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sapphires-and-silver-linings · 1 year

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Half-Life | Chapter One

Leon was alone.

Pairing: Plaga!Leon S. Kennedy/F!Chubby!Paranormal Investigator!Reader

Tags: Fluff, Angst, Body Horror, Suicidal Thoughts

Notes: This fic came to me in a fugue state after pulling an all-nighter. I was just really thinking about the potential for Plaga!Leon angst and what it would be like for him to live as one of the monsters he used to put down. I also think it's dismal how little Leon/Chubby!Reader content there is right now, so I made it myself. I'm not sure if I want to leave this as a one-shot or make it a short chapter fic, so let me know what you guys think!

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Leon succumbed to the parasite.

He managed to defeat Saddler and his monstrous puppets, being able to somewhat retain his mental state without a master to control him.

He got Ashley to safety, but he told her he was staying behind, knowing what might happen if the government got its hands on him. He figured it could go a few different ways: they’d either kill him immediately because he would be deemed a threat, they’d experiment on him, or they’d use him as a bioweapon—the thing he’d been fighting against this whole time.

Ashley tried to convince him that she and her father would do what they could to prevent those outcomes after all he’d done to save and protect her, believing (as a young girl would) that he could be fixed and live a normal life.

Leon knew better than that. And so he asked her to tell the world he died when she made it out. Despite her protests and her tears, she did just that.

He then met with the merchant after saying his goodbye to Ashley. The strange man let Leon trade his weapons and equipment—things he’d never need to use again—for basic supplies to ease his transition into living in the wilderness.

Leon had always preferred civilization to the great outdoors. The irony that he'd spend the rest of his life in the middle of nowhere after lamenting this fact was not lost on him.

With a cheerful adieu, the merchant packed up his things and left, never to return.

Leon was alone.

At first, it was almost peaceful.

He lived off hunting the animals in the woods and spearing the fish in the lake with his new scorpion-like tail. He even maintained a friendship with the dog he helped (that helped him in return), aptly naming him “Wolfie” because Leon had never been the creative type.

Even with his animal companion, though, Leon felt… lonely. He had lost everything; his friends thought he was dead, he no longer had a purpose to fulfill beyond survival, and his humanity had been ripped away from him—one of the few things left he ever really held onto while fighting monsters for so long.

He craved human connection more than anything but knew he had to settle for what he had.

And so, when the occasional curious hiker appeared nearby, he did what he could to scare them off. He rarely had to do much to ensure that they wouldn’t come back, using the decomposing bodies of the Ganados and the carcasses of his prey as “decorations” around the entrance of the village.

Of course, there was the occasional brave soul who ventured into his new home. Leon had to take matters into his own hands by either darting between trees and buildings to feed their paranoia or simply showing himself from a distance, standing to his full height and glaring them down.

They always ran screaming after that.

The longer he lived alone, the less human he felt he was, giving in to baser instincts to survive and provide for himself and Wolfie.

But he tried to maintain the human side of him that somehow still persisted, in any way he could.

He’d talk out loud to himself and his furry friend. He holed up in the village chief’s house and took care of it to the best of his ability. He would set traps for rabbits and birds. He even used the old motorboat to go fishing in the lake, though it eventually ran out of fuel, forcing him to rely on the four appendages that sprouted from his spine as makeshift paddles.

He did his best.

The years slipped by and his loneliness only grew.

Wolfie was old now and Leon worried what would happen to the little sanity he had left when his only companion died. He did what he could to keep the wolf-dog comfortable, ruffling his clawed hands through his fur as he’d done a million times. But now gray tinged the animal’s coat, and Leon wondered how he never noticed it before.

What about Leon, then? Was he aging, too?

In a fit of rage, during the early days of his transformation, he had broken all the mirrors in the house, not wanting to look at himself and what he’d become.

So now he traveled to the well outside, staring at his rippling reflection in the dark water.

The skin of his face was still smooth—or what was left of it after his mouth ripped apart to make room for the rows of deadly sharp teeth that burst from his gums.

His once blue eyes were now a vibrant, glowing red, his vision having been improved vastly by becoming the ultimate apex predator. Just another step further from his humanity, he thought.

He kept his hair the way he always liked it, though learning to use the rusty scissors he found while out rummaging in the village had been a challenge with his new needle-like fingers.

His body had been slowly… growing… over the years. Elongating. His arms and legs, once thick and corded with muscle, were thinning into gangling limbs.

God, it was like a second puberty. But infinitely worse.

He barely fit into any of the clothes he’d collected, the articles simultaneously too loose on his form but far too short to cover his lower abdomen and calves. He didn’t bother with shoes anymore, none able to be pulled onto his taloned feet.

It was fine, however, as the ground wasn’t painful to traverse now (even on the roughest of terrain), and he no longer experienced the cold or the heat in a way that could affect him. That was one of the few “improvements” he welcomed over time, after facing the sweltering summers and winters blanketed in snow.

Despite these changes, though, Leon realized while studying his mirror image that there wasn’t a single indication of aging to be seen. Not a gray hair or wrinkle in sight.

Internally, he began to panic.

If he didn’t age, would that mean he’d be stuck living like this forever? That once Wolfie passed, he’d be alone for eternity?

He wished he had just gone with Ashley and hoped whoever greeted them would have gunned him down on the spot. At least then he wouldn’t have had to live this half-life, practically a ghost already haunting these woods.

He wondered if even the cruelty of experimentation or being used as a weapon would be worth no longer facing this suffocating isolation.

He chided his younger self for his optimism that being left behind was the best option.

It was set, then. After he buried his dog, he would finally pluck up the courage to kill himself. It wouldn’t be easy for him. Leon had always been a fighter, never wanting to give up. But he was tired, and there was nothing besides his animal companion that was keeping him tethered to the world. He was listless.

And yet, there was still a part of him that hoped something might change. He of all people—if he even had the right to call himself a person anymore—knew better than to let hope lead him.

It had been a decade of the same, hadn’t it?

The monotony of his days was almost too much to bear. He thought years ago, before he was infected, that he would enjoy a life like this. It was peaceful in a way, wasn’t it? He realized now he missed the chaos.

A far-off noise suddenly jarred him from his thoughts.

Another “improvement” had been his enhanced hearing. He could pick something up nearly a mile away.

He tilted his head to better decipher the sound.

Footsteps.

Well, that wasn’t unusual, given the area. It was full of wildlife, after all.

But then he heard something else, something that made his whole body freeze up.

Something so distinctly human, there was nothing else it could possibly be.

He heard singing.

+++

Your family and friends had called you ridiculous when you told them you wanted to hunt the supernatural for a living.

Perhaps they were right, but it was a passion of yours to seek out the weird and wild. Maybe that was why you were so compelled by what went bump in the night.

You weren’t sure you truly believed in ghosts and cryptids and the like, but you had an open mind and the ambition to seek out answers. Given the state of the world and the B.O.W.s that terrorized it, you supposed the supernatural might not be far removed from reality, anyway.

You had always been deemed “strange” by others. Had always been on the outside looking in, wondering why being normal never came easy to you.

It didn’t help that your body type—short and plump—made you feel further removed from everyone else. You never thought you were ugly or unattractive, but that didn’t stop others from deciding you were, based solely on something so trivial.

But you weren’t completely alone. Your family loved you, you made good friends, and you even had your fair share of relationships over the years.

You learned that normalcy was bullshit, and so you embraced your strangeness.

And that’s what led you to this abandoned village, hidden deep in the Spanish woodlands.

The locals of a nearby town had told you of the horrors that occurred here. Stories of missing hikers and a cult seeking to take over the world through a parasitic bioweapon; of the daughter of the former United States president being rescued by a young agent who died tragically while saving her life.

You knew all of this already, of course. You had done your research on this place and what had happened to it.

You knew that Ashley Graham made it home safe—traumatized but mostly unharmed. You knew the cult and its monsters had been completely wiped out. You knew the place was practically a ghost town, the forest beginning to reclaim the ruins.

None of that, though interesting, was what brought you to this village, however.

What caught your attention was what came after.

Many were curious about the place when the news broke, but only a rare few dared to visit it. Fewer still ever made it past the gate.

But those who did spoke of a creature who lurked in the shadows. They claimed it was tall—nearly seven feet—and its eyes glowed red. No one had managed to snap a photo of it in their state of panic, but the descriptions were all consistent.

El Escorpion, they called it.

It seemed like a solid lead, and even if you never found this recently discovered cryptid, the tragic and insane history—not to mention the creepiness factor—of the location would be enough material to write a compelling post for your paranormal blog.

Despite your family and friends’ initial concerns about your career of choice, you were doing well for yourself.

You still had to work on the side to pay for your rent and all the expenses that came with your investigations, often cranking out clickbait articles for a quick buck. But your blog had only recently popped off, your posts receiving a ton of new followers after an emotional visit to the ruins of Raccoon City (and likely a dangerous one, considering the radiation).

People liked your methods. They liked that you explained the story behind every location you visited with great detail and respect, but managed to keep it fun while still building up a spooky atmosphere.

If you were honest, the popularity of your blog wasn’t something you really cared about. Although it was nice to see the numbers rise and people engage with your hard work, the content was controversial and you were often belittled for your passion. The only thing you wanted was to get as many followers as it would take to receive sponsorships in hopes of making enough money to take your investigations to new heights.

It definitely wasn’t easy trying to live your dream, but so far it had been rewarding. You hoped this trip would be, too.

You had just exited the vehicle of the friendly (and very, very chatty) local who was kind enough to offer you a ride to your destination. They were a fan of your blog, they told you, and warned you to be careful.

Once they drove off, nothing could have prepared you for the horrifying sight that greeted you when you began your journey.

Bones and rot littered the ground—were even strung up on the surrounding trees like party streamers. Several of the carcasses seemed awfully fresh, and you weren’t sure, but some of the older remains looked… almost human?

No, you had to be imagining it.

But if the visuals didn’t make your stomach turn, the smell definitely did.

Ignoring your watering eyes and the gag reflex threatening to trigger, you pulled the collar of your shirt over your nose and snapped a few promising pictures before moving forward.

It was a bit of a walk, having to travel through an old hunting lodge that had seen better days in order to finally reach the village gate.

You balked at the human skulls that lined the top, a chill lurching up your spine at the realization. Instead of allowing the sinking feeling in your gut to control you, you took some more photos instead, determined to see this through.

You drew in a deep, calming breath and opened the gate, having to use most of your strength to push through the rust that coated its hinges.

You practically vibrated with a mix of excitement and anxiety as you looked at the village before you.

It was terrifying to do this alone, but you had grown used to the solitude during your investigations. You reminded yourself that the most you had dealt with in the past were other people pulling pranks on you and wild animals going about their business.

So, you continued on, not wanting to feed the needling fear that someone or something could have been left behind by the cult.

You spent some time in the village, singing to yourself to help settle your nerves, before leaving out of another gate. You didn’t have a map of the area, no one having been much further than the village in the ten years since its abandonment, so you simply had to explore on your own and hope you didn’t get lost.

You were walking down a wooded path, taking in every detail as you meandered forward, when you heard a rustle in the trees beside you.

Whatever it was, it must have been huge. You prayed it was a deer.

Gathering your courage, you faced the direction of the noise and drifted closer to the edge of the forest, your movements careful and deliberate in hopes of not scaring whatever it was off or goading it to attack you.

It was broad daylight, but you were struggling to see into the shade cast by the densely packed foliage.

“I won’t hurt you,” you whispered gently as another movement from whatever it was jostled the bush in front of you.

It was stupid, but you felt inclined to reach out your hand, hoping it wouldn’t get bitten.

That’s when you saw the pair of glowing eyes staring at you through the leaves, roughly waist-height to you.

You felt some sense of relief at that, believing it to be a woodland animal.

That is, until the eyes started to move up.

You froze in place, hand still outstretched, as a massive creature stood upright before you, their features obscured by shadow.

Your mind screamed at you to run but your legs remained locked in place.

This is it, you thought. I’m going to die.

Well, at least it was a good run.

The creature stepped forward into the light and you were met with possibly the most horrifying beast you had ever seen.

It was over a foot taller than you, its form similar to that of a human, if not for the four long, spidery appendages that unfolded from its back, a scorpion tail whipping behind it.

It had talons on its feet and long claws instead of fingers, the tips of them dangerously sharp, its worn clothes hanging off of it awkwardly.

Your eyes eventually climbed back up to its face, its mouth split nearly to its ears as it bared its fangs at you, glinting wickedly in the midday sun.

Your gaze met those glowing red orbs once more, the creature’s expression akin to a glare.

Something about its face seemed so familiar to you for some reason, the mix of confusion and terror only further cementing you to the ground.

You still didn’t move when it took another step closer, its leg nearly brushing your still outstretched hand.

“You should’ve been running by now.”

You were startled by its voice, the sound deep and masculine. And pleasantly human despite the obvious threat.

You knew you had heard it before.

He leaned forward, his head level with yours as he searched your face, looking clearly befuddled by your refusal to escape.

“You’re practically begging me to eat you, little rabbit. But I prefer a chase.” He sounded serious, but he made no move to touch you.

Your hand finally fell to your side and you swallowed, hard.

“You’re lying.”

He raised an eyebrow at you, barely visible behind a curtain of choppy blond hair, before replying, “Excuse me?”

You took a shaky breath. “You’re lying. You’re not going to eat me. You’re not going to hurt me at all. There hasn’t been a disappearance in the area for ten years and everyone who’s come here since has lived to tell the tale.”

He laughed in surprise, running a claw through his hair. It was so uncanny how human it was. And how familiar. “Maybe I’m just a bad hunter.”

“Well, if those animal remains at the front of the village path are anything to go by, I highly doubt it.”

“Not all of them were animals, you know.”

“The ones that weren’t are too old, though, aren’t they?”

“You’re observant, I’ll give you that.” He folded his long arms over his chest, red eyes looking out across your surroundings, sounding almost sheepish as he added, “You know, this might be the most I’ve talked to someone I should be eating instead.”

He shook his head and chuckled to himself before meeting your gaze.

And then it clicked.

“You’re… You’re Leon Kennedy, aren’t you?” you breathed.

He stiffened at the name. “How do you know who I am? Did someone tell you? Did someone send you here?”

He took another step during his inquisition, your noses nearly touching, his hot breath fanning across your face as you glanced at his sharp, sharp teeth.

“I’ve seen pictures of you. Interviews, too. You were all over the news when you survived Raccoon City. And again when President Graham claimed you died in action.” You paused for a moment in thought before you asked, “Did Ashley Graham know you survived?”

He scoffed, pulling back and stepping around you to add some distance. “I asked her to tell the world I was dead so I could live the rest of my days in peace as this… monster.”

“Ah, and all these curious visitors are like annoying kids in your front lawn?”

He huffed out a laugh. “Something like that. Why are you here, anyway? You seem kinda far from home.”

“Well…” It was your turn to look sheepish as you tried to explain, “I’m a paranormal investigator, and I came here because there were cryptid sightings in the area. Guess you’re the cryptid. Mystery solved.”

He rushed back over to you, grabbing your arm. The movement jostled you and made you flinch, but it didn't hurt. He winced at your reaction, though, and loosened his grip. “Listen, please don’t tell anyone I’m here. I don’t need this place becoming a tourist hotspot. Not yet, anyway.”

“Not yet..? What does that mean?”

“Don’t worry about it, just… Please just promise me you won’t tell anyone about this.”

You bit the inside of your cheek. “The problem is that I spent a lot of money on this trip, and if I don’t have something to show for it, my career could flop.”

He sighed deeply, releasing his hold. “Look, I can make it up to you, okay? If you’re strapped for cash, I have a bunch of gemstones, jewelry, and expensive little knick-knacks. Take what you can carry, got it?”

You thought on it for a moment, considering your options. You wanted to respect his privacy, but it was difficult to let something this big go. However, if he was willing to pay for your silence, you supposed you couldn’t complain. Maybe you could even buy better equipment when this was all said and done.

“Okay. Deal.”

He moved to shake your hand in his clawed one but pulled back when he noticed you eyeing it nervously. “Great. We’ll get you your stuff and send you on your way before it gets dark.”

“About that… My ride isn’t coming to get me until tomorrow morning. I was planning to camp out here tonight,” you revealed.

He gave you an incredulous look. “You’re telling me you heard rumors about a monster living in the area and you decide you’re going to spend the night here? No backup plan?”

“What can I say, I like to live on the edge. Besides, I didn’t really believe there was a monster out here, anyway. Egg on my face, I guess.”

He rubbed his eyes with his palms as he let out an exasperated breath. “Right, well I guess you could spend the night, then. There aren’t any B.O.W.s left in the area except me, obviously. But some of the wildlife isn’t exactly friendly. Would be safer for you to stick with me.”

Your lips parted in surprise at his generosity before you offered him a grateful smile. “Thank you, Mr. Kennedy. I appreciate it.”

“Please, just… Just call me Leon.”

“Well, thank you, Leon,” you said, proceeding to give him your own name.

His lips peeled up in what could almost be described as a bashful smile before he pointed further down the path. “C’mon, then. I can make us dinner.”

You shocked him by hooking an arm through his, beaming up at him.

“We better get to it, then.”

+++

We.

Leon hadn’t heard someone say that in a long time.

Maybe things could be different.

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#plaga!leon kennedy x reader #leon kennedy x reader #plaga!leon kennedy #leon kennedy #resident evil 4 remake #re4r #chubby!reader #half-life

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rubyselenemoreno · 1 year

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Good Boy

Sirius was cold. He was tired, oh so tired. His stomach ached from hunger, his head felt foggy and loneliness seeped into his bones. His fur was matted, his paws sore and bleeding from walking. He didn’t even know where he was going, just that he had to keep moving. The fear of being caught by the ministry was always in his mouth but now, he could barely feel himself caring anymore. He was so so tired.

He stumbled, his paws kicking up soil. He kept blinking and then struggling to open his eyes again. When he finally fell, he didn’t even try to get up. The leaves rustled under him faintly as his breathing slowed, he could smell the damp of the earth and the air entering his lungs chilled him further but it was a relief to be able to close his eyes and not force them open again. Sirius felt that he could lie like that forever, that if he died now he didn’t think he would mind. At least it would be over. The pain would be over, the hurt, the endless longing for a life he would never get back.

He didn’t know how long he was lying there for. He could feel his fur getting colder in the chill wind but he still didn’t move. He had given up. Finally, after years of fighting his own fate, years of existing, of surviving but never living, he had given up all hope and willed his death to come. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. He thought that he could bear even some short term physical pain if it meant he didn’t have this aching anymore, this agony down to his very soul.

Sirius heard rustling nearby and footsteps vibrating through the ground he lay on but still he didn’t move. He didn’t even open his eyes. The footsteps drew nearer and he felt a presence next to him. There was more rustling as the person knelt next to him and he heard a gasp before feeling the most gentle of touches on his fur.

“Oh you poor thing” he heard a voice say and he thought perhaps he was delirious. “What happened to you?” the voice whispered. He felt that hand run through his fur, checking for injuries. “Well I can feel you breathing” the voice said “but what a state you’re in”.

The voice moved closer to Sirius’ ear and he felt warmth radiate from where they knelt. He whimpered slightly, it had been so long since he had been near a warm human body. So many years. The hand continued through his dirty, tangled fur until it was assured there were no serious injuries. “Come on”, the voice said, “let me take you someplace safe, I’ll look after you”. Sirius’ animagus form had always been a large dog but he was barely skin and bone so the person was able to lift him easily. Siruis felt the warmth spread further through him, he could smell firewood, fresh air and baking. It smelt like home, like the home he had had for too short a time with James and his parents. “Oh James”, he thought.

The person carried Sirius gently through the woods, muttering endearments the whole time, telling him what a good boy he was and that he was doing so well and being so brave. Sirius felt that perhaps he was dead already and this was an angel coming to take him to wherever he was meant to go. He had always thought he would end up in hell, his parents and the world at large had convinced him of his own evil so thoroughly, but now he thought that no demon would feel so gentle and smell so sweet.

After a while the person stopped walking and Sirius felt himself laid gently on the floor. There were some clunking noises before he was picked up again and laid on a soft blanket. His eyes fluttered open and he found himself looking into a pair of Y/E/C eyes. He truly believed he was looking at an angel now for it was a girl. A girl with huge eyes, soft skin and Y/H/C hair that tumbled into her eyes. Her cheeks and lips were red from the cold and he could see her breath misting in the air between them.

The girl smiled to see Siruis’ eyes open, even slightly. “There you are” she said, her voice soft and gentle. She reached out a gloved hand and very gently stroked his head. “Good boy” she said and Sirius could have cried at the gesture if he had not been in his animagus form. “I’m taking you home” she whispered, “you’re safe now, I’ll take care of you”. She stood and shut the car door, climbing into the front seat herself. She turned on the heating to warm them both and the car started. Sirius felt the motion of the vehicle rock him gently to sleep and he didn’t wake again until he felt himself being lifted from the seat.

The girl carried the skinny black dog into a tiny cottage and laid him gently on the sofa. Sirius watched as she knelt by the fireplace and started a fire that began to crackle as the match caught. “So she’s a muggle” he thought to himself, noticing the way she lit the fire. The girl nodded in satisfaction at the growing flames and wandered through a door, taking off her jacket as she went. Sirius could hear her moving in the next room before she came back, without her boots on and with a bowl of fresh water. She sat next to him on the sofa, holding the water bowl in front of him so he didn’t have to move to drink. Sirius wearily lifted his head and lapped at the water.

Once he had finished the girl praised him and disappeared into what he thought must be the kitchen again. He heard the central heating clicking on as well as the crackling flames and felt himself start to thaw for the first time in so long. She appeared again, this time with a plate of chicken which she held in front of him again. It smelt so good and Sirius could barely bring himself to reach for it in case it was a mirage and vanished once he touched it.

She seemed to understand his reticence to move as she delicately picked up a piece of chicken from the plate with dainty fingers and raised it to his nose. Sirius gingerly stuck out his tongue and took the piece of chicken. It was delicious and real. Before he knew it, he was wolfing down all the chicken to the low chuckle of the girl who seemed to be delighted he was eating. “There you go”, she said. “You eat that up like a good boy, you can have some more later, I don’t want you getting sick from eating too much too quickly”.

Once the chicken had gone, she took the plate away and returned with a steaming mug for herself. She sat next to Sirius on the sofa and gently began to stroke his fur, picking out leaves and twigs as she did. Sirius already felt so much better having eaten for the first time in days. He felt warm and cosy, the hands in his fur felt like angels wings brushing him and he slowly drifted off to sleep again.

When he woke it was dark outside but the little sitting room was cosy with a now roaring fire, the warmth of the girl next to him, her hand still resting in the fur on his back and the flicker of a television in the background. Sirius started to think that perhaps he hadn’t died after all and this was all real. Carefully he stuck out his tongue and licked the girls hand. She started slightly but turned to him beaming at the gesture. “Hello boy” she said, “I think perhaps I may need to think of a name for you, it looks like you’ve made yourself at home”. Sirius wagged his tail gently at this and she beamed at him again.

Sirius couldn’t remember when he last felt so at peace. The girl was watching some muggle tv and kept explaining to Sirius what was happening. He found it utterly charming that she would treat a dog as a person. She had given him another plate of chicken which he had eaten hungrily and more water. Sirius noticed the girl start to yawn and she switched the TV off, getting to her feet. “Come on boy” she said, “time to go outside before bed”. Sirius wearily stood and got off the sofa, walking through a tiny kitchen, through the back door and into a small garden. She sat on the step watching as he sniffed the air, wary of danger having spent so long being persecuted.

After he had been outside, she took him back in, locking the back door and moving towards the stairs. Sirius stood at the bottom, watching her ascend them and feeling unsure what to do. She soon realised he wasn’t behind her though and turned to him, motioning up the stairs with her head and saying “come on boy, keep me company”. He climbed the stairs and entered a little bedroom with a big comfy looking bed in the middle. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept on a bed but he knew it must have been years ago.

The girl pottered about between the bedroom and the bathroom before climbing into the bed in her pyjamas (Sirius had looked away while she changed, he valued this girl and her kindness far too much to take advantage of her only seeing him as a dog). She patted the bed beside her and Sirius whined, not sure if he could make the jump. He still felt so weak, his legs trembling just from walking up the stairs. The girl bent down, sliding her arms under his belly and gently lifting him onto the duvet. The bed was divine, it smelt of fresh sheets and was so soft.

He shifted until he was lying right next to the girl, his eyes gazing into hers. She stroked him softly, smiling to him and telling him how happy she was to have found him. Sirius couldn’t believe that he could actually get this lucky now after all these disastrous years but he thought that he’d happily spend the rest of his life as a dog if he got to spend it here and now, with this girl. Before long, the girl’s eyelids dropped, her hand stroking his fur stilled and her breathing deepened. Sirius sighed in contentment and found himself drifting off to sleep with her.

The next morning Sirius was woken by a hand moving through his fur again. He started awake feeling his heart thump in terror as he forgot where he was. It took a few moments to remember his luck from the previous day, the girl still there and gazing at him while he got his bearings. He breathed a sigh of relief once he remembered and relaxed once more. He was amazed he had had a full nights sleep. For years now he had barely slept for more than two hours at a time before being woken by terrifying nightmares, only to find himself in a reality worse than any nightmare.

Once the girl was up and dressed, she took Sirius downstairs and let him into the garden while she made him breakfast of scrambled eggs which tasted amazing after so long of prison food and whatever he had managed to scavenge from bins. The post arrived mid morning and Sirius went and collected it from the doormat, picking it up in his mouth and carrying it through but not before reading the name it was addressed to. Y/N Y/L/N. So that’s who the girl was.

Sirius found himself over the next few days and weeks, settling into a routine in his new home with his new ‘owner’. Y/N was kind and gentle, she cared for him well, bathing him to get the dirt from his fur, brushing him until his coat shone, feeding him delicious food and letting him snuggle up to her on her bed every night. Sirius started to feel stronger again, he slept less and was able to manage longer walks with Y/N when they went out on what she called “adventures”.

One evening, y/n went to meet some friends leaving Sirius at home. She left him with food, water and even a radio on for company saying she would be a few hours. Sirius took the opportunity to change back into his human form. It felt strange at first, it was several months since he was a man and he had to sit for a bit just to get used to his body again. He walked upstairs into the bathroom and gasped when he saw the face in the mirror. Although less gaunt after a few weeks with Y/N, Sirius could barely recognise himself. “What happened to me?” he whispered as tears ran down his face into his unkept beard. “I’ve grown old”.

With trembling hands he turned the shower on, undressed from his prison clothes and stepped into the steaming shower. It felt amazing, the water ran down his body, washing away tension as well as grime but not managing to cleanse his soul of the despair that ran through him. So much of his life had already gone. Sixteen years of abuse at the hands of his parents, twelve years of Azkaban, only six years of happiness and freedom. Sirius’ shoulders shook as he sobbed under the hot water, crying for his lost life, his lost friends and his lost soul.

Once he could cry no more, he dried himself off, trimmed his beard and hair with scissors he found in the bathroom cabinet and brushed his teeth with a new toothbrush he found in a box. He hid it so that he could use it next time Y/N was out and then tried his best to tidy up and hide the evidence of his ablutions. He had just settled back onto the sofa in his dog form, feeling cleaner than he had done in years, when Y/N returned home. Her face shone with excitement. “Oh buddy” she said (she had decided that was his name and Sirius felt it could have been a lot worse), “I’ve had the best time!”.

Y/N made tea, fed Sirius and let him into the garden, then snuggled next to him on the sofa and regaled him with tales of her time out. It was a very one-sided conversation with Sirius back in dog form but Y/N didn’t seem to mind. She told him all about her friends, the places they had gone, the food and drink she’d had and then that she had met a man. Sirius felt his heart clench at that. He liked having Y/n to himself, it had been so, so long since anyone was kind to him, cared for him, touched him with soft gentle hands, even if she did think he was a dog.

Y/N explained that she had known Nick at school, he had been the year above her and she had always had a crush on him. She had bumped into him tonight and he’d asked her out. She told Sirius that she was lonely, that it had been years since she had opened her heart after having it cruelly broken several years before. She confided in him that she just wanted someone to love her. Sirius felt guilty for feeling jealous and wanted to tell her that he loved her but he couldn’t, not unless he wanted to show her his true form and that he had lied to her, pretending to be a dog all this time. Never mind the fact that she was a muggle and would probably keel over if her dog suddenly turned into an escaped prisoner (he had seen his face starting at him from the muggle newspapers too). They went to bed later than usual but Sirius struggled to fall asleep, content to watch the beautiful angel sleeping next to him, her lips parted softly, her hair fanned out on the pillow, her fingers buried in his fur.

Y/N’s date was the following week. Sirius had been dreading her going out with this man, Nick. He’d lost his appetite again and Y/N was worried, even threatening him with taking him to the vet if he didn’t pick up. On date night, Y/N went upstairs to get ready. Sirius usually went too but he couldn’t bring himself to follow her upstairs, knowing he could never have a woman dress up for him again. When she came downstairs he almost whimpered aloud. She looked stunning, her hair glossy and done up into a complicated twist. She wore a black dress with bright red lipstick. “How do I look Buddy?” she asked, doing a little turn for him. Sirius sighed and rested his head on the sofa. Y/N left, making sure he had food and water and promising not to be too late.

Several hours later, Sirius heard the key in the front door and immediately got off the sofa, hoping to greet Y/N as she returned. However, when the door opened it revealed not only Y/N but also a tall, fair haired man, Nick. Y/N was smiling as she welcomed Nick into her home but her smile widened when she saw Buddy stood there, immediately crouching to stroke his fur. Sirius couldn’t help but glare at Nick, not only was Sirius jealous but there was something not quite right about him. “And this is my gorgeous best boy Buddy” Y/N said, introducing Nick to Sirius in his dog form. Nick leant over to pat Sirius’ head but before Sirius could help himself a growl left his throat. Nick withdrew his hand sharply and scoffed nervously, “I don’t think your dog likes me very much Y/N”.

Y/N looked puzzled. “That’s strange, he’s normally fine with new people” she reassured him. Nick didn’t look too convinced. “Would you mind shutting him away please? I don’t really trust him” Nick stated. Y/N’s face fell, sad that she was torn between a potential new partner and her beloved dog. “Um, ok if you would feel more comfortable” she muttered, leading Sirius into the kitchen. She whispered to him that she was sorry for shutting him in the kitchen and quickly gave him some food before making two cups of coffee and heading back into the sitting room, shutting the kitchen door and leaving Sirius alone.

Sirius sank into the bed she had placed for him in the kitchen, originally so he could keep her company when she was cooking. He placed his head on his paws, trying to block out the murmurs and soft giggles coming from the next room. He tried to take himself to another place in his head, like he used to do in Azkaban, he didn’t want to hear what might end up happening.

As Sirius was so far away, he initially didn’t notice the change in tone of the voices in sitting room. But suddenly he heard the sound of a cry coming from Y/N. He jumped up and ran to the kitchen door, standing on his back legs to look through the glass in the door. To his horror he saw Y/N pinned underneath Nick, his hand was gripping her jaw so tightly his knuckles were white and he was laughing while trying to kiss her. Sirius could see terror on Y/N’s face as she tried to fight Nick off but he was much larger and had both her wrists grasped in his other hand. Sirius tried desperately to get through the door, scratching at the wood, trying to turn the handle but it was round and he couldn’t get a grip on it. As he watched Nick removed the hand from Y/N’s jaw and ripped her dress at the front, exposing her breasts. Y/N sobbed, begging him to let go of her when he roughly started to grab at her. His knee moved between her legs and he started to push her dress up while she struggled and screamed.

Sirius was flinging himself at the kitchen door, barking and growling in desperation to get to Y/N and tear Nick apart but to no avail, the door simply wouldn’t open for his paws. Not knowing what else to do and almost without thinking, Sirius transformed back into his human form, grasping the kitchen door handle and wrenching the door open before he’d even finished the transition. He ran into the sitting room, grabbed Nick and threw him off Y/N. Y/N screamed and Sirius felt himself launching into the other man, punching every bit of him he could reach. Nick was so surprised by the attack he barely fought back. Sirius grabbed him by his shirt, marched him to the front door, opened it and flung him out. “Stay. Away. From. Her.” he growled, his voice husky from lack of use. He slammed the door and leant his forehead against the cool wood, breathing hard.

A sob behind him brought him to his senses and he realised what he had just done. Slowly Sirius turned round to face Y/N. She was crouching on the floor by the side of the sofa, her face covered in tears, her mascara running in tracks, livid red finger marks showing on her throat and wrists. Sirius pressed his back to the front door to try and give her as much space from him as possible but he couldn’t take his eyes off her. She stared at him, her chest rising, clutching the ripped fabric to her body. He didn’t know what to do, he desperately wanted to go to her, to take her in his arms and comfort her but he knew she’d be terrified of what had happened so he did nothing, just continued to look at her with his big grey eyes.

Gradually her breathing slowed as she realised she was no longer under attack. Her Y/E/C eyes searched his face for some understanding as to who he was and why he was in her house, protecting her. Her eyes found his and she stared into them, puzzlement over the familiarity of them creasing her brow. Sirius watched as she shakily stood, automatically taking a step towards her when he thought she might fall but managing to stop himself from rushing all the way over. However, it was Y/N who started walking towards him, her legs still wobbly from adrenaline. She continued to gaze into his eyes until he felt that he would fall into hers if it carried on.

She was in front of him now, within touching distance if he dared to reach out a hand. However, it was Y/N who reached out, so gently touching his hair and resting her palm against his cheek. He automatically leaned into the touch, he felt like he would die it was so beautiful to feel his human skin touched so gently. Again she astonished him by whispering under her breath, so lowly he could barely hear, “Buddy? Buddy is that you?”. Silently he nodded, too stunned she had recognised him from his dog form. His voice faltered as he tried to speak but before he knew it, she’d stepped closer and threw her arms around his chest, burying her face in his neck. He felt her tears falling on his skin and realised he was crying too. Almost like he couldn’t remember how, he shakily lifted his arms until they encircled Y/N and once he’d wrapped them around her, he couldn’t let go, he clasped her as tightly to him and though he wanted them to become one person and he wasn’t sure who was comforting who.

Sirius lost track of how long they stood like that before Y/N pulled away very slightly, looking up at him through wet eyelashes. She loosened her arms around him though Sirius almost couldn’t bear to let her go. She took his hand and gently lead him to the sofa, sitting him down before folding her legs up underneath her and sitting next to him, knees touching, her hand still clasping his. She reached up her other hand again and gently caressed his face, wiping away his tears and smiled so softly he started weeping again. She pulled him towards her and wrapped her arms around him again, rocking him gently and whispering that it was ok, while he sobbed into her hair. He didn’t know how long they were sitting like that again but the sky was starting to lighten through the window when they finally broke apart. Sirius felt drained, like his soul had been emptied out into the arms of this beautiful angel.

He studied her face, looking for any signs of fear or disgust at him but saw nothing but care and tenderness. She took his hand in hers again, holding her dress to her still with the other and wordlessly lead him upstairs. She sat him on the bed before rummaging in a drawer for an oversized t shirt and baggy sweat pants which she handed to him. Y/N walked into the bathroom and Sirius could hear the tap going while he changed. He was still so thin the sweat pants were loose on him so he did the cord tightly. Y/N returned in her pyjamas, and climbed into the bed, raising the duvet and holding her hand out to him to join her. He bit his lip, worried and she noticed the gesture, smiling sweetly at him. “It’s ok”, she whispered, “you’re exhausted, we can talk when we’ve had some sleep”. Sirius reached for her hand, feeling like the simple gesture was so much deeper than anyone could realise, like he was reaching for life itself. He slipped between the covers and Y/N immediately moved into his arms, resting her head on his chest. His arms slipped around her and slowly they both drifted off.

When Sirius woke, his arms were empty. Terrified he started upright, eyes wildly looking around expecting to see Aurors coming for him. The bedroom door opened to reveal Y/N, holding a tray laden down with food and drinks. She smiled brightly and Sirius couldn’t help but notice the bruising on her neck and wrists from her attack last night. “Morning”, she said, moving forward to place the tray on the bed in front of Sirius. “I felt bad that I’ve been feeding you dog food so I made you something nicer”. There was a full cooked breakfast, toast with butter and jam, pastries, tea, coffee and orange juice and a bowl of fresh fruit. “I didn’t know what you like so I kind of made everything” she chuckled to herself, folding her legs underneath her as she sat next to him.

The smell was mouth watering and Sirius couldn’t help but immediately tuck in, groaning in pleasure at the taste of the bacon and egg in his mouth. Apart from the food Y/N had given him as a dog, it had been many years since he’d eaten real food. Y/N smiled as she helped herself to toast, spreading it with butter and jam and watching as Sirius demolished the rest of the breakfast. When he’d eaten his fill he felt so much better and a smile managed to find it’s way onto his lips. She grinned at him, taking the tray away. “I’m going for a shower”, she said, “I was wondering if we could talk afterwards please?”. Sirius nodded, still not used to using his voice after so long. Y/N showered and dressed and Sirius washed before Y/N lead him downstairs back to the sofa. She made another cup of tea and then sat looking at him while he tried to work out where to begin his story.

“My name is Sirius Black” he began, his voice still husky but stronger now. “I’m a wizard and I’ve been in prison for twelve years for a crime I didn’t commit”. He didn’t know how long he talked for, trying to explain everything. He told her of his school days and how he had become an unregistered animagus, the death of his friends, James and Lily, the betrayal of Peter, his sentencing without trial and his escape. Y/N didn’t take her eyes off him once but she didn’t interrupt apart from the odd gasp and groan at points. When he finished he looked at her again, expecting to see fear, pity or ridicule. But she still looked so tenderly at him. He realised at some point she had linked her hand in his, their fingers intertwined and he was clutching them like an anchor in a rough sea.

“Do you believe me?” he whispered, almost not wanting to know the answer. “Of course!” she replied vehemently. “There is no way you just made all that up! Can I see one thing though please?”. “Of course, anything” Sirius muttered. “Please can you show me how you turn into Buddy?”. Sirius grinned, of all he had told her this was what she wanted to see. He immediately transformed into a dog and back again while Y/N laughed aloud and clapped her hands in joy.

Sirius turned to her now with a question of his own. “Why aren’t you afraid of me?” he asked. “Well”, Y/N began, “firstly you could have hurt me anytime you wanted to over the last few months but you didn’t. And secondly you saved me last night”. Her breath hitched as she remembered her attack by Nick and she shuddered subconsciously. Sirius reached his hand out and gently touched her face, running his fingers as softly as he could over her jaw and neck that was littered with finger marks. “I’ll never ever hurt you” he breathed, “and I’ll never let anyone else hurt you ever again, I swear it”. His words were so intense that Y/N gasped and leant closer to him, staring at him with wide eyes.

“Sirius” she whispered, like she was tasting his name and he felt his heart almost burst at the sound. She leant further forward, still gazing at him. His hand moved to her hair and he brushed it with his finger tips. Y/N sighed and closed her eyes in pleasure. Sirius could smell her, her shampoo and shower gel, the tea on her breath, her skin. She opened her eyes again and moved even closer her forehead now touching his. He felt his breath catch as her lips grazed his, oh so gently. He closed his eyes in ecstasy, moaning lightly. Her lips brushed his again, firmed this time and he gave himself up to them, feeling the tenderness of her lips against his, the beating of her heart, the shallowness of her breath.

Y/N moved her hands, sliding them up his chest, onto his shoulders to snake around his neck and his found her waist. They stopped for breath and just gazed at each other for a moment, panting slightly. Suddenly, they both moved as one, joining together again, lips meeting, tongues exploring, hands grasping. It was the most exhilarated Sirius could remember ever feeling in his life but at the same time it felt like he was meant to be here, that this was home.

Before he knew it, Y/N had climbed onto his lap, legs either side of his thighs while they kissed passionately, pouring all their emotion into each other. Sirius could feel tears on his face again but he didn’t know if they were his or hers, it felt like they had become one person, neither able to survive without the other. Her hands were in his hair, his pulling her almost into him in his desire for her, to get lost in her. When they finally broke apart, foreheads resting together, eyes locked to each other, Ruby whispered “we’re together now, Sirius, no one can part us. I swear I’ll be with you whatever it takes and wherever we need to go to keep you safe. But I’m never leaving you”.

Sirius thought his heart could burst. His mind flickered to everything he had gone through and he decided that if it had all lead to this, he didn’t mind. Every second of the pain he had gone through his whole life had been worth it. Even if this was all he ever had of Y/N, this time, this moment, it would be worth it and he would have suffered through it all again to be here, right now with her. His soul, his love, his happiness.

#sirius black #sirius x you #sirius x reader #post azkaban sirius

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potionboy3 · 9 months

Text

character profile

► basics:

Full name: Alexej Emil Kavinsky (born Vogel)

Meaning of name: Alexej means “defending men”, “defender of men”, “defender of the people” or “protector of men”. Emil means "to strive", "excel", "rival", "eager"

Nickname: Lexi, Alex

Pronouns: He/him

Sexual Orientation: Gay

Nationality: German father, from mother's side Chzech and possibly Russian.

Birth date: December 16th, 1892

Zodiac sign: Sagittarius A December 16 Sagittarius is extraordinary. They have a disciplined nature and can live on little, as long as they can express their inner fire. Blessed with an artistic temperament, they understand that success equals creative accomplishment, not money. They have much wisdom.

Age: 22 when the war starts

► Physical appearance:

Faceclaim: Tom Schilling

Height: 168cm

Eye colour: Blue

Hair colour: Brown

► Personality:

Positive traits: hardworking, brave, thoughtful, determined, realistic, artistic

Negative traits: private, irritable, selfish, panicky, grumpy, indecisive, judgy, demanding

Personality type: ISFJ

Character’s greatest joy in life: getting to make his own decisions

Fears: his fathers opinions, the horrible things he has done in his past, losing loved ones.

Why?

Alexej has a difficult relationship with his father who does not approve his choices and sees him weak.

Alexej had to do a lot of bad things to survive while being part of AM and TOWER. His past haunts him.

Alexej lost his best friend and he doesn't want to lose anyone that important again.

Priorities: himself, his friends

Character’s soft spot: Fiete, Lunas, Kateryna & Klara, Sydney, Knusper, Ione

Is this soft spot obvious to others? It's not obvious at all and Sydney is the only one to see through him. (Well Knusper might.)

Greatest vulnerability or weakness: He thinks it's using his heart and not his head. But really his weakness is his own fear and anxiety. For the longest of time he did as he was told out of fear and later he still panics easily.

Biggest regret: Joining the anti-muggle group AM

Secrets of the character: He was in love with Fiete

Does anyone else know? Kateryna and Klara might guess it, as well as his father.

Drives and motivations: Future where he doesn't need to follow anyone's orders.

► Past

Hometown: Berlin, Germany

Type of childhood: Alexej's mother died when he was born. His father was strict and raised him to respect his values rather than finding his own ones. He had a mongrel dog before starting school, whom he loved very much. His father was wealthy so he got used to having luxurious things around him. From early on Alexej was raised to despise the muggle-community and he didn't see muggleborns as part of the Wizarding community. Religion: Not religious

Dream job: Artist ► Present Current location: Germany, then France during the war Currently living with: Lived in the base of the AM movement, later goes to France and joins the dark wizard alliance called TOWER and lives in their base.

Pets: He bonds with a wild wolf with a broken leg during the war. The wolf becomes his companion. He names him Knusper. *Author's note, thank you @cursed-herbalist for naming this little bastard!*

Occupation: Worked for German Ministry of Magic as an auror but was secretly part of the AM movement. During the start of the war Alexej was part of the German Army still working for the Ministry and AM. After leaving AM he joined TOWER and worked with them in hopes of helping Lunas Avery out of the movement's control. After leaving TOWER Alexej was hired by the British Ministry of Magic because of his knowledge and actions against TOWER. After the war he cut his connections to the Ministry and started a career as a freelance artist.

► Magical info

Blood Status: Pureblood

Education: Durmstrang

Wand: Holly wood with a dragon heartstring core, 10 ¾ and unbending flexibility

Holly is one of the rarer kinds of wand woods; traditionally considered protective, it works most happily for those who may need help overcoming a tendency to anger and impetuosity. At the same time, holly wands often choose owners who are engaged in some dangerous and often spiritual quest. Holly is one of those woods that varies most dramatically in performance depending on the wand core Patronus: Mongler dog

Just like a wizard doesn’t have to be a pure-blood to be great, a dog doesn’t have to a purebred to be your best friend. While a mongrel’s ancestry might be a mystery, they tend to be intelligent, energetic, and good-natured. Your mongrel dog Patronus will be loyal and friendly toward you but fierce against any Dementor that seeks to harm you. Their scrappy nature makes them a perfect partner in any situation. *Author's note, I find this patronus so ironic but fitting!* Patronus Memory: Spending time with his friends in Durmstrang and having fun. Boggart: Fiete dying but the person killing him is Alexej himself. Specialized/Favourite Spells: Alexej is talented in memory spells and quick to disarm his enemy. He is really bad with cleaning spells. Favourite subject in school: charms and divination

► Family Father: Anton Vogel Face claim: Oliver Masucci

Relationship with him: As a child Alexej wanted to please his father and followed his orders and wishes. During his Durmstrang years Anton didn't think his son was strong enough and wasn't pleased with the close friendship he had with Fiete. He started to see Alexej as a weak link which the teenager desperately wanted to prove wrong.

Anton wasn't a very strict or serious father but rather bantered with his son and complimented his success if he saw such. Alexej liked spending time with his father despite wanting to prove himself worthy and the two were close in his youth. After graduating, Alexej joined the AM movement that worked in Germany under Grindelwald's alliance. His father was secret supporter of the movement but being a politician he had to ensure that his name stayed out of it, so Alexej started using his mother's last name. After Alexej killed Anton's friend Adalmar Nachtnebel in 1916, he didn't contact his father until the end of the year. His father was pleased that Alexej had joined TOWER but later found out that he didn't actually value this alliance either. Anton was disappointed and Alexej didn't contact his father after the war. Later Anton became the German Minister for Magic but claimed that his son had died during the war.

► Love interests

Sydney Barlow @gaygryffindorgal Face claim: Rami Malek

Relationship with him: Alexej saves Sydney's life by shooting Nachtnebel instead of executing Sydney when he was told to. Alexej lets him go, leaving him with Nachtnebel's wand. The two meet again in a small town while Sydney is looking for his company and Alexej is on a run. The two spend time together and get to know each other a little but eventually Alexej leaves for his own adventures. They later meet again and Sydney gets his chance to save Alexej's life when Alexej gets shot. to be continued...

► Enemies

His father, Adalmar Nachtnebel, Ren Godfrey and the whole of TOWER, The whole of AM, Grindelwald's Allience, and some of the students of Durmstang. Adalmar Nachtnebel: Nachtnebel was a member of the AM and Alexej's father's good friend. Nachtnebel put a lot of pressure on Alexej and tried to shape him into a ruthless soldier. Alexej never liked him and after he was forced into crimes against the muggle community under Nachtnebel's command, he started to resent him. When Sydney Barlow escaped from the AM base after being taken there as a prisoner, Nachtnebel commanded Alexej to shoot him after the two found him from a near by forest. Alexej chose to shoot him instead.

Ren Godfrey: Alexej joined TOWER (Transnational Order of Wizards Exposure Rights) after leaving AM. Ren Godfrey was one of the founding members of the said group of dark wizards. Alexej claimed to be loyal to TOWER but he actually joined because of Lunas Avery. His real goal was to get Lunas out of the blackmailing situation he had going on with Ren. Eventually Ren finds out the truth about Alexejs true alliance but he has more anger towards Lunas than Alexej.

*Author's note, @cursed-herbalist, this beautiful smarty-pants also named both AM and TOWER when I've been struggling with both. so all the love and respect and my undying gratitude*

► Favourites

Colour: gray

Food: likes to test different type of cocktails

Literature: Reads a lot and in different languages. He likes historical fiction.

Most loved possession: his mothers old ring. ► Habits Spending habits: Alexej is used to luxury but later becomes more strict with money. Smokes: Yes a lot Drinks: That too Other drugs: Not regularly What does he do too much of? smoking, shaking Sydney's hand

What does he do too little of? relaxing

Extremely skilled at: art, making drinks, learning languages

Extremely unskilled at: talking about his feelings, hugs and public affection

►Traits

How he feels about himself: As a teenager he feels proud and above everyone else but it starts to change as he grows up. He's not much for self pity but he does get angry at himself.

How do other people perceive him: entitled and annoying, violent, problematic, or fascinating and talented

Style:

► Relationships with others

Does the character hide his true opinions and emotions from others? Alexej is hard to read and people often don't know if he's joking or not. His loyalties are often a mystery.

Person character most hates: Adalmar Nacthnebel

Best friend(s): Fiete Tegeler, Lunas Avery, Kateryna Von Engelhardt and Klara Belikova

Friends: Ione Avery, Ares Gaunt, Zedric Faust, Colm O'Shea, Linus Sullivan, Maritza Krum, Cayetana Narváez

Fiete Tegeler, Klara Belikova @gaygryffindorgal & Kateryna Von Engelhardt @cursebreakerfarrier:

During his studies in Durmstrang, Alexej was close friends with Klara, Kateryna and Fiete. Klara, Kateryna and Alexej all came from similar backgrounds and shared the same type of values. Fiete was different, being a half blood and coming from a less wealthy background. He didn't have strong opinions against muggleborns and he was much kinder than Alexej. Still he became his closest friend who he secretly developed feelings for. The three would often claim that Fiete was a pureblood to avoid controversy among other students. This bothered Fiete, but loving his friends he let them keep their perfect picture. The group would often pair up during balls and they spent holiday breaks together being practically inseparable.

During his seventh year Alexej managed to gain few enemies in school after sharing information he was not suppose to. This lead to the boys attacking him and Fiete while the girls watched trying to stop it from happening. The fight ended with Fiete's death. After his passing away it was hard for the group to spend time together as just a trio and it took a long time for them to get close again. Faceclaims: Max Schimmelpfennig, Alicia Agneson, Alina Kovalenko

*Authors note, thank you @gaygryffindorgal for choosing my fiete and loving him*

Lunas Avery @cursed-herbalist:

Alexej meets Lunas when he's posing undercover as an auror to snoop details of the ministry's agenda for the war. They became good friends and Lunas is a big reason why Alexej starts to question his beliefs. Eventually Lunas finds out his true intentions and Alexej has to flee and go back to his AM group. After Alexej leaves the allience he decides to find Lunas again and because of this he ends up joining TOWER. His true intentions are to help Lunas and possibly gain pardon by doing so.

Ione Avery @cursed-herbalist:

Ione and Alexej became friends when Ione was visiting Lunas in Berlin. They have similar struggles and get along well. They have a playful sibling like relationship. He wants to protect her.

Ares Gaunt @gaygryffindorgal:

Ares worked for TOWER at the same time Alexej was there. They had few missions together and Alexej admired Ares's way of handling the situation which was different from the other members of the group. Alexej wasn't aware that Ares was actually an auror working for the ministry.

Zedric Faust: Zedric and Alexej went to Durmstrang at the same time but they were not friends. Alexej thought that Zedric was annoying. Though he was polite to Zedric, he called him Kartoffel (potato) behind his back. After graduating Zedric and Alexej both joined AM and were often paired up together from Zedric's request. Usually Alexej did all the work while Zedric took the credit. After the war Alexej ended up defending Zedric and telling the truth about him not taking much part on the actual things that AM did and being more talk than action. While he never liked Zedric, he didn't feel that the man deserved the worst kind of sentence. The two found mutual respect for each other for surviving their youth and became actual friends.

Colm O'Shea @unfortunate-arrow Alexej got to know Colm through his friend Ione. The two were also in the same company. After the war Alexej stayed good friends with the couple. Alexej was a regular guest to their house.

Linus Sullivan @unfortunate-arrow Linus and Sydney were friends during the war and shared the same company that Alexej was in. He got to know Linus after getting closer with Sydney and the two stayed friends.

Maritza Krum Alexej and Maritza attended Durmstrang at the same time but were not friends. He met her again through his connections with the British Ministry while she was working for the French Ministry of Magic. Later he got to know her also as Linus's wife.

Cayetana Narváez @endlessly-cursed Cayetana and Alexej met because of her connection to Lunas and later became friendly. *more to be added*

Andrey Belikov @gaygryffindorgal Alexej and Andrey knew each other through Klara and once spent a night together though neither remembers that much of the occasion. The two stayed friends.

Anthony Vallen @kathrynalicemc

Andy was the scientist who was investigating the TOWER guns that Alexej,Lunas, Kit and Ares were sent to find during his time working for the British Ministry of Magic. He later also knew Andy through his relationship to Andrey Belikov.

Person character goes to for advice: Kateryna, Klara or Lunas Person character feels responsible for or takes care of: Fiete during school, later he wants to help Lunas when he's being blackmailed by Ren Godfrey. He also wants to protect Ione after befriending her.

Person character feels shy or awkward around: People who flirt with him or who he finds extremely attractive. He's the type of person that when you're having a romantic moment, he will chicken out and insult you instead.

Person character openly admires: Lunas, Ares

#alexej kavinsky #character profile mine #durmstrang oc #hp ww1 era #hp wwi era #i think i've been staring at this for an hour now but maybe it's done and if there's still something odd in it then i will fix it later #anyway baby' is out and proud #he's open for friends or enemies i guess

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lu-vin-it · 1 year

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2 | Letters From The Living

── ⋅⋅⋅ ────꒰ ୨ ♡ ୧ ꒱───────

Series Masterlist

Summary: You've always loved journaling. It's a hobby you keep even after the world turns upside down.

Pairings: Daryl Dixon × Reader

Pronouns Used: None

Word Count: 1,306

Warnings: Death, typical twd stuff

A/N: Ty @spnczr and @stqrluvr for proofreading ily guys sm!

So... Dr. Brenner tried to blow us up so we left the CDC. That was earlier. We’re sleeping in the vehicles right now. Well. Supposed to be. Shane is on watch and I don’t trust him. Anyways, nothing else new to report considering it was literally yesterday that I wrote.

I miss Brad today.

Carol, Andrea, Dale, Ric, Lori, Carl, T-Dog, Glenn, Daryl, Sophia, and Jenny.

I think the universe hates me. We were scavenging for supplies on a highway when a herd of walkers passed through. One of them chased Jenny off into the woods. I’m worried sick. There’s this pit in my stomach and it won’t go away. What if she’s gone? She’s only fourteen. She can’t be gone. Not my little sister.

Everyone is looking for her. She got run off the road yesterday. We split up, Rick, Carl, and Shane went off on their own. Then some lady came up to us on a horse and took away Lori saying Carl was shot. I’m worried about him too. He’s a good kid. Carol has been trying to console me, but I think I’m broken.

Anywho, after the lady, (her name is maggie) took Lori, Glenn took T-Dog (who is injured) to the farm Maggie lived at. Everyone else stayed back to sleep in the RV. I’m pretty sure Daryl and Andrea went looking last night too. We left in the morning to go to the farm too. Daryl swears he’ll find her. He’s really sweet. I feel bad for ever thinking he was just some hot headed hick. The farm is nice. Jenny is gonna love it here.

Same survivors. + Maggie, Hershel, Patricia, and Jimmy.

Daryl Dixon is a sweetheart. He gave me a flower in a beer bottle. It’s a Cherokee rose. He said that it’s a symbol of hope from the Cherokee mothers who lost their children along the Trail of Tears. I hugged him and called him sweet. He was freaked out I think.

Same Survivors.

Daryl found Jenny!!!!! He almost died while doing it.. but he found her!!! They came back earlier. She was practically carrying him, he had fallen onto a bolt. He was pretty out of it but he told her where to go. Then when they got back Andrea thought they were walkers and tried to shoot them. She missed Jenny but grazed Daryl. He’s okay. Thank god. I’m really proud of Jenny. I think she’s proud of herself too. Obviously she’s traumatized, but everyone has been telling her how amazing it was that she survived out there alone and she’s been smiling a ton. She hasn’t left my side. Or maybe I haven’t left hers. I don’t know. I’m so happy.

Same survivors.

So there were walkers in the barn. They used to be the Greene’s family or friends but at one point they each turned and the Greene’s have been keeping them in the goddamn barn. Glenn told us this morning and Shane threw a fit. He got all the weapons and stormed it. As much as I wish I could blame him, I don’t. I even shot one of them with Dad’s gun.

Speaking of guns, we had a shooting practice yesterday. I’m actually a pretty good shot. So is Jenny. I guess it’s in our blood, Dad used to love his shooting ranges. I miss Dad. And Mom. And Brad. Ugh.

Same Survivors

Um so.. we now have a hostage in the barn. This kid Randall. Rick, Glenn, and Hershel came back from the town with him tied up. His leg was seriously injured. The group is at a crossroad trying to figure out what to do with him. Some want to kill him, other’s think that Rick should just drive out and drop him somewhere. I don’t really know where I stand.

Also, Lori got into a car accident trying to get Rick home. Apparently she’s pregnant too. Drama. I feel like I’m back in high school.

Beth has been in sort of a shock-like state since the barn. Apparently her Mom was one of the walkers. (That’s also why Hershel, Glenn, and Rick were in that town. Hershel went to the bar and Glenn and Rick had to retrieve him. He wants us to leave.. I don’t think we’re going to.) I’ve been helping watch over her. Jenny too. Jenny liked her a lot, they’re closer in maturity than Jen is with Sophia.

Same Survivors.

Andrea is crazy. She basically told Beth to kill herself. I’m shocked. I haven’t spoken to her at all since. Beth is okay, thank god, but someone has to watch her 24/7 now.

Also, Shane and Rick almost let Randall go, but for some reason, they returned with him still in the truck tied and gagged. Daryl had to torture him. I think Daryl and I had a little moment too. I was patching up his wounds and for a second it almost looked like he was going to kiss me. Is it bad that I wanted him to? I feel so guilty about it. All I can think about is Brad. I know he’d want me to be okay without him, but would he want me to be with someone else? Am I crazy? Ugh.

Same survivors.

We lost the farm. Everything happened so quickly. Dale died, then Shane killed Randall, then Rick killed Shane. The barn was on fire, and a giant herd attacked the farm. Jen and I just barely made it out with Glenn and Maggie. We met up with the others at the highway Jenny went missing on. Daryl and I had another moment. He hugged me really tight when he saw me. I hugged him too. I was really relieved to see him. I’m still really relieved to see him.

Andrea didn’t show up at the highway. I feel awful. She’s probably dead and I was so rude to her.

I’m scared. We’re all infected (oh yeah! We all carry the infection. If we die, we become walkers.), we have no shelter, Lori is pregnant, and it’s almost winter. I am running out of optimism.

Glenn, Maggie, Hershel, Beth, Rick, Lori, Carl, Carol, T-Dog, Carol, Sophia, Jenny

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#daryl dixon x reader #daryl dixon x you #daryl dixon imagine #the walking dead x reader #the walking dead imagine #the walking dead fic #the walking dead fanfiction #daryl dixon series

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sasaranomiya · 1 year

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Koukyuu no Karasu Volume 2 Chapter 4 - The Sweetheart Incense (Part 1)

Happy Boxing Day guys. Here’s the first part of the final chapter. Some things play out differently compared to the anime, so look forward to it

Thanks to all the kind people who bought me a Ko-fi!

Here’s my Ko-fi if anyone is feeling generous

Translation Notes

1. Handicapping in Go is a thing where the weaker player puts down handicap stones in order to give them more equal chances of winning (idk how this works since i know nothing about Go lol)

Previous | Index | Next

“——A beast?”

“Yes, that’s what I heard.”

Jiujiu answered while combing Jusetsu’s hair. When she woke up in the morning, she heard birds chirping awfully loudly in the woods outside, so Jiujiu went out to see what was going on. The eunuchs of the rokuboushi—the agency directly supervised by the emperor that cracked down on crimes in the inner palace—were going this way and that with swords in their belts and tense expressions. Apparently, the body of a palace woman was found in the woods. It was surmised that she was attacked by a beast, based on her wounds.

“They say that her throat was torn out, so what if it was a wild dog, or a wolf…or a tiger?”

“I don’t know about the mountains, but I don’t believe there would be tigers in an area like this. I’ve never seen wild dogs in the inner palace, but are there some here?”

“I heard that wild dogs would sometimes come in here. Before, there was a eunuch who died after he got bitten by one. His wound got infected and he suffered terribly…”

Jiujiu’s face was pale as she trembled.

“Which palace was the deceased palace lady from?”

“It seems that they still don’t know yet. They’re in the process of asking around in each palace to see if there are any missing palace ladies.”

“…I wonder if that palace lady was trying to come here.”

Did she come to ask for a favor from the Raven Consort and was attacked by a beast?

Jiujiu was looking at Jusetsu’s face in the mirror.

“No, I think she must have been chased by the beast and ran all the way over there.”

She hurriedly said, as if trying to be considerate. Jusetsu stared into the mirror. Her clouded-over face was reflected in it. It was an unreliable and helpless face. She straightened her back and tried her best to make a hard expression. The mirror was octagonal with the back decorated with mother-of-pearl. Green turban shells, amber, tortoiseshell, and lapis lazuli were used to depict flowers and birds. Tracing the edge of the mirror with pale fingers, Jusetsu narrowed her eyes at her own face. Not her face, but her hair.

“Is my hair still fine?”

“It’s fine. It’s beautiful black hair.”

She was checking to see if the color had faded from her dyed hair. Jiujiu didn’t know Jusetsu’s circumstances, but she didn’t try to inquire too deeply. Since the decree to capture and kill members of the Ran clan had been abolished by Koushun, Jusetsu would no longer be killed if it was discovered that she was a member of the Ran clan. But that didn’t make her want to return to her original silver hair. It was obvious that it would be troublesome if she did.

However, the fear of death that had been whittling away at her body was now gone. This was brought about by Koushun’s efforts to save Jusetsu, even if only a little. She no longer woke up every morning with the leaden despair of having to survive through another day. Her heart was just a little lighter and warmer.

“I’m going to go out wearing a eunuch’s uniform today.”

“Yes, Niangniang,” Jiujiu said and began to tie her hair up instead of the two rings. “Are you really going to go out?” she asked worriedly. “Even though there might be wild dogs out there?”

“Those are most likely active at night. The palace lady was also attacked at night. Besides, we can’t go out at all if you keep talking like that.”

“Aren’t there a lot of days when you don’t go out? Why do you have to go out only at a time like this?”

“I don’t know when that Winter Minister will retire.”

She was about to visit Setsu Gyoei. She had already learned the hard way that going out in a palanquin was too ostentatious. But it would also be too conspicuous to go out in her consort’s garb. It would have been best to disguise herself as a civil servant, but with Jusetsu’s appearance, even if she dressed in men’s clothing she would only look like a boy before his coming-of-age ceremony. That was why she decided to dress up as a eunuch.

“And, you’re only going to take Onkei with you, aren’t you?”

Jiujiu was miffed.

“Weren’t you the one worried about wild dogs?”

“If it’s dangerous for me, then it’s dangerous for you too, Niangniang. …I can’t ask you to take me with you because I don’t want to be a burden on you if something happens, though.”

She said sulkily, pouting. As she was talking, her hands were quickly tying her hair up into a topknot. Behind them, Xingxing was meekly closing its wings. That was rare. It always rampaged around whenever Jusetsu was about to leave the palace. It didn’t even try to go out of the curtains, but simply listening to what was going on around it, as though afraid of outside enemies.

When she stepped outside in the pale-gray eunuch robes, she could still hear birds chirping and flapping their wings impatiently restlessly from the woods.

“…Do they still not know which palace that palace lady was from?” she asked Onkei, who was accompanying her.

“No, they know now. She was from Jakusou Palace,” he replied.

Jakusou Palace, huh, Jusetsu murmured. That palace had been weighing on her mind for a while now.

“Was she trying to come to Yamei Palace?”

“It’s still unknown.”

Since she was a palace lady, Jusetsu recalled the woman who had visited before. The palace lady who begged her to bring the dead back to life. The scent of sweetheart incense clung to her. Her face was covered with a veil of thin silk, so she couldn’t tell, but what was the color of her ruqun? In the first place, that palace lady——.

“…”

Jusetsu, who was pondering this while walking, turned to Onkei.

“Does that palace lady not normally use sweetheart incense?”

Onkei looked puzzled. “I’m not sure about that. The smell of blood was too strong last night, so I wouldn’t——” he then quickly closed his mouth. But it was too late.

“Onkei, were you the one who found the body?”

It wasn’t surprising if you thought about it. He was Yamei Palace’s guard, after all.

“…Yes,” The look on his face that said, oh no, affirmed it. “I found her while making my rounds.”

“You should have come to me with that news.”

“It is not something you should hear about, Niangniang. It was a horrible-looking corpse, after all.”

“Is it true that her throat was ripped out?”

Onkei frowned. “Who heard of such a thing?”

“Jiujiu found out about it.”

When she said that, Onkei looked troubled. “That girl is a bit too curious. She isn’t a bad girl, though.”

“Then it’s fine as long as she isn’t a bad girl.” Onkei laughed a little. He was surprisingly expressive once he got used to someone.

“I heard that it was the work of a beast, but what of it?”

“From the wound, it is unmistakable that her throat was torn out with teeth. However…” Onkei hesitated. “It didn’t look like the fangs of a beast like a wild dog or wolf.”

“You mean a beast without fangs? Would such a beast attack people?”

“Even monkeys have fangs. Or——”

Onkei stopped speaking as if he was afraid to voice his thoughts. Jusetsu stroked her lips. Humans also have canines.

It can’t be possible, she thought.

“There was one more suspicious thing. There was a lot of blood around the body, but not much from the wound on her neck.”

Jusetsu put her finger on her chin and thought for a moment.

“…So, you mean that she died somewhere else and was brought over there?”

“Perhaps so. If that’s the case, a closer look will reveal traces. It was too dark last night to tell.”

Were the eunuchs walking around in the woods because they were investigating that?

“In any case, please refrain from going out alone, Niangniang.”

“Jiujiu wouldn’t allow that anyways.”

Onkei’s expression relaxed. “Indeed, Niangniang.”

Please listen to that girl, he said.

Somehow, she felt that Onkei had become as fussy as Jiujiu.

When they arrived at Seiu Temple, there was already a visitor there. It was Koushun. There was a table set up in the outer corridor, and he was playing Go with Gyoei. Judging from the fact that the board was made of rosewood with inlays on the sides, and that the Go pieces were colored red and navy blue with flowers and birds, this board was brought by Koushun. It was still before noon, but it was rare for him to be in a place like this.

“Unusually, court council ended early today, so I came here.” Koushun read the look on Jusetsu’s face and answered before she could ask. Jusetsu peered at the board.

“Is Gyoei holding back?”

Gyoei, who was playing with the navy blue stones, was in an inferior position.

“No, no, by no means. His Majesty is very strong.”

Gyoei seemed to be speaking his true thoughts. He groaned as he stroked his beard.

“I’ve been taught by Eitoku since I was a child.”

“Ah, Prime Minister Un has defeated a Go master once.”

Jusetsu sat down on a chair brought over by an acolyte and loosened the collar of her robe. The outer corridor was shaded and cool, but she was sweaty from walking so far.

“I’ll have to give up the game for lost. How about you play a game, Lady Raven Consort?”

Jusetsu glanced at the board and frowned. “I am no match for him.”

“Ho. Are you not skilled at Go?”

“I was taught by Reijou, but I never won. Going easy on someone was a foreign concept to her.”

“I had played against her frequently, but she always gave it her all, didn’t she?”

Gyoei narrowed his eyes in nostalgia. He seemed to be seeing Reijou on the other side of Jusetsu’s face.

“Which one of you was stronger?”

“Well now. I believe I won 123 games, lost 105, and tied 15 games.”

He remembers it well, Jusetsu thought as she stared at Gyoei’s face. He stroked his beard and averted his gaze. He turned back to the board, picked up a blue stone, and placed it back in the Go bowl. One by one, carefully. His profile stated that he refused to talk about Reijou any further. Jusetsu could tell that for him, Reijou was someone that brought both nostalgia and pain.

“…You say you want to retire, but what are you going to do after you leave? Are you going to return to your hometown?”

Gyoei was single and didn’t have a residence outside the imperial palace. She wondered if he had a place to go after he left here.

“My younger brother runs a business in town. He is an oil merchant. I’m going to be staying with him. Well, I’m sure even a senile old man like me would be of some use to him.”

He said easily and held out the bowl of Go stones to Jusetsu.

“Lady Raven Consort, how about you put down some stones and then play? Yes, just five stones. Then, wouldn’t you be able to match against His Majesty?” (1)

He was talking about placing stones on the board in advance and having Koushun go easy on her.

“I refuse,” she said sullenly, and Gyoei laughed.

“I suppose you inherited that competitive spirit from Lady Reijou.”

He put his hands on the table and slowly stood up. “I’m a little tired as well, since I haven’t played against His Majesty in a while. Please allow me to take a break for today.”

Pushing the bowl into Jusetsu’s hands, Gyoei returned to his room from the outer corridor. He then walked out of it, accompanied by an acolyte. Jusetsu glared at the bowl and reluctantly sat down across from Koushun.

“I don’t mind if you put down five or nine stones,” Koushun said, his tone relaxed, and Jusetsu furrowed her brow.

“I have no need for you to hold back on me.”

“Is that so. Then let us have an even game.”

That meant that no stones would be placed as a handicap. Jusetsu furrowed her brow even more.

“…Just three…I’ll only place three stones…”

Koushun laughed at Jusetsu’s frustration. “That’s fine. Do as you like.”

――The result was, of course, that she couldn’t win with only three handicap stones, and it still wasn’t any good when she put down five stones for the next game. Koushun’s nonchalant air was hateful to her.

“You give up too quickly,” Koushun criticized every move played by Jusetsu. “You immediately give up as soon as you’re at a disadvantage. You have to persist more.”

“What’s the use of having persistence for something like this?”

“You’re bitter when you lose.”

“Be quiet.”

They returned their stones to their bowls for another game. Jusetsu quickly put them in, but Koushun put his in slowly, one by one. Just as he put away his stoned and took one in his hand, Ei Sei rounded the corner of the outer corridor with two or three eunuchs behind him.

“Dajia, it’s time for you to return.”

“Ah, is it already time?”

Koushun put the stone back into the bowl and put the lid back on it, then stood up. He was quitting while he was ahead. He looked down at Jusetsu. “If you want to play some more, I’ll play with you again,” he said.

“I will never play you again.”

“Then, play with Ei Sei,” Koushun looked at Ei Sei. His face said, “I have no choice if that’s an order, but I refuse,” so Jusetsu also said “No.” When she refused, Ei Sei looked dissatisfied. What was she supposed to do here?

The eunuchs put the Go board into a wooden casket. It was a beautiful container inlaid with colored ivory. Giving it a sidelong glance, Jusetsu asked Koushun a question.

“…Do you know about the palace lady who died near Yamei Palace?”

“Yes, I’ve heard,” Koushun nodded. “The eunuchs are hunting for the beast in the inner palace right now. You shouldn’t wander around outside too long either.”

“I heard that the palace lady was from Jakusou Palace.”

“She was,” he said, then turned to Jusetsu. “Was she someone you knew?”

“No…”

Even if the dead palace lady was the woman from that night, there was nothing Jusetsu could do. However…

“If you learn her name, let me know. I’ll burn a silk feather for her. She’ll be able to cross the sea without getting lost.”

Silk feathers were bird feathers made of paper. They were used for mourning. Koushun looked at Ei Sei. “Her name was Jo Sei,” Ei Sei replied. She asked him the characters for her name and kept them in mind.

“Did Jo Sei use sweetheart incense?”

She asked him, and received a curt answer. “I don’t know.”

“Sweetheart incense? Isn’t that the incense burned for a loved one? It smells like lilies.”

Jusetsu was surprised that Koushun knew that.

“You know about such things well.”

“I’ve heard about it before. The Magpie Consort scents her clothing with that incense.”

“——What?”

The Magpie Consort scents her clothing with that incense?

No, perhaps it wasn’t so strange for a consort to scent her clothing with sweetheart incense for the emperor. However, Jusetsu felt strangely uneasy. It was as if the sense of uneasiness was creeping up on her with a shadow on its back.

“…I heard that the Magpie Consort is unwell. Is that still the case? I remember that you went to visit her before.”

“She isn’t getting better. I’ve often sent envoys to see her when I couldn’t visit her myself, but apparently, she is confined to bed.”

He looks after his consorts more conscientiously than I expected, she thought briefly, but she was more concerned about the Magpie Consort’s condition.

“Is it a long illness?”

“It isn’t an illness. No, perhaps it can be considered an illness. She’s too depressed to eat or sleep properly.”

“Is that not—very serious?”

Sleeping and eating were foundations of life.

“It is a serious issue. The consort’s family member died recently. She has been like this since.”

“Died?”

“Yes. Her older brother. I heard that he was healthy, but he fell off his horse and was injured in a bad spot.”

“…”

The dead and the sweetheart incense. Jusetsu recalled the woman from that night who requested the resurrection of the dead.

“If she does not recover soon, I will send her back to her parents’ house to recuperate. The Kin clan—ah, the Magpie Consort’s name is Kin Keiyou, and her father’s name is Koukei. He’s the assistant minister of the Palace Secretariat. As a member of the cold faction, I had wanted to welcome his daughter as a consort.”

“Cold faction?”

“To put it frankly, they are a clan with no connection to the Un clan.”

He really did say that in a surprisingly frank manner. In other words, he wanted to use the Kin clan as a check on the Un clan.

“It would be better to return her to her parents than let her die unnecessarily in the inner palace.”

She said, and Koushun started to walk down the corridor. Jusetsu walked next to him. Behind them, the eunuchs followed, reverently carrying the wooden casket. When they reached the temple, Gyoei was waiting for them along with the acolytes to see them off.

“Take care on your way back.”

He spoke a set phrase and bowed.

“Take care of yourself as well. Don’t push yourself too hard.”

Koushun admonished, and Gyoei let out a light laugh. “Thank you, Your Majesty. I’ll be careful.”

Koushun was about to head towards the palanquin when he turned to Jusetsu like he just remembered something.

“You…” He took a look at Jusetsu’s sash. “You aren’t wearing that thing?”

He seemed to be trying to be ambiguous by using “that thing,” but Jusetsu and Koushun both understood what he was referring to. The glass fish figurine. Jusetsu looked at his waist. His transparent glass fish figurine was hanging from his sash. Jusetsu’s was still tucked away in her cabinet.

“Did you not like it?”

“That’s not the case.”

Koushun fell silent. He was expressionless, but somehow, he looked sad. Jusetsu couldn’t stand it any longer and quietly continued.

“…It would be troublesome if I lost it…”

Koushun was silent for a moment and looked at Jusetsu.

“I see. Then I’ll make something you don’t have to worry about losing.”

“What——”

“A wood carving can be recreated right away even if it’s lost. In that case, I suppose a flower would be better than a fish.”

He seemed to have remembered that Jusetsu had wanted a rose as a wood carving before.

“I don’t need it.”

Jusetsu turned him down, but Koushun was unmoved, saying, “There’s no need to be reserved.” Before Jusetsu could say anything more, he got into his palanquin and left the gate. As they exited, Ei Sei looked at her for a moment, then quickly looked away.

“Lady Raven Consort.” As Jusetsu watched the procession leave, Gyoei called out to her. When she turned around, she saw that the acolytes were gone, and only Gyoei was by her side. Onkei was standing off to the side.

“Pity and love are two different things. Do you understand that?”

Jusetsu’s brow furrowed at those sudden words. “What are you talking about?”

“I hope you will remain ignorant of the words I’m speaking. Though I suppose it would be of no use to tell you not to get any closer to His Majesty.”

“Tell that to Koushun. He is always visiting me as he pleases.”

“Because His Majesty is a compassionate man. Do not forget—‘The Raven Consort must not desire anything.’”

She was frequently told this by Reijou herself, not to mention Gyoei.

“I know.”

“Desire breeds suffering. When you are consumed by it—that is when a monster will be born from within you.”

Her breath caught. A monster.

A monster in Niangniang’s eyes…

She recalled Ishiha’s words.

Taking no notice of the frozen Jusetsu, Gyoei bowed and turned on his heel.

“Whenever you feel lost, please remember my words.”

After a few final words that sounded like a farewell, Gyoei returned to the temple. When Jusetsu came back to herself and tried to follow him, he was already gone. She was left alone, feeling like she had been thrown into the air. ——No, she wasn’t alone. Onkei had walked up to her without making a single sound.

“Shall a palanquin be prepared for you, Niangniang? You look pale.”

No, Jusetsu shook her head. “I’m fine. I can walk back.”

It was easier to not think about things when you were moving your legs. Jusetsu headed for the gate. She glanced at Onkei.

“I’m glad that you are here.”

When she let slip her true feelings, Onkei only gave a small smile.

After returning to Yamei Palace, Jusetsu asked Onkei for a favor.

“I want you to look around inside Jakusou Palace. Especially the Magpie Consort’s condition.”

Onkei immediately left the palace. He was a shrewd and careful man, so he would probably return with information after a while.

Jusetsu entered the palace and called out for Jiujiu.

“Before, the palace lady dropped a piece of thin silk when she left. Bring it out.”

Jiujiu brought the silk from another room. Jusetsu brought her face to it. It still had the scent of sweetheart incense on it. She unfolded it and felt its texture. The material was remarkably light, and it laid smoothly against her skin. It was carefully woven with the finest raw silk threads.

“I’ve had the same thought when I touched it for the first time, but this is too high quality to belong to a palace lady.”

“Now that you mention it, it is.”

But there are also wealthy palace ladies, Jiujiu added.

Jusetsu thought back to the woman on that night. She was dressed in a palace lady’s uniform and covered her head with this silk. And from the moment she entered to when she left, she never once bowed to the Raven Consort.

Not even once.

Was it because she was too distraught? However, would a palace lady, who had etiquette training drummed into her, not even bow to a consort when she came to ask her for the desperate favor of resurrection, all because of her emotions at that time?

“What’s wrong, Niangniang?”

Jiujiu asked, seeing her grip the silk with a difficult look on her face.

“…It’s nothing.”

Jusetsu told Jiujiu to put away the silk, and then went to her cabinet to take out the inkstone and an inkstick. She also prepared some pieces of colored hemp paper in the shape of a bird feather. This was a silk feather. In the past, they were made of cotton cloth, and in even older times, they were made of bark fiber. That was how long they had been used in mourning. After grinding ink and picking up a brush, she wrote “Jo Sei” on a piece of paper. It was the name of the dead palace lady.

Jusetsu took a flower-shaped silver plate with legs with her and went outside. She went down the steps and placed the plate on the stones. Her hand went up to her hair and she realized that she wasn’t wearing her peonies because she was dressed as a eunuch. She turned her palm up and held it out in front of her, and a pale pink color shimmered. Petals formed one by one, and in an instant, it became a peony. Jusetsu clamped the flower between her hands and blew on it. When she let go, small pink fragments fell onto the plate and turned into a pale flame.

The colored paper with the name written on it was burned in the fire. A feather-shaped piece of paper with no writing on it was also thrown into the fire in the same way. The paper burned quietly. Jusetsu held her hand out over it. The pale red flame rose up and coiled around her fingers. The flame wasn’t hot. It was faintly warm. She gathered the flame in her hand, squeezed it tightly, and opened her hand. A small bird flew out of her hand. A small bird that was translucent, light red, and sometimes flickered like flames.

The bird flapped its wings high and fast, crossed the woods, and eventually disappeared from sight. It would lead the soul of the dead palace lady to the other side of the sea. As long as she hadn’t become a ghost.

When she returned to the palace with the silver plate in hand, she found Jiujiu cleaning the table.

“Did you burn the silk feathers?” Jiujiu said, the colored paper in her hands. “For mourning the dead palace lady?”

People, not just the Raven Consort, burned silk feathers for mourning. The practice of turning the flame into a bird that would lead the soul was something only the Raven Consort could do, though.

“Shall I change your clothes, then, Niangniang?”

Jiujiu opened the curtains. Jusetsu pinched the robe between her fingers.

“It’s much more comfortable, though, this outfit.”

A eunuch’s uniform was very easy to walk around in. However, Jiujiu scolded her. “You mustn’t.”

“You look lovely in those clothes, dressed like a man, but I think you look best in ruqun.”

“Is that so? …I see.” Jiujiu said that with such force that Jusetsu had to obey. It was better not to go against Jiujiu in situations like these.

As she changed behind the curtains, Ishiha, holding Xingxing in his arms, came in. It seemed that he had been giving it a dust bath.

“You haven’t gone to the woods, have you?”

The beast that killed the palace lady hadn’t been found yet. “No, Niangniang,” Ishiha replied.

“I was behind the palace. Xingxing doesn’t want to go to the woods either.”

“Hmm…?”

Jusetsu gazed at Xingxing, who was faintly visible through the curtains. This mystical bird had been docile lately.

When she finished changing and stepped out from the curtains, Ishiha was kneeling and looking down.

“Is there something the matter?” she asked him. “No, Niangniang,” he responded, his face was slightly red.

“You were in the middle of changing, so he couldn’t raise his face,” Jiujiu said.

“Oh, so that’s it?” Jusetsu said, and got an exasperated face in return.

“Niangniang, you need to learn to have a little more shyness.”

Shyness, Jusetsu murmured. She had enough discretion to change behind the curtains, though.

As the people around her increased, there were more new things to learn. Rather than it being troublesome, it was interesting to learn new things.

“There’s no need to feel shy in front of us servants, but it would be a problem for His Majesty. Niangniang, you used to change clothes without hesitation even when His Majesty is present.”

“I did? I don’t remember.”

Really, Niangniang, Jiujiu grumbled. That was when Onkei entered from the kitchen. Kougyou was behind him as well.

“That was quick, Onkei.”

Onkei bowed to Jusetsu. The movements were brisk and beautiful, as one would expect from a subordinate of Ei Sei.

“As ordered, I have been investigating the people around the Magpie Consort. I am still in the process of doing so, but I want to give you a brief report.”

Mm, Jusetsu prompted him to continue.

“For the past few months, the Magpie Consort has been laid up in bed. It is said that she is depressed because her older brother died suddenly. Now, she only has a few attendants to take care of her, and no palace ladies or eunuchs are allowed to approach her. However…”

Onkei closed his mouth like he had changed his mind.

“What is it?”

“Apparently, she has taken a liking to one eunuch and only keeps him close by her side. They say she has breakdowns when he leaves her.”

“That’s…”

Even for a favorite eunuch, it was somewhat bizarre.

“He is a chi’er who has recently entered the inner palace. He is around twenty years old. I couldn’t exchange words with him, but I’ve been able to confirm his face.”

Onkei turned to Kougyou behind him. Kougyou held out the paper she was holding.

“I described his features and asked her to draw his likeness,” Onkei said and showed Jusetsu the paper. “His name is Hou Shougetsu.”

When she saw the portrait, Jusetsu felt like she had been punched in the chest.

This face.

Long black hair and a beautiful face that no one could ever forget once they saw it.

Owl.

It was the face of the young man she had seen that night when Wulian Niangniang roamed around outside. The one who made her feel a trembling fear from the bottom of her heart.

Jusetsu recalled feeling the same fear at the Jakusou Palace pond. Was that because this man was in the palace?

“Do you know this face?”

Jusetsu couldn’t respond when asked by Onkei. She barely managed a slight nod. Onkei’s eyes sharpened.

“…After the arrival of this person, the Magpie Consort began to keep the people around her at a distance more and more. And sometimes there are strange noises coming from inside her room.”

“Strange noises?”

“Like something is being slurped…and moaning sounds as well.”

Before she knew it, Jusetsu was clasping her hands together. She didn’t know what this all meant, but she had a very bad feeling about it.

“I think there is something going on with Shougetsu and the Magpie Consort. I’m going to look into them a little bit now.”

After saying only that, Onkei bowed and made to leave.

“Wait.”

She called out without thinking. She was confused at that. She didn’t know what she was about to say. She was just thinking that she had to stop him.

Onkei was waiting for Jusetsu’s words.

“No…’tis nothing. Just, don’t pursue it too far.”

“Understood.”

Just as he had done when he came to the palace, Onkei left without making a sound. Jusetsu looked again at the portrait left behind and swallowed. What was this inexpressible uneasiness?

――The sun set, but Onkei didn’t return.

Previous | Index | Next

#koukyuu no karasu #koukyuu no karasu 2 #shirakawa kouko #translations

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redrose-arrow · 2 years

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hi so it’s very important to me that you meet Falcon and Hawk, Gilan’s cats:

basically i headcanon that selethen, when he came to araluen for the royal wedding, gave gilan a cat when he left. and the cat came with a note, which told gilan to name the cat after something that reminded him of selethen, *cute and slightly blussing winky face*. but gilan was so in awe over the cat that he couldn’t come up with the perfect name, so he went to the one other person he knew who had had to name pets: will.

that was a mistake.

because, as we all (but gilan obviously does not) know, will is terribly at coming up with names and cannot be credited with the names of his own dogs. and so the cat was called “sand” for a while. it could’ve been worse, but, as jenny remarked to gilan, is that really the best thing to name the cat after?

it was indeed jenny who ended up suggesting the perfect name: hawk (because selethen’s nickname in nihon-ja was taka, get it?).

alas, hawk it is. hawk is orange and must have more than nine lives because there is no other way to explain how he is still alive. too many falling down... anything. hawk is also scared of mouses and birds and insects and would not survive a day in the wild. gilan is 99% sure that the one time hawk went into the woods he almost died, and that he was saved by another cat. hawk brought this cat home. gilan did not want to take the new cat in, initially, but at closer inspection realised that the cat must have been abanonded. its fur was dull, grey, and dirty. besides, hawk seemed absolutely and totally in love with the cat. so gilan welcomed it into his home and named him falcon.

hawk and falcon share one braincell. they like to cuddle, anywhere and everywhere. one time, gilan took off his cloak outside when it was warm, the cats fell asleep in it, and gilan couldn’t find them for hours. several tear-stained letters were sent and he almost declared a fief-wide emergency. ever since, gilan and the cats are even more inseparable.

gilan has even made a habit of bringing hawk and falcon to the gatherings. the first time, hawk decided to pick a fight with ebony (no one understood why). falcon made himself comfortable in the grass and watched. ebony fought back until hawk retreated. gilan complained that will’s dog bullied his cat. will countered that gilan’s cats were just too arrogant. and since rangers love a little drama, they began picking sides, and within a few minutes the entire corps was divided into cats and dogs teams. flashbacks to the great coffee debate were not uncommon. weapons were grabbed and threats were made but. but. then halt came in between his two apprentices and pointed a finger. turns out, falcon, hawk, and ebony had all fallen asleep on crowley’s lap. the gathering was saved.

this is not to say the cats do not annoy gilan, too. they have hissed at him for daring to pet them and have meowed at the most inconvenient times when they wanted attention. he has cursed at them several times already and undoubtedly will do so again. they also run away occassionally to convince townspeople to feed them and pee on gilan’s bed when they’re stressed out over bad weather. hawk especially gets stressed out when it’s pouring outside and will hide in the most unreachable places.

bonus: the only person that hawk and falcon like more than gilan, is david. they somehow and inexplicably despise selethen and gilan thinks it’s hilarious.

#this is the start of my apologies for the sad posts lmao #also i have been obsessed with this idea for a year now so. enjoy.#the left cat turned out alright but idk what happened to hawk.#i think he's having a stroke #poor cat #redrose's headcanons #ranger's apprentice #rangers apprentice #john flanagan #gilan davidson #seley el'then #selethen

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xelidonia · 2 years

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Double Life SMP golden apple prompts

Just going to put these down before I watch ep5 for reference. Also, they're named after lines of "This Will End", because all good MCYT fic is based off of the Oh Hellos.

No, I am not afraid to die (it's every breath that comes before) -- Impulse and Bdubs are being hunted down, and one must eat the golden apple in order to have the strength to defend them both.

Heartache, I've heard, is part of life (and I have broken more and more) -- Martyn, holding a golden apple, threatens to kill Cleo unless Scott promises to sever their alliance and respect his soul connection to her. Eventually Scott promises to abandon her "until I'm red"... and the apple goes uneaten for now.

I can hope that this will end (with every line a comedy) -- Etho and Joel separately bargain for a golden apple, each saying they're going to kill the other, then it's revealed that they were planning to cure zombie villagers the whole time. "Were you ever worried?" "…No." "Aww, you trusted me?" "More like I knew I could just eat mine faster."

That we could learn to love without demand (but unreserved honesty) -- BigB receives a golden apple from Grian and debates whether to turn it over to Ren. He decides not to-- until Ren walks in on him holding it.

If I am not afraid to die (and you are crouching at my door) -- Jimmy can feel, deep down, that he's fated to die first. This is the way of the world. So he gets a golden apple for Tango, so his soulmate can have his own chance at life. Strangely, Tango doesn't seem happy about this gift.

And suffering is all there is to gain in life (then what is all this waiting for?) -- Pearl looks at her dog, thinks about her life, and then standing on the edge of her house, she eats her golden apple. Scott feels the regen and sees the hunger bar go up, and instantly knows what's coming. He tells Cleo to crit him with an axe, which she does just before Pearl can jump, neutralizing the apple's effect. She was betrayed at the last, but apple-less, she jumps again anyway to spite Cleo and they both lose.

I can see how this will end (in all its bitter tragedy) -- They've imagined this every day, talked about it at night, stewing and waiting while they eat and their soulmates take damage. Once they're both on their red lives, Scott and Cleo go to the Nether. They take golden apples. They eat them and jump into lava together, knowing they'll both die, but Pearl and Martyn will die first. They'll win this game like soulmates should: together.

I'll give you all I have to spend (and you'll give nothing back to me) -- Grain and Scar are trapped on a platform of wood that's burning up beneath them. There's no water bucket this time. The fall will deal 10 hearts damage. But, if one eats a golden apple and jumps, that one could survive while the other dies. Scar says that he knows Grian has an apple, because it was given to him by BigB. He tells him to use the apple and go live with the man who was obviously better for him, and only to take good care of the Jellies that survive.

I will wait for this to end (the back and forth, the battery) -- Bdubs is in the Deep Dark. Impulse is at home, tidying. Suddenly, Bdubs starts taking massive damage. Impulse eats all the food, but it's not enough. His hunger is full. He sees the apple, and eats it, giving them both regen. But it's not enough. Bdubs dies anyway, and all that Impulse could do is watch. He never gets to say goodbye.

For you, at last, to comprehend (the kind of love of which I speak) -- Scott and Cleo are building together when Scott finds a golden apple. They laugh and joke about it, saying that if they were normal soulmates they'd be pretty worried by it. They don't want to keep it around in case it falls into the wrong hands. Cleo decides to eat it, not for any nefarious purpose, not to rid herself of any bond, just to see how it tastes. And it is good.

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afdinonug · 1 year

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What if Sarah Never Died?

What If Things Were Different - Chapter 1 - Airfried_DinoNug - Multifandom [Archive of Our Own]

What If Things Were Different - Request(open) - Wattpad

"The Last Of Us" one shot (Mix between video game and tv show)

August 2019

"Hey old man." Sarahs voice rang through the tiny living room. Sitting on the old grey recliner was her father, Joel. He had spots of grey seeping through his hair. His face, wrinkled from age and stress. Sarah was walking into the living room when she kicked the chair Joel was sitting on.

"I am not that old" Joel responded with a playful annoyance on his lips. Getting up he sat an old, wrinkled magazine that he had reread countless times, on the table. "I heard from Tess that a resistance group is making moves against FEDRA. You uh wouldn't know anything about that would you?" His eyes trained on Sarah, watching her every move.

"Now, why would I, an innocent 19-year-old girl, have anything to do with a resistance group?" She smirked while cutting an apple. Her involvement was no secret in their house. What Joel didn't know, was how involved Sarah actually was.

After a sigh Joel smirked, hidden behind his unkept beard. "I know your involved. I don't think I want to know how involved, but Sarah, I need you to be safe. You know just as well as I, what FEDRA does to resisters." Without communicating what Joel actually meant, Sarah understood. They hung people. To make a statement. Sarah broke the gaze they held. She looked at the warn wood floor.

"I am being safe dad. Instead of worrying about me, how about you worry about Uncle Tommy and yourself. You two are out running "Errands" when everyone knows you guys are just mercenaries." Sarah runs her fingers through her curly black hair. "I have spent the past 5 years worrying about the both of you. Now I am doing something so you both can stop killing, stealing and doing deals." Sarah raised her voice. She didn't do it often so when Joel straightened his back and took a step back, it wasn't a surprise. Sarah looked at Joel. Her expression was of sullen disappointment. She left her apple slices on the table, turned on her heels and left their apartment. Joel leaned against the living room window and ran his fingers through his speckled hair. He thought to himself on how that conversation took such a major turn. He was ashamed of what Tommy, and he had to do, but they had to do those things to survive. To keep Sarah alive. He knew she wasn't the same 14-year-old girl, but she was still his daughter.

August 2033

Sarah wasn't at home as much, but neither was Joel. Joel and Sarah didn't talk much when they were both at their apartment. Sarah was off working on tasks for the resistance group known as The Fireflies. Joel, he was still running deals, not with Tommy but with Tess.

Sarah, her black curly hair pulled back into a ponytail, walked into their apartment. It sits empty. Joel must be with Tess, Sarah thought to herself. She audibly scoffs.

"I am doing something to make an actual change, why can't he just see that." She doesn't understand why her father doesn't accept that she is a firefly. She has the key that they need to make a difference. She sits in the old, now torn grey recliner. She needs a runner and the only person she trusts is her father. She knows Joel won't do any business with the fireflies but maybe if she gave him the puppy dog eyes, she used as a child he just might do it. That or she will do the run herself. Its nearing nightfall, instead of waiting for her father to come home, she graps a water and heads to bed.

The front door barges open. Joel walks in, dirty, and sweating head to toe. His hair is now more grey than brown. "Why the hell can't Kirk just do that damn run on his own. We only get 30 rations from it. It's the same fucking run every month." Joel throws his backpack and sweat stained coat on the kitchen table.

"I don't know, maybe it's because he knows you couldn't care less about going outside FEDRA walls, or you know, getting hanged." Tess follows suit. She closes the front door checking to make sure they weren't followed by FEDRA guards. She steps behind Joel and wraps her arms around him. Joel lets his head hang down.

"I do care. I do all of this for you and Sarah." They never talked about what they were to each other, but Joel and Tess were something.

"She isn't 19 anymore Joel. Shes 33. She can handle herself more than you think." Tess had known Sarah since Joel and Sarah had arrived at the Boston quarantine zone 17 years ago. She knew about Sarahs involvement with the fireflies and how much of a fighter Sarah was. Sarah was just as hardheaded as her father. She loved that about them. So arrogant, so stubborn.

"She's right. I'm not a little girl anymore. I can hold my own." Sarah walked into the kitchen. She loved that her dad had Tess to look over him, even if he thought he was looking over Tess.

Tess took a step back as Joel straightened up. "You're home?" Joel asked with a shakey voice. Seeing Sarah always brought Joel happiness. He remembered that night when the outbreak happened. The soldier pointing his gun at Sarah and him. Ready to shoot to kill. Joel pleading out for the soldier not to kill them, Sarah crying in his arms. Tommy had made it just in the nick of time to save them both.

Sarah was worried about this conversation might go but it needed to happen. "Yes, but it's for business." Sarah watched as the little bit of happiness on Joels face melted away. "I need you both to help me with something, firefly related. I only trust you two."

"No." Joel was stern.

"Maybe we should hear her out Joel." Tess was trying and Sarah appreciated that.

"I don't do business with fireflies. I'm sorry but no Sarah." Sarah knew this might happen. She had run this scenario in her head countless times.

"If you don't help me, I'll have to do the run with some idiots who might get me killed. Dad, this could change the course of history please. If it wasn't important i wouldn't have asked for your help." Sarah was worried if her father had still stuck with the same answer. She was hoping that pulling the life card had helped persuade him a little.

"Don't. You don't get to pull that card Sarah." Joel had pushed back his tears. Sarah knows that was a cheap shot. But it was a cheap shot that worked. After a few moments of unbroken silence. Joel nodded his head. He looked up at Sarah, her light brown skin gleaming in the morning sun. "I need to know what it is we are running, and you, you're not coming along. Me and Tess do this alone."

"I can't tell you. At least not here, I have to show you. And that last part? Its nonnegotiable. I have to run this with you. I'm the only know that knows where to go." Sarah could see on her father's face that he understood. She motioned for Tess and Joel to follow her.

They left their apartment and walked to the edge of the QC walls. They walked inside an old, abandoned hotel. Down a set of corridors and into a hallway. Outside a set of doors sat three men. they all looked to be Joels age. They unlocked the door and let Sarah, Tess and Joel inside. Inside sat a girl, who didn't look any other than 15, on a ratty, torn bed.

"So what? Are we running this girl? What is she? Some FEDRA leader's daughter?" Joel scoffed at the notion of smuggling a girl.

"Yes. Shes the "package", We need to get her west. Out to St. Louis." Sarah walked towards the girl sitting on the bed. "Are you okay Ellie?" Sarah handed her water and protein bar from her backpack.

"Who the fuck is this dude? And you know what fuck you old man." Ellie stood up and flipped off Joel. Sarah and Tess had both snickered causing Joel to look at them.

"This is Ellie. She is important dad." She pleaded to Joel with her eyes. "Ellie, this is my father Joel and Tess." Sarah looked over at Ellie and winked. Ellie sat back down with her eyes still stuck on Joel. She quietly opened the protein bar and started eating. Sarah, Joel and Tess walked about out of the room and into the hallway.

"What is the deal, Sarah? Why are we smuggling a girl all the way to St. Louis?" Joel needed answers, he knew Sarah had them.

"Shes immune. She got bit 8 weeks ago, she was fucking around and left the QC. I got some Fireflies out there who think they can make a cure." Sarah knew from the moment it left her mouth that her father wouldn't believe her.

"Bullshit Sarah. No one survives getting infected." Joel barged back into the room where Ellie sits drinking her water. "Let me see it." Joel grabs Ellies water and throws it down. Ellie pulled up the sleeve on her right arm to show a fully healed bite mark. It is scarred. Joel takes a step back and looks at Sarah and Tess. "You're not lying. When do we need to leave?" Joel believes Sarah but is still skeptical.

"Tonight, Less guards and less patrol." Sarah is relieved that her father and Tess are willing to help her.

The four of them leave the QC in the middle of the night to avoid any FEDRA guards. Ellie won't stop asking Joel questions about what Sarah was like before the outbreak. He sees so much of Sarah in Ellie.

"How did she become immune?" Tess asks Sarah hoping there may be others who are immune as well.

"We're not sure. We think she was just born immune." Sarah always wondered how Ellie become immune and hope the people at the lab in St. Louis can tell them. Sarah zones out while listening to Ellie talk to Joel. She hears Ellie asking Joel why people slept outside willing when they had homes. Sarah laughed, she never thought about how weird the world must be to someone born after the outbreak. While Ellie was making Tess, Joel and Sarah laugh, Ellie had unknowingly stepped on a fungus root.

"Joel." Tess stops and looks at where Ellies foot had just landed. Joel and Sarah both turned around, their faces drop into despair.

"Run." Sarah yelled at the group. Sarah grabbed Ellie's arm in a hurry. As they are running, they hear a trembling coming from in front of them. They stop dead in their tracks. A small group of infected came up behind them. Ellie screamed. Sarah, Tess and Joel whipped around to stare face to face with the infected. Sarah lets go of Ellies hand to help her father and Tess fight off the small group of infected. Ellie had run inside the small cafe next to them. Sarah followed pursuit. She pushed Ellie towards the back looking for a rear entrance. Tess and Joel had both caught up with them.

"We need to go Sarah." Joel said out of breath.

"I need you to take Ellie and run." Sarah lifted up her pant leg to show a scratch. Joel and Ellie started to tear up.

"I'm not leaving you!" Joel screamed angrily. He wasn't mad at Sarah, but mad he agreed to let Sarah come along. While he was trying to open the door in the back of the store, Tess put her hand on his shoulder.

"Joel, you have to go, now." Tess said with her soft voice. Joel already knew what that meant. He didn't want to turn around, but he needed to see it for himself. Tess pulled the shirt off her shoulder to reveal a bite taken out of it. Joel let the tears fall onto his cheeks. He couldn't lose anyone.

"Take Ellie. If she's the last chance we have, you need to keep her safe." Sarah was crying now. The trembling had grown louder, they had 30 seconds at best. She pulled out the grenade she had, and Tess did the same. Sarah pushed Ellie and Joel out the door. "I love you, old man." Sarah said before shutting the door. Joel was stuck in place. Ellie had to throw herself at Joel to get him moving. They ran for what felt like forever. Ellie tripped on a log that had become rotten, causing Joel to stop and pull her up.

Joel heard the screams from the horde of infected. He turned just in time to see the grenade blasts. It threw Joel and Ellie backwards. Joel hit his head on a rock and passed out.

May 2035

"Joel, wake up. Joel!" Ellie yelled at Joel. Joels eyes fluttered open. "You were mumbling her name in your sleep again."

It was just a dream. How can you live an entire life in 8 hours, just for it to be a damn dream? Joel hates those dreams. The ones where Sarah never died, ones where the outbreak never happened. If only there was a way to go back in time and redo it all.

The End

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esperanzagoldofficial · 1 year

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Vaudeville, Jett and His Friends Start a Minecraft Realm

*Vaudeville hops on Discord*

V: Just stahted the Minecraft realm. I posted instructions for how to join in General

Jett: Sweet! I haven’t played Minecraft in a while, so can’t wait to play

Osatia: Vaudeville, if we play Minecraft again, it’s not going to be the same as last time?

V: I dunno what’cha talkin’ ‘bout.

J: Jesus Christ

O: Last time we had a server, you destroyed all my crops, X-ray-modded your emeralds, and then blew up everyone’s houses after Jett said he was gonna reset your XP 😑

V: You guys are always accusin’ me of X-ray-muods. Ever just consida’ that I’m good at Minecraft? 😊

J: Hit-dog will holler, Vaude. You definitely cheated 😑

V: Whateva ya say

*Kai, Soto, Isák, and Max joined the server*

K: Hey is it okay if we join?

V: Ok but just know you’ll be woikin’ like a jackass gettin’ me iron

*3 minutes later*

O: I think I’m gonna start mining some wood to build my house

K: I’m building my base as far away from all of you as possible

V: Oh, no ya don’t, kid. You’re gonna be minin’ my iron for me, ya sneaky rat

O: Vaude, just leave him alone, plz

K: I ain’t mining a damn thing for you

V: Get back over here and mine my iron befoah I ban ya from da soiva 😠

K: Already threatening me? That's awesome. 😑

V: It ain't a threat, pal, it's a promise. Don' make me do it

I: I'm gonna build on one of the mountains

S: I'm gonna build near a beach

M: I'm gonna build near Spawn

O: I found me a village

K: Vaudeville is really trying to fucking kill me with a Stone Sword 😑

V: I told ya to go mine iron and ya refuse

O: Oh Jesus Christ, here we go already 😑

K: Get smoked, idiot. You had a Stone Sword and lost to me with a Stick 😈

V: Dis guy has ta be cheatin'. There's no way he killed me. 😠

K: It's 1.19 now, dipshit. You can't just spam-attack anymore. You gotta time it to the bar on your crosshair.

O: Can everyone please just relax? We barely even started and I don't want the realm to be ruined already 😑

*3 Hours Later*

O, I, S, M: Finished. Think mine looks dope

V: Oh your guys' might be whatever ya just said, but mine is way huga and betta

J: Trying to watch a YT tutorial for how to build my house

K: Vaudeville, I'm by your base. There's no way you built this big-ass castle in Survival that quickly 😑

V: Mind ya own damn business, Kai. Yes I did do all of this in Suhvival. 😠

J: How do I make a Crafting Table again?

K: 4 planks of wood in a square, Crafting Menu

V: How do ya forget how ta make a Craftin' Table in Minecraft, ya jet-laggin idiot?

K: Don't talk to Jett like that, just because you got caught using Creative to build your castle

V: I didn' use no damn Creative Mode. There'd be somethin in da chat dat tells ya if I did, an' there hasn' been

S: Guys, I think it's clear Vaudeville used Creative Mode 😁

V: Shut up 😠

J: Who has my damn Fortune pickaxe?

K: I don't

S: Me neither

I: No way, Jose

M: Uh-uh

O: Not me

V: Nope

J: Well, someone has it, and when I find out who does, I'm gonna flip shit, so let's get it back to me, pronto.

V: Ah, shut'cha corny ass up, Dr. Lagwagon. Ya not doin' anythin' ta anyone.

J: K, well, wait 'til Kai and I see you 😈

O: You guys have an alliance?

K: Yeah, fuck Vaudeville. We're gonna make sure he doesn't mess with us again 😈

V: Ya guys are so scared. Guys, wanna team?

O: You guys coming after us?

J: Nah, just Vaudeville.

O: Ok, then no, Vaudeville. We don't wanna team.

V: Awesome 😑😠

J: Kai, grab the TNT and get over here

K: Got it. Just 100 blocks away

V: How da hell does Kai have TNT already? Dis idiot is cheatin'

O: Vaudeville, you accuse people of cheating in every game 😑

V: They just killed me. How is it okay for them ta kill me?

K: Jett, run, I set the TNT off.

V: Goddammit, guys. Don't ruin my base!!!

*TNT explodes, destroying every inch of Vaude's castle*

V: Ya toid-eatas, ya just completely destroyed my base. 😠

K: Cry about it 😈

J: Nice work, Kai 👍

O: The server just went down?

V: Yeah, I shut da realm down

*Vaudeville hops off the server*

End

((And yes, this is how I'd interpret Vaudeville to be if he does happen to pick up a video game. And yes, Jett does know some street slang))

((BTW, this is based entirely off a YouTube video by Optimus, but it's with AI Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and Barrack Obama))

Vaudeville belongs to @fractiouslemonofficial & @askvaudeville

Jett, Osatia, Kai, Max, Isák, and Soto belong to me

#chrono #vaudeville #memes #skit #jett nicholson #kai manėtag #osatia hikari #soto umareta #isák cafe #max morado #minecraft

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youareunbearable · 3 years

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I've been thinking, but what if Beren knew Meadhros before the Dagor Bragollach and the Silmaril quest went down

Sure his father was sworn friends with Finrod, but Meadhros was the Watcher of the North, he probably had worked and fought alongside Beren’s father, Barahir of Dorthonion, Lord of Ladros and Chieftain of the house of Beor. Maedhros worked alongside a lot of men, and he was smart and likeable and a strong general, so he probably kept good relations with the Men that lived nearby that would be willing to lend willing swords to help him protect the March.

He maybe even was a guest to Barahir’s wedding, he maybe even sent a gift at the birth of his son. Beren fell in love with an Elf, and that love must have come from somewhere. As a child he must have visited Maedhros’ kept in Himring for a summer celebration that his family was invited to. He had never seen so many Elves before, and they were as beautiful as they were strange. There was one Elf, tall with dark hair, who could sing Songs so beautiful Beren felt as if he could reach out and wrap the sound around him like the world’s loveliest cocoon.

Even the Lord of Himring, the tall being with survival scars and glowing eyes and hair like living fire, looked gorgeous when he laughed. Apparently the singer he just complimented was his younger brother Maglor, and not in fact a beautiful maid. No one seemed to mind his blunder, and Maglor gave him a warm smile and a head pat so all was water under the bridge.

(Years later, Maedhros would continue to tease Maglor that his beauty and voice must be second to Luthien, if his young lover was able to forget him upon seeing her. Maglor just sniffs)

When the Dagor Bragollach happened, many of Beren’s people fled to Maedhros’ fort, and Maedhros kept them safe. When things calm slightly, he might even send out a search party for the missing Chieftain and his son. The scouts return months later with a sobbing Beren and the Ring of Barahir. Instead of letting the man wallow in his grief alone in the wilds, Maedhros would help him, help him be the leader his people need, help him take his grief out on the swarms of the Enemy at their gate, and help him deal with the grief of losing a father. He might even show him his father’s ring, the Feanorian star signet ring that he keeps as a necklace after his father’s death. Tells him how he gave this ring to his brother Maglor when he went off to go fight Morgoth, and how his brother returned it to him 30 years later after his rescue. Maedhros mentors and guides Beren for four years, long yet also just a blink of the eye.

Beren would lead fighting parties, he would become a swift and terrible blade under Meadhros’ wing, and a kind and just leader. But the bounty that Morgoth put on his head is still the same in this version, and he is still chased and hunted by Sauron until he flees into the woods of Nan Dungortheb, then into Doriath, and still falls in love with Luthien at first glance.

She still loves him back just as fiercely, and when Beren asks Thingol for Luthien’s hand, this time when he asks for a Silmaril, it is a snub towards the Noldor who have hosted and trained and, one could argue, even raised Beren. It is still just as an impossible task as before and Beren still accepts.

He knows he cannot go to Maedhros for this, he has his own battles at the North and Beren could never ask him to go back into the Enemy’s hands, so he writes him a letter explaining that he will not be returning home and still goes to Finrod. Celegorm and Curufin still try to stop their foolish cousin and his men from going on this quest. Finrod once again leaves with his small group of loyal men.

Except this time, as they leave Nargothrond, Amras and Amrod ride on to intercept them and encourage them to first rest, plan, and wait for Maedhros’ backup at their fort in Estolad. There they have more Men and Elves that want to join their group, and when Maedhros comes (furious about Thingol, worried about Beren going on this impossible task, sick with the feeling of the Oath forcing him to want to help send this young Man to his doom on the slim chance he might succeed) they create a real plan, get the schedules of the Enemy’s movements, and maps (a map of Fingon’s path into Angband, a map of Sauron and his lieutenants recent movements, patrol paths, and some secret paths that the trolls and slaves they rescued gave, and the layout of Morgoth’s halls that Meadhros himself remembers from his enslavement)

Maedhros also gives him a small, thin blade of Mithril. "It’s to hide on your person, if you get captured, this blade won’t break and is light as a feather." He gives him this blade, not to free himself or the others, as the purpose his brother Curufin had in mind when he made the blade for Maedhros after he was rescued by Fingon, but as another method of escape. The eldest of Feanor’s Sons grips Beren’s arm and tells him that there is nothing worse in Arda than being at the mercy of Morgoth and his pet Sauron. He tells him this blade may seem like a curse, but it is a gift. Meadhros doesn't pray, he hasn’t in centuries, but he dearly hopes that Beren will not have to use it.

This time, when Finrod sings his Song of disguise, it's over much more than a handful of followers. This time, when they reach Minas Tirith they are better prepared to sneak past the fallen city.

(This time, Curufin and Celegorm don’t kidnap Luthien so Celegorm will marry her, but to keep her safe. She still doesn’t appreciate it and still steals their dog. Well, it’s not stealing if the dog escapes with her. This time, when the brothers are still forced to leave Nargothrond, it's not under exile but as a polite but firm request to leave. This time, when they chance upon Luthien and Beren again, Celegorm isn’t fighting over his ego and heart being bruised, but because this bitch stole his dog, and because they made their dormant Oath writhe under their skin, which one could argue is worse. They still lose against the Man and the Half Maiar, and Celegorm’s dog still won’t come home. This time, when they make to to Maedhros’ Himring fortress, they aren’t screamed at for their political fuck ups, but they get a stern “Why do you two always make things so difficult for me” lecture of disappointment while Maglor plays an unsympathetic and taunting accompaniment)

They still fail. Finrod still fails in his battle against Sauron but he is able to do more damage to the former Maiar, and they free more of their trapped men before he is killed by a werewolf. This time it’s not only Arafinweian Elves that fall, but Feanorian as well. When Luthien comes to save him and carry Finrod’s body away, it is Meadhros’ men that send the news to his nephew in Nargothrond, and this changes things.

When they go into Morgoth’s halls again, this time, Beren uses the little mithril blade he was given. This time, he escapes with not one silmaril, but two. One for Thingol, and one for Meadhros and his Oath.

His hand is still eaten with the Silmaril by Carcharoth. And Beren still grieves for the loss, not because he has nothing to bring Thingol, but because he knows he can’t give Maedhros his due if he wants to marry the love of his life.

When he gives Thingol the Silmaril, he also gives a warning before doing so, that the gem may be cursed with Morgoth’s taint and while it’s shine is beautiful, it hides something darker, for nothing so lovely should make people bleed and die for it. And if Thingol was wise, he would give the Silmaril to the sons of Feanor before the Oath and the Curse of Feanor catches up to him.

Melian agrees. She is ignored. This does not change.

Beren and Luthien are wed, and Beren invites the Feanorians on the Hunting of Carcharoth, and it is Amras and Amrod that slay the beast with the help of Huan after it attacks Beren. Huan still dies. Beren still dies. Luthien still dies. Yet the Fenorians gain a Silmaril. This is different.

The Oath is not completed with just the one, but it is sated. This time, the Sons of Feanor do not send a letter to Thingol asking him to surrender the gem. This time Celegorm and Curufin do not threaten to burn Doriath to the ground on a refusal that never came. This time, Thingol does not tighten security on his borders. Melian still suggests that they give the Sons the stone after she catches her husband staring at it for too long. Once again she is ignored. That, at least, does not change.

Luthien still sings her husband back to life. They still retire tp Amros and Amrad’s lands, and this time Beren’s people in Himring join them. Dior is still born, and he plays and hunts with two red headed uncles.

(Nirnaeth Arnoediad is still fought. Maedhros is not betrayed by Ulfang, who had seen the light of the Silmaril the Sons hold, and does not cave to the sweet honeyed words of Sauron. His people are not cursed. And his sons still live to fight to survive the battle. This time, Nargothrond sends forces, and Luthien convinces her father to send troops as well. This time Fingon, and his men are not focused and he is able to defeat Gothmog. Fingon is wounded from this battle, and he still dies, but not to a Balrog. He dies as his father did, managing to land five blows on Morgoth before he is slain and the Dark Lord flees. Morgoth’s forces are dwindled down deeply, and there is a unity amongst the Free People’s of Beleriand. They still count heavy losses, but not as heavy as before. Maedhros grieves the death of his dearest companion, and retreats to Himring. While he was successful, he is still the shadow of the Elf he was before. He still wears golden ribbons wrapped around the stump on his right arm and he still weeps. His brother’s still don’t know how to help him. But this time, they do not suggest a second Kinslaying)

Thingol still dies to the Dwarves. Melian is still wounded and returns to Valinor in her grief. But this time Beren doesn’t kill the Dwarf Lord of Nogrod, he lets him keep the necklace but takes the Silmaril. Luthien, in her anger and grief, curses that the Dwarves of Nogord will one day succumb to their greed and become a stain upon their people.

(Unknown to Luthien or the Dwarves, thousands of years later, it is a descendent of a Nogord dwarf that convinces the King of Khazad-dum to continue to mine until they woke Durin’s Bane. It is a descendant of Norgord that was a spy for Sauron which allowed him to overtake Mount Gundabad. It is a descendant of Norgord that uncovers the Arkenstone. It was Narvi, a descendant of Norgord and Durin’s Folk that marries Celebrimbor, and whose death caused such a profound grief that became a weak point which Annatar was allowed to breach and convince Celebrimbor to craft with him. And it was in Narvi’s memory and honor that Celebrimbor crafted the Seven Dwarven Rings of Power. However, that tragedy could also be blamed on Feanor’s Curse.)

Dior still married Nimloth, he still had two sons and one daughter. His parents still die of mortal age and he once again becomes King of Doriath. This time, he gives his father’s bridal gift to his Elven foster uncles, Amrod and Amras. For this Dior was raised on the belief that this stone was indeed tainted by Morgoth. He knew and saw the death and destruction left in its wake. He heard Feanor’s Twins whisper about their broken eldest brother. How he blames himself for the deaths of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, and for the death of the former High Noldiran King Fingon. All because he was spurred on by the confidence the Silmaril gave him. He saw how it turned the greed of the Dwarves into slaying his grandfather and wounding his grandmother. This time, he saw and he wanted no part in it.

This time Doriath is the one to host the refugees of Gondolin. This time, it burns by the followers of the Enemy that followed the refugees there. This time, Elrond and Elros are not raised by the ones who burned their city. But instead they were carried out by their twin uncles Elured and Elurin. This time, they were found by Meadhros and Maglor (they were on the run, as Himring was forsaken and overrun by Morgoth’s filth) who takes in not one, but two sets of twins in.

For all their mannish blood, Elured and Elurin aged more like Elves, and therefore looked and acted like Elves of thirty-one, which meant they were children themselves when they fled their burning home. This is compared to their father and younger sister, who grew like Men and were fully grown by their mid twenties.

Elrond and Elros are still raised by the Sons of Feanor. Elrond still follows his love of healing by trying to help the broken Meadhros, and still learns to sing at Maglor’s knee. Elros still learns to fight and foster his love of leading by watching and copying and learning from Maedhros and still learns to love and care and cook from Maglor. Their travels across Beleriand still make the younger twins open minded and still want to love the other races. Elrond still wants to create a city that acts as a safe haven for everyone. Elros still wants to live amongst men and make the choice that his grandmother made.

This time, Elured and Elurin get a chance to live. This time, Elurin will learn that he loves working with horses. This time, Elured will learn he likes to build things with his hands. This time, they will live long enough to join Elrond in his safe haven of a city, and this time they will help him raise his children, this time they will help guard Celebrain on her travels to visit her mother and their family. This time, they will be captured and allow her to escape back to her husband and their children. This time, it is them that will sail because they can’t escape the feeling of being chased, running wounded through tunnels, and being tortured. This time, Elrond grieves, but his children don’t grow up without a mother.

But that is a tale for another time.

In this time, when the War of Wrath ends, Maedhros and Maglor leave their two sets of twins in Lindon. They gather their brothers who live there, and collect those that don’t. This time, all seven of the Sons of Feanor fight in the War of Wrath in an attempt to take the single Silmaril from Eonwe. Curufin and Celegorm are still slain together. Amrod still burns, but this time to a balrog.

This time their Oath is fulfilled, but for attacking a Maiar it still burns them. Meadhros, lost to the pain of his remaining hand and centuries of grief, leaves his remaining brothers and still tosses himself and one of the Silmarils into the fire of the earth. Maglor weeps, tosses the second Silmaril in the ocean, and tries to drown himself. For it was he who urged his brother to join the War under the cover of taking the last Silmaril, but Caranthir pulled him back, weeping himself.

Amras, weeping, throws the final Silmaril to Eonwe, who has caught up to them. He curses the stone and with the Oath complete, refuses to let it tear apart what is left of his family. Eonwe sends the stone into the sky, and it still becomes a token of repentance, and it is still cast as a star in the sky.

Amras, Caranthir, and Maglor limp back to Lindon, and they are welcomed by Gil-Galad and Celebrimbor.

Caranthir will choose to stay with Celebrimbor in Eregion. He will continue to do trade with the Dwarves, he will continue to make lots of wealth on his trade routes, and he will continue to raise his own Half Elven children he created with Haleth. This time, he will see Annatar for the evil he is and refuse to accept any of his gifts. This time, when Celebrimbor accepts Annatar into his halls, he calls his nephew a fool and he leaves Eregion Numenor. This time, Caranthir will help Elros’ descendants create Gondor and there he will live with his children well into the Fourth Age. He will die being ambushed by a small band of highway robbers traveling to Lothlorien with trade goods.

Amras will continue to travel the world until he finally settles with a band of Green Elves which eventually settle in Greenwood. This band will soon join Oropher's group of Sindarin Elves. Amras will eventually marry a Green Elf and they will have one daughter, Tauriel. Amras will join the Last Alliance during the end of the Second Age, and he will die in battle. His wife will be left to raise their baby daughter alone, and soon she will fade after a thousand years of grief. Tauriel will be raised as a ward of Thranduil’s (in honour of her father, who was Lord of Elves and who’s own brother raised two generations of their children) and becomes dear friends his own son Legolas and spends many evenings babysitting him and teaching him the shapes of the stars.

Maglor will continue to sing by the water, he will still have a hand burned by the Silmaril, and he still will have a mind half lost to grief and guilt. But he will stay with Elrond, Elured, and Elurin in Lindon, and he will join them in Rivendell after the War of Sauron and the Elves, and he will be a grandfather to Elrond’s children, and he will walk Elured and Elurin to the Grey Havens, and he will sing on the shore until he can no longer see their disappearing boat. And come the end of the Third Age, he will sail west with his son and his daughter-in-law with the ring bearers.

This time, the Sons of Feanor will all be reunited on the Shores of the Undying Land.

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ranpoismyblorbo · 2 years

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WE ARE BACK ON THIS SHIT EVERYONE!!!

So remember this bitch

Well i have more thoughts. Obviously chapter 101 spoilers

Ok so now we know that Dazai has a plan and can literally control time and just basically blitz across the prison (in the eyes of everyone else) if he wanted to do so. But as we also know he is a bitch.

So of course he'll annoy Sigma and drag him along with him and provoke the guards etc. Or well it's 99.76% likely but honestly the way this man is, nothing is likely smh.

On the other side we have a drowning rat and dog who will MOST likely not survive?? Like i want Chuuya to survive with my entire soul and being but i also want Fyodor to fucking die already i don't hate him i just. don't care. and he needs to be taken care of at some point anyways so. might as well amirite @boombboi

If there was any way for Dazai to save Chuuya while killing Fyodor i DO believe he will act on it because of that one panel that was just him having flashbacks of them as fifteen year olds BUT that goodbye seemed final ykwim??

But ALSO as i mentioned he's a fucking bitch so idk anymore ok-

i DO think that like Chuuya's eyes cleared up during Dazai eulogy ig you could call it and that (the fact that people and more specifically Chuuya at least can be shaken out of it) would be helpful to the Agency/Mafia in stopping Fyodor and gang (yes i forgot what their organisation is called ok fuck you) cuz even if he reverts (to vampire mode) after being saved (from drowning) it's proof he can be shaken out of the vampire hypnosis thingy.

But also if he dies that would be really fucking sad because his last coherent thought would be Dazai was the one to kill him despite Chuuya promising to kill Dazai all the fucking time but never even really meaning it but also i think he's known Dazai long enough and more importantly knows him WELL enough to know that if there had been some other way Dazai would have saved Chuuya even if just for an edge in the battle but if he didn't then this must have truly been the last resort and i think it would provide him some sense of comfort in his last moments. And this way it would all come full circle as well with him dying by entrusting his life to Dazai (in a way) and believing he would only put Chuuya in actual harm's way as a last resort . Which would be really sad but poetic also the Mafia half of both skk and sskk would be dead then sjdmdkf

Back to Fyodor, for Chuuya at least i can see like him somehow activating corruption and busting out of the tank thing and that's a huge MAYBE. Fyodor is a LOT less physically gifted and the only reason i have ANY hope for Chuuya is because his powers come from a literal god of destruction and is therefore a little different and probably more effective than basically all abilities (physically speaking). So keeping that in mind, unless Fyodor's ability is just way too overpowered idk how the dude's getting out of there ok my man did NOT predict this would happen and i don't think he has any plans to counter it. Also i wanna talk about an idea i have about what his ability could be so I'll link another post i have made.

Now Sigma, the topic of the original post (which i linked at the start) is mostly out of the woods imo. There is no reason for Dazai to kill him anymore because i truly believe Fyodor will die or at like THE. VERY. And i mean V E R Y. Least be highly incapacitated thus not being able to utilise Sigma properly. On top of that Dazai has a pretty good read of Sigma and compares him to Atsushi which is.....not inaccurate-

So yeah i now think Dazai will keep Sigma alive in order to make use of him somehow most likely by manipulating him (or maybe being genuine in his own way??? Character growth?!?!!? Who knows!!) into believing the Agency can provide a home for Sigma and if Fyodor were to die/be out of the game i do think Sigma would accept that offer!! He wants to make his own way and find a place to call home but i think he realises he'll need some support first as a safety net of sorts to be able to fall back on when he runs into trouble in his search for a place he belongs. So yeah Sigma in the Agency?!?? Maybe!! Just a very out there theory 😭

Nikolai is just being Nikolai in his little Nikolai world so idk man-

i do think he would be a little/a lot (for his standards) saddened by Fyodor's death and more so by his incapacitation cuz then Nikolai can't truly kill him and "be free" (god I'm having AOT flashbacks djrngk) so yeah

I would also like for it to be known that i just knew i wanted to add something to the og post but had no idea what and i just came up with everything I've said on the go while i was writing this so yay for brain working sometimes!!

#bsd chapter 101 spoilers #bsd chapter 101 #bsd dazai #bsd chuuya nakahara #bsd chuuya #bsd fyodor #bsd sigma #bsd nikolai gogol #armed detective agency #bsd port mafia #either both (chuuya/fyodor) will die or chuuya will survive looking at it realistically imo #so yeah #sigma is safe at least!! i think!!#oh and we have a catgirl (girl??) so that!!

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leda-x · 3 years

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Hello! I just finished A Snapping Sound and absolutely loved it, it was so so good! I just had a quick question about how Danny ultimately passed since I'm a bit confused-

Did he get caught somehow during the second escape and then after some time Vlad did the same to him as the others? Or was it accidental death in his escape? I thought his escape plan was quite clever, I'm wondering how he got found and how he died exactly 😭

Thank you!

Hey I wrote this whole thing out... somewhere... lemme find it...

Danny hadn’t seen the sky in aeons. Time was no longer marked by sunrise and sunset. Days were marked by when his tormentor entered the basement and when he left. Danny obsessively picked the routine apart, unraveling it, replaying it over and over for a way to exploit it. He had nothing else to do except log the details of his captivity.

When he’s about to leave he stomps three times to knock the dirt from his shoes.

He takes the steps two at a time when he descends, one at a time when he ascends.

After he leaves, I have approximately seven hours until he comes back. Seven hours to escape, give or take thirty minutes of error, seeing as I counted the seconds, during five different ‘nights’, then averaged them.

Of course, his captor caught onto that pretty quickly. After Danny’s first botched escape attempt the man was careful to randomize his routine in such a way that Danny was left in a constant state of disorientation. He was kept cuffed for what felt like days on end, then, without any reasoning, he was uncuffed. He no longer could tell when one ‘day’ bled into another, as his captor spent different segments of time in the basement, ranging everywhere from four hours, down to ten minutes. He also began to sedate Danny at odd intervals, for no apparent reason other than to create blurry gaps in his memory and keep him from planning. Danny had quieted and his tormentor had taken his complacency as defeat instead of what it really was: endurance. Somewhere along the way, Danny had learned that, in order to survive long enough to escape, he had to be a smart captive. A smart captive meant sacrificing any semblance of pride, playing nice, and waiting. It meant begging when asked to beg, agreeing to anything and everything, and otherwise pretending you didn’t exist, because only bad things happened when you were noticed.

At this point, keeping track of time became pointless. So did the idea of planning an elaborate escape attempt. If he couldn’t predict what his tormentor would do, with any small amount of certainty, he had no constants to plan around. And while he knew he could pick the lock to his room, he also knew that he stood no chance of getting out of the basement anymore. At least, not on his own. The man had sealed that exit thoroughly.

So, Danny waited patiently and remained vigilant for a random stroke of luck.

And then, miraculously, one day an opportunity presented itself in the form of a dead body.

In the dark, Danny squinted and was able to make out a four-sided wooden coffin. The lid was ajar, a dark hand waving out.

Danny pried the lid off and stared down, stunned. Even though he knew before he even opened the lid, it wasn’t any less unnerving to see the dead eyes staring up at him.

Danny swallowed thickly. He reached underneath the corpse’s armpits, hoisting it up. The thing’s head lolled, nuzzling his, giving Danny an intense whiff of rot and an expanse of clammy flesh. Danny turned his head away and gagged. He tried not to think about how this could be him if this prison break didn’t work.

It took forever to drag the body across the basement into his room. It took another forever to wrestle it into his clothing. The body’s arms were rubbery, heavy, and swollen.

Danny panted, dizzy. In his emaciated state this whole endeavor was like a marathon. Adrenaline beat his ears like a war drum and leant him strength he did not possess. With a grunt, he rolled the dead thing onto his bed and covered it with his thin blanket.

He had no idea how long this doppelganger would fool his jailor. If the man entered his room today he would notice, but the man rarely came into his room.

Danny breathed shallowly. He felt more awake now than he had felt in long time. More alive. Clear-headed. Focused. Hope dared to balloon in his chest. This could work.

He tugged on the clone’s clothes. It had been wearing nothing but a white shirt and a pair of overly baggy pants. After yanking the shirt on, Danny searched through the basement and found a surgical knife. He tucked it into the waistline, the cool metal pressing against the small of his back. He found several large bottles of whatever his captor used before he performed surgeries on his other victims— some kind of weird orange-yellow-brown liquid— and he smeared it across his every inch of exposed skin.

Then, with one last glance at the near pitch-black basement, Danny lowered himself into the coffin and readjusted the lid so it was half covering him. He tried to remember how the corpse had been lying. Any missed detail, and he’d fail. His captor wasn’t stupid.

Danny raised his right hand and draped it over the edge of the casket, limp.

He stayed that way for an indefinite amount of time. Hours. Days. He couldn’t tell. His shoulders, the back of his head, his heels, and his tailbone pounded at the hard surface of the box. He lost feeling completely in his upraised arm. His eyes stared blankly ahead, scanning, knowing that three inches from his nose was a wooden lid, although the box was so dark he couldn’t make it out.

His eyes drooped and his adrenaline faded away, yet his body never relaxed. As much as his body screamed for it, he couldn’t allow sleep. Not tonight.

A mechanical door whirred and someone descended into the lab. Heavy, slow, plodding footsteps— Skulker’s.

Danny’s breath caught.

Skulker wasted no time. He lumbered over to the casket where Danny willed himself to steady. The fact that his hand hand gone numb was a blessing. It meant it had no chance of trembling and giving him away.

Danny didn’t dare flinch or breathe. He kept his mouth agape and prayed Skulker wouldn’t look too hard. Skulker wasn’t much for noticing details. Desperate to not think about what was going on right now, Danny tried to remember his mother’s voice, her scent, the feeling of his head tucked underneath her chin as she held him close and safe. Any residual tension flooded out of his limbs.

Skulker grabbed his right hand and flung it back into the box. Danny’s leadened arm flopped lifelessly and hit the wall of the casket with a dull thud that he didn’t feel. Above him, the lid of the coffin was put back in place.

A grating noise, then a series of booms. Danny couldn’t help but flinch as the coffin jolted painfully against his sore body. The back of his skull complained. His eyeballs rattled in their sockets.

Then, he was being moved. How? He wasn’t sure.

Danny dared to open his eyes— seeing nothing but pitch black. Danny couldn’t twist or sit upright. He could barely move his head two inches up before hitting it on the lid. His eyes flitted around the slats to try and see through, but it was impossible.

A slow triumphant smirk spread across his lips. He was maybe the only person ever that was looking forward to being buried alive.

Skulker grunted as he heaved the box somewhere... outside. Freezing cold air whistled through the cracks, easily biting through Danny’s shirt. He fought a shiver and wondered what month it was. The last time he had attempted escape, it had been spring. Surely it hadn’t been more than a few months since then?

Skulker let out a gruff noise and Danny felt weightlessness as the box got tossed. With a jolt of fear, his fingers tried to clamp down to something, but there was nothing to hold onto. The casket hit hard and tumbled. Danny’s head smacked into the side of the box. He blinked blood rapidly out of his left eye. Absently, Danny prayed that Skulker didn’t look back in the box again. The blood would be a dead giveaway. Also, in this light, Danny doubted Skulker would mistake him again.

There was a yip and a rustle. The sound of tinkling chains. Danny only had his imagination to sort out what was going on.

Skulker let out a whistle and at least three dogs answered with howls, before the box jolted and Danny was gliding. He turned his head to the side and ran the back of his hand along the wood grain. Three inches of cedar plank separated him from the sun. Tears welled in his eyes, unbidden. It had felt like ages since he had last seen the sky. And here he was, so close, yet still unable to see it.

Danny forced back the tears. This wasn’t the time to get overly emotional or cocky. He wasn’t out of the woods yet. He pricked his ears, trying to dissect each noise in case it would prove important later, should this escape work. He could hear a constant shhhhhhh of whatever contraption he was on. A chain jingled, taut. There were several dogs. He could hear them panting and snuffling nearby. Far ahead he could hear Skulker plodding along. Branches snapped and leaves rustled. Images of the forest behind the mansion came to mind.

If they were in that forest, they had cut over to a deeper, denser, part. Their progress was slower and Skulker cursed more and more underneath his breath. Danny could hear that the man was fatigued. His footsteps grew slower and heavier.

They came to a halt. The dogs scampered away. Danny heard a door close and the sound of a fire crackling.

Danny closed his eyes again and went limp. He was patient. He could wait. But, Skulker never came back and neither did the dogs. Danny got the feeling that he had been forgotten. He didn’t know how long that would last. His feet and palms began to sweat, itch. This could be the last chance he had before Skulker buried the coffin.

Danny shifted, wiggling until he could get his arms free from where they were pinned up against the sides of the box. He used his knees and his palms to push against the lid.

It wouldn’t budge.

Danny’s heart hammered in his throat. He used the top of his head. He strained and let out a soft noise of frustration. Did Skulker already nail the lid on? Danny hadn’t planned on that. His mind raced, trying to come up with another way out, should that be the case. He had a knife, maybe he could… He shook his head, refocused, and tried again.

This time the lid popped and cracked open.

Danny froze and held his breath, listening intently for any sign that Skulker had heard that. When nothing happened, he pushed the lid all the way off and sat up.

Fresh air ruffled his hair, and filled his lungs, making him dizzy and euphoric. Sunlight warmed his cheeks. Snowflakes fell against his nose and nestled atop his head. Danny heaved a few breaths and looked upwards. Giddiness nearly overcame him as he took in the sky.

Blue. Sun. Fluffy clouds lazily rolling along a dazzling crystalline sky. Peace.

Danny stared around at all the snow, bewildered. Panic simmered. He had missed out on a way larger chunk of time than he originally thought. He had been taken in August. His first escape attempt had been in spring. There was at least two feet of snow blanketing the ground, which meant it was December, if not February. That meant… over a year.

Over a year of lost time.

Danny pushed that thought aside and peered down to find the casket which was resting atop a sled— a sled which sat next to a log cabin. Danny looked directly into a window. Inside, a healthy fireplace, several animal heads mounted to the wall, and Skulker crouched above the fire. He had his back to the window, poking a bit at the embers. The hunter straightened and turned.

Danny let his spine go limp and fell backwards into the casket. His eyes darted about at the sky wildly in fear. He realized it didn’t matter if Skulker saw him or not— he had to get out of this coffin.

Keeping his head ducked, Danny crawled out and fell to the ground. Cold seeped through his shirt and pants, soaking them. Blood stained the snow underneath his head. Danny’s fingers curled desperately into the snow, feeling it crunch against his palm.

He backed away from the sled, sliding along his butt, until his back hit the cabin wall. He edged away from the front door. Keeping his gaze fixated on the window, Danny used his hands to feel his way behind him. His palm hit something warm and wet and he flinched.

An English Setter stared at him, butting its head into Danny’s palm. It’s fur was mangy and a speckled brown. It was large and brutish, with thick corded muscle.

Danny froze.

The dog tilted its head and growled.

“Shh,” Danny breathed. He caught sight of a leather collar with a name tag. “Shh, Cujo.”

Its head the other direction, ears perked in recognition.

“That’s your name, right?” Danny soothed, whispering. “Listen, Cujo. Let’s keep this our little secret, ok?” He got onto his feet, slowly. His height frightened the dog, who skittered back a few paces and yipped, loud.

The cabin door flew open.

Danny ran.

His bare feet ached as he tore his way through the snow. With each stride his leg disappeared several inches. The snow was icy and sharp. Danny didn’t care. His gaze was laser-focused on a thick clump of trees. He had no idea where he was, but he figured that he could find some hiding spots in the thicker parts of the forest.

From behind him, as if through a tunnel, Danny heard a yell. He phased it all out of his mind and kept running. All that mattered was running as fast as he could into that treeline. Even when he reached it, he knew he wasn’t safe, he kept running. Skulker was coming up behind him. Danny could hear the man’s panting.

Danny darted through the branches, hopping over a log. He trained all his focus on not tripping.

Skulker stampeded right behind him. Almost on top of him now.

Adrenaline pounded through his head. He urged his legs to run faster, but they had done nothing for over a year. His muscles quivered with disuse. Out of desperation, he yanked at a branch so it would fling backwards. Behind him, Skulker gave a pained grunt then tackled him from behind with the brute force of an avalanche.

The breath got knocked from his lungs. His face pressed into the snow. It filled his mouth and his nose. He choked. Panic stabbed at him. His hands scrambled for purchase and found a branch. Getting a good grip on it, he whipped it behind him.

Skulker grabbed that arm and twisted it behind his back, forcing him to let go of the bludgeon. Danny’s arm screamed in protest.

“Stop struggling,” Skulker grunted. He pressed his knee into the back of Danny’s head, forcing his face a few more inches into the snow until it completely covered his ears.

Danny screamed, but it was muffled. He twisted and kicked backwards as hard as he could. His bare heel collided with a crunch. Dimly, Danny was aware of pain in his foot.

Skulker howled and tumbled off of him.

Danny crawled a few paces away before getting back on his feet. He swayed.

Skulker got ahold of his neck and slammed him against a tree.

“Hnnr—” Danny choked. Snow rattled off the branches overhead, dumping onto the pair of them. It clung to his hair and eyelashes. He blinked furiously up at Skulker’s leering face.

Skulker’s eyes narrowed. He lifted Danny higher until his bare feet kicked nothing but air and the back of the tree.

Danny gritted his teeth and lashed out, hitting Skulker’s arms, his hands clawing, ripping. His struggles weakened as his vision darkened. Skulker’s tough leather hunting gloves were impossible to scratch through and he was wearing far too many layers. He merely shook Danny by the neck like shaking a rubber chicken.

Danny’s head flopped as the fight got sucked out of him. For a minute he forgot. He allowed himself to give up. “Do it,” he mouthed, lips trembling.

Skulker paused. “What?”

"Do it,” Danny mouthed again.

Skulker’s faced dawned in understanding. He nodded. His grip tightened until Danny felt like his neck would snap in half.

Danny’s eyelashes fluttered. The brilliant blue sky faded into black. His hands fell to his sides, still. He felt an overwhelming calm swoop down over him. It swaddled him in a blanket of peace. Then, something dug into the small of his back. A wiggling thread loosened, a voice screamed that he couldn’t just fall noiselessly into the dark. If he died, Skulker would put him in that box and bury him somewhere no one would ever find him, just like he had done with all the others.

Danny couldn’t swallow that. Couldn’t stomach it. He wouldn’t allow them to get away with it.

Still limp at his sides, his hands suddenly twitched. As if in a dream, he reached behind his back and found the handle of a knife. His fingers could barely grasp it, but he dredged up enough voracity to whip the knife out and bury it deep into Skulker’s shoulder. The knife shifted through muscle and bit into bone.

Skulker dropped him and stumbled backwards with a surprised howl. He no longer looked like he wanted to entertain the idea of putting Danny out of his misery peacefully.

Danny collapsed at the base of the tree, clawing at his throat, gasping for air. Still, Danny refused for this to be the end. He had waited, planned, and been patient. This was the closest he had been to freedom. He couldn’t die and he couldn’t go back. He would not go back into that basement. He was so fucking close, he would fucking murder Skulker if he had to.

Desperation flooded him beyond reason. Danny dug around at the base of the tree, through the snow, for anything he could use. He found a rock.

Skulker grabbed him by the ankle and dragged him backwards, roughly. His back lit with fire. Danny screamed and twisted, smashing the rock as hard as he could into Skulker’s head. The man toppled. Danny struck him again, twice, three times, as hard as he possibly could. Suddenly— silence.

Danny panted. His chest heaved. He dropped the bloodied rock into the snow and stared. With his toe, he poked Skulker’s shoulder. Little crimson bubbles fizzed in the corner of Skulker’s mouth— proof he was still breathing.

Danny tried to stand up and fell. His back screamed. He reached behind and found the handle of the knife protruding from his somewhere to the left of his mid-spine. Without thinking, he ripped it out, shoving his face into the snow to stifle his shout. Pain became nausea. He stared at the knife accusingly, before tucking it back into his waistline.

He tried to stand again. His legs wobbled and his back seized, paralyzing him. The world spun on it’s axis and Danny found himself sprawled on the snow again, puffing little agonized breathes of air.

Walking was out of the question, then.

Danny dragged himself away from Skulker’s unconscious body, away from the cabin. He used the snow as a cushion and pulled his body along. The pace didn’t matter. Any progress was ok.

After what felt like a half hour, Danny peered back and saw the red trail he was leaving behind. He laughed, giddy from blood loss. His feet and hands were completely numb. His teeth chattered and his entire body shivered. Even if he got away from the mansion, it wouldn’t be long before he died from hypothermia or blood loss, or both. His laughing grew hysteric. Over a year in captivity, only to die from snow.

He took a second to lean against a tree and dry heave. Nothing came up. His laughs turned into sobs. He laughed and cried and bled all over the tree until he regained enough steel to find his feet again. Now that he couldn’t really feel most of his body, it was somehow easier.

He wrapped his arms around its trunk to keep upright and pressed his face into its bark. He bit into it. The earthy taste of dirt was beautiful. He inhaled as deeply as he could. Then, he closed his eyes, centered himself, and listened.

Birds chirped merrily overhead.

Trees rustled.

Then, a horn honked.

Danny’s head swiveled towards the noise. With borrowed strength, Danny first walked towards that sound, then ran with an unsteady, limping gait.

A deep bark from a dog echoed from behind him. No doubt one of Skulker’s, which meant it was a purebred hunting dog. Loyal. It had probably seen it’s master and was not happy.

Danny urged his body to go faster, to be stronger— just for a little while.

That bark grew louder. It turned into a prolonged chilling howl.

Danny broke into a huge clearing the size of a football field. He stumbled to a halt, afraid of being exposed while crossing it. He could hear distant highway noise coming from the other side.

The dog barked again, closer.

No choice. Danny bolted across the clearing. The snow was deeper and harder to traverse. Danny ignored his body yelling at him that his organs were in trouble. He tugged at his limbs like they were fighting him and practically threw one foot in front of the other.

Another howl. Too close. It was too close.

Danny looked back and saw Cujo bounding towards him from across the clearing.

Frantically, he fumbled for his knife. His fingers were blue and unresponsive. The knife fell into snow. Danny was forced to take his eyes off the incoming hunting dog to look down. He scrambled, finally getting it in hand, just in time for Cujo to be upon him.

He got the animal directly in the chest, his arm somehow narrowly missing the creature’s fangs.

The dog yipped and retreated, bounding several feet away to evaluate its wound. It whined and licked at its side. Huge brown eyes turned to Danny reproachfully.

“I’m sorry,” Danny whispered. “I had to.”

The dog growled. Its ears flattened and it crouched, preparing to pounce again.

Danny stumbled back heavily. He clutched the knife close, readying himself. From underneath his feet the earth groaned.

The dog galloped away from Danny towards the treeline, back where it had come from. It’s gait grew unsteady. As it neared the edge of the clearing it lumbered around in circles, before collapsing, dead.

Danny took a step towards the road.

A series of cracking and grinding noises reverberated outwards from underneath his feet. His eyes widened, gaze diving for his feet.

Not a clearing, he thought, right before the ground disappeared and he was submerged in freezing black water.

#Danny Phantom #A Snapping Sound #pure horror here #nothing but horror #TL;DR he drowned #my writing #an excerpt I wrote to understand exactly how Danny died #so I could allude to it the whole time #there are some details here that don't quite match anymore #but yeah

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veryreallyfuckinbad · 3 years

Text

FIRE AND MOSS // Daryl Dixon X Reader// CHAPTER 4

TW: strong language

You tried your best to fall asleep, you were exhausted. Sleep didn’t come easy; especially not after being on your own for as long as you were. Any shut eye was interrupted by the smallest noise- leaves rustling, water dripping from trees, the gentle flapping of a bird’s wings. Every single noise made you jolt up, ready to pounce on anything that tried to come close to you. You were so used to being alone, with no backup, nobody to look out for you, nobody to care for you that spending the night at a safe place felt strange.

You rolled to your side with a heavy sigh. Your eyes hurt and you were sure you had some horrifying eyebags, too. The sleeping bag felt a little too soft, unlike the hard surface of your tent that you’ve grown so accustomed to, you haven’t laid in a sleeping bag since ‘the shit hit the fan’, as you called it. It seemed more appropriate than calling it ‘the apocalypse’, maybe because you never imagined the apocalypse to be so goddamn ugly, bloody and smelly.

You decided to sit up, knowing that you won’t fall asleep anytime soon. You knew that Jake was outside, but you didn’t know exactly what he was doing. You guessed he was running around camp or went to the forest to hang out- it was his first home, after all. He always came back to you by morning though, so you never worried. You suddenly heard the crackling of a fire and poked your head out your tent- it was Daryl. As soon as your head peeked out of the entrance of your tent, you felt Jake brush his snout against your cheek. He couldn’t sleep either, but didn’t leave to run around. He sat in front of your tent like a guardian, watching Daryl’s every move. You chuckled quietly, trying not to alert the man by the fire of your presence just yet. You studied him- his back was facing you, the wings on his leather vest were clearly visible. He was much bigger than you were- in every sense of the word. Taller, broader, heavier; in other words he was deadly to you, physically speaking. The man was like a puzzle, you couldn’t figure him out. He was watching you for God knows how long and you never even noticed, left you a gift, convinced Rick to take you in, yet he never spoke to you unless you were the one to engage conversation. He seemed rough around the edges but had a strange tenderness to him, and from what you’ve heard from the group, you were the only one to see it.

Deciding to stand up, you stretched a little and made your way over to him and decided to speak first, as not to startle him. “Hey”

His head whipped around to look at you and simply nodded in response, his dark hair falling over his icy eyes. He stared at you, waiting for you to say something else.

“Mind if I join? I can’t sleep” you kneeled next to Jake and gave the foxes’ head a small pat, awaiting Daryl’s response. He looked into your eyes but quickly shifted his gaze on something else and hummed in response. You smiled and took a seat on the opposite side of the small campfire, deciding it’s best to let him have his space. A few minutes of silence passed, you were sure Daryl didn’t mind it but sitting across from him and staring at the fire, occasionally looking up at him felt a bit uncomfortable to you. You cleared your throat and noticed his gaze shift from the fire to you.

“Not to seem ungrateful or anything” you began with a nervous chuckle, “but why did you help me out? Not just in the forest, yesterday too. You helped convince Rick to let me stay.” You grabbed a stick and poked the fire causing embers to fly up into the dark sky. Both you and Daryl took notice of Jake jumping up and trying to catch one in his mouth before it disappeared. Daryl let out a small snort that was gone before you could take it in- it was a completely new sound.

“Didn’t want him to go” he motioned to the fox with a tiny smirk, causing you to giggle. He cleared his throat and continued, which surprised you- this was your first real conversation, even if it was just about Jake. “He do any tricks?”

“Yeah, a couple actually. He can bite your face off if you keep treating him like a dog,” you gave him a playful smile, he returned the favor and mumbled something along the lines of ‘lil’ bastard’ and you went on “or my personal favorite. You got an empty can?” He looked at you with confusion, raising his eyebrows but didn’t say anything as he picked up an empty can of beans from the grass behind the log he was sitting on and threw it to you. You caught it and placed it on the damp grass near your foot, in front of Jake. He instantly put his snout inside, getting stuck.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: Mother Nature’s perfect killing machine” you announced in between chuckles and heard Daryl snort again. He smiled and shook his head while you took the can off Jake’s face. “And before you ask, I have no idea why he does that” you added while ruffling his fur lovingly. Before long, silence fell between you once again, but it was more comfortable this time. You didn’t expect any more conversation from the man- you were surprised with how much you got already, anyway. He looked at you, his face illuminated by the warm glow of the flames. Daryl’s expression was unreadable, it frustrated you that you couldn’t figure out what was going on in his head. He leaned over, resting his elbows on his knees and spoke up.

“Who ‘ere you with before us?” his low voice now sounded more gravelly than usual, he didn’t look at you. Your breath caught in your throat- you have never spoken to anyone about your previous group. Just now, you realized how much you missed them. If it weren’t for Jake and the others, you wouldn’t be where you were right now. They were the ones who taught you to survive, the ones who took you in when all seemed hopeless, they were family. They were family and when you were attacked, you didn’t even fight, you just ran. You realized your eyes were tearing up and looked at the man with nothing but shame, guilt and despair. He couldn’t see you like this, you didn’t want him to pity you or look at you differently, so you stood up. His eyes followed you, he shook his head gently to get the hair out of his face. He glanced at you apologetically, thinking he must’ve done or said something wrong. He didn’t realize you weren’t ready to open up yet.

“Alright” you chuckled sadly, trying to lighten the mood and change the subject, “It’s late, you’d better go to sleep. Jake and I will take watch”

Daryl gently shook his head and eyed you, the pressure of his gaze being much for you in that moment. You turned your back to him and pretended to look up at the star-filled sky. In reality, you tried to hold back the tears forming in your eyes. You didn’t realize that opening up would be so difficult. Deciding its best to hide from the man for the time being, you stepped into your tent. Daryl saw you fumble and shuffle inside, he couldn’t believe that you actually complied. His attention turned back to the fire, he picked up a stick from the ground and began poking the burning wood with it before his head shot up when he heard you step out of the tent with something under your arm- it was too dark to make out what it was. You stepped towards Daryl and sat beside him, your eyes now red and puffy but dry. Wordlessly, you placed the item you were holding in his lap- your sleeping bag. Daryl furrowed his eyebrows and gently touched the soft makeshift mattress with his fingers.

“Can’t sleep on it, it’s too soft for me” you looked at him, hoping he would understand. You saw something change in his eyes when the words left your mouth, like the light he had while joking with you earlier died out completely. Your mouth turned into a thin line, trying your best to give him a smile but you were sure it came out more like a sad-puppy-look than a friendly grin. Enough was enough, you were just making him pity you more. You were an enigma to him- like a puzzle piece from a completely different box. Despite going through the unimaginable, things that you couldn’t even share with him, you never failed to give him that damn smile. The smile that made him wonder whether rescuing you was a good idea- you were dangerous. Not literally, Daryl knew you couldn’t and wouldn’t hurt him. The way you made him feel was dangerous but most of all, it was completely new and utterly confusing. You were like an elusive animal; afraid only when you absolutely needed to be, defensive yet so trusting, so warm and it frustrated him. He could usually read people like open books, but you were the only exception.

You stood up and didn’t miss the way Daryl’s eyes flickering between your face and the sleeping bag in his lap. Jake followed you to the tent, but you stilled before you entered.

“Goodnight, Daryl”

You woke up to Jake’s squeaks and growls coming from outside your tent, growling as you sat up and stretched. Your eyes landed on a small roll right outside of your tent- your sleeping bag. A heavy sigh left your mouth, but you couldn’t even pretend to be mad.

“Stubborn asshole”, you didn’t even notice the smile forming on your face while you cursed Daryl out. You crouched, trying to get out of the tent and almost falling over in the process. The damn thing was small. Once you managed to get out, Jake greeted you, jumping up and standing on his hind legs, his front paws resting on your stomach. You leaned down to press him into yourself gently. “Good morning to you, too. C’mon, let’s go say hi to everyone else.”

When you made your way to the group’s campground, Glenn, Dale, Carl and Maggie walked up to you to greet you while the rest said their hello’s from their seats. You were happy to see them, glad they didn’t disappear overnight. Shit. Last night’s conversation with Daryl hit you harder than you’d thought. The group was having breakfast around a campfire- theirs was much bigger than the one Daryl made. You stared at them, wondering whether you should join. Jake sniffed the air and made it clear he smelled the meat cooking over the fire.

“Are you going to stand there and stare at us or are you gonna join?” Glenn chuckled and bumped Maggie’s shoulder with his own, “Seriously, it’s kinda creepy.”

You apologized and offered them a sheepish smile while taking a seat in between Carl and Maggie. Everyone looked up at you from time to time, which you brushed off- they were probably just curious about Jake, who sat in the space between you and Carl. Maybe they were worried he would attack Carl?

“Alright, what’s up? Now you guys are the ones being creepy.” If you had to take one more weird look, you’d probably die. Or bury yourself underground.

“You’re uh…” Rick began and fumbled over his own words, “there’s a working shower in the house.” Great, Rick. He pointed it out in front of everyone. You were about to get mad but you took a look at yourself for the first time in forever, examining your clothes- they were covered in dirt and grime, not to mention that your face and arms had dried blood all over them.

“Patricia can wash your clothes!” Maggie chimed in, clearly uncomfortable with the silence that fell upon the group. “Eat something and go wash up, I’ll get you some of my clothes for the time being”

You were perfectly content with waiting for Patricia to wash your clothes, hell, you didn’t mind washing them yourself but decided to take the offer- it was a luxury, after all.

Dale cleared his throat and handed you a paper plate with two pieces of meat on it. You thanked him with a smile and gratefully took the food. Without thinking, you grabbed the larger piece and gave it to Jake, watching as he carefully took it from your hand with his teeth while you began chewing your own piece. The taste was familiar, you’ve eaten that meat before. Was it…

“Squirrel?” you asked and noticed Rick staring at you. Dale simply nodded and looked at you with nothing but confusion painted on his face. You were being stared at again. You couldn’t help but chuckle. “What did I do now?”

“I’m pretty sure both of those were for you” Rick smirked and you dipped your head. You couldn’t imagine eating and not sharing it with Jake.

“He’s hungrier than I am” you reassured him with a grin and pat the fox between his ears. Suddenly, something hit you. There’s only one person who can catch squirrels in this group and he wasn’t there.

“Where’s Daryl? There’s no squirrel without Daryl.” It was a joke, but you couldn’t help but worry about him. He was up all night and he went out, he must’ve been exhausted. Maggie smirked and tried to suppress a snort but didn’t manage to. You weren’t sure whether she was laughing at your joke or at how worried you were, but decided to believe it was the former.

“He’s out looking for Sophia, he should be back soon.” Lori tried to sound reassuring but it didn’t make you worry any less. You tried your best not to show your anxiety, the group probably didn’t know why you’d be worried about him. They were asleep while he took watch, making sure everyone was safe.

“I’m going on a run later today. You wanna join?” Maggie asked, kneeling in front of you. You felt Jake tense at how close she got. You didn’t expect it- they trusted you instantly, while they had no reason to. You couldn’t believe it, but you quickly accepted the offer.

Once you finished your meal, you headed to the house to take your fist shower since the apocalypse began. Of course there was the occasional bath in a river or lake but nothing could compete with a warm shower, with soap too. Maggie led you to the bathroom and smiled at you before you shut the door.

“New clothes will be right outside the door on the floor!” her voice was muffled through the closed door. You shouted back a quick ‘thank you!’ before you were about to step in the shower, but something stopped you. A mirror. You looked in the reflection and didn’t recognize the person staring back at you. Your once lively eyes were now sunken down. Your cheekbones were more visible and your hair was matted and tangled. You found a brush in one of the drawers and began combing it out as quickly as you could- the shower couldn’t come soon enough. Once you were done working on your hair, you stepped into the cold, ceramic bathtub and smiled as you turned the tap and felt warm water wash over you. It was an incredible feeling- the blood and gore washing off your skin, cleansing you of the horrors outside of the farm. You ran your hands along your once smooth skin- it was now bumpy and covered with scars. They were nothing but reminders of the battles you’ve won. The pleasant smell of raspberry-scented soap filled your lungs. It was sweet and reminded you of the world before everything fell apart; sweet and tender, but stung like hell if it got into your eyes.

You closed your eyes and simply enjoyed the moment. It felt purifying. All of the pain, sorrow and grief washing off you and disappearing in the drain. The only thing the warm water couldn’t wash off was the moss that grew on your heart, almost engulfing it whole. Love was a tricky thing, it always was, but in this world it was even worse. You were unable to bring yourself to open up to the group about who you were with before, even about your pitiful life before the ‘shit hit the fan’. You didn’t want to think about your disgusting past relationships, the men you were with being the reason as to why you flinched and ducked whenever someone raised their hand at you or touched you without announcing themselves first. You only allowed yourself to cry in moments like these- alone and comfortable, always afraid of people seeing you cry. Perhaps that’s why you and Jake bonded almost instantly- your hearts were covered in moss.

You quickly opened the bathroom door and dragged your new clothes in. It was a nice outfit; a black tank top and a pair of jeans that was cut with scissors to be knee-length, along with a well-fitted black leather jacket. A smile crept up on your face when you saw yourself in the foggy mirror- you at least resembled your old self now.

Maggie was already waiting for you on the porch, sitting on the steps and smiled at you when you emerged from the door.

“Ya ready to go?” her head swung toward you while she pushed herself up from the steps, standing up. You nodded in response but quickly stiffened, remembering something,

“Can he come along?” you motioned towards Jake, who was standing by your side. Maggie shifted, her eyes flickering between you and your fox companion. She was clearly unsure and she had every reason to be- it was a wild animal. But that wild animal was insistent on following you and making sure you were okay; you did the same for him.

“We’re gonna go on horses, though.” She looked at you sheepishly and awaited your response

“That’s perfect, actually! He could use a good run” you kneeled down next to Jake, who instantly began pacing around you, brushing his fiery fur against you. “Sure has a lot of pent up energy”

You couldn’t remember the last time you rode a horse- it was long before the apocalypse even began. The animal was big, if it decided to buck you off- it would. Thankfully, you were good with animals. The horse seemed calm as it walked beside Maggie’s. It was exceptionally quiet for a while. The only sounds echoing through the empty streets of the abandoned countryside town was the rhythmic hitting of hooves against the hard concrete. Jake trotted along, not needing to run as you weren’t going fast. He clearly enjoyed going out on runs, he was the most adventurous fox you’ve ever met. The only fox you’ve ever met, actually, but you were sure other foxes weren’t this energetic or upbeat. The only weapon you carried was a hunting knife that you borrowed from Rick, who refused to let you go without any way of protecting yourself. Your goal was a small grocery store that was boarded up, which meant it probably wasn’t looted yet. Maggie clearing her throat brought you back from your thoughts.

“So, what’s up with you and Daryl?” she chimed cheerfully. You almost fell off the horse, but quickly composed yourself . What in the hell did she mean? Instead of answering her question, you decided to retort,

“What’s up with you and Glenn, huh?” you sent her a wink and noticed her roll her eyes with a small smile. There definitely was something going on with the two- they came in a bundle. If Maggie was doing laundry, Glenn suddenly decided to help her out. If Glenn was taking watch, Maggie magically appeared near him within minutes.

“Oh, c’mon.” She dismissed your question. Fair, you did the same to her. “If any of us tried to set up camp near the one and only Dixon we’d probably get an arrow in the ass” she laughed and you smiled, but still didn’t understand. If what she was saying was true- why did he let you set your tent up next to his? “Not to mention, he watched you for how long? A week?”

You couldn’t help but let out a throaty chuckle. Daryl was one confusing man.

“Yeah, that one was creepy as shit” you said, giggling like a schoolgirl and looking down, suddenly unable to meet her gaze.

The store was mostly clear of walkers, say for a couple squished together in a bathroom. You and Maggie swiftly took care of them and began looting the store. It was quite intact, with the majority of supplies untouched. You swiped as many cans as you could off the shelves, letting them drop in your duffle bag. Once you packed as much food as you could, you decided to take a look around the remaining aisles. There wasn’t anything of interest- some long expired lotions, condoms and sunglasses. You were about to leave the store with Maggie when you saw something in the corner of your eye. A sketchbook. You smiled a toothy grin and looked at Jake who was busy sniffing every shelf he came across. Quickly shoving the sketchbook in your already-full bag, you bumped Maggie’s shoulder with your own to signal her that you’re ready to leave.

The ride home was pleasant and the scenery was quite beautiful. The sky was turning a pinkish-orange color, the setting sun began giving everything an incredible orange glow. Everything looked more alive, even the abandoned stores and houses. Jake’s fur, which usually looked fiery, now looked like it was ablaze- he looked like a living flame.

When you arrived at the farm, the sky still had that beautiful glow to it. The farm looked like something out of a fairytale. You hopped off your horse and gave it a pat, leading it to the stables with Maggie. Once the horses were in place, you turned to Maggie.

“What did you mean? Earlier, about Daryl?” you stuttered, unsure if you should be asking the question.

“What I mean, (Y/N),” she put a hand on your shoulder and smiled at you brightly. It wasn’t the same smile she gave you when she asked about Daryl on the way to the store- this one was warm, inviting, yet still playful. Quickly, it turned into a smirk, “Daryl isn’t exactly easy to seduce”

What? Seducing Daryl was the last thing on your mind- all you wanted was someone you could trust, someone who would understand you. That person just so happened to be him- maybe because he was the one to save you, maybe because you were both like wild animals, maybe because he liked Jake. You smirked at that last thought and shook your head.

“Maggie” you looked deep into her eyes, placing both of your hands on her shoulders, “Even if I wanted to, I’m about as seductive as a cabbage” Maggie let out an unflattering snort and playfully hit your arm with her fist. You were unsure what to make of the exchange- did you really seem like all you wanted was flirting with Daryl? Just because he let his walls down a little for you didn’t mean anything. He probably felt comfortable around you because he saw how you were in the forest and felt like he knew you already; you can tell a lot about a person solely by their actions, afterall.

“Do I really seem like I just want to get in his pants?” you sighed and looked down in genuine sadness. You just needed a friend. When Maggie noticed how serious you got, her eyes dropped and her voice suddenly became soft, just above a whisper.

“I was kidding, I’m sorry.” She smiled a sad, uncertain smile and went on, “He just acts different around you, that’s all.” Her words made you think. You didn’t know how exactly he acted around others. Of course, he respected Rick and could be an asshole to the group from time to time, but how different could he be around you? This man gave you a headache, no matter how much time you spent thinking about what he’s thinking, you could never guess.

You nodded at Maggie and made your way out of the barn- you needed some fresh air. Deciding it was best to stay away from others to think, you headed to the only place you could think of- the very campfire you were sitting by with Daryl last night. Once you took a seat on a log, you stared into space, your hand stroking Jake’s fur from time to time. Maggie’s words echoed in your head, like someone shouted inside a tunnel, the echo repeating itself constantly. Maybe you should give the man space, maybe you shouldn’t get too close. Last time you did that, people died. All you wanted to know was what was behind those steel-blue eyes. You also decided to apologize to him for last night; he probably didn’t care much but you still felt guilty for brushing him off like that. Suddenly, Jake shot up and turned around, standing still and not moving an inch. Your head whipped back to see what spooked him so bad and saw the very man that you were thinking about. He was covered in small cuts and bruises, probably from running through thorn-covered bushes. His gaze was soft, friendly. Exactly like the one you saw last night when you so casually conversed with him. You stood up, about to say hello, about to apologize. You had to hold yourself back from hugging him- you were glad he made it back in one piece. You opened your mouth to speak but closed it when he kneeled and began shuffling around in his backpack, clearly looking for something. He wasn’t sure whether he should say something or not, maybe he should apologize for prying yesterday. He was definitely not a people person. Deciding it’s best to just let his action speak for him, he pulled out a familiar item out his backpack. Was it-

“Found yer knife. Apology for yesterday” He looked at you with that undecipherable look he had. You were baffled- what was he apologizing for?

“What the hell? Thank you so much!” you took the knife from his hands, “I was about to apologize myself. Sorry for brushing you off like that.” You smiled at him and, deciding to be brave, hit his arm with your fist gently. “Did you cut yourself so bad with my knife?” you gestured towards the many cuts on his face and the ones on his hands and arms, “Thought you were good with blades” You smirked at him. He scoffed and hopped over the log you were previously sat on and took a seat.

“Ya can bet ‘m better than ya"

----

taglist <3

@writers-adversary @kimchiwen @mileysnavely @srhxpci

#daryl x oc #daryl imagines #the walking dead daryl #daryl dixion imagine #daryl x reader #the walking dead #twd daryl #daryl x y/n #daryl dixon fanfiction #daryl dixon x reader #fireandmoss

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megumi-stan · 3 years

Text

| Black Skies | 黒い空 |

Fushiguro Megumi x Reader

TW: Major Character death, graphic depiction of Injuries and gore!

Black. That was all there was.

Black dots swarm your vision, and black strands of hair slipping through your fingers invaded your brain. Megumi’s black jacket sprawled on the floor, and his black sheets clenched by your hands were only a flash in your head, but it didn’t fail to bring you comfort underneath the black sky.

His parting words still teased your ears.

“Don’t die, if you do, i’ll never forgive you...”

You could only beg for his forgiveness as you laid broken on the cold floor, the stench of blood and decay entering your nose and burning your throat, You knew it was a bad idea to follow the curse alone; you were well aware that it was far more powerful than what you were capable of handling, but still you were stubborn and refused to appear weak in front of your lover.

You remembered how Megumi hesitated before running in the direction of Itadori, who was in trouble, and you knew a fist was likely closing around his heart the moment his back turned to you and your footsteps faded away. Megumi trusted you with all his heart, and he had no doubts you would return to him. He probably reminded himself how capable you were a dozen times in his head only to set his resolve.

You wanted to laugh, a bitter sound that got stuck in your tongue before breaking free. You weren’t the great thing he thought you were, after all. The wheeze of air hurt, pushing blood out of the gash across your neck, and your limbs went numb. You could no longer feel anything besides the dizziness in your head.

If only you could see his face for the last time, but your eyes had shut off completely as your heavy lids fell. Your heart ached one last time for all the things you would never witness. Gojo’s sensei revolution, shopping with Nobara through Tokyo and having dancing parties with Itadori. But all those faded into nothing when you thought of Megumi growing up and having a life without you in it.

He would never take you on late night dates in the woods, or slip into your room at night to watch a bad horror film while cuddled up in your bed. You would never take another picture of him while he was distracted, and his hands would never fit in yours anymore...

They were right.... Sorcerers rarely died without regrets, but instead of regretting enrolling in Jujutsu High, your only regret was not being able to say goodbye to the boy with bright green eyes and gentle touch that held you tenderly at night chasing the darkness away.

Cursing one last time your bad luck, you drifted off into nothingness, hoping that, wherever you were headed next, you could at least watch Fushiguro Megumi from afar, silently cheering him on as he continued to live his life.

Megumi knew something wasn’t right at the exact moment a sharp pain stabbed his heart. Shaking it off was not an option, since the unease crept across his skin like oily tendrils, leaving his heart stammering and his fingers shaking.

His shikigami, Nue was battling the special level curse, while Megumi’s body served as a shield to guard Yuji’s fallen form. He reminded himself to breath in and out slowly, to prevent premature tiring but his breathing stopped when he noticed how the faint battling noises in the distance stopped.

Thinking that you had succeeded, He took a deep breath and waited, but when he never spotted you figure running to help him out, panic made him his prisoner.

“Fuck!” The curse slipped past his lips, born out of a desperation out of character for him. Where the hell was Gojo sensei when he needed it?

Strong emotions can boost one’s level of cursed energy, but he knew better than to waste it, so he focused on summoning Orochi to finish things off quickly. His focus was broken the moment he started worrying about you, so the fight prolonged for what seemed like an eternity. Minutes went by, where he could only hear the screeches of both spirits battling until with one last clean bite from the great serpent, the curse was exorcised.

Without thinking, he just flung Itadori’s knocked out body over his shoulder and ran, his feet moving so fast he could barely feel the ground beneath them. He ran through the deserted street and as he got closer to where you had ran off to, the metallic smell lingering in the air like a macabre blanket made his stomach drop.

Megumi’s heart was beating hard in his chest, drowning out the sound of his breaths as he sped up, his whole body ached but it was nothing compared to the ache he felt in his soul the moment he spotted the trail of blood and the curse lurking above you. He dropped Itadori to the floor without a second thought and summoned his divine dog, who jumped at the curse’s back with a feral glint into his eyes. He knew his dog liked you, specially since you always seemed to pet him the right way. The vicious canine was protective of you, and that made Megumi him realise how much of his life revolved around you.

Training, dates, laughs, missions… You were always there.

Right at that moment, he couldn’t care about his own safety or Itadori’s, as he left his side and approached you. The cries of pain and the snarls falling on def ears.

There you were, your uniform torn and burned in some places, your skin bruised and stained with red, your whole neck invisible under the stream of crimson that disappeared under your collar.

And your chest wasn’t moving.

Fushiguro fell to his knees as his hands found your face, cradling it tenderly. His fingers shook and his eyes stung. You were not breathing, and he couldn’t ether.

“(y/n)?” He croaked, barely above a hush whispered, voice shaking, strangled by the knot in his larynx. “C’mon baby... Open your eyes.” he pleaded, shaking you slightly.

Your cold skin froze his soul, and he placed you on his lap. The small light of hope died when he pushed his ear to your chest, willing your comforting heart beat to meet him like it did all the nights he slept using you as a pillow, but the relief never came.

Silence was the only answer he got.

A torn scream burned his throat, but he could barely listen to it with the sound of his soul being shattered. Ugly tears rolled down and turned your skin wet as he held you close, hiding his face in the crook of your neck and pretending that everything was fine, and this was just like when he hid from the jump scares when watching horror films with you.

He cried out again, because no matter how hard he tried, the icy fingers of death held him down, burying his hopes and dreams to the ground, and stunning him. As if he had received a fatal would. Megumi wondered if he would survive too, since it felt like his heart had stopped completely in his chest.

A heavy hand landed on his shoulder, forcing him to lower you slightly so he could see who it was.

Itadori stood there, his hands stained with blood and the curse behind them gone. His divine dog sat by his side, ears flat on his head and sorrow written all over his eyes.

Megumi couldn’t utter a word. He had promised himself he would save those he chose, those who were good and deserved to be saved. He knew there was no one more deserving of salvation than you.

Megumi had failed.

He turned to look down at you once again and his dog came forward. Whining and nudging your limp hand with his snout, urging you to pet him like you always would after he helped on missions, but you would never have the chance to do so again.

A loud howl filled the solemn silence in that moment, where the two boys mourned the death of a dear friend and lover. Their souls tainted black just like the sky above their heads.

A/N: First time writing for Megumi! ever since i casted my eyes upon him i’ve been doomed... guys with daddy issues are my type apparently, judging by my massive crush on Todoroki Shouto...

Anyways, hope you enjoyed!

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hepaidattention · 3 years

Text

denial

part 3

where Allison never died in s3 and Lydia and Stiles are still going strong in the flirting game but still stubborn, so Allison decides to set them up (with Scott’s help of course).

find part one here

find part two here

Scott was a little afraid to ask Allison why she had driven them out into the woods at 9 o’clock at night. Thankfully he had enough intuition to know that Lydia’s text about Stiles planning stupid things and dark forest in Beacon Hills go hand in hand. That and she said she was going with him (wherever that may be) to make sure he stayed safe, so it probably meant Allison wanted to come out and follow them. He was still lost in the why, but at least he could figure out the root of it without having to ask too many questions.

“Oh, there’s Stiles’ jeep!” Allison exclaimed, the excitement that she was expressing admittedly concerning. “Thank god, I thought we’d never find it.”

Scott had no idea they were even searching for said jeep, but in Allison’s defense Scott never asked. He hadn’t said much of anything since she got in the car, really. God, Stiles was right, he needed to get it together and say something. He parked behind Stiles’ car and turned to face her for the first time in a long time. “So, what’s the plan?” he blurted, without much thought. Thankfully it wasn’t the worse of things to ask.

“Well, I’m thinking we just go in, you can follow their scent right? I wanted to make this big grand scheme in setting them up together but then I realized first we need to know where we are in relationship status, you know? Like, for all we know they’re dating and just telling us they’re not. I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised - have you noticed just how much time they spend together? AAlnd the texting, it’s non-stop, it’s...” she paused, stopping mid-sentence to look at Scott with an awkward shaping smile. “Sorry, I had a lot of coffee before getting in the car. I’m a little... wired.”

Be cool, Scott. Be cool. “No worries, I like it when you’re wired.” No, that was not cool. That was weird. Good god.

Allison sweetly smiled with the mouth, but the squinted eyes spoke volumes. She chose not to comment on his bizarre behavior and said, “I just want to spy on them, I know it’s like serious boundary crossing - but I need to know where they’re at before I start meddling.”

Scott nodded, slowly, then said, “Well they’re talking about their chemistry test tomorrow, if that helps you any on your hypothesis.”

Allison turned to him, eyes wide, “Oh my god, you can hear them right now?”

Scott just shrugged, still trying to seem as cool as possible. “Yeah, they’re only about a mile out I think. You know, if you had all of those questions, you could have just asked me before dragging us out here in the middle of the night.”

Allison laughed, “You? You wanted me to ask you Lydia and Stiles’ relationship status? And how are you supposed to know, huh? Are you some kind of relationship psychic?”

“Well, no,” Scott felt like he was blushing. Oh god was he blushing? “but I won’t deny I’m curious about them, too, so I … eavesdrop on occasion.”

“Oh my god,” Allison was grinning at him now, amusement sparking behind her eyes and making it to her beaming smile. “Scott McCall, do you spy on Lydia and Stiles on a regular basis?”

Scott was scratching the back of his neck now, “Would I be a bad person if I said yes?”

Allison was laughing. She was so pleased by this and it was a little odd for Scott to see. For one, it was hard for any of them to find the joy in things now and days. But second, he never realized how invested Allison was in Lydia and Stiles. She set them up for homecoming that one time, but she never ever really said anything else about them.

“So what do they say? How often is the flirting? And oh my god, are they dating?”

“No on the dating,” Scott said amused. It was obvious the answer was no, but he entertained Allison and her passions anyway. “If they were dating we’d know. Trust me.”

Allison nodded and sunk into the passenger seat, “You’re right, heartbeats. You’d know if they were lying.”

“Well, that is true,” Scott offered, “but I meant mainly because Stiles is a horrible liar, and I honestly don’t think he could keep dating the girl he’s liked since 3rd grade a secret for more than maybe 30 seconds.” Allison laughed again, bringing a spark of joy in Scott’s own spirit. He forgot how much he loved hearing her laugh.

“Okay, you do make a valid point. So then what about the flirting?”

“Non-stop.”

“Both sides? Equally?”

“Can I be honest?”

“Uh yeah, you better,”

Scott hesitated, almost afraid how Allison would react. “Lydia flirts more.”

Allison gasped, “No way.”

“I mean, that’s not saying Stiles doesn’t flirt, but Lydia... she initiates it most of the time. Stiles is just too clueless to pick up that it’s flirting. Any time I mention to him how she was flirting he insists it was just bickering.”

“Bickering is one of Lydia’s most common methods of flirting,” Allison crossed her arms and shook her head. “It confuses most men, we can’t be too hard on him over that.” Allison’s head fell to the side and she looked at Scott with curious eyes. “What are they talking about now?”

“It’s getting harder to hear them, but they’re talking about the Nemeton now.” Scott sat up at that, like a dog who heard something alarming. He looked at Allison like she heard it too (she did not, lack of supernatural hearing and all that), then he said, “Why is Stiles searching for the Nemeton?”

“He didn’t tell you?” Allison was genuinely surprised. “Here I thought you guys told each other everything.”

“Stiles likes to keep secrets when it comes to his safety. Allison, why would you guys let him go out there in search of that? I mean, what it did to him the first time - Deaton said that Stiles might always be vulnerable to the Nemeton’s pull. If he found it it would-”

“It would be fine because Stiles can take care of himself.” Allison cut off his panic with common sense. “Besides, he has Lydia. They always seem to make it out alive when they’re together.”

Scott growled at the implication that what they were doing was going to end in the need for survival. “Not helping.”

“Scott, c’mon, it’s not like they’ll even find it. Stiles has been searching for it since everything went down - it only is found when it wants to be found.” She gave his arm a gentle, reassuring squeeze. It helped. She always helped calm his nerves. “Plus, Stiles honestly probably just made this his plan because he knew Lydia would be too worried about him not to go along.”

Scott was shocked. He had no idea Stiles had been searching for the Nemeton, and he knew this was likely because Stiles knew how he would react if he did. “We should follow them. Just in case.”

Allison had the faintest of smiles casting over her lips as she softly nodded and said, “Okay, c’mon.”

They quietly stalked through the woods, just close enough that Scott could still hear their conversation, far enough back that they could run to the car and never be seen before the two made their way back themselves. Occasionally Allison would ask what they were talking about now, but the answers were always boring. School. A movie they watched last week. They’re bickering about which direction to go. And of course, Lydia telling Stiles he’s an idiot.

“That’s the fourth idiot tonight,” Allison said breathlessly.

Scott stopped and turned, seeing the wheels turning behind her eyes. “Yeah? Let’s be honest, Stiles is kinda an idiot sometimes. Even Stiles would tell you he can do math in his sleep but his common sense radar has been broken since-”

“He was born, yes I know,” Allison was thinking about something so sternly, her brows were causing a little wrinkled V above the bridge of her nose. “Scott, the only time I have ever known Lydia to tell boys they’re idiots is the one’s she likes. Like really likes, like Jackson likes, okay? And I’m not talking about her seeing an actual idiotic teenage boy and telling them they need to read a book or two. I mean her, oh my god you’re such an idiot I want to suck your face off use of the term idiot.”

He frowned, “How do you tell the difference?”

“This is Lydia Martin we’re talking about, Scott. If she’s being condescending, trust me, you’ll know.” She still wasn’t moving and the longer they stood there the farther their voices were becoming. Allison added, “And she’s said it four times.”

“Does that give you your answer then?” Scott heard Lydia giggling at something beyond stupid Stiles said, and Scott just started to realize how right Allison was on how this was basically just a very dark way of a date. Both so desperate to spend time with each other but also too stubborn to say anything about it that they’ll go out of their way to walk about a damp, dark forest just as an excuse to get dinner and dessert after. Scott considered for a split second that this wasn’t any different, Allison dragging Scott out in the middle of the night to “stalk” Stiles and Lydia but lacking in the actual stalking part. But he brushed off that thought the moment it passed through his mind - this was clearly a purely platonic friends thing.

“I think I need to talk to Lydia.” Allison decided.

Suddenly, their voices were getting closer again. They were turning back. “We better go - sounds like they’re heading back this way.”

Allison furrowed her brow in confusion, “What? Why?”

Scott had to listen to find out.

“Lydia, wait. So you got some mud on your shoes, I’ll replace them.”

“No, Stiles. This entire everything is useless. Wandering around the forest in the middle of the night is literally a huge waste of my time. I could be doing so many other things right now,”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

“Oh I don’t know, school for one? Do you even do your homework anymore?”

“Well, anymore implies that I ever did it, so...”

Scott looked at Allison and shrugged, “Sounds like Lydia got impatient.”

“She’s probably just trying to lead him off the scent. She’s been really worried Stiles is going to find it.”

Scott gave her a skeptical look, “Why does that sound like she knows where it is?”

“Probably because she does?” Scott looked at her with a slacked jaw. She just rolled her eyes, arms crossed across her chest. “What? Scott she’s like a supernatural metal detector, okay? I highly doubt she wouldn’t be able to sense it.”

“You said Stiles wasn’t in danger of finding it-”

“And he’s not because Lydia is here to make sure he doesn’t. See? Plan is fool proof. Now can we please go before Stiles and Lydia spot us?”

Their voices were getting even louder, it was evident they should leave. But he was even more afraid for their safety now.

“God Lydia, could you at least slow the fuck down?”

“I think you already know the answer to that.”

“Shit - how do you even move that fast in heels?”

“It’s called grace and poise. You should try it sometime.”

Scott heard Stiles trip, then curse under his breath. They were getting way too close for comfort.

They were coming in hot. Scott knew they had to go. Explaining to nosy Stiles that he was spying on him was one thing, but Lydia was another. Scary Lydia.

“Scott, let’s go. C’mon!”

Scott finally put one foot in front of the other and made a run for it to the car. Once they reached it, he could tell Lydia and Stiles were not far behind. He started up the engine and zoomed off down the street, hoping to god neither of them saw or heard the car before they could get away.

Scott was silent, they both were. All Scott could think about now was what all he didn't know about Stiles and his schemes recently. Allison, she had one thought in mind the entire car ride home: she had to talk to Lydia.

to be continued

#stydia #teen wolf fanfiction #stydia fic #stydia au #denial stydia series #my stydia fics #this one was more of a filller i am sorry #the next one has much more stydia in it and allison finds out about the kiss

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