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upsidedownwithsteve · 1 year

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Eddie Munson x fem!reader [6.2K] prompt: can I hold your hand? Shy Eddie, some yearning and fluff.

Eddie Munson wasn’t quiet. No.

He wasn’t reserved, he wasn’t timid, he certainly didn’t let anything or anyone make him shrink. He was bold, brash, loud, dramatic and awfully, awfully charming about it all. He liked to garner attention, he liked to flirt, he liked to make himself known.

No, Eddie Munson wasn’t shy by any means.

Apart from around you.

It started off subtle, little things that took you a while to cotton onto. On the days that Steve was busy, working overtime and unable to pick up Dustin and Mike from their club meetings, you’d linger outside the classroom door, listening to the pretty cadence of Eddie Munson’s dungeon master voice.

You liked the lilt of it, the way he drawled out his script, his low tone dropping to a whisper before bursting out with a plot twist, the sounds of hands slamming on desks and groans and whoops from his enchanted audience.

Then you heard the applause, the sounds of papers shuffling and chairs scraping against linoleum and you knocked once to be polite, opening the door to see the group of boys, and Erica, turning their heads to stare.

Dustin waved, Mike smiled, Erica popped her gum at you and Eddie Munson stopped mid speech, big, brown eyes wide and his mouth in a pretty, pouty ‘o’.

Silence fell over the hellfire table.

You smiled, bright and warm, waving back to Dustin as you watched the kids gather their bags, sliding in their character sheets and murmuring their goodbyes to their friends. Eddie was still staring.

The boy didn’t speak until you were ushering Mike out of the door, telling them that Lucas had finished basketball practice ten minutes ago and he’d be waiting by your car. Eddie cleared his throat as the room emptied, smiling shyly at you when you met his gaze, letting your eyes linger too long on his silver rings, the tattoos that peeled out from under his rolled sleeves, the curls that bounced in front of his pretty eyes.

“Hi,” his voice was so much softer than the boom you’d heard from underneath the door, the one that had spoken about dragons and monsters and warlocks. “You’re not Steve.”

You grinned, looking up at him with more flirt than you’d intended and you watched him swallow hard, take a little step back and breathe out a stuttering breath that you probably weren’t supposed to hear.

“I’m not,” you agreed, “Steve’s busy, got caught up at work but, uh, he said you wouldn’t mind if I gate crashed instead.”

Eddie mentally cursed out his friend, unable to stop himself from looking downdowndown until his gaze found your bare thighs, the pretty light green sundress that skimmed the tops of them, your too clean sneakers toeing at the floor by his boots.

Eddie Munson was fucking blushing.

“I, uh— sure, yeah,” the boy winced, nose scrunched, eyes closed ‘cause oh my god, what was wrong with him?

But you laughed and it was a sweet noise, the prettiest sound Eddie had ever heard and suddenly he didn’t know what to say but he knew he’d go home that night and remember the smell of your perfume, something sweet like coconut and summer.

But then Mike was shouting down the empty hall, Erica pulling at his bag as he complained and each huff echoed off of the locker lined walls and you were stepping backwards.

You raised a hand in a small wave, smiling at the boy until you had to turn around to see where you were going and Eddie immediately missed the sight of your face. You were almost at the doors, all the way at the other end of the hallway and the boy was still standing, jaw slack, lips parted and eyes shining, watching you walk.

And then as if he’d been hit over the back of the head, he snapped into action, voice breaking like a teenage boy as he called out.

“Hey! Shit, uh—” Eddie winced when you turned, lips pressed together so it didn’t look like you were laughing at him. You waited, patient. “I, uh, fuck… what’s your name? I didn’t get your name.”

You grinned then, wide and easily, hands clasped behind your back as you stood, the setting summer sun lighting you up from the open doors behind you. Eddie thought you looked like an angel.

You called back at the same volume, amusement and intrigue colouring your voice, telling the boy your name. You watched him mouth it back, trying out the syllables on his tongue, as if he was making sure it suited the shape of his lips. He must’ve decided it did, ‘cause he grinned, wide and pretty enough that you could see his dimples from even where you stood.

“I’m Eddie,” he told you, arms folded a little shyly, one hand reaching to pull at his curls, hiding his grin behind them.

Behind you, Dustin scrunched his features, bewildered. What was going on?

You smiled, ducked your head and nodded. You made sure you caught his stare as you looked straight at him, starting to back yourself towards the exit, the cool evening air hitting the tops of your thighs.

“I know,” you told him, and god, Eddie looked shell shocked.

—————

The second time you bumped into Eddie, it was at the grocery store and he knocked down an entire display of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup.

You were pushing a cart with your headphones on, wire tangled around your wrist as you shoved strawberries and cherries into the trolley, leaning against it until your skirt rode up too high and you were in danger of flashing the entire store.

You think that’s when it happened.

‘Cause you were straightening up to the tinny sounds of Joan Jett when you heard a dull crash behind you, the noise sounding far away from the way guitars and drums filled your ears. But you pulled away one speaker to look around, brows furrowed and lips parting at the sight of Eddie Munson staring at you from the midst of chaos.

Soup tins rolled down the aisle, some split open and creating a mess, puddles of noodles pooling at peoples feet. Steve Harrington was beside him, scolding the boy who wasn’t paying attention, a basket hanging from his arm. Mrs Collins, the town librarian, was scowling as she sidestepped a can or two, tutting at Eddie who was still standing there, motionless.

You found his gaze, lifted a hand in greeting and smiled.

It was awfully lovely the way he turned pink for you, cheeks flushed, eyes wide and doe like, blinking slowly as you moved towards him. The mess in the tiles and the tired store attendant with the mop stopped you from getting too close, but you grinned all the same.

“Harrington,” you greeted first, familiar and warm.

Steve huffed out a laugh at the way Eddie was staring, already well versed in the way the boy reacted to you, hearing all about your first meeting from Dustin who told him animatedly about how Eddie freaked out when he first saw you.

Now, with chicken soup at his feet and a fumbling Eddie by his side, he was starting to think the younger boy hadn’t exaggerated all that much. So Steve grinned and greeted you in a similar fashion, nudging Eddie not so subtly to get him to say hi too.

It was like Eddie suddenly realised what had happened and he blinked at the mess around him, toeing at a rogue can, sending it rolling down the other end of the store. The store assistant sighed and walked off with his mop but Eddie couldn’t really find it in himself to apologise, not right then, not he his throat felt too tight and his face was hot and you looked so pretty.

“H-hi,” Eddie managed, hands shoved deep into his jeans pockets so he wouldn’t do anything else stupid, like take down the Gatorade stack.

“Causing trouble?” You grinned, stepping over a cream coloured puddle to gain some closeness, skirting around Eddie to avoid stepping into the mess. You left your cart sitting, played pretend and made out as if you really wanted that bag of trail mix that sat on the shelf behind the boy.

“Us?” Steve smirked, “never. Just… some of us are easily distracted, it would seem.”

Eddie let out a strangled noise, chin tucking down to hide his pink cheeks. He could feel the warmth from them, the same way he could feel your eyes on him.

He didn’t say anything, he couldn’t say anything. Eddie wanted to hit Steve, a good, solid thump to the stomach because he felt like he was dying. He’d never felt that way before, so unbelievably shy and self conscious, unsure where to look, his stomach tumbling, his heart racing. It was wonderfully terrifying, made even worse by the way you looked, too pretty in another sundress - red this time - headphones blaring music he liked, dainty gold rings adorning almost all of your fingers.

“We’re actually just grabbing some snacks,” Steve went on. “Movie night at Robin’s, d’you wanna join us?”

Eddie took it back, he didn’t wanna hit Steve, Eddie loved Steve. He held his breath as he finally looked at you, electricity buzzing over his skin when he realised you were already looking at him, a small smile on your face as you stood with one hip popped, the bracelets on your wrist singing as you swung your unwanted bag of trail mix.

You pouted, genuinely disappointed that you had to say, “I’d love to but unfortunately I already have plans, thanks though.”

With another boy? Eddie wanted to ask. Did you have a boyfriend? A date? A girlfriend? Both? His head was swimming.

Steve tsked, feigning dramatic disappointment to get you to smile and it worked and Eddie hated it. That’s something he would’ve normally done, a whole thing of clutching his heart as if you’d broken it with your soft rejection, anything to get you to smile at him like that.

“Another time, then,” Steve told you and he slapped Eddie’s shoulder, a hand on leather. “Eddie’s hosting next week, horror night at his place. You should swing by, make sure he doesn’t scare himself stupid.”

You let out a soft laugh and Eddie swore he felt himself melt. He matched the sound, albeit a little more nervous than you, nose scrunching because he didn’t know what to say.

Steve was starting to think he was playing wingman for a boy who'd forgotten how to function.

“D’you need someone to hold your hand, Eddie?” You teased gently and the irony wasn’t lost on you because the boy was so much taller and wilder looking than you were, all leather and silver chains to your floaty, short dresses and his T-shirt today had a sun bleached print of Chucky on it.

Eddie stumbled and stammered and after a swift pinch to his ribs from Steve he nodded, heart stuttering and stalling when you grinned wide and bright. Oh, holy shit.

You turned then, stepping back over the wet tiles and grabbing your cart, dumping in the bag of nuts and dried fruit with a small laugh only you could hear before turning to wave at the two boys.

“I’ll see you both next week then,” you confirmed. You made sure to smile right at Eddie, not missing the way his gaze skimmed over all of you, the highs of his cheeks flushed. “You know, just to make sure Eddie’s looked after.”

And then you winked.

You’d barely disappeared around the end of the aisle before Eddie groaned out loud and clutched at Steve’s t-shirt, trying his hardest not to drop to his goddamn knees in the middle of the grocery store.

“What the fuck was that?” Steve choked out, holding back the laugh he wanted to release since Eddie first went into the tower of cans. “Where did your social skills go, hot shot?”

Eddie just shrugged, his head resting on his friend's shoulder. “I think I’m in love,” he replied mournfully.

—————

Low and behold, you actually did come to the next movie night.

Steve didn’t tell Eddie until the darker haired boy was setting up the movie, glancing at the time on the VCR and looking back at him questioningly.

“Where’s Nancy and Jonathan? They’re never fuckin’ late.”

Robin was already sprawled out on the sofa, legs pushed underneath the pillow from Eddie’s bed that she had a habit of stealing. He missed the way she smirked, the way her eyes flickered to Steve’s and how they shared a look.

But Steve didn’t miss a beat, sounding cool, calm and completely normal when he replied, “oh, they’re picking up your friend.”

Now, Eddie wasn’t Hawkins' most popular guy. In fact, he could count on two hands the friends he had that were over the age of eighteen and most of them were already here.

From the floor below Robin, busying themselves with the pizza boxes, Gareth and Jeff were laughing, eyes on food as they ignored Eddie’s glare. He looked panicked.

And when he caught Steve’s eye and he watched how his friend smirked and shrugged, Eddie knew exactly who he was referring to.

He whispered your name, each letter of it getting stuck in his throat and god, was he sweating? He felt too warm. “She’s coming? She’s coming here? Now?”

No one had a chance to respond before Eddie was on his feet, spinning in a circle, once, twice, before he made a noise that nobody could really discern. And then he was off, video tape only half way into the machine and the other movie boxes littering the living room floor, but Eddie didn’t seem to care as he disappeared into his room.

There was a thump, a thud, a curse and what sounded awfully like a quick prayer.

“Eds?” Robin called out from the couch. She looked concerned. “You okay?”

The girl only received a yelp in response and when Eddie reappeared he was in different clothes, his shorts swapped for cotton sweatpants, grey and almost new looking, free of ink stains. And his new shirt didn’t have any holes in the collar and the band logo on the front was less faded than his other choices.

If he was breathing funny, nobody decided to comment on it.

Eddie was combing his fingers through his curls, grunting at each tug whilst he kicked stray guitar picks and old notebooks under the sofa, pulling at Robin’s leg until she fell off with a whine, fluffing up the cushions she’d squished.

Steve was staring, Gareth was confused and suddenly, there were tires on gravel and the groan of Jonathan’s unreliable car engine.

“Oh my god,” Eddie whispered.

And then you were in his trailer, walking in behind Nancy with a four pack of Eddie’s favourite beer in one hand and a bag of gummy bears in the other. You were in another dress, Eddie immediately noticed, a longer one this time, the black button down material reaching your ankles and when you moved, there was a split up the side that showed a ridiculous amount of leg.

“Oh my fucking god,” Eddie mouthed again, staring at Steve with wide eyes before watching how you moved so easily into his small kitchen, smiling at Nancy when the girl showed you where to place the stuff you’d brought.

You were in front of him as the room buzzed with conversation and semi serious arguments about pizza toppings and snack choices, Jonathan taking over VCR duties as he knelt in front of the television. Everyone was decidedly not looking at you and Eddie.

You smiled, that same lovely smile you always seemed to save for him and Eddie huffed out a nervous breath.

“Hey,” you greeted softly, holding out the pack of beers, giving them a little wiggle. “Nancy said you liked this kind.”

“Oh, you didn’t have to,” Eddie exclaimed, but he took the bottles from your hands, cheeks pink when your fingers brushed and suddenly the trailer had never been smaller and he swore all he could smell was your perfume. “But, uh, thank you. Can I get you a drink?”

And then just like that, the lights were off and everyone was squished onto the sofas and armchairs, pizza boxes on the floor and everyone had glass of something fizzy or alcohol. The room smelled like popcorn, the TV buzzed with static and everyone eventually settled when the opening credits for Poltergeist started to play.

Eddie really wasn’t sure how it happened, how you managed to end up next to him, both of you in the armchair that usually only sat one person, but the boy was certain it had something to do with Steve jostling and a Robin insisting there was absolutely no room elsewhere.

Eddie felt like he couldn’t breathe, he could feel you against him, all soft curves and softer skin, thigh pressed to his and you slipped your sneakers off and tucked your legs into your chest. Eddie’s curls tickled your neck and you smell his cologne, peppery and woodsy, smoke and something sweet and god, he was looking at you with eyes that were big and bright, even in the low light of the TV.

He was chewing on his bottom lip, gaze barely focusing and when you shifted slightly and your dress fell open a little, exposing the length of your calf and your knee, Eddie let out a choked sound and tried not to stare. But then the clown was putting his arms around little Robbie’s neck and pulling him under the bed and it seemed like the perfect excuse to move a little closer and hold out your hand, palm up.

“Can I hold your hand?” You whispered to the boy, so close that your nose brushed his shoulder. You smiled when you heard his breath hitch, wiggling your fingers once, twice as Eddie looked down at the way your rings glinted, gold to his silver. “I forgot how creepy this movie is.”

It took the boy a second and he could’ve sworn he had a full audience of friends staring at him in the dark, but he smiled soft when he brought his hand to yours, marvelling at the size difference when you pushed your fingers between his. He sat for the rest of the night like that, your joined hands resting against your knees and Eddie didn’t have any concept of time or reality.

All he knew was you, the touch of you, the smell of you, the solid, warm weight of you leaning into his side in the dark and god, his stomach flipped and his heart raced when you played with his fingers, toyed with each of his rings, spinning the metal around each digit.

It felt like he was free falling, head spinning, chest aching. And then the movie was over and someone flicked the lights on and you stopped touching him - it was awful, the way you let go of his hand, but you were looking over at him with the sweetest kind of smile and suddenly Eddie didn’t want to ever be away from you, heart palpitations be damned.

—————

Eddie hadn’t been working in the record store all that long. But he enjoyed the calm, the low lights, the way he got to choose the music. He especially liked the way you dropped in from time to time, leaning over the counter to invade his space, perfume and the smell of sunscreen taking over everything.

He never got much done during those shifts, the usual customers going mostly ignored as you hopped onto the cash desk, dress hiked, legs swinging, smiling just for him. Eddie had gotten a little more used to your presence, the way you liked to lean into him, the way you liked to brush a hand over his arm when he listened to you talk.

You liked the way he still went pink for you, pretty lips parting when you traced a finger over the tattoos you were sometimes lucky to see peeking out from under his shirt sleeves. And when the day turned to evening and you were still there, keeping him company through a slow, slow day, Eddie got brave and leaned in close to where you sat, forearms brushing against your thighs and you hummed thoughtfully at the close contact.

You reached for a pen, a black biro that you twirled between finger and thumb and you tapped at Eddie’s wrist, grinning when he looked at you raised brows.

“Can I help you?” He murmured.

“Maybe,” you replied sweetly. “Gimme.”

You wiggled your fingers at his arm, pulling at his hand until he relented (easily and quickly) letting you rest it in your lap. Eddie swallowed hard, a small noise coming from his throat that he quickly coughed away, trying his best to ignore how his arm was touching your bare thigh.

You seemed to favour dresses around him, any length, all colours but always pretty and this one was short and tight at your waist, flaring out with cute little daisies adorning the fabric.

Eddie couldn’t take his eyes off of it.

“What’re you up to, trouble?”

The nickname was still fairly new and it felt soft and sweet on Eddie’s tongue and the boy loved how it made you grin, preening a little as if it was the highest compliment he could give you. Maybe it was; a true testament to the havoc you played on his heart rate.

“Giving you a new tattoo, Teddy.”

That nickname was new too. It started out as a tease, a joke when he’d appeared at the diner one night late, the rest of the party half way through their burgers ‘cause Eddie had had a nap that turned into a small coma. His curls had still been messy and sleep mussed, his usual leather jacket replaced with a hoodie that was too large and awfully soft looking, a tan colour that made his eyes look like sticky honey.

And thus, Teddy slipped from your lips over strawberry milkshakes and as the rest of the group howled with laughter, the boy in question turned the prettiest shade of pink. But his boots knocked against your sneakers under the table and when he looked at you with a smile that was all bitten lips and dimpled cheeks, you knew he really didn’t mind it at all.

It still made him blush though, especially when you called him it all alone. ‘Cause you said it in a voice that was so much softer and sweeter, like you were saying it just for him.

Eddie stayed impossibly still, more still than he’d ever been, just for you. You’d pulled him even closer, heads bent together, his curls brushing at your cheek as you carefully drew out your design. Eddie hugged out a quiet laugh when he realised what you were doodling, the dark, thin lines tickling at the inside of his forearm.

But let you keep going, lips twisted into a fond smile and he wondered how he could keep the pen marks there forever, whilst simultaneously planning all the ways he could hide it from Steve and the other guys. They all laughed at Eddie when it came to you; the way you could make him flush, the way you could calm him down and make him softer and quieter. They all told Eddie he was whipped and well, the boy never argued.

“There,” you whispered and Eddie could hear the smile in your voice despite the way he couldn’t see your face from the way you were still curled into him. “All done.”

You moved back, only slightly, back straightening and bracelets jingling as you took Eddie’s hand in your own and moved his arm under one of the dim lights. The little black lined teddy bear shone a little wetly under the glow, floppy limbed and one ear a little smaller than the other.

You grinned, no, you beamed and Eddie’s heart stuttered and stopped at the sight. Your touch was so warm, hot against his skin and the boy was so sure that he’d never, ever get used to it.

He grinned, tucking his lips between his teeth to try and control it, all flushed and pretty in the way he lit up for you. He knocked his shoulder to yours, curls tickling your bare shoulders.

“Well shit, sweetheart,” Eddie whispered. “If that isn’t my new favourite tattoo.”

—————

It had been well over a month and Eddie Munson still hadn’t kissed you.

You didn’t want to sound dramatic, but it was really ruining your life. Maybe not ruining it, but it was definitely making things difficult. ‘Cause more often than not, you spent time with Eddie alone and the boy still blushed when you smiled at him, tripped over his own feet when you let your dresses stretch up too high on your thighs and god, god, he let his gaze roam everywhere when he thought you weren’t looking.

The air was a little thicker, heavier, warmer, when Eddie Munson was around.

And now, you were in his bedroom, somewhere you’d started spending more and more time in. It had become easier to slip your shoes off and laze on his bed, always on top of the sheets and you always had to pay the space beside you before Eddie let himself fall down onto the mattress too.

Music was playing, soft and fuzzy with static ‘cause the summer outside was a little too hot and the heat was fucking with the generator. Eddie was sprawled out beside you, his white t-shirt so threadbare and stretched out you could see the ink on his chest underneath. The day was warm enough for Eddie to pull his hair back, messy curls pulled into a haphazard bun, loose strands falling into his eyes as he pulled his rolling tray towards him.

He was too busy licking a neat stripe along the paper to notice the way you were pushing yourself to your knees, head tilted to the side as you carefully studied the boy. He was painfully pretty, soft eyes, softer lips and all strong lines along his jaw, his nose, the slant of his high cheekbones.

If you wanted to do this, you were going to have to do it soon. ‘Cause you wanted to be sober for this, Eddie too, and the boy was ready to slip the joint between his lips to light it and pass it to you.

So you cleared your throat and tried not to fall off the bed when Eddie’s head shot up and he gasped at how close you were. The joint fell to the bed, forgotten and Eddie blinked, lips parted as he tried to not freak the fuck out.

You had a new dress on, white with tiny cherries printed all over it, thin straps holding it up and Eddie had groaned at the sight of it when you first appeared at the van door.

You were so, so close. You could count the freckles on Eddie’s cheeks, the tiny ones that dotted across the bridge of his nose and the more you looked, the more the boy blushed. You watched his skin turn rosy, brown eyes blinking at you, messy curls slipping out of the purple hair tie he most definitely stole from your wrist last week.

“Wha—?”

“Can I kiss you?”

Silence. Shock and silence and awe and a painfully long pause. Eddie wondered if his heart was still beating.

You sighed, pushed yourself a little closer still, knees pressed the mattress and when Eddie didn’t pull away, you let your hands rest on his knees and your gaze met his.

“Do you not want to kiss me?” You asked and you were surprised at how brave you sounded, not a hint of shyness left in your voice and maybe that’s because you’d been so fucking sure that Eddie liked you.

Like, liked you, liked you.

Steve had said so. So had Dustin. Even Robin winked and smirked at you when Eddie entered the room.

“It’s okay if you don’t,” you assured him softly, lip tucked between your teeth. You bit down on the skin there and huffed out a breath when Eddie’s gaze zeroed in on the way your tongue peeked out afterwards to soothe the sting. “I just— I just thought you wanted to.”

Eddie didn’t say anything, he just gasped at you for a second or two - although it felt like hours - pink lips pouted and his jaw slack. He looked too pretty; genuinely, heartbreakingly pretty, with his tied up curls and flushed cheeks and the stretched out collar of his shirt that showed of skin and ink and freckles—

“I do, fuck, no, yeah— I do.”

The rejection that was curling into your stomach retreated and your head snapped back up. You stared at him, replaying his stuttering, stumbling words and you watched as the boy sucked in a deep, ragged breath. Then his wide hand was cupping your cheek, guitar string callouses rough against your jaw, fingers slipping your hair and he was pulling you forward as he moved in andandand—

The bed protested under your knees and Eddie’s, both of you colliding in the softest way possible. You met in the middle, you a little taller than the boy, ‘cause at the eleventh hour you’d gotten too impatient and pushed yourself up so you could grab at his face too.

He was rough stubble underneath your palms, pliant for you, willing to go wherever you moved him to and he titled his head when you moved in and down, cheeks a pretty rose colour and his eyes fluttered shut when your lips touched his.

Eddie was hesitant at first, just for a second or two, both of you adjusting to the feel of a new mouth against your own. But his lips were warm and soft and they tasted like smoke and the lemonade he’d been drinking, tart and sweet and like the summer outside.

And you pushed yourself against him a little bit harder, one thumb stroking over the apple of a cheek and you let your bottom lip slip between his own. Eddie groaned then, a wicked sound, dirty and low and you felt it vibrate through his chest and yours. It made you squeeze your eyes shut a little tighter, made your breath catch in your throat and want to test the waters a little more.

You let your tongue peek out, a slow, soft slide against the seam of his lips and he parted then for you with another pretty sound, a whimper that had your toes curling and without much warning, his hand dropped from your jaw to catch at your waist and you were being tugged onto his lap.

You knew your dress was hitched up a little too high to be decent, but you didn’t really care. You gasped out at the contact, Eddie’s fingers gripping you on the edge of too tight, your legs splayed out over his thighs as he kissed you back with so much wanting that you thought you’d cry.

It turned a little messy, a little desperate, tongues sliding, lips parted over each other as you both made dirty, little sounds they had both of your hips rocking towards each other. Your hands grabbed at the back of the boy's head and you whined at the curls that were tied away from your fingers, so you scratched at the nape of his neck instead, almost - almost - too rough, making the boy shudder and groan underneath you.

And when you both pulled away for air, Eddie was all shades of pink, flushed cheeks, lips kiss bitten and rosy, pouty and a little swollen from where you’d been loving on him. His eyes were glassy, glazed over, jaw slack and the muscle there ticked once, twice when you pushed yourself further into his lap. His hands flew to your thighs, bare and almost too exposed, fingers curling around the doughy skin and you weren’t sure if he wanted you to stop or keep going.

You were both panting, chests heaving and everything glittered now that Eddie Munson had finally kissed you. Dust motes sparkled in the sunlight that came through the gap in the curtains, the shades drawn to trap out the heat but my god, you were burning.

And it was like you couldn’t help yourself, couldn’t keep your lips off of him now that you’d started and you leaned back in, hearing the way his breath caught in his throat. It made you feel bold, powerful, reckless, it made you feel absolutely fucking wrecked.

You mouthed over his jawline, the sharp line of it covered by a rough stubble that hadn’t really been there that morning and Eddie moaned for you when you hit a little spot underneath his ear. You grinned, smiled against his skin and took the lobe between your teeth and nipped gently, sucked at it until he was fully shivering underneath you, grabbing at your thighs until you knew you’d have crescent moon shaped marks the next day.

“Is that okay?” You asked him, voice impossibly soft, almost a little husky from the way he’d kissed you. “This alright, Teddy?”

His eyes almost rolled at the pet name, he couldn’t handle the sweetness of it, not with you in his lap with your pretty dress rucked up all indecently, your lips ghosting along the shell of his ear.

But he nodded, weak, holding on for dear life when you sighed all prettily and kept up your touch. You kissed a line along his neck, mouthing and sucking at the strong column of his throat as his Adam’s apple bobbed under your lips. You kissed a bruise into the crook, where his neck met his shoulder and you sucked and bit down until it was the prettiest shade of lavender you’d ever seen.

When you pulled back, Eddie’s eyes were closed, lips parted and breath coming out in harsh pants. It was almost unfair and you could feel him underneath you, impossibly hard, thick and twitching every time you moved against him.

So you slowed it all down, softened yourself, your kisses a little sweeter as you peppered them across his face. His cheeks, the tip of his nose, the soft skin of his eyelids, bottom lip sweeping over his lashes. You kissed the corner of his mouth, his chin, his forehead and onto his hairline, messy curls tickling your cheek.

And the whole time you whispered to him, soft, pretty words that had him sighing and gasping with each touch of your lips. It was all too good, too much, too nice and Eddie wasn’t sure what this meant yet but he never wanted it to fucking end.

“So pretty, Teddy,” your hand dragged down the length of his bicep, lithe muscles wrapped underneath ink and soft skin. “You’re just so pretty, y’know that?” Your thumb swept over the faded outline of the bear drawing you’d penned on him a week or two before and you smiled, tucked your face into his neck.

“So pretty when you blush for me,” you whispered and god, Eddie was trying his best not to lose it. “All pink ‘n cute.”

You held his chin in your grasp, finger and thumb pressed gently there to bring his mouth back to yours and he complied happily. He sighed into you, sweet kisses turning into another slow, lazy make out session, the dirty flick of his tongue against yours making you squeeze your thighs over his.

“Shy boy,” you murmured against his lips. “Or so I thought,” you hugged out a laugh when one brave hand moved from your thigh to your hip, brushing the curve of your ass underneath the fabric of your dress.

“You’re gonna kill me,” Eddie groaned, forehead falling to rest against yours. “Babe, baby—”

You whined at that, let him push his mouth back to yours so he could kiss you again and it went on like that all afternoon, until the blue sky turned into a deep violet, until the stars blinked and Eddie had you pressed into his pillows, kissing his own line down your throat. It was dizzying, the way he nudged the strap of your dress out of his way with his nose, hands never leaving your sides, your hips, the dough of your ass.

And when it all got too much and you both got too close to going too far, too quick, you slowed it back down with soft kisses and lazy touches. You were nose to nose on his messy bed, one of your legs hitched over his hip as he held you close and you were smiling, cheeks sore, eyes bright kinda smile.

“Shy boy,” you told him again, nose scrunching when Eddie grinned at you and kissed it. He was still the prettiest shade of pink, but god, you’d never get tired of it. “My boy.”

#eddie munson #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson fic #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson oneshot #eddie munson blurb #UDWS10K

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tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors · 6 months

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hi autistic librarian in training (the librarian part is the in training part, I don't need anyone to teach me how to be autistic) here to answer your library question

a lot of college libraries will use the library of congress classification, which just goes more detailed than the dewey decimal classification does. ddc works well for smaller libraries and lcc is better for research/academic libraries.

ddc uses just numerals (and then by authors last name if two books have the same call number) to classify books and has about 10 broad classes to sort topics into, while lcc uses letters and numbers (and also years sometimes) and has 21 classes to sort into. they get stacked on top of each other like some unholy warlock sigil, I love it.

for example, here's the call number for the self-help book my boss made me check out, using llc:

BF 575 .H27 H375 2022

meanwhile with ddc, it's call number is just 158.1

and all fiction books are classified under 813.54, which is. a lot of books.

but yeah there are a whole bunch of library classification systems just in english but a whole bunch more when you branch out to other languages which I think is super neat

some other examples in english-speaking places include the colon classification (cc), universal decimal classification (udc), moys classification system (used in law libraries in canada, australia, new zealand, the uk), etc. there are a bunch more too

for folklore books and fairy tales, if your library uses library of congress, I'd go look in the GRs, maybe dabble into the GTs, for the non-fiction aspect of learning mythology, and pop by the PS200-300s for fictional stories that draw from a lot of folklore (but that's not going to be all inclusive for the PSes, as P is the lovely literature section. there's gonna be a lot in there).

*jazz hands* thanks for coming to my tedtalk

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oh gosh this is actually so cool, ive been schooled !! /pos

i get annoyed with libraries when they use things other than ddc because thats the one i have my favorites memorized in, but i always thought those libraries were being pretentious and using their own proprietary system or something. this makes WAY more sense and now im gonna go ham memorizing my favorites in all of these two. thank you for sharing!!!!

#ask #takeabreathclosemyeyes #this is ALWAYS and infodumping positive zone

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shayafury · 5 months

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Commission for Ryan His warlock and Ahamkara from Destiny 2

I had so much fun making this fan art with my traditional neon colours. Used for this one high quality paper size A3 and 250 gr., liquid watercolours from Royal Talens "Ecoline", dry pastels and metallic acrylic paint for some accents. I really do hope you like it!

#shaya fury #art #art by me shaya fury #traditional art #traditionalart #traditional illustration #traditional #art commission #commissioned art #commissioned work #commission #video game fanart #destiny 2 fanart #destiny2 warlock #destiny #neonart

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queenie-blackthorn · 1 year

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theories for chain of thorns

i had these posted on my gr from like december, im just posting them here

- lucie will now be an antagonist lets be honest we all know it. necromancers are NOT good people and thats the path lucie chose for herself by wanting to save jesse

- someone major will die idk who it is yet, but my instincts tell me its matthew or alistair. the second wouldnt make sense tho – if alistair dies, how would the carstairs line continue down to emma??? hopefully itll be tatiana that bitch

- jamie x daisy its inevitable guys, have you seen the snippets? im rooting for them theyre perfect

- thomas and alistair are NOT gonna end up together this was a gut feeling when i wrote it but as of jan 5 i have a legible reason as to why they would not be happy and its the next theory

- IM SCARED THOMAS IS GONNA DIE the “found family tree” says that thomas died TWO YEARS before barbara. i understand cassie has repeatedly stated that its been manipulated (she hinted that it was changed by the silent brothers) and isnt reliable. but isnt that disturbing?? esp considering theres at least part of it thats reliable, and thats the fact that alistair will 100% go on to marry a woman despite being gay. if alistair doesnt have kids, and cordelias children are all herondales, then the carstairs family would die out and emma would not be related to jem (even tho its been stated that they are related by blood). “oH bUt SoNa iS pReGnAnT mAyBe ShEs GoNnA GiVe BiRtH tO a bOy” first of all, theres a chance the baby is born a girl second of all, the baby might die third of all, where is the son on the family tree? fourth of all, SONA IS, ACCORDING TO THE TREE, DEAD BEFORE THOMAS. PLEASE.

- grace x christopher i despise grace but she acts like a different person around kit… maybe he can fix her

- anna x ariadne she cant fuck up ALL the gay relationships, now can she?

- the merry thieves are gonna forgive alistair (specifically matthew) bro he literally made out with one of them TWICE. if matthew doesnt think “well shits gonna get awkward if i dont forgive the sorry bastard” istg~ 💀

- this is more of a hope than a theory MATTHEW FAIRCHILD SHALL ACHIEVE THE HAPPINESS HE DESERVES smth tells me he wont get a happy ending tho… i mean, if my above theory abt thomas is correct~

- SO DOES ALISTAIR I MEAN CMON GUYS #justiceforalistair he regrets the shit hes pulled and therefore your hate against him for it is invalid PLUS HE GOT BULLIED BY RACIST PIECES OF SHIT HE DID WHAT HE COULD TO MAKE IT STOP

- matthew will open up abt his secret its like a routine at this point, in every shadowhunters series. a character has a secret that nearly kills them outta despair, they open up to friends, theyre met with love and support. jace loving his “sister”. wills “curse”. emma and jules’ relationship. ty bringing back livvy. alec being gay. you get used to it lol

- either lucie or matthew would have their marks stripped lucie for attempting/committing necromancy, and matthew because sobh said he doesnt have a specified death date (also i think cassie just hates him)

- jesse will be evil bro wouldnt that be cruel… like imagine after lucie brings him back hes like “haha i manipulated you to bring me back i never loved you” and then sHe GETS HER RUNES STRIPPED FOR NECROMANCY and its worse bc the shadowhunters are already out to get the herondales bc they refuse to accept tessa as anything but a warlock no but in that case she would prolly go to live with wills parents OKAY BUT IMAGINE HOW HEARTBROKEN CHARLOTTE WOULD BE WHILE DOING IT WHILE JAMIE IS CRYING AND MATTHEW SCREAMING AT HER NOT TO AND WILL TELLS HIM TO STOP WHILE TEARS ARE GOING DOWN HIS FACE

- a “seven husbands of evelyn hugo” thing with anna x ariadne and thomas x alistair (credit to my good friend wiz/nisha for saying this) maybe cassie is going to have thomas marry ariadne and anna marry alistair so that they could have a good old switcheroo, so they can swap lovers?? obviously it cant be anna and thomas lmao theyre cousins but thomas and ARIADNE…

- matthew and cordelia ARE going to kiss at one point HOL’ UP I DONT SHIP EM, i think its gonna be a climon kinda thing where they kiss and dont like it as much as they thought they would, and end up deciding to stay friends i think thats the best way cassie could deal with matthews crush on her without breaking anyones heart, i hope to god it wont be like him confessing and her rejecting him plz oml

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factorialsotherfandoms · 3 months

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Hopefully this is legible... A few thousand words of xcom au notes! With mini summaries of each of the missions. Plot details are marked with *, the Hunter/Warlock/Assassin H/W/A respectively, and egg plot E. I am... not reformatting for tumblr so good luck. Using tumblr's apparent system... 1 layer of number indicates an operation (AKA actually played mission). 2 numbers deep are things about the mission. And the bullet points are things done between missions.

This has major spoilers for XCOM2, but also I absolutely fucked with the plot to do my own thing and add in the Eggs. Also I've added drama to some sections (for example, Philza and the Ender King, though I don't specify that's what it is). It gets more detailed the further down you go

Operation Gatecrasher *

First prong - BBH, Fit, Roier, and Foolish blow up a monument to the Elders on the anniversary of the invasion. This serves as a distraction for the other half. Using info provided by a spy within the Federation they rescue Felps

Second prong - Forever & Philza sneak into a research facility in the same city, using the cover of the cover of the explosion.

Operation Gasping Apollo

Philza, Roier, Missa, and Fit

Sent to disable a psionic transmitter in the sewers beneath a city. This is being used to mess with the brains of particularly psionically sensitive people. They don’t know why, but it is a problem

* Felps wakes up *

Lost and Abandoned * A

Have been asked to facilitate a meeting between the Reapers and the Deserters. The first is a faction of stealth-heavy alien hunters who live in cities which were hit by biological weapons causing people there to become zombies called ‘the Lost’, and eat the flesh of the enemies - aliens and artificially produced Federation workers - they kill. The second is a group of non-human former Federation Workers who have broken their programming and fled to form a group in opposition to their former employers. The two groups hate each other, but the Order needs both of them to work together.

Team One - BBH and Max. Bad and Maxo meet up with Bagi, who has been sent by the Reapers. They make it to the rendezvous with relative ease.

Team Two - Roier and Jaiden. They meet up with Walter Bob, the Deserter representative. This goes less smoothly, as they run into a Federation Worker with a flamethrower. The flamethrower blows up, and the explosion draws a swarm of Lost to the area. Still, they make it to the meeting point.

The two groups meet up, the Order’s people keeping an eye on Bagi and Walter Bob. The two have personal and negative history, but are interrupted by the Assassin. Bagi shoots her over Walter Bob’s shoulder when she approaches in stealth. The two bond over her - Bagi’s people face the Assassin, while Walter Bob’s are harassed by her ‘brother’ the Hunter - as the group try to keep everything under control and flee. At the last moment the Assassin catches up, grabbing Walter Bob as he tries to get onto the helicopter - having stayed to protect Bagi’s back - and teleporting him away.

Bagi joins the Order as a representative and liaison to the Reapers, resolving to hunt for Walter Bob as thanks for him saving her. She repays her debts.

Operation Witch Fall *

A videocall with Spreen, discussing both what his resistance cell needs and getting reports on activity in the local area. Towards the end, where Missa and he are catching up, the call is interrupted by an ADVENT broadcast, announcing a crackdown. The Order realises that there are enemies coming for Spreen and his camp, but struggle to get back through to him because of the broadcast and signal jamming (Tubbo will reverse engineer it for new protections later, but this takes a few weeks). They start heading over with a group kitting up to help, but can hear the attack starting before the radio is shot and cuts out.

Philza, Missa, Fit, and Foolish. Roier desperately wanted to come, but is still injured from the previous mission.

The group manages to save most of the group who were still present, and it’s a really horrific fight, but Spreen is gone. Not a corpse, gone. It is a lot of enemies that they clear up as best they can, and people suffer for it. All of the armed people from the haven were dead or kidnapped by the time people arrived.

Rescued people are helped to join other cells the Order has contact with nearby. They don’t know much of what happened, and a fair few are kids or otherwise non-combatants. Missa is a bit clingy and they in return, but it is fine.

Tina & Bagi on a covert ops mission locate Walter Bob

Operation Sacred Prophet *

Location of Walter Bob is tracked down.

Philza, Tina, and Jaiden. Tina is a covert specialist who found the place, and is showing the others - Philza as medical, Jaiden as one of their sneaky knife sorts. They manage to get in and out without being fired on.

Walter Bob returns to his home and the Deserters, but not before clearing things up with Bagi, and revealing some information about Tazercraft - the pair were actually the ones who suggested the Deserters get in contact with the Order. The two had actually saved Walter Bob when he first broke his programming, and got him safely to the group. No, he hasn’t seen them since. He’s sorry. He misses them.

Delivery of advanced weapon parts from a mysterious contact

Operation Hammer Storm

BBH, Roier, Missa, and Maxo sent to retrieve ‘therapy dissemination files’ from a train a local resistance cell caused to crash. While outside of the city limit it’s close to inhabited areas of Guadalajara, so 3 Spanish speakers just in case. BBH is here to actually hack the tech and get the info out of the train’s computers. Missa starts getting a taste for shooting turrets, it goes without injuries.

Operation Sky Valley A

Jaiden, Foolish, Philza, Fit, and Tina go raiding resources. Resistance cell took out a transport out in the wilderness and have taken what they want, then handed over the coordinates for the Order to pick over the remains. In desperate need of money and parts, so send a team. The Assassin shows up part way through the mission, causing problems.

BBH, Foolish, and Maxo sent out to try find where the Assassin is based

Operation Star Hawk

Get a message from Mike, via the deserters, and much faster than they normally manage messages at all. The two were helping a group take readings in one of the Lost Cities, trying to work out what the pulses going on were. However, they were caught by the Feds and split up. Mike got out, but couldn't find Pac, and… Well, at this point it’s serious enough he’s willing to come out of hiding to get Pac back. The message is pre-recorded as Mike’s already gone back to look for Pac. If they’re willing, he’ll meet them there.

Philza, Fit, Jaiden, and Roier join Mike there

When they get there, Pac is still on his feet, hiding but fighting. There’s a second combatant with him, and also the engineer operating the equipment. All three get out alive, but not without severe burns after new MEC units are deployed. There’s a lot of injuries from burns to explosions to vipers crushing people’s chests to Lost scratches.

All three end up staying with the Order - the other combatant is Vegetta, while the engineer is a generic background NPC. Vegetta knows a couple of people and has been running his own operation, but given he mostly just funds it he’s happy to stick around and be more useful. Both Pac and Vegetta have injuries already, various people sent on the mission got hurt too

Brazilians minus Cellbit reunite and it’s very tearfilled and dramatic and such

Their spy leaves details of some sort of facility in the Eastern US. Investigations begin, but have not yet sent people to it.

Operation Dragon Song * A

BBH, Foolish, and Maxo are caught and ambushed by the Assassin while looking for her. While they did get the information needed, they’re trapped and fled into a Lost City to try to escape. It’s a struggle to get to evac and Foolish is severely wounded, Maxo a fair bit.

Vegetta and Foolish first meet recovering from injuries

* Aypierre manages to finish the research on the brain implant removed from Felps. While most of the data is corrupted, it reveals that his brain was being used to run combat simulations and process various tactical datas for the Federation. A network of unconscious brain supercomputers linked together and running combat tactics for every single Federation guard, “peacekeeper”, etc, causing their superhuman seeming response times. The data however is heavily corrupted, so Aypierre suggests getting Tubbo to make a device that can be used to read the data from one still attached to a Federation Worker - the end which receives the conclusions, not the processor part *

Tina & Maxo sent to go look for a fabled resistance group somewhere in France. Maxo volunteers as Bagi is injured from the last mission and he knows of them.

Operation Glass Sentinel

Missa, Mike, Pac, Vegetta, and an extremely exhausted BadBoyHalo

Sent to protect a transmitter. It’s sending data between two resistance groups, vital research data, but they need to make sure it stays intact to finish. A little way into guard duty it is indeed attacked. They sufficiently protect it.

Tina & Maxo succeed in making contact. The French group don’t send anyone just yet, but are now talking with the Order and allied to it. Tina got hurt, though.

Operation Wailing Feast W

Missa, Philza, Pac, Mike, and Roier

Sent to rescue civilians and operatives when a cell is attacked. Basically everything goes wrong and Pac very very nearly dies as a Faceless triggers multiple explosions in a row. The Warlock shows up during this mission, mind controlling Missa for a time.

An infirmary is finally built, resources to do so having been a struggle

Thankfully a long break until the next mission. Some people probably take it off.

Operation Patient Rose

Get a message from a cell near Chicago, saying they think they’ve tracked down useful data - as another group are gearing up to investigate the facility they’d been pointed at. Groups are rearranged. This is more time sensitive so goes first, while the others get some extra time to eat/sleep/plan in.

Roier, Maxo, Pac, Mike, Missa.

The exact data they’re being sent for is ‘Implant Connectivity Audit’ which, given the info about Felps’ implant, is of definite interest. They do manage to get it, though at one point Roier’s aim is off and one of his frags has shrapnel which hits and injures Pac. Mike is pissed at that, but as well as the info did also manage to steal some cash from the Feds while hacking. Rats were busy. Missa and Maxo mostly just kill things.

Some coordinates are found in a supply drop, the encoding clearly indicating they are from someone who has been feeding them insider information from the Federation for years. If it is not Cellbit leaving them, then it is someone pretending to be him to fuck with people.

Operation Flying Moon * A

Leaves immediately after Patient Rose. Following some coordinates sent by their spy, not really sure what to do with them.

BBH, Philza, Foolish, Fit and Jaiden

They investigate the facility at the coordinates. There’s many corpses in green goo, both outside of the facility waiting and inside being processed somehow - with varying levels of flesh remaining. The Assassin shows up to cause trouble. Through various trials like blinding with dust and getting stuck, Philza manages to grab a vial at the centre of the processing, and the group runs.

Following their success, the French send a delegate to join the group. This turns out to be Etoiles.

Operation Banished God H

Maxo, Philza, Foolish, Etoiles, and Vegetta

Sent out to collect supplies from a Lost City. The Federation are also seeking the same supplies, so it’s a game of tagging and airlifting them faster than the Feds. Hunter shows up and causes problems, at one point stunning Vegetta and ripping a little information out of his brain. He is left intact and alive rather than kidnapped, but it’s still a bad time. Etoiles also gets fucked up.

Operation Smoking Paramore

BBH, Tina, Foolish, Bagi, and Walter Bob joins them from the Deserters as they want some things from here too. A scientist of theirs has been kidnapped, so time to kidnap them back.

Have to get her out of a van, but it is a success. Not a whole lot occurs here.

Tina and Bagi go out to hunt assassin just as Pac and Mike get back

Operation Fire Killer

Philza, Missa, Roier, Etoiles, and Fit

Sent to recover a “Viral Diffusion Summary”. Philza is on hacking duty as BBH hurt and Mike just got back from covert ops. Arrive on abandoned train tracks, and notice a ping on the comms of a resistance agent trying to contact the group. Roier manages to track them down and they offer a delivery. It’s mostly slums with a really obvious high-tech building in the middle. They get the information and get out.

Random NPC engineer rescued from an abandoned theme park

* Finally finish the Proving Grounds, which was paused to finish the infirmary, a place for Tubbo to deal in testing more dangerous and complicated equipment than the basic weapons lab. *

Operation Blessed Chant * A

Maxo and Bagi get ambushed while out hunting for the Assassin. Trapped in a Lost City. Info gets safely recovered, but both Bagi and Maxo end up severely wounded. It’s a very long chase to get to a point Niki can meet them, full of Federation Guards with flamethrowers and zombies. Bagi has extensive and serious burns. Maxo has a major gunshot wound and some smaller burns. Both pass out as soon as they are relatively safe.

Jaiden and Fit are sent out to search for the Hunter

Operation Steel Witch W *

BBH, Philza, Pac, Mike and Etoiles

Attack on an allied rebel haven. Everything is very on fire by the time they arrive, camp surrounded by scrubby forests. The group split up to protect as many civilians as possible, the Warlock being present. They first meet berserkers, a form of alien with exposed muscle, short and muscular, with extremely good melee capabilities (combat ones trained to, anyway). They clear as quickly as they can, and find a majority of people are hiding in a ruined Church. Etoiles takes a particularly nasty hit while protecting people, but with Pac and Mike forces the Warlock to retreat. Like most things it is weak to sword in face and electrocution by robot. Camp is no longer safe, but civilians are. IronMouse was the leader of the group, scatters her people between other groups and joins the Order.

Armour upgrades are completed

Jaiden and Fit complete their mission safely

A Psi Lab is built under IronMouse’s oversight, a place for her to train her psionics - those demons, like she is, have naturally, but she has trained into combat powers.

Operation Knife Prince *

Receive an emergency communication from an unknown source. Given its encoding, it’s their informant, and somewhere in the ruins of Ottawa. Very little information is received before the line is cut, only a tracked location. It’s probably a trap. But they can’t not go.

BBH, Foolish, Pac, Mike, and Roier agree to go look, all knowing it could well be a trap. Pac believes it is Cellbit, Roier hopes it is Cellbit, Mike doesn’t believe but wants to keep Pac safe, Foolish doesn’t believe but wants to spring it anyway, BBH doesn’t really care but a medic is needed and he’s free.

The infiltration point will also be the evac, as there are no other safe places even for the wires. Foolish sets himself up on a nearby balcony to cover and protect it, with Mike convincing Pac to cover the next area in. BBH and Roier push further in towards the signal and find… Well, Cellbit, unconscious and surrounded by Lost. BBH doesn’t have the stuff to treat him there and then, so carries him back. Roier provides cover as they retreat, as do the others as they hit each group. Everyone gets out, Cellbit waking somewhat on the helicopter while being treated but definitely ending up in the infirmary for a bit. He’s released in time that the army group can have a sleepover complete again.

Jaiden and Fit return.

Maxo, Slimecicle, and Missa are sent out to find the Warlock’s stronghold

* Tubbo complete the ‘skulljack’, an experimental device to hack brainchips while they’re still attached to the brain *

Operation Tomb Valley *

Foolish, BBH, Pac, Mike, Tina, and Jaiden are sent on an assassination run - to kill a Federation Army Field Commander. Reports have him in the tunnels under a city. Tina is an assassin primarily by trade, Mike has been given the skulljack. The fight is done in subway tunnels. Jaiden and Tina go to hunt the commander while the others cause distractions.

Mike uses the skulljack on a Federation officer-ranked Guard. He gets the data for Aypierre and some extra to sell on the black market, but it also summons a Code Monster. He tries to shoot it, but when it is hit it duplicates - Jaiden notices and manages to take out one half, while Foolish the other. It leaves only one corpse, or rather a weird electronic device which contains what looks like a partial spinal column made of steel, with ‘nerves’ of thin, green-tainted metal.

Pac gets badly hurt by a Muton. Though he stays on his feet, the similarities to the mission where Pac nearly died cause Mike to panic, reflexively shooting and killing the thing. Pac manages to calm him down not long after.

Jaiden is the one to land the final blow on the Commander, actual target of the mission, but Tina shot out his ankles first. So he couldn’t run, allowing Jaiden to catch up and stab.

Following that they do manage to get Pac and Mike to go for some therapy, though under the circumstances there’s a limit to its effectiveness

Maxo, Missa, and Slimecicle return from their task. Slimecicle was somewhat injured, bad enough to need treatment and time out but not too severely

Weapons upgrades

The Warlock finally puts the information from Vegetta to use. His spy is caught, but not before she severely injures one of the engineers in the process. Damage is repaired, spy executed, and engineer in medical. W

Research to get EMPs through Federation tech shielding is completed. Missa’s gun is refitted to take anti-tech bullets (still work on flesh, but bonus damage on tech).

Cellbit is cleared for field work

Operation Gilded Shield

Informed about a crashed train by allies. They don’t have people to make use of it, but if we take anything give a cut for the info.

Roier, Maxo, Philza, Missa, Etoiles, and Fit.

There’s a lot of weird purple stuff around, implying intense psionic field in the area. Missa continues his hot record on taking out turrets, even easier with his new bullets. Missa, Philza, and Etoiles take light damage from grenades, but the mission is completed without anything majorly serious. Shove it under a cold tap and bandage and rest a few days sort of burns.

Pac and Mike are cleared for duty again

Injured engineer recovers

* Completion of the ‘Shadow Chamber’, another new research lab. This one is designed so that Aypierre and Tubbo can work together on particularly dangerous research, such as examining the vial Philza recovered from the blacksite *

Pac and Mike are send out together to find the Hunter’s base

* Aypierre and Tubbo complete research on the vial. It is human DNA, specifically DNA matching to a number of missing civilians. They are unclear of the purpose at the moment, but it seems to be… Liquified biological matter, specifically liquified human corpses. There are some matching bits of DNA across everyone in the sample, though it is unclear what that DNA does. Or what this is being used for… *

Pac and Mike complete their mission. Mike is, however, captured. Pac ends up in the infirmary for a significant time, mentally dealing extremely badly with both the separation and the circumstances of Mike’s kidnapping.

Operation Jagged Reckoning A

Allied group gets in contact with a lead on some information. They collected it to trade, but their base was compromised and the information left behind.

Roier, Missa, Philza, Etoiles, Vegetta, and Jaiden are sent to recover “Remnant Disposal Report”, which with the new knowledge of what is in the vial becomes a lot more disturbing. Philza is briefly mind controlled by a Priest in service to the Assassin, but Jaiden manages to kill it and thus free him before he attacks anyone. Between them, Etoiles, Jaiden, and Roier kill basically everything, Assassin included damn her respawns.

A defence matrix - system of automated turrets for use if ship is attacked while on the ground - is installed

* research completed on the Code “brain”. They find partial coordinates and evidence of a ‘something else’ beneath it, but the code reactivates and starts wiping their computers. Aypierre explodes it before it can wipe everything, and gets to work on looking into what data remains. They need more “brains” to get the coordinates properly, so on future missions people make sure to collect them *

BBH and Foolish are sent out together to sabotage Federation plans.

BBH and Foolish return

BBH, Foolish, and Bagi are sent to find a way into the Assassin’s base

Operation Dying Reckoning

Message from France. It’s not Antoine’s main base, but one of the smaller camps elsewhere in France is under attack. BBH, Foolish, and Bagi are expected back anyday, and most of the usual suspects are gearing up to go take the Assassin out. Pac volunteers and it's not… A good idea, but it’s the first time he’s asked for something since Mike was kidnapped, and he’s physically fit, so… Fit goes with, to keep an eye on his bestie.

Roier, Missa, Vegetta, Fit, Pac. Baghera joins them there.

There are soldiers from the camp still fighting when they get there. One, a duck-woman named Baghera, joins the five sent. She’s not the leader of this cell, but was doing other work for Antoine nearby and thus came over to help. She does end up unconscious when a berserker punches her in the face, but is generally very helpful. No civilian casualties and this group still has living guards, so they decide just to relocate. Baghera asks to come with.

Baghera gets permission from Antoine to remain with the Order despite Etoiles already being there as envoy.

* Data extracted from the code’s “brain” is decrypted. Within the data are files revealing that the Elders, the leaders of the aliens and thus the Federation, are diseased and dying via some sort of rapid muscular degeneration. They’ve been experimenting on various races in hopes to find a cure, and humanity is just next on the list. Data is fragmented, however - Aypierre suggests skulljacking a Code, and Tubbo has an upgrade to do that with ready *

A Federation vessel discovers the Avenger on its way to pick up BBH, Foolish, and Bagi - the first sign they have been ambushed. They manage to get away, and make all haste towards the pickup point…

Operation Damned Breath

Bagi, BBH, and Foolish were ambushed while seeking a way into the assassin’s base. There are a great many Federation soldiers between them and evac. They manage to fight their way through, but at the cost of a lot of blood. From all of them.

Operation Shadow Tomb * A E

Using the information obtained from those three, an assault on the Assassin’s base of operations is put into motion. Shadow Chamber indicates that there will be Codes present, so they also bring the Skulljack to try to get that data.

Philza, Jaiden, Roier, Missa, Cellbit, and Etoiles are on the mission. You were never going to convince Cellbit not to be. The entry route leads to some sort of storage room, where everyone can sort their kit out after the vent crawling. As they progress further into the complex, they find all sorts of weird tech.

* Early on they find the first Code. Philza uses the skulljack on it, getting the data for Aypierre. When it is killed by the skulljack, however, a humanoid with white hair and a full face mask teleports in and starts attacking. It teleports every time it is shot, and is a nightmare to take down. When it dies, however, Cellbit observes a psionic ‘imprint’ - the ‘ghost’ of one of the alien leaders, none of which have been seen in over 10 years, almost being pulled from the figure, screaming as it is and then exploding into a small shockwave. Others on the mission noticed the shockwave. Philza also heard the screaming, and was the one to connect the figure Cellbit saw to the Elders, as one of the very few people with personal experience with them. As it plays host to another being, they name these ‘Avatars’ *

Further in, they find a bunch of cells. These have clearly been broken out of, and there are dead aliens scattered about. Surely this will not be relevant later? (It will be relevant in a few bullet points)

The group clear the facility, ensuring they are not followed. In the final room they find some sort of teleportation device, a heavily stylised, golden statue of an Elder looming over it. It takes them to another room, one which looks like an alien version of a very large gym. At the far end hangs some sort of metal slab, pulsating with psionic energy. As they enter it glows, and from it emerges the Assassin. She congratulates the group on making it this far, and attacks.

The fight with the Assassin consists of repeatedly killing her, only for her to respawn from the metal slab. It is heavily resistant to damage, but they work on slowly chipping away at it whenever they can. Eventually the metal slab is so damaged that it shatters upon her respawning, at which point the Assassin congratulates the team and kills herself. This time, she stays dead. Jaiden got the final shot.

About mid-way through the fighting, Missa and Roier were distracted by noticing a pair of children hidden amongst some of the equipment. Just as they spot them the two jump out, aiming small swords - styled after the Assassin’s own - in her direction. The two grab the children, forcing them back from the fight - both are skilled, but still only kids. While appearing human at first glance, both clearly have a significant amount of alien traits. Neither speaks, but both are insistent on joining the fight. It is only when the metal slab is finally shattered that both of them relax, revealing they are seriously injured. They initially resist treatment, but Philza is called over. Once they are treated, both fall asleep. The decision to bring them back to the Avenger for proper medical treatment is made, with the intent to find them safe homes.

Etoiles steals the Assassin’s very fancy swords for himself.

* Discussions occur around the white-haired being covered by skulljacking the Code. Between them, Cellbit, Felps, and Philza confirm it was definitely an Elder which exploded when the body was killed, however it did not look like one. Due to the nature of the mission the corpse could not be recovered for testing, but current theory is some sort of possession so that the Elders can physically interact with the world despite their illnesses. *

* While they’re being treated, one kid gets very attached to Roier and Jaiden, while the other to Missa and Philza. What exactly the children are is not clear - unlike a hybrid, the combination of human and alien DNA is far from natural - but they do heal up. While they cannot speak they can write - they do not initially have names, rather numbers, but are named Bobby and Chayanne respectively. Talking with them reveals they were the Assassin’s apprentices, who used the chaos of the attack as cover to escape, intending to try to kill her and run away. They call themselves Eggs, not children, but are not sure why. Both are allowed to pick some clothes and toys from a box of supplies intended to be delivered to one of the allied camps with children. The initial plan is to take the children to Philza’s faction, as both seem familiar with English. This, however, fails when upon trying to leave them, both children psionically latch onto the adults they became attached to. Study of the bond by Cellbit - largely via comparing it to Pac and Mike’s - reveals the children to have started ‘feeding’ from the adult’s psionic fields. It’s not dangerous to the adults, but is required for the children to grow. It does also allow the children to project thoughts into their adults’ brains, though unlike with Pac (and the missing Mike) this is only one-way, and requires conscious choice to. The adults become vaguely aware of the child’s presence, able to track them down and ascertain if they are conscious or not, but cannot directly communicate via the bond. Discussion with the children reveals they aren’t sure what this is either, but they were scared of being left without the adults who saved them and so reached out and grabbed on. Adjusting to having kids on the ship is a nightmare, but these two are very used to dangerous things they should not touch and so the equipment is safe, at least. *

Elerium researched. (This is about when Cucurucho takes over torturing Mike, and Mike is very nearly killed)

Operation Starving Gaze

Allies in Columbia get in contact about an alien transmitter relay in the sewers, being used to induce illness in the local population. Due to the causing illness it is very high priority, despite the Order having very few people uninjured and ready for combat; with nobody else with proper medic training even close to available, Philza walks out of the infirmary and into his armour, for example. And due to the transmitter causing very sudden and violent symptoms in people, an actual medic is needed.

Philza, Fit, Pac, Tina, Vegetta, and Mouse are on the mission.

The moment they arrive in the tunnels, the group is immediately being shot at. Philza takes most of the fire, and Mouse is working overtime to fight off constant psionic attacks. Spectres knock Philza out and make puppet versions of him twice, each time needing killing to get him back up, and leaving him with tiny bleeding wounds everywhere where the nanobots ate through his skin to get inside and copy him. There are multiple cases of aliens critting their shots, causing huge burning wounds, in a few cases the new metallic armour design making things worse. They get to the transmitter, Pac starts disassembling it, and a sectopod shows up. It’s tall enough to break through the roof of the sewers and back into sunlight - with the firefight ongoing the team manage to hack it and disable it for a few minutes so they can focus on the aliens and transmitter. Once they have done so, Vegetta and Fit start shredding its armour, leaving Tina a clear shot to get in and hit the generator. Everyone is tired and badly injured - Philza and Mouse both pass out on the way back - with the only redeeming aspects being a) no deaths b) the transmitter is now disabled and c) the hole the sectopod made in the roof meant Niki could pick them up from right there, instead of them needing to manage to climb the ladders out.

Operation Sky Song

A very senior ranked Federation scientist is spotted in Kaduna. A team is put together to try to kidnap them, to interrogate for information. Failing that, to kill them and disrupt Federation research in doing so. However, still very short of people.

Roier, Jaiden, Missa, Etoiles, Maxo, and Baghera sent. (Bobby is very upset both his parents are going)

Mission is relatively simple, but hard. In the middle of a high-security district, causing its own problems. Upon sneaking into the building where the scientist is working they are interrupted by a Sectopod. Trapped in a building with it many people take serious injuries from its lasers, meanwhile in the time it takes to get it down the group are attacked on both sides by Federation workers. In the chaos Maxo knocks out the scientist, though just leaves him to one side while they deal with the crisis. Roier ends up carrying him, as heavy wounds are affecting his vision. Jaiden helps him and the prisoner to evac, the others following. Everyone requires extensive medical treatment after. Roier, Baghera, and Maxo are the worst off, but the doctor and Aypierre working through the night to get everyone treated enough to leave them. There’s barely redeeming things here, the information they gain is sellable on the black market but not relevant to the group.

There is news about Mike. Pac and Fit go to find him.

Pac and Fit return at the same time a resistance team contacts the group about a Federation supply cache. It’s believed to contain medical supplies and given current circumstances are badly needed. Both happen at the same time, with Niki dropping off the Rotting Whisper Team, covering the Dragon Prince Team, then once they are safely back going to pick the others up. Most people are recovered enough to be out of medical (its been a while), but not to fight.

Operation Dragon Prince

Pac, BBH, and Philza go to rescue Mike. Somewhere in Australia.

Mike is rescued! He is held deep in the facility, a long way from where Niki dropped them off, but the trio manage to get in and out without engaging in any combat. This is despite the reported presence of a Code.

Operation Rotting Whisper

Foolish, Cellbit, Vegeta, Jaiden, Mouse, and Baghera on a supply run!

It’s in a Lost City, and said Lost are visible even from the helicopter they are swarming so much. Vegetta has anti-tech grenades with him, which prove vital in keeping a sectopod at bay. One of the crates of supplies is lost when a burnt out car explodes, but the rest are recovered. Mouse secures most of them, while Jaiden is constantly both being shot at and killing things. She asked to be equipped with more advanced armour after Kaduna, limiting her movement somewhat but saving her life in this instance. Baghera also proved extremely proficient with grenades, using them to bait the Lost away from supply crates and injured teammates rather than purely to attack.

Another long gap

Further armour upgrades are researched, providing power armour to the group. A significant upgrade and without the obvious weaknesses of the previous sort.

Rumours are uncovered. Philza, Etoiles, and BBH are sent to try to find a way into the Warlock’s Base.

Operation Shadow Wheel H

Informed of “Mechanical Process Designs” being transported by train. It’s known to have a particularly complicated electronic lock, but reports say it’s not actually very well defended. With Mike just about recovered, it’s chosen as a good mission to check he can still serve in an active combat role. It is also mostly biological aliens, not robotics, so the team takes a lot of poison.

Maxo, Pac, Mike, Baghera, Slimecicle, Foolish

There are a lot of Chryssalids, the horrible little poison bugs which turn corpses of anyone poisoned into incubators for more of them. Still, they are pretty easy to deal with - Pac baits them close, and keeps attacking them with his knife. Unfortunately the Hunter reveals himself, shooting Slimecicle with tranquillisers. Maxo manages to get him up pretty quickly, while Baghera, Pac, and Foolish clean up, and Mike hacks into the crate to steal the blueprints. While Slimecicle needs observation until the tranqs are out of his blood, the only other injuries are general scrapes and bruises.

Flares in the desert lead to the recruitment of Mariana. Or, rather, rerecruitment; he had been on long term investigations for the last two years. He reunites with Slimecicle in the hangar and, well, you know how they are. Niki was not impressed.

Philza, Etoiles, and BBH complete their mission. As the route is unlikely to be compromised, it is decided to wait for an opportune time to attack. They also find some potential information about the Hunter’s Base. Slimecicle and Mariana are sent out together to see if they can find an entry route.

Months of following train routes and dispatches from the site with the vial finally pays off with finding another facility, one linked to the one with the DNA jar. It is decided to attack both that and the Warlock’s base at once, so as to stretch enemy forces thinner.

Operation Rotting Wail * W E

Using Philza, BBH, and Etoiles’ information about how to get into the Warlock’s base.

Philza, Etoiles, Pac, Mike, Cellbit, and Baghera

Entrance is some sort of sorting warehouse again. Pass through more storage, into a set of cells. All empty. A patrol catches at the far end of this. Cleared up, then press around to where the patrol came from. Leads to a MEC recharge station full of enemies. First injury is Cellbit caught when a purifier explodes. Weapon repair room is dead end, double back. MEC bay to some sort of clean room. It's full of chryssalids, quickly taken out by overwatch and bladestorm. Reload, heal up, and head out.

Beyond is similar to before, but has a sniper platform. Unfortunately, no snipers. Missa would have liked it a lot. Clear enemies, Warlock arrives. Could daze 4 people in a go in a brain hop. Baghera gets mind controlled just as everyone gets up, Pac dodges like a champ. Baghera breaks out of it after hitting Mike, but ow. Mike heals himself. Take it and its adds out, take out the plate, Philza just takes the Chosen out, reflexively shooting it as it respawns. Warlock speaks of the Elders being near and everywhere and finally hearing them clearly as he turns to stone and explodes.

At the end of the fight, a little girl comes out from where she was hiding, not far from the plinth. Unlike Bobby and Chayanne she is in kiddie sized armour with her hair in cute braids, and uninjured. Having seen Mike do healing she grabs his hand, and drags him through to another chamber. The others follow. Inside they find a heavily injured boy, strapped to a table. Mike only carries one medkit so does first aid while calling Philza to help. Given the room is small, he just passes the medkits over and backs out to give space. Pac and Cellbit get the restraints off, while the girl drifts over to guard the door with Etoiles and Baghera. She writes them a message - in French - explaining that the boy was being used by the Warlock as an experiment. She, however, was the Warlock’s daughter. 01 - Chayanne, she thinks they know him as? - had been dreaming of them, so she knew they would help. Baghera promises to help her too, and the girl is just… very, very confused. Because her brother is the one who needs help, not her. But, thank you from stopping the Warlock from hurting her brother even more.

Pomme and Richarlyson, as they are quickly named, are brought safely back alongside other stuff from the mission. Pomme gets a checkup and Richas gets actual medical care.

Operation Pungent Father * E

At the same time as Mission Rotting Wail, a group is sent to investigate the facility. Specifically it is known as a ‘Forge’

BBH, Foolish, Roier, Missa, Maxo, and Fit

The entire area around the facility is purple, like leaked psionics. Getting into the facility is not too hard, but it is full of vipers who crush a lot of ribs and BBH has a panic attack at one point.

Inside there is a big white room, one which Maxo enters first, Roier close behind. Maxo is immediately distracted by the toddler curled up hopefully only asleep next to some sort of… big white stasis tube. Maxo scoops up the little one, Roier keeping watch, while the others deal with the stasis tube. Inside they find a thick, protective suit, wired in and slightly psionic-tainted. Inside of that they find what looks like a young lady in her late teens, deathly pale and entirely unconscious. BBH confirms she’s alive, while Cellbit bats off the psionics fucking with her. Upon getting her out many alarms went off, so Fit blows up a wall and drags everyone out of there.

Trump and A1 are rescued! Trump glues to Maxo. A1 drifts towards the Quackities, very easily scared and dissociated most of the time. ElQuackity gets uncharacteristically protective of her. Research begins on the suit she was in, but it is somewhat hampered by being disconnected and the fact she’s a living person and they cannot just cut her up or anything.

Aypierre and Tubbo finish their analysis of the remains of the first Code the group killed. Due to the heavy damage and significant corruption they needed a few more to get the full data, and have been slowly piecing it together. They have managed to pull out a set of coordinates, consistent across all Codexes and seemingly a point of origin? It is put on the list to investigate once time and persons allow for it.

Operation Severed Hammer

Allies in Mexico ask for assistance in rescuing a contact who had been caught feeding them information. She escaped into the old subway system, but was trapped. With the split teams only being back a few days, had it been anything other than a rescue mission the Order would have told them no.

Jaiden, Vegetta, Missa, Roier, Mouse, and Baghera

Get in via one of the old stations, where a train was still parked from 10 years ago. Spotting enemies on the train an ambush was set, but it failed to take them all out; a spectre set its bugs inside Vegetta. They managed to get him back up quickly, but it was unpleasant. There is also a strange new alien, something organic with psionic tentacles which exists in a giant, white, armoured, mechanical shell, only opening to attack. Unfortunately it exploded upon defeat, both severely injuring Baghera and preventing study.

Once the contact is located, it takes time for an evac route to be cut through - Federation Employees chasing the contact keep coming and coming, until finally Niki finds a close enough opening. The engineer and Baghera leave first, while the others clean up.

Mariana and Slimecicle return successfully, though Slimecicle is injured. Given the large number of injuries and the fact the uninjured senior members are preparing for dealing with stuff from the Code, the Hunter’s Facility is not attacked immediately.

Operation Crypt Hand * E H

Investigation of the coordinates from the Code. Cellbit wanted to come, but is still recovering and also needed on the ship. No idea what might be there - there are no buildings - but going to look.

BBH, Foolish, Fit, Pac, Mike, and Jaiden

First thing of note is the ruins of a farm and its associated buildings, and chryssalids. These are killed, and the group just follows the obviously worn path deeper in. Annoyingly, the Hunter shows up - this was a higher priority, but given Mike’s history with the Hunter this is a problem. They continue pressing in, until they find some Federation barricades. Beyond those the ground turns more purple, just like at the facility with Trump and Allie. In the centre there seems to be some sort of Gate? Psionic well? Portal entrance? Pac gets closer to take readings, and is poisoned for his efforts - given the severity of chryssalid poison, BBH heals it up fast. They press a little closer still, and another of the orb aliens appears - coming out of the structure, so likely Portal is correct. Wanting to steal the entire portal, the group kills everything; BBH and Pac are both injured when the Orb (now named Gatekeeper) explodes, causing Mike to panic - given the extra stress from the Hunter, too. Pac calms him down, but the Hunter knocks them both out with some sort of gas grenade - while BBH checks on them, the other three chase the Hunter off.

After the fighting is done, and Pac and Mike wake up, they work on securing the Gate for transport. While doing this, Fit is interrupted by something pulling on his trousers. He looks down to see a child holding out a notepad - ‘Spreen is dead. My condolences, or congratulations? You did not seem to like each other very much.’ is what it reads. Looking, there’s another two children hiding nearby too. Pac and Mike are left with the strong arms of Jaiden to finish sorting out the Gate, while the other three check on the kids. They call themselves triplets, and talking a little reveals that Spreen was imprisoned with them for a while. He was forced to bond with the kid with the notepad - Spreen had named him Ramón when that happened, but ignored the others - which led to horrific consequences for them both. While Spreen was not kind to the kids, he did also sacrifice himself to get the three out. BBH realises one has demonic heritage, and resolves to keep an eye on that one, so Foolish works on cheering up the third.

Gate is eventually recovered, and three more children - Ramón, Dapper, and Leo - are brought back.

Vegetta adores Leo just as Foolish does, whilst BBH adores Dapper even more than the other kids.

Ramón sticks to Fit, though it takes a while for Fit (or any other adult) to realise Ramón has bonded to him, due to Fit’s extremely low psionic ability. Ramón says he prefers it that way. No chance of a repeat of what happened with Spreen, but the kid can still feed. Fit is confused but learns to love him. Just a little slower than the others.

While Philza and Etoiles are running deliveries with Niki, a Federation vessel tracks down the Airship. Unlike last time, the airship is shut down. Aypierre, Tubbo and Mike (Pac is severely wounded from the last mission and barely conscious in the infirmary so cannot help) try to get it back up. There’s some sort of device emitting pulses which prevent them from taking back off. Mike leads a group to try to take it out.

Operation Spider Giant

Mission to take out the device and enable the Airship to take off again. Tubbo is manning the turrets from inside the ship, otherwise people are fighting wherever they can.

Mike takes everyone both present and physically capable out to sort things out.

There are just constantly huge numbers of aliens and Federation employees, constantly attacking and making progress really slow. People get shot - in Fit’s case severely - but they make it to the device, disable it, and get back to the ship. The Federation keep sending even more people even then - it was a huge attack - but as soon as everyone is on the ship they take off and get as much distance as they can.

Over course of the mission, Maxo and BBH - both still injured - end up coming out to help defend, as aliens get into the ship. Inside is cleared out, those two take up positions where the aliens had snuck in. Massive panic hours for the Brazilians. BBH worsened his injuries, as did Pac who ended up having to fight inside the airship.

Analysis of Allie’s suit is completed, and generally about the children. They realise that the children are ‘grown’ from the DNA of some of the civilians - Maxo is depressed to discover Trump uses a fair chunk of Dan’s DNA - forcibly combined with alien DNA. It is not a stretch to realise that the Federation Workers are also grown from genetically modified human DNA - the ones who wear the full masks, anyway. The purpose for them remains unclear at this time.

Operation Winter Shield

Federation radio transmitter tower is being used to send out orders to Federation Workers, including spying information. Upon finding out about this, a team is sent to destroy it.

Mariana, Slimecicle, Maxo, Mouse, Cellbit, and Vegetta go.

As they make their way to the relay, Slimecicle spends most of his time stealing supplies from various buildings around the place. While it starts out funny it gets very dangerous very fast - they go from joking to Cellbit nearly being killed in a single very powerful and well aimed shot, saved only by his psionics wrapping around himself instinctively and at the last second. He still takes a very serious injury, Mouse having to feed him the hand of a Federation Worker she kills to get him healed enough to get back on his feet. She is also hurt, and they stumble through together. At the transmitter they discover something called an Archon - a flying alien fused with technology. Mariana acts to distract, letting Vegetta, Maxo, and Slimecicle take out the transmitter while protecting the still severely injured Cellbit - Mouse is helping guard him - but in doing so takes a heavy hit from both a Sectopod and is set on fire by a Purifier. Still it is taken out, and everyone gets out alive.

A long time of odd jobs, but nothing especially important. Just a lot of healing.

Operation Demon Song

Contacts inform the Order of a scientist they want to interrogate, who is currently travelling through Ibadan. If they cannot capture him for interrogation, then kill him to prevent him getting his research finished.

Roier, Philza, Missa, Etoiles, Maxo, and Vegetta

Everything is very white and clean and minimalistic - even the clothing stores. There are also a lot of roads crossing over each other, providing a lot of vantage points for Missa to snipe from. Pigeons jumpscare the group. Philza, Missa, and Etoiles take the upper path, Roier, Maxo, and Vegetta a lower one. Vegetta gets spotted by a civilian, who freaks out and calls for the Federation Security Forces. And thus fighting begins - Roier takes responsibility for kidnapping the target, while the others cover him. A pond provides complications via cutting off the obvious route to where Niki is waiting with the helicopter, but everyone does manage to get out uninjured.

Tubbo finally manages to get plasma weaponry functional. It is not all of the weapons the group uses yet, but a lot of them.

Operation Dismal Paramore * E H

With most of the group well, an attack is finally launched on the Hunter’s Stronghold.

Philza, Mariana, Slimecicle, Pac, Mike, Cellbit

The layout remains very similar to the previous ones. This time they do also find a “Clean Room” - similar to where Trump and Allie were discovered - though the tube is empty this time, and a big bay full of Federation aircraft. Pac gets set on fire at one point, which nobody is especially happy about, and Cellbit has his psionics turned against him by a Federation Psionics specialist, knocking him out for a minute or two. Injuries remain minor, but annoying, that early.

This time upon entering the Chosen’s Chamber, they find three children. One very small girl is lugging a rifle twice her size around, trying to set it up to shoot the Slab which permits the Hunter to respawn. Mariana immediately jumps up to help/stop her, finding it a good sniping place for himself too. The other two children hide when told. With significant teamwork the group take out the Hunter, his last words being to state that he has finally discovered what fear is.

Pickup is delayed by a few hours, the group stuck tending their injuries and chatting with the children, due to an emergency call from Brazil where one of the allied havens is attacked. However I’ll summarise stuff for the Eggs here, so it’s together, despite them only coming back after the other mission.

Knowing how this goes, now, the children are taken back. The others are thrilled, Chayanne, Dapper, and Pomme saying they think this is all, but… They used to have more siblings. Either the others are dead, or have been asleep for a very long time.

The girl with the rifle attaches herself to Mariana and Slimecicle. The other two children - Tallulah and Tilín - prefer to stay away from the fighters. Tallulah is enchanted by Wilbur, to his worry and confusion, while Tilín was extremely close to Allie before they were forcibly split up, and so ends up with the Quackities (later, when Luzu shows up, he will get very attached to him too).

Operation Iron Beast

Allied Haven in Brazil attacked. All combat Brazilians are either doing spy work (Bagi) or on the other mission.

Missa, Roier, Etoiles, Fit, Jaiden, Foolish

More of this haven is made of brick than the group are used to. However it has saved the lives of none of the guards, thanks to the presence of a couple of sectopods. At one point the Federation bomb a petrol station that some civilians were sheltering, triggering a chain of explosions and killing a number of people. Roier gets poisoned, Foolish heals him, it ends in a mini fight because Missa was significantly more injured - and that was the only medkit. Missa does not hear it, being on a roof sniping. At one point Fit gets yeeted off a roof by a Faceless, much to his displeasure. Missa snipes most of the enemies, while everyone else hunts burrowing chryssalids. It’s… a very depressing mission, even moreso than when Spreen was kidnapped simply because there’s very, very little they can do. Some people are saved! But it feels really bad.

Tubbo manages to get the sniper rifles working using plasma technology

Operation Gasping Spark

Allies find a lead on data concerning the use of Psionic Restraints, something that is of interest - Cellbit learning to do it to someone, else generally developing something to protect against it, would be helpful. Cellbit is, however, injured, so cannot go.

BBH, Foolish, Mariana, Slimecicle, Vegetta, Maxo

There are contacts hiding in the area, willing to pass on info and supplies to the Order. It is a slums district, and such things are not uncommon in them. Maxo and Vegetta both get doused in acid, but with only one medkit between the group they have to find water to rinse it off - leading to bad burns. BBH gets the data with relative ease, but is hit so hard with a stun baton he is knocked out, and does not recover consciousness until on the flight home. It goes even further to hell from there, most of the group being set on fire by a purifier. Seeing BBH not coming around even once that is dealt with, Foolish takes command. He signals for Niki, and orders Vegetta to evac BBH - the helicopter has proper medical supplies. He orders Maxo out very soon after, noticing the man struggling to both hold his gun and to comprehend instructions indicating he might be going into shock. Slimecicle and Mariana hunt down the remaining enemies; Foolish watches their backs, taking out anything that tries to sneak up on them.

Tubbo gets plasma working with the submachine guns, and then the guns rangers carry (they mostly use knives, which plasma is less helpful with)

While running chores on the surface, a firefight is noticed. The group find a man being chased by Federation sorts, and save him. He turns out to be Luzu, a friend of Quackity’s from before the trauma that caused his amnesia, and also acquainted with a couple of the others. Significant player in the early resistance who slipped into the shadows. As thanks for the rescue, he gives information about a Facility he was on his way to blow up when he got caught…

Operation Haunting Night E

The facility Luzu mentioned. Don’t expect much here, but good to get rid of these things.

Luzu, Missa, Roier, Fit, Cellbit, Jaiden

Plan is to get in, plant explosives, and get out. It’s in the middle of a desert, near an abandoned petrol station. The Order have learnt and nobody uses that for cover. Still they sneak in, only to find some truly fucked up Viper - male, larger, with ice breath and so fast it can manage to attack everyone in the time it takes them to draw their weapons. It is hard work to take it down, relying on Jaiden’s reflexes every time it passes, Fit’s grenades blowing up all its cover, Luzu’s little AI buddy working overtime, and Missa and Roier being… Disturbingly in sync to kill it. Missa does also get set a little on fire by a Federation Purifier, but he has survived worse.

Cellbit sneaks in the back to check the Facility for information while Fit uses his other grenade to blow up a wall and get in to plant the explosives. With fighting ongoing for the others, Cellbit finds a number of corpses… And another child. One of the children who vanished, presumably, though they are critically ill. Cellbit gets the little one out, while Fit plants the charges and everyone else escapes.

They take the fucked up Viper corpse with, and to his horror Mike… Doesn’t recognise it, but recognises it as something he would have designed while experimenting with Meld and genetic modification in the war. While it has all his hallmarks, nobody (himself included) remembers this. Felps reasons it must have just been a thought experiment, especially as Pac doesn’t recognise it either, and Cellbit points out Cucurucho probably ripped it from his brain. This does not make him feel better.

In time the child recovers, clinging extremely hard to Cellbit - they had instinctively bonded with him as soon as he touched them, they were so badly starved and injured their soul acted the only way it could to survive.

* Aypierre and Tubbo finish analysis of the Gate found with Ramon, Leo, and Dapper. It is revealed to be a portal, yes, but one locked behind specific DNA and psionic signatures. They do this by sending Tubbo’s Tubbling into the gate to spy. They know about an electronic signal, so use a code brain to activate it. It shows bits of clearly alien architecture, on a massive level implying it is the alien’s base - not just Federation, but their leaders. They send the Tubbling deeper in to look closer, but due to not having the correct signatures it is kicked out. The second, organic signature is missing, and a feedback loop sent it out. Tubbo ignores responsibilities until the Tubbling is repaired, but Aypierre keeps going. He theorises they need one of the bodies of the creatures that come when Codes are skulljacked… *

Operation Damned Stroke *

Receive news of a crashed alien ship in Brazil. A group is sent out to secure it and to see if there’s any information to be gained from it.

BBH, Foolish, Jaiden, Fit, Slimecicle, Mariana

The ship crashed such as to take part of the roof off an old abandoned cafe, one already derelict and with trees growing through it after ten years of neglect. Upon the group reaching the ship an alarm sounds - BBH hacks the controls to shut it off, while the others attack the aliens inside. Unfortunately a sectopod was on the ship when it crashed. When it stands to defend itself, it destroys a significant part of the ship. It also critically injures Mariana. Slimecicle is injured (though less badly) protecting him while BBH heals.

* One of the enemies on the ship was another of those white haired humanoids which was summoned when Philza skulljacked the Code. This time the body remains intact, and was brought back to the airship. Aypierre and Tubbo abandon their other research to examine it. Now they see another, it looks suspiciously like Allie and Memory... *

Autopsy complete on the Viper King, proving Mike’s fears of it being a design sucked from his brain during his torture. He is now extremely worried about what else might be out there.

Bagi is injured on a sabotage mission with Tina.

Operation Falling Bell

Part of the alien communications system is discovered under Dijon. The local resistance operatives do not have the skillset to disable it themselves, and so pass the information onto the Order. Due to a very small access point only three people can be sent. As Pac e Mike are the experts on this sort of thing, they are sent to handle it with Baghera as support.

While the mission starts off simply enough, it quickly goes to hell. A spectre gets into Pac, and then the fake Pac formed by its bots shoots Baghera badly. Mike sends the rats to hunt down the spectre, pointing out the location to allow Baghera to take out the source of the problem - when it is killed, Pac is able to be roused easily and the false Pac dissolves. No sooner is he up, however, as a sectopod finds them. It severely wounds Pac before Mike can manage to redirect the rats from scouting to hacking it - but they do get it shutdown. Unfortunately with only three of them they cannot manage to destroy it before it reboots. Tazercraft fully synching themselves to the point they can process twice as fast is the only reason the three get out alive when a second sectopod appears. They do manage to get the transmitter disabled, and Baghera gets everyone out, but with the injuries and everything it takes Tazercraft a few days to let go of each other enough to have independent thoughts again.

* Aypierre and Tubbo complete their autopsy of the “Avatar”. They discover that it is an artificially created person, using a base of human DNA, fused with alien sorts. Following a horrible suspicion, they discover that the children they have been collecting are the same - indeed, made of missing civilian DNA. After thinking of this and testing them, Trump is revealed to be made using Dan’s DNA, though the rest nobody anybody knows. Confirming Chayanne as the eldest, they show him the corpse. He confirms they were another of the EGGS, though they died years ago. With a little putting things together, they work out that the children are being created for the Elders to possess, thus escaping their fatal infections. Hence the ghost of an Elder when the first was killed - presumably the second too, but nobody was psionic so only got the shockwave. It is also revealed that the DNA and psionic markers for opening the gate are held by the children, but given their young age they are not able to hold it alone. Need someone to buff them, and also work together. Going through the gate seems necessary, taking the fight to the Federation finally… But, it must be done carefully…*

* Reports from elsewhere reveal that the kidnapping has been massively sped up, to the point where ‘normal’ civilians are noticing the pattern and getting suspicious. Time is absolutely of the essence. *

* It is agreed that attacking the Federation base needs a distraction - and a good one at that. There’s some disagreement about what it could be, until Wilbur is like. I’ll do it. Give me the Theory Bros and three days, and we’ll get you a video not only proving the Federation are performing so many crimes on people, but also have it ready to upload. Which, Fit knows the radioing bit, just get him to the Global Network Tower. We stir up unrest with the civilians, lure a lot of the Feds out, then attack while they’re busy *

Nobody has better ideas and it’s actually a good one, so they arrange to try to get into the Network Tower on the night of the next major address. Significant planning is done with allied factions, ensuring they are ready for both if rioting begins or if not. In the first case, to steer rioting into something actually constructive. In the second, to protect themselves as the crackdown for pulling off the transmission will be hard.

Mission Bloody Wail *

Wilbur’s video is complete, with the aid of Maxo, Foolish, and BBH. Cellbit and Bagi also get super into helping collate the evidence, while Philza keeps dumping more video recordings on them to use. The others also help out, providing translations into as many languages as possible and lending their faces to voiceovers, interviews on what they saw, etc. Now it’s done… Just a case of getting it broadcast. Fit knows radios best, Pac and Mike there to deal with getting into the computer system in the first place, Roier bodyguarding.

Fit, Pac, Mike, and Roier

Niki drops them on repair walkways near the top of the World Broadcast Tower. The four systematically fight their way across to the radio station proper, taking out enemies as they go. Upon getting inside Roier and Pac deal with keeping swarming enemies off the group, while Mike gets Fit into the system and Fit gets everything broadcast properly. Mike adds a little extra signal, causing it to transmit a shockwave knocking out any tech-based alien forces nearby. As designed the broadcast cuts into the Federation address. Niki sweeps by to pick the group up as soon as the video is over - she otherwise hovers nearby picking off anything that tries to come close.

Wait for rioting to start, which it does, and then for the Federation to crack down hard. A lot of people are sent out to provide aid to those rioting, but it is far too much for them to cover when they need to deal with the main base too. Local factions take point on organising riots into something constructive, as arranged.

Mission Leviathan *

And then all that is left to do is to assault the Federation Base. Mouse leads people providing extra psionic juice to the EGGS so they can open and keep open the gate. As all of their parents are on the mission and so receiving the psionic power least directly, Dapper and Chayanne take responsibility for organising the EGGS. Dapper is also their magic expert, while they are used to doing what Chayanne says and getting info from him.

BBH, Foolish, Cellbit, Missa, Philza, and Etoiles (Crow video recording everything as well as individual photographs)

The EGGS open the portal. The team find themselves inside some sort of very sealed facility.

Some sort of lab. Two very young, mostly human corpses are laid out on examination tables, having been opened up and dissected slightly. Closer looking reveals alien features. It is theorised these may be more failed EGGS. The group pass through, taking out the enemies with minimal injury, and taking plenty of recordings. In the corridor to the next room a group of MECs spot them. Again, this is taken out relatively cleanly.

Another lab, more corpses, these ones older. There’s also vials of DNA - human, alien, and various species of earth around (Cellbit took samples ofc). Full of faceless, though Foolish and Missa pick them off easily. Cellbit lines up the other enemies and rips through them with his void lance. After clearing the room they regroup, and press on.

In the next corridor, they find an Archon and its friends breaking out of… something made of glass. They approach only to find a glass… human enclosure? There’s a “garden” with a swingset, a double bedroom, a single bedroom with walls covered in children’s drawings, a kitchen, a dining room, a lounge full of kiddie toys. All ruined, all in styles and fashioned long out of date. Later discussions think it must be where humans kidnapped pre-invasion were studied, and also it is proof just how long the aliens have been active.

As the squad approaches the human study enclosure, a team of stun lancers approach from the left. While those are easy to deal with, not so are the pair of sectopods escorted by heavy MECs. Both BBH and Missa take heavy injuries as the group adjusts to account for them. They manage to get one Sectopod down, but the other shoots Missa and leaves him in a critical condition requiring emergency treatment to survive. As the one with the anti-tech weaponry, they especially focused on him. Foolish takes out the Sectopod while BBH and the others dance with the MECs, screaming at Philza to treat Missa. He manages to get Missa stable, then sends the Crow to heal everyone from the extensive injuries that fight left. He manages to get Missa conscious, but it takes another two medkits to get him back on his feet, and there were limited numbers of them in the first place… One of them comes from BBH’s Ghostie, just to make sure both Crow and Ghostie have at least one equipped for further emergencies.

Etoiles runs after the final MEC, which leads him to… A very narrow slot between two high doors. As he is looking at it, another possessed Avatar appears. It pulls them through into the next room with psionics, to fight on its terms. This one has a glass ceiling, revealing that they are not on the Etheral’s home planet as expected, but instead deep, deep beneath the sea…

Before they really have time to process that, another 3 fully possessed Avatars appear. Among them is one who singles out Philza. Seeing it repeatedly trying to possess him, Cellbit sticks close to Philza, extending a shield over him. Dealing with it allows the others time to prep, but as even with assistance Philza keeps getting panicky, they do prioritise it - Philza manages to kill it himself, but it is a team effort. By the time it is down the other three have summoned in other aliens, fully puppetted and attacking. Foolish is poisoned badly by one of these, and BBH uses his last medkit to heal the poison. Doing this is immediately followed by Missa taking a series of four really nasty hits, sending him to bleeding out again. BBH is right with him, but has no medkits left. Philza has to run across the very large atrium to get in range and stabalise him. With absolutely no medkits left Missa is left on one hit. He just about manages to raise his rifle and take out the Avatar hunting him with a head shot, before tucking himself between three walls and focusing on just protecting himself. Philza stays close to distract any enemies taking a fancy to him, and keep an eye on him. The fight falls into chaos, with Etoiles leaping between enemies with his knife and covered in their blood, BBH going a little trigger happy, and Foolish sitting there with his pistol shooting upwards of ten aliens a round. Cellbit attempts searching for a consciousness other than the Elder’s inside the Avatars, hoping the EGGS they once were survive, but finds nothing. The children they used to be have been completely eradicated during the possession process. The floor is coated and sticky with blood as Foolish takes out the final Avatar not with his rifle, but his pistol.

As soon as the final Avatar falls, there is a massive psionic shockwave, destabilising the entire facility. Foolish, BBH, and Cellbit take the time to slip into the next room, killing all of the Elders they find in stasis awaiting their EGGS to be complete there, before running. Etoiles helps Missa up and keeps him steady as they all run back for the portal. There are horrific injuries all around, but Missa’s are by far the worst. Philza and Cellbit guard the gate for the others to get through, shooting the few aliens that manage to chase them and only going through themselves once the others are safe.

Chayanne upon counting everyone through has the EGGS drop their psionics. Even with the help they collapse into exhausted puddles. Everyone is so so tired, and the people who went away are badly hurt, but they are together.

With the deaths of the Elders and destruction of most of their facilities, the Federation crumbles under the weight of constant attack. Cellbit and Roier slip away one day, coming back lighter than they have been for a long time. Not long after the remaining Federation news channels announce that the Cucuruchos have been murdered, and graphically ripped apart - perhaps even eaten. Tina and Bagi follow the example with less eating, leaving for some weeks to pick off senior remaining members of the Federation. In its dust no government remains, causing its own problems. Rebuilding must then begin.

#qsmp x xcom #cellbit and roier deserve a honeymoon of going to murder cucurucho gdi #hopefully this makes sense I skim read it but I also know what it should say #I take questions!

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gamergirlbonestaskforce141riot · 7 months

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im back with more songs that fit the grs (ghost, riot, soap) trio!!!! sorry for whoever's tired of me :o

- wrathchild (warlock)

good metal (hair metal?) song to keep the spirit going!!

- nutshell (alice in chains)

ghost and riot (in their separate torturous times). heartbreaking

- rotten apple (alice in chains)

if giving up hope and disappointment was a song

- dark fade (warlock)

what people hear when riot's launching herself at them haha. can't run away

- rock you like a hurricane (scorpions)

i imagine the team is at a bar and the ones who like the oldies throw a party (an even bigger one)

- since i've been loving you (led zeppelin)

inner turmoil bc of their feelings (you know who)

- here, there and everywhere (the beatles)

da ghost & the one and only riot :))

more to come ;))

🥹 i didn't know warlock so THANK YOU

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cmkamren · 2 years

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ionno if ocs interests anyone in this place but I’m gonna just post like once or twice about this character—

this is Mila, ma was an imp and her dad was this 7 ft tall slavic man, Mila is ≈6 ft🧍‍♂️ (her dad saw her mom in her impish form first and boom, fell in love with her on the spot as she transformed into someone more intimidating and pinned him down, threatening his life. Mf was like ‘whoa you’re pretty’ and the rest was history)

Mila is a bit of a morally grey character, def kinda an asshole. Has manipulative tendencies and isn’t against using her transformation abilities to aid herself in getting what she wants (and has done so many times). They’re also a questioning lesbian, most of her partners have been women and she mainly feels attracted to women (booba) but has been attracted to men before too. Either way, they don’t have much of a filter (unless talking to someone they’re trying to get with) and will gladly describe to you in detail about her latest shit

last one is prolly directed to all the mcd guys (except for logan, dale, dante, n pretty much all the taken guys. Mainly, mainly directed towards garroth cause he like gets 0 bitches and won’t (prolly can’t) flirt)

After this, just gonna be lotta general stuff for them. I’ve never been given the opportunity to talk about her yet so ngl some ideas for her are prolly just general ideas and completely not fleshed out yet, just tryna make her make sense a lil n have fun with her :)

Childhood (0-15/16)

their ( parents + Mila) relationship was never abusive. But it wasn’t supportive either, they thought she (a child lolzies) could just fend for herself since the village they lived in on the island believed that they would always be protected by the warrior that fights against the Warlock (Travis’ mother I believe). Growing up, they always knew the place they lived was fuckin’ weird

like, even just her own existence was weird to them. Why were they able to become someone else entirely when dad can’t do it? Can he do it? Or has he just never shown them? And why does mom always have to look like… not herself? Even though she had so many questions, her parents would never answer and just give her the same generic explanation that people were just different. Sure, that was true but like— elaborate pls

Either way, she doesn’t really despise her parents. Kind of forgot about them after she left the island at like 16 as a stowaway. Honestly doesn’t know if her parents cared or not

they provided her with the bare necessities to survive (food, water, shelter, warmth, etc.) and let her deal with the rest. I think that’d also be the reason why she doesn’t want to settle, they don’t know the first thing about raising kids. Def thinks they’re goofy n funny though, shes the type to look at a kid and go ‘i can take candy from them’ and then watch as they cry. Only to stranger’s kids tho, they’ll probably be more sympathetic towards kids of friends

“Present” Mila (period where mcd takes place, after timeskip ig?? I confused my own timeline)

Speaking of friends, her best friend is like this raggedy homeless guy she found in an abandoned farm. He had a green bandana around his neck he refused to take off, and one day while visiting a village she decided to get one for herself so they matched bandanas. It’s like a friendship bracelet thing. Apparently the guy had kids at one point and it belonged to his daughter

Mila always made fun of him for being like 40 years old. Even though they’re just 8 years apart, he’s kinda like a dad to her, trying to be the voice of reason but also kinda on the same wavelength of stupidity as her sometimes (I need to design him gr)

also lived in O’Khasis at one point. With her scraggly friend. She encountered a rookie of the Thieves Guild trying to steal something from… god knows where in O’Khasis and tried to have some fun with it, transforming herself into an O’Khasis guard and forcing the recruit to show them the way to their base. At first, the Boss was fooled but quickly saw through her scheme, her mannerisms were too lax, plus they didn’t even seem to be trying (which Mila was kinda)

after getting found out, she revealed herself and tried to sweet talk her way out. And maybe steal something too (there were a lotta shinies and she loves shiny things okay. All her stuff are stolen goods)

in the midst of it, their first interaction ended off with this:

Boss: can’t believe you have the gaul to still steal something after threatening one of our thieves and trying to make fools out of our guild.

Mila, hoping to try to distract her from beating their ass: you better believe it. I’m afraid I just have that natural charm, people lay their eyes on me for even a brief moment and I’ve already stolen something tender and valuable from them; their heart—

Boss, points at the oblong outline in their pants: unless your genitals look like a handheld mirror, I think you should run.

and she did. Mila ran and ran, back home where their friend immediately scrunched up their face in disgust as she pulled out an object from her pants

Relations with main cast

basically none.

the only interaction she’s had with the main cast is interacting with Travis when they were kids. I’d think they were both pretty lonely, and would find each other to play games with until one day Travis just stopped coming to the village outskirts. Mila wouldn’t recognize him immediately if she saw present him, but with enough time she’d remember. Travis probably wouldn’t remember, he was 6 then and Mila was 10

Though if i did want to make her more involved with the main cast, they’d come in around the time O’Khasis is invaded by T’ula. When they heard the news of ships even bigger than O’Khasis had docked and hadn’t left in like a day, they were already packed and about to leave. Like shit bro, she could smell that trouble from a mile away cause usually traders left after a day, and they didn’t have fucking canons on the ready

I have more ideas but im fucking exhausted

im tired it’s 3 am i can’t type anymore

#kamdoodles #kamdraws #oc #minecraft diaries #mcd #minecraft diaries oc #digital art #kamtalks #a loot of talking #wip #travis valkrum #is mentioned #aphblr #aphmau #mila gusev

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isrya · 9 days

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DOSSIER: SUBJECT 09069AI, ADAM ISRA.

full name: adam isra. alias: deadnite. devourer of entities. subject 09069AI. adam. isra. age: 28. gender + pronouns: male. he / him. height: 6’3"ft pre-merge. 6’6"ft post-merge. ethnicity: indian / british. voice claim: steve blum / ken nwosu. deep, smooth and a seemingly buttery sounding tone. british accent. becomes a growl and almost guttural when raising his voice. spoken languages: urdu [ mother tongue, fluent ]. english [ fluent ]. french [ fluent ]. japanese [ fluent ]. hair + colour: dark brunette. post-merge, a few white locks running at the front. eyes + colour: hazel green, framed by long eyelashes. post-merge, a crimson red in the middle of the iris. scars: a singular noticeable vertical scar down his left eye. fortunately still able to see. many others across his body from missions. noticeable physical features: unnatural eyes, facial scar, pointed ears, fangs. species: esper. a human with psionic powers, and a still unexplained innate connection to the warp. post-merge with bheyrya and onwards, a higher being and something beyond human, named ascent [ human / entity ]. entity: bheyrya / bheria. pronounced beh - hey - rie - ah. bhey or rya for short. a name given to them by adam, meaning " wolf " in urdu, mostly in reference to his wolfish appetite. actual name in a language that would drive a human mad if they heard it. a draconic wolven creature of eldritch origins from the warp. merged and bound to adam isra during a freak accident one night in helinex labs. referred to by they / he pronouns—— sometimes refers to them both as one being via we and us. romantic + sexual orientation: biromantic, bisexual. preference for men. occupation: vigilante. disorders: inattentive adhd. ptsd. survivor's guilt. vices: [ stress ] smoking.

psionic rebirth [ main ] verse: to be written.

baldur's gate 3 verse: a half-elf fighter eldritch knight + warlock with a patron to a great old one, bheyrya. adam isra is a master in swordsmanship, taught in hand-to-hand combat and adept in crossbows, wielding two. born, living and working largely in baldur's gate as a vigilante—— until the nautiloid arrived, becoming one of many who were kidnapped and implanted with a tadpole. successfully escaping back to sword coast, the next objective is to find a cure. saves the grove and the tieflings, lifts the shadow curse, etc. can play the role of tav or a companion.

ghostrunner verse: gr-09. adam. uniquely named after his creator, though not with any fatherly intention, only marking a breakthrough in history in an egotistical and biblical sense. as the first successful functioning ghostrunner who was revered with his existence, the process became the mould for many more, bringing forth the birth of the ghostrunners. that is until mara's revolt. the fight was brutal and as one of the last few remaining ghostrunners, he was taken in alive as a special experiment—— a heinous one that comes to fruition, but not as intended, for mara is killed before she is able to complete it, leaving adam housing something in him. upon escaping, he takes on a new name for a new life: isra.

bloodborne verse: to be conceptualised + written.

resident evil verse: taking on the undercover job as a mercenary for hire for helinex to gather dirt for a client goes very wrong—— or right, depending on how you look at it. adam just happens to accidentally but successfully merge with a one of a kind virus in the skirmish deep in the lab. officially labelled an escaped and highly dangerous b.o.w, he's now on the run, learning to adjust and wield it while avoiding re-capture by and through any means necessary.

final fantasy xiv verse: a miqo'te from the seeker of the sun tribe. sports long black ears that are jackal like in appearance and a long fluffy tail. being 6'9"ft in this verse, i also personally incorporate the male viera legs concept design because of this fact + as the legs are more animalesque than human. though born in ul'dah, isra lives in limsa lominsa after the mission of looking into an underground lab which contained the entity bheyrya, who he is now bound with. schooled in the jobs and roles of dark knight, monk and machinist, preferring to dual wield two pistols. more of a solo act, working independently— that is until the calling of the crystal. can play the role of wol or a companion.

jujutsu kaisen verse: an independent vigilante special grade sorcerer with mastery of the heavenly restriction, use of cursed weaponry and a bond that’s further sealed by binding vow to the ancient curse bheyrya, devourer of curses, as a result of being in the wrong place at the right time. specialising in curse cases from the mundane to the most strange, he’s usually a solo act, but occasionally works with the jujutsu society ( begrudgingly ) and with other sorcerers ( debatably ) as well as lending his abilities and skills in dire situations. for my trusted oomfs only <3

#𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐄 : // 000 / OUT OF CHARACTER .#𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐄 : // 003 / STUDY .#will move this over to the carrd once it’s up and running <3 #and might update / change some minor terms. idk

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nerath-mp · 29 days

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Lore: Religion in the Nerathi Alliance

Prophets: From Valis to Nera

After the northern Baelish humans broke free of dwarven assimilation efforts in a period of the latter's decline called the Kallis Uprising (or, by his human name Valis), the newly identified Valisians explored the concept of non-Moradin religions with a fervor that frightened many of their neighbours. It is from this period that the Valisian migration into the Liirean sea region emerged. They settled in the Koval islands and reunited with the southern Baelish in their search for Bael Turath and the great Eternal Empire.

This search for spiritual meaning made these humans quite susceptible to worshipping anything that could grant them clerical power - even by proxy. What resulted was a rush of celestial, fey, and infernal pact warlocks. These early Valisians were not as attuned to the Primal, and the spirits remembered the damage done either by the humans or by the gods punishing them. This turbulent time was known as the Thousand Kingdoms, or more theologically, the Ten Thousand Gods period.

More over, the monotheistic influence of the dwarves left many humans with a belief that one should dedicate themselves to a single deity, effectively stealing faith from the others and funnelling it entirely into a single being. This was despite many gods trying to undo this misunderstanding. And of course, this led to religious strife. It is said more humans died this era than in the Dawn War and the Revenge of the Giants (the Giantwar) combined - although this would likely be a gross exaggeration caused by the northern Valisian focusing more on their own continental region. Prominent in this time were cults to Asmodeus, Avandra, Torog, Tiamat, Kala/Nergal (as this period overlays the fall of these two gods), the Raven Queen, a variety of dragons, archfey of all courts, and genie nobles. In general, those gods whose domains espoused either an organized, militant concept, or who filled a particular survival need, were among the most successful.

The Pact of Nera

In the founding of the Nerathi Empire, the Asmodeus-serving prophet Nera the Turathi saw that for any group's territory to remain stable, the conflict between the zealots of all these cults would need to be pacified in some way. It was his warlord-king's (and Asmodeus' as well) that the would-be empire crush and impose the supremacy of the Basalt Throne of Baator and the usurper god, the true patron of humanity. Nera, however, realized that this would just lead to more of the same. The true key was to find a way to get the spirits, demons, godlings and other idols of veneration to agree to stop encouraging strife. And so, Nera proposed the principle of Many-to-One-to-Many.

This concept would mean a deliberate obfuscation of the individual beings as far as the humans were concerned. This would remove the sectarian cause for strife, but in turn the leaders of this non-denominational religion would ensure that all those beings who participated would receive their proper due.

The gods, despite being vain and proud, realized the conflict would only grow and the risk of some entity arising from to endanger all the gods - like a primordial or a demon lord. And so most put aside their egos and agreed. Now the lesser beings were a bit harder to convince. A few dragons were placated by the fact that their "tithe" could come in forms other than simple prayer and that a civilization without war could focus on amassing the sort of treasures that many dragons preferred. The gods were adamant that Nera not leave the pact open to just anyone - notably, they forbade any participation by any fiend of any sort - demon or infernal. Nera then renounced his vows to Asmodeus and undertook the tests of the pantheon.

With each test completed, another joined the growing 'church' of Nerath. And given the power of the church, it became one and the same as the imperial bureaucracy, and the growth of the empire - by diplomacy or conquest - grew this church. And with the loss of every servant, the enemies of the empire planned their revenge, another fiend would eventually lead its mortal slaves to unify. And after a millennia, this opposition had formed the Doom of Man horde, and smashed the empire to pieces.

The church after the Empire's fall

When the city of Mauer fell, the central headquarters of the church was lost. The church was organized, by the necessity of the empire's size, to be able to operate in the fringes of the empire without support of the High Clergy. And their temporal role in education and local administration assisted in keeping the fragments of the empire from falling entirely into despair, at least until the horde of fiends broke apart in search of more victims and plunder.

In the absence of the central doctrines, some beings - especially those who had not been part of the pact - started openly seeking believers, finding success with those who were desperate for any sign of hope. The gods were, uncharacteristically, slow to proclaim themselves directly to the humans, fearing that the one who broke the pact would be punished by the Thrones. As a result, those in the old territories often turned to non-humans - halflings, eladrin and dragonborn, who carried the names of the Gods in their own beliefs. Many of these would in turn become priests of the Nerathi faith and assist in decoding the riddles and metaphors that the church used in its doctrine to anonymize the pantheon.

But the near-century after the fall of Nerath also saw the rise of a new faith, from the northern reaches of the old territories. This would be the cult of Erathis, who was Nera Peacemaker ascended, and who came to humanity's rescue when the last eladrin princess of the summer court launched the genocidal War of Summer's Wrath.

In the next part of this lore drop - the new cult of Erathis, a return to polytheism among the Nerathi and the balance of faiths in the new alliance of Nerath's fragments.

#nerath #lore #gods #nerathi empire

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sordideuphemism · 2 months

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The human had been here for months, now, and could not be convinced to leave. Even now, with brambles in her tangled hair and all manner of odd findings woven into her garb, she skips off into the wood. Moments later, the braying of a unicorn can be heard, and redcaps and brownies are seen scattering for the bushes. A screeching giggle of merriment drowns out their cries of terror.

Watching her leave sits Ragin - a tall, thin, elf-like creature - perched on a nearby stump. A look combining pain, concern, and exhaustion ripples across his face. His garments become dull and less ostentatious, but he does not seem to notice.

A boggart waddles up, slowly crushing his felt hat in his hands as he twists them anxiously.

"Uh. Pardon, but... Sire? Sire, are you okay? Did you get rid of the human?"

Ragin glances up, and then away. Something colors his cheeks. Is that... embarrassment?

"Mm. No. No, I did not."

"I understand, sire," the boggart soothes, nodding. "Sometimes we grow attach-"

"That... is not what happened."

Ragin takes a breath, and continues.

"I think, somehow, we managed a pact."

The boggart brightens, and nearly stands on tip toe. "Oh, what luck, sire! A fae pact to forge a warlock can be a gr-"

"Not a fae pact, Gribble." He still has not looked back towards his servant.

"I- I don't understand." Gribble looks at his hat and realizes it's been reduced to threads. He watches them fall, drifting towards the ground from his tanned, calloused hands, and then returns his attention back to his realm-lord.

"I think..." Ragin begins, but then the unicorn brays again, and the small child bursts from the wood astride its back, wielding a shining sword clumsily in one hand. She hoots in what might be joy, and then gallops away down a twisting path.

Ragin sighs heavily, a sound like the earth itself bearing down on him.

"I think... somehow..."

He takes another deep breath, and swallows, visibly shaken.

"I've been running the conversation back through my head again and again... and I'm fairly certain... she's my patron."

There is a long, deafening silence, punctuated only by the occasional screeching giggle of a human child somewhere over the hills. After twenty, maybe thirty minutes pass, Gribble finally manages to squeak out a single word.

"Oh."

"Yes," Ragin agrees. "Oh."

#fae pact #warlock #child #ragin #gribble

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skullsplitterdice · 3 months

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Warlocks are one of the primary classes in D&D. Learn more about them and some tips at our blog!

#dnd #dnd5e #dungeonsanddragons #d&d #skullsplitterdice #rpg #dice #gaming #dice sets #rpgdice

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the-grey-wizard · 10 months

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The Gr(a/e)y Councils Guide to different Magic practioners (a tier list)

It has come to the Council's Attention that some Magical Practitioners are unaware of the difference between the various types of Spell Casters, so we decided to give a quick (non-exhaustive) Guide:

A Tier: Wizards: While some innate power is required to *be* one almost every human has that amount of innate ability. What distinguishes a Wizard is that they gain power through study, formulaic spells and ruins, etc. Wizards are the best type because the only limiter is the intelligence of the Wizard, not some in-born mana pool.

B Tier: Alchemists, Magical Tinkerers, etc. Basically overly specialized Wizards. C Tier: Clerics and Druids. Both gain their power through long devotion and love of a higher power (some god for clerics, nature in general for druids). While their power is not in-born, they don't sell their souls for power, and they do require an immense amount of dedication to gain their power. They are a lower Tier than Wizards in their magic is dependent another party that may stop providing power at any time, and the magic they can perform is *increadibly* limited. Druids can only perform nature magic (which is admitedly a fairly large group), and Cleric's magic that has to do with their gods. Sad. D Tier: Sorcerers (type 1): Their magic is innate, they can be fucking lucky idiots. They suck.

F Tier: Warlocks. Oh you found a Grimoire that allowed you to sell your soul for power? GREAT IDEA. Taking the easy route and being condemend to an eternity of torture afterwards. Imbeciles, the Lot of them. Go fuck yourselves Warlocks.

Witches: Oddly, there is no consensus on what defines a Witch. Some say it is just a female Wizard (The Gr(e/a)y Council of Wizards holds "Wizard" to be a Gender Neutral Title, like 'President', therefore rejects this definition). Others say it is a Binder of Spirits, using natural spirits to perform their biding, which is the same as Sorcerer Type 2 (aka, pre dnd ish definition). This is a B Tier, kinda good, but still not doing shit for yourself. Another definition involves using natural magics from Herbs, animals, and mother nature. This is basically a rehash of above types, but specializing. Meh.

Not Mentioned: Bards, Necromancers, Enchanters, etc. They are all just specific subtypes of above groups.

#wizard posting #If anyone takes this seriously and actually gets annoyed #that says way more about you then me

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bellathetitan · 1 year

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'Welcome home, Sunbreaker.' (Part 1 of 2)

Bella-2 giggled as she peered over her Rally Barricade, before turning her excited, green-glowing eyes to her companion 'What else can I do?' 'We-well...th-there is a l-lot you c-can do!' despite him preparing for finally finding his Guardian, Wheatley struggled to find the words. He had expected to hold a big speech once he found them. Expected that they would be confused and scared and in denial, rather than simply accepting this messy world and run into it head first with curiosity.

'R-right n-now you are wie-wielding Void. Y-you c-can throw dif-different kinds of gr-grenades. A-and once you h-have enough en-energy. You c-can cast a Super! Ei-either a Ward of D-Dawn or a S-Se-Sentinel Shield. Y-You a-also have a b-bigger Barricade.' Wheatley's thoughts jumped from place to place. How does he explain that only Ward of Dawn Titans get that overshield on Melee Kill? Or that she can't Shield Bash whilst using that Super? Instead she asked 'And only Titans can do that?' 'Yes! O-Only Titans.' Bella-2 formed a fist covering it with Void Light and gave it a considering gaze 'What does it mean to be a Titan?' she didn't move her eyes away from the purple Light dancing on her metal skin. That question hit Wheatley like a Cabal Drop Pod. How was he supposed to answer a question of such weight? 'Th-that is a dif-difficult question, Bella. T-Titans are the fr-frontline. The Sh-Shields at which the d-darkness breaks. They a-are the he-heavy hitters that t-take out a-armies with their b-bare hands.' 'But that sounds like how we do things. What do I symbolise? What do I stand for? To humanity? What is the meaning of me being the frontline? Why am I here?' her voice was not demanding in any way, rather filled with wonder and as she felt the Void eating away at her core, making her hungry for more knowledge, it turned sorrowful. Her Ghost couldn't help but feel worried 'I-I do not know....' he admitted, turning his Shell towards the ground. Looking at him Bella-2 started to smile 'Then we will figure it out, together!' she announced. And Wheatley rose his head to meet her eyes and nodded in agreement. After a short break of eating whatever the Cabal had left behind and Wheatley telling her about the Warlocks and Hunters and the City, they ventured on. The Vex constructions scattered throughout the planet seemed inviting and hostile at once. Cubes upon cubes stacked ontop each other in all directions, covered in strange lines and patterns. Some of the messy constructions even hovered in the air with no support. More spires scraping at the sky with their light blue ribbons. Round towers emerging from the depths, highlighted by strange lights. Despite the sun never setting, the day was coming to an end. The two friends grew tired. 'Let's look for shelter.' Bella-2 said whilst rubbing her left eye 'I need a nap.' The moment she asked for it, a huge construct emerged from behind the hills. It towered higher than any of the half done contraptions they had encountered so far. More finished, so to say. Bella-2 threw her arms in the air 'THIS IS PERFECT! We can live in there for a while until we find a way to get to the City!' Before Wheatley could reply she had already dashed ahead.

#destiny 2 #short story #sunbreaker

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frenchie-sottises · 4 years

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Who wants some memes?

I’ve made quite a few.

@ellzilla, @waffle-the-frog, @tooronz, @entseeltnathus, @jeweledstone, @arandomvelociraptor, @zincs-posts, @askthengccrew.

#My memes #Enjoy these #cause I've run out of ideas rn.#Y'all can suggest some if you want.#Noelani #Noelani NGC #Persona #RED #Red NGC #Warlock #Warlock GR #Godzilla NES #Godzilla NES Creepypasta #NES Godzilla Creepypasta #NES Godzilla #NES Godzilla Replay #Godzilla Replay

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vickylamore · 3 years

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Tuebor | I

Summary: You didn't regret it. If the same option was given to you again in the future, you'd do it without question for the people of Orian. However, what you did did not help your current situation at all, especially now that you're babysitting a literal outsider all the while trying to make amends with the gods.

Pairing: ??? x Female! Reader, NCT (127, Dream, WayV) x Female! Reader (with appearances of other idols under SM).

Genre: Magic Realism, Fantasy, Slight Comedy

WC: 11.7k

Warnings: Mentions of killing, mentions of torture, blood, slight injury, swearing, mentions of toxic relationships, death, mentions of death, violence, attempted murder (sorta), mentions of religion (name drops like archangel Micheal, Azarel), mentions of lynching, toxicity, sexism (slight), misogyny (if you squint), too much foreshadowing lol.

Notes: This is a very quick post before I vanish for another month lol. My favourite fic I've written for far and I have so much more planned for it. This will be a trilogy, the first part being the shortest and last being the longest (one of, it depends on which route I'm choosing for the ending). I hope that you enjoy this just as much as I did! There will be a tag list for this so feel free to send an ask/leave a comment!

Disclaimer: This is a work of FICTION. The idols used in this fic are solely for character use only. I do not condone any actions committed in this fic. The pairings are for lore purposes ONLY and are not real in real life because again, this is fiction. Thank you.

Tag List: @stayarmytinyzenmoa-l (mwah)

Someone was going to die tonight.

It wasn’t the best way to start your morning, to start your day, but the ache in your chest was climbing up your throat and pressing onto your vocal cords, almost suffocating your entire body. You couldn’t move, nor could you speak in the hallowed room. It was so damn quiet that you could hear the little pitter-patter drizzle of rain from your window.

Someone was going to die tonight, your intuition was telling you as much. The phrase was banging in your head like a loose screw in a cookie jar. Constant sounds bouncing from one end of your head to another, and it was getting unbearable.

You flicked your wrist to the side, the curtains automatically pulling back only to reveal the dead and quiet neighbourhood you recently moved into. The solemn high-rise apartments were gloomy and the dirty chocolate-coloured brick walls looked disgusting in this weather, especially since the sun wasn’t out— which is almost every day. Even the plants that were on the window seal were dying, fawning out and losing their green hue. No birds were out, no chirping or singing. It was eerie, almost like it was setting up your day.

Your mother always said that nature was connected to the bad vibes of the atmosphere, that they were connected to the future. You didn’t know how much you believed that however, you were never connected to the elemental lineage of your family tree.

You let out a heavy breath, your throat finally relaxed after the minutes of the dreadful ache and managed to swallow the lump in your throat. Your feet dragged themselves out the door to your nearly empty bedroom and immediately walked into the kitchen seconds later. A hot mug of the darkest coffee beans you could find in Athlar was now in their liquid form, swirling in the mug in your hand. Yet, even then, the taste wasn’t as strong as you’d like it, and you’d probably end up throwing the entire bag of coffee beans down the portal back to Larizmar and shove it down the throat of the shopkeeper that sold them for à whopping three hundred crystallines.

A waste of money. You let out a laugh, a sharp sound of annoyance before placing the mug on the counter. Six days before the council made their decision about what the hell they were going to do with you, it was only a matter of time that they got rid of you. You didn’t understand why Taeyong made you leave your villa in Khisfire just to live here… in Athlar; the city of demons and dark angels, the city where you wouldn’t dare step into unless you wanted to be devoured by the first demon who laid an eye on your weak, power-deprived figure.

It wasn’t even that bad compared to the rumours that spread about the city. Alright, maybe they weren’t exaggerating when they said the entire city was depressing and lacked life and the king of Athlar was a total asshole that you’d love to pluck his eyes out and shove them down his disgusting rotten mouth, but you were already in enough trouble with the council as it was, there’s no way you’d survive if the king of Athlar had something to say about you.

Stupid, it was stupid. The entire council would’ve been in coffins six feet under if you didn’t do what you did. And instead of being the grateful bastards they are, they threw you in jail with a ten thousand gold bail on your head. It was rising to twelve thousand just because you shouted, abolish the fucking council, in Medrain, Khisfire’s square while they tried dragging you to the jail cell. Bunch of misogynistic entitled fucking assholes. Except like two of them, but still.

A knock on your door disrupted your thoughts, and it was only increasingly frantic the more you stayed in your kitchen, debating on whether you should open the door or not. It’s not like you had anything better to do except mope around the literal empty space that was given to you as a little hideout.

You walked towards, sighing before opening the door with a blank expression, only to groan and close it, locking it with a lock spell.

You waited, and waited, probably a good ten seconds before the door burst open, revealing an angry-looking archangel with his black wings sprawled in the hallway glaring at you with less-than-impressed eyes. You raised an eyebrow.

“It’s seven in the morning.” The archangel merely rolled his eyes and dispersed of his wings, closing the door before him with a loud clack. “It’s seven in the morning.”

“Does it look like I have time for your shit?” The black-haired man boar his ink turned eyes into your skull, veins turning black at the sudden frustration that overcame his senses. You merely shrugged and moved towards the couch, leaning against its back with your hands stuffed in your hoodie’s pouch. “I should be asleep right now.”

“Well, you’re here are you not?” You asked with a raised eyebrow, nudging your head towards the end of the hall, “there’s a bed in the bedroom, shocking I know. Use it if you must.”

“Get dressed.” Jaehyun looked at you impatiently, arms crossed over his chest. His eyes were back to their original brown colour, but his veins were now grey, meaning he was still frustrated with you at the moment. “Taeyong got you a deal with the council.”

You squinted before letting out a laugh, “Taeyong literally is the council.” You got up and walked towards your bedroom, slamming the door shut. “He’s the supreme archangel, the hell you mean he got me a deal? You guys should buy me a way out of here.”

“The council is made of four other members,” Jaehyun’s voice echoed through the small apartment complex, his voice a lot closer which told you he was right outside your door. “You’re even lucky he got you a deal before they behead you in front of the entire population of Orian.”

“Not the entire realm," you scoffed. "And you know that’s not true; they're just abiding orders from the king,” you laughed and finished getting dressed into your garments. “Even if they did want to behead me, there are so many ways that will go wrong.” You turned and opened the door, sending a small grin at the man in front of your door, “you forgot I’m quite popular with the people of Khisfire, and the many allies I had will make the entire council shake in their boots.”

“You’re not wearing that.”

You raised an eyebrow and stared down at your outfit, “why not?” you asked. “Isn’t it appropriate that the supreme sorceress of Khisfire wear this outfit that was gifted by the council oh-so-many years ago to her beautiful demise?” He could tell you were mocking your title, ex-title if you plead guilty, which you will. The council aren't a bunch of sympathetic saints.

Jaehyun clenched his jaw, seemingly rethinking his entire decision of helping you in the first place. “I genuinely do not have time for your shit; you know exactly why you can’t.”

“Yeah, yeah,” you ignored his complaints, “it’s the whole ‘I only listen to and serve Taeyong so please don’t get me in trouble’ crap. I’m not changing.” The black-winged creature inhaled deeply, probably counting his lucky stars to possibly avoid an infuriated archangel, that is if he had any left.

“You think the death of a man will stop me from wearing my favourite outfit?” You brought your hands to your hips. “A man at that, if he was a she, maybe I’d reconsider.”

He whispered under his breath and shut his eyes, “angels give me strength.”

“The angels don’t like you.”

“Will you please shut up?”

You shrugged and walked around the archangel, your heels softly clicking through the empty hallway. You waved your hand to close the curtains and with another flick, you close the door to your room, causing Jaehyun to turn around with a heavy sigh, sounding more like a low growl.

Let’s just say that you and the archangel went as far back as your fucking birth. Always in and out of your life, never with you for longs periods of time as he, Taeyong, had his shit with the council and you had your business. You were rather a young sorceress; your kind could live to hundreds of years before dying and going back to the elements of the world. The man in front of you was an archangel that had close ties with your family. You were one of few warlock families that helped the different species in Orian when the great war broke out between the council and the faes, the angels, archangels, demons and so many more. Hell, even the supreme archangel and the warriors and vampires were helped during the war. The archangels and a few different groups were extremely grateful for the help brought to them. Although you weren’t alive during the time of the war, you were born sometime later barely twenty years ago.

Let’s just say that some archangels owned a lot to your family and what better way to repay them than to take care of their now orphan daughter?

Long story.

Anyway, despite the shit your family did for half the council, they’re still a bunch of ungrateful and unappreciated grade-A assholes. There is no sense of loyalty except if it is for their own, and even they’re a bunch of two-faced, backstabbing pricks.

“Okay and so what if I killed someone in this outfit? It wouldn’t be the first time.” And honestly, it was your favourite dress you had. It was a two-piece jumpsuit that had a cape-like piece that attached to your lower back and flowed as you walk. The colour changing from a deep blue to an emerald colour from the top to the bottom, except the white belt and white lace flowers that ran from your torso to the baseline of your neck.

All of that said, it was a gorgeous dress. A dress that was handcrafted by the council as a gift for becoming one of the most powerful and youngest sorceresses in the city. Guess they’d want it back now.

“You killed the commissioner.”

You opened the front door to your temporary house, “I’ve dealt with plenty of commissioners.”

Jaehyun was behind you in less than a sec, slamming the door shut again. You let out a heavy breath and turned to him in annoyance, a spark lightly grazing your fingertips. “It’s seven in the morning.”

Jaehyun held his gaze with his hand still pressing against the closed door, his much taller figure looming over your own by more than a few inches because of those overanxious boots the archangel wore. The look on his face made you look at him; as it was grim and twisted with a serious aura that, given the circumstances, made you feel uneasy. “You don’t get it, do you?” he asked in a low, serious voice. “You killed one of the head commissioners of the Celestial Army who happens to be a pureblood angel and the Orian king’s son.”

The angels were never ones to mess with, not with their soldiers, not with their full-bloods and most definitely not with their children or their royal line. The only difference between full-bloods and purebloods of any species was that one of them wasn’t a part of the royal line. The angels cared immensely for their pure bloodline of royals; they’d raised Hell for both the prince and princess of Orian. The purebloods angels; gold eyes when upset and red when livid, blue when sad and purple when in mourning. The colour code was excruciatingly long and unnecessary to remember; you didn’t need to know what shade of blue means they’re starving and what shade of orange means they’re tired. You genuinely did not care enough to make an effort to memorize the stupid colour list.

The purebloods angels were one of the highest-ranking species when it came to the power they possessed, second right behind their father; the Orian king, also known as the almighty angel. Technically, the almighty angel and the supreme archangel had incredible amounts of strength and power that either came from the high peaks of the divine regions or the darkest pits of the abyss. No one really knew which one of the two was stronger, most didn’t want to know. As for the purebloods angels and pureblood archangels, there isn’t a comparison; there aren't any pureblood archangels, only half breeds. And although they were quite powerful and stronger than some full-blood faes and vampires, they were nothing compared to the angels. The mother of the pureblood angels was weaker than them and other purebloods like the pureblood faes, pureblood wolves, pureblood vampires and so many more. The purebloods, any kind, were legit pains in the ass. Stuck-up, spoiled royal rich kids.

The sky only knows how they react when upset.

“Like I told you, the council and the fucking royal family; Liu Yangyang was not the beloved prince they thought he was.” Your eyes pierced his and, for a moment, one of the leading archangel soldiers of the Uriel region felt inferior under the cold gaze dethroned from a very powerful and young sorceress. If looks could kill, Jaehyun would’ve been in the tower’s sanctuary for the umpteenth time this year. “I still don’t understand why exactly I’m being hauled for doing the entire realm a fucking favour.”

A conspiracy was what started your investigation. A conspiracy against the oh-so-beloved angel prince, one of the greatest leaders of the entire realm. Those who didn’t know his true intentions would say that. The angel was an amazing deceiver, you’ll give him that; a manipulator, a narcissist. He was greedy, wanted many things for him. He had the power to wipe out cities upon cities if he really wanted to. And he nearly managed to do so, your own kind probably wouldn’t have survived the attack if he was successful. There was no way the faes or the wolves would have survived, the mermaids? Maybe. The sorcerers? Not so much. The council, except for the few, would have survived, and it would’ve been the worse ones too; the angels only know how much the Athlar king despises you for just being in his realm.

“I did what I had to do, you guys are just trying to find someone to blame.” You cocked an eyebrow and crossed your arms, watching as Jaehyun slowly removed his hand from the door. “Instead of taking responsibility for their son’s actions, the almighty angel is having the council kill me.”

“They haven’t decided yet.”

“So what?” The smallest lump appeared in your throat at the mere thought of being executed for doing everyone a favour. Unappreciative jerks for sure. “Taeyong might have negotiated some type of deal with them but it doesn’t mean I’m gonna walk later today.”

“He’s not going to let that happen,” murmured Jaehyun, opening the door. “He isn’t going to let them kill you, not with all the history between your family and us.”

Confusing. It was all confusing, the link between the archangels and our family fucking tree. Your parents lived for centuries before they succumbed to their age a lot faster than planned a few years ago. However, before they died, they did a lot for the archangels. One great deed was the help during the war that started nearly two centuries ago and only ended a few decades before you were born. Sorcerers and archangels usually don’t mix, hell, a great portion of them are legitimately terrified of them. Again, except a few. So when Jaehyun said that Taeyong wasn’t going to let them kill you, you believed it.

The archangels had a knack for keeping their word and allegiance to any family whether it be years or centuries or millennials in the future. The bond was that strong. Your parents never told you what exactly they did to have an entire colony of archangels fight for your survival, whether those archangels were forced or not, you didn’t care. You befriended some without them knowing who you were. And the supreme archangel, as well as your most acquainted friends, blatantly refused to tell you so you just gave up after years of trying.

“I feel so much better.” He could practically hear the sarcasm slip from your tongue as you walked out of the apartment, heels softly clinging once more. “This is a fucking death wish.”

“A lot of things you do are death wishes.” The archangel said with a scoff, “now you’re worried?”

“Yeah, well,” you put your foot in the doorway right before Jaehyun was able to close the door, sticking your arm through the small entrance space and flicking your wrist and fingers, “the after-dawn activities I have are always in my control.”

Jaehyun looked at you and leaned against the wall, tongue poking the side of his cheek and a contemptuous expression danced on his face, “you summoned Azrael two weeks ago?”

“Azrael is a very nice demon, thank you,” you defended the archangel of death in a split second, looking back at the man in front of you, “just needed a few things from him, that’s all— where the fuck is it?”

A clutter of noises emerged from inside your temporary home, from keys being thrown to the floor to glass shattering made Jaehyun wince. You really gotta practise your magic in Athlar, the elemental resistance is ridiculous in this realm.

“The hell are you looking for?”

Finally, you brought your hand out of the apartment complex, the last hues and sparks of purple and silver disintegrating in the air. Before the door closed, two items flew out. The first was a double-layered silver choker with a black obsidian pendant hanging from the first layer. The last was a gold rhinestone glove bracelet, enveloping your entire forearm and had a black onyx pendant that rested on your index finger.

Jaehyun’s mouth curled upwards, “you’re bringing your shield?” You turned towards the older male flexing your fingers until they cracked and the black onyx glistened under the dull light in the hallway.

“Of course I’m bringing Soteria’s bracelet if that’s what you’re asking,” you said it as if it was the most obvious thing to anyone. Jaehyun only huffed, you added, “the Athlar king is going to be there right?” A nod. “Exactly, that man hates my guts and does not care if the council is present or not. He will kill me if I piss him off enough or anyone else— am I missing anything?”

“Phone?” You opened your door again and fetched your phone the same way you got Soteria’s bracelet and the collar. You locked the door soon after.

Soteria’s bracelet was a gift from the eldest sorcerer, the bracelet in the form of a glove that cuffed around your wrist and half of your forearm. A protective seal, alerting you of any possible threat that might act on their vicious actions. An energy enhancer, enhancing all your magic if needed.

Jaehyun got off the wall and stretched, looking from left to right before chuckling under his breath. You raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything, you practically read his mind. You keep summoning his demons (Y/n), doesn’t mean he can be a bitch about it.

Jaehyun was one of the first archangels you’ve ever met, Taeyong being the first. Archangels you knew existed, archangels that were feared in multiple cities for their reputation and history with the angels and demons. It was bloody and treacherous, the tales and stories of what their kind did to others, to elderly to children. The deals they had to stay in power, how they’d manipulate the weakest to stay on the top of the food chain.

Predators, the archangels were the predators of Orian. The lions of the Savanna, the sharks of the ocean. Archangels aren’t ones to be messed with, it doesn't matter if you’re a demon or angel. Even Micheal wouldn’t deal with his own fucking people, which is why he left all the responsibility to Taeyong.

It’s funny how you met the most important people at funerals and memorials. The people you didn’t think ever even heard of your name making a grand yet subtle entrance at your parents’ funerals years ago when you were only sixteen. Funny, really, how the supreme archangel said his condolences and even gave a eulogy in honour of your parents. People you didn’t know but knew what their kind was were surrounding the room. Offering condolences was one thing, it was a bigger issue when the archangels are actually present. Again, your parents never really talked about them, never really spoke about their friendship with the archangels. Nothing was left behind, no explanation of the sudden interest after their deaths or what exactly they did to be honoured in such a way.

They were just gone and left you in a state of mourning for months.

“So,” you started walking down the hallway, Jaehyun right beside you, hands stuffed in his dress pants. Only then did you notice how well-dressed he was. “Where are we going?”

Jaehyun nudged his head towards the staircase, and while climbing up, he whispered the location. Your heart fell to the pit of your stomach. Of course, this was where you were headed.

No wonder Jaehyun tried convincing you to change your outfit.

To the Orian palace, you go.

Any mentally sane person would’ve taken a portal, hell would’ve teleported to the palace. Something normal, something that wasn’t over the top, especially after assassinating the prince of the entire world. You didn’t know if Jaehyun thought this through, obviously, he didn’t think a lot of things through because as of right now, you laid on his back while he flew in the air. People were staring, and they were staring hard; whether because the prince’s assassin was in the air or if the archangel’s figure was that damn attractive. He was such an attention whore, my god.

The sky was a beautiful orange and blue hue, the pinkish-purple clouds were clearing as the sun was now coming up, the clouds that were once filled with water and cast a light drizzle on the corner of Athlar had long been gone and dispersed elsewhere. Khisfire’s weather was always the nicest in the morning, you still can’t believe that Taeyong made you move into that dump to ensure your safety.

Ensure your safety my ass.

Jaehyun gazed in the air for a second, and it was then you realized that you were just above the gates to the palace. You sighed into his shirt, closing your eyes, nausea overcoming your senses. “Next time we do this, can you not go so fast, I get motion-sickness easily you know.”

“I’m sorry princess,” he mocked with a curt laugh, “I can drop you off right here—”

“Don’t your fucking dare.”

Jaehyun laughed again and swopped down towards the ground, a series of laughs ripping through his throat while you tried your best to keep your eyes shut and avoid hurling the half cup of coffee you drank this morning. Archangels and their fucking thrill for heights will never not confuse you. Nor will their history with the demons but that was truly a story for another day or hour. It depends on how today’s meeting will go.

He finally landed on the square, concrete pavement right in front of the looming silver gates. You got off his back and hunched forward, dizziness clouding your head. “I think I’m going to hurl.”

“Great first impression.”

“I killed the prince, that’s enough of a first impression.”

The Orian palace was located on one of the three floating cities right above Khisfire but under the clouds. The floatings cities were the homes to the angels, some creatures live there as well like faes, nymphs, pixies and any flying species in the realm who were exiled by the Seelie queen. Octavia, home to the Orian palace and the Orian royals, was the city in the middle of the other two, Tarrin and Ellesmere. The other two were also homes to water, fire, air and earth spirits, the basic elemental elements of the realm.

The palace was a giant white castle with angel warriors and guards flying around the premieres. The palace nearly reached the top of the clouds, a white aura radiating from angel to angel. The sun beamed down on the city like a spotlight, the trees from the fruit in the crates brimming in gold hues. There were a bunch of markets surrounding the castle, a handful of angels walking and discussing among themselves. It was so different from Athlar, not too far off from Khisfire. The main difference was the atmosphere surrounding this place; it reeked of pure magic. Not that you hated it, but it was so damn overwhelming that it made you want to hurl— again.

“Come on,” ushered Jaehyun as you got back up, lightly touching your arm. “It’s not safe out here.”

You raised an eyebrow and were about to question why exactly landing in Octavia was already dangerous to both of you, but you straighten your back and almost immediately felt the laser beam stars and knife-throwing glares that bored into your skull. The whispers were so quiet yet so loud, a clutter of them mettled into à pot and you were able to hear the gist of most. Murderer. You shivered slightly, feeling the unwelcoming chills from nearly every angel, you were spared by those who haven’t spotted you yet.

You followed Jaehyun towards the main entrance. You played with the collar around your neck, the dull thud of your heart bounced in your head. You and Jaehyun continued walking towards the entrance of the palace, where a bunch of guards were standing, wings spread and brown and gold garments lingered on their bodies. You sighed heavily and glanced at Jaehyun, who only stared back in return but didn’t say anything.

It was either go one of two ways; either they know that you’ve been invited to the castle for a deal or they have no idea why archangels are in their city and kill you on the spot. You wouldn’t be surprised if the second of the two scenarios were to occur; the angels were known for their looks and not their brains, one of them was going to pull their spear to your face.

As you approached the group of archangels, you felt a certain gaze glaring at you— not that no one else was excessively staring you down, but this one was different. This one felt menacing, and it was coming from above. You refrained from looking upwards because you neared the station of diving winged saints but you knew that the same gaze would bore into your skull as soon as you stepped foot in the castle.

You settled in front of the guards, the guards eyeing you both suspiciously. You bit back a groan as Jaehyun spoke first, “here for the meeting with the council.” God, you could feel the hostility towards Jaehyun, your own was borderline unbearable at this point. The stares from the guards, who were supposed to be expressionless while on duty were practically giving the middle finger as soon as you stepped foot in their city. Guess the angels and the Athlar king have something in common; they both despise you, one of them wasn’t even justified.

“You can pass,” the guard told Jaehyun but his blue eyes pierced your own in a matter of seconds. With à deep, gruff voice, he growled, “this one doesn’t have permission to enter.”

“The meeting revolves around me dipshit—” you bit your words as soon as Jaehyun let out a cough. You would’ve kept going if the situations were any different, Jaehyun couldn’t just boss you around if he wanted to. The only reason you stopped was… everything was against you right now and because the glare the angel shared with Jaehyun was absolutely terrifying.

Angels and archangels, a simple case of cat and mouse except it had a millennium's worth of history and bad blood that no agreement could ever put an end to the war before the fallen angel and divine angel. Both were equally as petty, one was just as stubborn as the other and just as vicious. If you had to choose who’d within a fistfight, you’re biased and would pick the archangel. But the way the tension was thick and suffocating, you weren’t so sure.

Not that you had no faith in Jaehyun, but it was one against eight with each of them having spears and stones that worked so much better in Octavia than they would in Khisfire. Just like how your powers work immensely well in Khisfire compared to Athlar.

“She’s coming with me, whether you want to or not,” Jaehyun said with a shrug, eyebrow cocked to the side. “Check with the royals if you need to. In the meantime, we’ll be entering now.” Oh, if things were just as easy, life would be a piece of cake.

Jaehyun was always a cocky son of a bitch, Jaehyun was always an overconfident asshole. It was one of the reasons you liked him so much; the man had an excessive way to show his power over others, whether, with a glare or cocked eyebrow, any facial expression will do. It was easy to get whatever he wanted, he was one of the most powerful archangels in Orian, no one would dare cross him.

You? Huh, not so much.

If everything was that easy, you would’ve gotten away with the prince’s assassination. If life was that easy, you would’ve been one of the most powerful people in all of Orian.

But of course, something had to go wrong.

As soon as you even attempted to move, the swift movement of the guard who denied you entry did not go unnoticed. In a split second, a spear nearly caught your neck, the tip light grazing your skin; it would trigger a bled if he moved it just a bit more. “Well,” you laughed, pinching the bridge of your nose, and glanced at Jaehyun, “this is awkward.”

“I told you,” the angel looked at Jaehyun again, spear still laser-focused on your neck. “We don’t accept murderers in our palace.”

You wonder what he’d say if the prince was alive and well while half the realms mourned their people and loved ones. You wonder just how much the angels knew of the entire situation, how much anyone knew what the prince intended to do unless the Orian king kept quiet. Liu Yangyang’s death was a necessary one, his life was eliminated to keep the peace between the realms. You scoffed and looked at the spear, the sharp end grazing your collar a little more. You’d honestly love to hear all the beautiful rumours spread about you.

Like every mistake, there’s some sort of solution. To everything, to ever fuck up, there’s always something to hold it in place and fix it before it completely blows over. Every action has its consequences and although you didn’t know what it was, Jaehyun’s sudden head tilt and smirk told you everything you needed to know.

Lighting thundered in the sky, black bolts lingering in the sky one after another. The warm weather suddenly chilled and nearly everyone was shivering from the bitter and sudden cold. The sky was no longer a bright blue colour, instead, it was now a filthy black and purple, as if a storm was quickly approaching. The lightning bolts became more and more constant, bigger and shorter-lasting in the sky. The sound emitted from the sky sounded like loud cracking noises and came closer and closer to the floor. Thunder roared across the sky, the last much more focused than the first. Every angel stopped staring at you and focused on the sky, dreadful expressions on their faces and flew away as fast as they could.

And finally, four huge black orbs of energy that spurt silver lighting swirled closer and closer to the ground before crashing onto the gravel, denting it in the process, right on your left, a few feet away from you. The black fog lasted for only a few seconds before four figures slowly got up from the floor, the side of their faces lingered with visible silver veins that looked straight out of a mutant experiment movie.

They sprawled their ink-black wings and their ink-black eyes looked around them, taking in their surroundings. Every angel knew better than to glance in their direction, even the children looked away when one of them started. They wore what any archangel would; having a very similar attire to Jaehyun, whether it was for the meeting or regular clothing, you didn’t know. The one in the front groaned once he clicked his feet on the pavement, noticing the caved-in stone.

“They’ll have to send me the bill later.”

“We all know you aren’t going to pay for it.”

The man fixed the cuffs of his dress shirt, looking as unbothered as the now minding-their-own business angels who'd flown as soon as he made his appearance known. With a side look, his voice came out as a sort of chant, like a warning, “soldier, I suggest you put that spear down.” His eyes turned black for a split second as he fully glared at the soldier, whose spear was now far, far away from your neck.

The power of this man was unimaginable.

He dispersed his white fading black wings and rolled his head and shoulders, blonde hair reaching the back of his ears and brimmed against the sun of the now normal sky. The men around him are doing the same. They made their way towards you and Jaehyun, less than impressed expressions lingered on their faces.

The colony of angels that blocked the entrance fully froze in their movements, eyes whining slightly yet some were literally shaking. You raised an eyebrow at the angel in front of you, “not so tough now huh?” you whispered under your breath, smirk tugging your lips. The angel clenched his jaw and closed his eyes. “Mh-hm, that’s what I thought.”

Funny how the angels were almighty and powerful until an archangel step in the proximity of them. Shaking in their boots like a bunch of children scared of a clown. The difference between their auras was overwhelming as well, the blond-haired archangel’s aura was black littered with darkness, death and abyss property that you wanted nothing to do with. The angels’ aura was white and reeked of pure and divine magic, their auras clashed against the archangels, a true fight between black and white.

However, the archangels greatly outweighed the angels, even if they were less numerous than the latter. The power system was an interesting one.

“This was inconvenient, pray to the skies that it doesn’t happen again.” The man was truly a menace to society. He might not be the buffest or tallest archangel, but his power was immense, it couldn’t be measured on scales. He knew that too, for his eyes flicked from one end of the line of angels to the outside. “Gentleman, if you would.”

Again, if it was that easy, you wouldn’t be in this damn predicament fighting your life. The angels moved into two groups, creating a clear pathway and letting you walk as freely as you could until you’d eventually reach the entrance of the palace. Commanding the angels in their own city, embarrassing. The man motioned for you to walk into the field of stone pavement, beyond the gates first and he followed suit after, the rest of them, including Jaehyun, followed from the sides.

The man right next to you didn’t even wait half a second into walking to let out a low, menacing growl. “You make my job one hundred times harder with that fucking outfit.”

“Good morning Taeyong,” you exasperated and looked over your shoulder to the other archangels, “Doyoung, Johnny, Yuta. Haven’t seen any of you in a couple years.”

“Tell me about it,” Johnny laughed bitterly, his hands in his front pockets, “wish we could’ve seen each other under better circumstances.”

Doyoung hummed from beside him, “hmph, all that protection and you can’t use it properly?” You rolled your eyes and twisted the black obsidian around your neck, the pendant glistening and a purple hue encased the stone.

“I didn’t think I’d be attacked at the gates,” you defended. “It’s activated now, happy?

“Anyways, we’ve been busy,” Yuta sent a subtle glare at Taeyong. “We’ve got debts to pay.”

The debt system wasn’t uncommon between archangels. Usually, a fae or vampire would have to pay their debt toward an archangel for a favour the latter has done. You can buy protection, wishes, money, nearly anything except freedom. Once you pledge your soul to an archangel, you have to pay debts over the years. An example would be a warlock who made a deal with an archangel for money. The archangel now had the power to summon the warlock for spells, information and any of the sort. Other fallen angels will acquire a pension from their clients. It was also common for archangels to have a debt towards another archangel.

The Venom Guard. The “council” of archangels. You’d describe it more as a group of the most powerful archangels that lived in Uriel as well as the deepest parts of the abyss. The Venom Guard was a group of seven archangels that reigned over Uriel, the realm of dark beings. From chimeras to skinwalkers, the land was filled with being with black to grey auras. The Venom Guard pledged allegiance to the supreme archangel long before the war broke out. They had an endless list of debts to pay if they ever wanted to be free again. It was how the debt system worked. You never asked what kind of things they’d have to do to clear their debt, but you had a few ideas.

“And how’s that going for you?”

It was genuinely a harmless question, poking fun at an archangel could go one of two ways. When Yuta’s glare went from Taeyong to your neck, you shut your mouth and climbed the last steps to the palace. You’ve been to the palace once in your entire life, and that was to receive congratulations from the royal about your title a few years back. At the time, the prince was a year older than you and the princess had just turned fourteen. Five years. It’s been five years since that happened.

You reached the entrance and looked down the hallway of the unbearable white and light silver walls and white and gold marbled pavement. It truly was a huge cathedral if you were honest, especially if you went up to the third and fourth levels. Two angels stood as guards at either side of the door. Taeyong nudged his head forward, the rest of the archangels continuing forward into the palace.

You raised an eyebrow, “what?”

You couldn’t tell if Taeyong was completely tired of your bullshit or if he didn’t want anything to do with today’s meeting. You can tell by the way his face was tight and his eyebrows were scrunched that something was on his mind. “How much did Jaehyun tell you?”

“Not a lot,” you replied and followed suit after him when he started walking into the palace, the archangels far in front of you. Your heels clicked on the marbled floor and you turned the corner. “Something about a deal you made with the council.”

“Nothing else?”

You shook your head and flexed your fingers slightly, the dull ache from the bracelet cramped them for a split second, rippling impulse shot through your arm. Taeyong glanced at your bracelet but you shook your head, shaking your arm to get rid of the tingling sensations. He didn’t say anything else, only moved the strand of blond hair that lightly skimmed his eyebrow to the side. “Don’t say anything rash.”

You scoffed, “I’ll try.”

“Don’t try, act on it,” he said sharply, voice low and menacing. “Keep the games outside the banquet room. If you don’t think you can control yourself, Jaehyun can bring you back to Athlar or the soldiers can bring you down to the dungeon.”

Your surprised face altered into a sly smirk and your fingers met your pendant around your neck once more. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Something was on his mind and it was nagging to the point where you had to ask. The supreme archangel glanced at you for a second before staring straight ahead. “I’m telling you everything you need to know.”

“Which is nothing at all?” He didn’t reply.

Mysterious. Incomplusive. Obscure. The entire deal was still a mystery to you and it didn’t help that the man who struck it refused to tell you anything. The less you know, the better it is for everyone. Taeyong’s words rang in your head after you had asked him what exactly happened between the archangels and your parents to have infinite protection the first time you met. The archangel had a smirk on his ring and fingers to his lips, dismissing the questions as soon as it had risen. Odd how someone could be so powerful yet so secretive and kept to himself.

He loved to make himself known, state his presence in the room and had a sort of carefree nature. But when it came to matters of the council or his own business, he kept quiet; like a shadow in the dusk, unable to be seen by the eyes of many.

You finally made it to the antic banquet room at the end of the hall after rounding the last corner. The white door, covered in black angel encrypted writing, was closed and guarded by an angel servant dressed in all white. The heirlooms hung on the wall of the hallway and various artifacts such as paintings and swords decorated the halls. The rest of the angels were gathered in the hallway to the left, Taeyong leaving your side to brief them for whatever reason. He had told you that you could enter the room and wait for him there. You nodded with a less-than-interested expression on your face. With nothing better to do than mope and sit around, you twirled towards the angels, skirt flowing in the air and watched as the door opened before you.

Slowly, the door opened. And the more it did, the faster your expression went from bored to alert and hostile. You felt it, you felt the same orbs who stared you down outside the palace return to haunt your surroundings and they— rather, she glared with deep blood-red eyes. A battlecry left the young woman’s throat, despite the yell from the man behind her. Her entire arm’s veins turned to gold and an arrow of pure, white divine magic shot its way out of her palm and towards you like a bullet.

Honestly, maybe she could’ve done some damage. She had the guts and certainly had the spirit.

But the arrow ricocheted off your body and flew right towards the group of archangels who were emulsified in the sudden attack. Taeyong’s hand caught the arrow before it could’ve done any initial damage to Jaehyun’s face and, it slowly disintegrated into white sand-like dust.

Ugh, you just gotta love having protection. You’d have to thank the angel who nearly slit your throat at the entrance, and Doyoung as well— if you hadn’t activated the obsidian around your neck, you would’ve succumbed to your injuries moments after acquiring them. The woman in the room certainly wasn’t happy though, not with her eyes still blood red.

“I appreciate the welcome gift,” you chuckled, staring from the white dust to the angel, your own eyes glinting sparks of purple and silver. You shared a heinous glare with her. “Next time, keep the present for yourself, princess.”

The room was unbelievably quiet, so quiet that you could hear the gritting teeth of the angel across the long, brown table. The archangels were outside of the banquet, at the end of the hallway to be specific. Direct guests are only allowed to participate in today’s discussion. Unless you were in the royal family, no one could intervene, even in the case of emergencies. You averted your gaze from your lilac faded white nails back to the woman who was only looking down at the table, red hair as intense as the internal hatred she kept for you. You scoffed.

Ridiculous. Imagine attacking the person you invited— forced to or not— to talk about this so-called meeting you still had no clue of. And she still had the nerve to sit at the other end of the table, her bodyguard sitting next to her.

“Control your face,” the archangel chirped, mimicking your movements. Your head quirked to the side and you clenched your jaw. “Not a good look on you.”

“Tell princess to control her fucking anger then,” you smiled and locked eyes with Taeyong. The archangel found this amusing, you could tell by the slightly twitched corner of his lip. “We wouldn’t be so hostile if she learned to act civil.”

She scoffed from the other end of the table, head snapping up, “did you act civil when you brutally murdered my brother?”

She loved pushing buttons, hitting nerves and sticking her nose in places it doesn’t belong. It was either listen to her and succumb to all her worthless babbling or she’d make your life a living hell, pun intended. It took everything in you to not turn the entire banquet on its head, and you would; an army of angels didn’t scare you. But an archangel who would not hesitate to stop your dumb shit? You wouldn’t try unless you choose to die.

If YangYang was the heavens’ warrior and protector, NingNing was their divine grace, pride and joy. The Liu siblings, snakes disguised in divine glory and pure magic. Usually, female pureblood angels would take after their mother’s last name, but Orian’s pride and joy loved power a little more than her mother, finally switching her name to Liu nearly seven years ago, at the fucking age of eleven.

Yeah. It should be enough to give everyone an idea on how spoiled the little brat actually is.

YangYang was most definitely a mama’s boy, and NingNing was her father’s precious gem. They were both close to their respective parent, yet argued with the other like the world would end the next day. If only their people knew how manipulative the siblings were.

Sinking further into the chair, you rubbed your fingers against your temples, eyes shutting to block out her gaze. “If she doesn’t shut up, I’ll be on trial for two pureblood deaths.”

“Excuse me?”

“Enough, NingNing,” the man beside her, probably a lesser threat than her— at the moment—, jabbed from under his breath, leaning in the chair next to her. She scoffed but sat back, angrily crossing her arms over her chest like à toddler that was refused their favourite toy. The black-haired man sighed. “Save the arguing for later.”

“There won’t be any arguing,” Taeyong spoke up, looking between both angel and the warrior. “It’s just a matter of agreement.”

“You got it all figured out huh?” Hendery said leaning onto the table, a small smirk tugging his lips, snarking tone and jabbing comments followed, “you really think the council will agree to whatever deal you have planned?”

“I’d watch your tone if I were you,” the archangel merely laughed, his smile only getting wider, “in any case, keep your thoughts to yourself, members of the council ideas only.”

The doors to the banquet opened and two people walked in, a man and a woman, although the woman was advancing further into the room compared to the other. She looked around, displeased eyes scanning item to item, either out of disgust or disinterested. Her heels clicked against the floor while she clicked her tongue. Your seat was facing the door, but you didn’t bother looking back, you noticed those footsteps from anywhere.

“Your mother never knew how to decorate this room.” The woman caught eyes with the princess, and with an already annoyed tone, she hissed with a curt laugh, “you also look displeased— where is she?”

You raised your hand over the chair, eyes still shut but a smile fully planted across your lips. “My queen, I am right here.”

You could practically feel the smirk as she walked closer to her, her probably six-inch heels skimmed the floor. Her dark, elegant yet malicious aura went from one corner of the room to another before her presence was right behind you. With a tap to the shoulders, you felt her many rings and the top of her long nails. She ushered, “fix your posture love,” and chuckled, her hands on your upper back. You groaned. “Queens don’t slouch in chairs.”

“Are you fixing her posture for the execution in a couple days, your highness?”

God, it would take one second to shut her up. You snapped your eyes open, glaring at the princess but didn’t say anything. At least, you wanted to, but the Seelie queen beat you to it.

“We don’t listen to the wrong patch of eggs,” she quipped without even glancing in the angel’s direction, and ushered you to sit back up and straight, “know your place when in my presence; snakes belong in cages after all.”

She didn’t even whisper or talk in a low tone— no. The Seelie queen practically chanted the words aloud, making sure the angel pureblood understood where exactly she was coming. You couldn’t help but smirk, tongue skimming your back teeth while swallowing your mocking laughs.

“Taeyong,” she rested her hands on the top of your head and glanced at the archangel with cautious eyes, “you will not disappoint me, right?”

“Irene,” Taeyong used the same tone as the Seelie queen and fully turned his attention to her, head resting on the palm of his hand. With a smug smirk, he twitched his eyebrows. “Do you think I’m stupid enough to let anything happen to her?”

“Debatable.”

“Reconsider.”

You looked between both immortals, a questionable look bouncing between your eyes. “You guys talking as if I’m not right here.”

“Ssh,” Irene tapped the side of your head and let out a soft chuckle, “love, the immortals are talking.”

The Seelie queen had unique characteristics compared to the other member of the council; dark green and brown vine-like-veins ran from the left side of her face staring from her ear and covered the entire left side of her body. Bright brown eyes under the rays of the sun that turned a dark orange whenever upset and threatening. She always wore her crown when in her realm, but today, she was wearing her classic long-sleeved dark brown jumpsuit with beads running against her sides, silver jewelry— from earrings to bracelets to rings— enhanced the beauty she already held.

How were you so lucky to be friends with one of the coldest leaders? The Seelie queen, whose name remains unknown apart from Irene, ruled over all seelies, fairies, nymphs, pixies, earth and wind spirits alike in Veritas, land of nature and divine creation. The most powerful fae in all of Orian, the most cunning leader and probably the most cold-heart out of the council.

Not towards you— you were a completely different story when it came to your well beings. Just like the archangels, the faes owned a lot to your family, however, the Seelie queen took interest in you ever since you’ve been a child. Whether she knew how powerful you were at a young age or because she knew you’d be a powerful ally in the future, you didn’t know and you honestly— just like with the archangels— didn’t care.

You had the Seelie queen on your side, that’s all you had to know.

“Love the family reunion and all but the Seelie queen isn’t what’s most important right now.” You turned around upon hearing the deep, growl-like voice. The man that entered beside Irene exclaimed, one hand stuffed in his front pocket and his pinky skimming against his front teeth, moonshine ring glimmering under the gold light. “Which one of you cowards decided to have this meeting on a full moon?”

“There are sticks outside, Alpha,” Irene shivered in disgust, her eyes roaming him up and down while he dug his nail further into the crevices of his teeth. “Use a toothpick if you must.”

“A piece of thin, dull and old wood won’t get dinner out of my teeth,” he growled and gave up soon after, “no point in doing it now.”

“Junmyeon please,” the archangel bellowed, crinkling his nose, “take it outside.”

There are the seelies, faes, pixies as well as the angels, archangels and sorceresses. The werewolves were the canines of the realm. The alphas to put it. Egotistical, self-centred and highly sexist wolves who always had to have the last word, even if wrong. Of course, not all werewolves were horrible. You were friends with some of them,.some of the best people in your life. But Junmyeon's pack? The worse decision if ever someone tried crossing them.

The de La Lune pack was vicious, power-hungry and narcissistic assholes that every time you had a conversation with at least one of them, you wanted to pluck your eardrums out to stop hearing the bullshit that littered their mouths. It was even worse when the alphas walked and talked in pairs— horrible if it was all nine of them.

Their leader wasn't any better but you did like him a lot more than the Athlar king— who has yet to arrive— for obvious reasons. Yes, the de La Lune back are conservative and play by their old laws, they were at least civil about it. For the most part; some of them needed a good slap, or four, to get their gears turning again.

You did pray for the women in their pack, especially the younger ones who didn't give two shits about the law. May the sky help them.

"Alpha Junmyeon," the pureblood angel smiled upon seeing the werewolf. "Thank you for arriving, it won't take too long."

"I wouldn't get my hopes up princess," he scoffed lightly and switched his gaze towards you. "This one always had a trick up her sleeve."

Was he wrong? Right now, yes he was. But you didn't dare go against his words, challenge him in a city where no doctor would heal you if he decides to rip you to shreds right now. Sorcerers and werewolves don't exactly mix; it's like physical strength versus magical ability, it already puts both parties at odds. Faes and sorcerers, archangels and demons, werewolves and vampires would mix. Only in a few cases, like your own, would faes, archangels and sorceresses would be seen remotely close together.

But the werewolves would do anything to disassociate with witches. The de La Lune pack was no different.

You rolled your eyes and mumbled under your breath, "I fucking hate wolves."

"We feel the same about you, you aren't damn special."

Fuck alpha werewolves and their stupid fucking enhanced and ultra-sensitive fucking ears. Nothing could go past them, more of a curse than a blessing if you were honest. Hearing everything, especially in the dead quiet of night would be a nightmare. Forget hearing crickets singing, what about the owls’ miles away? A hard pass.

And technically, he was wrong. Not all the wolves felt the same about you. They wouldn’t say it aloud but you knew a certain pack always had your back. And you theirs. But were you going to say it? No. Of course not.

"Your kind isn’t the only one that despises sorcerers," the door to the banquet opened and as soon as the voice ran through the room, the Seelie queen's hands tensed on your shoulders. A small noise, like hiss, escaped her throat. Taeyong and Irene caught eyes, and for a moment, hatred swam in their eyes. “Especially those who commit such vile actions.”

The room suddenly dropped in temperature, you could’ve sworn that the hairs on your arms stood straight and fixed their posture. The room leaked with ice and venom, blood-reeked clothes had an odd sweet scent to them but the eyes that skimmed their gaze through the room were less than kind. You caught eyes with NingNing, for who smirked with a mischievous gaze and stood up.

“Empress,” the princess bowed, “so glad you could make it, things would’ve been out of hand if it weren’t for you.”

“Given the guests in the room, I’m not surprised.”

Why was she so close? Disgustingly close that made your skin crawl and you wanted to sink back into your chair. But with the Seelie queen’s nails practically digging into your shoulders that they felt like nails ramming through a hard concrete wall. You couldn’t even bear to move, at this rate if you tried moving in the slightest, the sudden jolt would rupture all the nerves in your shoulder. You swallowed back a yelp when you felt the skin break underneath your clothing, ever-growing cool blood seeping down your back. At this point, you’re more glad that your outfit is dark enough to hide the streaks of red.

Taeyong must’ve noticed though. “Fingers on the chair, less into her shoulders.”

“Who would’ve thought that the Seelie queen hated the Lamia empress so much that she injured her favourite playtoy,” Junmyeon whistled while smirking, his toothpick logged into his two side teeth and was set across from you. “Just like a dog picking his favourite bone.”

The empress laughed mockingly, “Seelies do betray their own kind, are we shocked?”

“Do not mistake me for a bloodsucker.”

Slowly but surely, the wounds started to heal; Irene’s palms glowed a light green and the veins on the left side of her neck glowed, her energy transferring to you. Seelies had interesting powers, from camouflage to talking to wildlife. The Seelie Queen had many abilities; communicating from water, talking to the wildlife, transferring and gaining energy and strength, and healing. You’re sure there’s so much more you didn’t know. Finally, the wounds healed. “Sorry, love,” she whispered, comfortably rubbing your shoulders, “I tend to see red when someone I dislike gets too close to me.”

“I tend to see red when I’m feasting,” the empress expressed playfully, “but I guess I have that effect either way.” She finally walked past you, her long and overly ink-black dress dragged behind her before merging with the lace-coloured red corset at her torso and ended with blood-red sleeves and ruby red jewelry.

Stereotypical. Vampires that wore red and black as their go-to colours were stereotypical. If you voiced it out, you’d earn a hum of agreement from Irene, a small laugh from Taeyong and a glare from the Lamia empress herself. Lamia, vampire in Latin. Bloodsucking demon, monster of the night, nosferatu, or whatever the fuck other names they had— vampires suck— not only blood.

And the empress was truly the worst of the worse.

She sat right next to NingNing, nodding her head to Hendery as a form of acknowledgement before turning in her seat, moonlight brown hair tied back and braided, gaze piercing yours. Now if you really could sink into your chair, you would.

“It’s been a while since I fed on sorcerers,” her tongue skimmed her lips, a smirk tugging them upwards. “What time does the meeting end?”

“Worry more about your minions lurking in my realm than someone’s neck Taeyeon,” the archangel deadpanned, “they’ve pestered my market and my soldiers, call them out before I make them.”

Taeyeon sadly sighed, exaggerating it to no end and tapped her long black nails in order on the table, palm holding her head up. Puppy eyes. You didn’t think you’d see the Lamia empress give someone puppy eyes but there’s a first time for everything. “If I knew you’d talk to me in that tone, I wouldn't have been with you in the first place.”

There’s definitely a first time for everything and it’s definitely the very first time you’re hearing of an archangel and vampire relationship— let alone Taeyong and Taeyeon. You should really be up to date with the council drama but never you would've thought that they were ever a thing— especially with the way the archangel is boring bullets into the other’s skull.

And if you thought you were shocked, the princess had to close her mouth before she caught flies. For a moment, you understood her shock, both of you making eye contact to address your surprise but quickly stopped when you realized who exactly you were looking at.

The Lamia empress was manipulative and a seducer. Anything she’d want, she’d get; giving out empty promises to those suffering in her realm for intel or convincing some leaders to turn on each other was her specialty. If anything, she always knew what was going on before it was ever spoken by anyone. Which made you think…

Did she know about the prince? Either answer would shock you if you were honest, whether she knew or she kept quiet didn’t matter now; the council was slowly turning into each other and benefiting her, in some way, in the end.

She’d do anything to get what she wanted or disperse of anything or anyone that got in her way.

Though she isn't afraid to cross anyone, there are only a few who she wouldn't dare upset, not when her entire realm dwells on the protection of a certain king of Athlar. You watched as her eyes widened slightly before she sat up, her lips pressed in a thin line. Her eyes grew cloudy, a mist of red swam in her pupils before the door opened once more.

Now, if the room grew cold because of the Lamia empress then the room, as of right now, is freezing and feels like you were caught in a winter blizzard. The walls grew small ice crystals and the jewelry nearly everyone was wearing we're covered by a harsh cloud of ice-cold mist.

The banquet echoed, the floor vibrating under the weight of his footsteps. The air grew tense, as thick as blood and as heavy as the humid summer air. Your skin crawled at the sudden change, a pit forming at the bottom of your stomach. No one said a word, no one dared to speak or mutter anything aloud.

God, your throat was tightening, as if being choked by the wrath of the king himself. Even the Seelie queen's fingers tightened on your shoulders, refusing to tremble out of fear and discomfort. The supreme archangel didn't say a word, nor looked interested in the arrival of the king. Instead, he simply sighed and closed his eyes.

Demons and archangels, best of allies yet the worst of foes.

The footsteps ceased. The air stopped moving. A curt, short and brisk chuckle bounced from one wall to another. "Hmph, tough crowd." His voice boomed so much louder than your heartbeat. His scent was overbearing and overloaded your senses. It was putrid, awful and horrifying.

The difference between archangels and demons was simple; one was created by the heavens and the other was created by the deepest abyss of darkness. Taeyong’s scent— rather, his aura — was not as potent or as dark. He still had some sort of divine element that merely morphed with the elements of Uriel and the abyss. The king's aura was authentic; the true product of the abyss and was overloaded with sin and corruption.

You felt his eyes skimming the room, pupils piercing every head and everybody before settling on the Seelie queen's neck. Somehow, in some way, his glare went through her body and attacked yours in the blink of an eye. You shut your eyes, anxiety climbing up your throat like acid coming from your stomach.

The princess got up with shaking booths and an uncomfortable smile tugging her lips. For someone who wanted the Athlar king at the meeting, NingNing isn't as welcoming as she should be. "My lord, welcome." If the situation was any different, you'd laugh at her quivering voice.

The princess took a deep breath, "I hope your travel was well—"

“This place stinks.”

May the skies have mercy on your soul. May they find some way to forgive because it took everything in you not to let out a loud, mocking cackle while the banquet was dead silent. You might despise the Athlar king but you must admit that the man has a great sense of humour and boldness you can't help but admire.

A smile didn't stop itself from tugging your lips and as hard as you bit them down, the smile just grew larger by the second. The Seelie queen's fingers tapped on your shoulders, seemingly sensing the laughter in your throat. They were warnings— to be careful of how you act in front of others, especially those who disliked you.

"I find it a bit ironic how you're the one complaining about the stench." Those warnings weren't applied to her, not with the unpleasant tone that dripped through her words. "You practically reek."

"Seemed you built the courage to speak," the empress cut in, leaning on the table and glaring at Irene. "Although, I don't think you're in the right position to be talking."

"Because I'm going to listen to someone whose breath smells of mundane blood half the time."

"Don’t be mistaken, I'm a woman of modesty."

"Where's your father?"

The Athlar king didn't boom out the words or even say them at normal speaking volume. He merely had to whisper the word father to gain everyone's attention. And suddenly, everyone's gaze was glued to the princess, including your own, awaiting an answer. Where is the almighty angel? With that kind of title, it'll be quite unprofessional to not appear in the meeting, then again, the same could be said about your outfit.

NingNing seemed to stare off in the distance as if remembering something for her gaze was unfocused. You raised an eyebrow and looked at Taeyong, you simply shrugged and leaned the temple off his fingers. Your already quirked eyebrow only rose when Hendery gently touched her hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"My father cannot make it today, nor can my mother as they are both grieving for the loss of their only son and finalizing the arrangements for the Adieu Ceremony. Which is why I’m here."

Oh. They're actually doing it. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes. You couldn't blame them; losing your only murderous and highly destructive son to a sorceress that did a huge favour to the city? Must be hard. It did make sense now that you think about it, NingNing isn’t even part of the council and yet, she’s here as a representative.

“Is he now?” NingNing nodded at the King’s question. “Can’t say I’m impressed.”

The table went silent, everyone’s eyes either glued to the table or in front of them— anywhere except the Ruler of Demons. As the King walks towards a seat far, far away from you, a loud and dragged-on sigh echoed through the room. Your eyes widened like saucers and not-so-gently threw your head to the side, glaring at Taeyong.

Sometimes, you didn’t understand the nerves the man had, especially since one would think they’d rebel against the angels.

But Taeyong looked up at the Athlar king and said in a tired breath, “let’s get this over with, I don’t have time for your little feud with the almighty angel.”

“And you think I have time for this meeting?”

“Please,” Taeyong had scoffed under his breath, his fingers drawing figure eights on the wooden table, “the only real reason you’re here Onew, is because you want to see what kind of punishment (Y/n) is going to receive. We both know you’ll say no to whatever deal I have to offer.”

Both men seemed to glare at each other, for the room sat in silence for a few moments. You glanced between both leaders but cleared your throat and caught eyes with the ceiling when the demon king locked eyes with your own. Taeyong certainly had the balls to stand up to him but good for him— you, however, will stay far, far away from the man that wants you killed.

“Gentlemen!” Both Taeyong and the Athlar king broke eye contact with each other and gazed at NingNing. “We will now start the meeting. My lord, if you may take a seat.”

The Athlar king took a seat next to the Lamia empress, specifically to her left and sat a few chairs away from Junmyeon, who was still very uninterested in the topic at hand. The alpha sat near no one, a couple of chairs vacant to each of his sides.

To your left was the Seelie Queen and to your left was the supreme archangel. You, in the middle of both of the leaders, sat directly facing the princess while her guard and brother's best friend sat on her right.

The air was dense, whether because you held your breath for so long or because everyone had some sort of grudge with someone in the room. You only and genuinely hope that their hidden-pretty-baldy hatred and signs for one another don’t interfere with the fate that bestows soon.

But like you said, someone was going to die tonight but you sure as hell know it wasn't going to be you.

19 notes · View notes

chimmyboii · 4 years

Text

The Art of Forgetting

Summary: Lights will guide you home, love will make you stronger. Forgetfulness will only break your heart.

AN: Quick little story for Jungkook stans like myself lol hope you guys enjoy!

Masterlist

The village was busy with people rushing to buy last minute Christmas presents. Jungkook sighs, tugging the backpack higher on his shoulders and eyes the busy people with disdain. He scoffs when he says a young woman beg for a leg of turkey.

“Please,” she cries, pushing the coins towards the butcher. “This is all I have, I’m only a couple short. I’ll pay the rest next week, I promise!” The butcher just shakes his head, the women lets out a choked sob, “Please, its Christmas.” Sighing, Jungkook walks over and hands the butcher two gold coins.

“That’ll make up for it,” Jungkook mutters, grabbing the turkey leg and hands it to the woman who looks at him wide eyed before throwing her arms around him, squeezing him tightly.

“Thank you, thank you!” she practically squealed before running off to the little girl hiding by the alley. She grips the girl’s hand before turning back and waving at Jungkook.

“Before you say anything, I just want to make it clear that I still hate Christmas and that I only gave her money because I felt sorry for her okay?” Jungkook started and when he didn’t get a reply, he looked at his shoulder. She was gone. Jungkook almost facepalmed himself. Groaning, Jungkook backtracked to the entrance of the village when he spotted a small firefly light hovering over a rack of pretty lilies that were place outside the flower shop. Jungkook stormed up to the rack and clasped his hand over the blinding light.

“Y/N!” He growled, opening his palm. The light had faded a little, revealing a small miniature girl. She had fallen over in his hand and she stared blankly up at Jungkook, but then she frowns at him. Y/N stood dusting herself, smoothing out her long glittering white dress and flapped her translucent wings before turning and glaring at Jungkook.

“You could have damaged my wings!” She pointed her tiny index finger at him, which made Jungkook smirk.

“Well don’t disappear and I won’t have to grab you,” Y/N rolled her eyes before fluttering out of his hand and back onto her usual seat – his shoulder. “I did tell you to stay on my shoulder,”

“Well it’s not my fault I have a bad memory,” Jungkook laughs, ignoring the stares from the other villagers.

“A bad memory is an understatement, Y/N. Your memories fade as soon as they come!” Y/N pouts, tugging at her dress.

“I can’t control my memories! I’ve already apologised for this, remember?” Y/N whine and Jungkook smirked down at her.

“I do but you don’t!” Y/N let out a growl of frustration before punching Jungkook in the neck with her tiny fist. Jungkook let out a roar of laughter at her feeble attempt. The pair continue bickering through the village until Jungkook abruptly stops. His doe eyes stare at the large building in front of him. Y/N flutters in front of him and waves her arms in front of his eyes.

“Hello?” she sang, waving rapidly. “Kookie, can you hear me?” He blinks before looking at her and she smiles in relief. “Pheww! I thought I lost you to your memories!” Jungkook breaths out a laugh before shaking his head.

“Why would I have memories of this place?” He nods to the building in front of them. The windows here boarded up with wood, the gate was closed over with a padlock. “I don’t even know what it is,” he mutters under his breath, but Y/N hears. She studies the building in front of them, frowning at it before shrugging.

“It’s an abandoned palace,” Jungkook looks at her confusingly.

“And how do you know that?” Y/N blinked innocently at Jungkook before revealing; “I heard someone say it’ll be the fifteenth anniversary of the murder of the monarchy.” Y/N flies to the gate and begins to fiddle with the lock.

“What are you doing?” Jungkook comes closer to the gate, watching as Y/N breaks open the lock. Jungkook pushes the gate, it opens will a loud groan. “Well it’s abandoned,” She said fluttering quickly to the palace door. “No one will enter. We could stay the night,” Jungkook is quiet, watching her float by the large palace door. He sighs before walking along the gravel path, he takes a right turn, walking past the front entrance.

“Where are you going?!” Y/N yells, flying after him.

“We can’t go through the front door, someone might see. We’ll have to sneak in through the back.” Y/N just sighs and follows him. The walk around the very large palace has Jungkook on edge. His legs feel almost heavy and his mouth was dry. As they came to the back of the palace; Y/N noticed two things. One, the garden was a disaster, the weeds had overgrown making the garden look almost like a jungle. Two, she could detect magic. However, this magic felt different than her own; it felt cold and powerful. She knew it wasn’t a fairy – no fairy would leave the garden a mess like that. The magic belonged to something else.

Y/N shivered as she watched Jungkook climb on the balcony; he pulled at the wooden boards grunting as it wouldn’t budge. Y/N flicked her wrist, the boards flew off the window, Jungkook stumbled falling onto his back. Y/N flew to his face, her tiny eyes wide with worried.

“You could have warned me,” Jungkook grumble standing to his feet and dusting himself off. Now that the wooden boards were gone, Jungkook can now squeeze through the window. Y/N watches as Jungkook crawls through the window, her head tilts to the side as Jungkook’s behind becomes stuck under the window frame. Jungkook grunts, grabbing onto the table in front the window, trying to pull the rest of his body through. It was no use. Jungkook can hear a squeak of a laugh behind him and he closes his eyes in frustration.

“A little help?” he grits out and Y/N snorts. Lifting her petite hands, Y/N concentrates on the brown frame that is currently squishing Jungkook’s butt. The frame rattle slightly, Y/N’s tongue poked out in concentration as she pushed more energy from her tiny being. Her whole body glowed white; from a distance she would appear as a torchlight to the naked eye of a human. With a puff of breath, Y/N pushed one more time and the brown framed snapped upwards. Jungkook let out sigh, pulling himself through all the way. Standing to his feet, he turns to Y/N but shields his eyes at the brightness.

“You’re trying to blind me, aren’t you?” Jungkook asks and Y/N grunts before inhaling through her nose then exhaling, the brightness begins to dim. Y/N pokes her tongue out at him which makes Jungkook huff before turning to view the palace. It was strange, Jungkook thought, looking around. You expect a palace to be spotless, clean and extravagant. But this palace was the opposite. It was clear that something disastrous happened in this palace.

“What happened here?” Jungkook whispered, peering over the balcony looking at the ground floor. The furniture had been destroyed, burnt to black. Jungkook could feel bile rise in his throat as the floor towards the main entrance was a dark brown; it stood out against the gold flooring. It was dried blood, Jungkook could tell from where he stood. A white light swoosh past Jungkook’s eyes. Y/N flew down the hallway, lighting up the dark corridor as she went. Jungkook followed behind. Y/N’s small eyes took in every detail of the portraits on the wall. A family once lived here; a father, mother and two boys. The painting showed a gold crown sat upon the father’s head, the youngest boy in his father’s arm reaching up to touch the crown. The father wore a fond smile. Y/N felt a smile of her own grow as she stared at the painting. Further down the corridor where more paintings of the family, they seemed happy, Y/N thought. The last painting was of the youngest boy, staring at it, Y/N felt a weird sensation in her stomach, one in which she hadn’t felt before. Familiar, the boy in the painting was familiar.

Gasping, Y/N’s senses began to burn. The magic she felt had grown stronger since she had entered the palace, now however, hovering by the grand staircase, she felt it more. Flashes appear behind her eyelids; they were hard to make out. Green light, screaming, the smell of blood, crying. Y/N shuddered as a dark figure appeared in her mind.

“Warlock,” she whispered and Jungkook frowned, coming closer to her. Opening her eyes, Jungkook flinched. Her pupils were black as night, almost demonic. “He destroyed everything. He slaughtered them, laughing as he did,” Her sweet voice lowered in pitch, sounding husky. Jungkook gulped watching her white light turn dark. “But he is not finished…he is coming, I feel him,” Jungkook shuddered.

“Y/N y-you’re frightening me,” Jungkook whispered, hand coming up to touch the miniature fairy. The tip of Jungkook’s index finger grazed the cheek of Y/N, causing the fairy to gasp. The light returned once more. Her tiny eyes watered at the sight of Jungkook’s worried doe eyes.

“It’s you,” she whispered, one tear drop slipped down her cheek. Jungkook shook his head confused but before Y/N could explain further a large crack sounded from down below. Both Jungkook and Y/N turn to the ground floor where it sounded. There in the middle of the hall, ten feet away from the grand staircase which Jungkook stood, gathered black smoke. The air in the palace grew ice cold, a breeze picked up. Y/N whimpered causing Jungkook to look at her worried, but Y/N’s eyes focused on the floor below.

“He’s here,” Just as those words left her lips, the smoke formed a figure. Jungkook fell back into the wall. Two black eyes stared at him, a cruel smirk raised on his face, black rotten tooth grinned at Jungkook.

“Ah, we meet at last!” The voice echoed the hall, Jungkook flinched. The black eyes shift to the small white light hovering next to Jungkook, they glare before a hand raises up. Green light formed under his palm, creating a sphere. Launching his arm back, he threw the green sphere towards Y/N. Jungkook yell echoes as he watches the green flame hit Y/N small frame, smacking her into the wall. A tear slips from Jungkook’s eye as he eyes the small delicate figure hit the floor motionless. Jungkook scurries to her, bending down on one knee and picking her up gently.

“Y/N,” Jungkook sobbed, “please wake up,” The miniature fairy lay still in his hand, her glow faded.

“Now there is no chance you can escape me this time,” the voice snarls from behind him. Turning around, the warlock gripped Jungkook by the throat. Jungkook gags, hands reaching up to claw at him. The warlock grinned evilly before chucking Jungkook over the bannister. Jungkook lands on his right shoulder, a painful cry leaves him. Groaning, Jungkook wills himself to move, crawling towards the door but he doesn’t make it far. Green swirls of power wrapped itself around Jungkook’s leg yanking him back. A strangled scream escapes Jungkook as his nails try to hold onto something. Suddenly, Jungkook is flipped around onto his back. The dark figure stands above him.

“Why are you doing this?” Jungkook cried, the warlock let out dark chuckle.

“Your father killed us. He instructed for all warlocks and witches to be burned. He claimed we were doing work for the devil and so we must re-join him in hell!” Jungkook quickly shook his head.

“I don’t have a father, please, let me go.” The warlock glared at Jungkook before picking him up by the collar and thrusting him in the direction of the paintings.

“That’s your father!” He yells, pointing at the king. “You are Jeon Jungkook, son of King Jeon and last heir of the throne. And you will die like the rest of your family!” Jungkook felt every slow down, like everything was in slow motion.

The night of the murder, Jungkook had peed the bed. He heard the screams of his mother. His older brother begging for their father to do something. Jungkook heard his father command the guards to take away the intruder. Next, Jungkook heard the sound of blood hitting the wall, more screams until nothing. Jungkook remembered whimpering, calling out quietly for his mother when a small bright light appears in front of him. She held a miniature finger to her lips, indicating Jungkook should be quit. He did. She beckoned Jungkook to follow her to his bedroom door. Jungkook shook his head furiously, knowing that danger was outside that door. The light tugged harshly at Jungkook’s shirt until he reluctantly followed. The light tugged him to the hallway, Jungkook peered over the banister and saw his father laying in a pool of blood. His mother not far away, cradling his brother, dead also. The dark figure kneeled next to his father, muttering in another language.

Before young Jungkook could scream for his parents, the white light tapped his face. She begged Jungkook with her eyes to be quiet and follow, biting his lip, Jungkook lowered his head and quickly hurried after her. They entered Jungkook’s fathers’ study, the white light flew to a cupboard and tugged at it. It wouldn’t open. Jungkook yanked it open, there were nothing but files of paperwork instead. The little white light pushed down on the middle shelf until it clicked. The shelf opened, showing a tunnel. The light tugged at Jungkook once before, pulling down the tunnel. Her light lite up the tunnel making Jungkook feel less scared.

“Y/N,” Jungkook mumbled, his heart beating rapidly. The warlock chuckled, looking back at where he knew the little fairy lay.

“Yes, I didn’t expect a Radiance fairy to interrupt my plans, you see. This time, I’ve come prepared. You’re not getting away this time, Jungkook.” Jungkook flopped onto his back, eyes staring at the blue celling. All this time, Jungkook believed his family gave him up, that they didn’t love him. He was wrong, so wrong. He may have not remembered his families love, but he remembers Y/N. The warmth he felt when he was with her; her light keeping him company in the darkest time. Her ability to make him laugh when he wanted to cry. Everything about Y/N taught him something but her love was the most important. She cared enough to save him, that proved enough. The warlock raised his hand, green light forming once more.

“Now you will die like your family, in the hands of Kalak,” Jungkook closed his eyes awaiting the blow.

Jungkook felt warm, frowning he opened his eyes. The warlock – Kalak – was in mid-air, frozen. Then suddenly, he began to fit and shake harshly before bright white light appeared behind him forcing the warlock to hit the wall behind Jungkook.

Jungkook looked to the top of the staircase but flinched, raising a hand to cover his eyes he sees a figure standing at the top. For a moment, Jungkook believes it is his father coming to his rescue. But when the light dims, his heart stops. A female stands there in long white gown, it trails behind her as she starts to descend the stairs. Her hair flows in front her, touching her breast, forming ringlets. Her eyes glow gold as the make contact with Jungkook. He feels a wide smile of relief take over.

“Y/N,” he breaths. Jungkook’s doe eyes look her head to toe, his mouth falls agape. She was life-size, no longer the miniature fairy he knew. In front of him was a fully-grown woman. Her pouty pink lips smile softly at him before she turns to Kalak; her face darkens turning a shade of blue. Jungkook had never seen her change colour before.

Kalak laughs wildly, slapping his knee. “You think you can defeat me? What because you’re suddenly bigger, you’re more powerful? HA!” Y/N just stares at him, face emotionless.

“Yes, I do.” She says simply before raising both of her hands. A burst of bright light escapes them, slamming into Kalak unprepared form. Jungkook watches before it becomes too much, the light growing brighter. The sound of Kalak screaming fills Jungkook’s ears until a large pop is sounded. Jungkook turns in time to see ashes flutter where Kalak once stood. Jungkook is frozen as he stares at the ash. A loud thud startles him, he turns and see Y/N lying on the floor. Startled, Jungkook quickly crawls on the floor, ignoring the pain in his shoulder. He grabs Y/N and tugs her onto his lap, cradling her head. She peers up at him with heavy eyes, Jungkook’s own fill with tears.

“Hi,” she whispers, and Jungkook lets out a wet laugh.

“Hi, yourself. I thought you died!” Leaning down, Jungkook quickly presses a kiss to her forehead. “I can’t believe your life-size. That’s insane.” Y/N let out a soft chuckle. Her eyes suddenly turn sad. She reaches her hand up to cradle his face, she runs her fingers gently along Jungkook’s cheek, feeling his scar. Then, she touches his nose, lips and finally his eyelids. She touches every feature of his face slowly, wiping away the tears that fell before her own eyes closed. “Y/N!” Jungkook yelled, he quickly presses two fingers to her neck, she’s breathing. Leaning forward, Jungkook presses his forehead to Y/N’s chest.

“Police!” Jungkook jumped, as a man kicked the door down stumbling into the room. He recollects himself after almost falling over before pointing his gun in Jungkook’s direction. “Get away from the girl…fairy…what?” the man stumbled looking at Y/N’s limp figure. Her wings stretched out between Jungkook and herself. The officer looked spooked and confused. “Holy shit!” he gasped, walking towards the couple. “Is she dead?” He asked, looking at Jungkook. Jungkook shakes his head, pulling Y/N closer to him. The police officer sighs before stating he was going to help them

Both the officer and Jungkook carry Y/N up to a bedroom, allowing her to rest. The police officer sighs, running a hand through his dirty blonde hair. “Why you in the old palace kid?” he asks eventually. Jungkook hums, contemplating on whether to say he’s homeless or that he’s the heir of the throne.

“I’m the heir to the throne,” he whispers, the officer’s eyes widen.

“You for real?” Jungkook just nods, eyes falling back to Y/N figure. “Holy shit! Your Highness,” Suddenly the officer is on his knees, bowing to Jungkook. “Hey! None of that alright. I just found out myself,” Jungkook pulls the officer back to his knees. “What’s your name?”

“Kim Namjoon, your highness,” Jungkook glares at him and Namjoon stutters out an apology.

“How can you see her?” Namjoon shrugs looking at Y/N.

“My mother used to tell me stories about fairies when I was little. Especially about her kind,” Jungkook pouts in confusion.

“Her kind?” he asks and Namjoon nods.

“Radiance Fairy also known as Light Fairy,” Jungkook nods. “Radiance Fairies apparently are like guardians; they watch over us.” Jungkook smiles softly. “My mother also told me about the Radiance Fairies Art of Forgetting. Jungkook turns to Namjoon.

“What’s that?”

Namjoon thinks for a moment before speaking. “Well Radiance Fairies don’t have good memory,” He starts and Jungkook lets out a warm chuckle. “There is a reason for that,” Namjoon clears his throat. “The purpose of a Radiance fairy is to guide us; ensure we find our way back to where we belong. Once that purpose has been fulfilled, they forget us. Like the slate becomes clean so they move on and help guide someone else.” Jungkook’s heart stops.

“No,” he whispers leaning on the bed to grip Y/N’s hand. “No, no, no. She can’t forget me, she can’t. She’s all I’ve got; I want her here with me!” Jungkook cries pressing kisses to her warm hand. Namjoon clears his throat awkwardly.

“It might not be true, it’s just what my mother says,” Jungkook shakes his head. “It must be, Y/N always forget things, it’s in her nature. I just didn’t think she’d ever forget me.” Namjoon frowns, taking in the distressed prince – soon to be king.

The time Y/N awakes, Jungkook feels unprepared, his heart already creaking. She sits up and looks around the room before yawning and taking a big stretch. Jungkook clears his throat and she look at him. Her golden eyes blink at him, then the move to Namjoon. She makes no indication of recognition.

“Y/N?” Jungkook whispers, she responds to her name but nothing in her eyes show she knows Jungkook. “Do you know remember me?” he hiccups, trying to stop the tears but the fell freely. Y/N says nothing but stands from the bed and walks to him. She stares at him waiting for something, she appears like a robot just waiting for command.

Namjoon takes a step forward and places a hand on Jungkook’s shoulder. “She needs you to let her go. You have to tell her she’s free.” Jungkook shakes his head before lurching forward and gripping Y/N’s hand.

“Please remember me, Y/N! Please! You can’t leave me alone; I want you to stay! Please!” he sobbed but Y/N just stared at him. “I can’t be King without you!” Jungkook falls to his knees. Namjoon bends, wrapping an arm around him, hugging him to his side.

“Let her go, Jungkook. I know you love her, but she needs to be free. Perhaps one day, you’ll meet again but for now she has to go,” Jungkook let out the painfullest cry he’d ever felt before he forced himself to his feet. Once again, he gently takes Y/N hand in his. His left hand reaches up and cradles her cheek, tracing her features.

“I love you, Y/N, I’ll always love you. And I’m sorry I never told you sooner, I don’t even know if you can hear me – understand me. Thank you for saving my life, I-I’m going to miss you so much -I- “he chokes, pulling his hand back to wipe the snot from his nose. “I let you go. You’re free now,” At his word, Y/N glows as does the room making both Namjoon and Jungkook cover their eyes. When the glow dims, Y/N is back in her miniature form. She lingers, staring at Jungkook before she flees from the room and Jungkook’s life.

Jungkook falls to his knees, letting out more sobs. Namjoon holds the broken prince in his arms, hoping one day he will mend.

It’s months before Jungkook enters the palace. The renovations took a lot longer than he expected but now the palace looked better. No longer like the crime scene he once saw. There are times Jungkook feels alone, wishing the white light would appear to guide him but he knew she wouldn’t. Namjoon decided to quit the police force and join Jungkook in the palace becoming his advisor and his friend. Jungkook read almost every book he could find on fairies and learned that they loved nature so, Jungkook made it his goal whilst he’s not doing his royal duties, so attend to his garden. And that is where Namjoon finds him; knees deep in mud.

“You know, you doing this might not bring her back,” Namjoon starts, leaning against the green house. “Her duty as a Radiance Fairy was completed when she destroyed the warlock. She guided you home, Jungkook.” Jungkook ignored him and continued to dig. Namjoon sighs but choices to let him friend go, having already had this conversation many of time. Namjoon goes back to the palace to attend a conference call leaving Jungkook on his own.

Jungkook sits back and stares at the pastel blue sky. A bright light catches his attention towards the gate, Jungkook stands quickly but frowns when he sees it’s only the sun hitting off a glass. Jungkook looks back at the flowers he is planting and smiles softly.

She’ll return.

Jungkook doesn’t know how, he doesn’t know when. He just hopes that one day she’ll return to him.

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