#I must maintain hope that it'll happen one day | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

welkinsky · 1 year

Text

Chishiya X Reader | Come Here

WARNING: Spoilers, curse words & mention of weapons, death!

Author's Note: Thank you so much for your support and reblogs, as always! I see and appreciate each one of you! This is a PART OF A SERIES so people who are just reading this one post for the first time might not understand the context please read the parts linked below.

Part 1 | ... | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9

But before you two can cross even one hallway, you were faced by shooters who were now pointing at you two and started shooting like crazy. You suddenly felt pain in the right side of your abdomen.

This was the last thing you thought before it all went black.

But as it turned out you were not dead, Tatta just pulled you to the nearest hallway and you kinda just overreacted. It sure was embarrassing when you woke up and had to explain to them why you were out.

Nonetheless, you were conscious and were up and ready to help them. The main goal in mind was to catch Arisu but Chishiya's face would pop up in your head from time to time making it difficult to focus.

You finally found Arisu not before having to fight off a few shooters with your bare hands as Usagi went and let Arisu loose. Once this was done all of you went to Anugi.

Even though you had this unspoken bond between you and Anugi you knew that he was not himself ever since Hatter was gone. Anugi you knew would never let this massacre happen.

You still maintained your distance as Arisu was beaten up by Anugi again and again. That is when you saw Kuina enter the room, she was hurt. You speed walked over to her, "Are you alright? What happened?" you helped her sit down.

"Last Boss freak happened," she said as she took your help but never made any eye contact with you, which you obviously noticed. As the entire drama enrolled Ann told everyone that the girl killed herself she was the witch. You looked over to Kuina surprised as she nodded, she finally looked at you. It was very clear to her how your guilt was consuming you. She felt bad.

"It's alright," she said holding your hand and smiling, reassuring you that it was fine. Before you can say anything she said, "Chishiya." Following her line of vision, you saw Chishiya on the first floor overlooking all the drama. Then he looked in both of your directions and walked away. He was coming down to the hallway behind you two and she followed him.

Not knowing if you were all on the same terms anymore or not, you decided that it was better to stay back. He did look back to see if you were coming or not. You weren't, so he just smiled and went ahead without you.

Once the game was over everyone went out because someone apparently set the mansion on fire. You knew the game didn't end just there. You went back to see if the card appeared there or not. You assumed that Aguni must still have the cards so it'll be good leverage since you'll have the last card. You can take his help for as long as you want.

That is when you saw Chishiya and Kuina there already. "I knew you'll come," he said still facing away from you looking at the card. "I was starting to think collecting these cards was pointless." he continued taking the ten hearts in his hand.

"What do you think now?" you said walking closer to them. "I'm thinking that we still haven't seen any face cards. So what is it that the game controllers want us to see?" that is when one of the pillars collapsed.

"Time to go," Kuina said as both of them walked to the right exit. You were confused if you should join them or not. Guilt was heavy. Especially with Chishiya. "Come on," he said turning towards you.

You smiled and jogged over them like a happy puppy.

A few days have passed and no game has appeared yet. You have started to lose hope to be able to leave the borderlands now.

Even though you all were back to normal with those two but Chishiya always maintained his distance from you. Never sat next to you or was too close physically. As much as you craved it, you understood that this was natural after you doubted him. Why would he want to do all this again you never really pushed him either.

One night you were going over all the memories with him. The day you first met. How you two caught onto the room that could be the one in the apartment complex game. And when you two went to check in on the tagger together. Wait... the tagger. You got a slip from her pocket. What and where was it?

You looked around, Kuina was fast asleep and Chishiya was nowhere to be found. So you started looking for him and found him sitting on the rooftop. "Hey remember when we first met in the apartment complex game?" you said being restless. "How can I forget," he said calmly. Then he realized he said it out loud and regained his senses.

You asked him hesitantly, "Do you have that slip? The one we found from the tagger? I think I left mine back at the beach" you said now sitting next to him. He pulled it out from his hoodie and handed it over. You looked at it intently and then said, "I've been thinking about it and the only conclusion that came to my mind was the subway station." He raised his eyebrows in surprise because even he was not able to crack this.

You were new to the city and were using maps most of the time. By now the subway map was freshly imprinted in your memory and this resembled a lot like it.

The next day you all went to check it. You were right, this was some sort of facility that sure as hell was not by the subway system. Not to mention that there were so many dead bodies who have been shot. As you all went deeper into the place you heard some voices from outside. All of you were on your toes. But as you went closer to investigate it was Arisu and Usagi.

Before you all could talk any further the screens lit up and there she was. Mira. So she was the one who was controlling the beach during the last game. She talked about how the next phase is going to be "exciting" but what got your attention was "Let's play together."

You and Chishiya looked at each other at the same time. This was going to be bad. But at least you all knew what was happening.

As you all were coming out of the subway, there were fireworks just like the day when you first entered the game. You all were talking outside when a lot of cars pulled up, they were among the few who survived the beach.

They said that they saw the blimps and hence decided to follow it. Before they can say anything further, a guy was shot dead, then the girl next to him, and then another guy. "A refile. Get moving" Chishiya said to everyone as you all started running. You thought it was better to hide behind the car when he took your hand and pulled away, "That thing's an anti-tank riffle." then a guy was shot dead inside the car, "So I'd forget hiding behind the car." and pulled you away as you both started running as well.

You ran as fast as you can only focusing on finding a good hiding spot. You could hear people being shot but if you looked you knew you'll freeze. So you only paid attention to finding a hiding spot. You found a concrete subway gate and signaled everyone to come there. And then the gun changed "This is an assault rifle I used it back at the beach." you recognized the voice.

"Without any rules, this is a massacre!" Arisu said as he continued, "There could be more than one shooter. They are coming closer!" as they shot a few people nearby you.

"Okay, we have to move. But everyone, make sure to change your position so that they cannot make you the target. Keep changing your direction and lower your head & body randomly. They are shooting from that direction so make sure that if you hide, hide according to that." You guided everyone. Everyone listened intently and then nodded. Your eyes met Chishiya who was smiling EVEN NOW, "Aguni taught you well."

"Now is not the time Chishiya," you said with worry-filled in your voice. You knew Kuina was good in physical games but were not that confident in Chishiya so you decided that you'll stay right behind him to make sure that he is doing all the things right.

You all started running and the shooter always missed by inches. Thanks to your technique all of you made it far enough to take a break behind a few cars. You were with Kuina and Chishiya. Arisu and Usagi were on the other side.

Which is when the King Of Spade pulled up in the sky.

"Take this, a good luck charm," Chishiya said as he handed you & Kuina a bomb that he made himself. He looked proud of it. Arisu and Usagi finally decided to make it back to you three when they saw someone who was half dead.

Then you saw a figure with a black cloak walking towards all of you. As he started shooting you realized it would be the King of Spades. Arisu confirmed it by saying it out loud.

You started standing up a little to see him properly but Chishiya pulled you back down. The look on his face scared you, this was the first time you saw him worried. THIS MADE YOU WORRIED. Out of instinct, you held his hand. If eyes could talk then yours were screaming at him that you will make it out alive. Which must have helped since he smiled back but then pulled back his hand as well which you hated.

But you all had a bigger problem at hand. Out of nowhere like a fucking angel a car came and Tatta and Ann were it in. They told you all to get it. You were the last one to get in, as Chishiya was coming you both saw a grenade being dropped right in front of you. "Go on!" you both said at the same time as Tatta started driving as the bomb blasted behind you.

Without giving it any second thought you jumped out of the moving car to be with Chishiya. You knew Kuina would make it since they were all together plus now Ann was with her too.

You met with Chishiya who was hiding behind the car. "What the," he said surprised before you cut him off "We don't have time. RUN!" you took his hand and went into one of the buildings. This one had many levels and there were a lot of people still on the street so King won't come to kill the two of you so for now you two were safe.

"I'd say I taught you well too," he said for your quick thinking as you two were clear of the danger. You smiled back. Even though there was a huge danger being with him calmed you down.

Before you can look around to check for any supplies, Chishiya took your hand, pulled you in by your back, and brought both of your lips close...

Part 1 | ... | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9

Read these chapters before everyone else here. I update them there before posting them anywhere else on the internet.

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

Thanks For Reading and for all the support! Have an amazing week <3

Alice In Borderland Materlist

If you liked it you can check out the masterlist too!

A-Z Headcanon

93 notes · View notes

blackjackkent · 22 days

Text

Quick camp chats before heading out on the road again. (I'm thinking about making straight for the creche actually, since Rakha definitely thinks it's the most important thing to do right now, and then circling back for final nautiloid map stuff on the way to the Underdark.)

Rakha questioned Gale much more thoroughly about Karsus and the fall of Netheril; even though it happened a long time ago, she's still hungry for any new knowledge, more pieces in her picture of the world. I think this is probably not the last time that he ends up just discoursing to her on some random subject or another; if there's one thing Gale can't resist, it's an attentive student, even if it's one fully capable of ripping his throat out in the wrong moment. He also explained, much to her disappointment, that there's no way she would be strong enough on her own to channel the Weave as they did together - that it requires intense study even for someone with a natural magical gift like her. She's quietly bummed about this; she was taken with the idea of showing it to Wyll.

Having talked to Dammon, we have the option to ask Karlach directly about the engine in camp. She's not willing to give the full story until the Paladins are dead, but does explain that it prevents her from touching anyone and how upset that makes her, that she can't have a hug. Rakha spends a lot of time thinking about this afterwards. She has had sex with Lae'zel and she has had Astarion's weight on her as he sucked the blood at her neck, but beyond this, her experience with physical contact of any sort is... limited. But Karlach's longing for it is obvious. It must be comforting, she decides. Like the blanket of the Weave around her. Like Wyll's hand on her arm was, last night.

Astarion is indignant about Gale's orb: "To think, Gale's had this devastating orb within himself the entire time, and only just mentioned it? Who'd keep a secret like that from his friends? You can't trust anyone these days." It takes Rakha a little while to work out that he is being ironic. His response to the question "What do you think we'll find at Moonrise Towers?" amuses me, because his phrasing feels deliberately calibrated for Rakha specifically: "Who knows? Drow? Mind flayers? Death? Hopefully not ours. But maybe answers, if we can convince the right people to talk." Death and answers are Rakha's two favorite things in the whole world.

Wyll is super cute and kinda shy. "Since the party, I've had a spring in my step, and I've got you to thank." Sadly none of the (positive) dialogue options quite fall in Rakha's blunt conversational wheelhouse, but we'll go with, "It was a lovely evening. I hope we can share even more." Because it's true - talking to him was the best part of the party for her by far. She doesn't fully understand her own feelings, but she is realizing she feels better near him than otherwise. He smiles. "I'm sure we will. And when the time comes... I've got something in mind." He raises a hand to forestall her as she opens her mouth to ask questions. "Now, now - no prodding. You don't want to spoil the surprise. But I'll say this... it'll be worth the wait." The odd sense of pleasant anticipation with which Rakha receives this information is a rather new concept for her. She isn't sure what he means... but she is curious to find out.

He also tells her a little bit about growing up as a Duke's son in Baldur's Gate. Most of his descriptions of court and nobility are somewhat lost on her-- more interesting is his description of the transition into becoming Blade of Frontiers. She asks if it was much of a change. "Yes and no," he answers. "Father taught me the four pillars of power - courage, insight, strategy, justice. He reckoned I'd follow in his footsteps, first as a Fist Marshal, then as a Duke. Vanquish evil, maintain order, save the world. But a duke makes bedfellows with more monsters than he slays. Father called it 'diplomacy'. I called it 'hypocrisy.' In the frontiers, there is no posturing, no diplomacy. I slay monsters; I don't consort with them, even if I might look like one." As usual, Rakha tucks away these foundational tenets of his philosophy to consider for herself. Courage, insight, strategy, justice. None of them mean as much to her as violence, hunger, survival, death. And yet they are, perhaps, something to aspire to, if she should ever learn to control the beast... She wonders about that last statement, though. Wyll claims not to consort with monsters - but he travels with Astarion. He travels with her. He travels with Gale and that bomb in his chest. There are many in their group who could be called monsters. What does he see when he looks at them? Does he see his presence here as just another sort of hypocrisy, deep down?

#bjk plays bg3 durge #rakha the dark urge

8 notes · View notes

shoegazely · 1 year

Text

@chromatiica / continued from here

knox finds himself smiling when the woman laughs, feeling that swelter of pride in his chest grow and grow until it completely envelops him. he feels warm, downing a swig of his drink and looking back at the woman. "i knew it!" he celebrates. "you listen to everything! i guess i'm that way, too, but you branch out a little more than i do. well, a lot more than i do. i've never really gotten into techno or anything like that." a sad, dramatic sigh, but he quickly perks up again while she rambles, listening intently and nodding along to every word.

"i always preferred 'i was a teenage werewolf' to anything else, but you have admirable taste," he says, raising his glass to her. "i'll admit, i don't dabble too deep in the cramps, but maybe i'll have to now that i know you do." knox pauses, realizing how flirty that had come out as, and while this woman is stunning he hadn't even meant it that way. hoping it'll be ignored, he blunders on as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. "metallica and iron maiden rock. 'enter sandman'..." he exhales. "that song does wonders for me, man."

the woman seems to wear a permanent smile, and it makes knox feel much more at ease. that has to be the reason he's perked up so much, because his drug of choice is a downer, and it's not like he eight balled it ; simply put, he shouldn't feel this giddy inside, certainly not after the past couple of days he's had. her energy is infectious, creeping tendrils into his soul. he already wants to be her friend. she must be the coolest person around town, that's for sure, and it makes him feel lucky to have sat here in the first place. even better, she likes his taste in music! even tells him that much! knox grins from ear to ear, because if he's got good taste, then so does she.

he eagerly takes her hand to shake, then tilts his head at the compliment, shock apparent in his face. brows raised and jaw slightly unhooked. "oh," he says, then laughs. "thanks! no one's ever said that about my name before." that's definitely going to be something that sticks with him for a while, one of those things he thinks about before he falls asleep. remember that girl who said your name was badass? but then she says her name and knox isn't sure he's ever heard a cooler name on the planet. "woah woah woah. your name is indigo? and you go by indie?! you have the coolest name i've ever heard in my life!" he smiles even wider, if possible. "i'm truly jealous." he goes back for his drink but realizes it's entirely gone, and woah, that was quick. a little quicker than he'd thought. whatever.

"well, indie," knox begins to answer, that is, until he spots a familiar head of hair out of the corner of his eye, and instantly it's like every good emotion he's ever had is inflated out of his chest. why the fuck is silas here? the rest of the band probably is, too. can knox ever get one day away from them? silas, especially? jesus fuck. well, hopefully he won't see knox, so he turns to continue chatting up his new friend, maintaining that same excitement even if it's a little more forced now. only because of how hard his heart is thundering. "me and my band are on tour in the great city of new york right now, so i thought i'd get myself a drink before our big gig tomorrow." he looks at her, curious. "what about you? and what brings you to new york, unless you live here? and if that's the case, you must have some good stories." he certainly has some stories from living in san francisco, so surely new york city is even crazier.

#´ ･ . ✰ 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 ⧼ ᵗʰʳᵒᵘᵍʰ ᵐʸ ʰᵉᵃʳᵗ ʷᵒᵛᵉ ˡⁱᵏᵉ ᵃ ᶠᵉⁿᶜᵉ ⧽#giddy with excitement i'm like yes!! they're talking!! omg!!#can't wait for them<3

8 notes · View notes

howdytherepardner · 4 months

Text

January 1, 2024.

It is just after noon, and I am sitting at a coffee shop in DC, just a few blocks from Sarah's apartment. I imagine I could have hung out for a while longer, but I figured it would be good to give her a good amount of time to herself before she starts work tomorrow. It was a nice and relaxed weekend, yesterday being exclusively a fancy-ish brunch buffet with the kind of cinnamon rolls that occupy Platonic ideals. Cream cheese frosting was not gobby, and still powdered sugar sweet like I know - just a nice bit of flavor. Cinnamon caramel underside was just before burnt and immaculately done. Everything else was great too, but the plate I gave myself was a blur. All that is to say, the kind of brunch that starts and ends your day.

Beyond seeing some of her friends the night prior, and Sean the day before that, it was mostly just chilling. There is a tepid awkwardness that hangs over an apartment during such a visit, but that is something that I have come to quite enjoy. An unspoken distance, and all that jazz. We talked about our lives and recent ex-loves, and I think we know very well how to commiserate with each other, though she usually has more action-oriented advice for me. Such as it is.

I will be getting a bit of carrot bread [sic] and a cup of coffee in a moment, and I will sit and type for as long as that moment allows. Perhaps as long as Stranger in the Alps has left. I suspect I will then wander around DC for a bit longer, maybe peer a bit on the other side of the train station, before returning to it for a long sit inside before a long sit on the Northeast Regional before a medium sit on the 2/3 before a quick walk home. It'll be late, and I imagine I'll sleep in later, but the rest of my life presumably starts after that.

The people seated at and near the counter are hugging as they say goodbye. The sincerity and love that a parting, an ending that happens ironically just as the year gets started, can bring. If anything else, this weekend and other recent conversations have given me some sense of optimism about knowing other people. I have sat with a push given to me (in truth, a push away) to connect with other people and wondered in what way that was made for me. I feel warmed by the promises to see each other and visit, and even if they are unrealized, knowing that you have some key to their time and place is itself quite comforting and generous.

In weaker moments, which can come with great frequency, I believe that I am the only one in my relationships with people who maintains them, and thus feel saddened in the consequent belief that these are not relationships and simply fabrications of my own hopes. In this framework, when a friend is in fact kind and takes effort to reach out to me, that act becomes impossible to believe as real. It must be that they hold underlying motives, expecting me to provide something of value to them. It would be conveniently validating to my own tendency for self-sabotage and total isolation if this were true.

But it is really unimaginative, as a world view, and a falsehood when I have seen the hints of a more connected life. Perhaps it is such that when I am older, I will be content in obscurity and far from those that I have known. But that is not the only thing I have worked for, and so many choices I have made in my life are in hopes of an alternative. I will not ignore what is past and I will not ignore the future to come. And therefore I must honor who I am now, and be steadfast for the people of my life in whom I have come to so sincerely believe. They are the rare light in this world that casts no shadow.

0 notes

ninasbookshelf · 9 months

Text

Must-Read Memoirs

I'm on a bit of a memoir kick lately... so here are five of my favorites!

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Michelle Zauner's memoir Crying in H Mart is an exercise in healing. The book is a straightforward account of the author's experience with pain, love, grief, and growth as she reflects on her relationship with her mother while processes her mother's passing. The agony of heartbreak is conveyed through Michelle's attempts to recreate the Korean food she never learned to cook, with the desperate hope that the threads that connect Michelle to Korea might connect her back to the mother who created her. Crying in H Mart is a breathtaking view on life and living to one's fullest. I can't recommend it more.

Miss Memory Lane by Colton Haynes

I was an MTV Teen Wolf fan. I'll admit that's what drew me to this book; I saw a familiar face on the cover and thought, "huh, I wonder what stories he has to tell." I was blown away. Miss Memory Lane follows Colton Haynes' life from childhood through present-day, detailing his experiences with sexuality, abuse, drugs and alcohol, relationships, and fame. Haynes spares nothing in his search for the truth and the candid voice had me hooked. His writing revealed both the naivety of his youth, the mistakes he made and the guilt he felt, and his current voice saying: this is what happened, and I'm here, it'll be ok.

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

I know there has been plenty of talk about this one, but it is worth the read! Like Miss Memory Lane, I'm Glad My Mom Died details the author's experience with fame, sexuality, and most importantly her relationship with her mother and herself. Jennette's unique voice puts a spotlight on her mother's abuse, facing the truth of her experience head-on. At the same time, McCurdy maintains a cutting sense of humor throughout her story. She plays with narrative voice as she matures throughout the memoir and leads the audience to a present-day where she is safe, self-assured, and has finally reclaimed power in the life that was always meant to be hers.

Hyperbole and a Half (and Solutions and Other Problems) by Allie Brosh

Hyperbole and a Half started as a blog back in 2009 where Allie Brosh posted stories from her childhood, her daily life, her mental health, and whatever else she wanted to post, in the form of a webcomic drawn in Paintbrush. In 2013 several of the existing comics were combined with some totally new ones as a memoir in physical book format. Darkly funny and refreshing, Hyperbole and a Half and its follow-up had me laughing out loud on one page and bawling on the next.

After Hyperbole and a Half was published, there was talk of a sequel, and even a preorder for said sequel, but the release was put on hold as several traumatic events happened in Brosh's life. It seemed that Allie Brosh had totally disappeared from the internet, much to the concern of her fans. Then, in 2020, fans rejoiced to learn that Brosh was well and returning with Solutions and Other Problems, a second collection filled with childhood stories, records of grief and loneliness, and major life changes.

These works are both graphic novel and memoir, and even if you don't typically read graphic novels I recommend giving these a shot. Hyperbole and a Half was the first graphic novel I ever fell in love with, and the stories are beautifully told. They are equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, and filled with wisdom. Allie Brosh's memoirs are victorious tales told through the lens of someone who made it through and is continuing to push onward day by day.

Just Kids by Patti Smith

I read Just Kids a few weeks ago and I feel like I have a renewed appreciation for life. I wrote about the book in my Mid-Year Book Freakout post, so I'll try to keep this short. Patti Smith has a genuine and almost childlike—in the best way—view of the world around her. She looks at everything with new eyes and deftly conveys emotion as she travels through the stages of her artistic endeavors and coming-of-age. Smith uplifts her peers and immortalizes them as the artists they are, and she speaks about art and the pursuit of art with frankness while maintaining a sense of respect for those who created it. Smith's storytelling is comforting and gorgeous, and I am so grateful I picked up this book. I can tell it'll be a favorite for years to come.

#memoirs #books and literature #booklr #book recs

1 note · View note

nekojitachan · 2 years

Text

The Rise (MDZS fic)

Okay, so I kept mentioning the Immortal Wei Wuxian MDZS fic I was working on, and now I'm ready to post the first part of it. This hasn't been beta'd and I'm sure it'll be changed somewhat if I formally post it, but for now, here it is.

Don't think there's any trigger warnings here, other than minor character deaths which happen off-screen, and someone attempting to hit a child which is prevented.

*******

There it was again, a nagging sensation similar to a gnat buzzing in one’s ear. Baoshan Sanren frowned as she gave up on meditating, thoroughly annoyed by the mental ‘buzzing’. At least, until she realized the source behind the annoyance.

It was the talisman she’d given Cangse Qi in case she was ever in danger.

Baoshan Sanren surged to her feet and left the simple hut she’d spent the last several months ensconced in for meditation, Zhen Lu already unsheathed and ready to be mounted as soon as she stepped outside.

While her disciples were forbidden from returning once they left, she gave each of them a talisman upon their departure in case they ever faced true danger. So far, only one other than Cangse Qi had ever used it. Knowing how stubborn and independent her disciples were, especially Cangse Qi, Baoshan Sanren realized that something must be truly wrong for the young woman to deploy the talisman and so wasted no time in finding her.

It took little of her vast power to hide her presence as she flew with incredible speed to where the talisman called out from, which turned out to be a small city in the shadows of the Burial Mounds. Yiling had grown from barely more than the farming village it had been the last time she’d visited it, but the presence of the Burial Mounds and the resentful energy it emanated would always repress its surroundings.

Gazing at the ominous sight of the darkness-enshrouded mountain, she hoped that her headstrong disciple hadn’t done anything impulsive, such as take on the Burial Mounds without adequate support. Yet the call of the talisman tugged her toward the heart of Yiling and not the mountain, so if Cangse Qi had been injured fighting the malevolent place or its undead creatures, she had at least retreated back to the city.

Baoshan Sanren landed without a sound on top of a fabric shop then hopped down to ground in a quiet alley beside it; she’d arrived in the late afternoon, when people were busy finishing their work or tasks for the day and wanted to return home. A simple illusion spell and Baoshan Sanren walked among the mortals without any attention paid to her, intent on her goal.

She heard the commotion as she approached an inn, one that appeared affordable and mostly well-maintained; a child was crying while a woman’s sharp voice rang out in anger.

“Go away! There’s nothing here for you, you stupid brat!”

“But Mama told me—“

“She’s gone, I’ve told you that several times! Now go away, too!”

Baoshan Sanren slipped unnoticed through the crowd like a minnow through the roots of lotus plants, until she stood at the front of the people gathered to watch a middle-aged woman dressed in dark brown garments made from cheap fabric swat a broom at a young, crying child who couldn’t be older than three or four years old.

She felt a protective urge toward the boy even before she noticed the talisman carved from white jade which hung from his neck, the same talisman which she’d given to Cangse Qi before her talented, independent disciple left to follow her own path, the same talisman which sent out a beacon for help.

“Mama and Papa said—“

“They’ve abandoned you, you shitty brat. No one wants you!” The woman went to hit the child with the broom, only for it to be cut in pieces by Zhen Lu as Baoshan Sanren stationed herself before whom she suspected to be Cangse Qi’s child—especially once she caught sight of the boy’s silver-grey eyes. As the crowd gasped in surprise and the woman recoiled in fear, Baoshan Sanren reached back with her left hand to gently grasp the child by the shoulder and tug him close; he clung to her skirts without hesitation.

“If you raise a hand to this child again, you’ll lose it,” she promised the woman, who quickly dropped the handle of the broom and bowed in apology. “Where are his parents?” Where was Cangse Qi? Baoshan Sanren refused to believe that her disciple would abandon her own son.

“My…my lady, they’ve disappeared,” the woman said as she clutched at her skirts with trembling hands. “They were cultivators and paid three nights for the room and have been gone for a week. We let the boy stay a couple of extra days in case they returned, but they never did and we’re not an orphanage.”

That explained the child’s dirty and bruised appearance; he must have been living on the street after being thrown out of the inn, remaining nearby in hopes that his parents would return. “What about his parents’ belongings?”

The woman’s round face paled at the question, which made Baoshan Sanren suspect that she’d planned to keep the ‘found’ items, that or sell them. “Give me a minute to retrieve them, my lady.” As she turned to go into the inn, the woman scowled at the crowd. “Go on, nothing to see here!”

People grumbled at being called out for their nosiness but slowly began to disperse. While they did, Baoshan Sanren sheathed her sword then knelt in front of the boy. “What’s your name?” she asked as she used the sleeve of her white and light grey hanfu to gently clean his dirt-streaked face.

“Wei Ying,” he said as he gazed at her with eyes the exact shade as Cangse Qi’s. For a moment, she felt as if she was trapped in an echo of time, was back in Zhouzhuang and had just found an orphaned young girl living among feral cats. Even Wei Ying’s smile was the same as his mother’s. “You’re Mama’s friend.”

“Yes, I am, but how do you know that?” It was just a spark, but he had the beginnings of a golden core, a clear sign that Cangse Qi must have begun his training already.

“Mm! Mama told me if anything happens to her or Papa, to hold this and think real hard for help.” He held up the jade talisman, carved into the shape of a pussy willow branch. His smile faded as tears welled up in his large, silvery-grey eyes. “Mama promised that they’d be back by morning.”

“I’m sure she meant it,” Baoshan Sanren soothed as she hugged the boy close, inwardly appalled that Cangse Qi had left her own child behind to night-hunt with her husband, in Yiling of all places. Had they dared to tackle the Burial Mounds, just the two of them? While they waited for the innkeeper to return, she surreptitiously cast a talisman to look for her wayward disciple.

The odious woman handed over a small bundle filled with a few toys, Wei Ying’s clothes, some odds and ends and two qiankun pouches. Baoshan Sanren suspected that the only reason that any of Cangse Qi’s or her husband’s belongings remained was that the greedy woman couldn’t open the magical bags nor easily sell them. She tucked them into her qiankun sleeve before she picked up Wei Ying and walked away without further word.

“Let’s get you something to eat,” she said, which prompted a faint cheer from the boy; he could use the food, judging from how thin he was, and it would give time for her spell to find Cangse Qi…if the woman was still alive.

Baoshan Sanren doubted there would be such an outcome, but she couldn’t leave without knowing for certain.

They found a stall selling pork-filled baozi; she bought several and had to watch over Wei Ying so he didn’t eat too fast and make himself sick. Once he realized that she wouldn’t take the food away or disappear, he slowed down, his gaze on her the entire time he nibbled on the soft buns like an anxious rabbit.

She’d raised several disciples over the decades, but there was something about this boy, about the intelligence in his eyes and the sweetness of his smile…

There was a rush of sadness when the talisman returned, a tiny ball of dark blue light which she vanished before Wei Ying noticed it. The color indicated that, as she suspected, Cangse Qi was dead and her son now orphaned. Baoshan Sanren had every intention of ensuring that the child would find a safe home, but now…now resolve formed inside of her to keep the boy.

He would be safe with her, could grow to his full potential with her, learn about his mother and follow in Cangse Qi’s footsteps. She didn’t know much about his father, but such things could be found out, she supposed, especially if he decided to leave her mountain one day.

But that was the future, and this was the present. She gathered Wei Ying, sleepy now that his belly was full, in her arms and strode toward a quiet alley where she could teleport them back home. Part of her wanted to rush to Cangse Qi ’s resting place and recover her disciple’s body, but the living was more important than the dead. She’d see to Wei Ying then come back for Cangse Qi and her husband, certain that they’d rather she focus on their son first.

*******

“A-Ying! A-Shen! What are you—aiya! Get down here now!”

Baoshan Sanren sighed as she set her cup of tea aside, a slight smile tugging at the corners of her mouth despite the exasperation and concern in Mo Luli’s voice.

After all, it was quite the common occurrence in the last ten years.

It didn’t take long for Mo Luli to march the two boys into Baoshan Sanren’s study, her assistant’s narrow face set in a scowl while the boys showed obvious signs of flight with the way that their long hair was tousled and their cheeks flushed. “What was it this time?”

“They were doing acrobatics in the air,” Mo Luli said with the grievance of one who’d long suffered from Wei Ying’s death-defying antics. “I thought my poor heart would stop when I saw A-Shen falling through the air.”

“We were practicing a special move,” Xiao Shen explained, his expression the usual one of utmost peace and trust as he glanced at his older ‘brother’. “A-Ying always catches me.”

“I would never let him fall,” Wei Ying insisted as he rubbed the hilt of his sword, Ziyou, which used to be Cangse Qi ’s. “I had my binding spell ready just in case.”

“I’m sure you did.” Wei Ying took his job as Xiao Shen’s big brother very seriously, ever since she’d brought home the younger boy five years ago. She motioned for the boys to join her at the table while Mo Luli bowed then left the room. “However, you should give a warning to the others before you practice such things.”

Wei Ying rubbed the side of his nose while he considered her advice then nodded. “Yes, Teacher. I promise to do so from now on.” Beside him, Xiao Shen nodded in agreement.

“Good.” Baoshan Sanren smiled as she poured them tea; she supposed someone else would insist that the boys stop their antics, but she knew her disciples well enough that they’d just find an isolated part of the mountain (easy enough to do) and continue their antics, as well as they were skilled enough to practice them. In all her years, she’d never had a disciple as brilliant and talented as Wei Ying, and Xiao Shen held almost as much promise.

For a moment, she felt a pang of regret that Cangse Qi wasn’t here to watch her son grow up, to witness his potential unfurl, then pushed the emotion aside.

“Now, tell your teacher what you’ve been up to, other than scaring everyone,” she said as she placed cups of tea in front of the boys.

Wei Ying’s grey eyes lightened with delight before he paused and glanced at Xiao Shen so the younger boy could talk first, as thoughtful as always. Xiao Shen’s cheeks flushed a little from the attention as he told her about their day: sword practice, meditation, crafting new talismans and studying the texts she’d assigned them.

He’d be ready for his own sword, soon, which was probably why Wei Ying had involved him in his flying antics. She had them show her the talismans they’d created, as always amazed by Wei Ying’s ingenuity. Xiao Shen wasn’t the innovator that his shidi was, but exposure to Wei Ying’s cleverness benefited him greatly in that he could adapt existing ones to suit his needs.

Which he would need one day.

Baoshan Sanren could already tell that Xiao Shen would leave her mountain one day; she’d long grown adept at spotting the signs. It was the way he gazed longingly down the mountain, the way he soaked up whatever news Mo Luli, Tao Niu or the others brought back whenever they returned from rare supply runs, the way he always asked questions about ‘down there’.

Wei Ying was curious about the world below as well, but he’d sworn to never leave her. At first, she’d thought the words to be a child’s nonsense; the boy trying to cheer her up and thank her for saving him. Yet as each year passed, he continued to assert that he would remain at her side and not abandon her. That he would strive for immortality so she wouldn’t be alone.

As he was the first disciple who had a high probability of reaching immortality…she found herself unable to discourage him. Was it so wrong of her, after watching disciple after disciple throw away so much potential? After watching Cangse Qi, one of her most beloved, do just that, after she had so much hope for the young woman?

Now she had a second chance with Cangse Qi’s son, one she wouldn’t let slip away without a fight.

*******

Wen Ning panted for breath as he crouched behind a mountain laurel, a sleeping Wen Yuan tied tight in a sling against his chest and Wen Lai huddled next to his side. He signaled the young girl, her face pinched with exhaustion, to remain quiet then watched for signs of the remaining Wen and Jin soldiers he hadn’t managed to evade after their last skirmish.

He’d hoped that they’d give up on following him eventually, as he was merely a low-level cultivator, but it seemed his tie to Wen Ruohan was too strong—more likely, his blood-tie to Wen Ruohan was too strong, as was that of the children with him. His core might not be powerful, but the potential of leverage he, A-Yuan and A-Lai held against his sister was too much to let slip.

(That and they must have scented blood.)

Which was in part why he’d run away in the first place, why Wen Zemin had given up his life (such as had been left) in an attempt to free his children from a life of being pawns. Wen Qing hadn’t been happy about their decision, but she’d understood and hadn’t stood in their way.

Wen Ning had run all the way to some faraway mountain reputed to be haunted by the locals, desperate for somewhere to hide (to rest, to recuperate) until the remaining three soldiers finally gave up on following him-that or he could ambush them. When he’d begun his journey, he’d never imagined harming anyone, but now he had two precious lives to protect, two lives he refused to allow his uncle to ever hurt again.

He let go of A-Lai’s hand so he could shrug his unstrung bow free, then carefully slid A-Yuan to the side enough to be out of the way before he strung the bow. He’d just notched an arrow (and bit his lip at the pain which spread through his left side at the motion) and thought he saw one of the soldiers approaching when he realized that A-Lai was no longer at his side.

Forcing himself not to call out her name, he glanced aside and caught a glimpse of his young cousin right before she vanished into nothing a mere few feet away. Stunned by what had just happened, he stumbled toward where she’d disappeared, confused by what had just happened, with an arrow nocked at the ready.

A hand appeared out of thin air to yank him forward.

“What—“

“SHH!”

Wen Ning’s eyes went wide as a hand belonging to a young man around his age covered his mouth to prevent him from speaking; he appeared to be behind a ward of some sort. Two things made him lower his bow: A-Lai was off to the side playing with what looked to be a glowing red swallow, a bright smile on her face, and a sense of immense power roiled off the young man.

“You’re safe behind the wards, they won’t sense them or be able to cross them if someone doesn’t help,” the young man said as he slowly released Wen Ning. His silver-grey eyes widened as he noticed A-Yuan. “Baby! Oh, how cute,” he cooed, his voice pitched low.

“Ah, who are-“

Wen Ning was cut off once again.

“Oh, let me deal with those guys,” the young man-a powerful cultivator, surely, considering the strength of his golden core. “You want them gone, right? They can’t be good if they’re harassing you and these two.”

Wen Ning blinked at the offer and fought to remain on his feet. “Uhm, yes? Yes, pl-please.”

The young man, dressed in dark grey and red, smiled a blindingly bright smile and nodded once, which made his long hair, pulled into a high ponytail, swing back and forth. “Got it!” His voice was pitched low yet still conveyed much emotion.

He stepped toward the ward then waved his right hand in the air; glowing characters appeared in the wake of his fingers, a talisman created in the air instead of paper, a spell propelled forward with a flick of his elegant fingers which slammed into the three cultivators as they searched through the mountain’s brush. Once the magic faded into their bodies, they straightened up and strode down the mountain as if chasing something.

Wondering if the last few minutes were part of a fever dream, Wen Ning gaped at the young man. “Wha-what did yo-you do?”

The youth beamed at him. “Nothing much. The spell will make them head off for a few hundred li, and once it wears off, they won’t remember where they’ve been. That’ll get them far away from here and off your trail.” He frowned at Wen Ning as he rubbed the tip of his nose. “You are running away from them, yes? Teacher and A-Chen tell me I’m too impulsive, but I can’t imagine anyone protecting two kids is a bad person.”

“No! No, I…I th-thank you.” All of a sudden, the last few days caught up with Wen Ning; the world spun around him and he barely had time to free A-Yuan and thrust him toward the young man who’d just saved him before everything went grey.

*******

Everything felt warm and soft around Wen Ning, which was enough to make him to force his eyes open; the last few months had been anything but warm and soft as he sacrificed every comfort for the sake of his cousins. Yet as he took in his surroundings, he realized that he was indeed laid out on a comfortable, clean bed, that the room he’d been placed in was warm, filled with sunlight and airy, that the wound he’d received days ago was mostly healed and no longer infected.

He also was bursting with energy, his golden core fully restored and more powerful than it had ever been.

“How do you feel?”

Oh, there was someone with him, too.

He blinked a few more times before he managed to turn his head to the side (soft pillows, when was the last time his head had rested on such soft pillows?) to find a woman of undetermined age seated next to his bed.

A woman who emanated even more power than the young man from earlier.

“Ah… wu-well, th-thank you.” He blushed over the way he stuttered, uncertain if it was his normal habit or from being in her presence.

The woman hummed for a moment then reached out to brush her cool fingers along his forehead. “That’s good, though what one would expect with the way that A-Ying healed you.” A very slight frown marred her unlined face for a moment. “You were very close to death, you know.”

Yes, which was why he’d been so desperate to find somewhere safe to rest and to lose the soldiers following him. Which led him to question where were the children, who were the young man who’d saved him and this woman, and what was this place? “Uhm…I’m very grateful for everything.” He attempted to sit up so he could bow, but was prevented by the woman’s firm grip on his left shoulder. “Th-this one is Wen Qionglin. Ah, where are th-the children?”

“They’re safe,” she assured him as she sat back in the chair; she tucked aside the full sleeves of her white and grey robes before she reached toward a small table and a pot of tea on top of it. “They’re with A-Ying.” She didn’t speak again until she picked up the full teacup and turned to face him. “This one is Baoshan Sanren, and you’re on my mountain.”

For a moment, Wen Ning wondered if he was still unconscious and this was a fever dream; everyone had heard tales of Baoshan Sanren, a legendary cultivator who’d achieved immortality centuries ago then sequestered herself away on a remote mountain, only to leave it to find the occasional disciple. Those disciples remained on her mountain to learn from her, only leaving it with the understanding that they were never to return. The last known one had been Cangse Sanren, renowned for her powerful cultivation and free spirit, who’d long-since vanished along with her husband.

Yet here he lay, healed from a festering wound while a woman whose spiritual energy made it difficult to breathe held a cup of tea for him to take. “I…I…”

“Drink,” she commanded, her tone quiet yet determined, her dark brown gaze unwavering.

Wen Ning could do nothing but nod and accept the drink; it soothed his parched throat and tasted of mint and some herb he couldn’t place, and caused a tingling sensation throughout his body. Any lingering mental fugue vanished in the tingling’s wake, replaced by a sense of calmness.

“Thank you,” he said once the cup was empty; she plucked it from his hands to refill it.

“You’re welcome. Now, I’m sure you have many questions.” A slight smile lightened her lovely features when he nodded twice. “I must be honest with you, those who live on my mountain are expected not to interfere with the outside world, especially my disciples. A-Ying knows this well.” She sighed when she handed him the refilled cup. “Yet he wouldn’t be who he is if he allowed harm to come to the children, and he took action to preserve our isolation. The only question now is, what to do with you.”

“Me?” The word came out as a squeak as Wen Ning gazed in surprise (and a hint of fear) at the immortal. “What about me?” He frowned when he realized that he’d said that without a stutter.

“We may be isolated here, but we’re not entirely without news of the world below,” Baoshan Sanren said as she slipped her hands into the opposite sleeves of her robe. “From A-Ying’s description, the men following you wore the colors of the Qishan Wen and Lanling Jin sects. You admitted to being a Wen as well. We’ve heard about the war among the cultivation sects with the Qishan Wen emerging victorious, and how the Lanling Jin have willingly bent their knees before Wen Ruohan. That just leaves what you’ve done to earn your own clan’s ire.”

That was…a bit more up to date than he’d have expected from a supposed hermit living on top of a mountain, but she was an immortal, after all. Wen Ning ducked his head (and noticed that his hair had been cleaned, along with the rest of him) and sipped the tea as he tried to put his jumbled thoughts together.

“Ah…perhaps…perhaps you’ve heard that things aren’t very good now that Sect Leader Wen Ruohan won the war?” He peeked at Baoshan Sanren and let out a slow breath when she nodded, her face impassive. “He found two pieces of the Yin Iron and is cultivating resentful energy, it’s what enabled him to win the war. Everyone lives in fear of his undead army, and of joining it. Not even his own people are spared.”

Baoshan Sanren gazed at him for several seconds before she set the empty cup on the tray. “Using Yin Iron is dangerous and adverse to the body.”

“Yes!” Wen Ning nodded as he sat up straighter on the bed. “That’s why Sect Leader…well, A-jie, my sister, we’re from the Dafan Wens. We’re healers.”

“Yes, I’ve heard of your clan.” There was that faint smile again.

“Oh?” Wen Ning felt a spark of pride that a great immortal knew about the Dafan Wens. “Ah, uhm, well, A-jie-Wen Qing, she’s amazing! She’s the best doctor I know, maybe the best alive, and Sect Leader…” His shoulders drooped as he thought about what Wen Ruohan forced his sister to do. “He knows she’ll do anything to protect me and the rest of our family, so he threatens her with our lives to make her keep him healthy. I thought…I thought if I ran away, along with the children, that would be three less lives held against her.” Everyone else thought it was worth the chance, especially if A-Yuan and A-Lai could grow up free from Wen Ruohan’s influence.

“I see.” A slight frown marred Baoshan Sanren’s smooth forehead as her gaze seemed to turn inward for several seconds, until she gave a slight shake of her head. “I understand the logic of your decision, but we remain above the world’s battles here.”

Wen Ning’s shoulders slumped again; he hadn’t realized it, but there had been a faint hope as he’d told his story that the immortal would decide to descend her mountain and fight his uncle. “I understand.” He joined his hands and began to bow. “Thank you for-“

Once again, she prevented him from completing the act. “We will not involve ourselves, but that doesn’t mean we’ll be less than gracious hosts. There’s also the fact that you’re a cultivator; if you wish to become my disciple, then you are welcome to stay.”

At the mention of becoming the legendary Baoshan Sanren’s disciple, Wen Ning’s thoughts were filled with possibilities; of him learning from the immortal, of his weak core growing stronger, of him becoming strong and powerful, possibly enough to defeat his uncle on his own. Then he realized that they were fantasies, mere wishful thinking; while he was certain he would learn a great many of things from the woman and possibly increase the strength of his core (and maybe overcome the soul illness which had long plagued him), he didn’t have the time when his uncle held his sister captive and was determined to drown the world with the undead.

No, not that he believed himself to be much in the grand scheme of things, but he couldn’t hide on an immortal’s mountain when his family were in danger.

“I’m sorry, but no,” he said with great regret. “But…perhaps you can help me find somewhere safe for the children?”

The smile strengthened as Baoshan Sanren rose from the chair and went over to the open door and motioned to someone. “I believe we can assist with that.” She returned, sat down and held out her right hand; it took a moment for Wen Ning to realize she expected him to hold out his arm for her to check his meridians.

He did as she wanted, and shivered in awe when he felt a tendril of electrifying spiritual energy lightly probe at his qi. After a moment, she hummed and released his wrist.

“Have you noticed anything strange?”

“Uhm, yes?” He cradled his wrist against his chest as he once again considered his golden core. “My core…it’s stronger than before,” he admitted. “Did you…ah, I’m sorry, but…” How did he go about asking if an immortal had somehow helped with his cultivation?

Baoshan Sanren shook her head as she fussed with her full sleeves. “That wasn’t me, but A-Ying.” For a moment, an expression of fond exasperation flickered across her pale face. “I’m still trying to figure it out, but whatever he did to bring you back from the brink of death has tied the two of you together and given you additional strength.” As Wen Ning gasped in shock at the news, she shook her head again. “I’d berate him for his impulsiveness, but it’s nudged him closer to immortality.” She sounded pleased with that fact.

“Oh.” Wen Ning placed his right hand against his lower dantian, against the energy thrumming inside of him, and thought about the smiling youth who’d saved his life.

As if summoned by his thoughts, the young cultivator in question burst through the door with a tray held in his hands, a burbling A-Yuan strapped to his chest and a giggling A-Lai clinging to his back. “Teacher! A-Xui’s being mean to me again! She won’t let me try any of the mapo tofu she’s making for dinner!” He came to a sudden halt right before the bed; somehow, nothing on the tray was disturbed. “You’re awake! How are you feeling?”

Wen Ning blinked in surprise since the words were spoken in a rush while Baoshan Sanren chuckled and took the tray from her disciple’s hands; meanwhile, A-Lai cried out and clamored to be let down. The young man—A-Ying, according to Baoshan Sanren-hurried to comply and set her on the bed, where she launched herself at Wen Ning.

“Uncle Ning! Are you better now?”

He returned her hug and kissed the top of her head. “Yes, all better now. How are you and A-Yuan?” She also sported clean clothes, her hair neatly braided and appearance indicating that she’d been cared for while he’d been unconscious.

She smiled as she curled up next to him. “Ying-ge let me pet the baby goats and chicks, and we ate all this good food!” She bounced on the bed in her excitement, which made him smile. “And I got to play with A-Qiang while her mama fed A-Yuan!”

“Speaking of which.” A-Ying sat down on the bed and freed A-Yuan from the sling. “You probably want to see this little fellow.” He held A-Yuan toward Wen Ning, but the infant began to fuss so Wen Ning shook his head. “Aiya, all right, all right, I’ll hold you a little longer.” Despite his chiding tone, A-Ying didn’t seem to mind tending to the baby.

“A-Ying.”

The young man glanced at his teacher, who was holding a bowl of what looked to be some sort of broth out to Wen Ning. “Oh, right!” He stood up and managed a mostly proper bow while holding A-Yuan, who giggled at the motion. “This one is Wei Wuxian, but you can call me Wei Ying.” He smiled as he straightened up then sat down again. “Everyone tells me that I’m not serious enough for a courtesy name.”

Baoshan Sanren gave the youth a heavy look while Wen Ning accepted the bowl. “Were you trying to add more chili oil to our dinner before you came here?”

“Uhmmm….”

“Then I wonder why we believe such a thing.” Yet she seemed amused by her disciple, judging from the fond look she gave him.

“Uhm, thank you for saving me and the children.” Wen Ning bowed as much as he could while holding the bowl of soup. “I owe you our lives.”

“Ah, there’s no need of such things.” Wei Wuxian waved aside his words with a negligent motion of his right hand while he bounced a smiling A-Yuan on his knees. “Who wouldn’t help out someone in need, especially when they have two cuties with them?” He winked at A-Lai before he bent down to nuzzle A-Yuan’s head.

A lot of people, Wen Ning had learned as he’d fled from Qishan. However, before he could say anything, a stern look from Baoshan Sanren made him bow his head again and eat his soup. The broth had a medicinal taste to it as well, but nothing too strong.

“We should leave you to rest,” Baoshan Sanren said as she stood, the motion graceful. “You still need to heal.” She waved her right hand at the tray of food set on the small table by his bed, her white sleeve billowing in the air. “Make sure to eat everything.”

“She’s right, you need to get better,” A-Lai said as she patted Wen Ning’s chest before she wriggled off the bed. “Can I come back later?”

“That’s ‘may I come back later’, and the answer is yes.” Baoshan Sanren held out her hand for A-Lai to take, which the young girl latched onto eagerly, seemingly unaware of the immortal’s power or reputation. Meanwhile, Wei Ying smiled at Wen Ning as he stood as well, a babbling A-Yuan cradled against his chest.

“Don’t worry, I’ll continue to look after your little ones while you focus on healing. Nothing will harm them here.”

Despite everything that had happened in the last few weeks, Wen Ning believed him. “Thank you,” he said with as low as a bow he could manage while sitting in bed.

“Now, now, there’s no need of that between friends! I’ll bring them back after dinner.” Wei Ying gently grasped A-Yuan’s right arm and made the infant ‘wave’ goodbye to him. “We’ll see you then.”

Wen Ning waved back, feeling at peace for the first time that he could remember.

*******

“Look at that shot!” Wei Wuxian crowed while he thumped his brother on the back; Xiao Xingchen smiled at a blushing Wen Ning who ducked his head then hurried to reclaim the arrows from the target. “Ah, A-Ning, you make us look like amateurs, you do!”

Wen Ning blushed an even brighter shade of red as he shook his head. “A-Ying and A-Chen are very talented.”

What a shame; it had taken forever to get the shy young man to call them something other than ‘young Masters’, and now he was leaving. As Wei Wuxian pouted, his brother nudged him in the side. “Don’t be such a bully, A-Ying.”

Wei Wuxian gasped and clutched his hands to his chest in a dramatic manner. “When I am ever a bully?” When Xiao Xingchen and Wen Ning both gave him looks of long suffering, he laughed and flapped his right hand in the air. “All right, all right, stop ganging up on me. However, I speak nothing but the truth in that our dear A-Ning is very talented with the bow.”

“A-Ying…”

“Hm, that is true.” Xiao Xingchen gave a flustered Wen Ning one of his sweetest smiles as he walked over to the youth then patted him on the shoulder. “As Teacher insists, never be ashamed of your talent, merely avoid excessive pride and arrogance.”

“Mm, yes, A-Chen.” Wen Ning nodded twice, his embarrassment fading at the reminder; he may have declined Teacher’s invite to remain and become her disciple, but he’d spent the past few months eagerly soaking up everything she’d deigned to teach him.

Until now.

Xiao Xingchen patted him once more then walked away, leaving the two of them alone. Wei Wuxian sauntered forward with his hands clasped behind his back.

“Do you really have to go?”

Wen Ning paused in unstringing his bow (the bow that Wei Wuxian had made for him, that was a spiritual weapon and imbued with some of the strongest protective spells he knew) to gaze at him, his expression a mix of misery and resolve. “Yes. You know why.”

“I do,” Wei Wuxian sighed as he toed the ground with his left foot. “I just think that it would be better if you stayed a few more months, maybe learned a bit more from Teacher and…well, stayed a bit longer.”

The smile Wen Ning gave him was bittersweet. “I want to, I really do, but she’s already taught me so much, and there’s the copies of the medical texts she’s allowing me to take. If I stay any longer…I’ll never want to leave.”

Wei Wuxian wanted to ask if that was a terrible thing, staying on the mountain with him, Teacher, Xiao Xingchen, and the children, but he knew that Wen Ning had obligations down ‘there’, had family to save and a war to fight. He also knew that not everyone was like him and Teacher, content to remain in the clouds for the rest of their lives, that Xiao Xingchen was already making plans to leave once he felt that he’d learned enough.

To be honest, a part of Wei Wuxian wanted to go with Wen Ning, to be at his side while he fought against his uncle’s tyranny, to wander the world like his mother had set out to do. But there was so much to learn from Teacher; he’d only scratched the surface of what she knew and he wanted it all.

That and she was so lonely; she tried to hide it, but he caught the emotion shimmering in her eyes when she gazed at Xiao Xingchen while he faced toward the bottom of the mountain, whenever she talked about her past disciples, when the passage of time became noticeable on one of her assistants or the people who lived in the small village which saw to most of their needs.

He swore he wouldn’t let her be lonely anymore.

“A-Lai and A-Yuan will miss you.” Wei Wuxian blanched when he realized what that had sounded like and waved his hands about. “Aiya, I didn’t mean…well, they will miss you, but you know I’ll look after them, and I gave you the talismans so you can keep in touch with them and me!” He hadn’t meant for it to seem like he was trying to guilt his friend over leaving the two children behind.

“I know.” Done with his bow, Wen Ning slung it over his back, along with the quiver of arrows, then gingerly knocked their shoulders together. “To be honest, I wouldn’t be able to leave if I wasn’t certain that they have a home here.” He stepped aside so he could bow low. “Thank you for making my family your own.”

“Ah, don’t do that.” Wei Wuxian groaned as he pushed his friend upright. “Teacher may have claimed that I’m responsible for those two darlings since I saved them, but you know that she, A-Chen and A-Song will make sure that they’re raised properly.” At least, A-Chen would as long as he remained here, but Teacher wouldn’t let him fail too badly as a ‘father’, and A-Song was happy to help a fellow ‘parent’ out.

“Still, it’s clear that they adore you.” Wen Ning’s expression grew wistful as they headed back home. “I doubt A-Yuan will even remember me in a few months.”

“I won’t let him forget you.”

“Mm.”

It was quiet after that; Wei Wuxian wracked his brain to think of anything else he could give his friend before he left the next morning, never to return to the mountain. He wasn’t happy with Teacher’s decree, especially since it meant that Wen Ning had to leave behind his young cousins, but all Wen Ning cared about was that they were safe and well-cared for.

At least the young man had the talismans which would allow him to remain in contact with Wei Wuxian and the children, along with the nebulous bound between them. He still didn’t understand what he’d done when he’d attempted to heal Wen Ning, but somehow there was a connection between their cores which granted Wen Ning increased strength and vitality, as well as a ‘sense’ of Wei Wuxian’s presence.

Hopefully, it would keep him safe once he left the mountain.

They parted ways once they neared the cluster of buildings which made up the village of Teacher’s sanctuary; Wen Ning went to collect the children, who were with A-Song and A-Qiang, while Wei Wuxian intended to return to his own house (which he now shared with A-Lai and A-Yuan).

Halfway there, he came across Teacher as if she was waiting for him, her hands tucked into the sleeves of her pale grey robes. She gave him a gentle look as she fell in step beside him.

“You’re very close to immortality, A-Ying.”

He rubbed his nose with the knuckle of his right forefinger. “So you’ve said.” His core was so warm inside of him, like a miniature sun, filling him with near-boundless energy.

“If it’s still a path you intend to walk, then you must be aware that it’s a narrow one,” she continued, her gaze fixed ahead but her presence comforting beside him. “You must grow used to letting people go. There is much you can do once you achieve immortality, but not everything.” Her jaw tightened as if she were in pain for a moment. “And people aren’t like your talismans and arrays, something for you to tweak until you make them do whatever you want.”

It was quiet for a minute while he thought about what had been said, and then he nudged her arm. “I know, Teacher. But you’re on the path with me, no? So it’s not that narrow.”

Teacher didn’t say anything for a couple of seconds, until a slight huff of amusement slipped past her lips. “Incorrigible brat.”

“Your incorrigible brat.” He smiled at her, the expression brightening when she slowly returned it.

“Mine indeed.” She slipped her left arm through his elbow as they walked together on the same path.

*******

OK, so WWX isn't immortal YET. Give him a little longer (like the next part?). It's happening soon. Also happening soon, more characters appearing.

So, I know Baoshan Sanren is a title, as is Cangse Sanren. Right now I'm going with WWX's mom keeping the same 'family' name, but that's not set in stone. Thoughts? I really don't know what to do about Baoshan Sanren...

Also, this is a mix of MDZS/CQL.

I'm posting it here since IDK when I'll be able to focus on it so I'm hoping to throw bits up here and there. I've got another couple of stories I need to work on.

#nekojitachanfics #mdzs #cql #mdzs au #cql au #mao dao zu shi #wangxian #wei wuxian #baoshan sanren #wen ning #xiao xingchen #we'll get the whole band together eventually #WIP #the rise fic #immortal wei wuxian

83 notes · View notes

bumblesimagines · 3 years

Text

Green Thumb

Part 4

Request: Yes or No

TW: Drug mention, needle mention, overdose mention

I'm still unsure on the twins ages in age of ultron since one source says 16 and the other says 26 lmao. Imma just say the twins are 17 or 18.

You stared down at the city below with a frown. You knew Clint wouldn't rest until Natasha was found. Everything had happened so quickly and even if you had tried to catch her with a root, you would've been pulled along. A sigh left you as you sat down at your desk. Your room in the tower felt like a cell. Gray walls, white bed, white desk. The only real color in the room came from the line of potted flowers on the desk. You felt your stomach grumble, standing up and leaving the room. You headed to the kitchen, getting a granola bar. You opened it, taking a bite from it. You almost choked, hearing crashing and arguing. You swallowed the bits of granola as you followed the noises to the laboratory. You headed up the stairs, dodging a flying Steve.

"What the fuck?" You turned your head, seeing the Maximoff twins. "What the fuck?" You repeated, watching them in bewilderment. Another one left you when Thor crashed through a window, raising his hammer and letting the electricity power the cradle. Nothing happened for a moment before the cradle burst open, causing Thor to fly back.

"I should've stayed with Laura." You whispered, staring at the red man that emerged from the cradle. He slowly stood, looking between everyone. His gaze settled on Thor, lunging for him but Thor grabbed him and threw him to the side, causing another crash.

"(Y/N), stay close." Clint called, eyeing the twins. You quickly walked over to him, hearing the crunching of glass beneth your shoes. While Thor and Steve took the dramatic way, you chose to use the door and head to the room Vision was in. Thor raised his hand, stopping Steve from attacked. The man stared out into the city, staying silent and motionless. Thor set down his hammer as the man landed on the door, apologizing to Thor and mimicking his cape.

"Thor, you helped create this?"

"I've had a vision. A whirlpool that sucks in all forms of life and at its center is that." Thor explained, pointing at the crystal in the mans forehead.

"What, the gem?" Bruce asked, watching Thor look at him.

"The mind stone." He corrected. "It's one of the six infinity stones. The greatest power in the universe with destructive abilities." Thor explained as he faced everyone.

"It looks like a citrine." You muttered, continuing to unwrap the rest of your granola bar, swiping away the crumbs that fell on the floor with your foot.

"A what?" Clint asked softly. You glanced at him.

"It's a type of gemstone. It's supposed to motivate you to take action." You shrugged lightly. Gemstones were pretty interesting to study, even more so when they had so called 'destructive abilities.'

"Stark's right."

"Oh, it's definitely the end." Bruce said quietly.

"Why does your vision sound like J.A.R.V.I.S?" Steve asked as he watched the man walk forward. Tony explained why, still in awe and surprise. The man looked at Steve.

"You think I'm a child of Ultron?" Though it sounded like a question, it was obvious it was a statement.

"You're not?"

"I'm not Ultron." The man replied softly, almost confused. "And.. I'm not J.A.R.V.I.S either."

"I looked in your head and saw annihilation." Wanda said, stepping forward as she glared at him. Clint scoffed softly, walking towards everyone. You followed, tossing the wrapper into the trashcan.

"Look again."

"Your approval seems jack to me." Clint said, gaze staying locked on the twins. Wanda's gaze went to Clint before going to you. You maintained brief eye contact. It wasn't everyday you met another meta.

"Her powers, the horrors in our heads, Ultrons powers.. They all came from the mind stone. Nothing compares to what it can unleash." Thor revealed. "And with it on our side-"

"Is it?" Steve interrupted, looking at the man again.

"Are you? On our side?"

"I don't think it's that simple." He replied softly.

"Sounds pretty simple. Death or life for humanity." You said, shrugging. He looked at you, giving a small nod before looking at the others.

"Then.. I'm on the side of life. Ultron isn't." He took small steps forward, not wanting to agitate anyone.

"What's he waiting for?"

"You." The man stared at Tony. You were already coming up with names for him. Tony Jr was the one sticking.

"Sokavia's our best bet." Tony said.

"Nat's there too." Clint told them, looking at Bruce when he approached the man.

"If we're wrong about you..." Bruce started softly. His threats were always amusing until he turned green. He stared at Tony Jr, letting it up to his imagination, if he had that.

"I don't want to kill Ultron." Tony Jr walked around Bruce, continuing past everyone.

"He's weak.. And in pain but that pain will roll over the Earth, so he must be destroyed. Every forms he's built, every sense of his presence on the net. We have to act now and not one of us can do it without the other." Tony Jr turned, facing them. He looked down at his hands.

"Maybe I am a monster. I don't know if I will become one.. I'm not what you are. I'm not what you intended. So there may be no way for you to trust me but we need to go." Tony Jr finished his speech, picking up Thors hammer and handing it to him. The room stayed silent as everyone took it in. Thor took his hammer, clearing his throat and nodding.

"Alright." He gave a small smile, walking away. You sighed, turning around and walking towards the bar.

"Don't even think about it." Clint called as he walked past you. You huffed, watching him go.

"Seriously?" You rolled your eyes, looking over your shoulder at the twins. They walked away in amusement, following Steve's directions to the lockers. You walked to your room, putting on the outfit Clint had designed for you. You looked at a picture of you and Clint, smiling softly. You left the room, walking down the hall. You noticed Thor and Tony Jr talking outside, arms crossing as you approached the glass. You stared at the two, gaze locking onto the reflection of the twins. You turned to face them, seeing Wanda pause and stay in her spot.

"Sorry about choking you." You spoke first, looking between them. Wanda gave a small nod, hand gently gripping her arm.

"Did you get experimented on like us?" Pietro asked, head tilting. Some white strands fell over his face. You shook your head, biting your bottom lip as you thought on how to explain it.

"From what Bruce told me, my mother had drugs in her system during labor. It was an unknown drug that they still haven't identified but Bruce says that it might've given me some freak cell mutation that gave me these powerd. It's weird. Clint said it took a long time to even find any information on my family. I don't know if it's true or something that they told me to make me feel better about being orphaned." The twins gaze softened, glancing at each other. Wanda licked her lips, glancing at the ground.

"When were you orphaned?" She asked softly.

"When I was a baby. My mom died in labor and my dad had been found dead with a needle in his arm a day later. I was put into an orphanage cause my parents were seen as a Jane Doe and John Doe. Again, it's weird." You told them, shrugging lightly. Pietro took in a soft breath, gaze becoming distant.

"We're orphans too. I'm sure you already know what happened by now but.. A bomb killed them." Pietro said softly. He took in a deeper breath, giving a small smile to lighten the mood.

"I suppose that's another thing we have in common." He pointed out with a small shrug. You nodded, smiling softly. It was nice to be around people your age who understood you. Even Wanda seemed relaxed and more comfortable.

"(Y/N), what'd I say?" You looked up upon hearing Clint's voice.

"You were the one who left me alone to change." You reminded him with a soft huff, going around the twins and approaching him. Clint shot you a pointed look, glancing at the twins. You understood why he was distrustful of them.

"Clint, they're like me." You said quietly as you walked with him to the aircraft.

"You're not like them."

"Yes, I am. They're metas and around my age. Weren't you the one who said I had to work on my people skills?" You cocked a brow as you stared at him. Clint stayed silent, giving you the answer.

"They were fighting for their country after it was attacked. They have all the right to be distrustful-"

"After one conversation, you can tell apart the difference between good guys and bad guys?"

"I don't know, Clint, you tell me. You were the one who chose to take in a kid who almost choked your best friend to death and attempted to impale Americas biggest playboy with a fucking branch." You hissed lowly, frowning and looking forward.

"You were, and still are, a kid." Clint said, voice becoming hard and stricter.

"Oh, well, fuck me, I didn't realize the twins were in their eighties."

"Quit giving me attitude, (Y/N). I want to protect you. You don't know if they're gonna stab us in the back when we least expect it. If we destroy Ultron and they stay on our side, you can play dolls with them." Clint said, approaching the aircraft.

"Whatever." You entered the aircraft, taking a seat. The others entered not long after. The twins sat down beside you as Clint headed to the front.

"We didn't get you in trouble, did we?" Wanda asked quietly, glancing over at Clint. You shook your head, toying with the roots in order to relax.

"No, just.. Strict dad drama." You muttered. Wanda tilted her head, making eye contact with Pietro before it clicked.

"Oh.. He adopted you? That's nice." Wanda gave a small smile. "Maybe the Avengers aren't so heartless."

"We aren't." You assured, looking between her and Pietro. "It'll take a while but.. We can all grow to trust each other."

"I hope so." Pietro breathed out, hands going to the belt as the aircraft lifted up. You chuckled at the nervous look on his face.

238 notes · View notes

snowgoldwaylon · 3 years

Text

You Call That Sneaky?? - Dimitri Belikov X Reader

Not all goes as planned when Y/N and Belikov fly the bird.

TW: Strong language, use of gunship/death.

"Belikov, we need covering fire!" is what you heard come through his comms attached to his collar. It was Adler, they were in a pretty tight place. You quickly pulled the missiles online and hit "launch sequence" on the AC-31 Gunship.

Belikov flipped some switches, pulled back on the yoke and held it steady. He looked back at you and gave the nod. You quickly got on the radios to let them know the danger.

"Y/N to Adler, danger close. I repeat danger close. AC-31 out!" You warned them.

You set off the first round of just bullets, and quickly switched to bursts of incendiary rounds.

"Shot out!" You called, hitting a direct target.

The place was practically crawling with enemies, and you needed to clear extraction to bring the team up. They originally came here to collect some potential information regarding Robert Aldrich.

You needed to take him out because he was leaking sensitive information to Perseus, and his trail went cold after Bell was able to crack his spy ring.

So, of course hotshot Adler loaded himself, Woods, and Mason up and hauled their cookies all the way to the Border of Colorado.

They snuck around, maintaining stealth. You and Belikov controlled the bird, and flew around for sweep and cover protection. But, as they snuck up on a meeting, it was all revealed.

Turns out, it was a set up. And it really pissed off Frank. It pissed him off so much, he ended up losing his temper, and reached for a conveniently well place grenade launcher.

To sum it up, Frank fucked up. Because now the three man dream team went up against well over 200 enemies. So, here you were. You layed multiple rounds out until slowly but surely all the white in the thermal sights faded.

"We are clear Belikov! We are heading to the Southeast ridge, hooking up there!" Mason said into the radio.

"We got you guys, don't even worry. Y/N here will keep you safe!" Belikov said, looking over at you and winking.

You felt yourself blush, and quickly turned back to the controls.

"Well, looks like Woods owes all of us a drink after this shit show. You are sleeping on the couch tonight!" Adler yelled.

"Hey fuck you, I'll sleep there with your mom!" Frank retorted.

Man, the conversations between them never got old. You loved the time spent with the team.

You and Belikov pulled the helicopter over the ridge, where the team was going to hook up. You got up from the cockpit, and readied three a long, safety rope with three hookup points for the boys.

You dropped it over and it fell. You watched as they all attached, and you hit the botton for the rope to start slowly retracting.

You made sure they got in one by one, for the safety of everyone. You went back up to the co pilot seat and strapped in.

"Belikov, we are clear! Boys, headphones on!" You shouted.

They all put the headphones on, and started to relax a little.

"Good job as my helper today, Y/N. Soon, you'll be able to fly by yourself. And when that day comes, you'll feel so full and accomplished you'll burst! And that'll be the day I take you out for party." Belikov said, flashing you a dazzling smile.

"Well thank you, Dimitri. And you better! We've talked about this since I first started flying!" You said, Watching the skys.

"Of course, anything for you. You are amazing in everyway possible." He winked at you.

You felt like you were in a daze, until you heard a familiar, yet worrying ding. You immediately sighed, knowing exactly what that ding met.

"Fuck, of course! Dimitri I thought you said you filled up before we left!" You said.

Belikov shot you a "oh shit I completely forgot face" and shrugged.

"The beauty of Adler's face had me distracted. I must have forgotten." He said.

"Finally, someone that appreciates this handsome face." Adler mumbled to himself.

"Well, what now? We'll never make it past the summit if we don't fuel up!" Mason cried.

You turned, looking back at them.

"What happens now, is either Dimitri or I have to go outside and hang off the ledge. While doing that, one of us will have to quickly connect the emergency fuel so it can atleast get us back to a drop zone." You spoke calmly, turning to him.

"But, since Belikov did it last time, it's my turn. I will go do this real quick, prepare for a stop at a fueling station. It looks like I'm reading one about 20 clicks North." You said, slipping on gear.

"Y/N, are you sure about this? I can do it while you fly, come now. Don't be stupid, nyet!" Belikov said.

You looked back, and gave him a thumbs up.

"No, I can do it. It's only fair, don't worry I got this. It'll be quick and easy!" You said, slipping an emergency parachute on just in case.

Adler, Woods, and Mason all watched as you geared up, stepping towards the opening of the heli.

"Y/N, your fuckin' nuts. Do you need any help?" Woods questioned.

You looked back at him, and nodded yes. He got up and came over to you.

"I need you to hold onto my feet until I tell you to let go. I need to start off with a good grip, or else I'll go splat." You said.

He nodded, and you went prone. You hung halfway out, and grabbed onto the support handles. Woods grabbed your feet and secured you.

You clipped your belt to the safety clamp and gave Woods a 'hold steady' hand signal. But, to him it apparently looked like a thumbs up. So, out of routine, he carefully let your feet go.

Immediately, the strong winds pulled your body out of the side, and left you hanging by your harness. The wind whipped and slashed at your skin like tiny, ice cold daggers as you desperately tried to reach for the handles.

Everyone on board started freaking out. Belikov went to make an emergency landing, but there were too many trees. He looked and looked for the best spot possible, and finally spotted a clearing.

You were screaming, yelling and crying. You felt the harness behind to tick and tear. It was going to bust at the seams at any moment, and you were still in the air.

You hung from the clip in the middle of your chest, trying to use your feet to kick back to the side.

Adler was trying to reach you with his arm, but it wasn't happening. You were just out of reach by a few feet. You were out of options.

"Y/N!!! Hang on, we almost have you!!" Mason shouted, quickly throwing together a rope to secure you with.

"What the hell did you do idyot?? I can't land, we are right over Soviet territory!" Belikov wretched out.

He dropped lower to land, but not fast enough. By time he dropped almost enough, is when your harness finally tore straight in half. The clip broke from the force, and you dropped straight down, backwards.

You screamed as you felt the force of the fall practically crush you. You were able to turn to your stomach, and quickly reach for the string used for the parachute.

You fumbled to find out, but when you did you yanked. Relief swept over you when it deployed, and slowly descended down to a platform.

"Her chute deployed, but it's heading straight to the middle of that warehouse it looks like!" Mason yelled.

Belikov channeled your radio, worry racing through him.

"Y/N? Y/N can you hear this? If so, I landed just a few clicks West of you. This is heavily guarded compound!" Belikov spoke into it.

You landed with a thud, and you quickly switched it on, ripping off the vest. You quickly took cover behind a fallen log, looking all around at your surroundings.

"I can see, and that little stunt just sent out a whole fucking search party. They have dogs, please tell me you have a plan." You said, finally throwing the vest to the ground.

Adler came on the radio next.

"Y/N, the best thing for you to do is to try and sneak around to the West side of the compound. We are going to push to you so you'll be safe. Do NOT draw any attention to you. Meet me at the blue warehouse." Was what he said.

"Blue warehouse, got it." Was all you said, clicking it off. You reached for a sharp looking rock you found on the ground, and got up to slowly look around.

You determined the best path to the warehouse, and set off. You were hurt, scared, and shaking. You could feel the adrenaline move through your body, and you almost couldn't think.

You weren't mad at Woods, you knew it was an accident. But right now.....All you wanted was to be in the arms of Dimitri Belikov. You decided now, after you got back to the heli you were going to say how you felt.

You were ready, and nearly dying really helped you decide. You just hoped he felt the same way.

Meanwhile, back with Belikov he was ready to kill. He assembled his trusty AK-47 and was ready to full send it to you. His heart was in a panic, he felt like he was going to have a heart attack.

"Belikov, Y/N is going to be just find. Adler will go get her, and then you'll get us home. Everything will work out, I promise." Mason said, trying to get Belikov to calm down.

Belikov looked to Mason with tears in his eyes. He couldn't stand the though of you out there, alone with no weapon. But knowing you, he knew you found something. That's what he loved about you, and many other things.

"I know, but she is worth a lot to me. I love her." Belikov sobbed.

Mason picked up on his distress, and he opened his arms for Belikov.

Belikov accepted the hug, and Mason patted his back.

"This will be over in a few minutes. Adler and Y/N will be back in no time, I promise." Was what Mason said.

Meanwhile, Frank fueled up the heli. The plan was to pick you up, and book it back home. Nobody wanted to be here more than they had to be.

Back with you, you approached a small fire. Around the fire was a few enemies, asleep. One was in a chair, the other on the ground, and the last against a barrell, hat pulled over his eyes.

You went to step around the group and take a right, but you smacked right into the frame of an old truck. This ended up setting off the panic alarm. You dove behind another old car and held still, as you heard them all shoot up from slumber.

You heard guns cock, and your heart sank. You swallowed hard, and leaned your head back against a car, looking up. They all started looking around, you heard the footsteps.

You fully accepted that you were doing to die. How the hell were you supposed to fight four people off with a sharp rock, while they had full automatic weapons.

You felt no hope, until you saw familiar sunglasses. Adler sat up on the ridge above you, waving you to follow him. Your eyes went wide, but you moved when he signaled.

That was, until you ran right into a person. You looked up at him, and he began to yell in Russian. He pulled his gun on you, but you tackled him quickly. You subdued him somehow, and grabbed his AK.

But you and Adler both spotted a flare in the distance. The screaming of the base alarm system filled your ears.

"Y/N, let's go! Just run, we are right up here!" Adler yelled, taking your hand.

You both sprinted full speed up the ridge side, with the entire army base on your heels. Adler radioed in, and finally you saw the heli in the distance.

"Be ready to go! We have the entire base on our ass, we're about 100 feet from you!" Is what Adler shouted.

You heard the blades begin to spin, it was ready to go. You both gave it all you had ad bullets zipped and flew past your head at incredible speed.

You came to the last few steps, and booked it. You both dove into the side, and Mason slammed it closed. The helicopter took off at full speeds, while bullets hit the side, making a panging sound.

You huffed and puffed on the ground, completely spread out. You suddenly felt arms around you, and a head in your neck.

It was Belikov, you recognized his smell from anywhere. You looked at him, lifting his face. You gave him a big smile and wiped his tears away.

"Hey its alright, I'm here. I'm safe, thanks to Doc." You chuckled.

Belikov took your face in his hands, and tucked your stray hair away.

"I thought I lost you. Y/N, I love you. I realized that tonight, after thinking you were dead. I always have, and will." He said, a tear falling from his eye.

You choked up, and rested your forehead against his. Your hand stroked his face, as you leaned in.

"And the same as I, Dimitri. Now, kissing me you fool." You said with a laugh.

You locked lips. It felt like fireworks and sparklers went off in your brain. It was everything you ever wanted.

After pulling away from the kiss, Belikov pulled you to his chest, and held you there all the way back. He looked down at you, and lost it laughing.

"What's so funny huh?" You questioned.

"No offense Y/N but, you call that sneaky? Tripping right into an enemy?"

#black ops cold war #cold war #dimitri belikov #cod belikov #belikov x reader #frank woods #russell adler #alex mason #one shot

57 notes · View notes

4aloysius-porteu · 3 years

Text

i really wish i hated you || tsukishima kei

masterlist | 1 | 2 | chapter 3

pairing: tsukishima kei x f! reader

sypnosis: It was an accident that (Y/N) met a certain tall, blonde male; a memory she isn't fond of remembering, but it is where it all started. And ever since, she magically makes her to his path. The image of the bespectacled man dwelled in her mind more than she thought. Tsukishima pushed away his softer emotions and denied their existence, or at least that's what he told himself. But then, he couldn't believe that this girl he labeled as a clumsy, unlucky creature who smashed his glasses is slowly bringing these strange emotions back to him. She might be irritating and dumb sometimes, but he couldn't get himself to completely hate her. Either that destiny was stupid, or he was blessed or cursed.

genre: fanfiction, fluff

wc: 2.6k

She has met the tall, blonde, and bespectacled male yet again.

"Oh, the midget stalker is here."

"You again?! Seriously, I think it's you who's following me!"

"Hah, what do I get from following an extremely short person like you?" He said, borrowing her words from yesterday.

(Y/N)'s eyebrows creased further in irritation. "Why do you keep mentioning my height?!"

"It was you who started it. Anyways, can you shut up? Do you know that you're in a library?"

She didn't retort back and simply sat on the chair with her arms crossed. It was a fine day then —BOOM— this giant decided to appear out of nowhere. She was trying to forget this person who's associated with some of her embarrassing moments but those just got smashed back to her mind. (Y/N) sighed and pulled a book at the bottom of the stack to start reading, but noticed that the blondie is still standing near the edge of the table, hesitating to sit down while glancing somewhere and back to her.

"What?" (Y/N) frowned.

"Why am I unnecessarily stuck with you on this table?" He sighed, pulling out the chair.

"Because all of the tables here are taken? If you're worried about your glasses being knocked off, don't worry, I won't do anything reckless anymore."

"That's a nice reassurance," He settled down and brought out his studying materials.

Both of them shared the table in the crowded library. Ignoring the people, between them was a silent atmosphere. No one was talking as they both minded their own studies; he was reading quietly and turning pages of a huge book while (Y/N) wrote key points from the printed work and highlighting her notes. Sometimes, the other would leave to return books to their shelves and came back with new stacks. This went on for a few hours until her pen ran out of ink. She scribbled at the back of her notebook in hopes that the ink just got stuck, to no avail. She sighed, resting her head on the notebook. But she really needed to take down notes for her upcoming entrance exam.

"Hey." (Y/N) reluctantly said.

The blonde male looked at her, confirming if he's being called, "What?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt your business but... do you have a spare pen?"

He stared at her with a straight face and placed his chin on the top of his knuckles, implying his refusal to lend one.

(Y/N)'s mentally gritted her teeth. I'm just going to borrow a pen and he's making it hard for me?!

Swallowing her pride, she said, "Look, I need to finish my notes. I'll return it to you right away when I'm done. I promise. Please?"

He scoffed as brought out a pen, "An inkless pen is all it takes for you to become a less lively puppy? You better keep your promise."

A puppy?! "You didn't need to compare me to a puppy but, thanks."

She continued her work but her focus was a bit shaken. This happens whenever she's interrupted or took a break away from writing. Soon, her focus vanished and boredom took over. She tried to read a book to review ideas but her brain won't cooperate. She groaned, her head and arms fell to the table again. The blonde saw but chose to ignore her.

She closed her eyes for a second, however, her gaze fell to the blank paper in front of her face. Her hands are itching to do something other than reviewing and writing, so she put down the pen she borrowed and took a pencil out of her pocket. She placed a pile of books near her notebook so that the male won't notice what she's doing. There, she started to sketch the base of the figure.

She would observe the four-eyed guy who's busy reading some sort of article while taking notes. He has a calm expression on his face rather than an irritated scowl or a mocking grin he usually has. He wears a long blazer and probably a long-sleeved shirt inside. His blonde hair is short yet the edges are a bit curly and his upper eyelashes are prominently long. This was the first time she stared at the jerk's face who she kept bumping into random places that irked the hell out of her, but for some reason, she felt that she had seen this person before the accident in the park, albeit she doesn't know where. (Y/N) came to a conclusion; he was a little good-looking.

The girl looked back to her drawing and shook her head at her own ideas. I can't believe I actually thought that this guy is handsome. How can such a mean creature be blessed with such looks?! Ugh, don't mind, (Y/N). I'm only drawing him because he seems like a great canvas subject, it's not like I haven't done this to other people before...

She went on drawing and drew details to the sketch similar to the boy in front of her. To make the drawing more accurate, she stole small glances at him. She kept things low key because it'll be another embarrassing event if he found out what she's doing. She made the lines smoother in one swift move. The hair and clothes' folds are already well-drawn while she focuses on the detail of his eyes and glasses. She was about to shade when the male finally caught her.

"What is it?" He questioned, closing his book with a low voice and creased eyebrows.

(Y/N) froze on the spot. As much as she doesn't like it, she maintained eye contact with him, thinking of the best alibi that he couldn't argue with. Then, she remembered that she doesn't know his name.

"Uhm... nothing. I was just wondering if you have a name." While talking, her finger subtly moved to grab the nearest object it could get to cover her drawing.

"I have, but why would I mention it to you?" He cooly replied.

"It's alright. I'm not asking you to. Unless you want to be referred to as he/him or the tall, blonde glasses guy all the time?" (Y/N) countered.

He silently turned a page before answering, "Well, it's not like we'll meet every day."

"Oh," was her only reply. Looks like he will stay a nameless guy in her head for a long time. She was about to get back to her business when he spoke.

"Tsukishima Kei."

(Y/N) looked at him in surprise. "I'm not going to repeat it." He added.

She smiled, having clearly heard it right away. "Can you tell me how it is written?"

He looked at her to check for ill intentions but found nothing in her eyes. He hesitantly wrote the characters of his name on a piece of paper.

"I'm (L/N) (Y/N), nice to meet you again, Tsukishima-san." She'd like to initiate a handshake for peacemaking, but she knows how he'd only decline it. She wrote her name for him to see as well.

Tsukishima Kei. She repeated in her mind. What a nice name.

With a notebook covering the upper portion of the paper where she had drawn his portrait, she wrote his name at the bottom. She proceeded to the shading and background features. Backgrounds are one of the things she hates in art because it takes too long to draw one compared to the subject itself. Luckily it's only a sketch so she won't have to suffer. Although she doesn't know if Tsukishima had seen whatever she's doing so she's still cautious. She peered at him for the nth time so she could distract his peripheral vision. Maybe to test the social initiative skills she hasn't used for a long time too.

"Uhh, can I ask something?" She started.

"Hm?" He responded without taking his eyes off the page.

"What school are you from?"

"Amemaru Middle School."

(Y/N) hummed, thinking of another question, "Then, what school are you enrolling to? It must be an upper class one since you had to read those large books and all."

"Not really," Tsukishima closed the book, "I plan to go to Karasuno High School. They may not have a difficult entrance exam, but these readings are for decent grades and some stock knowledge."

"Decent grades, huh... you look like you could achieve more though. I'm pretty sure you'll ace it." She answered, "I was from Kitagawa Dai Ichi. I'm taking an exam in Shiratorizawa soon."

"You're going to that high-class academy? I see, I failed to notice that because you don't look like one. Have fun clashing with other elites there."

"Elites? What are you talking about, you still believe there's such a hierarchy?" (Y/N) chuckled.

"There is though. A gap between them and mere humans in terms of skills and power."

"In the end, they're still humans though. Be it numbers, hard work, or some unique strategy, those 'mere humans' you say will always struggle to step on equal levels with those on the highest rank."

Tsukishima only hummed and stared down at her, "Perhaps I was wrong on assuming you're an elite. You're clearly not."

"Are you underestimating me?" She challenged.

"No, I was just saying. Can I ask something though?"

"What?"

"Why are you suddenly talkative?"

She was caught off guard but tried not to stutter, "Me? Talkative? I'm always like this."

"Really?" He raised his brows, totally not buying it.

"Ugh, fine! I'm tired of studying!" She sighed, "I was scribbling some doodles on my notebook because I'm bored so I thought it wouldn't hurt to talk to Mr. Beanpole in front of me. Forgive me and my awkward social skills."

"Your social skills are not bad. I'm just thankful you aren't using the precious ink of my pen for drawing." He said, stacking the books he used.

She gasped, panicked inside, "You aren't looking at my drawing, are you?"

He got up to return the books,"Don't worry, it's none of my business."

She exhaled in relief, spared from another memory of embarrassment. Her eyes followed his walking figure and watched his movements. She looked at her drawing to compare and used her fingers to define lighting. When Tsukishima got back and placed new reviewers on the table, (Y/N) asked him once more.

"Do you ever get tired of studying?"

"Sometimes I take a break, but I can only do that if I have finished everything."

"What a diligent student you are."

"I hardly see any benefit in being dumb and slacking off all the time."

"Eh, I hardly see any benefit in studying Algebra and Calculus. I have a lot of questions. Do you use derivatives in counting money or salary? Do you use trigonometry in dividing pizzas or corn chips? Why do I need to find the limit of a function if numbers are infinite? Why do I need to get the formula of a certain point in each line or curve I draw on the graphing paper? What is the correct answer for?" (Y/N) complained.

Tsukishima looked at her blankly, doubting her chances of passing the Shiratorizawa's board exam. "I couldn't argue with that, I'd rather read a book composed of words than formulas, but you don't have a choice. Although, if you plan to be an engineer or something, that'll be a different perspective."

"No, thanks, I won't eat math books for breakfast. Other subjects are interesting enough to keep me awake in class, but numbers don't really entertain me."

"Then, what do you do?" He asked, writing on his notes.

"Not much. I just draw, paint, listen to music, and watch anime."

He let out an amused hum, "How about you? What do you do other than to study?" (Y/N) asked.

"I play volleyball, listen to music, and read narrative books."

"Volleyball? So that's what your height is for! I thought it's just for cleaning and reaching high places."

"That's rude."

"If I am, what do you call yourself? Besides, I don't want to make wrong assumptions."

"You just did."

"...right. I'm sorry."

The sense of familiarity took over (Y/N)'s brain, telling her that she definitely had met this Tsukishima guy before. Her face scrunched a little, trying to search her memories and connect the dots. Her eyes found his face again.

"Why do you keep looking at me?" His eyes narrowed, his annoyance towards the girl slowly rising.

"I HAD met you somewhere... before that accident, where did I see you?"

He was about to say something when (Y/N) stopped him, "Shh, I'm thinking."

He crossed his arms and frowned at her. Volleyball, Amemaru MS... She was about to say it but Tsukishima spoke first.

"Were you one of the audience who watched the middle school volleyball inter-high a year ago?"

"I was! Wait, you remember?"

"That was the only place where I could find someone from Kitagawa Dai Ichi." He confirmed.

"Correct. I was a part of the school paper where I was assigned in the sports category. I took a picture of you when my senior was interviewing you! You were the tallest middle blocker in the games! How could I forget that! So that's why whenever you irk me, it was familiar!"

"How am I annoying you? Aren't you the one who kept on talking right now?"

"I've figured out that there's no kind bone in you. And the way you keep on stuffing the spikes from the opposite team. It was never-ending that they didn't have a chance to score properly." She pouted.

"What do you expect from a middle blocker? It was my job to block spikes."

"You could've gone easy on them."

"The game would lose it's sense if that's the case."

"Fine. You're not wrong." Their conversation was cut short after she ceased talking. At least she found out where she first met Tsukishima. She finished the portrait sketch. Grinning, she believed that she captured his features accurately in her drawing. She'd like to hold it near him and compare to make sure though. Satisfied with her work, she went back on turning pages.

"So, you've finally decided to continue to study?" Tsukishima prodded.

She smiled, "I guess. Thank you for talking to me. That was a great stop."

Both of them worked quietly, but now, the irritation they felt towards each other lessened. After some time, a person in the speaker announced that the library will be closing before 6 pm. Tsukishima returned all the books he borrowed and packed his things.

"You're going home?"

"I don't want to come home late. You aren't finished with your notes yet?"

"Yeah, maybe I'll leave five minutes before six."

"Alright. I'll get going now." He swung his bag over his shoulder.

"Hey, wait! Your pen!" (Y/N) abruptly remembered seconds after.

"I don't need it anymore. It was useful, apart from its close on running out of ink."

"But it's yours and you told me to keep my promise!"

"Whatever. Keep it or throw it." He walked out and wore his headphones, having no intention to listen to anyone.

She sighed and checked the ink. More than half of it is gone, but she can use it again if she wishes. (Y/N) placed her fist to her cheek while writing.

Random Tsukishima Kei facts:

In the second prototype chapter (unserialized, one shot, the first idea of the author on how haikyuu will go) Tsukishima was a second-year, which was changed in the serialized version where he's a first-year. His initial height in the prototype chapter is 184cm, a little shorter than his official height (190.1cm). In an extra sketch, Furudate commented, "Tsukki and Tanaka being in the same year would spell chaos!

#haikyuu!!#tsukishima kei #haikyuu tsukishima #haikyuu fanfiction #haikyuu angst #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu fluff #kei tsukishima #tsukishima x reader #tsukishima kei x reader #haikyuu headcannons #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu headcanons #tsukishima imagine #tsukishima scenarios #tsukki

84 notes · View notes

gingerteaonthetardis · 3 years

Note

🍵 (some nice tea for your rainy weather!) as a prompt, nine & rose & ten, plus some tea? :D

oooh, thank you for the tea! i take mine with no cream or sugar, just honey, please. what about you? and i hope you enjoy my effort at filling this prompt! it’s a little bit angsty, but there’s also some sweetness, i think, to make it worth the pain.

𝚊 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚡, 𝚊 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚎

She’s quite sure she loves them both, despite the complications.

Which is why she tries—sincerely tries—to maintain her calm when they start arguing about the best plan to recover… well, her. It’s something she’d never have considered possible before boarding the TARDIS: the idea of existing in multiple iterations, across multiple times, all at once. But now it seems obvious.

“Happens once, just once and it's gone, it's finished, it'll never happen again. Except for you.”

Everything is in flux around the Doctor.

“You can go back and see days that are dead and gone a hundred thousand sunsets ago.”

And people, too. She’s never thought of it before—that she can be both now and elsewhen, both dead and alive, with a powerful, improbable simultaneity. That he can be that, too. The thought is enough to distract her as she pours tea into three mugs.

She only prepares the two cups; she doesn’t know how the other takes his. The lack of information feels wrong.

The other her—the version of her that is lost and needs finding—would know.

The Doctor—her Doctor, the one wearing leather and a scowl—suggests a straightforward approach in his usual domineering way, his voice carrying over the sound of the hissing steam and bubbling water. “You need to jump forward and wait for her,” he insists. “Unless you want all of our memories to start unraveling. You can’t go around asking every one of us if we’ve seen her. The paradox—”

The other Doctor cuts him off with a sudden, snapped word. “Don’t. Don’t talk to me about paradoxes, I already know. But I need to find her. I can’t just—just wait.” He’s raking his fingers through his hair when she turns to present him with tea, and the way he looks up at her is harrowing.

He looks pained and grateful and eager all at once, and yet, he’s careful not to touch her fingers. And his dark brown eyes slide away too quickly, like he can’t focus directly on her.

Her Doctor—because it’s the only point of separation she can really make—has no such qualms. When she sidles into the chair beside him, he throws his arm up over the back of her seat, bringing the blended scents of engine grease and leather with him. His fingers tangle with the ends of her hair. It’s a familiar feeling; he likes to braid and un-braid her hair when they watch telly or when he reads to her.

She wants to lean into him, into the touch, but she thinks—she can’t tell how, but she thinks it might cause the other Doctor some sort of pain. Not physical, but no less real. So, she sits upright instead, hands folded around her own pink mug. “So, let me get this straight,” Rose begins, chewing on the side of her cheek. “She—that is, I—got lost and now I’m… jumping through time and space to find you again?”

The other Doctor looks up at her. There are exhausted shadows under his eyes, pale purple, like the inside of some sort of flower, and she wonders if he usually looks like this, or if he’s just particularly badly off right now. He watches her like a ghost, like he can’t believe she’s real.

“Yes,” he rasps.

“And I’m finding… other… versions of you?” Looking back and forth between her Doctor and the other one, she sees something like guilt on both faces. She’ll have questions later, that much they must know. About how he can change bodies, how he can become someone else entirely. “But you said—when you meet other versions of yourself, it sort of… corrupts the memory, yeah? So, what are you hoping to find?”

He’s so restless, this other Doctor. Even more so than the man who sits beside her now. The contrast is extreme, with his hand so easy and gentle against her back. But the man across the table cannot be still: he runs a hand over his face, digging into the shadows under his eyes. “You don’t understand, Rose,” he says, and the way his voice goes soft around her name is enough to break her heart. “You only have one life. I don’t want you to spend it chasing after me. If I find you first—”

She shakes her head. “But that’s not gonna happen. It’s like he said,” and she finally lets herself lean a little closer to the leather-clad body that she’s so familiar with. “You’re just making paradoxes. Which means you’re making places I can’t find you, yeah?”

It’s not an easy logical path for her to follow, even after months and months spent learning the ropes. Time travel is funny that way; the Doctor says her human mind just isn’t meant to handle it, but she does her best. She wants it to make sense, even if that’s not possible.

But she knows she’s right when the other Doctor slumps in his chair, looking down into his cup of tea. He hasn’t taken so much as a sip. And she wants so badly to ask if he takes sugar or milk, but something in her says that it wouldn’t be right.

She owes it to herself—to let herself learn it later, to let him teach her. To get to know him—the man who will become the Doctor—just the same as she’d gotten to know her Doctor.

His mug is half-empty, no surprise. He always prefers when she does the tea. Says it just tastes better. The knowledge bolsters her.

Rose’s hand is halfway across the table, stretching out to meet the other Doctor’s, when she stops it. She remembers the church, and losing her father; she’s learned. She makes a fist and says, “Doctor, listen.”

He obeys, looking up at her with those ancient, weary eyes.

“You need to go back to your TARDIS and keep saving the universe. It’s the only way that she—that I’ll be able to find you again.” She swallows, trying to hold his gaze. She wants to promise to change her own future, to make this never have been, but it just wouldn’t be fair. Because she can’t promise. “You have to trust me. Can you do that?”

He nods once, slowly. He moves like he’s unaware of his own body.

“If you know me at all, and I think—I think you do,” she murmurs, pausing to glance at her Doctor. He is gazing down at her with unflinching fondness, blue eyes crystal clear. It always takes her breath away, and Rose has to force herself to break the spell, to look back across the table. “You know that I’d never stop looking. Not until I found you again. I wouldn’t give up.”

There is an unmistakable ring of truth to her words. She can feel it down her spine, and in the way the Doctor stills both next to her and across from her.

“I want you to keep traveling, keep making the universe a safer, better place. Somewhere I’ll be glad to come back to,” she goes on, mouth curving into a smile. She wonders if he can tell what she’s thinking: that she’d be glad to live in any universe, so long as he’s there. “And I’ll find you again. I will.”

She wonders if she’s said too much.

Maybe she has. But something in her reaches for the man in front of her, the same way it always reaches for her Doctor.

And it doesn’t matter anyway, because the other Doctor is brightening. He still reminds her too much of the Doctor when she’d first met him—bitter and broken in ways she’s still coming to understand—but there is a shine in his eyes. Like her words have supplied him in something he was fundamentally lacking.

He grins, little lines and furrows forming around his eyes, and it’s so familiar that she can feel already how easy it will be to love him. When the time comes.

“All right, Rose Tyler,” he declares. And he gets up from his chair, a vigor in his step that isn’t cheerful so much as manic, but at least there’s life. “I guess I’ll be waiting for you.”

He pauses, just within her reach. She could touch him with the tips of her fingers, just brush over his long coat, feel the fabric beneath her hand. She could put out her hand and feel two versions of the Doctor—two moments in time, one at her back and one at her front—all at once. A true paradox. But she doesn’t.

Still, she can see that he’s hesitating, too.

“Go on, then,” Rose replies, giving him one last smile. The hands woven into her hair are a soft, soothing reminder that this isn’t goodbye. Not for her, anyway. “And I’ll see you soon.”

Watching him walk back out of the same TARDIS doors he’d come crashing through before, Rose makes a promise to her future self: no matter how long she has to look—no matter how far she has to go—she’ll find the Doctor again.

She will.

#no big deal just some sentimental nonsense AS USUAL #ninerose #tenrose #timepetals #ninth doctor #tenth doctor #rose tyler #doctor who #prompt fic #also forgive me for the lack of editing ALSO AS USUAL

34 notes · View notes

five-rivers · 4 years

Text

Corruption

A continuation of Flowers and Moon.

"You- You planted them in the portal?" Danny squeaked. The only one of the flowers his parents were experimenting with that could bloom in the portal were...

Graveflowers. Oh no.

He cast a wild look down at his hands. Sure enough, they glowed with a soft, white radiance. A sort of whine made its way out of the back of his throat. "I- I can explain," he said, backing away.

Maddie looked stricken. Jack looked- Danny twitched his head to track his father as he moved across the room to stand by Maddie. Every part of him vibrated under tension, ready to react to any threat. Were they going to attack him? Reject him? He should have been more cautious, he should have gotten rid of the graveflower seeds when he first saw them, he should have made Jazz come down instead, he-

The lab shook again. Jack and Maddie whirled to face the portal, and, for a split second, Danny contemplated running.

"It's destabilizing the portal," said Maddie.

That sounded bad.

"It shouldn't have grown this fast!" said Jack.

Oh, that sounded worse.

They both turned to look at Danny. He cringed, holding his hands protectively in front of his chest.

"D-Danny," said Maddie, her voice breaking on his name. "I think- I think this is happening because of your accident." Her voice grew steadier as she continued. "Between that, the ectoplasm, and the portal, it must-" she broke off. "According to my research, you should be able to control it."

After living with his parents for his entire life, Danny knew how to spot when they were being less than truthful. Maddie's voice was higher pitched than it normally was. He couldn't tell what she was trying to hide, though.

Maybe he was just paranoid.

"If they aren't stopped soon, they'll destabilize the portal," said Jack. "They portal will explode."

"It'll what?"

Forgive him for being on edge, but his parents had (possibly) just found out that he was a ghost, and they were talking about explosions.

"Explode," repeated Jack.

"But you should be able to control them, Dan-ny," she stumbled over his name again. "Just- tell them to go back. To shrink."

Ghost plants were weird, and ghostly abilities numerous, but Danny didn't think it would be that easy. Frostbite had mentioned something about 'communing' with the plant, but he had sort of tuned out after deciding it wasn't a threat because no way would his parents try to plant something inside the portal. Except they had.

His thoughts swirled, chasing each other pointlessly. Finally, it latched onto the danger. The danger to himself and his family.

"Go back," said Danny at the plant, trying to sound authoritative. The vines kept creeping outward, digging into the seams between the wall panels. Danny bit his lip and then grabbed the cutting on the lab table. He held it out, feeling it, the ectoenergy in it tickling his palms. "Go back," he said, more firmly. "Let go. Get back." He took a step forward, and the ground rumbled again. "This is my place. Go back."

The vines and their hanging flowers trembled and, miraculously, began to recede, pulling back through the portal's rippling surface. Danny stepped forward, following, and watched as the huge plant wrapped around itself until it was just a shrub, lying on the torn and warped surface of the portal floor.

Danny walked to it carefully, avoiding tripping hazards. He had no desire to die here again. He picked up the plant and carried it out of the portal.

His mother had sunk to the ground. Jack was half bent over next to her. She struggled to her feet as soon as she saw Danny. She hugged him, stiffly.

"Thank goodness," she said. One of her hands found its way to Danny's wrist. "I'm so glad. This was just... a bad stroke of luck, sweetie. Just a bad stroke of luck that your accident simulated the conditions for that to bloom, that's all." She patted him on the shoulders and took the graveflower. "Well, disaster averted, so why don't you, um, order some takeout for us, okay?"

"Sure," said Danny. He glanced at Jack who looked deep in thought. "I can do that." He brushed bits of bark off of himself. If his parents were going to be in denial about the whole 'dead' thing, who was he to stop them?

He escaped as quickly as possible.

"Maddie," said Jack, "are you sure that's a smart thing to do? If he's- Maddie, it's a ghost, just a corrupted copy, and we have- we have no idea how far that corruption goes."

"It- He hasn't done anything yet," said Maddie, barely holding back tears.

"That we know of," said Jack, his voice was broken, too, "and now... if it didn't know before... I just don't think letting it keep playing this game is a good idea."

"I don't think he knows."

"Maddie..."

"I felt a pulse," said Maddie. "When I held his wrist, I felt a pulse. A ghost shouldn't be able to do that. A ghost should be colder. Jack, I don't think he's dead. I think- I was lying, so he wouldn't know, but what if it was the truth? What if that's what's really happening?"

"That would be really unlikely," said Jack. "But we've seen more unlikely?" His voice tilted up at the end, as if asking a question. "We'll... we'll have to monitor carefully. Keep track, see if we can confirm biological functions. Make sure- Make sure Danny doesn't hurt anyone." He frowned deeply. "It might not be what you think, though."

"I know, I know," said Maddie. "I know. But- Even if he is a ghost. Maybe- Maybe what Jazz has been saying holds water. Maybe we've been looking at things wrong. Maybe he isn't corrupt, even if he is a ghost. He might not be able to learn new things, but he could be- he could still be Danny." Maddie was aware that she was rambling.

Usually Jack was the emotional one. He was shaking, too.

"That would- God, I hope you're right, Mads."

They watched him.

They watched him eat. They watched him sleep. They took samples whenever they could. They caught him trying to sneak out at night several times, and each time they did, he spent the day moody and anxious.

The samples didn't seem to indicate that anything was amiss... Except, of course, that Danny was hideously ectocontaminated, to the point where it shouldn't be compatible with good health. Otherwise, they looked human. His hair and fingernails grew. His body dealt with food in a normal way. He slept as a human would, deeply and with dreams.

Maddie would have liked to take that to mean that everything was normal, that the only problem was a little ectocontamination, contamination that he had adapted to, but they caught glimpses of things beyond mere ectocontamination, now that they were paying attention. His eyes flashed green when he was angry. Small cuts and scrapes faded from his skin rapidly, sometimes in a matter of minutes. Some days he would have freckles, other days his skin would be perfectly porcelain white.

It only got worse when he thought he was alone, when he didn't know they were watching through hidden cameras. Sometimes he would do things. Ghostly things. They saw him stick his arm through a wall at one point. Another time, they saw his whole body flick invisible. Once, they caught him drift down through the ceiling, asleep, on camera.

Worse, it appeared that he was aware of what he was doing.

If he was aware that he was a ghost, that meant that he was purposefully keeping it from them. He wasn't just going through his day on autopilot.

But a ghost couldn't mimic life so perfectly, and they were certain that he wasn't possessed. They had tested him in every way they knew how, and he wasn't possessed.

Just as surely, he wasn't human. He couldn't be. So what was he?

Maddie didn't know, and it was killing her.

"We need some way of watching him while he's at school," said Maddie, drumming her fingernails on the table. "While he's not in the house. Maybe then we'll be able to- to classify his behavior." They hadn't even decided if his... ghostly characteristics had pushed his personality into malicious territory.

"A modified boo-merang, maybe?" said Jack. "Tell it to maintain a certain distance from the target, instead of hitting it, and add a camera? The mark one already keys onto Danny."

Maddie nodded and looked out across the lab, not really seeing it. They had pushed aside everything else to work on this. The only part of the plants project they were keeping up was the graveflower bush, which they had planted in a five-gallon bucket in the corner. For some reason, neither she nor Jack wanted to get rid of it.

As if detecting Maddie's thoughts, the plant trembled. The flowers began to unfurl.

"Mom? Dad? Are you down here?" her son's voice echoed down from the top of the stairs. "Is it okay if I come down?"

Jack tipped his notes over the side of the table and Maddie hastened to hide her own half of the research. "Sure, Danno!" called Jack. "Come right on down!"

Danny drifted silently down the stairs. He looked more nervous than he had since he had seen the graveflower that first time.

"Mom, Dad," he said, his fingers tying themselves into knots. "I have something to tell you. I-" He glanced at the graveflower and winced. "It's about my accident. The one with the portal. I've noticed you watching me, and I think- I need to tell you how it changed me."

Do you guys think this is a good place to end this one, or should I do one more?

#danny phantom #dannymay #Dannymay 2020

477 notes · View notes

fridge-reviews · 3 years

Text

Metro Exodus

Developer: 4A Games Publisher: Deep Silver Rrp: £34.99 (Humblebundle, Steam and Epic) Released: 14h February 2019 Available on: Humblebundle, Steam and Epic Played Using: A mouse and keyboard Approximate game length: 20 hours

After a long time of searching Artyom discovers that not everywhere has unbreathable air, that beyond Moscow, the air is clean. However, on his journey Artyom will discover that just because the air is breathable doesn't mean you can live there.

Metro Exodus is the third game of the Metro series where we once again we take on the role of Artyom. However, unlike in the other games we're no longer confined to the metro tunnels and ruined city of Moscow, now we take to the rails as we travel across Russia.

When a game series gets to this point I always ask myself “Do I have to have played the other games in the series to understand what's going on?” Thankfully, in this case the answer is “No.” You do not need to have played the previous instalments in order to understand the world or what is going on. However, if you have played them, the events and characters that appear in this one will have more significance.

Like with the previous titles the difficulty settings are quite wide ranging. This time they've included a 'Reader' setting that's designed with people who don't really play this genre so they can play through the story without there being much in the way of challenge.

The difficulty setting isn't the only thing that is different about this game from the others, in fact there are quite a lot of changes that range from minor to extremely major. First and foremost is that this game is now semi-open world as opposed to strictly linear. Of course, there is a reason I've said 'SEMI'-open world, which is because its not actually an open world, its more like an extremely large area for you to explore, similar to the areas that you find in the Borderlands series except you can't leave when you want or ever return. This change does mean though that this is by far the most 'open' of the series. There is now a day and night cycle, which brings with it its own advantages and dangers. There are some creatures that only appear at night and usually the number of guards at a location will decrease in the night time. Thankfully, you don't have to stand around literally waiting for the sky to change as there are campsites and safehouses to be found where you can rest up in safety and use a bed to quickly pass the in game time. These locations also tend to have a workbench within them so you can upgrade, maintain and create your arsenal and equipment. Weapons now have degradation, so if you don't maintain your equipment it'll begin to misfire and eventually break. Thankfully, these are easily repaired at a workbench using very easily found materials. As I very briefly alluded, there is also now a crafting system where you can create bullets, medkits and filters etc.

The bullets as currency system that the previous Metro games have used has been removed, which is a shame as I really liked that mechanic, however I can understand why its no longer needed since that was the agreed upon currency within the Moscow metro (similar to how bottlecaps are used in the Fallout series) and the rest of the world doesn't seem to use any monetary system at all.

There are some things that haven't changed though, for example the npc's still like to have multiple people talking over one another. Sure, it's accurate to how groups of people speak, especially in moments of stress. But it does make it a little hard to follow conversations sometimes as several can be happening at the same time. Also as has been the case with all the Metro games there are different endings that depend on your actions throughout the game.

There is something I do want to bring up which may seem like a minor thing but I found it just so impressive that it was included that I feel it must be mentioned. I noticed that as you travel from area to area the people change, as in you can see actual physical differences between them, which makes sense since in Exodus you are trekking across Russia which is a vast space containing multiple cultures and different environments.

This is simultaneously the most hopeful and dark of the Metro series, so far. There are so many quiet moments where you can learn about your companions and see how life is progressing, all of which are skippable if you just want to get on with the game. Personally I recommend indulging the game with these moments, they really are worth it.

Seriously people, play this game! It's just so damned good and it's a crying shame that so few people have heard of this series as a whole!

#metro exodus #deep silver #4a games #fps game #fps #first person shooter #russia #moscow #video game #video games #video gaming #game reviews #game review #games review #games reviews #artyom #post apocalypse #post apocalyptic #semi open world

11 notes · View notes

yourmidnightlover · 3 years

Text

ssa hotchner: chapter 1 - the blazer

TW: harrassment, talk about a case

WC : 5,920

series masterlist

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

"aaron! hey," you answered the phone after hitting enter on the final file you had to upload to the computer.

"y/n! how are you?" your brother questioned kindly.

"um, i've been better," you started, trying to figure out how to tell him the bad news.

"what happened?" aaron asked as he finished filling out the final file he had before noon. "is it about that promotion?" he rolled his eyes, recalling the events of last time you were up for a promotion.

"yea... it is," you sorrowfully revealed. "i uh... i didn't get it. again," you sighed out as you closed your laptop and put it in your bag. "can you... what are you doing for lunch?"

"well the team and i were gonna go out to a local thai place right around the corner from the bau, you could join if you'd like," he replied, wanting to be there for his sister any chance he could. "you know how much they love you."

"i just don't really think my mood is relative to that of a person who's going out with a crowd of people, y'know?" you placed the device in your bag and closed it, pulling it over your shoulder after grabbing your keys from the bag. "besides, i haven't met all of your team yet. dr. reid wasn't there the last time i saw you at my birthday because he was visiting his mother, remember?" you brought up, hoping he wouldn't feel too bad for you.

"y/n, just come to lunch with us. the last case went well, and everyone's pretty excited about that. maybe that'll help put you in a better mood?" aaron suggested as he gathered his things to go out for lunch. "and reid will actually be there this time so you'll be able to meet him," arron smiled at the thought of you meeting the young genius.

"are you sure? i really don't want to impose on your post-case celebrations, aaron," you rebutted as you walked out of the doors of the office you've been working at for nearly 8 years.

"i'm positive. everyone would love to see you again," emily walked into the office, noticing the smile he was wearing that he only has when he's talking to you.

"is that y/n?" emily questioned with a bright smile as hotch nodded. "tell her i said hi! and that i really miss her! oh wait are you talking her into coming to lunch with us?" her eyes widened at the possibility of seeing you again.

"yea, i'm trying to get her to realize that she won't be imposing on us if she comes," the dark haired man sighed.

"here, give me the phone. you know she can't resist my charm," emily teased, you laughed from hearing the remark over the phone as hotch handed it to her. "y/n hotchner. you are going to go to lunch with us whether you like it or not," emily demanded with a smirk.

"oh, yes. there's that charm i know and love, em," you giggled as you put your keys in the ignition, realization setting in that you should probably just go to lunch with them since you have no other plans and are already in your car. "fine. i'll go. should i meet you there or at the office?"

"just meet us there. we're like five minutes away and with morgan's driving it'll be cut in half," emily scolded.

"okay. i'm on my way now. should be maybe 10 minutes," you announced. "i'll see you guys there," you said before hanging up the phone and beginning to drive.

you had been working at a law firm near the bau for nearly 8 years. in fact, next week would make it officially 8 years. the office was run by a few men, under the US district attorney, who you've come to find out are misogynistic pricks who don't like putting women in positions of authority.

you got hired on about 5 months out of law school, columbia law school to be exact. you have an associates in business and a masters criminology, law, psychology. your original dream was to work at the bau with your big brother, clearly, but those dreams changed since you graduated from columbia.

you pulled into the parking lot of 'thailand eatery,' a bau team favorite, and noticed aaron's car parked in the far corner. you smiled to yourself as you found a spot beside him and got out to make your way inside.

"hi, i'm here with aaron hotchner for lunch," you sweetly announced to the hostess before she nodded.

"right this way, ma'am," you followed her to the table full of fbi agents, noticing their laughter that erupted for some unknown reason.

one seat was open next to aaron and emily. you placed your blazer on your seat and a hand on both of their shoulders to announce your arrival. they looked at you in surprise before realizing who you were, big smiles crossing their faces.

"y/n!" arron excitedly announced before standing to give you a nice bear hug. "it's so good to see you," he whispered in your ear kindly.

"i know. it's been a while since we've been able to do this," you grinned widely as you wrapped your arms around his torso.

"okay, okay..." emily interrupted. "this is sweet and all, but i haven't been able to see you since your birthday last year," she announced before you traded your brother's arms for hers.

"it's good to see you, em" you laughed as she squeezed you tightly.

"where the hell have you been! i've missed you," she pouted as you both unwrapped your arms from each other.

"y'know, working for the usual pricks i do... and that's pretty much it," you shrugged as you made your way around the table to hug penelope.

"what have they been doing to you this time, my little sugar plum?" penelope asked sweetly as you gave her another hug.

"the usual, pen. just the usual," you sighed into her ear as you began to hug derek. "but let's not get into that know, yea? i heard you guys had a successful case the other day! that's exciting!" you announced as derek wrapped his arms around you, picking you up and swinging you around a bit.

if you're honest, derek is like a second big brother to you. he was there for you when your brother got stabbed in his own home and was in a coma. he comforted you in your home when you were sobbing on the floor because it wasn't safe for you to visit your own flesh and blood.

"hell yea it was," derek smiled into your ear before placing you down and giving you a chaste peck on the cheek. "but if i need to kick some ass at that work place of yours i won't even hesitate," he whispered into your ear as he rose from your cheek.

"now, now, derek," you tapped his chest playfully. "i don't need you kicking my bosses down like you would a door, as exhilarating as that sounds," you chuckled aimlessly.

"bella, care to indulge me in what they're doing at that office of yours?" rossi said as you made your way to hug him.

"it's not that big of a deal, dave. i'm sure i'm just overreacting again," you sighed as you released him from his hug.

"not a big deal?" aaron butted in. "y/n, you deserved that promotion and they looked you over, yet again," he sassed. "i don't think that's overreacting," he rolled his eyes.

"i know i deserved it, but..." you sighed, weighing all the possibilities. "actually there's no buts. i've worked there for 8 years and have gotten two promotions. i guess i'm just really disappointed," you reasoned, trying not to start crying from the anger bubbling up inside of you.

"two promotions in eight years?" rossi questioned, noticing the annoyed look on your face at the thought. "do those assclowns not realize what an amazing worker you are?" david asked in disbelief.

"i don't know... i guess?" you questioned. "i just don't want to think about that right now," you said as you hugged jj in return.

"are you kidding? we've been to a few of your cases," the blond added. "you're amazing, y/n." jj complimented. "rossi's right. they must be absolutely blind if they don't see what a great worker you are."

"thank you, jayge," you smiled at her before realizing there was one more person at the table.

you'd seen him in pictures, and had heard enough about him to remember a few key points. he's a genius with three phd's, three ba's, he has a thing with germs, he's a bit awkward, and absolutely handsome. the pictures you've seen didn't do him justice.

"i'm assuming you're the famous dr. spencer reid?" you asked, not bothering to reach for a hug or handshake.

"i uhm, yes i am. dr. sp-spencer reid. or you can call me spen-spencer," he cleared his throught. "or reid, or basically whatever you'd uh- whatever you'd prefer," he stuttered out, sitting awkwardly in his chair and barely maintaining eye contact.

"how about we just go with spencer?" you asked as you made your way to your seat beside your brother. "my name's-"

"y/n hotchner, yes," he smiled at you as your brother pushed your chair in for you, you muttering a small 'thank you' in return. "i've uhm... i've heard a lot about you," he stammered.

"oh dear, let me go ahead and apologize in that case," you joked, eliciting laughter from your friends at the table.

"actually, there's uhm - there's no need to apologize. everything i heard was," he sniffled, "really good. it was all good," his lips formed into a line as he nodded at his own words.

"well then i guess i have to mention how great everyone's made you out to be. i mean, a three phds and three ba's at only, what? 34? that's beyond incredible, spencer," you complimented the gorgeous man sitting beside your brother.

"oh uhm, th-thank you, y/n," he blushed. cute.

"it's no problem at all. i mean it's not everyday that you meet a genius that's as young and handsome as you are," you laughed, taking a sip of the water that your brother had ordered for you before you arrived, not even realizing the compliment you had payed to his looks. shit. now you realized. you cleared your thought before acting like you didn't even say anything.

"oh! uhm, th-thank you, again. you're uhm - you're very - you too. not that you're handsome, but that you're very..." he trailed off, biting his lower lip to refrain from humiliating himself even more.

"well then, pretty boy, you sure do have a way with words," morgan teased, eliciting a jab in the stomach from penelope.

"derek morgan, if you do not shut up," penelope scowled.

meanwhile, you turned your head to notice your brother staring oddly at 'pretty boy' who was looking sheepishly at you. you nudged your brother's arm playfully, capturing his attention.

"stare any harder at him and he might explode, aaron," you whispered in his ear, being sure not to look at spencer.

"maybe that needs to happen with the way he's looking at you, y/n," he rebutted.

it's true. if anyone else had been looking at you that way, arron probably would've mentioned that he's in the fbi and that he has more than two guns to scare them away. since it was spencer, everything was different.

"shush, it's just a little crush. what's the worst that could happen?" you rolled your eyes at his protectiveness. "he'll be over it by the end of lunch," you announced, not noticing the way aaron rolled his eyes at your assumption.

aaron had seen spencer around girls enough to know that when he got flustered around them it usually meant something more than just a little crush in spencer's mind. that also means that arron knows that spencer would never try to do anything with you because you're his sister.

"fine," he relished, not wanting to bother with the genius's sure infatuation with you when this is the first time he's gotten to see his own sister in a while. "so you wanted to talk to me about something?" he changed the subject.

"right," you twiddled with your thumbs and looked down into your lap. "ikindaputinmytwoweeksnoticeatthefirmoceifoundoutaboutthepromotion," you rambled out, casually taking a sip of your drink as if you didn't just say you quit your job of 8 years.

"you did what?" he asked in confusion, not understanding what you said.

"i put in my two weeks notice once i found out about the promotion," you slowed down so he could understand, his eyes going wide upon the understanding.

"that's... what you wanted to do, right?" he questioned, not wanting to give you the wrong reaction.

"yea, i think so," you started. "i was just so tired of getting looked over just because of my gender, y'know? i've had to prove myself in everything i've ever done. i think i've more than proved myself at the firm," you announced, still trying to find your own confidence.

:you have, y/n. you've more than proved yourself to be an amazing lawyer," he agreed. "sometimes i'm convinced you might work harder than we do," he scoffed.

"there's no way, a," you laughed at the ridiculous statement. "i've just put my all into the firm. all my time, attention, and hard work has gone into that place. the reason that place is where it is right now is because of me," you pouted.

"i remember. i brought the whole team to the case that put the firm on the map. even reid was there," he stated.

"spencer was at that case?" you asked, not remembering him saying hi afterwords.

"yea, he was. he just got pulled away because of troubles with his mom," you 'ohh'ed at the revelation. "but that case was the hardest one i've ever seen a lawyer handle, y/n."

"thank you," you smiled at the compliment.

"no, i mean it," he relished. "i don't even think i would've won that case. that's what brought everyone to the firm. it was a high profile case, one that the bau was on. of course there was going to be a big turnout. you handled the press, and the pressure amazingly."

it was a case the bau had worked on for nearly a week and a half, and they needed you to further convince the jury that who they caught was the right unsub because of the amount of circumstantial evidence. you were able to get the unsub flustered, and admit to his own crime on the stand with the press in the room.

it was possibly the best case you'd ever gotten because the amount of publicity you'd gotten. but with publicity there came quite a few complications that you hadn't told anyone about.

"that's just the big brother in you talking," you giggled, trying to brush the compliment off naturally.

"whatever you say, y/n. whatever you say," he brought his drink up to his mouth to take a sip.

"so, how was the last case you were on?" you asked, quite intrigued by all the cases he would tell you when he had the chance.

"well, how about we start from the beginning since you like hearing about them so much?" he asked with a grin, you nodded eagerly.

"so it started with the unsub taking abducting his victims..."

throughout the case, you found yourself starting to profiling the suspects yourself, something your brother noticed too. i mean, how could you not do that? you had a degree in psychology and criminology so it made since that profiling them would be natural for you.

everyone at the table interrupted at their parts in the story. when david and jj went to the m.e., when aaron, emily, and derek went to the crime scene, spencer and the geo profile. you were fascinated by their work and everything they were able to do.

when you were younger and your brother had first started at the bau, he really enjoyed calling you to tell you about them. he loved your reactions and how enthusiastic you would become when he was talking. that's really when you first started dreaming about being in the bau, with aaron.

"ugh, y'know i used to dream of going on cases with you guys," you admitted after they finished wrapping up the case in words, taking a sip of your drink to wash your food down.

"really?" spencer asked, not stammering while talking to you for the first time all afternoon.

"yea. aaron would always tell me about the cases when you got back, and i could practically just imagine myself working them with him and you guys," you relished, a smile on your face as you recalled the memories of your younger self.

"i think you'd do excellent on the team," spencer suggested. "it's clear that you already work well with everyone, plus you're more than qualified to work with us, other than the fact that you'd need to go through the fbi training."

"actually i've already been through it," you nonchalantly admitted with a shrug.

"you have?" he questioned as his eyebrows raised in shock. "why haven't you decided to work at the fbi then?" you shrugged at his question.

"i guess i just thought i wouldn't fit in enough?" you said, clearly realizing the contradiction to your earlier statement about imagining yourself on the team. "besides, i got a job at the firm as soon as i got out of the academy, so it all worked out fine."

"actually, reid, that's a good idea," aaron said as he turned his attention to you. "would you be interested in working at the bau with us?" he asked with a small grin, the thought of working with his sister already bringing a smile to his face.

"wh-don't-wouldn't you have to ask your boss about that? that's a big change, adding a new member to a team. you guys already work so well together..." you trailed off, trying to come up with an excuse.

"strauss?" derek asked in feigned disbelief. "she loves you, kid. which is kind of odd since it seems as though she doesn't like hotch as much," derek chuckled.

"oh my god! imagine it, y/n!" penny yelled in excitement. "you could see us everyday, and you wouldn't have to deal with those buttmunches you work for!" she announced.

"used to work for, two weeks from now," you laughed. "and it sounds amazing, but aaron already works there. i'm sure that's enough hotchner's for you guys," you shrugged with a smile.

"that's nonsense!" emily disagreed. "two of my favorite people working with me?! an absolute dream, i tell you," she grinned.

"i guess if you talk to erin about it and she's alright with it..." you trailed off with a huff. "how could i say no?" you smiled.

"oh my gosh this is so exciting!" penny announced, jumping up and rushing arounf the table to hug you. "i'm so ready to work with you!"

"let's not get too beyond ourselves, pen," you giggled. "she hasn't approved my addition yet."

"come on, she's gonna approve it, y/n," dave commented.

"whatever you guys say," you laughed.

you all finished eating, and received the check for lunch of which david insisted on paying. you went up to him afterwards and insisted on paying your part of the bill, but he said it was 'his treat for this wondrous occasion.'

you reluctantly made your way back to your office, the lingering stares from your bosses not going unnoticed. you couldn't wait for those two weeks to be over and for you to be able to leave that hell hole behind, whether you got the job at the bau or not.

you sat down in your chair and reached for your blazer only to realize you must've left it back at the restaurant. great. there goes that 50 bucks.

"hey, sweetcheeks," ron, one of your bosses, commented upon his entrance to your office.

"how many times do i have to tell you not to call me that?" you rolled your eyes, finishing up on the transcript you would need for the case you had tomorrow.

"oh, come on. you know you love it," he said, walking further into your office and sitting on the corner of your desk, ignoring the two chairs that remained across from you. you closed your computer and looked into his eyes, shooting daggers at him with your own.

"what do you want?" you spat at him, wanting to get him out of your hair as soon as possible.

"well, you won't be an employee in two weeks," he announced as if you hadn't already known.

"i'm well aware," you sassed back, trying not to slap him across the face at the fact that he was no longer looking at your eyes, rather further south from them. you snapped your fingers to bring his attention back to your face. "what. do. you. want?"

"well, honey pie, i was just wanting to take you out. y'know, after you're done here," he bit his lip, trying to be seductive but massively failing.

the terrible thing about this fool is, he doesn't know what the word 'no' means. he's always made passes at you, and commented on your appearance. it, of course, made you uncomfortable, but you couldn't really do anything about it. the hopes of getting a promotion was greater than your uncomfortability.

"i've seen the way you look at me, it's no secret," he said, getting off your desk and walking closer to you.

"you mean it's no secret that i find you absolutely repulsive?" you snapped. "shocker," you widened your eyes to feign surprise with your remark.

"are you serious?" he said, his 'seductive' smile now turning into a frown.

"are you serious?" you asked in disgust.

you placed your laptop in your bag, taking your keys out of the bag in the process and beginning to walk out of your office to avoid the man standing there. he grabbed your arm, forcing you to face him.

"don't walk away from me," he gritted, his face red with anger. his grip on your arm tightened, surely leaving a bruise in its wake.

"then don't fucking touch me," you said, attempting to yank your arm away from him, only failing to do so. "let go," you demanded.

"sorry, sweetcheeks, i didn't get that," he smirked. that fucker smirked at your struggle.

knock. knock. knock.

you turned to see whoever was at your door. it was none other than dr. spencer reid. holding your blazer in his hand. you furrowed your brows in confusion before ron decided to drop your arm.

"what the hell is going on?" spencer asked, his eyes not leaving ron's defensive stature as he placed the jacket on one of the chairs by your desk.

"nothing, right doll?" ron looked at you, a disgusting grin on his face.

"yea, right," you rolled your eyes.

spencer's eyes trailed back to you and your arm ron was once holding, right where the red mark is. you swore that if looks could kill, ron would've died the second spencer knocked on your door.

"then what's that on her arm?" he questioned, moving closer to you and pushing you behind him defensively. "you hurt her," he accused. you stepped to his side, noting the way he tried to take charge for you.

"spencer," you placed a hand on his arm, forgetting his thing about germs for a second in attempt to calm him down. "i can handle this," he turned to face you. "i've dealt with this asshole for nearly 8 years, isn't that right, ron?" you questioned with a sneaky grin.

"who the hell is this guy, sweetcheeks?" he questioned as if you had an obligation to tell him who he was.

"you don't get to know that. and you don't get to call me that, either," you reminded him, having to bite your lip to try not to explode on the guy.

"are you fucking this guy?" he accused you. you pushed spencer out of the way, and squinted your eyes at him in disbelief.

"you're seriously asking me that?" you asked. "if i was, it's still none of your fucking business, asshole!" you said getting closer to his face in order to make a point.

slap!

the asshole slapped you.

spencer quickly grabbed you and moved you out of the way before pushing the guy into the wall, knocking your fake plant over as well as a few books on the shelf on the wall. ron's face was smashed into the wall, one of his arms twisted behind his back as both were in spencer's grasp.

"don't you dare touch her. ever again," he demanded, twisting his arm even further, ron squirming to get out of his grip. "did you hear me?"

your hand cupped the side of your face, the sting from ron's wedding band hurting more than you would've thought.

"ahh! yes! yes, i heard you!" he squealed.

"good. now you can apologize to her like a gentleman," he ordered, pushing his arm further up into his back to elicit another groan from the man, you had a hard time keeping a straight face from the scene in front of you.

"shit! ouch! okay! i'm sorry! i'm sorry!" he apologized in a high pitched tone, still trying to get out of spencer's grasp.

"good job," he released him from his grip, a sigh coming from ron at the freedom his arm received. "now go before i change my mind and cuff you right here," he ordered.

"cuff me?" he asked in disbelief. spencer pulled his fbi badge out, flashing it in ron's face, noticing the way his eyebrows shot up. "oh shit."

you moved your hand away from your face, looking at your hand and noticing the patch of blood that remained there. you wiped your cheek, trying to stop the blood flow.

"what did i just say?" spencer asked. "leave. now."

"right," ron said, walking back over towards the door, whispering to you on the way out. "don't bother coming to work tomorrow. or ever again."

"oh that'll be no problem, boss," you scoffed as he made his way out of the door, leaving you and spencer alone in your office.

"i'm uh, sorry about your plant," he pointed at the fake succulent that lay on the floor.

"it was fake anyway," you shrugged as you kneeled down to pick it up as spencer began picking the books up. "thank you, by the way," you smiled at the man.

"it's nothing, really," it was his turn to shrug. "hotch wouldn't have let me on the next case if i didn't intervene in whatever was going on."

oh. so that's why he helped you. of course it was. you were his superior's little sister, nothing else.

"so, what brings you here?" you asked as he offered you his hand to help you stand up, you gladly took it and rose to your feet. "oh sorry, you have a germ... my bad" you grimaced at the thought of making him uncomfortable.

"oh, don't worry about it. and i was actually here to bring you your blazer," he said, retrieving the jacket from the chair and giving it back to you. "i uhm, you forgot it at the restaurant."

"right, i noticed that once i got here. thank you," you thanked him, placing the jacket over your arm and picking up your bag. "you've already saved me twice today and we've only just met," you laughed.

"it seems that way," he smiled, walking with you out of the office. he gently grabbed your shoulder and turned you to face him once you were outside. "your face is bleeding, y/n."

"oh," you reached your hand up to notice the way the blood was still lightly flowing. "oops," you laughed.

"you should clean it up, you don't need to get that infected," he suggested, his hand tracing the outskirts of ron's handprint on your face.

"thanks for the recommendation, doc," you laughed. "i think i have some stuff back at my place that i could use."

"i'm so sorry that happened," he frowned slightly, his hand dropping to his side.

"ehh," you shrugged. "i'm sure you've seen worse. besides, i can handle myself," you said as he began walking with you in the direction of your car.

"let me see your arm?" he asked softly.

you brought it up closer to his eyesight. he gently grasped your arm, nothing like the way he had done to ron earlier in your office. his touch left goosebumps on your skin, the soft way his fingers traced your arm.

"it's already bruising, so i think it's only a subcutaneous bruise, luckily," he diagnosed.

"i'll bet you could pass as a medical doctor if you tried," you noted, nudging his arm gently with yours.

"many people make that mistake already! it's a frequent misconception by a lot of people i meet," he smiled.

"if i hadn't already known what kind of doctor you were, i'm sure i might've fallen into that misconception," you added with a grin as you approached your car. "so, this is me," you smiled and nodded at the tall man.

"oh! right! uhm..." he trailed off. "it was nice to meet you, y/n," he smiled kindly.

his smile's nice. warm. very home-like.

"it was nice to meet you too," you smiled. "thank you, again. for saving me back there."

"of course. anytime. i'm just glad i got there before anything got too bad..." he furrowed his brows at the not so distant memory.

"yea, you and me both, handsome," you joked, noticing the way his cheeks blushed at the compliment. "so where are you parked? the least i could do is give you a ride to your car," you suggested.

"oh, i was actually on my way to the metro. driving isn't really my thing..." he grimaced.

"then how about i drive you home?" you asked, wanting to figure out how to thank the perfect man that stood before you.

"i-i don't want you to be going out of your way..." he shook his head.

"look, spencer, i won't force you to do anything, but i want to do this," you placed a hand on his forearm. "at least as a thank you."

"um..." he looked at his watch, noticing the time. "okay, i guess that'd be nice. besides, i've missed the last ride to where i need to go," he shrugged with a small grin.

"great! just tell me where to, doc," you said as you both got into your car.

"capital plaza apartments," he announced with a grin.

"sounds great," you said as you turned the key in the ignition, backing out of your parking spot and starting the way towards his apartment. "so, you've worked at the bau for 12 years? right?"

"yea. i started when i was 22," he announced.

"right, i remember aaron telling me how you were the youngest member of the team when you got there," you encouraged him to continue.

"right again. they actually had to make an exception to let me into the field," he laughed softly. "they had to waiver basically every physical exam on account of my mental capabilities."

"i mean, whatever works. it's so intriguing that at such a young age you know so much, and your knowledge is only expanding," you shook your head in disbelief.

"well you've accomplished quite a lot and you're only 30. working at a firm for 8 years and being as successful as you are is remarkable," he remarked.

"thank you, spencer," you looked over at the man and smiled before stopping at the red light.

"do you have any tissues?" he asked, you furrowed your brows in question. "your cheek is still bleeding," he informed you.

"oh! there right there in the glovebox," you pointed across his lap as he grabbed the tissue from the compartment and reached across the console himself.

you leaned in across the console yourself, trying to make it easier for him to wipe it off. he cautiously used it to dab the little blood remaining on your cheek off, his hand lingering for a while.

you looked up to meet his eyes, the red from the stoplight illuminating his facial structure in a way that was otherworldly. you were entranced by each others' gaze, not even noticing the light turned green until the car behind you honked their horn, alerting you to step on the gas.

"oh! sorry," you apologized, biting the inside of your lip as you continued to drive him back to his apartment.

"don't be," he swallowed the lump in his throat.

sooner than later, you pulled into his apartment complex to drop him off.

"thank you so much, again, spencer," you placed a hand on his upper arm to emphasize your thanks.

"you don't need to thank me, y/n. i was happy to help," he placed one of his much larger hands on top of yours, squeezing it gently before he made his way out of your car. "goodbye."

"goodbye, spencer," you returned as you watched him walk up to his apartment building, practically gawking at the man that saved you.

you drove back to your house quickly, entering the code for the gate. you noticed yet another piece of paper taped to the front of the gate. you ripped it off the metal, and placed it inside your bag.

upon entering you placed your bag on the hook that remained on your wall after retrieving the sheet of paper from it. you kicked your shoes off beside the door neatly, walking into your kitchen to pour yourself a small glass of wine before tending to your wound.

you walked into your bathroom and gazed at the handprint on your face, noticing the small gash that remained on your cheekbone. after washing your face, you used an antibiotic on the cut, placing a small bandage overtop.

walking into your bedroom, you admired the view from the large window as you changed into your pajamas. you were too tired to eat anything, but you knew you needed to get something into your system.

you walked back into your kitchen and found a granola bar you could eat quickly. you grabbed the sheet of paper and walked back into your living room as you continued to eat.

underneath your sofas, there are storage bins that you keep extra things inside. what also happens to be inside of that bin is a small, old shoebox. inside of that shoebox you placed the note, along with all the others you've received, not bothering to read it this time.

you made your way back into the bathroom, brushed your teeth, and returned to your bedroom.

it was a long day, very eventful. you could only hope the letters would stop if you got the job at the bau. but for now... sleep.

#ssa hotchner #y/n #spencer x reader #spencer x you #spencer reid #spencer #y/n hotchner #series #criminal minds

53 notes · View notes