#it is becoming a normal thing for my robs fanfics lol
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Fire and Blood (The fanfic) Chapter 17: The new normal Dark!Aemond x OC
concept: Now that Aegon has rejected you, all that is left to you is surviving Aemond's whims as his pet. Until one day.....
Warnings: Smut, darkaemond, abusive and lying aemond, aemond risking everything to make sure that brienne stays with him and him alone no matter the costs. Obessed Aemond. violence, mentions of gore, mentions of grave-robbing and murder. Mentions of war crime. Oral sex, regular sex, depressed mc.
Her father, if he was alive and found out what happend to his daughter. (He would kill Aegon/aemond lol)
Two weeks later.
You are still in your cage, wearing a brand new silk gown. It was a gift from Aemond. He sits in the velvet entrusted chair and watches as you put it on. "Does it please you?" He wonders.
It is a dress. You can see it cost him good money. It was likely handmade and stitched perfectly. It could be for a princess, yet you are the one wearing it. You should be grateful, and yet you are anything but.
This is not a gift. It is a chain. Another disguised present that comes with obligations and responsibilities. The gown, while beautiful, is too tight around your hips. It hurts your back. You wish you could take it off.
You are scared to tell him no. You know what no means. You silently pull your nails and try to figure out the proper response. Aemond crosses his legs. "Do not think too much, my love." He chuckles. "It is just a question." You can't think about the dress.
Your brothers are fighting for your home right now. They might be suffering injuries when you are kept here in a cage by the enemy. You wish you had been more careful with your favours. You could have married a strong match and saved your family. Allies could be pursued to save your family from ruin.
Yet you were a stupid little girl, played by the words of two royal princes. You believed them to be sincere, and you believed they cared about you. They cared so much, they caged you. They killed your sister and your father and tossed his remains in the waters. They named him the most loyal man in the realms, a traitor.
Aemond's tongue makes a warning click as he approaches you gently, rubbing your ass. He takes your left hand as well, pulling you back into the cage away from your thoughts and HoneyHolt. "Brienne. I am talking to you." He warns you with a little chuckle. You gulp unintended.
You have to ask him. "I'm sorry. It's just... do you have news about the battle?" You need to know if the Blacks helped the HoneyHolt. You need to know that you are not alone here.
There is a brief scoffing smirk on his lips. He definitely knows. Yet he forces himself to glare at you and to grab you by your hips. You struggle clumsily but end up in his claws anyway. He scolds you with a teasing smirk on his lips. "You are ungrateful little thing, you know that? I came here, neglecting my duties and my titles to ensure that you are well fed and dressed and you have the audacity to ask me how your traitor brothers are doing?"
You blink rapidly, trying to think of a plan. "I can't help it. I am their sister. If it was Aegon commiting treason, surely..." That is pushing it too far.
He glares at you with real anger now, and you cower as he grabs hold of your new corset. "I take it you like to remain naked, then?" It becomes colder and colder here. You do not wish to be naked. It is also shameful.
"No, I do not." You admit avoiding his gaze. He catches your chin with a quick movement and forces you to look into his one eye.
He grins before licking his lips. He walks to the throne and also takes off his belt. You gulp. He does not force you on the table, so it is not meant as a punishment this time. He instead takes off his pants, revealing his manhood to you. You saw it many times by now, but you are still shy. "How about you show me how terribly sorry you are?" He wants a sucking and sits down.
You will do it, but only after he has fed you. You haven't eaten yet, and he promised he would take care of you. You need to think twice about a good answer. You can not just yell that you want food. You need to seduce him into feeding you. "I haven't eaten yet."
Sadly, the prince only chuckles when hearing your offer. "I decide when you have your meals. As for right now, I am not statisified with you at all. You make me regret keeping you alive all those days." That hurts you. You feel worry grow.
He sees your fears and plays into them very well. "Aegon already hates you. Do you want to make me hate you, too?" You shake your head, already kneeling for him. Before you can open wide, he suddenly pushes a finger to your lips. His eye is cold and lifeless as his sapphire. "You'll be a toy for my guards if I no longer have use for you. You'll be raped daily forced to carry and birth multiple bastards before likely dying of a disease in a corner of a cell." He says carelessy.
You whimper.
"I do not want that."
He fakes sympathy and pats your head once more before slowly rubbing your poking breasts.
"I know, my love. Now tell me, can you be a good girl for me?" You have to.
You nod, gathering your courage.
"Yes, m-my love." You manage to say before he sits down. The cock is pressed against your face. You feel the heat and the precum almost drips on your face.
There is another grin. "Do you consent?" He asks taunting you with his cock.
"A-always." You whimper. Your dress is opened slowly this time and removed. You are spread out on the table as if you are a map entailing a siege. Aemond bends over you, forcing you down. You gulp.
You have to give the final words.
"Yes, my Prince. My l-love..." and the final sentence comes out weakly. Barely a whisper. "My only one. Please make me yours once more."
Aemond unleashes his inner beast before climbing on top of you and ravishing you on the table. You groan and grunt as the beast keeps forcing himself inside you eagerly taking your wet spoils. Your hands are still slammed against the table and you are helpless. You can only take it and wetten for him. He turns greedy and cruel to more you become aroused. Eventually he only dips himself inside you taunting you.
He grins. You need it. You need to know that there are good things left in this world. You need to keep Aemond happy for now and that means enduring this torture.
"Beg for me and I'll make you scream like a Septa in a brothel."
There is nothing kind about his way of taking you. He is ravishing you, letting his dark desires come out freely. You beg. "Please my prince. My love. My only one..." your voice trials off as you whisper in his ear. You want to finish. "Put a son inside my useless belly and teach me the meaning of the word regret."
As an answer, there comes a low growl from his throat before he grabs hold of your hips. He fucks you when you struggle under his grip trying to find pleasure yourself as well. He grins when he starts to take you faster and faster speeding up and finally losing his load inside of you.
When he is done, you have both felt pleasure, but it is nothing like the way he used to pleasure you. You miss Aegon. You miss being passed, and you miss them taking turns.
You cling to his chest and let your fingers rub his sweaty abs. "Aemond, my love?" You whisper in his ear testing the waters. You only get a kiss as a response.
You shoot your shot.
"Is Terrance still alive?"
There is a big sigh leaving his body. He does nod in acceptance and that moment you lean in to listen to the answer...
He flattens his hands and slaps you across your face a few times but it feels to you as if you are hit dozens of times. Your cheeks burn as tears burst from your eyes and sobs leave your mouth rocking your body. You crawl away but are captured and dragged back.
He chuckles kissing your wet cheeks. "You ungrateful slut." You whimper terrified. "You think that letting me fuck you is going to give you free information? You think you can play me like that?"
You quickly mutter.
"I don't think anything. Except that you are fair and good and kind for me and loved me once." You hope that he remembers that. That he becomes your Aemond. Not this monster that he tries to convince everyone that he is.
He sighs.
"I wanted you because Aegon wanted you. Now that he has lost interest, I can feel my interest slowly wither away." He smiles as your face mirrors your worried heart. "So be a good pet for me, and shut the fuck up about your dead rotten family. If you wish to know how your brothers are doing, I will take their skulls from their graves and show it to you as the worms crawl in their mouths, slither over their tongues and finally leave their skulls via their impaled eye sockets." He smacks your legs and carries you to your bed. He grabs your feet and chains you to the bed sucking on your toe. He dresses himself and leaves you naked under just a thin sheet.
You whimper. "I am cold."
His response kills you.
"I will warm you up when I get back. Go to sleep. There is nothing else for you to do anyway."
You accept that he is right and watch him leave. You can not remember the last time you were outside and felt sunshine on your face.
You cover yourself with the sheet but you can't quite cover your feet. You curse and sit up and notice another person has entered your cells.
You notice who it is and your heart begins to beat again. Light shines in your darkness and you feel like you are back alive. His unmistakably short hair, his blue gorgeous eyes and his kind but worried face.
It is Aegon.
You burst into tears.
#house of the dragon#aemond targaryen#dark aemond targaryen#house of the dragon fanfiction#dark aemond targaryen x oc#aegon ii targaryen#dark aegon ii targaryen#Aemond targaryen#fireandbloodfanfictionbeesbury#darkaegoniixoc#aemond targaryen smut#aegon ii targaryen smut#Dark Aemond Targaryen smut#Dark Aegon II Targaryen smut#Aemond one eye fanfiction#Aegon II Targaryen fanfiction#dark!#head the warnings#dubcon#possible triggering content#She/her reader#AFAB Reader#DarkFantasy#Possible noncon#Possible gore#Old work
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what made you imagine shifting together five the way you did? the tattoos, the near constant sunglasses. the inspiration, the meaning
Where did my guy come from, a solid question.
I say this constantly, but I did adopt him from orsumfenix's The Shifting Mirrors - up until about half-way through Chapter 5, that's my Number. He's a fucking disaster of a young adult and I'm obsessed with him for it. Writing him, I try to keep a balance of being in-character to this version of Five and to how I understand Five as a character in general.
A read more because I fucking rambled:
Because SM is from Five's POV and it's over such a longer timeframe, a lot of writing my version of him is taking things you only know from reading between the lines because SM Five is not a reliable narrator and making them explicit through an outside POV we trust. SM Five is drinking constantly and not acknowledging that - what's a consequence of that? He's going to be hungover All The Time. What's that look like? Grouchy, slower in the mornings, sunglasses because the world is Bright and his brain hurts. A solution for him could be to Just Keep Drinking so he doesn't have to be hungover, but if he did that that would mean he has a Problem, so he just suffers like 75% of his mornings and decides that's a normal thing (SM Five eventually does take this solution and just accepts he has a Problem).
His tattoos are blatantly from The Shifting Mirrors; he adds to his umbrella during his brief stint at the University of Chicago when he's 18. In my fic of Number vs Apocalypse week, he will also have picked up the couple tattoos he's gotten in later chapters of SM (like the equation to time travel on his ankle so he Always Has It).
But where it came to be that I wrote like 250k words of AU fanfic of someone else's AU fanfic is SM Five's life Sucks. He has a Terrible Time Almost All The Time. And I think that's accurate to what Five's life would be like if he was as on his own as he is in that fic - he's just not prepared or really has the personality to get things lined up right for himself and he just keeps digging himself deeper into holes that he shrugs at and goes "yeah alright that's just how life is" when it's not. He has blips of attempts to fix things - gets sober for a while, Mr. Pennycrumb, moves to Scotland, has a job he likes alright - but it never lasts for him (except for Mr. Pennycrumb who is Always Good). Part of my love of that fic is how explicitly Five is in his narration for how good he's doing while between the lines it's so obvious how Not Fine things are. It's really brilliant writing.
But I saw all that and thought, "But what if support system? What if he got to get his undergrad degree? What if he didn't move to Scotland and become a spy?"
Enter Sarah. I wanted Five to go to college while he was in Minneapolis - he needs a professor and a mentor to keep him focused and from giving up the second he gets uncomfortable. She needs to have a draw that Five can't resist - work on time travel while he dances the line with himself on what is Too Much for working on time travel. She has to be ridiculously kind in order to be committed to helping this fucked up kid while also not really taking any bullshit because this kid is so full of bullshit.
It started as a Just For Me, really self-indulgent project to fill time during the earlier months of the pandemic (I've been writing JT since September 2020). Putting this young-adult Five in relatively normal scenarios that let me dig around at what makes him tick and explore who he is as a character while also making him Better. It's all about breaking down who Five is as a character, specifically this version of him, and giving him something no version of him has had, which is a support system that cares about him with no ulterior motives.
It, uh, has gotten a little away from me at this point, I think lol. We gained more characters (Rob! Amanda and Megan, Rick and Taylor. The lab used to be bigger by two characters but they got scrapped to streamline and they weren't necessary; Megan picked up their parts and it works better for it.) Chapters keep being added as I do normal things in my life and think about Number doing them and how things could go wrong if I was a traumatized former-child soldier doing them.
A few months into writing JT, I got obsessed with the idea of our Five meeting this Five and that's where HIT came from (early versions of that had Number's siblings in there too, which was very fun but holy fucking shit, 14 Hargreeves in one room is too many, they all want to talk all the time).
Anyway, this might have been more of a ramble than you were looking for. The TL:DR is I got obsessed with another person's fic and their version of Five and I adopted him (with permission) so I could give him a nicer life lmao.
#very neat ask! thank you!#i could ramble about this fic series forever its eaten my brain#ficblogging#jt#hit#number#sharkneto speaks
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Tag 9 People You Want to Get to Know Better:
thanks @smyx and @arisprite for the tags! 🥰💜🥰💜
Favorite colour: Purple! as you might know if you pay attention to which heart emojis i use most often 💜💜
Currently reading: letters to a youg mathematician (it's fun! it's a musing on the place of maths in society check it out) and a political theory book for my studies lol. i don't... have any fic tags open rn? omg? what have i become
Last songs: most recently i was listening to this album, FROM EARTH WITH BLOOD. idk how to describe it, the band's description says it was recorded in the future. listen if u want
last song on spotify, though, was comeback by the jonas brothers... i contain multitudes ("but rob, i know for a fact that's one of your songs for thinking about seanwhite/black&white" hell yeah it is. it's on my not me playlist next to tragedy + time)
Last series: i'm watching Vice Versa (ofc) and also catching up on Love Mechanics! i enjoyed en of love: love mechanics and en of love: this is love story, so i've got hopes for it
Currently working on: HAHA what am i not currently working on.
um, lightning round, im currently working on: the rest of fall out of the heavens, a continuation of the fic where white meets the girls first, cleaning up the partial-gang-genderswap weird horny nonsense, blackyok, finishing off that gramblack sequel, the rest of the pickrome time travel fic, DESPERATELY trying to make progress on the ultra-angsty seanwhiteyok, the khaithird secret relationship thing, aaaaaaand... the three prompts i have waiting lol. that's a normal amount i think. i've probably forgotten multiple things.
and not in fanfic terms i'm decluttering my wardrobe and random shit collection while preparing to start my masters in september. okay that's everything
Tagging: @disaster-j @surajmukhis @magicaldreamfox1 @elnotwoods @lonelyroommp3 @born2bfast and um. i can't think of three more people sorry lads im on mobile 😭 and no pressure to those tagged ofc!
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i love ur account so much!
could you maybe do a robert pattinson x reader (fem)
where y/n is a very famous singer and she’s doing a concert while singing a song she wrote about rob while he’s in the crowd and she takes him to the stage at the end of the song?
Falling for you
Pairing: Robert Pattinson x Female Famous Singer!Reader
Warning: none, pure fluff
Summary: (Y/N) surprises Robert during her first concert in her new tour.
Authors note: hiii, thank you so much for your request. i apologize for taking so long, i had an idea in mind and then changed it again! i hope you enjoy it <3
If (Y/N) was Robert's number one fan, Robert was her number one fan: he knew all her songs, had all deluxe albums signed and always went to her concerts if he could. During her England Tour, he couldn't look prouder, going to all her shows. (Y/N)'s fans would always snatch a picture of him trying to be disguise himself in the middle of the crowd, usually with a cap and beard. Robert tried to dress as simple as he could so he didn't take attention from (Y/N).
Robert was called by (Y/N)'s fans "The President" of her fan club. And although he was very good at hiding it, he would fangirl at every new song. Robert actually had to ask her to not show any new song before the official release, since he didn't want to be spoiled.
Which was the case with (Y/N)'s new album. Robert wasn't surprised when she topped sales around the world. His girlfriend was a very talented musician (more than him) and had very dedicated fans. Her new tour would start in Europe, her first concert in London (some fans even thanked Robert on Twitter) before (Y/N)'s tour would go around the world. Robert was very excited to see what she was preparing and he was sure it would be great.
-x-
When (Y/N) entered the stage, the excited screams were loud. It was always emotional for (Y/N) how many people loved her and her art. She couldn't be more grateful for doing what she loved and being successful in it.
"Hi, London, how are we doing tonight?" Excited screams answered. She smiled at them, making her fans cheer even louder than before. (Y/N) always tried to look in their faces for a second or so as she sang and paid very close attention to the crowd.
The concert was a huge success. (Y/N) had given her all and in the middle of the concert, bought some fans on stage to sing with her like she always did it. The critics would be acclaiming (Y/N) tomorrow, depicting how vibrant and powerful she looked the entire time, Robert just knew it. It had to be one of his favorite Top Five Concerts of (Y/N). The fans probably got one or two videos of him dancing, embarrassing himself.
It was time for the last song. Robert watched as (Y/N) brought her guitar out, the one he gave her on their last anniversary. She waited until the crowd calmed down to speak.
"I want to thank you all for coming here today. You know, I say this many times but none of this would be possible without you, so thank you. From the bottom of my heart" More cheers from the crowd. "Let me just say something about this next song: it is actually going to be a bonus soundtrack on the new album that I haven't released yet so- yes yes, bring your phones out, everyone, if you want."
Part of the crowd -and Robert- rushed between shock and getting their phones out.
"And this song, well, I dedicate to someone very important to me. He didn't know about the existence of this song so I am sure he will be very surprised as well. It is about us. It is about who we were before and who we are now. I can't thank you enough for you to walk in my life and love me as much as you do. Robert, this is Falling for you."
Robert stared at (Y/N), enchanted. It was like the crowd didn't matter anymore or the multiple phones in his direction instead of hers. There was just him and (Y/N) in that empty stadium. She was putting so much emotion in that song, so much love he could feel it on his body, warming with her love. Robert couldn't take his eyes off her. He couldn't be prouder, couldn't be happier, couldn't be more in love with (Y/N) than right now.
When the song was over, it was like he was back on Earth. (Y/N) was saying something he couldn't quite comprehend yet, still affected by her voice, but soon someone from her team appeared, saying in his ear she was inviting him to the stage, no pressure to accept but if he was fine going. Robert agreed. When the crowd realized what was happening they went insane, as Robert walked toward the stage, surrounded by security.
(Y/N) felt anxious she was putting them under too much pressure when she invited him to the stage. She knew how reserved Rob could be about them, about their particular life. When she saw him being helped get up on the stage and walk in her direction to hug her, she was happy.
"I should have come more well dressed if I knew you were going invite me up here." Robert whispered in her ear, while they ignored all the screams behind him.
"Sorry, Rob. You are still the prettiest man in this place." (Y/N) comforted him. They broke apart, (Y/N) holding him on his hip.
"Robert Pattinson everyone! Needless to say but my boyfriend."
Robert knew they were going to be the first cover of every single magazine, journal, and article tomorrow morning. He had been wanting to do something since she started singing their song, his song, so why not make things worse?
"Can I kiss you?" He whispered in her ear, getting a surprised stare from his girlfriend that rapidly became a smile and a nod.
They kissed in front of the entire stage making the stadium vibrate with loud cheers of happiness. For a minute in their romantic kiss, they were just (Y/N) and Robert. There was no sound, nothing, just two people in love with each other. When they broke apart, (Y/N) wished a Goodnight. The fans seemed to wish them to stay longer, but (Y/N) grabbed Robert by his hand and exited backstage.
"We are crazy you know that?" (Y/N) started, already in her dressing room, putting a fluffy white robe over her outfit. They had to ask for privacy from her team so they could stay alone.
"People will be upset with you, (Y/N)" Robert stated as the most obvious thing in the world, splattered on the sofa, watching her remove her make-up.
"And why is that?"
"All the other fans on tour. They got a kiss tonight from us and others won't get anything. You might get sued for that, love."
"Very funny, Rob." She answered, sitting on his lap. She looked exhausted but still looked so pretty.
"You looked so damn good tonight. Powerful. Vibrant. Badass. Happy. And our song...you almost made me cry, love. People will be posting on how crazy I looked for you and how you made me cry."
"Is that bad?" (Y/N) asked, getting comfortable on his lap, his arms holding tightly to her body. She knew she needed to shower and get proper rest but she just needed a few minutes in Robert's arms.
"Of course not. Everyone knows I am crazy in love with you anyway." Robert replied, kissing the top of her head. (Y/N) had closed her eyes and he knew he shouldn't let her sleep, (Y/N) hated resting sweaty/dirty, but she looked so peaceful. He would give her at least ten minutes, before waking her. She deserved those. Robert knew he also needed those as well before her World Tour, so he let himself rest, holding (Y/N) tightly in his arms.
Taglist: @uwiuwi
MASTERLIST | TAGLIST
#robert pattinson x reader#robert pattinson x female reader#romance#robert pattinson x you#robert pattinson#robert pattinson fanfics#robert pattinson imagine#robert pattinson imagines#robert pattinson fanfic#robert pattinson fics#robert pattinson fic#rob pattinson#asks#requests#my god im embarrassed but finally worked it out#I HOPE YOU LIKE IT#as always posting this late at night#it is becoming a normal thing for my robs fanfics lol
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Random fanfic moment
So guys. It’s been so long since the last time I’ve posted, I’m not even sure someone still reads the silly things I write but, anyway.
I am a little sensitive today. That time of the month is coming soon. lol And I was watching some historical chinese dramas mvs and, all of a sudden, I started daydreaming after watching one specific mv.
The storyline was kind of like this: the female lead is head over heels for the male lead and is always chasing him around, being troublesome, even ends up making him marry her and all that, but he actually likes someone else (at the start, of course). That’s the general idea I got from the drama after watching the music video.
So, with that, I started imagining and making up scenes having this story as a background setting. What if their marriage is a contractual one (classic drama troupe, of course!), set with a limited time? Like, “you have one year to make me fall in love with you. If you fail, you’ll agree to get a divorce and leave me alone.”
And so, I came up with this mini fanfic, I hope you enjoy it!
“Hey, Chang Bo*! Have you seen my wife?” The master of the house asked the passing servent.
He hadn’t seen San Qi since early morning, which was extremely unusual. Normally, his foolish wife would always be stepping on his shadow, unless...
“Don’t tell me she made trouble again?”
He questioned the servent with semi-closed eyes before the poor man could answer to his first inquiry.
“My lord”, said the man, “I do not know where the madam has gone. She left early with that girl, her closest maid, but didn’t say where she was going. She did leave a message for you, though.”
Saying this, the unconcerned servant passed a small piece of folded paper to his master, took a bow, then left.
‘How strange’, thought Zhao Cuo, as he unfolded the paper.
“Let’s meet at 19 p.m in restaurant XXX, on street market. I’ve prepared a surprise for you.”
He couldn’t help but smile as he read the note out loud. ‘This foolish girl... What is she planning this time?’ he thought to himself.
Well, his wife was always full of surprises. He had lost count of how many times she had come up with the weirdest ideas. Zhao Cuo used to be really taken aback at first, but had ended up getting used to it. At some point, he found himself even enjoying her gimmicks and looking forward to the next time.
‘She was always so straight forward and silly...’
As the meeting time approached, he couldn’t help but feel a little restless. That had been the first time he and his wife had spent so many hours apart since they had married. Normally, San Qi was like glue...
‘She must have prepared something quite grand this time.’, he thought, as he walked towards the set place.
Upon arrival, he was promptly lead to the reserved room inside the restaurant.
There was a table at the center of the room, specially decorated, with red flowers and strange floating things that resembled the floating lights that were used during festivals, though those didn’t seem to float due to fire. He continued scanning the place, but his wife was nowhere to be seen. Instead, someone else was seated at the table.
“What are you doing here?”
He was staring at Ruo Yao. His voice sounded restrained, he felt confused and slightly irritated at the sight of her. His once good mood dropped instanly.
‘How come it’s her? Where’s San Qi?’
She looked at him and got up immediately. She felt a little nervous, but certainly wasn’t about to show him that.
“Can’t you see that I am waiting for you?” she asked back, with a meek voice.
“I can see that,” he answered, his frustration and increasing irritation clearly showing through his voice and expression. “What I mean is, why are you here waiting for me? Where’s my wife?”
“I am here to see you. I missed you...”, she said as she came close to him, “Didn’t you ask to see me and prepared all this so we could be together?” she finished her act by looking into his eyes and landing one hand over his arm.
His body instictively rejected her touch, even producing unconfortable goosebumps. Grimacing, he stepped away from her.
“What are you saying? I didn’t do this." He felt a little disgusted at the thought.
“I already have my wife. You shouldn’t be here...” When the thought came to him, it burned like fire. ‘Yeah, she definitely shouldn’t be here. I am married and she is not. This could become a terrible rumor...!’
“Leave. Immediately.” He told her firmly.
At his clear rejection, she felt so offended she wanted to scream at him. ‘How dare he reject me? How could he choose that little girl over me?’ Her delicated features became twisted for a split of a second, but she managed to keep her cool. She had to preserve her dignity at least.
“You’ll regret this”, she mumbled to herself and left the room.
Still baffled, he staring at the empty table, trying to come up to terms with what had just happened. ‘What the hell.. Where’s San Qi?’
At that moment, a restaurant worker entered, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Upon noticing the lady wasn’t there anymore, the man asked:
“Sir..? Has the other guest already left?” the worker looked confused.
“Yes. I was supposed to meet someone else here, not her. Hasn’t anyone else arrived? A petit pretty youngwoman perhaps?”
“No, sir.” Zhao Cuo’s heart dropped at his answer.
“ But...”, the worker continued, making his heart expectant, ”that description matches with the person that made this reservation. She also left this in my care so I could give to you.”
He handed in a little box. Inside, there was a letter. Zhao Cuo trembled.
“Hello! This is San Qi.
Congratulations! Do you know what day it is today? Today is the 365th day of our marriage. Uhul! I prepared all this by myself. What do you think? Do you like it? You see, I don’t want to brag, but I must say that getting those floating things wasn’t easy, you know! It seems they’re called ballons and are filled with a different type of air. I heard they’re a new invention, it was hard getting my hands on these. Hehe.
Well, it seems that this is it, hm. If you’re reading this, it means that I failed and, like I promised, this is the end.
You know how they say that when you’re having fun time flies and when you’re not it feels like it doesn’t pass at all? Well, our time together felt like the passing of a warm confortable breeze on a summer night. Just one blink would be enough to miss it.
Though I know that for you, it wasn’t the same.
The truth is, deep inside, I’ve known it all along. I just couldn’t bring myself to give up just yet. I took advantage of your kindness and ended up making you suffer right? Please forgive me.
You must’ve felt like you were stuck in hell, right? Like your precious time with your beloved Ruo Yao was being robbed of you. All because of me. I have no excuses.
So! This is me trying to make up for it. Of course, just one romantic dinner can’t possibly measure up to all those times, but I hope you feel my sincere repentence.
Also, all those troublesome and annoying things I did in the past, was me trying my best. I am sorry for all of those. I never meant to make you look bad or make you trouble. I just hope you know that my feelings for you were true. And that I am really greateful to you.
You made me learn that love is selfless. And that it can’t be forced.
Though for you it were bad times, I hope that if someday you happen to spare a thought for me, you will look back and maybe find at least one happy memory of us. That would mean the world for me.
Thank you for everything.
Like I promised, you will never see me again after this. But I’ll always be praying for your happiness.
With love,
Tian San Qi. “
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When the Devil Cries pt. 34
Fanfic summary: (NO SPOILERS IN THIS STORY) After arriving in Saint Denis, Arthur ends up falling in love with a seemingly innocent pianist, only to find himself in a battle with one of the most notorious outlaws to ever emerge from America. Now, between working for Dutch and robbing money for the gang, Arthur has to also protect the man he loves as the two of them try to find their freedom.
Pairing: Arthur Morgan/Male OC
Previous chapter
This story is also on AO3
Author’s note: Real quick, I just wanna thank you guys for sticking with this story for so long. There aren’t that many chapters left (I’m estimating only about 1 or 2 after this one), and the fact that this fic is almost over has me feeling emotional lol. I hope you guys enjoy the last few parts of this story, and again, thanks for being there for all this time :)
From Arthur’s POV
O’CREAGH’S RUN
A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER
“You got everything?” Hamish asked, eyeing my bag.
I shut the leather flap closed, placin’ my hands on my hips.
“Yeah. I think so. Eddie and I should be ready to go.”
The veteran limped over to me and patted me on the shoulder, displaying a warm smile.
“Well then, you boys stay safe out there, you hear? Things can get pretty wild on the roads nowadays, but you already know this. I just hope your plan to get out of America works for you.”
I nodded in agreement, gazing at Eddie through one of the windows as he readied the horses outside.
“Yeah, me too. Lemme tell you, it’s been one hell of a journey, runnin’ around with that boy, but...I know it’s gonna be worth it. I just have this...feelin’ in me, you know?”
Hamish followed my line of sight and peered at Eddie with an almost fatherly expression, reminiscing about the times when he was our age.
“I believe that feeling is called ‘hope,” he replied. “You become very familiar with it when you fight in a war. Sometimes, it’s all you have. Guns are fine and dandy, sure, but what happens when you don’t have one? That ‘feeling’ is the only thing you can hold onto, and if you’re lucky...it might just save your life.”
I took my attention away from the pianist for a moment and changed the subject, curious to know more about Hamish’s past.
“Sounds like those were bad times,” I remarked seriously. “How anyone survived that war is beyond me.”
Hamish raised a brow, appearing confused. “You wasn’t around back then?”
“I was,” I corrected, “but I was knee-high to a grasshopper. Just a lil’ boy. I hardly remember anything from back then.”
The veteran let out a sigh. “Consider yourself lucky. Ain’t nothin’ pleasant to remember about the Civil War. Colored folk were in chains, our people was beatin’ them, and of course...there was death. Everywhere you went. Sometimes, the bodies lay so thick, you coulda walked across the whole field without your boots touching mud.”
I shook my head in a sympathetic manner, lookin’ Hamish in the eye.
“It’s a good thing those times are behind us, then.”
He gave me a weary expression. “Behind the government, perhaps. But not us. There’s still conflict in this country every single day. A thousand little wars ragin’ on in the unseen corners of America. That’s why you absolutely cannot let anything happen to you, or Mister Ryan.”
Hamish paused at the mention of Eddie’s name and switched to a more inquiring tone, leaning casually on his crutch.
“Say, how did you meet that man in the first place? I’ve spoken with Eddie a bit, and he says y’all haven’t known each other for that long, but the two of you seem real close to me.”
A chuckle escaped me. “I ran into him in Saint Denis. Quite literally, actually. I had just come stumblin’ outta some pompous saloon and accidentally slammed right into him. It was...memorable, you could say.”
Hamish returned the laugh. “Tell me, what was Eddie like back then? How’d a simple pianist end up running around with America’s most wanted?”
I backtracked through all the months I’d spent with Eddie, the memories bombarding my head like the continuous flash of a camera.
“To be honest, I couldn’t quite tell you. He was a kind, law-abiding citizen who had never killed a man before, and then...there was me. A rotten, ol’ thief come looking to pick that city clean.”
The other man smirked at that, clearly not buying it. “And yet, Eddie insists you’re one of the noblest men he’s ever known.”
I grinned in response, carrying on with my story. “Well, I suppose Eddie just...brought somethin’ out in me. I saw the struggles he was dealin’ with, and I wanted to give him better. So, I helped him out with his troubles, taught him how to survive, and gave him shelter within the gang, but...now that’s fallen apart, too.”
I sighed in a despondent tone, glancing at the floor. “...Seems like that happens all too often, nowadays.”
An encouraging glint twinkled in Hamish’s eyes. “So it does. But you’ll make it through this, Arthur. You and Eddie. I know a survivor when I see one.”
I picked up the leather bag and slung it over my shoulder, preparin’ to head outside as I spoke with Hamish along the way.
“I just...I wanna give Eddie the life he deserves, y’know? But I dunno if I can do it.”
The veteran followed after me, still remaining optimistic.
“Why not? You’ve gotten this far, ain’t you?”
I stopped right in front of the door, turnin’ around to face the old man.
“Well, yeah, but how long will we be running? I’m a criminal, for god’s sake. An outlaw. I’m constantly on the lookout for Pinkertons, bounty hunters, rival gangs -- how in the hell am I supposed to help Eddie find a normal life when I can’t even find one?”
Hamish chuckled lightly, pointing out the obvious. “You rely on yourself too much, Arthur. Remember, you ain’t bearing all this weight by yourself. Eddie’s there to help you just as much as you’re there to help him.”
The veteran laid a hand on my shoulder, attempting to reassure me. “I know it’s comfortable believing that you’re capable of findin’ all your own solutions, but the reality is, sometimes you need other people to fill in the blanks. You haven’t been able to find a normal life, Arthur, because you ain’t meant to do it on your own. Don’t be afraid to lean on Eddie every once in a while. The boy’s strong. He can take it. You just gotta let him know what’s goin’ on.”
Falling silent for a minute, I took what Hamish said to heart and thought about it for a while, suddenly changin’ my whole perspective on my relationship with Eddie.
I...I supposed Hamish was right.
I had gotten so used to fixing my own problems and building up my own pride, that I forgot there weren’t no shame in askin’ for help when I needed it.
Things was just always so tense within the gang, and everyone was concerned with their own problems, that eventually, I learned to look out for myself. Didn’t even take a moment to step back and consider that perhaps, I wasn’t as alone as I thought.
I knew Eddie was capable of protecting himself, and of me, but I was just too afraid to let him do it.
I rested a hand on the doorknob and simply stayed still for a moment, listenin’ to Hamish as he continued to talk.
“Love goes both ways, Arthur. Whatever you’re willin’ to do in order to keep Eddie alive, I know that man feels the same way about you. It’s how love works.”
“Wait,” I said, pausing for a second. “...Love? How did you know that we were...” my voice trailed off awkwardly, causin’ me to clear my throat. “Did...did Eddie tell you?”
The veteran chortled. “Didn’t have to. The bond between you two is pretty obvious. In fact, I suspected it from the moment you set foot on my doorstep. I just never said anything ‘cause I didn’t wanna pry.”
My face started to feel hot with embarrassment, and I sheepishly rubbed the back of my neck. “Ah. I see.”
Hamish quickly offered some reassurance, noticing my mood.
“Hey, you’ll get no judgements here. I must admit I’m a tad surprised, but frankly...” he sighed, his eyes sinking with profound sorrow, “...I’ve seen the damage unfair judgement can do. My own partner -- a colored woman -- was killed years ago because of it. ...You just take care of Mister Ryan while you’re out there, alright? And yourself.”
I nodded firmly at that, somewhat more relaxed now that our secret was out in the open.
“Oh, believe me. I will.”
A paternal smile radiated on the old man’s face and he pulled me into a hug with one of his arms, happily pattin’ me on the back as he said goodbye.
“Then I wish you luck. I’ll miss your company, Arthur. Yours and Eddie’s. It was a pleasure havin’ you boys stay.”
I laughed warmly at that, opening the front door.
“Heh, well, thank you for everything you’ve done. Y’know...this might be the first time I’m leavin’ someone’s house without any of their belongings.”
Hamish shook his head in an amused manner, separating the hug. “Oh, I don’t doubt that. Let’s just see if you can keep it up.”
I stepped out the door and made my way into the crisp weather outside, throwin’ one last wave at Hamish as he stayed behind.
“I’ll do my best.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Strollin’ away from the quaint cabin as a light breeze whistled past me, I approached the horses while Eddie secured our stuff onto their backs and whistled to himself, his face shielded from the sun due to the Nevada hat sittin’ on his head.
His leg was looking much better now, thanks to all those weeks of recovery. He still weren’t able to walk or run as well as before, and it had been a while since he last left the house, but the man didn’t require a cane to get around no more. At least, not most of the time.
I was just happy to see Eddie on his feet again.
It scared the hell outta me, watchin’ him go through all that just ‘cause of one bullet. There was a lot of pain and frustration involved with his healing process, and part of me worried he’d never be able to walk again. As for the other part, well -- I was just grateful that he was still around in the first place.
After all, it didn’t look like many of our people survived Rodrick’s attack back at Beaver Hollow. And considering what happened to fellers like Kieran, or Lenny, or Strauss...I considered ourselves lucky for gettin’ away how we did.
I only hoped our luck would last long enough for us to get out of America.
Our plan at the moment was to get to Saint Denis and hop onto the next ship to England, but I had seen enough of my friends get killed to know that nothin’ was ever that easy. The road to freedom was rarely ever a straight path, and I doubted this one was going to be any different.
I supposed we would just have to wait and see what the future held.
“Morning, handsome,” I called out cheerfully, slingin’ my bag over my horse’s saddle. “You ready to go?”
The pianist fed his mount a quick snack, patting him on the neck.
“Ready as I’ll ever be. It feels like ages since I last stepped outside. What about you, Arthur? How are you feeling?”
I let out a hesitant sigh, admittedly nervous about going to England.
“...I’m ready,” I answered, not sounding as sincere as I hoped. “Just...not quite used to the idea of livin’ halfway across the world yet.”
Eddie picked up on my tone and gave me a concerned look. “If you’re uncomfortable with going to England, we can always go somewhere else. There’s still time to decide. Remember, this isn’t just about me. I wanna make sure you’re safe too.”
“Well...where else would we go?” I asked. “Ain’t like we got a lot of options.”
The other man offered some suggestions. “Canada, perhaps? Or even Mexico, if you prefer.”
I waved a dismissive hand, goin’ along with our original idea.
“Nah, both of those places are too close. I’d feel better knowin’ we had some ocean between us and them Pinkertons. If they’re gonna come after me, I wanna at least make ‘em work for it. Besides, accordin’ to Javier, Mexico ain’t the best place to lie low right now.”
The pianist shrugged uncertainly, takin’ my word for it. “Well, alright, I guess.”
I came to a halt, noticing that Eddie still had a worried expression on his face.
“...Look, I’ll be fine,” I reassured him. “I just need some time to wrap my head ‘round this whole thing. I’ve never left America before. You know this. England’s a whole new world to me.”
The other man clearly wasn’t convinced about my commitment to this just yet, but decided to trust me anyway.
“...If you say so. Just let me know if you change your mind, okay? I don’t wanna drag you into something you’re not willing to do. And besides, the more backup plans we have, the better. I hate to be the pessimist, but there really is no guarantee our trip to England will go smoothly. And that’s assuming we even reach Saint Denis.”
I chuckled sarcastically, unhitching my horse. “You certainly know how to comfort a man, don’t you?”
Eddie smirked in response. “I learned from the best. Anyways, now that we got that out of the way...” he mounted his horse, stickin’ his boots in the stirrups, “...shall we get going?”
I followed his actions and climbed on top of my own mount, makin’ myself comfortable in the saddle.
“Yes, let’s.”
Turning away from Hamish’s lone cabin, the two of us began trotting at a casual pace as we slowly made our way back to the road, finally resuming the seemingly eternal journey we started months ago.
I couldn’t lie -- I was gonna miss O’Creagh’s Run. There was just a certain air to the place that offered a sense of sanctuary, and I always felt like we was hidden from the rest of the world whenever I wandered near here.
I supposed I was just more a nature person. America had its flaws, sure, but part of me honestly wished we could stay. Ever since I was a little boy, the view of lively meadows, never-ending forests, and purple mountains crowning the horizon always made me feel at home.
Somethin’ about them just brought you closer to the sky, I guess. They seemed to compliment the stars like nothing mankind ever built, and no matter how large people made their cities or how brightly they lit them up...I knew the wild west was always gonna have my heart.
It just made me sad to know that those times were comin’ to an end.
All them years I spent runnin’ around with Dutch and Hosea -- creating our own society and riding across America -- they were nothing more than a handful of lost memories now.
Hosea was dead, Dutch had lost his mind, and I...well, I hated to admit it, but the era of outlaws and gunslingers was over.
Despite all our efforts to stay ahead of it, civilization was spreading rapidly across the whole world, and people like me had no place in its society.
If I was gonna keep Eddie alive and hope to have a future with him, my entire lifestyle was gonna have to change.
My criminal background, my time spent runnin’ from the law, my love for a freer life -- it would all have to go. I would have to become a...civilized man, and live in a civilized place.
I didn’t know if I was ready for that kind of a difference, but what I did know was that I loved Eddie. And regardless of how much I longed for another life, that man meant more to me than anything else right now.
Even if it meant giving up everything I had in America, I was gonna do whatever it took to help him...because I knew he’d do the same for me.
I just hoped we’d be able to reach Saint Denis first. We were finally nearing the end of this harsh journey, and Lord only knew what sort of obstacles we was gonna face along the way. I had a feeling neither Atticus nor the Pinkertons were going to let us go that easy, but if I had any say in it, they weren’t gonna stop us from reaching England.
Nothing was.
~~~~~~~~~~
A COUPLE HOURS LATER
EASTERN NEW HANOVER
Roaming through New Hanover’s wide, open fields, Eddie and I ventured down a path that would lead us alongside the Kamassa River and straight into Bluewater Marsh, hopefully taking us to the northern region of Bayou Nwa before the day ended.
So far, things had been peaceful enough except for a few random crazies on the road, but...we had yet to run into anything life-threatening.
The weather was only partly cloudy, the roads were empty, the birds were soarin’ in the sky, and our heads were still on our shoulders. S’far as I was concerned, that was a win in my book.
As for Eddie, the man seemed content with our plan and didn’t show as much hesitance as I did, but there was still a certain...melancholy surrounding him. Sorta like he was about to visit a cemetery or something.
Though, the more I thought about it...he kinda was. After all, the last time Eddie set foot in England was when his family had just been murdered, and his previous partner, Nathaniel, was killed.
Goin’ back to that place after all these years...I imagined it must’ve brought back some terrible memories for the man.
I knew from personal experience that there weren’t nothing pleasant about returning to an old graveyard, and the longer Eddie stayed silent, the more I worried about his well-being.
I leaned over in my saddle and brought my horse closer to the other man, wantin’ to check up on him.
“Hey, Eddie,” I said, peerin’ at him from under my hat. “You doin’ alright there? You seem kinda...preoccupied.”
The pianist took his eyes off the road for a moment and glanced at me, his brow furrowed with suspicion.
“...I won’t lie to you, Arthur,” he replied in a perturbed voice. “I’ve had a strange feeling ever since we left the cabin. Like...someone’s watching us.”
I took a look at the surrounding area, scanning the trees to our side.
“You see anyone?” I questioned.
“Not yet,” Eddie admitted, “but the feeling’s still there.”
“Well...just keep your eyes open,” I warned. “I doubt it’s Atticus, but there’s still plenty of bandits in these parts. Could be them.”
The pianist wasn’t so sure. “Maybe, but bandits don’t stalk you, do they?”
I let out a troubled sigh, shakin’ my head. “Not usually, no. Again, like I said -- just keep your eyes open. We don’t need any surprises.”
Tryin’ to ease Eddie’s nerves, I decided to switch topics and took on a softer tone, hoping to calm the man down a little.
“Listen,” I began, “when I asked if you was doin’ okay, I was more referring to the fact that we’re going back to England. To your homeland. I know you haven’t seen it in a long time, and I was just...curious, I guess. About what’s on your mind.”
Eddie chuckled in response, though it sounded more like he was laughing at himself.
“You know, it’s the strangest thing. From the moment I set foot in the States, I spent every second wishing I could go back home. I missed London. I missed my family, the people, the buildings, the culture, the way of life...”
I jumped in. “But now...?”
“But now...” he continued, “I honestly wish I could stay here. In America. With you.”
I grinned, admittedly a tad surprised. “Is that so?”
Eddie returned the smile. “I’m afraid it is. But...I know it’s not safe for us here anymore. I know we have to leave. It’s just -- I’ll miss America. Despite everything we’ve been through.”
“Aw, don’t worry,” I reassured him. “We’ll come back someday.”
The pianist smirked. “I’ll hold you to that.”
Ridin’ in silence for a few moments, a random thought suddenly crossed my mind when I glanced at Eddie’s mount, causing me to raise a question.
“Hey, I just noticed something. Whatever happened to your other horse, Bullet? I haven’t seen him around for a while.”
Eddie frowned at that, sighing mournfully. “He died, I’m afraid.”
My eyes sprang open in surprise. “Died? When?”
“He was shot down when Rodrick attacked our camp,” he explained. “I didn’t even get the chance to try to save him.”
Bewildered by the news, I thought back to the ambush and replayed all the events in my head as clearly as I could, suddenly realizin’ something I completely missed before.
If I recalled correctly, I took cover behind a dead horse at some point during the shootout. It was right after Eddie had just been shot in the leg and I was tryin’ to make my way to him.
...That must’ve been Bullet.
“Aw, shit...” I breathed out. “I’m sorry, Eddie. He was a good horse.”
“Yeah,” he agreed softly. “he was. I’ll miss that big brute. I’m just glad it wasn’t you.”
I leaned to the side and placed a hand on top of Eddie’s, comforting the pianist.
“Oh, you know I wouldn’t let that happen. And neither would you.”
Smiling warmly at the comment, Eddie’s face radiated with affection as he tightened his hand ‘round mine, gazing lovingly at me.
Just before he could reply however, a third voice suddenly cut him off from a distance and darkened the mood with a sense of dread, causin’ us to stop dead in our tracks.
“A sweet sentiment,” their voice flatly observed, “...but I’m afraid that’s all it is.”
Turnin’ to see just who the hell had interrupted us, I brought my focus to the opposite end of the road and spotted a mysterious man sitting on a horse, only to quickly recognize the Pinkerton badge shining brightly on his coat.
There was a large array of other agents protecting him on both sides -- all of them armed to the teeth -- and the more I searched the thick trees surrounding us, the easier I started to notice the sons-of-bitches hidin’ in the bushes.
I guessed Eddie’s instincts were correct.
“...Shit...” I cursed under my breath. “Milton.”
Eddie paused. “Wait, you know this man?”
I kept my voice low, makin’ sure that the bastard couldn’t hear me.
“He’s one of them Pinkertons,” I explained with a whisper. “He’s been hunting Dutch for months now. Even before I met you.”
“...Dammit. What should we do?”
I signaled Eddie to stay back with a simple gesture, remindin’ him to remain calm as Milton slowly approached the two of us.
“Just let me do the talking,” I said. “Don’t shoot anything yet.”
Eddie was obviously unsettled by the encounter but followed my lead anyway, keepin’ his hand close to his holster.
“...If you think that’s best. Just be careful.”
I gave him a nod, ensuring that I would.
Finally bringin’ my attention over to Milton, I tapped my spurs into the side of my horse and steadily trotted closer to him, wandering down the road alone as the other Pinkertons kept their guns nailed onto me.
I didn’t dare take my eyes off of Milton’s friends -- especially not that sleaze Ross -- and with every torturous second that passed by, I could feel Milton’s glare practically piercin’ through me more and more.
It was evident that he didn’t intend on lettin’ us walk outta here alive, and just by studying his arrogant demeanor, I could tell he had already captured some o’ the other folks in our gang.
My only question was who.
“Mister Morgan,” Milton greeted as I came to a halt. “Nice to see you again. It’s been quite a long time since we last spoke.”
I sighed to myself, already wishin’ I could kill this man. “...I do my best to avoid you.”
“So I see.”
The Pinkerton’s iron sight traveled over to Eddie, leading him into his next question. “...I assume that’s Mister Ryan?”
I followed Milton’s gaze and briefly glanced at the pianist, surprised that he knew him.
“Oh, there’s no need to be shocked,” Milton remarked, noticing my expression. “Micah Bell hardly left anything to question, after all. He’s been quite the informant as of late.”
An irritated breath escaped me. “Of course. Well...what is it that you want?”
The agent rested his arms on the horn of his saddle. “I want many things, Mister Morgan. Van der Linde, most of all. But also...you.”
That triggered a sense of alarm within me, but I decided to hold it back for now.
“So...what,” I asked, tryin’ to hide my agitation, “you here to kill me? Claim the price on my head? Is that it?”
Milton nonchalantly shook his head. “Not kill. ...Not yet.”
The Pinkerton raised his hands in a diplomatic manner and slowly walked towards me, closing the distance between us until there were only a couple meters left.
“I’ve come to make a deal, Mister Morgan.”
I let out a scoff. “A deal?”
“I’m offering you a chance to surrender,” Milton continued, disregarding my reluctance. “Lay down your weapons, and come with me peacefully. If you tell me where to find Van der Linde, I promise you won’t be executed.”
I refused to humor him.
“Ol’ Dutch? I haven’t seen him in weeks.”
The Pinkerton obviously didn’t believe me. “Is that so?”
“I’ve lied about many things in my time, agent,” I countered, “but that ain’t one of them.”
Milton’s mind remained unswayed. “Even so, my offer still stands. You may not know where Dutch is at the moment, but I’m sure a man like you would know how to find him. Help me locate Mister Van der Linde, and you have my word you won’t swing.”
I shrugged. “And you expect me to just believe you?”
The agent’s expression hardened with impatience. “You don’t have a choice.”
Cocking their guns as a warning, the other Pinkertons immediately assumed a more hostile stance as they cornered me and Eddie within the confines of this road, preventin’ us from going anywhere.
There were far too many of them for us to simply escape without a fight, and judging by the faint rustling I heard from behind me, I could only assume they had blocked us from the rear as well.
We were trapped.
“So,” Milton said, readying his own pistol, “what’s it going to be, Arthur? Shall we handle this like civilized folk...or do I need to order my men to open fire?”
Observin’ the Pinkertons with an alarmed glare, I started to grow restless as my heart began to pound heavily and I slowly realized just how many of them there actually were.
It looked like an entire goddamned battalion had ambushed us, and for as far as the eye could see, there were nothin’ but Pinkertons blocking us from every direction, making me feel as if we was trapped in a human cobweb.
It was clear to me that we had to get the hell outta here as soon as possible...but I just didn’t know how.
Eddie trotted closer to me and kept his voice hushed, whispering in a panicked tone.
“There’s too many of them, Arthur,” he stated, his eyes frantically dartin’ around. “If we start shooting, we’ll be slaughtered...!”
I glanced back at him, adamant that we would make it outta this.
“We can’t surrender now, Eddie. We’ve come way too far. If they take us, we’ll go straight to the gallows. You think that’s any better than dyin’ here?”
The pianist found himself at a dead end. “Well -- what else can we do? Do you believe Milton will actually spare you if we surrender?”
I shook my head. “I doubt it, but it don’t matter anyway. I ain’t gonna become a traitor like Micah. If Milton wants Dutch, he’s gon’ have to find him himself.”
“No,” Eddie disagreed, “Dutch betrayed you, Arthur. Not the other way around. You were his son and he almost killed you...! Don’t you want him to answer for what he did? Perhaps this is your chance.”
“I ain’t in the revenge business, Eddie.” I reminded him. “If Dutch is gonna die by my hand someday, so be it. But I won’t give these snakes the satisfaction.”
The other man sighed out of discouragement.
“Very well, but...” his voice trailed off into a grim silence, leadin’ me to urge him on.
“What is it?” I questioned.
Eddie gazed at me with an expression sharpened by genuine fear and clenched his jaw out of distress, knowing damn-well what the near-future held.
“...I don’t want to die, Arthur,” he confessed morosely. “If we don’t do what Milton says, his Pinkertons will kill us right here. We’ll...we’ll be dead. ...I’m not ready for that.”
I let out a heartbroken breath at the statement and bit my bottom lip, reluctant to admit that Eddie was right once the dreadful news sunk in.
We...we truly were done for, weren’t we?
We couldn’t surrender, and we couldn’t fight all these men either.
Just like that, all our efforts to get outta this country had been snuffed out like a dying candle because of these goddamned Pinkertons, and for the first time since I met Eddie, I was powerless to stop it.
...This was where we were gonna die.
This was how our journey was gonna come to an end.
These were my final moments in this godforsaken world, and the retribution for all the sins I had committed had caught up to me at last.
Even if I had to die today though, I refused to let the Pinkertons use me as their toy.
I was gonna go down fighting like the outlaw I was born to be, and I’d do it side-by-side with the man I loved.
There weren’t no glory in this kind of death, but perhaps there would be peace.
“...Arthur?” Eddie asked, bringin’ me back to reality. I could tell he was waiting for a decision. “What are you thinking?”
I steadily lowered my hand so that it was next to my holster and glared at Milton with an unbreakable stare, somehow tryin’ to comfort Eddie even in the face of imminent death.
“...We stand our ground.” I said with a heavy heart, attempting to remain strong for both our sakes. “Milton’s a goddamned fool if he thinks we’re gonna surrender.”
To my surprise, Eddie didn’t even question the choice and simply reached for his own revolver, barely wavering as he walked his horse to my side.
“Then I’ll stand with you.”
I gave Eddie a look of profound remorse, hopelessly wishing I could whisk him away from this mess.
“You know I love you, right?” I whispered compassionately, unable to believe I was truly sayin’ goodbye to this man.
“There’s no doubt in my mind.” He confirmed, maintaining his composure. “I love you, too, Arthur.”
Finally done with waitin’ for an answer, Milton raised his voice and called to us from the other end of the road, demanding a decision from us.
“Well? Have you made a choice, Mister Morgan? Will you accept my offer? My patience grows thin.”
I threw the Pinkerton a steadfast grin and lightly scoffed to myself, strangely amused by the fact that, despite cornering us, he still lost this battle.
“Not a chance, Milton,” I replied firmly. “...I’m afraid we’ll be outlaws for life.”
The agent responded with an ice-cold glower.
“...So be it.”
Boldly elevating his arm into the air with an open hand, Milton signaled the other Pinkertons to prepare for a fight.
“You chose this path, Arthur,” he announced, narrowing his eyes in anger. “Let it be known that I offered you mercy.”
The rest of the Pinkertons readied their rifles, eagerly taking aim.
“May God spare you from the suffering you’ve inflicted on His creatures, Mister Morgan,” Milton prayed apathetically. “...Because I certainly won’t.”
Striking like a thunderbolt, an unexpected bang echoed throughout the entire field as everyone instantly froze and birds soared away in the distance, all of us stuck in disbelief until we noticed a bullet hole buried in Milton’s skull.
It didn’t look like the agent had realized what had happened just yet, but after about a second of staring blankly into the space ahead of him, his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed to the ground, rendering us speechless.
I hurriedly searched for the source of the shot, only to spot Rodrick Kinglsey mounted on a horse in the distance.
Goddammit...
That son-of-a-bitch found us.
The madman cocked his smoking repeater and chuckled maliciously, goading the Pinkertons into a fight as the rest of Atticus’ gang joined the scene.
“You government boys did us a huge favor,” he mocked, “but we’ll take it from here.”
“Shit!” Agent Ross exclaimed sharply, finally snappin’ out of his state of shock. “There’s more of the bastards! Open fire!”
Not even wasting a single second, the Pinkertons began raining bullets on Atticus’ gang as guns fired off in every direction and smoke filled the air, forcin’ us to ride blind while horses frantically trampled all over the scene.
“Eddie!” I shouted over the commotion, “RUN!”
Takin’ this opportunity to flee, the pianist and I immediately hauled ass away from the battlefield as we shot down Pinkertons and outlaws alike, not sparing even one bullet during our escape.
Unfortunately for us, some of Atticus’ men had managed to single us out from the crowd -- including Rodrick -- and started to chase after us, shootin’ wildly as if there was no tomorrow.
“Shit!” Eddie yelled, dodging a bullet that just barely missed his head. “Where are we going?!”
I gestured in front of us. “Just keep headin’ south! We’ll try to lose them up ahead!”
Whippin’ my reins with a sharp tug, I glanced over my shoulder and fired a few shots at the men behind us, struggling to keep my aim straight with how much my horse was diggin’ its hooves into the ground.
I managed to kill one of Atticus’ men and sent them crashin’ into the dirt below, practically turning them into a human tumbleweed as they rolled through thick billows of dust.
It looked like the Pinkertons were keepin’ the rest of their gang busy with all the chaos surrounding Milton’s death, and fortunately for me and Eddie, I had yet to see any sign of Atticus Rose himself.
Though, if Rodrick was here runnin’ after us, I had no other choice but to assume he was close.
We would have to deal with him sooner or later.
“Arthur, look!” Eddie called out, pointing ahead. “There’s a bridge!”
Peering over the wavy hills laid out in front of us, I leaned forward in my saddle and gazed through the numerous trees, makin’ out a long hanging bridge not too far away from us.
It was positioned just above a colossal waterfall and connected the gap between two massive rock formations, both of which towered over the land like a pair of skyscrapers.
That could be our way out.
“Get across the bridge!” I told Eddie. “We’ll cut it down from the other side!”
The pianist glued his eyes onto the multiple people ridin’ behind me, instantly slipping his pistol out.
“That might be harder than you think...!”
Bringin’ my attention back to Rodrick and his men, I signaled for Eddie to follow my lead as the two of us started gunning them down together, both of us desperately tryin’ to pick up our speed.
It wouldn’t be too long before we’d be crossin’ that bridge now, and if we didn’t put enough distance between ourselves and Rodrick’s men, our plan to trap ‘em on the other side would’ve been one of futility.
“You go on ahead!” I exclaimed at Eddie, killing another one of Atticus’ people. “I’ll make sure these bastards stay back!”
“What? No!” Eddie rejected. “I’m not leaving you here, Arthur!”
I hurriedly reloaded my pistol. “Look, that bridge is too narrow for us to cross it at the same time anyway, so you may as well just go in front of me! Now, hurry!”
Letting out a reluctant sigh, the pianist pondered the dilemma for a moment before snappin’ his horse’s reins and bolting ahead, rushing directly towards the bridge’s entrance.
Just before he had any time to react however, I suddenly noticed a small group of Atticus’ men hidin’ on the other side, ready to cut the bridge down right as Eddie was about to cross it.
“Oh, shit,” I cursed, “Eddie! STOP!”
But it was too late.
Even though the pianist had already yanked the reins back with a great amount of force, the poor animal still slid onto the bridge’s rickety planks due to its incredible speed and let out a panicked neigh as the structure came swingin’ down, causing both the horse and Eddie to go plummeting towards the waterfall.
“EDDIE!” I yelled, immediately hopping off my own mount. I sprinted towards the edge of the cliff and looked down, only to see that the man was now dangling from a thin ledge as the waterfall raged underneath him.
“A-Arthur!” Eddie shouted back, his voice strainin’ with effort. “I can’t hold on much longer!”
“Here!” I said, extending an arm. “Grab my hand!”
Before I could get anywhere near the man though, the sound of someone cocking their gun abruptly reached my ears, leadin’ me to come to a halt.
It was Mister Kingsley himself.
“...I wouldn’t do that if I was you, sunshine.” He warned, wearin’ his usual grin. “You might hurt yourself.”
I steadily rose from the ground and turned to face the crazed man, secretly panicking on the inside about how Eddie was about to fall at any second.
“You son-of-a-bitch...” I muttered lowly, clenchin’ my fist. “What d’you want with us? Atticus, I understand, but you -- what the hell do you get outta this?”
Rodrick sauntered towards me and smiled widely, shrugging casually.
“Entertainment, my good sir,” he answered simply. “Entertainment. You see--” he let out a melodramatic sigh, “everybody’s so boring, nowadays. They’re always bein’ held back by polite manners, or etiquette, or some goddamn pretense.”
Rodrick gestured to me. “You though? You’re so easy to rile up. All someone’s gotta do is point a gun at Mister Ryan, and you’re ready to kill a man.” An amused chuckle escaped him. “You can pretend to be a good man all you want, Arthur. Everyone knows you’re just as rotten as the rest of us. Nothin’ but another thief with larceny in his blood. Ain’t no shame in it though. In fact, that’s what I like about you.”
I strengthened my gaze and glared at Kingsley, starin’ him down.
“I used to be like that, but not anymore.”
He scoffed in a bored manner. “Pfft...come on, Morgan. Don’t tell me you’ve grown a conscious suddenly. All because you helped one man? What about the other men in your life? Lenny? Strauss? Hosea? All of ‘em died ‘cause you felt Eddie was more important. Tell me...d’you feel like a hero yet?”
“Shut your mouth, Kingsley!” I snapped, raisin’ my voice.
“Or what?” He asked with a smirk. “You’ll kill me? I’m the one with a gun in my hand, sunshine.”
Rodrick strolled closer to me and playfully tapped the barrel of his pistol against my hat, clearly enjoying himself.
“Oh, how easy it would be to put a bullet in your head right now. I could take away everything you’ve worked for, everything you’ve achieved. I could destroy Eddie’s entire life with just the simple pull of a trigger, and he’d never see you again. I gotta admit...havin’ that much power at my fingertips -- it’s almost addicting.”
Kingsley suddenly pointed his gun away from me and took a few steps back, reachin’ for his knife.
“...But I won’t do it. After all, where’s the fun in shootin’ such an interesting creature like you? Naw...you and me, we’re gonna fight man-to-man. Outlaw-to-outlaw. Killer-to-killer.”
He brandished his knife and began circling around me, encouragin’ me to follow his actions.
“Well, come on then, sunshine! Do your worst. ...Show me exactly what kind of a monster Dutch van der Linde created.”
Barely givin’ me a chance to fight back, Rodrick aggressively lunged forward and started slashing erratically at me, sporting an insane smile as the sky grew darker above us, and the rumbling of thunder lurked in the distance.
By now, the clouds had evolved into one, monstrous shadow that blotted out the sun and stretched across the entire region, leavin’ just enough room for a slice of sunlight.
As for Kingsley himself, the bastard fought more like a wild animal than a man and moved sporadically around me, makin’ it even more difficult than usual to read his patterns.
“What’s the matter, Arthur?” Rodrick taunted, throwin’ a punch at me. “You ain’t got any fight left in you?”
Spitting out a mouthful of blood, I hurriedly reached down and whipped out my own knife before retaliating with a few solid cuts to his chest, rippin’ through the fabric of his suit.
Despite managing to make Rodrick bleed however, the wound didn’t seem to slow him down at all. He simply bounced back from the injury as if it was nothing, and if I didn’t know any better, I would’ve said it actually fueled him to fight harder.
The man suddenly grabbed me by the collar and slammed me against a nearby boulder, knockin’ the wind outta my lungs.
“Gonna have to do more than that, Morgan...!”
Forcing his knife towards my throat, Rodrick wrestled with me as I desperately tried to push him away and practically crushed his hand with an iron grip, making my arm tremble due to the amount of strength I was puttin’ on it.
The two of us scratched and clawed at each other like a bunch of animals and nearly tore each other apart in the mud, our faces becoming more and more bruised as the fight carried on.
“Why won’t you just die...?!”
Closin’ my fist, I repeatedly slammed my knuckles into Rodrick’s cheekbone and damn-near smashed his face in, doin’ everything I could to get the madman off me.
Luckily, with one final punch to the nose, I put enough power behind the attack to send Rodrick reeling and shoved him away from me, afterwards tackling him to the ground.
Keeping the man down with my weight, I began pressing my own knife into his throat and struggled against his resistance, lettin’ out a pained groan when Rodrick started twisting the skin on my wrist.
There was blood streaming down from his nose at this point, but even with the numerous lacerations decoratin’ his body and a broken nose, Kingsley still brawled with the same amount of prowess as he did before.
He jabbed his knee into my gut and threw me off, takin’ a second to regain his footing.
“You fight like the devil himself, sunshine,” Rodrick growled in a deranged tone. “I almost don’t wanna kill you!”
Rising back to his feet with an unbalanced sway, the maniac loosely charged at me again and aimed straight for my throat, tiredly trampling through the soupy mud beneath our feet.
Thanks to his fatigued state however, I managed to grab him by the shoulders and hurl him in a different direction, pinnin’ the lunatic against a tree as I practically held onto him for support, admittedly more beaten up than I cared to show.
Determined to put an end to this vicious fight, I wasted no time in takin’ hold of my knife and immediately thrusting it forward, eagerly planting the blade deep into Rodrick’s abdomen as the man’s eyes widened in shock.
It was the first time I had ever seen the outlaw in a state of fear or pain, and as malignant as it might’ve sounded, just gettin’ the chance to watch that cocky grin finally be wiped off his goddamned face granted me with a dark sense of satisfaction that I had never felt before.
I drilled the knife even further into his stomach, almost snarling at him while his hot blood stained my hand.
“You’re wrong, Kingsley,” I said through gritted teeth, stabbing him again. “I am a good man.”
I drove the blade into him one last time, twistin’ the weapon inside his chest.
“...But only when I need to be.”
Watchin’ the life vanish from his eyes, I didn’t even bother to blink as Rodrick writhed in pain and blood gathered in his mouth, causing him to choke.
His face was red with agony and the veins in his forehead protruded from his skin, makin’ me think they were about to burst.
Though, to my surprise, Kingsley managed to conjure one, final smile and let out a hoarse laugh, revealing the bloodied teeth beneath.
“...Oh...you got me, Morgan...” he wheezed out. “...You got me. My only regret is...lettin’ you kill me before going after Atticus. My, my, what a show that would’ve been...”
Rodrick weakly patted my hand, uttering his last words.
“...Go on...and raise some hell, would you, sunshine? I know it’s gonna be beautiful...it always is...”
Drifting into a deathly silence, Rodrick’s body finally fell limp as his last breath escaped him and his hand slipped from the knife’s hilt, allowin’ me to relax for the first time in a while.
I couldn’t believe he was actually dead.
After so many months of him tormenting me and Eddie -- there were times when I felt like the bastard would never die.
He just seemed so invincible. So welcoming to death. So...inhumane.
But I was foolish to think in such a way. It was clear to me now that Rodrick bled just like every other son-of-a-bitch on this Earth...and boy, was I glad that he did.
Removin’ my blade from the man’s torso, I stepped away and let his body collapse to the soaking wet ground, instantly bringing my focus back to Eddie now that Kingsley was dead.
I had no idea if the pianist was still latched on to that little piece of rock on the cliff face, but to think that he already fallen to his death made me sick with worry.
“Eddie!” I called out, kneeling by the edge. “You there?”
Thankfully, I got a response.
“I’m here, Arthur! But the rock’s too wet! I-I can’t climb up!”
I reached a hand down, suddenly realizin’ just how much blood was covering it.
“Come on! I’ll pull you up!”
Grabbing onto my arm, Eddie grunted with effort and hoisted himself onto my level, usin’ the thin ledges in the cliff’s side as leverage.
“I got you, darling,” I comforted, helping him over the edge. “I got you.”
Finally returning to the surface, Eddie gladly plopped himself on the grass and simply sat there for a moment, briefly catchin’ his breath.
“Jesus Christ...” he panted out, “that...that was close. Thank you, Arthur. I would’ve slipped soon if you didn’t help.”
“No need to thank me,” I replied, also out of breath. “Let’s just get the hell outta here...and go to Saint Denis. I’ve had enough of this goddamn place.”
Eddie nodded in agreement and stood up from the ground, only to freeze mid-action when he noticed Rodrick’s body sitting against the tree.
The pianist paused for a second, staring blankly at his corpse.
“Wait...Rodrick’s dead?” He asked, clearly in disbelief. “...You...you killed him?”
“I did.” I said firmly. “And I’d do it again.”
Contrary to what I expected, Eddie sighed in regret and hung his head low, recalling all the encounters he had with that lunatic.
“That crazy bastard...” he whispered softly. “Both him and Middleton pursued me for years. I never thought I’d be blessed to see the day he died. My only regret is that I couldn’t help you finish him off.”
I laid a reassuring hand on Eddie’s shoulder, urgin’ him to look away.
“Well...he’s as dead as they come now, thank God. We should move before we end up like him.”
“Yeah. You’re right. Come on, let’s...”
Eddie suddenly paused, jerking his head around in confusion as if he had just heard something.
I shrugged. “What?”
The pianist brought his gaze upwards, leadin’ him to point towards the sky.
“Arthur, look.”
Following his line of sight, I turned around and saw a magnificent rock formation dominating the landscape in the distance, as well as a group of people who were fightin’ on top of it.
The rock was shaped like an anvil and tilted towards the clouds with an incredible height, almost as if it were a ramp to the heavens themselves.
Once I took a better look though, I realized that the people standing atop weren’t just some random passersby. The majority of them was Pinkertons...and they were fighting Atticus.
“It’s Atticus,” I remarked nonchalantly. “So what?”
Eddie gave me a resolute stare, formulatin’ a plan in his head.
“...We have to kill him, Arthur.”
I pulled back at the idea, lookin’ at the other man in bewilderment.
“What? Eddie, we can’t--”
“--We have to,” he reiterated, taking hold of my hand. “If we don’t, he’ll never stop chasing us. Atticus already followed me to America. What makes you think he won’t follow us to England? This is our chance to eliminate him! Rodrick is dead, and the Pinkertons have him cornered. We can do this.”
I let out a deep breath, still tentative about the proposal.
“...You know how I feel about vengeance, Eddie.”
The pianist persisted. “This isn’t about vengeance. We’ve been looking at this all wrong, Arthur. We’re never going to be free if we just...keep running! We need to face Atticus head-on. We need to kill him. Otherwise, this journey’s never going to end. You know that.”
Chewin’ on my lip in thought, I pondered the decision for a while as I weighed our options, genuinely torn about what to do.
On one hand, I knew Eddie wasn’t gonna leave this place so long as Atticus still breathed. They had too much history. Too much to settle. They both needed closure.
And on top of that, I couldn’t deny that I conceded Eddie’s point about Atticus chasin’ us halfway across the world. That old man had done it before, after all, and I’d seen how relentless he could be for myself.
What worried me though, was the number of Pinkertons we’d have to fight through in order to reach him. They was givin’ him hell at the moment, and I wasn’t sure if Eddie and I would be able to kill that many people on our own.
I mean, we barely escaped death not too long ago. The last thing I wanted to do was tempt it even more.
But, then again...I knew Eddie well enough to know that once he had his mind set on something, it’d be foolish to get in his way.
As much as I wanted to just leave and high-tail it outta here, I couldn’t help but wonder if he was right. Maybe this was our chance to get rid of Atticus.
Maybe we could finally put an end to this godforsaken war, and close this chapter in our lives.
We just had to be brave enough to do it.
“...Okay,” I agreed at last. “You’re right. Atticus needs to die.”
Eddie’s expression perked with hope, and a glint of excitement twinkled in his eyes.
“You mean, you’ll help me kill him?”
I nodded assertively and thought back to the day Eddie and I killed Middleton, swiftly takin’ out my revolvers as the two of us made our way to Atticus.
“For you...anything.”
#red dead redemption#red dead redemption 2#rdr2#arthur morgan#eddie ryan#arthur morgan x male oc#rdr2 fanfic#rdr2 story
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BnHA Chapter 059: The Origin of One for All
Previously on BnHA: Deku said farewell to Gran and headed back to U.A. Bakugou’s Jeanist hair was featured in just one panel, but forever left its impact on me and henceforth I will observe a moment of silence for Bakugou’s dignity each year on the anniversary of this day. The kids discussed their internships. Iida, Deku, and Todoroki received extra attention due to the whole Hero Killer thing. All Might conducted some training. Deku showed off his new skills. All Might asked Deku to visit him after class SO THAT HE CAN FINALLY TELL HIM ALL OF HIS SECRETS AND EVERYTHING ABOUT HIS PAST AND ABOUT ONE FOR ALL. OH MY GOD SOMEONE HOLD ME, HOW I HAVE WAITED FOR THIS DAY.
Today on BnHA: Mineta gets some comeuppance. Deku chats with All Might. All Might reveals the origins of All for One, a man whose quirk allows him to steal other quirks as well as grant them to others. We learn that One for All came to exist when this same man transferred a quirk to his brother which mutated and allowed his brother to pass on that power from generation to generation. All Might warns Deku that he might have to face All for One someday. Deku says he’ll be fine as long as All Might’s by his side. (: Aizawa announces a summer trip to a forest training camp. All for One’s face is finally revealed (!!).
(As always, all comments not marked with an ETA are my unspoiled reactions from my first readthrough of this chapter. I’ve read up through chapter 132 now, so any ETAs will reflect that.
**There are manga spoilers in this post for BnHA chapter 131, which has not yet aired in the anime.** These spoilers are marked, but it’s the first time this has come up, so please take heed. If anyone has any feedback regarding ways to possibly do this better, I’m definitely open to it!)
something about that number 59 that I really love... can’t quite put my finger on it :)
(ETA: present me is feeling less playfully cryptic than past me, and realizes that not everyone reading a BnHA recap is going to have detailed knowledge of the KHR fandom and all of its weird idiosyncrasies, which include, among other things, a system in which each character has a corresponding number. so just to be clear, 59 is a reference to this asshole, a.k.a. my favorite character now and always. and I could, in fact, actually put my finger on it, and if there ever comes a day when I don’t associate that number with him, it’ll be safe to assume that I am either an impostor or dead.)
anyways I have skyhigh fucking expectations for this chapter now, so let’s hope it can deliver!
JIROU PROFILE!
imagine being able to fuck up someone’s internal organs with the sound of your own heartbeat
six meters is nothing to laugh at; that’s some pretty decent range there. and she seems to have full control over the jacks’ movements the entire time
so I read Jirou as a lesbian, and I’m curious what everyone else’s thoughts are. yay? nay?
and I mentioned this a while ago, but I’ve shipped her and Momo since like chapter 16, and I still ship it lol
on to the chapter!
the kids of class A are changing back into their normal uniforms after All Might’s training session. Deku is wondering what All Might wants to talk to him about, and he’s a little nervous
Mineta is calling Deku over and saying he’s made a discovery. Mineta how dare you pollute my chapter 59 with your garbage presence
yep it’s exactly what I thought it was. little shit found a peephole leading to the girl’s locker room on the other side
Iida’s telling him to stop, but he’s not doing nearly enough
omg
I feel like this should have some kind of trigger warning. in fact, I was originally going to post the closeup of the earphone jack stabbing right into his eye, but then I was like, you know what, let’s just err on the side of caution
have I mentioned how much I fucking love Jirou omgg. only regret is that she didn’t take out both his eyes
OH MY GOD SHE’S USING HER QUIRK TO FUCK UP HIS EYE EVEN MORE
“YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW” YESSSSSSSSSSSS. THAT’S MY CHAPTER 59!!!!!
NOW DEKU IS IN ALL MIGHT’S BREAK ROOM. OH MY GOD IT’S HAPPENING
OH MY GOD
RIGHT??!?!
All Might says he’s sorry he wasn’t by Deku’s side. “you’ve been through a lot”
omgggggggg
-- OH FUCKING SHIT
OH SHIT OH SHIT I JUST REALIZED
“do you remember what I said when I granted you this power?” omg. DNA. oh my god oh my god
THANK FUCKING GOD?!?! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO ME, CHRIST
jesus. okay so he says One for All won’t transfer to a new recipient unless the user wills it to
so it can’t be taken by force, but he does interestingly point out that it can be passed on to someone else without their consent. which is true, and something I hadn’t considered! if you got someone to unknowingly take in some of your DNA (or hell, it doesn’t even have to be unknowingly, does it. can you also transfer One for All through makeouts or sexy times?? omg), you could pass the ability to them without their knowledge. or even against someone’s will. though I have no idea why anyone would ever want to do that
(ETA: actually, it’s since occurred to me that there is at least one scenario where someone might be forced to do that, and that’s to prevent the quirk from falling into All for One’s hands once again. and now I really want a plot line in which Deku is forced to do this. talk about the ultimate sacrifice play. I don’t necessarily see it happening in the series -- although it would be amazing!! -- but my god I would read the shit out of that fanfic. just so long as it has a happy ending in which Deku escapes and One for All is restored back to him, though. oh man. now I’m thinking about this wayyyy too much hahaha.)
he says One for All comes from another quirk!
ALL FOR ONE?!
-- it ROBS others of their quirks omg
okay so obviously All for One must have this quirk. and I mean, it’s the perfect villain quirk. it ties into what’s been going on with the Noumus. and most importantly, it’s the antithesis of All Might’s own (former) quirk. One for All vs. All for One. literally doesn’t get more balanced than that
exactly like with the Noumus
calling it right fucking now, someone Deku knows is going to have their quirk stolen
imagine if it was Bakugou. and all of a sudden he was rendered quirkless. the thing he despises the most. omg. I think I mentioned in a previous post that I know we’re gonna get some Baku angst at some point, and now that I know this is fucking possible, holy shit. it really could happen, maybe. omg
(ETA: lol get ready for all my speculation from the Forest Training Camp arc up until basically the end of the Hideout Raid arc to be tinted by this lens. I fucking spooked myself a bit there.)
okay so apparently this all started back when quirks were just becoming a thing. so we’re talking a ways back. and I guess that makes sense, given that Deku is supposedly the ninth-gen user of One for All
so basically when quirks first came onto the scene, it was like X-Men. everything was in upheaval, people were scared of people with quirks, and basically no one knew what to do and society went nuts
but some guy came along and “brought the people together”
wow the dude fucking took over the entire country of Japan. I would fucking hope Deku had heard of this guy, then?
he has heard of it, but only through “rumors”, and he thought it was all made up. apparently they kept this incident out of the textbooks. so this guy’s influence must be extraordinary even now
now All Might’s explaining how One for All came about from all of this!
just like fucking Noumu omg
that’s what I just said, Deku. geez. fine I’ll be quiet
so All Might says that in some cases when people were granted quirks, their quirks mutated and blended together
omg
holy shit
so he had a quirk that did nothing except allow itself to be passed down to someone else. but then for some unknown reason, Big Bad gives him a crazy powerful new quirk, and that new quirk merges with the passing-down quirk
can I just quickly say, I love that the brothers’ original quirks were so closely related, since it makes sense what with them being blood related
All Might says justice is always born from evil. that’s a good line, dammit
Deku’s asking so then how can that original guy from all those years ago still be around. I’m guessing he must have stolen some sort of immortality quirk
and All Might theorizes the same
holy shit. so the brother kept opposing him but couldn’t beat him, so he ended up passing his quirk on to the next generation, and the cycle kept repeating itself again and again
(ETA: I couldn’t think of where else to put this, but I just wanted to mention that since One for All works by stockpiling power -- meaning its power increases with every subsequent generation -- this means that Deku is destined to become even stronger than All Might, and that’s so damn exciting.)
what?! that’s all the detail you’re going to go into about this part??
so anyways, this is why he hadn’t told Deku about this yet. because of the whole “you’re destined to have to face this guy yourself one day, maybe” thing. wow
he’s more Dumbledore than I originally thought
but Deku is pretty damn Gryffindor
oh my god ;_;
the fact that he said “as long as you’re with me...”
and now All Might is looking so fucking anguished all of a sudden
oh my god don’t be dying. please don’t be dying All Might
oh god
oh my god. don’t tell me it’s what I thought earlier. that once you give up One for All that’s it and you’re doomed. please don’t let that be the case. if it comes to him thinking he’s going to die, I’d rather it be from the injury. like, something about how modern medicine can only do so much. because at least then there’s hope that someone will come along with some miracle cure quirk or something, maybe. but if his own quirk is killing him, then there probably isn’t anything that can be done, and I don’t know if I can handle that after the bond that these two have formed!! I don’t care if it’s thematically perfect!!
(ETA: ***SPOILER WARNING FOR CHAPTER 131***)
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okay so! this has finally been explained and of course, it’s perfect. the idea of a prophecy is something I didn’t see coming, but once Nighteye’s quirk was established, it made a whole lot of sense. and yet somehow if you can believe it, I still didn’t see it coming lol.
but I like this a lot! because it works as both something that feels inevitable, and something that the characters are determined to fight nonetheless. and it adds an ominous clock-ticking-down feel to everything that’s going to come after this point. although I’ve only read one chapter since then, lol, so I don’t actually have any idea where this is going to head just yet.
but anyway, I’m just happy it was finally addressed, and that Deku’s reaction was as angsty as I could have hoped for, and that All Might’s subsequent response was more perfect than I could have ever dared to dream, and have I mentioned to you guys how much I love Toshinori and Deku’s relationship because oh my god. I love it so damn much.
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(END SPOILERS)
ALL OF A SUDDEN WE’RE CUTTING BACK TO CLASS A. FINE. GOOD. LET’S PUT THESE FEELS ON HOLD FOR NOW
Aizawa says summer break is approaching. I feel like this is a good time to pause for a sec and take stock of who is still fifteen and who is sixteen, because I realized the other day that Bakugou’s April birthday means he’s among the oldest in the class (ETA: in fact he is the oldest), and already turned sixteen before the sports festival
okay, so Aoyama, Hagakure, Satou, and Kaminari have already had their birthdays for sure, and Deku, Iida, Sero, and Mina either also just turned sixteen or they’re going to shortly, because they all have birthdays in the back half of July, and the Japanese summer break is usually in August
interestingly (well it is to me), Todoroki is actually one of the youngest kids in 1-A; his birthday’s not till January. the only younger ones are Kouda, Tsuyu, and Shouji of all people (Shouji you sure are a big guy aincha)
okay now back to your regularly scheduled programming
oooh Aizawa says they’re going to a summer break forest lodge!! yessss omg. this immediately sounds amazing
lol these kids have seriously misinterpreted what kind of trip this is going to be. what fucking school do you all think you’re attending here
yeeees this is my favorite thing, not even gonna pretend. I wonder just how many fanfics are set during this arc hahaha
Aizawa says that if any of them fail the end of term exam, they’ll be stuck in school, and I guess that means they miss out. YOU’D ALL BETTER PASS THEN. EXCEPT MINETA -- YOU CAN GO TO HELL
aww, poor Deku is still sitting there completely distracted by his conversation with Dumbledore -- I mean All Might -- earlier
he really didn’t. and I’ll try not to let any associations with Dumbledore cloud my fondness for that bravest and most selfless and noble of men, the Symbol of Motherfucking Peace, who just doesn’t want to dump all of this on Deku just now, and wants to let him be able to enjoy school and being a kid for as long as he can like normal
and I mean, similarities aside, All Might never pulled any shit like dumping Deku in an abusive household for eleven years, or basically raising him for slaughter and keeping mum about a prophecy that said he had to die
so yeah. All Might, you’re good
my god this has been a good chapter 59
oh my god we’re cutting to THE OTHER END OF THE SKYPE CHAT OH MY GOD. HOLD ME I CAN’T BREATHE
WHERE’S YOUR HEAD OH MY GOD I CAN’T TAKE IT?!
he’s chatting with some mad scientist-looking guy
so he has that same regeneration quirk that the Noumu had, but he received it after All Might wounded him. actually, his fight with All Might was supposed to have taken place five years prior to the start of the series (so six years ago), right? so that would mean he only just got the regeneration power recently
OH SHIT!!!!!
YESSSSSSSSSSS
OH MY GOD HE’S PERFECT. EXACTLY AS CREEPY AND THREATENING AS HE NEEDS TO BE. THE LACK OF EYES REALLY HELPS. WHAT WITH THEM BEING THE WINDOW TO THE SOUL, IT’S ONLY FITTING THAT THIS GUY DOESN’T HAVE ANY
SERIOUSLY, IT IMMEDIATELY MAKES HIM THAT MUCH MORE THREATENING IN MY BRAIN, JUST, LIKE, INSTINCTIVELY. LIKE A SLENDERMAN VIBE ALMOST
and he says All Might should enjoy this “transient peace” while he still can
holy fucking shit
I’m so fucking hyped omg. like this dude absolutely can be the final villain for the next 140 or 240 or 540 chapters, however long it takes to tell the rest of this story. he’s got it. All for One. so fucking perfect holy shit
#bnha#boku no hero academia#makeste reads bnha#jirou kyouka#midoriya izuku#all might#all for one#bnha manga spoilers#someone please tell me why all for one is always sitting there watching these monitor screens though#I don't care if he has infrared vision or not#how is that going to help with those#is it just for the aesthetic or what
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Safe (a little sequel to "impressive"?)
NONE OF THE CHARACTERS BELONG TO ME THEY ALL BELONG TO @BRUEKLYNN ONLY I OWN NOTHING.
U dont really have to read "impressive", but you may get really confused about what are the characters talking about here and wat happend bc the idea is like lil sequel to that fanfic. Something before we get to some action fanfic guys! also sorry bc one of the characters is a little OOC here (or maybe even both!) enjoy if you can lol.
Its been two hours since rob was searching for jim to ask him for his opinion about the new script he wrote for the new jokey episode. The proplem is, he cant find the stuttery storyboarder anywhere in sight! He looked in many rooms, He asked a lot of people if they saw him, with only samuel replying to him that jim was running away strangely like he was in a hurry, before telling rob to leave his office. Rob didnt really understand why would jim run that quickly like this in the studio, he was always so cautious about every little action he takes, espicially with the 'dangerous' things to him, running in the studio is an example, he knows that jim would tell him that doing this have many bad outlooks. like, he may fall and break his bones! Or have a few scars on his face! Or maybe fall hardly to the point that the ground break down under him and fall to the second floor beneath! Thinking like that was a little funny to rob, he never met someone before with the same thinking method. But presently he was tring to give jim some excuses for running like he did, what if he maybe had a meeting that he was late for? or he forgot to do something important in his job? or he was alerted about something and wanted to tell everyone? Rob wont know the exact reason, but he hopes that jim had done whatever he needed to do and right know, Rob needs to find him to finish this script review before the night come, he was already too tired of searching for jim. It may be weird to think that someone would hide all day in one of the studio room until the night, but everyone told rob that jim was noticed to be absent from the view since hours. With no sign that he went out of the place, the only option left is that jim locked himself in one of the studio rooms, which is the last option Rob wanted to consider since the studio is reeaally big and have many many rooms there....
Rob was already exusted greetly, his legs in pain, He looked in every studio room out there, expect for five ones, and good thing for him those are the last five. Whats even better? they are all in the same hall. Finally! Jim must be in one of those five, and all what he have to do is open and close the doors. those rooms seem to be some kind of store rooms in the studio, with each one having random things stored inside it.
Rob walked to the first room in the right and opened it, wishing jim is already there. But he saw nothing but some music instruments, he closed the door and went to the second room in the left, opening the door, finding just a bunch of papers everywhere, closing the door in dissapointment again, this is really boring and he is tired and want to end this work now. He went to the third room in the right, he was about to open it but....suddenly before he do...he heard a voice...a very low and odd voice.....but the hall he is in was so quiet that the odd voice was the only thing that could be heard, other than rob own footsteps. It was a very unclear and inditinct sound...it looked like it was coming from behind him, which was the forth door in the left, that is right behind him. It must be for jim right? Who else could it be for? Jim is the only one who must have locked himself in that room. When rob moved softly near to where the audio is coming from, the voice started to become a little more clear, but when rob drew his head near that door he tried to figure about what this voice is saying or who is he talking with. but he couldnt understand a word, perhaps those are not words and this is..........is this sobbing?....no.....he hoped that this is not what he is thinking about right now........he was really very worried about what is happening inside.........he even forgot about his whole purpose when he was searching for jim and just wanted to check if he is alright there.....he slowly moved the door handle and moved it down to open that door only to be greeted by..........
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"
"AHHHHHH!!!!!"
Jim screamed in fear and jumped so high when rob opened the door, breathing so heavily and hardly! on the other hand, rob screamed when jim did out of that sudden move, he just jumped a few steps to the back, he did it! he found jim! But before he utter any word he saw jim and..........he was highly startled by what he saw........jim face........all of it was......so ruddy......even his freckles were very hard to be noted under all of this redness..... his eyes...so puffy....so dark.... so swollen.....so dry......dry because all of the tears inside were used....the traits of the endless river of those salty drops that streamed down his tight face were etched on it as if he had been crying since forever....even some drops were still falling from his chin....his face was wet, on every inch of it......his shirt and hands even drenched....
".........Jim!............." " r-r-rob!.....I-I-I!..........I-I.....I....." jim whole body was trembling....he couldnt bring himself to say something.....how can he explain now? he looked like if he is trying to hold himself up strong...but he just..... gave up....collapsing on his knees, looking at the ground woefully. Rob was dolorous to the scene in front of him...he never thought that one day he will see something like that happen to one of the dearest people to him...... he tried with tender steps to approach his quivering friend, when he did.....he sat on his knees too, very placidly putting his hands on jim fallen face to make him look at him....but looking at jim crying face only made his heart sink....sink deep to places he never knew where there...it seemes that rob had a spot for his friend. That was a horrid thing that rob didnt want to witness again, Or jim...That cordial gloss that favoured jim eyes was no longer there... The look in them were so lonesome. The glint they had that revealed a world of darkness, his eyes revealed it all. The dark, colourless eyes that mourned his despair....rob gloomily moved his hand gently up and down his soulmate wet cheek, as if telling him that he will be ok, everything is alright now, he gave him one last sad look before starting to talk.
" ...What happend?..... " jim eyes went to the ground, the muscles of his chin tremble like a small child, despite the consolation feelings from his friend warm soft hands on his tensed face, he couldnt bring himself to speak of what happened, what if this ilwas a stupid reason to cry or to be afraid of? Rob waited for an answer, but it never came, he could sense that jim still have some doubt and terror inside him. Rob closed his eyes with a sigh, pressing his hands on jim face to make him focus on his once more "....jim....you are a very dear friend to me....my best friend...my soulmate....I really feel so worried about you...know that whatever happend...im here with you...I will always support and be next to you in whatever goes....I cant be fine when I see you like this...you can tell me anything you want to..I promise that I wont tell anyone...and will help you in whatever you need...please let me be a shoulder to you..and let me understand whatever bother you...." jim was....moved by what he just heard...that reminded him of how much lucky he is to have someone in his life like Rob, oh how much he loved being with him. He forced his desperate neck to look in the eyes of his understanding soulmate, he wanted so bad to be able to start narrating the story.
" R-Rob...can I tell you s-something?...." " ofcourse! You can tell me anything! " ".....I....sometimes rob....I....really w-wish that...I had a...n-normal childhood like all t-the other people...." he paused for a few seconds because that was something he wasnt certain he should talk about, rob looked at him with a confused face. " you s-see.....I-I just wished t-to run around in an o-o-open feild after butterflies like everyone...p-play in those small playgrounds in the b-backyards...d-draw with those colorful watercolor p-paints without being s-so scared to touch them...I-I-I just w-wish I was given t-the opportunity to try new things l-like all the others, without my freedom b-being held back by 'them'....if I j-just had a better people that could h-help me grow u-up...Insted Of Having A M-M-Man That Always Make Me Scream In Fright E-Every Moment He Comes home! A-And Cry Myself To S-Sleep!..." jim didnt know if he felt better or not after admitting everything...rob listened to him with every detail...he understands it all now... ".......jim.....I....Im sorry.....I-I understand you had a troubled family...but its alright...you are away from them now...you are here with us...that 'man' was all just a bad memory from the past..." ".......no.......worse......he wasnt j-just a memory... h-he was here.....h-here in the studio....h-he was trying to get me....a-again...pull me back to h-his drakness...He a-almost catched me...but t-thanks the gods samuel w-was there to save me..." rob got confused again, he thought jim was talking about his bad childhood, but it was more. He stopped. He gets what really happened now. Linking together what jim and samuel told him, he connected all the puzzle pieces together now. Jim father was here in the studio hours ago, jim saw him and fled away quickly, with samuel saving him in the last moment before being captured. Jim looked at rob, looking broken " r-r-rob!....I-I-I cant let him s-see me again...I-If he had me in his hands one more time....h-he.....h-h-h-h-h-h-h-he......" that last part was choppy as if jim tongue got tangled, his body shivering again, looking down in sorrow
" Jim "
The shy storyboarder, shakingly looked up hearing his name being called, his eyes started having a tenuous layer of water over them. Rob didnt speak a word. Insted, He opened his arms, as if telling his friend to come over here, rest his head on his shoulders, lay on him, and let it all out....jim understood it, he was taken aback by rob sudden genial offer, but he accepted it, crawling to him, then wrapping his shuddered lanky arms around his friend, resting his lumbering head on his best friend strong chest, feeling his mild heartbeats. Hearing it reminded jim of the nice and tenderness waves he feels when he is with rob. Who just closed his eyes and toke him in a sympathetic embrace.
Without hisetance, The tears burst forth like water from a dam, spilling down his face, unceasingly, hands clutching at his holder back, who held him in silence. Perhaps these tears will help wash the blood out. He pressed his head against his friend chest, hoping that those heartbeats will soothe him down just like the patting in his back do. There is a static in his head once more, the side effect of this constant fear, constant stress he lives with. He hears his own sounds, like a distressed child, raw from the inside. It takes something out of him he didnt know he had left to give. That's the way it is when people are hard. It's like a theft of the spirit, an injury no other person can see. Rob held him in silence, rocking him slowly as the tears soaked his chest, a tiny lapse let jim pull away, blinking lashes heavy with tears, before he collapse again, his howls of misery worsening. The pain must have come in waves, minutes of sobbing broken apart by short pauses for recovering breaths, before hurling him back into the outstretched arms of his grief.
" Shhhhhhhh.....Shhhhhh.....its alright jim.....you are here with me....in my arms you will be safe.....you are safe now.....you are safe...."
Just a few more minutes and jim was done, he now really feels better, he feela.....safe....a feeling he didnt encounter for such a long time ago, in Rob arms all his troubles have been washed away, how much can he be thankful to have him here with him? He lift his head after that break down to look at the script writer in gratitude, trying to find the right words to say, But before he do rob placed his hands on jim shoulders, making jim back stright, rob stared for momebt into his eyes.
" Now I want you to take a breathe and, inhale.....exhale....inhale....exhale" jim was taking deep breathes after rob. feeling the remaining weigh of stress go away.
" Now I want you to repeat after me..... My name is jim gooder. " " M-My name is j-jim gooder....." " I am a talented storyboarder. " "I-I am a t-talented storyboarder......" " and I have many friends who are by my side." " a-and I have m-many friends who are by m-my side....." jim stopped for a moment, he felt that he was a new person now, like he was reborn again. While rob gave him a friendly smile, feeling so happy for his dear soulmate recovery.
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