#chip as a shadow member was so like ominous and then you get to know him | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ganymedesclock · 3 years

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Ooh ooh ooh, how about your version of Sonic for the powers thing?

You see, Sonic is fast, because if he doesn't keep ahead of his problems, he'll have to actually think about them, and then he'll have a crisis.

This is partially a fun opener joke and it's also not. I'll let you decide how much of each it is. In the meantime, I'm going to talk about what my reads of various canons inspire in me, and how that informs Worlds AU, a bit more than talking about Worlds AU itself.

So Sonic in the initial game canon, started out with an extremely simple conceit. You can see this mirrored across all of the non-Amy classic characters: Sonic runs, that's his thing; Tails flies, Knuckles punches, Eggman makes robots and also problems, which sort of condenses into one thing considering the role robots have in the classic games.

(that damn caterkiller has cost me SO many attempts at a chaos emerald...)

This sort of got to be a problem as the games advanced. In particular, the Sonic game I started on was Sonic Adventure 2, which pitted Sonic very prominently off of Shadow. At this point, character concepts are no longer about simple capabilities, and every other member of the cast has grown up. (even Amy... though not too much. sorry Amy). Tails is now building robots to go with how his flight allows him to reach unconventional 'tricky' routes; Knuckles is now more of an adventurer, explorer, and even a mystic given his history and relationship with the emeralds. This earthly pugilist sense grounds him in a more versatile skill-set.

Sonic... basically his gimmick was remaining true to the classic formula- he was still the one going fast, popping those shuttle loops, and tumbling through a chaotic universe. Yes, they absolutely polished this and put flourishes on it- now he's grinding rails and flipping on poles, this sense of street-smart parkour that carries him cheekily through any environment...

But he's played off Shadow, where the thing about Shadow, especially in the first game, is Shadow is a person who suppresses most of his personality for his context. Not in an inorganic or badly written sense, mind- but he outright says to Rouge at one point that it doesn't matter if anything he remembers is fake- in essence, that it's more real than he is, and a dead person's wish is more important than his life.

Shadow is a soldier, is an alien, is a bioweapon, is a teleporter and he shoots lasers. We are beyond the days of simple conceits; if he was conceived in the classic era, he'd have probably been either only a jet-skater or a teleporter, and that one conceit about how he moved through the world would've been through everything.

Sonic picks up the chaos control from Shadow- in direct reaction to Shadow- and this is commented on. In this scene, Sonic not only rejects Shadow's unhealthy obsession with context- that where he came from was everything- but mirrors it with an attitude that, frankly, to me, rings just as unbalanced- Sonic basically denies having a backstory whatsoever.

"What you see is what you get!" he says.

And that flew in the classic era. We didn't really have a consistent or strongly-drawn backstory over why Sonic was fast. Most continuities around that era point it to either an accident or a happenstance synergy with an outside force. But we didn't really need a story over why Tails can fly or why Knuckles had spurs on his fists.

But in the modern era... there's context. Many characters have superpowers. And more and more, there was a sense that those superpowers had context and history, whether the outright spelled, like Shadow (he was engineered to be capable of this; if you look at him, he has most of the abilities you'd expect of a boss fight in Resident Evil, minus the squelchy, infectious sorts and the Black Arms imply he could well have those and just not use them)

...or the simply alluded, such as Blaze's ominous comment that her flames are the reason she was always alone.

Sonic... clearly has powers. He's been reframed to keep up with he setting as it changes. But that exchange between him and Shadow- where Shadow looks at what Sonic is capable of, looks at him, and asks, verbatim, "what are you," and Sonic delivers a non-answer so naked and so certain that there's not really anything to say to that.

To this end, while I think it's highly intuitive that they picked the wind as the motif to spice Sonic up to- with its sense of freedom, and with its association with speed- I think there's also something about air in general that connects to Sonic.

Air is... omnipresent. It has an extremely complex seething system high overhead. Enormous paths and belts and spirals of wind curl over us all the time, pushing clouds the size of entire states around like it's nothing. When you look at the sky, it looks stationary. But wait, squint- it's actually moving. It's actually moving really fast.

One of my absolute favorite characterizing moments of Sonic is in Archie Comics, specifically the post-reboot series. To keep context minimal, Tails confides in Sonic that he's losing his memory of a certain incident that affected both of them, and he's worried; Sonic reassures him, typical hero big brother best friend, and gives him a big hug. The scene is warmly lit.

The very next panel is literally in the shadows, over Tails' shoulder and behind his back. And Sonic's expression is... troubled. Telling. We immediately understand from that alone he just lied, and has no ability to 'just remember for Tails'.

Sonic is not a vacuous person. He's not empty, he's not innocent, and he's certainly not just your same good nostalgic friend who never changed or got complicated so you don't have to reevaluate all of those things- the guy you can always count on, just like the sky is always there- but he sure pretends to be all of those things, and tries to keep the stormy weather as far away from other people as possible.

This is given another heroic-sounding-but-actually-concerning context in Sonic Unleashed, one of several games in which Sonic shows a maybe suspicious but profound aptitude for darkness where he guzzles and serves as a very powerful conduit for the energy of Dark Gaia, who is strongly connoted with rage, despair, denial, and other states considered bad for your health.

Sonic asks Chip- who he's just found out is Dark Gaia's counterpart- if it was his protection that kept him from losing his mind the entire time. Chip denies this, and states instead it's that "you never let the darkness win."

The thing is... anger and sadness are actually pretty important to feel. And it's actually not true that Sonic as a character doesn't feel anger- there's a few rather notable scenes in which he really loses his cool, some of them within Sonic Unleashed itself (he actually scares Eggman at the culmination of the Egg Dragoon fight) and in the game Sonic and the Secret Rings he actually achieves a super form powered by negative emotions- and that game also ends on a surprisingly melancholy note, where Shahra, when leaving Sonic, specifically gives him a bunch of tissues, a nod to how they met, and specifically "So you can cry as much as you need to."

Sonic is a good person. But Sonic is also... kind of a liar. He has this powerful connection to these highly destructive and dangerous entities- Dark Gaia, Chaos- and this is a thing he, pointedly, doesn't wonder about. And it's not arrogance, or an inability to consider the possibilities- in Sonic Colors he is very real with himself that he can't outrun a black hole, but only admits that once Tails is out of earshot on the one safe ride away from it- and while gearing up to try to do so anyway.

Wind is a contradictory thing. In the sky, we consider the possibility of ultimate freedom; flight and wings are often depicted as symbols of enormous power and efficacy because the very notion of being able to go wherever you want to captivates us.

On the other hand, though, a state of freefall is terrifying. In the unparalleled freedom of the sky, absolutely nothing can catch you if you fall.

(you know, except Tails, if you're fighting Eggman in Marble Garden- I'll leave)

We can talk about a bolt from the blue, a sudden storm or a just-as-sudden clear blue sky... the mechanisms of the air around us are often very hard to perceive for their superficial simplicity. And on sunny days when the wind lazes slowly through the leaves, it's hard to think of it as capable of hurricane forces.

I guess the note I want to leave this on is, it's pretty interesting how Sonic genuinely likes running, but he also tends to either outrun or fight anything that stresses him out- and "what he is" and "what he's capable of" is something he really doesn't like talking about even if he's happy to show or compete it.

#Sonic the Hedgehog #Sonic worlds AU #readmore

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whattimeisitintokyo · 3 years

Text

Somos Familia Ch 45: Shantytown

The flight wasn’t a long one given how surprisingly fast Frangipani was able to fly, and soon she descended down upon an ancient Aztec pyramid. Unlike the rest of the city, with its dazzling lights and colors, the pyramid was cold and void of anything magical. Pieces had chipped and crumbled off and there was an ominous presence in the air. For the first time since coming to the Land of the Dead, Héctor finally felt like he was in a place of devoid of life.

In a show of good grace Frangipani did not let Héctor make a fool of himself by trying to climb down her side since it was such a hassle getting up. Instead she slowly shrank herself like a deflating balloon until she was the size of housecat, prancing off between his and Leti’s legs with Dante happily trailing after and barking at his friend. Héctor was grateful for that, but Frangipani’s large mass had done it’s damage and he was left with a huge case of saddle soreness. He wobbled around bowlegged trying to work out the kinks in his legs, wincing and hissing with each step.

Hearing Leti giggle at his predicament, Héctor gave her a playful glare. “Don’t laugh. I’ve got old bones.”

Leti shook her head with a smile. “You’ve got old muscles. Once we get down to Shantytown, then you’ll really see some old bones.”

“Shantytown, eh?” Héctor asked warily, stretching his leg out one final time as he peered down into the dark shadows below. He could hear water splashing faintly against the rocks and could already smell the mildew from all the way up top. He raised an eyebrow at her. “Ernesto is down there?”

“Uh huh!” Leti nodded, “Every Dia de Muertos Tio Nesto always gives a portion of his offerings to the people of Shantytown. And he always makes a grand speech and visits with everyone. He’s definitely down there!”

Héctor remembered well how he could usually tell that his daughter was lying. She would always talk extra brightly, smile just a little too widely. This time was no exception, and her new skeletal grin just made her smile wore wider. Or rather, this time it was like a lie mixed with the truth. Apparently this would be something Ernesto would do; he was sometimes charitable in life. Not as much as he and Imelda were, but for Ernesto each charitable moment was a triumph in his opinion.

“Okay.” Héctor nodded, grimacing again at the bleak murkiness below. “Seems kind of shady though.”

“Oh, I’ve been here loads of times, Papá.” Leti reassured him. “It may look scary and depressing… well it is depressing, but the people here are more friendly than anyone else. You’ll see. And we’ll get down that way.”

Héctor looked over to where she was pointing and gave a soft ‘huh’ in surprise. There, situated at the top of this ancient pyramid, was an escalator. It stood out against it’s surrounding so badly that Héctor felt stupid for not noticing it sooner. Seeing her father’s confusion Leti explained. “Oh, Tio Nesto had that installed a few years ago. Comes in handy, especially those with brittle bones.”

Héctor was puzzled. “You can still get brittle bones after you’re dead?”

“Oh sure.” Leti said. “Brittle, broken, ground to powder, stolen, misplaced. Just depends on how long you’ve been dead of if you are being forgotten. But anyway, the escalator helps those kind of people in need. Come on!”

All four of them walked toward the top of the moving staircase, Frangipani shrinking even more to her initial tiny size before plopping down onto Leti’s shoulder. Before Leti could reach for the handrail, however, a high-pitched whine stopped them. Turning back around they saw Dante sitting several feet away from them, head lowered and eyes looking pitifully afraid. A click of the tongue could not get him to budge, nor did the gently nudge from behind when Héctor went to fetch him. Dante just kept looking wide-eyed at the grinding metal plates before him, just waiting to slice of sensitive pads of the feet.

“Aww, he’s afraid of the escalator Papá.” Leti cooed, and even Frangipani gave a simpering little toot of compassion. “Looks like you’re going to have to carry him the whole way down.”

“Wha-?” Héctor started to protest, but three pairs of huge pouting eyes stopped him from saying anymore. With a groan of disgust he reached down to pick up Dante, difficult to do due his bony limbs and squirming body, but finally was able to hold him in an awkward spooning position. “Happy now, pelón?” he asked, and his answer was a happy slurp across the cheek.

It must have been a sight to see: A guitar-wielding old man carrying a dog like a small child, while with his skeleton daughter had an elephant on her shoulder, all riding down an escalator in awkward silence. It actually was pretty funny of one thought about it. Luckily, no one was there to see them, at least until midway down the giant pyramid. On the opposite escalator going up Héctor could see two figures emerging from the mist. Leti did too and with a gasp of surprise she started to wave. “Mama Chavela! Mama Rocío! Como estas?!”

“Hola, nieta!”

As the two parties drew closer together, Héctor saw that they were two skeletal old ladies. Both were dressed in faded gowns that looks as though they had been patched and mended several times over the years. Both were holding two baskets each that were overflowing with breads, fruits and vegetables and one lady had a small guitar strapped to her back.

Even closer still Héctor could see that these ladies were not like the skeletons he had already seen. Instead of the clean pearly white bones he had come accustomed to, these bones were dull and gray. And, just like Leti had said before, some places were chipped off and scratched. One woman even had part on her jaw broken off and held in place with a strand of wire. Héctor was slightly taken aback by the ladies run down looks, but Leti paid them no mind.

“Looks like you both got a good haul this year!” she said.

“Oh yes! We’re on our way to the trade show right now while the good items are still out.” One of the ladies said, shifting the baskets onto her hipbones for more support.

“Who’s your handsome young friend, Leticia?” The other asked.

“This is my Papá! He’s been cursed and we need to get a blessing from Tio Nesto or else he’ll die at sunrise.”

“Oh that’s nice dear.”

“Have fun tonight!”

“Adios!” Leti waved them goodbye as they finally passed each other up. Continuing down on their journey, Leti shrugged a little. “They’re a little batty, but still very nice. And Mama Rocío makes the best Shantytown ponche for Los Posadas.”

“Why did they call you nieta?” Héctor asked.

“Oh, heh. It’s just a term of endearment.” Leti said. “See, Shantytown is full of the nearly forgotten. They have no family, no ofrendas, no homes. So they all bundled together and made their own family with each other. And I’m an honorary member since I’m not forgotten yet, but I come here all the time.”

“So those ladies looked like that because they’re nearly forgotten.”

“Si. This whole place runs on memories, Papá. The more well remembered you are the longer you get to stay here. But, in the end, if no one remembers you… You just… go…”

The way Leti trailed off, so sad all of a sudden, didn’t sit well with Héctor at all. In fact he was starting to grow afraid. “Go where?” he was hesitant to ask.

“No one knows.” she said. “It’s called the Final Death.”

“Wait a minute! You can die again?!” Héctor was appalled. “No! I… I couldn’t watch you die again! I can’t.”

“Everyone gets forgotten eventually, Papá.” Leti reassured, and then actually had the nerve to get a little cocky. “Besides, I’m the tragic daughter lost from one of the richest families in Mexico. I’ll stick around for a while yet.”

It didn’t seem to make sense to Héctor at all, the way everyone was so nonchalant about the fact that they were dead and could die again at the drop of a hat. Even his own daughter was making jokes about it. If he were the one on the verge of being forgotten he would be an inconsolable mess, probably unable to do anything other than curl up in a ball and wait for the inevitable.

But as they reached the end of the escalator he was surprised to see that Shantytown didn’t look like the wretched, miserable place that it looked from above the mists. There was loud music playing, unfortunately, and laughter and all other sorts of rabble. Behind the giant stone arch there were bright lights shining through and Héctor could see papel picado hung up. Confetti and golden flower petals were strewn about all over the ground.

And there was one other thing.

Shantytown actually looked… nice.

It was on the water, which explained the musky smell, but the houses there were less like shanties and more like riverside condos. Several floors high and stacked as haphazardly as every other building in this realm, but much more sturdy. All painted a warm brown color and with beautiful murals on every other wall, high archways and clean clay tiles on the roofs.

The was a walkway that wove through the water and connected all of the houses together, made out of concrete and cobblestones with lamps illuminating the way down. All in all it looked like a very nice place to live and a realtor’s dream location.

Again, Héctor was confused. “Uh… Shanty-town?”

Leti nodded. “Yeah, the name has stuck but believe me that this place was worse years ago. Rotting wood and pallets, rusted sheet metal, garbage everywhere. It was a terrible place to spend the last few days before the Final Death. But Tio Nesto got several other celebrities and wealthy citizens to pitch in and completely remodel the place!”

“It’s very nice.” Héctor admitted as he put Dante down on the ground. As he released him Héctor grimaced when he looked at his hands. The were completely skeletal now and reaching well past the wrist.

Leti smiled appreciatively, but then sniffed the air like a snob. “Well, I still say it’s a work in progress.” And Héctor laughed at that.

Several skeletons wandered all over it, going to neighbors houses with arms full of the same offerings as the two old ladies. They all seemed to be converging onto one spot in the middle of town, though. It was a much larger area, but still too small to be considered a plaza, but big enough to hold a huge pile of offerings stacked as high as some of the buildings. An absolute mammoth amount of bread, vegetables and fruits, cooked meats and musical instruments piled in a somewhat strategic manner so that it didn’t topple into the water below. But it was clear that it had been slowly picked away as the minutes passed, and currently there were around a dozen other Shantytown skeletons situated around it passing out offerings.

“Oye, Paola. I managed to save you some grapefruit this time. I know you missed out on them last year.”

“Three guitars? What are you trying to do, Primo? Start a band? Have some more food instead.”

“Señor de la Cruz must hate bananas because we’ve got tons of them! Caramelize ‘em, mash ‘em, make ‘em into bread. A very versatile fruit, c’mon don’t be shy!”

‘He does hate bananas’ Héctor thought with a wry grin. ‘No wonder he’d give them all away-… Wait.’

“This is a lot of offerings.” Héctor said as he watched a small boy tuck in eagerly to the shiny red apple that was atop his own pile of goodies. “I’m surprised he’d just give it all away.”

“Nah, just a tiny bit.” Leti said. “But, in Tio Nesto’s case, a tiny bit means an entire mountain! Speaking of… Oye, Tío Jaime!”

One of the skeletons handing out offerings, who was no older than twenty but looked like he had osteoporosis in every visible bone, smiled as Leti came up to him. “Hola, Leti. You’re here awful early tonight. Did you already visit your family?”

“Si, but not as long as I would have liked. As you can see…” She gestured to Héctor, and when Jaime looked towards him his eyes bugged out a little. “…I have a bit of a problem.”

“Santa Maria…” Jaime breathed out, and soon every skeleton was looking at Héctor again astonishment. A couple of jaws even fell off and splashed into the water. Héctor just cringed out a smile and waved to them all. “Espera… Is that Héctor Rivera? Your papá?”

Leti walked to Héctor and grabbed him by the wrist to hold his hand up as high as she could, showing off the shiny white bones that were exposed. “My papá has been cursed, and he needs a blessing from Tio Nesto before sunrise. Is he still here?”

Jaime winced and shrugged his shoulder, making an unsettling crack and pop at the slight movement. “Sorry, Leti. He was here, but after he presented us with his offerings he left. That was about half an hour ago, so he’s probably off to the party at his mansion.”

Héctor felt his chest sink at the thought that the trip to Shantytown had been a complete waste of time and now he was more cursed than before. Rolling up his sleeve he groaned at the sight of his ulna and radius making an unwelcome appearance. Bending down to Leti’s height he whispered into her phantom ear. “Mija, the curse is spreading pretty quickly. Maybe we ought to hurry things up and-”

“Well shucks!” Leti placed her hands onto her hips and comically pouted. “Looks like he’s gone already! Isn’t that just the luck? Phooey!” Then she looked up and gave Héctor a cloyingly sweet smile with too many teeth. “Before we go though, can we go see a friend of mine?”

Héctor blinked in confusion, then held out his bare arm for Leti to see. “Leticia, I don’t have time to see anyone else. I need to see Ernesto.”

Grabbing his hand and already starting to tug him away from the pile, Leti just waved him off. “Sunrise isn’t for another five and a half hours, and this will only take a few minutes. While we’re here we might as well make the most of it. Kill two birds with one stone, si?

“Two birds? What’s the second bird? Wait a moment! Leticia!”

Despite the dangerous nature of the situation Héctor let himself be dragged a ways by Leti as well as pushed by Dante and Frangipani. Maybe it was because he had just been reunited with his long dead daughter and could refuse her nothing at the moment. Maybe he was slightly curious to see what other new discovery awaited him in this new and exciting environment. But the real reason, probably, was because Héctor was somewhat desperate for any excuse to not see Ernesto as soon as possible. He didn’t want to think what would happen if he did lay eyes on him.

As they continued on Héctor could see where the restoration of Shantytown had stopped. The pristine building transitioned to scaffolding, paint buckets and blocks of concrete with yellow warning tape wrapped around it. All abandoned in favor of the holiday, Héctor presumed.

And past that was the slum that Héctor had in mind.

It was just as Leti had said: Rotting wood and rusted metal. The only thing that had been completed and stood out like a sour thumb was the walkway they were on, but even then the shanties were connected to it by moldy, broken planks. Leti just shrugged up at Héctor. “I told you it was a work in progress.”

With a skip and a wobbly jump they all made it into one such shanty, Leti knocking on the wooden wall and pulling open a moth-eaten blanket that served as a divider to the one room home.

“Buenas noches, Nieve! I thought I might find you here!”

“Of course you found me here.” A sullen female voice said. “Where else would I be?”

Holding up one finger to tell Héctor to wait there, Leti walked further in with a giggle. “Well, you could be out there getting some of Tio Nesto’s offerings. You’d better hurry before all the grapes are gone. You love grapes.”

Now Héctor was really curious as to see who his daughter was talking to and why. Staying put he carefully pulled back the curtain slightly to peek out. Standing there with Leti was another young girl, a teenage one at that, standing by an open window looking out. She was wearing a tattered blue shirt, a gray skirt and a dingy straw hat. She was barefoot and a little dirty, but Héctor noticed that she didn’t seem as run down as everyone else in Shantytown. Her bones were still a nice cream color.

But her eyes. They looked so sad and angry all at once. And they held a wisdom in them that only came with either a rough life or, given her young stature the passage of time. Héctor knew that he was really looking at an old soul. An elderly woman trapped in the body of a child. She had been dead for quite a while.

“I don’t want any of that stuff, I just want to be alone tonight.” the girl, Nieve apparently, said. “Why are you here anyway? Why aren’t you with your family?”

Leti shuffled her shoes against the dirty floorboards and smiled. “Oh you know, some stuff happened. One thing led to another, that sort of thing. But I get it: You don’t want any of Tio Nesto’s offerings. But it is Dia de Muertos, and everyone deserves a little something, sooo… I brought you an offering of my own!”

Nieve then turned to her, and Héctor saw her look at Leti in anger. “You didn’t go to my ofrenda, did you? I told you I want nothing to do with that man or anything else he gives me.”

‘Ah, so that’s why she’s different.’ Héctor thought. ‘She’s not being forgotten. But then… why is she here?’

“No, no!” Leti reassured her. “I would never do that to you! No, but my offering is a man. Someone I know you’ve been dying to meet for years, figuratively speaking.” Walking back to the curtain Leti pulled it aside to show Héctor in full form. “Okay, you can come in now.”

Héctor walked slowly, not wanting to shock the poor girl with the sight of a living, fleshed out man. Nieve was slightly taken aback by his appearance at first, but then recognition kicked in and the girl’s eyes widened. She just stared at him in shock, not saying a word. Héctor shifted the guitar on his back awkwardly and gave a small grin. “Hola.”

She still said nothing. Just stared at him some more in amazement and a little fear.

“Nieve, let me introduce you to my Papá, Héctor Rivera.” Leti said as she pulled Héctor closer to Nieve. “Papá, this is Nieve Mendoza, and she is a very close friend of mine! And she’s always asking about you constantly!”

“Oh, I see.” “Héctor said. “Are you a fan?”

That seemed to jumpstart Nieve’s brain, and she croaked out. “N-no, I’m just… are you dead?”

“Nope, just cursed!” Leti said. “We have to get Tio Nesto’s blessing but sunrise or else he’ll be stuck here.” Raising up Héctor’s wrist again, she showed Nieve his bony hand. “See?”

Anger came back full force and Nieve hissed out, “You idiot! He’s on a timeclock and you waste his time by coming here. You need to get him to de la Cruz now before it’s too late!”

Leti was crushed. “But I thought you said you wanted to see him as soon as got here! Well now he’s here!”

“Never mind what I want! He needs to get a blessing now! So get out, both of you!”

“But don’t you want to talk to him?”

“No! I don’t!”

“Please, Abuelita! He’s your-”

“BASTA!”

……..

There was a silence that hung heavy in the air now, both girls panting softly and both looking at Héctor with trepidation. Héctor was now shocked into silence, his mind not quite working out what was happening in such a short amount of time. Nieve pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed harshly. “Leticia…”

“I’m so sorry, Nieve!” Leti said. “I didn’t mean to call you Abuelita. It just slipped out!”

Nieve glared hard at Leti. “Oh really? Because this is the first time in twenty years that you have ever called me Abuelita.”

“Oh, is it? Well then… oops?” Leti smiled widely, in that way Héctor remembered she used to do when caught in a lie.

“You little…” Nieve growled.

“Another term of endearment, mija?” Héctor asked.

Both girls looked at him, and Héctor grinned nervously. “Th-that’s what that was right? Because everyone in Shantytown is just one big family with different rolls and such… And it’s funny! Because you called her your grandmother even though she’s so young, right? I mean… Why else would you call her… that?”

Nieve didn’t look him in the eye anymore, couldn’t. She just stared down at the floor, looking sad and thoroughly ashamed. Leti bit her bottom lip and also couldn’t meet his eyes. Héctor still felt the smile on his face, but he could also feel the blood draining from it too. And suddenly it was hard to breathe.

“I’ll leave you two alone.” Leti whispered and rushed out of the shanty as fast as she could.

Héctor didn’t even notice. He just kept staring at this young girl in front of him, looking at every detail of her face to find… he didn’t exactly know what. Similarities? It was hard since she didn’t have any skin to look for dimples or curves of lips or anything like that.

She did have sharp cheekbones, though. Just like he did…

Finally Nieve looked up at him, her features schooled into a more neutral expression. Bending down she picked up an old wooden crate, walked over to him, and set it down in front of him. Then she turned back to the window and leaned against the railing. The exact same position that he first saw her in.

“Have a seat…”

#somos familia #coco fanfic #pixar coco #coco pixar

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magma-cjay · 3 years

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https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D14119800/

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Bruno was unable to fly for the meantime, but he didn’t let it hinder him too much. It was the early morning of a lovely day, and he had gone on a stroll by the beach, with Risotto, his gilled neck clad in a wet cloth, was able to follow him. “Wait up, Bruno!” Risotto called out. “I can only crawl so fast!”

Bruno stopped in his tracks and let out a sheepish grin. “Dear me, I’m very sorry,” he laughed. “I’ll wait for you to catch up, don’t you worry.” Risotto grinned back at the harpy and crawled his way over, dragging his cumbersome ebony tail behind him. He gazed up at Bruno towering over him, much taller on dry land than he was, the merman being bigger but unable to stand up.

A harpy who couldn’t fly and a merman who couldn’t walk. Risotto giggled at the idea, they truly were such an unusual couple. Both just making do with whatever they could at the moment. Both just surviving, and thriving against the odds, together. He rose to a sitting position and grasped Bruno’s hand, and they two just stared out into the sea, holding hands and gazing at the sunlit surface shining in the morning light.

They, however, failed to notice that their tender moment was being watched.

A small, lithe figure concealed in the trees above quietly took off and broke into a silent flight. He glided soundlessly off into the distance, toward the opposite end of the island, where massive stone pillars carved by the sea loomed out of the ocean like ominous towers.

The little purple harpy descended upon one of the lower, flatter pillars and alighted onto its stony surface, where, with his devilish wings folded behind him, stood the Crimson King himself, facing silently out toward the ocean.

“Bossuuu~” chirped the smaller harpy in a musical, sing-song tone. “I’m home!”

Diavolo turned toward the newcomer, spreading his wings and arms in a welcoming gesture. “Why, my adorable Doppio….Tell me, you bring me news? News perhaps of Bucciarati’s flock and those fish-tailed folk grieving broken over his lifeless carcass?” he crooned evilly to the little harpy, stroking his face gently in a motion of sinister affection.

“Actually, Bossu…” Doppio stammered, “Bucciarati is alive.”

At once Diavolo’s demeanor changed as he snapped into a fury, which frightened Doppio who flapped back with a startled cry. “BUCCIARATI IS ALIVE?” he yelled. “I slew him with my own talons! I spilled his blood into the waves and saw his remains crash into the sea, with my own two eyes! Unless…” He trailed off, pondering. “Unless it was the work of Giovanna, the healer with his accursed magic. And…and that damn mer, who must have saved his life…”

Diavolo turned his glance toward the top of the tallest of the stone pillars. “Sale! Zucchero! Luca!” he called out.

At once three winged shadows leapt off of the stone pillar and swooped over the waves toward where Doppio and Diavolo stood. They perched on the far end of the flat stone, brandishing their weapons, and bowed in fearful respect before Diavolo.

“What do you command of us, Diavolo, our lord?” hummed Luca in a flattering tone, brandishing his rusted shovel in one hand.

“I have a job for you. A little…task, may I say,” Diavolo said.

“If it involves killing someone, we’re all game and ready.” sneered Luca. He sniffled slightly, wiping the leaks from his nose and eye. Sale and Zucchero cringed at the sight. “That’s disgusting, Luca.”

“For the last time,” Luca grumbled to the other two, “I’m of the seabird-folk, dammit! This is how we get rid of the salt in our diet!”

“Then eat less salt, you teary mourning dove,” snarked Sale, tapping on his spear.

“SILENCE, YOU!” Diavolo shouted, causing the commotion of the three to grind to a halt. “As I said, I have a job for you birds of prey…there is someone I want you to take. Giovanna, their healer, is the most important member of their team. I want you to bring him to me, alive.”

“Alive?” groaned Sale in disappointment. “So we won’t get to kill anyone today?”

“You fools,” snarled Diavolo. “It’s only so I can have the pleasure of killing him myself.”

“What about the mermen who allied themselves with Bucciarati? Or even Bucciarati himself?” Luca asked.

“Hmm…Bucciarati must be wounded still, he shall be easy prey. Very well, bring him to me too, and he and Giovanna can die side by side! As for the mermen, they are of no use to me,” hissed Diavolo. “Kill them, if you wish.”

“That’s the news I’d love to hear!” Sale cackled. “Alright boys! We’re going fishing tonight!”

Diavolo paused for a moment, realizing a conspicuous absence among his henchmen. “Where the hell is Tiziano?”

Zucchero scratched his head. “We’re not sure either, my lord. We haven’t seen him in days…”

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

Diavolo groaned, displeased. "Sooner or later one of you are going to look for that damned bird. I'm not letting him slack off doing nothing" he flaps his wings in disgust and the three huff.

"Fine, after we bring you the two we'll see what we can do my lord" Sale grumbles and readies himself to take off. "Ready boys?"

"Yeahah! It's fish and chips for lunch today!" Zucchero and the others fly off. Diavolo furrows his brows.

"How dare Bucciarati think going against I, the Crimson King was a good idea!? He knows my rules!" He stands onto his pillar and growls.

"I-I don't know Bossu! But don't fear! The traitors will be here for you in no time!" "Good. Let's hope those squawking idiots are capable of they're job.. other wise I'll have to call them.." he shivers at the idea of calling up the two fabled psychos. "However they'll only be needed if Tiziano doesn't get off his lazy arse" he claws at his pillar and grumbles.

"I know Bossu! Don't worry! You are in good hands!"

"Thank you my precious Doppio... you are my most trusted asset" the King calms and smiles at his 2nd in command. He hopes that his plan will go smoothly. But we'll see what unfolds.

#Oh boy it's getting tense now #merharpyau #submission

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aldahi-rp · 3 years

Text

Reaching for the Stars

@deals-and-the-chipped-cup

Dawn considered this. "Okay next time that happens ask for... Uh.... Ask for... Um... Tell her you want a blue pillow with gold stars. And then when she turns around to take you to where it is put on the bracelet when she isn't looking. Member tho that they hafta be not looking at you when you do it for it to work though, okay? Over."

But a second later she added "Oh, wait! Unover! In case you don't like lying jist remember that you really DO want a blue pillow with gold stars if they have one, cuz you want EVERY kinda pillow they have if they have it, right?". Dawn knew what it was like to not like to lie. Neither of her parents liked to lie and so by extension she didn't either. "Or if they say they don't have one just ask for the biggest pillow they have... Something like that so they turn around and don't look at you."

---

The Doctor actually smiled. Not that Vashta Nerada were anything to smile about. Nasty little buggers the lot of them. They had killed someone the doctor had liked, beyond that, they'd killed a lot of people. Everything's gotta eat, but not everything's got to be malicious about it.

But this gave the Doctor a chance to be the Doctor. To strut about being clever and knowing things noone around her did. That, and it was a distracting topic from the total annialation of her people.

"They're the reason every sentient species has an innate fear of the dark." She said ominously. "They live in the shadows. Microscopic organisms. The piranhas of the air. Most are harmless enough. They feed on roadkill, there's probably some here now"

She ran her sonic in a huge sweep around the room and then looked at it with interest.

"But every so often you get a cluster big enough to do some real damage." She looked seriously at Nezon. "The place I'm going, the place I left Riversong's conciousness, is SWARMING with them."

When the glass doors of the bookstore closed behind them the room was... Surprisingly normal, quiet. Like any other bookstore- except the two headed man behind the counter, and some of the books written in alien script (which Belle found to her delight she could translate on her iphone!). The rest of the mall and all its insanity dropped away as Belle began pouring through books on alien cultures.

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mackinmacki · 5 years

Text

Short Cool Woman in a Black Dress

Rating: K+

Word Count: 5997

Summary: Weiss is an undercover detective, exploring the seedy underbelly of speakeasies and bootlegging during Prohibition. While working, she hears a beautiful voice coming from the prettiest woman she's ever seen. Job performance may slack during those times.

Pairing: White Rose

Notes: This is for day three of White Rose Week. Topic: Breathless

Link: (FFN) | (AO3)

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Another drink down. Weiss hated the taste, but she wouldn't let it show. The men and women around her didn't need to pretend, though. They likely wouldn't be in the bootlegging business if it wasn't for their own personal enjoyment of the substance. Though alcohol had been banned from sale for several years now, speakeasies like these kept popping up left and right. For every one the government shut down, it felt like two more would pop up in their place. It was like fighting an intoxicated hydra. That's why she was there, though: to try and put a stop to their illegal activities.

As a member of the highest authority in the region of Atlas, agent Weiss Schnee had been sent undercover into the belly of the beast. She was tasked with finding the epicenter of these illegal businesses and shut them down permanently. The more lushes they threw behind bars, the better. Of course, going undercover meant she needed to blend in with the sorts of rapscallions she would be consorting with. Unfortunately, she'd never acquired the taste for whiskey that her mother had. Still, she needed to down the foul substance and ignore the fire burning in her throat. Such vile swill. She was shocked that anyone would willingly put a bottle with it between their lips.

It would be bad enough if this was the first time she'd experienced this, but she'd been undercover in this area for two weeks now. She'd had enough alcohol to last her a lifetime, but it was starting to become worth it. Her no-nonsense attitude had ingratiated her with some of the bartenders, and slowly but surely she'd ended up sitting at the tables of more important people. Specifically, some of the runners and financiers. Their identities stayed locked in her mind until she was able to get home and jot them down. By now, she had quite a lot of juicy information to hand over to the authorities. Still, she wasn't done yet. Not after just two weeks.

Though these were all criminals who deserved to be thrown in the slammer, they were just small potatoes. There were bigger fish to fry, and these metaphors were kind of making her hungry. She slapped her hand on the table and ordered a basket of fries, which was seconded and then third...ed by others around the table. Err, anyway, these were just two-bit thugs compared to the true financiers hiding in the shadows. She had yet to meet any of them in person, but she knew they existed. It was part of her briefing when she'd initially been given her assignment. They were bootleggers and fixers, which were actually some of the more tame things they'd been accused of. No matter the risk, she wasn't willing to leave until she'd nailed those scumbags.

"Look lively, boys and girls! The entertainer's here!" Weiss quirked an eyebrow, having been in the process of getting out of her seat to leave. There wasn't any new information being passed around the table, and she didn't like to stay in these bars any longer than her job required her to. However, the promise of an entertainer was new. She had her doubts that whatever 'entertainment' was coming up on stage would help her in any way with her investigation, but it was enough to put her butt back in her seat. Might as well see what was going to happen.

From behind the scarlet curtain came a young woman with a microphone in her hand. Her silver eyes glowed beneath the dim lights that hung over the stage, making Weiss feel as if she was being pulled into a thermometer. The temperature was certainly rising in the room, so that at least made sense. She brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes, walking confidently towards the middle of the stage. Each step was followed closely by Weiss, who was glad she had sat down before her appearance. Otherwise she would've crashed down to the ground in shock and looked like a complete idiot.

Whoever this woman was, she was absolutely stunning. Her body was hugged so perfectly in a little black dress, looking as if it had been tailor-made just for her. She could hardly believe that someone as beautiful as her would even take a second glance at a ragtag place like this. What circumstances must have befallen this young lady to make her come in here to entertain layabouts like these? At the same time, she felt incredibly lucky that she had, for she was completely smitten. She tried to make herself appear impassive about the whole situation, but she had a feeling she was failing.

When she started to sing, Weiss knew she could not appear impassive. No way, no how. With her short, fluffy-looking hair, the woman looked like one of those flappers that her father always railed against as destroyers of the decency women once had. However, her voice didn't sound like that of a carefree tart. She sounded like an angel who had descended down from the Heavens to grace these poor heathen ears with her song. It was a voice that would've knocked her right off her feet if she'd been standing. The fries she'd ordered were dropped in front of her, but she didn't even notice them. All of her attention was focused on this incredible woman.

Her singing was so captivating that time passed by without her noticing. More people slipped into the speakeasy to have a drink and take in the show, but she was too distracted to think about working information out of them. As far as she was concerned, nobody else in the bar existed. Every seat was empty, and this woman was performing for her personally. This was her own private concert, and she was willing to scream for encore after encore.

Sadly, it had to end at some point. Before she was ready for the woman to go, she was waving to the audience and disappearing behind the same curtain she'd come out from. The stage was now empty, and Weiss felt the same way. She kept staring at the curtain, concentrating hard on the spot where she had disappeared. Maybe if she stared long enough, she'd come back out and sing again. That, of course, did not happen, and she finally stopped looking when she realized that she must've looked really stupid.

Looking down at the table, she finally realized that her fries had been brought to her. When had that happened? With a longing sigh, she picked up one and ate it, immediately sticking her tongue out in disgust. 'Ugh, they're cold.'

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Over the next week, she spent more time in that particular speakeasy than any others. She was supposed to be working her way up the ladder to schmooze with the bigwigs who ran these operations, but that no longer felt like her primary goal. As much as she tried to concentrate on her job, she always found herself tapping her fingers on the table, her eyes glancing towards the stage as she impatiently waited for the mysterious singer to show up. When she didn't, she was inevitably disappointed. However, when she did show up, then her thoughts were consumed by nothing but her for the rest of her night. This ended up making her a complete waste at her job.

Not that she minded too much, though. Her badge came second to her falling in love with this complete stranger. It was silly for her to feel that way: to even invoke the word 'love' for a person she only knew for her looks and her voice. Ah, but the heart never really listened to the brain all that often. Her sister had once told her that, but she'd paid no heed to it until now. Those looks and that voice... they were better than anyone else on this planet, she was sure of it. And maybe it was in her head, but she was sure that one time, when she had winked at the crowd, she had specifically winked at her.

A week after she'd first laid eyes on her silver-eyed seductress, she was expecting nothing more than what happened every day she saw this woman. She would come on stage, sing for a crowd that certainly didn't deserve her, then leave with a wave, as if she'd never been there at all. Today was different, though. When she was finished singing, she didn't go back into the curtain from whence she came. Instead, she set down the mic on stage and stepped onto the dirty floor. She started walking forward, past table after table. Her eyes seemed to be focused on one particular table... the one Weiss was sitting at.

That immediately sent her heart into panic mode. Her brain soon followed suit, and she nearly jumped right out of her chair and beat it to the bathroom to hide. However, if she did that, then the singer might think that she was responsible for her quick exit. Which she would've been, but not for the reasons she may think. Therefore, she stayed sitting, her muscles locking up on her as she made a good impression of a statue.

"Careful with that broad, Whitey." She flinched at the sound of someone speaking in her ear, turning to look in the face of her 'compatriot' Chip-Tooth Charlie. They called him that on account of his chipped tooth. Go figure. "I see you makin' eyes at her, but be warned. She knows where it's at. Don't get too attached, bud." Well, that was ominously vague. Weiss didn't have much time to ruminate on that advice when 'the broad' came over to the table, a little sway to her hips that emptied Weiss's mind.

"Heya, fellas! Havin' a good time?" Everybody gave their assent except for Weiss, who found that her vocal chords didn't want to work properly. Really, anything in that area of her body had just completely shut down. Staring at the beauty before her was suffocating her in the best possible way. This person was so damn unbelievable that they had completely taken her breath away, and she didn't even know her name. She had to know it, though. The unknown was killing her, with the whole 'suffocation' thing and all.

"What's your name?" She blurted out her question, with the rest of the table chuckling at her. Shrinking in her seat, she scowled in embarrassment, but the singer didn't appear to be laughing at her. She had such a good-natured smile on her face that once again, Weiss couldn't believe that she would be spending her time here. The more she was falling for this woman, the more she had worried about that fact. Being here was at the very least being complicit with illegal activities. Even if she wasn't running or mixing herself, she could still get a slap on the wrist. She didn't want any legal repercussions falling upon her. Not on her watch.

"My name's Ruby Rose. And may I ask yours?" Ohh, she asked it so sweetly. Her speaking voice was high-pitched but unbelievably adorable. It sent her heart racing, and she was sure everyone at the table could hear it. They were all staring at her, knowing grins on their faces. Those stupid buffoons weren't stupid enough to ignore her obvious feelings for Ruby Rose. Stupid gay heart making her feel this way.

"Uh, Whitey Morton." She internally cringed at the fake name she was forced to give her. There was no way she could go undercover using her actual name, even more so when her family name was very well known. She'd come up with the Whitey Morton moniker to avoid suspicion, and thankfully it had seemed to work. Nobody had questioned her or put any theories out there that she was related in any way to the Schnees. She didn't want this goddess upon the Earth to know her as Whitey Morton, two-bit boozerunner. She wanted her to know her as Weiss Schnee, rich heiress who was very much wanting to take her out on a Sunday stroll. Nobody went out on Sunday strolls with gals like Whitey Morton.

"Well, glad to finally speak to you, Ms. Morton." Ruby winked at her, and Weiss was sure her heart had stopped. Her eyes actually widened for a moment, afraid that a mere wink from this woman had sent her into cardiac arrest. What a way to go, huh? After a few seconds of not being dead, she tried to resume her normal air of coolness. From the way Ruby was looking at her, she had a feeling that it wasn't working.

"Cripes! It's the feds!" Weiss reluctantly broke eye contact with Ruby to look over towards the front, where the doorman was rushing towards the center of the room. He was wild-eyed, like a jack-in-the-box about to pop out at any second. "Beat it, cats! The cops are here!" No sooner had he said that when the sound of sirens outside could be heard. He hadn't been kidding: the cops really were there.

Immediately a panic set in. Patrons toppled over chairs in their haste to get up and escape through the back door. There was only one exit, however, which meant a lot of crowding. People who had just been drinking together were shoving each other out of the way in an attempt to get down the hallway first. Weiss's table quickly dispersed, and by the time she got herself on her feet, her fellow small-timers had already fled. Without thinking, she rushed around the table, grabbed Ruby's hand, and pulled her towards the exit.

"Ah, wait! Ms. Morton!" Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the bartender shutting cabinets in a vain attempt to hide the truth before he too made a break for it. She couldn't believe the police were already raiding this place, though. Her report hadn't even been completed yet! They were jumping the gun too early. If the bigshots got wind of what happened, they might go underground for awhile. Then she'd have to wait a very long time to get another shot at them. She cursed her luck under her breath while she headed for the exit.

Now, the exit wasn't exactly cut and dry. The hallway everybody had raced down led to two separate paths. She already knew from sneaking around the joint that the left side led to a dead end door, so she yanked Ruby to the right. There were several doors on the right side, but one was for the bathroom and the other was a storage closet. As for the third one, it may have looked like a regular junk room on the inside, but hidden behind an unassuming shelf was a near-invisible trapdoor that led into a small tunnel. That tunnel, in turn led into the building next door: an enabler whom she had hoped to pin as well. Now those plans were scuttled for the moment.

The sound of the door bursting open reached her ears, letting her know that there wasn't a lot of time left. They could filter into the hall at any moment, and the two of them needed to make themselves scarce. Particularly Ruby. Though she could eventually pull up the proof of who she was, she had no idea about Ruby's past. She could've been a criminal mastermind for all she knew, or she could've been an innocent girl thrown in over her head. Either way, she wanted to make sure she specifically got out of there safely.

The door to the room with the trapdoor was already open, so she didn't need to waste any time opening it. Obviously the escaping patrons didn't bother with closing it back up, but she didn't have time to do it either. Besides, she knew the bartender would be on her trail, and he'd likely do it. If they didn't catch him, anyway. She hurried to the corner of the room, where the trapdoor had also been left open. Secrecy knew no bounds with these people, clearly.

"I didn't know this was here." Ruby gazed in amazement at the trapdoor, but she didn't have much time to admire its existence. Weiss was already pulling her down, and she had to do it herself or end up falling down. They went through the tunnel without a sound, having to crawl to actually get through it. While she'd known it existed, Weiss had never gone through it herself. She could only hope that the cops didn't know of it yet and had someone on the other side.

Pushing open the door on the other side, she breathed a sigh of relief when she was met with an empty room. She helped Ruby out of the tunnel and took her hand again, still focused on getting the two of them out of there safely. The store they had entered had a back door, which the patrons of the bar could all escape from without gaining the notice of the cops. If they'd all gone out the front door, then the jig would surely be up. Through the back, and nobody would be the wiser. That's where the two of them headed.

She never came to the bar in a car, trusting herself on her feet more than the time it would take to start up her vehicle. Plus, she didn't want anyone to find her in the same car when she was in her regular life. If they put two and two together, then her cover would be completely blown. There would be times when she'd need a car for her missions, but for this one, they were walking. And they kept walking until there was enough distance between themselves and the bar. Only then did Weiss realize that she'd been holding Ruby's hand the entire time.

"We should be safe now." She let go of Ruby's hand, a light blush on her cheeks. "But we should keep going, just in case they start looking around the area." Ruby nodded, looking a lot meeker than the more confident young lady that had approached her at the table. This must've been her first time experiencing something like this, so she was naturally deferring to Weiss, who appeared to know what she was doing. At least a walk would allow her a chance to breathe and figure out what she was going to do next. "So what's a pretty lady like yourself singing in a place like that?"

"I needed money for my family, and not many great working environments hire people without higher education." She laughed quietly, and Weiss turned just in time to see a slight blush on her face. It made her heart skip a beat seeing Ruby's cheeks turn pink, and she wondered if it was her 'pretty lady' comment that had done that. "It was either that or work as a secretary at some business. That's not really my thing, you know?"

"Well, a job as a secretary would be safer. Singing in a place like that is way beneath someone like you, plus you could get arrested at any moment. Your family wouldn't get much use out of your money if you were behind bars." She had a feeling that she could put Ruby on the path of the straight and narrow. Not that she'd been doing anything illegal, but the kind of pressure a place like that could put on someone like her would be immense. She needed to be in a better environment, where she didn't have to worry about the cops busting in.

"Yeah, but I don't think I'd feel very comfortable in that environment. My sister worked as a secretary after high school and... well, it wasn't really for her." She laughed awkwardly, clearly holding something back that she didn't want to say out loud. That instantly got Weiss's detective senses tingling, but she refused to pursue it any further. She figured trying to find out if Ruby had something to hide concerning her family wasn't going to get her in her good graces. These were the kind of things she could find out later. Right now, she wanted to know more about the lady herself.

"If you're hellbent on singing, then perhaps there's a different place you could use your talents. I know of a nice place that could always use a lovely voice like yours for enhanced ambiance. I'll pull a few strings here or there and I'm sure they can find a spot for you." She smiled to herself, rather proud of the way she had already thought of a solution to Ruby's problems. As long as her last name was still Schnee, she always had some clout when it came to her family's businesses and the businesses that were aligned with them. Even if she wasn't exactly daddy's little girl anymore, she hadn't been booted out of the family yet. There were still advantages there.

"Well, uh, that's mighty kind of you." Ruby blushed further, embarrassed by the compliments Weiss kept offhandedly giving her. Honestly, Weiss wasn't even sure how she could say those things without turning into a stuttering mess. She figured it was likely because she was in work mode, and she had a better grip on herself in those moments than in her private life. Not that her private life involved a lot of pretty singers in it. "But if I may ask, how can you pull those kinds of strings? Are you, uh..." She fiddled with her hands, unable to look at Weiss anymore. "Are you with the mob?" She whispered her question, looking left and right in case there was anyone who could hear her.

"Hardly. I'm..." She bit her tongue, almost giving her identity away to this complete stranger. Was she really so strung along by a pretty girl who winked at her one time? ... Yes. Yes she was. With a sigh, she knew that she was going to give away the game. It made sense, though. How else was she going to explain how she could get her a job with a Schnee affiliate? There was no coincidence on Earth that could explain it. "Alright, look, I'm going to tell you something, but you have to promise that you won't tell anyone what I'm going to tell you." Could she trust this woman? Honestly, probably not, but dammit, she was going to do it. Stupid, stupid heart...

"Oh God, you are part of the mob..."

"I'm not part of the mob!" Weiss sighed deeply and rubbed her temples. This was obviously going to be more difficult than she initially thought. "My name's not actually Whitey Morton. It's Weiss Schnee. Yes, that Schnee. I've been undercover in this area for a couple weeks now, trying to get intel on these speakeasies that have been cropping up. Which is why you can't tell anyone what I just told you." She whirled around and stared down Ruby, who jumped as she nearly ran into her. "It's imperative that I remain undiscovered so I can continue doing my job." She searched Ruby's eyes, hoping against hope that she wasn't going to turn around and tell people right away.

"Okay, so you're Weiss Schnee, of the Schnee family, and not Whitey Morton?" Weiss nodded. "And you're not a random drunk at the bar, but a cop?" Again, Weiss nodded. "Okay, so you're a narc- Uh, an officer of the law." She gulped at the sour look on Weiss's face, feeling as if she was shrinking down to the ground. "I, uh... Why, though? Why would you help me get a different job? I'm not rich or important. I don't understand."

"I..." She didn't really understand it either. The only explanation that came to mind was because she had fallen for Ruby and wanted to do something overly nice to impress her. She didn't like that explanation, though, and she chose to forcibly repress it in her mind. "Well, it's... because I feel bad that you have to spend all your time in that bar when you deserve so much more. Like I said, a voice like yours deserves to be heard by people more refined than Chip-Tooth Charlie. Being in there is illegal as well, and I don't want you to get in trouble with the law when you've done nothing wrong."

"Well..." Ruby bit her lower lip, thinking on the offer being presented to her. It was a bit vague, since she didn't know where she was going to be working. There were quite a few Schnee properties, and she didn't even know if Weiss could deliver. Then again, if she was a Schnee, then she'd definitely have pull in these matters. It'd probably get her better pay too, though she didn't know what kind of money she'd be making. It'd be better than singing in underground bars too. Was she really in a position to reject such an offer? "... Okay, I accept."

"Excellent!" Weiss beamed as she squeezed Ruby's hand again, looking at her with pure joy. Having Ruby work at one of her father's companies meant multiple things. She was going to keep her from getting arrested one day, for one. She could also have her in an easy location to reach, so that she could see her whenever she wanted. Unfortunately, her ears would no longer be gifted by that lovely voice whenever she was undercover, but that scene at the bar probably irrevocably hurt her mission there anyway. Besides, getting to stay in one of the Schnee businesses, kick up her feet, and listen to Ruby sing without worrying about the cops busted in was an even better substitute. "Now, we should go our separate ways for now. I will go and find a job for you right away. You should meet me at the La Blanca coffeeshop tomorrow morning at ten. We can discuss the details of your future employment there."

"Okay. Thank you." Ruby didn't know what else to say. Her mind was still swirling trying to take this all in. Everything about her life had been swept up in a whirlwind within the last twenty or so minutes. She'd never had anyone looking out for her like this that wasn't her immediate family. It made her suspicious, but at the same time, she felt like she could trust Weiss. She wasn't sure what exactly was so trustworthy about her, but it was making her agree to take whatever job was being offered to her. Maybe it was because she had just helped her escape the cops back there, even if she was one herself. Or it could've been the way she'd always looked at her every time she got on stage to perform. So focused, so wanting...

Shaking her head, Ruby walked back towards the car, where her car was still parked. Now she just had to avoid the cops on her way home. What fun.

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Several weeks later, Weiss walked into the office in her finest suit. She only broke out this particular suit for special occasions, and this qualified for that. Thankfully, the surprise raid on that speakeasy hadn't set her too far back, and she had ended up taking down one of the big bosses of the city's underground alcohol distribution. There was still work to be done, but it was a big deal nonetheless. At the office, she was going to be congratulated by the DA, and she wouldn't say no to the recognition. It was sure to propel her career even farther

"I must say, that was a fantastic job, Weiss." The DA shook her hand hard, pumping it up and down. He always did have a lot of energy, something that their line of work hadn't stamped out yet. "These streets are a little bit safer thanks to your work."

"Thank you, sir. I was just doing my job." She smiled, feeling that the praise was worth nearly getting her arm taken off. There was one person whom she wanted to hear praise her above all others, though. As far as she knew, Ruby had kept her word to not tell anyone about her undercover work, and she'd taken to her new job pretty well too. She'd gotten her a gig as the singer at a nearby hotel that the Schnees owned. Her singing was good enough to get her signed on the spot, and it hadn't hurt that she had Weiss vouching for her as well.

It had become routine for Weiss to stop at the hotel whenever she had time off that aligned with when Ruby was going to be singing. She'd sit down and listen to that beautiful voice, then spend time with Ruby afterwards. They would take about lots of different things, though Weiss wasn't always so forthcoming about her own job. She'd already risked a lot telling Ruby that she was an undercover agent. Saying too much more would probably get her in front of a committee. She was also pretty quiet when it came to her family life, but everything else was fair game.

Before, she'd worried that her affections for Ruby were misplaced. They didn't even know each other: they just happened to be in the same bar at the same time. As they continued to learn more about each other, her worries dissipated. Ruby was a really nice person to talk to. Somewhat excitable, but a really genuine and nice woman. Growing up, she dealt with a lot of lying and double talk. It was expected of her, even encouraged, and she'd never felt comfortable with it. She'd just fallen into it because it was what was expected of her within her family. Getting to talk with Ruby was like a breath of fresh air, though. She wanted to do this more.

So naturally, she headed right for the hotel as soon as she was done at the office. She had a bit of time before Ruby went on stage, but she had to see her and tell her the good news. Or at least the decent news. She was brimming with excitement, which was a rarity for her. Growing up, she'd always felt compelled to keep her emotions under wraps. Showing too much was beneath her, and that mindset was still with her to this day. Sometimes she couldn't contain herself, though. Knowing that she had someone like Ruby to tell this to, who would be legitimately happy for her success, was a big reason for that.

When she got to the hotel, it was about the time where Ruby would be getting ready in the employees' quarters. Weiss headed right for it, opening the door and walking inside. Several waitstaff stared at her in surprise, as nobody ever saw her walk among the help like this. She gave them a nod of acknowledgement, which was further surprising. Alas, she didn't have time for chit-chat. There was one specific employee that she was searching for.

It didn't take long to find her. She was sitting in the back, already turning around before Weiss had approached her. It helped that she'd shown up in the mirror she'd been looking at. "Weiss? What are you doing here?" She stood up, only to nearly lose her balance when Weiss hugged her. An overt show of affection in front of the other staff? That was new. "I haven't even gone on stage yet." She awkwardly put her arms around Weiss, confused as to what had brought this on.

"I stopped one of those big bootleggers I was talking about, Ruby." She dropped her voice to a whisper, not wanting anyone else to get word on what her work really entailed. "The DA congratulated me today, and I really think this is going to help me get promoted." She had a big, genuine smile on her face, which surprised Ruby. Getting to know Weiss had shown that smiles were not easy to come by. She'd learned to tell which were genuine and which were forced, and this was no doubt a legitimate one. It made her seem so much more approachable, and undeniably cute as well.

"That's great, Weiss! Congratulations!" Ruby smiled just as brightly, hugging Weiss again with more excitement. She knew how important this had been to Weiss, and how frustrated she'd been that the local police had scuttled her plans. It seemed to have all gone well in the end, though, which was awesome. They pulled away from the hug, their hands still on each other's arms. And then Weiss leaned forward and kissed Ruby, making her hands drop like a shot.

"I just had to rush straight here and tell you! You're the one person who cares the most, and-" She stopped, as if the words had suddenly been yanked from her mouth. With reddening cheeks, Ruby watched as Weiss just stared at her blankly. She was worried for a moment that she was having a medical emergency, but then she suddenly came back to life. Her cheeks went just as red as Ruby's, but it was much more apparent due to her ghost-pale skin. "I, uh..." She stammered out, dropping her arms lifelessly at her sides. "Did I just kiss you?"

"Um..." Ruby slowly brought her fingers up to her lips, touching them to feel the tingling chill. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure you did." She laughed, but her embarrassment was still evident. Both of theirs were. That had definitely not been planned nor expected. At the same time, it had felt really nice. The tingling sensation was an incredible buzz that one couldn't get in the bowels of a sleazy speakeasy. "And I, uh... I would be alright with you doing it again."

"Really?" Weiss's eyes widened, wondering if she'd heard that right. Ruby nodded her head shyly, silently backing up her prior statement. Well, if she was so willing... Weiss closed her eyes and leaned back in, kissing Ruby again. This time she was aware of her actions, and kept their lips locked longer to better enjoy it. She felt like she could get drunk off the taste of Ruby's lips, and that was one Prohibition she could no longer abide by. If only they could do this forever...

Alas, Ruby had a show to put on, and it wasn't the one they were conducting right in front of the other staff. They both broke away from the kiss at the same time, their cheeks remaining flushed with embarrassment, but also excitement. There was definitely something there between the two of them now. They just needed to figure out together what exactly it was. For now, though, there was still that job Ruby had.

"You'd better get on stage, Ruby." Weiss pulled away from her, still smiling. "I'll see you after the show." She started to walk away, then stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Maybe you can come over to my place afterwards and we can celebrate a bit more properly." Then she turned around and walked out of the room, ignoring the stares from the rest of the staff as she walked past. As for Ruby, she just stared after her, completely slackjawed. She kept staring at the door as it closed, until she finally remembered she was supposed to be doing something.

"Crap, I gotta go sing!" She ran from the vanity, hustling over to the door. Halfway there, she skidded to a stop and ran right back. "Forgot the microphone..." She held it tight as she ran back again towards the door. It wasn't that she ever sandbagged it with her singing, but she knew that there was extra incentive to do well today. With a smile, she left the room and headed for the lounge area of the hotel. Her special audience was waiting.

#White Rose Week #RWBY #White Rose #Ruby Rose #Weiss Schnee #my writing

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conciteque · 5 years

Text

Kiribaku Month - Day 19: Prom

Wordcount: 1627 words

@kiribakumonth2019

Ok this one killed me. Look at my 1.6k words when I said “it’s ok, today will be short!”. I started working at 8.30 PM for midnight too. I’m dying here. I need love.

Same potential spoilers for the same side quest. You know the drill.

Anyway, I hope you’ll at least enjoy the product of my suffering!

Day 19: Prom

Three weeks after Kacchan…

Three weeks after Deku’s reformatting, Eijirou still didn’t know what to think about Kacchan. Sure, the YuUEi unit mentioned wanting to kill his partner on a daily basis, but he also said that about Denki whenever they interacted, mostly because his electric friend had no fear of death and loved to annoy the explosive soldier more than anything. And Eijirou had always been sure that Kacchan would never kill or even seriously hurt anyone from the Resistance. Sometimes, he even thought that Kacchan saw Denki and the others as his friends, in his weird, aggressive way.

And yet, he’d killed Deku, his own partner, just like that. It didn’t even matter at this point whether or not he truly was a covert E unit. It didn’t change what he’d done. But still, Eijirou couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if Kacchan was ordered to kill Resistance members. Eijirou knew Kacchan’s mission was more important than everything to him, but… He really didn’t know what to think.

“Still thinking about Blasty?” Mina asked with a teasing smile, gorgeous in her ridiculously poofy yellow dress.

Eijirou gave her a tiny smile. He wondered how she’d act, if she knew what he was thinking about exactly.

“Yeah…”

“I’m sure he’ll come back on time,” she tried to comfort him. “And I’m glad you two have managed to sort things out, whatever it was.”

“Hmm, me too.”

And in a way, Eijirou really was happy. He’d missed spending time with Kacchan, and fishing with him had been really fun! Plus, Kacchan had been trying really hard to make things right, even if he didn’t seem to know what was wrong with Eijirou. It was sweet.

And confusing.

“Ei, stay with me!” Mina protested. “You can’t just stand here during prom, you have to dance with me!” she continued, grabbing his hand to lead him to the dance floor.

“My date stood me up, I’m allowed to mop,” he joked.

“Yeah, your date who you never invited stood you up. He doesn’t deserve you, honey. Come have fun with us!” Mina grinned.

Eijirou followed her, shaking his head.

He had to admit it, he was impressed with the Resistance’s third attempt at prom. They’d managed to set up a black tarp over the inner court to make it look like it was night, and Denki had worked hard with Mei to install tiny lights everywhere. It was already there for their second attempt, but Eijirou loved it all the same. Especially since the lights weren’t flickering ominously, this time.

Another great addition, or subtraction, in this case, was that Denki had finally understood that no, spilling a bucket of blood on the Prom Queen wasn’t a good human tradition, even if the blood was replaced with machine oil and no animal had to be harmed. Mina had almost killed him for that, the first year, and it had taken her months to get rid of all the oil in her thick hair. She’d managed to make Denki Prom Queen the second year, as a revenge, and the Resistance members had collectively decided to drop the “bucket of animal or machine blood for Prom Queen” idea after that.

As he started dancing with Mina, Eijirou decided to stop thinking about Kacchan. Eijirou hadn’t even told him that they were doing something, and he couldn’t be sure that the YuUEi unit would come before the event ended. He just wanted to have fun with his friends.

“This dress really suits you,” he said.

“Eijirou, I wore it last year,” she laughed.

“And it suited you last year too!”

“Denki said you shouldn’t wear the same dress twice,” she hummed. “But it’s not like we have a lot of fabric for this.”

“Yeah, and I’ve had the same tux all three years, so what’s the point?”

“I would have kept my dress from the first year too, if someone hadn’t ruined it…”

“Hey, it was Denki’s idea! I kept telling him it was bad,” Eijirou said.

“You could have tried harder!” she protested with a smile. “You’re our leader, use your authority!”

“I’ll try next time,” he laughed. “Tetsu isn’t coming, by the way?”

“He said he’d try, but he’s busy in the village,” Mina pouted. “He didn’t come last year either, I really wanted him to see my dress.”

“Really?” he smirked.

“For scientific purposes,” she added. “Mei wants to see how a machine would react and… you know. Yeah.”

“Sure, Mina. Sure.”

He managed to leave once the dance was over, although Mina told him that she wouldn’t let him sulk all prom. Which was stupid, because Eijirou wasn’t sulking. He was just… thinking about things, like Kacchan in a tux, or Kacchan in a tux being ordered to kill him along with the entire Resistance and smirking at the idea, like he’d smirked when he’d ruthlessly killed Deku. Yeah. Happy thoughts.

Deku was back anyway, so it didn’t matter what happened to him, right? Kacchan wouldn’t be so happy if it was a member of the Resistance who couldn’t be reformatted, would he? He’d trained them himself so they wouldn’t die as often, so he wouldn’t ruin his own efforts so easily, right?

“What the fuck is this shit?”

Eijirou turned around to see Kacchan and Deku step into the courtyard. Denki immediately walked toward the newcomers, raising his arms with a grin as he said:

“Blasty, Deku… Welcome to prom!”

Deku looked very impressed. As for Kacchan…

“What the fuck…” Eijirou heard him mutter.

It took him a few seconds to realize that Kacchan was looking at him, or at least, Eijirou supposed he was. He couldn’t help the shy smile that crept up his face when he greeted the YuUEi unit.

He was going to walk toward Kacchan when Mina descended upon the soldier like a poofy bird of prey and grabbed his arm to walk him to Eijirou.

“Finally! Blasty, it’s not nice to make your prom date wait!” she reprimanded with a grin during the short trip. “I’ll leave you two lovebirds.”

She then pranced away, grabbing Deku’s arm to force him to dance with her while Kacchan and Eijirou stood awkwardly.

“What the fuck was she talking about?” Kacchan asked after a while.

“Uh… So this is a ‘prom’,” Eijirou explained. “It’s supposed to be a formal event for humans between 16 and 18 years old, where you dance and uh… Well, you’re supposed to have food and drinks too, but we couldn’t keep that part.”

“Sounds stupid as fuck. And what’s a fucking prom date?”

“It’s someone you invite to prom, so you can go together.”

“You didn’t fucking invite me, Shitty Hair.”

Eijirou could feel his face heating. It had been a while…

“Well I… I didn’t know if you’d come. You’re busy, these days.”

“You could still have fucking asked,” Kacchan grumbled. He paused and added “Did we do that, in the past?”

Eijirou shook his head.

“You were away for the last two proms.”

Kacchan looked at the dance floor, with all the androids trying to reproduce the dances they’d seen in whatever movies they’d found. Deku was now waltzing awkwardly with Tooru, and a flash of silver told Eijirou that Tetsutetsu had managed to come, after all. The machine had a hard time following Mina, but he looked like he was trying hard. Eijirou chuckled at the sight of Tetsu’s stiff moves compared to Mina’s fluid ones.

“Anyway, I suppose you’ve come for something?” he asked, turning his attention back to Kacchan.

“Yeah, the Commander needs intel, and it seems you have that shit already.”

“Oh yeah, Mei gave me something for you,” Eijirou remembered, searching his pockets for the memory chip he got from her earlier that day. He handed it to Kacchan who left it with his pod, so it could transfer the data to the Bunker. “Is that it?”

“For now. I have to wait for further instructions.”

“You guys never rest, huh…”

“Nope, unlike you lazy fucks,” Kacchan replied. It was too dark to be sure, but Eijirou thought he saw the shadow of a fond smile on his lips.

He’d changed so much, since their first meeting. Both the real first, and the second one.

“Hey, since you’re on standby right now… You wanna dance with me?” he offered with a tentative smile.

Kacchan stared at him, and Eijirou could feel the intensity of his gaze even through the blindfold.

“Whatever. Sure. Let’s show these fuckers how to dance,” he smirked.

“Wait, you know how to dance?”

“Can’t be too hard,” Kacchan shrugged.

Eijirou managed to convince him to do something simple, like the famous ‘slow dance’, arguing that he couldn’t dance well. Which was an obvious lie, because Mina had taught him, but he really didn’t want to do anything complicated at the moment. Kacchan accepted with a groan. He seemed to like it anyway.

As they moved slowly on the dance floor, one arm on their partner’s shoulders and the other on their waists because neither could decide which to choose, Eijirou couldn’t repress a smile. He searched Kacchan’s face for a trace of the cruel smirk from that day, three weeks ago, but in the dim light, he couldn’t find it at all.

“I don’t know what the fuck you’re wearing, but it suits you,” Kacchan said.

“Thanks,” Eijirou smiled, more confused than ever.

Three weeks later, and he still didn’t know what to do with Kacchan the Elimination unit. It was like a puzzle piece that was matching nowhere in the picture Eijirou had formed for the past years. Holding Kacchan a bit closer, he wondered what would be best, between rearranging the whole picture and simply tossing aside the annoying piece.

#kiribaku #bakushima #Kiribaku Month 2019 #kiribakumonth #kirishima eijirou #bakugou katsuki #ashido mina #kaminari denki #bakusquad #prom #boku no hero academia #bnha #nier automata #nier automata au #conci writes stuff #conci is dying of hubris #but no god can fucking stop her!#watch me burn myself out for love!

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standfordslostlawstudent · 5 years

Text

The Witch Bernadette

Everyone in the town said that the house was haunted.

Weird noises, like chants and wails, could be heard coming from inside when you walked by late at night. Shadows passed by the windows day and night. A black cat was often seen perching on the dilapidated porch steps, only to disappear moments later. And someone once said that every full moon there was a woman that would appear in the attic window, peering out into the night.

Thomas Harrison didn’t believe that the house was haunted. One day when he was passing the house on his way home from school, he saw an old lady with long red hair standing in the yard, raking the leaves, and she waved at him. Thomas didn’t think she would live in the house if it was haunted.

When he got home and told his older brother, he was quickly informed that he had just interacted with a witch, and that she did indeed live in the haunted house.

Once he learned of the witch, it wasn’t long before the rest of the rumors reached him. She had lived in the house since she was a small girl, and she’d killed her parents and never married. Anyone who ventured into the house was never seen again. She wore cloaks and crystals and raised chickens in her backyard to use for ritual sacrifices.

Thomas didn’t believe it. But sometimes he got nervous when he walked by the house, so he’d quicken his pace and try not to look at it.

On the way to the bus stop one morning, a group of boys from Thomas’s class were huddled by the house’s front gate. Thomas paused as he approached them, and he realized that the three boys had cornered a black cat against the fence. It was hissing and its hair was raised as the boys laughed and threw pebbles at it. Thomas was angry, and seconds away from telling them to knock it off, when the front door of the haunted house burst open and the old woman with the long red hair appeared, waving a broom and screaming at the top of her lungs. The boys took off running, and the cat ran in the other direction, slipping into a gap between the fence and the gate and diving underneath the porch steps.

Thomas stared after the cat, relieved that it was okay, and then looked at the woman in the doorway with the broom. She stared after the boys, and Thomas thought that she looked like she might be about to cry.

He thought about that a lot as the days wore on and Halloween approached. He wondered about the woman and her cat, all alone in the big old house, and he thought, witch or not, she was probably lonely.

His class in school was studying the season of harvest, as they were in the heart of it in October, and as a lesson in helping one another, everyone was to assist a family member or a neighbor in an autumnal chore. Qualifying tasks on the list were things like canning foods, harvesting crops, freezing vegetables, winterizing boats, yards, lawn mowers and campers, and raking leaves. Most of his classmates were counting the Saturday family chores that they would have been forced to do anyway as their part of the project, and some had asked to help their grandparents with canning activities. Thomas did those things every year with his mother, but he decided that he wanted to do something more.

That Saturday, he pulled his dad’s yard rake out of the back shed and walked down the street to the haunted house on the corner. The closer he got the more nervous he became, but he soldiered on until he reached the gate. The yard was empty, and the house appeared dark. Thomas carefully inspected all the of the windows for spooky shadows, but nothing appeared and no one seemed to be lurking, so he opened the gate. He slipped inside and latched it carefully behind him. When nothing burst out of the house to eat him, he took a deep breath and went to work on the leaves.

It was a good while before he noticed her. He had several leaf piles across the yard – which was much bigger than he had realized – and his arms were getting sore when he realized the woman was sitting on the porch step, watching him.

“Hello there,” she said. Her voice was gentle and low, and not at all how he thought a witch would sound. “I’m Bernadette Stenberg. What is your name?”

Thomas wondered how long she’d been there, and how she’d silently appeared. “Thomas Harrison.”

“Nice to meet you, Thomas. May I ask why you’re raking my leaves?”

Thomas looked around at the leaf piles, suddenly worried he had done something wrong. “Um, it’s a school assignment... we’re supposed to help a friend or a neighbor with fall projects... I should have asked permission, I’m sorry...”

“No, no, there’s nothing to be sorry for.” Bernadette smiled at him. “I’m very grateful. There are a lot of leaves and my back isn’t what it used to be. Perhaps I could help you bag them up though, if you wouldn’t mind the extra hand.”

Thomas shook his head and Bernadette got to her feet. He was startled to realize she was wearing jeans, a sweater, and a jacket, and not a cloak at all. She went into the house for a moment, then came back with a box of garbage bags, and the two of them set out to bag up the piles of leaves.

When they were finished and the bags were sitting in a pile at the curb, Bernadette placed her hands on her hips and looked at him. “Could I interest you in a cup of hot chocolate to thank you for your work? That is, if your parents wouldn’t mind.”

Thomas hesitated, looking up at the big old house. He didn’t think his parents would mind, but he was slightly concerned that he did. Nevertheless, he swallowed back his fear and nodded, leaning his rake against the fence.

Bernadette held the door open for him. The black cat leapt onto the porch and scurried into the house ahead of him. A deep, bone-chilling howl sounded from deep in the house, and Thomas froze, regret clawing up his throat.

“Muninn, stille!” Bernadette called out calmly, as though she always spoke in tongues. The throaty wail died, followed by a little whimper that Thomas recognized as a dog. “My apologies, Thomas, Muninn isn’t used to company, and to be frank, he’s just plain rude.”

Thomas followed Bernadette down the hall into the kitchen at the back of the house. The floors were wooden and shiny, and there were no cobwebs or chicken bones littering the corners. There were sunflowers in a vase on the kitchen table, and the cabinets were white with little brass knobs. It smelled faintly of cinnamon and cloves. A big dog crate was nestled in the corner, containing a beast so dark and ominous Thomas nearly jumped. It took a second to realize that the creature wasn’t a bear, but simply a large dog with shaggy black hair and a violently wagging tail.

“Now Muninn, this is Thomas, and you must be nice to him. Thomas, don’t mind Muninn. I’ll leave him in his cage until you both get used to each other. Muninn is quite a presence, to say the least. Now, do you take marshmallows in your hot chocolate?”

Thomas nodded absently as he stared at the dog, then slowly took in the rest of the room. It wasn’t at all as others had described it, like the set of the Addam’s Family. It was a nice home.

“I have some cookie dough I could bake for us. Are you partial to chocolate chip?”

Thomas watched as Bernadette opened the freezer and removed a container of cookie dough balls. “You’re not a witch at all, are you?”

Bernadette looked at him in surprise, and for an instant Thomas thought she might be angry. Instead, she burst out laughing. “A witch? You thought I was a witch?”

Thomas shrugged.

“You thought I was a witch, and yet you decided to rake my leaves? Well now, that either makes you crazy, or very, very brave.” Bernadette hit some buttons on the oven and then slid her jacket off. Her long hair was tied in a braid that stretched all the way down her back, and though it was mostly very bright red, there were a few wisps of gray around her temples. “I assure you, I am not a witch. I do, however, appreciate your bravery.”

“I didn’t really think you were a witch.” The kitchen was warm, and Thomas unzipped his coat. “It’s just everyone in town said you were, and there was the howling and the weird chanting...”

“All Muninn’s fault.” Bernadette busily filled the tea kettle with water and started the stove, then dished out the cookie dough onto a baking sheet. “He’s a howler, as you already know. He also only speaks Norwegian.”

Thomas laughed.

“I’m quite serious. I went to Oslo to buy him. He was trained to respond to Norwegian commands, so that is how I speak to him. I would guess my neighbors do not know what they’re hearing.” Bernadette pulled a chair out from the table and motioned him toward it. “Please, have a seat.” Thomas sat in the chair and Bernadette handed him a mug. She sat across from him, opened a jar on the table, and scooped them each a generous helping of hot chocolate powder. “What else do they say about me?”

Thomas shrugged, unsure he wanted to share what else was said. “I mean, there’s the black cat.”

“Huginn.” Bernadette nodded and chuckled to herself. “I seem to remember a time when you saved his life.”

“No, I didn’t.” Thomas was confused.

“Well, it looked like you were about to. Those other boys were mistreating poor little Huginn, and I think if I hadn’t intervened, you would have let them have it.”

Thomas nodded. “They were being mean.”

“Thank you for watching out for my cat.” The tea kettle whistled and the oven beeped. Bernadette turned off the burner and moved the tea kettle, then whisked the baking sheet into the oven. She pulled a bag of marshmallows from a cupboard and turned to fill his mug from the kettle. “Now then, Thomas, what made you decide that I wasn’t a witch?”

Thomas took the spoon she offered him and carefully stirred his hot chocolate. “I don’t know.”

“What made you decide to rake my leaves? No one else thought of such a thing.”

Thomas took a couple of marshmallows from the bag and plunked them into his mug. He watched them bob in the steaming liquid and hoped she would forget her question, but when he risked a glance toward her, she raised her eyebrows expectantly. He looked back into the mug. “I don’t know. I just thought maybe you might like someone to rake your leaves.”

“Why?”

“Because maybe you don’t have anyone to help you, and maybe you’re a little bit lonely.” Thomas shrugged and risked a sip of hot chocolate. It scalded his mouth and he immediately lost half his taste buds, but it was worth it to have something occupy his mouth.

He glanced at Bernadette and regretted it. Her eyes were filled with tears as she gazed out the window above the kitchen sink. Huginn leapt onto the table and Bernadette flinched. She whisked a finger at her eyes and promptly scooped the cat into her lap. “Now, now, Huginn, you know better.”

“I didn’t mean to –” Thomas began.

“No, no. You’re quite right, young man. I am very lonely sometimes. Huginn and Muninn help, but it’s not quite the same. The people in this town... they’re quick to believe rumors and jump to conclusions. I’ve lived here all my life and known most of the people here since before they were born, but no one really makes an effort to even talk to me. I guess maybe they’ve always believed that witch story. But not you.” Bernadette smiled at him, then placed the cat on the floor and moved toward the oven as it let out a beep. “Not Thomas Harrison, the brave leaf raker.”

Thomas laughed and risked another sip of hot chocolate, this one burning a little less. He decided that Bernadette was pretty nice, and her cookies smelled wonderful.

They sat at the table for a long while. Thomas told Bernadette all about his family, his school, and the baseball camp he’d gone to over the summer. Bernadette told Thomas about how her parents had come to the United States from Norway, and how she spent every July there because it was a magical and beautiful land. Thomas played with Muninn and asked Bernadette a lot of questions about dogs, because when he turned ten he was allowed to get one, and that was only a year away. Bernadette asked him about his friends, and Thomas admitted that he didn’t really have any, because a lot of the boys in his class were just like the ones who wanted to hurt Huginn, and Thomas wasn’t like that at all.

“You should take great pride in that, Thomas.” Bernadette took the final sip of her hot chocolate and stood to put it in the sink. “Don’t ever think that gentleness makes you less. Will you promise me something?”

Thomas reached for a third cookie. “I don’t know, what is it?”

“Promise me that as you get older, you remember Huginn and how you didn’t want those boys to hurt him. That when you’re a grown up, and everyone around you wants to be mean and wants you to be mean, you’ll remember that you’re different from the rest of them.”

Thomas shrugged. “I guess.”

“And could you promise me one more thing?” Bernadette pushed her chair in and leaned against the back of it.

“Sure?”

“Promise you’ll come back some time for another hot chocolate? Muninn and I would enjoy your company.”

Thomas, mouth full of cookie, nodded.

Bernadette smiled and reached for his nearly-empty mug. “Now then, you’d best get going before your parents wonder where you are.”

Thomas waved at Muninn in his crate, affectionately stroked Huginn on the head, and zipped up his coat as Bernadette followed him down the hall. She wished him good day, thanked him again for the leaf raking, and waved as he closed her front gate behind him.

The sun was setting as he headed home, and he glanced back at the spooky house that everyone would go on to believe was haunted, with the peeling paint and the scary bellows that could be heard in the night. But Thomas would go on knowing that the house wasn’t haunted at all. It was warm and friendly and contained a dog, a cat, and a lady who baked delicious cookies.

And the next time that someone on the school bus talked about the witch in the haunted house, Thomas was going to tell them that she wasn’t a witch at all.

Bernadette was his friend.

#happy halloween #i wrote this shit #have some word puke

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silverfickle · 3 years

Text

Nova dnd logs

Writing some plot from my oneshot dnd campaign! It'll be a string of moments my char experienced.

-----

In front of me, is the following: a talking chicken wearing a knight helmet who just defeated an animated statue monster 20 times his own size with a greatsword that is 3 times his size, a dwarven rogue with a serious face and long flowy river-like beard who idolizes my friend Robin Hood, and a gangly half-orc wizard who’s hand is covered in blood. Well, the wizard is behind me since he’s usually frightful of most things, and only did the blood ritual on the stone altar because of sheer boredom of nothing happening.

“Are you cursed now?” I look behind me to cheekily taunt Greecle. Disgust and cowardice washes over his face and he pleads for me to stop.

After looking around more, it would seem that the only way to proceed forward the subterranean temple was to draw blood on the altar. All that arguing about what to do was futile.

The environment rumbles and the gates lower, motioning us to continue on our adventure. Nobody dares to say a word as Chase takes the lead. The irony isn’t lost on me, we’re following a 40cm chicken because he’s the strongest of us all and the hardiest. That fact will never not tickle me.

Excitement and anxiety stirs in my stomach, this is my first real adventure after all!! All the mystery and treasure awaits with every splashy, watery step I take. I’m doing it, mom!

---

Maybe that bad feeling buried in the last section of my spine shouldn’t have been ignored. I mean, it’s called a bad feeling for a reason, right?

I didn't speak up but deep down, I super hated that we glanced over the ominous prophetic plaque of words before we descended into this damp and rocky abyss. I have no idea why everyone ganged up on Rina about money and didn’t get enough information before jumping head first into the well entrance. It’s as if we raced down for the treasure without putting on our shoes first. (Well, this is kinda true for Greecle… Why doesn’t he have shoes? I can’t imagine sleeping somewhere so cold without covering up my feetsies.)

Everyone else is sound asleep on the first night of our real adventure. But I… ... ! I, Nova, am really sad !!!! Mixed feelings keep piling up inside of me. But putting down skeleton creatures with my bare hands shouldn’t upset me this much right? I’ve seen lots of things in my home forest after all.

I look around and admire the temple, crystals of red and blue softly glint in the dark, faintly illuminating the vast tunnels and spaces around us. The water reflects the hues and bounce the glow around as far as it can reach before stretching itself thin into the darkness. I hold up one of the skelly heads that wasn’t crushed with both my hands and wished for it to talk. “Why wasn’t I charming enough to convey my feelings of wanting to be friends? I could’ve saved all your skelly friends too y’know?” I frown.

Thinking about their cute heads and little swords that they swung against my neck, I wrote in my journal with mom in mind, and a poem before sleepytime.

I hope we get along tomorrow.

Whispers of my regret can’t reach you anymore

Please pass on safely without much sore

Floating in the abyss, the ripples, the splashes

Find salvation or peace after scintillating ashes

---

I have to crane my head up to look at Greecle every time he relays knowledge to us. Despite being a huge troublemaker, he's still a wizard who knows a lot more things about our world than I do. He studied the round plinth and ran around the hall to detect traces of magic to identify and to uncover. He’s super useful but it all goes unnoticed because our team members spend most of our interactions scolding him for his misdeeds. He tells us that the moss covered carvings on the stone plinth that may have lasted centuries make up some sort of calendar.

---

I pout as my sweet sentences get twisted up and interpreted in an offensive manner. There goes my chance to be friends with this fire creature. All I said was that they’re hot as hell, but maybe they’re from the realm of Tartarus and not Asphodel; I shouldn’t be too judgemental.

I try to think of more ways to befriend the creature but I’m instantly distracted as I spot an unconscious body under some singed rags.

Oh no, I have to help.

That was my main objective, my only thought. We didn’t initially agree to a rescue mission but what cycles my thoughts is one word: Survival. The rest seem preoccupied with battle, so it has to be me.

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me to the body. It’s sweltering in here, I’m glad I’m wearing shoes. My feet would’ve scorched if I touched this tiled floor, my fire resistance would not have negated the pain. My eyes dart around to examine the person, hoping for signs of life. Chocolate scales faintly rise and fall, carrying a golden undertone, revealing their mighty ancestry and potential.

Ah, great! They’re breathing!

I took out the only healing potion I have to help the dragonborn. I guess we have to defeat this creature if it won’t listen to reason and have already injured this being. I whine mentally.

But a huge smile spreads across my face as the person in front of me springs back up, brimming with life, as if their life force is reignited and flickers equally as bright as the melty lava creature behind us. Their fists clench and their eyes are filled with panic.

A new friend!

---

This is one of those times where my darkvision would burn things into my sclera and instill fear in my soles, bringing forth the imagery of the roiling mass that is a ceiling sea of bats.

I don’t know what to do. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do.

I can NOT harm these animals, even if we wanted to we are easily outnumbered. But the more time we spend in this room, we will eventually be drowned in this vast sea. The bats won’t listen to us, they’ll continue to chip away at our constitution with relentless determination.

Damn it! Why is this lock so sturdy! My legs are chilled with fear, I hesitate and shiver as I mess up my aim.

The bats, they swoop down and claw us into shreds. Our skin but mere cloth for them to cut up into ribbons and string. All we can do is try to break open this chest and make a run for it. There’s no way we can face this many. We’ll get swallowed up and ground into bones if we don't hurry!

Hurry!

The acid misses.

Hurry!

The arrow misses.

Hurry!

The fists and greatsword connects.

Run!

---

In the magical darkness enshrouding us, a blue flame floats toward me, revealing itself while crackling the air softly with electricity. It reminds me of a quiet forest night watched over by the full moon. Spirits and spectres would come out and wander; some want satisfaction, some want salvation, some yearn for affection from forgotten loved ones or fallen comrades. In those quiet nights, every living being proclaims their existence, they take up space in our shared world with heartbeats or willpower. It's wonderful to be able to leave traces in the soil or the sky. Being alive is truly miraculous!

In this magical darkness, I don't see anything but a living creature that still blazes with life. It might have a past filled with joy, sorrow, frustration; it might still want to take steps out of this black void and write history. I wonder who imprisoned the servants that dwell in these desolate halls, which heartless soul would rob them of their freedom and force them to pointless bloodshed? Who is it that beckoned sturdy adventurers to plunge themselves down here and destined them to reemerge as carcasses to be cut down again? Whatever malevolent being that built this temple, whatever goal they serve, I want to get out of here without bowing down to their insolence on life.

I think about my mom who befriends the earth. Surrounded by warmth and love, she's nothing but being of kindness and nurture. Sometimes I believe she’s secretly an otherworldly guardian that looks after those around her. She wouldn’t let earnest creatures be trampled ruthlessly, she appreciates every little living being and would do anything for the needy. Ah, I miss spending time with her.

I pull out Harper and start playing a soft melody to declare my feelings.

Please let us continue with a bright future. Hear my plea and take in my wish for camaraderie.

Sharp notes from Her Sh’i’s bagpipes intertwine with my light tones. The willowy blues grow fainter and calmer.

I stumble on my words but I try my best to convey to the being that we mean no harm. I smile and sigh out of relief as the appeased creature gently places a token on my hand.

---

Somehow we have managed to take down the god and return it into pieces of bone and dirt. We ended the cycle. Rinah will remain in the temple with the community of reanimated skeletons and figure out a way to turn them back into living humans.

It should have been a triumphant win and we emerge with golden sun rays congratulating us when we climb our way back out to the surface. But it wasn’t. It was windy and gray. Various feelings mix in my belly leaving me feeling uneasy, the feelings I’ve not been able to shake away and will stay with me for a while.

I can’t help but feel swindled by fate, cruel and cunning. If I had known it was the humans who dared to anger Xibalba in the first place, I would’ve tried to appease them. Instead I felt the need to break a curse to save the ‘humans’. How foolish of me.

What’s done is done. I have unwillingly helped to slay a god that once lived to grant blessings for the people. In the same breath, I also freed some trapped souls and no more will unnecessary blood be shed.

I look to my shoulder where Shadow leisurely sits and I smile softly at him when he gazes back up to meet my eyes . At least I have you now, so it’s not a bad ending to this adventure.

Shadow gently boops my cheek, causing some numbness for a second.

I can’t wait to introduce you to mom!

#writing #Nova Xanthous #dnd logs #dnd writing

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imnotyouralice · 7 years

Text

Reunions [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Part 8] (This one’s a long one, folks)

It was uncommon for Batman to be in the passenger seat of a car during an investigation. More uncommon for him to be hiding, ducked down out of sight of anyone passing by or watching for Alice’s little blue car. The Batmobile was too loud, too obvious. If they wanted to nab Tetch they needed to let Alice take them right to him.

And she would. Once they let the woman out of the office-leaving the orderlies she’d hurt groaning on the floor- she walked right out like nothing was wrong. Perhaps to her nothing was. The control chips in her scalp went through quite a shock. She didn’t seem to even notice Batman or Robin or even the Arkham Staff members who tried to stop her. The vigilante duo told them all to stand back and let the blonde go. Behind her the two had followed, hopping into the car before she could pull away and she didn’t even attempt to force them out. It was as if the woman was on autopilot. Returning home for repairs.

“Next time we do this, you get to sit in the back.” Robin quipped, grunting in discomfort as he sat, scrunched up on the floorboards of the back seat.

“I think we’re almost there.” Batman all but ignored the comment, but there was an unspoken agreement between them that, even though Batman was not going to cram himself into the backseat of a Volkswagen, he’d make it up to the young man some how.

After several minutes of driving in silence, the old, broken buildings of the condemned factory district came into view through the windows. They passed ghosts and skeletons of buildings. Old factories hanging open, half demolished or collapsed from age. It was almost spooky.

With the sound of the tires grinding against the old concrete, the car rolled to a stop in the dark alley. Alice wasted no time getting out of the car and the Duo climbed out quickly afterwards. It took them only a few seconds to decide to watch from the roof. And not a moment too soon as a blonde man in a ball cap was running full speed toward Alice just after they peeked over the edge of the building. They couldn’t hear the conversation but it seemed frantic.

It was barely a minute later and they were on their way. Another of Tetch’s unwilling pawns, it seemed. Possibly some relation to Miss Pleasance... Someone close to her that people wouldn’t question if they were seen together.

“I still don’t get why, if Tetch had Alice under his control, he’d let her go to work and stuff...” Robin whispered as they trailed after the blondes on the sidewalk below.

“He wanted to make Alice’s friends and family believe nothing was wrong.. So no one would go looking for her and find him.” Batman explained. It was all so simple really.. But Jervis had never quite figured out how to make his mind slaves behave like they naturally would.

Below them the two seemed to disappear into an old factory... The Gotham Tea manufacturer. Condemned for years after the company moved out of state and left the building... A perfect place for a Hatter to hide himself. The flapping of their capes was all that could be heard as Batman and Robin hopped across to the roof to look in through a cracked, dirty skylight. Inside was dim, damp and pitiful. Falling to pieces around the deranged scientist’s equipment. A terrible place to make a home.

“Ah, my Alice! I was so worried!”

Their attentions were drawn as the English accent of the Mad Hatter fell upon their ears. They watches as from opposite sides of the room, Tetch, Alice and her quiet friend entered and met in the middle. The Hatter embraced her, burying his nose in her yellow hair and holding her much too tightly to be comfortable.

“Why are you so late, Alice?” He asked a moment later, angrily grabbing her arms and glaring into her eyes. She said nothing in response. “Who were you with?”

Alice only stared at him in silence... This was not the answer he wanted.

“BAH! Rude girl! Nothing to say for yourself?!” Jervis snapped, shoving her away roughly, sending her colliding with the cold, dirty floor with a ‘thud’. He turned on his heel, coat tails flapping as he walked to his work station. “Impolite- Tardy-... You are nicer than this Alice. I know you are. I made you nicer. “

Batman couldn’t see what kind of tool he’d picked up but it didn’t matter a second later as the Hatter dragged Alice up onto her knees and jerked her head so that she looked down at the floor. His pushed her hair out of the way and gasped at the sight of blood on her neck and the collar of her dress.

“What- Who- Did you do this, Alice? Did you try and remove the gift I gave you?” Jervis asked, clearly seeing that as the first option. Anything to give him an excuse to punish ‘his Alice’ without feeling guilt for it. “It’s burnt! What happened? Did you see-?” His gaze snapped to the young man in the cap and he shook his head.

“No sir. She was alone when she got here and I have been with her the entire time.”

Robin turned to Batman, whispering so low it was almost difficult to understand, “Why are we not going down there? We can take them!”

“Patience, Robin... Just wait.”

Below them the scene continued to unfold.

The mad man scoffed, taking up the tool in his hand and hovering with it over the nape of Alice’s neck. “We’ll just have to repair these, won’t we? Can’t risk you losing all those manners I taught you.”

As much as it made him ill to his stomach, Batman watched as Jervis Tetch used, what he could only assume was a scalpel, to cut a line into Alice’s skin. Blood oozed, wetting the collar of her dress in red all over again as the Hatter picked at the fresh wound with tweezers. He was humming as if this were as mundane as gardening... Disgusting.

It was over in seconds and Alice was left to fall onto the rotting floorboards again as Tetch stood over her, devices in hand. It was then, when they new they had their chance and Alice would be out of the fight and unharmed that the dynamic duo sprung into action.

They fell through the broken sunroof, capes flying out around them creating ominous shadows over the three below. The gasp that came after was sharp and shocked as Tetch turned.

“NO!” He growled, scrambling for anything he can use as a weapon as the two land in the center of the room, staring him down menacingly.

“It’s over, Tetch. Let this man and Alice go.” Batman ordered, not leaving this voluntary. These two victims were leaving here tonight, if it was the last thing he did. This would make for the third time Batman had stopped Jervis from running away with Alice and he vowed that it would be the last.

“No! She’s mine! She’s meant to be mine!” Jervis shrieked, holding his hat securely to his head.

The next thing they new, Robin was grabbed from behind by the man in the ball cap and thrown into a rickety old table. He advanced on the boy with a blank expression but clenched fists. Commanded to defend the Hatter and his Alice from harm.

The scuffle between the two lead out into the hall and Batman pursued Tetch as a chase began down a different, inky black hallway. Speckles of moonlight trickled in through murky windows but it was otherwise pitch black. Water dripping and their rushed foot steps echoed off of the creaking walls.

After rounding a corner, Batman stopped, unable to see Jervis anywhere. They’d entered an old packaging room. Pipes and conveyor belts crisscrossed in front of the masked man as he slowly crept inside.

“Give this up, Tetch!” Batman called, despite the fact that he knew he couldn’t talk the Englishman out of his deranged plan. “How long as you going to fight for her? How long are you going to hurt her?”

“As long as I have to!”

Pain shot through Batman’s shoulder as he was struck from behind. The harsh collision of a broken pipe sent him doubling forward onto a crate. He looked back with only enough time to see another swing coming toward his head. His gloved hand lifted and caught the pipe as one leg kicked out, striking tetch in the stomach.

“You can’t just let me be happy!” Jervis growled through the pain, teeth bared, “Perhaps once I get rid of you, Alice and I will finally be happy!”

He tried to jerk the pole from Batman’s grasp but to no avail. Instead he chose to stomp on the larger man’s foot. In that brief, mere one second window of vulnerability, Jervis reeled back and socked the taller man in the jaw with all that he had. Batman tumbled to the side only to receive another sharp pain as Tetch brought that rusty pipe down on his ribs.

“Oh, Frabjous day!” Tetch boasted, “I get to be rid of you, your sidekick, and when I’m done here, I can deal with my ‘competition’ at Arkham! No one will be able to keep Alice from me again!”

“Don’t count on it.”

The room fell silent at the sound of a third voice enter. All eyes turned and a chill struck Tetch’s very soul at its source.

“...Alice..?”

The blonde woman stood there, solid as a stone and just as unmoving. The look on her face was severe and resolute. She knew what she was here to do. In her hand she held a revolver pistol, hanging at her side as she took several steady steps toward them.

“Alice, no-”

“This isn’t your fight anymore, Batman.” She interrupted, her blue eyes fixed on the source of all of her misery and self loathing for so many years.

She continued her paces and with each step she took, Tetch moved back from her. He tossed aside the pipe he wielded and held up his arms in surrender. This didn’t seem to be what she wanted as she raised the gun, looking down the barrel and directly into his eyes.

“N-Now, now, Alice! Y-You don’t want to do this.. Where did you even get-”

“I saw where you hid it, dumbass..” She cut him off with a scowl, her disgust plain in her voice and her eyes, “I saw everything, heard everything, felt everything- Every single day you kept me here.”

She jerked forward, shoving the narrow barrel of the gun into the Hatter’s forehead. Off to the side Batman rose up, going for his belt for something that could disarm her. This isn’t how he wanted this to end.

“Don’t, Batman.” Alice snapped, glancing over for just a second as the pitiful excuse for a man in front of her whimpered. “I want him to know what he’s put me through.”

“Alice, please..” Tetch begged, swallowing hard through the tears of fear building up in his eyes. “I never meant to-”

“To what?! Hurt me?! Well, guess what, dipshit! You did.” She growled, eyes narrow and locked on his, “And you know the worst part?.. I let you..”

Her words hung in the air as they were absorbed by the two men listening.

“I let you consume me. I let you take away my happiness, my marriage, my life- I let you take away every damn thing I enjoyed about myself because I thought if I got rid of those things you would leave me alone-! That you wouldn’t hurt anyone else around me! But I was wrong!” He voice cracked as years of agony poured from her soul. Waterfalls of tears poured from her eyes as her desire to pull the trigger was pushed down by her will and longing to make him pay the way she had for years. They ran down her cheeks and ran onto her dress to mix with the blood that would undoubtedly stain it forever. “You’re still here. You’re still here, trying to take me away, going after the ones I love. I should put a bullet in you just for having the nerve to touch my little brother, you sack of shit.”

“Alice-” Tetch’s voice was a desperate whisper, his knees trembling and giving out from under him.

“Shut up!” She pressed the gun harder into his skin, leaving a painful red mark. “I realized something in this last week of having to live with you... You’re not worth my time.”

“But- I love you-”

“NO YOU DON’T. You do not love me! You never did.” Her voice roared over the sounds of an old building creaking around them and the sounds of robin struggling with her brother down the hall. “If you loved me you never would have hurt me like you have- You would have let me go.” She sobbed, wiping the heel of her free hand under her eyes, “You made me run from the alter at my wedding. You made me lie to my friends- You were going to make me kill Lyle so that you wouldn’t have to ‘compete’ for me!”

Batman’s eyes went wide behind his mask as he paused in his slow walk over to them.

“But you will never make me do anything ever again.” Alice promised darkly, “My life isn’t yours to control and I never should have let you have so much of it. It’s over.”

BANG!

The gunshot shook the walls and made everyone’s ears ring but no one moved. No one fell limp, no one bled. No one jumped on Alice to subdue her and arrest her for murder... Because no one was dead.

Instead, all that fell to the ground wounded, was Jervis Tetch’s hat. A hole blown right through the blue ribbon, shattering the control headband inside it. It crackled and fizzled out dead in the dirt leaving Tetch gaping in terror and shock. Alice could have killed him. If it were anyone else she would have killed him..

Robin raced in a moment later with Alice’s apparent brother. Ball cap gone and both panicked, expecting the worst from heading a gunshot.

“Alice...” Batman started cautiously.

“Here.” With an eerie calm, the blonde woman turned to the vigilante and handed him the gun. “I’ve made my point..” Her eyes feel on the trembling form of the Mad Hatter.

“Goodbye, Jervis.”

She walked away then, pulling her brother into a warm, tight embrace. The two held each other, happily crying from the relief. They paid no mind to Batman or Robin as they cuffed the Hatter. Tetch was uncharacteristically silent as they all walked out of the building and out onto the street into the cool Gotham night air.

Alice let out a deep sigh, feeling the weight of years of panic wash off of her shoulders as she looked up. The smoggy might sky never looked so beautiful as it did when she got to look at it of her own free will for the first time in several days. Even in a blood stained, wrinkled, tattered dress, she never felt better in her life.

“Let’s go, Joey.” She said, taking her brother by the hand and leaving all of this behind.

#plot; reunions #looooong #thank god for read mores #sorry if this is poorly written i couldnt make it better now matter how I tried #and this was supposed to be longer but man did i need to trim that down

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funeral-clown · 7 years

Text

@heckyeahharrisco for harriscofest 2017

@aquaexplicit i diddly done did it yo

prompt: vampires

Cisco took a deep, calming breath as the van pulled up to the old, seemingly abandoned Victorian-style house. The late autumn leaves blew in the fading dusk light, doing nothing to detract from it’s overall unsettling aura. That uneasiness that pervaded the air surrounding the seemingly dilapidated dwelling was why he was here.

He clicked on his dictaphone and began speaking.

“As I pulled into the driveway of the creepy-ass house, I asked myself. Why is it always Victorians? Do ghosts just like them better? Why can’t they ever haunt, like, a luxury condo? I will ask one if this place turns out as haunted as the locals say.”

With that he got out and began unpacking his ghost hunting equipment. If he made enough to hire an assistant, his job would be way easier, but as it was Cisco Ramon was a man alone. A tragic hero, if you will, standing between the paranormal and humanity itself, seeking out the dark figures that spread unrest. Solitary, he roamed the country, in constant pursuit of-

A sudden wail cut off what he was sure was one of his best internal monologues yet. Startled, he almost dropped his EMF meter.

“Hey!” he snapped at the house, “I built this stuff myself, and if I break it because you feel like being an asshole, I will go ghostbusters on you!”

The wailing ceased and silence reigned heavily, a sense of amused anticipation filling the air.

“Alright then,” Cisco muttered, clicking on his camcorder and walking up the messy porch. He lifted his hand to knock on the door, only for it to creak open ominously. Rolling his eyes, he stepped inside. The door slammed shut behind him, and he tried not to jump.

“Hello?“ he called out, then immediately cursed himself for being a horror movie cliche. He was a professional, dammit. “My name is Francisco Ramon. If there is a presence in this house, please make yourself known.”

A high pitched giggle filled the air, sending shivers down his spine.

“The entity is playful, possibly a child,” he muttered.

“Hey!” came a voice from above him, “I’m 23! Or, well. I was.”

He looked up to see an apparition floating above his head, arms crossed over her chest and a put out expression on her face.

“Sorry,” he offered, shooting her a placating grin.

Her face changed to one of shock.

“You...You can see me?“

“Yeah, dude.”

She stared at him for a moment, face contorting into a plethora of emotions. More than anything, he saw longing.

“It’s been so long,” she whispered, floating down closer to him, hands stretching out towards his face. “You can see me!”

Cisco just nodded. This wasn’t unusual when meeting specters for the first time.

A sudden clattering came from upstairs, making him jump. The ghost paused, seemingly shaken out of her trance-like fascination.

A sound like footsteps thudded their way across the ceiling.

“Who’s that?“ Cisco asked, eyes trained upwards to follow the sound.

The ghost seemed almost sheepish, laughing nervously.

“That would be my dad.”

“Your what?”

The footsteps stopped at the head of the stairs. A tall figure loomed in the shadows, two twin glints of light glaring through the darkness at him. For a second everything was frozen still. No one moved. No one breathed. Then, in a blink, Cisco found himself glaring up into the face of a snarling man with- shit, were those fangs-trying his hardest to grasp what had just happened.

“How the hell did you get into my house?” the mother fucking vampire, apparently, growled.

“Th-the door opened itself!”

“Impossible. I locked it myself this morning.” His fangs glistened as he spoke, face to close for Cisco’s comfort.

“L-look, man, if you have some home renovations needed take it up with your door. All I’m saying is I just walked in here, no problem!”

His eyes were locked on the man’s teeth, fear coiled low in his gut as he stammered his way through an explanation.

The vampire sighed, hands dropping from where they were bunching Cisco’s shirt in his fists.

“Jesse,” he muttered tiredly. The exhausted frustration made him seem almost human.

“Who’s Jesse?“ he asked.

“Me,” came a voice in his ear. The ghost girl.

“Oh, so your name isn’t Casper, then?“ She snorted and rolled her eyes, making him grin.

“Wait.” Ice formed on his spine as the cold voice snapped out, and honestly, Cisco, you forgot about the motherfucking vampire?

He turned back to the man, trying to cover his nervousness.

“You.” the creature paused. He seemed torn, desperate. “You can see her.”

“Yeeeeaaaahhh?“

“You can see my daughter.”

“Comes with being a psychic, bro.”

The vampire grimaced in distaste at the moniker before refocusing his eyes on Cisco. He seemed zoned, almost, all of his energy directed on observation, watching him. Cisco felt like a bug under a microscope, or a deer that looks up and suddenly thinks ‘hey, was that tiger always there?’, locked in his gaze. Why did a vampire need glasses, anyway.

“Prove it,” the creature whispered. “Tell me what she looks like.”

Cisco almost tells him to fuck off, but his face is broken. What should be a command almost sounds like pleading. He can’t see her, Cisco realizes.

“Ok,” he mutters, strangely trying to be comforting. “Ok. She’s got, uh, brown hair. Kinda on the small side.” Jesse flips him off, grinning. He grins back. “A better sense of humor than her dad, apparently. She’s got your eyes, so, uh, congrats on that I guess. And she was 24 when she. You know, kicked it.” He winces internally.

“23,” they both correct in unison, almost absently. They’re both staring at him now, almost hungrily. Which. Probably not a great expression to be getting from a member of the undead.

“Jesse,” the vampire whispers.

“Dad,” she whispers back.

“Jesse, can you hear me? I’m so sorry, sweetie. I’m so-” his voice cracks, and he’s gasping, words trying to form sentences and failing. He glares at Cisco. “Tell her,” he growls. “Tell her.”

“She can hear you,” he tries his best to sound soothing. “Trust me.”

Jesse has tears running down her cheeks.

“Tell him I forgive him. Please, you have to tell him, I’ve been trying, but he can’t-Dad, please, it’s ok, it’s fine, I know, please-” The house begins to shake with her emotional turmoil. She began to glow as her sobs turned to wails. Panicking, Cisco grabbed his hand. This worked sometimes with humans, maybe-

The vampire (shit, he really had to learn this guy’s name) gasped. Cisco let out an internal sigh of relief. It didn’t always work, and he had to concentrate. But-

“Jess?“ His voice was a quiet broken thing.

“Daddy.” Her sobs were subsiding. They simply stared at each other. This family seemed big on staring.

“It was my fault.”

“No.”

“Yes! I’m your father, and I never should have let this happen.”

Jesse snorted, wiping her eyes roughly with her sleeves. “You didn’t let anything happen, dad. I was murdered. There was nothing you could do.”

Well, Cisco thought, that explains why her presence was so strong. Violent deaths usually were.

“I shou- I should have been there. I should have been able to stop it, I should have been strong enough!”

“Dad,” she scoffed, “I love you, but come on. There was nothing you could do. And it’s ok! It’s ok, I promise. Because now, we can be together. Forever. Just like you wanted in the first place. A family.”

“Not like this,” he muttered. “I never wanted it to happen like this.”

Silence grew between them, heavy with regret.

“Ooooookay,” Cisco broke through the tension. “Not that I am not, you know, super happy for you guys, but uh. Can I go now?“

The vampire looked at him, seemingly having forgotten the man despite his limpet grip on his hand. Confusion turned quickly to amusement.

“Leaving so soon? We haven’t even had a bite to eat yet. I just woke up, and I have to say.” He leaned in closer to Cisco, sharp smile gracing his features. “I am famished.”

Cisco gulps. His eyes track the movement, pupils dilating.

Jesse groans in the background.

“Oh my god, Dad. Seriously? Vampire puns?“

He straightens, grin looking less predatory and more amused.

Cisco is starting to get emotional whiplash here.

~~~

The vampire, it tuns out, is named Harrison. Once you get past what a colossal dick he is, he’s actually not so bad.

Cisco digs his fork back in the reheated chinese take out.

“You know,” he mumbles through the noodles, “This isn’t what I thought you meant when you said ‘having a bite’.”

Harry shrugs, sipping blood out of an old chipped mug that says World’s Suckiest Dad.

“Not my fault you misconstrued my efforts at hospitality. And don’t talk with your mouth full, Ramon.”

Cisco sticks his tongue out at him, because he can. He rolls his eyes.

“Seriously though. I’m still a little confused by the whole vampire thing.”

“And here you struck me as something of an intellect. What’s there to be confused about?“

“I mean, how does it work.”

“Magic. Seriously, Ramon?“

“What? Everything I know about vampires, I learned from watching Lost Boys.”

“Lost Boys,” Harry scoffed, before tilting his head back to get the last few drops of blood.

“Yes, Harry. Lost Boys. Keifer Sutherland, teenage vampires on the boardwalk, it was a classic.”

“You’re eating worms.”

“Yes exact-” He paused, fork halfway to his mouth, when his dinner started...wriggling. He let out a small shriek and dropped the container, scooting back. Harrison, the dick, started laughing.

“Ugh, you asshole.”

“Yes, Ramon, I know what Lost Boys is. I’m dead, not completely out of touch with the world.”

“Coulda fooled me,” Jesse muttered from the corner. Cisco laughs.

Harry’s face turned wistful.

“What did she say?“

“Says you coulda fooled her.”

He snorts and rolls his eyes. “Sounds like her.”

“Yeah. Hey, if dinner is done, I really do have to-” Harrison is standing behind him, offering his hand.

“Of course. Just let me escort you to your...” he looks out the window at the beat up old van in his driveway. “Vehicle.”

“Hey, now, no hating on the van. I practically live in that thing, it’s my baby.”

Harry’s lip curls in mild distaste. “To each their own,” he says delicately.

Like he doesn’t live in the Addam’s Family’s abandoned summer home. Asshole.

“He’s already judging your life choices. You’re practically family!” Jesse sounds almost giddy. Cisco grins and tries not to let her words affect him.

“See you around, Casper.” He finds he means it. She flips him off.

“If she flipping you off.”

“Yup.”

“That’s my girl.”

They both wait outside for a second, lingering in the cool night air. The stars are twinkling above their heads.

“Cisco. Thank you.”

This is the first time Harry’s actually said his name. Cisco tries to play it cool.

“No sweat, Nosferatu.”

Harry chuckles, looking down at the grass.

“You don’t know, do you? What a gift you are. I’ve lived for years in that house, haunted by my own daughter, unable to reach out, and you just...Walk in. Cisco.”

He looks at his face, everything about him tailored to look gentle, nonthreatening. Everything but the eyes. They still burn with hunger.

“H-harry.” He tells himself he didn’t trip over the name.

“Thank you.”

His hands come up to touch Cisco’s face, thumbs stroking his cheeks with something like reverence. His lips part ever so slightly at the sensation. Harry’s eyes catch it.

“You, uh. You might wanna go have another mug of blood, there Harry. You’re still looking pretty thirsty.”

The sharp grin returns, and hello horrausal.

“I’m a vampire, Cisco. I’m always thirsty.”

Suddenly his eyes close and he lets his forehead drop on Cisco’s shoulder.

“Ramon.” His voice sounds slightly annoyed, muffled by Cisco’s shirt.

“Harry.”

“My daughter is making faces at us through the window.”

Cisco craned his neck, and yep. Jesse waved at him before going back to sticking her tongue out and fake retching. Charming. He laughs lightly, waving back.

“Yes she is.”

“I changed my mind. I can go another decade without seeing her again.”

“Blatant lies, Wells.”

Harry groans before standing upright. Cisco convinces himself he didn’t notice him sniffing him.

“Fine. I guess you’ll just have to come back then.”

Cisco leans against the side of the van and peered up at him through the dark, the picture of nonchalance.

“Guess I will.”

He smiles then turns and walks back to the house. Cisco climbs into his van and heads down the long driveway.

“Guess I will,” he repeats quietly to himself.

When he gets home he realizes his camcorder is missing.

Assholes.

#harrisco #for harriscofest #tbh this probably exceeds the world limit a lot but i got caught up #jesse is a poltergeist who was murdered by hunter in an attempt to strike at wells #she haunts her dad but while he can sense her presence and knows she there and see her effect #harry can't actually see or speak to jesse #also jesse is a troll who likes to mes with people #harry has a deal with caitlin to get fresh blood bags #cisco is a psychic and he just really wants to get his ghosthunting business off the ground #i got way too into this #more preharrisco than anything else

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znationfanfiction · 7 years

Text

Z-Nation Fanfic

Yet another Z-Nation fanfic I wrote! Feel free to let me know what you think, or even make a request. As always, please no stealing this! Thank you guys and enjoy :)

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I watched them take the group, yanking sacks over their heads and binding their hands before dragging them to the caravan of trucks. A couple of them thrashed, throwing wild kicks in any direction they thought their assailants may be. These fighters got a stiff knee in the gut. I flinched, remembering how I was often on the receiving end of those knees. The movement loosened a part of my bangs from my braid, and I quickly tucked them back, shifting my weight back to my heels. I was ducked behind a small stretch of brush in the trendline, watching through a cheap pair of binoculars.

It wasn’t my first time sneaking out after the men from our compound. I hated that place so much it put a fire in the pit of my stomach to stay for too long, so naturally, I would sneak out as often as I was able. I wasn’t always allied with the men and women at the compound. I was by myself since the zombpocalypse all started that first year, after some thieves shot my mom over our car and a few rusty cans of food. I managed to get away, and learned to take care of myself at just thirteen years old. It was just easier that way, anyway, without a group. I could move more freely, scavenge enough food for only myself easily.

I didn’t go with this particular group willingly…they took me when I had my guard down. Tortured me until they thought my will had broken. I lost count of the bones they snapped, and I had scars striping my body and a nasty one on my right cheek from when they got especially bored. This happened for months, the torture. That was how they got the unwilling to join their little group…power in numbers, and all that.

The group they captured had numbers, skill, and supplies, so they were more valuable than half the compound put together. I followed them the couple miles back to the camp on foot, sticking to the treeline, before slipping under the fence behind what served as the chow hall. I had burrowed a little hole underneath the fence, just big enough for my small frame to fit through, after I healed up and they deemed me safe enough to roam freely around the area. I wasn’t stupid enough to stay gone for too long from the encampment…they had taken a particular liking to my “spunk”, as one man called it, and planted a chip deep in the muscle of my forearm that alerted them if I went out of their range. That was one of the times I hadn’t had the privilege of passing out, so I got to watch the whole thing, helpless to stop it.

I wasn’t allowed to have any weapons, even after being stuck with these monsters for almost two years…they still didn’t trust me with even a butter knife. I guess that’s the price to be paid for trying to gain loyalty through pain and fear. The occasional attempts I made on the leader’s life may also have kept them from giving me access to weapons, but I digress. I still managed keep a decent machete under the loose floorboards of the cabin I shared with two guards.

Dahlia, the leader of our compound, sent groups out often for ammo, food, and other supplies. On the rare occasion, they found a few victims to bring back and force into our ranks. When they didn’t buy into the peaceful way of life that was pitched to them, they were beaten and tortured into submission. My cabin was always close enough that I could hear their screams. Sometimes, I managed to sabotage their missions of capture just enough that the people escaped. They never knew it was me, somehow. They weren’t the brightest baddies in the evil crayon box. Still, I hated every last one of them with every cell in my starved body.

In spite of the monsters that ran that place and the aspirations of murder I had toward Dahlia, I never saw a real reason to leave. I had water, enough food to keep from starvation, and safety, so I didn’t mind being miserable for a little while so much. Something changed, though, when I saw them take that particular group. I wasn’t sure if it was the fact that I saw my mother in their leader’s eyes, or how I saw them communicate and act like a family ,or even the strange attraction I felt toward the lanky, dark-haired boy, but I knew they were different, and I had to help them.

That night, I snuck out through the cabin door, my machete tucked into the waistband of my ratty jeans and obscured by an oversized flannel. My windows had long since been boarded, so the door was the easiest way without a power tool. They always kept their new prisoners in what used to be a miniscule police station, since it had a few cells that were presumably used for the town drunks before the apocalypse.

I managed to creep around the perimeter of the fence without running into anyone. When I reached my target, though, the scuffing of oversized boots made my ears prick. I hid around the corner of the station to let a guard patrol past, pressing my back to the rough brick and holding my breath. When they passed, whistling some sort of cheerful number, I stuck to the shadows thrown across the lawn and ducked through the entrance. What I did not factor into my plan was the small bell hung in the doorway that alerted the guard to my presence.

The guard was on me like flies on shit, grasping my forearm and planting a foot into my chest that knocked me to the wooden floor before I had the chance to react.

“If it isn’t darling little Bo,” he grinned, showing a row of black, rotting teeth. “Now, what could you be doing here so late?” He stepped around and pressed his foot to my aching chest.

“Well, that’s none of your damn business, Robert, but I’ll have you know I was just going for a walk. Now, if you don’t mind, get your fat ass foot off me,” I spat, squirming to get out from under the pressure.

He tsked, crossing his massive arms. “You know you’re not supposed to be out this late. It’s past your curfew. Now tell me the real reason you’re here.”

I pulled the machete out of my waistband, leaving a shallow slice along my side, and stabbed it deep into the muscle of his calf. It twitched and spasmed, and I ripped my weapon back out. Robert fell backward, his foot leaving my chest.

“You little bitch!,” he roared.

The muscles across his chest rippled through his shirt as he reached for me, but my small size gave me the advantage. I skipped backward, spinning to his side and lashing out with the machete again, hissing as my side burned. This time, it bit through his ribcage and into his chest cavity. Blood frothed from his lips as he convulsed, and my weapon found his eye socket. Nobody needed a Z running around and infecting everyone…that would have just tipped off every guard to my whereabouts.

I wiped both sides of my machete off on his t-shirt and rose, snatching the key from his pocket. I had to hurry. Surely the sounds had alerted someone. I rushed to the back of the station and slammed through the doorway to the cells. There, the some of the group from earlier was bound tightly to chairs, and the rest occupied the few cells. I went to the cells first and jammed the key into a lock. The boy from earlier was in the cell, and I especially wanted to make sure he went free. I yanked the bars and opened the door, and then was promptly slammed against it, my face pressed tightly against the bars by a large hand on my neck and my arms pinned to my back by another. The boy had both disarmed me and had me pinned in seconds. The gash on my side screamed as it opened further.

I was astounded, my breaths coming in pained and panicked gasps. “Whoa, whoa, I’m just trying to help you guys.” My voice came out distorted through the bars. “Here, take the key and get your friends. I promise I won’t do anything. I’ll stay right here.” I opened my hand to reveal the key.

He grabbed the item from my hand and released me, pushing me away. I stumbled a step and then planted my feet, my hands in the air as I watched him unlock the other cell and then pick up my machete to cut the others free. Once everyone was loose, he stepped up to me.

“Why are you helping us?” His clear eyes searched my face, and his expression remained guarded.

I put my hands down cautiously and removed the flannel, revealing the jagged scars along my torso and arms. “Because I was a prisoner too. I hate it here, and I hate all of them. I couldn’t let them hurt anyone else…”

The tips of his ears turned red as he took in my exposed flesh. There was an ominous ring as someone else entered the station. I pulled the shirt back on and looked to the other group members. “You guys need to get moving if you’re going to get out. They know something is up. Let’s go.”

They hesitated for a beat before following after me to the back storage room, where they kept all their gear. They had just loaded up when the first guard saw us. He had started to yell to the others before another machete sunk into his skull. The leader ripped it back out and rolled her shoulders. The man collapsed, his dead weight bringing him down hard. I led the group out of the building and through more shadows. The guards raced around now, wielding large guns and flashlights and communicating in short shouts. We had reached my small hole in the fence when shouting erupted from the police station.

“They know you’re gone! Go, go, go!” I waved them through frantically and then slipped through myself.

We disappeared into the woods, running for about a mile and a half before stopping to check on everyone. We all panted as we took each other in.

“Thank you…for helping us. I’m Roberta Warren. This is 10k, Addy, Murphy, Doc, and Vasquez.” Their leader extended her hand to me, and I grasped it.

“Call me Bo.” I smiled lightly and looked at the boy again to find him staring intensely back at me. A small thought dawned, sending my heart hammering unsteadily in my chest. “Shit…anyone have a little knife I could borrow?”

The boy nodded and handed me a small knife, which I promptly dug into my forearm, cutting through my muscle to the chip. There was a chorus of nervous “whoas” and gasps over my grunt of pain as the blood streamed down my arm. I reached in at last with a shaking hand and plucked the chip out, then snapped it in half.

“They…chipped me. Didn’t want me going too far unless they knew about it.”

“What, were you like a little pet or something? Are we seriously going to trust this girl?”, a man who appeared…blue….grumbled, irritated.

Doc handed me a handkerchief for my arm and helped me wrap a ripped up piece of shirt around my side.

“She saved us, Murphy. If she wanted us dead, she’d have left us there.” Addy, the redhead, smiled at me warmly. “Thank you,” she turned to me.

“I just couldn’t watch them hurt anyone else.”

“Well…why don’t you come with us for a little while, to California?” Doc patted my hand, a gentle look in his eyes.

Warren hesitated, working me over with a guarded expression. “I…suppose that we could use someone else. Sure. But,” she stepped forward, lowering her voice, “ if you try anything, I will put you down myself.”

I gulped, nodding. “Of course.”

“Okay, great. Now that we’re done with the touchy-feely stuff, can we get going?” Murphy, of course. I was already learning his particular brand of snark.

With that, we headed toward whatever was ahead for us in California.

#z nation #roberta warren #doc #10k #addy carver #fanfic #z nation fanfiction #masterlist

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