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sachirobabe · 1 month

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Chapter 2

Kuroo Tetsuro x reader

Wc: 1900

Summary: You, a dedicated member of the girls' volleyball team, find an unexpected connection with Kuroo Tetsurou. Igniting a bond over shared passions and stolen moments, love blossoms on the court; all because you met him at a captains meeting.

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Taglist: @merlucide, @lemurzsquad, @02shuuu

Despite waking up on time, you were frantically running around your house trying to find your left knee pad. You thought you had everything packed, but right as you were going to meet up with Himari you decided to check your bag again.

"Mom!" You yell, moving the pillows on the couch to see if your missing knee pad was there. It was not.

"I have no idea where it could be, sweetheart." She says apologetically, "Check the car?" She suggests.

You had to leave in 5 minutes if you wanted to be on time. Your coach would kill you if she found out her captain was late on the first day.

"Good morning my second mom!" Himari walks into your house, greeting your mother with a hug.

"Hey sweetie." She returns the hug. Himari looks at your disheveled self, running around like a maniac.

"What's wrong with her?" Himari chuckles.

"She can't find her left knee pad." Your mother sighs, handing Himari her lunch that she had made her. Your mother made lunches for the both of you, this week was her turn to make them.

Himari raises her eyebrows and quickly unzips her volleyball bag, "I thought it was weird I had an extra knee pad." She says and calls your name, holding the missing knee pad.

"Oh thank god." You take it from her and shove it in your bag, "Where was it?"

"My bag." Himari laughs, waving to your mother as you both walk out the door.

You roll your eyes, "You stole it."

"You left it." She giggles.

You both made it just in time for class, Himari sat in the desk next to you. Class was going relatively fast, it was the first day, so it was the easiest.

Himari watched the clock tick, her stomach was rumbling, begging for some food. You watch her clutch her stomach and put her head down.

The second the bell rang, she grabbed her lunch and pulled you along with her to class 5.

"Mori!" Himari smiles widely, your coach, who was also a teacher, lifted her head up from the papers she was examining and raised an eyebrow.

"Himari, you cannot call me that." Your coach says.

"You're my sister, I can call you whatever I want." Himari crosses her arms.

"Yeah, well not at work. Just for that you're doing extra cardio today." Mori glares at her sister.

You chuckle and take a seat, eating your lunch watching them argue about every little thing. You excuse yourself to the bathroom and to get some water.

"Hey, L/n!" You hear your name being called, you turn and see Kuroo.

"Oh hey, please just call me Y/n, I like it better." You smile. "What's up, Kuroo?"

"I didn't know your coach taught here." He says following you.

"Yeah," You chuckle, "Sometimes she makes me help her grade."

"Well, if you ever grade my stuff you'll only see perfect marks." He brags.

"Uh-huh, sure."

"Oh, but what I really got your attention for was our team's schedule." He pulls out a paper and hands it to you, it's a little crumpled from being in his bag. "I heard from Kai that you like to have your own."

"Thank you, we haven't gotten our schedule yet, but I'll be sure to pass it on to you when I do." You say, folding the paper so it doesn't get any more ruined.

"Sounds good." He puts his hand in his pockets and stands a little awkwardly, not sure how to continue the conversation.

You chuckle, "I'll see you later, I have to finish my lunch." With that he watches your figure walk towards his class, assuming you eat lunch with your coach.

He mentally groans at himself and begins to walk back to where his friends are at.

"She made the practice plan." You notice Himari's face down her desk, her voice was muffled.

"It can't be worse than last years," you chuckle, remembering how a few of the girls had thrown up. Mori handed you her iPad to show what was on schedule and you gulp, "are you trying to kill us?!"

"My goal is to get rid of the unserious players day one." She takes her iPad back.

"Yeah, you'll probably get rid of a few of your starters too." You are trying to mentally prepare for after school.

"We'll do more than just throw up." Himari rubs her temples.

Mori clicks her tongue, "It won't be as bad as you think. Now get to class before you're late." You two groan and leave the classroom, going back to your own.

You were assigned a worksheet for the remainder of class, Himari takes your paper and compares it to her own, unsure of where her mistake could be.

You shook your head and stared out the window, the day was going by fast and soon you'll be begging for oxygen at practice.

The last bell of the day rang and students were antsy to leave, you took your time packing your things. Nervousness and excitement pooled your stomach.

"Cmon let's go, we have to open the club room." Himari stands up.

"I'm going, I'm going." You stand up as well and pull your bag over one shoulder.

You continued your small talk, up until you reached the door. The clouds were starting to turn grey, making you frown.

"We might get rained on." Himari notes and walks into the club room.

"At least it'll cool us off while we run." You shrug, taking off your school uniform and changing into your volleyball gear.

The door whips open, making you clutch your shirt to your chest, "LETS GO BABY! First day of the season." Naomi, one of your teammates yell.

"Close the fucking door! We're shirtless." Himari yells back.

"It was just me." Naomi sighs, "Captain." She nods to you and you wave the two off as you go into the gym.

The boys club room was to the right of yours, Kuroo had just so happened to get out the same time you did. "Beautiful day for running, right?"

You turn and see the boys captain and you chuckle, "So you've heard."

"Misaki mentioned it quite loudly." He laughs, "Have you had a chance to look through your first-year applicants?" He says.

"A few of them. We have a huge turnout. I told you we would." You sigh. "And you?"

He nods, "4 of them. That's all we got."

You hum, "I'm wishing you guys the best, we'd love to be able to go to nationals together."

"We're trying," he chuckled, "We'll definitely be there. I promise." He says to you. "See 'ya." And he walks into his respected gym.

You shake your head, you had teased the captains years prior about going to nationals. They have two chances, one near the start of the year, and the other in the spring. That is if the third-years stay.

During your summer break you and the other third-years hung out and talked about whether staying after inter high was a good idea or not. You stood firmly on staying, you wanted to take the team to nations twice. Of course the others followed after you.

The smell of a freshly waxed gym floods your nose, you know it'll be the worst when diving, but you've prepared yourself for the bruises and burns.

"Don't bother putting your volleyball shoes, we'll be going outside shortly." Your coach says as you began to take off your other shoes.

You fake cry and begin stretching, making her chuckle evilly.

After a gruesome two and a half hours, you made it through without puking. You can't say the same for some of the other girls, though.

You're hunched over a ball cart, catching your breath. You eye a number of girls going up to coach Mori, most likely to tell her that they won't be returning.

You think she actually did it, she really got rid of all but 3 first-years.

"I need fluids." Keiko, one of the middle blockers tells you. "I lost all of them during our second session outside."

You scrunch your nose at the thought of her puking, "There's Gatorade in the club room."

"Gather 'round! I just have a few things to say before we tear down the nets," Your coach starts, "Great first day, tomorrow will be similar, please let me know if you won't be coming back." You drown out her voice as she talks about things you've heard the past 2 years.

You're starving. Your stomach tightens uncomfortably, you hope your mother or father made something good. You'll also be taking a Gatorade from the club room.

"Captain?" You coach catches you off guard, "Is there anything you'd like to add before we leave?"

"Thank you all for coming, don't be discouraged by today, it all comes with practice. Please continue to support us! Rest up and be ready for tomorrow. " You end and the room erupts in applause.

You let the starter second-years take the nets down while you converse with your coach for tomorrow.

"I finished up making the schedule, I already sent coach Nekomata a copy, but I know you like to have one as well." She opens her clipboard and hands you a paper.

"Do you happen to have another one?" You say, eyes scanning the schedule.

"Yeah, here." She hands you another, "Why?"

"I wanted to give it to the boys' captain." You say, not paying much mind to it.

"The boy, huh." She smirks.

"What? I just met him, you're delusional." You laugh.

"Don't let boys distract you. Do you remember what happened to Mia?" You recall the memory two years ago, she had gotten dumped the day before nationals. It was horrible for her, she had to be benched halfway through because of her errors.

You shiver at the thought, "I promise nothings going to happen."

Your coach hums, you see most of the girls have already left or gone to the club room. "I'll see you tomorrow." You say.

You can feel some soreness in your legs walking up the stairs to the club room. You throw your jacket and sweats on. 'The schedule.' You remind yourself and make your way over to the boys' clubroom.

"What're you doing?" Himari questions.

"I need to give this to the captain." You say, "Also we're stopping at the store, I need food immediately." She laughs and says she does too.

You knock on the door, hearing some of the chatter die down, a short blonde answers. "What's up?"

"Is Kuroo in there? I have something for him." You say.

"I think he's still in the gym, sorry."

"You're good, thanks." You finish and drag Himari to the gym again.

The blonde was right, Kuroo was sitting on the floor talking to his coach, their heads turn to see who had just walked in.

"Oh—hey," Kuroo gets up and walks over to the two of you. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I just got our schedule," You hand it over to him.

"Thank you." He gives a wide smile, "Hey Coach, do you need one of these?"

"I got it emailed, thank you son. Y/n, Himari." He nods to you guys. "How was the first day?"

"So much running." Himari stares off into nothing remembering how she felt during it.

"And conditioning. But I think coach Mori did it. She got rid of all the unserious players day one." You say.

"I helped her make that plan." Nekomata chuckles.

"I hope our suffering was worth it." Himari sticks her nose in the air. Making the boys laugh.

"Good luck tomorrow." Kuroo waves, when you're out of eyesight he clutches the paper to his chest. He didn't necessarily need the schedule, but you thought of him and that's all he could ask for.

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bonesandthebees · 5 months

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NOT EVEN GIVING MYSELF TIME TO WRITE A N ENDING NOTE TO LAST ASK IM SPEEDRUNNING THIS SHIT IHKGYDD

NOOOOOO THIS HAS ALREADY GONE TO SHIT SO FUCKING QUICK WHATRHFUCK

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

THIS IS SO FUCKED THIS SIS FOSFUCKDJDKF

"This has happened before" oh my fucking god CHILLS what the FUCK

A FUCKIGN SYFRINGE??#?_?_!_ THAT ESCALETSD QUICKLY UH BEE WHAT THR RUFKCK???

What the fuck

NOOOO THIS IS SOO THIS SIS SPFCUCKSDUDPAHDODHSKFKDKDLF

NOOOOOO NO FUCKIGN WAYYY NOOOO THIS IS SO MANIPUTLKAITVEEE NOOO CANT U SEEEE NOOOO THIS IS WAY MORE FUCKED UP THAN I COULDVE IMAGINED HOKYFUCJINGHSITHSOSGSKFJSJDF NMOOOO NO WAYSHSKSKFLSLFJDK NOOODHFKDLD

YES TOMMY YWSHSOAHSLSJKD YESSJDJFKFL

What.

The. Fuck.

What.

They can WHAT.

Omg jaw dropped ROCKETDUO?$??$?$?$ HELLOOOO

Oh god this chapter is fucking long I am terrified whaththefuck goes down ohkygoddd aaaaaaa

Pausing for now until I get home so I dont like have to wait an hour right after reading an almost death shfkfkfkfkkdkk

Okay back woot woot :D

Snuggled up in bed with my fairy lights on under two blankets and in my PJs I AM READY!!!!

OH MY FUCKING GOD WAIT.

JUST REALISED

SMOKE.

FIRE.

STATUE.

OH FUCK

NOOOOOO THIS IS SO EVIL OHKYFUCGODJDODJFLGKGLG

NOOOOOOOOOOO

WAIT. I DID NOT READ THAT RIGHT. HOLDUP. I JUST. NO. NO WAY. JACK DID NOT. THERES NO FUCKING WAY. WHATHTHEFUCK. OHMYGOD?

WHAT

OHMYGOD

NY MOUTH IS HUNG OPEN IN SHOCK WHAT

I'm putting onmysuperangstynplaylistforthissholyshit

God

I know he has the syringe but..but. but. But. But. But. But. That is traumatizing that is fucking traumatizing

Bee is this u practicing writing MCD for roses LMFAODJFKGK ohmygodddd I'm ow ow ow ohmyfuckingofdo ohmygod ohmygod the TRAUMA the fucking TRAUMAS the curse??? I mean. He's gonna come back to life but he died holyshit. Is Wilbur eve r gonna not wear a blindfold I'm insane. I'm so insane. I cannot. I don't even know what tod o ohkygod ohkudoboghdnsmfjfdls

This is so fucking cool I'm fucking obsessed

Oh god....

Oh god.

Ow.

Everything hurts.

Ow.

HOW DID IT GET EVEN SADDER??$?$?#?#?$??_?_?_$ TOMMY FUCKING DIED IS THAY NOT ENOUGH OHMYGODDDD

It wasn't your time... That's totally why she didn't show up yes yes [cries]

HOW IS IR GETTING WORSE

JUST LET RHE BOYS REST OHMYGODDDJAKSHDKFKFLGF

WHERES PHIL AND TECHNO KHMYFUCGODDDDD

YESSS FUCK U SCHLATT MOTHERFUCKER!!!!

YESSDJFJGKDKFK I WAS WAITING FOR HIM TO USE HIS EYES AS A WEAPON YESSDDJFKGKD

Ily ranboo

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

That was so intense aaaaaaaaaaa

I don't even have WORDS, I'll probs have words once I read all the other asks but man. Man. I'm in shock. Wow. That was. So intense. Ohhhh my godddd so cool tho so so cool I'm gonna fozpsjdkf explodes beeeeee beeeeeee you're so good at writing holyshitttt this was such a satisfying climax ohmygoddddd aaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa

I'm not going to get over Tommy waking up and just. Demanding why Kristin wasn't there. That's so. Ow?? Ow..ouch. ouch. Ohmhgodddddskskfkdkskfjfkskf

Beeeeeee beeee I am not okay bee ohmygod diaowjdoxishdkskdjf

At least I can unmute the tags now woOOOO FJFKFLDLFLGLDKFLFLGG EXPLODES IM SO GONNA REREAD RHE SHIT OUTTA THE REVIVAL SCENE OHKYGODDD OUCHH OUCHIE OUCHIE OUCHIE I NEED DADZAAAA

ch 27 time lets go icy

yeah things go to shit really fast lmaoooo

loved finally getting to talk about the pythia curse story I've had that one written up for a while

the syringe is a surprise tool that will help us later :)

that whole convo was soooo manipulative and fucked up but also!! wilbur pushed through!! he held onto himself he's made so much progress!!

smoke :) tommy's lungs :)) jack manifold is there :)))

maybe it's me practicing my MCD writing for rose who knows you'll have to wait and see on that one lmao

tommy died and came back but death wasn't the great thing he'd always been promised it was. it wasn't warm and he wasn't comforted. he was cold and alone and terrified.

AND FUCK SCHLATT

thank you so much icy I'm so happy with how that chapter turned out. it really felt like the perfect climax to everything i'd been building towards the entire fic. so glad you enjoyed <3

#ask #icyfox17 #glass ch 27

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outcast-thingz · 2 years

Text

Chapter 3:

Oh Fuck... Now What Do We Do

Sweetpea sniffs around the ground and points at hedge. Before Styx has a chance to flee Atticus shoots his arm through the sticks gripping the "intruder's" arm.

'Fuck! Does this dude rock climb for a living!?' Styx questions, 'maybe he's blacksmith. Either way his grip is deadly..' that being said she leans into the pull and socks her shoulder into the blonde's armpit. With swift movements she slides her inside leg in front of his and pull the man over her shoulder.

"Nicht Ziel!" Atticus commands then groans. The great dane skids to a stop and barks encouragingly from the sidelines. Seconds later he pulls Styx down by his arm and brings up his knee to meet her forehead. The redhead stumbles back a few steps holding her head. He takes advantage of this moment to spin around on his back and rise to his feet.

'Something's not right...' the realization hit Atticus as he blocks the young womans punches and kicks. Although, strong and clear that she was trying to out some form behind each strike, it was... sloppy. Like she couldn't think clearly about the moves she was wanting to make. Give that the only thing moving her at the moment is pure adrenaline this makes sense. After finally seeing an opening Atticus pulls her into a head lock and lets her run out the last of her steam.

"Holy shit! Is he actually out if breath?" Kyran blurts after he and Galieo finally make it out back.

"Oh my heavens. Put her down you brute!"

"Brute!? Dude read the room she's the one who ran him ragged. Speaking by of which, where the fuck did she come from?" Atticus shrugs finally putting input in the conversation. The girl passes out and the blonde readjusts her in his arms.

"The chick with death glare? Huh weird. What's she doing out here? She looks sick."

"She does. Atticus bring her in, Kyran start making dinner if she wakes she'll need something easy to eat. I'll get her something to wear." Galieo takes charge.

The boys do as they're told and Galieo gets the girl changed into dry clothing.

'I hope she forgives me for that... wet clothing won't help her recover,' the anxious man thought. He'd taken off her wig and undoes her hair.

"Such pretty hair it's a shame she hides it. Like a raven or obsidian." he sighs. Mentally he fought the urge to play with her hair.

"You're got to be joking. How did she manage to fit alll of that.." Kyran circles his hand towards the hair, "into the wig?" He leans over the couch twirling a few strands between his fingers with curiosity.

"Wig cap and-" Galeio slaps his brother's hand away from the hair, "what looked like years and years of practice. If you look long enough you can see some bits that are relaxed to their natural state. It may seem wavy but she was definitely born with straight hair."

After having a homemade meal from Kyran the boys decided to discuss the girl.

"Okay so this chick gave Galieo the death glare after he basically ran over her-"

"It was an accident and your fault!"

"Semantics. Then she shows up at the cabin we're renting for the week and tries to beat the shit out of Atticus..."

"..."

"Sounds like fun. We should ask her to join the trip!" Kyran confidently suggests only to be met with an astonished look from his brother and the usual no change in expression from Atticus.

"Kyran, did you loose a screw during our hikes?" Galieo asks as Atticus shrugs. "You can't seriously be agreeing with him Atti!?"

"Don't call me that." Thr Blonde snaps bitterly making the curly haired man jump in his seat.

"Y-yes sir!" The obedient reply made Atticus roll his eyes. Kyran snickers as his brother clears his throat. "Fine. All I meant was that we don't know her and she doesn't know us. Who in their right mind would go on a cross country trip with three guys they don't know." Galieo explains. Kyran rises from his seat with a cocky grin and leans into his hands on the table.

"Match point bitch. This conversation is so over."

"Language. And Oh? What makes you say that?"

"Do I really need to mention your first night meeting Ma-"

"ZIP IT, LOCK IT, AND MELT THAT KEY"

"Shhh, you're gonna wake her~" the red head chuckles, "besides it's why you've been blaming yourself for not noticing when we first bumped into her right? You've been checking up on her every five minutes. She's going to be fine, ain't that right Atticus." The blonde nods agreeingly.

"..."

"Then it's settled, we'll try to convince her to go. We've done weirder and crazier thing anyways. Oh and Leo?"

"Huh?"

"Dont loose sleep over it. We can help her now and that's what matters."

"...right."

Taglist: @bisexual-confusion @yeet-man @gayfanficanonymous @astro-pioneer

#outcast squad chapters #it's on the shorter side..#but i think this was best decision #this gave more insight than what o originally had #er..#i think it did #outcast squad #the outcast squad

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satans-my-spirit-animal · 1 year

Text

A Grim in Devildom ch 11

Chapter 1. Chapter 6

Chapter 2. Chapter 7

Chapter 3. Chapter 8

Chapter 4. Chapter 9

Chapter 5. Chapter 10

*suggestive themes, gore*

Cassandra woke the next morning with her face still pressed to Mammon's chest. He was fast asleep, still holding her tightly against him, their legs now tangled together.

She enjoyed breathing in his scent for a moment before realizing she had to get up and make breakfast. Ever since the retreat she had been enlisted in cooking duty. It wasn't bad really, between the seven of them.

She tried to wiggle free, not wanting to wake Mammon, pulling herself up so she could slide out of his arms. She stopped to look at his beautiful white hair, it looked so soft and fluffy. She had always wanted to touch it and now was her chance, best of all he'd be none the wiser.

She gently reached out and stroked his hair. It was soft and silky to the touch.

Mammon mumbled something in his sleep, causing her to freeze. He hugged her tighter, inadvertently bringing her chest to his face. She let out a gasp as he smiled blissfully rubbing his cheek on her large breasts.

Her entire body heated up with nervous excitement as her heart pounded in her chest. She squirmed again trying to break free and Mammon's sapphire blue eyes flickered open.

He looked up at her groggily through white lashes, his cheek still pressed to her chest.

"M-mammon?" She stammered not sure what to do.

His eyes suddenly shot open and he quickly pulled away from her turning bright red.

"W-what are ya tryin' to do?!" He shouted panicked.

"Be quiet Mammon! You'll wake everyone up! I was just trying to get up without waking you. You wouldn't let go." She hissed trying to calm him down.

"O-oh... well, ya know your so soft and small I must've thought you were a pillow or somethin'!" He turned his head away to hide his blush but she could still see his ears turn red.

"Anyway, I got to get dressed and make breakfast." She said slipping out of bed.

Later after breakfast, she finally decided to confront Kieran. She found him in the living room where he'd been camping out for the past couple of days.

"Kieran? Is it alright if we talk for a minute?" She said sheepishly sitting down on the couch next to him.

His ears perked up immediately. "Of course." He gave her a hopeful look his golden eyes sparkling.

"Look I know you didn't tell me about what really happened because I was so little and I understand. I just wish you told me sooner... And I know it was also grandpa's fault as well he knew too." She sighed.

"I know. I should have told you years ago but... I just didn't know how to bring that up... It's hard for me to talk about it... I... I loved your mother..." He choked sounding heartbroken.

"I know Kieran. You guys were always close." She leaned down scooping Kieran in her arms in a tight hug. She pulled away and kissed him on his forehead to comfort him and show him that he was forgiven.

Kieran shook his head. "No Cassandra... You don't understand there's something el-" He was cut off by Lucifer entering the room.

"I see you two have made up. Good. Now Cassandra would you like to accompany me on a shopping trip?" Lucifer asked with a raised eyebrow.

She looked down at Kieran who'd been interrupted. "Hey if a rich guy invites you to go shopping go." He chuckled as she set him down.

"K-kieran!" She said shooting Lucifer an apologetic look.

"Go ahead and get ready. I'll meet you at the front gate in 10 minutes." Lucifer smiled and left the room.

"OH, MAN! Check this out! It's a super-rare magic stone! Ooh, and it's on sale too? It says it's today's featured item... WOW, That's cheap! CRAZY cheap!" Mammon said looking back and forth between Lucifer and the store window with several shining stones on display. Lucifer had brought Mammon along on their shopping trip and he had been begging for things nonstop the entire time.

"C'mon I gotta have it! I gotta I gotta I gotta! If you don't buy it for me I'm gonna be real saaaaad... I'll end up cryin'... I'll throw a tantrum... And you don't want that do ya?" Mammon continued to beg like a child and Lucifer scowled at him.

"Leave him be Cassandra. Pretend you don't know him." She took Lucifer's advice and turned away from Mammon pulling up her trench coat over her shoulders.

"The only reason I brought you along was to get you away from Satan." Lucifer let out a worried sigh. "Tomorrow's the big speech and yet the curse shows no signs of going away." He looked down at Satan's hands.

"Doncha think it's about time to give in and ask Satan to do it for you? You're sorta out of options here." Mammon said, finally turning serious.

"I have no intention of begging him for help." Lucifer said stubbornly. "Even if I did do that I couldn't be sure that he wouldn't try anything nefarious anyway."

"Are you sure about that? After everything that went down in the game, Satan seems to have changed some doncha think?" Mammon glanced at her wanting her to back him up.

"Yeah, I think he might have a new perspective on things now." She agreed with a nod.

"Exactly! That's what I'm sayin'! You see it too doncha? See you're smart Cassandra!" He grinned at her before looking at Lucifer. "Did ya hear that? Cassandra AGREES with me! It's like... He's more chill when it comes to you now. He's not all bitter and stuff anymore."

"Come on Cassandra, let's head inside this store here." Lucifer said pulling her towards a nearby shop, ignoring Mammon's annoyed response from being ignored.

Later Lucifer took them to Hell's Kitchen for lunch. Mammon was chowing down on a backstabbing sandwich while she eyed Lucifer somewhat apprehensively.

"This is your reward for coming shopping with me. So eat as much as you like." Lucifer's smile made her think there was some sort of catch but perhaps she was overthinking it.

After they had finished their meal Lucifer finally revealed his ulterior motive. "Now you get to compensate me for all that food you ate through hard work." He gave them a devilish grin.

"WHA?!" Mammon cried completely blindsided.

"I'm heading up to the human world and you two are coming with me." Lucifer said.

Mammon suddenly seemed very excited. "The human world? Like for real?! Ooh, this is awesome! Man, it's been a long time since I've been up there for fun. I used to corrupt human souls left and right. I'd make a bunch of money doin' it too. Then I'd go on a massive spending spree! You're coming with, Cassandra?! This is gonna be great!"

She however remained stony-faced. Lucifer wouldn't just take her and Mammon up to the human world for fun.

"Why exactly are we going to the human world?" She said frowning.

"It's because of the curse. The witch who created the book is still alive. The best way to break the curse is to ask the very person who created it. She should be able to lift it." Lucifer explained.

Mammon went pale at the mention of witches. "Wait... Did you say a witch?... Hold on could that be...?!" He gasped and stood up.

"Uh... Y'know what? I think I'm gonna sit this one out... Bye!" He tried to make a run for it but Lucifer grabbed him.

"Do you really think I'd let you run off Mammon?" He laughed pulling him back to the table.

Mammon yelled and struggled in vain against his grip. "Qu-quit it! Leggo of me!"

Cassandra had actually dealt with witches before. It wasn't unusual for her to come across them in her work. They were good sources for information and we're usually very forthcoming with it when they heard her name. Although they did expect some favors from her in return usually catching some sort of spirit or fairy for them.

"I know why you don't want to go. It just so happens that this witch is a big fan of both you and Satan." Lucifer smiled wickedly.

"Then don't drag me along with ya!" Mammon protested still trying to shake him off.

"Actually that's exactly why I'm going to drag you along with me. Cassandra, you're coming too. As long as we're going to be in the human world I imagine having one along with us will come in handy." Lucifer said turning to her.

"But where are we going in the human world? It's kinda a big place." She said, she worked out of the U.S. and had never been abroad aside from the Devildom.

"London." Lucifer said with a smile.

"L-london?! Are you serious?!" She said unable to control her excitement.

"Is that a problem?" Lucifer seemed taken aback by her sudden switch in attitude.

"No! I've just never been out of the U.S.! I can't wait to see what it's like over there!" She was unable to stop herself from grinning happily.

"Well, at least one of you is excited." Lucifer chuckled leading them out of the restaurant.

"So how do you get to the human world from here anyway? A teleportation spell?" She asked as they walked along the street.

"That's one way, but there are several methods. Another is to use an eternal magic seal... A passage between worlds that has existed since ancient times. There are several magic seals like that. One of which is right here." He pointed to the center of the square they were in.

"But the only demons who are allowed to use them whenever they feel like it are Lord Diavolo, Barbatos, and you, Lucifer. What's up with that huh?" Mammon complained throwing his hands into the air.

"If another demon wishes to use the doorway they have to receive permission in advance. Originally all demons could use them whenever they wanted. But then we had some problems up in the human world that necessitated a policy change. You see a certain someone kept getting in trouble with the witches up there." Lucifer shot Mammon a glare.

Mammon let out a nervous laugh and Lucifer turned back to the magic seal.

"Now let's get going." He raised his hands over the seal and Mammon cried out. "Wait! No! Don't make me do this!"

There was a flash of light but nothing happened. They hadn't moved from the town square.

"Well, that was anticlimactic." She said raising an eyebrow.

"Strange. Why didn't it work?" Lucifer looked around confused.

"Uh, Lucifer have you forgotten you're in Satan's body right now?" Mammon pointed out and Lucifer gasped.

"I see... So even though it's really me I can't use the magic circle. Without a mirror to remind me it's easy to forget I'm someone else right now." Lucifer looked down at Satan's body, dismayed.

"Welp, if you can't use the magic circle then I guess that's that! The curse is gonna wear off eventually anyway right? As for that speech thing tomorrow, I'll go have a talk with Satan for ya. 'course my services aren't free of charge-" Mammon let out a joyful laugh but was interrupted as Satan stepped out into the town square.

" That won't be necessary. I hate speeches and I have no intention of agreeing to give one." They all turned to look at him in surprise as he walked over to them.

"Wh...?! Satan! What're you doin' here?!" Mammon raised his voice in surprise.

"What is there something wrong with me being here? Either way, I heard everything you guys said. So let's get going." Satan approached the magic circle with a determined look. She wondered if he had been following them. It seemed odd he'd show up at just the right time.

"Wait, don't tell me you actually wanna go to-" Mammon went pale again realizing they were going after all.

"To the human world, yes. That was the plan right?" Satan looked over at Lucifer who was eyeing him suspiciously.

"Don't think this means I owe you anything." Lucifer glared at him.

"That's not what this is about. I'm tired of being in this body, that's all. I've gotten all the fun out of it." Satan snorted and held out his hand to Lucifer as they cast the spell.

There was another flash of light and suddenly daylight filled her vision. She groaned shielding her eyes from the sudden brightness. She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out her sunglasses and quickly put them on.

She took a look around and gasped. They were standing on the sidewalk next to the Thames river. Across the river she could see the London Eye, confirming that they were in fact in London.

"How does it feel being back in the human world after so long? Does it make you want to return home?" Satan asked her not wanting to get involved in the animated discussion Lucifer and Mammon were having.

"Well, this isn't anything like where I'm from, so not really. I mean it's nice to see the sun again but that's about it." She said with a shrug, she glanced around to see if people had noticed the four of them just appearing on the street but didn't catch any unusual looks.

"Really? Where are you from?" Satan seemed surprised by her answer.

"I'm from the states. I live kind of out in the country. I do travel a lot but usually to remote areas for work. I don't go to the city often." She explained as Mammon and Lucifer came back over to them. Mammon had a bit of sulky expression.

"I suppose that makes sense." Satan nodded to her as they walked down the street. She made sure to stay close to them, not wanting to get separated in a foreign country without a passport.

They went to several shops, including a bookstore that Satan insisted on going in. By the time they had finished shopping it was dark.

They made their way to a pub and ordered dinner and drinks. Mammon was still pouting since Lucifer had refused to buy him anything. However, he perked up when Sugar by Maroon 5 started playing. Lucifer and Satan also looked up seeming to recognize it as well.

"All right then, Cassandra! Whaddya say you and me dance?" Mammon stood up excitedly and pulled at her sleeve as she took a swig of beer.

"Yes, what do you say we all head out onto the floor Cassandra?" She gave Lucifer a shocked look as he stood up as well.

She got up and Mammon wasted no time in grabbing her hand, making her blush. "HEY! What's the big idea?! Why are you two coming along, huh?!" Mammon glared at them as they joined them.

"It'll be more fun if we all dance together now won't it?" Satan said trying to push his buttons.

"Hey, no, stay away! Shoo!" Mammon hissed at them as they started dancing next to them.

"Relax Mammon they're just dancing." She chuckled twirling in his arms, she felt his hand tighten on her hip as he glared at them over her head.

As they danced she noticed Mammon was especially handsy, not in an inappropriate way, but his hands never left her. She couldn't bring herself to push him away even though she knew she should have. She even found herself enjoying his touch and the feeling it gave her.

Eventually, they went back to their seats. Mammon smiled happily as he downed his beer. She chuckled as she watched him enjoying himself and he gave her a questioning look. "I thought you didn't want to come to the human world." She said grinning at him.

"Exactly. You screamed bloody murder about me bringing you here and now look at you." Lucifer said shaking Satan's head.

"Well that was then and this is now. As long as I'm here I don't wanna waste my chance to have fun!" Mammon huffed defensively with a shrug.

"Come on, it's time to go." Satan said with a frown.

They got a hotel for the night and left for the train station first thing in the morning.

The train station was quite large and was lined with all sorts of shops. There was even an old train that had been used in the Harrison Porter films. Next to it was a shop filled with merchandise from the film. She remembered that she had watched the movie with Mammon a few weeks ago.

Mammon made a B line for the shop waving her over. "Hey... Hey Cass! Check it out! This place is selling official Harrison Porter and the world of wizards merchandise!" Satan and Lucifer followed her over to him. They both had disapproving looks on their faces.

"Look at this Cassandra! They've got chocolate lizard keychains! And it looks like real chocolate! Man, they did a good job on these huh... You totally want one too right?! Come on admit ya want it! You should ask for more stuff!" Mammon turned to her pleadingly. She hadn't really been asking them for anything during all their shopping trips, only requesting things she absolutely needed. She wasn't really used to having people buy things for her.

She looked at the keychains, they were quite cute. She had to admit that she wanted it even though it wasn't something she really needed. Perhaps Mammon was succeeding in corrupting her because she said, "Yeah, they are pretty cool..." And glanced back at Satan and Lucifer with a somewhat pleading expression.

"I knew it! Come on we'll buy a matching pair!" Mammon grabbed two of the keychains off the shelf with a triumphant smile.

"Fine, I suppose I don't have a choice..." Lucifer gave in smiling as he grabbed two more keychains for himself and Satan.

Lucifer had booked them a private cabin on the train. It was first class and came with a bed and a sitting area, it was almost like a hotel room.

"Wow, this is what I call luxury!" She said flopping down on the bed with a smile. She rarely got to stay anywhere nice when she was traveling for work, sometimes she and Kieran had to set up a makeshift camp in the more remote places.

The train started forward and soon they could see the English countryside flying by them.

"Whooooa! Check it out, Cassandra! Sheep... Real live sheep! There's a whole flock of em! WHOA! Bet they taste good!" Mammon said excitedly looking out the window.

"They are cute..." She said peering out the window next to him.

"Mammon quit shouting every time you see something mildly interesting. You're embarrassing us." Satan glared at Mammon while trying to read a book he'd bought.

Mammon ignored him and stood up still excited. "By the way, they've got a place where you go and eat on this train, right? What's it called again... The dining car? I'm gonna go get some pictures and brag about it to Beel when we get back!" He left the cabin leaving her alone with Lucifer and Satan.

It was quiet for a moment, almost too quiet as she continued looking out the window.

Suddenly a woman's scream cut through the air causing her to jump to her feet out of reflex.

"Someone call the crew! A woman's been stabbed!" Someone yelled down the hall and she darted out the door before Lucifer or Satan could stop her.

She ran out into the hall practically colliding with Mammon. Several people were chasing after him.

"Stop him! He's a murderer!" One man yelled at her as Mammon ducked behind her. Lucifer and Satan caught up to them and glared at Mammon.

"What did you do this time?" Lucifer hissed at him.

"I haven't done nothin'!" Mammon said looking confused as two men closed in on them. A frightened woman stood behind them.

"He killed her! He stabbed that woman!" One of the men pointed at Mammon with a wild look.

"That's right!" The woman said behind him trembling.

The third man who was wearing a rather gaudy shirt eyed them suspiciously as Mammon cowered behind her. "You three. Are you with this man?"

"As a matter of fact, we are." She said frowning as she put her hand on her hip. Mammon may be a demon but he certainly didn't strike her as the type to go around randomly stabbing people. There obviously had been some sort of mistake.

"Well, I'm not personally..." Satan immediately denied her claim.

"I've never seen this man before in my life." Lucifer huffed glaring at Mammon.

"HEY! You two are EVIL, ya know that?! So Cassandra is the only one who'll stand up for me?! Seriously?!" Mammon glared at his two brothers.

Thinking on her feet she quickly stepped forward. "Please excuse my associates- they have a rather dark sense of humor. My name is Cassandra Grimm, I often work with the police. Here's my I.D." She handed the man with the gaudy shirt her I.D card that stated she was an official police informant.

The three brothers stopped and stared at her as she entered work mode. "I'm traveling on business right now but I'm more than happy to help with this investigation. Seeing as one of my associates is involved I assure you that if he has committed a crime I will hand him off to Scotland yard myself."

"Cassandra?!" Mammon said looking betrayed but she turned her head so he could see her wink at him.

"Grimm huh? Where have I heard that name before?" The man handed her back her card with a frown.

"Oh Thank goodness!" The woman looked relieved.

"Alright, I'm going to start by asking him some questions so I'll be right back." She quickly turned around to face the brothers.

"What was that card you gave them?" Lucifer asked looking shocked.

"My police informant I.D. I wasn't lying you know I've worked with the police on several murder investigations." She said quietly so they wouldn't be overheard.

"Really? Will you tell me about it sometime?" Satan said looking intrigued.

"Hey! I'm being accused of murder here! Could ya take it more seriously?!" Mammon hissed at them.

"Alright, Mammon tell us what happened then." She said nodding at him.

"Well I was lookin' for the dining car but I came across this dead end. It had a sign on it that said 'No admittance. This car has been reserved for a private party.' So I thought I had to go through there to get to the dining car. I thought ' I'll just pretend I can't read human writin'. So I went in and it was real dark it took a minute to see the people inside sittin' at a table with a candle on it. I asked them what they were doing and they started screaming that I was a spirit! And then the old lady fell over with a knife in her back. The last thing she said was 'Mammon'. So I said 'Mammon huh... Well then seems she decided to name someone great and noble in her last breath. Cause that's MY name! Say hello to MAMMON... The one and only!' Then they said she was naming her murder and started chasing me..." Mammon explained as she ran her hand through her hair with a sigh.

"... Just how much of an idiot are you?" Lucifer said what she was thinking. Satan nodded in agreement.

Mammon started to protest but Lucifer cut him off. "You never think before you act. That's why you're always ending up in these situations, you complete and utter moron." He hissed before thwacking Mammon over the head. Mammon yelped, rubbing his head.

"None of this would have happened if you hadn't insisted on telling them your name. But being the fool that you are, you just had to didn't you?" Satan growled at him and Mammon began to cry, sniffling as he wiped the tears off his cheeks.

She sighed, starting to feel bad for him. "It's alright Mammon. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. It wasn't your fault." She reached up and placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him, ignoring Satan's snort of disgust.

She gasped in surprise when Mammon suddenly hugged her tight, and she was thankful that they had moved out of the eyesight of the other passengers.

"... You're so nice, Cassandra. It's like someone took my heart and shattered it. But now here you come to the rescue bein' all cool and nice. It really hits me in the feels, Cassandra..." He sobbed squeezing her tightly and she felt herself turning red.

He pulled back to glare at his brothers. "Those two, they're EVIL! You're the only one who's nice to me..." He gave her a tearful look as she pulled away.

"In case you've forgotten, you're a demon, Mammon. Which makes you evil as well." Satan huffed giving him a disdainful look.

"Alright look, Mammon's obviously being used as a scapegoat here. The real killer has to be one of them. But they aren't going to let us off the train unless we prove it." She said glancing back in the direction of the other passengers.

"I don't believe this. As if we needed another problem to deal with..." Lucifer groaned.

"Only one version of events is ever true!" Satan said excitedly eyes gleaming.

"Eh? What are you talkin' about?" Mammon frowned at him confused.

"It's a line from The Mid-Fall Murders, a human world crime series. That was the lead character inspector Alder's catchphrase. I never thought I'd get to use it in real life." Satan explained with a smile.

"Oh? You watch that show too?!" Cassandra smiled at the mention of one of her favorite TV shows.

"Yes. So you know it as well." Satan smiled at her.

She could tell the other passengers were getting restless so she walked back out to them with a serious expression.

"I've gotten my associate's side of the story and now I would like to examine the body. And of course, I will be needing statements from all of you as well." She said in a formal tone however the man with the gaudy shirt seemed impatient.

"Look if that man is the killer we should just hand him off to Scotland yard at the next station-" He started marching up to her wildly gesturing in Mammon's direct. He was squaring his shoulders trying to intimidate her but she stood her ground.

"I think all of you should go wait in the dining car for now. Goodbye." Lucifer said calmly stepping forward and the man stopped in his tracks.

"... Right, good idea. We'll let you guys track down whoever did it." The man said suddenly changing his tune. He turned around and left with the other man and woman.

"Wh... What did you do?" Cassandra said shocked.

"It's one of our powers as demons. We're able to manipulate humans, sort of like a form of hypnosis." Satan explained.

She raised an eyebrow at him and he continued. "... Ah, but Lord Diavolo has explicitly forbidden anyone from doing that to you. Asmo's power to seduce others is an even more powerful form of manipulation."

"Does that mean it wouldn't work on me anyway?" She asked curiously.

"Oh yeah, that's right. He couldn't charm you. It's probably because you have fairy ancestry but we do come across humans who are immune." Satan said as they went in to examine the murder victim.

The woman appeared middle-aged, she was slumped over in her chair with the knife still in her back.

Lucifer gasped when he saw her face. "Wait a minute!... This woman...!... Is Grisella."

"What did you say?!" Satan gawked at him.

"Are you sure?!" Cassandra said stunned.

Lucifer nodded. "I'm certain of it. This is Grisella, the witch we were going to see."

"You've got to be kiddin' me!" Mammon exclaimed looking back at the woman's face for a closer look.

"I guess that explains why she said your name. She recognized you. So the whole 'she was naming her murderer' argument falls apart." Cassandra said with a nod.

"Yeah! This proves I'm innocent!" Mammon smiled in relief.

"Alright, we've got what we needed. Let's tell the passengers." She said heading out towards the dining car.

She approached the three passengers in the dining car who were sitting together murmuring among themselves. They looked up as she walked up to them with the three demons in tow.

"We now have proof that this man-" she waved to Mammon, "is innocent."

"Innocent? But that woman called out his name right as she died!" The younger man immediately protested, standing up.

"Yes. Because the truth is she actually knew him." Satan said standing next to her.

"What did you say...?" The woman blinked in surprise.

"Just before she died, someone she knew appeared before her unexpectedly. It seems that's why she said his name." Satan explained to them with a smile.

"... If that's true, then she might not have been trying to name her killer." The younger woman seemed thoughtful now. She frowned glancing at her two male companions.

"B-but that man went inside the lounge and moments later she was killed! The timing is a little too perfect to be a coincidence." The man in the gaudy shirt said nervously seeing the doubt in the woman's eyes.

"It wasn't a coincidence. The real killer used him as a distraction so no one could see him make his move." Cassandra said narrowing her eyes and the man swallowed hard.

"As soon as everyone inside the lounge realized that someone was intruding on them, they all turned to see who it was. Which means Grisella was facing Mammon's direction." Satan said and the young man gasped his eyes going wide with realization.

"Wha? Wait a minute, no... I'm TOTALLY lost here." Mammon said confused.

Lucifer sighed "Grisella was stabbed in the back, correct?"

"Yeah... So?" Mammon said still clueless.

Lucifer frowned. "Do you think yourself capable of stabbing someone in the back if they're looking right at you, Mammon?"

"You have a point..." The man with the gaudy shirt said reluctantly.

"Regardless we are sealing off the lounge until we reach the next station. So please stay in your cabins until then." Cassandra said and everyone left for their cabins.

Back in the first class cabin Lucifer let out a long sigh.

"Hey, why the sad look? You know we've proven that I'm innocent now right?" Mammon said smiling as he flopped down on the bed next to Cassandra.

"If Grisella is dead, that means we can't lift the curse that caused us to switch bodies... So in the end we came all the way to the human world for nothing and the speech is tomorrow..." Lucifer said looking over a Satan with a miserable expression.

Suddenly all the hair on her body stood up as she sensed another presence, a supernatural presence. She jumped to her feet bristling as she eyed the doorway.

"Come out I know you're there!" She growled and a ghostly figure slid through the doorway.

"...Well this is just wonderful. I don't believe it. What a miserable state to be stuck in." The spirit grumbled before taking on the form of Grisella, though she was now see-through.

"Okay NOW, what's goin on?" Mammon said looking alarmed.

"... Hold on. I know that voice..." Lucifer said looking at the mist taking Grisella's shape.

Grisella formed and nodded at them. "... Yes. It's me." She wearily.

Mammon shook his head in disbelief. "Like... You're a witch! You're supposed to be able to see the future and know when you're gonna die. Didn't ya bother to check?"

Grisella gave him an annoyed look. "I knew I would die at some point during my trip on this train, yes. But I didn't know how... Only that I would. There's no cheating death. I accept my fate... However, I'd like to know why I was killed before I rest."

"And you're telling us this because...?" Lucifer said raising an eyebrow.

"I know why you came here." Grisella responded solemnly.

"Ah, I see... We're going to figure out who it was that killed Grisella." Lucifer announced and Mammon groaned.

"That sounds like a lot of work!" He grumbled.

Cassandra shook her head. "Not really. It has to be one of the three of them."

"Exactly. The first of the three is Noah. He's someone I'm well acquainted with. He hoped to become my apprentice. And he introduced me to the people requesting today's seance. As for the other two... I'd never met them before. Their names are Lucas and Sophia, and they're siblings. They were hoping to speak with the spirit of their younger sister." Grisella explained who the passengers were.

So this meant the only one who actually had any motive was Noah. After all, why would a totally stranger kill someone out of the blue? Although the siblings might have been hired assassins but that seemed unlikely.

"So then I guess we'll need to torture each one separately until we get our answer." Satan said snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Yes, that shouldn't take long at all." Lucifer agreed with him.

"Okay, then! Which one of those humans should we torture first?" Mammon asked with a smile.

"Hold on. That's a bit excessive. Plus it'll draw way too much attention. There are better ways to handle this." Cassandra quickly stopped them.

"Wha... Better ways? Like what?" Mammon protested.

Lucifer however seemed to understand where she was coming from. "Alright, we'll do it your way."

She turned to Grisella who was eyeing her with interest.

"Hmmm, your not a normal human to be able to detect me that quickly. Though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised since you are hanging around demons." She drifted closer to her curious.

"Do you remember being stabbed?" Cassandra asked her and Grisella nodded.

"I remember the pain I felt as the knife entered... It felt like it was thrust up from below. It burned like fire... But that's all I remember." She said and Cassandra looked over at Mammon.

"Mammon, what did you first see when you entered the room?" She asked and Mammon paused to think.

"... At first I thought it was pitch black in there. But then I saw there was a candle burnin' on a table in the middle of the room. Grisella was the person closest to the door. Behind her were the two guys... And the girl was sittin' farthest away. And that one guy with the flashy shirt-" Mammon was cut off by Grisella.

"That would be Noah. He likes to be unique and make a statement." She explained.

"Yeah. Well, he stayed sittin' in the chair the whole time." Mammon finished and Cassandra nodded.

"Alright, I'm pretty sure I know who the killer is." She announced and everyone turned to her in surprise.

"You do?" Satan said wide-eyed.

"Are you serious?" Lucifer said equally surprised.

"Yes, can you go get them and bring them out to the hall?" She asked and Lucifer nodded and left with Satan and Mammon.

"Cassandra." Grisella called out to her before she could follow them. "I have to say I'm surprised. I never expected Lucifer of all demons to listen to a human. He clearly trusts you doesn't he?... But know that nothing lasts forever. Sometime in the near future, he will lose every last ounce of trust he has in you now." Grisella warned.

Cassandra's lips twisted into a self-demeaning smile. "... I don't need to be able to see into the future to know that. What does he do? Put an end to my miserable life?" She said bitterly, imagining his reaction when he finds out she was helping Belphegor.

"No... You will die by your own pride, not his." Grisella said shaking her head sadly.

"...huh?" She said taken off guard. "What do you mean-" she was cut off by a commotion coming from the main car and she went to meet up with the guys.

The young man, Lucas looked at her expectantly as she entered the room. "Hey is what they're saying true? You know who killed her?"

Noah gave her a dirty look. "I'm not playing along with this. She's not even a real cop." He tried to leave but Mammon blocked his path.

"Noah." She said and he spun around looking startled.

"H-hey, I never told you my name..." He looked nervous now, she could see the sweat glistening on his forehead.

"Let's be honest here. You're really the only one that had any motive. Bitter that you didn't get that apprentice position were we?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"You think I killed her?! I respected and admired Grisella! How do you know all this stuff anyway?! Do you have any proof?" His voice went up an octave as he shouted at her, he was now visibly shaking.

Satan brushed past her. "Ugh, I can't take it anymore Cassandra! I can't just sit here and watch! Allow me to take over from here!" She nodded at him as he turned to Noah with a serious expression.

"Noah... You are the killer! The handle of the knife was pointed slightly downward, correct?" He asked and Lucas nodded. "Yes, that's right."

"At the time of the incident, both Sophia and Lucas were standing up." Satan pointed out.

"Yes, it was a natural reaction. We both jumped to our feet..." Sophia said looking frightened by the memory.

"The only way the knife could have been inserted at that angle would be if the person was seated. So Noah, who didn't stand up is the killer." Satan explained with a smug look.

Noah let out a yell. "NO! What?! Who are you guys anyway?! ... Wait a minute... Grimm." His eyes locked on her and she felt her hair stand on end and he moved closer.

"I remember now! You're one of those mongrel Grimm's aren't you?!" He spat at her with venom in his voice. Mammon was reaching out to grab Noah to stop him from getting too close but her fist was faster. She hit him square in the jaw causing him to stagger backward stunned. Mammon grabbed him roughly stopping him from retaliating.

" Don't fucking call me that." She snarled at him. He trembled seeing Mammon's furious expression. She had never seen Mammon make such a dark expression before, it looked as if he wanted to rip Noah to shreds on the spot.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Noah?" Lucifer said looking down at the man now trembling on the floor.

"It's true... I killed her..." He admitted lowering his head. Grisella was standing next to him but it seemed he was unable to see her. She shook her head in disappointment.

"I really did admire her! She had true power. I asked to become her apprentice but she refused to accept me. She didn't have faith in me...!" Noah said tears streaming down his cheeks.

"You killed her for that? Pfft, just like a human." Mammon snorted in disgust.

"I even told her I'd give up everything I owned to become her apprentice! But she still wouldn't accept me and so my life had no meaning anymore..." Noah put his head in his hands.

They alerted the crew about what had happened and Noah was taken away and everyone else went back to their cabins.

Grisella sighed when they all got back to their cabin. "... Come to think of it, Noah did tell me that he used to be a knife thrower for a circus act. I knew the time of my death was approaching... That's why I wasn't interested in taking on an apprentice. And yet that's precisely what led to my death... Ugh, the irony." She shook her head in frustration.

"Yeah, but he was a real pain in the ass. If you ask me, you made the right choice not takin' him on." Mammon said glancing at Cassandra.

"I agree with Mammon. If he was willing to kill you over something like that who knows what he would have done with any real power." Cassandra said and Grisella nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I suppose you're right. I'm sorry you got caught up in this. You know I always wanted to meet a Grimm. It's a shame that I didn't get to meet you when I was alive." Grisella said wistfully.

"Hey, Cass is your hand ok? Ya hit that guy pretty hard." Mammon gently picked up her hand looking it over.

"I'm fine. I know how to throw a punch." She gave him a reassuring smile.

"It was a rather impressive punch. And a well-deserved one at that." Satan chuckled but Mammon frowned.

"The nerve of that guy callin' ya that... Why I could've ripped em in half..." Mammon grumbled still upset.

Grisella looked over at Satan. "Satan there's something I'd like to ask you. I gave you that forbidden book for a reason. I knew that book would be a catalyst for change in your relationship with Lucifer. Though that's not what you wanted back then."

Satan scoffed glaring at her. "No. Which is why I made sure to stay away from it. Yet for all my effort..."

Grisella chuckled "Well you can't change fate. Even if you are a demon. You must endeavor to make the best of the hand fate deals you, no matter what it may be. Always remember that." She raised her hands up and there was a flash of light.

The light receded and Satan and Lucifer looked at each other with relieved expressions. "Wait... What happened?" Mammon said letting go of her hand that he had been holding. She hadn't even realized he'd never let go after inspecting it.

" Well... It's about time!" Lucifer said looking down at his body.

"Yes... We're ourselves again." Satan slumped on his chair relieved to be back in his own skin.

"You HAD to get me caught up in this, huh? I went through hell for you guys, you know..." Mammon started to complain but his brothers ignored him.

"Cassandra, remember what I told you earlier. Your fate is uncertain." Grisella whispered in her ear before fading away. Cassandra frowned looking out the window as the brothers talked amongst themselves. There was a sense of urgency in Grisella's voice almost as if what she predicted was going to happen in the near future.

#obey me #obey me fan fiction #obey me fan fic #lucifer obey me #obey me mammon x mc #obey me mammon #obey me mammon x oc #obey me satan #obey me oc #obey me female oc

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missmorosis · 3 years

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sick manager :)

-> feat. sugawara and kuroo

part 1 with bokuto, oikawa, and tsukishima here!

genre: fluff!

synopsis: y/n, the manager of her school’s volleyball team, finds herself sick after days of hard work, yet she still goes to school to support her team~

warnings: the reader is sick, and she passes out in kuroo’s scenario :))

pairings: sugawara x reader, kuroo x reader (separate!!)

total word count: 1.5k

a/n: OKAY SO HAHHSLKDFJ RIGHT WHEN I WAS WRITING THIS CHAPTER I GOT SICK W/ A FEVER- I THINK I JINXED MYSELF OMG

i tried to make the scenario KINDA different, but with the same idea hehe

anYWAYS i’m so sorry if this makes like zero sense AHSLDKF- i wrote a lot while i was sick SO ill blame it on fever delusion if it flops 😌

OH AND THIS IS FOR @haikyuuheartsclub ty for reading the first one and asking for a part 2 hehe <33

You getting sick was inevitable.

You knew that you were bound to get sick with all of the work you had been doing and all of the late nights you spent preparing volleyball strategies, planning practice tournaments for your team, or studying until your eyesight blurred.

Being your school's volleyball team manager was not only hard, but it was ridiculously time consuming. Not to mention that you were bombarded with schoolwork, and you had exams coming up. Your stress levels had never been higher, and you were practically living off of caffeine with the amount of sleep you were always lacking.

So when you woke up with a sick feeling and the worst headache, you weren't completely surprised. Annoyed would have been a better word.

You knew that your team was getting ready for an important tournament, so you would have to stay extra long for practice. Groaning as you got ready, you weren't sure you could make it through the day.

You sluggishly pulled on a hoodie and brushed your teeth, taking note of how warm you felt as you washed your face. Grabbing a thermometer, you quickly measured your temperature.

100.4 Fahrenheit. Not too bad... just a low-grade fever. You tried to shrug it off and ignored how disgusting your body felt. You slung a backpack over your shoulder and walked out the door, heading to school.

You waited at the bus stop, shaking your head to try and make the sickness go away. When the bus arrived a while later, you plopped down onto the closest seat and you couldn’t stop your eyes from closing. You were just so... tired...

You drifted off to sleep, the soft sound of the bus driving across the road comforting you.

...

“Uh, Y/N?” Someone was shaking your side, and you immediately lifted your head from the bus window you were leaning on. It seemed like you just closed your eyes a second ago... where were you now?

"Mm?" you hummed sleepily, blinking slowly. You rubbed your eyes as the sunlight filtered through the window, and it made you feel warmer than you already felt.

"Hey, sorry to wake you, but we’re already at school." You looked outside, and he was right; you saw Karasuno in the near distance.

Your brain processed the fact that Sugawara, a third year from Karasuno’s volleyball team, was sitting next to you. You saw his blurred figure lean next to you, and he brushed some hair out of your face. His fingers grazed against your forehead, but he quickly froze.

"Y/N- Y/N! Why is your forehead so hot?" He studied your face with concerned eyes, noticing how tired you looked.

"Hm? No, it’s not. It wasn’t that high when I checked... probably the sunlight..." you mumbled, leaning on the back of your bus seat behind you. You put a hand on your forehead, and it confirmed that you were indeed burning up; it was considerably warmer than earlier in the morning. You groaned and got up.

"You don’t look too good, don't you think you should go home-" Sugawara started, but you interrupted him.

"No, you need your manager today, you guys have a game soon," you said, your tone tired but strict. Sugawara eyed you anxiously, but you waved him off. "I'll be fine," you reassured him. Grabbing your backpack, you got up from your seat, heading for the bus’ exit.

Woah.

You knew you were sick, but you didn't think you would be this dizzy. Everything seemed to sway to one side, and you put one arm on the seat of the bus, leaning on it for support. You rested your head on your arm, and you felt Sugawara’s arm wrapping around you for support.

“Alright, now you have no choice. You’re taking a break, whether you like it or not, clearly something’s not okay,” he told you, and you were too lightheaded to argue. You just nodded along and he helped you back into your seat.

You clutched your head as you tried to make everything go away. Sugawara went to talk to the bus driver in the background, and miraculously, the driver made an exception for you.

“We’re ahead of schedule anyways,” the bus driver reasoned. He turned the bus around, heading back towards your house.

“Okay, now that that’s done, you can sleep if you want to. You could probably use the rest, I can only imagine how tired you are...” Sugawara said softly, and you gave a small nod. You scooted further down into the seats, making enough space for the boy to sit next to you. He gladly obliged, and he couldn’t help but smile at the sight of you drifting off to sleep. Your head subconsciously drifted onto his shoulder, but he didn’t mind.

“Hey, Koushi?” you mumbled, your voice coated with sleepiness.

“Yeah? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing... I just wanted to thank you.” Your eyes remained closed, and Sugawara couldn’t tell if the blush on your face was from your fever... or something else?

“You need to take breaks, you know. You work really hard, it’s a wonder you haven’t dropped dead yet,” he said, half jokingly. “Thank you.” You smiled, and finally fell asleep.

Kuroo found you in the classrooms; your head was down, and your headache was terrible. You were almost asleep; you were trying your best to stay awake, and you weren't sure how long you could keep it up.

He was walking down the halls, casually glancing into your classroom to see if you were finished, and he softly smiled at the sight of you.

"Tired, Y/N?" Kuroo asked, smirking as he tapped your shoulder.

"Hm?" You lifted your head up, surprised at the unexpected touch. "Oh- Kuroo, shut up," you replied, rolling your eyes as you stretched. He laughed and grabbed your backpack for you, slinging it over his own shoulder.

“Ready for practice?” he asked, looking down at you. You nodded, and the two of you walked to the gym.

Your head was killing you with every step you took, but you had no choice but to ignore it. You looked to the distance, trying to ease your headache. Kuroo’s voice was slowly melting into background noise.

Suddenly you froze and stopped walking, earning a curious glance from Kuroo. You were forgetting something...

“Wait- where’s my... backpack?” You spotted it on the boy next to you, and you shook your head. “Sorry, forgot that you had it,” you said, with a sheepish laugh.

“Something wrong?” he frowned. “You’re acting distracted... more distracted than usual, anyways.” You shook your head, deciding to keep your sickness to yourself.

“I’m good, just tired,” you assured him. He nodded slowly, and walked into the gym, you following close behind.

Only you, Kuroo, and the coaches were in the gym; you were early. You flashed a quick smile as you waved hello.

"Great, you guys are early. I have a couple strategies to discuss," the coach said, gesturing to a whiteboard in front of him. The two of you nodded, and he began to explain.

"Alright... if we're going to win this next match..." he started, but you couldn't make yourself pay attention. The only thing on your mind was how your head wouldn't stop hurting, everything seemed to echo, and just overall how sick you felt.

"What do you think, Y/N?" Kuroo asked, quirking an eyebrow in your direction. You snapped out of your sleepy state at the sound of your name.

“Wha-” You blinked, looking around at all of the eyes on you. You tried to remember what the others were talking about... oh. Strategies. Right. "I just think we... we need to..." You looked at thr whiteboard, but you couldn't focus. You swayed to one side, blinking hard. The world really seemed like it was tilting to one side... "Woah, sorry-" you tried to say.

"Y/N?" You saw Kuroo reach out towards you as you slowly lowered down into a fetal position, resting your head on your knees. "Hey, Y/N? You okay?" You swallowed.

"Yea- yeah. Just... give me a second," you breathed. You felt Kuroo kneel down next to you, and you were right; someone's arm wrapped around you for support, and you knew it was Kuroo's. You knew you were safe as you lost consciousness, falling further into his arms.

...

You awoke, and the first thought was how bright the gym lights were... they weren't this bright before...

"Oh- Y/N! You're awake," Kuroo said, rushing over to you. He put the back of his hand on your forehead. "You're still burning..." he said with a frown.

"Sorry," you muttered. "I don't know, I've been sick all day and I guess I couldn’t handle it..."

"Why didn't you tell me you weren’t feeling well?" he asked, concern clear in his voice. You smiled softly.

"It wasn't important... besides I have manager duties to take care of," you said with a sigh.

"Not if I can help it." He picked you up in one swift motion bridal-style, smirking as you struggled to get down. "I'm not letting you down; I'm taking you home and getting you some proper medicine for this fever of yours. Health is more important than volleyball." You huffed and flopped into his arms in defeat.

"Fine." You leaned closer into Kuroo's chest, and he smiled, satisfied with your surrender.

"That's my girl." You rolled your eyes, but you couldn't help but smile.

A/N: THESE WERE NOT THE BEST- I ADMIT BDHDDJNDJEW

hopefully these weren't too bad though-

haikyuu taglist: (send an ask to get added hehe) @floralkawa <3

MWAHH THANK YOU FOR READING!!

#hqradiostation #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu #sugawara x reader #kuroo x reader #haikyuu fluff #haikyuu comfort #kuroo tetsurou #sugawara koushi #kuroo fluff #kuroo scenarios #sugawara fluff #sugawara scenarios #kuroo tetsurou x reader #sugawara koushi x reader #kuroo headcanons #sugawara headcanons

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maattamatthews · 2 years

Text

I posted 1,721 times in 2021

746 posts created (43%)

975 posts reblogged (57%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 1.3 posts.

I added 753 tags in 2021

#as i am fic maattamatthews - 237 posts

#annie thoughts and talks - 142 posts

#aus and s canon - 123 posts

#auston matthews - 57 posts

#soft thoughts anon - 52 posts

#auston babe - 35 posts

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#pens lb - 26 posts

#maattamatthews - 23 posts

Longest Tag: 84 characters

#i don’t have a car yet but i would name it either daisy or thr finnish word for star

My Top Posts in 2021

imagine just a domestic day off with alex🥺... like he finally has a day off from practice and games and it’s just lazy fluffy morning cuddles then maybe getting coffee at a little cafe near your apartment the couch cuddles and binging a show all day -- soft thoughts anon❤️

alex would covet the days off he has because he knows that he could spend the whole day with you. like he would 100% make sure all of his alarms are turned off so nothing wakes either of you up, and you stay all cuddled in bed for hours. you’d nudge his shoulder slightly when you wanted to move from the bed to the couch in the living room. youd roll out of bed and throw one of his hoodies on before you went to start making some coffee. alex would leave the bed a few minutes later, walking out with his sweats hung loose on his hips and towards you. you hand him a mug and he kisses your forehead gently before he pulls you to the couch where you’d be watching random tv shows for the rest of the day. i just imagine alex being super cuddly on a day like this 🥺

27 notes • Posted 2021-01-08 02:39:12 GMT

drifting off to sleep with alex turcotte: ✨a concept✨

omg wait this would be so soft 🥺 i picture it as you and alex watching a movie on the couch in your apartment. the lights are all off and you’re both buried under a pile of blankets with the ac blasting because the LA heat was blazing outside. alex picked the movie you guys were watching, and it was some action movie that you really couldn’t care about. you try to pay attention, but between the comfort of have alex’s arms around you and the warmth of the blankets, you could feel your eyes getting heavier. finally, your eyes fell shut snd you drifted off slowly. meanwhile, alex was flayed to the movie so he didn’t notice that you dozed off. about three quarters of the way through the movie, alex peered down at you and saw that you were fast asleep. a small smile grew on his face as you slid down on the couch so that you both were laying down. he turned the movie off and then made sure both of you were comfortable before alex drifted off himself

47 notes • Posted 2021-01-20 00:11:13 GMT

As I Am (A. Matthews)

Chapter Two: hot girl bummer

A/N: sorry for such a late update, but here she is!! I hope you all enjoy this! Feedback is always welcome! italics is flashback! (p.s. the last line is a sneak peek for next chapter)

Song for chapter: https://open.spotify.com/track/2mt1IqcFyY1zmYZT8Q3xw9?si=4e030c1181d94713

Word Count: 3.6k

After the first ring, Freddie picked up. He had a habit of answering my calls quickly because of how frequent they were.

“Hey S, what’s up?” He says through the phone.

“Can you come over? I just made a mistake I think,” I reply.

“S, what happened?”

“I told Auston to fuck off and he said some shit back.”

“Okay, you know he deserves to be knocked down a few pegs every now and again.”

I let you a small laugh. “Fred,” I whine.

“Fine, I’ll be over in 20 with brunch, okay?”

“Thank you bestie!” I say before I hang up.

I set my phone on the coffee table in front of me and run to take a quick shower. I wanted to scrub off the memories from last night before I had to relive them with Freddie. Once I got out, I slip on a pair of leggings and the first sweatshirt I grab. I take quick look in the mirror before I realize that I grabbed one of Auston’s hoodies. I groan and pull the thing off and grab a cropped crewneck and throw it on. I walk out of my room and back in the living room.

Before I can sit down on my couch, the buzzer for my apartment goes off. I walk over to it and buzz Fred in. I unlock the door and go to set up my kitchen counter for brunch. I start to grab plates and glasses when there is a knock at my door.

“It’s open!” I shout.

Freddie walks right in and places the brunch bags down on the counter. He walks around to the other side and gives me a quick hug. “How are we feeling after last night?” He asks as he lets me go.

“Oh you know, I’m just pissed as usual.” I say as I start unpack the food Fred brought.

“I had a feeling based on what happened when I dropped Aus off last night.” Fred takes the set across from me on the other side of the counter.

“I just,” I pause. “I sometimes just don’t get him.”

“What do you mean?”

“Like I know that he can get any girl he wants, but why does he always go after the super skinny blondes who look like they just walked the runway for Victoria’s Secret.”

“Sierra,” Freddie says with concern.

“I know that it’s stupid that I care, but I just get tired of seeing those girls leave his apartment almost every night.” I tell him.

Freddie gives me a sad look as he takes a bit of his pancakes. “Remember when we first met and Auston was giving you shit about not having a boyfriend?”

I let out a small laugh. “Yeah I do, I wanted to kill him for that.”

“That’s how I knew you wouldn’t take shit from him.”

“What do you mean?

“You chirped the shit out of him for that! All of the guys were impressed that you could knock him down like that.

See the full post

49 notes • Posted 2021-06-20 01:28:18 GMT

As I Am (A. Matthews)

Chapter Three: This Is On You

A/N: Here is chapter three! I hope you all enjoy and get a little bit more insight into Sierra and who she is! Also, next chapter is from Auston’s POV...

Song for Chapter: https://open.spotify.com/track/4rr9nRMKDlGD0HUoKg5ypN?si=7f9ba4a0fbac4bd5

Word Count: 4.4k

April 2016

I walked up to Simon who was sitting with his teammates at their lunch table. As I approached him and his friends, their conversation stopped and they all started laughing.

“Hi Simon,” I said as I reached the end of the table, near him.

“Hey Sierra, what’s up?” Simon replies.

“I have a quick question for you,” I started to say. “Would you want to go to prom with me?”

The whole table, including Simon, burst into laughter. “You’re joking, right?”

“Uh, no, no I’m not.”

“Well, hate to break it to your, but guys like me don’t date or go out with girls who look like you. Have fun trying to find a date.” My heart broke right then and there. I apologized to him and his friends and walked away, holding back tears that were threatened to spill over at any minute.

I ran to the bathroom and locked myself in the corner stall. I took a deep breath as I closed the toilet seat cover and climbed on it to sit on the window sill. My tears were silently streaming down my face as I replayed what just happened over and over again in my head.

“Did you just see what happened in the canteen?” I heard a voice say as they walk into the bathroom.

“Oh my god, no what happened?”

“Super-Sized Sierra asked Simon to prom!”

“You’re kidding me!? What did he say?”

“He obviously said no! Why would he ever want to go with someone who looks like that?”

The laughter continued its way out of the bathroom and my tears poured down harder. I pulled my phone out and dialed my dad’s number.

“Hi honey, what’s up?” My dad asked.

“Hi,” I said through tears. “Can you come and pick me up now?”

“Honey, what’s wrong?” My dad asked, concern heavy in his voice.

“I’ll explain the in the car. Can you please come and get me?” I begged.

“I’ll be there in ten minutes. Love you.”

“Love you too, dad.” I hung up the phone and got down from the window sill. I exited the stall and looked at myself in the mirror. My eyes were partially swollen from the crying, my cheeks were red and more puffier than usual, and my mascara left track marks down my face. I took a paper towel from the dispenser and wet it under the sink. I squeezed it out and slowly removed he mascara stains from my cheeks.

I took and deep breath and walked out of the bathroom and straight to my locker. I grabbed my backpack and slowly walked to the front office. I pushed the door open and greeted the secretary, Ms. Taft.

“Hi Ms. Taft, how are you?” I said, faking a bright smile.

“I am doing just well, dear. How are you?” She asked.

“I’m okay. My dad is on the way to come and get me.” I explained to her.

See the full post

53 notes • Posted 2021-06-25 21:51:04 GMT

As I Am (A. Matthews)

Chapter One: Everybody Wants You

A/N: Welcome to the world of As I Am! I hope you enjoy the first chapter! Feedback is always welcome! Love you too!!

Song for chapter: https://open.spotify.com/track/48EDM7iimVXiKEOdo4AJk6?si=7b653bd2094b4718

Word Count: 4.7k

August 2016

There was a loud bang from the hallway outside of my apartment. It is too early in the morning to deal with this, I thought to myself. With a groan, I got up from my bed to see what was happening. I opened my front door and was greeted by two guys around my age trying to fit a chair through the door across from mine. The two were arguing and didn’t notice me standing there until one of them glanced towards me and stopped.

“Mitch what are you doing?” The other one asked.

“Howdy neighbor,” the one named Mitch said. When he said this, the other one turned and looked at me. His cheeks became flushed and he opened his mouth. Before he could say anything, I cut him off.

“Please pipe down, I’m trying to keep my sanity this early, thanks.” I said before I closed the door on them and plopped down on my couch with a huff. I ran my hand through my hair before deciding that since my morning was ruined by the two boys in the hall, showering might make it a little better.

I walked back to my room and into my bathroom. I turned the shower on and stripped down before I hopped in. I took my time, trying to enjoy the warmth around me. I turned the shower off and stepped out as I wrapped my towel tightly around before I walked into my bedroom. I opened my closet and looked through my clothes before I decided on a blue tank top and black joggers for the day. I slipped my clothes on and went back out into my living room. I grabbed my purse and slipped my sunglasses back on my head before I walked over to my door. Just as I was about to open it, there was a soft knock. I opened it and was faced with the two boys from before. The one who was blushing earlier spoke first.

“Hey, sorry about the noise this morning.”

“Thanks,” I deadpanned.

“Uh, I’m Auston.”

“And I really need to go get coffee.”

“We were actually about to go get some!” The one who was called Mitch earlier said.

“Cool,” I said pushing past them and locking my front door. I pulled my sunglasses down and walked towards my elevator. I heard two sets of footsteps follow behind me. I hit the down button and wait for it come. Auston and Mitch were now standing next to me awkwardly. I sigh a little before I turned to face them.

“I’m Sierra. What coffee shop were you going to?”

***

“So you’re telling me what you both play for the leafs?” I asked as we sat down in the corner booth at Fahrenheit Coffee, which was only a short walk from our apartment building.

“Yeah, I was drafted in 2015 and Aus was the first overall pick this year.” Mitch said as if it was not a big deal.

“Huh, did the leafs tank you for?” I asked Auston as I take a sip of the coffee in my hand. Mitch let out a laugh as Auston shoved his friend.

“Well, I don’t know,” Auston said quietly. “I didn’t know where I would land until the draft lottery and Toronto won, so I guess I’m here.”

“Hmm, interesting.”

“Do you know a lot about hockey?” Mitch asked me.

“I know enough to get by in this city, but it’s not really something I care about currently.” I responded.

Auston kept glancing between his coffee cup and me, trying not to make eye contact. I scoff to myself as I placed my cup back on the table with a slight bang. I wiped my mouth with the napkin on my knee and placed it inside the cup before I got up from the table and brought it back to the counter. I thanked the barista and slipped a 5 dollar bill into the tip jar, and walked back over to the table that all three of us were sitting. I grabbed my purse and asked the boys if they were ready to leave. Auston and Mitch got up and followed me out of the coffee shop and onto the busy downtown Toronto streets.

“Alrighty, I’m gonna head home. I’ll catch you guys later!” Mitch said as he bro hugged Auston and gave me a wave. We walk back in the direction of our building.

We walked in mostly silence. There was a strange tension between us that neither of us wanted to address. When we reached the elevator to ride back up, Auston was the one to speak first.

“So, what brings you to Toronto?”

See the full post

92 notes • Posted 2021-06-06 21:50:04 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

#my 2021 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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mimiwrites2000 · 3 years

Text

Legends

Chapter Twelve ~

AO3 ~~

Pairings: Armin x Annie/ Eren x Mikasa/ Levi x Hanji (other pairings will be added as the story goes on)

Words count: 7119

* spoilers for chapter 127 and up

Summary:

an injury

a miracle

an understanding

and maybe 'everything happens for a reason' holds some truth in it, and all of it leads to that tingle of emotions with unsolvable maze that hypnotize its victims

~a story of broken hearts who are searching for a cure while mending each other’s wounds

“Annie, you know I would do anything for you, right?”

“Father…?”

��I love you, and I want you to be happy, no matter what happens, I’ll always be by your side, you know that, don’t you?”

“I… I know, but… what’s going on?” Annie knew what was going on, as her father led her further into the forest, the sun barely creeped out from behind the mountains, and it was freezing cold, Annie’s fingers were like sticks of ice that were going to snap at any moment, her legs were numb, and the suitcases they were carrying made her feet dig deeper into the dew dirt.

She tried deflating the balloon that swelled in her throat, she took deep breaths, she was aware that this was coming, she told herself that she was ready for it, and yet…

The thick trees were getting scarce, bushes and weed overthrowing them, not before long, the tangled branches no longer blocked her vision, and Annie found herself at a clearing, the stream running by it.

The place where she peaked at Armin dancing with Mikasa.

Someone was already waiting for them.

If Annie wasn’t sure that Armin was still passed out in the cottage, she would’ve wished it was him.

It was Eren, his long brown hair messy around his face, and his suit disheveled.

Annie glanced at her father, and her breath hitched in her throat when she saw tears glistening in his eyes.

“You took so long,” Eren said, crossing his arms, as he strode a few steps towards them.

“But here we are, the past doesn’t matter anymore,” Mr. Leonhart said, he tried to walk, but the cane in his hand wobbled and he almost fell, but Annie caught him; the ground closer to the stream was even wetter, cold moisture seeped into Annie’s boot, bruising her toes, freezing them until they almost fell off her feet. She could see her breath turn into a white mist right after it left her mouth.

Propping her father up, she exclaimed: “What is going on? And Eren aren’t you supposed to-”

“Annie,” Eren stopped Annie, it was only then that she realized the dark shadows framing his eyes.

Mr. Leonhart turned to Annie, clamping his hands on both of her shoulders, he looked her straight in the eyes with such intensity that made Annie want to step back, but she didn’t.

“Annie, my daughter, do you forgive me?”

“For what?”

“Answer me.”

Annie glanced at Eren; the prosaic look he wore made her hand itch to slap it off his face. She turned her eyes to her father and said: “I do.”

“You know that I love you, don’t you?”

“I do.”

Mr. Leonhart knelt down and picked up his cane, after he steadied his footing, he gestured for Eren.

Eren stepped towards Annie, she raised an eyebrow at him before she said: “Isn’t it rude to leave your wife alone at your wedding night?”

He didn’t acknowledge her comment, instead he lifted up his hand.

“Annie, I’m sorry,” he said, his fingers hovering an inch away from her forehead.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” her voice was wobbly, and she hated that. Her eyes begging Eren to be done with it.

“Goodbye.”

Eren touched her forehead.

~~~

When Armin woke up the day after the wedding, he had a head-splitting headache, he couldn’t even lift his head up the pillow, like a ball with some thick, heavy liquid inside, chaining his head down- or it wasn’t even a pillow, it was a rock-hard surface, and now that he was thinking about it, it was unbearably dreadful, and cold, and-

Why was he stretched out on the floor?

Armin looked around himself, what is this stinking smell? He got the answer soon enough when he noticed a foot dangling right above his head, Armin wrinkled his nose, pushing the foot away but retreated immediately when his fingers touched the surely-is a dripping sweat sock.

Through groans and multiple failed tries, Armin figured out a way to prop up himself on his elbows without pouring his brain out of his skull, he squinted his eyes, inspecting the room, the sun barely creeped into the place, decorations were up, glasses and liquor bottle were thrown around the floor, some shattered, their sharp splinters waiting for an unlucky foot to pierce through.

Human bodies scattered around the room, their bodies inflating then deflating like the failed attempts of a kid trying to blow up a balloon, some were snoring like an elephant, belching foul-smelling breath through their noses and their opened, drooling mouths. Someone was whistling through their nostrils.

A bolt of pain pulsated through Armin’s head, before he dropped back down on the floor, only to jolt at the sudden impact, then memories from the day before rushed into his mind, the wedding, drinking, Annie, a lot of drinking, Annie, more drinking.

These were his final thoughts before he drifted into another wave of restless, uneasy sleep.

The next time Armin opened his eyes, the sun was going down behind the mountains.

Armin covered his eyes with his elbow, not tolerating the harsh yet soft light, fighting the nausea induced by the vomit taste in his mouth, the headache was still there but he surely didn’t feel like passing out anymore.

“It’s about time you woke up, you look like shit.” Someone said from above him, Armin shifted his elbow off his eyes, just enough to see who was talking, once he saw Connie’s face, Armin dropped his elbow and closed his eyes again, “you kinda fucked up, didn’t you?”

“Connie, what are you talking about?”

“Kissing her while drunk? Dude, even I have enough brains to not do that,” Connie gulped down the rest of what might be leftover coffee, grimacing at its bitter taste.

Armin stiffened, the headache departing him for a second: “What?” his voice cracked.

“I saw you, it’s not like you were hiding, anyone could’ve seen you if they looked outside the window.”

“Oh, God,” Armin let out a shuddering breath, rubbing his forehead, are there any pain killers around?

“You don’t have to worry about her, they had already left.” Connie twirled the residual of his coffee around, he pouted when he imagined its much stronger taste on his tongue.

The headache came back at full force pounding Armin’s head, he thought his head might as well blast, and what was that about Annie leaving?

“What do you, nngh… mean, aah, she left?” Armin breathed out, as he rubbed his head and tried to sit up.

“So, she didn’t tell you? Sheesh, man, she must have been pissed at you.”

“Connie would you please stop and actually answer my, ugh… question?”

Connie snorted, not taking Armin seriously in the slightest: “She and her father, they left before the sun even was up, I’ve never seen anyone franticly pack like her father, he was steaming.”

“And you were awake and didn’t bother to wake me up?” Armin had finally managed to sit up, and he was looking around the room as if painkillers would materialize if he wished enough for them. If his head kept on thrashing like this for one more minute, he might go crazy.

“After all the drinks you had yesterday? You wouldn’t wake up even if I kick down that wall on your big head,” Connie said as he pointed with his thumb at the wall behind him, he sighed and stood up, “besides, I saved your ass from a very embarrassing confrontation.”

“Where are you going?!” Armin asked, his voice louder than he intended, sending a bang of pain through his head, he grimaced and massaged his head, trying to subside the sting.

“To get you some painkillers! Idiot,” Connie turned away from Armin and vanished into the kitchen, a few moments later, he reemerged with a cup of water and some oh God finally medicine. He silently gave them to Armin and sat again on the couch, his head dipping low.

“Whatever you’re hiding, are you planning on telling me?” Armin said before chucking the white circular tablet into his mouth, swallowing painfully.

Connie’s eyebrows rose on his forehead, he thought he was covering up really well, I did a great job, Armin is just a genius. Connie cleared his throat and said: “I can’t.”

Armin was quiet for a moment before he said: “Okay, whatever,” he plopped back down on the floor.

One

Two

Thr-

“Annie didn’t let me wake you up.”

Ah, that’s the Connie Armin knows, can’t hide a thing if his life depends on it… wait what-

“Annie did what?” Armin coughed a few times, feeling the tablet he just swallow climbing up his throat.

“She swatted my hand arm right before I shook you,” Connie said, and showed Armin the red spot on his forearm, which was forming into a muddle of blue and purple.

“Well then… I guess she really is mad at me…” Armin sighed, rubbing his forehead, maybe in a minute I’ll wake up and all of this would turn out to be a dream or something…

“What did you do to her? Did you say anything… I don’t know, offending?”

“I…” Armin ruffled his hair, noticing how it was matted with sweat, his nose accidentally got closer to his armpit, and he gagged at the pungent aroma, he needed an urgent shower, “I can’t remember anything,” Armin lied as he headed to the bathroom.

He wanted to rip off the suit of his body the moment he closed the door behind him, but he only managed to lean onto the sink, all energy drained out of him. His hands griped the edge of it so tight, he imagined crushing it into sand, flowing between his fingers. Armin squeezed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth.

Now she was gone.

Forever.

Armin threw his head backward and groaned, he fucked up, just like Connie said, he fucked up badly, there was no better way to say it.

Armin was frustrated, he was mad at himself, at his stupidity, he couldn’t even fathom an explanation why Annie didn’t just shove him away from the beginning, from the moment he wrapped his arms around her, but now he knew the taste of her lips, the scent of her skin.

He felt her hands on his chest and her fingers in his hair, he sensed her pulse on his lips, he ran his fingers through her hair, and he tasted her tears on his lips.

Armin’s fluttered his eyes open, and he was met with his reflection in a crocked, palm-size mirror, all he could see was how horrendous he looked from the outside, and how disgusting he felt from the inside.

He shook his head and was about to take off his shirt, but he stopped when his hands felt something in its chest pocket. His fingers tremulously sought out two rings, silver, almost identical.

His own ring, and Annie’s.

Armin stared at the two circular metals on his palm, the corners of his eyes were itchy and his throat tight.

She didn’t take his ring with her, and she left her own ring with him.

Annie made it loud and clear that she didn’t want any of his memory, she desired a new life, away from this place, away from the past, and away from him.

Armin stared into the mirror once again, and saw tears streaming down his cheeks.

~~~

Three years later

It was dawn, the sun creeping from behind the trees, night creatures scurried to their hiding places under rocks and between crocks in trees trunks, the birds tweeting, hoping from a branch to another, warming up for whatever struggle this day withholds for them,

Armin was sitting on the swing, which took the majority of his small porch, but it was worth purchasing; Armin usually wakes up before sunbreak, makes a cup of coffee -this precious beverage that the outside world introduced to them, was the only catalyst to manifest enough energy to start the day- then he would admire the sun rise, slowly, as if the whole world stopped for a moment, all silent and serene, before rolling back again into its endless storm.

Armin watched the stars as they faded, and he had to remind himself that they were still there, holding up, just a larger star robbed them off their spotlight and took all the glory to itself.

He thought about what he would do during the day, attempting to schedule his remaining free hours into a useful time; it was his day off; he should probably be productive and work on a few side projects he was putting to the side for the past few months.

He tried to conjure an excuse to not work on them; maybe he should run some errands in the village, or write letters to Connie and Jean; he didn’t see them in months, last time Connie wrote to him, it was to inform him that he’s opening a small business with Niccolo. And Jean… well, he was still trying to settle on a job.

A mix of guilt and stress was growing in his stomach, he was so used to deadlines and bolting to get things done in time, to rush with tremulous hands and shaking legs from one office to the other. It was still alien for him to leisurely check off his tasks, one after the other, slowly, until all were gone, and then a new list would arrive, and he would go through it again, patiently.

No point in rushing, Armin comforted himself, he got all the time in the world.

He spent an extra hour admiring his surroundings, even though he lived here for about three years, he could never get bored of this place; there were countless, colorful birds living on the branches in the forest ahead of him, he tried once to track them down and study them, but their engraved wild nature made it impossible to catch, after all, it was used for predators hunting it down, not a mere, harmless human.

Reluctantly, Armin went inside his house.

Hanji did offer all of them mansions in the most prestigious parts of the city, to hire servants and cooks for them, to pay for any entertainment facilities they ever dreamt of, saying that ‘your efforts when you served as soldiers can never be thanked enough.’

All of them refused.

Instead, Armin, Eren and Mikasa sought a place with a serene atmosphere, some place where they can live in peace for the rest of their lives, and they found this village.

It was a new place, outside the walls, the far north of the island, its summers were scorching, and its winters were freezing, just like Shiganshina, and without hesitation they agreed that this place was exactly what they needed.

Armin’s house wasn’t big, nor was it fancy, in fact, it was in a dreadful state when he first got it, its past owner was trying to sell it for years, but it was half an hour walk from the village, and people can’t spare any extra time to get to their work, to the center of the village, where life was buzzing with people who have families waiting for them back home.

But Armin loathed noise, he hated packed places, where people are too busy to appreciate a butterfly passing by.

But here, at the outskirts of the village, closer to the forest, it was quiet, and Armin never worried about the rush hour, getting to work on time didn’t even cross his mind, or even getting enough sleep for a hard working day.

Armin got the house for half the price.

Even though everyone pictured Armin in a cabin by the ocean, Armin himself decided to live away from it, if anything, he wanted to get the jolt of happiness each time he saw the ocean, he never wanted to ever get used to it. The waves shall always make his breath catch in his throat, the cold water up until his ankles shall always send shivers down his spine.

Armin walked to the kitchen, which was connected to the living room, he was hesitant about having them disclosed; worrying about the cooking smell, grease and all, he surely didn’t want his couch smelling like fatty food, but he ended up rarely cooking anyway, so it wasn’t an issue.

He deposited his empty cup in the sink, before heading towards the stairs, its wood lighter than the rest of the place; it wasn’t here when he first moved, but he built a bedroom on what used to be the roof, this way, he had an extra room he could use as an office. Armin didn’t ascend them, but merely touched the handrail, he was making his way to where he should be longer, stretching his journey to his office as much as he could, where what he dreaded the most was waiting for him, taking a physical form in blank, pure white pages, and scraped, unfinished outlines.

He finally ran out of tasks to idle on, and there was nothing else to do but get in that office, and do the excruciating, agonizing task of all time.

Armin sat by his desk, finding interest in anything that passed across the opened window, a butterfly, a bird, a falling leaf.

The moist, dew dirt’s aroma wafted through the window, a branch from a near tree made its way through it, poking at the ceiling, Armin asked for Eren’s help to cut it off, but lately, procrastinating was Armin’s inseparable shadow.

He had been wondering the forest since he stepped into the office, avoiding to look at the page laying vacant on the desk, the pen in his hand tap-tap tapping on the hard surface of the wooden table, accidently drawing dots from where it plopped on the blank page laid in front of him, as blank as my mind.

Sometime his eyes would linger on a certain notebook on the desktop, it was the only notebook he had filled from cover to cover, his handwriting cramped in it, filling every single line. Beside it, there was a small, wooden box.

Armin knew that living alone was the best choice for him, solitary was his method of functioning, even though Eren and Mikasa suggested having a two-stories house and all can live together, but Armin refused, saying that he didn’t want to intrude on their privacy, and it didn’t help that they were a bit too “touchy” for Armin’s comfort.

It’s not like Eren and Mikasa lived far away from him, they preferred to get a house in the village, its atmosphere depicted their childhood, and they found that soothing; another sugar cube to their new life, a place that reminded them of one of their best times, a proof that they were living a new life without forgetting about their past, the past that gave them this present, and hopefully, a brighter future.

Armin would hop through the vast lands of daydreaming, a fantasy overlapping the other, and when he was confronted with reality, the empty papers within his hands, a big, long wall hindering him from getting to the next imaginary place- he would grow wings and fly over it.

Armin snapped out of his dreams when he heard knocks on the front door, he got up, wiping the drool dripping down his chin with his sleeve, at least now he would have an actual reason to not work.

“Uncle Armin!” A kid yelled, their pitchy high voice stealing the serenity of the place in a second, Armin shook his head and laughed.

At the door, stood Eren, Mikasa, and little Ymir, all beaming at Armin, and all of them holding something in their hands.

“We figured you would want some company on your day off, we hope you don’t mind.” Mikasa said in her never-changing calming voice, waving a basket in front of her.

“Of course, he wouldn’t mind, he should be grateful we brought him lunch, better than his awful cooking.” Eren stepped past Armin inside the house -Mikasa rolling her eyes in the background- Ymir following him, but not before hugging Armin, and he couldn’t help but wonder how Historia trusted her daughter with these two.

Historia would send Ymir every now and then to visit Eren and Mikasa and stay for a few days, she was so attached to Eren, and would cry and thrash in her room if she didn’t see him at least once a month.

Armin didn’t have to tell his friends to make themselves at home, he never did, they would just invade the house and do whatever they felt like doing, and it’s not like Armin minded in the slightest, as long as they didn’t step into his office.

It was already lunch time, Ymir helped Eren set the table, as Armin went into his forbidden office, to repack whatever he tried to work on.

“How’s your project going?” Mikasa asked, leaning on the door frame, her arms crossed. She already got her answer when she saw all the blank, new papers, however, one notebook caught her attention.

“Which one?”

“The book.”

“Oh… not so well,” there was no point in denying the truth from Mikasa, he couldn’t lie to her anyway, besides, she was the only person he told about all his failed projects. Armin organized his desk, even though it wasn’t exactly jumbled up, still, he put pens into a cup, and papers -mostly new and untouched- in their arranged folders and into drawers, but he kept one notebook on the desktop.

“Hey Armin, why is that notebook… different?”

“Oh…” Armin peered down at what she mentioned, it certainly was different; its cover worn out, some papers out of their place, and the pages that once used to be white turned into a brown-ish color, “nothing, I just… write more in it, I guess,” Armin took the notebook and hid it in one of the drawers.

Mikasa decided to feign belief in Armin’s feeble lie, she looked around the office from where she stood, it looked more like a small library than an office to her, shelves surrounded the four walls, bending at the weight of the myriad books on them.

The place smelled of old books and a combination of floral and apple pie fragrance Mikasa was sure didn’t come from the opened window. The crimson rug under her feet had four flattened spots from the desk’s chair. Mikasa knew that Armin spends a lot of time in his office, probably all his free time…

“I’m really glad you guys came today.” Armin said as he sorted out a pile of papers into three separate files, “it does get lonely in the forest sometimes.” He let out a breathless chuckle but bit his lip when it sounded like a pathetic wail of a wet dog.

“Our house is always open for you, and you know that.” Mikasa said as she bit her lip, taking a step into the room, she looked up, noticing the invading branch, it suited the office’s aesthetic, “but, you know that having someone here with you would make a difference-”

“Mikasa, we’ve already went through this,” Armin rolled his eyes and tried to ignore Mikasa by concentrating on the papers in his hands.

“You can’t just stay alone forever.”

“I’m fine by myself for now, and it’s not like I’m on the verge of the grave, I’m twenty-two years old.”

“Even Jean and Hitch are dating!”

Armin blinked in surprise: “When did that happen?” So Jean finally moved on from Mikasa, huh?

“Well, everyone knows they’re dating, except for them.”

Armin slapped his forehead: “They’re not even official and you guys…” he sighed, since when did people’s personal life regale others entertainment?

“One failed relationship doesn’t mean that you should stop trying,”

Armin dropped the thick files he had in his hand, and it fell right on his feet, he hissed in pain, but Mikasa ignored that as she went to read some books’ spines on the shelves, her hands clasped behind her back, making sure to not touch anything; she was aware that Armin doesn’t like guests in his office, and she already crossed that line, she trespassed into prohibited territory, she might as well be wary.

“You know who I’m talking about,” Mikasa wasn’t planning on dropping the subject.

Armin froze, a lump was forming at the back of his throat but he couldn’t swallow, he was cornered in his own place, sieged by Mikasa’s words, and he never thought Mikasa would mention her, in all the three years after the practically apocalyptic events they went through, he couldn’t recall Mikasa or Eren ever talking about-

“Sophie, I know I introduced you guys, and I don’t regret it, but you two just don’t work out with each other,” Mikasa’s fingers trespassed on an especially old book’s spine, they trailed the engraved title, what’s beyond, it said, Mikasa’s fingers were getting curious to what it could hold inside.

Armin closed his eyes, and almost choked a sigh: “That was a year and a half ago, I’ve moved on, and I’m sure she did too, and it’s not like we held any real emotions for each other-”

“But if I’m being honest, you did neglect her,” Mikasa picked the book from the shelf.

Armin hands slipped and a particular sharp edge of a paper sliced through the not-any-longer calloused skin, he did steam it in a second, but the nasty pain from a paper cut could never be topped, “It only lasted for a couple of months and both of us decided that we aren’t a match! It was mutual!” Armin stuffed the rest of his papers into one file, not caring if they were in the wrong order, he just wanted to get Mikasa out of his office as soon as possible-

Mikasa opened the book, or more like it flung open by itself on a certain page, as something metal and shiny fell off from it, landing with an unimpressive thud on the rug.

Armin reached for it, but it was too late, Mikasa was already inspecting the circular polished metal, she held it in the light, and saw a small notch on its side, she flicked it, a thorn popping from the ring, the tip ever so sharp, ready to cut into flesh.

Mikasa turned her eyes to the opened book in her other hand, the ocean, the title said at the top of the page, in cursive delicate writing, Mikasa scanned the page, at the bottom, a hand drawn picture of the ocean was fading, this book must be too old…

Armin tried to concoct a retort, but he ended up sputtering from where he was still crouched on the floor: “Th-that’s my ring! I just s-store it there!”

Mikasa put the ring back where it was, closed the book on it, and placed it back to where it was cramped with other books.

“Yeah, I know that,” Mikasa said as she side-eyed a small wooden box on the desk, where she was sure Armin’s ring laid untouched, then she turned and walked out the office.

~~~

“In a week or so, it will be the third anniversary of the end of the war.”

“Oh, is that so…”

Eren and Mikasa chatted as Armin silently listened to them, all sitting around the dining table, they were having spaghetti and meatballs for lunch, a Marleyan dish Niccolo taught them how to make, with Mikasa’s own twist and tips from when she watched Carla in the kitchen, everyone agreed that nothing can beat her recipe.

“I think they will hold a festival in the village,” Eren said before he stuffed a meat ball in his mouth.

“Fun!” Ymir chirped in, and Armin smiled; this kid did bring enormous joy to the trio, and Armin never thought that a child would change their whole lives like that.

“Yes! It’s gonna be so fun!” Mikasa said in a high pitchy voice to Ymir, who was grinning, her teeth all red from the sauce, “mama would surely let you spend it here with us.” Ymir nodded, before she was immersed again in her food.

“Armin,” Mikasa acknowledged him, he hummed, “me and Eren are going for sure, do you wanna tag along? We’re gonna have a lot of fun, I promise.”

Mikasa’s voice was soft, so soft, it reminded Armin of the summer fluffy, white clouds, and when Armin looked into her eyes, they were pleading for him to say yes.

“What do you mean?” Eren inquired, raising a confused eyebrow at Mikasa, “he won’t be here anyw- mmpph”

“What?” Armin asked.

“Never mind him,” Mikasa said, a forced grin on her face, as if she didn’t just knock the air out of Eren with her ‘playful nudge’, “so, you’re in?”

“I…” Armin wanted to say no, that he had a lot of work to do, and that he’s not in the mood to party, not to mention that there would be enough liquor for the whole village to get knocked out, and Armin was trying so hard to stay away from alcohol; he didn’t taste it in three years.

“I’ll think about it,” Armin decided to settle on a vague answer, he learnt to not give away promises like they were free postcards.

Mikasa’s lips twitched upwards in half a smile, a part of her ignoring the fact that Armin would most likely come up with an excuse to not go.

“How’s work?” Eren asked Armin, as he stuffed meatball number who-even-knows into his mouth.

“Good, I guess, less pressure, ever since I started working from the shadows.” Armin answered, even though the mouth-watering food was waiting on the plate, Armin’s fork idled at an olive on the side of the porcelain dish.

“Hanji did give you the option, yet here you are, don’t you ever think of retiring soon? I mean, me and Mikasa are pretty much living stress free-”

“I can’t just sit around, besides, I would be unemployed if I leave the military, and it’s not like creating strategies from a cabin in a forest is dangerous,” Armin repeated the answer he always replies with whenever this tirade of retirement is discussed, it worked every time and made them shut up-

“But don’t you ever consider-” Eren’s mouth was full of food, he chewed quickly and swallowed, his mouth stained with red sauce, “don’t you ever consider starting a family?”

Armin choked on air, he felt that olive stuck in his windpipe, except that he didn’t even eat it, Mikasa offered him a glass of water but he only waved her hand away and said: “Did-” a cough “the two of you” another cough “plan this?”

The shared silence told him so.

Armin got up, taking a napkin and wiping his mouth, only to realize that he didn’t eat anything: “I’m gonna go for a walk, and when I get back, I don’t wanna hear any more of this bullshit.”

The screech sound of his recently-vacant chair echoed through the room, before Armin left the house, holding himself from slamming the door behind him.

“We… went too far… didn’t we?”

Mikasa nodded, looking at little Ymir who was devouring the rest of what was left on her plate, oblivious to her surroundings.

Armin had to muster all the remaining self-restraint to not send the door flying off its hinges; they both knew that these topics ticked him off, and they went through this dialogue more times than he would care to count, but still, they insist on doing it over and over-

His raging thoughts halted in his mind as well as his feet when he was met by an unexpected guest, frozen at the bottom of the two steps leading to the porch was Connie, a suitcase on the ground beside his feet.

“H-hey, Connie, what’s up?” Armin internally slapped himself at the feeble way he greeted his friend, but electric zips were still thrashing in his mind, sending jolts to his tremulous hands.

Armin shoved his hands in his pockets and walked to Connie, and this seemed to wake Connie from whatever trance he was lost in, then, a current of words were hastily flowing out of Connie’s mouth, overlapping and incoherent, and Armin couldn’t make a single word out of it.

Worry and concern shoved anger out of Armin’s nerves, in a second, he was in front of Connie, shaking his shoulders, and that quaked his jostling words into a cohesive sentence: “Do you want to go on a walk?”

Armin was taken aback by this sudden request, they didn’t see each other in months, and Connie didn’t write to Armin that he was going to visit, he merely just popped up in front of his door.

This wasn’t like Connie.

“Sure, but do you want to go inside? Maybe rest for a bit? We were just having lunch, so the food is probably still warm,” Armin tried to ease Connie off whatever he was struggling with, to clear his mind for a minute.

“No, I don’t feel like eating, and I need to get this off my chest, thanks though.”

“Ok then, let’s go.”

Armin walked side by side with Connie, he knew a rout in the forest long enough for Connie to talk with no pressure. Even though concern was chewing at Armin’s patience, he couldn’t force Connie into saying a word, he knew his friend for so long to know not to do so.

However, Armin bit the inside of his lower lip, holding his tongue from snapping at Connie, who didn’t stop fidgeting in his place; a hand would shoot up from his pocket up to caress his short grey hair, before it rubbed his temples and hid back into his pocket, his steps were out of rhythm, one short step, the next long enough to make Connie take a small step backwards to stay beside Armin. He was playing with the skin around his fingernails, Armin glanced at them and saw how red they were, with a darker shade of brown inside the edges of them, dried blood.

Armin crossed his arms, as if this would restrain him from saying anything he would regret.

“The predators are far into the forest, don’t worry,” Armin couldn’t hold himself back from saying that, he tried to keep his voice even and unbothered; but irritation seeped into his tone because Connie kept checking behind them as if someone was following them.

Connie stopped dead in his tracks, and Armin did a small dance of joy in his mind that his friend finally decided to speak out.

“Sasha.”

Armin’s arms dropped beside him.

One word, and it made Armin know exactly what was coming up next.

“I can’t- she just- I don’t know, I thought I was over it- it’s unfair-”

“Hey hey hey,” Armin clamped Connie’s head in his hands, steering his head so he could look into his eyes; they were a light shade of a dreadful pink, “take a deep breath, and don’t pressure it, I’m not going anywhere, I’m here to listen,” Armin didn’t waver his eyes off Connie’s, his words anchored Connie down, made him stop for a second.

Armin didn’t let go of Connie until he nodded, then Armin motioned for a large, fallen tree trunk on the side, and both sat on it.

“I don’t know from where to start.”

“It’s fine, take your time.”

Connie was silent for a moment, he swallowed and rested his elbows on his knees, his back arching with the weight of words he had yet to unleash.

“She… ever since she was gone, she pops up in my sleep, but… most of the time it’s really just a dream that doesn’t make any sense,” Connie mumbled, he was apprehensive, trying to remember one of these dreams, and when he did, he jolted back, startling Armin, who sprung out his arms in his direction, thinking he choked or something, but the wide smile on Connie’s face made Armin retreat back his hands.

“Th-there was that one dream! I don’t know where I was, but I remember that I was calling her, and I was getting irritated because she didn’t answer, and suddenly, a mountain of a steamy, hot potatoes emerged from nowhere! Like from no fucking where!”

Armin nodded his head rapidly, permitting a hesitant smile on his face despite a few droplets of spit splashing his face.

“Then the mountain just split open and there she was, she was floating? I guess she was, and she held out her hand to me and said in a decent voice I’ve never heard her speak in before,” Connie puffed up his chest and held out his hand to Armin, acting out his dreams, with a thick voice he mimicked: “come with me, my dear fellow, to the land of food,” Connie broke his demeanor and was laughing so hard, birds were abandoning their spots on the trees around them.

Armin laughed alongside Connie, and he tried to look over the hint of sadness in Connie’s voice, and he didn’t persist on the small cracks interfering with his tone, his shaking fingers, or the tears glistening inside his eyes.

Connie laughs subsided gradually, and then he wiped his nose on his sleeve, his vision was getting a little blurry, but he kept going, his voice calmer and quiet: “It was like this, all along, just laughs, but for the past four months, or maybe five, all I see are nightmares, one where her neck split open, or when the bones in her body snap, or blood pour from her eyes.”

Tears were rolling freely down Connie’s cheeks, his words choked, half of them battling their way out with his tears, and Armin could barely understand what his friend was saying anymore, but one single sentence was the same as a big stone dropping down Armin’s stomach.

“No matter where I see her or how it starts, she dies each time.”

A deep part of Armin knew that this was coming, he knew a dead person usually visits the living ones’ dreams, sometime it’s just a recall of a good memory, or a comforting hug, Armin once had a dream of his grandfather hugging him and singing him to sleep, however. Sometimes these long gone people haunts your dreams and turn them into nightmares, like some sort of a reminder that they didn’t deserve dying, retelling you that they will have a long last effect on your life, some sort of a witchcraft that will trap you for as long as you keep on breathing, to the point where it makes you want to-

“I want to forget about her,” Connie let this one single sentence out, and looked straight into Armin’s eyes.

Armin was still, not moving, he just stared back into Connie’s eyes, waiting for them to blink, but they seemed to turn into an unmoving sculpture. Armin shook his head, unbelieving and agitated.

Connie wanted to forget about Sasha,

Connie wants Eren to wipe off his memory.

Armin’s heart was beating in his ears, he didn’t notice his fists tightly clutched until he felt a nail digging excruciatingly into them. He tried to speak, to let out a rational reaction, some right-headed reaction that Armin was known for all his life.

Memories, memories, memories, memories, Annie-

Pain.

“Don’t start with some noble speech about ‘letting the dead keep on living in your mind’, I can’t,” Connie kept going, his eyes veered up at the sky, “those nightmares are ruining the good memory I have of her, and I don’t want that, she doesn’t deserve that.”

Armin only watched his friend, his head up to the sky, his eyes wide open, tears gushing down his cheeks, trickling off his chin before dripping onto his open hands,

“Well, Eren and Mikasa are actually visiting me today, we should… go back and… talk.”

Connie regarded Armin as if he grew a second head, he thought that Armin would give a long ass tirade about all this memory tempering shit, it didn’t cross his mind that he would be so easy to talk to about this specific topic.

Three years ago, the day following Mikasa and Eren’s wedding, Connie found Armin in the shower, soaked wet with freezing water, hugging himself and shedding tears… silently.

After that, Armin caught a very bad cold and had to stay in bed for five days straight.

Connie was certain that this memory crossed Armin’s mind too as they walked back the same path to his house.

Each step Armin took sent dozens of electric shudders into his body, he tried to calm himself by watching the birds flying from one branch to the other, or by the sound of his and Connie’s feet scraping against the dirt, but his ears magnified the voices into deafening thuds and screeches, the veins in his forehead were throbbing

What exacerbated it was that he couldn’t hide from the guilt growing inside of him at how he snapped at his friends, he didn’t mean to, he surely didn’t and shouldn’t have, after all, they were doing that out of concern.

Even though he was pissed at them, he had to apologize, but he would save that for later, there were more pressing matters. However, when Armin and Connie reached the house, Eren and Mikasa had already left.

Armin took Connie’s suitcase and walked inside his house, but Connie tried to stop him: “You know it’s fine, I can just go straight to their house-”

“Connie you look like shit, take a break first, maybe sleep for some time, and we’ll discuss everything later.”

Connie followed Armin silently.

Armin found a plate of food wrapped in a towel waiting for him on the table, he smiled, there goes Mikasa being the mom again, but he wasn’t hungry at all.

“Hey Connie, want something to eat?” Armin said as he walked to the table.

“Uh… what do you have?”

Armin unwrapped the towel: “Spaghetti and-”

A folded paper fell from it.

Armin put down the plate and unfolded the paper, only to find out that they were two papers folded together, one was brown and looked somewhat formal, while the other had scrabbles on which Armin immediately recognized as Eren’s messy handwriting.

“Spaghetti and what?” Connie asked, but Armin didn’t answer.

The paper wrinkled underneath Armin’s grasp as his eyes scanned the content of it, his jaw tightening with every word.

#Aruani #armin arlert #annie leonhart #armin-x-annie #eremika #Eren Jaeger #Mikasa Ackerman #eren x mikasa #fanfiction #snk #aot

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srhlsx · 4 years

Text

Rewritten & Reposted March 23, 2021

MASTER |Ch. 9 | CHAPTER 10 | Ch. 11

Later that night, as you were tucking Yua into her bottom bunk, she looked up at you with innocent curiosity in her eyes. “Neechan?”

“Mhmm?” You mumbled distractedly as you pulled the blankets up to cover her and made sure her pillows were nicely fluffed. The look she was giving you made you pause, she hadn’t looked like that in a while.

“Why is otosan never home?” She asked.

Shit.

You chewed on your bottom lip before answering her. You wanted to make sure that what you said wasn’t a lie, but also wasn’t entirely the truth. You weren’t sure she was exactly ready to hear the truth - that your dad couldn’t stand to be home because it reminded him too much of your dead mother.

“Do he not wanna be otosan no more?”

“Oh sweetie,” You said, grabbing Yua’s face with your hands and pressing a kiss to her forehead. “That’s not it at all.” You smoothed back the wild curls she got from your mother and took a deep steadying breath before talking again. “Otosan is just… sad, he misses mama, like we do. He stays at work for extra long because that helps him not feel so sad anymore.”

“Like you play vobbylall?”

You let out a small laugh, “Yes, exactly like that.”

After finally getting her to shut her eyes and fall asleep, you carefully left the bedroom and went back to where your little brother was still watching television from the couch. You took a seat next to him and stared mindlessly at the documentary playing on the small screen - something about ancient empires and the political systems they used.

“She asked Baba today if she thought he still loved her.” Your brother’s sudden voice surprised you in the quiet, making you jump. “They were talking about parent’s day in her class, might be why she asked you about it too.”

You leaned forward, pressing the heels of your hands into your eyes in hopes of pushing some of the stress and anxiety away. It didn’t work. You looked back at your brother, seeing that the news he shared with you didn’t really have much of an emotional impact on him.

“What about you?” You asked. “How are you doing?”

“I’m fine.” He gave a short reply, shrugging noncommittally. “The lady they make me talk to at school is nice, but she wants me to draw things and I just don’t see that point in doing that.”

You laughed a little at that, not overly surprised that he didn’t see much of a point in the mandated therapy his school was putting him through. With how mature he is, and the way that he speaks, you sometimes forget that Eiji is barely even ten years old.

You sit back and reach an arm around him, pulling your brother in close for a hug. Moments like this remind you he is definitely still so young because even with no one around he was embarrassed of you.

You wiped down the counter and sink in your kitchen, making sure not to make too much noise so your siblings wouldn’t wake up. You took this time tidying up the apartment to let your mind wander before you would settle in and get some school work done.

Glancing around you noticed how cramped and overwhelming the space you lived in actually was. Boxes that hadn’t been opened from moving were still stacked in a corner, labeled with their contents that had nowhere to be placed so they remained untouched. A few toys scattered around that you easily bent down to pick up and move so they wouldn’t get stepped on. Overall it looked like a home that had too much in it and not enough space.

Growing up a few neighborhoods over, your family had always lived where there was enough space. Everyone had a bedroom of their own, but you shared a bathroom with your siblings which wasn’t a problem. Now, you shared a bedroom with them and there was one bathroom for the entire family.

You weren’t one to complain. When the bills started coming in and your dad made the decision to sell your childhood home, you nodded with sad eyes and immediately started helping to pack up. You offered to work, quitting volleyball was an option, but as your mother lay in her hospital bed she made you promise to not give it up. To focus on your dreams. It had been a hard transition and some days you were still adjusting.

As time went on, you couldn’t help but think that you’d live in a home that was half the size of this apartment if it mean that things could go back to how they were-

No. You stopped yourself from diving into that rabbit hole, you shook your head to clear your thoughts. It is what it is, you can’t change it.

You tossed the rag you had been mercilessly twisting in your hands into the sink and moved to grab your school bag from under the kitchen table. Those sad thoughts you once had starting to fade away as you began to go through your mental checklist of homework needing to be completed and exams to study for.

Later, when the lock to your front door was turned and opened that night you made a point not to hide behind sleep or the darkness of your bedroom. You got up from your desk, closing your textbook with your notes still in it, and made your way quietly out of the bedroom after shutting off the light.

Your dad paused at the front door, halfway sliding off his shoes when he heard you shut the door to your bedroom and looked up at you. It wasn’t the latest he’d ever come home, but it was by no means early either - both your siblings had been in bed and asleep for hours at this point.

“Didn’t think you’d hear me,” He said, tucking his shoes away and standing up to his full height to face you. “You’re usually asleep when I get home.”

“No,” You shook your head, looking him right in the eyes. “I’m always up.”

“Ah,” He nodded awkwardly.

You followed as he passed you down the hallway, stopping to grab what he needed to make himself as comfortable as a small couch would allow. Like always, your dad was silent as he made up the bed on the couch, his eyes glossed over like he wasn’t even aware of what he was doing. You watched him from the doorway, frustration and a feeling of anger bubbling up inside of you.

How could he just act so clueless? Like nothing was going on?

He noticed you watching and finally spoke up, “Might be easier to just leave these here each night.”

“But then Eiji and Yua would see,” You nearly snapped, crossing your arms over your chest, a heavy sigh leaving your lips as you looked away from him. “On top of everything else, they don’t need to know that you don’t even sleep in your own bed.”

He went a little stiff at your comment, mouth forming into a line as he refused to look at you. “I just... can’t.”

“And I get that,” You said. “But you’re also nev-er home.”

“(Y/n),” He started, a tired and slightly annoyed tone to his voice which you were surely not going to handle well tonight. You looked at your dad with a raised eyebrow, encouraging him to continue to make up some kind of an excuse.

“Please continue.” You said, motioning your hand as if to tell him to keep going. “I would love to hear why you are actively deciding to never be home. Especially when Yua and Eiji need you most.”

“That is not fair, (y/n).” Your dad responded, looking up at you with a little bit of surprise that you were talking to him like this. “I am not actively deciding to not be home.”

“Well, you sure aren’t making an effort to be.” You stated bluntly. “You know Yua thinks it’s her fault?”

At that, your dad’s eyes widened considerably and you could see the shift in his shoulders as he tensed up.

“Yeah,” You laughed sarcastically. “She asked Baba if you still loved her today, asked me if you didn’t want to be her otosan anymore.”

You shook your head as you uncrossed your arms and stood up straight. Your hands swiped under your eyes, not wanting to let the salty tears actually fall from your eyes until you were able to get your point across. You’d been so strong for so long, you weren’t going to break now that you could lay it all out.

“And I can tell her all day, everyday that things are going to be okay. But it’s not the same coming from her sister as it would be coming from her dad... I’m fine. I will be fine. I had my time growing up with you and with mama.” You said harshly, clenching your hands into fists then aggressively pointing back behind you to the quiet bedroom. “But I’m going to be gone soon and those two need you.”

You didn’t want to raise your voice, so you stopped yourself from saying anything more. Your dad didn’t seem like he had anything to say, so you turned on your heel and went back into your bedroom before you could take back any of the words you had spoken.

When you shut the door, you heard a rustling from the bottom bunk and looked over to see Yua slowly lifting up. Her hair was sticking in all directions as she rubbed her eyes with her tiny fists. “Neechan can’t sleep?”

“Nah, chibi, I’m fine.” You mumbled softly as you closed the door behind you. It seemed to become your mantra for the evening - I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine.

“Sleep wif me?”

You chuckled lightly and grabbed your flashing phone and made your way to her bed, pulling back the blankets as she scooched closer to the wall to make room for you. She tucked herself under your arm and was almost immediately asleep before you had the chance to cover her again.

When you knew the light of your screen wouldn’t wake her up, you unlocked your phone and tapped on the messages icon that had lit up with a notification, smiling as soon as you saw who it was from.

New Message: 11:14pm

Bokkun: can you BELIEVE this guy?

Bokkun: attachment .img

You suppressed a laugh deep in your gut at the picture that followed.Sprawled across what looked like a set of pillows and messy sheets was the sloppiest, fluffiest, and one of the chunkiest dogs you’d ever had the pleasure of seeing. It’s tongue was lolling out of the side of its mouth and an expression of pure bliss was evident on its face. The following messages Bokuto sent you clearly explained his stress in attempting to move the precious beast so he could go to sleep.

You tried not to let your sour mood show through the messages, Bokuto seemed like the type of guy to notice those types of things right away. After a few messages and the issue of moving his dog getting resolved, Bokuto wished you a goodnight with an animated sticker of a sleeping owl. You let out a sigh and closed your eyes, falling into a dreamless sleep soon after.

#bokuto koutaro #koutaro bokuto #bokuto x reader #haikyuu!!#haikyuu #haikyuu fanfiction #haikyuu!! x reader #fukurodani #hq!! x reader #hq!!#hq

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greyias · 4 years

Text

FIC: Smoke and Mirrors - Chapter 9

Title: Smoke and Mirrors Fandom: SWTOR Pairing: Theron Shan/f!Jedi Knight Rating: T Genre: Pre-Relationship, Slow Burn Synopsis: Something’s rotten on Carrick Station, and Theron won’t rest until he finds out what. But picking at the frayed threads of suspicion quickly unravels a conspiracy much larger than even the Republic’s top spy can handle on his own. (A mostly canon-compliant retelling of the Forged Alliances storyline, as seen through the eyes of Theron Shan.) Author’s Notes and Spoilers: See Chapter 1.

Theron had been right about the communications. As soon as the strike team got on the ground, their signal nearly winked out and only became viable after Darok’s men erected a temporary signal amplifier to cut through the noise. Even with the that, the signal from Bickell’s armor cam wavered wildly on the holoprojector, making the images captured look like something out of a funhouse mirror.

Of course, that was the only thing remotely “fun” about what they were witnessing.

Chaos reigned as far as the wavy, static camera could see. Sediment had been kicked up and hung in the air in giant clouds, natural rock and stone blasted and scattered about, nearly indistinguishable from the ancient ruins that had been in the process of being delicately excavated and renovated. So many of the Tythonian and Jedaii ruins he’d remembered from Theron’s one trip to the planet now reduced to rubble.

He had a hard time placing the feeling welling up inside him at seeing the destruction wrought on the past. They had just done the same to Korriban, but that hadn’t hit him in the same way at all. On one hand, he was not a Jedi. Technically this wasn’t his past or his culture anymore that had been attacked — but there was a small part of him that still… it was stupid. He tried to shove that feeling down with the rest of everything he was very studiously ignoring. Because that was how the job was done.

The camera moved as Bickell started to step out onto the field, but the image jerked wildly as its wearer was yanked back. Moments later, the a mortar shell obliterated the spot the soldier was about to step into. The cacophony in Theron’s headset nearly deafened him while the image from Bickell’s camera stilled into something less likely to trigger motion sickness as the lieutenant and the rest of his squadron ducked back into the relative safety of the landing zone.

“Thank you, Master Jedi.” Somehow over the ringing in his ears, Theron was only able to make out just the slightest quaver in Bickell’s voice. Apparently the close call was enough to rattle even the SpecOp officer’s nearly unflappable demeanor.

“We must look out for each other.” Highwind’s voice was pleasant and warm, and probably meant to be comforting. “It appears that we have quite the task before us.”

“Yeah,” Theron cut in over the comm, “that was definitely a close call.”

“What am I looking at here, Theron?”

“Sensor data is sketchy, but from what I’ve been able to decipher the Imps have dug their heels in, all the way to the temple.”

“I suppose we should expect nothing less,” she said mildly, although there was something in her tone that somehow let him know there was a considerable amount of emotion being suppressed. He could sympathize.

“That heavy artillery is going to make for a lot of casualties if we attempt any large-scale deployment.”

“Then we must do something about that.”

Her small but striking figure stepped into the view of the camera as she surveyed the scene before her. Most subtle expressions would have been hard to interpret with the wildly dancing image, but her deep frown was still evident on this end.

“Sensor data is sketchy at best. The Imp’s signal scrambling is doing a number on getting reliable data.”

Without any preamble, she pulled out a set of macrobinoculars, presenting them to the camera feed. “Can you patch into these?”

He couldn’t readily identify the make or model of the device, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. “Get me an uplink.”

She made a motioning gesture, and Theron heard Teeseven’s telltale whistle as the droid rolled into view. A quick connection to the port of the macrobinoculars to the astromech later, and the device online.

A message flashed in the HUD on Theron’s ocular implants: T7 = establishing uplink now.

Theron’s fingers flew across the keyboard: Nice to see you again, buddy.

T7 + Theron = unstoppable slicing force.

Despite himself, he let a little grin slip. You got that right. You ready to show these Imps who’s boss?

T7 = always ready.

Yeah, okay. Theron could see why Highwind was fond of the little guy.

The display of the macrobinoculars appeared in the HUD, and he absently grabbed a datapad to help sort through the sensor data that was now flooding through. Those were some very fancy macrobinoculars. Fancier than some he could get from the SIS — and if the situation had been any different, he might have grilled Highwind on where she managed to acquire this kind of tech on a Jedi’s budget. A mystery for later, he reminded himself.

So many mysteries with this woman.

“That structure just behind that line of trees there — can you zoom in on that?”

“Hold on,” Highwind said, following his instructions.

A line of data streamed across his vision, and he frowned as he realized what he was looking at. “That’s it. Damn crafty bastards.”

“What?”

“That’s a Republic artillery targeting array — looks like they decided to take up recycling after trashing the place. It’s what feeding coordinates to the bombardment.”

“I see.” In his mind’s eye, he imagined her lips pressing into a thin line. “Would taking that out stop the artillery so the rest of the troops can land?”

“Yes, but I don’t see how—”

“Leave this to me.”

The feed from the macrobinoculars shifted, zooming out before being set down on a slightly shorter surface. Judging by the height, probably on top of Teeseven’s head.

Over the earpiece, Theron could hear Doc groaning. “Oh no, she’s got that look in her eye again.”

Scourge let out what sounded like the longest, most suffering sigh that could have ever been breathed, a sound Theron hadn’t quite imagined he’d ever hear from a Sith.

Kira cut in quickly, “Maybe I can—”

All of it was cut off instantly when the Jedi in question spoke to them firmly. “You all stay here. I will not be long.”

“Wait,” Theron said, realization slowly dawning that the Defender’s crew seemed to be catching onto something quicker than him, “what exactly is your—?”

A rush of noise took over the audio feed, completely drowning him out. Theron’s gaze cut back over to the feed from Bickell’s armor cam to see the flickering image of a caped figure racing across the battlefield and blasting site at an almost inhuman speed. She bounded from one spot to the next, looking like a rabbit merely hopping about. Showers of dirt and rock exploded into the air as the bombardment followed in her wake.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Theron tried to yell, but the cacophony on the other end drowned him out. There was no way she could hear him, and even if she could, it was doubtful he’d be able to hear any reply over the explosions.

The feed from Bickell’s camera showed that Doc, Rusk, and the rest of the strike team with long range weaponry were laying down cover fire against the ground troops from the relative safety of the landing zone. The targeting array lay at just the edge of the camera’s visual range, and Theron could just make out the clearly insane Jedi whirling in and taking out the guards with lightsabers and the aid of her team’s cover fire. And then.

Then she stopped.

If Theron was being honest with himself, for just one moment, something in his chest thudded to a halt. His breath caught in his throat as the tiny figure on the camera tipped her face to the sky as if she were calling out a challenge. Comprehension dawned on him and he realized what she was doing. But he could only watch in horrified fascination to see if her daft plan would be successful.

It was dangerous. Insane. And if Theron Shan had been gifted with the Force, with all of the extra physical prowess it granted, he was pretty sure it would be something he would try.

His feed beeped at him as the sensors lit up, indicating incoming fire.

“You’ve got a bombardment heading your way,” he growled at her.

“Perfect,” she said, and he was pretty sure he could hear a grin in her voice.

On the wavering feed, Theron watched as she bounded off, cape fluttering behind her as the bombardment came down on the position she had just been in — and took the targeting array with it in an explosion of fire, metal, and smoke that completely obscured the camera’s feed.

As the smoke began to clear, the image did as well, and he could make out Highwind marching back toward the troops. Her cape billowed behind her in full, and between her bearing, the sunlight glinting off her armor, and the grim determination set on her face, she looked like some sort of avenging angel.

Theron’s heart started thumping in his chest in full-time again, even if maybe it skipped one beat or two at the sight. He didn’t notice that as the blood rushed back through his veins, and a wave of relief — and something else he didn’t have the time nor patience to identify — rushed over him, leaving him almost light headed.

Had it been another time or place, he might have even admitted that the entire spectacle was more than a little bit of a—

“Your Jedi is insane, Shan.”

Theron turned his glare onto Darok, although he couldn’t exactly argue with the sentiment as something similar had been running through his head. Similar, but not exactly the same. He shifted on his feet uncomfortably, took in a deep breath, and let it out.

Focus, he reminded himself.

“Does that help any?” Highwind asked in that maddeningly deceptive calm of hers, although Theron could still detect just a hint of smugness peeking through.

And for some reason, it was that that made Theron forget himself, for just a moment. “What the hell were you thinking? You could have gotten killed!”

“It worked, though.”

A horrible, no-good thought entered Theron’s mind: Was this what Marcus Trant felt like every day? No. No, she would not have him sympathizing with Marcus over his own stunts in the line of duty. He almost missed the raised eyebrow from Darok, probably amused over the spy clearly having zero control over his asset. In a fit of pique, Theron shoved away from the console to the most remote corner of the room, his voice dropping into an approximation of that deceptive calm Highwind seemed so quick to employ.

“And what would have happened if you had died pulling that stunt?”

“I didn’t — the Force was with me.”

That calm slipped away from him. Theron was never really that good at holding onto it anyway. “This time.”

“I am open to alternative plans if you have a better idea on gaining more ground.”

Theron ground his teeth together, snorting out a breath, as that little voice in the back of his mind reminded him in almost a mocking tone that he was her handler. It was his job to get her to perform — and she had done so admirably. Flashy even. Better than he could have if he’d been there. And he had no idea about what part of that bothered him the most. If any of that was even the real issue.

“You do realize there are two more targeting arrays just like that one?”

She let out a quiet breath, as if maybe, just maybe, that hadn’t occurred to her. “Two more?”

“I doubt they’re just going to blow up the other two for you, no matter how fancy your footwork.”

“Well…” Was that a bit of consternation peeking through that Jedi calm? “I guess we’ll have to see, won’t we?”

After this was over, Theron was taking up drinking. Heavily.

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queen-mischief-fanfiction · 5 years

Text

Drabbles about the Black and White Siblings

An: I can’t seem to get these ideas out of my head so my solution is to write them out. Each chapter isn’t connected, each chapter is just a different stage of their story.Here is the story of how Alonzo, Quaxo and Victoria joined the Jellicle tribe and grew into the young cats we know and love, well first things first here’s their introduction.

How they met the Jellicles

It was a dark and stormy night at Victoria grove, and the rain was pouring non stop and humans ran home for cover. However, huddling under the cover of a broken umbrella that was dropped by a human was three kittens, cold and hungry, Alonzo the oldest was a black and white Tom that was still a kitten and was drenched from the rain, looking down he smiles sadly at his brother Quaxo, a black tuxedo kitten, he smiles back wrapping his small arms around the pure white fluff ball that is there little sister Victoria, barely a day old and already she’s left to the care of her brothers without their parents. Where were their parents well from Alonzo’s understanding they never had a father only a mother who lived in the streets and didn’t live long after giving birth to her last child. Alonzo had dreams that he would find a home for his siblings and one day hopefully he will.

Later in the night three large Tom cats were walking down the street towards the junkyard, the smallest, yet still big was a known as Gus the theatre cat, the second was a round tuxedo cat and lastly had the biggest cat of all known as Old Deuteronomy. “Gus that was a lovely performance tonight you deserve those five stars” old Deut, compliments “I quite enjoyed the show too” “i know Firefrorefiddle the fiend of the fell is my favourite role yet I’m sure the kittens will love to hear about it” unbeknownst to Gus or Bustopher, Deuteronomy was looking over at the corner of the street as he saw a big shadow, moving closer he could see that it was a small Tom kitten and a slightly older Tom both cradling between them a tiny kitten. “Oh everlasting cat” he said sadly moving closer to them alerting Bustopher and Gus to his movement, “brother what is it?” Gus asked running after him and Bustopher groans moving as well but slower than Gus or Deuteronomy who had stopped by the kittens as the two started to wake up and notice a giant cat in front of them. Weekly pushing the youngest behind him, in a way to seem less threatening Deuteronomy laid himself flat on the ground, Alonzo sniffed around him, sensing the big cat wasn’t a threat “w-w-What do you want?” Deuteronomy’s heart nearly caved in at how week the Tom sounded “I mean no harm, I merely want to know where are your mother and father?” “We don’t have any” the small tuxedo cat interrupted before being scolded by Alonzo “in that case please let me bring you and your siblings to my home,” Alonzo was sceptical since his parents were gone he was more defensive when it came to outside help. Seeing the distrust Deuteronomy explained, “my name is Old Deuteronomy, my brother Gus and old friend Bustopher Jones, we belong to a tribe called the Jellicle Cats and since you don’t have a home I want to welcome you into mine,” Alonzo still didn’t think it was a good idea “,at least to get out from the cold and to have a little food there’s plenty to go around back home” Gus invited and looking at how thin Quaxo already was and knowing Victoria needed to be drinking plenty of milk he accepted on the condition that they can leave if they want to.

Deuteronomy goes to pick up the littlest but stops when Quaxo pulls her closer “she’s mine to look after” he says making the old cat chuckle and instead he picked the two up together. Quaxo purrs already feeling the warmth, whilst Gus coaxes Alonzo to climb onto his shoulders and Alonzo did so liking the feeling of being tall. “Hey Bustopher that little Tom looks like you,” Gus calls to their friend, Bustopher look at the cats in Deut’s paws “,you’re right Gus and the littlest has a striking resemblance to my little sister, but she doesn’t have any kits”. Alonzo didn’t listen to the conversation Gus and Bustopher were having as he was looking at his brother and sister, keeping watch on them which made Deuteronomy chuckle “my oldest would like to have a cat as watchful as you to help protect the tribe” “you have kittens?” Alonzo asked him “yes I have thr- sorry just two sons and one grandchild whose looks to be from the same little as your brother, I must ask do your siblings have names?” “I’m Quaxo, and this is Victoria, I named her” Quaxo said being very proud of that fact. “And its a wonderful name for her, very elegant and I can tell she will be very beautiful when she becomes a queen”. They walked for a while, Quaxo falling back asleep and Victoria still hadn’t made a peep or even opened her eyes, Old Deuteronomy hoped there was nothing seriously wrong with her. Making it to the Junkyard the Jellicles lived in, an orange tabby cat and a small multicoloured brown Tom watched the group walk in, the orange tabby rushed down to see that they had three kittens and raced ahead to the large den that holds the kittens, whilst the small Tom fetched Deuteronomy’s family. “Jenny, Jelly emergency!” He yelled until a yellow coloured tabby queen forced her paw onto his mouth “Skimbleshanks, the kittens are asleep. What is the emergency that you needed to wake everyone up for” she demands as Gus and Deuteronomy walk in “Jennyanydots we have found three kits that need food, water and a good clean” he says making her gasp, and her sister Jellyorum came out after hearing this and instantly grabs Alonzo and takes him in for a bath, Jenny tries to grab the small kitten from Quaxo but he doesn’t let go “she’s mine, I need to protect her it’s my job” her heart was breaking the more his tiny voice spoke and Skimble decided to take the reigns from her “listen to me laddie, we don’t want to hurt her but Jenny here needs to look over your sister while you have a bath alright afterwards once we can tell she in fine then we will hand her back to you, we promise”. Quaxo reluctantly hands Victoria over to Jenny and jelly took him to the bath with Alonzo, “Thank you for the help dear” Jenny says to Skimble “naw don’t mention it I learn from the best” Skimble winks making her blush as she goes to give the new kitten a check up. “I think I’ll take my leave now but I’ll come by in the morning to check on the kits, tootle pip” he waves off leaving before the other Tom comes back with a grey striped Tom, a slightly younger Tom with slick brown fur that had patches of leopard spots following in with a small brown and white kitten in his mouth, huffing and puffing out of breath. “Sorry father we took too long we had to wait for Tugger” Munkustrap said bowing to Old Deuteronomy “Excuse me but not only do you both have longer legs but I was carrying a Tom kitten too” Tugger complained to his older brother as he put the kit down “thank you Uncle Tugger” “don’t thank me Plato I would do it again in a heartbeat” the kit Plato was nuzzling his grandfather in greeting as his youngest got his breath back “So father why did Asparagus jr say it was urgent for us to be here?” The Tom in question was nuzzling his father asking how the play went and how he wished he could have seen it. “Tonight on my way home I rescued three kittens, they had no home, no family, the youngest was only a day old and I want you here to meet them and maybe Make some new friends” he tells his sons as Jenny comes back with Victoria wrapped up, placing her in a little cot before walking to Deuteronomy “she’s very lucky, there’s no signs of damage and I was able to give her some milk” “her eyes are very blue like sapphires” a small voice interrupted the adults and looking over Plato was leaning over into the cot and the small queen’s were wide looking at him with interest. She giggles playfully booing his nose as her siblings enter the room again, “Hey!” Quaxo calls pushing Plato out of the way and picking Victoria up again “, don’t get too close she’s mine to protect”. Alonzo groans whispering to his brother “don’t be rude they were helping”. Quaxo didn’t stop his glare until Victoria was once again out of his arms by Jenny who said that she needed rest. “Boys these are the kittens I found, Quaxo, Victoria and I’m sorry I didn’t get your name” Deuteronomy turned to the oldest who stood straighter as the attention was on him “um I’m Alonzo their older brother”. Quaxo was pouting during the introductions until something new was spotted in his vision, a long fluffy tail, Quaxo silently stalks getting closer to his new find until he finally pounces on it, chewing on it until the tail and himself were suspended in front of a Maine Coon who didn’t look happy at all. “I’m guessing no one told this one to not chew on others tails” his tail went down making the kitten roll back over to his brother who rolled his eyes at how childish he was being, however what Tugger didn’t know what that Quaxo thought it was a game and did it again “listen closely stay off!” He said harshly but Quaxo still tried to get it until Alonzo stopped him “stay” he commands. “Worried he’ll ruin your coat” Munk says smirking at Tugger as said cat was combing his tail “just wait till I grow out my mane then you’ll be jealous that you won’t look as good as me”. Quaxo quickly grew bored and went to chew on his brother’s tail, but it wasn’t as good as the fluffy one, Tugger notice the pouting kitten look at his tail. He wanted to say no but the tuxedo was too cute so he laid his tail down and motioned for the kitten to come over “just this once and only because you are cute” Quaxo smiled running over to him “thank you sir” he says whilst chewing on his tail “just Tugger is fine kid” Tugger told him smiling gently at the kit.

Old Deuteronomy could already tell these kittens would be good for his family even if they couldn’t see it yet, noticing Plato off to the side he calls him over “everything alright?” Plato sighs “I can’t play with Toria” he complained making the older cat chuckle “she’s only a day old, and this world is still new here, give her a day or two to settle and I’m sure she would play with you and the other kits” the cat then heard a “I don’t want to share her with the others” through his yawns. “Boys it’s very late, let's let the new kittens rest and this one needs it too” Old Deuteronomy says before he leaves for his den. Alonzo had to pick Quaxo up and take him over to their spot to sleep in the den whilst Tugger picked up a sleepy Plato and he and Munk walked out of that den and Munk bid his brother a goodbye, going to his den and Tugger took Plato to his father’s where they both slept curled up to Old Dueteronomy.

#cats the musical #Drabbles about the black and white siblings #Alonzo #rum tum tugger #Munkustrap #Plato #Victoria #queen-mischief-fanfiction

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nyctolovian · 5 years

Link

Ch1

A/N: Heya! I’ve been really tired the past few days but i managed to get off my ass to post this lolllll. Once again, special thanks to @lunasloveliess, @oorubixoo, and @alunaii for helping me to beta-read this!! :)

I originally planned to post a new chapter once every Tuesday but god thats too tiring and i have a life (+ other wip to work on) so.... theres a change in plans! It will not have a fixed schedule but I’ll still try to keep it regular! dun worry!

Okay so we get to the next fun part of torturing Lance even more (i mean,,, thats the entire point of this fic tbh)

WARNING: Graphic depiction of violence

Lance woke up with a groan. His entire body felt sore. And his head! He rubbed the side of it, and hissed at the stinging sensation.

“What the– What happened?” Gingerly, he pressed the painful spot. A bruise?

He was in a well-lit room with tables and chairs, which were haphazardly shoved to the sides of the room, toppled or broken apart. There had been a struggle or fight or something.

The smell of iron was heavy in the room.

Lance sat up and saw a Galra soldier on the floor, lying in a pool of blood. There was no way she was still alive with that much blood and the flap of flesh dangling at what used to be her throat.

Lance seized up as memories surged back. The distress signal, the capture, the attempted escape, the millions of bottles, the monstrous creature.

Why wasn’t he dead?

He lifted his hand saw it was caked with blood. In fact, both hands were. He felt his throat constrict.

But his hands weren’t wounded. The blood was from elsewhere.

Lance ran his tongue over his lips and cringed as he tasted blood. “Where the heck did that come from?” he muttered to himself.

He did a quick scan of himself. There was no gaping wound or anything of that sort. His back felt like there were glass shards in it, but that was probably because there were glass shards. Otherwise, he was only bruised and battered with a few shallow cuts, most likely from the glass as well.

Did the creature spare him? For what reason?

Maybe it didn’t spare him, so much as it had only sought vengeance from the Galra. It was hard to imagine anyone who would be thankful for being cooped up in a liquid-filled vessel.

But what was he doing here? Did the creature bring him here? For what?

Lance sighed. He decided not to question it. He was alive. That was all that mattered now. That and how he needed to get out. The others must be worried sick.

He rose to his feet, grunting in effort. His vision blacked out for a moment, and Lance had to stretch out his arms to keep himself steady. His sight gradually cleared, although he remained light-headed. The burning sensation in his back intensified, the glass shard relentless, as every other part of his body was aching dully, as though he had been thrown against several walls.

He stumbled out of the room and winced. The corridor was drenched in blood and littered with mauled bodies.

Some of them had their necks ripped through like the Galra in the room. Others had large gash at their torso, their ribs torn apart and left open. The occasional body was missing a limb or two, which could usually be found a couple of metres away, in its own pool of crimson. There were some bodies which were twisted unnaturally, bones snapped in two like toothpicks.

The corridor walls were scratched up and bathed in dark red. Certain parts were slightly charred. They were marks made by Galra blasters.

Then, there were the claw marks on some of the walls. Those clearly were not Galra.

He shuddered.

Jesus. That creature must have gone straight up mad to wreck the place like this. The place reeked of fresh blood and death.

Lance really was lucky to be spared from the massacre. Somehow.

He tried not to breathe in the scent of blood, but it was soon apparent that it was unavoidable. With a resigned sigh, he walked through the corridor, carefully avoiding the corpses.

He needed to find his lion and bayard. Then, he’d get out of here.

Soon, Lance reached a forked road and frowned.

Which way to turn? None of them felt like the right choice. He didn’t even know where he wanted to go in the first place. How on earth would he know if he should turn left or right?

Let’s try left.

He turned that way and continued down the long corridor. Not like he could make an informed decision at this point.

There were several other turns, and he trusted his gut feeling to direct him. It came to him quicker than usual.

Was he becoming another Keith Kogane? Maybe trusting instincts wasn’t that bad since Keith’s premonitions proved right.

After about five minutes of stumbling through the corridors, Lance noticed a familiar yellow figure on the floor. His breath caught in his throat as he dashed and skidded to his knees, uncaring that they would surely be bruised later. “Hunk?!”

He wasn’t… was he? It couldn’t be!

Fingers shaking, Lance held a hand in front of Hunk’s face.

He felt breath! Hunk was breathing!

He nearly collapsed onto his unconscious friend. “Oh, thank goodness.” He pat Hunk several times. “Hunk? Hunk? Wake up.”

When he didn’t respond, Lance’s heartbeat picked up again. He did a quick check on his friend. Hunk didn’t seem to be sustaining any major injuries. Lance turned his unconscious friend onto his back and checked his breathing closely. It seemed normal.

Nothing about Hunk raised any alarms; his life probably wasn’t in danger. Lance patted Hunk’s head, and reassured that he was fine.

The fact that Hunk was mostly unharmed supported Lance’s theory: the monster only attacked and harmed the Galra. Anyone else was left largely unharmed.

His stomach twisted in sympathy for the monster.

That poor fella. It must have been hurt so, so much for it to want vengeance this badly. His heart ached for the tortured soul of the creature, even if it was a scary monster.

With a grunt, Lance grabbed Hunk’s arm and threw it over his shoulder, hissing in pain.

The glass shards. They shifted in his back, digging into his flesh.

Steeling himself, he tried to stand up but tumbled down after every try. He panted with effort. Lance’s head spun violently and his hand shot to the floor to steady himself. It took a few seconds for the world to wobble back in place.

Maybe he had lost more blood than he thought.

Slowly, he placed Hunk back down before scouring through the corridor and the surrounding rooms. Luckily, there was a trolley nearby. He pushed it beside Hunk before half-rolling, half-lifting him onto it as gently as he could.

Lance had to get back to the lions. He sighed and began to push the trolley. When they arrived at a crossroad, Lance peered down all three corridors. This place was a damn maze. He pursed his lips in thought.

Straight ahead?

Lance grunted as he leaned on the handle of the trolley and pushed forward.

Somehow or another, Lance managed to find the lions quickly but their barriers were activated. He knocked on Yellow’s particle barrier and called, “Hey, buddy. Could you open up?” After a small hum of greeting, the yellow lion lowered its barrier and open its mouth for Lance to trolley Hunk in.

He lifted the large guy with a Herculean effort and propped him up on his seat. As a safety precaution so the other boy wouldn’t go tumbling to the floor when they lifted off, Lance strapped Hunk tight with the seatbelt.

When Lance straightened up, he swore he felt his skin rip further. He hissed in pain. To top it all off, his back felt wet. Whether it was blood or cold sweat, he really didn’t know.

Lance sighed loudly. The damn glass shards. He wanted to reach back and just yank them all out. That, of course, would do nothing but make more blood gush out.

Besides, he had better things to do than make his injuries worse.

Slowly so he wouldn’t aggravate his back, he got off the ship and nodded towards the two lions. “Wait for a sec. I still need to get the bayards and armour and stuff. Keep him safe, ‘kay, big guy?” he said, patting Yellow’s leg. “You too, Red.”

When he sensed the soft rumble of acknowledgement from the two lions, he headed back down the hallway, hoping he’d be just as lucky while finding where the bayards and armour were kept.

Walk straight and a fork right up ahead… Turn right.

He turned and continued staggering through the corridor, sighing.

Just a little more.

He made yet another turn at yet another crossroad. But as he walked round the bend, he was hit by a distinct and unwelcome smell.

The rotting stench.

The more he walked, the closer he got to the laboratory, it seemed. The odour only grew stronger and stronger. Truthfully, he didn’t want to go anywhere near that lab. However, he had a strong unexplainable feeling that this was the right direction, so he didn’t turn back.

When he made a turn again, he saw the swinging doors at the end of the corridor. It was the corridor from before. It was empty, save for the spot near the swinging doors, where a large bulge sat in the dark.

Lance pursed his lips. There was a strong urge to investigate it.

You wouldn’t like what you’d see. No point looking.

He pulled his gaze away, focusing on the walls instead. After walking slightly further, he found himself staring into a room. A quick glance was all Lance needed. He spotted their bayards and armour hanging on hooks that weren’t far from the entrance.

Unlike the corridors that smelt like rotting death, this room already reeked of fresh gruesome kill. It was a literal bloodbath in there and Lance hadn’t even stepped in yet. Fortunately, it was dark. He really didn’t want to see more dead people than he must.

Lance glanced at the piles of bodies in the room and did a quick count. It was the same number of druids that had cornered him a while ago.

With a shudder, he turned away, biting the inside of his cheek. The stuff they did was pretty messed up, but surely they shouldn’t have to go through such violent deaths.

No, they did. They would have used you like an experiment if they hadn’t died.

Lance shook his head to clear it. He didn’t want to dwell on that thought. It was too frightening to think about that while standing amongst piles of corpses.

Get what you need and leave.

He steeled himself, held his breath and stepped through the doorway. Quickly, he grabbed the bayards and armour before darting back out into the corridor. Immediately, he put his helmet back on and switched on the communicator.

“Hey, guys?” he tried. “Anyone online?”

“Wait. Lance?” He heard Keith say in disbelief. “Is that Lance?”

Lance laughed at the little crack in his voice, and his chest warmed up at the familiarity of his teammate’s voice.

“It’s him, isn’t it? It’s Lance!” Pidge screamed. “Quiznak, you’re alive!”

There was a flurry of cheers and screaming and talking all at once. Lance couldn’t catch a word they were saying amongst all the noise. “Guys. You need to talk one by one. Can’t understand a word,” he said, a sigh in his voice.

He dropped to the floor and propped his head up on his knees. Feeling a little cold, Lance hugged his legs tightly. His eyelids were heavy with lethargy.

“Shiro and I lost all contact with you!” Coran yelled first.

“I could sense your lions moving away from Regeunde. But I couldn’t do a single thing!” Allura cried. Her voice was wracked with panic and guilt, trembling violently. “I tried to go back to the castle as fast as I could, but–”

“We couldn’t move out of the base! Security was tight and we had to follow for the sentry’s cycle, so we were moving at snail pace. But we’re heading back in now,” Pidge stuttered. “We’re so sorry!”

“Nah. It’s alright now.” Lance chuckled weakly. “Sorry for worrying you guys.”

“Are you okay though, Lance?” Shiro asked.

“Yeah, ‘m fine. A little beat up, but fine. How long has it been?”

“Three vargas!” Keith shouted.

“Geez… No need to yell… My poor ears, Keith. Definitely felt a lot longer than that though. My throat’s all dry.”

“What happened?” Pidge asked. “And where’s Hunk?”

“Apparently, the druids were ordered to stop Voltron from forming. Got dragged into their ship. Hunk’s knocked out or something. He’s in Yellow so he should be safe. Should still check up on him when we get back,” he mumbled. “They’re definitely planning something. Turns out you were right, huh, Keith?”

There was a curt hum from Keith.

Coran said, his voice more composed than before, “I am able to locate you through your communicator now.”

“Hang in there,” Keith said, firm and reassuring. “We’re nearly in the castle.”

Pidge said, “The Galra will most likely have a plan ready if we come to rescue them. We need to be careful.”

Lance bit his lip. “Whatever they’ve got up their sleeves, it probably won’t work now. The entire ship’s wiped out.” His hands were cold and stiff so he rubbed them together.

“What?”

“I’ll… explain later. I don’t feel good talking about that… now,” he said, glancing around the eerily quiet corridor. “Anyway, I’ll try to move away from the ship in the meantime. In case there’s, like, a booby trap or something.”

“Right,” Allura said. “Do stay safe, Lance.”

“As you wish, princess!” Lance said playfully, even adding a small superfluous bow despite his lack of an audience.

The groans and sighs came nonetheless.

“Just hurry up,” Keith grumbled.

“Alright! Lance out,” he replied before switching the communicator off.

With sore limbs and an aching back, Lance struggled to get back on his knees. When he did, his eyes were drawn to the large bulge right in front of the swinging doors to the laboratory once again.

It sat there, ominous and unmoving, but Lance couldn’t shake off this lurching feeling in his stomach. He had to look at it. Yet, something in him kept warning him that it wouldn’t be a good idea.

It wasn’t moving anymore. Surely it was dead. Why was he so terrified?

Of course you’re afraid! It’s a body! How could you not be? You should just leave it alone.

No, it wasn’t that he was scared of the body or its death. There was something else about it. Something was very off. If he took a closer look, he should be able figure it out.

But perhaps you are better off not knowing.

Maybe.

Still, Lance found himself inching closer. His heart slammed against his ribcage, and his breath was shallow and fast, not unlike that of a terrified rabbit. He activated his bayard and his breath hitched at the transformation. His hands were tightly curled around the gun as he slid his left foot forward, then his right.

A single look was all it took.

He jerked back. “Ay dios mio,” he breathed.

That bulge. It was mangled, resembling a crumpled paper ball rather than the limbed creature it had been.

But the dark green scales and sharp claws were unmistakable. Its head had been ripped off and was sitting wide-eyed beside the body. Still and unseeing, as though paralysed with shock.

It was the monster from the lab.

Lance broke into a run. With what little strength he had left, he dashed him to the lions— to safety.

He didn’t have the courage to look around now. Not when bodies of the Galra were scattered over the floor— disfigured, mauled, destroyed.

As soon as Lance made it to his lion, he fumbled for the buttons and managed to take off. His legs were jelly and his heart was beating quickly, but whether from running or fear, he didn’t know.

When he tried to sit down, pain spiked through his body. Glass shards. He let out a groan and remained standing.

Lance tapped the button at the side of his helmet. “Hey, guys. How much longer are you gonna take?”

“We’re almost there, Lance,” Allura’s calm voice came in. “Wait for us outside the ship. We should be there in a tick.”

“Okay. Thanks, ’llura,” Lance mumbled as he shuffled his weight to his other foot and switched the intercom off. He was way more exhausted than he had thought. “Okay, Red, m’ buddy,” he said. “We gotta drag Yellow and Hunk out. We should be able to reach the rest that way.”

Lance managed to complete that task with a combination of nudging and tugging and dying noises. As soon as they were out, the space in front of their lions folded into itself, and the Castle of Lion winked into existence.

He heaved a huge sigh of relief. His legs buckled and he barely caught himself in time.

Careful!

As he lowered himself, he was careful not to hurt his back any further and lay on his side, tired and sleepy. Every part of his body was aching.

He felt Red being dragged and he looked up to see Blue pushing him and the black lion grabbing Yellow with its massive jaws. By the time Red had landed securely in the castle, Lance was curled into a foetal position. His eyelids were closed and he could feel himself slipping. He managed to open his eyes enough to see the interior of the hangar.

Just a short nap. After that, he’d wake up to make sure Hunk was fine. His eyelids fluttered shut again.

A loud “Lance!” woke him.

Someone touched his shoulder and he hissed in pain. The hand was quickly removed.

“Oh gods. Lance? Are you awake?” Allura asked, tapping his arm frantically. “Please be awake.”

“Hm?”

She let out an audible sigh of relief. Her voice grew a little distant as she turned away from him to speak into her intercom. “Tell Coran to ready the operation table. Bring a stretcher to Red’s Hanger. Lance has lost a lot of blood.” After a brief moment of silence, Allura’s voice was directed to Lance again. “Alright, stay awake. Open your eyes,” she said.

“’m sleepy, princess. And everything kinda hurts,” he mumbled. “Gimme five more minutes.”

“Lance, stay with me. Just open your eyes a little longer,” Allura said as she conducted a check on Lance’s body.

With a groan, Lance forced his eyes open. His vision was blurry for a moment. Then, his eyes found iridescent blue ones and locked on to them. “Y’know, princess, your eyes are really pretty,” he blurted. “Anyone told y’ that? Like jewels.”

“Alright, Lance,” Allura said absently as she ran her hands over his limbs to check for wounds. She let out a soft curse when she saw his arms. “Do you know how badly you’re injured?”

“I know I have glass in my back,” Lance replied.

“Glass?!” Allura cried.

He tried to turn to let Allura see it, but the movement sparked a sharp pain through him and he let out a gasp, too tired to do any more than that. “Ah, fudge ball,” he whimpered. “Didn’t hurt so much jus’ now…”

“Did you jostle it while on the lion?” Allura peered over his shoulder and winced. “Oh, this is much worse than I thought. There’s so much– Why didn’t you say anything?”

Lance shrugged slightly, causing more pain to spike through him like an electric current. He dropped his head against the floor and breathed heavily, trying to steady himself.

Stay awake. She wants you to stay awake.

But surely a short little nap would be fine–

“Lance!” Allura called again. “Stay awake, alright? Stay awake. Help is coming.” She placed a reassuring hand on the back of his.

Lethargically, Lance nodded but he was losing focus. When he found himself staring at blobs of blurry colours, he shook his head and tried to concentrate on Allura.

“’s Hunk okay?” he asked.

“What? Oh. Keith and Coran are attending to him right now.”

“But is he oka–”

“Princess Allura!” Shiro’s voice came. “I have the stretcher.” His worried face hovered above Lance’s. “Hey, Lance. Hang in there.” Shiro gave him his worried-dad smile and Lance returned it with a tired one.

Allura hoisted Lance up and placed him on his side on a stretcher.

“Make sure he does not roll. His back is full of glass. We do not want it to be pushed in any further,” she told Shiro as they strapped Lance securely to the stretcher.

Just as he began to close his eyes, she pat his cheek. “Stay awake, please.”

“As you wish, princess,” Lance mumbled with a quirk of his lips.

Quickly, the two of them carried Lance out of the lion. They ran into Keith, who had just sprinted over from the direction of the infirmary. He matched the pace of Shiro and Allura as he gave them a quick rundown. “Hunk’s fine. Coran ran a check on him in the healing pod. Only bruised and slightly concussed. Nothing too bad. Put him in the healing pod for about two vargas and he’ll be fine.”

“That’s good,” Lance muttered.

Keith shot him a look filled with both rage and worry.

Lance gave him a sheepish grin.

With a groan, Keith squeezed his eyes shut and tore his attention away from Lance. He turned back to Shiro. “The operation room and Coran are free. Pidge prepared the room and some blood bags already.”

“Good,” Shiro replied.

They reached the operation table. As Shiro laid Lance onto the operation table, Allura explained the situation to Coran, “There are multiple glass shards in his back and burns to his arms.”

“Can I sleep now?” Lance mumbled. No one seemed to hear him over the loud clangs of preparation and rapid dissemination of information and instructions.

Try to stay awake.

But he was so, so exhausted.

Just a little bit longer.

Lance still found his eyes blinking slower.

“First degree burns, I believe,” Allura continued. “Multiple wounds to his arms and legs. Blade wounds. I can’t see much of his skin beneath the suit, but there seem to be many bruises.” She pulled at a cut in the suit and exposed some of Lance’s skin to Coran.

Coran winced. “He’s very pale. He must have lost a lot of blood.”

Eyelids heavy, Lance let himself slowly drift away. No one was replying him anyway. “G’night,” Lance mumbled, closing his eyes.

For some reason, Lance was aware that he was in a dream. He wondered if this was one of those lucid dreams Rachel had once talked about. He had never had one before. However, something felt a little different. Because this dream… didn’t feel like his.

His movements weren’t fully under his control. It was as if his actions and feelings and thoughts while in this state were shared with someone else.

In the dream, he was in the druid’s lab again. This time, he was in a jar on the shelf. It was difficult to see anything outside the jar. There was a white rectangle, probably a jar label, obscuring his vision. Behind him was a white wall, and to his sides were similar jars.

Each jar contained a blue and green creature that looked like half-developed foetus, except with a long tail that was twice the length of their body. They had small jagged mouths and two pairs of beady eyes. The twitch of their eight legs, and the slow movement of their feelers were the only indicators that they weren’t dead as they floated about in liquid.

Though they didn’t look alive to Lance either.

When Lance focused on the reflection on his glass jar, he realised he looked just like them. His wrinkly skin was dark green with splashes of bright blue.

His eyes travelled to the creature on his right, who had the most brilliant shade of green on the tip of their tail. They looked rather lethargic with their feelers drooping and head slightly bowed. As though sensing someone watching, they lifted their head, and beady eyes looked back at Lance. Despite never meeting such a creature before, Lance recognised their small tail movement as a greeting. He returned the gesture politely and watched as the other creature shook with joy, a momentary relief from the tense lifeless atmosphere of the room.

Then, there was a click. With a flick of his tail, Lance swirled in the jar and peeked through a thin gap under the jar label. An involuntary shudder ran through him.

Druids.

They got to work. Some prepared the laboratory table and equipment, but Lance’s attention was drawn to the druid approaching the shelf he was on.

His eyes made contact with the creature on his right again. Their tail shivered as they floated backwards in the fluid. Fear.

He glanced around. Everyone else was shaking in terror. He looked forward again to see the druid considering them all as though they were canned soup at a supermarket.

The druid’s arm loomed in Lance’s direction. With a squeak, Lance squeezed his eyes shut and curled into a ball. For several seconds, nothing happened. He worked up the courage to open his eyes again.

The spot on his right was empty. Alarm surged through his body, and he launched himself to the side of the jar. The druid was walking towards the table with a jar in hand.

A flicker of brilliant green.

“Fivirion!” The name slipped from his mouth. The name associated with that beautiful shade of green, something in his mind supplied.

Fivirion swivelled in the jar, and their eyes stared into his. Fivirion was frozen in place.

There was a violent, wrenching tug in Lance’s gut. As if there were millions more memories between them, and this was the final sliver of a moment left that they could ever share.

Lance felt his body press against the glass of jar and his voice screaming Fivirion’s name over and over and over.

A druid twisted the jar open, and Fivirion was poured into a light blue tray. There was sufficient light for Lance to catch their silhouette in the tray, flickering and writhing about frantically.

“Vree! Vree!” they screamed, and Lance felt his voice yell with greater urgency, “Fivirion!”

He moved back and slammed against the front of his jar. His heart was beating a thousands beats per second. He was on the verge of combusting with panic. Desperate, he swished in his jar and jumped to hit the jar cap.

It wouldn’t budge.

Fivirion’s screams morphed into a screech. Lance plunged to the bottom of the jar to look through the gap.

The druid used a pair of tweezers to seize Fivirion. Dread wracked through Lance’s body with fearful familiarity, despite never having seen it before. The druid swished Fivirion in the liquid of the tray for several seconds. When he was done, they were no longer screaming.

There was the occasional defiant twitch. But the druid had them under control.

The druid picked up a small needle and drove it into them and Fivirion spasmed for several seconds before falling deathly still again.

Lance pressed his body against the glass jar again, a sense of defeat washing over him.

A large creature was rolled into the lab. It was heavily sedated, its eyes only open a fraction, allowing its bright orange eyes to peep through. Its huge furry body slumped heavily against the cage it was in.

Lance felt faint. His breathing was heavy and his head felt light.

The druids opened the top of the cage and shoved the creature about roughly as they readied it for their procedure. When it was hooked onto a monitor and several tubes, they began the operation.

They shaved the back of its head and carefully made a small hole in it. Using the pair of tweezers, they picked Fivirion up and inserted them into the creature’s skull.

By this point, Lance could watch no longer. He curled into himself and squeezed his eyes shut.

He’d be lying if he said he knew what exactly was going on.

But he knew it was very wrong. The millions of indecipherable feelings, which welled up inside him and made his feelers shrivel, told him so.

#voltron #vld #klance #langst #lance mcclain #hunk #fanfic #graphic depictions of violence #hurt/comfort #whump #hunk whump #lance whump #canon divergent #parasite #symbiosis au #angst #my writing #writeblr

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necrokittytales · 6 years

Text

Necrokitty Tales: Trouble in Inkwell Isle (Chapter 12)

Authors’ note: Remember, Necrida’s writing will be in italics and SPKC’s writing with be regular font.If you have no idea what this roleplaying thing is, you can start from the beginning here.

——–

The morning arrived and it was a shiny new day. Mina woke up happily, got dressed and went down stairs. She stopped abruptly to see her mother sleeping on the table next to a bunch of tissues and an almost empty bottle of vodka.

‘She must have cried herself to sleep again’ Mina thought sadly reaching for the bottle quietly and emptying it in the sink, to replace it with salted water. ‘That will teach her’.

She then covered her mother with a blanket, prepared a small breakfast for both of them and packed her lunch. She was starting to get worried about her, she had been drinking more the past few weeks…

She gave her mum a kiss and went on her way to school wondering if Mr Carnation said something to upset her last night.

–

Harvey Hare woke up with a slight groan. He got up, stretched and started to hop toward the kitchen for breakfast. His mother was already setting aside a piece of extra carrot cake from last night for him. Harvey blinked in surprise at the cake for breakfast and his mom chuckled.

“I know we don’t normally have cake for breakfast but I’ve just heard some of the nightingales chirping away about some very interesting gossip that I’ve just GOT to ask about before they fly on over to the second isle.”

Harvey wasn’t complaining. Cake for breakfast was awesome. He sat down and quickly ate up before his mother changed her mind. He paused mid bite. “Isn’t dad coming home tonight?”

“Yes he is. And I’m sure he’ll want to talk to you about yesterday as well, young man!”

Harvey paused. Oh gee, yesterday was a bit rough, wasn’t it? His eyes widened. He wondered what the class would say? Was Mina still alive? Was Spike going to seek revenge? So many questions! He finished his cake and quickly dressed for school before hopping out the door. He wasn’t sure if he was going to catch Mina on the way to school but he’s sure that if she was still alive, they could talk at lunch.

–

When Mina passed near the carnation’s field, she eyed it quickly to see if it was there but she couldn’t spot him. She wanted to thank him again for giving back her journal. Maybe she could get him a gift at the carnival tomorrow.

She wondered on her way to school what do flowers like, do they even eat?

–

Harvey was worried to see he had beaten Mina to school. Oh no! Did that mean her mom killed her after all?!

His classmates were absolutely abuzz with chatter about yesterday’s fight.

“I heard that Cagney tore her into tiny pieces!”

“Nu uh! She bit him and sucked all the nectar out of him cause she’s a bat!”

He spotted Spike and Todd out of the corner of his eye looking a bit subdued. Did their parents find out about this too? He couldn’t help but hope they got in trouble.

Mina got into class the moment the bell rang. She caught her breath and waved at Harvey, taking her seat. She then pulled her journal out of her backpack to show it to him with a smile.

Mrs. White looked upon the class with a very annoyed look. “Children, it has come to my attention that there was a fight yesterday afternoon. Although the fight happened outside of school grounds, I would have imagined your parents have raised you to avoid altercations.”

All students turned their heads to Mina and Harvey.

Mina slid down a bit from her chair as she tried to hide. Todd frowned and gave Harvey a threatening look.

There was some silence in the classroom before a kid blurted out: “Did you suck out Cagney’s nectar with your vampire teeth?”

The whole class erupted in uproar of excited yelling and Mrs. White had to bang on the board several times in an attempt to regain control of the situation.

“Children! Children! Enough!” She shouted irritably, finally resorting to slamming a book on the ground. And even then there were a few murmurs. She clapped her hands together. “I don’t care WHO was involved,” she snapped, “But everyone is going to have to do an extra writing assignment!”

There was a collective groan from all the kids as Mrs. White wrote on the board. “Don’t you “aw” me,” the teacher continued, “Maybe if you violent little thugs behaved once in a while,” she muttered under her breath, “I wouldn’t have parents coming in arguing with me over grades.” She cleared her throat and pointed to the board. “Tomorrow I want a paragraph about what you like about one of your classmates. I don’t want any declarations of love! Just, things that you like that make them a good friend! You got it?”

“Yes, Mrs. White.”

“Good, maybe some positive writing will rub off on you and keep you in line. Now open your books to page 36…”

Todd looked at Mina and Harvey and made a gesture with his thumb sliding across his neck. Mina saw him and showed him her unusual long tongue to mock him.

–

Sullivan finally reached shore after sailing through a horrible storm and fighting a terrifying giant octopus. Amber was still there, shining in her beautiful dress and calling his name with an angelical voice. He started walking towards her, he could smell her, he could almost touch her…!

He woke up by the sound of a clock alarm falling from his chair.

Amber’s ears twitched as she heard Sullivan’s alarm go off. She peeked in from the kitchen at the groggy salamander and brought out a plate of fried fish, letting it clatter loudly in front of his face. “Good morning, Sully!” She beamed, “I made breakfast! I caught it myself!” She declared proudly, flashing some sharp canines at the still half asleep salamander. If he looked close enough at the fish, he could see the two puncture wounds where she had sunk her teeth in and dragged it from the water. “Eat up!”

Sullivan looked at Amber blinking unbelieving. Not only the girl of his dreams was still here, bit she made him breakfast! That she caught herself! This woman was really getting to him… he had to show her how much he wanted to stay with her.

He regained his seat and smile tenderly at Amber “Wow that is a nice catch! Thank you very much, Amber…” He scratched his neck nervously .“Em.. did you sleep well?”.

Amber was pleased that her catch was well received. She was actually beginning to like this dope. She brushed her fur aside. “Oh! Well I took the bed. I felt so bad that you fell asleep here though! I wasn’t quite strong enough to drag you.”

Nor would she have risked waking him up. She eyed the door hopefully. As charming as this was, she really had to get a move on, especially if she was going to double check these shipments and maybe intercept one or two.

“Do you think you could give me a ride back to the mainland? Dog paddling is the worst when you’re a cat.”

‘Im never washing those sheets’ the salamander thought to himself. “Uh, yeah! Of course” he nodded “ And.. um…” he hesitated “Amber… last night… was really fun, and… I was wondering… if… you would like to hang out again sometime? Maybe… go to the carnival or… something”. He stared at his plate.

The carnival, huh? That would certainly be an opportunity. And no one would suspect her if she was walking around with a date. She smiled sweetly. “That sounds like fun. I think it comes in tomorrow if you wanna go?”

“T-that would be great!” Sullivan looked at the woman with a big smile and a red face. He was going on a date with her! He finished his plate and offered to take Amber back with his raft.

–

The lunch bell rang and Mina waited for Harvey so they could go together to the cafeteria, keeping an eye on Todd and Spike.

Harvey hopped over to Mina. “I’m really glad your mom didn’t kill you!” Harvey exclaimed happily. “How did you get your notebook back?” He gasped.

“My mum was very angry when we got back home but she calmed down and ended up talking” Mina smiled and started walking to the cafeteria. “But later, Mr. Carnation came to my home! I thought he wanted to kill me, but he actually wanted to apologize and brought me my journal!” She took her notebook and laid it on the table. “Some pages are ripped but other than that is all here!”

Harvey smiled. “Well, good, your mom didn’t try to kill him, did she? My mom tried to kill him but he apologized to her too. At least I think he did.” He did not, Harvey realized. But he didn’t need to tell his mom that. He’s sure she would already be busy with whatever gossip had seized her last night.

Mina laughed imagining the scene Harvey described. “He did apologized to me, and later my mum wanted to talk to him in private, so maybe then he apologized?” She scratched her chin thinking about what they might have talked about.

He was grateful that his friend did not lose her notebook. It seems pretty important to her. “How long have you had it?” He asked curiously.

“I had this journal for a year now, but I have three. I should think about buying a new one - this one is almost finished.”

“As far as a new notebook goes, maybe we can find one on the second isle when we go to the carnival. Wait, are we still going to the carnival tomorrow?”

“And yeah! Definitely we are going tomorrow!” She said happily. She looked at Harvey, remembering how he tried to help her yesterday. “Harvey.. thank you for yesterday. That was really brave of you.”

Harvey brightened up but then looked sad. “I couldn’t do much,” he admitted with a sigh, “I don’t have claws or teeth or nails. All I got are these big floppy feet.” He scratched his head. “Although my dad said he might teach me a few magic tricks the next time he’s in town. So maybe he can teach me how to make people disappear.”

“Your dad is a magician?” Mina asked intrigued.

Harvey nodded. “Yeah, he works on one of the other isles. He does a couple shows a week. He’s a bit weird but he’s nice. But he’s not here too often so I gotta do something else!” Harvey pointed to his feet.

She looked at his feet. “You know… maybe you just have to learn how to use them, like kangaroos.” She looked through her notebook to show him a drawing of a kangaroo she did long time ago. “They have very big feet and they use them to fight.”

Harvey looked at her book with interest. “A kangaroo? Woah!!! I could do that! Do you know any kangaroos who could teach me?”

Mina thought of it for a few seconds “The only one I known lives on Australia,” she said sadly. “Are there any fighters in here?”

Harvey thought about it. “Well, there’s Ribby and Croaks at the Clip Joint. I know they fight, but we have to find a way to get in to the bar. I think, Goopy Le Grande is also around, but he’s more of a boxer, although now that I think about it, I have seen him try to smash things with a body slam.”

“The only other person I know who does anything with their feet would be Sally stage-play, but she’s an actress and all the way on the third Isle so we probably couldn’t go visit her unless we had a good reason to go that far.”

Harvey tugged one of his ears. “So, what do you wanna do?”

Mina listened attentively. “Wow! That’s a lot of fighters… Hmm.. well I wanted to check out the hole at the observatory. We can go see whoever is the closest. Oh! And after we explored you can borrow my journal and show it to your sister.” She smiled.

Harvey glanced at the time. “We’re almost done with lunch so tell you what, once we get off school, why don’t we try to see the hole first? I don’t know about you, but looking into a hole in the evening sounds pretty scary, so I’d like to do that first. Then we can cross the bridge to meet Goopy and then head down and see if we can get into the Clip Joint. We should probably not try to stay there once the sun goes down. Ribby and Croak are harder to talk to when the sun goes down and they start drinking.”

“After that, we can head to my house and Hannah can look at your journal. Provided she doesn’t make it a quilt first.” He wrinkled his nose at that. “Does that sound good to you?”

Mina nodded “ That sounds good!” She smiled. They spent the rest of the lunch time talking about kangaroos and extraterrestrials and when the bell rang they continued with their classes.

By the time everyone got back from lunch and as class started to end for the day, Mrs. White tapped on the board. “Just a reminder class that you have the extra assignment that’s due tomorrow. Write something nice about one of your classmates.”

Spike snorted. “That’s still the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“And comments like that will get you detention, young man. See you after class. The rest of you are dismissed.”

Harvey perked up significantly. With Spike in detention, he and Mina didn’t have to worry about getting jumped while walking around the Isle. This was a good day indeed. The two children packed up their stuff and headed for the hole first.

–

Cagney woke up slightly more rested than he had yesterday, albeit a bit sore from having to carry Hilda. He was surprised he was waking up at all to be honest. He for sure thought he would have been burnt to a crisp by a bolt of lightning. Then again, Hilda did like to sleep in so maybe he wouldn’t meet his end until that afternoon.

Oh. Right. Hilda. The woman he swore he’d never see again. Well, shit that wasn’t working out too well, huh? He curled into himself briefly at the memory of her poor body covered in his thorns, lying on the bed. God, he really was a monster, huh? His chest hurt at that yet he couldn’t help but smile humorlessly. Seeing her naked was probably the closest he was ever going to get to her again.

He should have left a note. He could have apologized on the note, but he didn’t. He chickened out. And now, it was too late. Then again…had Hilda really brought a guy to his field just to screw with him? He, uh, wasn’t so sure what to think about that. That couldn’t have been true. There was no way Hilda would have even tolerated his presence much less make an attempt to get him jealous. He wondered briefly where he tossed that caterpillar and whether or not he survived. If he was lucky, he probably broke a couple of his arms. It was the least he deserved for touching Hilda like that. If Cagney hadn’t been there…

His eyes caught glimpse of the sun and he quickly uprooted himself. He was supposed to meet Isabella. Show her around the isle or something. He couldn’t help but admit he felt his petals shiver a bit at her figure. Right, right. Probably should plan on where they should go first and not gawk at the bat.

Cagney approached Isabella’s door and knocked politely. It was awfully quiet, he noticed, perhaps she was still asleep?

Isabella woke up startled by the knock on the door. “M-Mina?” She called softly, a bit disoriented, waving her ears to try to listen.

Cagney remembered that Isabella was blind and wouldn’t answer the door unless she knew who it was. “Hey, it’s me, Cagney Carnation!”

Isabella recognized the flower’s voice and remember he was going to show her around. “Just a minute, darling!” She managed to say sweetly and when she stood up from her chair, she spilled the glass of orange juice Mina had laid for her breakfast all over the table. “La naiba! (Damn it).”

She started to clean up only to put her hand inside a bowl of cereal. She swore again in Romanian and decided she needed some assistance. “Eh… Mr. Carn- I mean Cagney, I need some assistance… Door is open.” She said loud looking for a cloth to clean the mess. This morning started well…

Cagney let himself in and glanced around. Well…the house wasn’t certainly much to look at, that’s for sure. But it did not like Mina’s mother had tried to tidy up the place. Then again, she was a bit visually impaired so there was only so much that could be done. He spotted her cleaning up the table with a cloth and he quickly picked up the bowl of cereal before she could knock that over too.

“Hey, do you need another towel or something?” He asked, setting the cereal aside, away from her hands.

Her home was indeed very sparsely decorated. The wood was turning gray, the furniture was old but still standing, some plants lighted up the place, and on the walls there were Mina’s drawings. Those looked like world maps and observation drawings of bugs and plants with tiny notes like 'careful with the stinger, do not touch bad rash’ or 'likes cookies’.

The only thing it didn’t look old was a big gramophone in copper tones and dark wood. Next to it, a box with some vinyls.

“N-no… its ok,” the bat smiled nervously “I just need to know if I got everything”. She finished cleaning the table and tapped it with her other hand to make sure she didn’t knock down anything else. “Did I spill anything on the floor?”

Cagney checked the floor. “No, looks like you got it all. You’ve got some cereal. Did you want to eat that?”

Judging by the pictures, it looks like this little family traveled a lot. He let out a quiet whistle at the flower pictures. Look at the pistils and stamens on that pretty one! This was almost like plant pornography of which he was fairly certain Mina had no concept of and was just drawing what she saw. And what Cagney didn’t see was a dad in any of these pictures.

Isabella had a light headache settling in. “Oh no, not really hungry… “

He looked at the gramophone. “Hey, you got one of those music doohickey things!” He exclaimed, a slight smile on his face. There hadn’t been any bands recently in the Isles and Cagney was secretly disappointed about it even though he would loudly complain about them. He missed dancing but with everything as crazy as it had been, he hadn’t had the time to steal away and practice.

She laughed “It’s a gramophone. A really good one too,” she said proudly “Do you like music?” she asked while washing her hands.

Cagney was glad she was blind. It made lying a little bit easier. “Every now and then,” he answered, "I kind of just move to the beat.“ He leafed through the vinyl records. "Although I haven’t heard of some of these folks. You do stuff with music or something?”

Isabella turned to him “Everything I got there is 'la crême de la crême’ ” she pronounced in perfect french. “If you want I can let you borrow some” she said walking towards the vinyls careful not to stumble upon the carnation.

She grabbed one and touched the corners were some tiny holes where poked in specific shapes. She went through a couple of them until she took one carefully out of his case and played it with the gramophone. ��Strut Miss Lizzy’ started to play.

“Have you heard this one? It always makes me want to shake it!” She shook her shoulders at the rhythm.“And to answer your question, I’m actually a singer, and a pretty good dancer, or so I'v been told” she chuckled.

Cagney raised an eyebrow at her dancing. This was a tiny bit slow for him but he could get into it very easily. She danced fairly well too. He wondered if part of it was due to her being blind. It was hard to be self conscious of how you danced when you couldn’t see anyone around you.

He had been really shy when he first started dancing as a young flower, even though the teacher had said he had a natural talent for it. He probably wouldn’t have continued if it hadn’t been for Hilda cheering him on at practice.

Hs gritted his teeth at the thought of Hilda. He had really wanted to take her dancing at some point. She didn’t dance too well as far as he knew but he definitely would have enjoyed it, even if they had to go slow.

He realized Isabella had asked him a question. “Oh! Thank you! I uh, don’t have one of those things. I actually don’t really have a house, heh. Just a field and a shed.”

He watched her dance. “A singer too, huh? You sing with a band or something?”

“Living in the open air, getting high… you’re not a junky, you’re a hippie!” Isabella chuckled. The vinyl kept playing more rhythmic jazz but the woman stopped dancing. “I used to be in a band…” she said with a nostalgic air, “But now I’m looking for a new one.” The bat walked towards the stairs.

Cagney bristled at the comment about getting high. “I didn’t intentionally drug myself with dandelions,” he grumbled, but the bat was already walking toward the stairs, leaving him alone in the living room.

He scratched his head. “A new band, huh?” He racked his brain thinking of anyone he knew looking for a singer.

“I’m going to freshen up a bit, make yourself at home! I’ve got some lemonade if you’re thirsty,” the woman said from upstairs. When she reached her room she took a deep breath. The fragrance of the carnation was intoxicating. In a good way. She changed quickly into a very similar outfit only slightly more clearer and got down the stairs with a flap of her wings. “Ok! I’m ready to go!” She posed spreading her wings showing her lovely figure.

Cagney was really glad she was blind. He stared at her in amazement before clearing his throat. How did a woman like this know how to dress like THAT?

“Right, about time, “ he managed.

–

Morning arrived and the sun hit right to her face. She frowned irritated by the extreme source if light and covered herself with a blanket.Her pain seemed to be more bearable, and she felt very comfortable surrounded by familiar pillows and blankets.

A few seconds later, she realized she was in her house, wearing her night gown backwards and her skin was sticky. She tried very hard to remember what happened last night.

“Caaaarl” Hilda started giggling, she remembered that bit. Did Cagney laughed? If she made him laugh it meant there was still hope for their friendship! But she couldn’t remember. Her head hurt, she just laid there on her bed for a while, playing the night in her head.

“Fucking Carl ruined everything. That grabby, piece of shit… good thing Cagney woke up… ” Her plan didn’t really worked as she expected, but then again she didn’t really had a plan. “Oh my god… did I puke in front of Cagney!?” She covered her face with her hands ashamed.

She checked on her stiky skin, what was that? Did Cagney took her home? … and changed her!? Hilda had been soo tired she barely remembered the carnation changing her clothes.

And… took out her thorns? She immediately checked her chest, he took those too… what about her boobs? She had one in a very sensitive area… yeah that one was still there. Its gonna hurt like hell to take that one out. She felt better to see that the giant flower didn’t took advantage of her state.

Then why did she felt disappointed?

Hilda’s head hurted like hell.

'What have you done to us… ’ Sagittarius wispered inside Hilda’s head.

'Shhh, you’re too loud’ Gemini answered even more quietly and nit at all in unison.

“Uuugh shut up all of you!” Hilda moaned. “What am I gonna do now?… that was… pathetic… and he fucking changed me! He saw me pretty much naked!”

'And we weren’t conscious! ’ Gemini regretted.

'Just imagine him, applying the sticky goo very gently’ Gem said with a dreamy tone.

'And spreadding it tenderly through aaall our naked-’

“SHUT UP!” Hilda roughly interrupted Ini, feeling herself warm up to the idea of Cagney caressing her.

'How do you know it was Cagney?’ Taurus said after a while. Hilda’s eyes opened wide.

“Oh.My.God.” all the voices in her head spoke at once. She got out of the bet to take a shower. Suddenly the name Carl wasn’t so funny anymore.

“No! It must have been Cagney…I mean… I think… I remember that fucking idiot flying away at some point… ” It was kinda fuzzy in her mind.

Another constellation started to speak out in her mind. It wasn’t one that spoke often, preferring to hang out in the foreground. But every so often, when Hilda would find herself well, physically attracted to someone, it would start to whisper advice. Seductive advice.

“We should invite him back up here to talk.”

“Oh God… not you… ” she rested her head against the wall remaining under the water.

'We definitely should!“ Gemini regained their coordination with the excitement.

'To talk? Ha!’ Tauros interfered. 'If he wanted to talk he would have stayed.’

Hilda was confused. She really wanted to talk to him, or see him again.

'What are going to do tomorrow?’ Sagittarius asked worried.

Scorpio pushed again. "We should get a real outfit,” it finally pushed, “something that shows that this is serious.”. If Scorpio had their way, Hilda would be wearing all sorts of tight flashy outfits, but that wasn’t the sky witch’s style.

“Oh! We should get that cute tight red dress we saw the other day! That would send a clear message!’ Gemini was definitely on board with this idea.

Hilda rolled her eyes "it’s starting to get crowded in there… ” she checked on the thorn stuck very near her nipple and tried to pull it out.

'Look what he did to us! Remember what he said to us! I can’t believe you’re actually considering becoming friends again’ Taurus wasn’t very thrilled.

“He didn’t really mean it-ouch!” She pulled hard, but the damn thorn wouldn’t come out. “Besides, I overreacted too… I mean… I didn’t even listen to him when he tried to explain… and we were going to pull his eyes out for crying out loud! ”

'After he threatened us! After breaking our dome!’ Taurus was too stubborn and was starting to fill Hilda with anger. A cold jet of water calmed her down instantly and she leapt out of the shower with a very high pitch scream.

Scorpio waited for Hilda to stop screaming before choosing their words carefully. “Show him you’re serious, and you’ll have him on his knees begging for forgiveness.”

Oh! Hilda LOVED that thought. Cagney begging on her feet! That image made gave her goosebumps, or maybe was the cold water. She maliciously smiled and looked herself at the mirror.

Gemini giggled excited.

“Oh! That is a lovely vision alright” Sagittarius sigh. Taurus grumble something shyly, he didn’t wanted to admit that the idea Of having the giant weed on their feet pleased him too.

“How are we gonna do it? How are we gonna make him beg?!” The woman paused “How can I be sure he’s coming tomorrow?”.

“How about a note?” Sagittarius suggested.

“Oh! You can get him a new pot and put the note on it!” Gemini spoke. “That way it’s like a peace offer! You give him his present, you leave an enticing note that will make his roots quiver with excitement” their voice started to reach a high tone “and then we go buy a sexy outfit to knock him down!!!”’

Hilda looked herself at the mirror and lifted an eyebrow. Was she really that interested in Cagney to go through all that? She imagined him on his knees, with watery eyes, pulling at his petals in desperation, begging her to stay with him….

Scorpio was pleased with the exuberance of the constellations and now Hilda and fell quietly, waiting until it could encourage even more passionate plans.

'You better hurry up if you want to buy a new pot’ Saguttarius said worried.

'Can you just glue the old one?’ Taurus groaned.

“Yeah right, so he can keep it as an eternal reminder of the time we almost killed each other over nothing?” Hilda paused “ I don’t think so”. She hurried to her room, got dressed, took some headache pills with her breakfast and make her way to the second Isle levitating on her soft cloud. She headed to Dijimmi’s place, where she bought the first one.

In a few minutes Hilda reached Dijimmi’s pyramid in the second Isle and made her cloud disappear. Dijimmi was organizing his merchandise but stopped when he spotted Hilda.

“Well good morning, Hilda! Did he like the pot?” He showed a big smile.

Hilda cringed “Yeeah… he… he did but uh… I kinda broke it,” she decided to make up a lie than having to explain the mess that night was.

“Seriously?! ” The genie yelled “That was a masterpiece! How-Why-wh… Arg! Did you bring the pieces? I’ll put it back together with a little touch,” he waved his fingers implying the use of his magic to fix it.

Hilda face palmed herself. “I didn’t thought of that… ” she could hear Taurus laugh in the back of his head. She frowned “I threw it away…”.

Dijimmi frown “Well, that was a waste!” He crossed his arms.

“Yeah… ” Hilda felt horrible “I’m here to get a new one”.

“Not sure I want to sell you more.”

The woman rolled her eyes “oh! C'mon! It was an accident, plus, more business for you!”

Dijimmi hesitated but ended up selling her another big pot. This one had some interesting geometrical decorations carved in it. Hilda knew Cagney wasn’t a big fan of fancy stuff but the other pots seemed so normal, she really wanted this one to be special.

Dijimmi packed it up carefully and gave it to Hilda warning her to be careful and not to throw it away if it breaks.

“Don’t worry! I’ll take care of it like I take care of my stars!” Hilda turned into her zeppelin form, grabbed roughly the pot, and blasted away towards her home.

Dijimmi had the feeling he would see her again soon.

The zeppelin reached her home quickly and turned back into her human self. She didn’t had anymore wrapping paper so she just decorated the pot with a bow. She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and stared at it for a while.

“… What do I write?” She asked herself.

Gemini started talking 'Love of my life, meet me tomrrow-’

'Oh! Come on! We are not dating yet… ’ Sagittarius said. 'We should go for something like… eh… dear friend.. eh..’

'He is NOT our friend…’ Tauros growled.

Hilda sighed and tried to concentrate.

Scorpio decided to speak up again. “Eager to continue what we started two nights ago. See you tomorrow. Don’t keep me waiting.”

Scorpio’s soft voice made Hilda shiver. This celestial entity had a way to say a lot with a few words. She liked that. Tauros thought she meant they were going to keep fighting and got as excited as the rest of them.

She finished writing the note with a malicious grin and stuck it on the pot. Now she had to be careful to bring it back to his field without that giant weed seeing her.

Hilda cast a cloud big enough to hide her and flew towards Cagney’s field with the pot safely between her arms.

She slowly descended to the carnation’s tree and realized he wasn't there. 'Perfect! He must be working in the field with the Root Pack or something,’ she thought to herself and descended to the ground. She careful left the pot near his spot to make sure he will see it as soon as he gets back. 'Ok, now to choose the perfect outfit!’ She got back to her cloud and levitated high in the sky.

——-

“So I kind of live on the outskirts of the aisle, so we’re going to have a little bit of walking. First place would be the Clip Joint. Have you heard of that place yet?” He asked as they walked outside.

Isabella stopped the music and followed Cagney, out closing the door behind her. “I’ve been there before, yes. I thought it was a dancing bar but I’ve been told its more like a fighting club?”. She walked next to the giant flower.

Cagney scratched his chin. “Oh, okay, that makes it easy then. The place is owned by a couple of amphibians, Ribby and Croaks. As far as entertainment goes, yeah there might be some singing and dancing for a little bit, but once the drinks start flying, it pretty much becomes a fight club alright. ”

Cagney glanced in that direction as they crossed a bridge. “If you’ve already been, we don’t have to head down there unless you want to. Plenty of other, usually not intoxicated, residents to meet,” he muttered that last part under his breath.

Isabella chuckled “Very well, I guess I can meet them next time I go there to dance.” She kept following Cagney, twitching her ears at every little sound and trying to memorize the path they were taking. “Have you always lived here? ”

Cagney nodded, then realized why that wasn’t going to work, and cleared his throat. “Yeah, ever since I was a seedling. A lot of the folks you’re going to meet today grew up here, actually.”

“Lucky you, it must have been very nice growing up in here” Isabella said sincerely.

The carnation spotted the fence of the Root Pack. “Speaking of which, we’re about to meet some old geezers in a moment. They’re the Root Pack. They sell a lot of produce on this isle. Uh…. Just out of curiosity, are you a fruit bat or a vam-blood bat?” Cagney didn’t want to say vampire. It seemed to have some dark connotations.

She smiled at the flower’s question. “It depends on my mood…” she giggled, “My diet its mostly fruits and greens”. She paused “Say… what do you eat? Do you do that photosynthesis thing?” She asked very curious.

“Now when you say mostly…?” Mostly didn’t necessarily rule out other fluids so blood could still be on the table, but he decided against finishing the question. “Wait, what do I eat?” He repeated.

“Uh, huh. I guess I can do that photosynthesis stuff,” He realized, “But I got kind of used to eating, especially since Hild-my friends do eat. So I’m sorta a vegetarian. Eh, non sentient produce,” he added quickly.

“It kinda sounds like cannibalism coming from a flower,” The bat chuckled. “But then again, who am I to judge?” She said sweetly and instinctively licked her fangs feeling a bit thirsty for a warm glass of extremely 'red wine’. She should had have the cereal for breakfast.

Cagney gave her a sideways glance and gave a tiny shiver at the exposure of fangs. He wondered if she drank nectar. Hopefully from non sentient flowers. “Well, it ain’t. Although,” he admitted, spotting Moe and Weepy, “Speaking of vegetables, we’re going to meet a trio off them that have the intelligence of a squash.”

As they got closer to the field Cagney could see Weepy attending to some tomatoes worriedly while Moe was digging some trenches to guide some extra water away from the plants. He cleared his throat and called out, “Hey, Moe, Weepy!”

He realized they were walking to a fence and remembered Isabella was blind. “Hey, we’re coming up on a fence. They live in a field like me so get ready to stop in a few feet otherwise you’ll hit it. Which as amusing as that would be to me, will make Weepy start crying and it’s a pain in the ass to get him to stop.”

Isabella raised her eyebrow and wondered why would anyone cry to see her bump onto a fence. Maybe feel a bit sad for her, but cry? Maybe this Weepy fellow had some sort of intense relationship with the fence.

“Thanks for the warning”. The woman rewarded Cagney’s attention with another of her extra charming smiles and spread her wings in front of her until she felt the fence and rested her arms on it. Weepy cleared a few tears that started to fall around his cheek and looked in their direction. “Oh! Hey Cagney!” He noticed he wasn’t alone and took a few steps back shyly.

Moe wiped the sweat of his forehead with his arm and looked at Cagney and his companion. “Hey there, Cagney. Good to see ya survived the storm last night. Say, who’s your friend?” He got closer to the fence. Cagney jutted a thumb at Isabella. “Yeah, wasn’t as bad as I thought.” Hilda hadn’t shot him with lightning so that improved the storm already. “And this is Isabella. She recently moved to the isle and I’m showing her around since she’s not familiar with the place. Plus, I threw her kid out of my garden the other day.” He realized he was lagging a bit and added. “Can I get some of that water actually? Walking ain’t that easy.”

Moe scratched his head in confusion wondering if he heard right. Isabella laughed and waved her hand at the new voice.

“Uh… y-yeah, take all the water you want.” He made a gesture inviting him to come inside the field “It nearly drowned the tomatoes.” The potato pointed toward the plants that Weepy was still standing nearby. The onion felt the eyes on him and waved with a nervous smile. “And, welcome to the neighborhood, lady. Hope ya kid’s ok?” He gave a sideways look to the carnation. “Oh, it’s fine,” Isabella said sweetly “It was just a little misunderstanding. Besides, my little Mina can be very tough,” She said proudly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name?” And there was the sweet enticing tone in her voice again. Moe slightly blushed and smile back. “I-I’m Moe, Moe Tato.” He stretched a hand to shake Isabella’s, but she didn’t react to the gesture. Instead she kept smiling. “Nice to meet you Moe.” Cagney dunked his head in the water and shook vigorously. He spotted Moe standing there awkwardly with his hand still out. “Oh, shit, right, uh, she’s blind so if you want to shake hands, let her know, otherwise you’re going to keep standing there like a moron with your hand out.” The carnation glanced around. “Huh, I would have expected Psy to be galloping over here.” The carrot thought he was the most intelligent and fascinating creature in all of the Isles. He would never turn down seeing a new face…and maybe pulling a scam or two.

“Blind?” Moe looked at the bat’s milky eyes and waved his hand in front of her. “Uh… s-sorry lady. Didn’t realise…”.

Isabella was already used to this awkwardness and chuckled, it amused her to make people uncomfortable with her handicap. “It’s alright, dear.” She stretched her hand and shook his. “Em… he went to pick up some tools. He should be back soon if you would like to wait”. Weepy answered hesitatingly to the flower. Isabella’s ears turned to the other voice. “And to whom does that melodious voice belong to?” She asked sweetly, putting her charms at work. She rested her head on her hand, making her back to lean a little on the fence. Moe was very happy that the woman was blind so he could check her out without any risks of upsetting her.

Weepy blushed and hid behind Cagney.

Now that he wasn’t the sole focus of Isabella’s charms, Cagney was more than happy to sit back and watch the other vegetables squirm. He thought about giving Moe a dirty look as he saw the potato checking out the bat but realized that would kind of make him a hypocrite and lazily allowed Weepy to hang behind him. “That’s Weepy,” Cagney explained, “he’s a bit shy so he may not be shaking your hand, but he’s waving.”

Isabella waved back “Aw, isn’t that precious. Don’t worry, Weepy, I won’t bite… unless you give me a reason,” she smiled maliciously. “I-I’m gonna go find Psy!” he said, red as a tomato, and hopped away. Moe started to like this woman. Sadly, he thought if she had a child it meant she was already taken. “So… Isabella, you and the mister are settling in alright? Anything you need?”. Isabella quivered slightly. “I’ve been on my own for a while now” she replied with a nostalgic tone “My … ” she hesitated, "husband … died long time ago. So I could use some strong hands to help me from time to time.“ She recovered her sweet tone towards the end of her sentence.

Cagney’s eyes widened. Shit. Well, guess that explained why dad wasn’t in any of Mina’s pictures. Hard to make an appearance when you were 6ft underground pushing up daisies. He watched her recover remarkably well too. He probably wouldn’t be able to keep it together if Hilda died, no matter how many years could have passed. Even thinking about it was hard. He really wanted her back in his life but steadied himself. No need to get all worked up now. He’d think of something he could do when he got back to his field.

"Oh… I’m sorry to hear that” said Moe, admiring the way she recovered. On the other hand, that meant she was available. “Well, if you need anything just ask! Not only we can sell you fresh produce but I’m a handyman myself,” he said flexing the weak muscles of his arms, forgetting she wasn’t capable of admiring them. “That is very nice of you, Moe! Thank you.” Isabella replied with a charming smile. “You have very charming friends, Cagney”.

“Ha! That’s the only charming thing about Cagney, ya know!” Strutting up to the group looking cockier than a rooster was Psycarrot, with Weepy following sheepishly behind. He slid in front of Isabella and smoothed his stem back. “The name’s Psycarrot, little lady. But you can call me Psy. I’m just going to show you a little vegetable welcome here,” he mentioned, taking her hand and planting a cavalier kiss to the fingers before releasing her hand back to her. “Was hoping this airhead wouldn’t show.” “Heh, Cagney, you know I’d never miss a chance to welcome newcomers to the isle! This here’s the best produce farm in all of Inkwell! Now I know that got you all excited but lemme tell it’s not just the veggies I’m good at. I’m fairly good at reading minds and I can just tell that you’re itching to know more about me and, uh well the others too, heheh.”

Isabella pretended to be shy by the confidence of the giant carrot “Oh my! What a gentleman” she said sweetly allowing him to kiss her hand. He wasn’t the first overconfident gentleman that approached her, but she hoped it would be the last. The smell of the vegetables was making her too hungry, so she tried to focus on the fragrance of the carnation. “And you read minds too?” She asked, curious. “What else am I thinking?” She said with a soft sensual tone. Moe was bothered by the presence of the carrot and his gentleman ways. He crossed his arms and waited for Psy’s answer. If he was lucky, his orange friend’s overconfidence might get him to say something offensive to the lady, resulting in a slap in his face.

Psycarrot’s third eyelid opened wide and he grinned. “You’re hoping that I am the last man you ever have to meet - No, no. Don’t deny it, I can see the hunger in your eyes.”

Cagney waved at the carrot. “Ya ever think you’re going to give the pyschic schtick a rest?” “Schtick? Ha! I have the powers of the mind…maybe it’s more of a telekenisis type of ability but I assure you my mental deductions are always spot on.” Psycarrot eyed him now. “I could most certainly reveal your own escapades last night.” Cagney paled slightly before remembering Psy was a charlatan. “You wish. Listen, Moe, how much produce do I gotta buy to make him buzz off?”

The woman lifted her ears surprised of how close he was. “Well now! I’m gonna have to be careful what crosses my mind when you’re around, darling.”

Moe was a bit disappointed for not seing the carrot get slapped. He chuckled at Cagney. “Hell! If only I kew!”. Weepy smiled and felt better since the bat’s attention was directed to someone else. But when he remembered the tomatoes that almost drowned, he started to tear up. “Oh, Cagney! do you think you can drink more water? The poor things are gonna start having rotten roots if we don’t drain soon enough.” He pointed at them begging the giant flower with his wet eyes about to burst.

Cagney might be a grump but he knew the importance of rotten roots and nodded toward Weepy. “I got ya. Listen, Isabella, I’m gonna go take care of that real quick. Let them know if you want anything. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He walked back over to the water and plunged his hands into the dirt to take care of the moisture.

“Ok, em… is there anyway I can help?” The woman asked, hoping there would be something a blind person could do.

“Oh no! We got this, doll. No need to get your sweet hands dirty,” Moe said as he grabbed his tool and started working the ground. Isabella didn’t appreciate the comment but preferred to keep it to herself. Weepy accompanied Cagney and when they were far enough he gathered the courage to ask. “D-did you really hurt her child?”.

Cagney hummed quietly. “Hurt is a strong word. Probably the right word. I was pretty sleep deprived so I didn’t do that much. Definitely scared the shit out of her and her friend though so I doubt they’ll be sneaking into my field again anytime soon.”

“Oh my!” Weepy covered his mouth in surprise. “Not a good start…You know, if you want, I can give you some Valerian root to help you sleep”. He helped guiding the extra water away from the plants. “Do you know what got Hilda so riled up the other night? Usually she would warn us when a storm like that is coming.” – “So how did you all meet? You grew up here too?” Isabella tried to make some conversation until her guide came back.

Psycarrot beamed at the question. “How did we all meet? Why! That’s one of the most incredible stories you could ever hear! It all started with us growing up on this isle-!” The carrot began to drone on and on and on about magical spells and beautiful damsels and the importance of agriculture…

–

The Carnation eyed the other members of the Root Pack and Isabella. It look like they were all talking about something so it looked like it would be safe to at least mention something to the Onion. Weepy didn’t gossip. Or at least he gossiped less than everyone else. Mostly due to the fact that if it was something sad, he would start blubbering and crying before he could get halfway through it

“I… haven’t really talked to Hilda recently so. She and I had an argument couple nights ago so I’m a bit out of the loop.” The onion looked surprised at the carnation. “Oh no! Really? That’s-T-that’s…” he started to sob “that’s so sad! You’ve been friends since you were a little seedling! What happened? How can I help?”

–

Isabella listened patiently to the carrot’s never ending tale, smiling when ever was appropriate and acting worried or surprised when the tale required her too. She kept twitching her ears from time to time, hoping to hear Cagney approaching and continue with the neighborhood tour.

–

Cagney gritted his teeth. “Just dumb stuff. Nuthin to really do but wait and see if she kills me later today.” He wondered if she’d do it in front of Isabella or would she wait until there were no witnesses. “Shit, Isabella. I gotta keep showing her the isle. Later, Weepy.” Cagney withdrew his hands with a slight “oof”. He probably wasn’t going to need water anytime soon.

Weepy dried his tears, thanked Cagney for helping and got back to the plants.

He left the onion and headed back to the beautiful woman. “Hey! Psy, story time’s over. We gotta get going.”

Psycarrot held out his hands. “But I was just getting to the part where Moe had to disguise himself as a beautiful spud to help me get our lease back.” Cagney made a face. “I…didn’t need to hear that. Ready to go, Isabella?”

Isabella was relieved to hear the flower coming back “Oh! thank goodn–Oooh! We have to leave already?” She pretended to care about the carrot’s tale. “Oh well! I guess we will have to save it for next time.”

She hoped that next time never arrived. “Yeah, or not!” said Moe turning, red from both embarrassment and anger.

And with that, the two left the Root Pack.

—-

Sorry for the delay! Had some techinical dificulties. Also, since I´ve been partying all weekend celebrating my Bachelorette´s party, I didn´t make any drawing for the chapter.

It´s a bit sad to have a chapter with no pictures in it, so if you feel like it, you can send us your drawings and I will added to the chapter : ) Thank you for your patience and for reading!

CHAPTER 01, CHAPTER 02, CHAPTER 03, CHAPTER 04, CHAPTER 05, CHAPTER 06, CHAPTER 07, CHAPTER 08, CHAPTER 09, CHAPTER 10; CHAPTER 11; CHAPTER 12 (You’re here)

#rol play #cagney carnation #hilda berg #isabella betchstein #mina betchstein #harvey hare #the root pack #weepy #psycarrot #moe tato #fan fiction #necrokitty tales #smallpersiankitten #necrida #submission

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octrainfanboy · 4 years

Text

Undercover - Chapter 2

Octane successfully made it in and some lady shows him around. He is trying to figure out what the deal with her is.

"Hey. Hey Octane wake up."

Octane sat up and stretched, yawning while getting up to stand on the floor instead of sleeping on it. The fact that the daredevil didn't want a mattress or something like that was entertaining for the skirmisher.

She had prepared some breakfast for 'Jake Fairfield'. It wasn't what anybody would expect and neither was she very skilled in the kitchen, but all Wraith wanted to do is strengthen Octane.

The voices told her he would be alright. But would he really?

She handed him some scrambled eggs in a bowl. Basically one of the very few things she would actually get done in the kitchen.

Octane shoved the food down his throat as Wraith gave him a mission briefing to remember his goal.

"Like I said. Go in, get the footage and leave again. Try not to draw too much attention to yourself, please."

The skirmisher took a small box off her desk.

"I need you to open your eyes, Octavio. We need to disguise you as much as possible. People all around the universe watch the Apex Games. Also here, I made this with Elliott's help."

She gave him a necklace after inserting blue contact lenses into the daredevil's eyes.

"What's that necklace for, amiga? Looks a lil' fancyyyy..."

"It changes your voice. I think if they heard your normal one you would be in great danger right away."

Octane felt his heart pounding. A lot really depended on him right now and he didn't really like it. Wraith felt the nervous energy coming from the trickster. She placed a hand on his shoulder and looked him deep in thr eyes.

"Look, you got this. Just follow the plan, alright?" Octane nodded. He had to trust her. Believe in her capabilities as a leader.

"Let's go." She whispered, opening a portal next to her, handing Octane a small earpiece. "Use this to talk to me. If someone asks just say it's a hearing aid."

Octane held his fist out to Wraith which received a rather confused look of hers.

"Mira, chica. If you send me on such an important mission least you can do is gimme your fist."

Wraith sighs and gave the daredevil a fistbump before he waved the skirmisher goodbye, entering the portal.

A couple seconds of whooshing noises and a quite low temperature within a purple-ish stream of nothing and Octane found himself in front of what looked like a big facility.

These must be the labs but how would he get in? Octane searched the area for some sort of entrance. He discovered a door with some strange device stuck next to it. A speaker apparently. He poked the device with his finger, looking left and right to see if someone could assisst him but there was nobody around.

"How do I-" Octane bended forward to examine the small thing as suddenly a female voice came through the speaker.

The voice gave an annoyed sigh before beginning to speak.

"You need to hold your finger on the small pad."

Octane did as he was told and the pad lit up in a beautiful green, granting him access to the reception area of the facility where a brown haired woman was waiting for him.

"Hello Mister Fairfield. My name is Luna and we are happy to have you here. I will be showing you around and introduce you to everyone. Enjoy your stay."

Wraith started talking to Octane as this Luna person rambled about how they barely got any new employees lately.

"When you need to do your tasks I will help you. I doubt you have any idea about these things but I do. I used to work in one of these facilities. Just follow her lead. She will be the key."

"-and Ricardo then just quit the job out of nowhere." Luna sighed and Octane gave her an 'understanding' nod, pretending to have paid any attention whatsoever.

"That suuuuuuucks..." Luna nodded.

"It really does. Anyway, if you would be so kind to follow me, I'll show you around." She stepped up to a MRVN sitting at the reception doing...receptionist stuff...

Octane wasn't really aware of what receptionists do besides maybe taking calls. The daredevil looked at the robotic employee before noticing that it was probably something like his buddy-pal Pathfinder.

Luna walked ahead, Octane following her as she started to small talk with him.

She asked him about his age, favourite colour and other stuff to get to know him better.

"This is the cafeteria. You will probably be spending your breaks here. But uh... Food here is terrible. I suggest you bring your own." She leaned to the towards Octane, whispering something in his ear.

"Don't tell the chef I said so. He'll kill me, haha."

Octane managed to let out a short, but not quite authentic chuckle. Fortunately, Luna wasn't quite paying attention, leading him out of the cafeteria and a few meters down the hall into a room full of computers where a lot of people were working.

"These will be your new buddies! Hey guys, this is Jake Fairfield! I am currently just showing him the place before I drop him off here."

She took out a small piece of paper and slid it over the table to someone next to her.

"Well then, he'll be back soon." Luna took Octane back out and they walked down the hall as she led him right past a weird looking door. In the corner of his eyes the daredevil could read "Labs" on a small sign.

That was his goal. Getting in there.

She entered a small room which had a printer and a camera in there. It was pretty small but it really only served one purpose.

"We already have a picture of you since you put one on your CV. So we'll skip the camera non-sense. I scanned it so I'll make you an ID card so we know that you work here.

A few minutes later and after a lot of beeping, she pulled a fresh ID card out of the printer and stuck it into a small phone-like looking thing, typing some numbers in before it beeped and she pulled the card back out, giving it to Octane.

"Here. Now let's get you to your spot, shall we?"

"Si, por favor."

#apex legends #octane #wraith

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confusedunit · 7 years

Text

The Other Side Looks The Goddamn Same - Chapter Five

Gabriel used to hate these dreams. He's always hated his dreams of the past, memories of a time when he didn't wish he could just finally rest. He'd felt like he was being haunted by the past, and given that he felt he was essentially a ghost? It felt a bit backwards to him.

He doesn't mind these dreams, though. They feel almost comforting.

He's sitting down in Jack's chair, in Jack's office, but the part that should lead out to the rest of the base is replaced with a view. This time, it's a sunset, and desert shrubbery.

He doesn't even need to hear the footsteps behind him. "McCree."

"Boss."

"Thought I told you to stay away." He turns to look at him.

McCree looks almost exactly how he remembers: scrawny but with some muscle, tall but casual, a smirk on his face. He's wearing his Blackwatch gear, but his cape and hat are replaced with a serape and the hat that Gabriel gave him before he left. "When have I ever been good at listening to orders?"

"Never in your goddamn life."

"That's right." He tips his hat. "'Sides, someone's gotta check in on you. May as well be me."

"Don't sound too excited, kid." He smirks back.

"What, and tire you out with my energy? No way, Boss." He keeps his smile for a bit longer, before it falls. "...What are you doing, Boss?"

He looks down at his hands, not surprised when he sees gloved hands instead of claws. "...What's right."

"You sure about that?" McCree walks over, resting a hand on Gabriel's shoulder.

"..." He looks away. "I don't know.

"Hey, I ain't here to judge you. Heaven knows it's not my place."

"I know, McCree."

They're quiet for a bit.

"...Should come look for me, Boss."

Gabriel's eyes widen, and he looks back over.

"Missed you, you know. Went to your funeral."

"Yeah, and your left arm was in some kind of sling, all wrapped up. Mercy must have-"

"Thrown a fit, yeah. But...what else was I supposed to do? Not go?" He sighs.

Gabriel's the one to reach out this time, pulling McCree into a hug.

He breaks, wrapping his arms around him as tightly as he can.

"...It's okay, Jesse.

"Is it?"

He sighs. "...No. Things might never be okay again." He gently rubs a hand up and down McCree's back. "But you can be. As long as you stay away from me."

"Boss-"

"I mean it, Jesse. It's not safe for you to know who I am. Maybe one day, but not yet."

"Who are you trying to convince? Me, or you?"

Gabriel is quiet. He doesn't know the answer.

McCree presses his face against Gabriel's shoulder, body shaking as if he's holding back tears.

"...I'm proud of you, you know. Always was."

He looks up at Gabriel, emotion flooding his face.

Gabriel wakes with a start, arms reaching out as if he could still hold his son. It takes him a minute to realize what's happened, and he presses his hands against his face to try not to cry.

Sombra smirks as she soundlessly follows her target. She stays several steps behind him, stopping when he does. "Jesse McCree."

The man sighs, turning around. His hair is a mess, beard unkempt, dark circles under his eyes. "Sombra."

"Ah, so you've heard of me."

"Hard not to in my line of work." He pulls out a cigarette, lighting it and lifting it to his lips.

She raises an eyebrow. "I thought you prefered-"

"Yeah, well, I'm fresh out of those and addiction's a bitch. I'll take what I can get." He blows out the smoke, watching it float away.

She grins, holding out a box. "I can help you with that."

He abruptly looks over at her, before glancing at the box. "...And what do you want from me."

"Nothing. Consider it...a gift."

"I ain't stupid, you know. I know you don't do 'gifts'."

She rolls her eyes. "It's not a gift from me. I 'borrowed' someone else's money to get them. So it's a gift from that person."

He watches her for a bit longer, before he drops the cigarette to the ground, putting it out with his heel. He reaches out and takes the box.

"These are your favorite, right?"

"What do you want." He doesn't even bother narrowing his eyes, just looking exhausted.

"What makes you think I want anything?"

"You don't follow people and give them shit unless you want something."

"And you," She points at him, "don't let people follow you unless you have a reason to."

He says nothing.

"Tell you what. Let's be honest. I'll tell you why I'm here, and you tell me why you're here."

"Deal." He answers almost too quickly. "Ladies first."

"Aww, how sweet." She rolls her eyes again. "A personal favor to a friend. He doesn't know that I'm here, but he needs this." She crosses her arms. "Your turn."

He's quiet for a bit. "...I wanted to ask you a question."

"...A question?"

"You have the most information out of anyone on the goddamn planet. If you don't know this, no one will."

She considers, before she nods. "Okay. Go ahead."

"What'll you want in-"

She shakes her head. "I'll put it on his tab. What's the question?"

McCree takes a breath, before looking right at Sombra. "...Is Reaper Gabriel Reyes?"

Her eyes widen. "...You noticed."

"Of course I fucking noticed! He practically raised me for half my goddamn life!" He looks away, pulling down his hat. "...He's alive. He's alive, and working for Talon-"

"Using Talon." She watches him carefully. "He's using Talon to get revenge. And then he's going to kill them all."

He stares at her.

"Look, I've got to go. But I'll keep in touch." She mocks tipping a hat. "Adios, Jesse." She disappears in a burst of pixels.

McCree looks at where she had just been standing, before looking down at the box in his hands. He adjusts his hat, before he heads off.

Gabriel's next dream isn't for a few weeks. But when he has it, it starts up just the same. He's in Jack's office, sitting in Jack's chair. But this time, instead of the desert, he sees the grounds of Overwatch's Watchpoint in Egypt. He closes his eyes.

"Gabriel."

His breath stutters, and he opens his eyes. "...Ana."

She smiles at him. "There you are. You can't hide from me forever, you know." She looks as she did before she went on her fatal mission, through there are bandages wrapped around the right side of her head.

He smiles faintly. "...I know."

She walks over and sits on Jack's desk, crossing her ankles to keep herself from lightly kicking her legs. "You've been busy, I see."

"...I'm sorry, Ana."

She raises an eyebrow. "You say that every time I come to talk."

"Because no matter how many times I say it, it will never be enough."

She sighs. "What happened to me was not your fault." She leans back, resting her hands on the desk to hold herself up. "How are you, Gabriel?"

"...Fine."

"Bullshit."

He looks up abruptly.

She rolls her eye. "You cannot trick me. Tell me the truth."

"...I'm hurting. Sometimes there's no physical pain, but the emotional.." He closes his eyes, shaking his head. "Some days I want nothing more than to join you and Jack. Maybe then...Maybe then I'll stop hurting."

"You cannot give up just yet, Gabriel. Soon, you'll see us again. But until then, you have a job to finish. And you've never given up on a job before."

"I never lost you two before." He sighs. "...But you're right."

"As I tend to be." She smirks.

"...Once I break Amélie out. Once I get Sombra someplace safe to hide. Once I destroy Talon. Then I'll join you."

"Don't rush. We've waited this long. We can wait a bit longer." She glances around. "You're waking up." She gets to her feet, walking away. "Good luck."

When Gabriel wakes this time, he just sighs, standing and walking across the room. He has work to do.

"I have to go." A voice echoes through the speaker that Sombra has at her side, as she sits on top of the ruins of the Necropolis.

"I understand." Another voice, younger than the first, speaks. "Next time, contact me before I contact you, okay?" She has amusement in her tone.

"Of course." The first voice speaks again. "Get some rest."

"Of course. Goodnight." The voice clicks off.

There is a pause, before the first voice speaks again. "Who is listening?"

Sombra looks down at the speaker.

"I know you are there. He is asleep. She just left. Who are you?"

"Observant." Sombra grins, pressing a finger to the communicator in her ear.

"Being a sniper will do that to you."

"Ooo, I knew I'd like you.”

"What do you want? Who are you?"

"A lot of people are asking me that question, lately..." She rolls her eyes, keypad and holoscreen flickering into existence in front of her. "You're the Shrike, right?"

"I asked you first."

"And I asked you second."

They're both silent.

"...Fine." She rolls her eyes again. "The name's Sombra."

"Talon's hacker."

"That's a bit strong. I'm not 'Talon's'. I'm just...working with them, for now."

"The difference doesn't matter, here."

"Look, Shrike. I'm just trying to see how you're doing. See if you and your weaponized raccoon with an America fetish are doing alright."

"Why do you want to know about me and 76?"

"Wow. You didn't even try to dispute that."

"It's hard to dispute a truth." She sounds minorly amused. "Or at least, a partial truth."

"Which part is the true one?"

"The raccoon part."

"See? Jokes! You can tell jokes!"

"Still-"

"A friend of mine is worried about 76. He's not been in contact lately."

"His secret contact."

"Yup, that's the one." She keeps typing away.

"...He is fine. Physically. He shuts down, this time of year. I will tell him that his ally is concerned."

"Thanks. That helps me out a ton. You have no idea how mopey he gets when he's being ignored." Sombra grins. "Hey, if you need anything, just contact me. You have my signal now, after all."

"You don't do charity work."

"I'll put it on my friend's tab." She chuckles. "Later, Shrike." She drops the connection, leaving the speaker as she teleports away.

Gabriel knows what's coming, this time. This time of year, he's doomed to having at least one dream like this.

He's in Jack's office again, but this time he's standing. The desk is broken, papers scattered all around the room at varying heights. The chair is splintered, pieces floating motionless in the air. The ground is breaking in places, the billowing smoke and fire below peeking through the cracks. The door is closed, and outside the window there is only smoke and burnt out wasteland.

He doesn't realize that he's shaking until a hand comes to rest on his shoulder. He turns, tears in his eyes. "...Jack."

Jack smiles at him. He's wearing his Strike Commander coat and uniform, but his hair and face look young, back before he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. The youth and joy are destroyed by the blood dripping down his face, the burns on his hands, the stains and tears through his uniform.

Gabriel looks similar. He can tell from the numbness he feels. "...Jack..."

Jack keeps smiling. "Hey Gabe." He trails his hand down to Gabriel's, holding it. "It's been a while."

"...I..."

"Hey, shh..." He reaches up with his free hand, wiping the tears away. "It's okay."

"It's not, Jack."

"It is, here." He gently tugs on his hand, pulling him after him. He walks with a limp, but the smile doesn't leave his face.

Gabriel almost screams, every step on his broken legs almost too much to bear. He gasps for breath, silently sobbing as he follows.

"Hey." The smile is still in place, as he sits down across the floor from the explosion. "Sit with me?"

He collapses on top of him, clinging to him like a lifeline.

Jack gently pets his hair, holding him close. "It's okay. You can cry."

Gabriel breaks, pressing his face against Jack's chest as he screams.

"I'm here. I've got you." He keeps petting, rocking them gently from side to side.

He shakes almost violently, screams dissolving into broken sobs.

Jack's smile finally cracks, falling. "...I'm here."

"You're not, Jack."

He sighs.

"You're gone. You're gone, and it's my fault."

"Gabe..."

"I should have been better." He tightens his grip, breathing roughly as he pushes his words through his sobs. "I killed you."

"You didn't, Gabe."

"My men did. They were my responsibility. You trusted me, and I- I failed you."

"...Gabe..."

"I killed you." He presses his face back against Jack's chest, trying to ignore the blood that sticks to him as he does so. "I killed you..."

"Shh..." He hums a tune softly, trying to calm him down.

"...It should have been you."

"Hmm?"

"Angela. She...she found me, remember? She brought me back." He shakes his head. "She should have saved you. Not me."

"Gabe-"

"Look at what I've become, Jack. There's nothing left for me. I'm killing those who did this to us, but that's all I have."

"You have Sombra." Jack points out. "Jesse's still out there. Genji probably is too. Angela, Lena, Reinhardt, they'd all welcome you back with open arms."

"But you're gone."

"Gabe-"

"You're gone, Jackie. You went somewhere I can't follow you." He curls tighter around him, despite the pain it sends through him. "I wish I could. After all I've done...I don't know if I ever can."

"Hey, shh..."

"I'm not a good man anymore, Jack. I haven't been for years." The tears keeps falling. "They wanted a monster, so a monster I became..."

"You're not a monster. You're doing good things. You're still fighting on our side, after everything. You're still good."

"I'm not an angel, Jack-"

"You were mine." He smiles down at him.

"And look how that went."

"...Gabriel, you can't hold onto this forever. It'll destroy you."

"Good. Let it. I already destroyed you."

"Gabriel..."

"I want to see you, Jack. I miss you."

"I know." Jack presses a gentle kiss to Gabriel's temple. "And you will."

"Soon?" He tightens his grip again. "...Please?"

"...Soon." He sighs. "But not yet."

Gabriel keeps crying against him, even as their frozen moment speeds up, the sound of fire and collapsing metal surrounding them. He hears screaming, and he doesn't know if it's his, or Jack's, or both-

He can't see. Everything hurts, everything is too much, he feels trapped but there's nowhere else to go. He hears someone shouting, someone far away, but close. He feels a shock of purple electricity, before he hears someone talking inside his head. He doesn't know what they're saying, but he hears them, and the voice is grounding. He slowly starts to come back, slowly realizes where he is, slowly notices who's talking to him.

He pulls his nanite cloud back, curling over himself, even as he doesn't reform. "...Som."

"Gabe." Her voice is rough, and she's leaning against the wall, taking shaky breaths. Her hand is still extended, and shaking, purple light shooting out like static around her fingertips.

"...I hurt you."

"I'm fine."

"...Why? Why did you come in here?" He compresses more, still a ball of energy. "...Why did you come after me?"

"You were screaming. It..." She finally lets her hand fall. "...It was worse than the other times."

"Sombra..."

"I...didn't know if you were going to come back without my help-"

"Olivia."

She stiffens, watching him.

"...I could have killed you."

"But you didn't."

"But I could have."

"I'm willing to take that chance." She stands up fully. "I'm not going to just leave you here to destroy yourself, Gabe. If there's something that I can do to help you, I will." She looks away. "...You're the closest person I've had, since my family. I'm not gonna let the last person I care about shred himself to pieces if there's something I can do to stop that." She takes a few shaky steps. "...Come talk with me later. When...when you're you again. Okay?" She looks over to him for a few moments, before she leaves the room, closing the door behind her.

"...Soldier 76."

76 is on his feet in an instant, pistol raised and pointed towards her.

Sombra raises her hands. "It's just me."

He watches her for a few moments, before he lowers his gun. "...What do you want?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that in that tone of voice?"

"Your reputation precedes you." He sits back down on his makeshift cot, sighing. "The question still stands."

She glances around, before lowering her voice. "...Why were you staring down at your gun, 76?"

He stiffens, looking away. "...I changed my mind. I don't want an answer to my question anymore."

"Well I do." She moves over and sits down on a box. "...76."

"Save it." He looks down at the pistol again. "I don't want your pity."

"At least tell me why?"

"I don't owe you anything."

"I'm the one who gave you all the booze you drank." She looks around. "How much have you had tonight?"

"Most of it." He sighs. "Not enough."

"Two cases of beer, a bottle of scotch, a bottle of whiskey, and a bottle of vodka? That's not enough?" She blinks. "How are you still alive? Let alone conscious."

"Blame it on all the experimental shit they pumped into me back in the military." He slumps over slightly. "Barely drunk."

"Were you looking at your gun because you're drunk, or because of why you're drinking?"

He leaves the gun on the bed, lifting his hand and shaking it slightly. "Little bit of column A, mostly..." His hand drops. "...Mostly B."

"Does the Shrike know?" Sombra's voice is gentle.

"She knows better than anyone else."

"About the gun, or the drinking?"

"...The drinking.

She sighs. "...What are you doing, 76? Does this help?"

"...Makes it almost bearable."

"...Reaper's worried about you, you know."

"I'll be fine for our mission in two weeks."

"That's not what he's worried about. You've barely contacted him."

"..." 76 sighs, rubbing at his temples. "...He reminds me of someone. Someone...I used to care for."

"...What happened to them?"

"He died. Because...because of me." He presses at his face. "Something...went wrong. I saw the signs, tried to protect him...but it wasn't enough." He hunches over, resting his head in his hands, around the visor. "He's gone. And nothing I can do will change that."

Sombra is quiet, for a few moments. "...I'm sorry for your loss, 76."

He shrugs, slumping over onto the cot. He says nothing.

She stands, silently leaving the room. She sends off a quick message to the Shrike, before she teleports away.

Gabriel doesn't know where he is at first, the next time. He's not at a Watchpoint, that much is certain. It takes him a few more moments before he realizes. He's sitting on the roof of one of Talon's bases, but the base is utterly destroyed. The only piece that hasn't collapsed is the section that he's sitting on. He sighs.

Footsteps slowly make their way towards him, before the man sits down next to him.

"76." He looks over.

76 gives him a mock salute.

"What are you doing here? You're not part of my pattern."

He tilts his head slightly, as if looking at him, before he shrugs.

"Helpful, asshole." He nudges him, before he sighs again. "...You've got me worried, you know."

He raises an eyebrow, tilting his head in question.

"It's been days since our mission, and I haven't heard a goddamn word. You got yourself hurt, and refused to let me help, and now you've dropped off the fucking map." He presses his hands against his face, groaning. "I don't know what to do."

"Come after me."

Gabriel's eyes widen, and he looks over at 76. "...What?"

"You said it yourself." 76 stretches, folding his hands behind his head as he leans back. "It's been days. What do I usually do at this point?"

"...Respond to Sombra, even if you're ignoring me."

"And what haven't I done?"

"Contact me or Sombra."

"Bingo." He sits up, turning to properly look at him. "You said I was injured, right? If I'm not responding, doesn't that mean something might have gone wrong?"

He stares. "Goddamnit..."

76 pats him on the shoulder, before standing. "Go on. I'll still be here when you get back." He turns and starts to walk away. He mumbles under his breath. "...Hopefully."

Gabriel wakes with a start, rolling out of bed in an instant. He's at Sombra's door before he even realizes he wraithed.

Sombra looks up at him, confused. "What's up, big guy?"

"76 is missing."

"...He hasn't answered your pings?" Her eyes widen.

"No."

"...Mierda."

"What-"

"He hasn't answered my pings either. Or the ones of my contact."

His blood runs cold. "Find him, Sombra."

She turns back to her desk, nodding. "I will."

Soldier 76 grunts as he's thrown to the ground yet again. He doesn't even bother trying to crawl away. It's not worth the effort this time. He turns his unmasked face up towards one of his captors, glaring as he tries to pull his hands free of his bonds.

"Aww, what's the matter Soldier?" He smirks, crouching down. "Is this too hard for you?"

He doesn't even bother trying to speak, he just kicks out towards her. The kick isn't far enough to reach.

He snickers, standing up again. "Wow. And here I thought you had to be something special. After all, the Reaper took an interest in you."

He freezes, focusing only on his breathing for a moment. "...What the hell are you talking about?" His voice is even rougher than usual, and he gasps for breath after his words. He's not used to unfiltered air, after so long of using his mask.

"We know the Reaper has his eyes on you, Soldier. We also know that he's been resisting killing you. So either he's not a loyal as we thought, or there's something about you." He chuckles.

76 growls. "I'm not telling you a goddamn thing." He winces, breathing roughly.

"Don't worry, Soldier. We have the time. Reaper won't find you. Neither will your little friend the Shrike." He grins. "So we'll take as long as we need." He turns and walks to the door, stopping with his hand on the handle. He looks back at him. "Hey, tell me Soldier. Would you starve before you answer our questions?"

He growls again.

"Hmm. Well." He laughs. "I suppose we'll find out."

#*confused fanfiction noises*#overwatch fanfic #overwatch fanfiction #the other side looks the goddamn same #reaper76 #happy birthday to me time to post more fanfic

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duckydoesthings · 7 years

Text

Monster Chapter 2

CHARACTERS:

Tseng of the Turks: Little is known about Tseng, with the exception of being the leader of President Rufus ShinRa's personal protection service. He dresses in a black suit, and always puts his shoulder length hair in a ponytail. It is also known that he has a tattoo on the back of his neck of a white lily with the stem being loosely wrapped with a pink ribbon.

Prompto Argentum: Literal ball of sunshine. Happy go lucky personality with a optimistic outlook. Has ADHD, and some anxiety issues. Best friends with Noctis Caelum. Passionate about photography and chocobos.

Xion Caelum: Sister to Noctis Caelum. More reserved and quiet personality, but has her moments of pure bliss.

Zack Fair: Personal Trainer. Loves to go for runs and squats for days. Spunky with endless energy. Terra's older twin.

Cloud Strife: Weapons Expert. While quiet and shy, can be pretty cocky but willing to help his students.

Aerith Gainsborough: Medical/Materia Teacher. While she teaches medicinal courses, she also tends to her own garden. Humble and caring.

Terra Fair: Combat Specialist. While he looks intimidating and overly serious, he cares for his students and will push them to be the best fighter they can be. Zack's younger twin.

Squall Leonhart: Stealth and Technology Technician. Has a scar across his face from his ex-best friend. Sarcastic as hell yet strong willed.

Tifa Lockhart: Secretary and Dean for ShinRa Corps. She is in charge of all the students and reports their progress to President ShinRa.

TRIGGER WARNING: Slight description of wound. Blood mention.

Riku rolled onto his back, taking the pressure off of his now pounding forehead. The combination of his mind thinking about the previous day's events and the sharp throbs of his wound had kept him from sleeping very much. Despite the lack of sleep, his body was wired.

Early morning light colored the room in warmth as the sun started to rise. It was the morning that he was being shipped off to Shiva knows where, some private college that his dad thought was much more suitable than just allowing him to go to Midgar University. He laid in the sun's ray as he tried to think about reasons why his father could possibly want to send him away.

Midgar University, while not being a cheap school, had already been paid for through the scholarships Riku had entered and won. He already laid out the groundwork to being self sufficient and acted with adult maturity to pursuing this path. The path of being a paramedic. All his work was thrown out the window by his father, who insisted on the private college.

First, he didn't even tell him what college it was. For all Riku knew, it was a clown college- the option seemed incredibly viable with how his father seemed to treat him. Another possibility that stuck out to him was a military academy. There were times where Sephiroth would comment about his mother putting him into a military boarding school where he spent his teen life.

Second, would he even be able to still pursue his dream? The only reason why he even wanted to be a paramedic, was because of his mother. Before she died, she had insisted on his talent in music and art. It all changed when the medics couldn't save her life while she died from asphyxia while riding towards the hospital. He wanted to save lives and prevent families from loss like he had.

All this thinking made his already throbbing headache worse. Riku inched off the bed, trying hard to not flinch. His hands weren't scraped up too bad, but his fall from the tree had caused angry marks which were sensitive to touch. Quietly, he left his room, zigzagging around on the mahogany flooring to prevent the wood from creaking and possibly waking up his father and brothers.

Even with socked feet, the bathroom tiles were still cold enough to make him shiver. He closed the door and locked it behind him out of habit before starting to remove his clothing. He had gotten as far as removing his hoodie before catching sight of his 'lived in the wild like an animal' aesthetic in the mirror. Riku stopped and moved closer to his reflection, leaning over the sink to get a closer look.

Slowly he started to remove the bandage, revealing the gash in his eyebrow. The wound had started to look dry and irritated. Adding to the scratches on his hands and the blood spattered dry lips he had, the overall look he had was Grade C horror movie makeup. He would have to spray some neoproxin after the shower.

Before Riku completely stripped, he took a second to get the shower water running. A quirk of having an old water heater: iffy water temperatures. Most of the time when Riku had to shower, he either had to get up before everyone else or risk cold water. That was the major downside with living in a house of only boys. No hot water ever. Although the only one to really complain about the cold shower water was Riku anyways. The hot water was the only warmth Riku ever really experienced, especially after his mother died. Somewhere he read that the reason for people taking extremely long hot showers was the water acted like a hug for lonely people. Or something along those lines.

Just like the article, as the hot water warmed his skin, he felt like he was being given a hug. An awkward naked and covered in water hug, yet a hug regardless. As he started to lather his hair in shampoo, Riku let his mind be consumed by the shower sounds, letting it drown out any thoughts that would make his headache worse.

Wrapping a towel around most of his lanky figure, he stepped out of the shower and sat on the toilet, letting the towel soak up the water off his body. From where the towel fell away from his body, he saw dark purple to black bruising. They covered most of his thighs and in the florescent lighting of the bathroom, it only made the bruises darker than they already were.

Suddenly a few light taps of the bathroom door broke Riku out of his daze, sending his heart into panic mode.

"What?"

"I need to take a leak. Hurry the fuck up man." Yazoo. No matter how much their mother would complain about his language, he never let the fact that he had no filter bother him.

"Gimme a sec, Yaz. I'm naked." He stood up and went to the small linen closet in the corner next to the stackable washer and dryer unit, and grabbed a bathrobe.

"Yeah so? That's never stopped me before. We've seen each other naked before." His voice became unmuffled as Riku opened the door, holding the robe as tight as possible over his small frame. Both brothers matched each other in height and weight, yet Yazoo filled out his body better. Riku felt like his soul was so much more tinier than his body was fit to fill. "Ouch. What happened? Ran right into the bookcase again, lil bro?"

Riku slipped to the side, allowing his brother to pass, ignoring the comment. "Just hurry up. I still need to use the bathroom."

"Yeah whatever." He was then pushed out of the room, door closing and locking in front of him. Quickly, he rushed into his room, ignoring the floor as it creaked under his feet. If he wanted any chance to fix his face before another one of his brothers took over the bathroom again, he would need to grab his clothes and run back.

Yazoo just barely left the bathroom, as Riku appeared again, a bundle of clothes in his arms. "Seriously though, story about the cut?" He asked, blocking the doorway.

"Oh come on, Yaz. I don't have the time for this." He pouted, attempting again to strong arm his way in, but a hand pushing him back stopped him.

"What's the rush? We all know about you sneaking out last night. You're not really subtle while falling out of a tree." Yazoo smirked, watching his brother look away from him in shame. "Oh come on, don't give me the wounded animal look. Dad expected you to run away to your girlfriend."

Riku looked back at Yazoo and watched him move away from the door and walk back towards his room. 'What the hell?' He thought as he returned to the bathroom, locking the door behind him. His family was acting extremely strange and if he continued to think about it, it would only make his head hurt more.

After he had gotten dressed and applied antiseptic cream and a bandage to his eyebrow, he threw the robe into the hamper and left the bathroom.

Normally, Riku reveled in the calmness of the house in early morning slumber, but this morning was different. It was as if all the life had been sucked out of the calming air, giving him a sense of emptiness. Even as he made his way down the stairs, passing all the family photos that decorated the wall, he felt like a stranger.

Riku stopped in front of a photo, midway down the stairs and turned towards it. The photo showed a young boy with light silvery hair, smiling with a two toothed gap in his front teeth, holding out the teeth to the camera as a blue haired fairy crouched next to him. His heart nearly broke, seeing how happy he was back then. Even as a kid he had been oblivious to the pain he would later face.

Curling his fingers into his palm, nails digging into his cuts, the boy turned away from the photo. He continued down the stairs, waiting till he had entered the kitchen to unclench his hands, letting out a long breath as he did.

The room had a calm air to it, as he let go of his anger and made his way around the island and to the coffee pot. Everyone in his household with exceptions for Loz drank coffee. It was just easier to have coffee going while he was getting breakfast started.

Riku was easily preoccupied with the menial task of making the surplus of french toast, bacon and eggs, allowing his mind to focus on cooking. He had all four burners on the flat top cooking at once, keeping a steady flow of stirring and flipping while the rest of the house woke up.

"Smells good, Riku." Loz commented, opening the fridge door, being careful not to hit his brother. The youngest waited till the door was closed before turning to look at his brother.

"Thanks." He turned back, focusing on the food. Loz cleared his throat as he opened the bottle of water, leaning up against the fridge. Riku looked at his brother, seeing a look that only meant that he wanted to talk. "What?"

"I heard about the uh.. what happened..." Loz looked away and moved to sit at the island. Riku turned back to the food, choosing not to respond at the moment. Instead he flipped the food, letting the sizzling drown out his thoughts. He wasn't mad at Loz. His brother did nothing wrong and he knew that it wasn't fair that he was giving him the cold shoulder. After flipping the food once more, he turned his head towards his brother, looking over his shoulder.

"Can you get the table set?" That brought a smile back onto Loz's face as he got up and started to help set up for breakfast.

As the plates, silverware and glasses were set onto the table, Riku and Loz teamed up to lay out all the food, just as the other two brothers made their way into the kitchen.

"Poison for breakfast, Reek?" Kadaj snorted, pleased at himself for the Game Of Thrones reference as he plopped down into a chair and grabbed a slice of bacon. Riku ignored the comment, sitting in his own chair and taking a sip of the coffee he had made for himself.

"You just ate poison then, Ramsey." Sitting next to his brother, Yazoo nudged at him. Kadaj grabbed at his throat making choking noises before slumping in his chair and pointing at Riku.

"You guys really suck with keeping things accurate." Riku smirked, enjoying his brothers. Times like this made him feel like a part of a family. When even though his brothers could be royal pains in his ass, they still were his brothers. Just the thought of no longer being able to enjoy his brothers' silliness sent a stab of pain into his heart. It almost made him lose his appetite.

"At least I kept it in the same series." Kadaj retorted, about to continue with his sentence before Riku groaned flicking a piece of egg at him.

"Shut up! That was one time! Let it go!" Kadaj shook his head, swiping off the egg on his shoulder. He grabbed a piece of his own egg and threw it at his brother, hearing the footsteps of his father as he walked into the room. He knew that Riku would retaliate and get in trouble by his father. Only today Riku deflected the egg and turned to watch it fall on his father's socked foot.

The room went quiet, as the boys watched their father look down at his sock, then at all his sons. This wasnt the first time that he had walked into the start of a food fight, but this morning felt different. Sephiroth simply bent down, picked up the egg and went to the sink, dropping it down the garbage disposal.

"I could have eaten that." Loz complained, tapping the empty spot on his plate where his eggs had been. With how much energy he went through on a daily basis, Loz could have eaten it and still would have been content.

"Ew. You could have gotten athlete's foot, on your tongue." Yazoo cringed, before returning to spacing out. As much as Riku wanted to correct his oldest brother, it was for the best that he left the subject alone. He wouldn't have given two shits anyways.

"It would be just like Loz to get a foot fungal infection in his mouth." Their father stated in a monotone voice, a hint of a smile lurking on his lips. Everyone in the room started laughing, even Loz. Everything in that moment seemed perfect. One big happy family of boys, laughing at the stupid comments of one of the brothers. Moments like this made Riku believe that there was such a thing as a happy family for him.

That moment died when a knock cut through their laughter. Riku pushed back his chair and headed towards the door as his family returned to their food, a new conversation picking up as soon as his feet moved him past the archway of the kitchen. His heart rate started picking up as his fingers touched the golden colored handle, twisting the door open.

Sunlight blinded him the moment he pulled the door away from the frame, only lasting a brief second before the door revealed a lanky man in a crisp black suit.

"May I help you?"

The man extended his right hand towards the boy, giving a curt nod instead of a smile. "My name is Tseng. You must be Riku."

He nodded at the man, as their hands touched. Something about this Tseng guy gave him a chill that trickled down his back. The whole meet and greet seemed quite odd to him.

"Early as always. Care for some breakfast?" Sephiroth asked, coming up right behind his son. Riku pulled away, stepping to the side. There was no way he wanted to get back on his father's bad side, even though he was being sent away today. He wasn't even ready for it.

Tseng's dark eyes flickered from his coworker to the son, before he gently shook his head, but stepped into the large house anyways. "Thank you, but no."

Aquamarine eyes watched as the stranger closed the door behind him, as if he had been here before. Something about his presence made Riku's heart race.

"Riku." The sharp tone of his father's voice, broke him out of his current dazed state, causing him to look at him with a slightly scared look. "Where are your bags?"

"What bags?" It took him a few seconds to realize what exactly was going on, his brain clicking into place. He couldn't even believe how brain-missing he had been. "Oh, right uhm... I haven't even packed yet."

Sephiroth's lip twitched in displeasement, before he turned away and started back for the kitchen. "Don't make Tseng wait any longer than he already is." With that, he left him and Tseng alone in the foyer, rejoining his other sons.

Another long moment of awkward silence passed before he bowed slightly towards the man who would whisk him away from his family. The least he could do is be polite and not make him wait any longer than he was going to.

"I'll try to pack fast." All Tseng did was nod at him before following his father into the kitchen, leaving him alone.

Several dark thoughts climbed their way out of the walled off corner in his mind as he made his way up the steps, leaving his breakfast to sit cold on the table. Surely his brothers wouldn't put it to waste, or his dad would eat it. Maybe this is good that he was being shipped away. No one seemed to really care about him anyways, always leaving him to stand off to the side watching everyone pass by him.

Whatever schooling his dad was sending him to was probably a blessing in disguise. It would give him a chance to start over, start fresh. Maybe make some friends who he could actually spend time with. It wasn't as if he didn't have friends, but with everyone heading off to different colleges, he got lost in the fray of trying to adult.

Those dark circling thoughts kept swarming his brain as he had gotten into his room and started packing. What if people at his new school didn't like him? He was already a socially stunted, maybe there was just no hope for him to make a new friend anyways.

From his bedside table, a chocobo 'kweh' broke him out of his thoughts. He stood up and made his way around the newly made mess of clothes strewn across the floor, to grab his phone.

[Kairi: hi]

Smiling, Riku quickly typed out a reply before heading back to the spot he had been to continue packing.

[Riku: Good morning, sleepy head. How did you sleep?]

As per normal, Kairi sent back a quick reply. Conversations always went fast with Kairi 'test so fast' Evelon. For a few minutes, he ignored his phone, until another message insisted on his reply.

[Kairi: it was ok. just hella worried about u.]

[Kairi: did u sleep okay? wut did ur dad say?]

His heart skipped a beat, remembering what had happened last night. The thought did send a bolt of pain to his wound though. He'd need to apply some numbing cream to it later on.

[Riku: Dad didn't say anything to me... Well not really anything about last night. He was a little pissy when I had told him I hadn't started packing...]

There wasn't a text from Kairi for several minutes, giving him the chance to continue packing without being interrupted. He knew she was probably showering or grabbing coffee. By the time she had responded back, he was finished folding all his clothes and had grabbed his duffle bag from the closet.

[Kairi: wut a dick!!! u had no time 2 pack!!!]

[Kairi: the least he couldve done is given u time 2 pack...]

The thought of his father giving him a notice even a week before hand wouldn't have made this any easier.

[Riku: It's okay, Kai. I'm almost finished packing anyways. It's not like I was given a list of things I needed for school, so I just grabbed what I thought I needed.]

Setting his phone aside, he let the text come in while he stacked the clothes in the bag. There was still several things on his mental list to grab, but he was had just wanted to get his clothes packed first.

[Kairi: thats dumb. i wish u were still going 2 mu w me]

Riku's heart pounded thinking about her. There she was, sitting all alone in a hotel room only a few miles away. He was so close to her, why did it seem like she was so far? Quickly he fired off a quick message before getting up and heading to the bathroom.

[Riku: Me too, Kai.]

Once in the bathroom, he quickly grabbed all his bathroom things, shoving them into a bag that he had in his drawer for when he spent the night at Sora's house. Before leaving, he took one last look in the mirror. The bandage and scratches made him look like he had lost a fight with Sher Khan, the tiger from The Jungle Book. Even though he checked it about two hours ago, he still wanted to make sure that it was healing.

Removing the bandage, Riku took a better look at the wound. It didn't look as bad as he thought. It looked like a fresh wound, open and still wet from the anti-septic gel he had applied earlier. With the gauze off, the wound was easily hidden from view with his long bangs. It also made the scratches slightly less noticeable.

Making a decision to keep it off -He had heard from his dad that small wounds heal better when not covered- he grabbed his bag and headed back for his room, where he was greeted by his brother Loz, standing over the duffle bag of clothes. Riku noticed he held one of his hands was closed, hanging loosely at his side.

"What's up, Loz?" He asked, walking towards the bag and dropping his toiletries on top of the pile of clothes. His brother extended his closed hand, waiting patiently for his youngest brother to look at him. Riku looked from the hand to his brother, before hesitantly offering an open hand.

The item was transferred from twin to twin, in a moment of silence, before Loz looked away, awkwardly rubbing his neck. It seemed like his brother wanted to speak but couldn't quite get the words out, giving Riku just enough time to look down at his hand. The item took every word, thought and breath from him.

A silver chained necklace lay in his hand, bits of the chain spilling out of his palm, with the charm sitting in the center, facing him. It had been years since he had last seen this necklace. The last time he remembered seeing it was on his mother's neck while she was lying in the hospital bed, her skin turning whiter than the sheets.

"Where..." Riku's voice came out in a shaky whimper. The charm was a silver outlined wayfinder with each of her family's favorite colours. At the bottom left was Sephiroth's with a steel blue- the same color as his wife's hair, with Yazoo taking the top slot with a grassy green. Kadaj had the bottom right with a dark red, while Loz occupied the left middle piece with a faded lilac. Leaving Riku with the right middle piece.

He remembered when his mother originally had commissioned the piece, she asked her entire family while at dinner one night, while they were all still kids. His brothers and father answered quickly, returning to their meals within the minute. It took Riku a solid week to decide what his color would be, but ultimately he went with the color that stood out to him the most. Aquamarine. The color of his eyes and the oceans of Destiny Islands, where his happiest memories were from.

"Mom wanted you to have it. She gave it to Dad to give to you before she died, but he gave it to Yaz and Kadaj, but I stole it from them. Now you have it." Loz looked out the window, avoiding looking at his brother. His voice was choked, as if holding back tears. Out of the entire family, both him and Loz were the soft hearted kids, constantly being teased for it. Once Loz hit puberty and got into sports, where he became the tank of the family, while Riku grew to be a tall string bean, the burden fell completely on him.

The youngest quintuplet reached out to his brother, resting his free hand lightly on Loz's arm. None of the Jenova kids were good with expressing their feelings, always resorting to painful punches to the shoulder or rough noogies, but in that moment, Loz turned back to Riku with tears in his eyes. Both boys embraced each other, in a hug full of sniffles, muscles and silver hair.

"I don't want you to go." Loz confessed, pulling away and returning back to the stoic facade he normally held, even if his words had suggested otherwise. Riku looked down at his mother’s- no, now it was his- necklace, before pulling apart the magnetic connectors and putting it on. Unlike where the charm rested on his mother at the top of her sternum, the necklace rested right between the ridge of his clavicle. Easily hideable under his clothes, where he slipped it under his shirt.

"I don't want to go either, but I don't get a choice." Riku swallowed thickly, trying his best to hold back tears. This wasn't the time or place. Sure, both of them had cried in front of each other, but he had to be strong for his brother. Be strong for himself.

Loz nodded, the threat of tears looming behind bright aquamarine eyes. He moved away from his brother and to the door, pausing to look back at him with his hand on the handle. "Be safe, Rikki."

Riku watched as his brother left, the image almost breaking his heart. Was this some foreboding sign that he would never see his brother again? There was no logical reason why he shouldn't, they still had their whole adult lives to be close. Out of all his brothers, Riku had the best relationship with Loz and had no qualms with being close later in life, yet the possible thought of not being able to see his brother for Titan knows long…

Another Chocobo 'Kweh' brought him out of his thoughts. He sat back down, grabbing his phone from the top of a shirt pile.

[Kairi: when r u supposed 2 leave 4 ur new skool? maybe we can call b4]

The thought of seeing her one last time before he was shipped away to this mysterious private college made a small smile crawl across his lips. He could probably call while packing, but knowing how much Kairi could talk made him realize that it would be a bad idea.

[Riku: Sorry, Kai. My ride is already here, and I don't want to make him wait any longer than he already is... Sorry.]

Setting his phone aside, he had started put the small piles in the bag and ignored the text that came in. As he had put the pants pile in, he realized his hands were starting to shake.

'No, please not now.' Riku thought, feeling the spike of anxiety, shakiness and overall feeling of being off. He really didn't want to have a panic attack now, of all times. There was only one way to stave off this possible attack, a trick he learned from his mom to handle his anxiety.

Sitting cross legged, he closed his eyes, resting his hands on his knees. Deep breathes now. In for three and hold for four. As he started the breathing exercise, he could hear his mom coaching him. She always had a calming aura around her, and having her necklace only made him feel even more connected to her. You're doing well, Riku. Now, out for seven . He had continued the exercise until he had felt his anxiety wane. He opened his eyes and checked to see his hands. No shakes.

With the possible attack deflected, Riku continued packing until he had finished. The duffle back was still a little less than halfway empty. What more was he supposed to pack? He didn't know what school he was going to, let alone knowing what he had to take with him. There wasn't anything else he wanted to take with him anyways.

Oh well.

Grabbing his phone, he checked the last notification from Kairi.

[Kairi: i understand. will u still txt me while @ ur new skool?]

[Riku: Of course. You know that I will always text you when I can.]

Standing up, he put his phone in his front pockets before turning towards his bed. From there he grabbed his charger for his phone, tossing it over to his backpack where it landed on the floor a few feet away. At least it was close. He sighed, taking the next few minutes to gather and roll up the cords for his laptop, tablet and mp3 player, before grabbing the rest of his electronics and bringing them to his backpack. He had just bought the backpack, prepared to use it for all his tech, books and notebooks for classes. At least it still was getting use.

After he packed all his things, Riku slung his backpack across his back and grabbed his duffle bag with one hand. He approached the door and took one more look around, feeling lost and empty. The room he spent most of his life sleeping in, he was leaving for a undetermined amount of time. He looked at the walls, covered in various posters, art prints and decorations. Every video game, band, anime and mementos he had gathered over his life seemed to have lost the same effect it had when he would look over them. Thinking that he wouldn't be able to see this room for some time made a pang hit his chest. He couldn't look at it anymore without wanting to break down.

Riku closed the door behind him as he headed down the hall, feeling chills as he walked through the house. He could still his brothers laughing loudly in the kitchen, arguing over who is going to do the dishes. A scene he desperately wished he could be apart of.

Going down the stairs, he avoided looking at the pictures. It would make leaving harder than it already was. Quietly he got to the bottom of the stairs and looked at Tseng where he stood next to the door, along with his father. They were both looking back at him. Tseng with his dark bored eyes, and his father with his bright unreadable eyes.

"I'm sorry it took me so long. I had trouble thinking of what I would need to bring." Riku stated as he hitched his backpack back up his shoulder. He made sure not to look at his dad, hoping that he could retaliate at him by acting like he didn't even see him.

"Are you ready to go now?" Tseng asked, nodding at him. He nodded back and went for the door, which Tseng opened up for him, and had started to walk through before he heard his name being called.

"What?" Turning, Riku looked at his father with his good eyebrow raised, waiting for him to respond. Kadaj and Yazoo poked their heads out of the kitchen, hoping to eavesdrop on the situation. Their father took a big step closer to the youngest son.

Putting a hand on his son's shoulder, Sephiroth gave him a knowing smile as he leaned down, his lips close to Riku's ear. "I know about the necklace."

Sephiroth pulled back and gave a light push on his son’s shoulder, before turning and joining his other sons back in the kitchen. Part of him wanted to chase after his dad and throw his bag at him, beating him over and over. That psychopath knew how to dig right into the core of his enemies, and his favourite target was his son.

"Let's go." Riku nodded back at Tseng and left his house. He continued to walk towards the car that was parked on the street. He couldn't bear turning back and looking at the house. The building he made the most memories under. Memories of mass birthday parties with his brothers, sleepovers with Sora, spending time painting his mother while she modeled. Memories that would make him crumble into a ball of crying fits and rage.

Tseng clicked a button on the car fob, opening the trunk for Riku to put his things. He was stunned at how sleek and cat-like the car was. It was the car form of a black panther, in his opinion. Part of him felt awkward dropping his stuff in the back of such a beautiful car.

"What kind of car is this?" Riku asked as he and Tseng got into the front seats, buckling up.

"I didn't think you were interested in cars, Riku." The man turned to him with an inquisitive look. He shrugged, resting against the fine black with red stitched leather seats.

"I'm not, but this car is kinda cool."

Tseng nodded and turned back to the wheel, turning the car on. The car quietly purred to life, before the driver put the car into gear and drove away from the house. Riku didn't think about it then, but his heart hurt not taking one last look.

The drive through Midgar was quiet, other than the sound of the car's engine. Neither of them had wanted to say anything, leaving Riku to sit in the seat, his mind consumed with thoughts and questions. He still didn't know where he was going, and something bugged him about what Tseng had said. 'I didn't think you were interested in cars, Riku.' What did that mean?

"Uhm... Mr. Tseng?" Riku turned to look at the man in the driver's seat, hoping he wasn't distracting from driving. Without even taking his eyes off the road, Tseng answered, in a calm tone.

"It's just Tseng. What can I do for you?"

"Your comment about the car... What did you mean by that?"

Tseng took a few moments to think about his answer before taking a look at the boy. His dark eyes seemed to soften while looking at him.

"Your mother used to talk to me a lot about you." Riku blinked at his answer. His mom knew Tseng? How? She worked as a materia and magic specialist at ShinRa Corps. He remembered hearing his mom talk about how she had taught Sephiroth how to use curative materia and magic, and that’s how his father met his mother but how did Tseng fit within the puzzle?

"How do you know my mom?" A small smile crawled onto Tseng's lips. It was as if he knew exactly what Riku was going to ask.

"Let me ask this question first. Do you know what a Turk is?"

Riku nodded. "An elite bodyguard for the military's president, Rufus ShinRa."

"Correct. I'm the leader of the Turks." Tseng nodded back an affirmation to Riku. "I had worked with your mother, quite extensively I might add."

His mother was coworkers with his driver. What a small world. Or a planned world. Who knew?

"Oh." Falling silent again, Riku turned to the window, watching the city pass. They had gotten on the highway and started passing downtown. The city was colored in grey like the overcast sky, making the already steel structured buildings even more bland. Watching the city pass cleared his head, giving him a few minutes of peace as he had nothing to think about. After they passed downtown, Tseng pulled off onto an exit heading towards the edge of the city.

"Where are we even going?" Riku asked as he pulled himself away from the window, watching through the front window.

"Sephiroth never told you where you were being sent to?" Tseng acted surprised at it, even though Riku wasn't. He was always the last to know anything.

"Nope."

Tseng frowned, his eyebrows knitting together. It took him a minute to respond, his eyes focusing straight onto the highway.

"I've been instructed to take you to ShinRa Corps."

His answer took Riku by surprise.

ShinRa Corps? The same military academy that his father went to? The same academy his mother worked at, and apparently so did Tseng? Nothing was making sense. Riku was a very structured individual with a boring bland record of rowdiness, and his father knew with the way his anxieties were that going into the military would probably end up breaking him.

Was that the point?

Turning back to the window, Riku slumped into his seat. Now he finally knew his father's plan. Send him away to a military school to break him. It made his anger spike. Now he wished he would have thrown his duffle bag at his father and hit him. That scheming psychopath. Sephiroth was no father to him, just a dick who he was unfortunately related to.

A chocobo wark broke him of his thoughts.

[Kairi: im gonna miss u]

She still made him smile. A sad smile, but a smile regardless.

[Riku: I want to fucking kill my dad. He's sending me to a military school, Kairi. SHINRA CORPS! I don't know what I'm going to do anymore.]

Barely a minute later, he got a series of texts.

[Kairi: WUT?!]

[Kairi: WHY THE FUCK?!?! WUT A DICK!!!!]

[Kairi: RUN AWAY AS SOON AS U CAN!!! ILL GET U]

Even angry, she was always looking out for him.

[Riku: You know I want to Kai.]

[Kairi: wuts stopn u?]

Good question. He locked his phone and looked out the window again, trying to think. Why didn't he just run away and live with Kairi? They could make it work right? He could find a job, and eventually go to school when he could. He would be so much happier if he left, but then again, he almost never disobeyed.

[Riku: I am. I can't bring myself to run away. Even when I had the chance last night, I ran right back home.]

Riku always knew he was a bit of a coward, but his text to Kairi only made his inner demons whisper their vile in his mind. You'll never be ready to come out of your father's control. Maybe you should just open the door and jump. You're going to die in the school anyways.

"Riku, we're here."

Looking up from his phone, he finally got to see the place where he was going to spend an undetermined amount of time in. The school was built into the side of a mountain, with a dusty valley at the edge of the city. It was designed with stealth in mind, no one being able to enter without passing over the mountain or passing through a series of gates that opened as soon as Tseng drove the car closer. Clearly whoever was opening the gates for him, knew who was the driver, or they knew the car.

Tseng navigated the car through the gates, up to the back side of the mountain, driving towards a concrete building, barely big enough to fit the car. The Turk parked in front of the building, leaving the car running as he got out. Riku followed suit, getting out. He put his phone into his pocket before closing the door and heading to the trunk to grab his stuff.

"This is where I leave you." Tseng stated, closing the trunk as Riku set the duffle bag on the ground.

"Wait." Riku slipped his arms through the straps of his backpack, halting Tseng's path back to the driver’s seat. "What am I supposed to do?"

Tseng nodded at the building with his head. "Get into the elevator and pull the lever. Tifa will take it from there."

With that, Tseng got into his car, speeding away from the silver haired boy, a cloud of dust picking up behind the car. He watched as the car disappeared, leaving him alone at last.

Riku picked up his bag, slinging the strap across his chest as he began the short walk to the elevator. He was starting to feel his heart race and his body shake, as another possible panic attack started to rise. No, he couldn't let it happen. Not now. Following Tseng's orders, he got inside the elevator and pulled the lever on the wall, before he covered his ears with his hands and closed his eyes. In for three Riku. You can do it. Now hold. One, two, three, four. Out for seven. Keep it up.

The elevator started to move as he released his breath. It made no sound as it lowered him to his fate. He kept his exercise up until the elevator slowed to a stop, removing his hands from his ears. The doors began to open as he lifted his head and saw who Tseng was talking about.

The 'Tifa' that Tseng had mentioned was a relatively tall woman dressed in a form fitting black dress that jiggled her tummy fat as she shifted from foot to foot. Riku tried not to stare, but had a hard time. She was extremely beautiful even though she was on the heavier set side. He swallowed hard and ducked his head as he moved to meet her.

"You must be Riku Jenova. It's very nice to finally meet you." Tifa gave him a sweet smile and held out a hand towards the new student. He nodded and shook her hand, keeping his eyes locked with hers.

"Nice to meet you too, Miss Tifa." Riku mumbled, cursing his anxiety. He cleared his throat, pulling his hand away to rub his neck. She grinned at him again and turned around, a door directly behind her.

"If you would follow me, I'll give you a tour of your new home for the next two years." Without a word he followed, gripping the strap of his duffle bag tightly. Butterflies filled his stomach as he passed through the door into a tunnel, strips of mild light showed them the way, etched into the wall. The light cast shadows of them as they walked, a creepy feeling filling his chest.

"You said, two years?" Riku asked, having a hard time finding his voice. His throat was tight as a sudden rush of anxiety raced through his veins. He didn't like the claustrophobic feeling, and being trapped in a hallway under piles of rock only made his stomach do flops. He wanted to leave badly. To return back to the surface and breath fresh air.

Tifa turned her head, nodding at him. Even with her heels, they were the same height, making it easier on the both of them. "Training last two years, then another five years of mission service before we place you into your permanent jobs."

Keeping pace with her, Riku looked away and at his feet as he processed it. His whole life was already being planned out for him, without a little consent. It made him feel nauseous. There just was something about being a bird with clipped wings that made him sick.

It took him a moment before he looked up. They had arrived to another door. Tifa stepped up to the side of the door where a small grid glowed rested on the wall. She took her left wrist, holding up a thin silver bracelet up to the scanner. A small chirping sounded after the scanner scanned her bracelet, opening the doors.

The world beyond the door was like a scene from the movie Divergent- one of Riku's favourites. Walls made of rock, with hastily made rope bridges stringing across paired with a sudden drop off to the left. People wandered about, climbing walls or running along the cliffs edge. It was strange to see such a beautiful room hidden away in a mountain.

"Please follow me." Tifa started walking forward, beckoning for him to follow. Even with a bunch of people out and about in the cave, no one stepped in their way. This made Riku feel slightly better but not by much. His heart rammed in his chest as he trailed behind the woman, trying to keep his breathing in check.

Tifa led him through the main cavern, keeping a steady pace even walking across rickety bridges. Neither person said a word, causing the bubble in Riku's chest continue to expand. Her words were eating at him. Two years of training, then another five years of missions before he was even able to get placed in a job. Granted he would have been in school for that long for paramedic schooling, but it wasn't a forced position. He wanted to spend seven years in school. It meant he would be well prepared to save lives. Here? He had no idea what he was even training for.

“Wait, what do you mean by mission service?” He asked stepping up next to her as she led him off into a side hallway. Tifa left his question unanswered, continuing down the hallway until they reached the door a short walk away. She turned to him and reached out, resting a gentle hand on the side of his arm. He didn’t dare look at it, instead looking down at her as she looked up. Her heels did nothing to add to her height. It didn’t help that he was freakishly tall.

“You will learn everything you need to know soon. In our line of work, patience yields focus.” Tifa removed her hand and turned to the door, giving the solid wood a few curt rasps before turning back to him. “Mr. Leonhart will get you set up with everything you need.”

She started to head away right as the door had started to open, bringing his attention away from the Dean. The man behind the door was about as tall as he was, with steel blue eyes and wispy chocolate hair. His features were rather plain with the exception of the aged scar and resting bitch face he wore.

Riku bowed slightly, biting his lip a little bit. The man kept staring at him with his bored eyes. What was his problem?

“When you’re done with whatever you’re doing, come inside. We have work to do.” Cold much? He watched as the teacher turned away from him, returning to the simple desk. There was nothing else for Riku to do other than follow him, dragging his duffle bag and backpack into the room. Out of habit he closed the door behind him.

As Riku walked into the room, there was a not a whole lot going on. A bookshelf mainly empty sat behind the small desk. A small plaque and certificate hung on the wall next to him. All in all, this room was close to a broom closet. How could someone willingly choose this as a room? He felt small just by standing in front of the closed door.

“Put your things in the corner. I need a full body scan.” Mr. Leonhart stated in a bored tone, scooping a set of gloves and a sleek pair of glasses off the desk. Quickly following his request, he set his stuff in the corner and stood where the man pointed.

Leonhart slipped the gloves and glasses on, taking a brief moment before clapping his hands together, and held them up. Riku froze, his anxiety spiking. What was going on? He didn’t understand anything and his mind raced with a thousand possibilities, none of them good.

“Turn for me. Slowly.” He did what he was told, biting his lip. After he had turned in a full circle, the teacher returned to his desk. He sat down in the desk chair, and snapped his fingers, digital holograms appearing before Riku’s eyes. There his holographic self stood, with little stars popping up around his body.

“I assume you don’t know what this is.” Mr. Leonhart looked through the image at Riku as if he had done this before. He flicked his hand to the side, having the holograph spin.

“No, sir.” The teacher brushed away his bangs before tapping on one of the stars that was next to the image’s head.

“This system is called the ShinRa Hologram Internal Technology,” he starts in a monotone, as if bored. “All the staff here use this system to keep track of every SOLDIER’s training.” The star created a little line connecting to a list. Stage One Agoraphobia. Stage Three Panic Disorder . Riku read, holding his breath. He remembered his doctor diagnosing him with those exact things. His heart started pounding in his chest. What was up with this system? Did it read his mind?

“So… What does that mean?” He asked, pointing to the words next to his holograph. Of course he knew exactly what they meant, but why they were showing up was what he was aiming for. Did the system know all his faults? Although it didn’t list that he had daddy or self image issues.

“It’s a list of important things that could hinder your training.” Leonhart tapped on the star again, having the list disappear. Knots started forming in Riku’s stomach, just as his throat tightened. Great. Not only was he unfit to be Sephiroth’s son, but his mental illness was a possible hindrance to his new school. Questions started popping up in his mind. What if he was deemed unworthy to even be in this military academy? Would he go back home? No there was no way his father would take him back, but there was no where else for him.

Mr. Leonhart swiped the hologram away, blinking as the see-through image of Riku dissipated into nothing. He took off the glasses and gloves, leaving them on the bare desk before pushing back his chair and standing up.

Quickly he went to grab his stuff and follow Mr. Leonhart out of the office, slugging the bags onto his back. Riku was used to carrying a lot more weight than this, especially when his mother had urged him into joining band. Instrument of choice? Snare drums. “Where are we going now?”

“Orientation.” Riku swallowed thickly, biting his lip as they exited the room.

#;duckywrites #;monster #;kingdom hearts #;final fantasy #;riku

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