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trashmouth-richie · 7 months

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masterlist

eddie x fem reader

chapter summary: how sweet it is, to be loved.

series summary: You were desperate for a roommate after Nancy got married and moved out. An ad in the paper goes unanswered until someone comes knocking on the door.

special thanks: to anyone and everyone who read a single chapter or kept up with this series to the end, thank you so much- this story wouldn’t be possible without your support.

author’s note: I can’t believe this is the final chapter for this series, I’m feeling so many emotions right now but mostly just love for Eddie and Tooty and everything in between. Thank you to anyone who has helped me beta ( @sweetsweetjellybean especially!)this story or fan girled with me over upcoming chapters. To any of the very talented artists who have made any art for this series, thank you so very much, each and every piece holds such a special place in my heart. To anyone who is mentioned in this story, thank you so so much, @loveshotzz @chechelia @carolmunson @mopeymopeymouse and everyone else— thank you for allowing me to include you in this series. To everyone who has liked, rb’d left a comment or interacted in any way with this series— THANK YOU. This series has brought such joy & heartache to me, and I’m so lucky to have people enjoy it. 🖤

Cereal

Hotdogs

Bananas

Jelly —grape, not strawberry

Bread

Crackers

Toothpaste

Noodles

Chicken thighs— babe are you making fun of me?

Heartburn medicine

You tap the chewed cap of your pen along the lined paper of a scribble heavy grocery list. Desperately wishing you had x-ray vision to see inside your cabinets and remember what you were in need of, you chew the cap again.

Giggling to yourself every so often at Eddie’s notes on the grocery list. Crossing off items he thought weren’t needed, mostly vegetables he didn’t like. And always making sure you got his favorites. And not, “that healthy bullshit cereal, give me sugar or kill me babe, I will not eat Raisin Bran”

Peanut butter

Sunny D

Thyme

Heavy cream

Basil

Carrots

Onions

Chicken stock

Hey sweetheart can you please get me some candy? I like skittles but you know I love m&ms.. and twizzlers, it’s for the shop. :)

The lady behind the desk chirps a name again, but you are still racking your brain on what else was needed. The soup you had planned on making tonight would be perfect for the chilly weather rolling in. November was coming in like a lion, ferociously cold and temperatures already dipping below zero.

Eddie loved your potato soup, so much that he begged you to make it after another long, grisly week at the shop.

He loved everything you made, even your chili that he doctored up by adding sour cream and Doritos to it. Bon Appetit he would say with a smirk on his lips, a heaping bowl steaming in front of him.

The clerk behind the desk tutted and huffed, the schedule was getting behind.

“Tooty Munson! Is there a Tooty Munson here?”

You glance up quickly at the sound of your name, “shit,” you breathe, “here, yes,” you scramble shoving the list and pen into your purse, buried amongst the gum wrappers and a spilled container of tic-tacs.

The receptionist clicks her papers against the formica counter and holds her nose in the air, as if this job and you were beneath her.

“He’s ready for you now.”

—-

“…alright, Ed, did ya look o’er those applications yet? ‘Tween you D and Mike I don’t think we are going to be able to keep up everything that we got on the schedule.”

Wayne’s eyebrows are raised as he looks over the bifocals perched on his nose. He had been scouring over the schedules and the books for the better half of the afternoon since lunch hour—trying to figure out how to swing their overloaded schedule.

It wasn’t that they couldn’t do the work, they were simply short handed. After Boom closed his doors in Hawkins, he had recommended to his regulars that they travel to Bridgeport to Master Mechanics to see Eddie and Wayne. Business was booming, and the Munson’s could barely keep up.

Early on, Wayne and Eddie decided they would only be open until noon on Saturday’s but now with the packed schedule, they worked til almost dark every night of the week, including some Sundays.

Wayne rubs his short nails through his scratchy mostly white scruff, “we can’t have these boys workin’ like this, they’ll quit on us before you can slap a tick.”

Eddie was leaning against the doorway, a bottle of Coca Cola held limp in his hand, a greasy rag stuffed in his back pocket.

“Yeah,” he yawns, stretching out his back, “let’s hire ‘em all, we need the extra hands, or I’m gonna need an extra back.”

Wayne grunts in confirmation. The highlighter squeaks as it’s drug across the phone numbers on the applications, “I’ll call ‘em first thing in the morning,” he straightens up his desk and shoves the papers into a drawer.

His glasses clink as he folds them up and lays them next to a picture of the newlywed Munson’s. He leans back in his chair, the leather crinkling beneath his worn coveralls, “I’m callin’ it for the day,” he exhaled, staring up at the ceiling, “it’s been one helluva week and I’m shot, tell the boys to go home to their wives.”

“and you too,” he points, “go take care of your wife, Ed, tell her I hope she starts to feelin’ better.”

Eddie’s curls bounce as he nods his head, completely drained from the week, shit maybe he was getting sick too? “she went to the doctor today, probably just the flu, Max told her it was going around.”

“Well then,” Wayne says, standing up and clicking off the table lamp, “take tomorrow off and rest–

both of ya, hear me?”

“Don’t need to tell me twice.”

—

Eddie’s tires crunch on the ice and hard packed snow of the driveway, a silent serenity, meaning he is only moments away from holding you in his arms, seconds away from kissing your lips, and if he was lucky, minutes from eating something delicious to fill his grumbling stomach.

He throws the truck into neutral, killing the engine and tossing the keys around his finger. Tracks from your Jeep tires lead into the garage he had built last spring. A huge project that your friends were paid in beer and a bonfire when it was all finished.

Thrusting his sore hands into his canvas coat, he ducked his chin into the zipper and braved the asthma inducing gust of wind to the front door as it whipped through his curls.

The house was oddly quiet, only the hum of the refrigerator making any sort of sound. Usually when he came home you’d be playing the radio, or talking on the phone to Max or Nancy, greeting him with a pop of your head around the wall in the kitchen or from the hallway, the prettiest smile put on your lips.

“Princess?” he called out in endearment as he untied his boots and put them on the shoe rack. His coatwas already hanging on its hook, usually next to your purse but your purse was thrown onto the arm chair, and your shoes were in the hallway like you had walked right out of them.

He undid the buttons of his work blues, letting them hang at his waist like a mechanic cape. Socked feet trudge down the carpeted hallway, you must not be feeling any better, probably too exhausted to make it out of bed.

But Eddie was wrong.

You were perched on top of the comforter, coat still on but unzipped staring at the door waiting for his arrival, fuzzy socks on your wiggling toes.

“Hey, handsome,” you said, trying to keep your pitch even.

“There’s my girl,” his velvet voice wrapping around you like a hug as he crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed, reaching for your left hand and kissing the finger that adorned the prettiest ring he’d ever bought, “how’s my beautiful wife?”

It had been five months since you said I do. A June wedding in your own backyard, filled with friends who had served as family for years, gathered by your sides.

“I forgot the potatoes,” you say blankly, a weird little smile on your face.

Eddie sits down next to you, rubbing your thigh back and forth and letting out an exhausted yawn, “That’s alright, I can make us some grilled cheese if you’re up for—”

“I was looking at my grocery list, and couldn’t remember what I’d forgot.”

Eddie’s confused, but wants to reassure you that its no big deal, he’s a grown man he can certainly make supper for himself and his wife. “Sweetheart it’s okay, don’t beat yours—“

“Can’t make potato soup without potatoes.” And this time you laugh, kind of whimsically and in disbelief.

His brows turn inward, still he just keeps reassuring you that everything is fine, “It’s okay Tooty, seriously. Let me go make you some—”

And for the third time tonight, you interrupted him, “doctor said that’s normal.”

He’s exhausted and is honestly more confused than he would like to admit, “what? The flu?”

“No, no. “ you say, a twisted little smirk on your face, “forgetting things, throwing up in the morning, being exhausted… totally normal.”

“Babe?” He moves to touch the back of his hand to your head, wincing when he realizes that he’s probably freezing.

“I was so scared the last time,” you whisper, teary eyed, “terrified.. I didn’t know what I was going to do, but now—.”

Eddie reaches for your cheeks, holding them softly, his eyes searching yours, desperate to figure out what the hell is going on, “what am I missing here? It’s normal to have… the flu?”

“No, it’s not the flu,” you finally admit, looking up at him and rubbing the back of his hands with your thumbs,

“Eddie, I’m pregnant.”

—

You could fill an empty pool up from the tears that sprung from Eddie’s eyes that night. He was overjoyed, holding you tight while he wept into your hair. Kissing your belly and whispering to the baby. Small streaks of tears flowing down your swollen skin and the faded scar across your lower belly.

Each month that ticked by, Eddie’s worry only doubled.

The day after you had found out, he woke early. Watching as your chest rose and fell as you slept soundly in the original mock up of his hellfire shirt.

It was threadbare, cotton worn so thin it was practically see through— but you claimed it as your own back in the early days of your new relationship, hands on your hips and the infamous pout on your lip as you playfully argued with him about how it was now yours.

Dusk painted the diamond covered ground from the fresh snow over night. Falling as delicately as his lips allover your skin. Soaking up the dainty noises from your throat when he carefully slid into you, tears spilling from both of your eyelashes, love filling the room more sweetly than it ever had before.

The soft cotton of the blankets hugged your curves, and he exhaled a breath he didn’t know he was holding as he gazed down at his beautiful— now pregnant— wife.

His sweet Tooty, carrying a gift more precious than gold.

Kissing your cheek—he dressed quietly, scribbling a note on the bedside table about going into town for a bit, but to just relax in bed until he got home.

You were having a dreamless sleep, not even sugarplums could dance in your head with the overwhelming exhaustion that your body was trying desperately to catch up from.

Something cold then silky smooth brushed against your cheek, and a velvet voice sang a little good morning greeting into your ear. Your loving husband. Pressing sweet angel kisses behind your ear and on your eyelids.

Your bedroom was lit with the glow of a warm sun in the afternoon light. Playing a yellowed hue of warmth across your comforter, pulling the caramel color from Eddie’s curls and making his eyes look like a dreamy cup of coffee swirling with creamer.

His lips hug yours, both smiling into one another. Heart swelling more than your toes would in the months to come.

C’mon, got a surprise for you, princess.

The spare bedroom that was once a room for band equipment, then Max’s bedroom for almost a year before she eventually moved in with Gareth and Will, now held storage, was completely organized, and held a wide array of items.

A crib, brand new and still in the box, a pack n play, a swing, every box of diapers ranging from size 1 - 5, baby gates, outlet covers, fancy locks for cabinets and drawers, rubber bumpers for sharp corners and edges of tables.

A bookshelf full of baby books, how to’s for new parents, nursery rhymes by mother goose, books suggesting baby names and their meanings, and a guide on how to quit smoking.

Tucked into the corner of the room by the bookshelf and near the window, was a rocking chair.

“Eddie,” you gasp, running sleep from your eyes, “wh-what is all of this?”

He’s smiling ear to ear, trying to curb his enthusiasm a tiny bit. “I might have gotten a little carried away.”

Turning towards the shelf you see a plastic sack, full of candy and bubble gum, and mints. “Edward Joseph Munson.”

“Don’t scold me, mama,” he jokes, grabbing onto your hips and kissing your hairline, “I’m just spoiling our baby.”

God you loved this man, he’d break his neck to give you the world. He was the most loving husband, and now you got to see him step into a new role. One completely foreign to you both, only have shared the idea for a few moments before it was ripped away.

You lean into him, holding him tight and working your nose into the crook of his neck. “You’re gonna be the best dad, Eddie.”

He doesn’t hide the tear that slips down his cheek, just lets it slide and collect under his chin, his voice is quiet when he asks, “you really think so?”

“I know it.”

—

Wayne and Karen followed behind the new family in his pickup all the way home from the hospital. They were going to stay for a few days, help you both get adjusted to life as parents.

Karen and Nancy had filled your freezer with casseroles, soups and fresh bread. It was a hot July day when you were scheduled for the c section, and when it was all said and done four days in the hospital was more than enough and you were ready to be at home, snuggled up with your new family.

It was a battle of which Munson man could shed the most tears. Eddie and Wayne were both wiping away tears for hours. Overjoyed with emotions that everyone was healthy.

“No you don’t,” Wayne said as you reached for the back door to grab the diaper bag, “you go right inside and get comfy, get them legs up!”

You do as your told, leaving Wayne, Eddie and Karen to carry the load in. The hospital stay was overwhelmingly sweet, but you knew Eddie was itching to get back to normalcy, still not liking the way he felt cooped up in the hospital even though it had been years since you both had the horrifying visit.

Bags and suitcases are carried in and set into your master bedroom to be unpacked later, bottles and diapers are stacked and put into their respectable places. Karen starts warming up the chicken casserole she had prepared earlier that day. Wayne fussed around with the new dishwasher that he and Eddie had installed the month prior.

Throughout the commotion you had fallen asleep, legs propped up in the recliner, but you woke to the sound of the front door closing, and there he was.

Eddie was holding them both, large hands cocooned around their swaddled little bodies, crooked into each of his arms. Something he was nervous about but slowly getting the hang of, the nurses told him he was a natural, and Wayne wept into Karen’s shoulder when Eddie introduced the twins to their grandpa.

His normal obnoxious voice was murmuring low and quiet like a soft lullaby so as not to stir awake the sleeping little babies.

He looked at them both, adoration and tears springing into his eyes. He had never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life. How he could have helped make something so small and delicate, he wouldn’t understand. But, he didn’t need to.

A boy, born first— with his dark eyes and brown hair, and later the little girl, almost identical to his Tooty, and just as stubborn, both already wrapped around his fingers.

He murmured their names, and caught your eye as he said it, a smile so wide on his face that you were sure new dimples would bust through his cheeks, and you only heard the end of what he was saying.

If you would have told yourself five years ago that you would one day own a home, get married to and have twins with Eddie Munson, you would have laughed on the spot. That loud mouth jackass of a guy you had once regretted letting move into your home, had moved right into your heart and never left.

The demons inside you both were finally at bay, finding solace in one another in more ways than you had thought possible. Being loved by Eddie was everything you had thought love should be like.

And you pinch yourself to make sure it's real, and each and every time, it is.

“…babies,” he says, a smile on his lips and tears in his eyes as he looks over at you, his family, “we’re home.”

The end

♡tag list: @dashingdeb16 @emxxblog @pretendthisnameisclever @mommybaby-witch @eddies-acousticguitar @tlclick73 @figmentofquinn @eddies-stinky-battle-jacket @whenshelanded @micheledawn1975 @3rd-conchord * @leelei1980 @browneyes8288 @emilyslutface @mmunson86 @josephquinnsfreckles @eddiesxangel @elegantkoalapaper * @str4ngergirlw0rld * @corrodedcoffincumslut @nailbatanddungeon @crybabyddl @zenathebeautiful @astela17 @taintedcigs @bettyfrommars @munsonsuccubus @munson-blurbs @hollandweather @serasvictoria @steviesgrl @curiositydooropened @ashyyboyy @urlbitchin @sllooney @lame0o @ali-r3n @bangaveragewhitewine @b-irock @enam3l @luxaeterna13 @manda-panda-monium @elthreetimes @joejoequinnquinn

#eddie munson #eddie x fem!reader #eddie x you #eddie munson fanfic #honey i’m home #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson fluff #stranger things

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nian-7 · 2 months

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Heyo, I think matchup reqs are open but if not feel free to ignore (⁠・⁠–⁠・⁠;⁠)⁠ゞ

If it's alright I'd like a romantic and platonic match up for Pjsk and bsd (if not just romantic/ pjsk is fine)

Info:

My names Karma

I'm a minor, 17

I'm afab but I'm Genderfluid and use all pronouns

I'm pretty short for my age, 5’1 the last time I checked unfortunately, sobs. I don't get out much besides going to work for money so I'm pale as hell. I have freckles pretty much everywhere not a whole lot but they're definitely noticeable. I am cursed with a baby face, it gets better when I put on my glasses though, im cursed with terrible vision, I'm not allowed to drive without my glasses it's that bad

My hair is a shaggy wolf cut with curtain bangs, I'm a natural blonde but I always dye my hair ginger cause it's my favorite look on me (I'm trying to look like Chuuya cause I love him sm)

I'm an INFP-T, I'm also Asexual and Panromantic (slightly woman leaning but not an insane amount) I dress in dark academia style almost always: cardigans, sweater vests, long over coats paired with sweaters underneath. I'm very much trying to be that person you fall in love with in the book store

When I'm in public alone I am very much socially awkward and anxious. I keep to myself and I am terrified of causing trouble for anyone

I tend to be drawn to more loud people; or more like popular/louder people adopt me out of the blue and I go along with it (which is funny considering I'm usually quiet)

Once I've warmed up with people I very much match energys with whoever I'm with, typically just trying to make friends laugh. I value people's happiness very much

If we're out at a mall or something I'm quieter, but in private I can get very loud

I also have a very close group of online friends all over the world (Some of us are meeting up soon and I'm very excited)

A lot of people have said that I also have big sister vibes

I do have diagnosed Anxiety and depression, typically I try not to let anyone see that side of me. I can spiral a bit into episodes where I just kind of ghost people and ride out whatever feelings I'm dealing with, then come back about 3-6 days later

I don't really do well with anger in general, weather it be my own or other people's

I also don't really have any appetite most of the time (I'm not sure if it's medical or not) but this can cause me sometimes to get super dizzy out of nowhere because I've forgotten to eat/drink

I'm a digital artist, and I actually write fanfiction on Tumblr as well. I absolutely love cats, I’d talk about my cat Hazel for hours if I could (She's mean to me but I still love her </3) I also really like Vocaloid/Hatsune Miku music (kinda not surprising considering pjsk lol), I don't usually mention it in person though cause it's embarrassing to explain that shes just a singing hologram

I also have a fox obsession, I own a huge fox plush that takes up a designated corner of my room lol

I don't mind most things personality wise in people, but I do wish to be respected obviously

I like someone I can poke fun at casually and who can poke fun at me as well

My love language is big gift giving (wether it be buying or drawing occasionally) and physical affection (Cuddles always ╥⁠﹏⁠╥)

I've gotten tones of jokes that I only go for gingers, but I have zero preference for looks

I'm an overly patient person and get a little annoyed when people aren't as patient (but it's not a complete put off or anything)

I also am very much someone who has to be on time. If I am not on time I lose it a bit

I think that's all (Maybe too much ´⁠-⁠﹏⁠-⁠`)

But thank you so much in advance! I hope you have an amazing day/week 💟

hi, anon! i haven't read bsd in a while so i'm a little rusty so i only did prsk. hope you still enjoy!

I match you with... (platonically)

Saki Tenma!

-The biggest thing for you to be matched with Saki was the big sister vibes that you mentioned. The dynamic would just be too cute to pass up on!

-I tried to pick a more 'loud' or extroverted person and although I decided to opt for Saki instead of Tsukasa, I think you both would mesh together even when she's not necessarily as loud as her brother.

-Saki is like the person you can fall back onto in social situations when you get anxious. She doesn't mind taking the lead and helping you out when you get nervous.

-She's not someone who gets angry often and tries to be there for you when you ghost her or others. She tries her best to understand what you're feeling and tries to sympathize with you.

-You both having the same energy is something that would make the whole friendship mesh well and she has the capabilities to be calmer or quieter if needed.

I match you with... (romantically)

Shizuku Hinomori!

-Although Shizuku is somewhat different than Saki, I think she's the best match overall. The physical affection she gives to you is one of the big factors.

-As someone who enjoys pda/affection, Shizuku would love to cuddle or hold hands with you all the time. She kisses you in public and just loves to be near you.

-She loves the gifts you give her as well no matter what they are. She'll always gush about them whenever someone asks about something relating to it (whether that embarrasses you or not).

-She's a very light teaser and it comes off more lovingly than anything but she enjoys it when her partner gives her attention through light teasing too.

-Although a bit airheaded, she's treating you similarly to Shiho. Asking always if you're hungry or thirsty, being the talker in public if you need it, etc. She just gives you more romantic affection than sisterly affection (obviously)

#x reader #fluff #gender neutral reader #nian-anon #project sekai #project sekai x reader #saki x reader #saki tenma x reader #saki tenma #shizuku hinomori x reader #shizuku x reader #shizuku hinomori

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industria-adastra · 3 months

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[Vampire Knight] - If I'm to be reborn, I'll find you (again, again, again) - CHAPTER TWO: ruler of my heart (you outburn the sun)

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Summary: He hates her, he loves her, he hates her. He misses her. (The only place he can have her is in his dreams)

Note: Hopefully I'm getting better at this updating consistently thing but yeah zero's chapter. Next chapter is going to be kaname/yume focused again sorry zero or zeki enjoyers.

------

He’s not the first one to hear of the news. In fact, he’s neither the second, nor third (and so on) recipient of the fact that Kuran Yuuki is dead. Zero doesn’t hear it from the Chairman, his teacher, Kaito, or even from one of the vampires. In hindsight, perhaps he should have been more suspicious, should have questioned the way paperwork always found its way to his desk unceasingly—leaving him with no time to focus on the outside world.

Zero simply hears of it in passing whilst heading out for lunch, through a conversation between two nameless hunters—discussing it like changes in the weather.

“Did you hear? Kuran Yuuki is dead.”

“Another pureblood gone, huh… Wonder if it was her brother that did her in?”

“The rapidly decreasing execution missions would likely clue you into the answer.”

“Right, right.”

It’s hysterically, laughably casual in the way such information comes to him.

(It can’t be real. It can’t be real. It can’t be real—)

The world seems to stop on its axis, and Zero wonders if he should’ve simply ignored his desire for shio ramen today. After all, it’s not like he has an appetite now. His stomach roils with discomfort at the thought of food, and his throat itches for a scant few seconds before it burns. A sandstorm swirls and tears at his flesh. Mind blank, Zero goes where his feet wish to travel, content to let his mind stay in a haze.

He ends up in the association bathrooms, throwing up nothing but paltry strings of bile and choking on his spit.

There is too much work to be done. The vampire world, for one, was going through a massive societal upheaval. Zero simply couldn't do anything more than throw up into an association toilet before being fed an ungodly amount of paperwork as if he were some humanoid paper shredder.

And maybe it's because more than four years ago, just over a year ago—with Ichiru dead in his arms—he's finally refined a true and tried method for every loss he's been through. Every thought of her is locked behind a glass vault, buried six feet under, the key left behind to collect dust. Zero works through papers and decimates his targets with the same ease. Every stroke of his pen is enforced with the explosive sound of his gun, of ashes in the wind. Rinse and repeat, his days all blur together in their sameness.

Months later, on a job just like any other, Zero walks into a department store and sees a long coat, hanging neatly from the racks. Stupidly, he thinks, ‘Yuuki would probably say I should get it if she saw it.’ And then, oh, how it hits him at that very moment.

Yuuki is dead.

Apparently, it had been the pureblood Shirabuki Sara. A pureblood through and through, she’d sent pawns to do her dirty work.

But she’d miscalculated the consequences of her actions, as all those high up on their thrones of arrogance were prone to doing so.

So she too, is dead, consumed by the pureblood king Kuran Kaname—he’s slaughtered more influential vampires than any hunter ever would in their lifetime. In the privacy of his thoughts, Zero thinks that had he the power and madness to do so, he would’ve too.

Sanity is both a blessing and a curse, because there is nothing else for Zero to turn to but his thoughts alone.

Roaring water fills his ears, and Zero sits, unmoving on the wet shower tiles. Steam fogs up the room, blurring his vision. He watches the water run down the drain for hours, washing the grime caked on his body until his fingers are all pruned and his skin is red with heat. His stomach is growling at him, and the water bill is for sure going to shoot up with this, but Zero can’t bring himself to care much about the future right now.

(Any second now, she might barge into the bathroom to demand usage of the shower, to dramatically proclaim that he’s spent too long hogging it, to threaten to turn off the hot water in a minute even if she never ends up doing it.

But this apartment houses only him, and is far away from that Academy, far away from all those precious yet painful memories. The tiles aren’t even the right colour, beige, off-white, and an intense white that could be comparable to that of a strobe light. The shampoo and body wash he’s bought—the same one she always used in the Academy, a subtle floral scent of roses—only serve to highlight all the differences he can find between his current bathroom and the one in his memories.)

The doorbell suddenly rings, insistent and unfaltering like a military march. Zero is sure it’s been modified because there’s no way a regular doorbell could be so annoyingly loud like the one he has. With the way it’s blaring in his ears every second, it’s clear that whoever’s behind the door won’t take his silent refusal as an answer.

The water continues to flow into the drain, taking with it the numerous dissolving blood tablets strewn across the wet floor.

For a moment, Zero allows himself to be deluded by the idea that it’s her behind the door—-she’d always been as stubborn as a mule when she put her mind to it. But it is the sound of the doorbell that echoes in his ears, not an annoyed rat-a-tat-tat followed by the creak of an opening door. What follows is sandy blond hair and the glint of spectacles. They stare at each other for a moment, the headmaster and him. Nearby, the water continues to flow.

Even now, Zero can never truly parse the emotion behind those glasses of his.

“You know she wouldn’t want to see you like this.”

And even now, the headmaster’s words are as precise as his killing blows. Hearing them, Zero flinches. They stab into him, tearing open wounds until the pain is nothing but white numbness. But the mention of her, as always, pushes him to move on the legs of a shambling corpse. His hand slams against the bathroom tiles; the force of it is always degrees lower than it could be.

“How do you know what she would’ve wanted?” His words are acrid, angry in a way he doesn’t want to explain. “She’s gone. She’s not coming back.” Zero grits his teeth, looking straight at Kaien Cross’s eyes before he spits out a final bout of venom. “She’s been dead ever since she became one of them.”

Yet like always, the headmaster’s calm never wavers. “You know, that it’s always been her. No matter if Yuuki,” the sound of her name, said aloud, led to the tiles cracking under his hands, “stayed human or not, She’ll always be Yuuki. Maybe she changed and grew up a little—faster than I would’ve wanted or liked—but at her core, she was always, always Yuuki. She didn’t die that day. You knew that fact as well as I did.” And here, Zero feels the weight of the executioner’s blade above him, about to drop. “Otherwise, why do you try so hard to keep them as separate entities, even now, when she’s truly dead and gone?”

Zero drops to his knees painfully, leaving marks of destruction behind on the walls. He covers part of his face with a hand, contemplating further denial with the truth laid out so plainly before him.

“I never…”

“You never told her your true feelings, and now she’s gone. Because it was easier to accept it if you felt as if you'd already mourned beforehand.” The headmaster’s voice is soft, almost as if reminiscing a similar scene. He crouches down and puts a hand on Zero’s shoulder. “Let it out, Zero. It’s only me and you now.”

There are no tears left for him to cry, but his throat tightens, and Zero hiccups out words all the same.

“I loved her. But she chose him.”

A ragged breath cuts his words short before Zero finds the strength to continue.

“I still loved her, even to the very end.”

The sky glows with a mix of different vibrant, brilliant colours—it’s an intensely beautiful scene, so much so that Zero wants to throw up. A cacophony of emotions welled up in him, knowing that such a view would be forever denied to the girl who was the most like the sun. He almost wishes that a storm would suddenly start, right at that moment.

But the sun continues to glow with a detestable radiance, and the days continue to go by relentlessly. The world does not wait for one man’s grief.

He goes back into his bedroom and sits on his bed. Afterwards, he brings out Bloody Rose.

A click, and he watches as the empty magazine drops to the ground with a heavy thunk. Mechanically, Zero goes through the familiar motions of reloading Bloody Rose. The gun hangs loose in his hands. When it’s done, still holding Bloody Rose, his arm raises, up, up. Its silver muzzle points under his exposed chin without even the slightest tremor, pressing firmly into the soft flesh.

He thinks about a girl, who, long ago, had rushed into a different room and wrenched this very gun out of his hands. Thinks of a life preserved for reasons he refused to believe was out of love. Thinks of a life, gone because it was loved so dearly.

The sunlight pierces through haphazardly closed curtains. A clock ticks in the background. He lets both the gun and himself fall on the bed.

His door is still closed.

(She’d wanted him to live)

Her blood still resides within him. But it lies, still, silent. Not a single iota of warmth flows in his body; it is ice in his veins in contrast to Kuran’s acidic poison. Were Zero to close his eyes and attempt to delude himself, he would simply fail from the get-go. Because Zero has always been faced with hard truths; so many times, he sees them over and over again—in the mirror, in the way he used to bite himself by accident and in the hunter’s bracelet on his desk.

She is gone and he must swallow down that bitter truth like the way he mindlessly consumes blood tablets.

(They scrape his throat, going down and making it uncomfortably dry; it tastes of overly sugared cough syrup; and he doesn’t want to, doesn’t wish to accept a world without her in it.

But her blood still lies.)

He dreams of her. Not always, but sometimes he does. On those days, when he wakes up, Zero can’t seem to muster up the strength to get out of bed. It’s easier to bask in the what-ifs and could-beens, or the has-beens and bygone halcyon days. Breathing is easier, living feels easier, being carried by fantasies and memories. He always has to stop himself from getting too carried away—because ultimately the world does not care. Time continues to march forward, the Earth continues to spin on its axis and around the sun.

Sometimes Zero wants to curse at her. Because no matter how easy it was at that moment, reality would always settle in as an infinite weight, caving his lungs beneath him. But he could never stay angry at her, no matter what she did, or what she became. Before, he had sworn to kill her—but really, he wouldn’t have minded had she put him to rest instead.

"Zero? Did you fall asleep in the stables again? Geez, what's with you always showing up late for the transition periods!" She punches him forcefully in the back a couple of times, unrelenting even in the face of his annoyance and mild pain. (He wouldn’t have it any other way)

“Ow, ow, ow, ow—! Oi, would you quit it already?” He turns to slap a large hand over her forehead, pushing her away from him with great resistance on her part. “I’m here now, aren’t I?” Zero doesn’t say it, but her puffed cheeks and flailing limbs make her look as ridiculous as she is cute, and he’s almost tempted to flick her in the forehead for good measure.

“Yes, yes, alright now stop pushing me!” She glares up at him, arms folded in annoyance. “Don’t forget that as the prefects, we have an important job to do—which means, stop being late!”

“By important job, you mean stopping a bunch of idiot classmates from throwing themselves into the slavering jaws of humanoid beasts?” Zero raises a wry eyebrow, watching her face gain a mildly exasperated look. When he turns to jab at the inevitable mass of lovesick, occasionally fanatic day-class students to further make a point, Zero finds that there’s no one there.

Right.

He turns back to look for her, but there’s no one there.

When Zero cooks breakfast for his birthday, he takes care to watch his food burn, forces it down his throat and makes sure it stays put. The eggs are rubbery, the toast is burnt, and the bacon is like chewing wood, but somehow he devours it with as much eagerness as a regular bowl of shio ramen.

She used to make such god-awful food.

(Zero finds vials of blood on his doorstep that day.

He practically guzzles the pills instead.)

"Hey Zero, I think this would look pretty good on you." She takes out the long coat with a flourish, holding it up next to him with a contemplative expression. Zero stares back blankly at her, knowing little about the intricacies of what was his “colour”, or what “went well with his eyes”. Sure, he has some preferences, but he finds that he doesn’t mind watching her pick out his clothes for it.

(It’s oddly domestic in that way, and he dreams of what could’ve been—had they been normal, had they not had destiny and duty looping around their necks like a noose)

The next day, he goes and buys himself another coat. Staring at its dark colours and its simple design, Zero wonders if this could’ve been something she would’ve chosen for him.

(He never wears it. Dust collects on the cloth, tints the fibres grey and overrides the fresh store-bought scent, but he never wears it.)

"Zero, we can stay together for the night, just like before—I’ll watch over your dreams, and you can watch over mine, ok?" Under the warm covers, she whispers this to him, and their fingers intertwine together. Her hands have always run colder than his, but even so, her hands are freezing—as cold as the dead.

When he wakes up, the space beside him on the bed is cold.

It has always been cold.

There is no grave, no stone marker, but he supposes that the Kuran Manor serves well enough as a reminder. The rumours don’t paint a pretty picture—the king of beasts, almost mad in his sobriety; the king of beasts, living only for memories and promises; the king of beasts, someone who’d crush you underfoot for his dreams without a second thought.

Standing in front of the tall, dark and rusting iron gates, Zero can almost choke on the overpowering scent of roses. They’re everywhere, in full bloom, mere buds, wilting or decayed. It’s a smell that only reminds him of what could have been, and what he let go of, of that fateful night in the academy.

Were it him, he would’ve planted sunflowers instead.

(Zero doesn’t enter. He knows how much Kuran hated him entering any space deemed as his own. It wouldn’t change now, half-mad as they both were.)

Violence is, perhaps, the only outlet that Zero knows will never let him down. There is release to be found when he hunts down level Es; there is no need for emotion, only cold, pure logic in which he can execute his duty as a protector (that he’d already failed so many times before). With every shot of his gun, every blast of the hunter’s sigil and every vampiric body blown apart into dust and ash, Zero puts to rest the grievances of so many others—but never his own.

Kaito no longer makes any sort of comment about such trips, only there to stop him from presumably losing his head and forcing the association to find yet another leader (or so he says, but they both know part of the association would be thrilled to find a reason to off him). Sure, Kaito mindlessly chatters about the surroundings and his day, but they both know that saying anything about her—no matter how sound his reasoning could be—would create a one-way ticket to the end of their friendship.

He tried, once. (“You can’t keep doing this to yourself. You have to accept the fact that she’s gone and that she didn’t choose you.” He’d paused then, reproach evident in his face before he continued. “She was a pureblood first.”

“She had been human.”

“Had.”

“And so had I been, once.”

“…Just don’t get yourself killed.”)

It’s nice to have someone stay. But he’ll never say it. People can’t stay simply because you want them to. Their decisions have always been their own.

Perhaps the universe had an ironic sense of humour if he was back to teach Cross Academy’s Day Class ethics of all things. The headmaster clearly made a mistake in forcing him to do what he flippantly called a “much-needed change of perspective”. Somehow Yagari, of all people, seemed to think that it’d be good for him to take up such a position in addition to his duties as both a hunter and the president of the hunter’s association.

“You’re a good kid, but you need a better head on your shoulders,” is all Yagari says on that matter, and off Zero goes into once more dealing with teenagers—this time as an adult rather than one of their peers. He half expects it to be just like before.

But it’s not.

Revealing the truth of the Night Class to the Day Class means that there are no more barriers between the vampires and humans of Cross Academy. Without the distance, there is not enough room for worship, and what is left are only two kinds of being, all simply trying to live in a new world.

Teaching ethics really means “filling in the gaps” so that vampire-human relations will go more smoothly. Unlike his mentor though, Zero thankfully doesn’t need to use either express or implied threats of violence to get his students to listen. And he finds that, with the truth revealed, the Day Class students now behave in much calmer ways—ironically, the truth had perhaps “humanised” the vampires for them.

They listen carefully to his teachings; Zero does his utmost to drill them into their heads, complete with drawings that are only marginally better than her toddler scribbles. He’s sure that when he’s out of sight and earshot, they laugh about it, just as they laugh alongside the vampires they’d once thought of as unreachable.

Watching it all from a distance, it almost feels unbearably nostalgic yet melancholic—because this had not been his world. Had she and Zero never been torn apart from the natural way of things, reborn and reforged in blood, they would have never met.

(He wonders if he would’ve dismissed her as nothing but a monster. If their old classmates would have thought of her as another pseudo-goddess to worship.)

Zero watches two worlds meld, and is not quite at peace, but at the very least, the memories, the “what ifs” here do not hurt.

However, it doesn’t take long for him to resign. In the end, Zero is better cut out for other things, rather than becoming another face in the crowd of the headmaster’s rampant eccentrics that he calls teachers. But, sometimes, seeing the world that she wished for, finally, slowly, starts to be created… The air is a little lighter, even as his throat aches. She would’ve liked to watch the two different classes fumble through cooking on their own.

Maybe he’ll make ginger pork stir fry tonight.

It’s years before he meets Wakaba Sayori again. Zero nearly forgets about her wedding, were it not for the Headmaster’s, and Kaito’s constant, unceasing reminders via letters and spoken words. The final nail in the coffin is the wedding invitation itself. If he doesn’t attend the wedding, he’s sure that someone will come to physically strong-arm him to the event.

The wedding itself is a rather small affair, given Sayori’s background and what he remembers of Aidou’s proclivity for dramatics. Maybe it was Sayori who’d wanted it. Or maybe it was a joint agreement. Zero doesn’t know either of them well enough to say, but he prefers it this way.

Staring at the happy couple—in the back of his mind—Zero morbidly wonders if death will also do them part earlier than expected. He’s quick to shut down that train of thought as soon as it appears. He wouldn’t wish such a feeling on anyone.

After the event, Zero keeps his copy of the wedding photo, keeping it safe with the other one that marked his first year of high school. Against the glossy sheen of the new photo, that one looks all the more faded; the new photo always feels as if it’s missing something.

She would’ve loved to see the wedding; would’ve been the maid of honour, lovely in gentle pinks and a happy blush on her cheeks.

He startles at the vision, dropping the photo book with an unceremonious thud.

The burn in his throat has never gone away since that fateful night of snow. But it’s now a familiar constant, easily relegated to the back of his mind. What does it mean? Zero doesn’t know, only watching as society changes, and as people grow to create a world where there could be true peace.

But it feels easier to breathe for himself, even as he continues to breathe for her. Zero isn’t sure if he’ll ever stop breathing—living—for her. It’s alright this way, and the dreams now leave him feeling more…fond rather than wanting.

It’s only a glimpse, but years and years later, Zero gets a chance to see how Kuran Kaname now fares in this still unfamiliar world. Despite his achievements and the iron-clad grip he has on the rest of the vampires—key in fostering the new partnership between humans and vampires—he rarely shows his face. Does the smell of roses, in its various stages of life, cling to him like a parasite? Or maybe it’s the other way around, with roses built within everything he owns, everything that he is.

As Zero contemplates, he thinks back to the regularly replaced sunflowers in his office and his flat.

When he sees him, Zero gets his answer.

Lounging on his throne, the smell of blood, dust and decay is attached to him like that of a rose with its thorns. Kaname Kuran stares emptily at everyone and nowhere, only occasionally opening his mouth to send orders. Within his hands is a resin-encased rose, looking worn and smooth from the years. His clothes don’t quite fit what he’s supposed to be, refined King of the Vampires. Rather, dressed in loose clothing, the apathy in his gaze, Kuran almost reminds him of—

(Zero tries not to think about it)

After so long, even hate will cool. They both loved, they both lost. It is a reality of the world that they live in. That she could not ever see the dream she wished for come to reality. In fact, looking at this sombre, cold, alone figure… He almost pities him. Kaname Kuran, top of the world but with no one left.

Could they see what Zero sees? The old Night Class no longer stands nearby, but at polite distances, looking almost weary. It was the kind of weariness that he was most familiar with.

After all, the hunter association had always looked at him this way.

Zero at least has the headmaster, has Kaito, has his teacher. Kuran has no one at all.

Even beasts could be pitiable.

(Yuuki knew that best, didn’t she)

Maybe it’s only fitting that he’ll die from protecting a child who looks so much like Yuuki. Not quite in the flesh, but more so in spirit—and wasn’t that the most important, most beautiful quality about her? Especially now, memory half-baked and succumbing to erosion over the years. In the face of time, it all crumbles to dust, just like his body is now; not even sure whether it is his or the bodies of mad vampires he’s slain.

Zero can see her crying, tears wetting his shirt, mixing with the dust in a way that he’d be mildly disgusted by were he not currently dying. “It’s alright,” he says, reaching out with hands that only smear more dust into her hair. Zero isn’t sure if the garbled sounds reaching his ears are truly words or not. Maybe the girl is speaking, maybe the girl is simply sobbing.

Or maybe he is already dead.

When he closes his eyes, Kiryuu Zero dies before a young girl’s eyes, leaving nothing but a pile of empty clothes and a silver gun.

The incessant ringing of an alarm is loud and annoying enough to cave metaphorically his skull in with its shrill noise alone. Grumbling, Zero burrows deeper into his blankets, covering himself fully in an attempt to block out the noise. It doesn’t fully work, but a partial solution is better than no solution at all, so Zero gets right back to falling asleep.

The heavyweight landing unceremoniously on top of his body puts an abrupt stop to that. “Zeeroo! We’re gonna be late for school again!” Ichiru whines, digging his pointy elbows right into Zero’s sides, knowing full well the exact location of his arms. He’s lucky that Zero loves him.

“Gerroff me, Ichiru,” he groans, the sound muffled by the blankets, gently shoving away at the incessant prodding. “We don’t even have to wake up until ten minutes later.”

“How do you even know that?” Questions Ichiru, switching up his tactics and physically smothering Zero in another attempt to force him out of bed.

“I pay attention in class rather than daydream about the divorced neighbour next door.”

Just as Ichiru is about to retaliate with a few choice words, the bedroom door bursts open to herald another arrival. “Zero! Get up, we're gonna be late!’ Kuran Yuuki rushes over to drag him out of bed with strength contrary to her small size. “Get up you lazy bum!” She promptly drops him on the ground, ignoring his affronted yell and Ichiru’s snickering in favour of rifling through his wardrobe.

“Good morning Yuuki!” Ichiru cheerily waves at her from Zero’s bed, delighting in the extra chaos and suffering added to his brother’s normal routine.

“Morning Ichiru!” She absent-mindedly chirps back, piling the different pieces of Zero’s uniform onto one arm. Halfway through, Yuuki looks back at Zero. “Oi, get up Zero! Aren’t you supposed to be the one with the best attendance record out of all of us?”

“I shouldn’t have messed with your alarm,” Zero grumpily mutters, not bothering to get up from the floor. From above, Ichiru barely attempts to stifle his laughter. “Stop laughing, Ichiru.”

Unfortunately for Zero, Yuuki could hear him perfectly well. Her body snaps around just in time for Yuuki to let out an outraged cry of, “You what?!”

At that, Zero groans, and Ichiru only laughs louder and harder.

(He wouldn’t trade this for anything else in the world)

#my writing #angst #vampire knight #fanfiction #zero kiryuu #kiryuu zero #tw grief #tw: suicidal thoughts #cw: suicidal ideation and an attempt #i really did not expect zero's part to get so long #but tbf this has been happening to my writing #i just keep thinking i could flesh out some parts more and then boom another couple hundred words or even 1k added with just one scene #radiant zeki #zero goes through it but it's arguably not as bad as with kaname because he has people to pull him back and tell him he's being dumb #and he knows it too #unlike kaname who literally has no one else who can tell him he's being stupid without fear of being killed

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aralioideae · 1 day

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I have been struggling with eating so badly lately I wish I didn't have to eat to survive genuinely

feeling under the weather often reduces my appetite to practically zero and being tired exacerbates my existing food texture issues but I really do not function when im hungry and i do get hungry if I dont eat properly

idk i think this is the worst my texture issues in particular have ever been and I spend a decent chunk of the day hungry and unable to come up with anything that i can bring myself to eat which just makes me more hungry which makes thinking of something to eat even harder

#disordered eating warning i guess #food talk #idk for me appetite and hunger are really separate and when you then bring sensory issues into that it creates problems

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riiye02 · 9 months

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WKBRL Transcript Part 4

As seen in this video This post will cover the 10th hour to the 12th, ending the first part!

10:03:39 (Music gets reversed) -[Smile Person, reversed. I think it says]: "Isn't happiness easy?"

10:06:24 -[Smile Person, reversed]: "What you are hearing is how it feels when you feel happy."

10:07:21 (Music stops) -[Introducer Person]: "Start tomorrow tomorrow. Start your day right now with me, a real live person who plays popular radio music, on the WKBRL." (Celebratory music plays, not reversed anymore)

10:20:08 (Music stops, news and weather intro plays:) -[News and Weather]: "News! Weather. News! Weather. News! Can you believe this weather? Weather. News! Weather. News. Have you heard the news? WKBRL news, and weather." (Jingle plays) "Live from Starr Park! This is the news and weather report from a news and weather person." -[News and Weather Person]: "Hello, and good day. I'm anchor name here. Or am I? The last thing I remember is news-" (News and weather outro plays while News and Weather Person is talking) "- outro cuts him o- Hmm? Oh. Yes, ha, I see what you did." (News and Weather outro stops) "Oh, thank you. I am a puppet." (Celebratory music plays)

10:32:10 (Music stops, KairosTim theme plays) -[KairosTim Person]: "Hello, fellow Brawlers! KairosTim would like to remind you that there is no better, safer way of wearing your Starr Hat than wearing it all the time. Even when you sleep. Even when you shower. Even when you try on another hat. This is Kairos!" (Celebratory music plays)

10:40:20 (Music stops) -[Introducer Person]: "You are tuned to WKBRL and because of that, you've won! And now, we must sing! We must sing! We must sing directly into the microphone or they won't know that we are singing because you won and therefore are happy." (Celebratory music plays)

10:43:09 (Music stops, jingle plays) -[Smile Person]: "This is your reminder to smile!" (Jingle plays, celebratory music starts)

10:53:39 (Music stops) -[Intermission Person]: "That was an hour of uninterrupted victory. I hope you feel it in whatever skin you're wearing. I hope your feet are marching in the correct direction. I hope you keep it tuned right here to WKBRL. And don't make the mistake of leaving!" -[People]: "WKBRL! The voice that hears you." (Echoes) -[Introducer Person]: "Up next, we will find happiness in the limitlessness of space. Our origin. Let's go back there, together." (Space music plays)

11:00:56 (Music stops and jingle plays) -[Smile Person]: "This is your smile reminder! Smile. Smile! Smile! Smile. Smile. Smile. Smile. Smile! SMILE. SMILE! SMILE! SMILE. There. That's better." (Jingle plays and space music resumes)

11:13:30 (Music stops) -[Intermission Person]: "Project yourself onto the outer reaches of the infinite galaxy. With laser focus, you can find yourself shining brighter than any star there never was. Because you're tuned in to WKBRL. And you, are drifting… through…" -[Distorted]: "space…" (Space music plays)

11:19:55 -[Smile Person]: "Technology has been domesticated to meet your insatiable appetite for fun."

11:40:07 (Music stops, news and weather intro plays:) -[News and Weather]: "News! Weather. News! Weather. News! Can you believe this weather? Weather. News! Weather. News. Have you heard the news? WKBRL news, and weather." (Jingle plays) "Live from Starr Park! This is the news and weather report from a news and weather person." -[News and Weather Person]: "Hello, and good day. I'm definitely anchor name here, and this is the news. This just in, everything is perfect! Ha haha, soo perfect. Too perfect, pfft- if you really think about it, hahah… Where the weather at?!" (News and Weather outro plays:) -[News and Weather]: "News! Weather. News! Weather. That was news, and weather." -[Introducer Person]: "This commercial free hour of space jams is made possible by the Ogawa Roofing company. Ogawa Roofing has not been fixing roofs for decades. Because there's been zero roof trouble to speak of whatsoever. No fiery objects have landed in the middle of any roofs that Ogawa knows of, but their roofers are always at the ready and happy to help if and when your roof collapses under the weight of a gigantic robotic foot, which it won't! But if it does, call Ogawa today." (Space music plays)

11:53:43 (Music stops and KairosTim theme plays) -[KairosTim Person]: "KairosTim here, and I have a riddle for you! What's fake, and not real, but says that he is real, but is fake? That's right, fake Kairos! Click, like and subscribe to the REAL Kairos. KairosTim." (Space music plays)

#brawl stars #wkbrl #brawlstars #idk how to directly respond to re-blog notes but in case they see this post too #thank YOU! I'm glad that people are still interested in WKBRL stuff even if it's been a while since the streams :D #there's still 12 hours left to be transcribed of this one #well technically 5 since the remaining hours are just trance music loops #but still! i think stuff gets interesting there for the recurring cast #even if these people don't turn out to actually be brawlers i still liked them #hope i find discussions about them out there somewhere bc i feel there's a very fair amount to be interpreted between the lines for each

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dowonnn · 1 year

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I Pioneered Scientific Magic - Chapter 2

‘Fantasy world?’

In the face of something as extraordinary as magic, Linn's natural curiosity and thirst for knowledge overcame the fear instilled by being pursued by the Inquisition.

The allure of the arcane arts beckoned him, igniting a deep-seated desire to explore this newfound realm of wonder.

Despite the ever-looming threat of the Inquisition, Linn's insatiable appetite for discovery eclipsed his fear.

Having spent just over half a year as a sorcerer's apprentice, Karl's understanding of magic was still in its infancy, encompassing only a handful of spells.

Among his limited repertoire were three fundamental zero-circle spells: [Primary Material Deconstruction], [Water Condensation], and [Mage's Hand].

While these spells held crucial importance in various practical applications, they lacked significant offensive capabilities.

At least at their current level.

Delving into the realm of first-circle magic, Karl had encountered [Fireball], a more advanced spell.

However, its execution required the consumption of specific magical materials, making it somewhat resource-dependent. Another first-circle spell, [Ice Blade], remained beyond his current grasp, eluding his mastery.

Linn carefully inspected the contents of his pouch, taking stock of his limited resources.

His findings included two red firestones, three Sekas silver coins, several bronze coins, seven intricately inscribed drafts of magic formulas, a weathered copy of Elemental Analysis, and a small bag of grey powder—the crucial casting material for the formidable [Fireball] spell, known as the [Embers of Crimson Fire].

Excitement welled up within Linn as he held the small bag of grey powder. Within Karl's memories lay the complete instructions for casting the [Fireball] spell, and Linn was eager to put this knowledge into practice.

With the step-by-step instructions fresh in his mind, Linn meticulously prepared for the casting process. He began by utilizing [Primary Material Deconstruction] to analyze and parse the spell material.

Then, employing [Mage's Hand], he manipulated the [Embers of Crimson Fire], causing them to vibrate at a specific frequency, effectively activating the magic within.

Although the process might seem laborious, the time-consuming aspect of resolving the spell-casting materials could be accomplished in advance.

With sufficient skill and precision, activating the [Fireball] spell could be accomplished in a mere second.

Linn's excitement to unleash this supernatural power surged within him, yet he exercised caution, hesitating to rush into the unknown.

'No. I shouldn't.'

Fully aware of the risks and the potential consequences of his actions, he chose to bide his time, awaiting the opportune moment to wield his magical abilities.

Considering the value of the limited [Embers of Crimson Fire], which amounted to only five Sekas silver coins—just enough for three [Fireball] spells—Linn decided to exercise caution and avoid any unnecessary waste.

After careful contemplation, he settled on [Water Condensation] as the first spell to cast. Regarded as one of the essential zero-circle magics, it held a significant place in the curriculum of apprentice sorcerers.

If [Primary Material Deconstruction] served as the gateway to manipulating magical materials and [Mage's Hand] stood as the invaluable tool for sorcerers, then [Water Condensation] was the introductory lesson that initiated apprentices into the world of magic.

With the basic magic [Water Condensation] and its advanced counterpart [Ice Blade], the process of casting these spells did not require the prior preparation of specific spellcasting materials.

Instead, the required elemental components could be directly extracted from the mystical realm.

Drawing upon the knowledge ingrained in his memory, Linn closed his eyes and entered a state of meditation.

The solid foundation laid by the original Karl proved beneficial, as within a mere two or three seconds, he successfully unlocked the gateway to a new world.

Closing his physical eyes revealed a wondrous sight—a realm teeming with magical energy. Through his spiritual senses, he could perceive that the entire room was suffused with countless shimmering magical elements.

'A billion? Ten billions? Hundred billions?'

Attempting to quantify their number proved futile, for they stretched far beyond human comprehension, akin to an endless expanse of stars scattered across a vast cosmic canvas.

Within this realm of magic, the elements displayed a vibrant dynamism, continuously shifting and reorienting themselves. Among them, the most abundant element was known as [Thalu], comprising approximately 70% of the total elemental presence.

Curiously, Linn recalled that his mentor, Koru, had dismissed [Thalu] as useless.

'Useless?'

After taking a moment to absorb the awe-inspiring spectacle before him, Linn redirected his attention to the practical application of magic. With focused determination, he began to harness the power of the elements.

The process of casting [Water Condensation] involved extracting two specific water-related elements from the elemental world and combining them in a two-to-one ratio.

While one of the elements was relatively abundant, comprising around twenty to thirty percent of the elemental world, the other was rarer and required more effort to locate.

Fortunately, there was a simpler alternative. The elemental world itself contained a small quantity of readily available water elements, which could be harnessed and reassembled using the [Primary Material Deconstruction Technique].

Thanks to the original Karl's unwavering dedication to magic, these fundamental spells had been practiced countless times, resulting in a solid foundation. Therefore, Linn quickly grasped the method after initially experiencing some discomfort.

Strangely enough, this realm of elemental magic felt oddly familiar to him.

As Linn opened his eyes once again, he found a marble-sized mass of water hovering gently in his palm, upheld by the power of [Mage's Hand].

"...It worked?"

Linn's momentary lapse of concentration led to the disintegration of the water mass, which trickled through his fingers. It served as a reminder, akin to a splash of cold water, that he couldn't afford to be complacent with such a minor accomplishment.

As an apprentice sorcerer on the run from the Church, he couldn't afford to lose focus. The small success of conjuring a marble-sized mass of water held no practical value in a battle.

It wouldn't even suffice to quench an enemy's thirst, let alone serve as a weapon or defense.

With the image of Koru's impressive display of [Water Condensation] leading to the powerful [Mass - Ice Blade] still fresh in his mind.

However, he had witnessed his predecessor's mentor, Koru, employing Water Condensation as a preliminary step to unleash the second-circle spell known as [Mass - Ice Blade] against his adversaries.

In an instant, a collection of a dozen fist-sized water spheres swiftly congealed, metamorphosing into sharp ice blades resembling diamonds. These projectiles were swiftly launched towards the approaching bandits, akin to a swarm of locusts in flight.

With a single devastating strike, the encroaching enemy was obliterated!

Inspired by this achievement, Linn was determined to attune himself to the elemental realm and make another attempt.

Due to the merging of memories upon crossing over, Linn's spiritual power became significantly more abundant compared to his original body, Karl. Furthermore, he found himself capable of harnessing a greater amount of magical energy.

Utilizing the [Water Condensation] earlier had exerted only a minimal toll on him, and he sensed that he could achieve even greater feats.

Closing his eyes, Linn delved once again into the realm of elemental forces. This time, he refrained from hastily employing [Water Condensation] and instead sought to employ his spiritual power to influence every element within his vicinity.

These elements possessed a striking diversity in appearance, evoking within Linn a vague sense of familiarity. Some elements felt remarkably weighty, to the point where the slightest manipulation left him mentally fatigued.

Fully immersed in this endeavor, Linn suddenly observed a peculiar phenomenon.

The elements suspended before him gravitated towards his body with an uncanny rhythm, only to be subsequently expelled in an unbroken cycle.

Did it mean that a wizard's physique required a regular intake of these magical elements?

This query abruptly surfaced in Linn's mind. Upon closer scrutiny, he made an even more astounding revelation: the phenomenon was evidently triggered by his own breath...

"Wait a minute. Isn't this oxygen? What's happening?"

Linn experienced a moment of profound perplexity, causing him to involuntarily draw in a sharp breath as the grand and enigmatic image of magical elements shattered before his eyes.

Initially, he had failed to recognize them because he hadn't perceived these elements visually.

Instead, he had sensed them on a more ethereal level through his spiritual power, subsequently utilizing his magic to exert influence...

Furthermore, the composition of chemical elements in the atmosphere of this world varied somewhat from his previous realm. Hence, Linn hadn't even considered this possibility initially.

However, armed with this realization, a fresh explanation emerged for the process of harnessing elements to create water currents that he had undertaken previously.

Water is an inorganic compound composed of two chemical elements: hydrogen and oxygen.

It became evident that the air held a minute quantity of water vapor, possibly representing the elemental water in the context of a wizard's understanding.

So, rather than employing magic, was Linn actually engaging in a pursuit of chemistry?

Did it mean that wizards were essentially a group of chemists?

"Huh?"

Upon reaching this conclusion, Linn experienced a momentary freeze, but he swiftly shook his head in dismissal.

After all, this world contained a mystical force known as magic, and based on the spell he had recently performed, it appeared that magic had the potential to manipulate matter at a microscopic scale.

If there were no constraints, then a sorcerer could attain god-like power.

Drawing from the scientific theories of his previous life, Linn understood that all matter in the world was composed of atoms.

If magic possessed the ability to manipulate matter on such a fundamental level, it had the potential to create or annihilate anything.

"That's..."

Lost in deep contemplation, Linn became acutely aware of the immense potential that would emerge from merging his knowledge of chemistry and physics from his previous life with the power of magic.

If the scientific theories of his past had been geared towards constructing various machinery to shape the world, a sorcerer possessed the ability to directly transmute these theories into magical manifestations, embodying greatness within themselves.

Once again extending his hand, Linn witnessed as the hydrogen and oxygen present in the surrounding air were stripped away and coalesced into a small mass of water, resting in his palm.

However, this prompted some lingering uncertainties within his mind.

Typically, the combination of hydrogen and oxygen to form water involves a combustion reaction. But where did the resulting heat and energy dissipate during this process?

Could it be possible that they were absorbed by the magic itself?

The realm of magic held countless possibilities, and Linn acknowledged that definitive answers to such inquiries could only be sought at a later time, once he had the necessary resources and conditions for experimentation.

If his suspicions were accurate, the underlying purpose of the First Circle spell known as [Ice Blade] was to alter the state of water from a liquid to a solid, thereby heightening its lethality.

To achieve this, the temperature of the water had to be lowered...

Recalling his knowledge of physics from his previous life, Linn recollected that temperature signified the average kinetic energy among molecules within an object, with molecular collisions generating and transferring heat.

This indicated that he needed to decelerate the motion of the water molecules, right?

With a mere thought from Linn, the remarkably lively water molecules within his palm gradually decelerated, compelled by the force of his magic.

They clustered together tightly, and within an instant, the small water mass transformed into a transparent ice crystal.

Amidst Linn's astonishment at the confirmation of his suspicions, a sudden beep resonated within his mind.

[Special energy detected... Source unknown. No records found in the database. Would you like to create a file?]

"Who?"

Linn found himself momentarily stunned, a flicker of disbelief crossing his face.

The voice he heard seemed eerily familiar, all too reminiscent of his past experiences.

However, hadn't he crossed over into a different world? His physical form had been altered, and the auxiliary chip he had once possessed should no longer exist...

"071, is that you?" Linn queried, his voice filled with anticipation. "Do you h knowledge regarding our crossing over? Is there any record within the system?"

In response, the voice intoned, [Due to unknown circumstances, the system experienced a shutdown and subsequent reboot. Consequently, there is no existing record of the said process.]

Linn's expression soured momentarily, disappointment creeping in. Nevertheless, he swiftly regained composure and posed another question.

"How long will the remaining energy sustain your operation?"

Aware of the constant danger surrounding him in this unfamiliar realm, Linn felt compelled to ensure his own survival to the best of his abilities.

The unexpected presence of the auxiliary intelligence was undoubtedly a pleasant surprise.

While the capabilities of his personal implanted auxiliary chip had been restricted due to the Federal Amendment Act, the vast reservoir of technological knowledge stored within 071, thanks to Linn's previous role as a data storer, presented a valuable advantage.

In a world where science and magic intertwined, the significance of such information could not be overstated...

[37.6% energy remaining. Special energy detected, capable of sustaining system operation...]

'Does the special energy... refer to magic power?' Linn pondered, his mind swirling with thoughts.

The awe-inspiring qualities of magic power filled him with profound wonder. If he were still in his previous life, he would have eagerly immersed himself in laboratory experiments.

However, the current circumstances weighed heavily upon him. As a lowly apprentice sorcerer, devoid of wealth and influence, he found himself hunted by the Church.

The uncertainty of whether he would see the sun rise on the morrow loomed over him.

With a sigh, Linn composed himself and spoke with solemn determination.

"071, create a new folder and designate this special energy as magic."

[Loading database...]

Seizing the opportunity, Linn turned his gaze towards the diamond-shaped ice blade suspended in the palm of his hand.

Thanks to the infusion of magical power, this ice blade differed from the solid ice he had encountered in his previous life.

It emanated a constant frigid aura, featuring a tapered, cone-shaped tip and a streamlined overall form.

In fact, it would be more appropriate to describe it as an ice arrow rather than an ice blade.

This particular shape was known as the [Koru configuration], designed to minimize air resistance.

It became evident that Linn's mentor, Koru, possessed a commendable understanding of fluid mechanics...

Linn inwardly sighed, feeling a sense of disappointment. His expression turned slightly puzzled as he compared the ice blade in his hand to the one he had seen Koru unleash in the past.

Surprisingly, the one in his hand appeared smaller.

Despite the higher concentration of hydrogen in the air of this world compared to his previous life, even if Linn were to gather all available hydrogen, it still wouldn't be sufficient to create a substantial amount of water.

Contemplating this, Linn couldn't help but wonder how his mentor had managed to cast the Second Circle Magic, [Mass - Ice Blade].

It seemed implausible that Koru could instantly extract hydrogen, oxygen, and water vapor from a radius of hundreds of meters.

If that were the case, Koru would have no need to cast [Mass - Ice Blades], as his enemies would have perished from oxygen deprivation alone.

"...Then how?"

Momentarily unable to comprehend the mystery, Linn chose not to dwell on it too deeply. Instead, he focused his attention on the ice blades hovering before him, struck by a sudden idea.

"071, retrieve relevant information regarding armor-piercing arrows and barbed arrows," Linn silently commanded within his mind.

In the blink of an eye, a vast stream of data cascaded across his retinas.

Countless images, information, and three-dimensional models flooded his senses, causing his head to momentarily spin.

"Replace the materials with ice and optimize the design for stability, reduced air resistance, and maximum lethality."

As quickly as the images had appeared, they faded away, only to be replaced by a new, pristine three-dimensional graphic within a mere second.

Linn firmly etched the three-dimensional image before him into his memory. With a subtle twist of his right hand, the suspended ice blade disintegrated instantaneously.

Zero Circle Magic - [Primary Matter Deconstruction].

The ice blade, now reduced to its elemental essence, tightened within the grasp of Linn's hand under the influence of magic power.

It underwent constant transformations, gradually aligning itself with the image imprinted on his retina until it reached a stable state.

The reformed ice blade was noticeably narrower than before, and its pointed cone-shaped head had been reshaped into a triclinic form, ideal for piercing armor and inflicting deep wounds.

Two long barbs adorned its underside. It was evident that once this ice blade struck its target and embedded itself into flesh, the opponent would be left speechless with agonizing pleasure.

"Oh, this is nice."

The success of the magic improvement experiment infused Linn with a renewed sense of hope for his survival.

However, he recognized the limitations of [Ice Blade], realizing that achieving significant further enhancements would prove challenging even with shape optimization.

With this in mind, Linn swiftly shifted his focus to the second First Circle magic Karl had mastered—[Fireball].

Unlike [Ice Blade], which could extract its "raw matter" from the air, [Fireball] required the usage of a specific magical substance known as the [Embers of Crimson Fire] for activation.

Linn speculated that these ashes were a highly flammable substance, capable of rapidly swelling and igniting when subjected to friction under the control of magic power.

If his assumption held true, it raised the question of whether he could utilize other flammable materials to unleash this magic...

"071," silently in his mind, Linn said, "Look up information on the production and usage of white phosphorus.'"

White phosphorus, a colorless or pale yellow translucent wax-like substance, possesses a strong irritant and an extremely low ignition point.

Upon contact with oxygen, it ignites vigorously, generating temperatures exceeding 1000 degrees Celsius.

What is even more alarming is the challenging task of extinguishing a white phosphorus fire due to its strong adhesion properties.

Upon contact with the human body, it rapidly burns through the skin, muscles, and penetrates deep into the bone marrow. Furthermore, the gas produced during combustion is highly toxic.

In Linn's previous life as a data storer, he witnessed the launch of the Federation's new white phosphorus bombs, an utterly horrifying spectacle that remains etched in his memory.

As the missile detonated in the air, a relentless shower of fiery rain cascaded from the sky, engulfing the surroundings in an unquenchable inferno that stretched for kilometers.

The intense heat, combined with the material's impervious properties and terrifying toxicity, ensured that even taking refuge in a shelter provided no means of escaping certain death.

White phosphorus bombs are deemed highly abhorrent, having been prohibited as weapons against humanity since the previous century.

Consequently, the Federal District cautiously conducted clandestine research on them, aware of the severe repercussions they carried.

The process of producing white phosphorus is not overly complicated, and a comprehensive guide is stored within the auxiliary intelligence brain. Therefore, with the availability of necessary materials, Linn could manufacture it even without the aid of specialized equipment.

As Linn pondered this, a heavy thumping sound suddenly reverberated from the door behind him.

A sharp change in expression swept across Linn's face.

He currently sought refuge within the slums of the Nordland Territory, a location rarely disturbed by anyone.

Unless...

The witch-hunting team dispatched by the Inquisitorial Court had arrived.

#translation #novelupdates #ipioneeredscientificmagic

0 notes

pmd-flavortext · 1 year

Text

#3 Day after Sentry Duty

Guild

Wigglytuff: Friendly friends! 🎵 Keep up your training!

Diglett: Thank you for covering my sentry shift! I may have to ask you again. I hope you’ll cover for me then!

Loudred: Diglett is on sentry duty today. GOOD THING! You two don’t inspire confidence as sentries! HAW! HAW!

Croagunk: Meh-heh-heh... You two... Train hard every day. Meh-heh-heh.

Partner: Hey, Croagunk. I’ve been meaning to ask you... Croagunk, what are you doing here all the time?

Croagunk: Huh? Who... me? Meh-heh-heh. What am I doing here...? Meh-heh... Meh-heh-heh. Meh-heh-heh-heh-heh...

Chimecho: Oh! I almost forgot. The Guildmaster and Chatot asked me to start a new service for the guild. I’m going to start a service for assembling larger teams soon! 🎵 I’m going to run the Assembly service out of the upper guild level. I hope that you will find it useful! 🎵

Corphish: Hey, hey, you two! Want to here a tip about these Job Bulletin Board tasks?

>No

Corphish: What, you don’t want to know? Say it ain’t so, hey, hey...

>Yes

Corphish: Sure, you want to hear! I’ll tell you, hey, hey! You can take as many of those jobs and outlaw missions for the same dungeon as you want! Hey, hey! Here’s an example! Let’s say there are two jobs in the same dungeon, one on 5F and another on 10F... First, add the jobs to your own Job List. Second, select Take Job for both of them. Third, go to that dungeon! Once there, you do the job on 5F first! Then, instead of returning here, you continue onward to do the job on 10F! That way, you do two jobs in one exploration! Hey, hey! Nice and neat, right? Hey, hey!

Shuppet: Did you know? There are ranks to exploration teams. We of Team Ebony have the Silver Rank. Well? Nice, huh?

Murkrow: I’m not content with our rank. We should be so much better. I would like to raise our Explorer Rank much higher. I deserve a rank that sparkles and shines! I am worthy!

Poochyena 1: So which outlaw should we take down today...?

Poochyena 2: We try to pursue weak crooks with only the highest bounties!

Poochyena 3: There are bad Pokémon out and about in the world. That’s why we can make a business of catching them.

Outside Treasure Town

Sunflora: Oh, there’s nothing to be frightened of, Bidoof. Let us be brave and go on our exploration.

Bidoof: I’m going on an exploration with Sunflora, but... Oof... I tell you, I’m feeling less than mighty confident.

Wynaut: Right here, right?

Wobbuffet: That’s right!

Treasure Town

Azurill: Thank you, (Hero) and (Partner)!

Marill: Oh, (Hero) and (Partner)! Thank you so much for saving my little brother! Azurill came back safely... I...I... Thank you so very much!

Swellow: Hey, Wurmple!

Wurmple: Y-yes!

Swellow: The weather’s good today. On nice days like this... I really work up an appetite!

Wurmple: Huh? Really?! Eeep! Y-y-yeesh!

Arbok: We traveled all the way out here, but... It turnsssss out that thisssss ssssspot issss pretty dingy, isssssn’t it?

Drapion: We’re Team AWD! We’re a band of thieves led by Weavile. Our travels in search of the ultimate treasures brought us here... But this place doesn’t appear to be much of a prospect.

Weavile: Hey, you two! Are you from around here? Then let me ask you... Somewhere in this area... there should be a place called Zero Isle... Do you know of it?

Partner: Zero Isle? No should I?

Weavile: Hmmm... So that’s the case? Fine. Be that way.

Vigoroth: Yo! Another great day! Good luck with your guild training!

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power-chords · 3 years

Text

Putting this under a cut for talk of health stuff:

I really need to prioritize being around people. Physically! In person. As safely as I can, given the circumstances, but once a week of outdoor time with fellow vaccinated friends seems sane and reasonable. It's the summer, the weather is warm, I have zero excuse.

I am not worried that I am in any danger of relapse. I mean logistically I have no way of even managing that unless I went to some crazy LES party like the ones Liana is occasionally socially obligated to put in facetime for, and I cannot think of anything less appealing. I do not want to get blasted out of my mind on coke and ketamine! On the contrary. I want to hibernate inside my apartment and engage in the precise quantity of low-grade, self-destructive behaviors that enable me to NOT EVEN REALIZE I AM DOING THEM!!!! Which is almost more annoying. Because if I felt a recognizable impulse to get loaded, I would engage the vast support system I have in place for dealing with exactly that.

This is like, some weird pandemic defense mechanism that has been deployed without my conscious awareness. My mood is pretty good, probably the best it has been consistently since 2019. And my mood going downhill, or fluctuating like crazy, is usually how I monitor for problems. So I have just been shrugging my shoulders at and ignoring shit like:

Sleep schedule totally off the rails

Appetite so lousy that I've now lost more weight than I can confidently attribute to "not drinking beer at gigs anymore or going out to dinner with friends." Doubly infuriating because I am basically lighting money on fire with each grocery trip

Skin problems getting worse (my blepharitis especially has been terrible, probably aggravated by poor sleep/poor nutrition)

Executive dysfunction in the toilet for tasks that I have never had a problem initiating before

And the only reason I was like "oh shit" was because I went to hang out with my college buddies in Cortlandt yesterday, and suddenly, effortlessly, I wound up......... eating three nutritious meals, doing those outstanding tasks I'd been putting off all weekend, going to bed at 11:30 PM and falling asleep immediately, and putting medicine on my eyelids. Time to stop being a dumbass! If I'm posting like crazy on weekends I want you to yell at me!

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asthmark · 4 years

Text

❝ not alone ❞, l.ty

synopsis → “you know, every reset we’re supposed to forget everyone and everything but no matter what i can never seem to forget how happy you make me.”

word count → 2.5k

warnings → angsty!!! the plot may not make sense since it’s literally 1 in the morning oops

a/n → i hope this concept makes sense and it isn’t too confusing or messy!! if it is just shoot me an ask i would be more than happy to clarify :] anyway i actually like the outcome of this but i am too tired to go back and reread it all for any mistakes so i just hope google docs has my back lol gn everyone

7:00 A.M.

the alarm you set for every year at the exact hour goes off at its appointed time, much to your dismay. the mere sound of your phone beeping has a knot forming in your stomach. you wished it would stop, that everything would just stop but that was beyond unrealistic. in fact, you felt foolish for even letting yourself think like that. no matter how badly you wanted things to change, they never would. you would have to endure the same things every year.

you had struggled to fall asleep the night before, that exact thought on your mind and the dread of facing the following day eating away at you. you had only managed to get some rest because of taeyong, who held onto you tightly and caressed your hair as he whispered sweet words to ease you into much needed sleep.

but the day was here now and there was no amount of romantic words or tender touches that would change that. there was absolutely nothing either of you could do about it.

you lean over towards your nightstand to turn off the alarm and taeyong stirs when he feels you begin to shift around in his arms. you lay beside him, staring up at the ceiling as he slowly begins to wake up. he yawns and stretches his limbs out on the mattress which was routinely for him. this would usually be followed by him trying to give you a smooch only for you to squirm away, giggling as you complained about his morning breath.

it is not one of those mornings.

8:09 A.M.

you end up having cereal for breakfast, another big switch up from your routine. normally, you two would browse the internet in search of a recipe that looked promising and try your best to recreate it. you would end up with flour, sugar and dirty dishes all over the place but you never cared. then you would sit at the couch, happily enjoying the finished product and chatting with the tv playing softly in the background.

that morning you sit at the dinner table silently, the cereal in your bowls going soggy before either of you had made a dent in it. you had lost any appetite and from the looks of it so has taeyong.

“you should eat.”

you glance up at your boyfriend. he isn’t eating either, instead he focuses on dipping his spoon into his cereal, bringing it above the bowl only to let it fall back in again. you put your silverware down. “i don’t think i can.”

he hums softly, agreeing with you. “are you nervous?”

it went without saying that you were both terrified. but you know he’s just trying to make conversation. you just nod your head anyway.

10:31 A.M.

you and taeyong move to sit on the couch, turning on the tv so you don’t have to bear anymore uncomfortable silences.

even the newscaster looks down in the dumps, as expected. her voice lacks emotion as she speaks about the forecast, knowing nobody would be taking genuine interest unless it was to get their mind off of the current situation.

what did she expect? the world was restarting, people weren’t going to care about the weather.

“now, for the ongoing events,” says another news anchor. “as we are all well aware of, today is the annual reset. businesses worldwide have closed, most people opting to spend the day with their friends and family and we advise any viewers to do the same. talk to your loved ones about the memories you’ve made in the past year and write down the things and people you do not want to forget.”

you turn to taeyong only to find his gaze is already focused on you. you don’t hesitate to grab the hand that rests in his lap and intertwined his fingers with yours. neither of you say a word as you go back to watching the television, taeyong giving your hand a reassuring squeeze every so often.

12:46 P.M.

by noon, you and taeyong had begun cleaning your apartment, making sure it was well organized so that the next day you could focus only on getting settled in to your, essentially, new lives. you do the standard dusting and vacuuming along with similar around-the-house chores. while going through the closet, taeyong finds a shoe box full of polaroids you two had taken throughout the years. there are dates and other additional notes scribbled in sharpie on every single picture so your post-reset selves could read about the details of each photo since you would not be able to remember it. he calls out your name, smiling brightly when he sees your face light up as you fondly look over your shared moments.

“i’m so glad we got that camera,” you say, shifting through a stack of the photographs.

he nods. “probably your best idea yet.”

you find a picture of him giving you a piggyback ride and coo. it’s quite blurry but you can clearly see the huge grins on your faces. “look at us.” you hand him the photo. “we look so happy.”

he makes a noise of agreement, staring lovingly at the image. “you know, every reset we’re supposed to forget everyone and everything but no matter what i can never seem to forget how happy you make me.”

“quit it.” you shove his shoulder, smiling sadly as you attempt to blink away the tears forming in your eyes. “i don’t want to cry right now, there’s still so much work to do.”

“it can wait.” he opens his arms and that’s all it takes for you to break. you crawl into his embrace, sobbing softly into his chest. it tugs at his heart strings. he tucks his chin above your head but you still notice how his shoulders shake and quiet hiccups escape his lips.

3:28 P.M.

once you and taeyong get tired of being confined to your apartment, you decide to go out for a breath of fresh air. you walk around aimlessly and your final destination turns out to be olympic park. as expected, it’s quite empty since as you had heard on the news, everyone was spending their last couple hours with those they loved in private.

you take in the beautiful scenery and if either you catch sight of a pretty rock or blooming flower, you will stop to pick it up and carefully place it in your pockets for safe keeping. you had found that they served as good reminders of all the time you spent together. in fact, there are many more of these mini souvenirs in your home, decorating your shelves.

“hold up,” says taeyong suddenly.

when you look at him his eyes have zeroed in on something on the ground. he kneels down and picks up a smooth rock. you can’t help but notice the familiarity of it’s color.

“pretty, right?” he says, dropping the item in the palm of your hand. “it matches your eyes.”

you smile at him, finding his attention to detail incredibly endearing. you hold on to the rock, feeling its curves with your fingers until a cluster of chrysanthemums catches your attention and you have to free up your hands to pick one. you decide on a yellow one and present it to your boyfriend.

“here,” you say. “for you.”

“hey, aren’t i supposed to be the one giving you flowers?” taeyong asks but he takes it from you anyway.

“you’re supposed to give flowers to people you like,” you say. “and i like you.”

“you like me?” he asks, gasping softly. “how embarrassing.”

you go along with his joke. “don’t you like me too?”

he shakes his head and makes a face. “no way... i love you.”

you shove his shoulder. “so cheesy.”

he can’t argue with that so he just nods and chuckles as he tucks the chrysanthemum into his dark locks of hair. at seeing this, you raise the polaroid camera round your neck toward taeyong and he, already used to it, automatically poses for you. he puts his arms over his head, curving them into a kind of crooked heart. he gives an open mouthed smile only resuming to his normal position when he hears the click of the camera. you and him share a laugh once the polaroid picture develops completely.

“oh god, i look ridiculous,” he comments. “please get rid of that.”

you only give him a sarcastic, “yeah sure” and continue walking.

you two never got rid of pictures, no matter how ridiculous or unflattering they were. you agreed that every moment you shared counted and deserved to be remembered.

although, they never would be.

5:45 P.M.

you chew on the cap of your pen, massaging your aching hand. you had been writing for almost an hour and you had your cramping fingers to prove it. despite the discomfort, you aren’t one to break tradition. the ‘things i love about you’ list was an ongoing thing you and taeyong had been doing for... ever. they definitely came in handy if either if you wanted to read about what the other was like in past years.

“everything good over there?” taeyong asks, from the other side of the couch.

you shake your head. “this is too hard. i have no idea how i’ve kept this up for four years.”

he puts a hand over his heart. “wow, i’m that hard to love, huh?”

“you know that’s not what i meant,” you say, glaring. “i just have so much stuff to say about you, so much stuff i want future me to know.”

he nods, solemnly. “i get it. i don’t want to leave out a thing but it’s kinda hard to fit a year’s worth of feelings and emotions into a couple pages.”

your let your head fall onto the couch. “why do you have to be so lovable?”

taeyong points an accusing finger at you. “i could ask you the same thing! you’re the most wonderful human being on the planet, if i try to write everything i love about you my hand will fall off!”

you sit up to stare at him. he looks genuinely offended by your ‘wonderfulness’. you pick up your pen and paper.

adorably dramatic, you write.

he scoots closer to you, exclaiming, “hey, what did you just put!”

you hug your notepad tightly to your chest. “no peeking!”

7:12 P.M.

your boyfriend hands you his letter with hopeful eyes. unlike the lists that had been made hours earlier, these writings had been in the works for quite some time. there are letters you and taeyong had written for each other dated all the way from 2016. that was also the year the first polaroids you owned were from so you both assumed it was when you had begun dating. if you ever want to have a good cry, all you have to do is find those letters.

in them, there are heartfelt words for the other person’s eyes only describing how they felt around them, why they were so special, among other sentiments. most importantly, though, you always included why you would never forget the other person. of course, one could say how ironic this was considering that forgetting was what the reset was all about but nevertheless, it was reassuring to read. it made your love seem unbreakable; something so strong it defied the impossible.

you give taeyong your letter, feeling somewhat nervous. he doesn’t hesitate to open the envelope carefully. he slowly removes your letter from inside and you mirror his delicacy. the pair of you sit in absolute silence as you read the words off the pages.

my y/n,

what an amazing year it’s been with you. i know i say that in every letter i write but it’s really true. i never wrote things like this before you came along. only the basics—my name, who my parents were, my birthday, etc. you know, things like that. frankly, i had nothing else worth remembering. but now i do. you’re my whole world, the only thing i truly know and i am convinced i could not be any happier or luckier.

i don’t know what a life without you is like literally but i wouldn’t have it any other way. the situation the world faces with this whole reset mess isn’t ideal and i’ll oftentimes think of what a normal life would be like. even then, in this perfect universe, you’re still by my side.

i still wake up next to you.

i still spend every waking moment with you.

i still fall asleep with you in my arms.

you are still my everything. i am convinced you always will be.

many people avoid love or close relationships nowadays knowing that at the end of the year it’ll all be erased no matter what. how dumb is that? they don’t know what they’re missing out on. having a partner is nothing short of a blessing and you’ve taught me that by being with me every step of the way. sure, forgetting our past together doesn’t get any easier and neither does writing these letters but i’d write a million of them if that’s what it took to have you by my side.

i can only hope you’ll continue being there for me and give me something worth remembering in future years.

you are the light of my life and i can’t wait to fall in love with you again.

yours truly,

taeyong

the tears stroll down your cheeks and drip down on to the paper in your shaky hands. you use your sleeve to try and wipe them away to the best of your ability without smudging the ink. taeyong finishes reading your letter moments later, placing on the coffee table and only staring at you with a distant look in his eyes.

your voice comes out in a whisper. “are you okay?”

he nods, sniffling but his shiny eyes say otherwise. “can you maybe just... hold me?” his voice cracks along with your heart.

he ends up with his head in your lap, your fingers pulling and tugging at his soft hair. you have a couple hours left but you wouldn’t be opposed to leaving the year in this exact position.

11:59 P.M.

taeyong has made it clear he wants you to be the first thing he sees when you enter the new year. so, you spend your last minute getting into a position that will allow that.

you end up sitting sit cross-legged across from him. he’s in the same position and in the small distance between you, your fingers meet. the hold he has on your hands is so tight his knuckles have turned white. his eyes bore into yours and although he doesn’t say a word, his hazel orbs let you know it’s all going to be okay. you repeat those words to yourself.

it’s going to be okay.

“i love you,” you blurt.

he only has a couple seconds to respond.

“i love you, too. if you’re going to remember one thing, let it be that.”

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velvetkisscsxx · 3 years

Text

Broken promises

Pair: Reader x Draco Malfoy

Summary: Draco falling out of love with you, breaking the promise that he once hold.

Warning: cursing (not too much though)

A/N: Yes. A failed attempt of me trying to write an angsty story. Bye please im so awkward 🏃🏻‍♀️

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰

“Come on, Draco...” you tapped your feet on the floor. It was summer break and you have been owling Draco but he never owled you back. Did something happen to him? Did his parents lock him up? Is he sick? Is he okay? Lots of questions and worries in you.

“Sweetie, dinner’s ready!” your mom called you from downstairs. You let out a sigh, knowing that he won’t owl you anytime soon.

“Coming!!” you shouted back, giving response to your mom’s shouting just now.

You ate, but not much like you used to. Everything that you did felt so wrong. You cried yourself to sleep. The pain in your heart never left. You are scared... scared that when you finally back to Hogwarts, he will say that he fell out of love. You are scared... scared that when you are back to Hogwarts, he won’t be there with you. You thoughts were running wild in your head till your surroundings became dark and you fell asleep, forgetting about the pain of being in love with the Slytherin prince.

-Time skip-

You woke up to a pain that almost killed your head. It’s finally end of the summer break and you were going back to Hogwarts. Getting ready and saying ‘bye’s to your parents, you went to Hogwarts Express by your own.

He was not there. You tried to look for him, but he was not there. The Slytherin compartment was locked. Whenever you asked the Slytherins about Draco’s whereabout, they told you that “Draco didn’t let us tell you where he is”. Something is definitely wrong.

The feast wasn’t as great as they used to be. You felt like the darkest person in the hall. Cheers can be heard here and there when the Sorting Hat announced the first year students’ houses. You used to like the sorting ceremony but not today. It felt depressing. You had no appetite to eat. The food didn’t look good in your eyes. Everything was so wrong.

“Are you okay?” your friend, Hermione, asked you. You nodded, not feeling the mood to answer to anyone at the moment. Your eyes went to the Slytherin house table and there you go, your favourite blond boy. Your eyes lit up, feeling your heart thumping in your chest. He was laughing with his friends. He looked happy. He didn’t look broken like you thought he would be. You let out a huff and made your way to him.

“Draco, we need to talk. Now. Astronomy Tower” you demanded, giving him zero chance to reply to you. You heard the heels of his shoes clicking on the hard rock floor. The weather seemed depressed too; just like you. You guys finally there.

The air was cold, the sky was dark, the moonlight doesn’t show. Only the small light from your wand that filled the room.

“What is it?” he rolled his eyes, not in the mood to talk to you. He was happy down there?! What with the bitchy attitude now?

“What happened to you, Draco?” you asked, tears filling your eyes. You looked at him, in hate rather than love like you used to.

“What do you mean?”

“What happened to you?! That bitchy attitude of yours. That attitude was last seen when we hated each other and that was a long time ago. What happened to you?! You didn’t owl me back. I was worried sick about you, Draco. I thought you were dead!” you finally let out everything that was bothering you since the day summer break started.

“Nothing. You know, we better get going or Snape will be mad at us” he walked away.

“Draco, wait!” you reached out for his arms.

“STOP IT!” he pushed you hard to the floor. Your hands were bleeding because of how uneven the floor was and how sharp some of the rocks are. The tears that were dying to fall are now running down to your cheeks.

“You totally have changed...” you whispered, holding in the sobs. You tried to get up but your knees were too weak. Too weak from the pieces of your heart breaking. Too weak to face the ‘Cold Draco Malfoy’.

“You know what? Let’s end this bullshits. I hate being with you. Being with your clingy ass. Being with a person that truly couldn’t live without me. I tried to push you away but you couldn’t understand ANY SINGLE of the signs that I gave.”

The scream from him made your body slightly jumped. He is not the Draco that you used to know anymore. You heard your own heart breaking, again. The pain was unbearable. A thing that you wished will never happen finally happened, right in front of your eyes. He fell out of love, and go back to being the mean boy like he used to be.

“What about the promise that we made? Having kids together? Being each others’ death? Or what about those i love yous? Were they that meaningless? Huh? I FUCKING TALK TO YOU, DRACO” you screamed, hitting your fist on the floor. Your tears stopped falling, and your feelings became numb. It feels like you will never feel pain, or happiness anymore.

“I guess promises were meant to be broken? This is the end of us. Don’t look for me anymore.” and with that, he left you alone, in the darkness.

You world has collapsed. No more dreams that you wished you never had. No more promises that you wish you never shared.

You looked up to the sky.

“We both wished in the meteor that we’ll be together till our last breaths, but now, I am alone, rewriting in the star, the story we never completed. Goodbye, Draco Malfoy”

And you walked away, with a broken heart from your first true love.

-end-

#draco malfoy imagine #draco malfoy #draco imagine #draco x reader

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imjustthemechanic · 3 years

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The Price of a Soul

Part 1/? - Agent Russel Part 2/? - The Letter Part 3/? - Miss Lake Part 4/? - The Stewardess Part 5/? - An Assassination Part 6/? - Fallout Part 7/? - Face to Face Part 8/? - Deals, Details, and Other Devils Part 9/? - Baggage Part 10/? - Private Funding Part 11/? - Just Passing Through Part 12/? - Party of Four Part 13/? - Resolute Part 14/? - The Wreck Part 15/? - Body Snatchers Part 16/? - Out of the Frying Pan Part 17/? - A Miracle Part 18/? - A Matter of Circumstance Part 19/? - Nome Part 20/? - The Future Part 21/? - A Hero’s Welcome Part 22/? - Up to Speed Part 23/? - Expect Further Delays Part 24/? - The Welcome Wagon Part 25/? - Fugitives

Alone and on the run from the law, Peggy and Kay have to decide what to do next.

ince Kay’s bunker was a no-go, they ended up spending the night in an abandoned farmhouse on the edge of the Pine Barrens. This was exactly as creepy as it sounded, with no electricity, and rats and raccoons nesting in it. It started to rain around midnight, drumming on the roof and coming in through the long-broken windows. Peggy and Kay broke up some pieces of the stair bannister and used them to light a fire in the fireplace, and by that flickering light, they tried to figure out what to do next.

“I don’t suppose you can go back in time again and start over,” Peggy said.

Kay shook her head. “This was a one-shot thing.”

“I see.” Peggy thought for a moment. “When we’re caught, I’m going to tell them you kidnapped me.”

“Cool,” said Kay. She sighed heavily, hugging her knees to her chest she stared into the flames. Peggy noticed that her root were growing out, coming in darker than the blonde, although by the firelight it was impossible to say quite what colour they were.

“Everything was supposed to be better,” Kay said. “Steve was supposed to get the happy ending he wanted, with you and James. HYDRA would be rooted out once and for all before they could really get their claws into the government.” She reached up to scrub at her eyes with her fingers. “The Red Room would be destroyed. I don’t know if I’d be able to force Howard to hug his son once in a while but I was going to try. I don’t know if I’d be able to do anything for Clint or for Bruce… I’m not going to live that long.” She shrugged. “And after that… I don’t know if we can destroy the Infinity Stones with the technology of this decade, but if anybody could figure it out, it’s Howard Stark.”

She hadn’t been joking when she said she had an extensive to-do list, Peggy thought. Most of the items on it meant absolutely nothing to Peggy, but she could tell they were things Kay cared about very much.

Which made for one odd omission. “What about you?”

“The Red Room,” said Kay. “That’s the code name for the place where they raise girls into spies. If that doesn’t exist, then I won’t be drafted into it when my parents abandon me. I don’t know what will happen to me, but even starving on the streets of Volgograd would be better than that.”

Peggy thought of some of the things she’d seen at that facility in Siberia, and shuddered.

“The thing is,” Kay added, “I know I can’t do it alone. I need you guys. If you’re in prison and Ste… and Captain America’s off shaking hands with his fans, then I can’t do it. I might be able to do it myself in the twenty-first century, but not now, I don’t know enough. Even if I did, it would be so much easier with help. I had one shot, and I ruined it.”

She fell silent then, and Peggy wondered what it was she wanted. Reassurance that everything would be okay? Peggy couldn’t give her that. “Well, you certainly didn’t improve things by taking us both on the run,” she said.

“Probably not,” Kay agreed.

Peggy wrapped her coat around herself to use as a blanket, and lay down with her own elbow for a pillow. “In the morning,” she said, “we should head to the nearest town and turn ourselves in.”

“Then what happens to Steve?” asked Kay. “And to James?”

“At the moment I’m primarily worried about what happens to me,” said Peggy. Steve was doubtless worried about her, and about Sergeant Barnes, and if Kay said was true, Barnes did need help, but Peggy was not in a position to do anything about that right now. Her focus had to be on her own survival, both physical and political. “If I wasn’t going to end up in prison before I certainly am now.”

“I know,” said Kay. “I’m sorry.”

“Apologies don’t do a lot of good at this point,” Peggy told her.

“Apologies never do a lot of good for me,” said Kay. “I’ve always been the one who throws the other guy over a cliff. Looks like nothing’s changed.”

Peggy woke up early, stiff and cold from sleeping on the floor. The fire had burned itself down to a smolder, and Kay was gone. For a moment Peggy was furious, thinking the other woman had abandoned her, but then she rolled over and discovered Kay’s red purse, still sitting there on the floor. Had she simply left that behind, or was it intended to tell Peggy she was coming back?

She got up, stretched the kinks out of her neck as best she could, and went to look out front. The car was still there, and Kay was sitting in the driver’s seat. When Peggy came closer, picking her way between the puddles and the rotten boards of the front steps, she found that the radio was on.

“They haven’t said anything about us yet,” said Kay, “but I’ve only been here about ten minutes. Weather’s supposed to be nice today.”

Peggy climbed in the passenger seat to listen for herself. There was a weather report, and then it began talking about Captain America.

New York Senator Elect Vernon Masters brought the Captain home to Brooklyn last night to tremendous fanfare, the announcer said. Captain America will be embarking on a tour of the state capitals, along with the Senator Elect and industrialist Howard Stark, who was instrumental in locating the wreck of the German bomber.

“Of course they don’t mention Jason,” grumbled Peggy. If anything, he had more trouble getting recognition for his achievements than she did.

“They don’t mention us, either,” Kay mused. “That means they don’t want people knowing we’ve escaped.”

“Specifically, Thompson doesn’t want people knowing,” said Peggy. “He must be dreadfully tired of people escaping from him.”

“He ought to take better care of them, then,” snorted Kay. “You still want to turn yourself in?”

Peggy had to think about it. “I think we’d better,” she said. “But not to Thompson. We need to find a pay telephone, and I’ll speak to Daniel.”

They drove into the nearest town, where they found a little diner to order breakfast. Kay clearly had no appetite, nibbling at her toast and forcing herself to eat her scrambled eggs. Peggy didn’t feel very hungry, either, despite some grumbling from her stomach. She got through about half of it, and then pushed her plate away and checked her watch, which was still on Los Angeles time.

The moment it reached eight-thirty AM, she went outside and picked up the pay telephone. “Hello,” she said, “I’d like to make a long-distance call.”

She gave the number for the storefront in Los Angeles, and waited while switchboard operators across the country made connections. Finally, the line picked up, and Rose’s somewhat staticky but familiar voice said, “good morning, Auerbach Theatrical Agency.”

“Good morning,” said Peggy. “May I speak to Mr. Auerbach, please?”

“Peggy?” Rose asked. “Where are you?”

“I can’t say,” Peggy replied. “I just need to speak with Daniel right away.”

Rose lowered her voice. “You can’t,” she said. “He was arrested yesterday, just after you left! What’s going on?”

Peggy’s insides turned to ice. Daniel had been arrested… because of course, Dottie had told Thompson that Daniel had colluded with Peggy in letting her out of jail. She’d probably implicated Mr. Jarvis, too. This wasn’t just about what would happen to Peggy anymore, not at all. This was about what was going to happen to all of them.

“I… can’t say,” Peggy repeated. “Listen, please don’t tell anybody I spoke to you. We’re all in a lot of trouble.”

“All right,” said Rose. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m not sure yet,” said Peggy. She hung up the phone and stood there a moment, digesting what she’d just heard. ‘Borrowing’ Dottie to get the sample of Zero Matter had been Peggy’s idea. Daniel and Mr. Jarvis had helped, but none of it would have happened without Peggy, and now they were possibly all going to hang for it. Would pleading that they’d done it to save the world do any good? Not likely. Masters’ lawyers would argue that there must have been other options. It was just that in the hurry of the moment, Peggy hadn’t been able to think of any.

Kay was waiting for her outside the phone booth. When Peggy opened the door, her eyes went wide.

“Sit down,” she ordered. “Put your head between your knees.”

“I am not going to faint!” Peggy snapped. “Daniel has been arrested as well, and Mr. Jarvis. I don’t know if she’s implicated Howard and Jason or not.”

“Oh.” Kay covered her mouth. “This is… this is all my fault…”

“No, it isn’t,” Peggy said. “It’s mine.”

“If I hadn’t been here…”

“Even with you here, we wouldn’t be in trouble if I hadn’t had the blindingly stupid idea to break Dottie out of jail to begin with!” Peggy informed her. This sensation of crushing weight on her chest, as her bad decisions rained down like bricks to bruise and bury her… this must be what Kay had felt last night when Thompson had tried to arrest them for treason. If so, Peggy found herself reacting to it in what had to be a very similar way.

“Bugger it,” she said. “You are a bad influence.”

“I know,” said Kay.

“Do you have any more change?”

Kay dug into her purse for some coins, and Peggy lifted the receiver again. “Hello, operator. I would like to make a long-distance call. Can you get me the California FBI office in Sacramento?”

She didn’t actually know if the FBI opened as early as the SSR, though it seemed likely, so it was a relief when she heard a receptionist pick up and greet her. “FBI, can I help you?”

“Good morning,” said Peggy, affecting an American accent. “May I please speak to Agent Ned Russel? This is his wife, Alice.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” the woman replied. “He’s still in New York, working on a case.”

“I thought he’d been taken off that case,” Peggy said.

“I don’t know the details,” said the receptionist. “I think he was reinstated as a favour for somebody from another agency. Would you like to speak to the chief?”

“No, no thank you,” Peggy said. “I’ll see if I can call him there. Goodbye.”

She hung up, and turned to Kay again. “I have an idea.”

The black SSR vehicle they’d been driving so far was far too recognizable to take back into the city, so the women left it behind and stole a green Ford coupe they found parked beside the diner. Peggy drove this time, as they headed north back towards the city.

“What’s your plan?” asked Kay.

Peggy took a deep breath. “The easiest, although perhaps not the most legal, way to get everybody I know and love out of trouble is to make sure Dottie cannot testify,” she said. “Masters and Thompson didn’t make their move until they had her, so she must be the cornerstone of their case. We remove Dottie again, and they have nothing.”

“Makes sense,” said Kay in a deadpan. It was impossible to tell what she thought.

“Unfortunately, we cannot get in to see her,” Peggy went on. “Last time I got her out by wearing a disguise, but that’s not going to work again. The police guarding her know me now, because I was in there to see you, and there’s the possibility that Dottie herself will raise the alarm. And you certainly can’t go in because they know you as well. However, we know somebody who probably has every right to be there, we know that he is slightly terrified of both of us, and we possibly know where he eats lunch.”

It was with that in mind that they parked their stolen car behind the Automat up the street from the telephone company building. The lunch rush had just ended, and Peggy could see Pearl standing by the back door on a cigarette break. She approached.

“Hi, Peggy,” said Pearl. “What are you doing back here?”

“I need to see Angie right away, privately,” said Peggy. “It’s very important. Don’t tell anybody else I’m here… and tell her it’s Phone Company Business.”

“Ah… all right,” said Pearl. She dropped the remains of her cigarette on the pavement and went inside to get her co-worker. Angie appeared a few minutes later, looking concerned – she knew very well what Peggy meant by Phone Company Business.

“What’s wrong, English?” she asked.

“Angela Martinelli!” Kay exclaimed.

Angie blinked. “Do we know each other?”

“You’re going to be in Stark Pictures’ Captain America movies,” said Kay, “opposite Burt Lancaster!”

“Ignore her, she thinks she can see the future,” said Peggy. “Listen to me, Angie… did we frighten Agent Russel away permanently?”

“No, he had his lunch here today,” Angie said. “He didn’t sit in my section.”

Peggy smiled. “Excellent,” she said. “Here’s what we need you to do.”

#fanfic #captain america #agent carter #peggy carter #steve rogers #steggy #fix it fic

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stillwinterair · 3 years

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I'm sorry and I hate to be a downer but I cannot stop thinking about this. Do you see how long it's taken people to wear masks? As recently as this week there are STILL videos going viral of people -- recording their own stupidity and thinking they're justified in it -- going places without a mask on and harassing retail workers and ultimately getting arrested. Two Canadian grocery shoppers and "REI Karen" all in the last week or two, and probably countless more. Corporations and politicians the world over have been pushing since the pandemic began to reopen, to put countless employees at serious risk in order to turn a quick profit, long term be damned. And this tricks people into thinking that things are okay, and that they're justified in returning to the status quo.

But this pandemic is so concrete. The preventative measures are proven, the consequences are blatant. People have died in droves, and more people than my brain is comfortable with admitting into reality have seen loved ones die of covid and shrugged and said "they were old anyway" or "it was probably a pre-existing condition that did it" or "it's just the flu; the flu does that sometimes." Loved ones. Parents, partners, siblings. All the while, corporations and politicians pushing to reopen reinforces the narrative that it can't be that bad, because the people in charge are ready to return to normal, and if stuff is open again, then it's over, right?

And that's a concrete threat.

Climate change will not be so concrete. It is not the difference of one year's death toll to another; it is not the difference between healthy one month and dead the next. Climate change is a difference in decades. In centuries. It is gradual. Some may say exponential. It is only going to get worse. Parts of the world are already becoming uninhabitable. The first waves of climate migration is happening -- right now, it is happening. Some subtly, as Californians filter out as they realize yearly megafires are the norm now. Some blatantly, as Central America is at this moment experiencing record floods that are destroying entire communities. Once-in-a-century weather events became yearly, and now happen half a dozen times per year.

But we're being boiled in the pot, so people can easily say "oh, this one specific element isn't as bad as last year, so it's fine." Capitalism has a vested interest in ignoring the problem. The priority is profits, now, and then more profits tomorrow. Anything beyond that is a problem for the day after.

We will not know the tipping point for our climate when it comes. It is not a concrete thing. There is no wall on the horizon that says "harmful energy emissions must end here." Or, rather, there was a wall that said that, it popped up when science originally proved the existence of climate change, but we already barreled through it. Hell, it was Big Oil who really managed to prove it in the first place, and used it as a weapon in order to melt sea ice in order to operate more profitably, then spent decades and untold amounts of money to downplay and bury their own findings.

This is not a future problem; it is a now problem, and it is being callously ignored at the detriment of every human life. The move toward change, a big, species-wide shift toward environmentalism and zero emissions and so on needed to happen 30 years ago. It needed to happen 20 years ago. It needed to happen 10 years ago. It needs to happen now, and it is not.

Capitalism has actively profited off of a global pandemic, and although we have had the technology and wherewithal to deal with it effectively since the very beginning, capitalists actively fought back at every step of the way, prioritizing profit at the cost of human lives.

This is a microcosm of what's coming. Capitalism actively profits off of the total decline and eventual of Earth's biosphere, and although we have had the technology and wherewithal to stop it -- or at the very least slow it down -- since it was originally identified almost half a century ago, capitalists have been fighting back at every step of the way, prioritizing profit at the cost of the human race.

Insects and marine life are beginning to experience veritable apocalypses. The effects are tangible, but are easy to ignore -- memories of a more stable environment are so far back, they can be safely ignored. And it's only profitable to ignore them.

Remember how many bugs would squish against the windshield of your parents' car, driving down the highway? Remember needing to use wiper fluid to get them off in the middle of a drive? And... when's the last time you saw a bug hit your windshield?

This has been weighing on me so heavily lately. It's making sleep difficult. I can't work up an appetite. I find it so hard to focus. Climate change and capitalism are so intrinsically entwined and we're not going to solve the former without completely dismantling the latter.

Look. All I'm saying is, we'll all be vaccinated this summer. I don't know how to organize anything, but I think it's time for me to do some sort of direct action. And it is long past time for large scale, global climate protests. Something needs to be done. I am so constantly terrified for the future of everything, and I used to be comforted by this sense of... overall cosmic indifference, I guess, that the universe would go on without us. But this fear and this anger that I've had has really begun to shape into something motivating for me. And I really, desperately do not want to just sit back and do nothing anymore. I have too much faith and hope and love inside of me for that.

#at the end of the day. I don't think there's a lot we can do to prevent the worst of it.#but there IS still a lot we can do to... I don't know. shape things to prepare for the fallout #we need a global political system with safety and survival and environmentalism baked in their core #no more of this zero emissions by 2030 shit. zero emissions now. today. complete cold turkey #we need to hope for the best and prepare for the worst and have systems in place so that #when adverse effects arise. they can be dealt with as efficiently as possible #and protect as many people and animals and as much of the environment as we are capable of

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hitsuackerman · 4 years

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Kisses and Distractions pt. 2

As requested by @babygirlmeepi, here is the second part of Kisses and Distractions :) This is just pure fluff and a sprinkle of suggestive lemons ;) hope you like this :D

This can be read separately too, so enjoy :)

warnings: FLUFF (lots of it)

link: part 1

master list to all my fics :) here

3 days.

It had been 3 days since the two of you were kiss-blocked by the present and former #1 heroes. And here you were, chilling in your apartment. Wrapped like a burrito in your bed. You couldn’t remember the last time you had done this. The weather was just too perfect to resist the burrito-ness.

Today was a miracle. A day off with zero notifications in the last 7 hours. Sure, it was past 12 noon and that you should prepare lunch, there was just this irrational fear that once you step out, some villain attack would happen again.

Nope. No. You would rather stay in your home and starve. Or maybe just order take out. Unburrito-ing yourself, you rolled over to your nightstand and took your phone. You felt your cheeks blush at the sight of your new wallpaper.

You and Hawks hugging. His cheek squished as he leaned his head on yours. Framing the picture were his wings. Uneven but still gorgeous nonetheless. You had to hand it to the man, despite him looking goofy, he was still sexy. Your mind couldn’t help but think, how in the world did you manage to lure him?

Clicking on the FoodBear app, you scrolled past restaurants and fast food chains. What were you in the mood for? Pizza and a burger. Yes. Perfect.

Sitting up, you began to choose the flavor and type of burger till the home screen changed.

The picture of Hawks replacing it. Your heart raced at the thought of him calling you.

“Hey baby bird!” Hawks greeted over the phone. It was a tad noisy so you were sure he was calling and flying.

“Pidgy, don’t fly and call at the same time.” You teased him but the tone in your voice gave it away. It was difficult to suppress your happiness when it came to this birdman. “What can I do to help you?”

“The question is, how can I help you? You eaten lunch yet, babe?”

‘Oh lord that babe hit different’ You fangirled internally. Fanning yourself with your free hand in hopes to cool off the heat on your face.

“Not yet. You bringing some food over?”

“Yeah.” You swore he was smirking on the other line. “Me.”

“Hawks, I swear to god if you don’t bring me a slice of pizza and a burger I will eat y-” Shutting your mouth, you almost fell into his trap. Not that you’d mind. Real food was simply top priority for now.

“Now wouldn’t that be the perfect reason not to but take out?” He laughed. For you, it was such music to your ears. Your heart swelled knowing you made him happy. “Get dressed lovebird. I’m takin’ you out on a date.”

“Oh.” Your eyes fell on your messy wardrobe. Shit. “How long till you arrive?”

“I’m already outside. How convenient you have a balcony, am I right?” He ended the call.

“Hawks?” You yelled out from your room.

“Right here baby!” He responded. God damn, he really was here. “Take your time unless you want me to help you change!”

Face palming yourself, the thought of him laying on your bed, pinning you down, wasn’t that bad. But still, the two of you hadn’t even kissed yet so might as well go on a date with him.

Standing up, you went out of your room only to be met by Hawks lounging on your sofa. Wings slightly open to make him rest his back. His hair was even messier from behind but still looked as soft as ever.

“Let me just shower and we can take our leave, okay?”

Turning to face you, he smirked at the sight before him. You, in an oversized shirt that hung just above your thighs. Your black shorts showing enough leg to tease him right.

“I envy the me in your shirt.” He pointed out while extending an arm to tug on your shirt.

Your eyes widened when you remembered this was the Hawks merch Ryukyu got you for the jokes. After that day, it had been your favorite. Not just for the person on the shirt but because the size was amazing and the material was breezy.

“Maybe if you play your cards right, this could end up being you.” You teased back. Booping his nose causing his golden eyes to expand. The hold on your shirt seemingly tightened.

“Damn. You flirty when you got no food in your system, chickadee~” Hawks commented as he lifted himself off the couch and landed right in front of you. His eyes exploring your face, lingering on your lips, but going back to your eyes. His hands now nested on your waist.

‘Okay. Think this through. If y'all were to do the devil’s tango now, that would mean your body would look bomb because you haven’t eaten anything. But, I’m so fucking hungry. Like is this worth the messy sheets? Hell yeah it is But pizza sounds so good right now...!’ You monologue in your mind.

Placing your palms on his stomach, you could feel his toned abs and how he flexed just to ensure victory. Sliding them upwards, you fet the bumps of his bodysuit’s yellow linings. Your eyes never leaving his.

Hawks gritted his teeth. The next thing he knew, he picked you up and carried you all the way to your kitchen counter. He wished he had taken his gloves off so he could feel just how soft your skin was. With your legs hugging his waist, this was all too perfect.

“You sure it’s pizza and burgers you want?” He leaned in closer. Using the tip of his nose, he began to trail your cheek and his lips hovered above yours. Pulling himself away from you, your throat ran dry when he used his mouth to remove his gloves.Tossing them to the couch, he used his thumb to trace your lower lip.

“Maybe if you push a little more,” Your arms now snaked around his neck. Bringing him closer to you. “Perhaps my appetite may change.”

Leaning his forehead on yours, his half hooded eyes remained glued to yours. His breathing was slow and heavy as he pulled you in closer. Giving him the invitation, you wrapped your legs even tighter. Licking his lips, his smirk was the last thing you saw before the two of you closed your eyes.

And then your stomach grumbled.

‘Motherfucker…’

‘Rotten Nuggets…’

The two of you stopped right when your lower and upper lips brushed against each other. Warm breaths grazing your skins.

“Are you for real?...” Hawks complained but his voice was amused. He placed both palms on your cheeks and squished them. “You ruined the moment babe!”

He began to stomp his foot like a small child. Your legs moving along his rather cute tantrum. His feathers began to ruffle as well. Pulling you into a hug, he nuzzled on the side of your head. A disappointed sigh coming out of his mouth.

“I’m sorry. I’ll take full responsibility for that, nugget.” You hugged him back. Only making him squirm more and whine.

“That would’ve been the perfect first kiss for the both of us~” He said as he pulled himself away to look at your flushed face. “But, it’s alright. Now go and take a bath before I make my feathers rip your clothes apart…”

Following his orders, you released him from your hold and went back to your room. Pissed and embarrassed at how your stomach chose to betray you.

Moments passed and you were now dressed. Closing the door to your room, you saw Hawks rummaging through your fridge. His wings were full once more. It gave you relief knowing he could fully perform his duties once more. Not that there was a need to worry, he was the number 2 so he’s surely more capable of more.

“Your fridge needs more chicken.” He commented. Pivoting to face you. In his mouth, a juice pack. “Ready?”

“Yeah.” You replied. Waving your matching headphones and visors he had given you a few months back.

Throwing the empty pack, he took your hand and led you to your balcony. The weather had improved and the dark gray clouds from earlier were replaced by clear blue skies and the afternoon sun.

“How do you want it? Bridal style? Or my signature bear hug?” He asked as he put on his gloves. His brows furrowed at the memory of a failed first kiss.

“I think bridal would be nice.”

Taking the headphones from you, he placed them on your head and paused to admire his handiwork. The way the sun cast light on your (e/c) made his heart flutter. Cupping your cheek, he smirked when they began to show a taint of redness.

“So beautiful…”

Placing an arm on your back and bending slightly to place the other one on the bend of your knees, he was all too happy when you rested your arms on his shoulders. Stretching his wings out, he adored the way your eyes sparkled.

Letting a stray feather loose, Hawks made the feather brush against your lip and made it land on his.

“Ah. An indirect kiss!” He teased. Flapping his wings making you both float. “Can’t wait for the real deal after lunch~”

“Keigo!” You playfully punched his chest. Your arms tighten as he flew the both of you farther and farther from your unit.

“Don’t call me that unless we’re in your bed or mine, baby!” He managed to wink as he pulled you in closer.

Choosing not to reply, the rest of the ride was nothing but comfortable silence. It only lasted for a few minutes till he landed and placed you back on your feet. Your eyes opened up and your jaw dropped when you saw where he had taken you.

“And don’t worry about distractions, chickadee.” Hawks said with his arms making a circle. “I booked the place all to ourselves.”

“The whole planetarium?!”

“Yes.” Lacing his fingers with yours, he led the way and opened the door for you.

Before entering the main room, he took you to the snack bar and ordered what you had been craving for. A slice of pizza, a burger, chicken wings, a medium soda for the two of you, and a pack of mints. Ushering you to the tables, he placed the food down and pulled the chair for you to sit.

“Gotta let that stomach of yours eat before we see the main event.” He said as he attacked the wings.

“You’re never going to let that go, are you?”

“Never.”

Small talk happened as the two of you ate. The moment the last bite happened, he handed you a mint as he took one as well. You couldn’t help but snort at how prepared he wanted to be. Though, you would be lying if you weren’t thinking of going to the women’s toilet to freshen up.

The doors were now facing the two of you. His hands finding yours once more. Opening the doors, your eyes wandered across the dome and the projector located in the middle. The room was already dim and your heart raced with excitement at the thought of staring at the stars up close.

Choosing the back half of the theater, the two of you made your way to the middle seats. Once you two were comfy, he clapped his hands and the room was now pitch black. The theater dome began to show the projectors image. Putting your arm around his, you couldn’t help but smile at Hawks for bringing you here. Wearing your goggles, you leaned on his shoulder and watched the show.

As the show came to the middle part, you were fascinated with the vibrant colors of the different galaxies, Hawks kept his eyes on you. Taking his goggles, he tossed them to the empty seat and took a deep breath.

“(Y/N)?”

Tearing your eyes from the view, you were now face to face with something much better. Letting Hawks take your goggles off, he shifted his position so he could fully face you. Imitating his actions, you felt a small push on your back. No need to look knowing that was his wing.

“You like our date?” He whispered. Leaning a little closer.

“It’s perfect~” You leaned in closer as well.

Cupping your cheek, he let his thumb brush your skin gently. His eyes widened and his wings perked up. Wondering what that was about, he let his feathers do some work. Letting go of your cheek, he took his phone out and placed it on a feather. Understanding his motive, you put yours on silent mode and placed it on the feather next to you.

The two of you watched as the feathers placed them on the seats right across the room. The slightly larger feathers made their way towards the door. Making sure that no one would be able to enter the room.

“You’ve prepared for the worst?” You teased him.

“Just making sure, nugget.” Placing his hand on the back of your neck, he gently pulled you in closer and rested his forehead on yours. “After all the distractions, I think necessary preparations are needed.”

“I would have to agree on that~” You giggled. Holding onto his wrist.

“May I?” He asked. By now, his hot minty breath touching your lip. When you nodded your answer, Hawks did not hesitate.

The two of you winced in pain when his nose hit yours. This time, there was no frustration or childish tantrums. Instead the two of you laughed it off. Cheeks red with embarrassment and stomachs doing summersaults.

“I’ll take the blame for that~” He commented. Not letting you go of his hold.

“Just shut up and kiss me, Keigo~” With that, he redeemed himself.

Finally. You felt his lips on yours. His lips were soft and the kiss was enough to melt you away. It felt as if a summer breeze had passed your soul and gave you a sense of warmth and happiness at the same time. When he titled his head to make the kiss even deeper, you felt all the butterflies in your stomach flutter. You couldn’t help but smile as you both locked lips. Not wanting to part with each other.

When Hawks felt your lips curl into a smile, he pulled you in as close as he could. The taste of mint still present and your strawberry chapstick from before still there. Wanting to intensify the kiss, he licked your bottom lip.

Gladly, you gave him entry. In the few times he’s kissed, he always wanted to have dominance but for you, he was more than willing to toss it aside. Both your tongues danced in unison, exploring each wet caverns slowly and sensually. He was grateful, and of course even more turned on, when you let out a soft moan.

The need for air finally rose. Both of you broke apart, panting. Still living in the moment, both of your eyes were shut. Grins plastered on your face at the sensation of finally being able to kiss each other.

“Well,” His voice was raspy and he was still panting. “I think the wait was worth it.”

“I couldn’t agree more~”

“So shall I make you scream my name now?” His smirk was back. The cheeky cocky pro hero you fell for.

“Keigo!”

“That’s it baby!”

The rest of the show, the two of you relaxed and enjoyed each other’s warmth. When the show was finished, the two of you checked your phones for any messages. His shoulders slumped when he saw he had a missed call from Endeavor. Followed by 7 messages.

“Looks like I’ll have to take you home lovebird~”

Moments passed and the two of you were now back on your balcony. Hawks perched on the railing while you wrapped your arms around his waist.

“I’ll be back, don’t worry.” He reassured you while petting your head.

“I know.” You lifted your head and faced him once more. The sun was now setting and his wings even more glorious with the pinks and oranges in the sky. His golden eyes staring on to you with a silent message of not wanting to leave you alone. “Be safe, Keigo.”

“I will.”

Letting him go, he leaned backwards and free fell. A second later, he was now flying in front of you. Moving in closer, he planted a short but deep kiss on your lips.

“Love you, chickadee.”

“Love you too, nugget~”

With a wink, he flapped his wings and soared into the sky. Leaving behind a feather for you to hold on to. You shook your head with amusement. This would only mean one thing.

He would most definitely be coming back and staying the night.

#hawks #hawks x reader #bnha hawks #mha hawks #mha keigo takami #wing hero hawks

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