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redux-iterum · 9 months

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Burning Hearts: Chapter Twenty-Three

(AO3 counterpart here.)

The young warriors did hunt a little, finding no pigeons. Fairly, Fireheart was distracted; Ravenwing’s concerns plucked away at Fireheart’s mind, leaving him unaware of the leaves under his feet and the scent of prey amidst the mulch. Greystripe and Ravenwing fared better, but they were both silent, Ravenwing tense and Greystripe radiating a palpably false calmness. Once in a while, Fireheart caught his eyes, dark and storming, but Greystripe’s mouth stayed shut and his tail steady.

They waited until the next night to leave for the Houses, setting off early under the guise of more hunting. Oddly, Fireheart’s chest iced over a little when Tigerclaw casually greeted them as he went for breakfast and wished them good luck as they left. He didn’t follow this emotion’s lead - he just marched off after his friends and forcibly thought about everything he was seeing around him.

“I don’t know the Houses as well as you two do,” Ravenwing said as they neared the border. “And I really don’t know any of the cats there. Fireheart, can you—?”

“Sure,” Fireheart said without thought, mentally stumbling a little at the unintentional interruption. “Sorry. Of course.”

Ravenwing didn’t look offended. If anything, by the glance he shared with Greystripe, he seemed understanding. Understanding of what, exactly, Fireheart didn’t want to think about; he just took the lead at a smart trot, fast enough for his friends to have to hurry a little to keep up with him.

The sky was open and, thankfully, cloudless. Scents of several different cats drifted from over fences and around street corners. Ravenwing and Greystripe spoke to each other about something Fireheart missed, his mind now on Rosy as he neared her house.

Were those rogues going to bother kittypets? Was Rosy safe? Fireheart hadn’t seen her in so long, maybe she—

A white cloud of fur, the hairs catching what little moonlight there was, suddenly came into view as they passed a house blocking the rest of the street. Fireheart perked up as he recognized Onion. Surely his sister’s mate would know something.

“Onion!” he called, waving his tail as the broad-faced tom looked his way. “It’s Fireheart!”

Onion squinted a little and tilted his head. “Who?”

Fireheart faltered. “Rosy’s brother? I was here last time with Smudge.”

“Ohhh,” Onion said in his slow drawl, sounding just as uninterested as in their first meeting. His puffy grey tail tapped the ground. “Right. Fireheart. Howdy.”

“This is your sister’s mate, right?” Ravenwing murmured in Fireheart’s ear.

Fireheart nodded, then said to Onion, “How’s she doing?”

“Who?”

“My– my sister.” Fireheart blinked, off-put.

Onion rolled a shoulder. “I’unno. She’s been in her house for a while.”

It was Fireheart’s turn to squint. “You haven’t checked on her or anything? Isn’t she your mate?”

“Eh.” Onion tilted his head apathetically, eyes lifting to watch the sky. “Nah. She’s the one who says that. I just did her a favor, really.”

To Fireheart’s surprise, he nearly bristled. “What, so you just gave her kits and that’s it?”

“Yeah,” said Onion, completely unaware of the glare Fireheart was giving him. “I do that sometimes.”

Something brushed against Fireheart’s side. When he looked, it was Ravenwing’s tail, and turning further, its owner was giving him a rather kind warning expression. Fireheart’s chest and stomach squeezed out the outrage bubbling in his body and let it drip out into his paws, which unsheathed their claws and sank into the loose dirt on the side of the road. The gesture did the trick of rebounding with calmness, at least, and Fireheart sighed before returning his attention to the loaf of thoughtlessness lounging before him.

“Fine,” he said. “Listen, these are my friends from my Clan. We have a couple questions I’m hoping you can answer.”

Onion’s dim face gave him nothing to work with, but he wasn’t refused, so he continued.

“You’ve seen those big black-and-white cats walking around?” he asked. “Do you know anything about them?”

Onion nodded slowly. “They’re some bad town cats. They killed someone, I heard.”

“They did,” Greystripe said flatly. “One of our own.”

“Oh.” Onion blinked. “Shame.”

Fireheart rested his tail-tip against Greystripe’s leg and said to Onion, “Do you know anything about that murder?”

“Or even just anything about those cats,” Ravenwing added. “We need as much information as we can get.”

Onion’s eyes went skyward again as he hummed in thought. “I didn’t see it, but I got told it was some big golden cat that they chased down.”

“‘Chased down’,” Ravenwing echoed. “They didn’t just quarrel with him and it got out of control?”

“Not that I heard. They went after him even when he ran.”

Ravenwing looked to Fireheart. “So they must have wanted to kill him. No cat’s stupid enough to pick a fight with Lionface for no reason, I don’t care how big they are.”

Fireheart nodded, his ears back a little. “Is that all you know about the attack?” Onion nodded. “Then do you know why they’re here?”

“Uh…” Onion mimed chewing, his eyes screwed up tight as his tiny mind (stop that, be nice, Fireheart scolded himself) worked on this. “Well, they’re town cats, yeah, and I think they belong to some gang or another. Someone’s telling them to stick around here, at least. I’ve seen them, and the one with an underbite was moaning about having to be around house cats.” He scoffed. “No idea why he thinks he’s so high and mighty and that he’s so much better than us.”

Fireheart looked back at his friends. Ravenwing’s tail shivered, and though Greystripe was silent and his face unreadable, he was radiating a heatwave of fury.

---

Tigerclaw spoke quietly with Frostfur as she sat outside of the nursery. By the sound of it, she was updating him on how Goldenflower was doing. He was as stoic as usual, but his tail-tip flicked fretfully.

Fireheart watched him, his ears nearly flat and his stomach churning. Like Greystripe and Ravenwing, there was none of the prey they’d caught at his feet. They were bunched together in the corner of camp where loose fur and other things were discarded to keep them out of the clearing and dens. Everyone was talking or eating, most of the conversation being about the next Gathering or the new kits or some other thing that Fireheart wasn’t paying attention to.

“There has to be an explanation,” he muttered. “There has to be one.”

“I’m sure there is,” Greystripe said quietly, his claws carding the sand. “And it’s not going to be one we like.”

Ravenwing, at least, made an effort to soothe Fireheart. “We don’t have all the information yet. We just have one kittypet’s word to go on and some coincidences. More is needed before we can come to a conclusion.”

“Tigerclaw, you’re going to make Brindleface nervous,” Frostfur said, audibly trying to be patient and failing tremendously. “She’s already got the runt to worry about and Goldenflower needs rest too. Just– find something to do. Everything is okay, I promise.”

Tigerclaw straightened up, his tail still twitching. “You’re certain?”

“Yes,” Frostfur half-sighed, half-grumbled. “Just give the queens some space. If anything comes up, you’ll be the first to know.”

Fireheart abruptly stood up and started for Tigerclaw, only flicking his tail when Ravenwing whispered, “Where are you going?”

Tigerclaw didn’t notice him until he spoke, and even though his voice was as soft as ever, the Titan of a tom still turned to him with surprise.

“We can walk, if that’d help,” Fireheart said. “Maybe try to find some more prey. The pile’s still low.”

Tigerclaw’s surprise faded into warmth and he nodded slowly. With a dip of his head to Frostfur, he went with Fireheart to the entrance of camp. Fireheart turned his head as slightly as he could while still seeing his friends. They didn’t look confident.

The woods were cold and still, and with no leaves to block its path, the moon claimed more of the ground, dappling it with pale light. It did nothing to warm the forest, but it was at least pretty.

“Our hunting area is south,” Tigerclaw said, and turned that direction.

Fireheart trotted alongside him, chewing on what he could possibly say without sounding suspicious. Questioning Tigerclaw was right out—they didn’t have enough to work with—but just ignoring it wasn’t any better. Fireheart stared straight ahead, eyes darting to Tigerclaw once in a while.

“Are you alright?” Tigerclaw asked suddenly, when the silence had gone on too long. “You seem…” He paused, considering. “Worried.”

Fireheart’s mind was thankfully quick. “Oh, well… I am a little anxious about Goldenflower. You and I can’t go in to see her, and we only really have Frostfur’s word to go on, you know?”

“I do know,” Tigerclaw murmured, his eyes tense.

Even with this opportunity of an excuse, Fireheart’s compassion took over. “I don’t think we actually have anything to worry about, though. She’s the matriarch; she knows what to do.”

Tigerclaw sighed through his nose and nodded. “We’ll just have to trust her.”

Fireheart watched Tigerclaw’s face now: pinched, with a stretched-out grimace, his ears fighting to not fold against his head.

“What’s bothering you?” Fireheart asked gently (gently, to Tigerclaw, like he was some scared apprentice, honestly…). “Is it the kits?”

Tigerclaw took a breath. His voice was even more quiet than usual. “I suppose… in a sense, the kits, yes, but…” He breathed in again, paused, and then looked down at Fireheart. “I’m sure someone’s told you, but it’s taken a long time for me to be comfortable with starting a family.”

Fireheart nodded for him to continue.

“Goldenflower has always wanted one, but she waited for me to want one, too.” Tigerclaw’s voice turned affectionate. “She could have just found another mate. Someone who was ready. But she chose to stay with me and wait.”

Fireheart curled his tail. “You’re not easily replaced, I’d say. So what made you ready now?”

In response, Tigerclaw slowed down and gave him a somewhat amused, mostly fond look. Fireheart caught on quickly and beamed, a purr in his throat.

“I’ll admit,” Tigerclaw said as they walked faster again, his amusement in his tone, “mentoring who I mentored could only get me so far. Darkstripe is… Darkstripe, and Sandstorm was always difficult, even though she mostly listened to me. They didn’t exactly warm me up to parenthood.”

Fireheart chuffed. “Bluestar gave you the really hard ones. Maybe she was testing you.”

“Well, you certainly tested her back,” Tigerclaw said. “That’s a fair exchange. You’ve been easy on us, at least.”

Fireheart’s whiskers twitched. He padded alongside the deputy, glad for the peaceful air between them.

“You must be more excited than I am,” Tigerclaw said after a stretch of silence. “You’ll have siblings in ThunderClan, and you’ll know a proper family life.”

At this, Fireheart stiffened a little. Tigerclaw looked at him curiously.

“Is that not what you want?” he asked, concerned.

Fireheart mentally debated with himself, then decided to take the risk. He said, still soft and now hesitant, “Um, to be honest, I do have family, in the Houses.”

Tigerclaw blinked.

“Her name is Rosy,” Fireheart said, eyes on the ground. “She’s my sister from the same litter. I met her when I was hunting for RiverClan.” Against his will, his voice turned wobbly. “She’s having her kits very soon. Or she already has and that’s kept her inside. I’m not sure. I haven’t seen her in so long…”

He expected… he wasn’t sure what he expected. Scolding? Disdain? Disappointment? What he didn’t expect was a long-haired tail coming to rest on his back. He stopped walking and looked back in surprise, then up to Tigerclaw, whose eyes were compassionate and even a little pained.

“Have you visited her when you weren’t supposed to?” he asked softly.

Fireheart nodded, a bit ashamed still.

Tigerclaw turned his head forward, blinked slowly, then shut his eyes. He seemed even more pained now. Fireheart waited until he returned his gaze to the much smaller tom. “I don’t blame you. I understand wanting to know your blood-family.”

Fireheart’s innards sagged with relief.

Tigerclaw’s mouth opened, shut, then opened again. He spoke slowly. “To tell you the truth, I might have family there, too.” His voice strained. “My father was the leader of ThunderClan, and one day he left us all to live as a kittypet.” Fireheart’s eyes darted down to his unsheathed, sharply curved claws. “His entire Clan, his son and mate… he abandoned everything for collars and pellet-food. I can’t—” He cut himself off, then resumed with the slightest tinge of venom. “I can’t go there most of the time. He must be dead by now, but if he isn’t, and I see him… I don’t know what I’d do.”

That Wildcat…

Fireheart held off an excited description of the cat he’d met at the morose look on Tigerclaw’s face. He instead offered what little support he could by leaning into Tigerclaw’s shoulder. His father’s body language softened enough for his voice to return to normal.

“I’ve never been fond of kittypets,” he said. “But I tried my best to be kind to you. I hope I’ve managed that.”

Fireheart blinked slowly. “If you didn’t like me, I never noticed. You’ve always been nice.”

This did what he’d hoped for—Tigerclaw relaxed completely, shut his eyes for a moment, and opened them again, warmer and more at ease.

“Good,” he murmured. After a moment, he added, “Perhaps we should both stay away from the Houses for a while. Until things are peaceful again.”

The pair continued on their walk, now silent and peaceful save for a quiet comment here and there about smelling prey and a break to try and catch what they scented. Tigerclaw was not the stealthiest of cats, but Fireheart’s size wasn’t much of an advantage when it was easy for him to trip.

They eventually had a couple things—a squirrel and a little brown bird—and started back for home, still silent and comfortable.

For the most part. Fireheart trotted a bit behind Tigerclaw, watching him as they headed home. His movements were casual and calm, his tail high in the air and waving lazily.

There has to be an explanation, Fireheart thought. We’ll find out more and get to the bottom of it. It’ll be fine. Reasonable. I know it.

#warrior cats #redux iterum #iterum #arc one #book two #burning hearts #chapter #chapter twenty three

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balshumetsbaragouin · 2 months

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Chapter Twenty-Three is out! I am so excited for this chapter. This is the long-awaited climax of the story. Can Danny save Valerie's life by curing the curse? Will Valerie, and her suit, kill Danny first? Will anything be the same after the fateful reveal last chapter? Find out in the Penultimate entry to Passion and Plasmatic Plague.

Don't have time to read it just this second? Enjoy this preview of the chapter below!:

He phased through the roof, boots touching down gently on the tile of the showroom floor. He’d spent the last several minutes casing the store, making absolutely sure it was abandoned. The lights were on, and the heat was on full blast, but the entire parking lot stood empty. The road outside sported deep gouges and craters, courtesy of the cursed Skulker suit. The employees had fled without even locking the door. He changed that immediately, using some telekinesis to flip the locks. He then drew down the blinds, blocking off the showroom. He shoved a few of the mattresses, and their bed frames, against the doors for good measure. No interruptions.

He didn’t know how long it would take her to wake up. On the brief flight over, she’d gone from quiet whines and gentle shifting, to jerking in his arms every twenty seconds. They weren’t enough to loosen his physical grip, but they did increase the grip of anxiety around his core. Right after he placed her on the mattress and locked the doors, he pressed his ear to her chest again. Her heartbeat thumped against his ear, chambers sounding wrong. He heard a squishing whoosh after every beat, and every once in a while, the contraction sounded uncoordinated, like the whole organ had gotten off rhythm. She started gasping. This isn’t a heart attack, is it? He’d taken a CPR class two years ago, but it didn’t cover curse-induced arrhythmia. Lacking other options, he pressed a palm to her breastbone and sent a gentle wave of energy inside. It seemed to do something positive, because the rhythm under his hand stabilized, and so did her breathing. “Ok, good job with the quick thinking, now what?” He couldn’t actually cure her until she woke up… if she woke up.

Her heart started acting up again, and he sent another wave of energy while thinking through his options. He needed to tell the rest of Team Phantom what was going on. He also needed to set a timer. If she didn’t wake up on her own in the next fifteen minutes, he was taking her to a hospital. They could at least stabilize her, even if he had to sneak in later to administer the cure. The flutters of her heartbeat under his hand slowed, and he pushed in more energy. The suit rewarded him with a slash, cutting a brutal line from where his wrist met his palm to his elbow. He hissed and forced the area closed. “Stupid fucking thing, I’m saving her life. Do you want her to die?” Maybe it did. It was hostile cursed tech, after all. It slashed at his fingers and he sent down a full body wave that forced the metallic tendrils still. “Don’t bother answering that.” He pulled out his phone from a pocket to hold in his other hand. Texting sinister style made it more difficult, but he couldn’t take his hand away. He tapped out a group text, feeling the staccato under his palm strengthen with each passing wave of ecto-energy.

#Danny Phantom #Danny Phantom Fanfiction #DP #DP Fanfic #Passion and Plasmatic Plague #PaPP #Balshumet's Baragouin #Chapter Twenty Three

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renee-writer · 7 months

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April 15th Chapter Twenty-three

AO3

“Brathiar!” he looks up from where he is working on a case, his face filling with a smile.

“Willie! When did you get back?” He stands, embracing his older brother.

“Just now. I can’t believe how much I have missed. A bride, a son, with another on the way. You have had a busy year.”

“A year plus. You didn’t receive my letters in Paris?”

“In truth brother, I did. Simon has me so busy, I didn’t have time to read them. Now, I wish I had. Please tell me you married for love?”

He smiles. “I did. It was to help her, as well. Aye, I am deeply in love with her.”

“She feels?”

“The same.” He pats his back, “It took a bit of time but she loves me.”

“You must tell me everything.”

He does starting with the night of the Titanic tragedy.

“Amazing. How blessed she was that you were on the Carpathia.”

“How blessed we all are.” He puts his arm around him, “Come meet my wife and son.”

Claire has just stood, trying to get some relief from her back pain when the two man walk in. That the other man is a relative of her husband’s is obvious. He shares his height, his striking blue eyes, and his red hair.

“Claire, meet my brother, William, fresh from learning the craft of spirit making with our cousin, Simon, in Paris.” He bows low to her, “William, my bride, Claire Elizabeth Fraser.”

“It is very nice to meet you William.”

“You as well, Claire.” Fergus tugs at her skirt.

“This is our son Fergus Henry Fraser. Fergus, meet your Uncle William.”

The little boy stares up at the tall man standing by his daddy.

“Come here son.” He walks over and Jamie lifts him up, “This is daddy ‘s brother, William. Just like you have a brother or sister inside mama, I have a brother and sister here.”

“Auntie Jenny!” he shouts out. He loves her. She sneaks him sweets.

Jamie and William laugh, “Just so. Uncle William is our brother.”

“Hello little man.” He looks at him, nods solemnly.

“Hello.” He replies.

“You have a grandpa too. Our own da. He is still away.” Uncle William says.

Brian Fraser remains in Paris. Simon is in ill health and he is there to see to him.

“Grandpa?”

“Yes your daddy’s, daddy.” Jamie explains.

“Uh Jamie.” She says softly. When that fails to get his attention, she says it louder. He turns to her. What he sees has color fleeing his face. She stands, bent over, pale herself. “It is time.”

#my writing #outlander fanfic #april 15th #chapter twenty three #jamie and claire #cannon divergence #outlander fandom

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nightfall-by-jacqui-natla · 10 months

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23. FORKS HIGH SCHOOL

WE ARRIVED AT MY OLD HIGH SCHOOL IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT. I DIDN'T THINK THAT I WOULD RETURN TO SCHOOL, EVEN AS A VAMPIRE. Well, the Cullens would be used to this sort of thing by now. Luckily, there were no human students or teachers around. We stopped at the car park and the cars were nowhere to be seen.

"The school must've been shut by now," I said. "The only way I can get in would be the roof."

Wolves Seth and Leah looked on at me and his little soft growl escaped from the male wolf.

What do you want us to do? He might have said.

"Both of you need to stay out," I commanded and Leah snarled. "To keep an eye out on anything suspicious. Don't let Dina see either of you."

The wolves bowed their heads, and all agreed with my plan. I ran towards the school and jumped on the roof; the wolves guarded the school. My amber eyes scanned the roof but it wasn't a way to get in. Until I spotted something: some steel block.

This could be a way in. I thought to myself.

I walked speedily to it, only to see a steel vent. The vent had bars blocking the way. I pulled the bars off the vent with no problems.

I jumped in the vent and landed on the flooring. I walked forward, crouching down to avoid the vent flooring. Then, I stopped moving, realising there were two paths on both sides.

Crap.

There were two pathways. And Ayla was in danger and I need to save her. I ran to the right. I sprinted carefully across the vent, trying to not get Dina's attention. I thought I was going to run into a dead end until I saw dim lights shining through the bars below. I moved slowly forward and my eyes caught sight of the gym hall below me.

It was quiet and dark. I pulled up the bar and gently placed it near me. I took a breath before I jumped off the edge of the vent. I gracefully landed on the gym floor with a little crack below my bare feet.

Silence filled the room. There was no sight of life near me. Maybe I was alone and they weren't in the room, to begin with. Or maybe it was a trap and this was all the setup. With all hope of seeing Ayla alive again gone, I was ready to jump back up to the inside of the vent and searched again...

"Violet?"

I heard the faint sound of a female's voice. I knew that voice. Ayla. I whirled around, trying to find her.

"Violet? Violet? I'm up here!"

I rose my head and looked at the large cage with a blonde girl inside. She looked down at me with her brown eyes. She was wearing a white summer dress as if she was prepared to be a sacrifice.

"Ayla?" I said and her name echoed in the gym. She nodded. "What are doing in there?"

Ayla sniffed as tears trailed down from her eyes, looking at the ground, and my heart broke. "You're alive," she said to me, hugging her stomach, and grunted. "Go..."

"What has Dina done to you?" I asked and I heard laughter behind me.

A sickly giggle echoed in the room. I spun, trying to locate Dina in the gym. And I found her, standing across the gym from me. She still looked the same. The same heartless woman who tormented me. She had a light face with long blonde hair and glared darkly with her green eyes. She wore a sleeveless black dress with the skirt down to her knees. Her lips were coloured with red lipstick. She smiled with a wicked grin.

"You came," Dina Wyatt said to me. "How very big-sisterly of you."

My pale face flushed with rage. "Why are you doing this?"

"I see you're a vampire now. You think I could be a fool knowing that you have amber eyes now."

I sighed. "I was told that you're a werewolf," I stated to her.

"You still use that term?" she chuckled. "We prefer to be called Children of the Moon. And so is my daughter and soon, the full moon will come out," Dina shrugged her shoulders. "And you made it too easy for me."

Then, as if nature had heard everything, the full moon shone through the windows. Dina's eyes were bright yellow. Her face was shaped into a canine-like face. Her human was then replaced with thin black fur; her blonde hair remained the same. Her legs grew and stretched, her dress ripped off from her body.

I looked to see Ayla but the cage rattled. I heard snarling coming from the cage.

"Violet, run!" Ayla yelled.

"I'm not leaving you again!" I shouted.

"Maybe that's a good thing after all!"

The words cut me like a knife. I shouldn't have left her with Dina. I was such an idiot for it. Ayla roared but it wasn't a human roar. It was like a werewolf Dina's roar. Then, the cage crashed open and she fell. She landed on her feet, creating small cracks below her feet but she was different.

There was brown fur grew on her skin and her legs stretched. Her white dress was ripped but still on her. Her eyes, which were normally brown, were orange. Both of them had claws grown on their fingers and roared at me.

All my life, I knew I was different. But I never would think that all of it was a lie. Or somewhat of a fantasy.

The beasts growled at my presence and crawled heavily towards me.

When the life you knew — and grew in — and discovered it was not real, to begin with, you started questioning everything that you were. All the people you loved might not be what they appeared in the first place. It would hurt, bad.

The beasts snarled, drooling, as they charged forward to kill me.

I didn't want to hurt Ayla. When the werewolf Ayla charged towards me, I jumped over her, barely missing her, and she collided with the benches. I gazed at the werewolf Dina and this sudden rage took over my body; it wasn't the blood-thirsty kind.

"You ruined my life!" I screamed when suddenly, a purple aura jumped out of my body and pushed werewolf Dina away from me.

I gasped at this point. Did I do that? I thought I could only turn invisible. Werewolf Dina growled as she got up from the ground. She roared and ran at me again.

Then, out of nowhere, Leah knocked my werewolf stepmother out of the way with her face. She, along with Seth, came in. Then, he looked at werewolf Ayla and ran to her. He stood beside her and werewolf Ayla stared at him. She didn't attack him. Then, a howl was heard, making the werewolf Dina looked her right. Werewolf Ayla looked to her right as well. They howled at the moon and ran out of the building; Seth followed. I was ready to follow them but Leah blocked my way. She shook her wolf face.

"Leah," I said. "Can you keep an eye on Seth and Ayla?"

Leah nodded and ran out of the building. They were gone. I couldn't believe what was happening here.

"Violet!" I heard a male voice booming from the gym.

I spun and I saw my family with the Cullens and the Denalis.

"What were you doing?" Helena yelled loudly. "We've been looking for you!"

"You better have a good explanation for this," said Joseph.

"Violet," began Eleazar calmly. "Why were you fighting against the wolves?"

"And how are you not dead?" Kate spoke up. "They would have torn you apart as they did with Laurent."

"Kate!" Tanya shouted like an annoyed sister and I could've heard Emmett laughing under his breath.

"Told you she's alive," Ethan said to Alana and Simon. "I don't see how Alice didn't see her. Did Seth help —?"

"That explains it," I heard Alice speaking.

"By the way," Alana said and lifted the shoes that I left behind. "Twenty-five pounds worth. You're lucky I can see you through this." She threw it on the floor.

Then, everyone started talking at once. I couldn't keep up with any of them. Then, the rage grew inside of me and I screamed; the same purple aura flew out of me as my scream grew louder. I couldn't get my anger back under control. The purple auras were flying around the gym. The sound disappeared and the purple auras slowly spun in circles.

My scream stopped and I looked at the ground as my vision blurred. I collapsed on the floor and closed my eyes.

"Violet!" Gabriel's scream was the last thing I heard.

Continue to 24. RECOVERY

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ericshoney · 8 months

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Under the moonlight ~ Chapter twenty-three

As the werewolves gathered outside to save their girls, inside the dimly lit warehouse stood a large group of vampires. All of them staring at the two werewolves chained to the tables, the leader amongst the vampires stepped forwards.

"Drain their blood. I want every last drop." He orders his undead group.

"Fuck you!" Chloe shouts, thrashing in her restraints.

"Oh weak little pup, your so stupid. Drain them." He said.

Two vampires step forward and grab tubes that were connected to two large tanks. Both female werewolves fight the chains the best they could, wriggling and growling.

"Taeyong Hyung." One of the younger's in the group call, the leader turning to look at him.

"They're here." He said.

"Alright boys, go play with the mutts." He smirks, watching his other vampire members rush off. His eyes turn to his other friends who are setting up to drain the girls' blood.

As Taeyong watches, he could hear the growls and shouts of the werewolves. He wasn't scared, its something he could never feel. His focus on the two girls. Even when the door flies open and the group of angered wolves charged in.

"Get away from them!" Sangyeon growls, so loudly, the two vampires fall to the floor. Taeyong being the most powerful didn't move an inch.

"Your little friends are fully dead now, not just their hearts." Sangyeon said.

Taeyong laughs and walks over to the girls, standing between both of their tables. His two other friends vanished as the true alpha growled. Leaving Taeyong to fight eleven angry male werewolves.

"I'm already draining their blood, your too late~"

The wolves look over and see IV's stuck in the girls arms, flowing through rubber tubes into the large tanks.

"You asshole!" Sunwoo growls.

The young omega turns full wolf and charges at the vampire, pinning him against the wall before he could get away. Growling and baring his teeth at the undead male.

"What you going to do pup, can't do fuck all without big man's orders~" Taeyong said smirking.

"I'll rip your neck out with my teeth." Sunwoo snarled.

"Go ahead." Taeyong offers.

"You heard the man." Sangyeon spoke from the back.

Sunwoo smirks at the vampire, his teeth sharp as he bites down, the sound of skin ripping and blood dripping. Taeyong falls to the floor lifeless as Sunwoo wipes his mouth. Younghoon and Sangyeon run over to their girls, ripping the IV's from their arms, breaking the chains and helping them up.

"Your safe now." Sangyeon whispers in Chloe's ear.

"I have you, your safe in my arms." Younghoon whispers in Max's ear.

"Let's get home, all the vampires are gone, you girls are back in safe arms." Jacob said softly.

The two girls nod, holding onto their alphas. It was one eventful night, but their enemy was quickly taken care of.

#kpop #theboyzfanfic #theboyz #au #ocs #werewolves #werewolf #chapter twenty three #kpop fanfic #kpop au #the boyz au

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isabellafoster13 · 1 year

Text

Chapter Twenty-Three: Russian Roulette

WARNING: GAMBLING AND GUN USE! BRIEF MENTIONS OF DEATH AND PREVIOUS PANIC ATTACK!

DISCLAIMER: YOU SHOULD NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES PLAY RUSSIAN ROULETTE! IT IS A HIGHLY DANGEROUS AND VERY STUPID GAME! I DO NOT CONDONE PLAYING THIS GAME!

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Rufus stepped out of the bedroom that he was sharing with Midnight, dressed and intending to wait for the other three to rouse themselves and get ready for either more gambling or to leave la Cour de Velours. He walked over to the couch and sat on it, quickly spying a communication lacrima on the coffee table. He reached for it and held it in his hands, deciding to give his friends a call.

It didn't take long for Sting to pick up. Rufus could see that his Guild Master was at Fairy Tail, the sound of the destructive guild has difficult to miss. Sting greeted him, "hey, what's up man? How's the mission going?"

Rufus answered, "we've collected a fair amount of keys, but we have many more to go. If I remember correctly, there are eighty-eight keys in all. Lucy currently has," he counted up the keys that Lucy had by now in his head, "thirty-four keys."

Sting exclaimed, "nice! So, you've got fifty-four left to go!"

Rufus nodded. He was about to ask how the others were doing when Sting was pushed away and Natsu appeared and questioned, "hey, Rufus, how's Luce? She hasn’t gotten hurt has she?" He stared at the blonde man with a critical eye.

Rufus, unfazed, answered, "she's doing fine."

"Where is she? I wanna talk to her!"

"I'm sorry, but she is still asleep. I'll tell her that you wanted to talk to her so that she can call you when she has the time."

"Fine!"

It was at that moment that Sting took the communication lacrima back. He grinned at his friend, inquiring, "so, have you made a move yet?"

"Pardon?"

"You know what I mean! Have you made a move on Blondie yet?"

Rufus stared at him with widened eyes, his cheeks heating up in a blush. The question reminded him of Lucy's visit to Sabertooth, about a month ago even though it felt like it was years ago. He remembered having "made a move" by flirting with her and then was about to propose a date when she had been dragged away. He diverted his green eyes as he answered, "I...No, no, I haven't."

"What?! Well, you better get on that because nearly every member of our guild has a lot of money riding on you getting with Blondie!"

Rufus looked right back at him, thoughts of dating Lucy gone from his head. "What do you mean?"

Sting chuckled before he revealed, "we've been betting on who will get with Blondie first. All of Fairy Tail is betting on Freed, Crime Sorciere is betting on Midnight, and Minerva is the only member of Sabertooth who isn't betting on you. She says that she doesn't want to bet at all, but Orga and I are sure that we've almost gotten her convinced to bet on you."

Rufus sighed before the dragon slayer's words sunk into his brain. He gave Sting a sharp and serious stare as he questioned, "what do you mean that Freed and Midnight are being betted on?"

"Huh? Well, it's obvious that they've got a thing for Blondie, just like you."

"What?!"

Rufus had suspected such, but to have it confirmed was different. He tightened his grip on the communication lacrima as he demanded, "do you know anything about Freed's and Midnight's intentions?"

Sting hummed before he answered, "I have no idea. Hold on! I'm gonna get Mira!"

Rufus was alone for not even a minute before Mira hopped in front of the communication lacrima with a big smile on her face. She answered Rufus' previous question, "Freed was planning to get closer to Lucy so that his chances with her would increase, however, Midnight is either unaware of his feelings or is in denial."

Rufus gave a short hum. He'll have to keep an especially close eye on Freed. Midnight wasn't particularly worrying if he really wasn't aware or accepting of his feelings, but nevertheless, he was still one to watch. The memory-make mage nodded to Mira, silently thanking her for the confirming information,

Unfortunately, the white-haired woman didn't want to leave just yet. She instantly probed, "so, have you thought about names for yours and Lucy's babies? I have a list if you'd like to hear them! I'm, of course, betting on Freed, but I don't mind helping with baby names..."

As Mira continued on, Rufus silently ended the call. He sat the communication lacrima back on the coffee table. He leaned back, only to jump slightly when he heard Lucy ask, "who were you talking to?"

Rufus looked over to see the celestial wizard walking over to the couch and sitting on the opposite end from him. He noticed that she was dressed in a long-sleeved, form-fitting, light blue shirt, along with a pair of form-fitting jeans. It was strange to see that she had changed her style of clothing in such a way, but it wasn't his place to question it, so he instead pushed it out of his head and answered, "I just wanted to call Sting and see how everybody was doing."

"And? How are they?"

"They're fine. Natsu wanted to talk to you. I suggest that you call him when you have the chance."

Lucy nodded as she looked down at her bandaged fingers. Rufus followed her gaze. There was a smile on her face, but something about it was sad. His mind went to the previous day, when Lucy seemed to have an attack of some kind. It was a painful thing for him to watch and he wished that he was able to wipe the memory from his mind. He hated that he had just stood there, not knowing what to do.

Worry wrapped around his heart as he gently asked, "Lucy, are you alright?"

She looked at him, her smile widening but not reaching her eyes, and she responded, "of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, considering what things have happened so far, I think that maybe, you aren't as 'alright' as you say that you are."

"Rufus, I'm fine. I promise. Are you alright?"

He blinked at her, confused. He didn't think that he had been acting off. "Why do you ask?"

"You were close to Yukino and Sorano, especially Yukino. How have you been since their deaths?"

Rufus stared at her, his eyes having widened just a bit. He hadn't thought about it. Perhaps he was just too busy to think about his friends' deaths or he just unconsciously didn't allow himself to think about it, but he wasn't able to give an answer. Wanting to divert the topic of conversation, he stood up and asked, "have you looked at the scroll? It would help us know if there are more keys here are not. I'm not interested in staying here longer than necessary."

Lucy nodded, "yeah, I did. It didn't change, so I assume that there are still more."

Rufus nodded before he turned and walked to the bedroom he had previously exited, saying, "I'll wake Midnight and Freed so that we can get a move on."

Rufus followed behind Lucy as she opened the door and walked into the gambling den. Inside, a small woman was sitting on a chair in the middle of the otherwise bare, dimly lit room. Well, almost bare. The only other piece of furniture was a small table that had a single drawer in it, sitting against the left-side wall. She looked up at the small group and grinned, greeting them, "hello!" She then stood up. The woman appeared to be only slightly bigger than Levy. Her wavy, white hair reached her hips and her blue eyes shinned through the dim light of the room. She was dressed in what looked like a strapless, black leotard. On her feet were black flats.

"Who will be playing my game?" She gestured toward the chair that she had been sitting on.

Rufus remembered watching Lucy and Freed play. Knowing that his pride wouldn't allow him to let Freed show him up in being the only one to play besides Lucy, as well as figure out the cheat that Mo and Lilith had tried to pull. He also knew that he could just let Lucy take all of the gambles. So, just as Lucy took a step forward, he surged forward and sat on the chair, shooting Lucy a teasing smirk in response to the surprised look on her face.

The den owner clapped her hands as she cheered, "yay! I'm happy to play against a good-looking fellow!"

Rufus gave a small chuckle, "that's kind of you." He then looked back at her asking, "could I see the keys, please? I'd like to make sure that they are real."

The woman chirped, "yes, of course!" She jogged over to the table. She dragged it over and let it rest a few feet in front of Rufus. She then took her place next to it and opened the drawer just enough to reach her small hand inside. She retracted her hand and handed Rufus two keys.

The blonde man examined the keys, one at a time. The first one was silver with a blade that was shaped like a bird's head, its beak pointing forward, as though it was in flight. On the circular bow was the black profile of a crow. He tested the validity of the key before he returned it to the den owner, nodding his affirmation that it was real. He then repeated his examination on the second silver key. Its blade was moon-shaped and on the circular bow was a black silhouette of a howling wolf. Once he was sure that it too was real, he handed it back.

The two keys were slipped back into the drawer as the white-haired woman said, "by the way, I'm Abyzou."

"I'm Rufus."

"That's an awesome name!"

"Thank you. Your name is quite interesting."

"Thanks!"

Abyzou smiled down at the blonde man. After a few moments of silence, she stomped her foot. A purple light appeared from beneath Rufus. He looked down to see a purple magic seal underneath his chair. Before he could properly react, purple ropes erupted from the magic seal and wrapped around him, tying him to the chair. Rufus struggled to free himself, but stopped when Abyzou pressed her finger against his nose and cooed, "this is necessary for the gamble."

"I fail to see how!" He almost shouted at her and shook his head, trying to shake her finger off of his nose.

Abyzou simply giggled and snatched his hat off of his head. He looked over at the rest of his group, seeing that Lucy, Freed, and Midnight were banging their fists against a wall of purple runes, the sounds of their shouts and the banging of their fists soundless on his end. Abyzou giggled again before she revealed, "they can't pass through that rune barrier, but we can pass through it. It activates once my ropes trap my opponent. Also, they can hear us, but we can't hear them." She swiftly tossed the hat in her hand at the rune wall, Rufus watching as his hat passed through it and landed on the ground beside Lucy.

Rufus gritted his teeth before he shouted, "release me! I'm not doing this!"

The woman responded calmly, "I'm afraid that that isn't how it works. This is my gambling dem which means what I say goes. You accepted the gamble, so you are stuck going through with it."

Unable to use his magic to free himself and seeing no other escape besides participating in the gamble, he sighed, "alright. What is the game?"

Abyzou's grin widened and she reached back into the drawer. She pulled out two dice and handed them to him, asking, "want to check them for loading?"

Rufus nodded, despite not knowing if he would actually be able to. The den owner waved her hand over his left arm, causing the ropes to loosen just enough for him to pull out his left arm, however, that was about it. He turned the pair of dice around in his hand, analyzing for any tampering and weighing them in his hand. When he was sure that they weren't rigged, he handed them back to the woman. In an instant, his arm was being held tightly against his side once again.

He watched as Abyzou reached back into the drawer, pulling out a small box and a revolver. Rufus's eyes widened and his heart picked up its pace significantly. He demanded, "what the hell are you doing with that?"

Abyzou stared at him and blinked her eyes at him innocently, answering, "it's for the game, of course."

This wasn't a game, it was a plot to kill him! Rufus began struggling to free himself again, trying with all his might to activate his magic and save himself. When nothing happened he shouted at Abyzou, "you just want to kill someone! Let me go!"

The woman sighed and drew back her hand, bringing it down swiftly to deliver a hard slap against the side of Rufus' face. The blonde was silenced, his green eyes still wide in growing fear and surprise. He snapped his head back around to stare at the small woman in front of him.

Abyzou explained, "the game is a variation of Russian Roulette." She sat the things she had drawn out of the drawer on top of the table before she picked up the black die and continued, "this die will determine how many rounds we will go." She then sat it on the table and picked up the white die. "This die will be rolled at the beginning of each round. Whatever number it lands on, I will put that many bullets in the revolver." She sat the die back on the table and picked up the revolver, toying with it in her hands. "I will spin the cylinder, put the gun to your head, and pull the trigger. If it doesn't shoot, then you will be given the option of me pulling the trigger again or re-spinning the cylinder. If the gun doesn't shoot twice, then we will move on to the next round and I will roll the white die for the new round." She sat the gun back on the table and asked, "understand?"

Rufus hesitated before he nodded his head. How was this nothing more than a plot to kill? It didn't seem to be much of a gambling game.

He watched as Abyzou rolled the black die, determining the number of rounds. It rolled on the surface of the table before it landed on one of its sides. Five. Five rounds. Rufus gulped, his heartbeat quick and his stomach already twisting and turning.

Abyzou then rolled the white die. Rufus watched it intently. Two. Two bullets.

The woman picked up the revolver and deposited two bullets into the chambers as she announced, "first round." She then turned it around to let Rufus see the position of the bullets. They were right next to each other. Abyzou then closed the cylinder and spun it. When she stopped it, she pointed the gun against the middle of Rufus' forehead, the cold metal sending chills down his spine. Rufus screwed his eyes shut as he waited for the trigger to be pulled and either a click to sound or for his life to be ripped away from him alongside an accompanying bang.

When the click of an empty chamber reached his ears, he breathed a sigh of relief, but tensed again when he remembered that he was far from finished. He opened his eyes to see Abyzou smiling down at him. She pulled the gun away and asked, "re-spin or no re-spin? Take your time to decide."

Rufus thought about it, running the math through his head. If the cylinder was spun again, then the likelihood of it landing on an occupied chamber would be the same as it was with the first spin. Two bullets, six chambers. That is a one in three chance that he will die. This means, if the cylinder is spun again, then he will have a 66.7% chance of surviving.

On the other hand, if he chose for her to not re-spin the cylinder, then he would have a 75% chance of living. The key here is that the bullets were put into the cylinder adjacently, meaning that the two chambers are followed by four empty ones. Either the chamber that the gun is currently on is next to a second empty one, or it is next to a bullet. This gave him a three in four chance that the next chamber is empty.

Deciding that his odds were better if he chose the second option that she gave, he finally answered, "don't re-spin."

Abyzou pressed the gun against the middle of his forehead again. Rufus closed his eyes tightly and waited for what would result.

Click.

The next chamber was, indeed, empty.

Rufus opened his eyes and sighed, relieved that the first round was over, but still aware that he had four more rounds to go.

Abyzou rolled the white die again. Rufus watched it with bated breath. One. One bullet. He allowed a small smile to appear on his face. A one was the best number he could hope for.

Abyzou took one bullet out of one chamber and spun the cylinder. She then said, "second round," before she pressed the gun to the middle of his forehead. He closed his eyes and waited.

Click. An empty chamber.

He opened his eyes as the white-haired woman asked, "re-spin or no re-spin? Again, take your time to choose."

Rufus didn't need to think about it much. It was just one bullet. He had a five out of six chance. That translated to 83.3%. It was an easy choice.

"Don't re-spin."

Abyzou nodded and pressed the gun to the middle of his forehead again. Rufus closed his eyes once more.

Click.

The second round ended with another empty chamber.

Abyzou rolled the white die a third time. Rufus watched it, silently begging it to land on a low number. Three. Three bullets in the third round.

Abyzou opened the cylinder and deposited two more bullets into it. Before she closed it, she let Rufus see the position of the bullets. The chambers were alternating, with one bullet in the top chamber and two beside the empty, bottom chamber. The den owner closed the cylinder and spun it. She announced, "third round." She then pressed the gun to his head once again.

Rufus closed his eyes tightly. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple, soaking into his red and gold mask. He waited for his fate to be decided on pure chance.

Click.

He opened his eyes and stared down at the table in front of him. He wanted this to end. His hands shook despite being bound against his thighs. He didn't want to do this. He didn't care if it made him a coward, he just wanted to get out of this room and away from this cursed nest of gambling dens!

Abyzou asked, "re-spin or not?" Was it just him or was her smile bigger and more menacing? Her grin reminded him of the one of sadistic glee that he had seen way too often on Minerva's face. He banished the memory from his mind with a whimper that he hoped nobody, especially Abyzou and Lucy, had heard. He forced his mind to calculate the current probabilities.

The loaded chambers were arbitrarily located. This left him with a 40% chance of survival if he chose no re-spin. If he chose for the cylinder to be spun again, then he would have a 50% chance of surviving.

He cleared his throat before he answered, "re-spin." His voice wasn't as strong as he had hoped it would be. It was obvious that his fear was bleeding through.

Abyzou spun the cylinder again and pressed the gun to his head. Rufus looked up at her, accidentally catching her eyes with his. She stared down at him, a sadistic grin on her pretty face and malice swimming in her bright blue eyes. Rufus, unable to look her in the eye any longer, closed his own eyes and waited, silently praying for another empty chamber.

Click.

He released the breath that he had been unknowingly holding. He watched with wide and quaking eyes, his mouth slightly agape to accommodate his heavy breathing, as Abyzou rolled the white die again.

Two.

That wasn't a bad number.

Abyzou took out a bullet. She let Rufus see the placement of the bullets. One bullet in the top chamber and another bullet in the chamber on the left side of the bottom chamber. He flinched when the cylinder was snapped shut. Abyzou giggled as she leaned away. She spun the cylinder as she announced, "fourth round."

She pressed the cylinder against his head, the metal still cold, but not as much as it was the first time. Rufus closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He balled his fists as much as he could. He waited.

Click.

"Re-spin or no?"

Rufus didn't open his eyes this time. Instead, he kept them screwed shut as his entire body shook within the confines of the magic rope that he was bound in. His mind raced to calculate his probabilities.

If he asked for no re-spin, then he had a 60% chance of surviving. However, his chances of surviving if he asked for a re-spin were slightly higher at 66.7%.

He spoke, his voice now having a noticeable quiver to it, "re-spin."

He listened as Abyzou spun the cylinder again and his trembling body tensed upon feeling the gun press against the middle of his forehead. His lips quivered and his throat clenched.

Click.

Rufus accidentally let a choked sob slip. He clenched his teeth and screwed his eyes closed. He couldn't let himself cry. He was already showing way too much weakness. He couldn't unravel completely. He needed to keep hold of what little dignity he had left and maintain what little pride was remaining. The knowledge that he had reached the last round gave him very little comfort.

He heard the die roll. When it stopped, he peeked at it.

Five. Five bullets.

He was dead. He knew that he was dead.

He closed his eyes and listened as Abyzou loaded the cylinder and spun it. The sound was loud in his ears. Almost deafening. He was tempted to lash out at the sound, feeling strangely angry at the sound and wanting it to stop.

The gun pressed against his head again. Knowing that was going to certainly die, he was tempted to confess his love to Lucy, but bit his tongue to refrain. She didn't need that knowledge. She didn't need to live with the burden of knowing how he felt about her. He couldn't do that to her, make her feel worse than she does now. He resolved to take his feelings for her to his grave and watch over her as she completed her mission and found the happiness that she deserved.

Click.

The silence of the room was deafening to him. Rufus was barely able to register his unbelievable luck in getting an empty chamber.

"Re-spin or no?"

That was a stupid question and it could be heard in her voice that Abyzou knew it was stupid. There were no other empty chambers. Rufus knew that all he could do was ask for a re-spin and pray for the mercy that would be the chamber being empty.

He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound resulted. When he tried again, he choked out, "re-spin."

The cylinder was spun again and the gun was pressed against his head.

Rufus tightened his closed eyelids and sucked in a breath before he clenched his teeth so tightly that his teeth started to hurt. Tears welled up from behind his eyelids and his body trembled. His heart was hammering against his chest, a sound that he was able to hear and muffled any other sound that might be heard by the other people inside the room. His hands were balled, his fingernails digging so deeply into his palms that he might draw blood. His breathing was heavy and sweat either soaked into his mask or slipped past it and rolled down the side of his face and dripped off of his chin, onto the rope that prevented any movement he could hope to make. A few whimpers slipped through his pursed lips.

He waited for the bullet that would bring his death to get released from its chamber.

A loud bang rang out, reverberating off of the walls of the room.

Time stopped for Rufus. He was stuck where he was bound in the chair, struggling to hold in the sobs that threatened to escape him. When his mind finally caught up to what had just happened, he slowly peeked open his eyes. As his breath shook audibly, he looked to the side, seeing that the gun was moved just enough for the bullet to miss him. He turned his head around just enough to look at the wall behind him. There was a hole in it, cracks surrounding it.

Rufus looked back at Abyzou. His mouth was slightly agape and his heartbeat wasn't decreasing at all. His breathing continued to be heavy as tears slipped out of his eyes and soaked into his mask, only a few slipping past his mask and rolling down his cheeks, mimicking the way that his sweat had run down his face.

When the magic ropes unraveled from around him and disappeared, he fell out of his chair and onto his hands and knees. His breathing became more labored and he was hit by a tsunami-sized wave of relief as he slowly realized that he was alive. The gun had gone off, but he was spared.

He brought his hands up to feel his face, his fingers brushing against the slight wetness of his mask but not registering it. He heard the sound of something metallic clattering onto the floor in front of him. Still trembling, he looked down to see the two keys on the wooden floor. He looked up at Abyzou and uttered, "w-why..."

Abyzou giggled. It was an infuriating sound that caused Rufus’ hands to itch to punch her into unconsciousness. He looked back down at the keys.

"Rufus!"

Lucy's voice was slightly muffled by his ongoing state of shock. He flinched away from the woman's hands when he felt them grip his clothes. He watched with wide, tear-filled eyes as Lucy backed away, her brown eyes matching his green ones. She knelt next to him and held up her hands in front of herself. She muttered just old enough for him to hear, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Rufus."

Rufus looked up at Freed and Midnight, who both stood behind Lucy. Their faces were clearly fear-stricken and shocked at what had just unraveled in front of them.

The memory-make mage shook his head as he pushed the keys to Lucy. He stood up and wrapped his arms around himself, muttering as he walked past the three, "let's just go."

#fairy tail #lucy heartfilia #rufus lore #freed justine #midnight #macbeth #angst #trauma #russian roulette #rufus is getting traumatized #gambling #gun use #near death experience #sting natsu and mira make brief appearances #this definitely won’t haunt rufus #*wink wink*#multi chapter story #chapter twenty three #oc

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stickyspeckledlight · 27 days

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Boop! 🐾

(L didn't get this out yesterday but I was also a smidge busy balduring my gates and stockpiling knock off thin mints)

Unfortunately I do not have enough thoughts to write a drabble, but yan!aventurine would totally boop you.

The worst part is that you have no one to blame but yourself. On one particular night, when you weren't quite pushed to your limit but where your thoughts certainly did verge on the homicidal, an idea crosses your mind that, you believe to be utter genius in the moment: if you cannot overpower him or outwit him, then you certainly can use your meager mental faculties to bamboozle the fucker.

It's ingenious, you're certain! A touch that is not provocative, not aggressive, but OH so...powerful. A primordial innocence primed with mischief and tomfoolery. An action of such utter stupidity that no one in their right mind could even begin to react to.

He has been attempting to goad you into playing one of his games for the past five centuries (and no, you affirm that your sense of time is quite in order), and from having performed this song and dance innumerous times, it is about now when he says or does something to make you give in, and then entraps you in his hold before you can escape.

It is you who takes the initiative.

A demented grin full of malice and desperation spreads on your face as you ready your finger, and rush over to him, and

Boop! right on his nose.

And it works. He is too stunned; either by the stupidity of the situation, or that you've initiated contact. But you do not fret over the reason. You seize the opportunity and slip into the bathroom, locking it and securing it with a chair you grabbed for good measure. In the throes of your victory, no rational thought crosses your mind.

But all actions have consequences, and this very true fact catches up to you. Aventurine has not come banging on the door or mocking you as you thought he would. You have not heard from him at all. This is a good thing, but it makes you nervous---compounded by the fact you cannot stay in the bathroom forever.

Sure, you could theoretically survive here for three weeks, as the only thing you'd be lacking was food. You had a toilet, and a shower and bath to decompress in, even! And if you wanted to lay down? You could merely set up a haven of comfort with the millions of towels Aventurine keeps in his gargantuan bathroom. It was a great place to bunker in for sure!

.......but do you really want to starve? Like, do you really, really, really want to put yourself through that over him? You do hate him and want to see him suffer, but your mother and every self-help book ever says that you should love yourself! And unfortunately and fortunately for you, you do love yourself enough to not want to go through it. But, you can at least be strategic about it. Nabbing supplies in the night? No, Aventurine has proven himself capable of operating without a wink of sleep for good knows how long. The key to this operation is to leave when he's left! Ahahaha! Good job, you! You really are a bonafide genius! Nous ought to send you an invitation to the ranks of the Society!

(you're aware that he could just bust down your door without issue, but you'll take reprieve when you can get it, you know?)

So, you wait, and keep on waiting even after you hear the entrance close. You will not take any risks, and you wait for what you think is a good hour or three. And then, you emerge.

You are swift and precise, making a beeline towards the kitchen to stock up, and just as you are about to open the cabinet to nab a box of succulent bioengineered cheese crackers---

"Boop!" a gentle pressure mounts on your nose.

There really isn't any winning with this guy, you think. After this nasty surprise, he "revokes your bathroom privileges," mounting it with a lock and essentially requiring his permission with the key card he gives you for it.

And worst of all, your concept of utter genius comes to haunt you in your every waking moment. Coming home from a long day of work? Boop! Threatening your family and friends? Boop! Playing Animal Walking? Boop! Throwing you into a bare room handcrafted for sensory deprivation? Boop! Post nut clarity? Boop!

You then see the one glaring folly in your initial thought process: why did you ever assume Aventurine to be in the right mind in any way or any situation?!

#lol i wonder if i can even post this to ao3 #eh maybe i can adpat it into an actual drabble but also this is so inherently tied to tumblr that it's tough #it's fine i wrote this in like twenty minutes or something as a breather from actual fic writing lmao #no what do you mean i have to read three chapters before next class that's stupid #yandere #yandere aventurine #yandere hsr #honkai star rail #aventurine hsr #reader takes home a massive L #well then again they aren't home but aventurine would also then beg to differ #yandere aventurine x reader

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lilalbatross · 9 months

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STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS 2x05 | Charades

#star trek strange new worlds #star trek #strange new worlds #la'an noonien singh #christine chapel #snwedit #trekedit #startrekedit #obligatory gifs tag #i needed this scene to be twenty minutes instead of like thirty seconds #(i say staring at chapter three in my outline)

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next-autopsy · 5 months

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A/N: Well, hi there! This chapter is dedicated to @malarkgirlypop as a reward 💕

Based on the actors portrayal/hbo show and written with no disrespect to the real life veterans. Also all images found on Pinterest.

TW: none I think? swearing maybe?

Tags: @malarkgirlypop, @panzershrike-pretz

Made of Glass

Chapter twenty three: May I Have This Dance?

Living an ocean away from her family and home town wasn’t as difficult as Birdie thought it would be. She had already been away from them for over a year, she’d celebrated Christmas, the New Year of ‘43 and her twentieth birthday away from the people she had shared her entire life with.

Moving to Aldbourne, England felt meager in comparison.

Due to limited space, the women of the 506th 2nd battalion were made to share barracks with the men in their platoons. There were around twenty to thirty cots set up in each round barn-like building. There were also no specified women's showers or toilets, so escorts were somewhat needed again.

When Easy company was made aware of the new sleeping arrangements, the men of 2nd platoon took it upon themselves to set Birdie up in the corner of the room, nearest to the door. Toye insisted he take the bed next to the woman, while Bill claimed the one opposite to her.

The first night with her new roommates was the hardest.

Bed time came around and the men in her barracks began stripping off as they usually would. The woman averted her eyes, choosing to stare at the ceiling and study each mark and line. As she gazed upwards, Birdie realized she, too, would have to change her clothes in front of all the men.

“You okay, Little Bird?” Bill spoke, noticing her fidgeting hands and the way she bit her lip, she most definitely had something on her mind.

“Uhh…” Her eyesight flicked to the man addressing her, then when she saw his bare chest her vision went straight back up. “Should I- I mean…uh, D-Do I just change here…or…?”

After that little encounter, Toye and Guarnere hung a couple of sheets up to section off a corner giving Birdie a smidge of privacy while she changed.

When Birdie was finally ready to curl up in her new bed and sleep, the snoring started. Sleeping alongside the men was more difficult than she imagined.

Bernadette wasn’t really a morning person but she usually functioned well enough. When she woke, the first morning in the men's barracks, Birdie felt like shit. The constant snoring kept her up and every time she was close to falling asleep, a particularly loud snort would wake her.

“Good morning, Little Bird.” Luz chirped at her sleeping figure. Birdie groaned out as a reply, unable and unwilling to answer with words. He laughed at her and tried again to rouse the woman, but she only swatted a hand in his general direction and pulled the blanket over her head.

“Come on, Birdie. You’ll miss breakfast.” George sign-songed, attempting to appeal to her.

“Fuck off.” She mumbled at him, adding a “Leave me ‘lone.” for good measure. Luz didn’t seem to get her message as he kept trying to wake her. At last, fed up with his persistence, she sat up, pushing the covers off of her and letting them fall into her lap.

“Ah, there she is! You-”

“I am going… To. Kill. You.” Bernadette cut him off. She did not want to hear his voice this early after such a shocking night with little sleep. George just grinned at her threat and the glare stuck on her face.

“Well, someone’s not a morning-oof.” Birdie threw her pillow directly at him, successfully shutting him up.

—------------------------

Being in England meant Birdie could now legally drink, with no repercussions from Lipton or Johnny. And there were more pubs here than she could count. Since she didn’t see the girls every day anymore, they all agreed to make an effort to meet at a previously chosen local pub every saturday night.

This week's meet up was at the ‘King’s Head’ and Birdie was excited. All she wanted was to sip on some whiskey, maybe have a dance or two and chat with her girls.

She was wearing her class A’s with the pencil skirt, stockings and heels. Birdie put on her signature ‘night out’ red lipstick and let her hair down in voluminous victory rolls. She shared a cab with Toye and Guarnere, who refused to let her pay the fare.

When the trio arrived at the drinking establishment, she ran ahead and bought the first round to repay them. While the men complained at her sneaky little gesture, they didn't refuse the alcohol, finding an empty table and sitting to chug the first drink of the night.

“Fancy seeing you here.” The unmistakable voice of Blythe Alderidge sounded from behind Birdie. She grinned into her drink before turning to face the woman.

“Oh, I see they let just anyone in nowadays.” Her joke was well received by the three women who stood with Blythe. They all smiled, exchanging hugs and pleasantries.

“Lucy and Betty couldn’t make it.” Frankie informed, drink already in her hand. When did she have the time to order that?

“Next time.” The ladies took over the table, catching each other up with the events of the week. They yapped and laughed for what might’ve been hours, until one brave British lad approached the group.

“Good evenin’, ladies.” He puffed up his chest and spoke confidently, eyeing up Birdie specifically, “Might I steal a dance?” He was staring at her, arm reaching out to her as an invitation. It took Birdie a second to realize he was waiting for her answer. She was about to politely decline, before she could get the words out, Charlotte answered for her.

“Of course you can…” she gave her friend a shove, “right, Birdie?” Smiling sweetly while throwing Birdie to a wolf. Her jostling had pushed Bernadette towards the stranger and to balance herself she had grabbed onto his outstretched hand. He took that as her accepting his request for a dance and led her to the area designated for bogeying.

“Birdie? What a beautiful name.” The man spoke up, his accent made it hard for her to understand him as he talked so fast.

“Oh uh… thank you.” She needed another drink if she was going to have to put up with this small talk. He spun her once, bringing her closer when she twirled back to him. Birdie noticed his not so slick move and was not impressed.

“What an accent… where are you from, love?” Her head tilted at the nickname.

“Mississippi.” She paused, then remembered how conversations worked, “And, you? Are you from around here?”

“Me? Nah, I'm from London.” He told her before spinning her yet again. After that the conversation dulled down and Birdie began to feel uncomfortable. The man let his hand slide down the curve of her back ever so slightly, but Birdie still noticed.

When the song concluded, the mystery man offered to buy her a drink. While that was exactly what she needed, she found herself trying to come up with an excuse.

“I should probably check in with my girls.” Birdie took a step away from him, praying he would get the message and that she wouldn’t have to elaborate.

“Oh, okay, I'll come with you.” He stepped in her direction, smiling. Birdie's shoulders sagged, she really didn’t want to be rude to this guy, he hadn’t done anything wrong, she just wasn’t feeling it and wanted to spend time with her friends.

“That’s okay. You don't have to do that.” She was doing her best to shake him. She didn’t even know his name, did he seriously think this was going well?

“I want to-” The British man was interrupted by an American voice, one Birdie recognised.

“Take a hint. She’s not interested.” Liebgott stood nearby, smoke hanging out of his mouth. His posture was nonchalant, like he was trying too hard to look cool and it made Birdie giggle, which gained the attention of both men. One smirked at her and the other glared.

“You what, mate?” The stranger straightened his stance and stepped towards Joe, who didn't move at all, completely unfazed.

“She’s obviously trying to get rid of you.” Lieb explained, shrugging his shoulders.

“Are you?” Birdie’s brief dance partner looked over his shoulder at her.

“Well… I was trying to be polite.” She winced, she really was trying to spare his feelings but he was persistent.

“See?” Joe smirked, inhaling his cigarette and exhaling into the man's face. This only seemed to piss him off, Birdie could see an upcoming altercation and positioned herself closer to the two men, in case she had to break something up.

“Why don't you shut your mouth, stupid fuckin’ yank.” Both Birdie and Joe dropped their jaws, though Lieb covered his reaction. This guy had nerve. Bernadette was at her limit, she didn't appreciate him barging in on her precious time with her girlfriends, she hated the stupid small talk and he was a shitty dancer. And now, he was insulting her friend. That was enough.

“Excuse you?” Her pitch went up, “You don’t get to talk to him like that! Who the fuck do you think you are?” He had upset her and now she had the urge to fight him. Where was Frankie and her knife when she needed it?

“Whatever,” The Brit started to walk away, but very quietly (not quiet enough though) he muttered under his breath, “A whore like you ain’t worth it.”

He didn’t take another step. It was only a second after he uttered the words and he was falling to the floor. Lieb had swung in record time, hitting the man with such force that he toppled to the ground.

Bernadette moved closer to Joe, grasping onto his forearm firmly, letting him know that was enough. He had done his job of protecting her honour and now they could leave the poor guy on the floor. Joe seemed to silently understand this as he turned and the pair made their way away from whoever that guy was.

“Thanks.” Birdie spoke once they sat down, “For hitting him.”

“No problem. He shouldn’t of called you that.” Joe was shaking his head, disgusted with his gender.

“It’s fine, I-“

“But it’s not.” His tone was angry but not at her. He was just angry, angry that she was about to say she was used to it. Joe had met a lot of women and, while he didn’t love the word, some of them would be classified as whores. But not Birdie. She was too kind, too funny, too pretty, too sweet, too stubborn, too intelligent to be considered a whore. She spent all day around men, living, eating, training with men and not once had he seen her flirt.

“No it’s not.” She could tell his anger was stewing inside that brain of his, she took it upon herself to try to calm him, “Not really, but that doesn’t change the fact that he said it. It’s no use letting some jerk like that ruin our night.”

Liebgott let her words sink in. ‘Our night’ she had said. Our. Me and you. Us.

“Wanna get out of here?” Joe spoke before he could stop himself. He just wanted to be alone with her, where no one could steal her away for a dance while he watched helplessly. He wanted to talk to her without having to compete for her attention.

“Sure. Just let me tell the girls, okay?”

A/N: Hope y'all enjoyed x

~ Nex ~

Chapter twenty four

#band of brothers #easy company #hbo war #joe liebgott #made of glass #band of brothers fanfic #fem oc #oc #next autopsy #made of glass chapter twenty three

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