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first-edition · 4 months

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Fox and the Hound

Chapter 11

Sum-Joffrey wants to send a message to your family after your brother embarrasses him, so he marries you off to his most unwanted man in his court, the hound. But will this marriage truly be a statement for an eyesore, or will it grow into something more.

Cw for chapter- talk of previous forced marriage, mention of death, description of blood and gore, description of prostitution, mention or beating, 18+ words and themes overall. Slight angst.

Slightly prof read sorry for any errors

Read previous chapter here

You sit your back against Sandors chest as he steers the horse you both sit on. You're wrapped in his cloak keeping you warm, the sun peeking up over the mountains, the first light of day breaking as you see the smoke from the burning ships in Kings landing behind you.

Sandor keeps a firm arm around your waist holding the horse's reins with the other.

“I know where we can go.” you say.

“Mm.” he grunts.

“Home..my home.” you say

“Volantis? You want to go east.” he says. You nod.

“Hm” he responds lightly, turning the horse.

“Where are you going?” you ask.

“South…There's a merchant ship yard where you'll be able to get on a boat and then take a carriage. The next merchant ship yard is miles off so we'll be riding for a while but we should get there before dark.” he says.

“You're coming with me sandor.” you speak it as more of a demand than a request.

“I'm not.” he replies.

“You are.” you fight back.

“Not.”

“Yes.” “No.”

“Sandor clegane as your wife, mother of your child, and princess of the very place WE are headed for, I'm ordering you to join me.” you snap. He stops the horse and looks down to you. Before looking back up and continuing the horse forward. A small victorious smile hits your face.

“Volantis it is.. I guess.” he says you rest your head against his chest in peace, his arm around your waist tightens a bit pulling you closer to him.

“What do you think will happen to king's landing?” You ask. He scoffs at your question giving no fucks to whats to happen to the place.

“If Stannis has taken it he’ll be putting a bounty on everyone who flead, me, you servant, commoners. And if not there will still be bounty and the lannisters will still be a bag of cunts.” he says gruffly.

“When they killed my brother…they sent his head to my family with a note that I was to be married to you or the fate my brother withstood would soon be mine…” you trial off. Sandor can feel a slight pain in his heart as you speak about the forced marriage you two had shared how much he felt like he didn't want you, how he thought you were another stuck up useless little princess how badly he treated you and yet you still stood at that alter and kissed him and even invited him into your bed…but it was out of fear..isn't it?”

“Do you remember when we wed?” you ask placing your hand over his that rests on your stomach.

“Yes.” he says coldly, mostly afraid of the awful things you are going to say about it.

“I remember how nice you looked. That the armory had made you the golden armor and seamstress had sewn a new cloak, were you comfortable?” you ask. Sandor knits his eyebrows together in confusion.

“No.” he answers anyway.

“Me either the dress cersi chose for me was corseted to hell, and itchy but…looking back on it i don't think i was scared…I want to tell myself that only married you so my head wouldn't be sent to my mother and father but i can't. I know now that I married you because the gods willed me to love you, I was never afraid of you like everyone else and becoming yours was the best thing that has happened to me in a while.” you say looking up at him.

He leans down to you pressing a kiss to your lips before you sit back against him and continue the ride twords the merchant shipyard. You hum the song your mother would always sing to you to help you sleep and eventually you find yourself drifting to sleep as the swaying of the horse and the steady sound of Sandors beating heart lulls you to drift, it helps that you'd been awake all night fearing for you life.

—-----

You wake up to hear the same humming you fell asleep to, too sandors humming the song now having got it stuck in his head after hearing it three times before you fell under the sandman's curse.

The sun is high in the sky now most likely around 1 pm but it's slightly cast out but the snowing clouds.

“How far are we?” you ask, looking around tiredly rubbing your eyes with the back of your hand.

“We'll be passing the harvest hall in a moment.” he says as the forest path opens to a clearing, seeing the small town full of people and sellers.

“We have to pass through prince’s pass and get on the ships at sun spear if we want to arrive in volantis by the day after tomorrow.” he says

“Sun spear? Dornish country.” you say. Sandor nods.

A crowd of people passing to the square of the town stops the horse. They all yell about some foreign scum throwing someone into the frozen mud.

“What's going on?” you ask.

“Does Not concern us.'' Sandor grunts as he heels the horse to move but it doesn't as there's too many people blocking the way out.

“A SQUIRE FROM KINGS LANDING WAS FOUND IN MY BARN!” a man yells at you frowning in confusion. A break in the crowd allows you to see the accused. Joss.

“S-sandor, that's joss.” you speak out.

“So..” he says.

“Let me down," you say, pulling away from him.

“y/n no. the villagers will have their way with him.” he speaks.

“He’s just a boy!” you exclaim. Holding onto the horse as you try to get down off the large clydesdale.

“Fuck me…wait.” he says and easily hops off the horse before holding onto you lifting you up and off steadying you on the ground. You pick up your dress before running through the crowd.

“Damn! Y/N!” Sandor yells running after you shoving people out of the way to get to you.

“S-Stop! Stop!” you yell out as a man kicks joss.

“Oh looky here a little lady has come to play.” He says.

“Please stop, that's my husband's squire.” you say.

“This little shit was hiding in my barn bringing his shame with him when the Lannister found him here they’ll have all our heads!” the farmer yells.

“Th-the lannisters?” you ask.

“Yeah pretty girl they won, tywin took them out!” he yells and everyone cheers.

“Please just.. Let him go. I have money and as long as he's safe.” you plead.

“You a Lannister bitch?!” he asks.

“No..i-” you're about to clarify.

“Y/n!” Sandor calls you entering the middle clearing.

The man turns to sandor giving you a chance to hurry to joss wrapping your cape around him keeping him as warm as you can.

“You're sandor clegane.” the man speaks then turns his attention to you helping joss to his feet.

“Give us the quire and we’ll be on our way.” Sandor speaks with his hand resting on the handle of his sword.

“The queen wants your head clegane the money I’d get for that is worth more than a scrawny squire.” the man speaks.

“What do they call you?” Sandor asks.

“Byran.” the man answers.

“You're not getting my head bryan but ill be getting yours if you don't step aside.” Sandor huffs. Bryan chuckles, putting his hands on his hips puffing out his chest.

“You can have your squire, for a price.” he speaks again, glaring at your husband. Sandor grumbles in annoyance.

“Her, your traveling wench. Just a night with that pretty little thing.” Bryan speaks pointing towards you.

Sandor looks at you as you stand with joss as he fetched the horse and is now holding onto the reins for you.

“She’s not for sale.” Sandor speaks gruffly as he turns back to face the man who just chuckles and shakes his head.

“20 minutes then. I’ll easily go through you to get that tight little cunt wrapped around my cock.” Bryan asks stupidly speaking once more.

Sandor sighs and steps up closer to the man would just hold his ground standing straight regardless of your large intimidating husband towering over him.

“You touch her and I’ll hang you from that tavern overhang with a noose made out of your own guts.” Sandor speaks sternly. The man just laughs, turning his head away before he opens his mouth to speak again but is cut off by sandor.

“You think I’m joking?” Sandor replies but before he gives the man a chance to speak he punches him square in the jaw, his armored glove cutting into the man’s jaw slicing gashes into the man’s skin. The man falls into the mud gasping and coughing in pain as his broken, bloody jaw hangs loosely. Bryan writhes in pain on the ground.

“Come on.” Sandor says to you as he walks twords you.

“Get on I'll walk.” he speaks to joss who nods and lifts himself up onto the horse. Sandor lifts you up and onto the horse before taking the reins to lead you both.

“Sandor.” you speak looking down to him as you pass through the dissipating crowd.

“Thank you.” you say. He only grunts compliance making you smile.

NEXT CHAPTER HERE

Taglist- @stephyshadows @germansarechill @urfavbiscuit @daphneyblue @takemeaemond @holb32 @allison-119 @pxstelink @imsolonelyimissyou @myshitaccount @broadsdrinkwhisky

If you’d like to be a part of the taglist please leave a comment

#sandor clegane x reader #sandor the hound clegane #sandor x reader #sandorclegane #sandor clegane #sandor clegane x you #sandor clegane x princess reader #fox and the hound

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olivyh · 1 year

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it’s my birthday !! so may i request riddle, ruggie, jamil, azul and jade kalim, sebek, and silver (if that’s too many characters feel free to only do 3-5 !!)

doing something embarrassing without them knowing the reader was watching (can you tell i have favorites LMAO)

like they’re singing to a corny song, maybe they’re admiring the reader and what they did that day, anything that gets them all nervous and embarrassed once they realize that the reader is standing there, maybe a different scenario for each one (awkward n blushy boys supremacy)

i hope college is going well :D!! good luck lmao

Happy birthday!!! I hope it was an amazing day <<3333!!!!! Anyways I LOVE all these characters (though I have a harder time writing for silver and sebek)(hopefully diasomnia chapter reveals more of them). I also love blushy and flustered boys! I'm going to split this post in two since there's 8 total, so this one will have four and then the next four will come later! (bc,,, i simply cannot stop writing about the scarabia duo,,,)

Enjoy~!

PT 1: Riddle, Ruggie, Azul, and Jade (You're here)/ PT 2: Jamil, Kalim, Sebek, and Silver (WIP)

Minor TW for blood on Azul's part but it's not too much

Riddle:

He had not believed that there was anyone around. After a particularly stressful week, the boy had wanted nothing more than to tend to the hedgehogs that he had considered to be akin to his own children.

He was in his gym uniform, not wanting to get his dorm leader uniform dirty, and hunched over, in the cage and giggling softly as the hedgehogs squeaked and nipped at his fingers. He cups one of them in his hands, pulling it out and petting it's smooth forehead, chuckling and kissing it softly.

"Have you all been lonely?" Riddle asks quietly, turning to the others. He looks around the open garden, warm sun kissing his pale skin as he peeks around the tall hedges, ears perked in the half-hope-half-fear of one of his dormmates seeing him in such a state.

No screaming of Deuce, no obnoxious laughter from Ace. He didn't hear the tapping against a phone screen, or Trey's heavy footsteps on the grass. Perhaps, Riddle thought, he truly was alone.

He felt as though the heavy weight on his shoulders was lifted off as he hurriedly takes each hedgehog out of the cage, sitting cross legged on the ground and placing the small animals in the small area that his legs had created. Some of them try to climb his pants and escape, making him chuckle softly at their squeaks. He gingerly lifts one into his lap, petting it gently.

Warmth fills his heart when it nuzzles into his open palm. The others soon follow, clambering over one another as they try to climb higher and higher up. He lays down, the cold grass tickling his cheeks as the boy squirms as they crawl up his neck and lick at his face, making him laugh loudly and pick them up and move them away.

He looks down and stifles another joyful giggle seeing them resting on his chest, a few of them trying to bite at his shirt and others dozing off. He picks one up gently and nuzzles his face into it's own small one, affection filling his heart and threatening to spill out into the rest of his body.

He smiles softly at the small animal, chuckling.

"Hey, Riddle, I found this little guy when I-" He all but yelps and whips around to face you, standing dumbfounded next to the hedges and holding a small hedgehog that nuzzles into your palm. Heat crawls up his neck and burns his ears and eyes as he gulps, mouth opening and closing in mortification.

"It-I- I- I was si-simply-" He stammer, sitting up quickly (though, not too quickly as to keep the animals on his body safe).

To his surprise, you make your way beside him and sit down, your knees touching as you reach over and place the hedgehog atop his head. He gasps, lungs refusing to work as your hand gently brushes his cheek on the way back.

You smile softly at him.

"Don't be embarrassed! It's cute!"

He swears he could feel his heart explode in his chest, mind racing as he gulps back another squeal. He was sure that late at night, accompanied only by the moonlight, he would bury his face in his pillow and giggle like a schoolgirl looking back on this moment.

As of right now, he could not think of anything else to do but stammer and try to calm his racing heart. He meets your eyes only to see them pressed into joyful crescents that make the butterflies in his stomach swarm as he mumbles an apology, standing and running out of the garden, leaving you and the hedgehogs to watch him leave in confusion and disbelief.

Ruggie Bucchi:

The hyena sits up and groans, running his hands through his messy hair for the umpteenth time as he struggles to read the words on the pages. They dance around the page as he knits his eyebrows on his forehead, phone resting beside the open book for if he needs to look up a definition or a concept. He had asked to study with you to seem smarter than he was, to impress you somehow, but he was failing.

"Should've asked Leona to teach me this shit beforehand..." He thinks to himself bitterly, glancing over at the human who lays on his bed, reading through their history book and taking notes off to the side. They kick their feet and look over to him as he sits hunched over at his desk. He looks away, face warming up as he sighs, looking up another definition.

He tries not to show his annoyance or embarrassment at being unable to understand a textbook, but he knows that you wouldn't hold it against him. Ruggie told you bashfully before your first study session about how he couldn't go to school as a child, and was just now learning what his peers had learnt years before. You were understanding, and you were patient as you sometimes helped him define a word or solve a basic math problem.

He chews on his pen, sighing in annoyance as he looks up another word, scribbling down the definition in the margins of his already filled notebook. Most of his pens were already chewed through, a nervous habit of his since he was a child. Normally he has something else to chew- whether that be a popsicle stick or the plastic thing you had given him as a gift after you learnt of this habit, but he had no popsicles, and the chewing thing was in his gym locker (put there for the moments before particularly stressful Magshift matches). Normally he wouldn't chew pens, and he always had his magical pen to write with, but he'd even caught his hands idly lifting the magical object to his open mouth when he couldn't figure out one tricky question.

He hears you giggle and he turns quickly, pouting over the pen in his mouth. You laugh more and cover your face as the boy's face flushes a bright red and he jumps at how your gleeful expression made his heart turn, biting down on the pen and sending a cascade of ink into his mouth.

He winces and gags, sputtering as the ink drips down his chin, face flushing crimson in embarrassment now.

In his frenzy to not get ink on his clothes, he doesn't even notice how you'd rushed to grab a towel, gently holding his face in your hands and wiping the substance from his mouth. He coughs up more and you fight back a chuckle, Ruggie letting out an annoyed, embarrassed, and shy whine from the back of his throat. His ears are flat on his head as he pouts up at you, face still red as his heart races at speeds that he couldn't even imagine. He fights the urge to clasp a clawed hand over his heart and beg it to slow down, that he couldn't hand the waves of emotions that were slamming his mind and body.

You chuckle and wipe the last bits from his lip, sitting back.

"Go wash your mouth out-" Ruggie stands and, realizing that he could very easily blow his (very obvious) nonchalant cover, decides to try to gain the upper hand. He places a hand on your cheek and chuckles, tracing his claws down your neck and tracing along your arm. He revels in the goosebumps that rise on your flesh, fighting back his own blush as he grabs your arm and raises it to his mouth, licking a long, black stripe along your skin.

"Go wash your arm," He laughs at your flustered expression as you smack his stomach, making him double over and ignore the chemical taste that coats his throat. He laughs even harder when he sees that he left a trail of black along your face.

"That was so gross!"

"You laughed at me first! You had it comin'!" Ruggie grins when you huff and whine, waving his hand as he enters his room's bathroom. "Let's call it a day!" He shouts, washing his mouth out and splashing his face with cold water, pressing a damp towel to his face and ignoring the way that his heart still fluttered and his face still felt as hot as the savanna in the summer.

Azul Ashengrotto:

Azul sat hunched over his desk, glasses cast off to the side as he sighed, hand cramping from scribbling away at paperwork for so long. His normally neat silver hair was unken=mpt and frizzy as it cascaded down his faceHis back aches from his hunched over position, and his limbs beg him to move after being seated for hours upon hours on end.

"'Zul?"

"Mn?" He barely has the energy to respond to you properly. The VIP room is dimmed, and the lounge outside is cleaned out for the night. The only visitors since ten at night have been the twins, coming in to tell Azul that the Lounge had been properly closed and everything went well.

"Are you okay?" The cecaelia nods, not even sparing you a glance as he continues to work on his paperwork. Another hour passes as he sits up and stretches, taking a big breath and groaning when his neck cracks a few times from the change in position. Leaning back, he chews idly on his nails when he reaches a problem, wincing when he bites down too far and blood drips down his finger, threatening to drip down onto his paper. The nail hangs off to the side, still attached to his finger as he curses under his breath.

He hears a gasp and his blood runs cold as he stares up at you, sky blue eyes wide in mortification as the tips of his ears turn red and his heart pounds in his chest. He had somehow forgotten that you were still still present, and that you were watching him bite his nails. He stammers and tries to come up with excuses as you approach his desk, grabbing the first aid kit from one of the drawers.

You sit on the arm of his plush chair and he can feel your warm breath dance across his face. Your legs practically cross over his, and you hold his injured hand as though he were made of glass, your own soft hands caressing the finger and searching for the nail clips. .

Azul's head spins and he feels although he were going to faint, a sweat forming along his collar as he gulps, unable to do something as simple as breath around you as it catches in his throat and he stares up at your expression, heart longing to pull you in and hold your face and connect his lips to your own soft-

He yelps quietly when you tug the nail loose, tossing it into the trash and applying antiseptic, wrapping his finger in a small bandage.

"I-ah-" He clears his throat, trying to regain his composure. "Thank you."

You nod and smile down at him, raising his bandaged finger to your lips and pressing a faint kiss to the tip. Azul could swear that he blacked out for a second as he gasps and his chest constricts, heat from before returning tenfold. To his dismay, you hop off the chair and grab your things, heading towards the door.

"Get some rest, okay?" He can only gape and nod, waiting until you leave to grab his coat from behind his chair and scream into it in half-embarrassment and half-disbelief.

Jade Leech:

It wasn't everyday that Jade got time to himself. He was often running around, either trying to keep control in the Lounge, chasing after (or encouraging) his twin, or doing normal student activities. He hadn't much time to himself in the past few weeks, and it was starting to get to him. No matter how much sleep he would get, he would still awaken with deep eyebags. His police facade would drop more quickly, and he even noticed how he was snapping at his brother and Azul much more than he normally would.

Jade was exhausted, and it showed in the way his skin had lost its luster and how his eyelids would threaten to droop at every moment that he wasn't up and running around.

He felt bubbly when he looked at his schedule and noticed that after classes, he had an entire afternoon off. The blank space in his schedule made his heart soar and he beamed, walking with a pep to his step between each class (one that terrified his classmates).

Once he finally collapsed in his desk in his room. Floyd was away at a basketball game, Azul had shut down the lounge for the afternoon for routine cleaning, and he was finally alone.

He sighs happily, stretching back in his chair and running his hands through his hair as he reached for one of his terrariums, some of the pieces old or moved out of place from the lack of attention that they'd been receiving.

"I'm sorry, little one," The mer mumbles, opening the lid and moving around the materials with a small pair of tweeers. He could feel the stress of the day slowly ebb away with every passing second. His shoulders were more relaxed, his eyebrows were no longer knitted on his forehead, and all the tension on his back seemed to be gone as he began humming softly, an old song from his hometown that his mother would sing to him.

Jade beams, humming louder and lost in his own world when he feels a tap upon his shoulder. He stifles a gasp and whips around, eyes wide as he looks at the Prefect, heat rising to his face. The human stands, arms up as if to prove that they were defenseless.

"Are you... okay?" The ask him quietly. He gulps, breathing returning to normal as he looks between them and his terrariums.

He knows the flush on his face is apparent, and he could feel the sweat pool in his palms that rest on his lap.

"Yes. Of course," He practically spits out, mind racing too fast for him to come up with a longer response. You chuckle nervously, raising your hand and placing it on his shoulder.

"I called your name a few times and you weren't responding..."

"I was busy."

"I see..." You smile, and Jade fights the urge to gulp down the butterflies once more as he stares up at you, eyes glazing over in adoration that he fights with every ounce of energy that he has. His stomach turns as you ruffle his hair playfully, placing a book on his desk with a picture of various flora on the cover. "I found it in Ramshackle's library... did you know I have a library? Anyways, I thought you would like it."

He nods and runs a shaky hand over the cover. "Yes. Thank you," He mumbles quietly, turning his face to meet your gaze. "Thank you." He repeats, much quieter this time. You chuckle and nod.

"Anytime..." You turn to leave, bag slung over your shoulder and you turn, smiling at him once more and making his chest feel as though it was full of flame. "Also, you have a nice singing voice. It suits you." And with that last comment, your gone, and Jade can release the breath he didn't realize he was holding, clutching his chest and covering his mouth that had twisted into a wide grin.

He turns to his terrariums, feet tapping more than they were before you came.

#twisted wonderland #twst x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #riddle x reader #riddle rosehearts x reader #ruggie x reader #ruggie bucchi x reader #azul x reader #azul ashengrotto x reader #jade x reader #jade leech x reader #twst riddle #twst ruggie #twst jade #twst azul #twst fanfic #twisted wonderland fanfic #twst headcannons #twisted wonderland headcannons

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sky-scribbles · 2 months

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Playlist for my Aeor longfic

I failed to figure out how to do a fancy spotify embed like the kids do but uh. Here's the playlist for Gravity!

I listened to this while planning and writing, and there are even a few shout-outs to the songs in the fic... Songs are arranged chronologically, so you should be able to hear the story happening, hopefully :'D

Further yelling about song choices under the cut!

A Matter of Time - This one is... sort of the fic's opening titles in my head? I wanted to start out with an instrumental, to capture the vibes of the months before the fic opens - Essek and Caleb apart, thinking about the T-Dock, and each other. Wondering. Waiting.

Horse to Water - Essek in Chapter 1, knowing his life as the Shadowhand is ending, waiting for Caleb to come and take him away to whatever comes next. (I'm normally very picky about not putting songs that reference modern day stuff on fantasy playlists but this one's vibes were too perfect)

Dear Fellow Traveller - Two wizards heading into Aeor together.

Conquest of Spaces - A song for Aeor. A dark, beautiful city, the remains of a people who lived by greed and power. (And two wizards in the ruins, trying to draw closer to each other.)

Neptune - This is mostly for Essek's breakdown in chapter 5, as he worries he'll never break out of his Shadowhand manipulation, wanting to be closer to Caleb and not knowing what that would even look like. And it's a little for Caleb in chapter 6, too, grappling with his feelings for Essek and his fears that they'll ultimately be bad for each other.

Please Don't Say You Love Me - ... and as they move past those fears, this song is for them tentatively acknowledging what they might be to each other. Not yet. But maybe soon.

Woodwork - This is for the chapters 6-9 span, as they learn more about Brashaar's plan. The pressure of a crisis has an odd way of making them realise just how deep their trust and care for each other runs.

Two Evils - Since we're at the point where Brashaar shows up, she gets a song now! This is pretty much her internal monologue during her confrontation with the wizards (though she really should have paid attention to 'if you're not careful, you will lose her' in reference to Quaera...)

Winter - Travelling northward, and yearning. Wishing they had more time.

Mind - A song for a young Quaera, slowly forming a personality, wondering about who she is and how her identity forms...

The Tower - ... and having their own breakdown.

What Could Have Been - I love me a good villainous breakdown, and this is a song for Brashaar's. This is how I imagine she feels during the final confrontation, raging against the gods, against Caleb and Essek, against Quaera after they turn from her. Not quite able to let go of what she thinks Aeor could have been. What, in her eyes, the world is meant to be. (As a bonus, I think the second verse sounds a bit like a retort to her from Quaera...)

Everybody Wants to Rule the World - This is such a fun cinematic cover, and I can't tell you how many times I've imagined a mental AMV of the final battle with Brashaar set to it :'D

Ori, Embracing the Light - I wanted an instrumental here too, because... Essek is dead, Caleb is in shutdown, and Essek and Quaera are communing with the Luxon, a being that doesn't really speak with words. Also, 'embracing the light' is exactly what Quaera does at this point.

Would That I - I know we all use this as Caleb's 'learning to live and love again' song... and I am no exception. This is for him after the T-Dock, finally fully acknowledging his grief, and his love for Essek.

First Day of my Life - Just two wizards realising that they have a future, and agreeing to slowly work at what's between them.

Ready to Call This Love - This one speaks for itself, honestly.

Five - Both of the wizards in the final chapter, but especially Essek realising how isolated he's been from the world, and letting it all in so he can feel it. (Also, studying the universe is a love language - )

Gravity - Gravity is a metaphor for love!!!!

#please know that restricting myself to just four sleeping at last songs #is Enormous restraint for me #anyway uh have some songs and rambling #shadowgast #gravity and all that's born within #essek thelyss #caleb widogast #critical role

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bearr02 · 8 months

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All Shall Fear Him |Chapter One|

Pairing: Mafia!Yoongi x F!reader

Chapter warnings: kinda angsty (I think), Jin’s being sweet tho

Summary: Everyone has, and should, always feared Min Yoongi. They knew never to one, cross his path and two, make him mad. Oh if ever you made him mad, you better hope to god he’d make it easy on you. One man, however, didn’t understand the reason why this man, ‘the great Min Yoongi’ should be feared. That mistake, costs him his girlfriend, all he can do is hope it didn’t cost her life.

Genre: Angst, Mafia au, smut, eventual fluff…

W.C: 1.3k

A/n: I DID IT! Huzzah! Hope y’all like it, I don’t know how to feel abt it I’m just happy I got something out there. Jin’s honestly gonna be like momma bear or protecting older brother in this series. Gotta love it <3. Enjoy :D

Also, I recommend reading the teaser as its more like an intro to the story, of course if you don’t want to you don’t have to!

Credit to @cafekitsune for the dividers!

Next - Masterlist

You keep your eyes locked on the world passing by outside of the window, your hands interlocked on your lap to keep them from shaking as tears silently slide down your cheeks. You’ve been in the car for what feels like forever, the seconds feel like hours, the minutes like days as you nervously wait for your new life to begin.

By the time the car pulls up to a fancy, no doubt million dollar mansion, you feel reality truly set in, pursing your lips to hold in a sob.

Your door is opened, and barely a second later you’re pulled out roughly, tripping over your feet as you struggle to keep your balance.

You don’t have time to regain it before the man behind you forces you to move. “Jesus, be careful with her.” You hear someone speak, looking up to see a man coming out of the house with his brows furrowed. The man takes you from the last man’s arms, giving you a moment to get balanced on your feet again before he introduces himself.

“Hi. I’m sorry about him, my name’s Seokjin but you can call me Jin.” You nod, not trusting your voice at the moment. He offers you a smile before leading you to the doors to the giant mansion in front of you.

As soon as you enter, you feel your mouth drop open. The living room is huge, leading to a gigantic kitchen, with 2 hallways on each side and two grand staircases leading to another floor that overlooks the current floor you’re on. You know you shouldn’t be surprised, he’s a part of the mafia after all, there’s no doubt in your mind he makes easy millions, but this mansion is huge.

You don’t have much time to admire it any longer when the man, Jin, starts guiding you to one of the two staircases leading to the second floor.

You take one last look at the downstairs before Jin leads you down one of the hallways and into a room, closing the door behind the both of you. “I’m really sorry about this, the whole thing. It’ll probably be tough here for a while but even if we don’t really know each other, you can always reach out to me, yeah?” You nod, refusing to look at the man.

He sighs, putting on a small smile before leaving the room, closing and locking it behind him. You look around the room, it’s spacious, yet you still feel like you're being locked in a closet, the knowing of the door being locked gets to you more than you’re willing to admit.

Safe to say you feel trapped.

Absolutely, positively, fucking trapped.

You feel your bottom lip wobble as tears begin to cloud your vision. Falling to your knees on the floor before resting completely on the ground and curling in on yourself, muffling your sobs that seem to flow out freely.

—

You’re not sure how much time has passed, or when you finally managed to fall asleep, but when you wake up the sun is starting to set and you can hear voices moving closer and closer to the room.

You scramble to stand up, frantically searching the room for somewhere to hide, even if it won’t do much. You scramble to the closet when you can hear the voices clear as day, slowly closing the door behind you to ensure it won’t make noise.

You sit in the furthest corner of the decently big closet, making sure some clothes are shielding you from the door. You firmly press a hand over your mouth, tuning in on the conversation as best as you can.

Much to your luck, all you can hear is the mumbles of a few different voices, maybe 3.

You close your eyes when you hear the bedroom door being unlocked before the voices quiet down. “Where is she?” Yoongi speaks, sending a chill down your spine. “I locked her in here, she couldn’t have gotten out.” You hear Jin speak. “Then how the fuck is she gone?” Yoongi’s calm demeanor shakes you to the very core as tears begin to slip down your cheeks again.

“She’s probably hiding, Yoongi.” Jin says, taking you by surprise how calm and unaffected he sounds. “Then find her.” Yoongi says, then you hear multiple pairs of footsteps echo around the room.

You squeeze your eyes when you hear the closet door being opened, pressing your hand closer to your mouth to muffle a whimper that slipped past your lips. The man doesn’t seem to have noticed it, continuing to shuffle through the clothes.

You yelp when you’re pulled up, fighting against the man. “I found her!” He announces, dragging you back into the bedroom before throwing you on the floor. You whimper at the force, scrambling to sit up as your gaze shifts between the four men in the room.

“Fuck, Lee, be careful.” Jin growls, his concerned eyes resting on your figure. The man snorts, “I only take orders from Min, Kim.” Your eyes last land on Yoongi who’s sitting on the bed. He holds up his hand as he stares at the three other men present.

“You may all leave.” You suppress a shiver as you look down at Yoongi’s cold tone. You hear the footsteps of the three men move toward the door before it closes and silence envelops the space.

You scoot away when Yoongi stands up, snapping your head up, watching him with wide eyes as he moves closer. You stagger back when he takes a bigger step toward you, seemingly like he jumped, yet you don’t make it far when he leaps forward and grabs your hair, practically falling on top of you.

You yelp, fighting against him to no avail. He tugs harshly on your hair, pulling your head back for a moment and no doubt tugging out some strands making you whimper. “Fucking bitch.” He whispers under his breath, standing up and tugging you with him.

He drags you to the bed, throwing you on to it before getting on top of you. You push against him, smack him, and tug on him, to no avail.

The hold he has on your hair tightens before he lifts your head up slightly only to slam it back down on the bed harshly. “Will you just fucking stop?!” He yells making you sob, squeezing your eyes shut as you weakly push at him. He huffs before letting go of your hair, grabbing your wrists to pin them on the bed instead.

“Now, here’s how this will go, you will respect me, you will do as I say, and you will not try to escape. If you so much as even think about it, there will be consequences. Understand?” You shiver at his tone, a sob escaping your lips as you try to weakly tug your wrists out of his hold.

“I asked you a question.” You move your head to the side when he inches closer. “Answer me.” You whimper when the hold on your wrists tighten. “Y-yes..” you say weakly.

Yoongi finally lets go of your wrists but he doesn’t get off of you, you can feel the weight of his hands being pressed into the bed beside your waist. You risk taking a peak at him only to see his intense gaze still resting on you.

You whimper, pinching your eyes shut and turning your head to the side, curling in on yourself as much as you can under Yoongi. He’s silent for a few more seconds before he finally gets up.

You hear his footsteps echo around the room before you hear a door open, shut, and lock. Sealing you in the room, no doubt for the night if not longer.

You curl up fully, burying your face in your knees as you cry yourself to sleep.

Next - Masterlist

A/n: Okay to be fair, I’ve had this part done for like, a few weeks..but this chapter was supposed to be longer. I had almost 3k words on it when I hit a writers block with it (just like with sas), and like it’s been almost 2 months since I made that teaser so like I wanted to get sumn out there soon. I also have the first chapter of The mockingbirds song done so I’ll get that out there sometime soon if anyone is interested in it. Thank you for bearing with me with this one though! Love you all mwah!

#yoongi x reader #mafia!yoongi #mafia!yoongi x reader #BTS

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glystenangel · 1 year

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the dark of night & the light of day✨

ServiceDom&General!Gojo x PillowPrincess&Afab!Reader (Historical AU)

Series Summary: getou isn't the caring type, but he can be for you

Chapters: 1/3

Chapter Summary: getou is offered a gift by one of his soliders, and he takes it

Status: Completed

Tags/Warnings: 18+ MDNI, getou may be a bit ooc but idrc, getou telling you what to do all the time, GETOUS POV (for the fellow bis i luv u), not too lemony this chapter but next ones are s o u r, d/s, stockholm syndrome, master/servant kink, possessiveness & jealousy, getou being down bad w/o realizing or having any reason to be lmao

~1.4k

thanks for reading and enjoy<3

Ch. 1 - Hate & Sleeplessness

_________________

Getou despised you, or at least, he tried very hard to.

It was an exhaustive effort because as much as he truly wanted to, you needed him. So he couldn’t.

You had been scooped up by one of his henchmen from a small village they had been instructed to exterminate, and he had presented you to the unamused general as a presumed gift.

At first glance, he thought you were, for a lack of a better description, startlingly pretty. Your eyes were glossy with fear and uncertainty, cheeks stained with streaks of saline. The hue of your eyes, though diluted with the redness that only comes from crying, contained an intensity he had never seen before. Evidence of your sorrow did little to hide your masterfully crafted facial features and the enticing shape of your body underneath your dress. With such unique beauty, Getou could comprehend the reasoning behind your capture regardless of the fact that he didn’t condone it. This supposed present was completely unnecessary as a token of loyalty. Clearly the man was hoping to have you for himself after Getou would surely reject you. There was a rumor circulating amongst his forces that Getou was numb to emotions like lust or love, due to his lack of company and insistence upon solitude.

Frankly, he didn’t care what would happen to you, but he decided to accept the gift as a punitive measure for the soldier to simply follow his orders as told. That was all, nothing more. It had nothing to do with the terrified and imploring look on your face, or the way your bottom lip wobbled with obvious terror.

Not knowing what to do with you, Getou settled on assigning you as his personal maid.

In spite of your best efforts, every time you do something, you’re so inconceivably useless that he is forced to help you. When you burn your hand while cooking him lunch, he tsks and nudges you aside to save whatever concoction you started. When he sees you folding his clothes in the less than precise shapes he likes, he makes you sit down and does it himself as he irritably explains to you how it’s done.

As you live alongside the powerful commander, he becomes more and more annoyed by your inability to learn or successfully do any tasks given to you. The only thing you seem to have picked up is how to address him, by name or his title as your master.

He assumes you were some kind of nobility, based on the softness of your hands and lack of tolerance for any violence you witness his troops carrying out for missions or training.

So, he does his best to keep you out of the way. You would be of no use to him crying and fretting over military matters.

Still, he has half a mind to kill you whenever your seemingly innate uselessness reveals itself. But every time you applaud and make impressed comments of approval on how easily he does things, the murderous rage simmers down to a roll of his eyes and a reluctant hand off of the remaining chores. That is, if he has enough confidence that you can perform them yourself after watching him.

Of course, that paper thin confidence dissipates as soon as you begin to take over the task and he has to take it back.

Over the next few months, he hovers over you as you attempt to work, tapping on your wrist from behind as if he were trying to puppeteer your body into fulfilling the proper steps to duties like cleaning dishes or shaving his sideburns. The need to do everything for you becomes natural, and he can’t help but notice that your presence at his side isn’t as annoying as he thought it would be.

Once you start picking up on your responsibilities, all Getou has to do is make minute, disapproving shakes of his head to correct you. Sometimes, he can even leave you to your own devices.

Eventually when you familiarize yourself with the entire headquarters and the assistance he needs while commanding an army, he’s almost proud of you.

Day after day, he watches you take care of small tasks and errands. It becomes a regular sight.

Today when he finds you hanging laundry, your back is to him as you clip cloth to the taut curves of rope stretched across the eastern yard of his headquarters. Sheets of pristine, white cotton from the soldiers’ quarters surround you, and farther back he can see spotless uniforms being hung on rope closer to the walls enclosing his entire operation.

You’re humming to yourself, some old children’s song with a fleeting melody that he vaguely recognizes, stepping among the tall woven baskets at your feet and bundling more of their contents in your arms.

Getou crosses his arms over his wide chest, bracing a shoulder on one of the columns opening up the hall to the grassy, laundry covered field dotted with those small white flowers he never bothered to learn the names of because he sees them everywhere.

It’s a peaceful scene. Something he endures to savor because it might be the last one he gets.

Most days he regarded his position with little reverence, it was a job with high praise but little reward. Merely acting under the petty wishes of feudal lords more powerful than he could ever dream of being. Such was the life of a warrior.

It rarely saddens him anymore.

Aside from the day you were brought, he realizes you never once seemed upset by your circumstances. He’s unsure if that should make him grateful or unbearably sad.

That thought appears to announce his presence, as you turn to find his eyes on you. The eye contact makes you pause, and your hands cascade off of the laundry you were hanging. The wind blows at the fabric behind you, making it billow around your figure and having your own clothes be tousled by the wind. It’s gentle, moving over your hair and eyelashes like a child cautiously blowing on a dandelion. Astonishment never crosses your face, and he feels…something. Something? A stirring within him. How to define it beyond that escapes him at this particular moment.

No words are exchanged between you, only continued observation of each other.

He feels the breeze caress his face, and he wonders if it kisses him the same way it did you.

You then smile at him, a genuine, gracious smile, and for once he returns it.

Perhaps hatred was too harsh for someone like you.

_________________

Your laugh takes him off guard the first time he hears it. It’s lovely and warm, but he realizes you’re not alone when he also hears one of his lower ranking officers, Mahito. Mahito’s drawling voice is paired with your happy laughter, and he can almost see the stitched man’s simper and blue gray hair leaning close to you.

“I made you laugh!” Mahito proudly croons, and Getou takes pause in the section of hallway next to the kitchen door.

“You’re too funny, Mahito.” Traces of amusement remain in your voice, and he hears the audible sound of you playfully slapping Mahito’s arm.

The easy compliment you give Mahito boils Getou’s blood.

He doesn’t deserve it. It doesn’t make any sense.

Something had to be wrong with him. He owns every part of you, yet he hates that Mahito had gotten your smile and laugh, however brief.

Those are his. You, are his. He was your master after all. Your laughs, your tears, your every effort and breath were his.

The disrespect has him reeling, and he lets out an annoyed click of his tongue before sweeping his robes closer to his side and pacing back to his room. He convinces himself he does not need to hear anymore, and that it was illogical to expend any further headspace on it.

_________________

For the next few days, Getou can’t sleep.

He can hear your laugh whenever he tosses and turns in his bed.

It’s maddening. What had Mahito said to make you that amused?

He curses, sitting up in his futon and angrily tossing his pillow at the wall until it sinks and slumps in half against the floor.

For a moment he cups his chin, one of his fingers pressing into the divet between his lips as he tries to detangle each end of his thoughts from the other.

It’s brutally impossible.

“Just ask her.” He mumbles to himself.

For a moment he sits with the disgruntled suggestion, and then he stands to his feet. Inner conflict tenses his chest, but it doesn’t matter.

He has to know.

_________________

End Notes:

i have no excuse for what is coming but :)))))))))

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occasionallyprosie · 2 months

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A Thousand Ways

Chapter 12: "That Which Is Left Behind"

Legend makes a decision when it comes to his family's farm, and more specifically, his presence in the ruins.

First | <<Previous | Next>>

Read On AO3

----

Twilight held Legend close, feeling the younger hero tremble and shake, any cries he made were silent. He hadn't expected the veteran to run off the moment they arrived in a new era, especially without explanation, but he had and immediately they came up on a burning homestead.

Twilight had barely caught up and it was only out of a burst of fear and adrenaline that he was able to catch Legend before he ran into the building that was clearly about to collapse. The veteran had looked terrified in that moment, and Twilight had naively thought it was because he realized he had been about to enter a building that was going to collapse.

Then all that fear and pain in his eyes disappeared, he pulled away from him and then went to the crowd of townsfolk that had watched. They knew him, but he did little more than assure him that he would handle the situation but would need their help and extra hands. His Cub had been right in a way, it definitely appeared as if Legend was just doing the hero thing and trying to help out when they had a quest.

But then Legend had, without an ounce of emotion in his voice, claimed the homestead as his grandparents' and himself as next of kin.

Now Twilight had his arms full of a grieving hero who he wasn't sure had ever let himself grieve before.

The next morning, what had to be the entire town showed up. Legend took charge, and it seemed a bit weird to see but he was a natural at it. Villagers had brought wagons and carts and soon enough the debris of the burned home was cleared away, and there were a few things that came out somewhat unscathed, mostly just domestic items like a partly burnt chair or a stuffed animal.

From what Twilight could tell in the moment, Legend seemed rather unaffected, but from the night before and having the hero crying himself to sleep in his arms, he knew otherwise. He frankly hadn't noticed just how good Legend was at masking.

He talked with some farmers and one left with the cow, another with four of the five cuccoos. Legend was followed by the remaining one the whole day and the horse which was definitely another version of Epona stayed nearby.

They finished for the most part by that evening. Most of the debris was taken to be used for charcoal or whatever, the animals carted off, and Twilight rejoined the heroes to the side.

"He looks tired," Sky said, their veteran was walking through the last bit of the house that they hadn't quite finished clearing. "How could this happen?"

"Sometimes bad things happen," Warriors responded. "I'm more worried about what he'll do when this is over."

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked, glancing over to make sure the others were fine. Wild was cooking with Wind helping him, and Time and Four were sharing thoughts on whatever it was they decided was today's topic. Hyrule was with Wild and Wind, but distinctly only there and not participating.

"I mean," Warriors began, "that the vet is a kid. Experienced though he is, he's still a teenager and he's told us his uncle died during his first quest and now his grandparents are gone. Considering he was raised by his uncle, I'll take a guess and say parents are out of the picture. I also asked one of the villagers about how many bodies we should look for and they said only two. They also said that Leanne and Alphon only had two sons and a grandson, both sons are dead, leaving just our scholar."

Leanne and Alphon--Twilight's own birth parents shared those exact names. That was an interesting connection to note, but irrelevant for the time being.

"So he's all alone?" Sky frowned. "What about his Zelda?"

"A queen, and hero though he is, he's called himself an average nobody before. I'd doubt it if he could be close to her long term outside of romance," Warriors surmised. "He's said before he doesn't want to settle down, but..."

"I'm not deaf," Legend called over his shoulder and Twilight could see him holding a soot covered plush of what might've been a bunny. He walked toward them, stuffed animal tucked against him. "We'll head to Hyrule Castle in the morning. It's just about half a day's walk from here."

"What about the other animals?" Wild spoke up, frowning.

"You have Wolfie and the Rancher keeps his horse when she's around. Piyoko and Epona are staying with me."

Four frowned. "The horse I get, but a cucoo?"

"They both stay."

Twilight gestured for Four to back off, the smithy shrugged.

"Alright, how early of a start?"

"Dawn. I'd like to arrive at Castle Town as close to lunch as possible, guards are usually more inattentive about then. So, get some sleep--This place is safe, monsters don’t come near here. They're smart enough to know better than that."

Twilight wondered how many monsters had been slaughtered on the property line for those brainless creatures to steer clear.

Looking at how Legend stood, the darkening fire in his eyes, and he had a feeling it didn't matter how many, just who killed them.

Once it was finally dark and the heroes were settling, Legend mounted Epona. The mare had no tack, but he had extras back at his house. Piyoko settled in his lap.

Time noticed him mount the horse, most of the others had already fallen asleep.

"Where are you going?"

"The other side of the property." He didn't bother lying. "I'll be back well before twilight, but I need to get Epona some tack, a saddlebag and the like. Rancher's up, you can send Wolfie after me if I'm not back within a couple hours."

Time frowned. "He can go with you instead. I don't want anyone going off alone, especially you, vet."

He sighed. "Then send him. I'm leaving now. Let's go."

Without a tap, Epona took off and soon broke into a gallop. Wolfie could catch up.

Legend used his fire rod to keep their way lit, even if he and Epona knew the route by heart, he wasn't risking anything.

We're being chased! Piyoko cried.

Legend glanced back and saw piercing blue eyes only just setting off after them, not gaining on them and actually losing distance as Epona sped up.

"No, slow down a bit and let him catch up and keep pace," he told the mare. "He's a friend."

Friends with a wolf? New leaf for you, Epona commented but she slowed down a bit. Wolfie caught up soon enough and ran just beside them, Epona settling into a good speed.

Hi! What's your name, Link's wolf friend? Piyoko asked.

Legend snorted, Wolfie made no move to respond.

"He's a transformed person, Piyoko," he told her, Wolfie glanced up at him. "He can't understand you."

If Piyoko had lips she would've pouted. Aww!

Explains why Link's friends with him, Epona nickered.

Legend rolled his eyes but didn't deny nor argue. It was no new thing, his dislike of canines, foxes and coyotes were the closest he could handle. Wolfie's aura of dark magic bode the reminder that it wasn't just a wolf, it was Twilight, so he was fine with him... at least since he became aware of that fact.

They crossed the orchard in an hour and Epona came to a stop just outside his house. He slid off her and headed up toward the house. He plucked an apple from a tree and gave it to her, murmuring a soft thanks for pushing through and galloping for so long. Piyoko perched on his shoulder.

Wolfie padded after him. He went to the back shed first, grabbing the new tack he had been meaning to take over to the farm. Epona let him saddle her and situate the bags over her. It took a little while to do so, but soon enough he was leading her to the door and going inside.

Wolfie followed him in, before Legend could tell him to wait, Twilight stood in his doorway clearly startled.

Legend sighed. "Enchanted silver along the trimming forcibly deactivates transformation and illusion magic. I was about to warn you."

"That's... incredibly simple."

"The enchantment is actually extremely complex and nearly impossible to accomplish, I just happen to know a few witches, mages, and have a lot of magical stores myself." He turned back into the house. "There's a reason I've said not to touch anything here, a lot of this stuff is cursed--purposely or not. I leave most of it out because if anyone does break in, they'll take the cursed stuff that'll let me more easily track them down than the extremely powerful stuff."

He usually kept his more powerful items on him, and now he was going to keep it all on him.

"You have cursed items?"

"A lot of them. You thought I didn't?"

He found an extra expanded adventure pouch and began gathering items. He plucked the colorful mask off his wall and put it in one pouch, then the pale human-like faced one in a separate one. He took several books from the shelves.

He was aware of Twilight silently watching him, Piyoko was likely napping outside on Epona, so nobody was there to fill the silence and Legend relished in it.

It took him a couple hours, filling a half dozen pouches with items and putting them into a satchel that he pulled on. He also switched the richly made red top Dusk gave him for his blue mail, not yet wanting to return to the green he'd worn for... ages.

He debated putting on the green cap, but he was tired of green in all honesty so he left it with the rest of the clothes and moved on.

Before exiting the cold and freshly barren house, he reapplied the magic protecting it from intruders, just in case. There were a few things left, but nothing a determined person couldn't find on the black market or even a regular mage market.

"So," Twilight said as Legend went over and mounted Epona. "Why?"

Legend didn't meet his eyes, only looking at the cold and quiet house and then the surrounding orchard. Beyond the orchard was the burned down farm, but even with the orchard strong and the house behind him still standing, it was all filled with ghosts.

"Now there's nothing left for me here anymore."

Next>>

#linked universe #lu legend #linkeduniverse #legend lu #fanfic #lu warriors #lu sky #lu twilight #linked universe legend #linked universe fanfic #linked universe fanfiction #lu fanfiction #a thousand ways au #lu time #prosie writes #emotional whump #whump fic #light angst #fluff will come i swear

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fivie · 11 months

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oop, it's another little glimpse into Enjolras's baffling mind :D

next actual UMW chapter coming real soon, please snack on this for now if you so please ✌️

#under my wings you will find refuge

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thewriterowl · 1 month

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Chapter Nine: Something Called a Dream

Luke’s self-promised timeframe for his father is coming to an end and it does not seem like Anakin Skywalker is ready to break free from the grasp of Palpatine nor the Dark-side. Now fearing for his own safety, unable to trust his father, fourteen-year-old Luke does something thought to be impossible that changes the whole of the Force itself...a change that may become uncontrollable and more dangerous than originally believed.

Running into familiar, and unfamiliar, faces in the next step of his journey, Luke's own sanity is starting to fray as he questions every move he makes and realizes the depth of depravity the Empire will take to find him.

New Moonblight update! Time for some more Luke angst, Dinluke-stuff (Cause I have a problem with them), an intro to a new character, and Yoda being a gremlin!

Still have no idea if Moonblight is gonna be ended after a big time-jump or gonna be just a THICC fanfic. If i haven't decided in the next few chapters I may ask you guys the reader in some sort of poll or just to hear through reviews. Hopefully it will be figured out soon so I can give you guys a general idea of how many chapters this will be!

Other than that, hope you enjoy! :D please let me know what you think!

#star wars #the mandalorian #moonblight #dinluke #darth vader & luke skywalker #luke skywalker #din djarin

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serenefreakgeekao3 · 1 month

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Ever in our favour

CHAPTER EIGHT - FINALE

[Table Of Contents]

Summary: The final fight... Who survives this deadly ordeal? Warnings: canon-typical violence, descriptions of mutated creatures, descriptions of blood and injuries, minor character deaths, brief mention of familial abuse Author's Note: Well, this is it! The last update of this series, I can officially mark this one as completed! It's been a long time coming, and I took a long hiatus halfway through, but I'm so incredibly proud of myself for finishing this story, and how well it turned out! Let me know what you think, comments are my life's blood!

You were so excited! It must’ve been silly, or would’ve been if anyone else had known about it. But you didn’t mind being a little silly, a little love-struck, since you wouldn’t be feeling much of anything but fear here soon. So you welcomed it, and rubbed the little scrap of paper between your finger and thumb once again, feeling the easy glide of the shiny material. You weren’t sure how he managed to sneak a scrap, or even how he managed to write the words on there, but you weren’t complaining.

“Stairwell D has roof access…

Midnight?”

You had also noticed a small smudge at the end of the words like Peeta had written something before trying to erase it. Something small, almost like a drawing. When you stared at it before, in your room, you had imagined and hoped it was a tiny heart. You can understand wanting to wipe that away, just in case. In case someone found the paper, or perhaps he thought you didn’t return his feelings? Well, in your fantasy, he had feelings for you. In reality, it was a bit harder to tell.

You felt like you had eyes on you constantly. In the training areas, obviously, but also in the hallways and living areas, even your bedroom. It felt… invasive. Though you supposed, your death will be recorded as live entertainment soon. You would wonder where the line was, but you didn’t think there was one. Or, perhaps, it was on the roof access? You’d hoped, at least, that there’d be no cameras. That you could finally talk to each other, alone, unafraid of your words.

You were currently making your way there. Supposedly, you were sleeping back on floor 9, in your extravagant and unnecessarily wide bed. Instead, you had slipped out, quiet as a mouse as you stuck to the walls, searching for the correct stairwell. This probably would’ve gone better if you’d scouted it out, but the moment you had read the note you’d began to make your way out. You hadn’t felt safe taking it out any sooner, until after you’d retired to your room. It might still be an hour early, but you wouldn’t mind the wait.

You’d already checked the stairwell on the eastern side of the building, but it hadn’t been the right letter. You hoped you’d find it soon, as you really didn’t want to be caught out here. Luckily, as you turned the next corner, the large D sat above a door, the stairwell symbol next to the handle. You rushed quickly, hand skirting over the cold medal as you pushed your way in.

The stairwell was quiet. You’d thought the hallway was too, but there had been this slight buzzing sound before. Now it’s like everything in the world was still. You hesitated on your floor a moment longer, closing your eyes and basking in the stillness of it. This was what you missed from District Nine. The peace and quiet, the serenity of the waves of grain and- the loneliness of it all. You opened your eyes and could feel a smile playing on your lips. You were ready to see him.

You began to rush up the steps, around and around, counting the floors. Ten, Eleven, Twelve. You leaned over the railing and peaked upward, one more stairwell to go. You could see the moonlight shining through the windows above. You held back a giggle by biting your lip, readying yourself to run up those last few steps. The door opened behind you.

You gasped and spun around, picking your hands up in a defensive stance. Just as you turned around, you noticed her turning back around as well, as if she was looking behind her to make sure she wasn’t being watched as she pushed through the door. You lock eyes with one of the most popular tributes in this season. Katniss Everdeen.

You both startle, and hesitate. The door closes behind her and you’re once again shunted into that noiseless space, the sound of both of your breaths mixing in the air. You made to take a step back but almost tripped on the stair upward, grabbing the railing to keep yourself standing. You huff an awkward laugh, glancing up, then back to her. “Did he invite you too?”

She looks confused at first, her eyebrows pinching together and down. You hesitate for a moment, glancing up once more before back to her, then behind her. She shakes her head slowly, lowering her arms. “No,” She whispers, “No, what do you mean? Who invited…?” She trails off, unsure of her own words. You try a small smile, but it feels forced.

“Peeta. He invited me to the roof,” You point up toward the stairwell, toward where you were itching to go. He still might not be there, but the idea that he was or would be? “I thought for a second that he invited you too.”

“Peeta,” She begins, tilting her head, then looking up. “I saw him going this way, I just thought…” She trails off again as if all of the dots are finally connecting in her head. She meets your gaze, her piercing stare directly into you. “What is your deal anyway?”

“What?” You ask on instinct, flinching very slightly. You shake your head and attempt to force a smile once more. “What do you mean?”

“You keep hanging around Peeta,” She lifts a finger, pointing it loosely in your direction. “In- In the training rooms. After Caesar’s shows. Anytime I look for Peeta, you’re there too.” She takes a step forward toward you, “What do you want with Peeta?”

“What do I want-” You repeat her slowly as if trying to comprehend the question. Did she suspect you of playing him? Why did she even care, Peeta had said Katniss never pays him any mind? “I don’t want anything with him. I-” You stutter slowly, shrugging, “I mean, besides his time. If he was willing to spare any.”

“You’re trying to gain his trust, why? Are you going to betray him in the arena? Or use him until it’s time to cut him off?” She takes another step forward, dropping her arm and glaring at you. “Or did you plan to string him along to the final two, just to off him then?”

“No,” You try to argue, shaking your head quickly. “No, of course not.”

“There’s nothing else this could be,” Katniss argues, shaking her head as well, albeit slower. “You know what this is just as well as I do. We’re not just going in there to die. We’re going in there to kill each other.” She said those words harshly, each word enunciated with intent. You could feel them shake your core. “We’re not just sacrificing ourselves, we’re-” She huffs a laugh, though you doubt it was one of humour. “We’re being forced into submission by a Capitol that doesn’t care about family, or hope, or love.”

You flinched on the last word. You tried not to, but you flinched, and you knew Katniss had seen it. She widened her eyes, falling back a step. Your head shakes quickly, taking a step forward. “No, please, Katniss. You have to believe me. I know all of that. I know what we’re being thrown into, how hostile this entire thing is. But I-” Your voice cracks, and you can feel tears springing to your eyes. “I don’t care how this game plays out, I could never hurt Peeta. So, you don’t need to worry about me.” You shrugged your shoulders, the disparity weighing on them. “If you’re worried about Peeta, just know I’ll give my life to make sure he wins.”

She breathes heavier, and emotions- fear, disbelief, anger- flicker through her eyes in rapid succession. You’re surprised she’s so easy to read, how was she surviving here in the Capitol? She raises her finger again, taking a hard step forward to poke you in the chest. “Leave Peeta alone. Run from him in the arena. Stay. Away. From him.” She backs up until her back hits the door.

“I won’t hurt him,” You whisper, tears coming to your eyes. Nothing she could say would deter you, of course. You were still going up those stairs, still going to see him, still going to meet up with him in the arena and protect him with everything you had.

“Don’t you see?” Katniss whispers, snarling at you, her own tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. “This. Doing this, giving him this hope. That is what will hurt him. Seeing you die. Don’t you get it?” She’s shaking her head as she pushes open the door, wandering back to her own floor and leaving you with the buzzing and the silence and the tears, slowly dripping down your face.

The talking ends as Marvel hoists his spear above his head, horizontally. He was rearing back, ready to throw, as Katniss let loose her arrow. It hits his elbow, causing him to drop his spear and rear back in pain. All three of you began running, Peeta just ahead of you to your left and Katniss off to the right side. Glimmer was rushing toward Katniss, Marvel nearby but distracted. You and Peeta sprinted toward Cato and Clove, both of whom had a manic but pleased smirk on their face. Peeta was rushing to drop a backpack strap, trying to hoist it around himself, and just managed to raise it in front of his head as Clove threw the first of her daggers. Cato swings his sword in a circle, then arcs it down right as he expects Peeta to be in range.

Clove grabs another dagger, her eyes on Peeta. He was dodging around Cato’s sword swings, trying to somehow be more agile than he normally was. You’d already seen a slice bleeding on his arm, the backpack sliced open and dropping its contents. An arrow whizzes by, and you draw in a deep breath, watching Clove raise another hand. You raise your own- this knife was useless, too flimsy, too close range- and throw it with all of your might. The knife spins in the air and the aim is off and wobbly. It won’t hit her, but it doesn’t need to. She doesn’t throw the knife she had aimed, jumping back away from your throw uselessly.

She looks up to you, growling into the air. She begins to charge, tackling you to the ground. You both struggle, but she has knives hooked in her hands, short and hardly painful cuts appearing on your skin everywhere you look. You heave, then heave again and you flash back to pushing Thresh’s body off of you before he died fully, and Clove was suddenly thrown from atop you, onto her side and crying out. You stumbled, throwing yourself on top of her and grabbing one of her hands with both of your own, shaking and yanking downward. She drops one knife as she stabs you in the back with another, and you cry out but reach forward, finally grasping hold of a capable weapon just before being slung off of the teen girl.

You roll, then look directly up to Cato, dodging your head to the side just as a sword buries into the ground above your shoulder. Cato’s body is tackled away, the blurry form of Peeta wrestling him to the ground as Clove stands behind where they just were, readying to tackle you. You throw your boots out, kicking her in the stomach during her dive and redirecting her to the side. You scramble quickly after that, trying to get your own feet under you. You tuck the dagger into a pocket and take hold of the sword’s hilt, yanking it out and feeling the heft. It was heavy, and you had to wield it with two hands just to swing it properly. Clove, standing, cackles at you.

“You really think you could wield that? You?” She rushes and you swing wildly. Despite Clove’s taunting, a sword is still a sword. Your swing is wobbly, but the sword is faced in the right direction, and it cleaves into Clove’s arm without issue. You wince from pain as your back pulls, the fresh wound made apparent, watching Clove stumble back in shock. She presses a hand to her arm, pulling it back to widen her eyes at the sight of her blood. She looks up at you, startled, then throws a dagger. It hits your shoulder- she must’ve thrown in a panic- and you gasp in pain, dropping the sword to the ground.

You reach a hand up to your shoulder, grasping the knife as you watch Clove turn tail and begin running. Glimmer was on the ground, motionless, with Katniss kneeling in the dirt and aiming an arrow at Marvel. He was favouring his injured arm, but he still swung his spear around in arcs, trying to hit Katniss. She rolled back once, then twice, and you see Clove still running, and getting away, and Peeta is calling out in pain and there’s no time.

“Katniss!” You yell for her, and she turns to look at you just as Marvel stumbles and falls to the ground, an arrow sticking out from his thigh. You point, yelling, “Clove!” You both turn at the same time as the dark-haired, pinched-faced teen girl grabs ahold of- of Rue! She spins her around and holds a knife to her throat and-

Katniss looses her arrow, straight through the middle of Clove’s chest. She falls backwards, and Rue immediately takes off running once she feels the girl’s grip fall from her. Rue is crying, it seems, tears streaming down her face. Katniss is held down by Marvel, struggling, and Peeta- ‘Where’s Peeta?’

You’re tackled to the ground, a familiar sword gleaming brightly right against your throat. “I know I said I’d save you for last,” Cato grabs your head with his other hand, lifting and smacking it down quickly. Your vision turns blurry as you try to orient yourself. “But I always relished the idea of your death. I told them you were mine, you know?”

You haven’t stopped struggling once, but you were no match in strength. You threw your head, regardless of the threat above you, rapidly side to side. You couldn’t see him, you couldn’t see Peeta. Cato sat up straight, taking the sword vertically, placing the very tip against your throat. You swallow and feel the blade cut just lightly with how close it is to you. You finally look up once more, raising your hands to try to push Cato’s hands back but it’s useless, and you’re stuck once again and how do these people keep pinning you down?

As Peeta- because of course it is, who else would it be?- tackles Cato off of your chest, you flash back to every single time he’s done that already. In the very beginning, when you woke up. At the river, after you saved his life. His attempt with Thresh.

You shoot up and scramble to your feet, watching as Peeta ruthlessly picks up the discarded sword, lifts it above his head, and brings it down. You watch as it slices clean across his throat- Cato, killed by his own weapon. Rue tackles into you, and it forces you a step back, but barely. You hold her to yourself, looking around quickly. Peeta, standing and dropping a bloodied sword. Rue, panting with fear and exhaustion against you.

Katniss, heaving with breath and with blood pouring from her nose, raises her bow and notches her final arrow, immediately turning to set it on you. Marvel was lying to her side, likely dead as well now. You feel a flashback from earlier in the day quickly cross your mind, though the rest of your thoughts pool to, ‘This is it, finally. I guess that’s okay. At least I know Peeta is safe…’

You’ve never seen him move so fast in your life. He dives in front of you, stumbling in his effort to stop his forward momentum. He turns to face her directly, falling backwards into you. You catch him, of course you catch him, and hold onto his back as he reaches back to hold onto you as well, one of his hands pressing against Rue’s fluff of hair. His voice is rough with exertion as he yells out, “No!”

“You-” She lowers her bow slightly, the arrow still pulled taut. “They betrayed us!”

“No, they didn’t!” He yells back, shaking his head furiously.

“You heard what Cato said!”

“He’s lying!”

“Well, we can’t ask them, can we? They’d just lie.” She raises her bow again, placing the string against her mouth.

“They don’t remember!” He calls out, his voice wrecked. You tighten your hold on Peeta, ready to shove him to the side at a moment’s notice.

“They-” Katniss lowers her bow again, looking at him with a mixture of shock and disbelief. “So what? You’re running on blind faith? On hope?”

“What else is there?” Peeta screams, taking a step forward and breaking the hold between the two of you. “If we don’t have hope, then what do we have? Nothing!”

The barking gets louder suddenly, out of nowhere, and all three of you turn to see the mutated mutts. Where once they clawed at an invisible barrier- that barrier seems to have disappeared. They were running, fast and agile and straight for all of you. The four of you turn immediately, beginning an all-out sprint, similar to earlier. You knew you could outrun them, you just had to use all of your stamina to do so. Rue begins to fall behind, limping pitifully, and you watch as Peeta takes in a deep breath and runs back, reaching down and scooping up one arm of Rue, hoisting her up. You manage to steel yourself in place until they can catch up, scooping up her other arm and resuming your sprint with them in tow.

You didn’t realise where you were running at first, just following along. But the cornucopia shines brightly in the sun, glimmering and almost blinding you as you run directly for it. You all practically slam against it, and you and Peeta work at throwing Rue as far up as you can, holding her feet as she scrambles to the top. Peeta, once no longer able to reach her, turns quickly to look behind you with panic. He laces his hands and yells, “Jump!” You have no time to react, just using his hands as a step, he hoists you up as well. You scramble, slip, and as much as Rue tries to help she really has no strength behind it.

The moment you’re secure in the fact that you won’t fall, you immediately spin around and reach a hand down. Peeta takes a running leap and takes hold of you, and you try to pull him as his feet catch on the slippery gold- streaked with blood. You grunt, watching the dogs race up and begin lunging, clawing, trying with all of their mutated power to reach him. He cries out as a few claws catch his shins, then throws his other hand out. Katniss is next to you, you don’t know when she got there but she did, and she took hold of his other hand with both of hers. With your combined power, you managed to pull him up.

You breathe.

You finally breathe, and the mutts are scrambling at the bottom of the cornucopia but there’s nothing they can do, they can’t get up here. Rue is panting and crying and burying her face into Peeta’s jacket. He pets her hair as he stares directly at you, and you let your eyes roam to the last person. Katniss, now standing, stares down at the mutts. She still has one arrow left, the one that had just been aimed at you. You all left the weapons behind, just a dagger in your pocket- one buried in your shoulder, still- that would be no help against these dog-like mutations. Katniss seems to come to the same conclusion, her eyes roaming the writhing mass of bodies beneath you.

You push yourself up enough to lean on your elbows, watching Rue finally stop crying and take deep breaths, peaking her head out to look between everyone. Even Peeta finally tears his gaze from you, raising it to the standing Katniss. She looks to the sky, her face void of emotion, then raises three fingers to her lips. She kisses them, then raises the salute into the air. You didn’t know what it was, or what it meant, but it seemed symbolic.

The next thing you know, she’s notching her final arrow once more- your own hand shoots to the dagger in your pocket. It may not be of any aid against those mutations, but you’d fight her to the death. You would kill her if it came to it. However, she doesn’t aim it toward you. She lifts the bow, aiming the bolt directly for the sun. She looses the arrow and you all watch as it soars through the air, upward. More, and more, until it’s just a blur, until it's a speck and you can’t see it anymore. And then the world pulses.

Not exactly the world, mind, but the sky definitely. From wherever that arrow was, you assume, it’s like a pulse-wave shoots outward. Once, but then again. As it pulses a third time, there are more waves, and once more before it stops looking like waves altogether. The sun blinks and flickers, and the middle of the sky seems to be caving in. The sky was falling, down around the four of you, large metal pieces and chunks that could kill you if it landed atop you. But they fall and fall and suddenly a different sort of light is pouring in through the holes. You weren’t sure how you believed the faulty imitation to be the real sun before when you see it now.

A shadow falls across your group as everyone begins to stand, and you feel a large hand slot into yours as Peeta takes hold of you with a firm grip. You look at him, unsure what is happening. This was the end, for sure. If this was the Capitol, you were all dead. But who else would it be? Some mystical saviour here to stop the Hunger Games once and for all? You remember joking about that with Peeta before, but the possibility was close to zero.

You hear the beats of what could only be helicopter blades, right as you hear harsh metal screeching fill the air. The mutts were being scared off, running and yipping back into the forest. But their absence reveals the source of the screeching; large metal pipes rising into the arena, evenly placed through the entire grounds as far as the eye could see. You watch as they begin to release a green-coloured gas into the air.

You turn quickly toward Peeta, the hand holding Peeta’s hand lifts and rests atop Rue’s head, your other hand reaching out for his cheek. This was it, whatever happens. You duck forward and kiss Peeta as if it’s your last. He pulls you in by the waist with his spare hand, and the last thing you feel before the blackness takes over is Peeta’s lips on yours.

You wipe the tears away as you take the final steps up the stairs, looking out of the small window on the door. You could see him. Peeta was sitting on the edge of the roof, looking over the side with a small smile on his face. Was Katniss right? Were you just hurting Peeta by loving him?

You pull the door open and step outside, the crunch of your feet on the gravel underfoot drawing Peeta’s attention to you. He sits up straight, smiling brightly over. “It’s early. I guess we both had the same idea?”

“I couldn’t wait,” You admit quietly, smiling shyly. You continue your approach, moving to sit across from him on the wall. “Although, I did run into somebody in the halls.” The shock and worry on Peeta’s face were reassuring as he sat forward quickly, easily taking your hands into his own. You weren’t expecting such quick affection, after trying to keep yourselves distant in the training halls.

“What happened? Did you get in trouble?”

“Oh, no,” You tried to reassure, forcing a smile and idly rubbing his hands with your thumbs. “Nothing like that. I saw Katniss.” His face fell from worry to confusion, tilting his head slightly to the side like a puppy. He really was adorable. The lights from the Capitol lit up his hair in an array of colours, and his eyes were just that right shade of blue that reminded you of home. You didn’t stand a chance when it came to him.

“Katniss? What was she doing?”

“Following you, I think,” You whisper, biting your lip hesitantly. You look away, out toward the cityscape around you. You hadn’t taken in the sight since you arrived on the roof, too taken with the image of Peeta. The city was colourful and grand, and you could see yourself thinking it was beautiful if it didn’t run on the lives of children. “She threatened me though.” You felt his hands tighten around yours, tugging gently. You assumed he was trying to get you to look at him, but you kept your head turned.

“What?”

“She told me to stay away from you.” You could feel the tears welling in your eyes, and you sniff as you turn back to face him finally. From the look on his face, he could see the wetness reflected in your eyes. “At first she thought I was out to get you. And then, she said that just being with you like this, or meeting up in the arena, was just going to end up bad for you. That it’ll hurt you more than just me avoiding you.”

“That’s not true,” Peeta is quick to reassure, scooting closer and raising a hand to place on your cheek. “I know we haven’t had the proper time to talk yet, without everyone listening and watching. That’s why I asked you here, anyway. But I don’t think I could go into that arena without you. I don’t know if I could’ve made it this far without your humour and encouragement.”

“You don’t mean that Peeta,” You sigh out, letting the self-doubt take control. “We hardly know each other, and like you said, we’ve barely been able to actually speak our minds.”

“Well here’s my mind then,” Peeta whispers, leaning closer. “I didn’t know someone like you existed. Someone so sweet and hilarious, that you’d practice setting traps and accidentally spring one and still apologize. We laughed and you apologized still- even though we’re supposed to be doing this for real here soon. Even though he had been screaming and threatening you the entire time.” You chuckled lightly at the memory of Marvel being hoisted into the air, his face red with anger and blood. “You saw me picking the wrong herbs and berries, and instead of letting me off and rightly assuming I’d die in the arena to poison, you came over and taught me instead. I was enamoured with you from that point on.”

“I was sooner than that,” You admit quietly, a small smile playing on your lips. “You weren’t dressed as coal miners before the chariots went off. We locked eyes-”

“I remember that,” Peeta whispers quickly, his smile widening as he scoots even closer. Your knees were touching and his hand that had been resting on your cheek was now set on your hip. “I’d say I noticed you then, but all I really noticed was a long stalk of grain.” You bark out a surprised laugh, nodding.

“Our costumes are never very good.”

“I liked the wheat crown though.” He leans forward, and you see the sky in his eyes once more. “I liked yours better though. The one you wore when they called your name.” Your mind immediately flashes back to that day, wearing that itchy outfit and bashfully pulling the dead crown of stalks off of your head. Everyone keeps mentioning it like it’s so important.

“I learned to weave them from old friends back in Nine.”

“All I learned back in Twelve was how to bake bread and how to take a beating.” You look up quickly, eyes filled with worry and affection. You open your mouth to speak, but he shakes his head. “No, don’t. It’s fine. It only happened when I did something that we couldn’t afford, like give out bread to the hungry and dying.” You blow out the air from your mouth, pursing your lips.

“Things really are pretty tough in District Twelve, aren’t they?” Peeta only nods blandly, staring into your eyes. You continue, lowering your voice further. “But I guess it doesn’t matter then, does it?”

“Not for me anymore,” Peeta agrees, his head just barely nodding that you don’t think he even noticed. He sighs, a pained expression crossing his face. “Y/N… I don’t think we’re going to survive the games.”

“I don’t think so either,” You begin, but leave out the part that you’d sacrifice yourself for him in a heartbeat if it meant he survived. You had a feeling he felt the same.

“I don’t want them to change me.” You pull on Peeta’s hands as he whispers this, watching tears begin to fill his eyes. “I don’t want them to make me into something I’m not.”

“They won’t,” You try to reassure, adamant about it.

“You don’t know that-”

“I know that we can watch each other. Make sure neither of us changes.” You watch Peeta bite his lip, and you raise one of your hands to wipe the tears that begin to spill from his eyes. “We can die together, with love and hope in our hearts.” Peeta nods slightly, then coughs out a laugh. You tilt your head, wondering why.

“What if we survive, though? What if we’re the final two?” You blink a few times, watching the trepidation in his eyes.

“I think we both know-”

“You aren’t dying.”

“Neither are you.” You sigh, smiling softly. “As I was saying, I think we both know that neither of us are willing to kill each other. So I guess, whatever the game makers have in store.” You shrug, taking both of his hands in a firm grasp. “If we refuse to kill, they’ll send something out to kill us anyway.” Peeta looks shocked momentarily, as if this thought had never occurred to him. He thinks it over, then steels his expression with a smirk.

“We don’t need to go in there and just lay over and die, though.” You watch his resolution, his absolute faith in you. It fills you with inspiration. “We go in there and we try our damndest. If we watch each other’s back- actually, legitimately watch over each other and not just turn on each other later like the Careers or any other alliance- then I think we have a chance.” Your smile grows, and you can’t help yourself.

“Who knows? If we play up the romance enough, maybe they’ll let us both win.”

You were being pushed and prodded, forced toward the halls and through the doors that’ll eventually lead to you in the arena. You weren’t ready- of course, you didn’t think anyone was, but you haven’t seen Peeta since the training area. You hadn’t had the chance to say goodbye, to say you’ll meet up, to say-

You shook your head, dispelling the thought that he’d die immediately from your head. You’ll meet up. You’ll be on those platforms, and look around for him, and you’ll run together. You have to trust it, believe in it. You have to hope.

“Y/N!” You turn quickly, still being pushed toward a door opposite the sound of the voice. You were in a rather large room with a multitude of doors, about a quarter of the tributes being transferred to their positions. Peeta was being pushed toward his own door at the end of the hall, and he pulled his shoulder free from the soldier. They grab him again, but he yanks harder and begins to run toward you. You suck in a breath, not having to pull anyone’s hands off of you as you’d been listening before now, and take off running to meet him.

You crash together in the middle, Peeta wrapping his arms around your torso and holding you close. You could see his soldiers coming for him over his shoulder and were sure he was seeing the same of your own.

“What did Cato say?” Peeta’s voice was low and fast, and he raised one hand to place it on your cheek. You wrap your arms around him, pulling him in close for a hug so you can whisper into his ear.

“He wants Katniss. He hoped my alliance with you would extend to her, said to bring her to the cornucopia and he wouldn’t hurt me. I told him I’d do nothing without-” The soldiers were pulling, tugging on you both, but you held fast. “Without you too. He doesn’t believe that I care about you, just laughed.”

You both are pulled back enough that you can look into each other’s eyes, Peeta’s own calculating. You don’t hear him say anything in response to it, but you were sure you’d hear of it in the arena. You knew he wasn’t mad, but you could also tell he didn’t trust Cato. You didn’t either. There was an understanding between you, on this at least.

“I’ll see you in there-” He begins, before being cut off by the soldier’s shouts.

“Let’s go! Move it!”

“Meet me-!” You begin before you’re yanked roughly. You cry out as your shoulder flares in an abrupt but quick pain, and you watch Peeta’s eyes flash in anger. He gets away from his soldier just enough to push yours away from you, yelling out in anger. Two sets of hands find themselves on Peeta now, pulling his arms back and restraining him. You rush forward.

You didn’t know what you were doing until it happened. You placed both hands on his cheeks and leaned in, pressing your lips to his. They were soft and lovely and he moved his head as far forward as he could to kiss you back. Your first kiss- ever, not just with Peeta- and it was mind-blowing, amazing in a way you couldn’t describe. You tried to inch closer, push into the kiss more, before you were forcibly yanked back away from him.

“Peeta!” You call out, watching him kick and struggle as he’s dragged away by three soldiers, out through his door. The moment it closed behind him, you’d stopped struggling. The soldiers dragged you toward your own door, then through it to your own demise.

You gasp awake, the sterile smell of alcohol and disinfectants assaulting your senses. You’re surrounded by white- white bedsheets, white curtains surrounding your bed, white walls, white curved ceiling. Beeps and jingles fill the room at various points- one harsh beeping right next to your ear- but you can hear no voices or sounds of danger. Obviously, this looked like some kind of med bay. But why would you be in a med bay? Was this some new sick twist to the games?

One of your curtains is pulled open harshly, and a tall lady with her blonde hair pulled into a tight bun gasps loudly in surprise. Her eyes widen as she looks you in the eyes before quickly swiping the curtain back closed with a loud metal ‘zing!’ You open your mouth to call out to her, to ask where you are, but you can’t get your voice to work.

You begin to panic, pushing harder and it hurts, until finally you hear a raspy breath and the slight sound of your voice through your panic. Memories flash backwards through time until you can clearly see Thresh atop you, holding you down by the neck. Your neck must’ve gotten worse after you fell unconscious. You try your best to sit up, pain shooting through your shoulder and up your back. As the bedsheet falls, you see your chest wrapped up in those very spots- no blood showing, but as tight as can be. You feel something crinkle on your neck and reach up, gently feeling some soft cloth laid across your neck. You could tell there was ointment there, the cloth just there to keep it covered.

You gently lean back against your pillows, looking down at the tubes running into your arm and electrodes placed in various places of your body. You glance at the machine next to you, the loud beeping one, and try to study the different graphs, lines, and bars. You couldn’t make sense of any of it.

Zing, the curtain slides again, and you look up quickly. There’s another man there, one you don’t recognize with blond hair that falls to his shoulders, and an older complexion with grey, unsettling eyes. He wore rugged clothes, with a beanie pulled over his hair, that gave him an air of unprofessionalism- he couldn’t be the doctor here. He stares at you hard for a moment before stepping in, closing the curtain behind him and finally taking an unsolicited seat on your bed beside your legs.

You open your mouth to speak again but think better of it and close it once more. You hear the man chuckle, crossing his arms. You begin to look around frantically, looking for anything that might indicate what you’re wanting to say. You pat the bed, reach to the bedside and slide open all of the drawers, and just as you’re beginning to check under the pillows, the man reaches a hand out and tries to calm you down.

“Okay, okay. Okay!” He takes both hands and forcefully sets them down in your lap. He gives you a hard look, patting your hands before leaning back again. He’s quiet for another moment, and it is getting to the point that you’re about to start looking for a pen and paper once more when he finally speaks up again. “I assume you want to ask after Peeta.”

Your eyes widen, nodding quickly and without thinking, wincing from the pain in your neck. You lean forward, eager to hear. “He’s fine. He’s asleep- well, unconscious right now.” You tilt your head and can feel your face expressing your worry. “That green gas that was emitted at the end of the games was a knock-out gas, the Capitol was trying to keep us from saving you. Honestly, it just helped our escape, we were able to scoop all of you up without a fight.

“Peeta was the first to wake up from the gas, while we were getting everyone situated in their beds at the medbay. He was struggling like no other, trying to find his way to you. Shouting your name over and over, calling us all Capitol pigs- he wouldn’t listen, no matter what they said.” He hesitates, looking you over before adding on, “We’re not the Capitol by the way.” You furrow your brow, wanting to ask what this was- what they were- but he continues on anyway. “They had to pull me from the war council to come in and calm him down.” Your face furrows even more, falling backwards against your pillow with another wince. ‘Why would this man calm Peeta down…?’

“He saw me-” His eyes had been roaming, as well as his hands, while he spoke, but he gives you a side-eye now. “Oh, right. Haymitch, by the way. The only District Twelve victor.” He holds his hand out to shake, but you take too long as he withdraws it back anyway. “Peeta saw me and calmed down enough for me to tell him that you’re all safe. You all are, by the way. We made it in time to save all four of you. Katniss was our main target, but we’d been watching the games. She wouldn’t leave without Peeta, and Peeta wouldn’t leave without you.” He shrugs, and you take a deep breath. ‘Of course, this is about Katniss. Who else would this be about.’ “Rue is also safe. Everyone was glad of that, of course. We had a chance to save one of the youngest kids to go into the arena, and we took it.” He blows out a breath, and you begin to wonder if this strength was a facade, as you see a small crack in it when he speaks of Rue.

“Anyway, he kept struggling, even against me. ‘Kept saying he needed to see you, to see you were safe and unharmed and make sure-” He stops, sighing heavily. “They injected him with something to knock him out while they dressed his wounds, but he’s fine.” He studies your tense posture, coming to some kind of conclusion in his head. “I’ll let you see him. Here-” He reaches forward, ready to begin pulling the tube from your arm as the curtain swings open once more.

“Haymitch-” The voice is startled, but falls quickly to stern, “You’re not supposed to be here.”

“Someone had to reassure this one. You saw how Peeta got.” You make a noise, mostly like a whine, but both sets of eyes turn toward you. The new person was wearing a long white coat like a doctor- you assumed that’s what they were. You nod quickly, turning back to Haymitch with wide eyes. He turns to the doctor with a smirk. “They want to see him.”

“Well, they can’t get out of bed. They’re injured, they need-”

“What they need,” Haymitch growls out, pulling the tube from your arm as you wince, and you watch his face as he begins to pull the electrodes from the different places on your body, “Is to see the man they spent close to a week protecting and healing and defending.” Haymitch glares over his shoulder, but his face falls to a kindness you hadn’t thought you’d see from him when he looks back at you. “You’ve already wrapped them up, and the rest are superficial injuries. Let them go see their friends.”

The moment all the wires were taken off, you swung your feet to the side and began to stand. You feel slightly wobbly, so you go slow, not wanting to give the doctor any other reason to argue. You can already hear whispered complaints from the doctor to Haymitch, but you ignore them both in favour of pushing the curtains aside. The room was small, filled with similar cubicles of white. You limp over to the closest, gently pulling the curtain back to peak inside. You recognize her instantly from the bushy hair lying across the pillows- a sleeping and peaceful-looking Rue lays in this bed. She was so small that the bed dwarfed her in comparison, but seeing her alive and well was enough to make your knees weak. You walk inside just enough to press a kiss to her forehead before backing out once more.

You glance over, seeing Haymitch’s stare on you as you move across the room slowly. You glance between the left and right cubicles, turning to glance at Haymitch once more. He says something to the doctor without looking at them but nods his head to the left subtly. You take this and run with it, approaching the curtains on the left. Gently, you pull back to peek.

You couldn’t explain the feeling of relief that hit you when you saw Peeta’s face lying gently on the bed. His hair just slightly fanned out around him like a blond halo, his eyes peacefully pressed closed without pressure. He looked soft, approachable- he looked like you needed to defend him, in all honesty, but you were just hoping that Haymitch’s presence meant you wouldn’t have the need to. You walk in, pulling the curtain closed behind you as quietly as you can. Similar to Haymitch earlier, you walk forward and take a seat by his legs.

You’re hesitant at first, but slowly you build up the courage to reach forward and slot one hand in Peeta’s closest one. He doesn’t flinch, but you feel the pressure of his hand grow tighter on yours, like unconsciously he wanted to hold your hand back. You realize you’re staring, but you can’t bring yourself not to. You survived, you both did, after being so sure that neither of you would. It’s a miracle, honestly, and you didn’t want to risk taking your eyes off of him for even a moment.

You’re unsure how much time has passed before Peeta’s face begins to scrunch up. You tilt your head, leaning closer and reaching slowly out to place your hand on his cheek. Before you make it, his head begins to toss and turn back and forth, and little grumbles fall from his mouth. He slowly gets more and more violent with his tossing, and you finally realize he’s having a nightmare. You reach forward, placing your hand on his cheek to stabilise him and open your mouth to speak kind words when nothing would come out. Frustrated, you take your other hand from his and place it on his other cheek, holding him still.

His eyes burst open and his hands reach up, scrambling to pull you off of him before finally meeting your eyes and slowly relaxing. “Y/N?” He asks gently, eyes wide with fear and hope. You nod, smiling, and lean forward to place a gentle peck against his lips. As you pull away he chases, and you giggle softly before wincing from the pain of it. His eyes flicker down to the wrapping on your neck, then back up to your face. He’s holding both of your wrists with his hands, holding them against his cheeks. He leans into one of your hands, gently rubbing his cheek against it. “Don’t try to talk, I don’t want you to hurt on my account.”

You just shake your head fondly in response, rubbing your thumb across his cheek. His smile grows, and he begins to match your look of disbelief. “We made it, Y/N.” You nod, leaning forward, and he laughs out in relief. “Holy shit, Y/N, we made it. We’re both alive. We’re out!” He finally releases his hold on you to grab your face, dragging you closer. Your foreheads press together, matching smiles of relief and contentment between the two of you. “We made it out together.”

This was it. The hope you’d held wasn’t all for nothing. You were finally here, in each other’s hands, alive and breathing and- well, injured, but alive. You were saved from the Capitol by someone, or something. You wouldn’t be forced back into the arena, you wouldn’t be paraded in front of the Capitol and Districts as ‘Victors,’ you wouldn’t have to face the inevitability of your death at the hands of the one you loved.

Of course, the world wasn’t perfect. You were sure the Capitol would never stop hunting you down. You were sure you’d never see your family again if they even survived after your escape. You’d never be able to go back home, show Peeta the rich blue of the skies that mirrors his eyes, or visit his District. And- your mind hesitates and repeats the arena, over and over, like a flipbook. You still made a promise to yourself that you’d kill Katniss. Would you still have to, now that you’re out of the arena? If they had only wanted Katniss, but Katniss wanted Peeta- obviously she didn’t want you to come along. Would these people relent and get rid of you if she said so?

Peeta rubbed your cheeks, and your eyes reopened- you couldn’t remember when they had fallen shut. His smile is gentle as he whispers, “You back with me?” You nod gently, not wanting to displace his hands. He sighs in relief, reaching forward to gently peck your lips. “There’s nothing and no one that’ll keep us apart, now.” He pulls you in for a deeper kiss, and you let yourself fall into it. You climb fully on the bed, unwilling to part from him and wanting the comfort that only he could provide.

He was right, of course. But hearing his voice, so soft and gentle and sure, made that tingling and anxious feeling in your chest finally settle. His voice is as soft as you’d ever heard it as he whispers, “We’re finally safe now.”

#peeta mellark x reader #peeta mellark x you #peeta mellark #gender neutral reader #tribute reader #the hunger games #fanfiction #also posted on archive of our own #ever in our favour #in the arena #fighting scene #finale #violence #descriptions of blood #descriptions of injuries

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1uckygold · 1 year

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Changing One's Tune (15)

Summary: Hybrids have always been known to humanity after scientist decided to test the limits of the animal genetics on humans. Now the world uses them as adoptable companions, which is why a group of friends found their way at a Hybrid Shelter. Though one trip turns into an ugly fight involving Yoongi to walk away—But what happens when that same male finds a cat hybrid that is scared out of her mind with a dark past. Who said that dark past was over?

~Pairing: Min Yoongi (BTS) | Suga x Hybrid f! Reader

~Genre: Angst & Fluff, Hybrid au

~Word Count: 3.6K

~Tag List: @tanumiki @yummiethedragoon2 @llcalumllhoodll @darkmangoo @kurochan3 @wooya1224 @lilacdreams-00 @fangirl125reader @halesandy @aviwasabi21 @mrcleanheichou @loveyoongles @queenthorin1 @rosquilleta @a-golden-sunflower-vol-6 @sockie-the-dumbass @jipwark02 @malewife-supremacy @tinyoonsblog @becomingbts @lenafarn @ultralillylove @deathkat657 @janeelizabeth1216 @sumzysworld @beach-bitch-bitch-beach @agustdjoon @ironrosestylist @d-noona @matchat3a @zae007live @friendlywraith @bangtannie7 @bangtanswrld @marieebarbzz8 @quokkahideout @that-author @honeybxes @kim-jias-den @loner0907 @artgukk @jaiuneamesolitaiire @readers-posts @chieftoadturkeynickel @matchat3a @almosttoopizza @pb-n-jujuu @sinceritythatcouldntbedelivered @btsiguess-kpop @kisskissshutmydoor @adeptiixiao @avadakabra93 @khjcoo @kimahjung98 @murkydoesnotloveyou @bbl32 @fluffy-canada-pancakes @schokoshaker @theonethatlikeskpop @yoursoontobestepmom @purplewinterluv @rosiepetalss

Part: 01 / 02 / 03 / 04 / 05 / 06 / 07 / 08 / 09 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 16 / More Chapters Soon...

That damn thing was there to torture you, wasn’t it?

Wild eyes narrowed, tail swishing as your ears twitched from the ticking sound… The big numbers staring right into your very soul—Ugh! Can time move any slower?!

Whining, you slumped further onto the carpet ground—You spent nearly all of December with the boy’s family, having come back into the city just last night. Although it was quite nerve wrecking, you managed to let your guard down more. It felt like a big weight has been lifted and for the first time, you’ve felt… Free.

And that’s exactly why you couldn’t stop thinking about your Christmas gift—Today being the day you’ll finally receive it.

The only problem? It was still too early, and the appointment wasn’t until another hour as you glared at Yoongi’s new wall-clock, watching the third handle tick by. A snicker fallin’ from your delicate lips seeing the clock was in the shape of a familiar record design, exactly the one Hoseok gifted him. During that time, while he smiled, you knew Yoongi was secretly too excited about hanging it up—Your guess was correct, considering that was the first thing he did when coming home.

Normally, right now, you’d be sleeping next to the man in question while transformed… Dozing off in a ball of fur as your tail smacked his face—But how could you sleep in a time like this? Knowing this was the exact day you’ll get adopted, officially! The thought had you squealing in delight, rolling on the ground with your favorite blanket. Feline eyes darting out the window to see the first morning sunrise, snowflakes lightly flyin’ in the wind.

Winter was still ongoing, but not as strong… Remembering two days ago Taehyung skipping in excitement among the snow when seeing a few purple crocus sprouting, the tiger hybrid telling of a tale how it was a sign of good-luck. The flower ‘celebrating the coming forth of springtime’ and how it represented ‘new beginnings’. You didn’t even have the heart to prevent him from plucking the flowers as he made a small crocus crown for the both of you.

Sighing, your attention flew back to the clock—What the hell? You jumped in pure shock seeing how it was well past an hour. A tightness building up in your throat, fearing that maybe it was too late to make it for the appointment. What if it was…

No.

Nothing was going to stop yourself from getting adopted today by Yoongi—There are some people that complain about adoption for hybrids, you hear them whispering among themselves whenever going out with Yoongi as they point at your proudly-displayed collar. But they don’t understand… In this world, you can’t just be a stray-hybrid.

You’d need an owner... Friend, to live the freedom a hybrid can live without the fear of being sheltered or worse.

Shaking your head, a smile broke out when yelping as you slipped in the hallway before getting right back up and bursting into Yoongi’s room—It was dark and although harder to see without your night vision, it was nearly impossible to miss the big lump on the bed that snored softly.

So, you pounced.

“Yoongi… Yoongi, wake up!” You shouted, nudging the man as a groan escaped from underneath the covers as you continuously jumped on Yoongi. Frowning at the nonexistent movement, you tried pullin’ the blankets away only for a squeal to leave your lips. A rough shake practically pushing you off the bed with a huff—Alright… That’s it!

Peeking up from the other side as you sat on the floor, anyone would’ve expected the bed to catch fire at the harsh glare you were giving when needing to climb back up. “Yoongi,” You hissed, pulling at the blanket once more as Yoongi’s face showed, his facial expression scrunching at the lost of warmth. Calculating, you smirked almost evilly when soft jet-black hair had gracefully fallen upon his forehead.

Tail flickering in mischief, you grabbed a handful and yanked… Yoongi cussing and hissing in a faint whisper, eyes immediately snapping open with an icy-glare before softening to see you and not one of the guys he believed—Then again, if he saw Jungkook, Yoongi doesn’t think he’d even be able to say no… Kick him, yes, but not no.

“And what do you think your doing kitten?” Yoongi grumbled, voice coming off in a low and hoarse tone, a shiver running down your spine and tail standing puffy/tall in alarm at the affect that was going through you. Ears perking with a slight twitch feeling a lazy, but innocent gesture of his hand resting on your leg—Your eyes widen, this was new, weird, and… something else.

“A-Adoption… Adoption day,” You muttered, feeling the sudden confidence lessen as your face felt extremely hot… Tail instinctively reaching over to hide your bashful expression. The sight had Yoongi confused for a split second, only to scramble up in a sitting position when realizing what was said.

“Oh shit! What time is it—”

“Yah Yoongi, we just let ourselves in. Are you almost ready to—” A new presence broke into the room, attention turning to see Seokjin standing at the entrance of the bedroom door… Water spilling from his mouth like a waterfall—From his perspective, it might’ve appeared like Yoongi, and you were in a compromising potion from how his hand was lazily draped on your leg and unconsciously slidin’ to your thigh during the movement. The fluffy covers being the one to cover the true aspect of the position you both were closed-in.

It sure didn’t help the fact that your face was red as a freshly-bloomed rose, or how Yoongi’s hair was a bed-mess.

“Sorry!!”

Embarrassment filled within, gaping in pure horror while Yoongi was still half-asleep to fully comprehend what was going on that had Seokjin slamming the bedroom door. Although an idea slowly started forming once argument was heard outside, the doorknob rattling as if they were fighting to open it or not.

“I just want to see Y/N—” Jungkook whined, the other hybrid boys whimpering in response… The bunny hybrid, surprisingly, being stronger than all seven of them combined as he practically burst through the room. Each hybrid tripping over one another as they fell to the ground, Namjoon hesitantly peeking inside as well only to instantly turn to leave with a nope seeing your position. “Ugh, Y/N are you—Sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry!!”

“Listen, it’s not what you perverts think!” Yoongi shouted, lightbulb finally going off on what everyone seemed embarrassed about. Jimin snickering, a sly smirk gracing his handsome features while Taehyung looked in clueless confusion… Hoseok didn’t waste time to run out with apologies fallin’ like a marathon. Though Jungkook stared with mixed emotions from confusion, embarrassment, to apologetic and finally devious.

“Hyung! How dare you take advantage of our Y/N like this? Shame on you,” Jungkook spat, grinning when Jimin burst out laughin’ as the fox slapped his back in a fit. The bunny hybrid tutting, jumping to his feet and rushing to lift you off the bed, dashing out as he went to tell the others. Yoongi complaining to himself how wrong they were, huffing as he slumped against his dashboard.

“You know Yoongi, if you wanted to play,” Jimin teased, showing off his canines… Crawling on the bed in a sinful manner as he tilted Yoongi’s head up by the chin with an evil glint. Red-fox tail swaying around them in a captivating way for a predator about to attack their prey. “We’ve always have operation… I’ll be the doctor.”

“Shut up,” Yoongi rolled his eyes, shoving Jimin off the bed as the fox landed with a thump. Jimin’s laugh echoing throughout the silent room causing Taehyung to giggle at his contagious personality, despite not knowing what was going on still. “Get out so I can get dressed.”

“Don’t get shy now. We’ve all seen you—”

“Jimin, I swear to fuckin’ god!!”

A transformed tiger and fox practically threw themselves out the room, barreling into each other as objects flew out in the hall—Yips, yelps, growls, and howls being heard all around as the ones in the living flinched knowing Yoongi got to them.

You were actually here; You couldn’t believe it… Eyes widening in delight seeing the hybrid shelter sign. Namjoon and Yoongi chuckled at your excitement, fixing your jacket and bucket hat to make the other hybrids inside more comfortable—Jungkook, Taehyung, Jimin, and Hoseok bundled up already, gaining the stamp of approval from Seokjin that the four were good to head inside.

“Alright, alright. I’m good!” You insisted, smiling and jumping out of their grasp in a sprint, catching up with the rest of the boys—However, it turned out to be a huge mistake going forward.

Staggering back, you winced, letting out a caterwaul from all the different exotic scents that hit your nose in full force. A hand slapping over your face… God, it felt like you wanted to vomit at the intensity. Pathetic whimpers escaped, tears forming as everything became a blurry mess—How did all the pack of hybrids handle this here?!

A gentle hand touched your lower back, the action making you flinch and tense.

“Shh… It’s okay,” Yoongi—His voice immediately cutting through the fog, an arm draping over your shoulder that brought you closer. The music producer not caring about the tickle against his chin that your ears were doing, waiting patiently for you to calm down before making sudden movements. Your nose twitching, inhaling Yoongi’s familiar cologne and vanilla scent. “What happened? You were just excited two seconds ago kitten.”

“Shut up,” You muttered, a shaky laugh bubbling out at the teasing tone—Yoongi had known exactly what happened… He’s experienced it multiple times with Jungkook. But rather than discussing it, Yoongi did what was a normal occurrence to show he cared and formed the situation into a joking manner. Wishing to ease your discomfort, he took off his black mask and adjusted it on yourself.

The filtered-cloth didn’t get rid of the smells completely but dimmed it enough were it was tolerable, helping your overwhelmed state. Namjoon—with such a gentleness—instructing for you to take a couple of deep breaths.

Wild green eyes, that were glowin’ slightly, snapped open to see Jungkook in a similar situation. The tall-bunny practically buried in Hoseok’s hair, cotton tail rustling among his oversized t-shit with the sound of feet thumping against the floor—Hoseok’s scent being the only one strong enough to keep Jungkook sane… Everyone else, except you, had a too strong of cologne, pheromones, or just had a flowery scent that he hated.

Yoongi led you toward the front desk, where no one was in sight, and rang the bell. Your tail flickering in an anxious manner as a woman (Finally) came out from the back with a clipboard.

“Good morning! How can I help you?” She smiled, nearly stunned to see about eight of you waiting in the lobby—Her eyes widening at Jungkook’s trembling form… Instinctively rummaging through the drawers and handing Seokjin a brand-new facial mask for the bunny. Something that was always kept handy in case hybrids were sensitive to smells.

The sight had you awing—You could practically feel a “mother’s caring nature” vibe from this woman.

“We’re here to see Sujin… We have a meeting with him,” Yoongi explained, the lady humming in understanding, not minding the near cold exterior he was unconsciously giving. Her fingers going straight to work, the computer granting access to the much-needed information.

“Ah yes, here we are! For Mr. and Mrs. Min…” She trailed; snickers being heard in the background that caused Yoongi to turn with a glare—The guys straightened as they tried to act casual, shaking shoulders giving them away, along with their mischievous smiles twitchin’ to break out. “Sujin will be with you all soon! He’s currently finishing up with a couple that came in earlier… Lovely people, so sad what happened to them.”

Frowning, everyone cocked their heads to the side at the extra comment—Curiosity filling them on what had happened. Although before the guys could question it, a door opened, your ears perking underneath the hat… You recognized that scent, yes, he was at the hospital!

“Ah. Yoongi, Namjoon, and Seokjin! It’s good to see you three again, along with your hybrids,” Sujin greeted, smiling warmly with a shake of their hands. Although, you’ve noticed the man taking one glance at you in suspicion before gesturing everyone to follow—Yet one step in his office had you wincing, Yoongi staring at you in concern before hesitantly giving Sujin his attention.

There was a certain smell in the air… Something that had you wanting to hide, but it was mixed with other scents that you couldn’t recognize it—Maybe you were just overthinking, after all, there are a ton of predator hybrids here.

A windshield laugh had you snapping back to reality, finding Seokjin red in the face from whatever Sujin said. They were making small talk… The sight had you scrunching up your nose—Either a dumb or brilliant idea came to mind, gently tugging for Yoongi’s attention as you excused yourself for the “bathroom”.

Taking a deep breath, you quietly got up as the guys continued and left through a door that wasn’t entered before. Eyes widening seeing the long hallway that had multiple doors, but with a wider one at the end.

Something inside wanted you to explore, but another was whispering how this wasn’t a good idea and to go sit back in the safety length of the guys—You can guess what side won, your feline instincts forcing you to walk toward the door… It helped that the closer you got, the more hybrid scents seem to fade.

You don’t know what you expected, but it sure wasn’t to find hybrids on either side of glass panels—Hamsters, bunnies, sugar gliders, and so on… All going about in a playful manner, some hanging out inside or running back and forth through the open doors that lead outside.

Despite them in the Rodentia and Leporids family, you stiffened when all their attention was directed at you with calculating eyes—They knew what kind of hybrid you were, but something about how tense you were didn’t seem to scare them. Most felines walked like the world was their kingdom, but you appeared as if you’ve barely belonged on the runway. It was an odd sight for them to say the least.

Coughing, you straightened up and headed to the next room—The Felidae family…

“Well aren’t you cute,” A voice broke the silent walk, grabbing your attention to see a cougar hybrid. A grin upon her face and tail swishing in nothing but mischief… She was older than you and came off like a big sister than anything. “Are you lost?”

“No. I’m waiting for my…” You hesitantly trailed, flickin’ your collar as the hybrid seemed to understand with a nod. Not at all resentful that you had someone to leave with. In fact, the feline seemed to relax in almost a relief that you weren’t wandering around by yourself—That’s where it started, not being long until the cougar had you laughing, giving stories on the multiple pranks she pulled until Yoongi came for you.

“Darlin’ look! A lost little kitty-cat.”

Your whole body turned to stone, eyes widening as you stopped breathing for a moment. The cougar hybrid sensed your distress and change of mood… Eyes narrowing and growlin’ behind you—No… Please no… Please.

…” I’m sorry if you don’t mind us asking. That lady earlier had mentioned you were with a couple earlier—What happened to them?” Namjoon questioned, calming the boys down as Sujin eyes sadden. The shelter owner giving a tight smile as he looked anywhere but at them.

“Oh them… It hurts thinking about it, but about a year ago, this lovely couple actually lost their hybrid—Apparently there was an incident in their neighborhood and hybrid poachers broke into their home. The couple fought tooth and nail to protect their little one but… God, it’s awful evening thinking about it. The two barely were able to step in here, unsure if they were even ready to reminisce and care for another hybrid,” Sujin muttered, shaking his head to rid of the horrid images that currently ran through his mind. The story had Taehyung, Hoseok, Jungkook, and Jimin shaking, while the other three guys stared with a solemn expression. “…I pray that Y/N is at least resting in peace.”

Yoongi’s head snapped up, jumping out of his chair as it fell to the ground from the sheer force—Sujin’s eyes widening seeing an odd look upon his face… On everyone’s faces.

“What was their hybrid’s name again?”

Everything felt like slow motion for you, scrambling and slipping across the hallway floor as hybrids noticed your fearful state—Their calls as they all banged on the glass panel were mute to your ears, the pounding of your heart being the only music that was actually heard.

You’ve barged into the last door, coming face-to-face with multiple canines that jumped to their feet at your sudden entrance. Their curious eyes watching you twist around, shrugging off as much layers you could to free your tail and ears. It felt like you couldn’t breathe!

“Here kitty-kitty~ We’ve been so worried about you…”

…” Hurry the hell up!!” Yoongi shouted; fist clenched in pure white as Sujin frantically pulled up a file on his computer as the four hybrids glared at him with a predatory glint.

“I can’t control the speed of the internet!!” Sujin snapped, slamming the monitor in stupid hopes that it would speed up the loading process as it tried retrieving the information that was filled out for the last client as they did a background search. Eyes darting away from the computer screen in sheer worry hearing faint barking, roars, and growls in the background—Every hybrid starting a sudden ruckus.

“That’s it! I’m heading—”

“There!! It’s done—It says that Mr. and Mrs. Hyun owned a feline hybrid (black) that went missing around a year ago on a rainy day. Her name was…”

“Y/N! How we missed you… Now, why don’t you be a good little thing and come home—Oh? What’s this…?” A sickeningly chuckle rang throughout the room, your back against the glass as you sat on the ground in pure terror. Wild eyes staring up at the couple that was a mere inch away (Collar reflecting in the light), banging heard all around as each hybrid tried to break through to defend you. “A collar? You’ve got to be kiddin’.”

“Don’t worry, I know the perfect remedy that will take care of that,” The man sneered, body shaking as you saw the woman open her purse—Your face paled… She was holding a noose like a leash, hand instinctively reaching for your throat in a protective manner.

Then… You screamed, a bloody curdling scream that had the hybrid’s eyes turning into slits as they all transformed—Animal instincts running through their veins and throwing their bodies against the barrier between them, glass starting to slowly crack.

You’ve kicked, clawed, and reached for something to sink your teeth in as you fought to at least transform—It’ll help in multiple ways to bend for an escape… You were, in fact, faster on all fours.

“Nope! We can’t have that now, can we,” A giggle sounded, stepping on your wrist as her heels dug into your skin that had you hissing, already recognizing the signs of what was planned. Your eyes squeezing shut, teeth grinding together in hopes that this was a horrible nightmare.

“Y-You’re not real… You’re not—”

“Oh… Sorry to disappoint, but we are very much real,” They both said in sync, your breath hitching as one of their nasty fingers unclipped your collar to throw across the room—The familiar texture of rope touching your skin replacing the empty space. Although before they had the chance to tighten it like you knew they would… A screech and hiss was heard, their presence disappearing that had you snapping your eyes open.

“Do. Not. Fuckin’. Touch. Her,” Yoongi growled, shoving your old abuser against the wall with a tight grasp upon his shirt—Hoseok, Jimin and Taehyung transformed, all three corning the fearful woman as they showed off their sharp canines while Jungkook simply cracked his knuckles.

Sujin ran off to call security while Namjoon and Seokjin rushed to your aid… Only to back up when you screamed and flinched at their touch as if they just burnt your delicate skin.

Trauma is personal… It does not just disappear.

It’s forever engraved into the depths of your soul.

But…

Yoongi shoved the bastered into the open arms of security, glaring until the two were out of sight until whimpers and screams finally reached his ears. Turning around as Yoongi softened seeing the state you were in, curled up on the floor with the noose still around your neck.

When someone hears the screams.

Entering the pain of torture with a delicate hand…

Can the healing begin.

“Kitten…?” Yoongi whispered unsurely, crouching right next to your form as the crying stopped… Body freezing in place. Your eyes snapped up and through the blurriness you could see the familiar colors of him. The sight had you tearing up once more when Yoongi, with a softness, removed the rope around you—

“Yoongi!! I-I was…” You hiccupped, throwing yourself into his awaiting arms with a soft. Yoongi combing his fingers through your hair, whispering comforting words and humming, placing a gentle kiss among your temples.

And that’s… That is when you can truly be free from the dark past that haunts you.

“I know… I know. It’s okay,” Yoongi hushed, rockin’ you back and forth.

~~~~

Welcome to the fifteenth chapter of Changing One's Tune! It's been a while... So I decided to add a little angst to the mix. The past resurfaces, but sometimes you need to face it to properly heal.

Likes, Comments, Reblogs, and Follows are very much appreciated if you enjoy the story, its always exciting to know that you like my writing and gives me more motivation to update faster!

See you all soon, Stay Gold! <3

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mirkwoodshewolf · 7 months

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Hellfire's Mama fox Chap. 7; Halloween campaign

*Author's note*

This was a long time trying to figure out. I had a few ideas of Roxxi's campaign in mind so it was hard to pick just one but I finally stuck with one. Now I apologize to any D&D players out there if I've written this campaign poorly. I've only played like 2min of a D&D campaign in college during a camping trip and never got to do another campaign again. So I just did the campaign based off how we've seen various campaigns that were shown in the show. I hope the next chapter doesn't take as long as this one did but work's gotten me busy lately but I had hoped to at least get this one done before Halloween came around. So I hope you all enjoy this chapter in the end :)

NEXT CHAPTER

Taglist:

@plethora-of-things

@waddles03

@psychosupernatural

@queen-paladin

@jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels

@gay-and-ready-to-cry

@assassinsasha23

@sweetpeapod

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September came and went and finally it was my favorite month of all, October. The Halloween decorations, the jack-o-lanterns were being put out on every house, and the cooler weather started to seep in. Not to mention the leaves falling from the trees to create piles large enough to jump in them.

Halloween has always been my favorite time of year, so much so that every weekend before Halloween I always love to dress up in different costumes of my favorite monsters/characters on TV. And when Eddie and I created Hellfire and I started my Halloween campaigns, I made it a rule for all members to dress up in different costumes throughout the time of my campaign, then when it was Halloween night, we dress as our characters to finally end the campaign and go off with a bang.

Now as I have said, I had been working on this campaign for months while I was away in Indianapolis and only until just around after Eddie’s and I’s anniversary did I finally decree that it was complete. The title of my campaign; Don’t Blink.

In this campaign, our heroes were hanging out at the Green Dragon pub after their last venture. But as they sat around drinking ale and eating their food, Jeff’s character soon found a familiar sight. It was Beren. He had told the company that there was trouble brewing in Luthien’s homeland, an old enemy had returned and was planning to harness and feast on the magic of the Elves.

He didn’t know much about the details only that his wife had gone to help the cause but he hadn’t heard anything from her in over seven months. Fearing the worst, Beren decided to go to Luthien’s homeland and see for himself what was going on and what happened to his wife.

Knowing how important Luthien was to Jeff’s, Gareth’s and Grant’s characters, they were willing to join the cause. And being the newbies and wanting to help out a legend that was Beren, Dustin and Mike also joined in along the quest (unfortunately around this time, Lucas had been missing several campaigns and was now on a temporary suspension until Eddie and I decided what to do).

For weeks now I had the guys going on a dangerous quest through Luthien’s forest. To which Beren had told them that it was never this dangerous before in the past. A dark power had infested the forest making it sinister and almost come alive. Soon they came to Luthien’s palace.

“And there you all stand before the grand palace of the Elven king Thingol and Nymeria. But instead of a palace that once shone like the stars, the palace was desolate and hung open like a rotting wound. Vines and tree branches encompassed the palace walls like a blanket.”

“Varda’s stars. The entire kingdom it’s—it’s destroyed.” Eddie replied.

“What in the hell happened here?” replied Jeff.

“Just what could’ve done this? Not trolls or ogres.” Said Dustin. “Or can they?”

“No, this is not ogres nor trolls. The magic of this forest is built to keep them out. Whatever attacked this place, must’ve been already been here.” Said Eddie.

“But why? Why would the elves keep something like this hidden within their own realm?” Mike asked.

“That’s what we’re here to find out. And I’m not leaving here without my wife.”

“And that my friends is where we shall end it tonight.” I said just before the boys all groaned.

“C’mon Roxxi! This is the 3rd cliffhanger this month can we please continue on just a bit longer?” asked Dustin trying to do the puppy dog eyes.

“Sorry Henderson, but I promise you. Next Saturday is Halloween and we shall wrap up this campaign on that night.” I said starting to pack up the stuff. The guys all soon began packing up their things and hitching their rides.

“Normally I never try to question your pace, but this is surprising even for you. You sure you don’t want to add a bit more tonight? At least to allow Beren to use his expert tracking skills to determined what happened to Luthien’s palace?” Eddie asked me as he wrapped an arm around me.

“Nope. I promise babe, next week will be worth it. You’re gonna love it.” I pecked his cheek and after packing everything up, Eddie drove us back home.

After showering and changing out of my Morticia Addam’s costume, I was on the phone with someone and writing some things down.

“Yeah. Yes exactly. It’s an open field just off Route 24. Big field can’t miss it. And everyone’s still on board to come? Awesome. And thanks again for doing this, and it was really good talking to you again Courtney. You too, bye.” I hung up the phone as Eddie said coming in with his toothbrush in his mouth.

“Who was that?”

“A friend from Indianapolis. She’s thinking about coming over next week, so I was just clarifying some information for her.” He hummed before going over to the kitchen sink to spit out the toothpaste from his mouth. “Do you have to spit in the kitchen sink?”

“What’s the difference? It’s all a sink that’s gonna take it to the ocean or wherever water goes.” He said wiping his mouth with a paper towel. I rolled my eyes at him.

“Yes but when there are still dishes in the sink, I think Wayne and I both agree that toothpaste don’t need to be mixed in.”

“A guy forgets to do the dishes and he’s labeled for life. You know we had that English test to study for. Plus all that reading, I swear who has time to read 250 pages a night.”

“But what about—”

“Tolkien is different. Dickens just rambles on and on and on and on never getting to the point. Jesus we get it dude, the streets of London are filthy, no need to drone on 20 pages about it.” I shrugged, not denying that logic.

“Still babe, it was your week to do the dishes and you still haven’t done it yet.”

“I’ll do it first thing in the morning, I’ll even vacuum and dust the place as compensation.” I thought it over.

“Okay, and as a reward I’ll make you my chocolate chip pancakes.”

“With whipped cream on top?”

“What am I a barbarian?”

“Have I told you how much I love you?”

“Only every second of every day.” He pulled me in close and began kissing all over my face making me giggle and squirm in his hold.

“And. Don’t. you. Forget. It. Cara mia.” He said between his kisses.

“Oh mon amor.” Eddie then hoisted me up, holding me up by my thighs and whisked me off to the bedroom for some special nighttime fun as only Gomez and Morticia Addams were known for.

*Halloween night 1985*

Halloween night. When kids dressed up in costumes and went around trick-or-treating. But while that was happening, I was out at Pelennor fields with some friends of mine from rehab getting things set up while Eddie and the guys got ready.

“Yo Roxxi, where do you want me to put the fog machine?” asked Derek.

“Just set it within the hay Aaron brought.”

“Roxxi, did you still want the screen projector for the shadow-puppets?” asked Amy.

“Uhhhh, keep it on standby. Lately our new kits have been keeping me on my toes with their successful rolls.”

“Hey Roxxi, Courtney wants you to take a look at the costumes and makeup for your villains.” Ashley said as she came up with grey and black makeup all over her hands and face.

“Alright be right there.” I looked around to check our setting to see the table was all set, jack-o-lanterns were all carved and ready to be lit later tonight, a prop column was placed but the crystal ball was missing. “Hey has anyone seen the crystal ball we need for Luthien’s scene?”

“I saw Garret with it earlier, I’ll get him to place it back.” Amy said.

“Thanks Amy.” I raced over to the U-Haul truck and saw all my actors getting their makeup ready. They were dressed up as stone-like angels but what was frightening about them was that they had on leather masks that showed their sharp teeth and empty stone-statue mouths. “Looking frightening ladies, ohh man I’ll bet a few of these guys are gonna piss their pants once they see you all.”

“Thanks Roxxi.” They chorused as they were finishing their makeup.

“Took me over 2 months to get the masks all done correctly, the silicon was a bitch to do but I finally got it down.” Courtney said.

“I really appreciate it Courtney.” I told her.

“Hey anything for you kid.” She said ruffling my hair to which I shoved her hand away and redid my hair.

“You know it took me 20 minutes to get this Elvish hairstyle just right.” I looked down at my watch and saw it was nearly time for Eddie to start bringing the guys over. “Okay guys, last looks! We’ve got just under an hour left before Eddie and the guys get here!” I called out to everyone.

Everyone was running around getting things prepped, making sure some of the machines worked properly, costumes and makeup was on everyone, it was a race against the sun until Courtney proclaimed.

“That’s it time’s up!” everyone all cheered and clapped.

“Okay, angels go get into positions. Techies and everyone else, thank you all for your help. Go and get yourselves something to eat and be sure to be back just as nightfall sets.” I told everyone as I got on my elven crown Eddie had made for me years ago. Everyone broke up and I turned to Courtney and asked her. “Got the camera ready?”

“All set. That boyfriend of yours won’t forget this for a long, long time.” I smiled and we high-fived each other. “Well better get into position and start filming.” She then took off for the woods while I sat on the table awaiting the boys to arrive.

*Eddie’s POV*

Roxxi had suggested that this years Halloween campaign should conclude out in our haven of Pelennor fields. Now I’ll admit I was hesitant to bring the guys up there because it was our special spot and the guys didn’t need to know about it. But with some persuasion and the fact that I could have the guys blindfolded so that they wouldn’t know how to get there, that satisfied me enough to drive them all up there.

But first Roxxi told us that we needed to take a specific forest trail which we called ‘Fangorn trail’. All of us were in full costumes but as we walked along the trail, I began to notice something odd. So far I had counted three strange angel statues. Did someone abandon them out here or what? They couldn’t be mannequins but even for as real as they seemed to appear, there’s no way in hell a person could just freeze like that for hours, right?

We soon came to a clearing in the forest and there Roxxi (dressed as my beautiful Luthien) stood with our table, some jack-o-lanterns all lit up and a column with a crystal ball on top standing just a few feet away from the table.

“Welcome Fellowship of Luthien.” She greeted us. “Tonight comes the end of our journey to save the Woodland realm of Arna. Please take your seats.” We all sat down, opened up our folders and took our figurines out. “Where we last left off on our journey…..You all had arrived to the castle of Luthien’s parents, and you all have decided to venture inside of it, but as you walk, you are stopped by a forcefield of powerful magic. What is your next move?”

“I’m the Mage so I’ll use a counter-spell to break through the barrier shield.” Gareth said.

“Roll for the initiative.” Said Roxxi. Gareth took the dice and shook them between his hands before rolling them across the table. “Yes 17!”

“The spell is a success. Proceed Gareth the Great.”

“By the Power of Mordenkainen, I command this shield to be gone! Necronom Hezberek Mortix!”

“A powerful beam of red strikes at the white barrier shield. The shield tries to hold strong but slowly it begins to crack until finally the barrier breaks and the shields come down, allowing you all to enter the castle within. You cross the stone bridge and stand before the large stone doors.”

“Luthien taught me the password to enter within, better leave this to me gentlemen.” I soon spoke up.

“Beren approaches the door, places his hand along the hidden Elvish runes that were engraved in the stone and speaks the password.”

“Annon Edhellen edro hi ammen!”

“The runes glow a bright starlight shine and slowly begin to open. All you can see is darkness inside and dead silence. Do you dare continue onward? Or do you flee and turn back?”

“We’ve come too far to turn back now. I say we go in.” said Dustin.

“For Luthien.” Jeff replied.

“For Luthien.” Agreed Gareth.

“For Luthien.” Mike also said.

“We go forward!” I proclaimed. The corner of her mouth perked upward as she told us.

“You enter inside.”

“I’ll give us some light.” Gareth said as he held up his propped staff.

“A light from Gareth the Great’s staff and shines through the darkened throne room. You can see that there were clear signs of a battle that had occurred. Grand stain-glass windows had been broken in from the outside, the thrones had deep claw-marks that almost appeared animalistic. And the banners had all been torn up.”

“It had to be those werecats we encountered in the forest.” Suggested Mike.

“No, no what purpose do the werecats have for wanting the power of the Elves?” asked Gareth.

“What about those orcs? I mean didn’t Beren once say the Elves drove them away from the mountains when they came here? Could be a revenge story?” asked Dustin.

“If it were orcs, then were are all the bodies and the blood? For as bad of a struggle this looks, there’s not a single trace of blood anywhere.” Said Jeff.

“As everyone is discussing the probably enemies, Beren notices something about the claw-marks on the throne. He walks up to it and looks down at his own fingers before placing them over the claw-marks, to see that they were a perfect match.” Roxxi said. As I took in what my Dungeon Mistress was saying, I then began to realize just what kind of twist she was making.

“By the gods, these aren’t claw-marks of a beast. They’re….. fingernails.” the party all looks at each other in shock. “These were made by fingernails of a person.”

“How is that possible?” asked Gareth.

“That’s what we’re going to find out. We need to head to the library. They keep records of everything from their first colonization in these very woods to every lineage of kings and Queens that ruled here.”

“And so following Beren, you all traveled further into the palace towards the library. But you stop, there hidden within the corner of the hallway was what happened to be a body of an Elven guard. What do you all do?”

“I say we just leave it.” Said Grant.

“I concur.” Agreed Gareth.

“Really guys? This is the only person we’ve come across and you want to abandon them? What if they need help?” asked Dustin.

“Well if you wanna get tricked and eaten again just like with what happened with that man-eating flower monster. Don’t come crying to me!” Gareth whined.

“What say you gentlemen?” Roxxi asked us. I turned to everyone and held up the dice.

“Lowest number goes to investigate the body.” I took the first roll and landed on 13. Next up was Henderson who rolled 15. Gareth rolled 12, Jeff 10, Grant 14 and Wheeler unfortunately rolled a 7.

“Looks like I have no choice.” Mike said exasperatedly.

“Tayr the Paladin slowly goes up to the body. It’s still corpse np moving as he got closer and closer. As he got right up to it, he withdrew his sword and was shocked at what he saw. The body was of Luthien’s mother who looked petrified. Her eyes widened but her body pale and cold to the touch.”

“No, oh Arella.” I spoke solemnly.

“Basilisk. There’s no doubt about it, it has to be a Basilisk.” Dustin said.

“Don’t get a big head Nog, if it were a Basilisk there’d be footprints everywhere. Plus how do you explain those fingernail marks that Beren saw on the throne. They can’t shapeshift.” Gareth stated.

“Doubleganger, or a skin changer, changeling, I don’t know!”

“We have to figure out what the hell is happening here.” Answered Grant.

“He’s right.” I replied. “We’re not gonna get answers by waiting around here. I only hope Luthien isn’t like her mother.” I looked to Roxxi and she looked at me empathetically.

“After Beren covers up the Elven queen’s body with his cloak, you all proceed onward to the library. It stood adjacent to the gardens just behind it but to Beren something was off, there was an odd statue that he hadn’t remember seeing before in the garden. A statue of an angel covering its face.”

“That’s odd.” I said.

“What is it?” asked Jeff.

“That statue.”

“What about it? It’s just a statue.”

“That’s the thing, I’ve never seen it before nor has Luthien.”

“Perhaps they just carved it or something. After all how long has it been since you guys came back to her homeland?” we then heard a rustle and when we all looked up, some of us were startled while others jumped in their seats as we saw the very same angel Roxxi had just described being in the campaign.

“Jesus Christ!” Dustin gasped placing his hand over his heart.

“Don’t break the role Henderson, just—just ignore it.” I assured him taking his head and pointing it downward at the table but I couldn’t help but take one last quick look at the statue.

How the hell did we miss that standing there? Or had it always been there and we just missed it?

“You also take notice of a crystal ball standing at the center of the main table of the library. Do you go forth and investigate it? Or do you move on and do some independent research?”

“I recognize the crystal to be her father’s all-seeing orb. Maybe it can show us what happened.” I spoke up.

“That type of magic is highly advanced Beren, only the strong-willed and mind can withstand it’s power.” Gareth told me.

“Excuse me? Are you calling me weak-minded Gareth the Great?” I challenged as I raised my brow at him.

“No, no, what I meant was that—this is too emotional for you. The power of the orb could take advantage of your weakness and corrupt your mind. Destroying you in the process.”

“He might be onto something Beren. This is your wife’s home after all, you’re too heavily involved in this. Allow Gareth to use it.” Said Jeff. I groaned and crossed my arms over my chest.

“Fine. But just hurry and find out what happened.”

“Gareth the Great goes towards Luthien’s father’s all-seeing orb.” Roxxi then gestures to the actual crystal ball that is standing near us. He stands up and goes over to it whilst Roxxi follows him. He stands on one side and she on the other.

Soon the crystal ball and the column began to light up on their own which had us stunned. As Roxxi says.

“As Gareth touches the orb,” Gareth places his hands on it. “An image starts to appear. It is the shape of a woman in Elven armor, her long black hair floating through the wind within the orb and soon the image becomes clear. It’s Luthien.”

“Luthien!?” I proclaim going over to stand next to Gareth. “Luthien meleth nin where are you? Are you alright? What the hell happened here? Why was your mother petrified? Why haven’t you come home?!”

“‘All will be answered soon my love. But you should not have come. Any of you.’ says Luthien grimly.”

“Why?” Gareth asked. “What happened here?”

“‘Look to your left.’ Luthien says. You all follow her direction and see Gareth shines his staff down the aisle of books and there laying against the bookshelf petrified was Luthien. Her body the same condition as her mother’s.”

“No……” I trailed off. I turned to Roxxi who looked at me sadly. I shook my head thinking this couldn’t be the end of Luthien.

“Wait so….you put your soul into your father’s orb?” asked Gareth.

“Not exactly. In fact this isn’t even my spirit. It’s a message I made before I was attacked.”

“But you’re replying to them. How can you know what they’re going to say before they say it?” Mike asked.

“My sister’s an oracle, I got everything I needed from her Tayr the Paladin.” Wheeler’s eyes bulged in shock for a brief moment.

“Luthien, what happened? Where is everyone else?” I asked.

“As I said my love, you shouldn’t have come here. They’ve destroyed the palace and feasted on everyone’s life energy trying to find what they’re after.”

“Who?” I demanded.

“I’m sorry can we just back up real quick to how we’re actually communicating with a message that was pre-recorded and stored into an orb?” God Henderson I swear I could strangle you at times.

“What matters now Dwarf is that I can communicate with you all!” Roxxi snapped as Luthien. “We’ve got bigger problems now. They’re still there! The angels are still at the palace!”

“Angels? What you mean those statue things?” I asked.

“Demons from the ancient world.” Roxxi explains.

“But they’re just statues.” I said.

“Only when you see them.”

“What does that mean?” asked Gareth.

“The lonely assassins my kin once called them. No one knows exactly how or when they came into being but they’re as old as the world. Or very nearly. And they have survived because they have the most perfect defense mechanism imaginable. They’re quantum locked. They don’t exist when they’re being observed, the moment they are seen by any other living creature they freeze into rock. No choice it’s a fact in their biology, in the sight of any living being they literally turned to stone. And you can’t kill a stone.” Roxxi then shrugged as she continued, “Of course a stone can’t kill you either but then you turn your head away. And you blink…..and oh yes they can.” Her voice dropped into a more menacing, darker tone in narration.

I turned to the statue and began piecing together that this was the additional surprise Roxxi had for this year’s campaign.

“Nobody take your eyes off that thing.” I spoke lowly. Everyone turned to the angel statue as Roxxi continued to speak as Luthien.

“That’s why they cover their eyes, they’re not weeping they can’t risk looking at anyone. Their greatest asset is also their greatest curse, they can never be seen. And I’m sorry, I’m very, very sorry. It’s up to you Beren.”

“What must I do?” I asked.

“My necklace that I gave you, it’s what they’re after. The magic within it is enough for them to feast on for eternity but the damage they could do could switch off the sun and destroy the moon. You mustn’t let them get it.”

“But how do we stop them? How do we save you?” I pleaded. Roxxi looked down then up before she said.

“Oh no, I’m sorry but that’s all my sister was able to see of you finding my father’s orb. I don’t know what’s stopped you all from talking but I can only guess, they’re there. The angels have found you.” Roxxi turned toward the statue quickly in fear and she leaned over till her face was illuminating under the lights from the orb. “Now listen to me, your lives could depend on this. Don’t blink. Don’t even blink! Blink and you’re dead. They are fast, faster than you can believe! Don’t turn your back! Don’t look away! And don’t blink!”

Roxxi’s eyes were full of panic as she got into Luthien’s monologue before ending it as the light from the orb faded into darkness.

“Good luck.” And thanks to the now nighttime sky, all was pitch black.

“No! No! No Luthien!” I cried out.

“I-I’ll try to bring the message back up.” Gareth said.

“What good will that do?”

“Here let me see it!” soon I heard all the guys coming and talking over one another as they took the orb and I began to realize something.

“Stop! Stop! Stop! STOP!!” everyone went silent. “Whose looking at the statue?” everyone remained silent.

Suddenly lights came on through the forest and the angel statue had now changed positions, standing just a few inches away from us but this time we got a good look at it’s face. Hollowed stone eyes, sharp fangs built within the mask and an empty void-like statue mouth. The long, sharp nails on it’s fingers stood about maybe 3-4 inches long and were extended outward to us.

We all jumped back. Jesus Roxxi, you really outdid yourself this time, even more than when you did ‘The Curse on Moonscar isle.’ These were an even scarier makeup and props than the zombies were.

“Nobody take your eyes off that thing. Remember what Luthien said. Don’t blink.”

“No problem, I mean after all it’s just one of them, right? We’ll be okay if we just keep staring at this one.” Mike said.

“Three actually.” I said.

“What?” hissed Dustin.

“I saw three more while we were walking through the trail. And I thought I heard some movement so they might be moving closer to us.”

“With the statue assassin having you all under its mercy, what move do you all plan to take? Remember, no amount of mortal magic nor swords can kill these stone creatures.” Roxxi told us from the table.

“Why can’t we just give them the necklace now and be done with this?” Wheeler said.

“You’re really suggesting that to me?! You heard Luthien the damage they could do with the power within this necklace can switch off both the sun and moon. Absolutely not!” I snapped.

“If no mortal weapons can defeat them, nor any magic then we’re screwed dude! I hate to say it but I agree with Tayr.” Said Jeff.

“I concur.” Said Grant.

“Fuck you guys! My wife sacrificed herself to hold these things off I’m not about to let it be in vain!”

“He’s right. Everything has a weakness, and Luthien gave us the answer. They can’t look at each other. So all we need to do is find a way to get them all together.” Said Henderson.

“And how do we do that exactly?” asked Wheeler.

“Your eyes are straining to not blink but the urge is too strong. All you men can do is continue to stare at this horrifying statue that seems to be mocking you by remaining still.” Roxxi narrates our actions. “What is your move?”

“Nog is right, Luthien did say there is a way to stop them. But it can’t be here. At the very bottom of the palace is a catacomb chamber. It’s tunnels and pathways are like a labyrinth. If we get them down there, they’ll never be able to get out.” I told them.

“Alright, then we get them to the chambers. But how do we get there without taking our eyes off of this thing?” asked Gareth.

“Let’s get back to the table and make our move, two people at a time keep looking at it.” I told them. Taking hold of Dustin’s and Gareth’s arms, we all backed up first Jeff, Grant and I looking back to get us back to the table leaving Wheeler and Henderson to keep their eyes on the demon before us.

“Guys my eyes are getting tired over here. I don’t think I can hold it!” Wheeler exclaimed.

“I’ll switch with you Tayr, we’re almost there. Don’t turn till I look up.” Gareth told him. When Gareth looked at the angel statue, he tapped Mike and allowed him to turn away. Finally we made it back to the table.

“Tyrion and I will take the first watch, you three make the first move.” I volunteered. Grant nodded and we looked at the statue while Henderson said.

“Give me the d20.” I heard the dice clicking between his hands and heard as it rolled across the table.

“16. Most impressive young dwarf. One by one, you each manage to successfully leave the library and head down towards the chambers Beren had talked about earlier. Down the stairs you all go, the further down you go, the darker it becomes. But then something begins to glow around Beren’s neck, it’s Luthien’s necklace shining like a star giving you the light in the dark. Eventually you come before a large set of doors with an Elvish inscription on top. It reads aloud: ‘Secrets in the dark, Secrets in the abyss. All who enter here are lost and sealed. Only the one with the heart of a star can pass through the darkness’.”

“‘The heart of a star?’ That must be Luthien’s necklace, right?” asked Henderson.

“Yes. My wife was known throughout these lands as ‘The she-elf born from the heart of a star’. She came early into this world, so frail and fragile, even the greatest of all the Elven healers feared she wouldn’t last pass the winter. So her parents prayed to their Goddess Varda to save their daughter. Then one night, a star had fallen out of the sky and landed right into their garden. Taking a small piece of that star, they touched it to Luthien’s heart and her hair gave out a starlight glow, her eyes shined silvery-white and she began to cry.”

“That’s why his wife’s also been named ‘Evanstar’ because of her starlight beauty. It was as if she were a star in human form.” Jeff said wistfully.

“So her necklace will help us through the chambers?” asked Wheeler.

“Seems like it.” I clenched the handmade necklace Roxxi made for me to represent Luthien’s gift to her beloved Beren.

“So is there like another password you gotta speak to get the doors opened or….? What?” asked Henderson.

“No, the way to get in is through this.” I showed him Luthien’s necklace and took the die and rolled it and saw it land on 17.

“Beren takes off his wife’s Evenstar necklace and places it against the wall of the door. The runes glow and soon a soft rumble is heard as the doors begin to unlock and open. There you all stand before the Great chamber of the secrets. A dark, dank chamber that extends far and wide. A single pathway lies ahead with various tunnels surrounding the chamber. A small river also surrounds you as the small sounds of dripping water can be heard echoing through the chamber.”

“Now we walk.” I answered.

“But which doorway do you take?” Roxxi asked me.

“There’s over a dozen of them, I say we take the one just straight ahead. When in doubt, gotta go straight right?” said Jeff.

“I disagree, we should take the center door on the left.” Argued Gareth.

“If I may make a suggestion gentlemen,” Roxxi soon spoke up. “Take heed to what the inscription on the door said.” The guys looked confused before Dustin spoke up repeating part of the inscription.

“Only the one with the heart of a star can pass through the darkness’. I think Beren should make the decision.” Everyone turned to me and I looked at all of them. I turned to Roxxi who had her arms crossed and a gleam in her eye.

She wanted this to play out this way, for me to be the deciding factor in this whole campaign. Alright then, if that’s how you want it Roxxi, it’s what you shall get.

“Give me the d20.” She smirked and picked up the d20 die and tossed it over to me. I caught it in my right hand and rolled it between my palms. I then rolled the die between my hands and let it roll across the table. We waited on baited breath until it stopped and landed on 15.

“Beren takes the leadership role.” Said Roxxi with pride.

“Alright gentlemen, we go straight but take the one to the right of the entrance dead ahead.”

“You all follow Beren’s lead. Once you go through your chosen door, Luthien’s pendant begins to glow of pure starlight, giving you all a light in the dark place, when all other lights have gone out.” As she narrated, I noticed how the spotlight that had once shone around us to reveal that real life angel, had now turned into a soft, silvery light. Giving us the real feeling of Luthien’s starlight power. “As you continue on, you soon come to a fork in the trail, do you proceed left or right Beren the Bard?”

“We go left at the fork.” I said to her.

“You go left. The pendant glows brighter in the darkness. You continue straight on until another fork is seen up ahead, this time there are three options. Which way do you take your company now?”

“We take the center pathway.”

“Are you sure?” she asked skeptically with a raised brow.

“Beren, I don’t know maybe we should go left again.” Gareth suggested.

“No, no we should take the path on the right.” Said Henderson.

“No, we take the center path. That is my final answer.” The corner of Roxxi’s lips lifted in a slight grin before she narrated.

“You go down the center path. The pendant starting to flicker until you finally reach the end of the path to see a large chamber before you. There you see you are surrounded by the stone angels.”

“Holy shit!” Mike exclaimed. We all looked up to see more of the real life angel statues had now surrounded our table just standing feet away from us.

“Still think this was a good idea?” muttered Gareth.

“Fear not though gentlemen, for as you look down below you notice a special sigil engraved on the floor. It had great stag-like points coming out from each end and the points crossed each other. In between the antler-like base was a giant star in the same shape as Luthien’s pendant.”

“This is it, we made it. Now all we have to do is get them to look at each other.”

“Without getting killed ourselves.” Mentioned Grant.

“I concur.” Jeff agreed.

“Now gentlemen, this is the final move. What shall you do now to save yourselves and the Elvish kingdom of the stars?”

“I’ll create a barrier around us to protect us from them as they surround us. So one of us has to blink just seconds after my shield is up.” said Gareth.

“Roll for the initiative.” Roxxi said. Gareth took the dice in his hands and rolled it but we all groaned as it landed on a 6. “The shield fails for suddenly appearing is the same angel you all saw near the library that you managed to escape from. It’s right arm extended out pointing at Beren.”

“Uhh Beren, why is it……” Dustin started to ask but then the silver glowing light that surrounded us started to flicker on and off.

“Shit it’s starting to drain the power from Luthien’s necklace!” I exclaimed.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit what do we do?! What do we do?! What do we do!?” Henderson asked in a panic.

With each flicker of the lights, we saw how the angel statues were getting closer, their terrifying faces flickering in and out of the darkness as they kept changing positions with each flicker.

“We gotta use Luthien’s pendant to create a shield, it’s our only hope!” Jeff exclaimed.

“Quick Beren roll the die!” everyone was in a panic as I grabbed the die and I ordered them to shut up as I quickly rolled the dice for my initiative move. Roxxi taking every second of enjoyment at seeing our panicked faces and fear, and knowing she didn’t need to narrate what was happening.

Because we were living it.

Finally I rolled a 17 and proclaimed out.

“Starlight barrier!”

“A beam of white light surrounds you all and protects you from the angels, just seconds away from escaping their touch.” We all panted as we saw that the angels had us now completely surrounded, entrapping us with their bodies and caging us in with their arms.

“Oh shit, oh gods above. That was close.” Henderson panted in relief.

“We’re not done yet.” I said lowly.

“Afraid you are correct Beren the Bard.” Roxxi said solemnly and darkly. “For even with the barrier up, the angels now proceeded to slam their fists against the barrier. Luthien’s necklace now going from a flicker to a dim as the magic within was starting to fade out.”

Once again the guys began speaking over one another frantically asking what we could do but I knew there was nothing that we could do. We were trapped, the magic of Luthien’s pendant was fading fast, and there’s no chance of us getting out of here fast enough. I’ll salute you on this Roxxi, but never did I think you’d get us all killed in the end.

“We do nothing.” I solemnly said.

“What? No Beren we-there must be something. I can help…..”

“Elven magic is extremely delicate Gareth the Great. You of all people should know that. Even if you tried to give some of your power to the pendant, who knows what it’ll do to us in the meantime. Even then, we’d probably be dead before that even happens once the shield is down. My friends, thank you for helping me find the answers I needed.”

The guys all looked at each other confused, shocked and horrified at my immediate surrender. They turned to Roxxi who merely looked at them with her arms crossed.

“It was great seeing you again Beren. And venturing with you these past few weeks felt like the good old times.” Said Gareth.

“Agreed.” Jeff and Grant said together.

“And even though we didn’t get to know you for very long, you’re as brave and courageous as the guys said you have been Beren the Bard.” Said Henderson. Wheeler nodded.

“Then I guess we’re all in agreement.” I turned to Roxxi who had the d20 between her fingers. “We’re ready.” She tossed me the die and I caught it in my hand. If we’re all going out, then at least we should go out in the most grand way possible. I blew into my palm and shook the die between my hands before letting it roll across the table.

Various numbers flashed before us ranging from the lower numbers mainly and I feared it’d be the most quickest, and painfullest death we’d all go through, but then the dice stopped and landed on 20.

“Crit hit.”

“The shield is destroyed, you all huddle together but just as you’re awaiting your end, there’s nothing but silence. You look up and see that the angels aren’t looking at you, but at each other. Their once horrifying faces now still as they stared at one another. With Luthien’s last will of magic, she had managed to force the angels to look at each other once the shield was destroyed.”

“Wait so we—we won?” asked Henderson. A slow wide smile came across Roxxi’s face as she deepened her voice to a more mature female tone (almost how she does Galadriel whenever she reads to me on my bad days).

“‘Indeed you did.’ A voice echoed through the darkness. A flash of light briefly appears and there stands the King and Queen along with Luthien herself. ‘You all managed to outwit the very enemy that’s eluded even our most powerful magic’. Said Luthien’s father. ‘For centuries our magic of starlight had kept these fell creatures under a watchful eye, but when Luthien left us, the magic keeping them sealed away began to fade. That’s why we had called her home, but in their millennia’s of isolation in the dark and light, they became too strong for even our magic to keep them at bay’. Said her mother.”

“So they’re…..never going to move again?” asked Wheeler.

“‘No Tayr. As I told you, their greatest asset is also their greatest curse. We’ve tried to gather them together once we realized our magic wouldn’t work, but one by one my people were picked off until they became too fast for us to handle.’ Luthien said.”

“But you’re alright now? Everything feeling right as rain?” I asked worriedly.

“‘Yes meleth nin. We’re all fine. Once you had sealed the angel’s fate, their curse upon us was reversed. You freed us. All of you. And we the Starlight Elves are eternally in your debt.’ With that decree, a grand festival was held in your honor and with that my friends, our Halloween campaign comes to an end.”

We all applauded and cheered, and that’s when the angels in costume began to move and more applause was heard as people began coming out from the shadows dressed in black tech clothes.

“And I’d also like to thank these fellow NPC’s and techies for bringing the last segment of my campaign back to life.” Roxxi said and that’s when the guys and I cheered for them as they all came together and gave us a bow. “Thanks again guys and I say now calls for a photo, everyone get together!” we all got together around the table as one of the techies set up a camera on a tripod before racing back over to us. “Everyone say scream!”

“SCREAM!!!!” a flash came from the camera. Once the photo was taken, we all packed up our folders, the table, books, game set, and the set props and all began to leave Pelennor fields bidding everyone a goodbye and happy Halloween.

After getting the kids back home, Roxxi and I made it back home and were getting ready for bed. She was taking out the last few pins from her wig she wore and removed it.

“I gotta admit it babe, this was probably better than the Moonscar Isle campaign you did our junior year.”

“You think so?” she asked.

“Absolutely. And those angel costumes you had those guys wearing, babe I think you’ve forever changed my view on statues forever.” The corner of her lips turned up into a smirk. “So how did you get all those people involved?”

“I met Courtney at rehab. Her uncle works at those Halloween haunt fairs over at Chicago every year and sometimes she’s helped out whenever she visits him. She got everything from the lights and costumes from him. Most of them were actual workers at the haunts and were gracious enough to book a flight here to do this little campaign of mine.”

“I swear you’ve got the magic touch when it comes to connections, you sure you can’t do that to speed up the process of the band’s success?”

“Sorry Teddy, my magical touch doesn’t touch the music industry. Just the makeup and hairstyle dept.” she finished wiping away the last of her makeup before coming over to me. I pulled back the covers for her to get in and cuddle up to me.

She buried her face into my neck and I pulled her in close, softly kissing the center of her forehead.

“But I know you’ll make it big. Once we’re done with school you’ll have all the time to focus on just the music, and one day you’ll get your shot.”

“With my lucky charm at my side, I don’t see how we can’t fail.” Her eyes softened as she smiled at me and her lips met with mine. “Now can I say something from one Dungeon Master to another?” she tilted her head in that puppy-like manner (that I always found so adorable).

“I thought you said you liked the campaign?” there was a hint of doubt in her voice.

“Oh sweetheart, you misunderstood. There was absolutely nothing wrong with it, I would just like to, you know…..add a little something extra to the ending.” I said reaching out and stroking her tri-colored strand and tucking it behind her ear. “If you catch my drift.” I raised my brow suggestively.

“And what would you like to add? Dungeon Master.” She asked in her Dungeon Mistress voice, that low, seductive tone that always made me go hard.

“After their reunion and having his wife once again, back in his arms. Beren took Luthien to their bed, his body hovering over hers.” I reached over and grabbed my black and red d20 die, holding it between my index and tall finger as I smirked down at her.

“Make your move Beren the Bard.”

“With pleasure, Luthien the Starlight.” I rolled the die but in the end it didn’t matter what number I landed on. I pulled the sheets over the two of us and we spent a night of pure bliss moaning not only our own names but our characters names as well.

This was definitely a Halloween night to remember.

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thehistoriangirl · 20 days

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The Tides Have Veiled [Sixteen]

This is the end of the third part of this story! :D A new interlude will be posted soon :3 Hope you like it!

Viktor x Fem! Reader-----/Gothic AU/Haunted Sea/---1.8K----SFW*

> MASTERLIST <- Previous // Next ->

Synopsis: Piltover the Old has an old lighthouse that looms over an abandoned port. From the house in the wailing cliff’s edge, the lighthouse owner watches that the beacon is being lighten up each time darkness arrives, so that monsters wouldn't dare to crawl inland, or so legends say. Both buildings are haunted, maybe even the man himself, by both past and present ghosts. Surprisingly, the keeper’s work is beyond turning on the beacon every night— but the rest is on you to discover.

Chapter Summary: What does the sea want?

Taglist: @lunar-monster @local-mr-frog @bittercyder @blissfulip @ihopeinevergetsoberr @ultimateslasherfan

Sixteen: Desperate Offerings

They were wrong about the sea. Always bestowing it with human qualities this silent world doesn’t have.

Greed. Such a familiar inkling, as if humans were made to claim and take everything in their wake, yet only finding their stop once their bodies were suspended in water, lungs burning in agony. When the world they walked upon dipped into an endless abyss.

Many considered the sea greedy, and all-consuming. Its waves conquering the land and sweeping the terrestrial lives once reigning in the surface a more than considerable reason for such argument; waves being a limit humans could not surpass.

But you knew better.

It wasn’t greed—greed needed the desire to consume, to take, an inherent purpose of seeking. The sea was hungry, underwater beasts copying the nature of their master in existence and lurking, just… waiting.

It'll be all-consuming, yes, but not for a self-fulfilling search and hunt. Rather, it'd be everything left.

It was always what remained.

What would remain of you.

The freezing water bit your skin, descending your throat once you tried to scream the creeping fear out. But you couldn’t, not with the gargantuan figure suspended below you, its eyes each as big as your head. White sclera, black pupils seemingly floating in the ocean.

You were torn between surfacing, allowing your lungs mercy, and keeping your attention toward the eyes, where the currents pushed bubbles forward with unmistakable movement.

Where is Viktor? You observed the eyes, impassible, the only thing inside this dark and dead ocean surrounding you.

You resurfaced, waves lapping lazily at the toppled boat’s hull. Gone were the shiny algae contrasting neon blue against the black water, as if the lurking giant had devoured them all.

Perhaps it has taken him, too, the water hitting your ear muttered in cold, merciless succession.

To wade was useless once the waves hugged you down, anxious of having you, soaked clothes too heavy and constricted to keep you afloat.

And soon, it’ll be your turn.

The sensation of being observed loomed nearby, coming from under. You fell and floated, broken time down the water; the only living being suspended in this world built of death and salty tears.

Cold and slimy, long appendages swirled around ankles, hooks like needles prickling the numb skin of your legs. You couldn’t see it, but the eyes did see you. The eyes and its limbs pulled you down, down, down.

Suddenly, you were that kid your uncles would tell you about. Following that shiny fish until their body was surrounded by water. The monster would grab their legs with whetted hooks, slicing the tender flesh and tinting the blue waves pink until the water was dark enough that the body nor the blood could be seen anymore.

Hungry. Always hungry.

Go upwards, don’t stop looking down, you thought, aching legs kicking the ever-present water in a fleeting attempt to break into the surface. The eyes gazed back at your desperate attempt, stoic, enjoying the struggle of your mortal, terrestrial body trying to survive in this alien world.

An unfamiliar world, and yet… under all the vast expanse of darkness, the water bubbled, illuminated with familiar glimpses. How the murmur of the sea crashing ashore filled the eerie silence inside the cramped bedroom; soft hums only a loving mother could mimic. The rocking motion of the waves soothing your mind, and body already exhausted after a productive overnight fishing trip aboard your grandfather's boat.

The ocean had always been there where everything else faded.

You shouldn’t be afraid. The bodiless voice said, floating as you sink. What a twisted irony as much as it was to finally see the clear night sky just right before falling into a bottomless inkwell. Don’t fear it. Just let go.

No.

You couldn't submit to the ocean's will—at least not until you've found Viktor.

At this stage of your life, it was pointless to pledge ignorance regarding the sea’s wishes. The pull that left you petrified, obliged to gaze at the raging storms hitting the coast during autumn. All the tears cried and were taken by the waves while the bodies morphed into nothing but sea foam.

It wanted you. Perhaps all your kin; but for now, it’ll be satiated once you found your everlasting rest on the seabed; feast for scavengers, a refuge of bones while it lasted.

The cold air hit you once you surfaced, lungs burning, panting in desperate attempts to inhale as much oxygen as possible. Your oppressed chest is heavy and about to burst.

The appendages of the being slid swiftly up your ankles in a loose grasp. Barely tugging. Barely… nudging. Guiding.

Over the black waters laid the defeated boat, its hull covered with barnacles, making the surface rough and uneven under your fingertips, like another body deformed and desecrated by the sea.

You wanted this to be a nightmare, to succumb to the waves and wake up on the lighthouse’s old couch, warm and still haunted, but with him.

“Viktor!” You called, voice strained, either by the cold or the piling tears.

Because now you were alone and cold and scared in this inky, abysmal world that was starving for an offering more satiating than those left by the cliffside—vivid memories of despair and the loss of an unknown loss, a void as deep as the ocean itself.

There was no answer except for the waves moving, whispering in their ancient language, running like flicking hopes through your fingers with each wade and kick. And yet, it was only a matter of time before your body tired out, for when you’d had to relent control and float aimlessly like algae in, once again, hope the sea would carry you home.

If it even knew where it was, because you weren’t sure yourself.

The appendages loosened the grasp, untangling like an untying ribbon with barely the sensation of friction of those hooks prickling your legs.

You stopped kicking, this twisted support abandoning you, too.

You floated, eyes closed to hear what the sea wanted to tell you. What it wished you to do.

Black sea; navy sky. It was you and the boat, the crippling cold burrowing inside your bones, claiming shivers from your lips already.

You wondered who would take you first, if cold or sea.

As if answering, the swaying waves started covering your body in the biggest, darkest dress ever conceived. First ankles, slowly creeping its way through thighs and torso. Soft sways, like a dance, an intimate embrace. You raised your view to the sky one last time, ears filled with the waves’ language until your head got covered by it, too.

Without the panic building chaos inside your mind, you stayed still and waited. Hearing the echo of this world, each whisper of water current like a whisper of running wind. All black, but not empty.

Not anymore.

The creature was still there, water bubbling and displacing when it swam toward you, both suspended and both gazing, even if all you could see were its gigantic eyes fixated on you.

You shouldn’t be afraid.

Drowning was deemed for you as a terrible form of dying; just the thought of this unwelcomed element conquering its way through those channels on your body that weren't meant for water. But you've heard stories.

How the water calmed you once oxygen had run out, how mermaids seduced before lounging. How the ocean kept swallowing you without you even noticing you were moving.

Don’t fear it.

This. Was this the same your mother felt? The oppression on your chest settled into a mere ghost, blurry vision clearer than ever, seeing dozens of forms lurking nearby to watch your demise.

Perhaps this destiny had been written of the sand, perhaps you’d been too distracted in nimieties to catch it before the tide swept the shoreline.

Just let go.

You looked down at your witnesses; at the tall giant that gazed at you still. Chin high and rigid hands balled in fists.

Let him go. And take me instead.

He may be your cursed husband as much as you were his cursed wife—his end may be on land, inside the lonely walls of the grey house by the cliff.

You opened your mouth in the primal reflex of gathering air. Fire entered your veins, tears mixed in with the salty seawater, finally arriving down your being, and filtering through bloodstream, flesh, and bones.

If the ocean had always been home and shelter, prison, and origin; did it matter that you end here? Like this? If the sea was so jealous of letting you go, what better end than this?

Away from the perpetual rain and the ever-present mist, of hunting ghosts and failed families.

With the sea you could be free.

Black waters broke into an eerie, dreamy world of vivid navy and mossy green. You were enveloped by the waves, but you could now understand their words as they tangled around you, pulling down while suspended in time. The echo of deformed ripples ran through your ears, eyes locked with those of the creature.

A blood-red squid so big you couldn’t take in its whole size, tentacles sinking deeper into the abyss where the darkness and the sand blocked visibility.

The knowledge bestowed you with courage, extending one of your hands toward the magnificent being, only to find them morphed. Unfamiliar.

They were the hands of a monster.

They’re all ghosts, the squid seemed to tell you, but it could’ve been the sea itself, the disembodied voice coming from everywhere. Just as the silhouettes came from everywhere, slowly rising toward you. Just like me. Just like you.

Where once was all but water, you saw bodies, all of them bloated and deformed, barely human, and yet, you knew that only a human spirit could be stubborn, vengeful enough to force themselves to remain. Even here, where they would never belong.

The squid looked at you, almost pitifully.

We’re all but ghosts.

There was no time to fear nor react once they grasped you. Their icky touch, slimy and soft, too soft, swarmed you. An entire graveyard claiming another victim.

That sensation of oppression on your chest returned. That human instinct to survive.

I won’t be one of them. You gazed at them, empty sockets still locked into your face, as if somehow, they could recognize you like the one the sea longed for. Not yet.

You had to see Viktor again. Even if it was only to say goodbye. You needed to know if the sea could fulfill its pact.

Consciousness started slipping off your grasp, vision darkening at the edges like a damaged photograph, drenched in water that had made the coloring run off in amorph shadows, creating faceless people and erased backgrounds.

Then, you heard the voices—low hums, haunting chants.

The sea shifted once the mermaids came, yet you only could catch a glimpse of blue and green tails and grey skin. You wanted them to sing you a lullaby before your lungs gave up.

Then you were claimed by the sea.

#arcane viktor x reader #viktor x reader #viktor arcane x reader #arcane viktor x you #viktor fanfic #arcane fanfic #arcane viktor #viktor arcane

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appalachianapologies · 1 month

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okay so I was tagged by @lailuhhh and @rosieblogstuff and I think one other person (i am so sorry i forgor) many days ago and i am finally doing the first sentence of ten works thing. I guess the general consensus is no one knows whether or not this is for WIPs or posted things so like many others I'll just do a combo of both :D

From a wip that is uhhhh 22k and counting long, titled in my google docs as simply "fuck it desi lore," starting off strong with a sentence that I don't think is actually grammatically correct but you know what sometimes the vibes matter more than grammar and you can quote me on that: Later, Desi will feel guilty for it.

From chapter one of Remittent Distress, we have a line that sounds like it's going to be macriley WHICH IT IS NOT- (PS she's just out on a little mini mission she's not dead or anything) During the three days that Riley has been gone, Mac's been coping poorly.

Another chapter one first sentence, we have the first line of what's shaping up to be my next book! Cue the school intercom noise... "Good morning Ravens, happy Tuesday, and happy first day of school!"

Next we have chapter one (not the prologue) of False Dawn, which is a WIP that keeps me up at night and makes me feel far too many emotions at once: Bozer has a strange affinity for sending physical letters.

We have a bit of a secret fic that's up next- set in Tender Mercies universe, except this is set approximately 10 years in the future from Aground, the most recent fic in the series. Mac makes it a single step into the visitation cell before freezing on the spot.

Next up we have the first line of one of my favorite fics of mine, where we get some Sam Cage! (sam my beloved). Get ready for the first sentence of Episteme! Samantha Cage, despite her evergrowing want to be out of the life she threw herself into, isn’t exactly sure how to stay out of it.

Okay so this is the first line at the moment, but might not be if/when I finally get around to writing the vast majority of this fic. After drafting out an entire fic on a plane ride about a year ago, I only actually fully wrote out a few paragraphs. Here's the beginning of it as of right now: “Arriving in forty-five minutes,” comes the eventual answer through Mac’s earpiece.

Now we have the first line from Past + Fire + Present, purely because I think it's a fabulous addition to the whole point of this post (and also this does happen to be a fic that i am quite happy about how it came out). The first sentence is a little bit lack-luster though... Hands.

Changing things up a bit, this next sentence is from my 95% finished The Martian fic that has been 95% finished for over a year at this point. I really just need to write two more paragraphs and post it at this point, but here's the start! Sneaking out of Beck's quarters as soon as he stepped out to talk to the rest of the crew was probably not the brightest of plans, but I can’t take it back now.

And to end things off, we're going to hop back to Remittent Distress, but this time in the form of the first sentence for chapter three! (Currently working on it, fear not) It’s to be expected.

I'm fairly certain that at this point everyone that I know has been tagged in this (and I'm also like a week or two late at this point), so if you see this, assume you're being tagged! (and also if you write your own please tag me somewhere in it so I can read your sentences :D)

#in which vi actually writes #macgyver #the martian #original fiction #in which vi thinks about writing #tag games #writing games #looking at how i start my pieces and going. ''damn girl you [write] like this?'' (derogatory)#idk man at some point i'll learn how to start pieces. that point is clearly not today though #''Hands.'' WHERE'S MY FUCKING PULITZER

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lovehotelreservation · 9 months

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Deeper Than the Ocean Is - Monday

Summary: Habit or fate–there was an aspect to your life that was nigh impossible to break away from.

And that was your devotion to the sons of Rosfield, and their devotion to you.

[Contains plot spoilers for Final Fantasy XVI]

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: Joshua/F!Reader/Clive

[Next Chapter]

idk i was watching mr jungkook's seven video and i couldn't help but think his hair looked like joshua's elegant mullet 🧍

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It was a day like any other.

You, Joshua, and Clive–all seated at the large dining table of Byron’s grand estate. Rather than restoring Rosaria as a whole to become a desperate clutch at former glory, the effort to re-develop the duchy into the welcoming haven that Elwin always dreamed of required some needed attention from its two former royal inheritors.

This was especially the case while Valisthea in its entirety slowly stepped forward into a future that was free from the demanding rule of magic.

Yet while citizens from each region steered themselves together with hopeful eyes towards the change that awaited for everyone in the days to come, some habits were still firmly and stubbornly rooted in the past.

Namely the poked, prodded yet uneaten scoop of glazed carrots on Joshua’s plate.

The lingering orange presence only deepened the pout on your lips and strengthened the grip of your fingers on your fork.

While Clive watched on with amusement from the side in-between bites of his steak, you had spent the past few minutes trying to get his brother to part his lips to eat the single piece of carrot that you skewered just for him.

“I don’t see why you still harbor such a grudge against carrots, Joshua. They’re good for you!”

While the look in his eyes twinkled with affection towards you, even he couldn’t hold back his exasperation as he dodged each offering of your fork. “While good and blessed in nutrients, there are simply better foods to savor.”

“And such is why you will always be my baby brother, Joshua.”

Both you and Joshua snapped your heads towards Clive, who only grinned teasingly as he proceeded to effortlessly cut himself another piece of steak with one stroke of his knife.

Needless to say, Joshua was aghast.

“Clive! You would go so far to say tha–ack…!”

And prone to ambush.

Without a moment’s hesitation, you took his slackened jaw as the opportunity you needed to finally plunge your fork into his mouth.

His baby blue eyes widened, his tongue retracting in his mouth slightly to avoid having to savor the taste beyond the glazed sauce and right to the heart of the carrot, which in turn led him to cough in repulsion when his panic caused his worst fear to transpire.

You were pleased.

Clive was laughing.

Joshua was soon plotting.

His intentions made itself known in the form of his voice as he spoke, his tone dipping an octave down.

“If there is something that you must insist on having me taste, please indulge me with choice at least…”

Suddenly, it was your turn to seek avoidance of any contact.

Yet without another word and his lips curling into a grin, Joshua went on to slip down beneath the table, positioning himself over to right before where you sat. Feeling your hands grasp at your thighs, you only shuddered as they were parted, granting him more space for him to plant his lips against your inner thigh, his kisses quick and eager to settle right between your legs.

While you were caught up in the beginnings of what would be Joshua’s relentless retaliations, you gasped as you then took note of the presence that was now standing behind you instead. You soon felt large hands move down to rest upon your shoulders before giving them an affectionate squeeze, which contrasted with the pressure applied–an unspoken request for you to remain in place just before they moved to cup your breasts.

From even partnering up with you to now joining in on Joshua’s revenge.

You couldn’t hold back your whine.

“Clive, you too?”

He was all smiles in response, taking the moment to lean down and bring his lips along the side of your neck, dragging it up towards your cheek.

With this, his lips then fell by your ear, his voice in a low murmur as he declared,

“What can I say–if my younger brother is being antagonized, I simply must step in.”

With your panties pushed aside as Joshua’s mouth now happily planted upon right in-between your thighs and Clive’s big and heavy hands massaging and groping your breasts, you truly felt like you were in the heart of paradise.

After all, it was another day spent with these two.

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another day, another founding chapter for what could be a new fic collection owo ty for reading!!!

#clive rosfield x reader #joshua rosfield x reader #final fantasy xvi #final fantasy xvi spoilers #ffxvi spoilers #final fantasy 16 spoilers #reader insert #Deeper Than the Ocean Is #Fic #super freaknasty writing

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imtryingmybeskar · 1 year

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Come Home Chapter Seven. Joel Miller x F! Reader.

Your first group patrol with Joel leading. Anyone who has played TLOU2 will (hopefully) recognise this place as the radio tower that Dina and Ellie go to. No spoilers here, though.

Warnings for canon typical gore and violence.

Word count: 4656

Come Home

Chapter Seven - Vanish Like A Lipstick Trace

Christ this is uncomfortable. You shift, trying not to disturb your body too much, trying not to rouse yourself out of the sleep you were so desperate to cling to. But you can feel your mind whirring to life even now, beginning to enumerate what you needed to do today, noting the hunger pangs in your stomach, the fullness of your bladder. You crack an eye open and take in the towering tiled wall to one side, the plastic sheet on the other and heave a sigh.

Even with Joel’s visit, last night had been difficult. You had eventually been lulled to sleep by the warmth of the fire, head resting on your crooked arm and your book dropped to the floor by lax fingers. When you had awoken the room had been dark and cold, the fire almost out, and you realised you had no idea what time it was, though by all accounts it had to be either very late or very early.

Time to reclaim a little more humanity, you had thought. Foolishly as it turned out. Sleepiness and the knowledge that your house was secure and free of others, had quelled the fears within you to manageable levels, at least whilst you ascended the stairs again. You had picked out the room you would be staying in for now when you had explored earlier. It was the one with the ensuite, a corner room furthest away from the nursery. It was well lit too - or would be once the days became longer and brighter – with windows spread over two walls. Those windows faced both Joel’s house and the back yard, and before you had lain down you had noticed a small light glowing from Joel’s garage and smiled softly at the thought of Ellie practicing her guitar.

The bed was comfortable enough, way more than the bedrolls in the cabin and it was absolute luxury compared to some places you had rested your head. The linens you had put on were clean and smelled fresh and you felt guilty that you hadn’t showered before getting in. But exhaustion was tugging at you, begging you to close your eyes and so you had put on a fresh t shirt and socks to sleep in as a compromise. The duvet was fluffy, the pillows too and you closed your eyes expecting immediate unconsciousness to follow.

No such luck. You could feel the empty space around you. Not just to your side where Chris would usually be, but the vastness of the room and the house. The cabin had been near claustrophobic with both of you in there on occasion, but you had adapted very quickly and gotten used to the comforting feeling and sounds of a person next to you and a horse in the other room.

You tossed, you turned, you tried various positions to get comfortable and each time the bed creaked in a way that wasn’t familiar which set you even more on edge. Rest almost claimed you, once. But as soon as the dreamy, half dozing state took hold you were back in that black and forsaken place, the torchlight picking out the index written in blue, incongruous smears of red across it. Searching, searching for the right word – Cardiology, Theatres, Critical Care, Respiratory, Pedeatrics.

Finally, defeated, you had relocated to the ensuite. Wrapping yourself in the duvet and using one of the pillows you had used the bath as a makeshift bed. The high sides of the tub swaddled you and the lock on the door had been a further comfort - enough for you to finally sink into unconsciousness, and if you dreamed after this you did not remember them.

You had clawed your way back to the surface of consciousness breathing as hard as if you had been there for real and clutching a hand to your chest to feel the pounding of your heart. All was thankfully still in the house and you were grateful for the glow of the bedside lamp that you had decided to leave on.

The duvet hadn’t provided quite enough padding though, and your back protests as you sit up and stumble sleepily from the tub. You move the bedding from its resting place and put it back where it belongs, promising yourself that tonight you will be able to sleep in the bed properly. And now…time for that long-awaited shower.

Joel was right. There was nothing quite like it. Maria’s care package had included soap and shampoo and you scrub and scrub at your skin and hair until you feel squeaky clean. Then you luxuriate, allow the hot water to run all over your body, washing the soap suds and grime and cares and worries down the drain as you relax into its warm embrace.

A new day, and a fresh new you, with clothes that didn’t stink and a scalp that didn’t itch and clean, soap scented skin. You realise you’re almost smiling as you open up the curtains to the crisp, winter’s day, and once you’ve eaten a protein bar and drunk some tea you feel more than ready to take on the day’s challenges

You debate knocking on Joel’s door as you head out. For no real reason - just to say hi, to thank him again, to see those kind eyes but utimately you decide against it. He’s probably a busy man and he doesn’t need you bothering him every day. You’re sure you will see him around Jackson anyway.

As you head into the town proper, you find your cheerful mood sustained. It’s a beautiful day – pale, bright blue skies without a cloud to be seen, and the sun reflecting off the glittering, pristine snow that drifts against houses and walls and that near dazzles you. Its also freezing and the breath of both people and horses are very visible everywhere. Icicles have formed along the rooftops of most of the buildings and they shine brightly as you pass. You exchange polite nods with the people you see outside the various shops and receive a few greetings and smiles in return too. Maybe you could settle into the normality of this place. You just needed to overcome those fears underneath the surface. Or at least stuff them so far down inside that they wouldn’t come out again. Possibly not the healthiest coping mechanism, but if it worked…

Your thoughts are interrupted as someone hails you from behind, and you turn to see Vanessa striding up behind you.

“Well hi stranger,” she smiles. “How’s it goin’?”

“Better than it has been for a while,” you confess. “How about you?”

“I’m fed, I’m clean, I slept in an actual bed. Doesn’t get much better.”

“You’re right about that,” you mutter fervently, feeling a strange pang of guilt that you hadn’t managed to take advantage of the bed last night. “So…what are you all up to?”

“I was actually on my way to find you,” Vanessa smiles. “I volunteered to scout the area and Maria mentioned you’d be up for patrolling as well. She’s organised a group for us to join. I don’t wanna get too used to sitting on my ass here.”

“Likewise,” you agree. “These people have been good enough to take us in. I want to give something back if I can. Plus I’d like to see the lay of the land, get an idea of the surrounding areas.” And if I wear myself out enough, hopefully I can get some sleep tonight you think to yourself.

“Well, they’re meeting down at the stables. That is if you’re ready to go now?”

You nod and join the older woman as she begins to walk in that direction. “How about the others?” you ask. “Are they settling in?”

Vanessa nods. “Well enough. Tommy is taking Chloe out to visit the dam today to get an idea of how things operate. She was an electrician once upon a time. He looked like he wanted to hug her when she told him. As far as I know she’s never worked with hydroelectricity before, but still…you gotta assume she knows a damn sight more than most. Mark is focused on looking after Anna. I think he’ll be happy to never set foot outside Jackson again to be honest.”

“How is Anna?”

“Good. She’s already doing better with regular food and more restful sleep. Mark’s looking better too now he knows she’ll be safe. We took a couple of houses next to each other. Last night we all stayed in one though. It feels bizarre after camping and keeping watch for so long.”

“Oh I get it. I’m living next door to Joel – Tommy’s brother – and he had to talk me down after I got a little agitated in my place last night. Hopefully we can all just…relax. Get used to this place quickly.” Vanessa gave you a searching yet kindly look.

“If you need to, you can always stay with us.”

“Thank you.” Your words are warm and sincere as you feel a rush of affection for the woman in front of you. Everyone had been through the worst kind of shit, everyone had their demons. You hoped that one day you could feel like you wanted to rely on someone else again.

“Thank you, that’s a lovely offer, but I think I want to try to get used to my own space again.”

“I understand. The offer stands though. Just knock if you need us. We’re all neighbours now after all.”

As you approach the stables you see none other than Joel himself, bundled up in his brown coat and leather gloves again, and the affection you feel is amplified until it makes you feel a little breathless. He’s leading two saddled horses from the stables, another man, middle aged and balding, leading another two behind him. It isn’t until you get closer that you realise that one of the horses is yours and just who will be accompanying you outside the walls finally clicks into place in your mind.

“Well good morning,” Joel says affably. “Hope you slept well.”

“Like a log,” you lie, trying to keep your voice light.

He’s all business today, and while a part of you wishes you could catch a glimpse of the gentle side of himself that he showed you last night, you understand very well the demarcation of behaviour between survival and safety. He hands you the reins to your horse and you swing yourself into the saddle with practiced ease, giving the animal a pat as you do.

“Glad to hear it. You’ll need to be on form today. We’re going to run the creek trails within a 3 mile radius. We’ll be keeping east for the most part. Any infected we kill. Any fresh infected, we try to investigate where they’ve come from. We’ll be back within the walls by sundown. Any questions?” You shake your head and see Vanessa do the same. “Good. This here is Luke. He’s experienced in this kind of thing. Today is mostly about seeing how you deal with being outside, if we feel comfortable with you in two person patrols. If we actually take care of any business, so much the better. Supplies are in the saddlebags. Unless anyone has any objections we should get going.”

The day is near perfect, even with the low temperatures. The sun shines mightily and frost and compacted snow twinkle all around as you ride. The forest is peaceful, pristine, a haven of quiet and beauty and when you reach the creek trails after half an hour or so you marvel at the loveliness of the semi frozen streams that intersect the woods as the horses walk past them in single file. Joel leads and Luke brings up the rear and the only sounds are of faraway birds nestled deep within the black trees, the faint trickling of water as it falls over rocks, and the soft harrumphing of the horses as they progress. You allow your mind to wander, just a little. To indulge in the gentle rocking motion of the horse under you, the crisp, clean air that you’re breathing, the majesty of your surroundings.

Joel leads the party away from the creek slightly, into a clear section of the woods and then halts.

“We’re gonna ride on to one of our closest outposts,” he announces quietly. “We have a check in system there so we know how long its been since someone has visited. We have a few of these set up around Jackson and if you’re ever in a bind and can’t make it back after bein’ outside you know there is a secure shelter, supplies, a place to hole up for a while. This particular one hasn’t been checked in a while, so stay alert.”

The outpost is another twenty minute ride. As you approach you think it looks like some sort of old electrical station, probably connected to the dam once upon a time. An open space is bordered on one side by a functional looking concrete building and surrounded by fences topped with barbed wire. A few pillaged and decrepit cars lie abandoned here and there, and even though the undisturbed snow upon them tells you no one has touched them for a while, you still eye them warily as you pass. The building itself is accessed by an open metal shutter, small snowdrifts reaching into the building like tendrils, but Joel calls a stop to your party before you get there and motions silently for you all to look around. Nothing stirs. Not even an animal. It seems you are the only ones here.

After a few moments, seemingly satisfied that no infected are in the immediate area, Joel leads you beyond the shutter and into the building proper. It resembles nothing so much as a concrete basement. The light is dim, but the enormous hole in one wall sheds some light upon proceedings. Judging from the faded scorch marks on the jagged blocks at the edge of the gap, it was blown open by something or other a long time ago. A set of bare metal shelves sags against one wall, some rags and formless, nameless scraps of metal upon them. A door with an old sign warning of the dangers of high voltage beyond lies closed to your right and there are stairs ahead, blocked at the bottom with filing cabinets and fallen concrete and with more natural light filtering down from the collapsed ceiling above in a strangely inviting sort of way.

He dismounts and the three of you follow suit. “We’ll leave the horses here. You okay to keep ‘em company, Luke?”

The other man gives Joel a small salute of acknowledgment and begins to attach the reins to some piping against one wall.

“The supplies and safehouse are up there,” Joel explains with a wave of his hand toward the stairwell. “Past the stairs we have a small but effective defence system against infected gettin’ in. Still…we gotta check it out. But first…”

He trails off and beckons you and Vanessa to follow him as he heads to the right, past the closed door and through a corridor where you can see another crumbling gap in the exterior wall. It leads out to a small outdoor area, used for some kind of storage at one time or another judging from the debris on the floor. But that’s not what arrests your attention as you step back outside.

The view is breathtaking. You hadn’t realised just how high up this place was before, but you appear to be elevated the equivalent of several storeys. The glorious shine of the main body of the creek curves side to side beneath you, bisecting a view of rolling snowy hills and tall black pines stretching across the divide between there and here. It is startlingly blue, a splash of true colour amongst the mostly monochrome landscape, and you can see tiny bergs of shining ice that have broken away from the sides and are now buffeted by the powerful currents. Beyond its far bank lies a town full of rooftops, and from up here it looks peaceful, untouched, frozen in a more civilised time. The craggy grey mountains somehow look both bigger and further away from up here, their white tips almost invisible against the pale winter’s sky.

Your eyes feast, drinking in the abject beauty of the place and worries about what may or may not be waiting to be explored above fade to insignificance in your mind for a brief moment.

Vanessa whistles lowly beside you. “Some view,” she says admiringly, and you nod in agreement.

“Yeah, this outpost has its upsides,” remarks Joel in a casual way. “You see that?” He points to the town across the river. “That’s our next conquest as it were. We need to set up more stations around Jackson. To check for any supplies, see who else might be out there. All that stuff. We won’t be goin’ today of course. Somethin’ like that will require almost a day to travel to in these conditions. But I want you to understand the kind of thing you’re signin’ up for by volunteering to be scouts. It ain’t all creeks and forests. You’ll be expected to go into once inhabited unknown territory.”

“Well,” you say in a clipped voice as you turn from the majesty of the landscape and face your compatriots once more. “Shall we get this done?”

His gaze lingers on you for a moment and you realise that he’s wondering if you’re strong enough, capable enough to fulfil the role you have signed up for. You suppose you can’t blame him after what he witnessed last night, but all the same a surge of anger mixed with defiance sparks through your veins. This world hasn’t beaten you. Oh, its tried but never succeeded, not even in the darkest of times. There are hang ups and memories and shadowy recesses within that you will not revisit willingly, but you defy him to find anyone alive who isn’t affected in that way.

The upper floor is accessed, not by the blocked off stairs, but by a hollowed out space underneath them. The entrance to this small tunnel is covered by a metal sheet that Joel pulls back to allow you all to crawl through, and when you have enough space to stand again you are greeted by the sight of a length of rope hanging in front of you.

“Like I said - defence system,” Joel rumbles in a low tone. “While some infected can scale walls, I’ve not met one that can climb a rope yet."

Still feeling slightly stung at his mistrust in your abilities, you merely nod curtly and begin to ascend. It’s been a while since you’ve had to move your body like this, but the rope is sturdy, and the wall it rests against provides a brace for your feet as you progress upward.

As soon as you crest the lip of the floor above and hoist yourself up, you get a prickling chill across your scalp. Immediately ahead is a nondescript grey door, almost identical to the one downstairs, except there was no signage attached. Well, not unless you included the word scrawled across it in what looked suspiciously like blood.

Joel follows swiftly and you dimly recognise that he’s both spry and strong for his age before all three of you are standing before the door, taking in its simple message splayed in dark red.

You could hear Vanessa preparing to climb, the reverberation of voices suddenly all too loud in the tiny space as she fires some small joke at Joel and you hear his words of encouragement in return. Now unsure as to what might lie in the space beyond, you lean over the small drop to the floor below and wave frantically to get their attention. When they look up at you, you shake your head and put a finger to your lips. They immediately fall silent and you can see the hardening of their faces, the reassertion of survival instincts over the shared humanity of humour. They exchange an apprehensive glance before Vanessa starts to climb the rope.

DON’T

You share in the apprehensive looks this time and then quietly make your way to the door to press your ear against it. Silence reigns beyond, no staggering footsteps, no clicking or wheezing sounds. If the person had enough wherewithal to write on the door, perhaps they had enough presence of mind to end it before they turned too. Or perhaps not. You couldn’t bank on anything in situations like these unless you wanted some very unpleasant surprises.

The gun feels cold, yet welcome in your hand as you double check that its fully loaded. As you look back with a meaningful look at the others, your hand rests on the door handle. Joel’s brow furrows briefly and he steps forward, so close to you, so in your personal space that his breath stirs your hair and tickles your neck as he mutters into your ear.

“You sure you wanna go first?”

The burst of yearning that you feel to prove yourself to him (and more importantly to yourself) trills through you and you nod your certainty to him. Whatever he sees in your face seems to reassure him, and he returns your nod grimly as he draws his own weapon.

It is immediately apparent that no infected, in fact no one at all resides within the next room, as it is well lit with bright sunlight streaming through a long stripe of miraculously intact windows plastered across the wall ahead. Lumpen panels of machinery lie hunched in various places, dusty and disused. Low metal cabinets are pushed up against the walls, a few tables and chairs marking where desks once resided. A large, hardbacked book lies open on one of these table to your left and you can see various different handwriting represented in its pages. You take all of this in with a glance, but the thing that truly captures your attention is the presence of a second door in the wall to your right upon which another bloody message screams out.

Despite Joel’s certainty that no one has been here for a while, the door appears well maintained as it doesn’t creak as you gently push it open.

PLEASE DON’T

It is the ledger of those who have come to visit, the check-in that Joel had talked about. The last entry from a patrol is dated late October, and underneath that lies a message, hastily scrawled but thankfully in pen this time.

The ancient, mildewed carpet masks your footfall as you move inside the room. The presence of Vanessa and Joel is an almost tangible thing with how close behind they’re following, the tension between you all ramping up slightly as they take in the sight that you have. Nobody dares speak or move too loudly and Joel leaves the door open behind him as he enters. He crosses to where the book lies open, and beckons you both to him.

This place is too clean and too well stocked to be abandoned. So I can guess people are coming sooner or later. I tried. I never wanted to turn into one of those things but when the time came I just couldn’t. After putting down my friends and my family I was too much of a coward to do it to myself. I’m going to block myself into that room and hope no one gets hurt because of my inability to do what needed to be done. I’m sorry. I hope you can forgive me, Matt. I should never have left.

Three pairs of eyes dart back to the door again, and it might just be your over active imagination but you think you hear a distressed whimpering noise emanating from behind it now.

“We can’t leave it in there,” Joel breathes, and you nod your agreement.

“If the person did manage to block themselves in, that will help us,” you whisper back. “If you try to open the door it will be attracted to the noise and I’ll be able to stab it through the gap.” As you speak you put away your gun and instead draw out your pocket knife, holding it ready.

Joel looks as though he’s about to ask you if you’re sure again, but at the look on your face he closes his mouth and merely nods.

The three of you cross to the door, where this time Joel presses his ear against the wall, listening. Almost immediately he draws back and this time his nod is one of affirmation. Infected inside. He mimes to Vanessa to stand back and draw her gun, a back up should you need it, and one fewer body in the doorway. Then he grasps the handle, turns it and pushes gently.

The clang of the door against whatever has been pushed against it inside immediately sets the creature within to a frenzied howling and you hear the clatter of objects scattering as it hurls itself toward the door in desperation. In fact, all it succeeds in doing is knocking the door shut again and Joel sighs in exasperation as he pushes again, bracing a little more firmly this time in order to give you the space you will need to reach through with the knife.

The runner inside is screeching and you know you need to end this quickly to avoid any other infected that might be in the vicinity hearing. Adding your weight to the door, you catch a brief glimpse of its face through the widening gap. Pale dead skin, gore dripping from its eyes and mouth from where the infection has made it bleed from its orifices, a black mouth full of shattered teeth. Taking aim, you plunge your blade directly into its eye, more blood joining what was already there. As it has no pain receptors active in its brain anymore it barely reacts, only screams louder in its ravenous fury and scrabbles at the door frame in an attempt to reach you. You stab again swiftly, your knife plunging deeper into its face this time. One more should do it…

Suddenly the world falls away with a sickening lurch and a loud clatter. The infected vanishes from your sight as the door flies open and you tumble into the room, rolling to the floor. You barely hear Joel’s anguished yell of “No!” before a hungry, snapping, shrieking maw is above you. Knife in hand, you brace your hands on its bony shoulders and use its own momentum as it lunges for you to flip it on to its back where you straddle its writhing form and plunge the blade hilt-deep into its eyes again, again, again, again until its noise is suddenly quieted and its movements stilled.

For the first time in what feels like hours, you exhale. You wipe your knife as best you can on the clothes of the runner before you stand and face the others. Vanessa is in the doorway looking pale, her gun still pointed at the scene ahead of her and as you catch her eye she seems to realise this and lowers it toward the floor. Joel’s features are panicked, his eyes wide, and his chest heaving. He is inside the room, mere feet from you, having clearly been on his way to assist in your struggle.

“I’m good,” you verbalise calmly to their unspoken question. “It didn’t get me. But I wish this asshole had saved us the trouble in the first place.”

“What the fuck is goin’ on up there?!”

Joel looks like he wants to respond but before he can, Luke’s voice floats up in a harsh whisper.

Next chapter

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