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tiramisiyu · 3 years

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Tears of Themis: Xia Yan/Luke 【妄夜之魇】 Looming Nightmare - Date Translation

Translation Masterlist | Xia Yan Masterlist | Unsubbed Video

Transcript below cut:

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Part 1

Forest

In the morning, a group of villagers walked slowly through the forest’s rocks and mud.

Nearby, a young man dressed as a knight noticed them.

Luke: Please wait!

The young man pushed aside the dense branches, rushing over to the villagers.

Villager Captain: You are…?

Luke: My apologies for troubling you all. I’m Luke Pearce, a knight.

As he spoke, he balled up his left hand and placed it before his chest, displaying a standard gesture of courtesy to the villagers.

Villager Captain: So you’re a knight. Greetings, is anything the matter?

Luke: I’d like to ask you all if there is anyone who knows where the evil dragon is?

Villager A: E-evil dragon?!

When they heard “evil dragon”, a momentary fear displayed on all the villagers’ faces.

The whispers among them gradually grew louder, and the originally calm group gradually began to lose control.

Villager A: W-why are you searching for the evil dragon…

Villager B: Why are you asking about that beast’s whereabouts?! Are you trying to get it to come over here again?!

Villager B: O-our village, it…

Villager Captain: Calm down.

The young captain placed a hand on the shoulder of the middle-aged man to calm him down temporarily.

Villager Captain: We were impolite. Sir Knight, none of us have malicious intentions. It’s just…

Luke: Were… you all also attacked by the dragon?

Villager Captain: Indeed…

The young man sighed.

Villager Captain: We originally lived in a nearby village. Three days ago, our village was attacked by that dragon.

Villager Captain: The flames it breathes, and its massive wings that kick up gales when they beat…

Villager Captain: That’s how our houses and fields were thoroughly annihilated.

Villager Captain: Many villagers that couldn’t escape were left forever in those ruins.

Villager Captain: But that dragon didn’t stop there. It… even carried off lots of innocent people.

Villager Captain: That’s what happened to my wife and that grandma’s only daughter.

Villager Captain: We don’t even know if they’re still alive.

The young man spoke until his voice faded. The hands that hung on his sides were tightly clenched, like he was trying to control his emotions.

Villager Captain: Like us, lots and lots of villages and cities have been destroyed by it in the past several days.

Villager Captain: Those attacked by it can only flee in search of a temporary safe place.

Villager Captain: We…

Luke: … I’m sorry for making you recall such horrible things.

The young knight lowered his head in apology.

Luke: On my journey, I’ve also heard lots about its terrible actions.

Luke: When I saw you all from far away, I thought you were all normal passersby. I didn’t think…

Villager Captain: It’s alright. We do have to learn to face this eventually.

Villager Captain: Although, Sir Knight, why are you looking for that dragon?

Luke: Because…

A flash of desolation appeared on the knight’s face.

Luke: Because I’m looking for someone who is incredibly important to me.

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[Flashback]

Fortune-Telling Location

The fortune-teller fiddled playfully with the crystal ball in her hands. The lights floating in the air moved as she did.

With a sliver of curiosity on her features, she lifted her gaze and looked over her visitor, then placed her hands piously in front of her chest.

Fortune-teller: Esteemed Sir Knight, may I ask why you are here?

Luke: …

The knight’s rigid body leaned forward slightly, an unconcealable urgency and distress in his eyes.

Luke: I want to find someone. She’s vanished, and I have no idea where she is.

Fortune-teller: Oh? Find someone? Who might it be?

Luke: Someone… that grew up with me since childhood.

Fortune-teller: Someone that grew up with you?

Luke: Yes.

He released a deep sigh.

Luke: It’s been eight years since the start of the war.

Luke: The day I left for battle, I promised her that I would return home safely and live with her forever, never to leave again.

Luke: But after the war ended and I returned to the village, all that welcomed me was an empty house.

Luke: I asked everyone around about where she went, but they all said that she suddenly vanished one day.

Luke: Only after did I find out that everyone had thought that I’d died in battle.

Luke: She…

The knight grasped tight on the longsword in his hands. The ruby on the hilt flashed faintly in the darkness.

The fortune-teller leaned against the table, holding her chin with her hand.

Fortune-teller: Have you ever thought that she just couldn’t keep waiting anymore, or that she might have moved elsewhere because she thought you were dead?

Luke: She wouldn’t. We’ve lived together for so many years. I know best about what sort of person she is.

Luke: I know that even if I made her sad or if everyone said I was dead…

Luke: As long as she hasn’t seen my corpse, she won’t give up, and she’ll keep waiting for me…

Luke: … Something must have happened for her to choose to leave without a farewell.

Luke: So, I want to find her. I want to know what exactly happened.

The young knight’s voice gradually weakened, until it was nearly inaudible.

The fortune-teller tittered quietly.

Fortune-teller: I understand. Then, please wait a moment—

She placed her hand on the crystal ball. As the lights and shadows drifted, an image of a dragon occupying the plains gradually appeared.

Luke: This is…?

Fortune-teller: Do you know of the legend of the evil dragon?

Luke: Evil dragon?

Fortune-teller: Yes. This dragon runs amok over the continent, scattering destruction and annihilation everywhere…

Fortune-teller: Its evil reputation is now common knowledge among all people.

Luke: But what does that have to do with her?

Fortune-teller: I am unsure of the exact connection it has to her, but based on the image in the crystal ball…

Fortune-teller: You just need to kill the dragon and obtain the treasure chest it protects to discover the way to find her.

Luke: …

Luke: Are you sure?

Fortune-teller: Of course. My divinations have never been wrong. If not, Sir Knight…

The fortune-teller unconsciously knocked a few times on the crystal ball, and a clear sound reverberated in the room.

Fortune-teller: Then you wouldn’t have come to find me, correct?

Luke: … They say that you are the greatest fortune-teller on the continent, and that there’s nothing you don’t know.

Fortune-teller: Which is even more reason for you to believe me, no?

Luke: …

The knight nodded ponderously.

Luke: I understand. Where is the dragon right now?

Fortune-teller: That’s for you to find out.

Fortune-teller: However, there is something that you must think over first.

Fortune-teller: You are a brave and martially skilled knight, but the path ahead may be much more dangerous than you imagine.

Fortune-teller: Even if so, will you still proceed?

Luke: Yes, I must.

Fortune-teller: Even if the price it requires is your everything?

[Flashback end]

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Luke: So I can only do as the fortune-teller instructed, travelling as I search for clues on the dragon.

Villager Captain: It seems like the person you’re looking for… must have been captured by the dragon too.

When he finished listening to the knight’s story, the captain gave a quick conclusion.

Villager Captain: The young lady you’re looking for isn’t the only one. In the past while, that dragon has already captured many good girls.

Villager Captain: Many noble ladies and wives in the city weren’t even spared.

Luke: Then… has anyone ever returned among those who were captured?

Villager B: No – no one has ever seen them again after they were taken.

Villager B: Whether the dragon has hurt them, whether they’re still alive, or where they’re kept… no one knows anything.

Luke: No one knows anything, huh…

Luke: If no one knows, that means there’s still hope, right?

The knight suddenly lifted his head, looking firmly at the villagers.

Part 2

Forest

In the forest, the young knight faced the villagers, his gaze firm.

Luke: If no one knows, that means there’s still hope, right?

Villager B: This…

Looking at the villagers’ somewhat hesitant expressions, the knight smiled slightly.

Luke: I understand your concerns, but to me, as long as there is still one thread of opportunity, I will definitely not give up.

Luke: So…

Luke: Please, do any of you know anything at all about the dragon?

Villager Captain: …

The villagers looked at each other. The young captain tilted his head as if trying to recall something.

Villager Captain: I don’t know much about the dragon, but…

Villager Captain: Three days ago, when I was fleeing the village, I think I saw that dragon flying towards the highest mountain peak on the northeast of this forest.

Luke: The peaks in the northeast…

The knight looked towards the direction that the villager captain was pointing towards. He could vaguely see the shape of a mountain peak there.

Villager Captain: Yes, but that mountain is farther from here than it looks.

Villager Captain: Plus, there’s also a path full of thorns at the end of this forest that normal people can’t get through at all.

Villager Captain: Currently, not many people have gone there, so I can’t be sure if the dragon is actually there.

Luke: Is that so… but it’s worth a try.

Villager B: Uh… I’ve also heard a little about the dragon.

The formerly irritable middle-aged man, possibly being moved by the words earlier, hesitated for a moment before he spoke.

Villager B: That dragon probably does live on that mountain peak.

Luke: Are you sure?

Villager B: Yes. Two weeks ago, an artisan from the city went with his brothers there.

Villager B: But several days later, aside from a young man, no one in that group returned.

Villager B: That young man said that they were attacked by that beast on the mountain…

Villager B: But sadly, his wounds were too grave, and he passed away a few days later.

Villager B: After that, no matter how much money the city nobles offered, no one else dared to go put their lives on their line.

Villager B: We also…

The middle-aged man sighed.

Villager B: We’ve… given up already.

Luke: …I understand. Thank you all for giving me so much information.

Luke: It’s not that early anymore, and I need to head for that mountain, so I’ll be heading off.

Villager B: Sir Knight, are you really going to look for that dragon?

Villager B: With how massive and brutish that dragon is, it’ll kill you!

Villager B: You don’t know how that young man who returned…

Luke: Thank you for your concerns, but this is a promise I made with her. No matter how difficult the path forward is…

The young knight looked straight at the group in front of him, his voice firm and resolute.

He spoke each word emphatically, answering the question earlier, yet seeming more like he was telling himself.

Luke: No matter how difficult the path forward is, even if everyone has given up, I will not stop moving forward.

Villager B: …

Villager Captain: …

The villagers fell silent for a moment.

A long moment after, the young captain spoke.

Villager Captain: Sir Knight, since you’ve made your decision to go, we have no reason to continue trying to persuade you.

Villager Captain: The road ahead will be difficult, and defeating the dragon is sure to be no easy task…

Villager Captain: All we can do is to pray that you find the one you love quickly and return safely.

Luke: Thank you, everyone.

The knight made a sincere gesture of courtesy again towards the villagers, then turned around and walked into the depths of the forest.

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Plains

After a long trek, the young knight bypassed that rumoured thorny block and arrived at the wilds outside the forest.

Luke: …

Though it was called the wilds, all the plants had long been burned into crisps. Black dust had settled densely over the rocks.

A massive mountain stood at the edge of his range of vision. A dense black fog lingered over the peak, quiet and strange.

At the foot of the mountain, many volcanoes and short rock mounds created continuous undulations, extending to the horizon.

Luke: …

He lifted his head and looked towards the faraway sky. The red light of the pre-sunset sun was harshly dazzling.

Luke: A precursor to the solar eclipse, huh…

Luke: Maybe it really is as the person before said…

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[Flashback]

Villager B: Sir Knight, before passing, that person who returned said…

Villager B: On the day of a solar eclipse, it seems like the dragon’s strength will weaken.

Luke: Weaken?

Villager B: Yes, that person kept repeating this before he passed, so I remember it very clearly.

Villager B: If you really must get near it, maybe you can choose this day.

Luke: … Understood.

[Flashback]

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Luke: …

Luke: Based on the appearance of the sun, the eclipse will only start tomorrow…

Luke: The volcanoes around look pretty unstable right now. Now is definitely not the best time to act.

Luke: I’ll build a temporary residence near the forest and wait for a chance.

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Temporary Residence

In the wooden hut, the knight was in the middle of pre-battle preparations.

Luke: …

He cleaned his sword in the firelight. When his gaze brushed over the ruby on the hilt, he fell into a momentary trance.

Luke: …

Luke: Soon, I’ll be able to see you again.

Luke: Right?

Luke: …

In the empty room, the only response he received was the crackling of burning firewood.

The young knight lowered his head.

The emotions that he had continuously restrained quietly trickled out where no one could hear, under the comfort of the moonlight.

Luke: I’m sorry… I couldn’t contact you even once for so long…

Luke: You must have been so worried during then…

Luke: …

Luke: I wonder how you’re doing right now, and if you’ve encountered any danger…

Luke: Were you scared, facing that dragon alone? Were you injured?

Luke: Don’t be scared, I’ll save you very soon.

The wind blew past soundlessly. In the quiet hut, the knight’s voice became clearer and clearer.

It seemed as if a burning flame had ignited in his eyes. The moonlight shone in, casting light over the entirety of the room.

Luke: We promised that no matter what happened, you wouldn’t leave, and we’d always be together…

Luke: I won’t let you bear everything on your own anymore.

Luke: It’ll be tomorrow… wait for me.

He smiled, his fingertips brushing over his own reflection in the ruby.

Luke: Goodnight.

The knight placed his sword by his side and sank into a shallow sleep.

Just like all the nights in the past many years.

Part 3

Garrison Camp

Troop Leader: Hey, Luke, you returned with perfect timing.

Troop Leader: Just finished bringing over the new delivery of rations. I brought you the letter from the one at your home.

When he saw the person who was placing the letter on his bed, the knight shook his head helplessly.

Luke: Leader, we’re still in the troops right now. Even if you want to address her…

Troop Leader: Alright, alright. The letter that your wife sent, does that work?

Luke: We haven’t gotten married yet…

Troop Leader: Hahahahaha—

Troop Leader: Hey, honestly though, Miss MC really does treat you well.

Troop Leader: I have no idea how she managed to get that many rations and letters sent over here.

Troop Leader: If I remember right, she’s just a commoner, right? The type without even a fief. Tsk tsk tsk, she really is good.

As he teased him, the leader came up to the side of the bed, jokingly bumping against the young knight’s shoulder.

Troop Leader: Luke, I feel like she’s even more proactive than you. Bring out your knight’s spirit already!

Troop Leader: Though we can’t contact the outside world, I’m cheering you on inside, yeah?

Luke: Thanks, leader.

Luke: Although there’s something you’ve gotten wrong. Though I can’t send her replies…

He layered the letters together, placing them in the closest spot to his heart in his armour.

Luke: This is my answer to her. My heart is always with her.

Luke: The day the war ends, I will return to her side, safe and sound.

Luke: When that time comes, I won’t leave her ever again.

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Forest

Luke: …

When he saw the multiple letters in front of him, the young knight sunk into his memories.

To prepare for the nearing battle, he came to the riverside at dawn to change the medicines on the wounds he received in the war.

Luke: Back then, I thought that I would be able to reunite with you after the war ended.

Luke: We’d then be able to be like thousands of other normal people, living out our lives healthily and safely.

Luke: But I never thought…

He couldn’t help grasping tight on the letter papers.

Luke: Did you know that during those eight years, I kept thinking about you over and over, speaking on my own, just like this?

Luke: I remember every single thing you wrote to me about.

Luke: You said that the neighbouring auntie’s puppy stepped all over the rose garden at the doorway again.

Luke: You said that the honey that a friend gave you was very sweet, and you wanted to see the bee yard too, but you didn’t go because you knew I wouldn’t agree.

Luke: And so much more… I’ve remembered every single thing perfectly.

Luke: I… really… miss you.

The knight couldn’t help covering his face with his hand, as certain crystalline things fell slowly between his fingers.

A few minutes later, he took a deep breath, then put down his hand.

Luke: This is bad, I lost control of my emotions for a moment.

Luke: I wasn’t even that sad last night, but maybe it’s because I saw you in my dreams again, so I…

Luke: Now isn’t the time to be sentimental. I’ve got to bolster myself to face the upcoming battle.

The sunlight shone into the forest, past the gaps between the swaying leaves, falling dappled on the knight’s armour.

Far away, the sun displayed a light that was different from normal.

Luke: Is it coming…

He quickly put on his clothes and grasped onto his sword again.

Luke: Wait for me.

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Plains

Because he had already crossed over the forest once, the knight arrived at the plains much faster than before.

Clouds smothered the originally-blue skies. The roars of the dragon resounded nonstop at the horizon, and the air was heavy enough to make breathing difficult.

Luke: …

Suddenly, the roars of the dragon became unusually clear. A massive black shadow rushed down from the mountain peak, gradually nearing the centre of the plains.

Luke: !!!

Luke: This is my chance!

The knight immediately broke into a sprint towards the black shadow.

Evil Dragon: Roar—

The moment he arrived at the centre of the plains, the dragon was landing with two young villagers in its claws.

The two people tossed on the round tumbled a few times. Tears covered their faces, and their hands were tightly clasped.

Luke: !!!

Luke: Run!

The knight threw a wooden gun towards the dragon, then yanked out the dagger at his waist and threw it backhandedly on the ground near the forest.

He loaded an arrow as he sprinted towards the dragon.

Luke: Take that dagger and get out through the forest now!

Luke: I’ve left markers on the path. Follow those!

Female Villager: O-okay… tha-thank you!

The pitiful villagers tremblingly picked up the dagger and ran towards the forest as they supported each other.

They passed by the young man, kicking up sand and stone. The two sides of the battlefield changed in a flash.

Luke: …

The knight did not look back to the already faraway villagers. He calmly set his hands on the bow.

The dragon roared furiously at him, spitting a ball of fire.

Evil Dragon: Roar—

Luke: …

The knight stepped swiftly off the rocks in front of him, resolutely loosing an arrow towards the dragon, sidestepping the close call of the fire.

Luke: This won’t do. It’s too fast.

Luke: I won’t be able to dodge at all with speeds like that…

Evil Dragon: Roar—

Luke: !!!

Without giving the knight room to think, the dragon launched its second attack.

It looked again at the person in front of it and spat out a large amount of fire. The flickering firelight lit up the entire desolate plains.

The knight dodged the attack. The winds surged, the glint of the blade shone, and the surroundings continuously heated up.

Luke: …

Luke: This is how strong it is when it’s weakened?

Luke: If this keeps going, I’ll lose all my footholds.

Luke: What do I do…

His brow wrinkled tightly, looking at the dragon that had built up its power and was waiting to attack again. His hands held his hilt tight—

Evil Dragon: Roar—

The dragon opened its mouth wide, flying towards the young man.

Rocks were sent flying from the intense movements of the two opponents. The knight planted his feet on the shards of rock, both of his hands gripping his longsword.

Evil Dragon: Roar—

Luke: Want to kill me? Keep dreaming!

As if he couldn’t hear the dragon’s roars at all, he was completely focused on looking for a chance to attack.

Luke: If it’s the instant before it breathes fire… as long as I grab that chance…

Luke: If I can strike your vitals…

Luke: I’ll still have a chance!

Evil Dragon: Roar—

The dragon threw back its head, releasing a long roar towards the skies.

Luke: Now!

The knight lifted the sword and sprinted up to the dragon, slashing down on the dragon’s neck with all his strength.

Evil Dragon: Roar—

Blood sprayed, and the massive creature struggled, writhing, and finally spread its wings, flying off towards the heights.

Luke: Don’t even think about escaping!

The young man ran up, and three arrows cut through the air.

Howling winds blew as the eclipse fully set in. On the faraway peaks, the contours of a black castle could suddenly be seen.

Evil Dragon: Roar—

The dragon dodged the arrows, roaring in pain, then escaped in flight towards the faraway castle.

Luke: It all ends here.

The young knight discarded his longbow and gripped at his sword, planning to chase after the dragon.

However, right then, a pattern of lights shone from the astrolabe he was carrying.

He froze for a moment and thought back on what the fortune-teller had told him before—

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[Flashback]

Fortune-Telling Location

Fortune-Teller: Wait.

Fortune-Teller: Keep this with you.

The fortune-teller called out to the young man who was on the verge of leaving and handed a metal astrolabe to him.

Luke: This is…?

Fortune-Teller: If the astrolabe starts flashing, it’s a warning from me to stop fighting immediately.

Luke: … I am well aware of when I should stop.

Fortune-Teller: Sir Knight, you do indeed have lots of fighting experience.

Fortune-Teller: But I am the only one who can help you, so trust me, alright?

Luke: …

[Flashback end]

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Luke: …

Luke: Ouch…

The knight frowned in pain, as if he had finally come to his senses from the tense atmosphere, and looked over himself out of habit.

Luke: !!!

The dark armour had long been stained in blood, and some of the parts that were exposed were covered in wounds of all sizes.

Luke: I was… injured this badly?

Luke: Sure enough… that dragon’s strength…

He ultimately decided to stop.

Part 4

Temporary Residence

The knight closed the door to the residence.

He leaned on the wall, like an injured little animal.

Luke: How could this be…

Luke: Is the difference in strength between me and that dragon that big?

Luke: How am I going to save her at this point… I…

The astrolabe beside him shone again. Then, after a flash of white light at the doorway, the fortune-teller pushed open the door.

Luke: It’s you?

Fortune-Teller: Sir Knight, I hope you have been well since our last meeting.

The fortune-teller looked over the person in front of her, her eyes squinting slightly.

Fortune-Teller: Looks like you listened to what I told you. Well done.

Luke: …

Fortune-Teller: This expression… were you not willing to give up?

Luke: None of your business.

Fortune-Teller: None of my business… haha, do you remember what I said back then?

Luke: …

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[Flashback]

Fortune-Teller: You are a brave and martially skilled knight, but the path ahead may be much more dangerous than you imagine.

Fortune-Teller: Even if so, will you still proceed?

Luke: Yes, I must.

Fortune-Teller: Even if the price it requires is your everything?

[Flashback end]

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Luke: …

Fortune-Teller: Has reality now changed your mind?

Luke: No. No matter when, I will not change my mind.

Fortune-Teller: Will not change? Then… what can you do?

Fortune-Teller: You must have realized the natural difference in strength between you and the dragon from battling.

Fortune-Teller: It looked like you won the battle, but what are the results?

Fortune-Teller: Even while it was weakened during the solar eclipse, the only effective attack you landed was that single slash.

Fortune-Teller: While you…

The fortune-teller looked at the young knight’s right arm, mottled with blood and some burn marks.

Fortune-Teller: You’re covered in wounds already. How much longer can you hold on for?

Luke: …

Luke: I don’t know. All I know is that I can’t give up. I must get that treasure chest and find her.

Luke: I don’t want to think about anything else.

Fortune-Teller: … Is it worth it?

The fortune-teller went silent for a moment, then asked this question suddenly.

Luke: It is.

Luke: I promised her that I’d return to her, that I’d safely tell her that everything had ended, that we would never be apart from then on.

Luke: I think about her every day, and I look forward to seeing her again every day. I’ve reread each of the letters she sent too many times to count.

Luke: She is my everything. I won’t just give up like this.

Fortune-Teller: … So you plan to seek out that dragon again?

Luke: Yes, and I don’t only plan to find it…

Luke: As you said, I will defeat and kill it, no matter what the price is that I must pay.

Fortune-Teller: … I understand.

Fortune-Teller: Then let me tell you one more thing.

Luke: ???

Fortune-Teller: Do you know why that dragon always flies towards that castle?

Luke: Do you mean that the treasure chest is…

Fortune-Teller: Yes. It’s because the box that it values the most is in the castle…

Fortune-Teller: When it is attacked, it will naturally return there.

Fortune-Teller: In ten days, the eclipse will end, and the sky will return to normal.

Fortune-Teller: The skies before daybreak are always the darkest…

Fortune-Teller: In ten days, when the sky is lightening, the dragon’s power will be at its weakest.

Fortune-Teller: It will also lose the ability to breathe fire.

Fortune-Teller: If you must go, go on that day.

Luke: !!!

Luke: Thank you.

Fortune-Teller: No need for thanks, but Sir Knight, let me give you one last warning.

Fortune-Teller: The path you have chosen is full of the unknown. I hope you will not regret this in the future.

Luke: I am sure that I won’t.

Fortune-Teller: That would be best.

The fortune-teller looked at the knight, smiled strangely, then left.

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After the knight cleaned his wounds, he finally had some time to rest.

Like usual, he stood his sword by his side. When he looked over the ruby on the hilt, he suddenly stopped.

Luke: This ruby… you gave it to me.

He gently stroked it, his warm breath leaving a mist on the gem with his movements.

Luke: I remember on the day I set out, you stood at the very front of those who were sending off the troops, a total mess of tears.

Luke: I was the one who was leaving, but you were even more agitated than me.

Luke: You kept reminding me to take care of myself, to not force myself.

Luke: Then I held your face with a smile, telling you that it wasn’t like I wouldn’t return.

Luke: …

The knight suddenly turned away.

Only when he was able to smile again did he turn his head back, as if everything before had just been an illusion.

Luke: Before I left, you took off a ruby from the mirror you always used and embedded it on my sword.

Luke: You said that a highly skilled person gave you that mirror, and it had magical power.

Luke: Especially these rubies, which represent inextinguishable fire and burning vitality.

Luke: We made a promise together, and then you watched me mount the horse, but I never looked back.

Luke: I thought that I would be able to see you soon after the war ended.

Luke: But now that I think about it, I should have taken one more look at you back then.

A slight bitterness appeared on the young knight’s face, but it was soon replaced by his usual expression.

He laid down on the bed, looking at the fluid moonlight in the sky.

Luke: Did you know that there’s something that I didn’t tell you back then?

Luke: Rubies don’t only represent fervour and life. They also represent love.

Luke: I told myself that after the war, I would confess to you, and let this ruby bear witness to our love.

Luke: So, please wait a little more for me.

Luke: There are still ten days.

Luke: No matter what the price is, I will be the victor.

The knight mumbled as he slowly closed his eyes.

Outside the hut, a black mist rose, then vanished in the silence. The moment that the smoke dissipated, a woman’s quiet laugh seemed to sound from deep within.

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

Plains

Ten days later, as the fortune-teller said, the young knight made his way towards the old castle.

But he did not successfully reach his destination, because on the plains under the castle…

Evil Dragon: Roar—

Luke: …

Luke: Are you here to obstruct me?

Evil Dragon: Roar—

Luke: Looks like the fortune-teller was telling the truth. The treasure chest really is in the castle.

Luke: So it must also be true that you’re at your weakest today.

Evil Dragon: Roar—

As if in response to the knight’s words, the dragon snarled in fury. Its massive claws beat heavily on the ground, drawing up plumes of dust.

The knight retreated a few steps, held up his longsword, and stood in battle stance.

Evil Dragon: Roar—

Luke: …

Luke: You sure look enthusiastic.

Evil Dragon: Roar—

Luke: Perfect, then. Let’s have a fierce battle this time.

Luke: This is the last chance. I won’t let you escape again.

Evil Dragon: Roar—

Luke: …

At the edge of the sky, the black sun that had persisted for ten days started to “move”. The light of tiny stars shone through the air, casting light on the person and dragon.

The knight lifted his sword.

Luke: Let’s start.

Dust flew as the shining sword blade cut through. Both human and dragon soon were immersed in intensive battle.

Their battlegrounds shifted several times, from the plains to the mountain peak, finally arriving to the front of the castle’s door.

The eclipse was slowly retreating, and the dark sky was beginning to show its original hue.

Compared to last time, the battle this time lasted for a very, very long time.

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

Old Castle on the Peak

Luke: Urk…

The knight brandished his longsword, pushing himself to block the dragon’s attack.

The originally flat field had already been ruined to the point where it was difficult to stand on. Thunder boomed intermittently as dark clouds accumulated above.

Evil Dragon: Roar—

The massive dragon moved again.

Luke: Ow…

Luke: …

This time, the knight’s resistance started to become sluggish.

Scorching blood sprayed out. He lost his footing, falling brutally onto the ground.

Luke: Ugh…!

Luke: No… I can’t fall yet…

He stabbed the longsword into the ground with difficulty and stood staggeringly up again.

He looked at his enemy, his bloodied, dirtied face full of resolution.

Luke: Ha… what sort of battle is this? Just a bunch of mutual killing attempts…

Luke: But did you think I’d be scared? Stop kidding around.

Luke: You have no idea what sorts of emotions I put behind each slash.

Evil Dragon: Roar—

Luke: Although, you don’t need to know, because…

The knight suddenly brandished his sword and rushed at the massive dragon.

Evil Dragon: Roar—

For an instant, the heavens and earth shook. Dust and sand flew as the world was submerged in chaos.

Only the knight’s shouts cut through the air, transmitting into each and every crevice.

Luke: Even though – even though there’s no way you can hear this right now…

Luke: But, I’m sorry… I’m sorry!

Luke: I’m sorry for leaving you all alone for these eight years. I’m sorry for letting you face the dragon yourself after the eight years.

Evil Dragon: Roar—

Luke: Do you know how scared I was when I returned to the village, yet didn’t see you at all…

Luke: I was scared that I would never see you again. I was scared that I couldn’t save you…

Evil Dragon: Roar—

Luke: Let me see you again, alright?

Luke: Even one instant, one second is enough!

Bang--!

After an enormous sound of collision, the young man was knocked through the air onto the ground, sliding to a faraway cliff, to the very edge.

But this time, it seemed like he didn’t have the strength to stand again.

Luke: …

Luke: Does it… all end here…

Luke: But I… you…

Boom—

A downpour of rain suddenly started.

Part 5

A downpour suddenly started.

Rain struck against the ground audibly, falling on the young knight’s body, flowing towards where the blood and water had accumulated.

Evil Dragon: Roar—

Luke: Am I just… going to lose like this?

The knight couldn’t control his gasps.

Luke: But…

Luke: I still… can’t bear to give in.

Luke: I still haven’t found her… I still haven’t seen her… I …

His voice was full of an unrestrained frustration and helplessness.

He tried, or even forced, himself to keep his heavy eyelids open.

Luke: …

Silence suddenly descended.

It seemed like the rain had weakened, and a small sound was resounding through the air.

Luke: !!!

The knight suddenly opened his eyes wide.

Luke: Is that you?! Is that you, MC?!

He struggled, reaching out into the emptiness.

The black mist suddenly surged over from all directions, winding around the knight’s hand, as if in a gentle “embrace”.

The knight suddenly smiled.

Luke: Are you trying to comfort me?

Luke: Mhmm, I’m not scared. Whether they’re happy things or painful things…

Luke: I don’t care about any of that anymore.

He slowly stood his sword upright, staggeringly standing up.

Evil Dragon: Roar—

Luke: I will… keep going until the final moment…

Luke: MC, you are my strength, and I will fight for you until the end of my life.

Evil Dragon: …

The dragon’s movements suddenly stopped.

It looked at the human in front of it without moving in the slightest, and it seemed as if a light had flashed in its terrifying eyes.

Luke: …

Luke: Now!

The knight brandished his sword for the last time, stabbing it deeply into the heart of the dragon.

This time, the dragon did not struggle nor attack back. It remained in its spread-winged posture as it toppled with a boom.

The turbid blood flowed out from the wound, and soon, its breathing stopped completely.

Luke: H-has it ended?

The knight slowly walked up to the dragon’s corpse. After repeated confirmations, he released a sigh, as if he had been freed from a heavy burden.

Luke: Next… I just need to find the dragon’s treasure chest to find you. Wait for me.

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

Old Castle Interior

The knight pushed open the door to the castle.

Just as the fortune-teller said, there was a treasure chest placed in the centre of the large room.

Luke: …

He knelt with one knee to the ground, brushing off the dust on the chest.

The moment he opened the chest saw what was inside, he displayed a shocked expression.

Luke: This is…?

A mirror inlaid with ruby sat quietly on the top of the chest.

The knight reached out with both hands, carefully holding the item in front of him.

Luke: Isn’t this the one you usually use…

Luke: Ah!

Suddenly, the gem on the mirror flashed with a dazzling light.

As if induced, the ruby on the hilt of the longsword beside the knight started to shine too.

They shone together, blindingly bright.

Luke: …

Amidst the light, multiple images gradually appeared in the mirror, like a light carousel—

Luke: !!!

In that familiar village, the young woman suddenly lifted her head as she trimmed the plants, her scissors falling onto the ground.

Her face was full of shock and disbelief. Tears slid down her face, finally vanishing.

Luke: !!!

She then left the village on a journey. She walked to all the ends of the world, as if in search of something.

She traversed deserts and snowy mountains, wearing out pairs and pairs of shoes, and her originally fair skin gradually became rough.

But on her face, all there was, was day after day of ever-increasing defeat and pain.

Luke: No… I’m here, I’m still alive! I’m right here!

Finally, she arrived at this castle.

Seeming like she’d lost all hope, she collapsed on the found. Tears and blood fell, droplet after droplet, on the ruby of the mirror’s upper part.

Then, a light suddenly flashed, and the girl in the mirror vanished.

The black mist filled the mirror, and a vicious dragon flew out of the castle.

Luke: !!!

The knight’s entire body trembled.

He dropped the mirror and sprinted out the door, as if he had gone mad.

Luke: No… not possible… no way… it can’t be…

Luke: How could you have been the dragon?! No way, I couldn’t have killed you…

At some point, the storm had started to rage again.

The figure of the dragon had already vanished. What replaced it was a figure that the knight was as familiar with as could be.

Luke: No way… why…

Luke: Why!!!

He held the girl’s corpse in his arms, then howled in despair like a wild animal.

The girl’s body was as covered in wounds as the knight’s was.

The rain struck their bodies, rushing frigidly over each of their wounds, as if mocking them.

Luke: No, no way…

Luke: This isn’t real… this isn’t real…

Luke: MC--!

The knight held the girl tightly. His throat was already raw, and all the light had left his eyes.

Luke: Is that why you stopped right then? Did you recognize me?

Luke: Why didn’t you escape? Why did you wait for me to kill you?

Luke: Please open your eyes, alright, answer me!!

Luke: Why?! Why?!

Luke: Ah--!!!

The rain descended in torrents, finally trickling down to the ruby, which had lost all its shine.

Part 6

The storm raged, and the knight’s heartrending cries never once stopped.

The air distorted for an instant. Right after, the fortune-teller stepped out from nothing, walking up to the sobbing Luke.

Fortune-Teller: Pitiful Sir Knight, you still ended up at this point.

Luke: !!!

Luke: It’s you… it’s you!

Fortune-Teller: It is indeed me, Sir Knight, the one who pointed you down this path.

Luke: Pointed me down this path… right, you know everything!

Luke: Let me ask you, did you already know that she was the dragon?!

Fortune-Teller: Yes, I know everything.

The fortune-teller looked at the young man, her voice gentle and tantalizing.

Luke: Then why did you have me find it - have me kill her?!

Fortune-Teller: I had you kill her? That’s quite an unfair accusation.

Fortune-Teller: I am a mere fortune-teller. All I can see is an established truth.

Fortune-Teller: This is her and your fate – you two are destined for an ending of death.

Luke: !!!

Luke: No way! What fate, what ending – I don’t believe any of it! There must be a way to save her!

Luke: I’ll keep looking. I’ll keep looking. I will definitely find it. I will definitely find it!

The young man clutched at the corpse in his arms and forced himself to stand.

The ground was slippery. He fell one time after another, yet he stood again, one time after another.

Fortune-Teller: …

The fortune-teller stroked the crystal ball, looking at the girl who was gradually getting colder in the rain.

Fortune-Teller: There is a way that might be able to save her, but…

Luke: What is it!

The young man shouted hysterically, but his voice was already so hoarse that he was nearly incoherent.

The fortune-teller paused, then looked at him again, her lips curving slightly.

Fortune-Teller: Simple. Make a deal with the devil, using your life.

Luke: …Deal?

Fortune-Teller: Indeed. As long as you offer your heart, she will be able to live again.

Fortune-Teller: But she will lose all memories of you…

Fortune-Teller: Perhaps she will love someone else and live a happy life, or perhaps…

Luke: What do I do?

The knight cut her words short.

Luke: Can you bear witness to the contract?

Fortune-Teller: … Of course.

Luke: Tell me what I need to do. We start immediately.

Fortune-Teller: … Alright.

The knight’s resoluteness far exceeded the fortune-teller’s expectations. After a simple explanation of the ritual, he finished his preparations.

Fortune-Teller: Will you not say any last words to her?

The fortune-teller placed the crystal ball in front of her, looking towards the silent knight.

Luke: …

The knight lowered his head, looking at the girl in his arms.

Luke: I never would have thought that our last meeting would be like this…

Luke: But at least you can continue to live…

The corners of the knight’s mouth lifted with difficulty. He reached out, pushing aside a lock of hair aside on the girl’s face.

Like a deep, yet wordless, farewell.

Luke: There are some things that I didn’t have the time to say before, but it shouldn’t be too late to say them now…

Luke: I…

The knight closed his eyes.

He slowly lowered his head, solemnly and gently kissing the hair of the girl in his arms.

Luke: Goodbye, MC. I pray that your life from today onwards will be happy and joyful.

He looked at her face, looking as if she were in a deep slumber, and said this to her for the very first and very last time—

Luke: I love you.

Right after he spoke, he stabbed his sword into his chest.

Bright red blood covered the marks that had dried on the sword. Thunder boomed as rain fell in torrents.

His heartbeat’s sound gradually stopped.

Fortune-Teller: …

Fortune-Teller: Hahahaha, hahahahaha—

The fortune-teller suddenly burst into laughter.

A black mist gradually wrapped around her. Her body and clothes changed form, finally turning into the form of a witch.

Witch: Hahahaha, what fate, what ending, what deal with the devil? Utterly foolish, truly, ridiculously foolish!

Witch: Although… thank you both. I found this drama quite the satisfying watch!

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

MC: …

My consciousness gradually awakened.

MC: Luke! Don’t do anything stupid!

MC: She’s obviously doing this deliberately! Don’t get tricked by her!

I tried my best to call out his name, yet I anxiously noticed that I could not even make the slightest of sounds.

MC: Luke!

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

Luke’s Home, Third Floor

*Tira’s note: The date itself said it was the second floor, but his living quarters (the background shown) are on the third floor, not the second.

MC: Luke!

I sprung awake from my dream.

And because of this tiny movement, Luke instinctively popped off the sofa, standing upright on the floor.

I lifted my head and looked hazily at Luke, and my consciousness gradually returned to reality.

MC: …

Luke: …

We looked wordlessly at each other for a few seconds, then couldn’t help laughing together.

Then, Luke gently sat back down beside me.

Luke: What happened? Did you have a nightmare?

MC: Mhmm…

As I gave an affirmative, I moved my body a little, realizing that my arms and legs had become a little numb. My chest also felt somewhat stuffy.

MC: (Huh, was I sleeping in a weird pose? I don’t think so…)

Just as I was thinking, Luke started to rotate his shoulders too.

Luke: Why are my arms this sore all of a sudden… I’m sure that I slept pretty well…

MC: …

Luke: Huh? What’s the matter?

MC: I figured it out…

Luke: What?

The only reason why our arms were so sore… probably was because Luke was holding me the whole time while we had an afternoon nap.

MC: (So that nightmare… probably also happened because of this…)

I felt both a little frustrated and amused, and seeing Luke’s dubious expression, I couldn’t help laughing aloud.

Luke: What’s the matter?

MC: Nothing, I just hadn’t woken up completely from my dream yet.

Luke: Alright, you’re fine now. I’m here with you.

Luke: If you’re still scared, then should I sing a song for our great lawyer?

MC: Sure!

I knew Luke was just teasing me, but I felt like either way, it would be pretty nice to listen to him sing for me again.

Luke: Then sit comfy first.

MC: Mhmm.

I shifted over a bit, and Luke sat down beside me, covering us up again with the blanket.

Then, he gently wrapped his arms around me.

Luke: Then, what does the great lawyer want to listen to? Twinkle Twinkle again?

MC: Yep!

I looked up at him, and then Luke started to tap my shoulder like a metronome as he began singing.

Luke: Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

Luke: How I wonder what you are…

MC: …

As Luke sang, my emotions gradually calmed down.

Amidst this relaxation, I couldn’t help thinking of the scene in that dream again.

MC: (A ten-day eclipse… man, the weird stuff I come up with.)

MC: (Did the earth stop spinning or did the sun just check out of work? So ridiculous…)

MC: (Plus, how could Luke be tricked by someone like that…)

MC: (Although…)

Though that was what I was thinking, I still knew…

Just like the knight in my dream, the love and protection Luke gave to me was always that silent, yet so etched into his very being.

But unlike the dream, we were now walking towards a happy future together.

I would hold his hand tightly, and I would never let go.

MC: …

The afternoon sunlight pervaded the room, and a slight breeze blew past. Everything was as great as always.

On the storage cabinet on the side, the mirror and sword model were stacked together. Under the sunlight, the rubies flashed faintly.

They looked somewhat familiar.

Phonecall

Hi! Good morning, are you up yet?

Ah… I bought a medieval-themed game that looks really interesting, so I wanted to ask if you wanted to play it together.

This game also has dual-player co-op mode. We can hit new game records together, just like in the past.

The game plot? Seems like a knight went on a quest to slay a dragon to find his missing lover.

I feel like this story’s pretty remarkable, and the animations done for the fights with the dragon in the middle were done really realistically…

Huh, what’s the matter? Why do you have such a pained expression on?

You don’t want to play this game… why? Does the plot make you feel uncomfortable?

Huh?! You had a nightmare with the same plot? And the main characters were you and me?! And we didn’t even get a good ending?!

Pfft… silly, it’s just a dream, don’t take it to be real.

Plus, doesn’t everyone always say that dreams and reality are the opposite?

You saw a bad ending, which means that we’ll have a good ending. So don’t be afraid, it’s all fine.

Hm… if you still don’t feel at ease, then how about we work together to beat this game?

I’ll prove to you that we’ll definitely reach the Happy Ending!

#Tears of Themis #tears of themis translations #xia yan #luke pearce #未定事件簿 #tot spoilers #tot luke #suffering whiplash and sugar #the xia yan fan experience

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calamitousrpg · 3 years

Photo

THE WINDS ARE CHANGING,

There’s never a quiet day in the state of Calamity.

And if there is.

It’s the quiet before the storm.

THERE’S WAR ON THE HORIZON.

The mortals have suffered catastrophic loss already, Bram Mackie; a formerly prestigious hunter has fallen in with the wolves in order to strengthen himself and increase his chance of protecting his family. His friend Michael “Mike” Fothergill is offering his house for refuge whilst the newly turned wolf adjusts to his new self. This information is only known to those closest to him, and those who have been told via word of mouth from said people.Sabrina Mackie, Lucky Jones Adams and the rest of the Mackie clan seem supportive of his choice, though Cardelle Mackie would express the opposite. Begs the question, is the sacrifice worth it in the long run?

The former Commander Damien Alanis is another tragic loss for the Hideout ranks; attacked by rogue vampires, and only discovered in his last moments by his lover Malcolm “Mal” Davenport who acted against Damien’s will be transformed into one of the very creatures he used to hunt.

The news broke out in waves, and chances of alliances across the westside remain to look slim. Malcolm and Damien have both been contained in the basement of Kazimir Mikhailov’s manor for their own protection, and the protection of others. It had been adjustment after adjustment. Jessie Davenport, Axel Reyes and Kazimir have been between diplomatic meetings in order to damage control and repair the human and vampire relations.

Malcolm will be punished severely for the murder of one of his own via Jessie, Demitri & Jakoris “Jack” Davenport’s will.

Axel Reyes, former Second in Command in the Hideout, has stepped up to Commander role and is heading the human relations, tightening security and doing everything he can in order to protect his people where it appears his predecessor failed. There has been a private meeting between the Commander and the Overlord after the rather large indiscretion; to prevent a Westside war that would be more blood than anything else.

The former Second also took it upon himself to hunt down the former Commander, as the two of them had a long lived agreement that they’d not let one another turn into another species. With this in mind, Axel managed to convince Damien to meet him in neutral territory. He brought Lucky with him, wanting to make sure that the deed would be done, whether Axel finished the job or her. Unfortunately for the two of them, Kazimir found them and stopped it before either of them could do damage to one another.

They have come to a shaky agreement that Axel will donate blood to Damien for training purposes, in exchange for the vampires providing supplies that would be too difficult to acquire safely on their own, or risky. However, a miscommunication between the two leaders may mean that it doesn’t hold for all that long, because the Commander wants a guarantee that the humans in his ranks would not be touched, which the Overlord seems to agree to at first, despite the orders given. For an entire hierarchy of vampires to go against their nature, it seems like a dream that would only go on so long...

Outside of the Darklands ranks, Claude Jones has become a vampire once more, Scarlett Jane Grey her maker in a reversal of roles. Due to her lack of memory, she cannot remember much of her first maker Fox Crathorne. This transformation has left little reflection of Claudette and she is using her practice to lure unsuspecting humans and fae in for counselling and entertain her newly unhinged mannerisms. SJ has been at the reigns of handling the reprimands for Lydia Cragore and her misdeeds that pitted her as disloyal to the vampires. This led her to also become aware of Daniel Wright’s involvement in regards to trying to help Lydia with an escape, or at least attempting to encourage her to try and leave. Meanwhile, not long after this - and with incredibly poor timing as a diplomatic member - Scarlett has left Calamity on a temporary hiatus from the state. Few know of this (Claude and Jessie), and her absence is noticed but unquestioned when those might pester Jessie Davenport for answers about her Bite Club’s second lady.

Demitri Davenport remains to be unlike himself after his own punishment a couple months ago after he acted off orders and tortured Malcolm. He is attempting to be better in his role and stay out of the firing line of Jessie Davenport because of it. Unknown to him, Jessie is considering him among the names she might suggest to Kazimir about filling their Consul position - believing that with the diplomatic relations as they are, the more voices offering a partial democracy would benefit them all. The vizier also managed to recruit Rosalie Winters into accumulating blood for Kazimir. But will she follow through? There are whispers of Rosalie and Fox Crathorne co-hosting a dinner party.

Giselle Stoneheart has also been in contact with the Diplomat in order to discuss terms of a potential alliance, as has Josiah Maxwell as representing the Mer Kingdom, so the vampire has been attempting to fortify relations across the entire state in order to secure the continued survival of her race. Giselle, before this has been keeping a relatively low profile with the absence of an acting High Court among the fae, and has been acting on her own ideals for the benefit of her people.

And in a hit to the vampires themselves, Teddy Byrne has taken a silveriron bullet to the shoulder by a rogue mortal and has been spending some time recovering. His old flame, and former pet (perhaps?) Matias “Matty” Desoto has been helping aid in his healing process, and both men trea thin water, considering Matty’s position at the Overlord’s side as a private feeder and companion. A secondary concern, one thinks to the diplomatic mess that Kaz has been busy with - slipped beneath his nose for a smidge longer than it usually would, maybe? Matty has also been pursuing Kaz to turn him into a vampire, but has been grossly denied until he has levelled his own personal deep seated issues, in order to make the transition easier. His brother Ace Remington, continues to antagonise him - and he persists to try and help the psychopath.

Under Axel’s new leadership, Cardelle Mackie approached him about the potential to be Second, pending a trial period that would be to prove himself as a leader. Daniel Wright has been tasked with hunting additional medical supplies for Sabrina Mackie, Aiden Kinsey, Ellie May and Diego Garcia to potentially use to develop and synthesis new medicine. Sabrina has been also developing her own skills in research development, including such things as vampire repellant, haemotology in order to further the knowlegde they have on how it works (species), hybridising plants and a multitude of salves that would be for the betterment of her people; friends and family. Her other half, Lorelai Mackie still remains to be missing, and her family are refusing to give up any hope.

Unbeknowst to them, Lorelai Mackie is under the name Mackenzie and has been abducted to be a feeder between the two rivalling clubs on the Westside, BC and Voci. There has been the briefest of revelations in her search when Bram Mackie nearly slaughtered Jakoris “Jack” Davenport in the SRS where there was an information exchange that somehow, salvaged the vampire’s life but offered an in for the Mackie about the woman he was searching for. Jack now suspects a connection based on the two somwhat tense interactions they have shared, whilst Bram has a likely lead about Lorelai’s whereabouts.

Along with Daniel’s orders to bring supplies into the Hideout, he’s also secretly helping the far, Cordelia Darkwood with a baby; picking up small trinkets and baby things that he delivers to her in private. He plans to inform the Hideout of this little secret in due time; when tensions have lessened. Daniel broke Gabriel Fothergill’s nose, brushed his scent onto him and may have put himself in danger by crossing paths with Michael “Mike” Fothergill, who is experiencing the backend of Liliana Solar’s punishment of being trapped in a silveriron cage that left him even madder than usual. Gabe has made it his life’s mission to press Mike’s buttons and the mad wolf sports the burns for all to see his injuries. And despite common knowledge of being enemies, he is tangled in leige with the Vociferous Owner, Oberyn Cortez and there’s something more than just unlikely flings between them. Though, it isn’t public.

The very same vampire has been manipulating Aiden Kinsey and fabricating the mortal’s memories with compulsion. With the help of Avery Arden, a troublesome fae, they have gradually been uncovering the vampire’s handiwork to the discovery of Oberyn using Aiden as a blood source for his own personal gain. He has acquired a magical necklace that allows Avery and he to communicate telepathically, and has been self-questioning a route to elongate his lifespan to spend longer with the fae; perhaps taking the same route as Bram Mackie?

On the less volatile side of the wolves, the oldest pack have been running amok on the Southside, troubled in their own ways - the usual pack warfare. Alpha of the Syndico’s Enzo Sinclair has been dealing with difficult family and lovers drama, Jaxon Reed has admitted the truth of Sinclair’s heritage and revealed that he is the Alpha’s father which has proven to be difficult for Enzo. With this, Jax has also confessed to having intimate relations with a member of a rival pack and the exchange of secrets has only made the Alpha make his Beta keep it hush. The only other person who knows of this familial truth is Izyk Vissar, the Alpha’s husband and formerly Exiled wolf. They are all trying to keep the inter-family drama outside of pack business, and Jaxon has found himself engaging with those he may want to avoid to cope with having to keep his confessions secret.

Adding to Enzo Sinclair’s family carnage, his mother is heading back into town to scorn the man’s choice in husband; express her absolute disapproval. Izyk’s dealing with that, alongside his new position within the Syndico pack, and gaining acceptance as a valued member.

Aslyn Bishop remains to be wavering with her loyalties to the wolves, and ongoing relations with Logan Crest Cree, of the vampires. Jaxon Reed has been attempting to keep her out of this trouble.

To add to the wolves despair, Max Roper remains to be cursed to wolf form, and Phoebe Gallagher has been doing her best to cope and help with this, and has been searching for magical remedies to reverse the curse. Though, she’s not the only one trying to help the wolf. Haylee Dubois seems to think she might have a cure for the spell that is plaguing Max, while Esme is also doing her best to help. With all of this help, Max may be appear human once again.

In the ocean, the Mer kingdom remains to be recovering from their stroke of constant bad luck, death after death amongst the royal family implies they would be overdue something good. Andrew and Saylor Zander as reigning monarchs oversee their people and continue to attempt to keep them safe given past events. King Andrew and Katya Tilki have both recently returned from their travels to neighbouring kingdoms in order to recruit allies to aid in the silent war that threatens the Forgotten. Andrew is angry since his father ran his twin out of town and just as motivated by that, as he is the near assassination on him at his own wedding. Queen Saylor, privately, acted on her own in retaliation to that by targeting the demons at the latest Party of the Century, and dropped numerous with her potent concoction The Exitus. Nobody knows who was responsible for the toxic drink, but Azarius and Jahi of the Dominion have opened up their own investigations, and began dropping their own suspects across the state of Calamity in a hunt for the culprit, each pointing fingers in other directions. Azarius suspects his assassination attempt with Azagi Rabaz at the royal wedding might have something to do with the targeting.

A silent war of the East remains under the radar, for now.

In the diplomacy side of the underwater kingdom, Advisor, Josiah Maxwell has been reaching out for allies, whilst balancing his own personal interests in the Queen and the contract they drew up months ago that vowed the royal circle, himself and Kondor Tarren to secrecy in regards to inter-personal relationships that may jeopradise the integrity of vows, and hierarchial traditions. Greyson Zander has expressed his upset in conversation with his sister, but they all signed themselves to silence. Love is pain, no? Kondor Tarren caught between Greyson and Andrew whilst Saylor has her head turned by her Advisor.

Saylor continues to plan for a war, has recently secured an alliance with the Syndico Pack and with her Advisor’s help, is working on allying with more. Dayanara “Daya” Lighcrest, in the background is hellbent on her pursuit for the throne, and has taken a private leave under a false guise where she was instead attempting to recruit her own people from neighbouring kingdoms to her cause, and has been planting seeds in her compatriots that antagonise the Zander’s, the potential that Azarius and Azagi may be part of her recruitment after the demon’s lazy attack on them may pose a different degree of threat. She is greatening her force, making no moves but is a reckoning force in the rear view of the Zander’s gaze.

Among the demons, post-attack on them, and an absence of any particular unit of force, few care to act on it, others, want to terrorize the state as a result. Azagi Rabiaz is caught in a triangle of carnage, Jack Davenport, Lan Darquen and Azarius all have varying interests in the demon, but never as first choice. A complicated turmoil and mixture of monsters that serve as entertainment, toxicity and terror in one package. Lan remains unaware that Azagi and Jack have been more than just passing acquaintances, and both Jack and Azagi have learned during their jibes that they share a common partner in crime; they aren’t looking forward to letting that slip to the Invidias; the demon of envy. Nor is the little secrets of Azagi taking impromptu naps in the Davenport’s bed particularly eager knowledge they want broadcasted.

Jakoris “Jack” Davenport in amongst the diplomatic trouble of the Darklands, is growing to put it on the back burner; disagrees with some decisions made and it might jeopradise his standing. Evanora Bile, his best friend and witch, admits to her magic waning (due to age) and that her lifespan is being reduced to that of a mortals - much to the vampire’s distaste and is currently in the pursuit (and somehow, pushing down rage) of some magical cure that might stop the mortal process of aging as he gradually wars with denial and truth. But his likely bloody chase for answers, might put himself in predicaments that derail all diplomacies on the Westside.

Ezekiel “Zeki” Amari has founded and opened his own bistro by the name of Polaris, and its a welcome reprieve for a lot of patrons of Calamity, Izara “Kit” Levine among one of its first customers on opening night and unaware that its founder had been one of her oldest companions from when they were both affiliated with the Hideout. This goes before Kit has crossed paths with her long time ex fiance, Axel Reyes and they balance a love, hate relationship amongst the diplomatic stress the Commander is dealing with.

The state’s local good source of all things tasty, Zane Saxena has been manufacturing his own supplies of drugs and poisons in order of the growing demand. War? Brings about something with a little more potency, Pixie still a big first choice for most of the users, Ace Remington and Harley Xhanthi among his best customers, if not best friends - if it would be called such a thing. He is taking orders directly through Havelowe’s in the black market. The same Harley that has transformed species more than once, first a fallen, later a mortal via the powerful concoction at the Winter Ball, before Luella Edwards turned him into her protege and has been training him through fledgling hood. Her maker, Elias Reyes is still as insane as ever.

Northside, the witches are as divided as ever, Esmeray Black alongside Esme Darcy are both heading the sorcerers and Black, newly given the position is still learning of the secrets that are bestowed upon the Arch Conduits. There is plans to potentially steal a child to fulfill missing gaps in her soul and assist Rhysand Darkwood in murdering Andrew’s father. Freyja Carter, without knowledge of witchcraft or the magic in her blood, is on the cusp of connecting with Luca Whitmore to help her realise what she is, but reluctantly. Aurora Lightwood, a ticking time bomb if there ever was one, the Tamperer with more power than any moertal body could handle, is trying to get a grasp of what her past has left her with.

The High Sage keeps the Naturals in order, except her own Shaman, Haylee Dubois who appears to have wavering loyalties and rushes of impulsive behaviours, perhaps from being on such a tight leash til now? Atemu Elmasry, a poor choice in companion, dealing with his own past haunting him in the form of lost love - pitted against a complicated back and forth with the Shaman on the opposite side of the civil war of the witches, and on the brink of losing one of his oldest allies in Evanora Bile. He finds comfort in Valdana Romanov and cannot work out why he keeps finding himself in life and death, back and forths with Haylee; stops her from plummeting into dark magic and yet tolerates it. Daphne Groves is one of Haylee’s closest, and is defending all her choices, but quietly hopes she will remain on the side of light, and repel darkness. Daph is also getting a little too close to Yara Clementine, the vampire that stands as the only link left back to the witch’s mother and begins to question the High Sage’s values; instead stands to believe all species should be helped; anti-war. Still a believer, even after Azagi Rabaz presented the eyes of a loyalist in a terrifying act to coax information out of the witch?

A grand opening Southside, Coveted offers something new, founded by Adonis Romero he has found that it benefits him beyond the obvious. In some complicated thing with Teddy Byrne that seems mutually beneficial, Adonis is attempting to get the vampire addicted to his fae blood in order to manipulate the vampire to do what he wants. The trickery of the fae knows no bounds, it seems. The fae of Myre Grove seem relatively tame, Jasper Dalton’s step-brother Samuel Dalton has strode into town again to cause all kinds of trouble. Already found his long time companions in the Davenports, and Jessie has warned him off leaving messes that could caue diplomatic problems.

Jasper has however antagonised Quentin Miles’ boyfriend when in The Bloom anda fight broke out, Kane Harrison bit Jasper and the situation grew extreme - Malakiah’s arrival worsened the situation, and the flower shop became a warzone that ended only when Quentin agreed to assist in Jasper’s injuries. What was said about how love hurts? Fortunately, an isolated indiscretion between the fae, fallen and the wolf was nothing more that lovers’ spats.

Speaking of Jasper... He also seems to have caught the eye of his Manager and supposed friend, Amos De Leon. The man, usually seen surrounded by luck, seems to have a couple of people wrapped around his finger. Giselle, darling, are you having fun? It’s unknown if some of his games are for shits and giggles, or if he intends to blackmail those around him. All that luck is bound to run out at some point...

Under the noses of the rest of the fae, Avery Arden plans to help conduit the human and vampire alliance in a negative direction, possibly with the assistance of Dalton and this would be detrimental to stopping a war of the West.

Dojermaur “Dodger” Dros has been getting increasingly closer to Lennell Moore, but a Letharger’s interest in a mortal seems suspicious, no? Nira has been trying to assist in wakening the Unawakened and helping them blossom into their true potential, and Jack Riley seems to be a perfect candidate - on the road to recovery from his substance abuse, and trying to help his new Commander, and Hideout with supply runs and being support.

Alexander remains to be under the thrall of the demons in the Dominion, continues to work as a bartender at Hypnos and is irrefutably flirting with his best friend. He’s gained custody of his child within the confines of the tunnels. The same tunnels that Atemu Elmasry and Teddy Byrne almost fought in when they reuinted for the first time in a decade and spurred the hundred year old feud that runs deep between them - Fallon Knight the only reason that the two only part ways with new scars, and their lives.

/ END

This is the briefest of reference materials we could compile together based on what we know, and what the muns of Calamitous have sent us. If there is anything incorrect, or misinterpreted - or you lovelies want something added/included, let us know!

We didn’t receive updates for everyone, but we’re happy to add something in, we hope this runover of the latest events helps you guys who don’t have the time to follow everything on the dash!

#calamity.admin #oocfaq

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adriensaltprompts · 4 years

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Submitted Prompt: "System Restore"

How about an AU in which the canonical state of the series is actually the result of Adrien making a Wish?

In many ways, the world hasn’t changed that much from its original state. The Agrestes were always wealthy, for instance, and still obtained the Butterfly and Peacock through the same means… but Emilie’s current circumstances (and his father becoming Hawkmoth) were direct consequences of his wish, paying the price for their son’s desires. Adrien was the one who stumbled across the jewelry’s magical powers, and was the one who was playing supervillain before… initially pretty much just because he could.

(Did Chloe help him out in the original verse? Or Felix? Did it start as a game for a couple of bored rich kids who were used to being sheltered from most of the consequences of their actions? Did they see it as rebellion against their parents’ restrictions, or a way of circumventing them so they could indulge their more criminal impulses - the kind even THEY wouldn’t normally get away with?)

Ladybug rose up to stop him, as did a different Black Cat and other Miraculous Heroes. And Adrien became besotted with the plucky heroine. Calling his growing obsession with her ‘love’, when really he was more enamored with the idea of bringing her to heel. Claiming her like he would some other precious trinket or work of art.

After learning about the Wish, Adrien and his allies waged war against the heroes. And when he finally got his hands on the Earrings and the Ring, he Wished for a world where HE would be the hero, and get the girl. A world where he’d have a clean slate - where he could 'do no wrong’ in the eyes of the adoring public, and would get everything that he believed he deserved.

In this new reality, nobody remembers the original state of affairs. Not even Adrien. He has no idea that he effectively sacrificed his family to create a world where he could play hero, as reality rearranged to give Gabriel sufficient motivation to become Hawkmoth. Can’t have heroes without villains, after all…

(If Chloe and/or Felix helped him, then perhaps the state of their respective families was also part of the Wish’s cost. Or maybe they weren’t involved in his criminal shenanigans and simply got caught in the backlash anyway.)

However, unpleasant truths have a tendency to be unearthed. Perhaps the kwami gradually begin to regain their memories, or certain events seem naggingly familiar… An akuma or amok might also stir things up, unintentionally triggering or unlocking things buried deep in their subconscious. Though of course, Adrien would likely deny that any of these memories could possibly be real. Surely they’re all just fabrications, right…?

Rules for the blog - send a short prompt - send a long prompt

#I fucking love this #adrien salt #adrien salt prompts #ml salt prompts #ml writing prompts #Miraculous Ladybug #not even an AU prompts because nothing contradicts it lol #submission #adriensaltprompts #Show!Miraculous #Show!Marinette #Show!Adrien

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friendship-ended-with-pokespe · 4 years

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Kirby and the Big Race in Dream Land! Chapter 4

“Whoop-de-doo, I’m in first place!” Driving Rex Wheelie smoothly is King Dedede. He had trouble with controlling it at first, but soon got the knack of it and appeared to be maneuvering it well. Having chased after him, Walky commentated with force.

“As expected from King Dedede! No one could come close to him with such strength! Pulling ahead of the other athletes, he is heading for the second checkpoint......hoo-boy! There’s an athlete that drew level with him here! A surprise rival......it’s Mr. Frosty!” Walky hurriedly turned over his documents. “The Machine that Mr. Frosty is riding is Slick Star! It’s very light, where free movement is its trait! What do you think, Commentator Meta Knight?” “Looks like it’s a good match for Mr. Frosty. The athletes that chose the machine that goes well with them can move through the race to their advantage.” “I see then! Ah, about to be caught up, King Dedede has raised his hammer! That’s low! It’s a cowardly move!” Right as he turned around, King Dedede swung his hammer down at Mr. Frosty. Steering the Stick Star, Mr. Frosty is easily dodging the attack.

”Ohh, he dodged it nicely! Such movement can only be done by Slick Star, having a light frame!” “He’s not going to let himself get attacked. Look, Mr. Frosty is making a counterattack!” Mr. Frosty is already on the offensive. Leaning out from the machine, he shouts. “I won’t go easy even if it’s you! This is a real fight!” Mr. Frosty hurled a lump of ice at him. Unable to dodge it, King Dedede slips. He nearly fell, where he barely managed to put Rex Wheelie back up. “Now you’ve done it! I won’t forgive you, Mr. Frosty~!” “Serious match it is!” Mr. Frosty continues hurling the blocks of ice. King Dedede swings his hammer. They both swerved from the course and ended up brawling. Walky’s commentary too is more and more heated up. “That’s not good! It has turned into an off-track melee right before the second checkpoint! In the meantime, other Machines are passing through one after another! Burning Leo, Poppy Bros. Jr., and Chef Kawasaki! Ah, even the infighting Meta Knights have somehow caught up with them! And finally, Kirby too!” The athletes rushed en masse into the checkpoint. Having been on stand-by, the TV staff readied their microphones and announced. “This is ‘Superspicy Gourmet Challenge of Terror,’ the second checkpoint! Everyone, please get off of your Machines. You can’t pass through this point unless you eat all the super spicy foods that have been prepared here.” Kirby was the first to hop down from his Machine. None of the damage from crashing into the glass wall is left in him. He shouts with full energy. “Leave it to me if it’s a gourmet challenge! I’ll eat anything in one gulp!” The staff cautioned him in a hurry. “Please be careful. These super spicy foods are really spicy! It’ll be harmful if you don’t take your time and eat it!” “No problemo!” Served in a large bowl, the super spicy foods were carried right before the athletes. Smeared with the super spicy seasoning, meat and vegetables are all tinged in flaming scarlet. The food looked ominous just from seeing it. The athletes took a glance and shuddered. “Can we......eat this?” “Oi, oi......I’ve never seen a food this bright red......” “I feel like my tongue will burn......” Everyone is shrinking back. But Kirby did not quail even the slightest. “Looks yummy~! Let’s dig in!” Holding the bowl, he opens his mouth wide and swallows it all in one gulp. “Mmm~! Yummy~!” Seeing Kirby beaming, the athletes breathed easy. “What, it’s not as spicy as it looks.” “There was nothing to worry about.” “Time to dig in!” Following Kirby, they all ate the contents of the bowl all at once, but: Just then, it became swirling with piercing screams. “Nnnnnnguooo!!!??? Uoo......uoooo......uoooo......!” “WHAT IS THIS!!!???” “Eeeeekkk! I’m burningggggg!” “Water! Wateeeeeeeer! The staff are hurriedly carrying out water. The athletes scramble for it and gulp the water. Even so, the stimulation left in their mouth doesn’t vanish. Some athletes were even writhing about and shedding tears. Mace Knight said as he wept. “Why is......Kirby fine......?” “Mm? Me? But it wasn’t spicy at all! I want more! Se......conds......” Kirby was about to say as if nothing had happened, but his face twitched suddenly. “NNNNNNN!!? W-W-WHAT!!!!??? H-Hotttttt! My insides are all hottttttt!” As they watched, Kirby’s body turned bright red. “S......S......Save meeeeeee!!!” Running amok, Kirby knocked down the bowl, kicked away the camera, and soared high in the sky. Walky shouts. “Holy smokes! Kirby, who has been calm just now, has started running riot! What has happened, Commentator Meta Knight?” “It’s because Kirby would swallow anything whole. I guess he didn’t have any time to taste the spiciness. But then the super spicy food exploded inside his stomach.” “I see! Will Kirby be alright!?” “Wateeeeeeeeeer! Kirby gulps down the waters brought by the staff, but that cannot possibly satiate him. “Bring some mooooore!!” “There isn’t any!” “AAAAAUUUGGHHH!!!!!!” The ones that then came rushing were King Dedede and Mr. Frosty. Absorbed in brawling, they both forgot about the super spicy challenge, but remembered it at last and came sprinting. King Dedede shouts. “Hurry up and bring me the super spicy foods! I can eat ‘em all in one bite!” “I won't lose either!” Holding the bowl at the time, the two devoured the super spicy foods in one gulp. Its effect is immediate. “......Nnnnnnnggoooooo!?” “Guaaaaaaaaaa!!!! G-G-Gruaaaaaaaaaa!” Letting out a nonsensical scream, they topple over. Kirby came walking in front of the two convulsing in pain. Walky yells. “Kirby’s consciousness is dim from the spiciness! What is he up to!?” “Wa......teeeeeer! Water pleaseeeeeeeee!” Kirby opens his mouth wide and gives a good inhaling. Mr. Frosty was dead ahead of him. “Ohhhh......ohh!? S-Stop, Kirby! I’m not water!” “Wateeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer!” Closing his eyes, Kirby inhales with all his might. “Huhhhhhhh~!?” Flying in the air, Mr. Frosty was sucked up by Kirby. To not get sucked in, Walky clings onto a tree and continues commentating. “Ohh......ohhh......holy toledo! Kirby has sucked up Mr. Frosty! Isn’t it against the rules to inhale the rival athlete!?” “No, there isn’t a rule that says that you can’t inhale your rival. This too is part of the battle.” “I see! Ah, having inhaled Mr. Frosty, Kirby has put his Ice ability into work!” It is just as Walky says. Kirby was transforming into a figure with a beautiful blue hat on. Kirby’s power is being able to copy the ability of the opponent that he inhales. He was able to use the Ice ability thanks to inhaling Mr. Frosty. His thirst was satisfied at last. His stomach is instead filling up with the water he swigged. ”Puwaaahhhh!” Kirby took a deep breath. His breath became blizzard below freezing point and blew against the surrounding objects.

”Here it is, Kirby’s ‘Ice Breath!’ This fearsome move freezes the surrounding objects with the breath of ice!” Shouts Walky. The bowl, the table, and the rocks lying around nearby all turned into a clump of ice. Popping into his mouth the ice-turned rocks willy-nilly, King Dedede wiped his sweat. “Phew......I was saved! The numbness in my tongue is gone at last!” Hearing him, the athletes squirming in pain also sank their teeth into the ice in succession. Everyone breathes easy. “Thank heavens! The spiciness is gone at last!” “I’m finally able to talk again!” “Thanks a lot, Kirby!” Surrounding Kirby, the athletes relaxed at last.

Someone was watching the situation in the shade of a tree. It was Producer Kizario. Clicking his tongue wistfully, he mumbled. “Tch......so they all washed it off with ice. The Super Spice that I went through so much in mixing fell flat......” “Super Spice? What’s that?” A voice was heard behind Kizario. He jumped up in surprise. He turns around in a hurry. Meta Knight was behind him. “M-Meta Knight!? W-Why the devils are you here......!” “Is it bad for me to be here?” “A commentator should be in the commentator’s seat!” “What is this Super Spice? Is there some sort of a secret in that super spicy food?” “I-It’s nothing! Let’s get on with the race!” Kizario left Meta Knight to get away from him. Meta Knight was riveting his eyes on his back. (......I knew that man was hiding something. Looks like this race is a breeding ground for turmoil.)

“Congrats on passing the second checkpoint, you all!” Facing the athletes sinking down to the floor, Kizario said in a loud voice. “No time to loosen up! We continue the race. Get moving and head to the third checkpoint!” “Wha......let us rest a little.” “My body’s strength has all gone from the super spicy food just now......” Grumbled the athletes, but Kizario persisted. “Do you not want the prize? Anything you wish for is to be granted! If you’re gonna drop out here, then help yourself!” “Ummm......I don’t wanna drop out......” “Then get on your machine this instant. Chop-chop!” The athletes boarded the Machine with a discontent look. Meta Knight called to Kirby about to board the Warp Star. “Kirby. Return Mr. Frosty back to normal before you get on with the race. I would feel sorry for him to drop out like that” “Ah, you’re right!” Kirby spun once in midair. The Copy Ability fell off and reverted back to Mr. Frosty. Mr. Frosty fell limp and plopped down right there. “Guwaaa......my throat is......burning......bring me wateeer......” “Sorry about that, Mr. Frosty. There isn't any leftover water or ice!” Hopping onto the Warp Star effortlessly, Kirby gradually gained speed.

After the athletes passed through the second checkpoint and Mr. Frosty too wandered away in search of a lake: With rattle, rattle, rattle......a vehicle drew closer. It was Wheelie Scooter, with Waddle Dee on board. Cleaning up after them, the TV staff noticed and spoke to him. “Huh? You’re an athlete too? The other athletes got through already.” “I’m in last place. What should I do for this checkpoint?” “You eat the super spicy foods, but there aren’t any left.” “Eh......no way......am I disqualified then?” Seeing Waddle Dee down in the mouth, the staff felt sorry for him and said. “You poor thing. Hmm......there is a little bit of seasoning left, so how about you try ‘em?” “S-Sure thing!” “There isn’t a rule that says that you have to eat the entire bowl. You should be able to pass even if you eat a tiny bit.” Placing the tiny bit of the spice in a small plate, the staff spice laid it before Waddle Dee. Nervously trying the morsel, Waddle Dee jumped up. “Hot!! My mouth is stinging!” “Ahaha! The others had to go through way more than that.” “But it feels like my strength is welling up!” “You’re right about that. After all, this seasoning is Super Spice, Young Master Kizario’s special......” “Hey, we’ll get told off if we talk too much.” Warned the other staff. Having been about to say something, the staff buttoned his lips in a hurry. “Oopsie, my tongue slipped......let’s say that you didn’t hear what I said right now.” “......?” Waddle Dee thought of it as strange, but the staff quickly shook his hand. “Well, get going, would ya. You probably won’t pull even with the others regardless of how hard you try, but you shouldn’t throw in the towel. Who knows, you might get a participation prize for reaching the goal.” “Yes. I’ll try my best.” Mounting Wheelie Scooter a second time, Waddle Dee was moving forward......with rattle, rattle, rattle.

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#kirby novels #kirby of the stars #light novel #translation #kirby #waddle dee #king dedede #meta knight #walky #meta knights

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duhragonball · 3 years

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[FIC] Luffa: The Legendary Super Saiyan (150/?)

Disclaimer: This story features characters and concepts based on Dragon Ball, which is a trademark of Bird Studio/Shueisha and Toei Animation. This is an unauthorized work, and no profit is being made on this work by me. This story is copyright of me. Download if you like, but please don’t archive it without my permission. Don’t be shy.

Continuity Note: This story takes place about 1000 years before 66 years after the events of Dragon Ball Z.

[24 December, Age 762. Planet Namek.]

Luffa was the Legendary Super Saiyan.

And then she wasn't.

A harrowing battle on the Planet Nagaoka had left her power exhausted, and then a wish on a magic dragon brought her centuries into the future, where she recruited into a temporal police force. During a mission on the Planet Namek, she was horrified to discover that the Saiyans of the future knew nothing about her. She was neither legendary, nor super.

And now, thanks to the body-swapping technique of Captain Ginyu, she was no longer a Saiyan either. She watched helplessly as her own body attacked Son Goku.

"I was going to take your body!" Ginyu said as he battered Goku's forearms with Luffa's fists. "But then what's-her-name spoiled my shot! But I gotta admit, I could get used to this!"

Luffa looked at her hands, which were actually the hands of Captain Ginyu. He was over two meters tall, with purple skin an a swollen cranium adorned with two black horns. Luffa's eyes went wide with fear. There was no tail, or even a phantom pain one might expect to sense when one's tail was removed. Everything felt... wrong. Her senses reeled with the conflicting ki signature of this alien body. It might have been easier to adjust if she had been stuck in a body from a species she was more familiar with. But she had no idea what sort of life form Ginyu's body was supposed to be.

And suddenly, it dawned on Luffa that Captain Ginyu probably had no idea either. This couldn't have been the first time he had used this trick. It was the perfect secret weapon. If he ever faced an enemy that was too much for him, he could turn the tables and increase his power with a single stroke. This giant purple creature couldn't have been Ginyu's original body. It had to be the body of one of his enemies. Ginyu probably stole it on a whim, and knew nothing about its homeworld, or its culture, or anything...

Then she finally noticed Guldo and Jeice flanking her.

"Not so tough now are ya?" Jeice asked. "Did a real number on Burter a minute ago, but now? Looks like yer luck's changed, hasn't it? Yeah, changed to bad luck, that is."

"Enough!" Guldo seethed. "Let's just put this creep down, once and for all!"

To her credit, Luffa still had enough wherewithal to defend herself, but the body of Captain Ginyu was too bulky and strange for her to use well. Worse, she was having trouble focusing on anything but the existential horror of being trapped outside of her own body, with no way to return. Only Ginyu knew the secret of this power, and he would never be foolish enough to switch back. A chill ran down her spine as the realization settled in. She was trapped. Trapped!

And this state of terror proved to be Luffa's downfall. Guldo kept her in check with his psychic powers, and Jeice teed off with some of his ki attacks, but this was a formality, whether they understood it or not. Luffa was already beaten.

"Crusher Ball!" Jeice shouted as he launched a globe of red energy at her. Luffa struggled for all she was worth, but there was no escape. Her telepathic powers and guile had helped her escape Guldo's psi-lock before, but that was in her own body, and Guldo wouldn't fall for the same trick twice. Jeice's attack connected, and she blacked out from the pain...

[27 February, Age 850. Toki Toki City.]

...And then Luffa found herself back in the Time Nest. To her relief, she was also back in her own body. She was hurt, but not as badly as she had been in Ginyu's flesh. She stared at her hands, which were now shaking uncontrollably.

"Wh-what happened?" As she asked the question, she suddenly realized how dry her throat was, and how small and pathetic her voice sounded.

"Nothing good, I'm afraid," Trunks said. She was sitting on the floor of the Time Vault, beside one of the stools at the large octagonal table in the center of the room. He loomed over her like a long shadow, then reached down to help her up.

She didn't take his hand.

"I... I... was..."

"The short version is this: you got your butt kicked," Trunks said. He eventually gave up on pulling her up by the hand, and crouched down to scoop her up in his arms. "Come on, I'll take you to the hospital."

"No!" Luffa shouted. "I mean... I'm fine! I'm fine!"

She swatted his hands away, and Trunks backed off and left her where she was. "Look, I don't know what went wrong out there," he said, "but you're not 'fine'. Luffa, we need to get you checked out..."

"I don't need your help!" Luffa screamed. She started grabbing at her short black hair and making snarling noises that sounded like gears grinding together.

"Luffa, you're hyperventilating!" Trunks said. "Let me--"

He reached out to her again, only this time she scrambled to her feet, knocking over one of the stools.

"Get away from me, you bastard!" she shrieked.

"Not until you've calmed down," Trunks said firmly. "I can't let you run amok in the Time Vault--"

He took one step forward, and she threw a punch at his face. The impact sounded like thunder.

Trunks didn't budge. Luffa pulled her hand back and bared her teeth. She wasn't sure whether to back off or to try again. He wasn't even bothering to defend himself. In her present condition, he probably didn't need to.

"If that helps," Trunks said, "then keep going. As long as you don't damage the Time Vault, you can hit me as much as you like."

"Your father was a coward and royalist fool!" Luffa screamed. It had nothing to do with the matter at hand, but she felt the need to shout something at him.

"I know exactly who my father is," Trunks said evenly. "Believe what you want to believe. Nothing you say about him alters the truth."

"What gives you the right to stand here and choose these jobs?" Luffa seethed.

"I did."

They both turned to find the Supreme Kai of Time had entered the room. There was neither mirth nor anger on her face, but a look of abiding concern. Trunks bowed his head as she approached.

"I don't allow fighting in the Time Vault," she said. "Trunks knows this, Luffa, but you're new, so I thought I should mention it. Can you fill me in on what's been going on?"

"It's my fault," Trunks said. "I should have pulled Luffa out of there the moment her earpiece stopped working, but I couldn't find her at first, and then she seemed to do so well afterward."

"Don't make excuses for me, you--"

Chronoa held out her hand to Luffa. "You're hurt," she said. "I can take care of that."

"Wait!" Trunks said. "You don't need to do that! The hospital--!"

"It's all right, Trunks," she said without looking away from Luffa. "I know what I'm doing. And I think this might help Luffa trust us a little better."

Luffa wanted to refuse her, to slap her hand away and scream obscenities at them both. And yet, in spite of her turmoil, there was an even greater dread beneath it. Toki Toki City was the only life she had left. If she turned against the Time Patrol now, what was left for her? Where else could she go?

Reluctantly, she took Chronoa's hand into her own.

"She's hurt pretty badly," Trunks warned her. "You should sit down, at least."

"I'll be all right," Chronoa said. She closed her hand around Luffa's, and placed her other hand on Luffa's shoulder. Then she closed her eyes and concentrated.

The sensation was very similar to the healing effect produced by Pulmon, the Namekian healer from the Toki Toki City Hospital. Luffa closed her own eyes and took a deep breath as she tried to relax. Gradually, the aches and pains faded, and the cuts and abrasions on Luffa's skin were reversed. The mental wounds remained, however, but with her body restored, Luffa could at least see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Luffa finally opened her eyes, only to find Chronoa wincing in pain. It looked as though she had gotten into a fight of her own during those few minutes. The wounds looked familiar to Luffa, and then she realized the Kai's body was hurt in the exact same places that Luffa had been. The Namekian healer's power was nothing like this.

"What did you...?" Luffa asked as Chronoa withdrew her hands.

"Supreme Kai!" Trunks said as he reached out to steady her.

"I'll be all right," Chronoa said. "You weren't kidding, Trunks. She was in rough shape. I'd better head for the hospital myself..."

"I don't understand," Luffa said.

"She has the power to heal," Trunks explained, "but it's an empathic ability. To mend your injuries, she has to take your pain as her own."

"That's crazy!" Luffa shouted. She followed Trunks as he led the Kai to the nearest stool. "You shouldn't have done that! Not when the hospital--!"

"H-here... in the Time Patrol," Chronoa said, "we take care of each other. I can see... that you're deeply troubled. I can't take that pain from you, but... but I can share some of your burden. Now... can you tell us what happened?"

Luffa regarded her for a moment, and felt ashamed of herself for lashing out at them. Despite Trunks fretting over her, Chronoa seemed to bear Luffa's wounds with greater dignity and strength than Luffa had done. She wanted to run and hide in her apartment, but Chronoa had made her point. The least Luffa could do was to honor the Kai's sacrifice with a field report.

"Vegeta was influenced by the enemy's power," Luffa began. "So I went after him first. Then Recoome attacked me. He burned out my earpiece, so I lost contact with Trunks."

"Y-you were right," Chronoa said to Trunks. "You should have pulled her out then and there."

"I'm sorry," Trunks said.

"Kakarot showed up," Luffa continued, "and we fought the Ginyu Force. We thought Vegeta was going to fight alongside us, but he turned and fled. Then Ginyu came back with reinforcements. A few dozen guys from Frieza's spaceship. They were all infected with the enemy's power."

"A few dozen?" Trunks repeated.

"It sounds like whoever's behind this is getting bolder," Chronoa said. She held her ribs and took short shallow breaths. She was a very small woman, even compared to Luffa. It pained her to see the Kai hurt like this. It bothered her even more to know that she was directly responsible for the pain Chronoa was now experiencing.

"Kakarot and I fought them off," Luffa said, "but then I caught Ginyu using that technique of his. The one we saw in the scroll, where he switches bodies. I knew it would mess things up if he swapped with Kakarot, so I tried to stop him... only I ended up in the line of fire myself."

"Ginyu swapped bodies with you?" Trunks asked.

"And then his cronies finished me off," Luffa said. "I couldn't... there was nothing I could do. They would have killed me if you hadn't brought me back here."

"We didn't bring you back," Trunks said. "The Scroll of Eternity does that automatically when you die during a mission."

"Die?" Luffa asked.

"Not literally, I mean," Trunks said. "When you use the Scroll of Eternity to travel back in time, your ability to alter history is limited. That's why you could participate in that battle on Namek without changing the past. If you get hurt badly enough on a mission, the Scroll will pull you back for your own safety."

"Then... then we can try again?" Luffa asked. "I think if I start over, maybe I can--"

Trunks shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea," he said. "You've had a rough time of it, Luffa. Shenron may have chosen you to be my partner on this case, but I can't keep putting you in danger like this."

"No," Chronoa said. "I'm afraid we don't have a choice, Trunks. At least, not as far as Captain Ginyu is concerned."

They both looked at the Kai, who was now leaning on Trunks' arm for support.

"We can't send Luffa back to the beginning of the mission," she explained. "If we do, we risk jeopardizing the progress she's already made in correcting the flow of history. And we can't send another Patroller in her place, for the same reason."

"That's fine," Luffa said. "Now that I've seen Ginyu's trick, I'll be able to avoid it, and--"

"It's not that simple Luffa," Chronoa said. "At least, not in this case. When you resume the mission, you'll be going back to the moment when you left. That means you'll be back in Captain Ginyu's body. Whatever happens next, you'll need to proceed from that status. I'm sorry."

"The enemy must have been counting on this to happen," Trunks said. "That's why they chose that particular moment in history. They knew if Captain Ginyu used his ability, it would make our job a lot harder, leaving them free to move on to their next target."

"We're in a pinch, sure, but it's not all bad..." Chronoa said. She looked up at Luffa and smiled. "It'll be difficult to win, but you've still got Goku and the others to help you. It might take a few tries to get it right, but I know you can do it."

"A few tries?!" Luffa said. "You've got to be kidding. I could barely control myself in that purple meathead's body, and you want me to go back?"

"We can't send anyone else in," Trunks said. "If the body-change weren't involved, things would be different, but our priority is to contain the changes to the timeline. If we send a second patroller in now, it could destabilize the flow of time in that era."

Chronoa nodded. "It's a risk we can't afford. I'm sorry, Luffa. I know how difficult this must be for you, but there's no other way--"

"No!" Luffa shouted. "I'm sick of hearing that! You're a god, aren't you? You told me this whole city sits outside of time, right? But it all depends on me putting myself through that again? You're insane! Both of you!"

Trunks was about to speak up, to chastise her for stepping out of line, but before he could speak, Luffa ran out of the room, knocking over one of the stools along the way.

"Hey!" was all Trunks managed to say, and then Chronoa gestured for him to stop before he could run after her.

"Trunks. Let her go," she said.

"But no one else can finish the mission! We need her--!"

"Exactly," Chronoa said. "We need her. She's got to work this out for herself. Besides, I still need some medical attention, remember?"

"Oh! Oh, of course!" Trunks said. "Right away."

*******

Luffa spent the next two hours in the shower. There wasn't any particular reason for this. Having nowhere else to go, she returned to her apartment in Toki Toki City, and then she retreated into the bathroom, and then she retreated further still behind shower curtain. The running water offered a distraction, at any rate.

She felt sick and ashamed of herself. It wasn't just the trauma of switching bodies with Ginyu, although that certainly crystallized the panic and fear she had been dealing with all along. Luffa was trapped in the future, a future where her former glory had been nearly forgotten. Her friends and family were all dead, and it seemed that all she had left was herself. Now they wanted her to give that up along with everything else.

She had seen the resentment in Trunks' eyes. He only cared about getting the job done for his precious Kai, and all she cared about was the preservation of a history that Luffa had never known. And what was so great about it anyway? Who was to say that the changes being made weren't for the better? Luffa hadn't given the matter much thought before now. It had been a lot simpler when it was just a matter of busting heads. But now...

Her hands were still shaking. She couldn't remember the last time it had been this bad. Centuries ago, her wife had rubbed scented oils into Luffa's palms and whispered gentle words into her ear. None of it actually helped, but it was the thought that counted, the idea that she wasn't alone in her suffering.

And then she remembered how the Kai had healed Luffa's wounds. Not only healed them, but took the damage onto her own body in exchange.

Luffa didn't want to think about that. She curled up on the tile floor around the drain, and shut her eyes tightly. She didn't want to think about how small the Supreme Kai of Time was. Or how there was no hesitation or fear when she used that empathic power. Or how she endured Luffa's pain with a friendly smile on her face.

It wasn't fair. Luffa wasn't the strongest, not anymore. So why did she still have to be responsible for these kinds of things? Hadn't she done enough? How far was she supposed to take this? How much more would she be expected to sacrifice?

"Hey."

Luffa's eyes snapped open and she sat up and backed to the far corner of the shower. "What the hell!" she shrieked.

It was her roommate. Jayncho simply stood there, holding the shower curtain in one hand as she leaned inside to see what was going on.

"I knocked, but you didn't answer," she said glumly. "I wasn't sure there was anyone in here."

"I locked the door, dammit!" Luffa yelled. She was suddenly grateful that she hadn't bothered to change out her tattered clothes. They were thoroughly soaked by now, but it was far better than the alternative.

"I thought you might have locked yourself out and then left," Jayncho said.

"How did you even get in here?" Luffa asked. The bathroom door was still closed.

"Slid underneath," Jayncho said. The Majin woman was a shapeshifter, and Luffa was still getting used to that idea. Even now, as she noticed Jayncho's black one-piece swimsuit and an inflatable inner tube with a bird's head sticking out of it, Luffa had to wonder if those were actual clothes, or just part of Jayncho's flesh, made to resemble clothing.

"What do you want?" Luffa asked, now more exasperated than furious.

"The shower," Jayncho said. "If you're done, that is. Not used to sharing, really. I've never had a roommate before. Do all Saiyans spend this long in the shower? Nothing wrong with that, I guess. I just didn't know."

"No..." Luffa said after a long pause. "No, we don't. I was just... Never mind. I'll leave you to it."

She rose to her feet and shut off the tap. The hard part was getting around Jayncho while she was holding the pool toy around her waist. Luffa didn't understand what it was for, and wasn't particularly interested in finding out.

"Wait," Luffa said, just as she was about to unlock the door.

"What?" Jayncho asked.

"What does everyone do around here?" Luffa asked. "Everyone here is a Time Patroller, right? So why am I the only one going on these missions?"

Jayncho shrugged. "Lot of things, I guess. Research. Investigations. Upkeep on the city is a whole thing by itself."

"What do you do, then?" Luffa asked.

Jayncho shrugged again. "PQ's, mostly. If you get bored, that's a good way to kill an afternoon. I'd show you, but... I won't."

Luffa nodded and opened the door, leaving Jayncho to her shower.

Before she could step out of the door, she noticed something strange out of the corner of her eye. Luffa turned, and saw Jayncho melting her entire body. Within seconds, Jayncho--swimsuit, pool toy, and all-- collapsed into a puddle of red liquid, and she began to flow through the drain. A moment later, and there was no trace of Jayncho at all.

Luffa made an audible gulp and hurried to her bedroom to change into some dry clothes.

*******

It didn't take Luffa very long to find the PQ station. There was a whole section of the city devoted to this, and crowds of people were gathered outside the registration counter to participate. Luffa felt out of place in the crowd, but she had already tried solitude and found very little solace there. She needed something to do, and there was usually some sort of action to be found in large gatherings like this one.

"Is this your first time?"

A man tapped Luffa on the shoulder, and it startled Luffa so much that she nearly jumped.

"Whoa, sorry there," he said. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't," Luffa said indignantly. "I was just... distracted."

"It's cool. My boyfriend's a Saiyan like you. Seems like he's always half a world away, too. Hey, Mosh! Over here!"

Mosh was tall and had a wiry physique. His fluffy black hair was bundled up behind his head in a ponytail, and his tail was wrapped firmly around the beltline of his armored vest. He wore a scouter device similar to the one used by Frieza's men, but this one extended across both eyes and ears, and looked more like an expensive pair of sunglasses with rose-colored lenses.

"You find us a partner, Ravi?" he asked as he waved hello.

Ravi was shorter than Mosh, but still taller than Luffa. He elbowed Mosh in the ribs. "Can we at least get to know her first before we jump right into that?" he asked.

Mosh rubbed his hands through the bleach blonde curls on Ravi's head. "She's a Saiyan, right?" he asked. "What else do we gotta know?"

Ravi chuckled. "Sorry about him, he's just rude like that."

"Nah, you're outnumbered now, Ravi," Mosh said. "With the Saiyans, small talk is rude. You wanna be polite, you gotta throw up your hands and say 'wanna fight?'"

Luffa couldn't help but smile a little. "He's not wrong," she said to Ravi.

"Oh, is that so?" Ravi asked. "Then how do Saiyans introduce themselves, Mosh?"

"Aw, that's easy," Mosh said. "What you do is you put up your dukes, just like this--" He held his closed fists close to his own face. "Then you look her in the eye and go: Tell me your name, warrior, so that I'll have something to call you when I tell others of my glorious victory."

Part of Luffa wanted to play along with this, but she just couldn't find the words. "I'm Luffa," she said. "Sorry, maybe I'm not up for this. My roommate told me I could find a little action here, but I'm not sure I'm ready for this..."

"It's cool, Luffa," Ravi said. "Maybe you just need some time. Your ki feels kind of choppy, if you don't mind me saying so. I know some guided meditation techniques that could help--"

"Aw, not again, Ravi," Mosh groaned. "You always gotta show off that fancy New Crane School diploma, don't you?"

Ravi gestured at his green gi. The fabric only went over one shoulder, exposing the right side of his chest. Luffa noticed something iridescent in the fabric, which added a little flair to anyone who happened to be looking Ravi when the angle of the light changed.

"You're just jealous because I look so good in this," Ravi insisted. "But I forgot, I'm outnumbered. What do the Saiyans do in situations like this?"

"Simple," Mosh said. "Girl needs a breather, she might as well join us on a PQ." He gestured to Luffa. "You can chill out and watch us do the mission, and if the mood strikes you, you'll be right where you need to be. How about it?"

"Well... yeah, I guess that sounds okay," Luffa said. "I need to see how these things work, anyway."

Ravi was amazed. "You've got to be kidding me!" he said to Mosh. "Since when were you so good with people?!"

"I told you, babe," Mosh said. "She's a Saiyan. Me and her are on the same wavelength, that's all."

Ravi eyed Luffa with mock-suspicion. "Did he put you up to this, Luffa?" he asked. "Be honest. If you don't feel safe, just blink once for yes, twice for no, okay?"

Luffa chuckled in spite of herself, and followed them to the registration desk.

*******

"So, long story short," Mosh said, "There's these things called 'Runaway Time Fragments.' When the Time Patrol cleans up an anomaly or a change in history, it can create after-effects. Some are easier to deal with than others. The ones that need some, ahh, percussive maintenance? Those get assigned to us."

"I still don't get how fighting can fix a time anomaly," Luffa said. "Not that I'm complaining, but it doesn't make sense."

The three of them were gathered around an egg-shapped vehicle parked on the Time Plaza. The top section was covered with a blue canopy, just large enough for three passengers to fit inside. Four struts protruded out of the sides of the fuselage, making the whole thing look like an oddly-shaped insect. Ravi opened the hatch and they all squeezed inside.

"It's complicated," Ravi said as he activated the controls, "but I'll give you my take on it, if you're interested."

"Sure," Luffa said as the canopy lowered over their heads. She noticed Mosh had to stoop quite a bit to fit inside.

"Time, well, it's a lot like a river. What happens upstream defines what will happen downstream," he began. As he spoke, the machine began to levitate and the view of the Time Plaza outside suddenly vanished, leaving only a nondescript swirl of colors in its place.

"It's easy to think of a river as being simple. Like, uh-huh, big deal, it's just water moving down the path of least resistance," Ravi said. "Divert the path, and it flows somewhere else. But there's a whole world in a river. Think about all the things that live up in there, and the sediment along the banks. And it doesn't just flow in one direction, no. You can have eddies and counter-currents along the way. Most of that is natural, and it's the Supreme Kai of Time's job to preserve that natural flow."

"Way I heard it," Mosh added, "she used to do it all by herself, for millions of years."

"Sometimes the flow gets choked off in places, or diverted where it isn't supposed to go," Ravi went on. "She can set things right--don't ask me how-- but even setting things right can have unwanted side-effects. It's like using a squeegee to clean up spilled water. You can shove the spill around, but a little of it always goes off where you don't want it to go. So you have to go back and shove that part too, and so on."

"Okay, but how does fighting figure into it?" Luffa asked.

"Same way fighting figures into everything else," Mosh said. "The really big changes usually involve some kind of conflict. Wars, invasions, duels, revolutions. The Time Fragments are leftover moments from a spill. The little ones aren't hard to deal with, but the big ones? Now, those have enough conflict in 'em that they could escalate. But if we defuse those conflicts--the hard way-- then it keeps them from breaking out and contaminating the rest of the timeline."

"Not bad," Ravi said. "I didn't know you knew so much about Time Fragments, Mosh."

"Took a training course at the annex, that's all," Mosh said.

The view from the canopy had changed once again, and they appeared to have arrived at a rocky wasteland. Ravi used the controls to unlock the hatch, but Mosh shoved it open, as he was anxious to get outside and stand up straight.

"This looks like the place on Earth where I fought Vegeta," Luffa said.

"The Gizard Wasteland," Mosh said. "Lot of PQ's go down here. You got assigned to a mission here?"

"Yeah," Luffa said. "Vegeta and Nappa invaded Earth, and I guess they were supposed to lose, but someone tried to rig the fight."

"I hadn't seen anything about that," Mosh said. He shared a concerned look with Ravi. "Stay on your toes, you hear me? This might be a little different than what we're used to."

"Relax," Ravi said. "We're strong enough to handle this, or the robots wouldn't have authorized us to go on this mission. You just chill out with the time machine, Luffa. This shouldn't take long. Ooh, speak of the devil."

Both men's scouters suddenly chirped, and yellow characters appeared in the eyepieces, though Luffa couldn't make out the readings. Mosh pointed to the southeast. "Got three bogies coming in from this side. Fourth one behind that rocky formation out there."

"Setting up an ambush, maybe?" Ravi suggested.

"Mm-hm. Let's take out his crew first," Mosh said, "and see how he reacts."

Luffa sat down in the shadow of the time machine and made herself comfortable. There was something pleasant about seeing them work, and that made it easier for her to stay on the sidelines and take it in. She recognized the "crew" as more of the Saibamen she had fought in her previous mission. Mosh and Ravi defeated them with ease.

"Piece of cake," Ravi said as they flew back to the time machine. "The robots who handle the PQ database figure out when and where to send us, and all we have to do is defeat the enemies. In this case, looks like it was just some rogue Saibamen. No trouble for us, but if they ran loose in this Time Fragment for long enough, they could cause trouble for the Earth."

"That'd be something," Mosh said. "Imagine a Saibaman taking over the whole planet."

"What about their leader?" Luffa asked. She could still sense the ki of the fourth one. Whoever it was, they hadn't moved from their hiding place.

"Yeah, I guess he wasn't in league with those Saibamen after all," Mosh said. "Might be a coincidence. We should go check it out."

But before they could move out, their scouters chirped again, and Luffa could sense the enemy approaching. "Looks like he's not waiting around," Ravi said. "I can't recognize the ki of this one. It's like an Earthling's, but... different somehow."

"What would an Earthling be doing out here alone?" Luffa asked, but there was no time for anyone to answer. Their mysterious foe suddenly appeared right in front of them, his massive form blocking out the mid-day sun.

"What the--?" Mosh said.

"M-master Chiaotzu?" Ravi asked.

Luffa didn't recognize him until Ravi said the name. She had briefly fought alongside a band of Earthling warriors during one of her Time Patrol missions. There, the one called Chiaotzu was the smallest of their number. His bone-white skin was interrupted only by a pair of red spots on his cheeks, and between that and his ominous thousand-meter stare, he had seemed more like a mythical creature than a flesh-and-blood humanoid.

But here, in this time fragment, Chiaotzu was much, much larger. He was at least as tall as Mosh, but with a much thicker musculature. His gaze was as inscrutable as ever, but this time there was malice in his expression, and a red gleam in his eyes.

"Watch out!" Luffa warned them, "he's going to--!"

The word "attack" never made it out of Luffa's mouth, as Chiaotzu unleashed a powerful wave of destructive energy from his body. She managed to block the brunt of it, but couldn't resist the force of the blast, and found herself tumbling backward. By the time she managed to right herself, she looked around and saw Ravi lying face down on the ground, while Mosh was in the air, fighting a desperate battle against this strange new Chiaotzu.

As Luffa rushed to Ravi's side, she spared a moment of concern for their time machine, but then she spotted it in the same place they had left it. She supposed that the Time Patrol had designed it for these kinds of battles, but all that mattered was that there would be a way to get Ravi to safety if it came to that.

"He's been possessed!" Luffa said breathlessly as she knelt down at Ravi's side. "I've seen this before on other missions, but it looks like it's transformed him somehow."

"Luffa, you've got to... get out of here," Ravi said. "He's too strong. Taught me... everything I know... Mosh can't hold him off for long."

He was right. Luffa could tell that, in spite of Mosh's valiant effort, that he was outmatched, and it was only a matter of time. She decided the best thing to do would be to load Ravi in the time machine where he would be relatively safe. But when she tried to scoop him up in her arms, she found it nearly impossible to move. It was similar to Guldo's paralysis technique, including the rising panic Luffa felt as she struggled in vain against it.

"Luffa, hurry!" Ravi gasped.

"I... I-can't!" Luffa grunted. All she could manage was to lift her head up to see the battle overhead. Mosh was clutching his arm, and Chiaotzu raised his index finger. A bright light appeared at the tip, and it seemed that he was ready to deliver the final blow...

NEXT: Menace of the Mega-Chiaotzu!

#dragon ball #fanfiction #lssjluffafic #luffa #captain ginyu #jeice #guldo #trunks #supreme kai of time #ravi #mosh #chiaotzu #toki toki city #namek #earth #jayncho #finally got the fic synced up between tumblr and ao3

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im-up-to-shenanigans · 3 years

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For Better or Worse

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Summary: Nathalie makes a promise to Emilie. For better or worse.

Rating: T

Characters: Nathalie Sancoeur, Emilie Agreste, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawkmoth, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir

~*~*~*~

Nathalie sometimes forgets.

Of course, she remembers the horrible day with extreme clarity, but when she’s in his presence, it’s so easy to think that it’s him.

But then when she's alone, it all comes rushing back. The day when Gabriel Agreste died.

Adrien was three years old. Emilie had just gotten back home after the final filming day for Solitude. The family bodyguard had gone to pick up Gabriel from the airport after he'd returned from a trip to America. That’s when Emilie got the call.

The plain had crashed. There were no survivors.

Nathalie didn’t hear the conversation on the phone, but she watched as Emilie's demeanor went for exhausted but happy to devastated. Nathalie promptly ushered Adrien to his room and quickly got him ready for bed.

"I want Mama to tuck me in."

Nathalie sighed. "Mama's busy right now. I can read you a story if you want."

Adrien thought for a moment. "Okay," he said with a determined nod.

He was asleep three pages in. Nathalie closed the book and quietly snuck out of the room. When she approached the living room where Emilie had been, she was met with emptiness.

When she finally found the blonde woman, she knew something was horribly wrong. Emilie was sobbing in Gabriel's office, clutching a photo of the couple on their wedding to her heart. She was on the floor, her back against the desk.

Nathalie didn’t know what to do. In the ten years she’d known Emilie, she’d never seen her cry. She always insisted that image was everything and that showing any sort of negative emotion was a sign of weakness.

Nathalie cautiously closed the door behind her and approached the weeping woman. "Mrs. Agreste?"

Emilie cried harder, her wails raising the hair on the back of Nathalie's neck.

Nathalie kneeled next to her. "Emilie?" she whispered.

The next thing she knew, Emilie had dropped the frame and flung her arms around her neck. Nathalie hesitated, but hugged her back lightly. She was completely lost on what to do. She didn’t even know what the phone call was about. "Emilie, what happened?"

"He's," the woman sobbed. "He's gone!" She continued to wail, wrenching Nathalie's heart. "The p-plane c-c-crashed!" She could hardly speak from the sobs wracking her slim frame.

Nathalie froze. What? Gabriel's... dead?

Emilie's sobs had quieted to sniffles. "He's gone. And he’s never coming back," she whispered, her voice raw from the grief. She pulled away from Nathalie and turned back to the picture lying on the ground. "He's never coming back. I'll never see him again!"

Her crying picked up again as she picked up the frame and stared at it. She ran her finger along Gabriel's face, one of the few captured moments where he was smiling widely. He was looking directly at the camera, but Emilie was kissing him on the cheek with her arms draped gently on his shoulders. "It's not fair," she sniffled after she had calmed down.

"What are you going to tell Adrien?"

Nathalie watched as Emilie's faced scrunched up in pain. She held up a hand to her mouth and sobbed. "Adrien. He's too young. He can’t—"

She turned to Nathalie, a hard look in her eyes. "He can't know!"

"Emilie—" Nathalie cut herself off as Emilie abruptly stood up and walked over to the safe behind the small painting on the wall. She hesitantly rose as well, ignoring the slight pain as her legs regained blood flow after kneeling for several minutes on end.

Emilie opened the safe and quickly with drew a blue broach Nathalie had only seen a few times before. "What do you know about miraculouses, Nathalie?" she asked.

Nathalie blinked. "I'm sorry?"

Emilie sighed and turned to face the assistant. "You remember our trip to Tibet five years ago?"

"Yes."

"While we were there, we discovered something called the miraculous. Magical pieces of jewelry that grant the wielder specific powers."

Nathalie raised and eyebrow as she watched Emilie mutter something and remove the little purple pin the she always wore over her heart. And then gasped when she saw a purple flash before the pin transform its shape, gaining for silver pieces that emerged from the center, form an "X". "H-how?" she stammered.

Emilie had a weak smile on her face. "Magic." She pinned the peacock broach she had pulled out of the safe to the place where the pin had been. Nathalie watched in amazement as there was a blue flash of light, and some sort of floating creature that vaguely resembled a peacock appeared. "Hello, Duusu."

Nathalie was not prepared for the thing to speak. "Emilie! Good to see you! How's Gabriel?"

Tears welled up in Emilie's eyes. The blue thing spoke again, much quieter and more somber this time. "Oh no, I can sense your distress." Then she — it?— began to cry. Loudly.

"I need you, Duusu." Emilie wiped her red, puffy eyes. "I need a sentimonster."

"What's a sentimonster?" Nathalie blurted, all sense of professionalism gone at that point.

Both Emilie and... Duusu started and turned towards her. "Oh, who's this?" Duusu asked.

"This is Nathalie. And I'll explain in a moment. For now, Duusu, spread my feathers!"

With another flash of blue, Nathalie’s life changed forever.

The amok, as Nathalie soon learned it was called, was placed inside the picture frame still clutched in Emilie's hand. It was infused with special power to give the sentimonster all of Gabriel's emotions.

Suddenly, the forming sentimonster, which had been bubbling with dark energy, sparked and crackled before an exact likeness of Gabriel Agreste was formed.

Emilie smiled softly. "Now he is back." She stepped forward to greet her creation, but hunched over with a cough.

Nathalie rushed over to her. "Emilie? Are you okay?"

Emilie waved over to her. "I’m fine. What matters is that we succeeded." With that, she released her transformation.

Duusu eyed Gabriel. "I’m not sure, Emilie. Something doesn’t feel right."

Emilie shook her head. "He’s perfect."

~*~*~*~

In the years to come, it became clear that he wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t obvious at first, but as time passed, the sentimonster deviated further and further from his likeness. Where Gabriel had been stoic in public, the sentimonster refused to leave the house. Where Gabriel was warm and loving with his family, the sentimonster was cold and aloof. And yet he was still so similar. And it was so easy to forget.

But not for Emilie. At first she had looked at the sentimonster with love in her eyes and a smile on her face, but gradually the light in her eyes dimmed the worse her relationship with him became.

To make matters worse, Emilie had gotten steadily worse in health. She hadn’t used the peacock very many times over the years, but every time she did, her cough slowly overtook her. Until she was on her death bed.

Adrien was almost 13, and Nathalie worried for the boy. His father neglected him more often than not. His mother was extremely sick. The only friend he had was that spoiled Chloé girl.

She may not have ever had a child, but she swore that when the time came, she would make sure Adrien was cared for. She’d love him like her own. For the real Gabriel. For Emilie. For better or worse.

~*~*~*~

The day Emilie fell into the coma, Nathalie would never forget.

Emilie had called for her, and urged her to come close to her side.

Nathalie stiffened when Emilie took her hand and laid the peacock in it, closing Nathalie’s fingers over the broach. "It may be broken, but it keeps Gabriel alive. Take care of it. Take care of them. Adrien needs a parental figure in his life. For better or worse."

"Emilie, I can't-" Nathalie protested.

"Please, Nathalie. For me."

Nathalie met her faded green eyes, which still stuck out against her paper white skin. This woman she had known for twenty years. And inside she knew she’d never be able to deny Emilie anything. So she nodded. "I promise."

Emilie smiled and closed her eyes.

She never opened them again.

~*~*~*~

And so Nathalie hid the peacock back inside the safe, only using it on special occasions. She watched as Gabriel became Hawkmoth. She watched as Adrien went to public school. She watched as the two of them drifted further and further apart.

She refused to stand back when Gabriel commanded her to stop. She made a promise to take of them. She would protect them. She would love them. Adrien needed a parent. And she’d make sure he always had one. For the real Gabriel. For Emilie. For better or worse.

#miraculous ladybug #ml #ml fanfic #my ml fanfic #my stuff #my fanfic #nathalie sancoeur #emilie agreste #gabriel agreste #adrien agreste #he's pretty minor tho #angst #tragedy

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the-voltage-diaries · 5 years

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Make Me Burn - Eisuke Ichinomiya [Request]

There you go, @leoamber66, @kbtbbposts, @stay-positive16

Warning: NSFW

“... fuck,” Eisuke said, scrunching up the note left by a certain someone on his bedside table before vanishing away into the early hours of the morning. ‘Let us forget what happened last night’, was what the note said. Glancing at the table clock to see it read 6:45 A.M., Eisuke got up to get started on the new day, trying his best to shake off the image of his secretary writhing under him in pleasure.

It had all started three days ago, when he had seen Elena, his then girlfriend, cheat on him. He had returned from his business trip two days early, hoping to surprise his girlfriend, spending time with her on the day he was born, 29 years ago. What he wasn’t prepared was the gift Elena gave him; a sight that broke him more than he thought he was capable of. There she was, the one he proudly called his, on his bed; naked, writhing in pleasure as some guy rammed himself into her like a hungry beast.

Elena, upon seeing Eisuke, had begged on her knees for forgiveness, promising to never cheat again. Eisuke had only pushed her away violently, having his trust broken... yet again. His body had turned cold and rigid, imitating his heart, and as he had turned around and walked away from Elena, he had lifted up a hand to wipe away the single tear that had managed to slip out.

Eisuke shook his head as he turned the shower on, wanting to get rid of the bitter taste the memory had left in his mouth. He flinched in pain as hot water came rushing down on his body, making his skin burn. He did nothing to stop the pain, for it made him feel alive. It made his dead soul realise that he was still capable of feeling emotions. He closed his eyes, remembering the face of his secretary, how her biting remarks turned into moans of pleasure as his fingers worked their magic on her last night.

After giving himself a day to calm down after facing Elena’s betrayal on his birthday, it was nearly eleven-thirty at night when Eisuke took out his mobile, wanting to ask Soryu to join him for a drink, venting out to him in the process. What he didn’t know was that he had accidentally sent that text to his secretary, (Y/N). It was when she had texted him back, agreeing to come up to the penthouse, had Eisuke realised who the text had gone to.

Fine. Give me 10 minutes. Eisuke kept looking at the text time and again, not believing that his generally closed-off secretary was actually willing to join him for a drink after work hours. Much to his shock and unexpected relief, she had come, that too in record time. Dressed in a hoodie and loose trousers, (Y/N) looked much more casual and approachable than she had ever looked in the 6 years he had known her.

Raising her eyebrows in amusement, she had said, “Are you planning to keep me out here the whole time or what?” Smirking, she had pushed him aside by his shoulder, making herself at home in his living room. Eisuke wasn’t the least bit bothered though, for they had gotten pretty close in the six years she had served him as his secretary. He could probably even say that after Soryu, she was the most trusted person on his list.

“You sure do seem comfortable, Ms. Secretary,” Eisuke flashed his usual smirk, feeling better already for some reason. Grabbing two glasses of champagne from the table, he passed one over to (Y/N) before sitting down on the couch, some distance away from her.

“What’s wrong, Ichinomiya? You’re not the one to just text anyone so late at night, asking them to have a drink with you ‘cause you want to talk,” She said, taking a sip from her glass. After bantering with her for a while about knowing him, he took a deep breath, finally deciding to let it out.

“So, Elena and I broke up,” He said, looking up to see (Y/N)’s eyes go wide with shock. Before she could ask why, he answered it, “She cheated on me. I found her fucking some stranger, in my goddamn bed.”

“THE FUCK?!” (Y/N) had screamed, not believing her ears. Eisuke seemed shocked too, for he had never heard (Y/N) curse in all these years. “But... she was the one who hinted at marrying you, right? For god’s sake, you even brought her a ring to surprise her!”

Eisuke and Elena had been dating for five long years, and just as (Y/N) had said, Eisuke had wanted to marry Elena. She had been his everything, his support, his rock, his companion, his best friend, everything. But this was before she cheated on him.

After telling (Y/N) everything that had happened two days ago, he took a deep breath, waiting for his secretary to say something. As he looked over to his (Y/N)’s face processing everything, realisation of him trusting her enough to tell her everything struck him down hard. Just a few hours ago he had thought about everyone betraying him, but here he was, looking across at a face showing genuine anger for something that had happened to him, not (Y/N).

Slowly as the night progressed, one glass had turned into one too many, and before either of them could do anything, they both were drunk. Looking across at (Y/N), Eisuke felt some sort of heat in his chest. She had stuck by his side like glue even when shit had gone down, never once backing away from trusting him.

Once I trust someone, it’s hard to break it, Mr. Ichinomiya, she had said. As Eisuke kept looking at her slightly flushed face, probably matching his own, he could only think of the deep sense of security and safety she had silently offered him in all the long years, ever since the day he had gained her trust. Had anything ever gone wrong, somewhere in his heart, Eisuke had felt assured that he’d have (Y/N) by his side every time. She had not broken that faith even that night.

Feeling unexplained emotions, Eisuke had suddenly felt the urge to kiss (Y/N) thin lips, the ones that always had a sarcastic retort at ready. He suddenly felt the urgent need to kiss her neck, mark her as his, and his only. He wanted to run his fingers down her sides, he wanted to watch (Y/N), who always looked so poised and composed, come undone.

His eyes widened as the word came to his mind for what he was feeling - desire. Strong, unguarded desire. Little did he know, (Y/N) wanted him just as badly as he wanted her. She had never dared to utter a word, but even (Y/N) felt attraction towards her boss, but not because of those riches he loved to show off. She liked him because he had showed his vulnerable moments. He had proven that he was a human too, and he had his fair share of anxiety and breakdowns too. But the day Eisuke had introduced her to his then girlfriend, Elena, was the day when she had decided to bury her emotions within her forever. Now, though, as she sat there on the couch of Eisuke’s penthouse suite’s living room, she could feel the lid to her raw affection for him slowly come undone.

While she was busy wondering all this, she had failed to notice Eisuke close in on her, tugging on her wrist to pull her towards him, and before she could get her wits about her and stop her emotions from running amok, Eisuke had tugged her in by the waist, planting his soft lips firmly on her thin ones. Her eyes widened in surprise, before they closed on their own, her lips moving to kiss him back.

As Eisuke’s hands traveled along her sides, her eyes opened wide once again, her hands pushing Eisuke away, “Eisuke, no--”

“Shh already,” Eisuke said, grabbing her wrists and returning his lips to the place they were at before; her lips. Eisuke’s passionate kisses turned gentle, as if coaxing (Y/N) to relax into him, his tongue prodding at her mouth, aching to meet her own.

Eisuke’s kiss did it’s magic on (Y/N), as she closed her eyes, relaxing into him, trusting him to handle everything. Just once. Even if he can be mine for one night, please, let him, she thought, parting her lips and allowing Eisuke’s tongue to entwine with her own, rubbing against each other, their lips in perfect harmony.

Things gradually turned from gentle to heated as they made their way to his bedroom, discarding their inhibitions in the process. Once they were standing near the bed, Eisuke slowly took off (Y/N)’s hoodie, taking his time to let the picture of (Y/N), nearly half naked, with the water from the aquarium reflecting off of her toned abdomen in the dark of the room. As soon as he had taken her hoodie off, she pulled him close, kissing his lips, trying to quench her desires.

The sight of (Y/N) in her black sports bra, matching trousers, and messy open hair turned Eisuke on more than any female had ever done. He went on his knees, looking up at her, in her eyes, smirking as he kissed just below her belly button, his fingers tugging at her trousers, slowly pulling them down, his lips following the path.

(Y/N) whimpered, her fingers finding Eisuke’s hair, pulling him up as soon as her trousers hit her ankles, her fingers busy undoing the buttons on Eisuke’s shirt, kissing his collarbones, chest and abs and more of his skin peeked out. Eisuke was now more turned on than ever, for this woman did something to him. Her kisses made him feel not only heated, but also in some sense, safe. He felt he could be himself with (Y/N), in a sense that he didn’t even feel with Elena.

Grabbing (Y/N)’s face, he kissed the daylights out of her in an attempt to get rid of the overly emotional thoughts. He smiled when he found her lips kissing him back with the same fervor. Her fingers went down to lightly stoke along the outline of Eisuke’s crotch, making him groan from the sudden touch. She smirked, her touch becoming a little more firm as Eisuke’s hands traveled down to her abdomen, his fingers stoking her sides, making her whimper.

Her fingers took their time in undoing his pants, increasing his frustration at the lack of her touch. As soon as she had gotten his pants out of the way, he pushed her on the bed, his lips finding themselves at her ankles, slowly kissing their way up her smooth skin. His underwear felt tighter as he looked down at the beauty under him, in her black bra and matching panties, her hands gripping the sheets tighter with each touch of Eisuke’s lips. He got up, and freed the sheets from her grasp, placing her wrists on his shoulders. Eisuke kissed under her earlobe, nearly coming undone just from the mewl (Y/N) let out.

Going back to her knees, Eisuke continued to kiss her legs as his fingers played with her sides; one of her soft spots. Kissing his way up to her inner thighs, he took his time, smelling her oh-so-inviting core. Looking down, he saw a small dark patch already forming on her panties. Smirking, he gave the spot a light peck, internally shivering at (Y/N)’s responsive groan.

His lips went back to hers and his fingers worked to take off her bra, leaving her top half bare for him to etch into his memory. Bending down to kiss her right nipple, he whispered, loud enough for her to hear, “Spread your legs.”

As soon as she had followed his command, his right hand went down to stroke the wet area over her panties, making a shiver run up her spine. His fingers continued to massage her folds while his mouth was busy kissing her neck, his other hand focusing on pleasuring her left breast. (Y/N) whimpered from the amount of pleasure she was receiving, when she felt Eisuke’s fingers slip inside her panties.

A moan left her lips and Eisuke’s middle finger entered her folds, his thumb finding her clit. He rubbed circles around her clit, making her arch her back in absolute ecstasy. before Eisuke could go on though, (Y/N) flipped them over, making him lie under her, her hands slowly moving down to his. Eisuke closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of (Y/N)’s fingers massaging his balls, the friction caused by the fabric of his underwear adding to the pleasure. Her hands slipped inside his boxers, gripping his already hard member, as she slowly began to stroke him. She increased her pace as she felt his release coming, but then slowed down.

Eisuke, frustrated, flipped the over once again, removing his boxers and her panties completely in the process. The both of them were way too turned on and frustrated for any more games now, and he entered her with one stroke, making her moan out loud. He groaned, enjoying the tightness and warmth (Y/N)’s core offered him, his fingers toying with her clit.

(Y/N) screamed, her body not used to so much stimulation, and her fingers gripped Eisuke’s hair, holding onto him. Her hips rose up to match his rhythm, the both of them losing their hold on reason when faced with desire.

Eisuke rocked into her, getting even more turned on when her fingers started plying with his nipples, twisting and rubbing them, and he rammed himself into her harder with each passing second. The both of them melted into each other as their orgasms rocked through their bodies, making them see white.

Eisuke fell on top of (Y/N), enjoying the feeling of her heated body against his own. Taking a moment to come down from his high, he laid down beside (Y/N), wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her to him, finally drifting off to sleep after two long, sleepless nights.

This morning, (Y/N) woke up to find herself in a certain someone’s embrace, the events of the previous night flooding her mind as her eyes widened in horror: she had slept with THE Eisuke Ichinomiya. Quickly getting out and dressing up, she left a not by his bedside asking him to forget that night ever happened, wanting to die in a hole of embarrassment. As soon as she had written the note, she rushed back to her place to get ready for another official day.

Dressed in a grey shirt, black trousers and black suit jacket, (Y/N) was busy typing away at her laptop when she heard the door to the office open. Getting up to greet her boss, she tried her best to not let the memories of the previous night affect her.

As she turned to walk out of his cabin, Eisuke grasped her wrist and pulled her back, much to her surprise. Turning around, she was about to push him away when he pulled her close by the waist, whispering something in her ear that made her eyes widen with shock as she felt a chill run down her spine.

“You are now my girlfriend.”

#eisuke ichinomiya #kbtbb #smut #kissed by the baddest bidder #cheating #make #me #burn #fanfiction #soryu oh

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lacvnc · 5 years

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— ᴡɪᴛʜɪɴ ᴛɪᴍᴇ’s ᴇᴍʙʀᴀᴄᴇ; ʙʟᴏssᴏᴍ

As fingertips brush briefly against the sturdiness of his fountain pen, slim digits come to quiver at the rush of thoughts clouding a shattered mind. Breath, caught in his throat for a sliver of a second before it is properly released into the warmth of his study. Holding on to memories of fleeting moments is all that he has had for the past year. Words that echo in his mind; images of a soft smile that never failed to bring out his own. Of laughter, bright enough to chase away the most solid darkness hidden within his heart. Beauty, found in the little things that he was more than sure nobody else would come to think of. That nobody else would have appreciated in the same manner he did. Still does. He finds it unfair, how his heart can still linger on nothing more than his memories. That someone who has been gone, ripped away from his side, for so long can still hold his very being captive. The self he used to know so well has twisted and turned, changed into something else. All there is left is his mirror’s image, strikingly familiar, but what lingers on the inside has changed radically.

His head turns and darkened hues trace along the snow-clad rooftops of the city, linger by intricate flakes falling from grey clouds covering the sky’s bright blue shades. The air must be crisp, he thinks, and a brief, broken, smile curls at his lips. Winter is his favorite season, but it has never been as enveloped in gloom as it currently is. Never been as bittersweet. Nearing the anniversary of their separation, his thoughts run amok much more easily. Casting shadows over events in his life that should be nothing but bright. He thinks of their absence. Sees them in everything he does, everywhere he goes. In shopfronts and fashion statements, in something as simple as his own choice of coffee. He sees them in every couple that walks hand in hand, delighted by the upcoming holidays, making plans and shopping for gifts. But when he comes to, and the mirage of what used to be slips away like fog, he stands alone, fingers grasping for intangibles. Heart weeping with every tug on worn out heartstrings.

Weary eyelids close momentarily, fingers curling properly around the fountain pen he had previously attempted to grasp. He has always found that putting his thoughts on paper have helped him infinitely when in his somber moments. But rather than formulating something for himself, the words that flow from his fingertips are directed towards them; remembrance. But where he could possibly start this walk along their lane of memories is beyond him, and where it will lead remains a mystery as well.

The words that gather at his fingertips and spill from his pen with neat lines of ink begin with something sweet. Reflects the start of what they used to have. It flows peacefully but leaves a bittersweet taste in his mouth. Because he wonders, whether he is the only one who remembers love’s warmth. He wonders, if the memory of him clings to them too, in their times of misery. Does he summon them as well, to walk down memory lane, like they summon him whenever his core is shrouded in blackness? He finds himself hoping so. Would it not be fair if the memory of him clung onto their shoulders in the same manner? As if still tied together by fate’s red string? Perhaps. Perhaps not. The thought has him at a pause, lower lip drawn in by pearly white teeth for a few seconds before it is released, accompanied by a soft exhale, sigh-like in nature.

Thoughts continue their journey along an all too familiar trail and memories of warmth slowly grow more and more icy. As if both of their hearts had been obscured by frostbite, wintertime brought with it heavy snowfall, cracks in the façade of their relationship. Their shared flame had grown smaller and smaller until all that remained was a shallow blue glow. But is it not so, that blue flames are the warmest ones? But even so, every flame is bound to burn out, no matter how big or small, how warm or how cold. And he is bound to wait, let the flame within his heart take its time to find peace. Love still holds him captive, but he convinces himself that it is only temporary. It is not meant to last forever, at least not like this. And at the right time, at the right moment, the remnants of their blue flame will fall into eternal slumber.

Still, the memory of coming home to an empty apartment, emptied out closet spaces, silence and no explanation haunts him. Haunts him enough to make letting go hard. But patience is key. It always is.

He ponders a lot, mulls over the things that happened, the time that has passed and how he, from moment to moment, has felt his heart lighten with time’s passing. As winter turned to spring, summer and fall, things began to get easier. But with the return of cold and snow, it feels as if he has fallen right back into the abyss he has spent the past year climbing out of. Days, weeks and months of struggles, only to find himself breathing easily for each one’s passing.

With a sigh he folds the ink-stained sheet of paper with gentle motions, slips it into the envelope that has been resting on the side during all this time. It lacks both a name, an address, as well as a sender. He knows who it is for, and in the end that is the only thing that matters. It is not meant for anybody else’s eyes. Not meant for anybody else to read. His thoughts are his own, and so are his means of coping.

Eyelids slant once more, and for a brief moment he finds himself staring at the sealed letter in his hands. As if trying to rid himself of yet another emotional wave, he shakes his head. Rising from his desk he sets the letter down and walks across the small study to get the wooden box that sits peacefully at the top shelf of his bookcase, holding many of his deepest thoughts and secrets. Its surface is smooth to the touch and after plucking it down he sets it to rest atop of his desk almost gingerly. The dark wood stands in stark contrast to his own pale fingers, another thing he notes. Something his thoughts linger by for a few seconds longer than he would have expected it to. Perhaps it is yet another way to distract himself. Or maybe just another trivial thing he cannot help but get attached to.

He only spends another few seconds looking at the box before he opens it, gazing at the array of sealed letters resting within it, each one lacking an addressee. He grasps for the freshly written letter, stacking it atop of the already existing amount.

“Another addition to our collection.”

His lips twist in a bittersweet smile when he closes the lid, appreciating the dull clash of wood as he does. It’s a familiar sound, relatable to his imagery of closure. When he has put the box back in its place and stepped back from the bookcase, dark hues catch a hint of sunlight, peeking into the room. His head turns with sparked curiosity, noting that the snow has stopped falling, the clouds have dispersed, and the clear blue of the sky is breaking through alongside the sun’s brilliant rays. It is surprising. But representative of the way the dark clouds of his mind have dispersed as well. His sorrow has been lifted, little by little, and time is once again working its wonders properly.

The road to closure and healing is never straight, it is always filled with crooks and obstacles that one needs to overcome. He knows this better than most, thus allowing a momentary relapse is not something he beats himself up over. When our hearts break, all we can do is allow time to let us heal, wait patiently for the weight upon our shoulders to lessen gradually. For the wounds we have acquired to close up. He reckons his patience has saved him many times over; the conviction that happiness will find its place within his heart once more.

Time will tell what the future holds. But determination has made positivity root itself in his frostbitten heart. Slowly, flower-clad vines will sprout from the ashes within the void their disappearance has left. Slowly, each flower bud will blossom within time’s embrace, and alongside the changing seasons, love will return once more.

#{ this self para was my final paper for my korean literature class I took this semester and it is based on a poem}#{ the poem fit noah so well that it actually hurt me when I read it so i couldn't help myself when we had a creative writing option }#{ I got an A for this so pls feel my pride }#{ also pls enjoy this piece of pain it is horrible and I love it }#{ pages stained with ink; events gone by .:. ░ ʀᴇᴛʀᴏsᴘᴇᴄᴛ ░ }#{ not gonna apologize for the length }#{ if u wonder about the poem it's called A Happy Letter by Hwang Tong-kyu }#{ yes this is my comeback hello }

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aion-rsa · 4 years

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Best Horror Movies to Watch on Shudder Right Now

https://ift.tt/30bB2Uk

It’s safe to say that the world is a bit weird right now. Much to some people’s surprise, horror movies can often be a way for fans to make sense of things and confront their fears in a safe space. Streaming service Shudder offers a large array of horror movies, TV shows, and even podcasts covering the full spectrum of the macabre. But how do you know where to start?

We’ve put together a guide to some of the best films the service has to offer. The Shudder catalogue is always growing and changing so we’ll keep this updated – head back for the latest additions and new suggestions.

(All entries are available in both UK and US unless stated otherwise!)

Hammer

The Vampire Lovers (1970)

ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE US

After literally decades in which the classic Hammer Films library of horror titles was often difficult to see (especially in uncut, properly framed prints), the legendary studio’s catalog has been gradually trickling out in recent years via specialty home video companies and the streaming space.

Movies

13 Greatest Hammer Horror Monsters

By Marc Buxton

Movies

The Vaults of Hammer: 14 Unmade Hammer Horror Movies

By Marc Buxton

The Vampire Lovers — based on a story by Sheridan Le Fanu — was one of the films that marked Hammer’s turn from the somewhat staid films of the 1960s toward the more lurid material of the ‘70s, spiced up with more sex (especially of the woman-on-woman kind) and larger quantities of blood. Polish actress Ingrid Pitt gives a breakout performance as the vampire Carmilla and the movie is entertaining, but one can’t help but cringe at the leering approach to sexuality, no matter how beautiful the subjects.

Hammer

Countess Dracula (1971)

ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE US

Countess Dracula stars Ingrid Pitt in her second big Hammer role, this time as the title monster, who preserves and replenishes her youth by bathing in the blood of virginal young women. The story has nothing to do with Dracula, by the way, and is loosely inspired by the legend of 16th century Hungarian noblewoman Elizabeth Bathory.

Like other Hammer films of the time, Countess Dracula ramps up the blood and sex in an effort to keep up with the changing film marketplace of its era. It’s not one of the studio’s better efforts, but director Peter Sasdy (Taste the Blood of Dracula) lets the period details and Pitt’s unabashed charms do most of the heavy lifting.

Wake in Fright (1971)

ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE US

Ted Kotcheff’s nightmarish story of a school teacher who becomes trapped in an outback town after drinking too much and running up a gambling debt is highly unusual horror. This is a nihilistic and bleak view of outback life as the locals coerce the broke John (Gary Bond) into increasing destructive behavior and a full on descent into hell. Wake In Fright is grubby, brilliant and highly disturbing.

Black Christmas (1974)

ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE US

Stone cold classic slasher film where a group of Sorority girls are hassled by a stalker making obscene phone calls during the holiday season. Black Christmas is that rare beast, a stalk n’ slash which turns out to be actually scary, thanks in part to classy central performances from Olivia Hussey and Margot Kidder, and the masterful direction of Bob Clark, who went on to make Porky’s.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE US

One of the true landmarks of ’70s horror cinema, Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre remains one of the most relentless and terrifying films of all time — even as it barely spills a drop of the blood that its title seems to promise. Its simple tale of a small group of hippie kids running smack into a houseful of rural cannibals spoke to the cultural divide roiling the country at the time, and its low-budget aesthetic gave the whole thing an air of documentary realism. A delirious masterpiece.

American International Pictures

Squirm (1976)

ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE US

There’s something inherently gross about earthworms which writer/director Jeff Lieberman milks to maximum effect in this low-budget 1976 chiller, one of that decade’s wave of “nature strikes back” horror movies that included efforts like Day of the Animals, Kingdom of the Spiders and Frogs.

This time, a downed power line sends an electrical jolt into the ground, causing hordes of eyeless creepy-crawlers upstairs to munch on the inhabitants of a small town. Rick Baker provided the gory make-up effects, which led the MPAA to demand numerous cuts to the film upon its initial release. There is some clumsy direction and acting, but the worms more than make up for the movie’s flaws.

The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

Wes Craven’s 1977 cult classic sees an extended family become stranded in the desert when their trailer breaks down and they start to get picked off by cannibals living in the hills. It’s brutally violent but it also has things to say about the nature of violence, as the seemingly civilized Carter family turn feral. The film was remade in 2006 but the original is still the best.

Severin Films

Patrick (1978)

ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE US

This 1978 Australian shocker tells the story of a woman named Kathy (Susan Penhaligon), who works as a nurse and begins taking care of a comatose patient named Patrick (Robert Thompson). She soon discovers that not only is Patrick responsive to her, but he has unforeseen psychic powers that he can turn to murderous use against anyone who upsets him.

Movies

Best Horror Movies on Netflix: Scariest Films to Stream

By David Crow and 2 others

Movies

The 20 Best Horror Movies on Netflix UK – Scary Films to Watch Right Now

By Rosie Fletcher

Patrick was a cult hit in its native land, spawning both a 1980 sequel and a 2013 remake, and it allowed its director, Richard Franklin, to get to Hollywood and direct the actually pretty good Psycho II. There is quite a large repository of horror and other genre efforts from the land down under, but Patrick remains one of its most entertaining examples.

The Changeling (1980)

A classic haunted house ghost story that frequently makes horror best of lists The Changeling sees a bereaved composer move into a creepy mansion that’s been vacant for 12 years. Vacant that is, except for the spirit of a little boy who met an untimely death…

An unravelling mystery with a sense of intrigue and pathos that draws you into the narrative, all the way to the sad and disturbing final act revelation.

Anchor Bay

Fade to Black (1980)

ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE US

This 1980 psychological thriller stars Dennis Christopher as a lonely, troubled young man who is obsessed with movies — and begins to kill those he feels have wronged him while dressed as famous cinematic characters.

It’s kind of surprising that no one has remade this over the years — the references to other horror movies and self-aware sensibility predate the Scream franchise by 16 years, making this an early example of the kind of post-modern horror that dominated the genre for several years. On top of everything, it’s a witty, crackling yarn with a terrific performance by Christopher (watch also for an early performance by Mickey Rourke as a bullying co-worker).

The Beyond (1981)

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Italian workhorse director Lucio Fulci dabbled in many genres, but was clearly most in his element with horror. His “Gates of Hell” trilogy may be the highwater mark of his career, and the second film, The Beyond, is a gruesome, surreal, Lovecraftian treat about a Louisiana hotel that may be a portal to said nether regions. It doesn’t always make sense, but the movie is a must-see and a Fulci favorite.

Hellraiser (1987)

Directed by Clive Barker based on his novella The Hellbound Heart, Hellraiser is an infernal body horror featuring S&M demons who’ve found a way out of a dark dimension and want to take you back there.

This is the movie which introduced chief Cenobite Pinhead (played by Doug Bradley) – who would return for seven more Hellraiser sequels. But the first is of course, remains the edgiest and the best. Hellbound: Hellraiser II is also available.

Society (1989)

This outrageous body horror satire was the directorial debut of Brian Yuzna. It stars Billy Warlock as a young man who suspects his family are into some weird stuff when his sister’s ex gives him a video tape showing seriously sinister activity. Part Stepford Wives-esque mystery part utterly bonkers gross out comedy Society is a cult classic which demands at least one watch.

Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)

A cyberpunk hybrid of Eraserhead, Blade Runner, Scanners, and your worst nightmares about machines run amok, Tetsuo: The Iron Man was the first feature by iconoclastic Japanese filmmaker Shinya Tsukamoto (who also stars in the picture). Surreal, shockingly violent, and unforgettably relentless, Tetsuo is a fever dream of orgasmic human/metal mating and murder that is almost indescribable and utterly strange. You can’t unsee this perverse triumph of twisted imagination

The Exorcist III (1990)

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Of the several attempts at a sequel, only this one by original author William Peter Blatty (who also directed) hits the mark. Woefully underrated at the time of its release, The Exorcist III puts a handful of secondary characters from the first story at the forefront of a chilling new tale that respectfully spins off the original in a new direction. And one central sequence (the hospital corridor scene) remains a minor masterpiece of sustained unease leading to a shocking payoff.

We wrote more about how great this movie is right here.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

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It may not the precisely faithful retelling that the title implies, but Bram Stoker’s Dracula — filtered through the vision of director Francis Ford Coppola — remains one of the best versions of the story to date.

Culture

The Bleeding Heart of Dracula

By David Crow

Movies

New Dracula Movie Coming from Blumhouse

By Tony Sokol

Gary Oldman is magnificently over the top as the Count, and it’s terrific to see characters from the book that were never realized onscreen before appear here. Best of all is Coppola’s insistence on practical, in-camera effects, old-fashioned camera tricks and a lush color scheme, making this not just a fine Dracula movie but a love letter to all the great Hammer and Universal films that came before it.

Ring (1998)

Hideo Nakata’s adaptation of Koji Suzuki’s novel is one seriously scary film which marked the height of the J-horror explosion into the West. It features a haunted video tape, which, seven days after you’ve watched it causes the viewer to die with a look of contorted agony on their face.

Iconic J-horror girl ghost Sadako has been riffed on and ripped off so many times by now that her incredible power may be somewhat diminished but this is still a masterful horror film that demands to be seen at least once.

Audition (1999)

Takashi Miike’s horror classic is a weird mix of melodrama, mystery, and excruciating torture as a widowed man fakes a casting call for a made-up movie in an attempt to meet the perfect woman and gets more than he bargained for. Frequently making it to best horror of all time lists, Audition is a beautiful nightmare of needles and piano wire that’s impossible to forget.

Ginger Snaps (2000)

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Ahead of its time in many ways, this cult Canadian favorite from director John Fawcett and screenwriter Karen Walton stars Katharine Isabelle and Emily Perkins as death-obsessed teen sisters whose relationship is put to the test when one (Isabelle) turns into a werewolf. Sharply funny and deeply insightful about the bonds of sisterhood, the fearsome power of female sexuality, and the loss of innocence, Ginger Snaps is a film well worth rediscovering.

Wendigo (2001)

Maverick independent producer/director/actor Larry Fessenden – who runs his own low-budget genre film factory called Glass Eye Pix – had perhaps his finest moment behind the camera on his third directorial effort, an eerie, low-key tale of a family from the city running into menaces both human and supernatural during a trip to the country. Fessenden is adept at blurring the line between what is real and not, creating a hallucinatory experience that is uniquely his own.

Dark Water (2002)

ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE UK

Remember when J-horror was all the rage and you couldn’t move for long-haired, jangly pasty-face ghosts? Dark Water was one of the best of them.

Sponsored

Best International Horror Movies: A Beginner’s Guide

By Don Kaye

Movies

Best Horror Movies on Hulu

By Alec Bojalad and 1 other

Based on a story by Koji Suzuki and directed by Hideo Nakata – the team behind apex J-horror Ringu – it sees a mother and daughter move to an apartment which seems to have haunted water. Creepy but not gimmicky, there’s a family drama at the center of this chiller.

A Tale Of Two Sisters (2003)

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Kim Jee-woon’s chiller sees sisters return to the family home after a spell in hospital to be tormented by their new stepmother, and troubled by ghosts in the house. Released at the peak of the J-horror/K-horror boom, this is a highly sophisticated and deeply scary addition sub-genre. It was remade in 2009 as The Uninvited but skip that, the original is infinitely superior.

Oldboy (2003)

Park Chan-wook’s shocking, twisty revenge thriller sees a man held hostage in a hotel room for 15 years with no idea of why. When he’s finally released he has just days to track down his captor and discover his motives.

The second part of director Park’s Vengeance Trilogy (which is also a standalone – though Sympathy for Mister Vengeance and Lady Vengeance are also available in the US), it’s packed with standout sequences like the infamous corridor hammer massacre and the eating of a live octopus. The ending is bonkers too.

Teeth (2007)

ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE UK

Vagina Dentata is the mythical condition at the centre of this satirical horror that sees a virginal young woman bite back when she’s pressured into sex. A comedic take on the rape revenge trope, Teeth casts Jess Wexler as the avenging angel taking down the men who try to assault her in a cautionary tale that might feel even more satisfying post Me Too.

Let the Right One In (2008)

ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE UK

Let the Right One In is a beautiful Swedish supernatural romance between a lonely bullied 12-year-old boy and a little girl (in the film) called Eli who looks 12 too, but most definitely isn’t. It’s a tale of companionship and loyalty but also murder and revenge. Delicate and nuanced, this is one of the most interesting vampire movies of recent years.

The House Of The Devil (2009)

Ti West’s authentically ‘80s looking homage to ‘Satanic Panic’-era movie making is a very successful slow-burn indie, which sees a young woman take a babysitting job and find herself in grave danger at the hands of her mysterious employers. Comes with a slightly bonkers ending but the attention to detail and great central performance should please genre nuts no end.

Buried (2010)

ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE UK

Ryan Reynolds stars in this incredibly tense horror thriller from Rodrigo Cortes. Based entirely around a man (Reynolds) in a coffin with a phone and a lighter trying to work out what’s happened to him and why, it’s almost unbearably claustrophobic at times. Will he be rescued in time to save his life? What the devil is going on? And why are there snakes down his trousers? All is revealed over the course of 95 stressful minutes.

Absentia (2011)

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An early feature from Mike Flanagan, the man behind Oculus, Doctor Sleep and The Haunting Of Hill House this is low budget and not entirely polished at the edges but shows early signs of Flanagan’s deft hand at suspense, slow burn hills and emotional horror. The story follows a woman who’s husband has disappeared discover that a strange tunnel might be the key. Well worth checking out.

Antiviral (2012)

ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE UK

Brandon Cronenberg’s directorial debut is a good-looking but icky body horror that delves into the world of celebrity obsession. Caleb Landry-Jones stars as a man who works at a clinic specialising in selling celebrity viruses. In this world super-fans can pay to be infected by their idols’ pathogens making them feel more connected. But warring big businesses want to control the rights to the hottest celeb diseases and a virulent black market has blossomed.

Following in his father’s footsteps, this is a smart sci-fi horror that’s not for the squeamish.

The Bay (2012)

ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE UK

Oscar winner Barry Levinson directs this found footage eco-horror charting the spread of a deadly parasite in a small town on the Chesapeake Bay. Constructed from snippets of news reports, police footage, and personal videos it’s a nightmarish portrait of what might really happen to a town during an outbreak, which was praised for its realism.

Black Rock (2012)

ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE UK

Directed by Katie Aselton from a screenplay written by her husband, mumblecore darling Mark Duplass, Black Rock is a taut tale of former friends on a girls weekend who are hunted by a group of men after a horrible accident. It’s a somewhat generic story elevated by the performances of Aselton herself, Kate Bosworth, and especially Lake Bell who goes full feral in the fight for survival.

The Pact (2012)

ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE UK

A film of two halves that’s not always entirely successful, The Pact is worth checking out for several terrific scares that’ll have you jumping out of your seats (and then possibly thinking “wait, what?”).

Movies

Best Horror Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now

By Alec Bojalad and 3 others

Movies

New Horror and Sci-Fi Movies Break Out at Fantasia Fest

By Don Kaye

Caity Lotz plays a young woman who returns to her childhood home after the death of her mother and disappearance of her sister who starts to experience strange phenomena in the house. Is it something supernatural, or could it be something scarier still? Not entirely consistent but when it works it really works.

Big Bad Wolves (2013)

ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE UK

The second feature from Israeli directors Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado is a black-as-sin super-violent crime horror about a child killer, the cop who wants to bring him down, and the father of the latest victim. Released the same year as Denis Villeneuve’s Prisoners, it plays almost like a brutal and occasionally darkly funny companion piece.

The Borderlands (2013)

ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE UK

The Borderlands is a British found footage movie with shades of The Wicker Man and Kill List which focuses on a small church in Devon which appears to be experiencing miracles. Men are sent by the Vatican to investigate and discover strange phenomena which could be related to former pagan worship in the area.

The Borderlands is a cut above your average horror movie for it’s great chemistry between the lead, dry sense of humour and an absolutely terrifying ending. Released as Final Prayer in the US.

We Are What We Are (2013)

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This US remake of the Mexican horror of the same name is a slightly different beast to its counterpart, and perhaps better for it (you can watch and enjoy both for different reasons). Cold In July’s Jim Mickle directs this suspenseful, bloody tale of a secluded family who indulge in violent traditions who become more visible to the world than they’d like after the matriarch of the family dies. Ambyr Childers and Julia Garner star in this nuanced cannibal tale.

It Follows (2014)

ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE UK

A different kind of infection movie. David Robert Mitchell’s breakout horror hit is a terrifying tale of a sexually transmitted ghost – a shape-shifting ghoul that will relentlessly tail its victim at a walking pace until the curse is passed on. Maika Monroe stars as the latest to be tagged, trying to find a way to either pass the curse on or destroy it forever.

Deeply spooky, It Follows will stick with you long after the film has ended.

Starry Eyes (2014)

ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE US

This satanic horror takes a swipe at Hollywood as a nervous young starlet, Alex Essoe, sacrifices her body and soul in exchange for fame and fortune.

Starry Eyes is a #metoo movie ahead of its time, and a gross out body horror to boot. It’s directed by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer who went on to make the not-that-great remake of Pet Sematary from last year, but don’t hold that against them.

The Hallow (2015)

ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE UK

Corin Hardy’s directorial debut is a folk horror mixed with fantasy as a conservationist and his wife and son move into a woodland home only to discover there are strange creatures living in the forest. Some effective jump scares, memorable monsters and a weird wistful ending marked Hardy out as one to watch.

Better Watch Out (2016)

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Another Christmas horror movie, this one much more recent. Olivia DeJonge plays the young babysitter trying to protect her 12-year-old charge Levi Miller when intruders threaten the house. Or at least you’ll think that’s what the film is about for the first 20 minutes at which point the rug gets well and truly pulled. Violent, funny, fresh and with excellent central turns this is a fun horror at any time of the year.

Train to Busan (2016)

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Just when you thought the zombie genre was running out of gas, Train to Busan comes barreling down the track at full speed to give it a jolt again. Director Yeon Sang-ho wisely puts an endearing relationship between a father and his little girl at the heart of the movie, keeping audiences invested as the pair fight to stave off an undead invasion on their bullet train. The zombie action is familiar if also freshly orchestrated, but the movie is gripping to the genuinely moving finish.

The Transfiguration (2016)

Loved Let the Right One In? Check out this similarly arthouse slow-burn vampire-adjacent tale about a troubled teenage boy obsessed with vampires who finds love and redemption through his relationship with an equally damaged girl. It’s set against a backdrop of violent crime in New York and plays like a social realist drama with genre tropes built in.

One Cut Of The Dead (2017)

Very much a film of three parts, it starts as what looks like a low budget Japanese zombie film gone wrong, morphs into an interesting meta movie, and ends with a final third that’s more joyful than you could possibly imagine. The fun is in the discovery so try to avoid reading about this, instead hang around until the end for a clever, funny, and uplifting love letter to indie film-making.

Terrified (2017)

A weird Argentinian horror with some extremely effective scares, Terrified is probably best avoided by anyone shut in alone prone to hearing strange noises in the house. Terrified begins with a couple who hear sounds coming from the sink and rapidly escalates into a story of multiple ‘hauntings’ by otherworldly creatures, and the paranormal investigators who are trying to crack the case. Non-linear and not exactly packed with logic or explanations, what Terrified does have is scares in spades.

Tigers Are Not Afraid (2017)

Issa Lopez’s horror fairytale is also set against a background of violence, this time in the Mexican drug cartels. We follow Estrella, a recently orphaned ten year old, who joins up with a group of orphaned kids. Estrella believes she has three wishes, but in her world wishes don’t often come true as planned.

Similar in tone to Pan’s Labyrinth, Tigers Are Not Afraid is a beautiful, lyrical fantasy, rich in imagination, juxtaposed against horrific real world events

The Witch In The Window (2018)

A creepy ghost story which sees a father and his estranged son attempt to fix up an old farmhouse which is haunted by its previous occupant, a malevolent spirit who only grows stronger as the house gets repaired. A family story with successful scares, The Witch in the Window could be a good pick for anyone craving an old fashioned chiller.

The Beach House (2019)

The Beach House is a quirky new Shudder original from debut writer/director Jeffrey A. Brown. It sees a young couple take trip to a holiday home but find friends of the young man’s parents are also staying there. Then as night falls a strange fog descends, bringing with it something strange from the sea…

Plot light, FX heavy body horror that’s slickly executed and well worth a look.

Gustavo Figueiredo/RLJE Films

Color Out of Space (2019)

ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE US

The works of legendary horror author H.P. Lovecraft have always been difficult to translate to the screen, since much of his prose is told from inside the crumbling minds of unnamed protagonists who sense — but often never actually see — the evil cosmic presences closing in around them.

Director Richard Stanley (Hardware) has an innate sense of what makes Lovecraft work, however, and Color Out of Space — about a family whose farm is infected by a nameless entity that crashes to Earth inside a meteorite — captures much of the otherworldly eeriness of one of the author’s most famous stories. But the movie also stars Nicolas Cage, who does his Nicolas Cage thing and occasionally ends up fighting the material.

Read our full review here.

Host (2020)

You thought there were no new movies being made during lockdown? Turns out you were wrong. This utterly ingenious horror was conceived, shot and completely in just 12 weeks during lockdown.

Movies

Host Explained: How it was Made, Easter Eggs and all Your Questions Answered

By Rosie Fletcher

Movies

Host Review: Zoom Horror That’s Fresh and Frightening

By Rosie Fletcher

Host is a found footage film told via Zoom and it is comfortably the most current and relevant thing you will watch. It’s also extremely scary, in part because of how terribly relatable it is but also because of the excellent FX and stunt work which elevates this from a cool concept to a genuinely exciting and cleverly made horror that will almost certainly be the defining genre movie of the year.

Shudder

Spiral (2020)

ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE US

Marketed as a gay-themed response to Get Out (and not to be confused with next year’s Saw spin-off using the same title), this Shudder original finds same-sex couple Aaron (Ari Cohen) and Malik (Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman) moving from the big city to rural Illinois along with Aaron’s teen daughter (Jennifer LaPorte) from his previous marriage. Once there, the family encounters not just plain old homophobia (the film is set in the mid-1990s) but other secrets hidden beneath the peaceful small-town veneer.

Bowyer-Chapman gives a strong central performance as Malik, a struggling writer who is the first to sense that all is not right, but your mileage may vary regarding the fairly obvious set-up and whether the social commentary is woven as successfully here as it was in Jordan Peele’s groundbreaking thriller.

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waltzofthewifi · 4 years

Text

Kota Chapter 37: Setting the Stage

Table of Contents | Beginning

Ladybug and Chat Noir had commandeered a classroom for their meeting.

The night before, Ladybug had filled Chat Noir in on the idea, and they had agreed on this meeting. She had invited the currently active heroes, plus Rena Rouge and Viperion, for this stage of planning.

Kota, Viperion, and Chat Noir were all using desks as chairs - Chat Noir had completely claimed the teacher's desk as his spot. Rena Rouge sat in an actual chair, and had opened a screen on her flute to take notes with. Pegasus has grabbed a chair, forgoing the desks completely.

Ladybug cleared off the whiteboard and grabbed herself a marker.

"I bet you all are wondering why I gathered you here today."

"Top ten things I've always wanted to say," Rena Rouge replied.

Ladybug ignored her. "I have decided we need to take more decisive action against Hawkmoth." She wrote on the whiteboard, PLAN TO DEFEAT HAWKMOTH.

"Have you figured out who he is?" Rena Rouge asked.

"Well, no," Ladybug admitted. "I'm still working on that. But once we have that figured out, I have a plan. So, we have four threats when facing Hawkmoth: him, Mayura, an akuma, and an amok." Ladybug wrote those four things on the board.

"What If Hawkmoth pulls another mass akumatization?" Pegasus questioned.

"What happened on heroes day was planned," Ladybug answered. "Hawkmoth would have to specifically akumatize someone with the ability to power him up. Only then can he akumatize more than one person."

"If we catch him by surprise, he won't have a chance," Chat Noir noted.

"Even better," Ladybug said. "Because Hawkmoth skipped the natural progression of the miraculous-"

"Wait, what?" Rena Rouge interrupted.

"The miraculous were designed to gradually make their users more powerful," Ladybug explained. "That's why Fu gave the miraculous to someone our age - because we can grow and become more powerful. While Hawkmoth's age keeps him from having a five-minute timer, it also keeps him from gaining that growth - specifically, extra control and range."

"Like Startrain," Pegasus said. "She wasn't in Paris, and Hawkmoth couldn't control her - her only goal was getting to space, not fighting you."

"Exactly," Ladybug agreed. "Once an akuma is out of range, he can't even recall it."

"Wait so that means-" Viperion started.

"That if we get the akuma far enough away, he can't use it to protect himself!" Rena Rouge finished. "That's brilliant!"

"The only problem is, we also would need to do the same thing to Mayura and her amok," Pegasus said. "And I can only conjure one portal at a time."

"That's where Bunnyx comes in," Chat Noir said.

"Bunnyx can time travel," Ladybug said. "If we can get Mayura to use up her amok, she can send them to two different times. But Mayura's smart, and that could prove difficult. That's why I have another ace up my sleeve - a candidate for the ox miraculous."

"Which gives extra strength," Rena Rouge remembered.

"I'm hoping to recruit him and Souris Rose to help Bunnyx against Mayura," Ladybug said. "As well as Roi Singe."

Pegasus nodded. "If she realizes what's going on before she uses her amok, she could create a sentimonster that could bring her back. Roi Singe's powers would counteract that."

Ladybug wrote Roi Singe under Amok, and Bunnyx, Souris Rose and Ox under Mayura.

"I want Rena, Carapace, Viperion, and Ryuko with me to defeat Hawkmoth," Ladybug said, writing down those names in the Hawkmoth column. "That leaves Queen Bee, Pegasus, and Kota to handle the akuma."

"What about Ibex?" Kota questioned.

"For reasons I can't say, she won't be available," Ladybug replied. "Do you think you three can handle the akuma?"

"Yes," Kota replied confidently.

"Good," Ladybug said. "Now, all we need is a way of figuring out his identity."

Lacy had just managed to quiet Orikko when Chloe called her.

"Just got in an argument with my mom," Chloe said. "I - Sabrina and Adrien aren't picking up. I didn't know who else to call."

"Tell me what happened?"

Chloe sniffled and started explaining what happened. The entire time, Lacy felt herself getting angry and angrier.

"Your mom sucks," Lacy summarized.

Chloe blinked. "You're not going to defend her?"

"Uh, no. She sucks. She's a crap mom. And you have every right to be upset by her."

"And that's not all!" Chloe said. "The other day -"

Marinette tied her hair back into a single ponytail and slid the extra hair band onto her wrist.

Today was the self defense seminar, and she was excited. Not only was it a way to start preparing for Hawkmoth, but nearly her entire class plus Marc and Kagami had signed up with her.

She, Alya, and Nino all met up at the subway station, running into Rose and Juleka by accident. Mylene, Sabrina, Lacy, and Alix were already at the place - a convention room in a hotel with plenty of space - when they arrived. Nathaniel, Chloe, Marc, Kagami, and Kim all arrived shortly after.

"This will be fun," Kagami said as she stretched.

"Depends on how much exercise we actually have to do," Nathaniel muttered.

Alix rolled her eyes.

The instructor told everyone to pair up. Alya and Nino paired up instantly. Marinette didn't mind - Alya and her might be best friends, but Alya and Nino were superhero partners, and sometimes that won out. Marinette personally loved sparring with Chat Noir.

Mylene asked Alix to partner with her, and Kagami and Kim teamed up, so Lacy and Marinette paired up.

Marinette was surprised at how much Lacy already knew. When she brought it up, Lacy just shrugged.

"My sister made sure I knew how to defend myself," Lacy explained.

"I didn't know you had a sister," Marinette commented.

Lacy spluttered. "Oh, um, half-sister. On my mother's side."

"I didn't know you had family on that side," Marinette said.

"Actually, that side of my family is pretty big," Lacy said. "I have several half-siblings. Most of them live in America though."

"Do they live with your mom?" Marinette asked.

Lacy shook her head. "No. My mother isn't very involved."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

Lacy shrugged. "It's not a big deal."

That was probably a lie, but Marinette didn't push.

"That was fun," Marinette said, even as she collapsed onto her bed, exhausted. "I learned a lot."

"The instructor had some very good observations about akumas," Tikki added.

"And it was great to do it with so many friends," Marinette continued. "I can't wait to go back to help Alya with her blog post about it."

"It will definitely be an informative video," Tikki agreed.

"She's really been putting a lot of effort into making her blog more reliable, after what happened with Lila," Marinette noted. "I'm glad she's willing to learn from her mistakes."

"It'll help make her a great hero too!" Tikki said. "Those who can learn from their mistakes are some of the greatest allies you can have."

Lacy was about to fall asleep when her phone rang. She was exhausted after the self-defense seminar, in a good way, but answered it nonetheless.

She had been expecting Chloe, so she was caught off guard by the English and the British accent.

"You would never believe what happened."

"Sadie?" Lacy asked. "What happened?"

"I might be going to Paris," Sadie answered.

"What? Seriously?"

"Something came up with family," Sadie explained.

"Well, we'll have to meet up then," Lacy said. "I miss you so much!"

"Me too," Sadie agreed.

At first, it seemed too much like a coincidence. The again, Sadie was an Egyptian demigod - no, magician - and a powerful one at that. Maybe the Egyptian society or whatever she was involved with was investigating the magic in Paris.

"I'll text you the address of where I'll be staying," Sadie said. "Hopefully, they speak English there, but I bought a French English dictionary just in case."

"Don't worry, I can help translate," Lacy replied. "I'm pretty much completely fluent."

"Sweet," Sadie said.

Lacy's phone beeped, and she glanced at it to see an akuma alert.

"I have to go," Lacy said. "Talk to you soon?"

"Definitely."

Kota was the last one at the akuma, barely arriving in time to attempt to deflect a blast of color aimed at Ladybug.

Her kite did nothing, but the color blast didn't affect her.

Seeing where the blast came from - a scary dragon-looking creature with colorful scales - did have an impact.

Kota cursed. "What is that?"

"Sentimonster."

Kota turned to see Ladybug behind her, looking near tears.

"Are you okay?"

"It effects the emotions of others," Ladybug said.

That was a horrible power to fight, and Kota was glad that she seemed to be immune.

"The amok is on the akuma," Ladybug said. "Can you distract the sentimonster for us, since you seem to be immune?"

Taking on a dragon all by herself did not seem like fun, but she nodded anyways.

Kota took a running start and jumped on the sentimonster's back, grabbing the scales as hand grips. The dragon huffed, trying to twist around to bite her or shake her off, but her climbing experience gave her a strong grip and she stayed on.

The dragon flapped it's wings, launching into the sky, and did a barrel roll. Kota stayed on.

It was almost exhilarating, riding a dragon. The rush of air kept her awake and alert, and the city was pretty from the sky. Plus, her kite would keep her from falling to death. It felt like a magical rollercoaster.

Kota was completely distracting the sentimonster. It's entire focus was on her, and she felt like a powerfully annoying tick on the dragon's back. She wasn't even doing anything but holding on.

The dragon did a loop-de-loop, which was fun, and then disappeared completely, which was not fun.

Kota free fell for a moment, trying to figure out what just happened. Ladybug must have freed the amok, which of course cause the sentimonster to disappear. She twisted, extending her kite, and slowed her fall, hitting the pavement with a roll.

"Enjoy your ride?" Chat Noir asked.

"That was fun! Can I do it again?"

Chat Noir chuckled. Ladybug looked less amused.

Lacy was preparing for bed when Ladybug knocked on her window.

She wasn't surprised by the visit - after all, that latest akuma/sentimonster attack had been intense. And it once again brought up the fact that Lacy was immune to some magic.

"How exactly does that work?" Ladybug asked after Lacy forced her into accepting a hot chocolate.

Lacy shrugged. "I'm not sure, exactly. It's not exactly something that gets used a lot."

"Do you know why?"

"It's because of my mom," Lacy replied. She took a deep breath. "Which is something I probably should have told you about a long time ago."

Next Chapter

#kota #Percy jackson #miraculous ladybug

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hale-of-stiles-heart · 7 years

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🕵️‍♂️👨‍🚀👬

To be honest, I had a little bit of trouble coming up with a plot but I think it turned out pretty good! (also on ao3!)

"So what's our cover?" Dean asked before stuffing his face with a heaping forkful of fluffy, golden pancakes slathered in butter and drowned in syrup. Vermont maple syrup really was the best.

"Well FBI's out," Sam replied as he raised his mug to his lips, taking a sip of coffee to wash down a bite of his veggie omelet. Leave it to Sam to order some vegetarian crap in a place that offered mountains of pancakes and decadent French toast platters.

Dean nodded as he chewed, conceding Sam's point with a tip of his head. They had already seen a few actual feds poking around town and the last thing they needed was to get arrested for impersonating federal agents.

Especially since there were still arrest warrants out on them in several states and Dean was still officially dead as far as the U.S. government was concerned. He'd have to ask Cas about that when he got back to the Bunker, see if there was anything he could do with his mojo.

After a few more bites of his boring, probably tasteless breakfast, Sam swallowed and announced, "I'm thinking we should just pretend to be a couple. That'll actually get us into the resort."

He took another sip of coffee after speaking, completely nonplussed. Dean, on the other hand, nearly choked on his pancakes.

Dropping his fork with a loud, metallic clatter, he thumped his fist against his chest. Coughing and hacking, desperately trying to breathe, he gawked at Sam, his eyes practically bulging out of his head.

Still coughing, he reached for his own cup of coffee, downing some to help him wash down the pancakes and disbelief. Clearing his throat, he managed to wheeze out, "Uh... You know we're brothers, right? And I don't care what Chuck's groupies think, that actually matters."

"What?" Sam asked, his face scrunching up in blatant confusion. Dean didn't think that Sam had any right to look so incredulous when he was the one that had just suggested they play boyfriends.

Not that his suggestion was completely out of place.

They were in Grafton, a small town that was more of a village than anything else, nestled in the mountains of southern Vermont. It was full of beautiful scenery, bed and breakfasts, and something that was killing people at a local couple's resort.

The first victim had been found a few weeks ago. A woman from Boston who had been honeymooning with her new husband.

Her body had been discovered in the back garden of the resort amongst the ornamental cherry blossom trees. There had been signs of a struggle, broken fingernails and a pair of shoes with the high heels snapped off, but no conclusive manner of death.

The medical examiner had ruled the death as undetermined, making a note about a potential heart attack. But an otherwise healthy woman in her late twenties having a sudden heart attack with no prior history of any cardiac issues was pretty suspicious.

The second and third victims had been found shortly thereafter. A week after that, the other three victims had been found.

The cause of death was still unknown. There were no strangulation marks or gunshot wounds. No scratches or stabs or bashed in skulls. Just several people dead, leaving their significant others behind to grieve.

Dean probably would have written it up to some everyday serial killer —which just went to show how screwed up his life was that a serial killer was something banal —had it not been for the strange power outages in the area. Apparently, there had been a blackout every time someone had been killed.

After learning that little tidbit of information, Dean had officially been convinced that they were dealing with something much more supernatural than a regular old serial killer. On the long, nearly twenty four hour drive from Kansas to Vermont, they had debated various theories.

Sam guessed that it was another Qareen, like the one they had dealt with while the Darkness was still running amok. He based his theory on the possibility of the creature luring its victims out into the garden by appearing as their loved ones.

Dean disagreed, pointing out that the last Qareen they had encountered had brutally slaughtered its victims, ripping their hearts out, not killing them without leaving a mark. His money was on a starving, overzealous shtriga feeding off people's life forces until they were dead.

Cas had remained quiet throughout the brothers' bickering, occasionally piping up to point out why it couldn't be a siren or a demon. He had spent most of the unbearably long drive gazing out the window at the passing scenery, humming under his breath along to Led Zeppelin.

He hadn't shared any theories of his own but Dean was sure that he had a few bouncing around his skull.

So, after two days of constant traveling and one night spent in some crappy motel in Indiana, they finally found themselves in a homey diner just outside of Grafton where the pancakes were fluffy, the syrup was thick, and Sam posed potentially traumatizing suggestions for their cover.

Dean was still taken aback, trying to process what his younger brother had just said. He really hoped that he had somehow misheard Sam, even though he was pretty sure that he hadn't.

He seriously needed a vacation. On a beach. With his toes buried in the sand, a cold bottle of El Sol in his hand as he basked in the sunshine and the sound of waves crashing.

He didn't even care if there were screaming kids and seagulls squawking their heads off begging for food. He just needed a vacation from his crazy life and gross, incestuous covers.

Sam must have been watching too much Game of Thrones. All that Cersei and Jaime bullshit must have rubbed off on him.

Ugh. Dean should have known better than to subscribe to HBO.

Just as Dean shivered, disgusted by Sam's suggestion, realization gradually dawned on Sam's face. Frantically shaking his head, he hurried to amend, "Dude, no. No. That's not what I meant."

"Then what the hell did you mean?" Dean asked, sagging back against the plush leather cushions of the booth. He was infinitely relieved, letting out a heavy sigh.

He may have helped save the world several times over but there were just some things he couldn't deal with. Pretending to be in a romantic relationship with his brother was one of them.

Shaking off those thoughts, he focused back on Sam who looked just about as horrified as Dean felt. Still shaking his head, whipping his long hair around, he clarified, "By we I meant me and Cas. We can go undercover as a couple. I figure you ca—"

"Whoa, whoa," Dean interrupted, straightening back up as he raised his hand to cut Sam off. Glancing between Sam and Cas, who was ignoring his coffee in favor of working his way through a crossword puzzle in the local newspaper, he demanded, "You and Cas? Undercover? As a couple?"

"Uh, yeah, Dean," Sam answered, exasperation bleeding into his voice. He set his own fork down with a beleaguered sigh, looking at Dean with one of his patented bitchfaces as he sniped, "It's not exactly rocket science."

"No, I get it, I just..." Dean trailed off, shifting his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose with another sigh of his own. Dropping his hand, he flicked his eyes over to Cas who was still absorbed in his puzzle. "Is Cas cool with this?"

"I have no objections if that's what you're asking," Cas responded primly, not bothering to look up at Dean. He was too busy filling in another answer, mumbling under his breath, "Five letter word for a relationship... Union."

More like fraud, Dean thought, narrowing his eyes at the angel who was much too complacent for his taste. Fixing his skeptical gaze on Cas, he questioned, "No objections? None?"

"Of course not," Cas replied easily, crossing out another clue in the across column. He was already more than halfway done, too engrossed to even bother touching his cup of coffee or the plate of blueberry French toast.

Not that he really needed to eat. Because of the whole angel thing.

"So you're just cool with pretending to be Sam's boyfriend?" Dean pressed, keeping his voice low to avoid anyone overhearing what was one of the weirdest conversations in entire life. And he'd had conversations with Death and God Himself, to name just a few.

"I don't see any reason why I shouldn't be," Cas answered, sparing a glance at Dean. Lowering his gaze again, he filled in another crossword answer.

Dean couldn't understand why Cas wasn't freaking out about the whole thing, why Sam wasn't. They should be working their asses off to come up with another cover, another plan that didn't include them playing house at a couples' resort.

"You're just gonna, what, act like some happy couple on vacation?" Dean squeaked, glancing between Cas and Sam who was in the middle of rolling his.

"Yes, Dean," Sam sighed, exasperation clinging to every syllable. With another heavy sigh, he continued, "We'll check in as a couple, act all lovey dovey for a few days, and gank whatever's killing these people."

"The crocotta," Cas murmured, drawing Sam's attention. The younger Winchester broke out in a wide grin, nodding his head in understanding.

"Whatever it is, you're just gonna share a room? A bed?" Dean blurted, waving his hand around aimlessly. It was Cas' turn to roll his eyes.

"Yes," Cas confirmed with a firm nod. Dean's jaw nearly dropped at the angel's unabashed nonchalance but then Cas continued, pointing out, "I don't require sleep so there will be no conflict."

"It's not really a big deal," Sam insisted as he curled his arm around Cas' shoulders and tugged him closer. The gesture was so casual, so normal, that it briefly made Dean wonder if they had done it before.

Especially when Cas instantly relaxed into it, shifting close enough to actually lay his head on Sam's shoulder. It was enough to make Dean want to throw up.

As bad as the potential of playing newlyweds with his brother, watching Sam and Cas play happy couple was even worse. Mostly because Dean had been in love with the angel for years.

"I agree with Sam," Cas tacked on, reaching for his cup of coffee, only to find that it was empty. Frowning down at the mug, he continued, "It's the easiest way to gain access to the resort. And if my suspicions are correct, the crocotta will target one of us within the first few days."

Dean opened his mouth to say something but found himself speechless. What was there to say?

Cas made several good points. He and Sam going undercover together was the best way for them to solve the case, as much as it killed him to admit it.

Before he could tell them as much, having every intention of keeping his messy feelings out of it, their waitress flounced by. Sam waved his hand to get her attention, flashing her a bright grin.

"Could my boyfriend get some more coffee, please?" He asked innocently, gesturing at Cas' empty mug. He was the picture of an attentive, dutiful boyfriend with his arm around Cas and a guileless smile on his face.

"Oh, of course!" She replied cheerfully, beaming back at him. Throughout their entire meal, she had been making eyes at Sam but her demeanor was suddenly different as she gushed, "You two make such a cute couple, by the way. How long have you been together?"

"We've known each other for almost eight years," Cas explained, setting down his mug so the waitress could pour him some more coffee. Glancing back at Sam with an amused grin, he added, "But we've only been romantically involved for a short time."

The waitress just smiled even brighter before moving on to another table, offering an elderly couple some coffee. Sam and Cas shared a conspiratorial laugh that sent Dean over the edge.

"Yeah, no," he announced, shaking his head. Sam and Cas turned their heads to frown at him in confusion. He pointed at them, glancing between them as he growled, "This? Not happening. I'll be Cas' fake boyfriend, you can stake out the rest of town or whatever."

He punctuated his statement by reaching over to take Cas' hand in his own. He intertwined their fingers as he raised a brow at Sam, silently challenging him to argue.

But Sam just dropped his arm from around Cas' shoulders, raising his palms in surrender. He turned back to his omelet, smirking to himself.

Who knew all it would take for Dean to finally act on his feelings for Cas was to suggest a fake dating cover? He should've suggested it years ago.

Then again, as he watched the way Dean's cheeks flushed deep red while he ran his thumb over Cas' knuckles, Sam figured his timing was perfect.

Send me emojis for a Destiel fics!

#destiel #fic #my fic #pre-slash #sorta #fake/pretend relationship #sam ships it #jealous dean #pda #holding hands #getting together #deanissmitten

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ulfwolf · 5 years

Photo

Spring

Spring was hard. The hardest. For this late in his life spring brought so many earlier springs to also touch him—a rush of them, each with a voice clearer than the next. Each singing faintly of promise, of rebirth, and not so faintly of fragrant and sunny mornings just above freezing but warming, warming, warming as the sun climbed well above the farmer’s barn, huge and dark up there on the hill to the east.

And in her tow, as she spread herself upon the northern earth: melting snow, dripping icicles, the expanse of fields gradually yielding their ocean of snow to the ever-hungry brightening sky. Insatiable for snow this sky, this sun, every spring long into April, sometimes even May. Snow lingering, appetite waning by then.

Not so warm this morning, though, and no sun, not yet, not here, not now. Warmer then—so many thens ago.

He was sitting by the window, wrapped in two, nay three blankets, though still shivering a little from the cold. Yes, he could turn up the thermostat but there was the question of electrical bills, and he was trying to keep them within payable reason; blankets, no matter how many you piled on, did not come with a monthly bill.

There was frost on the windows this morning—that breathtaking pattern of frozen water crystals, ever different, ever magnificent. Like a wide, pale landscape, drawn by God’s hand, he thought. He lost himself in it until the now rising sun took her jealous hand to the icy masterpieces and melted them out.

April had arrived and it should be warmer. In a few days, they had said on the radio, warm air bellowing up from the south. A ways off yet, they said, leaving Germany as we speak.

The surrounding fields were both white (with snow) and green and yellow (with new and old grass) and many birds were flying to and fro busy doing their many bird things. He shivered again and thought briefly about lighting a fire, but the project seemed too daunting to him, what with the stiffness here and there and what with the little pains that came and then didn’t go some of them. Perhaps another blanket.

The boards of the hardwood floor were hundred-year old birch, and they were a foot or more wide. Well-polished. Well walked. Home to many, many memories, most of them happy. This room had hosted many a Christmas, the tree usually set up in the very corner he now sat huddled in, looking out at April.

Yes, Christmas. By the time Christmas Eve arrived, Lisbet, a wonder-cook and wonder-baker, had been at it for weeks making candy and piling up one host of cookies after another. Yes, every December, starting mid-month or so, her please-stay-out-of kitchen became a pleasure factory, brimming not only with smells and rising dough, but with his mother singing for the sheer joy of being so incredibly good at baking.

So many, many thens ago.

He sees a fox crossing the field, keeping to the grassy parts, loathed to leave tracks in the snow even if they’ll melt away soon enough. He wonders where he’s going. Does not appear to be in any hurry. Not running away, not running at all. Just strolling (and so very gracefully) toward something or someone, looking up and around every now and then just to make sure he’s not being followed, hunted.

He almost ducked beneath the window sill to make sure the fox could not see him but then realized that no one could see him sitting behind a glass pane reflecting the sun. Fox, cat, bird, didn’t matter.

One summer evening, the same master-baker Lisbet-Mother brought home a fox cub. Small he was and very afraid.

Yes, she told my dad, she meant to keep it.

Where?

In the fox den.

Where?

So, she showed him the old, wooden chicken coop that she had altered, the better to suit the little canine life.

There?

Yes.

My dad shook his head. There was no arguing with Lisbet. So now we had a pet fox.

The April fox in the field still strolling without a care, looking like he enjoyed the season very much, stopping now and then to sniff the air, and—he thought to himself—smile.

The pet fox was a different story, and he had often wondered what had happened to this poor fox, or not really what, but how, and how badly, and now he wondered again.

For a few days after the fox arrived, Lisbet brought the (still frightened) little cub with her to friends who had a cottage by a beautiful lake a few miles inland. They had invited us to dinner and asked to see the fox, if she wouldn’t mind bringing him, and she, of course, had acquiesced.

To make sure the fox would not run away she had made (or bought) a small leather harness, to which she would attach a leash (for walking) or a longer rope, for securing, say, to a tree.

So, my dad drove us all (me, Mom, Dad, Sis One, Sis Two and fox) to the beautiful lake and their lakeside summer cottage. We all piled out, and fox took center stage. Lots of oohs and aahs and after them all she secured the little guy to a nearby tree while we all sat down to dinner.

Dinner done and dishes carried back into the house we went to check on the fox: no fox.

The rope was still attached to the tree, but the snap hook had broken, part of it still on the ground where the fox should have been.

Lisbet was beside herself, distraught first from losing her fox, and then, once someone, I think it was my dad, reminded her that he must still be wearing his little harness, and as his fate rose with ugly consequence and grew extremely real for her, ten times worse from killing her fox, slowly and painfully as he grew into and beyond the small harness that would in the end strangle or choke him to death. There was no ridding himself of that far-too-small constraint once he began to grow.

Unless they could find him.

He did not often see his mother cry, but now there was no holding back the tears.

Yes, of course, all of us at the dinner spent the next few hours searching for the frightened little thing—who, equally of course, did his best not to be found. So: no fox, and my mother started crying again.

That image had haunted him for years and was now back in full force, his master-baker Mother crying with the pain of the constricted, dying fox.

Now there was no frost left on the window and the icicles drip-drip-dripped almost into a small waterfall.

Lisbet eventually went by the way of the fox. Not in a harness, of course, but harnessed by memories. She lived her last years all regressed into the young girl who’d milk cows and carry firewood and help her mother and aunt keep the house clean.

He visited her one morning at the home. She was in bed, turned against the wall.

“What are you doing?” he asked

“Tending the cows,” she answered. “Cleaning up after them, and keeping the dung for spring fertilizer. We have three cows,” she added. “They all know me. They come when I call.”

Then she looks up at me and recognizes me. “Oh, it’s you.”

“Yes, Mom.”

A few days later, at lunch, she said something nobody really caught and fell over. Dead, the doctor guessed, before she hit the floor.

She was about as old then as he is now.

Some days he wishes that he had not bought this old house, his childhood home. But it had come up for sale just as he had cashed out and retired with a handsome chuck of cash. He could afford to buy it outright.

And did. Sis One and Sis Two urging him to. And his mostly happy memories.

But when you’re alone among the floorboards and windows of a lively and on the whole wonderful childhood twenty-four seven, memories play tricks on you and you’re slowly going by way of your mother into living more and more in the more and more vivid past.

People his age are dying off.

His first girlfriend, dead for many years now. Well, she was a smoker and probably a heavy drinker, too. But she went in her fifties.

Still, it is very chilling when people you once made love to are dead.

There is something acutely illogical about that, terrifying really. He didn’t get to see her, although he tried, before she passed.

His old grade school teacher, he still remembers her name, dead now.

Boyhood friends with triple bypasses and on the brink now.

School mates with cancer.

The reaper running amok among his happier days.

These days the mailman comes all the way to his house. Back then, he had to bicycle the quarter or so mile to the row of mailboxes at the crossing to collect. He assumes that the post office knows about his age, and, of course, the road from the nearby farmer to his cottage is now much improved, and also kept clear of snow in the winter, so, yes, they deliver his mail right to the door these days.

No mail today, though. Should have been here by now.

His two younger sisters (One and Two) are both alive. Neither lives too far away. Both urging him to get a dog to keep him company. He steadfastly refuses. Yes, it would be nice, sometimes, to have someone to talk to and to lick your fingers, but the upkeep, the upkeep. He shakes his head. No, he’s lived his entire single life (since his twenty-plus-years-ago divorce) canine and worry free.

He looks out again to see if the fox is still on the move, but no fox there now. Gone to wherever he was going, or at least off-stage.

By now he should be hungry, but he’s not. He wishes Lisbet would show up and commandeer the kitchen again. That would get him eating properly again.

It’s warmer now, and he sheds one, nay two blankets. The sun is climbing steadily into an almost cloudless sky. May is not far off. This is a beautiful spring after all.

http://wolfstuff.com/aod-intro

#spring #old age #icicles #foxes #dead lovers #memoirs #childhood home

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snii-art · 7 years

Text

What was it like to be worshiped?

It was a question that's maybe plagued him for, oh, several years. On and off. It was like a constant flurry of static running amok in his head, and no amount of hard knocking to the noggin would make it go away.

Sometimes he wasn't sure if he liked it. Sometimes it was all that he craved.

Occasionally, he did get it.

There was once a constant source of it from where he could trace the origins back to. A delicate, lanky, and anxious sort of source.

...

Ah, yeah. Right. There used to be. He had to remember that.

"Fuck's sake," Murdoc grumbled, eyes darting from side to side as he stepped-- no, he stomped outside.

A door slid shut behind him, and he paid it no further mind.

Shoes mercilessly stepped over wet grass, letting him wager that it had rained the past few hours. He had to roll his eyes at that, slap a palm to his cheek and drag it down rough skin. Sometimes he wondered what was even the point of being in "the best band in the world" when they had to off and on spend claustrophobic nights in shitty hotels.

He supposed that's what show business was all about, but it wasn't his kind of show business.

"Hey Muds," a voice called out, making him look up from his semi-coherent stupor.

"... Oi, hey dullard."

It was a casual response stated as he stopped in his tracks, just now realizing he had hardly any idea where he was going until now.

Just a minute or so ago, he was letting the hotel's glass door slam behind him--

"Wot're you doin' up so late?" asked 2D, somehow managing to remain a ray of sunshine despite Murdoc's apparent mood.

--and, yet, here he was. Staring at 2D. Who was... apparently sitting on the hood of their car.

"I needed a smoke," he replied with hardly any heart in it, eventually stepping closer to the vehicle to lean his backside against it.

"O-Oh! Okay. Goddit, goddit."

Such a response forced Murdoc to roll his eyes, trying to occupy his attention with something else. The stars, maybe? Yeah, that seemed like a good idea.

His head raised towards the night sky, adjusting his sight accordingly to catch every little twinkle of light shining from the darkness. Licking his lips, he started to rest his elbow casually upon the car's hood.

Maybe this hotel wasn't an all too bad pick. He did have this, at least even if it was boring.

The car bounced just slightly, causing Murdoc to stop his stargazing and turn his head towards what he assumed was the interruption. His expression signified the potential of a scolding only for it to be halted by why it happened.

2D had swiftly, if albeit nervously, turned his head away to try and save face by looking up at the stars. Murdoc knew what he did, though.

Poor sod had scooted over to let Murdoc on.

He sighed, shook his head a little, and climbed onto hood to resume his gazing.

Although, it might've been a bit shortlived.

"Err... Muds?"

"Yea yea, what?" he vaguely snapped, eyes quickly glaring at him from the side.

2D flinched, if only a little, before he looked away again. Hand anxiously scratched the back of his head as he sighed out of what Murdoc assumed to be frustration. He had no idea what the vocalist was doing with his other hand, nor did he find it all that important.

It took a few seconds of strange silence before Murdoc was about to go on to egg the clumsy man on and make him move faster. Just as he was, he had turned his head to stare harder at him but was turned down when a lighter was held out to him.

"--Th'fuck is this, mate?"

"A lighta'," 2D muttered, looking down at his lap as he began to kick his legs out.

"Yeah, okay but for what?" he pressed before 2D glanced up with a somewhat annoyed stare.

"Fo'yer smokes, Muds!"

It wasn't necessarily a shout, but he definitely had a louder volume than before.

Murdoc found himself in an odd position for a while before his gaze dropped, awkwardly staring down into his lap before he reluctantly plucked the lighter from 2D's hands.

No longer focused on his opposite, he pulled out a pack and slid one cigarette out from its confines. Placing it inbetween his lips, he shoved the pack back into his pocket and started working with the lighter.

Soon, he got it to work and was finally telling the truth about needing a smoke.

He figured it'd be fine if he held onto the lighter for a while, so he slid it into his pocket, too.

Now what? Was he supposed to thank him? Maybe.

Turning away, he set an elbow on one thigh and practically smashed his mouth into his palm. Eyes narrowed as he glared off to the side.

"..."

Eventually, a muffled "thank you" managed from the inside of his hand.

2D hadn't seemed to hear it, and on any other day Murdoc would've been fine.

But he found himself bothered.

Grumbling, he moved his hand slightly and tried again. This time it was a vague attempt of a "thank you" yet his voice was still painfully low and quiet.

He searched for a reaction on 2D's face, but it almost seemed like the vocalist already forgot that he was here. All he was doing was kicking his legs back and forth, staring down at his lap with brows furrowed. Murdoc took note of him fiddling with his fingers, occasionally twiddling his thumbs.

"Hey!" he started, raising his voice ever so slightly from its intended volume as he leaned towards 2D with wide, exasperated eyes.

It seemed to be more than enough to catch 2D's attention, causing him to jump and hiccup slightly. Murdoc's lips popped the smallest of smirks before his expression dropped. He moved one hand to his shoulder and breathed out a tiny cloud of smoke.

"Didn't ya hear what I said, face-ache?" he finally asked, raising one eyebrow even though he knew 2D wouldn't be able to see it.

All he got as a response was a quick shake of the head and both hands abruptly raising like he was about to be arrested.

In a way, the scene itself was funny. In another way, it... probably wasn't all that funny.

Grunting, Murdoc pulled away and fumbled a bit. Now that all of the vocalist's attention was on him, he knew he was going to stumble here and there but fuck it, right?

Pulling out the pack from earlier, he held it out towards 2D as casually as he could.

"... Go on, mate. Take one," the bassist was practically insisting. "Just one, though. Ju-uuust one."

"Is dis some kinda trick or somefink?" 2D asked after a few seconds of looking around.

Maybe he was looking for cameras. He was looking for something.

When faced with the facts, Murdoc knew he had a right to.

He still tried, though. At this point, all he could do was try.

Because he remembered, but maybe 2D didn't remember.

All he needed was a bit of a push is all.

Shaking his hand a little to further tempt him, Murdoc cocked his head slightly to answer the question.

Pursing his lips, 2D reached out and carefully pulled out one from the pack. As soon as he did, Murdoc reeled his hand back and immediately shoved the pack deep into his pocket.

"Oh, uh... Fanks--"

"Ya didn't even light it yet," he interjected as fast as he could, sliding the lighter out from his pocket and waved 2D to come closer.

Initially, the singer was hesitant and rightfully so. Murdoc was being as patient as he could, but there was only so much he was willing to take.

"'m not gonna fuckin' bite. C'mere," he started out as a grumble that steadily increased to a light command.

It's what made 2D scoot close, maybe a bit too close, but it didn't necessarily bother Murdoc. Not tonight, anyway. He'd let it slide.

Calmly-- he hoped, anyway-- working the lighter, he soon summoned a small flame and, as soon as his opposite planted the cigarette in his mouth, carefully lit the tip.

Popping the lighter shut, he watched with a dazed interest 2D's reaction. He seemed unsure. Maybe he was confused. That was always a possibility but then again, that seemed to be the guy's personality twenty-four seven. Murdoc would have to remind himself to laugh at that later.

A small puff of smoke revealed itself, signaling to the bassist that he wasn't gone from this world yet.

"See, wuzzat so bad, 'D?" he asked, barely noticing his use of an old nickname.

2D noticed but said nothing. Merely, he nodded and smiled to which was returned with a signature grin. Eyes met and settled on one another for a moment. Briefly. Expressions relaxed. That's all it was before they soon returned their attention back up to to the night sky.

Murdoc sucked in a breath before releasing, a large cloud of grey escaping from his lips. Mostly relaxed, he wasn't prepared for the suddenness of 2D resting his head on his shoulder.

"--Oi," he began, making the vocalist start to tense. He noticed that his hands were tightly clasped together with fingers entwined.

... Aw, what the fuck ever.

"Y'know what? No. Stay there. It's fine."

The tensing gradually subsided as Murdoc rested his hand on 2D's closest thigh. Giving a firm squeeze, he stared silently up at the sky as random stars twinkled and lit up in the far off distance.

For this moment, things felt normal.

He liked it and wondered if 2D liked it, too.

Being normal felt... nice.

Worship certainly was a strange word. Sometimes he missed the feeling.

Not right now, though.

Right now, this was nice. He liked that better.

#2doc #studoc #snii writing #pairing: studoc #// repostin bc i posted this at a bad bad bad time LMAO #sorry for minor tag spam B'')#gorillaz #2d #murdoc niccals

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quinzelade · 7 years

Text

By No Constraint (chpt 65)

SS x Danse

Chapter List

Thanks to my amazing beta, waiting4morning, for her wonderful work! Thanks to Musashi1596 for the title.

Major Brotherhood/Danse spoilers.

Want update alerts? Follow this story on FFnet or Ao3.

A Wolf at the Door

Danse drifted in and out of an uneasy sleep, old nightmares pressing down on him in the dark. Despite this, he’d never felt so content. Quinn slept soundly in his arms, her naked body pressed against his. The night had been a good one, if awkward in places. She’d taken the lead, helping him through when his nerves spiked and he’d began to fumble. Danse didn’t care that things hadn’t gone smoothly, though. He’d enjoyed it, regardless. By the sound of it, so had she.

He grinned to himself, his cheeks feeling hot at the thought of their antics, and kissed the top of her head. She mumbled and squirmed, nuzzling into his chest, and then began to softly snore.

This gentle quiet slowly shifted as the night wore on. Danse watched as she went from calm and still to twitching, her brow furrowed as if in pain. Finally, when she began to struggle against the bed sheets, he gave her shoulder a little shake.

Quinn snapped awake with a horrible gasp, reaching out for something that wasn’t there. She pushed herself upright, shoving aside his attempts to soothe her, and stared blankly at the wall. “Shaun?”

Danse felt his stomach drop, but he didn’t say anything, watching her carefully.

“Shaun?” Quinn repeated, rubbing at her eyes. Gradually, he saw reality creep back into them. With a sniff, she drew her knees to her chest and buried her face. Danse leaned forward, still not speaking, and placed his hand on her bare back, noting her shivers. She’d talk when she was ready.

Eventually, Quinn turned to him. Even in this dim light, he could see her eyes were puffy, laced with troubles. She shook her head. “What kind of person am I?”

Danse frowned. Where was this coming from? “A good one.”

“I wiped out the Railroad. Abandoned the Brotherhood. Betrayed Shaun.”

“And you saved the Commonwealth,” Danse said gently. It occurred to him that he still hadn’t discussed the enormity of this. Well, he was going to tell her now. “The constant paranoia of living in the Institute’s shadow disappeared the moment you pressed that detonation button.”

Quinn said nothing, staring past him with dead eyes. Danse decided to go on.

“The kidnappings, the fear and the threat of their technology running amok...all gone thanks to you. What you’ve done will be felt for years to come. It’s destined to become a part of...”

Danse trailed off as he saw her face crumple.

“I just miss my son,” Quinn whispered.

“I know.” He took hold of her hands and squeezed them. “I know.”

“I don’t understand,” she mumbled, avoiding his eye. “Sometimes I can almost forget what happened—that he was even my son to begin with. I can just focus on you and Charlie and I’m okay. But other days, I’m just...dead.” Quinn glanced up at him, fresh tears streaking her cheeks. “Is this how I’ve always been? A heartless bitch that can rationalise her son’s death? I don’t feel human. I feel like I’m pretending. Broken.”

Danse wasn’t offended at her comment of ‘not feeling human.’ How could he decide what her mourning felt like? “That’s how I was over Cutler. But what you have to remember is this isn’t a sudden death. How long have you been in the Commonwealth now?”

“I don’t know,” Quinn said, wiping at her eyes. “More than a year, I think.”

“Precisely. You’ve had time to come to terms with Shaun and everything he was. Everything you needed to do. You’re not broken—you’ve been going through the grieving process for the better part of a year, long before Shaun died.” He moved Quinn’s hair out of her eyes and caressed her cheek with his fingers. “This is just the final stage—the hardest stage. Letting go.”

Danse kissed her. “And despite knowing what you had to do, you made the difficult choice to carry on. The Commonwealth is safe because you chose to take a leap of faith and make a difference. I am...so proud of you.”

Quinn gave a half-hearted smile. “I wouldn’t have managed it without your help. I’d probably still be drunk in a bar somewhere.”

“And I’d definitely be dead without you.” He held her steady as she flinched. “I’d say that makes us even.”

Quinn said nothing for a while, tilting her head into his hand and watching him. After a few minutes, she said, “Why are you so good to me?”

Danse rolled his eyes. “I can’t believe you’re asking that question.”

She gave a small shrug.

He lay back against the headrest, pulling her to his chest. “You’re a kind, patient person who’s been handed a rough deal. You deserve what goodness the world has left to offer. And I’m more than happy to provide it.”

Quinn propped herself up, a genuine smile finally breaking through. “Sounds more like you’re talking about yourself.”

Danse raised his eyebrows. “That doesn’t sound anything like me.”

“Why not?”

“We already established I have very little patience for anything.”

“True.” Quinn smirked, the last traces of her grief fading. “But it’s those quirks that I love about you.”

Danse flinched. He knew they’d said it to each other earlier, but that had been in the heat of the moment. Now, in the quiet aftermath, when the mundane was settling back into place, he couldn’t imagine her saying it again. But she had—sort of. “Sorry, what?”

She frowned at him, looking confused. “I said that’s what I love about you.”

“Oh. Sure.” He shifted in the bed, suddenly uncomfortable. “Do you mean...you like those things about me, or…?”

Quinn sat up, now thoroughly perplexed. “Danse, I literally said, ‘I love you’ yesterday. What possible other—”

Ah, damn it. He could feel his face burning up. “I wasn’t sure if you meant it.”

“Oh my God.” Quinn put her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking. For a split second, he thought he’d upset her, until he realised she was giggling. She let her hands drop, grinning from ear to ear. “I meant it. I love you, you adorable idiot.”

“But—”

“No buts.”

“But,” Danse said louder, sitting up straight. “I’m grumpy. I’m prejudiced. I’m stubborn. I’m impatient. I’m—”

“—none of those things,” Quinn countered, leaning forward and placing her hand over his mouth. “Well, except for the grumpiness...and the being stubborn, but that’s kind of cute. Everything else, though? You aren’t that man anymore, Danse, and you haven’t been for some time. You called Nick and Hancock by their names for the first time last night, and I bet you didn’t even notice.”

Danse blinked. She was right—he hadn’t noticed. That couldn’t have been the first time, though...could it? He tried to think of another occasion but came up blank. Quinn took advantage of his silence.

“You’re patient with the right people,” she said softly, finally removing her hand from his mouth. “You’re kind and considerate with the vulnerable, not just those who are useful to you. You’re intelligent and resourceful. And most of all, you’re willing to accept your mistakes and learn from them. You’re the best person I’ve met in this shitheap of a wasteland, and because of those qualities, I love you.”

He didn’t know what to say to that. Well, except for one thing.

“I love you, too.” The words felt different this time around. Cleaner. Calmer. And when Quinn leaned in to kiss him, he took her into his arms, basking in her presence. He loved her, and beyond all reasonable doubt, she loved him back.

After that, Danse slept well.

Quinn woke to the sound of rumbling snores right down her ear. She grumbled as she dug her elbow into Danse’s stomach, causing him to jerk awake with a loud snort.

“What?” he said, squinting at her.

“You're making a noise like a broken vertibird,” Quinn replied, rubbing her eyes.

Danse muttered something that sounded like, “You're one to talk,” and rolled onto his side with a huff.

She watched him for a second, before reaching out and touching his back. He flinched beneath her fingers and she grinned. “You can't stay mad at me.”

“Yes I can.” He took hold of her hand without turning around and pulled her forward so he could kiss her knuckles.

“Liar.”

“I never lie.”

Quinn giggled and snuggled up to him, kissing the nape of his neck. “I think I still have some mirelurk eggs somewhere. Want me to make breakfast?”

Danse turned to face her, caressing her cheek as he pressed his lips to hers. “Stay with me a little longer.”

Quinn was happy to oblige. They remained entwined, sharing kisses and gentle touches until the darkness of the room was finally interrupted by a long shaft of light. Dust swirled around the faint beam stretching from the window of the inner door to a small spot on the floor. Real life was waiting for her.

Quinn sighed and sat up. They were going to eat before they returned to the settlement, at least. She leaned over the side of the bed and picked up Danse's discarded shirt off the floor. She stood up, a quick bat of her hand loosening the dust clinging to the fabric, and pulled it over her head. As she made to walk across the room, though, Danse grabbed her arm. Quinn looked at him with a frown.

His gaze slowly slid up and down, lingering where the hem of the shirt just touched the top of her thighs. Danse bit his lip as he met her eyes, and then gently tugged her back towards him.

The shirt quickly found its way onto the floor again. Round two was slower, both of them taking the opportunity to fully touch and taste the other. Their chance to make up for lost time. It ended sooner than Quinn would have liked, but she was still content. There was plenty of time to practice, after all. Years. Hopefully decades. Maybe even a lifetime, if she was lucky.

They lay together in the aftermath, a sense of heavy relaxation almost smothering Quinn until she felt like she could drift off to sleep again.

“We have to return to Sanctuary soon, don't we?” Danse mumbled into her hair.

“Yeah.” She didn't bother to open her eyes, lost in the rise and fall of Danse’s chest. “Responsibilities and all that shit.”

He squeezed her tighter and she smiled to herself. It had been a wonderful night, sweeter for how rare moments like this were going to be.

“I suppose I should collect my things from the bunker before some raider finds them,” Danse said, his voice weary.

“You could…” Quinn hesitated. “You could move them into...my place. Or I could move my stuff into yours.”

Had she just said that? They’d barely been a couple for a few months and she was already suggesting they live together. She had a son. What man would want the responsibility of someone else’s child?

Danse nodded. “Yes, that seems sensible.”

Quinn sat up and stared at him. “You...you don't mind?”

“Mind what?” Danse frowned at her. “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine.” Her mouth was dry as she tried to find the right words. “Me asking you to move in. You don’t mind that?”

“Why would I? We were already staying together at the bunker.”

“Yes, but this is more...official.”

Danse’s frown deepened. He obviously still didn't understand. How could she even explain it, though? The more she thought about it, the more Quinn realised the worlds they had grown up in were continents apart. Things that were important and scary in her society were non-issues in his.

Quinn felt her cheeks burning as she twisted her hands together. “Moving in was a big deal before the war. It showed you were serious as a couple.”

“But we are serious as a couple.” He suddenly looked worried. “Aren't we?”

“Well, yes—”

“So why are you so anxious about it?”

Quinn covered her face, embarrassment worming its way through her. “I don't know. I don't want to fuck anything up by rushing you.”

Danse laughed, pulling her hands away and kissing her. “What did I tell you at the hotel?”

“That you're not going anywhere,” she mumbled, not meeting his eye.

“I’ve already promised Charlie I'll show him how to modify power armour. That means you're stuck with me.”

Quinn smiled shyly, feeling light-headed. “Good.”

Still, there was doubt in her mind. Had Danse fully considered the implications of what he was agreeing to?

“You know you're going to end up like a father to Charlie, right?” Quinn blurted out before she could stop herself.

Danse shifted a little in the bed, but his expression didn’t darken. On the contrary, he looked somewhat hopeful. “It had...crossed my mind.”

She bit her lip. “How do you feel about that?”

Danse shrugged. “That I've been given a chance most synths could only dream of.”

“So what’s it gonna be? Marriage? Happily ever after?”

Hancock’s comment came to mind, innocent enough but weighing on her. Did she really need marriage again to be happy? Quinn didn't think so, but....

Danse shrugged when she mentioned it. “If you’re not enthusiastic about the concept, then there’s no need to discuss it.” He smiled. “You have a husband already.”

“Had,” Quinn corrected. “I had a husband. He’s dead and I’m moving on.”

“True, but that doesn’t mean your relationship should be buried. He’s a part of your life, and if marriage is something you don’t want to repeat, then let it be his and yours alone.” He raised an eyebrow. “I don’t need a ring to know I love you.”

“I can’t get used to you saying that.”

“Oh, uh,” Danse said, flushing. “I mean—”

Quinn smirked. “Say it again.”

His blush deepened, but he grinned. “I love you.”

“...again.”

“I love you.”

“Again!”

“I love you.”

Quinn felt her face settle into a wide smile. “I love you, too.”

Danse beamed at her.

Day had broken fully by the time Quinn forced herself to roll out of bed. She felt bad her friends were still looking after Charlie, but Danse promised her that Nick said he’d hold the fort for as long as they needed.

“Hancock worded it a little differently,” Danse continued, red creeping into his cheeks as he sat on the edge of the bed and stretched, “but they’ve no issues keeping an eye on him for a day or so.”

He pulled his clothes on, and then sidled over as Quinn tried to get dressed, standing behind her and kissing her neck.

“What are you doing?” she giggled, as she tried to get her shirt on, only for Danse to be in the way.

“Interfering,” he mumbled, wrapping his arms around her. “Anyone would in my position.”

“Your position?” Quinn glanced over her shoulder at him, raising her eyebrows.

“Mmm.” His hands cupped at her breasts as he kissed her neck again. “Enjoying what time we have alone before we go back.”

Quinn finally turned to face him, grinning. “Tell you what, let’s eat first and then we’ll see what mischief we can get up to.”

He shot her a cheeky smirk, and it struck Quinn how different he was to when she’d first met him. Would this ever have been achieved if they’d stayed in the Brotherhood? Maybe his true identity was the push required to strip away everything that had been holding him back. Or maybe he’d just needed something to focus on besides work.

Danse eventually let go of her after he had teased her half to death, laughing as she struggled to finish getting dressed.

“You know when I mentioned moving in before?” Quinn said, trying to force the mess of amorous thoughts out of her head.

“Yes?”

“Would you mind if we moved to your house?” She glanced in the direction of Sanctuary, though the walls of the truck stop blocked it from view, and then returned her attention to Danse. “Too many ghosts in mine. I want to leave it as a memorial and make a fresh start. With you.”

Danse stepped forward and kissed her. “Let’s go get your things.”

Quinn gently dug her finger into his stomach. “How many times? Food first.”

He rolled his eyes, but nodded. “Need any help?”

“Oh no. I’ve tried your cooking.”

“I make perfectly adequate, fully nutritional meals!”

“Danse, you managed to burn my pans poaching an egg.” Quinn put her hands on her hips. “I still can’t figure out how.” She started to giggle again. “Besides, if the only good thing you can say about your cooking is it’s adequate—”

“And nutritional!”

Quinn burst out laughing, leaning against him as her shoulders shook and tears sprang to her eyes. He held onto her, patting her on the back when she eventually calmed down.

“Fine. You might have a point.” He raised an eyebrow. “But at least I’ve never accidentally hatched live mirelurks in a freezer box.”

“That was one time!”

“Still counts.”

The next few minutes were taken up with playful bickering, only resolved when Quinn decided to fight dirty. Danse nearly fell over as she tickled him, before picking her up and pressing her against the wall with his body.

“Truce?” she mumbled as they kissed.

“Truce.”

They became lost in each other. Quinn pulled him closer, her fingers raking through his hair as she wrapped her legs around his middle. His hands gripped at her thighs, holding her up without any obvious effort.

Quinn laughed as they broke apart. “For God’s sake, Danse, are you determined not to eat?”

He shrugged, suddenly looking serious. “I haven’t felt like this since Rivet City. Can’t blame me for taking advantage of it.”

“Felt like what?”

“Young.”

Quinn gave a gentle smile and brushed against his cheek with her hand. “Carefree?”

The word startled him, but then he nodded, taking her fingers and pressing them to his lips. “I thought you might understand.” Slowly, he let her go, though he kept hold of her hand. She led him outside towards the campfire, fingers intertwined, and stared down at it, wondering how best to make breakfast.

As she pondered, though, she became aware of an acrid smell, and twitched her nose. The truck stop blocked Sanctuary from view, so Quinn glanced towards the sky. It was clear and blue. Frowning now, she tugged her hand free and walked towards the back of the building, following the scent. She looked over at Danse, who was still stood by the campfire. “Were you cooking out here last night?”

“No?” It was his turn to frown. “You already said I can’t cook. Why would I inflict that upon the world if it wasn’t necessary?”

Quinn didn’t laugh at his joke, but turned on the spot, sniffing the air. If the sky was clear, then Sanctuary wasn’t ablaze, and yet…

“Can you smell smoke?” she asked, beginning to wonder if she was going mad.

Looking slightly bemused now, he inhaled. “No, I…” His confusion turned to a frown. “Actually, I can. Smells like cigar smo...”

Danse’s sentence trailed away, a look of fear dawning on his face as his eyes locked on hers. “Run!”

“Wha—?” she began, but her question ended in a scream as his head snapped forward and he crumpled to the ground. She ran to him, but stopped as a figure materialised behind Danse, pointing a gun at her.

Quinn’s breath caught in her throat.

“Hello, Quinn,” Rachel Marguerie said, her teeth bared in a predator’s grin. “Fancy seeing you here.”

In Quinn’s absence there had been an obvious decline. Sallow-skinned and wearing dirty, crumpled uniform, Rachel was barely recognisable, her manic eyes nestled in heavy, dark circles. Worst of all was Rachel’s hair, which was normally scooped back in a sleek, neat bun. Now it was a straggled mess, sections of it trailing down her back.

Her tone was calm and level...the most frightening thing Quinn had ever heard. She glanced down at Danse, biting hard on her lip. Judging by the gun in Rachel’s hand, he’d been pistol whipped. Thank God he wasn’t killed outright, though Quinn suspected Rachel had other plans for the two of them.

Danse was lying in the dirt, clutching at the wound in his head. He let go and stared stupidly at his shaking, blood-soaked fingers, before his eyes flicked to Quinn. They were filled with confused fear, but she lost sight of them as Rachel stepped down on his neck, pushing him into the ground.

“Fucking pathetic,” she spat, the awful grin slipping into a sneer of disgust. “I didn’t hit you that hard.”

Danse gasped under her boot, but as Quinn opened her mouth to protest, another ripple shimmered in the air. Carson appeared next to Rachel, his rifle pointed at Quinn. He was ashen-faced, throwing frantic glances between the knight-sergeant and Quinn while he trembled on the spot.

“Carson?” Quinn said, suddenly feeling faint. Not him. Not Carson.

He didn't answer, but stared back without blinking, begging her to understand. And she did. It was the church all over again, but this time her role was Deacon. Maybe one day, Carson would justify it to himself, the way she had tried to justify her own betrayal. But Quinn knew then she was finally going to die.

“I trusted you,” Rachel whispered, all emotion gone, her face utterly barren. “I placed my faith in you. I respected you. But not only did you let this thing live—” She waved her gun towards Danse, who was still pinned on the floor. “—but you also bring a synth back from the Institute and try to pass it off as your son?”

“The only synth here is me—” Danse’s words were choked off as she pressed down hard with her foot.

“Machines don't get to speak,” Rachel hissed, and for one heart-stopping moment Quinn thought she’d snap his neck. But then Rachel relaxed the pressure, directing her suffocating gaze back at Quinn. “I pieced the evidence together. From the moment you threw yourself at that boy in the Institute, I knew. But I waited. Bided my time. Hoped your behaviour was just shock and that I was wrong about it. I wasn’t wrong.”

Carson’s mouth fell open in surprise. So Rachel hadn’t told him of her suspicions?

“I only came here to see if you were alright,” she said, her voice low and dangerous. “I had almost convinced myself I was paranoid about the boy. So imagine my surprise when I see this still alive.”

She pushed on Danse’s neck again, and he made a noise of pain. What little restraint Rachel had left was a guillotine, hanging over his life on a fraying thread. Quinn didn’t answer, watching with alarm as patches of colour began to grow in Rachel’s cheeks.

“At first, I thought you had gone rogue. But then another problem occurred to me,” the knight-sergeant said quietly. “Maxson went to this machine’s execution, and when he came back, he said the job was done.” Her eyes narrowed. “Why did he lie?”

“He—”

“He allowed it to live,” Rachel snarled. She paused, letting the statement hang in the air. “This isn’t just you, Quinn. He allowed a synth that had infiltrated our ranks to live. The leader of the Brotherhood of Steel is part of this damn conspiracy—a traitor! And Kells needs to bring him down.”

The future was laid out in front of Quinn: loyalty turned toxic, Maxson’s monumental moment of mercy a double edged sword, allowing the Elders of the West to cut their pound of flesh. Rachel would ruin Maxson without hesitation.

The knight-sergeant removed her foot, hauled Danse to his knees, and pushed the barrel of the gun to his head. He was still so dazed, he didn’t fight back.

Quinn started forward, overwhelmed with panic.

“One more step and I’ll blow its fucking head off!” Rachel put her finger on the trigger.

Quinn stopped in her tracks.

“Not that it makes a difference,” she said, the nasty grin returning with a vengeance. “First I’m going to kill him. Then that disgusting vermin masquerading as your son—”

“No!”

“—and then,” Rachel shouted over Quinn’s pleas, “I’m going to haul you back to Kells. You can watch as Maxson and all his hidden traitors burn.”

“Rachel,” Carson said, alarm etched into his face. “He’s just a kid—”

“It isn’t a child. It isn’t human.”

“You said we were here to check up on Quinn, not start murdering innocent people!”

“Shut it!” Rachel snarled, not taking her eyes off Quinn. “Synths. Aren’t. People! And anyone who helps them and their spies are traitors!”

Carson fell silent, but Quinn sensed the doubt. Whether he would stand up to Rachel was another matter. Without him, though, Quinn couldn’t see a way out of this. Maybe that was why he was avoiding her eye—trying to tell himself she really was a traitor.

Quinn turned her attention back to Danse. He’d regained some focus, staring at her and ignoring the gun at his head. His expression was fearful, but also soft—accepting of his own fate, scared for Quinn’s instead. Maybe if she attacked Rachel first...

Even as Quinn ran the scenario over in her head, she knew it was hopeless. Rachel was bigger than her, stronger than her, and a crack shot to boot. Whatever Quinn did, she would lose her child and the man she loved for a second time.

“We’ve worked together for years, Marguerie,” Danse said suddenly, “and if there’s one thing I know about you—”

Rachel pulled harder on his hair. “I told you. Machines don’t get to talk.”

“You are not a child killer!”

Rachel froze.

There was a long silence as the knight-sergeant stared down at him, the knuckles on both hands white. Danse turned his eyes up towards her, the look he gave her sharp and commanding—an echo of his revoked rank.

“The Knight-Sergeant Marguerie I know wouldn’t hurt a child.”

“It isn’t a child.”

“He is a child. He looks like a child, acts like a child, thinks like a child. What difference does it make that he was made? He’s as innocent as any kid would be.” Danse glared at her. “And I think you know this. Why else would you be standing here instead of killing us outright?”

Rachel bent down, her face inches from Danse’s. “Is that an invitation?”

“It’s a fact,” he retorted. “You’re torn on what to do. Everything you ever placed your faith in has been put into question, and you’d rather kill us all than entertain the notion that your ideals might be wrong.”

“They are traitors!”

“No, they just showed me compassion!” Danse shot back. “Maxson realised I wasn’t a threat and let me go! He gave me a chance!”

“A chance?” Rachel straightened up, and by the tone of her voice Quinn knew it had been the wrong thing to say. “A chance? Why do you get a chance? I had to abandon my husband and child for something that wasn’t their fucking fault! Where was their chance?”

“No one made you abandon them,” Danse said, looking almost as angry as Rachel. “That was your choice!”

“Don’t spout bullshit about ‘choice.’ You know damn well the Brotherhood would have done something about it.” She bared her teeth like a wolf, her face twisted into a hideous scowl. “But you? Special treatment from an unworthy Elder. What about my daughter?”

“Marguerie—”

Rachel’s scream cut like a knife. “What about my Sarah?”

The final word rang out in the open air.

Sarah.

“Have you seen her since?” “Once.”

A ghoul child, her father taken by mutants. No mother to speak of, as if she never existed.

“I helped organise safe passage for them to another part of the country, in a ghoul-only settlement.”

A knight-sergeant, eager to protect a village of ghouls with no valid explanation.

“Those fucking assholes kill kids.”

A husband recently dead, the letter of notification absent.

“I burned it.”

Realisation hit Quinn with the force of a truck.

All the pieces falling neatly into place. Close by, but with no indication of a connection. A ghoul that aged—Danse didn’t realise he’d already met her. Each insignificant event woven into a tapestry of stark, blinding truth. So inconspicuous. So obvious.

“The Commonwealth will be free. Maybe I’ll go see my daughter.”

“Sarah,” Quinn mumbled. “The little ghoul girl from the Slog.”

Rachel went chalk white. The gun in her hand lowered slightly, her grip on Danse’s hair loosening enough that he could move his head to look at Quinn. The knight-sergeant didn’t seem to notice, her eyes wide and distant as she shook on the spot. Her carefully guarded secret was crumbling around her.

Danse blinked with confusion. “No, that's—”

Rachel wrenched Danse’s head back, slammed her pistol against his temple, and pulled the trigger.

A/N: Soooo remember when I said I had free rein?

...yeah.

Also, kudos to anyone who caught all the Rachel wolf references scattered throughout the fic leading up to this chapter. I feel the lyrics to Radiohead’s ‘A Wolf at the Door’ fit Rachel very well, and wanted to build to that. A beautifully chilling song and an equally excellent music video. I strongly recommend it.

#Fallout 4 #Paladin Danse #ss x danse #sole survivor x danse #fallout 4 fanfic #by no constraint #story #writing

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