datgurlevie

[datgurlevie]

#the looking down saga continues #jalim

[datgurlevie]

*Comes out of depression mancave while blowing confetti everywhere without consent* WHAT IS UP PEEPS, I AM BACK. Not stronger then ever, but still hanging in there lol chapter 15 is finally up (tldr: my google docs work got deleted and mental health was big booboo) and it is here on AO3! Please expect fortnightly updates from now on too :))

Plot Summary:

Aria Chang, a 30-year-old General Major of the USMC Force Reconnaissance and a human weapon of war, is sent to investigate the suspected chemical weapons at Target LZ. But once foundations start crumbling (literally), she is forced to fight for her life against the vampiric creatures of the underground that were out for cold blood.

In the ominous underground, she encounters Iraqi soldier Salim Othman and is compelled to make a strained alliance with him if they are to all survive the House of Ashes. After being honed to kill any enemies on sight for many years, Aria must learn to cooperate with the opposition no matter the uniform they donned.

But what happens when bonds start to form, lust begins to grow, and secrets come to the light? How will their American weapon of war deal with the lurking demons that not only creep in the shadows but those that begin to grow in her head?

Together with Eric, Rachel, Nick and Jason, they must not only face their inner demons as they enter the temple doors but also be prepared to atone for their sins if they were to escape the underground.

Fortnightly Updates: Every Sunday 2:00pm PST/ 10:00pm GMT

Chapter 15 Sneak Peek:

Aria was fidgeting in her bed, unable to keep still as her eyes kept glancing over at the ticking clock hanging on the medical bay’s wall.

Aria never fidgets. Her? The deadly assassin that can keep as still as a rock for hours at a time, is being restless for once? Unheard of.

She had called for a soldier to send Salim and Zain to see her in the medical bay. She was feeling very nervous as she was nowhere in the proper attire nor physical state for any guests to see her. She was wearing a white medical gown, with thick casts wrapped around her left arm and right leg as her bones were healing in those areas. They had also wrapped her chest in bandages as they suspected a few broken bones within her ribcage from the hard landing she suffered when falling off a cliff. They did not have any X-ray equipment at the centre, but the doctor knew for sure her arm and leg had suffered serious damage.

There were some small splashes of dried blood on her plain white gown, as they cleaned up some cuts and scratches she unknowingly suffered during the operation. The adrenaline in her at the time resulted in her body not acknowledging half of the injuries she had dealt with, but now that she was back in her calm state, Aria could not help but feel sore all over.

She remembered the following days after escaping the House of Ashes, where her body was excruciatingly sore and stiff. She had to do an embarrassing waddle to lessen the pain she felt in her muscles as she was ushered back into the interrogation room for the rest of the week, and her left ankle that she nearly sprained turned a nasty colour of purple even though it did not cause her any major discomfort when she walked on it. Though nobody knew about it as she always had her shoes on, and refused to take them off even when the CENTCOM “doctor” did a medical checkup on her in the quarantine room.

But now she was in nothing but a medical gown with stiff casts and blood-soaked bandages surrounding some of her appendages. Her left foot was bare but it was covered underneath a thin blanket. The dark mixture of bruised purple had transformed into a much lighter shade of lavender with a mixture of blue and green within the bruise. She had assured the doctor in the medical bay (who was much nicer than the CENTCOM one) that it was not causing her any discomfort, so they resorted to just occasionally putting some ointment on it to lessen the bruise.

Aria’s heart was beating steadily at a fast pace as her eyes kept darting from the clock to the entrance door. It did not help that she was in the general ward, meaning there were other injured soldiers lying next to her in separate beds so the doctors came in often to check up on them as well. Her heart would always jump through her throat anytime a person opened that door, only for it to drop in disappointment when it was just a nurse or someone else.

She did not know why she was so on-edge, especially when she had only seen Salim not too long ago. Though it was still enough time for them to digest the event that occurred underground, a small fearful part of her worried that Salim no longer cared about her. Hell, she didn't even know if he did want to come to America, but she did request for the immigration agent to make it clear to him that it was just an option he could take. And now that she was told that he had come to the camp in preparation to be brought to the US, surely he did want to go on his own violation, right? She just hoped to not catch Salim with a guarded look in his eyes once he saw her, hoping to keep his distance from a monster that wiped out almost half of the Iraqi army in cold blood.

These thoughts came looming within her mind, and they grew increasingly louder as the clock continued to tick in dense silence. The painful tension shattered into pieces and landed on Aria’s chest in agony as she saw the door slowly open and a familiar pair of brown eyes peeked into the room.

Read more on AO3...

#salim othman #salim x reader #salim x oc #dark pictures house of ashes #the dark pictures anthology #jason kolchek #nick kay #eric king #rachel king #my fanfiction #salim x aria #ao3

[datgurlevie]

OMG this is sooo good! I was thinking about doing a Jalim AMV using this same song for many months now ahhhh not sure if I should...

Song:  SVRCINA - Meet Me On The Battlefield

The last part of Nightmare series

First part Second part Third part Fourth part Fifth part 

#jalim #salim othman #jason kolchek #jason x salim #House of ashes #dark pictures anthology #dark pictures house of ashes

[datgurlevie]

HI HI Chapter 14 is uuuuup on AO3!! I am so sorry everyone, I might have missed posting a few chapter updates on here (mental health no good da past few weeks...), but fret not I am still keeping a consistent schedule on AO3 :)) Please have a read if you are into a Salim x female OC ship!

Plot Summary:

Aria Chang, a 30-year-old General Major of the USMC Force Reconnaissance and a human weapon of war, is sent to investigate the suspected chemical weapons at Target LZ. But once foundations start crumbling (literally), she is forced to fight for her life against the vampiric creatures of the underground that were out for cold blood.

In the ominous underground, she encounters Iraqi soldier Salim Othman and is compelled to make a strained alliance with him if they are to all survive the House of Ashes. After being honed to kill any enemies on sight for many years, Aria must learn to cooperate with the opposition no matter the uniform they donned.

But what happens when bonds start to form, lust begins to grow, and secrets come to the light? How will their American weapon of war deal with the lurking demons that not only creep in the shadows but those that begin to grow in her head?

Together with Eric, Rachel, Nick and Jason, they must not only face their inner demons as they enter the temple doors but also be prepared to atone for their sins if they were to escape the underground.

Weekly Updates: Every Sunday 2:00pm PST/ 10:00pm GMT

Chapter 14 Sneak Peek:

Jarah, Iraq, 2003

Keen umber eyes locked onto the gate entrance that led into the giant factory facility. The sun was scorching down on the soldier who was hidden among the desert cliffs, rifle pointed steadily and directly at the targeted building.

Aria continued to focus on the large doorway and kept watch of the Iraqi soldier standing guard at the front of it. The sun was at its peak, and her skin was drenched in sweat at the heavy layers of camouflage gear and uniform she had to put on for this mission. Unlike the other operation for Target LZ, this mission was a game of waiting.

She was very used to the waiting game and did not mind enduring the extreme environmental climates in order to wait for her prey to come out. Other operations had her wait in extreme hot and cold climates for multiple days in a row with minimal food and water. Being stationed here for only four hours so far was considered nothing to her.

“Jackal Two-One, this is Eagle One reporting for zero zero four zero hours. No signs of the HVT1 yet, over.” Aria muttered over her radio while not breaking eye contact with the gate entrance.

“Roger, awaiting signal. Over.” A male voice was heard over the radio.

She went back to being comfortable in her scouting position and continued to keep watch over the area where the soldier was lingering around.

It had been two weeks since she had left the quarantine zone back in Camp Slayer, and three weeks since her escape from the House of Ashes. Aria had been too busy preparing for this mission that she did not have sufficient time to process what had happened while she was in the underground. However, due to her honed abilities to repress any traumatic events at this point she was able to push those thoughts aside while concentrating on the mission she was currently on.

For now.

Read more on AO3...

#salim othman #salim x reader #salim x oc #house of ashes #dark pictures house of ashes #house of ashes fic #jason kolchek #nick kay #rachel king #eric king #ao3 #salim x aria #my fanfiction

[datgurlevie]

So this 🙏 you have no idea how even a three word comment will make my whole day from horrible to amazing

how to trick writers into giving you more fanfic to read

[datgurlevie]

when im listening to my own library and playlists i feel like a powerful wizard but when im trying to show my music taste to anyone it feels like i have a shame cone on

[datgurlevie]

Literally what I was doing last night

all fanfiction is funnier and sexier and vastly better-written when you read it at three in the morning, in the dark, lying on your side, tucked into bed, with screen rotate turned off. that’s just how it works. that’s just facts.

[datgurlevie]

Chapter 11 is up on AO3 and ready to be read! :DD

Plot Summary:

Aria Chang, a 30-year-old General Major of the USMC Force Reconnaissance and a human weapon of war, is sent to investigate the suspected chemical weapons at Target LZ. But once foundations start crumbling (literally), she is forced to fight for her life against the vampiric creatures of the underground that were out for cold blood.

In the ominous underground, she encounters Iraqi soldier Salim Othman and is compelled to make a strained alliance with him if they are to all survive the House of Ashes. After being honed to kill any enemies on sight for many years, Aria must learn to cooperate with the opposition no matter the uniform they donned.

But what happens when bonds start to form, lust begins to grow, and secrets come to the light? How will their American weapon of war deal with the lurking demons that not only creep in the shadows but those that begin to grow in her head?

Together with Eric, Rachel, Nick and Jason, they must not only face their inner demons as they enter the temple doors but also be prepared to atone for their sins if they were to escape the underground.

Weekly Updates: Every Sunday 2:00pm PST/ 10:00pm GMT

Chapter 11 Sneak Peek:

“Aria, do you copy?”

Aria heard the unfortunate words of Jason Kolchek enter her ear as she stared deeply into the eyes of the one and only Salim Othman. She had just confessed to the Lieutenant below her that she could kiss him right then and there, and Salim did not refuse the statement.

However, when the radio turned on, Aria sighed and immediately sobered up from any adrenaline-filled thoughts she had and knew that she still had to focus on leaving the temple. She still could not believe that she and Salim managed to climb up nearly 2500 feet of chain while being attacked by vampires along the way – it was really a feat that she was damn sure no soldier had ever accomplished in US military history.

She hesitantly rolled off Salim to instead lie on her back next to him, leaving her heart ripped out when she did, and answered, “Copying you loud and clear.”

Jason immediately replied. “Fuck dude, we thought you were gone! We tried contacting you but heard no response. Super glad you’re okay.”

She nearly laughed and cried at the same time when she heard Jason say that as her memories quickly flashed to them climbing up the chain with sheer exhaustion while she shot at vampires whilst hanging in the air.

She wanted to say a thousand different things to the marine, wanting to tell them the literal hellscape they lived through, but ended up replying, “Yeah, glad we’re okay too.”

“Is Salim there with you?”

She rolled her head over to the soldier next to her, and as if he knew that Jason was asking for him, she saw Salim flash her a toothy grin with a thumbs up. She could not help but smile back at the response and appreciated how he was still so positive after everything that has happened.

“Yep, still kicking.” She turned her head back to face the rocky ceiling lit with a green aura above them.

“Amazing to hear. Just an update, Eric and Nick are still trying to find an exit; all the routes seem to have been blocked off.”

Aria was surprised that it had taken that long to find a way out, considering they were climbing for at least an hour. At least they were trying to find an escape route now.

“I see. Where are you based? We will come to find you.”

“In the main temple, where we set up base. Rachel and I are here keeping a lookout for any of those vampires. The ones that lived seemed to have made their way up here, so be careful coming. I think the lights we have in here are deterring them from entering the area.”

“Roger. We’ve just left the nest and we’ll be there soon.”

“Y’all just left? It’s been close to two hours since we lost contact with you.”

Aria sighed, unsure if she had the energy to relieve the events that had just transpired. “You won’t believe me when I tell you what happened.”

Read more on AO3...

#salim othman #salim x reader #salim x oc #the dark pictures anthology #house of ashes #dark pictures house of ashes #jason kolchek #eric king #rachel king #nick kay #ao3 #my fanfiction #salim x aria

[datgurlevie]

[datgurlevie]

MAGIC! STOLEN!! SORCERY!!!

[datgurlevie]

[datgurlevie]

Chapter 10 is here! I feel like this is where things start to get juicy between Salim and Aria (OC) ;3 Have a read on AO3 to find out more hehe~

Plot Summary:

Aria Chang, a 30-year-old General Major of the USMC Force Reconnaissance and a human weapon of war, is sent to investigate the suspected chemical weapons at Target LZ. But once foundations start crumbling (literally), she is forced to fight for her life against the vampiric creatures of the underground that were out for cold blood.

In the ominous underground, she encounters Iraqi soldier Salim Othman and is compelled to make a strained alliance with him if they are to all survive the House of Ashes. After being honed to kill any enemies on sight for many years, Aria must learn to cooperate with the opposition no matter the uniform they donned.

But what happens when bonds start to form, lust begins to grow, and secrets come to the light? How will their American weapon of war deal with the lurking demons that not only creep in the shadows but those that begin to grow in her head?

Together with Eric, Rachel, Nick and Jason, they must not only face their inner demons as they enter the temple doors but also be prepared to atone for their sins if they were to escape the underground.

Weekly Updates: Every Sunday 2:00pm PST/ 10:00pm GMT

Chapter 10 Sneak Peek:

Hurried footsteps echoed through the deserted and dim underground illuminated with a green light. The crunching of gravel under their combat boots would have clearly given away their positions, however, to their luck, no vampire had yet to make an appearance.

Aria and Salim ran through the circular archway that led to the room where the elevator was. The large hallway emitted its preternatural glow that helped the soldiers see their ways forward. They knew they were close when they started seeing the crates of archaeological equipment being scattered around the area. They entered the area where a large tree-like structure was circling the area while giving out some light from its surface.

They slowed their pace to a stop once they arrived at where four chains were being hung to accommodate for the wooden elevator. Aria could hear the elevator’s jangly hum slowly making its way down from the distance above. The green lighting and mist coming from the area overhead made it difficult for her to see how close it was to approaching them.

She kept staring at the green sky above her, not wanting to look in Salim's direction in case it coaxed them to say or do something that she was not ready to handle at the moment. After a short while, she was finally able to make out the wooden box slowly descending towards them. She breathed a sigh of relief at the incoming saviour that would let them get out of this hell hole of a place.

They watched as the lift finally landed in front of them with a blunt thud . Aria wordlessly opened the squeaky wooden doors that lead into the elevator and waited for Salim to go in. She then followed behind as the Iraqi went in and closed the gates that loudly creaked in protest. Aria then quickly moved over to where the lever was and placed her whole weight into pushing the lever upwards.

The elevator gave a slight rattle and after what Aria thought to be a concerning sound, the wooden box they were in started to ascend upwards. She gave another sigh as hope was starting to return to her that she would see the sun again.

That dream was cut short though, as the elevator gave another rattle and another alarming squeal and finally stopped in its tracks.

There was a tense silence that enveloped them as the cogs in their mind started to rotate in rusty and jerky movement as utmost dread seeped into their bodies and souls. Aria quickly went back to roughly pull the lever down once more and up again. The elevator only gave a low groan in response without moving, and the fear in Aria made her crank and lever down and up again with all her might.

This time, the elevator did not in fact go up but spasmodically dropped down slightly, causing the soldiers to almost lose their balance. Aria felt her heart drop along with the lift as she clung onto the side of the elevator for dear life. She let go of the shaft as she did not want to make it any worse.

Once they regained their balance and made sure the elevator was not going to fall down any further, they stiffly looked at each other to silently plan what they were going to do next. Salim’s arms and legs were bent and stretched out in response to the drop to balance himself. Brown, panicked eyes clashed with equally dark and terrified ones as the two soldiers did not know what to do.

Salim lowered his eyes after a few moments when it dawned on him what this could mean for them. He said in a cracked whisper, “This is it…this is the end of the line for us.”

Read more on AO3...

#salim othman #salim x oc #salim x reader #dark pictures house of ashes #dark pictures anthology #jason kolchek #nick kay #eric king #rachel king #ao3 #my fanfiction #salim x aria

[datgurlevie]

Me trying to flirt

jason: hey salim, would you like to play 20 questions?

salim: okay sure.

salim: what is your favorite color?

jason: triangle. do you like men?

#house of ashes #the dark pictures anthology #jason kolchek #salim othman #jalim

[datgurlevie]

Chapter 9 is here! Ahh I am super keen about posting this one because it was one of my favourite to write ;)) Hope you all enjoy reading it on AO3!!

Plot Summary:

Aria Chang, a 30-year-old General Major of the USMC Force Reconnaissance and a human weapon of war, is sent to investigate the suspected chemical weapons at Target LZ. But once foundations start crumbling (literally), she is forced to fight for her life against the vampiric creatures of the underground that were out for cold blood.

In the ominous underground, she encounters Iraqi soldier Salim Othman and is compelled to make a strained alliance with him if they are to all survive the House of Ashes. After being honed to kill any enemies on sight for many years, Aria must learn to cooperate with the opposition no matter the uniform they donned.

But what happens when bonds start to form, lust begins to grow, and secrets come to the light? How will their American weapon of war deal with the lurking demons that not only creep in the shadows but those that begin to grow in her head?

Together with Eric, Rachel, Nick and Jason, they must not only face their inner demons as they enter the temple doors but also be prepared to atone for their sins if they were to escape the underground.

Weekly Updates: Every Sunday 2:00pm PST/ 10:00pm GMT

Chapter 9 Sneak Peek:

Harsh expulsions of breaths mingled within the small space around them, as the two panicked soldiers tried to calm their nerves from the chase. They could still hear a few vampires clicking and screeching in the cave outside, and did not dare make a single movement in case they were spotted.

Their bodies were pressed so tightly together to accommodate themselves in the tiny space they were in, that Aria could feel Salim’s rapidly beating heart in his chest. She was very sure he could feel hers as well.

Aria’s head was turned towards the entrance with her brown eyes staring out of the gap. Her terrified gaze remained unblinking and steady, prepared to attack if any vampires were to approach the crack that they were in. Salim’s head was also facing the hole, his dark eyes slightly darting around to spot any movements outside.

Their breathing slowly evened out, as the room quietened. Aria’s ears were still pounding from her beating heart, but she tried to strain them to listen out for any noises coming from outside. The clicking began to move further away and heard less shuffling around them as the demons began to leave the area. Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration, making absolutely sure that there was not one stray vampire that was being unusually quiet.

The area was now quiet, but Aria could not shake off the feeling that they were still not alone.

“Sounds li-” Salim began to speak, but Aria swiftly placed her hand over his mouth. She pushed away any intruding thoughts she had about the feeling of his warm lips on her sweaty palm.

Sure enough, a loud demonic scream echoed just outside the crevice they were in, and Aria’s eyes widened in terror at the thought that they may have been spotted. They witnessed a flash of darkness run past them, as the monster ran away towards another direction.

Aria let go of a breath that she did not realise she was holding in and exhaled slowly. The adrenaline spike of fear left her heart beating more rapidly in the aftermath, and she tried to listen out for any more lingering demons. She heard nothing, and she did not sense anything else close to them.

She let her shaky hand slide off Salim’s mouth and when she looked at him, she realised that he was staring at her the whole time during this ordeal. Her mouth tightened into a line as a reaction, and she gestured a “thumbs up” to signal that the coast was clear using the same hand that was covering his mouth. She was not sure why she did that as an afterthought, but quickly banished the thought away.

Salim also gave a slightly confused look at the weird action, and Aria mentally kicked herself for being an absolute goofball in front of this man. She was a general who won them five wars for god’s sake, and she was acting like a flustered middle-schooler who did not know how to talk to guys.

What the hell was she even flustered anyways?

“I think the coast is clear.” Aria whispered out, explaining her foolish gesture from earlier.

Salim gave a wordless nod and visibly relaxed from his strained stance. They both sighed but remained still in their places. Silence greeted their ears and the two soldiers remained quiet for a few more moments, giving a mental prayer to the lords (or lack thereof) above.

Aria swallowed before muttering out, “The others have gone ahead because the vampires started to ambush them, but I told them to bring the elevator down for us.”

Salim’s gaze lowered to the floor and gave a small sigh. In their close proximity, their faces inched closer together when Salim leaned his head forward slightly. His shoulders followed his eyes as they drooped and he slowly shook his head. “This is Allah punishing me. I tried to be a good father for Zain, but I guess my best was not enough.”

Aria’s eyebrows knitted together at the Iraqi’s statement. She was never one to believe in a higher power and did not understand how people think they are being punished by a being that they have never seen in their life.

However, she swallowed down her incoming remark about it when she saw Salim’s expression of absolute dejection. Her heart was pained to see such a face of hopelessness, and a small part of her was completely confused with these emotions she was feeling for an enemy.

Instead, she tried to focus on the reality around them to help Salim out of his dark thoughts. Her breath mingled with his as their noses were only centimetres apart.

“I may not believe in God, but I am sure what you are doing for Zain is more than enough. He needs you, and you need him. I will make sure that we get out of here alive so that you can go home to celebrate his birthday, alright?”

Salim’s eyes looked up to meet hers, and for the first time ever, Aria truly looked into his gaze. His brown eyes held a certain softness that all soldiers had lost from their time in the harsh war zone. She felt a little bit of envy for him still holding onto that last bit of innocence and sympathy that she no longer felt for anyone. Her life forced her to mature fast, meaning her childhood was cut short at a very young age. Being enlisted in the youth military since she was 8 years old meant her dress-up and tea party days died before they even started.

Her pondering was cut short when she saw Salim giving her a soft smile. His stare became gentler, and Aria wondered how the fuck it could do that. She found herself melting into his gaze, and with the smile he had, she could not help but smile back a little and felt just a bit safer. Nobody in her life had ever made her feel like this and so she was beginning to feel slightly nervous about what would happen if she let this feeling take over her.

“Thank you, Aria.” Salim quietly said, and Aria was more inclined to submit to this ominous emotion.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard her radio turn on and Jason’s voice rang through her ear. “Ari, you there?”

She closed her eyes for a second to calm her hitched breathing and silently cursed under her breath.

“I’m here, Jason. Give me an update.”

“We have started going up the elevator. The vampires ain’t chasing us no more, but we can still hear them. Be careful. I’ll radio in once we reach the top. Over.”

“Roger, Salim and I are hiding in a small hole in the wall. We’ll wait for your signal. Over.”

Aria rested her head back on the cold wall behind her and sighed. Looks like they were going to be there for a while.

She looked over and saw Salim’s expectant face, and decided to fill him in on what was going on and what would happen. “The others are currently making their way to the top. They’ll let me know once they have reached up there and send the elevator back down for us.”

“So we’ll be here for a while.”

Aria swallowed and nodded. “‘Fraid so.”

Read more on AO3...

#salim othman #salim x reader #salim x oc #dark pictures house of ashes #house of ashes #house of ashes fic #salim x aria #ao3 #my fanfiction #jason kolchek #nick kay #eric king #rachel king

[datgurlevie]

Will u join the challenge?

[datgurlevie]

Chapter 8 is up on AO3!

Plot Summary:

Aria Chang, a 30-year-old General Major of the USMC Force Reconnaissance and a human weapon of war, is sent to investigate the suspected chemical weapons at Target LZ. But once foundations start crumbling (literally), she is forced to fight for her life against the vampiric creatures of the underground that were out for cold blood.

In the ominous underground, she encounters Iraqi soldier Salim Othman and is compelled to make a strained alliance with him if they are to all survive the House of Ashes. After being honed to kill any enemies on sight for many years, Aria must learn to cooperate with the opposition no matter the uniform they donned.

But what happens when bonds start to form, lust begins to grow, and secrets come to the light? How will their American weapon of war deal with the lurking demons that not only creep in the shadows but those that begin to grow in her head?

Together with Eric, Rachel, Nick and Jason, they must not only face their inner demons as they enter the temple doors but also be prepared to atone for their sins if they were to escape the underground.

Weekly Updates: Every Sunday 2:00pm PST/ 10:00pm GMT

Chapter 8 Sneak Peek:

Salim watched helplessly as Aria made her way down towards the large mountain of vampire cocoons.

Towards her doom.

He witnessed the guarded yet cracked expression of Aria’s face before she turned away from them, as he saw the familiar look of a soldier’s melancholy and regret. A part of him was in awe and proud for her to make a large sacrifice like this, yet another part was extremely worried that this would likely be the last time that he would ever see those dark brown eyes flash with life.

Maybe it was his fatherly instinct to always care for those around him, but he could not help but find his thoughts about her lingering in his mind just a moment longer than any other American he had met down her.

He had met Jason, who had certainly grown on him as they strongly bonded over the course of the hour. He could truly say that Jason was a brother-in-arms to him, and he will always cherish the time they had spent together in the underground.

As much as his strong friendship formed with Jason, he felt like the little bond he shared with Aria was slightly different in a sense. He could not pinpoint exactly what or how he felt about it, but it was definitely different from any platonic friendships he’s made over the years. Maybe it was the fact that they got off a very rocky start, and he was seeing her slowly building her trust in him? Those feelings of wary and anxiety that she would shoot him at any moment was drilled into him the moment they met, but now that tension was slowly weaning off.

The American next to him sighed loudly and Salim was roughly pulled out of his thoughts. He turned to face Jason, who donned a solemn expression on his face. Salim instantly knew and sympathised for the man, understanding that she and Jason must have been close comrades for some time.

Salim placed a gentle hand on Jason’s shoulder as an act of comfort and a sign that he acknowledged his grievance. Jason looked towards Salim as he felt the contact but gave a small smile as wordless gratitude. The smile quickly faltered when the First Lieutenant dipped his head and gave another sorrowful huff.

“She had so much going on for her, and everyone saw that potential but quickly took advantage of that.”

The Iraqi kept silent to gently urge Jason to continue speaking. Pleasant confusion settled in his mind, not knowing how or where this was leading to however he was eager to find out.

“Aria became a Major General far too quickly, and she is barely coping with the amount of responsibility. Yeah, she can seem standoffish from the outside, but she is trying to protect herself from any failure. Her duty to the US Marines is her number one priority…”

Jason looked up to meet Salim’s gaze with dark turmoil in his eyes.

“...and God help anyone who dared challenge any marine under her watch.”

Read more on AO3...

#salim othman #dark pictures house of ashes #dark pictures anthology #salim x oc #salim x reader #salim x aria #house of ashes #house of ashes fic #ao3

[datgurlevie]

IM SORRY THAT I HAVENT BEEN COMMENTING ON THE AO3 PAGEEEEEE

FIRST OF ALL, LOVE YOUR WORK AND I IMMEDIATELY READ CHAP 7

SECOND OF ALL, I HAVE BAD MEMORY AND ASSUMED I ALREADY MADE A COMMENT 😓 BUT UHHHH I HOPE YOURE HAVING A GOOD DAY ILL BE HERE FOR CHAP 8!!!!

Nonono it’s all good! <3 <3 <3 Thank you so much for sticking with me since the start of this fic, and srsly no pressure to keep commenting if you don’t feel like it :)) I’m posting chapter 8 now hehe but I am very happy you are enjoying it~~ Thank you for thinking of me, my friend <3 Hope you are having a good day as well!