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arcadia-of-pluto · 8 months ago

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Twist of Fate; Chapter Three

Pairings; LADS OT4 x reader

Word count; 2,507 (mayhaps I lied...but they will get longer in the future! Trust <3)

Themes; isekai, eventual smut

Rated; 18+ for swearing and some mature themes

Notes; Rafayel curses...once or twice (I believe this warrants a warning)

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Masterlist

The training honestly wasn't that difficult. There wasn't much to say about it. Just testing out different weapons on makeshift dummies that Xavier had created with his light evol or shooting targets from different distances. You warmed up to your gun rather quickly and while you could use other weapons, you preferred the versatility of a gun. You felt like you and Xavier grew closer during the training.

Today, however, was the day of the art expo. You decided to dress a bit nicer than usual, choosing a yellow dress with a choker and some sneakers just in case you needed to fight. Then, you catch a ride to Whitesand Bay where Rafayel's art studio ‘Mo Art Studio’ was located. You pay the taxi driver and start heading for the large metal gate, pushing it open and you go straight for Rafayel’s front door. You don't bother to knock since Rafayel never knocked on your door and this proves to be the right choice as it allows you to sneak up on Rafayel and scare him while he's painting.

“Boo!” You place your hands on his shoulder and Rafayel actually jumps, his paintbrush leaving a jagged red line across the canvas. “Ah, you ruined my- wait,” Rafayel pauses, holding his chin with one hand, “actually…This is going to be my best painting yet. Hold on for a second and go sit down somewhere.”

You flop down on the sofa near Rafayel so you could keep an eye on him painting. “Do you need my assistance again?” You tease and Rafayel looks over at you with a sassy look, “I think I can handle this on my own.”

After thirty minutes of waiting, you roll over on your stomach on the couch. “Are you done yet?” You whine, your feet kicking behind you as you scroll through your phone. “Almost. I just need to do the last finishing touches.”

“Thomas says you're going to be late.” You sing-song, having snitched him out to his manager as a way to make the artist hurry up. “Well then we'll be fashionably late, silly girl.” You pause at the nickname, blinking a few times before your ears turn a light shade of red and you clear your throat. “Are you bringing that painting to the expo?”

“Hmm no? I'm thinking…of giving it to you. Doesn't that sound so charitable of me?” Rafayel muses, finally setting his paintbrush down and he turns toward you, holding a hand out. “Want to take a look?”

You get up from the couch and walk over to Rafayel, taking his hand before he tugs you closer to stand between his legs. He turns you around so your back is to his chest and then rotates his chair to show the painting. It was an abstract piece of art but you could clearly tell it was supposed to be you, lying on your stomach on his couch. “I'll send it to your apartment later, yeah?” His breath brushes past your ear and you hold back a shiver.

“You're too kind.” You say dryly though the smile on your lips contradicts your condescending tone. “I'm happy to be your muse for today.” You turn your head to look at him and Rafayel quickly looks away as his face turns red from his blush. “Let's get going, Miss bodyguard.” He taps your side before standing. “Hopefully we won't encounter any trouble and we can keep your pretty dress clean. Did you dress up just for me?”

“Hmm, more like I dressed up for myself, mister artist.” You poke his chest before shrugging, “but if it helps you sleep better at night then yes, I did dress up for you.” You turn to smile at him with your hands behind your back. “Now let's go lover boy, we can't keep your fans waiting.”

The art expo was boring at best. Rafayel dip, dodged, and evaded every single reporter while you stood off to the side, sipping on a complimentary alcoholic drink. You could've sworn you saw a familiar head of white hair before Rafayel waves a hand in front of your face. “I've been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes. Don't tell me you've been ignoring me.” He pouts, putting his hands on his hips.

“How could I ever ignore you? You make it so difficult to even try.” You laugh behind your wine glass and Rafayel plucks the glass from your hand, tilting his head back to down the rest of it. He sets the now empty glass on a metal tray as a waiter passes by and rests his hand on the wall behind you, effectively trapping you between him and the wall. “Can you ignore me now?” He asks, leaning his face a bit closer to yours and you hold back a smile as you look away, “I can sure as hell try if that's what you'd like but I don't think you want that.” You glance back at him and he's clearly flustered, not used to you flirting back with him.

“I think you've had too much to drink. It's late, let's get you home.” Rafayel turns to leave but you grab him by his shirt. “Are you scared?” You whisper, raising your left brow as you challenge him. He scoffs, still blushing as he retaliates, “Why would I be scared? Shouldn't you be worried that you'll be in so many news articles? Oh, I can see the headlines now! ‘World renowned artist Rafayel has a mysterious girlfriend’? ‘Artist beloved by millions has his own beloved? Who is she?’ Does any of that sound fun to you?”

“I can always say I'm drunk and you're just helping me out.” you muse, clicking your tongue. “And then the news article would be ‘World renowned artist helps a drunk woman home? Where did he go after, did he go back home or…’ “ you trail off, tilting your head to the side as Rafayel groans, “You really need to know when to stop, silly girl. We're leaving, now.”

Rafayel tugs you outside by your wrist as you laugh, your head smacking against his back as he suddenly stops walking. “What's wrong now, lover bo-” Rafayel suddenly turns around and pins you to a column. “There's reporters at six o'clock. Unless you want everyone knowing you were with me tonight, act like you're so drunk you passed out.”

“You're no fun.” You pout, but rest your head against his chest nonetheless. Your drooping eyes closed as you actually felt a bit sleepy now. “Are you going to carry me out?” You whisper, a smile in your voice before Rafayel sighs and grumbles, “Don't push your luck.” Though you suddenly find yourself being lifted into the air and you wrap your arms around his neck. “Jesus, you can't give me a warning?” You whisper-yell and Rafayel chuckles, “What drunk person needs a warning before being picked up? Now shh, you're supposed to be drunk off your ass right now.”

You pause your retort at hearing Rafayel curse. Now that you think about it…the boys never cursed in game. At least, not that you remember. Curses sound almost pretty coming from Rafayel's lips. You close your eyes once more and rest your forehead against his neck, your hair thankfully covering your face so if any pictures surface, no one would know it's you unless…it's someone who knows you well like Xavier or Zayne but those two never check social media so you doubt they'd find out.

A few cameras go off but for whatever reason, you don't see any more bright shutters behind your eyelids and you end up being lulled to sleep by Rafayel’s breathing and unusually fast heart rate.

The next few days go by rather quickly. You're either chasing after Rafayel and going to Twinkle Toys with him to play the claw machines, training with Xavier and actively fighting wanderers as you're back working at the Hunter's association, or what you're currently doing- which is heading to Snowcrest in the Arctic with Zayne since your grandma's letter said you'd find some answers there with someone called Doctor Noah.

Apparently, he's Zayne's mentor so that makes it even easier to find the man. As you get off the train with Zayne, you notice multiple hunters and check your watch. There must be some metaflux anomalies around the Arctic but that's not what you both were here for. Since today marks a week since you were discharged from the hospital, the wound on your right eye is healed enough to not cause you constant pain.

“You know where we're going right, Zayne?” You ask as you hook your index finger through his belt loop so as to not lose him in the crowd. “You know, if you wanted to hold my hand, you should've just asked.” Zayne takes your hand from his belt loop and instead holds it as he walks. “I-” you pout, ears slightly turning red, “I just didn't want you getting lost.”

“Me getting lost?” Zayne chuckles and shakes his head. “Sure, we'll go with that.”

You talk to a few locals and they point you in the direction of the sleds since that's the only way to get to Doctor Noah's home, which is higher up on the snowy mountain but not too far. “Have you driven one of these before?” You ask as he steps on first and motions for you to stand in front of him. “It's automated.” He tugs you over by your gun strap since you didn't move fast enough, one hand resting on your waist as he presses his chest into your back so he can set a destination on the small, touch pad screen.

“Is this safe?” You ask after a few moments of silence. Zayne presses the last button on screen and sighs, “Do you think I'd be using this if it wasn't safe?” The robotic dog begins to pull the sled and after about thirty minutes of the chilly ride, it finally stops. You're cold, of course shivering but that doesn't stop you from petting the robo dog, even if it doesn't react.

“Let's head inside, you're getting a bit too cold.” Zayne says, tugging at your hand as you both walk toward the cabin.

The information you learnt from Doctor Noah wasn't much of a surprise to you, who is already aware of this information but like always, you have to act as if this is all new and surprising. Like your grandma working for Onychinus, experimenting on children with aether cores, saving you- their most prominent test subject after the Chronorift Catastrophe of 2034, saving Caleb as well, her leaving Onychinus with us and putting that life behind her. Every trail leads to Onychinus being the one behind the explosion that killed grandma and Caleb but you didn't feel so sure about it. Sure, they could've been tying up loose ends by why do something so obvious when they would've just assassinated her and left you and Caleb alive? Maybe they wanted you to be isolated since they want your aether core?

Honestly, even with all of your knowledge about the game, you still didn't know everything. You definitely didn't get every single card, not wanting to spend all of your money in the mobile game, and the game wasn't completed- seeing as an update was scheduled a few months before you entered the game. The only information you had about the next love interest was that his name was Sylus, he was devastatingly attractive with his white hair and red eyes, and his evol was dark red. You would guess blood manipulation could be his evol but that's just speculation. Oh, you also know he is the leader of Onychinus, so if anyone would have answers, it's him. You came to the same conclusion as the one who came before you, the N109 Zone and Onychinus would be where your answers lie.

Though that's easier said than done. The N109 Zone was a lawless area, having taken the most damage during the Catastrophe fourteen years ago. No real plants grow there, it's mostly dark and gloomy, it seems to be the area with the most crime and poverty. It's where orphans and the homeless go…it's where big gangs like Onychinus can run free, an illegal protocore market, all kinds of underground stuff goes on there so honestly, you're a bit worried how you'll fare there. But you have to continue the story somehow.

Doctor Noah's snow white fox Pie hops into your lap as you sit on his porch, blowing out smoke from your lips as you pet the soft creature. Doctor Noah had said Pie got his name because he'd steal pies from people’s windowsills like he was in a cartoon and when the doctor saved the little fox, he ate even more pies. It's a cute reason for a name and it made you want a pet. Your apartment always felt lonesome, even if you saw the three guys every other day. When you were on your own, you felt the most suffocated as the constant reminder that this isn't your world pressed down against your chest. You weren't sure what to do, if you could act differently from the game and what changes it would bring if you did. You didn't want to act too differently and flip the whole story on its head and you not know what the next course of action was.

At least currently, you still know what's left until the end of chapter eight. You still have a month before you're sent into the unknown. A month before you'll allow yourself to spiral, panic, and act differently from the original main character.

You hear the chair next to you creaking as Zayne takes a seat. He stays silent, allowing you to stay lost in your thoughts before he taps your thigh. Pie nips at his finger and nuzzles back into your lap and you turn to look at Zayne. “Look, it's the aurora.” He smiles, jerking his head in the direction of the sky and honestly, that's exactly what you needed. You lean back in your chair, head tilted up as you look at the pretty lights in the sky that only appear in the arctic. “It's so beautiful.” You murmur, cold hands lightly petting Pie to stay warm.

“It is.” Is all Zayne says and you know he's looking at you without even having to see his face. You knew how the game went and you knew you'd have to stay the night in Snowcrest before heading back to Linkon tomorrow. Then, a few weeks after that, you'd be going on a mission with Rafayel.

Honestly, all you wanted to do was rest. Especially with everything that's soon to come.

Your eyes slowly drifting closed and your hand falls from Pie's soft fur. Your last thought as you fell asleep was that you wanted to bring Rafayel here to give him some inspiration.

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I hope no one minds double author's notes! To be honest, I'm losing my mind a little bit having to post this to three different sites but it's fun. Tumblr is by far the prettiest in terms of design though. Wattpad and AO3 are the bane of the existence but I don't mind posting to multiple platforms in case one story gets taken down. Then, I still have the copies! So, I guess, it's worth it in the end.

Hope you enjoyed this short chapter (I sound like a broken record) and I'm really hoping the next one is longer because I don't even remember...)

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rowretro · 1 year ago

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𝕄𝔼𝕋𝔸𝕃 𝕄𝔼𝔼𝕋𝕊 𝕃𝕆𝕍𝔼

✧taglist✧: @baevsxii @nikisdubblchococake

✧warnings: Yandere themes, toxic themes, unhealthy love, mentions of blood, a little goofy w won

♡synopsis: Nishimura Riki. The Robot created by Yang Jungwon himself, a robot that is insanely human like, inside and out. No one could tell he was a robot. However, the Robot had possessed demonly powers, from Satan himself. So I guess you could see it's a half robot. Yang y/n, the younger sister of Jungwon finds herself stuck to this robot 24/7 no matter what she tried, he will always be by her because she's his muse, his world, his love, his obsession.

(PART 2)

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Jungwon gasped seeing Riki carry inside the unconscious, somewhat bloodied body of his sister. "NI-KI BOT NO! HOW COULD YOU FUCKING KILL MY FUCKING SISTER?! HOW DO YOU CALL THIS LOVE?!!!" He exclaimed, mad as he searched for a weapon. "No no master Yang... she fainted. She saw me take the life of another human and fainted... nothing to worry about, I ran a body scan she was just stressed..." The robot male simply said as he softly laid her down.

Riki eyed her up and down, oh how peaceful she looked when sleeping. He cleaned himself up, taking a human shower. Even Jungwon was in utter shock seeing the robot act so human, not one bit effected by the water. Riki dried his hair as he glanced at Y/n. The girl still dressed in the bloodstained, sweaty clothes. Riki approached her unconscious figure. His hands making it's way to her shirt.

He slipped it off, Then her trousers, as he threw them in the laundry. "NI-KI bot. I need to run a test on- AH WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY SISTER... I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF A ROBOT IS ABLE TO MAKE A BABY, BBUT I KNOW MY SISTER CAN'T CARRY A CYBORG CREATURE INSIDE HER." Jungwon yelled as the robot ignored him, clean clothes at hand. "Do robots even have hormones?... hey I need to run a few tests on you so hurry up and don't hurt my sister." Jungwon warned.

The robot remained silent, carrying her to a very fancy, and wonderfully scented bath tub. "God fucksake what did I fucking create... who's the fucking mom- why does it have human parts-... did he steal someone's heart literally- what the fuck is fucking going on-" Jungwon mumbled to himself. Eventually, Y/n woke up. She was clean, dressed in one of her nightgowns and tucked into her bed comfortably. Maybe she was just having a nightmare?

The clothes in her laundry bag said otherwise. Y/n walked down the hallway and glanced into Jungwon's lab. Sitting there was Riki himself a few wires connected to him as Jungwon ran through a few things on a few computers. "It's fucking unbelievable... he's half Man half robot... practically- but that's impossible..." Jungwon mumbled as Y/n stood there, creeped out by the way Riki turned to her. "W-won... you're doing a really bad job as a brother... Either you're careless, irresponsible and shit at science, or you're so over protective to the point you wanted to make my future husband." Y/n said.

"Well... I don't know what you want me to do... if it was a robot completely- I can turn it off, dismantle it and melt it with acid or some shit..." Jungwon started as the robot turned it's head to Jungwon. "B-But- he's not just robot so I can't... a-also I think he's a great guy- he literally dressed you and didn't even hurt you or yknow... glaze your donut?" Jungwon added as y/n stared in shock, throwing her small teddy bear at him.

"OH MY GOD. BAD BROTHER BAD BAD BAD- FIRST YO U LET THAT MURDEROUS LAB RAT FREAK OF NATURE TOUCH ME AND YOU'RE LETTING HIM GET AWAY WITH THIS???" Y/n exclaims as Jungwon scratched his head. "Sis... I tried EVERYTHING. He's just impossible to get rid of trust me..." Jungwon added as Riki stared at him "HEY I'M TRYING TO SUPORT YOUR CASE HERE-" Jungwon yelled, raising his arms in defence.

"HIS CASE? HE IS MEANT TO BE JUST A HUMAN LOOKING LAPTOP." "OH MY GOD Y/N, NI-KI BOT LISTEN. I'M JUST TRYING TO CO EXSIST AND NOT GET MURDERRED. PLEASE." Jungwon finally yelled as y/n sighed. Riki got up when the wires were removed, his hand resting against the wall, his face leaning into hers. "So beautiful up close... Never seen something so beautiful, you can check my database for proof if u want." He simply said as Y/n rolled her eyes.

"You want to feel my kiss? boy you can't touch this." She simply said, her hand softly pushing his chest away. The robot found her cute, following her around everywhere, watching as she pours herself a glass of water, staring in the mirror, pouting and twirling her hair. Or even when she's just randomly working out, or making a snack. "Can you like stop staring?" she asked annoyed as he blinked. Riki then took a seat beside her. "Why don't you love me?" The robot asked as Y/n rolled her eyes. "NI-KI bot.... You're creepy, weird, a robot and in no world is it ever normal for a human to love a clunk of metal." She simply said.

"So you're saying, it isn't love because I can't shed blood for you?... It isn't love because when we kiss there won't be saliva?... Technology's improved darling... and My name is Riki do not call me NI-KI bot." He said, his voice going a whole octave deeper as he slit the skin on his arm, real blood dripping out the slit, the cut itself looking like a human's. "Now should we test with the kiss?" he asked his head tilted a little, as he stared intensely at her. "N-No NI-KI- I-I mean Riki.... you just stay here..." Y/n simply said as she ran off into her bedroom.

Y/n checked that he didn't follow her, and shut her room door. She made her way to her bedroom window, opening it as she looked down. The coast is clear. So she jumped, expecting to have a fairly painful landing that'll be less impactful by the bushes. However, her landing was a little softer. She found herself, staring directly into Riki's eyes as she was indeed in his arms. "Where we off to pretty baby?" The robot man asked, his eyes darkening as he carried her in.

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ficoandleo · 5 months ago

Note

👂

Send a 【👂】 to eavesdrop on my muse/oc(s)!

Then you will be able to overhear a conversation from that muse/oc's past, future, or just from now!

((I didn't actually reblog this one but it's fine lmao))

"Hey, Lulu! You're back late! What--what's the matter."

". . ." A shaky breath.

"Lulu? Did something happen at Fros--"

"I'm so stupid, Mimi." Romeo's voice wavered, small. "You're right. I'm naïve. I'm a fucking fool. I'm. . . ."

Romeo's shaking voice hiccuped a bit, and Taiga hurried over to pull him into his arms and route him to sit on his bed. His room was smaller back then, he wasn't Captain, but it was big enough for the both of them. Romeo hadn't been upset like this since they left Italy. Romeo didn't really cry over anything, ever. And he never called him 'Mimi' unless he really wanted something--or felt completely helpless. "Okay? Maybe. I mean maybe naïve, but not stupid. Why'd you think that?"

"Those fucking. . . ." The tone didn't reflect the biting words. "I should have known. It's not like I'm unfamiliar with high society. Right? I haven't been away from it that long. . . ."

A weak, shaky, wet laugh, or maybe just another breath failing to calm his rising pitch. "They were pretending. All this time, acting like we were friends. . . ."

That didn't seem the case from where Taiga stood. But Taiga rarely saw the Frostheim ghouls and captains away from Romeo or classes. He didn't really know what their relationships were. He didn't pry, either. Romeo seemed happy. That was all that mattered. "Wha--"

"Ishibashi transferred today. Did you know that?"

". . .Ishibashi?" A nod. "Vagastrom Ishibashi??" Another nod. "To Frostheim?"

"He must be up to. . .something, I don't know. Probably wants to leech off of that bastard Kamurai's money, who knows--he's always been so. . . ."

Tohma was a bit odd for certain--for all of his brutality and delinquency, he was oddly close to and even kind of well behaved when it came to the faculty and staff at Darkwick. They'd even started to trust him a little bit. Taiga would know, they called them both for intense missions they couldn't trust other ghouls now and then. Even so, Taiga had been around him. He couldn't imagine him in the castle with the rest of the 'knights.'

"And they just. . .let him. Barely any protest, barely any argument. . .just acting like he belonged there like we've never seen him in that little fight club of theirs. But they told me that I wouldn't fit in! That they wished it could be different but I didn't belong in Frostheim! But that brute, he belongs there!? With the wealthy and famous and politicians' kids--in high society!? That--that STL!?"

Taiga didn't bother to ask what the acronym meant. His sixth sense did it for him, cycling through what Romeo thought of Tohma before landing on the answer, Shady, Two-faced Leech. It definitely seemed fitting in this scenario.

Romeo laughed bitterly. "And you know why? Do you want to know why he belongs and I don't?" Romeo curled his legs up, resting his head on his knees to look sideways at his blurry partner. "I had to figure it out all by myself--because those. . .those uppity slugs wanted to have their fun with me. But I get it now.

"He made a big show of kneeling to show where he belonged and what he was. He says he's Kamurai's servant now. And I realized that's where the problem was." His laugh was as much a sob as it was devoid of humor. "Kamurai's always using 'kneel' as a command with his stigma. And I never did. Because I thought we were equals. But they didn't think that. And they saw that I wouldn't kneel for them and that's when they decided.

"They were just amusing themselves with me. Playing along because it was funny for them to see me thinking I was like them. Kamurai, Kusanagi, even Ishibashi, they must have thought I looked so stupid--" Romeo can't stop himself from crying outright anymore. Taiga pulls his head close to his chest stiffly, but hugging him firmly, stroking his back and kissing his hair. Trying to restrain icy fury. "A hopeless, worthless little charity case. Some cute, begging stray who lost everything he had--and it's so, so funny that he'd think he still belongs with anyone who matters!"

Romeo lost his running train of words to the tunnel of his own crying, clinging on to Taiga aho squeezed him and rocked him, giving him words of reassurance. He felt betrayed. And childish. And broken-hearted. And stupid. So, so, so stupid. Why couldn't he tell before? Why hadn't it crossed his mind before? The general students whispered when they saw him, they all looked at him like he was pitiable and diseased. Why wouldn't the ghouls? Why wouldn't the captains?

Taiga was practically all he had when he left home. Taiga was all he had now, too, it felt like.

"And I wasn't sure at first. . .I thought maybe I was reading into it too much. But Kusanagi. . .Nagi just said I should have been honored that Jin was giving me so much attention. That most people in my condition would be. Excited that Jin wanted to be my sugar daddy." The concept didn't disgust him, but the image of pity and reliance that came with it did. "That I should just go with the flow. Not worry about it. Keep accepting gifts, let him have his way to let him give me a leg up, or what-the-fuck-ever. . . .

"He just wants me reliant! Like a pet! Like--" A choked sound left him. "They told me that the general students were talking about us. That they wouldn't whisper as much if not for you. And I didn't think about it at the time but I think they wanted to separate us. So that it would be easier to. Control me or something. Or they wanted to see if I'd abandon you so they'd approve of me more. But I know how high society works, I know that when you're relying on someone else and you don't have anything to fall back on you're the first person to get dropped when things get shaky. And I. I'd never leave you. Of course not."

Romeo claws at Taiga's back as if trying to make sure he didn't go anywhere. He got a kiss for his troubles, a long one on the lips. Then to kiss and lap away his still-falling tears. He was listening but he knew if he opened his mouth it wouldn't have anything nice to say. He dug his own nails into Romeo just as reassuringly, grounding.

"So I left. I told Kamurai I wasn't going to kneel for him. I told them I wasn't going to be a pet or a servant and I wouldn't let them look down on me anymore--because I'm Romeo Scorpius Lucci and I'm above any of that. And I'm above them." He sobbed and squeaked again, insisting and reassuring to himself. "And I'm not going back! Ever! I hate them--all of them! The ghouls, the captains, the general students, their fucking advisor! Every single one! And Isami's not off the hook for bailing, either! They really think they're so. . .they treat me like I'm. . . ."

"Alright." Taiga stroked down Romeo's back as he went back into crying. That seemed to be the end of the tale. "You want me to take care of it? I can do it. I will do it."

"Hoshi. . . ."

"I got a plan, too!" Taiga laughed, hugging Romeo and kissing his forehead before stepping away, Romeo releasing him reluctantly. "I mean all those rich guys they're in such good health, right? 'cept their lungs, I guess--but I bet I could get a fortune off of the gen students' organs, right? Market that shit as upscale, designer--didn't we watch some musical about that once?"

As Taiga chatted, planning on cheering Romeo up with his ferocity, he flit about the room, retrieving a knife. A few knives. The tools he used for aforementioned organ harvesting. A bag big enough to hold them. And he dumped them in. Romeo hiccuped and sniffled, watching him with some amusement. "We did. . .it wasn't very good. . . ."

"Yeah, but this'll be good." Taiga insisted, the cruel dullness of his voice still managing to sound chipper. He fetched a pistol, and Romeo wasn't in the mood to scold him for the unsafe way he waved it around. "I'll go blasting in there and the cold'll keep everything fresh for me. Maybe take some alive, put 'em to work? Feed 'em to that big toothy hole we saw in the desert? Or hostage negotiation with their rich ass families? I bet won't even have to rough 'em up before the cash starts coming in--"

Taiga began to expound on the ways he'd kill and torture the Frostheimers and what he'd do with their (living or dead) bodies to make them suffer for hurting Romeo, gathering the tools to do so from around his room and showing them off to Romeo as proof with his explanations before he stuffed and dropped them into a bag. First the general students. Then the vice captain. Then the captain. Should he go to Mortkranken and get Isami too? Have him help with some alleged medical prowess or lose his life too? Then Ishibashi, Kusanagi, and finally how he would brutalize and torture Jin Kamurai just for Romeo, just for his tears.

And as the dark and unhinged brutality went on and on Romeo smiled. And laughed. And eventually he wasn't crying anymore at all, only giggling and laughing and taking shaky breaths, undisturbed by the disturbing ideas. It wouldn't have been the appropriate time before for Taiga to say how beautiful he looked with tears running down his face, how pretty his eyes were when they were wet and shiny, how excited he felt seeing his hair a little messed, his flushed face and shaking lips and shoulders and hearing his choked breaths. How even when he was a miserable mess he was the most beautiful thing in the world. Maybe he would tell him later. But he was beautiful now too, the dried tear trails down his face, his cheeks and nose still red from crying and exertion, but now from joy and laughter, his smile bright but just a bit crude with schadenfreude. His amethyst eyes were still wet with some tears, but now much of the leaking was breathlessness and mirth.

"That's what I wanna do for you. That's what I'm gonna do for you. No matter what the Institute does to me after, I don't care. You're worth so much more than them, Lulu. You're amazing. You're beautiful. You're way more than they deserve. I'm gonna kill them for lookin' down on you like that. Promise I'll get every last one."

"Thank you, Hoshi. . . ." Romeo managed, smiling up at him from where he came close again to squeeze him and kiss his forehead. "But. That's not what I want. That's not how I want to win."

"But Lulu. . . ."

"I know. You packed your bag and everything. . . ." He held Taiga's face, holding their foreheads together, sharing their shaking breaths. "But I'm going to do it myself. I'm going to do this my way.

"They want to treat me like a leper, like they'll lose their businesses from exposure to me, they see me as less than them while still wearing my family name to parties and events. . .I'll show them. I'll show them how successful I can be even on my own, without my family. . .I'll be so wealthy, so influential again, they'll be begging for my attention and approval, like I don't remember every single one of them who slighted me. . .they'll invite me to their parties, they'll invite me to their balls, they'll want to sell me their fucking daughters in marriage, and I'll refuse every single one because they'll be so far beneath me any profits from them would be trivial. I'll put those. Slugs beneath my feet where they belong. I'll fucking show them. . .I can do this my way, Hoshi. I will do this my way, without their handouts, without their 'support,' without them, unless I'm flat out stealing from them."

". . .Sounds good." Less exciting than Taiga's way, but it grounded him. "Won't kill 'em then. Without another good reason. Promise. And I'll be here every step of the way. You don't need them. You've got me."

"I know." Any more tears and shaky sounds were happiness. Reassurance. Although Taiga heard the uncertainty in them. Nonetheless, Romeo's embrace was strong and firm as his convictions. "I've always had you. Ever since I met you, you've been mine. . . ."

"Love you too, Lulu." The tight hug was added onto with a kiss that quickly turned deep, with gripping, wandering hands. Taiga gasped into Romeo's mouth. "Lemme show you how much better I know you than those cold bastards. . .wanna show you how much you're worth, how much I love you, everything they're missing out on. . .lemme show you how little you need them. I'll show you how good our little home is."

#life before darkwick: romeo #((except it's in darkwick it's just. before the present.))#((THIS GOT LONGER THAN IT WAS MEANT TO BE WHOOPS))#answers #ask-jin-kamurai #romeo scorpius lucci #romeo lucci #taiga hoshibami #taiga x romeo #((this isn't as good as i was envisioning for this scene but you get the gist of what happened lol. . . .))#((i tried to make it like. only stuff you could hear at first which probably contributes to the poor quality))#((but then i ended up throwing more actions in lol)k

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orange-demons-deactivated2024 · 1 year ago

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Ed boy,,, eddy boy, he needs some tender softness in his life he's been through so much rough stuff and the thought of him having a moment to rest for a bit while reader goes "if something comes for you, I'm here to protect you" just jajfjakshdk this poor boy needs a warm hug and some proper sleep

speaking about warm hugs and proper sleep...

"1800810" you mumbled, tracing the raised ink on his shoulder.

You lay tangled in the sheets, with the moon being the only source of light in the cheap motel room.

"Does it mean anything?" you asked, snaking your arms around his.

"Yeah, it means mind your business and go back to sleep." he said pushing his hair back with his free hand, which gave you the perfect view of his sunken eyes and dark bags.

"Liar. You're just waiting til I fall asleep so you can leave." you mused, leaning closer to him. "Wanna try that again?"

Ed knew you wouldn't settle on anything less than the truth, but he'd still run circles around you until you dropped it. It worked in the past, and he would continue to use it against you.

But you were oddly persistent today.

You're calling his bluff on every excuse he gave you, and you weren't taking his half-ass lies with a grain of salt anymore.

You're becoming restless. "Then you should be used to this, already. It's not like we were ever official, or anything."

"You wound me, Eddie." you said pulling a fake frown. "I care about you, you know."

"Right." He muttered, burrowing his eyes into you. You should've been nothing more than a fling to help him get his mind off his reoccurring night terrors.

And of course, like an idiot, he got close to you too.

Damn this arrangement.

Ed sat up, his muscles tensing as he shifted away from your embrace, but you only tightened your grip around him. And you pulled yourself up with the sheets pooling around your waist.

"Hey, why are you in such a hurry to leave? I missed you." You said resting your cheek against his arm. "We barely even talked last time you were here and you don't pick up my phone calls when you're away."

Shit. This is exactly why he wanted to avoid you when coming back to Metro City because he knew you would start asking questions.

His plan was to wait until you fell asleep to make his escape, but it doesn't seem like you'll be letting up on him anytime soon.

"Is something after you?"

"Stop." He tensed at your question.

"Stop what?" You asked confused.

"Doing that...acting like you care and shit." Ed muttered under his breath, frustration evident in his voice.

"But I do." You said, unraveling yourself from him.

"And why would you? It's not like I'll stick around long enough to put you in any type of danger." He entertained the idea of staying, of succumbing to the intoxicating pull of your presence. But the looming danger of what's to come occupied his mind.

"Because if something does come for you, I'll be here to protect you." You intertwined your fingers with his.

"You? Protecting me? What a joke." Ed scoffed, snatching his hand away from yours.

"I'm serious, I don't know what you're so afraid of tha-"

"I'm not afraid of anything." He cut you off. "and I don't need you whining in my ear all the time and all that other crap."

His words hit you like a punch to the gut. He's still trying to push you away despite all that you've been through.

"Look," he said. "I can't promise your safety in the future." His reluctance to involve you in his troubles probably stems from a desire to protect you. In his mind, keeping you at arm's length is another way of shielding you from danger.

"You don't need to, I can handle myself."

"Yeah, I know you can." Ed huffed, closing his eyes. He leaned into the bedframe, feeling the oncoming headache. Your insistence on being involved with him despite the risks, challenges his perception of you.

Forcing him to confront that maybe you're stronger than he gave you credit for.

You wanted to keep the conversation going, but it doesn't seem like he's willing to talk to you anymore. Months of getting to know the man you met at the Metro Station and countless dates, went down the drain. You try to shake off the disappointment, though the ache in your chest refuses to fade.

You hoped for something more to come out of this, but now it feels like it was all just a cruel illusion, with him disappearing in the masses.

"Fine, then go. You don't need me holding you back." your voice rumbled in the room's silence. If he didn't want to stay, why should you force him? "But I really hope you know, no matter what. I'll always want to be here with you."

You turned away from him, pulling the covers over your bare body.

Maybe in another life, he would've cared about you as much as you did. One where he's honest with the way he feels, instead of throwing it in your face. And one where he sees you more than someone who can warm his bed on lonely nights.

When you woke up to the morning rays hitting your face, Ed was nowhere in sight. You reached out expecting to feel his warmth, only to meet nothing. The sheets were crumpled and his side of the bed was empty.

So he did leave after all.

You sighed, turning to the nightstand to check the time. You felt something odd graze your finger, so you pushed yourself up, finding a sticky note on your phone.

"If you're serious about what you said, meet me at the subway station by 12pm. Hurry up, and don't keep me waiting."

Smiling to yourself, you threw on your clothes and gathered the rest of your scattered items around the room.

You gave one last look at the bed you and Ed shared, before closing this chapter in your life.

stuck next to you - tiishe

#street fighter x reader #ed x reader #ed x avatar #sf6 x reader #sf x reader #street fighter 6 x reader #street fighter ed #ed headcannons #street fighter #street fighter 6

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jikookuntold · 9 months ago

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Didn't Jimin told he don't even remember the last time he had a crush ? Doesn't that mean he not even have a crush to write about love let alone a relationship. So why we are saying Jikook are couple when Jimin is saying he doesnt know the feeling of love and wish to find a gf in future ?

Oh you are back! Nice. Yesterday, only one minute before the release of Muse, I got the notif for your longass question about how Jimin has ended his shippers and he is looking for the mother of his children because of what was written in the Muse promotion articles. But since I was excited about Jimin's comeback and in hurry to check YT stream, I accidentally deleted your ask. I guess we have different priorities after all.

Now you came back claiming Jimin, a beautiful, rich, social butterfly in his late 20s, is single, never been in love, and probably a virgin because he said he can't remember the last time he had a crush, and Namjoon with several tracks about his ex-lovers also relates to him, so the whole BTS boys are a bunch of virgin adults secluded from society.

That's it, you got your answer, have a nice day 👍

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danwhobrowses · 11 months ago

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One Piece Chapter 1115 - Initial Thoughts

And we are back from another break

Another sneaky upload while I was coming home from work by TCB, plus other business has delayed me a bit, but now we can get to it

Secrets are pouring out, Joy Boy the pirate

Tell us more, Vegapunk

Spoilers for the Chapter, Support the Official Release too

Back with the Yamato cover story, packing a lunch with Toko and Hiyori

And we're sticking with Wano since even they have the broadcast

They have the flag up as well, Straw Hat territory

Seems they had a Den Den Mushi in Orochi's possessions

Momo muses about Joy Boy being a pirate, having learned about him from Oden's journal

Tama's still there enjoying food too, seems like she lives in the palace now

Shinobu though hasn't 'matured' to her usual look, still looks younger

G4 Base?

Oh fucking...really? XD Demaro Black doesn't miss a hustle

Fake Kid Pirates mein godt hahahaha give it up lad

I mean why would you want to pose as someone who's worth 3 billion? You know how many would kill for 3 billion?

The navy at Egghead are also listening intently to his broadcast, as Vegapunk goes deeper into Joy Boy's past

He's only able to cover from a few Poneglyphs he's had access to (likely the ones Ohara had) but as we expected, a great war occurred; Joy Boy vs the future World Government

Dude was THIS CLOSE to the 'wait, are we the baddies?' moment

Warcury is not happy, as he still chases Luffy and the giants through fire

Mars is pissed too, using his Conqueror's Haki to destroy as many Den Den Mushi as he can find

Vegapunk continues though; of course the WG were just known as the 'Allied Powers' a coalition of 20 kingdoms against Joy Boy's faction - which in itself is a frightening display of Joy Boy's strength, even the superpowers of today could be taken down by a couple countries united, but 20? It took 20!

Alas, Vegapunk doesn't know why the nations were in conflict, just that it was a clash of ideologies, likely control vs freedom, but he chooses not to judge the morality

Zunesha is pensive, as the broadcast emits through Zou

CARROT! We missed you dearie, she's got a fancy Duke coat but she should be in Egghead with the crew ¬_¬

Still, she marvels at Vegapunk noting how Joy Boy's kingdom was advanced beyond even modern science

Oh lord, it isn't just Demaro Black we're bringing up for joke cameos, I know that laugh, I know that headpiece!

Mother Fucking Foxy XD What is that tache man?

Seems it's just him, Porche and Hamburg sailing on a little boat, bandaged up and getting the rumblies

We go back to Stussy, who is contacted by Edison as Kaku lounges in the bubble still

Edison encourages Stussy to drop the barrier, it's useless since the Gorosei could just break through

Feels like you could've called her before diving through the barrier and nearly killing yourself bud

Saturn's also using haki to destroy the Den Den Mushi

Edison puts his confidence in the Straw Hats though

Nami contacts Jinbe, still carrying Zoro - who takes umbrage with him apologizing, since he was busy dealing with Lucci

Nami notices that the blockade is moving to their escape route, encouraging they hurry in her own way

Back to Stussy, she shows relief that the Straw Hats are likely to escape, but without Vegapunk, she wonders what remains for her, she has no purpose

Something Kaku seems pensive about, perhaps even sympathetic, since he can't suggest to her the zoo

Back to V. Nusjuro and Bonney kicks at the Gorosei as he seems to cut Oimo

Not a good landing for Sanji either

Seems V. Nusjuro's not paying full attention to the fight either, trying to use his Observation Haki to sense where the broadcast snail is

Still, he breaks free and slices at Bonney, only for her to be saved by Franky

The slash cuts the figurehead of the giant's ship, better that than Bonney's head, but now she's tuckered out since Distorted Future takes up stamina

As V. Nusjuro leaves the battle and we pan to Zunesha and the Iron Giant we confirm that the void century ended with Joy Boy's defeat

It's not the biggest revelation since the WG rule the world after all, but it also puts further context into all the regrets with Joy Boy and his comrades we have read about in the past

To limit the amount of life signs on the island, V. Nusjuro takes more drastic action, cutting the entire Labophase in half

This causes the CP agents and the bubbled Seraphim to fall to the Fabriophase below

As the Gorosei let gravity try to take those who swore loyalty to them, Vegapunk makes the latest revelation

Sea travel is perilous around the world, it's common knowledge, but a millenia ago it was not; the ancient world, the civilizations that existed in the void century, it's all underwater - they built on top of the ancient world

Also I gotta point out there's some absolutely stunning visual panels in this chapter

Koushiro and the Revolutionary Army also react to the broadcast, only he, Sabo and Dragon appear pensive

Coco Village!? Gen san how you doing! And Nojiko! Still preferred the short hair but she don't care about no global warming she has tangerines to look after XD

Vegapunk continues; before there were vast continents, which'd explain why so few would go out to sea beforehand, and with all of the evidence underwater it explains how the WG can erase a century of history, but it goes deeper - figuratively and literally

Since the void century, the sea has rose 200 METERS!

That's over 600ft; the size of the United Tower, bigger than the Great pyramid of Giza, and that's all Water Level

Naturally, the listeners - the navy - are floored by this revelation, since a Warship is only 60m, but other soldiers tell them to stop listening

There's at least some sense of loyalty - or preservation of cost - for the marines to try and 'rescue' the CP agents and Seraphim from gravity-induced splatter, a la one of their world leaders

Alas Mock Town must mock, there is one among the crowd who isn't laughing though, another one seems to have ignored gravity

Sakura kingdom - mainly Dalton - reflects on the revelation, with Kureha mulling how things continue to get interesting

Oh hey, Miss Goldenweek! Passing by as the island uses a mountain to compare the height

At Water Seven (given the Galley La jacket) Vegapunk discusses how such a thing can occur, and reveals it to have been man-made

Morgans is livid about all this BIG ASS NEWS, having to be shushed by Vivi

Vegapunk continues to show his work; there were no signs, no studies, no science to confirm a natural build up, and if it was natural it would've been made known as a world-altering event

He hints at the use of the Mother Flame, confirming his suspicions

The Gorosei - except Ju Peter, wormy is not getting a lot of love from Oda atm - look furious as Vegapunk continues to note that the sea level rises were caused by the ancient weapons

Those weapons remain dormant, waiting to be used again

And as we pan over to Imu Vegapunk reveals something both horrifying and sobering at the same time: The War Is Not Over

Every island was once a mountain

But time didn't have the influence it should have, Oda has been getting biblical with this lore drop by giving us the common religious theme of The Deluge. Flood myths exist in many religious stories and mythology (which I will keep separate to not ruffle feathers), most common because of Christianity is the flood in the Book of Genesis, which we've already touched upon in One Piece given Noah's Ark. Since we tread nearer to Elbaf it's worth noting that a flood as a role in Ragnarok also;

"the sun becomes black and the earth sinks into the sea, the stars vanish, steam rises and flames touch the heavens."

Once more this was a chapter where Vegapunk's broadcast takes more priority over the things we're seeing, but there are some stunning panels to enhance the revelations, we see also the Gorosei flaunting their haki showing the level they are while the monster trio remain incapacitated or indisposed. I'm at least proud of Franky coming in for some more rescue clutch action, but with Stussy I'm less convinced now that she'll be killed by Lucci, Kaku's silence is loud and maybe, just maybe, they can all see this as a way out. The CP agents are likely not to survive the fall, the Seraphim will and probably will live to fight the Straw Hats under orders of the Gorosei or York, they will likely be used more since the Pacifista are compromised. As for the revelations, a mix of stuff we assumed being confirmed and stuff that theorists have pondered and been vindicated, it's all underwater, which explains the walls in Wano, why Zou is on Zunesha's back (sidebar, how fucking long are Zunesha's legs? like it's gotta be 200m+ submerged alone), and why Water Seven's ruins run so deep.

Still, I enjoyed all the cameos, appreciated seeing Carrot again, and a Vivi cameo is always nice, plus I had to laugh with Demaro Black and Foxy, like who's next? Kuro? Morgan? Krieg? Arlong? Enel?? We have to get to Buggy and the Cross Guild at one point ofc, plus this could be an avenue to reveal the status of Perona, Moria, Weevil, etc.

but outside of that, little progress from the Straw Hats and the incident unfolding in Egghead right now, but given the revelations Vegapunk is giving the Straw Hats time, the Gorosei aren't focusing on them, they're looking for the broadcast snail - and I don't think it's even on the island.

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liangxinn · 8 months ago

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a little MW x mignon AU

Found this year-old AU collecting dust at the bottom of my drafts and decided to send it out into the world! I must have started it immediately after I finished Mignon. I just can't resist the pull of eager puppy x aloof cat combo ¯\_(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)_/¯ I remember falling in love with the atmosphere, that gritty city bathed in red light, and wanting to explore the dynamic of Youngwon and Mignon's early relationship. You can find 1.3k of an opening scene below ^^

Mingyu's teeth are sharper than Wonwoo's own.

It's hard to ignore them when he's always flashing that huge grin of his as he pokes his head through the infirmary door. As if there's anything to smile about in this hellhole. But here he is again, smiling like a fool while Wonwoo patches up a cut on his forehead. It's not an injury from a fight, but the result of his clumsy nature. Smacked his head on the garage door at the mechanic's, supposedly, and he was a bit careless and reopened the wound.

The points of Mingyu's canines dig into his plush lower lip ever so slightly. Wonwoo's eyes flicker downwards, and he forces them back up. Mingyu's grin grows just a touch wider.

Try as he might, Wonwoo can't bring himself to hate the sight. It's what a kid like Mingyu should be doing, going to university and charming countless new friends into his pocket with his good looks. He shouldn't be stuck here getting roughed up on the regular just for some cash that'll be burned up by the weekend. Especially not when the majority of his modest earnings goes straight into the wallet of that piss-poor excuse for a man Mingyu calls his coach.

There's an earnestness in his deep brown eyes that the ring hasn't beaten out of him yet. Truth be told, Wonwoo doesn't want to see the day when Mingyu's toothy grin vanishes for good, which is why he tells Mingyu the same thing night after night:

"When are you going to find yourself a proper job and get the hell out of here?"

And flippant as ever, Mingyu will shoot back his usual response, "This is all I'm good for, ssaem."

The worst part is that he says it like he believes it. Heavens, would Wonwoo love to track down the bastard who taught him such complete bullshit.

Mingyu's a smart boy. Probably had a promising future before he got tangled up in all of this, though he's somewhat notorious for being tight-lipped about his past. He'd dropped by the infirmary one night just to quietly pore over a book in the corner. When Wonwoo succumbed to his curiosity and asked what he was reading, Mingyu showed him the cover of a second-hand anatomy textbook.

"I have a lot to catch up on," he'd said with a shy smile, "y'know, since I never finished high school and all. I was thinking it would be nice to go to university someday... ah, but that'll probably never happen."

If Wonwoo actually had some semblance of a spine, he would have agreed and told Mingyu to abandon that fruitless dream. But he couldn't bear to be so cruel as to rub salt into the wound when Mingyu already thought so lowly of his future, nor could he lie and offer up some nice words of empty optimism. In the end, all he did was ruffle Mingyu's hair in a rare gesture of affection.

The sound of Mingyu's voice calling for him drags Wonwoo away from his musings and back into the moment.

"Ssaem," Mingyu says lowly, breathlessly. His canines are still out on proud display, and Wonwoo can see the mole on the tip of his nose. How did Wonwoo fail to notice him getting this close? "Your eyes are so pretty. Have I ever told you that?"

Damn it all, Wonwoo thinks as he feels his ears growing warm.

"You must have hit your head too hard," he dismisses with a scoff, rolling his chair backwards and standing up to go to the sink. "You're all done. Now get out already."

Mingyu makes a noise of protest, most likely pouting, but there's a yell of his name from outside. It's that loud-mouthed coach of his, screaming at him to hurry up and get ready. Wonwoo really wishes the man would shut the fuck up for just one night.

Left with no choice, Mingyu bids Wonwoo goodbye in a rather dejected tone and slips out of the infirmary. He's one of the few people at the club who have the courtesy to close the door gently on his way out. He didn't get a chance to wish him good luck, Wonwoo realises with a sigh. Not that Mingyu will need it with the state of his current performance.

As Wonwoo reaches to turn the tap on, he catches sight of Mingyu's blood streaked against the side of his index finger. It's already tacky, half-dried and flaking on his skin. He inspects it idly while the water runs on and on, splattering against the basin.

Against his better judgement, Wonwoo brings his hand to his mouth and licks it clean. The rich taste of metal coats his tongue.

Mingyu loses the fight.

Wonwoo knows this not because he saw the match, nor did he hear the gossip circulating amongst the club's patrons. No, he knows because Mingyu flinches hard when Wonwoo places a light hand on his shoulder the next day.

Mingyu tries to put on a brave face, but he falters almost immediately beneath Wonwoo's gaze. Without a single word, he grabs the back of his collar and pulls his shirt over his head, then turns around. Even though Wonwoo knows what's coming, the sight still fills him with silent rage.

Bruises lash across Mingyu's back in long, red-purple stripes. It's a miracle the blows hadn't broken through skin. Wonwoo brushes his fingertips ever so slightly against one of the mottled bruises, and even that barely-there touch makes Mingyu's muscles tense up. It can't possibly be that he can no longer distinguish between a hand that holds no ill intent and one that means to hurt him.

"Why do you stay?" Wonwoo asks, no louder than a whisper.

"Coach didn't really hit me that hard. It looks worse than it is," Mingyu jumps to the defensive far too quickly for Wonwoo's liking. "I mean, he still gives me a roof over my head and he feeds me plenty, so... it's fine. It's 'cause I lost, anyway."

"Mingyu."

At the sound of his name, Mingyu peers over his shoulder. The corner of his mouth twitches up into a grin. He says, teasing, "Aw, you worried about me, ssaem?"

Yes. I am. I'm worried that living like this is going to tear you apart limb from limb. I'm worried that no matter how much I tend to your wounds, I won't be able to mend your broken spirit. I'm worried that someday, they'll push you beyond your limits and you'll just burn yourself and everything around you up like a supernova.

Wonwoo doesn't say any of these things. He stares at the tiles and forces himself to take a deep breath through his nose. Exhale. Once more.

"I'm going to have a word with your coach. How does he expect you to perform when he's already beaten you half to death?"

Mingyu snorts as he tugs his shirt back on, "I don't think Coach was worried about that at the time. Don't trouble yourself, ssaem. I can handle it."

Then, in a move so bold it shocks Wonwoo into total silence, Mingyu reaches out to trace a knuckle down Wonwoo's cheek and tips his chin up so their gazes catch and hold. Mingyu's eyes are gentle, and his smile has lost its sly edge. He looks so heartachingly young.

"Thanks for caring about me," he says softly before stepping back and leaving the infirmary just like that.

Late into the night, Mingyu's touch lingers like a phantom. The mere thought brings warmth to Wonwoo's cheeks as he prepares to lock up before sunrise, stopping at the spot where Mingyu had stood in front of him hours earlier. Not even a chilled bag of blood can quell the heat.

Wonwoo can feel his affection for Mingyu growing teeth and eyes and limbs, morphing into a creature of his own making and feeding upon the tender parts of his heart.

He would do well to kill it now before it has a chance to fester within him.

#yan writes #long post #minwon #snippets

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green-eyed-prophet · 6 months ago

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tag dump!

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lirotation · 2 years ago

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I Hail From Silverymoon: Innocent Cruelty

POV my little fanfiction: Gale, Amaara Ashvale(my wizard Tav) friendship. Mentioned Astarion X Amaara

Amaara sat across from Gale as they exchanged spellbooks, but her mind was clearly elsewhere. Gale pointed out an obscure rune, but got no response. He glanced up to see Amaara gazing dreamily at Astarion nearby.

"Faerûn to Amaara, " Gale teased, "Is anybody home?"

Still no response.

"He is that good huh?"

This time the question registered, "Yes...he is." She responded absentmindedly. With that, she was startled to reality. "Oh, I am sorry. Where were we? Arcane cultivation elixir?"

Gale chuckled. "Obviously your thoughts lie elsewhere tonight. We'll resume another time." He proceeded to put his spellbook away and took out his leisure reading. After a couple pages, he looked up and saw Amaara still here, eyeing him hesitantly.

"Can I help you with something?" He asked.

"Yes...''Then a long pause. "can you teach me some, well, techniques, for, umm, intercourse?'' Amaara finally asked, stumbling on the words to make it sound as clinical as possible, "I am sorry! But I don't really have anyone else to ask."

She was engulfed in embarrassment. There was no one really that she could talk to about this. Can you imagine having a girl talk with Lae'zel? Shadowheart may have experiences, but she forgot most of them. Talking to Karlach? No that would just be cruel, and Wyll is way too righteous for this kind of conversation. In the end, Gale was the only person she could turn to for such a conversation, as awkward as it might be.

"I..."Gale gave Amaara a look so complex that Amaara can't even decipher the meaning of it. Then Gale signed in defeat, "as a matter of fact, I can." He handed her a book and waved her away. "Just go read this. Now stop pestering me."

Amaara's whole face lit up. "Thank you Gale!" She hurried back to her tent, clutching the book eagerly.

As Gale watched her go, loneliness knotted his heart. Her transparent affection for Astarion made his own unspoken feelings a pointless longing.

Perhaps it was for the best, he mused dejectedly. The orb in his chest made any real future unlikely. But it still hurt to give advice to the woman he started to really care for on how to please another man. With a heavy sigh, he returned to his book and the solitude of unrequited pining.

#bg3 fanart #baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 fanart #bg3 gale #gale dekarios #gale fanart #bg3 fanfiction #Amaara Ashvale #I Hail From Silverymoon #clip studio paint #I like gale a lot #He is perfect for Amaara in so many ways #but matters of the heart rarely followed a “right” path #baldurs gate 3

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odysseywritings · 1 year ago

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Space Country

Lobo Rivera found another body in the chilled sunset. He hopped off his horse and kept a safe distance from the corpse, skinned cleanly and revealing the blackened muscles shining like a jewel. His partner, Muriel Douglas, sketched the body on paper despite her sadness of imagining how this victim must have went.

"I just don't get it," Lobo mused. "This ain't a normal flaying. Even doctors can't make a body shine like the night sky."

"I know you might not believe me," Muriel sighed, "but swear to God, I saw something the other night that shook my soul."

Lobo rested by his horse and listened while he looked at the ground and Muriel watched the stars without blinking.

"I saw the Big Dipper and saw a star that wasn't supposed to be there. I looked away and got some water thinking I was out of it. But I came back and, sure as rain, it was there. It looked a tad green, too. Wasn't doing nothing for a while but then it just dropped. Plunk! Straighter than an arrow."

"Can't say I believe it. But it's no stranger than this, so hell if I know. It's getting late, Ms. Douglas. I'll ride you off home while I finish up."

"Please hurry before nightfall. There's worse things out here 'sides coyotes and scorpions."

He grinned and helped her up the horse before riding to her cabin. He waved after dropping her off and rode out to the earlier trail. The beautiful cascade of far-off worlds and constellations surroubded him and gave him comfort in this perilous land. Lobo couldn't hear the usual varmints, however, and the desert winds vanished soon after. Only the clopping of his horse was the only sound until he heard a ringing. First he thought it was the normal tinnitus from years of gun firing, but it whirled around his head, twisting and turning like a horrible song. Looking around he saw nothing, and there was a black gap where the Big Dipper's stars used to be.

He stopped to find where the body was but nothing was there. No dragging trail, no footsteps or horse tracks. Lobo looked around until he peered above. The black gap showed more shape like a perfect sphere with a green glow. Lobo couldn't look away, mesmerized by the ringing, awed by the flying object, like an angel bringing him to Heaven. The light wave coalesced into a thin beam into his eyes and he could see the past and future at once through lenses. His screaming birth as a child and his death as a screaming senior tied to a white room surrounded by moving black roots entering his ribs. This wasn't Heaven but he could not break free. A sudden jolt to his horse made it free and whisked him away from the light.

He shook himself alert and galloped off to the mountains and hid underneath curved formations until it would end. If it would ever end. Time felt alien, like seconds and then minutes, hours and then seconds again. He tried to calm his heart and horse as both sputtered in fear. He prayed to God, the Great Spirit, anything to see him escape this nightmare. Time lapsed as his vision blurred, but he heard the ringing vanish over time. He didn't move outside this natural shelter and slept with one eye open until sunrise. The longest night in his life, chilled and afraid.

He wobbled out of his fake rest, but he was alive and well, and so was his horse. Lobo peered past the rocks to find the strange demon but only the relentless sun was above. The two rode out again and he found the place where the body was laid. In its place was a symbol etched in the earth. Its meaning lost to him, he could only base it on what he knew and guessed.

A web of diamonds around a sphere.

#western #sci fi #ufo #creative fiction #original fiction #mywriting #njm

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quicksilver87 · 1 year ago

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Winter Walk

Long walks in winter on sunny warm days,

really clear up what on my mind weighs,

camera round the neck, music in ears,

capturing photos my heart just cheers,

music is flowing, steering lost thoughts,

picking up clutter, untying the knots,

time freezes on moments of beautiful views,

remembering you my beautiful muse,

melodies playing keep helping me find,

the truth that our love is one of a kind,

i don't want to feel down, life is too short,

playing love games, i hate this sport,

if you don't want me i do understand,

still hope you'll accept my reaching hand,

i don't wanna hurry and scare you away,

its the time for our song, just press play,

i am not waiting where our road split,

i ran ahead where again it will meet,

pick up your step, catch up to me,

sort out the thoughts and you will see,

future of happiness, love and respect,

the one in the past we did once expect,

but don't turn around, don't look way back,

just look ahead, please cut us some slack,

we blundered off road with some wrong turns,

but you can't deny our fire still burns,

so bright and strong, flames reaching high,

join me at crossroads, adventure is nigh.

#love #my muse #soulmate #time #missing #future #hope #thoughts #the one who waits #waiting #join me?#winter #sunny day #happy thoughts #pleading #please

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gryfflepuffinthetardis · 1 year ago

Text

The Unquiet Dead

youtube

Eidolism — Noun — The Belief in Ghosts and Spirits

"I am still trying to unveil my mystery."

The Tardis supplied them their own rooms, Lillie's was her dream room with dark purple walls with multicolored stars and galaxies that constantly shifted and twinkled. The Tardis landed roughly making her fall off her bed, her arms shot out and flipped over, falling on her knees. She got up and ran out of her room and to the console.

"What the hell was that?" She asked.

"He can't drive." Rose answered.

"Oi! I promised you a time machine and that's what you're getting. Now, you've seen the future, let's have a look at the past. Eighteen-sixty. How does eighteen-sixty sound?

"What happened in eighteen-sixty?" Lillie asked.

"I don't know, let's find out. Hold on, here we go!"

The landing was tough, knocking all three of them over as they grinned and laughed.

"Blimey!" Rose chuckled.

"You're telling me. Are you two all right?"

"Yeah. I think so. You?" Rose helped her sister up. "Nothing broken? Did we make it? Where are we?"

The Doctor went to the console and checked the scanner which Lillie suspected wasn't one hundred percent accurate.

"I did it. Give the man a medal. Earth, Naples, December twenty-forth, eighteen-sixty."

"That's so weird. It's Christmas." Rose mused.

He gestured towards the door, "All yours."

"But it's like, think about it, though. Christmas. Eighteen-sixty. Happens once, just once and it's gone, it's finished, it'll never happen again. Except for you. You can go back and see days that are dead and gone a hundred thousand sunsets ago."

"No wonder you never stay still." Lillie smiled.

"Not a bad life."

"Better with three." Lillie mused.

"Come on, then." Rose took her sister's hand and they started to the door before the Doctor stopped them.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?"

"Eighteen-sixty." Lillie shrugged.

"Go out there dressed like that, you'll start a riot, Barbarella and Sarcastic Miss Marple.” He gestured to Lillie’s sarcastic clothing. “There's a wardrobe through there. First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, fifth door on your left. Hurry up!"

"What?" Lillie asked, her head hurting from all these directions.

The Tardis suddenly lit up a path for the sisters who grinned and ran off, giggling.

Rose picked out an era-appropriate maroon dress under a black cloak while Lillie found a black and midnight blue dress and matching boots. She wore over it a baby blue winter cloak with white fur that reached the back of her knees, which seemed to be forced on her by Rose. Her hair was in Victorian rag curls but only at the ends with one lock of hair in those majestic Victorian waves hung beside each side of her face.

The Doctor was working under the console when the sisters returned.

"Blimey!" He exclaimed, seeing Lillie. His memory flashed back to Nova, her multicolored hair. Her amethyst-colored eyes. Her smile.

"Don't laugh." Lillie warned.

"You two look beautiful..." He caught himself and looked down, "considering."

"Considering what?"

"That you're human."

"I think that's a compliment." Rose muttered.

"Aren't you going to change?" Lillie asked.

"I've changed my jumper. Come on."

"Typical." Lillie scoffed, playfully, "We have to put these on while he just has to change his jumper.”

"You stay there. You've done this before. This is ours!" Rose said.

The sisters hurried to the Tardis doors, Rose looked out, snowing falling, she pressed her black boots into the snow, leaving a track that wasn't there before. She smiled at Lillie, and they went outside. Lillie tilted her head back as the snowflakes were caught in her dark hair.

The Doctor joined them, "Ready for this? Here we go. History."

The Doctor soon bought a newspaper even though Lillie swore he had previously mentioned that he had no money, "I got the flight a bit wrong."

“Well, that’s not surprising.” Lillie teased.

“Oi!”

"I don't care." Rose said, grinning.

"It's not eighteen-sixty, it's eighteen-sixty-nine."

"I don't care."

"And it's not Naples."

"I don't care."

"It's Cardiff."

That made Rose falter slightly, "Right."

"Rose, we're in Cardiff over a century in the past." Lillie grinned. "This is amazing!"

Rose admired her sister's joy. She had never seen her so happy. She knew they had made the right choice in joining the Doctor.

They soon heard screaming from inside a nearby theatre.

"That's more like it." The Doctor said as he and girls ran into the theater.

The trio came inside, fighting past the fleeing crowd to see blurs of blue gas flying through the air, wailing loudly.

"Fantastic." The Doctor said and then ran towards the stage as the sisters watched as a duo, an old man and young woman went to the corpse and picked her up.

"Oi! Leave her alone!" Rose shouted.

"I'll get them." Lillie shouted as she was the smallest of the trio and would have an easier time getting through the crowd.

"Be careful!" The Doctor shouted.

"Be careful, Lillie!" Rose echoed.

She pushed through the crowd and ran out of the theater to the duo who were packing the woman into their coach.

"Oi! What'd you two think you're doing?!" She shouted.

The woman went to her to speak her. She had black hair, pale skin, and brown eyes, she was quite pretty yet she had a deep sadness in her eyes, she was dressed like a mere servant.

"Oh, it's a tragedy, miss. Don't worry yourself. Me and the master will deal with it. The fact is, this poor lady's been taken with the brain fever and we have to get her to the infirmary." She lied in a Welsh accent.

Lillie pushed her out of the way and felt for the woman's head and her neck for a pulse. She had no pulse and was cold to the touch.

"She's cold. She's dead! Oh, my God, what'd you do to her?" Lillie asked in disbelief.

The old man snuck up behind her and pressed a pad of chloroform to her mouth, her nostrils burned with a sickly-sweet smell before everything went black before she could fight back more than digging her fingernails into his arms and scratch deep marks into his skin.

"What did you do that for?" The woman exclaimed.

"She's seen too much. Oof, she’s heavy.” Lillie’s weight seemed to be getting slowly heavier and heavier. “Get her in the hearse. Legs."

The Doctor and Rose came out of the theater with the angry man on stage hot on their trail to see the woman pushing Lillie’s head into the hearse.

"LILLIE!" Rose screamed as the woman ran back around to the front and they drove off with her sister.

“You're not escaping me, you two. What do you know about that hobgoblin, hmm? Projection on glass, I suppose. Who put you up to it?” The man demanded of them. Rose wasn’t listening at all, she looked like she was going to start crying.

“Yeah, mate. Not now, thanks.” The Doctor said and took Rose’s hand, running to the nearest carriage. “Oi, you! Follow that hearse!” They got in.

“I can't do that, sir.” The driver said.

“Why not?” Rose demanded.

The man who had followed them stuck his head in. “I'll tell you why not. I'll give you a very good reason why not. Because this is my coach.”

“Well, get in, then.” The Doctor said and pulled the man inside, “Move!”

The driver cracked the whip and the carriage moved down the street.

“Come on, you're losing them!” The Doctor shouted.

“Everything in order, Mister Dickens?” The driver asked.

“No! It is not!” The Charles Dickens said.

“What did he say?” The Doctor asked, Rose, despite, knowing who that was as Lillie was a fan of The Signalman, couldn’t care less while her sister was in danger. Otherwise, she’d be in a similar state as the Doctor.

“Let me say this first. I'm not without a sense of humour…” Charles Dickens started.

“Dickens?” The Doctor asked.

“Yes.”

“Charles Dickens?”

“Yes.” Charles Dickens said, a bit irritably.

“The Charles Dickens?”

“Should I remove the gentleman and lady, sir?” The driver asked.

“Charles Dickens? You're brilliant, you are. Completely one hundred percent brilliant. I've read them all. Great Expectations, Oliver Twist and what's the other one, the one with the ghost?” The Doctor said, excitedly.

“A Christmas Carol?” Charles Dickens asked.

“No, no, no, the one with the trains.” The Doctor said, trying to recall the name.

“The Signalman.” Rose said, distractedly, never taking her eyes off the trolley. “Lillie loves the view of reality transition.”

“Yeah, The Signalman, that's it. Terrifying! The best short story ever written. You're a genius.” The Doctor agreed. That had been one of the first stories Nova had showed him when he was in the academy.”

“You want me to get rid of them, sir?” The driver asked again.

“Er, no, I think they can stay.” Charles Dickens said.

“Honestly, Charles. Can I call you Charles? I'm such a big fan.”

“A what? A big what?” Charles Dickens asked, confused.

“Fan. Number one fan, that's me.”

Rose was sure Lillie could give him a run for his money.

“How exactly are you a fan? In what way do you resemble a means of keeping oneself cool?”

“No, it means fanatic, devoted to. Mind you, I've got to say, that American bit in Martin Chuzzlewit, what's that about? Was that just padding or what? I mean, it's rubbish, that bit.” The Doctor said.

“I thought you said you were my fan.” Charles Dickens frowned.

“Ah, well, if you can't take criticism. Go on, do the death of Little Nell, it cracks me up.” He noticed Rose giving him a glare, “No, sorry, forget about that. Come on, faster!”

“Who exactly is in that hearse?” Charles Dickens asked.

“My little sister, Lillie.” Rose said, her eyes back on the hearse. “She's only eighteen. It’s my job to protect her.”

“It's my fault. She's in my care, and now she's in danger.” The Doctor said.

“Why are we wasting my time talking about dry old books?” Charles Dickens asked, “This is much more important. Driver, be swift! The chase is on!

“Yes, sir!”

“Attaboy, Charlie.” The Doctor grinned.

“Nobody calls me Charlie.”

“The ladies do.” The Doctor said.

“How do you know that?” Charles Dickens asked.

“I told you, I'm your number one…”

“Number one fan. I know.”

Gwyneth and Mister Sneed, the duo that abducted Lillie, they were carrying the unconscious teenager into the morgue. Oddly enough, she seemed lighter when they pulled her out of the hearse but once again she seemed to be slowly getting heavier and heavier.

"The poor girl's still alive, sir! What're we going to do with her?" Gwyneth asked.

"I don't know! I didn't plan any of this, did I! It isn't my fault if the dead won't stay dead." Mister Sneed said as if this was something anyone would do as they placed her down on a black table in the middle of the room.

"Then whose fault is it, sir? Why is this happening to us?" Gwyneth asked and she left. Mister Sneed followed her and locked Lillie inside.

There was a knock at the door while Mister Sneed and Gwyneth were in the hallway.

"Say I'm not in. Tell them we're closed. Just, just get rid of them."

Gwyneth opened the front door to find a nineteen-year-old woman with blonde hair who looked ready to kill, a fire blazing behind her green eyes and flared nostrils, looking quite like her mother, and two older men.

"Where the hell is my sister?" Rose demanded, slowly, it was evident in her voice that if she didn't find out soon, she was going to lose it.

"I'm sorry. We're closed." Gwyneth told them.

"Nonsense. Since when did an Undertaker keep office hours? The dead don't die on schedule. I demand to see your master." Charles Dickens demanded.

"He's not in, sir." She lied and tried to close the door.

"Don't lie to me, child. Summon him at once." Charles Dickens shouted, slamming the door back open.

"I'm awfully sorry, Mister Dickens, but the master's indisposed." The girl said, she looked terrified, Rose would've felt sorry for her if she hadn't just kidnapped her sister.

A gas lamp behind her flared as the Doctor noted. "Having trouble with your gas?" The Doctor asked.

"What the Shakespeare is going on?" Charles Dickens asked.

Lillie awoke sooner than chloroform is supposed to last, thankfully not in a coffin, unaware of the corpse that was sitting up in its coffin behind her.Oddly enough, Lillie felt refreshed, not at all like waking up or even waking up from chloroform.

Lillie saw the man in the coffin who was groaning like a zombie.

"You all right, mate?” He continued to groan, staring at her with dead eyes, not blinking as he grabbed the sides of the coffin. “You're kidding me, yeah? You're just kidding. You are kidding me, aren't you?" The man climbed out of the coffin and walked in a zombie-like manner towards her. "Okay, not kidding." She got down, moving away from the man.

The Doctor moved past Gwyneth to the flaring gas lamp.

"You're not allowed inside, sir." She insisted as Rose moved past her as well. “Ma’am.”

"There's something inside the walls." The Doctor said.

The door was locked and if she had the proper equipment, say a bobby pin, she’d be able to pick the lock but she didn’t have one or pockets. What kind of dress had pockets?

The woman from earlier reanimated in her coffin, sitting up, groaning.

Lillie picked up a vase and threw it at the man, he only stumbled back.

"The gas pipes. Something's living inside the gas."

"LET ME OUT!" A voice screamed, "OPEN THE DOOR!"

"Lillie!" Rose shouted, running to find where her sister's voice was coming from.

"PLEASE, LET ME OUT!"

Mister Sneed shouted at them, "How dare you..." Rose pushed past him, aggressively she would have to deal with him later. "This is my house!"

“Yeah, and you kidnapped my sister!” She shouted back at him as her sister continued to shout.

“LET ME OUT! ROSE!? DOCTOR!? SOMEBODY HELP ME! ROSE!?”

"Shut up." Charles Dickens told him, running past him.

Gwyneth hurried to them and Mister Sneed pointed at her, because this was her fault that it was his idea to kidnap Lillie in the first place.

"LET ME OUT! SOMEBODY, OPEN THE DOOR! OPEN THE DOOR! ROSE, HELP ME! AAHH!" Lillie screamed as the man grabbed her. Some unknown instincts from another life kicked in and she fought, kicking him back as they continued to approach.

The Doctor kicked the door open, and Rose hurried inside.

"Get off my baby sister!" She shouted pulling her sister away from an oncoming female zombie.

"Rose! Zombies, they're zombies." Lillie cried.

"It's a prank. It must be. We're under some mesmeric influence." Charles Dickins said.

"No, we're not. The dead are walking."

"Who's your friend?"

"Charles Dickens." Rose said.

"Okay. Wait what? As in Signalman Charles Dickens." Lillie asked.

"My name's the Doctor. Who are you, then? What do you want?" The Doctor asked the zombies.

The man, Redpath spoke in a distorted young child's voice, "failing. Open the rift. We're dying. Trapped in this form. Cannot sustain. Help us. Argh!"

Then the gas left the bodies and they collapsed.

In the living room, Rose and Lillie were shouting at Mister Sneed while Gwyneth poured them all tea.

"FIRST OF ALL, YOU DRUG MY SISTER, THEN YOU KIDNAP HER..." Rose screamed at the man.

"AND DON'T THINK I DIDN'T FEEL YOUR HANDS HAVING A QUICK WANDER, YOU DIRTY OLD MAN!" Lillie added, just as angry as Rose as the Doctor grinned.

"I won't be spoken to like this!" Mister Sneed exclaimed but Rose continued to shout.

"THEN YOU STICK HER IN A ROOM FULL OF ZOMBIES! AND IF THAT AIN'T ENOUGH, YOU SWAN OFF AND LEAVE HER TO DIE! SO COME ON, TALK!"

"It's not my fault. It's this house. It always had a reputation. Haunted. But I never had much bother until a few months back, and then the stiffs," they all glared at the man's bluntness. "The, er, dear departed started getting restless."

"Tommyrot." Charles Dickens scoffed.

"You witnessed it! Can't keep the beggars down, sir. They walk. And it's the queerest thing, but they hang on to scraps. One old fellow who used to be a sexton almost walked into his own memorial service. Just like the old lady going to your performance, sir, just as she planned."

"Morbid fancy." Charles Dickens reasoned.

"Oh, Charles, you were there." The Doctor said.

"I saw nothing but an illusion." He denied.

"If you're going to deny it, don't waste my time. Just shut up."

"Doctor!" Lillie snapped at him, warning him not to be rude.

"What about the gas?"

"That's new, sir. Never seen anything like that."

"Means it's getting stronger." The Doctor said, "the rift's getting wider, and something is sneaking through."

"What's the rift?" Rose asked.

"A weak point in time and space. A connection between this place and another. That's the cause of ghost stories, most of the time."

"That's how I got the house so cheap. Stories going back generations."

Neither of the girls noticed that Charles Dickens had gotten up and left until the door slammed shut.

"Echoes in the dark, queer songs in the air, and this feeling like a shadow passing over your soul. Mind you, truth be told, it's been good for business. Just what people expect from a gloomy old trade like mine."

The Doctor grinned as Lillie rolled her eyes.

Later, Rose and Lillie joined Gwyneth in the pantry, the sisters started to help Gwyneth wash up.

"Please, misses, you shouldn't be helping. It's not right." She said.

"Don't be daft. Sneed works you to death." Lillie dismissed.

"How much do you get paid?" Rose asked.

"Eight pound a year, miss." Lillie said.

"How much?" Lillie asked, hoping she just didn't hear him correctly.

"I know. I would've been happy with six." She said.

"So, did you go to school or what?" Rose asked.

"Of course, I did. What do you think I am, an urchin? I went every Sunday, nice and proper." Gwyneth replied.

"What, once a week?" Lillie asked.

"We did sums and everything. To be honest, I hated every second."

"Me too." The sisters chimed.

"Don't tell anyone, but one week, I didn't go and ran on the heath all on my own." Gwyneth giggled like it was a the most sinful thing she had done.

"I did plenty of that. I used to go down the shops with my mate Shareen. We used to go and look at boys." Rose said.

"Well, I don't know much about that, miss."

"Come on, times haven't changed that much. I bet you've done the same."

"I don't think so, miss."

"Gwyneth, you can tell me. I bet you've got your eye on someone."

"A guy or a girl?" Lillie asked and Gwyneth, as homosexuality was not as hated but more so considered a topic of taboo and considered with more curiosity or indifference than homophobia, just gasped in shock at Lillie’s forwardness in the topic but didn’t mention it.

"I suppose. There is one lad. The butcher's boy. He comes by every Tuesday. Such a lovely smile on him."

"I like a nice smile. " Rose said.

"Me too," Lillie laughed. "Nice smile with sharp wit and a strong sense of compassion. Ooh, and good hair! Good hair, preferably dark and a nice face. Preferably friends first."

"Good smile, nice bum." Rose said.

"Well, I have never heard the like." Gwyneth said and then all three girls laughed.

"Ask him out. Give him a cup of tea or something, that's a start." Rose said.

"I swear it is the strangest thing, misses. You two have got all the clothes and the breeding, but you talk like some sort of wild thing".

"Maybe we am. Maybe that's a good thing. You need a bit more in your life than Mister Sneed." Rose said.

"Oh, now that's not fair. He's not so bad, old Sneed. He was very kind to me to take me in because I lost my mum and dad to the flu when I was twelve." Gwyneth said.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Thank you, miss. But I'll be with them again, one day, sitting with them in paradise. I shall be so blessed. They're waiting for me."

"Do you have any other family?" Lillie asked.

"A few cousins here and there, all live in Cardiff, don't see them very much though." She shrugged, "Maybe your dad's up there waiting for you two too."

Lillie stiffened, staring at her in shock. How did she know? Rose and Lillie's father, Pete Tyler had died when Rose was six months old, Jackie had just given birth to Lillie the week prior. Seven days.

"Maybe." Rose said.

"Who told you he was dead?"

"I don't know. Must have been the Doctor."

"Well, that also doesn't make sense, we haven't even tell him about our dad." Lillie said.

"Our father died years back. Lillie... never got to meet him. I was just a baby." Rose said.

"But you've been thinking about him lately more than ever. Both of you."

"I suppose so.”

“And you, Miss. You have vague memories of a father-like figure that you don’t quite remember. And another mother. One who was very insightful and wise. Beautiful.”

“Wh-what?” Lillie stammered. She never told anyone about those flashes.

“How do you know all this?" Rose asked as Lillie studied the young woman.

"Mister Sneed says I think too much. I'm all alone down here. Much how people say about you, Miss. When they think you’re not listening. But you can read them better than most. You can sense things.” She was looking at Lillie, she realized she had done it again and changed the subject. “I bet you've got dozens of servants, haven't you, miss?"

"No, no servants where I'm from." Rose said.

"Or at least, we never did." Lillie added.

"And you've both come such a long way."

"What makes you think so?"

"You're from London. I've seen London in drawings, but never like that. All those people rushing about half-naked, for shame. The naked women and the naked men together… And the noise, and the metal boxes racing past, and the birds in the sky… no, they're metal as well. Metal birds with people in them. People are flying. And you, you've flown so far. Further than anyone." She said, "The things you've seen. The darkness, the big bad wolf." She told Rose then turned to Lillie, "and you're unlike them all... Unlike all humans, and unlike all of your true kind. The dying star princess that could cheat death. Forever, if you chose to.”

Lillie suddenly stumbled back as the dizziness and a terrible migraine washed over her.

"Lillie?" Rose said, going to her, concerned.

"Ah, so how's the Dying Star Princess." A cheeky voice said.

"Ah, shut it, Koschei." Her voice responded playfully in an Australian accent, "Or I'll have you thrown in the dungeon."

“I see who you love. Why, I’ve never seen the likes of that. I see your power… your pain and it hurt… it hurts you so much… and your fear…” The fear she currently had was much easier to look at, “You fear how they will react. You fear they won’t love you anymore. Not just for who you love but what you are…”

“Gwyneth…” Lillie croaked out, grabbing her wrist and snapping her out of it and the memories of the pain vanished from Gwyneth’s head as if erased one by one.

Gwyneth stumbled back and profusely apologized. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, misses."

"It's all right." Rose tried to reassure her but Lillie seemed properly shaken.

"I can't help it. Ever since I was a little girl, my mam said I had the sight. She told me to hide it." She rambled.

She could see more, more than the sisters knew. She saw lives Lillie hadn’t lived. She saw the pain that would destroy her optimism if she remembered. She saw her heartache and her constant fascination that followed her through them all, that could be killed… with but a raven.

"But it's getting stronger, more powerful, is that right?" The Doctor asked, making them jump. When did he get there?

"All the time, sir. Every night, voices in my head." Gwyneth confirmed.

"You grew up on top of the rift. You're part of it. You're the key." He said.

"The key?" Lillie asked

"I've tried to make sense of it, sir. Consulted with spiritualists, table rappers, all sorts." She said

"Well, that should help. You can show us what to do."

"What to do where, sir?" Gwyneth asked, confused.

"We're going to have a séance."

Lillie turned to her sister, confused, and pointed to the Doctor, "Did he just say we're gonna have a séance?"

Everyone gathered around a table in the living room.

"This is how Madam Mortlock summons those from the Land of Mists, down in Bute Town. Come, we must all join hands." Gwyneth explained, sheepishly.

"I can't take part in this." Charles Dickens scoffed.

"Hey, Scrooge. Come on, have an open mind before saying Bah Humbug." Lillie said, looking at him, expectingly.

"This is precisely the sort of cheap mummery I strive to unmask. Séances? Nothing but luminous tambourines and a squeeze box concealed between the knees. This girl knows nothing."

"Oi!" Lillie snapped, "don't you dare antagonize her, now drop the Harry Houdini attitude and sit down." Charles Dickins looked confused. While Harry Houdini was alive, he wasn't known... not yet. Not for his magician fame and definitely not for his ironic abhorment of anything supernatural.

"I love a happy medium." The Doctor said after a few beats of silence.

"I can't believe you just said that." Rose said as Lillie groaned, throwing her head back.

“Come on, we might need you. Come on, all it took was that one experience in the Signalman to change the skeptic’s point of view of reality. Give it chance and you may be turned from a skeptic to a believer." She raised her eyebrows in a challenge. Charles Dickins sat between Lillie and Gwyneth.

"Good man. Now, Gwyneth, reach out."

"Speak to us. Are you there? Spirits, come. Speak to us that we may relieve your burden." Gwyneth said and then whispering started.

"Can you hear that?" Rose asked.

"Nothing can happen. This is sheer folly." Charles Dickins said.

"You know not everything can be explained with logic and reason." Lillie smiled. "So, you never want to listen to reason."

"Look at her." Rose added.

"I see them. I feel them." Gwyneth said as blue gas tendrils drifted above their heads.

"What's it saying?"

"They can't get through the rift. Gwyneth, it's not controlling you, you're controlling it. Now, look deep. Allow them through." The Doctor said.

"I can't!" She cried.

"Yes, you can. Just believe it. I have faith in you, Gwyneth. Make the link." The Doctor said.

"Yes." Gwyneth said as blue outlines of people appeared behind Gwyneth.

"Great God! Spirits from the other side." Mister Sneed gaped.

"The other side of the universe." The Doctor said.

"Pity us. Pity the Gelth. There is so little time. Help us," the figure spoke with the distorted voice of two children and Gwyneth spoke along them.

Lillie narrowed her eyes, skeptically. They deserved her sympathy but she didn’t trust them, it was a gut feeling. The first thing they said was: “Pity the Gelth”.

"What do you want us to do?"

"The rift. Take the girl to the rift. Make the bridge." The Gelth instructed.

"What for?"

"We are so very few. The last of our kind. We face extinction." The Gelth said.

"Why, what happened?"

"Once we had a physical form like you, but then the war came."

"War? What war?" Charles Dickins asked.

"The Time War. The whole universe convulsed. The Time War raged. Invisible to smaller species but devastating to higher forms. Our bodies wasted away. We're trapped in this gaseous state."

"So that's why you need the corpses."

"We want to stand tall, to feel the sunlight, to live again. We need a physical form, and your dead are abandoned. They're going to waste. Give them to us." The Gelth said,

"But we can't." Rose said.

"Why not?"

"It's not... I mean, it's not..."

"Not decent? Not polite? It could save their lives." The Doctor snapped.

"What if it were your loved ones? The ones you lost! Your best friend, maybe! Your partner." Lillie said, darkly. The Doctor only stared at her surprised by her bluntness and surprising knowledge. His mind flickered back to his last partner, his best friend. Supernova. “What if it was Nova?” A pang in both his hearts.

"Open the rift. Let the Gelth through. We're dying. Help us. Pity the Gelth." The Gelth said before retreating back into the heat lamps.

"Gwyneth?" Rose hurried to the dark-haired girl who had collapsed.

"All true." Charles Dickins said, he seemed to be stuck between horror and amazement.

A little while later, Gwyneth has been laid on the chaise longue while Lillie dapped a wet cloth to her forehead.

"It's all right. You just sleep." She shushed.

"But my angels, miss. They came, didn't they? They need me?" She asked.

"They do need you, Gwyneth. You're their only chance of survival." The Doctor said.

"I've told you, leave her alone. She's exhausted and she's not fighting your battles." Rose said as Lillie gave Gwyneth a glass of water, "Drink this."

"Well, what did you say, Doctor? Explain it again. What are they?" Sneed asked.

"Aliens."

"Like foreigners, you mean?"

"Pretty foreign, yeah. From up there."

"Brecon?" Sneed asked, oblivious.

"Close. Outer space." Lillie said with blank snark deadpan in her tone and Sneed couldn't tell if she was being serious or not.

"And they've been trying to get through from Brecon to Cardiff but the road's blocked." The Doctor continued, "Only a few can get through and even then they're weak. They can only test drive the bodies for so long, then they have to revert to gas and hide in the pipes."

"Which is why they need the girl." Charles Dickins realized.

"They're not having her."

"But she can help. Living on the rift, she's become part of it. She can open it up, make a bridge and let them through." The Doctor said.

"Incredible. Ghosts that are not ghosts but beings from another world, who can only exist in our world by inhabiting cadavers." Charles Dickins mused, fascinated like only a writer could.

"Good system. It might work."

"You can't let them run around inside of dead people." Rose said.

"Why not? It's like recycling." The Doctor said.

"Seriously though, you can't."

"Seriously though, I can."

"It's just wrong. Those bodies were living people. We should respect them even in death." Rose said.

"Do you carry a donor card?"

"That's different. That's..." Rose stammered.

"It is different, yeah. It's a different morality. Get used to it or go home. You heard what they said, time's short. I can't worry about a few corpses when the last of the Gelth could be dying."

"It's not the Gelth you're worried about, it's your guilt." Lillie said, darkly, "you'd be singing a different tune if it was your loved ones. Reminders of what you lost. What if it was your family's bodies? Or Nova’s.”

The Doctor looked at her, unsure on why she was being so rude all of a sudden. She didn't know herself but it was striking a cord in her. But she was right, he wasn’t sure if he could face a constant reminder of his family. Of Susan. Of Nova.

"I don't care. They're not using her." Rose said,

"Don't I get a say, miss?" Gwyneth asked, suddenly.

"Look, you don't understand what's going on."

"You would say that, miss, because that's very clear inside your head, that you think I'm stupid." Gwyneth said.

"That's not fair."

"It's true, though. Things might be very different where you're from, but here and now, I know my own mind, and the angels need me.”

“I don’t think they’re the angels you think they are.” Lillie said, darkly but was ignored.

“Doctor, what do I have to do?"

"You don't have to do anything."

"They've been singing to me since I was a child, sent by my mam on a holy mission. So tell me."

"We need to find the rift. This house is on a weak spot, so there must be a spot that's weaker than any other. Mister Sneed, what's the weakest part of this house? The place where most of the ghosts have been seen?"

"That would be the morgue."

"No chance you were going to say gazebo, is there?" Lillie deadpanned, dryly.

Now in the morgue where just a few hours ago, Lillie was being attacked by zombies.

"The thing is, Doctor, the Gelth don't succeed, 'cause I know they don't. I know for a fact there weren't corpses walking around in eighteen-sixty-nine." Rose said.

"Yeah, well, neither were we walking around in eighteen-sixty-nine." Lillie pointed out.

"Time's in flux, changing every second. Your cozy little world can be rewritten like that. Nothing is safe. Remember that. Nothing." The Doctor told them.

"Doctor, I think the room is getting colder." Charles Dickins noted.

"Here they come." Rose said.

A Gelth came out of a gas lamp by the door and stood under a stone archway. There was nothing about the Gelth that Lillie didn't trust.

"You've come to help. Praise the Doctor. Praise him." The Gelth said.

"Promise you won't hurt her." Rose told the Gelth.

"Hurry! Please, so little time. Pity the Gelth." Lillie noted how the Gelth had ignored Rose's question. Always "Pity the Gelth."

As if they were trying to push it on them. To pity them. Almost like they were trying to guilt-trip them. For some reason, that caused a burning hatred in the pit of Lillie’s stomach, despite not having any big manipulators in her life, at the very most Jackie would guilt-trip her into doing something.

"I'll take you somewhere else after the transfer. Somewhere you can build proper bodies. This isn't a permanent solution, all right?" The Doctor said.

"My angels. I can help them live."

"Okay, where's the weak point?"

"Here, beneath the arch."

"Beneath the arch." Gwyneth repeated as she went to go stand beneath the arch, inside the Gelth.

"You don't have to do this." Rose said.

"My angels."

"Establish the bridge. Reach out to the void. Let us through!"

"Yes, I can see you. I can see you. Come!" Gwyneth gasped.

"Bridgehead establishing."

"Come to me. Come to this world, poor lost souls!"

"It is begun. The bridge is made." The Gelth said, Gwyneth opened her mouth a blue gas started to come out.

"She has given herself to the Gelth."

"Rather a lot of them, don't you think?" Lillie asked.

"The bridge is open. We descend." Then the sweet blue apparition turned red like flames with teeth. The voice was now hard and deep, "The Gelth will come through in force."

"You said that you were few in number." Charles Dickins exclaimed.

"A few billion. And all of us in need of corpses." The Gelth growled as the dead started to rise.

"Gwyneth, stop this. Listen to your master. This has gone far enough. Stop dabbling, child, and leave these things alone, I beg of you." Mister Sneed demanded.

"Mister Sneed, get back!" Rose shouted as a corpse grabbed him and snapped his neck and a Gelth then inhabited his body.

"I think it's gone a little bit wrong." The Doctor observed.

"Oh, you think!?" Lillie sneered at him, sarcastically.

Sneed lifted his head, his brown eyes were now ice blue, "I have joined the legions of the Gelth. Come, march with us. We need bodies. All of you. Dead. The human race. Dead.

"Gwyneth, stop them! Send them back now!" The Doctor shouted.

"Four more bodies. Convert them. Make them vessels for the Gelth."

Sneed backed the time travelers up against a metal gate

“Doctor, I can't. I'm sorry. This new world of yours is too much for me. I'm so..." Charles Dickins stammered before he could finish a Gelth screamed and he ran off.

The three moved behind the metal gate where the bodies couldn't get them.

"Give yourself to glory. Sacrifice your lives for the Gelth."

"I trusted you. I pitied you!" The Doctor shouted.

"We don't want your pity. We want this world and all its flesh."

"Not while I'm alive." The Doctor said.

"Then live no more."

"But we can't die. Tell me we can't. We haven't even been born yet. It's impossible for us to die. Isn't it?" Rose asked.

"I'm sorry."

"But it's eighteen-sixty-nine. How can we die now?" Rose exclaimed.

"Time isn't a straight line. It can twist into any shape. You can be born in the twentieth century and die in the nineteenth and it's all my fault. I brought you two here." The Doctor said.

"It's not your fault." Lillie said.

"We wanted to come.

"What about me? I saw the fall of Troy, World War Five. I pushed boxes at the Boston Tea Party. Now I'm going to die in a dungeon in Cardiff." The Doctor said.

"It's not just dying, is it? We'll become one of them." Lillie pointed out.

"Then we'll go down fighting, yeah?" Rose said, taking her sister by the hand.

"Always." She nodded and took the Doctor's hand. "Together."

"I'm so glad I met you. Both of you." The Doctor said.

"Us too." The sisters said and then Charles Dickins ran back in.

"Doctor! Doctor! Turn off the flame, turn up the gas! Now, fill the room, all of it, now!" Charles Dickins shouted.

"What're you doing?"

"Turn it all on. Flood the place!"

"Brilliant. Gas." The Doctor said as Lillie's blue eyes lit up with understanding.

"What, so we choke to death instead?" Rose asked, not understanding.

"Am I correct, Doctor? These creatures are gaseous." Charles Dickins asked.

"Fill the room with gas, it'll draw them out of the host. Suck them into the air like poison from a wound!" The Doctor said.

The corpses turned and they started to shamble towards Charles Dickins.

"I hope, oh Lord, I hope that this theory will be validated soon, if not immediately."

"Plenty more!" The Doctor exclaimed and he ripped a gas pipe from the wall. Making the Gelths leave the corpses, making the corpses fall.

"It's working."

The trio of time travelers came out from behind the gate. Lillie went straight up to Gwyneth and grabbed her hand, Gwyneth looked at her in acknowledgement, her eyes clearing.

"Gwyneth, send them back. They lied. They're not angels." The Doctor said but she only looked at Lillie.

"Liars?" She asked.

"Look at me. If your mother and father could look down and see this, they'd tell you the same. They'd give you the strength. Now send them back!" The Doctor said, "Only you can do it."

"I can't breathe." Rose coughed.

"Charles, get her out." The Doctor instructed.

"I'm not leaving her." Rose said, stubbornly.

"Neither am I." Lillie said as she started to cough.

"They're too strong." Gwyneth said.

"Remember that world you saw? Rose and Lillie's world? All those people. None of it will exist unless you send them back through the rift." The Doctor said.

"I can't send them back. But I can hold them. Hold them in this place, hold them here. Get out." She said as she took out a box of matches.

"You can't!" Rose shouted.

"No!" Lillie pleaded.

"Leave this place!" Gwyneth said.

"Rose, get out. Go now. I won't leave her while she's still in danger. Now go!"

Charles Dickins took Rose and tried to get Lillie but Gwyneth spoke up, grabbing Lillie by the wrist. "Lillie. Come here. Please."

Lillie walked over to the girl and she whispered something in Lillie's ears. "I see who you really are. The only person who could make the most fearsome of creature beg for mercy but would get none. The warrior princess who was forced to conform. The warrior princess who had to resurrect the Doctor's evil counterpart. The Destroyer of Daleks."

Images flashed behind Lillie’s eyes and Gwyneth continued.

“You… you’ve got half-memories of lives you haven’t lived. There’s one constant companion who follows you. Your… your impossible girl… she resembles a girl I’ve seen… a girl who you always see. He hardly notices her but you always do and she vexes you so. She is impossible like you are impossible but that’s impossible because you are impossible… an anomaly… and you fear… you… fear what your sister will think… your mum… they won’t accept you… they won’t be able to see you. That’s what scares you most of all. That they won’t love you anymore. Not just because of who you love but because of who you truly are…”

"I don't know who you're talking about." Lillie whimpered.

"The girl. She fascinates you, not just because she's impossible but for who she is… because you love her. You always do.”

Flashes of who Gwyneth saw flashes behind Lillie’s eyes. She knew one but many were not her.

Lillie stepped back, staring at her with wide eyes, when Rose pulled her away and they ran out with Charles Dickins.

As the Doctor ran out of the building a few minutes later, KABOOM!

Rose, Lillie, and Charles Dickins ran to the Doctor.

"She didn't make it." Rose said, sadly.

"Gwyneth..." Lillie muttered, sadly.

"I'm sorry. She closed the rift."

"At such a cost. The poor child." Charles Dickins said as a single tear fell down Lillie's cheek.

"I did try, but Gwyneth was already dead. She had been for at least five minutes." The Doctor told the girls,

"What do you mean?" Rose asked.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Lillie asked.

"I think she was dead from the minute she stood in that arch."

"But she can't have. She spoke to us. She helped us. She saved us. How could she have done that?" Rose said.

"'There are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy.' Even for you, Doctor." Charles Dickins quoted.

"Hamlet. Shakespeare." Lillie whispered to Rose.

"She saved the world. A servant girl. No one will ever know." Rose said.

"We do." Lillie told her.

The four walked to the Tardis and the Doctor turned to Charles Dickins, "Right then, Charlie boy, I've just got to go into my, er, shed. Won't be long."

"What are you going to do now?" Rose asked him.

"I shall take the mail coach back to London, quite literally post-haste. This is no time for me to be on my own. I shall spend Christmas with my family and make amends to them. After all I've learned tonight, there can be nothing more vital." Charles Dickins said, noticeably more spirited than he was before.

"You've cheered up." Lillie noted.

"Exceedingly! This morning, I thought I knew everything in the world. Now I know I've just started. All these huge and wonderful notions, Doctor. I'm inspired. I must write about them." He said with the excitement only a writer could possess.

"Do you think that's wise?" Rose asked.

"I shall be subtle at first. The Mystery of Edwin Drood still lacks an ending. Perhaps the killer was not the boy's uncle. Perhaps he was not of this Earth. The Mystery of Edwin Drood and the Blue Elementals. I can spread the word, tell the truth." He said.

"That sounds brilliant." Lillie laughed, "you should do that."

"Good luck with it. Nice to meet you. Fantastic." The Doctor said.

"Bye, then, and thanks."

Rose shook his hand and then kissed his cheek as the Doctor opened the Tardis door.

"Oh, my dear. How modern. Thank you, but, I don't understand. In what way is this goodbye? Where are you going?" Charles Dickins said.

"You'll see. In the shed." The Doctor said, vaguely.

"Upon my soul, Doctor, it's one riddle after another with you. But after all these revelations, there's one mystery you still haven't explained. Answer me this. Who are you?" Charles Dickins asked.

"Just a friend passing through." The Doctor said.

"But you have such knowledge of future times. I don't wish to impose on you, but I must ask you. My books. Doctor, do they last?"

"Oh, yes!" The Doctor said, truthfully.

"For how long?"

"Forever. Right. Shed. Come on, girls."

"In the box? All of you?

"Down boy. See you."

"Bye, Mister Dickins." Lillie said and then kissed his cheek like Rose did.

In the Tardis, Rose asked, "Doesn't that change history if he writes about blue ghosts?"

"In a week's time it's eighteen-seventy, and that's the year he dies. Sorry. He'll never get to tell his story." The Doctor said as Lillie's heart fell.

"Oh, no. He was so nice."

"But in your time, he was already dead. We've brought him back to life, and he's more alive now than he's ever been, old Charlie boy. Let's give him one last surprise."

The Tardis materialized as Charles Dickins' confusion turned to amusement.

Lillie went to her room as she pondered what Gwyneth had told her she clutched her necklace and then it was gone.

She took her phone out and phoned Lars.

#the eccedentiast #supernova #doctor who #katherine langford #Gelth #The Gelth #Charles Dickens #Non-Christmas Christmas Special #Rose Tyler #Ninth Doctor #9th doctor #Bad Wolf mention #Gwyneth #Cardiff #1869 #Youtube

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astrajinn · 1 year ago

Text

Duel of the Fates part 1

N/A: Okay, I will only narrate the fight from Astra's, Obi-Wan's, and Anakin's perspectives, okay? Jar Jar's perspective will not be included.

The three entered the room and positioned themselves behind Anakin, except for Astra, who stood by his side due to being the shortest.

—The Force is strong in him—declared one of the masters, causing Astra to smile at the boy.

—Will he be trained?—asked Qui-Gon.

—He won't be trained—declared Windu—. He's too old—assured.

—Even if you add up the age of everyone here, Master Yoda is still the oldest—whispered the girl, eliciting a laugh from the boy.

—He is the chosen one; you must feel it. Just like Astra, there can't be one without the other.

—Hmm, uncertain future, the boy has, and with her, I can't see it—mused Yoda.

—I will train him. Anakin will be my Padawan from now on.

—An apprentice already has, Qui-Gon. Impossible to have a second if the girl depends on you.

—The code forbids it.

—Another master could train me. Master Dooku, who trained Master Qui-Gon, has no Padawan under his care.

—I am ready for initiation—Obi-Wan hurried to say.

—The council will decide when someone is ready.

—He's stubborn and has much to learn from the Force, but he's capable. He won't learn anything more from me.

—Skywalker's destiny will be decided later.

—This is not the right time. The Senate will choose another chancellor, and Queen Amidala will return home, putting pressure on the Federation and possibly escalating the confrontation.

—It would make the attacker of the queen reveal himself.

—Go to Naboo with the queen and discover the identity of this dark warrior. That's what we need to solve the mystery of the Sith.

—You must be joking; she can't go—yelled the youngest.

—Young Starling—you were called.

—Jedi shouldn't even get involved in government affairs. If it will be—she knelt in front of the council and pleaded—Please, I implore you, send someone else.

—The decision has already been made. Either accept it and accompany them or stay in the temple waiting for their return—Windu pronounced as Qui-Gon carried her.

—May the Force be with you.

With this, the four left, and the masters looked at each other.

—Her attachment to him is too great—commented Master Mundi.

—She is still young, has much to learn—Yoda reminded.

—Respect for elders is one of those things—Windu mocked.

—You see disrespect; I see a frightened girl who wants to save her father—said Master Yaddle.

—She acts as if she were going to die—pointed out Master Shak Ti.

—Perhaps not to that extent, but none can deny that Astra has shown the ability to perceive certain things unconsciously—Yaddle recalled—. Perhaps we were wrong not to listen to her.

Meanwhile, the group reached the hangar, where Naboo's entourage awaited them to go to the planet and resolve what was happening.

—Do you think they will train me?

—Sure they will, and if they say no, Qui-Gon will do it. He promised.

—But no one will train you.

—I am already part of the order; they won't leave me without training. In the worst case, I know someone who would teach me without hesitation. Alone, I don't think it's a good idea to go on this mission.

—Everything will be fine.

—How do you know?

—Because the best Jedi in the galaxy accompanies me.

—Astra, please get on the ship.

—Yes, Qui-Gon—she nodded, getting on her speeder and entering the ship.

Once underway, Anakin was left in the care of the pilot while the Jedi, the captain, the queen, and her handmaidens were in another room talking.

—Upon landing, the Federation will arrest her and force her to sign the treaty.

—I agree. I don't know what she hopes to achieve with this—Qui-Gon emphasized.

—Reclaim what is ours.

—More like putting a blaster to everyone's head. Should we wait for them to pull the trigger and find out which one is loaded? This is suicide—said the girl, twirling her lightsaber in her palm and stopping it repeatedly.

—The girl is right; we don't have an army, and there are not enough men.

—I can only protect her, not fight a war for you.

—You wouldn't even have to protect her if she had stayed still in Coruscant as she was asked to—she complained, restraining the urge to punch her.

—Jar Jar Binks—the monarch called.

—Misa, Your Highness?

—Yes, you have to help me.

The queen explained her plan, and somehow Astra had hope that they could get help from the Gungans, who, according to Jar Jar, were a warrior people with a good strategy despite their strange way of speaking. When they landed, Jar Jar went to talk to his people, Obi-Wan went with Qui-Gon, and Astra stayed with Anakin and Padmé.

—Do you think the plan will work?—the boy asked.

—I couldn't tell you. I have a pretty clear idea of how stubborn this supposed queen is. But as for the king, I can't say if he hates everyone on the surface or just dislikes Jar Jar.

—You're still on the same thing—Padmé sighed resignedly.

—I'll keep on it until you open your mouth to tell the truth—she declared, walking toward her father—. Take care of him, Padmé; he still doesn't know how to fight.

—Sometimes I don't know if he loves me or sees me as a helpless animal—the boy asserted with some regret.

—Jar Jar is taking too long—pointed out the padawan.

—Do you think he abandoned us?—the girl questioned.

—No, you saw how they treated him last time. I doubt he'll stay in a place like this.

—Even if it's the place where he was born?

—Even if it is. Here he comes.

Jar Jar emerged from the water, shook himself off before reaching them with not very pleasant news.

—No one there, the city is deserted. Maybe a fight, perhaps.

—Have they taken them to the fields?

—I think they eliminated them—suggested the captain.

—Misa, don't cry.

—They live in the water—reminded the girl—. The droids would take a while to find them. Maybe they managed to escape.

—Do you know where they are, Jar Jar?

—In these cases, the Gungan sanctuaries are always. Misa will take you; let's go. Misa will take you.

Everyone began to walk through the forest towards the sanctuary. Jar Jar led the way, followed by the supposed queen. Then came the four Force users along with the captain, the queen's handmaidens, and some soldiers. There weren't many, to be honest, but there were enough to attract the attention of the Gungans when they arrived at the sanctuary.

Jar Jar spoke with one of the guards whom he apparently knew, and he led them in front of the king, announcing only the queen.

—Your Excellency, Queen Amidala of Naboo.

—Hello, Great Chief, Your Excellency.

—Jar Jar Binks. Tell me, who are the others?—he asked, annoyed.

—I am Queen Amidala of Naboo; I have come in peace—the "queen" spoke.

—Ah, an important Naboo. You bring the chattedroids; you are very naughty.

—I've looked for them because I want to form an alliance.

—Your Excellency—Padmé spoke, stepping in front of the supposed queen, causing a smile in the youngest present.

—Who is she?

—I am Queen Amidala, she is my decoy. My bodyguard, my loyal protector. I apologize for deceiving you, but it was necessary to protect myself. Although we may not always agree, Your Excellency, our two societies have always been at peace. Now, the Federation is destroying what it cost us so much to build. If we do not act, we will lose everything, forever you must support us—she knelt before the king— I beg you to support us. We are your humble servants.

With these words, everyone in the entourage knelt to demonstrate the honesty in the words of the young queen, much to Astra's annoyance, who had to get off her speeder to do so. The king thought for a moment, leaving the attendees expectant, and out of nowhere, to their dismay, he burst into laughter as if he had heard the best joke.

—You guys don't think you're better than us Gungans— he exclaimed while still laughing—. I love hearing that. Being friends would be fabulous— he shook his head in a strange way, amusing the Force users and confusing the others.

The Gungans planned their strategy with the members of the guard who knew the terrain better. Obi-Wan spoke with Qui-Gon, and Astra tried to see what would happen with the battle, although it was almost impossible for her to notice anything. In her mind, there was torment; she saw the destroyed temple, saw a woman crying in the arms of another, and then nothing. No matter what the Force showed her, she saw nothing that gave her peace, nothing that indicated that everything would be fine. At some point, it became evident since she was floating almost half a meter off the ground, and the grass around her sometimes seemed to wither and quickly grow back. She felt a liquid run down her nose before falling to the ground when someone touched her shoulder.

—Are you okay?—Padmé asked, handing her a handkerchief.

—I would be better if you hadn't distracted me—she reproached, cleaning the blood without any care.

—What are you trying to do?

—Find out if your suicidal plan will end up killing us all.

—I'm pretty sure everything will be fine—Padmé reassured her.

—What if it's not? The Force is capable of many things, but there is still no way to bring back life without taking another in return.

—Astra, Anakin, come here—Qui-Gon called.

Qui-Gon asked Anakin to watch and come to warn when the Gungans were on their way, and Astra asked to stay with Padmé temporarily.

—They're here already—Anakin announced when he arrived.

—They did it.

—You did well, Jar Jar Binks, you have united us with the Naboo—congratulated the king—. So, I will appoint you Bomboso general.

—General—exclaimed the Gungan before fainting.

—What is the situation?

—Almost everyone is in camps; some police and guards formed an underground resistance. I brought as many leaders as I could. The Federation's army is larger and stronger than we thought. It's a battle that I doubt we can win.

—Not without the right strategy—acknowledged the girl.

—It's impossible.

—Difficult, not impossible, and we have a small surprise factor.

—At this point, they must have discovered the ship.

—And they know how many of us were on it, and they know the strength of the Naboo army, but they don't know the strength of the Gungans. It's an opportunity we must take advantage of.

—It's true. The battle will be a distraction; the Gungans will make the droids leave the city. R2—the droid projected a hologram with the plans of Naboo—We'll enter the city through the secret passage behind the waterfall. When we reach the main entrance, Captain Panaka will create a distraction. After that, we'll be at the palace and capture the Viceroy. Without the Viceroy, they will be lost and confused. What do you suggest, Jedi Master?

—The Viceroy will have many guards.

—It will be difficult to reach the throne room, but once there, it won't be a problem.

—Although it's a good idea, there is a possibility with this distraction that many Gungans will die.

—We are ready to continue—assured the chief.

—We have a plan that will immobilize the army of droids. I'll send any pilots I have to neutralize the droid control ship.

—It's a clever plan, with a lot of risk; their ship's weapons may not penetrate the shield.

—And there is an even greater danger. If the Viceroy manages to escape, he will return with another army of droids, Your Majesty.

—Intelligence is not your strong suit, right, Obi-Wan—mocked the girl—The third step of the plan is to capture the Viceroy; he said it right after the part where we infiltrate the palace through the secret passages.

—It's the most important, everything depends on it.

The Gungan troops took their positions and began to march toward the battlefield. Meanwhile, the Jedi and several soldiers entered the city in small groups to go unnoticed. They positioned themselves against the wall, and Padmé used a flashlight to signal the captain, who responded indicating that they could pass. Qui-Gon crouched in front of the children and first addressed Anakin.

—Ani entrar busca donde puedas ocultarte y quédate ahí.

—Si—acepto.

—No salgas—volteo a ver a la niña—. Cuidarás de Padme quédate con ella y no la dejes atrás.

—Si Qui-Gon—confirmo al tiempo que los soldados disparaba distrayendo a los droides que quedaban en la ciudad.

Los Jedi encendieron sus sables y desviaron algunos disparos y Obi-Wan se quedó atrás de la fila decapitando a un droide que se acercó demasiado. Entraron por puerta hacia el interior del palacio y avanzaron cubriendo a Anakin a Padme y algunos soldados que se les unieron hasta llegar al hangar. El fuego de los blasters los recibió, los jedi iban delante repeliendo el fuego.

—Anakin cúbrete—exclamo Qui-Gon.

—Todos a sus naves—ordeno Padme a los pilotos.

Estos corrieron a sus transportes intentando que no les dieran. R2 llego a una de las naves y un juego de ganchos lo subió; seguidamente empezó a emitir pitidos para atraer a Anakin. Las naves despegaban tan pronto Los pilotos subían a ellas

—Estas latas ya me están cansando—se quejo la más pequeña decapitando otra.

—¿Qué pasa princesa? ¿Te quejas de tu plan?—se mofó Obi-Wan.

—Mi plan era quedarnos en Coruscant ¿Quieres seguirlo?

—¿Siempre son así?—Padme disparo.

—Creo que moriré antes de que esos dos se lleven bien.

Anakin subió a la nave con R2 y vio a las dos más jóvenes luchando junto con los mayores, intentando deshacerse de todos los droides. Astra apago su sable y uso la fuerza para sujetar al último grupo de droides y lanzarlos afuera del hangar.

—Hubieras empezado por ahí—se rio Padme.

—Mis habilidades tiene un límite—informo repitiendo la acción de girar el sable en su mano—. Debemos seguir.

—El virrey debe estar en la sala del trono—

—¡Grupo rojo! ¡Grupo azul! Síganme por aquí—ordeno el capitán a lo que todos se dirigieron a la puerta.

—Oigan, espérenme—pidió Anakin intentando bajarse de la nave.

—Anakin, quédate ahí. Estarás seguro—informo Qui-Gon

—Pero—trato de protestar

—Quédate en esa nave.

—Quiero ayudar.

—Ani obedece, volveremos por ti, lo prometo—desplegó su deslizador y subió a él.

Las puestas se abrieron y estaban por salir, vieron a una figura encapuchada con la cabeza baja que los estaba esperando. Cuando se enderezó revelo sus ojos, entre amarillos y rojos, con una furia maldad que la pequeña no supo descifrar.

—Déjenos con él—pidió el maestro caminando entre los soldados.

—Todos, la ruta larga—ordeno Padme caminando hacia el otro lado con los soldados y doncellas detrás.

Qui-Gon Obi-Wan y Astra se colocaron firmes frente al hombre, quien retiro la capucha de su cabeza, revelando a un Zabrak de piel roja y tatuajes negros. Los jedi por su parte, retiraron sus capas y las tiraron al suelo para tener mayor libertad de movimiento. El sith encendió su arma, un sable de doble empuñadura, al mismo tiempo que los Jedi encendían los suyos y se colocaban en guardia.

—Astra quédate con Padme, tu deber ahora es protegerla—sentencio Qui-Gon.

—Papá—susurro asustada apretando la empuñadura del sable.

—Todo estará bien, Rani ve.

En contra de sus deseos, Astra paso detrás de su padre y su alumno para llegar hasta Padme que lidiaba con unos droideka con campos de energía.

El zabrak avanzo hacia los jedi y el primero en atacar fue Obi-Wan que salto sobre él para quedar a su espalda e intento darle un golpe de esta forma antes de ser bloqueado. La destreza del Sith era innegable, ya que podía repeler los ataques de los dos Jedi al mismo tiempo usando un arma bastante compleja.

Por otra parte, Astra no la estaba pasando mejor, los droideka no les permitían avanzar y ella sola no tenía la habilidad suficiente como para repeler todos los disparos. Aun así hacia su mejor esfuerzo mientras que los soldados y las mujeres disparaban intentando darles, pero el campo de fuerza que estos poseían lo hacía casi imposible.

On the other side of the hangar, Anakin was checking the buttons on his ship, trying to find the trigger to help Astra and Padme with the droids. R2 emitted a complaining beep, and he responded.

"That's what I'm trying to do; I don't know where the trigger is." He pressed a button that made the ship move forward. "Oops, not this one. Maybe it's this." He pulled a lever, and the hatch closed. "Wait, here it is." He took control and maneuvered the ship before pressing the trigger to shoot the droids.

"Let's go," indicated the queen, running into the palace with the soldiers behind her.

"It's on autopilot," he yelled when he saw it was about to take off. "R2, deactivate it." He put on a helmet.

"Padme, was that Anakin?" asked the girl, floating by her side.

"He'll be fine; it's safer than here."

"If you say so."

While the Jedi continued to battle the Sith, the blows went back and forth without rest. They couldn't hit him, but they also didn't give him a chance to attack. Until a moment when the Zabrak jumped while blocking a low blow from Obi-Wan and kicked Qui-Gon in the abdomen, throwing him to the ground. This gave the Sith the opportunity to move away towards one of the hangar doors leading to an auxiliary power plant. There, he used the Force to lift a cut piece of a droid and damage the circuit to allow him to pass. However, he couldn't afford to be distracted, as the Padawan was right behind him and didn't miss the chance to attack him again. The master ran to his aid, and before entering, the Sith hit Obi-Wan in the same way he had done with his master, throwing him far from the entrance, leaving only the master with enough time to step back. The series of bridges and generators supplying power were over a deep pit that, from where they were, seemed to have no bottom. The battle continued in this place, with the Sith retreating to a control panel from where he did a backflip to reach one of the bridges, followed by the Jedi.

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Chut Chut PateesaHow are you?

Once again here with you, I want to let you know that all the chapters of this first season will be published before or at the latest by December 31st, that is, before this year's Festival of Lights.

-Astra, run, I think he's finally going to do it. -Obi-Wan, is he going to shave his beard? -What? No, silly, Anakin challenged Jar Jar to a game of Sabacc, and Jar Jar is winning. -Are you kidding? I have to see this.

Well, my beloved Padawans, as always, I ask you to like, comment, follow me, beware of the Sith, and remember that "your focus determines your reality." And May the Force be with you.

#jedi #fanfic #padawan #qui gon jinn #star wars #padme amidala #anakin skywalker x oc #anakin x oc #obi wan kenobi #jar jar binks #anakin skywalker

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