naked one in the room.

"Are you coming in or not?" You ask.

"You want me to..." His face turns bright red.

"Of course," you motion for him to join you.

You coax his shirt over his head. He gets the hint, undressing the rest of the way.

He watches with baited breath as you slip into the water, steam drifting off your skin. You sigh and lean back, resting your head on the edge of the tub. The suds cling to your skin.

He settles into the water in front of you, his knees pulled to his chest. You part your legs enough to give him room to sit between them. He leans against your chest, trying to be mindful of his weight. He really isn't that heavy, but he's a bit wary of hurting you. You card a wet hand through his hair, drawing it out of his eyes. The warm water and epsom salts feel nice across his sore muscles. It's a bit too hot for him, leaving his skin pink, but you don't seem to be bothered by it so he says nothing. You gather a bit of suds in your hands, leaving a dot of them on his nose, laughing at his confused look.

Choso closes his eyes and sighs, leaning into your touch. You press a kiss to the top of his head. His cheeks turn bright red. Your arms snake around his body, holding him to your chest. He leans his head back, his eyes meeting yours. His hair tickles your neck.

“I feel like I could fall asleep.” He says.

You rest your chin on top of his head. “Good.”

He's never felt love quite like this. Of course he's felt love before; with his brothers, for his friends. But his love for you is vastly different. It's strange. He wants to hold you close and never let you go. He’s head-over-heels for you. The way you look at him with such adoration makes his chest swell with affection. He can't stop the smile that spreads across his face.

The face mask is a violent shade of green against your skin. You warm the paste up in your hands for a moment, though you can't tell if it helps or not. It smells strongly of cucumbers. You don't want to get up to look in the mirror, so you haphazardly apply it to your nose and the skin under your eyes.

“Do you want some?” You ask. He looks uncertain, but he nods anway.

"It's cold," he says.

"It's good for your skin." You say.

You give him a pleading look. You've forced him to sit while you paint his nails, or braid his hair. He likes it. As long as you're giving him attention, he'll tolerate a lot.

His response is only a wary look. He relaxes once you finish, closing his eyes, leaning back into your chest. Your body is warm. He runs a bit cold, naturally. He hardly notices it, but you certainly do. The hot water has turned his skin a nice shade of red. Under the water, his hand rests on your thigh, gripping it softly. He likes the way your thighs rest around his waist. They're warm, and softer than his. He's always admired how soft you are. He loves the way your body curves and dips. He loves the way his clothes look on you, or yours on him. He thinks you're strong, sturdy and beautiful in a way he never knew before he met you.

"Lean your head back so I'm not waterboarding you," you say, pressing a kiss to his temple.

He hums as you pour a bit of water over his head, your fingers working through his hair. Your nails are getting long. They feel nice against his scalp.

He practically begs you to play with his hair. He says it helps him sleep. You believe it. He's usually knocked out within minutes of you starting. Many of your nights together are spent with him sitting between your legs, or his head in your lap. It doesn't matter how warm it is outside, he has to sleep either in your arms, or with you in his.

The shampoo you use smells like coconuts, he notes. It smells nice. He practically purrs in delight as you start working the suds into his hair. His breath hitches as you brush a particularly sensitive spot at his temple. You make sure to work that area specifically.

You work out any tangles in his hair with conditioner and your fingers. He likes this part the best. You spend extra time brushing your fingers through his hair. He groans when you work down to his neck, kneading the muscles of his shoulders in your hands. At this point you aren't even scrubbing his head anymore.

He's almost disappointed when you stop.

"Let me do yours." He says.

Choso moves so you can lean against his chest. You worry about putting all of your weight on him. He insists he can take it. He can. But your initial hesitation is there. His chin rests on top of your head. His strong arms snake around you, holding you close. You feel so safe in his arms. You could fall asleep there.

And you just might.

His fingers run through your hair as he pours water over your head, shielding your eyes. He knows it can be a bit unpleasant. Once your hair is wet, he squeezes a sizable glob of shampoo onto his hands. Your hair is soft, he notes. He wonders if you like your hair being played with as much as he does. You hum softly as he starts to work it into your hair.

Slowly his hands work down, kneading the muscles of your neck and shoulders. Goosebumps raise along your flesh. He presses a kiss to the top of your head. His hands are warm. You find yourself dozing off in his arms. You feel so safe cradled against his chest.

When all the suds are rinsed out, he helps you work out any knots with his fingers. He likes the texture of the conditioner far less. It's cold and slimy, he says. You're not sure if that's how you'd describe it. He'd use 5-in-1 soap if you'd let him; which might be Yuji's fault.

He leans down to give you a kiss. It's just a quick peck, but the warmth of his lips lingers on yours for long after. You pull him back to deepen it, your tongue pressing past his lips, exploring his mouth. A line of saliva connects your lips when you pull away. You giggle at the way his face turns red.

Under the water, his fingers lace with yours. You lift his hand up, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. His heartbeat stops for a moment, before picking up in pace.

The two of you stay like that until long after the water has gone cold. Choso’s breathing has evened out, he hasn't moved in quite a while. You’re too warm and content in his arms to move. You’re not sure how long it’s been since you’ve dozed off. But the water is cold, and your fingers and toes are wrinkly from being underwater for so long.

“Did you fall asleep?” You ask, giggling when he shakes his head.

He still tries to hold onto you even as you get out of the water. You’ll worry about cleaning up in the morning.

You steal one of his shirts to wear. It's too big for the both of you, and has long since been designated a sleep shirt. His clothes are always huge on him, he likes the way they swallow him (and you) up. He sits with you between his knees, drying your hair off with a towel. You hate going to bed with wet hair.

Idly you flip through channels, looking for something to watch. Not much looks good. You have netflix—you have Yuji’s password—but nothing there looks good either. Eventually you settle on a late-night game show. You’re not particularly interested in it, but it's pretty nostalgic. It used to wake you up when you were a kid.

“Let me paint your nails,” you say. “Please?”

He nods. Your pleading look will be the death of him. Choso can't deny you anything.

He’s never been so hopelessly in love.

You sit cross-legged in front of him, pulling one of his hands into your lap. The nail polish you choose for him is clear. The other ones are in the bathroom, and you don't feel like getting up. You’ve tried all sorts of colors on him. His favorites are black and dark purple. He thinks they match his outfits rather well.

When you’re done, you grab ahold of both his hands, carefully examining his nails. They look fine. Really, you just want to hold his hands. You deem them good enough. He holds his hands as still as possible so as to not smear the nail polish.

When you’re finally ready to settle down for the night, he pulls you into his arms. You tug the covers up to your chin, making sure to wrap them around him too.

“Y/N?” He says.

“Yes?”

“I love you.” He says.

“I know.” You say. “I love you too.”

[over-under-through1]

greens headcanons?

ah yes, i’m always happy to give headcannons for my favorites

you can find part 1 here

most of these are pre relationship while they’re both pining in secret, cause i’m a slut for that trope.

they have the exact same taste in music, so a lot of their hangouts are just them screaming along to songs while jumping around.

they love people watching so sometimes they’ll just go to the park and make fun of everyone around them.

Buttercup knits so whenever they’re out in public and Butch sees an old lady he’ll just point and go “that you?”. Buttercup then promptly punches him in the face and adds on a “no winter hats for you then”. he apologizes for the next hour because of the threat.

Butch is a really good painter, but he’s literally unable to make a painting without green in it. some people think it’s because it’s his signature color, but those who know him better notice the particular shade of green he uses and how it somehow matches the exact color of his ‘Best Friend’s’ eyes. huh. how strange.

^ Butch denies this a billion times of course, until he and Buttercup finally get together. then it’s literally the only color he uses, and he makes sure people know exactly what that color represents.

when Mitch and Pablo get together the greens make fun of them relentlessly for hanging onto each other, so once they finally get together Mitch and Pablo waste no time in getting their revenge.

they’re both Bi, so they talk about chicks and dudes they see together. a normal conversation with them will go something like:

Butch: see him? a solid 9.

Buttercup: no way dude, a 6 at most

Butch: you’re kidding, right? you need to get your eyes checked

Buttercup: agree to disagree. her?

Butch: ...

Butch and Buttercup: 8

its all fun and games until Buttercup says “your brothers a 9.5” and Butch gets DEEPLY offended (jealous)

Buttercup gets a job to pay for a car she wants, and Butch comes in every single day to “support” her.

his way of showing support is asking ridiculously obvious questions and annoy the living crap out of her

“ma’am, how much pray tell is this set of lovely porcelain bowls?”

“this is a dollar store, Butch. those are paper plates.”

at some point Buttercup developed an addiction to Dum Dum lollipops. Butch almost faints.

Butch is really bad at giving gifts so for her birthday he just hands her a wad of cash and says “go nuts”. she then wonders for the rest of the week how the HELL he got ahold of $500. spoiler alert: he most definitely stole it from Brick.

they both have a guilty pleasure of loving 80’s and 90’s movies, so those are practically all they watch along with a fuck ton of horror movies/ horror comedies.

they love the movie Now and Then. both of them self project onto Roberta.

Whenever that scene of Roberta and Scott kissing comes on Butch just stares at Buttercup and wiggles his eyebrows before singing “this could be us but you playing”. she has learned to ignore it because it happens every. single. time.

they love The Ring but Butch is on the downlow a pussy. he clings to Buttercup the entire time while she rolls her eyes and pats his head “soothingly”.

after the movie is over, just to fuck with him, she gets Brick to call his phone using *67 to freak him out. of course Brick agrees, he’ll take any chance to mess with Butch.

BUTTERCUP WEARS BUTCHES HOODIES ALL THE TIME EVEN BEFORE THEY GET TOGETHER AND HE DIES INTERNALLY

“platonic” (wink wink) cuddling for the win

no but seriously, they’re on each other all the time. a lot of people think they’re dating because of it. like, Buttercup will be chilling on Butches lap during lunch and people will ask if they’re together and Buttercup will get SO defensive (tsundere) while Butches face lights up like a christmas tree.

I mentioned in my Mojo Jojo is a shit dad post that the Professor will make up beds for the boys in guest bedrooms so they can spend less time at their house with Mojo. well, while Brick and Boomer stay in their respective rooms the full night, Butch makes it about 30 minutes before he sneaks into Buttercup’s room. he has big separation anxiety, so she just lets him get in bed with her. if they wake up the next morning with Butches arms hugging her waist while she’s holding onto his hand? no one needs to know.

except the Professor totally knows he sneaks into her room at night. he doesn’t care though, Butch is his favorite (don’t tell Brick, he has this idea in his mind that he’s the favorite) and he trusts Buttercups judgment that Butch won’t try anything.

Butch also tells The Prof. about a lot of his past trauma, and they connect on a deeper level because of it. the Professor knows that if Butch is in Buttercups room at night, it’s for a good reason.

Butch literally loves the way Buttercup smells and one time stole her perfume just so he could go home and DOUSE all his clothes in it. he’s a dork and I love him.

okay I think that’s all for now, wow I’m obsessed with them. thanks so much for the ask! I love doing posts like these.



[colorfullfalls]

Warm me up

Embry Call x Reader

Between Forks and La Push, supernatural occurances were constant. Vampires, wolves, but the new visitors were witches. A coven of witches moved directly between Forks and La Push, which created a massive headache for the Cullen's and Quileutes.

The witches were unpredictable and everyone seemed weary about them. The imprints were strictly told to steer clear of them. Worry coursed through the wolves veins as the thought of the love of their lives being magically hurt in any way.

Y/N was bored. Embry was patrolling a lot lately for the Black Pack due to the additional supernatural beings. She admired his dedication and hours upon hours protecting the people. But she missed him. And even more so, she was bored.

"Sweetheart, please don't go anywhere without someone who is.. well... A wolf or vampire. It sounds dumb but we aren't sure with what we are dealing with."

Embry's honest genuine worries flowed through her brain every time she thought about saying fuck it and leaving the small house.

She watched movies, cleaned again and again, organized a thousand times, played with the dogs in the yard, danced in the kitchen, painted and even sewed. Still, she yearned to actually go out in public. Walmart roaming at 2 am seemed like an absolute dream, but Embry would go into cardiac arrest if you went there, let alone so late.

He always claimed that late nights made people lonely and that led to them doing bad shit. He was so paranoid that you would fall victim to someone's boredom gone wrong. He loved Y/N more than the world and God, he wanted to shelter her and keep her safe.

The imprints were alright with doing whatever their wolves said. Stay inside- they did. Don't talk to the cullens- they did. But Y/N was not like that. She was stubborn as a mule, and Embry knew better than to try to treat her like that. She was a free woman who refused to bend to whatever others wanted.

Embry grew up respecting women. Growing up with his mom made him realize how strong women are. Tiffany didn't need a man's presence, money, or help to raise her son. He knew felt proud to have his mom. He loved her almost as much as he loved Y/N. Which is an insane amount considering Y/N was his life.

Sitting on the counter with Embry standing between her legs, she knew shit was serious. His wide brown eyes held sorrow and fear as he explained how dangerous the witches could potentially be. And that he knew she hated trying to be told what to do, but she would save him loads of worrying if she would please listen.

Y/N solemnly agreed because she knew that this matter was serious. What she didn't realize was that he would be absent so much. She missed him. Having him home would make the time fly by. His very presence was all that she needed. Craved it.

Y/N had a sudden idea. Having a hammock would be nice. Two beautiful oak trees rooted close by would be a wonderful place to hang one. She could read on it, paint on it, and stare at the sky for hours. She blushed as images of her and embry on it ran through her mind.

Leaving was a bad idea. Her mind said, no. Be smarter than that. Her heart said that she wanted that hammock and needed it. She bit her lip as she glanced at the clock. Embry wouldn't even know. Y/N decided she would lie and say she had the thing all along if he were to ask about it.

That's it, she was going. She went, got it, and felt great. Happy. Fulfilled. Excited to put it up.

She was halfway home when her car slowly halted. Gas pedal was down but the car was not moving.

"What the fuck?!" She stated, hitting the gas pedal a few times. Y/N groaned as she threw her head back. If she wasn't home soon she would be found by a very angry and dissapointed wolf. A metaphorical dog house, ironically.

Tapping left to her head made Y/N jump, screams rippling out of her throat. Hand on her throat in surprise she turned.

Gorgeous piercing green eyes looked expectantly at her. Tattoos spread down her arms, but they were almost unnoticeable due to the black hair cascading over them. Y/N swore that she never saw such beautiful hair before.

The woman had a calm look on her face, but she was intimidating none the less. She opened the car door and all Y/N could do was watch as her heart beat out of her chest.

"Wolf girl.... Could sense you miles away." She said, leaning on the door.

"Im- uh- hah, I'm not a wolf..." Y/N stammered, clinging to her seat belt in fear. Embry was for sure going to scold her for hours now.

"An imprint, whatever. You have association with them. It's simple. See, you came from La Push, their territory. No one goes there really. So you're a wolf girl one way or the other."

Y/N sheepishly nodded, glancing away from the woman and to her phone. Maybe if she got ahold of Embry he could save her before anything happened. Her hand twitched to grab it but suddenly she gasped, crippling pain invading her body.

Y/N cried out in pain as she sank into the seat. An instant headache crept up the back of her head as tears spilled.bShit shit shit. This witch meant business, and wasn't scared to use powers already.

Flame like feeling stopped and Y/N gasped for breath in her driver seat. She hit the steering wheel a few times in frustration.

"God, maybe use your words next time?" Y/N venomously spat, glaring at the green eyes witch.

"Waste of my breath, hun. Girl talk isn't girl talk if you call your wolf man."

"Don't want girl talk." Y/N mumbled, still calming down from being hurt. She didn't want to anger her but sometimes it was hard to bite her tongue.

"Let's cut to the chase. You need to tell the wolves to lay off. Stop pacing around our area. Witch business is none of their concern" The witch knelt down and got closer to Y/N's face.

"Tell them that... You think they listen to me? Sure, I'm an imprint and I can voice my opinion, but the pack does as it chooses. I have no power over them." Y/N softly said.

"Seduction. You own your wolf. I'm familiar with how imprinting works. You control this man's life! So don't give me that 'I can't control anything' speech. You can and will relay the message."

Anger coursed through Y/N's veins. How dare the asshole witch act like Y/N can just suck off Embry and then he does whatever she says? He didn't own her, and she didn't own him. Insinuating that Embry was Y/N's toy made her want to scream. She kept calm and shook her head.

"You're oh so wrong..." Y/N mumbled shaking her head, "You should've talked to them because Embry is not going to be happy when he finds out you did this. Infuriated, actually."

"Wow, so Embry is his name? It's a handsome one, truth be told." The witch stood back up.

"Don't."

The witch's tongue poked out to wet her lips before she spoke in a scary calm tone, "Do as I say...you'll live. Simple. task. Look, I'm not stupid, I would never face a wolf alone and right now I'm the only one home. But you see, 'm getting rather fed up with all the sneaking around our place. I'm actually angrier than I thought...."

"shit" Y/N whispered

The witch looked at Y/N thoughtfully, "Maybe if I hurt you a bit, they would get the hint..."

Y/N shook her head, "You said you know about imprinting, but obviously not enough because going after a wolf is idiotically stupid. They're sacred. Not to be messed with. They would die for us."

At that moment snarking was heard. Y/N felt a tear of happiness roll down her cheek as she felt relief rush through every cell in her body like a river that had been dammed up. Embry was about to save her ass.

The witch jumped around in time to see Embry approach. She flicked her wrist as if to hurt him the way she hurt Y/N, but she was quickly jumped on by Bella. Bella choked her so that she would pass out.

Jacob ran out of the woods to help Bella tie up the woman's arms and legs. Embry shifted back, scrambling to throw on shorts and racing to your side.

His hands grasped her face as he checked her for any injuries. His stony expression broke as he cried out in relief, kissing Y/N's face all over.

"Baby, thank God we found you!" Em exclaimed, hugging her to his chest. Tears flowed down her face. That witch scared the daylight of out Y/N, and Embry saved her life.

°°°°

Hours later Embry sat with his chin on the edge of the bathtub while his lovely imprint sat inside of it. Bubbles filled the area up to her chest. Embry's heightened eyes couldn't see anything besides her shoulders and head. Her hair sat delicately in a bun to avoid getting damp.

Embry smiled smittenly at how pretty she looked in the candle light. Her doe eyes stared back at him equally lovingly. She blushed, looking away and sinking deeper into the water.

Baths always made her feel better, and after the day the imprint had, she needed one. As soon as they got home Embry ran the water and helped her in.

50's music softly played through the bluetooth speaker as the couple shared such an intimate moment.

Embry interlocked one of his hands with his imprint's soapy ones, "Thought I was gonna lose you today..." He murmured, brining the interlocked hands up so that he could kiss hers.

"For a while there, me too..."

Embry whimpered and kissed her hand a few times to center himself. Seeing that witch in front of his soulmate awakened things inside of him that he never knew he had in him.

He wanted to rip the witch's limbs slowly one by one, her screams echoing through the land. He wanted the witch bitch to beg for mercy and apologize relentlessly until her last breathe. But then his eyes moved to his scared girlfriend, and all he thought about was getting to her as soon as he could. Holding her in his strong arms and assuring her that all would be okay.

"Talked to Jake and I'm not patrolling for a while. Can't leave you again." He said with every fiber of his heart.

Y/N nodded, understanding that his inner wolf was still going crazy from the danger she had been in. She felt guilty for being dumb enough to leave the house over a hammock.

"Thank you for not yelling at me. I deserve it, like big time. I went to buy a fucking hammock. All of this, over a fun outside prop..." Y/N ranted, angry with herself.

"I was going to, but three seconds after I realized you were in danger... Scolding you was the last thing on my mind. Telling you to stay home and then never being there was hard on you, I get that. I'm sorry." He confessed.

Embry blamed himself. He knew Y/N hated being at home and with him not being there, she would hate it even more. His Y/N was a social woman and restricting that wasn't right. Not without him keeping her company.

"Apology isn't necessary, but thank you. Im a grown woman who should have more common sense."

A comfortable silence settled over the pair. Embry stroked his thumb across her hand as her eyes fluttered shut. She was tired and he could tell.

"Love bug, why don't we dry you off and go to bed? We could both use sleep, hmm?"

She sleepily nodded.

Ten minutes later Embry spooned Y/N, squeezing her close as he could without hurting her. He felt her body shake a bit. Concern filled his face as he lifted up to look at her through the moon light.

"Y/n?"

She turned and instead of crying, she was laughing. Laughing so hard that her body was shaking. Embry slightly smiled, unaware of how to react.

"I bought a hammock today. I risked my life... For a hammock. But hey," she laughed harder, "now we can use it whenever. Because we have so much time alone. Trapped here."

Embry now grinned. He knew she was delirious and tired, but he thought it was cute, "We can lay in it tomorrow, all day. Just us." He whispered, nuzzling his nose agaisnt her cheek.

Y/N stopped laughing, "Id like nothing more. I'm so in love with you," she whispered suddenly serious. He felt his heart flutter as her lips brushed against his. He lost his breath as she kissed the corner of his mouth.

"Tease" he mumbled, caressing her face to bring her in for a propper kiss. She hummed as she pulled her wolf closer to her, drugged by his closeness. His warm body heat made her toasty as he slipped his tongue in her mouth. She slightly pulled away.

"Warm me up, wolf boy." She said, kissing him once again. Embry almost lost his Y/N, but God was she alive with him at 2 am. Very alive.

[multibug]

3: flowers (ladrien)

AO3

The florist closes in ten, Adrien’s just under twelve minutes away and the Gorilla is currently doing 112 kmh through the bustling streets of Paris to get him there before the store locks.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, he thinks to himself, window rolled down and his head sticking out the window a bit unsafely. 

The Gorilla glances at him through the rear-view mirror and grunts. 

Adrien knows he means business from the tone of it and settles into cushioned seat of the Mercedes-Benz. He rests his folded arms over the soft flap of the window, chin atop them. 

Paris flutters by in its pristine glory, shops upon shops, bakeries upon bakeries, people upon people. Lots of people that Adrien studies casually as he taps his fingers idly against the warm metal of the car. 

An orange-pink sky is slowly being tinkered away by midnight blue, a waning crescent tickling the edges of the sun out of view. Lingering remnants of summer and warm fill the air, clinging to his skin, his face, the interior leather seats, even the flaps on the window.

17:55 the clock reads, tick tick tick edging into Adrien’s anxiety like a knife. 

He knows the Gorilla can’t drive faster. He understands that it’s his fault for taking his sweet time dressing and undressing in different outfits. Plagg reminds him of it with a small snicker that’s not heard to his bodyguard. 

Max has told him time and time again that statistically speaking, the better chance he has of woo’ing a potential partner is to show he cares. Now he wonders whether his messily slicked-back hair, white button-up tucked into navy shorts and birkenstocks is overkill. 

Too late to go back and change, so Adrien rolls with it, plucking a loose strand of hair off his forehead before leaving it with a pout. ‘No matter how much gel I put in it, that piece always lets gravity win.” 

His comment pulls an unusual grin out of the Gorilla. 

17:59 and the Gorilla is skidding to a stop, Adrien hauling his ass out of the car and into the aesthetically-pleasing flower shop. Flowers upon flowers, beautifully-colored ones that are vibrant against the shops dark paneling fill his vision. 

It’s overwhelming and his brain hurts from overstimulation. 

An elder florist dressed in a light and airy skirt turns the corner and shocks Adrien enough for him to nearly fall over, steadying himself on the counter closest to him. It’s filled with bright colored peonies and hydrangeas he almost knocks off, fumbling to catch the beautifully arranged assortments. 

“You look lost,” the florist quips with a hint of amusement on her otherwise stoic face. 

“I am in desperate need of help,” Adrien replies, eyes wide as he scans the excessive amount of flowers and arrangements and it’s all too much oh my god. 

Said florist tilts her head to the side, tapping a patient foot on the ground. “Are you looking to send threatening flowers? Because that’s not really my thing,” she pauses, leaning in with twinkling eyes. “If you pay me a little extra, though…” 

“No, oh god no, it’s just—It’s a special day for this girl I really care about and I want to show her how much I care, if that makes sense.” Shuffingly awkwardly in place, Adrien’s hands twist into one another to stop himself from touching his neck. “I don’t want to go overboard either, even though I think she deserves every flower in this shop.” 

“If you’re not careful enough, you might accidentally send her threatening flowers with that mindset,” Agnés—her name tag reads as she approaches him—tells him with slanted eyebrows. “Alright, lover boy. I’ve got you covered.” 

  Please still be here, please still be here, please—

Oh dieu merci, Adrien thinks as he slows his breathing from running across the Champ de Mars. Decorations scatter around the vicinity, Ladybug and Chat Noir themed merchandise lining the park in mobile kiosks. Balloons with their faces being held by small, crying children with overjoyous parents. 

Heroes’ Day is a time of celebration, filled with joy and love and happiness that warms Adrien to the brim. Him and Ladybug, plus all of the temporary miraculous holders, share in festivities that reminds the population of Paris that their savours are still human, like them. 

The extra time spent with Ladybug each year is an added bonus. 

Adrien left the celebrations a little early to find the Gorilla, grab his flower for Ladybug, and take off into a sprint across the grassed field behind tour Eiffel to catch her before she left. 

Ladybug rounds the corner after signing a civilian’s signature book, clearly ready to leave, when Adrien calls her name loud enough for her to hear him. “Ladybug!” 

They practically bump into each other as they both try to round the corner synchronously. Ladybug’s eyes widen as she takes note of him and his trajectory, digging her feet into the ground to stop the seemingly inevitable crash. 

It doesn’t happen. 

Before either of them can ram into one another, Adrien’s free hand lands on Ladybug’s shoulder and halts their movements, warmth flooding to his cheeks. 

His hands burn, his cheeks burn, his whole body burns now that he’s here. 

‘Adrien Agreste?” Her voice is stricken and slightly shrill, so unlike the Ladybug he knows and has come to love that he almost—keyword being almost—laughs. 

“H-Hi Ladybug,” he says, dumbly, cursing himself for acting so starstruck around her. Get ahold of yourself, idiot, this is your partner for crying-out-loud!

“Hello,” she replies a bit unsurely, her own cheeks matching her suit color. “Is everything okay?” 

No. You’re too pretty for me to think clearly. “Yes. I have something for you,” Adrien spits out, cringing internally at how blunt he is sometimes. “I wanted to get you something for Heroes’ Day—”

A smile grows on her face, a slow rise akin to a blooming flower. “That’s so sweet, Adrien! You really didn’t have to!” 

Shrugging his shoulders, the hand behind his back appears in front of him, showcasing his flower for her to see. 

It’s a red hibiscus with coral undertones, so vibrant in color it rivals that of her suit. The flower is encased in a small paper cup with intertwining colorful designs on it, soil and all. “I didn’t want to buy a pot for it because I wanted you to find one that suited your room, or something,” he trails off dumbly at the expression on her face, slightly panicking. “If you don’t like it, I can always get you another? I mean, the florist I went to doesn’t open until tomorrow, but—” 

“—Adrien,” Ladybug interrupts, her hand finding his bicep with a pretty smile on her face that has Adrien’s stomach soaring. “Please, it’s perfect. Don’t you take this flower away from me.” 

Adrien chokes at her words, eyes dipping to glance at her hand before they raise to meet hers, except—

She’s leaning in. 

Time stops. Adrien’s lucky his grip on the cup is tight as Ladybug’s soft, plump lips graze his cheek. Her lips touch the corner of his mouth and it sends shocks through his body as she takes the paper cup from him. “Thank you. This is one of the nicest gifts anyone’s ever gotten me.” 

“Am I dead?” His brain-to-mouth filter is gone, eyes widening in mortification at her giggle—the cutest giggle he’s ever heard.

“Not yet, no,” Ladybug tells him through her quiet laughs, blinking up at him through her eyelashes. “As much as I would love to stay and chat—”

Heh. Chat.

“—I must be going now. Thank you again for the flower, Adrien. It’s really lovely.” 

With a surge of confidence and determination, Adrien gently grabs one of Ladybug’s gloved hands in his. Lips graze over the top of her hand, across the ridge of her knuckle and the dip where her fingers meet her hand. “Get home safe,” he whispers, smiling stupidly at her. 

“I—I,” Ladybug stutters, her eyes wide and mouth ajar. “I’ve gotta go,” she squeaks out, quickly but carefully ripping her hand out of his and yo-yo’ing away. 

“You two are disgusting,” Plagg grumbles in Adrien’s shirt pocket, face-palming with his tiny hands.

(Later on, Marinette buys a pot and decorates it with her paints and keeps the flower tucked away in Tikki’s garden so it lives longer). 

((Tikki tells her to google the flower and Marinette has a near stroke when she realizes the symbolizing behind Adrien giving it to her)).

(((Ladybug shows up at Adrien’s house and kisses those same words into his mouth, forehead, and cheeks until he believes her))).

[lovemxnot]

Nothing but stardust [ 10:45 pm]

Warning: angst/ graphic/ language

↞ Part 1

Panic crept down your spin. Your bleeding organ pumped hard in your chest, ebbing the uneasiness away, but to no avail. How could you stay calm with what you just heard?

At this point, panic might as well reside permanently in your heart as you were constantly living on edge these days. But this... this was different, your limbs froze at the mention of his name, eyes fixated open, thoughts unforgiving, mind running through worst-case scenarios.

It couldn't be true, it has to not be true. He was always cautious as to not engage in any gang business regarding yours.

Or so he claimed.

The elevator ride down to the basement felt like hours, It was at times like this where you wished you could push the hands of the clock, forcing it to move faster. Very unlike the scarce moments you're engulfed by the familiar heat of Jisung’s body, where you begged time to stop so you could have one more second with him before feigning resentment when it was anything but you felt for him.

Your stomach fell faster than the steel cables could descend the metal box down, leading to what those down there might call it hell.

This wasn't your first time down this path, you were often forced to come down here to deal with unfinished business, but it wasn't a pleasant walk through the gardens to you, or to the souls stuck down there, with the metallic smell of blood so pungent in the air, you feel it clinging to your tongue, slithering down your throat, coating your lungs in it.

The basement held one thing and one thing only. The torture cells. Rooms filled with equipment that could outdo the 18th-century torture devices, walls and doors soundproofed, no cries escaping.

After countless turns, shoulder bumps, a couple of inquisitive looks from passerbyers, you reached the heavily guarded doors of your compounds makeshift prison.

You allowed yourself inside, praying to anyone that was listening that it was a misconception.

But no one was listening. For there, on the dirted cement floor, sat a bloody shackled jisung. Chains wrapped around his body—tightly pulled as you can see the skin under it straining to be set free, turning a nasty shade of purple. legs and arms securely strapped to the chair he was sitting on. Well, more like laying on as he had no power left in him, his head lulling from side to side, hands curled to fists trying to keep composed despite the agonizing pain he's being put through.

He was beaten to a pulp, his head bleeding, dripping down his face, staining the whites of his eyes ruby red, pain glistening clearly in them. Cheeks painted black and blue, some of his fingers were bent in a weird angle. Your heart quacked at such sight, it broke you to see him like this. you were used to the occasional scrapes and scratches here and there, a bruise or two but never this. 

The guard inside the room was confused,“ What brings you here? This isn't your section.” he inquired.

 You had to play it cool, you can't seem too eager or else they’ll get skeptical. “I'm checking in for my father. what happened here?”

“We caught him sneaking around with one of our confidential records.” He gestured towards the manila folder on the table to the side of the room. “he won't budge though, we've been at it for hours and he has yet to tell us how he got it. 

Your eyes ran along the length of the folder, surprise masked your panic, slowly transforming it to dread. That was one of the many confidential record files you had kept in the safe back in your apartment. The same apartment the person facing you has visited on multiple occasions.

The revelation was jarring. You couldn’t comprehend what it meant. You didn't want to. You had to make sure.

“Leave.”

“What?” the guard was startled.

“ I said leave. I’ll take over from here.”

“We need him alive Y/N.” seeing as how angry you looked, he feared you might lose control.

“ I'm just going to talk to him.” Was what you really wanted to do, but the living corpse in front of you seemed to think otherwise. He had yet to acknowledge your presence.

Still in disbelief, you turned to jisung once the guard left. His ragged breath reverberated in the room, breaking the silence. 

“tell me its a lie.” You whispered.

He didn't turn to you, not a glance, nothing.

You repeated, louder in case he didn’t hear the first time. “ Tell me its a fucking lie!!”

The only sign that he wasn't deaf was the scrunch that appeared between his eyebrows and the tight line his lips pressed to.

His silence was your answer.

No. That couldn’t be. He wouldn’t do that to you..... would he?

Your starting to question if you ever really knew the real Han Jisung. Was anything that happened between you real? Were his feelings ever genuine? Was it all fake when he acted all blissed out in your arms, unraveling from a long day? when his eyes twinkled a certain way whenever you were around, gaze solicitously grazing your form every time you meet, only for it to soften and brighten with relief once he made sure you were okay. When his arms unconsciously were always somewhere on you, yearning for your touch. longing for you.

Lies upon lies repeated in your head like a mantra. His words playing on repeat. They tasted so honey-like for a poison.

Falling down a rabbit hole doesn't feel as nice as Alice made it be. your mind was slowly deteriorating, body numb, you felt the room shake but it was nothing but your mind materializing what you were feeling

You took your gun out, pointing it threateningly at the one person that you now felt nothing but resentment for.

“ look at me.” You growled.

He still didn't look up, Didn’t speak, didn't have the guts too. 

His shoulders were shaking, you couldn’t see his face, but you were sure that was a tear gliding down his bloodied cheek.

You felt so stupid.

So betrayed, wounded like a kicked puppy. The one person that made you feel something was now making you feel nothing. void, deserted, used.

This was madness, your mind felt like it was running a nonending marathon, your heart stabbed a thousand times, one for each memory you had of him, for every single time he made you feel something. a knot stuck in your throat, choking your unsaid words down.

It angered you that he didn't confirm nor deny the accusation, he didn't look up to apologize, to beg for his life, to beg you to stay. Did he not care about you at all?

“ Han Jisung!!” You menaced, “ look me in the eyes and tell me it's not true, or so help me I’ll not hesitate in driving a bullet through your skull.”

The clear hurt laced in your voice made him finally lookup.

The once handsome face that had you melting was no nothing but a bloodied soiled canvas to you. But his eyes... his eyes told another story.

Guilt. Regret. Remorse.shame.

It immersed you in an endless train of memories. Waving through the clouds, resisting the pull of temptation of falling into the depthless eyes of his. It almost swayed you, make you want to hear what he had to say, untie him and dress his wounds, tuck him under the comfort of a blanket and lull him to sleep. But anger took ahold, unleashing irrationality.

“Y/N.” He called out, voice hoarse, face tear stricken.

Rule number one in the underground world: Dissociate from any form of relationships or emotions, they are nothing but a vulnerability.

Some might say rules were made to be broken, but in this instant, you wished you’d have stuck to the rules. your name slipping so bittersweetly of Jisung’s lips was your vulnerability. 

“Don't— don't say my name.” It rendered you speechless, you were weak to his voice. 

“Y/N,” he called out again, sorrow tightly woven to each syllable, heavily slipping out. eyes brimming with emotions, he tried lifting his hand to you but the chains held him back, cutting deeper into his wrist.

“Did you or did you not?” Shaking with rage, You whispered again, afraid that saying it out loud would make it real.

“ I-“ he paused,”It was a mistake Y/N, I swear—“

Anger struck you like a truck, hurt made you take a step back, confusion sent a hand to your head, in an attempt to diminish the images running through your brain.

“Was playing with my feelings also a mistake?”  

“No!” He looked insulted, “Y/N what I had with you was real!” Lies.

“ Y/N I had no choice!” Lies, “I wasn't going to give them the whole record!” Lies, “I was going to manipulate them into thinking—“ lies lies lies.

“ oh just like how you're manipulating me right now?”

A flash of pain crossed his eyes, you didn't trust him anymore. And it hurt him to know so. He panicked when he saw you lift your hand again, gun aiming clearly at his heart.

He messed up big time, he had a deliberate plan, this wasn't how it was supposed to go.

“ how about I put a hole through your heart? Make you feel what I'm feeling right now.”

He was scared, you didn’t recognize him anymore, you were too blinded with rage to see his sincerity.

sobs recked through his chest, tears now burning his vision leaving a red trail down his face and onto his tied up figure.

“ Y/N, baby, listen to me —“

You shot a warning fire. You couldn't think with his voice begging you, ringing in your ears, circling your mind like a sacred chant. He looked at you, face guilty and eyes pleading.

At the sound of the shot, the guard came rushing in.

“I said don't call my name.” Your eyes stung with unshed tears.

you've had enough, you didn't have to hear it anymore. you knew he had done it. he betrayed you, played you. he was sending you back down the chasm he once helped you get out of. This was his intention all along your mind supplied.

“Y/N,” Jisung called your name once he saw you turning to go out the door. “Y/N please listen to me!  it's not what it looks like.”

“Do you know him?” The guard asked, surprised at the tone of jisung’s voice.

“Apparently not. Do what you want with him. Kill him, I don't care.”

but you did care, profoundly so. His pained cry of your named made he gash in your heart widen.

It hurt him to see the stars that once shone in your eyes so brightly, burnout, leaving nothing but stardust behind.

“Please..” he dropped his head, body convulsing with his sobs, “please Y/N.”

you didn't hear what he had to say next, for in the next second you’re already out the door, with the subtle sound of the soles of your shoes decrescendoing away, serving as a reminder that Han Jisung had chased the love of his life away.

Forever.

[kusunogatari]

[ Plague || Chapter Three ] [ @abyssaldespair ] [ Uchiha Obito, Suigin Ryū, Hatake Kakashi ] [ Blood, vomit ] [ Verse: When Dead Walk ] [ Previous || Next ]

With the samples in hand, Ryū makes her way to her room where a desk is littered with her own research, and that of the small village medic. To start, she makes a few more small seals, affixing them to the spare vials to take in chakra and keep the cells alive. Removing the stopper from the first, she withdraws the blood with her energy, hovering it in a small, floating, undulating orb. Both hands lift to stabilize it, eyes closing in concentration as she lets her chakra reach into the plasma. Like feeling her way through organs with her hands, she lets the chakra ‘see’ for her - focusing to the most minute degree she can manage.

For a time, Kakashi stands and watches...but there’s little for him to glean as she simply works in still silence. Eventually he takes to wandering the manor as a whole, mentally mapping the entire building before moving on to the surrounding yards, gardens, and forest. True, they aren’t exactly expecting any guests - wanted or unwanted - but it gives him something to do...and a way to prepare should something go wrong.

The last thing he wants is to just...stand here and feel idle. Might as well be useful.

Ryū, all the while, attempts to take the first step in her research: to isolate a virus sample, and begin to look into its blueprint. From there...it’ll be a matter of guessing and checking what pieces accomplish what, and how best to unravel them until they’re no longer able to multiply.

To put it simply...it’s going to take hours, and hours...and hours...and time isn’t exactly on her side.

Loathe to stop, she eventually caves after several consecutive hours, pulling herself back from her work and almost feeling woozy for a moment at the change of perspective. Replacing the sample, she takes a moment to recover before retreating to the lower floor to eat...and also feed Kakashi.

Which also brings up the notion of finding Obito something to sate him.

Pushing that aside for now, she’s surprised to find the Hatake in the building, examining the painted walls. “...place is pretty fancy, huh?”

That earns a short huff of a laugh. “I guess...then again, they had a lot of time to work on it. Suigin-sama says the original villagers built this place huge with plans for my clan to grow. But...that never really happened. So instead, it sort of became a village hub. During things like...severe weather, or floods, or fires...everyone would come here. It’s big enough, and the village small enough, everyone could come here in times of emergency and be relatively comfortable. And I guess, with nothing else to do with it...they took time to make it pretty over the years. All the beams are carved, the fusuma are painted...it’s really very beautiful.”

“...and so empty.”

“...a shame, isn’t it?”

Kakashi turns to her, taking a moment to mull that over. “...you don’t find it...odd to be here?”

She hums in thought. “...not really. It’s home, even if I spent most of my life in Konoha. Iwa attacked when I was four...and I came back to train when I was eighteen. It’s very...quiet. But also very peaceful. It’s nothing like Konoha.”

That earns a snort. “No...definitely not. But I mean…” He gestures a hand. “...you don’t find it unsettling? Given all that happened here?”

Ryū gives a small, wry smile. “...do you mean if I think it’s haunted?”

He shrugs. “...if you believe in that sort of thing.”

“Our teachings revolve much around souls...I know that they exist. I’ve even held one.”

Kakashi’s brows lift.

“So, do I believe they can linger, and haunt a place…? Sure. Do I think any are here…?” Her gaze moves to the front door. “...some of them. But very...faintly. Maybe more like impressions than full hauntings.” Her expression sobers. “...after all...most of them died horribly...and without warning. Surely they all had regrets, fear, confusion...I wouldn’t doubt that some became lost and attached themselves to the one place they knew best.”

Something about Kakashi’s expression seems to...unnerve. “...not sure I could stay in a place like this for very long. It’s beautiful, peaceful...but you can just...feel that something is off.”

Ryū gives a nod of understanding. “...someday I’d like to try to cleanse it. I just...don’t know how. I’ve just always had something more pressing, as horrible as that sounds. I had to focus on my training, and then my work...I hardly get to come here anymore.” A soft sigh escapes her. “...until then...it’s still home. Still the place I feel most...comfortable. Most like myself.”

He eyes her thoughtfully, but doesn’t press the subject. “...well, I suppose for now, it’s a bit haunted for me too.”

Her head tilts in question.

Giving a jerk of his head toward the upper floor, he murmurs, “...Obito’s a bit of a ghost for me. I thought he was dead. And now...I’ve got so many questions. How he survived, why he never came back...why he’s involved with people like Akatsuki. And until he’s cured, well...I guess there’s no use in wondering.”

Ryū wilts somberly. “...well, I’m not going to quit until I figure this out. Then you can ask him whatever you want, I suppose...but first…” She tries a hint of a smile. “I think we both need something to eat."

“When in doubt...take a lunch break.”

They let the subject lie, working together to make something halfway edible. The rice stores are still in decent shape, and the overgrown garden still has a few vegetables to be found. And in hardly any time, Kakashi magics a few fish from the river, giving an eye-crinkling smile.

Nearly finished with her serving, Ryū takes a moment to think. “...I’m not sure how to go about feeding Obito.”

That earns a pause from Kakashi as well. “Well...I doubt he’d sit with us and be polite.”

Deadpanning for a tick, she offers, “I can open a gap in the barrier...but I’m not sure if he’ll eat anything like this. The only thing they seem interested in is raw meat…”

“Well, I can rustle up a few more fish. Give that a try.”

“...all right.”

She takes to tidying as Kakashi raids the river again, returning with a few decent catches. Giving him an uncertain look, Ryū leads the way to Obito’s room.

By now, he’s regained consciousness. A careful peek around the corner shows him just...standing in the middle of the room beside the futon, exactly where they left him. Fresh regurgitated blood has dribbled down his chin, twitching and occasional grunting...or retching. But without anyone nearby to target, he’s almost...passive.

...something tells her that’s about to change. And very quickly.

...well, might as well give the barrier a test… Slowly stepping into the doorway, Ryū watches as his gaze snaps to her.

...like before, it’s completely devoid of any recognition. Just alighting with fervor at the sight of prey. Of a new host to infect. With a scream, he runs to the doorway, crashing into the barrier with a thudding gong of sound.

It holds. The seals flare for a moment as the reserve is sapped, but she feels only a slight drop in the chakra contained in the wall. Each subsequent strike takes a little more chakra, but overall, the gathering of the seals keeps up. It helps that his time unconscious allowed it to build a buffer.

Watching him carefully, Ryū tries to be objective, studying what she can observe as he tries to make it through the doorway. The same gauntness hollows his face slightly, eyes still filmed yellow. Overall...little has changed.

“...all right. I’ll keep his attention and make a small gap along the floor,” she then says aloud to her companion. “Just big enough to get the tray through.”

“Got it.” Crouched just out of sight, Kakashi waits.

Hand signs allow her to manipulate the barrier, creating a hole he wastes no time in using. She then lets the chakra fuse back into place, and steps further down the hall, dulling her chakra and waiting.

For a time, Obito continues his screeching and banging even with the pair beyond his field of vision. But then he slowly quiets, interest lost.

Breath held and teeth nibbling her lip, Ryū waits...and then brightens at the rather visceral sounds of him finding and consuming their little gift for him. Good! That should give his body something to process...though I doubt much will be absorbed before he vomits again… But at least it’s something.

With that out of the way, she takes another hallway around (thankful, for once, that this place is such a maze) and meets back up with Kakashi. “Well...that went better than I expected.”

“Any progress is good progress. Hopefully he keeps some of it down.”

“Time will tell.”

Until then...it’s back to the same old thing.

Ryū spends nearly all of her time trying to isolate the virus. Her only breaks are to sleep, eat, relieve herself, and check on Obito. He, at least, changes very little. The same aggression, the same appetite, the same instability and mess. But though she analyzes that part logically, the rest of her doesn’t see it. The rest of her clings to the memory of the last time she saw him before he got sick, using it as motivation to keep working, keep trying, just a little more…

It takes three days before she manages to be delicate enough to extract a virus from the sample. There’s a rushing sigh of relief as she does so, which makes a nearby napping Kakashi jump in alarm. “Finally…!”

“...what happened?”

“I got ahold of a virus. Now...to start breaking it down and finding its weak points.”

“...oh! Uh...good.”

Snorting even as she keeps working, she assures him, “It’s a big step. It’s like...I found the place the intel is being hidden. Now I just have to navigate a long hallway with many, many doors. And keep opening every door and seeing what my chakra does to it until I find one that lets me find the intel.”

The comparison for his understanding’s sake makes him snort. “That...is a lot easier for me to comprehend.”

“You’re welcome.”

That big step, however, is soon dogged by a brick wall. Deciphering genetic code isn’t exactly the quickest thing a medic can do. So, yet again, hours and hours pour into a quiet concentration. Kakashi takes to wandering again, checking and double checking their surroundings...if only for something to do.

After four solid days of code checking...Ryū is at a breaking point. Dark circles rest under her eyes, skin paling after over a week straight without a lick of sunlight. She’s even lost a bit of weight under the combined stress and minimal diet. Needing a break, she takes to standing outside Obito’s room.

Whenever he’s left alone, there’s no violence. He just...stands. Twitches. Pukes. Occasionally has random fits of yelling or thrashing, but his aggression otherwise disappears until someone comes within view. Then he’s a maniac. Pounding against the barrier and hollering until his vocal cords wear with stress.

Utterly spent, Ryū just...leans her brow against the barrier, unable to feel his impacts, his yelling muffled behind the wall. Eyes close as exhaustion begs her eyelids down. She’s so tired...but she can’t stop. Can’t give up. She has to be getting closer...but the process is so tedious, so time-consuming, so...frustratingly without results, it’s almost maddening. Her patience is typically saint-like...but with all that rides on this work, it’s fraying under the strain.

“...I’m not stopping,” she murmurs as though he can hear her. “I’m just...taking a little break. I wanted to come see you…”

All the while, his relentless strikes continue.

“Don’t worry...I’m getting close. I can feel it. I know it...I just…” A heavy sigh wilts her shoulders. “I just...need more time. Okay…?”

No reply beyond the typical shrieking.

“...all right. I’ll...go try again. It’s almost time for dinner. We’ll see what Kakashi-senpai found for you, okay…? Okay…” Straightening, she looks to him wearily before resting a palm along the chakra.

She can’t wait to feel his hand on hers again…

Letting it slip, Ryū then retreats down the hall to her room, fetching the proper phial containing the virus she’s working on. Bringing it out and regathering her focus, it narrows to the tiny organism in her grip.

Several doors down, Obito has yet to calm. The seals along the corners burn bright red. The pulse of their warning beats faster and faster. Downstairs, in another wing, Kakashi listens idly to the muffled sounds of his old friend’s struggles.

Along the barrier, cracks begin to bloom. The chakra reserve drains to its last dredges. Ryū is unaware in the master quarters, senses reduced to the tiny speck in her chakra.

When the shield shatters...she doesn’t feel it.

Several things happen in quick succession.

Obito slams into the wall opposite his doorway, stunned as he finally finds the freedom he was wanting. Head shaking, he gives a few grunts of animalistic curiosity. He’s loose...he can look for the light...where? Where did it go? Giving a holler, he moves down the hall a few steps in the other direction.

Below, Kakashi’s keen hearing brings him to a halt. That...that was louder than before. He picks up footsteps. The next sound is further down the corridor.

...oh shit.

Ryū!

Manor layout memorized, he makes for the quickest route up: out the nearest window, up the wall, and into the hallway that intersects the one Obito is in...just in time to see him go streaking by in a blur of red and black.

“Ryū!”

Eyes snapping open at Kakashi’s shouted warning, Ryū’s senses expand back outward, and in the strange vertigo that follows, she picks up Obito’s chakra, coming in fast…! Panicking, she shoves the virus into the phial, sealing it shut just as he comes hurtling through the doorway.

As she looks up, he meets her gaze, and for a heartbeat, time seems to freeze.

Then, with a bellow, he barrels through any furniture in his way. Papers scatter, wood snaps, and Ryū barely manages to erect another barrier just as he reaches her. The momentum throws her back atop a chair that splinters beneath her, earning a cry as it digs into her back. The phial remains clutched in her hand even as the new shield fades.

Obito, stunned for a moment at the impact, recoils just long enough to let her bring up another over her person as he dives atop her, teeth gnashing and hands clawing. The added weight presses splintered wood into her back, jaw tightening as she splits her focus between her barrier and numbing the sensation remotely.

Skidding into the room, Kakashi wastes no time in dragging Obito back, locking him by the crooks of his elbows. “Knock it...off…!” he grunts, struggling against his old teammate’s surprising strength.

Bringing herself up off the floor, Ryū catches her breath for a moment before trying to find a way to incapacitate the Uchiha...but his unpredictable flailing makes that nearly impossible.

It only gets worse when he turns on Kakashi instead.

“Senpai!”

Doing his best to grapple Obito, he orders, “Stay back! I can handle -!”

Before his sentence can end, he cuts off as Obito stiffens and vomits a mixture of blood and half-rotten fish all over his front. The pair stumble apart, Obito twitching violently and Kakashi flinching in revulsion.

And before anyone can act...Obito takes off out of the room, stumbling and gasping.

Pulling the door closed, Ryū hesitates to approach Kakashi. “Are...are you all right?”

“Fine, just...disgusted,” he assures her, peeling off his flak jacket. “That is the rankest vomit I think I’ve ever had the displeasure to smell.”

“You don’t have any open wounds, do you? None got in your nose or mouth?”

“No, no I’m fine...though I might have to puke myself here in a second.”

“There’s no time! We have to bring him back!” Before he can reply, she tugs the door back open, taking off down the hall.

The sight makes Kakashi stiffen as he spies the unmistakable stain of crimson along the back of her coat. “...Ryū…!”

The pair make to follow the escapee, pausing to listen. The front door of the manor is thrown open, and a jog outside reveals Obito in the front garden, on his hands and knees, digging in the ground…?

Holding out an arm, Ryū brings them both to a stop. “...what is he…?”

“Ryū, your back -”

“I know, just...hold on.”

Together, they watch in careful silence as he keeps digging, pausing to vomit again before continuing his work. A moment later, there’s an ear-splitting squeal, and...he hauls up some kind of rodent…?

Brow furrowing, Ryū then cringes as Obito tears the creature’s head off, stuffing it into his mouth as quickly as he can. “...he’s hunting…”

“...guess we proved to be too much of a match…?”

“Maybe...that, combined with losing what he had in his stomach must have been enough.”

Sat on his knees, Obito sways for a moment, seemingly passive again before simply...slumping to the ground, unconscious.

...that rings an alarm.

“...come on, we have to get him inside.”

“But -?”

“We don’t know when he’ll wake up!”

“Ryū, you really think that’s a good idea? He almost bit you!”

“I -! I know that, but -!”

“It’s too dangerous having him in the house. If I hadn’t -?” He cuts off with a curt sigh. “...we at least have to keep him farther away from you. It can’t be that easy for him to catch you off-guard if this happens again. Is there a basement?”

Still looking indignant, she hesitates. “...yes.”

“Then we’ll take him there. Set up new seals. Keep your visits to him to a minimum. All right?”

Almost feeling like a scolded child, Ryū glances bitterly aside. “...fine.”

More sealing paper. More seals. More chakra. An alcove in the underground floor of the manor is set aside for his new quarters. Beyond the shrinking pile of coal for the boiler and stored away furniture, Ryū applies more sedative chakra to keep him under a while longer as the seals gather more energy.

“...how’s your back?”

“Fine.”

“...can you...heal it?”

Ryū heaves a small sigh. “...not directly. And do so indirectly takes more time and focus than I’d like.”

“Well you can’t just leave it open.”

Finally turning to look to him, she manages a hint of amusement in her gaze. “Now who’s the chiding medic?”

“There’s a dangerous virus going around. I’m a little more worried than usual.”

“Well, I’m not about to get any of his fluids on my back...but fine. I’ll...do something about it.”

“I could patch it up.”

A white brow perks.

“Hey, I know basic first aid. Enough to tend to a puncture wound, all right?”

“Okay, okay…”

Retreating to the main floor, Ryū fetches a first aid box that looks almost untouched. Shrugging out of her coat with a slight hiss, she does her best to stand patiently as Kakashi rolls up her shirt to give the wound a look.

“Well, doesn’t look like there’s any debris, at least.”

“Anything small probably just stuck in the coat.”

Giving it a dousing of alcohol nonetheless, he glances up as she tenses. “...think I’ll put a stitch or two in just to be safe.”

“Whatever you think.”

Needle and thread cleaned, he passes it through until the wound mostly pinches shut. Antiseptic is applied to some gauze, pressed to the puncture and held in place by a few wrapped layers around her ribcage. “Well...it’s not as good a job as you could do, but it should suffice.”

“Thanks…” Tugging her shirt back down, Ryū considers her coat. “...better wash it before it stains...stitch that hole shut.”

“All right. I’ll be...around.”

Giving him a flicker of a smile, the healer makes her way back upstairs to the master quarters.

...what a mess.

There’s a weight of guilt in her gut at the now-ruined antiques. Eyeing the chair warily, she just...tosses everything broken into a corner before sitting atop the bed and sewing her coat. It’s far from its first patch job...and this is far from her first coat. Saline digging into the fibers at her command loosens the blood, the soiled liquid tossed down the sink in the attached bathroom. Stubbornly, she puts the coat back on, buckling the belt over the middle.

...there.

Kneeling on the floor, she then slowly picks up her scattered research notes, reading them over briefly and wondering why she hasn’t heard anything from the other medics yet. Have any made any headway? Is she behind, ahead, on-pace?

...part of her fears that the rest of the world has been overrun. That the three of them - well...two - might be all that’s left. Tucked away in this remote little corner of the world.

Sitting on her knees with a kind of numbness in her chest, Ryū just...lingers for a while. What happens if they fail…? If she fails? What if the plague spreads too quickly? What if they never find a cure? What if -?!

Hands lift to cup over her face. No...no, she can’t afford to think like that. No matter what, she has to keep trying. Even if it’s up until the very end...she can’t give up…! She’ll find a way. She has to!

...she has to…

Heaving a curt breath, she stands, replacing her notes atop the desk and taking the phial out of her leg pack.

...back to work.

As much as she hates it...she does her best to avoid going to the basement. Kakashi checks on him, and their shifts to bring him something to eat are kept quick and quiet. The less they stress the barrier, the better.

...but even then...it doesn’t take Ryū long to notice something.

“...I think he’s sick.”

The incredulous look Kakashi gives her is met with a glare. “I mean besides the plague. Haven’t you noticed?”

“Noticed what?”

“His breath is rattling. And he hasn’t been as active. He’s still aggressive, but...it seems almost...muted somehow.” She nibbles a thumbnail, thinking. “...Suigin-sama said his immune system felt weak. That it would be easier to contract something on top of what he already has.”

“What, you think he’s got a cold or something?”

“No...worse. It seems like some kind of pneumonia. He definitely has liquid in his lungs.”

“Well...what are we supposed to do about it?”

“...I have to treat it.”

“But -?”

“If I don’t, he’ll only get worse, and he might -” The word sticks in her throat. “...I can’t not do something about it. Ignoring it won’t make it go away.”

Kakashi heaves a heavy sigh. “...so, what? You knock him out and work on him?”

“That’s seemingly the only way.”

“...wonderful.”

The pair make their way down to the lowest manor level, lights dull and flickering. Approaching him quietly, Ryū listens, gesturing for Kakashi to do the same. To her, it’s plain as day: the wheezing, wet breaths. He must have picked something up while outside...damn it, I shouldn’t have let him get that far…!

But there’s no time for regrets now. Stepping into view, she watches him carefully. For a moment, he weaves as though dizzy before making to attack the barrier. As she thought, his strikes seem to lack the power they had before. There’s a lethargy to his form and his movements that tells he’s doing worse.

Either he’s sick on top of the plague...or the plague is getting worse.

She prays it’s just the former.

“...are you sure about this?”

“Positive. I have to, Kakashi. The more that ravages at his body, the weaker he’ll get, until…”

The Hatake sighs, head bowing with hands in his pockets. Beside him, Ryū lets her gaze fall.

...and then...they both notice something.

It’s...quiet.

Bringing her eyes back up, Ryū feels her heart still at what she sees. Palms pressed to the barrier, Obito stares at her, as per usual. And yet…

And yet…!

For a moment - just a moment - there’s something...human in his eyes. A kind of somber recognition tempered with...longing…

...is he -?

But as soon as it starts, the calm stops, and she can’t help a flinch as he resumes his attack. Her heart jumps back into action, and it’s only then she realizes the wetness along her cheeks.

Kakashi gives her a careful glance from the corner of his eye. “...Ryū…?”

Turning aside for a moment, she doesn’t reply. He...he saw her, didn’t he? Knew her! It was just for a heartbeat, but...it was there. She saw it!

“...Ryū, I -”

“I’m fine. Just...get ready in case something goes wrong.”

Watching her carefully, he then wilts with a sigh. “...all right.

Connecting the barrier’s chakra reserve to her own, Ryū begins readying to manipulate it. Keeping one hand flat against the wall, Obito’s eyes drawn to it, she carefully sneaks the other through a gap she tears in the chakra. Gripping along his side, she quickly floods his system with anesthetic chakra.

Like a puppet with his strings cut, Obito suddenly goes limp, slumping against the barrier before crumpling to the floor.

“All right...I’ll get to work. Just, um...stay nearby in case he wakes up. It should keep him out for a good while, but...better safe than sorry.”

“Right.”

Laying Obito on his back, Ryū rolls back his shirt to bare his chest, chakra glowing as she gets to work.

“...what is...that?”

Glancing up, she sees Kakashi’s gaze at Obito’s right side. “...in all honesty? I’m not sure. I haven’t ever looked too close. But if what you told me is true - about him being crushed - it might be some kind of...replacement flesh for what was affected.”

“...huh…”

“Another mystery to ask him about later,” she murmurs.

“...guess so.”

With that, they fade into a companionable silence as she tries to repair what damage she can.

     Chapter three! Obito got to go for a bit of an adventure! But, oh boy...looks like his immune system isn't quite keeping up. Hopefully Ryū can get him patched up, and then finish off this disease for good!

[septic-dr-schneep]

Can you please write the events that led up to what happened with Henrik and Deathwiish in your drawing. Please?

You’ve got it. It isn’t pretty.

As far asanyone could tell, it was nothing but a headache. Signe wasn’t normally one toget them, but she had been fairly stressed lately with the pandemonium of thetour and jet lag weighing on her.

Even so,she had made an effort to keep her normal schedule. Jack was busy recording allday, so she had put on sunglasses and a hat with a low brim to shield her eyesfrom the penetrating sun as she took a taxi to Egos Incorporated. The Egosenjoyed her visits immensely and she wanted to see if their company would beable to lighten her spirits.

Unfortunately,it had exactly the opposite effect; they were immensely glad to see her, butthey were loud and boisterous. The noise grated on her ears and bounced aroundin her head, the dull, throbbing ache tightening on her skull until she finallyhollered at all of them to shut up and leaned her head forward into her hands,breathing heavily.

Jackieboywas the first to approach her, putting a hand on her back and saying nothingwhen she flinched at the touch. “You feelin’ alright?” he questioned in a soft tonethat she was sure he had practiced specifically for reassurance.

“No,” sheadmitted, cheeks flushing in frustration and shame when her voice caught. “I’vejust…got this headache.”

“Well, Henrikprobably has some medicine that could help—and I’m sure he’d let you lie downin the lab for a while,” he commented. “Chase, you wanna get her there andexplain?”

“Of course,no problem,” Chase agreed hurriedly, holding out a hand for her to take. Sherefused it, shrugging gingerly away from Jackieboy and murmuring somethingabout going herself as she skirted past the vlogger and stumbled down the hall.

As she’dexpected, Schneep was engrossed in one of his books when she arrived in thedoorway, leaning on its frame and looking him up and down. For reasons shecouldn’t quite pinpoint, the longer she stood there and waited for him tonotice her—the longer he ignored her—theworse her headache became. Emotion surged into her throat and she exhaledsharply, clenching her fists tightly at her sides to refute the random urge topry off one of her shoes and hurl it at him. If that would get his attention—

“Doctor?”she snapped tearfully, causing him to jump, the coffee mug in his other handsloshing.

“Oh, well,hello!” he exclaimed as he set the mug and book aside. “If it isn’t our—” Hiswords and smile faded as soon as he took in the look on her face. “Oh, my, youdo not look yourself! Come here, come here and let Dr. Schneeple have a look atyou.”

“I have aheadache,” she repeated as she flipped off a few of the lights and moved tomeet him halfway.

“Well, then, I will find a nice fix for you!” Schneep promised, cupping her cheekscomfortingly for a moment before directing her to sit in his desk chair.Sinking down gratefully, she watched as he began rifling toward the nearbymedicine cabinets, pulling off her hat and glasses and sliding them onto hisdesk. “Tell me your symptoms!” he called, his voice echoing in the room andmaking her skin crawl.

“A headache,” she repeated, dangerouslybordering a growl before she checked herself and took a breath. He was justtrying to help. “I—I’m sorry…I feel a little nauseous and the lights are reallybright. I think it’s just a migraine, but…”

As shestared down at her hands, folded tightly in her lap, she lost her train ofthought. One moment, there were words, the next—nothing. They didn’t stick inher throat; it was as if they dissolved, leaving behind nothing but a bittertaste and an unsettling sense of loss. Brows knitting in consternation, shesearched for whatever end of the sentence had been but the only words thatsurfaced made up an entirely different question.

“Was thiswhere it happened?”

“Hmm?”Schneep hummed distractedly as he scanned the label of a pill bottle.

Leaningback in the chair, she swiveled it further in his direction, leaning on one ofthe armrests to get a better look at him. “Where Anti took you.”

As soon asthe bottle hit the counter, it popped open and scattered pills in everydirection, forcing Signe to bite her lip and hide a snort of derisive laughter.The doctor’s hands hovered over them as if to sweep them back up but they wereshaking, unsure.

“N—No,” hemanaged haltingly. “It was in the different lab, the larger one…not here. The,ah, the ache in your head—where on the little pain scale would you rate it?”

“Now don’tchange the subject that quickly,” she scolded lightly. “You and I haven’ttalked about this before…I’m curious.” Where had that curiosity come from? shewondered in the back of her mind. She knew full well that Schneep hated talkingabout that day and to this point she had always done her best to respect that, butnow…

“Curiositykills the cat,” he muttered hastily as he began recollecting the pills in alittle pile.

“And Jack,”she added, matter-of-fact.

At that hewhirled around, eyes wide in utter shock. “What?”he stammered, clutching at the counter behind him with white knuckles. “Whywould you…? What are you…?”

“Did youget curious, Schneeplestein? Is that why you were poking around in Jack’s head?”

Schneepmouthed another incredulous question, shaking his head minutely and thenblinking hard. “I was trying to save him. It was brain surgery and I am hisdoctor; I was doing my job. W-Why are you asking this? I thought you came inhere for headache—”

“My headache’sgone,” she brushed that off, and indeed it was. The more her eyes raked overhim, taking in his nervousness and uncertainty, the more the pain mysteriously receded.Running her thumb idly over the veins in the dorsum of her opposite hand, shecommented, “I think I have a right to know. Were you just not fast enough toreach him or did you decide to take your time?”

“…Signe!”he gasped, aghast at the implication. “I would never—!”

The deskchair’s wheels clacked noisily against the linoleum, interrupting him. Thoughhis mouth was still open as if he were to continue, he didn’t try, watching heras she came around the desk to stand across from him. Jack himself had alwaysfound her hard to read, so Schneep had no chance of it; he could do nothing butwordlessly fidget. For a tense, lingering minute she remained completelyexpressionless and then she tilted her head.

“You knowyou can trust me, don’t you?” she questioned, her lips touched with a smile of all things. Schneep didn’t likethe look of it; as she approached, he felt an inexplicable urge to back upfurther against the counter. She noticed that and slowed her pace, lowering hervoice as if to coax a wary animal. “You dotrust me, Doctor, right?”

“Yes…yes. Itrust you…” he whispered, though the words fought every instinct in his body asanxiety prickled over the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck. Swallowinghard, he slid sideways along the counter, ready to dodge away from her, but shecaught ahold of his sleeve and drew him closer before he could think throughwhat could have followed.

“Then you knowyou can tell me what happened.” Again, Schneep shook his head at that, pursinghis lips tightly, and she huffed ruefully. “You know, Doctor, you have verybeautiful eyes.”

He had notime to reply before she moved her hands from his sleeve to his face, tossingaside his glasses and cupping his cheeks as he had done to her mere minutesago. He stiffened and jerked at the icy burn in her touch but even as heclutched at her wrists to shove her away, his hands were seared with the sameelectric heat—and then he couldn’t let go. His fingers were soldered there, nomatter how he told them move; his mindwas thrashing and scrabbling and struggling but his body wasn’t following. Itwas as if her skin was fusing with his; the more he tried to wrench away, themore he melted into her. Any words he tried to form poured out as nothing but araspy wheeze and she chuckled sympathetically.

“Does iithurt? Well, don’t whiine about iit,” she purred, words echoing eerily in theroom and in his mind. “II could do a lot more to you, but II’m not Antii. IIwon’t put you through another niine months of torture…Your poor liittle bodycouldn’t cope wiith iit.”

Her smilewidened as she watched his pupils dilate, striking blue irises sputtering withmilky silver light that danced and spiraled on the edges of his vision. Afteranother few beats, she released him and stepped back expectantly as hestaggered, clutching at his head with both hands and panting heavily.

“What…what’ve you done?” he gasped panically, hiseyes aching, his vision painted in soft, swirling static. All the color drainedfrom his skin as inky black seeped through the veins in his cheeks, neck and fingers—itwas as if ugly, snarled roses and brambles were blooming within him. Petals andwhispers filled his head, clouded his mind, put pressure on the backs of hiseyes. Dark thorns shredded at every nerve in his body and all at once there wasa disgustingly sweet and steamy scent clinging to the back of his throat andhis lungs. He couldn’t breathe—he couldn’t breathe—

“Are yousure you’re fiit for duty today, Schneeplesteiin?” Signe’s mocking barelyregistered through the tirade of noise and silence bombarding his body. “Maybeyou should liie down.”

Before shehad even finished speaking, he crumpled, making no effort to recover or evenbreak his fall. He didn’t have the strength. The dull crack of pain as his headhit the floor barely registered; all he was aware of were the searing, sticky blacktears gracing the hollows of his cheeks as consciousness fluttered away.

“Oh, you poorthiing…” the woman over him crooned, kneeling down to admire her handiwork. “Themost tragic thiing iin the world iis a siick doctor, iisn’t iit?”

A sicklykind of delight and pity coursed through her as her own skin paled and gutteredto gray. She felt no pain as her own blood ran black nor as her eyes flickeredfrom green to keen silver. Tsking gently, she stroked a thumb over the inkyresidue slipping down his left cheek, rubbing it appreciatively between herfingers. “But iin this line of work, you’re bound to be exposed to someunsavory thiings, aren’t you? IIt’s almost as iif you have a Deathwiish.”

[nightlight9]

Sterek Week Day Two: Scene Stealer

Title: It Was Enchanting to Meet You

This is Sterek version of the Disney movie Enchanted because I have no shame. Derek is the prince in this instead of Stiels, simply because if Stiles were the prince there would have been a lot more singing, and I didn’t have time for to write all of that unfortunatly. Hope you enjoy

———-

When Derek was younger, he used to dream about true love. After Paige and Kate, he dreaded it. But now, here with Stiles in his arms, he thinks that maybe it could be something to look forward to again.

Stiles fits perfectly in the curve of his body, hands warm where they’re pressed to Derek’s. Even though they’re about the same height, Stiles has his head tucked on Derek’s shoulder, nose pressed against Derek’s throat. They’re not really following the dance anymore. Instead, they’re focused on staying close together.

Somewhere, Laura and Lydia are dancing. But here and now, the only thing that matters is Stiles.

When Derek had fallen through the portal into a whole new reality, he had been overwhelmed by everything. His princely garments made him stick out in the crowds. People openly stared at him, and yelled obscene things his way. The large metal animals barreling down the roads beeped at him and made it hard to get anywhere. All he wanted to do was run somewhere quiet, somewhere he would be safe.

After he had finally found a familiar sight, Derek had moved in that direction automatically. The garish pink castle seemed like a perfect escape. But when he finally climbed up to where it sat, the castle he found turned out to be nothing more than paint and empty promises. He’s not sure what he would have done if Stiles hadn’t shown up. He doesn’t like to think about that too much.

Because Stiles saved him. No one had ever really done that for Derek before.

Stiles and his daughter Amelia brought him back to their home. They let him bathe, provided him with a new set of garments, and then offered him a warm meal.

He repaid their kindness by telling them the truth about what happened to him, thinking it only fair that they should know. Amelia had sat in rapture as Derek told them about his kingdom, about how everything that he knew was burned to the ground by a woman he had once been betrothed to. He tried to brush of the more disturbing details for the small girl’s sake, but had wanted them to understand the truth of what had happened.

Kate had wanted power and control over their kingdom. The betrothal to Derek was all part of her scheme to take over as Queen, and when he turned her down, she took revenge on his family. His older sister, one of the only other survivors in their family, was the one to send him to this strange place when it became clear that Kate wanted him tortured and killed. She got a mage to create the portal, hoping that sending him away would keep him safe. Now he’s trapped here.

When Derek finished talking, Amelia asked a hundred questions, wanting to know more about magic and the place he had always called home. Derek tried to keep up with everything she asked him, explaining his answers to the best of his ability. Stiles just sat there silently and watched the two of them with a frown that kept deepening.

Eventually, Stiles stated that it was time to go to sleep. After he put Amelia to bed, Stiles returned to his seat across from Derek, crossed his arms and stared at him for a long moment. Finally he said, “Thank you, for taking Ame seriously. She-. Most people treat her like a child. They know that I’m her dad and they-.” He had sighed. “Just, thank you.”

Derek had narrowed his eyes at the unfinished sentence, then nodded. “She is a bright child,” he said finally, choosing not to address the last part of Stiles sentence, mostly because he hadn’t known how.

“My father is a police officer,” Stiles blurted, like those words meant something to Derek. When Derek just stared at him, he had sighed and said something about needing help under his breath.

“You don’t believe me,” Derek concluded with a frown of his own.

Barking out a laugh, Stiles had asked, “Do you really blame me?”

Derek thought about it for a moment. “I suppose not. Magick doesn’t seem to exist in your realm.” He curled in on himself at that prospect. Without magick, how would he ever be able to return to his sisters?

“Hey. Listen, I uh-. Maybe I don’t really believe you’re a prince from some other realm, but I’m still going to help you, alright.” Reaching over, Stiles had gripped Derek’s shoulder and smiled warm and genuine. “We’ll figure this out, okay? For now though, we should get some rest.” He helped Derek set up a bed on the couch, offering him soft blankets and softer smiles. It had eased some of the fear in Derek’s chest, having someone look out for him again.

The next day, Stiles had brought one of his friends over to talk to Derek, a beautiful woman with bright red hair. She reminded him of Laura with the way she commanded the room. Lydia listened to everything he said with pinched lips, nodding every once and awhile, and stopping him to ask questions. After she heard the whole story, she sent him in the back to play with Amelia so she could talk to Stiles.

Instead of picking a game to play, Ame had pulled Derek in the hallway so that they could listen in on what Lydia was saying.

“You actually believe him?” Stiles had sounded so shocked. “Lyds, he’s obviously delusional!” That had stung Derek enough that he had wanted to retreat, but Ame kept a tight hold of his hand.

“Yes, I believe him. Stiles, think about it; there is no possible way that our plane of existence is the only one. There has to be more out there. And you’ve seen how he reacts to the things here; he has no idea what any of these things are. You had to teach him how to open the refrigerator, Stiles. So yes, I believe that what he’s saying might be true.”

Stiles had groaned and accused her of going crazy, and that had been enough for Derek. He pulled away from Amelia and took refuge in her room. When she joined him, the small girl had grabbed ahold of his hand, expression determined.

“Don’t worry, Derek. Miss. Lydia will get Dad to see that you’re right. She believes you. And so do I. Dad just gets too serious sometimes. He wasn’t always like this, and I promise Miss. Lydia will help.”

They sat together on the bed for a long time in silence before Stiles appeared again. He had learned in the doorway and watched them for a few minutes before sighing. “Lydia said that staying here would be best for you, until we can figure out how to get you home.”

Derek bared his lips in a sharp smile, all edge and asked, “Do you believe that or are you just feeding my delusions?”

It had made Stiles flinch. “I-. I’m sorry.” He had rubbed at his face then, looking older than before, and far more weary. It made Derek consider what he had said before, about people not taking Amelia seriously because Stiles was her father. He relaxed his demeanor and offered a small smile of his own.

“I understand. I’m sure it was a lot to try to understand.”

Stiles smiled back. “Yeah. But I believe you now, alright. And we’ll do everything we can to help. You’re welcome to stay here with us. Just-.” His smile widened into something a little warmer. “If you’re going to start singing to woodland animals, please make sure they stay outside.”

Derek hadn’t known what that had meant, but he accepted the peace offering without saying anything

Since then, things had only gotten better. Stiles stopped tiptoeing around him and began to teach him things about Earth and New York. Derek in turn helped take care of Amelia when Stiles got too caught up in his work. Ame had seemed used to her father’s busy schedule, and she tried to explain to Derek that she’s learned how to take care of herself when he’s forced to bring work home, but Derek can tell that she likes that Derek takes the time to pay attention to her. And his presence in the apartment has seemed to help remind Stiles that he has a commitment to his daughter too, which is good change. After a few days, Derek notices that Stiles cleans up his work earlier in order to play some games with them or read Ame a story before bed.

It’s nice. It feels like having a family again.

Three weeks after Derek fell through the portal, Lydia showed up at the apartment with Laura in tow. She had happened to be in the right place at the right time, finding Laura wandering through the city in search of her brother.

Derek had been so happy at first, clinging to his sister as soon as she walked through the door. She had sat everyone down and explained to them everything that Derek had missed since she sent him away.

Kate had gone ballistic when she found out that Derek was gone. She immediately went out and found a mage of her own to open a portal that she could follow him through. But the magic went wrong and the portal closed around her before the spell was complete, trapping her in an unknown space with no way of getting out. Laura wrapped up the battles that Kate had fueled, then she waited until their mage could create a stable passage that she could go through to bring Derek home.

Amelia had cringed to his side during the discussion, her arms wrapped tight around one of his, as though she would be enough to tether him to their realm and reality. And Derek had felt so sick. As much as he wanted to go home with his sister, he couldn’t imagine leaving Stiles and his daughter. He hadn’t wanted too.

That was when he remembered the ball.

Stiles had been the one to find out about it (with a little help from Lydia). He had figured that the holiday ball would be something that Derek would enjoy doing, something that might bring him a little part of the home he was missing. And Derek was excited about it. While he had never really been fond of balls back home (that was always Laura’s thing, not his), Derek was excited to go with Stiles. Amelia helped him go out and shop for an outfit, going on and on about how she hoped their date went well (she had to explain that a date was an essential part of courting on Earth), and he was excited.

He wasn’t going to miss going out with Stiles just because Laura showed up, especially if it was his only chance he got.

Laura had looked between the pair with a calculating expression and agreed right away that a ball sounded like a wonderful idea.

Which is how they’ve ended up here, dancing together, ignoring that it will be the only night they have left.

Before they had left the apartment, Derek had curled up with Ame and sang to her the lullabies that his parents sang to him when he was small. It had become something of a tradition for them every night that Stiles came home late, so sharing the songs with her one last time meant a lot. Stiles had looked on with a sad smile, but he didn’t interrupt or ask questions. When he was finished, Derek kissed her on the forehead, and followed Stiles out of the apartment, trying not to think about how saying goodbye ripped him apart.

“I’m going to miss you,” Stiles whispers into the skin at Derek’s neck, bringing him back to the present.

Derek tightens his hold and tells him the truth. “I don’t want to go.”

That makes Stiles pull back in surprise, searching his expression. A smile begins to pull at his lips, and he opens his mouth to respond when a giant dragon crashes through the wall.

Everyone is screaming and trying to escape, and it’s Kate’s voice laughing at them all.

“Oh, Derek,” the dragon calls, glee in her voice at the prospect of destruction. “You didn’t think you could get away that easy, did you?”

She catches sight of Derek and slinks over, laughing at those who have to leap to get out of her way. “Come now, Derek. Have you forgotten that you belong to me?”

Before Derek can say anything, Stiles steps in front of him, fury in his eyes. “Leave him alone,” he snarls, lithe body coiling with rage.

Kate tilts her head and narrows her eyes, examining the way Stiles is shielding Derek with his body. It makes her laugh. “Oh, isn’t this precious. You’ve found yourself a little pet. I can be flexible.” Reaching out, Kate snatches Stiles up with her claws and moves back to the hole in the wall. “Oh Derek,” she coos, “I would hurry up if I were you. You’re not going to want to miss this ending.” He runs after her, but she’s already out the building, climbing up the walls. “Haven’t you learned? When I don’t get what I want, I take everything that you love away from you. You should have been smarter, Derek. You shouldn’t have ran.”

“Stiles!”

Before Laura and Lydia have a chance to reach him through the crowds, Derek is climbing out of the window after them, unsheathing the sword at his waist that Ame said was a part of his costume.

It is precarious. Climbing trees is very different than scaling a building. But Derek keeps going, heart in his throat every time he hears Stiles scream. When he gets close enough, Derek stabs Kate’s tail with his sword. She hisses at him, before turning back and laughing at his attempts to stop here.

“This is a twist in the story,” she coos full of mocking. “The cowardly prince is actually standing up for something for once.” Her laughter makes the whole building shake. “Too bad it won’t mean much.”

Climbing all the way to the building’s peek, Kate leans out and dangles Stiles from her claws. He tries to reach up and find something to hold on too, but there’s nothing to hold on to.

“How’s this for a happily ever after, Derek?”

She never gets the chance to release him. Before she can, the building that she is clinging to with only one hand breaks. In an attempt to find purchase, Kate tosses Stiles to the side, sending his body back toward the building where it hits a ledge and remains motionless.

The extra claws are not enough to save her though, and Kate topples towards the ground shrieking with fury. Derek only watches long enough to see her body hit the ground and burst into flame before he’s moving toward Stiles.

“Derek,” Stiles groans as he pushes himself into a sitting position. In his relief, Derek nearly collapses on top of him.

“You’re alright,” he murmurs, tucking his head against Stiles’ neck. His hands are chalking. “You’re alright.”

Stiles cards his fingers through Derek’s hair. “Well, I’m a little sore, but that’s not really a pro-.”

He doesn’t have a chance to finish his sentence, because Derek pulls back and presses their lips together. He feels desperate for the contact, desperate for the connection, but the kiss is soft.

When he finally pulls away, Stiles eyes are glazed over. He blinks twice, then smiles big. “That was worth the dragon,” he mutters, tugging Derek back in for another kiss. It’s absurd, and Derek is still so afraid, but the statement makes him laugh so hard Stiles’ can’t kiss him properly.

In the background, they hear Laura and Lydia yelling their names.

Stiles sighs. “I suppose we should figure out a way to get inside.” Already, he’s looking around, calculating the safest way for them to go about that. “I can’t believe you claimed up the building after us.”

Derek presses a quick kiss to Stiles’ nose, then smiles. “For your anything.” Another kiss. “Come on. I think I need to talk to Laura.”

Stiles blinks at him, seems to catch on to what he’s implying, and then grins. “Lead the way.”

It’s hard, not getting back inside, that actually turns out to be quite easy. No, talking to Laura is. Telling her that he doesn’t want to go back, can’t imagine leaving Stiles and Amelia behind. She smiles like she understands and tells him that he has to live his life for himself and no one else, not even his sister.

And it hurts, watching her go back through the portal, watching her walk away from him because of something that he chose. But the doorway between their realms is stable enough that they aren’t completely walking away from one another. Derek can’t wait for the day when he gets to take Ame to see everything that he’s shared with her in his stories: wide fields of flowers, castles, magic.

But for now, curling up on Stiles’ bed with the small girl curled between their bodies, that is more than enough to make up for the homesickness. Because Derek has what he never imagined he could: his own love and his own family.

Thinking about what Kate said before she fell, Derek smiles. Because she was right. This seems like a pretty good happily ever after.

[pyropsychiccollector]

Danganronpa: Another IF (Chapter 3, Part 1)

            “Um… Naegi?”

            It was the night following the second Class Trial, and everyone had headed for their dorm rooms. The Luckster had been moving to do the same, hand on the door handle, seeing as how Maizono had still been keeping her distance. He was worried about her, but he didn’t want to force her to say anything.

            “Yeah, what’s up?”

            … But seeing as how she was appearing shy again, he figured he’d be amicable and listen to her. It was the least he could do, after the hellish trial they’d gone through… and the gruesome execution they were forced to bear witness to once again.

            “M-Maybe I have no right requesting this from you… Y-You’re free to turn me down. But… could… Could we talk in your room, just for a little bit?” Maizono was unable to meet Naegi’s eyes as her cheeks pinked. “I w-want to tell you something, and I just… want to make sure no one else hears…”

            “S-Sure!” Naegi’s face was heating up, too, and he felt his heartbeat racing. Before he made the situation awkward, getting caught up in the moment, Naegi opened his door and gestured invitingly. “C’mon…!”

            Before Naegi knew it, he felt a pair of arms wrapped around his neck, and something soft on his lips. It took the Luckster about five seconds to realize that Maizono was… kissing him… And he was fully frozen in place the whole time the idol was doing it. When Sayaka pulled back for breath, there was a genuine smile on her face, and she was blushing up a storm.

            “Sorry~. I couldn’t hold it off any longer!” She giggled at his gobsmacked expression. “I wanted to wait until we got out of here… but I don’t want to leave any regrets. I want to reaffirm my feelings for you before I lose my nerve!”

            With sweaty palms, Naegi took ahold of her hand and brought her inside his room, blushing just as much as she was. The idol’s tinkling laughter following them inside as he shut the door.

            ~*~

            The next morning, only ten people showed up to breakfast. Naegi, Maizono, Leon, Kirigiri, Sakura, Mondo, Fujisaki, Junko, Celes, and Yamada. As expected, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny was nowhere to be seen.

            “I suppose our first order of business should be deciding a new leader…” Sakura solemnly spoke as they all sat down.

            “I guess so…” Leon agreed. “Morale’s not lookin’ too good, huh?”

            “Why not appoint Miss Celestia Ludenberg?” Yamada proposed. Celes merely giggled as she folded her bands beneath her chin.

            “That is very sweet, but I could not possibly lead when my subjects do not listen to me. Such as with the curfew… and the ability to adapt…” Practically everyone sweatdropped with the first example. She’d broken her own curfew, after all.

            “U-Um… Leon could do it?” Fujisaki suggested. “O-Or Mondo…”

            Leon rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

            “Bein’ the Ultimate Baseball Star, I guess I give off a ‘leader’ type of vibe, but I’m not really cut out for that…”

            Mondo also shook his head.

            “Sorry, kid… I’m still out of it. I wanna do that eventually, pick up where bro left off. But… just not now.”

            “I dunno…” Junko swung her legs back and forth lazily. “Sakura seemed okay-ish with it, kickstarting this meeting. Why not have her do it?”

            “I… must politely decline.” Sakura said, frowning. She cited no reason for her refusal.

            Celes giggled again.

            “Here is a novel idea… Why not have Makoto take up the reins?”

            Makoto blinked in shock as he gestured at himself.

            “M-Me? I’m not on the same level as you guys… I don’t have any… leadership qualities…” The Luckster scratched his cheek sheepishly.

            “Out of everyone here, Monokuma has yet to truly break you.” Kirigiri pointed out. “Moreover, you keep everyone united as best as you can. In an environment like this… we really do need undying optimism such as yours.”

            “She’s right!” Sayaka beamed at the Luckster.

            “No complaints here~.” Junko grinned and flashed a peace sign.

            “Sounds good!” Leon consented as well. It quickly became obvious that that would be the trend. Even Mondo, who’d punched his lights out on the first day, agreed he could get behind that. If Togami had been present, he likely would have challenged Naegi’s qualifications, but he wasn’t there, so no one was opposed.

            “At any rate… What should we do from here?” Yamada pressed on. “We can’t find an exit… and nobody’s coming to save us… Guh! Just saying so depresses me…”

            “We just need to make friends and live here together peacefully.” The Ultimate Gambler suggested. “Forget about the outside world and embrace our new lives here. That is our one glimmer of hope right now.”

            “I can’t imagine… living in this place forever…” Naegi shook his head.

            “We have food and clothing in abundance, and no lack of conveniences… What is there to be dissatisfied about? I ask you, what more does the outside world have to offer?” There was something about how Celes looked as she asked that those questions that got Naegi starting to think her mantra about ‘adapting’ was a lie… Quite frankly, the gambler looked miserable… though, this place tended to have that effect on them. And just as quickly as that depressed look had flashed across her face, it disappeared. “Competition, discrimination, sacrifice, violence… As society grows in size, so too does its sadism… On the contrary, we’re better off here…”

            “’Heretical Angel * Super Squishy Princess’…!” Yamada abruptly blurted out, confusing Celes and everyone else.

            “What was that?” The gambler snorted out in amusement.

            “Drillshop Megu, The Bunny-Eared Amazoness, Catgirl Dogboy, Galactic King Justice Robo… And, and, and…” Yamada let out a shriek of frustration. “At any rate, there is no 2D in this place!!!”

            “It is because you and everyone else cling to your desires that the Puppetmaster has so much control…” Celes tsk’ed.

            “Anyway…” Leon sighed as he didn’t like the routes that conversation was leading to. Yamada being an otaku, and Celes being… Celes. “Shouldn’t we be headin’ out soon? There’s gotta be new places open to us now.”

            Mondo rubbed the back of his neck.

            “Yeah… That’s how it went last time. Trial, then exploration.”

            “Very well. After breakfast, we shall split up and begin the exploration. Is that agreeable, Celes?”

            The gambler giggled pleasantly.

            “I’m certain there are discoveries just waiting to be made that will further enrich our lives here…”

            “Yeeeah…” Junko drawled. “Clues about the mastermind and ways of escape are still our highest priority…”

            Naegi didn’t feel like much of a leader just sitting there, but he supposed everyone’s decisions were sensible… He still wanted to talk to Celes again at some point, try to understand her better.

            ~*~

            “So… the third floor of Hope’s Peak Academy opened up this time…” Naegi muttered as he reached the top of the stairs. There was one door immediately close to the stairs, but he didn’t peek into that room yet. Around a corner to the right of the stairs, there were a couple more classrooms, which Sakura and Mondo were looking into.

            Deciding to leave the classrooms and windows to them, Naegi and Maizono went back to the room closest to the stairs. When they entered, they found Leon and Celes in what looked like a rec room.

            “Yo, Naegi! Looks like they got a pool table! Darts, too!” The baseball star grinned.

            “Billiards, darts… Othello and Shogi… They even have some magazines~.” Celes gestured to the rack. “We have no dearth of cures for boredom.”

            And then, Monokuma had to rear his head…

            “Dun dun-dun-dun dun duuun! I has some additional intelligence!” The bear proclaimed proudly. “While there’s fashion, motorcycle, martial arts, gaming, baseball, soccer, PC mags, and more… you won���t find anything dirty. I mean, this is a school. You’ll just have to live with a few risqué pinups!”

            “When new issues of these magazines are published, will they be made available to us?” Celes asked curiously. Monokuma rubbed the back of his head bashfully.

            “No can do~. Even if I wanted to, the magazines themselves…” The bear ‘caught’ himself, giggling. “Ack! Nevermiiind! That’s all the intel for now, buh-bye!”

             “That was… weird.” Maizono mused. Leon rubbed the back of his head in aggravation.

            “Always teasing out new info… Just when are we supposed to get some answers here?”

            “Well... There’s nothing that can be done about it right now, I guess…” Naegi muttered.

            “It’s a pity… It would quite enrich our lives if we were to receive new reading material from time to time.” Celes lamented.

            After looking around the rec room a bit longer, Naegi and Maizono parted ways with Celes and Leon. And as they navigated through the halls, both the Luckster and idol realized it was a sizeable floor. There was a ton of hallway space, lots of twists and turns. They found Kirigiri loitering in the halls, deep in thought.

            The next room they found looked to be an art room – canvases, statues, statues, chairs, and art tools littering the room, and a wall toward the back that was peppered with sketches that looked to be drawn by high schoolers. There were some lockers, too, but they were empty. Yamada was in this room,

            “Well, well, well… what a fine establishment this is. My artsy sense is tingling!” Yamada proudly placed his hands on his hips. “Not only is there a bounty of painting supplies, there’s quite the selection of sculpting tools!”

            “You’re into sculpting, Yamada?” Naegi asked curiously. The otaku fiddled with his glasses, grinning.

            “Generally speaking, I partake not of the 3D world. But ah, figures are different – they’re practically 2D.”

            ‘Not sure how he’s defining ‘practically’…’

            “I’m particularly fond of the works of Charanbo, Pumpkinhead, and Saburou Roppongi… ‘Mama Cat’ exemplifies Charanbo’s distinct style through his sublime rendering of the feline form. Pumpkinhead produces the highest-class faerie model prototypes of anyone this century… Saburou Roppongi, master of the posable figure, went overseas proselytizing about mech-girls… All of whom are perfectly suited to be named the Elite Four of the Figure World!”

            Naegi and Maizono blinked.

            “The Elite Four? But there’s only three…”

            “’Elite Three’ simply sounds foolish! Furthermore, the reason one seat remains unclaimed… Precisely! ‘Tis for myself! Heh heh heh, and so begins… The Legend of Hifumi Yamada: Conqueror of the Apocalypse…”

            “Mmm’kay… Good luck with that…” The Luckster sweatdropped. Maizono seemed to have a bad feeling about Yamada’s…. mood… and she tugged Naegi along toward the room in the back, which appeared to be a storage room. Various supplies were stored there, like a trolley and wooden hammers.

            The thing that drew their attention, however, was not the tools, but a single picture lying on the floor. What was intriguing was the occupants of the picture. It looked to be some sort of festival, and there were a couple of booths depicted – booths that were run by Hagakure and Fukawa. The former was telling fortunes and laughing, while the other was doing a book signing and looking bashful about getting attention from fans.

            “Wh-What is this…?” Maizono wondered aloud.

            “Why the two of them?” Naegi also wondered. Question after question flooded their minds; the picture didn’t look like it was taken at the academy, and the two looked happy. It was all so bizarre…

            “Give that back! It’s mine!” Monokuma suddenly appeared, swiping the photograph. He laughed at their dumbfounded expressions. “Uh-oh~! Didja see it? Them’s some nice smiles, huh? They’re enjoying the academy life… It’s like a page out of the book of youth~!”

            “What do you know about that picture?” Naegi demanded.

            “Not telling~!” Monokuma teased and abruptly left.

            The Luckster and idol shared confused glances before they reluctantly left the storage and art rooms. They weren’t going to get answers by staying there; there was more of the third floor to explore, anyway. They eventually came across another gate, which appeared to lead to a fourth floor. And a few more turns in the hall led them to what was apparently a physics lab…

            “Ya just missed him,” Junko said as the two got a look around the lab that appeared more like a research facility, “But the bear said this huge machine is an air purifier. It’s kinda the reason we’re able to breathe in here, with the academy sealed off as it is.”

            Fujisaki looked a bit depressed.

            “Yeah… But he was cruel about explaining it, saying it was a time machine at first…”

            Junko just sighed exasperatedly.

            “I can’t wait to get my hands on the jerk controlling that thing…”

            Attached to the physics lap, there was another storage room that seemed to function as a prep room for the lab. But the main thing that captured everyone’s attention was the camera on a table in the physics lab; it had a bizarre anime character imprinted on it, and it was a bit dusty, but it looked like something Yamada would own.

            ~*~

            Sometime later, they all met back up in the cafeteria to discuss their findings. As expected, Togami was missing from that meeting, too. Apparently, he’d grabbed some books from the library, and was reading in the changing room for the sauna.

            “The third floor has a physics lab…” Fujisaki started them off.

            “Yeah, it’s got an air purifier as its main attraction.” Junko remarked. “Supposedly provides all the clean air in the academy since we’re, y’know, sealed off.”

            Mondo rubbed the back of his neck.

            “Yeah… On that note, the metal plates covering the windows are screwed on just as tight on the third floor… Still no way out.”

            “I’m sad to say, it hardly comes as a surprise at this point…” Sakura murmured.

            Yamada tried to lift their spirits up.

            “Well, there’s an art room now, at least! I can finally draw my anime characters!”

            “Oh yeah… we did find a camera in the physics lab.” Maizono said as she held it up for everyone to see.

            “A digital camera…” Kirigiri noted.

            “Does it work?” Leon asked.

            “Seems to.” Naegi replied.

            Fujisaki hung his head sadly.

            “Yeah, but the picture quality is low… There’s only room enough to save five photos, and there’s not even a self-timer. I’m sorry…”

            “Jeez, there’s no need to apologize…” Mondo tried to cheer Fujisaki up. “It looks like a kids’ toy, anyway.”

            “The design looks to be some sort of cartoon character,” Celes agreed.

            Yamada was clearly affronted.

            “Excuse me?! That’s Princess Buuko from ‘Heretical Angel * Super Squishy Princess’!”

            “Do you know what this is, Yamada?” Naegi scratched his cheek nervously.

            “Do I know what it is!? This digital camera was awarded to the victor of the bingo tournament… held at the special event commemorating ‘Heretical Angel’s’ anime adaptation… It’s stupendously rare. I managed to convince the victor to bequeath it to me for a large sum… Hey! That’s mine!”

            “What?!” Naegi, and everyone else, was flabbergasted.

            “Wh-Where did you find it?!”

            “L-Like Maizono said, it was in the physics lab…” The Luckster answered hesitantly.

            “I brought it with me because it’s my treasure, but it vanished on the first day with my cell phone…” Yamada explained.

            “Why would something like that be in the physics lab?” Celes wondered.

            “And why…” Yamada demanded. “… is it so dirty? I feel like a stamp collector who’s come home and found his collection used on a bunch of love letters. Oh, whatever…”

            “Whatever?” Maizono tilted her head curiously.

            “It’s no longer pure… I have no need for it…”

            “It sounded like you really cared about it, though…” Naegi pointed out. Celes smiled pleasantly.

            “Then is it alright if I hold onto it? It could prove useful. And if anyone finds themselves in need of a digital camera, feel free to call upon me.”

            “I can’t see a camera getting much use here…” Junko bluntly replied. Naegi shrugged neutrally.

            “You’re probably right.”

            Leon ran a hand through his hair casually.

            “Well, the only other thing on the third floor was the rec room.”

            “It will undoubtedly enrich our lives here quite considerably.” Celes remarked. “Ehehe… I would very much like to play a game of Othello with someone.”

            “While it isn’t related to the third floor, it would appear the infirmary is now open.” Kirigiri reported.

            “Is there any protein? Even supplements would suffice.” Sakura asked curiously. The mysterious girl shook her head.

            “Only medicine and other medical supplies.”

            “I see… that is quite unfortunate.”

            “I guess that leaves me and Maizono…” Naegi mused. “We saw all the stuff you guys did, but I guess the unique thing we found was a photograph…”

            “Yeah, that photo was weird… Monokuma ran off with it, though.” Sayaka mumbled.

            “Weird like perverted?” Leon cocked his head.

            “Not that kind of weird…” Naegi corrected him. “It was a photo of Hagakure and Fukawa. It looked like they were at some kind of festival, running some booths.”

            “Those two?” Kirigiri asked.

            “Yeah… the weird thing was they looked really… happy. I dunno, it seemed like they made it outside, somehow.”

            “When could a photograph like that have been taken? With the two of them happy…” Yamada wondered.

            “I never heard that they knew each other before the academy…” Celes mused.

            Sayaka nodded.

            “True… I mean, the booths weren’t side-by-side or anything, but they would’ve at least seen each other if they were at a festival like that. It’s weird how they seemed like they’d never even seen each other before.”

            “Surely you were just seeing things.” Yamada asserted. “’Twas an illusion conjured by Monokuma’s Malignant Gaze…”

            “But Maizono and I both saw it!” Naegi objected. “It’s kind of hard for two people to have the exact same hallucination…”

            “That’s true…” Leon conceded. “But think about it, dude. It couldn’t have been taken before they got here, and it definitely didn’t happen while they were here. And they shouldn’t have been able to have escaped somehow, ‘cause… well… We saw ‘em, y’know? They’re definitely dead.”

            “M-Maybe it was photoshopped…” Fujisaki proposed.

            “I can’t see it being anything other than a fabrication…” Celes confessed, agreeing with the programmer.

            “Just forget about Monokuma’s stupid pranks.” Mondo spoke frankly. “We ain’t got time to be scratchin’ our heads over that crap.”

            “Yeah… We should focus on getting out of here, and getting ready for Monokuma’s next motive… That guy just won’t quit.” Junko agreed.

            Fresh out of leads, the group settled into an uncertain silence. While there were new accessible areas, the fact remained none of them would help in the long run. A rec room, an art room, and a physics lab. All were interesting, but not practical for their circumstances.

            Fujisaki particularly looked contemplative, before he piped up with a peculiar request.

            “Hey, um… Would you all mind joining me in the changing room?” Not bothering to elaborate, the programmer stood up and shuffled off nervously. Too curious not to follow, the group left the cafeteria.

            ~*~

            Apparently, Togami was not in the changing room anymore. And quite a few of them were happy for it.

            “So, what’s up, Fujisaki?” Makoto asked. Leon scratched his head.

            “Why meet in here?”

            “O-Oh. Well, this is the only room I’ve found where there aren’t any security cameras!” The programmer explained. He then pulled out a laptop from a locker. “S-So… When I got this computer working again, I figured this was the best place to hide it! It’s my way of trying to help everyone!”

            “That’s the laptop from the library… I see.” Kirigiri mused. “Were you able to find any information?”

            “Well… I think I’ll let my program explain. It’s an AI called Alter Ego!” The programmer beamed.

            “AI?” Junko cocked her head.

            “Alter Ego is the reason Fujisaki is called the Ultimate Programmer.” Kirigiri explained. “Alter Ego is a program, residing on a computer, that learns and develops through communication. It’s an innovative, revolutionary artificial intelligence, built upon and refined… from the concepts of support vector machines and reinforcement learning…”

            “Vector machines? Reinforcement learning?” Naegi was among the confused.

            “To put it simply, it’s a way for machines to learn… As the artificial intelligence continues to grow, it becomes more than just a simple assistant… They say it can eventually be used in place of humans for the majority of tasks.” Kirigiri finished her explanation, and Chihiro seemed a little relieved to not have to say all that.

             “You sure know a lot, Kirigiri! I’m impressed!” He giggled.

            “So that’s why it’s called Alter Ego… An apt name indeed.” Celes complimented Fujisaki. “It develops by building memories and using them in its thought process – just like a human. An artificial intelligence raised in that manner could indeed be considered one’s alternate personality.”

            “A perfect personality – one that never forgets, never weakens… That is his program… That is… Alter Ego…”

            It was hard not to be impressed. Even to the people who had little to no knowledge of computers, it sounded like Fujisaki had made something incredible.

            “Ah, you’ve come for me, My Lord!” Fujisaki’s smiling face was suddenly on the computer screen, and the program even had his voice.

            Mondo looked between the screen and Fujisaki.

            “Th-There’s two of ‘em…” He muttered.

            Yamada stroked his chin excitedly.

            “Mmm! She calls you, ‘My Lord’! I see, I see… That’s so unbelievably… adorable~!”

            “What happened to being 2D-only, tubs?” Leon raised an unimpressed eyebrow, arms crossed.

            “She is a fine specimen of the second dimension!” Yamada cheered.

            “Do you not even remember the last trial? Fujisaki’s a guy! So Alter Ego’s a guy! And he’s an artificial intelligence!”

            “I see no problem here~.” Yamada nodded sagely. Leon just groaned.

            After a short bit of typing on the keyboard, Alter Ego started speaking again.

            “There’s a large quantity of files on the hard drive that My Lord wanted me to analyze… He thinks they’re documents concerning the academy, but they’re surprisingly well-secured… So it’s taking a bit of time…”

            At their inquiring gazes, Chihiro elaborated.

            “I’m not sure yet, but the files might be related to the secrets of the academy! That might be why they’re so well-encrypted.”

            “How long will it take you to decrypt them?” Kirigiri asked.

            “It’s definitely going to take some time…” The programmer apologized. “Alter Ego just started on them yesterday, and he’s got a ways to go still… I’m sorry…”

            “No need to apologize!” Sayaka assured him.

            “Any information will be helpful, so it’ll be worth the wait!” Naegi chipped in.

            “We’ll need to keep Alter Ego a secret…” Kirigiri decided. “Can he lie low without drawing attention to himself?”

            “It’ll be fine!” Fujisaki promised. “Like I said, there are no cameras in this room, and Alter Ego will be able to call out for help if he sees anyone suspicious through the webcam!”

            Celes hummed doubtfully.

            “While that will be no issue during the day, I’m worried about nighttime… Do recall that our rooms are completely soundproof…”

            Kirigiri cupped her chin thoughtfully.

            “I’ll leave the door to my room open during the nighttime… That way, I won’t fail to notice if Alter Ego starts to scream.”

            Mondo’s hand twitched in concern.

            “But if you leave your door wide open like that…”

            “Yes, there’s a chance I could be killed.” Kirigiri did not deny the possibility. “But… could any of you really kill me? I don’t think I’ll die that easily.”

            Sayaka ran a hand through her hair nervously. There was something about Kirigiri’s tone that put them on edge, but at the same time made them confident that their newest source of hope would be safe at all times.

            “L-Let’s leave it to Kirigiri… She hasn’t let us down yet.”

            “Y-Yeah…” Leon agreed with a nod.

            Kirigiri calmly closed her eyes and started walking toward the exit.

            “Well, I think that will do it for today… If we stay here too long, the Puppetmaster might take notice.”

            No one objected. Fujisaki set the laptop back in the locker and left it open a crack, as it had been before. Admittedly, that first night putting Alter Ego in the changing room had frightened him; but now that he had told everyone else, he felt he’d made the right call. Even if he had a long ways to go yet, Chihiro Fujisaki felt like he was making progress to becoming stronger – not just in body, but his character as well.

[lux-i-fer]

In Sickness and Hell

Synopsis: Sickness never bothered Lucifer until it got ahold of Chloe.

Ao3 link

Rating: T

Notes: Oh my god guys I'm so sorry it's taken me this long!!! I've been super busy with my health, family health, vacation, and about 5 million other things, but I did it! A big shoutout to my beta because I deprive her of sleep about 5 days of the week. This was thrown in in a rush so be sure to check my paragraphing! ALSO SPECIAL NOTE: THERE IS ONLY ONE CHAPTER TO GO!

Chapter Number: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Dan always had had a few choice words to describe Lucifer Morningstar. Egotistical, pretentious, asshole; really the list went on. But he’d always supposed there was more to the club owner than just shallow smiles and mindless sex. Sometimes he would catch when his charming smiles twisted into ugly snarls or how his eyes bubbled with more than lust. There was something about the man that just seemed off. Dan wasn’t sure what exactly made him feel that way, but there was certainly more to him than he liked to let on.

Watching Lucifer talk to the nurse outside of Chloe’s room all but proved Dan’s theory.

He stood as he normally did; with a type of stiff-backed elegance that only came from cold, old money childhoods. Except there was nothing elegant and expensive about the scene at all.

Lucifer’s clothes were heavily creased and stained. The boot print on his chest and bruises on his jaw that Dan had been so proud of earlier, now seemed to sneer at him in disgust. A sharp kick of regret drove through his stomach.

The bruises were too purple, the dirt stain too prominent for Dan to be proud. What he had done wasn’t justice, it was brutality.  

He scoffed at his mounting shame. What the fuck was wrong with him? When had he begun to tolerate and feel pity for Lucifer Morningstar?  

From his spot around the corner, Dan studied the shadows under the club owner’s eyes. They weren’t dark and sickly like he would have thought, but more subtle and haunting instead. A passerby wouldn’t have noticed them, the hospital staff might not even notice them, but Dan did. And for some reason they unsettled him.

But that wasn’t what tripped Dan up the most about the situation, because clinging to Lucifer’s waist was none other than Trixie.

His long musician fingers tapped out melodies on the top of her head, in a way that a stranger might think it as endearing.

But Dan wasn’t a stranger and the motion just seemed out of place for a man who believed dogs and children were one in the same. Still, Dan watched as Lucifer let Trixie press her cheek against his hip and squeeze him tighter than what would be classified as polite.

A shudder ran up his spine and Dan finally made his way towards them. Honestly, the whole thing was so surreal that it made him feel like he was in a parallel universe.

As he neared the group, he caught snatches of the nurse’s speech.

“--s Decker is receiving blood and extra electrolytes just to make sure she’ll remain stable. The nurses believe the shock was caused by a mixture of fatigue, prior blood loss, and some sort of severe stress. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you Mr. Morningstar?” the nurse asked him almost accusingly.

Before Dan could stop himself, the question tumbled from his mouth. “Chloe went into shock?”

The nurse turned with bland amusement painting his features, to look at Dan. “Yes Miss Decker went into shock about twenty minutes ago. Fortunately it was an easy fix and she should be stable now,” he glanced from Dan to Lucifer. Dan didn’t miss the way his eyes traced the path from his bandaged hand to the bruises that stained Lucifer’s skin.

“As I was just asking Mr. Morningstar, do you know of any kind of stress Miss Decker could have had between 9AM and 12PM?”

Lucifer shifted his empty stare from the nurse to him and Dan couldn’t help but get another chill.

“Panic attack. Mid morning.”

Even though the words were meant for the nurse, he caught the double meaning.

The nurse was oblivious to the threat, of course, and scribbled it down on a bleached white note pad. He gave his required send off with forced cheer, but not before making note to tell them both that as soon as her IV finished, Chloe could be released. Without another word, he disappeared into the mass of medical staff, leaving Dan alone with Lucifer and Trixie.

They stared each other down for a few tense moments until Trixie interrupted it.

“Daddy can we stay here?”

Dan tore his gaze from Lucifer’s and to his daughter. She still clung to the other man like a lifeline. Her hands twisted into the expensive fabric of his shirt, adding new pathways to the roadmap of older wrinkles.

“No baby. Look I know you want to make sure Mommy is okay but I’m sure Lucifer wants to get some rest too.”

Trixie’s face twisted into a pout and refused to let Lucifer go. “Please?”

There was a tiny pang of jealousy that rang in Dan’s chest at the sight of his daughter clinging to another man. No amount of newfound respect for Lucifer could ever make that jealousy go away. Trixie was his daughter. He loved her so much. It was supposed to be his job to protect her, but lately all he seemed to do was hurt her.

“Trix,” he said, sterner this time.

“No.”

Lucifer laid his palm flat on her head. “Darling as much as I love seeing you rebel against your paternal figure, your father is right.”

“But what about you? Maze said you don’t look like you feel good,” she turned to look at Dan again, “Daddy, Lucifer’s sick too. We can’t leave him here.”

Lucifer sighed. Dan could tell his patience was wearing thin.

He tried to cajole her again. “Lucifer is only going to get better if you let go, honey. He can’t get better if you won’t let him go anywhere.”

“Daddy we're at the hospital, they can help Lucifer,” she said, rolling her eyes, “but if we leave he'll be all alone! Nobody should be alone when they’re sick.”

Lucifer was about to open his mouth when a familiar shadow silenced him with a hand on his shoulder: Maze.

A spark of recognition flashed behind Dan’s eyelids.

“You,” he accused.

Maze raised her brows in amusement. “Me?”

Memories of glances over his shoulder, dark tinted windshields, and paranoia flooded his mind. The whole time it was just Maze. She was his shadow that afternoon in the precinct; watching. He suppressed a shiver.

“You stalked me all afternoon, what the f--” he saw his daughter’s eyes widen, “ freak,” he quickly amended.

“What a valiant save, Daniel,” Lucifer muttered sarcastically.

Dan ignored him, but he couldn’t help the crashing wave of relief the remark brought. He would take snarky asshole Lucifer over solemn, unnerving Lucifer any day. There was something reassuring about the way the robotic respect was slowly changing back into his purposefully annoying personality. It was weird; Dan never thought he would miss basically anything that Lucifer ever did.

Maze shrugged from her spot at Lucifer’s side. “I’m impressed that you noticed in the first place, I wasn’t even topless.”

“Why in God’s name were you following me?” he asked in utter disbelief.

Lucifer carded a hand through his hair in annoyance “Saying things in his name isn’t going to get your bloody answer any faster, you know. His name isn’t some premium code.”

Maze barked out a sardonic giggle.

To Dan’s slight horror, Trixie joined in.

Dan was not the religious type. His parents were strict Catholics and ever since he was eighteen he’d always held a small kernel of resentment for all of the forced mass sessions. But that did not mean that he needed Lucifer’s own traumatic experiences rubbing off on Trixie; it was bad enough that his parents frowned upon Chloe’s atheism. He didn’t need Trixie going to Nana’s house and telling her that she was best friends with Satan.

Oh God, Dan could just hear the wine glass dropping out of his mother’s hand now.

Maze gave one last snort before sobering up. “Anyway I came out to tell you that Chloe’s awake.”

Immediately, all humor drained from Lucifer’s eyes. His shoulders strained with an invisible weight and the remaining mirth seemed to drain away.

Trixie, on the other hand, lit up like a Christmas tree. She smiled slyly up at Maze, who returned it with one of her own wolfish grins.

Finally, Trixie pulled away from Lucifer and both him and Dan let out a breath neither of them knew they were holding.

Immediately, one of Lucifer’s tics took over and he began smoothing out the creases in his shirt. Apparently it took more than exhaustion to shake that level of OCD.

Trixie sighed dramatically and tugged on Lucifer’s wrist impatiently.  

“Beatrice--” he said, clearly caught off guard.

“Come on you’re taking too long,” she whined and tried to pull him in the direction of Chloe’s room.

He offered a few weak protests, but ultimately allowed himself to be swept away by the seven year old, leaving Maze and Dan alone in the hall.

Maze grinned and arched a mocking brow at him.

Dan glanced around. “What?”

The bartender just shrugged, “Nothing, just wondered if you were getting your panties in a twist over Lucifer and Chloe again.”

“Why would I do that?”

Maze glanced at his bandaged hand and gave him a look.

Dan covered it with his other hand. “Look,” he said defensively, “I got mad the first time--”

“And the second, and the third--”

He glared at her and continued with a little more force, “--but I don’t hate the guy.”

Maze crossed her arms and looked him over. “Could have fooled me.”

Seeing how the conversation was going to end, Dan scoffed and brushed past her and stepped into Chloe’s room.

The scene he walked into stopped Dan in his tracks.

Lucifer hovered around the foot of the bed, his hands fiddling with his cuffs as he paced back and forth.

“You’re certain you’re all right?” he asked timidly.

Chloe sat propped up on the bed with Trixie pressed into her side.

“Lucifer, come on you know the answer to that.”

He took an uneasy step closer to her. “Humor me Detective.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m fine, alright? It was just shock, it happens to everyone.”

The rest of the conversation fell on deaf ears. Dan stood stupefied. Lucifer Morningstar did not do quiet. He did not act soft and he certainly had never been described as timid.

His shoulders were slumped, the perfect posture seemingly thrown out the window.

It was all too surreal for Dan when he realized that in some way or another Lucifer had always been like this. Maybe not to this degree, but the traces of it now stood out in his mind.

Before, Dan didn’t have a word for the emotion that he often saw in Lucifer’s eyes. He’d always passed it off as something simple, like lust or annoyance, but now he knew that it was far from that.

Whether he liked it or not, Lucifer Morningstar cared for Chloe Decker. And for some reason, Dan was okay with that. It was as if the proverbial glass had finally shattered.

After this blew over, Chloe was going to sign the divorce papers. Then he would sign them and that would be it. There would be no argument, no dramatic change of heart. This chapter on their life would be over in the matter of a week. The rings would be taken off and hidden away and slowly the rest of Chloe’s things would disappear from their house. And soon enough their house would turn into his house; wedding pictures swiped off shelves and the dress gone from the closet.

It would be polite smiles over break room coffee and late night cases. They would fall into comfortable silence but at the end of the night, Dan would go home alone and Chloe would go home to Lucifer.

There would be secrets whispered between silk sheets that he would never know and new recipes he’d never taste. Maybe there would eventually be a new ring on her finger; a new last name pasted over his.

Dan would never know because this was where their lives diverged.

And for the first time since the separation, Dan was okay with that.

Lucifer was an ass, but deep down Dan knew he would take care of both Chloe and Trixie.

Maybe that was why he found the strength to clear his throat.

The conversation in the room halted as three sets of eyes turned towards him. Unconsciously, he covered his bandaged hand once more.

“Uh, I’ll stay here if you want to go get her release papers,” he said to Lucifer.

The man in question stopped his pacing and glanced at Chloe. She looked confused, shifting her gaze from him to Dan. Clearly Lucifer had forgotten to mention him.

Silently, Lucifer gave her one final lingering look before squaring his shoulders, giving his cuffs one last tug, and heading for the door. Before he disappeared completely, he turned back towards Dan with a small, thoughtful smile.

“Thank you.”

Dan just nodded, knowing that somehow, he’d made the right decision.

Turning back to Chloe and Trixie, he sighed.

Trixie gave him one of her bright gap-filled smiles but the guarded expression Chloe had worn since Dan had come in hadn’t left her face.

He offered her a bitter smile that she didn’t return.

With the same precise steps Lucifer had worn into the linoleum, Dan made his way over to Chloe’s bedside.

Her blue eyes were still misty with sleep, but the question sat plainly in them. The last time she had seen him, he was a punch away from being escorted out of the hospital. She had every right to be questioning him.

“Hi,” she finally said, letting her questioning tone bleed through.

Dan couldn’t stop his smile from falling, “I’m sorry.”

Chloe’s frown deepened and she patted Trixie’s arm. “Trix-babe would you go see where Maze put your backpack?”

“ Mommy,” she whined, clearly not forgetting the last time she’d left the room.

Dan tried to step in once more. “Daddy just needs to talk with Mommy for a minute, okay? It’s going to be boring anyway, I bet Maze is way cooler.” He gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

Dan watched as his daughter crawled from the bed with a heavy pout and didn’t say another word until she was out of sight.

“Dan look if you’re here to give me more shit--”

“I’m letting Lucifer take you home.” It took everything he had to keep his voice low.

“What?” All of the fire in her words had vanished.

Dan drew in a deep breath.

“Chloe I know we thought that maybe the separation would help us--help me, ” he amended, “But it didn’t did it? I love you but we can’t keep doing this. It’s not good for us and it’s definitely not good for Trix. I feel like if we don’t stop it now--” his words caught in his throat, “we’ll just end up hating each other. I care about you too much to let us get that bad.”

Chloe’s eyes were wide, “Dan--”

“I wasn’t there. I was never there when I should have been, I know. That’s why I’m letting you go. After this blows over I’ll sign the divorce papers, I’ll move on. And that starts with letting Lucifer sign you out. I think he’s a dick, but he’s a dick who tore himself apart to take care of you. Hell, even now I wasn’t here when I should have been. So Chloe,” Dan’s voice broke, “I love you, but that will never be enough to fix us.”

Chloe sat speechless, unshed tears glimmering in her eyes.

Finally, she gave a stiff nod, “I think I’m ready to let you go too.”

With shaking hands, Dan pulled his ex wife into a tight embrace, placing a chaste kiss on her forehead.

“Bye Chloe,” he whispered into her hair.

“Bye Dan,” she rasped back.

As Dan pulled away, he felt an imaginary door close on the dream that was his marriage and nightmare that was his separation. But not without opening a new door that would lead to his bittersweet future.

[gulescamisade]

New York:  Day 1

[ Towers loom overhead, bright red thorny spires, bilboards plastered with brightly-illuminated advertisements for alien foods written in scrawling alternian scripts. All of them promising THE GREATEST TASTES, the ULTIMATE FOOD EXPERIENCE, TEN THOUSAND PERCENT EATS!!!! NONE HUNGER AND ALWAYS THE FEEDED! The urban sprawl seems to know no end, streets packed with despondant looking humans, some of whom have unhealthy, pale-gray skin and weird little growths on their foreheads. Somewhere in the distance, glamorous spotlights shine high into the night. A massive blimp hovers overhead. It reads: WELCOME TO FLAVORTOWN. ]

[ The experience is jarring and they are immediately struck by a wave of sensations. Bright lights, intense odors, and, soon enough, the feeling of being dumped onto hard, cold pavement. Rose, John, Kankri, Gamzee, Meulin, Jamison, Jolene, Dualscar, Jude and Joey all find themselves met with the same rude awakening, scattered down a block labeled in jarring neon lights, UMAMI. ]

JOEY: =oof!! It hasn't been one of her better landings...= 

JOEY: where the HELL are we?

ROSE: -she answers by way of promptly throwing up in the gutter.-

JUDE: -OH GOD OH MAN OH GOD OH MAN-

JAMISON: OOF, =still holding his babies and STANDS= WHAT THE JIMJAM FLIMFLAM IS THIS RASSAFRASSING TOMFOOLERY!??!

JAMISON: =scampers in place holding two grown adults.... oh there are others here= Everyone grab a rifle I've got plenty strapped to my body!

MEULIN: -YOWLS and sticks the landing on her feet, puffed up and claws out. WHO MUST SHE BRAWL.-

ROSE: -this city is sure hell for someone with a migraine. awesome.-

ROSE: -She's just gonna lay down and drape an arm over her eyes because this is way too much to process.-

ROSE: -she's CRACKLING A LITTLE with all kinds of weird energy right now.-

JOHN: mother....fucker. -grunts, rolling around a little because his knees are stinging. but he recovers quickly, floating up to his feet and whizing around.- hey, is everyone okay?

ROSE: I am going to take every liberty to not be okay right now.

ROSE: I'd really like that.

ROSE: For a second.

KANKRI: -Unceremoniously dumped into the street on the alien to him planet by a zap of green energy, its very alarming, hes frazzled, but the moment he hears John his head is snapping in that direction.-

JOEY: =To rose= heyyyy youre kinda staticky...

JOHN: yeah -blinking in the harsh light. ugh. this is tacky. earth has really gone to shit, hasn't it?-

JOHN: but i mean no one has broken bones or anything, right?

ROSE: I.

ROSE: I know.

ROSE: No, I didn't-- break anything.

ROSE: I just...

ROSE: Fuck.

ROSE: FUCK.

JOHN: -lands- rose?

ROSE: Do you recall a number of childish beliefs held by myself and perhaps others? That-- that I am some manner of machiavellian genius, carefully placing my pieces on a chessboard? ROSE: Because it's wrong. It's fucking wrong. We were used. I was used. She--

ROSE: God DAMN it.

JOHN: -just...keeps apparoaching her, not bothering to comment because he doesn't know what she's talking about. he just puts his hand on her shoulder, despite the sparks.-

ROSE: -she's kinda crying a little bit under that arm, turns out. She leans into John. A throbbing ache in her head, a deep pit of guilt in her stomach, and that inescapable feeling of betrayal. All of it. She eventually just clings to him, throwing her arms around his shoulders.-

JOHN: -Holds her tightly like 8( 'cause what else can he do? He glances around at everyone else for a moment and then focuses on patting Rose on the back as she sobs.-

JOEY: D:

KANKRI: -Oh, Rose looks in really bad shape. ):B -

[The faint smell of chipotle seasoning and deep fried fat waft through the air. The pale figures on the street seem anxious, but not at these strangers arrival. No, it's something more. Some wear fake smiles, painted into their faces, trying to seem joyous despite the nightmare everyone is in.]

JOHN: -At least comforting Rose gives him something else to focus on because this is REALLY DISTURBING.-

JOEY: um.... =pats Jude a bit urgently= um.... =points??=

JAMISON: =This is unsettling! He focuses on his glasses and IMMEDIATELY gets out his potato-zooka= Should we wipe out the left or right first?

JOHN: hey woah wait. they're not hurting us.

JOHN: -why are you always so TRIGGER HAPPY?-

JOHN: -still has Rose tucked in his arm.-

JAMISON: Can't say I'm so found of... pasty possible hostiles but I'll keep an eye on them..... =Squints=

KANKRI: -Hes eyeing Jamison so hard, he remembers this human, he does not like this man. Although yes, the sense of unease radiating from the people around them is quite terrible.- I d9nt 6elieve they are h9stiles th9ugh.

ROSE: -She sniffs, taking a deep breath.- ROSE: -Then she wipes at her eyes with her hands, messily.- ROSE: They look human enough.

KANKRI: In fact t9 them we might 6e the h9stiles c9nsidering we are the 9nes wh9 suddenly appeared 9n their sidewalk. -Looks around at their new surroundings again.-

JOHN: -studies them. He's been a doctor long enough to tell that they look unhealthy. Is it lack of nutrition combined with some sort of mutation?-

JOHN: poor guys...

MEULIN: -growling softly.- SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH THIS PLACE... IT SMELLS... WRONG.

JAMISON: =Rose looks sad.... he gives her a homemade shrapnel granade= Alright then.... I suppose the zombies have clearance....

JOHN: -takes a deeper whiff and sneezes-

JOHN: smells spicy!

JOHN: -pulls a multi colored chain of hankerchiffs out of his sleeve and offers it to Rose with the intent of cheering her up A LITTLE BIT.-

ROSE: -what the fuck, jamison-

ROSE: -ok-(edited)

KANKRI: -Zombies.... Please.- I d9nt think any9ne w9uld appreciate 6eing called that, dispite h9w 9utwardly appearing unwell.

JOEY: whatever it is my creep-o-meter is skyrocketing

JOHN: let's not argue over semanticss guys. we should focus on the big picture here.

JAMISON: =IT'S FOR COMFORT=

[ Overhead, and paying them no mind, robotic drones rocket with a piece of NEW construction. A large screen of some kind, already busily welding it to the side of a building. It flickers to life, soon cycling a brand new advertisement:  http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/seriouslytheworst/images/f/fd/Banner2.gif/revision/latest?cb=20150919122657 ]

JOHN: -wrinles his nose at this rampant commercialism- ew....

JOEY: thats it 

JOEY: i must be dreaming

KANKRI: -John is this really what earth advertising is like?-

JAMISON: =SQUINTS???/?=

JOHN: -Well tbh...yes-

KANKRI: -Thats so sad... No wonder these mutated earthlings look tormented.-

[ YOU WON'T BELIEVE ]

ROSE: -She's sitting up and composed herself a little bit, now just sitting on the sidewalk.-

JOHN: -hovers around her because he feels protective but his general uneasiness wants them to get moving.. .SOMEWHERE instead of just standing here like sitting ducks- i guess we should try to find out where we are and maybe try to contact the others?

JOHN: does anybody's comm work? mine doesn't.

ROSE: I'm trying to think.

ROSE: I'm not sure. I might have fried it.

[IT'LL FIT RIGHT IN]

[FRIED THING!!!! $5.95!!!! FRY ANY THING THAT FITS IN THE FRIER! FRY YOUR BABY!!!!!! $5.95!!!!!!!]

MEULIN: RRR... SOMEONE CAN TRY MINE. -uncaptchalogues hers and holds it out to anyone-

JOHN: :/

MEULIN: I'M GOING TO K33P MY NOSE OUT.

ROSE: -she reaches for it, and checks it.-

ROSE: Oh.

MEULIN: -wrinkling said nose-

KANKRI: -Shuffles a bit closer to peep at what Rose is typing, and also just to be closer to john.- 9h, it d9es w9rk. Thats g99d.

JOHN: -also 👀 also hello Kankri he's going to sling his arm around your waist because this SUCKS BALLS.-

KANKRI: -Hes glued to your side now, John.-

JOHN: -It's fine. As far as tumors go, you're pretty benign. He peeps on what Rose is doing.-

JOHN: any luck?

KANKRI: -Tumors....-

KANKRI: -Yeah alright fair that is him.-

ROSE: Vriska stole the ship.

ROSE: Fairly incompetently.

JOHN: ...pfffft... WHAT? -LAUGHING-

ROSE: She's arguing with HAL, right now...

JOHN: oh my gosh. i am going to give her such a punch.

ROSE: And she is losing.

JOHN: can you pass that message on for me?

JOHN: right in the face. boom.

KANKRI: -Hes frowning.- 9h dear... that d9esn't s9und all that funny 9r like light hearted material c9nsidering 9ur situati9n.

JOHN: well i really do mean it. she is kidnapping my baby technically. but what else did you find out/

ROSE: I'd rate it as a three, compared to the seven that is a hamburger with eyeballs.

ROSE: Dirk is in Texas.

ROSE: And... other people are elsewhere. Information is still a bit disoragnized.

JOHN: -snorts again. Sorry guys. This is his reaction to pain.-(edited)

JOHN: i hope everyone's ..at least as relatively ok as we are.

ROSE: Relatively.

ROSE: ...See if Jamison or Jolene can't look at your coms. I think mine will recover when I can... get ahold of myself.

KANKRI: Again, an9ther p9sitive.

JOHN: things could be a lot worse! -gonna pass his comm along to Jamison-

JAMISON: =was already fiddling with things but he'll fiddle MORE and FIX UP John's comm=

JOHN: -sighs a little as he hands it over.- i hope jade is alright...and the babies.

JOHN: she was all...weird right before we teleported.

JOHN: growling and stuff.

KANKRI: Yes, indeed. -Hes also going to fish out his device and look it over to be certain it still is working.-

KANKRI: Als9 9h... Well ideally they all will 6e just fine.

KANKRI: -Hes so bad at comforting right now, hes a failure.-

JOLENE: -currently barking and flipping her shit, too busy to be helpful mostly because I'm doing too much at once-

JOEY: so i take it jade isnt normally like that

ROSE: No.

ROSE: She's not.

JUDE: -HOWEVER, he's grumbling something about kids being fine-

JOEY: ah

JUDE: -while hunched over his comm which does work-

JOHN: -rubs the back of his neck, frowning and looking around. he feels restless.-

JAMISON: =hands John back his comm GOOD AS NEW... maybe even better. Definitely better it has a GUN feature now=

JAMISON: There you go! :D

JOHN: -????????????-

JAMISON: =He had it for 2 minutes=

JOEY: =comfort pat on Jude's back???=

JUDE: -GOOD PLAN-

JOHN: -HE WILL PROBABLY NEVER USE THIS BUT HE SAYS THANK YOU ANYWAY. -

JOHN: -he'll get dirk to install a child safety lock when he gets back home >>-

JUDE: -STARES AT JOEY WIDE EYED- ... I...

JUDE: I told her... that the head set... -looks down at his comm again- I guess it doesn't matter now

ROSE: What?

ROSE: What are you talking about?

ROSE: -Sits up, from being all hunched over her com.-

JUDE: ... jane's head set

JUDE: I thought... because it was crocker corp technology

JUDE: they could use it to get to us somehow... track our location... or worse

JUDE: and worse happened

ROSE: -she just scowls.-

ROSE: Mm.

MEULIN: WAIT, WHAT?? -looks around for whoever's speaking. her sunglasses aren't exactly being clear on who this is yet.-

MEULIN: WHAT HAPPENED EXACTLY?

JOEY: :(

JOEY: jude was right...again

ROSE: You can have this back. -She holds the device over to her.- ROSE: We were used.

ROSE: I don't know if she was in on it somehow, or—

ROSE: I don't know. ROSE: This is too much.

ROSE: Everything is... too much.

JOHN: we can't think about that right now. -nudges her.-

JOHN: let's focus on what we can control.-

ROSE: Right.

ROSE: We need a way to get out of here. Meet up with the others.

ROSE: And we need a place to rest and take stock of what we've got.

MEULIN: -puts the device back up- THE SMELL OF THIS PLACE... IS GIVING ME A WICKED BAD HEADACHE. (^>ｪ<^)

ROSE: -She wipes her eyes one last time and rises to her feet.- It's pretty intense. And... sustained.

JOHN: -UGH YEAH ME TOO. it's actually worse than he wants to admit because of sensory stuff but HE'S STAYING STUBBORNLY. OPTIMISTIC. he uncapatchas a little tub of ....Vicks of all thing sand takes a BIG WHIFF.- mmm.....okay thats' better.

JOHN: -dabs it on his upper lip right below his nostrils-

KANKRI: Hm. D9 we even have any exact idea 9f where we are currently l9cated?

KANKRI: 6esides in an ur6an setting surr9unded 6y seemingly thrilled individuals, wh9 I d9nt necessarily 6elieve are as happy as they appear...

JOHN: yeah this is some 1984 bullshit if i ever saw it. looks like they're really on board with big brother.

JOHN: bitch couldn't even be original about how she fucked up my planet. -sighs-

JOHN: maybe we could ask one though?

ROSE: ...I...

ROSE: Don't think this one was ever on the maps, before.-

ROSE: -she points towards the sky, where the massive blimp looms, reading WELCOME TO FLAVORTOWN.-

KANKRI: 6ig 6r9ther... are y9u meaning t9 say and 9r ass9ciate it with the phrase that in turn means the "9ver watching presence" 9f a higher c9rp9rati9n 9r g9vernment, usually in a negative 9r c9rrupted light?

KANKRI: -Also looks where Rose is pointing and oh what do you know. They are in Flavortown.-

JOHN: well, apparently we're in flavortown, i guess. -rolls eyes-

JOHN: juts saying it makes me feel dirty.

KANKRI: -Side eyes John.- That is an 9dd reacti9n t9 have t9 a name 9f a city.

KANKRI: Alth9ugh I have t9 agree with R9se, I d9nt remem6er ever learning a69ut a city named as such in my studies 9f Earth. Alth9ugh I c9uld have easily missed it if its n9t m9re significant.

JOEY: im gone for what? ten years?

JOEY: everythings changing!

JOHN: i feel you, kiddo.

JOHN: i wanted to show you guys my room! my old psoters are still up in there.

JOHN: i think?

JOEY: =KIDDO....im almost 40= eheeheehee

JOHN: -he walks up to some of the advertisements, studying closely and trying to read some of the SIGNAGE. he can understand Alternian, at least if that's what the troll script is.-

JOHN: -he's hoping there's one of those cheesy maps with the YOU ARE HERE arrows or osmething.-

[ John does manage to see this ]

http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/seriouslytheworst/images/1/1c/Chart-mooo.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/640?cb=20150920192938

JOEY: RUMP!

[It doesn't seem as if anyone is interested in speaking to them, much less harming them. If anything, everyone around is too busy trying to look mirthful, as if they hope it's sufficient enough. The city streets aren't busy, but there are definitely plenty of alley ways, a couple even with barrel fires in them.]

JOHN: -HES' GETTING EDUCATED ABOUT MEAT BUT NOT WHERE THEY ARE, NECESSARILY-

KANKRI: -Barrel fires are not exactly safe. Someone could fall in or they could be knocked over or filled with dangerous burning products.-

JOHN: -don't worry kankri, he won't let anyone stuff you into a burning barrel.-

KANKRI: -WELL HE WASNT THINKING ABOUT THAT.-

JOHN: -okay well his comm is working. what if he just tries...Troogle Maps?-

KANKRI: -But that would be a concern.-

JOHN: -It's only an issue if you're tiny and perfectly barrel sized-

KANKRI: -John has thought about this too much.-

[If John checks Troogle maps, he will find that they are somewhere near the New York /Canada border]

JOHN: -Sighs, taking a screen shot so he doesn't have to waste so much battery. Then he shows it to Rose.-

ROSE: Oh.

ROSE: ...

ROSE: This is. Kind of near where I used to live.

JOHN: oh! wow! really?

ROSE: We're about six miles from Niagra Falls.

JOEY: =looks around, surprised= really??

ROSE: Yeah.

ROSE: That can't be right.

JOHN: how come?

ROSE: Because it...

ROSE: Just doesn't make much sense? I mean, I admit, my knowledge of this area is approximate and only half-remembered, but...

ROSE: Look at how far this city extends.

ROSE: Look at the size of these buildings! ROSE: There's no industry or exploitable resource here. The falls are a tourist attraction.

JOEY: because...! =gestures at....everything.=

JOHN: -bites his lip- extreme urban sprawl.

ROSE: Well, yes. To a cartoonish degree. Which I do admit is a bit... appropriate, in the presence of certain elements.

ROSE: -She poitns to another sign.- http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/seriouslytheworst/images/9/97/YUMEE.png/revision/latest?cb=20150919122142

ROSE: But still.

JOHN: -he desperately wants to graffiti on all this crap. and maybe take a leak on it for good measure.-

JOHN: >:/

JOEY: you alright there john buddy

JOHN: oh yeah. i just got my dander up.

[And yet it exists. All of it. Spicily, and v eerily the buildings loom over them. An almost palpable haze of grease in the air. Not mention the numerous neon signs. A new one was being attached to an adjacent building right at this moment. An unsettling picture of Guy Fieri upon. GUYS BIG BITE. SEASON PREMIERE LIVE FROM FLAVORTOWN. Wednesday at 8pm est/7pm cst]

ROSE: -SQUINTS-

JOHN: -PARTICULARILY REPULSED BY THIS IMAGE.- it's like the batterwitch's floury fingerprints on everything.

JOHN: sliding down your back.

JOHN: -shivers-

MEULIN: .... WHO THE FURK IS GUY?(edited)

KANKRI: -Squints up at the billboard as well.- I am als9 c9nfused as t9 wh9 this is.

JOHN: -turns away from it pointedly.- so what do you think rose? is it worth it to try and find your old house?

ROSE: No.

ROSE: No, I doubt there's anything left.

ROSE: We should just find someplace to sleep where no one will ask us any questions.

ROSE: ...Not that they appear to be willing to.

JOHN: hmm. - scratches chin and troogle maps again. this times for subways... and not the kind that sell sandwiches. -

[Closed and currently being filled with buffalo wing queso]

JOHN: -he's mad because he's disappointed but that sounds delicious-