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topazy · 4 days

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WHAT?!?! So much just happened within the last two parts!!!

𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬

Pairing: Harwin Strong × Targ oc

Warnings: Mentions of blood

3.08

Puffing out your cheeks, you watch as Otto Hightower gleefully receives praise from lords from Old Town for resuming his old position as hand of the king. Alicent had poured her honey in your father's ear and assured him her own father would be the best choice. Lord Lyonel spoke with your father not long after you arrived at Driftmark, and they decided it would be for the best if Lord Lyonel temporarily resigned from his position at court. But in truth, you doubted he would ever return.

“Vaella, you look more like my mother as the days go by.” Your father says this before embracing you and kissing you on the cheek. “Have you spoken with Daemon?”

“I have, and I do believe he misses you,” you sigh. It has been so long since your father and uncle spoke; their reuniting would be the only positive outcome from this horrible situation. “You should go to him, father; Daemon is far too proud to reach out first, but he needs you.”

He glances at Daemon, who is talking to his daughters, then shakes his head. After staring at your uncle for a few seconds, your father chuckles. “Lord Lyonel says you have repeatedly insisted he stay on Dragonstone.”

“Harwin has lost far too much.” You run your hand along the reddening patches spotted across your neck. “Perhaps it’s selfish of me, but I want your former hand close for my husband’s sake.”

“And if he had chosen to return to court?”

“Then we would have moved back to King's Landing.” You pause, feeling your throat go dry. “I’m not ignorant of the gossip at court, and I’m aware of why Lord Lyonel was hesitant for his son to marry me, especially since Harwin almost died when he was my sworn protector. But he is a good man who has served you faithfully over the years. Lord Lyonel needs his family to help him overcome his terrible loss, and I would never rob him of that.”

“You may look like your grandmother, but you have your own mother's kindness.” Your father leans forward and kisses your forehead. “Now, I shall attempt to speak with my stubborn brother.”

When your father walks over to Daemon with a member of the king's guard close behind him, you are left standing alone, but Harwin is by your side swiftly.

The wake for Lady Laena was being held in a cliffside courtyard on High Tide Castle, and it was by far the most awkward funeral you had ever attended. Almost all conversations seem forced, as many lords and ladies gossip about how Jace, Luke, and Joff lacked Velaryon features. As tragic as the reasoning for the gathering was, there was something rather magical about watching Varos, Ashwing, Nightmare, Caraxes, Seasmoke, Sunfyre, Syrax, Meleys, Dreamfyre, and Vhagar gathered together around the cliffs of the castle.

Noting Harwin's hardened expression as he and Criston stare at each other, you take his hand, so Harwin’s focus is off him. Criston and Alicent’s sly looks and snide comments hadn’t gone unnoticed by your husband. Quietly, you say, “He’s not worth it; besides, they are probably doing it deliberately, waiting on you to react.”

You didn’t know Laena well, but her death had cast a dark shadow over your family. Daemon was devastated, and your heart broke for Baela and Rhaena. You knew firsthand how painful it was to be without a mother so young.

Harwin places his hand on your lower back and says, “It’s getting late; we should get the kids to bed soon.”

Feeling the baby kick, you rub at your stomach, feeling the movements, and nod in agreement. You glance around the small groups gathered across the courtyard at Rhaenyra, whose eyesight is firmly locked onto Daemon, who seems to be in an intense conversation with your father.

“Mama!”

Ada pushes her way through the small crowd to reach you and buries her face into your side, weeping. You brush the back of the hair with your fingers, being careful not to pull on the black bow, which is identical to your own. “What’s happened, sweet girl?”

Between sobs, she squeals, “I don’t want Daddy to die!”

Her loud sobs attract the attention of others, many of them pulling sympathetic facial expressions. Concerned Lord Lyonel excuses himself from the conversation he’s in and comes over, waving Vaegon, who is standing with your younger siblings, to come over.

In one swift moment, Harwin lifts her up and wipes away her tears with his thumb. “Now what would make you say a thing like that?”

Ada doesn’t answer him; she just cuddles with her father and continues to cry. Harwin sighs. “I’m going to take her inside.”

Noticing the uneasy look on Aerion’s face, you get the sense that he knows something but doesn’t want to address it to everyone. “I’ll join you shortly; I’m going to get Jace and Luke.”

When Harwin is out of earshot, you take Aerion’s hand and gently rub the back of it. “Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

When he tells you Varos roars loudly in the distance as anger boils inside you, it takes everything inside you not to snap. You pat the back of your son's hand and say, “Go back inside with Ser Harwin and your sister.”

—

You feel as if you’re floating in the ocean, with blood seeping from an open wound and the scent of dragon's blood attracting the sharks as you cross the courtyard to where the greens are standing. Otto, Alicent, Criston, and Lord Hobert, the head of the house, watch your actions carefully. You come to a stop and clear your throat, making your presence known in front of the man who was quickly becoming the root of many of your family's issues.

“Princess.”

The smug look on Larys face threatens to cause the simmering fire inside you to combust, but you manage to keep your composure. “Lord Larys, my condolences on the loss of your stepmother and sisters.”

“Thank you. It has been a difficult time for myself, as I’m sure it has been for my father and brother.”

“The fire at Harrenhal was nothing short of a tragedy, but I’m sure you thank the gods that Harwin and Lord Lyonel weren’t caught up in it.”

His smugness is replaced by a look of irritation.

The fierceness you feel to protect your children causes the invisible cord connecting you and Varos to pull. The dimming sky is suddenly aflame with the fury of your dragon's breath, Varos’s wings beating the air with a thunderous roar. Seconds later, Ashwing and Nightmare join him. All three dragons startle the onlookers below with their boisterous behavior.

“Pray tell me, Lord Larys, what makes you think it’s wise to speak to a girl who is only nearing her sixth name day about her father dying?”

“I was trying to clear up any confusion she may have had. I was under the impression that my niece wasn’t aware she would be the heir to my family's home once my own father and brother had passed.”

Darkness overshadows where you stand as Varos flies dangerously low and your eyes blaze with an unyielding fury. You glare at Larys, silently daring him to continue. It was becoming clear just how dangerous Larys was; you’d even bet on him playing a hand in his father's mystery illness, which seems to have vanished when he left the red keep.

When he says nothing, you turn to walk away and briefly lock eyes with Alicent, whose expression is hard to read.

“Does my brother know about this misunderstanding? He is a reasonable man, but a father's love will make the best man do unspeakable things.” Larys gets to his feet, making a show of dragging his foot behind him. Nervously, he licks at his lips. “I truly hope you pass on my deepest apologies; I meant no offense.”

“Of course,” you say quietly, so only Larys can hear your next words. “But if you make another one of my children cry again, this will be the next funeral we attend.”

—

Harwin’s voice fills the bedchamber as he laughs at the sight of you scrunching your face up and spitting out the tea in your mouth. You rinse your mouth out with water before spitting it back into a bowl, then accept the cup Harwin is offering you.

“Not as nice as the tea you usually drink?”

“No, that was overly sweet.”

He picks up the tea and smells it. “That is rather vile. I’ve never seen a tea that shade of red before.”

You sit on the side of the bed and watch as Harwin removes his shirt in preparation for bed. He often slept naked due to how warm he’d become during the night. You smile. “The children are all safely tucked up in bed.”

Harwin grins and walks towards you.

“So,” you reach out, looping your fingers into the top of his trousers. “I suggest you join me in bed, husband, as we will have an early rise in the morning.”

Your heart flutters with excitement when Harwin gently takes your face between his large hands and kisses you passionately.

—

You smiled, feeling Harwin holding you closer as he nuzzled his face into the back of your neck, his hardness poking into your back. But you were utterly exhausted from having your bodies entwined in dances of desire for most of the night, and you needed a moment to catch your breath. Against your skin, he mumbles, “That tea is really strong-smelling.”

“We could throw it out!” you laugh.

“Hmm, I’m rather comfortable like this.”

Feeling Harwin part his lips and place soft kisses against your bare skin, you’re unable to resist him. Rolling in your back, you lean into him, desperately craving to feel his lips against yours once again, but he suddenly pulls away and sits upright.

“What’s wrong?”

He swipes his thumb under your nose and says, “You’re bleeding.”

Quickly, he climbs out of bed, gets a cloth, and holds it to your nose. “I should get the maester.”

“It may pass.”

Harwin quickly redressed, then helped you put your nightgown and robe on while you pinched your nose, attempting to stop the bleeding. Harwin shakes his head. “I’m going to send for the maester.”

Just as he goes to unlock the door, there’s a knock at it. He opens it, and one of the knights of the king's guard steps forward.

“Ser Erryk.”

“Ser Harwin, princess. There has been an innocent involving prince Vaegon and prince Aerion.”

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topazy · 4 days

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Thank you ☺️ and yes I will be doing a full re-write of z nation, as well as a few extra chapters afterwards then a few mini au’s of plot lines I didn’t explore, so there will be plenty of content coming soon 😂

Inside, outside

Pairing: 10k x reader

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of blood and brains

Chapter: 5.06

After bringing the quad bike to a complete stop when you spot a deserted-looking warehouse, 10k jumps off the back first, and immediately you’re missing the warmth of his arm wrapped around your waist. With the sling of his gun over his shoulder, he offers you his hand to help you climb off. If 10K wasn’t a gentleman before, people would probably be catching onto how protective he was being.

You, 10K, Warren, Murphy, and Addy had gone to find the source of bizkit’s and why they seemed to be low rations of it, while Doc and George headed back to Altura to keep an eye on Dante’s trial.

“Is that the bakery? The place looks abandoned.”

“It doesn’t mean nobody is home,” Warren points out.

The five of you stand on the edge of a small hill that leads down to the pathway into the building. The side of the hill was mainly covered in rubble, preventing any vehicles from driving on it.

Murphy looks lost in thought; a look of distress appears on his face. You lightly hit his arm to gain his attention. “Are you okay?”

“I smell brains.”

“This must be the place, then.”

When the five of you started making your way down the path, you were being extra cautious not to trip while walking on such a rocky surface. 10k stays in front of you and continues to glance back, ready to catch you if you do fall.

Murphy walks by you at a normal pace and scoffs, “You two make me feel sick.”

“Just keep walking, Alvin.”

“My biggest fear is losing you. When you were kidnapped, I realized how much I loved you and that there was nothing I wouldn't do to find you,” Murphy says mockingly. “You're my best friend, Tommy, and there's not a line I wouldn't cross to keep you safe.”

10k glares at him and warningly snaps, “Shut the hell up.”

Addy, who’s standing at the bottom, already looks up in confusion. “What is he talking about?”

“Nothing.”

In a high-pitched fake girly voice, Murphy says, “I knew our fates were intertwined.“

“I swear to god!” You knew Murphy was looking for a reaction, and usually you wouldn’t take the bait too easily, but he had been teasing you since you left for this new task.

“Don’t get wound up; he’s not worth the reaction,” 10k says calmly, but as soon as you reach the bottom where the others are waiting, he presses the long side of his rifle against Murphy’s collarbone, pushing him into the wall. “Lay the fuck off Murphy.”

“Jeez, lighten up, kid.”

10k steps back.

Warren clicks her fingers. “All of you, focus.”

Once you checked, nobody else was in sight. You round the corner, and Addy breaks the lock on the door, giving you all access to the building.

—

The inside of the building stinks of rotten meat, which is explained when you find human skulls and parts of rotten brains scattered across various baking trays.

The group had split up, but you could see both Addy and 10k going to check out the same area. It saddened you that they no longer had a close relationship, and you felt partially responsible for it, but then it was your sister who left. Since they last saw each other, Addy had lost an eye, and 10k had lost his hand, and they could have leaned on each other for support.

“Astra, I’m really sorry, but it looks like she left during the night.”

You shake your head, refusing to believe it. “No, no. Something is wrong; Addy wouldn’t just go without leaving me. She wouldn’t do that.”

When you awoke in the morning to find Addy gone, you assumed she had gone hunting, but when she never returned, a couple of hours later, you, 10k, and Red went looking for her, but you couldn’t find her. You returned to your home to see if she had returned.

Red links her fingers with yours and gives you a sympathetic look. “All her stuff is gone.”

You squeeze your eyes shut to hold back tears. Addy only found you in the first place while looking for someone else. “She’s gone to find Lucy,” you say, clearing your throat. “We should go and let Tommy know; I don’t want him out there looking for someone who doesn’t want to be found.”

You aim your gun in the direction of something being crushed and slowly make your way over to a large mixer, which appears to have turned on itself. You look inside it and almost gag at seeing more skulls.

“You guys seeing this? This place is gross.”

When you don’t get a reply, you spin around to see Warren staring at something with a concerned look on her face. She notices you looking and waves you over. When you do, you see what the problem is.

“Eh Murphy, are you good? You’re practically drooling over a skull?”

“Yeah,” he quickly shrugs your comment off. “This place just gives me the munchies.”

All of a sudden, a man appears and starts firing at the three of you. Quickly, you jump out of the way to avoid being shot and accidentally scrape your stomach on something sharp. You duck behind one of the metal tables and, taking a few deep breaths, look down to see blood appearing on your top.

No, no, no.

Murphy crawls over beside you and says, “What the hell are you doing? We gotta keep moving.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know I just—fuck.”

“Did you get shot?”

“No, I’ve just cut my stomach.” The cut wasn’t deep, and you were sure it hadn’t harmed the baby, but it gave you one hell of a fright. Between deep breaths, you start mumbling to yourself, “Tommy is going to freak.”

Seeing how afraid you are, something clicks in Murphy, and he gives you a look of understanding. He knows. Quietly, he says, “Stay behind me; we are going to make a run for it.”

You nod, and the two of you manage to run behind a different spot without being shot.

—

“I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if you try anything stupid.” You say, aiming at the man who was previously trying to kill your head.

While he chases Murphy and Warren off from either side, the man seemed to not care that much about weapons being so close to his head. “It looks like we’ve got ourselves a zombie standoff. You have me; I got him, and my brothers got all three of you.”

You glance around the room; it was more than likely that 10k or Addy had gotten to his brother first.

“We are looking for bizkits,” Warren says. “We have starving talkers that are starting to turn.”

“We are just trying to survive ourselves, and it’s crooks like you who have shut down the bakery and turned us into a bunch of dirty dogs. So lower your weapons and kindly waltz out of here, or we’re all going to be crawling brains.”

“Look, I don’t know who you think we are, but we aren’t them.”

“That’s what the last bunch said before they started shooting.”

You didn’t doubt the man’s story for a second; the bakery was covered in a red mist of blood. A door creaks open, and Addy and 10k bring out another man, whom you assume is the brother with a gun at his back.

“Listen,” you lower your weapon slightly, “your brother is still human, and I know you want to keep it that way. Just tell us what we want to know, and nobody else will get hurt.”

The man gulps down, “So, you're in need of some help?”

—

While the older man, Gilly, looks at his younger brother, Skull's nose, which was cut by your sister 10K, pulls you aside and grips a hold of the bottom of your top, “What the hell happened? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine; it’s just a cut.”

He holds your gaze. “Are you sure?”

“We’ll be fine.”

You return to your group just in time to hear Gilly explain that it was their mom who invited bizkits to save their brother, who had been bitten, but then the brother bit the mom when they ran out. And since the bombing, someone has been attacking the bakery so they won’t continue making them. Their mom had turned two weeks ago, and she was the only one who had the recipe.

You look up at the window of the office overlooking the rest of the bakery and see multiple talkers that have turned.

—

Murphy stands up a table, holds up a radio, and turns the music up to distract the talkers while Skull sneaks inside to get the recipe. The plan was going well until Skull tripped and fell and was bitten by their zombified brother right after their mom ate the recipe.

“I hate to say it, but the only way to keep them from turning might be to feed them actual brains.”

From the doorway at the far side of the room, multiple heavy footsteps can be heard, along with snarling and hissing. All the noise must have attracted the nearby Z’s from outside. Thankfully, only a small number of them came into the building.

You run up behind one of the Z’s and stab it in the head before shooting another two. You notice Addy and 10k working together to take out Z's, which makes you smile.

Warren cuts the head off one and tosses it to Gilly.

You stand behind 10k and bury your face into his back, not wanting to witness Gilly crushing the skull, then cutting up the brains, and then feeding them to the walkers.

When the talkers return to normal, the mom flirts with a creeped-out Murphy, kissing him on the cheek before continuing to help.

—

Sitting with your legs dangling over the edge of a table, you watch as the brothers bag up the last of the bizkits. Hearing a whistling noise, you look over to Murphy, who was trying and failing to be discreet by waving you and 10k over to him, then looking away.

You and 10k stand on either side of him. “What’s going on?”

“I just wanted to say...” he trails off while tracing patterns in the flour scattered across the table with his finger. Murphy's jaw clenches slightly. “I don’t like either of you, but I do think you will be great parents, even lefty over here.”

With that, he turns and quickly walks away. You share a confused look with 10k. “Did you tell him?”

“No, but I think he figured it out.”

Ultimately, you’d need to tell the others the truth sooner than later. 10k smiles and brushes strands of hair out of your face. “Go for it.”

“Uh, guys, we’ve got something we need to tell you.”

Warren and Addy step a little closer, and you try not to laugh, seeing the worried look on their faces.

“Tommy and I are having a baby.”

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