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hiramaris · 10 months

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Dusk til Dawn

Part 11

Summary: Following Episode 9. And spoilers for Episode 10.

Author’s note: As Episode 10 is just released I just want to say heads up for those who are not yet finished. Completing the game without spoilers really made a difference, and as much as possible I want everyone to experience that. And for those finished, I’ll gladly welcome you to my domain where MC took a different route.

Disclaimer: I do not own Duskwood or any of the related characters. Duskwood is created by and owned by Everbyte Studio. This fanfiction is intended for entertainment only. I am not making any profit from this story. All rights of the original Duskwood story belong to Everbyte Studio.

Warning: Mentions of blood, suicide, violence, pedophiles, drugs, gun, murder, sex offenders, kidnapping

"Well, shit," Jake's voice carried a curse, causing you to come to a sudden halt. Swearing wasn't something Jake typically did, so the profanity took you off guard and sent a chill down your spine.

"What's wrong?" you asked, your concern evident in your tone.

"We should be at a fork right now," Jake said, his frustration palpable. "At least, according to my maps."

You surveyed your surroundings, your flashlight illuminating the rocky walls. "I'm no cave expert, but, Jake," you remarked, "I'm pretty sure we've hit a dead end."

"I know," he admitted with a sigh. "Actually, we weren't supposed to encounter any forks until now. But I've realized early on that we've come across at least three junctions in the past ten minutes."

"Uhm," you said, your voice slow as you processed the situation. "So you're saying that the pathways we've been taking are different from what's on your map?"

"Yeah," Jake ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "But I thought it wouldn't be too much of an issue as long as we stuck to the general path I had planned out."

"Jake, please tell me that we at least stick to that path."

"We'll find out soon enough," Jake replied, his tone uncertain. "Come, let's go back a bit."

"How about we split up?" you suggested, following him as he led the way. Before you continued, you took a marbled stone and used it to smear some chalk marks on the wall, leaving a visible trail behind you. Just in case you get lost.

Jake gave you an incredulous look. "It's not safe, and you know tha—" he began to protest, but then his expression shifted. "Wait. I saw something." He motioned for you to follow him. "There's something here."

You perked up in attention, your senses heightened. You drew your weapon and held your flashlight tightly, ready for any potential threat. Quietly, you moved past Jake as he crouched by the wall, peering into what looked like a room.

"Well, shit." You found yourself echoing Jake's words from earlier as you stopped at a table covered with an overwhelming number of documents and files. "What the heck is all this?"

"There must be hundreds," Jake muttered beside you. "We have to take a look."

You shook your head, concern furrowing your brow. "I don't think we have the time. Let's gather as much as we can and keep moving."

"I'll take a quick look. Some of these seem important," he insisted, his eyes scanning the papers. "Maybe we'll find crucial information about our culprit, in case it wasn't Michael after all."

You sighed, "okay, but hurry up."

You stood guard for a few minutes, your focus divided between Jake and the vibrating phone in your pocket. With a quick glance, you saw Alan's caller ID flashing on the screen.

"Jake, it's Alan," you informed him. He gave you a brief thumbs-up before returning to his search through the files.

"Please excuse my late reply, Y/n," Alan's voice came through the phone, sounding slightly breathless. "I took your video straight to Bob Lindner from our Legal Department. He immediately recognized the Ironsplinter Mine."

Your eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Ironsplinter Mine," you echoed, the pieces of the puzzle beginning to fall into place.

"Bob is an avid mountaineer and cave enthusiast, and apparently there's not a single wall in this area that he doesn't know like the back of his hand," Alan continued, his voice carrying a sense of excitement. "According to him, there's even an old, secret entrance to the mine in Duskwood, and it takes the form of a hatch."

"Let me guess where that hatch is located," you tried to mask the smugness in your voice. "It's by the Grimrock waterfall, isn't it?"

"I suppose you were right about the waterfall earlier," Alan admitted with a hint of amusement. "You were just on the wrong floor."

"Very funny."

He chuckled softly. "Please excuse my little joke. I'm actually a little excited. You see," he paused, his breath audibly catching as his footsteps quickened in the background, "I am currently back on my way to the Grimrock."

Your eyes bulged. What the fuck?

Your heart skipped a beat. The realization hit you like a truck. The familiar background noise, his breathlessness – it was all too clear now. He's going back to Grimrock as you speak.

Shit! He can't find both of you here.

And Michael's waiting by the Grimrock! He's going to think you're bluffing.

If you asked him to go back, you'll give him even more reason to make you the suspect.

With a strained voice, you managed to choke out a "that's good to know" in response to his excited revelation.

"I knew you'd be interested." Alan's voice held a cheerful tone, but you could sense something more underneath. "And now, please excuse me." The distinct sound of a click reached your ears, unmistakably that of a gun being cocked. "It's time to clear up this case."

Your heart raced, panic rising within you. You had to think fast.

"Jake!" You hissed urgently, your voice barely above a whisper. "Change of plan!"

Jake shifted his attention to you as he heard the urgency in your tone. "What?" He questioned, his voice equally hushed. "What is it?"

"Alan knows about the Ironsplinter mine!" You rushed out the words, the gravity of the situation sinking in. "He knows about the secret hatch, too and he's on his way right now as we speak!"

He froze, his expression shifted to alarm. "That's not good."

"You should go." You said with a serious expression on your face. "He can't find you here no matter what."

Jake's eyes darted between you and the pile of documents before him. "Y/n..."

You closed the distance between you and Jake, your voice stern. "Jake, are you even listen—" You trailed off as your gaze followed his to the papers spread out before him. Your heart seemed to stop for a moment as recognition dawned upon you.

Jessy's face greeted you in the form of printed pictures. There are pictures of Lilly's, too, and Dan's... Cleo's... Thomas'... Richy's... Hannah's... and even Amy's...

—all these documents...

"These are the documents Jessy and Thomas had found in Michael Hanson's house," you whispered, your voice barely audible in the heavy air of the cave.

"We need to take these with us," Jake's voice broke through your concentration, his tone tense.

Your heart pounded as you quickly assessed the situation. Time was of the essence, and the walls of the mine seemed to close in around you. Jake needs to leave as soon as possible, and you have to stop Alan from entering the mine. The last thing you needed was for him to cross paths with Michael.

How the fuck will you deal with that? For the second time around, the fucking police meddled with your case once again. The only difference is this time, this isn't legally a case of yours to handle.

"We'll photograph them with our phones," you decided quickly, your mind racing to figure out a plan. "Let's gather everything up. Then, we'll split up from here. You take the evidence and go. I'll handle Michael and Alan."

Jake seemed to hesitate, his fingers moving quickly as he snapped pictures of the documents. "We can't afford to split," he argued.

"If Michael sees Alan," you explained, ensuring each document was captured in the photos, "he'll know I'm not coming."

As you finished photographing the last of the documents, you exchanged a determined look with Jake. With the evidence secured, you carefully gathered the papers and stashed them away.

"Jake, you need to go," you said, your voice low but filled with urgency. But he won't budge in his place. He stared deep and hard at the piece of paper he holds in front of him.

"Y/n," he muttered, his voice almost shaking. "I found the letter."

Your heart skipped a beat. "Amy's letter?"

He nodded slowly, his gaze troubled. Without hesitation, he handed you the letter, his eyes imploring you to read it.

Hannah,

I'm sorry for saying goodbye to you like this, but I can't go on. Not one step further.

I have succumbed to the pressure, and a long time ago.

Don't judge me too harshly for choosing this way out, but I can't forgive myself.

If I'm being too honest, I never allowed myself to forget. Because that would meant that I had stopped regretting.

I can feel his judging eyes upon me as he stands by the edge of the forest, so dark and silent.

He is nothing more than a shadow. But he does not disappear when I turn on the light.

Could he be nothing more than a manifestation of our guilt? Created and formed by our thoughts? Our eyes plays trick on us in the dark, but can the same be said about a tortured mind?

No matter how far we walk, we always end up with ourselves. My mother once said that. I never understood what she meant by it. But now I do.

I want you to try and find your peace. And I want you to know that you couldn't have changed anything.

And so, I hope that things will be different for you, and that you will find a way to be able to live with the past.

Make peace. With yourself.

So that, in the end, he may disappear.

Amy

You read the letter, the words sinking in as you processed the contents. "She..." Your voice caught in your throat, your grip on the paper almost too tight. "She took her own life... Michael didn't kill her."

"To be honest, I did not consider that she would commit suicide," Jake admitted, his voice heavy with the weight of the revelation. "Do you... do you understand why Amy did it?"

"The guilt must have been too much for her," you murmured, your heart aching as you pieced together the reasons. "Because of Jennifer's death... She just... She couldn't see any way out."

"Until now, we believed that it was only Hannah who saw the man without a face. But through her letter," Jake pointed at the paper you were holding, "we have now found out that Amy also saw the man by the edge of the forest."

"Wait." You frowned, confusion knitting your brows. "I thought the man without a face was just a figment of Hannah's imagination due to her guilt and depression. Amy was sure that's the case."

"However, he also showed himself to Amy, but much later than he did to Hannah," Jake explained. His voice was thoughtful, analytical. "What do you think? Was it a hallucination as well, or was it Michael?"

You stared at the letter in your hand, the words blurring as your mind raced. "Whichever is the truth, it's not too late for Hannah."

****

It took a lot of convincing to get Jake to agree to continue his planned route straight to Hannah and Richy while you made your way to Michael and Alan's whereabouts. Wherever they are.

You told him it's the safest option available as you're sure Michael is waiting near by the entrance at Grimrock where Alan is supposed to be heading. So essentially, he's not where Hannah and Richy are. Jake can save them while you distract the two. This is the only feasible plan you could think of that would be beneficial for everyone but you. But Jake doesn't have to know that. He's already against with the plan to begin with.

Thankfully, the path seemed straightforward from where you were, and there weren't significant forks that could confuse your way. You moved quickly but cautiously, your senses heightened for any signs of human activity. The echo of your footsteps reverberated through the narrow passageway, and you focused on maintaining steady breaths to mask the sound of your pounding heart.

Your training and instincts guided you, and you pushed forward, your grip on your weapon firm and your flashlight steady in your hand.

Minutes stretched on, and still no news from Jake or Alan. As you continued walking, the mine is starting to look like a labyrinth. Looking at your map, you realized you were getting close to the entrance near the Grimrock waterfall. This raised the likelihood of encountering either Alan or the man without a face.

With your gun drawn, you turned a corner and suddenly, a sharp clang echoed through the tunnel. The sound reverberated off the walls, making it difficult to discern its exact source. Your heart raced in your chest, and your instincts kicked into high gear. You steadied your breath, your every movement careful as you scanned the surroundings for any signs of danger.

In the stifling silence that followed, your senses were on high alert. You strained your ears, trying to detect even the faintest sound. The confined space of the mine played tricks on your perception, and you had to rely on your training to filter out the echoes and focus on what might be reality.

Your grip tightened on your weapon as you moved forward, step by cautious step. The tension in the air was palpable, and your mind raced through the possibilities.

Could it be Michael? Or was it something else entirely?

You couldn't really tell.

You continued walking, steps still deliberate. Your weapon was still held ready, your flashlight illuminating your path and scanning for any signs of movement. You were determined not to be caught off guard.

Another noise echoed in the tunnel.

You cursed softly. It is much more indecipherable than the first one and sounded much closer.

The grip on your weapon grew tighter as each excruciating second passed by, fingers itching close to the trigger. Your mind raced through possible scenarios as you prepared for whatever might come next. The darkness seemed to close in around you, amplifying your heightened state of alertness.

As you moved cautiously forward, your ears picked up on a faint sound to your right – almost indistinguishable footsteps. Your flashlight's beam flicked in that direction, and then your world seemed to halt.

"Hannah?!" The word escaped your lips in a mix of shock and relief.

She was there, standing frozen before you. Wide-eyed and trembling, she seemed just as startled as you were by the unexpected encounter. Your own heartbeat resonated in your ears, and you quickly lowered your weapon, realizing the fear etched on her face.

You took a step toward her, your voice gentle, "Hannah, you're safe now. I'm," you fumbled at your badge, showing your name you knew she'd be familiar with. "I'm Agent L/n."

A look of recognition flashed in her eyes. "Agent L/n..."

You took another step. "Yes. You contacted me a few weeks ago, remember?" She nodded, unconsciously shifting closer to you as she realized you are no threat. "I'm with your friends. I'm sorry I took so long."

You were not sure who closed the distance, but you find yourself with a whole handful of Hannah Donfort who finally broke down against your chest. Her body was trembling as she wrapped her arms around you, her sobs muffled against your shoulder. It was as if she was afraid to cause the slightest noise but for you, it sounded louder than ever. Your heart ached at the weight of her fear and distress, and you held her gently, providing the support she needed. It made your anger for the culprit burn in an unidentified rage.

"You came," she sobbed. "You... y-you have to save Richy!"

"I will," you responded quickly. "but first let's get you somewhere safe, okay? Can you walk?"

She nodded slowly, but her trembling legs betrayed her.

She can't.

"Okay... I'm going to carry you, Hannah. Will that be okay?" She nodded again, and that's all the confirmation you needed before you carefully lifted her into your arms. You didn't want to start touching her without permission after all that she went through. The last thing you want is to scare her more than she already is.

You got to admit, your circumstance right now with a woman in your arms and the culprit on the loose inside a narrow tunnel with passages that can rival a maze doesn't sound so promising right now. Though you managed to maintain your grip on your flashlight and weapon, it's going to be a challenge to fight Michael if he suddenly shows up.

Hopefully, he wouldn't.

****

A few minutes of silence passed as you navigated the tunnels, each step taking you closer to the exit. Hannah remained quiet in your arms, her trembling gradually subsiding.

You felt a familiar vibration against your back pocket and you quickly realized it was an incoming call. Assuming it was Jake or Alan, you pushed a button against your earbuds to answer the call.

"Hello," you greeted, your voice low and controlled.

"Chief," the voice on the other end responded, instantly sending a chill down your spine.

You came to a halt, and your heart seemed to skip a beat as you recognized the voice. Hannah must have felt you stiffen because she looked up at you with a questioning look.

Collecting yourself, you cleared your throat and replied as evenly as possible, "Agent Hartmann."

"Affirmative, Chief L/n. This is Agent Hartmann speaking."

Fuck, you're so screwed. This was a predicament you hadn't anticipated.

"Drop the formalities, Charlotte." You hissed quietly. "How did you get my number?" Because they shouldn't have. No. They can't. You made sure it was secured and untraceable.

"You aren't as slick as you thought you are, Chief," Charlotte responded, a hint of amusement in her tone. You could practically imagine her smirking. Charlotte is your right hand in your squad. Technically, you knew her almost like at the back of your hand. "You've gotten quite rusty, I must say."

You frowned, her words hitting a nerve. "Very funny. A year of suspension can do that to you," you sighed. This situation was spiraling in an unexpected direction. "What's the verdict?" you asked, bracing yourself for her response.

If word of your actions had spread to the entire FBI, your control over the situation was slipping through your fingers.

Charlotte's tone turned serious. "I'm not sure if the Director already knows but I'm certain the whole squad knows about your insubordination because we are the ones who found you. So, the possibility of the director not knowing about this is slim."

You cursed under your breath. This was worse than you thought.

"So, you're going to arrest me?" you challenged, your voice tinged with defiance. You felt Hannah's grip tighten on your shirt, her fear palpable.

"Our squad had promised to follow you, Chief, no matter which path you decided to walk," Charlotte stated firmly. "And we intend to keep that promise."

Your gaze softened considerably. Her loyalty caught you off guard.

"You shouldn't risk your job for me, Charlotte," you swallowed the lump in your throat. "I've got nothing to lose while you guys can lose everything."

"I think you're underestimating us," she chuckled before turning serious once again. "We are here to help."

Your eyebrows rose. "How so?"

"We found your culprit," she said simply. "Do you know any Ted Madruga?"

"Yes. He's the one in prison."

"You really did turn rusty, Chief." She said seriously. "The paper Miss Lilly Donfort had found from Miss Hannah Donfort's mail are all fraud."

"What?" you sound so confused. "What do you mean?"

Charlotte's next words shook the foundations of your investigation.

"We have gathered records from all prisons in the region, and there are no records of a man named Ted Madruga in any of them."

Your eyes widened, realization dawning. "You mean he's—"

A sharp stinging pain at the back of your head sent you to your knees, forcing your grip on Hannah to loosen. The world around you spun for a moment before darkness swallowed your vision, your consciousness slipping away. As the darkness closed in, Hannah's scream echoed in your ears.

"Chief? Chief! Goddamn it!" Charlotte's voice reverberated in your unconscious mind. "We're too late, Viktor. Step on the gas! Hurry!"

A low, eerie chuckle echoed in the tunnel as a figure emerged, slinging a bloodied baseball bat over their shoulder. A twisted smirk curled upon their lips as they fixed their gaze on Hannah, who was frozen in terror.

"No one's leaving the mine alive," their voice dripped with menace. "It's time to let everyone know the truth."

~~~~~~

A/n: Instant apologies for the cliffhanger. As I have said, I may not follow the game's ending. It's not that I'm not contented with the game's ending but rather I'd like to add some spice of my own.

Important: Also, I don't know if it's a problem on my end or not because I have uploaded the part 10 days ago but it seemed that my works aren't visible to anyone at all which led me to reupload it again just so it would be finally be visible to readers.

So, I would like to ask (if it's not too much to ask 🥺) if some of y'all can leave some comments, likes or even reblogs just to let me know my work is out there? It would mean a lot to me that my works will be able to reach my fellow readers as well. I also really appreciate feedbacks 😉

#duskwood #duskwood mc #duskwood jessy #duskwood jessy x mc #duskwood lilly #duskwood jake #duskwood dan #duskwood cleo #duskwood richy #duskwood hannah #duskwood thomas #duskwood everbyte #duskwood ep10 #duskwood fanfiction #jessy x mc

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gretavanfleetposts · 2 years

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Valence: Chapter Three

Summary: The daughter of a drug lord, you're ready to take over the family business. Your father's only stipulation? You must marry the man he has picked out for you instead of the man you love in order to claim your kingdom.

TW: penetrative sex, thigh riding, slight cock-warming (18+ minors do not interact), swearing, themes of death and dying

Word Count: 8k

Chapter Two Masterlist Chapter Four

This wasn't how your wedding was supposed to look. It certainly wasn't what you had been dreaming of, or what you and Danny had been fantasizing about. No, this was all wrong.

You sat at your vanity in your room, fingers laced around the stem of a champagne glass that was on its nth refill, too many to count by this hour of the morning. Lily stood behind you brushing through your hair and humming to herself, either choosing to ignore your palpable misery or blissfully unaware of the crisis you were having as you watched her prepare you for a man you didn't want.

You emptied your glass and opted for an open bottle instead.

"You'd better go easy on those. You don't want to be drunk going down the aisle," Lily started in.

"I think I might," you muttered under your breath before taking another swig and disrupting her brushing once again.

"It's your wedding day, why are you so miserable?"

God, maybe she really was just blissfully unaware. Somehow that felt worse.

"I know you and Danny had a childhood fling," she began.

And not without a sting, either. A sharp beginning to a sentiment that was likely to have a sharp end as well.

"But you're an adult now. It's time to move on to someone more suitable."

And there was the sharp end.

"Not to mention, Jake is beautiful so I'd say you're lucky to have found him."

"I didn't find him, Lily. Our father did."

"Then you should thank him."

Your anger and frustration snapped with her words and you stood abruptly from your stool, pushing her off and crossing the room to your bed where a pair of white stockings with tiny white flowers woven into them rested, waiting to be adorned.

"I think the hair is brushed now."

"You're really going to be so sour on your wedding day. The least you could do is put on a happy face and be somewhat pleasant today of all days."

She was standing by the vanity still, holding the hairbrush and looking like a lost puppy, unassuming if she hadn't said what she'd said. And it fueled your anger, regardless of how small and innocent she made herself look, sending you into a spin facing her, your anger preceding you.

"You're helping me primp to be sold off to another man. Which part of that exactly would you like me to be pleasant about?"

But she only dropped her head, tears spilling from her eyes almost instantly and dripping down to hit the cool wooden floor.

"You know you're always so nasty to me," she choked out.

She was infuriating, the way she turned the waterworks on and off so quickly. She had used it as a guilt tactic ever since you were kids, mostly because it always worked on you, being the youngest and being afraid to upset your older sister. But it no longer worked in the same way. Now you bit back your anger, did your best to swallow it down, even if it was truly still there. Now you held your tongue for her sake, even if it was just a ploy.

"I'm…I'm sorry, Lily, I didn't mean it."

You crossed the room to her, taking her face in your hands with a deep sigh.

"I look beautiful thanks to you. Mom would be proud."

Her tears dried almost immediately as her face lit up like a Christmas tree, eyes suddenly glowing at the mention of your mother.

"She would be," she agreed.

Pulling you into a hug, she rocked you both back and forth as she squeezed you tightly, not unlike your first encounter with Jake's twin although the two interactions were nothing alike. One had comforted you, the other had not.

"I'll go get your bouquet!" she squealed as she let go and skipped off to find the florist, leaving you alone for the first time that morning since you had barely woken up.

In her absence, you couldn't avoid your appearance in the full length mirror you had been trying your best not to catch a glimpse of. But now, being alone, you stood before it to take yourself in. A cream, long sleeved dress with a neckline that dipped low to mimic the v of the back, sewn out of thin, delicate silk that flowed with your every movement. Your mother would be proud.

It's how you might have wanted to look on your wedding day with Danny.

But it wasn't Danny standing at the end of the aisle. In fact, as you found yourself an hour later marching to the tune of a dusty organ, you couldn’t bring yourself to look up towards the end of the aisle as you walked, or else you might have run away. Danny was folded into one of the many pews that surrounded you, that much you knew, but you couldn't bring yourself to search through the eyes now staring, watching you, just to find his.

You weren't even really sure how you had gotten there, perhaps thanks to the inordinate amount of champagne you had consumed during the getting ready process. But you were there now, eyes fixated on the bundle of lavender between your fingers as the small piano in the corner of the tiny cathedral did its best to persuade you down the aisle.

Actually, the only comfort you found in the situation was knowing that Sam and Josh were somewhere in the pews as well, probably smiling brightly in support despite knowing how this had all come to be.

As you reached the end, you finally lifted your eyes to the man standing before you. There was Jake, wrapped in a deep maroon suit, his hair down and flowing over his shoulders, setting a soft contrast between his brown hair and the deep, almost blood-like color of the suit. His chest was uncharacteristically covered by the matching shirt and vest he wore underneath the jacket, but there was still no tie in sight, in true Jake fashion. And as you came upon the small step up to greet him on the platform, he offered you a hand, letting you delicately rest your fingers in his palm as you stepped up.

He had a soft smile on his face but his eyes held remorse, plentiful, some unspoken apology that you were glad he wasn’t voicing. You couldn’t bear to hear it, even as you swayed under the weight of alcohol.

It was a blur after that, the words spoken by the minister while you stared at the flowers in your hand, the “I do’s” spoken by you and Jake as you reluctantly lifted your eyes to face him again. Even the kiss blurred past you, a quick moment of silence where Jake leaned in and pecked you lightly on the lips, his own hardly even touching yours. You only stared up at him as the wedding guests folded into tiny pews all around you stood and clapped. Jake had to take your hand to remind you to turn toward the audience though you couldn’t even remember if you had smiled or not.

And then suddenly it was over and the two of you left the cathedral the way you had entered. It was a dizzying whirlwind and you fought back tears on your way out. You couldn’t even remember seeing your father.

A black SUV whisked you away from the church, you and Jake sitting on the far ends of the backseat, each looking out your respective windows. What he saw on his side, you weren’t sure. On your side, dense trees zooming past in a blur, you watched your life blow by you in an instant, Danny somewhere far behind you. You felt the tears in your throat before they even streamed down your face like the droplets of water cascading from the sky and slipping down the sleek tinted windows of the armored car.

“What can I do?” you heard Jake whisper, the sound somehow reaching you despite the miles that separated you there.

But you said nothing back, despite the concern you heard in his voice, real and raw and like nothing you had heard from him yet. Instead you shook your head, like perhaps words would follow, only it was tears, falling harder now as you slumped further against the window, arms pulled tight against your chest as you felt it, felt the physical distance between you and Danny and all of the things you imagined for your life.

There was nothing he could do. He had already done it.

He didn’t even touch you, didn’t even offer a soothing caress as you tried and failed to hide your grief from him. Perhaps he knew he couldn’t reach you. Maybe he knew you were too far away in that moment. Maybe he was watching his life surge past him too, wondering how he had gotten there, where he had gone wrong.

‘Was it worth it?’ you heard Danny asking you, distant but clear.

‘Are you sorry? Did it hurt the way you thought it would? Do you want to know if I watched?’

There was nothing to touch, even if Jake had reached out for you. You were a pile of broken pieces disintegrating on the floor.

—

Your cheeks were stiff with dried emotions that you had let flow more freely than you usually did on your ride to the reception. It hardened your face into a stoic, glassy expression as you sat next to Jake, looking upon the party below. The festivities didn’t reach you, couldn’t reach you seated high above everyone else in the large open courtyard cut out of the middle of your home. Even the toasts rested at your feet despite you being more than happy to drink. And your father was more than displeased watching you shirk off attempts at niceties and pleasantries, Jake fielding them all dutifully.

He had said nothing to you since his one question uttered to you in near silence in the car. He hadn’t even met your eyes as he offered a hand to you, helping you out of the SUV and into your home where the reception now droned on. Even his brothers had mostly stayed away, mingling with the warmer guests and avoiding your icy stare.

And Danny was nowhere to be found.

But at some point in the night, it was Josh who braved your side of the table, offering you a hand with a toothy grin and warm eyes that only looked slightly terrified.

“Dance with me?” he asked.

You said nothing, simply stood and took his hand, leading him to the dance floor and leaving Jake behind where Lily finally pounced and greeted him, asking him to a dance which he accepted with a smile and, if you listened closely, you could have sworn a sigh of relief.

Josh pulled you tighter against him than you had been expecting, pulling you from your miserable daze just enough to catch the disappointed look in his eyes. You preferred the hint of terror.

“You should save me whatever lecture you have prepared on outward appearances,” you said without looking him in the eyes. “My father will be more than happy to give it before the night is over. If you’re lucky, it may even be given in a quiet corner of this very room and then I can be even more of a spectacle for you all.”

It was scalding, unfairly so for the boy who had braved your table with sunshine still in his features, more than you deserved. But he didn’t even acknowledge it, to your surprise, drawing your eyes back to his face suddenly with his question that seemingly appeared out of thin air.

“How old were you when your mother died?”

You stared at him a moment, perplexed, brows furrowing as he continued swaying you both like the question hadn’t stumbled from his mouth unprompted.

“Lily said it was hard on you,” he continued in lieu of an answer.

“She died five years ago,” you answered slowly, brows still furrowed in confusion.

He hugged you tighter to him and nodded. “I’m sure it feels like it happened just yesterday. That’s how I feel about my father’s death anyway.”

You were tense in his arms but his warmth, and his honesty, did a lot to let your guard down, forget your anger even.

“Yes,” you voiced barely above the music. “It does feel that way.”

The grief of losing your mother had never really gone away. Immediately after, it had choked you. Now, it waited until the oddest moments to resurface, to tear open wounds you thought had healed or were healing. Some nights you still found yourself paralyzed by it, gasping for breath between broken sobs. But most nights, it was still the anger that took you by its hold. That was your cardinal sin, at the end of the day: anger.

You felt Josh’s hand grip yours tighter, one arm each held off to the side with his other draped along your back, fingers splayed flat to keep you there while your free arm slung around his neck, holding onto him a bit tighter as you felt the conversation shift.

“Jake didn’t stay at the reception after the funeral. Didn’t even make an appearance, actually. Just spent all day in his room. Sam and I didn’t see him for weeks. The distance between all of us after our father’s death felt enormous but it was different for Jake. It was like he practically disappeared.”

You tried to picture the Jake you knew, cool and calm, being so distant and so hurt. Maybe you could see him folding in on himself. He did, after all, have a great ability to avoid your questions. But the thought of him turning from his own brothers to grieve? That was something you really couldn’t imagine.

“At a certain point, I worried I would never wade through the distance and find him again.” You could see the hurt behind his eyes even as he spoke about it so long after. “I worried that maybe he had swam so far away because he didn’t even want to be found at the end of it.”

You suddenly felt bad for Josh, having to worry about his brother so deeply. Perhaps that was the way Lily had worried for you after your mother. Maybe that was the way your father worried for you now.

“It got bad. Felt like it was just getting worse and worse. Until finally I couldn’t take it anymore and I dragged him out of the dark all the way to Italy, just to tell him that he couldn’t hide from me anymore and that he didn’t have to grieve by himself.”

“Why Italy?”

“He needed to be reminded that there was still beauty in the world and that he was still capable of seeing it. And he had always wanted to go,” he smiled.

“Did it get better after that?”

“It did,” he reminisced with a soft smile touching his rosy lips. “We had a nice trip. And I left knowing he would never drift that far away again.”

You dropped your eyes to some spot on his chest although you weren’t exactly seeing anything. Josh’s words had sent you a million miles away, ironically enough, lost in an entanglement of thoughts that he had only helped to tangle further.

“So if you’re thinking of swimming far away,” he continued, dipping his face down so he could whisper next to your ear, “don’t forget to grab a rope. Makes it easier for the people you leave behind to reel you back in when you need it.”

He straightened, returning your gaze as he did so, but before you had a chance to voice your speechlessness, as it were, Lily was suddenly at your side, propositioning Josh away as Jake moved to take his place with his hand at your back and his fingers laced between yours, holding you the same way Josh had but admittedly not quite as close as Josh had.

Your eyes followed Josh as he swirled into a more upbeat dance with Lily who was all smiles at his charm, charm that had left you with a look of puzzlement still resting on your face, while Jake cleared his throat.

“Hate to let Josh look like the brave one in the family,” he joked, the jape landing on a silent audience as you struggled to pull yourself out of your conversation with Josh.

Did Josh see it? Did he see you drifting? Did he worry that you would swim far from Jake before you even gave him a chance to hold you up in the water?

“He didn’t upset you, did he?” Jake asked more seriously then, trying to get a read on your face. But you shook your head, having heard his question but still somewhat lost in thought.

‘Don’t forget to grab a rope. Makes it easier for the people you leave behind to reel you back in when you need it.’

“Your brother talks like an ent,” you mumbled absentmindedly as you finally turned toward the boy in front of you, letting your eyes go unfocused fixated on the lapel of his suit.

He pulled you in closer as he chuckled, seemingly warmed by your comment, approachable finally for the first time that day.

“Yeah, he’s just like that. Stature of a hobbit though.”

‘Don’t forget to grab a rope.’

Was Jake your lifeline? Is that what he was implying?

If you laughed at his remark, it was hardly audible, sounds still mostly going in one ear and out the other. But you had caught it.

“You read too then,” he continued, vying for your attention.

“I watched the movies.”

“I’m going to pretend like you didn’t say that.”

A real chuckle that time fell from your lips as Jake’s remark pulled you mostly from your thoughts. And more present with him, he held you closer and you found yourself wrapping your arm tightly around his neck, the thought of him shutting himself away with grief not far behind you.

“I haven’t really had much time for reading, between rarely leaving my father’s side during the day and Danny…” You let yourself trail off at the admission, eyes dropping at the audible mention of his name, the elephant in the room it seemed.

But Jake pressed on, not letting it linger and dampen the mood, admittedly welcome in your sorry state.

"So you're a workaholic who needs to learn to have fun. Got it."

You gave him a coy smile, cocking your head to the side at what he was implying. No doubt trying to get that reaction from you.

"I know how to have fun," you corrected him.

"Then why don't you have any?"

You squinted at him inquisitively. One might have even called it playful, as playful as you knew how to be.

"Says the brooding guitarist who locks himself in his room with his music every night," you accused.

A wide smile crossed his face.

"You think I'm brooding?"

"Out of you you and your brothers, I do. You all practically wear your personalities like clothes."

"Ah, well then you should know that I'm the romantic one."

You ignored both his comment and his look, suggestive as they were, sending him a quick eye roll before you changed the subject entirely.

"Exactly how many instruments do you play?".

"I don't really keep track," he shrugged, apparently happy to let his previous remark die although he did look quite amused. "Anything with strings."

You hummed lightly. "Must have a lot of free time."

He smiled and nodded once, taking your comment for what it was, a subtle jab. But the smile never left his eyes as he retorted, "Well my destiny, it would seem, is to be someone's husband."

You eyed him carefully as the two of you still swayed to music you were hardly listening to.

"You never had a desire to take things over from Josh?" you implored with more sincerity, genuinely curious as to why he had no interest in it all, even though it was his birthright.

He shook his head, his brows furrowing in thoughtfulness.

"I like the quiet," he remarked softly, his eyes landing on yours immediately after.

It felt purposeful though you couldn't really decipher the look on his face.

"I don’t think I’ll ever understand you Kiszka’s," you resigned instead with a sigh.

He smiled again, wider this time. "Maybe you’ll find us easier to understand now that you are one."

You didn't need the reminder really. It wasn't something you were particularly happy about. Not that sharing the family name was so bad. Shirking the one you wanted, though, was bad and you furrowed your brows at him in displeasure, displeasure he seemed perfectly happy to ignore as he quickly added, "Your father is looking," before dipping his head down to capture your lips with his, startling you with his actions as your eyes blew open wide even with his mouth on yours.

But his lips were warm and soft and his smell was inviting. And his hands, his fucking hands, one moving to cradle the back of your head as the other clung to the small of your back like he was the only force holding you to the earth.

And Danny wasn't there.

So slowly, your eyes fluttered closed and for a brief moment, you found yourself kissing him back, losing time against his mouth.

He pulled away slowly, his eyes fixed to you as your own slowly opened to face him, a bit more breathless than you wanted to be, exacerbated by the smirk very thinly veiled on his face. It wasn't like the kiss in the church, a soft peck that you hardly even remembered even so soon after. There was an intensity there, the same intensity he always held behind his eyes. You wondered, for just a fraction of a second, what it would feel like to really be kissed by him, not in the presence of other eyes, not for any dynastic purpose, just because he wanted to taste you on his lips.

You desperately needed a drink.

“That should appease him for the night,” he asserted, looking over his shoulder to make sure your father was satisfied and moved his gaze elsewhere.

You felt like you were in a daze until the end of the reception, in a weird limbo between asleep and awake. And by the end, Jake was practically holding you up himself as you melted further and further into his arms, your strength all but evading you by the end of the night. You had done your crying in the car on the way to the reception. Now you desperately needed a moment away from the dwindling crowd. Sleep too.

“I can walk you back,” Jake whispered against your ear, your temple pressed to his shoulder and your face turned into his neck, allowing you to successfully hide your face from the shrinking crowd of wedding guests around you while you drifted through a chasm of thoughts.

It at least looked intimate, quite convincing too, despite the fact that you felt with each passing moment further and further out of touch with your own sanity, like at any moment you might plummet through the floor and never see the light of day again.

Maybe Jake would be kind enough to crawl through the floor and pull you back up.

You lifted your head off his shoulder to nod silently, catching a glimpse of Sam dancing with a now drunk Lily wrapped around the slender frame of the lanky brother not far from where you and Jake stood on the dance floor. You were envious of her inebriation. Josh, on the other hand, was nowhere in the immediate vicinity as Jake took your hand and turned to walk you out of the courtyard and back into the privacy of your home.

Jake was mostly silent, matching your own silence as you walked down the long hall toward your bedroom, having dropped your hand once safely out of view of the wedding guests. Though the absence of any touch left you feeling dizzyingly cold. Not that it was Jake’s touch that you really wanted.

It was nice not being alone though, as the dark walls of the hallway practically crowded in around you, threatening to suffocate you before you finally reached the safety of your bedroom door, cool walnut beneath your touch. You pushed the door open behind you, turning to face Jake as he stood watching you intently.

You were silent as you stared at him, not entirely sure what to say. He was your husband now, after all. But what was there to say to the boy when you hadn’t even gotten through the ceremony sober? What was there to say now? There weren’t even words spoken in the silence, no hidden meaning behind your eyes or his. All there was was silence and the two of you, maybe seeing each other for who the other was for the first time, nothing hidden.

Just the two of you.

"Josh is waiting for me," he finally broke the silence with his raspy voice, soft and alluring, a sound that was doing more and more to alleviate the tension in your shoulders every time you heard it, no matter the situation.

You couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of Jake sending Josh a signal that they were leaving the party, a signal to wait for him while he dropped off his wife at her doorstep.

"Sneaking off to sleep in your own house," you shook your head, staring at your feet as you shuffled before raising your eyes back up to his.

You didn't want him to stay, truthfully. But you didn't exactly want him to leave either.

But he gave you no opportunity to ask for either as he nodded past you, pointing with his eyes into your room with a low, "Someone's waiting for you," before he disappeared into the darkness of the hall without another word.

You turned into your room then, looking for a figure in the dark only to find Danny, standing near the doors to your balcony, wringing his wrists in his hands and looking somehow impossibly small. You ran to him in an instant, breathing out his name like a sigh of relief and forcing yourself into his arms with a hug that he reciprocated immediately, holding you tightly to his chest.

Danny felt nothing like Jake. He smelled nothing like Jake. He was warm, too, but entirely different to the touch, to the senses. He was taller, sure, but it was more than that. He touched you differently, held you differently. It was absurd to be making any comparisons really.

"I was worried he'd be staying," he whispered without pulling away, his words muffled by his lips against your shoulder.

It was you who pulled away, holding his shoulders at arms length so you could give him an inquisitive look.

"Why would he be staying?" you asked, not masking any of the concern in your voice at his remark.

He cast his eyes downward as he answered with uncertainty.

"You are…newlyweds…"

You moved your hands to spread over his chest, trying to memorize the way his body felt beneath your fingers.

"His brother is taking him home," you reassured him with a whisper, watching the movement of your own hands over him. Well, maybe it was more reassurance for yourself.

But he only shuffled in his place, eyes still fixed to his feet.

"Will there be a honeymoon?"

Your hands dropped almost instantly as your demeanor fell at the unfairness of his question.

No, not unfair, actually. Just unwanted.

"Of course not, Danny. Is that really what you came here to talk about?"

Finally he lifted his eyes back to your face and you saw clearly the hurt behind them, the pain. And the apology before he even gave it.

"No, I'm sorry, it's not. I just wanted to see you." He shook his head, looking lost, more than you had ever seen him. "I couldn’t let my last image of you today be you walking down the aisle with him."

The memory felt distant, even as you closed your eyes to recall it with almost a wince. It didn’t feel real yet and you were dreading the moment that it did.

"I’m sorry," you whispered, your eyes still closed as you tried to shove the memory to the back of your mind where maybe you’d be able to forget about it for good. It wasn’t until you felt Danny’s hands take your face gently between them that you abandoned the thought of your husband standing at the altar as you walked down the aisle altogether.

"We can make it right," Danny whispered, leaning in to kiss you on the cheek. “I’ll make it right,” punctuated with a kiss to your other cheek.

And then suddenly his lips were on yours, kissing you deeply, fervently, like all of his pent up frustration and sorrow was being expelled into the atmosphere as he held you there, his hands desperately clinging to your body and his lips desperately clinging to yours.

If hugging him had felt like a sigh of relief, feeling him now pulling your hips into his own with a grip that would probably leave bruises on your skin while his mouth commanded yours and sought for some type of solace, it was practically euphoric, even given the emotion it threatened to stir up inside of you.

But you didn’t want to cry more than you already had that day. You just wanted him.

As his tongue pushed past your lips, your fingers moved to the jacket he still wore, pushing it off his shoulders and letting it land uncaught with a soft thud against your bedroom floor. Your fingers moved to his shirt next, making quick work of the buttons, all while he fought to keep his mouth pressed to yours while leaving space for your hands to undress him between your bodies.

As his shirt followed his jacket to the floor, his hands began working at the zipper of the delicate silk still wrapped around your form.

Your wedding dress. It hit you harder than a truck. He was taking off your wedding dress.

Suddenly it was guilt wracking your body instead of heat and you pulled away abruptly, taking a few unsteady steps backward as your mind moved a million miles an hour.

Danny wasn’t your husband. But you weren’t exactly in love with your husband. Besides, Jake had already given you consent to see Danny after your wedding. Why it suddenly felt so…wrong, you weren’t sure. But that was exactly how it felt: wrong.

“Are you okay? Did I do something?” Danny looked beside himself with concern and you couldn’t really blame him. You had never pried yourself from his hands that quickly before.

It wasn’t that you wanted Jake to be the one to strip you of your wedding dress on your wedding night. It was the thought of the man you now called your husband sneaking off with his brother, likely to lie in his own bed with a guitar alone, while you spent your first night married committing infidelity.

‘He told you you don’t owe him anything,’ you tried to remind yourself. ‘He said this was fine.’

You blinked back guilt, realizing you hadn’t said anything to Danny as you stood there breathlessly in front of him.

“I’m sorry,” you breathed quickly, stepping toward him and trying to mask the messy feelings that were growing ever messier in the pit of your stomach.

“I’m sorry,” you repeated in a near whisper as you stepped closer, reaching out to place a hand against his bare chest, something you hadn’t felt in what seemed like ages.

He was hot to the touch, the way he always was, and smooth, mouthwateringly inviting on your good days, and on your bad? The only thing you needed. You could have melted back into his skin as you placed your other hand on his chest, moving them both up to his strong shoulders, slowly, before wrapping around his neck as your mouth found his again, pulling him into a slow kiss that jolted your body awake from its contrite slumber.

Cautiously, hesitantly, Danny kissed you back, his hands timidly finding their place at your hips again before creeping back up to the zipper of your dress.

He wasn’t your husband, no. But slowly, you let the man you loved strip you of your wedding dress.

The silk fell to the floor silently the moment Danny’s hands pulled the straps from the ridges of your shoulders, leaving you standing there in nothing but your ridiculous wedding night attire, entirely Lily’s doing. You had fought about it early that morning. She had promised you more champagne if you agreed to put it on.

“I think Jake will love it,” she had said.

You had rolled your eyes as you poured yourself another glass of bubbling booze.

But instead of Jake being the one to feel his way around your wedding night lingerie, it was Danny. Only, the moment his fingers felt the material, he was pulling away with a few steps backward, an unreadable look on his face.

“All of this for him,” he whispered, his eyes trailing down your body once and back up once more.

You suddenly felt vulnerable standing there before him that way, wearing lingerie that was meant for another man.

“It was Lily,” you promised in a quiet voice, unsure if he would believe you though he had no reason not to. “I never intended to…”

You trailed off, unable to speak the sentiment out loud. But he nodded, thankfully, his eyes soft rather than the holes you deserved bore into your skull.

“It’s okay,” he reassured you as he took a step closer to you. “I’ll just be thankful it’s me here and not him.”

And then his lips and hands were on you again, kisses being pressed to your jaw as his hands spread flat over your abdomen, his thumbs running under the band just under your bust.

“I have no idea how to get this off of you though,” he mumbled against your neck, still trailing his lips down lower and lower.

“You can just cut me out of it if need be,” you answered breathlessly before weaving your fingers into his hair and pulling his mouth back up to yours, swallowing down the sound that escaped his lips like you were starved, hungry for more.

His hands fiddled with the numerous straps adding no real structural support to the garments you wore while you worked his belt through the loops of his pants, discarding it on the floor without a care for the clang it made against the hardwood, turning your focus to the button and zipper of his pants immediately after, all the while pulling him toward your bed.

“On second thought,” he whispered, his breath hot as he dropped his lips to your jaw again, “maybe I’ll just leave it on. Push it to the side.”

You didn’t so much as nod before he turned you quickly and pushed you back onto your plush mattress. You didn’t mind the sense of urgency behind his movements now, feeling that same sense of urgency, like the longer you went without, the more uncertain you might become. The more guilt you might feel.

You said nothing as Danny moved to hover over you, positioning himself between your legs and allowing you to kick his pants down his legs, along with his boxers, until they both confined his ankles and he dipped to pull them the rest of the way off. And as he moved back up your body, his erection dragging tantalizingly across your skin all while his lips lead the way, along your thigh and then your stomach and then your chest, finally reaching the crook of your neck, he sunk his teeth lightly into the flesh there as he wedged his thigh between your legs.

“Tell me you want me,” he whispered against your neck, sending heat flushing across your face and chest as you almost immediately gave in to your urge to grind down on his thigh, thick and muscular and hot even through the material still keeping you from him.

You could feel the arousal growing between your legs as you rode his thigh, shamelessly searching for relief from the ache, from the need he had reminded you of.

"I want you, Danny," you huffed as you continued the grinding motion of your hips. "Only you."

He pressed his leg harder between your own, earning a light gasp from you at the dizzying friction of his skin and muscle against your clothed clit.

You were making a mess against his leg, spreading your arousal along his thigh as you rode him in desperate movements, though you didn't much care. And by the dark look in his eyes and the flush of his cheeks, he didn't look like he much cared either.

"Gonna make a mess on my thigh, beautiful?" he asked in a near breathless voice, his eyes struggling to choose between watching your face turned up in pleasure and watching your movements along his thigh.

"Yes, fuck yes, Danny," you gasped as you felt yourself ride closer and closer to the edge of bliss. "I'm so fucking close."

"Here, let me help you with that," he smiled, an unusually smug smile for Danny that sent butterflies flitting about your chest as your orgasm fast approached.

Reaching down between your legs, Danny hooked two fingers around the crotch of your lingerie, tugging the material to the side and freeing your swollen bundle of nerves, allowing you more friction against his thigh as you moaned loudly at the sudden contact.

He watched in almost a trance-like state holding your panties to the side while you rubbed yourself on his thigh, his name becoming a chant on your tongue as your hips practically moved without being told to.

"Go ahead, sweetheart. Come on my thigh, just like that."

You didn't even notice his hand reaching down to wrap around himself, stroking lazily up and down while he watched you come undone. You were too far gone to see the way his eyes fixed to your body, practically gulping you down, the way you writhed against him, whispered his name as you finally rode his thigh through your orgasm. But you did see the hungry look in his eyes as you slowed the movements of your hips, coming down off your high to realize you were aching for him to be inside of you.

You pulled him down by the shoulders, pulling his mouth to yours before you whimpered against him, "Please, Danny."

"You want more already?" he teased lightly although he was moving to give you what you wanted without much fight.

You felt like you were gasping for breath, fighting to stay near him, to feel him. You wanted all of him, everywhere.

"Yes, I want you. I need you inside of me," you begged, hoping he wouldn't leave you wanting for long.

And thankfully, he didn't. In one swift movement, he adjusted between your thighs, pulled the material between your legs even further to the side with one hand, and with the other, guided the head of his cock through your folds, pushing into you in one languid thrust.

“Shit, Danny,” you gasped, clinging to his muscular shoulders like he was your only grounding force, even as he undid you.

“I know, beautiful,” he whispered before covering your mouth with his and pulling his hips back slightly, only to thrust back into you until he reached the hilt, earning a moan that time from both of you, muffled by lips intermingling.

He mumbled a curse against your lips as he pushed another languid thrust into you, slow and deep, filling you so thoroughly that it made your eyes roll back as you arched up into him. He never failed to stretch you, even though you had grown used to his size. It still took your breath away how he felt inside of you.

You watched as he lifted himself up onto his elbow, taking your face in his free hand and admiring you as his thumb swiped across your cheek.

“You feel so good,” he mumbled under his breath, like you weren't meant to hear it. Like it was something he was filing away for himself. “I wish I could stay here forever.”

Another deep thrust to contrast the softness with which he gazed upon you and you bit back a heavy moan, doing your best to keep your eyes open and fixed to him.

You didn't like to close your eyes when you were with Danny. He was too beautiful a sight to miss any expression, any drifting of his own eyes closed at the feeling of bliss. And now, with the way things were, you didn't want to miss a thing.

“You look so beautiful with me inside of you,” he whispered, punctuating it with another thrust, this time building into a steady rhythm, one that made your toes curl while you did your very best to stay somewhat quiet to preserve your dignity.

It felt like the first time all over again. It reminded you of what you had missed so desperately: Danny. Feeling close to him.

“This is the way we were meant to be,” he whispered again before catching your mouth with his, this time keeping your lips connected as he picked up his pace, angling a bit deeper to nudge that spot inside of you that made your eyes roll and had you moaning expletives against his mouth.

Your hands found his hair again as you deepened the kiss, turning from romantic passion into something much more depraved as you willed his hips to continue their movements with your heels hooked around his waist, the tip of his cock grazing your g-spot with each inward thrust.

And as he lifted your leg higher, pressing the top of your thigh against your chest and bringing your ankle up over his shoulder to push even deeper inside of you, it was only stars in your vision, your breath almost failing you altogether.

“Fuck, Danny, you're going to make me come again,” you breathed out in desperation, hardly comprehensible against the weight of pleasure crashing over your body and threatening to spill over.

“Do you want to come with me, y/n?” he smiled, a smile that looked almost like normal Danny, no hint of sadness behind the eyes for the first time since you had been promised to another man.

It was the Danny you had been really missing that you saw above you now, wrapping himself around you to cradle you against him as the first few waves of pleasure began to roll through your body.

“Yes, please don't stop. Make me come with you,” you whispered against his neck as you turned your face into him, gripping his hair probably a bit too hard as your legs brushed up against his biceps now searching for as much of a hold on you as they could manage, pulling you into him with no light force as his face pressed into your neck.

He did nothing to stifle his sounds any longer and neither did you, letting yourself go completely with one last desperate plea of his name. You came hard around him, clinging to him, just as he came deep inside of you, his breathing labored with exertion and his hands still holding you with desperation.

You stayed like that for a moment, Danny still buried inside of you, holding you tightly as your breathing evened out, still fanning across his neck. It felt like an eternity that you stayed that way, feeling each other, breathing each other in, before he moved to pull out of you.

“Let me clean you up,” he sighed as he began lifting himself before you stopped him with a hand around the back of his neck.

“No, no I-I want to stay just like this,” you practically plead with the curly haired boy hovering over you. “Please.”

You couldn’t face the cold of his absence, even if it was just to lie his head on the pillow next to you. You weren’t ready to let him go.

“Just like this?” he questioned as he lowered himself back into his previous position.

The weight of Danny on top of you was better than anything you had felt in two weeks and you hummed in satisfaction.

“Yes, just like this.”

He nodded breathlessly and curled his arms around your frame again, one gripping your waist while the other wrapped around your shoulders and held the back of your head, keeping your face pressed close.

And you fell asleep that way, wrapped tightly in his arms.

—

You helped Danny sneak out early, before the light of dawn broke across the horizon and strolled lazily in through the curtains. Another hour after he left, you dressed and headed to the dining room for breakfast, only to find your father already sitting at the dining table.

You were surprised to see Jake already there as well, sitting across from him, eating nothing but rather watching your father eat while he simultaneously read the newspaper, seemingly ignoring Jake’s presence.

You entered the room hesitantly, wondering if your father would question why you and Jake were both up and about at vastly different times, but instead, as you made your way into the room, the topic of discussion that arose from your father’s lips was not one you had been prepared to discuss, having nothing to do with your’s and Jake’s arrival times to the breakfast table.

"Sit. We need to talk about your honeymoon," your father requested, or rather, demanded, without ever looking up from his newspaper.

You were taken aback by the word. 'Honeymoon'. That wasn't something you had agreed to.

You glanced quickly over at Jake who gave you a look just as quick as you took a precarious seat next to him, waiting for your father to elaborate. To make any sense, really.

"I don't want you putting this off. You will leave for your honeymoon in a week's time."

"A honeymoon?" you asked incredulously. "We're already married, isn't that enough?”

He only shook his head.

“No, it isn’t. People need to see the two of you together to understand the relationship that has been built between our families."

You couldn't help but glance quickly over to Jake who seemed far too cool and calm compared to you, compared to the news. You eyed him suspiciously as he kept his eyes fixed to your father.

"It'll take time to plan," you turned back to face him too.

He only shook his head again.

"Jake has already planned it."

'Jake has already planned it.'

Suddenly you were turned toward Jake again, rage already seeping through your pores at the betrayal.

He had never even told you.

"When?" you asked incredulously, tone sharp and demanding. But your father answered instead.

"He has done his duty as your husband, you will do yours now as his wife," he said plainly before rising from his seat, throwing down his newspaper, and leaving the room, all seemingly without a care for the fury you were about to bring down on your husband.

"When?" you asked more sternly a second time, your jaw clenching as the word escaped.

You watched as his eyes screwed shut and he rubbed the bridge of his nose for a moment before inhaling deeply. You couldn't wait to hear it.

"Your father asked me to have something prepared when he initially made the deal."

You thought about it, the fact that you had been to Jake's home, waltzing around his bedroom trying to get a feel for who he was, all the while he had already planned your honeymoon, knowing nothing about you, not even knowing if you'd say yes to the whole thing in the first place. Truly, the thought made you so angry, you didn't even know how to express it, other than an exasperated laugh.

"My own fucking honeymoon has been planned for months without me knowing," you breathed out, practically to yourself although not so quietly that Jake couldn’t hear it.

"I’m sorry, y/n," he started softly. "That wasn't exactly how I planned to tell you.”

You wanted to scream, wanted to lay into him and tear him a new one. You wanted to hurt him. But none of it mattered. There wasn't anything to say really. It had already been done. You already had the metal wrapped around your finger, what was one lousy trip?

After a moment of silence you stood from your chair, shoving the wood back scraping against the floor in an unholy sound, storming out the way you came without so much as another word to Jake. But on your way through the door, you swore you could hear the boy sigh out a curse.

Taglist: @lvnterninthenight @gretasmokerising @jordierama @allthatyouneedisinyoursoul

#jake kiszka #danny wagner #sam kiszka #josh kiszka #greta van fleet #gretavanfleet #gvf #greta van fic #fic #greta van fleet fic #jake kiszka fic #josh kiszka fic #sam kiszka fic #danny wagner fic #danny wagner smut #jake kiszka smut #valence

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donttalkaboutmemes · 10 months

Text

Treasure Planet (2002) Sentence Meme Pt 1

Under the cut you will find 100+ sentences from Treasure Planet (2002) to use for your enjoyment!

"On the clearest night, when the winds of the Etherium were calm and peaceful, the great merchant ships with their cargoes of Arcturian saura crystals felt safe and secure."

"Little did they suspect they were pursued by pirates."

"I thought you were asleep an hour ago."

"Mom, I was just getting to the best part! Please?"

"Can those eyes get any bigger?"

"Flint's secret trove was never found, but stories have persisted that it remains hidden somewhere at the farthest reaches of the galaxy, stowed with riches beyond imagination, the loot of a thousand worlds."

"How do you think he did it? How'd he swoop in out of nowhere and vanish without a trace?"

"Okay, now it's time for this little spacer to go to sleep."

"You think somebody'll ever find Treasure Planet?"

"I think it's more like a legend."

"Sorry. It's been a madhouse here all morning."

"What brings you here curious little one?"

"Oh, they're so adorable at that age."

"I know he had some rough spots earlier this year, but I really think that he's starting to turn a corner."

"Thank you. I will take it from here."

"Don't ever let me do that again."

"We see his type all the time, ma'am. Wrong choices. Dead-enders. Losers."

"Do you want to go to juvenile hall? Is that it?"

"Look at me. It's been hard enough keeping this place afloat by myself without you going..."

"I just don't want to see you throw away your entire future."

"I really don't know how you manage it. Trying to run a business while raising a felon...fellow...like him."

"Managing it? I'm at the end of my rope."

"Hey mister? Mister, you okay in there?"

"He's a-comin'. Can you hear him? Those gears and gyros clickin' and whirrin' like the devil himself!"

"Hit your head there pretty hard, didn't ya?"

"Mom's gonna love this."

"I keep dreaming one day I'll open that door and there he'll be just the way he was. A smiling, happy little boy holding a new pet and begging me to let him keep it."

"He'll be comin' soon. Can't let him find this."

"The cyborg! Beware the cyborg!"

"I just spoke with the constabulary. Those blaggard pirates have fled without a trace."

"Certainly a lot of trouble over that odd little sphere. Those markings baffle me. Unlike anything I've ever encountered."

"It means that all that treasure is only a boat ride away."

"Whoever brings it back would hold an eternal place atop the pantheon of explorers."

"This is it. This is the answer to all our problems."

"Don't you remember all those stories?"

"Would you please explain how ridiculous this is?"

"It's totally preposterous, traversing the entire galaxy alone. That's why I'm going with you."

"I'll use my saving to finance the expedition. I'll commission a ship, hire a captain and crew."

"All my life I've been waiting for an opportunity like this and here it is screaming Go [name], go [name]."

"I know that I keep messing everything up and I know that I let you down, but this is my chance to make it up to you. I'm gonna set things right."

"You said yourself, you've tried everything. There are much worse remedies than a few character-building months in space."

"Are you saying this because it's the right thing or because you really want to go?"

"I don't want to lose you."

"I'll make you proud."

"This should be a wonderful opportunity for the two of us to get to know one another. You know what they say, familiarity breeds, um...well...contempt..."

"How cool is this?"

"Good morning, captain. Everything shipshape?"

"I'm not the captain. The captain's aloft."

"I've checked this miserable ship from stem to stern, and as usual, it's spot on. Can you get nothing wrong?"

"You flatter me, captain."

"Nasty business, but I won't bore you with my scars."

"You know I don't mean a word of it."

"I'd like a word with you in my stateroom."

"To muse and blubber about a treasure map in front of this particular crew demonstrates a level of ineptitude that borders on the imbecilic. And I mean that in a very caring way."

"In the future you will address me as captain or ma'am. is that clear?"

"Again, with the greatest possible respect, zip your howling screamer."

"Let me make this as monosyllabic as possible. I don't much care for this crew you hired. They're...how did I describe them? I said something rather good this morning before coffee."

"There you go, Poetry."

"I'd love to chat. Tea, cake, the whole shebang...but I have a ship to launch."

"That woman! That feline! Who does she think is working for whom?"

"I'll not tolerate a cross word about our captain! There's no finer officer in this or any galaxy!"

"Had I know, I'd have tucked in me shirt."

"Don't be too put off by this hunk of hardware. These gears have been tough getting used to, but they do com ein mighty handy from time to time."

"I'm nothin' if I ain't a kidder."

"You jiggle-headed blob of mischief! So that's where you was hiding!"

"He took a shine to me. We been together ever since."

"We're about to get underway. Would you like to observe the launch?"

"Captain's orders! See to it the new cabin boys kept busy!"

"So, captain's put you with me, eh?"

"Who be a humble cyborg to argue with a captain?"

"Off with you, lad, and watch the launch. There'll be plenty work a-waitin' for you afterwards."

"We best be keepin' a sharp eye on this one, eh? We wouldn't want him strayin' into things he shouldn't."

"Tis a grand day for sailing. And look at you, you're as trim and as bonny as a sloop with new sails and a fresh coat of paint."

"You can keep that kind of flim-flammery for your spaceport floozies."

"You cut me to the quick, captain. I speaks nothin' but me heart at all times."

"I got two new friends I'd like you to meet. Say hello to Mr. Mop and Mrs. Bucket."

"Watch it, twerp."

"Cabin boys should learn to mind their own business."

"You got something to hide, bright eyes?"

"Maybe your ears don't work so well."

"Any last words, cabin boy?"

"You know the rules. There'll be no brawling on the ship."

"Any further offenders will be confined to the brig for the remainder of the voyage. Am I clear?"

"A tight ship's a happy ship."

"I want this deck swabbed spotless and heaven help you if I come back and it's not done."

"Keep an eye on this pup and let me know if there be any more distractions."

"If you pardon my plain speaking, gentlemen, are you all stark-raving totally blinking daft!?"

"After all me finagling getting us hired as an upstanding crew, you want to blow the whole mutiny befor it's time?"

"The boy was sniffing about."

"You just stick to the plan, you bug-brained twit."

"I'll run him so ragged he won't have time to think."

"Thank heaven for little miracles."

"Didn't your pap ever teach you to pick your fights a bit more carefully? Your father not the teachin' sort?"

"He was more the taking off and never coming back sort."

"Hey, no big deal. I'm doing just fine."

"Since the captain has put you in my charge like it or not, I'll be pounding a few skills into that thick head of yours to keep you out of trouble."

"From now on, I'm not letting you out of me sight. You won't so much as eat, sleep, or scratch your bum without me say-so."

"Don't do me any favors!"

"You can be sure of that, my lad. You can be sure of that."

"You having a little trouble there?"

"If I could maneuver a skiff like that when I was your age, they'd be bowing in the streets when I walked by today."

#ask meme #rp meme #roleplaying meme #sentence meme #disney meme #treasure planet

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haventdecidedyet · 1 month

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Fav part of every TTPD song -

Fortnight = the outro. thought of calling ya/nother fortnight lost in america/buy the car you want but it won't start up til you touch touch touch meee. it's so crazed

TTPD = who's gonna hold you like me? who's gonna know you if not me? and all its repetitions

My Boy... = the second half of each chorus. cause it fit too right.../cause i knew too much... perfectly bitter

Down Bad = bridge bridge bridge. I loved your hostile takeovers encounters closer and closer all your indecent exposures how dare you say that it's !!!

So Long, London = bridge! AND YOU SAY I ABANDONED THE SHIP/AND MY FRIENDS SAID IT ISN'T RIGHT TO BE SCARED

But Daddy I Love Him = i'm running with my dress unbuttoned screaming but daddy i love him i'm having his babyyy - whenever it comes up

Fresh Out The Slammer = as i said in my letters now that i know better i will never lose my baby again (so satifsying)

Florida!!! = bridge and fuck me up Florida

Guilty As Sin? = what if he's written mine on my upper thigh??!! in the last chorus, obviously

Who's Afraid...? = so who's. afraid. of me. in the outro

I Can Fix Him = on a six-lane Texas highway, his hand so calloused from his pistol softly traces hearts on my face?!?! pop off with the imagery taylor, and so ethel-cain-core

loml = the last chorus. it just keeps going. what a valiant roar what a bland goodbye/i'll never leave never mind/your arson's match your sombre eyes!! (this song is becoming such a favourite)

I Can Do It... = he said he'd love me all his life!-- but that life was too short... and its counterpart: he said he'd love me for all time!-- such a good illustration of having to keep those miserable thoughts in check

The Smallest Man... = well clearly the whole raging bridge (YOU SAID NORMAL GIRLS WERE BORING BUT YOU WERE GONE BY THE MORNING)

The Alchemy = i can't lie. no part of it really wows me.

Clara Bow = i'm not trying to exaggerate but i think i might DIE if i made it/DIE if it happened - prechoruses

The Black Dog = the choruses, particularly the one that comes first and last. you jump up but she's too young to know this song that was intertwined with the magic/tragic fabric of our dreaming!!

imgonnagetyouback = say you got somebody i'll say i got someone too EVEN IF IT'S HANDCUFFED I'M LEAVING HERE WITH YOUU

The Albatross = also a song that does not hit me at any point. sorry.

Chloe et al. = the choruses. say i loved you the way that you were/say you've always wondered... also i/you just watched it happen... :(

How Did It End? = bridge bridge bridge the unsympathetic unfeeling roboticness and post-mortem detail and the rhythm and rhyming oh my god (say-it once-a gain-with feel-ing)

So High School = ARE YOU GONNA MARRY KISS OR KILL MEEE and also truth, dare, spin bottles... and all that. satisfying rhythm and rhyme strike again

I Hate It Here = choruses. the I read about it in a book when I was a precocious child/I dreamed about it in the dark the night I felt like I might die line. and no mid-sized city hopes and small-town fears i'm there most of the year cos i hate it here....

thanK you aIMee = lowkey an annoying song for me.

I Look In... = the verses, especially all the south south south and now now now now downtown downtown downtown parts

The Prophecy = and i sound like an infant feeling like the very last drops of an inkpen, a greater woman stays cool!!

Cassandra = so they killed Cassandra first cause she feared the worst is the best line but i don't particularly like this song.

Peter = THE WHOLE SONG. love. verses and choruses and bridge. chef's kiss. maybe best moment is YOU SAID YOU'D COME AND GET ME BUT YOU WERE TWENTY FIVE

The Bolter = verse 1. childhood anecdotes always hit

Robin = the bridge, I cry, reminds me of Ronan, you got the dragonflies above your bed, the echo of you have no idea...

The Manuscript = verse 2, the theme of growing up again, she wished she was thirty/she only ate kids' cereal

that's all thank you bye

#becoming a peter and loml stan for life #also can be a fortnight my boy and down bad kinda girl #and must stay loyal to so long london #and critically a robin protector #taylor swift #ttpd #music

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super-paper-swap · 4 months

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Super Paper Swap: Interlude 1 (OLD)

Word Count: 3,204

Chapter Summary: Bowser wakes up in enemy territory and attempts to escape. Meanwhile, Luigi returns to Flipside with a new Pure Heart in tow.

Mimi stood before Mistress Tempo and Dimentio with the bitter taste of defeat, and sand, plaguing her mouth. The Mistress was quite surprised that one of her followers had returned not just empty-handed, but badly bruised and beaten as well. Mimi was a renowned assassin before her recruitment by Tempo alongside another one of her current team members, so the fact she was so easily felled was shocking to say the least.

"So based upon what you've told us, it didn't go well?" Dimentio asked.

"Yes, please forgive me for my failure, Mistress."

"Fear not Mimi, all is forgiven in the eyes of the chosen prophet." Tempo consoled to Mimi. "Even if you didn't retrieve him, your encounter with the Hero is enough to prove that his strength is formidable. I suppose it is to be expected, of course. Dimentio," she turned to the assistant. "I request that you consult the prophesy to determine the next location of our hero. I'd suggest an attempt to out-brawn him with Mimi's old friend."

"I will get on that immediately my Mistress." Dimentio bowed in acknowledgment of Tempo's plan.

"Excellent, I shall be in my bed chamber, catching up on my reading. Let me know when the hero is in our grasp." With that, Mistress Tempo snatched the Dark Prognosticus from its mid-air perch and teleported away.

Dimentio sighed, "Are you doing alright Mimikins?"

"My head is still ringing from from the number of bombs I was hit with, but I'll live, and don't call me Mimikins. As much as I like the nickname, the last thing I need is Nastasia thinking we're, well, you know..."

"Right, right. My apologies." He stuttered. "I just wanted to say that you should rest some before your next call into action. If you need me, I'll be scouring out some of Bowser's unassimilated supporters."

With embarrassment still bright on his face, Dimentio left in similar fashion to Tempo as a pulse of energy emitted from his original position and he left the room.

"Have fun." Mimi replied, before she, too, exited.

Bowser unfurled himself from his shell with pain jutting out from every fiber of his being; he endured the agony on all fours before rising up to his usual bipedal stature, confused about his surroundings: a dimly-lit, red-orange hallway with a number of blue, kaleidoscope-like patterns painted on the walls.

"This is probably the second or third strangest place I've ever taken a nap in, where am I right now?" The Koopa King asked to no one in particular before he remembered, "Wait. The wedding! PRINCESS?! MARIO?! WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?!"

"Mister Bowser?" A voice called out. Two goombas approached him. "Thank goodness, we were worried you wouldn't make it out of your honeymoon alive, but here you are."

"Gary? Gerald? It's great to see you guys!" Bowser welcomed the lesser minions in open arms. "How're you doing?"

"We're fine Mister Bowser, but we haven't had any luck finding anybody else." The second goomba replied. "We were hoping you'd like to lead the search party while Gary searches for more survivors."

"No problem Gerald. Let's skedaddle."

And like that, Bowser and Gerald made their way in search of other teammates. Said search did not last long when the only unlocked door led them to Gary helplessly trying to talk sense into some of his former comrades, whom all sported eighth note-shaped sprouts atop their heads.

The sound of footsteps halted the conversation as Dimentio appeared from behind the brainwashed group. The conversation between the goomba and jester were inaudible, with the exception of its ending, in which sounds of indescribable agony escaped from Gary as a green sprout grew on his head at the snap of Dimentio's fingers.

"GLORY TO THE ESTEEMED MISTRESS!!!" Rang through the hallway after the troops received orders from their higher-up. Bowser ran with Gerald in arm in the opposite direction upon the dispersal of the troops, fearing the possibility of losing another precious ally to the strange, cranial weed.

The duo were thwarted by the misfortune of reaching a drop-off into the Void below, forcing them with only one choice.

"We need to turn around." Bowser thought aloud. His concentration was disturbed by a snap and the sound of Gerald screaming in pain. The goomba then proceed to nip at Bowser's arm in aggression before the Koopa King dropped the fungus, who scurried to the miniature army behind Bowser, led by non other than Dimentio.

"I'm sorry King Bowser, but this is the part where I need you to surrender. You won't feel any pain if you join us willingly, I promise." The jester pleaded, clearly distraught by the situation at hand.

"What are you doing to my people anyhow? Even under Peach's control, they're composed but hesitant to attack anything." The koopa asked hesitantly, inching closer to the edge of the drop-off.

"I'm persuading them into joining our cause, your highness. It's a cruel method, yes, but it only hurts for a little while." Dimentio prepared to snap his fingers once again. "I'm not a fighter your highness, nor are you, so let's finish this dispute before it has to begin."

Bowser snarled in defense, firmly holding his ground.

"I suppose we're doing this the hard way then." He held up his hand for the snap, but something struck and took hold of him; a tiny whisper that nagged over and over indefinitely, suggesting the same thing again and again. A tiny voice that seemed so incredibly tempting to obey, for whatever reason.

"Ah...ha...ha." Dimentio laughed to himself, not realizing that he'd done so. He snapped his fingers in accordance to the voice's demands, which caused a transparent box to surround the koopa and closed in on Bowser before teleporting him elsewhere. Immediately afterwards, the assistant snapped out of his trance, confused and exhausted but the events that had transpired.

"I...what? Why did I...?" He clutched his head. "Ow ow ow. Nevermind then, If he's gone, he's gone. We'll just have to deal with it later. I should be busying myself with the Mistress' accommodations anyway." Dimentio assured himself as he made his way back inside.

He couldn't help but feel like the voice he'd heard was familiar.

I remember the day we first met, the day that everything changed.

"Ughh...Uuugh..."

"You're awake at last?"

"Where...am I? Is this...a human's home."

"Don't wiggle like that. I found you at the cliff base. You took quite a fall."

"You're a human, correct? I don't...repulse you? I am of the Tribe of Darkness."

"Why would that matter? Anyone with a heart would not ignore an injured soul!"

For a moment, there was peace. But we should have known better. We should have known how everything would spiral out of control by meeting.

From that day forward, everything was going to be different.

Emerging through the red door, Luigi and his pixl companions found themselves back in Flipside with the orange Pure Heart in arm. A small, heart shaped ruby sparkled above the door as if to confirm the Pure Heart's successful collecting as Blecky insisted on the team returning to Merlee.

The group mutually agree and made their way down the elevator to the second floor. Luigi noticed that the Pure Heart he held gave off a familiar aura as it healed his wounds; it felt like he was being visited by an old friend in its presence. He realized that he had felt a similar aura with the red Pure Heart, but with a familial feeling, like when he and Mario hung out together on off days. Both Pure Hearts, he noticed, had an air of nostalgia to them that he couldn't quite shake off, but decided it'd be best to ask about why that was when he was with Merlee.

Right next to the elevator, Merlee's sunset colored house stood out like a sore thumb, but was a welcome sight nonetheless. Luigi "saved" before he entered, sensing something important was about to happen, but halted when he spotted the grey-robed fortune teller peaking out of his house. Luigi decided to introduce himself, which alerted the elder to his presence more violently than anticipated.

"Confounded Man in Green, do you not see that I'm already frightened to my wits?!"

"No sir, I'm sorry. I just wanted to say 'Hi'."

"Why does that matter?! I'm too sleep deprived to care! I should have become a Prognosticus interpreter! These eyes were meant to read the pages of fantastic prophesies, not the palms of the impatient! I keep having the same cursed dreams of my game ending at the top of the tower in that other world, I don't have time to read into the futures of others! I should have been a Prognosticus interpreter darn it all, I'm going back inside!"

"Can I at least get your name?"

"NO! I'M GOING BACK INSIDE!" And true to his word, the fortune teller returned to his abode and abruptly proceeded to slam and lock the door behind him as he continued to ramble to himself. Luigi felt a sort of sympathy emit from the Pure Heart's light and held it closer to his chest like he was hugging it. This seemed to return the Pure Heart to to its normal glow as he made his way back to Merlee's house.

"Eh, don't worry about Nolrem. He's always paranoid. I think it comes from seeing into the future all the time." Blecky assured to Luigi before they finally entered the sunset colored house.

The interior was a spectacle of red and orange walls lined with bookshelves; the pitch black ceiling glistened with star-shaped decoration and the floor was of a fine looking wood, covered by an elegant looking rug of a variety colors.

Merlee stood in the center of the room next to a small wooden table, her attention invested in a white book with a star on the cover. A little orange cat approached the heroes from behind her, mewing excessively at Blecky, who swooped down to pet the feline.

"Merlee! Voidslayer! We return with a beacon of hope in hand!" The bat called out.

Luigi couldn't help but snort at the rather inapt name of "Voidslayer" given to Blecky's cat; the sheer ridiculousness that was his first pixl partner brought worried looks upon Laddy and Boomer's faces, but they decided it best not to call out on their friend's peculiar obsession with singlehandedly vanquishing a world consuming vortex.

Merlee pried her eyes off the book in her hands to observe the luminescent glory of the Pure Heart in Luigi's possession, which seemed to pulse in his arms with Merlee's approach, like it recognized her.

"Greetings hero, how do you do? That's certainly a Pure Heart you have you! Come now hero, do not slack, what good news have you brought back?" The enchantress requested with excitement.

"We found the Pure Heart in a desert Merlee," Blecky began. "It was given to us by your ancestor, Merloo."

"Her ancestor?" Luigi asked.

"Yeah, Bleh heh heh. Merloo not only helped write the Light Prognosticus, he was also partially responsible for constructing Flipside. Without him, we probably wouldn't be here."

Then, a knock was heard at the door. Merlee excused herself to answer it, revealing Ellie on the other side.

"Hi Miss Merlee! Papa told me to come get you because a monster fell from the sky and he told me to tell you to check if it was dangerous because it scared him and he said it LOOKED dangerous so he wanted you to make sure and-" Ellie jabbered on and on until Merlee was able to calm her down enough to make sense of the girl's message and followed the girl up to the third floor.

Fearing the possibility that the monster in question may have been one of Tempo's followers, Luigi and his pixl allies tailed behind them, where they discovered the monster in question was actually a familiar face.

"Bowser?" Luigi approached the unconscious turtle in uncertainty. As much as he wanted to believe it was one of Mimi's tricks, he couldn't shake the feeling that beast in front of him was genuinely his friend and not a doppelgänger.

"You know him?" Blecky asked.

"Yes, he's my friend, and the king that Tempo had kidnapped."

"Is that so? Hey Merlee, you getting all this?" Blecky called out to the enchantress, who was observing the turtle's condition.

"This beast is ill, his skin is chill. Hero," Merlee turned to Luigi, "fetch something for his ailment, if you will. Might I implore, Howzit from the first floor? His cooking could help I'm sure."

Luigi nodded and made his way to the first floor, the Pure Heart now in his inventory, where the majority of the population housed; he was immediately able to distinguish the town's kitchen by the hanging sign above its doors.

The chef, Howzit, was astonishingly friendly, offering to cook a bowl of Spicy Soup to warm up poor Bowser with zero hassle. The hero gladly accepted the soup and made his round back to the third floor to deliver the steamy liquid. At his return, Ellie, her father, and Merlee were waiting by the dragon-like turtle.

Luigi gently forced open Bowser's maw to allow the soup to be eaten, slowly pouring in the substance as he did so. When the bowl was empty, the nostrils of the koopa flared slightly as he stirred awake; a puff of smoke seeped from the mouth after a small coughing fit. Bowser's eyes slowly opened as a yawn escaped from him and he clumsily stood upward.

"Mm, where am I this time?" He mumbled. His eyes focused unto the blurry figure before him; his eyes brightened up at the sight of his closest friend, whom he embraced with a warm reception in return from the dear plumber.

Deciding it best to catch up the koopa on current events, Luigi, Bowser, Merlee, and the pixls made way back the the enchantress' house. The overall conversation eventually led to Bowser, filled with determination, deciding to join Luigi on his quest to rescue his followers, his kingdom, and everything else out of moral obligation. Merlee took into account the fact that the Light Prognosticus had specifically mentioned the existence of four heroes to stop the Void, and deducted Bowser's arrival as a calling to his destiny, a reason that the koopa blatantly accepted without question.

This resolve alerted Merlee to explain the Heroes' new mission, since they were now in possession of another Pure Heart; the feat itself was no different from the first time Luigi had placed a Pure Heart into a pillar. The search for the Pure Hearts was a simple cycle of placing one Heart, locating the next one in the dimension provided through a new colored door, returning to town, rinse and repeat. The next pillars, however, were not in town, they were outside of town. With this in mind, Merlee handed a small key to the heroes.

"This key is to the fence outside, inside the Next the lock does hide. Be careful in the outskirts of town, for there are holes where you could fall down. They were dug by Tempo, while you were gone. Such is she, that wretched foe."

"Wait, why was she digging holes back there?" Luigi asked her.

"An answer to that I cannot see, so please, for my sake, be weary."

"...okay then." He said, and then left without further question.

At the bordering fence, Laddie flipped the team into the Next, where a gate and lock were now visible. Using the key, they unlocked the fence gate and returned to the normal dimension.

"Please don't make me have to do that too much in the near future." Laddie pleaded in exhaustion, having never delivered a creature of Bowser's mass into the Next and back in such a short interval of time. Luigi invited the tired pixl into his inventory to rest while the rest of the group moved onward.

Without the gate to block their way, Luigi and Co. passed into the outskirts of town, where there were indeed a copious number of recently dig up holes. Luigi had pulled out the orange Pure Heart again around this time and was allowing its energies to direct him to its respected Heart Pillar.

They eventually located the Pillar on top of a somewhat tall structure that would've been impossible to reach without Luigi's Super Jump or someone with the ability to glide based on the floating platforms that led to it.

Luigi leaped to the pillar with the Pure Heart in tow. At the top, he felt the familiar resonance of the Pure Heart ready to launch itself, and let go.

The second Heart Pillar pulsed like its predecessor as the Pure Heart lifted itself into its home inside the pillar, a light show of clockwork patterns displaying and then dissipating within seconds.

Back at the bottom, the pixls has conglomerated around Bowser's head space due to him complaining about a nasty pain in his cranium.

"It could be tumor."

"Or maybe fire lice! SHHPOW!"

"It's probably just a headache guys, lemme fix it with my acupuncture skills!"

"What's going on here?" Luigi questioned as he descended from the structure.

"The Super Turtle has a headache, so I'm gonna make it better! Bleh heh heh!" Blecky answered, completely inthralled by his task of scratching around in Bowser's bushy hair to find the exact location of the koopa's pain.

"Well, you go do that I suppose. I was planning on booking us a night at the Inn so we can be rested for tomorrow."

"Why can't we just head out right now? The sooner we stop that Void, the better." Blecky concentrated on one particular location inside the fiery bushel that made Bowser mutter in pain.

"We'd be better off well rested and traveling in daylight then still exhausted from our travels in the Linelands and bumbling about at night."

"That wouldn't matter anyway." He massaged around the area of impact, causing Bowser to growl. "Last time I checked, the Yellow Pure Heart was in Gloom Valley, which is always trapped in eternal sunset, except for when its nighttime of course."

"I'm still going to book us a stay at the Inn."

"Fine by me." Blecky sign, the pressure on the area eventually pulled something out from the sensitive spot on Bowser's head after the koopa began to whimper loudly. The bat pixl pulled on the something until he was able to retrieve it, a little brown seen which he precariously handed over to Luigi for safe keeping.

With the removal of the seed, Bowser's head was at ease and the team was able to make way to the Inn, where Luigi and Company slumbered peacefully the entire night.

After many careful preparations the following morning, the team rode the elevator up to the top of Flipside Tower, where an orange door as elegantly designed as the first colored door stood to the right of the first.

With an air of excitement leading the way, the Heroes passed into the Orange door into Gloom Valley.

#super paper swap #super paper mario #super paper mario au #sps fanfiction

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chibi-celesti · 2 months

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Entering->Phase 02-Book 01: Dia rosa rudje (pt. 1)

A/N: Welcome to Phase 02 everyone! We are FINALLY getting started to the official encounter with the main cast proper with our Reyvateil! Hope you all are enjoying things so far and I'll see you in part 2!

~???~

“Milady, look! She’s awake!”

Melenas gasar mean-

“Good. She seems to be ok. And there appear to be no signs of any severe scratches or marks on her.”

Was apea ra chs yuez yorr-

“We shouldn’t keep calling her ‘baby’. She needs a name.”

Hymme yanje sos bautifal ciel sasye mean

“How about [REDACTED]?”

“Yes. It suits her well.”

Wee toukawa ra chs hymmnos an harton khal omnis.

~Ramshackle Dorm: Meryu’s Room~

*Knock, knock*

“Hmm?”

A knock on the door aroused Meryu from her sleep. Who could that be at this hour?

She got up, donned the jacket for her official Night Raven uniform on, and went down the steps to answer the door.

And lo and behold, it was Ace Trappola. Wearing a heart shaped collar on his neck. “I’m staying here.” HUH?! “I’m never going back to Heartslabyul!”

~Twisted Tonelico~

~Ramshackle Dorm: Main Lounge~

Grim, groggy from being woken up in the middle of the night, stared annoyingly at Ace as he, the aforementioned redhead, and Meryu were all sitting in the lounge. “What are you doin’ in our dorm?” he said irritably.

“...I ate a tart.”

“? A tart got you collared?” Meryu wondered. Who gets this mad over sweets?

Ace began to relay to the duo about what had happened shortly after they went their separate ways for the night.

~Flashback~

He had returned to his dorm after the fiasco back at the mines. “Can’t believe I missed dinner…” His stomach growled in protest. “Hopefully, there’s something in the fridge I can eat real quick.”

Like a thief in the night, Ace snuck over to the Dorm Kitchen and with steady steps walked towards the fridge. Completely unaware someone, who was guarding the halls, was following him. Opening the door to the fridge, his jaw nearly hit the floor at what he saw inside.

Three Humongous tarts were on display, each one a unique flavor from the last!

“Whoa! This is a lot of tarts! Surely they wouldn’t mind if I ate just one!~” Carefully, the ace of hearts snagged a piece of the strawberry tart and took a bite. The flavor sent him to the heavens. “DELICIOUS!! This tart is out of this world!”

“As it would. It was Trey’s hard work that made these tarts exquisite.” Ace’s stomach plummeted to the ground. He slowly turned his head to the source of the voice, and came face to face with his Housewarden.

“H-hhh-Housewarden!?!?” he squeaked.

The ruby haired boy crossed his arms, anger written all over his face. “You have some nerve sneaking about at night. AND to be feasting on one of my tarts.” He walked towards the First Year, like an executor ready to kill his victim. “Rule Number 89 of the Queen of Hearts’ Laws: One shall not eat a tart unless they have had the Queen’s Consent!” Pen raised, Riddle commanded his spell. “Rule breakers like you deserve to be punished!”

“OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!!”

~End of Flashback~

“...” The duo were left speechless.

The silence stretched for a second before Grim spoke. “So, basically, you both are terrible.”

“Hey! I’m a victim here! Cut me some slack at least!”

“To be fair, Ace,” Meryu added. “You ate something that wasn’t for you. And with the way he reacted, it’s possible it was for a special occasion.”

“But he shouldn’t have to collar me like this!” he whined. “Please let me stay here, I refuse to go back!”

The Reyvateil thought about it for a moment. “Ok. you can stay the night-” Ace got up and fist punched the air with a ‘YES!’.

“-However,” she points towards the boy in front of her. “You’re sleeping on the couch.”

Ace deflated at the girl. “Aww, c’mon. Let me sleep in your bed, please? I promise I won’t take up too much space.”

“No.” She gets up to find blankets and bed sheets that weren’t chewed on by moths, and brings them back for the heart to use.

“Fine,” he dejects. “...Y’know, the offer still stands~”

“Night, Mr. Ace.”

~???~

“Hey, you ok, miss?”

-Was yea ra chs hymmnos mea-

“...who…are you…”

-Was apea ra chs ar tonelico-

“I’m Oswald. Oswald Rabbit! What about you, Miss?”

-Was granme ra dea ciel sos yor-

“...Meo. My name is Meo. At least, I think that’s my name.”

-Geeow gauzewiga kil gyas tes wael grandus yos oure-

“I see. Here, lend me your hand. There are WAY better places to nap than in the middle of the park!”

“Don’t let go, not even for a second!”

~End of Dream~

Who was that little rabbit? I’ve never seen him before. Meryu woke up, a bit confused by what she had dreamed just now. I’ll worry about it later.

She turns to the furball who looks five seconds away from falling off the bed. “No, dat’s my chicken leg!” She giggled at his mumble.

“Grim~~ wakey-wakey~” she gently shakes him. “Don’t wanna be late for your big day, do you?”

Grim snorted before blinking in his sleep. “Oh, it’s morning.” he falls back to sleep before immediately jumping up from his sleep. “IT’S MORNING!!!!”

He jumps right off the bed and books it for his ribbon collar. “IT’S REAL!! IT WASN’T A DREAM!! YAHOOOO!!”

I'm so proud of you, She thought to herself before donning her school uniform.

~Ramshackle Dorm: Main Lounge~

*Knock, knock*

“Eh? Who’s knockin’ on our door now?” Grim asked.

Meryu walked to the entrance and opened the door. To her surprise, it was Deuce Spade. “Good morning, Melenas-san.”

“Morning, Mr. Spade” she stepped away. “Please, come in.”

He slightly bowed before walking inside. Meryu closed the door before ushering him to the lounge. Ace and Grim looked to see the both of them arriving, and Deuce fixed a look right at the red head.

“I had a feeling you came here,” Deuce said. “The Housewarden wasn’t too pleased about what you did last night.”

“Can it, Deucey. Did you just come here to rub it in?” Ace asked, annoyed.

“I came to bring you back so you could apologize.”

“...seriously?”

“Yes.”

Before things could get a bit heated again, Meryu quickly intervened. “That could be a good place to start, Mr.Ace.”

The duo looked at her as she continued. “If you go back to your dorm, and apologize to your housewarden, maybe he’ll take the collar off.”

Grim chuckled at his ‘minion’s’ idea. “You’re such a pacifist. It’s funny.”

The girl pouted. “I was trying to think of a simple solution.”

“She does bring up a point, though.”

“Ok! Ok, I’ll go say sorry.” Ace concedes. “But, YOU’RE coming, too!”

“Huh!?” The Ramshackle duo said in unison.

“Why us?!”

“This is YOUR idea, so YOU’RE coming with me.”

Grim grumbled under his breath ‘Not our problem’ while the Reyvateil shook her head. Dreading the migraine and unwanted stress that’ll come from this encounter.

~Night Raven: Hall of Mirrors~

The quartet made their journey into the school before classes were to start. Traversing the long halls, they made their way to a hub of sorts further into the school. This was the Hall of Mirrors. Each corner of the room had seven uniquely made mirrors with an emblem of the dorm etched above the Mirror’s rim.

The Heartslabyul duo walked right towards a mirror with a Hearts shaped emblem above the rim. As soon as they were close to it, a light began to emit from it, ready to let them in. Ace went in first and Deuce, holding his hand out like a gentleman, allowed Meryu and Grim to go through before him.

~Heartslabyul Dorm: Main Entrance~

Grim and Meryu were blown away once they landed on the grounds of the two boys’ Home Dormitory. The building in front of them appeared to be an all Red castle surrounded by a huge, rosy maze. The trees that line the main street were all heart shaped as well. Red and white roses decorated the trees leading up to the main building.

It felt like something straight out of a storybook!

“Wow. This school becomes more and more of an otherworldly place,” Meryu said in awe.

“Pretty neat, huh?”

“Does your world have magical institutes, too, Melenas-san?” the spade asked.

“No. Nothing close to this, from what I remember. Then again, I was mostly homeschooled.” she admitted.

“Ooof. Sucks to be you, I guess.” That earned Ace an elbow to the arm from Deuce. “What?”

Grim ran from the group to look up at the roses. “This place is huge! Way bigger and neater than our dorm- I’m mean. OUR Dorm may be crappy, but we’re WAy better than this place.” Suddenly, a drop of red paint landed on his head. “NYAH! What was that?” he moved his paw, and saw that it was all red. “AAAAHHH!!! I’M BLEEDING!!”

‘Oh Grim…’ Meryu shook her head at the feline while Ace and Deuce chuckled at his distraught state.

“WHY ARE YOU THREE STANDING THERE?!?! I HAVE BLOOD ON MY BEAUTIFUL FUR!!”

“Hey, Grim. You might wanna take a better look at that ‘blood’ of yours.” Ace points to one of the roses in the tree. They appear to be half white and half red…

“Wait a second.” Grim looked down at his paw, and, upon close inspection, the ‘blood’ is actually paint. “IT’S PAINT!”

Ace picked up on the sound of someone talking:

“Gotta paint these roses red. Every single one down to the nines!”

The rest of the group picked up on the voice and followed it further into the hedge maze. A few turns left and down the bend, they came across an opening where many white roses bloomed in the trees. And in the middle of this garden was a student donned in what appeared to be the Heartslabyul uniform. Seemingly humming to himself.

“Paint the roses red! Or else it's off with my head!”

~Phase 02-Book 01: Dia Rosa Rudje, Tes Biron~

Hymmnos (Rough) Translation:

*Was yea ra chs hymmnos mea- I’m happy to become a song.

**Was apea ra chs ar tonelico- I’m blessed to become a tree of life.

***Was granme ra dea ciel sos yor- I want to help to protect this world with you.

****Geeow gauzewiga kil gyas tes wael grandus yos oure- No matter what, I will protect you from everything evil. I want you to be happy more than anything.

#twisted wonderland #twst #ar tonelico #twst x ar tonelico au #twisted tonelico

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these-are-the-first-steps · 2 years

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Here’s a random reylo ask for ya- did you ever have any theories/HCs early on in shipping reylo (cuz I believe you’ve said you were shipping since TFA) which you didn’t end up being into as much, or at all anymore as TST progressed?

Hello! Sorry it's taken me so long to get to this.

Story Time

So I saw TFA the second day it came out. I left rather bewildered- one, because a new actor I'd never seen before in my life (adam driver) gave such an unorthodox performance I couldn't stop thinking "The fuck does this guy think he's doing???" namely the interrogation scene where I don't think any other actor would have, nor could have, played it the way he did. I'm still shocked by the choices he made with his line delivery in that scene but in the best way possible. It's hard to explain. Anyway, that's one. Two also goes back to that scene. In middle school, back with Tokyo Pop was big, they held their very first manga contest for us regular american people to try our hand at Japanese style manga. Well, I felt like I could write, and my good friend at the time (she still is- we keep in touch!) could draw like a crazy person. So we decided to try for it. The only problem was, being middle schoolers, motivation and scheduling wasn't our forte. I did manage to write a short script excerpt of a story that had been brewing in my head for awhile at the time, and while I think I did eventually hand it over to her (I was suffering from perfectionism), the art never happened. We tried again in high school but then high school angst got in the way and it still didn't happen. Regardless, I still now had the only real concrete piece of writing for this story I had been sitting on for a couple years now.

Eventually....well, time moved on.

Cue "Star Wars: The Force Awakens", a sequel film I was INCREDIBLY skeptical about. I'd been watching star wars my entire life. My dad took me as a little kid to the big deal re-screenings of the original trilogy they did nationwide before the prequels came out. I had a lot of Opinions on this movie series. I had just moved to NYC and was out for a walk when I passed by Bloomingdales and saw, a bit to my shock, that their store windows were full of (allegedly) screen-used costumes and props from the upcoming TFA movie. I crept closer, had a look. Han Solo was the only thing I recognized. The rest? Unfamiliar. Alien. I had seen zero promotional images for this movie before encountering these windows and had only heard some things. I made guesses as to what everything was, before rounding the corner and being confronted with an irrationally tall costume. "Oh, is this the darth vader rip-off? lmao" (the only thing I had concretely heard about). "This guy had to be on stilts surely??" Kylo Ren. Funny at first, but the longer I stared at it, I shit you not, the more unsettled I got. I actually got *scared* staring at this costume. I took one very poor, very shaky picture, and basically ran away. (I regret not taking a better photo but oh well). I run into an article the next day at work about the movie and it happens to have the trailer and I decide, sure, ok, I'll give it a watch. Those windows were interesting at least. I basically had my tickets bought by the end of the day. So here we are, back to the theatre, sitting here as this audacious actor delivers the most ballsy performance I've seen the whole film as he interrogates the heroine, and I listen to what he's saying, and then, it hits me.

This. Is my story. These are my lines. I wrote this exact same exchange in middle school.

What the fuck??

This meant a lot of things to me. This meant that I knew where this story was going, and where it was going I liked very much. I went back to see the movie again a second time about a week or two later. I had to be sure-- I wasn't just imposing what was already inside my brain all these years onto a totally different story on the screen, was I? I watched, and waited. And sure enough....no, no it had to be it. These two? I know exactly how this is going to go down.

A few months later I visited back home and even managed to dig through a box and find my old script. I read through it, sort of shaking a little. My heroine- Light- had also been captured- by the Dark- and the song and dance were the same- Where am I? Does it matter? I can see everything. I'm not giving you anything. A summary, and as some years have passed again I have lost the print out in a box again, but some of the dialogue was ver batum.

I knew exactly where this new star wars story was going because I already wrote the damn thing in middle school, word for word, and if you thought for one second I wasn't going to tune in and defend this arc, that I never managed to get published myself at 13, with swords and shields and knives for my own personal middle school catharsis then you were dead wrong, my friend.

This may have seemed like a very round-about way of answering this question, but I wanted to give context, substance, because all of this ^^^^^ up here? It defines, explicitly, why I'm even here to begin with, and why I fought so hard from day one. There was nothing to abandon, or question, or shed. Because I already knew this story by heart. I had already written it!! And I still think ants and DLF and JJ Abrams and Terrio and the rest of those bastards can pry it from my cold dead hands, because truly they butchered my baby and while I may live with that, I'll never forget it.

Thank you for the ask, friend.

#reylo #reylo stories

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zapreportsblog · 11 months

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Spider Li Into The Spiderverse

➥ summary: (Y/n) Li was a normal teenage girl until she had been bitten by a radioactive spider one day after coming home from the gym, now she isn’t so normal. With abilities like non other (Y/n) goes from being this normal teenager to this crime stopping super hero Spider Li! But out-worldly forces come into play when other spider people start visiting her world to find out more about her. After all what spiderperson has a family that accepts them for being a superhero, friends who know of their secrets, and no canon event ever to be found in history?! Spider Li that’s who! So just what makes this girl so special?

➥ chapter 4: Unexpected Powers Unleashed

The rhythmic sound of gloves hitting the punching bag filled the air as I focused my energy on each strike. The gym was my sanctuary, a place where I could push my limits and hone my skills. As I continued my training, I felt the vibrations of my phone in my pocket, signaling an incoming call. I paused for a moment, wiping the sweat from my brow, and answered the call.

"Hey, Mom," I greeted, slightly out of breath.

"Sweetheart, MJ came over looking for you. She said it's important," my mom informed me.

I furrowed my brows, curious about why MJ would be seeking me out. "Thanks for letting me know, Mom. I'll head home right away."

I ended the call and swiftly gathered my things, my mind buzzing with anticipation. As I made my way towards the exit, a sudden shadow fell upon me. My heart skipped a beat as I turned to face a masked man, his eyes filled with malice. It was clear that he intended to harm me and take my belongings.

Fear surged through me, but it quickly transformed into a burning determination. I refused to be a victim. With a surge of adrenaline, I instinctively brought my fist up, aiming to defend myself. But to my astonishment, something extraordinary happened—spider webs shot out from my clenched fist, enveloping the masked man's face.

Caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events, the man struggled to free himself from the sticky strands, his futile attempts only further entangling him. In that moment, I realized that I possessed powers beyond the ordinary. I had become Spider Li, a hero in my own right.

In a mix of surprise and shock, I seized the opportunity to make my escape. My heart pounded in my chest as I sprinted away from the scene, my mind racing with questions about this newfound ability. How was it possible? What did this mean for me?

As I reached the safety of my home, I was greeted by MJ, who had been waiting anxiously for my return. She gasped as she took in my disheveled appearance and the wild look in my eyes.

"(Y/N), what happened?" she asked, concern etched in her voice.

Taking a deep breath, I recounted the encounter at the gym, describing how spider webs had emerged from my fist, immobilizing the masked man. MJ's eyes widened in awe and amazement.

"Oh my god, you're turning into Spider Li," she exclaimed, a mixture of excitement and disbelief evident in her voice.

The revelation hit me like a whirlwind. Spider Li—the name seemed to carry weight and significance. Could it be that my destiny was intertwined with that of a superhero? I had always admired characters like Spider-Man, but to think that I had inherited similar abilities was beyond my wildest dreams.

MJ and I spent the rest of the day immersed in conversation, researching and discussing the implications of my newfound powers. We delved into the world of superheroes and their extraordinary abilities, seeking answers to the questions that swirled in our minds.

Together, we discovered that I had been bestowed with the powers of a spider—an incredible gift that set me apart from others. I could now crawl up walls, possess incredible agility, and, as evidenced by the incident with the masked man, shoot web-like strands from my fists. It was a power that held both excitement and responsibility.

With each passing moment, my confidence grew. I saw my abilities as a way to make a difference, to protect those who couldn't defend themselves. But I also knew that with great power came great responsibility—a lesson that had been instilled in me through years of training and moral guidance.

As the days turned into weeks, I began to embrace my role as Spider Li. I patrolled the city streets, using my powers to help those in need. With each act of heroism, my sense of purpose deepened. I was determined to make a positive impact and ensure the safety and well-being of my fellow citizens.

Word of Spider Li quickly spread throughout the city, sparking curiosity and hope. People began to believe in the possibility of extraordinary beings walking among them. I became a symbol of strength, courage, and justice—a beacon of hope in a world that often seemed dark and uncertain.

As I balanced my dual identities—(Y/N) Li, the ordinary girl, and Spider Li, the superhero—I found solace in knowing that I had the support of my best friend, MJ. She became my confidante and ally, always ready to assist and guide me through the challenges that lay ahead.

With each passing day, I grew more confident in my abilities and more determined to protect the innocent. I understood that being a hero meant sacrificing my own comfort and security for the greater good. It meant standing up for justice, even in the face of adversity.

As I swung through the city on my webs, my heart swelled with pride and gratitude. I had been given a gift, and I would use it to make a difference. With every action I took, I aimed to inspire others to believe in their own potential and the power they held within.

The journey of Spider Li had just begun, and I was ready to face whatever challenges awaited me. I would continue to train, to refine my skills, and to protect the city I had come to love. The responsibility of being a hero weighed heavily on my shoulders, but I embraced it with open arms.

As the city slept, I perched atop a towering building, overlooking the streets below. The night air caressed my face, whispering promises of adventures yet to come. With a determined glint in my eye, I vowed to defend the innocent, to fight for justice, and to honor the legacy of those who had come before me.

I was Spider Li, and I was ready to weave my web of heroism across the city, one act of bravery at a time.

#spiderverse x reader #Spider Li Into The Spiderverse series #Spider Li Into The Spiderverse #spider gang #spiderman into the spiderverse #x reader series #x reader #spider li into the spiderverse masterlist

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fayeandknight · 2 years

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Fourth agility class. And there was one.

I'm the only student who showed up to our class tonight. The instructor told me everyone else complained about having to crate their dogs. I suspect it was more of a final straw/something concrete to push back on. Also that it was a miserable, rainy day/night probably contributed.

I will say the instructor was much nicer. Still a bit harsh but definitely softened more throughout the lesson. The instructor did say they get really mad when people argue with them. Which I get but I don't think they handle well.

That aside, Forte was absolutely amazing tonight. He spent pretty much the whole hour off leash, he only occasionally wandered off in the ring when we spent too long talking but recalled immediately every time. I think part of it is that the new is wearing off. But the bigger piece, I think, is that we were working for longer stretches so his brain clicked on and stayed on.

Introduced him to the tunnel, he was a little confused at first but the third time I showed him the entrance he ran through and I threw him a party. After that he did from both ends no problem. We got both a jump tunnel and a tunnel jump sequence flawlessly several times.

The instructor was quite impressed. Kept telling me he moves beautifully and that he's not afraid of anything. He only gets hung up when he doesn't know what I'm asking him to do. Once he knows there's no hesitation. And part of me wanted to say yeah, no shit.

I didn't, but I wanted to explain it's because I've prioritized confidence over immediate compliance. He's a freaking herding breed, the desire to please comes baked in. I want him confident. I want him to know that if he's unsure I'll clarify or give him support. That we're in this together.

He also did the A frame. We've played around with a (very) baby A frame but never a true one (though it wasn't at full height.) The instructor asked if I thought he'd do it and I said probably. He did it like he's done it a thousand times before. No hesitation, no trying to jump off early, went up and over and stopped with his back feet on the contact and his front feet on the ground, looking to me for the next cue.

At this point the instructor forgot to be critical and there was definitely awe in their voice. Told me it's clear he likes working for me and that he just trusts me. That most dogs balk, at least the first time, because from their perspective they're running up a cliff and are going to be asked to fall off it.

They also said that if I'm not careful they'll steal him. That he's really special and that the bond between us is evident. Which made me laugh out loud because it confirmed something I'd written off as me being arrogant, for lack of a better word. And that's that when certain dog people encounter Forte and I they write me off as a know nothing who shouldn't have a Belgian and in turn that I've "ruined' him. But when they get the chance to really see us work together that assumption falls apart. Because it becomes very clear that he doesn't do things just because I say so, he does them because he trusts that I'm not asking him for anything he can't do. That I'd catch him if he fell.

Anyway, we also worked more on the teeter and are up to jumping on at the half way point, riding it down, and waiting till it hits the ground to move off. And we did three 2 by 2 weave poles, both onside and offside. He picked it up easily and not at all like this was only the second time in life life he's seen weave poles.

At the end of the hour the instructor noted that he was tired but if I asked for more he'd give me more. And I told them I know so it's a good thing we have an hour ride home for him to nap. They were stunned to learn I'm an hour away and that it involves crossing the bridge. I just shrugged and said I wanted to learn agility so it is what it is.

#dogblr #forte #belgian tervuren #dog agility #agility #agility training #i know it's the people pleaser in me #but i hope the instructor takes us more seriously #that they realize i don't have an untrained dog I'm not equipped to handle #that in fact i have a super confident dog who loves and trusts me #at one point #i mentioned that i have a Corgi x ACD mix who is my first dog #i wish i had a picture of their expression #i told them with no small amount of prode that Faye has taught me more than anyone else about dog training #I'm not sure they really understood #but they seemed impressed #they mentioned several times that people are complaining about them #and asked that if i had a good experience in tell the coordinator so that they can keep teaching here #amd I'm probably going to go back and forth on it for a while #because on the one hand they are very knowledgeable #and i hate knowing i could negatively impact their career #but i don't think they're a good teacher for beginners #they're too quick to snap #it comes across as critical instead of a critique #right now I'm not planning to advocate for them #i feel bad #but i also think people deserve a kind and supportive entrance to sports and dog training in general #for all that I'm sensitive I'm very used to people being mean to me #i can power through it #but i don't want others to have to

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supersoldierhimbo · 2 years

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INDEPENDENCE DAY (1996) SENTENCE STARTERS

feel free to change pronouns/context as needed!

If this isn't an insanely beautiful woman, I'm hanging up.

I think you should listen to this.

Hey, you have any idea how long it takes for those to decompose?

If you don't move soon, I'm gonna start to decompose.

You may inadvertently trigger an interstellar war.

Oh god, I hope they bring back Elvis.

Everyone's trying to get out of Washington, and we're the only schmucks trying to get in.

If I had known I was gonna meet the president, I would've worn a tie. I mean look at me. I look like a schlemiel.

Is that an earthquake?

Go back to sleep.

A countdown... wait, a countdown to what, ___?

It's like in chess: First, you strategically position your pieces and when the timing is right, you strike.

You punched the president?

There you go, thinking you're all that. But you are not as charming as you think you are.

I picked a hell of a day to quit drinking.

You're leaving now?

Los Angeles, New York, and Washington D.C. have been left in ruins...

Let's kick the tires and light the fires, big daddy!

Why we are on this particular mission, we'll never know.

But I do know, here, today, that the ____ will emerge victorious once again.

___, listen, pack your stuff and head for ___. Don't argue with me; just go.

___, why did I just send my mother to Atlanta?

This could be our last night on Earth. You don't want to die a virgin, do you?

Look, I really don't think they flew 90 billion light years to come down here and start a fight. Get all rowdy.

Smart man. Shot in the back, very sad.

Oh, yeah, great. Now he tells me.

I don't understand, where does all this come from?

How do you get funding for something like this?

None of you did anything to prevent this!

There was nothing we could do! We were totally unprepared for...

That's not entirely accurate.

As you can imagine, they... they don't let us out much.

This is the vault. Or as some of us like to call it: the Freak Show.

At this rate, we could be looking at the worldwide destruction of every major city in the next 36 hours.

Then we're being exterminated.

Oh, crap.

Oh no, you did NOT shoot that green shit at me!

Who's the man? Huh? Who's the man?!

Wait til I get another plane!

Welcome to earth!

Now that's what I call a close encounter.

Y'know, this was supposed to be my weekend off, but no.

And what the hell is that smell?!

I could've been at a barbecue!

But I ain't mad.

This is a restricted area. I can't let you pass without clearance.

You wanna see my clearance?

Maybe I'll just leave this here with you.

What do you want us to do?

Is that glass bulletproof?

They're like locusts.

Let's nuke the bastards.

Haven't you ever wanted to be part of something special?

I was part of something special.

What the hell are you doing?!

A toast, to the end of the world.

This is our victory dance.

Don't say "oops."

What do you say we try that again?

That word should have new meaning for all of us today.

We will not go quietly into the night!

We will not vanish without a fight!

We're going to live on!

We're going to survive!

You really think you can do all that bullshit you just said?

I have got to get me one of these!

However, that is a mistake, I am happy to say, that I don't have to live with.

Doesn't anybody have any missiles left?

Okay, boys, let's give ___ some cover. Gentlemen, let's plow the road!

Do me a favor.

In the words of my generation: up yours!

Hello boys--I'm back!

They're bringing us in.

When the hell was you gonna tell me?

Oops.

Time's up.

We're gonna have to work on our communication.

Nobody's perfect.

Payback's a bitch, ain't it?

I always thought things like this would kill me.

Take a look at the earthlings.

Y'all take care, all right?

Nothing but love for ya.

Think they got any idea of what's about to happen to them?

Can you get us out of here in 30 seconds?

I ain't heard no fat lady!

Forget the fat lady, you're obsessed with the fat lady! Drive us out of here!

We're not hit, we're not hit! Stop side-seat driving!

What the hell do you think I'm doing?

Go faster, must go faster, must go faster.

Elvis has left the building!

Any word from them?

Hold it, ___, I've got something on radar.

___... not bad. Not too bad at all.

Oh, so this is healthy?

Didn't I promise you fireworks?

#askbox meme #ask box meme #sentence starters #rp prompts #rp starters #independence day #memes #starters

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arbitrarity · 2 years

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my translation of the zookeeper's dialogue

I saw some people who were confused by what the zookeeper was saying today, since we've encountered a THIRD accent-heavy, almost unreadable character in Dracula today

under the cut is my attempt at a translation of today's newspaper article, starting with Thomas Bilder's first lines

... Then when the table was cleared, and he had lit his pipe, he said:—

“Now, sir, you can go ahead and aske me the questions you want to ask. I’m sure you’ll forgive me for refusing to talk about professional subjects before we had our meal. I give the wolves and the jackals and the hyenas in all our section their afternoon meal before I begin to ask them questions.

"How do you mean, ask them questions?" I queried, wishful to get him into a talkative humour.

“Hitting them over the head with a pole is one way; scratching them behind the ear is another” [basically ‘you can give them the stick or the carrot’ - be mean or be nice]

[I’m not sure what this means->]“when gents as is flush wants a bit of a show-orf to their gals.”

“I’m okay with doing the first, hitting them with a pole before I toss in their dinner; but I wait until they’ve finished their meal and havd their after-dinner drink of sherry or coffee, metaphorically, before I try to scratch them behind the ears. Mind you," he added philosophically, "humans aren’t that different from animals. Here you are coming and asking me questions about my business, and I was grumpy and if you hadn’t offered me some money, a half-quid, I would have preferred to have you shot [? not sure what ‘blowed’ means here for sure] rather than answer your questions. Not even when you sarcastically asked if I’d prefer you go as my boss, the Superintendent, if you might ask me some questions, would I have said yes. Didn’t I tell you to go to hell?”

"You did."

"And when you said you’re report me for using obscene language, that was hitting me over the head - using a threat to get me to comply; but offering me money, the half-quid, made that alright because then I was willing to comply. I wasn’t really going to fight you, but I waited for you to offer me something good, after putting on an aggressive show of howling like a wolf, lion, or tiger would. But, lucky you, now that my old human caretaker [his wife] has filled me up with a chunk of her tea-cake, and served me lots of tea, and I’ve lit my pipe, so I’m all comfortable, you can ‘scratch behind my ears’ and I’ll comply without any complaint. Go ahead and ask you questions. I know what you’re hear to ask: that there escaped wolf”

"Exactly. I want you to give me your view of it. Just tell me how it happened; and when I know the facts I'll get you to say what you consider was the cause of it, and how you think the whole affair will end."

"All right, guv'nor. This here is about the whole story. That there wolf who we called Berserker was one of three grey ones that came from Norway to Jamrach's, which we bought off him four years ago. He was a nice well-behaved wolf, that never caused us any real trouble. I'm especially surprised that he wanted to get out of the zoo, or that any of the other animals here would want to escape. But, there, you can't trust wolves any more than you can trust women."

"Don't listen to him, sir!" broke in Mrs. Tom, with a cheery laugh. "He’s been taking care of animals for so long that, God, he’s like an old wolf himself. But he doesn’t mean any harm."

"Well, sir, it was about two hours after feeding yesterday when I first hear my disturbance. I was making up a stretcher in the monkey-house for a young puma that’s ill; but when I heard the yelping and howling I came out of them straight away and went to check on the wolves. There was Berserker tearing at the bars of his cage like a mad thing as if he wanted to get out. There weren’t many people at the zoo that day, and in the immediate vicinity there was only one man, a tall, thin guy, with a hooked nose and a pointed beard, with a few white hairs running through his beard. He had a hard, cold look and red eyes, and I immediately sort of disliked him, because it seemed like he was the one the wolves were irritated at. He had white leather gloves on his hands, and he pointed out the animals to me and said: 'Keeper, these wolves seem upset at something.'

"'Maybe it's you,' says I, for I did not like the way he held himself. He didn't get angry, as I had expected and hoped he would, but he smiled a kind of arrogant smile, with a mouth full of white, sharp teeth. 'Oh no, they wouldn't like me,' he says.

"'Oh yes, they would,' says I, imitating the way he spoke. 'They always like to have a bone or two to clean their teeth on after dinner, and you are have lot of bones in you.

"Well, it was an odd thing, but when the animals see us talking, they lay down, and when I went over to Berserker, he let me stroke his ears just like he usually does. That man came over, and to my utter surprise, he put his hand into the enclosure and stroked the old wolf's ears too!

"Be careful,” I said. Berserker is quick.'

"Don’t’ worry,' he says. 'I'm used to 'em!'

"Are you in the business yourself?' I say, taking off my hat as a sign of respect, since any man that trades in wolves, or other animals, is a good friend to zoo keepers.

"'No' he said, 'not exactly in the business, but I have made pets of several.' And with that he lifts his hat as polite as a lord, and walks away. Old Berserker kept looking after him till he was out of sight, and then went and lay down in a corner and wouldn't come out the whole evening. Well, last night, so soon as the moon was up, the wolves here all began howling. There wasn't anything for them to howl at, though, because there weren't any people nearby, except someone that was evidently calling a dog somewhere behind the gardens in the Park road. Once or twice I went out to see that everything was okay, and it was, and then the howling stopped. Just before twelve o'clock I took another quick look round before heading to bed, and, to my shock, when I got to old Berserker’s cage I saw that the cage bars were broken and twisted around and the cage was empty. And that's all I know for certain."

"Did any one else see anything?"

"One of our gardeners was coming home around that time from a harmony [not sure what this means, but I’m guessing he’s coming home from a pub or something], and he saw a big grey dog coming out through the hedges of the garden. At least, that’s what he says, but I don’t really believe him, since he didn’t mention that at all to his wife when he got home, and it was only after we’d all been told about the escaped wolf and had been searching for Berserker in the Park all night, that he remembered seeing anything. I figure that it was just the harmony [drinking?] that had gotten to his head and he was making it up. "

"Now, Mr. Bilder, can you account in any way for the escape of the wolf?"

"Well, sir," he said, with a suspicious sort of modesty, "I think I can; but I don't know how satisfied you’d be with the theory."

"Certainly I shall. If a man like you, who knows the animals from experience, can't hazard a good guess at any rate, who is even to try?"

"Well then, sir, I can account for it this way: it seems to me that there wolf escaped—simply because he wanted to get out."

From the hearty way that both Thomas and his wife laughed at the joke I could see that it was a joke that they had made before, and the whole explanation was an elaborate joke. I couldn't manage to kid around as much as Thomas, but I thought I knew a surer way to his heart, so I said:—

"Now, Mr. Bilder, we'll consider that first half-sovereign worked off, and this brother of his is waiting to be claimed when you've told me what you think will happen." [ie. ‘you’ve earned the money I’ve already given you, and I’ll give you the same amount again if you tell me what you actually think happened’]

"Of course, sir," he said briskly. "I’m sure you’ll forgive me for kidding you, but my wife winked at me and that was practically her telling me to do it. "

"Well, I never!" said the old lady.

"My opinion is this: that there wolf is hiding, somewhere. The gardener who didn’t remember until later said he was galloping northward faster than a horse could go; but I don't believe him, because wolves don’t gallop any more than dogs do, they aren’t built for galloping. Wolves are sure scary in storybooks, and I dare say that when there are a pack of them, they can gang up against something that is more scared than they are then they can make a lot of noise and attack it, whatever it is. But, honestly, in real life a wolf is only a meager creature, not half as clever or bold as a good dog; and not half a quarter so feisty. This one, Berserker, isn’t used to fighting or having to provide for himself, and it’s more likely that he’s somewhere around the Park hiding and shivering and, if he is even capable of thinking, wondering where he is going to get his breakfast from; or maybe he's managed to get down in some area and is hiding in someone’s coal-cellar. My bet, some cook is going to get a real fright when she sees his green eyes shining at her out of the dark! If he can't get any food, he's likely to look for it, and maybe he’ll happen upon a butcher's shop in time. If he doesn't, and some nursemaid taking care of a baby gets distracted by a handsome guy like a soldier, leaving the infant along in the pram/stroller - well then I wouldn’t be too surprised if were to eat it an thus there is one less baby in London. That's all."

I was handing him the half-sovereign, when something came bobbing up against the window, and Mr. Bilder's face doubled its natural length with surprise.

"God bless me!" he said. "If there isn’t old Berserker come back on his own!"

He went to the door and opened it; a most unnecessary proceeding it seemed to me [‘which I would have preferred he didn’t’]. I have always thought that a wild animal never looks so well as when some obstacle of pronounced durability is between us [‘I want to keep something strong between me and an wild animal, like a closed door’]; a personal experience has intensified rather than diminished that idea.

After all, however, there is nothing like custom, for neither Bilder nor his wife thought any more of the wolf than I should of a dog. The animal itself was as peaceful and well-behaved as that father of all picture-wolves—Red Riding Hood's quondam friend, whilst moving her confidence in masquerade.

The whole scene was an unutterable mixture of comedy and pathos. The wicked wolf that for half a day had paralysed London and set all the children in the town shivering in their shoes, was there in a sort of penitent mood, and was received and petted like a sort of vulpine prodigal son. Old Bilder examined him all over with most tender solicitude, and when he had finished with his penitent said:—

"There, I knew the poor old chap would get into some kind of trouble; didn't I say it all along? His head is all cut and full of broken glass. He must have tried to get over someone’s stupid wall. I’s a shame that people are allowed to cover the top their walls with broken bottles [to keep out thieves]. This is what happens when they do that. Come along, Berserker."

He took the wolf and locked him up in a cage, with a piece of meat that satisfied, in quantity at any rate, the elementary conditions of the fatted calf, and went off to report.

I came off, too, to report the only exclusive information that is given to-day regarding the strange escapade at the Zoo.

#zookeeper #zoo keeper #Thomas Bilder #mr bilder #dracula daily #dracula #september 18 #arbitrarity talks

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linkedkeysau-official · 2 years

Text

Whumptober 2022- Linked Keys edition

Day 5- Running out of air (+ art)

Fighting a Fire Wizzrobe in a forest? Not recommended. The boys had encountered one in the middle of the woods while searching for the next Cloud Wall Tower, and made the mistake of getting too close, to which the Wizzrobe responded by taunting them and attacking. Wild had managed to take it down with a swift Ice Arrow to the face, but by that point, nearly everything around them had been ignited, and the fire was spreading quickly. Nobody quite remembered which way they'd come through the forest, and thus had no idea the quickest way out of it, so it was a mess of frantically trying to decide which way to go without scattering all at once.

"That way! The trees seem to thin out that way!" Paint cried, pointing. Time and Warriors gestured for the others to follow them quickly, and everyone took off running. It wasn't long before Legend saw Sky slowing down and falling behind. As he seemed to be the only one who did, he decided to check on the Skyloftian Knight.

"Sky! Hurry up, we're getting left behind!" Legend shouted.

"Can't… Breathe…!" Sky managed to say in between very labored breaths. He was slowing down even more.

"You can catch your breath later, just run, or we might end up trapped in this burning hellhole." Legend urged.

"No I—" a wheezy cough interrupted him, "...Can't…" He stumbled. Legend realized there was something wrong when Sky fell to his hands and knees, coughing and wheezing and sounding like he was definitely struggling to breathe, not just being out of breath.

"Shit—!" Legend muttered. Sky must have really been struggling, because he didn't even bother to try to scold Legend about his frequent use of profanity.

"I think I can… Keep going. I'm good." Sky stood back up and took off running. Legend followed close behind, just in case Sky needed help.

One of the Wizzrobe's fireballs must have hit farther than the rest, because directly in front of Legend and Sky was a wall of flames blocking their path, with no clear or easy way around it. The only way past would be to find the safest way through. Legend stood there for a moment, looking around and scoping out the safest path.

"Follow me, Sky. Go exactly where I go." He said, beckoning Sky behind him. He was about to take off running when he suddenly heard what almost sounded like a young someone whimpering.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Everyone…Okay?" Time asked the group, panting when they finally got a somewhat safe distance from the fire, escaping into a clearing. Nods and tired muttering from the others came as his response.

"Is everyone here?" Warriors asked, "Do you see anyone who is missing?" He started to do a head count. 13… Why was he only getting 13?

"Sky's gone!" Tracks cried.

"So is Legend!" Hyrule added.

"I'll go back and look for them!" Twilight offered.

"I'll go too." Wild raised his hand.

But that's only 15. Someone else is missing! Warriors thought as he counted again. There was him, Time, Wind, Future, Minish, Ravio, Paint, Tracks, Wild, Twilight, Hyrule, Four, Shadow, and then Legend and Sky…

"MASK!!!"

"What?!" Time asked.

"Mask is gone too!" Warriors cried, his gaze flicking back towards the forest and the cloud of smoke rising from farther in. He was about two seconds from running back in there to look for his Sprite… and, Legend and Sky too, of course.

"Don't worry, Captain. We'll find the kid too." Wild assured him.

"I'm coming with you." Warriors shook his head. He wasn't just going to stand around and wait, hoping someone else could find his son. Wild and Twilight both nodded in understanding, surprisingly not even trying to talk him out of it. Maybe because they knew he couldn't be stopped anyway.

"Try to come back in one piece, you three." Time warned.

"We will. All six of us!" Wild promised. Twilight grabbed the crystal around his neck and in a small explosion of black and orange had transformed into the dark-furred wolf that they all knew and loved. Wolfie sniffed the end of Warriors' scarf, knowing Mask liked to cling to it a lot, then stalked off into the forest. The other two followed behind him. Hopefully if they found Mask, they could find Legend and Sky too.

Though as the air began to smell smokey and the crackling of flames became audible, a sudden, loud crash was heard, followed by screaming.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Legend followed the whimpering sound until he saw the edge of something green inside of a shallow hole in the ground. Upon closer inspection he found that it was Mask, curled up in a ball and quietly sobbing. Legend was going to try and help him up, to urge him to run, but he noticed that the way Mask was curled up, clutching at his left leg— which looked a little bit swollen— implied that he was hurt. He must have fallen over something and hurt himself to end up in this hole. He probably couldn't even stand up.

"Alright kid. We're getting you out of here." Legend bent down to lift Mask up.

"L-Legend?" Mask asked, in surprise, almost as if he hadn't expected anyone to come back for him.

"Mask! Is he…?" Sky asked, another wheezy cough cutting him off mid sentence, "Is he okay?"

"Hurt his leg and can't walk. But if we can get back quickly, he will be okay. Now in order to get back, we need to get through this, which… admittedly is gonna suck. I'll go first. Follow me and go exactly where I go, okay?" Legend asked, "And try not to talk. You're gonna need to save your breath." Sky nodded. As Legend took a deep breath and ran into the flaming trees. Sky covered his nose and mouth with his sailcloth and followed close behind them. Not long after they entered the danger zone, however, a loud cracking sound caught their attention, and the boys barely had time to dive out of the way before a large flaming tree branch nearly fell on top of them, scattering sparks everywhere.

"...Is… everyone okay?" Legend called out after a few seconds. Sky gave an 'okay' sign with his hand, but promptly doubled over in another coughing fit. He's always had low endurance, and for some reason certain things in the air made him feel like he couldn't breathe at all, but it had been a long time since he last had an attack like this. His chest felt painfully tight as if his lungs were being crushed by rocks. Every breath was a struggle, and came with a deep whistling sound that Sky has come to associate with problems. And even if he did manage to get a lungful of air, it came with a hint of smoke, causing him to start hacking again. Why him? Why did he have to be so sensitive to things in the air?

"Sky! Are you alright? Can you breathe?" Legend asked, appearing at his side in an instant. Sky tried to respond, but couldn't. He couldn't breathe. He didn't even trust that he'd be able to speak without being unable to get enough air afterwards. He shook his head. Legend had hoped that would not be the answer. He didn't know what he was supposed to do now. He looked around to see where Mask was. The kid was a few meters behind him, trying to get up despite his injured leg. Before Legend could stop him, he managed to get on his feet and hobbled over to where Legend and Sky were. He reached into his bag and pulled out a round, orange mask resembling the face of a Goron.

"Ledge. Take this and go get help. It allows you to transform into a Goron so the fire won't hurt you. Go get help, I'll stay with Sky." Mask pleaded.

"Kid, I am not leaving you behind." Legend said firmly.

"I can barely walk, and Sky can't breathe. You'll never be able to carry us both. I'll be fine. Just hurry!" The desperation in the kid's eyes told him that he had thought about this, and it really was their only chance at survival. Legend hesitated, but he had to admit the kid was probably right. He sighed and took the mask.

"Transformation kinda hurts, so fair warning. Don't fight it, it'll stop in a few seconds. I think you can figure out the rest." Mask warned. Legend stared at the Goron mask for a moment before finally placing it over his face.

Holy shit, was Legend's only thought as pain suddenly ripped through his body, warping his form as the dark magic of the mask filled his insides. It almost felt like Legend's transformation into a rabbit, only much, much more intense, how does the kid even handle this?! But as quickly as the pain started, it faded away, and Legend found himself now in the body of a Goron. Taking a few seconds to really register what just happened, Legend then gave a thumbs up to Mask, then curled into a ball and tried to roll off like he'd seen normal Gorons do. Strangely, the action felt completely natural in this form, and he was able to send himself hurtling through the burning trees at breakneck speed, trying to catch up with the others. He had to be fast… Sky and Mask were in danger.

As he sped through the woods, he caught something out of the corner of his eye that stood out from the browns and blacks and oranges. He stopped immediately, in hopes that there was someone there. It turned out to be Wild, Warriors, and Wolfie. A sigh of relief escaped from Legend as he quickly pulled off the Goron mask, turning back into his normal self (a little disorienting, and still painful, but he was happy to be back in his regular hylian form).

"Help!" He cried, sprinting towards them.

"Legend?!" Warriors asked, "Legend, have you seen—"

"Sky and Mask are in trouble. Mask… He told me to take the Goron mask and go get help. I came as fast as I could. Mask hurt his leg and can't walk, and Sky is having trouble breathing, I couldn't get them out myself, I—" Legend coughed, the smoke in the air and the soot on his clothes finally starting to get to him as well, "I need you to get them out. Please!" He begged. Warriors tried to think. How was he going to get all three out as quickly and safely as possible…? Wolfie was pawing at his nose as if it were irritated. Of course the wolf would be more sensitive to breathing in smoke…

"Twilight, I need you to walk Legend back to the others. Wild and I will get Mask and Sky." Warriors ordered. Wolfie gave a small whine, but nodded, nudging Legend in the back as if to urge him to move, as Legend clearly didn't want to leave the other two.

"Don't worry, we'll make sure the other two get out safely. But you're in danger too, Legend. You've probably breathed in too much smoke already." Warriors told him. Legend didn't like it but he knew Wolfie and Wars were right.

"Just—" cough, "Just be careful." He reluctantly followed behind Twilight as the wolf began leading him out of the forest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mask's eyes were stinging as he scanned the surrounding trees anxiously. It felt like Legend had been gone forever, though his infallible internal clock was telling him it had barely been five minutes since he'd rolled away. The fires were spreading quickly, and if the heat wasn't bad enough from where Mask and Sky sat, the deadly black cloud of smoke only made it ten times worse. Sky didn't seem to be doing too well either, bent over on the ground on his hands and knees and from the sound of it, taking an immense amount of effort just to take a single breath. There was still no sign of anyone coming, and Mask was beginning to panic. If Sky was dying, Mask had no knowledge of how to save him. If Sky was dying, Mask would be all alone.

"...Here… Yet?" Sky asked weakly, just barely managing to suck in another breath. The wheezing had stopped minutes ago, though with how much he struggled now, Mask wasn't sure that was a good thing.

"N-Not yet. No. But they're… They're coming, I know it." Mask told him. He tried to think… How could he help Sky stay alive and awake when the guy couldn't even breathe?!

"They're coming. You just need to stay calm. Save your breath. We're… We're going to get out of here!" Mask continued, repeating the things Legend had said to Sky earlier. Wetness was beginning to fill his eyes and blur his vision, though he wasn't sure if they were tears or a result of the smoke. Perhaps a combination of both.

Sky swayed a little bit, tipping over to the side and collapsing on the ground. Now that he wasn't directly facing the ground, Mask could see that his lips were turning blue, and his skin was very pale. His chest quivered with every attempt at pulling more air into his lungs. He couldn't breathe. Even Mask could see that he wasn't going to last much longer. The Skyloftian Knight seemed to reach the same conclusion, as he reached a shaking hand into his pouch and brought out a glass bottle filled with a blue liquid, holding it out to Mask, who took it hesitantly.

"Air…" Sky croaked out, voice barely audible. Mask understood what he was saying, however.

"You… want me to help you drink this so you can breathe again?" Mask asked. To his surprise, Sky shook his head. He pointed to Mask. He was giving it to Mask.

"Sky, no, I can't… You're dying, I can't take this!" Mask tried to give the bottle back. Sky didn't move to take it. His eyelids were beginning to droop closed. Mask shook him to try and keep him awake, but it was no good, and Sky eventually lost consciousness. Mask was alone. He didn't want to be alone. He didn't want them both to die here. He shook Sky again, more aggressively this time. Sky still did not wake up.

"Sky? SKY!!! Sky, wake up, PLEASE! Don't leave me here alone!" He sobbed. No matter how many times he tried to shake the knight awake, Sky remained motionless. Mask was beginning to feel short of breath as well, though it was uncertain whether that was because of the smoke or because he was panicking. Was Sky still breathing? Where were the others? It had been ten minutes already.

"SOMEBODY HELP!!!" Mask cried out as loud as he could. So loud that the effort involved made him feel dizzy. He thought about drinking the potion, but Sky may still need it, if there was any chance he was still alive. Mask could hold out a little longer… even if only just a little. He was choking on the smoke. The fires were getting closer. The heat was nearly unbearable. But then, out of nowhere a familiar voice called out,

"Sprite?! Is that you?!" It was Warriors.

"Mask! Sky! Where are you?!" Wild shouted after him.

"I'm… He— Here…" Mask called back. His head was spinning. What little he could see beyond the smoke and his burning eyes was beginning to blur and darken. He fell backwards, unable to keep himself upright any longer as weakness overwhelmed his body. He could just barely make out two figures approaching at a sprint.

"Sky!!!"

"Sprite!"

As the two knelt down beside the fallen heroes, Mask could hear them talking, but their voices sounded muffled. Wild was pointing in Sky's direction. At the same time Warriors moved to Sky's side, Wild slid his hands underneath Mask's back and legs, lifting him off the ground.

"We… hurry… Not breathing… Kid… awake?"

"Mask is… Not for… Go ahead… I'll...Behind…" Mask could hear only small bits and pieces of what either was saying, but he could feel himself bouncing in Wild's arms as the Champion ran. His vision darkened. His surroundings blurred together. The last thing he saw before he passed out was Wild's panicked expression. He couldn't hear what the champion was saying to him, but it looked like something along the lines of "Kid, stay with me!"

And that was when Mask blacked out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A cool, soothing sensation was what slowly brought Mask back to awareness some time later. Hyrule's magic, his sleepy and oxygen-deprived brain eventually realized. The air around him felt almost cold in comparison to where he just was, and he felt an extra chill from what felt like a cool, wet cloth laid over his eyes (which thankfully no longer burned as bad as before). Though there was a warmth on his upper back, neck, and head as if he were laying against someone else. There was also the familiar feeling of a gloved hand with leather bracers cradling Mask's much smaller right hand inside of it, thumb gently rubbing over the backs of Mask's fingers. Dad…

Mask's throat was by far the most irritated, though his nose wasn't far behind. His chest ached as well, making it even more difficult to breathe, though with the soothing feeling of Hyrule's life spell, the pain was slowly dissipating. At least, at this point Mask could take a full breath; even if it hurt to do so. The air was cool and fresh and had only the slightest hint of a smoky smell. Even without opening his eyes, Mask knew he was out of the fires.

"He seems to be breathing a lot better now. Not sure any of us are completely out of the woods, but that is a good sign." Hyrule spoke up, "I'm gonna go check on Sky again, see if he needs anything else. Let me know if anything changes with Mask."

"Will do. Thanks, Hyrule. I don't know what we'd all do without your magic." Warriors said. Mask felt a hand lightly brush his bangs to the side. He still felt exhausted for some reason— too much so to try and move too much or even open his eyes at the moment— but he did manage to move his hand, weakly grabbing at the first finger on Warriors' hand he could reach. He heard Warriors gasp in surprise.

"Sprite…? Are you awake?"

"D…ad…?" Mask barely managed to croak out that one word, his voice still incredibly hoarse.

"Hyrule! He's waking up!" Warriors exclaimed.

"How're you feeling, Kiddo?" Hyrule asked.

"Mhh…" Mask groaned in response, not sure how exactly to answer that. His mind was still in a fog and it was taking a while to recall exactly what was happening; he remembered there being a fire and a lot of smoke, but not much else, "Wha's dis?" Mask asked groggily, reaching for the cloth over his eyes. Little by little he was finding the strength to move more.

"That's to help your eyes. Smoke can really hurt them, and one way to help with that is to put a wet cloth over your eyes and let the water soak in." Hyrule exclaimed, "You've probably had that on long enough, though. Want me to take it off so you can open your eyes?" Mask nodded. Hyrule removed the cloth, momentarily exposing the wet skin beneath to the cool air before the sun warmed it up again. With some effort, Mask finally managed to peel his eyes open, being momentarily blinded by the sun overhead before Warriors leaned forward into view, blocking the light from the kid's face. There was a smile on his face that held immense relief, probably just to see that Mask was awake.

"Hey, Sprite. You feeling any better?" He asked.

"A… A little—" Mask was cut off by a sudden cough escaping his lungs. He sat bolt upright, so fast it made his head spin. Warriors put a hand on his back, rubbing in a circular motion. After a few more seconds of coughing, Mask spat out a dark-grayish blob of phlegm onto the ground; a clear sign of there having been a fair amount of soot in his lungs.

"Well, at least you're getting that out." Warriors shrugged.

“Now we just have to hope you, Sky, and Legend can get rid of all of that before it causes more problems.” Hyrule sighed.

“Ughhhhh…” Mask groaned. His mouth still tasted like what he’d imagine eating straight charcoal would be like. Gross…

Mask looked around at his surroundings. The group was resting in a clearing just beyond the still-smoking forest. Most of the group seemed to have gotten out unscathed, the ashes dusting their faces and clothes being the only indication of them being caught in a forest fire. Legend, Twilight, and– to Mask’s horror– Warriors all had bandages covering various parts of their bodies, likely over burns. Had Warriors gotten hurt trying to save him and Sky? Mask felt awful. Even if there had been no real way to avoid it, he still felt awful that once again, his father had risked his life to get Mask out of a dangerous situation. He wanted to apologize… But he knew Warriors would never accept it. He looked away from his father sadly, suddenly noticing Sky, not only alive but awake and sitting up.

“SKY!!!” Mask exclaimed, leaping to his feet and rushing to the Skylofitan Knight’s side. Pain shot up his left leg as he remembered that he’d hurt it back in the forest, and Mask stumbled, falling forward. He would have faceplanted the ground if Sky hadn’t caught him

“Mask! Take it easy!” Hyrule scolded. Mask ignored him. He felt tears coming again as he threw his arms around his friend.

“I can’t believe you’re alive! I was so s-scared when you…” Mask trailed off, not wanting to think about it.

“Here, Sky, I’ve got one left.” Wild handed Sky a green-colored elixir from his Slate.

“Thanks, Wild.” Sky was still wheezing a bit, but at least he seemed to be able to breathe again somewhat. The wheezing stopped, however, seconds after he’d downed the green elixir WIld handed him.

“Lucky thing you figured out stamina potions help with that weird breathing problem you have.” Wild said. Sky gave a halfhearted laugh,

“If they didn’t, I would have died years ago.”

“Wait, then what was the potion you gave me earlier?” Mask asked, pulling the bottle of blue liquid from his bag. Sky’s eyes went wide.

“You didn't use it?!” He asked, “It’s something from my world that allows you to hold your breath for longer. I usually only use it underwater but it’s good for emergencies when I can’t get ahold of a stamina fruit or potion at the moment. I… I gave that to you so you’d be able to hold out until help came. Especially because I was sure I wasn't going to make it anyway."

"I couldn't just drink it and leave you to die. I knew that if you did make it, you'd probably need it more than me." Mask told him, stunned by the explanation.

"Wow. We really are all too selfless for our own good, aren't we?" Four snickered.

"Guess so." Sky shrugged. He took the bottle back from Mask and placed it in his pouch, "I do appreciate that you were looking out for me, though, kiddo." Sky ruffled Mask's hair.

"You two are such fucking idiots!" Legend sighed, suddenly (and very out of character) pulling Sky and Mask into a hug.

"Language." Sky warned.

"Sky, I do not give a shit right now. I almost lost two of my friends a few hours ago. Let me express my emotions my way."

"Unfortunately… We do need to keep moving. I know you're all tired, and some of you are in pain, but this fire will spread, and if we don't get some distance between us and it, we'll be doing this all over again." Time spoke up, "Get everything together quickly. Someone will need to carry Mask and Sky so they can get a little extra rest." Several groans came in response, but everyone knew Time was right.

"I'll take Mask." Warriors said without a second's hesitation.

"I've got Sky." Twilight volunteered.

"Wait, before we leave." Hyrule butted in, grabbing two red potions from his bag. He handed one to Sky and one to Mask, "Drink those. And I want you both— and Legend— drinking as much water as you possibly can afterwards."

"Seriously? I don't need you to—" Legend tried to argue. Hyrule cut him off.

"Drink. The freaking. Water." Hyrule told him firmly, giving a death glare that would rival Time's and handing over his waterskin. Legend rolled his eyes, but drank anyway.

The group had most of their things gathered up and ready to set off again when a horribly familiar laugh was heard behind them. A second Fire Wizzrobe had appeared at the edge of the forest, grinning at them. Not wanting to make the same mistake as last time, Time turned around and said,

"Yep, we are leaving now."

I doodle a lot when I write, okay?

#linked keys #LK #loz au #LK Legend #LK Sky #LK Mask #totally not projecting onto Sky with the asthma thing #whumptober2022

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