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screechthemighty · 1 month

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I am once again just as confused as you are that a chapter is being churned out so quickly. To be fair, this is a chapter I've had in my head since the early days of this fic, so that helped. Anyways, enjoy!

the unknowable tomorrow | a tristamp fanfic part twelve: meryl

cws: family death, grief, injury description, vomiting mention, some grossness related to harvesting giant bugs as a food source

When Meryl stepped out, she was worried she’d been sent back again. The air was thick with smoke, and she could see fires burning in the distance. Thankfully, a second look confirmed this wasn’t the Fall. It was daytime, not night, and there were a lot more people around. “Line up!” someone shouted. “We’ve got to get this gear distributed, fast!”

Meryl followed the sounds of shouting. There was a line forming to receive jumpsuits and respirators. Some people were being assigned to a truck nearby, others to a nearby cluster of buildings—or what was left of them. The sand underfoot was black, hardened in places from the heat. There was no sign of Vash, but knowing him, he’d be going where people needed help. So, Meryl got in line with everyone else.

“Next!” The person distributing the gear gave Meryl a once-over. “Resource distribution.” He said, passing her one of the less heavy jumpsuits and a respirator that only covered her nose and mouth. “Over there. Be sure to keep your mask on. Air quality’s not going to get any better.”

Meryl took the gear and joined a cluster of people getting suited up. No one spoke to her directly, giving her time to listen to their chatter and survey their surroundings. By the time she had the gear fully on, she was pretty sure she knew when she was.

In the future, most things were powered by Plant energy, rechargeable batteries, or solar power. There had been some attempts in the early days of recorded human history to harvest fossil fuels to power backup steam and combustion power, but they repeatedly ended in disaster. The fuel was too volatile, and their harvesting machinery was too haphazard. Enough lives were lost that people moved on, instead focusing on Plant-based power and later, solar. She was in the middle of one of those disasters. A fire had started in the oil fields, and a fuel truck had exploded while it was being loaded, all in the same day.

That was all bad enough, but Meryl had a unique worry: this all happened long enough after the Fall that her lack of aging would be immediately noticeable. The respirators all had clear fronts to allow for lip-reading, so she wouldn’t be able to hide behind it. What do I do? she thought as she rolled up her sleeves. Vash seemed to know about the portals, but how much did he really know? How could she possibly explain the truth to him?

“Okay, let’s move it!” someone barked. “We’ve got people to help!”

Meryl took a deep breath. I’ll help. I’ll look for Vash when I do. When I find him…I don’t know. I’ll figure it out when I see him. Ugh, she hated how much she’d had to improvise lately. She was pretty sure when Roberto told her she’d have to think on her feet he hadn’t been talking about situations like this.

Once everyone was suited up, they were let loose on the town—or what was left of it—to distribute food, water, masks. Meryl saw throngs of people coated in ashes, their eyes glazed over like the Jeneora Rock survivors’ had been. Her heart ached for them, but she tried not to let it distract her from keeping an eye out for Vash. She looked for his puff of blond hair, the bright red of his coat, the slight glow of his prosthetic (because surely he must have it by now). She listened for his voice, for any gossip about a strange noodle of a man who’d swept into town and offered to help.

For a long time—what felt like ages—there was nothing. Just smoke-stained buildings and smoke-stained faces and the cries of the injured and desperate. Until…

“Hey, could you give me a hand with this?” The man before her was hauling a small wagon full of empty containers. “We need to get these filled up.”

“Sure,” Meryl said, as she had to pretty much every request made of her so far. “Filled up with what?”

“Water. Assuming…” The man paused and shook his head. “Come on.”

Meryl followed dutifully. She was led to the back of a building, where there was a water dispenser and a group of three people with anxious eyes. “He hasn’t said anything, has he?” said the man who’d brought Meryl over.

“Not a peep,” replied one of the three. “No news is good news, right?” This didn’t stop the woman from anxiously running a hand through her hair. “One minute left.”

That minute was spent in near-silence, lining up various clean but mismatched containers so they could be filled as efficiently as possible. After one last check of someone’s watch and a soft count down from ten, the spigot was turned on. The others in the group gathered around anxiously, no one making a sound until…

Water. First a trickle, then a steady stream. The group breathed a collective sigh of relief at the sight. “Okay,” someone said, “let’s get to it.”

Meryl fell into line moving empty containers up when the one before it was full. “What’s wrong with the water Plant?” she asked.

“It was hurt in the second blast,” said the man across from her. “Pretty badly. We lost the food-making Plant entirely.” He glanced towards the building. “We’re lucky that engineer showed up, otherwise we’d really be toast.”

Meryl’s heart skipped a beat. “Engineer?”

“Yeah, some guy in a red coat. We warned him that the tanks had leaked and the vapor levels still weren’t safe, but he went in there anyway.” He shook his head. “He’s a lunatic, but he’s saved our asses so far.”

That sentence alone confirmed that it was Vash. “He’s been keeping the Plant alive this whole time?”

“So far, but he said he couldn’t promise us it’d recover fully. That’s why we’ve been stocking up on water while we still can. If the worst happens, at least we’ll have enough to get us out of here.” He pulled the full container out of the way, letting Meryl slide up the empty one. “Feels like we’re playing Russian roulette every time we do this, though.”

Meryl hummed and glanced back at the building. He was so close, but she couldn’t think of a way to get to him. The vapors from a leaking Plant tank were toxic to humans, and while she was willing to risk skin irritation, she doubted Vash would be happy if she hurt herself. “Does he come out very often?”

“Not really. I’ve only seen him once. We have to bring him his meals…speaking of, actually, do you mind making sure someone’s doing that?”

Perfect! “Yeah, I can do that.”

No one had, so Meryl volunteered for the task immediately. She was given very strict instructions not to enter. Leave the tray at the door, ring a bell, come back to get her own meal. Meryl nodded like she was paying attention, but half her focus was taken up figuring out what to say to Vash. She still didn’t have an answer by the time she got back to the Plant building. The damage hadn’t looked so bad from the back, but from the front, she could see how devastating the explosion had been. There was a gaping hole where the left corner had been, and what she could see of the inside was blackened with smoke. That hole, along with the front door, had been cordoned off with a wall of debris, and several signs warned people not to approach. It was a grim sight.

How do I help him?

Meryl set the tray down on a mostly flat surface, rang the bell, and backed away as instructed. She lingered nearby, watching. If she could see Vash and what kind of state he was in, maybe that would help her decide.

Vash emerged after what seemed like ages. He was unhurt, far as she could tell, and much older now. He was a spitting image of the Vash she’d find hanging upside-down between two corpses one day.

And he looked so, so tired.

Meryl had the decision there and then. She started waving her arms. “Vash!” she called. “Vash!”

Vash’s gaze jerked over to her. A smile slowly started to form on his lips, widening into bright relief as he got a better look at her. Meryl forgot about the warnings and started to run to him. Vash quickly looked concerned. “Not too close!” he called. “Not too close…”

Meryl skidded to a halt, even though every part of her wanted to hug him. “I’m sorry I didn’t find you sooner,” she said. “Are you okay?”

Vash’s smile came back, even as tears started falling down his face. “I am now,” he said. “I’m so happy to see you.”

“I’m happy to see you, too.” She smiled. “Is there anything I can do to help? Anything at all?”

“You already are. I feel a lot better knowing you’re here. But…I’ve been really busy with the Plant, but if it’s not too much trouble, can you keep an eye on things out here? Just let me know how they’re going?”

“I can. I’ll make sure to bring your food so we can talk. Uhm…” Meryl ran back over the hours she’d already been there. “I haven’t heard too much. I was trying to find you. But they’re stockpiling water in case they have to leave. They let some people out of the tirage area while I was getting them bandages…how long has it been?”

“Five days since the explosion. I got here on the second day. Have they gotten the fires put out?”

“I’m not sure, but I can find out.” Time to put those reporter skills to the test. “Anything else you want to know?”

“If anyone else is sending help. I know some people from smaller settlements have come, but there’s got to be more people coming.”

“I’ll ask around.” Meryl glanced over Vash’s shoulder. “How’s she doing?”

Vash’s shoulders slumped. “Not good,” he admitted quietly. “She was injured in the fire, and she misses the other Plant. It was…rough for her, being there when she died.” He ran a hand through her hair. “I’ve done what I can, but a lot of it’s…physical, you know? Not just her Gate. I can only do so much for that. Right now, I’m just trying to keep her comfortable.”

“I’m so sorry, Vash,” Meryl said. She remembered being in the elevator with Roberto, watching the light slowly go out in his eyes as the puddle of blood grew underneath him. Vash was going through the same thing, just slower, and with family. No wonder he looked so tired. “I wish I could be in there with you.”

Vash’s smile came back, but it didn’t look forced. It was tired, soft, but genuine. “That means a lot,” he said. “Knowing you’re out here will help. Promise.”

“And I can give you a hug when this is over.”

“I look forward to that.” Vash finally picked up his meal tray. “Take care of yourself too, okay? I know things aren’t any easier out here.”

“I will.” Meryl decided to take a risk, walking closer to the barrier and reaching out over it. “I’ll see you later.”

Vash hesitated before taking it. His flesh hand felt cold, and his grip was tight. It was a poor substitute for a hug, but Meryl hoped it would be enough for now. “See you,” Vash whispered back.

Meryl waited at the barrier until Vash was back inside before leaving.

Time to get to work.

She came back a few hours later with dinner for Vash and a lot of information. She’d spent the day bouncing between tasks, going where needed, but she’d been able to multitask. People gossiped, and there were enough new faces that her questions hadn’t seemed too out of place.

“They’ve already sent away the most seriously injured,” she said. “People who needed doctors right away and such. Anyone left here is in stable condition, more or less, and they did get a medic in. The fires around town are out, but the oil field is still burning. I guess there’s an oil well somewhere and they can’t get the flames out long enough to re-cap it.” The volunteer she’d spoken to had all been filthy, exhausted, increasingly hopeless the longer they’d been there. “Most of the assistance has come from Little Almeria.”

“Nothing from November?”

“Nothing yet.” It was strange to think that November existed now. So did July, as much as the thought chilled her. “People aren’t happy about that.”

“I don’t blame them. November’s government are the ones that sent them out here in the first place.” Vash glanced in the direction of the fields. “Did anyone…talk about it possibly having been sabotage?”

Meryl hesitated. “Not…really. Just a lot of people cursing the bad luck of it all.” And it was bad luck, to have an explosion in the oil field and an explosion so close to town in the same day. Bad luck, or…

“Do you think it was him?” Meryl asked quietly.

Vash stared down at his food. His eyes were so tired, so sad. She’d seen that look before after Jeneora Rock. Another disaster caused by Millions Knives. “I don’t know,” Vash said. “I feel like…I would’ve felt if he was here, you know? But who knows anymore.” He pushed his food around his plate without picking it up. He’d moved back into the doorway in theory so they could talk while he ate, but he’d done more talking than eating. “Could’ve been he sent someone. Could have nothing to do with him. Could just be bad luck.”

“It’s not your fault, either way.”

Vash smiled ruefully. “I may need you to remind me of that a few more times.”

“I’ll say it as many times as you need.” Meryl smiled at him encouragingly before turning back to her notebook. “Oh, speaking of November, they’re going to try making contact again tomorrow. And there’s some debate whether they should go back there if they can’t get things under control or if they’ll go to Little Almeria. That’s really going to depend on how much water they can collect…” She hesitated. “Uhm. No pressure.”

Vash shook his head. “This situation has been nothing but pressure for everyone. I’m not special.” He finally took a bite, chewed slowly, and swallowed hard. “Are they doing okay with food?”

Technically yes, but it was an area of concern. They’d sent people out to hunt worms and were stockpiling nonperishables for a possible trip out of there. But Meryl remembered Vash’s three day fast after Jeneora Rock, and how worried Brad and Luida had looked when Vash claimed he wasn’t hungry. “They’re making sure any important volunteers have enough,” Meryl said, aiming for gentle but stern. “Including the man keeping their Plant alive. The rest of us are doing okay, too.”

Vash ducked his head. A slight blush spread across his cheeks as he laughed sheepishly. “Am I that easy to figure out?”

“A little.” Meryl fought the urge to step closer to the barricade again. “You’re not taking anything from anyone. You’re giving them a lot, and they’re returning the favor. Okay?” Vash nodded. “Is there anything else you need? Or anything she needs?”

Vash thought about it. “Nothing you could get easily,” he said. “Unless November agrees to send help, and if they do, the mayor already has my wish list.”

“Well, if they call us back tomorrow, maybe I’ll try to get on the line and give them a good lecture.” She’d do it, too. Meryl had been through too much to be intimidated by the thought of a politician getting annoyed at her.

“That’d probably work. I’m pretty sure those guys who tried to kidnap me only messed with you because they were desperate.”

Meryl laughed, but winced at the same time at the memory. “Let’s hope it doesn’t have to go that far again.”

“Yeah.” Vash finished off his meal. “I should get back to it.”

“Don’t forget to get some sleep.”

“You, too. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

The town seemed so much quieter once Vash slipped into the building. Meryl gathered up his dishes and walked back.

The sunset was blood red. She couldn’t remember if that was a good omen or not.

It sure didn’t feel good.

Meryl didn’t sleep well that night. She couldn’t clearly remember her dreams, but vague flashes lingered. The Big Fall, Jeneora Rock, July, the burning oil fields, and a silver-clad figure stalking through the smoke. And as if that weren’t bad enough…

“You know how to gut a worm?”

Kill me, Meryl thought grimly.

But she’d told Vash she would help, and seeing how it was either worm prep or assisting the medic, she picked the worms. Keeping the respirator mask on helped with the smell, at least. And it was a good chance to hear the latest gossip.

If only the gossip had any good news.

“…said that there wasn’t as much water output last night,” someone whispered.

“There’s always less water output at night, isn’t there?”

“Yes, but it’s been decreasing every day. That’s what I heard.”

“They are having us put aside a lot of meat for preservation…”

“Will we be able to transport everyone? So many thoma ran off…”

“Guys, enough,” cut in a new voice. “Speculating isn’t going to get us anywhere. We’ll figure it out if it happens.”

The room fell silent. Meryl tried to go back to work, but her mind wasn’t in it. She’d missed talking to Vash at breakfast. She needed some excuse to see him at lunch. If the Plant was doing poorly, then Vash probably was, too. He needed her now.

But how do I get to him?

The next worm put in front of her had something clinging to its underside: masses of goopy balls all clumped together. The person next to her perked up. “Nice! An egg layer! Hey, guys, we’ve got worm roe!”

Meryl barely managed to get her mask off and get to an isolated corner before she puked.

Mercifully, they sent her to help with inventory after that.

It was a lot easier from there to slip away and get Vash’s lunch to him. It took him longer than last time to appear, and when he did, he looked awful. Not as bad as he had when he’d gotten sick, but close. “Oh, Vash,” Meryl breathed.

He stared down at his food before meeting her eyes. He didn’t have to confirm it was bad; she could see it all over his face. “…hey, Claudia?” he said quietly. “This is kind of a weird question, but…do you know any good stories?” Of course, every book she’d ever read and every story she’d ever been told flew right out of her head. Vash must have seen the panicked look on her face, because he quickly added, “Or…anything else we can talk about? Anything at all? I just don’t want to think about…this.”

“I understand,” Meryl said. “Uhm…” Think, Meryl, think! “I…accidentally unearthed a massive cheating ring in my school when I was a teenager?”

A startled but genuine laugh burst out of Vash. “You did what? How?!”

“Well…” Meryl blushed slightly. “It was kind of stupid at first. I was an overachiever. I wanted the student paper to do serious pieces, you know? Real journalism from my small-town high school.” She shook her head. “So, when I heard about a secret homework-for-money deal going around the school, I thought it was my big break and started digging.”

Meryl was a little surprised how much came back to her as she told the story, but apparently, she remembered more from high school than she’d realized. To be fair, it was hard to forget the incident that had led to her being ostracized and labeled as the nosy jerk who’d gotten a lot of her fellow students in trouble. It was embarrassing to tell, especially with the filter of hindsight, but it held Vash’s attention, and that was what mattered. “…and in the end, I didn’t even get to write an article about it,” she finished glumly. “I got labeled the school snitch for nothing.”

Vash winced sympathetically. He’d started eating about halfway through the story and had put a decent dent in his lunch. “That sounds rough.”

“It was. I wasn’t trying to be a snitch, either. I just wanted to get to the truth, and I didn’t think…” Meryl hesitated. “I didn’t think about what it might cost.”

A lesson she’d never really learned. And Roberto had been the one to pay the price, not her.

“Everything has a cost,” Vash agreed quietly. “Every decision. Someone’s got to pay it. It can be so…” He put down his fork and rubbed his eyes. “Painful.”

Meryl frowned in concern. Before she could ask, Vash suddenly straightened up and looked over his shoulder. “Vash?”

“I have to go,” he said. “Thank you for talking…” He set aside his tray and took off into the building. “Be safe!”

“Vash!”

He was deep in the building by the time Meryl reached the barrier. She thought about jumping it and running after him, but remembered the warnings about the toxins inside. Vash would send her right back out if she tried, and he probably needed to focus anyway.

Still, she glanced over her shoulder more than once as she walked away.

The water output was lower that night.

The whispers were out of control. Meryl tried to ignore them as she wormed her way into being the one to bring Vash his meal. It wasn’t that hard; people seemed afraid to even look at the building, much less approach it with food. She was left alone as she walked to it, rang the bell and waited.

And waited.

No sign of Vash.

Is he in trouble? What if he overexerted himself and he passed out? Meryl shifted from one foot to another. He might need help. I know it’s not safe, but…

There was always a price to pay.

…screw it. She’d be the one paying it this time, and she didn’t care.

Meryl ran for the supply trucks. A lot of the heavy-duty supplies had already been claimed, but after some digging, she was able to find some googles, a detachable hood, and a pair of gloves that fit. If anyone asked, she was checking in because she hadn’t heard from the Plant engineer and she wanted to know about the water shortage. She’d probably get a scolding, but, well…she probably wouldn’t be around long enough for long-term consequences anyway. Benefits of being a time traveler.

She threw the extra gear on, making sure that as much of her skin was covered as possible. She didn’t have to see herself to know she looked ridiculous. I just hope I don’t spook the Plant, she thought. It took some effort to climb over the barrier, but she just barely made it without landing on her face.

No going back now.

Meryl took one last deep breath before going inside.

There was something almost terrifyingly quiet about the interior. Her footsteps echoed in the empty halls, and the smoke damage made the space feel much, much darker. The deeper she went, the less the air smelled of smoke, but the more it started smelling of that same harsh odor that had clung to Vash when he came outside. There was a strange haze hanging over the hallways outside the Plant room. It made even the familiar setting of refurbished ship-based buildings feel alien. She almost called Vash’s name, but was suddenly afraid of breaking the silence.

The light changed color as she approached the door, turning a strange red-purple, like a bruise. A heavy weight of sadness, exhaustion, pain, none of it hers, started to settle over her shoulders. She was shaking by the time she entered the Plant room.

What she saw nearly made her stop breathing.

There were two tanks inside. One was shattered, empty; the other one had been mended, but had lower fluid levels. Vash’s jacket, boots, and prosthetic arm were laying on the floor outside it, and inside…

Vash, fully clothed, cradling the injured Plant against his chest with his one intact arm.

It was worse than Meryl had thought. Half the Plant’s petals were gone, and her body was scarred with gashes and burns along the same side. What was left of her petals wrapped around her and Vash, and her face was buried in his shirt, like a child having a nightmare. She looked so small and frail in his arms. Even if her tank hadn’t gone fully red, Meryl would have been able to tell that she didn’t have much more in her.

Vash knew it, too. His eyes were closed tightly, a deep pain marring his face, but he still held onto her so tightly. She could just see his Plant markings pulsing across his skin, and something sprouting among his hair. Petals…or were they feathers? A full flower was starting to bloom at his temple. The same one she’d seen in July, growing from his tendrils.

Something hummed in the air, shaking her very bones. A song. Vash’s song. He was humming it desperately to the Plant. If Meryl stepped closer, she could just make out a weak accompaniment. The swan song of a being about to die.

Her throat suddenly felt tight.

I shouldn’t be here.

She turned around and ran.

The tears in her eyes weren’t from the toxins. She barely made it out of the building and a safe distance away before she started tearing things off her face. Her first shaking sob brought the smell and taste of smoke, but she didn’t care. It was better than the choking sadness she’d felt in that room.

She’s not going to make it.

The Plant was going to die. There was nothing Vash could do.

Meryl knew she should turn around, go back. Be there to try and comfort them both.

Coward that she was, she couldn’t do it.

She dreamed she was floating in the tank. Not the one here, but the one in July. The liquid was cold and itched against her skin.

“You shouldn’t have come in.”

Vash was floating next to her. Tendrils spilled out of his back, out of his mouth. His face was a map of Plant markings, his eyes so tired, so tired.

“I wanted to help.” Meryl felt tears start to form in her own eyes. “I wanted to do something for once.”

“What are you talking about? You have been doing something.” Vash reached out towards her. His fingertips were black. It was spreading up his arm.

“Not when it counts,” Meryl replied.

“It’s counted to me. Every time.” Vash stared at his own hand in confusion. “Please don’t do this.”

“Don’t do what?”

“Blame yourself. I don’t blame you. If I can’t do everything, neither can you.” A sob escaped Meryl’s lips. His eyes were so kind. How could he still look so kind, when he was suffering more than she was? “Just promise me you’ll be here tomorrow?”

“I promise. I promise.”

“Okay. That’s good enough.” Vash looked around. “This isn’t very nice. Come on.”

He took her hand.

They were still floating, but she could breathe freely. When Meryl opened her eyes, all she saw were stars. A massive window looking up into endless stars.

“This was my favorite place on the ship,” Vash explained. His voice had grown higher, younger; when she looked his way, he was a kid again, the same age as when she’d found him in the wreckage. “Do you hear that?”

She didn’t, not at first. But when she closed her eyes, tried really hard, she could. Soft, subtle, but definitely a heartbeat.

“We’re going to be okay,” Vash whispered, “right?”

I hope so, Vash.

I hope so.

The next morning, she made sure she was the one who got breakfast to Vash. He didn’t come out for her, and someone called her away before she could consider pushing through her fear and going back inside, but she made sure to fold his napkin into a flower before going. Maybe that would cheer him up, at least.

He’s going to lose a member of his family. How can a paper flower cheer him up?

She went through the motions of helping around town, boxing up dried worm meat, making sure the cars were in working order. She was only jarred out of her stupor when she was assigned to help with the water. Dread immediately filled her.

Was this it? Would this be the moment the Plant passed?

Water started to fill the first container. Then a second. When they pushed the third into place, the steady flow suddenly increased. Meryl’s heart leapt into her throat.

Is this a Last Run?

She’d heard of them, but never witnessed one. The last of a dying Plant’s energy was used up in one burst, one last final surge of production. Millions Knives had kidnapped dozens of Plants to prevent them from undergoing one, instead leaving them in a limbo between life and death. A cruel fate in its own right.

What would Vash do?

The production stayed steady, just faster. On the fourth container, the water started to smell salty. The flow spurted, sputtered. Slowed to a trickle.

Stopped.

Meryl took off running.

She didn’t bother stopping to get more protective gear; she just jumped the barrier and ran. The air inside stung her eyes and made her skin itch, but she ignored it. Her only thought was getting to Vash.

I couldn’t be there yesterday, but I have to be there today. No matter what I see inside.

She had to be there.

The Plant room was dark, only faintly illuminated by a few flashlights. The tank looked empty, but when Meryl got closer, she could see her slumped at the bottom, curled up against the glass near a kneeling Vash.

She looked…peaceful.

Meryl hadn’t expected that.

Vash looked up at her. His ashen face was streaked with tears. “Claudia…y-you shouldn’t be in…”

Meryl knelt next to him and hugged him tightly.

Vash didn’t hesitate to hug her back. His body shook with sobs. He was so tall now, so heavy; he practically engulfed her in his embrace. Meryl didn’t mind the weight. She could bear it.

She was just grateful she had the chance to this time.

Vash insisted that Meryl see a medic when they finally emerged from the Plant building together. She was given a salve for her exposed face and hands, some eye drops, and a stern talking-to about the risks. “You’re lucky it dispersed as much as it had,” the medic said before giving Vash a once-over. “And I’m not sure what your deal is, but you’re extremely lucky.”

Vash made a noise that barely qualified as a laugh. “I don’t think lucky’s the right word,” he said.

The medic’s face softened. “I heard,” he said. “For what it’s worth…you bought us more than enough time. We have supplies enough to get to November if we wanted to. That’s thanks to you.”

Vash forced a smile, but said nothing.

Just as the medic finished up with Meryl, someone leaned into the room. “Hey, if you’ve got a minute, they’ve called a meeting. Sounds pretty important.”

Meryl and Vash exchanged a look. That can’t be good. She didn’t know for sure, but something told her this was about more than the Plant.

The meeting space was packed full of anxious faces. One man—Meryl faintly recognized him as the mayor—made his way to the front and faced the crowd. “I’m sure many of you have heard by now,” he started, “but it’s true…we have lost our remaining Plant.” The room broke out into horrified murmurs; the mayor had to raise his voice to be heard. “Additionally, we were able to make contact with November city today. They informed us that they would not be able to send additional assistance. This leaves us…” The murmurs grew into agitated, terrified conversations. “If I could have your attention, please…”

“What happened?” demanded one voice. Meryl realized the question was directed at Vash. “How did this happen?”

Vash’s body tensed. His prosthetic clenched into a fist. “She was badly injured,” he said. “It’s a miracle she made it as long as she did.”

“But you said you’d help,” called another voice, this one much more accusatory. “You said – “

“I told you I’d do what I could and I did that,” Vash interrupted. His voice was level, but his fist shook, and his eyes stayed glued to the floor. “I did everything I could.”

“But we’re still down both Plants,” said the first voice harshly. “What were you even doing in there? Are you a real Plant engineer?”

So many of the eyes fixed on Vash were accusatory, even angry. He kept staring at the floor and said nothing. He’d just lost a sister and they were blaming him.

I don’t deserve to cry, he’d told her once. It wasn’t fair then. It was even less fair now.

“What is wrong with you?!” Meryl snapped. She stepped between Vash and the crowd. “You got a week of surplus water because of him! Did any of you see how bad that Plant was? Because I did, and he’s right. It’s a miracle she held on that long, and that miracle only happened because of him. But you’re going to act like it’s his fault?! You should be ashamed of yourselves.”

“Claudia,” Vash said quietly.

A lot of people were staring at her now. It was better than them staring down Vash, but her mouth suddenly felt dry. Still, she pushed on. “If you really want to be mad at someone, be mad at November for not sending help,” she said. “Or better yet, stop pointing fingers and start focusing on how you’re going to get out of here.” She looked up at the mayor. “So? Where are we going? Little Almeria or November?”

The mayor looked surprised to have the attention back on him, but recovered quickly. “Yes, well, that’s actually one decision we’ll have to make. I’ve assembled the pros and cons of each…”

Fortunately, he was able to keep the conversation on track from there. Meryl felt Vash step closer to her, his hand bumping against arm. “Thank you,” he whispered.

Meryl took his hand and squeezed it tightly. “You’re welcome,” she whispered back.

In the end, it was decided they would go to Little Almeria so the wounded could be seen to as soon as possible. Everyone was swept up in the surge of packing what transports they had; somewhere in all the fuss, Meryl realized she’d lost Vash. She was barely able to slip away to hunt him down.

I just hope they’re leaving him alone.

He was alone when she found him, fortunately. He was standing near the Plant building, speaking quietly. “…I can definitely make it from here. I don’t think they want me around much longer anyway.” Vash saw her coming and smiled, holding up one finger as she approached. “I promise I’ll be fast. Don’t want to hold you up too long.”

As she got closer, Meryl could see that Vash was speaking into some kind of thin device. When he tilted his head, she saw a wire connected to an earpiece. “I will. You, too,” he finished before pushing a button on the device and pulling the earpiece out. “Sorry…I was getting in contact with Ship Three. Figured I’d head back early.”

“That’s a good idea. You could use the rest.” Meryl examined him carefully. “Are you okay? Those people back there were so out of line. I can’t believe they’d say that.”

“I can,” Vash said, matter of fact. “They’re scared. Scared people want someone to blame. I’m an easy target.”

“But you didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Doesn’t change how they feel.” He shrugged. “Thank you for what you said, though. It really meant a lot.”

There was still so much sadness in his eyes, but his smile was genuine. Not the weak thing that he’d worn in the past. “You’re welcome,” Meryl said. “Do you want me to go with you? I don’t want you to be alone.”

“I don’t want to hold you up…”

“You’re not, trust me.” She had no more reason to stay here than he did. “I think they’ll be able to get by without me.”

Meryl stopped by long enough to leave her protection gear on a random truck, then met up with Vash. No one tried to stop them as they rode out of town, either with accusations or thanks. Meryl wanted to be angry with them for that, but the weariness on their faces made the words die in her throat.

Vash was right; they were scared. It didn’t make what they’d done right, but there was no point in taking things further. They’d said their piece. Meryl had said hers.

That was all.

“Hey, Claudia?” Vash asked when the town was further behind them.

“What is it?”

“What was high school like? I never went, so…”

She understood what he was really asking: tell me a story. Another chance for her to distract him from the unfairness of it all. Fortunately for him (and a bit unfortunately for her), she had a fair amount of high school stories.

“Well.” Meryl adjusted her grip on Vash. She wasn’t used to riding, so she was grateful for the support. “You may have had a different experience than I did. But picture all the weird and awkward stuff you felt as a teenager, then imagine being around a bunch of kids going through the same thing or worse, and a bunch of adults who suddenly expected you to start acting like an adult. But still treated you like a kid.”

Vash thought about it, then winced. “Oh, no.”

“Ohhh, yes.”

She recounted everything she remembered from high school, from her days flying under the radar, observing the other social spheres without really joining any, to her days as a social pariah for ratting on her schoolmates. The weight of schoolwork and extracurriculars. Friendships gained and lost, her brief time dating before she decided her grades were more important than high school boys. Simpler days.

If only the Meryl of the past had known what was coming for her. She might’ve joined the school shooting team after all.

They stopped riding at sunset. “We making camp?” Meryl asked as she got off.

“No, I’m actually…” Vash stayed in the saddle, standing up in the stirrups as if trying to see ahead. “…going to wait here. They should be close.” Vash looked down at her. “I think…that means this is it for now.”

He wasn’t wrong. Meryl could feel the familiar tingle in the back of her neck again. She was sure that the portal wasn’t far. Still… “Are you sure you’ll be okay?” she asked.

“I’m sure. Besides, might be a little weird if they see you again and you haven’t changed at all.”

Meryl laughed sheepishly. “Good point. I’m a little surprised you haven’t asked more questions.”

“I’m learning to roll with the punches.” Vash climbed off the thomas and held out his arms for a hug. Meryl obliged. “I’ll see you later, Claudia.”

“…Meryl.”

“Huh?”

“Claudia’s not my name. I wasn’t sure what was going on at first, so I didn’t want to give my real name, but you should know.” No point in keeping it from him, not when he already knew so much. “I’m Meryl. Meryl Stryfe.”

Vash pulled away from the hug and gave her a once-over. At first, Meryl was worried she’d destroyed his trust in her, but suddenly, he smiled. “Meryl,” he repeated quietly. “I like it. Meryl suits you better.”

She wasn’t sure what this meant for the future, how it would change what was to come. But the smile on his face made the uncertainty worth it.

Something buzzed in Vash’s jacket. He scrambled to put the ear piece back in and grabbed the communication device. “Hello? Oh…oh, yes, I can…” He turned around and waved to someone. “I can see you! I’ll be right over!” He pulled the earpiece back out and gave Meryl another quick hug. “Have to run. See you later, Mery!”

“See you, Vash!” Who knew when or where, but she was sure she’d see him again.

In a flash, the hug was over, and Vash was on his thomas and riding away. Meryl waited until he was close to two new dots on the horizon before turning around. Sure enough, a new portal was tucked away behind a nearby boulder. Time to move on, she thought.

Something was nagging at her, though. She double-checked that she had everything in her pockets, then double-checked that Vash was safely riding away. She did and he was, so she tried to brush it off as she entered the portal. But, of course, just as she was stepping through…

Shit! I forgot to ask about the Undertaker again - !

#fic: the unknowable tomorrow #trigun #trigun stampede

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yorkmas · 10 months

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Things May Not Have Come To This - mini update and thoughts

Just a little announcement for followers who also read my fanfic. A few days ago was June 23rd, both an important date in the story as well as marking one year since I posted the first chapter!

I wanted to do something for it and well you can see I'm a few days late to the punch (got sick, AC broke) but I went though the entire fic and cleaned up the whole thing from top to bottom!

The changes made are very minor to the point that I do not recommend current up to date readers to reread it as you will likely not notice any difference. The most notable differences are changing my straight quotation marks to curly ones and fixing my horrible dialogue capitalization habit. Aside from that it's just changing some wording here and there if I thought I could make a sentence sound better, or making sure there was style consistency across chapters (whether or not I used numbers for time or wrote them out, capitalizing Agent, etc). It should hopefully just make for an overall smoother experience for new readers.

I can't believe it's been a whole year since I started this fic. I've never written anything this long, I've never written in first person let alone first person present tense, and I've never written death scenes before! The amount of support still makes me so happy. With a fandom this small I wasn't sure if anyone would even care enough to read it.

That's all for this little ramble. Because this update took so long I have no idea when I'll be done with the next chapter. But thank you all for sticking with me! I'd say we're only about 2/3rds done with the story ;)

#jordan profiling

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ninjakk · 2 years

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Silenced with a kiss - A Cloud Recesses romance fanfic ☁️

Another fanfic I wrote about WWX and LWJ during their time at the CR ☁️🐰❤️

*Currently ongoing - Find more chapters on Ao3

Twilight fell over the Cloud Recesses, steeping the picturesque surroundings in soft hues of calming purples and blues. Stars were scattered across the clear dark sky above, gently twinkling as they captivated all that gazed upon them.

In the distance a large magnolia tree stood majestically outside the impressive Lan sect Library Pavilion. As it swayed softly in the wind, a warm glow of light could be seen seeping through the draping branches that obscured one of the windows of the library's many room. It seemed to be the only room still occupied at such a late time in the evening.

Within the room two figures sat across from each other, silhouetted in the soft candlelight of a paper lantern. One sat rigidly upright, their back perfectly straight as he read a book that lay on the shared table between them. The other sat slanted, leaning over towards the person opposite ever so slightly, as he scribbled messily on the parchment paper in front of him.

A candle flame flickered from the gentle breeze that blew through the open window, causing shadows to dance across the walls evocatively.

The atmosphere in the room had a strange air of something Wei WuXian couldn't quite explain. It made him feel slightly dizzy, almost drunk and a little excited, as if he was anticipating something exhilarating might just happen. Glancing up towards the boy who sat across from him, he suddenly noticed an odd bubbling sensation in his stomach that had not been there a moment ago.

I must just need some air, I've been in this library all day after all. Wei WuXian thought to himself as he put his brush down. His attention instantly drawn towards Lan WangJi's slender finger, watching it closely as it slowly skimmed down the book he was reading, before turning the page with such gentle care as he continued to ignore the other.

Wei WuXian had already been silenced twice today. The most recent spell had just worn off and he was still pouting at his latest defeat. Looking for something more interesting to do, he picked up his brush again, dipped it in the inkstone well and started sketching out a rough drawing, inspired by his unwilling companion's pretty face.

Hmm... It's just not quite right. He thought to himself, frowning at the portrait that did not fully capture the other's exceptional beauty. Slipping the drawing between the pages of one of his books, he tapped his fingers on the low table, drumming out a frustrated beat as he propped his head up using the other hand.

It was almost time for them to finish for the day, before their evening meal was served in the large hall they all dined in. Pouting incessantly, Wei WuXian sat there with a heavy heart. He was not looking forward to the awful bland food of the Lan sect, or the regimental nightly curfew the Cloud Recesses enforced either.

Wei WuXian sighed deeply, feeling the boredom wash over him with a wave of frustration flooding his senses. Never one for learning his lesson, he looked up at the pale handsome boy that sat across from him, mischief drifting into his mind and clouding over his judgement.

Gazing at the pretty, yet impassive face of Lan WangJi, he suddenly got the urge to tease him once again.The candlelight was softly reflecting in the other's eyes, making his dark pupils sparkle slightly as they roamed over the page he was currently reading.

"Lan Zhan?" Wei WuXian uttered softly, his voice as sweet as honey. With no reaction from him, he continued to push for a response, adamant he would obtain the other's attention one way or another. "Lan er-gege..." He whispered gently as he watched for the slightest reaction from the boy.

Lan WangJi tilted his head and looked up at him for the first time in quite a while, a flash of something Wei WuXian couldn't quite place appeared in his eyes, before disappearing as quickly as it had surfaced. It almost resembled something predatorial, like a beast eyeing its unsuspecting prey, immobilising it with just its gaze alone.

The sudden movement momentarily caught Wei WuXian off guard, causing his heart to palpitate in response, his breath catching in his throat as it did so.

Regaining his composure, he finally spoke. "What? You wouldn't answer me?" He shrugged innocently, flashing him a devilish smile that he couldn't hold back any longer.

"Silence." Lan WangJi finally spoke, still holding eye contact, a hint of warning in his words. The simple and succinct answer, a verbal caution of what would come if he persisted. His usual pale eyes, were almost entirely engulfed by two large dark pupils, sparkling in the dim candlelight. Wei WuXian could see his smiling face reflecting back at him within the boy's pinning gaze. Staring at him a moment longer, before flicking his long eyelash back down, Lan WangJi began to read his book once more.

Wei WuXian was more than used to certain people disregarding him completely, while others lavished him with attention and admiration. But for some reason, from the minute he had met this boy, he couldn't bear the thought of being ignored by him. So much so, he would practically do anything if it meant the Second Jade of Lan would notice him, even if it was in a fleeting moment of anger. Anything was better than being completed overlooked by the boy. In fact, if he was being honest there was something rather intoxicating about making this virtuous peer lose his composure, all because he had elicited such a reaction. Like he was the only one who could do such a thing to him.

Perhaps it's because I enjoy the challenge... He mused to himself, trying to stop another roguish smile appearing across his face and giving the game away.

Just then, a little voice in his head spoke quietly. Or perhaps it's something else? This tiny thought went unnoticed, as many of them often did. He would rather protect his heart, than pay any notice to things that may cause him hurt. As such he would mostly ignore these intrusive emotions, pushing them into his subconscious and carrying on, smiling regardless. He would rather live in the moment, enjoying life, not dwelling on the past or things that might upset him.

Sighing to himself, he decided to push the boy further. It was nearly the end of the day and he had lost miserably, unable to obtain a glimpse of the vexed boy he had crossed swords with the night they first met.

"You know Lan Zhan, there are other ways to silence me..." Wei WuXian grinned as he spoke, still watching his eyes intently, the enticingly black pools dominating his light irises were almost deep enough for someone to fall into and lose themselves completely.

Lan WangJi's gaze suddenly snapped back up to regard him, his beautiful eyes fixed on his own once more. "Such as?" He enquired, seemingly impassive to the whole thing. Although his tone was as calm as ever, his hand inadvertently tightened on the table between them, knuckles turning white.

"Well you could.." Wei WuXian murmured as he leaned in close to him involuntarily, drifting further towards those invitingly dark pupils. Although almost void of colour, he noticed Lan WangJi's eyes looked very warm in the candlelight. Or perhaps it was more heated, rather than merely warm. If he had not been lost in the other's gaze, Wei WuXian might have noticed the difference, instead of being sucked further into the moment between them.

"...You could always just answer my questions and then I'd be a good boy and shut up, I promise. Just a conversation with you, is that too much to ask?" He pleaded shamelessly, edging even closer to Lan WangJi as he noticed the other's breathing seemed somewhat more pronounced than usual.

Wei WuXian grinned to himself inwardly, Lan WangJi was about to lose his temper, he had finally broke him!

He braced himself for the brunt of Lan WangJi's temper, feeling oddly excited as he waited in anticipation.

But it never came.

This boy is surely made of stone! Where is that fiery temper I only managed to take a peek at on the rooftop the first night we met?! What have I got to do to see that again!?! Wei WuXian thought to himself, trying hard to hide his disappointment.

Lan WangJi's breathing suddenly calmed again, as if he had regained some composure and inner peace in those few short moments.

"Then ask." He responded, averting his gaze back to the book he was reading, seemingly ignoring how close Wei WuXian had suddenly became.

Surprised that he was allowing him to ask a question, Wei WuXian was momentarily floored.

He thought for a second, as he glanced at Lan WangJi's pale skin, that appeared to almost shimmer in the candlelight.

Wei WuXian's heart quickened for an instant.

Playing around with Lan Zhan really was quite fun indeed. Now what to ask... He thought to himself, trying to calm his racing heart.

"Do you really hate me? Everyone says that you must despise me." Wei WuXian had intended to rile Lan WangJi up by asking stupid questions, but this question slipped out in their place.

Without moving his head up from the book, Lan WangJi's eyes flicked up to meet Wei WuXian's own once again, causing him to look up through his long dark eyelashes.

As they held each other's gaze, Wei WuXian's eyes involuntarily roamed over Lan WangJi's face once more. As he scanned his pretty face, his eyes landed on Lan WangJi's pale red lips, watching as they parted slightly.

Snapping his attention away from the other's mouth, he looked back up into his eyes, eagerly awaiting an answer.

Lan WangJi breathed out as he finally spoke "I do not." His deep voice answered in a resolute tone.

Wei WuXian's heart skipped another beat. He...he didn't silence me. I finally got him to talk to me properly! He thought to himself as he held back a grin.

Lan WangJi lowered his eyes, returning his attention back to the pages in front of him. His long lashes casting a shadow over flawless jade skin, as he busied himself in his book once again.

Before Wei WuXian had time to think, another question blurted out of his mouth as if it was eager to be answered also. "Then why do you ignore me so much?"

Lan WangJi did not look up this time, instead he continued to stare at the same page of his book he had unknowingly left unturned for quite a while now.

No answer came.

"See, you're ignoring me again." Wei WuXian whined shamelessly. Leaning closer still, he lowered his head over the book as well, their heads almost touching. "What's so interesting about this book? You can't answer one more question? Then I'll be quiet, I promise." Wei WuXian pleaded, scanning the pages of the book the other was reading as he did so. It was just another set of ancient texts that had been copied over into a book for others to read.

How could he seriously be more interested in reading such a boring book instead of talking to me, just for a little while? He huffed to himself in frustration.

Goosebumps suddenly crawled all over Wei WuXian's body, as he felt a strange sensation like he was being watched. Turning his head to the side slightly, his eyes were met with Lan WangJi's light coloured iris and enlarged pupil looking at him from the corner of his eye. Wei WuXian's breath was momentarily taken away from him for a heartbeat, pinned by Lan WangJi's predatory stare once again.

Is it getting hot in here? He thought to himself as he moved his head away, leaving a few inches between them. It definitely seemed to be getting rather warm in the stuffy library.

Lan WangJi's gaze followed him as he backed away slightly.

Wei WuXian suddenly felt even warmer. As if something inside of him had sparked into existence, kindling new emotions that had slowly started to burn, growing evermore intense with every passing moment.

Ignoring the strange feverish feeling, he decided to press for an answer, breaking eye contact from Lan WangJi's intense stare as he spoke. "Why do you ignore me? I just want to be..." Before Wei WuXian could finish his sentence. His mouth had been sealed shut.

Not by the usual silencing spell, but by a warm pair of soft thin lips.

Wei WuXian's eyes widened at the surprise of what was happening. Before he could react to being kissed so suddenly, he felt a slight shiver all over his body as the pair of lips moved away from his own as fast as they had arrived.

He looked up at Lan WangJi, still trying to understand what had just happened.

The library suddenly felt like a furnace. Wei WuXian's whole body was burning up to the point he could no longer ignore it, his heat crawling over his cheeks.

"Well that's certainly one way to shut me up." He finally breathed, still somewhat dazed at the turn of events.

Lan WangJi turned his head to the side and averted his gaze, revealing an ear that was tinged pink. Wei WuXian's heart ached slightly at such a sweet and somewhat vulnerable sight. He wasn't sure why, but he wanted to get closer to Lan WangJi again, to feel his lips gently caress the other's once more.

Before he could move, Lan WangJi abruptly stood up and recoiled, as if he had just been bitten by a snake. Shifting as if he was about to leave, the boy hesitated as he looked down at Wei WuXian, his eyebrows slightly knitting together with an apologetic expression spreading across his pretty face.

"I... I..." Before Lan WangJi could finished his uncharacteristically stuttering sentence, it was his turn to be silenced by a pair of lips.

Wei WuXian had jumped up without thinking, pulled on the front of his robes and roughly pressed his lips against Lan WangJi's.

Melting into each other, the two began to kiss passionately as they finally embraced, arms swimming up around one another.

Wei WuXian couldn't quite understand what was going on, he just knew it felt right. So incredibly right. He had never felt this way before, not for a man. Then again, he'd never felt this way about a woman either. He just assumed he'd not met 'the one'. But as the two kissed, Wei WuXian couldn't help himself, he wanted more. He did not want this sensation to end, it was absolutely intoxicating, almost addictive.

Tracing the outside of Lan Wangji's lips using his tongue with much pleasure, the other's lips parted in response, inviting him inside. Suddenly the kissing intensified as they sensually explored each others mouths. Wei WuXian was starting to feel rather dizzy, his knees beginning to weaken slightly as he struggled to breathe properly. Luckily he was held firmly in place by a pair of strong reassuring arms, grounding him in this moment of weightless bliss.

After what felt like quite a while, the kissing slowed and Lan WangJi tenderly bit down on Wei WuXian's lip before pulling away quickly.

Feeling a little disappointed as they reluctantly parted, Wei WuXian had to stop himself from pouting in protest. Before he could say anything, he realised why Lan WangJi had moved away from him so quickly. Footsteps could be heard approaching from somewhere in the distance.

This must have been why Lan Zhan suddenly stopped and began to tidy up instead, acting as if nothing had happened. Wei WuXian thought to himself as he smoothed his tousled hair down and fixed his expression.

Finally gathering his composure, Wei WuXian turned to see who was approaching. Just as he glanced over, Jiang Cheng appeared in the doorway looking annoyed.

"Are you coming to eat or not? I've been waiting outside for you for ages. If you don't hurry up, I'm leaving without you." He snapped at Wei WuXian, completely forgoing any pleasantries and ignoring Lan WangJi in the process.

"Coming!" Wei WuXian responded casually as he grabbed his books from the low table and walked towards Jiang Cheng, grinning at him as he did so.

Jiang Cheng finally gave Lan WangJi a small nod, as if suddenly remembered his manners, before turned on his heels and walking out of the room as fast as he had appeared. Wei WuXian looked over his shoulder to hold Lan WangJi's gaze, shooting him a flirty wink as he began to follow the other out of the door.

Flashing him a devastatingly bright smile behind Jiang Cheng's back, Wei WuXian began to tease once again. "Same time tomorrow? Copying more sect rules and being silenced all day long. I cannot wait." He said playfully emphasising the last sentence, masking his words as sarcasm for Jiang Cheng.

Lan WangJi stood still in the middle of the library with a glazed expression over his face, completely lacking his normal grace and composure. His light coloured eyes locked on Wei WuXian, silently following him as he left, still trying to understand what in the world had just happened.

Wei WuXian was feeling quite pleased with himself as he left the room. A giddy sensation started to bubble up in his stomach, causing him to smile widely in response. Following Jiang Cheng out of the library and into the cool evening breeze, the fresh air hit his burning cheeks and caused him to breathe in deeply.

Jiang Cheng scoffed at him as they walked out. "You almost sound like you actually can't wait! Who would want to be silenced and stuck in the stuffy library with such a boring person." He said as he continued to walk ahead of Wei WuXian.

"Oh I don't know, it's not so bad. Lan Zhan is pretty interesting when you get to know him a little more." He chuckled nonchalantly, placing his hands behind his head as he walked along in the other's wake.

"Yeah right!" Jiang Cheng spat mockingly, turning around to frown at him as he spoke.

Sighing softly, Wei WuXian touched his slightly swollen lips absentmindedly. My first kiss… I can't wait to tease Lan Zhan about this tomorrow! He mused to himself as he grinned inwardly, his stomach swooping as his mind drifted to thoughts about Lan WangJi once again.

As they entered the large hall a voice rang out nearby. "There you both are! I thought you might have gone on a sneaky crusade for tasty food and abandoned your dear loyal friend." Nie HuaiSang exclaimed theatrically, shooting them both a look of betrayal as they neared.

"I was waiting outside the Library Pavilion for this one. You would think he didn't want to leave!" Jiang Cheng retorted with agitation in his voice, as he put his food down at the table with a audible thump.

Already very used to the Jiang sect heir's irritable nature, Nie HuaiSang seemingly decided to change the subject. "Wei-xiong, why do you look like the cat that stole the fish?" He questioned suspiciously, his eyes narrowing slightly as he scrutinised the other's expression.

"Hmm? Do I? I guess I'm just trying to convince myself tonight's food will actually taste nice." Wei WuXian laughed, sitting down beside him and glancing down at his bowl full of dull yellow vegetables as he picked up his chopsticks.

Taking a deep soulful look at his own food, before looking up and meeting the other's gaze once more, Nie HuaiSang raised his eyebrow unconvinced. "You look a little flushed as well. Are you feeling okay?" He asked with apparent concern, his keen eyes still observing the other.

"Never better." Wei WuXian grinned at his friend, before making a valiant attempt at eating some of his food.

"It's probably from being cooped up in that stuffy library." Jiang Cheng muttered with disdain, unceremoniously shoving a piece of vegetable in his mouth as he spoke.

"Hmmm." Nie HuaiSang hummed thoughtfully. "Let's hope you can keep out of trouble long enough to finish your punishment quickly. Before you end up getting an extra month added on, due to bad behaviour!" He cackled in amusement at such an unfortunate possiblity.

"I can only hope!" Wei WuXian replied honestly. I can only hope to end up having an extra month alone with Lan Zhan that is… He thought to himself shamelessly.

"Hope? You just make sure to keep out of trouble, you've embarrassed our sect enough." Jiang Cheng reprimanded, continuing to eat his meal without any fuss.

Wei WuXian dropped his chopsticks into his bowl, harshly swallowing what he had in his mouth before replying exasperatedly. "All I did was answer a few questions the old man asked me and then posed my own theory in response. Isn't that what we're meant to do in these lectures? Actually use our brains!" He huffed, picking up his chopsticks again and continuing to eat.

"Just keep your crazy ideas to yourself from now on." He shot back, giving him a glare that signalled there was no further room for discussion on the subject.

Feeling a familiar tingle crawling up his body, he suddenly turned to look at the Lan family table. Every single one of the main clan sat meticulously upright, slowly eating their food in peaceful silence. All except one.

With a slight jump of his heart, Wei WuXian was met with the pale gaze of Lan WangJi, who was currently looking straight at him. The boy still looked a little dazed and confused, as if he wasn't quite sure what had happened not that long ago. Almost as if he was contemplating if the whole kissing frenzy was even real, or just some incredibly vivid hallucination of his rather imaginative teenage mind.

Before Wei WuXian could send the other a reassuring smile in response to his quietly questioning stare, he felt an elbow nudge into his ribs in an attempt to obtain his attention.

"Is he looking right at us?" Nie HuaiSang buzzed near his ear, a puzzled frown creasing his brows as he covered his mouth with his fan, just in case Lan WangJi was as excellent at lipreading as he was everything else. "But we weren't even making much noise! Yet he's still glaring at us like that?" He cried behind his fan, causing it to shake slightly as he spoke.

"Don't be so paranoid HuaiSang-xiong." Wei WuXian laughed, picking up a pale yellow vegetable between his chopsticks and eating it without protest. He wasn't quite sure why, but tonight's meal tasted a lot less bitter. In fact, he might have even said it tasted quite sweet, for some strange reason.

"He's not glaring at us, he's glaring at him." Jiang Cheng mocked as he pointed his chopsticks at Wei WuXian to emphasise his statement. "It's obvious he's just like his uncle, he must surely hate you by now." He said looking up at him through furrowed brows.

I think I might beg to differ… Wei WuXian mused to himself as the rousing sensation of Lan WangJi's soft, passionate lips pressing against his own flooded his senses, causing goosebumps to appear over his entire body in obvious excitement.

With the sudden unwanted attention from the rest of the boys at Wei WuXian's table, Lan WangJi finally looked away, concentrating on the food in front of him instead. As the boy shifted slightly, assuming the regimental position of the other Lan clan members, his long inky black hair revealed a delicate pale ear that was tinged a noticeable shade of pink.

He really was quite the bashful beauty. Wei WuXian thought to himself fondly, as he watched the other for a moment longer. I guess it shouldn't be much of a surprise I have developed such feelings for him, he is the most beautiful person I have ever seen, after all. Not to mention he's incredibly skilled and such fun to tease! Who wouldn't like him in such a way?!

With their medicinal meals finally consumed with no further complaints, all the disciples in residence were soon heading back to their rooms, before curfew was upon them. In a large group Wei WuXian and the other guest disciples walked through the serene grounds of the Cloud Recesses, the night sky starting to glitter with even more stars as hai time neared.

Cheerfully, he strolled along the white stone path towards his room in the gust quarters. As he sauntered along, he noticed the ground beneath him was covered in a low lying mist, floating around his feet just like clouds.

In that moment, Wei WuXian truly felt like he was walking on air.

☁️❤️☁️

#mdzs wwx #mdzs lwj #mdzs wei wuxian #mdzs lan wangji #wangxian #mdzs novel #mdzs #mo dao zu shi #mdzs fanfiction #mdzs fanfic

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addledmongoose · 4 months

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Fanfic Friday recommendations

OK, since someone said they'd enjoy seeing my weekly recs, here's this week's list.

Everything I post is either complete or very nearly so. And if it's close to the end, I make sure they show recent updates, so I have a fair degree of confidence they'll complete the story.

There's no real order to my list, in general. Short stories are intermingled with full-length pieces. Human AU gets mentioned right next to canon stories.

Got a decent sized list this week. I'm going to start with the one I'm actually currently reading (10 chapters left) and hope it doesn't go to hell in the end (though as amazing as it's been, I don't see that happening).

Waking Up Slow (88K; Rated E)

Human AU. Set during the height of the pandemic. Aziraphale's boss (Gabriel) exposes him to covid, so Aziraphale decides to isolate at a cottage he owns. While there, he accidentally exposes a tall, lanky rockclimber to the virus and insists he isolate at his cottage with him. And in a twist that no fanfiction reader would ever expect, there's only one bed. <gasp>

These two are SO thirsty for each other from the get-go that I've had a constant smile on my face. The story is just genuinely fun to read. Honestly, if this one holds up to the very end, it'll probably go on my 2024 year-end list; I'm enjoying it that much.

ETA: It held up. It's going on my year-end list. A little bit of angst, but it doesn't last long before we get our happy ending.

***

Joint Honours (43K; Rated E)

By the always-talented @feraltuxedo. Human AU. Aziraphale is a PhD student who gets roped into teaching. Crowley is an older undergrad who moves into the flat across the hall. There's no real age gap (Crowley is 3 years older) or power imbalance in this one. There's a bit of academic intrigue going on as a side plot, and I like the use of Anathema, Newt, and Beelzebub. (FeralTuxedo is one of my few user subscriptions on Ao3; they have a lot of fantastic human AU stories).

***

Principia Obscura (5K; Rated T)

This is an outsider POV set at a country estate sometime in the, I guess, 19th century? Maybe 18th. A poet who joined a country estate party sees two rather unusual gentlemen that attract his attention and begins to stalk them, overhearing their frankly unusual conversations about "miracles" and "powers" and noticing the way the two look at each other. He sets about to play a bit of a cupid role. Cute, quick read.

***

Time Flies (When You're Having Fun) (24K; Rated E)

Found another time loop story! This is set in Versailles in 1769. Aziraphale (presenting as Mademoiselle Fell) has a blessing to do at a masquerade ball and can't leave until he gets it right. Crowley shows up, distracting him from his task.

***

Getting a Wiggle On (7K; Rated G)

Crowley leaves Aziraphale with a clutch of snake eggs he claims are his as a prank. It doesn't go quite according to plan.

***

Rituals & Reckonings (50K; Rated M)

Mind the tags on this one. The M rating is deserved. Crowley gets bound to a summoning circle, and Aziraphale must work to track him down before it's too late.

This is a pretty dark story, but Aziraphale is a total BAMF, and it really shows the depths of their love for each other.

***

Style and Substance (89K; Rated E)

Human AU. The two are rival chefs working across the street from each other. They quickly become friends and then more. This felt rather realistic, in that the two aren't rich; work hard; and have some pretty normal problems for the most part.

***

The Diary (23K; Rated T)

Human AU. Crowley finds a diary on the tube. Seeing no harm in reading it, he does, only to find himself drawn in by the author. There's angst, but there is a happy ending.

#good omens fanfiction

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pashminalamb · 1 year

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that's a relief! the fact that you remember your anons makes me feel very warm and fuzzy 😭 happy that you think of me when you listen to chase atlantic 🫶 speaking of kaiser... that man was a literal menace during the previous bllk chapters omg i fucking hate him (holy shit i think i fell for him deeper 😞 my taste in personified red flags is extremely questionable) nonetheless, i'm looking forward to your next works!

really glad you've been faring well and your ao3 move is doing good. i get your point and i agree w/ it. tumblr's system is shit. some authors get like 700+ likes from posting a twt p0rn link?? i have nothing against them, if that's what some people prefer then so be it. but seeing the small authors who pump out actual high-quality content and not getting enough appreciation for it is saddening. in the first place i downloaded tumblr solely for the purpose of reading fanfics and poetry-related stuff. now all i see are twt p0rn links flooding my feed and that never ever fails to tick me off (come on man i just want to read some fics with good plots 😞). the main reason i haven't deleted this app yet is because of some authors i follow (including you), who actually work their asses off for their readers. that's something i highly appreciate. i'll admit—ao3 is better when it comes to giving smaller authors justice. at least you won't have pussyass anons coming after you in the most passive-aggressive way possible for no reason :D

i wish you the best of luck! ❤️

– 🌷

Apologies for responding to this late; I really like uncomfortable by chase atlantic and heaven and back is giving me some ideas... gonna start working on that when i'm done with this wip - Honey. I love like Aiku, he is literally the biggest red flag you can find in bllk (smh Idek why I fell for him - literally saw him and said yes.) I love him sm After reading his panels and guessing everything right about him, we're soulamtes my soulmate is actually Sae though... but we don't walk about that I'm waiting for the next chapter to drop so that i can see the loml 😭 Rant ahead so feel free to skip - Exactly the point. Like here's the thing about the author community on tumblr. I've usually stuck to my own blog cause of it - when you get buddy with some authors; it comes with its own set of problems cause when they get dragged into some kind of a discourse, everyone they've spoken to get dragged into it as well, even readers come up with some really crazy theories regarding content, similarities etc etc. It's one of the reasons that i'm not a very author to author interactive blog with just dropping in here and there. Not to mention that authors tend to stick to their own online circle and getting into one isn't as easy as it looks? They will judge you by the amount you have reblogged which shouldn't be the case tbh. And i don't reblog other author's works since i stopped reading things 2 years ago here and ever since I started writing ff i only checked the tags for seeing if my work turned up or not. Rather than preferring an author and author relationship, i prefer having one with my readers since they are the ones to hype my works up and send me good feedback. I feel really bad for small time authors on this platform cause authors who have dominated one fandom, entirely; are getting into smaller fandoms - and with their huge followings, they tend to take most of the space and fame compared to small time authors who have some really good quality content. Like was taking one or even two fandom/s not enough? But then its always the same story of "what's wrong with being a multi-fandom blog?" or "We're creating free/ quality content so what's the problem?" The discourse and the toxicity here is actually never ending, it's something that I've been noticing for four years now... and it was high time that i moved to ao3 cause here both authors and readers are toxic, cause authors are trying to keep readers down sometimes and readers... some of the them report your work even if it takes hours to create it. Not to mention that it even escalates to getting death threats which is another level of extremism cause of the lack of sensitivity that there's an actual breathing live person on the other side of the screen. Coming to the links that people attach to their posts and decide to post them, half the time I just think about the 15k notes from giving a visual from twitter that's not even their own content to begin with. Like yes, there are people who like erotica on the internet but in fandoms, its more of the literary work compared to a visual unless its drawn. and it makes me think how easy it was to make that and here you have some of us just... slogging it out or working hard on every line since it's more handmade compared to this. and what's weird is that authors seem to not pick up that queue and continue doing it. My opinion might seem harsh but it is what it is.

#belle.☏#.lost sheep : 🌷 anon

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saveourskinship · 20 days

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Writing this here in case your AO3 inbox is flooded with comments, since I’ve no doubt it probably is.

Have you ever had a baffling number of happenstances happen to you and finally, finally found the reason?

This is exactly how I feel in this exact moment, fresh out of reading “You, Specifically”, typing this on my phone, fingers trembling.

I stumbled into D&D after seeing a random picture of a D20 with a miniature goldfish inside. I found Harry Potter as a substitute when someone took my library’s copy of Narnia before I got the chance. I suddenly started searching for Theomione fics after an accidental click in the AO3 filter.

Somehow, all of this culminated into finding this piece of art. Every sentence, every quip, every witty banter in these 2 chapters feels as if all the planets have aligned and all the dopamine pathways in my brain have lit up into an explotion of euphoric fireworks.

I’m utterly in love with how Theo and Hermione observed and truly grasped each other all those years without the other ever noticing, like stars that orbited each other without ever meeting, and then fucking sputtering candles suddenly bring them together into this breathtaking supernova. It’s so devastating in its (seemingly) mundane loveliness. I melt and blush and cackle along with every character. They’re all so distinct, even with Hermione and Theo at the center, that they feel like my own D&D party and I’m filled with nostalgic fondness. This is all the rom-coms I never truly get because I can never relate, then suddenly I’m immersed in a fanfic about a wizarding delegate and a spell technician in a D&D session and it hits me: this is the movie I’ve always wanted to bawl over popcorn and ice cream over. This one, specifically.

I’m half a year late and I don’t know if you’ll read this because you’re a very prolific writer (I read all of your Theomione fics in a day and left this one for last, had a hunch this will ruin me for other fics in the best possible way. I haven’t even read Incandescent yet! Only if you’re willing to send it, of course) and a damn good one at that. I just have to pay my respects. I’m obligated to since this is the least your writing deserves. Thank you for being here, thank you for writing, thank you for existing.

Kia ora!

I've been agonising over how to answer this all day because how am I worthy? Where are the words? What gratitude can I give that conveys my awe? 'Thank you'? That paltry, tawdry strumpet? It barely suffices in the most conventional of circumstances let alone this.

I did see this comment on the fic as I am by no means flooded by comments. Comments are rare jewels in fic land and I treasure each and every one like a filament with which to light my soul.

Therefore you, dearest beloved reader, are sun and stars and aurora firmament and I most fervently appreciate you.

I loved writing 'you, specifically'. First, I fell in love with 'Silver' by Astra King (a cover, the original is by A. J. Cook). The story in that song breathe life into a magical I. T. Theo and so I wrote him. And then stopped. Because I didn't have any idea of what was going on with Hermione. And then 'Warning' by Crimson Apple came out and the ideas flowed and flowed.

I've always wanted to write a D&D fic. I had started and stopped three before 'you, specifically'. I cannot tell you how I soared reading how you related to the story.

I feel humbled and so grateful that you read and enjoyed this story. And even more so that you shared that with me. It is a very kind act to show appreciation, and if I could cup this comment in my hand and squish its cheeks, I would.

As for 'Incandescent', yes, I do send the link to those who ask. I will do so soon. Also, if you like the candles in 'you, specifically', you'll be pleased to know they are essentially characters in 'Incandescent', too, alongside some sluppies (slipper puppies), and a grouchy, sentient bookcase.

...

I sort of forget how weird 'Incandescent' is.

Once again, I paltrily, tawdrily, in a most strumpeted fashion thank you for sending me this.

Have a wonderful day ans I hope something truly lovely happens to you this week.

- Save

#asked and answered

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xoteajays · 8 months

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Oh! I did message you in instant messages. I can't always remember who I message someone. And I know that I send long messages that not everyone likes. So there's also that reason too.

Yeah. The High&Low franchise came out eight years ago. So you wish there was more people who still created content for the H&L fandom.

Which is bizarre to me? Because High&Low was a popular franchise when it came out, but now there seems to be nothing for the fandom. Especially because there are similarities between High&Low, Worst and Tokyo Revengers. Pretty boys who are delinquents. [I've only ever seen the Worst crossover movie with High&Low, not even the original series. So I can't comment much on Worst.]

Chimknj also wrote another High&Low story. Well.. There story would be a one shot, a one chapter story. Not that you have to read it. But it is a smutty story between Rocky and his girlfriend (original character) - during the events of the first movie.

And, I think, there is a person who's under the name FireOfJudgment on here. They have H&L stories, and AIB stories too. But I don't know what characters or ships they write for though. In case you may want to search their work. They might be an option for you.

It's best for me to write notes for ideas to stories, and characters, and who knows what else while being involved in the fandom. Because if I try writing when I'm not in any fandom, then my thoughts and ideas... I became fickle and scattered on what I want to write. It's a problem.

Being in a fandom makes me more focused to write for that fandom. If that makes any sense.

I mean.. The color coordination to my characters was accidental for me. Because I tend to go for a specific appearance for my characters, I was very adamant about using those people for my face claims but I wasn't sure for what fandom - and I probably will use them for a lot of other fandoms too. Most likely. But not sure which other fandoms yet though. Anyway. Anyway.. But one person's favorite color is blue, one is orange, and another is red which eventually became their signature colors. So I unconsciously connected them to their respective gangs, which is kinda funny because their personalities actually seem fitting for those gangs too. And since the High&Low cast of characters have been predominantly men, I wanted more female characters involved in the story. But there have been a few things I've been stick on lately.

i am just hella awful at answering my private messages. i’ll be like ‘ill reply to that in a bit’ and then completely forget.

it’s just weird. like fandoms used to stick around for longer and h&l is still relatively recent. like 2016 wasn’t even a decade ago yet! everybody go watch h&l and feel emotions you didn’t expect about a pretty boy gang show. the song ‘break into the dark’ literally got me F*cked Up, everybody go watch the unofficial music video.

i will absolutely go read a smutty fic, that’s half of what i’ve been reading lately anyway. love me an explicit fic. and rocky has grown on me, do really like that dude.

i used to be really good at writing short original stories, but now i find it a bit harder. need that high school inspired brain back. fanfics do come a bit easier for me, but i also second guess myself a lot and some stuff i don’t end up posting or even finishing. which is a shame bc it’s supposed to be a fun hobby. i definitely need a fandom to obsess over or i just go totally blank in the brain.

im so bad at colour coordinating my ocs, i can rarely ever decide on what colour suits them best. idk if anyone’s noticed how many light blue or pink characters i have ahsjdl. my own h&l oc kinda started as an oya oc and then developed into something more and got switched around a bit, i think i’m mostly happy with where she’s at rn tho. im having a lot of fun with her.

h&l is definitely lacking in the female character department. like even the strawberry milk girls don’t get a whole lot of screen time like i thought they would, which is a shame bc i think they’re cool and i love pink. i think naomi got the most screen time out of all the girls and even that wasnt a whole lot. n-e-way yamato’s mum and the bartender lady are, like, definitely gfs tho, that’s my hc.

#tj answers #writers bc like ‘its not gay!’ and then have no women in sight #there is no bechdel test passing here #long post //#long post anon

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kelyon · 1 year

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We all have comfort zones we like to stick to. What’s one way you’d like to challenge yourself as a writer?

I would love the luxury of writing a full story (let's say a 150K or more "novel length" fic) without showing it to anyone. I want to start it, finish it, and then go back and rewrite the whole damn thing from the beginning. Then I'd post, either all at once or one chapter a week.

One of the few criticisms about fanfic that I'll accept is about serialization. Dots connected from chapter to chapter just isn't the same as one continuous line. I plan my fics out in advance and I still show up at the ending wishing that I had known things at the beginning. I feel like if I could just start over again, I would have a much richer and more thought-out work.

There's a part of fanfic that's a public performance. Posting chapters, responding to comments, doing the TMI Tuesday thing--these are all ancillary to the act of writing a story. As much as I love interacting with my community, I think I'd make better art if I retreated to a cave and then tossed out a manuscript and never spoke of it again. At least it would be more my work that way. I wouldn't feel like I was preemptively dodging misunderstanding of the text.

Because all of the feedback I get from people does affect what I put on the page. I've noticed with Golden Rings and Dark Mistress that I start a lot of chapters by having the POV character restate or reframe where they are in the story and how they feel about things. In the back of my mind I always think of the reader who hasn't been in the story for at least two weeks, if not much longer between chapters.

(Of course that's also a reaction to times I've read a fic after a months-long break and characters are reacting to something I don't remember happening, so it's a double-edged sword.)

Lately I've found myself getting neurotic about my writing, how readers respond. And I haven't even gotten hate lately! But I feel like anything that exists on the internet is subject to absolutely awful judgement, so you have to be beyond reproach all the time--and it's just exhausting. I'd be much truer to myself if I could have a work be mine entirely for just a little longer than I usually do. If I could really make something only for myself, ironically I feel like it would be better for the Rumbelle community as a whole.

So yeah, challenging myself by being more self-centered and indulgent. That's what I want!

#tmi tuesday

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beet0pia · 2 years

Text

Chapter 1; The beginning

(hello! this is my first real attempt at writing a fanfic so please be patient with me as I learn. feel free to let me know any feedback you may have. this is going to be a Daryl x reader fanfic, even though Daryl isn't in this chapter. i hope you enjoy! thanks for reading.)

other chapters

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

words: 2,065

Daryl Dixon x reader

warnings: swearing, typical twd stuff

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I looked at the digital alarm clock that was sitting on my dresser, 10:43. “Shit” I mumbled to myself and frantically threw on the first shirt I saw when I opened my drawer. It was a fitted black t-shirt with an oval cutout meant to show off my cleavage. I pulled on a pair of baggy light blue jeans and slipped my arms into the sleeves of my favorite purple cardigan. I ran out of my bedroom, quickly put on my boots, and grabbed the keys to my car out of the small bowl they sat in before heading out the front door.

As fast as I could, I made it to the parking lot and hopped into my car. I glanced at the time displayed on the dashboard, 10:57. This made me realize again just how late I was going to be. I drove out of the parking lot and onto the road towards the small college I attended. Classes always started at 11 am sharp, this was emphasized from the first day. I pulled into the parking lot and quickly got out of my car. I hoped I could slip into class without my professor noticing, alas that wasn't going to happen. “You're late miss L/N” Dr. Collins practically barked in my direction, causing a few heads to turn and look at me. I mumbled an apology and sat near the back of the classroom.

The class went by quite slowly, it usually did, but I still loved it nonetheless. Majoring in biological sciences was one of the best decisions I've made. We went over some of what we had learned that year, as our finals were coming up in a bit less than 2 months. The lecture was cut short by the phone ringing, Dr. Collins went and picked up the phone, saying a quick “hello” before listening to what the person on the other end of the line had to say. All I knew was that, whatever this call was about, it wasn't good. His face paled and his eyes widened, after he hung up the phone he turned towards the class and said in the most concerned voice “we’re gonna die”. This caused a lot of people to frantically start moving around and yelling questions at the poor professor. He didn't respond and instead turned on the small television in the corner of the room. Displayed on the screen was what I can only describe as chaos, people running away from others who were covered in what looked like blood, people screaming and crying in pure terror. The camera then panned over to the reporter, who was trying to remain as calm as she could in this situation. “As you can see behind me, chaos has broken out here in Atlanta. Seemingly normal people have started viciously attacking each other.” She was about to continue when one of the bloody people came up behind her and grabbed her shoulder. When she turned to look, they lunged forward and took a bite out of her neck. Suddenly the camera fell to the ground and all that was seen and heard was the bloody grass and the screams that came from the woman. This caused a huge panic to erupt in the class, with everyone yelling and trying to run out the door. I just sat there, in shock at what had just gone down on the screen. As my classmates ran out the door to the hallway, more screaming could be heard outside. Finally, I got up and headed towards the commotion. Those things made groaning noises while ripping chunks out of screaming people in the hallway. I then heard that horrible groaning coming from behind me, turning around I came face to face with the lifeless face of one of them. My fight or flight response kicked in, and I turned and ran towards the door, without drawing much attention from those damn things, I made it to my car.

I started driving towards the highway, not even bothering to go back to my apartment first, thinking that I had nothing of value to get. I was quickly greeted with the biggest traffic jam I had ever seen. People were honking and screaming everywhere. I sat there listening to the commotion and thinking about where to go for what felt like hours. Then most of the noise stopped. I stepped out of my car to see what was happening, in the sky were about 10 helicopters all flying towards the city. People started climbing their cars and waving frantically in an attempt to get the attention of what they believed was help. Instead of any help arriving, the next thing that happened was just more chaos, we all watched as a loud boom followed by a cloud of smoke and light erupted in the city only a few miles away. They were bombing the city we had all come from not long ago. There was no one coming to help.

After a while many of the people started either running or driving away, I just sat and thought about everything for a while. Finally, I decided I had to go, not sure where, but I knew it was what I had to do. Opening the back door of my car I grabbed the small backpack that was hanging on the back of the passenger seat. My grandmother always kept what she called an “emergency pack” in case of breaking down and getting stranded and I took her advice to do the same. I rummaged through it just to see what I had: a small flashlight, a metallic blanket, a multitool, a pocket knife, a few granola bars and bags of beef jerky, a change of clothes, as well as a small book of mazes and crossword puzzles. I threw the bag over my shoulder and started walking along the side of the road.

Walking for what I believed was around 2 hours, I took whatever turns felt right. It was getting rather dark and I started to feel tired both physically and mentally. I knew roughly where I was and if I was correct in my assumption, that meant I was near a campground. I walked into the forest next to me and began going in the direction I thought the camp was in. suddenly I saw it, a small group of log cabins. Not seeing any obvious signs of life I started towards the cabins, making sure to listen carefully to hear if there were any people or those things. Not hearing anything I went and looked into the window of a small cabin, making sure it was empty I slowly pushed open the door, gripping the pocket knife in my hand. There was no one inside. Inside it was quite small, only 2 rooms, one was the living area which had a small couch and a table with four chairs stacked neatly in the corner, as well as a few cabinets along with a counter. The other room was a bedroom, in the center was a full-size bed made of logs and made with a deep green plaid blanket and matching pillows. There was a small table with an oil lantern in both rooms. I sighed and went over to the lantern to have some light in the room. I pulled the lighter out of my jacket pocket and lit the small fire inside. Making sure the front door and windows were all locked I then went and sat down on the edge of the bed, kicking off my shoes and rummaging in my pocket before pulling out a cigarette. Once I finished my well-deserved smoke break I laid down and tried to get as comfortable as possible before drifting into a restless sleep.

I was awoken by the sound of banging on the wall next to me, I peered out from behind the curtain hanging in front of the small window. I was shocked to see one of those things. Still half asleep and annoyed at the fact I had been woken up so abruptly, I rubbed my eyes and sat back onto the edge of the bed to slip on my shoes. Throwing my cardigan back on and grabbing my bag I started heading out the door. I walked around the cabin to where the thing was and stared at it for a moment as it pounded on the wall. Slowly I started walking towards it, attempting to not startle it. I made my way right behind it and held my knife up in case it turned to attack. Of course, it did, the thing turned around quickly as I stepped on a stick, causing it to break with a small crack sound. In a fit of panic, I stumbled backward as the thing reached out to grab me and groaned louder than before. I tripped as I stepped backward and fell onto my butt with a thud. As the thing got closer I kicked my foot out causing it to fall on its face not even a foot away from me. I stumbled up so that I was kneeling in front of it and watched as it tried to grab my leg. I almost felt bad for it, but whoever this thing was previously was long gone. I held the knife as tightly as I could and plunged it into the thing's temple. After a harsh tug, I pulled the knife out and wiped it on my pant leg. I had heard people on the highway saying that these things would only die with a hit to the brain and I mentally thanked myself for eavesdropping on that conversation. I stood and decided I would have to continue walking until I found something of use.

It was probably around noon now, as shown by the sun being so high in the sky, when I heard what sounded like people talking. I tried as quickly and quietly as I could to head towards the voices. Finally, I saw them, a group of people. I was cautious and tried to decide how to approach them to not end up scaring them. I hid behind a large tree and closed my eyes, trying to muster up as much courage as I could. I was never very good at talking to people, and now it seemed like everyone was on edge. Then I heard a crunch, I quickly opened my eyes to see what had happened and was met with a man holding a gun directly at my head. “You alone?’ he asked while his eyes darted around as if to find others hiding in the trees. I nodded slowly to not startle him as he already seemed stressed enough.

“It's just me, I'm alone.”

“Are you armed?” he said quickly and with much authority that made me think that he must be the leader of this group. Again I nodded, pulled out my knife, and held it towards the ground.

“I just have this,” I said quietly as I threw the knife onto the ground in front of him. He sighed and lowered the gun from my face.

“Sorry ‘bout that, have to be cautious with all those geeks around. I'm Shane.”

“Y/N”

He nodded and told me to follow him, which I did. We got to the center of their camp, where he introduced me to everyone that was there. The camp was in a quarry, all around were trees and rocks, at the bottom of a large hill there was a lake where a few women were washing clothes. I was happy to have found a group of people that seemed to have some kind of system in place. Shane then helped me set up an extra tent they had, I thanked him and he left me to get set up. I laid out the sleeping bag I had been given along with my blanket and the pillow I had taken from the cabin. It wasn't until I had sat down that I realized how tired I still was after a night of restless sleep and being woken up by the thing these people called “geeks". I laid down on the not-so-comfortable bed I had made and before I even decided what I was going to do, I fell asleep.

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chapter 2

#twd #twd daryl #twd fanfiction #the walking dead #daryl dixon #daryl x reader #twd x reader #the walking dead fanfiction #daryl dixon fanfiction #daryl dixon x you #daryl dixon x female reader #twd fanfic #daryl dixon fanfic

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downwiththemutantnjnjaturtles · 3 years

Text

We Met Within This Screen (final chapter, pt. 2, the end.)

part one here

A/N: Thank you guys for all of your wonderful comments and the love sent my way for this fanfic. I've had a great time writing it despite its rocky moments. I really hope this ending does it justice; I've never gotten to write a proper conclusion to anything like this before. It's the first time I've ever completed a multi-chapter work such as this, so I'm happy. 🍾🥂 Here's to finishing what you start, and enjoy. :)

Just shy of a half-hour later, he was finished telling the story. She had sat the both of them down on the couch, one on each end, and he explained in great detail everything leading up to current-day. Tales of the ooze, Mutagen, as he'd told her; the rat named Splinter, a man formerly known as Hamato Yoshi, who had fathered and trained them; and lastly, their mission. Be of service, protect the city; have a good heart. And Donnie most certainly had a good heart. He was not the outlandish figure she'd first saw and recognized him as. He was the guy she had come to know as Bo, Donatello, who was the same person she'd talked to this whole time. At some points of the retelling, he got excited to share some of their adventures. This came after their humble beginnings of struggling in the sewers. Donnie was happy to share after so long of dodging saying anything about his life.

She nodded along to this talking. "...and that's how we're here," he said finally, putting his hands on his legs. "Since we're here, any questions?"

She replied with a no, looking over at the TV that had remained on the entire time. Donnie stayed seated as she got up and got the remote, also glancing at the clock on the wall, which read 10:45 PM. She switched the TV off. Looks like it's time to go, he thought. He rose from the couch and fixed the pillow he'd displaced.

"Donnie, this has been...strange," and for a split second, his face fell, "but not bad! Though, it is getting late."

"Oh, no—yeah, no, I understand," he sputtered bashfully, activating the staff which collapsed back into its smaller form. He tucked it away somewhere on him.

For a moment, he simply stood there as if wanting to say something, but the words never found him. "So it's goodbye?" he asked quietly. The way he said it made it seem like he thought it was forever. But it was on until they figured out how to pick up where they left off after that night. Undoubtedly, things would be different going forward. He didn't know if that would be good or bad.

"Only until next time," she told him, a small smile present. He visibly relaxed. "You're still my friend, Donatello."

He smiled. "I knew that. Totally."

Showing himself out, he stepped onto the balcony, looking back one last time before he bounded away. He held up his hand and gave a small wave.

But she hadn't said bye yet, so he stuck around for a moment longer, though it was met with an awkward silence. He was beginning to go over the railing when she ran over to the door, stopping him. "Wait," she said, and he crawled back over the railing with a confused but curious expression. "I actually do have a question. Just one, before you go."

"Sure," he said, inviting her to go on. She had to look up to see his face being so close.

Tenderly, she asked, "Why'd you not tell me, after all that time? Would you have ever chosen to do this if it hadn't been for an accident?"

Donnie couldn't give her an answer on that.

He sighed, slightly shaking his head. "I couldn't, [y/n]. We've been through this."

"I only wanted you to trust me, Donnie," she responded. And that was, really, how she'd felt. Throughout their entire friendship, it had felt one-sided in that regard. Trusting but not trusted, but she hadn't any idea of what was truly going on, at the time.

Donnie pondered her question: If there hadn't been some kind of divine intervention, would he have ever had the chance to have something more with her than words on a screen?

He swallowed as she took a small step closer.

"I just wanted you to care about me." His volume was barely above a whisper. He clenched his jaw briefly, as if he was concerned over his own words. His golden-brown eyes wandered from your eyes on downward.

"I did—I do care about you, what makes you say that?" she questioned, puzzled.

He vaguely gestured at his body, "Wouldn't this be a little hard grasp over text? Isn't it hard to accept even now?"

Though she didn't answer, he had a feeling that he was correct about one of those things—she did have to wrap her head around everything. Tentatively, both watched as her fingers brushed against his own. His hand moved along with hers, seeing and feeling the delicateness. Until they laced together as well as they could, her heart steady while his was beginning to race. His hand even trembled ever so slightly. He would have wanted to stay like that forever, had it not been for the fact that he was uncertain where they now stood. Where he stood in your eyes. What did this mean?

Putting her other hand on his shoulder, she tried to conjure a smile. But it flickered out as she murmured, leaning into him, "Does this answer your question?" She had to stand on the tips of her toes, while his hand tightened in hers involuntarily, almost too shocked to bend down for what was coming. The one thing he hadn't accounted for in their meeting, not once—and it was happening.

He seemed like he was going to stammer something, but her lips closed the gap and planted softly on his.

There is no way.

There is no way this is happening—but I'm seeing it with my own eyes!

Donnie lost all control the moment her lips pressed against his. His hand squeezed hers, shaking as his heart pounded in his chest. I'm shaking. Why am I shaking?

His eyes which had been wide were now fluttering closed. For the better half of the kiss, every other thought beside the ones of her was ejected. He couldn't have pulled away, even if he'd wanted. He was hers completely. That was irrevocable.

It was only until she decided it was time to step back did they part, him looking at her entrancing face once more, and her swallowing heavily. That kiss had been something she'd dreamed of before. Never Knowing it would be held on the smooth, moist lips of a humanoid turtle, rather than those or a human man. In fact, she had to convince herself that she wasn't dreaming. Her hand slid down his shoulder and onto his chestplate. It was rough, almost possessing a grain under her fingertips. Her thumb rubbed the back of his hand. He thought he felt a tingle from the trail her fingers left.

Donnie was on Cloud Nine for a solid minute before coming back to his senses. "That...I…" he struggled to find the words. For a brain that worked so fast, he felt utterly slow, then.

She cracked a smile, face contorted into one of hope and a hint of embarrassment. "Is it too late to say that I've waited to do that for a while now?" she laughed.

"N-no," he said, still trying to organize his thoughts. "No, it isn't."

"Okay, good," she replied with a relieved exhale.

Her hand went from his chest to his arm, feeling the taut muscle as it traveled down. His hand enveloped hers while the other lifted, going to touch her cheek. "Does this mean…?" he trailed off.

"It means I really, really like you, Donnie. I have since we played that game."

He gently brushed her cheek with his thumb, "I really like you, too," he mimicked, voice soft.

Maybe even that was an understatement.

"I think I…"

A noise nearby alerted him, and on instinct, he set her behind himself on defense. Don't be an attack now, of all times, he thought, listening closely. He told her to be quiet and to not say anything, using his forearm to gently push her back into the apartment. He pulled out his staff.

"Sup dude and dudette!" an all too familiar voice beamed, the orange-banded turtle appearing hanging upside down from the balcony above. [Y/N] shrieked, and Donnie nearly bashed his brother in the head, sucking in a sharp breath as he accidentally backpedaled into her. Mikey waved and flashed a grin. "Don't worry, we didn't see anything...except for you two kissing, that was really unexpected!" He flipped down onto the balcony, and Donnie grumbled something, going in for a zap to his brother's plastron. Mikey dodged it, this time. Donnie tried again; unsuccessful. "Oop—saw that one coming," Mikey laughed, jovial.

Donnie groaned, half-embarrassed and half-annoyed, "Mikey, what are you doing here?"

Waltzing into her apartment, Mikey crossed his arms with a wink sent the human's way. "Michelangelo, wingman to the big special D right here," he introduced himself brightly, "but you can call me Mikey."

Donnie slapped his hand to his flushed face, hoping that he was the only one who noticed Mikey's less-than-classy wording.

"So you're all named after Renaissance painters?" asked [y/n], lifting a brow.

Exhaling, Donnie stepped between them, "[Y/N], this is Mikey, my brother. The one that—"

"Got you together!"

"—that got us into this predicament," he'd almost said, but he realized as Mikey said that, he owed their meeting all to him. It had all started with that talk they had had late that day, after patrol, and ended on her balcony, Donnie getting to experience a kiss for the first time. With someone he'd never imagined he would have ever been able to touch, let alone share something like that with. Yes, as much of a hassle everything up until that point had been, it was all thanks to Mikey.

Donnie grinned, turning to his brother and draping his arm over the back of his shoulders. "Yeah, you did," he agreed. Mikey smiled as he looked down at him with fondness. He wrapped an arm around Donnie's shell in return.

"You know it, brah. Oh, and I take cash or pi—"

"Don't push it, younger bro." Donnie rolled his eyes.

Waiiiiit a minute.

Mumbling for [y/n] to hold that thought, Donnie, suspicious, crept over toward the balcony. "We"?

Mikey tried to make chatter with her while he did so, mentioning how he liked what she'd done with the place.

He checked if the coast was clear first before leaning onto the railing on his shell, squinting his eyes. And he was not surprised at all to see Raph and Leo looking down at him from over the edge of the roof. Leo had his recognizable expression of: "You'd better wrap it up." Donnie drooped his shoulders and ducked back inside. Couldn't last forever, he thought. Despite whatever was waiting for him on the roof or at home, he could still smile on the day he'd had. He would be thinking about that kiss for weeks.

"I guess it's bye for real this time," he told [y/n], sad to go what felt like so soon, but really was content. The night could not have gone better. "I have to, you know, go get flamed by my oldest brother. Probably."

"We'll be in touch, Donnie," she replied. "Um...text me when you get home? Just so I know you got there alright."

Smiling, Donnie nodded.

Mikey budded in, "Hey, don't forget about me here."

Chuckling, Donnie headed for the door, taking Mikey but the upper arm along with him. They stopped one last time to waved to her before making their exit.

Leo and Raph met the pair at the top. Raph was the first to speak, asking skeptically, "And yer sure this girl is alright?"

"Positive," Donnie answered with confidence.

After a moment of trying to come up with some kind of remark, Raph let out a huff. "You got the nerve, I'll tell you that." He held out his fist ready for a bump, and when Donnie didn't immediately reciprocate, grumbled "Well? Don't leave me hangin', Don." Realizing what he wanted, Donnie went right in for the fist bump.

Pulling away, Donnie asked, "So you're not mad?" He gave some space between himself and the incoming Leo.

Raph scoffed lightly and shrugged. "I may not trust her, but I trust you," he responded, gruff as usual. "Just don't expect me to be all friendly and whatnot—I ain't doin' it."

"You don't have to do anything, Raph."

And then Donnie was face-to-face with Leo, who's intensely blue eyes were trained on him for a few seconds too long. Donnie wondered what he was thinking until he sighed, and then spoke.

"I'm sorry."

Behind Leo, Mikey was in awe.

"That's a new one," Raph chuffed. He left the circle to watch from the edge of the building. Mikey stuck around, but only far enough to be in ear shot. If something coming from Leo started off with a sincere "I'm sorry", he wouldn't miss it.

"Yes, you heard. I'm sorry," Leo admitted, bringing his eyes up from the ground. "I shouldn't have pressured you, Donnie. I know that you can handle yourself. I was just trying to protect you and our family," he explained, pausing to glance over at the other two brothers, "but…yeah. I'm sorry for pushing you, Don. I was kind of a jerk back there."

Deciding he didn't have any words good enough to say what he wanted to, Donnie simply pulled Leo in for half-hug, rocking him with him. Leo wore his lopsided smile as he gave Donnie's shell a slap.

"That...was…"

They stepped away from each other, staring at Mikey quizzically.

"...beautiful, bros," he finished in a whisper.

They stayed for a minute just watching the city go by, the clock ticking by later into the night. Donnie finally thought to ask Leo how Splinter was, because he definitely knew what was going down. He was a smart old man—and beside, Donnie had made no effort to pretend that wasn't what he was doing when he'd initially left. If Splinter knew, Splinter knew. He was still mildly afraid of Leo's response.

"You want the truth?" Leo questioned, his expression briefly changing to one of a cringe.

"I mean, I'd like to know what I'm in for," Donnie replied in an obvious manner.

"He was angry, at first. Didn't know you left until he was done with his talk with Mikey. Also surprised that you actually went through with it. But, after that...he seemed like he understood, in a way, I guess. I didn't ask questions. You'll have to confront him about it yourself, because he just sent me and Raph out to get you."

Donnie kept his eyes on the sidewalk below them, and the occasional person walking it. "And Mikey?" he asked, quizzical.

"He insisted," Leo groaned.

"You know I can't pass up an opportunity to see D get his first kiss!"

"Oh, shut up, you had no idea that was gonna happen. You just wanted to go because me 'n Leo were goin'," Raph argued, flicking his head. "Weren't you supposed to stay in by Splinter's orders?"

Mikey crossed his arms and turned away, "I don't have to take this abuse." He was, indeed, meant to stay behind. But the boy couldn't help himself.

Once the banter died down, they were left contemplating whether they wanted to stay out a little longer, or if it was time to turn in. It had already been a long night, but in honesty, Donnie wasn't ready to go quite yet. He still felt as though he had so much to say to [y/n], but he supposed that time had already passed. At least until next time, if or when that was. Raph took a break from his lookout and sat next to Donnie with a grunt. He wasn't good with mush or sensitive things, but he felt compelled to ask "What're you gonna do now?"

Donnie hummed in question.

"Well, she knows. And by the looks of things—erm—the look of one particular thing, you two are still goin' steady."

Ugh, they saw it. Donnie moaned, a cold flush coming over his face. I can't have anything private in this family.

Raph pushed him on his shoulder. "Ya shouldn't mack on someone by the doorway if ya don't wanna be seen," he jested.

"I don't know what's next, Raph," Donnie confessed. "We didn't exactly...make anything official after that."

Once they were back on the move towards home, they all dropped into the nearest manhole, but Donnie remained where he was, saying he would catch up to them. He was the fastest of the four, after all.

"I hope you're still awake," he mumbled to himself as he reached for his phone. They were close to home, anyway. And it was quiet. He typed:

"I'm almost home, [y/n]. All safe."

A couple of minutes later, she responded.

"Okay, that's good

Your brother is quite the character, by the way"

"He is who he is, lol"

"He seems nice though."

Walking down along the sewers, he took his time. What was a little longer after the night he'd had?

"Donnie, what were you going to say when Michelangelo interrupted us?"

He stopped in his tracks and thought, having nearly forgotten that he was going to actually say it. He didn't just like her—for the first time, he was sure he loved her.

"That I think I love you, [y/n]."

He regretted not saying it when he was with her, but he just couldn't wait.

There was a worrisome pause on her end in which he imagined she was staring at her screen thinking about how strong that came off, that it was uncalled for, that he was going too fast—

"I said I liked you

But that was not quite the truth

I love you, Donnie."

Golden-brown eyes sparkling, he let out a laugh, unable to contain his happiness, and the rest of the brothers smiled to themselves hearing the whoop of joy and excitement echo in the tunnel.

His adventure in love and friendship had started within a screen, but he was bound to it no longer. This was the opening of a new chapter in his life.

Tag list: @kokokatsworld @criminaly-supernatural @dianounais @spaceman-main @sheepdarkhours @raphaelsrightarm

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dayseternal-blog · 3 years

Note

Hi Days! I'm a huge fan of your work and your tumblr blog bc you give so many naruhina fanfic recs and talk about your stories, etc.

To sum it up, you're my favorite person lol, I'm a bit shy so I'm asking this as an anon, but I wanted to tell you something random just because I've always just thought about it and maybe you would agree or comment on it.

Have you ever listened to mitski? If you haven't I recomend you do bc she's amazing, but anyways I was listening to a song of hers called "washing machine heart" and it reminded me of naruhina, like the fic "together you and I" but different you know, like naruto only married hinata because he couldn't have sakura, she was his second option and every time he looked at her he wished and pretended it was Sakura, so Hina tries her hardest to look pretty and try to be the person he wants, always getting saddend by the idea that she isn't the one he wants, she knows his heart will only belong to Sakura. She let's him trample all over her heart and use her because she loves him unconditionally, maybe cry to her on some nights because he longs for Sakura's love that will never come.

I've read so many fanfics and I've never encountered one using this concept, I'd write it myself, but I'm not good at writing, maybe I'm reaching but it could inspire an angst story made by you or just a prompt or idea/concept for anyone to use. The hurt in this could be inmaculate and I bet a good writer could bring everyone to tears if they read a story like this. You don't have to do anything ofc I'll love you either way, I'm not meaning to push you to write a whole story with this concept by any means or to even post this ask, it's just something I made up/ related to this certain song, so I wanted you to see it, perhaps share your opinion or thoughts on it or just think about it. I love pain a lot hahaha bc I'm not a narusaku shipper in any way, I actually dislike the ship a lot.

Thank you for reading this and pls keep up the awesome work!! I'll always be a fan and support you and your spectacular writing❤️❤️

GAH What an awful fic idea you have 💔

“The Ring that Binds” by softwind - Rated M, Canon-Divergent, Multi-chapter, Incomplete. Naruto and Hinata are married. So why is Naruto calling “Sakura” in his sleep?

“Girl No 10″ by meeiwen - Rated M, Modern AU, Multi-chapter, Complete. Naruto makes a mistake with a dancer one drunk night. Years later when he meets her again, he begins realizing his perfect life is a lie, but he’s too late to fix it.

And

“Territorial” by @bunny-hoodlum - Rated M, High school AU, Multi-chapter, Complete. When Hinata takes advantage of Naruto’s desperation for love, they’re both a little too much for the other to handle.

Are similar to what you have there.

HERE’S MY VERY QUICK AND INCOMPLETE STAB AT YOUR PROMPT IT’S UNEDITED UNREVISED CANON-DIVERGENT AU RATED T FOR LANGUAGE BUT I HOPE YOU LIKE WHAT I COULD COME UP WITH 😘 THEY ARE NOT MARRIED BECAUSE I WOULD BE TOO SAD

...

Naruto finally makes it to the Hokage’s office, having had trouble shaking off fangirls on his way. He can immediately tell he’s the last one there, even though it’s the eve of the Rinnegan Festival. Tense expressions greet him, the atmosphere somber.

Sakura whips her attention back to the desk before them. “Rokudaime, with all due respect, I don’t think Naruto belongs on this mission.”

Her behavior has confused him all night. First moving away from him so that Hinata would sit between them at Ichiraku when Hinata could have just sat on the other side of him. Then pushing him to follow Hinata back home. He said aloud that he’d be seeing her later, and that he wanted to catch up with everyone first, but Sakura just glared at him...

She’s been pushing him away, more and more every day, breaking his heart to smaller and smaller pieces...whether knowingly or not, he’s not sure about that, but she’s never rejected him from being her teammate on a mission.

Worried, he meets Kakashi’s gaze.

“I understand your concern, Sakura.” His tone is heavy. His usual careless attitude nowhere in sight. “Call it just my gut-feeling...you’re going to need Naruto’s strength for this mission.”

Hanabi was kidnapped.

Hiashi and Hinata are nowhere to be found.

“What do you mean...?” Naruto finds himself asking. “I just saw her. We just saw her. Not even an hour ago.”

“When Sai reported Hanabi’s kidnapping, believe me, Naruto, we moved to notify her family immediately. Anbu can’t find them.”

“What?” The last memory he has of Hinata abruptly leaving dinner and running off without hardly a word nags at him, inexplicably tightening his chest. “She’s fine. Hinata’s strong. She can take on anybody. No one would dare-”

“Naruto,” Sakura interrupts, her gaze cutting sharp. “She’s nowhere to be found. And as much as you believe that, no one is invincible. Not even Hinata. We need to form a plan, otherwise we’re losing precious time.”

“No one is invincible. Not even Hinata.”

An emptying numbness invades his insides, discomforting slickness muting him.

This isn’t his fault, is it?

What if she needed to tell him something?

She was acting strange at Ichiraku.

Quiet, unusual for her as of recent...

But how was he supposed to notice? Should he have followed after her, like Sakura said? But they were supposed to meet at his apartment later on anyway, so why did she have to come out early like that and ruin the good time he was having? She knows how he hasn’t given up on Sakura.

She knows everything about him. She’s been his rock after Sakura tried to shut him down for good. So how can it be that she’d just disappear? There’s no way.

There’s just no way that she disappeared right after she left...

Hours.

Hours of wandering around in abandoned, desolate, war-stricken villages in god-knows-where, and nothing. No one.

He’s asking for the hundredth time, but he doesn’t care, he’s past the point of desperation, and anxiety-laced tension fills the air. “Taku, you really don’t see anything?!” The Hyuuga they have on their team led them into this godforsaken wasteland.

Taku turns on him aggressively, getting in his face in reaction, and yells, “What about you?? You think I’m not trying my best?! This is my family! Just because you’re Hinata’s boyfriend doesn’t mean you’re any more worried than the rest of us! You don’t sense her??”

No. He doesn’t.

His Sage Mode has never been so useless. In fact, he senses no one besides them in this place, and it’s with terrible unease that he begins to entertain the thought that she’s gone for good.

“There’s no one even here besides us! Nothing! Why’d you take us down here? Where are we even?! How do we get out of here in the first place?!” he argues back.

“Sakura-san was right! You don’t belong on this mission! I don’t know what Hinata-sama could ever see in you, I haven’t seen her smile in months!”

“What do you mean by that?! She smiles all the time! I’ve never seen her act so cheerful in my life!”

“So you fucking know it, too!” Taku glares at him with an incredulous expression. “That she’s just acting!”

“What the hell do you mean by that-”

And he doesn’t know what happened next, but Sai’s grabbing onto Taku and he himself is locked in Shikamaru’s shadow manipulation. Chakra’s sparking off his own hands, while blue embers warp along Taku’s.

“Calm down,” Shikamaru orders both of them. “We’re not getting anywhere if the two of you keep fighting.” He waits for Taku to loosen his stance.

Sai lets go of him.

Taku throws an insulting glare around before sauntering off.

Shikamaru sighs. Hard. “Go cool your head, Naruto.” He retracts his shadow, and Naruto wastes no time walking off in the opposite direction, far from wherever Taku is heading.

Yet Taku’s ridiculous words ring in his head. “That she’s just acting.”

But she said that she’s happy to be with him. That she doesn’t mind that he’s still in love with Sakura. She said that she’s just happy to be with him.

She said that. She did. And she wouldn’t lie to him, right?

She was just acting?

“You’re not going to finish your ramen?” he asked her on their date last month.

“No...” Suddenly, she smiled brightly, something she’s been doing more often ever since he mentioned that he’s always liked how genki Sakura is. “Do you want the rest of mine? I’m dieting.”

He scrunched his eyebrows at her. “Dieting? Why?”

“Well...” She looked thoughtful for a moment before seeming to come to a decision. “Naruto-kun, you like thin girls, right?”

He knew she was talking about Sakura. “...I guess...”

“I want to make you happy,...” she started. She bit her lips for a hesitating moment before continuing, “so I’ve been trying to lose a little weight.”

“Oh.” He didn’t know what to make of that. Unbidden, he looked her over.

“Can you tell?” she asked, her characteristic shyness lowered her lashes, yet she didn’t fidget under his examination, and he could tell how she was trying her best to have that confident persona he admires in his former teammate.

Despite her recent changes in attitude, Hinata’s still been so physically small compared to himself and everyone else. Under her jacket, he couldn’t tell if she looked skinnier or not, and even if she was, he doesn’t think she really needed to be skinnier.

But then she looked up at him with that heavy, hopeful weight in her gaze, and he couldn’t let her down. Not when she’s trying so hard for his approval.

He fibbed easily. “Yeah. You look really good.”

She shined another smile at him that made him feel good. Even if their relationship wasn’t traditional, he could at least still make her happy. He could at least tell her some sweet words and see her sweet smile and-

She was lying.

She wasn’t happy?

He never made her happy?

Then what was the point of any of it?

No, she must have been happy, right?! She said so! She told him so! Many, many times!

After all, he asked her. All of those times he thought she was faking her smile, he asked just to make sure, and she vehemently told him that she was really happy to be with him.

She said he could talk to her about all of it. That she could take on his heartbreak because her feelings were so much bigger than...

“Uzumaki Naruto.”

The unfamiliar voice has him leaping to his feet.

A man as pale as a ghost with piercingly icy eyes is floating down to him on some strange platform. “You’re really as pitiful as I expected.”

“Who the hell are you?!” He readies his stance. He’s not in any mood for games, and he’s ready to let loose some of his stress on this very suspicious character.

“Hinata’s fiance.”

“Hinata?!” Fire races through his veins, heating his feet, and he’s ready to leap at this guy. “Where is she?!”

“With me.”

His heart rate exponentially explodes, beating into his ears, his skin practically bristling. “Let her go,” he demands, and the threat of his words leaks from every pore of his being. “Now.”

The man almost snorts. “What makes you think she wants to see you? You only ever used her, broke her...” His collected expression hardens, and Naruto can sense that he has no intention of releasing her. “I’ll make her happier than you ever could.”

Several thoughts fly too quickly through his mind to properly process any of it, leaving only residual uncertainty and that deepening sense of his culpability in her sudden disappearance. But he doesn’t linger on the unpleasant sensations. “What the fuck do you know?!” And he’s charging at him, a Rasengan heavy in his hand.

The enemy is far more powerful than he appeared, immediately blowing him back with some kind of focused chakra. “Weak, pathetic.”

“GIVE HER BACK!” He replicates himself a dozen times, each of them throwing Rasenshurikens at the man.

Yet more of that strange yellow chakra protects him. He’s unscathed even under his shadow clone onslaught. “No. I gave her a choice, and she came with me. I’m just here to get rid of you, take revenge against you for her sake.”

He hardly comprehends the nonsense spewing out of the enemy’s mouth, and he rallies his clones into close combat, but the man manages to avoid many of the attacks while landing hits of his own.

Clones poofing away only to be replaced by more, frustration and fury starting to blind him into sloppier and sloppier moves.

“I love Hinata. That’s why I deserve her.”

He chokes on his own breath, and in his momentary loss of concentration,...

He’s falling.

------------------------*

aaannnnd that’s as far as I want to go with that. Imagine the rest of the team arriving in time to notice Toneri making his escape toward the sky, and I guess the rest of the story would sort of follow the rest of The Last...Naruto self-reflects a lot in a bundle of depression for a long time and yeah.

...ahhh... I encourage you to write the fic you want to see in the world ❤️

#anon #thank you for thinking i could do your fic idea justice #but in the end 😅 i'm sorry that this is a letdown #i'm not much one for angst you know #who wrote white lilies not me #thank you for laying the praise on thick 🥺 don't know if i'm deserving #thank you for reading!

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daydreaming-in-daisies · 3 years

Text

Relief (Jack White x Reader) [Chapter 1]

PLEASE READ Author's Note: Y'all... this is the first fanfic and smut I've ever written, so if it's a mess please don't drag me lmao. I started writing this on Wattpad when the pandemic first started, so this fic was born out of complete and utter boredom. It was also born from the fact that there's barely any Jack White fics out here, and many of the ones that already exist are on abandoned Tripod or Geocities fan pages from 2003. Another disclaimer is that the first few chapters are a bit slow, and as of right now I'm like 90% finished with the whole fic. So yeah, keep all of this in mind. Also, this is just the first chapter. I'll post the rest slowly. Thanks for reading! xo

Word Count: 1.3k

Warning: Swearing (this chapter); Smut, dirty talk, oral sex, face fucking, domination (to a degree), swearing (for the coming chapters)

Summary: (Y/N) is a massage therapist at a high end spa in Nashville and winds up getting Jack White as a client. After having your hands on him for an extended period of time, you decide to take things a bit further.

Wattpad Link Here

Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

"She's got stickers on her locker,

And the boy's number's there in magic marker,

I'm hungry and the hunger will linger,

I eat sixteen saltine crackers then I lick my fingers..."

Just like every morning, I woke up to the sound of my alarm blaring Sixteen Saltines by Jack White. I generally hate hearing such loud noise in the morning, but I loved Jack White, so I made an exception for him. Plus, having such a song as my alarm definitely helped me get up out of bed every morning, even if it scared the living shit out of me sometimes.

I turn my neck to my left towards my nightstand, lazily reaching over to my phone to turn the alarm off.

"Ugh, 6 a–fucking–m..." I groaned. I don't normally wake up this early. In fact, I can't even remember the last time I was actually up this early. The only reason why I'm even up is because I have a client coming in a bit early today and it takes me about an hour to actually get to work, so I gotta get up a little early to give myself time to get ready. I'm not even gonna lie, I was having that moment we all have in the morning when we try to determine if school, work, hanging out with friends, or whatever the situation may be, is actually worth getting up for. For a second I very seriously considered just texting my boss with a simple, "Hey, I'm not really feeling too well today. I've been feeling a bit under the weather lately, so I won't be able to make it in today. My apologies for such short notice." It didn't help that this specific client–whoever it was–scheduled kind of last minute. Like... literally a few hours ago last minute. I got the notification for it at around 1 A.M. The preview for it on my lockscreen said "New 8:30 A.M. appointment made for..." and I couldn't see the rest. I was too tired to give a shit at the time I got it, so I simply glared at the screen for a few seconds and went back to sleep. As I'm contemplating whether I want to leave my bed, I think to myself, "no, (y/n), that's just the tiredness talking. Just get up. Do you really wanna stay home in your apartment and do nothing for the entire day?"

I stare at my plain white ceiling for a few seconds, sigh, and finally muster up the energy to get out of bed. I put on my plush robe, drag myself down the hall, and make my way into the bathroom. I see my roommate, Ashley–who just so happens to also be my best friend–is in the bathroom brushing her teeth. She notices me trudging into the room like some kind of undead creature in heat and gives me a perky smile.

"Good morning!" She chirps with a mouthful of foamy toothpaste. She's such a morning person. It was kind of endearing and impressive, but also kind of annoying on mornings where I needed quiet. This was definitely one of those mornings. However, I knew she didn't mean any harm, so I decided not to take my slight crankiness out on her.

"Hey." I exhaled as I wet my toothbrush bristles and grabbed some toothpaste. "So how are you on this fine morning?" I flatly asked while brushing, still barely awake.

Ashley chuckled a little. "I'm doin' alright." She shrugged. "I got a psych test today that I'm about to fail, but whatever."

I shrugged. "Eh, we've all been there. You do pretty well in school, so one shitty grade won't kill you, yeah?"

"Probably not." She stated after spitting out her mouthwash. "Alright, I'm gonna take a shower in the other bathroom. I'll probably be outta here before you're finished getting ready so I'll see you tonight!"

I did a slight wave and responded with a slightly monotone "See ya."

I finally felt myself beginning to wake up. The bright lights in the bathroom hurt my eyes significantly less after a few minutes, and my brief conversation with Ashley definitely woke me up. After brushing my teeth, washing my face, and all of that other morning jazz I put on my uniform for work. I'm a massage therapist at this high end spa in Nashville. It has its inconveniences but it's a pretty chill job for the most part. The customers can be kind of a pain in the ass, though. But they often tip well so I can tolerate the haughtiness for an hour or so. Since it's a luxury spa, the uniforms are a bit more "fashionable" than other places. It's basically a slightly fitted black tunic with a pair of black trousers and white sneakers (since I'm on my feet most of the time). After quickly checking myself out in the mirror I grab my possessions and head out the door to my car.

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I probably should've at least checked the name of the person who made an appointment with me. It was only 7:00 A.M. when I headed out, so I had a little bit of time to kill before I left. I got into my car and turned it on just so I could warm up the engine a bit before I officially left. For some reason, I was weirdly eager to see who it was. Maybe it was just because it wasn't often that people successfully made appointments that last minute. It's a pretty high-end place, so you have to pull some strings to do such a thing.

I swipe up on my phone screen, enter my password, and immediately open the app we use to receive appointment notifications. "New 8:30 A.M. appointment made for John G." I furrowed my eyebrows in slight confusion. Normally, people put both first and last name when making an appointment. However, I didn't think much of it. As long as the client is paying that's all that really matters to me. I scroll down a bit to view what services he wanted.

Service(s) Requested:

- Active Recovery Deep Tissue Massage, 110 minutes

"Alright." I nod and mumble to myself. I'm thinking this dude must be an athlete of some kind. We get a lot of those since we have some NFL and NBA players who live in the area. They're pretty susceptible to things like lower back pain, so they're pretty regular. I'm not into sports, however, so it's not like I'm trying to figure out who it is. I connect Bluetooth from my phone to my car and put my playlist on shuffle. "Nice," I chuckle to myself as I hear the familiar riff Evil Eye by Fu Manchu pound through my speakers as I back up out of the parking lot. Nothing like some good ol' 90s stoner rock to liven up my morning commute. Traffic was a bit lighter than usual, so I got where I needed to be by around 7:52 A.M.

I park and make my way into the building, greeting my coworkers and a few regulars as I walk through to get to my designated "Therapy Room" on the 6th floor. As I'm preparing the supplies needed; oil, towels, robes, and all that other good stuff, I physically and mentally prepare myself for the first session of the day. Working on people's bodies all day can get exhausting, so I usually eat a few snacks beforehand and drink some water before and between sessions to keep myself sane. After adding the final touches of lighting a few candles, dimming the lights a bit, and doing a quick shower check (making sure everything was clean and in its place), I take a look at my phone.

8:14 A.M. Almost time for my first client.

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Yep, that's Chapter 1. Thanks for reading y'all, I'll be back with the second one soon. :)

#jack white #the white stripes #the raconteurs #the dead weather #fanfic #fanfiction #jack white fanfiction #jack white fanfic #my fics #third man records #jack white fan fiction #iii

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