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themadauthorshatter · 3 years

Text

So... I've been watching KH rewrites.

And while I'm not rewriting ALL of Kingdom Hearts, but I have a few ideas to change 358/2 days:

The organization has an agenda: find and kill Sora, Riku, and Kairi so they can stay out of the way, but with Sora sleeping, Kairi safe on Destiny Islands, and Riku running all over the place, their jobs just got harder.

The change the title to 358/3 days, because Axel's in on this too. This is the sea salt TRIO we're dealing with, not sea salt duo.

We see a majority of Roxas's beginner days, like before, but in between them, we see Xion with Axel, mainly because Xemnas trusts him enough to be able to incapacitate Xion, if she gets too fired up.

Oh yeah, Xion doesn't really look up and smile at Roxas when she first sees him. In game, her mouth just opens in a gasp and she clenches a fist. In her first days, she's strictly in 'attack anything that comes near me' mode because she's scared and confused. We see it happen when Demyx waves a hand in front of her face and she literally jiu jitsu throws him to the ground.

Xion stares at Roxas and Axel and follows them individually. Axel finds it creepy and warns her not to get any ideas while Roxas pretends not to notice.

Xemnas is more proactive, checking on and somewhat favoring Roxas and Xion, Roxas more than Xion at first before fully switching over to team Xion. Everyone notices, especially Larxene, and it's not a good thing. Except for Axel, who's okay to stay out of Xemnas's attention.

Larxene is a bitch. As in she not only tells Roxas to not use his keyblade, but also to hold still so she can kick him.

Lexeaus is a little kinder. He does still hit Roxas within an inch of his life, but he lets Roxas hit back, as hard as he can. Roxas does so, hitting him in the side, like by the abs, but not completely, and it only hurts Roxas more than Lexeaus, the big guy fights a pitied smile and tells him to try again. Roxas does so, hitting harder, and Lexeaus grunts and fakes it to look like Roxas really did hit him hard. Roxie boy apologizes, but Lexeaus brushes it off, complimenting that Roxas is a more than qorthy choice for the keyblade.

Zexion is not a fan of Roxas, because he looks too much like Ventus. He eventually has a silent kinshio with him and acts A LITTLE friendly towards him, but nothing serious.

Vexen has to be kept on a leesh so he doesn't lock Roxas in his lab and scientifically check him out. AT LEAST BEFORE HE GOES ON A MISSION WITH HIM. After that, he wants nothing to do with the kid.

Axel is a little weirded out by Roxas, at first, but warms up to him.

Marluxia is a little creepy in that while he trains with Roxas, like practice missions, he gets face caress-y and Roxas later asks Axel if he can not go on missions with Marluxia.

Xemans does not get like that with either of Roxas or Xion; all he does is ruffle/play with their hair and pat their back and shoulder.

AND XEMNAS ISN'T PORTRAYED AS A VILLAIN UP-FRONT. IN A PERFECT WORLD, THIS IS RELEASED BEFORE KH2!!!!!!

Saïx sees Axel's growing connections with Roxas and Xion, and he gets meaner because of it.

Roxas has his own version of anti-form or rage form, in the form of non-form, where he takes on a look very much like a mix of the samurai and dusk nobodies; he's bendy, fast, and hard as shot to lock onto, target-wise, but get hit and there's next to nothing that's going to save you. Roxas can only use non-form when he has no other optiin, and that's because he hates using it with a burning passion. Whenever he uses it, he has a hard time seeing things, so he relies on his hearing and any bright lights that catch his attention. Game wise, this is his limit break. When his health is low, non-form is activated with a cool looking transformation.

Non-form is the reason why Roxas is Xemnas's favorite, at first.

Xion doesn't talk to Roxas at all when they go on missions together, at least not until Roxas goes into non-form to save her, even though she doesn't really need saving.

Demyx was initially chosen to watch Roxas, but he saw the kid, newborn, scared, and confused, go into non-form and damn near attack him until Xemnas kicked him away. Saïx was the runner uo, but he gave the role to Axel, who successfully calmed Roxas down enough for the newbie to return to normal.

Xion warms up to Roxas, but is cold towards Axel, who returns the feeling, but also makes a deal with her; in front of Roxas, they have to play nice together or else Saïx is going to snitch to Xemans, who will have Xion ripped apart piece by piece until there's no putting her back together. Behind Roxas's back, however, they can fight all they want, as much as they want. Hell, they can even try to kill each other. BUT ONLY BEHIND ROXAS'S BACK SO HE DOESN'T SEE IT HAPPEN.

Roxas is given pretty lenient missions and it's not just because of his connection to Sora and Ven. It's also because of how unstable Non-form is.

Oh, yeah. Roxas hallucinates and hears both Sora AND Ventus, but it's only when things get too quiet. Xemnas has Axel keep an eye on him because he made friends with Ventus as Lea and had contact with Sora. If anything, the redhead can keep Roxas stable enough for them to bring him to Castle Oblivion and find Ven, when he's ready.

And he'll be ready when he dual wields keyblades, which Xemnas KNOWS wil happen because he's Xehanort and Xehanort apparently knows all.

He doesn't know enough because there's another person who can dual wield: Xion.

Xion is still a replica, but this time is made with fractures of Kairi's and Sora's hearts, Kairi being able to wield a keyblade because it got passed down from Aqua to her by accident and Sora because he's Sora.

When Axel is sent to Castle Oblivion and is reported as gone, Roxas's reaction is much more severe. First mission with Xigbar goes fine until the end, where Roxas not only gets hallucinations of Sora and all that, but also because he's experiencing a new emotion: GRIEF. He goes into Non-form and goes insane. Xigbar directs him to a dark corridor, where he's released right into the castle in The World That Never Was and starts destroying anything amd everything that moves before going all aroung the castle.

It soon becomes a really darkly comedic game of Catch The Kid Without Killing Him Or Letting Him Leave To Another World.

No one's fully successful, except for Saïx, who also goes berserk to stop and hold him so Xemnas can collect him. Roxas struggles in Saïx's arms and lets out scream after scream until Xemnas comes to get him and snap him out of it.

Roxas leaves Non-form and is led to his room by Xemnas, who compliments his ability to imitate emotions, despite not remembering how to.

Roxas, already trying to keep it together, breaks down again, and Xemnas holds him close, letting him get it all out, and explains that this is why they fight and need to fight warriors of the light, including Sora, Riku, and Kairi.

After that, Roxas is only allowed on recon missions until he's stable again.

It's fine though, because Axel makes it back a week later, saying he got knocked unconscious by Sora. He escaped and made it out a-okay, leavung out the part where he may have merced Vexen and Zexion.

Roxas is still glad.

Axel reports to Xemnas and Saïx and euns into Xion.

The threat still remains, but he's still playing nice for Roxas's sake.

Over time, Axel and Xion learn to get along and even become friendly enough to be sarcastic and jokey with each other.

It also helps that Xion also deals with hallucinations and her way of dealing with them is by running. Axel and Roxas followed her and came face to face with a GIANT heartless, maybe a more threatening version of the Dark Side.

All three fight it, but it knocks Xion and Axel away, the redhead gets up and is almost smashed into the ground before Xion lunges, going into her armored form. Roxas follows as well, in his Non-form.

The two make quick work of the heartless amd Roxas struggles to turn himself back, where Xion does it perfectly.

Axel compliments the work, but hugs onto Roxas before he can lash out at a frightened Xion, telling him to play nice or they're not having any more playdates and he'll be locked in his room 24/7.

Roxas turns back and he and a surprised Xion pass out, leaving Axel to groan at having all the icky jobs; he got the crap beaten out of him amd wants to pass out with the two children, but instead has to carry them back to the castle so neither die on his watch.

They all recuperate and pat themselves on the back for their victory.

Xemnas congratulates them as well, having let himself in the infirmary because he heard what happened.

Axel reports that they're all fine and the heartless is gone, and Xemnas is more than glad to hear it, at least before her turns to Roxas and asks if he was hurt, putting a hand on his shoulder.

He's fine, just a little dizzy, but fine.

Xemnas is more than glad to hear it, pushing back Roxas's bangs and playing with his hair a little before leaving them all to heal, ignoring Xion entirely.

She doesn't take it personally and instead remarks about how nice it was of Xemans to join them, for once.

Axel agrees with the sentiment and makes Roxas and Xion promise that they're won't be anymore surprise runaways like that again.

They agree, though Xion asks if surprise ice cream can be exempt.

Axel smiles and exempts surprise icecream.

They all become real friends after this point, and it includes them poking fun at each other("Er, I don't know my past so I'm gonna go Saïx berserk on anyone who asks, der, der, der"), sarcasm(Xion: "There really is no hiding from Saïx, is there?" Axel: "Well, there's always under Xigbar's bed, but no one's ever returned, so tell me how it goes."), and light name calling, like hot head, burning britches, and smoke and more smoke for Axel, hoodie and emo band for Roxas, and little miss pissed off for Xion, because she's funny to make annoyed and angry.

And they try more than sea salt icecream, like doughnuts, cakes, and eventually healthier foods that are still sweet.

Roxajs and Xion gonon missions together and eventually start more than a friendship.

Axel keeps an eye on them whenever he can and begins lying to Xemnas, saying neither are really progressing with their powers, but are maintaining, so there's that at least. Xemans is not convinced and asks an old question, considering how Axel has possibly the best memory out of everyone here: What happened to Sora? Axel feigns ignorance, because he TOTALLY helped Sora take out Marluxia.

Okay, but what about Naminé? More ignorance because she up and vanished. Maybe Sora stole her away or something, who knows? Teenagers do weird things.

Xemnas, more than a little fed up, notes that Axel's getting close to Rozas and Xion and admits that as much of a shame as it would be to waste resources, it'd be even more tragic to lose their own numbers, maybe even Saïx as well, despite how cold he's turned toward Axel. If it makes him feel better, he doesn't need to do the 'icky job,' Saïx can do it for him and he can simply watch.

Axel steps down and Xemnas twlls hom to tell the truth next time, if he doesn't want to lose anymore friends.

There will be a part 2 of this

#kingdom hearts #kh 358/2 days #kh roxas #kh xemnas #kh axel #kh xion #sea salt trio #kind of a rewrite #there will be an eventual part 2 #kh saix

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shiversdownyerspine · 3 years

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10. Douse

Still alive and kickin, I can’t be stopped!

18+

Expected to be set back on your feet as Axel reaches your screen door, you feel your face flush when you realize he fully intends to carry you out like this in front of his brothers.

At the sound of the handle turning with a creak, you promptly start flailing.

"Axel I can walk, you know I can walk! Let me down!"

Your cries falls on deaf ears. The relentless man releases the door handle to adjust his grip; the hand on your thigh slides higher, taking your dress with it, while his other grabs the back of your knee. Thrashing reduced to a much more controllable wiggling, he kicks the door open and steps into the sunlight.

Squirming and praying your rear is still covered, you try a different angle, "I will answer any questions you have about my Phase, I promise!"

That brings him to a stop. You brace your hands as close to his shoulders as you can and push off, shoving yourself backwards to his front.

With a gasp you slide down his chest as his hand cups your side to steady your quick descent. Your bare feet lightly pat atop the stone of the patio. The oh so cold wet stone.

Jolting at the chill, you look around the watery murder scene before turning your attention to the two culprits standing face to face like they're in some sort of showdown; Otto and Oscar, to their credit, have pristine feet. But at the cost of becoming drowned rats.

You hold back laughter, but allow a wide smile. Their hair is an utter mess.

Otto and Oscar are ripped from their stalemate at the sound of your voice, "I'm sorry to say, but you're going to have to put your water war on pause. We should get this started before the weather takes a turn."

Your next sentence you mutter just loud enough, "That and before a certain somebody gets impatient. And tries to carry people again."

The hand still at your side gives a soft warning squeeze that has you quickly scurrying over in the direction of your patio furniture before he can grab you up. You're not going to take any chances, you'd like to keep your feet on the ground thank you very much.

The younger brothers glance up at the sky to see rain clouds on the horizon. They wander closer to the cottage as you check and make sure the flower bushes close to ground zero haven't been completely flooded. Otto rewraps the hose as Oscar tries to squeeze out as much water as he can from his sweater. After securing the coils back on the hook, Otto slumps down in one of your wooden chairs. Sliding the messy locks of his hair out of his face, he gives Oscar the stink eye as his brother flops even more gracelessly down in the matching chair next to him.

Oscar pauses, taking a closer look at what you're wearing, and smacks Otto's elbow with the back of his hand. Otto glares at his sibling before his attention is directed to you. Admiration lightly flushes the large man's cheeks as Oscar grins at his reaction. Your usual wear is adorable, but they would kill to see you in something light and flowy like this again...and judging from the possessive hand Axel has rested at your back after he makes his way to you, he approves as well.

Trying not to focus entirely on the warmth of the eldest brother's hand, you step carefully to the wooden bench sitting adjacent to the chairs. Taking a seat, your feet lift quickly from the chilly shallow lake below as Axel follows close behind you.

Sitting beside you, the man pulls your knife from his pocket, and begins with a simple, "Explain this."

Your eyes flash stubbornly. Did he really think you were going to make this easy for him? After his earlier stunt? Right.

As innocently as you can, you reply, "Axel that's a paring knife. You cook, you should really know this."

Oscar chokes his laugh down as Otto clears his throat. Unbeknownst to the two of you, the younger brothers had actually been locked in water combat for only a short time; earlier on Otto had gotten distracted by you and Axel, and Oscar had noticed where his tallest brother's attention had been directed. You both have had a captive audience pretty much the entire time.

At least until Axel had made his way over to the screen door with you tossed over his shoulder. Oscar had immediately grabbed the hose and did what he had to do to hide any sign of their guilty observation and eavesdropping. Otto hadn't been amused, but he begrudgingly understood that they may have needed some sort of alibi.

Axel's nostrils flare, his eyes narrowing as he thumbs along the blade.

He drawls, "What do you do with it."

Keeping a straight face is becoming a bit difficult. He is making this too much fun for you.

With slight confusion you reply, "...It's...it's in the name."

The silence from Axel nearly breaks Oscar. Otto has his poker face on and appears unaffected by your antics, but the mirth in his eyes tells a different story.

As for Axel? He betrays almost nothing, maybe a mild frustration at best. But his brothers would bet money that their older sibling is resisting some rather...lustful urges right now. Your teasing bothers the eldest in the worst way...or maybe the best.

Your eyes fall to the knife in Axel's hand. Might as well get this show on the road.

"...But yes, I do use it differently. I use it as an aid for my ability. When I want to change into my Phase, that knife provides me with a method that gives me the most control. If I vary the depth of the cut, I can adjust the time I spend in my Phase."

Oscar glances at the little unassuming tool before asking, "Change for what?"

You shift on the bench, getting a little more comfortable.

"Well. When I first started living here, my forest and lake were in pretty poor condition. Garbage and filth had been left sitting for years, which meant the soil was being smothered by water that couldn't drain the way it needed to. Because of the waterlogging, many of the trees developed root rot."

Cocking your head to the side, you recall the information provided by your environment books. You had spent countless hours reading and notetaking, determined to restore your childhood home.

"Root rot isn't the most dangerous thing, but it can be tricky to identify in its early stages. A little less than half of the pines were infected, a good amount too far gone. Their root systems had basically been turned to mush."

You worried for a moment you were boring the three who may have been expecting something more thrilling, but they appeared to be listening quite intently. They had mentioned hunting and fishing in their lives, so you'd have to remember these three weren't just assassins, they were woodsmen. Maybe this was right up their alley?

"So! The biggest problem I had at the end of the day, was identifying pines in early stages of rot. Not to mention a lack of tools to do so. But I knew that my ability affected my senses, and thought maybe I could use that."

Otto murmurs, "Better senses?"

You pause, "...Yes and no. Um...take my eyesight for example, my night vision. My eyes are better at night but are more sensitive to light, kind of like..an owl's. So in that aspect, it's situational. Better at night, weaker in the day. If there is anything I can call 'better' outright, it'd be my hearing and balance. But not by much."

Fidgeting with the hem of your dress, you fight back bashfulness at talking about a part of your ability that is particularly...bestial.

"When I was in my forest in my Phase, I..was using smell. Normally you smell root rot from the soil, it'll be bad...swampy. But with time and practice, I could smell the rot itself. I can't really describe it other than it's very...heavy."

Decay in particular stood out to you; a combination of sharp and dark, old and new and lost. You count yourself very lucky that you had no urges to consume those types of things, given the peculiar animalness of your ability.

"So, that's what I use my knife for."

You lean against the side of the bench, folding your arms over your belly as you think. There was something else...

"Oh right! You wanted to know um...why I didn't attack you three the first time? To put it simply, instinct plays a part in what I choose to perceive as a threat when I'm in my Phase. It's...decently reliable."

Otto shifts, grimacing at the wet feel of his long johns sticking to his skin, before asking, "To you, not a threat?"

A soft sigh leaves your lips, "I haven't really been in many dangerous situations in my life. But uh...when you three caught me...there was no sinking, overpowering, awful sensation. It was quiet. I was really nervous, definitely, but it felt like...I could wait? So I did."

You smile a little, "Besides, my healing gives me a little more wiggle room in terms of patience."

Oscar shuffling in his seat draws your attention; he does not appear to be happily enduring the texture of his soaked turtleneck, and his frustration is mounting. Refusing to be trapped and uncomfortable any longer, he slips his suspenders off his shoulders and drags the article of clothing up and off his body.

With flushed cheeks, you watch him drop the sweater onto the arm of his chair and relax half-naked in his seat. You try to distract yourself from the handsome man, to rip your eyes away before you're caught.

You succeed, much to your relief. Only that relief is temporary as your eyes land on Otto, whose clinging long johns have been rendered nearly see-through and what were you talking about again?

When Oscar returns his attention to you to see you tense and cheeks practically glowing with your gaze riveted to your knees, he smirks. Oh sweetheart, you can look if you want, they won't bite.

Well. Not too hard at least.

Besides, they've all been looking at you for quite some time. Not to mention having some not very polite daydreams involving you. Do you think of them too? Of their hands and mouths on you, fingers and tongues inside of you, bodies pressed tight against yours?

Curiously, he looks to Axel, whose interest is still on the knife...except its not, not at all. He's watching you, eyes half-lidded with a wicked spark glimmering in their depths. He'd seen your reactions, and if Oscar had to guess, was having some more indecent thoughts of you right now.

You're trying to convince yourself that the burning gazes you feel are simply the brothers thinking of questions...but if that's all it is, why do you feel so naked?

You squirm; it's probably just in your head, but you can't bring yourself to look up and meet their eyes just yet. You need something to keep the ball rolling, before this silence stretches on for too long.

Well...there is something that's been on your mind lately...

"...If..If you don't mind me asking you all a question?"

That seems to break the trance they were in, curiosity pushing through.

Axel encourages, "Go on."

You approach the question gingerly, "Alright..so doing the work that you do...I'd imagine one of your stronger instincts would be protecting yourselves and each other. Avoid hesitation...shoot first ask questions later? And...well?.....you all saw some..weird...woman?..animal?!?..looking thing! With glowing eyes, like something out of a nightmare. Why did you let me live?"

The silence and quiet shifting of their bodies that follows your question is enough to draw your eyes up from your knees.

The brothers had their gazes fixed on you, but after they have processed your inquiry, they falter. Oscar and Otto look to Axel, to you, and to each other. You watch them under your lashes the entire time, a little surprised to see them so...unsure. Axel had settled against the back of the seat, thinking. He seemed far away, lost in old memory.

Otto keeps his eyes trained on his hands where they rest...were his ears a bit red?

He mutters something and his brothers look to him in mild surprise.

He clears his throat and tries again, carefully, "Not..night hag...dream? You are...story?"

Scowling with frustration, Otto sighs, "Jävla engelska."

Oscar elaborates, "From fairytale."

Their admission brings back bittersweet memories.

Content to reminisce, yet a little forlorn, your eyes fall to the water that has submerged the stone floor of your patio.

"You know. When I first discovered what I was..or..what I wasn't?..the very first thing I did was grab any fairytale books I could find. Folklore, myths and legends, anything. We didn't have a very good collection though, and many were basically the same stories, but I had to be sure. In the end, there wasn't anything really like me in them. Of course."

It had been disheartening. You had been so naive; you had thought that maybe you could have found some kind of answer or reason for being the way you were, some kind of history or even family. Myths and tales had to come from somewhere, right? Hold some speck of truth.

Wanting to do something about the soft, sad expression on your face, Oscar lightheartedly teases, "Werewolf?"

It works.

Biting your lip, a grin slips through with a giggle, "I considered maybe something like that, but since there was no..changing under a full moon, I crossed it off the list."

You fidget, a little sheepish as you admit, "I still read any new fairytale books I can find in town. I'm not exactly looking for anything anymore, but...well, habit is habit I suppose."

Every once in a while you'd pull a book from the small collection locked away in your bedroom to read as you were winding down for the night. That or to pass the time as your condition played Keep Away with your sleep.

Axel finally drifts out of the past to join in, "We were told stories in childhood. Women with tails, or hooves. Forest spirits."

Otto hums, "Skogsrå or Huldran."

Oscar grins, "Forest maiden."

When all three had laid eyes on you, they had to fight back the initial knee-jerk reaction that they had encountered a real mythical creature. After the three had retired to their guest room to regroup, a dazed Otto just sat on the bed and stared into nothing while Oscar had jokingly asked if they could keep you.

Half-jokingly.

Their curiosity about you had been...exceptional, but they still had manners they needed to mind. Drowning you in personal questions for hours and hours on end was too boorish, their mother had taught them better. They wouldn't subject their polite little hostess to such disrespect.

With a smile you say, "No tails or hooves here, just feathers and scales. And claws."

A ripple breaking the calm surface of water surrounding the bench has you peering up to an overcast sky. Maybe it would have been better to stay inside after all, but a light drizzle never hurt anyone. You can count yourself lucky that cold water doesn't bother your condition all that much...unless it's a cold season downpour.

The brothers look to your hands, recalling the new information you had revealed to Otto about your victim.

Axel leans in, "Tell us about claws."

You hesitate, considering your response, "Well...they're...basically made of keratin. I think. Like fingernails but stronger. They're not that long, so they can't really be called talons, but they help me grip and climb."

Otto questions, "Not fight?"

Flexing your fingers against the material of your dress, you speculate, "That's...I mean, if I took a swipe at someone I would probably leave a bit of a cut. Although if I went for the eyes that'd be a different story..."

Confusion crosses the brothers' faces. How exactly did you kill the man, then? Was it the adrenaline?

Axel asks what's on their minds, "Can't kill?"

You figured after everything you said to Otto that this would be coming.

"...I know what you're getting at. You want to know how I did..what I did."

You lock eyes with the eldest, bold as you simply state, "I won't be answering questions about that today."

Determination sets the oldest Swede's jaw, "You made a promise to tell everything. Was this a lie?"

Unsettled, you speak before you can think, "Everything about my First Phase, yes! I haven't lied!"

You clap your hands over your traitorous mouth.

Axel blinks, and then slowly, surely, his expression slides into something sly and victorious; you've revealed something quite interesting. Only for a moment do you bear witness to the brothers' growing intrigue before you cover your eyes, head bowing to hide your face in your hands in pure frustration.

Oscar's voice drifts into your ears, "First Phase? More than one?"

You groan, "See, this is my problem. I like you three too much and it makes me slip up in such stupid ways. Fudge muffins."

The three assassins perk up at the additional reveal of your fondness for them, carefully storing that particular little nugget of information away to be closely inspected at a later time. For now, their focus is elsewhere.

Before they can push for a little more clarification from you, a flash of lightning interrupts the conversation. Worried, you turn to the men with a frown.

"We should move this inside, Pumpkin really doesn't like thunderstorms. Not to mention the kittens will probably be scared too."

Oscar is the first to react to the information; leaning far to the side in his chair to peer at the screen door, he can make out a little ball of orange fluff curled tight against the door in misery. You stand, the brothers quick to follow in your lead.

As you head towards the door peering this way and that at your arms and legs, you mention, "Don't forget to check for spiders before heading in. It's been a while."

Otto grunts and the trio do a quick once-over as you pause by the hose to rinse your feet, watching Axel out of the corner of your eye.

Hm. He really didn't check all that carefully...you eye the hose, weighing the risk. Really though, don't you deserve a little revenge?

Yes, yes you do.

Instrument of justice in hand, you take aim and blast him with what water was left in the hose before you have the chance to talk some sense into yourself.

Surprisingly, all the man does is tense up, still like a statue. There's no grunt or bark of surprise, though maybe you heard a sharp intake of breath from him?

Hair disheveled and wide-eyed as water drips from his skin and clothes, he stares at you. His younger brothers mirror his disbelieving expression and you can't help but take pride in the thought that you've successfully surprised all three of them.

You offer him a simple explanation for the impromptu shower, backing slowly away from the hose towards the door to the cottage all the while.

"...You missed a spot."

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Jävla engelska- Fucking English

#the swedes #ikea mafia #tua swedes #the swedes x reader #umbrella academy swedes #tua axel #tua otto #tua oscar #axel x reader #otto x reader #oscar x reader #reader better run as fast as she can for some towels

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southslates · 3 years

Text

like an angry god

@kanejweek day four: darkness (corrupted ambition) / kanej / canon divergence - soulmates - one-shot - rated T / read on ao3! / 2007 words

Inej Ghafa comes to Ketterdam as part of a traveling circus. She doesn’t mean to enjoy the city, with its sharp architecture and cold edges, with its people who pray to kruge, but she does. There is something haunting in its corridors, something which whispers to her in its alleys. Inej is a gravity-defying girl, she is an acrobat and nothing more, but these late-night Kerch streets set fire to her bones. It is as if Ghezen has come alive to speak to her and tell her she could be more.

It's strange because she thinks she has everything. She also feels like she is missing something—not something that needs to be there, but some defining feature of her. She feels like she is spinning a wheel with a loose axel.

Ironically, she stumbles upon the Crow Club when Malik takes her in, wanting to try his hand at Makker’s Wheel. She indulges her cousin and lets him drag her into the lively business in the darkest hours of the night, knowing that they’re on break tomorrow. The Suli do not forbid fun, and they drink, Inej has drunk, but she does not want to in this strange city.

She ends up drinking anyway. She is caught up in the moment, caught up in the lights above the table, the large, large gambling hall, and almost in Salim, the friend Malik had brought with him to the club. Inej likes him, has always liked him, and the sight of him loosens her inhibitions. They loosen her inhibitions so far that she forgets him.

Inej wanders off across the hall, stopping to see the sheer variety of people who habit it: a white splatter of the upper-middle class of the Kerch, lazing away a Saturday; a collection of young children from Novyi Zem, laughing away in the corner; even a splashing of Fjerdans, staying away from alcohol and looking distrustfully at the numbers in front of them. It’s an experience, she can admit even halfway down her glass, eyes shining.

At some point she wanders over to a setting of Kerch men and women playing a game she doesn’t quite understand; they’re holding chips and laughing, cards dancing in front of their eyes. Inej has always been a quick study with these gambling games, though she detests playing; it’s something else the city has whispered into her mind, perhaps. It is the Ketterdam in her blood, though she’s certain she has never been here before. She has never been here before.

She sits at the table and picks up another glass. She will be fine; Malik and Salim are truly not that far away, she can see them from here. A women smiles at her with shark-teeth, daring her to down the cup in accented Kerch. Something in Inej does it, and then when she’s slid another one, she downs it again. Her eyes are uncharacteristically bright at the table, her head muddy.

It's only a moment later she’s in someone’s lap, between two people. It is the Kerch woman and another man, fitting her in the space between them. The woman’s hair is a rusty gold and the man has black hair and a gold tooth.

Inej may have drank too much, but she isn’t stupid. She blinks and sees that Malik and Salim are gone from her line of sight—then she promptly sits up, a bit more aware of her surroundings. This is not a situation she is new to; she’s almost been taken by slavers as a child. They had ransacked her family’s caravan near the Ravkan shore and would have stolen her away from her family had she not woken up early. She has learned to be suspicious of people, and she let her guard down. It’s this saints-forsaken city, she thinks briefly. It is affecting some part of me.

“Hey, sweetheart,” the man whispers with whiskey breath, and Inej pulls herself into the space between the bodies she is caged in, ready to pull one of her acrobatic feats—twist her body, do the unimaginable. But before she does and the woman’s vodka-laced breath rushes across her face, something hard clangs down on the table in front of her.

Inej is only human, so the sound makes her lurch. The tablecloth moves forward, and something shatters and then leaks onto her on the bench. She groans, because alcohol will not go well with the cottons she’d donned for a night out.

“Peter,” a voice says crisply. “Lotte. You are not welcome here. Did I not make that clear enough last time?”

The bodies next to Inej scramble away from her, and she looks up in her disorientation to see a man who can’t be much older than her, a cane in his hand bisecting the table and separating her from Lotte on her left. On her right, Peter has shifted away from her and is now standing up, raising his hands above him. “We didn’t mean nothin’, I promise—”

“I don’t give second chances,” the man says, and his voice is cold, so cold it almost crawls into Inej’s spine and then leaves her body, but icy enough that it wants to make a place there. His voice is the city’s whispers in her ears, the biddings of greed. She is buzzed, but she still looks at his sharp suit and glaring eyes and thinks: Who are you?

Or perhaps she voiced that thought out loud. No matter; the man ignores her, watching as Peter and Lotte stand up and try to leave the premises. Inej lets the whiskey on the table, cold as it is, leak into her shirt as she watches two large men grab the two vermin by their collars and drag them away to some corner.

“Wow,” she says out loud at the brief spectacle—some patrons have turned to see the two get carted off, but more seem unsurprised. “I was fine.”

“Who said anything about you?” the man bites. “There are no games here. There is no place for cheats.”

Inej is straightforward, and her filters are off as she wrings out her shirt. “You could at least pretend to be chivalrous.”

The man glares at her, his gaze dark and intense and dangerous—but for whatever reason, Inej doesn’t feel like it will cut through her. Maybe that is just the stupidity of being drunk. The longer he stares at her, the more she wants to laugh. “You cannot kill me by looking at me, you know.”

He says nothing, just takes his cane off the table and begins to limp away from her. Inej bites her lip and stares at his receding back—that moment had felt strangely powerful.

“Yer brave,” the girl next to her says after he has disappeared from sight, into a door at the club’s side. “To talk to Kaz Brekker like that.”

“Who?” Inej asks, and the boy next to her, keeping his distance after what had happened to the woman in his previous position, looks almost affronted.

“He is Kaz Brekker, Ja. They say he has played cards with the devil and won,” he says, like he is speaking of a myth, and not the twenty-year-old man with a ridiculous glare Inej had faced just moments ago. “He used to be better, ja, growing up on the streets. But he culled his boss right las’ week, he did. Hung his body from the lighthouse by First Harbor. They say he will commit any sin, without a price. Bloodthirsty.”

Inej leans in close to him, feels something lock into place, the gears of her heart. “Really?” she asks. “He just seems like a man.”

“He is no man, he is a demon. A quick thief, too,” the girl nods to her, and Inej grasps at her pockets. Her coinpurse is missing.

“An immature demon,” she says, stepping up, her head spinning just a bit. “Cheap tricks, for shevrati.”

Inej Ghafa leaves them there and takes the path that the man with the cane had followed; he couldn’t have gotten too far from her, with his disability. Ostensibly, she knows she should not be trying to pick a fight in the middle of the night with a man who just hung another in a public display, but the city is speaking to her; the club is, as though it has a heart. Inej believes in saints, and they are leading her a certain way, giving her the want to get her coinpurse back. It had a sizeable amount of kruge, and she refuses to be made a fool of.

The hallway is dark and she follows its walls to a set of stairs, and then walks up them. At the end there is a door, and to its side, when she moves her hand a certain way, another small alley; a trick alley. She follows that aisle to another door, wooden and locked and in the pitch dark. She shoves her body weight against it.

She doesn’t know what she is planning on doing. Do demons give you back your money if you ask them nicely? What is inserting this drive into her veins?

“What?” a voice roars from inside the room, and then a moment later, as Inej pushes herself against it, it opens. She almost trips onto a cold metal floor, but she doesn’t—she is an acrobat, even sheets to the wind. So she rights herself and turns to the man with the cane—Kaz Brekker.

“You,” he says, distaste coating his mouth. There is no good intent hidden in that word, nor in the hard lines of his face. Whoever this man is, he is not good.

“Me,” Inej agrees, then holds out her hand. “My coinpurse, please.”

“Your . . . coinpurse,” the man says, her face twitching. He is wearing a hat and a suit perfectly tailored to all his edges, a glass man. Inej wonders if she could break him. “Why would I have such a thing?”

“You do,” Inej insists. Of this, she is certain. She’s had it until he was just a foot behind her. “Give it back.”

“You’re very demanding,” he says. Inej wonders if he can feel a pull towards her, like she does for him. His face is surely not giving anything away. “You must be new.”

“I’m visiting,” Inej says, some sort of fear starting to creep into her voice. Perhaps the liquid courage has left her soul in a flush—perhaps the city is no longer with her. She can feel it drifting around her bones, maybe leaving. It is as though it has filled the strange place in her soul with something, not left her empty.

He leans into her—he doesn’t leer, not in a way that is lewd, but in a way that is certainly dangerous. “Well, then, my dear visitor,” he says the word like a curse, “you would do well to leave now, before I break your legs for coming to my office without permission.” His eyes scan her, perfunctorily, and Inej can only dream she sees something below the surface. “You need your legs. Or perhaps you can walk a rope with your hands,” he sneers.

Then he slams the door in Inej’s face. The city escapes her, returns back for its sins, disturbs her edges. I have shown you a story, she can feel it whisper, from the wrong end, wrong beginning.

She slides out of the secret corridor and down into the busy club. The Crow Club, it’s called. The largest building in the Stave. She wonders if the foundation was built on a demon’s work. She wonders why she feels like she should know, why there is a haunting space in her mind.

Inej wonders who Kaz Brekker is. She wonders why her saints guided her towards a demon, what they were trying to tell her.

She wonders how he knows she performs on the rope.

#kanej #kanej week #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #six of crows #kanej fic #dee writes

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ill-skillsgard · 3 years

Text

Bred For Blood - Part 19 - Promise-Promise

Title: Bred For Blood

Warning: 18+ - sex/mature language & themes/gun violence/substance abuse etc. *mentions of coma/unconsciousness, injuries, and sex in this part*

Characters: AU Axel Cluney, AU Ivar Lothbrok, AU Valter x OC

Description: A bright, young survivor meets an acid-gun slinging headhunter with a knack for melting faces and connections to a prodigal Utopia embedded in the heart of a deadly forest. Violence and passion incite a battle of fealty while betrayal nips at Zed’s heels.

Note: Sooo many feelings in this part, you guys. Next part will be the finale! My gosh, it’s actually coming. Stick around because it’s gonna be a doozy! Much love to all the readers who’ve waited patiently and shout out to any new readers who’ve taken the time to let me know their thoughts. I appreciate all the comments and reblogs forever! With that being said, please comment and reblog. It’d really make my day. XO

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18

Zed waited for Vee next to the window overlooking the vast green ocean of vegetation. The sliver of sun painted the sky aflush, rolling west in shades of violet. Pinprick stars perforated the melting spectrum, and the phantom moon showed its impatient face fully before the horizon swallowed all light. It was a soothing array of scenery, and Zed rested her head on the glass until footsteps drew her attention to the door. She smiled as Vee came in carrying a plate of zucchini fritters and mashed chickpeas, returning the warm greeting silently.

"Hungry? Axel wasn't a fan. He wants a cheeseburger from McDonald's," said Vee, handing the platter to Zed.

She accepted the dish with a nod. "Did you tell him why that's not possible?"

Vee sighed. The dark beneath his eyes seemed permanent now. "I didn't get into detail. He wouldn't understand."

"Shouldn't we make him understand?"

"It's too soon. The big lug just woke up. It was a challenge just to get him to lie there. Soon he'll want to leave the lab, and I don't know how he'll fare around his adoring fans."

Zed bit into a greasy fritter and scooped a dollop of the paste with the leftover crescent. "He'll love the ego-boost, I'm sure."

"That's what I'm afraid of. All those people will confuse him. Who knows what that might do to his head. We're in a delicate situation."

"Axel seems to like me. Maybe I can convince him to stay put."

Vee grimaced from the thought of Axel working Zed over with his motoring mouth and crass sense of humour. The scientist had grown accustomed to nights alone with her, cooking together and discussing their future. The night they'd spent alone in the greenhouse rang in his heart; the night he admitted his feelings and begged her to squash them. The thought of her alone with Axel picked a scab he didn't know he had.

"You're worried about something," Zed said.

Vee snapped from his bittersweet reverie and sighed. "Am I ever not worrying?"

"True," Zed snorted. "Now, eat. I can't finish this all myself."

The pair finished the plate before Vee set the dish aside and motioned her to the sofa.

"We need to talk about what we found in Glott's notes. I know we can't test this theory, but we should treat it as the truth," said Vee.

"Okay, well, if that's how we're approaching this D negative blood sample... What's the next step? We have no medical supplies. I checked the med tent in the courtyard for the third time just for fun."

"Then we have to visit Glott and get some answers. And by we... I mean me."

"Valter—"

"I know you don't want me to leave, but what other option do we have? Every day we waste here is another step backward."

Zed shook her head until a thin braid dislodged from behind her ear and swung in her face. Vee resisted the urge to tuck it back. The girl's face swivelled toward the window, and she pondered and watched the premature stars twinkle across the bruised sky.

"We go together," Zed said firmly. "I won't budge on that."

"And what about Axel?"

"We wait until he's better. We'll need him to navigate the way."

"And if he never recovers?" Vee asked.

"Then we go anyway. All three of us. We get Axel better, and we go together."

Vee inhaled through his nose as Zed screwed her eyes into his. When he nodded, a smile unfurled across her face, shadowed by the last drops of brassy sunlight.

"I hate this plan, but I suppose it's all we have," said Vee.

"Promise we'll all stick together."

"Of course, Lea. I won't leave without you guys. Promise."

"Promise-promise?"

"I double promise with a cherry on top. Stick a needle in my eye and call it macaroni."

Zed stifled laughter beneath her palm. "I think you've been hanging out with Sam too much."

"That, or I'm just tired."

"I'll let you sleep now. You look beat."

Vee twisted his mouth in lopsided agreement. "Yeah, you're right. I'm gonna hit the shower first. Unless you want to?"

"No, you go ahead. I'll stay here a little longer," Zed said as she laid her temple against the cool glass and looked out over the forest floor, now drowning in the twilight.

~*~

In the morning, Zed left the apartment and padded down the hallway in her mismatched slippers. She slowed as she turned the corner and found the brothers talking. Axel's eyebrows were locked in a line, and Vee looked up at her with relief.

"Lea, can you help me explain to Axel why he can't leave the hospital room?"

Axel whipped the covers off his thighs. "This place is fuckin' weird, and I know you're lying to me. That doctor you had in here is a whack-job. Something isn't adding up."

"Stay put," Vee commanded.

Zed rubbed the sleep from her eyes and prepared to take both sides with a long breath. "Axel, your brother is right. You can't leave yet. Just stay a little longer and heal."

"Where the fuck am I, Vee? This isn't like any hospital I've ever been to. And why can't I use the phone to call mom and dad?"

Axel's question erased all the sleep Vee had gotten the night before. His fatigue was contagious. Zed approached the bed and brushed Axel's shoulder. The touch diffused the tension in his upper body and opened him up to a new explanation, one that hadn't come from his kid brother's mouth.

"There are no phones here, Axel. You're right... This place is different. We're missing a lot of things you’d consider normal."

"Look, darlin', I know you're just trying to make me feel better, but none of what you're saying makes any sense. What do you mean there's no phone? There's electricity, isn't there? So why can't I hobble my way to a pay phone or borrow someone's cell?"

Vee and Zed exchanged pained looks. The younger brother kneaded his brow and offered Axel the same explanation he had before, reworded. Axel refused to believe a word and scrambled off the gurney, throwing Vee's hands off him as he limped a few steps and realized his mistake.

"What the fuck is wrong with my foot? Did someone sliced my ankle in half? What is happening to me? I feel like I'm on an acid trip that never ends. I go to sleep and see crazy shit, only to wake up in an even crazier place where there're no phones and no fucking food! You're talking in goddamn riddles, Vee. The least you can do is get me a Baconator for my trouble! I can't walk—I can't even jerk off 'cause my good hand is fucked. You gotta help me out."

"How many times do I have to tell you, Axe? There are no restaurants!"

"Bullshit! Sweetheart, come on, you can help me, right? Can you please just grab me something greasy? I'll pay you back, I promise. I'm good for it."

"I wish I could help you, Axel, but Vee's right. There's nowhere to get stuff like that anymore."

"Anymore? What does that even mean? You guys are talking like I slept through the apocalypse or something!"

Zed turned to Vee, who blocked the way to the courtyard. "Come on, Axe. Just settle down, and get back into bed."

"Are you gonna find me some painkillers then?" Axel faltered toward the bed and hoisted himself onto the flat mattress with his right arm.

"I'll see what I can do, buddy, but will you promise to stay here for a little longer?"

"Whatever," Axel scoffed. "What else am I gonna do?"

Zed waited until Axel slid back under the covers and tilted his face away from them both to assess Vee's mood. She suspected Axel's recovery would be difficult. Still, when she pictured him with his eyes open again, she heard laughter and saw game nights, shared wine and inside jokes knitting them closer together—not disarray and a friend who'd forgotten her. And if Vee had left the day he championed himself, Axel wouldn't have any flagship of his past. The scientist's presence tranquillized her despite Axel's rotten mood fouling the atmosphere.

"You're hungry, Axel?" Zed asked.

"Starving."

"I'll try to track down something tasty to eat. It won't be a greasy burger, but maybe I can find you something close to fries. I'll make it myself if I have to."

Axel flipped his eyes to the girl standing with her arms knotted behind her back and smiled. "Oh, darlin'...You're a sweet thing. I'd hate to ask, so I'll just accept the offer. Or maybe Vee can go, and you and I can chat a little more?"

Zed chuckled at the man's slyness. "I have some other things to do. We’ll talk when I get back."

"Don't rush for me, honey, but if you do, I'll take it as a good sign," Axel said with a wink.

At the cost of one of her knit blankets, Zed found someone in Athena to chop and bake a sweet potato in peanut oil. She bartered for garlic and salt to sprinkle on the dish. The redheaded child spotted her making transactions and stopped her at the mouth of the Hives with a cloth of fermented cashew cheese and a large chunk of bread that sat out overnight but was still soft. She offered the foodstuffs to Axel on a thin wood slab, and he accepted with an obsequious grin. He relinquished his dissatisfaction and warmed next to Zed.

"Aw, darlin', look at you go. How can I thank you for your trouble?" Axel asked as he chomped a crispy strand of sweet potato.

Zed stepped back from his bed, blushing. "It's okay, Axel. You don't have to do anything but get better."

"Will you stay with me for a while? If I have to stay in bed, it'd really make my life easier if I have someone to talk to. That is if you don't mind my chattiness."

"Sure. Let me grab a chair from the apartment," said Zed.

Axel finished his meal quickly, and as if he hadn't eaten at all, felt the pang of hunger moments after the last bite of bread. His appetite woke up ravenous, and no amount of homegrown food could satiate the growl.

"I might need to eat again in an hour," Axel informed as Zed dragged the chair across the floor. “I’m a big boy, you know.”

"That's fine. I'll find you something in a little while ."

The injured man nodded and sighed, eyelashes fluttering over tired green eyes. A bloated silence proceeded, and Zed wondered how to initiate a conversation. Vee told her not to confuse Axel with present-day news, but all she wanted to do was ask about Richard Glott's underground bunker and with who he'd crossed paths that left him slashed and maimed.

After a couple of deep breaths, Axel murmured, "I see you in my dreams every time I fall asleep. Is that strange?"

Zed hid her shy smile behind her palm. "Oh, stop."

Axel shimmied his torso higher on the bed and frowned in pain. "No, seriously. Not trying to be slick, honey. I see the most fucked up things when I sleep. You know the kind of dreams so vivid, you wake up and your heart’s pounding, thinking it's all real for a minute? Then you're like... No way."

Zed shifted closer to Axel's bed. "What do you dream about?"

Axel smiled to himself. "You, mostly... Us. You and me doing crazy shit together. Sometimes I'm in the desert, and I see this airplane in the distance. It's on the ground, and I ride toward it, you know, you're not gonna ignore a crashed plane, right? Then I find you there, but these guys are hurting you, and you're going nuts trying to shake 'em, but there's too many, so I shoot 'em all, and they melt like popsicles. You stab one good, though."

"What else?" Zed asked.

"I dunno... Sometimes it's just me and you cruising through the desert, and I get the feeling you hate me, but I kinda like it. I'm happy you're there, even though we're in the middle of nowhere, and I have no idea what's gonna happen next."

"Sounds like some pretty weird dreams."

"They're so lucid. It's like a movie, and I'm the main character, and you're... Well, you. Like my cool sidekick."

"Sidekick, huh?" Zed scoffed.

"Yeah, you have this air about you that's like not to be fucked with. Then things always get real dark. I don't even want to tell you about it 'cause you'll think I'm fucked in the head."

Zed knew this part of the story and lowered her eyes to the floor. "It's okay. You can tell me if you want. It's just dreams, right?"

"Nah, I'll just leave it at that. It's not sex stuff or anything if you're wondering."

"Your dreams are more entertaining than anything I have going on today."

With Zed's green light, Axel inhaled deeply before launching into the story of their past. Before he uttered another syllable, a severed connection sparked in his head. His eyes grew large, and he looked around the makeshift hospital room, awestruck.

"In my dreams, we're trying to get to Vee. He needs us for some reason."

"What does he need?"

"Some science shit, which makes total sense because he's a scientist. He's actually a scientist, and not just in my dreams."

"Axel... These dreams you've had... Do you think they have significance?" Zed asked carefully.

"Totally. They have to. Right? Or am I fucking crazy?"

"You're not crazy, Axel. I promise."

"But what if I am? This place... I get such a bad feeling when I'm awake in this room by myself. Vee won't tell me where we are. It's like he's hiding something, and he never lies to me about anything. We don't do that."

"Vee just wants you to get better. He's under a lot of stress, and your recovery is a big part of that. We didn't think—he didn't think you'd make it through. Another complication is the last thing you guys need."

Axel went quiet again and fixated on the dust motes and bolts of lightning crackling up his leg. A storm grew behind his eyes, the same torrents Zed saw when she tried to stop him from leaving Kinderfeld and her behind. Sickened by the thought of Axel sneaking off, she touched his arm and offered a warm smile.

"Talk to me, Axel. Please. Don't keep anything inside."

Axel glanced at her small hand on his tattooed bicep and the lightning in his body faded.

"We were friends in a past life," Axel claimed.

"We're friends in this life."

"Can I tell you one other thing, then I promise I'll stop talking about my bonkers dreams?"

"Yes. I don't mind at all."

Axel curled his bicep and touched Zed's fingers, feeling the motion out until she grasped his hand.

"I think I have to take you somewhere."

"Oh, yeah?" Zed giggled. "And where's that?"

Axel blushed for the first time and brought her hand to hold next to him on the bed. "Not like on a date or anything. I just get this feeling that I'm supposed to protect you, even though you seem capable of looking after yourself just fine. This dream voice keeps reminding me to stay with you and Vee... Like I'm not allowed to let either of you out of my sight. Especially not you."

"Then don't," Zed said.

He squeezed her fingers gently. "I won't."

~*~

Word of Axel's consciousness seeped out of the lab and into the village. Nobody knew who had made the discovery—Vee blamed Samson while Zed suspected Nalani, who'd waltzed by the lab doors at a suspiciously slow pace several times each day—and leaked the information. They barred visitors and only allowed the doctor in to help change Axel's bandages until Ivar arrived.

Axel was alone, humming a tune from his teenage years when the king came through the doors and stopped to stare at his bed-ridden friend.

"Zee, you're awake? And no one thought to tell me?"

"Sorry, hombre, but I think you have the wrong room. Name's Axel."

Ivar flashed all his sharp teeth in a sly smile and wagged his finger. "Always a joker."

"No, really," Axel chuckled, then went deadpan. "Wait... Who are you?"

Before Ivar spoke, Vee walked into the lab and froze when he saw Ivar standing a few feet from Axel's bed.

"Ivar. I wasn't expecting you."

The king sneered and motioned toward Axel. "What's with this guy?"

"Hey, maybe we can talk for a second?" Vee invited Ivar down the hall, out of earshot.

Ivar glared at the scientist. "When exactly were you planning on telling me he woke up?"

"That's the thing, Ivar. You don't understand... Axel's suffering from amnesia. It's common for coma patients to lose parts of their memory. Right now, he's in a very touchy state. He has no idea where he is, who you are, or what any of this is. I've tried to keep people away from him to avoid confusion, but now everybody knows. It's not good for him. Subjecting him to all this new information can cause anxiety, panic... Who knows. We're trying to ease him back into life."

"What do you mean he doesn't know who I am? I'm his best friend."

"Trust me. Axel doesn't even remember serving in the army."

"That's crazy. We should tell him—"

"No. It's too big of a shock. Axel's already gone through hell. Imagine trying to explain our world to somebody who has virtually no idea what's happened in the last couple of years."

Ivar pondered and didn't respond to Vee's relief, then sighed as though he accepted the explanation.

"So what does this mean for you? I assume you're retracting your claim and staying in Kinderfeld?"

Vee twisted his mouth to the side. "How can I go now?"

"You volunteered."

"That was before Axel came home. He needs me. I'm the only person he recognizes. Give me some more time with him, get him back on his feet and see if he'll start remembering, then I'll go."

Ivar crossed his arms across his burly chest. "Who knows how long that might take?"

"Would you leave someone you loved in that state?"

"I'd do what's for the greater good."

"He's your best friend. He's my brother. Axel needs us right now, Ivar. Think of all he's done for us. We owe it to take care of him until he's fit to at least walk again. I need him to remember what happened so I can get a better idea of what's going on outside."

"I suppose you're right," Ivar conceded. "You can't go out blind by yourself."

"Yes, you're right," Vee said with great relief.

"So what now? I can't talk to him?"

"You can speak to him if you like, but try not to bring up things that might confuse him. Don't talk about the army or mention recent times."

Ivar looked over his shoulder at the apartment's open door and heard the muted humming of a girl filtering through the corridor.

"And how's Lea taking all of this?"

Vee stiffened. "She's helping out."

"Axel has no idea who she is? He really doesn't know what's happened?"

"Not that I can tell. He keeps asking for cheeseburgers and to call our parents."

"Wow," Ivar whispered.

"Yeah, it's hard."

Ivar went quiet, distant, and shook his head slowly before inhaling through his nose and squeezing Vee's shoulder. "I trust you, brother. Maybe we'll talk more about your expedition in a few days when things have a chance to settle with Axel."

"You got it."

Axel pretended he wasn't trying to listen to the conversation between his brother and the brown-haired man with the striking blue eyes when the pair returned. Ivar nodded at Axel, his eyes awash with sympathy for the indisposed man.

"How are you feeling, Axel?"

"A little on the shitty side, my man. Not gonna lie. Hands busted, foot's bum... Can't fuck my way to a decent meal in this place, and everyone's tiptoeing around like I'm a sleeping baby. Gotta say I've had better days."

"Well, I hope you heal up quick. There are a lot of people who want to see you."

A coy smirk unfurled over Axel's face. "Yeah, I kinda get that impression. Sometimes, I see people looking in through those doors. I feel like a panda at a zoo. Everyone wants a peek at little ol’ Axel, huh?"

"Is there anything I can get you?"

"Cheeseburger?" Axel asked hopefully.

"Would if I could, friend."

"Goddamn it," Axel lamented.

Vee widened his eyes when Ivar looked at him, confirming what they'd discussed in the hallway.

"Say, how do you stay so beefy if there's no meat in this place?" Axel asked Ivar.

"I get my protein where I can. Try to stay fit. I'll get someone to bring you something good to eat."

Axel snorted. "Yeah, that's what that sweet-lookin' one said, but everything tastes like tree bark. No offence to her. She tried her best, and I'd never insult a lady's cooking to her face."

Ivar sucked in his bottom lip and nodded. "Well, I'll see what I can do for you, Axel. Get better soon."

Vee held his breath until Ivar left the lab and shrunk once the doors closed.

"You sure have a way with words, don't you?"

"Everyone who walks in here acts like they know me."

"We might have to move you to the apartment. Put a cap on your visitors."

"Who was that?" Axel asked.

"That's Ivar Lothbrok. He kinda runs things, in a sense."

"Nice guy."

Vee scoffed. "Yeah. Nice."

An itch stuck in the back of Axel's head, and he grew quiet once again, trying to unravel the mystery he'd woken up inside. He was a figure in a snow globe, a permanent fixture in a landscape rife with faces he'd seen in dreams. Sitting up in his bed, Axel wondered what laid beyond the confines of his glasshouse. Never one to follow the rules, even under the firm guidance of his smart younger brother, Axel decided once everyone fell asleep, he'd find himself a walking post and go exploring.

~*~

Zed woke to the sound of Vee's soft snoring coming through the open door of his bedroom. The possibility of sleep retracted with every second she spent staring at the smooth, globular ceiling in the dark, trying to make shapes out of the dream residue behind her eyelids. The sofa stiffened her back, and she twisted her spine until air bubbles popped and her muscles strained from the motion. She pulled the blanket up to her chin and squeezed her eyes shut for a few minutes, but Axel's stories followed her from sleep, brushing up on her with sharp quills. Since Axel painted his dream world, she hadn't stopped thinking of him and mourning the loss of his memory for the both of them. Axel didn't know his missing pieces were dancing under his eyes each time he slumbered, and she longed to stitch them together to create the full picture.

She squinted into the darkness, fatigue long since faded, and left the apartment. Light on her bare feet, Zed padded down the hallway and turned the corner to find an empty bed. Her heart twinged from Axel's absence. She considered going back to the apartment to tell Vee his brother was missing but found herself propelled to seek Axel out herself. There was nowhere in the lab a man of Axel's stature could hide, so she went out to the courtyard to begin her search. The floodlights cast pyramids of light over the foothills but revealed nothing but stone paths and glittering grass ranks. She started left first, then changed her mind and shot right toward the warehouse. Zed minded her steps as she picked up a jog, extending her legs to clear the roiling yards until she reached the square entrance of the warehouse. A guard leaned against the steel wall next to the exit, blinking and wiping a hand over his face to rouse himself. He saw Zed across the cement expanse and stood up straight.

"What're you doing out here?" The guard's voice clattered through the chamber.

"Sorry," Zed said, casting a thorough glance around before retreating into the light and shadow of the courtyard again. She rushed to the Hives, taking quick strides to reach her abandoned apartment before anyone else noticed her. After a quick knock, Zed opened the door to find her former living quarters as deserted as ever. Nobody had claimed the space in her absence, nor was Axel's adjoining apartment occupied. Both rooms were empty.

Zed's search for Axel continued and grew in urgency with each lonely cove and space she found. As she made her way around the central dome where the courtyard bordered the largest hill, she stopped at the mouth of the Chrysalis and addressed the men standing guard.

"Have either of you seen someone limping through here?"

"Nobody's come 'round here, Zed. Who're you looking for?"

Zed cocked her head. "Who do you think?"

"You mean Zee?" The man on the right asked. "Thought he was paralyzed."

"So it's true? He's awake?"

"Please don't tell anyone. Not yet."

The bearded guard rose a dark eyebrow at Zed. He was one of Ivar's highest-ranking patrol. Zed recognized him from the night they'd brought in the Zeronaut captain, Monk. He often stood by wherever Ivar went and didn't talk much unless addressed. "Ivar know about this?"

"I don't know what Ivar knows. Vee communicates with him, but we're trying to keep this from the general public."

"What do you think, Fen? Should we tell Ivar?" The scrawny, clean-shaven guard asked.

Fen sneered and told his partner to close his mouth before angling his torso toward Zed. "We'll keep an eye out, petite fleur."

Zed nodded and continued on her way, but there were few more spots Axel could hide unless someone had intercepted him and invited him into their hovel. She thought of Nalani, who often wandered the courtyard at odd hours and Trinity, who adored Axel and might jump at the opportunity to lead him to a private alcove. The two of them shared living space in Athena. Zed wanted to keep the search party light, and asking around would only spread curiosity like wildfire.

She continued touring the courtyard, her naked soles sore from hurried walking. Finally, she stopped at the greenhouse gate, its series of coiling iron bars and metal flowers welded to the columns in intricate clusters. Zed lifted the latch and pushed the gate open, taking care to shut it quietly. The greenhouse where the citizens grew aloe and berries was the little-known getaway spot Axel and Vee coveted as their private paradise. Zed zigzagged through the raised beds, taking care not to trip over the irrigation hoses and climbed the wooden steps at the back of the third square house. Around another corner and through the thick blackberry bushes nestled in rectangles of sodden earth, Zed rushed to the spot under the sky where the light poured in but found nothing.

"Shit," she whispered, out of breath and reeling in the thick, tepid air.

Zed looked up to the cloudless velveteen sky, crushing disappointment wringing her heart. In a throng of shadow off to the right, a figure shifted and startled the woman backward.

A tired voice called her name.

The shady form lengthened, struggling to stand. Once it stood at its full height, the vice pressing Zed's chest disappeared. Axel hobbled into view, using the overhead pipes to help himself along.

"Axel! There you are. Oh my God, you had me so worried. Why did you leave the lab?"

"The lab? Is that where you've been keeping me?"

Zed clapped her palm over her mouth. Axel gave an elongated nod, eyes wide and accusatory.

"Is that what I am? Some kind of experiment?"

"No, Axel—"

"What are you and Vee doing? Tell me why he's keeping me locked up. Tell me where the fuck I am, Lea. Please. This place... Something about it seems wrong. It scares me."

Axel wilted against a plant bed as Zed approached and caught his elbow to keep him upright.

"Axel, don't be scared. Please, I promise you're safe. We're not trying to keep you captive. This is all difficult to explain, and you were asleep for so long parts of your memory are missing. Vee's only trying to make it easier for you to cope."

"Cope with what, Lea? Cope with the fact I'm a prisoner? That I can't sleep because my nightmares are so vivid, I feel like I'm dying? That people watch me like some sideshow freak?"

"Everything," Zed sighed. "The new world. How can we explain all this to someone who woke up in the past?"

Axel looked up through the skylights and whimpered. "Something terrible has happened, hasn't it?"

Zed, wounded from the dejection in her friend's voice, led Axel to sit on the floor, then sat next to him and draped her arms over his shoulders, resting her cheek on the thin cotton shoulder strap of his tank top.

"I wish I could say you're wrong, but I can't lie to you, Axe."

"My instincts were right. Something is very wrong. After that Ivar fella came through, I started getting this feeling you all weren't telling me something on purpose."

"Don't be angry with us, Axel. We didn't know how to tell you."

Axel leaned his head on Zed's and sought her hand to hold. She slid her fingers through his and gripped tightly. "It's okay. I get it now. I'm supposed to be here. You and me... We're meant to be together. Otherwise... Why would I see you every time I close my eyes?"

"Axel," Zed whispered. "I missed you so much when you left. I thought I'd never see you again. Now everything is different."

"I'm sorry. If I hurt you back then... I didn't mean it."

"Just don't leave me again. Please. I can't fool myself into happiness without you in my life."

"I won't leave. I can't."

"Promise?"

"I promise, Lea."

"Promise-promise?"

Axel chuckled and kissed the top of Zed's head before laying his cheek on the ruts of her braids. "Yeah. I promise-promise."

~*~

Axel and Zed laid on the floorboards and watched the stars twinkling above while the chamber filled with water vapour, obscuring the glass until the condensation evaporated. When the infinite black sky lightened to meteorite violet, Axel used Zed as a crutch to stand up. He stole a fistful of blackberries, stuffing the fruits in his mouth and mashing them until inky juice seeped from the corners of his lips. He complained about his ankle, which he'd suffered walking on during his solo excursion to the greenhouses. Zed berated him for wandering off and helped him down the steps and through the rows of potato plants, arms locked, their pace slow to accommodate Axel's injury.

A murmur greeted the pair as they approached the iron gate. A dozen villagers gathered around the entrance to witness Axel emerge with smiles on their faces. Frozen from the elated faces beaming at him, Axel pulled on Zed's arm, alerting her to the hoard of onlookers.

"Who are they?" Axel asked.

"Zee! Happy you're awake!"

"What happened to your arm, Zee? Are you okay?"

"He looks terrible."

Zed opened the gate, and the crowd dented but didn't part. "Make room, please!"

"We want to talk to Zee!"

Axel then realized the group addressed him, their wide eyes drinking in his bruised and broken state with smiles unfitting his poor condition. An overwhelming sense of worry touched his skin, and he grabbed for Zed to lead him, but they huddled around the gate until a tall head of blond hair sliced the crowd in half. Vee shouldered past, his eyes hooded and brow furrowed.

"Axel! Lea! What the hell are you doing out here? Lea, did you let him out?"

Zed frowned and drew her shoulders up. "Of course not! I'm the one who came looking for him."

"Let's go. Come on, now. Everyone make way. Go back home!" Vee barked.

"We want answers! What's happening outside the walls?"

"We'll answer your questions later," Vee said disdainfully. "Lea, help me get him back."

The trio staggered to the lab, breathless from the trek over the bowing foothills. Vee waited until they were behind closed doors to deliver a speech about how irresponsible and defiant Axel was, how his behaviour might cause unwanted ripples where the scientist required placidity. Axel hoisted himself into bed and accepted his lecture, sullen and quiet, occasionally glancing at Zed, who also wrung her wrists.

"I told you not to leave the room, Axe. Why? Why can't you listen to me for once in your goddamn life?" Vee asked.

"You're not my mommy, Valter. I can do what I want, and frankly, I don't appreciate you keeping secrets from me!"

"What are you on about?"

"Oh, don't play dumb. You've lied to me this whole time! About where we are, what's happened to me. I think you know much more than you lead on."

Vee scoffed and looked to Zed for reassurance. The girl stood still with her shoulders hunched.

"Lea, help me out here."

"Well, Vee... Maybe it's time we tell him everything. There's no use hiding the truth anymore. He already knows something's wrong."

"Yeah!" Axel cried. "I'm done sitting around twiddling my thumbs. You have to tell me what's up. How did I get like this? What the fuck happened to me, and why can't I remember anything? I don't know how I got here or who all those people are out there."

"That's the thing, Axe... We don't know what happened to you. You left, and when you came back, you were unconscious and hurt. We don't leave this place, so I can't tell you anything more than that. I didn't know if you'd wake up and certainly didn't know you'd have amnesia when you did."

Axel turned to Zed for verification, and she nodded her head regretfully.

"It's true, Axel. I wish we could tell you more."

"Then at least tell me where I am. Start there," Axel demanded.

Vee and Zed stood speechless for a moment until she sighed deeply. "Vee, maybe we should give him the postcards and his journals."

"What are you talking about?"

"You're right, Lea. Go get the box. Tonight's gonna be a long one."

Zed hauled the box of postcards and dog-eared journals into the lab and hefted it onto the foot of Axel's bed. Vee unpinned the postcards from the corkboard and offered them to Axel with a pinched smile. Zed sat in her chair while Vee laid on the floor, a long arm slung over his eyes as Axel began to read aloud from his workbooks. The three of them listened to the stories Axel had penned years before while he was in the infantry as if none of them had heard the tales. From time to time, Axel stopped narrating and glided over the lines, taking in details he should have known, but couldn't place. During these silences, Zed and Vee would look up at him to assess his emotions, whether or not the words shifted the pieces into place or made any difference at all.

Axel took in a strained breath. "Ivar and I aren't talking. He wants to be the leader on this ship, and if things don't go his way, he turns into a giant douche-nozzle," he broke into giggling at his insult. "I haven't eaten in three days, and the water supply is low. We're down to a cup a day each. It's not enough, but it's gotten us through so far. One of the guys got sick, and they've taken him below deck. He throws up constantly even though there's nothing in his gut and howls all night in agony. I swear to God I'll shoot him in the head tomorrow if he doesn't let us sleep tonight. Someone needs to put him out of his misery."

Zed grimaced, and Vee stared at the ceiling with dry eyes, unflinching from the story.

"Day six... I now know what rat meat tastes like."

"Oh, god. Ew," Zed mumbled.

Axel continued without pause. "It's not that bad when you haven't eaten in almost a week. I've set up more traps in the galley to catch the rest. If Ivar plays his cards right, I might share my rats with him, but he's still a stuck-up twat.

I'm not sure how the rats are surviving. Maybe there's food still hidden somewhere on the ship. Maybe they're eating each other."

"This must have been when you were on your way back to America...Or... Whatever you want to call this half of the world now," Vee said.

"What do you mean?" Asked Axel.

"The Unity... The government... They abolished the borders, erased the country names and burned the history books. The states became part of the North-Western Hemisphere. Same with Canada and all that. No countries. No names."

Axel seemed to accept his brother's explanation that nothing would ever be as before. The commune in which he now resided was the only tangible place left in existence. Outside the walls lay sites changed from war, stripped of home and heritage. A tightness in Axel's neck prevented him from speaking until the revelations grew too heavy for him to bear.

"What happened to everyone else?" Axel asked.

"It's hard to say," Vee whispered, then cleared his throat. "A lot of people died."

"How many?"

"Billions," Zed said.

"You mean... We're the only ones left?"

"No, we're not. There are other survivors out there, people who were meant to live through the storms."

"Storms?"

Vee sighed, the farfetched nature of their fates exhausting him before he began. "The Unity developed a way to return the planet back to its natural state. No more electronic communication, no more broadcasts or satellites or TV. After the extinctions reached an all-time high, they introduced these plants that could suck the pollution from the air quickly. They grow extremely fast and are lethal to anyone who wasn't vaccinated against the spores. One plant can release a spore cloud big enough to cover half a football field, and they breed and multiply like vermin. Even a small cluster can kill a stadium of unimmunized people in a few minutes."

"But why would they do this? Have I been vaccinated?"

Axel's questions ripped holes in Vee’s composure. Zed's stomach churned and flipped as the scientist fished for the least aggressive explanation. A gloss came over his eyes, and he avoided his brother's bewildered stare.

"No, Axe. You're not."

"Oh... Are you?" Axel whispered.

"Yeah, I am. So is Lea."

"Why? Why didn't I get vaccinated?"

"You were lost at sea with your platoon for weeks, and before that, you were overseas. They didn't immunize the troops."

"Are you telling me the government wants us all to die?"

"Most of this is widely debated. There are some theories that the Unity had a strategy in mind."

Zed lent the scientist a hand and cut the heavy topic with a smile. "Axel, you're much more special than you know. Those people out there all adore you because of what you've done for Kinderfeld. You were the only one brave enough to go out when they needed supplies. People know your name not only here but out in the world. I've seen you fight and shoot. You're a natural."

"Well, yeah. I've been shooting guns since I was a kid."

"You were a special ops sniper. More than just a good shot."

Axel warmed to the compliment. "And what about you? Are you the mercenary of my dreams?"

Zed blushed and failed to hide her pride. "Not a mercenary... But I've murked a few Scavs in my day."

"Man... I like you," Axel tittered. "Ain't she great, Vee? What a prize."

For the few seconds of silence that passed, Vee's expression darkened. He recognized the reverence pulling Axel's features, the heartfelt way Lea relaxed when they spoke. Even in the absence of memory, Axel and Zed forged a bond too strong to pry apart. He would never wish ill upon his brother, but he mourned the days past with the woman whose eyes shone like vats of golden syrup passing under the morning light. At the risk of sharing a likeness with Ivar, the king who could never quite capture the woman's love, Vee thought of what life might have been like had Axel never returned. Would Zed love him? Could she? Had he ever toed the waters of her unspoken affection? Vee cursed his stupidity the night he told her how he felt and quickly dismantled his chances before she had the opportunity to consider him more than a close friend.

As Zed stared at Axel upright in his bed with his journals splayed out around him, Vee knew it was too late to rescind his platonic claim. A victim of his own sabotage, the scientist turned from them and pushed out every last ounce of breath to make room for another stale intake.

"I think it's time I showed Axel the Crimson Yawn."

Zed nodded and left the brothers, sensing a gloomy air rising between them. Vee was much better at explaining the inexplicable. He delivered news with a needed bluntness, one Zed had never mastered. Once she left the lab searching for distractions, Vee helped his brother box up the journals and offered his elbow to guide Axel back on his feet. Amid the bleak news, Axel had almost forgotten the pain in his extremities.

They waddled to the locked chambers where the bulk of Vee's scientific discoveries came to light. Axel squinted against the bright white walls and polished floor as he followed his brother through a series of doors leading to a clear dome similar to the greenhouses he'd found, only this hollow contained a twisted swarm of redheaded plants, mouths bloody and agape. Each one stood over seven feet tall and lifted its black-spotted maw to the sky in a silent scream. Axel turned from them.

"I've seen these before, but never this many. In my dreams, there's always one growing in a container."

"You recognize them?"

"And you say these things can kill me? How is it possible?" Axel asked.

"They're a sophisticated hybrid plant. They release spores like mushrooms, and those spores become airborne. If you breathe them in, they attack your blood, soaking up the nutrients and essentially turning it into a highly acidic jelly. You burn from the inside out. Well...Dissolve is a better word."

"And you've brought me here why!?" Axel shouted, dodging backward and planting too much weight on his bad ankle.

"Don't worry! They can't hurt you from in here. The filtration system's design protects everything inside."

"I still have a hard time believing all this. You know how crazy it sounds, right?"

Vee clapped his brother on the shoulder. "Oh, I realize. Why do you think it took me so long to break the news? You try finding a delicate way to explain this to someone who just came out of a coma."

Axel became transfixed on the plants again after Vee's assurance. He shuffled to the glass and studied the roaring heads, each one slightly different than its neighbour. They resembled demons, bizarre red monsters with thick necks and broad leaves of wax. Their spiked roots toiled in the ground, gnarled and tangled in a hellish orgy above and beneath the soil. Beyond the ranks, Axel saw the roiling jungle and all its hues of green and black. The sun broke through parts in the towering trees. How he longed to feel the wind on his burnt skin and walk among the flora. Axel observed the plants for a few minutes as Vee stepped back and allowed him time to digest.

"Am I in a nightmare?" Axel met his brother's eyes and did not blink.

"Some might say that. And I'm sorry. I've dedicated my life to making things better for the survivors, but there's nothing left I can do. All we have now is the village and each other."

"And mom and dad?"

"They're gone, Axe. They've been gone a while."

The tattooed man swallowed bitterly and nodded as a wall of tears blinded him. Vee touched his brother's shoulder and shared his pain through the comforting gesture. Axel crossed his chest with his good hand and patted Vee's fingers.

"Do you mind if I spend some time alone? This is... It's just a lot."

"Of course. Take all the time you need, Axe. I'll leave the doors unlocked. You good to walk?"

Axel's voice floated below a whisper. "I’ll manage."

~*~

In the apartment, Zed held her arms out before her and swung them in half-circles, stretching her muscles in preparation for another stiff night spent on the sofa. Vee came in after dinner and found Zed flinging her limbs outward.

"Nightly aerobics?" He asked with a touch of humour, the most he could muster after a day of harsh truths.

"Just stretching out before bed. My back's been killing me."

"Oh," Vee's green eyes popped open wide. "Don't sleep on the couch, Lea. You can take the bed tonight."

"Nah, it's okay."

"No, really. I insist. You deserve a night without hanging off the edge of the cushions."

"Then where will you sleep?" She asked.

"The couch."

Zed laughed at the idea. "You're far too tall to fit comfortably."

"I've passed out there dozens of times. Don't worry about me, really. Take the bed."

"Why're you being so nice, huh?" Zed snorted.

"I've seen you in pain the last few days, and I feel bad. It's rude of me to have one of the biggest beds in this place when I don't do anything to deserve it."

"Oh, shush," Zed jested. "You've done more for this place than anyone."

"There's always the Chrysalis."

The good humour in the room vanished with Vee's maladroit suggestion. Zed shook her head and scoffed. "I'm not going to the Chrysalis. I want to stay here with you guys."

"Fine by me. You'll take the bed tonight then. Grab your blankets and go."

Zed and Vee swapped bedding and wished each other goodnight. Though she deemed herself undeserving of the luxury, when Zed crawled onto Vee's large bed and spread her limbs from corner to corner, her skin bristled with goosebumps. The scent of the sheets belonged to the man outside the room, sprawled on the sofa, long legs dangling over the arm—cotton and boyish musk, the redolence Zed had grown accustomed to except in this moment. Lying on the mattress reminded her of the hugs and closeness she'd received from Vee when Axel had fled.

She relived their days together in clips of happy memories and some not so joyful. Across the apartment, Vee recalled the same night playing in Zed's mind—their evening in the greenhouse when they'd held hands, so close together yet barred by the promises of friendship. Vee cursed himself repeatedly while Zed entertained the idea of getting together with the scientist.

Soon, Zed's thoughts slid over the night she'd spent with Ivar. If she concentrated, she could feel the fullness between her legs still. Ivar had made love to her the way couples did in films. He'd stroked her and kissed her skin, took her nipples gently between his lips and sucked until she giggled. What might have excited some left her shivering. Was one of the brothers more deserving of her love? Was she foolish to think herself so desirable her attention was a coveted badge of excellence?

What a prize!

Lea... I want you to tell me no, right now.

It's like you were made for me.

With her heart racing, Zed turned over in bed and clamped her eyes shut. Debating which of the three men in her life she wanted more made her stomach flip, yet she couldn't keep the lewd considerations from pouring into her head. In these fantasies, she replaced Ivar with Vee. Yes, he was smart and gentle and keen on her, but he'd told her not to let him cross the line, claimed he didn't want her that way despite his feelings. Vee's kind face took the place of Ivar's, coasting down her stomach, stamping her thighs with kisses from luscious lips. She squeezed her legs together and let the inevitable shift knock Vee from the picture to make room for his older brother.

The tattooed man with all his addictions and his looming depression positioned himself between her knees and grasped her ankles delicately. A murderer and womanizer leaned over her body, caging her with long limbs decorated with sparrows, weapons, chains and barbed wire.

We're meant to be together. I see you in my dreams every time I fall asleep.

Zed bit her lip when the phantom sensation invaded her. She knew not how Axel would moan or if he'd coo and sigh the way Ivar had when they had sex. She wanted very much to think Axel would treat her with respect and scorned the claims Trinity had made about his wild side. Then the obscene journal entries came to life, glowing, fanned by salacious visions. What if she didn't want to make love? What if she wanted to be taken hard and fast by a man who worshiped her? Guilt and arousal mixed in her chest and sat heavy, grinning evilly like a demon poised to possess her body.

Sleep wriggled through Zed's conjurations and pulled her under before she realized she was slipping into blackness. The cozy bed and Vee's sheets lulled her, and soon, she dreamed of ordinary things, forgetting her personal stash of pornographic thoughts. She slipped further as the moon made a lazy arc through the night sky until something touched her shoulder and jarred her from sleep with a sharp gasp.

Her scream ripped through the apartment, sending her waker toppling out of bed.

"Lea? Oh, fuck. Fuck!"

"Axel?"

In the dimness, neither of them saw each other but tasted each other's heavy breath. Soon the light snapped on, and Vee stood at the door, chest heaving.

"What the hell is going on?" Vee asked. "Axel? What're you doing?"

"Christ, I thought Zed was you. I just came to... Well, I couldn't sleep," Axel cringed. "Shit, my hand. Fuck, I landed like a sack of bricks."

Vee snickered, setting off a series of giggles. "You came to sleep in my bed?"

"I didn't mean to scare you, Lea."

"It's all right," said Zed. "Really. On any other night, it would have been Vee in here."

Axel pulled himself up by the elbows and sat on the edge of the bed, grimacing from the agony of his agitated wounds. "Sorry, guys. It's hard to sleep out there. People are watching me."

Zed scooted over and patted the part of the mattress warm from her body. "Come on. Lie down. I think we could all use a sleepover after the day we've had."

"You're not serious," Vee said with a scoff as his brother took up Zed's offer and laid down next to her.

Zed nodded with conviction. "Absolutely. You too, Valter. Turn off the light and get over here."

He rolled his eyes as he flipped the light switch. "This is hardly a three-person bed."

"Well, cuddle up, pal."

"Lea takes up a fraction of the bed, anyway," Axel pointed out.

"Is this not weird to you? Three adults sharing a bed?"

Zed moved to the center as Vee climbed into bed from the left. To her right, Axel had already sprawled and turned over to face her in the dark.

"It's no stranger than how half the people in this place sleep all piled on top of each other. Humans were meant to nest. In the wild, this is how we'd sleep."

"Yeah, but we're not in the wild," said Vee.

"Yes, we are, little brother. Have you seen it outside? We're literally in glass bubbles, in the middle of a rainforest. Now shut up, and go to sleep."

"You shut up."

"Guys?" Zed chimed.

"Yeah?" The brothers answered.

"I love you both.”

Robbed of their voices, Axel and Vee set aside their bickering to bask in the genial haze of Zed's words. Axel shifted an inch closer while Vee laid stiffly on his side, eyes wide in the dark. As though her claim was bathed in wine, they soaked in the meaning and slipped drunkenly into slumber.

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sweetlittlegingy · 4 years

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The Rink | Mat Barzal x Reader

Blurb

warnings: none

word count: 1.1k

Summary: You’ve been through alot, now starting a new job. You wanna revisit the sport you used to love. What happens when someone shows up while your skating.

a/n: I am in no way a figure skater so please don’t be to harsh I tried to look things up and be as clear as possible, but I know that I would please everyone. Anyway let me know what you think oxox

Checking the clock again I see that it's just past 5:10 am. Yawning I finish pulling on my leggings and hoodie, heading to the kitchen to make coffee. Swaying softly back and forth as I start the coffee machine, so ready for my caffeine goodness. Hearing the beep of the machine I grab my travel mug and add a little cream and sugar before I put the lid on. Heading to the front door I grab my skates and my bag, with my car keys and keys to the rink. Checking the time again I see that it's only 5:20 now leaving me more than enough time to get to the rink by 5:30. I could have an hour or so to skate give or take and be done around 7:00. Then I have enough time to get ready, grab breakfast and a coffee and then be to work for 8:00. Double checking my lock really quick I quickly turned around and jogged down the stairs of my loft apartment getting to the car park. Noticing how chilly it is, I wrap my arms around myself shivering. I notice my breath in the cool air of fall. Unlock my car, I hurry to get in. Starting it, rubbing my hands hoping to warm up slightly. Pulling out onto the New York streets it's still so dark, though the city is awake. The city that never sleeps, I could never grow tired of how beautiful it is. Looking on the sidewalk I see friends slowly making their way home after a long night out. The single lost soul stumbling, making their wrenched walk of shame. Pulling up to the rink I smile seeing it's just me "5:30 perfect time darling." Sighing with ease I turn off my car and grab my stuff. Walking into the front door I grabbed my keys to unlock the door not bothering to turn on any of the lights. My footsteps echo as I walk down the hallways so loud so peaceful reminding me of how alone I am. I walk down to get to the rink entrance through the locker room so I can turn on the lights and put my bag down ringside. Setting my things down I grab my phone to go plug my music into the speaker system, I set my skate playlist on shuffle. I smile turning it all the way up as 'Hurts Like Hell' by Madison Beer comes on. Singing out loud as I walk back down to get my skates on. Tying up my skates I stand up, slowly step on the ice. Letting out a deep breath after it's been a couple months of not being able to skate. It feels like a weight has finally been released, I've finally come back home. I start off slow just skating around getting my footing Glad just be back on ice. Feeling my surroundings, closing my eyes just breathing it all in. Trying to become and remember who I was, gain my soul purpose back. After a little bit I can feel the energy building inside me, building with the beat of the song. I wait for the perfect beat and I go for it, a double Lutz. I can't stop the giggle that drops for my lips "fucking hell." I keep going, feeling like I finally broke through that barrier. Spin after spin, jump after jump I get lost in the music. Suddenly the song changes and I slow down feeling my heart stop for just a minute. Knowing that I fell in love with this song because of how it healed my heart when you broke me. " I hope she makes you feel the same way about her that I feel about you right." I hit a double axel. Reaching behind me I grab my leg and bend back spinning. Going around the rink I lose myself doing one of my old routines. Right as I hit my last spin I hear my music cut off. Stunned, I flipped around looking up, seeing a couple of the team's players. Looking at my watch I see that it's 7:15 smiling. I skate over hoping that it's not going to be too awkward. "Umm hi guys. Sorry I lost track of time." I say with a smile try not to let the questioning stares bother me too much. "Right, well how did you get in? This isn't a public rink. Also why are you here so early?" The one with black hair comments as he stares me down trying to size me up. Brunette quickly elbows him speaking up "He does mean to sound like such a jerk. We were just wondering what you're doing here. Right Mat." He says with a glare to who I'm assuming is Mat. "Yeah what Tito said." Mat mutters. Both of their eyes shift to me now "I used my keys to get in. I wanted an early skate before anyone got in. I just lost track of time." I tell them. "And before you ask, I have keys because I am the teams new physical therapist." Tito seems to smile at the information and is happy with my reply. Matt not so much he looks at me slowly judging me "So you skate though?" He questions. Looking back at the ice I turned back to him with a small smile not really sure how to answer. "Umm yeah I skate, I used to at least. I'm getting back into it. I took time off." I say my voice growing small I notice it and hope only I do. Tito smiles at me nodding in acknowledgment "You looked really great. We caught a couple of your jumps there at the end." Mat says, pulling my eyes back to him. "Thanks." I say blushing not knowing how to take compliments anymore. "Well I've gotta get going guys. I've gotta change and be ready by 8 which I'm probably already gonna be late anyway. I'll probably see you later at practice." Walking out of the rink to change out of my skates and get my bag. They come with me over to keep talking. "Yeah, sounds good." Tito says. Smiling, I grab my stuff and wave bye "Later guys." Walking down the hall to the front doors. All the sudden I hear someone running up behind me. Turning around I see Mat “Hey, everything ok?" I question with a smile. He lets out a laugh with a smile thats swoon worthy "You didn't tell me your name." I let out a little laugh "And you came this whole way for that? You couldn't wait till practice? " I questioned. "Nope, this way I have something over all the other guys." He says with a wink. Laughing I reach up and pat his chest "I'll see you at practice Mat." Spinning around I go to walk away. He quickly lets out a "hey!" To which I giggle "It's Y/N, Mathew!" I look back with a smile and a wink of my own.

#mathew barzal #mat barzal #anthony beauvillier #nhl fanfiction #tito beauvillier #mat barzal fanfiction #mat barzal fluff #mat barzal imagine #mat barzal x reader

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ddixons-angel · 4 years

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Fated: Season 3

Summary: Gloria Rhee narrowly escapes Atlanta with her brother as the outbreak reaches the city. Luckily, they find a camp outside the city and together, they fend through encounters with the living and undead.

Starts a little before Season 1 and then follows the main storyline of the show.

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Glenn Sister!OC

Warnings: major TWD spoilers, language, violence (the typical TWD stuff)

A/N: Friday is here~ And with that, you guys get another chapter!! I do have a feeling though, not a lot of you are gonna like what happens but hey, we kinda knew this was coming... right? you’ll see what I mean haha please don’t hate me!

Chapter 6

Rick had come back to the group’s main area to check up on Carl, Glenn had told him that he and Maggie were going on a run for more supplies and formula for the baby. Daryl lets him know that he’s going to clear the other side of the prison. Once he’s all filled in on the situation, Rick goes back to the dark corridors to continue clearing off his side of the prison. After sending Glenn and Maggie off on their run, Gloria wanders around the prison, checking outside the perimeter, making sure the fences are secure. When she comes back she sees Carl, Oscar and Rick back in the main area but still no sign of Daryl.

“Daryl’s still in the corridors, he got worked up when we found Carol’s knife.” Carl says as if reading her mind, “I think he’s gonna need some time alone.”

Gloria sighs but nods, “Thanks, buddy.”

She pats his shoulder then goes to the cell block to check on Beth and the baby, seeing if they need any assistance.

“We’re going to be out of formula soon if she keeps eating the way she does.” Beth informs her.

“She must have Carl’s appetite.” Gloria chuckles, making Beth laugh lightly.

Shuffling footsteps emit from the back hall and draw Gloria’s attention away from Beth and the baby. Wary of the sounds, she puts her hand on one of her daggers as she walks slowly towards the entrance of the back hallway. Daryl emerges from the entrance carrying a weak but alive Carol. Gloria’s eyes well up with happy tears at the sight of her. Daryl carries her to one of the cell blocks as Gloria follows them. Carol sits down on the bed and leans on the wall. Gloria immediately goes to her side to check up on her as Daryl steps back, giving them space.

“I’m so glad you’re alive.” Gloria tells her, a smile on her face as tears stream down her face, “you must be dehydrated, I’ll be right back.”

Carol smiles weakly at her and nods, then Gloria runs out to get Carol a bottle of water. On her way out, she sees that Rick had brought in a stranger with a katana laying on the floor. She decides not to pry as Carol is her first priority and she knows that whatever the situation is, Rick can handle it.

“Hey Rick, you’re gonna wanna see this.” Daryl calls out from the cell block.

Gloria rushes back to the cell, opening the bottle of water and handing it to Carol. She takes it generously, parching her dry lips. Rick and Hershel come by the cell and relief is written all over their faces when they see Carol is alive. They both take turns hugging her, smiling and with tears in their eyes. Carol then looks at Beth who’s holding the newborn baby and a realization hits her.

“I’m so sorry...” Carol says as she looks at Rick.

“Yeah...” Rick sighs, then walks out of the cell.

Daryl and Hershel follow him out to the main area while Gloria stays with Carol. She removes the scarf that’s wrapped around her right hand and hands it to Carol.

“This belongs to you.” Gloria smiles softly, “you must be starving, I made some oatmeal earlier but you’re going to have to bear with it, I’m nowhere as good a cook as you.”

Carol chuckles and shakes her head, “that sounds lovely.”

She smiles then heads back out to the main area towards the kitchen. Gloria grabs a bowl and a spoon for Carol then she’s about to scoop up some oatmeal into the bowl.

“The supplies were dropped by a young Asian guy with a pretty girl.” the stranger with a katana said, her words making Gloria freeze.

“What happened to them? Were they attacked?” Rick asks.

“Not attacked. Taken. Taken by the same asshole who shot me.” she tells them.

“Those are our people. You tell me where they took them, now!” Rick yells in her face.

She looks up at him, not backing down, “find them yourself.”

“Hey,” Gloria calls over to the stranger, Hershel, Daryl, Rick, and the stranger turn to look at her as she walks towards them, “you have to tell us where we can find them.”

“Why should I?” she looks at her warily.

“That young Asian guy, his name is Glenn. He’s my brother. And that pretty girl? Her name is Maggie, she’s his daughter.” Gloria gestures over to Hershel, “They’re our family, our blood. We’ll get them ourselves, just please, tell us where they are. I’ll get on my knees and beg you if I have to, please!”

The stranger has a thoughtful look on her face, as if contemplating her words and then finally gives in, “There’s a town called Woodbury, run by this asshole guy who calls himself the Governor. Military commander wannabe. I’m sure they got taken there.”

“How did you know to find this place?” Rick asks, crouching down to the stranger’s level.

“Overheard them mentioning a prison.” she says simply.

Rick turns around and looks up at Gloria who nods at him before she turns around to head back to the cell block, “Gloria will take care of your wound, she’s a nurse.”

“Was.” Gloria calls out as she walks to the cell blocks, then gets her newly put together first aid kit from her cell that she now just used as a storage room.

Before heading back out to the main area, she asked Beth to get Carol some food as she would be busy helping the stranger outside.

The stranger did not resist much as Gloria patches her up and the group starts to prepare for their mission to rescue Maggie and Glenn, loading up their cars with weapons and other supplies just in case. As Gloria puts a box into the trunk of the car, she’s about to walk away to get more supplies when Daryl grabs her arm and gently pulls her to the side.

“Ya should stay back here.” he tells her quietly.

Gloria frowns at him, “how can you tell me to stay here, we have to go get Glenn and Maggie!”

“And we will, but I need ya here. Carl’s a kid an’ Carol’s still weak, I ain’ countin’ on Axel to keep everyone safe.” Daryl reasons.

Seeing his point, Gloria sighs and nods, “you better bring them back, Daryl Dixon.”

Daryl smirks at her then nods, “I will.” he takes her hand and holds it up to his lips, kissing it gently before turning to head to the car.

The ones left behind watch as their rescue team drives away. Axel is manning the gate, opening and closing it as the car passes. Carol puts her hand on Gloria’s shoulder, understanding her worry.

“They’ll be fine, they’ll be back before we know it.” she says, trying to comfort her friend.

Gloria smiles softly and nods, “yeah, they will be.”

---

Hershel, Beth, Carl, and Gloria were back in the cell block waiting for the others. Carol and Axel were on watch. Gloria had tried to convince Carol to come inside to rest but she was insistent on wanting to do something for the group after being gone for so long. She knew it was a losing battle to argue with Carol when she had already made up her mind, so Gloria agreed but forced Axel to stay out there to keep watch with her. Hours pass as Carl and Gloria are sitting on the steps when they all hear a scream coming from one of the halls of the prison.

“What was that?” Beth asks, worry on her face.

“Was that Carol?!” Carl wondered aloud.

“No, she’s still out on watch.” Gloria says as she gets up, she looks at Carl, “Carl, you stay here and watch over your sister, Beth and Hershel. And lock the gate!”

Without saying anything else, she runs off to check the corridors the scream had emitted from. Flashlight in hand, she goes through the dark halls, following the screams to find a group fighting for their lives in one of the abandoned rooms. Seeing they’re struggling with the walkers, Gloria rushes up to them and stabs one of the walkers in the back of the head, letting it fall to the ground. The new group look at her in surprise.

“Come on, we gotta get out of here, move!” Gloria shouts at them and leads them back to the main area.

Ushering them through the door to the main area, she closes and locks the door to that corridor to prevent any walkers from coming in. The new group was frantic, one of their people, a woman, was already bit and they had laid her on the ground. Carl comes running out from the cell block.

“What happened?!” he asks, surveying the scene.

“Found them getting attacked in the boiler room.” Gloria tells him.

The man kneeling by the side of the bit woman’s body was crying heavily, she had seemingly died from the bite. Seeing this, Carl takes out his gun with a silencer attached from his belt and aims it at the head of the woman.

“Woah woah, kid!” the larger man of the group pulls him back, looking at him as if he were crazy.

“I have to do it before she turns!” Carl argues.

“We can handle our own.” the large man says, making Carl back down.

Gloria takes Carl’s hand and pulls him away from the group as the larger man takes a hammer from a younger boy in the back.

“You gotta let them take care of their own, she’s one of theirs, not ours.” Gloria whispers to him and he nods.

She ushers him back into the cell block as the new group put down the woman with a hammer. Carl shuts the gate and locks it, preventing the new group from coming into their block.

“Hey... hey! What are you doing? You can’t just leave us out here!” a woman from the new group calls out as she walks up to the gate.

“You’re safe where you are, you have food and water.” Carl tells her, standing his ground.

“Open the door!” she yells at him, hitting the gate.

Gloria lets out a frustrated sigh and goes up to the gate, “you’re safe there. We don’t even know you people and yet I still saved you. We aren’t going to let strangers into our home, we’ve lost enough already by trusting the wrong ones.”

The larger man from before comes up from behind the woman and pulls her away, “Sasha, enough, let them be.”

“You don’t know that you can’t trust us!” Sasha pleads.

“You don’t know that you can trust us.” Gloria says then turns around to go up the stairs when she hears Sasha banging on the gate again.

“Let us in!” she shouts.

Gloria turns to glare at Sasha, “You listen here, we’re already doing you and your group a huge favor by letting you in these walls, giving you food and water, but you try anything, anything at all and I will lock you back where you came from with nothing, do I make myself clear?!”

The larger man pulls Sasha away again as they both waiver at her threat, “Yes, ma’am, we’re sorry.”

---

“What the hell is he doing here?!” Glenn shouts, fuming once he sees that Merle is with Rick, Daryl, and Michonne, the stranger with the katana; he points his gun at Merle, heaving.

“Woah woah, Glenn, just calm down. We can figure this out.” Rick says holding his hands out to calm Glenn.

“Figure out- what is there to figure out?! We’re not bringing him back with us!” Glenn shouts, his face turning red.

“The hell ya mean, he was originally one o’ us! Ya forgettin’ Gloria brought both o’ us back?” Daryl defends, Merle is his brother after all.

“Oh yeah! Gloria, how’s she doin’? Still gotta repay her for stayin’ wit’ me up on that roof that ya’ll deadasses left me on!” Merle drawls out, cackling.

“You are not going anywhere near her!” Glenn angrily lunges towards Merle but Daryl catches him, holding him back.

“Ha! Like ya can stop me! That girl deserves some lovin’, while the rest o’ ya’ll damn left me for dead! Ya deserve what I did to ya! Damn ass T-Dog deserved what he got too! Leavin’ me up there, and don’ let me forget about-” Merle was cut off as Rick knocks him out with the back of his gun.

“Asshole.” Rick mutters as he walks away from Merle’s unconscious body.

Maggie, Rick, Glenn and Daryl are gathered by the car as they discuss what to do with Merle. Glenn is not giving up as he is very against taking him back after Merle had almost killed him. Daryl is torn but in the end, he makes his final decision.

“If he’s out, I’m out.” Daryl announces, “‘sides it’s always been just him and I out there ‘fore all this.”

“Daryl, you know you’re a part of this family.” Rick tries to convince him.

“Yeah, but like ya said, he ain’t. And I ain’t leavin’ him, already did that once.” he says as he makes his way to the car with his things.

Glenn sighs deeply then follows Daryl to the car, “what about Gloria?”

Daryl stops in his tracks at the mention of her name, “what about her...”

“You’re just gonna leave her behind? She loves you, you know that?” Glenn informs him, he wanted to prevent him from leaving, he knew that if Daryl left it would break Gloria’s heart.

Daryl glances behind him, “she said that?”

“She did, a while ago.” Glenn says, hoping that would change his mind.

He glances at Merle then back at Glenn, “she’ll get it. Take good care o’ her,” he says then continues walking to the car.

---

Back at the prison, Carol was on guard duty while the others were in the main area outside Cell Block C. Carl was sitting on top of one of the tables watching over Sasha’s group while Gloria was seated on the seats at one of the tables to control the situation if needed. The sound of the door opening draws their attention away from whatever they were doing and a beat up looking Glenn walks in.

“Glenn?!” Gloria gets up quickly when she sees his face, rushing to him, “the hell happened?”

She follows him into the cell block and goes up to her cell to get her first aid kit then rushes back down to Glenn and Maggie’s shared cell. Gloria sits beside him as she patches up her brother, they don’t speak and Gloria decides not to pester him on it either. Maggie comes to the cell shortly after, watching by the door of the cell quietly. There’s a silence within the cell and Gloria glances between Maggie and Glenn.

She packs up the kit and closes it, “I’ll leave you two to rest up, you’re probably exhausted.”

Gloria gets up from the bed and is about to walk out of the cell when Glenn reaches up and grabs her arm, stopping her. Confused, she looks back at him with an eyebrow raised. Glenn looks at her reluctantly and sighs.

“Daryl’s gone.” Glenn says simply.

She blinks at him, ‘gone’ in this new world of theirs can mean a lot of things, “what do you mean he’s gone? Is he... is he dead?”

Glenn shakes his head, “he’s alive, but he’s not coming back.”

“He left with his brother.” Maggie tells her, feeling bad that they have to break the news to her.

“Merle? You guys found Merle?” Gloria looks at Glenn who nods, “well that’s great, why didn’t he just come back with you?”

“Because we didn’t want him to.” Maggie says, pursing her lips together.

“Merle used to be one of us, why wouldn’t you-” Gloria gets cut off by Glenn.

“Because he’s the one who did this to me!” Glenn snaps, “he’s the one who took us and brought Maggie to the damn Governor to terrorize her!”

Glenn was seething in anger at the memory, he didn’t mean to snap at Gloria since she had no idea but he couldn’t help it; his little sister was defending their abductor and calling him one of them. Gloria’s face softens when she hears Glenn’s words, understanding why they wouldn’t want Merle with them. Tears well up in her eyes when the realization that Daryl left hit her. He left her without even saying goodbye. He chose Merle without a second thought and just left.

“Gloria...” Glenn sighs as he sees her expression but she storms out of the cell before he can say anything else.

She runs out of the cell block and out of the prison building altogether, making her way up the watch platform. Gloria lets herself fall to the ground, allowing the tears to fall as she cries about the man who left her without a single word.

---

Next Chapter

So, we got a cute moment between Daryl and Gloria before he left to go with Merle.. we all saw that coming though... right?? :D it gets better from here though, I swear!! Please let me know your thoughts on this chapter~! I know it didn’t end on a good note, but please let me know what you thought! I’d love to hear it :D

I hope everyone stays safe and healthy, please don’t panic, we will get through this!

And as always, I would really appreciate any comments left for me! I’ll be replying to any comments in a new post because this is a sideblog!

Taglist (please let me know if you’d list to be added/removed!):

#Daryl Dixon #Daryl Dixon Fanfic #Daryl Dixon Fanfiction #Daryl Dixon Imagine #TWD #TWD Fanfic #TWD Fanfiction #TWD Imagine #The Walking Dead #The Walking Dead Fanfic #The Walking Dead Fanfiction #The Walking Dead Imagine #Daryl Dixon X OC #Daryl Dixon X Original Character #Glenn Sister!OC #Glenn Sister!Original Character #Glenn Rhee #Fated: Season 3 #Fated: S3: Chapter 6

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tripstaysnoided · 4 years

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Flow Just Like Water

youtube

Story and writing-related transparency update and my many shames...

The Question on Everyone’s Mind

“Hey you haven’t updated No Stars over Uptown in almost a year...”

Hmm, I hate it when you’re right. (This section has been rewritten ad-nauseam to curb back the bitchiness by the way)

So back in early/mid 2018, the idea was to divorce Uptown from a person who influenced it (and myself) heavily. She was my most important audience member, the closest friend I ever had, and unfortunately someone who used her power to bully, ostracize, and hurt others with my help. I cut contact when the hurt + some self-awareness finally reached me. Apologies were made and I feel like my work will never be done with it, but there was still Uptown.

Between censored comments, entirely recasting Axel’s save, different plot threads, and a load of disclaimers, there was nothing that would scrub her influence from the story. There was no way to cleanly drop everything because of how deep her influence went. It disgusted me to look back at it, and I had to private the blog because I feared what it endorsed, even if just in the past.

I pulled back from that sims writing community. I had its main thread on the Official Forums removed too (I guess if that was a mystery to anyone). It was a surrender that I never wanted to do, but I had it in my mind that if I was gone, then she wouldn’t be there either. Uptown became this cursed item, and as I quietly retired it, I noticed that she went quieter too. Not gone, but enough to make me sleep easier at night and even occasionally say hello to old friends.

And I hope deep in my heart that no one else is getting hurt in my place, but now this is gonna haunt me all day huh!

The two paths forward...

1) Complete Uptown rewrite that I’ve been threatening everyone with all year. While it won’t ever be clean because I can’t undo time, I do have a sound outline for a story that is much more true to my actual vision and how I’ve evolved, with a few necessary boundaries in place that are going to be there for all stories moving forward: no more casting calls and no more collaborative efforts. I am not going to open myself up to this happening again, even if the people have changed.

2) Same as above, but I continue the original Uptown as a favor to loyal readers alongside the rewrite. I would try to put the effort into it that I initially did, but with no promises on an update schedule and no advertising. I did ask myself “is there Patreon but without pledging money, just the private posts function” but it could operate as part of a private forum, a members-only part of a website, etc.

Also readers of the original would be beholden to a rule of “don’t spoil the rewrite for new readers, c’mon guys”. I mean, not really, but it is a good courtesy to extend to people.

Priority on this isn’t high but you at least will see what is!

I will probably make the blog public again either way due to the many broken links on my Tumblr but we’ll see. There are other things to deal with as I shall list!

Where Life’s Been Regardless

Been spending more time with my grandpa every weekend. Life’s pretty good and he’s warming up to my dogs.

Shiny New Webbed Site

Cucumber Fields Forever is a site I own now. We have a full domain, cucumberfieldsforever.com, a blog with one post, and the framework needed to host stories the way I want to and still through WordPress. The functionality of likes, comments, and following should still be the same but you know...I’ll take feedback too...

The main blog still has an undefined purpose though I do have drafts sitting around about:

The maybe/maybe not hoax band that was on the Metal Archives and the history of Funeral Doom Metal.

The curious case of when Sims 4 babies get their genetics and my only collaboration (read: was talking about it with a friend and might quote her if needed, it’s actually a bit of a doozy)

Amazon.com’s fake dried udon noodles, an actual issue by the way.

Things I’m reading! (This’d be a monthly feature if so)

For the sake of unity, I am thinking of solutions for hosting old and shameful content there including Uptown and for the real fans in my followers feed, Eight Cicadas...a world I totally have plans for too (not really). I don’t want them to be front-and-center, and that’s why I mentioned forums/members-only content. I finally have that power! Maybe.

Ooooh but what are the costs? Not too much to handle, that’s what. 😉 (Like really, I don’t need any hand-wringing about this, I can manage my finances)

Project Queue (In Order of Confirmedness)

Outrun the Scythe: have you seen me post out-of-context Sims 3 pictures? Did you want more? Did you hope it was Linda in Custody? If the answers are yes, yes, and “meh, whatever you want”, then you’re in luck.

Outrun the Scythe is a Sims 3-based tale of a young gay man and his zombie grandma, as they are both offered separate roles of being the undying intermediaries between the world of humans and the influence of a race of space daemons. It’s pretty familiar if you’ve been following me pre-Uptown, taking some cues from stories I’ve kept under lock and key like Eight Cicadas, The Chains of Lyra, and the not-so-locked-up Ironstar Immortals (of which Outrun is just the direct sequel to sans any retconning...ah the smell of early 2013 and performative heterosexuality)

Ah, back to my roots.

It’s a hybrid of gameplay, story, and lore about my little race of daemons with a lot of my own idiosyncrasies that I’m not really ashamed of: basing it off a super-polarizing Sims 3 challenge from a site I moderate, using a lot of EA’s pre-made townies and their genes, lots of unnecessary posemaking, stupid references. It’s a comfort to have in my roster.

While the first few chapters are in the middle of revision, I have around six in the queue and will be making this public when I have ten. I’m guessing December then?

Undocumented Black Widow Challenge: I just did this for fun/forum kudos (yes, in fact I have joined many forums), there was going to be a short story but it was quickly becoming something against my code of ethics. I mean, sims die and all. (read: I had to choose between “heterosexual widow” and “widow with some same-sex marriages that still end in tragedy, reinforcing negative stereotypes to the public for the sake of me not getting bored and detached during gameplay” so there were no good choices. Except for her affair with the mailwoman, 10/10) I hope to finish this before October ends and get my medal on Boolprop, I’m pretty far through it all. I might upload the sims involved anyways. This is for TS4.

I mentioned it because it’s keeping me busy. But not for long!

NaNoWriMo 2020: Dipping my toes into that again! It’s not sims-related, just a tale of lesbians, nosy neighbors, a haunted beach house, and some light murder and kidnapping. And I actually got my brother to scout out locations for me this weekend. If there’s any demand, I can share chapters as the rough drafts are finished, especially for the sake of proofreading.

Not saying I’m publishable, but wouldn’t it be nice? Will keep me occupied for much of November.

Untitled “Dear Diary” Challenge: Tired of feeling left out of the fun on the Boolprop forums, their “Dear Diary” challenge was the one that appealed to me the most on first glance. Why? Probably once I found an idea that let it be set in the early/mid-2000′s to begin with and explore some interesting characters through diary entries (which I have mixed feelings on as a literary device but I think that’s just me saying “well I didn’t like Dracula”, yes you get bonus points for writing it like a diary)

Also writing is the one skill I’m good at across multiple games. Wanna hear me bitch about the cooking skill tree in TS4 or riding in TS3? I’ll spare you.

I guess I could have included “spending time on Boolprop with old and new friends” in where my life has been. It’s a nice lil community if also a place with its own idiosyncrasies as well. So it doesn’t feel like I’m promoting another community if/when I make a thread there for Outrun the Scythe, I want to have a couple chapters of this ready to go by Outrun’s release, though it’s not gonna be the highest priority compared to it nor as long because I think I can blast through the gameplay quickly.

This one will be played in TS4 due to it having the easiest writing skill/I dunno variety is the spice of life. And hopefully another December release.

Defunded or Forgotten?: Oh shit I actually released stuff in 2020 and told no one? I do have a “mortifying ordeal of being known” sinking feeling whenever I get a site hit because it’s not my best work (but good enough) and veered sharply into issues I may be over my head in, though I try to be a good noodle with research and listening. Maybe hiding is bad after all.

Being based off a very flawed and incomplete Sims 3 challenge I found in the annals of the Official Forums, there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work just making sense of things. And I’m scared of working on reconstructing the house but I haven’t abandoned the project yet. The story has eight chapters so far and is pretty game-based with some additions here and there. Scared of how long it could be though!

Date for this unknown.

Untitled Sunlit Tides Decadynasty: another year-long abandoned TS3 project with a much stupider reason why. Last update was about Hua getting ready for her wedding, and I wanted to do some poses for a bait-and-switch wedding chapter because to put it mildly, her real one was an absolute disaster.

Blender decided to fuck up its interface again, I got discouraged (this probably does account for some of the Uptown delays too), and when I decided to plow forward, it was for other projects instead.

Meanwhile I played all the way to Gen 5′s teenhood and the only thing stopping me is time (it takes almost 30 minutes to load the file right now, though they’ll be looking at moving towns in a couple gens) and maybe fear of the Logic skill.

Date for this also unknown but it’s easy to pump out updates once I’m in the groove for it. My third heir had a difficult life so maybe I’m just trying to bury it.

Also I just noticed the view count there was really good and probably because I linked it here on Tumblr last year. Thank you so much guys. I can’t really fret over views on Carl’s forum these days thanks to the years-long death spiral pretty much every forum anywhere has been riding on. But it’s a nice surprise. And it’s an alright little challenge recap to read during your lunch break or whatever.

The Wawas

I figured I’d end on the real news everyone wants! Both the chihuahuas are a year and a half now and reached their adult size around a year ago. For the most part, they are happy and healthy dogs.

#state of the uwunion #long post

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snowflake-of-destruction · 4 years

Note

Imagine Roxas and Axel babysitting for Sora and Riku

Teamwork

"I like adding spontaneous, fun extra challenges to the day as much as the next guy, provided the next guy is you, but I have to say, I think Floor is Lava Tuesdays is a better idea than weird plastic puzzle locks on the cabinets."

Roxas glanced up from where he knelt on the floor, fixing covers and bars on the under the sink cabinets in the kitchen to see his husband framed in the doorway, looking the casual print ad model, chiseled lines under soft sweats, hands curled around a mug of steaming liquid that smelled almost as delicious as the holder (of course the mug was emblazoned with the word SLUT in bold letters which would probably have to be censored out of the ad), bun with just enough flyaways to seem careless but pulled to the perfect angle. "I'm baby proofing."

"As the baby, I resent that remark," Axel tutted before setting his coffee next to the sink and crouching down beside Roxas. "What brought this on? You have some news to tell me?"

Axel expected an eye roll from his husband, but Roxas set the angry looking plastic finger trap he was holding down and ran a hand through his hair nervously, a mild pink tinge crawling up his neck and Axel felt his smile freeze in the middle of forming. "Well, actually, I do have some news..."

"You're kidding." Axel felt his blood run cold and then super heated through his veins in quick succession as time slowed down.

Roxas's frown at the interruption morphed to a furrowed brow of confusion and then annoyance. "Axel, I told you already. Replica bodies don't work that way. I'm not going to 'go seahorse'"

"Xion can..."

"Xion is a special case. You are stuck with me with no alterations."

"Eh, I still have the much better end of the deal."

"Yeah, you do."

A shared smile and a quick kiss distracted Axel a moment longer from asking, "So what's the news?"

"I told Sora and Riku we'd babysit for them tonight." Roxas ripped the bandage off quickly. He braced for a less than enthusiastic response, though actually receiving one was still disappointing.

"Listen, I'm sorry about the acknowledgements. Every book I write is dedicated to 'my heart, my love, my Roxas.' I thought that was a given by now, and I just had to write what other dedications would come after it. It was the publisher's fault, and I should not be punished."

"I'm not punishing you," Roxas felt his face wilt as he picked back up the baby proofing supplies to finish what he had started. "I thought it would be fun. Riku and Sora really need a night out, and it gives us a chance to, you know, see what it's like."

It wasn't that Axel missed Roxas's hurt tone or his latter words and their meaning, even if they had been mumbled. It was more a combination of not wanting to be lured toward a slippery slope of manipulation or ready to revisit the conversation of whether he felt they should start seriously thinking about adding to their family soon rather than a general "some day" they'd always said before. Roxas had brought it up last week, and Axel appreciated that he had, but it hadn't exactly gone well when he'd been taken by surprise and his gut instinct response was less enthusiastic than Roxas had seemed to want. He was letting the idea soak in now, and it needed a little more time to marinate before he could give a response. If Roxas was going to push, it would probably need even more time. So it was better not to toe too closely to the sensitive, personal part of baby discussion and do what they both had the inclination to always go back to, deflection with a joke. "To let a Babynort into the house?"

"Ripan is not a Nort." Roxas hissed defense of his other's son since Sora and Ripan couldn't defend themselves.

"Then how come he has white hair? Answer me that," Axel challenged.

"He has silver hair. Like Riku. Riku's genes are the only inherited evil Ripan has and I don't think we should hold that against him. He's just a baby."

"No, no, babies are adorable balls for holding and cooing at and then handing back to their parents. Terrifying because their heads are squishy and they can't hold them up, but otherwise not dangerous at all. This thing is mobile. I've seen it." Axel lent the revelation the appropriate air of horror, though he neglected to mention he'd seen Ripan crawling up a wall, imitating either one of his fathers or the younger Incredible boy, which rendered his warning easily mistaken for his typical melodrama.

"That's why I'm baby proofing."

"Did you get the upstairs?"

"It's not going to be able to climb the stairs by itself...Is it?"

Axel thought it over since the stair thing seemed to alarm Roxas. "Probably more easily than it could get to the ceiling. I'm just going to feed it ice cream and hope that appeases it."

"I don't think it..he can have ice cream yet. Sora said he was going to write us a list of rules."

Axel's attitude toward the night ahead of them turned on a dime when the suggestion that someone else thought he was less than capable intruded to punch at his ego. "Rules like what? We know what to do."

"Damn straight." Roxas stood, dusted off his hands, and stole Axel's coffee off the counter.

"We'd be great with kids," Axel insisted, reaching out to take the coffee back, taking a sip, and returning it to Roxas.

"That's right," Roxas encouraged.

"We take care of Demyx!" Axel could honestly say that he'd fed, bathed, and rocked Demyx to sleep under different circumstances. Luckily, no diapers had ever been involved. "We're Turkey's dads!"

"And he's the most demanding little baby of all!" Roxas championed Axel's logic even while being reminded that he'd forgotten to feed Turkey before starting his project with the cabinets. He'd have to rectify that now. It was a miracle Turkey wasn't already dramatically expressing the utter betrayal of being left to starve.

"Next to me," Axel provided the punchline at his expense.

"Next to you." Roxas leaned up on tiptoe to steal a kiss and pressed the coffee cup with its last sips at the bottom into his husband's hands for him to finish off. "Now go put on something more suitable for tonight."

"What's more suitable than sweats for babysitting a baby? A tarp?" Axel drained the coffee.

"Put on something nice."

"Is Ripan conducting a formal interview before storytime?"

"No, but his dads might."

Roxas's instincts turned out to be right. Sora and Riku not only had a list of rules but a pop quiz on protocol and babysitting readiness that needed to be passed before they would leave, despite the fact that Roxas and Axel, already had the job, were doing it as a favor, were only taking Ripan for a few hours and not permanently adopting him and taking him into the heart of Deep Jungle, and Riku and Sora's normal babysitter was a fifteen year old girl (though Violet had warned them that she might have to cut back even more than she had. Ripan and her brother Jack Jack tended to be "a little challenging" in her words, when she had to watch both of them).

Ripan's part of the testing was to sit on the floor sucking on his giraffe pacifier and rolling an alphabet block between his hands, occasionally looking up with large, liquid blue eyes either to question why he was sitting on a strange floor or to ask why his dads were still there. Or maybe to ask why the other baby curled in the entertainment center next to the cable box was so ugly and meowed.

"I promise you. Ripan is going to have so much fun tonight he's never going to want to leave...but he's also going to be asleep by nine and I won't forget to rub the cream on his arms before I put on his sleepytime shirt," Roxas swore, crossing his heart over the I like coffee and maybe three people shirt he'd neglected to change out of despite telling Axel to look nice.

"Okay, I believe in you," Sora assured him before selling out his husband. "But Riku sincerely does not. So can you please promise me you will take extra good care of our little angel? I know he's kind of a handful, but-"

"Are you kidding?" Axel chuckled, unperturbed. "You're talking to the best babysitters in the business. There is no one more qualified for this job."

"You've literally never done this before," Riku groused, hands clenching in his pockets as he regressed to his old nervous tick.

"We are totally capable of taking care of your precious angel, okay? It's not like we don't have kids too." Roxas gestured to the entertainment center where Turkey sat, eyeing the miniature human. It had eyes like His Boy, so Turkey thought he might be able to trust it, but the threat of someone else Heat Giver and His Boy might want to snuggle that was not Turkey was hard to face.

"That's why I'm concerned," Riku concentrated on breathing evenly through his nose and not sounding too snappish. "That is not a child. That is a cat in a knit sweater."

"We'll be fine," Roxas insisted, ignoring Riku's slight, when defending Turkey's status as first child would make Sora and Riku miss their reservation. "We have your list and everything he needs. You two just enjoy yourselves!"

"See, it's fine, Riku." Sora nudged Riku toward the door. "Bye Ripan! Behave yourself for your uncles!"

Ripan gurgled solemnly, swearing to be nothing but the perfect child.

"Have fun guys! We'll be back around eleven!" Sora nudged Riku a bit harder, recognizing him for the immoveable object he was. "Riku stop glaring and walk."

Roxas opened the door for them, Axel waved to them as they retreated, Roxas closed the door. It was a total of maybe fifteen seconds they didn't have eyes on Ripan. The first fifteen seconds they were in charge of the vulnerable life of the baby that had been sitting near motionless and content in the living room for fifteen minutes. The baby that was still sitting content after those fifteen seconds and still near motionless, just with his pacifier out of his mouth and on the floor beside him and his mouth working as if he were chewing.

Axel and Roxas shared a glance and dove at the same time. Ripan shrieked, which should have proved his mouth was empty, but Axel used the opportunity to sweep a finger inside the child's mouth to make sure. Ripan employed natural defenses. Namely, biting down as hard as he could with his four impressive teeth.

Axel howled. Ripan laughed which allowed the red head to withdraw his injured hand. Roxas comforted Axel, for a moment, then warned him not to take his eyes off Ripan again because they might not get lucky again, and went to wash floor germs from the pacifier for the first, but, by no means, last time of the night. Minute one drew to a close with everyone still unscathed.

Minute fifteen gave birth to everyone's least favorite game, Turkey Chase and Smack, though Crawl Behind Couch gave it a difficult battle for the title.

At the end of the first hour, a nice balance had been found and everyone was getting along until Axel tried to heat up a bottle by summoning fire in his hand and subsequently scalded his wrist while testing results, as well as putting the idea of fire into Ripan's head. Sora had been right. Ripan was very smart and liked to try and mimic what the big people did. The living room couch suffered.

The next hurdles were The Incident of the Second Bottle Being Too Cold, The Great Despair of not Being Able to Have Both Bottle and Pacifier at the Same Time, Bottle Gone Too Quick, The Pukening, Second Washing of the Pacifier and Trial of Separation Anxiety, The Changing of the Onesies with Ripan Super Spleen Kicking Action, and The Pukening Part Two: Roxas's Shirt Looks Absorbent.

It was all minor stuff. Normal stuff. Expected, other than perhaps setting fire to the couch.

The real trouble didn't begin until the pacifier was lost.

#akuroku #snippets #soriku #future fic #fanfiction #the adventures of ripan the invincible possibly part one of more #sorry this was going to be longer but i was having a focus problem #Anonymous #this has been a shakeflake endeavor #🧂❄️

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is0gild · 3 years

Text

Ice Cream and Fire Oven Pizza - Chapter 30

Pairing: Elsa x Lea/Axel || Side Pairing: Riku x OC

Summary: Modern AU. She's an introvert ball of nerves who works at Ice Palace, a mall food court ice cream shop. He's the outgoing, sassy goofball who works at the Pizza Planet across the way. Hilarity, snark, and fluffy romcom hijinks ensue.

Word Count: 5,379

FIRST CHAPTER || PREVIOUS CHAPTER || NEXT CHAPTER

Credit for super friggin’ cute and super friggin’ amazing cover art goes to the super friggin’ talented ky-jane here on tumblr!

"Chorus?! That's bullshit! There must be some mistake, lemme see that thing," Lea snatched the paper off from where it'd been taped to one of the auditorium doors, causing it to rip a little as he did so.

Sighing, I stretched a hand out to try and retrieve the cast list from him, "Don't be silly, it's fine. It makes sense."

He yanked the sheet out of my reach, squinting at it with a perturbed frown before scoffing. "Makes sense my sweet ass. Where's Marluxia? Me and that cotton-candy-haired punk are gonna have words."

"You'll do no such thing," I finally managed to get my hands on the paper, prying it free of his fingers. Seeing it was now horribly wrinkled to boot, I grimaced and taped it back to the door, doing my best to smooth it back out. Then I slipped my hand into Lea's and started half leading, half dragging him back towards where he'd parked his car. "And it does make sense. They don't know me. They've never worked with me before. On top of that, I did choke a bit at the start of my audition. They can't trust a starring role to someone that's inexperienced and that they're unfamiliar with, not until I've shown them how I do in a background part as well as shown them that I'm capable and that they can rely on me."

"But you were the best one at the whole damn tryouts!" he huffed back. "What are those numskulls even thinking? I tell ya, if I were the director, it woulda been no contest. You'd be the leading lady like that," his fingers snapped.

"You're sweet and not at all biased," I rolled my eyes with a soft snort. "...honestly, I'm actually a bit relieved to be starting in chorus. I'd rather take it slow, ease myself back into theater and not take on too much responsibility right out the gate. It'll give me a chance to feel it out and see if this is something I really want to pursue. And if it is, I just have to put in the time, do the grunt work and by the next time they're putting on another production, maybe then they'll have enough confidence in me to give me a lead part."

Lea harrumphed. "They better. Otherwise I'm gonna kick Marluxia's stupid butt."

I hid a small grin behind my fingers, "He might not even be the one directing next time."

"Don't care. His ass will still be the one I kick outta pure spite."

A snerk escaped me, followed swiftly by a tiny, bubbling laugh. Lea glanced towards me, the corners of his eyes crinkling. As we came to a stop on the passenger side of his car, he tugged on my hand, pulling me up against him. He slipped one arm around my waist while his other came up to tuck some of my hair behind my ear as he ducked his head down, kissing me thoroughly.

Breath? Gone.

Knees? Jelly.

Brain? Mush.

As he pulled away and I struggled to remember how to take in oxygen again, I asked, "What was that for?"

"Just cuz I can," he winked, planting a light peck to my forehead. "You know this whole dating thing we're doing? Huge fan. Ten out of ten. Would recommend."

Face warming, I gave a derisive snort. "Sap."

"Yes, but I'm your sap," he nuzzled his nose to mine before releasing me to unlock my door and hold it open for me.

"Sap squared," I promoted him with a chuckle as I took my seat, reaching for the buckle. "Cliché sap squared."

"Too true. And you wouldn't have me any other way," he beamed before shutting the car door. My eyes followed him as he made his way around to the other side of the vehicle, one corner of my lips twitching up.

No. I suppose I wouldn't.

"Alright, next stop," Lea said as he plopped down into his own seat, retrieving his shades from where he kept them tucked in the sun visor and slipping them onto his nose. Thankfully, it was only his aviators. But I seriously doubted I'd seen the last of those ludicrous heart-glasses. "Lay that address on me, chica."

I fished the little piece of paper it was scrawled on out of my pocket and he tapped it into his phone as I read it off to him. Then the device began reciting directions in a bored monotone, his engine roared to life as he started the car and we sped off. We hadn't even been driving for a full minute before I heard a… peculiar noise coming from the back seat. I blinked, then glanced back over my shoulder. Had I imagined it? ...no, wait! There it was again! And it seemed to be coming from the floor behind my seat, where piled in a rumpled heap was…

"Um…" I quirked an eyebrow at Lea. "...your jacket seems to be barking…"

"Hm?" He was keeping his eyes on the road, but I didn't miss the hint of a smirk tugging at one side of his mouth. "Oh! Yeah, that. It does that from time to time. Needta train it to be better behaved."

My eyelids drooped. "...maybe you should feed it or take it for a walk."

"Nah, that'd only encourage it and then I'd never be able to get the damn thing to quit yapping," he snerked as he stopped at a red light. Then he was reaching behind me to shove his leather jacket aside, revealing a big box, its lid decorated with a frilly bow on top. He hoisted it up with a small grunt and deposited it into my lap. "Here. Was originally supposta be a Congratz-On-Landing-The-Lead present, but now it's more of a Congratz-On-Being-Glorified-Scenery present," Lea chuckled, scratching his cheek.

I lightly swatted at his shoulder. "There are no small parts, only small actors," I quoted with a shake of my head before directing my gaze back to the gift. I could feel it twitching and shifting slightly in my lap as it gave another couple of muffled barks.

Gee. What could it be? I really do wonder.

(Note the sarcasm.)

I was just glad to see several air holes poked into the lid. Come to think of it, Lea had been keeping his windows rolled down too. Sighing and smiling despite myself, I lifted the lid up. Sure enough, a puppy poked its head out to greet me, one that was a super white ball of pure fluff. The same one that's stolen my heart at the pet store when Lea and I had stopped by a while back. The one I'd dubbed Marshmallow. "Lea, no. I told you already that my complex doesn't allow pets." My chiding words were at odds however with my delighted chuckle as I picked the little guy up to hug close. "You shouldn't have gotten me a dog."

"I didn't," he said brightly as the light turned green and he stepped on the gas once more. "I got myself a dog."

I stared at him blankly as I felt the pup flicking its tongue along my chin. "...so wait. In essence, you got yourself a gift to celebrate me being glorified scenery in the play?"

"No, I got myself a gift to celebrate you getting the lead in the play. Not my fault you failed to live up to your half the bargain," he tsked before laughing as I gave his shoulder another smack, this one with more force behind it. Then as we shifted lanes, he flashed a smug grin, "'Sides, keeping the furball at my place gives ya an excuse to come visit me more often."

Petting the puppy's soft fur, I snorted, "Manipulative."

"Hey, what you call manipulative, I call incentive."

"You're right," I hummed as my fingers scritched behind Marshmallow's ear, a sly curve to my lips now. "You're definitely not enough of an incentive on your own for me to make the trip."

"Rude! You're lucky I think you're so cute," he reached over to pinch my cheek. I ignored him, holding the dog up in front of my face so we were nose-to-snoot. Marshmallow wagged his tail, licking the tip of my nose and I heard Lea grumble, "Oh sure. You he gives puppy kisses while all he ever gave me was tooth hugs."

"Tooth hugs?" I echoed, brow furrowing slightly.

"Lil furball's been tearing the shit outta my ankles nonstop," his face pinched sourly and I couldn't help a small laugh.

Once I'd sobered, I said, "I thought you said Saïx would murder you if you ever got a dog. How are you not dead?"

He flicked on his turn signal. "Oh trust me, it's not for lack of trying on his part, but bastard's gotta catch me first. The trick is to never stop moving when I'm home. Stay in one place too long and I'll get pulverized. Also got six different deadbolts locking my bedroom door now to keep him out, though I'm just waiting for him to get pissed enough to Kool-Aid Man his way through our shared wall."

"Hope I'm there to see that," I grinned, shifting to cradling the puppy in my arms in order to maximize belly rubbing efficiency. "Surprised the little guy managed to stay quiet for so long."

"Me too. Squirt was yipping up a storm the whole drive over when I was coming to pick you up. Was worried he was gonna ruin the surprise. But musta just wore himself out eventually and took a nap or something."

"Mm," I just hummed distractedly. "Also kind of shocked you were able to snag him. We saw him at the pet store, what… two weeks ago? Would have thought someone would've adopted him already in that time."

"Heh… well, I didn't exactly pick him up today..."

"Yesterday?" I glanced towards him and he gave a weak chuckle, shaking his head. "Then when?"

Lea scratched a finger behind his ear. "Er… same day we went to the roller rink?"

I blinked a couple times, then deadpanned, "...as in the same day we went to the pet store?"

"That'd be the one!" he nodded as he pulled up to a stop sign, his hand coming up to pluck at the short hairs at the nape of his neck. "After you left to go home, I went back. Ya just liked the lil mutt so much, I couldn't help myself. It was an impulse buy. Five seconds after I became a proud, new dog dad though, I felt like a total dumbass. But woulda felt like shit if I'd tried to give him back, so..." he shrugged, "I kept him."

My gaze returned to Marshmallow as my lips pursed to one side. He panted happily back up at me. "...I didn't see him that one time Saïx had me over for dinner. How'd you manage to hide him?"

"Stashed him away at Xion's for the night. Couldn't risk you finding him and realizing what a twitterpated bonehead I was," he snerked as the car propelled us forward once more.

I bit back a little grin. "But it's okay for me to find out now?"

"Well yeah, course! Since you're my girl and all now. Back before we were dating, me buying your dog was weird and possibly a lil creepy." He shot me a smirk, "But now it's just sweet and endearing!"

"If you say so," I murmured, only listening with half an ear as I smooshed and squished the pup's face.

His head turned slightly towards me and I could practically feel the slight narrowing of his eyes behind his aviators. "...crap, I'm gonna have to compete for your affections with that damn fleabag now, aren't I?"

I struggled to keep a straight face as my finger booped Marshmallow's cute little nose. "Is it really a competition if you've already lost?"

"Oh-ho, I see how it is," he snorted as he checked the rearview. "Well don't be too alarmed if next time ya see me, I'm down one dog and up one pair of a brand spanking new white, poofy earmuffs. The two things'll be totally unrelated. Pure coincidence."

I gave a tiny, amused huff and rolled my eyes. Then I leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you for the puppy. You're very sweet."

He ruffled his hair, "Shit, if it's always gonna make you this happy, I'll have to buy myself more gifts!" I made a noncommittal noise in my throat, all my focus diverted once more to playing with the dog. Lea gave a defeated sigh but smiled. Then he asked, "So… how's Anna been doing?"

I frowned slightly. "...okay. She's… better."

The altercation with Hans had been a few days ago now. By the time Anna had gotten through with him, he'd staggered out of my apartment with a limp and a black eye. I hadn't heard from him since, though part of me did wonder if he was just taking time to lick his wounds before coming back to further profess his supposed love for me. Guess it just depended how much of a hard time his parents would give him and how easily he'd break under the pressure.

As for Anna, once she'd spent all her rage on rearranging Hans' face and had nothing left, she'd proceeded to bawl her eyes out. She never took breakups this hard, but apparently she'd really thought Hans was it. The One. After such a rude awakening to the fact that he wasn't and having her heart shattered, I didn't blame her for having a bit of a breakdown. She'd ended up staying over and Rayne and I had turned it into a sort of a girls night to try and cheer her up. We'd binge streamed romcoms until 3 a.m. which honestly, with Anna wailing through every single one, I had no clue if they were making things better or worse. But she was the one who kept putting them on one after the other, so I'd just let her as I hadn't had the heart to deny her.

In the days since, it was obvious Anna was still down, even though she tried to hide it behind sunny smiles and loud laughs. Still, she seemed to be on the road to recovery.

"She's strong," I added softly after a brief lull, fingers absently toying with Marshmallow's paws. "She'll bounce back. Just needs a little more time, that's all."

Lea's phone suddenly gave a small ding, announcing that we had arrived and our destination could be found on the right. Luckily a spot had just opened up on the curb for him to turn the car into. I unbuckled my seatbelt as the engine shut down and opened my door, stepping out onto the sidewalk. My arms were still holding the puppy and I unfortunately had to concede that I probably shouldn't bring him inside. Spinning one-eighty, I set him back down inside the car and he immediately tried to hop out to follow me. My hands shot up to block him and he retaliated with sad eyes and a whimper.

Oh, this little con artist.

Laughing, I stroked his head soothingly, "Now now, Marshmallow, no need for all that… we'll only be gone for a few minutes, I promise."

"Awfully presumptuous of you, naming my new pupper," Lea teased as he appeared at my side now, a paper shopping bag that he'd retrieved from the back seat on his way out of the car now dangling by the handle from his fingers. Rubbing a curled knuckle over his chin as he glanced skyward, he smirked. "I was thinking something more along the lines of…" now he stretched a hand out, dragging his splayed fingers through the air as if the words themselves were magically materializing in front of our very eyes, "...Imperius, the White Death and Destroyer of Worlds."

I shot him a dull look. "...bit long to fit on a dog tag, don't you think?"

"Not if we use really teeny font!" his grin twitched wider and my eyelids just drooped in response. "Fine, fine, ya have a point. Hm… compromise? How 'bout... Marshmallow, Destroyer of Worlds?"

One corner of my lips turned up, "I can live with that." Giving the puppy one final scritch under the chin, I cooed, "Be back soon, Mr Worlds," before locking and closing the car door. As I turned to fully face Lea, it came to my attention that he was now scrutinizing me with a squint and a little frown. My eyebrows knit together. "...what?"

Without a word, he abruptly bent forward and friggin' licked the side of my neck.

With a small yelp, I squirmed and jumped back, hand flying up to clamp over the now damp skin as my cheeks threatened to spontaneously combust. Lea's face twisted in distaste as he spat and razzed his tongue, "Yeck, concealer. Thought so. Knew there was no possible way my masterpiece healed and faded that quickly."

Ah. He was talking about the Mother Hickey. I nodded with a sigh, "Yeah, Rayne helped me figure out how to cover it up."

Stepping closer, he hooked a finger under my chin to gently turn my head to one side so he could take a better look, muttering, "Hmph. Nice job, Raindrop. Matched your tone perfectly, never woulda even known it's there. But also… so not cool. I'm an arteest! A maestro deserves to have his pièce de résistance on display for all the world to see."

"Not when your canvas is my neck, maestro," I snorted, getting on tiptoe to plant a quick peck to his lips as I took the bag from him. Inside it was a powder blue sundress, a pair of ankle boots, and a phone book.

He gave a tiny pout, but it quickly melted into a grin as he took hold of my free hand, lacing our fingers together. "So… you ready for this?"

I spotted the little store we'd come here for and started walking towards it. "Ready as I'll ever be, I suppose."

"Ya sure the dude even wants all this junk back? It's more than a lil used now."

"Well, it's a used clothing store, so I'm sure it's fine," I shrugged.

Lea chuckled, "That old phone book is rumpled from water damage and is practically a rat's nest. No, scratch that cuz calling it that sullies the good name of rat's nests everywhere."

"It doesn't matter," I exhaled heavily. "I told the man I'd bring it all back and that's what I'm doing. If he won't take any of it, then I'm happy to pay him back for it all with interest." On that note, we stepped through the automated sliding doors beneath the big sign that read Wandering Oaken's Trading Post.

The store looked the same as the last time I'd been here. The cluttered racks, the secondhand clothing all but bursting out of every nook and cranny, the rustic decorations on the walls and hanging from the ceiling… all of it exactly the same. It honestly surprised me a little. I would've expected some changes since it felt like my last visit had been absolute ages ago. I had to remind myself that in reality, it'd hardly even been two months since.

I hoped the man (employee? proprietor?) who'd assisted me back then wasn't also exactly the same as I remembered him. All angry and stocky and big. I gulped, feeling my breathing turn shallow as I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. Surely, he wasn't still mad and wouldn't rip me limb from limb on sight, right? And surely, my memory had to be lying to me and exaggerating. No one, not even Lea, was that hulkingly ginormous… right?

"Hoo-hoo! Big summer blowout! Half off swim su-" the familiar voice immediately cut off as its owner, that same man I'd recalled, locked eyes with me from across the store. "You!"

Nope. He was exactly as terrifyingly ginormous as I remembered him.

Suddenly - and I don't quite know how exactly, because I didn't remember moving - I was hiding behind Lea.

Huh. Seemed like my latent surprise teleportation powers had activated to catch me unawares once again!

Taking a deep, steadying breath to settle my nerves and get a grip, I slowly creeped back out from behind him to respond to the man with a shaky smile and a tiny, "Me?"

He abruptly came charging at me and I swallowed a squeak, screwing my eyes shut.

This was it. The final countdown. The last roundup. I could already see the fabled white light. Was already watching my life flash before my eyes. Could hear an angelic choir singing somewhere. All but feel the-

Those giant tree trunks he had for arms unexpectedly wrapped themselves around me, crushing me to him in a spine-cracking hug that lifted me several feet off the ground and forced a surprised grunt out of me.

Um…?

"What is this?" I wheezed as I was swung to and fro like a ragdoll. "I don't understand what's happening."

Lea snerked, being absolutely zero help as he simply crossed his arms and watched the absolute epitome of bear hugs continue. "Apparently, this is how he deals with shoplifters. His own unique brand o' vigilante justice."

"Well it's cruel and unusual punishment!" I croaked out, kicking my feet and trying to wriggle free. "How do I make him stop?!"

Miraculously, he chose that second to release me of his own accord, shooting me a big smile that took up over half his face, "Oh thank you, deary! Thank you!"

...okay, not quite the greeting I'd been expecting.

Like, at all.

Both eyebrows shot up my forehead as my hand went to rub at my elbow, "You, uh… you remember me?"

"Of course, deary!" he nodded eagerly, tapping his fingertips together.

I squinted at him uncertainly. "...and you remember that I… stole from you?"

More enthusiastic nodding, "Ya, ya!"

...was I the only one totally bewildered right now?

My eyes darted over to exchange a brief glance with Lea, who just shrugged his shoulders.

Oh good, so it wasn't just me then.

Looking at the worker once more, I hesitated for a split second before awkwardly thrusting the bag out to him, heart thudding loudly in my ears as I began, "Well I… I brought it all back like I said I would… even the phone book! It's all still in decent shape… er, except for the phone book, that is. I can compensate you for that though and… and the dress and shoes too, of course! That is, if that's what you'd prefer... and I'll even pay inter-"

"Nonsense!" he gently pushed the bag back towards me. "Keep it all, it's yours. And your munny's no good here."

I stared at him blankly. "...I'm sorry, I'm confused."

The man beamed at me now, "Your dress, deary! The one you left behind in the fitting room and said I could have? I must say, that had to have been some costume party you came from! I sold that gown for enough munny to pay for all four of my sons' college tuitions! So I insist, keep those items! And please let me know if you see anything else in here that you'd like, ya?" A sudden low chime rang out overhead, signalling that another customer had walked into the shop. Gracing me with one final warm grin, he then plastered on his customer service face and walked past me, waggling his fingers in greeting, "Hoo-hoo! Big summer blowout!"

Frowning slightly, I watched him go before I heard Lea say in realization, "...you left your wedding dress here."

My fingers twisted and fidgeted with the bag handles. "Sort of… yeah."

He shook his head with a snort. "Shit, El, a gown like that made for your upscale, hoity-toity, blueblood wedding? You didn't shoplift, you way, way overpaid!"

Feeling heat creeping into my face, I gave a tiny scowl and huffed, "Well, it certainly felt like shoplifting, the way he was yelling and chasing after me when I ran out the store!"

"Babydoll, you just lost some serious street cred," he chuckled, pressing his lips to my temple. "Seriously though, just ditching it in some random fitting room? You coulda sold that thing for bookoo bucks and made this whole striking it out on your own thing way easier on yourself."

"You said the same thing about my car back at my parents' home. But just like with the Ferrari, that dress was bought and paid for with my parents' munny," I sighed, crossing my arms. "I don't want to accept so much as even a single cent from them if I don't have to… I don't want to feel like I owe them anything. And I just… I didn't know what else to do with the dress, really. I just wanted to be rid of the wretched thing."

He tsked, tapping a finger to my nose, "Oh you. Always gotta do things the hard way, huh? Silly." Reaching for my hand, he then started us meandering about the shop, idly perusing the racks and shelves as he went on, "If it'd been me, I wouldn't have thought twice 'bout pawning that dress for some quick cash. What's the big deal where the munny came from? All that really matters is how you spend it to give yourself a better, happier life. Turn bad into good, ya know? I- sweet!" he cried out abruptly, eyes lighting up as he happened upon a clump of feather boas draped across the corner of a chaotic, jam-packed shelf. Snagging one that was made of red feathers marked with black stripes, he wrapped it around his neck with a flourish before batting his eyelashes at me. "How do I look?"

I rubbed my fingers over my tiny smile. "Beautiful. Simply gorgeous."

"Damn skippy!" he chirped, now spotting a full length mirror nearby and moving to admire himself in it.

From insightful to kid playing dress-up in under two seconds flat. That had to be some kind of record.

Seeing that the employee had returned to his post behind the cash register, I walked over to him. "Hi again. How much for one-"

There was a sudden giggle at my ear that was distinctly Lea's, followed swiftly by a second feather boa being looped around my neck, this one comprised of blue feathers with white tips. With that, Lea zipped off once more, this time heading towards what looked to be the toy shelf.

I blinked in his wake, then shook my head with a soft hum of a laugh. "I'm sorry, how much for two feather boas?"

"Holy shit, this orca action figure comes with a tiny machine gun! And-" Lea gasped, running back now to excitedly show it to me, "-it also turns into a goddamn freaking robot!"

Patting him on the cheek, I turned back to the cashier with a sigh, "And the toy too."

"For you, deary?" he asked, still happily tapping his fingers together. "Free of charge!"

My head rocked back slightly. "What? No, but-"

"Oh hell yes! Thanks, big guy, and have a great day!" Lea cut me off, snatching up my hand and bolting out the store, forcing me to stumble after him as the cashier called out after us to do the same.

As we exited through the automated doors back out onto the sidewalk, I said, "Lea, wait!" I dug in my heels, bringing us both to a lurching stop. Then I frowned over my shoulder back towards the little shop. "I'm not comfortable with this. He's only giving us this stuff because of that stupid dress and I told you already-"

"Don't look at it as benefiting offa your folks munny," he grinned, taking the bag from me to tuck the toy and his boa inside with the other stuff. Then he set to work uncoiling mine from around my neck. "Instead, try this on for size: ya did a good thing with that dress. Maybe even the best possible thing ya coulda done with it. You donated it to the worthy cause of paying for the education of that dude's small army of kids. And if that's not enough for you, here's another way to look at it: ya traded in a wedding dress worth a sultan's ransom and all you got in return was a handful of cruddy, secondhand junk that altogether costs maybe twenty bucks max. On the divine cosmic scale of ethics, I think you can consider your conscience clear and your heart light as a feather."

Now fully freed from the feather boa, I released a tiny huff through my nose as I watched him slip it inside the bag too. "Well, when you put it that way…"

"It's settled then," he beamed, slinging an arm around my shoulders and guiding me back towards his car. "Now onto the next item on the list!"

My head tipped to one side. "There's more? But with this place checked off, I thought that was the whole list."

"Maybe your list, but we haven't even begun to scratch the surface of mine. And first up is immediately correcting one epic fail on my part."

"Oh?" I arched an eyebrow at him.

He nodded, "Mm-hm! For ya see, I've been grossly neglectful in my boyfriend duties. Can you actually believe I have yet to take you out on our first proper date since officially becoming a couple?"

A tiny smile fought its way onto my lips. "For shame. The absolute scandal."

"I know, right? People are already beginning to talk, my good name is being dragged through the mud," he puffed out an overdramatic breath, shaking his head.

I laughed. "Well then, what did you have in mind?"

As we came to a stop next to his car, he tapped the window glass where Marshmallow was pressing his paws up against the other side while barking his little head off. "For starters, how 'bout we take this lil fellah to a park somewhere for a few hours? Once he's all played out, we can drop him off back at my place. Make it real quick, in and out before Saïx wakes up and realizes he's been unknowingly volunteered for doggo-sitting duty." Setting the bag down on the roof the car, he then faced me, taking both my hands in his as he idly started toying with my fingers and murmured, "Then I was thinking I could take ya somewhere nice. Maybe Le Grand Bistrot? And after that…" he gave a lazy shrug, that dimple of his emerging, "well, guess we'll just see where the night takes us from there."

My eyes crinkled as I stared up the few inches that separated us. "Sounds perfect."

It'd been one wild and, at far too many points, absolutely absurd ride that had brought me here. And it was far from over for I still had a long road ahead of me. I'd yet to even determine what exactly I wanted the future to hold for me, and that was okay. I could hardly be expected to have the rest of my life already planned and mapped out after experiencing only a couple short months of freedom. Come now, that would be unrealistic.

But it didn't truly matter that nothing was really decided yet. What mattered was that I was the one who would get to decide, no one else. And for the moment, I was just deciding to focus on what was immediately before me. Today, I had a date with my boyfriend. Tomorrow would be a shift at my job in a mall ice cream shop. And the day after would bring the start of rehearsals for community theater. All in all, it was nothing grand, nothing fancy… but it made me happy. And for now, that was enough. More than enough. I could figure out the rest in my own time, and that sounded pretty good to me.

In fact, it sounded absolutely amazing.

THE END

…sorta?

Author's Note: And thus we come full circle... it ends where it all began way back in chapter one... cheesy, I know XD Okay, I rarely finish stories and thus I don't have a lot of experiencing doing it, so factor that in however you will in judging this final chapter xD I know, it was stupidly, cavity-inducingly sweet and not a lot happened, but damnit it's my story and I'll end it how I want to! Oh, and the toy Lea found wasn't a reference to anything, it was just something stupid I found on the internet that I figured the goofball would go absolutely nuts over xD

So, you probably have questions about that "...sorta?" at the end there xD Well that, my friends, has to do with the good news I mentioned that I had for ya'll a couple chapters back! Although the big, main plot of the story is now complete, there will be *drum roll*... bonus chapters! Wooo! These are more like self-contained one-shots that generally have time passage between them anywhere from a few days to like a month with no real overarching plot connecting them, which is why I'm not considering them a part of the "main" story. However, I will still be just slapping them at the end of this story, keeping it all in one place as opposed to posting them as separate fanfics, just because I can! I do what I want, yo! These bonus chapters will cover various events (relationship and non-relationship alike) for our new happy couple - as well as some that are just for pure funsies due to random ideas popping into my head that I really wanted to write xD I just always write the "how they got together" story and have never written them as a couple, so I'm excited to finally have a good excuse to do that! Plus now I can share with you guys how things go from here - stuff like relationship milestones, fam drama, Elsa's further adventures in theater, and much more! If you guys have any ideas of your own for a one-shot you'd like to see, please let me know! I make no promises about actually writing it, BUT there's a very good chance I'll read your suggestion, the plot bunnies in my head will go wild and I'll have no choice but to write it anyway xD

ANYWAY! I already have written and completed a few of these one-shots, so my once-a-week updates can continue for a little while longer! But fair warning - when (not if, WHEN) my updates catch up to as far as I've written, my once-a-week updates will be reduced to whenever-the-chapter-is-frigging-done updates xD

Whew! I think that's a wrap! Thank you so much for reading my lil story here, I super duper appreciate it! I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did writing it! And an extra BIG thank you to those of you who’ve liked, reblogged, and followed so far! Seeing those lil notifications pop up always brings the biggest, goofiest smile to my face!

See ya next week for the first bonus chapter, which is a silly, for funsies one-shot xD I'll give you a hint... helmets are involved! Ooooo, what could it be?! Stay tuned and find out!

FIRST CHAPTER || PREVIOUS CHAPTER || NEXT CHAPTER

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atomic-taco-muffin · 3 years

Text

The Lost Princess Chapter 34

Warnings: same as it always has been

Rating: SFW

You and the trio exited the Tenth Floor world entrance and had now entered the world of Hollow Bastion.

“I'm hearin' voices! I wonder who it is,” Goofy said. Jiminy hopped down and started hopping closer to where the voices were.

“Shhh! I think something's wrong!” Jiminy said. In the distance, Belle and Beast were talking.

“But Belle, I don't understand! I came here to rescue you!” Beast said.

“Beast... I did not ask you to come. And it doesn't matter anyway. I'm not going back with you, so you're wasting your time,” Belle said.

“Belle? Do you know what you're saying? How can you stay here with that witch?”

“I've nothing more to say. Now leave, before she finds you.” Belle left for the castle entrance. You, Sora, and the group walked over to the Beast, Sora still having an arm around you to keep you balanced.

“Belle...why?” Beast asked.

“I'm not sure what's going on, but...is everything okay?” Sora asked.

“Don't feel bad. There must be a reason she said those things,” Donald said.

“Keep your sympathy. No one could ever care for a beast like me.” Beast left.

“Poor guy. Sure wish there was somethin' we could do for him,” Goofy said. You and the trio ran to the castle entrance and found Belle in the castle library.

“Who are you? Were you kidnapped, too?” she asked.

“Uh...not exactly. It's a long story. Wait! So you've been kidnapped? You don't want to be here?” you said.

“Yes... ...No, I don't really want to be here. That witch forced me to come here. I have no one to talk to. Books are all I have to ease my loneliness. And then there's him... Oh, I've missed him so much.”

“You mean the Beast? Then why were you so mean to him before?” Goofy asked.

“Yeah. You really hurt his feelings,” Sora said.

“You don't understand. I can't let him see how I really feel.”

“Why not?” you asked.

“It's just that---” Suddenly, the door opened.

“Oh no, she's coming! Hide, quickly!” Belle said.

“Huh?” you and the trio asked.

“There's no time to explain. Quick. Hide!” The four fo you ran away and hid. The bookcases toward the wall slid open and Maleficent walked out from them and into the room.

“Oh... Hello. To what do I owe this visit?” Belle said.

“He was here---yes? He risked his life to come and save you. Why do you reject him?” Maleficent said.

“I won't ask for his help.”

“Oh, and why is that?”

“You know very well why. I'm not going to fall into your trap!”

“Then I have no choice but to make you BEG for his help!” Maleficent and Belle disappeared in a puff of darkness and green fire. You, Sora, Donald, and Goofy ran to where they were.

“No! She got away!” Sora said.

“What should we do?” Goofy asked.

“Help her, of course! What else?” you said. The four of you ran to find Maleficent and Belle. The two of them were talking by a fountain in the castle's entrance hall.

“What are you waiting for? Call to him!” Maleficent said.

“No! I won't let you hurt him!” Belle said.

“Then I shall make you scream! The fool will come running the moment he hears your cries.” You and the Trio had finally found them.

“Enough!” Sora said. You and the trio readied your weapons.

“Are you sure about this, (Y/N)? You still look a little weak,” Donald said.

“I’ll be fine,” you said.

“The Beast isn't the only one you have to deal with,” Sora said.

“Begone. You have no business here. Unless, of course, you wish to join in the screaming! This is perfect. When that brute hears your shrieks of terror, he'll come right to me!” Maleficent said.

“Don't trouble yourself,” Beast said. He jumped off from the upper level onto the floor.

“You're here! No! You mustn't! I told you to leave this place! Leave me alone! I never want to see your face again!” Belle said.

“Belle...” Beast said.

“What an awful thing to say!” Jiminy said.

“All right. If that's how you feel, I understand. My hideousness is punishment for being selfish and unable to love. I was made into a monster, loved by no one...and I only became more selfish. That is... Until I met you, Belle. You're the only person who accepted me. Little by little, you warmed my cold, selfish heart. The memories of our days together are my most precious. I won't cast them aside. So I'm sorry, but I can't leave you here...even if you hate me for it. Consider it my final selfish act.”

“Oh, Beast...”

“Well, well. I never dreamed such ugliness could hide so beautiful a heart. This calls for a change of plan. Beast, I shall claim your heart instead of Belle's!” Maleficent said. She started casting a spell, which surrounded her in darkness and green fire.

“No! Please!” Belle said. Maleficent casted a fireball at the Beast. Belle ran to Beast and took the hit from the spell, causing her to vanish and her heart to be released.

“Well, so much for the change of plan. Belle's heart it is, after all. It seems her cold words spoke little of her true feelings. Ha ha ha, she loves you, Beast! I can feel it shining in her heart!” Maleficent said.

“You fiend! Release Belle's heart at once!” Beast roared. The Beast dove at Maleficent, but she disappeared before he reached her.

“Where are you?!” he asked.

“She went that way! That's the way the shadows fled,” you pointed.

“What are you doing here?”

“No time to talk! We gotta go after them right away!” Donald said.

“You'd help me?”

“You bet! After what you just said, we GOTTA help you!” Goofy said.

“Let's go get Belle's heart back!” Sora said.

“Right!” You, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Beast found Maleficent in the castle chapel. You and the trio readied your weapons.

“You've done well to make it this far, Beast. As your reward, I'll tell you why Belle rejected you. My dark magic requires hearts of utmost beauty. Belle was perfect. Deep in her heart, her love for you shone with uncommon radiance. But she guessed my plans. By denying her love for you, she put her heart beyond my reach,” Maleficent said.

“But she saved me! She protected me!” Beast said.

“She couldn't hide how she really felt...” you said.

“I've heard enough! Release her heart! NOW! If you don't...” Beast said.

“Hm hm hm...” Maleficent said.

“Do not try my patience!” Beast roared.

“Don't you realize why I am telling you all this? Did you think it was out of kindness? I did it to erase your doubts. Now your heart is beginning to shine with love for Belle. I shall have your heart, too, monster!”

“Not if we stop you!” Sora said.

“You dare to challenge me? Pitiful fools!” Maleficent released tons of energy, transforming her into a dragon. You and the group fought and defeated her. Belle's heart floated down and her body was restored.

“Belle!” Beast said. He took hold of her and held her close.

“Thank goodness...” he said.

“Please forgive me. I had to be cruel to you. But no matter how I tried, I couldn't hide my true feelings...” Belle said.

“I'm the one who should apologize...for doubting you. I never want to remember feeling that way...so angry, so alone.”

“Then don't. Let's replace the sad memories with happier ones---starting now.”

“Belle...”

“There they go with the mushy stuff, a-hyuck!” Goofy said.

“Yeah, I think it's time we got on our way,” you said.

“Good idea! Let's keep moving,” Donald said. You, Sora, Donald, and Goofy left Hollow Bastion and entered the Tenth Floor Exit Hall. Vexen appeared and you and the group got ready to fight.

“Who are you?!” Sora asked.

“I am Vexen. I have come to collect your debt, Sora and (Y/N),” Vexen said.

“A debt? Sora, (Y/N), do you owe somethin' to this guy?” Goofy asked.

“Come on, of course not,” you said.

“Oh, but you do. You two owe me for reuniting you with your former friend.”

“You don't mean---” Sora said.

“Indeed, I do. I'm the one who brought Riku to you.”

“Then...you're the one... You're the one who's been controlling him! What have you done with him?” you said.

“I see no need to give you information about where Riku is. After all---” Vexen summoned his large blue shield.

“Why trouble you in your final hour?” he asked. You, Sora, and Vexen broke out into a fight.

“As I expected, you weren't ones to die very easily,” Vexen said as he de-summoned his shield.

“As if we'd ever lose to you!” Sora said.

“I wouldn't be so sure. Did you even notice? I was delving deep into your memory as we fought. And here... Look what I found.” Vexen held up two cards to an unknown world.

“A card crafted from all the memories that are locked in the other side of your heart,” he said. Vexen tossed the cards to you and Sora and disappeared.

“Wait!” you and Sora said but he was already gone. The two of you looked at the cards.

“Memories...in the other side?” you asked. The four of you left the Exit Hall. Meanwhile, Axel, Larxene, and Marluxia were gathered around the crystal ball.

“If Sora and (Y/N) disappeared, that would mess up the Organization's plans,” Axel said.

“I trust that you know what you need to do,” Marluxia said.

“Haven't a clue, really. Maybe you could spell it out for me.”

“Vexen has clearly committed a treasonous act against the Organization. You must eliminate the traitor.”

“No taking that back later.”

~~~~

You, Sora and the group entered the Eleventh Floor. You and Sora took out the new cards and looked at it.

“A card made outta memories from ‘The other side of your heart’? Hmm, I wonder what it does,” Jiminy said.

“We'll find out soon enough. It's the only one we have left. No other way to move forward,” Sora said. You and Sora held up the new cards and entered the new world.

To be continued...

#kingdom hearts #kingdomhearts #kingdom hearts imagine #kingdom hearts x reader #kingdom+hearts+x+reader #kingdom+hearts+imagines #kingdomhearts x reader #kingdomhearts imagines #kingdomhearts+x+reader #kingdomhearts+imagines

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emmyrosee · 4 years

Note

nooooooo 🥺🥺🥺 part 3 part 3 part 3 part 3 part 3 pretty pretty pretty pleeeeeeaaaaaase

part one/part two

tw; descriptions of a deep, unintentional cut and stitching

—-

It’s incredulous to you how hard this is.

How hard anything is at this point.

This was merely day one- no, hour, 12- and you can barely find it in your wiring to function.

The sun was still high in the sky as you finally worked up the courage to stand, though you’re not even sure how long you were stuck in your head for, standing there like a stature, mind stuck in a shrieking match as well as static with silence. It’s funny to you, how difficult this is, and as you shamble over to the sink, another torturous thought wracks against your skull.

Why did it affect you so much?

Why should it?

His loss, it’s not like anyone put a pistol to his head and made him go out with that woman.

Who was she?

Were there any intentions?

Why would he just talk for the sake of hearing himself talk?

Your thoughts are interrupted as a deep, sharp sting courses through you, resonating from your submerged palm. Shakily, you pull it out, the deep crimson water telling you everything you need to know before you see it.

The massive gash in your hand sends watered down droplets of blood everywhere, and as your heart rate increases, you sloppily wrap your hand in a dirty dish towel and scramble to the bathroom. The towel does nothing but sting even more,

“Motherfucking bowl,” you whisper, voice quivering from the shocking amount of blood, as well as the unbelievable sting impaling your hand. You have absolutely not a clue how to patch it up, let alone with using your opposite hand.

What was one more thing to ruin you? What was another thing to add to the list of stupid pieces of shit’s in your life? What was Axel being right about one more bull shit little thing before potentially driving out of your life forever?

What if Axel realizes he’s too good for you? He seems to think you’re the one too good to be with him, but you would argue the opposite, if he were here.

That’s not what’s important right now. You’re losing a lot of fucking blood, worry about Axel later.

If only he were here to patch it for you. Maybe he would even take you to the hospital for how bad it is.

Why the hospital? How bad is it?

Oh. It’s that bad. You need Axel.

You don’t need Axel, you just need help. You’d accept it from anyone-

But no one would be as gentle as Axel-

“SHUT UP!” You shriek suddenly. It’s the first time your brain goes fully silent, and around you, medicine bottles rattle at the intensity of your wail.

The silence howls in despair as you patch yourself up. There’s nothing. No voice in your head dare speak, no thought dare cross your mind. You could only work on patching your hand in a mediocre fashion, adding obscene amounts of gauze and band-aid layers to your skin.

It’ll have to do, you think to yourself, wordlessly grabbing your keys and a sweatshirt before storming out of your apocalyptic, empty house and to your car, not even bothering to lock the door.

———-

It only takes 2 rounds of knocking to make the skeletal-like man fill the door frames height with ease as he looked at you, looking even worse than he did this morning. You wonder if he’s done anything but hide in the small attached apartment, and judging by the pale, ill-looking tone to his skin, you know the answer.

“This is far from a forgivement,” you say firmly. “I don’t want you to think that this is what this is. Because god knows how long it’ll take for this shitty feeling to heal, and for god’s sake, this is not an excuse for your shitty behavior.”

“Yes,” Axel says plainly, eyes wide as he nods in agreement. “Absolutely. Yeah.” You’re unsure if he’s even listening to you, but at this point you don’t even care.

You sigh shakily, “But I hurt my hand really fucking bad and I can’t stitch it back; I can barely look-”

“What did you do?” He yells, voice pinched in worry. Blood’s already soaked through your less-than infallible layers of bandaging, and you angrily shake your head, “will you help me or not!”

He doesn’t say another word; he merely steps to the side and lets you in his office, where he keeps loads and piles of medical equipment. You wonder what OSHA would say about how yes, he has all the materials, they’re just not easily accessible.

If it were any other scenario, you would tease him for it.

The rest of it is a blur; you wonder if your mind just shut off because of the high;y unpleasant burn of the alcohol on your hand, only to then snap back as he wraps an ace bandage around it. You can’t help but watch him as he stays concentrated on your hand; your heart aches as it knows that no one will ever be as gentle, take as good of care of you no matter the scenario, as Alexander Cluney.

“I’d go to the doctor’s tomorrow,” he mumbles, not looking up. “Make sure the stitching is effective or if there are any antibiotics that you’ll need from the towel.”

“I’m sure it just stung because of how open it was.”

“Can never be too sure,” he says flatly. Finally, he looks up at you and sighs, and you finally get a good glimpse of his eyes, exhausted and red. They’re swollen, sunken, he looks like he’s moments away from passing out. He doesn’t look good.

But given the circumstances, you can’t imagine you look like a prize yourself.

You can see it in his face that he’s holding back himself. Wants to smother you in kisses and pull you in for a spine-cracking hug, he wants to make this better. But he’s holding back, giving you control over the situation.

“Are you hungry?” He asks softly. “I was about to whip something up when you came so… you’re welcome to stay, if you’d like.”

You nod, picking at the skin of your lips. The last thing you ate was the bowl of cereal, and your hand throbs at the memory. Shamefully, you twist your arm to nudge your sleeve down, covering the newly stitched wound.

Copying your nod, he steps to the side to allow you his garage, and you slowly pass the threshold of it. It looks the cleanest you’ve ever seen it, cars washed and waxed, the windows spotless and the concrete two different colors, assumed to be from when he stopped sweeping to answer your knocks. In the corner, his mustang, half covered with a tarp; what you can see is smashed, the bumper hanging limply with the hood dented in random patches.

“What.. happened?” You ask, pointing to the demolished vehicle.

Axel sighs, “ya know, I couldn’t tell you. Drove it here, picked up a hood prop to work on it and then suddenly the hood prop was in my hand and she was destroyed.”

You can’t help the giggle that bubbles from your throat. You know it’s a dick move, and that the mustang was the most precious object to him, but you can’t help the giggle of irony that works past your lips. You cover your lips quickly and look at him with wide eyes, but his eyes hold no anger or offense.

Joy, if anything. Joy at hearing your giggle.

“I’m so sorry,” you say behind your palm. “That was not fair of me.”

“No no,” he protests, scratching his beard. “I deserve it, it’s fine.” He sighs and leans against the front desk. “Probably going to scrap ‘er, anyways.”

“But that’s your baby,” you say, pouting your bottom lip out playfully.

“Not my only baby,” he says. From your peripheral, you can see his green eyes fixed on you, sending a shrill down your spine.

“What’s for dinner?”

Silence and crappy game shows on TV seem to be the most comforting soundtrack over your shared dinner of mac n cheese and Pringles, with a dessert of a 3 Musketeers for dessert. He doesn’t dare say a word, though his eyes seldom leave you. Yours, however, stay focused on the small TV propped in his office, desperate to stay glued to Alex Trebek in the third consecutive episode of Jeopardy that plays.

Axel finally sighs, “you still hun-”

“You honestly didn’t think me seeing you with that woman would upset me?” You ask numbly. You voice doesn’t even break. Your eyes refuse to hold tears.

You just want answers.

Clearing his throat, “so you’re not still hungry?”

“Answer me.”

“I don’t want to fight with you.”

“Me either,” you assure. “I just feel like if we have any chance to salvage this, all cards need to be laid. All questions asked.”

“I didn’t expect you to see me with her,” he says flatly.

“Who is she?”

“Charlie’s uncle’s whore. Prissy little asshole; always used to things going her way. So when it came down to me telling her that not only was I not going to be fixing her car but I wasn’t going to pay to get her a new one, I had to be charming.”

“That’s your excuse?”

“It’s not an excuse, it’s the truth. I told you this morning, I couldn’t give you this super dramatic reveal because that’s all that happened. The touching, the flirting, that was all her; I didn’t do anything because it wasn’t you. I don’t want to act like that with anyone else.”

“So why didn’t you just tell me?”

Axel quirks a brow before smirking, “oh yeah, that would’ve ended so much better; ‘Hey baby, gotta go out to a meeting for work- With who? Just Charlie’s uncle’s sugar baby- why yes, I do know that I look like an absolute fuckhead, it’s part of her aesthetic- oh, I’m also taking the Mustang because she won’t like me if she sees me roll up in my Chevy- I have no idea why, this is just the plan Charlie’s uncle gave me- oh, don’t text me either, she might flirt with me to help the deal progress and I need to pretend I’m interested.’”

“I would’ve listened,” you mumble, cheeks heating up as you hide your creeping smile.

“I’ll bet,” he teases, laughing.

Silence fills the room again, although it doesn’t howl in agony against your ears like it did every other time; it’s airy, light, and you physically feel your shoulders ease up at the confession.

After four more episodes, Alex Trebek finally becomes shitty infomercials, and at the sudden switch, Axel stretches and yawns.

“It’s really late; want me to drive you home?”

“I’m a big girl,” you remind him. “I can drive myself.”

Axel chuckles and holds his hands up in defense, “I’m just trying to be polite. Can you just.. text me when you get home then?”

Fiddling with the lint on your sleeves, you avoid his gaze as you shrug. “I can’t spend the night?”

He merely smiles.

——-

“You stay on your side,” you demand, tucking your hair in your hood as he finishes making the small bed in his apartment. It hadn’t been used in years, and it smells stale and thick. Car show memorabilia, broken tools, a pile of cd’s, everything that Axel once held true to him before he met you is in this apartment, it’s like a part of history you find beyond fascinating.

“Hate to break it to you, but I’m a big guy,” he smooths out the sheets as he stands up, eyebrows raised in amusement. “I took up this whole bed two years ago, I’m willing to bet there’s even less to the ‘sides’ now.”

Teasingly, you stick your tongue out at him, only to yelp and hide it back as he reaches out to pinch it.

“Freak,” you mumble affectionately. He waggles his eyebrows at you, and as you reach across the bed to swat at him, your sleeve slips, revealing your heavy injury.

“You ever going to tell me what happened to your paw?” He asks, sliding off his shirt and stripping down to his briefs. You cross your arms and grip your biceps, avoiding his gaze. He snickers, “did you cut yourself on the bowl?”

“Shut the fuck up,” you grumble, though the smile on your face betrays you. He chuckles, “if you seriously want to get it checked out tomorrow, we can do that.”

You hate how much his use of “we” makes your heart flutter. You hate how much better everything feels, back into place almost. What happened happened, and there was nothing to change it. All you could do is slowly mold everything back into place.

“Yeah,” you nod, smiling sleepily. “That’s fine.”

“Come on,” he hums, easing himself in the too-small bed. “I’m fucking tired.”

“You’re tired,” you snort, crawling in after him. You both can’t help but laugh at the arrangement on the bed, causing you to have half of your body on top of his in order to fit almost well enough, and you really, really hate how good it feels to be so close to him.

“Little miss Stay-On-Your-Side,” he teases, resting a massive hand on your hip.

You huff in annoyance, “I will leave this bed and sleep on the couch if you don’t shut up.”

“Don’t you fuckin’ dare,” he says sleepily, tightening his hold on you.

The same light, airy silence fills the air again, and next to you, Axel’s breathing slowly evens out, and you can’t help but stare at him. He just looks so at peace, so much stronger and better since this he opened the door to you a few hours ago.

He always did call you his perfect remedy.

“Quit staring at me, freak,” he mumbles sleepily. You laugh and shove his chest weakly, drawing shapes on his chest absentmindedly.

“Axel…”

“Yeah baby?”

“I missed you…”

Without missing a beat, he leans over to kiss your head, “I missed you too, pumpkin. More than you could ever know.”

“We’re gonna be okay?”

“We’re gonna be okay, babydoll,” he assures. A small smile cracks over his face again, “now do me a favor and go the fuck to sleep, nerd.”

-----

Tagging (last time I swear don’t hate me)

@gothguitargal @madamaholmes @walkxthexmoon @billofourtime @kathryn-jane @dreamtherapy @jadelynlace @multi-fan-lover @shenevertricks1831 @tabseus @dragsraksllib @hecohansen31

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shiversdownyerspine · 3 years

Text

9. Closer

Just gonna sliiiiide this over here.

You are finishing up the last of the scramble on your plate, fighting off the lingering fuzzy embrace of sleep with the help of your coffee. So the suspense wouldn't kill you, you had asked Axel if their coming questions had to do with your ability. After all, the three hadn't asked all that much about it.

Axel confirms, and you ruminate over the approaching task, how best to handle it...but are distracted when Oscar and Otto return.

The younger brothers look scratched up and dirtied, but overall in good condition. Although it was kind of difficult to tell who looked worse...maybe Otto. Poor man was still in his long johns.

Grinning, you tease, "You two alright? Both of you look like you dove headfirst into the blackberry brambles."

Axel snorts. You're not far from the truth.

He subtly signals the two with a pointed dip of his head in warning; their feet are filthy and they are about to track a mess into your kitchen. Sheepish, the younger brothers share a look and head back outside, probably to make good use of your garden hose.

Not wanting to put it off any longer, you ask for a change in scenery for this interrogation once you are dressed. In the garden, specifically. Axel regards you curiously, but agrees to your request.

You wander over to the sink to rinse your dishes when he taunts, "Thinking of running? We will catch you. No contest."

You blink, "No no, no running. I'm just...eager? To get started? Or maybe to get finished..."

Throwing a look over your shoulder, you return the taunt, "But if I did run, and I made it into the forest? I think I could surprise you."

Indeed, you are a good deal faster and more reactive while in your Phase. At least when you're prepared. It certainly helps having nearly all of your senses improved, but playing hide and seek with three trained assassins? It would be difficult to say the least...but in your forest and lake? Your second home?

You would have an advantage, even being technically untrained. Perhaps you could give them a run for their money...at least for a little while longer than if you had tried in the tight spaces of your cottage.

Speculation and theorizing is cut short when the lone man in your kitchen says quite matter-of-factly, "Otto caught you."

Pride ruffled, you can't help but bristle, "Okay. That? Was a series of unfortunate events. And in my defense? I didn't have anything to run from, nothing was threatening me. It was just a spider bite."

The eldest doesn't reply, just quirks an amused eyebrow at the memory of you, perturbed and fluffed, wrapped up in his puzzled brother's arms. It was...an interesting day, no doubt.

You fiddle with your wet plate, frowning.

"I was distracted with my lack of gloves, that I had let something so simple slip my notice. Dug my own grave in a matter of seconds. Then I heard the door, and there was Otto and...I froze. He lunged and I couldn't move."

Axel contemplates for a moment, "You wanted to run. Not attack."

He says as a statement what should have been a question, never one to be all that subtle with his demands. You feel your stomach drop a little; given the pieces of your revealed history, maybe he was now beginning to reconsider the threat you could have posed to Otto. To all of them.

Acknowledging his concern was easy, but explaining yourself was going to be a bit complicated.

"I..I think I have an answer for that? But it's something I'd like to address with all of you. I'm going to get dressed first, I've been in pajamas for far too long."

You know he could simply repeat what you said to his siblings, but it was the principle of the thing. That and you really wanted to take a quick moment to yourself before this all goes down. He doesn't stop you.

Toweling your hands dry, you head for the couch to gather up your sleeping kittens and make your way to your bedroom. Axel returns his attention to his brothers who were currently fussing over the hose; Oscar was currently trying to convince Otto to look inside and see what was blocking the water, all the while he held a section kinked in his hand, waiting for the right moment.

The eldest sibling shakes his head.

Butternut and Pumpkin are curled at opposite ends of your bed; one buried in the pillows at the headboard, the other stretched out dramatically at the end. Both chirp a greeting as you open your door and step inside.

Thing 1 and 2 in hand, you deposit the wiggly babies into their 'room'. The two look at you with what you can imagine is disapproval, breaking your heart as they toddle towards the bathroom door with noisy complaint.

"Don't worry, you'll be let out again soon."

Their litter box training had been going swimmingly. Maybe it was about time to expand their territory? You think it'd go rather well, you'd just have to keep an eye out. Make sure they don't try to leave any little surprises for you and develop a nasty habit from it.

You swear their incessant meowing is growing louder. You sigh, shaking your head.

"The book was spot on when it called this breed talkative."

Taking advantage of the lingering warmth of your sleep with Otto, you decide upon a floral tunic dress with leggings instead of your usual chunky sweater and jeans. It's rare that you can wear a lighter ensemble like this, you'll have to find some way to thank Otto.

He does seem to really enjoy your baking, so maybe something in that vein.

As you dress you find your thoughts sombering as the previous conversation slowly ties you into a knot. You try to reassure yourself and soothe your nerves; you wouldn't have lashed out for no reason, wouldn't have killed them in cold blood. You have control. Besides, you're not a violent person. Surely they know that?

That fateful morning, if Otto had reacted with violence towards you, you would have defended yourself to the best of your ability and removed yourself from the situation once the opportunity presented itself. There had to have been a way around him, around his brothers, right?

If Axel had decided you were too much of an unknown threat and had shot, you would have feigned death until you could slip outside and decide on the next step. You're fairly confident you could play dead and pretend well enough, despite the pain. The blue-clad man wouldn't have just emptied his entire clip into you, right?

If you were being realistic, you were only considering the best case scenarios for you and the brothers if things had played out a bit...differently. Because if you thought too long about the worst outcome, your heart would squeeze unbearably tight in your chest and your eyes would water uncontrollably.

You didn't want to think about what you would have done if the three had subjected you to too much injury and triggered your second Phase.

There was no denying it, you were incredibly fond of the three.

Maybe even a bit...smitten?

At the errant thought you slap your burning cheeks with your palms, fighting against the helpless fluttering sensation of the heated butterflies in your stomach. Not the time.

...Wait, does that mean there will be a time?

Focus.

Focus, focus, focus.

With a steadying breath, you head back out into the kitchen. There's something you need to grab first.

"One last thing..."

Axel watches curiously as you pop open a kitchen drawer and rummage around its contents for an item you have stashed away.

"Here we go."

You find what you are looking for wrapped in a familiar kitchen towel; an old paring knife, kept clean and disinfected. You unwrap it a bit, just to check on the condition of the blade as the light glints off the metal.

A minor laceration from this would be just what you needed to keep you in your Phase long enough to hopefully answer all their questions.

You weren't sure you could count primarily on verbally explaining all the aspects of your ability. Some things you had nothing to compare with, not to mention how tongue-tied you were before. You're not all that confident when talking about your ability, as discussing it is still incredibly new to you. Demonstration could be a good approach, all things considered.

As you turn from the counter, a rough hand grips your wrist and pulls your arm up, leaving you to sway unsteadily nearly on tip toe. In your personal space, you can feel the warmth of him without needing to touch. It feels like if you could steal a speck of body heat from one of these men, you'd never feel the cold again.

Axel stares you down, lips pulled into a tight scowl, frowning with familiar furrowed brow.

Oh.

Probably not a good idea to bring out a knife without context, especially around an assassin. Maybe next time explain first.

"...Sooo...um. I can't...will my ability to activate. I-it's a defense mechanism, remember? It needs something to trigger it."

His face is worryingly expressionless as he looks to the knife in your hand. With deft fingers, he plucks the tool from your grasp, leaving you with the empty towel as he slips it into his pocket without a word.

Did he seriously just...

"...Really?"

The audacity.

Radiating cool smugness, Axel strolls to the screen door and looks pointedly at you. Waiting.

You don't budge.

Turning your attention to your knife block set, you hum, "You know I could just grab one of these, right?"

You assess the assortment, paying less attention to the man now stalking back to you.

"Although I'd much rather these be used for cooking, but what choice do I have? Apparently you have your heart set on being a mother hen-"

Your tirade is cut short as Axel's hands grip your waist to turn you to face him. He bends, curls an arm around your legs, and hoists you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Dumbfounded and indignant, your lips part for some sort of reprimand to leave your tongue. But you stumble over the words.

With an arm across the backs of your thighs to lock your legs in place and keep you steady, he walks completely unburdened once more to the screen door. You brace your hands on his back, feeling muscle shift underneath the material of his white Henley with each step. Well, needless to say, you can't really think of a retort at the moment. Hopefully your dress isn't riding up too much.

You can't help but wonder; is it just your imagination, or are the brothers getting a bit more...grabby with you? But more importantly, you cannot let this man have the last 'word'.

Fighting down the butterflies that have returned with a vengeance, you grumble, "Don't complain if I can't give you all some clear answers without my knife."

The large palm loosely holding your thigh gives a squeeze, followed by Axel throwing a comment over his shoulder to you, "We'll see."

Well now. Axel is honest to god mother-henning you. This was...unexpected? Infuriating? Kind of sweet?

...Oh yes. They're most definitely getting more grabby with you.

#the swedes #ikea mafia #tua swedes #the swedes x reader #umbrella academy swedes #tua axel #tua otto #tua oscar #axel x reader #otto x reader #oscar x reader #Reader is starting to figure out her feeeeelings

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kingdomofallthehearts · 4 years

Text

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes

SoKai Week 2020 - Day 3 - Thinking of You & Dreams

Synopsis: Master Yen Sid sent Kairi on a mission to find an incredibly strong person. The problem is, Kairi has no idea who this person is or why Master Yen Sid sent her on this mission in the first place. With Sora still MIA, will Kairi be able to complete such a mysterious mission?

Featuring: Kairi, Disney Characters (you’ll see), Sora (Mentioned), Master Yen Sid (Mentioned), Axel (Mentioned)

Prompt for the Day: Thinking of You / Dreams

I guess this is the place.

Kairi looked around and studied her surroundings carefully. Directly in front of her was a square fountain with four pillars meant to illuminate the water at night with a faint glow. The stone pathway she was standing on split off to surround the fountain and lead to an elegant staircase. Beyond the staircase was a series of marble pillars that decorated the entrance of a marvelous palace with two guards standing at attention. To her left was a large wooden door that lead to the servants’ quarters and behind her was a detailed metal gate that closed off the palace to the rest of the town.

What in the world am I doing at such a fancy location?

Kairi didn’t want to be here. She really didn’t want to be anywhere. Sora was gone. He sacrificed himself to save her… again. But this time Kairi couldn’t hug him back to life. He vanished into thin air before her very eyes. She failed to protect him. She failed to keep her end of their promise.

Kairi aggressively shook her head back and forth as if to banish such thoughts from her mind. She had to focus. After all, she was sent here by Master Yen Sid. He told her there was someone here she needed to meet, but he wouldn’t tell her why. Everyone else was given a mission with a clear objective: to find Sora. Why was her mission so vague and seemingly out of the blue?

Kairi returned her gaze back to the palace. Second-guessing Master Yen Sid wouldn’t do any good. The sooner she completed this mission, the sooner she would be able to help everyone find Sora.

Kairi straightened her shoulders, lifted her head, and took a deep breath before marching forward.

“Freeze!” one of the two soldiers shouted as she approached the castle. “State your name and what business you have here.”  “My name is Kairi and I’m here to meet uh… the King?” Master Yen Sid could have at least given me a name. Kairi wasn’t even sure if she was supposed to meet a king, but it was as good a guess as any. The other soldier reached into his back pocket and pulled out a long scroll. He quickly skimmed the top of the page before putting it back where it came from. “No appointment, no entrance.” “But I—“ “No appointment, no entrance.” Shoot. I have to try something else. Kairi puffed out her chest, draped her hand over her heart, and gave the most insulted look she could muster. “EXCUSE ME! Perhaps you don’t know who I am. I am Princess Kairi and I have important business with the King! So if you don’t mind…” Kairi tried to squeeze through the guards as she was giving the performance of her life, but they put up their spears to block her path. “No appointment, no entrance.” “Hmph.” Kairi stormed off. Back on the islands, guests were treated to open arms and warm embraces. At least, that’s how she was treated when she arrived. Not cold stiff rejection like the guards just showed her. Maybe it’s just a royalty thing.

Kairi didn’t have time to pout over her inability to get past the guards. She still had a mission to complete. There must be another way in! She walked over to the large wooden doors. Locked, of course. Granted, she could open the doors with her keyblade, but drawing the attention of the guards was the last thing she wanted to do. She examined the wooden door closely and… ah-ha! There was a small opening at the bottom of the door fit for a mouse. Kairi began to hatch a plan. If I can shrink myself, I can walk through that opening and use the servants’ quarters to get inside that castle.

Kairi ran to one of the four pillars and positioned herself at an angle the guards couldn’t see. Mini! She never used this spell in the field before. She even found it to be a bit silly, but Merlin insisted on teaching her and Axel as much as he could. And she wanted to be prepared for anything so she could confidently stand by Sora’s side. So much for that.

Once the spell was complete, Kairi looked at her surroundings once again. She could see all of the small engravings in the fountain, the tiny cracks in the stone pathway, things she would have never noticed normal sized. She sprinted towards the wooden door’s opening, hoping not to encounter any bugs along the way. She could handle small bugs, not bugs her size.

Before Kairi had a chance to release the spell when she crossed the door to the other side, she heard a scream in the distance. Someone needs help! She summoned her keyblade and followed the sound of fearful shrieking.

“AAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH! SOMEONE HELP JAQ-JAQ! JAQ-JAQ WON’T GET IN TROUBLE AGAIN! JAQ-JAQ A GOOD MOUSE!”

To Kairi’s surprise she saw a mouse wearing a red hat, red turtle neck, and orange coat being chased by… heartless! It appeared giant bugs were the least of Kairi’s worries.

“AAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH!” “Don’t worry, I’m coming!” Kairi jumped in the air as high as she could and unleashed a ring of meteors down upon the vicious heartless. She managed to destroy the first wave, but as soon as she landed more showed up.

“Are you okay?” “Jaq-Jaq okay right now. Maybe not in few minutes.” “I can handle these guys. You should find a place to hide.”  “But—but monsters very strong.” Kairi showed off a reassuring smile. “I’ll be fine. Now, get going!” Jaq-Jaq nodded hesitantly and scurried off. Good. Now I can focus on them. “Hey heartless! Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” Oh. Maybe not the best comeback considering the circumstances. Axel tried to teach her how to “trash talk” when they were training together, but she never quite got the hang of it. At least the heartless won’t tease me about it.

A shadow heartless sunk into the ground and quickly crawled towards Kairi. It popped up and tried to slash her, but Kairi dodged in the nick of time and hit it with a downward blow. Then, two tried to jump her at the same time. Kairi blocked with a barrier and launched a counter attack. “Ouch!” One of the critters snuck up behind her and clawed her shoulder. “That’s enough!” Kairi initiated her most powerful combo. She was zipping back and forth as fast as possible and took out the last of the heartless with her finishing move. When she was positive she defeated them all, she used up the rest of her mana. “Cure!”

“Woah! Friend very good, very strong.” “Than… thank you,” Kairi said between breaths. “If I… heard right… your name… is Jaq-Jaq?” The mouse nodded enthusiastically. “My name… is Kairi.” “Kairi help Jaq-Jaq. Kairi Jaq-Jaq’s friend. Jaq-Jaq want help Kairi.” Kairi took a moment to catch her breath. “That’s very nice of you Jaq-Jaq. To be honest, I’m trying to get into the palace to meet…” it didn’t feel right for Kairi to lie to her new friend, “…someone. Do you happen to know a way in?” “Oh, Jaq-Jaq know! Follow Jaq-Jaq!”

______________________________________________________

Jaq-Jaq clearly knew his way around the castle. They went through ventilation systems and drain pipes and even small cracks and holes hidden behind lavish furniture and decor.

“Thank you for taking me inside the palace Jaq-Jaq, but where exactly are we going?” “We gonna see Cinderelly.” “Cinderelly?” “Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah. Cinderelly Jaq-Jaq’s friend. Cinderelly help Kairi. Cinderelly know everyone. Cinderelly a princess!” Kairi was beginning to feel a twinge of guilt. She was on a mission she didn’t even want to be on with no clear direction and now she wasn’t only involving her new friend Jaq-Jaq, but Jaq-Jaq’s friend too. “Listen, Jaq-Jaq… I—“  “—We here! We here!” Jaq-Jaq pushed Kairi out of an air conditioner slat and she found herself standing on a luscious pink carpet.

On the far end of the room was a ginormous bed with silk white sheets draped under a sheer canopy. There were two nightstands on each side stacked to the brim with books. To the right was an elegant dresser that surely had piles of hair accessories, jewelry, and makeup. At least, that’s what Kairi thought. She couldn’t see the contents of the dresser, being so small and all. But what she could see was a beautiful woman with shiny blonde hair, big blue eyes, and a petite physique. She was wearing a white collared shirt with a brown vest and a yellow ankle-length skirt. A beam of light shined down from the window creating a halo-effect around her figure.

“Oh my! Jaq-Jaq, did you make a new friend?” “Cinderelly meet Kairi. Kairi, Cinderelly.” “Kairi?” Cinderelly stated more as a question than as acknowledgement. “Forgive me. Your name sounds so familiar. Have we met before?” Surely Kairi would remember meeting such a beautiful person. Yet, she also felt some unexplainable connection. “I’m sorry. I don’t recall, but I understand how you feel Cinderelly.” Cinderelly let out a giggle. “Please, do call me Cinderella. Whether or not we met in the past does not change the fact that we are meeting now. The pleasure is mine.” “Oh no, the pleasure is all mine Cinderella!” a flustered Kairi managed to say. She wasn’t expecting such a warm welcome, especially after her encounter with the guards. “Cinderelly! Cinderelly! Kairi need help!” “Oh my! Well if it is within my power, I would be happy to help you.” “Thank you Cinderella, but…” Kairi took a deep breath, “the truth is I’m supposed to meet someone, but I’m not sure who.” “Oh my, that does sound like a challenge.” Cinderella puffed out her lower lip and struck a thinking pose. “Then I suppose I will just have to introduce you to everyone in the palace. And if that person isn’t in the palace, we can go into town.” Kairi sighed. “I appreciate that Cinderella, but I’m in a bit of a rush. Someone very important to me has gone missing and I need to complete this mission as soon as possible so I can help find him.” “I see.” Cinderella showed Kairi a warm smile. “I’m sure you’ll find him.”  Puzzled, Kairi asked, “How can you be so sure?” “Why, all you have to do is believe and your dream will surely come true.” “Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah. Cinderelly dream come true. Cinderelly went to the ball and met the prince and fell in love.” Believe in my dream? “It may be tough and sometimes you may feel like giving up, but if your faith is strong, you can’t go wrong.” Believe in my dream. What is my dream? I… I want to find Sora, that’s for sure. I want to make sure we’re never separated again. I want to talk til the sun disappears and then resume our conversation once it reveals itself again. I want to walk along the beach with his hand in mine. I want to see the worlds like we always planned on doing, together this time. I want to be by his side. A single tear shed down Kairi’s face. “Cinderella, thank you.” “Oh my, but I haven’t done anything yet.”  Kairi shook her head. “That’s not true. You told me about the power of believing in my dreams. And you helped me get one step closer to finding him.”

Sora, I’ll never stop believing. I’ll make my dreams a reality.

______________________________________________________

Notes: Oh boy, this one was a doozy. I ended up rushing a bit to get it out on time, but at least I got my main points across. When I saw the Dream prompt, I immediately thought of the song in Cinderella and then the plot of Cinderella in BBS. I feel kind of bad for making Kairi feel so depressed, but I really wanted Cinderella to tell Kairi about the power of believing in one’s dreams. I do wish I incorporated more of Kairi thinking about Sora, but like I said I was in a rush. I’m honestly just proud that I got done what I did. Thank you all for your support!

#sokaiweek2020 #sokaiweek #sora #kairi #sokai

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yurtletheturtlehenderson · 4 years

Text

S.T. REWRITE - S2:E7; Chapter Seven, The Lost Sister - [Pt. 4]

A Will Byers x Reader Series

In their search for answers, psychic visions draw Eleven and Y/n to a band of violent outcasts and an angry girl with a shadowy past.

A/n: lots of flashbacks my dudes, sorry. Kinda messy since it happens at the same time as the back to back moment with reader so apologies if it's funky.

||3rd Person POV||

"It's me."

The world is black, but the familiar voice rings out like a beacon in the void. She can't remember entering, so she wonders why she is here. In the distance, Jane can see the all too familiar wooden table and the ham radio that sits atop the adjoining stack of trunks. The tiny lamp that rests on the wooden table provides a soft homey light that blankets the otherwise dark and cold void.

"I know that I've been gone too long, and uh..." It's Hopper, her policeman. "I just want you to know that it's not because of you. And it's not because of our fight."

Jane finds herself being pulled towards the machine, the soft pitter-patter of her feet against the pool of water provides white noise other than Hopper's shaky voice echoing through the radio. It's garbled, and it has the usual static form the machine, but she can sense his emotion. The lump in his throat.

"Something came up, and, uh, I'll explain everything soon. I just, um... I want you to know that I'm not-- I'm not mad at you. I..."

She can feel a lump of her own forming in her throat as she waits for the words, they are almost here and she stands patiently. She is breathing heavily, trying not to cry and that is when the words come.

"I'm just sorry."

She feels a hand grab her shoulder and her eyes rip open.

"It's okay." Kali soothes. "It's only me."

Jane sighs, and sits up slightly.

"Bad dream?"

Jane only closes her eyes, trying to will away the sleep plaguing them. Her gaze wanders to the empty spot next to her, and she looks to Kali who caught her gaze.

"It seems your friend has left."

Jane only stews at the spot Y/n once was and huffs, before banishing her from her mind.

"What time is it?"

Kali smiles at her response.

"It's late. You slept well. Come. It's time you meet my friends. Properly this time."

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

Jane follows Kali eagerly throughout the warehouse, she had slept in her overalls and having gotten used to the temperature she had slipped on her jacket. She was being led to a new area she hadn't seen yet when the man with the crazy hair stepped into view with a small folded white box and two wooden sticks.

"We need more money, Kal," he says. "I can't keep eating this garbage."

"This is Axel," Kali states, leading into the room full of her friends.

"The spider hater?" Jane asks, eliciting several chuckles around the room.

"Yes," Kali says with a smile. "The spider hater."

She gestures to the crazy looking girl that with the large bow in her hair, she smiled as she twisted a lock of her oddly colored hair.

"This is Dottie, our newest. Like you, she just left home."

"You mean the loony bin." Axel shot, taking a swig from a white can.

"Mick," Kali gestures, to the woman in green with dark cloud-like hair. "our eyes, our protector."

She then looks to the large, seeming bald man with one long braid trailing from the back of his head. He smiles, stepping forward.

"This is Funshine, our warrior," Kali informs as Jane steps forward to greet him. "Don't let his size frighten you. Like I said, Fun's a teddy bear."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Jane." He says, holding out his hand.

Jane takes his hand, turning it over to find a blank wrist.

"If you're looking for a number, you won't find one," Kali informs, crossing over and taking a seat at the table.

"They're not like us," Jane says, in realization.

She releases the man's hand and goes to stand at the head of the table.

"No, not in that way." Kali answers. "But like us, they're outcasts."

"Outcasts?"

"Freaks," Axel says shortly.

Dottie scoffs. "Speak for yourself."

"Society left them behind, hurt them, discarded them," Kali explains.

Funshine speaks out, his voice is somber as he fiddles with his hands.

"We were dead, all of us. Kali saved us. Here," He pointed to his mind, and then to his heart. "And here."

"Don't get all mushy on us now, Fun."

"No, not mushy. True."

"Now we help her," Mick says.

Axel leans forward, his beer can in hand.

"In this life, kid, you roll over or you fight back."

"We're all fighters here." Mick finished.

"Fight who?" Jane asks, intrigued.

||Reader's POV||

I wince as the bus hits yet another bump, my head resting against the glass bumps against the windowpane once more. I tear my eyes away from the blurry green scenery of the trees we pass to check my watch for the umpteenth time, twelve twenty-five. We just left Illinois, but I still have a way to go. I'm thankful El still had money left over from Becky's, of course, I curse myself at the memory.

Mom is probably freaking out right now, I'm sure by now she's gotten word from chief Hopper. I don't what I'm going to do. I don't know how I'll possibly explain this.

Maybe I can say I was looking for Mews? No, that wouldn't work. For several reasons. I already told Dustin that I was at Will's and besides, I was reported as a possible runaway while on a secret trip with El. And no one was supposed to know about her.

Yeah, Mom's gonna flip.

And my fight with El keeps playing over and over in my mind, twisting my chest and stomach into uncomfortable knots. Everything about it left a sour taste on my tongue.

How could she say those things? How could she not see that I was looking out for her? Part of me wishes I could have just left in the middle of the night and never told her. Left without a word. Like she probably would have done to me.

The trees begin to slow, and an odd popping elicits from the back of the bus. It turns many heads including my own, and I spot the driver near the front. I see his face from the wide mirror overhead and it's clouded with worry and frustration.

Just as I feared, the bus grew slower and eventually pulled off to the side. Murmurs broke out all along the bus after the driver announces the issues with the bus. I wish I had taken a seat closer to the front as all the people around me have burst into angry complaints and I can't hear a word the driver is saying.

"Four hours? I need to get home to feed my dog!"

"My babysitter is off the clock soon, I can't wait that long!"

Four hours until we're back on the road? I can't wait that long either. I'm far too restless and I don't care if I have to walk. I am surprisingly restless given the amount I have exerted myself in the past twenty-four hours, and there is no way to tell if it is from some cleansing after effect or my fight with El but I need to move. I take a moment to kneel on my seat, and I glance out along the street studying my surroundings. Lucky for me, I recognize this spot, I'm not far from Becky's house. Which means I'm just on the edge of Hawkins.

I can walk that far.

And I'm fairly certain I wouldn't be able to afford a ride that went any further. Instead, I rose from my seat and slipped out the front. For all I know, it just might take me four hours to get home, but at least I'll be home by then.

||3rd Person POV||

Kali empties the box's contents onto the counter, dozens of badges, ID's and various records of previous or current employees at Hawkins Lab.

"Everyone you see here was in some way responsible for what happened to us," Kali informs, her team standing behind her.

Jane stands across the table from her, she picks a laminated card from the bunch to examine. She looks to her counterpart and raises a brow, her interest peaked.

"You hurt the bad men?"

Dottie makes a face, shaking her head.

"No," she says, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "We just give 'em a pat on the back."

[FLASHBACK]

A van screeches to a stop outside an undisclosed apartment building. Five masked figures exit the vehicle and storm the building. There is a knock on one apartment door, a confused man opens it only to be met with a bullet to the head.

[END OF FLASHBACK]

"You kill them?" Jane asks.

"They're criminals." Kali days simply, shrugging. "We simply make them pay for their crimes."

《•••》

Kali is seated in the passenger seat, her eyes closed and her hand raises to eye level. The van is racing at tops speeds as the police ride their tail as they enter a tunnel. With her full attention, and a sly smirk she whispers.

"Boom."

The cement ceiling of the tunnel explodes, debris falling and blocking the tunnel. The police cars swerve to miss the avalanche of rock.

《•••》

Jane examines the badge further, and it isn't until this has been explained does she realize the badge is sprinkled in splattered of blood.

"Damn, Shirley," says Axel teasingly. "What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Jane tears her eyes away to glare at the spider hater with the crazy hair. She notices that each of Kali's companions are smirking at her in a similar matter. Dottie merely shifts her weight to one foot and tilts her head, speaking sluggishly.

"We can't all be fighters, I guess." She sighs.

"I'm a fighter." Jane corrects. "I've killed."

《•••》

The second man spared a second to look before turning to her to try and restrain her.

Before he could even step foot in the room, he was dead on the floor, his neck snapped. All with the flick of her head.

•••

El stands at attention, she gravitates towards the front protectively in front of her four friends. The bad men surrounding them freeze and she tilts her head, her attention laser-focused on each and every one of the soldiers. They begin to twitch and squirm, and as her nose begins to bleed so do their eyes. A horrible squelching sound echoes throughout the hallway as the lights flicker violently and they each drop like flies, blood pouring out of their eyes, nose, ears, and mouths. Eleven had squeezed their brains like grapes.

《•••》

"Did these men you killed," Kali asks. "did they deserve it?"

Jane nods confidently.

"They hurt me."

《•••》

Eleven struggles to break free from the men's hold as they carry her by her arms down, back into the room.

Sobs track her body as she uses all her strength to turn and look back at Papa.

"Papa!" He steps out into the hallway and remains standing, doing nothing to help her, yet she still calls for him.

《•••》

"And they still want to hurt you," Kali presses. "To hurt us. We're just making the first move."

Kali nods her head, gesturing to the doors.

"Come."

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

Kali and Jane break off from the others as Kali shows her outside. They walk for a short while, Jane once again finds herself taking in her surroundings as her friend explains. By now they had found themselves a great fair distance from the warehouse and they wander through a scrapyard of boxes, abandoned shelves, and steel shipment containers.

"I was just like you once," Kali says. "I kept my anger inside. I tried to hide from it, but then that pain festered."

"Festered?"

Kali comes to a stop and looks sadly to Jane unable to meet her eye immediately as she is forced to relive the memories.

"It spread. Until finally I confronted my pain, and I began to heal." She said, her voice growing excited before she continued on through the scrapyard.

Jane did not follow immediately, she almost felt stuck as those words echoed in her mind. She knew what Kali spoke of all too well.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

Y/n ducks under yet another low hanging branch, her hand gently pushing it away. The pads of her heels had begun to sting but she presses on. Despite the long trek behind, and before her, she has yet to regret her decision to go on foot. Much to her great delight and surprise, she finds that she is not as tired as she typically might have been. Only minutes after her departure, when she was safely out of sight of the bus and its impatient passengers did she drift off into the woods where she would not be as easily seen.

And though she is hidden well within the trees, the wind manages to snake within the trunks and whips against her clothes and the exposed skin on her neck and hands. She feels the damp earth sink beneath her shoes and she is thankful her shoes were able to dry faster than her clothes - the one thing she successfully managed to dry with the aid of her abilities.

She realizes with a dry laugh that she has once again left without her clothes but she does not care anymore. Once again her mind drifts to her last conversation with El.

Jane, she reminds herself bitterly.

Y/n has given it much thought and she had admitted to herself she had assumed that El had used that name do draw less suspicion. It hadn't quite dawned on Y/n that she truly did want to assume that part of her identity and she feels a twinge of guilt. But she can't ignore the itch of it all, something nagging at her that something about that was off. It just didn't seem like the same person, but Y/n dismissed the thought and was able to admit to herself that she was in the wrong on that front.

But that didn't mean her feelings weren't still hurt. El- Jane, had completely tossed her aside the minute she laid eyes on Kali. Y/n could still hear - and see - that exchange all took well.

Sister.

It brought another pang of jealousy to her heart as she so desperately longed for such a connection. Y/n, of course, loved her bother and friends with all her heart, but her whole life she had longed for such an iron-clad bond with another girl. And she supposed she had that with Jane. But it seems it was one-sided.

Quickly, Y/n shakes the thought from her head. She was not partial to thinking about that night, that night had hurt her deeply and it would only exhaust her.

She focuses her eyes on the ground before her, watching her step as she navigates the uneven terrain hidden under layers fallen leaves when she noticed something. A very simple thing that would most likely go unnoticed by any other being, or even her if it were any other given moment. Y/n saw a flurry of leaves swept up in the wind, moving across the landscape like a wave crashing in the ocean. And much like many other times in her life, something so simple triggers a memory in her brain like a feeling triggers the memory of a forgotten dream.

The details, not only what it looked like but what it felt like, of the phenomenon of what she had experienced the night before. Not her fight with her friend, or the scary adventure that led her to the other side of Hawkins and all the way to Chicago, but the explosion in the old train yard. And while it had not quite been forgotten, merely set aside in the unfurling events of her split with Jane, remembering the event felt silly. What a catastrophic thing to have forgotten.

Perhaps it wouldn't be the worst idea to practice, she thought.

She was all alone after all, she was out of sight and far away enough from the road where she couldn't be caught. She knew not to strain herself of course, given the long walk ahead of her. But she was rather bored and she figured she'd never really get another opportunity like this. After all, she couldn't quite practice this in her room.

In the end, temptation - and boredom - won, and she gave a quick sweep of the area before she settled in one spot. Worried of the potential exhaustion she was in fact risking, she figured she could rest for ten or twenty minutes or so. This also allowed her feet a small break. She found a small gap in the trees, a long stretch of open space where she wouldn't risk a fire hazard on any of the tree trunks.

Y/n finds her focus driven on the path of damp leaves before her. Her hands outstretched and with all her might she pictures the path before her blown away into a small ditch in between the long stretching gap between the trees. The forest still smelled of rain and even the trunks around her were still a bit damp, though she did want to risk it. The wet sludge of fallen leaves before her was her goal and she planted her feet preparing herself.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

Kali's heels hit the pavement as she jumps off the platform, Jane's sneaker-clad feet soon follow. Kali strides across the damp pavement and she turns to face the clearing as Jane joins her side.

"You see that train?" She asks, gesturing towards the large abandoned car.

"Yes."

"I want you to draw it towards us,"

Jane looks at Kali with unease, and Kalie gives her a sly smirk. Jane takes a breath but looks back at the train. She raises her hand, her mind focusing on the train and the surface around it. She can feel her mind strain and her hand trembles violently and all that comes to show for her efforts is the faint sound of metal creaking, and slight separation of the cart from its wheels.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

The wind had died down but still few leaves moved under her control. The signature blur emits from Y/n's hand, it reminded her of heat reflecting off concrete on a hot summer day. She felt herself smiling over the feat, but it quickly died out as her ability did. It quickly fizzled out and she felt a great strain on her body, and she sighed collecting her breath.

Something wasn't right. This wasn't how it went.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

"I can't," Jane pants, hands on her knees collecting her breath.

"Last night you told me you lifted a van once."

《•••》

Her vision locks onto the van barreling towards her and her friends, and she scowls. With one flick of her head, the van flies through the air and over their heads.

《•••》

"Yes."

"The bad men were trying to take you away again, and that made you angry."

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

Y/n's mind flips through her memories, every experience she has had with her powers and her mind lands on the scene from the night she always chose to forget. The night they almost took her.

《•••》

A violent scream erupted from the young girl's throat, a scream that pierced even her own ears and ripped her throat raw.

A powerful force of energy exploded off of Y/n swept across the hallway mowed down everyone, including the man holding who had been holding her hostage. Most of the men were knocked into the concrete walls and slid down to the floor unconscious, blood dripping from their heads.

Y/n landed on her knees, Eleven only about a foot away who had miraculously avoided the line of energy while on the ground.

Panting, she looks up to the man several feet away, laying on his back slowly coming to, and with all the remaining courage and energy she can muster, she slowly rises to her feet, breathing harder, her fists clenched and eyes filled with rage.

《•••》

Anger. Anger was the common factor of every incident she realizes suddenly. This had been the first time she had allowed herself to dwell on the memories of that night. Ever since it had been much too painful to revisit and she never bothered. And yet all this time she had wasted, trying to figure out her powers, figure out herself, and she had been ignoring the answer.

And for the first time, she thinks not of the people she's hurt. But the comes who have hurt her.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

"Good. So, find that anger, focus on that, not the train, not its weight."

She raises her hand once more, and with a deep breath preparing herself for the task at hand. Not the boundaries she is preparing to test, but unlocking her heart and mind to the floodgates of bitter memories and untapped anger waiting to be unleashed.

"I want you to find something from your life. Something that angers you."

《•••》

The friend Y/n trusted most in the entire world, turned on her. Undeniable hatred and disgust in eyes instead of a loving gaze.

"Get out," Will seethes.

"What-?"

"I said, get out!" He hissed.

Y/n flinches at his tone, and backs away fighting tears and struggling to hide the hurt in her eyes.

"GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

《•••》

"Now channel it."

The girl's hand trembles and the ground begins to shake as she unlocks this side of herself. the gates are opening, the gates to her full potential. She is strained but unwavering as she watches in glee as she moves the world around her.

"Dig deeper. Your whole life you've been lied to..."

《•••》

'THE MISSING EXPERIMENT'

Y/n gazed at the folder in shock, looking to her sleeping friend with fire in her eyes.

She had this with her the entire trip. And not once did she share it with her. Every file, every news clipping, every theory on her life that almost was. On her. And she was the last to see it.

《•••》

Anger rises to the surface, it is now all the girl can feel. At this moment in time, all she knows is white-hot rage and it is powerful enough to break the world. She is powerful enough.

"...imprisoned."

《•••》

Y/n loses the ability to speak when the man's eyes meet the agent holding her back. With one simple gesture, she is torn away from her brother and friends and straight into the man's clutches.

"What- what are you doing?" She cries, continuing to fight and kick against the steel hold.

An overwhelming storm of panic and frustration takes over and she begins to hyperventilate.

Instinctively, she struggles to turn in the agent's grasp to meet her brother's anxious and fearful eye and cries out to him.

"Dustin? Dustin!" She shrieks.

Her brother's desperate calls for her break her heart, but it turns to fire when she hears the man's voice.

"Y/n, don't fight it. You belong with us. We are your true home. Come home to us, Nine"

《•••》

She can feel her jaw clench, her muscles tense as she focuses all her energy - all her anger on the target before her.

"The bad men took away your home, you're mother,"

《•••》

"She was pretty." She began, smiling sadly. "She had [h/l] [h/t] [h/c] hair. And [s/c] skin. She was [y/h]."

•••

"She disappeared... Bang" El said slowly, a saddened frown forming on her face. "Gone."

•••

"So, my mom? She's...?" Y/n took a deep breath and swallowed the lump in her throat and El nodded.

《•••》

Her whole body began to shake, a raw and forceful screaming tearing from her throat and piercing the cold autumn air. It was only a small fraction of her emotions, only a mere glimpse of a wild hurricane bursting forth from within her as her powers unleashed.

"They took everything from you."

《•••》

But then she saw it. The small, lifeless body. He was wearing the same red vest he wore on that night. She was speechless. Hot tears streaked down her cheeks and she forgot how to breathe. She collapsed into Lucas's arms, his own grip weak and shaky, and she buried her wet face in his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her tightly, a lifeline of his own as he witnessed the horrible sight.

"It's Will. It's really Will." Lucas croaked, unable to speak above a harsh whisper.

Y/n felt tears fall on her head, telling her that Lucas had started crying as well.

The noise she made was incoherent. She let out a painful wail and tore herself away from Lucas's embrace when she gathered enough strength.

"Will? Will!" She cried.

Lucas and Dustin pulled her back. She fought and screamed, her throat aching from the strain. All previous worries of being spotted were forgotten, wanting nothing more than to be by his side. She wanted to be with him. To see if it was really true. But she was too weak. Defeat set in and she went limp, collapsing onto the ground and hugged her knees. She buried her tear-stained cheeks in her knees and hid from the cruel world that took such a loving soul from her. She rocked back and forth trying desperately to convince herself that this was a nightmare.

•••

And it had been. Not even a week later had she learned his body was a fake. The bad men lied. To her. To his family. To everyone. They stole him away and they didn't care who they hurt.

《•••》

Blood dripped from her nose, spidery veins spread across her face and hands. The violent force of power overtook the world and her body but it felt fantastic. She felt truly free for the first time in her life.

"They stole your life, Jane"

The final and most forceful burst of anger comes forth, the final push she had been waiting for. The scream echoes and rings throughout the air long after she silences, and she collapses to the ground as exhaustion overtakes her.

She had done it.

Before her, a long deep trench stretches on for several feet. Y/n had uncovered not only the thick layer of damped leaves but several layers of earth creating a lengthy ditch where the earth had been carved. Raining down from the air were the discarded leaves raining down from the heavens like bright golden confetti celebrating her accomplishment. Y/n smiled despite her exhaustion, her hands on knees the palm of her hands still hot to the touch.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

Jane collapses to her knees, gasping for breath and gazes at the train before her in disbelief. Distant cheers erupted in the distance and she looked to find Mick, Fusnshine, Dottie and Axel jumping, hooting and hollering.

"WAY TO GO JANE!"

She doesn't fight the smile that sneaks up on her and Kali kneels beside her, smirking.

"How do you feel?"

Jane nods, her smirk turning sly and confident.

"Good."

+++

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complicatedandstained · 4 years

Note

Motivation Monday. I extend a small, empty bowl up to you while giving puppy eyes. My bottom lip quavers and I speak in a British accent. "Please ma'am, may I have some Other Day at Hot Topic?"

I step back on my heel in flattered surprise, a hand wavering over my heart. I shove my hands into my pockets and fish around, frowning and pulling out folded and torn pieces of paper covered in dialogue. Crumbs scatter to the ground and a small moth skitters off. I can find nothing new or recent and certainly nothing for next chapter yet, although it is, I mumble to myself, next on the list. I unfold a yellowing piece of notebook paper and flip it over, squinting.

It’s the beginning of a scene set in the near distant future, written way back when. I fold it more neatly than before and place it into the bowl held out to me although British!Snowflake looks skeptical.

I hastily add in a few cheese puffs for good measure.

God walks into Hot Topic like he owns the place.

Roxas’ mouth drops open without his consent, and he can’t seem to remember how to fix it, just stands there mutely, admiring how nicely God fills out a tapered suit and narrow trousers. He’s younger than Roxas expected--probably in his thirties or so and sculpted like a statue.

“Hello,” God says pleasantly enough, like he gets this a lot, which, he probably does, being God, and all. He has a voice light as sunshine and smooth as melted chocolate. Roxas wants to drown himself in it. Roxas wonders vaguely if he’s died already.

“Hey,” Roxas echoes not at all intelligently, words little more than air. The man offers a small, private smile, like he and Roxas are in on a secret, eyes squinting in amusement.

To some degree, this sets Roxas at ease, snaps him out of it, and he tells God about the BOGO sale on clearance, asks if he can help him find anything special.

God tilts his head like Roxas has said something particularly amusing and sets his hands on his thighs, glancing around at neon products on black and silver displays. “You wouldn’t know if you’re still selling Nirvana tees, would you?” God stretches a pierced silver eyebrow up, light brown face growing even more perfect as the gesture pairs with a slightly embarrassed smile.

“It’s not Hot Topic without Nirvana tees,” Roxas assures him, patent heartless-killing smile. He wants God to like him, damn it. He seems like kind of a badass.

Roxas leads God to the left. A wall of t-shirts in tribute to bands and artists, classic and up-and-coming, hang in plastic casing with the corresponding merchandise below.

God smiles a little more brightly, teeth white, perfect, and runs a hand through silvery, shoulder length locks. Shorter, choppy bangs frame his face, strands tickling his cheek bones ever so slightly on either side.

Roxas gestures to a few options, points out his favorite. God riffles through a few and doesn’t muss up the stack. Roxas assumes he has witnessed his first miracle.

“Do you have this in an XL?”

If Roxas were wearing the shirt in an XL he would have gladly taken it off and given it to this perfect, beautiful man with his perfect, beautiful voice.

“I can check online for you. We have free shipping to the store.”

The man has that pleasant knowing expression again, their eyes catch and his irises are the strangest color, almost orange, but maybe it’s just the overhead lighting, or his inherent divinity. “That’s quite alright, thank you, Roxas.”

Roxas freezes. He’s pretty sure his name tag still says “Cloud.”

God knows my name. Shit.

Reality kicks in, kicks Roxas in the gut, to be specific, and Roxas nods, “You want me to fetch Saix for you, Xemnas?”

“I see our reputations precede us.” The man smirks and the butterflies in Roxas’ stomach turn damn near acrobatic. “Saix and I have much to discuss, though I am, of course, happy to escort myself to his side.”

“Of…”

Dumb as a rock, Roxas. He runs the place, I think he knows where to find him.

Roxas nods, mind still fuzzy. “Of course.”

Xemnas, the sexiest man alive, smooths a hand over the stack of shirts then sweeps the front of his blazer down his (no doubt toned) abs. He nods his approval. “Your training appears to be progressing nicely. I will be sure to pass word along to Saix.”

Roxas manages something like a thank you, and God smiles once more, another secret, and makes his way to the back.

Roxas is pretty sure he’s going to pass out.

But not before he texts Axel.

If Xemnas were to start a cult, I would join.

He receives a few bubbles back from Axel a few minutes later, and he has to duck behind a Doctor Who display so the customers won’t see him reading it.

I hate to be the one to break it to you, Roxas…

But he already did.

And you already have ;)

#the other day at hot topic #wip #asks #motivation monday #cam comments

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dimensionwriter · 5 years

Text

Mechanical Heart

Part 5

M! Robot x F! Reader

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

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This was awkward. This was beyond awkward and there was nothing you could do to stop it.

"So this is my, well I guess our, home," you said splaying your hand out to you house. You weren't exactly rich, so your house wasn't filled with the most lavish things.

You had a black couch that could barely seat 3 people with a white rug that had a few stains on it from spilled drinks. Your tv wasn't gigantic, but was durable and looked quite nice on your tv stand.

"So, this is the living room," you walked past the couch and went to a light brown wooden door," and this is my kitchen."

You went to glance at Axel, but he wasn't there. Spinning around, you saw that he was still in the corner of the room next to the door.

You squint your eyes to see that he had something written on his face. Is he really going to make you walk all the way over there to read it?

"Axel, come on," you said beckoning him over with your hand. He didn't move from his spot in the corner. He looks as if he was trying to take up as little space as possible.

With a long and exhausted sigh, you took giant steps over to him. He tense up and took a step back.

"I do not require a tour of the house. I can stay in this corner until we need to leave for work," he wrote in dark grey times new roman. This font was so boring. Maybe, it's a reflection on his view of life. Nothing but business.

"I'm not going to leave you in the corner like you're some potted plant," you snickered imaging him with a plant on top of his head. Reaching out, you grabbed his hands. Feeling the smooth cool metal press against you skin caused a slight buzz to shoot up your arm.

"Come on," you said using all you strength to pull him. And him being Axel, didn't even budge a single inch. He remains stiff as he started typing a new message.

"Just think of me as an immobile potted plant until work," he said in a light grey colour. Your head tilted as you read that over again. He just made a joke.

"You're breathing, I think, moving, and thinking being. So, no, you are not a plant," you yelled digging your heels into the ground trying to get him to move. He was like a bolder secured down by diamonds.

"I do not require the necessity to breath," he inquired with a slight tilt of his head. You thought he was getting interested in conversation, so you tried to catch him off guard by running to the back and pushing on it. Fail, barely moved the fabric on his jacket.

"Well, can you at least sit on the couch? I feel bad leaving you here in the corner," you pleaded from behind him. You gave a final shove and he actually move. But the thing was, you weren't expecting him to actually move.

A loud thump echoed through your house as your body collided with the ground. Axel stopped moving towards your couch and turned around slowly.

"I'm okay," you groaned lifting up a shaky hand to give him a thumbs up. Your ribs are going to be sore in the morning.

Axel's black hand moved downward towards you and wrapped around your forearm. His grip tighten causing his digits to lightly dig into your skin.

With one smooth pull, Axel had you off the ground and onto your wobbly feet. You used your free hand to balance yourself by placing it on his chest. Ah, there's that six pack.

"Axel, you can't go around throwing a human body as if it's a rag doll," you scolded trying to find your balance. First, falling downward then instantly being yanked upwards, really does a number on your stability.

"Apologies if any damage was done to your flesh or internal organs," he wrote in a tinier font. That was a really weird way of wording. Sometimes, you forget that androids and humans have different components.

"It's fine. Just, sit on the couch while I get ready for bed. I'm exhausted from work," you dismissed waving him towards the black couch. That hot shower was calling your name and so was that bed.

Axel nodded obediently and moved smoothly to the couch. He seem to try to move as little as possible as he went to the sit. The couch barely even moved as he put his body on it.

"Well," you drawled out staring at his stiff form. His back was straight as a plank of wood. He wasn't even leaning back into the couch. "I'm going to go take a bath now. Make yourself at home, since it's kind of yours."

He just gave a quick nod before facing forward. His screen turned darker, almost as if he was going into sleep mode. Well, guess androids need rest too.

"Night Axel," you said walking past the light switch and going towards your room. If he wanted the lights off, he can turn it off. It would be rude to turn it off on him if he still wanted it on.

Axel waited until he could hear your water running to move again. It was a new surrounding, so of course he had to check it out. Just to be sure.

He moved as lightly as possible as he went to the kitchen you were trying to show him earlier. He pushed open the light wooden door.

It revealed a small kitchen with mostly white colours. One of the corners of the counter was chipped, seem to have been that way for years.

A small door stood in the corner of the room. He was almost certain it was a food closet or pantry as some called it. But he had to make sure his human partner wasn't hiding anything.

Opening the door slowly, he peeked into the small room. There was a bunch of food products lining the shelves. Humans are so odd. They know how much nutrition they require, yet they have so many forms of food that doesn't reach it or have more negative impactful than beneficial.

He closed the door quietly and left the small room. There was a hallway with two doors on the right with one on the end. Glancing at them, he decided to go to the first one since it was closest.

He opened the door as quietly and quickly as he could to prevent any squeaks. The room seemed to some sort of guest room that got turned into a storage area. There were loads of boxes and random junk in it.

He walked into the room and closed the door behind him. He turned over to night vision mode to get a good look at everything in it.

All the boxes were clear. Most of them held either random unused objects or items that seem to be used that were broke. Why didn't the human just throw them away? Somehow, a few of the items seem familiar. Maybe seen on tv or being used by other new human officers.

He turned around to see that the door was open. Not only that, but it was his human partner. She stood in the door with quite the lack of clothing, only a towel tightly wrapped around her. A gun was held in her hands and was pointed at his head.

You reached your hand out to reach for the light switch. You could see the outline of the person trying to blend in with the boxes. Well, too bad for them. They broke into the wrong house.

"You are under arrest for break in and- Axel," you said in shock as light finally flooded into the room. He stood completely still as he stared at you. You wait for something to type of his face, but nothing did.

"Why are you standing in the dark in my closet?" You asked confused. He stood there for a little bit before taking a step forward.

"I was assessing the new area," he typed quiet slow. You face scrunched up in confusion. So, he's saying that he was just simply looking around.

Maybe he doesn't want you with him when he looks around. He is used to working alone, so he may be overwhelmed since he spent his entire day stuck to a person.

"I understand. Check out everything, but not my bedroom. That's my area," you said jokingly narrowing your eyes at him. He nodded his head before going still again.

"Well, I'm going to go take my bath again," you said taking a step back. A slight whirring noise emit from him as he stuck his hand out to you. You stop you movements while quirking up an eyebrow.

"How did you know I was moving?" He wrote quickly. You read it again before smiling.

"This house is old. It was built before the techno houses were built, so there's some problems with it. My bathroom lights flicker every time someone opens and closes a door. So when it flickered four times, I knew someone was moving around in my house," you explained locking your gun. Your words appeared on the screen before disappearing. Guess he was taking note of you again.

"I'll withhold this information," he wrote quickly, almost sloppily since the bottom lining of the words were uneven. Glancing down at his right hand, you noticed that he was gripping his leather jacket tightly. Okay?

"Well, I'll leave you to 'assessing' then," you said awkwardly grabbing your towel to lift it up. You flickered off the light and slowly shut the door on the android. He didn't move a single gear and just stared blankly at you.

The door clicked shut and you could hear the jerk in electricity from your bathroom. Guess Axel wasn't planning on being found out. He must doubt your skill, you are very aware of your surroundings.

You were about to turn around and leave to get to that warm, comforting shower, but a neon pink light flared from under the closed door. You ran to the door in panic to make sure your partner was okay.

A loud and increasing buzz followed the room making you stop mid motion. You recognized that sound. It was earlier today at the woman's house when you didn't follow his order when he was worried.

That's it, you need answers.

"What are you doing here so early in the morning?" Screw wrote slowly in gold cursive font. They were sitting in Danny's desk, who was gone at the moment, and had their screen leaning on their open palms. Their three fingers were tapping lightly on the screen and the other hand was busying itself with a black pen that had Danny's name on it.

"Okay, so as you can clearly tell I am not human. I am not able to read non-human emotions," you drew out trying to get them to pick up on your hint. All you got was Screw's black screen.

"If you are asking for some type of book on android's emotions, you won't find one. Each android is different in their own way," Screw wrote while rolling their wrist in a bored continuous manner as they continued to write. "You just have to learn how they are."

You let out a loud groan and sunk deep into the office chair. How are you supposed to read Axel? He is the equivalent of a brick wall that only does something interesting when you are not looking. You can maybe guess when he's happy, in about 10 years.

A light tap on your nose brought you out of your pit of despair. Screw pointed to his screen as a way of saying listen, or read?

"Are you trying to read Axel? If so, good luck. He's a pretty serious machine that only really focuses on his work. He even stated, don't take any offense to this, 'emotions were made to be with humans, which is why they struggle so much. In their struggle is where I shall succeed.' Your eyebrows dropped in slight disgust at the quote. You were so worried about appearing speciest to your partner when in reality it was the other way around.

"I can tell you're judging him. What Axel meant is that he doesn't want emotions to get in the way of his job because he feels that it would hinder him."

An image downloaded onto their face. It was an old cartoon drawing of a train on a track that slowly divided into two. On one track was a bunch of tied up people and on the other was one singular person. On the bottom of the image was the text that read, 'Choose a path'.

"This picture was something use a long time ago to get humans to question their morals. While humans will think to take out the single person, even if they don't want to. Axel will think to derail or stop the train, even if he has to destroy his body. He doesn't want to feel fear, doubt, or anything negative that could stop him from succeeding his missions. He would rather be stone cold and be the best than full of life and face the consciences of failing."

Screw stopped scrolling on his paragraph. You glanced again at some parts as you let it sink in. Guess that's a good explanation for his lack of emotions.

"But here's the thing, I think Axel is showing emotions," you exclaimed helplessly as you felt more confused. How was someone that was trying so hard to distant himself from something, but still continues to return to them?

"What?" Screw wrote in bold red font. A loud shrill came from their neck that caused you to flinch from the high pitch sound. Screw slammed their hand over their neck as a slight pink colour started to bleed into their words. "Sorry, that shocked me."

"There. That sound you just made and the pink colour on your words. He does that. He also flashes a neon pink light and his words have a red gradient when I'm being annoying or something," you rambled on and on, listing all the times you noticed his drift away from his normal boring grey new roman font. It felt great to actually talk to someone about it.

"I knew that scrap of metal was going to start showing emotions. No one, machine or not, can remain blank like that," they wrote out quickly while jumping out of their seat. Speed walking to a computer in the corner of the room, Screw's screen seem to darken in concentration.

"What are you trying to do?" You asked turning around in your chair to look at them. They gripped the end of their golden suit and bunched it around the forearm.

Their screen spun 180 degrees around and stopped at your angle. A startled scream slipped out of your mouth at the creepy motion. You keep forgetting what these things can do, even if it can be creepy as hell.

"I know I said there isn't a book on android's emotion, but I do have access to all the coding of every android that works under me. So if I can check all of his most recent coding, I can see if I can translate it into something that can be interpreted into something similar to a human's emotion. I would probably need a few hours to see it and to get a time on when it started. Then I should be able to contact you when-"

The entire screen disappeared making you let out an irritated groan at missing the ending. You need to speed read when it comes to Screw. They write so much. But they usually give you time to read it all, so what made them delete it?

A hand clamped down harshly on your shoulder. Fear and dread dripped down your spine as you recognized the firm matte digits. You had a feeling on why Screw deleted his words.

"Hey Axel. I thought I told you to wait in our office," you said too sweetly as you looked up at his screen. He somehow changed clothes from when you arrived. Today, he had on a white shirt with a black breast pocket. His pants were a little more unique which the left side being black and the right being dark red. The iconic black jacket was thrown on with his gun holster lying lazily on his hips.

"We should have started patrol 2 minutes ago. I tried to give you a few more minutes, but crime doesn't stop for us," he wrote slowly. His screen turned towards Screw for a second before looking back down at you.

Did he read what Screw wrote? No, Screw is definitely smart enough and deleted it in time. No need to worry.

"Ah, well I guess I can talk to Screw later…about getting a company car so it can fit you a little easier," you lied quickly. To add a little whipped cream on top, you widen your smile and batted your eyelashes. Please take this as not being suspicious.

"I do not require that," he wrote in a dark grey font. The font was still the same old Times New Romans, but the edges seem to be a little bit more pointed. Is he making the font his own?

"Oh, well I just wanted to make sure you're comfortable too. You are my partner so I'm going to be worried about you," you said honestly. You kind of hated when Axel dismissed himself as if he didn't deserve to be treated like equals.

"You know what. I think we are done here for now. Let's go Axel," you exclaimed jumping out of the chair. You grabbed Axel's dangling hand and yanked him towards the door. Luckily, he moved along with you and didn't just stand rock solid.

As you speed walk to the exit, you turn slightly around and threw a quick wink at Screw. By the time you finish with your patrolling, they should be done with the coding. You will finally be able to understand your partner. And maybe be able to finally connect with him.

"Sure," you read as you glanced at Axel's screen. The bottom of his words were tinted pink as he tilted his screen down at your entwine hand.

"Then let's go," you said cheerfully dragging him out of the door. You just have to make it through patrol and then you get your prize.

Part 6

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It may have been 10 years since the last chapter of in this series, but I did it. I really missed Axel and I’m glad I got a chance to come back to my boy. Anyway, please remember to comment on anything you liked about this chapter, this really helps inspire me and I love to look at them. Please like and look out for a part 6 in the future. The next story I put out may not be an addition to any of the series I’m doing. Love you guys and enjoy the rest of your day.

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