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#i missed making graphics the last time i made one was...may 23 i think?? but now im inspired(tm) and im back

andromeda-nova-writing · 7 months

Text

🎤🖤🩵Lyrical🩵🖤🎧

I've been wanting to make a prompt list pulling lyrics from my favorite songs for a while. If any lyrics I have don't inspire you, please check out the playlist. There may be a different lyric that you vibe with.

All lyrics are written out under the cut. I just wanted to make fun graphics

1. Last Time I Saw You - Nicki Minaj “Maybe I pushed you away because I thought that I bore you” 2. Make It Look Easy - Chloe “I just want to feel hope and fill up the hole completely”

3. In Pieces - Chloe “And I don’t want nobody else to hold me when I’m in pieces”

4. SandCastles - Beyoncé “I scratched out your name and your face, What is it about you that I can’t erase”

5. Be Careful - Cardi B “Be careful with me, do you know what you doin’? Whose feelings that you’re hurtin’ and bruins’?”

6. Buy A Heart - Nicki Minaj, Meek Mill “But when you’re away, I can’t get you out of my mind”

7. We Belong Together - Mariah Carey “Who else am I gon’ lean on when times get rough?”

8. Told Ya - Chloe “Swallow your pride, how it tastin’ now”

9. Angel - Halle “Do you ever make it out of your head?”

10. Be Alive - Beyoncé “Do you know how much we cried? How hard we had to fight?”

11. Self Love - Metro Boomin, Coi Leray “You don’t know love, you just show love”

12. Desperado - Rihanna “There ain’t nothing here for me anymore, But I don’t want to be alone”

13. All The Stars - Kendrick Lamar “Love, Let's talk about love, Is it anything and everything that you hoped for? Or do the feeling haunt you, I know the feeling haunt you”

14. I Could Fall in Love - Selena “Tomorrow, will you want me still?”

15. Forward - Beyoncé “Go back to your sleep in your favorite spot just next to me”

16. California King Bed - Rihanna “Just when I felt like giving up on us, You turned around and gave me one last touch”

17. Refill - Elle Varner “He approached me and asked for a minute, Which turned into five, then turned into ten”

18. Cuz I love You - Lizzo “I thought that I didn’t care, I thought I was love impaired”

19. If I Ain’t Got You - Alicia Keys “Some people need three dozen roses, And that’s the only way to prove you love them”

20. Only Wanna Give It To You - Elle Varner, J. Cole “Your kisses hold me hostage and I don't wanna stop it”

21. Fallin - Coco Jones “Locked in your spell when you come around”

22. Weak - SWV “Your love is so sweet, It knocks me right off of my feet, Can’t explain why your love, it makes me weak”

23. I Hate You - SZA “What I would do to make you feel just like this”

24. I Miss You - Beyoncé “It hurts my pride to tell you how I feel”

25. Broken Clocks - SZA “Think I forgot, You love me”

26. Can’t Remember to Forget You - Shakira, Rihanna “The way he makes me feel, I never seemed to act so stupid”

27. Hazy - Chloe x Halle “You have permission, To shake my world ‘til it falls down”

28. Don’t Make It Harder On Me - Chole x Halle “I need you to stop lookin’ at me like that”

29. Fallin’ - Alicia Keys “How do you give me so much pleasure, And cause me so much pain?

30. We Need A Resolution - Aaliyah, Timbaland “You got issues, I got issues, But I know I miss you”

31. Ordinary People - John Legend “I know I misbehaved, And you made your mistakes, And we both still got room left to grow”

32. Switch! - Jasmine Sullivan “Know what I want and I want your best friend”

#writing prompts #I listen to a lot of R&B and these are all songs that inspire me #And you be surprised how many times a rap song gets me in the writing mood as well #I also had a lot of fun making graphics again #I'll probably use my own prompts slowly but id like to use them all myself at some point

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theharrowing · 3 years

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Boy Blue 💙 23: Almost 200 proof

While going through a painful but necessary breakup, you meet someone who is patient, kind, and understanding; everything your last ex was not.

Or is he?

PREVIOUS | INDEX | NEXT

💙 Taehyung x Female Reader x Original Female Character

💙 word count: 2.2k + images of text conversations

💙 college au, text message au, strangers to lovers, yandere, hurt/comfort, smut, fluff, angst, slow burn, slash, poly, major character injury & death, graphic violence, nsfw, 21+

💙 warnings: drunk sex, consensual sex turned non-consenting! character is roofied!

💙 written parts beta read by @neoneunnajimin

💙 posted nov. 2021 | read on ao3

You wake up to the sound of a knock on your door and slowly sit up, rubbing your eyes. For the life of you, you have no idea what time it is. As you make your way through your bedroom and into the living room, you hear the knock once more.

"Are you home, kitten?" Taehyung's voice calls through the door.

Excited, you prance over with a wide smile tugging at your mouth as you open the door. Taehyung is standing in his gaudiest Gucci jacket, holding a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers, and you throw your arms around his neck, squealing as he lifts you with his free arm, pulling you into him.

"I missed you," you purr against Taehyung’s neck as he gently places you back on your feet.

"I missed you too, kitten," Taehyung says. "This is for you."

You take the bouquet, admiring the purples, yellows, and whites before holding it to your nose, breathing in the various smells. Taehyung grabs a handful of shopping bags that you hadn't noticed at his feet before he follows into your apartment, closing the door behind him and stepping out of his shoes.

"Did I wake you?" Taehyung asks with a chuckle.

"Yeah," you say with a blush. "What time is it?"

Taehyung smiles and shakes his head. "After noon."

"I should probably wake Hana," you say, biting your lip nervously.

Although he didn't seem to mind that she was here, you still worry about him suddenly changing his mind or thinking perhaps she'd overstayed her welcome. You also fear that she will be less than excited to see Taehyung here.

But Taehyung just shrugs. "If she's tired, you may as well let her sleep"

Hana appears in the doorway to your bedroom, however, making your decision much easier. She is scratching her head and looking uneasy but doing her best to smile.

"Hey, Tae," she grumbles. "How was your trip?"

Taehyung's face brightens up. "It was great, but I missed my girls. Especially this one." He grabs your waist and pulls you toward him, giggling as the motion knocks you off balance and causes you to fall into his side.

"I brought us this," Taehyung says, producing a glass flask of clear liquid from his back pocket. "It's almost 200 proof."

"Is it soju?" you ask, and Taehyung nods.

"It was made at a small distillery in the mountains. Doesn't take much to knock someone off their feet. I thought I could make us dinner, and then we could have a few sips to see what it's like."

Hana shifts around nervously, "I appreciate it, Tae, but I should get home soon to finish up my homework for tomorrow."

Taehyung waves her off. "Nonsense. I have my finished coursework in the car; you can copy from that. It's really easy anyway."

"What did you have in mind to cook?" you ask.

Taehyung kisses you on the forehead and smiles. "You'll just have to wait and see, kitten."

With that, you pad over to your couch and sit down, and Hana follows reluctantly as you scroll through the channels to find something to watch in the meantime. She pulls her legs up in front of her, wrapping her arms around them for a little while before pulling out her phone.

You look up to find Taehyung watching you with a grin, and you grin back nervously, knowing that he must have caught you in the act of texting Hana.

"You girls sharing secrets?" Taehyung asks.

"Just talking about your butt," Hana retorts with a scoff. "Those jeans are tight, my guy!"

You nod and smile, biting your lip as your eyes travel down past his butt, to his thighs, and back up. The tight black jeans he's wearing definitely highlight his assets.

"It's true," you agree.

For dinner, Taehyung has made japchae, which just so happens to be one of your favorite dishes, and you eat your helping of it as if you have been starved for weeks, attempting to savor the flavors of the dish but ultimately slurping and inhaling it down. You sit on the couch wedged between the two of them who seem to be enjoying their food, as well, though not as furiously as you had.

Taehyung excuses himself after he's finished with his plate and goes into the kitchen, bringing with him three small glasses of the mountain soju.

"Just enough for a toast," he says with a smile, and Hana rolls her eyes with a smile as she agrees to try just a little.

"To my girls," Taehyung toasts, winking at you before pulling his drink to his lips.

You take a sip and immediately get hit by its strong, almost overbearing flavor. Hana coughs, having drunk hers too fast like a shot, and Taehyung chuckles before reaching to rub her back.

"Oh no, I should have told you to just take a tiny sip!"

Hana shakes her head, "it's fine; this is what I get for not listening when you mentioned how strong it is."

Of course, once the small cups of soju are consumed, it is Hana, the once reluctant one, who encourages you to have more, feeling giddy from how tipsy just a meager amount has already managed to make her. Taehyung agrees and takes the cups into the kitchen, preparing more, and although you don't quite feel as tipsy as she seems, you enjoy how light it makes you, thankful that you seem to be over the depression slump you found yourself in now that your favorite people are both around.

Taehyung returns and passes out the cups to you and Hana, and Hana raises her cup and says, "To Taehyung's tight fucking jeans!" before taking a sip from her cup with a giggle. You laugh too, as you turn to Taehyung and raise your eyebrows at him.

Once the second cup is empty, you help carry everything into the kitchen with Taehyung, rinsing the plates off before leaving them in the sink to be washed at some point in the future when you are not feeling the effects of alcohol in your system. Taehyung pulls you into an embrace, rubbing his hands over your ass as he holds you close for a kiss.

"Ugh, I need to shower; I must smell awful," you whine, suddenly feeling self-conscious about being so close to Taehyung, who looks and smells immaculate.

Taehyung gives you a sniff before saying, “You seem fine to me,” and buries his face in your neck, nibbling on the soft skin below your ear. You hold back a moan and shove him away, giggling and turning back to the living room where Hana is slumped over on the couch, lolling her head around and mumbling.

"Damn, did she have more than us somehow?" you muse, looking to Taehyung.

Taehyung shrugs and says, "I only poured us each two glasses," before walking over to the couch with a slight stumble.

"Hey, Hana," Taehyung says as he sits next to her, "you alright, babe?"

Hana grumbles and throws her head back, smiling and grabbing Taehyung's face in her hands.

"Better now that you're here, babe," she slurs, leaning toward him and attempting to kiss him. Her face falls past his and rests on his shoulder, and she lets out a deep sigh.

"Wow, this shit is strong!" she exclaims, sitting up and looking at him with a tilt to her head. "What are we doing?"

Taehyung chuckles and says, "What do you mean? I cooked you dinner, and we had some soju."

Hana nods. "Riiiiight, right right, right right."

You laugh it off and join them on the couch, sitting next to Taehyung, whose back is facing you. He grabs Hana by the chin, examining her face, asking, "How did you get so drunk?"

"How about you shut up and kiss me," Hana grumbles, planting her lips on Taehyung.

At first, Taehyung doesn't kiss back, but she tugs on his hair, causing him to gasp, and uses that opportunity to deepen the kiss, licking into his mouth. Hana moans, muttering, "I want you to fuck me," against his lips.

Taehyung's breath seems to hitch and turns to you, lips slick and eyes wide. You grin and bite your lip; it's been so long since he's made you moan his name, and the thought of getting between Hana's thighs again has you rubbing yours together. Although she does seem pretty drunk, the two of you are definitely affected by the alcohol, as well, and you reason that it should be fine.

Things escalate quickly as the three of you peel your clothes off and stumble into your bedroom in a hurry. Hana attempts to give Taehyung head, but she's a giggly mess and ends up sitting on the floor and watching as Taehyung tongues your pussy before plunging his cock inside you. He promises Hana that she'll get what she wants as long as she's a good girl and touches herself while he makes you cum.

It doesn't take long for you to orgasm, chasing your high at a breakneck speed, and Hana joins you on the bed once you have managed to come down from your high. You push her onto her back and tease her pussy with your lips as she whines and tugs at your hair, giving in quickly and pushing your tongue between her folds, savoring her tangy, sweet taste and feeling yourself get turned on even more by the deliciously needy sounds that fall from her mouth. Taehyung pumps his cock while he sits and watches you, and once you make her cum, you sit up, rubbing her slick off of your chin with the back of your hand, smiling down at your pretty friend.

Hana rolls onto her stomach and pushes her ass into the air, losing her balance and almost falling over, and Taehyung chuckles as he grabs her by the hips and slaps her ass loudly, making her whine against the comforter. When he lines his cock up with her entrance, she starts to beg, pushing her hips back against him. Taehyung slides his cock inside of her, and she moans loudly, her legs trembling beneath her.

"Fuck, you're so tight," Taehyung moans, "sure you can handle this?"

Hana replies with an indistinguishable sound that's turned into a squeal as Taehyung slams his hips against her ass.

Hana groans into the blanket as Taehyung fucks her, and you sit up on your knees, kissing him and sucking on his bottom lip. Lewd wet sounds fill the room as Taehyung bucks into Hana relentlessly, making her muffled moans almost unheard, punctuated by the sounds of his hand smacking her ass while he groans and hums into your mouth.

You nibble and suck at Taehyung's nipple while your hands travel all over, one reaching to gently rub the soft spot between his ass and balls and the other grabbing a fistful of thick blue hair, all the while Taehyung moans loudly and his movements become sloppy.

As he bucks even harder into Hana, you notice that her arms have gone limp, and you let go of Taehyung to rub her back, asking her if she's doing alright, Hana gives no response. You are about to show concern when Taehyung pulls out and cums on her ass with a loud moan.

As soon as Taehyung lets go of Hana's hip with his free hand, she falls against the bed, completely limp and quiet. You roll her over in a panic, finding her passed out with her face red and covered in drool.

"Oh shit," Taehyung grumbles.

"How did she get this drunk?" you ask, looking to Taehyung, who shrugs.

"I have no idea," Taehyung responds as he gets off the bed and goes into your bathroom for a damp towel.

Taehyung wipes himself off and attempts to wipe his cum off Hana, but she has managed to get most of it on the blanket. Panic surges through you as you cross your room to grab sweats and a t-shirt and get dressed. Looking back over the events, you assure yourself that she wanted to fuck Taehyung, so there should be no harm done, but you worry that she may have actually been too drunk to know what she was asking for.

You grab your phone from your bedside table to check the time, relieved to see that it's only 4 PM, meaning that, hopefully, Hana can wake up and recover in time to not feel too terrible for class tomorrow. Beside you, Taehyung wiggles into his jeans and bumps into you, causing your phone to fly out of your hands and crash into the wall. You run to grab it and notice the screen has cracked, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Shit, kitten, I'm so sorry," Taehyung says, grabbing onto your phone to examine it. "I have a friend who can fix this up; I'll take it to him before class, okay."

You sigh and smile, saying, "Thanks, Tae," with a kiss as he slips your phone into his pocket.

"Anything for you, kitten," Taehyung replies.

tag list: @dasexydevitt13, @girl8890, @illnevertrustmyselfagain, @mwitsmejk & @starlight-night0

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please don’t be a silent reader! comments & reblogs help so much (and likes are nice, too.)

#taehyung x reader #taehyung smut #taehyung x original female character #bts smut #bts smau #bts yandere #BTS poly fics #fic: boy blue

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gingerpeachtae · 4 years

Text

Concentric [23]

masterlist

Words: 25.4k 🤯💀

Genres: fantasy!AU, angst, fluff, enemies to lovers, eventual smut

Warnings: graphic depictions of violence and death

Summary: You had been ready for the end of the semester. You had been ready to spend time away from your best friend, Jimin, and finally move on from the feelings you harbored. Yet, after your friend was forced to reveal a secret, you found yourself in a new world that was chock full of magic, war, and wonder. So, here you were, basically thrown into your own fantasy novel, with your best friend on one side, and six male warriors on the other.

A/N: my braincell is ready for rest oof… PLS ENGOY YOUR EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER EVERYONE 💙

Holding his arms up in front of his face, Jimin flinched as the thorny vines of the thicket scratched at his wrists while he continued sprinting forward. The stinging pain lasted for only a moment as the half-Saeni sucked more air into his lungs and forced his legs to propel his body faster through the rugged, dense forest. The six other Saeni were moving just as quickly and were still protectively surrounding him as they ran. Through the bird calls, bug chirps, and shaking leaves, every single one of them could hear the sound of large paws hitting the earth gradually coming closer. The sounds of deep growls becoming louder.

At the front of the group, Ipsa leapt over a large tree root which caused her golden hair to flash in the sunlight that was peeking through the treetops.

As Geodin followed and easily jumped over the same root, he let out a low groan before muttering in an irritated tone, “Why in Exia’s name are we being hunted by wolves?”

“Just keep moving!” Mingi sternly ordered to the short male without even looking back.

Jimin ran beneath the bright green leaves that caused his pupils to dilate and expand rapidly from the constant changes in light, and as he passed by a skinny maple tree Illai spoke in his mind to inform him that they needed to veer more to the right. After grunting lightly in acknowledgement and pushing his apricot hair out of his eyes, the half-Saeni voiced her direction to the group between his heavy breaths and the Saeni promptly adjusted.

The seven pressed on, leaves and thin branches whipping across their faces and mud splattering against their shins. Mingi effortlessly vaulted over a fallen tree trunk that was almost parallel to the ground but not quite fully collapsed. Jimin, on the other hand, slid beneath it, his head barely missing the rough bark, before popping up to his feet on the opposite side and resuming his fast pace. Dirt and dead leaves clung to his thigh and side but he didn’t bother swatting any of it off as sweat trailed down his face and his heart pounded in his chest. He could hear the wolves grow even closer. Could almost feel their presence on the group’s heels even though the canines had yet to show themselves.

The terrain abruptly began to decline, causing all the Saeni to slow down ever so slightly and turn their bodies to the side to prevent themselves from losing balance. As they descended quickly but cautiously, Jimin heard a stumble behind him and Koliifa cursed as a rock came loose under his weight and his footing faltered for a brief second.

“Careful,” his sister hissed and helped steady the male.

Then, out of his peripheral, Jimin saw Stem furrow his brow and look out to the left while he skirted around a sapling.

After a couple of seconds, the archer hummed and returned his gaze forward. “I think one of the wolves broke off to our left.”

“Leaving?” Mingi called back in question while tilting his head that way and narrowing his hazel eyes.

“No, it’s moving lateral to us now. I think it doesn’t want us going that way.”

Ipsa frowned at Stem’s comment, but didn’t say anything as the group finally reached the bottom of the hill. The degradation levelled out and the Saeni were deposited into a small, bubbling stream that was surrounded by a stretch of flat land with plentiful but spread out trees.

Flinching as the stream’s cold water sloshed onto his leg while he and the others crossed it, Jimin wanted to stop and marvel at how serene and calm the area was but he knew there wasn’t time for that. Maybe later, though… if he survived.

Squinting through a ray of sunlight, the golden-haired female whispered to herself then sharply inhaled and glanced at the Saeni behind her. “For Exia’s sake, they’re herding us.”

None of the Saeni’s movements wavered in wake of the comment but Koliifa murmured another curse and Geodin grumbled in aggravated disbelief while everyone else was stunned into silence.

But it made sense. Realistically, the wolves should have caught up to them by now but they hadn’t or, as it now appeared, purposefully wouldn’t. They were keeping their distance but still making their presence known. Making sure the group went in a certain direction. The seven hadn’t realized it until now since it was the same direction they were wanting to go in, but that made Jimin wonder…

“Are they random wolves or-?”

“Or are they somehow a draikensu’s pet?” Opikal finished the thought in a dry tone. “I was thinking the same thing. Honestly, the timing seems too convenient for it to not be connected.”

“But if they’re with the draikensu then herding us-”

“Means they’re most likely moving us toward a trap.”

The Saeni fell silent again, considering what to do. They continued to move forward; they didn’t have the luxury of stopping… but with every step they took the idea that they may be moving closer to an attack loomed over their heads. The possibility weighed heavily on the group, but they also knew there was nothing to be done besides steeling themselves and being ready.

However, after a few moments, the siblings bringing up the rear exchanged looks, communicating without words, and nodded to one another before slowing down.

“Go on ahead,” Opikal said as she and her brother came to a complete stop beside an old oak tree, “we’ll take care of the wolves.”

The rest of the group looked back in shock at the determined siblings who were standing underneath the oak’s swaying leaves. Opikal’s dark eyes were serious as she drew her sword from its sheath at her hip while Koliifa was unwinding his chain whip with a confident smile.

Ipsa ran backwards as she regarded them with uncertainty swimming in her eyes. “Are you sure?”

Koliifa shrugged indifferently. “Yeah. It’ll be fun, right sis?” Then he shifted his grin to his sister, who only rolled her ebony eyes.

After sighing at her cheerful brother, Opikal gestured for the group to move on. “Just hurry up and go. We’ll take care of it.”

Jimin gaped at the duo, not wanting to leave them behind but knowing there was no time to argue or come up with an alternative. The apricot head’s mind swam with conflict as he watched the siblings turn their backs on everyone and ready their weapons.

“Come on.” Mingi’s deep voice seemed to reverberate through the landscape with his command. “Let’s go.”

Stem placed a firm hand on Jimin’s shoulder and gave him a look of understanding but still lightly shoved the half-Saeni forward as they all began to run at full speed again, leaving the siblings behind.

Reluctantly, Jimin returned to his previous pace and Mingi told everyone to be on guard. Stem stayed behind Jimin, taking over the rear position in place of the siblings while Ipsa dropped back to cover Jimin’s left. After a minute or so, the Saeni could no longer hear the wolf paws but instead a series of loud growls, barks, and whines rose up behind them. Doing their best to ignore the noises and focus on what lay ahead of them, the group of five followed the small creek while being mindful of the wet rocks on the bank.

Do not follow the bend in the stream. You must continue straight. The sweet voice of the mother goddess seeped into Jimin’s mind again. You’re getting close. Very close. Keep moving. Hurry!

Jimin instantly relayed the information to the group and Geodin gave an affirmative grunt in response. They then crossed the creek once more and went back into the shade of the thick woods.

It wasn’t long before a chilling scream resounded into the air and echoed off the trees. It was the type of scream that ran a shiver down a person’s spine and raised the hair on their arms. Filled with pain and desperation. It didn’t last long, though, and within a couple of seconds the sound cut off.

Gritting his teeth and clenching his hands into tight fists, Jimin felt the urge to do something swell inside him. He just didn’t know what he could do. The apricot head went to peek over his shoulder, back to where they had left Opikal and Koliifa, but Stem moved into his line of sight and shook his head.

“Don’t look back,” the archer said in a grave tone then he blinked a few times and looked up at the sun shining through the trees before steadying his gaze on Jimin once more. “They made their choice. We can’t do anything for them now.”

Jimin opened his mouth but snapped it closed and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before returning his attention to what was ahead of him knowing Stem was right.

The shade cast by the leaves suddenly felt too cold as the cruel reality of the situation settled over the half-Saeni. He had heard the scream, but had no way of knowing if Opikal and Koliifa were still alive or not. The suffocating realization tightened his throat because the same went for you and his brothers. The group had been able to hear the fighting for a while… what if one of those dying screams had been a member of his kiela? He knew how strong everyone was, including you, but… but what if…

All of the sudden, Jimin was yanked out of his upsetting thoughts when Mingi held up his fist. At the appearance of the signal, Jimin and the others slowed down and began to creep forward. Eyes scanning and ears alert. A slight rustle came from up ahead. A noise so minor and indiscrete yet so loud at the same time. The Saeni’s heads whipped in the direction of the sound while Mingi shifted to place himself fully in front of Jimin.

Then… the flash of sunlight glinting off metal… and a sickening thump.

Jimin blinked in horror as an arrow skewered itself through soft flesh of Geodin’s neck. The short male tried to gasp and stumbled while Mingi immediately turned to grab Jimin and tug him behind a large tree. The other Saeni followed suit and found cover as Geodin dropped to his knees, blood leaking out around the arrow and onto his chest. Deep crimson also trailed out of his mouth and stained his lips and chin. The world seemed to pause and hold its breath…

Then another arrow embedded itself into Geodin’s chest. The impact forcing the male to fall to his back. His chest shakily rose and fell… once… twice… and then he stopped moving altogether.

Your thighs and calves burned as you finally reached the peak of the steep incline. Slowing to a stop, you pushed your sweaty hair out of your face then waved your hand around to shoo away the bugs buzzing by your ear as you caught your breath. While gulping in air, you turned in a half-circle to try to see what was around you but all there was was an endless expanse of green and brown. You had no idea where you were or if you were even close to Jimin. It’s not like you had directions or landmarks to help you find your way. All you could really do was keep the battlefield either at your back or on your left shoulder as you ran through the forest in search of your best friend.

The basic plan was to go northwest toward the center of the enemy’s forces to where the rift supposedly was. Unfortunately, you didn’t have the privilege of mental GPS guidance like your dear best friend. Plus, you didn’t even know where the center of the draikensu’s forces were; you only had a generic idea so you were truly just winging it.

Doesn’t matter. I’m gonna find you Slim Jim.

Swiveling back to face the direction you had been running in, you cracked your neck and back then inhaled deeply. Although you were a decent distance from the field by now, you swear you could still detect a hint of iron and death in the air. Maybe it was because you could still hear faint screams filtering through the trees, or maybe the smell clung to you, or maybe you were simply imagining the putrid scent because you were so on edge.

With how much adrenaline was pumping through your veins at the moment you wondered if you would ever be able to calm down again after this whole ordeal was over.

If you were even still breathing by then.

You were worried for yourself, for Jimin, for Jungkook and Tae and all the other members of the kiela who had become family to you. Mingi too. But you were also concerned about the draikensu. You knew majority of them were at the field but you didn’t know if all of them were and the last thing you needed was to run into a group of the fuckers. If what that one back at the cliff said was true – the key will die while you pathetically fight – then you probably didn’t have a lot of time to waste so you didn’t want to worry about your human ass sneaking around quietly or fighting any skirmishes on your way. Thankfully, you hadn’t seen anyone since you left the cliff but that didn’t mean you were about to let your guard up.

Doing a quick examine of the trees, you tried to ignore the distant screams as you focused your hearing…

Nothing.

No signs of draikensu… or Jimin.

You blew out a raspberry and let your eyes wander until they rested on a large rock that you started to approach coyly. “You wouldn’t happen to be a rock I can ride for miles like the pioneers used to… would you?”

No response, unsurprisingly.

With a bittersweet huff, you clutched your bow tighter and stepped up and over the rock before beginning to move onward once more. Lowering your head to avoid being whacked in the face by a large branch, you scampered over a collection of roots popping out of earth like lacework. Suddenly, a twig snapped and the shrubs rustled violently to your right and your eyes widened in alarm as you instinctively grabbed an arrow from your quiver while turning toward the sound. Your hear beat wildly as you drew back and squinted into the trees but all you saw was a small, russet-colored creature scuttling through the low greenery.

Just a damn animal. Your arms relaxed and you breathed a bit easier as you watched the creature disappear.

Returning the arrow to your quiver, you shook out your hand to relieve some leftover tension then got ready to start running again. Though as you shifted your weight to do so, a pained scream pierced your ears. Freezing, your breath caught in your throat but the shriek stopped just as quickly as it had come.

“The fuck…?” You murmured to yourself while looking around warily.

There’s no way that came from the field… it was way too loud to have come from the field.

While the birds resumed their singing, you drifted your gaze more west and narrowed your eyes. Of course, there was no way to be sure but you had a hunch the scream came from over there. Your insides yelled at you that it did and before you knew it your feet were moving on their own accord.

Rolling onto his back, Namjoon could almost feel the dew-and-blood-slicked grass soak into his armor and clothes. Ignoring the unpleasant sensation, the yellow-eyed male grit his teeth and used both hands to lift his heavy weapon over his face in order to block the serrated edge of the short sword being swung at him. The draikensu’s blade ricocheted off the hammer’s shaft with a shrill ring and a handful of sparks. Baring his teeth at the recoil that traveled up his arms from the attack, Namjoon shifted his weight to attempt to kick his opponent’s legs out from underneath him but a yelling figure with dark hair slammed into the draikensu without warning.

Jin threw his arms around the male going after his leader and tackled him to the ground with a defiant shout. The force of the surprise body slam caused the draikensu to involuntarily drop his sword and the eldest member of the kiela didn’t give the male any time to recover. Jin pulled his sword hand back then rammed the hilt of the weapon into the male’s jaw, making his head snap back against the earth. The draikensu growled and spat out a mouthful of crimson spit before grabbing onto Jin’s forearm and throwing his weight upward and to the side. As Jin was thrown aside, he clutched at the draikensu’s armor and pulled the male along with him.

The two males twisted and grappled in the torn-up grass. Their limbs tangled and grasped at one another while they tried to find an advantage and pin the other down, but the close proximity made Jin struggle. It restricted him from using the blade of his longsword. He simply didn’t have the space or time to use the gore-covered weapon.

While dodging the draikensu’s elbow, Jin tried to spot something he could impale the male on or if Namjoon was able to give him a helping hand… or better yet, a swing of his hammer. Seeing neither, the raven-haired Saeni could only think of one way to finish the fight. Jin released another powerful yell and brought his arm across the draikensu’s chest, gripping the male’s shoulder in his hand to anchor himself as he punched the male’s side with the hand tightly gripping his sword hilt. The draikensu gasped and Jin took that split-second to flip his opponent to his back so he could kneel over the male’s waist. After delivering another blow to the male’s torso to incapacitate his movements, the raven-haired Saeni adjusted the hold on his sword and sliced up from the draikensu’s belly in one fluid but deadly arc. Crimson spattered onto the grass and dripped off the tip of Jin’s sword as the draikensu swiftly began to bleed out while his eyes rolled back into his head.

With a pant, Jin went to stand but the air against the side of his face abruptly stirred and caused him to turn and raise his weapon. A sword screeched against the edge of his own blade. Jin’s fast reaction stopped the weapon from reaching his neck as was the draikensu’s intention, but the parry didn’t manage to leave him completely unscathed. The enemy’s sword shallowly slashed into his cheek and arm, leaving behind thin lines of red, and the attacked made the Saeni lose his balance. Jin stumbled and teetered to the side, falling onto his hip and forearm. He blinked up at the draikensu as he felt his warm blood well up from the cuts, and the sight of scarlet beginning to trail down his face made the draikensu’s eyes sparkle and lips twitch gleefully.

Jin heard a familiar voice call out to him desperately.

“Hyung!”

Looking past the male hovering over him, Jin saw Namjoon running over. His brown hair was matted, jaw clenched, and eyes narrowed menacingly. Not even a second later, when he was close enough, Namjoon reached out and firmly grabbed the draikensu’s collar before yanking the male backwards harshly. While the draikensu staggered and tumbled to the ground, Namjoon grunted and raised the bulky head of his weapon to the sky. Then he smashed it down onto the chest of the fallen draikensu.

Namjoon breathed heavily and lifted his hammer from the crater he had created in the male’s armor before wiping the back of his hand across his forehead then offering the hand out to his brother.

“You good?” The leader inquired while roaming his eyes over Jin’s body to check for injuries.

Taking Namjoon’s hand in his, Jin allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. “Yeah, I’m alright.”

After nodding, Namjoon shifted his gaze to take in the field and the mass of crumpled bodies that now littered it. With sad eyes, he observed the dead, the wounded and barely alive, and those still fighting through their exhaustion.

Shaking his head, he whispered, “How long will this go on…?”

Jin placed a gentle hand on his brother’s shoulder before saying they should try to regroup with the others. The elder tilted his chin toward a collection of flaring lights over by one of the trees scattered throughout the field and Namjoon could just make out the color of mint-blue from the mess.

The leader of the kiela went to agree but as he turned his head back to his brother, he saw movement in his peripherals. Eyes expanding in alarm as he registered two daggers rotating through the air toward them, Namjoon hastily pushed Jin out of the way.

Falling to his ass, the raven-haired Saeni looked up at the other male in confusion. “Joon? What th-OH MY GODDESS!”

Jin was gawking at Namjoon’s thigh and the yellow-eyed Saeni grimaced as he looked down and observed the blade now buried hilt deep in his flesh. Namjoon’s hand trembled as he reached down to lightly touch his fingertip against the hilt and he hissed sharply through his teeth at how the contact slightly disturbed the blade. Blood began to slowly course down Namjoon’s thigh and Jin forced himself to get over his shock and get back to his feet to scan the area.

“Where did it come from!?” Jin whispered frantically and darted his eyes around but when Namjoon only whimpered in response he swiveled his dark eyes to see that Namjoon now had his hand fully wrapped around the hilt. “DON’T TAKE IT OUT!”

“Aish, I know. It just fucking hurts.”

Jin snorted at his leader’s pouting response. “Well, no shit.”

Namjoon barked out a rough laugh but it was fast to fade into another pained moan. While he moved his hand to hold the muscle of his thigh right above the dagger, Jin felt a lump lodge in his throat as he took in his younger brother’s state.

“You… You really shouldn’t have pushed me. You should have gotten yourself out of the way.”

Setting the head of his hammer on the ground, Namjoon rested majority of his weight on the weapon while waving his now bloody hand dismissively and showcasing a tiny, dimpled smile.

“…Hey.” A stranger’s voice suddenly came from beside them both.

With a gasp, Jin pivoted and raised his sword but an array of emerald magic held his swing at bay. Underneath the glittering green was a muscular, emerald-haired female Saeni with both eyebrows raised at the eldest of the kiela. Seeing she wasn’t a threat, Jin eased up and apologized as the emerald light vanished. The magic user chuckled and just gave Jin another look then turned her gaze to the dagger sticking out of Namjoon’s thigh.

“Let me see that.” She crouched down so the damage was at eye level then glanced behind her shoulder at Jin. “You, keep any draikensu off us while I deal with this.”

Jin drew in a breath at her words, feeling the lump in his throat lessen knowing she was going to help his brother. Repositioning himself, he stood guard and protectively watched over them as the magic user put her strong hand around the dagger’s hilt, which made Namjoon curse in a deep voice.

The yellow-eyed male looked down at the female and lightly touched her wrist. “Don’t… save your energy. Don’t waste it on me.”

“Shut up and let me do this.”

Jin roared as a draikensu approached the trio and he took two steps to the side then powerfully slashed his sword across their chest before plunging it through their torso.

“I’m only doing enough to ensure you won’t die after I take out this little guy.” The female gestured to the dagger with her chin.

“Little?”

The magic user just stared up at Namjoon silently through her emerald hair until he swallowed nervously and nodded.

“A-Alright…”

“This is going to hurt,” she said while gripping the hilt more firmly. “On three. One… two… three!”

While bursts of magenta light came from several yards away as another Saeni magic user battled the draikensu with yellow magic, Yoongi crooked his fingers while diving to the side and narrowly avoided a crescent of amethyst magic surging toward him. Rolling to a stop near the base of a tree, his own magic shot out of the ground at his opponent’s feet. The mint-blue tendrils seized the female’s amethyst-glowing hands and began to crawl up her wrists and arms, preventing her from moving. At the same time, Hobi leapt toward the draikensu with a blade brandished in each hand. As he angled his daggers, the silvery-whiteness of his hair shimmered in the sun where it was still visible beneath the streaks of red and brown that painted his body. Aiming one blade just above the female’s collarbone and the other under her ribcage, the kiela’s spy closed in on his target but the female magic user contorted her face into a snarl and lifted one of her legs to plant her foot directly into Hobi’s sternum.

Yoongi felt his stomach drop as he watched Hobi land hard on his back while the female turned her attention to the mint-colored light curling around her arms. Claws of amethyst erupted out of her hands and pierced through Yoongi’s magic but the Saeni didn’t reinforce his bonds. He couldn’t bring himself to look away from his partner who had yet to get back up to his feet. The female draikensu began to violently strip off the mint-blue tendrils coiling up her limbs with her magic as Hobi braced himself on his elbows and let out a low moan of pain.

Petal pink eyes snapped wide open at the sound, and Yoongi thrust his hands forward to cocoon his magic around the spy before dragged him backwards until he too was underneath the tree. The mint-haired Saeni held out a hand and tried to keep the distress out of his voice as he asked if the other male was okay.

Hobi smiled gratefully while taking Yoongi’s hand, but as he was being helped up, the white-haired Saeni wrapped his free arm around his middle and grimaced. “Fucking Exia she can kick hard. I think she might’ve cracked a rib.”

Cursing under his breath, Yoongi immediately dropped his eyes to Hobi’s torso in concern but Hobi let out a breathy chuckle and placed his palm against the magic user’s cheek to gently tilt his face back up. “I’ll be fine hyung. You can fix me up and make me feel better later.”

The tips of the Yoongi’s ears began to burn as he stared into Hobi’s light brown eyes, the warmth of the male’s touch both scalding and soothing. Gaping slightly, the mint-haired Saeni felt as if the rest of the world blurred away as he gazed into those eyes. The sounds of fighting and pain and rage muted as if they were placed underwater and all he could hear instead was his frantic pulse and the echoes of Hobi’s voice. He felt as though he could live in that moment for the rest of eternity. A calming comfort in the middle of chaotic and deadly storm.

And then the moment was shattered as the female magic user screamed in impatience while ripping away the last of the mint tendrils from her arms. Both Hobi and Yoongi snapped their heads over to the angered female whose dark expression seemed to match the magic angrily writhing around her hands.

“Well,” Yoongi commented as he turned to face the draikensu with an annoyed quirk of his brow but he quickly replaced it with a lazy smirk, “someone took quite a while to get out of my magic. It wasn’t even that strong.”

“Goddess, sometimes I forget you’re just as bad as Kook with taunting people,” Hobi murmured and shook his head as the female’s gaze turned even more murderous.

Peering to the side and cracking his knuckles, Yoongi sent Hobi a sly grin. “Who do you think the sprout learned it all from?”

Before the kiela’s spy could come up with a retort, both males caught a glimmer of amethyst out of the corner of their eyes and they lunged in opposite directions as a harsh curve of magic flew at them. The magic hit the tree, gouging into the trunk and slicing into two of the thicker branches. The tree limbs creaked and groaned for a second before they fractured with a splitting crack and fell toward the earth, forcing Hobi to dive out of the way again as they hit the ground. Safely coming to his knees, Hobi reached behind his back to take out a medium-sized dagger while peeking at Yoongi who nodded and allowed his mint-blue magic to flare even brighter as he raised his hands. As the two males readied themselves to rush the female, an ear-splitting screech made both them and the draikensu halt their movements and look to the side.

The Saeni with magenta magic had the other draikensu magic user speared to the ground. The yellow magic enveloping the draikensu’s hands was growing dimmer and dimmer as she lay face down in the destroyed grass, a glittering magenta bolt piercing her body directly between her shoulder blades. The draikensu took a final, unsteady inhale then sagged limply while the last of her magic faded into nothing. Meanwhile, the Saeni magic user stumbled back a step but her legs gave out and she collapsed to her knees with a sobbing gasp. The magenta bolt vanished from the draikensu’s back, leaving an open, gaping hole, and the Saeni seemed to struggle to breath as she cradled her shaking hands close to her chest.

Yoongi and Hobi returned their gaze to the amethyst magic user and were alarmed as they saw her sneer and lift one of her glowing hands toward the weakened Saeni.

“Shit. Look out!” Yoongi yelled as Hobi desperately threw his dagger at the draikensu.

The Saeni looked up from her tremoring hands right as the draikensu spun out of the way of Hobi’s blade and simultaneously sent a sickle of magic from her hand. As the amethyst magic carved through the air, Yoongi flicked a line of his own magic out in a hasty attempt to latch onto the Saeni’s wrist and tug her out of the way… but it was too late. The female Saeni just quietly stared at the approaching wave of amethyst magic with hollow eyes until it cut through her neck and chest. Hobi swore, his voice holding regret and horror, and the two males watched as the Saeni’s now headless body slumped to the earth while her head rolled and came to a rest beside the body of the draikensu she had killed only moments earlier.

As you jumped down into a stream, cold water splashed against your ankles when the stone you landed on lurched to the side. After throwing your arms out to regain your balance, you crossed the water and saw you were now in a meadow-like area. Trees still dotted the earth but majority of the plants were grasses and ferns that ruffled in the breeze. It was beautiful and peaceful and allowed you to see your surroundings more easily… but you were also aware that it made you more visible and exposed. With that lovely thought in mind you kept moving beneath the sun and shade, although you couldn’t keep your eyes from flitting around more often to check your surroundings.

You still had no idea where you were, even more so now since the field was out of earshot. To put it simply, you were pretty much just going off instinct and gut feelings now. Right now, your gut was telling you to turn more to the east. There was no obvious reason as to why, maybe you felt as if you had gone too far west or perhaps it was some other subconscious sixth sense, but nonetheless you still listened to the feeling and adjusted your course. With aching legs and ragged breaths, you delved deeper into the meadow. Ferns gently grazed against your legs and the occasional bramble bush scraped your skin and clung to your clothes.

After a few minutes, the fresh, earthy scent of the meadow began to be overpowered by the distinct odor of blood and fresh death. Skidding to a top as the smell hit your nose, you looked around but saw and heard nothing out of the ordinary. But you knew that smell, as abhorrent as that realization was. Crinkling your nose, you took a tentative step forward… then another and another and another as you followed the disgusting smell to the source. You tried to control your breathing but you found yourself inhaling faster and faster as your anxiety grew along with the stench. Nervous of what you would find. Scared it would be a body with apricot hair.

Tiptoeing around a gnarly old oak tree, your breath hitched as you saw a lump of something laying in the ferns beside a log. Swallowing down your nerves as best you could, you grabbed an arrow and loosely notched it before slowly approaching the form. Tracing your index finger lightly over the arrow’s soft feather fletching for comfort, you neared and saw there was blood pooled on the earth beneath the thing. Blood also coated the stems and leaves of the plants beside it, the red contrasting so vividly to the bright green. The wind picked up and blew against your face, and you resisted the urge to cover your nose as you inched even closer. Then you paused as you saw patches of fur. Perplexed, you titled your head and stood still for a couple moments before moving around the vegetation so it was in full view.

Tail, large paws, and sharp teeth. It was a dead wolf. And it was covered in hundreds of gashes.

Taking short breaths, you squatted before the creature and looked over its maimed body. You had no idea what would create those kinds of wounds, and you didn’t want to stick around and find out. Furthermore, it wasn’t a Saeni or draikensu so there was no reason to hang around. It was time to get moving again. As you turned to leave, you glanced over to the log resting in the foliage a few yards away.

It’s shaped weirdly… must be pretty rotten and decomposed. You thought absentmindedly then gasped and did a double take as you felt your heart stop for a second.

What you had thought was a log wasn’t that at all… it was a person.

But they were no longer alive.

Biting your lip, you crept around the wolf and advanced toward the body. It was completely mutilated. Entrails spilled out from their stomach, deep gouges in their flesh, and torn out chunks of meat. The sight made you grimace and you had to look away for a moment.

After counting to three in your mind, you forced yourself to turn back to the body. Bringing your eyes to their head, some of the tension evaporated from your body and you squeezed your eyes in relief at how their hair was a baby-powder blue. You didn’t know them. You had no idea who they were or if they had been an ally or an enemy. Their body and armor were too shredded and torn apart to tell. Expelling a puff of air, you shifted your gaze to their red-stained hand that rested beside their head. In their palm was a metallic black rod that was connected to a series of smaller rods that were linked together by rings. The object was mostly piled in a heap but you could see the chain ended in a sharp dart.

Is that a whip?

You blinked at the weapon then looked back at the wolf.

Did they kill each other? Your brows furrowed. But why…?

Was this connected to Uzjuk or did you just happen to stumble upon a random, dead Saeni? You could have, but a normal Saeni wouldn’t be wearing armor or carrying around a weapon like that. Not unless they were BTS Saeni or a draikensu. The entire scene was utterly confusing and when you looked up from the wolf corpse your eyes widened yet again as you made out another lump up ahead in the ferns.

Brushing past some briars, you made your way over and noted it was another dead wolf draped over a dead female. A sword was buried deep into the stomach of the animal while its teeth rested against the female’s shoulder. Through the mess of fur, muscle, and sinew, you could see where its teeth had ripped her throat out.

Fucking hell… what happened here?

Scrunching your face at the sight, you peered at the female and wondered if some of her armor was intact beneath the wolf. If it was, you would be able to see if it matched the armor of the palace troops and thus know which side she, and likely the other Saeni, belonged to. Just as you went to kneel down, a series of loud and aggressive, but distant, barks resounded into the air which caused your head to whip up.

You had never heard a wolf’s bark before save what growls and howling were in movies, and although it sounded quite similar to a dog, you would bet your entire Spongebob Squarepants DVD collection that those had been wolf barks. They had to be.

As the sounds faded, you squinted through the trees then glanced up at the sun’s position. The barks had come from the north and a little bit to the east. You breathed in sharply through your nose at the realization, which you immediately regretted, then quickly dropped to the ground and set your bow aside before leaning over to pluck two big leaves off a nearby plant. Using them to cover your palms, you then pushed against the heavy body of the wolf. Once the canine had mostly slipped off the female’s body, you stared at her armor for a few seconds before snatching up your bow, standing up, and taking off in the direction of the barks with the image of the Saeni’s palace armor seared into your mind.

Dashing through the meadow, it wasn’t long before the stream popped back into view. It trickled and bubbled beside you as you ran alongside its bank. You didn’t know if those dead Saeni had been with Jimin but the female had the same armor as the palace troops so it was at least something for you to go off of. And your gut was telling you they had been with Jimin. Why else would they be this far from the field unless they had been heading to the rift?

I don’t know if Mingi and Jimin are alone or with others since I left before they probably finalized those plans, but wouldn’t it make more sense if they had brought a small group of Saeni with them?

You were pulled from your thoughts when another threatening bark followed by a whine echoed through the trees, the sudden sound startling you and making you trip over a rock. Cursing as your weight went forward, you stumbled a few steps but luckily didn’t fall. Continuing to move, you resented the damn wolf for almost causing you to eat dirt, but you were also glad it barked again because it confirmed you were still going in the right direction.

After a minute, the stream started to curve but since the bark had come from straight ahead you plunged into the cool water once more before reentering the dense forest. You ran and ran and ran, occasionally pounding your fist against your thighs to silently order them to keep working and moving. Your entire body hurt and ached but you weren’t going to stop.

I won’t stop trying to find you Slim Jim…

Gulping air into your burning lungs, you tried to maintain your breathing cadence but it was hastily slipping away from you. Knowing you needed to get it under control again if you wanted to keep pressing on, you reluctantly eased your pace a little to catch your breath. Your chest heaved but you slowly lost the feeling of being a fish out of water trying to get oxygen. Hitting your thigh with your fist again, you went to increase your speed when the wind let up and that too familiar scent of iron began to fill your nose once more. Gasping slightly at the smell, your shaking legs slowed down even more as you turned to follow it. Heart thumping crazily, you reached over your shoulder to retrieve an arrow while you crept as silently as you could.

You heard nothing beyond the usual buzzing and clicking of the forest, but the repulsive smell only grew stronger as you warily moved through the shrubs toward the source.

You ducked beneath a branch, hopped over an overturned tree, then, after squeezing through some bushes holding some kind of pink berry, you saw them.

The first body your eyes landed on was a male laying on the ground with one arrow in his chest and another through his neck. He had on palace armor. Your gaze then shifted onto two more bodies; one also impaled by arrows while the other had a bloody hole in their abdomen. Their armor was different. Darker and less intricate. Draikensu. Surveying the scene with shocked eyes, you counted a total of ten draikensu corpses. All dead. There was one more Saeni too, a female with golden hair pinned to a tree via a spear through her ribcage.

As you studied the carnage, a ragged, weak exhale came from behind you, causing you to whirl around instantly.

A male was sitting on the ground with his back against the base of a tree and one leg stretched out before him… but what really caught your attention was the arm drawing back a bow and the arrow levelled right at you. Astonished, you were fast to tug on your own bowstring and aimed back.

How did I not see him?

It was a standoff for one… two… three heartbeats then his arms began to shake and he seemed to involuntarily drop the bow with a self-deprecating laugh. The male let his arms fall to his sides and he tilted his head back against the tree bark.

Looking at you with hazy, hooded eyes, he murmured, “Just go ahead and… get on with it.”

Your eyes bugged out as you realized he was giving you full access to his chest for a kill shot. A split-second later you registered he was wearing bloodied palace armor, which meant he wasn’t your enemy… though with how unfocused his own eyes were, you considered he might think you were a draikensu.

“What? No, I’m…” You lowered your bow and stared at him. “I’m not draikensu. I’m not even a Saeni actually.”

Holding your hands up in peace while moving toward the male, you saw the leg he had stretched out was coated in deep red and there was a strip of blood-soaked cloth tightly knotted above a severe cut on his thigh that went down to the bone.

Lolling his head to squint at you, he took in your entire appearance from head to toe before resting on your face. “Your ears. You… You’re human. You’re his friend…”

“Wait!” You hastily crouched beside him, being careful not to touch him and disturb his leg. “Jimin, er, Chim!? You know him!?”

The male hummed in confirmation. “Five of us joined him and… and that guard, Mingi, on the mission to the… rift, but… we ran into trouble as you can... see…” He gestured to the bodies with heavy movements as you felt dread surge within you.

Taking a deep breath to try to stay calm, you asked him what happened.

“First… it was the wolves.”

The two Saeni from the meadow flashed behind your eyes and you stiffened but remained silent so he could continue.

“Then… Then they attacked us out of nowhere. We, the… the three of us, stayed behind so Mingi could get Jimin away and… to the rift.”

You covered your mouth with your hand.

“We knew that meant death for the three of us… but we also knew he needed to get to the rift or else… or else-fuck.” His voice choked up and you lightly placed your hand on his shoulder. “I guess you know what will happen if he doesn’t, yeah?”

Nodding, you whispered a tiny ‘yeah’ while you felt his body shiver underneath your hand. You glanced down at his thigh, noting how his femoral artery was most likely cut. If Saeni had those. You couldn’t imagine how much blood he’d lost.

“But just in case someone came… someone on our side… like you… I wanted… wanted to… stay awake to let you know they’re still out there. They got away. They went… that way.” He sluggishly pointed in the direction then shifted it slightly. “But we were heading that way.”

Turning your head to see, you had to admit that part of you wanted to immediately spring to your feet and take off looking for your best friend again. Especially now that you know he had to be close by. But… how could you just leave this male when he was hurt like this?

As if he could sense the conflict swarming inside your heart, the male turned his bleary eyes toward you and quietly said, “Go. Go help them.”

“But you-”

He shook his head slightly and moved his gaze to the treetops swaying high above him. “What’s your name?”

“Y-Y/N.”

“Can you do me a favor, Y/N?” His lips twitched in to a miniscule smile as he continued to look at the leaves and sky. “Can you un… undo the tourniquet and then go… help your friend for me?”

Taken back, you looked down at his thigh again and the scrap of fabric that was barely keeping him alive.

He would die in minutes if I did that.

“But-”

The breathy chuckle he released was so soft you weren’t sure if you had even heard it. “I know, I know. I’ve made peace with it.”

You swallowed hard and peered into his face that truly did seem to accept what would happen. “Okay… I-Okay.”

Logically, you could understand it was the best decision for him. He was in pain, his body slowly numbing as his life force leaked away. The tourniquet was only prolonging that pain and the inevitable. There were no magic users there that could heal him and it would take too long for one to get there.

You closed your eyes for a couple seconds then settled your gaze on his leg and reached for the knot.

He flinched as you touched the fabric. “I knew I was done for as soon as I… I got cut but… I didn’t want to give up… I still wanted to help. This was the… the only way I could think of.”

You nodded your acknowledgement then began untying the knot as gently as possible and blanched at how blood began to pour out of the wound. Sucking in a breath, you had to look away so you brought your gaze back to the male’s face.

As his breaths grew fainter with every passing second, you did your best to smile comfortingly even though he wasn’t looking at you. “I, um, I never asked what your name was…”

“…Stem… You can call me ‘Stem,’” he breathed out weakly.

His hand twitched at his side before jerking across the dirt and twigs as though he was blindly searching for something. You had an idea of what it is. Hoping it was what he was wanting, you silently reached over his lap to grab his bow from where he had dropped it, turned over his searching hand, and placed the weapon in his palm.

“It’s nice to meet you, Stem.” You tenderly took his other hand in both of yours and held on so he knew you were there.

“Th-Thank you… Y/N. Thank you.”

As he rapidly slipped away, you didn’t know what to do or say so you let the forest speak and sing for you. He probably found more comfort in it anyway.

A few moments later, Stem’s chin sank against his chest and you let out a long exhale while carefully removing your hands from his now limp grasp. After folding his hand over the other that held his weapon, you shakily rose to your feet, walked around to Stem’s other side, and took out some of the arrows in his quiver to transfer them to your own.

Stepping back, you gave him one last look and whispered goodbye, then took off running after Jimin and Mingi.

Sliding across the ground and tucking his head down, Tae narrowly avoided the spear being swung at him. Once he cleared the weapon, he then pushed himself up to a crouch. As the draikensu whirled around and went to attack yet again, Tae reached over his shoulder but tensed as his fingers felt nothing but air. Empty quiver. The draikensu thrust forward with their spear and Tae was forced to somersault backwards to evade the deadly point. As he came to his knees, Tae did a hasty scan of his surroundings and saw a body a few yards away that was riddled with arrows which caused his eyes to light up. The draikensu lunged once more but the Saeni was already moving. The spear stabbed at empty space as Tae came to a stop on his knees beside the body. In the blink of an eye, he ripped out one of the arrows, flinging droplets of blood into the air and onto his already red-covered self. Then he twisted around and fired into the side of the draikensu. They fell to their knees with a hoarse scream, one hand grasping at the arrow shaft, and another Saeni turned at the sound and finished them off with a slash of their blade.

Meanwhile, Tae breathed heavily and turned back to the body next to him then removed the rest of the arrows, tucked them into his quiver, and rose to his feet before looking back over to where he had seen glimpses of Yoongi’s magic a few minutes ago. Sure enough, more flashes of mint-blue appeared near one of the large trees standing in the field. With his destination set, Tae rolled his shoulders then set out.

As he rushed through the field, Tae deftly disposed of any draikensu he encountered with efficient, calculated strikes. His muscles were sore and his body was tired, but he couldn’t afford to let his fatigue affect his movements. Even the tiniest mishap, the smallest amount of laziness in his actions would result in his death. His feather earring was heavy and stiff as he ran, dodged, shot, and slashed. More blood splattered against him, covering the gore that was already dried on his skin and armor, and it wasn’t long before he was retrieving the last arrow from his quiver. Expertly notching it and sending it straight into a female’s chest, Tae quickly followed up the shot by surging forward and slicing the sharp edge of his bow against her exposed neck while she was distracted.

Another corpse to litter the field. Another body to water the earth.

Tae continued moving toward the tree, wanting to get to his brother as soon as possible, and he prayed his other brothers were doing the same as he snatched up stray arrows from the ground and the deceased as he went.

Then out of nowhere, as he was leaning down to pull an arrow out of a corpse’s back, a tingle traveled up Tae’s spine and the Saeni instinctively dove to the side right as an explosion of maroon magic hit where he had just been squatting. The force of the eruption rammed into Tae’s back, throwing him further than he had aimed for, and as the blue-eyed Saeni shook his head in shock and staggered to his feet, he saw a male grinning at him. A quick glance down showed he had maroon light encompassing his hands.

Wiggling his glowing fingers at Tae, the draikensu sneered, “My, my, you’re a fast one, but you still won’t last lo-”

The magic user cut off his own sentence when another Saeni screamed and ran at the draikensu with his single-handed axe raised high in the air and a shield held in front of his body.

“They always think a shield will protect them,” The magic user said in amusement as his grin shifted into something more wicked then he threw both his hands toward the Saeni. “It won’t, though it’s cute you tried.”

Magic formed together in a ball-like shape between his hands before shooting out like a cannon and detonating at the feet of the Saeni in a burst of maroon light… and when the light faded, there was a small crater in the grass and only the upper-half of the male’s body was left intact. Tae didn’t even have the chance to react to the gruesome sight because the draikensu turned to him with a bored sigh and shot another magical cannon ball right at him. The blue-eyed Saeni lunged to the side and grunted as he was caught in the explosion’s shockwave again.

“Ah, so it wasn’t a fluke before. You really are just fast.” The magic user rubbed his hands together. “This will be fun then.”

Then the draikensu released another cannon ball but Tae was already running. Knowing he was at a disadvantage since there was nothing to take cover behind, all Tae could do was not stop. Just keep moving and evading. Slowly work his way closer. The maroon cannon balls never let up, but between the blasts Tae could hear the draikensu growling in frustration as the he abruptly changed directions for the umpteenth time. Sweat trailed down Tae’s face and made his eyes sting but ignored it and his body’s exhaustion as he slid on the ground. A ball of magic sailed over his head while he yanked an arrow out of the ground. He came up to a crouch as he notched it then fired at the draikensu before taking off again. The ball that had been forming in the magic user’s hands vanished as the male had to jump to the side to avoid the projectile.

Breathing heavily, Tae kept going. Grabbing what arrows he could and shooting while constantly changing his speed and direction to avoid the magical attacks. Essentially, he was being an absolute pain in the ass to the draikensu. The magic user roared in annoyance and screamed at him to ‘just stay fucking still,’ making Tae lightly smirk as he gasped for air and disregarded the request.

The mistake Tae was waiting for would be coming soon.

Another thirty seconds passed of Tae circling and backtracking and gradually moving closer as the draikensu released magic nonstop and angrily shouted. The field around them was now filled with holes, and the other draikensu and Saeni fighting close by were giving them a wide berth. They didn’t want to get caught up in the magic user’s destruction.

Tae let loose another arrow that managed to nick the magic user’s arm, which caused the draikensu to scream, “DIE ALREADY!”

And then the male thrust his clawed hands forward and sent a barrage of cannon balls at the Saeni. The bombardment was so bright, the magic user had to shut his eyes and hold his arms over his face. When the light finally began to die down, the draikensu lowered his arms and opened his eyes to find the field right before him utterly destroyed… but there were no body parts scattered in the dirt and clumps of grass. The male’s eyes widened in disbelief right as the blue-eyed Saeni silently took his final step behind the unaware draikensu and swung his bow.

The hazel-eyed Saeni had Jimin’s bicep secured in his grasp as the duo ran through the trees. Closer and closer they neared the rift’s location… but Jimin kept looking over his shoulder.

“Stop looking back,” Mingi quietly but sternly ordered.

The apricot-haired Saeni stared at the guard with a startled expression. “But we just left them.”

Mingi kept his gaze forward, not saying anything in response, but his jaw visibly ticked and he tightened his grip on Jimin’s arm.

“No!” Jimin pulled himself free and came to a stop. “How could we just leave them!? We need to go ba-”

The other Saeni grabbed Jimin’s shoulders and slammed him into the nearest tree trunk, his hazel eyes filled with pain. “I hate it too! I hate it… so much… but they knew the risk when they agreed to this mission. They know what will happen if it doesn’t succeed.” Mingi hung his head and lowered his voice so it was a whisper that could barely be heard over the rustling leaves. “Don’t throw away their valor by going back and getting killed. Please.”

“Mingi…” Jimin blinked in shock at the rawness of the other male’s voice.

“Please.”

“Okay,” the half-Saeni agreed softly and Mingi released him then stepped back.

Running a hand through his sweaty apricot locks, Jimin murmured an apology in a small voice. The other Saeni nodded and said they should get moving again. The duo resumed their previous pace, hastily making their way under the shade and patches of sunlight. Eventually, the ground began to slope downwards and the two Saeni started to tread more carefully.

The rift will be at the bottom of this gully, just a short distance ahead. The mother goddess’ sweet voice filtered into Jimin’s mind, and her words made his breath quicken.

“Holy shit, Mingi, we’re almost there,” Jimin said in astonishment while deliberately sliding down a steep section on his side then bracing a foot against the base of a tree to stand back up. “It’s at the bottom of thi-”

Snap!

As the sharp, loud sound made Jimin stop mid-sentence, Mingi held up his fist, shifted his gaze to the side, and peered into the forest. The Saeni held their breath for one… two… three… four…

A dark blur erupted out of the foliage, teeth and claws bared.

Something slammed into Jimin, sending him head over heels backwards down the slope.

A growl and agonized cry joined the symphony of chirping insects and birds.

Tumbling all the way to the bottom of the gully, Jimin flopped onto his back and groaned while pressing his fingertips to his forehead. Hot liquid smeared across his skin and when he pulled his fingers away they were dabbled with blood. His eyebrows shot up, making him wince as the action agitated at the cut at his hairline, and he took a shaky inhale then looked up. Mingi was still standing on the incline, a hand braced against his side as he positioned himself between Jimin and the prowling wolf before him. Red poked out between the guard’s fingers but the male grit his teeth and stared down the snarling animal. The wolf’s hackles were raised and its ears erect as it showed its sharp incisors then let out a series of nasty barks. But Mingi didn’t even flinch, challenging the animal.

Jimin wobbled to his feet right as the wolf crouched backwards. And then it pounced.

Mingi unsheathed his sword as the canine attacked, grunting as the movement tugged at the claw wound on his side. The wolf mostly twisted out of the way but the edge of the blade still sliced into its body. The wolf let out a high-pitched whine that morphed into another growl as it landed on its paws. Without hesitation, the wolf leapt again and went for Mingi’s legs. There was no relent in the animal’s aggression. It kept surging forward again and again and again. Teeth sunk into the Saeni’s calf and the wolf yanked its head, causing the male to fall and lose hold of his sword. The blade clanged to the earth while Mingi’s head landed on a rock. Jimin gasped sharply. The wolf released the male’s leg and turned to look at apricot head, who had been watching the scene unfold with an overwhelming sense of helplessness. But as if gazing into those black, threatening eyes brought him to his senses, Jimin shuddered, sucked in a gulp of air, and reached over his shoulder. Noting his quiver was much emptier after his tumble down the slope, he closed his fingers around the fletching of an arrow and began to pull it out as the wolf growled and started stalking down the slope. With a curse, Mingi sluggishly rolled over, grabbed one of the wolf’s back legs, and hauled the animal back. Then the guard climbed on top of the canine, pinning it down regardless of how much it thrashed. How much it dug its claws into his body and tried to bite him with gnashing teeth.

“GO!” Mingi’s booming voice was clear but his hazel eyes were clouded with pain as they bore into Jimin. “Get to the rift! Go!”

The half-Saeni’s feet were frozen.

“Fucking Exia, GO!”

Jimin, you must go. I know it is hard but you must. The mother goddess urged him to leave as well.

His body jerked but his feet stayed glued in place. How could he leave Mingi? How could he just go? He had to do something!

Don’t throw away their valor…

Mingi’s words echoed in Jimin’s head along with Illai’s.

You must go…

So, he did. He turned and ran. Eyes glossy with tears and heart brimming with hurt.

The sound of bubbling water soon rushed to his ears and a creek came into view. It was shallow, wide, and rocky. Jimin ran alongside and through the water as the creek curved and weaved through the forest.

You are nearly there.

The half-Saeni splashed through the cold water.

Just up ahead! On your left!

He bounded up and over some rocks. The creek twisted away and he began to make his way uphill.

Then skidded to a halt.

To his left was a rugged, rocky incline leading to what appeared to be a cavern opening.

But in front on him was a male resting on top of a large rock with smoky darkness coiling in the air behind him.

The male smiled at Jimin but the expression was sinister and chilling.

“Well, well, well. I’ve been waiting for you.” The darkness pulsed and expanded as the male smirked. “Ready to have your heart carved out, key?”

Hobi flipped the knife in his hand as he dodged another sickle of amethyst magic, grimacing as the pain of his cracked his spiked again. The white-haired Saeni refused to let it slow him down though, so he spun on his heels and threw the blade. The weapon rotated through the air toward the draikensu but she deflected it with a quick shield comprised of her magic.

“Stop throwing shit!” Yoongi snapped at his partner while lassoing a line of his magic around the female’s ankle and yanking hard. “You’re going to run out of blades again!”

The female magic user toppled to the side but caught herself on her knee. Using the stumble to his advantage, Yoongi lifted both hands and wrapped his magic around the female’s torso and chest. Mint-blue magic bound her arms to her sides and began to squeeze, gradually crushing the draikensu.

“NOW!” Yoongi yelled as sweat trailed down his face and neck while he slowly closed his hands into fists.

The kiela’s spy brandished another blade and rushed the restrained magic user from the side. At the same time, the female hissed and focused her attention on the arm closest to the approaching Saeni. Yoongi saw her efforts, her attempts to rip through the constricting blue magic with her own, and was determined to not let her break through. It was time they finished this fight. It had gone on long enough. He fisted his hands even more, causing the draikensu to scream through her teeth. Hobi was about fifteen yards out when the female somehow managed to twist her arm underneath the magic so her glowing hand slipped out. The sight made Yoongi’s petal pink eyes widen in realization. And dread. He had been wrong. She hadn’t been trying to tear through his magic but rather rebuff it so she could free her hand. Before Yoongi was able to restrain the released appendage, the female flicked her wrist and sent out a small crescent of magic.

And Hobi didn’t have enough time to dodge it.

Yoongi could only watch in horror as the other male tried to leap out of the way but the edge of the magic still cut through his side.

Once the magic passed through, the white-haired Saeni slowed down and pressed a hand to his torso as if in a daze, flickered his eyes to Yoongi, dropped to his knees, then crumpled to the ground. He didn’t move after that.

Yoongi stared, his blood running cold and hands beginning to shake, as Hobi didn’t move. It felt like there was a sudden hole in his chest and it was becoming hard to breathe.

This can’t be real.

Then the sound of pleased laughter reached his ears, and he turned his gaze back to the draikensu who was now giggling manically. Yoongi’s eyes hardened and his body abruptly became hot with anger. He took a step toward the female as she began to cleave through the magic around her. Another step and Yoongi clenched his fists as hard as he could. The mint-blue magic obeyed his orders and multiple cracking noises came from the female’s bones, making her shriek. Another step and Yoongi moved his wrist so his magic vanished from the draikensu’s torso… but an instant later, blue tendrils shot out of the earth and curled around her ankles and calves. The female yelled and sent a wave of amethyst magic at him. With an expression so blank it was terrifying, Yoongi held his hands out in front of him and his own magic easily burned through the female’s. His chest heaved. From anger, from pain, from shock, from disbelief. From no longer conserving his energy and letting his magic run rampant. Flexing his fingers, his magic snapped the bones in the female’s legs too. She screamed and the sound transformed into a gasping wail as she awkwardly slumped on the ground. Another step. More tendrils of mint-blue light rose up and clutched at her biceps. Another step. The draikensu desperately threw another wave of magic. Yoongi cut through it. Another step. Her humerus bones shattered. Another step. Magic coiled around her forearms. Another step. More broken bones. Another step. The female had tears streaking down her face as she pleaded with him to stop. Blue light wound up her neck and covered her mouth. Another step. The amethyst light around her hands started to blink and disappear. Ropes of blue magic surrounded both her wrists. Crack. Another step. A slender tendril of blue light coiled around both her index fingers. Another step. Crack. Another step. The middle fingers. Crack.

By the time Yoongi was right before the female, every single one of her fingers were broken and misshapen. He could hear her muffled cries and saw the tears pouring down her face as he crouched down. Her eyes begged him to stop. He said nothing, just held her gaze while raising his right hand and hovering it over her heart. Magic shot out and entered her chest. Her restrained body flinched and her pupils expanded as the tendrils wrapped around her heart. Then Yoongi jerked his wrist back and his magic followed, tearing her heart out in the process. The female immediately went limp and he released all his magic encasing her so she collapsed in a broken, bruised, bloody heap.

After tossing her heart aside, Yoongi blinked at his red, tremoring hands while the rest of his body convulsed from overexertion and his pulse raced. Suddenly, he stiffened and choked on air before half-crawling, half-sprinting over to where he had last seen him. Stumbling over the corpses and discarded weapons on the field, Yoongi finally reached the white-haired Saeni. He was on the ground in a puddle of his own blood, and the only movement coming from his body was the slightest rise and fall of his chest as he peered up at the sky with lidded eyes.

The cold, blank expression on Yoongi’s face cracked and he whispered Hobi’s name as he heavily dropped to the ground beside the spy, which made blood splash around his legs. “No no no no no….” The magic user’s bottom lip began to quiver.

At his voice, Hobi’s eyelashes fluttered and his light brown eyes seemed to focus more before shifting and settling on the mint-haired Saeni.

The kiela’s spy weakly smiled and croaked out, “Hi… hyung.”

A sharp ache spread across Yoongi’s chest, his throat started to close up, and a clear droplet landed on Hobi’s torso. Then another. And another. The magic user was crying as he stared at the gushing wound on Hobi’s side. He murmured unintelligibly to himself while placing his unsteady hands over the deep gash, making the other male jerk at the contact. Then Yoongi’s hands began to glow faintly with what little energy he had left.

“Stop… hyung stop. You need to… protect yourself.”

“No, you stop!” Yoongi was scared at how feeble the other male sounded as his tears now dripped onto the back of his hands and rolled off to mix into crimson. “Stop talking I can-”

Hobi sluggishly lifted his hand to place it over Yoongi’s. “Save your magic… to protect yourself… Let me go.”

“Shut up! SHUT UP! You can’t… you can’t just…”

“Shh… it’s okay hyung.”

A sob ripped its way out of the magic user’s constricted throat while his mint-blue magic began to dim. “NO, IT’S NOT! You can’t go. You can’t just leave me. I need you, Hoseok. I need you to stay with me. I love you. You can’t go!”

Hobi’s eyes went wide and he drew in a tiny, sharp breath but in the next second his body slackened and his hand partially slipped off Yoongi’s.

“H-Hoseok…? Hoseok!?” The mint-haired Saeni’s voice was laced with fear.

There was no response.

Yoongi felt like he couldn’t bring any air into his lungs as he jostled the other male’s shoulders desperately. When there was still no reaction the magic user shook his head, refusing to accept it. With strained gasps he moved his hands back to the wound and closed his eyes to pour everything he had into his magic. His energy, his life, his entire being. Mint-blue light flared up around his hands once more and grew brighter and brighter and brighter as the Saeni roughly screamed from exertion. Beneath the blinding light, Hobi’s flesh began to stitch itself together and Yoongi grit his teeth and pushed his magic beyond its limits.

It lasted for a few moments longer but as he took a shuddering, slow inhale, the light rapidly depleted. Within mere seconds, the magic was completely gone. Yoongi swayed on his knees and was barely able to open his petal pink eyes to catch a glimpse of the thin line that had replaced the wide-open cut. He exhaled lightly and lips quirked into a small smile, then his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell to the side.

After he hit the ground with a gentle thud and the breeze whispered over both their bloodied skin, Hobi slowly breathed in and his light brown eyes blinked open. Pressing a hand against his side, his brows furrowed when he didn’t feel his cut-open flesh anymore. His skin was still wet with blood but only a thin incision remained where the large wound had been. The kiela’s spy was confused and raised his head to look at his torso, and in the process saw a familiar head of mint-blue hair resting on the grass beside him.

Worried, the white-haired Saeni pushed himself up with a wince, which also caused an influx of queasiness, and rolled the magic user to his back. “Hyung? Hyung!? Yoongi!!?”

The magic user was unresponsive, causing Hobi to look around helplessly. The other fights were starting to draw closer now that there weren’t any magic users battling to make them keep their distance. The spy cursed and glanced over his shoulder. He had to get Yoongi out of there. His gaze narrowed in on tree with the broken branches and saw there was an open space between them and the trunk. Plus, the branches were thick and full, meaning the leaves would provide a good bit of cover. Nodding to himself, Hobi pulled Yoongi’s limp form into his arms and stood up. Ignoring the sharp pain in his side as well as the overwhelming urge to keel over, the white-haired Saeni staggered over the grass and bodies to the tree.

When he finally ducked beneath the tree limbs, Hobi was gasping for air and his entire body was shaking. Once fully underneath the cover of the leaves and smaller branches, his legs gave out as the last of his strength left his body. Both he and Yoongi tumbled to the ground. Whimpering and clutching at his side, the kiela’s spy took a readying breath then shifted around until he was able to ensure they were both fully concealed. Then he maneuvered Yoongi onto his back and leaned over him.

“Hyung?”

Suddenly the words he’d heard right before the world had floated away into nothingness surged to the forefront of his thoughts.

I need you to stay with me. I love you. You can’t go!

Yoongi’s voice rang in his mind over and over like a bell.

I need you.

I love you.

I need you.

I love you.

“Hyung wake up!” Hobi cradled Yoongi’s face in his hands as tears welled up in his eyes. “You can’t just say you love me then die before I can say it back!”

A low groan came from the magic user’s lips, making Hobi cry out and hold the other male’s face even more tenderly.

“Oh my goddess…” Yoongi muttered in a gravelly voice. “I’m not dead, I just passed out for a sec-wait.” His petal pink eyes shot open and his mouth parted in surprise. “Did you just say-”

“I love you too.”

Yoongi gazed up in shock, his body frozen from both absolute exhaustion and the surge of emotions he felt. He couldn’t believe it. His heart pounded in his chest while overwhelming relief and happiness settled over him.

But Hobi misunderstood his silence, flinching back the slightest amount. “I-uh-sorry. I should’ve known you didn’t mean it… um, like that.”

The spy went to lean away but Yoongi grabbed a hold of Hobi’s wrist and tugged him back while rolling his pink eyes. “I did mean it like that. Idiot.”

Then Yoongi placed his other hand on the back of Hobi’s neck and drew him down to his lips.

The intense surge of mint-blue light in the distance suddenly died down, making both Namjoon and Jin glance at each other in concern while they continued to hack their way through the enemy. Jin was in the lead, taking care of most of the draikensu, while Namjoon covered the rear. The kiela’s leader was still limping as he hammered the occasional dark Saeni out of the way, but thanks to the magic user who had helped him he was able to walk and wasn’t in danger of bleeding out anymore. He did regret that he hadn’t been able to properly thank her afterwards though. She had disappeared into the fray the instant she was done. He hadn’t even gotten her name.

Maybe he could find her once this ordeal was over to express his gratitude. Granted, that could only happen if they both survived.

Luckily, the draikensu no longer seemed to be pouring out of the trees. There were still plenty to fight, but there was some extra room to breathe and it was simply relieving to see the enemy’s forces did indeed have a cap. Plus, less draikensu made it easier for the two Saeni to move through the field.

The duo was heading toward Yoongi’s magic, drawn to his bright blue light like moths to a flame. But now they were worried. About a minute ago, their brother’s magic had gotten more vivid and intense than they had ever seen before. It seemed like everything in the distance had been consumed in it. Like the air had been set ablaze in blue. Then it disappeared and no mint-blue magic had flared up since.

But the two males were still determined to get to the spot where they had seen it.

Jin tore his gaze away from Namjoon and sidestepped the swing of a mace then stepped in and thrust his sword deep in the belly of the draikensu before him. They fell to the side and the raven-haired Saeni continued forward with Namjoon close behind. The Saeni made it about twenty feet before a new opponent arrived. Arms throbbing as they lifted his blood-covered sword to pary the attack, Jin quickly pivoted and ran the edge of his blade along the draikensu’s thigh then across their chest.

While Jin disposed of the draikensu, Namjoon was peering around the field for any possible threats when a flash of burgundy caught his attention. The yellow-eyed male perked up and squinted. Same hair color… right height and build… and Namjoon swore there was a sword in each of their hands. There was no doubt. It had to be Jungkook… but something was wrong.

The male was slightly hunched over and wavering from side to side as he shuffled forward frantically. His footsteps were heavy, shoulders sagging, and every few seconds he would cover his ears and shake his head as he stumbled along. And while he still cut through whatever draikensu confronted him, it wasn’t with his usual speed and precision.

Shocked, Namjoon whispered his youngest brother’s name, making Jin’s head dart up and look for the male.

When he finally located his brother, the raven-haired male began to feel uneasy. “What in Illai’s name is he doing?”

Namjoon shook his head, not having an answer, before calling out to Jungkook. They were close enough the Jungkook should have heard, even though the sound was somewhat muted by the other screams coming from around the field, but the male just continued moving as if he could only focus on what was directly in front of him.

Jin swore under his breath and went after his brother, and despite the injury on his thigh, Namjoon was fast to follow. The two Saeni made their way toward Jungkook, taking down any draikensu that dared to get in their way all while still yelling out to their little brother. Meanwhile, the burgundy-haired Saeni wobbled on his feet as he blocked an incoming attack with his swords and both Namjoon and Jin saw how he grimaced and favored his right side. With a strained grunt, Jungkook forced the draikensu back and ducked below their next strike to lunge forward and bury a sword into their stomach. He dragged the blade to the side, completely gutting the draikensu then pulled the sword free. Reeling back a step as the dark Saeni toppled, Jungkook’s chest heaved and his sweaty hair fell into his eyes while he reached his right arm behind him. He appeared to brush his knuckles against a spot on his lower back that made his face contort in pain. His peridot eyes squeezed shut for only a few seconds, but it was long enough for a draikensu to spot the vulnerable male and rush at him.

“Shit-JUNGKOOK!” Jin shouted loudly, his voice booming across the field.

The youngest member of the kiela slowly opened his eyes and blinked a few times as he recognized the voice, but he still didn’t realize there was a draikensu coming at him. Seeing that his brother wasn’t moving, Jin decided to take matters into his own hands. Hefting his sword and pushing through the crowded field, he sprinted as fast as he could in order to intercept the draikensu while roaring to divert their attention from his brother. Their swords met with a shrill ring and Namjoon called out Jungkook’s name once more.

The panting burgundy-haired male raised his head with effort and looked for his brother’s voice. “H-Hyung?”

Seconds later, Namjoon broke through two draikensu blocking his way with a powerful swing of his hammer and ran up to his brother. As he approached, the worry budding inside Namjoon became a fully blossomed flower when he noticed Jungkook was painted in blood and that his entire body was shaking.

Coming to a stop beside the male, Namjoon let his hammer drop to the ground so he could reach out and pull his brother into a hug. “Kook, oh my goddess, what’s going on with you!?”

The younger Saeni trembled in Namjoon’s arms, but he suddenly stiffened and hissed when the elder shifted his arms lower on his back.

“What? What is it?” Namjoon peered over Jungkook’s shoulder and saw his hand was just shy of a particularly bloody area. “Are you hurt!?”

“It’s nothing,” Jungkook replied detachedly like he didn’t even care he had a stab wound on his back. “Hyung, I need to-”

“That’s not nothing!” The yellow-eyed male leaned back to go inspect the wound further but flinched when he noticed how hollow and empty the younger’s eyes looked.

“What’s not nothing?” Jin appeared behind Jungkook, having defeated the draikensu quickly, and raised his brows in question.

“Jin hyung!” Jungkook twisted in Namjoon’s arms and Jin was taken back at the wild desperation on the maknae’s face. “I need to know-”

“He thinks it’s nothing that he got stabbed!” Namjoon cut him off once more in a bewildered, stressed tone.

Regardless of the chaos around them, Jin felt his brain shut down for a moment and he blinked as it promptly rebooted… and then he shrieked, “WHAT!? WHERE!?”

Turning Jungkook by his shoulders, Namjoon pointed at the leaking wound and the raven-haired Saeni gasped. The two older males crouched down behind their protesting maknae and inspected his back. They prodded gently, although their touches still made Jungkook tense up and reach for the dagger that was no longer strapped to his side, while murmuring questions of ‘how did this happen?’ and ‘how much blood have you lost?’ and ‘how do we wrap this out here?’ and ignoring Jungkook’s pleas to listen to him.

“Hyungs.”

Namjoon looked down at his clothes and huffed in frustration. “I don’t have anything we can use.”

“Hyungs!”

“Fucking Exia, neither do I.”

“It looks like the-”

“Hyungs!”

“-blade went straight in and out but his organs could be damaged.”

“Our best bet is getting him to Yoongi.”

“FOR FUCKING EXIA’S SAKE, THAT’S WHERE I’M TRYING TO GO!” What little patience Jungkook had ran out and he screamed at his brothers while swiveling to face them. “SO, IF NEITHER OF YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO Y/N THEN LET ME GET TO YOONGI HYUNG!”

Namjoon gaped at his outburst. “Y/N? Wha-”

“She’s not on the cliff anymore.” The peridot-eyed Saeni went to touch his dagger again but remembered so he tightly gripped both his swords instead to ground himself even though it wasn’t the same. “She’s not there!”

Both Jin and Namjoon looked over at the cliff and searched for your familiar figure, but Jungkook was right. You weren’t there. Their eyes widened but they pushed down their alarm, controlled their expressions, and did their best to stay calm for the sake of their maknae, who was now pressing his fists and sword hilts hard against his ears while repeating what sounded like ‘shut up’ under his breath.

“Okay, Kook, just breathe.” Jin tried to place a hand on the younger’s arm but Jungkook stiffened then threw it off.

“No, hyung! I need to find her! She could be… could be…” An intense shudder ran through Jungkook’s body and the male grit his teeth while reaching his hand behind his back again and taking deep inhales before continuing. “So, if you haven’t seen her-”

“We haven’t,” Jin said regretfully while Namjoon looked down at his feet.

They both hated this. Seeing their youngest brother injured and nearly breaking down. Knowing you could be in trouble and not having a clue where you were. How could they have allowed this to happen to their family? How could they fail their family like this?

As the two Saeni were mentally beating themselves up, Jungkook’s legs buckled at the confirmation that neither of his hyungs knew what had happened to you, and he partially collapsed to his knee while burying his face in his arms. The angle made the pain in his back become searing and Jungkook released a groan that soon faded into a cry. Startled and feeling like their hearts were being violently squeezed, Namjoon and Jin immediately went to help their brother up. While they softly pulled the hyperventilating male to his feet, Jin noticed a draikensu coming at them and silently exchanged a look with his leader before letting go of Jungkook’s arm. The eldest member of the kiela stepped away, twirled his sword in his hand so the handle settled into his palm properly, then charged the enemy as Jungkook latched onto Namjoon. The burgundy head clutched at his brother in a way that was somehow both weak and ferocious, and tears finally spilled over his eyelashes and dripped off his chin to plop onto Namjoon’s shoulders.

The leader held him close and whispered what he hoped were soothing assurances. “It’ll be okay. She’ll be okay. She’s a scorja, remember? She’s strong.” He peeked over to check on Jin and saw the male was shoving his blade through the draikensu’s abdomen, then returned his focus on Jungkook who was blubbering against his shoulder.

“Y-Yoongi hyung can probably locate her through the kiela bond since w-we share-”

“Your connection.”

Jungkook sniffled, nodded, then slowly detached himself from the older male, being careful of the blades still in his hands.

“Come on,” Namjoon said softly while wiping away some of the stray tears on the maknae’s cheeks. “We’ll help you get to Yoongi hyung. Get you healed up and then find Y/N. Sound good? Yeah?”

Jungkook let out a shaky exhale as he nodded again and wiped at his face with his knuckles. The other Saeni faintly smiled then leaned down to pick up his hammer before wrapping Jungkook’s arm around his shoulders so he could carry some of the young one’s weight. Jungkook hissed and shut his eyes at the pain but took a deep breath and rasped out that he was fine. Namjoon whispered an apology. He really didn’t want to hurt Jungkook more by tugging on his wound, but he knew it was better than having Jungkook collapse on the way. Not to mention the pain would help him stay awake and alert.

As Jungkook reiterated that he was fine, albeit with a grimace on his face, Jin ran back to the two Saeni with a fresh cut on his forearm but was otherwise unhurt. Yet when he slowed to a stop and noticed Jungkook’s now red and puffy eyes, he had to press his lips together firmly and glance away momentarily to keep his emotions in check.

“Yoongi hyung,” Namjoon informed the older male and tilted his head in the proper direction.

The raven-haired Saeni hummed in acknowledgement, still not looking at his youngest brother out of fear of choking up, and shifted in front of them so they formed a squished a triangle. Then they all set out. They moved at a measured pace; fast but slow enough that Jungkook could keep up without needing Namjoon to drag him along.

It took the trio maybe five minutes to reach the area where they had last seen the distinct flashes of mint-blue magic. Somehow, they managed to have had only a few encounters with draikensu on the way, and Jin got had gotten rid of them quickly with efficient swings and thrusts of his sword. But as they searched through the crowd the magic user was nowhere to be found. All they could see was more fighting, no magic.

For a second, they thought they might be in the wrong place… but they couldn’t be. That large tree they had all seen in the distance beside the flares of mint-blue magic was right there.

“We can’t just run around looking for him.” Jin shook his head and peered over his shoulder at Jungkook, who was trying to hold in his groans, then at Namjoon. “Not with him like this and not with your leg.”

Jungkook tilted his head in confusion and asked, “Your leg? What happened to your leg?”

“I, uh, might have gotten stabbed too,” Namjoon replied sheepishly then cleared his throat and looked Jin in the eye. “Let’s make our way to the tree. It looks like there’s some downed branches Kook and I can shelter under while you look for hyung, and it’s a good marker for you to find us again too.”

“Alright, let’s go.” Jin once again began to lead the way, and the three Saeni weaved through bodies and weapons toward the tree.

At one point, while Jin was preoccupied with a female draikensu wielding a trident, another spotted how Namjoon was supporting Jungkook and bolted at them with a gleeful squeal. Both males cursed as the draikensu raised her lance. They knew they were in an awkward position to fight but before they could separate the female was driving her weapon toward Jungkook’s chest. The peridot-eyed male leaned almost all of his weight on Namjoon, who was fumbling with his hammer, and lifted his arm so the sharp point of the draikensu’s weapon bounced off the flat side of his sword. Jungkook set his jaw as the power behind her strike vibrated up his arm and into his body, which caused Namjoon to stagger slightly. Then, as Jin was slicing through his opponent’s armor and the female was bringing her lance around for another attack, Jungkook abruptly surged forward and kicked the draikensu’s legs out from underneath her. Her back hit the grass and in the next second Jin was plunging his sword through her body. The female craned her head upwards for a brief second, staring at the steel piercing her, then she went limp as blood trickled out of the corner of her mouth. Jin removed his sword while Jungkook gasped, clenched his teeth, and sagged against Namjoon in pain. The yellow-eyed male held him the as best he could and guided the youngest along when Jin went on the move again.

“Can you crawl?” The leader of the kiela asked as they quickly approached the tree. “Because I don’t think I can lug your heavy ass under there.”

Jungkook scoffed and rolled his peridot eyes while he tried not to drag his feet. “Why wouldn’t I be able to crawl?”

“Still difficult.” Jin sighed. “Even after being stabbed.”

A minute later, they finally reached the tree and skirted around the thick trunk until the broken branches were before them. As smoothly as he could manage, Namjoon bent his knees and eased Jungkook to the ground while Jin stood guard. After the burgundy head was gently plopped on the dirt and he rolled to his forearms with a wince, he peered into the dense leaves and stilled in astonishment.

“What?” Namjoon wondered aloud as he crouched beside the male and followed Jungkook’s line of sight. “Oh.”

Through the branches, their eyes settled on a stunned Hobi who was staring back at them. The male had one of his daggers in hand but his other arm was wrapped around the mint-haired Saeni that was laying in his lap. Yoongi’s eyes were closed but his chest was gently rising and falling as if he was in a deep sleep.

The plump leaves and branches had camouflaged them both from view until Jungkook and Namjoon had gotten right up to the foliage, but there was no mistaking it was their brothers.

“Uhhhh… Jin hyung?” Jungkook called up to the male who was still focused on watching out for draikensu.

“Yeah?” Jin replied loudly but he didn’t turn his back on the field. “Do you need help?”

“No, um, he’s here.” Jungkook blinked at Hobi who did the same at him. “Yoongi hyung. Hobi hyung too.”

“Huh?” The raven-haired Saeni whirled around with his jaw agape.

“Hi hyung,” Hobi’s voice faintly came from the leaves.

Namjoon couldn’t help but chuckle to himself as he let his head hang in relief. “Well, this makes things easier.”

But Jungkook got over his surprise, huffed, and began to move over the dirt and roots. “Is hyung seriously sleeping!? He needs to wake up! Now!” With every movement he made, the agony in his lower back soared, but he tried to disguise how much he was hurting by setting his jaw and continuing forward.

He needed to get to Yoongi.

Leaves grazed his head and twigs scratched his skin and he could hear rustling as Namjoon followed him under the branches.

“Kook’s hurt,” the yellow-eyed Saeni informed his brother.

“Oh, shit. Okay… O-Okay.” Hobi glanced at Jungkook and his gaze settled on the dark, wet spot on his back but he quickly averted his eyes to focus on lightly shaking the magic user in his lap. “I don’t know if he will wake up, though.”

“What? Why?” Jungkook glared while he pulled the rest of his body into the small open space his brothers were in.

Hobi gave them a tight-lipped smile and gestured to his side, which was covered in copious amounts of dried blood. “I, uh, almost died and hyung used all his energy to save me.”

Moving backwards so he could kneel closer to the group, Jin speculated that that must have been the cause of the intense flare up of magic they all had seen.

Namjoon shifted so he could check on Jungkook’s wound again while Hobi shrugged at Jin’s statement then leaned down so his lips were ghosting Yoongi’s ear. “Hyung, come on. You gotta wake up. Kookie needs your help.” The white-haired Saeni smoothed his thumb over Yoongi’s cheek and brushed some of his mint hair away from his forehead.

The other males saw the tender action and raised their brows at Hobi who started to blush and stammer.

“Oh, u-um, it’s, ah…”

“Later?” Namjoon offered with a small grin while helping Jungkook get more comfortable on his stomach.

“Y-Yeah. Thanks.”

Finally, the mint-haired Saeni stirred and deeply groaned but he only nuzzled into Hobi’s lap more, making the spy turn even more red and frantic with his shaking.

“Let me sleep, ‘m tired,” Yoongi huskily murmured.

Namjoon let out a long exhale and inched closer to the magic user. Then, using his “leader voice,” he ordered the other Saeni to wake up.

“Agh, why do you sound li-” Petal pink eyes cracked open. “Ah, no it actually is Joon. Great.” The male flitted his gaze around. “And Kook. You look like shit by the way. And I’m going to hope the creeper watching us through the leaves is Jin hyung.”

Hobi laughed nervously and Jin berated the magic user for calling him a creeper while Yoongi just snorted and looked back at Jungkook.

“Seriously, you look terrible… I haven’t seen you like this since I kicked your ass for the first time. Don’t tell me a draikensu gave you-”

“Shut up,” the burgundy head retorted weakly.

“-trouble and you ha-”

“He got stabbed and Y/N is missing,” Namjoon explained bluntly.

In a flash, Yoongi snapped his jaw shut and sat up in shock, but the fast movement made him hold his head as a wave of dizziness and nausea hit him.

While the magic user grumbled as his head spun and stomach lurched, the kiela’s spy let out a chirp-like squeak. “Hold up, Y/N is missing!?”

“Yes.” Jungkook felt his temper start to ignite again and he stabbed one of his swords into the ground. “So, can we please stop talking and do something?”

Namjoon placed a hand on Jungkook’s shoulder to try to calm him down but the burgundy head growled in impatience.

Hardened peridot eyes stared into Yoongi’s drowsy ones. “Can you track her through our connection and the kiela bond?”

“I… I don’t know. Maybe.” The magic user took a deep breath and flexed his fingers… but no magic sparked up. “I probably could but I’m so drained I can barely stay awake honestly.”

Yoongi looked down at his hands and clenched them into fists. Hobi rubbed his back, Namjoon was lost in thought trying to think of a solution, and Jungkook ground his blade further into the dirt while tears threatened to fall onto his cheeks again.

“That means you can’t heal Kook either?” Jin questioned, but he already knew the answer.

They all did.

Yoongi muttered a pitiful ‘right’ and the Saeni fell silent.

They only heard their ragged breathing, the leaves, and the screams and ringing metal coming from every direction.

Then Jungkook yanked his dagger out of the earth and began to shift around regardless of the pain screaming at him to stop. “I’m going to go find her.”

“No, you’re not.” Namjoon grabbed the younger male’s forearm.

“Let me go.”

“You can hardly move!”

“Bu-”

“He’s right, Kook.” Yoongi lifted his head, baring his remorsful face to the others. “You’re just going to get yourself killed.”

“I have to try!” Jungkook tried to pull his harm back yet again but Namjoon held firm, and his struggle caused a twinge to form in his brothers’ hearts.

Taking in the youngest’s wilted and wrecked appearance, Jin squeezed his sword handle tightly as he came to a decision and started to stand up. “I’ll go find her. Everyone else stay h-”

“HYUNG!”

A body slid to a stop beside a startled Jin and they looked up at him with a blood-stained face and big, boxy smile.

“Tae!?”

The younger Saeni gave him a little salute and let out a tired exhale before turning his head and widening his bright blue eyes in pleasant surprise. “Whoa, everyone’s here! You all saw Yoongi hyung’s crazy magic too, huh?” Tae then got on his knees and reached out to clasp a bewildered Jin’s forearm in greeting before clambering further beneath the two broken branches and saying hello to the other Saeni.

They all gaped at him for a few heartbeats, stuttering out quiet and somewhat stupefied ‘hellos’ in return, until Jungkook inhaled sharply and dropped his swords then pushed himself up with a deep, throaty groan. The blue-eyed Saeni went to ask why Jungkook was so pale and making such noises but before he could open his mouth, his younger brother was frantically grasping his arms and asking if he’d seen you.

“Little scorja?” Tae paused for a moment, the craziness of the situation making his mind go blank temporarily. The other Saeni waited anxiously… then his blue eyes lit up. “Oh yeah! She ran into the trees after fighting off a draikensu that got on top of the cliff.”

His words were like a remedy as the Saeni breathed out in relief, some of the tension and uncertainty lifting from their bodies and minds. Jungkook himself trembled and his hold on Tae’s arms loosened as he slumped to the ground while closing his eyes and turning his lips up into the tiniest of smiles.

But Yoongi looked confused. “She… ran? That doesn’t seem like her.”

Tae shrugged and intertwined one of his hands with Jungkook’s. “If I had to guess, she probably went after Chim for some reason.”

The burgundy-haired male whipped his head up and his eyes held hope as he whispered something about the rift.

“Fuck no.” Yoongi saw the glimmer in the male’s peridot eyes. “You’re not going anywhere while you’re hurt.”

“What!? Kookie, you’re hurt!?” The blue-eyed Saeni tightened his grip and rapidly scanned Jungkook’s body while the younger male mumbled out that it was his back. Tae peeked behind the male, frowned, and shook his head disapprovingly. “Little scorja is going to be pissed.”

As the blue-eyed Saeni forced Jungkook to lay down on his stomach again, Hobi glumly twirled his dagger in his fingers. “And hyung doesn’t have any energy left remember? He can’t do anything right now.”

Jin rested the point of his longsword in the dirt. “I can still-shit.” A draikensu had come too close to the fallen branches for the Jin’s liking so he cut off his own sentence and sprang to his feet.

The raven-haired male crept out from the leaves and swung at the unsuspecting draikensu. Jin’s longsword glinted brightly in the sunlight, and the flash caught the draikensu’s attention which allowed them to turn and block the attack at the last second. Undeterred, Jin attacked again.

“Well, can’t one of us give you some of our energy?” Tae tilted his head to the side, making his bloodied feather sway in the air.

“What?” Yoongi blinked hard to try to stay awake.

“I mean couldn’t you just siphon energy from one of us?”

Hobi widened his eyes and turned his head to the magic user resting against his him. “Could you do that?”

“I… I’ve never through of it before but… possibly? I’m not sure how it would work exactly though.”

“Hyung, please try,” Jungkook softly pleaded in a tiny voice.

“Here.” Tae stretched his arm out. “You can take mine.”

Namjoon placed his fingertips on Tae’s wrist and gently lowered it. “I’m injured as well so it’s better if he takes mine. That way there’s still someone who can go after Y/N with Kook.”

“But Jin hyung could go with-”

Tae was interrupted by a heavy breathing Jin disagreeing with him while crawling back between the tree trunk and the fallen branches. “Tae, you’re honestly the only one who could keep up with Kook right now. You go. I’ll stay here and watch over everyone.”

Adrenaline flooded your veins as you ran through the shrubs and underneath the tall trees. It made the painful aching in your body, especially your legs, bearable while you continued to move in the direction Stem had pointed in. The direction that should lead you to your best friend. You didn’t know how close or far he and Mingi were, but you were just going to keep running until you found them or your legs gave out. Whichever came from. And even if your legs refused to move, you still had functioning arms and hands. You would crawl. Hell, if Alex Høgh Andersen could do it as Ivar the Boneless in Vikings for seven years you could do it for one day for your best friend, dammit.

“But it won’t…come to that, Y/N,” you wheezed to yourself between breaths. “You’re fine. Totally fine… Keep moving. Just… keep… moving… Just keep… moving… Just keep moving… moving… moving… What do we… do…? We move… move.”

Airily chuckling to yourself while the wind blew past you, you tried to swallow but your dry throat made you choke and you started coughing. Gasping more air into your lungs that felt like they were on fire, your feet faltered and you grabbed onto a tree trunk to stop yourself so you could lean your hands on your knees and spit out the excess saliva in your mouth. Though as you straightened back up, the wind died down for a moment and your nose twitched as you smelled that smell again. Death. It was strong and coming from up ahead. You hadn’t caught the disgusting scent sooner since you were running upwind, and you weren’t sure if you should be thankful for that or not.

Heart hammering in your chest and leg muscles spasming, you nodded to yourself and murmured, “Alright, here we go,” and notched an arrow before lightly jogging forward.

A minute or so later, the ground began to tilt downward and the smell of blood and death grew even more pungent. You tapped your finger nervously against your bow while zig-zagging down the slope. Halfway down, a flash by your feet made you look down and you saw a deserted arrow partially hidden by the low foliage. Furrowing your brow, you moved on but a few steps later another arrowhead reflected in the light by your feet. And another and another and another. It was like someone had dumped out their quiver… or had taken a tumble down. You trailed your eyes along the arrows until your gaze reached the bottom of the slope.

In the shade there was another lump.

You crept down the slope while scrutinizing the shape.

It definitely wasn’t a log this time. Or a person. It was another wolf.

It lay crumpled between two rocks. It’s head awkwardly propped up, limp tongue hanging out, and throat slit. Blood coated its fur and stained the rocks and twigs and leaves beneath its body.

Was this the wolf I heard back at the meadow? You wondered as you finished descending into the gully and approached the dead animal.

Wrinkling your nose at the stench radiating from the body, you sighed and turned away to continue on your journey. Though as you moved around the wolf, you noticed there was more blood on the ground leading away from it.

In the same direction you were going.

On alert, you readied yourself to draw your bow while you tentatively followed the blood trail. Maybe you were just being paranoid. The blood could easily just be from the wolf… but it worried you that the red droplets were going in the same direction that Jimin and Mingi were supposed to be in.

Ducking below a thick tree branch, you started to hear bubbling water over the rustling leaves.

And then heavy splashing and groaning.

Biting your lip, you moved cautiously.

Quickly, you came upon the source of the sound of water. It was a shallow but wide creek filled with lots of rocks. It opened up the gully a bit, allowing for more sunlight and open space.

And thus, permit you to see the male that was stumbling through the creek further ahead.

He was moving fast but limping badly. One arm was dragging his sword behind him, the tip clanging over the rocks, while the other was pressed against his torso.

And as he staggered into a patch of sunlight, you reeled as you realized you knew him.

“Mingi?” You whispered in confused shock then hastily returned your arrow to your quiver before shouting after him. “Mingi!”

The male was exiting the creek when he paused at your voice and looked over his shoulder in surprise.

You sprinted toward him, not bothering to be quiet anymore. Your feet pounded against the ground, hands roughly shoved branches out of the way. When the creek curved before you, you plunged right in. Mingi was right on the other bank. You were almost to him. You were going so fast you lost your footing on a slick rock and fell forward. A yelp escaped past your lips as your hands and knees were thrust into the icy water and your palms scraped against the rocks. Some water even splashed up onto your chest, making you tense up from how cold it was.

“Y-Y/N?” Mingi stammered out in a strained, faint voice while you pushed yourself back up. “Are you okay? H-How are you here?”

You were dripping water as you safely crossed the remainder of the creek and launched yourself at the Saeni, wrapping your arms around his waist while murmuring his name in relief. But the male released a choking sound and stiffened as you hugged him tightly.

“What? What’s wrong?” You leaned back and took in the way the guard was breathing strenuously and his hazel eyes were darker than usual.

Suddenly it hit you that he was alone.

“Mingi…” You stepped back from the male. “Where’s Jimin?”

And it was then you realized Mingi’s entire front was red. Slashes covered his body and blood was spilling onto his arm and hand where he held it across his stomach. You gaped at the wounds and glanced down at yourself, seeing you were now blotted with red too. You hadn’t felt it seep into your clothes because of the creek water. As you looked down, you noticed his leg was also coated in blood and it was pooling on the dirt and sand beneath his foot.

The blood trail was coming from him.

Mingi adjusted his arm over his torso and let out a ragged exhale. “The wolf attacked… I sent him ahead while I dealt with it… rift should be very close.”

You grimaced at the amount of blood steadily leaking out of the male’s body then registered what he had said. “It’s close? So Jimin should be close too…”

I really don’t think Mingi should be moving around with those wounds… I don’t even know how he’s moving around with them right now.

“I’ll go after him. You stay here,” you told him.

You went to go around him and start running once more but he quickly grabbed your arm with his bloody hand before you could leave.

He shook his head, determination in his hazel eyes, while holding his sword hilt with more strength. “I’ll keep up. I have to… it’s my job to protect him.”

You eyed him, wanting to say no, but it was his choice to make. Besides, the longer you stayed here and bickered with him, the more time you would be wasting. So, in the end, you just gave him a nod. His bloody hand slipped off your arm and you took off running knowing he would be following.

And true to his word, he did keep up despite the obvious pain he was in. He just endured it with gritted teeth and the occasional low moan as blood continued to spill from his body.

After jumping over a small runoff, you looked back at Mingi and asked if he knew how far the rift was.

“No… but if we keep… going straight… we should hit it soon… at least I think.”

You grunted in acknowledgement and refocused on the terrain before you. It was quite rocky and uneven, so you really had to watch where you were going so you wouldn’t twist an ankle.

Not long after, the creek curved away and the ground before you started to rise into a minor incline. You hopped up and over the rocks and roots in your path as the sounds of running water began to fade away, though your ears perked up as your heard something that was definitely not the forest replace it. Deep chuckles, small gasps and groans, dull thuds.

Deep breath, stay calm. Deep breath, stay calm. Deep breath, stay calm. You chanted internally while vaulting over a fallen tree.

When your feet landed back on the dead leaves, dirt, and twigs, you retrieved an arrow and readied your bow. You glanced back at Mingi who raised his bloody hand to his ear then pointed ahead to signal he was hearing the noises too. Then he brought his red finger to his lips to indicate to be quiet before returning his arm to lay across his torso while hoisting his sword in the air with his other arm.

The two of you briskly tiptoed beside each other as the thudding sounds increased in volume… and seconds later you saw who you’d been searching so desperately for.

Except he was being beaten.

Amid the large rocks that cluttered the area, a male draikensu was holding a bloody and bruised Jimin by the throat while sending his fist into the half-Saeni’s torso. The draikensu was carrying a bow and quiver on his back and a knife at his side but was using neither as he smirked darkly and simply used his bare hands to overwhelm the half-Saeni… and there was a strange plume of black smoke swirling behind the male. The smoke seemed to expand and collapse, almost like it was… alive. That sight alone was disturbing, but what was worse was watching your best friend gasp for air while clawing at the draikensu’s hand, his face swollen and purpled. The draikensu scoffed at Jimin’s attempts to free himself, threw him to the ground, then crouched over him to deliver three successive punches to his face.

The apricot head moaned and turned his head to the side to spit out blood onto the dirt while trying to crawl backwards to his bow which lay wedged in the rocks several yards away. The draikensu tsked and held down one of Jimin’s arms while also pressing his face into the ground to pin him.

Coming to your senses, you cried out for your best friend and raised your bow at the male restraining him.

“Oh, we have company now?” The male spared you and Mingi a brief look then grinned as if he was pleased. “Good.”

Neither you nor Mingi rushed the draikensu. Not when he was essentially holding Jimin captive and could snap your best friend’s neck in an instant. You didn’t shoot either. You didn’t have a clean shot with the angle and the draikensu could easily lift Jimin’s body to use as a shield.

Jimin tried to crane his neck your way and mumbled your name. “Y/…Y/N?”

Right after your name came from Jimin’s lips, the draikensu returned his attention to the male under him. He released Jimin’s face but slammed his fist into the apricot head’s temple. Your best friend went limp as the punch forced him unconscious. The draikensu hummed and straightened slightly to reach for the blade strapped to his waist. The smoke behind him seemed to dance in eagerness.

OH, FUCK.

You widened then narrowed your eyes, seeing how the male had eased his hold on Jimin’s arm and wasn’t as close. Mingi whispered ‘Now!’ and you released your bowstring to send your arrow flying at the draikensu.

You and Mingi followed, darting forward.

The male dove to the side to avoid the projectile, which sped past him and vanished into the trees. When he came to a stop, the draikensu growled and swiftly grabbed his own bow and an arrow while you were reaching for your quiver mid-sprint.

He aimed… right at you. And shot.

Your eyes widened but suddenly you were being shoved to the side. Your bow flew from your grasp and you hit the ground hard. Twisting around, you looked back at what had rammed into you… or rather who. It had been Mingi… who was looking down at the arrow now protruding from his sternum.

He had pushed you out of the way but sacrificed his own body to do so.

Mingi!

You stared as more blood bloomed on his chest and blended into the other lines of crimson crossing his body. As you watched the red flow out, so many emotions battled for dominance in your heart to the point you were stunned motionless. Meanwhile, Mingi wrapped a hand around the arrow shaft, staggered back a step, gulped, and flashed his eyes your way.

But before you could get up or help him or even blink, another arrow thumped into his chest.

The impact made him fall down to the earth. And within a few seconds, the light in his beautiful hazel eyes disappeared.

It was gone.

Mingi was gone.

No… no, Mingi. Please, no…

You were trembling, not knowing what to do when a satisfied sigh made you tear your eyes away. You met the draikensu’s gaze and you saw he was taking out another arrow from his quiver as he stood over Jimin.

“Remember my name,” he spoke to you proudly, “Amarok. The one who killed the key.”

He breathed in deeply through his nose as if he was preparing himself, then he turned his eyes and bow on your best friend.

All at once, alarms blared in your head, bringing you out of your frozen horror. You scrambled to your feet. You didn’t even have a plan or really know what you were doing but you charged forward as fast as you could.

Fifteen yards.

Amarok notched the arrow.

Ten yards.

He began to draw back.

Five yards.

The male smirked.

The smoke hovered in anticipation.

You lowered your shoulder like seasoned football player and you slammed into the draikensu with a yell and all the strength you had in your human body. You tackled him away from your best friend, making his bow and arrow clatter against a nearby rock, and the sheer momentum of your attack made you sail over the draikensu after he hit the ground.

Tumbling over the earth, you dug your forearms and elbows into dirt and leaves and stopped yourself a few feet away from the male. You panted while you used your shaking muscles to get up and squinted as sweat dripped into your eyes. Meanwhile, Amarok roared in agitation, clambered to his feet, and turned to face you with a menacing glower.

His jaw ticked once then he rolled his shoulders and started moving toward you.

Okay okay okay. Remember what Jungkook’s taught you. Yoongi too.

You stood and got into your fighting stance, spreading your legs slightly and balancing your weight while positioning your hands in front of your face. Amarok rolled his eyes and reached out to grab your arm but you skirted to the side and dropped to one knee while spinning with your other leg extended. You figured getting him on the ground and into a hold would be the best way to approach the situation so you tried to knock the male off his feet but he was fast to back up out of the way. He hummed thoughtfully while you got back to your feet and surged forward, aiming your knee at his gut. Amarok blocked your attack and used your proximity to thrust his elbow into your side and shove you back then swung his arm at your face. After lifting your forearm to hinder the fist, you went to deliver a punch in return but Amarok sidestepped, grasped your arm, and used your energy to turn and flip you to your back. You were forcefully thrown to the ground, making you involuntarily let out a half-grunt, half-puff of air on impact. Blinking to clear your head and see through the sun glaring through the trees, you realized there was a flat rock by your left leg. As the crookedly grinning draikensu went to lean over you and capture your throat in his large hand, you braced one foot against the flat rock, pushed your hips up, and brought your other leg across his chest. Then you clenched your teeth and drove your leg, and therefore Amarok, down with a yell. Shifting, you kept your leg against his chest, and took one of his arms in your hands and pulled back while dropping the heel of your other leg as hard as you could into his abdomen. You managed to ram your heel into him twice before he caught your ankle in his free hand. Sucking in a breath, you immediately let go of his arm and crunched your torso to drop your elbow into his face but he raised his knee at the same time. Swiftly, you moved your arms so he hit your forearms instead of your cheek or nose. He let go of your ankle and you used the split second of freedom to roll backwards over your shoulder and back onto your feet. Amarok pushed himself up as well.

Your heart pounded and chest heaved. Alright, so… I’m obviously at a major strength disadvantage. But that’s no different than how I am with the boys when we train.

You and the male stepped around the rocks while you slowly circled each other and waited to see what the other would do.

I need to distract him. Make him start talking. See if there’s anything I can use to play with his emotions.

It typically would have been difficult to figure out how to start talking with someone in this situation, but something had been nagging you in the back of your head since before you’d started fighting so you mentally said fuck it and decided to go with that to start an utterly convenient conversation.

You sucked in a deep breath and tilted your head while keeping your eyes on the male. “Your name. I’ve heard it before. Who are you?”

“I’m my master’s loyal subject.” Amarok stopped moving and spread his arms wide. “His doorway and his tool. My purpose in life is to aid him in burning down the world.”

His doorway…? Is he the one Uzjuk latched on to? Your eyes expanded and darted over to the swirling black smoke which was floating over Jimin’s body. Holy fuckballs, is that raging vape cloud Uzjuk!?

But it was a mistake to look away. The moment your gaze shifted, Amarok ran forward and jumped off a rock toward you. He kicked at your side and you brought your unaware attention back to the male right as his leg made contact with your ribs. Stumbling back several steps, you winced and pressed a hand to your side but refocused to block his next kick. Dodging his quick follow-up punch, you rammed your fist just below his sternum, making him double over a bit, then swung your other fist at his cheekbone. While his head whipped sideways, you shifted your weight and did a double roundhouse kick at his shoulder than face. Both were deterred by his arm but you hastily planted that leg back on the ground and twisted so your other foot spun toward him. As Amarok leapt out of the way, you lunged forward for another punch but the male kicked your thigh and made you stagger back.

You caught your breath and placed your hand to your thigh before returning it in front of your face. “The world doesn’t deserve it.”

“Neither did my family,” Amarok angrily spat out while peering at you, “They didn’t deserve to suffer and die yet they still did. The world shall be no different.”

Then the male snarled and stepped forward to swing his fist toward you once more. You leaned back and blocked it with your elbow but as you were paying attention to his upper body, the male hooked his foot behind your ankle. Before you knew it, he was forcing your leg out from underneath you. With a yelp you fell yet again, this time landing on your side and banging your head against the hard earth. White spots danced in your vision while the draikensu went to stomp on you but you were able to roll back just in time. You only made it a few feet away but Amarok didn’t press after you. Instead he just watched as you dizzily came up to a crouch then returned to your fighting stance. Blowing some stray hair out of your eyes, you shook your hands out to rid some of the tension coursing through you and bounced on the balls of your feet a couple times.

I’m like tiny Steve Rogers. I can do this all day.

Chest rising and falling very quickly, you tried to slow your breathing down as you and the male considered each other.

Oh shit, right, distract him! He mentioned his family!

“Your family…? Your family wouldn’t want you going around killing people. They would want you to be good-”

“Good?” Amarok let out a ridiculing laugh. “There is no good in the world, girl. Just temporary illusions that eventually turn into ash and smoke.” The male stepped up onto rock and looked down at you. “Besides, it doesn’t matter what they want anymore. They’re dead. Nothing is bringing them back but I can make the world feel their pain. Feel my pain.”

You squeezed your hands into fists and looked up at the male in incredulity.

I can’t tell if it’s all him or Uzjuk’s influence but I think he’s insane. I get the whole retribution storyline but damn… the whole world?

Suddenly you heard a quiet groan off to the side, and out of the corner of your eyes you saw Jimin flop over onto his stomach, partially raise himself to his knees, and hold his head in his hands.

“My master showed me that the world needs to fall back to its true state of chaos.” The draikensu inclined his head in Jimin’s direction and lazily hopped off the rock he was standing on. “And it starts with his death.”

Then he began to march toward Jimin.

Ah, shit.

Your feet moved without thinking and you ran up to Amarok. The male shoved an arm out to swat you aside but you dodged and moved in close so you could grab his shoulder for better leverage as you drove your knee into his torso again. He grunted and tried to seize you but in the next breath, you shifted your hands so you could pull the male’s upper body down as you jumped onto his back so his head was between your thighs. Then, with his shoulder and arm still in your grasp, you threw your weight down so you both fell to the ground.

You both sprawled out and, in your peripherals, you saw Jimin finally start to stand up, causing the black smoke to swell and shrink rapidly. Wobbling to his feet, he continued to hold his bleeding and bruised head as he fixed his brown eyes on you.

Hastily, you got to your feet before Amarok and moved so you were directly in the male’s path to your best friend. The draikensu lifted his head and when he realized Jimin was no longer on the ground, he released an irritated yell and pushed himself up.

He took one, two, three large strides forward but with a scratchy grunt, you powerfully planted your foot in the middle of male’s chest so he reeled back a few steps.

“Jimin, go! GO NOW!”

Hearing no response or footsteps running away, you risked a peek behind you while Amarok place his hand against his chest. To your disbelief you noticed Jimin was still standing there staring at you with a mix of confusion, uncertainty, and reluctance on his blotchy and swollen face.

A low noise came from before you so you tore you gaze away from your best friend to see Amarok coming at you with narrowed eyes.

“FUCKING GO ALREADY!” You shouted back at the half-Saeni and raised your foot to kick the draikensu once more but Amarok caught your leg and turned, tossing you aside.

While you skidded against the ground, your head narrowly missing a rock, Amarok calmly walked past you toward Jimin, who was looking back and forth between you and the draikensu in bewilderment and fear.

Fucking Exia, Jimin, you need to yeet out of here!

Clawing your fingernails into the dirt, you hoisted yourself up and sprinted at the draikensu’s back. Then you launched yourself at it. You slammed into him, your unexpected weight making the male teeter forward, and you went to hook your arm around his neck. Though before you could do so, Amarok snarled and reached up to secure his hands around your arm then tugged while bending over. You flipped through the air and onto your back yet again. All the air in your lungs was pushed out, making your body feel tingly and convulse a little. As you struggled for oxygen, Amarok stepped over you. Gasping, you forced your tremoring body to roll over and grabbed his foot.

It didn’t do much to slow the male down. It barely made him falter. He just kept going, getting closer and closer to Jimin as you held on with all you had.

While you tried to hinder the draikensu’s advance, you looked up and met your best friend’s torn expression. As you were dragged across the earth, you gave him a small nod and mouthed ‘go.’ Jimin opened his mouth like he wanted to say something but snapped it closed, then finally turned and ran for the mass of collapsed rock.

Relief numbed your pain as his apricot hair quickly disappeared from sight, blocked by the rocks and the way they inclined and curved away slightly.

Amarok, on the other hand, released a loud, frustrated yell and tried to run after Jimin but you pulled your body closer to his leg so both your arms enwrapped the appendage. He wouldn’t be going anywhere. Not while you were still breathing. You tightened your hold on the male’s leg as his yell faded into a growl while he leaned over to dig his nails into your wrists, making you cry out in pain. When you refused to let go, he cursed you then grabbed a fistful of your hair and yanked your head up and to the side. You whimpered and your grip around his leg unwillingly slackened. Then he sent his fist into your jaw. Your head snapped back and blood began to flood your mouth as your vision went fuzzy, your arms dropped, and you collapsed to the ground. The disorientation only lasted a few moments but Amarok gave you no reprieve as he let out an infuriated noise then kicked you in your stomach.

You curled in on yourself for a second, a sob coming from your lips. Amarok went to turn away from you but you groaned, clenched your aching jaw, and used your trembling arms to push yourself up to your jelly-like legs before spitting out a mouthful of blood at the draikensu while swaying on your feet.

Much to Amarok’s dismay.

An agitated rumble came from the male’s throat while he glared at where Jimin had gone then at you. “I was going to let you live, girl. But now I see you’re just a pest that needs to be disposed of quickly.”

His hand went to his waist and he withdrew his long hunting knife.

You blinked, quirked your head to the side, and snorted, showcasing your bloody teeth. Oh… well, you’re not the only one with a knife, bitch.

Then you wrapped your own hand around the hilt of the ruby-hilted dagger strapped to your side.

Jimin’s head was throbbing and his body stiff as he hurriedly climbed over the mess of collapsed rock leading to the cave entrance. He could feel how swollen and puffy his face was without even touching it and every time he swallowed he could taste the blood coating his inner mouth.

You’re nearly there Jimin. Keep going. The mother goddess urged the half-Saeni gently. Straight into the cave. You can make it.

The sun beat down on his back while he planted his foot against the flat side of a rock and leapt to the next one several feet away. But as he jumped off his leg buckled, making him fall forward and land awkwardly. One of his palms slid against the rock’s jagged edge which sliced the skin open. His knee banged into the hard fragment and he felt his flesh tear open on through his pants. His feet settled on smaller stones while he hunched over the rock and breathed heavily. He didn’t even feel the pain really, too distracted and overwhelmed to register the new injury. It just felt warm. Probably from the blood. Steadying himself on the rock, he closed his hand into a fist, causing crimson to leak out around his fingers and make a small pool, then he leaned his forehead against the sun-warmed rock.

He could hear the thuds and grunts coming from your fight with the draikensu. He hated himself for placing you in danger. For leaving you. For running away.

But he knew he had to.

Don’t throw away their valor.

He had to trust you. You would hold off the draikensu so he could get to the rift and close it.

That was his job. His responsibility.

Get up Jimin. You can do it.

Jimin straightened and ran his hand through his apricot hair, staining some of the strands crimson. Then he looked up toward the entrance of the cave that was so close. Then he nodded to himself and hiked himself up onto the rock so he could press on.

Not even a minute later, he was crouching at the cavern’s entrance. A constant plinking sound echoed all around him. His brown eyes glanced up at the water dripping off the ceiling that was causing the sounds as they hit the rock or puddles below. Shifting his gaze to peer into the darkness before him, he shivered at the cold draft blowing out from the cave.

Jimin took a single deep breath and lowered his body to the damp ground.

Then he began crawling inside.

While they ran through the forest, Tae looked sideways at his brother in concern. Jungkook’s peridot eyes were focused and his pace hadn’t wavered once, but what worried Tae was how ragged his breathing was.

As well as the blood still trickling out of the male’s back.

They had been running for about thirty minutes. A third of that time was just getting out of the field and into the forest with as few confrontations as possible. Luckily, though, they hadn’t encountered any draikensu since entering the trees. They had been able to just sprint directly toward their destination, which Yoongi had told them was to the northwest.

The mint-haired Saeni, being the talented magic user he was, had figured out how to siphon energy from Namjoon after a montage of curses and just a few failed attempts. As Yoongi’s hands had begun to glow brighter and brighter with magic, the leader of the kiela had gotten more and more tired until he passed out. It was then that Yoongi ceased extracting his energy as to not harm Namjoon. Then the magic user used most the energy to heal Jungkook’s wound. Not completely, but enough so any damage to internal organs was gone and it wasn’t as deep. Then Yoongi used the remainder of the taken energy to locate both Jimin and Y/N, and found they were close to each other. The magic user’s eyes had started to droop and he’d murmured they needed to go straight to the northwest. Yoongi had crawled out from the branches and pointed in the direction before exhaustion overtook him once more and he slumped to the ground.

Very shortly after, Tae and Jungkook had left.

Both Saeni knew it would still be hard to find you and their brother with only a cardinal direction to guide them but it was substantially better than searching completely blind. Not that Tae thought Jungkook wouldn’t have done that if he’d had too.

But honestly, Tae would have still been right beside Jungkook even if that had been the case.

He wanted to find Chim and his little scorja. He was extremely worried for them.

But he was also worried for his younger brother. He didn’t know how long Jungkook would be able to keep going like this.

After the duo leapt over a skinny fallen tree, Tae took in how Jungkook’s hands were trembling and suggested they take a quick break.

Jungkook firmly shook his head in refusal.

“Just so you can catch your breath.”

“I’m fine,” the burgundy head replied through his teeth.

“Kook-”

“I said I’m fine, hyung. We need to keep going.”

It was apparent nothing was going to stop Jungkook, not even the risk of collapsing from blood loss. So, Tae just reluctantly resigned to the fact and continued running.

You hastily backed up as Amarok slashed down toward your thigh then jabbed at your throat. You stopped the blade from entering your flesh both times by blocking his arm with your hand. The male was bleeding heavily under his arm from where you had managed to get inside his defense a minute ago and stab him but he still wasn’t letting up.

Analyzing his movements, you bent at the waist and the edge of his knife cut through the air where your head had just been. Immediately after, you had to duck to the side to avoid his fist. Then you deterred the next thrust of his blade and lunged forward yourself, but Amarok sidestepped, turned, and used his free hand to redirect your arm while slashing his knife across your forearm. Following the motion of his blade, the male went to move behind you and cut the back of your neck but you quickly dove forward to safety.

Instead of going after you, Amarok used your escape as a means to escape himself. He turned and began running toward the rocks where Jimin had gone. Popping back up to your feet, you swore and flipped the ruby-hilted dagger in your hand so the blade was in your palm.

I know I suck ass at throwing knives but please Exia let it work this one time.

Even though the blade wasn’t meant for throwing, you did your best to channel your inner Hobi as you raised your elbow and threw the dagger.

It rotated through the air… then the hilt bounced off Amarok’s back.

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

But you had had an inkling it wouldn’t work so you had sprinted after the blade as soon as you had released it. It was a miracle it even made contact with the draikensu so although it had not harmed the male like you’d hoped, it did create a distraction that allowed you to catch up with him.

Coming up behind the male, you sent your red, bloody knuckles into his spine, and he twisted around to slash at you with his blade while releasing an angry growl. You leapt out of the way and he faced you yet again with an enraged expression. He stepped toward you and as he went to stab at your side, you saw a brief opening and took it. You kicked your leg up, straight into his groin. At the same time, you caught his forearm that held the knife and used his motion to tug it beside your opposite hip. Then you placed your other hand over his and forced his wrist down while pressing his arm back toward his body quickly. A sharp crack came from his wrist and he hissed as his hand dropped the knife. Then you pushed your hips forward and jumped up, throwing your right leg over his shoulder and the other around his torso under his arm while leaning your upper body back. Feeling your weight around his neck, Amarok instinctively tried to raise his body but it was too late. You kept your head lifted as you hit the ground to not crack your skull and used your left hand to force his arm across his body then to help pinch your leg that was over his shoulder to around the back of his neck. You shifted your other leg up so you could lock your right ankle underneath it to secure the triangle choke. You squeezed your thighs together, beginning to cut off the male’s oxygen and blood flow, while also wrapping an arm around his leg to bring yourself close and further restrict his movements. Breathing through your nose, you focused on maintaining the grapple as Amarok struggled for air and tried to lift you and slam you down but was unable to.

Suddenly, the sky darkened above you and you looked up to see the smoke was now surrounding you and Amarok.

“Master… please… help,” the male croaked out weakly.

Help? How can the vape cloud help? Just pass out already!

Then Amarok began convulsing and he opened his mouth in a silent scream.

What the fu-

And then you felt it too.

A hot and searing pain that felt like it was burrowing deep into your brain.

His armor and skin were soaked from the water that trailed down the earthen walls and collected in puddles on the cavern floor. Jimin’s teeth clacked together while he continued moving his body through the cold, quiet darkness. Thanks to his draeva connection he was still able to see through what he believed was an abandoned wolf den and as he rounded a tight corner the half-Saeni saw that the small cave seemed to widen a bit up ahead.

Crawling forward, a glow began to peek out from the underground chamber but it wasn’t the sun or phosphorous on the rock. It was an odd, unusual light. Murky and dark. Only a shade or two brighter than the pitch-black darkness.

Pulling himself completely into the wider space, Jimin then gaped as the source of the light came into full view. It almost looked like a sinister, shifting portal of thick smoke. It reminded him of the cloud of swirling smoke that had been with the draikensu male. The center was the darkest part, so black it nearly blended in with the rest of the cave. The margins, however, were tinged in a mixture of ashen grey and deep red.

There it is, the wretched thing.

“That’s the rift?” Jimin maneuvered himself to his knees and tentatively approached it until he was just an arm’s length away.

The air around it seemed to be even more frigid and chilling.

Yes. You did well Jimin. The soft voice of Illai soothed him. I will take over now.

The half-Saeni’s posture went rigid and his eyes shifted, turning into an every-changing array of colors like a rippling rainbow.

Then Illai lifted Jimin’s hand and laid his fingertips against the ice-cold center of the rift, and seconds later a white light started to burn away at its grey and red edges.

You screamed.

It felt like your mind was being shredded apart with claws made of molten lava.

Letting go of Amarok’s leg, you clutched at your head. Your own legs were still wrapped around the male’s neck, but the hold was quickly loosening. You were in too much pain to keep squeezing your thighs. You couldn’t focus on it. Not when your brain felt like it was being squeezed and dug into. The smoke continued to whirl above you and the corners of your vision started to grow dark and fuzzy. Tightly shutting your eyes, hot tears started to leak past your eyelashes and trail down your cheeks as you writhed on the ground.

Amarok, who was still twitching and barely conscious, reached up over his head and weakly pushed and pulled at your legs. You couldn’t even fight him off. Your legs unwound from his neck and heavily fell to the side while a pained, groggy inhale came from the male as oxygen flooded into his lungs and he crumpled to his knees. He was basically right on top of you, his knee pressing into your thigh but he was still incapacitated as the burning agony pounded into both your minds.

Until it suddenly wasn’t.

It stopped.

Your body jerked once then you laid limply on the earth, no longer in pain but feeling sluggish and feeble and out of breath. A relieved sob escaped past your lips and you curled into a small ball at the abrupt disappearance of the pain while you slowly cracked your eyes open.

What was that… fucking ow it still hurts.

You watched Amarok struggle to his feet, somewhat amazed he could even move after that. “Thank you, master.”

The dark smoke overhead stopped moving.

“Master?”

The smoke seemed to shudder and it pulsed violently.

“Master!?”

The edges of the smoke turned grey and wisped away.

Still panting, you sniffled and rolled onto your back as the rest of the smoke became discolored.

Then it dispersed entirely.

Blinking, you stared up in confusion as Amarok shrieked for his master. But the smoke didn’t return. Uzjuk had vanished.

… Jimin…

You whipped your gaze over to where he’d gone. Steeling your mind and body, you forced yourself up as your heartbeat loudly thumped in your head and the urge to vomit surged.

You had just gotten back to your feet when Amarok pivoted and glared at you with pure hatred and anger etched over his face.

Wobbling slightly, you raised your chin and peered back at him as confidently as you could even though you wanted to keel over. “It’s… It’s over, Amarok. It’s done.”

A low rumble came from the heaving draikensu’s chest and he stepped forward, sending his fist into your face so hard you fell down with a cry. When you tried to stand, he picked you up slightly, turned, and threw you back to the ground. As you bounced and slid against the hard earth, you saw a flash of red in your peripherals. Tilting your aching head to the side, you saw Jungkook’s ruby-hilted dagger glinting in the sunlight only a couple feet away. Breathing deeply, you returned your eyes to the draikensu and saw he was looming over you with his fist raised. He was going to punch you again. Lunging to the side, you dodged his fist and wrapped your hand around the dagger’s hilt. Twisting back around, you swung the blade up in an arc. It missed Amarok though he had to rear back to avoid it. Staggering to your feet, you adjusted your hold on the weapon and lifted it in front of your face. Baring his teeth in a growl, he went for you again but you deflected his arm with your free hand and dragged the dagger across his belly.

Then, with a defiant yell, you plunged the blade deep into his neck.

Jin heavily parried the draikensu’s axe and stepped to the side to dodge their next swing. The raven-haired Saeni lifted his longsword but as he went to thrust forward the draikensu’s eyes widened and she took a couple steps back. Her axe dropped to the ground and she looked around like she wasn’t sure what was going on.

Furrowing his brows, Jin stayed on guard but the field seemed to suddenly grow quiet as most of the other draikensu also seemed to stop fighting.

A few seconds passed.

No more screams.

No more ringing metal.

No more chaos.

Blood sprayed in the air as you yanked the dagger out of Amarok’s neck. Crimson coated the blade and dripped off the tip as you stepped back and the male collapsed to his knees. He raised his hand over the wound but it was futile. Blood poured out past his fingers and drenched his chest. It gurgled out over his lips as he tried to breath.

You stood over him, eyes narrowed, while he bled out.

And less than a minute later, his body sagged over.

Fucking finally.

You braced your hands on your knees, taking in large gulps of air and closing your eyes as your head reeled and spun and your thighs spasmed.

Jimin… I need to find Jimin…

Tightly gripping the ruby-hilted dagger, you straightened and began making your way to the rocks.

It suddenly seemed too cold in the shade of the trees as you jogged, and your body trembled while you hoarsely cried out for your best friend. “JIMIN!”

“JI-JIMIN!”

You reached the rocks and started climbing up them.

Where is he? Why isn’t he answering?

A lump began to form in your throat and you tripped and fell down.

“Y/N!?”

Your head shot up and you saw him stumbling out from around the corner.

A sob ripped its way past your lips and you both rushed toward each other, clawing and stumbling over the rocks.

Slamming into your best friend so hard you both almost lost your footing; you hugged him and buried your face in his shoulder while he wrapped his arms around you. He was wet, cold, and shivering, but you were just as wrecked. Trembling in each other’s arms, your tears soaked into his already damp armor while his dripped onto your bare neck.

“I’m so sorry,” he blubbered against your skin while smoothing his hand over your hair. “I’m so sorry for leaving you.”

Shaking your head, you mumbled how it was okay, you were okay, he was okay, you were both okay.

Eventually, you and Jimin settled down. The tears had left tracks through the dirt on your faces and your bodies were barely holding up but you pulled away so you could take in your best friend’s face. It was battered, bloody, and swollen yet you smiled softly and placed your hand against his cheek lightly.

He leaned into your touch and sighed before reaching up and gently taking you hand in his. “Let’s get out of here.” Then he began to lead you down the rocks.

It was a slow process. The adrenaline in both your bodies was starting to ebb, allowing you to really feel how much you hurt. Which was a fucking lot. It was painful just standing but you had to keep moving. It was time to get back to the field. To get back to the rest of your family.

When you had almost reached the bottom, you were holding Jimin’s hand to keep yourself steady as you jumped to the next rock when the apricot head suddenly asked if you’d seen Mingi.

“Last I saw he was holding back a wolf so I could keep going.”

You tensed and looked away while you bit your lip, memories and emotions from the hazel-eyed Saeni’s death flooding back to you.

“What?”

Expelling a sad puff of air, you just told him to follow you. Limping past Amarok’s body and around the stray rocks, you led him to where Mingi had fallen.

“Oh,” Jimin said quietly as he gazed at the arrows sticking out from the guard’s chest.

The leaves swayed above you, a hint of blue sky and sunlight peeking through them as you approached the male. “He, um, he was really injured from the wolf. But he was still determined to come protect you, but… he… he ended up dying while saving me.” Dropping to your knees beside the Saeni, you had to press your lips together and take a deep breath.

Reaching over, you closed his eyelids; shutting those beautiful hazel eyes forever. Then, as you carefully removed the arrows from his body, Jimin spotted his sword on the ground and went to retrieve it. You both gently laid the sword over his body and folded his hands over the hilt.

A single tear trailed down your cheek while you thanked Mingi for his friendship and sacrifice in a choked-up voice. “I’ll miss you… please rest well.”

Jimin hung his head for a moment then stood up and rested his fingers on your shoulder. “Illai says he will only know peace from now on.”

You looked up at him in shock. “You can still hear her?”

He simply nodded while gazing down at Mingi, his face filled with guilt, before he helped you to your feet. You whispered one final goodbye to the Saeni and put your arm around Jimin to support his body as he also supported you.

Breathing heavily, you both started to shuffle through the trees and head back toward the field.

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jq37 · 4 years

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The Royal Report– A Crown of Candy Ep 2

Ambush on the Sucrosi Road

And we’re back for our first battle episode! Are you feeling trepid my guys, cause I sure am.

You’re Dead and Here’s Your Mini

You’ll remember that, at the end of the episode, the Candia Caravan had stopped in the road because of a fallen tree--the universal fantasy fiction indication for an impending ambush--and Ruby was unceremoniously dropped to zero HP. But don’t worry! Brennan is here with all the missing ceremony at the top of this episode! And by ceremony, I mean we get the most graphic, visceral, bloody description of bodily harm we’ve ever gotten in an episode of D20 as the arrow pierces her neck and she goes unconscious. In her unconscious state, she’s on a trapeze, swinging from one bar to another that seems to be either getting closer or farther away. A voice in the inky black that surrounds her tells her to bring it towards her. We fade out from the vision and that brings us into the combat proper.

So that’s the very chill place this episodes starts.

With Ruby down, everyone else springs into action. Liam does his ranger thing and reveals a hidden enemy--which is like finding a roach in your house: You *know* there’s no such thing as a single roach. Jet tries to snatch Ruby into the carriage but when she loses her grip, she opts to instead threaten Lapin--Heal my sister or I’ll reveal you’re working for the Sugarplum Fairy--and hop on top of the stopped carriage to use herself to shield her sister from any further damage. She also activates the Locket of the Sweetest Heart--a split friendship locket the two of them have which gives advantage on saving throws if the other person is within 5 feet--so she’ll have help on her next death save which happens right away. She gets a success with two 13s, which gives her 1 save, 1 fail (I assume from getting hit by a second arrow--ranged attacks while down count as a fail and melee attacks count as two. Yikes!).

In her mind, Ruby uses Mage Hand to bring the trapeze bar closer to her and, as she does so, she sees a pair of smiling purple eyes and hears a voice say, “You are gifted in the ways of the arcane. It seems that my brother has made quite a family for himself.” Ruby gasps. “Are you my aunt?” The voice tells her to take good care of her bow. She’ll need it.

On Amethar’s turn, he clocks a bunch more hidden archers and hears that they’re speaking Carnish (the meat language) but (and Jet especially notices this because she speaks Carnish) they’re speaking it brokenly and with weird (vaguely French-y) accents. And the arrow that hit Ruby is baconsteel, but the archers look weird. Like, it’s less that they’re made of meat and more like they’re *wearing* meat, and it smells like it’s rotting (which, hey Brennan? Gross). Something’s up.

Amethar, charges out and goes into a rage--pouring cola onto himself and letting the pop rocks of his body explode out (extremely cool flavoring for that), doing 2 points of damage to anyone in the immediate vicinity. Jet, still over Ruby’s unconscious body, narrates this all to her, because Emily Axford never lets a moment for an emotional gut punch go to waste.

Amethar gets a Nat 20 with his first attack and hits the nearest enemy hard enough to cut through the meat. Underneath, he smells stinking cheese.

But then, it’s the enemies’ turn and Amethar is absolutely beset. A couple of enemies go after the others’ but five enemies go for him and all hit, bringing him down to less than a third of his HP in one round of combat (down to 10). And they’re not messing around. They are really and truly trying to murder him specifically.

Thank the Sugarplum Fairy or the Bulb if you prefer that Lapin’s turn is next. He scrambles to the top of the carriage and casts Cure Wounds on Ruby which brings her back to full because first level rogues are so so weak you guys. Lapin goes through the Bulbian motions but Jet, who is closeby, can smell the sugary magic energy from his true patron. She doesn’t much care though since it means Ruby’s back and she promises her silence. Lapin also tosses Amethar a d6 of healing with his bonus action.

Theobold hits a nat 20 to do a good bit of damage then action surges and casts Compelled Duel with his sword--Battlepop the Broadscicle--to force the Captain of the attackers (who rolls a Nat 1 save) to 1v1 him to take some heat off of the king.

Ruby and Jet are forced to confront the possibility that Lapin and Theobold might be...cool? Really, all the old dudes this fight are kinda badass--Calroy also hits a nat20 and is kicking ass all fight (also, his pants are on point--I think this is only the second time in d20 pants have ended up being *A Thing* (John Feathers) but that still feels like a lot for *pants*).

The fight continues!

Jet fights alongside her super proud dad and does a bunch of damage but doesn’t quite get a killing blow which she blames on Theobold’s refusal to teach her one last episode. The brigands continue to strategically try and take out Amethar and Lapin judiciously uses his precious few heals to let him drop and then bring him back instead of blowing all his heals at once--stressful but effective. Also, Sir Theo comes in clutch and uses his shield--Swirldwarden--to, as a reaction, take one of the attacks that would have F’d him up.

Ruby shoots the leader of the cheese brigands--at this point everyone knows that these are cheese people disguised as meat people--and, spurred on by some new, hazy awareness from her near death experience, uses her once per day grasping arrow (an Arcane Archer ability) to hold the captain in place and make him take damage if he moves. Amethar goes back into a rage after having gone down, teaching us that when he does that, it hits enemies and allies alike. On the baddies’ turn, the captain tries to move and gets obliterated by Ruby’s arrow. This is super clutch, not just because he was going after Amethar, but he also gave +1d4 to all attacks to all of his guys of which there are/were many.

Amethar goes down again and, on his turn, Lapin heals him, and then wrecks some of the brigands with a very un-Bulbian blast of candy energy, though he continues to insist that it’s all above board. On her turn, Jet gives her half of the locket to her dad in case he drops again (not how it really works since it requires attunement but Brennan allows it this time since it’s her dad). One of the attackers tries to hit Jet but between her once-per-day shield with Flickorice and Theo imposing disadvantage, she’s unscathed.

Our Daily Bread

You’ll remember from last episode that the caravan was on their way to meet an Imperial escort. Well, they finally show up to help, led by a young Ceresian Centurion Commander (they confirm later it’s the guy they were supposed to have been meeting--Commander Constano Grissini--wonder if him showing up was like an “after x rounds of combat” story event or if it was based on something else). Ruby (very conspicuously) casts Fog Cloud around her dad to try and make it harder for anyone to hit and drop him again. Brennan makes her roll an Insight check and on a 12, tells her nothing which is the most maddening thing a DM can do to you.

With the extra help, they’re able to end the fight pretty quickly after that without any casualties (tiny violins for Brennan because, lbr, the house always eventually wins--it’s only a matter of time before he gets one of them). Theobold wanted to keep one enemy alive for questioning but the Tartguard didn’t quite get the memo and skewered the last guy. Lapin is very suspicious of Grissini but his 23 Insight check tells him this is a straight up guy who would have been ruined if anyone here had died. However, he also notices that Grissini won’t look Ruby in the eye. Calroy quietly comes up to Ruby and tells her that, while she did a good job this fight, things are about to get very complicated and she should be a loooot more careful with any future magic she does. She seems confused by her own abilities and mentions she saw her aunt Lazuli while she was passed out but Calroy shushes her before she says anything else incriminating. It seems we didn’t get the full picture of how frowned upon non-Bulbian magic is outside out Candia.

Lapin rolls to cover for Ruby with Grissini and says that her magic is Bulbian and Brennan rolls in the Box of Doom to see if he buys it. 10 or higher and he knows something’s up. We don’t get the result (though it *looked* like a 1) but he either buys it or plays along.

Theobald investigates the area (with help from his living sprinkle/dog Sprinkle who I haven’t mentioned before but gives him the help action in battle) but doesn’t find any info they didn't already have. However, he does notice that there aren’t any steeds around, which he interprets to mean they didn’t get there through outlaw means (ie: ride in on your horse, steal a bunch, ride out).

Calroy pulls aside Lapin and Theobald and says that even though they may have been able to convince Grissini, all of his men also saw Ruby doing forbidden magic and if word gets out it’ll be a problem. They need to make a plan and they need to be very careful about how they tell Amethar because if he finds out they “know how he’ll solve the problem.”

Ominous!

Things I’m Concerned About

So something I talked about while this episode was happening (and something that Brennan talked about during the talkback afterwards but in slightly different terms) is that the enemy NPC Battle effectiveness has, like, changed from “Saturday Morning Cartoon Minion” to “Art of War Scholar”. No one came into this like, “Let’s have an epic fight!” It was like, “We need to murder one specific guy as quickly as possible.” This isn’t a world where you can spend several rounds trying to jump on tables for cool points. This is a world where you need to be paying full attention even when it’s not your turn and everyone figured that out pretty quick. This is the most tense I’ve ever been during a d20 battle episode and this was only the first one! Amethar--the *Barbarian*--dropped THREE times. He ran out of rages which I didn’t even know was a thing! The fact that everyone made it out of the battle alive was really a miracle! Like, everyone was strategic and played well but if Ruby hadn’t won that Grasping Arrow roll off (Siobhan: I love gambling!), if Lapin hadn’t been perfectly placed in the initiative to feed Amethar heals right after he dropped, if just a couple of things had gone differently, they could have been so screwed.

Oh, and you know what else? Rezzes don’t exist in this world! Like, I think we all kinda figured but we got confirmation this week on Adventuring Party. It makes total sense. It is absolutely the correct choice for the setting. But, God, does it ratchet up every single round of combat. Every single decision. Every one of Lapin’s limited heals. Like, RIP Zac. What a season to play the party healer. Ally and Lou got off easy. (Note: The Spare the Dying cantrip does exist though at least, which isn’t a powerhouse spell but it’s not nothing).

I’m concerned about Jet’s flirting! First Thad now this hot Italian breadstick soldier guy? Like, usually I’d be like do you girl but, like, romantic entanglements are a quick way to get in a lot of trouble, up to and including death in a world like this! This is the “actions have consequences” season!

On the exact opposite end of the spectrum, Liam doesn’t seem to have any interest in romantic entanglements which doesn’t always go over well if you’re a royal. He’s not directly in line for anything important it seems since he had so many older brothers, so maybe he can skate by. But last episode, Caramelinda did seem to be pushing him a little bit in that direction--saying he could get out of exile earlier if he got hitched--and I feel like there’s a good chance this becomes a bigger issue for him.

If we have a false flag attack AND and an attempted assassination in episode TWO, what are we escalating to, huh? Where are we going that that’s where we’re STARTING?

I could have mentioned this last episode but I’m glad I waited until this episode because it underlines the point even better. I’m *very* concerned about the religious politics of Calorum. In the first episode we got kind of a sense that things were different in Candia versus the rest of the world but this ep it was less of a “sense” and more of a concrete fear that someone was about to start gossiping about having seen Goody Ruby with the devil. And we knew from last episode that Lapin is secretly in league with the Sugarplum Fairy but Brennan used the word heretic in the talkback which feels a *lot* more dire but...yeah, is accurate. Plus, one of the girls’ aunt is St. Citrina, clearly a respected figure in the Bulbian faith, so there’s obviously Lore to unlock there. Look, a lot of going on and none of it feels very chill. Lapin better keep nailing all of his deception checks.

And, to drill down a little deeper, I’m very concerned that Ruby--who has presumably been told that magic is banned in the rest of the world, decided to illegally cast a spell in front of a ton of people--including Imperials--while loudly shouting “ABRACADABRA!” Like, if her impulse control doesn’t improve, we are gonna have some *issues*.

You know what I’m concerned about? My continuing relationship with several different food groups if I have to keep hearing graphic descriptions of them fighting each other. I mean, BONES in the CHEESE? *Bones* in the *Cheese*? My forgetting to preheat the oven is the *only* reason I wasn’t eating pizza when I heard that line. And the worst part is, with another DM I’d be like, “They probably didn’t think of the implications.” But this is Brennan so I KNOW he thought of the implications and he was like, “I’M DOING IT ANYWAY.”

Also, while we’re on the implications, I was also concerned--as Theo/Murph was--about Lord Swirly’s (the ice cream Candian) loyalty considering he is dairy (like the cheese brigands) even though he is Candian. Like, there’s a *lot* of overlap in different food types and that feels like it could easily get messy.

If this fight is an indication, these fights aren’t gonna be balanced to be fair. They’re balanced to be tactically sound--as in, “What would their enemies do to them at this moment?” And, man, I am really dreading the inevitable moment they get hit when they’re down for the first time. Having to start a fight already down to one third of your HP and having already burned through most of your spell slots is so demoralizing but you know it’s gotta happen!

I share Zac’s concerns about their Imperial allies. When he said, “This is Games of Thrones. It doesn’t mean anything,” I felt that.

I was reminded of a scene in the trailer which shows what looks to be the PCs in a freezer and now I’m just full of questions like is a freezer a part of a fridge or its own thing? Is it Calorum or is that like the upper part of the map that cuts off? Is it a death-y no man’s land? What’s going on?

So the toughest prof I've ever had was my Constitutional Law professor my 1L year of Law School. She's probably the smartest person I've ever met and so supportive but also super scary. What you need to know about law school grades to understand this story is that they're fake so a B- is like a hard C, a C is like a D, and a D means your professor wants you to die. A professor has to fill out paperwork and justify giving you a D at my school. So we heard a rumor that this professor gave one of her students a D and we were like, "Oh man, even she wouldn't...would she?" So, one day--I think at some kind of event, we're all chilling and we're like, "Professor! Did you *really* give a student a D last year." And she turns to us, glint in her eye, and says, "Who said I only gave out one?" Chills. Absolute chills. Anyway, that is all to say, I'm very much feeling shades of that conversation right now. "Brennan, did you really kill a PC this season?" *Anime Glasses Flash* "Who said I only killed one?"

Lingering Questions

Theobald is an Eldritch Knight, not a Paladin. So he has some magic, but it wouldn’t be Bulbian (unless Brennan flavored it that way). Is he also doing arcane magic on the down low or is there some other mechanism for that? (Sidenote: Glad the cast made the gummi berry juice joke when Murph cast Jump on Amethar so I didn’t have to.) If he is, gotta say, hiding it *way* better than the others.

Curious about exactly what Liam’s favored enemy is. Cause he was getting the bonus for that during this fight but was it because they were bandits or cheese people or archers or what?

Another quick holdover from last episode: Sir Theo rolled a deception check last ep against Ruby's insight upon seeing the princesses training with their new weapons (Theo won with a 19 to her 17) and Brennan gave us no information so it’s like, what was their deal? Past relationship? Past magical relationship (see first point)? Just concerned Ruby is gonna do something stupid with a magic bow in the world where magic is banned?

Five Six More Things

OK, let’s get the most important thing out of the way...my Candysona would be a Mint Chocolate divine soul sorcerer librarian/researcher. I’m sure ALL of you were wondering.

I really wanna give it up for the crew this episode! The battle set was amazing and the music was so good! Especially Ruby’s quirky circus-y theme. Loved that! Oh and the overlay of all the magical items was very helpful. (Side note: It’s all on the wiki if you wanna see it--I’d link it but tumblr hates when I do that. EDIT: @cloudmancy actually wrote them all up here too so here’s the link).

There was no way Brennan could have known that Ruby was going to drop immediately when he initially planned the session but using that as kind of a vision quest moment to unlock her magic which she starts fully using after that point for the first time was a very clutch story choice for them.

Murph and Emily sitting next to each other this season is a *gift*.

I cannot imagine having the gall to play a level 1 magic rogue in a world where magic is illegal, people who can hit for more than my hit point total 100% want me dead, and rezzes don’t exist. What a choice.

If one twin dies...and they have to decide...what to do with the other half of that locket...Brennan…

Housekeeping

Brennan is doing an Answer Time here on tumblr! Get your questions in before the 25th!

Not strictly D20 related but Brennan is also DMing a D&D game with some actual play vets and their kids! Check it out here!

I can’t believe I failed my word count limit two episodes in on a battle episode that I only had 3 pages of notes for. Bold of me to assume I could tamp down on me. But, plus side, Brennan did say I was valid on stream last week, so I’m gonna say these two things cancel each other out and I am in the clear.

#dimension 20 #dimension 20 spoilers #a crown of candy #a crown of candy spoilers #the royal report

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buckybarnesbingo · 4 years

Photo

BBB Week 23 Roundup!

We have exactly 450 fills so far in this round of the BBB, which is just AMAZING! Make sure to leave some love for our wonderful participants!

Title: Guarding You - Chapter 8: Guardian Angel Collaborator: Fighting_for_Creativity, Purple_ducky00 Link: AO3 Square Filled: B5 - Letting go (for Ducky) Ship: WinterIronHusband Rating: Explicit Major Tags: Shooting, Violence, AU Bodyguard, AU College/University, College Student Tony Stark, College Student Rhodey, Bodyguard Bucky Barnes, Fluff, Angst, Happy Ending, Dorks in love, Falling In Love, Fade to black sex, slices of life, Mention of alcohol, creep tries to creep on Tony, James "Rhodey" Rhodes is a Good Bro, Pining, Minor Carol Danvers/Maria Rambeau/Nick Fury, mentioned dog, betrayal, Violence, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Steve Rogers Is a Good Bro, Injury Recovery, Clint Barton Trolls People Summary: Though he was fired, Bucky saves Tony's life. Word Count: 12,353

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Title: Laying in wait Collaborator: kalee60 Link: AO3 Square Filled: Y4 - First Time Ship: Stucky Rating: Teen Major Tags: Alternate Universe, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss, First Time, Getting Together, THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED, Implied Sexual Content, Puns & Word Play, Light Pining Summary: When Bucky’s sister gets engaged and has a destination party, he’d never imagined that they’d overbook the hotel and he’d be stuck sharing a bed with his best friend. Which of course wouldn’t have been an issue, not at all, except that pesky part where Bucky had been in love with Steve his whole life. But maybe, just maybe this rooming oversight might just be the push he needed to see what was right in front of him the whole time. Word Count: 1599

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Title: You better make sure you put me in my place Collaborator: call-me-kayyyyy Link: Tumblr Square Filled: U3 - Till Death Do Us Part Ship: Stucky Rating: Mature Major Tags: art, no serum bucky, no serum steve, wedding Summary: No-Serum AU where long-haired mechanic!Bucky and skinny artist!Steve tie the knot. ❤️

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Title: Here come the champs Collaborator: abitnotgoodiebag Link: Tumblr Square Filled: C1 - Paintball Ship: BuckySam Rating: Gen Major Tags: art Summary: Paintball isn’t just recreation for these two, it’s a lifestyle.

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Title: Perfect Soldiers Collaborator: phoenixgryphon Link: Tumblr Square Filled: U3 - BAMF Bucky Ship: none Rating: Gen Major Tags: art, Jurassic Park AU Summary: A Jurassic World crossover; Russians had interest in purchasing the Indoraptor, what if those Russians were the Russian branch of Hydra? Hydra took immediate interest in the specimen, it was strong, fast had no metal arm and deadly, making for a fine counterpart to work alongside their existing Asset. Of course there was the whole issue of making it comply, but to Hydra that’s nothing a little programming can’t fix.aka you don’t get any more bamf than TWS working with a dinosaur.

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Title: Guarding You - Chapter 9: Guarding You Collaborator: Fighting_for_Creativity, Purple_ducky00 Link: AO3 Square Filled: K2 - Forgiveness, Ducky Y3 - Take the Shot, J_Gun_I Ship: WinterIronWar Rating: Explicit Major Tags: Shooting, Violence, AU Bodyguard, AU College/University, College Student Tony Stark, College Student Rhodey, Bodyguard Bucky Barnes, Fluff, Angst, Happy Ending, Dorks in love, Falling In Love, Fade to black sex, slices of life, Mention of alcohol, creep tries to creep on Tony, James "Rhodey" Rhodes is a Good Bro, Pining, Minor Carol Danvers/Maria Rambeau/Nick Fury, mentioned dog, betrayal, Violence, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Steve Rogers Is a Good Bro, Injury Recovery, Clint Barton Trolls People Summary: The boys do what they have failed to to so far, talking it out. Word Count: 13,650

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Title: gentle and soft Collaborator: plutosrose Link: AO3 Square Filled: Y4 - Kink: Gentle Sex Ship: Stucky Rating: Explicit Major Tags: Bucky Barnes Recovering, Gentle Sex, slightly pwp, Established Relationship Summary: Bucky tries to understand why he wants Steve to be so gentle with him. Word Count: 1288

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Title: Missed Dance- Second Chance Collaborator: fightingforcreativity Link: AO3 Square Filled: Y4 - Surprise Dancing Ship: WinterIron Rating: Gen Major Tags: Soft, Fluff, Angst, Bucky Barnes Feels, Soft Tony Stark Summary: A mission delayed Bucky's plan to go out with his boyfriend. Thankfully said boyfriend was nothing if not resourceful. Word Count: 980

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Title: I Thought You Were Smaller Collaborator: ariasfandom Link: Tumblr Square Filled: C3 - Free Square Ship: Stucky Rating: Explicit Major Tags: Smut, WWII era Stucky, dirty talk, size kink Summary: It’s the first night Steve and Bucky are together since Bucky was shipped out months ago, and Bucky wants to make up for lost time, and show him how much he loves his partner and his new body. Word Count: 1975

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Title: Kill List Collaborator: shadow-ravin Link: AO3 Square Filled: B1 - Kill List Ship: Bucky & Steve, Bucky & Natasha Rating: Mature Major Tags: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, 5+1 Things, Friendship, Killing, Character Death, But only bad guys die, Torture, Revenge, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence Summary: 5 times Bucky killed someone and one time he didn’t have to. Word Count: 805

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Title: Snowed In Collaborator: steves-on-a-plane Link: Tumblr Square Filled: U2 - Sharing Body Heat Ship: Bucky/Reader Rating: Gen Major Tags: not listed Summary: The last person that Reader wanted to be paired up with on a mission is the quiet and elusive Bucky Barnes. When the pair get snowed in together during a mission they have no choice but to warm up to each other. figuratively and literally. Word Count: 1373

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Title: bruises make for better conversation Collaborator: nightwideopen Link: AO3 Square Filled: K1 - AU: Supernatural Ship: WinterHawk Rating: Not Rated Major Tags: Blood/Gore, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Comics/Movie Crossover, Supernatural Elements, Vampire Clint Barton, Pain Kink, Lovers to Lovers Summary: “Jesus Christ, Barnes, what the hell is that?” Bucky let Clint feed off of him last night, and it got kind of… intense. To say the least. But he can’t exactly tell Tony that because he doesn’t know where Clint’s at with their whole… sexual blood sucking thing. Also, no one knows that Clint is a vampire. Word Count: 4331

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Title: Speed Dating Collaborator: arrowsandmixtapes Link: Tumblr Square Filled: Y5 - Speed Dating Ship: Bucky/Reader Rating: Not Rated Major Tags: A few poorly placed easter eggs. Summary: Your desperation pays off when you meet a handsome man at a speed dating event. Word Count: 820

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Title: Vacation Gone Wrong Collaborator: jurassicworjd Link: AO3 Square Filled: K3 - Going On Vacation Together Ship: WinterHawk Rating: Teen Major Tags: swearing Summary: Marvel meets Jurassic World. Bucky knew from the beginning it was going to go wrong when Clint told them that he bought tickets to the famous Jurassic World theme park. Yet somehow, he allows his boyfriend to drag him out there anyways. Word Count: 3183

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Title: You Alone Collaborator: 27dragons Link: AO3 Squares Filled: Chapter 1: C2 - IMG: Tony working on Bucky’s arm Chapter 2: U4 - Take the Shot Chapter 3: U5 - Abandonment Issues Chapter 4: Y2 - Kink: BDSM Chapter 5: Y3 - Last TImes/Farewells Ship: WinterIron Rating: Explicit Major Tags: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - No Powers, single parent tony stark, Omega Tony Stark, Alpha Bucky Barnes, War Veteran Bucky Barnes, Protective Harley Keener, Meddling Kids, First Dates, First Kiss, Past Tony Stark/Tiberius Stone, Panic Attacks, Sex, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Anal Sex, Light BDSM, Multiple Orgasms, Knotting, Weddings Summary: Life as a single parent isn’t easy, but Tony is proud of what he’s accomplished over the last fifteen years. He has his own electronics repair shop and has managed to keep his son Harley away from his toxic ex. So what if every alpha he sees puts him on edge? Most of his customers are omegas, anyway, and he’s content never to date again if it means never again having to go through the shit that Harley’s sire put him through. Bucky is more than intrigued by the smart and beautiful omega who’s repairing his arm, but Tony smells like fear, and Bucky doesn’t want to make things worse. He has to put a lot of effort into making sure not to trip Tony’s triggers -- made doubly hard by the fact that Tony doesn’t want to talk about them -- but he thinks it could be well worth the effort in the end. Word Count: 14,938

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Title: The Red Star Collaborator: startrekkingaroundasgard Link: Tumblr Square Filled: U5 - AU:Pirate Ship: Bucky/Reader Rating: Explicit Major Tags: m/f explicit smut, choking, public sex, exhibitionism, prostitution, name calling Summary: Pirate captain Barnes of The Red Star makes port and goes directly to the reader, his favourite prostitute, for some release. Word Count: 1305

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Title: (my hair) Through your fingertips Collaborator: darter_blue Link: AO3 Square Filled: C5 - “Kiss me.” Ship: Stucky Rating: Mature Major Tags: emotional hurt/comfort, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Canon Divergence - post Captain America: The Winter Soldier, hair washing, first kiss Summary: The asset left Steve by the river. Damaged. Broken.The asset himself is both of those things. But Steve should be neither.The asset needs to find Steve to makes sure he’s okay. Needs to right his wrong (just one of so many). And he needs to find Steve because he WANTS to, though he may not fully understand what wanting even means.Something inside him feels peace at the memory of Steve’s face (the only memory the asset can hold onto) and he maybe just wants to FEEL things again. Or for the first time…He just can’t remember… Word Count: 3651

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Title: Between a Rock and a Hard Place Collaborator: queen-of-the-avengers Link: Tumblr Square Filled: U4 - Rebecca Barnes Ship: Bucky/Reader Rating: Not Rated Major Tags: minor angst, crack fic, fluff and implied smut at the end Summary: ou and your two best friends are fighting, and you’re caught in the middle of it. The only person who will listen to you is your boyfriend, Bucky. Word Count: 1.1k

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Title: Aria in B♭ - Chapter 8 Collaborator: 27dragons Link: AO3 Square Filled: B4 - Alcohol Ship: WinterIron Rating: Explicit Major Tags: Alternate Universe - Historical, opera singer Bucky Barnes, nobleman Tony Stark, Prostitution, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Dubious Consent, Pining, Dueling, Gambling Summary: Lord Stark has his faults -- a bit too fond of a drink, a little too reckless at cards, and entirely too happy to flout his good fortune in his rivals’ faces. But a man as wealthy and powerful as Tony Stark is bound to have a few peccadillos. What he is not, is the sort of man who would force himself upon another unwilling, unlike Lord Killian, who seems to have taken a particular shine to an opera singer in the troupe Killian is hosting. Tony rescues Mr. Barnes from Killian’s untender mercies, moves the troupe into his own home, and takes Mr. Barnes as his bed companion for the season. The arrangement provides protection for Bucky and the troupe from Killian’s spite, and tweaks Killian at the same time -- a win all around, as far as Tony is concerned. He wasn’t counting on Bucky being so utterly charming and wonderful, or for the possibility that he might actually, after so many years a bachelor, fall in love. Word Count: 28,643

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Title: Siren - Chapter 3: Roundtable Rival Collaborator: Writing_mermaid Link: AO3 Square Filled: B5 - language Ship: Bucky/Reader Rating: Mature Major Tags: Language, mention of injuries, Steve is an asshole Summary: Y/N is a mutant, a Siren, the last of her kind, with deadly dangerous powers and a hidden past. If most of the Avengers likes and get along with her, Steve doesn’t, and it’s getting worse when Y/N and Bucky become close. After all what can bring two broken souls together if it’s not a dark past. Word Count: 5564

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Title: Obnoxiously Perfect Collaborator: plutosrose Link: AO3 Square Filled: B2 - Alpine Ship: Stucky Rating: Mature Major Tags: Alternate Universe - Teachers, Alternate Universe - College/University, Developing Relationship, Coffee Date, Brief Mentions of Grief, Self-Esteem, Finding Your Crush and His Ex on Social Media, Brief Mention of Past Sharon Carter/Natasha Romanov Summary: After hooking up with Steve at a faculty reception, Bucky consults Alpine for advice. Word Count: 2899

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Title: It's Only a Paper Moon - Chapter 1 Collaborator: SierraNovembr Link: AO3 Square Filled: B3 - Bucky/Tony Ship: WinterIron Rating: Teen Major Tags: Depiction of a mental asylum, established relationship, Edwin Jarvis Summary: Fighting aliens alongside Captain America? A loving, supportive fiancé who overlooks the many flaws of Tony Stark? Tony often thought his life was too amazing to be real. He might just be right about that. Word Count: 831

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Title: We Shall Be Monsters - Chapter 2: Dead All Day Collaborator: tisfan Link: AO3 Square Filled: Y1 - Hallucinations Ship: WinterIron Rating: Mature Major Tags: mentioned torture, Frankenstein inspired, reincarnation, rise from the dead, gross, dead bodies Summary: This is your 6:30am Rise from the Dead call... Word Count: 1370

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Title: Worth It Collaborator: darter-blue Link: AO3 Square Filled: Y4 - Pet rock Ship: Stucky Rating: Mature Major Tags: Modern Bucky Barnes, Fluff, Romance, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting Summary: Bucky is not having a great time here, speed dating was not the ‘opportunity to meet someone great’ he had been promised. This was just a faster, more efficient way for Bucky to get dumped. Until someone new sits down gracefully into the seat opposite him. Bucky’s looking up from where tight blue jeans around thick thighs have slid into the seat, up to a broad chest in a t-shirt that has to be two sizes too small, up to shoulders so wide they could carry a bus, and up, up, up to the most beautiful face Bucky has ever seen in real life. And he’s smiling. A real, enthusiastic smile.At Bucky. Word Count: 2051

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Title: Moments with You (Part 2 of 5) Collaborator: shield-agent78 Link: Tumblr Square Filled: U1 - Confessions Ship: Bucky/Reader Rating: Mature Major Tags: angst, anxiety, stress Summary: Both you and Scott Summers yearn for a beautiful remembrance that cannot be reached. Scott, in the form of Jean Gray, and you in wanting Scott to move on with his life and realize that love can be found again. Word Count: 1285

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Title: 5 Times Bucky and Winter Courted Tony, and 1 Time Tony Realized He Was Courting Back Collaborator: newtypeshadow Link: AO3 Square Filled: K1 - Steve Rogers Ship: Tony/Bucky/Winter Rating: Mature Major Tags: Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Domestic Avengers, Avengers Tower, 5+1 Things, Flerkin Shifter Tony Stark, Wolf Shifter Bucky Barnes, Symbiote Winter, Bucky Barnes & Winter Soldier are Different Personalities, Courtship, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Tony Stark, Kidnapping, Rescue Missions, Canon-Typical Violence, Dead animals, fresh meat, Cannibalism, technically, flerkins and symbiotes don't understand why eating delicious human meat is bad, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, murder fluff, Crack Treated Seriously, Getting Together, First Kiss, Aliens, Alien Cultural Differences, Polyamory, Flerkin Tony Stark, Cat Tony Stark Summary: There's a dead bird next to Tony's coffee maker. Gross. Except when Tony shifts into a flerkin. Then it's a delicious gift. Doesn't explain why Bucky and his symbiote, Winter, left it in Tony's kitchen though. Word Count: 10,630

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Title: They Never Went Further, They Never Went Back Collaborator: eachpeachpearplum Link: AO3 Squares Filled: Y2 - rescue mission (chapter one) C3 - free space (chapter two) C1 - recovering Bucky (chapter four) U4 - shoot first, ask later (chapter five) Y1 - hurt/comfort (chapter seven) Ship: Stuckony Rating: Teen Major Tags: identity porn, vigilante Iron Man, polyamory negotiations, asexual Bucky Summary: Steve and Bucky’s truck breaks down while they’re out searching for the vigilante Iron Man. Fortunately, mechanic Tony is willing to offer them a place to stay for a few nights. Word Count: 26,893

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Title: Hallucinations Collaborator: ShakespeareanQueer Link: Tumblr Square Filled: B2 - Hallucinations Ship: Stucky Rating: Teen Major Tags: Induced hallucinations, angst Summary: When Steve doesn’t make it back on the time travel platform, Bucky asks Wanda for a weird favor. Word Count: 3223

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Title: Better the Devil you know Collaborator: Kalee60 Link: AO3 Square Filled: C4 - Wings Ship: Stucky Rating: Explicit Major Tags: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, Bottom Bucky Barnes, POV Bucky Barnes, Idiots in Love, Light Dom/sub, they should really just talk..., Demon Bucky Barnes, Angel Steve Rogers, Denial of Feelings, Misunderstandings Summary: Attending work conferences was never Bucky's idea of a 'good time' - especially when the rival company was Heaven and he happened to be a demon from Hell. Even more unbearable, he'd been tasked to present a seminar (against his will) - Bucky was more about doling out punishments, less about educating his peers.So of course, while Bucky is already down, Steve Rogers turns up, an angel Bucky had been trying desperately to forget for the last millenia… for an array of reasons. Bucky now finds himself in close quarters with his feathery nemesis, and after living multiple lifetimes, was maybe finally learning that there really was a fine line between hate and lust, and an even finer one tethering it all to love? Word Count: 19,912

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Title: Know Your Enemy, Know Yourself Collaborator: rebelmeg Link: AO3 Square Filled: B1 - Mexican standoff Ship: Bucky & Winter Rating: Mature Major Tags: blood and violence, Winter is a separate personality, graphic depiction of violence Summary: The fight between Bucky Barnes and the Winter Soldier might happen in his head, but that doesn't make it any less real. Word Count: 771

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Title: Unshackled - Chapter 2 Collaborator: LiraelClayr007 Link: AO3 Square Filled: C1 - through a scope Ship: WinterHawk Rating: Explicit Major Tags: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Amnesia, (of the short term), Sharing a Bed, Fluff, Angst, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, Implied/Referenced Mind Control, Deaf Clint Barton, Hurt Clint Barton, Hydra (Marvel), Slow Burn. Will add more tags and characters as they come up, Escape Summary: Nausea roils in Clint’s stomach, and he’s suddenly glad there’s no food in his stomach. Mind control. HYDRA’s perfected brainwashing and mind control. He needs to get out of here, he needs to tell… But of course it doesn’t matter. Because he’s shackled to the wall across from the fucking Winter Soldier, deep within who knows where surrounded by who knows how many HYDRA goons, and he hasn’t eaten for...how many days now? Even if he could get to his bow, he’s not sure he’d have the strength to draw it.In other words, he’s well and truly fucked. Word Count: 5970

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Title: Aria in B♭ - Chapter 9 Collaborator: tisfan Link: AO3 Square Filled: I3 - Disability Ship: WinterIron Rating: Explicit Major Tags: Alternate Universe - Historical, opera singer Bucky Barnes, nobleman Tony Stark, Prostitution, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Dubious Consent, Pining, Dueling, Gambling Summary: Lord Stark has his faults -- a bit too fond of a drink, a little too reckless at cards, and entirely too happy to flout his good fortune in his rivals’ faces. But a man as wealthy and powerful as Tony Stark is bound to have a few peccadillos. What he is not, is the sort of man who would force himself upon another unwilling, unlike Lord Killian, who seems to have taken a particular shine to an opera singer in the troupe Killian is hosting. Tony rescues Mr. Barnes from Killian’s untender mercies, moves the troupe into his own home, and takes Mr. Barnes as his bed companion for the season. The arrangement provides protection for Bucky and the troupe from Killian’s spite, and tweaks Killian at the same time -- a win all around, as far as Tony is concerned. He wasn’t counting on Bucky being so utterly charming and wonderful, or for the possibility that he might actually, after so many years a bachelor, fall in love. Word Count:31,979

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Title: [Art] Bingo Clusterfuck - Chapter 11: come on with it, come on Collaborator: call-me-kayyyyy Link: AO3 Square Filled: B5 - Kink: Vibes in Public Ship: Stucky Rating: Explicit Major Tags: art, semi-public sex, bottom bucky, top steve, fun-ishment Summary: Steve was done. He was absolutely sick and tired of Bucky riling him up on purpose in front of their tower-mates. Bucky loved making him blush with dirty comments during Avenger's meetings. Flustering him by "accidentally" brushing against his crotch in the community kitchen. Steve had had enough and it was time to teach Bucky a lesson. He sees his moment while their making out like teenagers in front of the big open windows in their apartment. "You like everyone watching Buck? You like it when I get all flushed and hard in front of our friends?" Bucky whined and kissed Steve harder. "Well lets see how you like it, huh sweetie? I'm gonna take you apart, right here where anyone can watch," he growled into Bucky's ear. "Rub your sweet spot till you beg for my cock. Let all of New York see how much you love being on all fours for me." Bucky was gonna learn his lesson alright, maybe twice.

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Title: Dog Days of Summer Collaborator: hddnone Link: Tumblr Square Filled: K5 - “Oh, hell no” Ship: WinterIron Rating: Mature Major Tags: temperature play with ice Summary: Summer was the worst season to have a metal arm.Fortunately Bucky had a boyfriend who would fix that for him. Word Count: 997

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Title: something like home Collaborator: nightwideopen Link: AO3 Square Filled: C4 - Canon Divergence Ship: WinterHawk Rating: Not Rated Major Tags: Graphic description of injury, mentions of brainwashing Summary: After the fall of the Triskelion, Clint retreats to his last refuge, the farm house in Iowa that he grew up in. On the way there, he finds an injured dog on the road leading to the Barton farm. Spoiler alert: it's not a dog.It's Bucky Barnes. Word Count: 13,048

#buckybarnesbingo2020 #bbb2020 #weekly roundup #bbb week 23 #bbb weekly roundup

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thatlittledandere · 4 years

Note

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 31 and 40 for that shipper ask meme (sorry for picking so many but those questions are GOOD)

You're right, they absolutely are. I'm sorry in advance that this is gonna be LONG and I'm on mobile so I can't even add a read more;;

1. Talk about the first ship you ever had

So I'm SURE there were relationships I was invested in in movies and cartoons I watched as a child (I've always been a sucker for romance, even though there was that period when I didn't want to admit it) but I can't remember anything from very far back;; So it was either Ron and Hermione from Harry Potter or Ichigo and Masaya from Tokyo Mew Mew, whichever I read first.

2. Talk about three of the most important ships throughout your life

GOSH. You can't do this to me. I guess Romione because it was the time in my preteens when I was becoming more aware of... stuff, in general, abs the two cemented my love for friends-to-lovers. Then Ioryuu, because I've never been AS invested in and passionate about a ship before and likely never will. Nothing can compare to that intensity and ngl I miss it;; I miss the genuine hype I felt in my heart that made me interact with people and make things. So many things. I honestly can't think of a third one with such a lasting impact, sorry;;

3. What's your current OTP?

I imagine Souyo scenarios in my head every night before falling sleep and every morning after waking up, this is not a joke not an exaggeration. I still feel a little traitorous saying this on tumblr but their dynamic IS somewhat similar to the way I see Ioryuu so-

4. What's your current NoTP?

I don't think I have one? I have dislikes, some of them strong, but I don't see any of them often enough to be, like, actively angry. I have better uses for my time than willingly exposing myself to stuff I don't like.

5. Do you have any poly ships?

Not generally, juggling two characters is enough work lol. The only poly ships I've ever really actively shipped are Niels, Duncan and Natalie from the web comic Niels And the Gang by humon and Kinatsuen from Boueibu, but neither are actively on my mind much these days.

8. Have you ever shipped yourself with a character?

BOY HAVE I EVER. I've seen someone on tumblr have a side blog for self-shopping and not gonna lie, it's an excellent idea. My late teens were spent reading character x reader fics on Quotev and I started my fic career with the same genre. I don't really know what to do with myself when I DON'T actively ship myself with a character, which is my state of being now that Yosuke surpassed Yoosung as my favorite character;; Ibushi and Yoosung are the biggest ones but man oh boy I have shipped myself with characters from early age and I'm showing no signs of stopping! There's a reason that I main dating sims.

15. Have you ever "shipped at first sight"?

Not for long. I SUCK at forming first impressions. Usually if I start thinking I'll ship something, I end up not being so invested in it after all, and instead shipping something I swore off at first lmao. Which leads us to...

16. Talk about a ship you initially disliked

As a rule of thumb, all of them. I don't understand HOW it keeps happening but somehow almost all the ships I truly care/d about (that I didn't start shipping through osmosis before knowing them in the source material) started out as something I thought I "wouldn't be able to get behind." Gajevy. Shikatema. Sasunaru. Doctor/Rose. Karabita. Atsutodo. Kiribaku. Yoozen. Enatsu. Freaking IORYUU. EVEN SOUYO. IT'S BEEN YEARS I REALLY SHOULD KNOW THE PATTERN BY NOW

17. Talk about a pairing you've stopped shipping romantically

Like, I started to think they're better as friends after all? I guess NaLi. Then again, I mostly only shipped them out of spite in the first place because I wanted a counter for N/a//Lu, which I never liked at all;;

20. Talk about a ship you feel alone in shipping

Now this time I can say for sure that there isn't one. I can't come up with ships myself and stay on board if there isn't content for it, canon or otherwise;; It's not a conscious decision or anything, it's just how my mind works. I get attached to stuff by exposure, whether from fans or the source material, and if the source material has enough content for two characters for me to pick up on and become interested, it's guaranteed to be enough to become a somewhat popular ship.

21. Is there a ship you just don't get, but have nothing against?

Actually... That's the extent I go to with notp'ing these days. I'm passionate about the right to ship whatever you want so by proxy I can't have anything "against" a ship, even if the sheer thought of it existing makes me nauseous. And I know how to think from points of view other than my own, so I can usually see the appeal, even if it appeals to me personally less than eating dog shit while walking barefoot on rusty nails that are also on fire.

That said, the only ships I have on my Tumblr blacklist are Yoo//ra/n and Suza//lu/lu because they're both popular ships for characters whose tags I am/was following and therefore get suggested a lot even if I want following anyone who ships then. Oh, and all B/LMa//tsu ships! I generally can't feel good about incestuous ships, but can and will fight for their shippers' right to do as they please as long as they stay respectful. (never saw blmatsus who weren't respectful. saw a plethora of anti-blmatsus who were absolute demons. actually the reason i moved away from the last remnants of my anti mindset was that i didn't want to be associated with THOSE anti-blmatsus, when the shippers they wanted dead were all such sweet people. food for thought.)

22. Which of your ships have the best chemistry?

All of them?? Lmao I don't understand this question, isn't shipping all about liking the chemistry between characters? Or the potential for it I guess, in which case the chemistry is whatever you want it to be, which is great B) I'm sorry I keep accidentally dodging questions I'm bad at choosing examples from a long, unordered list

23. Which of your ships deserve better writing?

Hhhhhhh I shipped Jerza for years and was still unsatisfied with their ending, Jellal didn't get to heal enough and we didn't really see them working through their past in an effective way and getting comfortable around each other. It's like they were supposed to be friends to enemies to lovers but the last part didnt really develop and their relationship stagnated at the stage were they were both just permanently awkward out of regret, and couldn't bring themselves out of it even though everything was forgiven forever ago. Or I've forgotten a lot of stuff that happened. Very likely. Is your a case of bad writing or good writing not working out the way I wanted it to? You're asking the wrong person.

25. Have you ever shipped a pairing before you even started watching the show/movie simply because of gifs/graphics or similar?

EYUP. Harumichi was my otp for like a whole year before I saw a single episode with them lol. It was crazy, but it was REAL. I've also went into shows already paying attention to things I knew my friends/people I follow shipped, kind of hoping I'd get into it.

26. Have you noticed a pattern in your shipping? Is there a romantic dynamic I'm writing these questions down from screenshots and I cropped the rest of this one out by accident rip

Eeeh I go for the obvious. Best friend pairs, obvious pining, some rivalry with sexual tension, though I don't really know what to do with those. Then there's the fact that I never see it coming sick Persona 5 reference bro and start shipping the couple I thought "should just be friends" at first. This is more about my relationship to the ships than their dynamic but it's very constant...

27. Is there a ship you've shipped for most of your life?

Hmmm well I got into HP and started shipping Romione sometime in mid elementary school so it's definitely been more than half my lifetime since, but I don't really know if I "ship it" anymore. I didn't start disliking them or anything but for me, "shipping" is an active intrest in a fictional relationship, so if it reaches the stage where I like it, in theory, but I don't have the feels, it doesn't really count. That's why I can say I like ships without shipping them. It's gotta be actively on my brain, man.

31. Talk about one of your favorite headcanons for a ship you love

I haven't mentioned Kannao once, which is criminal. So here's some of what I imagine their future to be like :D I've been getting new Persona followers recently so here's something for you to unfollow me over lmao

So first of all I ignore the canon that Naoto goes back to the city for her detective work after her first year of high school, shhh she stays in Inaba, only taking the occasional jobs. She and Kanji start dating during the spring break before their second year and get more comfortable with each other, so that the next summer they're still cute and very much themselves (which means somewhat reserved) but not as awkward anymore :) I haven't thought about what happens after they graduate but they get married in their early 20s and have a son <3 (Chie and Yukiko adopted their daughter only slightly earlier. They may or may not have had a bit of a competition going on) ((yes Souyo are very much together but if they end up having children I haven't thought about it it's later))

Kanji manages the textile shop and Naoto helps when she's free from detective stuff. They live in Inaba but Naoto is away quite often for her gigs;; She takes up a few jobs less when Kouta is little though so he wouldn't feel less close to his Mom than his Dad.

Both Kanji and Naoto suffered from unfair expectations growing up, so they try their best to make up for it with Kouta's upbringing. They want him to feel comfortable being himself and free to express himself the way he wants; they make sure he knows he'll always be loved and supported, and to never be ashamed of who he is. As a child it doesn't even occur to him that many social norms and social expectations exist, because Naoto and Kanji pretty much let him do whatever as long as he isn't hurting himself or anyone else. They might go a little overboard though, giving into Kouta's whims without much consideration at all. The Amagi Aunties enforce rules and keep kids grounded in reality much better lmao

40. If you could change one thing about your otp, what would that be?

HMNGHNMHGNMGH I WAMT YOSUKE'S INTERNALIZED BULLSHIT ACKNOWLEDGED!! It's there AtlUS!! Stop pretending oh my god.... I love the Dancing All Night story mode (so far. I am by no means done); Yosuke gets cool moments and Yu's internal monologue really shows how much he appreciates him. The dynamic is so much better than with a silent protagonist, and thank god they didn't go with the tactless anime Yu (as fun as he is). I know there are a bunch of nods to the cut romance across spinoffs but mannnn... I wish they were more serious about it. At this point it's not even that far-fetched to think Yosuke has feelings for Yu that he may or may not be aware of, and I know that Yu as the player character can't be too tied down to one option in canon, but still... Even the clown gets tired of jokes at some point. One can dream.

40 ship questions

#asks #anon #about me #this took like three hours and i didn't even take breaks shjddhjjdfh #i'm not complaining i love answering questions but like #i thought i'd still have time to do something else after #it's almost 3 am now;; it wasn't even midnight when i started;;;#i have another ask in my inbox but i'll have to leave it for tomorrow now orz #also sorry for dropping a bunch of ship names on you without specifying characters or fandoms #i have no excuse i just didn't want to do it #oh and if you're heavily in the 'naoto is trans only go die' crowd... this is the wrong blog for you #i respect other headcanons and preferred readings but it has to go both ways #and i prefer her as a woman if it wasn't clear from this #for personal reasons #that i'm not required to specify #if you make a post referring to naoto as them that's awesome and that's who they are in it #and if you think he's a trans guy but accept not everyone sees him that way that's awesome keep that up #but if me calling naoto her makes your blood boil for whatever reason then unfollow and block if you need to #that's great that's what taking responsibility over your experience is #i'm not guilt-tripping anyone into staying my headcanons are no better than yours

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afoolforatook · 4 years

Text

Thank you, Wellies

So. I’ve been trying to do both class work and working on wips and just nothing is clicking. So, I thought I should go ahead and do this post, that I’ve been putting off, because.....it’s next week y’all.... So here goes.

Here’s my original post, that explains what this comic meant to me four years ago.

And here’s what it means to me now. (this is really long, sorry)

Man, I don’t really even know where to start this. How to start to say thank you. To Ngozi, to all of you.... It’s not possible to fully express what all of you have been for me the past four years. What this story has been for me.

So many things have changed since I made this post almost four years ago.

So many things haven’t.

I’ve been way less active in the fandom since starting at SCAD, and I really was never that incredibly active to begin with, outside of my small group of friends on a discord server.

And at times I feel bad about that.

But it’s not because I don’t care about or need this community anymore.

Rather it’s because this community, this story, gave me the strength to keep moving, and now I want to keep doing so, and make something that might one day even barely begin to show my gratitude.

So until then, all I can do is say thank you over and over. I can never possibly say it enough.

But still I wanted to thank you now, and try to explain to you what this comic about hockey and pies has meant to me, one last time before it ends. So that’s what I’ll try to do.

It was surreal rereading this old post earlier this week. Reading

“I think I could write a book just of our history and everything leading up to now and the details of this whole event”

When I wrote this post four years ago, I honestly couldn’t imagine a future where I’d be anything other than incomplete.Or even a future at all. Everyday was just getting up and making myself keep breathing, keep trying to push towards something, even though I had no idea what that could ever be.

For the first year I wrote daily journal entries, telling Emma about what happened that day, screaming at the universe for doing this, trying to help my future self remember little things, because everything was so hard to hold on to.

Update days were always something nearly sacred to me. And really not even from a fan point of view. I don’t read them around other people. I sit somewhere quiet, by myself, and read slowly. Because they are little moments I try to share with her still. The only person I want with me when I read them that first time is her, in whatever capacity I can bring myself to imagine.

A few months after the crash, I found one of Emma’s Spotify playlists. She made playlists for everything; birthday and Christmas presents, mood playlists, friend playlists, monthly playlists.

This was her May 2016 playlist. Last updated May 16th. Two days before the crash.

That playlist was literally the only thing I listened to for months on end. 38 songs.Over and over.

And as I listened I started to think that, just maybe, some of these songs she put there for me.

West Coast; the song me and Emma would send to each other after high school whenever we wanted to let the other know how much we missed them.

All I Want is to Be Your Girl. I mean??

Slowly I found lyrics in every song that even if just in my own fantasy, were little messages from Emma, telling me to keep going, how to stay strong.

I was always looking for stories, books, movies, songs, anything about someone grieving the kind of loss I was. Nothing I found felt like it really represented me. If it was about someone young, it was due to suicide or violence or illness. If it was a car crash, it was about a parent or child. If it somehow fit my other demographics, it was never queer.

I felt totally alone in the exact manifestation of my grief. Like no one else could understand all the tiny details that seemed, to me, to make this all more and more cartoonishly cruel.

(though one of the most touching moments of my life will always be when Emma’s step mom, the only person in her family who knows about us, sent me a book about grieving a spouse. I cried for hours when I opened that.)

I didn’t have outside representation, support. But I had journals. I had Emma’s songs. I had poems and a handful of inktober drawings. I had my little update moments of connection. And I had so much to say.

Months, years, of isolation gives you a lot of time to examine your feelings, to question the meaning of things, to think about what exactly grief looked like to you and about how you wanted to live the rest of your life, as someone grieving a love.

And slowly I began to connect those thoughts to individual lyrics from Emma’s playlist and that helped me actually write all those thoughts out, organize them.

And that’s how The Mixtape Project started (I still hate using the word memoir. I had to find something else to call it). A book about us. About Emma. About all those thoughts I’d had so long to sit with. Structured around the songs from her playlist.

I remember the exact moment that I realized that Check Please was going to actively change my life. I was talking to my dad about it, about why I loved the storytelling, the characters, the art, so much.

I’d told him many times before. But it was always tied to Emma in a way, or to the reasons that I identified with Jack. It was always a little sad in some way.

But this time. This time it was just excitement. It was just a kid who has always loved words, gushing about a story that fascinated them.

And I realized. It was the first time I had been just happy, excited, in the months since losing Emma. I remembered all those ideas Emma helped me with in high school, how we gushed over stories like that. I remembered what it was like to just love something and want to create, just because it made you happy.

I knew I couldn’t go back to UNCA, and none of the other creative writing programs I had looked at seemed like they would fit the new person I was.

So, for the hell of it, looking for some idea at how to start my life over, I looked at Ngozi’s personal story. And there was SCAD. There was sequential art.

Now. I’d never ever considered myself an artist. I went to an art high school, I knew art kids. I was never one of them. But that sequential part? That. THAT was what I wanted. That was what I could still be excited about.

That was how I could pull the Mixtape Project together. The writing, the poems, the art, the music. Comics. Sequential art. A graphic memoir that played with the format. That was the project that kept me going. That was what I was working for. That was the first future I was able to see now that Emma was gone.

So, for the first time since literally elementary school, I took an art class (also took a mythology class at the same time, which really helped keep my art and storytelling tied).

I loved it. I was actually happy with my work, surprised by my work and how quickly I felt like I improved (I wouldn’t learn about aphantasia until I got to SCAD, and understand that that drawing 1 class had been so fun, and in a way, easy, because it was all direct observation, and that drawing from memory and imagination would be a much steeper learning curve for me.)

So, when the class ended I thought ‘you know, maybe some kind of art school could be a good idea.’

And then one of my life long best friends, a SCAD animation student, encouraged me to apply, to just go for it.

And I did. It was a long shot, I was sure. We couldn’t afford it. Why would I get that in that kind of commitment, debt, after 1 art class? It wasn’t logical. But it felt good. So I did.

And then I got accepted, and the initial excitement soon fell away, to me and my parents knowing that it really wasn’t doable.

But we went to admitted students day, just to see. And when we got home, both of my parents cried for a long time. The first happy cry in our house for over two years.

Because they had decided that they had to figure out a way to make it work.

Because standing in Haymans hall was the first time they had seen me excited about the future since Emma died. It was the first time they’d seen me feel like there was somewhere I was meant to be, that there was somewhere I could fit again.

So we made it happen. I’ll still be in debt for years, and it’s not necessarily something I’d wholeheartedly recommend to kids getting out of high school, that debt isn’t worth it for many people.

For me it wasn’t really even worth it exactly for SCAD itself, and you’ll have plenty of professors tell you here that really what you pay for isn’t the education but the networking.

But for me. For me it was worth it.

Because I wasn’t wasting away in my basement.

And I really wasn’t where I’d have liked to have been, ideally, before starting. I was a BRAND new artist. My portfolio for my application was solely my writing work. I hadn’t ever done anything more than scribbled fan comics in my sketchbook. I was coming in wayyyyy behind where most other people were. But I couldn’t wait to feel like I was good enough to be there. There was a strong chance that it was quite literally, a matter of survival. I was reaching a breaking point after nearly three years of isolation and grief with no outlet. The future debt was less of a concern than making sure I didn’t have a complete mental breakdown or worse.

Now, of course, it hasn’t all been easy or fun or happy once I got here. I’ve doubted myself, I’ve had awful weeks, months, been stressed, unmotivated, in pain, near burnout.

The first quarter I was absolutely miserable because I had literally no social life.

Because I was an agoraphobic 23 yr old, living with 17/18 yr olds fresh out of high school. And if I wasn’t careful, I’d dissociate so easily. I’d let myself believe that I was still a teenager fresh from high school. That the past three years of agony hadn’t happened. That I could call Emma and it would ring again. She would answer again. And that illusion was a dangerous pit to fall into.

And it wasn’t until this fall that my social life really started to improve, beyond one or two close friends. And even still, while it’s much better, it’s nothing like UNCA, like the tight knit family I had that made me identify with SMH and the Haus atmosphere so much.

But I was moving forward. Agonizingly slowly sometimes. But still forward.

And then last Spring quarter, just about a year ago, I was in Survey for SEQA. Basically comic book history class. And our final was a 4 page research comic on a comic artist we admired. So of course, I was going to do mine on Ngozi.

The comic was due at the end of the quarter, the end of May.

Now, that quarter was the first time I was actually in SEQA classes; Survey, and Intro.

And those four pages would be the first fully colored, refined comic pages I had EVER done. It was intimidating. I didn’t want to mess it up. Especially because this wasn’t some big name of some far off artist you would never have any connection to. This was someone who all my professors knew.

I ended up getting extremely lucky and had the chance to email Ngozi and ask if she’d be able to give for a quote for the project, advice for current SCAD students.

She replied to my email the weekend of the 3rd anniversary. (I then spent hours on a thank you email - because that’s who I am, I can’t not over analyze anything I’m sending to someone important - and then I managed to save it to drafts instead of actually sending it...something I would not notice until literally months later and be absolutely mortified about my apparent rudeness of never thanking her.)

I still am not really happy with how that project came out. I still had (and have) a lot to learn, and it shows. I have, in no way, become an amazing comic artist overnight. I wasn’t expecting to.

But that short email exchange, falling on that weekend; it felt special. It felt like some speck of proof that I was doing the right thing. That things could actually go well in my life again. That if I kept going, I might actually get somewhere that I wanted to be. That maybe I really could make The Mixtape Project happen, if I just kept at it here.

And then I found out that in the fall, Ngozi would be the SEQA mentor.

Unfortunately by the time I had all the details about how to apply, the quarter had started and there were only a couple of weeks before it was due, and the only pages I had even anywhere close to being portfolio ready were either my research comic or a few older Check Please fan comics, none of which I would even have considered putting in that portfolio (I’m not 100% certain it would actually have come across as sucking up but it sure felt like it would have). And despite my best efforts, it just wasn’t possible, with how slow I work and having to keep up with classwork, for me to get a portfolio ready in time.

That hurt for a while. I felt like I had this clear sign of perfect timing. How could I pass up that chance? How could I forgive myself for not doing everything I could to earn that experience? How was I not letting Emma down if I ruined this opportunity?

It took a while to get out of that negative thought spiral. But I did, and it’s still a bummer, but it’s okay.

And something that really helped?

In October, Ngozi still came to campus to give a lecture. And that would have been good enough; just sitting in on that helped me feel excited, encouraged again. But then, after the lecture (with my amazing roommate waiting patiently behind with me, to make sure I didn’t actually have a panic attack on the way home) I got to talk to her.

We all hope to one day get to talk to the people who inspired us, whose work we love, to tell them how much they mean to us. And yes, I was a little version of starstruck.

But that wasn’t why I was shaking. That wasn’t why I told her I was going to do my best to get this out without crying (and I did, I’m proud to say).

It was because I had the opportunity, while at the school that had given me a chance to start my life again, to thank the woman who was in all likelihood, one of the main reasons I was even still alive. If it had not been for Check Please I wouldn’t have had that good thing to keep sharing with Emma. I wouldn’t have found sequential art, at least not for a while longer probably. I wouldn’t have been able to finally picture a future I wanted to get to.

And I’ll be honest, I don’t remember 90% of what I actually said that night to Ngozi.

But I told her my story. I told her about Emma. About how Check Please was the last thing we got to share. I thanked her. And she was wonderful and kind and emotional and hugged me a couple of times, and even though I don’t remember a lot of what I actually said; it was something that will be one of the most important, affirming moments of my life.

I didn’t have a panic attack on the way home. I somehow managed to not cry until we were back to our dorm. But I was stunned.

Not even because of the amazing moment I had been able to have with Ngozi.

But because it hit me.

I was doing it. I was there. I had actually made it this far.

Somewhere that just over a year ago I never would have believed was possible.

A time when, two years before, I hadn’t even been sure I could make it to alive.

That weekend was my 24th birthday. And it was the first birthday since I left UNCA at 19, that I didn’t just hate the fact that I was getting older. That I was moving away from the happiest parts of my life so far.

Yes it still hurt getting further from Emma, putting another tick on the years that I got that she didn’t.

But I was actually finally excited at the idea of even having a future, let alone having an idea of what it could be.

February was a difficult month for me. I have another (entirely way too long) post about why everything that happened with RWBY and Fairgame was so difficult for me, but to put it simply; my hope for the future was shaken.

I was back in the toxic negative thought spirals I had fought for years to train myself out of.

I was seeing Emma, or her brother, or her mom, in crowds; something I hadn’t experienced since the first few months after the crash. I was in one of the biggest crisis moments I’d had since Emma’s death.

But I was more experienced than when I was 20.

It wasn’t fun, a lot of it probably wasn’t the ideal way to cope, but I did it. And I kept up with my work. I isolated more, but not completely. I made myself vent on snapchat or tumblr, and not worry about oversharing or annoying people, because it was either get it out or let it fester in my head. And I couldn’t afford to let that happen.

In mid March, I made a pitch packet for my comic scripting final.

It was for The Mixtape Project. It was hard, and nerve-wracking, and there’s still mountains of work to be done.

But after my initial synopsis (first of like seven versions, cause trying to put this thing in a good synopsis format is a nightmare) my professor told me that he thought my story had potential.

That he could see it being published. He suggested, knowing that I was planning on taking his advanced scripting course this quarter (hey remember how mid march was only a few weeks ago?? Huh?? wild), that I keep working on it, and see about taking it to Editor’s day (SEQA students’ opportunity to basically pitch themselves and their ideas to publishers).

Now, my professor is by no means an overly harsh critic, and is plenty supportive in general.

But I also knew that that was not just something he said to students all the time. That he meant it.

Editor’s Day (now online) is in mid May. The week of the 4th anniversary of Emma’s death, to be exact.

Everything is a mess right now, and I’m stressed and tired and scared and heartbroken (this will be the first time since I was 9 that I have not had Merlefest; the highlight of my year, and since Emma’s death; the last big happy thing before I plunge into the nightmare that is May).

Tuesday will come. Check Please will end. I will continue to support Ngozi and her work after Bitty’s story ends.

But it will be sad. It won’t be easy.

This thing that has been my tether to the most important person in my life, will still be there, but it will be over.

It will have a concrete end. It will no longer be part of the future I am pushing towards.

But I am a different person than the shattered kid who wrote this post four years ago.

I’m not who I was before Emma died. I never will be. I’d never try to be. I want Emma back more than anything. But that won’t happen. And as long as this is all real, I never want to pretend this didn’t happen.

That I didn’t shatter in a way that will never heal like people expect.

I’m still all those shattered pieces that wrote this post. Maybe a few have had the edges dulled, maybe I’ve lost a few, glued a few together perfectly, maybe picked up a few stray pieces that didn’t come from the me from before.

But I will be those shattered pieces for the rest of my life.

They won’t magically fuse back together. I work every day to hold them, to keep myself in some shape that resembles a functioning person.

Some days I fail. Some days, I am too tired to even try. Some days, I am so angry, I’d rather hurl the pieces at whatever power or fate or god or chaos decided that I got to live and she didn’t.

But those days pass.

And I learn how to hold the pieces better, how to avoid the sharpest edges, how to take care of the wounds when I inevitably cut myself on one, how to allow other people to help me hold them, how to accept that some pieces may feel safe and smooth and comforting but they are traps, illusions that are the easy way to do things, but not the healthy way, not the way that will help me achieve my goals.

That person, made of all those unholdable pieces, four years ago, was staying alive for everyone else but themself.

And some days I still am.

For my parents. For Emma. For all the other queer, mentally ill, grieving kids and young adults and just people, who are looking for the same representation I was, who feel as alone as I still do so often.

But some days.

On those really good days.

I’m alive, carrying all those pieces, just because I want to be. For me.

I want to spin around in the morning, singing along to my bluegrass spotify. I want to get excited over finally figuring out how to write that line that was giving me so much trouble, or finish that sketch that I never thought I could manage. I want to hope that despite how awful everything seems, there’s still a good future out there. It’s still possible to be happy some days.

I want to cry because I get to see Jack and Bitty get the happy ending that me and Emma didn’t.

And now, unlike that version of me from four years ago, when it ends, I will have things still.

Things that I have worked everyday to reach, to deserve, to hold out to people and say

“Hey, sometimes everything hurts and you know that things will never be what they were, and parts of you will always miss that. But there are still things you can find that hurt less, that ease the hurt, that teach you how to better hold the hurt, to stop trying to say it doesn’t exist or trying to get rid of it completely and hating yourself when you can’t. You can still be hurt, be irreparably broken in so many places, and still find the happy things. You are still worthy of love, no matter how broken you are. Your worth is not tied to how much you are able to heal. You are worthy of so much love, just because you are still here, no matter how many tiny pieces you are in.”

The thing is, I will still always have a future that includes Emma. Because I couldn’t tell you exactly which of my pieces are from her, but so many of them are.

There is no version of me, from here on to the day I die, that does not have her influence embedded in every piece.

These days I try to be a little kinder to myself. It doesn’t always work, but I try.

Because, to Emma, I was Bitty. I radiated that “thing”.

Whether or not I saw it in myself, doesn’t matter, because she did.

But to me she was the one who radiated.

And she is a part of me. She can’t radiate that “thing” herself anymore.

But I can, at least I can try.

Because If this person I loved and trusted so immensely, saw something worth loving in me? There must be something there worth loving, right?

And if she is a part of me for the rest of my life, how can I hate myself? How can I do anything but keep going so that, even if just in my head, a part of her gets to keep going too.

My family and friends joke that every friend group I’ve ever had calls me something different. And really it’s not a joke. In middle school I was CB #4 (that’s a long, terribly embarrassing, story). In high school I was Pond (and many variations there of: Pondala, Pondy, Raindrop, Puddle, you get the picture). At UNCA, when I came out as nonbinary, I started going by Auden. When I went home it was back to Meagan; Meagan always felt right with my parents.

With Emma I was always Meagan. We were Meagan and Emma. Megma. Meagan and Emma have online adventures!

After she was gone, Meagan didn’t really feel like me anymore. I loved Meagan, I missed Meagan, I wished I could still really fully be Meagan, and I’m okay still being Meagan sometimes.

But that real Meagan. The Meagan that was Emma’s Meagan. Doesn’t exist anymore. I lost that Meagan somewhere in that first night of screaming and trying to break my hand against the wall, so I could just feel something other than the agony of Emma being gone.

When I joined a Check Please chat group, a few months after the crash, we gave each other hockey nicknames. I was Farley.

My second quarter at SCAD, I started going by Farley. It stuck.

That’s who this version of me is. This new artist, still figuring things out, but still going.

I may not always stay Farley (other than ya’know artist ‘branding’. We’ll see) but that’s okay. Farley is who I need to be right now.

Farley is who will finish The Mixtape Project.

(because of two people mishearing both my nickname and last name I will, at least once in my career, use the pseudonym Fartley McFarmland and no one will stop me).

I can’t imagine what, who, will come after Farley, if anything.

But Check Please will always be a part of making Farley, and every future version of me, exist.

I could go on and on about how beautiful this story and these characters are, how inspiring Ngozi is, how genius her storytelling is, how powerful and important her work is. I could go on for days about all of that. But this is already so long, and I know that so many of you can go on about that probably way better than I could currently.

But, as many of my professors tell us over and over, only I can tell this story. My story. Emma’s story. Our story. And it’s one I plan on telling for the rest of my life.

And Check Please, Ngozi, will forever be the thing that made that possible.

So thank you. Those two words that are way too small to say it all.

Thank you.

Every fic writer

Every artist

Every rper

Every chat friend

Every shitposter

Every theorist or meta poster

Every fan

Thank you.

B. “Shitty” Knight.

Larissa “Lardo” Duan

Adam “Holster” Birkholtz

Justin “Ransom” Oluransi

John Johnson

Ollie O'Meara

Pacer Wicks

Jenny and Mandy

Nicholas and Jean-Claude

Coach Hall

Coach Murray

Suzanne Bittle

Richard “Coach” Bittle

William “Dex” Poindexter

Derek “Nursey” Nurse

Chris “Chowder” Chow

Kent Parson

Alicia Zimmermann

“Bad” Bob Zimmermann

Tony “Tango” Tangredi

Connor “Whiskey” Whisk

Denice “Foxtrot” Ford

Fry Guy

Georgia “Georgie” Martin

Alexei “Tater” Mashkov

Sebastian “Marty” St. Martin

Dustin “Snowy” Snow

Poots

Randall “Thirdy” Robinson

Jonathan “Hops” Hopper

River “Bully” Bullard

Lukas “Louis” Landmann

(I’m almost certain I had to have missed someone)

Thank you.

Jack “Zimmboni” Laurent Zimmermann

Thank you.

Eric “Bitty” Richard Bittle

Thank you.

Ngozi Ukazu

Thank you. For everything.

For having my back. I’ll always have yours.

Always yours,

Farley M.

#Check Please #omgcp #my person #my writing #meagan and emma have online adventures #-slaps me- you can fit so many confused emotions in this thing

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polygarnstars · 4 years

Note

part 1: 4, 12, 15, 18, and 19

If you think I’m going to have common sense and not answer all of these in a single post, I have Bad News lmao

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you? Smart, mostly. “Gifted”. This very much Did Not Last lmaoooo

12. name of your favorite playlist? I literally never make playlists I’m a stupid fuck who uses their spotify premium to skip freely through all my thousands of liked songs on shuffle until I find something I want to listen to lmaooooo (Having said that: Rey and I put together a playlist for some characters we were entering a contest to win last fall which I titled Story and Song after the TAZ arc and also because we wrote Way Too Much for it and I’m Very Proud Of That)

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment? Okay upon reading this I initially genuinely couldn’t remember any of the books I read in school because for the last several years of my schooling I just fuckin Sparknotes and TV Tropes-ed everything lmao... having said that, I do remember enjoying Maus! It was neat having a graphic novel assigned amongst all the “literary classics” that I couldn’t sit through a sitting of without falling asleep, and it may be the furry in me but the depiction of the characters/people as animals was Good :0c See, if all history was depicted with methods like this, I’d maybe actually be able to remember it ghfdjhgjfkdl

18. ideal weather? Depends on the day, but generally: Between like 65-80°F, not humid, not a lot of wind, and either sunny, partly cloudy, or drizzly but not outright storming. Basically decent temperatures without feeling like I’m walking through soup because of the humidity and weather that’s not completely gray and boring. Aka what Maine basically never is lmaoooo

19. sleeping position? I change positions every five minutes I swear to god (don’t take that out of context gfhdjbhvjd). Usually with at least one arm draped over a pillow that is Definitely Not Being Mentally Portrayed As A Character I Like To Supplement The Fact That I Did Not Get Enough Affection To Be A Functional Adult As A Child ghfdjknbhgfjdk

21. obsession from childhood? bold of you to assume i don’t still obsess over nintendo games (and just video games in general tbh)

23. strange habits? OKAY I COULDN’T THINK OF ANYTHING FOR THIS AT FIRST BUT I HAVE ONE NOW: MIDNIGHT FRIES

28. five songs to describe you? Speeding - LightsDaydreaming - ParamoreMusic - Mystery SkullsNo Lullaby - SIAMÉSLonely Dance - Set If Off+Bonus because it came up on Spotify while I was shuffling for songs for this and it’s a Mood: Pineapples Do Not Belong on a Pizza - Vargskelethor

29. best way to bond with you? I don’t know I usually just scream about ocs or video games with people and suddenly it’s been a year??? @riskreyes how has it been a year since we started talking but also how has it only been a year??? Wild bvhfdjkbhvgfjdk

30. places that you find sacred? Lmao I’ve never had anywhere like that really. Need a goddamn lock on my door :p I guess... the woods by my house? As a little kid before things got shitty my neighbor’s cousin or niece or something would go out there wandering around catching frogs and stuff in the spring or almost falling into the frozen streams during winter. When things started to go to shit in my life as a teenager I would hide out there to get away and nobody would find me. I haven’t been recently but the last time I did my friend and I walked along the train tracks and dove off into the woods by the side to avoid the amtrak coming by, it was great lmao. Uhh, other than that... I dunno, Boston and New York and New London all make me feel good to visit. Probably mostly because during those trips I don’t feel trapped in a dying land like Maine feels like bgvhfdjkhvgfjd

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names? ......my entire wardrobe is my work outfit, excessive graphic tees, and jeans. So uhh... I dunno. I guess my NWTB shirts are pretty rad, I’d kick a dude’s ass wearing Nate’s merch

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head? if i have to see another ad for some fuckin branch of the us military while i’m just out here trying to watch people play video games i swear to god-

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school? Oh boy I don’t know how weird these are but do you want a list??? I can give you a list hang on- In 4th grade we had a day of class where we all just had a party and ate chips and salsa and stuff because the pats won the super bowl and our teacher was Obsessed- In middle school my math class started working out of college textbooks, which is a bit much when you’re 11, advanced classes or no. Yet somehow none of the other students had any problems with this- Also in middle school, the school counselor really wasn’t very Good at his job so I usually just ended up playing Rock Band in his office instead of talking out any of my Many, Many Problems. I played the drums, for the record- Also in middle school, one time I straight up fell down a flight of stairs? Like, a full flight of stairs. Fuckin somersaulting down the stairs. The binder I was carrying broke open, papers went everywhere, my arm got cut open somewhere along the way and started bleeding. I get to the bottom, the other students are staring at me in horror, aforementioned counselor fuckin steps out of his office which is, of course, right at the bottom of the stairs, all concerned because what the fuck a kid just fell down the stairs, right? And so I, laying on the floor disoriented and laughing, declare, and I quote: “That was fun, let’s do it again!”- THE MOTHERFUCKING MAC AND CHEESE MUFFINS IN HIGH SCHOOL. Macaroni and cheese baked into the sweet batter of a muffin. I refused to touch the stuff but a friend of my did and it was bad enough he had to go to the trash can and fucking empty his stomach in it.- SAID FRIEND ALSO MANAGED TO GET A CARTON OF MILK THAT EXPIRED A MONTH BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED AT THE START OF ONE OF OUR YEARS IN HIGH SCHOOL and if I didn’t trust cafeteria food before that sealed the deal on me Never Trusting It Again- OH BUT SPEAKING OF CAFETERIA FOOD one time in the old school before the renovation, in like freshman year I think? I laughed so hard a piece of spicy chicken strip flew up my windpipe and got stuck in my nose and it was too big for me to snort out so I had to suck it back down and for the rest of the day all I could smell was burning- ON ANOTHER FOOD RELATED TOPIC down in the library I was on my iPad and 3DS because I had Long Since Given Up On School and some asshole dudes threw a rotting orange at me and it splattered all over the screens of both? So I picked up the remains and chucked it back at them and yelled “Do you wanna fucking NOT?” and they all ran off. The librarian heard me yell and saw me throw the orange back at them and she just didn’t give a fuck lmao- The librarians at my school were cool as shit really during one of our years we had to do x hours of volunteer work so I did some adjustments to the library catalogue for mine but the thing is I was fast enough at it that there really wasn’t enough to fill up my required hours so instead of giving me more to do they just sort of let me and my friends hang out playing Yu-Gi-Oh and called that good lmao. (For the record I only had one starter deck so I let my friend pick half of the cards and I would use the half she didn’t want. I managed to fuckin WRECK her with throwaways it was Iconicque)- OKAY ONE LAST LIBRARY STORY on the last day of finals I was hanging out in one of the smart tv rooms in the library right? My last finals weren’t for a few hours and lord knows I wasn’t gonna study, ADHD ass couldn’t do that and I’d already given up on school lmao. So I fucking... I brought my Wii U to school, hooked it up to the smart tv, and just started playing Splatoon there in the library. One of the librarians walked past to check on everyone, stopped at my room, watched me play for a minute (I noticed her and just sort of nodded and waved like ‘Sup’ so she Knew what was going on), and then just LEFT. Like, she didn’t give a fuck. Shoutout to the librarians, the Chillest- ALRIGHT LAST STORY LAST STORY I straight up never got all the credits I needed to graduate lmao. I was missing half a credit but they let me go anyway and to this day I cite the reason as being my high scores on the SAT/PSAT? I was the first student at the school in like, a decade, to have gotten an award from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation for my performance on them, and I guess they must have thought that me failing to graduate on time would look bad on them because, uh, yeah, it would, if people found out their teachers couldn’t handle a ~smart kid~ to the point that they did poorly enough to not even graduate with the rest of their class nobody would be willing to send their kids there lmao. And that’s the story of how I graduated when I wasn’t technically supposed to!!!

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have? That’s a good fuckin question hey shit memory what was that thing that made us laugh so hard we couldn’t breathe again?...Don’t remember? Yeah I thought so lmaoI dunno, probably a joke in some let’s play? Or... god. Now that I think about it was probably the Slicer of T’pire Weir Isles moment actually. Holy shit, that was good.

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried? That I’ve ever tried? Jesus, I dunno, I have issues with texture more than flavor. I Refuse to eat my mother’s stuffing because it’s literally just soggy ass bread. In terms of pure flavor alone? Her shepherds pie. It’s just... there is no flavor. It’s like eating cardboard. I’m begging you, De, use seasoning. If I ever have to eat shepherds pie that just tastes like tin from canned peas and vague hints of unseasoned beef again I’m going to go on a murderous rampage.That said? F in the chat to Cameron for that mac and cheese muffin. Rest in pieces

73. favorite weird flavor combo? GVFHDJBVDN JUST GONNA MAKE ME SHARE THE DILL PICKLE/CHOCOLATE PUDDING PACK COMBO FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE HUH

93. nicknames? Gar, Garn, Lane, Bill, Master, Pants, Shortpants. The first three are self-explanatory, first two are shortenings of my name and then my masc/surname. The latter four come from usernames of mine - Bill from Bill Ciforce (If you stack a Bill Cipher on top of two other Bill Ciphers, you get the Ciforce), Master, Pants, and Shortpants from MasterShortpants in reference to one of Link’s nicknames in Skyward Sword

95. favorite app on your phone? Does the internet app count? No? Lmao. Spotify I guess :p Need me some Tunes

#if you're on a version of the site that readmores don't work on i'm sorry #long post #ask game thyme

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misomilk · 5 years

Photo

WHAT: A month-long celebration for AxelxSaix (LeaxIsa) and vice versa. WHEN: July 8 (Saixel Day) – August 7 (Akusai Day), 2019 http://bit.ly/akusaimonth2019

HELLO, FELLOW SHIPPERS!! It is time to announce this year’s prompts for #akusaimonth.

This year, we’re returning to our two original modes of challenges: SLOW BURN (posting across 7 specified dates) and BERSERK (posting everyday for 31 days). Details for these challenges may be seen in the cut below.

As always, you may choose whatever medium that fits your fancy–fics, art, graphics, playlists, video edits, cosplay, whichever. Make sure to post materials made by you yourself! NO USING OTHER’S WORK WITHOUT PERMISSION. For writers, an AO3 collection will be available for you to upload your works. (EDIT: The AO3 Collection is here.)

If you have any more questions or clarifications, or if you think you need more inspiration with a certain prompt, please don’t be afraid to send an ask!

Please reblog this post to spread the word! =) Let’s all have fun weeping over and celebrating our favorite pair of life ruiners this July-August! ❤️💙

GENERAL RULES

You may CHOOSE between doing Slow Burn or Berserk. You may CHOOSE any of the given prompts for that day of your chosen mode. (Prompts are separated by //.) You are ALLOWED to switch challenge modes mid-way. You are ENCOURAGED to complete all prompts of the challenge mode you choose. It is NOT REQUIRED to complete them. You are ALLOWED to join akusai month at any point during the month (July 8-August 7), even when it’s already started.

PROMPTS (SLOWBURN)

Day 1 (Jul 8, M): Change // "You’re going to be fine.” // “I used to trust you.”

Day 2 (Jul 13, Sat): Repentance // Forgiveness // “What’s up with you and picking up stray puppies?”

Day 3 (Jul 18, Th): Lost and Found // “There’s no fixing us.”

Day 4 (Jul 23, T): Swapped Destinies // “Can’t you pretend to love me this once?”

Day 5 (Jul 28, Sun): Choices // “I have loved you this whole time.”

Day 6 (Aug 2, F): Mystical // “Do you remember anything from last night?”

Day 7 (Aug 7, W): FREE DAY

PROMPTS (BERSERK)

Change // "You’re going to be fine.” // “I used to trust you.”

Parallels // “I love you.”

Day 118 // “Don’t be dramatic. It’s just a cold.”

Stargazing // “What’s on Netflix?”

Reports // Diary Entries // “Please don’t lie to me.”

Connections // “Don’t pry any further, you have no right.”

Jealousy // “I owe you a ____.”

Past vs Future // “Go ahead and kill me.”

Time // “I’d even join the bad guys. Just for you.”

Gifts // “I’ll never forgive you.”

Manipulative // Rage // “You’re terrible.”

Chance // “You’re hollow.”

Touch // “Won’t you stay with me?”

Seven Deadly Sins // “Just take my hands.” // “Just listen to my voice.”

Teamwork // “Bunny pyjamas, really?”

Tragedy // “How do you really feel about me?”

Weapon Switch // “Don’t move.”

Messages // “How long have you been like this?”

Shadow // Light // “Shh, don’t cry.”

Sea-salt // “Don’t feel bad. There was no chance for you to begin with.”

Red and Blue // “You haven’t slept for days, have you?”

Expressions // “I was never enough, was I?”

Worlds // “Beautiful… Absolutely beautiful.”

Questions // Answers // “Keep your mouth shut.”

Promise // “I’m going home.”

Trust // Betrayal // “I miss you more than I thought I would.”

Elements // “The toaster is broken.”

Dreams // “You’re really just a coward.”

Loyalty // “I know you!”

Places // “Let’s run away together, you and me.”

FREE DAY

POSTING GUIDE

tag with #akusaimonth within the first five tags

mention in the post: AKUSAIMONTH, Slow Burn/Berserk (whichever you’ve chosen), the Day, the Prompt

make sure to put long texts under a Read More

SAMPLE POST

QUESTIONS

On both berserk and slowburn there's prompts like: one//two, are they separate prompts? Or are they meant to be created together? [x] They are separate prompts. You may choose any of the given prompts for that day of your chosen mode. See a sample here.

What does mystical mean? [x] Personally, when I think of ‘mystical’ I think of deities, myths, and mysteries, also ancient civilizations and their devotion to otherworldly beings. I also think of mystical creatures, like fairies, mermaids and unicorns.

Soooo you could go for an au with akusai as sun and moon deities, or maybe akusai as vampires/mermaids/[insert fantastic creature]. It could also be a Harry Potter au (YAY MAGIC), or set them in a Final Fantasy game, with all those eidolons/aeons/summons, whichever is your thing. Hmmm I suppose I suggested a lot of types of ‘mystical’. It doesn’t have to “exactly” mean anything. It can be whatever you want it to be! \0/

#akusai #akusaimonth #leaisa #kingdom hearts #saiaku #lea #isa #axel #saix #fgHGFGFGFGFHGFGHFGFHG here's to hoping these prompts are good enough #I HOPE EVERYONE HAS FUN MAKING ENTRIES #edit1: 5/13 11:50am ph time #edit2: 7/10 11pm ph time

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petertheparker · 5 years

Text

Runaways [one shot]

Requested by @wolkenlichtblitz

Summary: Could you do a Peter Parker imagine with 16 and 27 You ran away from home and you bump into May and she took you to their apartment and gave you clothes and stuff and then Peter comes home and sees you (you both are in love with each other but don't know it)?

16 "is that my shirt?"

27 "Why'd you take so long?"

"GO TO FUCKING HELL"

You couldn't stand another moment in that apartment with her. That God awful woman. You gripped harder on your bag strap, practically bolting out of the door while slamming it back into the door frame.

That's it, that was the last straw.

The crisp air attack your exposed skin as you walked along the sidewalk. You could feel angry tears start to well up in your eyes but you let them fall. Hot, salty drops dripped onto the pavement. You felt like screaming. You wanted to scream until your voice turned horse or until your lungs gave out. Either one was okay with you.

You didn't even know where you were going. The only thing you wanted to do was to get as far away from her as possible. Stephanie. Your step mom. More like step monster.

Fights between you to become a regular. Every opportunity she got she'd knit pick at you. You're wearing that? Fix yourself. Sit up straight. What would your father think if he saw you actinglike this! I'm the adult, you're the child. Don't talk back! You're an embarrassment

It was as if someone lit your blood on fire, you couldn't take her abuse any longer. You needed to leave that toxic environment before you did something you'd regret.

Stopping at a cross walk, you finally took in your surroundings. Absorbing the New York weather,taking in the cloudy morning and accessing the people around you. You catch a reflecting from a window nearby.

I look fucking awful.

The cool breeze sent your hair into a slight frenzy ruining whatever hairstyle you had it in, your crying caused your face to flush and eyes to puff up. Not to mention how your nose was running. How attractive.

But that didn't really matter right now. All that you could concentrate on was the pure rage that coursed through your body, the absolute furiousness you felt.

You gripped your hands until you felt them bleed, you clenched your jaw until your teeth screamed at you to stop. You wanted her to feel your pain and hopelessly. The lonelness God, you wanted your dad back. So so bad.

The waterworks started again, and this time you couldn't stop it. All the suppressed feelings resurfaced. The angry, sadness. Everything. It felt like the whole world had stopped and it was just you and the endless void of tears.

"Y/N?"

A quiet voice filled with concern brought you back to reality. You're face to care with Mrs. Parker. Peters aunt.

". . .May?" You hated that your voice cracked.

She was carrying grocery bags and holding an umbrella. It started to Rain and apparently you didn't feel a thing.

"Are you okay hun?" Her soft voice made you want to cry even more.

"No, not really" you wrapped your arms around yourself. Suddenly feeling cold.

"Come on honey, let's go back to my place."

And with that, there you were. Sitting at the Parkers couch. It wasn't like you haven't been here before, it just this was a different circumstance so it was a bit intimidating. On the walk to her apartment, you completely fell apart into May's arms. Telling her everything. You never felt so vulnerable. But it felt nice to finally get everything off your chest. This heavy feeling on your shoulders started to lighten.

You could finally exhale.

May was currently getting you some dry clothes. Everything you had was socked and she said she'd just toss them into the dryer.

"Okay, so everything I have might be a little outdated for your choice so I just grabbed some things from peters room. Is that okay?"

"Uh-yeah, that's fine"

"Great, here you go. The bathroom is down the hall first left." She said as she handed you some clothes.

Grabbing the clothes you set off to the bathroom. Locking the Door behind you, you finally took in your appearance. Your hair was stuck to your face and eyes were a little less puffy. It could be worse.

Stripping off the wet clothes you looked at the graphic tee May had given you. It read 'I lost an electron. Are you positive?' Peter's favorite shirt. Bringing it to your nose you smelled in Peter's familiar cologne. Hazelnut and vanilla. It was your favorite.

You pulled the T-shirt on and noticed that it was a size to big. The end seem went mid thigh and the short sleeves covered most of your upper arms. You loved it.

You grabbed the dark leggings May had given you and put those on. You took one last look at yourself and exited the bathroom. You placed your wet clothes in a basket and headed back into the living room.

The sound of jingling keys brought your attention to the front door as it swung open. Peter a second after sauntered in with headphones dangling around his neck "Hey May, I'm hom-"

"Is that my shirt?" He pointed.

You look down at the shirt and look back up. Hoping Peter doesnt see your gradually growing red face. "Oh yeah this uh" Your mind was drawing a complete blank.

"Pete your home. I assume you got my texts."

Thank Goodness. You mentally thanked May for saving you from that awkward moment.

While they conversed you took that opportunity to settle back into the living room trying to calm your nerves. You took out your phone and saw the screen display 53 missed calls and 47 messages all from Stephanie.

You turned off your phone and tossed it to your left side. You brought your legs up and hugged them. Staring at the coffee table.

"Hey Y/N" Peter stood near you with a blanket and a smile.

You could of won an medal for the flip your stomach just did. You loved his smile. The way it light up his face. Making his freckles beam even more. Gosh.

"Mind if I sit with you?" He gestured to the empty space to your right. You nodded.

The couched dipped due to his weight. He shifted for about a minute. Trying to make himself comfortable and not touching you. Once he settle in he draped the blanket over both of you. "You comfy?" He gave you a nervous smile while his face glowed a soft pink.

"Uh not quite" You moved your legs so you were resting them on his lap and snuggled deeper into the blanket. "Now I'm comfy"

Peter smiled that smile at you again. Anything that boy did made you weak in the knees. And you couldn't help but smile back. You felt him tense up as he looked away. He reached for the remote turned on the TV. You both mindlessly watched what was on but clearly, you both weren't interested.

Peter was the one to break the silence. "May left for work and won't be back until later tonight." He glanced over at you. "So it's just going to be us today"

"Oh uh-cool"

Oh my God, could you get anymore awkward!! Say something else!!

"You-you wanna watch a movie!"

"Yeah, that sound great. I know the perfect one" Peter moved from the couch carefully moving your legs and made his way to the movie section. You felt a bit disappointed from the lack of contact but insantly felt better when he flashed you Star Wars.

"Oh my god Peter Parker, you could not get anymore nerdy!!" You covered your mouth as you laughed. Something you haven't done in a while.

Peters ears reddened as he through a pillow at your direction. "Says you!! Have you seen the shirt you're wearing!!" It was your turn to blush.

But with that comment you both broke out into fits of laughter. Anymore awkward moments were no more, you both eased right into each other's company. Spending the rest of the day watching movies, snacking and teasing each other relentlessly.

By the sixth or seventh movie you both were exhausted. Peter took that chance to lay his head on your lap. Which you didn't mind. You subconsciously racked your fingers through his hair. Feeling the soft curly locks and appreciating the reaction you got from him.

Peter felt so relaxed under your touch. He could stay like that forever. It wasn't long until Peter fell asleep.

His soft snores made you giggle. Gosh, you loved this boy. With him laying on your lap, you looked at his profile. His defined jaw line, that one scar on his cheek slowly fading away. His beautiful freckles. Everything about him made your heart stop.

You couldn't take it anymore, so you bent your head down and kissed his cheek. It was short and sweet.

"Hey" Peter's tired voice startled you.

"Why'd you take so long?"

You're faced burned a deep scarlet. "I-I thought you were asleep" You stammered.

Oh my God oh my gOd

Peter locked eyes with you and watched you ramble. He lifted his hand to your cheek and pulled you down towards him. Connecting his lips with yours. Stopping you from finishing your sentence. It was pure bliss.

He pulled away for a moment to catch his break. "Stop Talking Y/N and just kiss me"

And so, you did.

A/N: well I wrote that in like 2 hours it's currently 23:59 oops. Hope you like it @wolkenlichtblitz I tried my best to follow the prompt!! If you like this one request another!! (Didn't proof read/edit sorry for Grammar mistakes!!°°°°)

#peterparker #peter parker #promptlist #cute #rain #movie #awkward #fluff #love

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eliniei · 5 years

Text

Those Hard Days - Chapter 23

Summary: Rae’s brother always made sure she was tough as nails. But when her father flips her world upside down, will she find that there’s a limit on how strong she can be?

Warnings: Rape/Non-con (non-graphic, fade-to-black), child abuse, underage drinking, underage smoking, drug use, violence, major character death

A/N: Okay, this chapter took me SO LONG. I had no idea what to do with it until one morning at like 2am when the cat woke me up I was like. .....IDEA

AO3: here Fanfiction.net: here

Masterlist

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Chapter 23 - Relief

"You know each other?" Steven asked as her boyfriend made her way over to them.

"Sure do," Rae answered, holding back a sigh of relief at finally seeing his dumb face again. “This is Curly Shepard.”

“Oh, Shepard, huh?” Steven said, recognition filling his voice. “Ain’t been in town long but I’ve already heard the name. Gotta be pretty tough to kick my brother’s ass.”

"Haven’t seen ya in a bit," Rae said before he had a chance to respond, and started pulling at the thin hair ties around her wrist, looking down at her shoes. "Where ya been?" She stopped herself when she caught it and slid her hands into the back pockets on her jeans.

"Oh-y’know, helpin’ Tim keep the gang in line and-,” Curly started, but paused, looking at the other two. “Could we, uh, talk outside or somethin’?” He reached back and rubbed the back of his neck. A nervous tendency she’d picked up on years before. She nodded.

“We’ll be back,” she said to Carrie, who gave her an encouraging smile and nodded. He led her outside, away from the haze and the music, and they both sat down on the porch steps.

"So...I..." Curly looked up at her face and squinted. He reached to put his hand on her cheek, rubbing his thumb over the healing bruise on the bone. “What’s this?”

“Dad,” Rae responded and looked down at her lap. “He followed me home one day- came back later with a shotgun and a bunch of heroin in his veins wantin’ my brains to decorate the Curtis’s livin’ room wall. It’s been… an eventful week.”

“Shit,” he whispered, eyes full of worry. Just like the last time she’d seen him. She clenched her fists in her lap. “I hope you ain’t stayin’ there anymore.”

“No, I’ve been movin’ around a bit- stayin’ at Carrie’s this weekend.” He nodded and she looked down at her lap. "Are-are you mad at me?" Confusion spread across his features. “That night-” Finally, he seemed to recall the fight they’d had- and her saying no to him.

“Of course not,” he interrupted, quickly. “I was bein’ real- the boys are gettin’ a little unruly. And I thought...maybe you’d want some time...” He grabbed her hands, tightening his fingers around hers. “I didn’t mean…”

“It’s fine,” she said, unable to hold her sigh of relief back any longer. She lowered her voice to a mumble, red spreading across her cheeks. “I just missed ya is all.” Curly lifted a hand from hers and dramatically placing it around his ear.

“What was that? I’m hard of hearin’, you see and-.” She feigned anger and shoved him. It was hard enough he almost fell off the steps and into the garden.

“I missed ya, you stupid hood.” He laughed, his nervous expression replaced with that stupid cocky smile of his. In that moment, Rae wanted to slap that smug grin of his idiotic fucking face. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. She smiled and huffed a laugh through her nose. As he pulled away, his eyes travelled to her ear. He tilted his head and moved her hair over her shoulder.

“Pierce your ears?”

“Chrissy did it.” He smiled. “Do ya like it?”

“I think it’s beautiful.” He kissed her again, slowly.

"Anyway," he began again, after they’d separated. “Angel’s back in rehab.” She nodded, slowly. “I told Tim what happened. He said Dally’d bust his balls if we knew and we didn’t do anythin’ about it. Just thought you’d like to know.”

"Thank you, Curly," she said with a small smile. “I know it wasn’t easy.”

“It ain’t nothin’. You were right, anyways. Let’s just hope this time she’ll stay clean for more than two weeks.” The door behind them opened and Eric appeared holding two plastic cups.

"Looks like you guys could use these," he laughed. “Your conversation is far too serious for this party.” Rae eyed the drinks suspiciously. "It's just beer, kid." He sat down, uninvited, in a porch chair that was sitting near them. "So, this is her? The girl you were talkin’ about?" Curly went rigid and maybe a little bit red, but it was hard to tell outside in the dark. She stifled a giggle at his embarrassment.

"Yeah, Rae Winston," he replied.

"Winston? You ain’t related to Dallas, are ya?"

"Well, yeah, that’s my brother." She knocked back a bit of her beer. “How d’you know him?”

"Old buddies," he responded. “Went to grade school together when ya’ll moved here.”

"But- Carrie said you were new here?”

"Oh, just Steven. Mom and Dad were separated for a while. Now they’re back together so Mom moved herself and Steven here with us. Long story." She nodded her understanding. He stood up to head back inside. He swatted her gently on the shoulder. “Hey, tell Dally ‘hey’ for me, yeah?”

“Sure.”

“Thanks, kid.” He stood back up, breathing in the chilly night air and shouldered his way back inside.

“You ready to go back in?”” she asked as she turned back to Curly. He’d gotten over his embarrassment and that crooked smile was back.

“May as well,” he responded and helped her up. He curled his arm around her waist and led her through the crowd of people, looking for her friend. Finally, Rae found Carrie’s blonde curls among the masses as she was tipping back the last dregs of a beer.

“Rae!” she exclaimed, a bright smile on her face. Rae grinned, amused.

“Had a few, then?”

“It’s a party, ain’t it?” She set her cup down on the edge of the dining room table, but it tumbled to the ground. Carrie burst out laughing as she squatted down to pick it up, but she lost her balance and dropped to her knees. Rae watched, lifting an eyebrow.

“Uh, how many?”

“Only three or four, I think.”

“Take any shots?” Carrie giggled again, and he took that as a yes.

“Two-Bit dared me!”

“Oh, yeah, like that makes it any better,” she noted and reached out to lift her friend up by the arm. Curly bent down to grab the other arm. “Come on, up we go. You’ll get trampled if you stay down on the floor.”

“I told him you were here. He went off lookin’ for ya,” Carrie nearly yelled once she was on her own two feet again. The girl looked over Rae’s shoulder at the same time as she felt a tap.

“There ya’ll are!” Two-Bit’s drunk voice exclaimed. “Finally decide to loosen up a bit?” She turned and saw her rusty-headed friend standing there, beer cup in hand, goofy smile plastered to his face. She gave him a lopsided grin and crossed her arms.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, ya know, kid,” he started, but paused to chug down the rest of his drink. “It’s okay to have some fun once in a while, yeah? Curly, what the hell are ya doin’, man? Take the girl to dance or somethin’.”

“What, are ya, my dad, now?” he said with a shake of his head, but took Rae’s hand and spun her around. In the background, Carrie giggled yet again, and watched as Curly led her out into the crowd of people dancing around the living room floor as the quick beat of I Want To Hold Your Hand started playing on the record player. The Beatles would have to do.

“What about Carrie? She’ll be drunk off her ass soon,” she asked over her shoulder.

“She’s alright. I’ll keep an eye on her,” Two-Bit assured her, and laid his arm loosely across Carrie’s shoulders.

“You’re the one who got her drunk in the first place!”

“Fine, fine. I promise I won’t dare her to take anymore shots!” He lifted two fingers to his forehead in a mock salute. “Scout’s honor.”

Finally, Rae relented after giving her friend a look and turned back to her boyfriend.

A while later, they both laid on a blanket in the front yard while the party wound down. A second blanket was wrapped around their bodies to ward off the chill. Curly had pulled them out of a hallway closet and they both came outside to avoid the noise. Their empty cups sat beside them, tipped over in the grass. Curly had Rae tucked under his arm, and her head rested on his chest as they stared up at the clear night sky, watching the stars. Every once in a while she’d raise her hand to point out a constellation.

“And you see those four stars in a line right there?” she asked him, drawing her arm down, following the pattern.

“Yeah,” he said, softly.

“That’s Cygnus,” she started, and lifted her other arm. “The swan. It branches out like this-” She used her index fingers to show him the lines. “-to make it look like wings. It always looked like a pterodactyl to me, though.” She could feel his chest rise in a quiet laugh.

“I think you’re a swan,” he said, his voice drowsy. Rae sat up on her elbow, looking down at him.

“No way,” she retorted, a smile forming on her face. Her hair spilled over one shoulder and dropped down around his face.

“Yes way,” Curly shot back, raising his hand to tuck a lock of her dark hair behind her ear. “Beautiful.” He lifted his head to kiss her nose. “And graceful.”

“Graceful? Are you h-” Before she could finish, he caught her lips with his, cutting off her question. He kissed her slowly, gently rubbing his thumb over her bruised cheekbone. She leaned down farther to deepen the kiss and inhaled his scent. Cologne and cigarettes mixed in with a little beer. It was more intoxicating to her than the alcohol. She ran the fingers of her free hand through his greasy hair, nails lightly scraping his scalp. A small moan escaped his mouth.

When their lips parted, they laid on their sides, Rae’s head on his outstretched arm. She stared into his eyes and he pressed his forehead against hers.

“Would it be so bad if I wanted to marry you one day?” Curly asked, closing his eyes, his sleepy words slightly slurred. She wrapped the blanket tightly around her shoulders.

“I think I’d like that,” she responded, curling into him. Soon, his breathing evened out. She allowed herself to relax in the warmth of his body and floated into the easy darkness of sleep.

When Rae opened her eyes again, a foggy morning had started to rise. It seemed as though everything had taken on a blue tint, even the air. She sat up from their makeshift bed in the middle of the small front yard, Curly’s limp arm sliding down her waist, and peered around the lawn. They weren’t the only ones who’d passed out outside.

“Mm.” She turned to look back at him. “Is it morning yet?”

“Yeah,” she said, shifting so she was facing him again. “I should probably grab Carrie and head back to her house before Dally’s sixth sense picks up that I ain’t there.” He nodded.

“Yeah, Tim’ll prob’ly be wonderin’ where I ran off to. Better be in my bed when he wakes up.” He sat up. She leaned in to kiss him, inhaling him once more for good measure, savoring his smell.

“Okay,” she said. “I’ll see you later.” Then, she stood and made her way inside to find her friend.

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feathers-scales-and-tails · 5 years

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Lately I've seen a lot of posts talking about the environmental impact pet cats can have. And while this is absolutely excellent that awareness is finally being brought, I have yet to see a single discussion about pet dogs. Many don't know but they can be just as destructive as cats if allowed to wander unchecked! I'd really appreciate if you could take the time to read this or share it please! So cheers, I'll try not to drag this out too long.

Dogs just like cats, massacre animals simply because of instincts, they're bored, or because it's just fun to kill. Despite it being illegal in Queensland, Australia where I live to allow a dog to leave its property unsupervised, it is common place to see it happen anyway. Local councils are slack with pet cats and dogs so even if their wandering is reported often no punishments are enforced upon owners. Majority know how harmful a single cat can be; my backyard population of Eastern Water Dragons (5 adults, estimated 13 babies) was slaughtered by my neighbours cat. That damage has never reversed and to this day, roughly 8 years after, I have never seen another Water Dragon in my yard. Yet mention a dog and people will bite your head off with "dogs are angels" and "my dog would never kill"

We don't often hear about dogs killing wildlife although it does happen, considering they don't drag the kills back home likes cats do. Often dead possums and kangaroos will be abandoned wherever the dog killed them, unbeknownst to the owners. However what we do hear about commonly, is livestock.

Ask any farmer in Australia and they will tell you that they've had stock massacred by dogs, occasionally feral but usually pets. Feral dogs don't like light and are usually smart enough not to jump into a paddock where they'll be trapped and prone to discovery by humans. Pet dogs don't have this fear, and are often found covered in blood and gore surrounded by bodies.

Here are some of the stories I was told just from last year. Warning I have included very graphic descriptions so if you don't want to read feel free to skip. I'll summarise at the very end of this post how many stock died for you without the details.

12+ sheep (he stopped counting it was too distressing for him but estimate is around the 20 mark) attacked by dogs. 5 were still alive when he found them, 2 passed away as he went to get his knife. He had to finish 3 off. He doesn't know what time they were attacked but considering most of the blood was dry it was likely many, many hours ago. The dog wasn't caught but it was likely a pet one considering none of the carcasses were consumed at all and the owner lives close to both a university and a town where there are many pet dogs.

23 sheep including lambs and pregnant ewes massacred by two pet dogs. 11 were still alive when found and most needed to be finished off. These dogs had obviously taken great joy in chasing the sheep since all injuries sustained were to the rear with absolutely no scratch on the front end of the sheep. It's likely they chased them, grabbed them and pulled them down, them let them back up and repeated until the sheep collapsed from blood loss and exhaustion. Several of the sheep were missing the tendons in their legs and these tendons were found flung across the paddocks. The two dogs responsible were found on the property, they were playing with a deceased lamb. Throwing it in the air and shaking it. When they caught sight of the farmer approaching them they ran over for pats. I'm unsure what happened to the dogs? I believe the farmer found their owner and gave them a serving but allowed the dogs to live.

3 calves attacked by dog/s. Culprits weren't caught so this one could have been feral, but considering nothing was eaten again doesn't seem likely. 2 of the calves were found deceased, one with chunks taken from both sides so big you could stick your fist inside apparently. The other one was missing her ears and tail but had no other visible injuries asides from tears at her heels. She likely died from shock. The 3rd calf was found still alive, lying on its side with its intestines hanging out. The dogs had crippled its back legs so it couldn't stand or run and then torn open its stomach. It appears that they may have been going to eat the organs but were disturbed or scared off? This calf was shot.

7 sheep killed, 3 pregnant ewes and 2 lambs. I wasn't given details of how they died, or if any were found still alive, however I was told something which is incredibly upsetting. The dog that did this was their own. She was their pet German shepherd who had previously chased sheep but never attacked them. They rehomed her somewhere without other animals.

37 chickens. Once again no details but it was the neighbours pet dogs.

An alpaca who was guarding his herd of sheep died valiantly defending them from two dogs.

Somebody's entire flock of 10 sheep. They'd not long gotten them and since they were pets they were obviously crushed. Dog wasn't caught but was likely another pet considering the lambs bodies appeared to have been shaken around like toys.

That was all during 2018, last year. Please note that if vet treatment was feasible, a lot of these animals would have received it. Their conditions were so poor that there would've been nothing a vet could do asides from euthanasia. Although vet euthanasia is more humane and nicer than a slit throat or bullet through the skull, rural vets often aren't nearby so can take several hours to arrive. Although some cases would come down to money (a vet callout fee is around 100-200 bucks) majority were because these people didn't want to leave their stock in pain while they waited for vets to arrive (they likely would have died before the vet arrived anyway). So please don't come at me about how them putting their stock out of their misery is abuse or anything like that because it's an awful thing to go through and was not a decision made lightly.

All of this I only know from talking directly to the farmers (I'm involved in agricultural shows particularly the sheep and poultry sectors). Two of those people I mentioned are friends of mine. I had SEEN that first examples sheep on the Friday. He'd taken me down and showed me all of them. By the Monday, I think it was? Over half of them were gone. There was one little girl I fell in love with and joked about taking home with me. It crushed me finding out she was one of the ones he had to finish off, left there god knows how long in agony. I'll attach a photo of her because she deserves remembering.

That's livestock, I dread to think what dogs are doing to our local wildlife. Here are a couple cases I've heard about this year for wildlife. Descriptions are brief and not gory.

Pet dog killed a blue tongue lizard found in their yard. She also maimed another one which they got off her and took to the vets (likely euthanised)

Pet dog jumped and pulled a Ringtail possum out of a tree on an early morning walk. Owner got the possum away from it but she was pretty maimed, she was euthanised at the vets.

Pet dog kills big Brushtail possum it found crossing through the yard at night.

Pet dog on a walk takes off on owner chasing a wallaby. Leash wasn't securely being held so is pulled from the owners hand and the dog runs off into bushland after the wallaby. He came back after 10-15 minutes of calling him, muzzle covered in blood. It's unknown what happened to the wallaby.

Oh so many snakes killed by dogs.... people like to brag about their dogs killing snakes so I've probably got 30 stories of this for you. "He was guarding his family like a good boy" "only good snake is a dead snake and (dogs name) here knows it!" "Better the snake than me" "one less snake! I think that's celebration. I hope he gets more"

That last one in particular makes me incredibly angry. Vast majority of snake bites are because people either try to catch or kill the snake, if left alone we wouldn't have as many 'vicious snake attacks' as we do. Many dogs die annually or require antivenon due to being bit while mauling snakes. It's not that hard to train a dog not to touch wildlife.

I think it's great we're becoming more aware of the environmental impact cats have, and are hopefully becoming more responsible cat owners. However education also needs to be raised on how destructive dogs can be. We need to ensure that we're responsible owners and do everything we can to minimise the impact our pets have on both wildlife, and other people's pets.

Livestock summary: 12+ sheep killed, 23 sheep killed, 3 calves killed, 7 sheep killed, 37 chickens killed, 1 alpaca killed, 10 sheep killed. And not a single one was eaten, simply killed for sport.

Here's that gorgeous girl I said I'd attach a photo of, may she rest easy now.

#my posts #myposts #text

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loretranscripts · 5 years

Text

Lore Episode 16: Covered Mirrors (Transcript) - 4th October 2015

tw: murder, graphic descriptions of violence, racism, hate crimes

Disclaimer: This transcript is entirely non-profit and fan-made. All credit for this content goes to Aaron Mahnke, creator of Lore podcast. It is by a fan, for fans, and meant to make the content of the podcast more accessible to all. Also, there may be mistakes, despite rigorous re-reading on my part. Feel free to point them out, but please be nice!

Before we begin, I wanted to mention two of my upcoming live shows for October. If you’re in the Boston area, these might be something to check out. On October 11th, I’ll be in Portsmouth, New Hampshire for a 7pm show, and on the 25th, head down to New Haven, Connecticut, for a 2:30 afternoon show. You can order your tickets for one or both of the shows right now by heading over to lorepodcast.com/live, all the details are listed there. I’m looking forward to meeting you, and sharing some stories together. And now, on with the show.

I can still remember the first time I saw Nightmare on Elm Street as a child. Those tense moments in the dark, the thumping of my heart in my chest, the screams… The decades have reduced much of those memories down to simple impressions and flashes of key images, and the most important of those, of course, was the glove. Freddy Krueger’s glove was iconic, all leather and metal and fish knives – just a glimpse of it was enough to send shivers down the spines of millions, and it was one of a handful of weapons that became foundational to a new wave of horror movies that started 30 years ago. There were others, of course: the chainsaw, with its screaming motor and biting teeth filled many nightmares; the machete always takes me back to the hockey-mask-wearing Jason Voorhees of Friday the 13th. There are many stories of a killer who uses a hook, from I Know What You Did Last Summer to an early episode of Supernatural. And who could forget the wooden stake that makes an appearance in almost every vampire movie? But no tool of destruction has been more prolific, more horrific, than the axe. It’s the stuff of nightmares, equal parts passion and skill; it’s a near mythic weapon that instantly inspires fear, but a little over a century ago, those nightmares became reality. I’m Aaron Mahnke, and this is Lore.

Between January 1911 and April 1912, a killer travelled across western Louisiana and eastern Texas, and whoever they were, a trail of bodies was left on a scale beyond anything we can imagine today. They were crimes of intense passion and brutality; they were calculated and merciless; they were hate crimes to the core, focusing on victims of mixed race; and they were all committed with an axe. The first murder took place in Rayne, Louisiana in January 1911. While a young mother and her three small children were asleep in their beds, someone entered their home and brutally killed them all with an axe. Shortly after that, and just 10 miles to the west in the small town of Crowley, the killer struck again. While Walter Byers and his wife and their six-year-old son slept in their beds, their lives were ended. There was a pattern forming, something beyond the victims’ profiles and the murder weapon, but it was still too early for the authorities to notice. This was an age before the internet after all, before 24-hour news networks. Most information travelled along railroad, and took days or weeks to spread effectively, which was unfortunate, because that allowed the killer to move on and continue his work. Just a quick note: I’m just going to use the male pronouns when referring to this killer. It’s not an effort to be anti-feminist, believe me, I just have a hard time imagining a woman would brutally murder small children with an axe. If that assumption offends you, I apologise. Whoever he was, he didn’t wait long before making his next appearance. On February 23rd, 1911, someone entered the home of the Casaway family in San Antonio, Texas, and slaughtered everyone in their sleep: the husband and wife, and their three children. There were never any signs of robbery, no vandalism or other evidence of a reason for the murders. Whoever the man was, he entered each home with one horrific purpose, and then he moved on. The killer took a long break after San Antonio, but when he reappeared he was back in Louisiana. On Sunday, November 26th of 1911, in the city of Lafayette, all six members of the Randall family were butchered while they slept. The authorities said that each had been killed with a single blow to the back of the head, near the right ear, and the weapon, they claimed, was an axe.

The police arrested a woman named Clementine Barnabet, who claimed to have committed the crimes in Rayne, Crowley, and Lafayette. Her story was an odd mixture of voodoo, superstition and cult mentality, due to her involvement in something called the “Sacred Church”, but in the end, the true killer proved her innocence by continuing with his spree while she was behind bars. In January of 1912, Crowley experienced yet another tragedy at the hands of the axe-man. Marie Warner and her three children were brutally killed in their beds, following the pattern of the previous murders. Two days later, in the Louisiana town of Lake Charles, Felix Broussard and his wife and their three children became the next victims, one blow to the head for each, just behind the right ear, but this was the moment the killer went off script. He left a note – it wasn’t incredibly helpful, but it did lend a small amount of humanity to the man behind the axe. The note read: “when he maketh the inquisition for blood, he forgetteth not the cry of the humble. Human Five”. No one knew what it meant; no one does to this day, but it helped the towns along the southern Pacific railroad line understand that it wasn’t some mythological beast that was hunting them. No, the killer was a man, still a monster, but of the human variety. The death toll continued to climb: on February 19th, it was Hattie Dove and her three children in Beaumont, Texas; on March 27th, it was the Monroe family in the town of Gladden; on April 11th, the killer returned to San Antonio to take the lives of William Burton and his family; and two nights later, in Hempstead, three more lives were taken. The killer appeared one final time in August of 1912, in the home of James Dashiell in San Antonio. But something went wrong – rather than never waking up again, Mrs Dashiell opened her eyes as the killer missed his target. She screamed, and he ran, slipping away into the night. And then, as if it had been nothing more than a hot wind blowing off the gulf, everything just stopped. No more murders, no more blood, no more little coffins with no one left to weep over them. Just… gone. But there’s always another axe, there’s always another family, and there’s always another monster.

Tucked in the south-western corner of Iowa, between the middle and west branches of the Nodaway river, is the sleepy town of Villisca. In 1912, this was the sort of town where everyone knew each other, if not by name then at least by face. Local man Joe Moore had been the star salesman at a farm equipment business run by another Villisca native, Frank Jones, but had struck out on his own five years earlier, starting his own business. He and his wife, Sarah, had four children, ranging from five to 11 years of age, and all of them were well-loved around town. On the night of June 10th, the eldest daughter Katherine played host to a pair of local girls, Lena and Ina Stillinger, for what we would call a sleepover today. With the house full, the family retired to bed, and soon all eight of them were fast asleep. Just after midnight, however, a stranger lifted the latch on the Moore family’s backdoor and stepped inside. Today, we don’t think twice about locking all of our doors and windows before going to bed, but in Villisca in 1912, that would have been overkill. Crime wasn’t a problem, and everyone – well, we’ve already covered how friendly they all were. Whoever it was that entered the Moore house that night closed the door behind himself, and then quietly picked up a nearby oil lamp. This was the type of lamp with a glass chimney on top, which protected the flame from gusts of wind, but it was also prone to toppling out if the lamp was tipped too far. Breaking glass makes noise, and that’s probably why the intruder removed the chimney and set it aside. He lit the lamp and turned the flame down as low as he could - just enough light to see by, but not enough to wake anyone up. And then, moving as quietly as he could, he walked past the room where the two Stillinger girls slept and slowly climbed the narrow stairs. We know this because the town coroner did his best to later reconstruct the events of that night. We’re told that the man first slipped into the room of Joe and Sarah Moore, who lay asleep in their beds. He set down the lamp – it would only get in the way when he started to use the other item he had brought with him: an axe. He raised the weapon over his head, so hard that it scuffed the ceiling of the room, but neither of the occupants of the bed seemed to notice. He brought it down, first on Joe, and then on his wife. Two quick swings, two sickening thuds, and then it was over. He next visited the Moore children, asleep in the second upstairs bedroom. He quietly killed each of them with similar, quick blows to the head with the axe, before returning to the stairs. Back on the first floor, he entered the room where the two guests slept, and completed his macabre mission. No one awoke. No one screamed. No one was allowed a chance to warn the others, until it was all over. But there are signs that one of the Stillinger girls woke up. According to the coroner, her body showed signs of movement prior to her death. Perhaps the noises upstairs woke her, maybe her sister screamed, or some other noise disturbed her sleep, but by the time she was awake, it was too late. She quickly joined the others in their horrible fate. I wish I could say that the night’s events were over, but the intruder – the killer, now – wasn’t finished. After killing all eight of the people inside the house, he returned upstairs and systematically brutalised their remains with his axe. There are details I won’t record, details most of us can do without, no matter how strong some of our stomachs might be, but it’s estimated that the killer stuck Joe Moore’s face at least 30 times before moving on to his wife. I think that gives you an idea. When he was done with his work, the man covered each of the faces of the victims – all eight victims, shrouded in clothing and bedsheets – and then he moved on to the mirrors in the house, draping each one in turn with more cloth. Every reflective surface, every place where it might be possible to see eyes staring back at himself, he carefully and deliberately covered each of them. They think the killer stayed in the house for a while after he was done. He had taken a bowl and filled it with water, where it appears he washed his blood-soaked hands, and a little before 5am, the man picked up the house keys of the Moore’s, turned off the lamp, locked the doors and then vanished into the red morning sky.

As it goes with so many small-town tragedies, the people of Villisca quickly went in search of someone to blame for the murders. One of the first suspects to be considered was Iowa senator Frank Jones. If you remember, Jones had been Joe Moore’s boss at the farm equipment business just a few years before. When he left to strike out on his own, though, Moore had taken one of the most lucrative clients with him, a company called John Deere. There was no love between these two men, in fact they used to cross over to the opposite side of the street to avoid passing one another on the sidewalk. There was also a rumour that Joe Moore had been having an affair with Frank’s daughter. The theory, around town at least, was that Frank hired a killer to get rid of Moore. He was never formally charged with the murders, but the news coverage ruined his political career forever. Another suspect was local man Lyn George Kelly. Aside from being the town’s Presbyterian minister, he was also known as a sexual deviant with mental problems. This is a guy who had placed an ad in the local newspaper looking for a receptionist, and when women responded, he would instruct them that they would be required to type in the nude – super nice guy, if by nice, you mean crazy. But crazy or not, he quickly admitted to the murders and to leaving town on a train the morning of their discovery. He was also left-handed, something the coroner had determined was characteristic of the killer - but there were some problems too. Kelly was 5’2”, and weighed a little over 100lbs soaking wet, not the beast people would have expected to find swinging an axe in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, Kelly later recanted his confession and complained about police brutality. One final suspect was William Mansfield. It was believed by some that Frank Jones had hired Mansfield to do the killing, while others just believed that the man worked alone. Mansfield had a criminal record, and at one point one of the detective agencies hired to investigate the murders claimed that he was even a cocaine addict. No one liked Mansfield, and it seemed like he was really the guy. Mansfield had been suspected in two other murders prior to Villisca, which didn’t help his case – one in Kansas, and happened just four days before, and another in Aurora, Illinois. The locations of both of those murders were easily accessible by train, and both had been committed with an axe. That’s not all. Each of those previous murder scenes were eerily similar to Villisca. In both homes, investigators found a lamp burning at the foot of the bed, glass chimney missing. Mirrors in both homes had been covered, and bowls of water used to wash bloody hands were found near the kitchen. No prints were found, though, suggesting a killer who was worried about being identified by prison records, something Mansfield would have understood. In the end, however, Mansfield was able to provide an alibi. His name was apparently on the payroll records for a business several hundred miles away, making it difficult to believe that he could have travelled to Villisca to swing the axe. Someone did, though, which means the killer got away – caught a train, skipped town, and landed somewhere else. Who knows where that train might have taken him.

The axe is about as iconic as it gets. Some of the oldest manmade tools that scientists have discovered are hand-axes, suggesting that their form and function is somehow part of our subconscious. They fit our needs, and perhaps they fit our nature as well. In Villisca, like countless communities around the world at the turn of the last century, the axe was about as commonplace as the hand-pumped well, or the wooden outhouse. Everyone had one, and everyone took them for granted. It was incredibly common to see them laying on a person’s porch or protruding from a large piece of firewood in the yard, which means that there never would have been a need for the Villisca axe murderer to carry his weapon with him. It was a weapon of convenience, it was the easy and logical choice – the perfect tool for the perfect crime. As a result, our scary stories are full of these brutally sharp, iconic weapons. Their vicious arc is the stuff of nightmares, and for the Moore family, those nightmares became real. We encounter William Mansfield one more time in the historical records. Shortly after his trial and release, a man named R. H. Thorpe from nearby Shenandoah, came forward with a story. According to him, he saw a man fitting Mansfield’s description board a train the morning of the murders, within walking distance of town. Maybe it was someone else, maybe it was Mansfield himself, caught in his own lie. There’s no record that the authorities followed up on this lead, but other things followed him in the years to come. In June of 1914, two full years after the events in Villisca, Mansfield was arrested one more time, this time in Kansas City. The reason: his former wife, along with her parents and her infant child, had been found dead in their home, in Blue Island, Illinois. According to the authorities, they had been brutally murdered in their sleep. The killer had used an axe.

This episode of Lore was produced by me, Aaron Mahnke. You can learn more about me and this show over at lorepodcast.com, and be sure to follow along on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, @lorepodcast. This episode of Lore was made possible by you, the sharpest listeners in the shed, [Insert ad break]. And finally, a reminder that you are my hero, each and every one of you. Your reviews on iTunes, your tweets to friends, your likes on Facebook, all of it works together like a well-honed axe to cut through the clutter, and help this show grow. If you feel like pitching in, just visit lorepodcast.com/support, where you can find links to all sorts of ways to help this show out. There’s always room for you on the team. And as always, thanks for listening.

#lore podcast #podcasts #aaron mahnke #villisca axe murders #serial killer #true crime #iowa #louisiana #texas #transcripts #16

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thebiasrekkers · 4 years

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Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

Plot: “It’s always darkest before the dawn…” It’s a dog-eat-dog world in Seoul, South Korea. One has to dwell in the shadows in order to reach for the light. What are you willing to sacrifice in order to feel the sunlight on your face? What will it take to drag you back into darkness? How long will the journey be to make it right?

Rating: NC-17 // NSFW

Genre: Series | Mafia!AU | Crime!AU | Angst | Romance/Fluff

Pairings: Jin x OC | Taehyung/Hoseok x OC | Yoongi/Jungkook x OC

Warnings: Graphic Violence, Heavy Language, Angst, Slow Burn, Smut

Previous Chapters: Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin E’s AO3 || Admin E’s WP || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 2,631

Chapter 28: Rain

“Then I turned my eyes to the window and everything looks gray. Gray city, gray buildings, gray roads, gray rain.”

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

Seoul – Sinchon; Seodaemun District South Korea

“You’re a lifesaver, Raelyn-ssi!”

“Yeah, thanks for coming on such short notice.”

“We had our hands full, so we really appreciate it.”

Raelyn smiled brightly, shaking her head as she waved at her fellow nurses at the hospital she was dispatched to. They all shared a laugh in the break room, steaming paper cups of coffee cradled in each of their hands as they chatted about how busy their schedules had been. Raelyn’s Korean was good enough that she could keep up with the various dialects that filled the room; from as deep in the city as Seoul to as far as the countryside as Gwangju. She enjoyed getting to know each of the nurses and orderlies who milled in and out of the main general hospital in Seodaemun.

Normally, her hospital in Gangnam was busy. But her supervisor insisted that her expertise would be better suited in Seodaemun for that week. If they needed her longer, she was given the go-ahead to remain for a few more days. Either way, she would earn a full week of PTO when she returned and she certainly wasn’t about to start complaining about that.

Part of her was happy to be out of Gangnam for a few days. She needed time to process things and really think about what road she was taking. Raelyn felt slightly hypocritical when she thought about her relationship with Taehyung, and on many levels at that.

While the Golden Jackals may have been no more, it didn’t change that their foundation was still a little unstable. People wouldn’t shift their opinions about them so easily, though it was becoming less and less difficult to throw that mantle into their faces. However, she was no fool to how the criminal underworld worked. If anything, the lack of firearms made Korean gangsters scarier than American gangsters. In America, all a civilian needed was another gun. While a normal person could carry a knife, the difference was that Korean gangsters could all fight. All of them. They wouldn’t hesitate to pierce someone with a knife or bludgeon someone to death with a steel pipe.

Getting their hands dirty was part of the territory.

When she thought about it, Raelyn probably attributed her attraction to Hoseok to that level of danger at first. Discovering that he was the leader only caused her adrenaline to soar to new heights, tickling the senses and rousing a deep-seated darkness that she had long since buried while she was living in the States. Raelyn was young and foolish in her younger years, running headlong into the fire and not caring if she wound up getting scorched or not. The feeling of her heart pumping like a piston in her chest made her feel alive. She was addicted to that chemical that released itself in her brain.

There was an actual condition for something like that. “Adrenaline Junkie” as she had once affectionately been called by her peers. That sense of danger excited her. Dealing with Hoseok and the other Golden Jackals was guaranteed a life of said danger.

When feelings were involved, however, Raelyn realized very quickly that the criminal life wasn’t for her. She could handle the backdoor dealings and under the table handshakes. She could take the mask she often had to don when she walked beside Hoseok during gatherings, both with his underlings and his main umbrella. What Raelyn couldn’t handle was seeing someone she cared about constantly in pain; struggling mentally and physically with his own demons as he promised that things would change. He made those promises as easily as it was for him to breathe.

In the beginning, she’d believed that they were all lies. That he was just saying what she wanted to hear to get her to stay by his side. It was the sort of thing Raelyn expected from most people in her life; men and women, friends and family alike. Nothing changed. Nothing ever did.

But now things were different. Things were beginning to change. Raelyn felt conflicted for the first time in a long while.

“Oh, dammit,” she heard one of the orderlies say, rising from his chair to cross the breakroom, “I forgot to bring an umbrella.”

Raelyn craned her neck with the others in the room, seeing the sudden torrential downpour that fell from the skies. While everyone else groaned in shared sentiments, she smirked and continued to sip her coffee. She didn’t mind the rain. She minded it even less when she didn’t have an umbrella.

It’ll be fine, she thought while setting her cup down on the table, a little rain never hurt anyone.

Her phone buzzed on the table, causing her to raise a brow when she saw two messages. One was from Taehyung, asking the normal question of when she was going to come back home. She shook her head, not sure if she wanted to answer him just yet. It wasn’t like she was avoiding him, but it would be a lie if she said his promise hadn’t shaken her up a bit. Why he felt it was even necessary for her...what did that say about her?

Had she made it that obvious?

The second message was from Eden, which had her almost laughing.

Eden: I’m sick of having to deal with this shit by myself. Ana is in LaLa Land and I’m not having it. You hear me? I spoke with your supervisor and he said today’s your last day at that hospital. I’m coming to pick you up. Don’t even think about trying to dodge me.

She picked up the phone, sending her a ‘smirk’ emoji, before replacing the phone into her pocket. Raelyn scoffed, finishing her coffee and tossing the cup into the trash. If anyone didn’t know any better, people would think that Eden was her girlfriend.

“Raelyn-ssi,” one of the female nurses called out to her, “are you going to be busy later? We were thinking about getting drinks after our shifts were over.”

Eyeing her wristwatch, Raelyn sighed. She was scheduled to do one more walk through of her rounds and then she could call it a day. By the time she finished, Eden would be arriving at the hospital.

Looking up at her fellow nurse, she shook her head and smirked. “I’ll have to take a raincheck, Mina-ssi. My ride is going to be here after we do our rounds.”

A few of her colleagues pouted and she laughed. It was a short amount of time she was dispatched to the hospital, but they already welcomed her as one of them. It was nice to be valued for her skills and who she was as a person versus the color of her skin.

Fifteen minutes seemed to fly by faster than she’d anticipated. As soon as Raelyn finished checking on her last patient, she made her way to the front desk to let them know she was leaving for the evening. Already other nurses and orderlies were coming in to relieve the Day Side crew of their shift – taking on the evening hours until the Overnight shift would come in to replace them .

As if on cue, her phone buzzed and it was a message from Eden telling her that she was pulling up. The rain hadn’t eased up. If anything, it was coming down harder than it had just a while ago. Mulling over the downpour, Raelyn was inwardly thanking Eden for being so stubborn. A little rain never hurt anyone, but a lot of rain in early Spring could cause someone to get sick. Maybe even her.

She waved to the receptionist at the front desk, clutching at her light jacket and bag. As she exited the building, Raelyn stopped just short of the hospital’s awning. She looked around, trying to spy out Eden’s car, and pouted when she didn’t see the mixed girl’s vehicle in sight. Pulling out her phone, she began texting her that she was outside. Raelyn pouted, tapping her foot on the concrete pavement.

“She demands I don’t ditch her, and she goes and ditches me ,” she muttered, turning her head in every direction to see if maybe she’d just missed her friend, “that bitch.”

“Take your fuckin’ hands off me!”

Whipping her head to the right, Raelyn’s eyes widened slightly. It was Eden’s voice. Taking a half step forward, the fronts of her shoes got wet from the water splashing on the ground. Squinting, she tried to make out what was happening in the parking lot. Eden was standing there with an umbrella opened over her head, her other hand clinging to a smaller one – presumably for Raelyn. However, there were about four men attempting to accost her.

Raelyn took another step forward, about to intervene. But before she could open her mouth and yell, she saw Eden dropping the umbrella in her hand only to extend the smaller one in her other hand, rearing her arms around her and swinging like she was holding a baseball bat. Successfully clobbering one on the side of the neck, Raelyn could only watch as her friend spun on her heel and smashed her combat clad foot into the gut of one of the men who tried to grab her by the shoulder.

Sighing, Raelyn knew that it was useless trying to get in the middle of one of Eden’s scuffles. The woman was damned and determined to spit in the face of society because they continued spitting in hers. She was hoping that giving Jungkook a chance would loosen Eden up, but it only proved to get the woman even more riled up than usual.

Just as Raelyn was about to take a lean against one of the hospital pillars, one of the men reached out and snatched Eden by the back of her hair. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled back, causing Eden’s head to whip back and she yelled in protest. Raelyn’s legs moved before her mind could process anything, her shoes splashing in small puddles of water as she attempted to close the distance between her and her friend.

“Hey! Get your hands off her!”

No sooner had Raelyn yelled it, did the man holding Eden’s hair scream in pain. He immediately wrenched his hand from her thick curly locks, now soaked in the downpour. Clutching at his wrist, she saw the blood weeping from his fingers and palm. Raelyn skidded to a halt, blinking wildly as she attempted to process just what in the hell just happened. Tilting her head, she didn’t have time to really get a look at the man’s hand before she saw Eden’s knee crash into the side of his temple.

As Eden’s boot slammed into the ground, soft tinkling sounds followed. Raelyn’s eyes shifted to the ground and she could only stare agape at the three razor blades now on the ground. Her eye-line moved to meet Eden’s and her friend smirked, tossing the small umbrella to Raelyn who caught it robotically in her hands.

“I brought this so you wouldn’t have to be standin’ out in the rain,” she replied cheekily. All Raelyn could do was stare at her. Eden cocked her head to the side. “What?”

“…did you really just—”

Before she could get the words out, one of the other men grabbed Eden by the wrist – yanking her backward with all the force he could muster. Her heels slipped on the wet concrete and Raelyn let out a sharp gasp when Eden slammed back-first onto the ground. There was a distinct pop from her shoulder and her yell exploded from her chest.

“Mother…fucker!” Eden snarled through clenched teeth, glaring at the man holding her arm through one open eye. “Let go of me!”

“Let go of her!” Raelyn screamed in tandem with her friend, ready to clobber him with the umbrella the same way her friend had.

“Oi! Let her go, Taewon-ah,” called a voice over the roaring rainstorm.

The man immediately released Eden’s arm, her limb splashing into the water and Raelyn was at her friend’s side – already helping her onto her feet. Her arm dangled limply at her side, but she could feel Eden shaking furiously in her grasp. Whatever pain her friend was in, she apparently didn’t care. The mixed girl was ready to fight like a wild tiger who’d had its whiskers pulled.

Standing off to the side was a man with dark auburn hair dressed in a long black trench coat, a tailored gray suit underneath. He held a clear umbrella over his head, the four men who assaulted Eden now standing by his side. They clasped their hands in front of them, stoic like soldiers despite one of the men’s hands bleeding freely in conjunction with the rain. Still mentally reeling over her friend having razor blades hidden in her hair, she turned to head back inside to treat Eden’s dislocated shoulder.

“I can see why she’s the Steel Claw ’s girlfriend,” she heard the man say from behind her.

Raelyn paused, slowly pivoting around but careful not to aggravate Eden’s arm further. “What did you say?”

“She’s feisty, that one.” He grinned, one hand slipping into the pocket of his jacket. “It’s almost a waste, really.”

Eden spit at him despite being several feet away. “And who in the fuck are you?”

He bowed his head politely, his eyes still locked on theirs. “Lee Minhyuk,” he said easily, straightening to his full height, “Jindo Dog of the Jade Fangs.”

A ball of ice crashed into Raelyn’s gut. “W-What?” She tried to maintain her sense of calm, but found it was difficult the more she stared into his icy smile.

Her friend’s laughter cut through her trepidation. “And we’re supposed to give a shit, why? What’s that got to do with those punks following me around like some fuckin’ cockroaches, huh?”

Raelyn was angry now. “You should know by now that the Golden Jackals have phased out from gangster business. Why do you guys insist on poking around?”

Minhyuk shrugged one shoulder. “In our world, it’s not so easy to step into the light. It's a fickle place and treats scoundrels like us as little more than garbage.” Even though his smile was present, his eyes narrowed. “Changkyun-ah is curious, is all.”

“About what?” Raelyn snapped, readjusting her hold on Eden.

“He wants to know if what Hoseok-ah and the others are doing is genuine or just some big show to hide their true plans.” He shrugged again, closing his eyes this time. “And what it will take to drag them back into the shadows with the rest of us.”

“You lousy sack of shit!” Eden shifted forward, attempting to lunge at Minhyuk but Raelyn held her back.

Minhyuk chuckled, pivoting so that only his profile was in view. “One of the tigers has claws. That makes things interesting, for sure. I apologize for the boys’ behavior. They get a little excited from time to time.” Craning his neck slightly so he could face them, he bowed his head again in a polite gesture that was in stark contrast to what his actual words were conveying. “Take care, ladies.”

Neither of them moved, watching Minhyuk leave with his small entourage. When it finally appeared that they were gone, Raelyn felt Eden slump against her. Without wasting another second, she yelled for help and a few of the EMTs who were pulling up for their shift came to her aid. They hauled Eden onto a gurney and wheeled her into the hospital, Raelyn already calling Jungkook to let him know what happened.

The rain was lost to the sound of her raging heartbeat.

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mfackenthal · 6 years

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MFackenthal: A Week in Reviews

Welcome all to the first ever “MFackenthal: A Week in Reviews” - the post where I list everything I have read this week and provide a short description to entice you to read them too. This is where we learn that I spend too much time on tumblr. As this is my first post like this – if you have suggestions for how I should do this post in the future – please let me know. I consider this blog always to be a “work in progress” and I welcome ideas for how best to organize things so to be better for you my dear readers!

What follows is a list of the fics I reviewed this week. Quick note: This list does not include headcanon posts, ABC posts or any post that wasn’t directly related to a story or storyline. This also only includes reblogs and not work I “liked” but wasn’t able to provide commentary on.

This means that if you want to find out what I specifically thought about each chapter, that can be found on my blog. To more easily search my blog, search the phrase “mfackenthal reviews ________” and fill in the blank with the blog name. IE “mfackenthal reviews maxattack-powell” to find the work I reblogged specifically by @maxattack-powell.

In case it’s not obvious: I recommend ALL of these fics and ALL of these authors. I cannot say enough about the fabulousness that is these authors.

The list is organized by love interest.

If the “read more” works then you’ll find the full list under the cut.

Maxwell:

1. Maxwell gets an education – MC can thank Adelaide later …

Wild Thoughts by @pbchoicesobsessed

Liam:

2. Does Liam even know what love is? Catch up with me – I think parts 7 and maybe even 8 are out now. I’ll be reading those this week for sure!

You Have Never Loved Me Part 4 by @kawairinrin

You Have Never Loved Me Part 5 by @kawairinrin

You Have Never Loved Me Part 6 by @kawairinrin

3. When a couple isn’t on the same page about children … when does separate pages turn into different books altogether? When mistakes are made how do we come back from that? I cannot wait to see where this series goes next!

An Heir (Part 16) by @viktoriapetit

An Heir (Part 18) by @viktoriapetit

An Heir (Part 19) by @viktoriapetit

An Heir (Part 20) by @viktoriapetit

4. Honestly – I live and breathe for this series! I am currently so pissed at Liam.

TSS: Part 35 by @choicesfanatic86

TSS: Part 36 by @choicesfanatic86

TSS: Part 37 (1/2) by @choicesfanatic86

TSS: Part 37 (2/2) by @choicesfanatic86

5. If I’m pissed at Liam in the TSS series, I am head-over-heals in love with him in this series. If this was the Liam of the books, Drake would not stand a chance.

If only: Chapter 9 by @choicesfanatic86

If Only: Chapter 10 by @choicesfanatic86

6. This story is about Liam and MC, but damn if I didn’t fall in love with Drake in this one.

Terrible Love – Chapter 15 by @confessionsofabrokegirl

Terrible Love – Epilogue by @confessionsofabrokegirl

7. The conversation you didn’t know you needed MC to have with Liam. It’s so beautiful!

Wait by @mrswalkerwrites

8. If MC is gonna be the mistress – she should have some fun – and she does! It’s not all fun though ...

The King’s Mistress by @captainkingliam

The King’s Mistress – The Duchy – Pt. 3 by @captainkingliam

9. All the Scandals that the King gets to see …

Arrangements by @hellospunkiebrewster

10. I’m still mourning the loss of the corgi. This story in three parts is sad, it’s angsty, it’s going to set us up for so much more drama.

When Three Became Two by @laniquelove

When They Give Up by @laniquelove

When They’ve Had Enough by @laniquelove

11. Husband and wife swap lives. Let’s just say she does a better job at being him than the reverse. A very humorous read.

Freaky Friday – Part 1 by @xxrainbowprincessxx

Freaky Friday – Part 2 by @xxrainbowprincessxx

12. If you haven’t started this series yet, it’s time to do so. Then start whining for more with me! Find out what happens with MC leaves, Liam is hurt, Olivia gets a little too much power, and Cordonia moves towards democratization ...

We the People Ch. 6 – A Dinner Party by @captainkingliam

Drake:

13. I am absolutely in love with this series. In the AU, everyone is working at an elementary school. I need more ASAP @larryssunflower!

TRR AU – Teachers (part three) by @larryssunflower

14. It’s built into the title – this is Everything You Ever Wanted. It’s funny. It’s creative. Read it.

Secrets – Part 12 of “Everything You Ever Wanted” by @lizeboredom

Foreign Affairs – Part 13 of “Everything You Ever Wanted” by @lizeboredom

14. This is another series that I live and breathe for. Catch up and learn one more reason why I hate Constantine!

Queen of My Heart – Chapter 19 by @walkerismychoice

Queen of My Heart – Chapter 20 by @walkerismychoice

15. I live for the snarky teasing that Drake provides as written by @tmarie82.

Fireside Games (Part 1) by @tmarie82

16. Did I mention that I love Drake and snark? Drake gets the last word in this fic …

Idle Threats by @lizeboredom

17. An AU where Drake met MC first and while he was in college … I can’t wait to see where this goes!

Bonfire by @traeumerinwitzhelden

18. When Drake is fluffy my heart melts.

3 AM by @drakewalkerwhipped

19. A Poly story where Savannah is less than supportive.

Ours Forever by @bobasheebaby

Conflict by @bobasheebaby

The Blow Up by @bobasheebaby

Bastien:

20. A slow burn that is anything but slow. Check this series out and you may never see Bastien quite the same way again …

More Than This – Part Seven by @honeylightningambition

More Than This – Part Eight by @honeylightningambition

Leo:

21. Liam and Leo fall for the same girl ... so far only one of them has admitted it ... Catch up on this series and cheer Leo on with me.

Duties of a Prince – Chapter 17 by @theroyalweisme

22. Catch up on this series and help me decide if I want the father to be Liam or Leo …

The Waterfall, part 7 of The Other Brother Series by @captainkingliam

The Test, part 8 of The Other Brother Series by @captainkingliam

Original Characters:

23. Okay – if I had to choose a favorite of the week – this would be my favorite. Of course, this piece was written for me and makes me character in the world of A Prince of the Sea as written by @captainkingliam. This references the only fic I have ever written and may be the only fic I ever write. (We’ll see.) I still claim what I wrote was more support than fic. You can read it here: The Case of the Maligned Prince. Luca sends me my favorite flowers. I love you, @captainkingliam!

The Case of the Maligned Prince – Luca Tribute by @captainkingliam

24. I love Luca! This is the series about Luca. I’m the president of a fanclub about Luca and his siblings. Obviously, I’m invested in this story and think you should be too. In case you don’t know, Luca is the oldest son of Riley and Liam and this story is about his social season.

A Prince of the Sea – Chapter 9 by @captainkingliam

A Prince of the Sea – Chapter 10 by @captainkingliam

A Prince of the Sea – Chapter 11 by @captainkingliam

Damien:

25. I know these were listed about but it’s a crossover. So I’ll simply repeat what I said above: It’s built into the title – this is Everything You Ever Wanted. It’s funny. It’s creative. Read it.

Secrets – Part 12 of “Everything you Ever Wanted” by @lizeboredom

Foreign Affairs – Part 13 by @lizeboredom

26. Damien gets played by MC. Win win really.

Tell Me You’re Mine by @mrsnazario1223

27. Romantic comedy meets realism in this beautiful fic.

The Moment by @mrswalkerwrites

Chris:

28. When MC feels guilty for spending time with Nathan …

Wake Me From This Nightmare by @darley1101

29. If you love Chris and haven’t yet found the better more thorough recount of The Freshman as written by @maxattack-powell, then today is your day! This chapter highlights the way Chris and MC support each other. I love it. You’ll also get just a little time with another OC who I love: Ethan.

The Freshman 2-8a: The Hospital by @maxattack-powell

30. Chris struggles with the “no strings attached” line he has given MC …

Caught During the Storm: Part 3 … Out Came the Sun … by @emerald-bijou

Seth:

31. When one Minah is mad at Seth … he finds comfort with a different Minah.

Lucky by @lizeboredom

Kenna x Val

32. Chapter 2 of 23 about the Queens of Stormholt. I’m a bit behind on reviewing this work, but I think we’re up to chapter 9. I’ll be reviewing this week, if I can. Catch up with me. If you read The Crown and The Flame – or even if you didn’t. It’s time for us to revisit it through this series.

The Queens of Stormholt: Chapter 2 by @kennaxval

note: Another big thanks to @drivenbyfantasy for creating the graphic. She and many others (notably: @maxattack-powell, @captainkingliam, @theroyalweisme, @trianiasti, @queencatherynerhys, @tmarie82, and @lizeboredom) helped me think through what this post would look like each week. Thank you to all of you for your help and to any of you who read this!

One final note: I reblogged 56 fics this week.

Yes, I have a problem. No, I don’t (yet) want help.

Last, but not least, on the off chance that I missed a fic that you know I reblogged, my apologies! It was unintentional and is not a reflection on you, but upon my inability to maintain my own blog. Also, if a link or a tag doesn’t work - I am sorry! My excuse: 56 links.

#mfackenthal reviews #mfackenthal's a week in reviews #this is where my life was this week #I should have been reading a book for book club #sorry not sorry #my addiction is real

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