#baby talon has never done anything wrong in his life ever

[officialladynoirette]

Saw the cutest owl pic and NEEDED a baby owlet Talon. Reverse Bad End Robins? Regardless, BABY TALON

[Cutest owl ever]

#talon dick grayson #dick grayson #batman #dc #bad end au #I drew this on a whim #cause MY INKTOBER PIECES WONT LOAD #SO MAYBE THIS ONE WONT BUT I HOPE IT WILL #that owl was so cute #i couldn’t help myself #baby talon has never done anything wrong in his life ever #but reverse bad end? #someone slap me #I GOTTA STOP #anyways inktober pieces are on my Instagram

[ktheist]

in another life (i would be your man)

muses. hero!yoongi / assassin!yoongi / father!yoongi / lawyer!yoongi

word. 2.5k

genre. reincarnation au

x

time and time again, you find yourselves in the other’s absolute mercy.

mercy, which both of you know, the other will not grant.

“have you any last words, hero?” the grass shrivels up around yoongi all because hot air wilts the greenest of life.

a single bead of sweat trickles down the side of yoongi’s face as he looks at you without a shred of fear in the face of death.

“all the gold you’re hoarding... does it bring you happiness?” he says, as though already finding serendipity before you can even drive your talon into his chest.

“happiness!” you roar, mockery dripping off your word, “such humanly sentiments. you forgot who you’re speaking to, hero.”

“yoongi... yoongi’s my name” he sighs softly, eyelids fluttering shut, “say it.”

it is you who fall silent this time.

to say the name of the soul who’s bound to you not for love but for destruction... have you the right?

in your last life, a good few hundred years ago, he’s the one that drove the cross into your chest.

in the one before that, you burn him at the stakes for the wretched powers he held.

in this lifetime, even the armor made of the silver cannot withstand the weight of your paw, talon digging into his chest as he lays underneath you, ready to accept the heroic death.

“very well, if not in this lifetime, then perhaps the next...”

you live for three human lifetimes as the great dragon who brought the continent together. the humans, without their hero, are mere mortals. they learned better than to put their faith in one man.

in the next lifetime, you find yourself kneeling in front of a silver haired man - what a striking hair color for someone who’s supposed to be on the low.

“my hand’s gonna slip,” that gravelly voice still sends shivers down your spine.

“what-” you breathe out, eyebrows knitting together.

he takes his aim.

but there’s something wrong.

the angle he’s pointing at will graze your cheek and ear at most.

then he shoots.

when the bullet bounces against the cement somewhere a few inches away behind you, your body moves on its own. your leg sweep out to send him tumbling down onto the ground. your thighs pin his hips down so he can’t get up and you push the gun farther beyond his reach.

“why are you doing this?” you hiss, knife against his throat.

“don’t you think we owe it to ourselves to be happy?” yoongi says simply, too complacent for a man who’s about to lose yet another life to his enemy.

“that’s not how it works,” teeth gritted together, you press the dulled side of the knife harder against his snow-kissed flesh.

“then, how does it work?” he asks.

for a moment, you’re frozen in place. then you’re taken back to where it all begins.

you were a queen who poisoned her king before proceeding to ruin the kingdom until it remains but a memory to those who’ve lived through your tyrannical era. yoongi was the crown prince from a small country who enticed you into his chambers and kept you locked in a tower like a caged bird while he went to war with the neighboring kingdom with your kingdom’s army.

“i- i hated you for seducing me and locking me up in that tower,” you murmur, breath shaky, “a- and you hated me because i-i couldn’t be killed... because i was...”

“a blood sucker.” he finishes for you.

a flash of anger crosses your eyes and paint your vision red. you press the knife harder - no doubt there would be a bruise, “no matter how immortal i was... i died because of a broken heart. you killed me!”

“i was breaking my own heart for having to keep you locked in that tower but if i let you go...” he trails off, his hand coming to settle on yours.

it’s the first time you hear him choke up.

“so many died because of our love,” yoongi’s voice comes out barely above whisper.

“your sin is mistaking hate for love,” you flick your wrist, switching the side of the blade pressed against his neck to one that could cut through clean and swift.

but before you can seal yet another lifetime of your surviving, a sharp pain cuts into your arm, forcing you to release the blade, your free hand cupping the familiar circular wound that’s gushing with blood.

you push yourself off him, going over the ledge and jumping off to your safety. and yoongi’s left in the cold, night air, the coms in his ear buzzing back to life.

it’s six months later that he finds you, dressed in deep red, smiling seductively as you cling on a man twice your age. all of a sudden, he finds himself ignoring whatever his partner’s saying in the coms and approaching you and the man.

yoongi can barely remember what he said but he remembers the overwhelming feeling of relief when the man pushes you off and march out of the room, shouting russian vulgarities.

“planting a bullet hole in my arm isn’t enough, you just had to sabotage my mission, don’t you?” you’re on top of him once again but the ground isn’t cold and hard as he’s always remembered in the series of you pinning him down in differing lifetimes.

“have you thought about what i said?” he doesn’t look like he minds it anymore.

being pinned down by you, that is.

rather, yoongi quite likes the view of your cleavage when you lean down close enough to whisper into his hears, “i reflected on my past mistakes... and truly, i wish nothing more than to have you gone from my sight once and for all.”

then his index finger ghosts over the softest protrusion of the healed up scar on your arm. and you feel goosebumps on your skin.]

you leave in the morning, slipping out of the hotel room in that skin tight maroon dress, noticing the woman in the lobby, looking like what you would’ve looked like if you were waiting for your partner who went against orders and checked into a room in the very same hotel he was supposed to eliminate his target at.

sloppy. fucking sloppy.

yoongi never sees you after that. he got reprimanded and almost got eliminated by his own agency if it hadn’t been his father, the head of the extermination department who pulled some strings and buried the matter.

it’s a surprise he’s still alive at the age of of thirty-one, owning a lawfirm of his own and living the life he’s never thought he’d have.

a normal one.

then, he spots you, walking down the sidewalk holding a toddler’s hand and smiling down at him like he’s the most precious thing you’ve ever hold dear to.

“stop the car,” yoongi orders.

“s-sir?” the driver, surprised by the sudden request, hesitates.

“pull over!” it’s the first time the young man has ever hear his boss raise his voice.

so he does just that, but a block away from where yoongi last saw you.

he runs as fast as his legs could carry him. but the sidewalk is empty of a woman holding a child’s hand.

it takes another year of him searching records of faces and names. for you have many and unlike yoongi, he’s sure you have no one to pull the strings and make one blunder disappear.

then he finds you, under a pseudonym, of a certain kim hana whose child is named kim youngsoo.

“it’s me,” he announces, stepping into the light that pours past the window and over not even half of the room.

“mommy, can we order pizza?” youngsoo’s lively voice rings from outside of the room.

“yeah, why don’t you decide what toppings you want and i’ll be out there in a sec, sweetie,” your voice sounds heavenly - none of the guarded strain that he usually hears. but your eyes, they look like the eyes of a woman who would give everything to protect her most precious possession.

“so it was you... one year ago,” you say, ambling to the dresser where yoongi easily finds out your motive.

“the gun’s not there anymore, you really think i’d break into the house of an ex-assassin and not think to look for weapons tacked up somewhere out of sight?” he hears the frustrated sigh you make before you stand with your feet apart.

looks like you believe his words.

looks like you’ve got no problems taking him on with bare hands.

“he’s mine, isn’t he?”

a scoff.

“you’re pretty dumb if you think one night’s all it takes to get pregnant with your bastard child.”

“who’s the father, then? why isn’t he around?” he presses on.

and his questions have always been intrusive but you notice the weight of his every inquiry. as if he’d drop dead right this instant if you don’t answer them.

“he walked away, couldn’t accept that we had to always be on the move just because he had a baby with a wanted woman.”

and it’s not the police that wants you.

“his social security number?” yoongi shoots you another question.

“i don’t know. i don’t remember,” you say simply, a shrug accompanying your answer.

“number one rule of being an assassin: never forget anything,” yoongi recites easily, even after five years, he still recalls the drilling his mentor forced him through, “so that leaves us with one possibility: he doesn’t exist, this ex of yours.”

“mooooom.” youngsoo calls out, sounding too close for comfort.

“just a minute, sweetie. why don’t you take my phone out of my bag and get ready to dial up the number to the pizza place?” there’s a lightness in your tone.

envy wraps around yoongi’s heart before he even realizes it. how he wished you’d speak to him in that delicate, loving tone as well.

“look, i’m tired, i’m done playing games, i’ve been done since that night. i know i fucked up and i know some day i’ll pay for it but not tonight... tonight... at least let me have one last night with my kid.”

it’s the way the word ‘my’ and ‘kid’ fall naturally off your mouth that makes yoongi realize that he’s the one stuck in the beginning all along. that he’s the one who couldn’t move on from the past even though he sought to change the present and threw your world upside down when he decided not to take the shot.

before he can say anything, you’re already out of the door but he senses no rush in your footsteps.

“do you have the pizza place’s number down?” there it is again, the soft, tender tilt in your voice.

it’s a little faint but he hears it clearly.

and it may very well just be a trick to make him sympathize but what is he to sympathize with when he’s only here to ask for confirmation?

why do you treat him like death who’s finally come to take back your borrowed time?

well, the answer was simple.

“i paid off the bounty,” yoongi meets you at a cafe where he knows you’ll feel safer.

no assassin will make a move in broad daylight, in public, with his face out for the cameras to record.

“how much?” you sound like you just got another loan tying you down.

“enough that they can’t resist,” he states.

and before you can even say anything, he goes on, “i want to see him.”

“no.” you say curtly.

“he’s my child too.” he slides the white envelope he pulls out of his pocket to you.

it contains the dna results from the hair on the comb youngsoo complained he lost and yoongi’s own hair.

“he’s doesn’t need a father,” you don’t even give the envelope a second glance, “if that’s all-”

“that’s not for you to decide on your own,” he cuts you off.

it’s the firmness in his tone that makes your eyebrows rise. min yoongi has always been a gentle soul. even when he was driving a cross into your heart, he’d done it with the heaviest heart.

and for him to place his foot down like this - how very unlike him.

which is why, when he pulls, you pull harder.

“if you so much as appear in front of youngsoo, we will disappear and i’ll make sure you’ll never us again.”

and with that, you take out the blank check from your purse and slip it over to him. the check and the envelop laying side by side.

money isn’t the issue, you’ve managed to wire every single penny you have to different bank accounts before the agency could even freeze the one in seoul. it took several trips to japan, hong kong and china but you eventually got enough to start a new life with your new life.

and that new life of yours is being shaken by the presence of an entity of the past.

you begin noticing the men and women dressed in plain clothing standing a few feet away from where you and youngsoo go. they’re there, acting absolutely normal which makes it unnormal. always watching, always being on guard as if their lives depend on you and youngsoo’s security.

it goes on for another three months before you finally get tired of it and approach one of them, “call your boss over.”

youngsoo’s blowing bubbles at the park when a sleek black car pulls up at the curb and a familiar face steps out.

“you can see him every week on saturdays, one no-show and you’re out. also- i decide when he finds out,” you set the rules and yoongi looks like he a little kid who’s about to perform at his school’s talent show, “do we have a deal?”

“absolutely,” he nods readily.

yoongi’s hand moves on its own and he almost hooks his index finger around your pinky finger as if asking for some kind of emotional support. but he stops himself.

he walks beside you, watching as you walk out from under the shades of the tree, your expression instantaneously brightening when the sunlight hits, “youngsoo-ah,” you wave the toddler over.

his little legs comes running towards you, curious, bright eyes staring at yoongi and right through his soul. he’s never felt so bare and defenseless.

the only thing that keeps him from running away is the fondness in your voice. and the smile on your face that he’s never seen before, “youngsoo-ah, this is uncle yoongi, he’s mommy’s friend...”

yoongi musters the best smile he can - he never needed to try. it’s the people around him that force smiles to please him. never the other way around. never him having to smile so he wouldn’t scare off his son.

he crouches in front of the child that’s partially hiding behind you, “youngsoo-ah, it’s nice to finally meet you.”

#bts fic #bts fanfic #bts fanfiction #yoongi fic #yoongi fanfiction #yoongi fanfic #yoongi smut #bts smut #yoongi imagines #bts imagines #bts scenarios #yoongi scenarios #bts au #yoongi au

[fatefulfaerie]

Flight

Zelink Week 2021 prompt #3/7 @zelinkweek2021

Word Count: 1,874

Incarnation: Skyward Sword (pre)

Additional Prompts Followed: Loftwings, Free Fall

Trigger Warnings: near-death experience, broken bone trauma

The Loftwings flew in perfect circles, their flight at all times parallel to each other as they followed the tail of the other, again, and again, blue and red and red and blue, crimson and purple and red and blue. It was an eternal race that none would win.

And it was obvious there would be no champion, as the loftwings were carved from wood and flew only by mechanism, circling like hawks above the crib of a child with shining blue eyes and honey-blonde hair. She laughed and giggled at the sight of Loftwings in flight, reaching out stubby hands as if to lazily reach for the illusion. She gabbled and her mouth buzzed a particular “v” sound. Her smile was infectious.

But nine years later, she frowned, stomping towards the plaza in the midst of a tantrum, fists balled and shoulders up to her ears.

Her father once told her that friends come and go but not him, never him, never that way. A new, more exciting best friend and he was up and away without a care in the world, not a single look of concern for the friend he left in his dust.

Her father told her not five minutes ago that her time would come as well, that she too would be matched with a Loftwing when the time came. Link merely was a few months older than her.

But the damage was done. Gaepora had already gone on and on about how splendid the match was between the rare Crimson Loftwing and Link, how the connection was uncanny, and how it usually takes years of training for someone to fly their bird like that. Zelda was green with envy and it did not become her.

She was jealous even now as she watched Link, her pale pink dress swishing in the breeze. Zelda wondered that perhaps if she had worn her blue dress, Link would not have forgotten her, perhaps her lavender, or her yellow, perhaps her hair in braids or perhaps her forehead covered by bangs that she saw some of the older girls wearing. Yet, of all the colors and all the options, green seemed to stick out the most when people saw her at the ceremony, her brow shaded with envy as the ten-year old boy with a cream shirt and patched brown pants just hopped upon his fancy, new Crimson Loftwing.

Zelda hated as well that she couldn’t even chase him down, couldn’t just hop on her own Loftwing and ask what was so insignificant about her for Link to fly away in such a rude manner, leaving his best friend behind. Gaepora didn’t think it rude at all, as the boy had literally smiled at Zelda before testing out this unique bond with his Loftwing, but Zelda saw it as the end of the world.

Her own Loftwing.

She bet she could ride a Loftwing just as well, and she bet that the Goddess Hylia knew she was more than ready. She bet that the Goddess was just as upset as her, and she bet that there already was a Loftwing in the skies for her, just for her, maybe even rarer than the crimson breed. She bet all of that on her life, foolishly employing her little nine-year-old legs and running off the edge of the island in the sky, believing completely that her Loftwing would come below her.

Her own Loftwing.

The free fall was exhilarating and she enjoyed it. Never before had she felt so unrestrained, so rebellious.

Her own Loftwing.

So she whistled, wanting to chase that feeling atop a Loftwing, to ride the rims of the clouds and pursue the horizon, to wonder at what laid beneath the clouds like everyone secretly did.

No Loftwing came.

She whistled again, but she was reaching the clouds. Fear twinged a chord in her heart and the note was sour. Her confidence wavered. No one survived a fall to the clouds. No one.

Her mother, Link’s father, Groose’s uncle, Cawlin’s sister, Stritch’s cousin.

None of them ever returned.

What was she thinking?

No Loftwing came.

She felt the wind knocked out of her and she almost upchucked her lunch into the blue skies that she was being lifted from, Loftwing talons secure around her small frame and the occasional red feather drifting across her eye-line.

She tried to flip over to look up at Link, but the hold on her was too tight. So she just laid limp like a doll, basking in the wind of her stupidity and thinking that maybe, just maybe, what she did wasn’t the best idea.

Link had never rescued someone before, so he was more than relieved when his Loftwing caught Zelda without a flinch of hesitation. He had even braved looking down to make sure she was okay, before setting his sights on Skyloft, on the Plaza where he would drop her off and make sure she really was okay.

Yet the Loftwing let go sooner than Link expected. They were much too high for it to be a soft landing on Zelda’s part and the shrill cry that ensued because of it told Link everything, his insides churning with worry.

“Zelda!” He practically jumped off the Loftwing as soon as it was close enough to the ground of the Plaza and he ran, ran with all his might to the little girl who sat clutching her bent leg and crying into her knee. Link knelt before her, panting.

“Zelda, are you okay?”

There were legends of a blue flame, that burned hotter and brighter than any fire hued red. Link didn’t think such a thing existed until Zelda looked up, her eyes enraged and fuming.

His lips parted. He wasn’t sure what to do and before he could think to do anything Zelda had balled a fistful of dirt and thrown it in his face, before returning to her kneecap and shaking and crying and whimpering.

“Okay,” Link said in response to the dirty welcome. “I’m sorry. The Loftwing and I are both new at this. I’m sorry we dropped you and…well…I wanted to take you with me on my first ride but you’re not allowed to take someone with you that doesn’t have their own Loftwing. If something happens your passenger has to be able to take the reins, or call their own Loftwing to ride to safety. It’s a rule and you know it.”

Zelda shook her head.

“No?” Link asked, trying to understand, but she kept shaking her head.

“Link,” she said incredibly weakly. “Hylia above, it hurts so much.”

Link scooted closer, lifting his hands slightly but not knowing where to put them.

“Where?” He asked. “Where does it hurt?”

Zelda spent the moment after the question just trying to breathe, to award her lungs stable breaths that they sorely needed. Link tried to be patient, tried to give her the time to tell him what was wrong, but for some reason he needed to know now.

He took a guess and lifted the hem of her pale pink dress slightly, revealing something that hurt his heart and made his entire body wince.

It was no doubt that her leg was broken, Link could see the horrid swelling that almost looked like another calf, that ebbed with hues of red and purple. Link didn’t know if he was going to cry or throw up first.

“Oh goddess, okay, I’m gonna get you some help,” he said. Zelda nodded as he picked her up, and neither had time to be surprised at Link’s strength.

By the time they reached the headmaster’s office, Link was in tears and Zelda had passed out from the pain. Link went on and on apologizing to the headmaster, expressing his guilt over literally breaking the daughter of the tall, orange and red-clad man. Gaepora, however, wouldn’t have it, telling Link that a daughter of the headmaster should have known better than to let her jealousy consume her, but ultimately the priority now was to get her treated.

Potions were acquired immediately from the Bazaar and Zelda slept like a baby as she healed. Link grasped her hand with the intention of being there all night long, of letting her know wordlessly that her friend was here and that she was okay. He wanted to be there in case she woke up, in case she was scared, in case she...

“Link.”

The booming voice of the Headmaster was what told Link that he, too, was dozing off. The wooden chair must have been more comfortable than he previously thought.

Gaepora smiled at Link’s big blue eyes. He walked forward with the large strides of a grown-up and Link was almost impressed that someone could be that tall. Gaepora held out his hand.

“I think you would be more comfortable in your own bed.”

“But…”

“Zelda will be fine,” Gaepora said in the most calming voice he could muster. Link’s next breath brought his eyes down and he nodded. Link looked over at Zelda and smiled.

“I’ll see you in the morning sleepyhead,” Link said. “I promise.”

Link returned his big eyes to Gaepora and took his large hand, the headmaster leading the orphan to his room downstairs and treating the lad like he always had.

Like a son.

The next morning was one of the few where Link got up on his own, where he didn’t sleep in for hours and was in fact excited by the prospect of morning. Most ten-year old boys got up early to fly their new Loftwing, but Link was far more concerned with another friend, one that he had known much longer, one that was sitting up with a bowl of oatmeal when he entered her room.

Link beamed a smile, and so did Zelda.

“Zelda!” Link exclaimed, entering the room completely and approaching her. “H-how are you feeling?”

“Better,” she replied. “It hurts a lot less, but I should probably stay off it for a while.”

“Yeah,” Link agreed, nodding. He looked at her leg, braced with packs of ice and resting on a stack of soft pillows. It looked far more painful than she was letting on and remembering how it looked yesterday, Link doubted it could be anywhere near “better” this quickly, even with potions.

“I’m sorry.”

They both said it at the same time, so their heads snapped to each other.

“Zelda, I broke your leg,” Link said abruptly. “What in the clouds are you sorry for?”

“You broke my leg?” Zelda questioned, not believing her ears. “Goodness sake, Link, it was my fault, not yours. I should be thanking you for saving my life. I shouldn’t have tried to get my Loftwing, I…”

She stopped herself, and looked down at the patterned blankets she was in.

“I thought getting a new best friend would make you as jealous as I was.”

It was nothing more than an ashamed mumble, but Link heard it well, taking a couple steps to sit on the edge of her bed. He took her hand.

“No one will ever replace you as my best friend,” Link insisted. “Do you understand me?”

Zelda nodded and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Yes.”

#zelink #zelink week 2021 #zelinkweek2021 #link #zelda #skyward sword #tloz #the legend of zelda

[pastelgrungewrecker]

My Pride Goeth Before His Fall

Stand up high in the prow Noble barque I steer Steady course for the haven Hew many foe-men

{More fallout from this, mind the tags, warning for eye trauma.}

“What will you do, Whirl of Polyhex, if your son’s retaliations become more... severe? How will you feel? What will you say?”

Whirl swallowed the lump in his throat, feeling his better eye brimming with tears that dripped over the lid- dewdrops that tangled in his arctic lashes.

“I’ll tell my young’n I’m proud. I’ll tell my baby bluebird I’m so, so proud...”

The words spat in the face of victims will always be cruelest- they will always be demanding and vindictive, ordering them to be Bigger and Better than the Poor Lost Souls who Hurt Them But Not Really That Much.

It will always be wrong. But still, it will continue.

This was no different.

Quickdraw breathed deep and slow, eyes no longer able to blink doe-long lashes over flickers of summer sunshine; sunshine snuffed out by someone who’s life had been so dominated by old and outcast ideals that they took Judgement on someone they deemed unworthy solely by their birth. Their existence. 

Their family.

He answered questions with a voice level and cold and calculating to a fault- a voice that felt near robotic, digressing his pain and fear and suffering and choking down the feeling of being a spectacle...

They asked him to prove his cybernetic eyes were real, he did not cry as he held his eyelids wide and slid one free- as it was taken by a lawyer as a man in gold watched in burning horror.

He did not look at the cameras all around the courtroom. He did not look at his selected peer with his destroyed hand and rage-twisted scowl. He did not feed the vindication of his audience, he did not drink down their shame as he outlined the pain and cruelty he had lived so long through.

“I retaliated as any scared little brother would.”, he said quietly, “My sister had been shot, had been beaten. They were hurting my big sister like they wanted to hurt me for so long. I had to make it stop, in that moment. In that exact second, all I wanted was for them to stop. To let me help her. To let me try to keep my big sister with us.”

“And then?”

“And then, when my sister recovered, they wanted to hurt my little sisters. My little sisters who’d... never done anything to them. They held Chrona and sliced her cheek. They restrained Dani, and Kiki.”

“They sliced your sister’s cheek? So you knew the defendant had a knife?”

“Yes.”

“And still you aggravated them?”

“They gave me a choice, did he tell you that?”, asked Quickdraw, his circuitboard eyes drilling holes through the sleaze and grease coating the loaded question, “It was either they hurt my sisters... or me. I still remember what he said, exactly.”

“A-ah. And can you say for those present...?”

“You want us to let her GO? Alright, then we wanna make a deal. You won’t let us erase the Conspawn? You want us to leave your bastard sisters alone? Then you gotta pay up Quickdraw.”, he recited, “ You pay the piper and the kiddies go home free.”

“Is that so- can you back that up with evidence?”

“Yes, the security footage that was shown yesterday also includes audio, and he can be heard clearly saying it.”

A patronizing stare before the lawyer chuckled to himself, “I find that hard to believe-”

“Then play it.”

Silence.

Quickdraw’s eyebrows tilted down- just a degree, just enough, “If it is so hard to believe, then play it. I insist sir.”

Quickdraw watched the color rise in his oppositions face before they spat demands, as the judge pursed their lips and nodded. As the footage rolled and Quickdraw refused to flinch at the sounds of gravel and rattling fences.

You want us to let her GO...

The lawyer’s face darkened in anger. He stomped to the mockingbird cage of the stand and slammed his hands onto the wood, staring between Quickdraw’s unnerving eyes.

“Tell me, sir. Is it fun to watch?”, he asked in a hiss, a glimpse of Whirl’s manic sneer visible, “Does it make you all warm and tingly, watching them rip my face open after threatening the only people I’ll ever care about?”

“Witness dismissed.”

The judge nodded as Quickdraw rose and stepped away- His growing hair tied in a braid and swaying slowly in time like the serpent trying to tempt a Messiah.

Whirl watched, pain in his face as his chest clenched like a fist closed around each lung and twisted. When his name was called, summoning him to the stand his son had already haunted, he walked like he was set for the gallows.

He sat uncomfortably, frame and soul and grief too large for the box the law settled him in in this sideshow trial.

He listened to his sins read aloud, the sneer curling so many faces except the ones that mattered. He hung his head, his own braid overlong like the anchorchain of old ships in legends forgotten by everyone except those who sang the old songs.

He knew this tactic. He knew they wanted him angry and loud and brash and cruel. He knew they wanted to use his mistakes as the ink to sign away his son’s soul.

He felt the fire that always burned in his chest cavity snuff out, tendrils of smoke leaking up and up and out through his mouth to curl into words laced in the mist of tears cried at midnight into a bottle he hid between the headboard and the wall before Brainstorm woke up.

“What will you do, Whirl of Polyhex, if your son’s retaliations become more... severe? How will you feel? What will you say?”, asked the lawyer, pondscum clinging to the words.

Whirl swallowed the lump in his throat, feeling his better eye brimming with tears that dripped over the lid- dewdrops that tangled in his arctic lashes.

“I’ll tell my young’n I’m proud. I’ll tell my baby bluebird I’m so, so proud...”

“Pride, in violence?”

“He’s... He’s been through hell, my poor li’l dino nugget.”, said Whirl, choking on his words and unable to blink away traitorous tears, “He’s seen... He’s seen too damn much. Too much I couldn’t save him from and my GOD did I try to save him...”

The lawyer faltered, seeing the liquid stardust running down both of Whirl’s cheeks now.

“He’s seen all his parents fall the hell apart- and thank God we had Frogyy, I mean. Mimi. She kept alla us goin’, kept my babies safe during that mutiny on the Lost Light.”

Those present shifted uncomfortably.

“And then we made it here- and it was s’posed to be safe, sir.”

The lawyer flinched, the judge leaned to the side to gently rest a hand on Whirl’s shoulder.

“Take a deep breath, Mister Whirl- I understand this is hard to talk of. Take your time.”

A shaking breath, “I was a fuckin’ Wrecker- cream o’the crop and all. I had killcounts and I had mission successes and I had downright MURDER under my belt and I... I helped make. I helped make Quickdraw. QD. My li’l bluebird- me ‘n my honeybee made that! And Quickdraw is...”

Whirl wiped his face with a metal hand, “Quickdraw is ev’rything I thought I fuckin’ lost, back when they took my hands... my eye.”

He looked to the lawyer, “And then someboys decided that my li’l bluebird’s wings had to be clipped. They took his eyes cause his big sister’s Papa was a Con once upon a time. Cause her daddy suffered and burned down and built back up and she used that strength to stand tall and help her siblings do that too.”

The lawyer’s face was mottled with anger and fear.

“And you’re gonna stand here, in front’f your God and your Country and your HONOR... And ask me what I’m gonna tell him when he grows into his talons and defends the nest? I’m gonna tell him I’m proud, sir. I’m gonna look at him and tell him I’m proud that he stayed soft an’ loving in all the ways I couldn’t. And I’m gonna tell him I’m proud that he knows when to fly away and call the flock and I’m proud he knows when to stand and flare his claws and fight back.”

“Don’t you-”

“Counsel, I think that is quite enough.”, said the judge flatly, “So far, the past three days have been nothing but you desperately trying to say that a boy, when faced with violence, was wrong in defending himself and you should be ASHAMED of your behavior in this court!”

The silence was heavy and thick.

“You have proven nothing except, time and time again, that the attack on this family was mindless vigilante cruelty! There is no justification for these actions and all present know it. This... constant tearing of stitches is now over, Counsel, and the jury will now be dismissed to decide the outcome.”

The slam of a gavel, the rustle of people rising to their feet.

Whirl’s head hung down, words and images swimming round and round like dying minnows in polluted lakes before someone reached in to hold his steel hands tight.

He raised his head, expecting Brainstorm or Perceptor or even Ratchet or Cyclonus.

Xaaron looked down at him, tattoos on his chin warping from the way his lips trembled.

“I... I am sorry, Whirl.”, he whispered, “I am sorry for my assumptions- about you, about the family, about everyone. I... I simply did not understand. I did not try.”

Whirl blinked, slowly.

“I can see, now, that my... my grandson, your. Your bluebird. Is a survivor. As his parents are, as. As I once was. I spent so long in misery that I forgot that it loves company- but often mistakes it for competition. You have born much, and you have fought to never let it touch him, and something in you has broken from this.”

“I tried to keep my fam’ly safe, Mister Xaaron. And I fucked it up.”

“No. No you did not. You did all that you could, with all that you had- when those who could have helped turned their back upon you.”

Whirl rose from his seat, his prosthetic hand and Xaaron’s clenched together in some kind of unity, of steadying.

He stepped down from the stand for Xaaron to stand in front of him, and bow his own head.

“I am sorry for letting my own foolishness compound this family’s grief, and pain. But I want, more than anything, to make amends.”

Whirl swallowed, another lump in his throat made of baby’s breath and grave lilies as he felt Brainstorm seem to appear at his side.

“Then come visit.”, said the scientist quietly, “Come visit, get to know them, us. Without all... this interrogation. Come learn who Quickdraw is, aside from our names and the kid’s pain. Please.”

Xaaron’s head rose, and he nodded, “I will. Once the verdict is delivered, when you all go home I.. I will come and. And visit.”

Mimi stood by Quickdraw, watching the trio converse. Mimi’s arm went around her taller but younger brother’s birdcage ribs, and she hugged him gently.

“It’s gonna be alright, pigeon.”

“Why d’you always call me pigeon?”, he huffed.

“Cause you’re actually a dove, Quickdraw, you just don’t recognize it yet.”

#pastelwrites #humanformers #fankids #crim is going to Destwoy Me UwU #mentions of eye trauma #cybernetic prosthetic fuckery

[halothenthehorns]

The Life that Never Lived

TALONS AND TEA LEAVES

I can never say enough, how much I thank you all for the constant reviews and support I get just from watching the views shoot up every time I check. You are the reason I do this!

HPHP

"Can we please have lunch now," James groaned, rubbing at his stomach and eyeing Lily hopefully before Harry could start.

"Oh yes, alright," Lily sighed, then asked, "would one of you go get the baby please."

Sirius jumped to his feet and did as asked, while Harry followed his Mom into the kitchen, badgering her about letting him help this time. She finally relented, leaving Remus and James in

rather awkward silence.

Remus got to his feet and shuffled awkwardly for a second, then gestured vaguely to the kitchen as he began,"ah, guess I'll-"

"I'm not mad at you Remus," James interrupted, patting his hands on his knees with nerves and not exactly looking over at him. "It's not like it's really your responsibility to look after him-"

"But I still should have done something," Remus cut off, temper at himself beginning to rise again. He didn't really get mad at too much, liking to think of himself as a rather laid back person, but his own actions had set him on edge like he had just found out his future self had dumped Harry at the Dursleys.

"Like what?" Sirius asked, making the pair turn and see Sirius leaning against the door, the baby cradled in his arms.

Remus cast his mind around before offering, "gotten Dumbledore to set up somewhere I could have seen Harry, even if it was infrequently it would have been better than nothing."

Lily and Harry made their reappearance, Lily catching on at once and cutting in, "sorry Remus, but I don't see that happening."

"Why not?" both James and Sirius huffed, since this had been something they had both been thinking.

"Well think about it," Lily snapped. "You're sitting there blaming one of your best friends for something that even Dumbledore or Hagrid didn't do! No one had been there to check on Harry since he was left there, or worse Dumbledore knew and did nothing. Why I still can't imagine, but I still haven't forgiven him for what these books have implied he did back during Harry's first year, so lay off someone who might not have even been given a say in the matter."

Sirius opened, then closed his mouth and turned his attention back to the baby, rather shamefully scuttling into the kitchen to get the kid his food. James shifted his weight around, but nodded and caught Remus' eye saying honestly, "okay, true. I am sorry for, ah, being mad."

Remus hesitated, rocking back on his heels and still looking up to arguing the point anyways, then gave a dark laugh at the irony he was still holding this against himself when clearly no one else was. Now more curious than anything, he persisted, "has anyone stopped to question why though? What exactly was Dumbledore thinking when he cut off Harry like that? Remember how we thought ol' Mrs. Figg might be the same from the Order, and all those random people Harry saw when he was younger. Why didn't he grow up with someone telling him what was going on?"

"Dumbledore explained that in the first chapter," Harry reminded, "said he didn't want me growing up knowing my fame and all."

"I get that," he waved off, "and I'm not saying there's an easy way to explain that to you at any age, but if you'd grown up knowing it, been treated as a normal child and not a hero like someone should have while explaining this to you-" he finished giving a suggestive look to Lily like he expected her to give a counterargument.

She didn't though, no one did. They all saw a leader in Dumbledore, someone to be respected and not questioned too deeply, but this was Harry they were talking about. Had he really done something to make sure Remus didn't do exactly this? If so, then that truly was going to tick them all off, where did he get the authority to do that?

Harry was gently testing his feelings, trying not to pry too deeply as he pondered if he'd ever really been given an answer to this. He was still sure his headmaster explained to him more

properly about these types of things later in life, but had Remus been mentioned during this? He didn't think so, and now almost hoped he had asked at some point.

With nothing else to say on the matter, they ate lunch in relative comfort, and after they were done Sirius insisted he wanted to keep the baby around again. They were all confident nothing to bad should happen to Harry this year, so no one protested as Sirius began one of the toddler's favorite

games, and started releasing colorful puffs of smoke from his wand while he used his chubby fists to clutch at them, random peals of laughter erupting all around.

Harry took one more moment to capture this, looking around at his family and determined to keep this very image in his mind for the rest of his life, before starting his chapter.

The next morning at breakfast, the first thing they saw was Malfoy seemingly entertaining some of Slytherin house with an amusing story.

"Highly doubt it was actually that funny," Sirius said in a goofy voice since he was still mostly entertaining the kid.

As they were walking by, he pretended to faint, to cheering laughing.

"Wow, Sirius was right," Remus rolled his eyes.

"First time for everything," James grinned.

Hermione just told Harry to ignore the lot of them, it wasn't worth retaliating.

"Easier said than done," Harry grumbled.

Another of Malfoy's gang, Pansy Parkinson, caught sight of Harry and jeered at him that the dementors were coming for him.

Harry ground his teeth together in annoyance for a moment, but then Sirius gave a snarky laugh and demanded, "was she actually trying to scare you, because that was pathetic."

Harry slammed into his chair next to George, who asked what was wrong with him. Ron explained just as Malfoy set up another uproar of laughter again at the Slytherin table with his fainting act.

"Probably caught sight of his own reflection," James grumbled.

George called him a git,

"My sentiments exactly," Remus smirked.

stating that he hadn't acted nearly so cocky when the dementors had been near them. Fred agreed that he'd come running into their compartment with wet pants.

"Now there's something I would have liked to see," Sirius grinned, still not completely over his disgust at the beasts, but pretty sure he'd tolerate them just to watch that.

Both of the twins agreed those dementors hadn't made them feel any better, but Harry morosely asked if they'd passed out during their experience. George told Harry to cheer up, no one could act very well with those things around, remembering when their dad had to go out and visit Azkaban once, and he'd come back to the house shaking.

James grimaced and nodded in disgust, having personally never been there himself, but knowing someone else who had that came back in the same way.

Fred agreed that dementors had the effect of draining happiness out of anything, and that most of the prisoners went crazy while there.

Sirius refused to let his mood drop back down at this nasty little reminder, continuing his own personal game with the baby, which made the others realize all the more why he had insisted on wanting him down here.

Then he added on a happier subject Malfoy wouldn't be acting like this long once the first Quidditch game came around, Gryffindor versus Slytherin.

"How could I forget," James smiled, distracted at once from keeping an eye on Sirius to make sure he really was okay.

"I want that chapter," Sirius said at once. "I haven't gotten any of them!"

"Well you can have it," Remus said in disgust, "cause I'm rather sick of them at this point."

"Cheer up Moony," James said with a shrug, "yeah those past ones were awful, but there's no way anything like that can happen again this year. I'm sure Harry will finally have a good game."

He finished with more hope than he should have, rather annoyed that his son couldn't seem to go one year without something bad happening.

This did lighten the mood when Harry remembered his only past game against Malfoy, where the blond had lost quite poorly.

"There's a pick me up," Lily smiled indulgently, still personally feeling she'd rather pull Harry from the team altogether, but it was clear he enjoyed the game as much as any of these boys. She didn't have quite as much faith as them that everything was going to be peachy this year, but she hoped as well.

In a much better mood now, he turned eagerly to his breakfast as Hermione began looking at her schedule for this year, stating they had some new classes. Ron was peeking over her shoulder though, and began laughing that she'd been over scheduled, there wasn't enough time for all that.

Harry was blinking in puzzled shock and confusion, and then looked around to see the others were as well. What on earth could Ron have said that felt so significant to him?

"Can she really have just doubled up her schedule like that?" Lily asked with interest.

"I don't see how," Remus shrugged. "Like Ron said, there really isn't enough time in the day for all of that."

"Then what's she playing at?" Sirius demanded.

They all shrugged, at a complete loss, and Harry continued eagerly hoping for a better answer.

Hermione said she'd worked it out with McGonagall,

"Well that explained nothing," James grumped.

but Ron was persistent as he pointed out some of the flaws, like how at nine o'clock she had both Divination and Muggle Studies at the same time, which repeated with some more of her classes down the list.

"That's impossible though, right?" Harry asked, ruffling up his brows with confusion and annoyance that he really thought he should know the answer to that.

The four of them exchanged stunned looks. Not as impossible as Harry might think, but time magic was a very obscure thing, hardly anyone understood it properly, and those that did, didn't share willingly. For Hermione to have gotten a hold of something like it, even with McGonagall's assent, was mind blowing to them all.

After a bit more of a pause, Lily said slowly, "well, no, not impossible dear. Very ah, very hard to pull off, but not undoable."

"How?" Harry persisted, getting rather eager now they really might know.

"Can't say for sure," James said, running his hand through his hair in confusion. "It's not something any of us have knowledge about, correct me if I'm wrong." He finished with a hopeful

look at his friends.

They however, both shrugged and agreed with the couple. Sirius thought he had once heard of something odd in time magic happening to an Unspeakable, but it had been from a girl in a bar months ago, so he couldn't actually remember the details now. Something about a girl, named Eloise Mintumble, dang what had happened to her again?

Harry nodded in understanding and deflated a bit, knowing it wouldn't do any good to continue pestering them about something they couldn't answer. He did ask though, "but, what if you

wanted to take Arithmancy and Divination, if they really happen at the same time is it just not allowed?"*

"Well no," Lily said fairly, "you'd have to rearrange your schedule and possibly take it without your normal classmates, like Hermione would attend Divination one day and most likely take Arithmancy with perhaps the Ravenclaw students instead of her usual house, and that would have explained it if she wasn't taking three at once. There really just isn't enough time to work all of that in. Plus, it would have been marked on her schedule as such, not the way Professor McGonagall worked it up."

Ron was laughing, saying she couldn't be in both places at once, but Hermione told him he was being silly, she wouldn't be doing that.

"Yes, Ron's the one being silly," Lily rolled her eyes.

He tried to keep arguing, but Hermione wouldn't have it, telling him to get on with his breakfast.

"Wow, she really wants him to let this go," Remus said with a frown.

"And I really hope Ron doesn't let her," James replied with the same frown.

Ron tried one last time, but Hermione snapped at him that what was it to him if she had a full plate this year?

"Because it's weird," Sirius insisted, not that anyone here needed him to remind them of that.

She'd fixed it with her head of house. Hagrid walked in then, carrying a dead polecat.

"Well that's not encouraging," Lily frowned in concern.

"A bit ominous," James agreed in surprise. They really did like Hagrid, but his few experiences with Harry and his pets hadn't ended well so far.

"Don't fret you two," Remus rolled his eyes, "Hagrid can handle anything in that class."

He spotted the trio and told them how excited he was, that they were going to be in his first ever class, and he really hoped it went well.

"So do I," Lily muttered.

Then he walked away towards breakfast, still brimming over at how happy he was to be a teacher, with the dead polecat hanging limply from his hand.

"That, I will admit, is kind of gross," Sirius wrinkled up his nose. "Eating with that thing on the table."

Ron couldn't help a bit of unease as he asked what Hagrid could be doing,

"See," James nodded, "we're not the only ones."

but they realized they'd have to wait for later to find out, as they had Divination to get to, which was up in the North Tower.

"Well glad we get to see this new class," Remus said eagerly. He didn't think much of the future seeing magic, but he wasn't exactly against it either.

"Sorry it had to be so far away though," Sirius grimaced in disgust.

They called a goodbye to the twins, but couldn't exit the hall without Malfoy giving one more performance.

"That's not even funny," James snapped. "If he's going to mock you, at least come up with something better than a three-year old's act."

"James," Lily said severely, wondering if he'd just realized he'd said picking on their son was okay.

"What?" he snapped right back. "You can't stop children from picking on each other Lily, the world doesn't work like that."

The two sat there for a few moments giving each other moody looks, so Harry just decided to read on and hope to ignore this.

Harry could hear people's continued laughter ringing up the stairs.

"Glad to see the whole house has the same sense of humor," Sirius said in disgust, "has to make Malfoy feel better about himself somehow."

Even after two years in this school, they still didn't know every passage of this castle,

"Seven won't either," Remus grinned, finally finding a lighter topic to discuss. "In fact, I'm pretty sure there's no one who actually knows every secret about this school."

and they had never been up to the North Tower before.

"We did, back when it wasn't being used," James nodded. "Peter found the entrance to it, and we kind of used it as a secret meeting place sometimes." Privately keeping out where else they tended to spend their free time. Harry did know about the Shrieking Shack, but not how to get there.

"Wonder what they did to it now it's a classroom," Sirius said eagerly.

Ron was begging for someone to show them a shortcut,

"There are a few," Remus nodded, "but either way, it is a long walk."

as they climbed up the seventh staircase, winding up on an unfamiliar bit of corridor, with a nice painting of a green landscape.

"Oh I remember this nutter," Sirius smirked, now watching Harry eagerly to see how he reacted.

Hermione pointed down one corridor,

Remus leaned in and whispered in Sirius' ear, "if only they had some sort of map to help."

Sirius nodded eagerly, but Harry didn't notice the exchange.

but Ron looked the way she was pointing and said that had to be south, as the lake was visible from there.

"Credit to him for noticing that," Lily said in approval.

Harry had no idea, and was simply enjoying the magical painting. As he watched, a gray pony came trotting onto the scene, and began happily chewing up the grass. While Harry was long used to the magical paintings of the wizarding world going about, he still loved to watch it.

"Agreed," James nodded, "I always find something interesting to talk to them about."

The way he said it made it quite clear these talks weren't always wholesome, but Harry was laughing lightly so Lily didn't see the point in demanding details.

As he kept staring, a tiny man came charging onto the scene dressed as a knight, armor and all. He stopped next to what was obviously his horse, doubling over and panting. The green stains on his knees showed he had recently fallen off of said horse.

"Bet his attitude hasn't improved any," Remus rolled his eyes.

"I'd be more worried if it did," Sirius shrugged, "he is a painting, their behaviour shouldn't change too much."

He caught sight of the three of them, and pulled a sword out that was much too big for him, calling them several ye old names and demanding a fight.

By then the three boys were laughing in both remembrance at their own interactions with Cadogan, and Harry's astonished look at the little painting. Only Lily didn't really know how to

feel just now, not used to this rather exuberant nature from a painting.

Even as he did though, he swung his sword that was bigger than him just that little to far and it swung into the ground point first, while the painting landed face first next to it. Harry asked if he was okay,

"You are so sweet," Lily smiled at her son, which only increased the boy's laughter all the more at Harry's concern for a painting.

but the painting wouldn't be pandered and got back to his feet, tried to wrench his sword out of the ground to no effect, then sat back on the grass. Harry jumped in with the question if he knew where the North Tower was.

"That'll get his attention," Remus nodded approvingly.

The knight's mood changed at once upon hearing they were on a quest, and shouted they could follow him through any deadly adventure to find this place.

James opened his mouth to say something, but then quickly closed it again. He didn't seem to find mocking death that funny anymore.

Then he ran right out of the side of his painting, the three of them scrambling to keep up as he continued in this way, only keeping track of him as he pelted through every painting shouting of the adventures this could lead to. They briefly caught sight of him jumping through a painting full of well dressed women,

"Bet he wouldn't have minded staying in that painting a bit longer," Remus whispered, making

Sirius release a surprised snort of laughter, making the baby in his lap giggle anew.

startling the lot of them though he showed no care as he continued leading them up a spiralling staircase. When they finally reached the landing, he praised at what fun they'd had, and told them that if they needed any more help with these things to simply give Sir Cadogan a call.

"He's certainly handy to have around," Lily said in some unease, still finding him rather odd.

"Plenty entertaining to," James smirked.

Ron agreed they'd do just that, if they ever needed anyone mental.

"You'd be surprised how often someone mental can come in handy," Sirius grinned.

They looked around to find a few other students in their year mulling around, while Harry looked at his schedule again and told that their Professors name was Sybill Trelawney, but where was she? The moment he said that, a staircase fell from the ceiling, ending right at Harry's feet.

"She seems to enjoy a show," Lily said in amusement.

Harry went up first, and found himself in a circular room, with tiny tables and beanbags all around the room, the curtains keeping the room in permanent shadows and the fireplace flickering with mystery.

"At least it sounds comfortable," Sirius grinned, "much better than those stools in the other classrooms."

"I would have fallen asleep in there for sure," Remus rolled his eyes.

The room was already boiling, and there was some smell lingering around the room seemingly coming from a teakettle.

"You're actually starting to make me sleepy just thinking about it," Sirius nodded in agreement.

Along the walls were dusty books, crystal balls, and many other mystical objects. Ron had climbed up next to Harry, and whispered where the teacher was, and his answer came from a whispering voice behind them, welcoming them all while stating it was nice to see them in the physical world for the first time.

Lily rolled her eyes indulgently, she'd clearly pegged this woman right about putting on a show.

They turned to find a woman, stout and covered in thick green shawls wrapped all around her. She wore many golden bangles and heavy such jewellery, with round glasses that gave her the appearance of a gleaming insect when she blinked. She made her way to one ornately done overstuffed chair and instructed the rest of the students filling in to take a seat. She then introduced herself, and explained that they'd never seen her before because she disliked going into the rest of the world, it tended to obscure her Inner Eye.

"Explains why we didn't even know who she was before now," James nodded.

"Think she really does have an Inner Eye?" Sirius asked with amusement.

"She clearly thinks she does," Remus pointed out, causing all of them to laugh again.

Harry and Lily couldn't help but notice how giggly the lot of them were being, and wondered if this was how they normally made up a fight, making a lot of idiotic jokes at each other.

There was no comment to this, so she continued by saying that she was pleased they'd all chosen Divination, as it was the hardest of any magic to learn.

"Now that was just a bit pompous," Lily scoffed.

"All teachers think their branch is the hardest," James agreed.

She did warn though that this class was selective, you must have Sight to progress. Books weren't going to be of much help here.

"Sounds like a loaded class if you ask me," Sirius raised his brow in surprise, "if the teachers already saying she can't teach you much."

Harry and Ron couldn't help but shoot a laughing look at a surprised Hermione.

"I can see where that would bother her," Lily nodded.

Trelawney was still talking of how other wizards were good at making banging noises, smells, and disappearing,

"Are those actual fields of magic," James asked between loud bursts of laughter, "because I think Sirius is most proficient in the smells!"

Remus muttered something under his breath that caused all three of them to continue laughing like idiots. Harry waited indulgently until they had subsided before continuing.

but her branch was much more focused on the mind and mystics of life. Then she turned on Neville, and demanded to know how his grandmother was doing? Neville's lip trembled slightly as he said that last he'd heard she was fine, and Trelawney warned him not to be complacent with that.

Now they were frowning, not finding that remotely funny. Why on earth would this woman say something like that to a child?

Trelawney turned away again like nothing had happened, and began listing some of the things they'd be learning this year, before cutting herself off again and turning on Parvati Patil, warning her to be weary of a redhead.

"What does Ron do to her?" Sirius chuckled.

"Might not be Ron," Remus reminded, "one of the Weasley twins might pull something on her later."

Parvati gave a fearful look at Ron and began edging away from him.

Lily made a little 'pfft' noise in disbelief.

Again Trelawney kept talking like this was perfectly normal, predicting that come February classes would thin out a little due to illnesses, and come Easter someone would leave them for good.

"Well she's just going to be buckets of fun huh?" Sirius snickered.

Harry puzzled why he felt like Trelawney was right, but shrugged and kept going.

Then she turned on Lavender, who tensed up, but the teacher merely asked her to go and fetch the teapot on the shelf. Lavender looked plenty relieved,

"Can't blame her at this point," James nodded, still smirking, "she probably thought she'd get the next death omen."

and she did this, but before she could return to her seat, Trelawney clutched her hand and told her the thing she feared, would happen on Friday the sixteenth of October.

"That poor girl," Lily frowned. "Why would she say something like that?"

"Like you said," Remus shrugged. "I think she's enjoying scaring them. When that Friday comes and goes, and nothing happens, I'm sure these kids will realize they're being played."

"Kind of wishing I'd taken Arithmancy now," Harry grumbled, more annoyance coming up the more he heard about this new teacher. He also had a vague feeling, like she did something really important to his life, or perhaps said something to him? It was such a little thing he didn't really even register it underneath all the grumbling.

Then she addressed the class on their lesson for the day, telling them they were all to drink a cup of tea, swirl the dregs around, and consult their text on what they could mean. Before they could begin, she said to Neville that after he broke his first cup, to not grab one of the pink ones next.

"That's self-fulfilling prophecy," Lily pointed out, "if you say something like that, it's bound to happen."

"So none of you really believes in this stuff?" Harry clarified.

"I think psychics exist," Sirius shrugged, lounging back comfortably. "I had a Great Aunt that was one, she actually did these same kinds of things and had my brother and I going for ages. This Trelawney woman in particular? Nah, she's enjoying herself more than anything."

"So, was your aunt really psychic, or pulling the wool over a couple of naive kids?" Remus asked.

"Both," Sirius grinned, "Dad swears she made a real prophecy to him when he was younger. Never did tell me what it was though, but the way he said it, yeah I believed him."

"Well, aside from Sirius and his gullible nature, no, I don't think any of us believe this," James grinned.

"I'm not gullible," Sirius snapped right back. "Prophecies really do exist!"

"Moving on," Lily rolled her eyes at the pair.

Not ten minutes later, there came the distinct noise of breaking glass, and Trelawney descended on him with a broom and a reminder she favoured the pink cups, and not to grab one of those.

"Well that was fast," Remus remarked.

Harry and Ron had some difficulty gulping down their hot drink,

"At least there's a bonus to this class," Lily grinned.

but finished and did as instructed, Harry flipping through his pages as Ron passed over his cup. Ron asked what Harry was seeing, and Harry just muttered a bunch of brown crap.

All four of them released surprised snorts of laughter at Harry's sass, he clearly wasn't taking this class very seriously, though none of them said it in fear of eliciting a joke from Sirius.

He couldn't help but feel heavy eyed within the dark room and thick smells of the class, making his brain drag.

"Sure she does that on purpose," James nodded.

Perhaps Trelawney heard this, as she called the class to open their minds to the supernatural, block out the mundane of the world.

"Think she heard that, or just good timing?" Sirius asked.

"Timing," Lily shrugged, "Harry can't be the only one who's thinking that."

Harry gave himself a shake then, and took a real crack at finding images while telling Ron that he found a messed up cross, which according to the book meant Ron was going to have a suffering trail, but there was also the sun in there, which meant he was going to be happy about it.

"Sounds like life," James rolled his eyes, "so sorry to Ron for living."

Ron told Harry he needed to get his Inner Eye tested.

None of the boys bothered to stifle their laughter one bit, even Lily was giggling and said to James, "Ron just beat you out of a joke dear."

"I'll forgive him," James chuckled, still bright-eyed.

Ron went for Harry's cup next, saying he first saw a bowler hat, and thinking this meant Harry was going to be the next minister! Then he caught sight of an acorn, which apparently meant money was coming his way.

"An acorn means gold?" Remus demanded. "What exactly does that book translate?"

"You let me know if you figure it out," Harry smirked.

Then he kept spinning it, saying he found something like an animal, maybe a hippo, or a sheep.

"Ron just went from a hippo to a sheep," Remus smirked, "can't imagine what either of those things mean."

Trelawney overheard that, and came over snatching Harry's cup away from Ron while spinning it counter clockwise.

"Did she say to turn it counter clockwise like that?" James snickered. "I don't think she said to do that. Could have saved a bit of confusion."

What she found was a falcon, which meant Harry had an enemy.

"Wow, thanks, I was trying to forget that for five minutes," Lily huffed.

"How did she get a falcon from a hippo?" Sirius demanded of nothing.

Hermione was frowning at her, telling that everyone knew that, as Harry was famous for being against You-Know-Who.

"I love Hermione," Lily beamed, "that girl keeps everyone in perspective."

"She is good to have around," Remus agreed with just a hint of admiration at this girl saying something like that to a teacher. James said as much out loud in amazement, none of them having

guessed it would be this girl who would make a smart comment like that to any adult.

Then Sirius defended her, saying, "now remember what got them to be friends in the first place? Hermione's clearly willing to do a lot, like lie, to defend Harry and Ron."

Harry was smiling, more than pleased his family didn't seem to find either of his friends annoying like he knew some of the kids at school had.

Trelawney ignored her, still eyeing Harry's cup as she found a club, which meant he was going to be attacked soon, muttering to herself how this was not a happy cup.

"Well I've never met an unhappy one so I'll believe you," Sirius smirked.

Ron muttered how he'd thought that part was the bowler hat.

"How do you get a club and a hat twisted?" James burst out laughing.

Then she found a skull, that danger was creeping up on Harry. Finally her eyes spotted something else that made her scream.

"Well she's certainly got their attention," Lily said, raising a brow in surprise.

Neville's hand twitched so hard in shock he broke his new cup.

"Guess she didn't see that coming," Remus smirked.

Trelawney sat down in the nearest chair, closing her eyes in shock.

"She's really hamming this up isn't she," Sirius noted.

She was begging Harry not to ask what she'd seen,

Harry rolled his eyes and said, "as if the whole class wouldn't ask after that little scene." He remembered the sinking feeling of attention as all of the students got up to go around them.

but Dean did anyways, trying to look into Harry's cup himself now. Trelawney gathered herself up and whispered that she'd seen the Grim.

Sirius lost it. Still holding the baby to him, he continued laughing and blinking tears out of his eyes as he realized just how accurate that sentence was. James and Remus weren't much better.

"A giant, black, Scottish Deerhound is going to be tailing you for the rest of your life now," Lily nodded in approval, "well she's got that one right."

"I- told you-" James said between gasping breaths, "we should have- call-called him Grim!"

"And I told you," Remus rebutted, massaging his ribs and trying very hard not to continue laughing as he said, "we should have called him Cloud. It's got a better theme."**

"I like Padfoot," Sirius sniffed, "I think Peter had it better saying we should nickname more after the animals."

"Which is why you two won the vote," James agreed.

Harry was very curious and wanted to ask what other nicknames they might have considered, but decided to ask that later. ***

Harry had never heard of it, along with a couple of other students, but some like Ron looked just as shocked as Trelawney, who explained that it was the spectral dog of death.

"I'm rather flattered she thinks so much of me," Sirius smirked.

"You're so big headed," Lily rolled her eyes at him, "you think every black dog in the world relates to you."

Harry felt his stomach leave him, remembering again that black dog he'd seen the night he'd run away from the Dursleys.

Remus muttered something that made Sirius snicker again, and James release another snort of laughter.

Hermione was looking herself now, and told that she didn't think it looked like a Grim at all.

"Ha!" James laughed, eyes gleaming with continued mirth. "Hermione's going to be the buzz kill to this class, isn't she?" He didn't sound very sorry about it.

"Well this class obviously needs one to keep them from exaggerating," Lily nodded in agreement.

Trelawney finally regained all of her composure, and looked at Hermione with akin to dislike.

"A first for both Hermione and a teacher I'm sure," Sirius nodded.

She told Hermione that she had a very poor aura, and didn't see much for her future predicting skills.

"Was that supposed to be insulting?" Harry asked.

"I guess," Remus shrugged.

Seamus was still looking at the cup, twisting his head from side to side and squinting as he said it sort of looked like a Grim when he did that, then cocking his head the other way and stating but now it looked like a donkey.

The boys almost lost it again, snickering away while Lily continued to giggle as well and state, "if you have to do that much to figure it out, it's hardly a good sign."

Harry couldn't help but smile indulgently at all of them. Back then he knew his thirteen-year-old self had been equally scared and annoyed by this, but watching his family mock the whole

instance actually did put a funny spin on it. It also helped to know what exactly had been dogging him this year, and that he obviously wasn't going to die anytime soon.

Harry lost his patience, telling the class that if they were all done deciding whether or not he was going to die.

"Oh, snappy," James smirked.

"Nice little reality check moment," Lily chuckled.

Nobody would look him in the eye to respond.

"Oh please," Sirius rolled his eyes, "these students are so easy."

Trelawney decided that was enough of class today, and gave them all an early dismissal. Harry and his two friends made to leave, though he couldn't help but notice Ron was avoiding his eye as well.

"Oh, not Ron to," Remus groaned.

"Well he did grow up learning about Grims and such," James nodded fairly. "Remember how Peter flipped out when he first saw Sirius, called him a Grim too. It can be a little shocking at

first."

"I think they're just being superstitious kids," Sirius snorted, rather siding with Remus on this one.

Before they could leave though, Trelawney gave Neville one last warning that he would be late again on the next class, so do some extra studying.

Lily rolled her eyes in contempt, this woman really was going to get on her nerves, wasn't she?

They left and made their way to the next class, Transfiguration.

"Well that was a fun first class," Sirius said with chipper.

"Honestly can't wait for the next one," Remus agreed.

They got a little lost again, so even with their head start they only just made it in time.

"Not a good omen for how the rest of the year works out," Lily grinned.

Harry and his friends sat in the back of the class, so that it would be harder for the other students to stop looking at him like he was going to drop dead any second.

"Not a pleasant feeling," Harry shrugged, "though sadly I was used to being stared at by this point."

He didn't pay any attention to today's lesson, which was McGonagall explaining about Animagi,

All five of them went bright-eyed with interest at this, James and Sirius sharing a wicked grin. Sirius adding on, "this was the class that gave us this idea!"

"We did all kinds of research for ages," James agreed, "double checking all sorts of facts to make sure it would work."

"Did you know what animals you were going to turn into?" Lily asked with interest. "It would be rather pointless to go through the whole process and find out you were all something small and not useful."

"Yes," James nodded, "there's a charm that will tell you. It's fairly reliable, never seen it be wrong."

Harry looked extremely interested in this, nodding as he remembered all the things McGonagall had talked about in this class, and dearly wishing he could spend hours interrogating his Dad and Sirius about these things. He somehow knew, without understanding, he'd never taken to becoming an Animagus himself, but he did rather like the idea. Why wouldn't you want to turn

into an animal at will?

Lily, while still finding the fact that they were illegal one of her greatest hangups as of right now, was rather curious on the subject. She didn't have the inclination to be one but found the whole concept of your animal spirit fascinating. She was determined as soon as those three boys registered, she'd end up launching a whole field worth of studies.

which was a wizard that could change into an animal at will. McGonagall herself demonstrated what that was like as she turned into a tabby cat with square markings around her eyes. When she changed back to her normal self and realized she didn't have anyone's attention, she told them that though it didn't matter, she usually got some applause for that.

That garnered a laugh from all of them. "'Not that it matters'," Sirius chuckled, "oh, she's completely miffed she doesn't have their undivided attention."

"Well can you blame her?" James demanded, still smirking himself. "It takes a lot of work to become an Animagus, I think she enjoys that round of applause for her dedication."

Everyone's eyes flickered towards Harry again, but no one chose to explain except Hermione, who put up her hand.

"Why am I not surprised," Harry nodded, always thankful he could rely on Hermione to answer the questions he found uncomfortable.

She began by explaining they'd just gotten out of Divination, but that was all McGonagall needed as she surmised that someone had been told they were going to die.

All three boys released surprised snorts of laughter, making Lily and Harry give them concerned looks.

"Oh don't mind us," James wheezed, looking far too giddy for the comment as far as Lily was concerned.

"Yeah, we're just over here trying to understand why she always got so lofty with us, when she goes around saying things like that," Remus cackled.

Sirius looked likely to fall off the couch soon, he was still laughing and trying his hardest to not let the baby fall and squirming all around. James finally took over the situation by taking his son back, forcing Sirius to come back down to earth.

There was a brief squabble where James won and was still cuddling his son as Harry continued.

Harry told that it was him, and McGonagall told him that it was a known practice of Trelawney's to tell one student every year they were going to kick the bucket ever since she started here.

"Well she's just a right ray of sunshine," Lily laughed, unable to keep that sarcastic tone out of her voice.

None of them had yet to, and because she never spoke ill of someone she worked with, she paused and had to draw a breath before continuing in the same tone that she didn't put much stock in that branch of magic. A true Seer was of the rarest variety, and Trelawney...

"She's really going out of her way to make sure this class knows how she feels," Remus grinned.

She cleared her throat hard before finishing that as Harry looked perfectly fine to her, he would not be exempt from homework, though if he did croak, he didn't have to worry about turning it in.

"Best teacher ever!" Sirius grinned like a maniac.

"Love her confidence in you," James agreed fervently.

Remus and Lily just laughed lightly, and Harry couldn't help but agree with all of them.

Hermione laughed, and Harry couldn't help but feel better for it. It was a lot harder to feel spooked over the whole mess,

"You were actually scared of this?" Lily demanded, some of her humor gone and annoyance rekindling at that teacher.

"A bit, yeah," Harry admitted with a shrug, "but I guess it was just the environment and stuff. You guys convinced me already it's ridiculous."

"Glad for that," Sirius nodded with content.

away from the atmosphere of the class. Ron still looked a little grim himself as he eyed his best friend, and Lavender was whispering what about what happened to Neville and his cup?

Lily snorted and shook her head, but didn't bother to repeat herself.

When lunch arrived, Hermione tried to convince Ron that he was being dramatic, but Ron still wasn't touching his food.

"Wow, this is really bothering him," Remus noted in surprise.

"Like I said," James offered with a small frown, "Ron might just be the superstitious type. Once he realizes it doesn't really affect anything, he'll get over it."

He asked if Harry had seen a black dog around, and Harry told of what he'd seen when he ran away from the Dursleys.

"Not the best thing to tell him right then," Sirius said lightly.

Ron's fork fell from suddenly numb fingers.

They all nodded, that had been about what they were expecting.

Hermione wasn't fazed, telling that it had probably been a stray.

"Now that I'll disagree with," Remus smirked.

Ron told Hermione off for that, saying he'd had an Uncle Bilius who had seen a Grim, and he'd died twenty-four hours afterwards.

"Ouch," Lily winced in sympathy. "Okay, I know why Ron's so spooked about this now."

"Yeah," Sirius and Remus nodded together, determining to stop picking on him for this now.

"That's Ron's middle name," Harry said randomly, looking for something more pleasant to think about.

Hermione still wasn't impressed, saying that was all coincidence.

"That was a little harsh," James frowned.

"Agreed, that's not something she should have taken so lightly, even though it probably is a coincidence," Remus agreed.

Ron was getting outright mad at her now, telling her that wizards should fear the Grim! Hermione said it was rubbish, they just died from fright at the thought of it.

"Nah," Sirius chuckled, "there are much scarier things to die of fright from than that."

It wasn't a sentence of death, it was just a byproduct of it. Harry was smart enough to still be alive because he hadn't realized what was going on and decided he might as well start digging his grave.

Remus couldn't help another bursting laugh. He wasn't used to Hermione giving off such dark humor, but he found it all the more hilarious coming from her.

Ron was still speechless as he stared at his friend, but Hermione was still going, saying that she found the whole class fairly useless. Ron snapped back it hadn't been a guess, he'd seen that Grim! Hermione shot back that he hadn't even seen it, he'd thought it was a sheep.

"She's got another point," Lily nodded in agreement.

"Ron and Hermione are taking this to an extreme," Sirius noted, "it's a petty argument. Why are they treating it like this?"

"They treat everything like this," Harry noted in a long-suffering voice.

Ron was sure Hermione was now just being mean because Trelawney had insulted her aura, and she just didn't like how badly she was going to do in this class.

"Wow," James said, raising a brow in surprise, "and you put up with this all the time?"

"Yep," Harry nodded, popping the P for emphasis. He was far too used to this to really care though.

Hermione lost her patience, slamming her book down on the table and rattling some plates.

"Temper, temper," Remus muttered, noting she did seem to have one before as well when it came to this type of thing.

She snapped that she wasn't going to be putting up with this class long anyways if guesswork was all it took. She had enjoyed her Arithmancy class much more.

Harry blinked, both shocked and puzzled, then glanced up and around to see the rest of them were as well.

"What did she mean?" Lily asked anyways, not really expecting an answer from all the blank faces. "She hasn't been to that class yet, she's been with you all day."

True to her guess, no one answered. They were all rather stuck, and found it rather frustrating they couldn't figure something out about a third year. Bright as Hermione was, how on earth could she be doing something like this, and none of them understood how?

She stalked away, and Ron now switched to puzzlement as he asked what Hermione had meant, she hadn't been to that class today.

"Glad Ron's just as confused," Remus muttered.

Harry had no idea, but didn't bring it up as they headed outside for their first Care of Magical Creatures class.

Harry pushed eagerly past his confusion about Hermione, wanting very much to remember Hagrid's first class.

Ron and Hermione weren't speaking to each other,

"A first I'm sure," Lily said with just a hint of sarcasm.

but Harry was far too used to this as they headed towards the Forbidden Forest, finding the Slytherin's already in attendance.

"Oh come on!" James groaned in disgust. "They already have to deal with those jerks in Potions."

Malfoy was chatting with his friends, who were snickering along.

"Probably the dumbest conversation ever," Sirius grumbled.

Harry had the feeling he already knew what they were talking about. Hagrid made his appearance then, telling them to come closer and to follow him!

"At least he's enthusiastic," Remus grinned.

"The best teachers are," James agreed.

He at first began leading them towards the forest,

"Oh please no," Lily shuddered.

"He shouldn't," Sirius frowned, "at least not until his sixth year, seventh at the latest."

"Say what?" Lily balked at him.

"Sure," Remus shrugged "the advanced classes learn how to find and study them in their more natural habitat."

Lily frowned, not really sure how she felt about this. She'd heard more than enough about Harry being in there, but then she could hardly fault him if he did do it for a class. Then again, one of those times he'd been in there was for a detention, and that hadn't exactly gone over well.

and Harry was not pleased at that prospect, having more than enough nightmare fuel from that place.

James couldn't really help but agree, though he thought this class would go a long ways to helping his son if ever he did choose to go back in there.

His assumption was wrong though, as Hagrid made a sharp turn and instead lead them towards a fenced off field.

Lily still couldn't help but release a breath of relief, thankful that she didn't have to deal with that place for now.

There wasn't anything inside yet, as Hagrid told them to come around and begin opening their books,

"Uh oh," Remus frowned.

"Ah, was there some kind of instruction manual we missed?" Sirius asked curiously. "Because I thought you never did get that thing open."

"I didn't," Harry nodded, looking rather upset. He felt like he'd let Hagrid down by this, but he still had no clue what to do with that book. He was also trying very hard to ignore this impending sense of doom, something wrong was going to happen in Hagrid's first class, which made him very uneasy.

but Malfoy was the first to interrupt by asking how to do this? Some of Hagrid's enthusiasm dropped as he realized Malfoy wasn't the only one, they all pulled out their copies of The Monster Book of Monsters, each wrapped up tight.

"Poor Hagrid," Lily frowned, feeling sympathy for him.

"Don't know what to say honestly," James shrugged, "cause I've got no idea either."

Then Hagrid told them that you were supposed to stroke the spine of the book, in a tone implying he had found it obvious.

Remus blinked several times, wondering if he'd heard that right, but no one really interrupted Harry to find out since he was fixing to read it anyways.

He took Hermione's book as an example, tore away the tape sealing it shut, and before the book could do anything Hagrid ran his hand down the brown spine of the book, which then fell open happily.

"Well there you go," James said, quirking a brow in surprise.

"Points for originality," Sirius agreed, "I never would have thought of that."

Malfoy jeered that of course that should have been obvious, his tone implying the exact opposite.

"That jerk," Lily frowned severely. "He didn't figure it out any more than anyone else. Hagrid should take points or something away from him, he shouldn't be allowed to talk to a teacher like

that."

"Here's hoping," Harry nodded in agreement.

Hagrid looked confused as he said he'd thought it was funny.

"I agree," James nodded fervently. "Now that I get the joke, I think it's actually quite hilarious, a monster book that you have to pet to open."

Malfoy didn't agree, mocking that it was quite a laugh if it didn't bite his hand off.

"Wish it had ripped your hand off," Sirius grumbled.

Harry told Malfoy to shut it, while Hagrid continued to look more upset by the minute.

"Wish you'd done more then tell him off," Remus huffed, he more than agreed someone needed to knock that kid down a peg.

Hagrid seemed to lose some of his train of thought as he said that now they needed their creatures, and walked off into the forest.

"Wait, he didn't say which page to turn to," Lily noted with concern.

"Wonder what he's showing," James agreed with more curiosity than anything.

When he was out of sight, Malfoy kept going with his diatribe, stating that Hagrid getting made as teacher was a disgrace, and his father would throw a fit at the Ministry.

"Is that his go-to for everything?" Sirius asked in disgust. "How does anyone stand this kid?"

"Search me," Harry muttered with disdain.

Harry told him to shut up again, and Malfoy just mocked Harry that there was a dementor behind him.

"And that joke is still not funny!" James snapped.

Conversation was cut off by Hagrid coming back in with half a dozen beasts. The front half of their bodies being eagles coupled with wings sprouting from their sides, and the back half being horses.

"Hippogriffs," Remus and Sirius said at once, both grinning at this prospect.

"This out to be fun," James grinned brightly.

"I didn't even know the forest had those," Lily said with honest interest. "Though I do wonder if that wasn't a little big to start?" She posed it more as a question than anything, not having much to do with the field she wasn't really sure on the matter.

"Nah," Remus shrugged, "sure it is a bit advanced, more would have preferred showing that towards the end of the year than the first class, but it's not above them either. A competent person

can learn how to handle one easily enough."

"Sure," Sirius nodded. "We only ran into one, they're really secluded and spend a lot of time in the high branches. This little foal fell down in front of us, and the parents were close by, so we didn't stick around even though we did know what to do with them."

They ranged in a variety of colors, all tethered together with thick collars that led to chains in Hagrid's hand. He corralled them all to the fence, where the class took a collective step back. He introduced them as hippogriffs, declaring them as beautiful. Harry only slightly agreed.

"Oh come on Harry," Sirius said bracingly, "I haven't agreed with a lot of Hagrid's pets before this, but you've got to admit this one fits the bill."

Harry nodded in agreement as he said, "it was like seeing a Centaur for the first time. Just took me a moment to get over the shock before I could appreciate it fully."

It did have a majesty about it, with the front feathers blending into horsehair, the way they tossed their heads, and the sharp intelligent eyes watching them. Hagrid began by saying they could all come closer, but no one moved.

"This class is depressing me," James rolled his eyes.

"Leave them be," Lily scolded at once, "Hagrid hasn't even gotten to how to handle them yet. I'd still be nervous too."

Hermione, Ron, and Harry were the only ones to begin inching forward.

"There's always one brave one," Remus beamed.

Hagrid beamed at them as he began to explain about these creatures, starting by saying how proud they were, and you should never insult one, or it would be the last thing you do. Harry caught sight of Malfoy and his friend's clearly not paying attention,

"Well that's not good," Lily frowned at once. She didn't like those boys more than anyone else, but she certainly didn't want to see them get hurt; which was bound to happen if they truly weren't paying attention to Hagrid in this instance.

"Those little jerks better not do anything to mess with Hagrid," Sirius growled at once.

Harry's bad feeling was rearing up again at once, and he didn't like that his first instinct was to think Sirius was right.

talking at the back of the class, but Hagrid didn't seem to notice as he continued explaining how to approach the hippogriffs for the first time. First you were to walk up to them, and take a bow. If they bowed back, it was them giving permission to approach them, but if they didn't bow back, it was best to move back, as their talons were very sharp. Then he asked for a volunteer, and in answer, the class took another collective step back.

"Ouch," James winced, "and that was sound advice, why are they still so nervous."

Lily just looked to the ceiling in wonder, did any of these boys have a sense of life? They certainly didn't show it very often, since it seemed more often their first instinct was to jump headlong into whatever they saw fit.

Even Harry and his friends still felt nervous, as the animals continued twitching around in unease, clearly uncomfortable with being tied up.

"Now that's a legitimate concern," Lily nodded in understanding, "exactly how tame are these?"

"Quit being such a worry wart Lily," Remus chuckled. "Hagrid's there, and I'm more than confident he can handle this. No, they don't like being tied down, but who does?"

Lily hesitated a moment more before nodding, and amazingly her nerves actually did relax.

Then Harry saw the begging look Hagrid was giving the class, and Harry said he'd try.

"That'a boy," James nodded in approval.

Harry grinned hesitantly back, not exactly mentioning that he had done this more out of loyalty to Hagrid, not out of real interest in wanting to get closer to that Hippogriff.

"What would have happened if no one volunteered?" Lily asked curiously.

"Most likely, the teacher would have demonstrated himself," Remus shrugged, "in this case Hagrid obviously, but there's always one brave soul who volunteers, so it's usually not an issue."

This caused a stirring in the class, Lavender reminding Harry of his tea from this morning.

"Oh please," Lily muttered scathingly, "this exact set of circumstances would have happened whether Harry drank a cup or not."

"Now Lily," Sirius said at once, a light gleaming in his eyes, "think about that. Divination doesn't write what is to happen, it helps to predict what could happen."

Lily looked rather stunned for a moment before nodding, admitting she'd been a little too harsh that time.

"Can't believe you're defending that subject," Remus noted in surprise.

Sirius chuckled and admitted, "well I still think that teacher was rubbish, but I'm hardly going to pass up an instance to correct Lily."

She scowled over at him without any real heat, causing Harry to chuckle lightly before reading.

Harry gave them no notice as he approached, while Hagrid set one of them apart, introducing him as Buckbeak, a dark gray colored hippogriff, and took him apart so that Harry could approach him. When Harry was ready, Hagrid cautioned not to blink too much, he could take that as mistrust.

"Which means you're going to want to start blinking at once," James noted with amusement.

Harry felt his eyes itching at once, but didn't allow that, trusting Hagrid's advice as he kept eye contact when Hagrid instructed him to bow. It made Harry uncomfortable to expose his neck like that, but didn't argue either as he did.

"Glad you're smart enough to listen to him," Remus nodded in approval.

After bowing, he glanced up to see the hippogriff didn't look up to returning the gesture.

"Wonder why," Sirius asked curiously.

"Probably because Harry was still too close, the hippogriff might still have felt threatened," Remus speculated, though not for sure since he wasn't there. There was also the fact that, these were still animals, and it was impossible to truly ever predict what they would do, feel, or think.

Hagrid began to tell Harry to start backing up, he was a little too close, but then the hippogriff did bend it's scaly knees in an unmistakable form of bowing. Hagrid congratulated Harry, telling him he could go and pet him now. Harry would much rather had been told to go back to the rest of the class,

"You're not exactly getting into this," James noted lightly.

Harry just shrugged, he wasn't taking that back.

but moved forward and began lightly rubbing on its beak, which he seemed to enjoy, half closing his eyes and leaning into the touch.

"The area where the beak merges into their face is a particularly scratchy spot to them," Remus nodded, "so I'm sure he did like it, if you were patting in the right spot."

The rest of the students began applauding, all except Malfoy and his friends who looked more like they'd missed a good show.

"Did they really want that thing to attack you?" Lily asked in disgust.

"After what he said about Hermione last year, I'm not putting anything past him," James hissed.

Hagrid then told Harry he'd built up enough trust to ride him.

"Ride him?" they repeated in shock.

"Now that is a bit advanced," Remus noted, "definitely should have been a bit later in education when he's had more confidence, and time, with the beast."

"Guess Hagrid really wants to show off," James shrugged, unable to hold back a hint of jealousy, this was something he'd never got to do before.

Harry did not agree, as the only thing he'd ever flown was a broomstick, and had a feeling the hippogriff wouldn't feel anything alike.

"It won't be," Sirius agreed, "but a fun experiences all the same." He also sounded just a tad envious, he would love to try something like this.

It took a lot for Lily not to snap at them; they were being idiots again, but she also consoled herself that she might be just a bit jumpy and over reactive of late, so held it back she did.

Hagrid began instructing Harry on how to get on, making note not to be pulling feathers as it would bother him, and Harry found a niche where his wing merged to scramble onto the back.

"He didn't even give you a saddle," Remus noted in amusement, "nor did he mention where you are supposed to hold on."

"Didn't exactly give him anything to steer either," James remarked, "so I'm hoping this one doesn't get any ideas."

Buckbeak took to his full height, and when Hagrid gave him a smack to get going, his twelve foot wing span exploded on either side of Harry, and they were off. With several hard downstrokes, they were up in the air and gliding around the enclosure, and Harry had no doubts he'd much rather be on his broom. The horse like creature was a shaky fit, and he had nothing to hold onto or steer except feathers all around, leaving him to clutch at the neck perhaps a little too tight.

"Sounds like a ton of fun," Sirius said eagerly.

"Though I'm glad you're hardly going to quit the Quidditch team in favor of starting a Hippogriff team," James snickered, finding plenty of amusement in that.

Thankfully the ride didn't last long, as without command Buckbeak began soaring into the green grass again, and Harry barely had time to lean back and brace himself as a thud announced his return to land.

"You didn't exactly sound like you were enjoying that," Remus noted with high amusement.

"It's not something I'd want to repeat," Harry admitted, then he blinked for a moment and wondered if that gut feeling was really telling him he had done just this. He certainly hoped not.

Lily couldn't help but grin, more than happy to admit she was just as happy to hear Harry was both safe on the ground, and didn't have a sudden urge to go back up there again.

Hagrid applauded him again, then asked who wanted their turn. The rest of the class had no more qualms about coming forward and being paired off.

"Typical," James grumbled, "they think it's plenty fun now."

Hagrid set them all up, and Harry went back to sit by Hagrid and watch while the students took their turns. Neville was having some issues, as his hippogriff didn't seem likely to bow anytime soon.

"He did have problems with his broom," Sirius remembered, "he's probably just as nervous now, which I'm sure that hippogriff noticed."

Ron and Hermione were now working with a bay one, while Malfoy and been given Buckbeak, who had just bowed back and was being petted by said boy.

"Buckbeak just lost some points with me," Remus muttered to Sirius, who nodded in agreement.

Malfoy wasn't impressed, saying of course it had, it had bowed to Harry after all, meaning it couldn't be very intelligent.

"He what!" Sirius choked out.

"That idiot," Remus frowned, leaning forward in concern. While he hardly liked Malfoy, that kind of insult could get him killed.

Before anyone realized what had happened, Buckbeak lashed out, scraping his claws at whatever he could reach of Malfoy before Hagrid jumped in, putting Buckbeak's collar back on and dragging him away from a bleeding Malfoy.

"Uh oh," James muttered, bouncing around in agitation now, causing the baby in his lap to giggle, thinking this was a new game.

This sadly didn't actually release any tension in the room this time. They had been begging for someone to hit Malfoy for ages now, but not like this! What if this kid really did die? They would all feel ten kinds of awful for ever having mocked him, he was still a child after all, a bad one but still, even Malfoy didn't deserve that!

Harry was reading in honest panic now, very much not appreciating that he had been right in this instance.

When Buckbeak had been secured away, Hagrid ran forward to take a look, finding Malfoy's arm to have jagged tears in it, his blood painting the ground in an uneven pattern as Hagrid picked him up and began carrying him up to the school.

They were all still frowning in deep concern. At least that wasn't in the chest like they had feared, but there was some very important things in the arm that Malfoy could still die from if this got too serious. None of them could think of a thing to say, so the quiet remained while Harry read.

The rest of the class followed in subdued form, the Slytherin's taking the chance to shout abuse about Hagrid.

"About what?" Lily arched a brow in disdain. "How was that Hagrid's fault? Malfoy was the one who didn't listen, in fact I'd laugh if someone decided to give him a detention on top of this."

James managed a half amused laugh at this, noting lovingly he had been thinking along those same lines.

Pansy in particular looked near tears as she swore she'd see that man fired for this.

"It was Malfoy's fault!" Remus snapped in disgust. "They can't fire him, he didn't do anything wrong."

Dean shot back that it had been Malfoy's own doing!

Sirius released a surprised snort of amusement, noting pleasantly, "you just mimicked a kid we hardly even know this time."

Remus gave him the stank eye, he still didn't find it that funny.

Crabbe and Goyle tensed up, looking ready to fight back,

"Ooh, I'm so scared," James scowled.

but then they reached the shadow of the castle, and recognized they couldn't do anything. Pansy was still wailing in despair as she declared she was going to go check on him.

Lily was the only one who looked rather touched by this. Malfoy was an awful child, but they were seeing him from Harry's perspective. If Malfoy had actually managed to get a girlfriend,

maybe he really wasn't as bad as he pretended. She declined mentioning this, knowing quite well the boys wouldn't find that interesting.

The rest of the Slytherin's skulked off, while the Gryffindor's headed off to their tower, still talking about it, but with a more hopeful tone as Harry pointed out Madam Pomfrey had fixed far worse with ease.

"Very true," Remus nodded in agreement, "and he did get there fast enough, there really shouldn't be a problem." Even he couldn't deny that there was still hints of nerves in his voice even as he said that. The best medics in the world couldn't fix everything.

Ron was working himself into a fury again, growling that this was the worst thing that could have happened in Hagrid's first class, and it was all Malfoy's fault.

"Agreed," Lily sighed, more than disgruntled at the boy's actions.

That night at dinner, they were dismayed to see Hagrid hadn't made an appearance.

"Not a particularly good sign," James frowned in concern.

"They wouldn't really fire Hagrid would they?" Harry asked anxiously.

"Dumbledore wouldn't," Sirius said at once.

"They really shouldn't," Remus agreed, explaining better, "if a teacher got fired every time an accident happened in this school, they'd be going through teachers by the month. Accidents

happen in a building full of too many kids and not enough supervision, it's just a fact of life. They really can't blame this all on Hagrid."

"Let's hope a Malfoy will agree with you," James muttered, no hope at all in his voice.

Hermione whispered that Hagrid hadn't really been fired for this?

Sirius was still a little too distracted to notice this time Harry had just mimicked someone.

Ron shot back someone better not have! Harry was distracted by watching the Slytherin table, where the group from their class were all sitting close together and having their own whispered conversation. Harry had the sneaking feeling they were making up a story of what they said happened.

"Well then it's a good thing there are more witnesses than those prats," Lily spat in disgust.

That night they spotted lights on at Hagrid's place, and Harry said that he wanted to go visit him. Ron agreed as it wasn't curfew yet, but Hermione hesitated, eyeing Harry.

"Why?" Sirius demanded, blinking at the random distraction.

Lily frowned pitifully at him, not exactly wanting to mention she had a good idea why Hermione might say that. Harry had a good idea as well, but simply read out sadly.

Explaining that Harry wasn't supposed to be wandering out there, with Sirius Black still around.

"Oh," was the only answer Sirius could come up with to that, slumping back in his seat and crossing his arms moodily. He had almost this whole bleeding chapter without having to think about that, now here was Hermione bringing it up.

James took pity on him and passed him back the baby, forcing an almost genuine smile back onto that Godfather's face.

Harry pointed out he wasn't supposed to leave past the dementors, no one had said anything about the common grounds. Hermione didn't argue further as they left, though still happy they didn't see anyone as they weren't positive this was allowed.

"Of course you are," Remus scoffed, "if Ron said it's not curfew yet, then it's not." He failed to mention something he had noticed, but the others seemed to have skipped in this whole mess. He hadn't seemed to have called Harry to his office yet for that talk that was so desperately needed... surely he was just busy because of the first day back, right?

They knocked on the cabin door, and while Hagrid did call for them to come in, they didn't walk into a good sight. Hagrid was slumped across his table, a huge mug hanging from one hand, and he wasn't focusing on them very well.

"Crap," James muttered in concern, but he was the only one who did. The others had tensed up, now fearing the worst really had happened and someone had actually managed to fire Hagrid.

This really shouldn't be possible though, only Dumbledore actually had the power to fire his staff, and no force on earth should have convinced him to do this!

Hagrid began slurring that he'd broken a record, the shortest teacher to ever have lasted.

Lily opened her mouth in outrage, fully prepared to give a verbal beating to the poor schmuck who had done this to Hagrid, but Harry had been reading ahead a bit desperately, and read loudly before she could get started.

Hermione gasped in shock, demanding to know what had happened, and Hagrid acquitted that it hadn't happened yet, but Malfoy would see to it.

"Oh thank Merlin," Sirius said in relief.

"It doesn't matter what Malfoy says," James said hotly, "Dumbledore won't fire Hagrid! I'll bet my wand on that, especially because it wasn't his bloody fault."

Ron asked how serious Malfoy's injury was.

Sirius released a half-hearted smirk, but he was honestly too curious to hear the answer to reply this time.

Hagrid explained that Pomfrey had fixed it all up in seconds, but Malfoy was still claiming to be in horrible amounts of pain.

"Liar," Remus spat at once in disgust, this finally distracting him from his own thoughts. "If Madam Pomfrey fixed him, then she bleeding fixed him. That brat's lucky he didn't lose his whole

arm, I'll be surprised if he even has a scratch left."

Harry snapped that he was lying.

"I'm glad you believe me Harry," Remus noted in amusement.

Harry gave him a grin while Lily groaned and said, "oh not you too! Please don't encourage that, it's annoying enough when Sirius does it."

Before any of them could comment further, Harry decided to keep reading loudly to avoid a useless dispute.

Hagrid agreed, but Malfoy still had a lot of pull with the ministry, who had told him he'd started to big with hippogriffs,

They all pursed their lips, unwilling to admit this had sort of been on their mind earlier, but then James riled up and grumbled, "but Hagrid was handling things fine, it was Malfoy's fault for not paying attention."

Since they all agreed with him anyways, and couldn't think of anything else to add to that, Harry kept going still rather subdued.

that he should have started with something smaller like flobberworms. Hagrid was blaming himself, but Hermione told him how wrong he was, it was Malfoy's fault!

James poked Sirius before he could mention it this time.

Harry agreed they'd seen the whole thing, they'd stick up for Hagrid that nothing had gone wrong until Malfoy screwed it up. Ron agreed they would make sure people knew what really happened.

Sirius stopped his glaring at his best mate to smile warmly at Harry, knowing without a doubt any of them would have done the same thing in a heartbeat.

Hagrid beamed around at all of them, reaching forward and pulling Harry and Ron into a rib snapping hug.

Remus chuckled and began in a conversational tone, "well, if you do go up to the Hospital to get checked out, make sure to point out to Madam Pomfrey that she needs to discharge Malfoy on the

grounds he's an idiot."

"Duly noted," Harry nodded.

Hermione then told him he'd had enough to drink tonight.

"And I agree," Lily smiled lightly.

Hagrid agreed, and stomped outside where a splashing noise could be heard. Hermione poked her head out and informed them he'd stuck his head in a water trough.

"Well that'll clear you up quick," James chuckled.

Hagrid came back in, shaking out his wet hair and thanking them for coming to see him, when he caught sight of Harry and began screaming that he was out of his mind.

"Wow," James blinked in surprise, "overreaction much."

"Guess I really wasn't allowed on the grounds," Harry noted absently, rubbing his ears at the remembered volume.

Sirius grumbled something under his breath, but refused to let himself react this time, pulling his wand back out and creating a puff of red smoke and making the little baby giggle all over again, the act making him feel slightly better. Though he was forced to continue listing.

He stormed over to Harry and grabbed him, hauling him outside as he told Harry he wasn't supposed to be out of school, then he turned on Ron and Hermione for letting him. He marched them all back to the castle, telling them they'd better not pull a stunt like this again, Hagrid wasn't worth the consequences.

"Unnecessary as that is," Lily noted, giving Sirius a protective sort of watch to make sure he really wasn't going to sink back down into a depression again, "that was still kind of sweet."

"I'd just like to point out that if Harry didn't know what was going on before, Hagrid would kind have blown that then," Remus agreed, placing his elbow on Sirius' shoulder and leaning on him as have blown that then," Remus agreed, placing his elbow on Sirius' shoulder and leaning on him as if he were bored with the whole topic.

"Chapter's over by the way," Harry nodded towards Remus for his turn.

HPHPHP

*Question offered by Grank, I know it's not the best explanation especially when you consider sixth and seventh years who all take combined classes with all the houses and so it wouldn't work out in the same time frames then, but that one really did stump me. I'll try to work out something better and have Harry bring it up again at the end of the year.

**Random note, the dog that played Sirius in the Order of the Phoenix movie was a Scottish Deerhound named Cloud, thought it was funny enough to put in here.

*** Anyone want to suggest some nicknames? I've thought up a few more I'll sprinkle in, but I'm just curious.

#Harry Potter #fanfiction #PoA #Reading the books #James Potter #Lily Potter #Sirius Black #Remus Lupin #Marauders

[adarlingwrites]

Absolution

Summary:

noun: formal release from guilt, obligation, or punishment

The Capital Wasteland lauded the Lone Wanderer as a hero, a Messiah, a savior who's willing to give her life for the Good Fight. Beyond the legends, the propaganda, and the mythification that surrounded her legacy, there is only one person who knew her bare soul. She gave him his absolution, and now he will fight for hers.

XII

December 27, 2277.

I jerk awake, disoriented. I look at my hands, and they are no longer a child’s. They’re large, with exposed bone and muscle, and rough.

The dreams are getting more vivid.

On good days, I dream of Percy, the dog, and bits of memories from the past life I had before I was turned into a glorified slave. On bad days, I dream of my previous employers, including Ahzrukhal. On terrible days, I dream of the shit those responsible for the way I am now made me go through.

I guess it’s a terrible day today, then.

Looking around, Percy is no longer at my side, her heat absent, but her scent still lingers. The dog is nowhere to be found too. I go back to my room to get dressed, and as I descend the stairs, I hear conversation from the living room.

“How well do you even know this guy? Seriously Perce...”

DeLoria’s voice.

“Enough to know that I trust him with my life. Why are you interrogating me all of a sudden?”

Percy’s. From the smell coming from the kitchenette, I’m guessing she’s making lunch.

“Percy, you’ve known him for three months tops.”

“Almost four,” my friend replies, the aggressive edge in her voice surfacing. She is getting agitated.

“That ain’t making it sound any better!”

“Butch, Charon saved my ass countless times already and-”

“Yeah, until you lose his contract.”

Percy goes quiet. She told DeLoria about the contract? Why on earth would she do that?

“He’s muscle for hire, Perce. How can you even say that you can trust him with his life when you barely know him?”

“I know Charon.”

“Oh yeah? Where is he from?” DeLoria challenged. I take a few more silent steps to reach the base of the stairs, and see them. Percy is watching the soup simmer in the pot. The dog is sitting next to Butch on the couch. Various motorcycle parts litter the floor, a pet project Percy’s been working on for months.

“Underworld,” Percy answers him.

“No, I mean where he’s really from. Where was he born? How old is he? When is his birthday? What’s his last name? Is Charon even his real name?”

My mistress- no, my friend’s eyebrows furrowed, face slightly red, and she turns around to answer him. “That is none of your business, DeLoria.”

“Of course it ain’t! But it should be yours. You live with the ghoul,” Butch spat. “See? You can’t even answer me!”

“I’m helping him remember,” Percy spits back, using the soup ladle to point at the greaser. “He’s… traumatized, Butch. I’m the first friend he had in God knows how long,” she tells him, then she goes back to stirring the pot.

Butch scoffs. “So, is that it? You’re trying to fix him like you tried with me?”

Percy’s knuckles are white from gripping the ladle, then it clatters on the stove. “Oh my fucking- I did not try to fix you Butch!” Percy yells as she turns around. She marches towards Butch, and points at the greaser’s chest. “I tried to empathize with you, find out where all that nastiness you had as a kid came from. Then whoop-de-do, we made out in the storage closet in senior dance and you decided I was worth your time-”

“And you tried to control me into becoming the damn goody-two-shoes you are,” DeLoria snaps. “When you decided that you can’t convert me, you asked for a breakup.”

“I never tried to control you Butch. I just asked you to try to be better. And I asked for a break, not a split,” Percy yells, voice breaking.

“I- fuck, it doesn’t matter! You left!” DeLoria gripped Percy by her arms. At that point, when the greaser touched Percy, I was seriously considering intervening, but I probably shouldn’t even be listening to their conversation.

“I knew it. This isn’t about Charon. This is about us,” Percy seethes, her glasses sliding down the tip of her nose. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous, DeLoria.”

“Ha! You can fuck him in front of me and I wouldn’t care,” the greaser yells, letting her go. He’s looking away from Percy and running his hand through his hair.

“Oh, I knew it,” Percy remarks, crossing your arms. “You never change, do you, Butch?”

“Fine! Maybe I am jealous! I’m jealous that you’d rather be travelling with him than me.”

Huh.

The humor of a pretty-boy getting jealous of a ghoul whose half his skin is missing, of all people, because his ex prefers the ghoul’s company isn’t lost on me. It makes me wonder what kind of wrong ideas are in his head about my relationship with Percy. I’m sure that there are some people who had the same ideas. Hell, Nova had been teasing me about her. But this asshole having them takes the cake. A romantic relationship with Percy is out of the question, and whatever I may feel about her is irrelevant.

Is it?

What do I even feel about Percy, at this point?

“You have no right to be jealous, Butch. None at all. We are through. You are so damn lucky that I let you back into my life as a friend.”

“I want a second chance! Why do you think I wanted to leave the vault in the first place, huh? It’s been miserable without you there, Perce,” DeLoria tells her. “But you’d rather throw away all those years for someone you just knew for months, huh? I thought we had a good thing.”

Percy grabs him by the collar. “If there’s anyone who should be saying that, it should be me. I asked for a break to think about our relationship and what the hell did you do? You fucked Susie!”

Butch grasps Percy’s hands from his collar, swats them, and he pushes her.

Percy’s crying.

Time to step in.

I shield Percy’s frame with mine. The dog runs over and starts barking, checking to see if his mistress is fine. DeLoria backs away, his stance defensive.

“If you lay a finger on her, I’ll be forced to take action,” I tell DeLoria, looking him in the eye.

“Charon! How long have you been there?” Percy yelps, grasping my arm.

“Long enough to hear enough. DeLoria,” I say, finally addressing the greaser by name. I take a step towards him and he takes one back. I almost expected him to cower. “What I am to Percy is not your business. Though I cannot understand why she chose to help you, I will obey her orders. I am here to serve my employer. Whatever bad blood she may have for your sorry ass is not my business. This is all on you.”

“Whatever, freak. Just stay out of my way.”

“You’re the one who is foolish enough to provoke Percy. You provoke her, you provoke me.”

“How’s this for a provocation, asshole!” Butch yells as he tries to swing at me, but I was taller, faster, and probably weigh twice as heavy. I dodge the blow, and land one on his jaw. He falls.

“Butch! What the hell did I tell you?! Do not fuck with Charon,” Percy shrieks, rushing over to help him to the sofa. “Charon, what the hell was that? Couldn’t you just restrain him?”

She did not ask me to attack nor was she in danger.

“I am sorry Per- miss. I acted on my own accord.”

I acted on my own accord.

Holy shit.

Before I can think about it more, my thoughts are interrupted by Percy gasping and running to turn the stove off. I look over her shoulder. The soup dried up and burned brahmin meat stuck to the bottom of the pot.

There goes our lunch, I guess.

“Fuck!” Percy screams. She takes the pot to the sink and runs it with water.

“I guess we’re not fucking eating. You two, stay put while I pack up and do not fucking kill each other while I do. I want to get to Rivet City by sundown. Understood?!”

“What about my jaw-”

“Stop being a big baby! I swear to God, these past fucking days…” Percy groans as she marches to her bedroom, the makeshift door slamming shut.

I understand now. She’s done this before; masking her hurt with hostility.

Moments of tense silence pass by. I sit on the other end of the sofa, and the dog sits between us, like some sort of barrier.

“This is the worst birthday ever,” DeLoria whines, nursing his swollen jaw. “I turn 21 and I get a knuckle sandwich.”

“You deserve it,” I dared to say back.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m the asshole ex, of course I frickin’ do,” he sighs, and he stands up to look for something to relieve the swelling.

“The wasteland changed her, huh? She barely even knew how to curse back in the vault and now she’s dropping cluster-f bombs left and right,” DeLoria continues, wrapping a handkerchief around a cold bottle of water and pressing it against his face.

“Her father died in front of her, and she was exiled from her home. I say Percy is allowed to curse as much as she wants,” I tell him, and cross my arms.

DeLoria was taken aback. His shoulders sag. “Doc died in front of her?”

“Shouldn’t you be shutting the fuck up when your jaw is broken?” Percy yells from upstairs, her footsteps pounding against the metal staircase.

“See what I mean about the cluster-f bombs?”

Percy strides into the living room, boots in hand, wearing the same jacket DeLoria is wearing and dark jeans. I stand up from the sofa to give her some space to sit, and she puts them on, with thick socks underneath.

“Oh. You kept the jacket.”

“Yeah? It keeps the cold away,” Percy replies as she tucked the fabric of her jeans in the boots. “C’mon. The faster we can get to Rivet City, the better.”

An hour in, the trip’s uneventful, which was a pleasant surprise. DeLoria has mostly been quiet, thank fuck, opting to tinker with his PipBoy’s radio. I am on the watch for Talon Company mercenaries who never seem to give Percy a break. A foolish lot, they are.

The music ends and Three Dog is reporting about our activity on the radio again.

“Hey, out on that ridge! It's Buddha! It's Jesus! No, it's the... Wasteland Avenger! Here's an update on Vault 101's homegrown messiah, and her trusty companion, the Ghoul Reaper.”

Not those monikers again. They sound like shitty superhero names, but not like we can do anything about it. The locals had adapted it too.

“Jesus, he’s not letting it go, isn’t he? Turn that thing off,” Percy sighs as she rips open a box of Fancy Lads, stuffing the pastry in her mouth.

The more Percy made waves, the more people who wanted her head. Her deeds got the attention of opportunistic bastards who wanted to use her for their own gain, or evil ones who just didn’t like the fact that some teenager is cleaning up the Wasteland. It doesn’t help that the DJ of the only free radio in the entirety of DC upholds her name like she’s some kind of saint.

For those reasons, “Wasteland Avenger” isn’t the only moniker she earned from wastelanders. Some wastelanders prefer to call her the Wasteland Angel. Maybe they’re right. Maybe she is one. It always makes me think back to the day when I accidentally called her angel while drinking in Megaton.

“Wasteland Avenger? Looks like your goody-two-shoes attitude has gotten you popular, Perce,” DeLoria comments, snorting. “I can’t argue with Ghoul Reaper, though.”

“Zip it. Say anything about Charon, and you’re on your own,” Percy snaps, taking three sticks of bubblegum out of her pocket. She tosses one to me, then to DeLoria.

“Awfully defensive of your boyfriend, huh.”

“No, I’m telling you to shut up for your own good, Butch. Unless you want your right jaw broken too?”

“Fine. Point taken.”

For making DeLoria shut up, I have decided that Percy is indeed an angel. The rest of our journey is filled with peace and quiet.

The plan was to leave DeLoria in Rivet City so he can make a living as a barber since Snowflake’s in Underworld now. I didn’t plan on following Percy to the Muddy Rudder and drinking with the bastard, yet there I was, sipping on my fourth beer.

Percy sits between us, downing a shot of scotch, while the dog sleeps at her feet. Butch is taking a smoke while the barkeep refills his regular whiskey. He fixes up his hair again, eyes wandering to my friend’s.

“I’m sorry about your old man,” he tells Percy, and her head perks up.

“I appreciate it, Butch.”

“Hey, speaking of dads, I finally learned what happened to mine,” Butch continues. “Not that I’m tryin’ to make it all about me, just emphasizing- empathizing. Yeah. That’s the word.”

Percy laughs softly. “Thanks for trying. So, what happened to DeLoria senior?”

“Remember how we found out that the vault was sealed when we were babies? Part of what happened to my pops had something to do with it. Overseer had him executed for opposing it.”

“Oh fuck. I’m sorry, Butch.”

“S’fine. I ain’t that beat up about it. But sometimes I think about what my life could’ve been if I wasn’t left with my alcoholic mom. Do you ever think about it, Perce? If you grew up with your mom?”

The question made Percy down two consecutive shots. Damn.

“A lot. I know dad probably would have less trouble with my hair,” Percy laughs, but there was a bittersweet quality to it. Butch pats her in the back and crushes his cigarette in an ash tray.

Should I tell them about mine?

I exhaled, breath shaky, as I took out my own pack of cigarettes and lighted one. “My father was killed over an accusation,” I tell them, throwing caution to the wind and letting the alcohol embolden me to talk about the past that I’m still struggling with.

Both of them turn to me, curious. “What happened to him?” Percy asks.

“My parents were accused of being Reds. I was going to be taken away to be reeducated. My father objected to it. I never knew the truth behind it, but the police officer who shot my father already carried out the sentence before any court could.”

“God,” Percy gasps, brushing her arm against mine.

“The government program they put the children of suspected Reds on, is what turned me into the contract-bound mercenary that I am today.”

“I’m sorry, Charon,” Percy tells me.

Butch clears his throat. “Sorry. That’s rough, man.”

Percy straightens all of a sudden. “Hold on a sec. So, are you saying that the United States government that later became the Enclave is responsible for brainwashing you?”

Percy’s right, isn’t she? It adds up.

#lone wanderer #female lone wanderer #charon #fallout charon #charon fallout #charon fallout 3 #fallout 3 charon #butch deloria #oc: percy zhou #fanfic: absolution #series: through river acheron #fallout 3 #fallout fanfic #fallout 3 fanfic #writers on tumblr

[hypnotica-ships]

3x3

So, thanks to some A+++ enabling from the discord server, I've decided to post my BNHA self insert fanfic. I haven't really talked about my insert, but I plan to sometime in the future, but for now I"ll leave ya'll in the dark.

This whole thing was made just to make me and my friends feel good and give us some much needed self indulgence.

Word Count- 1,550

Hypnotica- My S/I

Grafight- @fictional-characters-are-hot's S/I

Slasher- @alwayslovestruck's S/I

It's been 3 hours.

4 hours since the hero team Discorded was asked to help out with a capturing some drug smugglers.

3 1/2 hours since they found the drug den.

3 hours since Hypnotica sent in Grafight and Slasher to covertly search the place.

3 hours since he's heard a response.

It was a loud, shrill scream that made his blood go cold. Expecting the worst, he decided to find some loiters and use his quirk to get some backup.

After being only able to scour up 2 shadows for his mask alts to posses, he realized the longer he spends time looking for people, the more harm could come to his friends...*family*. Dolly, taking the form of a Harpy, and Dylan taking a shape of a Lion man, will have to do for backup. Hoping that it won't be needed, he finds an open window and heads into the den.

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

"Look! They're opening the crates. That must be how they ship the quirk enhancing drugs."

"Slasher. I can't see shit, it's too dark in here and I don't have dope cat eyes like yo-....wait a sec..."

The younger of the heroes takes out a sketch book and quickly draws our some night vision binoculars and they suddenly 'pop' out into a physical object. After giving a thumbs up, in order to stay quite, Grafight uses the goggles.

"Oh shiiiiiiiiiiiiit....that's a lot of powder. How the hell do they sell it all?"

Slasher just shrugs it off and continues watching the group of men, tail swaying as they do.

All of a sudden, all of the men stop moving. A few moments later they all turn to the gurder that the hero duo were perched on.

"Hey! Lookey here fellas, some new 'test subjects' to try the new mix on."

"Oh as if you'd even come close to touching us! You won't even get a chance to lay a finger on us. Right Grafight?"

"Right! Good luck fuckers!"

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

"Slasher! Grafight! What's going o-...."

"We won!'

Hypnotica was greeted by the sight of Slasher triumphantly standing with one foot on top of a human mound of passed out thugs while Grafight was looking over the crate of drugs, kicking one of the thugs that started move on the ground.

"Wha- Then who the hell screamed?!"

Grafight, grabbing the thug she kicked by his collar and threatening to punch him again.

"This guy did. I think he's like...the kingpin or something. Screams like a little bitch though."

"We managed to take these guys out super easily, like it was nothing! Can't believe they were talkin' smack like they could beat us..."

Still a bit shaken up from his worry, Hypnotica headed over to check out the crate. Noticing a strange metal box buried slightly underneath some of the drugs, he pulls it out and begins to question the kingpin about it.

"This your tracker? Is this the thing that you use to keep an eye on your 'supplies'?"

"You better answer. Grafight is pretty liberal with bodily harm."

Slasher says as she walks over to look at the box better, poking it with one of her claws.

"...it....it...he.....hehaha..."

"Punching time?" Grafight asks looking up at Hypnotica.

"Not yet. He needs to be conscious to answer our questions."

"Talk then, asshat."

"...doesn't matter....we....we were gunna..."

"Gunna what, idiot?!"

"d....die...die anways..."

"...Punch him Grafight."

Hypnotica grumbles while Dolly pried open the box with her talons.

"Gladly!"

"...I don't think he meant, like, *80 times Grafight...*"

Slasher now worriedly watches as the kingpin get's absolutely destroyed by fists.

"..."

Hypnotica seems frozen as he looks down at the box, unmoving, and holding his breath. Cocking her head, Slasher notices that somethings wrong with him.

"Hey....you alright big bro?"

"..."

Finally stopping her onslaught on the kingpin, Grafight looks over to Hypnotica.

"Cat got your tongue or something?"

Still not saying a word, Hypnotica turns the box so the others can see. In the box is a small glowing green tube with wires attached to it, there's also a countdown screen slightly below it. It's only got 3 seconds left on it.

As her tail drops, so does her heart, with only a few second to accept her fate Slasher meekly gasps as she starts to speak.

'Oh..'

'Shit'

Grafight finishes Slasher's thought, right before everything goes white.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sirens are blaring as the green mist clears from the rubble of what's left of the warehouse. Various bodies are strewn all about, policemen and EMTs were able to arrive on the scene fairly quickly. Not that it mattered, the damage was done. From the looks of everything, there was no survivors, all thugs and kingpin were either crushed by the rubble or suffered from some strange type of asphyxiation. Death seemed to encompass the area, until one of the EMTs discovered a lion like shadowy figure seemingly protecting a group of still breathing bodies. The figure soon dissipated leaving a strange mask in it's place.

The bodies were still alive, but barely, and they needed medical attention and fast.

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

"-Sources say that the 'hero' team were incapable of apprehending the group and had to resort to extreme measures to stop the-"

"Horseshit! Why would we set off a bomb? We had it covered already, it wouldn't kill them to get their facts straight..."

"Calm down Gummybear, the doc said you shouldn't strain yourself..."

It's been 4 days since Grafight was released from the hospital, suffering from 2 broken arms, rendering her unable to use her quirk...among other things. Fatgum, her partner, had insisted to stay by her side until things healed, neglecting his own hero duties in the process.

"The doc can shove it as far I care! These newscasters have no right to spew out garbage lies like that! It's gunna hurt our rep.... Sure we might not be the nicest, safest, smartest heroes in the game, but we aren't villainous either!"

"...You...you do have a point, but don't worry about it, I"m sure one of the others will give them a piece of their mind and sort things out. Right now you and I have dinner to eat!"

Grumbling as she rose from the couch, Grafight followed her partner to the kitchen, sitting down at the small round dinning table that the family usually shared. This dinner was different though. The table had a nice white satin cloth draped over it, with 2 light candles on top. It seemed that this time these two will be dinning alone.

"Take a seat baby, I'll go grab our meal."

"It better be something good, the meals at the hospital were utter shit..."

She lets her sentence trail on as a covered plate is placed ever so gently in front of her.

"Oh? Did you plan on surprising me? ....Babe, my arms, I can't open it."

"Yeah, my bad, here ya go my sweet Gummy."

Fatgum slowly removes the cover for maximum surprise effect. Once it's off, Grafight can't help but smiley widely as she notices one of her favorite meals, but with a culinary twist. Hotdogs sliced up into star shapes, surrounded by a circle of mashed potatoes, topped with melted cheese, a dash or salt, and a glob of ketchup in the middle of it all.

"So? Ya like?"

"..."

Grafight's eye's start to tear up, but her smile still stays plastered on her face. Fatgum notices right away and goes to quickly grab some tissues.

"Oh Gummy, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to upset you! I just...I just thought I could do something special for ya...I...I-"

"Oh baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabe! I love it! Omg, I love it so much, you're the best, you know that right?"

"I...yeah....no. Wait. YOU'RE the best, you're so strong and special to me, I...I"m just so happy that I didn't lose you...you mean the universe to me."

"Stop...I'm already crying, let's just...let's just enjoy this meal together, okay?"

"Okay. I"m starving anyways..."

Fatgum takes his place across from Grafight, and starts to devour his meal.

"Uh....Ahem...."

"Oh! Yeah, my bad, let me help ya."

The two enjoy their meal together, never breaking their love filled eye contact.

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

"Slow down Mochi, you shouldn't be over-exerting yourself."

"But Kano, I want to dance! I really like this song...cough cough...it's a total....total banger, and I deserve to have some.....fun after what happened. Everyone else has been so....gloomy since then....I just....want to bring some life.....back into the house is all...."

"I know, I know...but, you won't be able to do much joy-spreading if you can barely walk to the mailbox without getting winded halfway there."

"Hmph, stupid bomb chemicals getting.....getting into my lungs...fucking up my whole system...did they ever figure out what...what was in that tube...anyways?"

"They still haven't called us back about the results yet, but they said the inhaler they gave you was working well enough for us not to worry. So we won't, right Mochi?"

"...Yeah...I guess...I just hate...feeling weak like this...I wanna cry but.... I don't want the others to...to see....they've been through enough....I don't wan them to worry about me...me too..."

Kano takes a moment to think, after a moment he takes Slasher's paw and leads her into the living room.

"Sweety...what are you doing?"

After he gets Slasher to relax on the couch, he walks over the Hypnotica's advance sound system and grabs a homemade looking CD. Putting it in he looks to Slasher.

"The good doctor said YOU shouldn't exert yourself, but....he never said anything about me."

As soon as the music starts, Kano begins to dance in a way that's all to familiar to Slasher. It's a dance they've grown to call the 'Humpty Dance', and no one else in the house can quite get it right like these two.

"Oh Kano! This....this makes me so....happy! Keep...keep going! Maybe...maybe you could...put in some...Slipknot next? Pwetty Pwease?"

"Anything for you my Mochi."

Slasher enjoys the show Kano puts on for almost 2 hours, by the time he gets done, Kano is just about as winded as Slasher has been recently. The two then cuddle on the couch, just taking in each other's slow and labored breathes.

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

"You will most certainly not."

Sir Nighteye slams his hand down on the counter to emphasize his point, making Hypntoica jump a little.

"And why the fuck not? The need to get their facts straight. I will not stand for all of this fucking slander."

Sir sighs and pushes his glasses up, trying to calm himself down.

"I understand that, but 'kidnapping the newsroom executive' is not the most ideal way to go about it. You can barely walk, even with the crutches!"

Motioning to Hypnotica's broken left leg, and the sprain in his other. Hypnotica just huffs and looks off to the side, still with an angered expression plastered on his face.

"So. Fucking. What? Okay, maybe kidnapping is a bit extreme, but..."

Sir's own angry expression starts to soften as he notices the tears that begin to fall from his partner's face. Wondering how long he's been holding it in.

"...I can't let my family take the blame for a stupid mistake that I made!"

Hypnotica's body begins to shudder as more tears fall, Sir walks over to him and embraces him in a way to try to calm him down.

"It's not your fault...all of you did what you could to try and handle the situation."

"That doesn't excuse all of the death and destruction that happened, and not to mention all the hurt my family is going through because of it!"

"No. It doesn't. But how is any of that your doing, hmm?"

"...I...I..."

"Shh, just stay, and relax. I'll make up a fully detailed report and send out a few copies to some of the stations. They'll most likely use those facts since my name does carry some weight..."

While still holding him with his right hand, Sir uses his left to tilt Hypnotica's chin up to meet his eyes. After a few seconds go by, he rests his head on his partner's.

"...Trust me dear. Everything will turn out just fine."

"Promise?"

"I promise. I saw it."

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

"A trusted source, who has decided to stay anonymous, has confirmed that the deaths in the Discorded Warehouse accident were not the before mentioned teams fault, but the fault of-"

"Thank you! Finally, a news channel that checks their facts. Even though I'm fine with a few deaths under my belt, but whatever I guess."

"Oh! Look Gummy! That's me! Saving all of those orphans was quite the task, I'll have to tell you all about it later."

"Kano my love! Let me help you with those dishes, there is far to many for one man to clean."

"Thank you Mochi! I kinda went all out with the meal this time, it was a celebration for everyone recovering so quickly....well, mostly everyone..."

"I call bullshit. Of course right after I get healed I trip down the stairs and end up right back to square one."

"Guess that means I'll have play nurse bit longer my dear."

~~*Cue Laugh Track*~~

#my writings #neversetinstone #... #I don't know if i want to tag this with the source material tags... #considering this made for like 3ish people

[thecandywrites]

Of Heaven and Fire Part 18

The REDEMPTION

@imherefortheforthefanart​ @probablyclever​ @funmadnessandbadassvikings​

Of Heaven and Fire 

Part 18

It was like he finally woke up from a coma or he had kicked out a demon from possessing him and he finally got full control of himself again and he sat up and gasped for air before it all came back in a rush and all he could feel was absolute shame and mortification for his behavior since his rebirth. 

“Oh Gods, what did I do?! What have I done?!” Brock sobbed as he held his head which hurt like it had been bashed with a club as his body hurt all over as if he had just been beaten by a mob. So much so that he puked and cried out in anguish and sobbed and looked at all of the betrothal gifts as if he was seeing them for the first time and the depths of his hurt and shame at refusing such perfection, much less finding fault with them- were immeasurable as his abdomen hurt like he had gotten kicked in the gut by a draft horse. 

How had you not strangled him? How had anyone not hunted him down and put his head on a spike for such barbaric and disrespectful behavior? 

He wanted to throw himself off a cliff! His stomach lurched and his lower abdomen felt like it was shuddering and he felt like he was about to shit himself before he realized- he was feeling phantom labor pains. One of the spells the Shaman had cast is that you would feel what the other felt to a degree. If he felt labor pains, that meant...

“Oh fuck! Fuck! Yana!” Brock yelled and quickly took all your gifts off the walls and he put them all on and it was like he could feel all the emotions you were feeling as you had these made for him or when you made them yourself, all the worry yet all the care and love and adoration and respect and even though the clothing and the armor was hanging off of him because he had shrunk lately and it was particularly heavy because his strength had been depleting ever since he left the clan- he knew he had to fly to you, immediately. He didn’t have any time to lose. He rushed out of the house as he looked up into the sky as a huge storm gathered around him. But he was undeterred if anything, his courage and determination rose to the occasion. 

He transformed into a mighty eagle, all his weapons and armor turning into armored feathers as his talons were particularly sharp and he flew as fast and as hard as he could and it was somehow a snow thunderstorm with freezing rain, hail and snow coming from the direction of Suchi and he dodged lighting bolts and the super heavy precipitation that beat him up even with special armor but he flew like his life depended on it and in record time despite the storm, he flew all over Suchi in an effort to find your house which he could not remember what it looked like. And in the colony, everything looked alike and he finally found your parent’s house, having remembered where that was at least but it was empty and so he went into the streets and banged on every door he could find until one finally opened up to him. 

“Where’s Benyana Auksa’s house? I need to get to her as fast as possible.” Brock pleaded desperately as his gut continued to shudder and constrict in time with what he intuitively felt were your contractions, he panted for air before he got directions to your house and he flew straight to it and when he saw it, it was like he’s finally remembered all the memories he had of of it came back to him and his tears blurred his vision but now it felt like his heart and soul were leading him to you because even if he went blind in this instant, he would still find his way to you and he came to your doorstep and banged on the door before his father answered the door, Drad and his family only arriving moments before he did. 

“You finally came!” Drad cheered in relief as he let him in and hugged his son so tight his back cracked as the two were already crying at being reunited. 

“Oh fuck no! He’s not getting anywhere near Yana, especially not now! Not ever!” Rhen thundered himself as he charged Brock and went to hack off Brock’s head but Brock blocked the attack with all his strength. 

“It’s me! It’s really me! The Brock before the rebirth in fire, I need to see Yana, I need to apologize to her. Look, I know I was the worst asshole the world had ever seen for the last six months and it was like I was possessed by a demon or something but I’m cured! One of Yana’s gifts to me cured me! It was an orb she got from the water dragons. When I took her out to sea back in the spring back when she was tethered to me which is a sin that will never be repeated for all time and one that I can never be forgiven for and I know I’m the last person in the world who has any right to be here and I will spend every waking moment for the rest of my life making it up to Yana and everyone else.” Brock pleaded as all he did was block your dad’s attacks and did his best to evade them but made no attacking motions himself even when his strength was waning to its last as his gut shuddered again as Brock heard the unmistakable sound that you were in labor and he heard midwives and your mother and his mother coaching you through it and he dropped his weapons on the floor and fled, flying through the house trying to find where you were as Rhen was pursuing him through the house before he found the room and broke the damn door getting in and he saw you in a birthing tub surrounded by his mom, your mom, Matae and the midwives and he flew to your side. 

“Brock?” You asked, barely recognizing him. 

“Yana!” Brock called out as he rushed over to you. 

“Matae, that’s my spot, out of my way.” Brock tried to push him out of the way which made Matae start giggling after he waived his hand over the top of Brock’s head before he withdrew with a proud and relieved smile as everyone gasped at Brock’s appearance as he got on his knees next to the tub.

“Yana Baby, I’m so so so so sorry for everything I put you through, I’m so sorry I’m an asshole and an idiot and the worst person ever. I had no right to treat you the way I did and I swear it’s like I’ve been possessed by a demon for like, the last 6 months, ever since my rebirth in the ashes, like something reached out and attached itself to me when that happened. Like I had a choice to learn to love you all over again or reject you the first time you hugged me when I came back and when I rejected you because it felt weird- not that it felt wrong, but that it felt too right, I know that sounds crazy and insane but it’s the truth, it was like the worst parts of myself took over and I couldn’t stop myself and I was in constant pain and agony the closer to you I got and the more I fought it, the worse it got- so much so that I tried to drown it all out with alcohol because none of the doctors and healers could explain why I was in pain, even the Shaman couldn’t figure it out and couldn’t cure it which made no sense and every memory and every piece of feeling I had for you tried to come through anyway but I kept misunderstanding it all and I mistook the feelings of love and adoration and respect and awe for hatred and it only built from there and you were absolutely right, everyone was right, it was like you symbolized slavery to my soul somehow and usually my honor would have pushed me to accept you anyway but I just...couldn’t. It was like my whole soul revolted at the very idea and it was all my fault.” Brock spewed out as quickly as he could as the biggest benar anyone had ever seen flowed from his eyes at yours as he grabbed and held your hand in both of his as he got as close as he could without actually getting in the tub with you. 

“And you gave me every chance to come to peace with it and you were so unbelievably patient, thank you,  you were more patient with me than I ever was with you and the gods themselves can testify that you worked so hard. You tried so hard to be the perfect warchieftess and you succeeded Baby, you did, I was so proud of you but my own pride and jealousy and pettiness wouldn’t let me admit that to anyone especially myself. And I swear on my life that I will spend every waking moment from this moment on making it up to you.” Brock vowed as you just stared at him, barely breathing because you didn’t know if this was a trick or what. 

“Remember when you first started to get the nightmares about what was to come when we went to Suchi together for the first time? And you woke up screaming your head off and sobbing and you were inconsolable and I just held you and pet your beautiful hair and rubbed your back and your arms and I swore to you by every god we both believed in- combined- that even if the council put me to death and even if I had to be reincarnated or reborn that I would find you, no matter what. No matter what form I would take, be it a raven or a dove or a horse or a mule or even a stray dog, I would come for you and that nothing would separate me from you and if anything or anyone did- the worst curses known to the living kinds would befall them or if I rejected you that the worst curses would befall myself and the clan? That if I came back and rejected you that my family should reject me, my clan should reject me and the very land should reject me and that monsters would hatch and eat up all the fish in the estuary and that I would forever wander and be lost forever. That I would be so alone that not even an animal would be my friend and that Stormbreaker would only be known as a place of whores before it would be no more? That my manhood would never work with anyone else but you and that my old weapons would shatter and my old armor would fall apart and that my clothes would even fall apart at the seams off my body so that I would roam naked and afraid and that no birth would ever happen in Stormbreaker until the day our child would come back and reclaim the land as their natural and proper birthright and then the curse would reverse and turn back into the blessing only it would double for their sake and my name would never be said again but their name would be known for times indefinite no matter what?” Brock prompted and all you could do is cry in relief and nod your head yes. 

“And it made you laugh your tears away because of how silly and preposterous it was but I made you swear that you were never to tell anyone this vow, especially me because even if I didn’t remember you, I would remember this vow because the gods would never let me ever forget? And what happened? Everything!” Brock started to laugh through his own tears as his mother hit him over the head angrily for cursing the clan like that. 

“Next time leave the clan out of it!” Rhos chastised. 

“Sorry, yeah, I deserved that and so much more.” Brock admitted but wouldn’t take his eyes off of you as he kissed your hand as he held your hand tightly as you squeezed back just as tightly. 

“Everything I vowed, came true. Monstrous eels were born under the crater that our house left behind, a house that we built together out of clouds that was supposed to be the perfect place to birth a great nation under our child’s name. And that when we had children, our first born son would be named Brive, and our first born daughter would be named Brelani. Remember?” He recalled as you started sobbing happy tears because you had not mentioned those names and wouldn’t say those names until the baby was born but he was back. He had told you that in the greatest of privacy and there had been no other witnesses to that as you hugged him as he hugged you as tight as he could. 

“What brought your memory back?” You asked when he pulled back to kiss every inch of you he could reach and repeat the words ‘l love you’ with every one as you returned his kisses emphatically. So happy and relieved he came to his senses and came back to you. 

“The orb! The orb that the water dragons gave you that you gave me as a parting gift, my mom invited me to watch the house while they were away here and I got so drunk off of the ale they left and Binga was waiting on me and she kicked my ass, which may the gods bless her for that, and I was in such a rage when she left that I took that orb and I threw it as hard as I could against the wall and what came out of it was this shining shimmering thing and it attacked me and I swear to the 9 heavens that it acted like a mob beating me up in every sense before it just unlocked everything and sobered me up and when I came too, it was like the “demon” was kicked out and I had full control over myself and my mind and my actions again and everything came back in a rush and I came to my senses and all I could do is throw up and cry and wallow in regret, embarrassment, shame and remorse and it was all I had to put everything on and fly as fast as I could here and the elements I swear were against me every step of the way and I got absolutely pelted by the storm’s hail but none of it hurt bad enough for me to stop and I knew I couldn’t stop until I was here.” Brock insisted. 

“Well, that’s because all the heavenly moura who have been after her were throwing the hail at you from the clouds themselves.” Matae finally piped up sheepishly before everyone looked at him which got yourself to giggle in amusement as Brock wiped the tears from your eyes as you did the same to him and so happy when he leaned into your touch. 

“Really?” Brock asked as he frowned which got everyone else to snicker in amusement. 

“Well I mean, I totally deserved it.” Brock admitted with a nod as Matae nodded in agreement as did everyone else.  

“And the elves totally drove away all the fawna.” Matae admitted. “Because the elves were upset that you rejected her.” Matae admitted. 

“And the council did totally curse you with a demon right before I got the chance to kill them myself and that the demon would torment you forever but I was powerless to do anything about it or tell anyone about it until either it pushed you to kill yourself to escape the pain and agony and agitation, or drove you to act in such a way that others would kill you. It was revenge for the council who themselves were powerless to harm you before your rebirth but in your rebirth process it was possible for the demon to attach itself to you since as their final revenge against you and your family and your clan, using your own vow against you and against Benyana especially for exposing them. And of course all the gods that you vowed to were obviously listening.” Matae revealed as everyone seemed to nod in understanding.

“But you should be grateful to Yana for protecting you, she even sent for me to deliver some game, being squirrels and trash pandas since that’s all I could carry as a raven as all the forest berries and mushrooms magically vanished whenever you were near, again, thanks to the elves, in particular Siressa who’s now the queen of the elves.” Matae explained since your sister Siressa married Railitor. 

“I thought that was weird.” Brock realized. “Wait that raven was you?” Brock asked as he remembered seeing it as Matae nodded in confirmation.  

“Who was the dove?” Brock asked. 

“More or less me, I was able to see you through the dove’s eyes since I physically couldn’t change into a bird form. Matae helped me. I started to fear that you weren’t completely yourself when your behavior didn’t match up perfectly to the way you were before the new year and while Matae couldn’t tell me about it, he couldn’t deny it either and I spent over a week playing the guessing game with him to come to that conclusion. That’s why I begged the gods to let you keep fighting no matter what, because the way I saw it, if you were fighting, then you would be alive and give me time to figure out a way to break it and kick the demon’s ass after I give birth to Brive since I couldn’t do so while pregnant, it was too risky. When surprise surprise, I already had the solution from Yingshen, long before there was ever a problem. But even I couldn’t know what was in that sphere.” You confessed.

“It was a Kydri, think of it as genie but a spirit of light who’s sworn enemies are demons and harmful and malicious curses. It attacked the demon in you and killed it. which- as bonded to you as that demon was because it was reborn with you, you felt the pain of it in your physical being. The particular kind of demon that it was- was particularly crafty, it liked to hide in plain sight as a person’s greatest faults so that when any healer or any other magic practicing person tried to examine you, it was like it wasn’t there at all and the only ways to get rid of it was either by a Kydri or other spirit of light, which are few and far between, how Yingshen had one, is a mystery to me.” Matae explained before another contraction hit you and you braced yourself in the waters and whimpered in pain as Brock did the same as you widened your eyes. 

“We still have our connection I see. Sharing the burden huh?” You teased breathlessly. 

“Aways, alright, I gotta get closer, I’ve spent the entire pregnancy either not knowing you were pregnant or possessed by a demon who kept me away from you. I’m back baby, so unless you yourself send me away, I’m getting as close as possible.” Brock insisted as he stood and started stripping down to his underwear as your mother laughed as she shielded her eyes as Rhos laughed and helped take his clothes and put them to the side as he got in the birthing tub and hugged you and kissed you the best he could before he got behind you and had you sit on his lap and legs so there was room between his legs for the baby to come through as he wrapped his arms around you and held you tight and kissed your neck and your shoulder and buried his face into the crux of your neck and shoulder and inhaled your heavenly scent, so happy to be reunited with you and happily felt every kick he could while Brive was still in your womb so that at least he didn’t get to miss out on the experience entirely as Brive suddenly became really active in hearing his father’s voice as the labor evened out. 

“My mom said you almost lost Brive several times, what happened?” Brock murmured quietly after you settled in. 

“Once we left, he stopped moving, except to roll in his sleep. No kicks, nothing. Only when your dad came and visited since his voice was closest to yours would he kick.” You explained. 

“I’m so sorry, I can’t imagine the burden of worry that put on you.” Brock murmured sorrowfully. 

“It’s not a burden anymore, now that you’re back and you’re here, that’s all that matters to me now.” You reassured him. 

“But if you threw up and just flew here, you need to get some strength and keep it up. Mom, could you see if anyone could make Brock a preflight meal?” You requested. 

“Of course.” Your mother nodded before she and Rhos left to cook up a storm as they revealed the truth of the matter to everyone else. 

Brock spent all night holding you and comforting you and massaging you and doing everything in his power to ease you through labor all night, even as exhausted as he was, but he knew you were even worse off than he was and he dug deep for the strength to persevere which helped with the food everyone else was making for him and you as his moura light marks lit up and intertwined with yours and your son’s as you laid back against him, so happy and relieved to have him fully back with you as the storm raged on outside but it all felt so far off now that he was near and he would be with you and supporting you for the birth. 

It was when you puked for the second time that the midwives knew you were in the final stage of labor as you braced yourself on Brock’s arms as you sat forward, trying to let gravity help you as Brock silently prayed to every god you both believed in to help you through this and to give you the strength and stamina to give birth and survive the birth and for Brive to make it through too. Brock had never prayed so hard or so fervently in his life. 

Just before sunrise as the storm died down to a simple rain shower, did you finally give birth to Brive. 

He was, by far- the cutest most handsome baby boy any of you have ever seen in your lives and even your family had to admit that he was perfect and his light mint green skin with blonde hair and the brightest blue eyes and his gold moura mark was gorgeous and Brock waited until the umbilical cord stopped pulsing to cut it and after you expelled the afterbirth, Brock picked you up as you held your son, once he had been cleaned off and bathed and carried you to bed that had been prepared for you and your son nursed like a piranha. You were just glowing, literally, because you were healing yourself before Brock started to glow too and with help from the midwives and your own mother was able to help heal you from the birthing process and while it would still take time to fully heal, it would cut down the normal healing time by two thirds. 

It was Brock’s first act to heal another as a moura and it was incredibly fitting that it was you and he did great- he was a natural and once everyone saw themselves out, you both finally got the chance to rest together for the first time in months, with you sleeping on your back with Brive in the natural cradle of your chest and Brock on his side spooning you and letting you use his legs to prop up your own as his arm was your pillow and his other arm wrapped around you possessively. Both of you slept so soundly and waking every couple of hours so you could nurse Brive who had a very healthy appetite and it warmed your heart to see Brock be oh so careful and gentle in changing his son’s diapers but keep Brive otherwise naked to maximize the skin to skin contact not only with you but with him as he cradled Brive to his chest like Brive was his greatest treasure and you both cooed at the baby and at each other and of course both of your families continued to cook up a storm together to celebrate everything and brought you all the meals in bed so that you could rest in peace and didn’t have to do much of anything other than get up to go to the bathroom and even then Brock was all too eager to help and if he wasn’t holding Brive he was holding you while you held Brive. 

News traveled quickly and as soon as you were able to get dressed and be seen by more people other than your family, you had many visitors from both Stormbreaker and Hurricane Breaker who all brought gifts and blessings and they all wanted to hear the tale of star crossed lovers, defying curses and spells and even a demon possession to be together and instantly great and fantastic legends were born. 

When it was time, it was Brock’s family’s turn to show him how to move houses made in clouds and fly it back home with you and Brive safely inside. 

Once he settled the house back into where it had been before, the gush of water into the estuary flooded all the silt out into the ocean to restore the beautiful rocks and sand again before you brought Brive out of the house as you and Brock got his feet out of his blankets. 

“Welcome to your rightful home and birthright my son.” Brock said as you both crouched down so you could put Brive’s bare little feet to the ground before you watched as a ripple effect traveled like waves of water over the land. Suddenly the vegetation returned full force. All the crops returning to the land and at the perfect ripeness for harvest as everyone from Stormbreaker left Drauch to immediately harvest all the abundance as quickly as possible as you quickly rewrapped Brive’s legs into the blankets you had him swaddled in and went back inside to rest as Brock then helped his clan gather as much grains and produce as possible before any of it could be lost to frost as one by one then group by group all his former captians and commanders and generals returned to him. Grateful to have their future warchief back. 

#Of Heaven and Fire #Of Heaven and Fire part 18 #orc love story #orc #moura #fae #orc husband #monster boyfriend #orc reader insert #male monster female reader #exophilia #exo #monster reader insert

[acioo]

MASTERLIST OF 1000 VERSE IDEAS ! ( 2 / 2 )

                  under the cut are exactly 1000 verse tag ideas under the following categories:                   brotp, enemies, exes, fwb, otp, parents, siblings, toxic relationship,                   unrequited, & wanted connection with exactly 100 tag phrases per each one.                   please like or reblog this if you found it helpful !

BROTP :

you ask if i think it’ll hurt like this forever

we’re not those kind of kids

one can’t function without the other

people are good at heart

the kids with no religion

nobody hates the truth like we do

endless dumb fun

they turned her into a nightmare so i’m going to be theirs

for her i can try to be human

we are syrup in coffee and hands that bite

more than friendship but less than dating

we make the king scream for mercy

extensions of each other

all the gods, heavens, and hells are within you

this time we are not afraid

we win because we do not know how to lose

we will be monsters alone in this world with only each other

you look at me with this heady mixture of awe and love and bottomless trust

a sweaty summertime tangle of lips

our nights are perfumed in obsession

he’s lighting a cigarette even though he would never let you touch one

i took care of that thing for you

let them remember me

the only one who really knows anymore

all you have to do is ask

the best at making me feel better

piggeypack rides & inside jokes

living in each other’s back pocket

the impractically rebellious & the impractically kind

the best thing that’s ever happened to me

all you need is love

i will remember. will you?

i like you more than i planned

but we hold on

i love you inside & out

best friends with an idiot

not used to people sticking around when things get bad

here comes trouble

sitting on the library floor

sending out emails for the cult meeting

strange women society

making forests quiver

my one kin

where i go you go

our meeting was bad for society

a true friend & hot piece of ass

to a fading friend

a dynamic duo

then we fight together

don’t tell anyone the big bad wolf is a puppy in disguise

ideas that seemed good at three am

i know i’m a shit friend but oh god i’m trying

the gang screws the government

dead boys club

friends can break your heart too

can’t stop us

there is thunder in our hearts

bro homie man calm down

bored & covered in paint with an idea

i could be your family

we can be heroes

teenage feelings

i can’t live without you

i want to be loved but don’t feel like i deserve it

don’t give up! you’ll be great someday

i tolerate you

who made you think you weren’t worth it

if we fall we fall together

we are the kids you can never kill

we hurt & burn & bloom

friends that became family

alive by spite alone

as long as we don’t die this is going to be one hell of a story

local dumbasses knew what they were getting into but did anyway

just children thrust into war

it’s like being friends with a five year old child who’s also an alcoholic

double trouble

i’m pretty cool but also i cry a lot

unity ; standing together as one

you’re pretty neato

in the end you’re my very best friend

just get in the fucking blanket fort

oh for fuck’s sake here we go again

please don’t leave me like the rest

something about you made me feel alive

sitting on a rooftop at two am & talking about life

whatever you do you’re still my best friend

i’d do anything to keep you safe

so what are you doing this weekend?

let’s be miserable together

trouble usually finds us

my annoying best friend

i’d do anything to make it up to you

all we have is now

down for whatever

we’re good at surviving

death doesn’t discriminate

you suck less than most people

platonically calls you babe

so i did a stupid thing again

ENEMIES : 

better him than me

always ready to argue with you

the only thing that comes easily is the anger

laughing at your worthless jokes

awe-inspiring & ferocious & terrible

hell is other people

the game was getting a little old

plenty of monsters know how to play at being human

dream on fucker

you and me now! for worse or for better

she tears at my lungs

still working on going to hell

tangle them in bedsheets & take their heart

stop brewing up wicked things

fucking unbelievable

are you done yet?

you should be scared of me

the problem is you

monsters aren’t meant to live happily ever after

testing my patience

leave or die

this a warzone

give me a break

can you take a punch?

let my thorns prick your fingers

made of threats

you were an iceberg & i had no lifeboat

fighting & fucking

see you in hell

sinking my talons into your neck

bang bang you’re dead

keeping you at a distance

a fire blazing between us

i will taste the copper tang of your dying breaths

don’t growl at the wolf

the only thing she makes me feel anymore is rage

try to scare me, i dare you

what does it take to make you angry?

you are dumb and an ass: dumbass

sorry you evil prick

you look like shit

a lifelong rivalry

please stop talking

seeing them brings only pain

i’ll swallow my blood before i swallow my pride

i choose violence over peace

stupidity isn’t cute

i’m not cutting myself up for you again

sometimes hearts are vacant

i can’t stand a mess of a person

no enemy is safe

using poetry in a street fight

i don’t care if you burn

i tried to be kind

rot in hell

you want battle? i’ll give you war

hate spitting out of each other’s laugh

choose your last words this last time

not to sound bitter

true evil is above all things seductive

basically i’m a badass / basically he’s a moron

i hope the halo burns when i shove it down your throat

we should really have angry sex sometime

i liked your nose before

allergic to you

he’s not a monster, just a villain

stop making others suffer for your personal hatred

aren’t we all sinners

am i an asshole?

i’m going t hell anyways

do not tell me what i can and can’t do

you don’t know shit about me

they paid the price

you underestimate my power

an eye for an eye

people are poison

wanted: dead or alive

as mad as a dad in traffic

to make out with you or kill you

martyr me i dare you

i hate you more than you hate yourself

please stop framing me for murder i didn’t do that one

do not touch me

sorry you’re an asshole

throwing rocks evolving to throwing insults

asshole of the year & competition

you tried to cross the wrong person

if i’m cute when i’m angry you must find my phenomenal

done being a brat yet?

you are the villain of this story

bringing a murderous rage

an abomination among us

everything about you is wrong

i’ll be nicer if you’ll be smarter

gay judgement

some people should get punched in the face

better than you

a strange game of chess with only two royals

what doesn’t kill me might make me kill you

pain is but fuel to my rage

EXES :

suddenly we are strangers again

we deserve a soft epilogue

you changed everything

she didn’t realize she was saying goodbye

we are good people and we have suffered enough

it’s never been rustier

the people you love don’t stay dead

healing takes time

maybe it was the timing or the toxicity or the lifetime

you haunt me

your relationship will one day dazzle a psychologist

suddenly, everything is okay again

you say you hate him (but it’s so clear on your face)

i know i’ll see your face again

still overthinking why he stopped caring about you

when i think of january i think of you

everything is just so wrong!

part of why you can’t trust men

sorry to my unknown lover

i forgot just why i left you

he doesn’t believe in anyone but himself

he never saw himself the way i saw him

they haunt her dreams

she now knows the trouble of underestimating troublemakers

i’d hold her like she was china instead of plastic and she’d get oh so bored

somebody always has to love more

being apart from your soulmate hurts

i hope you’re thinking of me

you will always fall in love

our love did not know how to die quietly

if memories could bleed, if dreams could scream

taste of broken trust

we have fallen a long way

your love should be unconditional for one person or nothing at all

the devil’s love song is for the rest of her kind, not for you

all the signs screamed stop, but we could not see them

i see you holding hands and i feel angry

i’d give anything for you to hold me one last time

now i’m alone in the dust

if you ever fall in love again please fall in love with me

i don’t want us to be strangers again

still looking as good as i left you

i can’t find you in the body sleeping next to me

losing her was different from the usual pain

you couldn’t patch up the holes in his heart

i’m sorry for coming in and fucking up your life

you wonder if you knew him once ; you cannot remember

the world doesn’t stop for any of us

love is but a neurological con job

not heartbroken

no more love notes

love will tear us apart

you made me think i was good

girlfriend from hell

i don’t know if you noticed but i’m long gone

left in the dust with the taste of broken trust

the people i’ve left & the ones that i kept

send my love to your new lover

you know you should have stayed

we really cared for each other

do you still think of us

your name is synonymous with hurt

it still hurts

she didn’t learn how to love early enough

i hope hurting me haunts you for years

i feel sick when i remember how i opened up for you

loving you has fucked me up

you don’t fall until it’s over

i miss you so much it hurts me every day

you both think the other is staring at the ground

it always gets worse before it gets better

he isn’t coming back you thought

all the sparks were gone

i should hate you

you chose to burn me

sometimes endings are made of teary eyes & the saddest of smiles

i never really got to say goodbye

you used to call me baby

maybe one day i’ll feel nothing

me so sorry

you broke my fucking heart

who said i stopped loving you?

picking up the mess you left behind

the boy who broke her heart is the only one who can make it feel whole again

you tried to love me & i tried to let you

what i do isn’t up to you anymore

what’s a soulmate to a rebel?

it was never like that

what if your heart’s a liar?

what was i supposed to do?

accepting the love we think we deserve

maybe i’ll meet you in another life

she could’ve been your moon but you were focused on dimly lit stars

stay i whispered as you shut the door behind you

i don’t want anyone else to ever touch you

we outgrew each other in angry uncoordinated ways

you left & the world kept going

a letter to the boy who stole me

this thing was a masterpiece before you tore it all up

she’s no longer your girl

FWB :

him and his pale long fingers tangled in your hair

same kiss & lips ; never the same touch

his cold lips against your neck

slender fingers on your upper thigh

nothing sets you off like how you want him

free sex training lessons

can’t differentiate between lips & hearts anymore

his mouth is your confessional

he’d never let anything real happen

what we do is secret

this is no longer safe ground

“ my parents aren’t home ”

the only legacy we’ll leave is the graffiti beneath the high school bleachers

we are the avoiders

just us ; you find out

desired but never loved

you lost track of the rules

you taste like sunshine

it’s so different when we wake up

thrill chill fulfill me

with both of his hands, his eyes, his mouth

star-crossed knuckles at breakfast time

marking you the darkest shade of red

she’s the breathe on the back of your neck

i draped her thighs over my shoulders and drank

the kiss was a one time thing

the possibility is electric

the lie: it doesn’t mean anything

chapstick that started on someone else’s lips

and i keep waking up in your bed

it was supposed to be just once

is it the alcohol or the taste of him

she tastes like every dark thought i’ve ever had

she touches you like you're fragile

he tastes how he sounds: honeyed and warm

countless one-night stands

we say that it is just sex but it’s getting blurry

my heart is too big just for one of you

i’ll seduce you with interesting scientific facts

shining every night

our chaos is what sets us apart

no feelings he said

passionate as a sin

we keep telling ourselves that nothing is happening

just friends don’t kiss like that

i’m in like, she’s in love

me you and the moon

two girls one bed

this sort of lust isn’t allowed

the signs scream do not touch

her gaze is too gentle for your hard fingers

we didn’t get the chance to get past that bed

you’re in my veins, you fuck

it hurts ; lusting after the lion boy

vulnerable and yet still strong

touching everything but her heart

we don’t speak besides assurances

i taste good & bad in you

we call this bravery

this started as friends

drinking her in

lost in translation

maybe i asked for too much

what’s love to a fuckboy

i’ve never even kissed you

yes but only because you asked

they were a poem in four parts

go somewhere with me

you are my two am thoughts

please don’t use me i am broken

eat me! love me! consume me! devour me!

be a slut do whatever you want

feelings of detachment

there’s more where that came from

you are what i desire

you already know how this is going to end

sexual history: often

catching feelings like a disease

don’t get attached

send nudes

everyone winds up kissing the wrong person

gets turned on by danger

i bruise like a peach & i’m twice as sweet

the warmest light is your body

that's fucked up but i like it

that’s gross! (unless you’re up for it?)

gay hooligans

i will gladly slam you against a wall and make out with you

suck my dick written in pretty calligraphy

a best friend who occasionally gives you orgasms

you look cute when i’m doing you

in the gay way

come over and eat what my mom made

i want to respectfully have sex with you

seducing you with interesting science facts

teasing you is what i’m best at

i know what i want & i’m gonna get it

desired but never loved

can we just be strangers again

do you feel like a young god

OTP :

love her, but leave her wild

i lived to love, my darlings

you are my sunshine

tell me i’m good for you

you’re my mess

of all the things my hands have held you are the best

it was like loving the sun

how sweet it is to be loved by you

he makes you feel like when you were at the top of a hill and your bike’s brakes stopped working

the overwhelming desire to kiss

i want to hold hands & waste time with you

i wanna spend the rest of my sunsets with you

we loved with a love that was more than love

i want to be in your arms

your heart could fill an ocean

a love that is not easily buried

you love like the world ending

i find your laughter in the softness of humanity’s neck

i want to explore haunted houses with you

no one’s made my heart beat this fast before

i’ll steal you the moon

sometimes i feel like i’m going to collapse under the weight of your eyes

you understand now why they lost their minds

heaven’s a place on earth with you

he loved you like he discovered fire

did my heart love till now?

your smile lifted the world off of me

i care what you think

a love that makes the god’s jealous

you can only think of his name

no butterflies in my stomach: just shooting stars & supernovas

please i beg quietly don’t give up on me yet

known as something the star’s made

a roaring war when you touch

in her kiss i taste the revolution

the thoughts of him kick drum your veins

touching him feels like a leap of faith you didn’t know you had

tangled in each other

the lies & truth of love

people can read it in your eyes & how you hold each other

he makes you immediately sober up

making your blood tremble with something you don’t understand

he loves you so much more than you do

just kiss me again

one love two mouths

i fell in love with a heart that beats so slow

holding moonlight in your hands

i wanna come home to you

you don’t ever have to go

kiss me like you miss me

fuck you’re beautiful

that star reminds me of you

acknowledging the bad, embracing the good, & growing

my whole sky craves an island of tenderness

she was the moon & i was the stars ; our sky was glorious

he’s not just a boy and that scares me to death

sunlit lovers

spilling like honey from our lips

way too in love

my first & last love

she is what keeps me going

only a fool for you

you’re my future

love comes slyly like a thief

3rd base is when they see you having an anxiety attack

wrapped in your arms i felt like everything could be okay

you have the sweetest soul i have ever seen

i’ll suck your dick if you take your meds

grab the monet & let’s gogh

and i’d choose you ; in a hundred lifetimes, worlds, any version of reality

in the end they died

tragic backstories & height difference

may we meet again

in love with an idiot

you’re so weird (don’t change)

i love you fucker

wanna go to hell together

finger guns but like with emotional attachment and a lot of love

you’re a disaster wanna date

lonely for only you

i can’t believe you’re real

you’ve shown me the light

i wasn’t even looking when i found you

i always think about you

my partner my soldier my fault

worth your weight in gold

my favorite piece of art

we deserve happy

i’ve always belonged to you

great things take time

baby be my lollipop

he was pretty cute for a monster

stopping time one kiss at a time

can’t meet your soulmate if you don’t makeout with strangers

take me back to the night we met

you complete me

soulmates aren’t just lovers

a montage of love

when is a monster not a monster? when you love it

loving you because of & despite the bad

PARENT :

please stop destroying what is left of your heart

laying on the roof of your ‘97 pontiac

he inherited his mother’s charm

knowing how it feels to be cast away

they say: you’re a little too much for me

daddy issues written on your forehead

cosmically impossible

who would want a kid like me?

a letter to my daughter

please don’t give up on me

repeat after me: everything will be okay

her father’s daughter

blood of warriors

anxiously waiting to call that line

a bad childhood doesn’t equal a bad life

we’ve made it this far

her mother cried the day she was born

we didn’t think the monsters could ever be like us

even though there were tears there were tissues too

fearless children who love the light

they forced her into greatness

she calls her parents by their names

i will love you & love you & love you

wasn’t working well from the starter

so afraid of an empty nest

are you proud of me, mama? papa?

inherited her mother’s black anger

a figure in the distance, a movie reel of old pictures

everything my mother prayed i wouldn’t be, i became

you taught me so many things about myself didn’t know

i never did learn much of anything from my mother

the wolf in this fairy tale

loved the point of madness

master of fate

raise hell, kid

he came out of the womb like hannibal sacking rome

didn’t your mother ever tell you not to leave a good thing waiting

to love to the point of madness

when i was just a little girl, i asked my mother, “what will i be?”

he loved her more than his whole life

when will i be good enough for you?

it’s all good when i have you by my side

maxing out daddy’s credit cards

i took nine months to form your heart, do not let anyone break it in seconds

mother says there are locked rooms inside all women

my poor mother begged for a sheep but raised a wolf

every place my mother prayed i wouldn’t go, i went

mother, know, i have pasts inside me i did not bury properly

mother never taught me that just because someone desires you doesn’t mean they value you

born with a thick skull

the people who were supposed to love you more than anyone in this world

spoken to with corporate coldness or demonic tongues

parents who loved them the way we once loved angry gods, leaving offerings and praying for gentle winters

birthed in the form of cherry blossoms

hiding from their dark clouds, boarding up the shutters

kid, you’ve got to love yourself

what came first: humans or despair?

legacy was more important than anything

a lonely child born to lonely parents

it feels so scary getting old

i’m but my mother’s daughter & because of this i can do anything

my parents strength & anger lives in me

original family disappointment

sorry i’m a shit daughter

i love you baby

please come home (i hope you’re okay)

demonic possession & daddy issues

fight for her

just like her father

until every last galaxy dies you have me

which to ask forgiveness for: what am i or what i’m not

i will always stay with you

family first

fairytale childhood

those raised in glass houses

daughter of smoke & bone

one love one house

to die knowing your life was my life’s best part

gay on my mother’s side

nobody’s ever going to love me this much

a collection of horrible people

using “heir” like we are in a shakespearean play

cursing me with happiness

following a set of unwritten rules

this was not the boy they used to know

it just made him kind

to have a precious few people back

you hurt. it’s okay, i hurt too

thank you for always being there for me

was that a compliment?

she was overpraised as a child

better / not bitter

somebody somewhere cares

the oldest or coolest person on earth

fuck you dad

i’m so very proud of you & how hard you’re trying

thank you to someone who always saw the best in me

it ends or it doesn’t

i swear i’m trying my best

they could never see eye to eye

SIBLING :

comparing the twin scars on our forearms

let’s run away together

i love you even though i shouldn’t

two types of the same fool

well used to tragedy

merry band of weirdos

to my siblings: please stop

hurt my sibling & i will kill you

broken dreams club

world’s okayest sister

future cellmate

a force to be reckoned with

your smile lifted the world off me

don’t even think of touching her

a good bro

we may not have had a lot but we had each other

the scorned brother & the only one to make it still

the one with it all

you think you deserved the pain but you didn’t

i can’t remember who the dead one is anymore

i love you / you are not alone / you are daylight

it makes me so mad that they did that to you (and me)

she holds up my sky

always together

i am aware of who you are and what you do

i’m coming for all the monsters that ever touched him

we have blood made of gods and heroes

take back our skin

six am sunrise shining down on us

take back our streets

it’s time to tear their castle down

you don’t know what it’s like to not be wanted

built on the same pretty lie

we learned the truth too late

as golden as they come

no matter what i have you

a drop dead moron

together they’re a fucking hurricane

sour milk children who hiss and spit in father’s eyes

burning down the streets we used to roam

entitled to financial compensation for all this drama

neverending bickering

you used to be so kind

“ even her mugshots were cute “

we have claws for a reason

not mature enough for this

he tried to make everything okay (but he failed)

raised to give themselves a reason to be prideful

they only inherited the same sad eyes

born into needless wealth

carbon copies of one another

sometimes… i can’t even recognize you

the only person that appreciates the irony of legacies like her

the looks she gives him when she sees how he’s tearing himself apart is too much

together they paint an imagined picture of their long gone parents

we were only ever told how to tumble not how to fly

we trust the siren song to call us home

born into the silver of the moon

we are not like the others

i like being alive at the same time as you

your voice is the only answer to my problems

thank you for loving me through it all

if your life must be a battle, don’t fight it alone

promise you’ll come back for me?

never fall for one of them

our old man is a bad man

we’ve all got our secrets

billionaire boys club

sorry i’ve been mean

afraid together

rich girls don’t have hearts

everything is changing

don’t tell them i killed my old self

watch your fucking language little one

why are you always so mean to me

mayhem caused

born to think like martyrs

i’ll find the bad dreams off if they come to get you

something that happened a long time ago and continues to affect us today

there’s nothing wrong with being different

an unremembered bond

don’t touch him

remember you can’t save everyone ; but have to try

no longer making our parents proud together

a golden cage is still a cage

surrounded by idiots

where’s all the time that heals

the hippies

like realizing stuff

you were alone before they left you

please don’t leave me

we met evil when we were only children

the kids with the big big plans

why the fuck do you put up with me?

i feel at home with you

have you seen her?

fighters but not by choice ; by heart

not totally useless, possibly a bad example

star child are you listening? i died that day

i might be an asshole but i’m your favorite asshole

TOXIC RELATIONSHIP :

every time she knocks i can’t help but let her in

in these empty church halls religion shifts and turns and blurs

you feed me small bits of your petrified heart

our love is a monster

lulling me to a hundred year slumber with your kiss

love from the lips of people who don’t understand such a thing

just pretending you don’t know he’s going dark again

a love that’s not easily buried

you were never a saint: i loved in shades of wrong

dipped my hands in holy water just to touch her

they wanted you to save them first

i don’t have any more control

how do you still love me after i’ve broken you

he doesn’t feel anything much less love

you have to let me go

make an altar of this stolen flesh

i love you even with your hands around my throat

i call her the devil cos she makes me want to sin

at least it’s something

these violent delights have violent ends

you were crying, but it was beautiful

i will never know who you were supposed to be

the crazy kind of love

pretending to forget how our scars got there

when love kills

he’s suffocating you but you don’t want to breathe

i will make you crumble to the ground

my heart beats in starts until the spell is broken

there’s a body lying next to him

just let me cry a little longer

i did not know desire does not mean value

killing each other with toy guns

it was a lesson in listening to your head over your heart

i wanted too much and you wanted too little

we weren’t meant for each other

he’s bleeding out

you filled up where used to be empty but only with black

you made me lose my softness

the ones who like me the most are always bad

they threw each other to the wolves

we pretend this works

you say my eyes are getting too dark now (boy, look at my mind)

someone could love you more

you’re my today & tomorrow & i am your yesterday

something about you makes me want to do things i shouldn’t

you taught me how to love wrong

you watch her crumble under the weight of your sins

maybe you were the poison and not the cure

loving him was your destruction

you don’t know why you jumped after her

you always tasted like blood a little too damn much

cities fell when you left me

you make my heart shake bend & break but i can’t turn away

i may not know what love is but i know this isn’t it

it’s easier to destroy something you love than let it leave

did you ever really love me at all?

oh god i am bleeding oh god i am bleeding oh go

 i don’t want to be alone

why did you clip my wings

this is breaking my heart

you made me cry you fuck

self destructive tendencies aren’t a relationship quality

i’m a bad influence but damn i’m fun

fear makes the wolf look bigger

don’t believe his lies

not everyone you lose is a loss

i’m so scared loving you was the only good thing i ever did

you still feel like home

i love you (not delivered)

set a fire down in my soul

heartbreak is not beautiful

i should have trusted my trust issues

kiss the boys and make them die

i think i need you because you don’t need me

they broke the wrong parts of me

i could tear you apart if i wanted

we both wish this was better

and in the end all i learned was how to be strong alone

this destruction will be your rebirth

so the poem hurt you (it was supposed to)

he looks at you like your his entire world

i’m an entire person not a vague concept you dreamt

a perfect match but sadly matches burn

never fucking good enough

loving you could be so fun if i wasn’t so blue and you weren’t so numb

i call your name but it’s fading

you were nothing before you met me

everything i didn’t say

this girl wasn’t like wildfire — she was wildfire

it hurts

teenage tragedy

please could you be tender

a wolf will never be a pet

always disappearing on me

nothing ever ends poetically

why do i still love you?

we are the monsters

am i the villain in your story?

i’m sorry i stabbed you. i love you.

i can’t do this anymore

UNREQUITED :

i’ve fallen in love with someone who can’t be reached

cosmically impossible

just one kiss would solve it all

you’re looking at me how you used to before i broke your heart

what do you know of loneliness? of heartbreak? of biting your tongue to draw blood?

i could never regret meeting you

you don’t even realize how amazing you are

the story still ends

you’re all that’s left for me

i’m so glad someone so beautiful exists at all

i can’t ever believe that anyone ever really starts to fall in love with me

even though you want to speak you say nothing

you want to ask if he meant it when he kissed you

something hurt in you the same way rainclouds hurt before they break open

i’ve been in love with you for so long

unable to stop worrying what she’ll say when she finds out

no proof & one touch

killing me silently

god you hated me or hated that you loved me at least

an insatiable desire

i don’t want to be your friend i want to kiss your neck

the ones you love become ghosts inside you

can’t shake the memory of the summer you stomped my heart out

time doesn’t fucking heal anything

i just needed you to know once

never enough

you sit there & your tongue is tied

the best i can do is a fake smile & dead eyes

maybe one day i’ll stop thinking about you

give me a try

god grant me serenity to not destroy myself with want for this boy

i yearn for her to see past the veil

your glance lingers too long

please look away ; you are too much

a warmth i am too numb to feel

i just don’t want to get hurt

like pandora’s box

a love that makes the moon blush

you don’t have to say anything

our lips do not cannot never will touch

if they don’t come back, you sleep in the middle of the bed, make enough coffee for yourself alone

is it just that you’re not good enough

when he leaves you stay behind like always

she said i love you so damned much, just not like that

the world around you is all knives and chipped teeth and she is too soft to not save

you could never hold her like she deserved

i never needed anyone (until you)

in dreams i meet you in warm conversation

to bathe in one’s own blood

i’ve never felt more alone

we wake in lonely beds in different cities

i probably couldn’t live with or without her now

like a sun is trying to escape me

you consume me

if i told you i loved you what would you say

eventually but not today i think it will stop hurting

i’m drowning myself in alcohol when i really want to drown myself in you

i always think about you

i can’t imagine not loving you anymore

i’ll be your slaughterhouse

i don’t want realism, i want magic

i loved the idea of you more

how to unlove someone

i love everything you hate about yourself

the truth is i’m in love with you

i woke up wanting to kiss you

in a room full of art i’d still stare at you

you made me forget myself

there was just something about you that made me feel special

warning: you must fall in love with me

platonically hurting hands / burning

this bed was fit for two

treat her better

does she hold on to you the way i used to?

i just want to pretend

you make me feel lonely & loved at the same time

holding onto your call

i’m sorry that i fell in love tonight

i can barely breathe

maybe if my heart stopped beating it wouldn’t hurt so much

still sleeping like we’re lovers

maybe it wasn’t you but the idea of you

there’s nothing i can do except bury my love for you

it was all fun and games until i fell in love

you’re looking through me & i can’t see past you

you’re never gonna love me so what’s the use

you hurt me so why the fuck am i apologizing

somebody catch my breath

learning to live without you

please don’t say you love me

my love for you was never much of a choice at all

meeting you felt like wandering into a dream

i’m sorry i couldn’t hold myself back anymore

this is me letting you go

just waiting to feel your touch

living with a shattered heart is hard

you can’t love a legend

i know what we are & what we are not

all that’s left are echoes

my memories were loud enough to drown the silence

WANTED CONNECTION :

you want them to fill the void in your heart

you want them to take away the emptiness

you want them to make you feel complete

i can feel it under my skin

i might really become somebody someday

we are in daylight now

too rich & divine

a whole universe in my mind

a wildness in you

desire is the kind of thing that eats you and leaves you starving

full of heartache and poetry

i am worthy and powerful

we do not perish

let us be reborn in the morning light

her eyes are closed

someone will strike a match on it and they’ll explode

they have something bad inside of them

hurricanes of thoughts

some quality content

desire washes over in waves

the beauty that is yet to come

six feet deep

i cannot afford luxuries like rest anymore

this body's a curse

it’s a great day for being sad

love is love is love

partners in crime

a short story on indiscretion

even a curse sounds holy

biting down upon my lips

a queen’s rise

the words that burn my life

an amorphous kind of reality

your life was a long line of fine

like hell you’re doing that

not violent or malicious: a result

softness as a shield

he can’t fake that

begging for a second of time

thank you for your interest in a life full of pain

please try again & again & again

the person you were & the person you became

no maps of the change

the right way to fall in love

can we just live in the moment?

living life on a line

an ex-almost

my braveheart

it’s always more with you

stay alert & stay alive

come on baby light my fire

ballpark music

am i making sense?

coming out of my cage and i’ve been doing just fuck

everybody knows i’m a mess

murder! intrigue! sex! drugs! classics!

forget about it

you still hurt

do not go gentle into the good light ; rage rage against the dying light

i don’t want to relate to anyone

we should talk

we will be gods

don’t forget me

water in vodka bottles

taking trains to nowhere in particular

say you love satan

just trying to not get arrested again

in the sewers again

the devil’s music

who’s going to stop me?

a date in hell

only the good die young

survivor riddled with arrows

i have seen the future

talk to me (i’m scared to speak)

drive him wild with hints that you know when he will die

are you afraid of yourself?

you are necessary i need you

i like you more than i planned

the sun will come up

i got by own back

help the ghost find his past life

sent here to make shit worse

and all i loved i loved alone

survival mode is not meant to be how you live

your thoughts kill you, don’t they?

as far as anyone knows you do not feel anything

i am so in love (please do not break my heart)

i hope you know how loved you are

fifteen minutes late with starbucks

alluring like wildfire and summer storms

wake up

not afraid to heal

don’t panic

i took care of that thing for you

i made me

midday criss not midlife crisis

just survive somehow

what are some of the ways you’ve died?

the hero of this story

#rph #masterlist #rpt #tag inspo #tag masterlist #mine: masterlist #ml

[nitewrighter]

Day 4: Angel

Going for something more reflective than really shippy, today! (And yes it’s still day four for me. Pacific time, baby!!)

Also, aw, this is before Mondatta died.

-----

The remains of Zurich headquarters had been fenced off. Much of the more dangerous rubble and other debris from the explosion had been cleared away, but Genji laced his hands through the chain-link fence and stared at it. Snow was drifting down, and the cold night air made his prosthetics ache. Zenyatta floated next to him, a beacon of tranquility, his orbs of harmony making soft chiming noises as they rotated around him.

“So… this is where they remade your body?” asked Zenyatta.

Genji was silent, staring out at the ruined headquarters. His armor at that point was piecemeal---a combination of his own travel-worn armor plates from Overwatch and some more customized pieces from the Shambali. His eyes flicked to his prosthetic hand on the chain link. 

“Let me help you,” Genji remembered a voice, gentle but firm, and a woman pulling a mask away from her face. The memory blurred from the high ceilings of Hanamura castle to a gray-lit hospital room. “I’m Doctor Ziegler, I’ll be overseeing your recovery while our cyberneticists work on the best prosthetics to suit your needs.” The same woman, dressed now in a lab coat was holding a tablet at his bedside.

“Pros.. prosthetics?” his own voice came to him rasping and with a metallic ring to it that seemed almost alien in his own ears.

“I’m afraid much of your organic body was lost, Genji.”

“No…” He remembered moving to lift his arm but found there was no arm there, “No—“

“Genji?” Zenyatta spoke and brought him back to the present.

The chain-link rattled slightly as Genji gripped it a little tighter. “Yes,” he said quietly. He drew his sword and sliced the chains of the padlock securing the fence, pushing it open. He knew he could just vault over it, but he also knew Zenyatta could not. They walked into the ruins, much of the site was cordoned off at specific points. Genji wasn’t sure if they would be constructing a new building in its place or who the land even belonged to now. Still, there were little landmarks, even in the ruins, that let him orient himself. The base of Morrison’s statue, the airfield, the interior courtyard now overgrown with weeds. He paused at some caution tape bordering a massive sinkhole—the below-ground levels… the Blackwatch Intelligence Center.

“I take it they aren’t giving me these prosthetics out of the goodness of their hearts,” he remembered saying as he curled and uncurled the fingers of a prototype hand.

Doctor Ziegler had pushed her hair back, pursed her lips, clearly not liking what she had to say next. “Commanders Morrison and Reyes will have to fill you in on the details. In essence, what they’re proposing is a sort of… conditional amnesty with regards to your history with the Shimada clan—”

“You have vital skills in infiltration that would be ideal for our more covert operations—” Morrison was reading off of a tablet to him across the desk. It was hard to tell which parts of his hair were blonde and which parts were gray-white with age.

“You’re going to do what you do best with us,” he remembered Reyes’ voice and watching the shuriken slide through the grooves on his prosthetics for the first time, “But you’re going to be saving lives while you’re doing it.”

“So this is Doctor Ziegler’s special little project,” he remembered Moira towering over him with that thin-lipped smile.

“Guess we’re just assassins now!” McCree was shouting as Genji deflected Talon gunfire in Venice

“How are you feeling?” Zenyatta spoke gently, putting a hand on his shoulder. And Genji was back in the present. Back in the ruins.

“I don’t…” Genji trailed off, “I don’t know how to feel,” he said quietly, “When you’re from the greatest crime family in Japan, you… you don’t exactly have a good point of reference on what is ‘good.’ You have principles, you have a code…” Genji glanced down, “A code that I hardly ever adhered to, but it’s for the family. It’s for the clan. With Overwatch… their methods had… more oversight, but they were still willing to do what had to be done. After the Venice incident… everything came to light.” He looked at Zenyatta, “I’m not going to say Overwatch was better than the Shimada clan—because… that didn’t matter to me. I didn’t care.”

“You care now,” said Zenyatta.

“For whatever good that does me.” said Genji. He broke his eyes away from the craggy heaps of cement and looked at Zenyatta. “I’m sorry---I don’t know why I asked for us to come here--”

“We were in the area,” Zenyatta said a bit airily, “If you felt there was a chance for you to work through your memories---”

“I don’t know if I’m working through them or just... just wallowing in them!” said Genji, pressing his hands to his faceplate. “This was--I’m sorry---I... I need to breathe,” he said, walking away from the ruins.

“Genji?” Zenyatta floated after him and Genji was standing among the craggy cement remains of the Zurich headquarters once more. Genji looked up at the broken remains of Morrison’s statue.

“There is chaos within you, Genji, but all I can see of what troubles your mind as what you are willing to share,” said Zenyatta.

“You’re not just what they say you are,” he remembered the way she looked at him, all shining eyes and crinkled brows after the Venice incident, “You don’t have to be.”

“What I am is whatever is necessary to destroy the Shimada clan,” he remembered his own voice and regret twisted hard in his insides. She was trying to help him. She wanted to help him so badly and he wouldn’t even bother to look up and recognize it.

“Tell me your thoughts, friend,” Zenyatta put a hand on his shoulder.

“Doctor Ziegler--” Genji started, and then said a little bit more softly, “Angela.”

“I sense she occupies your thoughts often,” said Zenyatta.

“If there was one thing that would have kept me there, it was her. I knew that. That’s why I never said goodbye. That’s why I never...” he shook his head, “Angela never stopped caring. She looked at Overwatch and saw a chance to make the world a better place. She looked at me and saw…” he trailed off.

Zenyatta tilted his head at Genji expectantly.

“…A good man,” Genji said quietly, “The desire to be good. To bring something good into the world in spite of everything that I had done and everything that had been done to me. She saw that when I couldn’t see, well… anything.” He kicked aside a bit of rubble. “Maybe I only dragged us back here because...”

“Because you miss her?” Zenyatta ventured.

Genji’s shoulder heat sinks vented, steaming in the night air. “I--I don’t---I mean--”

 Zenyatta continued patiently floating in front of him.

“Yes,” Genji admitted, “I miss her. But even back then I knew I couldn’t just... trail behind her while everything was going down in flames. Where I was, she couldn’t reach me, and I couldn’t drag her down with me. So I left.” 

“Time and distance can give us perspective,” said Zenyatta, “But the issue can become more complex when it’s people dear to us we’re distancing ourselves from.”

“Do you think I did the right thing? Leaving like that?”

“I cannot tell you that,” said Zenyatta, “Nor could either of us do anything to change it if it were the wrong choice. What I can tell you is that you have made the decision to try and understand your place and purpose in this world, and I believe you should see that through.”

Genji gave a glance back to the ruined statue of Morrison and exhaled, then nodded. “I suppose seeing the headquarters like this... I can’t really help but worry about her. Even though it’s all... well after the fact.”

“Such feelings are to be expected,” said Zenyatta, holding a hand out and catching a few snowflakes on his metal palm, “As difficult as it can be, seeing this place in this state, it is a chance for you to reflect on who you were back then, and what you can take from those experiences, as well as acknowledge that this world changes, whether we are there to see such changes or not.”

Genji still seemed pensive.

“When you save a life, however,” Zenyatta said, looking up at the ruined statue of Jack Morrison, “You continue to have a presence in that life, no matter the distance between the two. Doctor Ziegler clearly still has a presence in yours--”

“And it’s distracting me--”

“Quite the opposite. I think you’re the richer for it,” said Zenyatta. He plucked one of his own orbs out of the air around him and it became shrouded in a violet energy, “Sometimes you need that distant point on the horizon to keep perspective. For me, it’s my brother--even if our differing beliefs prompted my exit from the monastery, I still often wonder what his counsel would be in troubling situations. But I know he’s out there, spreading the message of the Iris. And the thought comforts me.” 

“...And Angela’s probably saving the world, as usual,” Genji huffed a little, “ Thank you, Master.”

They stayed in the ruins of headquarters only a short while longer before heading back to the hovercycle. They rode back to Zurich’s downtown with Zenyatta on the backseat. Zenyatta was, as always, painfully accommodating for Genji’s whims---he had insisted to Genji before that there were parts of his healing and journey that he had to figure out for himself, which, coincidentally, were the parts that Genji felt were the most frustrating. He knew it wasn’t fair to expect Zenyatta to only say a few words to magically change everything he couldn’t stand about himself, but at the same time it really put all of Zenyatta’s lessons in patience with himself to the test.

 Zurich was all done up in green and scarlet for the Christmas season. A Christmas market was up, tented stalls bordered by yellow-gold lights. Genji couldn’t help but slow slightly to watch the crowds moving through. Finally a high pitched sound filled the air and Genji pulled the hovercycle to a stop outside the remains of a structure where dozens of humans and a handful of omnics were gathering. Genji slowed the hovercycle to a stop and the high-pitched noise in the air turned out to be a carol.

Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! Hirten erst kundgemacht Durch der Engel Halleluja....

  A short line of children and smaller-model omnics dressed in white with tinsel halos holding candles were moving towards the center of the ruined structure. It took Genji half a beat to realize the ruined structure was the remains of a cathedral. It wasn’t fenced off like the Zurich headquarters had been. In fact, it was sort of beautiful in its desolation, rigged up with fairy lights and now rendered into more of an open-air amphitheater. 

“...this must be all that survived the Crisis,” murmured Zenyatta, as Genji tried to break his line of sight away from the procession of small angels heading into the cathedral. He revved the motor of the hovercycle, but Zenyatta said something and he didn’t accelerate.

“What?” said Genji, putting his foot down on the ground to keep the hovercycle in place.

“I was saying, ‘I often wonder what would happen if the first members of the Shambali weren’t drawn to the Himalayas as they were.’ Mondatta told me that many of our structures were inspired by the religious structures of the humans there. If our consciousness was the equivalent of human souls, it seemed only fitting that we build structures that reflect that. I often wonder if our sensibilities were dependent on where we were.”

Genji glanced down, feeling a bit guilty that he had dragged Zenyatta into the ruins of the Zurich headquarters and never really given much thought into what Zenyatta might be curious about. “We could stick around,” Genji suggested, “See the ceremony.”

Zenyatta gave a nod and they parked the hovercycle, heading into the ruined cathedral to watch the little pageant. It was neither of their faiths, and Genji would have almost felt as if he were intruding on the little ceremony but the air of the whole thing treaded this line between painfully open and painfully intimate. From what Genji could gather it was a production of a local school, with the audience comprising the children’s families and a handful of faculty members directing the whole thing. A single electric keyboard attached to some powerful speakers placed strategically around the ruined church kept the choir going and adults were quietly and briskly herding costumed children into various arrangements on the ruined altar while another child stumbled through scripture readings in German, sometimes with another adult briskly walking up and pointing to the paper in front of them and speaking very softly in german to help them find their place again. It was children running through the motions of a faith their parents taught them, not yet really embracing the beliefs, but reflecting them, reflecting their stories.

 Zenyatta watched the proceedings, looking thoughtful as a small angel shoved herself to the center of the solemn procession, yelling, “Hab keine Angst! Dir ist ein Kind geboren!” which prompted a bewildered a reaction from the shepherd-dressed children and a short series of cheers from a group of adults in the audience. The child’s family, Genji assumed. The group of other small angels huddled around the previously yelling angel and another carol kicked in. 

“Is the Iris ingrained into you like this?” said Genji, watching as another child wearing a blue headscarf carrying a plastic baby doll wrapped in a blanket shuffled up the middle aisle of the ruined church.

“We never really thought of it as such,” said Zenyatta, as the child shoved the plastic baby doll into a hay and cardboard manger, “For us, the Iris was simply another mode of existence. Mortality and the concept of a ‘creator’ for us is, as you can imagine, more complicated. But the needs between our kinds, I think are the same. We both fear oblivion. We both desire validation for our existence... and trauma complicates our perception of these needs.”

They walked out of the ruined church as another carol started rising up behind them. Zenyatta chuckled a little.

“What?” said Genji.

“They looked like smaller versions of Doctor Ziegler, did they not?” said Zenyatta.

“If they were wearing blue, maybe,” said Genji, smiling beneath his faceplate.

#Gency #gencyweek

[vickypoochoices]

Partner In Crime part 6.

[MASTERLIST.]

Part 5.

Wrapping the thick fluffy blanket over her shivering body, Lyla reached one frozen hand out shakily, stuffing another chocolate in her mouth.

There was no point even attempting to fix the heating problem, she’d lived here long enough to know that she was clueless when it came to anything like this. And Zig was so handy. He’d know exactly what to do. Shame he was out again, with his new girlfriend Cherry. Whore.

Lyla smiled to herself as the word danced on the tip of her tongue, accidentally spilling out to the empty apartment. Zig could keep her for all she cared, if he was willing to do the dirty with someone named Cherry of all the fucking names under the sun, then he could keep her and all the STI’s she was bound to have picked up. Slut. Lyla managed to keep that last insult to herself, pulling the last chocolate from the box into her mouth, barely taking the time to savour the taste.

Who says she needed Zig anyway? If she sat here for the next three days eating chocolate then there was a small chance her wedding dress would no longer fit surely. You can’t get married without a dress right? Knowing Dean he’d have a back up dress, and a back up for that one too. She’d come up with all kinds of solutions to her problem this evening, every one of them knocked back. Run away? Too obvious! Dean was a rich prick, he’d hire someone to sniff her out in an instant. Lock the door and barricade herself in the apartment? He’d either pay to have the damn building knocked down or he’d just leave her to starve to death. The latter being her preference if she had a choice in the matter.

Lyla sank back onto the couch, pulling the blanket over her head and huddling under it’s warmth. The overwhelmingly familiar scent that she knew as Zig’s stung her nostrils, feeling a sharp stab of pain surface unexpectedly. I don’t care. I don’t care. I don’t care.

She shot up hurriedly at the rapping on the door, blanket trailing on the floor as she padded over to the peephole.

“Aaron?” Her nose scrunched up in confusion as she pulled the door open.

“Hey chickadee. Woah, why’s it feel like the North Pole in here?” Aaron stepped forward and around her, heading straight for the kitchen.

“The man of the house is out.” Lyla replied dryly. “And the heating’s on the blink again.”

Aaron dipped his head under a white cabinet in the corner of the kitchen, hands twisting a few knobs. Huh, so that’s what that thing is!

“No worries, I cracked it! Sucks that Zig is out though, it’s been a while since we last caught up!”

“Wasn’t he just round yours a few nights ago? He slept in until 6pm the next day, said it had been a long one with you.”

“Ahh sorry chicky, I don’t think so. That’s why I came round actually, to check Zig’s okay. It’s been weeks since we last hung out. Is something going on?”

Lyla’s stomach dropped, tears pricking the back of her eyes as realisation sunk in. He’d been lying to her all along. He’d been fucking that bitch this whole time.

***

“So Ziggy, I’m only in town for a few more nights. Can I count on your company?” As she shook her deep red mane the perfect waves fell just short of her breasts, tightly compacted into a figure hugging dress. Not that Zig had even noticed.

He took a steady sip from his bottle, running over how to play this in his head. “Do you have to go?” What the hell was that you desperate fuck?!

She ran her tongue along her lips, thick with sticky gloss and overly plump. “You’re sweet baby, but we both know this isn’t going anywhere.”

Uncertain how to respond, Zig found himself giving her the slightest nod in recognition, a meek smile on show.

“For what it’s worth Zig I appreciate you taking the time to get to know me.”

“Of course why wouldn’t I...”

“We don’t need to pretend any more sweetie. I know you aren’t interested in me. Don’t get me wrong, i’ve had fun playing with you, but you’re a good boy at heart. I’d eat you alive given the chance.”

“I...”

“You have a girlfriend, I know.”

“How?” He felt a warm rush creep over him at her choice of words, the idea of Lyla being his girlfriend one day, after all this shit was over, made him giddy with excitement. But how could Cherry possibly know that? He’d been careful not to mention Lyla’s name, not wanting to drag her into this mess if he could help it.

“What I wouldn’t give to have someone look at me the way you do when you think about her. You’re so oblivious, it’s adorable. Those pretty little eyes of yours light up all of a sudden, and it’s like I don’t exist, no one else exists. You can carry on a conversation but you’re not really here. Don’t even think about denying it, after all these dinners we’ve been on I think i’ve finally got you sussed.”

Zig was rendered speechless, taking a moment to catch himself. Good going Zig!

“Am I that obvious?” She offered him a teasing smile, the bags under her eyes crinkling upwards as her face stretched wide, despite the mound of make up attempting to hide them.

“Even if I wasn’t so good at reading people, there’s no way I could ever miss that massive hickey you’ve been sporting all week.”

Zig’s hand swiftly trailed to the sensitive spot on his neck, the once dark purple bruise having faded to a yellowing brown. He’d completely forgotten it even existed, his mind fixed on more important matters recently. He felt a pang of regret as his mind wandered to Lyla. How little he’d seen of her recently, how badly she must be feeling. He just needed her to hang on a little longer. There were just three days left until the wedding and he wasn’t about to give up now. He was close to finding a way out of this, he could feel it.

“Which leads me on to my first question. What are you doing here with me? I get the impression it’s the last place on Earth you want to be.”

“That’s...not entirely true. I could think of worse places for sure. You are a lovely girl Cherry.” A genuine smile slipped into place. He meant it. As much as he didn’t want to have to be in this position, dipping into what little savings he had to take out a stranger every night in the hope she would eventually open up to him about her idiot ex boyfriend, she had been friendly and kind, despite clearly seeing through him.

“Okay sweet boy, save the speech. My next question for you is how did you find me?”

“With great difficulty. Sheer grit and determination some might say.”

She chuckled warmly, casting him an appraising look, teeth sinking into one talon like ruby red fingernail, a decoy to hide the sincere smile slowly spreading.

“Alright alright. I have my fair share of secrets myself, I’ll let you keep yours. Just let me tell you something handsome. I suspect me and you may have a common enemy. And he’s the reason why I have to skip town soon.”

“Why?” Zig sat forward in his seat abruptly, back straightening, eager to hear more.

“This is my life now. This is the only way to stay safe. As a matter of fact, i’ve never risked so much before as I have recently just by being here with you.” Cherry discreetly glanced around the restaurant, seeming to be on edge all of a sudden.

“Will you tell me about him?”

“Is there any point? You already know anyway. What’s the plan here kid, get me to stand up and testify for you somewhere that Dean’s a dirty scumbag that beats women up because he can?”

“He...Hurt you? He hit you?” Shit. Lyla swore he’d never gone as far as to hit her, but what did Cherry stand to gain from lying about it to a stranger? That made no sense. She was telling the truth.

Her eyebrows raised as she watched his face in silence for a minute before continuing. “And the rest.”

His mouth gaped open, fear stabbing his chest as his thoughts turned to Lyla.

“He had me fooled for a while. We were young, first proper relationship for both of us. I thought I was in love with him. Sure, he was controlling. But in a way it turned me on. And the possessiveness, I liked it. I thought that’s what I wanted. Someone to tell me I was theirs so often I couldn’t possibly forget. I got a rise out of his jealousy, it made me feel sexy and wanted. I struggled for years afterwards, thinking I was the fucked up one. I was so young, naive and stupid.” Her chin wobbled as she placed a hand over her mouth, taking a moment to compose herself.

Zig reached over, placing a comforting hand on the top of her shoulder, a weak smile the only response for a full minute.

“Anyway it is what it is. As soon as he got that ring on my finger everything changed for the worst.”

Zig’s head snapped up. “Ring?”

Her head bobbed up and down in an uncertain nod. “I thought you knew. That’s why you went to the trouble of tracking me down right?”

Zig’s brow furrowed in confusion, words failing him.

“It seems Dean has done a good job of covering his tracks then. Money will do that for you. Of course his parents know, they were the only witnesses we actually had, he arranged the whole thing. They put on a good show, but deep down I know they are terrified of him. They know what he really is. He’s the one with all the cash these days, he’s the powerful one. They’ll stick by him no matter what.”

Zig ran a shaky hand through his hair, struggling to control his breathing. “So you end up leaving Dean, get a divorce and he pays you off to keep quiet. Why are you constantly moving around then?”

“What...No. That’s not right! I don’t need or want that prick’s money. I ran away and I left him yes, but there’s a reason I’m always on the move.”

“What are you saying Cherry?”

“We never got divorced. We’re still married.”

***

Zig all but skipped through the apartment door, gathering Lyla up in his arms and spinning them both round on the spot just once, before he recoiled, her hands slapping at his chest hard. As her feet settled onto the ground she wasted no time in putting distance between them, her eyes dark and cold.

“Don’t.” Lyla barked, a blush creeping up her neck as she struggled to control her anger.

“What’s going on Lyla?” Deep grooves surfaced as Zig’s forehead crinkled in confusion.

“As if you don’t know! Are you that fucking blind?”

“Talk to me baby.”

“Don’t you dare! Don’t act like you give a damn about me. I trusted you Zig...I...fucking trusted you!

The sound of Lyla’s sobs echoed through the silent apartment. Taking a tentative step towards her, Zig winced, resisting the urge to clutch at his chest as it painfully hammered away quickly, too quickly, on the brink of breaking there and then.

“Please talk to me.” He managed, his voice wobbling as his nerve slipped.

Lyla’s eyes narrowed as she rounded on him, jabbing him harshly in the chest with one pointy finger, throwing as much of her weight behind it as possible.

“Now you want to talk? So you can sweet talk me like you did before? I thought you were different Zig. I thought you actually gave a damn about me. Yet here you are, thinking with your dick and fucking around like every other jerk out there.”

At some point she’d traded sharp jabbing fingers for heavy relentless pounding. Zig stood there, too shell shocked to react, taking the full force of her anger wordlessly. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

“I... What?” His scrambled mind started racing, trying to make sense of the accusations she was so freely throwing around.

“Just so you know, she’s definitely a stripper at the very least with a name like Cherry.” Lyla’s voice was dripping with sarcasm, her mouth twisted into a unpleasant smirk.

Zig’s pounding heart stopped thrashing at the sound of Cherry’s name. How the hell did Lyla find out about that? And why was she so angry? All he’d done was try to help.

His mouth took over, a quick comment slipping out before he had a chance to even process what he was saying. “I’m pretty sure that’s not her real name.”

Lyla’s eyes blazed as she bit back equally quickly. “Look at you defending her, how sweet. Well I hope she’s worth it all Zig.”

“What the fuck is going on? This is all for you Lyla. For us. You need to listen to me.”

“No Zig. I’m done with you.” The definitive tone in her voice made Zig suddenly take note of his surroundings, eyes falling on two buldging suitcases at the hallway entrance.

“What the...”

“I’m moving in with Dean.”

“You what? Why Lyla? Whatever you think is going on, it's not worth running away to shack up with that vile prick!”

Lyla’s back straightened, her face impassive. “Say what you want about him Zig, but one thing I can tell you is he would never cheat on me.” Her eyes searched his, before roaming his face. She took her time, following every inch of his face, committing it to memory, before snapping them shut, head lowered, unable to look at him any longer.

“I’ve already blocked your number. And for the record, you're not welcome at the wedding. Neither of us want you there. Goodbye Partner.” Her bottom lip trembled, faltering for just a second, before collecting her bags and striding out of the door, leaving Zig rooted to the spot reeling. Fuck!

Part 7.

Tagging: @zigortega4life @emerald-bijou @littlegreenmoo @krsnlove @choicesthot

#choices #zig ortega #zig x mc #choices fanfiction #choices fic #choices fandom

[mareepicurean]

In the Shadows

Gabriel Reyes/Reader, overwatch agent reader tells Reaper they can’t sneak around with him anymore because they’re pregnant, gender not specified

This thing you had in the shadows has been going on far too long. Frankly, you’d probably reached too long the instant you got involved with him—the fact that you didn’t kill him on sight the first time was a betrayal to everything you’re involved in, and these last long months of stolen moments and hidden touches, masked by untruths and darkness, have probably damned you to the same level as Judas and those traitors.

Maybe it says something awful about your character that you really don’t care about that. It’s been a long time since you were convinced morals were something concrete and applicable to every situation, and from the beginning there was never any room in your relationship with him for righteousness.

But this goes beyond right and wrong. Or maybe it doesn’t, but this is where you draw the line. You’ve given him your morals. You’ve given him your honor. You will not sacrifice this for him.

You stand in the dim light of his safe house, then, for the last time. These walls have become familiar over the last year or so, the only sanctum where you and him could be together honestly, and now, in the quiet that will reign until he arrives, you say goodbye. To the shitty couch that’s stained with both blood and take-out from the one restaurant you could both agree on; to the kitchen stove that only ever worked for you, which never failed to drive him nuts; to bed where you and him retreated to after hard days and good days both, where you pretended that all of this—all of him—was something you could keep; goodbye, for better or for worse.

You don’t even hear him when he finally arrives, but then again, you never do. One moment you’re alone in the safe house, waiting, and the next a shadow peels from the wall and he steps out, mask already off, not quite smiling but face softer than anything anyone else gets to see.

Your heart squeezes at the sight of him. “Hey, Gabe.”

“Mi corazón,” His voice is deep and gravelly, so familiar as he crosses the distance between you and takes your face in his hands. His lips are cold like they always are, and you remember the times where you’ve made it your mission for the night to warm them up. You remember a lot, being held to him now like something precious. It’s harder to know the end is coming when everything is safe and quiet and lovely with him around.

You think Gabriel notices you’re acting strange today: clingier and more withdrawn all at once. You avoid his gaze but clutch at his hands and chest like you could keep him there if you held tight enough. Both you and him know you can’t, but he’s nice enough not to say anything.

These visits only last a few hours at a time, and then you both have to leave. You, to return to Overwatch and the glorious mission that comes with it, and he back to Talon, back to his revenge. With what you have to lose now, you wonder if either of your causes are really worth it—but that’s a thought you can’t follow, because it offers more shades of grey than you can afford.

But for a few hours, you pretend like everything is fine. Well, not fine, maybe, but normal, which constitutes a level of terrible that both of you have gotten used to by now. For this time, you press your face against Gabriel’s neck, and he wraps his arms around your back, kindly allowing you to avoid what’s weighing on you. But then, through the blinds that are always shut tight, you see the darkness gradually being washed away by the coming morning, and you know Gabriel will have to leave soon.

So, you take a breath. He feels you tensing, readying to finally speak, and he pulls away from you just enough to be able to see your face looking up at him, drawn and a little teary-eyed. He frowns in concern at the sight, but he says nothing, letting you speak.

Some part of you is thankful, really, even if the rest would do anything to avoid this conversation. Still, with all the self-discipline you can muster up, you say, “This can’t happen again.”

Immediately, Gabriel is a stone statue against you. His hands, where they rest on your back, dig in just a little, and claws bite gently into your skin before being forcefully pulled back.

Gabriel asks, carefully, “What?”

You wince. “I can’t do this anymore. It’s—it’s too dangerous.”

Which doesn’t sound like the truth, coming from someone who worked under Gabriel in Blackwatch for years, never once faltering at the horrible tasks assigned. Who spent ten years killing to survive in the wake of Overwatch’s destruction. Who saw the monster Gabriel Reyes had become and loved him anyways.

Gabriel pushes you off his lap, firmly but gently, until you both face each other on that shitty couch. His brown eyes have a red sheen to them as they always have since he became Reaper, but otherwise are the same ones that have been watching over you for half your life. They watch you now, a little hurt, a little confused.

Gabriel says, “We both know that’s bullshit.”

You squeeze your eyes shut, feeling them grow hot. “It’s not. I promise.”

“Then what’s changed?” This he demands sharply, frustration welling up on his face, and you know you’ve been trying his patience all night with your beating around the bush. He likes directness; you’re good at that, usually. But this isn’t a normal situation. This isn’t usually.

And if you tell him, there’s no taking it back. Ever since you found out, you’ve been thinking about all the implications, all the possible responses. You didn’t know how much you wanted this until it fell into your lap unplanned. You’re afraid of what he might ask you to do.

So, you open your eyes and ask him, “Are you sure you want to know?”

He opens his mouth, probably to snap out a yes, but the words die unspoken at the look on your face. He’s silent for a moment, always watching, and then he says, “Tell me.”

You wince. Your hands grip each other so hard it hurts, nails digging into your own skin. This is what you came to say, you remind yourself. He deserves a chance.

“I’m pregnant,” you tell him, and Gabriel freezes.

“What?” The word is mangled coming out of his mouth, rough and half-choked, and you drop your eyes to your lap to avoid looking at him.

“I’m pregnant,” you repeat, forcing your voice to sound stronger than you feel, “and it’s yours. So, we can’t do this anymore. It’s too dangerous. All this sneaking around, all the—the betrayal. It was fine when it didn’t matter, but now it does.”

“Corazón,” Gabriel chokes.

You barrel on. “I won’t join Talon. That’s not something I want to involve our—my baby in. You don’t have to come with me back to Overwatch, but you should know that it’s the only way you’ll be seeing us. No more of this bullshit.”

“Mi corazón, please.”

“And I’m,” you choke a little, tears returning full-force, and shove at the ones that try to drip down your face, “I’m not getting rid of it, ok? I won’t. Don’t ask me to.”

“Mi alma,” you finally stop as Gabriel reaches out and slides a hand along your jaw, softly guiding your face back up until you’re staring at his face, at his wide smile and wet eyes, “You’re pregnant.”

Before you can respond, he’s pulling you towards him, cradling you sideways against his chest with one arm and resting a broad hand on your belly, slightly bloated in a way that might suggest you overate recently to someone who doesn’t know the truth. But Gabriel does, now, and he’s gazing down at you and the beginnings of your pregnant belly with such tenderness that you forget why you were ever afraid he wouldn’t want this.

He says, “We won’t do this anymore.”

You swallow, vision blurring with hope. “Are you...?”

“I’m done.” He presses his mouth against your temple. “I’ll follow you back to Overwatch. I’ll take care of you both, I promise.”

Ever since getting the news, you’d thought about all the possibilities. Only a small part of you dared to dream of this reaction, of him leaving behind his revenge and his darkness for you, but that makes this reality only sweeter. This thing you had in the shadows has been going on far too long—it’s time to bring it back to the light.

#Overwatch #gabriel reyes x reader #My writing #gabriel reyes

[mdwatchestv]

Game of Thrones 7x06: Run Joe, Run

Woo boy that was A LOT. Like a lot, a lot. In so many different ways. I would even go so far as to describe some elements as 'extra'. Yes there was excitement, action, and feels. I even admit to screaming bloody murder when the zombie bear came from a direction I didn't expect. But when all was said and done I couldn't help but feel a bit...used. This season, although boasting some great moments, has felt undeniably different than previous years. Instead of focussing on building out a world and the characters that inhabit it, the show is now rocketing towards a foregone conclusion. If the world of Game of Thrones is a chess board and we have spent the past several years watching knights and queens slowly slide around the squares jockeying for position, this season is the equivalent of knocking it all to the ground and letting the pieces literally fall where they may. Alternatively, if the world of Game of Thrones was a high-end Barbie collector's basement, this is the season his eight-year-old niece broke in, ripped 1993 Holiday Barbie out of her box and made her make out with 1960 1st edition Ken. And neither of those things are inherently bad, playing with dolls and knocking a boring game on the floor are both entertaining in and of themselves, but they are also a departure from what we have come to expect.

Before this season I never thought about things like "Wait- how many long miles IS Westeros? What is the land speed of a laden Raven? What's the MPH on a dragon? How long by air? How long by sea?" I wasn't worried about the logistics, the tech specs. We had other things to worry about, like battle strategies, familial strain, and tyrannical kings. But now it feels as if the curtain is starting to be pulled aside and we are for the first time seeing the mechanics at work behind the scenes. While there were thrills to be had in this super-sized penultimate outing of season seven, they came at a price. In the after-episode special Benioff and Weiss openly admitted to essentially reverse-engineering the entire episode in order to get the final shock of zombie dragon, rather than letting it be the consequence of an organic series of events. One of the reasons Game of Thrones works so well is that consequences, even the upsetting ones, feel earned. The Red Wedding, for example, tragic as it was, was ultimately palatable because it made sense in the larger story. It was the tangible result of a series of connectable actions, not a gambit for ratings. Often the killing of beloved characters leads fan to become disillusioned with a show because it's done in the service of shock value, rather than organic storytelling. But as major characters drop on Game of Thrones, it only acts to draw the audience in further because it’s done in a way that rewards previous storytelling. The idea that characters are existing in a real world with real stakes and consequences is compelling and rare. Up until this season Game of Thrones never had characters rendered immortal by their series regular contracts, or even clear-cut heroes and villains. Yes, we root for different characters and houses, but at this point no one has a clean moral conscious. Those qualities are exactly what made Game of Thrones so good, and what it is seemingly starting to lose.  It's worth pointing out that up until recently the show has had source material to rely on for guidance, and is now having to pick it's own path to the end. Viewer’s theories about the show’s endgame have become increasingly out there, perhaps in response to a world where outcome is not necessarily determined by prior events. For better or worse, anything is possible. 

This episode was some moments of interest strung together with moments of "what?!?!?". Let's begin. ZARTF (Zombie Acquisition and Retrieval Task Force), as well as a few randos clearly marked for death, sally forth into the north. This whole episode gave me greatest hits of Lord of the Rings vibes, including "walking in a straight line across a mountain", "being rescued by a giant winged beast at the last second", and "rolling up half dead on a horse". I really gotta carve out 10 hours to rewatch those. To pass the time tromping through the snow our seven "heroes" try and work through their daddy issues (a little late imo), and Jon makes a half-assed attempt to give Longclaw back to Jorah (conveniently failing to mention it's like the only thing that kills White Walkers). The first sign of trouble comes when the group is set upon by a zombie bear! You hate to see that. Some of the red shirts are killed, Top Knot McGillicutty is wounded, and Jorah saves the day with his dragon glass dagger. Which I guess they all have? Or just Jorah? Unclear. This scene is what we like to call in the biz a foreshadowing.

Meanwhile in Dragonstone Dany is mooning over Jon Snow, even though he is a short stack (he IS super little) and ignores Tyrion who is attempting to invent democracy. In their exchange it's reiterated that Dany can never have babies (beyond her dragon babies), making a potential hold on the Iron Throne tenuous at best (Jon is still the *true* heir, but doesn't seem like Bran is going to tell anyone that anytime soon). Dany would rather not talk about any of that though, and would rather crush/not crush on the King of the Short. Speaking of women on the edge, the Sisters Stark are also failing to see eye to eye. After discovering Arya's BAG OF FACES (I have so many questions about the logistics of face wearing, but I am simply too tired to get into it), Sansa is understandably concerned. These concerns are heightened when creepy-ass Arya pops in to play a decidedly threatening game of questions. Arya seems to think Sansa is out to usurp Jon because she is a Cersei-in-training. Sansa thinks Arya is a terrifying demon child. This is a relationship that has also become frustrating centering around a conflict that doesn't ring true. While it's true that Arya and Sansa have become very different young women, there is more that unites than divides them at this point and Arya's extreme aggression towards her sister feels unwarranted. The core characteristic of the Stark family is that they ARE the Stark family. Arya put aside her dreams of Cersei killing in order to reclaim her heritage, and with the pack dwindling the remaining wolves have to stick together now more than ever. Both of these women have been through extreme trauma, both of them have had to make unthinkable choices in order to survive, and both of them have been continually underestimated by their male cohorts. I'm not saying this is a relationship that should not be without conflict, but their animosity lacks nuance. Granted this show doesn't have a lot of experience with complicated female relationships, but Sansa and Arya attempting to reconnect as complex young women in a time of crisis feels like a real missed opportunity.

And I have seen the Twitter theories that say that the two girls are gaming Littlefinger together, that Sansa sending Brienne away (to an I think prematurely scheduled zombie viewing) right after Littlefinger advised her to use Brienne against Arya is concrete proof. As much as I hope this is all true, it just doesn't seem likely at this point. But maybe Sansa's bizarrely abrupt send off of her last loyal subject really was a clue to a larger plot, or maybe it's just an excuse to put Brienne back in Jaime's path to give him a last second shot of moral obligation. I would love nothing more for my pessimistic theories surrounding two of my long time favs to be proven wrong. These two characters, no matter their ultimate fate, deserve the chance at a final team up.

Back up north, our band of brothers conveniently stumble upon a manageable squadron of zombies led by a White Walker. After dispatching the Walker all the zombies but *one* turn into dust. The plan is going smoothly! However the last zombie calls the rest of the hoard and they are well and truly fucked. The group sends good old Gendry to run back to the Wall (an unknown distance) to raven Dany for help, while the rest of the pack becomes stranded on a rock in the middle of an ice lake surrounded by the entire undead army. Here's where I have questions. Question 1: If Ole One Eye and Top Knot McGee can make fire whenever they want, why cant they have a fire on the island? Or at least gather around one of the swords? Question 2: Can the zombies not use bows? It seems like our group would be pretty easy to take down with a couple dozen arrows. Question 3: How long are they waiting/expecting to wait? How long does it take for the raven to get to Dany? More questions to come later. Anyway Top Knot succumbs to his wounds, meaning that One Eye is now on his final life. The Hound, who was pretty useless most of this episode, continues to be useless by alerting the zombie hoard that the ice is safe to walk on. Our party engages in a seemingly hopeless battle against an untold number of assailants, hoping against hope for a dragony miracle to happen.

And it does! Dany swoops in with her brood in the last second, blasting the zombies with fire, and rocking a seriously fabulous white fur coat, to save the day! Not only is her winter wardrobe literally to die for, it also looks like she may have skinned Ghost to make it, symbolizing her new allegiance (romance?) with Jon. I also have to ask at this point why this wasn't the original plan. Dany made pretty good time getting up there, didn't have to tromp through the snow, and likely could have had Drogon pick up a zombie in his talons-  all in seemingly less than a day! But I guess that would have been much less macho than grimly marching through the snow. It looks like the tables have turned in favor of our hereos when suddenly....the Night King picks up an ice spear and takes out Viserion! Nooooo.

This was a genuinely heart-wrenching moment, as an audience we have watched Dany's dragons grow from hatchlings to giant death machines, and seeing one of them ripped out of the sky was just as painful as losing any beloved human character. Again this was a moment that delivered an emotional punch, but the journey to that payoff was not as satisfyingly authentic as it could have been. Jon, realizing the White Walkers are somehow ready for dragon combat, sacrifices himself so Drogon can take off with his payload safely. But it's an empty sacrifice, because Jon is last minute rescued by BENJEN STARK, who is part ice monster, part North of the Wall lifeguard, all Stark all the time. If you recall Benjen, or Cold Hands I guess is his nickname, previously came in for the save with his swinging lantern when he rescued Meera and Bran. But Benjen's last minute saving days are over as he is eaten by zombies in order to allow Jon to escape. Sad.

Back at the wall Dany ignores Daddy Jorah in favor of wistfully staring out over the tundra, hoping for Jon to appear. And appear he does! Jon is more than fine, especially shirtless and wrapped in furs on Dany's pleasure yacht. The two have some weird flirting where Dany reveals she can never have children, and Jon actually refers to her as 'Dany'. Good thing they are both so hot, because that banter wouldn't cut it anywhere else. Also she's his aunt. I simply cannot stress that enough.

As a final coda to this decades long episode, we see the Night Army dragging the corpse of Viserion out of the lake only to reanimate him into an ice zombie dragon! Gah! Shit is most definitely getting real, as the Night King adds some real power to his arsenal. Will zombie dragon still breathe fire? Ice? Freezing rain? Excited to find out. Next week (the season finale???) looks like it will be the zombie summit down in King's Landing. I have zero predictions for this. My only hope is that Euron will be there, I miss him. In a world of uncertainty, Euron brings the party.

Stuff I didn't get to:

Stop shipping Dany/Jon, START shipping Brienne/Beardy

They almost took Beardy from me after I SPECIFICALLY asked them not too.

Beardy learned the word dick <3

Beardy rode a dragon!!!

MVP: Beardy. I don't have to defend myself.

XO MD

#game of thrones #Martha writes #hbo game of thrones #game of thrones gif #game of thrones gifs #game of thrones spoilers #tv recaps #tv reviews #tv gifs #tv spoilers #tv writing #game of thrones review #jon snow #kit harrington #daenerys targaryen #emilia clarke #ginger beard #jorah #sansa stark #arya stark #dragons #maisie williams #sophie turner #zombies #joe dempsie #gendry baratheon #kristofer hivju #brienne of tarth #littlefinger #aidan gillen

[vanyel-or-just-van]

My Last Breath

Hey everyone, I’m finally back to getting stuff written again! This idea came to me while listening to music after having seen this lovely piece of artwork right here by @ufficiosulretro, and it took a while, but here it is. Van’s back, baby.

Read it here on AO3!

TW: Major Character Death

It was always the strangest feeling. Being wide , liquid, spread across the ground like an oil spill. Normally, Reaper reformed himself as quickly as he could, shuddering off the crawling feeling that came with wraithing into a less-than-humanoid form.

This time, he didn’t really have a choice. He could hear the wheeze of what was left of his lungs, struggling in the dust-choked air. One claw curled against the ground in futility.

Talon must have expected this could happen, Reaper mused in the haziness. They had kept the planting of the bombs secret from him even during the mission. One of them must have been watching him during the attack on the rebuilding Overwatch base. He had remembered who he was. And that made him a security risk.

“Oh, no...”

A voice. Soft, choked, disbelieving. The sound of small footsteps growing faster, closer. “No, no, no!” Reaper had to focus to turn his head, looking up at the figure kneeling next to the center of his smokey puddle.The bright white shone through the dust. Even with her wings gone and halo broken. Even with the handle of her shattered staff hanging from her belt. Even with blood and dirt spattering her uniform. Mercy still looked like an angel. “Gabriel...” His voice was a whisper, barely loud enough to cross the space between them. “I’m afraid...you arrived too late...this time, doc.” Reaper ignored her soft protest, feeling the faint touch of tears falling onto his mask. “And I guess...there’s very little you can do...without your staff.”

Mercy’s hand stroked over his mask, wiping away the dust. Reaper closed his eyes, feeling the pull of the darkness and letting himself go to whatever waited for him now.

“You are wrong.”

He opened his eyes to the sight of a glimmering, golden soul, the purest he’d ever seen. It glimmered with life. A delicate hand held it towards him. Her voice was so gentle. “Take this.” Reaper felt the edges of his form pulling in, curling up into the air like curious feelers. One hand came up, reaching for Mercy’s slumping form, trying to push her and the soul away from himself. “Angela,” he whispered, feeling a deep fear settling in his chest for the first time in years. “No...” Mercy’s head dropped, and she slowly fell into his arms.

“NO!” The soul touched his chest, and like a tide, the smoke surged around them. It flared with a crimson light, flowing into the soul and lighting the scene with a deep orange glow. Reaper could feel the strength seeping from the body in his arms into himself, sitting up and holding onto her tightly, trying to fight his power. The motion swung Mercy’s form back, wings flaring with one last flash of golden feathers that slowly dulled to white, falling into the darkness gathered over the ground.

Reaper stood, holding her in his arms. She really was as light as a feather. All the old jokes they had made about it - her standing on his shoulder to look down on Reinhardt, him lifting her out of his spot on the couch - seemed now like they never had gotten at the core of the feeling. Even limp like this, Angela hardly weighed a thing.

Some part of him, some desperate remnant of something he thought had been destroyed long ago, still thought he could save her, or find someone who could. The touch of a heartbeat inside of him told Reaper that the soul had not been instantly swallowed down like they normally were, turned into raw power. Hers was still intact. There might be time. There HAD to be time. The rest of him knew better. He was Death. Once he got a hold of someone, of their soul, there was no saving them.

Quietly, Reaper turned into smoke, staying just solid enough to hold Mercy against himself as he ghosted away from the settling rubble. He avoided any signs of life. Both Overwatch and Talon would turn their guns on him now, if he knew anything about how they worked. And he did. Far too well.

Finally, he slowed down, shifting back to solid form and ducking into a ruined bunker at the edge of the blast radius. Footsteps in the dust and the scent of fresh blood showed this area had already been cleaned out after the explosion. He could rest here.

Unwilling to set down his cargo, Reaper turned around and sat down against a broken wall, sliding his back against the rubble and wishing he could feel the scrape of it. He shifted Mercy in his arms. The clawed glove faded from a hand, which rose to touch, cold scars tracing over her face.

The color had hardly dimmed from her cheeks, and she looked like she was just sleeping. She was still warm. Reaper could feel the same warmth inside of him. He felt alive.

Curling in, Reaper pulled off his mask with one hand, setting it aside. He rested his forehead against Mercy’s and closed his eyes, drifting.

“I’m so sorry.” A whisper in the night.

//

“Gabriel. Gabriel? Can you hear me? I know you hear me, sleepyhead.”

The gentle voice pulled him from his reverie. Turning, he looked into Angela’s eyes, seeing the small smile light up her face. “Heh. You always were so confused upon just waking up, weren’t you?” Angela teased lightly, ignoring the sputtered babble as Gabriel pulled her tight, feeling her in his arms. She wrapped her arms around him in turn, hugging softly. “Don’t get yourself all worked up over this. I’m dead.” A quiet sigh. “We both know this. You can hold onto me as tight as you want to, love, but you know I can’t stay long.” Gabriel pulled back in confusion, looking her over. “But...but...Angela, how-” “You decided to slow down, for once.” A soft chuckle, Angela pulling back enough to meet his eyes once more. “I knew what I was doing when I handed you my soul. You trying to put it back has slowed your body’s absorption of it, and since I was aware of my soul on such a level at my last breath, I...left you something.”

She gestured with one hand, and the world disappeared into whiteness. A few soft beams of light appeared, shining and twisting into orbs that hovered in the air a short distance away. They flickered, as if something inside was moving.

“My memories. Our memories.”

Gently, disbelieving, Gabriel reached out towards them. One orb floated closer into his palm, shifting to display a scene from a lifetime ago. “This...this is the first time we met. From your eyes.” His voice was quiet and low, watching himself walk into the field of view. “...I really needed a haircut.”

Angela smiled, lifting his chin and waving once more. Suddenly there were orbs everywhere. Filling up to the impossible white horizon, twinkling like stars.

“I saved them all, Gabriel.” She leaned against his chest, closing her eyes and letting all the orbs except the one in his hand fade away. The world dimmed lightly. “All my thoughts of you. All the time we shared, and the time apart. I kept them safe, inside myself.”

One hand curled gently against his heart. “And now, they are safe inside of you. I give them to you. They cannot make you forget who you are ever again.”

Gabriel felt his throat close, too many words to be said. They all seemed flat, flimsy, in the face of...this. “Angela, I...I’m sorry-”

She placed a finger on his lips, shushing him.

“You don’t have to apologize, Gabriel,” she said quietly. “I didn’t make this space to hear that from you. All I wanted to say is I love you, and I’m not afraid. I’d long outlived my time, and this way at least one of us makes it out of there with the truth. I chose my last life to save, and I would not have chosen anyone else.”

Thoroughly chastened, Gabriel simply pulled Angela closer against his chest. He felt the slow, steady thrum of her heartbeat. Too slow. Fading.

“Angela.” His voice broke. “I love you.”

Angela smiled against his shoulder, one hand coming up to cup his cheek. “I know, Gabriel. I know. And when the time comes, you will know where to find me again.”

She leaned up, pressing her lips against his softly.

“Goodbye.”

//

When Reaper woke, he was crying. The tears burned against his skin, and tasted of salt.

Carefully, he tipped the figure of Mercy up, propped up in his arms like she was lounging in a sunchair, rather than against the shoulders of Death. One hand curled softly against her cheek, gazing at the face of what was once the woman he loved. It was cold, even to his touch, and Reaper felt the finality of it sink in.

He’d fallen asleep in her memories, absorbing the last of her soul. She's not there. No one's there. This is just...just another corpse. The remnants of his heart curled up at the thought as he picked up his mask.

//

Overwatch had retreated to the tertiary extraction point after finding the first two compromised by Talon agents, licking its wounds and running through what was left of their defenses. The explosion had scattered them, and they couldn't be sure that there weren't more of their people still picking their way out of the rubble. Several sights trained on the figure approaching from the darkness, visible only because of a strip of white bobbing some feet off the ground, growing larger and clearer into the shape of- "Angela!" Winston dashed forward, stopping as the form carrying her stepped into the light. Reaper seemed unfazed by the guns aimed at his impassive mask. "What have you done to her?" His tone cut through the crowd, silencing everyone. Reaper looked down at the body, then back up at the group. His voice was uncharacteristically gentle, the rasp muted even as it cut through the stillness. "Bury her on the eastern hill." Next to the lilies, where she could watch the sun rise. Like she used to. He held Mercy out, and the group looked at themselves confused, before Winston slowly lifted her from his arms. The wraith looked over them, giving a tense nod. And then Reaper swirled into smoke, disappearing into the fading shadows as the sun crept over the horizon. As he glanced back up at the sky, he felt...almost a warmth come around him, like the memory of gentle arms, and he could swear that he saw a glimmer of wings.

#Vroom Vroom #vanwrites #van fics #Overwatch #ow fics #Mercy #Reaper #Angela Ziegler #Gabriel Reyes #Mercykill #Mercy/Reaper #death #tw death #deathfic #evanescence #because i can #and i write whatever i can make myself write #for those waiting for When I Breathe ch 2 #it's in the works i promise #as are a great many things #mental energy's just a lil low as of late #but im working on it

[gyromitra-esculenta]

Synchronicity 1

fear thingy, rewritten (intro kind of here). the start is a little bit close to the actual game, but it will alternate the more i go into the actual backstory. i will treat it also as a shameless opportunity to insert lyrics from the most r76 album ever (which on its own is almost a friggin fanfiction on its own) - ronin by zack hemsey (like, really, ‘ When I'm done only thing that remains / Is a tombstone etched with my name / Look into a face that has changed / Recognize the corpse in that grave / Resurrect, what's lost can be saved’)

Without further ado:

A sky red from the blood

Rose cheeks dull from the mud

Hands worn through from the sludge

A self no longer begrudged

And murder is a potion of love

Sacrifice devotion thereof

And he without sin never was

(…)

The sky is on fire and the rushing clouds painted with crimson howl with agonized voices of many. Black ash clogs the air but Jack, standing among the ruins of broken concrete and twisted bodies, breathes it in with ease and familiarity, the heavy stench of death and charred meat overwhelming his senses.

This is where his life ends – this is where it starts – amidst the rubble, gore, and smoke, with the accompaniment of screams of the dying and in the world tinted red by his own blood.

Jack reaches out with his hand and through the splayed fingers he sees it leaving – the silhouette with claws dripping blood – the Beast – with shadows clinging to it like a second skin. It turns back, maw slavering black tar and burning eyes opening and closing along the glistening surface of its body.

“Aren’t you coming?”

The hiss undulates with a melody long forgotten Jack thinks he had heard before – before the Beast came into the writhing existence under his hide.

“I hear you.”

“Of course you do,” the Beast laughs, its eyes filling his vision, curious, gauging. Cruel. “I am always with you.” The darkness spreads and envelops him, a welcome respite from the memory, and the red gaze pins him in place. “But you should wake up for now…”

“Sunshine. So nice of you to join us.” Jack releases the breath caught in his throat when crimson morphs back into brown. Lena elbows Genji out of the way.

“Move away, dragon boy, I need to check his visor,” she fiddles with something and the display over his eye clears. “Okay, luv, you’re good to go.”

“Thanks,” Jack smiles, scar tissue stretching uncomfortably over his upper lip.

“Don’t mention it, luv.”

“Yeah, yeah, baby. And why the fuck are we supposed to go after that Lacroix chick?” Genji rolls his eyes, stretching. Jack sighs, closing his eyes, their APC always giving him the acute feeling of too crowded, too claustrophobic for his own liking.

“Don’t question orders. Execute them,” Winston gets up. “Lena?”

“Okay, dears, we’re going to put Amelie Lacroix, hiding out in her sweet luxurious apartment, into our custody. You know, the president of Talon corporation, and they do have their fingers in so many pies they actually run out of hands somewhere halfway through it all.”

“Protective custody,” Winston adds, “so we are all clear on the subject.”

“Boy, so this is going to be so much fun,” Genji snorts, flicking his fingers. “An escort for a spoiled rich bitch.”

“With the bloodbath that went down in Talon headquarters, which she is, as the intel indicates, tied to directly, are we expecting that much of resistance?” Hanzo mutters under his breath.

“We are doing it by the book,” Winston cuts in, irritation clear in his voice.

“Because,” Lena chirpily adds, “we think that the whole thing is some kind of power struggle inside and head honchos at Talon will try to keep her real quiet, if anything. If you know what I mean. Chop-chop quiet. Glasgow smile quie…”

“Enough, Lena,” Winston grumbles when the APC stops. “You come with me, Hanzo with Reinhardt, and you, Genji, with Jack.”

“Fuck it, why do I have to go with the fucking ray of sunshine?” Genji throws his hands up and Jack nods in rare agreement with him.

“Because you’re being a luv, as usual,” Lena giggles, jumping out. “Let’s be happy we didn’t get stuck with the corporate headquarters. They went silent after some disturbing shit,” she adds somberly, shutting the doors behind.

“Shit,” Genji rubs his temples. “If the cowboy’s silent, it’s fucking bad.”

“A canary, just like you.”

“And what the fuck’s that supposed to mean?”

“They sing a lot. In mines, if it stopped, it was high time to clear out of the shaft,” the feeling of wrongness intensifies when the APC lurches to a sudden stop and his HUD flickers with interference. Jack clears out of the vehicle.

“You don’t like him. We will kill him,” the Beast quips into his ear and Jack ignores it like he always does, even if it becomes harder to than any other day – the smell of blood in the air always draws it out to the surface, drugs be damned – but truth be told, he does not like anyone, maybe except Lena. Not anymore, at least.

“Maybe you’re right. Thought ever about retiring? I wouldn’t mind to live out the rest of my glorious life in one of those ‘luxurious penthouses’.” Genji laughs and Jack nods noncommittally because even if he would, they will never let him. “You’re fucking talkative today, sunshine.”

Jack just shakes his head. It’s too quiet, the air is still with anticipation, and the main entrance is well lit, but he lets his instincts guide him to the coffee shop on the side, rifle at the ready. Genji follows his lead.

“Ah, fuck, I could really go for an extra hot no-whip white chocolate macchiato. You, man?”

“Black. Straight.”

“I’m moved. You remember,” the Beast laughs mirthlessly in the background.

*

Amelie cycles through the security feed and pauses the image.

“Would you believe our luck, doctor?”

The blonde by her side draws her brows together, recognition slowly setting on her face.

“I don’t believe in luck, ma’am.”

“Good. Because I arranged it,” Amelie smiles. It is good to see the plan coming together. There are still certain variables to be accounted for, like her dick of a husband, but he will be dealt with accordingly.

“As you did all of this, by sending the other prototype after Sombra, not to mention unsealing the Tomb,” Angela narrows her eyes. “I warned you, ma’am, that you are playing with fire.”

“Doctor, for all your ingenuity, you lack the vision. The board was too scared to take any action, but with this, with the Harbinger, we will finally have the control of Reaper.” The brunette zooms the still image. “I wonder what subject seventy-six will have to say when he meets unexpectedly with his leading physician.”

“Nothing, I believe. His conditioning should keep. His… medication is closely monitored.”

“And what will happen if we do forgo the next dosage, tell me, doctor?” Amelie inclines her head.

“The Replica programming should resurface, but seventy-six is a failed prototype.” The blonde looks away for a second. “There is no telling what state he will enter after the withdrawal.”

“Interesting. Well,” Amelie sighs happily. “Now we wait.”

“I’m sorry I don’t share your optimism, ma’am.”

#sometimes i write #overwatch #fear #fear!au #how do i english #i simply adore the fear and fear 2 and feel sad most of the fear3 was an irredemeable #clusterfuck of a plot and went too much with 'console' type of enviroment and gameplay #but it can be saved #and i forgot to tag this shit for character death as a whole #but if you know the general gist you know it already #i HAD to leave the coffee line in #r76 #reaper76

[ahsfanstories]

My New Life pt. 37

“What?” I asked, unable to process what I just heard.

“I have prostate cancer.” Liz explained again.

“Oh shit.” Ramona said. “Are you sure?” She asked, handling her disbelief a bit better than I was.

“Yes, that is what the doctors are telling me.” Liz said, taking a sip of her drink.

“Isn’t there something you can do? Liz..” I began, but found myself at a loss for words.

“It is past the point of treatment.” Liz stated, taking another sip of her drink.

“You can’t die!” I lashed out suddenly, surprising Ramona next to me. “I lost my whole family, and now you’re my only family, and I can’t lose you!”

“Diana, you need to calm down.” Ramona said, taking my hand. “You know, baby girl, there is something Diana or I could do for you.” I nodded encouragingly.

“You know how squeamish blood makes me. Besides, I can’t live by taking the lives of others, you both know that.”

“But what about your son, and your granddaughter?” I asked. I couldn’t lose her. “How will you explain this to them? You just told me how happy they were to have you in their lives.”

“Hopefully they can visit me here.” She said, a sly smile began on her face.

“What do you mean?” I asked, sharing a glance with Ramona.

“If I die here, I will stay here. It is the obvious solution. I obviously have unfinished business, with my son and his new family, with you, and everyone at this hotel. So I figure dying here is the best solution.” Liz stated.

“Well Liz, we are here to support you, whatever you do.” Ramona said, trying to encourage me to agree. I nodded in agreement, though it was hard for me to imagine Liz dead.

“I want to gather everyone up and do it tonight.” She said. “And I want you to be there, to help me do it.” She said to us both, but looking right at me. All I could do was nod.

“I’ll try baby girl, but if I don’t I look forward to seeing the new you.” Ramona said.

“Thank you Ramona. I’m off to go spread the word.” Liz left Ramona and Diana at the bar.

“Are you gonna be alright Diana? You’re awfully quiet.” Ramona asked, putting her hand on mine.

“I just can’t imagine her dead. It’s so sad that she has to die.” I said.

“Well, unfortunately not everyone can be like us. Eventually she would have had to make some sort of choice like this, believe me, I know it isn’t easy to accept that a parent has to die, but at least we get to keep her this way.” Ramona stated. Diana did remember comparing stories with Ramona about their parents, and how she had turned her father like her but eventually realized his mind was gone and killed him.

“I think I’m going to go up to my room for a while.” I stood up from the bar stool. “I’ll see you later Ramona.” Without waiting for her response I started making my way towards the lobby. I kept it together the whole way up to my room, but once I made it in and shut the door behind me I began to cry. I ran to the bed. A hand on my back soon made me realize I wasn’t alone.

“Dearest, what’s wrong? Do I need to kill someone?” James asked. Usually this would make you laugh, but it made you cry even harder.

“No, but I do.” She sniffled and tried to catch your breath. “I have to help kill Liz.” I leaned into my husband and cried into his chest. I could guess he was likely confused but he continued to comfort me.

“Why do you need to kill Liz darling?” He asked, unsure if I was able to handle such a question.

“She’s dying.” I cried. I tried taking deep breaths to collect myself. “She has cancer, and she wants to die before it gets any worse. She wants to die here because she wants to stay here forever.”

“Well darling you won’t lose her at least. She will be happy here. Not much will change, you will see.” James said, smoothing my hair.

“What happened to Liz?” A familiar voice suddenly asked. I turned my head suddenly to see Elizabeth standing beside our bed.

I felt James’ grip tighten on me. I took a deep breath. “She has cancer, and if she doesn’t do anything she is going to die. So she has decided to kill herself so she can stay here forever.”

Elizabeth was silent, her eyebrows raised, pondering the information.

The silence in the room was deafening. I knew Liz and Elizabeth were close, but I didn’t want to be too forward and suggest that Elizabeth go with me. Elizabeth had a hard time with being dead, and was still rather sensitive to certain issues.

“In her room I think. In just an hour I believe.” I gave her the information subtly, unsure if anything would come of it.

Elizabeth merely nodded and left our bedroom.

I stayed in James’ arms for a little while longer, then I decided it was time to head up to Liz’s room. I made sure to clean up my face a bit and reapply some of my makeup. When I arrived in Liz’s room she wasn’t there, but many of the hotel’s spirits were, including Sally, Will Drake, and Miss Evers. There wasn’t exactly a safe person for me to talk to in the room. Luckily Will and I had developed a friendly relationship and he approached me shortly after I came in.

“Do you know what’s going on? Is everything aright?” Will asked.

“I think it would be best for Liz to explain, she wanted us all here for a reason.” I explained.

Right after the words left my mouth Liz came through the door. A moment later Sally had her phone in Liz’s face, taking pictures of her, which Liz of course loved. As Sally backed up Liz brought her hands together, ready to address the crowd.

“I’m gonna cut to the chase.” She began, looking at her hands. “I am the first woman in the world to have prostate cancer.” Instantly the mood in the room sank. “The doctor told me it has spread to the spine, and there is nothing left to do.” She shrugged. Will instantly came to her and embraced her. The two had become close with Liz being the face of Will’s company.

“We’ll spend whatever we have to. One call and I can get you to the best doctor in the world.” Will offered, but Liz shook her head.

“Oh, it’s too late for me. Besides, I don’t want to spend my last days with a catheter up my dick and poison in my body.” Liz explained.

This was met with laments from the spirits, stating how much they needed Liz.

“I’m not leaving you. That is why I called you all here.” She made her way over to her bed. “Now, I have provided you with various weapons. Take two, they’re small.” She laughed. I scanned the small arsenal she had on the bed. I had brought my talon ring, my usual weapon of choice. “Uh…hack me. Maim me. Bludgeon me. Surprise me.” She instructed, sitting on the bed.

“I think I speak for everyone here when I say we’ve all grown rather fond of you. We can’t possibly murder you.” Miss Evers stated. I did my best to contain a snicker.

“It’s not murder.” Sally argued. “She wants to be reborn.”

“You’re my family, I wanna be with you forever.” Liz said with a smile.

“She has done so much for all of us.” I reached out for Liz’s hand, giving it a tight squeeze, everyones gaze shifting to me. “We owe it to her to help her enter immortality.” I smiled, and my eyes began to water. I bent down and kissed Liz on the cheek.

Met by sounds of agreement, everyone began to choose weapons from the bed. Everyone was tearful as they prepared. Sally embraced Liz. As everyone prepared, Liz laid down on her bed, preparing to die. Everyone was ready, myself included, when the door opened behind us. We all turned to see who the intruder was. I smiled when I saw Elizabeth standing there, in all her glory.

Liz sat up and smiled at the sight of Elizabeth. “How did you know to come?” She asked.

“You were always my fondest creation.” Elizabeth explained. She then made her way over to the bed. “I wanted to be here to help you transition.” She sat on the bed with Liz and helped her lay down again. “One last time.” She then prepared the infamous glove, and with a tear running down her cheek, she slit Liz’s throat. When the life left Liz’s body she smiled, knowing her work was done. She stood and we exchanged a knowing glance, then she left the room just as quickly as she came.

“We should leave her alone now. You all know how trying the transition into the afterlife can be.” I said, With a collective sigh, and some muffled sobs the spirits left the room. I waited until everyone left and closed Liz’s door behind me. I was surprised to see Will Drake still standing in the hall, tears in his eyes. Without a word I embraced him.

“I know this is selfish,” He began, “But what will happen to the company now?” He asked me. “We need it, for the hotel.”

“I know.” I said, pulling away. “I was thinking that maybe I could take Liz’s place, and by that I mean attend the meetings and such. I need this place to keep going as much as all of you do. I’m happy to help. Besides, a little interaction with the outside world may do me good.” I laughed.

Will took my hand in his. “Thank you Diana.” He kissed my cheek.

“I’m happy to help.” I replied.

When I got back to the room James was waiting for me with a drink all ready. I took it and downed it in a single sip. He embraced me for quite some time. His arms just felt so steady and real. I wasn't on the verge of tears anymore, I was just in a state of shock. Of course I knew that Liz would materialize as a spirit, but in my eyes I had just seen the woman who had been a mother to me for so many years die right before my eyes. I had never seen the death of someone I cared for so much. My knees began to give out, but James supported me and put me on the bed.

“Don’t worry my darling.” James said, taking my face in his hands. “Your friend will be back again. She just needs a bit of time to adjust.” He kissed me gently on the forehead.

A tear ran down my cheek, but he quickly wiped it away with his thumb.

“I will never understand how I was lucky enough to find you.” I said.

He merely smiled. “You know as well as I do that this hotel is very special. It brought you to me.” He kissed me on the lips. It was so sweet and tender I could have cried again. Soon he was in bed beside me, holding me as I drifted to sleep.

The night passed in spurts of sleep. I finally gave up on sleep and decided to get up. I saw that it was early afternoon. I decided the most useful thing to do would be to go down to the bar and make sure everything was still in order there without Liz. James was nowhere to be found as I got dressed. He probably knew that I needed some time alone. When I got to the bar there wasn’t a person in sight. I decided I could maybe tidy up the bar, but when I got back there I saw Liz kept things incredibly clean. Still I took a rag and absentmindedly began to wipe the counter.

“Excuse me.” A familiar voice said. “Are you the new girl or something?” My head shot up to see Liz sitting in front of me in all her glory. I ran around the bar to embrace her.

“Oh, you don’t know how happy I am to see that you made it!” I exclaimed.

Liz pulled away and looked at me. “Are you kidding? Honey I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” She laughed. “But I have some very exciting news.”

“Tell me.” I said sitting down and taking Liz’s hands in mine.

“Well, Tristan came back to me!” She revealed, and I squealed.

“Did he tell you why he wouldn’t talk to you?” I questioned. The last thing Liz needed right now was to have her heart toyed with.

Liz nodded. “He didn’t want to hold me back. He thought coming back would pull me into him and make me want to die sooner than I was meant to. He said I had a lot of living to do.”

I smiled at my dear friend. “You really did. But I want to hear all about your reunion.”

With a devious smile Liz proceeded to tell me all about her first night back with Tristan. I was just so happy to know that she was with me again, and that I hadn’t lost the most important mother figure I had ever known.

And finally here is part 37! Only two more parts planned. If there is anything you feel you must see in this story before it ends now is the time to tell me. Also I should be answering some ship requests in the next couple days. I am so sorry for the wait but my brain has been scattered the last few days. I hope you enjoy this part! Comments and messages are always welcomed! As always thank you so much for reading. I love you all!

-XOXO

#american horror story #american horror story fanfiction #american horror story imagines #american horror story hotel #AHS #ahs fanfic #ahs fanfiction #ahs imagine #ahs hotel #lady gaga #The Countess #the countess fanfic #liz taylor ahs #liz taylor hotel #elizabeth ahs #james march #james patrick march #james march fanfic #Evan Peters #RAMONA ROYALE #hypodermic sally #Angela Bassett #sarah paulson #iris ahs #hotel cortez