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#BETRAYAL
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The Healer pt 3
The story continues! Hope you guys like it!
Part 1 and 2 linked here.
Enjoy!
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The Hero’s party stood with their backs to us, arguing loudly. They obviously didn’t hear Stephanie’s call, and kept their focus on the man in front of them.
“How dare you go back on our deal?!” Jack the Hero snapped, his face twisted with rage. “You have always been our chief supplier!”
Rita the Holy Archer spoke up, flipping her long blond hair over her shoulder as she did so. “Yeah, you never turned us down before!”
The massive and imposing form of Garrett the Giant loomed over the group as he stood by with his arms crossed, nodding in agreement. The fourth and final member, Rebecca the Sorceress, leaned against the Hero, her eyes filled with tears as if everyone in the room had personally wronged her.
Seeing the group together again was… rough, to say the least. I had once considered three of them, Jack, Rita and Garrett,  my closest friends. We had played the game together before the Downfall, spending late nights going on raids and completing quests. They had been the brightest part of a life that had been greatly overshadowed by my parents’ expectations and disapproval. I had valued their friendship, so much so that I was willing to break myself over and over again just to stay by their side. I had lied to myself, that I was just as much a part of the team as they were. That I was valued, even if they didn’t always say so. That I was lucky to have them, given that I had chosen the class I did. I hated myself for my weakness, but refused to leave, too dependent on them to try to break off on my own.   
Until Jack finally betrayed me enough to wake me up to the truth:
They had never been my friends.  
As for Rebecca… my gaze settled on the pitifully crying girl. She was crying when I met her, too.
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“Healer! Help! I have an injured person here!” At Jack’s frantic cry, I forced myself awake and ran out of my house, surprised to see him carrying a young, beautiful woman. Her face was unnaturally pale, her red hair matted with blood, stuck to her forehead. Her clothing was scorched in several areas, making her seem even more pitiful. I paused for a moment, feeling a brief discomfort at the sight of Jack holding her with a tenderness in his eyes I had never seen before.
We were not a couple. He had hinted his interest several times, but we had agreed to wait until the world was more stable before discussing it deeply. I wasn’t sure of my own feelings, having always considered him a good friend, but I knew that in the midst of a life or death battle was probably not the best time to give a real answer. Jack hadn’t been happy with my response, but said he understood. He hadn’t brought it up again, but the sight of his distress for the woman in his arms made me wonder if I had his answer.
Either way, it was no time to work out my feelings on the matter. I pushed away the flash of unease at the two’s closeness and stepped forward to look at the young woman. She flinched away from my gaze, her teary eyes looking up at Jack.
“Don’t bother your friend! I just need a potion and I’ll be fine.”
Jack smiled at her. “Nonsense, you fainted just a minute ago. The Healer may be useless in a fight, but she can do targeted therapy for whatever injuries you have.”
I winced at the word “useless”, a term I was all too used to from my childhood.
“Wait!” Rather than being comforted, this seemed to distress the young man more. She struggled slightly, seeming unable to free herself from Jack’s hold. “I don’t…”
I lost patience, and reached out my hand, putting it on her forehead.
“Scan.”
**The Healer has activated Scan -20MP. Target is not in your party and some information is withheld.
Rebecca the Sorceress
Class –Magic User
Title – Sorceress, Magic Student, Dependent, Poison Master.
Level 56
HP 209/250
MP 280/300
STR ***
DEX ***
INT ***
WIS ***
CHAR ***
Current status: Charm applied + 50 Charisma – 1 hour remaining.
Healing status – mild abrasions to forehead, right elbow, and anterior thigh-  10 sq centimeters total surface area.  First degree burns – dorsum of foot, and right wrist – 5 square centimeters total surface area. Mild poison toxicity – side effects include pallor, diaphoresis and generalized weakness. – 10 minutes remaining. **
I frowned as I read through the information. Jack quickly began asking questions.
“How bad is it, Healer? Will she be all right? You can fix it, right?”
“Some scrapes and mild burns, no worse than a sunburn, just needs her wounds dressed and some ointment for pain and to prevent infection. How did she get poisoned?”
“Poisoned?” He brought her into my house and set her down on my bed. “She wasn’t poisoned, she was protecting a family from bandits.”
I shrugged, getting out supplies and carefully cleaning and dressing her injuries. “The scan says she was poisoned, probably about an hour ago judging by the remaining cooldown. Nothing bad, just something that would make her pale, sweaty and weak.”
Rebecca began crying loudly as I finished bandaging her. Before I could react, Jack pushed me out of the way, leaning over to check on her. I slammed by back into the dresser, groaning with pain as it struck.
“Did she hurt you?!” He asked Rebecca, frowning as he looked over her bandages. 
She blinked back tears, regaining control of herself. “I’m sorry, I was just so worried… The way she said it… it sounds like she’s accusing me of taking poison on purpose!”
I gingerly stood up, rubbing my back where it hit the dresser. “I didn’t mean to imply…”
“Shut up, Healer!” He laid a hand on Rebecca’s head. “Just ignore her. She’s just a burden our team carries around because we happened to know her before the Downfall.”
I closed my eyes at his words, trying to ignore both the physical and emotional pain.
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“Why can’t you help us?!” Rebecca was sobbing, blinking her tear-filled eyes and staring at the man in front of their group. “Don’t you know we’re humanity’s only hope?”
“They’re our only hope?”Alton leaned in, whispering “We’re so doomed.”
Stephanie and I chuckled quietly in response.
The owner of the shop, Winter, stood silently in front of the Hero’s party. He was tall, although still shorter than Garrett the Giant. Somehow his demeanor made him seem to tower over the entire group. His white hair was cropped short, at odds with his younger appearing face, placing him in his late twenties. His eyes were a bright pale blue, his handsome feature marred only by a large scar tracing across his face, only barely missing his right eye. His face was expressionless, almost bored, unchanged by Rebecca’s tears.
“You seem to be having a bit of a misunderstanding.” Winter finally spoke up, his voice quiet and cold. “I never had a deal with YOU.”
“LIAR!” Jack screamed. “You’ve always…”
“I’ve had a deal with your healer.” He raised an eyebrow. “And she’s not with you anymore. So I have no reason to deal with you.”
“The Healer?” Rita laughed, her sharp features and gaze filled with a mocking light. “That useless baggage? Why would you care if she’s with us or not?”
“…” Winter stared at her silently, and seemingly pressured, Rita stepped back, hiding behind Garrett. “Foolish.”
“We’re foolish?” Jack asked, shaken but still angry. “You’re the one who is turning down the opportunity of a lifetime. Just because of some bit…”
SMACK!
Winter backhanded the Hero, sending him down to the floor with a calm expression.
“Close your foul mouth, or I’ll close it for you.”  He raised an eyebrow. “Any questions?”
Stephanie raised her hand. “Where do I sign up to be part of his fan club?” Alton raised his hand as well, nodding.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “You never change., Winter”
At my words, Winter turned towards me, his cold blank expression melting into a bright smile.
“Natalie! You’re here!”
“…”
“…”
“…”
Everyone in the room turned to stare at me. I shrunk back slightly. Alton spoke up first, frowning. “Natalie?”
I sighed. “My real name, or more accurately, my name before the Downfall. I don’t like using it anymore.” I don’t like the person who wore that name, nor the people who bestowed it upon me. “Healer is a much more accurate title.”
Alton smiled and shrugged. “Whatever makes you happy, Miss Healer.”
Winter’s smile faded a bit, and he walked forward, stepping on the Hero as he did so, ignoring his grunt of pain.
“Are you okay? I just heard about the price on your head. Did they hurt you?”
I shook my head. “I’m fine. You know that they couldn’t hurt me if they tried.”
“Anyone can get hurt if they get caught off guard, Nat.” He put a hand on my shoulder, staring into my eyes. “You should have left a long time ago. They didn’t deserve your loyalty.”
“Well, she’s got a new team now!” Alton stepped in excitedly.
“Yeah! We’re much better than those creeps!” Stephanie joined in. The two gave each other and me a thumbs up.
Winter stared at them for a while, before sighing. “I told you that you didn’t have to fight with anyone. Yet you still race towards danger at the side of these… people. What has humanity ever done for you?”
I ran a hand through my hair, letting out a soft sigh. “Not everyone is as terrible as you think.”
“That’s rich, considering what state you were in when we first met.” The disappointment in his eyes was clear. I flinched, trying not to think of the circumstances of our first meeting.
“That’s not…”
“STOP IGNORING ME!” Rebecca cried out, fire blazing at her fingertips as she glared at all of us. As we quieted down, she focused her gaze on Winter. “Why are you so obsessed with her? She’s a useless healer! We are the HERO’S PARTY!”
Winter stepped closer, and she shrank into Jack’s side, trying to get away, but froze when Winter’s gaze met hers. “You know nothing, poison witch. A Healer is a noble profession, only meant for the strongest of heart and mind. “
“Y-you…”
“Now get out of my store.” He pointed at the exit, and after a moment of silence, the hero’s party shuffled out. Jack paused at the doorway, looking at me with a serious expression. “My offer is still open. We will attack the forty second gate in 3 days. With or without you.”
And with that, he was gone, and all was quiet.
“What idiots.” Alton sat down on a nearby chair, frustrated. “They’re going to put all of humanity at risk.”
“No more than they deserve.” At Winter’s harsh tone, everyone turned to him again.
“You don’t like humans?” Alton asked.
“Any reason why I should?”
He pointed at me. “Miss Healer is a human.”
“The exception, not the rule.”
I shook my head at his solemn reply. “We came here for supplies. Can you help us?”
“Of course.” He agreed immediately, pulling out a large bag from behind the counter and handing it straight to me. “On the house.”
“You know I’ll never agree to that.” I dropped some custom potions and gold on the table. “You have to stay in business.”
Winter shook his head, but I insisted. “Take it or I go somewhere else for supplies.”
“…Fine.” After a long hesitation, he finally reached out and took the items, carefully arranging them on the shelf on the back wall.
“…” Stephanie and Alton stared silently at the exchange between us.
“I smell drama!” Stephanie whispered loudly.
Alton nodded silently, frowning.
“Speaking of which, PREPARE TO BE AMAZED!” Stephanie stepped forward, dropping the pelts onto the counter. “BEHOLD! I HAVE COMPLETED MY QUEST!”
Winter looked over the wolf furs, nodding silently. “This is what I asked for.” His tone was unimpressed. Stephanie grinned, not intimidated.
“So you’ll pay me this time?”
“This time?” I turned to her. “How many times has he scammed you with fake quests?”
“They aren’t fake!” She defended, clutching the bag of gold he handed her. “He just has high standards.”
“Did you count your payment?”
“… I was about to.” She opened the sac of gold and muttered to herself, before staring accusingly at Winter. “It’s only half!”
“Because you didn’t get the pelts.” He inclined his head towards me. “I know Nat’s work when I see it.”
“I helped, though! I lured them all the way to her!”
“And I bet she asked for half.”
“How did you know?!” She paused. “I was going to give it to her.”
I sighed. “Just pay her the whole amount. Your deal was for the pelts, it doesn’t matter how she got them. If I want the cash, I’ll get it from her.”
“…”
“Besides, she’s my teammate…”
Stephanie jumped in. “AND BEST FRIEND!”
“…In a way it’s paying me.”
“…” He sat a second bag of gold down, which Stephanie snatched up and counted with glee. Winter ignored her, looking at me.
“You’re really doing this again? Trusting humans?”
I shook my head. “I don’t trust anyone.”
“You trust too much… you just pretend like you don’t to comfort yourself.” He thought things over. “Where are you going next?”
Alton joined in. “We’re going to go hunting in the fortieth level forest. Try to get a feel for our fighting style.”
“What about your fourth party member? Your team is incomplete.”
“Maybe we’re just picky?” Alton offered.
Winter stared at us. Stephanie broke first. “Everyone’s too scared to work with Alton, and they think Healer is a burden.”
“…”
“We don’t though! We think she’s awesome.”
Winter finally smiled at that. “Alright then.” He began packing a bag. “I’ll join your team.”
“AWESOME!”
“Is that even possible?”
“You’ll what?!”
Stephanie, Alton and I spoke up at the same time. Winter continued to pack, undisturbed by our shouts.
“You need a fourth teammate, and Nat needs someone to watch her back. It’s a win-win. ”
Alton stared at him. “Why do you think she needs your help?”
Winter didn’t flinch. “She needs it. Needed it since the beginning.”
After studying him a long moment, the dark wizard turned towards me. “It’s your call. I trust your judgement with this.”
I rubbed my forehead, feeling tired. “Why don’t we do a trial before making anything official? Go fight together. See how it goes from there.”
“… You don’t trust me?” Winter asked quietly.
“You’d have to be their teammates as well, fighting to protect humanity. I don’t see why you are volunteering. You’ve never cared before.” Was my equally quiet answer.
After a long moment of consideration, he nodded in agreement. “…Fine. A test mission first.”
“Wait!” Stephanie chimed in. “Can NPCs even join human parties? Aren’t they the ones who give quests?”
Winter placed his packed bag on his back, grabbing a bow and some arrows. “My kind are not a part of the Rules. We follow them, just like you do.”
“So you’re like us?” Alton asked, curious.
“No.” His tone was flat. “I am nothing like you humans. But I can join your party.”
“Great! Let’s go on an adventure!” Stephanie ran towards the door, and shaking my head, I followed her.
“Should be interesting.”
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The fortieth-floor forest was filled with death. Black twisted trees, grey, dried out grass. Shadows from nothing, movements that didn’t make sense. I stood in place, feeling the constant overwhelming sensation of being watched.
Alton smiled, seeming right at home. “Alright guys, this place is chocked full of undead, perfect for a good fight. We just need to get a sense for how everyone else works, and how to help each other.”
“Sounds good!” Stephanie pulled out her enormous sword and grinned. “I’ll tank!”
“Great. I’ll provide crowd control and protection through magic.” He turned towards Winter, who seemed relaxed despite the evil forest around him. “What about you?”
Winter held up his bow. “I’ll pick off monsters from the back.”
“Great. That just leaves Miss Healer…” He turned towards me. “How would you like to fight?”
His question caught me by surprise. When I fought with the Hero’s party, I had often supported them secretly, standing afar, silently using my healing magic to add further injuries to my teammate’s attacks. It was difficult, making myself appear useless while protecting and attacking at the same time.
But now… I was able to openly and honestly take part with the team.
I smiled. “I want to be in the front.”
Stephanie cheered. “Besties tanks!”
“Sounds like we have a plan.” Alton grinned, looking every inch the evil wizard. “Let’s go.”
It didn’t take long before we ran into a large group of undead. Zombies, skeletons, shadowy creatures with claws and spikes, crawled out between the trees, their eyes glowing red with hunger.
“Kill!” A gravelly voice came out of the large skeleton, staring at me. I walked forward calmly, no weapons in my hands.
Undead didn’t have blood. Didn’t have beating hearts. They needed no oxygen, absorbing their energy from the living. Which limited my options. I would have to go for attacks that caused physical damage.
Stephanie ran forward with a loud cry, swinging her large sword and decapitating the first zombie in her field of vision. Alton chanted, his spells separating the zombies out in smaller groups, hindering their movement and slowing their attacks. I could hear the buzzing of arrows as Winter calmly shot down enemy after enemy.
It was my turn.
I held a scalpel in my hand, the cool metal somewhat comforting against my skin. A group of ten zombies shuffled towards me, trying to shake off the bonds of Alton’s magic.
Wordless incantation was still in cooldown. I would have to speak out loud to activate my spells. I stepped closer to the group
“Amputation.”
**The Healer has cast Amputation x 10. – 1000 MP. **
My magic reached out to each of the zombies, chopping off each of their right legs at the mid-thigh, slicing cleanly through rotting muscle and bone. The zombies groaned in confusion, falling to the ground. I watched them carefully, recognizing they were still dangerous despite their helpless appearance.
This is when Jack or the others would rush in to claim the kill… and then complain about the automatic XP share since my magic contributed to the fight. But now that I don’t have them… what now?
Amputation was a spell that could only be applied to limbs. Small and large incision could cut their throats, but not enough to decapitate them which was what was needed.
A brief feeling of hopelessness rose up within me. The despair that had filled my days as I fought in this strange world beside others who had ridiculed me and belittled me. I chose a worthless class, one that struggles to put down wounded zombies…  
One of the zombies flipped onto its stomach, beginning to pull itself towards me, teeth bared. Simultaneously, a spell and an arrow hit its remaining leg, pinning it into place. Stephanie was still fighting her group of zombies, but seeing me hesitate shouted out: “Go get ‘em!”
They’re encouraging me. The stark contrast of this fight from my past team made me smile. I wanted to live up to the support of this strange new team. I thought of a plan, and I reached out my hand, focusing.
“Craniotomy.”
**The Healer has cast Craniotomy x 10. – 5,000 MP.**
The skulls cracked open, revealing rotting brains. I kept an eye on my numbers, even with my unusually large mana pool, I couldn’t keep spending so recklessly. I chose a smaller spell.
“Cauterization.”
**The Healer has cast Cauterization x 10. – 100MP.**
The tissue shriveled under the heat of the spell and the zombies grew completely still. As I stared down at the carnage, Stephanie killed her last zombie, prompting the end of the battle.
** Stephanie the Lovely Barbarian is credited with 8 zombie monster kills, awarded 600XP and +8 fame. Alton the Great Evil Wizard is credited for the assist and is awarded 200XP and +2 fame. You receive 8XP as a party member.
The Healer is credited with 10 zombie monster kills, awarded 800XP and +10 fame. Alton the Great Evil Wizard, and Winter the Shopkeeper are credited for the assist and awarded 100 XP and +1 fame each. **
“AWESOME!” Stephanie ran over and hugged me, ignoring my grimace as I realized how badly she smelled after close combat with rotting corpses. “We’re the best team ever! Did you see how fast we took out high level zombies?”
“Strong work everyone!” Alton seemed pleased, “A few more fights, and I think we could get a good rhythm going.”
“Here.” Winter held out a mana recovery potion to me. “Those were high level healer spells you cast today. You probably need this.”
After a brief hesitation I took it. “You recognize Healer spells?”
“Of course.” He spoke sincerely, adding. “It’s the greatest achievement one can have, to take such a path. I’m happy to help you.”
“…Thanks.” I drank the potion.
The Healer has used Potion of Mana Recovery, +800MP. 2 remaining in Inventory.
Stephanie stood in front of me, clasping her hands together with a pleading expression. “So… can we keep him? You said we could consider it after a trial!”
Alton and I exchanged glances. I still felt uneasy about having an “NPC” on our team. For all the time I had known Winter, I still did not understand his true motivations. Why was he in this world with us? Why join our team? And the real question that haunted me:
Why did he help me a year ago when he had no incentive to do so?
But the truth was, he was our best option.
I nodded to Alton, who immediately offered his hand to Winter.
“Welcome to the team.”
**Winter the Shopkeeper has accepted your invitation to join your party! He will have access to shared inventory, and his stats will become visible upon medical scan.**
The usual joining party message popped up, along with something unexpected:
** NOTICE - Due to status of new party member, special restrictions will apply to any stat or data sharing.**
Special restrictions? I shook my head. Not helping with my paranoia about trusting him on our team.
Stephanie cheered as I shook his hand after Alton. Finally, once things had calmed down, we all sat down to regroup.
“What next?” Stephanie asked, grabbing jerky from her pack.
I thought over her question. “The Hero’s party is going to attack the gate in 3 days. We should plan to be there.”
“Oh joy, them again.” Stephanie bit angrily into the jerky, as if hurting the people who annoyed her. "I can hardly contain my excitement."
��Fighting monsters, AND making sure the Hero’s party won’t stab us in the back at the same time?” Alton grinned. “Sounds like a party to me!"
I sighed, and grabbed my own food from my bag.
We had 3 days to get ready.
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webdiggerxxx · 1 day
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꧁★꧂
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lokisdarbenn · 3 days
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"3 tickets to Challengers, please."
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wanderlust-writer13 · 3 months
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Luke’s betrayal in the pjo show with the fireworks as lighting was bone chilling and so so sick I loved it
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pitchcanker · 6 months
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THE EIGHTH CIRCLE OF HELL: FRAUD
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lixxpix · 16 days
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forbidden fruit - nishimura riki
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slytherin!niki x ravenclaw!reader
warnings: hogwarts au, pureblood/muggleborn society, use of slur "mudblood", a lot of angst, betrayal, lots of swearing, fluff, use of third person pov, niki's friends basically being assholes, threats and mentions of death, can get a bit dark at times i guess, idk man idk how to write tws
genre: coming of age, enemies(ok not really but society issues and stuff) to friends to enemies to lovers, hogwarts au
status: coming soon... (taglist open!)
author's note: aaa i'm so excited for this omd >< taglist is open for this fic!
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sneak peek...
"you really think i would make friends with a mudblood?" he sneered, upper lip curling up in disgust as you shrank backwards, his friends smirking at your heartbroken expression.
"i-"
"filthy mudblood."
two words snarled at you. two words that broke your fragile glass heart as you crumpled, leaving you heartbroken and hurt. two words that completely destroyed whatever friendship the two of you had managed to build up, leaving only ruin in it's wake.
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@capri-cuntz @vixialuvs @enhagvrl @judeduartewannabe @livnmsy @heeseungspookie @ming-h0e @istphanie @soobs-things @kangseulgithegreat @hohohobo @asteria-wood @belowbun @gudkc @hearts4itoshi @saintriots @mora134340 @riksaes @ak-aaa-li @strawberrymilkyum @heart4hees @lovleybahiyyih @yjsunzi @yoonzns @firstclassjaylee @baekxo07 @rk1stars @luminouskalopsia @wonniesverse @starseungs @sleepdeprivedline @soobiary @kpop-fanatic-lover16 
@capri-cuntz @vixialuvs @enhagvrl @judeduartewannabe @livnmsy @heeseungspookie @ming-h0e @istphanie @soobs-things @kangseulgithegreat @hohohobo @asteria-wood @belowbun @gudkc @hearts4itoshi @saintriots @mora134340 @riksaes @ak-aaa-li @strawberrymilkyum @heart4hees @lovleybahiyyih @yjsunzi @yoonzns @firstclassjaylee @baekxo07 @rk1stars @luminouskalopsia @wonniesverse @starseungs @sleepdeprivedline @soobiary @kpop-fanatic-lover16 
(i'm so so sorry if the tags aren't woking, i'm fixing it TT taglist is still open tho!) (some people might get re-tagged multiple times in this but so sorry for the false alarm, i'm just trying to get the tags to work)
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scipunk · 1 month
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can I request: a villain who betrayed the hero and a hero who still loves them and can’t stop themselves from helping/saving them even after finding out about the betrayal?
"You know," the villain managed. "I never thought you were stupid before."
"Mm, just an easy mark I suppose." The hero kept their back turned, busying themselves with washing the villain's blood off their hands. "You're supposed to be in bed. Go back to bed."
"This is stupid. Saving me is stupid."
"So is standing up in your current state, but you don't see me being a whiny little bitch about it."
The villain was still leaning heavily against the bathroom door when the hero finally turned, any attempts they were perhaps making at being intimidating utterly ruined by the bloodless waxy tinge to their face and the dark circles under their eyes.
The hero raised their eyebrows, shoving down the urge to go to them. "If you pass out, I'm laughing at you and leaving you on the floor."
"But you wouldn't leave me in that place."
"I'm not a monster."
"You're not me."
"Oh please. You're not a monster, you're not that mythic. You're just a run-of-the-mill dick."
The villain huffed something like a laugh, only to grimace, clutching a hand to the freshly placed bandages at their abdomen.
The hero was at their side in a heartbeat. They were glad the villain had squeezed their eyes shut against the pain - it gave the hero time to compose themselves, to keep their flailing hands from steadying the villain.
The villain got the pain under control. They slumped against the wall, sweat beading their forehead, jaw clenched.
"Bed," the hero said, again, voice a little quieter and rougher than before.
"You could have taken me to a hospital. You didn't have to take me to your home."
"The first place they'd look for you is in a hospital. But by all means, you know where the door is. I'm not forcing you to stay. You'll do great on your own. You're used to it."
The villain shot them a look at that, but wobbled back to the bed the hero had initially set them up on. They eased themselves down gingerly and had to take another moment where they were clearly fighting unconsciousness.
It was the hero's turn to lean in the doorway, awkward and orbital, arms folded across their chest.
"You weren't tempted to leave me there?" the villain asked. "After what I did to you?"
The hero's chest ached. They kept their voice light.
"Tempted? Sure."
"But you didn't."
"You know, I never thought you were stupid either," the hero said. "But you're repeating the obvious an awful lot today, so maybe I stand corrected."
"Yeah, alright sunshine," the villain snapped. "It's been a bit of week."
They both lapsed into the silence. The villain seemed to realise what they'd said, breath hitching. They always used to call the hero that, after all. Sunshine. The hero used to be that too.
The villain swallowed. They eyed the hero with a wariness that should have been gratifying but really just hurt.
Wariness. Confusion, too. Something else that the hero didn't want to poke at.
The villain, after all, wasn't repeating themselves because they'd somehow missed the whole rescue situation. They wanted to know why, they wanted to understand, even if they weren't willing to actually come out and say it. To ask outright.
They wanted...
Well. The hero supposed it didn't much matter what the villain wanted anymore.
The villain looked away first. Folded first. They cleared their throat.
"They'll come for me, if I stay here," the villain said. "Come for you, if they think you're harboring me."
"And why would anyone think I would ever do that for you?"
The hero could practically feel the villain tracking them in their periphery vision, studying them with every sense except looking at them directly.
Sunshine, turned to a sun. Dangerous to get close to.
"You are..." The villain stopped. They closed their mouth.
You are doing that for me though, aren't you?
The hero's eyes narrowed.
"Well, thank you, anyway," the villain mumbled instead. "For the rescue. Very heroic of you, as ever."
"It's just what I do. I'd do it for anyone."
"Yeah."
"You're not special."
"Of course not."
"Get some sleep." The hero forced themselves to turn away, even when all they really wanted to do was move closer, check again that the villain was truly okay, keep vigil by their side. "The sooner you're feeling better, the sooner you can get the hell out of my life again."
They all but slammed the bedroom door shut behind them.
They wished it was anywhere near as easy to shut off their heart.
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lightasthesun · 3 months
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art by Chris Trevas/// Mhairi McFarlane, You Had Me At Hello/Holding On by Shane/ Lang Leaf, Twin Flames/ first eye drawing by Alice X. Zhang/ second eye close up art by Tony Pro/ The Song of Achilles/ to speak of precious evenings by littlekaracan/ battlefront ll stills/ Hamilton the Musical, who lives, who dies, who tells your story/mark z. danielewski, house of leaves/ 5000 letters/ Bastille, the Anchor/ fyodor dostoyevsky, the brothers karamazov/ Kote Darasuum/ Vode An/ street art/ The Arcadian Wind, envy green/ Margaret Atwood, There are better ways of doing this/ Power Politics Emily Dickinson, In this short life that only lasts an hour/ Maggie Smith, First Fall/ Carl Friedrich Lessing, "The Hermit" (art) + November by Margaret Atwood/ Brandon Sanderson, The Final Empire/ The Bad Batch s2EP03 screenshot of Cody/ Alan Stephan Foster, "The Fall" (art) + poem by @erdarieldraws
a gift for my codywan besties cilly, tea, kasey, aixa and lauren🫶
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avvail · 3 months
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prompt #94
“I’m not really into cliché’s,” the villain, once who the hero thought they could call a friend, hummed under their breath, lip teasing up into a smirk. “So let’s skip the whole ‘join me’ speech, shall we?”
The hero felt the tip of the sword dig into their throat, and they could barely even meet the villain’s eyes. All along, they had never been on their side.
“Are you going to kill me?”
The villain’s brow quirks. “Oh, baby. Maybe I should’ve given you the speech - I’m not going to kill you. I’m just going to skip straight to the part where I drag you from here, kicking and screaming, and make you join my side whether you like it or not. I have always been more acquainted with actions rather than words, after all.”
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xanderindisguis · 2 months
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No one told him Fionna was a regular ol human.
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takenbtwind · 3 months
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Been binging Tom Hiddleston media and I have an important chart for you all
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"Annabeth is terrified of spiders."
Luke and Annabeth's existence is so interwoven that the best analogy he can come up with for the reasoning and justification behind his betrayal of everything he's ever known and loved is one connected to her.
Say what you want, but I think Luke thought about Annabeth and Thalia during every part of his betrayal. He knew that even Annabeth's complete adoration and devotion to Athena couldn't make her care. He knew that the king of the gods, Zeus could have saved Thalia but instead, he turned her into a tree "as a last resort" to keep her out of the way for good.
Of course, his reasoning for siding with Kronos reminds him of Annabeth. Small and scary things will be crushed immediately, if he has a bigger power behind him he at least has a shot at making a change.
He's been mistreated by Hermes, but he's also spent years watching his little sister worship Athena, do everything she ever asked all for a hat that turns you invisible, and the occasional nod her way. He's her big brother, you don't think HE KNOWS that she thinks love has to be earned? You don't think he's done everything he could to prove to her that's not true.
Ultimately his betrayal had everything to do with Annabeth. It was for Thalia, it was for the rest of the Hermes kids, for all of the unclaimed in his cabin who had to spend their whole lives knowing that their godly parent didn't care about them enough to even acknowledge their existence, it was for Clarisse who has clearly been abused by Ares and yet would still do anything for his favour, it was for every half-blood who had ever been mistreated by the gods.
The first analogy he thinks of in trying to describe the relationship between demigods and gods is one associated with Annabeth because she's the reason he can justify his betrayal.
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livlaughloveluke · 1 month
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thinking about…
(fem!)reader having a close relationship with both her godly mother and luke. however, when luke asks reader to join kronos, she declines and chooses her mom instead.
after he leaves, reader begins to lose herself, slipping into a depressive state and messing up on tasks she would normally succeed in. when her godly mother notices, she comes down to have a little chat with her, and it goes like that one scene from gilmore girls where her emily is yelling at lorelei.
“mom, please.”
“he’s just a man, lorelei.”
“no he’s not.”
“oh, so what are you telling me? that this was all worth it because he was the love of your life? that this was the man for you?”
“I don’t know. he might have been.”
[link to scene on tt]
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lucifugousart · 10 months
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Tragic, monopoly night gets banned in tenjiku
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t0rture-me · 3 months
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"I'm sor-"
"That's not fucking good enough!" Whumpee shouts, cutting off Teammate. "You left me behind, you knew what would happen if Whumper found me and you let it happen."
"Whumpee..." They put their hands up appeasingly. "It wasn't--"
"SHUT UP!! It was exactly like that! You let it happen, and now I'm ruined and fucking useless." Whumpee gestures to themself, everything Whumper did to them. Mental and physical. "Did you fucking want this? Are you happy now?"
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