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somedayonbroadway · 3 years

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I found a quote from Ally Condie that could be used as a prompt: Growing apart doesn't change the fact that for a long time we grew side by side; our roots will always be tangled. I'm glad for that.

I have no idea if this is good or not, but let’s post it anyway, shall we? ;)

Can be seen as romantic or platonic, and I missed posting for you guys. Ya’ll are the best.

TW: mentions of bullying and slight mention of child abuse, teen pregnancy, sick background character

“Growing apart doesn't change the fact that for a long time we grew side by side; our roots will always be tangled. I'm glad for that.” ~ Ally Condie

They were just kids once, kids that believed in monsters and fairy tales and true love, kids who came from two different places and still ended up at each other's side all because one moment, one single instant that changed everything.

David had gotten hit in the back of the head with a dodgeball.

It wasn’t that David had been trying to play sports. In fact it was quite the opposite. David much preferred sitting in the classroom and reading a book. His twin sister said he was just boring. They were six.

On this day in particular, Mrs. Mills had closed the classroom for recess. Something about needing private time and David needing fresh air. David had been out there for almost a full seven minutes and he did not understand what all the hype was about. He could hardly focus on the words he was trying to read on the page. It was much too noisy and the kids out there pulled on his hair and spat little papers at him.

Still, David sat by the wall, curled up with his book, his knees to his chest as he dared devour every word.

No one really understood him. Hence, the dodgeball that hit his head.

David looked up quickly at that, his wide eyes searching for the monsters who had disturbed his concentration. There was a group of kids, two boys and three girls, snickering at him. He neatly put his perfectly crisp bookmark between his pages and carefully set the thing down on the ground. Then he waited for more.

“Get him!” one kid yelled, Morris Delancey, one of the snickering boys. David didn’t make any move to run. Logically, he knew he wouldn’t get very far. He would take the headache over some scrapes on his knees and elbows. So he waited for the attack patiently, making sure his book was safely out of the way.

The dodgeballs came flying.

All David could really do was try and stop the things from hitting his face. Other than that, he was an open target. That is, until another voice from the crowd called out, “Hey, everyone, free ice cream in the cafeteria!”

Eyes snapping up at that, David watched the dodgeballs drop from the other kids’ hands as they all ran off, squealing annoyingly as someone grabbed his wrist. David barely managed to grab his book before he was almost dragged across the playground into the grass. “Here! They won’t find you over here,” another boy said.

His book hanging at his side, David tilted his head. “There’s no ice cream in the cafeteria,” he stated obviously, as though the other boy with the messy brown hair and forest green eyes should know that.

But the boy only shrugged. “They don’ know that,” he stated, sitting down under the tree and then twisting over to lay on his stomach. There was a piece of paper laying in the grass. It was a dry day, so the paper wasn’t wet. David still wondered how this boy was okay with one side of the page being dirty as he moved his pencil over the page. “I’m Jack. Jack Kelly,” the odd boy introduced, not even looking up at him. “You can call me Jack. Or Kelly. It don’ matter.”

Squinting a bit at that, David hesitantly sat on the grass, cringing at the dirt that would now be on the back of his pants. “I’m David,” he said back. “I haven’t seen you before,” he mentioned, picking at the cover of his book.

Jack just shrugged again. “That’s cause I’s new,” he stated. “Prob’ly won’ be here long. I don’ think my foster ma likes me so much.” Jack said those words like they held no weight at all and David did his best to understand. Jack ma didn’t like him. He didn’t get it. A mother always loves her kids. That’s how mothers worked.

With a small shrug, David just nodded like he knew exactly what Jack was talking about. “Thanks for helping me,” he said, sitting down under the tree they were close to. He picked up his book and opened it back up.

Smiling a little as he doodled, Jack responded, “sure, Davey.”

“My name’s David,” the boy tried to correct.

Jack nodded. “Okay, Davey.”

And that was the beginning of something good. Something that was meant to be. That encounter was fate. Maybe some of their teachers warned against this relationship. Maybe Jack and David were too different to be friends, to even be allies. David always had his nose in a book and Jack was always getting into trouble from that day forward. It was odd. They were odd.

But they were inseparable ever since.

—

Years went by and the two stayed the same, only, Jack never got to stay in one house for longer than six months. By some miracle, the two still lived close enough for a nine year old Jack to knock on his only friend’s window at midnight.

The two knew each other too well. Jack had known that Davey would have his nose once again stuck in a long, long book that he would go on and on about for the next week and a half. He knew his friend wouldn’t be asleep. He knew Davey would let him in.

“Jack, what happened to your eye?!” Davey gasped as he turned a light on and helped Jack climb in.

“Shhhhh!” Jack hissed, terrified of waking someone else up. “Nothin’, I just fell over,” he insisted, immediately collapsing in Davey’s bed and curling up in the blanket, shoes and all. “What are you reading?” Jack always asked. Maybe he just liked hearing Davey talk. Something about it was calming, familiar and steady. He didn’t hang on every word. He let them wrap him up in an invisible, warm blanket.

Trusting his friend, Davey jumped on the bed in front of Jack and grabbed the book. “I can read it to you!” he offered. And Jack’s eyes lit up.

See, Jack had never been the best reader. Davey knew that. The words were all jumbled when Jack tried to read. None of it ever made sense and it hurt his head when he tried to focus. His teachers always got mad at him. But not Davey. Davey liked to read to him. So Jack nodded, and watched his friend get comfy on the bed next to him as he started to read off every word. Jack just watched him in amazement, wondering how everything was so easy for Davey and he could still care about someone like him.

Davey had a lot of things. He always said he didn’t, but he did. Davey had a nice sister and a cute little brother. And he had his mother and father. He called them weird names, but maybe they weren’t so weird to Davey. Ima and Abba. Davey had a whole room to himself and more books than Jack could read in a whole lifetime.

Sometimes, Jack wished he was Davey. He wished he could have a nice family and a nice house and nice warm food that wasn’t locked away and out of his reach. He wished he could curl up in this bed without a care in the world.

But then he thought that Davey deserved this life more than him. He was just glad to have Davey there with him.

So Jack covered Davey with more of his blanket and then yawned beneath the safety of the heavy thing before letting his best friend’s voice lull him into a dreamless sleep. “Goodnight, Jackie,” Davey whispered.

“Goodnight, Davey,” Jack managed to mumble back.

This was not the first time this had occurred. And it would not be the last.

—

Still, the boys had to start growing up eventually, no matter how they tried to stop it.

Jack was there when David was told he’d be the man of the house.

His dad was sick.

Jack and Davey sat side by side in that waiting room. Their feet only barely touched the floor. Jack had refused to leave ever since they’d gotten the news. “You don’t have to stay,” David said. They were thirteen and terrified.

Jack shrugged and picked up the book that was next to his friend today. “What are you reading, Davey?” he asked.

Shaking his head, David wiped at his face. “It doesn’t matter. You should go home—“

“I’d rather stay here,” Jack shrugged, looking around awkwardly, wishing he knew how to make Davey feel better, wishing there was anything he could do to make the other boy smile. So he opened up the book, grabbed his pencil and started sketching. David didn’t stop him. He loved it when Jack doodled. Only, Jack was beginning to do a lot more than just doodle.

The picture caused David to snicker a bit as a few loose tears fell down his face. He ended up laying his head down on Jack’s shoulder and just laying there, letting himself be sad. And Jack didn’t move away. He didn’t speak. He just sat there with that book in his hand, those pages opened up, doing everything he could to be there for his friend and his friend’s family.

Sarah, David’s twin sister, sat down beside them with their baby brother Les in her arms. “Are we gonna be okay?” she whispered to David, trying not to upset the boy in her arms.

But David didn’t even have to answer. Because Jack was there. And Jack answered expertly, “You’re gonna be just fine. I’ll be right here for ya… whatever ya need,” he promised.

It was a promise that Jack kept. And David could be nothing but grateful. He leaned on his friend and closed his eyes, trusting he would be safe for the rest of the night.

—

Davey was there when Jack found out he was getting adopted.

Davey thought it was supposed to be a happy day. Jack was terrified. “He don’t even like me!” Jack insisted, pacing across Davey’s room like he’d done so many times before, his fourteen year old voice breaking as he told Davey everything. “He’s doin’ it for the money! N’ he don’t give a single penny of it ta me! Ain’t that money s’posed ta be for me?”

“Jack,” Davey called, noting that his friend was frustrated. “You’ve always wanted to be adopted—“

“No!” Jack argued, pausing and thinking about it. “Okay, fine, sure I have, but… not by him…” he sighed, collapsing on Davey’s bed beside him. “Can I stay here tonight?”

All Davey did was shrug. “Always, Jackie,” he promised. “The real question is, what movie are we watching?”

Relaxing at that, Jack climbed into Davey’s bed, curling up beneath his covers and pulling the book out from beneath him when he found it. “Anything as long as we can convince Sarah ta make us some cocoa,” Jack decided.

With a small laugh, Davey put on a movie that Jack would forever refuse to admit was his favorite and he let Robin Williams explain the story of the lamp as he curled up beside Jack. “You know you’re part of this family, right?”

Looking over at him, Jack squinted. “What?”

“You’re practically a Jacobs,” Davey muttered, texting Sarah on his flip phone for some cocoa and popcorn. “You know, you’re just… a Kelly,” he shrugged.

Jack squinted at that. Davey was usually so good with words and here he was leaving Jack confused in a whole different way. But before he could ask what the meant, Sarah was standing in the doorway saying, “yep, just making sure you both still had two legs. Go get your own stuff.”

With a dramatic groan, Jack pouted. “But I’m a man in distress!” he groaned.

So Sarah rolled her eyes. “You owe me one, Kelly.”

The two boys snickered as Sarah walked away, curling up only slightly closer and watching their movie.

—

They grew up, side by side, much too quickly. They’d laughed together and cried together and fought and played and gotten each other through hard times and breezed through the best times. And now came this time, this time when Jack and David were sitting across the room from each other, fifteen years old and confused and terrified.

“I got into Roosevelt—“

“I got Amelia pregnant—“

They both froze at each other’s words. Jack could’ve cried. “Roosevelt?” he whispered. “Davey… that’s… that’s in Santa Fe—“

“You only slept with her once because of some stupid game! How the hell is she pregnant?”

Neither of them felt like they could breathe. “Davey… y-you can’t leave me here like this— if Snyder finds out—“ Jack shook his head. “I-I don’t know what ta do…”

David shook his head, turning back to his suitcase and continuing to fold up his clothes. “I told you not to play that stupid game—“

“Davey, I get it! I’m an idiot! Just please don’t go!” Jack begged. “Davey, I…”

Turning to him, the taller boy finally revealed the tears falling down his own face. “You think I want to leave you?” he whispered. “Jack, you’re the only friend I’ve ever had.”

“Then why is this happening?” Jack asked.

“Because it has to. Maybe… maybe it’ll be good—“

“I just knocked some girl up! Snyder is going to kill me and my best friend is moving across the country!” Jack rushed out, his voice breaking. “What am I supposed to do?”

Pulling Jack to his chest, David sighed. The two of them just stood there for a long moment, clinging to each other until Davey pulled away and handed Jack a book. “Want me to read to you?” he asked innocently. All Jack could do was nod.

They had no idea what was truly going to happen next.

—

The phone calls used to be constant. The messaging was daily. But those were gone within the first year.

Jack’s child was born. He was kicked out to the streets. He was left with nothing. And he was too proud to ask for help.

David’s career fell into place. He was drowned in paperwork and student debt. He had to work two jobs in order to make it all the way through law school.

The letters grew fewer and fewer until one day they stopped. Years past and Facebook was the only thing that told them the other was alive. Jack posted about his art and his life as a single, teenage dad, and Davey posted about his life as a successful lawyer.

It just never felt the same.

It wasn't until one day, when David picked up a book for the first time in months that a few clever little doodles made him smile. He ran his fingers over the things, opening his computer almost fifteen years later and clicking on Jack’s profile, a picture of him and a boy named Tyler James. The boy was almost fifteen. David smiled to himself and opened up the messages, typing in a simple quote.

“Growing apart doesn't change the fact that for a long time we grew side by side; our roots will always be tangled. I'm glad for that.” ~ Ally Condie

And then he waited. For a long time, he just stared at that screen, watching nothing until those terrifying three dots appeared.

“You know if you want to meet for coffee, you could just ask,” came Jack’s reply.

And David smiled wider than he had in years.

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sleekervae · 3 years

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The Neighbour [2.1]

Masterlist

A/N: OH MY GOD I LIVE!!!! Also, spoiler ahead for The Bastards graphic novel; not so much plot-wise but there are a few lines from the book. Indented paragraph is credited to Emerson Barrett and XoBillie.

“I have loved you from the moment you first smiled at me,

Giddy, mischievous, not ever looking for trouble yet somehow

Trouble has a way of always finding you.”

Remington stared wistfully at the view from Eva’s balcony, knowing how self-conscious she was when he watched her as she read a piece. In his lap sat Pluto, satisfied to have his ears stroked while he took his afternoon nap.

He couldn’t explain it, but somehow Remington found he was always transported to a new dimension when he heard Eva’s poetry. It was so soft and delicate, he could appreciate it the same way one does the petals of the first flowers of spring. Everything about her writing was so soothing, now a familiar notion that he never wanted to let go of.

“You’ve ignited a fire in my belly with embers sparking and popping

Under the intense pressure of your dark eyes

And the bubbling pearls of your laugh.

I loved you when I first ran into your open arms and marvelled

“My God, you feel just like home”

And with a few simple touches the open sores on my skin

Recede and heal, and their pain is a faint memory in comparison

To the electricity your fingertips carry.

I loved you when we were flying over the streets,

Vibrant yellow, orange and purple coating my eyes and

Painting you into Monet’s Twilight, Venice.

You’re a renaissance masterpiece that has been imprinted

Into the soft folds of my brain...”

Eva set her book down having finished the incomplete piece, watching her boyfriend with a dazed smile on his face as the echo of her prose sunk in. She simpered to herself with giddy.

“You know, I always have mixed feelings about reading you my poetry,” she said.

“Why’s that?” Remington asked, “It’s very good,”

“I know that. And you know that,” she smirked, “And I know that you know that I’m low-key inflating your ego with this shit,”

Remington chuckled, reaching out across the small table to take her smaller hand in his, “Would it put you at ease if I told you my ego is too far gone?”

Eva rolled her eyes and snapped her notebook shut, “Maybe I should start writing poems about the things you do I find annoying?”

“You say that like it’s bad,” Remington shrugged, giddy when she shook her head in dismay at his teasing.

Pluto continued to lie motionless in Remington’s lap, assuming the sphinx position as he had his ears rubbed. However, the tabby’s eyes sprung open when a guttural vibration shook through the small wooden table, disturbing the peaceful afternoon.

Eva glanced at the familiar glare of ‘Blocked Caller ID’ appearing, refraining from showing little disdain as she declined the call. Remington however was curious; for the past few months he’d seen Eva decline calls like that over and over again. The first few times he figured it was telemarketers, or scam calls. However, he noticed how they came frequently in the weeks; more prominent on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

“Who is that?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” Eva shrugged, “It’s blocked for a reason,”

“But if you blocked the caller... then you have to know who it is so you could block them,” he reasoned, “Right?”

Eva responded in silence, taking her phone and quickly tucking it beneath her thigh. Remington stared at her pointedly.

“Eva, you get these calls nearly every day,” he said, “If it’s something bad... you know you can trust me with anything,”

“I know...” Eva nodded slowly, exhaling, “It’s my mom,”

Eva had been exceptionally non-forth coming when it came to her life back in Seattle, only remembering hearing about her friends and family once or twice. He respected her privacy, though he couldn’t help but be a tad curious. She fit the overall profile as someone who was running away from her problems.

“You blocked your mom?” he asked, somewhat in disbelief though from what he understood of their relationship he shouldn’t have been surprised.

Eva nodded, “Yep. Either she can’t take a hint or she’s way more stubborn than I am,”

Remington looked across the street to his own house, the gentle breeze billowing through the sheer curtain in the living room he remembered his mom helping him and Emerson pick out.

“Why don’t you speak to her?”

“Why don’t you speak to your dad?”

“I told you already,”

Pluto then leapt off of Remington’s lap and landed on the table, crossing over to his owner and staring at her with his big, soulful eyes. Eva smiled and gently scratched his ears.

“She showed up to my graduation, which would have been fine... but she showed up with her new husband and a kid,” she admitted.

Remington raised his eyebrows, “Her own kid?”

“Yeah. She got married to her co-pilot and they have a ten-year-old son together. She abandoned our family and started a new one,” Eva shook her head, “I guess being married to a chem teacher wasn’t as exciting for her,”

“What did your dad do?” he asked.

“That’s the best part. He knew about it and chose not to tell me. I just couldn’t believe it,” she replied, “But the fact that she just... she disappeared for years and then showed up again with a new family -- at my college graduation! How could I possibly celebrate after seeing that?”

“And you haven’t spoken to her since?” he asked tentatively.

“No. The way I saw it, she walked out of my life with no qualms. So... I walked out of hers. And it doesn’t matter how much she phones me; I don’t have time for disingenuine people,”

Remington reached over to take her hand that was resting on the table, stroking gently over the bumps of her knuckles, “Did you... did you meet her son?”

It was then Eva looked truly bummed out, “I think that’s the part I regret most. I mean -- he’s a kid. It’s not his fault his mom is a flake,”

Remington nodded, “Do you still love your mom?”

“I don’t know,” Eva shrugged, “Call me a coward, but avoidance is just easier to deal with,”

“You’re not a coward,” Remington assured, “I get it. But... speaking from experience, you can only avoid your issues for so long. As hard as it may be, you might want to address these problems sooner rather than later. I promise you won’t regret it,”

“Rem --”

“She’s your mom. And obviously the fact that she’s still blowing up your phone should tell you something,”

Eva sat quietly, letting his words sink in. She knew Remington was right; knowing what she knew about him she also knew that he wasn’t just talking out of his ass. She appreciated that he understood where she was coming from, she just wished that his solution could be as easy as it sounded.

“I will call her back... eventually. My dad wants me to come home for Christmas, I guess I have to,” she chuckled sheepishly, warranting a sympathetic smile on his part, “Just... not today,”

“That’s okay,” Remington said, gently squeezing her hand, “It’s all gonna’ work out, Eva,”

“You can’t promise that,” she pointed out.

He shrugged, “Let’s not call it a promise, then. Let’s call is a whim,”

July had faded into August, as did pandemic fatigue. The streets were becoming busier, the business’ were seeing more intake in revenue, and people were slowly coming back out to try and enjoy was little of a summer was left.

And while most people were doing their best to social distance and keep safe, the cases continued to grow. Safe in the confines of the house, Eva sat at the table and read over the final print draft of the band’s graphic novel. Eva was blown away, completely immersed from the plot line to the artwork. She was supposed to be working with Emerson on his latest project, yet afforded herself a small break.

Across from her, Emerson was reading through Eva’s Tumblr blog, blown away at the amount of work she had posted since mid-June. Every prose and line was so vivid, painting a clear picture of her emotions. On the one hand, he couldn't help but be a little uncomfortable, knowing the sensual poems he was reading was about his older brother. On the other hand, everything was so poised and punctual -- he figured he may borrow some stuff to try on Shy some time.

Eva turned to a new page littered with more text than it was visuals, but on the edge of the left page was a stunning, very accurate sketch of Remington. His hair looked so different in the form of a basic sketch, yet those eyes, that face still captured all the majesty and curiosity within. She was unable to help that her fingers glossed over the lines that made up his torso with all his tattoos visible, tracing down the length of his arm to the vanity beside him and back up again. The cold paper singed her fingertips as she read the prose beside the sketch, a small smile creeping onto her lips with every word that echoed in her brain.

“...Emerson thought that if hell and heaven had a bastard son, that it would be Remington. His brother had an angelic-looking face with big almond-shaped eyes. His eyes were brown but could shift into black, and melt into the iris. It was a look that Emerson though the angel of hell would be proud of. But then, in the right light, those dark eyes changed and came to glimmer like the purest of gold - a look angels would swarm for. Apart from the eyes, his face was the feature of him that seemed to never change no matter how brutal this world was to him...”

Eva had to give credit to Emerson for his writing, capturing his brother in such a way that she herself would have. And like the flip of a switch, the memory of Remington’s eyes flashed through her mind, shining of gold and beauty the way the words had echoed to her.

In another blink his eyes turned into the eerie shadow of black, flashing a look he’d throw her way when his lust for her consumed him. In one paragraph, Remington had been portrayed as a killer from hell, offering flowers to his peers instead of knives.

Though, all romanticism was put aside as Eva read the paragraph again, noting the last line she had skimmed over quickly:

“...his face was the feature of him that seemed to never change no matter how brutal this world was to him. The rest of him was not...”

There as no denying how cruel the world had been to Remington and his brothers, though the more she pondered the more she realized she had never seen the type of dejection in his face the way Emerson had described. He always appeared -- not happy, per say -- but content with his life.

Emerson looked up from his tablet, noticing the way Eva’s eyes were glued to her own reading, her hand placed protectively over the sketch of Remington.

“You okay, Eva?” he asked.

She glanced at the youngest brother, shaken by the break in silence. But she smiled reassuringly and flipped the page, despite not having finished reading the last.

“Oh, yeah,” she nodded, “It’s absolutely beautiful. I did make note of a couple grammatical errors... I hope you don’t mind,”

“It’s fine,” he grinned, “Deadline for rewrites is on Friday,”

“If you'd like, I could go through the rest for you. I’m in between articles right now,” she said.

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. Promise I won’t post spoilers for fans,”

“Might have to get you an NDA,” he giggled merrily, “I’ll send the file over. You ever work with InDesign?”

“A few times, yeah...” she trailed off, a new train of thought lingering in the back of her mind, “Emerson... can I ask you something sorta’ personal?”

Emerson raised an eyebrow, “How personal?” he asked.

She breathed out carefully, “Remington had told me about your dad --”

“What did he say?” Emerson asked quickly, his cheerful demeanour quickly souring.

“Just that he hadn’t been in the picture for a while,” she said assuringly, “Nothing else,”

Emerson began to relax a little, “Okay. What’s your question, Eva?”

“Say he out of the blue started making an effort to get back in touch with you... would you take that offer?” she asked.

“Nope,” he replied shortly, “Because if he wanted back in our lives, it would be for his own gain,”

Eva stayed silent, his quick answer all she needed to know that she shouldn’t push the envelope. Emerson saw the fall in her face, feeling a tad bad for being so short with Eva.

“Sorry...” he grimaced, “I just... I don’t like to talk about my dad,”

“I understand,” Eva nodded, “I’m sorry I brought it up,”

“... Why did you?” Emerson asked curiously.

Eva exhaled, her fingers picking at the edge of the glossy page, “Just getting room different perspectives. My mom and I don’t exactly have a Gilmore Girls kind of relationship. I’ve just been thinking ‘cause she’s been trying to get a hold of me for so long,”

“Was she nice to you? When you were younger?” he asked.

“I don’t really remember,” Eva replied truthfully, “She was -- superficial. There but not really there,”

He cocked his head, his wispy black hair falling over his eyes, “So... you’re trying to figure out if you want a relationship with your mom?”

Before she could reply, they both turned when they heard footsteps echoing in the hall towards them. Michael had appeared, panning his camera around for new footage for the band’s Youtube channel. Eva was unsure whether she pay attention or turn back to the book and pretend not to see.

“What’re you two working on?” he asked, focusing the lens on Emerson so Eva was just out of the shot. Michael respected that Eva was a touch camera shy.

“Top secret,” Emerson replied promptly, “And if we told you, we’d have to kill you,”

“I won’t unleash that wrath,” Michael chuckled, “Don’t have too much fun!”

“We’ll try,” Emerson muttered as he sauntered into the next room.

Eva closed the book and pushed it aside, sighing to herself as she pulled back her laptop and opened Emerson’s project. The youngest brother watched her unabashedly, picking off the air of uncertainty swirling around her.

“Does Remington know your mom keeps calling you?” he asked.

“He was kind of curious as to why I kept getting all these blocked calls,” she replied.

“What did he say?”

“That everything was going to be okay,” she nodded slowly, “You don’t know how many times I’ve heard that in my life and... it’s not. So, I’m super inclined to believe him,”

Emerson swallowed, “My brother has a tendency to want to take care of everybody. And it’s not a bad quality. But he also doesn’t know how he can make it better,” he said.

“It’s not up to him to make it better,” Eva declared.

“But he loves you,” Emerson stated, “And just because of that, he’ll want to help you find your way out of this. When Remington commits to someone, he tends to go one-hundred-percent all in,”

Eva simpered to herself, “I appreciate him. He’s -- definitely been a plot twist,”

“Good or bad plot twist?”

“Very good,”

Emerson smiled as she started to type on her keyboard, some of Eva’s vexations visibly released when the topic had changed to Remington. As she appreciated Remington, Emerson appreciated Eva for all that she’d done for him. He had this gut intuition, a simmering notion that Eva was going to be sticking around for a long time. And he had absolutely no problem with that.

“Can I ask you a serious question, though?” he asked.

“Of course,” Eva nodded.

“Do you like his blue hair...?” he asked with a drawling disdain.

The young brunette turned her head in the direction of the distant chatter of the boys.

“I take it by your tone you’re not a fan,” she said.

Emerson scoffed, “He’s taking me back to the Kool-Aid dye trend,”

“Oh, Emerson,”

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nightskyfoxyy · 3 years

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ANGSTY ONESHOT (PT. 1)

(Told ya'll, its gonna be angsty. Trigger warning for blood/violence and the like just to be safe. Also Disclaimer, I wrote this a while ago while I was uhm. Not quite sober. And edited it slightly while rather hungover so yeah it is what it is but I hope I can still cater to at least a few people who might enjoy!!! This is based around the angsty sketches i posted a while back. So, here we go, let me know what ya'll think!)

One week.

It felt like it had back then, all over again.

Merely seven days ago, he had gotten down on his knee in front of her. Seven days, they had been wearing rings, plain for everyone to see. Seven days where the promise of staying together was more present than it had ever been before.

Seven days where it seemed like they might be alright, and happy forever after all.

And yet, it ended in a pool of blood on the concrete before her.

She couldnt recall how long she just sat and stared.

God, it was so much blood. Far too much. It was all over her, as well.

Her hands were shaking. It took a while to at least get her vest off.

In the back of her mind, she knew Inu was with her. Raking her fingers through her fur was comforting, at least. The dog was leaning against her closely, watching the surroundings. She must have felt something was off, no traces of her usually playful nature left in her pitch-black eyes.

Well, she was not wrong.

It had taken so awfully long for help to arrive. Well, she was not exactly sure /how/ long it had been, to be honest. It had felt like /hours/ to her, and she was sure it must have been the same for him.

He would not have survived /hours/, though.

She was losing him, and there was nothing she could do except /wait/, wait and keep pressure on the holes torn in his neck. An incredibly lucky shot, to be honest. She just hoped that /he/ had been lucky, as well.

It must have been agonising.

Of course, he was.. mild, sweet even, but there had been a certain something in his eyes just now. Something rightfully /terrified/.

But with every passing second, every gush of blood seeping out of him, /tired/, as well.

He had tried to tell her something, she recalled.

No matter how loudly she had screamed at him to stay with her though, his eyes kept falling shut, barely any resolve left to cough out the blood running into his lungs, much less form words.

He was dying.

Her stomach turned when the scenes played back in her mind. Everything smelled like.. iron, and he had been /choking/ on it.

She was going to lose him too.

There was barely enough time for her to get to her feet and find a quieter place nearby. The nearest alley had to suffice in giving her a place to throw up in peace. This was a first, she thought to herself, almost amused at her own reaction to it all.

Inu was staying at her heel, loyal as always. She didnt even have to tell her, weirdly enough..

"Good girl.." Sato whispered to her, once she could.

The dog looked up and right into her eyes at that, tilting her head to the side just a bit. She must have been confused, as well.

She had done her job, and done it /well/, and yet, their little pack was not together.

Sato tried to calm herself, though with every passing second the thoughts ran more rampant in her mind.

There was no way he would survive this.

A soft growl brought her back to her senses. Nothing aggressive enough to mean it was a threat, though. Someone was approaching.

"Uhm, Sato..? Are you.. alright?"

"Chiba, I.."

At the sight of her fellow officer, she finally broke.

Leaning against the walls of the alley, she could not help but start to sob all of a sudden, thick tears running down her face.

"H-hey, Sato-"

He tried to approach, but just as he did, Inu stepped right in between, staring him down just for a moment before a meek bark echoed through the pathway. She knew him, after all. He was Takagis friend, and had always been kind to her. And yet, it was within her instinct to wait until he had permission to get close. Something really bad had happened, and her master was vulnerable. She had to protect her, right?

Sato quickly wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Inu, off." She muttered. The dog looked back at her, concerned, but retreated to stand right beside her, pressed closely to her leg as the other officer got close enough to pat her on the shoulder.

"I.. is he.."

"We dont know yet.. Sato, Im.."

He looked like he did not quite know what to say. Then again, there was nothing exactly /right/ to be said, anyway.

"Im.. sorry. Lets.. lets get you two home, alright?"

"I.. dont know if I can be home... what if something happens, what if he.. do they have my number? Oh god, what if hes already-"

It was odd to hear her like this. She was never scrambling for words, like this. Never terrified, like this.

"Its.. its okay.."

He wished he had anything more hopeful to say. Not just for her sake, as well...

"He'll push through, Im sure.."

All he could do was put his arm around her shoulders and try not to cry, himself.

"He was /bleeding out/, Chiba!" She sobbed, accepting his condolences.

"Hes.. hes /gone/... Theres no way he isnt-"

It was just like it had been, all those years ago. Something within her felt so incredibly.. stupid, for allowing this to happen, all over again.

Allowed herself to love, just for it to end in suffering.

They had been so happy together. Something about it had felt different than before, something that had slowly but surely chipped away at the fears keeping her from allowing it at first.

And before she had known it, they did everything together.

They woke up, together. Worked, together. Went home, together.

They had even raised a dog as a team.

Every day, he had made her happy. Even on the worst of them, their antics always managed to make her smile.

But today, she would be alone.

"Hey.." Chiba tried,

"We.. we dont know that. Come on, lets just.. get you home, and let the Crew handle the rest, hm? I'll drive."

At last, she agreed. It would be better at home, surely. Safer.

It would give her an opportunity to wash off all the blood.

The entire way back, Inu kept her head on her lap.

It was a staggering sight, really. As her fingers pat over her dogs thick fur, all she could see was the shine of her engagement ring reflecting the streetlights outside every now and again, covered in streaks of drying red.

But at least, she was not on her own this time, as her dogs dark eyes reminded her.

The apartment felt odd.

She didnt even bother to turn on the light, too occupied with her own thoughts as she went through the motions.

This was not the first time she came back from work worn out and covered in blood, and it surely wouldnt be the last. Knowing it was /his/ was a punch to the gut worse than she could have imagined, though.

Every picture on the wall was a reminder that something was missing, here.

Once she was clean, all she mustered doing was crawl into bed. Sleep crossed her mind for but a second, but she knew there was no way in hell she could find rest, today. Not while all she wanted to do was cry.

Or while the hospital still had not called yet.

A slight tug on her shirt tore her back from her thoughts.

From within the darkness of her room, she saw the outlines of Inus dark form, standing right beside the bed like a big, friendly void, waiting to be acknowledged. The dog whimpered quietly, looking back and forth between its master and the bedroom door.

"Hes not coming, Inu."

She felt a bit crazy, talking to a dog like that. Then again, if there was a dog to come anywhere near to /understanding/, it was Inu, she was sure. Of course, she knew every dog owner believed their own to be the best of them all, and yet, once Inu had entered her life, she had a new understanding of this feeling.

Sato pat over her head, gently, gaining at least a little bit of a wag.

She remembered her coworkers teasing them, at first. Raising a puppy together was just a stepping-stone, they said, no matter how often she reminded them that it was a /police/-dog, first and foremost.

She sighed. Yeah, keep telling yourself that..

...Would they even get another step, now?

Would he ever come back?

The thought alone brought back the tears.

"Inu, up."

In an instant, the dog settled on the empty side of the bed.

Sato hugged her closely, face nuzzled into her fur as she cried.

At least, she had her. Someone to keep her company while she waited. She didnt know if she awaited the call with anxious or hopeful anticipation.

But at least, she was not alone.

#lo rambles #lo writes #case closed #detective conan #takagi wataru #wataru takagi #sato miwako #miwako sato #tw blood #tw violence #angst #dog au #im sorry i dont know how to make a readmore im on mobile

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soulofangst · 3 years

Text

A Dangerous Mistake (+Alt. Ending)

A fanfiction I wrote based in @monica89555‘s @ask-the-royals AU. Ya might want to ask for an updating if you haven’t read it, the story won’t make sense if you don’t!

Posted here because submissions wasn’t letting Moni post it.

___________________________

“That self-centered bastard!”

Right Hand Fox paced in front of the askers. It had to have been a few months since he last lost his temper with them, and he’d managed to control himself.

Today, though…

His fur bristled, his ears lay flat against his skull and his tail lashed. He was furious, because King Petrov had the nerve to say something negative about Reginald.

He had said he was weak, had insulted his scars, his inability to speak. He had talked poorly about every aspect of him, and while Reginald didn’t seem too bothered, Right knew it must bother him.

“Right, calm down.” Soul stepped forward, brows furrowed. She had just been quietly drawing, but her sketchbook was now closed, hanging loosely in her left hand.

“I will not!” He snapped at her, teeth bared. “You heard what he said! You were there!”

“I know, but you need to relax.” She told him gently as he continued pacing. “Right, listen to me a moment-”

“Soul, wait-”

The warning from Milk came far too late. Soul grabbed Right’s wrist, gently, but it was enough for him to whirl around and rake his claws against her throat.

Someone screamed.

Right’s eyes widened as the asker stumbled back, hand raising slowly to grasp the wound before she collapsed to the ground. It wasn’t bleeding quickly, but it was bad.

“No!” He was at her side in an instant, applying pressure. She let out a choked noise of pain, and he quickly shushed her. “Sh, sh, it’s okay, it’s alright- I-I’m going to fix t’is. Fuck, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

Right looked up, seeing the askers and anons staring at him. Angie had covered her mouth, Milk was in a state of pure shock, Purple was holding Show close.

“W’ot are you waiting for?” He snapped. “Go tell Reginald! I’m takin’ ‘er to Vinsc’pinsilstien! ‘Urry it up!”

Right didn’t even pause to see if they were listening, or if they were going to do as told, before lifting her into his arms. He knew just by looking at it that the injury wasn’t deep enough to kill, not on it’s own, but there was already far too much blood. If he wasn’t fast enough, she’d bleed to death.

The thought of her slowly bleeding out, just because she was trying to calm him down seemed to rip his heart in two. As he ran, he could hear Lua’s frantic voice, hear his own heavy breathing. But Soul wasn’t making any noise, and briefly he was afraid he was already too late until she shifted, laying her head on his chest.

“Just ‘old on a little longer.” He told her, thankful that the sorceress wasn’t too far away. “Y-yer gonna be fine.”

He didn’t hesitate to ram the door with his shoulder when he got there, nearly falling to the ground as it opened before catching himself.

Soul let out a pained whimper as the jarring movement, and he quickly shushed her again. “I know, I know. It’s okay. You’ll be okay. I promise.”

He wasn’t so sure about that anymore, though.

Thankfully he didn’t even need to call for Vinschpinsilstien. The sound of her door had caught her attention, and she was now hurrying down the hall towards him. “King Right? What are you-”

“Save ‘er.” He cut her off, moving his arms so she could see the wound better. “Please. I...I lost my temper after ‘earin’ about somet’ing said about Reg, and-”

“I don’t need an explanation. I’ll do what I can.” The sorceress took Soul from him, carefully to not disturb her too much.

It was only ten minutes later that Reginald arrived, gripping the black sketchbook in his hand. Right was sitting in a chair, Lua at his side with her head in his lap.

Right looked up at Reginald. “Reg, I…”

“Where is she?” He signed, putting the sketchbook under his arm. “R-I-G-H-T-Y, where is she?”

“V is wit’ ‘er now.” He got to his feet. “Reg, I’m sorry, I…”

“I’m not mad,” He signed. “I just...I need to see her.”

Right hesitated, but nodded as Reginald hurried past him. He knew he couldn’t convince him otherwise, the most he could do was be there by his side, as he always was.

Vinschpinsilstien looked up as the two kings came in, and Right heard Reginald’s breath catch in his throat.

Soul was unnaturally pale, the wound still bleeding slowly despite the attempts to stop it. Her hoodie and bowtie were gone, leaving her only in her black pants and a white tank top. Her eyes were closed, her breathing was weak.

She was dying, and it was Right’s fault.

“S...ou...l….?”

Reginald’s voice was weak, hoarse. He coughed a bit, before trying to say her name again.

“Reg, please, don’t.” Right put a hand on his shoulder. “Yer gonna ‘urt yerself…”

“King Reginald.” Vinschpinsilstien dipped her head. “Hani, can you hold this for me?”

There was a soft huff from the spirit lion, who obediently sat by the bed, raising himself to hold the gauze against the injury with a large paw. Right watched nervously, then turned his attention away. “Is s’e going to be okay?”

“I don’t know.” She admitted. “I’ve managed to slow the bleeding, but it hasn’t stopped yet. I’m trying to convince a spirit to attach itself to her, but either they’re unable to, or they’re unwilling.”

Right’s heart dropped. This was why he’d brought her to Vinschpinsilstien. But if they wouldn’t, or couldn’t, attach to her…

“They can’t.” Lua said softly. “Her magic, the magic of an asker, it combats ours. They want to help, but they aren’t compatible.”

No. Nononono please we can’t lose her like this...

“Can you save her?” Right asked softly.

“I can try.” She frowned. “But I’m not sure.”

Reginald let out a sob, signing frantically. “Save her. Please, please save her. She can’t die, please, I cannot lose another child-”

Both kings froze. Right’s eyes widened in shock.

I cannot lose another child.

Right had never thought of how he, or Reginald, felt about any of the askers. He was angry at them a lot, and while they liked trying to help, they often fell short or were unable to.

Did he hate them?

The answer was no. Obviously it was no, he wouldn’t have come if he did. In fact, he had only ever hurt Soul once on purpose, the scar from which she still had, and had immediately been horrified with himself for it.

Could he consider some of the askers his children?

His heart hurt. The answer was yes. He easily could, and he knew now that Reginald could, too.

They might lose another child, but this time it was Right’s fault.

He stepped back.

“R-I-G-H-T-Y?” Reginald gave him a worried look.

“I did t’is.” His voice broke. “Reginald, t’is is my fault. I’ve killed ‘er. S’e was trying to ‘elp and I ripped ‘er throat open.”

“R-I-G-H-T-Y.” Reginald pulled him into a tight hug, holding him a moment before pulling away. “It’s okay. It’ll be okay.” His hands trembled, and he took a deep breath. “She’s strong, even if we don’t think so. She’ll…” He paused, smiling weakly. “She’ll make it.”

Right stared down at him, eyes damp, but he nodded. He needed that hope, he needed the faith that she’d survive.

“Y-yer right, Reg…” He said softly. “I just...need to ‘ave faith.”

“We’ll go sit in the hall.” Reginald signed. “Can you come get us when you’re done?”

Vinschpinsilstien nodded. “Of course.” She headed back to Soul’s side, Hani moving so she could replace the gauze and clean the wound a bit more. “I promise, I’ll do all I can.”

It was a few hours before the sorceress came to get them. She was covered in blood, in Soul’s blood, but she looked relieved. “She’s alive.”

The two kings practically leaped to their feet, and she raised a hand.

“Let me speak before you get excited. She’s alive for now. She’s very weak right now, and I don’t know if there’s internal damage. I don’t think so, at least nothing that’s preventing her from breathing, but she could very well have damage to her vocal cords. But I have managed to stop the bleeding, and I cleaned the injury. If she survives the night, then she should be in the clear.”

Right sighed in relief. She was weak, but she was alive. If she could just survive the night, if she could wake up in the morning, then he could breathe easy.

“Can we see her?” Reginald signed.

“Of course. Stay as long as you like.” She stepped aside, letting them head in.

Soul was still pale, still weak, but she looked a little better now. Her throat was wrapped, and she was cleaned up. She didn’t look like she was in pain anymore.

Reginald sat down by the bed, smiling at her. He kept a hand on her sketchbook, before opening it to look through it.

Right sat next to him, watching. Most of the works were unfinished, with shaky lines or messy sketches. Most were scenery, some beautiful, others bleak. But the ones she did finish were incredible, and Right felt his heart swell with pride.

“Talent.” Reginalf signed, smiling.

“We need to encourage ‘er to finis’ some of t’ese.” Right nodded. He laughed softly at a picture of him with that damn chewtoy. He hated that thing. But hearing Reginald giggle, he didn't mind it as much.

“...she will wake up, Reg.” Right reached over, squeezing his hand a bit. “I...I promise. We...we’re not going to lose another one.”

Reginald nodded, leaning on him, taking his hand back to sign. “I know. Just worried.”

“I know, Reg. I am too…” Right laid his head on his husband's. “...I am too.”

Right could feel a hand on his head, gently scratching behind his ear. He made a noise of contentment, perfectly satisfied to go back to sleep in the arms of-

Wait a minute.

He was not in his and Reginald’s bed. He was in a chair, his neck and back sore, leaning on a bed. And the hand petting him wasn't Reginald’s. It was smaller, a lighter touch.

He opened his eyes, and the hand pulled away as he sat up. “Soul?”

She smiled at him. “Heya, Right. Sorry, I couldn't resist.”

Usually he’d be angry. He didn't want anyone but Reginald petting his head. But right now there was only relief.

She was obviously still very weak, but she was awake. She was alive.

He pulled her into a tight hug. “Don't- don't ever scare us like that again. Please. Reg and I were so worried….we t’oug’t...we t’oug’t we lost you.”

“I won't make a habit of doing that, I promise.” Soul seemed a bit surprised, but leaned into the hug. “I’m sorry. I shouldn't have touched you while you were so angry.”

“Yer right, but you were tryin’ to ‘elp. I can't completely fault ya for t’at.” Right said gently. “I just...Reg and I t’ink of ya as our kid. We can't lose ya.”

“Do...do you really mean it?”

“Of course,” Right looked over at Reginald, still sleeping. “Reg.”

He hummed softly, clearly still sleepy.

“Soul’s awake.”

That woke him up. He sat up so fast Right was sure he must have whiplash. “You’re awake!” He signed. “Are you okay, are you in any pain-?”

“Reg, slow down.” Soul blinked. “My throat hurts, and it hurts to talk, but I’m mostly just tired.”

“Ya s’ouldn’t talk if it ‘urts.” Right pulled away, frowning. He had thought that her voice didn’t sound right. It was pained, and weaker than usual. Despite her dislike of noise, Soul had a loud speaking volume, and she was talkative. He had assumed speaking was just straining the injury, and he hoped now that it was the case.

She shook her head. “I don’t know sign. I tried to teach myself when I was younger, but I only know a few. I can only understand Reginald through magic.”

“T’en we’ll teac’ ya. But I don’t want you ‘urting yerself.” He told her gently. “V doesn’t know if t’ere’s any permanent damage,

She hesitated then nodded. “Alright.”

Right smiled. “How about we get started while you heal?”

Reginald nodded eagerly, and Lua jumped up onto the foot of the bed. (Right had honestly forgotten she was out.)

And Right knew that it would all turn out just fine.

Alternate Ending

It was a few hours before the sorceress came to get them. She was covered in blood, in Soul’s blood, and Right’s heart dropped as he saw the look on her face.

“I’m sorry.” She bowed her head. “I couldn’t stop the bleeding. She’s still alive...but just barely. She just...lost too much blood.”

Reginald let out a horrible noise, the closest thing he could make to a scream, and Right wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Can...can we see ‘er? Please?”

“Of course.” She stepped aside, letting them in the room.

Soul lay on a bed, far too pale, still bloody. The bleeding had slowed, but he knew it didn’t matter now. He took a trembling breath, using the gauze to clean her up at least a little. “Soul...God, Soul, if you can hear me...I’m so sorry. I did t’is to ya…”

There was no answer. Right wished he could have one last conversation with her, he wished she could yell at him, or do something, anything, but he was glad that she wasn’t awake. She couldn’t feel any pain when she was unconscious.

He hoped that she could at least hear him.

Right looked over as Reginald tugged on his cape, looking distraught.

Realization hit him like a bullet.

Reginald couldn’t speak. He couldn’t say goodbye to her, not without him translating.

“Soul. Reg ‘as some t’ings to say. I’ll...I’ll translate for ‘im.” Right looked over as Reginald sat down by the bed, raising his hands.

“I’m sorry.” He signed, Right translating for him. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you. I care about you so much more than you know. We both do. I know you fought a long time, and I know you must be tired. It’s okay to let go.”

Reginald took a deep breath, pointing at himself, then crossing his arms over his chest, and pointing at Soul.

“I love you.”

Right swallowed hard. “...and...and ‘e says ‘e loves you. I do too, Soul. I wis’ I realized t’at earlier…yer like a daug’ter to us. I’m so sorry.”

Right wasn’t sure how long he and Reginald sat there, talking quietly to her. Reginald would hold her hand with his left one, and write down things for Right to tell her. Right made sure to tell her everything Reginald wanted her to know, a tight grip on her other hand.

He didn’t know when she stopped breathing. But he did know his heart shattered when she left them.

“Hey, Right! Do you want me to draw you anything?”

Right looked up from where he sat by the pond, a small smile on his face. He could see Milk in the background, playing tug-of-war with Lua. Angie sat braiding her golden roses into Larisa’s mane as Reginald groomed her, and Show giggled, sneaking the Kirin treats. Helper, of course, was helping Reginald with grooming, a smile on their face. Even Reed was there, relaxing against her.

He shook his head, then thought for a moment. “Actually, I do like that one picture of yours...the ocean with the letter in a bottle at sunset...could you finish that?”

“Oh?” She tilted her head, and suddenly her smile didn’t meet her eyes. “When did you see that? I don’t show my unfinished work to people very often…” Blood began to trickle from the corners of her mouth, and Right’s eyes widened as the world around them became dark. He whipped around, looking desperately. Everyone else had disappeared.

“Why did you kill me, Right?”

Right turned back to Soul. Blood was pouring from her throat, soaking her clothes.

“No. Nononono I-I didn’t-”

“Yes, you did.” She stepped forward. “I just wanted to help. You ripped my throat open. I was in so much pain, I suffered every second...why did you…?”

“Please, I didn’t mean to- I didn’t want you to-”

“But I did. I died.” She said sadly, shoulders slumping. “I thought you cared about me. You said you loved me.”

“I did. I do. I promise.” He sobbed.

Soul watched him a moment, tilting her head considerately.

“I don’t believe you.” She said simply, turning and walking away.

“No! No, don’t leave-!”

The floor broke under him, shattering into white light as he fell, still reaching for her.

Right shot up. “NO!”

It took him a moment to realize what had happened. It was just a dream.

A nightmare.

Right didn’t know which he hated more, the nightmares, or waking up from good dreams where Soul hadn’t died. Where she was alive.

He reached over, grabbing a blue plush fox from his nightstand. It wasn’t very big by any means, or very detailed. But he knew it was made with care.

He noticed Reginald had woken up, and was watching him. It was too dark for him to sign, but he saw that the other king had the kirin plush in his hand.

Soul had made these for them. She said she also made a couple for Dmitri and Hubert, whoever that was, and had been so happy to show them.

Reginald gripped his hand tightly.

“Nig’tmare…” He told him. “It...it was nice at first. But t’en...everyt’ing went dark...s’e...s’e wasn’t even angry. Just...disappointed.”

Reginald pulled him into a hug, and Right just let himself be comforted by his warmth.

He knew one day Soul would come back for a simple 24 hours. Spirits could return to visit their loved ones on their birthday. He would face her then, he knew.

He could only hope that she could forgive him.

#tw blood #tw death #royalty au #henry stickmin au #the henry stickmin collection #henry stickmin collection #reginald copperbottom #right hand man #right hand fox #RHM #RHF #soul #parent child relationship #copperright #asl #american sign language #fanfiction #fanfic

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falloutboywife · 3 years

Text

ok another life update

firstly i was doodling redacted at the back of class today because i was asked to draw some last time i opened up requests but i’m gonna be honest, i was at a loss for the pose and angle i wanted to do for them, especially since i was trying to combine two different redacted prompts in one piece

i did some preliminary draft sketches because of how much of a mental block i’m in rn so i think. i have an idea that i’ll get started on tonight, hopefully it won’t take very long though now that i have an idea of what i’m doing lmao

i have been going through a Fair Share of nonsense (what’s new) which is also why i haven’t been responding to a lot of messages on here (vcard anon you’re fine i just haven’t had the time lately lol). like on top of some certifiable bullshit happening to my job (of which i will NOT discuss on trunglr dot com), i’m currently in the process of finding somewhere new for me and my family to move into and talking my dad into it is an ordeal all on its own but now that i know how much we can easily afford in monthly loan payments i’m going to be looking at houses this week which. again. will be eating up a lot of my time and mental energy but at the very least i’m feeling good about moving things forward and no longer feeling like i’m just a helpless bystander in my own life

i have a fic i need to finish for the peterick writers halloween event next month and i also have another fic i started a little bit ago that i’ve been showing to a few friends, i’ve also very recently discovered the joys of painting pottery so after i get my fired pieces back this upcoming weekend you guys are gonna see how good and awesome i am at this very artistic skill, i promise it’s gonna be good. like on top of the redacted drawings that are coming up as well as some more beloved fat wife. creating art helps distract me from the darkness growing within me due to the world i��m forced to be apart of but sometimes that darkness is too great and all i wanna do is get high and play video games all day and pretend it doesn’t make me a burnout

in spite of all this going on though i’m doing my best to remain optimistic and telling myself that it only really sucks right now because i have a LOT happening very suddenly (like. two major life changes happening literally in the same week kind of thing) and i just haven’t had time to adjust to it. right now aside from painting plates and vases my coping strategy has been to read really stupid zelda theories or comments online and complain about how they contradict the established canon in the series, but in a way that’s only especially obvious to me because i’m insane. also i love the sonic the hedgehog subreddit it is so fascinatingly bizarre, everyone posts the exact same jokes multiple times a week and they all wanna fuck tails but they’ve mastered the art of straddling the line between blatantly erotic and innocently wholesome but you can TELL when someone on there wants to fuck miles “tails” perhour

anyway how are you baby gamers doing

#long post

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dbnightingale24 · 4 years

Text

Drag Me To Hell

Part 1

I’ starting this off by saying I don’t condone ANY of this. I was watching ‘Natural Born Killers’ then I watched ‘The Iceman’, and my brain just kinda went off and did it’s own thing. I’ve been debating posting this for a while, but seeing as it’s spoopy season, I figured why not? Warning now, this going to be dark and twisted, there will be murder, there will be smut, and there will be swearing. Plese don’t read this if you can’t handle that. Okay, all of that being said, I hope you all enjoy it!

P.S. this is only gonna be 4 or 5 parts.

P.S.S this takes place in the late 70’s.

Warnings: swearing. mentions of cheating, dirty flirting, violent daydreams, misogyny, sexism, just men being fucking assholes, shitty writing (as always)

Word Count: 1723

I do not condone this type of behavior or relationship. I do not consent to have my works/stories posted anywhere else.

Victoria sat in the weekly board meeting waiting for it to end. It had been the same thing for as long as she could remember. The men would talk, glance at her (as if they gave a shit about her input), wait for a response, then go right back to their little boy’s club. She knew that her making partner mattered very little to anyone, but they could pretend to care.

She had come to expect very little from them. In fact, she had come to expect very little from anyone in her life. Even her husband. So, she sat there and continued to doodle on her notepad. A small smirk came to her face as she finished up the sketch of her boss being stabbed in the face. She hated him. She hated all of them. The whistling, the cat-calling, the ogling, and way they grabbed at her legs in the elevator… She hated that they could do whatever they pleased, because they were men. Women worked their asses off, barely ever getting anywhere, while men just got to do whatever they wanted.

As far as she was concerned, all the love and happiness that the hippies were screaming about was a bunch of bullshit. No, men in the corporate world took what they wanted and didn’t care about the fires they set on the way to getting it. However, she couldn’t go around and start murdering people. She was already an adulterer, she couldn’t be a murderer on top of that. She barely had a fighting chance at getting into heaven as it was.

So, instead of killing them, she fantasized about it. Hell, she got off on it. She would always have the same vision in her head: her holding her boss’s head in her hand, looking down at his dismembered body and her co-workers begging for mercy as they cowered in fear. She could feel herself getting excited at the thought, and she couldn’t stop herself from rubbing her legs together.

The thought of them all finally showing her the respect she rightfully deserved, begging for her forgiveness, and promising to be better right before she-

“Miss Erickson? Something funny?” her boss, Frank, asked while everyone else looked at her with shit eating grins on their faces.

‘Yeah, the thought of me putting you through a meat grinder while you squeal like the little bitch you are.’ “Sorry no. Just lost in a memory.”

“Well, may you should remember that you’re at work and don’t have time for remembering your first kiss or dance. Whatever it is you women think about” he huffed. “Anyway, that’s all for today. We’ll meet back next week to discuss everything. I believe it’s now lunch so go on and enjoy.”

That had perking up. Not because she was hungry, but because lunch meant she got to see him. The ice cream man. He had shown up last year out of the blue, and she instantly became addicted to him. The broad shoulders, long and unkempt hair, and his eyes. She felt like his eyes were leading her out to sea. She dropped hints that she wanted him and from the way her looked at her, she knew he wanted her too. He never made a move though, and it drove her insane. When he wasn’t around for winter, she missed him. Craved him.

So, this summer, she started shopping for him. Buying outfits she thought would make him cave. They didn’t seem to help things much, but he did take longer and longer to ask her what she wanted each time she was at the order window of his truck. Even if she didn’t get what she wanted from him, the outfits still helped for when she went out later for drinks.

As she made her way to her favorite place, she felt the butterflies starting to build in her stomach. She hated that they still showed up after all this time, but it let her know that interest was still the same.

“Same as always, sweetheart?” he smirked, eyes on her like she was his prey.

“Hmm no, I don’t think so. I think I want something different” she smirked, leaning against the small window, so she could give him a better view of her cleavage. “Ya got anything new?”

“They give me the same package every year.”

“I’m sure your package is just fine,” she smirked, making eye contact with him “I think I want strawberry today”

“You think or you know?”

“Does it matter to you?”

“Not really, I’m just trying to save you the trip.”

“Who says I mind it,” she questioned, raising an eyebrow “I’ll take a strawberry cone with sprinkles.”

“Strawberry cone it is” he chuckled, before turning around and making her order. When he turned around to hand her her order, he saw that she already had her money out. “It’s on the house”.

“Oh? What did I do to deserve that?”

“Your continued patronage.”

“Well, if you ever giving me another free treat, I hope it’s something a bit sweeter” she winked before going to walk away.

“Hey sweetheart, what’s your name?”

“Victoria, yours?”

“Robert. What time do you get out of work?”

“Between 5:30 and 6. Depends on how heavy the load is” she smiled before licking her ice cream.

“Tomorrow, be out by 5.”

“What for?”

“A sweeter treat” he winked at her.

Victoria could feel herself getting excited and it was taking all she had to contain herself. As she made her way back inside, she made sure to add little more ‘sway’ in her walk.

The thought of finally getting fucked by the ice cream man was all that got her through the day. It helped her ignore all the sexist remarks, catty mumbles made by other women in the office, and it helped her get through the piles of work on her desk.

It didn’t bother her that she came home to an empty house and it didn’t matter that when her husband finally did come home, he was drunk and angry. Sitting through his little tirade, she thought about all the pleasure she’d feel tomorrow. She wasn’t sure why she was so drawn to him, or why she was so sure the sex would be amazing, she just knew it would.

When she finally laid down, instead of dreaming about strangling her husband to death, she dreams wandered to the ice cream man and all the ways that he could make her feel better.

“I just can’t make it tomorrow” Robert repeated, locking up the meat truck.

“Why the fuck not?”

“Never you fuckin’ worry why not. I got shit to do.”

“Listen, Leo said he wants it done right and he wants it-”

“Jesus, what are you?! My fuckin’ wife?! I said it’ll get done and it will. Bring the body back here and I’ll take care of it tomorrow night. For fucks sake!” he exclaimed, throwing his cigarette down.

“It fuckin’ better be” Richard grumbled, before slamming his car door shut and speeding off.

Robert had been trying to fuck this woman for over a year, but work always came up. After the outfit she wore today, he was done waiting. Richard didn’t need him to commit the murder, so he didn’t see the harm in dismembering later. It’s not like he hadn’t done it before.

He’d fuck Victoria, get the thought of it out of his head, and move on. It’s not like his wife didn’t know he cheated. Hell, he was pretty sure she was cheating too. He stayed married out of convenience, and they both knew it. In fact, he was fairly sure he never even loved her, it just seemed like the thing to do at the time.

He didn’t know if he was capable of loving anyone, honestly. That’s why his job was so easy. You don’t have to feel bad about killing anyone, if you don’t have any feelings in the first place. However, some part of him was still human, which means he still craved pleasure. He craved sex. He and his wife barely had sex anymore, and when they did, he practically felt nothing. So, he started sleeping with other women. Sometimes they wanted it and sometimes they didn’t. It really made no difference to him, but he couldn’t lie; he had way more fun when they didn’t. Something about hearing them beg and watching them cry made his orgasm better.

However, something was different about Victoria. Women like her made sure to stay far the hell away from him. She had been throwing himself at him for over a year, and he was desperate to see what she was all about. It helped that she was hot as hell. God, he couldn’t wear wait to tear her apart.

That night, nothing to seemed to bother him as much as it usually did. Not his nagging wife, not his whiny son, and not even the thought of all the work he’d have to do after. No, that night he went to sleep knowing that tomorrow he’d get to fill up the woman he had gotten off to more times than he could count. Little did he know she was about to take him on a whirlwind of an adventure.

#The Iceman #Robert Pronge #Mr. Freezy #dark! fan fic #fan fic #fan fiction #Robert 'Mr. Freezy' Pronge

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andrewmoocow · 3 years

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Steven Universe Alternate Future chapter 11: In Dreams (originally posted on March 29, 2021)

AN: Hope you all packed your bags dear readers, cause we're gonna go on a real trip. One of my initial ideas for Alternate Future was with the addition as Aquamarine as a more major antagonist, we'd also have a mini-character arc about Peridot blaming herself for Steven's capture at the end of Season 4 even years later, which I felt was kind of a waste of possible character development for the little nacho. Regardless, it's time I finally see it through myself. And trust me, I'm really gonna put Peri through the wringer.

Synopsis: Steven's dream powers start acting up when he and Peridot want to watch TV.

Cast:

Zach Callison as Steven, Stefan

Shelby Rabara as Peridot

Johnny Hawkes as Cookie Cat, Rodrigo

Marieve Hernington as Jasmine

Della Saba as Marine, Aquamarine

The night was dark as Steven strolled through Beach City on his way home after a long day until he heard music. Racing to the beach house, he discovered that colorful flashing lights and loud music were coming from inside the house, and that got him super excited.

"All right!" Steven gasped cheerfully. "Now that I've saved the universe, I finally get to party!" When he raced to his front window, Steven could see all his friends inside dancing the night away. Garnet, Amethyst & Pearl, Lars and the Off-Colors, Lapis, Bismuth & Peridot, Connie, even Onion was breaking it down. Before he could join the fun, however, the door and windows suddenly vanished, leaving behind an empty wooden wall. "Huh? Hey guys, let me in! This isn't funny!"

"STEVEN!" a booming voice echoed from above. When Steven looked up, he discovered that Obsidian's head was replaced with a giant Cookie Cat looking down on him with a taunting grin. "NOBODY NEEDS YOUR HELP! SO WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?!"

"What?!" Steven cried before the porch opened up like a trap door under him, forcing the boy to fall through the sky screaming.

"STEVEN! STEVEN!"

A little voice broke Steven out of slumber and back into the real world in his bedroom. "Why do I keep having these dreams?" he mused to himself. "Are they telling me something?"

"STEVEN, OPEN UP!" the voice cried out while pounding on the door.

"Peridot?" Steven began to recognize the green Gem's nasally voice as he walked downstairs and let the former Kindergartener in.

"STEVEN STEVEN STEVEN STEVEN!" Peridot chanted, beetling in place while holding popcorn and drinks. "Today's the big day! Did you tape the premiere?!"

"What premiere? I have no idea what you're talking about." Steven said coyly.

"But you promised me!" Peridot whined, not realizing that her half-organic friend might be joking.

"Oh, you mean the premiere of the reboot of the classic Great North teen camping drama Camp Pining Hearts that I recorded," Steven revealed as he pulled out a VHS tape. "on this very tape?"

Peridot gasped at the mere mention of the show she had awaited for so long and began squealing excitedly. "Yes, it's finally here!"

"THE RETURN OF CAMP PINING HEARTS!" the pair declared joyfully.

Steven and Peridot raced upstairs to watch the Camp Pining Hearts reboot when Steven realized someone was missing. "Hey, where's Lapis? I thought she was a big fan of CPH as you are."

"Oh, she declined to attend our viewing because she feels this reboot will be an abomination." Peridot answered as she sat down at the foot of Steven's bed. "You know that United Defenders of the World show? She really likes that too, and that's gotten a reboot much like Camp Pining Hearts, but she doesn't like how that is so dark and depressing because apparently, it's more adult. I mean, come on! Can't we go one minute without any intense violence or Mangolin yelling so many nasty wo-"

"What, she's not coming because one show clouds her judgment of another?" Steven rolled his eyes at Peridot's explanation while putting the tape into his VHS player. "That's a little silly. But I'm glad you were still able to come because I've been having these weird dreams lately. Like, are any of them real or-"

"That's not important Steven!" Peridot shut her fellow fan's mouth. "Now press play already you monster!"

Steven chuckled for a bit before he started the tape, and the theme song for the Camp Pining Hearts reboot began to play while two attractive young actors were credited for the roles of its leads, Jasmine and Rodrigo. Steven excitedly ate popcorn while Peridot waved a Great North flag around as the show began.

Fifty-two minutes later, the credits finally rolled, and Steven & Peridot were left stunned, silent, and disappointed.

"L-Lapis warned me, and I didn't listen." Peridot quivered in shock.

"W-what?" Steven added, just as horrified. "What…."

"WHAT HAVE THEY DONE?!" the pair roared in unison.

"What is with that Rodrigo guy?!" Peridot began complaining and clawing at her face. "He has no charisma! He is clearly inferior to the old cast!"

"And can we just talk about the cinematography?" Steven added just as furiously while Peridot got up and marched towards the TV.

"They changed all the characters, and I don't care about any one of them!" Peridot threw a tantrum and began venting by picking up the set & slamming it to the ground. "How could this happen to us?!" she began to cry her eyes out on the television. "Camp Pining Hearts was my escape when I first arrived on Earth, when my whole world was nothing but chaos!"

"CPH brought us all together." Steven comforted his green friend, though he was sobbing as well.

"And now, just look at this nightmare!" Peridot yelled with a hand to the TV screen when it stopped showing the Camp Pining Hearts reboot. Instead, it began playing Steven's dream from last night. "Wait, Steven, when were you ever an actor?"

"What? No, they didn't!" Steven exclaimed as the dream continued on television. "Is this my dreams?" When Steven watched himself fall from the beach house in his dream, the TV then switched back to Camp Pining Hearts. "Whoa! My dream powers must be messing with the TV signal!"

"How in the world is that even possible?!" Peridot raised an eyebrow at this revelation, but it also gave her an idea. "Wait just a second. Steven, you realize what this means?!"

"I should start wearing a tinfoil hat?" Steven asked, unaware of what the little genius had planned.

"No!" Peridot answered. "If we use your dream powers on the TV, we can make our own Camp Pining Hearts! We'll reboot the reboot!"

"Reboot the reboot?" Steven realized and excitedly stood up. "Peridot, you're a genius!"

"I know." Peridot smugly declared.

"Plus, it would be really fun to fix something small this time." Steven said before Peridot wrapped a lime-colored arm around his neck.

"This shall be the beginning of Peridot & Steven Productions!" Peridot triumphantly declared.

"Yeah!" Steven added, and then he fell from Peridot's grasp.

Later that day, Steven and Peridot were now standing in front of a whiteboard detailing all their plans for fixing the Camp Pining Hearts Reboot, bouncing more plans off each other in regards to shipping.

"So Peridot, you think Jasmine's endgame should be Khaz or Rodrigo?" Steven asked Peridot while looking at a web of pictures of the characters from the reboot.

"It seems the characters are trying to railroad us into a Jasrigo relationship, despite turning everyone else into complete jerks just because they don't agree with-" Peridot began, but then she started getting irritated. "Gah, these characters have no chemistry together! It's like they're being shipped just because they're the leading man and woman!"

"Just can't get into Rodrigo, eh?" Steven asked his writing partner.

"He's just so passive and quiet, it's positively irritating!" Peridot yelled. "He has none of the old cast's personalities that made them so memorable!"

"Sure he may be really quiet and soft," Steven assured Peridot. "but what if we try to do something with his social anxiety and peanut allergy despite them not being connected to the larger story, like make him a foil?"

"A foil, you say?" Peridot raised an eyebrow at Steven's idea. "Okay, I'm listening."

"I got it!" Steven declared before he sat down in front of some pencils and paper and began to draw. "I call him Stefan." He began explaining while drawing. "He's a hunky lifeguard friend with nice muscles that everyone likes and wants to hang out with. His popularity is both a blessing and a curse, yet always makes time to help his buddy Rodrigo boost his confidence." He handed his final drawing over to Peridot, which turned out to be a sketch of a more muscular Steven.

"So he's like your self-insert!" Peridot beamed at her friend's work. "I like your ideas, Stefan!"

As night fell, Steven got back into bed with a bowl of chili in his lap while Peridot inserted the tape into the VCR player.

"Uh, why are you eating at bedtime?" Peridot questioned Steven's choice of a bedtime meal.

"Oh, you mean my chili?" Steven replied, gesturing to the chili in his hands. "I read that eating spicy stuff before bed makes your dreams super vivid."

"I appreciate your initiative, fellow creator." Peridot grinned at Steven's idea while he continued eating his chili.

"Thanks, Peridot." Steven thanked Peridot before putting the bowl on his nightstand and tucking himself in. "Okay, good night."

"Good night Steven. But remember," Peridot said as she started whispering into Steven's ear. "action-orientated storytelling."

"Hey Jasmine, I hear you love birds." A tanned, muscular version of Steven said flirtatiously to a cute brown-haired girl examining a bird perched in her hand.

"Sure Stefan." Jasmine giggled cutely.

"Well, a little birdie told me downstream that there's a special island somewhere 'round here." Stefan replied, leaning against a tree and giving Jasmine a wink while pointing offscreen. "I hear it's full of rare specimens."

"Did you hear that?" Jasmine gasped elatedly. "Thank you so much Stefan!" Stefan responded by giving Jasmine another wink.

Meanwhile, Rodrigo was by himself at a campsite reading an instructional book on how to date when Stefan came racing to him.

"Rodrigo, I've got terrible news!" Stefan exclaimed, catching Rodrigo's attention. "Jasmine's in danger!"

"Wait, what?!" Rodrigo did a double-take in response.

"She's headed for that island full of dangerous birds!" Stefan revealed, propping one foot on a rock and dramatically pointing to the river nearby. "But if we go downstream, we can surely save her!"

"Okay Stefan, you're the best!" Rodrigo shouted. "Let's go save Jasmine!"

The pair raced for a pair of canoes docked close to the campsite and began rowing through the river to rescue Jasmine.

"Thanks for telling me Jasmine was in trouble Stefan, you're such a great guy." Rodrigo complimented Stefan.

"You're welcome Rodrigo." Stefan replied gratefully. "You're pretty great yourself, y'know, great enough for Jasmine to like you."

"You really mean it?" Rodrigo asked eagerly.

"I can tell by the way she looks at," Stefan began, but then he started getting sidetracked by Blue Diamond with the body of a dolphin, a gargantuan pineapple with Yellow Diamond's face on it, and a pair of White Diamond's feet right next to the fruit. "you? Huh?"

"Stefan, is something the matter?" Rodrigo asked Stefan, or rather Steven, who had now replaced Stefan in the dream.

"Oh no, not again!" Steven began panicking as he started to glow pink yet again, not knowing how things ended up like this.

As Steven woke up in his bed, he found Peridot standing at the side of his bed, looking very excited at how the experiment went.

"Oh my stars Steven, you did it!" Peridot cheered excitedly. "You just fell asleep and started turning pink, which started happening in the dream! Here, I'll show you!" She then ran over to the TV and began playing Steven's dream again. "Our script, our story, it's on the television and it's wonderful!" she kept on praising. "Not sure what you were going for with that bizarre imagery towards the end but I'll admit, seeing Yellow Diamond's face on a pineapple made me laugh."

Amid Peridot's eagerness, however, Steven then started to get drowsy again.

"Steven, are you okay?" Peridot asked with concern.

"Sorry Peri, just feeling a little off." Steven assured her. "Maybe eating that chili wasn't a great idea."

"Yeah yeah, don't believe everything you read online and all that." Peridot japed. "We got none of the money in the world, and all the time in our hands. Hey, I've got a great idea of my own! Picture this, a mysterious young woman with a teardrop tattoo on her face arrives at the camp because she wants to kidnap Stefan for her own dark designs. But before she can succeed, Pierre from the original Camp Pining Hearts comes in to save the day!"

"Uh, okay then." Steven replied awkwardly while trying to make himself comfortable. "But you're right, let's pull off a do-over. We can try as many times as we want until we get it right."

"Less talking, more sleeping." Peridot pushed a star-shaped pillow into Steven's chest and forced him onto his mattress before pulling his eyelids down.

Every time Steven went to sleep, he was back to canoeing with Rodrigo to rescue Jasmine. And every time, Rodrigo was replaced in his canoes by some very unexpected characters.

The first time this happened, Rodrigo was suddenly replaced by Dogcopter, of all things. As Dogcopter flew off using the propeller on his back, Stefan reached out to the flying canine before Steven awakened with bags under his eyes.

The second time, Rodrigo's place was taken by Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl. The three Gems then flew away from Stefan just like Dogcopter did, and Stefan cried out for them before Steven woke up yet again, and the bags were starting to get darker.

The third time, Rodrigo didn't disappear. Instead, he started getting more unnerved as Spinel's massive Injector was present in the background, and Stefan was suddenly replaced with Steven as a baby.

Suddenly, a young woman with a teardrop tattoo on her face, just like what Peridot had described, snatched the baby Steven from the canoe with a maniacal laugh before Pierre, who now looked like he had green-lensed glasses and triangular hair, boldly stepped in and stood up to the woman.

Steven once again woke up, his baggy eyes now at their darkest, while Peridot just sighed in defeat.

The next morning, Steven sat down to some cereal and milk in the kitchen when Peridot suddenly appeared with a big stack of papers in front of her. "Uh, what's all this?"

"I've concluded that a script just wasn't working!" Peridot proudly announced. "So I've decided to take a more visual approach and made a whole series of storyboards for us to use! Besides, I've seen tons of cartoons use more storyboards than scripts, for better or for worse."

"You made all of these in one night?' Steven gasped in amazement at the triangular Gem's feat while looking through the storyboards.

"Duh, I'm good at everything!" Peridot bragged. "Now please study these in preparation for tonight."

"Hey, I got a question." Steven said while putting out one of the storyboards that featured the same tattooed woman from his dream. "Who's this girl, and why does Pierre look so much like you now?"

"Uh, that's Marine, Pierre's new arch-foe!" Peridot answered, awkwardly twiddling her fingers and looking in every conceivable direction. "She is totally not based on anyone we've met before."

"Are you sure?" Steven asked suspiciously while flicking through more storyboards featuring Marine. "Cause her haircut and location of her tattoo kinda reminds me of Aq-" Suddenly, he stopped to discover a new storyboard of Stefan having a romantic moment with Jasmine. "Wait, why is Stefan kissing Jasmine?"

"It's perfect!" Peridot yelled eagerly. "Right as Rodrigo is about to save Stefan from this reverse damsel in distress situation, he discovers that Jasmine got to him first, and they're already kissing too! Imagine, Jasmine defying gender clichés to save Stefan, unaware that they're stroking the fires of Rodrigo's jealousy!"

"I can't do Rodrigo this dirty!" Steven objected to the idea. "It's not only a betrayal of the friendship we gave him and Stefan, but it's also poor romantic drama too!"

"Whoa, take it easy Steven, they're just characters. No need to become so addicted to their love lives!" Peridot tried to excuse herself. "This is a story, and a good story needs conflict!"

"No, I still don't want to do this!" Steven declared angrily, startling Peridot before she came to an understanding.

"Look Steven, I can see you're pretty worn out from last night." Peridot said sadly as she began to get up and walk away. "Let's just scrap the whole project."

"What?" Steven replied in shock.

"There's really no point in continuing if it stresses you out that much." Peridot sighed as she grabbed the door handle. "Besides, I got classes to teach at Little Homeworld anyway."

But when Peridot was close to opening the front door and leaving the house, a flash of pink convinced Steven to change his mind. "No, wait!" he exclaimed, stopping the little Gem in her tracks. "I'll do the scene."

"Really?!" Peridot turned back with a cute smile and stars in her eyes.

"Anything to make you happy." Steven replied wearily. Though he was happy that Peridot was happy, he let out a heavy sigh as he was forced to put his friends before himself yet again.

"Oh no, that dastardly Marine has Stefan captured!" Rodrigo cried as he quickly rowed downstream to save his dear friend. "Jasmine said she's going to help him, but I haven't heard from her since!"

But just as Rodrigo finished his sentence, he finally found Stefan and Jasmine safe from harm, while Marine was left tied up beside them.

"You won't get away with this Stefan!" Marine yelled before she noticed Rodrigo, and had another fiendish idea in the works. "Hey Rodrigo, look! Your best friend's a cheater!"

"What?!" Rodrigo exclaimed, staring straight at Stefan and Jasmine kissing passionately. "Stefan, how could you?!"

"Rodrigo, this isn't what it looks like!" Stefan cried to Rodrigo in Steven's voice, but he wasn't there. And neither were Jasmine and Marine. And right before Stefan was a very angry-looking Connie. "Connie?"

Suddenly, Connie began to grow into the size of a giant and then turned into Obsidian. Stefan meanwhile was turned back into Steven as the Connie-Obsidian hybrid raised a foot and lowered it to crush him.

Steven then woke up in his old room wearing his old pajamas. Just like in the real world, Peridot remained by his side watching the television, but she was eerily silent, a far cry from her usual smug and loud yet cheerful nature.

"Peridot, my dreams are going nuts!" Steven informed Peridot while getting out of bed and walking over to her. "First everyone disappeared, then Jasmine turned into Connie, and she tried to squish me which is how I ended up here!" However, Peridot said nothing and continued facing the television. "Peridot?" Steven asked as he grabbed the green Gem's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

When Steven turned Peridot to face him, her visor and gem were now filled with SMPTE color bars and her expression showed no emotion at all. Steven's old bedroom abruptly vanished, and his PJs turned into his normal clothes as he noticed Peridot emotionlessly marching towards the beach house from the dream he woke up from the previous day. "Peridot!"

"Oh, poor little Steven." A familiar bratty voice called to Steven as he chased after Peridot. From the clouds came Aquamarine, still as haughty as ever and now in possession of her wand once more. "Don't you see? It's all her fault that I kidnapped you, that you had to learn all those horrible things about your mother! And yet not once did her blatant betrayal ever come up again."

"You don't know Peridot like I do, you little twerp!" Steven yelled at Aquamarine as he gained on Peridot, who was about to open the front door. "She's changed ever since we first met. She once tried to kill me like every other Gem who's ever antagonized me, but now she's become so sweet and funny!"

"Oh please, just because you like her now doesn't mean you should completely forget about all the ways she's harmed you." Aquamarine taunted before she restrained Steven with a tractor beam, but his iron will allowed him to resist as he tried to stop Peridot.

"Please Peri, don't go in there!" Steven strained from resisting the tractor beam and reached out to Peridot. "I still really want to hang out with you!" Just then, the floor disappeared beneath Steven and Peridot just like in the earlier dream. Peridot seemingly floated in midair while Steven leaped to the edge of the porch and continued reaching out to her, as the front of the house turned into color bars as well. "We always had something to fix together! The Cluster, the Diamonds, Spinel, but I don't know how I can be anyone's friend without something to fix!"

"Why can't you just surrender already?!" Aquamarine yelled as she tried to reel Steven in like a fish. "Your suffering is all because of her, and she's felt so worthless because of you!" Unfortunately for her, the tractor beam broke and the small, flying Gem was catapulted away from the pair. "We'll meet again brat!"

"I-I just can't do it anymore!" Steven cried to Peridot, unaware of the dream version of Aquamarine's failure to catch him. "I'm just so tired, and now I'm even trying to fix something in my dreams!" He soon started to cry as he got closer to Peridot. "I'm sorry I can't do this for you! Just please don't leave me!"

Peridot remained stoic as Steven kept on grasping for her. "Don't…leave."

The dream ended just like a VHS tape being removed from a VCR before a muffled voice began calling for Steven.

"Steven? Steven!"

Steven was suddenly shook awake with tears in his eyes, and he discovered Peridot leaning over him crying just as much.

"I saw everything Steven, and yes, it is true!" Peridot admitted sorrowfully. "A good reason why I was using your dreams is because I never got over how you were kidnapped because of me! I was so worried the other Gems would declare me a traitor, but they never bothered to bring it up. You know what, we don't have to do this anymore!" Steven then gave her a tight hug. "I don't care about the show anymore, or Rodrigo especially! I just want what's best for you! I'm such a clod!"

"It's okay Dottie, it's okay." Steven comforted his green pal. "I kind of knew something was up when you first mentioned Marine and Pierre, but I didn't know you've bottling this up for so long."

"I know, it's so unhealthy of me." Peridot wept. "I just needed something to vent with, so that's why I wanted to spend time with you. It's okay if you don't want an excuse to hang out anymore."

"But I do want to keep hanging out." Steven assured Peridot. "With or without all this trauma. We're friends, right?"

"I guess you're right." Peridot smiled sadly.

"You still want to watch CPH together," Steven offered. "even if it's terrible?"

In response, Peridot took off her visor and began wiping some tears, shedding the mask she had kept up for her entire stay. "Of course."

"How could you lie to me like this Rodrigo?!" Jasmine yelled crossly at her love interest while Steven and Peridot laughed as it all went down. "I bet you just can't help being an awful person!"

"You just buried a dead body Jasmine, and you're getting mad at Rodrigo for cheating at cards?!" Peridot cackled, pounding her fist on the floor. "Some protagonist you turned out to be! Oh my stars, this show is the worst!"

"This show is the best." Steven smiled contently before the pair leaned up against each other with smiles on their faces.

Like I said, wasted opportunity for more Peridot development. And yes my friends, that United Defenders of the World show was a total middle finger to dark & edgy teen drama reboots of family-friendly properties with fans of all ages. It happened to Archie, it happened to Winx Club and it's even gonna happen to the Powerpuff Girls soon. But I'm getting off topic, this was a pretty fun chapter to write since I love Peridot so much and she has an incredible dynamic with Steven. Speaking of green Gems, next chapter goes into original territory once again as we finally shine a light on a corrupted Gem that's seemingly been erased from existence come Future. That's right Nephrite, come on down!

#steven universe #steven universe future #fanfiction #steven universe alternate future #steven quartz universe #peridot

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just-like-playing-tag · 4 years

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A totally self indulgent compilation of my favorite works on this blog of the year June 13, 2019 - June 13, 2020

I wanted to do this for the blog's first anniversary but then completely forgot about it lol.

The following lists are all in chronological order according to the date each post was first published.

Top 10 panel edits:

#1: Don and Gilda - Chapter 138: Demon serch (1)

Date: Jun 14th, 2019

Time: ~ 1:30 h

My very first redraw from my very first edit posted here, so it deserves an honorable mention. Back then I was young and inexperienced, I didn't even apply a gray filter (lmao I was so unskilled I even unintentionally scratched the picture, I hadn't realized until today). I'm actually very happy my first redraw was of Don, boy deserves all the love.

#2: Emma and Ray - Chapter 140: I’m Here!

Date: Jun 28th, 2019

Time: ~ 1 h

Back then this looked like so much work to me!!! And to this day, I think it turned out pretty well. I'm particularly proud of how the bow turned out. This is one I was really proud of right after having finished it; it gave me the confidence to try redrawing bigger areas. Also, the edit were I first applied the opacity of layer / opacity of brush for the gray filter that would have stuck with me.

#3: Krone's birthday edit

Date: Jul 15th, 2019

Time: 15 mins

I don't know I just really like how Krone's hair vanish to a more sketch-like style here– and consequently, how I managed to replicate such effect. I think Krone's beautiful.

#4: Emma, Norman and Ray - Chapter 153: Coward

Date: Oct 4th, 2019

Time: 4:07 h (and 67 layers lmao)

Probably the single panel redraw I'm the most proud of. That Norman panel was beautiful and very poignant at the end of a chapter I adored, so I believe it deserved all the time I've spent working on it. It's far from being perfect - the back of his head is too plain, and the difference between my brushes and the original brushes is pretty visible - but I still like it very much and am extremely attached to it. The horn looks kinda big but I honestly believe it to be more of an issue with the original than with what I had redrawn lol. Funny enough, the whole picture didn't make it to the final edit and had to be trimmed.

#5: Full Score Trio - Chapter 154: A Breakthrough

Date: Oct 11th, 2019

Time: 29 mins

I don't have a particular reason for this I just think Emma's hair turned out amazing. It took just half an hour and I didn't even use references like. Wow. @Redrawing skills where did you go please come back

#6: Mujika and Queen Legravalima - Chapter 158: The Reason I Was Born

Date: Nov 17th, 2019

Time: 2:09 h

Sis I love this so freaking much. The shift from redrawing almost exclusively people and clothes to redrawing this mess was so fun and refreshing. Even though it's a mess I think it turned out very clean and overall it looks beautiful? I remember after finishing this I felt so powerful, like now that I had redrawn this thing I would have been able to redraw anything I set my mind on lol.

#7: Emma - Chapter 161: Never Be Alone

Date: Dec 13th, 2019

Time: 57 mins

Again no particular reason except this is a very cute Emma and I think the redraw turned out pretty well. There's this big lock on the left that doesn't make a lot of sense but overall I really like it. Cute Emma is cute, and I love her determination.

#8: Emma - Chapter 166: Going Back Home

Date: Mar 9th, 2020

Time: 3:45 h

I'M SO FREAKING PROUD OF THAT RIFFLE I have not the slightlest idea why this took so damn long BUT I'M SO PROUD OF IT

#9: Norman's birthday edit

Date: Mar 21st, 2020

Time: 1:04 h

This is cool! I didn't know I could manage to draw this, but I did it! The feathers were particularly hard to clean but I think they turned out fine.

#10: Full Score Trio - Chapter 174: A New World (part 1)

Date: Apr 6th, 2020

Time: 2:11 h

I just think they're very pretty? I can't understand if I like Ray's face a lot, or not at all, but I think overall there was a lot to redraw and it turned out pretty cute! Sorry Gillian.

(Also insert pretty much every panel from the chapter 177 Isabella edit– I've spent so many hours on basically every panel there's no way I could choose only one).

Top 5 edits as whole:

#1: Emma and Ray - Chapter 140: I’m Here!

Date: Jun 29th, 2019

Complessive time: 2:57+ h

The very first edit I'm actually proud of; I'm really attached to it. It's the first edit I had put all of my effort into, and I remember feeling anxious people would have left it without notes. It kinda feels weird to think about it now, because I really don't care about notes anymore; yet, it somehow makes me happy to think that past-me wasn't let down. Thank you @neverlandstrio for your support, you may not remember but it really meant a lot to me back then! And it still makes me smile. You're the best!!!!!!

#2: Mujika and Queen Legravalima - Chapter 158: The Reason I Was Born

Date: Nov 20th, 2019

Complessive time: 7:12+ hours

This whole edit was an hella wild ride. It's midnight before a school day, when I think: "Mh, it's been a while since I last made an edit, why not make one about Musica and the queen from the last chapter?" And seven hours after this was born. I'm particularly proud of the queen's redraws on the 3rd, 7th and 9th picture (ofc), the areas which have been redrawn are pretty huge yet I think the difference with the original is almost impossible to notice?? @Redrawing skills where did you go please come back (part 2)

#3: Emma - Chapter 174: A New World (part 1)

Date: Apr 12th, 2020

Complessive time: 6:53+ h

I think the panels that were selected work very well together, especially considering the close-up / full body alternation. I love Emma, and I've always been kinda sad noticing that edits that focus one her take the less notes... She deserves all the love. Also, fun fact: for the last but one panel, I had redrawn Emma's whole left ear before remembering she doesn't have one, so I had to redraw the panel from the start. Besides from the error with the ear, the reason why this (and all the others after) took so long is because official panel take way longer to clean.

#4: Isabella and her children - Chapter 177: Mother

Date: May 22nd, 2020

Complessive time: 13:41+ h (ahah.)

Lmao tbh I can't understand how this has so few notes it's like. Technically speaking, probably the best edit I've ever done. I don't even like Isabella that much, I haven't got the slightlest idea why I decided to spend so many hours on this. Anyway, I find the composition (full body on the left / headshots on the right) really good looking in this as well! And I think the redraws turned out fine, especially Isabella's.

#5: The Promised Neverland manga ending countdown→ 1/7 chapters: chapter 1 - Grace Field House

Date: Jun 9th, 2020

Complessive time: 1:59+ h

I don't know how I came up with that idea for the composition but I find it really beautiful??? I think it does a pretty good job conveying the sudden, terrific shift of atmosphere from the first chapter, and I think that sharp bridge is very nice. I'm very, very proud of this.

Honorable mention #1: Full Score Trio - Chapter 154: A Breakthrough

Date: Oct 13th, 2019

Complessive time: 3:44+ h (+ 1:13 h of working on a panel that ultimately didn't make it to the final edit)

A very good chapter, and the edit turned out surprisingly amazing??? All the redraws look great and make it almost impossible to distinguish them from the original; honestly I feel like I'll never be able to redraw so neatly again lol.

Honorable mention #2: Don and Gilda (+ Norman) - Chapter 160: Shackles

Date: Dec 11th, 2019

Complessive time: 3:14+ h

That one is really one of my favorite scenes; I'm telling you peoples, Gilda and Don are a blessing to the earth. I think I've never mentioned it, but Gilda's hair is a nightmare to redraw??? More specifically, it takes me h o u r s to fill the texture without making it look too weird, it's the worst.

Honorable mention #3: Norman and Ray - Chapter 179: Compensation

Date: Jun 6th, 2020

Complessive time: 4:16+ h

I was so glad to finally be able to make a Norman / Ray edit, and it turned out it was just in time before the series' finale. I like how it turned out and I'm pretty satisfied with the redraws (even though my sister helped me with the lineart of some panels - it was exams time and I really couldn't afford to spend more time on it), too bad we didn't have more chapters that focused on the boys. Ray sweetie one day I'll fix your ear it's just today's not that day.

Btw, I justed realized I have never done an Emma / Norman centered edit? I'll have to make one eventually. I remember considering focusing on them alone for the chapter 154 one, but then I thought "even if the manga is gonna ignore Ray, I will chose to do not" lol.

Top 5 long posts:

#1: Reconstruction of how the Grace Field children were settled in the three bedrooms

Date: Aug 28th, 2019

I just had really a lot of fun doing it. I love putting all the little things to their own place, it's so calming to do and that's why I love making this kind of things. Also, loved how @temporoom contributed to the post! It was so nice of them to add what they had noticed to come up with more exact conclusions, that's one of the things I love the most about the internet.

#2: A study of how many times the characters of The Promised Neverland call each other through the first season of the anime

Date: Sep 10th, 2019

I REALLY LOVE IT! I mean it *was* kinda stressing to note everything, but it was very also very satisfying to see everything methodically divided and organized! And it's not just that– it's also the fact that it looks good. That's one post I have fun rereading because it's actually pretty! Also, even though it can be very stressing to learn to use new programs and sites, it's always very satisfying to look at the final result. Again, I really adore compiling these tiny little details! I would love to make more posts of that kind if i had the time.

#3: The Promised Neverland musicals headcanons

Date: Oct 27th, 2019

I mean it's literally. Putting my two favorite fandoms together how could I not love it. This is another one I really enjoy rereading, I find all the musical / character associations so fitting! I really want to make a second part, I hope to find some time to do it.

#4: Considerations on the reward / eventual series' finales (and Emma's sacrifice)

Date: May 7th, 2020

It's always nice to put down all your thoughts regarding a particular matter. It can take a lot of time (at least for me it does because... I need time to think about things), but it's so satisfying to see all of them there once you're done. Bonus points when, like in this case, it was something asked by someone else because “Wow! Somebody wants to hear my opinion on this subject! I'm flattered (◍•ᴗ•◍)”

#5: Some other considerations on the series' finale and Emma sacrificing herself

Date: Jun 13th, 2020

Pretty much the same as above. It's like some kind of clarity when the post is done and signed. Another fun fact, I had to censore the post a lot; the first version was extremely sharp and harsh, but I believe it's right to express your opinions calmly and politely.

Bonus: A thread of what the tpn characters would wear at the Oscars

Date: Feb 9th, 2020

Imagining all the children in those pretty dresses makes me so incredibly happy (╥﹏╥) I go back to look at that post a lot. I really love red carpets, I love looking at pretty dresses!!!!!

Lmao it's so funny how the post of mine I like the most are also the ones with the less notes

Anyway this was just a personal report! You don't have to read it all (or any of it actually). But it was indeed fun making it! Here's to many more months in the fandom!!!

#This was supposed to be posted on July 13th as one year and one month since I made the blog #but Tumblr decided to be a jerk and deleted all of it 😊#So here we are #tpn #tpn manga spoilers #long post #Again this is just a personal report don't stress over reading all of it #But it was fun to make!#To the people I tagged: sorry for tagging you in this long post but also it would have felt weird not to do so? I hope you don't mind #It felt like... Giving credits foe something you've done y'know

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dakotacrisis · 4 years

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Transferred (15)

In this house we love and appreciate Marinette Dupain-Cheng!

This the end of the official story but there is a bonus spin-off chapter I’m gonna be posting later that is pure Kagaminette (or is it Marigami?)

---

“Kagami!” Marinette was shoved into the limo. “What do you mean? I can’t go! Look at what I’m wearing!” Marinette gestured to her overalls, Chat Noir t-shirt, and converse. “This is a fancy fashion fundraiser!”

“I know. We have something for you to wear at the venue which is why we’re getting there early. Calm down, we got an entire outfit and we’re gonna do you up with hair and make-up. You’re gonna be the belle of the ball.” Kagami was trying to calm down a frantic Marinette.

“You were supposed to be--”

“Shush.” Kagami chuckled, “It’s fine. It’s gonna be great.”

“You’re killing me.” They pulled up to the back of the hotel. The girls rushed inside and were met with Aurore waiting for them. She was wearing a lilac dress with ivory flower embellishments around the bust.

“Hello girls,” Aurore was beaming, “Kagami, you look great! Marinette, you are going to look fantastic. Come with me.”

“Treat her well!” Kagami called to them as Aurore dragged her away. “I’ll see you in there, Marinette!”

“Aurore, please tell me what is going on.” Marinette begged as she was pulled along and into the elevator. Aurore didn’t let anything go as they sailed up and up and up. They finally stopped and Aurore dragged her up to a door. She knocked on it and the door was opened by Sabrina. She was in a simple turquoise tea length dress and had her hair curled and pinned.

“She’s here!” Sabrina pulled Marinette and Aurore inside what Marinette realized was Chloe’s room.

“About time.” Chloe stood in the center of her room in a long high neck black and white dress with twin high slits. Her hair was loose from its usual ponytail but pinned back away from her face with a little golden hair comb.

“Chloe, what is--” Marinette was cut off as the trio pushed her into the bedroom part of the room. Hanging up was the outfit Kagami had mentioned.

“I don’t know how you got that but don’t you think it’s a little much?” Marinette said.

“Not for what you’re gonna be doing.” Aurore was hopping from one foot to the other.

“But what are we doing?”

“Stop wasting time, Dupain-Cheng. We got an event to get to.” Chloe and the other two were practically pulling her out of her clothes before Marinette kicked them out to get dressed herself. After she was dressed Aurore pulled her away to do her makeup while Chloe tackled her hair.

“And she is perfect,” Aurore held up a mirror, “What do you think?”

“I look nice but I would love to know why I’m here in the first place.” Marinette was getting impatient.

“Recognition, Dupain-Cheng.” Chloe smirked, “This is the most covered charity event of the year and you are a walking centerpiece in this dress. So go down there, head held high, and let everyone know who you are. Got it?”

“Got it.” Marinette wasn’t gonna argue with Chloe about this.

Together the girls rode back to the ground floor. Chloe explained what Marinette would be doing and left her in the hands of the butler while the three others went out to a limo to take them around to the front of the building. Marinette waited behind the little stage that was set up in the hotel ballroom, occasionally she would peek out to look at all the guests. She spotted the table where Kagami and Adrien were sitting. Chloe, Sabrina and Aurore were also at the table. The parents: Mrs. Tsurugi, Mr. Agreste, Mr. and Mrs. Bourgeois, and even Marinette’s parents were sitting together at a table right next to the teenagers.

What were her parents doing here? They didn’t mention any of this! They were gonna get an earful when they get home.

After everyone was seated and comfortable, Mr. and Mrs. Bourgeois got up and came onto the stage. Marinette stepped back into the shadows as they welcomed the guests and talked about their hopes for tonights fundraiser.

“Now, this program is not just to fund the arts but to bring prominent artists and designers of the next generation into the light. Around the venue you will find many pieces that our young creators have been meticulously working on and will be able to continue to create thanks to your generosity this evening.” Mayor Bourgeois said. “Every year we choose one of these young upstarts to highlight as our next big name in the industry. Many high profile names today I would say, owe their jumpstart to success to this award. Clara Nightingale being last years winner and even our own Gabriel Agreste having received this honor back in the day.”

“To announce this years next big name of the arts is Gabriel’s son, Adrien Agreste.” Mrs. Bourgeois said. Everyone applauded as Marinette assumed Adrien stepped onto the stage.

Was this…

“Thank you everyone for being here tonight.” Marinette recognized Adrien’s voice speaking over the microphone now. “As Mayor Bourgeois already explained, this honor is more than just a title. It is a starting point to a road paved with opportunities. One that with hard work, an open mind, and eyes full of creativity will lead to a successful career.”

“That is why it is my very great honor to introduce our choice for this year’s Next Big Thing, Paris’ own Marinette Dupain-Cheng!”

“I--I--”

“Go, Marinette!” Tikki chided her.

Marinette regained her wits and walked onto the stage. The entire room was applauding her.

Adrien stood at the microphone with a proud smile and a hand extended out to her. Nervously she took it and he pulled her closer towards him. “Did we surprise you?”

“Yes, I think it’s safe to say you did.” Marinette didn’t know whether to blush or cry. “Why though?”

“Cause you deserve it. More than anyone I know.” His smile softened into something sweeter that made Marinette’s insides melt.

Adrien turned back to the microphone. “Marinette is wearing a ballgown that she designed and constructed herself. Just one of many creations that she’s made. But her talents don’t end there. I could go on and on about how she is Jagged Stone’s preferred designer for accessories, posters, and album covers. How she created the stage outfits for the up and coming band, Kitty Section. Heck, it would take me all night to list how kind and creative this girl next to me is.”

Marinette was definitely gonna start crying.

“Marinette, things between us may have gotten off to a rocky start but I am glad that we are such great friends today. You are always putting yourself out there for your friends, your family, for justice, for creativity, even for strangers. Life can be tough but you push forward and soldier on with a smile on your face and a can-do attitude. In this day and age, when evils like Hawkmoth and corrupt politicians and everyday jerks have dragged the morale of the population down, having someone like you that chooses to see the beauty in the world is something we need now more than ever. There are many kind and creative people in the world but there is only one Marinette Dupain-Cheng and she will never be able to be recreated.”

And the tears were falling. No stopping it now.

The crowd erupted once more into applause while Adrien handed her a tissue. “Kagami told me to bring this up with me. Good thing she thought ahead.”

“Yeah,” Marinette let out a bark of laughter between her happy sobs. “This is--that was--I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng, ladies and gentlemen.” Adrien gave her one final moment to soak in the undivided adoration before escorting her back to his table. She stopped by to hug her parents and thank the adults for choosing her before settling in with her peers.

“Surprise,” Kagami smirked.

“I can’t believe you guys,” Marinette was still trying to calm down, “How did you even do this?”

“Lots of careful planning.”

“And my dress?” Marinette gestured to her ballgown, the one Lila had gotten her miscredited from in the newspaper, “I put it in storage after the Lila incident.”

“We explained the situation to your parents and they gave it to us with the promise that we would treat it with the utmost respect.”

That would explain why she seemed to have more space in her closet.

A small dinner was served and then a couple more people came up to speak about the night. More young artists were highlighted before everyone was encouraged to go and take a look at the pieces around the room. There seemed to be art of all kinds there. Paintings, sketches, sculptures, clothing, short movies, music samplings. There was a table lined with story excerpts people could read from young authors. Journalism articles hung on the walls like pieces in a museum. There was even a part of the room dedicated to carpenters and the amazing furniture, instruments, and wooden toys they made.

Several people during the night came up to Marinette inquiring about her dress and possible other designs she had created. Kagami was quick to show off her own dress and brag about Marinette’s skill in making it.

Many of the people at the event were critics and renowned fashion designers that handed Marinette business cards with promises to make her their protege. Things got a bit heated when two designers started trying to outdo the other with their offers forcing Adrien to swoop in and politely extract Marinette.

Eventually the party started to wind down and people were making there way home. Mostly the older adults that couldn’t quite keep up with the number of young people in the room.

“Hey, Marinette,.” Adrien approached her. At some point in the night he had ditched the jacket and tie and was walking around with his vest open and top button of his shirt undone. “I saw your parents head out. You didn’t join them?”

“Not yet. I wanted to enjoy the party a little longer.” Marinette looked around the room, “What about you? I don’t think I’ve seen your father around.”

“He had one wine glass too many and headed home. I figured he wouldn’t notice if I showed up a little later than when I was supposed to.” he grinned in a not so innocently Adrien way. “That being said, are you doing anything after this?”

“Seeing as how my original plans for tonight was to veg out in my room binging old romantic comedies I’m gonna say no. Why?”

“Well, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go to that bowling alley we went to before. It’s open till two AM all week so I thought that you and I could go for some late night, over-dressed, bowling catastrophe fun.”

“That sounds great--”

“Sorry Adrikins, but we already have plans tonight.” Chloe cut between Adrien and Marinette.

“We do?” Marinette stared at her.

“The sleepover.”

“Sleepover?”

“What are you, a parrot?” Chloe scoffed, “We’re having a girls night in my suite. No boys allowed.”

“But--what--when was this?” Marinette sputtered as she was pulled away from Adrien by Chloe.

“Oh. Bye, Marinette!” Adrien waved to her, “Have fun! I’ll text you later!”

“Bye!” Marinette squeaked out as she was whisked out of the ballroom.

They went back to the elevator and up to Chloe’s room. “Are there any more surprises that you have in store for me tonight or is this the last one?” She asked.

“You love it.” Chloe smirked. Kagami, Sabrina, and Aurore were also in the elevator. Sabrina and Aurore weren’t a surprise but Marinette hadn’t expected Kagami to be with them.

They entered the suite and the girls started to dress down removing their heels and accessories. “Makeup wipes in the bathroom and pajamas on the bed.” Chloe said, “I got foot massagers by the couch and room service on speed dial.”

Marinette went to the bed and saw that there were matching silk pajamas for each girl in their favorite color and monogrammed with their initials. Red for Kagami, teal for Sabrina, sky blue for Aurore and honeycomb yellow for Chloe. Marinette’s was a nice powder pink with the initials MDC stitched across the pocket in cream threading.

Marinette waited her turn to change into her new cozy pajamas and joined the rest of the girls around the couch. Kagami and Aurore were deciding what movie to watch while Chloe had Sabrina make a list of what they wanted room service to bring up.

“Hey,” Marinette approached Chloe. “Can we talk?”

“Sabrina, you know what I like. Finish ordering. Also, make sure those two pick a decent movie.” Chloe told Sabrina before standing to talk to Marinette. “Yes?”

“I know we’ve rarely seen eye to eye and I would be one of the furthest things from a friend in your opinion but I wanted to take a moment and say thank you. Not just for the fundraiser and this deluxe sleepover but for going above and beyond with your takedown of Lila. It was incredible and to think you did that for me--”

“And an amazing grade.”

“And an amazing grade.” Marinette agreed, “It means so much. I don’t know what all of this makes us, not friends exactly, but maybe not enemies? Playful adversaries?”

Chloe’s holier-than-thou smile softened. Her walls dropping just for a moment. “We’re allies. Not always but I wasn’t just going to let one of the few people I respected be disgraced by a knockoff mean girl with dead anime mom hair.”

“What hair?”

“Nothing. Something Adrien told me. It doesn’t matter.” Chloe huffed. Her walls going up again. “I may not have my miraculous but that doesn’t make me any less the superheroine I am.”

“I know it doesn’t.”

Chloe smiled.

Marinette wished she could give Chloe her miraculous more often. With her identity being outed it was just too dangerous. But maybe she deserved a new miraculous. Nothing would fit her as perfectly as Queen Bee but Marinette had hope that she would do well with a new power. So long as she didn’t advertise her identity to all of Paris again.

A knock at the door drew their attention. “Room service!” A voice called from outside.

“I’ll get that. You go make sure Tsurugi and Weather-Girl chose a good movie.” Chloe flipped her hair and sashayed over to the door.

Marinette hopped the couch and sat down. The buffett of luxury junk food was laid out before them. They all got comfy in their seats and pressed play on the movie. Kagami leaned against Marinette as the movie played and ended up falling asleep halfway through. Marinette didn’t have the heart to move her so stayed put. Not that Hawkmoth himself could get her to move from that spot. Who knew Kagami was a cuddler?

As excited as everyone had been earlier once the movie started playing everyone started dropping like flies. Marinette had nodded off as well at some point and only woke up again when she felt something being draped over her. She squinted her eyes open and saw Chloe walking around putting blankets over the other girls.

She could pretend all she wanted but there was a good person inside Chloe. She rarely came out and even then most of the time it was to help make herself look better. But there were times, behind closed doors, with no witnesses around, that Chloe was kind just because she wanted to be. Maybe it was those moments that Adrien always got to see that helped the friendship he held with her. Maybe Chloe would become even nicer. Maybe she would continue on her little tirade of pompous superiority. It was anyone’s guess.

Marinette was glad that the chance for Chloe to become someone even better than she is was still an option. A year ago she would have thought it impossible. Of course a year ago there wasn’t a butterfly terrorist and people getting turned into monsters every other day. So it seems a lot can change.

Chloe was nice, Lila was gone, Marinette had loving friends, and Kagami was softly snoring on Marinette’s sternum. It was about as perfect as she could hope.

Tomorrow may be uncertain but it wasn’t for her to worry about. Not when she had people she loved to stand beside her…or sleep on her. Marinette readjusted the blanket and stretched herself into a more comfortable position without waking Kagami and went back to sleep.

---

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14)

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@northernbluetongue @ladylb @immatureidiot101 @lady-flora-of-slytherin @zazzlejazzle @shamefullove @heredemaquam @kristycocopops @schrodingers25 @sublimemagazinestarlight @crazylittlemunchkin @daydream-wannabewriter @trainflavor @never-neverland @mochinek0 @persephonebutkore

#we stan a talented creampuff!#miraculous ladybug #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #kagami tsurugi #chloe bourgeois #salt fic #transfer au #writing

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physcoticfrog · 4 years

Text

A/n: Uhh I don't really know what I'm doing right now honestly 😂 I just came up with it on the top of my head. (Btw I will be using she/her pronouns)

Think of it as a shit post I guess lmao

Description: y/n is a new student at UA, getting in on recommendations as a second year for the hero course. Many have vaguely seen her quirk, but few (except for the teachers) truly know what it is.

Pairing: Denki kaminari x reader

No warnings, just fluff and slight angst I guess 🙃

----------------------------------------------------------

Sparks fly

You were on your way to school first thing in the morning, and you texted your best friend since elementary school for advice. "K so we have a problem. Sho, I don't know what to doooo. You go here, so can you meet me at the gate, please?"

It was sad, almost pathetic, you could hear the desperate tone in your voice through text.

"Yeah, I'll meet you there. Give me a sec"

You immediately walked up to the gate, expecting to see Shoto, but he wasn't anywhere in sight. Once you have it a few minutes, you finally see a familiar white and red haired boy walking your way.

"Hey! Jeez, I thought you were gonna leave me here." You said, sounding pretty much exhausted despite it being morning.

"I thought about it. But I decided against it. After all, who would I be to do that to you." He said, pretty much nonchalantly. You looked offended, but just playfully chuckled.

Later that day

It was lunch time, the cafeteria being almost full, despite it's insane size. A boy did catch your eyes though, his hair looking adorable, with a small lightning bolt looking mark on his left side. His smile was almost intoxicating yet inviting, pulling your own lips into a smile.

You were so lost in thought, you didn't even realize the tap on your own shoulder, until you got violently spun around to find a very familiar pair of grey and blue eyes.

"Oh, hey Sho. What's up?" You said, trying to play off the fact that you were staring at someone.

All he did was chuckle and say "What's up with you? We should go sit down once you get you're food."

He held true to his word, you two grabbing a table to eat and talk. He asked you what that whole staring deal was about, and you just brushed it off and changed the subject.

Two months later

Training was biting you in the ass, but you continued through your day as any other one. School had been easy to adjust to, and you had made some pretty great friends. Even Denki Kaminari, who you'd learned was that very cute guy who you had stated at the first day.

It still shocked you how you still remember that day so vividly, almost as if it had happened that day.

Later on during quirk training you had been watching, learning from some of your peers. Kaminari had caught your eye though, and you realized just how powerful his quirk could get. He had sent a very high voltage blast into the rocks and metal, causing it all to spasm, but that's not what caught your attention. No, it was the fact that he had looked like some deep out of a comic. It was actually adorable, since he looked like a dork.

Apparently, this time Bakugou had come up to you. He smirked and chuckled, pointing at the boy in question, saying some sort of snarky comment about how he had a "short circuit". You couldn't help but laugh too, listening to him call Kami a dunce face.

You two laughed so hard you snapped out of it when Aizawa yelled at you two to continue your training.

You started to notice that many people thought you had telekinesis, but little did they know your quirk literally is actually control. Control of basically anything and everything. You can control objects, people like a puppet, minds, the air, the elements, the ability of your own mind to create things from your own imagination.

But it was deemed by society to be dangerous, and those with it should be killed immediately. That's why most have been told you have telekinesis. In order to save you. Legends surrounded it, but for good reason, it was never once mentioned in the news or anything of the sort. That's why you've been dreading today.

While you were about to go back to your dorm room, you were abruptly stopped by a familiar form that you had grown fond of. Looking up slightly to see none other than Kaminari. You two had become really close, and he even got you to join into the bakusquad.

"Hey, can we talk?" He had asked you.

"Yeah, sure. Right now orrr-"

He stopped you before you could say anything else "Right now."

The look in his eyes was almost intimidating, not his usual friendly looks.

You lead him into your room, and you grab a blanket and tell him to go out into the hallway for a second while you changed, and once you were done you let him back in. You could almost feel the electricity waving off of him, making your hairs stand up, and the smell of lemony battery acid filled your room.

"So, what's up?" You asked him, truly curious to know why he wanted to talk to you so bad.

"I want to know about your quirk". That made you freeze.

"What about my quirk?"

"How come you only use it when you need to? And it's obvious your not using it fully, you can see yourself holding back. Please, tell me." He was pleading like a dog with a plate of food in front of them.

"No."

"Why?"

"I said no"

"Please?"

"Fine, Kami. But just know you might look at me entirely different when I should you my quirk". You basically warned him, knowing full well that you will regret what was about to happen.

----------------------------------------------------------

"What do you want to see?" You asked him, wanting to know if he would tell you now that you two were at an almost unknown lake behind the dorms.

"I want to see you use your quirk, y/l/n. You've seen mine, I don't get why it could be so bad." You almost winced at his words, knowing that he doesn't understand what's about to happen.

"Do you trust me? Do you absolutely promise that you will not leave me? That we will stay friends, no matter what?" You asked him. Uncercertainty painting your voice.

"Yes, yes, and yes. I promise you". It was weird seeing him like this, not smiling and giddy. His voice almost shaking in anticipation.

"ok" you said almost blankly.

Moments later, Denki felt his mind go almost completely blank, fuzzy and fogged. He didn't understand what was going on. All he could hear was y/n's words.

"walk towards me, and stop when I tell you to" is all she said. Immediately, he felt his body move against his own will, not wanting to move, but unable to stop himself. Once again, when she told him to stop, he stopped, and then she released her hold on his mind.

"Woah. So your quirk is like Shinsou's?" He asked, warily.

"Not really. There's more." She said. Right after, his body moved in sync with hers, but his mind still being his own. She move her right arm, he moved his right arm. And then she stopped. She moved the rocks on the ground, along with the leaves. Not stopping, she took a pen from her pocket and lazily sketched a square, with a circle in the top, and when she close her eyes and held out her palm, there was a flash of light and then that tag with a circle at the top was in her hand.

Kaminari stared in shock, not yet realizing what was going on.

"Wait, what is your quirk?" he asked, a quiver in his voice.

"Control." Is all you said back, and his eyes instantly widened in surprise.

"B-but I t-thought that it d-doesn't exist" he stuttered, head scattered.

"I know it doesn't make sense, and there's still more that I can do, that's just a fraction of my quirk. The only reason I'm alive right now is because the government thinks I have telekinesis, because if they knew- I would be dead right now."

"Are you happy now? You know. There." You said, eyes at the ground.

When he didn't reply, all you could do was ramble "I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you... I should've kept to myself...wow way to make a great impression of your quirk..." You continued.

"And I know that you deserve better and I don't deserve you as a friend, and as much as it would be great I don't deserve to ever even think of you as mine," your mind didn't seem to catch up with your words yet, especially with Kaminari still staring at you.

"not that I see you as mine, it's just you're really cute and amazing and dorky and-" You cut yourself off. Face immediately turning tomato red taking in what you just said to him. Your last words being

"I'm sorry" before you turned away, too embarrassed to say anything more. Kaminari titled your chin up, wiping the tears searing down your face with his other hand.

"Calm down, ok? You're quirk is amazing, and I mean amazing. " He said, serious but playfulness seeping through.

"I know you well enough to know you are better and stronger than anyone, and I will be damned if you let that get to you". He said. Straighting his posture and plastering his goofy grin on his face.

"Thanks Kami, you know you really are amazing. As much as I didn't want to say it, I meant what I said". You didn't have to say what you were talking about, he already knew.

"I'm- " before you could apologize again, you felt warmth flowing through you. Your body being enveloped by a warm figure. And before you could say anything, he turned his head and yours, bringing your lips down to meet.

The gentleness yet passion in his lips were amazingly intoxicating, just how you imagined it to be.

"Stop. Seriously. Don't apologise. I haven't told you this, but I love you for you. No damn quirk can change that."

You couldn't believe your ears. He just confessed to you, and you couldn't even stop the tears from falling anymore.

"And two more things, one; can I take you on a date? And possibly make you my girlfriend? Two; call me Denki."

You nodded your head, temporarily unable to form words. Since you couldn't, you decided to go into Denki's mind and tell him that you wanted to be his girlfriend, especially because of the raging crush you have had on him for a while.

Right after, you removed your head from his and then his lips immediately locked with yours. He spoke volumes through that kiss, telling you how much he meant his words, and you were incredibly thankful.

Quickly though, he pulled away and then made himself short circuit from the excitement.

"alright time to get you home" you chuckled watching your braindead now-boyfriend walk with you, but you had to keep him steady on his feet, so you just had to put your mind holding back on him, keeping his legs from giving out.

Everything's going to be fine, and from that day forward, you knew you were going to be better than you ever have been before.

#denki x reader #denkichu #denki kaminari #mha denki #bnha x reader

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mirkwoodshewolf · 5 years

Text

Lost one sibling, gained four more; Queen x teen reader pt.1

*Author's note*

Can this be true? Two updates in one day?! Well you better damn BELIEVE IT MY PEOPLE!!! I just got this request FINALLY done after working non-stop when I could and finally I had time to just sit down and finish it. So I'd love to thank the requestor for being SOOO patient. And yes this request is VERY long so this is just Part one, pt.2 will be posted immediately after this so just hang tight my darlings :)

So warnings include: INSANE FLUFF, cancerous sickness (leukemia), some angst (but not in the part but buckle up for pt.2), and the lovely and nasty Queenies :) Hope you all enjoy this fic as much as you've enjoyed the last one :)

Taglist:

@psychosupernatural

@plethora-of-things

@ixchel-9275

@waddles03

@geek-and-proud

@platawnic

@queendeakyy

@coolcxt

______________________________________________________________

*Tokyo, Japan 1974*

Being here in Tokyo, Japan has been such a thrill. Even though the boys weren't overly popular like the Beatles or Elton John just yet back home in England, at least here in Japan they've greeted them like royalty. There were screaming fans everywhere to greet us at the airport holding up pictures, drawings and signs welcoming the guys to their home country.

The boys had a press conference earlier today and now we were in a special garden just behind the Tokyo tower for the tea ceremony. It was such a beautiful day for such a ceremony and the cherry blossoms were in full bloom.

As I looked at the boys I could tell they were extremely happy to be here. I looked down at my art book and went back to sketching the boys who were all sitting along the blanket holding their Japanese teacups. Making sure to get each detail of each of their features, and the last detail like the wind blowing their hair down just right.

Oh I should introduce myself; my names (y/n) (l/n). I had gotten a job being an assistant to the band's lawyer Jim Beach just before Queen began recording their 3rd album "Sheer Heart attack". Since joining the boys over a year ago when I was just 16 years old, they have become like a second family to me.

And it's exactly what I needed because—well I've been dealing with some hardships in my family as of late for the past few years now, so being with the guys has really helped brighten my day.

As I watched the boys play with their gifts given to them by the Japanese fans and giving them a recorded message, curtesy of the Japanese press that had joined us along with the ladies who help run the tea ceremonies for only the elite politicians of Japan.

God were they ever silly, Roger photobombing behind in almost every message, Deacy being a secret cheeky guy, Freddie interrupting Roger's greeting, and Brian stepping in when he felt like it during Fred's message. I continued my outline of the boys on the blanket with the Tokyo tower in the background, when I felt something touch behind my ear.

"A blossom for our blossom." I softly grinned and turned around to see Freddie and Deacy standing behind me. I lifted my hand to see just what he had done but he told me, "No, no darling don't touch it. Deacy darling, take a picture of us two."

I blushed and tried to bury my face into my hands.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no love not this time. You've been avoiding all pictures ever since we got here. I deserve at least one with you in it for myself." Deacy said as Freddie pulled me close onto his lap and leaned his head against mine.

"You guys are nuts, you know that?"

"But you love us dear." Freddie said as he gave my temple a quick peck.

"Yeah, guess I do."

"Alright you two look this way." Deacy said as he prepped his camera. We turned to face Deacy and I wrapped my arms around Fred's neck and his arms went around my waist as we leaned our heads against each other's. Deacy got in a few pictures and he said. "Beautiful."

"Tell me we can see the blossom in her hair Deacy."

"Yep, got a clear picture of that." I gently removed the twig from my hair to see a multiple line of cheery blossoms. I smiled and that's when Fred grabbed my art book.

"Working on some new sketches darling?"

"Yeah, Japan's definitely given me some beautiful inspiration. But most of it is still a work in process, so no lookies."

"Aww c'mon dear let me have a sneak peek, please? From one designer to another?"

"No not even if you were my professor Freddie."

"Oh you better hand over the sketch book (Y/n) darling, if you know it's good for you." He playfully threatened. I gripped my book tightly to my chest and that's when he said. "Fine, you leave me no choice. Roger!"

"Shit no!" I took off running and before I even knew it, Roger quickly swooped in and swung me around and he said.

"Might as well give up lovie, you know it's useless to get out of my grasp." He emphasized his point by nuzzling my head like a cat and peppering my face with slobbery kisses.

"Eww Rog! Cut it out!!" I tried to escape his grip but as always it was pointless to escape the arms of Roger Taylor. He kept peppering kisses all over my face, even poking me in the sides slightly tickling me till the grip on my notebook was just enough for it to fall.

Deacy caught it and handed it to Fred.

"Thank you my darlings."

"Deacy, Rog, you both are on the official hate list. I no longer like you two." I huffed.

"Aww, that hurts poppet, that really hurts." Deacy mocked using the puppy dog eyes on me that he knew I couldn't resist.

"After all we've been through (n/n) you'd just dump me like that?" Roger faked cried.

"You are such a drama queen Rog." He grinned and playfully ruffled my hair and that's when Freddie said.

"Ohh (y/n) darling. These are—there's not even a word that can describe what I'm looking at. The realism is uncanny down to the last detail. You even got Brian's hair right and not even I can do that."

"I'll admit, even though I'm no artist that these pictures look like a photograph being developed. You're truly talented (y/n)." Deacy praised me as he looked over Fred's shoulder. Brian soon came up and he said.

"I must admit Fred's right. Every hair detail for all of us is down to the straight detail. Do you—think I could get a signed copy of this?"

"Not if I take one first Brian." Roger spoke up.

"I swear darling, you should go to the university I went to; Ealing Art college. They'd be soo lucky to have you."

"Well.....I mean they're okay but I don't think they're worthy of that university." I muttered.

"Don't be so modest darling, I'll even give you a recommendation. As an alumni I can have the rights to help you get in." he decreed.

"Well I'll—I'll think about it Freddie. Right now I just want to get through secondary school and graduate from that." After that conversation, the five of us continued to have a fun time in the Japanese garden.

After the tour in Japan, I arrived back in London and as the guys were piling in the cab Roger said.

"C'mon love let's go."

"Actually I promised my mum that I'd wait here for her. She said she was gonna take me home."

"You sure?" asked Brian.

"Yeah, she might be waiting outside right now. You guys go on ahead I'll see you guys next week."

"Alright, thanks for coming with us love."

"Thank you guys for inviting me. I had a wonderful time."

"You always make our tours and trips more memorable (y/n) dear. Drive safe." He came up and kissed my cheeks and hugged me. I hugged each of my boys and they piled into the cab waving goodbye to me. I blew them a kiss goodbye and they took off in the cab.

About five minutes after they left, my mom's van pulled up. I smiled at her and picked up my luggage and headed towards the car. I placed them in the backseat and I hugged my mum.

"Did you have fun love?"

"Ohh Japan was so beautiful, I wish you and Kay could've been there to see it."

"I'm sure your sister would've loved to have gone with you."

"How—how has she been?"

"Well we—had a bit of a scare just the other week, but she's stable now."

"What? What happened to her?! Why didn't you call me?"

"I tried but each time I did no one was answering. Plus with the time difference and this internship I didn't want you distracted."

"Mum, if something happens to Kaylee, I deserve to know." She cupped the side of my face and said.

"You're right I'm sorry. Do you wish to see her?" I nodded and said.

"I still gotta give her that gift I promised her." My mum shifted the car into drive and drove us out of the airport to London hospital.

Once we arrived at the hospital, my mum checked us in and we headed towards my sister's room on the 5th floor. Now you remember me mentioning about the family turmoil right? Well it all has to do with my bestest friend in the whole wide world, my older sister Kaylee. See about 4 or 5 years ago we noticed how she'd always get high fevers and suddenly seemed to be losing weight.

At first I thought she was going anorexic but when she passed out and my mum and I saw the bruises forming on her arms, we immediately rushed her over here to the hospital where they diagnosed her with acute myeloid leukemia.

It devastated the whole family and it really began to take a toll on my mum and now we're hardly able to afford my sister's medical bills to pay for all the chemo she has to go through. That's why I got the job with Jim in the first place.

Any checks I get from him, go straight to my sister. Not my college fund. In fact I'm not even going to college, cause I want to continue to fund for my sister's health, and finally get her the cure she deserves.

When we got to her room, there she was lying on her bed, beanie on top of her head to cover her bald head. She turned over to me and smiled tiredly.

"Hey (y/n)." I smiled and rushed over to her and hugged her without hurting her. "How was Japan?"

"It was beautiful. Maybe once you're out and better we can take a trip there."

"I hope so."

"Oh hey, I got you what you've been asking for." I went into my bag and pulled out a poster of the Queen 2 poster that had all the guys' signatures on them. I had asked them while we were in Japan if they could sign this for me. Easily able to trick them, I told them to write it for Kay, telling them that it was a nickname of sorts.

"Oh my god." She squealed softly as she took the poster in her hands and looked at it. See she's the reason why I got into Queen. Since she's two years older than me, she first heard about the first Queen album and kept playing it on repeat.

Liking the music I was hearing, she gave me a brief education on Queen and ever since then, we've been fangirls of Queen ever since. They're music has really helped my sister a lot especially since her leukemia has seemed to be getting progressively worse in the past year.

"Thank you (y/n). You are so lucky that you get to work with them."

"Well it's mostly just doing stuff for their lawyer. I don't actually help make the songs."

"Still, you're living every girl's dream right now at the chance of even being close to them. Are they nice?"

"Oh Kay, nice doesn't even begin to describe them. They're so sweet and down to earth. Cheeky at times especially Roger and Freddie, but they are all so supportive and treat me like I'm a part of their little family."

"I'm glad they're treating you right." I then showed her some of the pictures that I had drew while I was there and some of the photos I took. "God (y/n). I envy you for your drawings. And the fact that you were in Japan. You know I always wanted to go there."

"Well—maybe when you get out, we can take a trip there." Unaware of my mum's solemn attitude, my sister smiled and said.

"Yeah. Maybe we can make it just the two of us squirt." She playfully shoved my head, our friendly little gesture of affection since we were kids.

"Hey I'm 2 years younger than you."

"Still a squirt compared to me." She teased.

After about a week of being back home, I went between my final few weeks of home schooling, the studio and the hospital. Right now I was sitting with my sister, the two of us having the boys' "Sheer Heart attack" album playing in the background as my sister and I were chatting away.

"Okay so FMK; Paul McCartney, David Bowie or Elton John." I asked my sister.

"Oh Goddamnit (n/n) why make me choose those three. I love all of them!" she whined.

"Cause I'm evil like that. No c'mon you made me have to kill Brian the last time so this is payback."

"Okay, okay. So.....ugh I hate you. Okay I would marry Elton, fuck Paul and I'm sorry David. God I hate you so much!"

"Haha!"

"Well don't let David hear you say that darling." Oh god it—it can't be. We suddenly looked up and there stood Brian, Freddie, Deacy and Roger.

"Oh my god what are—what are you guys doing here?"

"You left your journal at the studio last night. We called your mum to see if we could give it to you at the house but she told us you were at the hospital." Answered Deacy as he held up my art journal.

"At first we got worried that something bad had happened to you, but then she explained to us what was going on." Continued Roger.

"So you must be the real Kay." Freddie pointed towards my sister.

"Guys I'm—I'm sorry I tricked you, I just....."

"It's alright love. There's no need to explain. It's sweet you got something for your sister after all you've done for her. But we figured maybe a visit from the real band might make her day a bit better." Brian said with a soft smile.

"I—I....." Kaylee started as the boys all came in and sat around us.

"So Kaylee darling, which of our three albums is your favorite?" asked Freddie.

"Uhh well I—it's hard to pick but I guess your recent album Sheer Heart attack is probably my favorite."

"Do you have a favorite song from the album?" asked Brian.

"Oh god uhh—can't I say I love them all? It's so hard to pick a favorite song of yours."

"That's understandable." Replied Deacy.

For the rest of the time, my sister got to ask the guys so many questions about how their musical processes, how they choose which lyrics work the best, how the arrangement works when performing, how they all got together, everything she had been dying to know since she was a music nut.

And bless the boys they answered all her questions no matter how ridiculous or embarrassing they were. Soon a nurse came in to tell me that visiting hours were over.

I hugged my sister goodbye and even the guys gave her a hug and kiss goodbye, which made her heart meter skyrocket, especially when she got a kiss to the cheek from Deacy.

I walked out with the guys and we all piled into the car and I said to them.

"Thanks you guys."

"For what lovie?" asked Roger.

"For—being nice to my sister. You four.....have made her happier than my mum and I have seen her in years since she's had to go back and forth between home and the hospital."

"You're family to us (n/n). And if we could give a little bit more back to you, it's always worth it. We're honored that you let us in on this personal matter of your life. Thank you for letting us have your trust." Said Brian.

"Just—promise me that none of this gets leaked out."

"Don't be ridiculous dear. We wouldn't dare proclaim this secret of yours out to the public. Your sister's secret heath crisis is safe with us." Freddie said as he stroked down my hair. I smiled and thanked them once more.

One year later in 1975 I was with the boys, Mr. Reid, Paul Prenter and my boss Jim Beach. We were currently in Ray Foster's office waiting for Freddie to arrive for the meeting of the next hit album. I leaned my chin against my palm as I drummed against the armrest of the chair I was sitting in.

Finally Freddie walked in greeting us with a hello.

"You're late." Said Mr. Foster.

"Am I?" questioned Freddie.

"Saved you a seat." Paul said as he gestured at the chair I was sitting at. He then glared down at me ordering me to move. I sat up but then just before I could walk away to stand beside my boss, I was pulled onto the couch and saw that it was Roger who had pulled me in to sit on his lap. He winked at me and placed a quick peck on my forehead as Mr. Reid introduced my boss to Ray Foster.

"You must stop calling him that." Freddie said as he lit himself a cigarette.

"That's his name." said Mr. Reid.

"No we cannot keep calling him Jim Beach. No that's absurd not to mention unspeakably boring." He breathed in a quick drag before proclaiming. "Miami. From now on; I dub thee, Miami Beach." My boss chuckled then said a quick little teasing joke of Miami Beach.

Truthfully I liked it, hopefully I can have the honor of calling him that one day but for now I'll just settle on Mr. Beach as I have been referring him as.

"Right now that everyone's got an acceptable name let's get to it. Look; we just really need something special. More hits, like "Killer Queen", only bigger."

"It's not bloody widgets we're making. We can't just reproduce Killer Queen." Said Roger as Freddie sat up and walked towards Ray's record player taking out a record from his bag.

"No. We can do better." Said Freddie as he placed the record on the vinyl and turned it on. He lifted the needle and placed it at a specific point and soon coming out of the speakers was the famed song from Carmen. I grinned and as Freddie gracefully walked around moving his finger around to the tun, Mr. Foster bluntly stated.

"It's opera."

"Opera!" exclaimed Mr. Reid.

"Opera." Echoed Paul.

"Ahh there seems to be an echo in here." Deacy stated which made me choke out a laugh. As the song continued, when it got to the big crescendo part of the song, Freddie went all out waving his arm in tune before on the final note, slamming his hand down on Foster's desk. He almost couldn't contain his excitement as I chuckled softly.

Brian, Rog and Deacy were also in tune to the idea as they with less enthusiasm as Freddie but the same interest followed the next crescendo of the choir. Freddie turned the volume down as Brian said.

"See we don't want to repeat ourselves. The same formula over and over."

"Formulas are a complete and utter waste of time." Freddie stated bluntly.

"Formulas work. Let's stick with the formulas. I like formulas." Mr. Foster said.

"We'll call the album......A Night at the Opera." Hmm after a Marx brother's film. Sounds interesting.

"Are you aware that no one actually likes Opera."

"I like it." I said to myself, but I guess it was loud enough because Mr. Foster looked right at me through his shades and asked skeptically.

"Do you?"

"I do as well." I heard my boss say. I looked at him and he gave me a slight nod. God he was such a cool boss.

"No don't misunderstand darling, it's a rock and roll record. With the scale of opera. The pathos of Greek tragedy, the wit of Shakespeare, the—unbridled joy of musical theatre. It's a musical experience. Rather than just another record, something for everyone something—something that will make people feel belongs to them. We'll mix genres, we'll cross boundaries, we'll—we'll—we'll speak in bloody tongues if we want to."

"There-there's no musical ghetto that can contain us." Proclaimed Roger.

"That's it." Freddie pointed towards Roger.

"No one knows what Queen means because it doesn't mean one thing." Deacy pointed out.

All was quiet, man I have a feeling that this album was gonna be the one that would put Queen on the map of the entire world, that after this they were gonna change the name of music forever.

"What do you think John?" Foster asked Mr. Reid.

"I—agree with the band."

"Of course you do." He then turned towards me and asked, "How about you uhh—" I was shocked that he wanted my opinion. I looked to the guys and they gave me an encouraging nod.

"(Y/n). Well—fortune favors the bold, does it not?" I felt Roger pat my shoulder. Freddie then leaned against Foster's desk as he said.

"Surely a man of your—unique taste. Isn't afraid of a little risk?" Foster debated before finally saying.

"Please don't make me regret this."

"You're fun." Freddie pointed out with a grin.

After the meeting, Jim called me into his office and I said as I peeked into it.

"You wished to see me sir?"

"Yes c'mon in (y/n). Have a seat." I took a seat in front of his desk. "Alright (y/n), now it's come to my attention that since you and the boys have gotten so close with each other since you started working here, I feel it's best that since I can't go with them to Rockfield due to my legal matters here as their lawyer, that I'm electing you to go with them to keep an eye on them."

I was flabbergasted. Me? Go with them to Rockfield studios?

"M—Mr. Beach....."

"Miami." Wow he did he really just ask me to call him that. "Freddie's insisted that you refer to me as that from now on." Ahh that Freddie Mercury.

"Miami. I mean it's an honor but I—I don't think I can go away for that long. I mean....."

"Please (y/n). You know as well as I do that Paul has no good intentions when it comes to Queen." That I do. Ever since working with the boys, I've had a sickening feeling about Paul Prenter. There was just something about him that felt—slimy, ill, almost like a virus.

"Yeah."

"There's no other person I would trust more to go with the boys to the farm. Plus they all believe that you should go with them anyway so it's out of my hands either way."

"I'll think about it."

"Just make sure you tell them in two days' time when they leave for the recording." I nodded and stood up. "Oh wait, one more thing. Your paycheck." He then took out his checkbook and wrote down my pay for the 2 weeks. I thanked him but when I looked down, my eyes widened.

"Wait uhh—Miami. This....this is double the normal amount you pay me."

"I know."

"I agreed to be paid 500 pounds."

"It's come to my attention there's some financial struggle you're going through. The boys wouldn't explain it in full detail but they made me aware that you were in dire need of it. Plus I know they can be a lot to handle, so you deserve 1000 anyway." I looked down but couldn't help the small smile across my face.

"Thank you—Miami." He smiled and nodded at me and I left his office with my raised paycheck. As I walked across the hall, I saw the boys go from the snooping position to trying to act nonchalantly, like they weren't spying on me. "I know you four had something to do with this." I said raising my check.

"We have no idea what you're talking about (n/n)." said Brian as he looked over his six-pence coin that served as his guitar pick.

"So you're coming with us right?" asked Freddie.

"I—I'll get back to you on that. I—I need to talk to Kay about it."

"I'm sure she'll let you come with us. C'mon love just say you'll be coming with us." Roger said as he came up and wrapped his arms around me.

"Besides you'll be much better company than Prenter. I'll go mad if I have to see him every day while we're there." Said Deacy.

"Exactly Deacy!" agreed Roger.

So that night after work, I was in Kaylee's room and I told her about what I was going to do for the summer and she was psyched for me.

"I say you go!" she proclaimed.

"But what about you?" I asked. She reached over and took my hand and she said.

"You've been doing too much for me. You've always put me over yourself. And this is your last chance to be a free kid before you start thinking about college. So please for my sake go with them. If not I'll never let you live it down. Ever."

"Okay, okay. I'll give Fred a call tomorrow and tell him."

"Call him tonight."

"Fine. And you're sure you'll be fine."

"Yes. I've got mum to look after me. And I expect new drawings, pictures and lots of stories from you when you get back."

"I promise Kay, thanks girl." She smiled as I leaned forward and we hugged each other.

In two days, the guys picked me up right at 4am on the dot so that way we'd get there by sunrise to the farm. Deacy put my bags in the trunk while I hugged and kissed my mum and sis goodbye.

"Now be sure to be good for these boys (y/n)."

"I will mum. Promise me to keep me updated on everything?"

"You know me, I'll be calling you every night." I smiled and separated from my mum before finally standing before my sister.

"Don't do anything insane till I get back." I told her. She smiled and scoffed playfully.

"How can I? You're taking all the insanity with you." I grinned back at her and the two of us embraced each other. "Have fun tigress."

"Be strong lioness."

"Oh come on let's get a move on! Anymore wasted time here and we'll be late!" I heard Paul cry out.

"Piss off Prenter! Let her say goodbye to her family." Brian sneered.

"Go on, don't want you to get into trouble." Kay said as we separated. I waved bye to them one last time and I got into the car with Rog and Deacy and soon we drove off.

"Since it'll be a long drive and it's still pretty early, why don't you try and go back to sleep (y/n)?" suggested Deacy. I nodded and leaned my head back against the car, but Deacy offered his shoulder for me to sleep on. I took his offer and in his playful jealous tone, Roger spoke up.

"What about me?"

"You fidget around too much on long car rides." I moaned tiredly.

"Why you little—"

"Face it Rog, she loves me more than you do when it comes to sleeping buddies. Isn't that right love?"

"Yeah." I heard Rog huff but then he said.

"Well at least I provide the best blankets." He emphasized that point by draping his fur coat over my shoulders as a blanket.

"Won't deny that though. You both take such good care of me."

"Only the best for you love." I nuzzled into Deacy's shoulder and exhaled tiredly through my nose and began to fall back asleep.

144 notes · View notes

phoenix-downer · 4 years

Text

Thanks for Waiting Chapter 2/2

For Rikunami Day 2019. Chapter 1 was posted for the actual day, and chapter 2 is getting posted today. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter Length: ~2700 words

Summary: Riku and Naminé are an unlikely duo working towards a common goal: helping Sora. But as they spend more and more time together, they start to question if they’re doing the right thing. It’s easier to focus on that than on what might be happening between them. After all, a Nobody doesn’t have feelings of her own, and a human wouldn’t fall for a Nobody… right?

Characters: Naminé, Riku, Riku Replica, Kairi, Sora

Relationships: Riku/Naminé

Additional Info: Romance, Friendship, Angst, Mutual Pining, (Mostly) Canon Compliant, Missing Scene(s), Kairi and Naminé friendship, Sora and Riku friendship, Riku and Riku Replica friendship, KH3 Spoilers, Canonical Character Death

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Soft eyes and an enigmatic smile. More shadow than light, looking as if she might fade away at any moment, hard at work as she sketched how she saw the world. Riku knew his priority was supposed to be saving Aqua, but ever since he’d run into the other Riku in the Realm of Darkness, his thoughts kept wandering to Naminé.

He rolled over and sighed. Radiant Garden was looking better and better the more of it was rebuilt, but even though he and Mickey were staying at a cozy inn with comfortable beds, tonight was proving to be another sleepless night.

“You’re thinking about her again, aren’t you?”

Hovering beside him was the other Riku. They’d started having more and more chats like this, and Riku couldn’t say he really minded. It was nice getting perspective from someone who understood him so well and yet wasn’t him.

“I guess I am,” he said. “What Ienzo told us about the Replica project’s been on my mind.”

If there was a way to bring Naminé back, he wanted to. The time they’d spent together hadn’t exactly been surrounded by happy memories, and yet thinking about her brought a smile to his face.

“I understand,” the other Riku said. “My feelings for her might be fake—”

Riku raised an eyebrow. “They seem real enough to me.”

“I guess you’re right. But yours are real, too. And that means you can help her.”

“I’ll try,” Riku said at last, “but I can’t make any promises. Saving Aqua comes first.”

He had a duty to fulfill. He and Mickey had to get Aqua out of the Realm of Darkness as soon as possible.

“But then?”

“I’ll do whatever I can to save her. I promise.”

The other Riku looked content to hear this. He looked up at the ceiling and sighed. “And that’s all I can ask from you. For you and me both.”

Riku thought about the other Riku’s words as he tossed and turned. Would it be possible to bring Naminé back? If so… then yes, he did want to bring her back.

His thoughts wandered back to those months they’d spent together working to save Sora. If only he’d known what he had before he lost it. But that was how life worked, wasn’t it? Didn’t know what you had till it was gone. He’d been so fixated on helping Sora, and so had she, that neither of them realized what could’ve been till it couldn’t be anymore.

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Naminé’s days were spent in slumber, and it was only at night, while Kairi dreamed, that they could speak. As far as Naminé knew, Kairi didn’t remember their little chats – not much of them, anyway – but they were nice all the same.

The two of them met in a vision of the white room back at the Old Mansion, Naminé’s drawings hung all over the walls as they sat at opposite ends of the table. She listened intently as Kairi talked about all the things she’d been learning lately, the magic spells and defense moves and special attacks. Imagined she was doing those things beside Kairi instead of watching from within a dream.

Kairi paused, her brow furrowed. “What’s wrong? I get the feeling something’s troubling you.”

“Oh… it’s just that…”

She hesitated. Should she really tell Kairi what was on her heart? Would that make anything better, or would it just make Kairi sad?

“You can tell me,” Kairi said gently. “I’m your friend.”

Naminé spent a few more agonizing seconds deciding what to do, then finally spoke again. “Hearing you talk, I wish I could experience all those things with you. It’s selfish, I know, but—”

Kairi shook her head. “It’s not selfish at all. It’s human. Of course you want to experience these things for yourself. When I lost my body and was inside Sora’s heart, I enjoyed seeing all the things he did. But it wasn’t the same as getting to see them for myself.”

“I understand.”

Kairi smiled sadly. “Anything else on your mind?”

“Well… there is someone I want to see again…”

“You will. I promise.”

How Kairi knew who it was, Naminé wasn’t sure. But the knowing twinkle in her eyes lifted her spirits a little. She might be unable to live her own life, but at least she still had Kairi.

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“Well, enough about what I’ve been up to. Anything on your mind?” Sora asked as Riku chatted with him via Gummiphone. His friend was chilling in the Gummi Ship while Donald and Goofy were shopping for supplies and Mickey was grabbing breakfast.

“Well, actually… yeah,” Riku replied.

Sora’s eyebrows furrowed. “What is it? You worried about rescuing Aqua? I know you’ll be able to pull it off. You rescued me, after all.”

“Right. I just… there’s something else I…” Riku sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was going to regret saying this, he just knew he would. All those years spent teasing Sora were about to come back and bite him in the ass.

“You miss somebody, don’t you?” Sora said sagely.

“How’d you know?”

“Gimme some credit here. I am your best friend. I have a pretty good read on how you’re feeling.”

“And who do you think it is I’m missing, oh wise one?” Riku teased. If Sora was gonna give him a hard time, he’d dish it right back.

“Hmmm, let’s see. Can’t be Kairi, ‘cause you just saw her. Can’t be me, ‘cause we’re talking right now. Selphie drives you up the wall, and Tidus and Wakka haven’t really talked to either of us much lately. So we’re all out.”

“What, are you a super sleuth now?”

“It must be someone you can’t talk to right now. Boy do I know how that feels,” Sora said with a sigh. “I’m gonna guess… Naminé?”

Riku didn’t say anything, and a smirk spread across Sora’s face. “I knew it! You do miss her, don’t you?”

“I didn’t realize I would until she was gone.”

“Riku, you’ve always been kinda dense when it comes to your own heart,” Sora said with a shake of his head, but the words were affectionate. “This doesn’t surprise me at all. I can see why you like her.”

Riku bristled. “I’m dense when it comes to my own heart? Sheesh, talk about the pot calling the kettle black.”

“Maybe, but I’ve gotten pretty good at picking up on what other people are feeling. You wanna see her again, don’t you?”

“I guess. But I don’t see how that’s possible.”

There were a lot of big ifs to her getting a body of her own. And even if they did save her, would she even want to talk to him?

“C’mon, Riku, have some faith! I swore to Roxas I’d get him back somehow. I’m sure Kairi feels the same way about Naminé. And you said it yourself. Ienzo and the others wanna find a way to give them bodies. With all these people working together, I’m sure we’ll find a way to save them.”

“You’re right. I should have some faith. Comes with following my heart, doesn’t it?”

Sora grinned. “Yup! That’s the spirit.”

As they wrapped up their conversation and Sora said goodbye, Riku couldn’t help but sigh. He sure wanted to hope, but hope was dangerous. Hope easily led to disappointment.

But what was the alternative? Living without any hope? That was even worse. So maybe he’d give this whole faith thing a try. He would see Naminé again, and when he did, maybe he’d finally tell her how he felt.

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Ever since her birth, Naminé had teetered on the edge of existence. Was this new form really so different? This star full of empty hopes and wishes and regrets, barely hanging onto life in the Final World with nothing but blue sky and white clouds surrounding her for miles on end?

What was it that kept her here? Why hadn’t she passed on to whatever lay beyond this realm? Was it because Kairi still stubbornly clung to life and kept her here? Or was it her own regrets?

She did have a lot of regrets. But after lingering inside Kairi’s heart for a while, she’d finally identified her biggest regret of all. And now, all alone in this lonely place with nothing but her regrets left, it ate away at her.

No one really missed her. Roxas was the one they missed. They’d all be fine without her. And the person she missed the most, the person she wanted to see the most, didn’t seem to care at all.

Then Sora came along, tethered to the Realm of Light and retaining his form while Naminé did not. Of course. Someone cared enough about him to do that. Just another reminder that Naminé was alone.

But as he talked to her, he reassured her that everyone did miss her. He missed her, Kairi missed her, Donald and Goofy missed her, Roxas missed her… and most puzzling of all, someone else special wouldn’t let her down.

His words stuck with her after he’d left, remained in her heart after he found their friends again and returned to the Realm of Light and Naminé to Kairi’s heart.

Could he possibly mean…

But hoping was dangerous. And yet, she couldn’t help but hope. Hoping was a part of having a heart, after all.

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Riku watched, dumbfounded, as the other Riku gave up his chance at life for Naminé’s sake. Gave up his chance to be with her for Riku’s sake. With a few final words, he faded into a swirl of light and darkness, leaving nothing behind but the Replica body for Naminé as the wind whistled through this dry, empty place.

If that wasn’t love, Riku didn’t know what was. He would honor the other Riku’s sacrifice and bring back Naminé, whatever it might take. He wanted to see her again. He wanted to tell her what the other Riku had sacrificed for her. And… he wanted to tell her how he felt. She deserved to hear it, after he’d been so clueless about his own heart.

But first, they had a war to win.

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The cruel irony of Kairi’s existence was that she could keep other people from dying and yet couldn’t save herself. Naminé screamed as she felt Xehanort’s blade strike Kairi’s back, wrenching her out of her safe home and sending her hurtling towards death. Kairi’s heart was likewise torn from her body right before it turned to crystal and exploded.

The two girls were flying through the Final World towards whatever lay beyond, and Naminé latched onto Kairi’s hand. At least if they were going to die, they’d do it together.

“Naminé,” Kairi said, her face twisted in sorrow, “I’m so sorry, I couldn’t keep you safe—”

“It’s not your fault,” Naminé replied, trying to reassure her.

“It’s too late for me, but not for you. I know the others can take it from here. I’m sorry I won’t be able to welcome you home myself. I really did want to be there for you. But at least this way I’ll be able to keep my promise to you.”

“No, Kairi, what are you saying—”

With the last of her strength, with the last of her light, Kairi anchored Naminé to the Final World. Her see-through hand was starting to slip out of Naminé’s grasp, but Naminé wasn’t about to let go so easily.

“Kairi no, please, you have to save yourself—”

“No! You deserve to live! You deserve to be your own person. Just because my time is over doesn’t mean yours has to be!” She smiled sadly as Naminé’s hand slipped out of her grasp. “Promise me you’ll live. Be there for Sora and Riku because I can’t anymore.”

“I promise,” Naminé choked out, her lower lip quivering. Kairi’s smile got bigger, and then she was wrenched away.

Naminé couldn’t really cry without a body, even though she wished she could. She couldn’t do much to help Kairi right now, either. All their friends were back where they belonged. All except her and Kairi. It would be easy to give into despair and just fade away.

But she’d made a promise to Kairi, and she intended to keep it. And when Sora found her again, she knew exactly what to do.

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The battle was over. The long night had ended. It was morning, and Riku hovered somewhere between relief, exhaustion, and grief. Sora and Kairi were both gone, and while Riku had faith Sora would find her again and bring her home, he still missed them both. The memory of Kairi’s body floating helplessly as Xehanort struck her and Sora’s scream of agony that followed soon afterwards would haunt him for a long, long time. He’d failed them both when he’d wanted nothing more than to protect them both. And nothing except for seeing their smiles again, hearing their laughter again, would mend the wound of their loss.

But he couldn’t rest yet. Couldn’t grieve yet. He had one last task to complete. Mickey had come with him for it, and they trudged wordlessly through the maze that had been a battlefield before.

There. Up ahead. An empty body wrapped in a black coat. He gently lifted it into his arms and cradled it as Mickey brushed dust off the coat. This was going to be Naminé’s new body, after all, and it deserved the utmost care.

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Naminé’s eyes blinked open. Standing before her were Zexion, DiZ, and Vexen. Smiles spread across their faces as she sat up and tested her new limbs. This wasn’t exactly the welcome committee she’d been expecting, but she was grateful they were trying to make up for their past treatment of her all the same.

“It worked!” Vexen exclaimed, his green eyes shining.

“Welcome back to the Realm of Light, Naminé,” Zexion said as she slipped off the gurney and stood.

“Come, there is something you must see,” DiZ told her in his deep booming voice. She followed along, exiting the bowels of the castle on her own two feet. She could walk. She could really walk on her own again.

Xaldin and Lexaeus were at the entrance of the castle to greet her, and she shielded her eyes from the bright light of the sun. How good its warm rays felt shining down on her again, and how lovely the breeze felt blowing through her hair.

And it was blowing because the Gummi Ship was landing. Flower petals flew through the air as it made its careful descent to the ground. And after it had landed, her face lit up as the person she had wanted to see more than anything came out to greet her, like a knight coming to sweep her off her feet.

He offered his hand, and she smiled and took it. She’d imagined their reunion over and over again, but nothing compared to the actual thing. His hand was warm and his grip was strong, and his voice was the most wonderful sound in the world. And best of all, his eyes weren’t hidden or the wrong color; no, they were their beautiful natural green.

“Welcome home, Naminé.”

“It’s good to be back, Riku.”

“Come on in. They’re all waiting to see you.”

As she entered the Gummi Ship and saw the smiling faces of their friends as they all greeted her, giving her hugs and exchanging tearful happy words, it really sank in. She wasn’t alone. She hadn’t been for a very long time. And now Riku was here with her. He’d come for her, just like Sora had said he would.

“Ready to head to Sora and Kairi’s welcome home party?” Riku asked as she took one of the seats next to him.

“Yes,” Naminé said as she smoothed her skirt. “Thank you for coming to get me. Your timing was perfect.”

Riku shot her a grin, and she smiled back.

“Anytime. Thanks for waiting for me, Naminé.”

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A/N: I figured Sora knew about Riku’s feelings for Naminé somehow, otherwise he wouldn’t have promised Naminé someone special wouldn’t let her down, so I went into writing this part with that in mind. The rest was what I imagined could’ve happened behind the scenes during KH3.

I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading!

55 notes · View notes

stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale · 5 years

Text

with you [2/6]

Summary: Clementine pops the question.

Preview:

“Fine.”

Violet pulls her cleaver out and tosses it down the hallway.

“You wanna talk?” She shoves her door open, turning to glower at Clementine. “Let’s talk.”

She walks into the dorm room, straight to her desk. She takes her chair, turns it around, and sits facing Clementine, waiting.

Suddenly, she’s terrified. Not the kind of terrified like when there are walkers, or like the terror she feels when someone gets hurt or doesn’t come back on time. This is a terror of facing Violet with the possibility of saying the wrong thing and shattering that little piece of lost hope for their friendship.

This is her last chance.

Warnings: There’s a little passionate smooching but no actual sexual content. Willy doesn’t know how to knock. Mitch is a level 10 tsundere. Violet’s very angsty this time around. Angry arguments happen. This one is pretty long, too.

Author’s Note: Ha ha remember when I said this’ll only be a 2 part story?? Well, that was before I went an got an idea that added two completely new scenes and made this WAAAAY too long. However, I’ll be posting part 3 after I finish up the new scenes and edit. Might take me a while but this story has thrown me into hell already so I’m committed.

EDIT: ha ha remember when I said this’ll be 3 parts? I lied it’s 4 it’s 5 now.

---

Before breakfast, Clementine sneaks away to give the string back to Mitch.

When she finds him, he’s digging around in one of the hallway drawers, muttering curses to himself. He takes the string without a word and hurries back outside. Odd, she thinks, but sometimes Mitch is hard to figure out. So, she lets it go.

She needs to find AJ now.

Considering he didn’t come back to the room last night, she assumes he had a sleepover with Tenn last night.

Thank goodness, she thinks. Not only would he have walked in on something, well, intimate, but AJ has a hard time leaving Louis alone after one of his nightmares. Clementine’s warned him about being clingy, but all AJ says back is, “I just want him to be okay.”

Louis always insisted he’s fine, that the nightmares aren’t really that bad, that he barely remembers them. She knows he still tells AJ that to reassure him. He used to tell her the same thing, only she knows better.

She can still remember the first time she told him to stop lying to her.

“Louis, stop. Just… stop. Lying to me isn’t going to make it any better. You can’t carry this on your own and I can’t fully be here for you unless you’re completely honest with me.”

She’d never held someone whose entire body rocked and crumbled with so much regret, so much fear.

That was the first night they slept in the same bed.

He moved in two days later.

She can only hope that tonight will be better, that he can find peace in his dreams again.

Clementine leaves the school and steps out into the fresh morning air and inhales the intoxicating scent of dew ridden grass and dirt. She spots AJ at one of the tables, scarfing down his breakfast next to Louis, James and Tenn. Even from a distance she can see how tired Louis is, even if he’s smiling and laughing with the others.

“Clem!” Omar waves her over, holding up a plate. That’s when the scent of breakfast hits her, causing her stomach to growl. She’s about to hurry over there until she sees Violet loading up her bowl. Their eyes meet for a split second, and that’s enough to make Violet jerk around and head to the farthest table possible. Clementine watches her go as she approaches Omar.

“Good morning,” she greets him.

“It is, isn’t it? I’m glad there’s a little breeze today,” he says happily.

“Yeah,” she agrees. She crosses her arms and brings her voice to a whisper. “Hey… did she say anything to you?”

Omar gives a sad frown and shrugs a shoulder. “Just thanks. Nothing else.”

“Oh.”

“Hey, have you seen Mitch this morning? He hasn’t grabbed his food yet.”

“Oh, um, I haven’t,” she lies.

“He’s in the basement!” Willy exclaims from behind her, causing her to flinch. Somehow that boy manages to be both too loud and too quiet. He’s a good sneak, she’d give him that.

“Again?” Omar asks thoughtfully. “He’s been down there a lot this week.”

Ruby comes over to them now with anger knitted in her brow and her cheeks puffed red.

“Oh, he’s been banging around down there all mornin’! I went to fetch him fer breakfast and he hissed at me like some sorta rodent,” she scowls, “tellin’ me to fuck off, he’s busy! What’s he been doin’ down there that’s so important?”

“He’s making something super awesome!”

“Oh, God,” Ruby groans. “And what would that be?”

Willy shrugs with faux innocence before shooting Clementine a knowing smirk that makes her freeze.

“What’s he makin’?” Ruby asks more sternly.

“It’s a surprise!” Willy exclaims before pointing at himself, “And I’m helpin’ him with it.”

No, no fucking-

Clementine has to refrain from slapping her forehead. So much for keeping quiet.

“It best not be another cherry bomb ‘cause I will whip his-”

“It’s not! Honest! Don’t worry, you’ll see!” He smiles at Clementine again, baring all his crooked teeth. She glares back. That seems to straighten Willy out. He looks down at the dirt and says nothing else.

“Well, either way,” Omar hands Willy a plate, “take that to him. I don’t want to hear him complain he’s hungry when he finally comes outta there.”

“On it!” Willy almost spills the food when he takes off towards the basement doors.

“Willy!” Clementine calls after him. “Hold it!”

He stutters to a halt in front of the basement doors. When she gets closer, she can hear a repeated banging echoing from down the stairs. They both look around to make sure everyone else is out of earshot. Deeming it safe, she leans down and demands, “What did he tell you?”

Willy grins. “Said he needed my help fixing your wedding ring,” he loudly whispers. Clementine’s hand shoots out to cover his mouth.

“Shhh!” Clem glowers. “Who else has he told?”

“No one,” the boy answers honestly, shaking his head. “And I ain’t gonna tell anyone either, I swear.”

“Willy-”

“Really! I even promised Mitch!”

“Clem!” She hears AJ calling for her. She turns to wave at them, letting them know she’s coming.

Willy gives her a sincere smile. “Don’t worry, Clem, we got it all figured out. Just leave it to us.”

With that, he hurries into the basement, calling out for Mitch. She sees some of the food slosh over and fall on the stairs.

She can’t help but sigh.

At this rate, Louis’ll find out before she even has a proper ring.

Doing her best to ignore the nervous frustration spreading in her belly, Clementine grabs her breakfast and joins the others at the table.

Interestingly enough, she finds that they’re done with their food. Instead, papers and colored pencils are scattered all over the table. AJ and Louis hunch over their papers in full concentration mode. James is sketching all over his paper lightly, his eyes darting up constantly to look at AJ.

Just as she sits down, Louis sits back, flashes a big smile and holds up his picture. “Ta-da!” The other three boys stop and look up. They say nothing as they study the drawing. Clementine leans over to see as well.

“...What is it?” AJ asks.

“What is it?” Louis repeats, his confidence wavering. “What does it look like?”

“Like…” AJ squints, cocking his head to try and piece together what the drawing depicts. Finally, he settles on, “A bunny?”

Louis’ eyes go wide. “A bun- what?” he exclaims. He re-examines his picture. “It’s not a bunny! It’s Rosie!”

When Clementine gets a better look, she can tell that it’s… sort of like a dog. It’s the same color as Rosie, but the face is very… odd. And the ears are definitely too big.

AJ takes the picture from Louis and shakes his head. “No, not Rosie.”

“Everybody’s a critic,” Louis snatches the picture back and holds it up to her. “Clem, you can tell it’s Rosie, right?”

She blinks up at him before slowly shaking her head. She can’t help but grin a little at the distress on his face as he looks at his drawing.

“I think it kind of looks like her,” Tenn says.

Louis sulks, resting his chin in his palm and slouching over. “Thanks, Tenn.”

Clementine rubs his back and offers an encouraging smile. He grins back at her and steals a potato chunk off her plate, popping it into his mouth.

“Clem, look!” AJ hands her his drawing. It’s of him, her and Louis standing together with a large beach ball hanging in the air. “We’re playing catch!”

“Wow,” Clementine beams. “You’re really becoming a great artist.”

Louis leans against her shoulder to look. His face scrunches up in consideration. “Hmmmm,” he turns the picture upside down for a moment, then right-side up. He glances at the young boy with a smirk. “Looks great, little man. This’ll look awesome on your wall.”

Pleased with the compliment, AJ laughs. He takes his picture back and signs it. When he goes to grab a new paper, he asks, “What’re you drawing, James?”

“Huh? Oh, um,” James snaps his head up, his hand instinctively moving to cover his page, “I was just… well,” he gives a sheepish smile, “I haven’t had a chance to draw in a very long time, so, AJ, I hope you don’t mind but…”

When he holds up his paper, Clementine gasps.

The portrait of AJ on the paper looks so… real.

“Dude!” Louis exclaims, amazed.

“Hey!” AJ gasps. “That’s me!”

James puts the paper down and looks away. “I-I’m a little out of practice, you see. The proportions aren’t exactly right, and I always had a hard time with ears-”

“Dude, are you serious?” Louis laughs. “That looks just like him!”

Clementine can tell the portrait has left Tenn astonished. And a little insecure. He covers his picture with his arm and starts pressing his fingers together nervously.

“Where’d you learn to do that?” asks Louis, dumbfounded.

James smiles. “It’s what I used to do, before. Charlie and I… we both drew. He’s a lot better at it, though.” He picks his pencil back up, looking fondly at the portrait. “He could do amazing things. These huge scenes with so much life and so much character. Me,” he chuckles lightly, “I could only ever do people.” He looks at Louis with a comforting grin. “I’m terrible at doing animals, too.”

“Damn,” Louis breathes.

“You’re a real artist!” exclaims AJ. “Just like Tenn!”

Tenn stills, looking back at his picture and tucking it under his stack. James notices the young boy’s hesitation and looks to Clementine with questioning eyes. She returns his look with a smile and a small gesture towards Tenn.

“Um,” James awkwardly places a hand on Tenn’s shoulder, “I could show you. How I draw like this, I mean. If you want.”

“R-really?” Tenn stutters. He takes a glimpse at the portrait. “I could draw like that?”

“Of course,” James smiles, “anyone can.”

“Even Louis?” Clementine teases, pointing at his picture of Rose.

“Hey,” Louis takes the picture and holds it to his chest protectively, “I worked hard on this.”

“No doubt,” Clementine laughs. Then, she turns to Tenn. “Taking lessons from James could be a lot of fun, Tenn. What do you think?”

The young boy nods, still not entirely sure, but willing to try. “Yeah, I,” he turns to James, “I want to draw like that.”

“Me, too!” AJ butts in.

“Actually, AJ, I need your help with something today,” Clementine says.

“Me? Why?” AJ complains.

Clementine picks up her plate and stands from the table. “C’mon, kiddo. You can draw with Tenn and James afterward. It won’t take too long.”

“But, Clem,” he whines.

“What do you need help with?” Louis asks. “Maybe my services could be used instead?”

She grins at him but shakes her head. “Sorry, Lou, need AJ for this one.”

“But-” AJ tries again.

“Now,” she says firmly.

James offers AJ a comforting smile. “I’ll give you a personal lesson when you get back,” he says. “Promise.”

“Okay,” AJ sighs.

Just as AJ and Louis are going to stand, James says, “Actually, Louis? Can you stay?”

“Dude, don’t mean to undermine your talent, but I don’t think even you could teach me to draw like that,” Louis tries to laugh.

James shakes his head. “No, it’s not that. We need a model.”

“A model?”

“To draw,” he explains, “drawing from life is the best way to learn.” He gives Clem a knowing look. She’s relieved at how intuitive James can be.

“Modeling, hm?” Louis sits back down, puffing out his chest and adjusting his jacket. He flashes a big, bright smile. “How do you want me? Happy? How about sad, distraught? Seductive, perhaps?” Pursing his lips, Louis winks up at Clementine.

“Still, looking straight ahead, please,” says James.

“Right, gotcha.”

AJ sighs loudly.

She nudges him, eyes warning. Before they can turn to leave, Louis reaches out for her hand.

“Hold on,” he says, pulling her closer. She leans down and he plants a sweet kiss on her cheek. “Have fun,” he smiles.

She squeezes his hand. “You, too.”

James places two blank sheets of paper in front of him and Tenn and hands him a pencil. Tenn takes it eagerly.

As she and AJ walk away, she hears Louis say, “Make me look good, fellas!” and she can’t help but giggle, just a bit.

“Can’t we go on patrol later?” AJ asks.

“Trust me, kiddo, this can’t wait,” she says. “It’s pretty important.”

“Did something happen?”

“No,” she says. “Not yet.”

---

Rosie’s tail wags happily as she trots out through the gates. She doesn’t go far, always sticking close to them as they walk the perimeter. If she ever does wander too far all Clementine has to do is whistle and Rosie will rush right to her side.

“James is a really good artist,” says AJ, “even better than Tenn.”

“He’s had a lot more practice than Tenn has,” she replies. “With enough help, Tenn can be as good.”

“You think so? You think he can teach me to be that good?” AJ asks hopefully.

“He said he would, didn’t he?” she smiles at AJ’s excited face.

AJ continues to gush about James as they walk. Clementine remains mostly quiet, only answering when AJ expects her to. When he’s run out of things to say, they’ve already gone all the way around.

“No monsters,” AJ says firmly. “And nothing else.”

“Looks like we’re clear.”

“Yeah,” AJ nods. He starts for the gates. Clementine places a hand on his shoulder.

“Let’s walk around one more time,” she says.

“Why? It’s clear.”

“I know,” she nods. “But, I need to tell you something, remember?”

AJ frowns. “Is it bad?”

“No, not bad at all.”

“Oh.”

Clementine whistles for Rosie and they continue walking. She takes a deep breath and speaks the words she’s been repeating in her mind the entire walk.

“AJ, you remember the couple at the train station, right?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“And, you remember what Louis said about them? After you found that picture?”

“Their wedding picture,” AJ nods. “He said they were in love.”

“Right.”

“A kissing love.”

“Right,” she says again. AJ waits for her to continue, but now, she feels at a loss for words. She stops walking and scratches at the back of her neck. “AJ, you know that I love Louis, right?”

“‘Course you do. You guys kiss all the time,” AJ teases.

Clementine feels her cheeks flush. “Yeah, yeah, right,” she murmurs. She goes and sits on one of many bulging rocks thrown about and inhales deeply. Rosie sits by her feet, dropping the stick she held in her mouth.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” she finally says, “about that day and about that walker couple. You may not fully understand it because it was before you were born but… I’m going to ask Louis to marry me.”

AJ doesn’t say anything, not immediately. She can tell from his puzzled eyes that hundreds of questions are forming in his head. He starts with, “What does that mean?”

“Well,” she starts, “it means that, if he says yes, he won’t be my boyfriend anymore. He’ll be my husband.”

Husband.

Let me introduce you to my husband, Louis.

“And you’ll be his, uh…” AJ thinks hard, trying to remember the word.

“I’ll be his wife.” Just saying it makes her feel strange. Not a bad strange, of course, but a… nervous strange.

“His wife.” AJ sits on this information, mulling it over. “And you’ll be married. So, things will be different?”

“Well, no, not really. We’ll have rings on- well, he’ll have a ring on, maybe. But, nothing drastic.”

“A ring?”

“Remember the walkers?” she asks. “At their wedding, they gave one another one to seal the deal, I guess. That’s what that picture was.”

Then, AJ gets excited. “Okay,” he says. “So, you guys’ll have a big party?”

“Maybe we will, but I have to ask him first,” she says. “Last week, when I went to look for James, we went back to the train station to take their rings. Couldn’t find the lady’s, but the man still had his on.”

“You’re gonna give it to Louis?”

“That’s the plan.”

AJ has a wide grin on his face. “This…” he draws out, “this is a big thing, isn’t it?”

“It kind of is,” she answers honestly, “at least, to me, it is.”

“Me, too,” AJ laughs. “I like this. We’re gonna throw a huge party! We haven’t done that in forever! We can pull out that, uh, that… music thing! And play games! And-”

“Woah, hold it,” she stops him. “I haven’t even thought of a way to ask him.”

“Well, go ask him now!”

“No, AJ.”

“Why not?”

“That’s not how it works.” She stands up and places a gentle hand on AJ’s shoulder. “I want to do this right. If I just asked him like it was any other question, then it really wouldn’t mean anything. There’d be no weight to it, no point. I want it to mean something. I want it to be special,” she looks back at the school, “in a world that’s so fucked up, that’s taken away so much from all of us, where any moment could be our last… I want him to know how much I love him. How much I want to be with him in... a different way. That’s why I went back and got that ring, and that’s why I’m not just going to ask, I’m going to propose.”

AJ’s mouth parts silently as he stares at her.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is,” she sighs, “I love him, and I want to give us something that we thought was lost forever. Does that make sense?”

AJ grabs her hand. “I… I think I get it.” Then, he wraps his arms around her waist, holding her tight.

Clementine hugs him back. “Good. So,” she giggles, “that brings me to what I really wanted to ask you.”

“What?”

“Do I have your blessing?”

“My blessing?”

“Are you okay with me asking Louis to marry me?”

“Why wouldn’t I be okay? I love you, and I love Louis, too. We’re family.”

Clementine’s throat tightens, and so does her grip on AJ. “That’s all I wanted to hear.”

---

Once they pass through the gates, AJ goes straight for James and Tenn. Louis is still sitting there, cracking jokes and trying his best not to move while the two boys draw. James points to various parts of Louis’ face before motioning to Tenn’s paper.

She figures she can safely leave AJ to catch up on art lessons with James. He promised her he wouldn’t breathe a word of this until she had everything all planned out.

She spends most of the day helping around the school, doing usual repairs to the gate and their walls. She helps Omar clean out the fire pit and gather fresh wood. When the sky finally turns a lovely mixture of pink and orange, she decides to go inside.

Louis is kneeling on AJ’s desk with a roll of duct tape hanging from his mouth when she walks in. There’s a stack of papers next to him. He’s taping up one of the portraits of himself on the wall.

“Ey!” He waves at her before spitting the tape out. “Look at these!” He hops off the desk and points at the one he just hung up. “That’s the one James drew. Charming, isn’t it?”

She’s startled at the amount of detail put into it. It’s a fully shaded-in head portrait of Louis that seemingly stares right at her. Even the little details, like his freckles and the scar on his chin, are noticeable.

“It’s way weirder than I thought it’d be,” he says, “having someone stare and dissect every part of your face. Did you know I have a very angular jawline?” He tilts his head up to prove his point. “And James said I have a nice eye shape,” he smirks.

“He did do you justice,” she says, still admiring the picture. “Very handsome.”

His chuckle comes out loud and anxious, clearly not having expected her to say that. “Hah, yeah, except,” then Louis pushes his jacket back to place his hands on his hips, “um, do you think my nose is big?”

“What?”

“James said I have a wide nose. He drew it bigger than it actually is, right?”

“You have a very cute nose.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

Clementine giggles. “Your nose is fine, Louis.”

He eyes the portrait, still uncertain. He brings his thumb and pointer finger up to measure the width of his nose. When he pulls his hand back, he becomes sullen.

Then he gasps as if he’s just remember something. “Oh, wait though, ready for this?” He searches through the pile before plucking the one he wants out. “This is the one Tenn drew.” He proudly holds it up.

She can’t say she’s not impressed. It’s nowhere near as proportional or advanced as James’, but Clementine can definitely see the charm within the lines. Definitely Tenn’s work.

“Wow,” Clementine smirks, nudging him. “I see it now. James is right, you do have a big nose.”

“Hey,” Louis reaches up and playfully pinches her nose, “big talk from little button nose over here.” Louis sticks Tenn’s portrait on the wall, next to James’. “There. We’re getting quite the art gallery.”

“One’s missing, though.” Clementine grabs Louis’ picture of Rosie off the desk and tapes it up.

“Seriously?” he asks sheepishly.

“Oh yeah. We’re never taking that one down.”

“Terrific.”

Louis continues to look through the rest of the drawings. He hums to himself lightly, a tune she recognizes but can’t place. He sticks more drawings on the wall; ones that AJ drew of him and Tenn, one he drew of Disco Broccoli.

He pauses when he comes across the one of AJ, Clementine and him. The one with the beachball. He smiles fondly at it before sticking it up there with the rest.

She sits on AJ’s bed, leaning against the frame. She closes her eyes and listens to his cheerful humming.

She’s come to realize that one of the many things she loves is the comfort she has when he’s around.

Like now. It’s a comfort she never thought she’d find again. Before the school, she and AJ never had time for comfortable peace. When it was just them, there was always that lurking feeling, that bitterness, that lingered in her thoughts. Now, she had a place they could call home.

Clementine can’t imagine where they would’ve ended up had she not crashed the car. They’d still be out in the world, scavenging every little bit they could to survive. They never would’ve met the people she now considered family.

She and Louis never would’ve met.

That’s a real shitty thing to think about.

She sneaks a glance at him, and thinks, he has no idea.

He’s staring at her.

She raises a brow. “What?”

He shrugs, his grin sorrowful.

“What?” she asks again.

“You.”

It’s like the weariness of their previous night has caught up to him, like something triggered a sinking reality that weighs him down. The shadows along his face from the setting light do nothing to hide the sadness betraying his eyes.

She slowly approaches him and reaches out to grabs his hand, tugging him closer to her. “Hey,” she murmurs.

“Hey.”

“You feeling any better?”

“Of course.”

“Really?” Clementine locks their fingers together. “It’s been a long time since you’ve had one that bad.”

He keeps his stare focused on their hands. “It wasn’t that bad.”

“Louis.”

“Clementine.”

She uses her free hand to tilt his chin up. “It was about that woman, wasn’t it?”

He says nothing, but she can see the answer clear in his eyes.

Yes, Clem, you know it was. It always is.

The first and only living person Louis ever personally killed, and it was purely accidental. It frustrates her that it still haunts him and that it’ll always haunt him. She knows. That kind of guilt, no matter how irrational, never stops.

“Dorian.”

“Hm?”

Louis closes his eyes and leans forward to press his forehead to hers.

“Her name was Dorian.”

“Lou…”

“I know.” He pulls back, squeezes his eyes shut and forces a smile. “I know.” His gaze falls on her nose. He pinches it again. “I don’t wanna talk about it right now. Is that okay?”

She smiles sincerely. “Yeah. Just… want to make sure you’re alright.”

“Well, I’m always better with you around, so...” He bites his lip, shakes his head and lets out a dry laugh. “You don’t have to worry about me so much, Clem. There are more important ways to spend your time.”

With a quirked brow, her eyes dart down to his mouth.

More important?

Well, she wouldn’t put it that way.

Without any hesitation, she kisses him. It’s a quick, soft, comforting peck that catches him off guard.

Another kiss to his lips, and then another. She holds onto the nape of his neck and moves to his chin, his cheek, placing soft, intimate kisses against his warm skin.

He looks at her with lidded eyes before his hands caress her cheeks.

He kisses her, eager for every press of her mouth. He doesn’t stop kissing her, even when she tightens her grip on his jacket and pulls him back with her. The desk hits her hip. He lifts her up onto the surface, almost knocking over her venus fly trap.

A pleased sigh escapes her lungs. She desperately moves to his jaw, down his neck. His breathing is quick, shallow. His pulse is as quick as hers.

“Clem! Clem!”

Louis yanks back, their lips parting quickly with a loud smack. She nearly topples over when he rips himself away as the bedroom door slams open and in barges Willy.

She’s disoriented, lightheaded, blinking rapidly and frantically searching for any sign of danger. All she finds is Louis, who’s now over at AJ’s desking humming incredibly loud, and Willy hurrying in with a triumphant smile.

“Clem, it’s read-!” The second he sees Louis, he stops and gasps. “Oh no!”

“Oh, look, darling!” Louis stops pretending to look at the pictures and glares at the young boy. “It’s Willy, the boy who doesn’t know how to knock! Nice of you to pop in unannounced!”

Willy’s face flushes a scarlet red as his gaze darts between the two.

Clementine slips down from the desk and tries to casually straighten out her jacket and adjust her hat with an unfazed face, even though she’s positive that her skin is blotchy with redness. However, it seems that even Willy got the sense of what was happening before he ran in.

“I’m sorry!” he blurts out. “I’ll knock next time! I swear!”

“Uh-huh,” Louis frowns. “Said that last time, didn’t you?”

Now she’s not sure who’s redder, her or Willy.

“Willy, what do you want?’ Clementine sighs. She composes herself and approaches the boy.

His eyes went to Louis before meeting hers. That’s all she needs.

“Is it Mitch?” she asks calmly.

Willy nods.

“Alright, I’ll be there in a minute. Go wait outside.”

Willy leaves without another word. Clementine holds back an annoyed sigh. The previous mood is completely gone now.

Louis gives a thoughtful frown. “I’m a little worried about him,” he says, “about Mitch, I mean. He’s been down in the basement every day for the past week. I went to check on him yesterday, down in the basement.”

Panic shoots through her stomach and into her heart.

Louis continues, “When I tried going down the stairs, he threw a shoe at me.”

“A shoe?”

“Yeah, he about hit me in my big nose!”

“Oh boy,” Clementine rolls her eyes. “Again with the nose thing?”

“I’ve accepted its abnormally monstrous size,” he says. “Anyway, I don’t know what he’s doing down there and I’m not sure I want to know. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone shout ‘no!’ and ‘out!’ that many times in a ten-second time frame. It was pretty terrifying.”

“Mitch is…” Clementine’s at a loss. While she’s thankful for Mitch’s ability to think on his feet so quickly, she wasn’t sure if she approved of the shoe method. “...Hard to understand sometimes.”

“Understatement of the night,” Louis grins. “So, why does he want to see you? Not to throw the other shoe, I hope.”

“He’s working on a project,” she says lamely. “He probably wants a second opinion on it.”

“A bomb project?”

“Yeah.”

“Better not let sweet Ruby know,” Louis says. “She’s still got a personal grudge towards Mitch’s bombs ever since that thing in the greenhouse, you know.”

“Oh, I’m aware,” she smirks. “ ‘A bomb? I will whip his ass!’”

Her Ruby impression gets a chuckle out of him. “Hope he knows a shoe’s not enough to stop her. If anything, that’s just provoking the beast.”

“He’ll have to learn that for himself,” she smiles. “Will you be okay?”

“Don’t worry about me, darling.” He grabs her hand and kisses her cheek. “I was gonna go tickle the ivories a little bit anyway. Maybe you can pop in when you’re done? Assuming Mitch doesn’t blow you up, of course.”

“Tuning the piano?” she asks with a grin.

“I’m thinking we try a real duet. You up for it?”

“Absolutely.”

She gives him a long kiss goodbye before she leaves. Her face still feels warm after all the excitement, and she’s still a little annoyed at the interruption, but if she’s right about what Willy was trying to imply, then she has to hurry. She can only hope that Mitch found a way to fix the ring.

The wait is starting to make her anxious.

---

Clementine yanks the basement doors open and a nauseating scent of vinegar knocks her in the face. “What the hell?” she gags.

“C’mon!” Willy grabs her arm and hurries down the stairs, dragging her with him. “Mitch! Clem’s here!”

Something heavy and metallic drops hard to the cement. “Shit!” Mitch curses. “Told you not to do that, Willy!”

“Sorry!”

She follows the young boy deeper into the basement and finds herself amazed at Mitch’s set up. The work desk is completely covered with drills, hammers, saws, files, batteries, a few of their solar panels and other machines she didn’t recognize. Flashlights are wired in the air pointing directly at the anvil Mitch sits in front of. There’s a chipped bowl filled with a clear liquid sitting on top.

“Finally,” Mitch says when he sees her. He stands from his stool and tosses a dirty rag away. Willy rushes to help him scoot the various tools aside so Mitch can reach something closest to the wall. It’s a small, brown box.

Clementine approaches the two boys, trying to hide her eagerness as she asks, “Well? Were you able to fix it?”

Mitch scratches at the back of his neck and turns away. “Not exactly,” he says, “It sorta snapped when I messed around with it.”

Her heart drops. “You broke it?”

Mitch whips around, holding up a hand. “Don’t cry about it,” he says quickly, “it was a shitty ring, anyway.” He grabs a small wrench from the table and swings it around on his finger nervously.

“Mitch,” she can’t help that her voice came out so miserably angry. “If you couldn’t fix it then you should’ve left it alone! What am I supposed to do now?”

“Woah, hey, don’t freak out, just listen,” he says. “I, uh, didn’t mean to break it. I started messing around with some stuff to try and melt it back together but there was no saving that thing. Kind of a piece of shit. So,” he looks away as he shoves the brown box towards her, “I did you one better.”

Willy’s practically vibrating with excitement next to them as he motions eagerly to the box. “Open it! Open it!”

Clementine takes the box and pulls the lid off. It takes her a moment to process what she’s seeing.

There’s a clean piece of fabric bunched up at the bottom, and within the folds rests two matching silver bands. Her head snaps up and her jaw drops. His shit-eating grin is enough of a confirmation that what she’s seeing is real.

“Oh my god!” she gasps. “Where did you get these?”

“Made ‘em,” Mitch says.

“What? You-” she blinks up at him in disbelief, “-you made these?”

“Super awesome, huh?” Willy laughs.

“It’s not a big deal. Oh, and the smell’ll wear off, too,” Mitch says, “had to polish ‘em with vinegar.”

Clementine carefully lifts the bigger of the two rings out of the box. “How- How did you-?”

“Quarters,” Mitch smirks. “Willy here keeps a pretty impressive coin collection.”

“We made a shit ton of them!” Willy reaches into his pocket and pulls out various different rings, most of them scratched up or disfigured in some way.

“It’s pretty easy once you get the hang of it,” Mitch shrugs. “Just gotta hammer them then drill out the middle, do some filing and hammer some more. Once I knew what I was doing, I used the measurement I took of your finger and made yours. Just needed Louis’ to complete the set. ”

Clementine runs her finger over the smooth surface, “Mitch, this is-” she stops when she notices something engraved on it. She blinks, but it’s still there scratches into the shiny surface.

C + L

“That part was Mitch’s idea,” Willy points at the tiny letters, “had to use a really sharp nail to get it that clear.”

“We’ve all seen the piano,” Mitch quickly explains, rolling his eyes, “figured it’d be a good finishing touch. No big deal.”

She puts the box on the workbench. Without any warning, she throws herself at Mitch, wrapping her arms around his now very tense body.

“Woah, hey, um-!” Mitch panics and sticks his arms out to avoid touching her.

“Mitch, you have no idea what this means to me.”

“Uh-!”

He turns to Willy, bewildered. The young boy begins to laugh as he points at Mitch’s panicked face.

Then, like the realization that they’re hugging finally hits him over the head, he jerks back. He nearly trips over his feet when he turns away back towards the work desk. He clears his throat.

“Said it’s not a big fucking deal, just,” he grumbles, fumbling with the wrench, “... consider it a wedding present, or whatever.”

Clementine can’t help but laugh at how weirdly cute it is that he’s embarrassed. She picks up the rings again to pull out the smaller one. It fits perfectly on her finger.

“I don’t know if I could ever thank you two enough for doing this.”

“Yeah, well, y’know,” Mitch nervously scratches his cheek, a rare smile betraying his lips, “whatever.”

”Mitch! Ya still down here!?” Ruby’s voice echoes from the top of the stairs. “Lou’s in the music room! Did’ja find the box of spare candles? We’re gonna need a lot to fill the whole place up!”

“Oh, shit-” Mitch hisses.

Clementine closes the small box and shoves it into her pocket before turning to face Ruby.

“Clementine!” she gasps. Now, it’s Clementine’s turn to receive a surprise hug when Ruby practically tackles her. “Oh, hon, I heard the news! Why didn’t ya tell me!? This is so excitin’!” Ruby pulls away to ask the boys, “Did’ja give ‘em to her yet?”

Clementine slowly turns to glare at the two boys.

Willy lowers his head in shame and Mitch fake coughs into his fist. Neither of them answers the question, nor do they dare look Clementine in the eye.

“Mitch-”

“Before you flip the fuck out,” Mitch starts, ”she’s the one who came in here demanding to know what we were doing! She tried to wack me with one of Omar’s wooden spoons!”

“Oh, no I didn’t! I said I would wack ya with one if ya didn’t explain yerself!” argues Ruby. “I thought ya were makin’ another bomb!”

“I haven’t messed with that shit for, like, weeks!”

And, suddenly, Clementine’s exhausted.

“Okay, stop!” She raises her voice above theirs. The basement’s quiet again. She takes a deep breath. “I’m not mad.”

“You sound mad,” says Willy.

“I’m not. You guys were going to find out about it anyway, though I can’t say I expected it to go down like this. Does anyone else know?”

“No,” says Ruby and Mitch.

“Uhm, well…” Willy nervously laughs.

“Dude,” Mitch frowns down at the young boy.

“I didn’t mean to! Aasim saw me going through my coin collection earlier! Then he started asking all these questions and it just came out!”

Great, she thinks. She’s not worried about it, though. Aasim is a lot of things, and a great secret keeper is one of them.

“Anyone else?” Clementine asks.

Willy shakes his head.

So, of the people in their group, AJ, James, Mitch, Willy, Ruby, and Aasim all know.

That just leaves Omar, Tenn, and…

And Violet.

She’s about to speak, but Ruby grabs her hand to admire the ring. “Wow, it’s even prettier on,” she gleams. “Gotta say, boys, ya did a real good job.”

“Well, yeah.”

“How’re ya gonna ask him? We were thinkin’ that you do it in the music room, of course, and we’ll help ya decorate it with candles and lanterns, make it real romantic.”

“Gross,” Mitch murmurs.

“Hush,” Ruby warns him. “Or, on the roof, under the pretty stars! Or, we can even decorate your bedroom! Whattya think? Omar can cook ya something special and, oh! I found some real pretty classical records fer ya to play!”

“We can make some cool fireworks, too!” Willy exclaims.

“Oh, no you won’t! No bombs, no fireworks!”

“Wow, Ruby,” Clementine’s astonished at the girl’s excitement. “You’ve put a lot of thought into this.”

“‘Course! I know I may be buttin’ in a little but I never thought I’d get to witness somethin’ like this after all that’s happened! I mean, ya don’t hafta take my suggestions! You can ask him any way you want! Just know that we’re all here to help! Oh, and the wedding!”

“Oh, God,” Mitch groans.

“We’re definitely plannin’ a wedding!”

“Geez, who’s really getting married here?” Mitch asks, irritated. “You or Clem?”

“Oh, can it! Why can’t you just be excited?”

“Excited about what? Does nothing for me.”

“Y’know, thinkin’ ‘bout someone else fer a change won’t kill ya!”

“Okay, please stop fighting!” Clementine interrupts them. “Look, let me get through the actual proposal before we start doing anything else.”

“Shit,” Ruby curses herself, “sorry, Clem. Guess I got a little excited.”

“So, what’s the plan?” Willy asks eagerly.

Clementine peers down at the ring on her finger, and says, “I think I’m going to do it tomorrow. In the evening. I like your idea, Ruby, about the candles in the music room.”

“Thought ya would,” Ruby grins. “We keep a bunch of ‘em down here. We’ll all help ya decorate, ‘cept keepin’ Louis outta there might be a task.”

“That’s easy,” Mitch says. “Send him hunting for the day, him and Aasim.”

“My goodness, there’s an idea,” says Ruby, “that way, Aasim can keep an eye on him and make sure he don’t wander back here unannounced.”

“James, too,” Clementine adds. “Just in case Louis doesn’t listen to Aasim, or they get in a tight spot.”

“Right!” Ruby claps her hands. “Oh, I’m gettin’ excited again!”

“I think you’re more excited than she is,” Mitch shakes his head.

“No,” Clementine smiles. “Believe me, I don’t think anyone’s as excited as I am.” She holds up her hand to admire her ring one last time before slipping it back in the box. “We just have to be careful now. Louis can’t know anything.”

They all turn to Willy, who hangs his head in shame once more.

“I said it was an accident.”

“I know,” Clementine sighs. “Maybe you should avoid him for now, Willy. Just in case. And, Mitch,” she turns to him, “don’t throw any more shoes at him.”

“Hey, you want him wandering down here? No, you don’t. Thought we established that. ‘Sides, the ring’s done. Nothing left for me to work on.”

“Right, but still, you can’t be acting suspicious. He’s already worried about you. That’s why he tried to come down here yesterday.”

“Pfft,” Mitch scowls. “Worried…”

“Well, while we know Lou’s in the music room, I’ll gather everyone and we can discuss the plan. Don’t worry, we’ll be discreet,” Ruby assures her. “Mitch, yer on candle and match duty. Willy, tomorrow mornin’ I want ya ta go out and pick as many pretty flowers as ya can.”

“Aw,” Willy pouts, “how come I got flower duty?”

“It’s either that or ya gotta help Omar cook. Yer choice.”

Willy doesn’t argue. Omar’s a genuinely nice guy, but he’s also brutally honest and a very particular cook. Willy wasn’t going to willingly put himself into that nightmare.

Soon, they have all the details worked out.

Aasim and James will take Louis far away to go hunting until evening, giving them a few hours to set up.

Ruby will work on setting up a little picnic area for them on the floor and figure out the music. Willy will go around with Tenn and AJ to pick enough flowers for a bouquet, as well as decorate an old vase to put them in. Omar will cook them something extra special, and Mitch will gather all the candles and place them in the safest places around the music room.

As for Clementine herself, she’ll help fix things up in the piano room, sure, but there’s something else she wants to try. Something that she’s been contemplating for the past week.

She hides the box in her jacket with a big, dumb grin stuck on her face. She still can’t believe that Mitch and Willy actually made her a matching set of wedding rings. She tries not to show it, but the very thought of both her and Louis wearing them makes her giddy.

But, there’s still an issue pressing in her mind.

“Ruby?” Clementine’s grin is replaced with a worrying frown. “Are… are you going to tell Violet?”

And, just like that, the room becomes tense.

“Violet?” asks Willy.

“Oh, well, shoot,” Ruby mutters, “didn’t even think of Vi.”

“Don’t fucking bother,” Mitch snaps. “She’s not gonna give a shit, and if she does, she’ll just ruin the whole thing.”

Ruby looks up at Mitch with distraught eyes. “We gotta tell her, Mitch. She’ll be left out-”

“Oh, don’t start with that bullshit. Why do you anyways try to include that bitch?”

“You bite yer tongue, right now!”

A sick feeling comes over her. Clementine can’t quite place what it actually is, but it always boils within her whenever the idea of talking to Violet strikes her.

Over the past two years, she’s tried talking to Violet. Not big things. Saying, “Hello,” or “How are you?” or “Are you okay?” And every single time, Violet doesn’t mutter a single word. All she gives is a glare and the view of her back as she walks away.

She’d told Louis once how much she missed Violet.

He had watched her suffer after losing Violet as a close friend. There were a few nights just after the delta that Clementine found herself crying, and he was there to hold her, to promise her that Violet would come around, she just needed time.

When Louis tried to fix things between her and Violet, it became apparent that he just cares too damn much.

She can still remember that night. He’d snuck into the darkness of the room. AJ was fast asleep.

Clementine can remember the rage filling her insides when she saw the bruise forming on his face and the tears slipping down his cheeks. She barely made it to the door before Louis grabbed her, begging her not to go after Violet, that she didn’t even know what happened. AJ woke up, and Louis lied about what was wrong. It was only when they were alone in the hallway that he told her what happened.

They’d gotten into an argument, Louis and Violet. An argument about her. Louis defended her and tried to understand Violet’s animosity but she refused to talk. She only cussed and shoved him away. He’d gotten too close, and like a reflex, she swung.

Violet didn’t come out of her room for two weeks after that. She spoke to no one but Tenn when he brought her food.

She didn’t come out until Louis spoke to her again.

And it all happened because of her…

“Don’t worry about it, Ruby,” Clementine speaks up. “I’ll tell her.”

“The fuck you will!” Mitch‘s brow furrows in fury and his fists curl.

“It’s not like she’ll try to stab me just for talking to her,” Clementine argues.

“Oh yeah? Just like how she didn’t try to stab you after the delta, right? For fuck's sake, had Louis not stepped in you would’ve had a nice big gash right between your eyes! She’s a fucking traitor, Clem!”

“Mitch!” Ruby gasps out. “Don’t talk so ugly! Maybe it’s time they finally sort this out-”

“Fuck that!”

Clementine straightens herself out and confidently stands up to Mitch. “I appreciate your concern, Mitch, but-”

“My concern?” Mitch glares. “What, my concern that I’ll have to dig your grave when that bitch snaps and puts a cleaver in you?”

“Mitch!”

“She wouldn’t really do that, right?” Willy says, eyes widening.

“No, she wouldn’t,” says Clementine. “And Ruby’s right. I’m tired of this. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life avoiding her. It’s time to end this. Maybe we won’t ever be friends again, but we can at least be on speaking terms."

“How can you say that? After everything she did? She’s not gonna give a shit. Fuck, if anything, she’ll sabotage your wedding!”

“Not when Louis is involved,” Clementine meets Mitch’s glare. “I’m going to talk to her whether you like it or not. She’s not going to hurt me, and she’s not going to do anything. She may hate me, but if she really does care about Louis, she won’t try and hurt him again.”

Mitch fumes with rage, his lips pressed into a hard, thin line. Willy cautiously grabs ahold of Mitch’s sleeve, worried about what he might do. Ruby steps up beside her and places a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.

“If it’s really what’cha wanna do, I can’t stop you,” she shoots Mitch a look, “and neither can he. Just... promise you’ll be careful?”

“Thank you, Ruby.”

“Fucking shit,” Mitch hisses under his breath before pointing at her. “You’re not going alone. I’ll go with you and make sure she doesn’t pull anything.”

“You don’t have to-”

“Yeah, I don’t have to do anything,” he frowns. “But, I’m gonna.”

Clementine softens a bit. She had to admit that having backup did make her feel a little bit better. While she was sure Violet wouldn’t try to physically hurt her, it didn’t hurt to be careful. Then again, she might be doubly pissed to see Mitch, as well. “And you won’t threaten her?”

“No promises.”

“Mitch.”

He stares, then lowers his head in defeat. “I won’t say nothin’ unless I gotta.” Then, he turns to Willy. “You okay to clean this place up yourself?”

“Yeah, no problem.” Willy smiles.

“Well, ehm, guess I’ll get Aasim and James and tell ‘em ‘bout the plan,” says Ruby. “Violet should be in her room. She usually turns in early when she doesn’t have watch.”

Clementine nods. The feeling’s back, twisting in her gut and accelerating her heart.

With that, they leave the basement.

---

Violet’s door is shut.

Clementine makes no move to knock.

Mitch is beside her, waiting.

Her arms feel heavy, weighed down with dread. She didn’t even know what to say. She ran through different scenarios in her head and they’re all a jumbled mess.

She hears a sigh. Mitch leans over and knocks on the door.

They wait.

He knocks again, this time harder.

Nothing.

“Shit,” Mitch mutters. “Either she’s not here, or she’s ignoring us.”

Neither option would surprise her.

“Maybe this isn’t a good idea,” she whispers to herself.

“I coulda told you that,” Mitch mumbles. He knocks again.

Footsteps turn her attention down the hall.

Violet stands alert, angry eyes focused in on the two of them and arms crossed. It’s enough to send any normal person to hightail it out of there, but not her. Clementine closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, telling herself to remain calm.

“Violet,” she says, though not with confidence.

“What the fuck do you two want?”

It’s like someone injected ice into her veins. “I-” Clementine clears her throat. Her voice feels so small, insignificant. She pushes all her feelings aside, just like how she used to. “We need to talk.”

Violet scoffs.

“It’s important, Vi-”

“Fuck. Off.”

Then, they’re close, face to face. Violet’s glare bores straight into her. Mitch pushes her back and stands in between them.

“Watch it,” he warns.

Clementine moves from behind Mitch and pleads, “Please, Violet. I just want to talk-”

“I don’t really give a shit what you want.”

“Can you just fucking chill?” snaps Mitch.

“Can you go fuck yourself?”

“You-!”

“Mitch! Knock it off!” Clementine exclaims. “You’re not helping.”

He backs off, but not much. He keeps his attention on Violet, watching the girl’s every move.

Clementine tries again. “It won’t take long. It’s about Louis.”

That catches her attention.

“Can we talk?” Clementine asks again, this time much softer. “Privately?”

“Before that, though,” Mitch holds out his hand. “Give it.”

Violet doesn’t move.

“I know you have it.”

The tension between the two as they scowl at each other is suffocating. Clementine reaches and pulls out the knife she always carries.

“Here,” she offers it to Mitch.

He doesn’t take his eyes off Violet, even when he takes the handle.

“I’m unarmed now,” Clementine says. “Please, Vi…”

She breaks her gaze away from Mitch to look at the floor.

“Fine.”

Violet pulls her cleaver out and tosses it down the hallway.

“You wanna talk?” She shoves her door open, turning to glower at Clementine. “Let’s talk.”

She walks into the dorm room, straight to her desk. She takes her chair, turns it around, and sits facing Clementine, waiting.

This is her last chance.

Mitch gives her a firm nod. “I’ll be right out here.” She knows he says it more to Violet than to her.

Clementine closes the door behind her.

They’re alone.

Fuck.

Where did she even begin?

She can’t bring herself to look at Violet, so she does a quick glance over of the room. It’s similar to hers, but with only one bed and nothing to decorate the walls. It’s empty.

“Well?” Violet asks.

Clementine digs deep inside herself. She decides that she has to be as honest as possible, otherwise this whole thing could backfire.

“It’s been two years,” she starts. “Two years without really talking to you. I know that you still hate me, and I know that I’ll probably never be able to change that, but I just don’t understand why.” She waits for a reaction but gets none. “I don’t want to fight with or avoid you anymore. I- ...I really miss you, Vi.”

“You are un-fucking-believable.”

Clementine bites the inside of her cheek. Breathe in, breathe out. She tries to ignore the absolute loathing that vibrates from the other girl, and she recalls that last time someone looked at her like that.

Why… that had to be when Sarita died.

“Is that really all you have to say?” Violet asks. “You miss me? Fucking really?”

“We used to be friends before everything happened. Remember my first night here?” Clementine asks. “When you came in looking for that pencil box and we talked? And the card game and-”

“I remember,” Violet interrupts, “I remember being grateful to have another girl around to talk to. You said I kicked walker ass. You were so nice, and you listened to everything I had to say.”

She looks down to the wooden floors.

“I also remember AJ shooting Marlon. I remember everyone turning against you, ready to throw you both out right then and there. I also remember stopping them. I stood between you and a group of kids ready to tear you apart with nothing but my meat cleaver.”

Violet leans forward with her burning gaze.

“You know what else I remember? I remember voting for you to stay. I remember telling them that it was bullshit that you had to leave. I remember leaving you out there in the woods and then seeing that boot on your neck and shooting my bow to save your life. I was at your side the entire time, being the only one to defend you, to listen to you! I let you back into our school! But, do you know what I remember the most?”

“Vi-”

“I remember when the raiders finally got here and the bomb went off. I saw you fall off the balcony and I saw Lilly point her fucking gun right at you. And I stopped her. I tackled her to the ground.”

Violet stands.

“I saved your life.”

Clementine remains still, even as Violet advances towards her, slowly, one step at a time.

“And I remember looking for you. Seeing you.”

They’re barely a footstep apart now.

“And you just let them take me.”

“That’s not what happened!” Clementine protests.

“Then, what did happen, Clem? Why didn’t you save me?” Violet spits. “Because I have a pretty good idea.”

“What? Vi, I told you, I- I didn’t have enough time or a clear shot-”

“Bullshit,” Violet says. “Tell me the truth.”

Clementine searches the fury held in Violet’s eyes and finds she can’t speak. She opens her mouth, stuttering.

Violet leans close, whispering.

“You chose him.”

The words hang in the air between them.

“You chose him,” she repeats. “He wanted you gone. He wanted to leave you out there in those woods to die. He wanted nothing to do with you or AJ. And you still chose him.”

“Vi, that’s not-”

“Shut up!” Violet snaps. “I was there for you, not him! And you still saved him! Why? Because he batted his eyes at you and said sorry?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about-”

“The fuck I don’t! You two barely said a word to each other the whole time we prepped-!”

“That’s not true-!”

“-and then we play some stupid card game and you’re suddenly putty in his hands? Suddenly you have feelings for him? You decide to play that stupid piano with him instead of preparing for our fucking doom? Like fucking around with him was more important than our lives?”

“That’s not how it went down and you know it!”

Violet lets out an angry groan, turning around and kicking at her bed frame. “Just admit it, Clem, you left me to rot so that you and Louis could live to kiss another day!”

“Don’t twist it around like that!” Clementine glares. “I couldn’t let them take him-”

“Oh, but you were happy to let them take me?”

“No! I saved him but that doesn’t mean I didn’t try to save you or anyone else!”

“Bullshit!”

“Raiders were everywhere and then the walkers came in! I did the best I could to try and protect as many of us as possible!”

“Well, you did a shit job.”

Clementine’s nails bite into her palm as her fists tighten. Her heart is hard in her chest, it’s beat vibrating her entire body. “I’m sorry that they got you, Vi, I am. I always will be, but there wasn’t anything I could do except plan to save you. We all risked our lives to go back for you!”

“You should’ve just left us-”

“How can you say that? You’re here, alive and at home because of what we did!”

“So? You have no fucking idea what it was like on that ship, Clem. What they did to us.” Violet turns back to face her. “What they did to Minnie. They threatened us with inhumane things like it was nothing- Like we were nothing! Just dogs ready to be mutilated and thrown out if we didn’t sit down and roll over!”

“Then how can you say that I should’ve left you?”

“Because at least I would’ve had Minnie-”

“Violet, you were there when she admitted to killing Sophie! You were there when they tried to cut Louis’ hand off! When they took AJ away! They threatened you! And you still tried to stop me from breaking out! We’d all be dead if I hadn’t done anything and you know it! That wasn’t the Minerva you knew! How could you-”

“Do you know what it’s like to lose someone twice? Someone you loved more than you could ever love yourself? No, you don’t! Minnie never would’ve let them hurt me! She protected me, told me how to be safe while I was locked up! All you ever did was abandon me when I gave you so much. I never would’ve left you.”

“If that’s the case, then put yourself in my position!” Clementine roughly pokes Violet in the chest. “If it’d been you with the bow, and you had to try and save both me and Minerva, what would you have done?”

For the first time in several minutes, the room’s quiet.

Clementine steps back to steady herself. “You already know your answer. You would’ve tried to save us both but you also know that you would’ve tried to save her first.”

“It’s different- I loved Minnie-”

“I loved Louis-”

“You barely knew him!”

“I barely knew you!”

“It’s not the same thing, Clem! You may love him now but you didn’t love him then, so don’t even try and pull that shit with me!”

Violet turns her back to her, still shaking with resent.

Clementine’s throat is sore, and her chest aches. Frustration wets her eyes. Her head, filled with so many thoughts and so many emotions, feels ready to cave in under the pressure of the room.

“...What do you want me to say?” Clementine whispers.

Violet shakes her head. “There’s nothing you can say. It doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t change that I thought you cared about me more than you really did.”

“I did- I do care about you, Vi. Why do you think I’m here?”

“Because Louis sent you.”

“No, he didn’t.”

Violet scoffs.

“He didn’t,” Clementine reassures. “I’m here because I want to be. I meant what I said, Vi. I miss you, and I want us to be friends again. I know that’s asking for too much, that you will never forgive me for what I did. But, I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry, Violet. I hate that I can’t just talk to you like I could before. I hate that we can’t play stupid card games together with Louis. I hate seeing you hide away from everyone. We all miss you.”

Violet faces her again with an unreadable expression.

“Okay, Clem,” she says slowly. “Say I forgive. Say we work this out and become friends again. We’ll play our stupid card games and have a grand ol’ time.” Violet shrugs her shoulders, weakly motioning to her. “Everything’s all sunshine and rainbows. But, what happens when a new set of raiders come knocking on our doors?” She brushes her bangs out of her face, holding her hand against her head. “What happens when they break in again and I need your help?”

“That’s not going to happen-”

“No? It’s not?” Violet gives a dry laugh. “Let me tell you what’ll happen, Clem. I’ll look for you, and all I will see is your back when you run to Louis’ side.”

Clementine closes her eyes and lowers her head.

“You’ve made your choice,” says Violet. “And I won’t be hurt again because of it.”

She moves to the window, peering out. Clementine watches her with nothing to say. What can she say? That none of it is true? Keep denying it so they stay in this constant loop of arguments.

“Most days, I hate him, too.”

“What?” Clementine asks.

“Did he ever tell you what happened? After you knocked Minnie out?” Violet peers over her shoulder at her.

“Just that he and Aasim helped you out.”

Violet turns back to the window and runs her finger over the glass, smudging it.

“Louis had to carry me out. I kicked, punched, screamed, scratched, bit… anything I could to get him to put me down. Got him right in the chin a couple times, made him bleed. And he just wouldn’t let me go. He dragged me out of there… and we just left Minnie lying there.” She presses her forehead against the cool glass.

Clementine knew that they’d left Minerva there. Louis had confessed it to her one night after one of his nightmares. He had cried about it until he physically couldn’t anymore.

Even though Louis hated her in those last moments, hated what Minerva had become, he still occasionally wept for the girl he used to know.

“Know what he told me? After we got back?”

Clementine almost doesn’t hear her she’s so quiet.

Violet smiles, actually smiles. “He said he loved me. Called me family.”

Clementine’s lip curls, just a bit, into what could be a smile, as well.

Until Violet says, “I hate that he loves you.”

“...What?”

“It drives me insane, the fact that you love each other. He thinks the world of you, y’know. He never talks about you when he’s with me, but I can just see it on that stupid face of his. He fucking adores you. You and AJ.” She goes quiet. “You’re his family now.”

“He still loves you, Violet.”

“I know,” she murmurs. “He tells me all the time.”

“So, why do you hate him? Because of Minerva?”

Violet shakes her head.

“Honestly?”

Clementine risks taking a few steps closer.

“Because now I’m no one’s first choice,” she whispers. “He’d pick you first, always. He proved that after we escaped… after I attacked you. He didn’t even hesitate.”

After the delta ship completely sank and they all regrouped, Violet had lunged at her, knocked her to ground. But, she didn’t stand a chance, not with everyone there. Not even with the knife she’d stolen off of Clementine.

But, it was Louis that stepped in front of her, shielded her from the distraught girl she once called a friend. He was ready to wrestle the knife away from her if words didn’t work.

Thankfully, it never came to that.

“I’ll always be taken.” Violet’s voice cracks.

It takes the tears spilling over to make Clementine realize she’s actually crying. Her first instinct is to reach out and grab her, but then Violet turns and glares at her again.

“Violet-”

“You got what you wanted. We talked. I don’t think there’s anything else left to say.”

That’s far from the truth. There’s still so, so much more.

I wish I could take your pain away.

I wish I could have saved you, too.

Louis loves you. Tenn loves you. I love you. We all love you.

We miss you.

You don’t have to be scared.

You don’t have to be alone.

And, of course, the whole reason for this.

Violet, I’m asking Louis to marry me tomorrow.

But, she doesn’t say any of those things.

Instead, she wipes tears off her cheeks.

“I’ll never let anyone take you again, Vi,” she musters up all her confidence. “We’re family.”

“...You need to leave.” Violet turns her back to her one final time. “We’re done.”

She doesn’t want to.

She hesitates, waiting for Violet to change her mind.

And when she doesn’t, she leaves.

Mitch is there, right next to the door with a sullen expression. There’s no doubt in her mind that he heard nearly every word spoken between them.

The door closes with a soft click.

His hand touches her shoulder gently.

“You okay?”

She shakes her head.

“It’s late,” she says. “I- ...I need to find Louis.”

Mitch nods. With a comforting hand on her shoulder, the two head down the hall.

They stop when there’s an anguished scream and the sound of broken glass.

Clementine whips around and dashes for Violet’s room.

The door flings open and Violet runs out. She goes the opposite direction, turning the corner and out of sight.

“Violet!” Clementine calls.

Mitch stops her from going after her.

“She’s probably going to Tenn’s room,” he says. “Best not to get in her way.”

Shit.

She feels Mitch watching her. She rubs at her tired eyes and pushes all the air out of her lungs in a heavy sigh. She looks over into Violet’s room. The cause of the breaking glass sound is evident on the floor. From here, she can see it’s a framed photo of Violet, Minerva, and Sophie.

“Look,” Mitch says, “I’ll follow her and make sure she gets to Tenn fine, okay?”

She glances up at him and tries to smile. “Thank you.”

He pats her shoulder one last time before going down the hall.

Now, she’s alone in the middle of the hallway with a lump in her throat and an overwhelming desire to be in Louis’ arms.

---

“Oh, there you are!” Clementine finds him back in their room.

“I was starting to get worried when you didn’t show up to tune the piano. I thought Mitch really did blow you up this time.”

His laugh is warm and contagious.

“I got caught up…” she says.

“Right, well, I was about to leave to go find you and-”

Now that he’s closer, it’s no doubt that he can see the redness ringing her eyes or the stains on her cheeks. She turns away from him, slipping her jacket off and putting it over the back of her chair.

“Clementine?”

His warm hand grabs hers tenderly. The lump is back. Her chin quivers.

“Hey,” he pulls her to look at him and seeing his sincere, beautiful face breaks something inside her. She buries herself in his chest and holds onto him for dear life. She’s immediately enveloped in his warmth.

Violet’s words echo and repeat in her mind. The guilt, the sorrow, it makes her knees weak. She crumbles.

Louis is there to hold her up.

He rubs her back, kisses her forehead, her cheeks. His thumb brushes away any loose tears. He murmurs reassurances in her ear.

They end up in bed, wrapped around each other comfortably with an old CD player resting on Louis’ hip. They share a pair of old, dingy headphones. Classical, soothing piano hums in her ear.

It’s their favorite CD.

Sometimes, Louis’ nightmares get so bad that the music is the only to bring him back. Sometimes, when it’s been a particularly stressful day, or when the exhaustion catches up with them, they lie in bed and listen. They enjoy the comfort of each other’s touch, of each others breathing and beating hearts.

He traces the letters of her name on the back of her hand.

She plants a tender kiss on his chin, right where his scar is.

“I talked to Violet,” she murmurs against his skin.

His hand stills.

She doesn’t say any more. He doesn’t need her to. He pulls her closer, pressing her free ear against his chest. His heart thumps calmly as if in beat with the calm piano.

She tries to put Violet and her words, her face, out of her mind. She thinks about how filled with glee AJ was when she told him the news. She pictures her and AJ standing side by side with their arms hooked together, ready to walk. It brings a small smile to her lips.

She thinks about the rings tucked safely away in her pant pockets. She tries picturing the ring on Louis’ finger. That makes her smile grow.

She considers pulling them out now. She could do it. She could propose now, and they could celebrate the night away.

But, she won't. Not when she has something even better planned.

She glances up at him. His eyes have fluttered shut. A grin remains on his lips.

Tomorrow is so close.

“Louis?” She whispers.

“Clementine?”

“I love you.”

He doesn’t hesitate.

“I love you, too.”

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