#he'll think about it for like five seconds before going 'that was weird let's go make flamethrowers out of old hairspray cans' | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

butterflydm · 11 months

Text

wot reread: a memory of light (chapters 17-23)

spoilers for a memory of light, the final book.

Mat wakes up to find Fortuona listening to a report from one of her guards, still naked, and when he calls her ‘Tuon’, she chastises him under threat of execution if he does not show ~proper respect~. Interesting. I wonder if he'll actually stop calling her "Tuon" or not.

Part of my brain wants to compare the earlier Rand & Aviendha wake-up scene to this one, so I’m going to poke at that for a moment:

Rand & Aviendha have a pre-sex mock-threat scene where the Maidens teasingly threaten Rand before he and Aviendha sleep together; Mat has to deal with actual potential death from Tuon’s slaves (Selucia almost shooting him; the guards subduing him)

Rand & Aviendha and Mat & Fortuona are two extreme ‘culture clash’ relationships (Perrin and Faile are also a fairly extreme culture clash, but they’ve pretty much worked that out by now)

They’re also both ‘enemies to lovers, destined to be together due to a prophecy’ pairings, except Aviendha and Rand were 'enemies-to-lovers' in the loosest possible sense of "Aviendha has taken against Rand but doesn't really have any reason to hate him" while Mat got his compassion surgically removed in CoT so that he wouldn't judge Tuon for being a slaver.

Aviendha has done her best to teach Rand Aiel ways but seems to accept now that he will always be a wetlander at heart vs Fortuona expecting Mat to flip a switch and be a devoted Seanchan slave citizen and telling him that if he fails to conform, she may have him executed.

idk it’s ~interesting.

Tuon does make it clear that Mat is never going to have sex with her in private -- at least one of her guard-slaves will always be present.

2. Rand shows up -- Mat notes that he is dressed down, comparatively-speaking -- “no gold or jewelry, no weapon at all”.

Tuon, who is terrified of Rand, immediately freaks out, calling for damane to come and protect her. This scene is... *sigh* yeah, idk. It’s weirdly balanced, I guess I’d say. The narrative has done such a thorough job in trying to shield Mat from the truth about what the Seanchan have been doing recently, and from his own failures and the deaths that are on his head (he is complicit both in the attack on the White Tower -- because he let Tuon go back to her people to continue her invasion -- and the attack on Caemlyn -- because his mistrust of Aes Sedai meant he was unwilling to read a letter; and yet the narrative has hidden both of these failures from him completely). So it just feels like Mat’s perspective on the events here is so clouded by his ignorance of recent events. And that just makes it a weird scene.

When Mat gets trussed up by the Power, he first assumes that it’s Rand but when Rand tells him that it isn’t, he realizes that, well, he must be missing his medallion if he’s being held by the One Power, and he immediately looks towards Tuon who, yep, has the medallion. Guess you should have kept your dad's advice in mind and braced yourself for your trading partner to try to steal your horses, Mat.

This is that ironic moment that I was thinking of back in ToM -- Mat had wanted to freely give Tuon a medallion to protect her, but she betrayed him and stole it instead (and he didn’t even know that she knew it existed, so this is a double-betrayal -- Tuon betrayed him and so did Setalle Anan)

But this balance here, where Mat thinks that Rand is trapping him and then realizes that Tuon is the one who betrayed him... this is the first moment that probably couldn’t have existed without the reality-warping teleportation trip that Mat took down to Ebou Dar. But there’s immediate payoff from it, at least not that I can see -- one of the most frustrating things about Tuon’s horrible actions in CoT & KoD were that they never had any effect on Mat’s opinion of her, because he had a five-second memory in those two books, so I'm concerned that this will go the same way. Ah, I will remember this moment and see if it affects anything in the future.

3. Also, Mat should still have one of the copies of the medallion in his bag? He had both his original and one of the copies, per Elayne’s PoV earlier in the book, so even though Tuon stole his medallion, he does have the inferior backup.

I guess this “oh I ran away here to escape you, Rand, specifically because of The Fear” is supposed to be our explanation for why Mat changed his motivations between books? lol, what? That's a throwback to TSR/TFoH Mat except that TSR/TFoH Mat never actually ran away; he just talked about it a lot and then always ended up helping out anyway. So I guess that's where a lot of my frustrations with this reunion come from -- the parts that aren't weirdly competitive still feel... weird. (plus we still have never gotten the 'how' explanation for how Mat is in Ebou Dar -- fear alone does not catapult a person hundreds of miles in a single night)

Anyway, Rand’s reactions here really do make a lot more sense when I think about everything that Thom could have potentially told him -- the essence being “Mat accidentally ta’veren-trapped the Empress of the Seanchan into a marriage with him; maybe that will be useful”. He doesn’t really show any fear or worry for himself or for Mat, despite the potentially dire situation (though, you know, if he’s only shielded by a single damane, he can absolutely break free and... I don’t think damane can link together in a circle because they’re already in a forced-link using the a’dam? Or did my brain make that up? It does make sense though).

4. otoh, Mat just feels like he’s... taking all of this so unseriously? I can understand why he’s not truly worried here that Rand might hurt ~his slaver bride~ (because despite his bluster about Rand going mad, he’s shown instinctive trust in Rand when the going gets rough) but given that Tuon is having Rand shielded and her desperate panic the moment that she saw him and all the guards... he could show a bit of concern for Rand!

But Mat is just a wet noodle during this entire scene and it’s so bizarre. His marriage was so useless on every possible level and it feels absolutely pointless that it happened. And it didn’t have to be that way! The Mat & Tuon relationship could have been written in a way that made the readers really believe that Mat HAD to marry her in order to fulfill his destiny and make it so that the Seanchan would fight against the Dark One during the Last Battle. But as it is... Rand could have just shown up in the palace and done this entire scene without Mat, because Mat contributes absolutely nothing useful to the discussion at any point.

5. So, here’s the thing about Rand and Mat’s reunion as a whole: in isolation, it doesn’t bother me. It’s a relatively shallow conversation but that makes sense given that it’s occurring in the Seanchan stronghold -- Rand consistently does not want to show enemies the depth of his feelings about specific people, and Mat did his best throughout both CoT & KoD to keep the knowledge of his friendship with Rand away from Tuon (it was Talmanes who spilled the beans) because he didn’t trust her with that knowledge (which was, like, the one smart thing he did in the entirely of CoT & KoD, so I gotta give him credit for it), so it makes sense for them to underplay things in front of Tuon -- they are communicating information (hey, did you know I cleansed saidin? hey, did you know I saved Moiraine?) without communicating too many emotions. It’s something of a weird conversation for them, because the Rand and Mat friendship has never been particularly competitive, but it’s... okay. In isolation.

But I have to take into account that this is the only reunion scene that Mat and Rand ever get to have after they separate in Lord of Chaos, and that makes this scene an absolute narrative failure, because it is not enough to do their friendship justice.

And Sanderson was well aware of the importance of reunions... for other relationships. And, specifically, among the three ta’veren boys:

Perrin gets a reunion dinner & a personal goodbye with Mat in ToM.

Perrin gets a reunion dinner & a personal goodbye with Rand in AMoL.

No reunion dinner and personal goodbye for Mat and Rand. Only Perrin gets such things.

All Rand and Mat get is this emotionally-limp dick-measuring contest, despite them spending large chunks of books 1-5 together and their relationship being a foundational emotional element in those five books, even when they are separated. Yet because Sanderson decided to yeet Mat down to Ebou Dar (despite it making no logistical or narrative sense for that to happen), this one meeting is all they get. And that just... sucks. Even back during the first time I read the books, when I did not yet ship Cauthor, I was so deeply disappointed by this reunion. It is such a betrayal of the complicated relationship between Rand and Mat.

Mat has spent every book since he and Rand have been separated having ‘return to Rand’ be his goal in some way or another, and that just gets wiped away between ToM & AMoL.

6. idk. Mat does... sorta try to contribute -- he offers to talk to Tuon on Rand’s behalf (”I’ll get us out of this”) -- but there’s also some real wtf thoughts going on in his brain. Like when Tuon threatens to take Rand back over the ocean to enslave him as her personal Dragon, Mat thinks “she made a good Empress”. lol, she’s literally just making the exact same threat that Elaida tries to get her embassy to carry out on her behalf back in LoC. Was Elaida also good Empress material, Mat? I mean, maybe this version of Mat also would have praised Elaida for the Box, who knows. Maybe post-canon, he’ll free Elaida and fall head-over-heels in love with her now that he’s attracted to petty tyrants who like to throw tantrums. Elaida won’t be interested back, but that could be a good learning experience for him.

On a more serious note, I think this is the beginning of some incredibly bizarre Seanchan-native style thoughts spawning spontaneously in Mat’s brain. It gets real weird at points, from what I remember (we'll see if my memory was correct!).

7. It is so bizarre that Rand does this huge display of power but then he... essentially rolls over for the Seanchan and lets them join the alliance against the Dark One without them needing to give up anything. His first offer is pretty much the rock-bottom “if worst comes to worst” terms that the Merrilor council was willing to give. That’s horrible negotiating! Always start high, Rand! Start off with “release all your slaves and go back over the ocean” and bargain down from there, rather than bargaining down from “you can keep the lands that you have now”. She's intimidated by you! Press your advantage!

Though I really do think that a lot of flaws in this scene stem from having Mat desert the Last Battle and run to Ebou Dar. Because Mat is treating this situation like his parents are getting a nasty divorce and he's trying to get them to kiss and make up rather than the situation being his aggressive/fear-based slaver wife wanting to kidnap and enslave millions of people versus the person who literally is going to save the world. You can't 'both sides are valid' a situation like that.

There is no ‘both sides’ when one of the sides does not respect the humanity of the other side. That’s as true when it comes to the Seanchan as it is when it comes to the Dark One wanting to destroy the universe. Slavery is violence.

8. I will note that Mat is throwing ‘Tuon’ around a lot in this conversation, so he has not yet taken on-board her threat about having him executed.

Rand does try to bargain for the freedom of the damane -- Tuon says no deal if she doesn’t get to keep her slaves. Keeping her slaves matters more to her than preventing the ending of the world. I thought Perrin was bad because he was willing to let the world burn if it meant saving Faile, but Tuon would let the world burn before she would let a single slave slip through her fingers.

Ugh, honestly, comparing her to Elaida does Elaida such a disservice. Tuon is a much worse person than Elaida ever was.

And Mat says nothing to try to sway her. He spoke to her when it came to trusting Rand with the Last Battle (and that one quote, “you can trust Rand al’Thor with the world itself” is a nice one), but he has nothing to say about her expressed desire to enslave every woman who can channel. Which includes his sister. Which includes Elayne and Nynaeve and Egwene. Which includes Moiraine, who he literally just saved from a different kind of captivity.

Nothing to say on their behalf, Mat?

Nothing.

I will remember that in the future. That when you had the chance to say something to try to sway Tuon on the subject of slavery, you stayed silent.

9. I am going to note something very important here, and then explain why it’s important under some spoiler space for the ending of the book. Part of the bargain that Tuon agrees to (and then signs her name to) is this: “Taking any [damane] afterward [meaning after the Last Battle] who are not in your own land will be seen as breaking the treaty and attacking the other nations.” *

And non-spoilerly side note: yeah, apparently this deal does mean that crossing the border into Seanchan territory means that they can hunt you down and enslave you without penalty. Yikes. Hope you weren’t planning on ever seeing your sister Bode again, Mat, because she can’t come visit you (lol, not as if she’d want to, I suppose).

10. So, overall... the bargain that Sanderson made, where he violated both logic and the narrative itself to ship Mat off to Ebou Dar... I do not understand why he thought it was worth it. Again, this scene with Rand, Mat, and the slaver empress isn’t complete trash -- there are some good moments in it -- but actually having Mat finishing out his narrative arcs in Merrilor/Caemlyn would have been so much better. And most of this scene still could have played out similarly if Mat had come here on purpose.

I think probably the worst part of this scene is Mat obediently trailing after Tuon when she leaves. Ugh, it’s so frustrating that Mat ended up being the General of the Slavers rather than the General of the Light -- that he comes to the Last Battle as Tuon’s slave-husband rather than someone who is actually invested in the fight in his own right. He ran away from the battle but now is willing to fight that same battle on behalf of the slavers? Yikes, what an ugly message. There’s a lot of Unfortunate in those Implications. When it was just the Westlands facing the Last Battle, Mat ran like a coward but now that the SLAVERS are involved, Mat will without hesitation dedicate himself to saving the world again? Yikes, yikes, yikes.

But the stupidest part of this is that Mat had already accepted, for books!, that he would need to be at Rand’s side during the Last Battle. He has spent books trying to get back to Rand to give him additional resources for the Last Battle. But now he’s apparently only willing to risk his neck if his wife-owner is involved. I mean, I guess this has to be why the story got changed and Mat teleported to Ebou Dar -- so that Mat would be part of the Seanchan Contribution to the Last Battle rather than being there because “it’s what had to be done” aka the right thing to do aka his previously established character motivations that were in play as recently as the final chapter of Towers of Midnight.

So, yeah, the portion of Mat’s characterization re: Tuon specifically is not awful but, holy shit, everything related to his relationships to every non-Seanchan character got shredded to an unrecognizable mess. I am really hoping that gets better in future chapters but... yeah, yikes.

11. Like Perrin and Elayne, Gawyn has also been fighting for a week as of right now. So a week has passed in the Caemlyn area and the staging area near Shayol Ghul but only a handful of hours passed between when Perrin said Mat was in Ebou Dar (before the fighting began) and when Rand went to visit Mat.

12. As a whole, I'm good with a lot of what Sanderson has been writing in AMoL! But there are definitely a few big issues have been sticking out:

everything with Mat is a logistical nightmare, even if you discount the awful impact it had on his characterization

everyone Just Knows about Rand's three girlfriends now, without ever reacting to the information

which I guess also falls under the banner of: important character moments keep getting skipped

Rand and Elayne avoiding each other at the start of this book is a weird mirror to how Rand and Aviendha were avoiding each other in TGS, aka it doesn't really make sense why they would do that

13. Anyway, I suspect that my posts are going to be able to cover more chapters now, because I never really have a lot to say about battle scenes and we just started this chapter off with one, and I suspect there will be many more in the future. But we'll see!

14. Gawyn makes sure that Egwene is getting enough sleep and not overusing the Power and he realizes that he no longer has any anger when he thinks about Rand al'Thor. Good for him! On both counts. It won't help anyone if Egwene exhausts herself. That being said, I went "yikes" at hearing that Gawyn is barely sleeping and Egwene is "washing away" his exhaustion because I feel like Moiraine says in the first book that that doesn't actually fix your exhaustion, it just masks it and lets you work through it. Let me check.

Oh, boy, yeah, I'm sorta right (It's Lan and not Moiraine who tells them, and specifically he is telling Mat, Rand, and Perrin about it while Egwene is off with Moiraine doing something else):

"They will run at their fastest, if we let them, right up to the second they drop dead from exhaustion they never even felt."

15. Leilwin née Egeanin has some nerve trying to argue with Gawyn that Egwene shouldn't hold the crimes of the Seanchan as a whole against her as an individual when she has owned a damane herself!

"I did not" - yes, you did! Egwene cares about more than just her own skin, so it would matter to her that you de-personed other people and not just if it was herself. I'm glad that you came around and decided to start treating channelers like people but this is absolutely a crime that you own. You owned damane, even after you met Elayne & Nynaeve and saw that marath'damane were not the monsters that your government tries to teach you that they are. You went back to your people and accepted becoming a member of the Blood, giving up an artifact that you had agreed to dispose of (where was your honor then, when your own skin was on the line?), and only left the Seanchan when you realized that one of the Seekers was on your trail and it was only a matter of time before you were discovered anyway. Saving her own skin has been Leilwin née Egeanin's priority for the vast majority of the time that we, the readers, have known her as a character. Not her honor.

I do like Leilwin née Egeanin as a character -- she's the most fully-realized and complex Seanchan character that we've met, I would say. But, yeah, she owns this crime and Egwene is fully in her right to hold it against her.

16. Mmm, we get a reminder here that the Bloodknife ter'angreal are personally handed out by the Empress. More interesting to me is that Leilwin née Egeanin is able to cut off her instinctive "may she live forever" after mentioning the Empress half-way through the words. Gawyn learns here that it is blood that activates the rings, but he convinces himself that he won't need to use them -- he can protect Egwene as a Warder. And she's winning her portion of the battle, so things are going well for them.

17. Rand is remembering seeing Trollocs for the first time, back in the Age of Legends, when they only knew them as "Aginor's experiments". Yeah, that had to be so mind-blowing (in a bad way), the first time that they were seen. Have I mentioned recently that I do really like that we're back in Rand's head for this book? Cutting us off from Rand's PoV was the biggest mis-step of ToM, imo.

After fighting on behalf of Elayne's armies wearing the face of Jur Grady, so that the Forsaken do not know that he's there, he reveals himself briefly with his own face and power level to give a morale boost to the troops, then returns to Merrilor, where Min is waiting to immediately clamp onto his arm.

18. Though Min has been a silent presence in some of the Rand chapters of the book, this is the first time she actually speaks in this book. Page 353 in the hardcover version. "You look sad."

lol, yeah, Sanderson 100% had no clue how to balance the Rand x Min relationship with the Rand x Elayne x Aviendha relationship, to the point that Min had to become a background element for the chapters during which Sanderson focused on Rand & Aviendha and Rand & Elayne.

19. Rand thinks here that he would have fallen "for sure" if Min hadn't been there during those "months of darkness". Bro. Bro. You did fall. That was a thing that absolutely happened on the page. We literally watched it. It was a whole plot point. You almost destroyed time and the universe because of how dark and cold your interior world had gotten, and it wasn't Min who stopped you from doing it; it was reaching inside yourself and finding hope. All of that was literally on the page.

But giving Min credit for things she never did or that never happened is pretty much the main pattern when it comes to Min, so I guess... here's another one of those moments, lol.

20. So, I think I'm parsing the grammar of this correctly and Cadsuane is saying that both Aviendha and Min got jewelry, yes?

"A sword for your father, a ter'angreal for the Queen of Andor, a crown for Lan Mandragoran, jewelry for the Aiel girl, and for this one." She nodded at Min.

Also, wow, "jewelry for the Aiel girl" -- Cadsuane did not even bother getting Aviendha's name. I wonder if she was pissed off when she realized that the horse that she was betting on to influence Rand for her (Min) wasn't the only voice in his ear.

Anyway, Rand is annoyed because she calls him out -- in front of Min -- in basically giving away sentimental "in case I die" gifts.

21. So... Aviendha and Min are both here at Rand's main camp, but there's zero implication that they are getting to know each other the way that Aviendha wanted them to (and like they had the chance to do in TGS, but both of them avoided each other instead).

Stop skipping important emotional moments!

Also, I kind of have to laugh that... Min was apparently here the whole time, but Perrin didn't think to mention her when he was having his big goodbye scene with Rand. Aren't you two supposed to be friends?

22. Cadsuane insults Elayne to try to get a rise out of Rand but he refuses to respond to the bait. Yeah, between "the Aiel girl" and now insulting Elayne, I think Cadsuane was ticked off when the memo went out that the Dragon has three girlfriends and the trump card that she'd thought she'd held by cultivating Min was not as strong as she believed it to be.

Anyway, she tells Rand here that it's best if he doesn't go into the fight believing absolutely that he's going to die and... okay, I'm going to pop an addition to this thought at the end**.

lol Cadsuane tries to fish for a gift for herself and Rand shuts her down with "I'm giving them to those I care about." I really do find their interactions so funny now that Cadsuane can't successfully bully or bait Rand anymore.

23. Aviendha is going to lead those fighting against the Forsaken who will be popping up once Rand goes into Shayol Ghul. Elayne & Aviendha have both grown into such leaders. 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

Rand also makes sure that Alivia is involved in that portion of the battle.

Cadsuane casually drops the news here that the Black Tower has freed itself -- to go back to my earlier Black Tower thoughts, I feel like this would be so much more impactful if Nynaeve were the one delivering this news because she was the one who helped liberate the Black Tower. Because as far as we've seen, the only thing Nynaeve has done in the last eighteen chapters is give Moiraine a hug. She had the time and the motivation to do the Black Tower plotline.

24. I love this scene with Lan, where he realizes that he has hopes for the future now and he wonders if Rand has any idea that he was part of the reason why Lan started looking beyond his own death. Rand and Nynaeve, tearing down his walls without even realizing what they were doing, just by being themselves.

"Rand al'Thor had begun to crack that shell, and then Nynaeve's love had torn it apart completely."

Wouldn't it be neat if this scene had happened right after Nynaeve had returned to Rand and told him that the Black Tower was no longer under Taim's control?

25. Just like the other captain over in Lan's front of the battle did, Bashere also made a bone-headed mistake in his battle planning here. I do feel like we're probably supposed to be picking up at this point that this is no coincidence and not just the captains being over-tired and not thinking clearly. But right now, Elayne is trusting Bashere because of how much trust Rand placed in him, even when Rand was at his most untrusting.

26. In a TAR visit with Amys, Melaine, and Bair, Egwene is told about a blackness that is showing in cracks between rocks, in the places nearest Shayol Ghul, then after a few moments the blackness fades and leaves behind ordinary cracks. The Wise Ones believe it is the Pattern pulling apart and think that it is due to how much balefire is being used during the battle. Egwene says that it is already forbidden to Aes Sedai to use the weave, but she will remind them, and pass word to their other allies. They also tell her goodbye, as soon Rand will go into Shayol Ghul.

27. When Egwene wakes up, it's to meet with Rand -- not as Amyrlin and Dragon, but as childhood friends. His sentimental gift to Egwene is a hair ribbon which she first takes as him implying that she's a child -- which kinda shows how far beyond the Two Rivers that she's gone, because she knows that's not what a hair ribbon means there.

But it's a sweet moment.

So, if Rand had been allowed to give sentimental gifts to Mat... and Perrin too, I guess. What would they have been? This newest version of Mat doesn't really deserve any gifts, lol, so that one is kinda tough. A geode, maybe, or a thunder egg? Mat used to like to collect little treasures.

I saw someone in the tags a while back talking about how refreshing it was that the friendships between women in the books are so vibrant in contrast to the friendships between men and... I also love how great those friendships are, but it really sucks that Jordan (maybe Sanderson too? it's hard to tell) seemed to believe that married men weren't allowed to have close male friends and were only supposed to confide in their spouse. And that's a part of toxic masculinity, the belief that your girlfriend/wife should be your emotional dumping ground while hanging with the bros stays shallow, competitive, and light. And we really saw that a lot with Rand during the darkest books for him -- Min was his emotional dumping ground, there to receive his trauma and not have any of her own (despite going through several traumatic events).

And that part of what's damaged about how the male characters relate to the world never really gets healed. Women can confide in their friends, but male friendships get hollowed out once the men start getting love interests.

(the books kinda lampshade this when they say that Aiel women adopting each other as first-sisters is much more common than men adopting each other as first-brothers -- so there's this implied idea that married men only relate to each other as co-workers or leader-subordinates)

Oh, yeah, and Rand realizes that the seals that Egwene is holding to wait to break for the Last Battle are actually fakes. I feel like nothing really happens with this plotline so I'm not going to get too invested.

28. Mat allows himself be dressed up as a doll for Tuon’s viewing pleasure. This is that other contrast against Elayne that I mentioned back in the post where I talked about Fortuona being a foil to Elayne -- where Tylin and Fortuona order Mat to wear clothes that please them; Mat requested that Elayne pick out someone to help him get better clothes (that were in the style that he would prefer).

Mat is SO MISERABLE in this scene. Why is he forcing himself through all this? Why didn't he leave with Rand?

He hates that the slaves won't look at him; he hates that he's being dressed up like a Seanchan; he hates the idea that everyone is going to be looking at him like this. He hates everything about this. Why is he doing it? If Mat's marriage to Tuon had been what sealed the deal for the treaty, then Mat pushing through even though he's miserable would make sense, but much like the entirety of this whole fucking relationship, Mat is turning his future into a misery for no apparent reason.

29. Of course, now that Mat has been (abruptly, off the page) cut off from all his other emotional connections except for Tuon, he's been locked in. I really do feel like Jordan (and now Sanderson) failed to give Mat enough of a reason to have *waves hands* all of this make sense. The general vibe is "better to stay in the worst marriage in the world than to have no marriage at all" but that is a bizarre storyline to give to someone who never showed any signs of wanting to be married.

But yeah, having servants/slaves undress him so that he can be dressed according to how his owner wants him to look is exactly what Tylin did. Mat thinks here, I won't be owned, but he's not doing a very good job of actually standing his ground. See, the thing is... if this was how Mat's story was going to end up anyway, I feel like Jordan might as well have just had Tylin sell Mat to Tuon back in Winter's Heart? Because that's where we've ended up anyway -- with Mat realizing that Tylin and Tuon are birds of a feather but... for whatever reason... sticking with her anyway, even though it actively makes him unhappy.

I can't think of any reason to have this scene except to remind us of Tylin? (in-world, I imagine that Tuon is having it done to show all the Westlanders that Mat belongs to her now, not to their side, because... she's extremely possessive and jealous -- and also to reassure her own side that she has thoroughly broken her new outlander mate to be loyal to the Empire)

Mat is able to negotiate slightly -- his clothes don't get burned and they're only making a military outfit for him right now -- but he was able to negotiate slightly with Tylin as well. It kinda feels like that's Mat's lot for the foreseeable future -- his life will mostly be a misery, with tiny patches of him being to negotiate a small bit of breathing room. A tiny bit of false freedom in exchange for his loyalty is probably seen as a bargain by Tuon.

30. Yeah, I'm not very happy with Mat's storyline in this book, at least so far. Which sucks because (except for the first chapter of TGS), I've been liking what Sanderson brought to the table for Mat in TGS & ToM. Especially after the trash-fire that was Mat in CoT & KoD (I genuinely dislike Mat as a character in CoT & KoD and it ruins those two books for me).

But it is an interesting illustration of... what parts of a character matter to different individual readers. Some people were never invested in Mat as someone who genuinely cared about doing the right thing even as he called anyone like that foolish, but it was such a vital part of Mat's characterization for me, all the way through Winter's Heart. And it's just gone in CoT & KoD, and losing that part of Mat makes me no longer like Mat as a character. But for some people... that just wasn't an important part of who Mat was to them, and they could shrug off the loss or not even notice it at all.

I've seen something similar with various posts talking about -- "is Rand still Rand if you remove the toxic masculinity portion of his story?" and various other debates about different aspects of his storyline. For some people, Rand being an exploration of toxic masculinity (by embracing Lan's advice) was a huge part of his character and helped them through their own issues with masculinity. For me, it is not that vital part of who Rand is, and if the show doesn't go that way -- if the list isn't gendered, if the focus isn't on "don't let any WOMEN get hurt or killed", I would welcome that change. But for a person who saw Rand's struggle in their own life, that change would feel like a loss.

So it's sad for me that Mat has been locked-into the Prince of Ravens story, particularly in this version of the story where the way they chose to approach the story was to dampen his empathy for the enslaved and shred his emotional connections to his former friends away as if they meant nothing. The parts of Mat that I cared about the most were the parts that were thrown away by the authors as if they were meaningless. And that sucks.

I've caught glimpses in the Sanderson books, of the Mat that I loved in the series from EotW-WH, but so far this version in AMoL feels like half the character that I cared about, with the other half ripped away.

I miss Mat. And it sucks so much more to think that during actual Mat PoV sections than to think it when Mat is missing or gone.

I miss the guy who cared so much about slavery that he risked his own escape plan to free the Windfinders.

I miss the guy who sat quietly with Rand after Rhuidean, exactly the kind of comfort that Rand needed at the time.

His body is still walking around but the part of Mat that I loved... he's not there. He got in the way of the plot, so the authors elided those parts of him out of existence. But those were the parts that I cared about the most.

Yeah. Just makes me sad.

31. Ah, the surprise Sharan army shows up. Why would they hold back until now? The fighting has been going on for a week+ at this point. Hmm... my Doylist (aka author-based, as opposed to in-world) assumption is that the Sharans are showing up now so that it will actually feel like the Seanchan are needed when they show up, so the timing needed to be placed after the treaty with the Seanchan was signed. A whole random huge nation shows up at the fight with tons of channelers -- better throw a different random huge nation with tons of channelers at them! In-world... idk, probably just Demandred being dramatic. They attack on Egwene's part of the battlefield, so now all the fronts are in a bad way.

32. Aviendha is part of the advance group of scouts into the Blasted Lands (before they reach Shayol Ghul). They see Shayol Ghul and the forges where the Fade's blades are made.

I love her scene here with Rand. Aviendha realizes that she and Rand are more alike that she'd ever noticed before, and they stand next to each other, shoulders just barely touching. "He did not own her, and she did not own him. The act of his movement so that they stood facing in the same direction meant far more to her than any other gesture could."

🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

Aviendha says that taking the Dark One gai'shain would be a greater victory than killing him. I love her. So Aviendha votes here for Rand to imprison TDO rather than try to kill him. Rand says that he'd thought them finally being in a proper-type relationship would mean no more lectures on Aiel culture and Aviendha is just... so baffled. 🥰

So the plan is for Ituralde and the Aiel to hold this area right before Shayol Ghul, to give Rand time to go in and deal with the Dark One.

33. With the scouting done, they go back to Rand's camp to prep the forces for the assault, and Rand tells Aviendha that the dagger has been helping him stay hidden from the Shadow during the fight, just as she thought that it would. This knife really does feel like it symbolizes how connected Rand-Elayne-Aviendha are as a triad. Aviendha finds out what it can do and gives it to Elayne to protect her; Elayne gives it to Rand to protect him. Rand says it's going to make it easier for him to get to TDO before he's noticed. He calls the dagger "Artham".

Also: Rand tells Aviendha about the true seals going missing! Communication! Love to see it. He mentions that apart from the two of them, Egwene is the only one who knows that the true seals are gone.

Ituralde will be in charge of the troops during the Shayol Ghul assault but Aviendha will lead the channelers.

34. ...Min really thought there was a chance that she was going to go with Rand to face the Dark One? All she would be is a liability!

Anyway, okay, Rand actually does specifically send Min to Egwene to "watch the Seanchan Empress" so I'll keep that in mind. I'm not sure exactly what Min is supposed to do if things go poorly but keeping an eye on Tuon is part of the reason she was sent. (technically he sent her there to "keep an eye on both factions" but he knows he can trust Egwene, so the implied reason is Tuon & the Seanchan). How convenient that Rand is sending the Seanchan to the front that just got flattened by the Sharans, even though he thinks Egwene is "doing well". I guess that one we can say is ta'veren stuff.

Also, in this scene before Min gets sent on her way, she does not offer any last insight about Callandor. It's Moiraine and Nynaeve who talk to him about the flaw here.

35. I feel like this whole "Logain has grown darker" plotline could have been cut out. Not needed. Just let him lead the Asha'man into the Last Battle; there's plenty of glory in that.

36. Demandred shows up on the battlefield after the Sharans have flattened the Aes Sedai forces to grab one of them (it's Leane) to try to send her off with a message to Rand: it's personal and you better face me yourself or I will ruin everything you love (essentially). Yeah... your dramatic entrance a week into the Last Battle has kinda ruined your chance at Rand, I'm pretty sure. Because he's heading towards Shayol Ghul very soon. Too slow, ~dragonslayer~. Fancy title and no dragon around for you to slay.

37. Lanfear dunks on Perrin for not being able to kill Graendal (when he discovered her in TAR).

"I found [the inability to kill women] charming in Lews Therin at one point, but that doesn't make it any less a weakness."

Why is Lanfear helping Perrin out? I do not remember her goal here, if we ever find it out. But she basically handed him the dreamspike and now she's telling him that it's dumb for him to let Graendal get away just because she's a woman (Gaul also tells Perrin this: "A warrior who will not strike a Maiden is a warrior who refuses her honor"). She also straight-up tells him that Graendal is here to influence people's dreams. And Perrin saw Graendal messing around in war tents with maps.

... he does not put the pieces together at this point.

38. Okay, we get the low-down on the time dilation (thank you, physics researcher Mierin!) -- Shayol Ghul is what is distorting time. The closer you are to it, the more time distorts. "For every day that passes [to those close to Shayol Ghul], three or four might pass to those more distant."

In other words, this does not fix Mat's logistics problem, where he was able to undertake a weeks-long journey on horseback over the course of a single night in order to reach Ebou Dar around the same time Moiraine and Thom reached Merrilor, but then an entire week passed in Merrilor while only a handful of hours passed for Mat in Ebou Dar. Mat's logistics still do not add up.

Oh, Lanfear also tells Perrin that one of the people Graendal was influencing was his wife's dad, aka Bashere aka one of the generals of the battle.

39. Given what a dire situation Gawyn & Egwene are in, Gawyn takes the opportunity while scouting to slip on one of the Bloodknife rings and activate it. They're pinned down and trapped by the Sharan army so it makes sense that he's desperate enough to do this. They certainly have no clue that they're about to get sent an additional army on their own side.

It means that he can scout directly past the various Sharan sentries who are surrounding them (it is an incredibly dire situation). Not only does it let him travel with the shadows but he also notices that it lets him move faster as well.

Given that he already has the rings and what a terrible situation he and Egwene are currently trapped in, it would be pretty foolish of him not to use the rings at this time, tbh.

But it looks like when Leilwin née Egeanin said that the rings would eventually kill you once you'd activated them, Gawyn interpreted that as 'might'. And I think that makes sense -- Gawyn can understand on an intellectual level how disposable (non-Blood) lives are in the Seanchan Empire without being able to take it in emotionally. It's not intuitive for him, because he doesn't use people up and throw them away the way that the Seanchan do.

40. We get another pretty powerful flashback to Egwene's time with the damane, when she is temporarily captured by one of the Sharans while she is making her escape following Gawyn. It's actually pretty clever -- she deliberately is letting go of her Aes Sedai control so that her panic over the idea of being captured will draw Gawyn back so that he can help her.

But, yeah, having this vivid reminder of of Egwene's time as a captive of the Seanchan... it really does make the choices that Jordan & Sanderson decided to make with Mat's storyline so baffling. Mat genuinely cares about Egwene, about Elayne, about Nynaeve, about Moiraine, presumably he cares about his sister but I guess who knows. And yet Jordan has Mat laugh off the idea of Tuon attacking the White Tower (which she then followed through on and actually did and yet he does not know about it) and act like the sul'dam are more oppressed and in more danger than the actual slaves; and Sanderson has Mat run away from the Last Battle until the slavers are involved and then he's apparently willing to risk his life again. In the name of the slavers. Baffling writing choices all around.

Egwene on thinking what it would be like to be captured by the Seanchan again: "She would be nothing. She would have her very self stripped away. She would rather be dead."

41. But Gawyn is still too far away and it ends up being Leilwin née Egeanin who saves Egwene here. Together the three of them escape the camp, reunite with Bayle, and then Egwene is able to Skim them back to the White Tower.

42. Near Shayol Ghul, Aviendha and the channelers that she's leading clear the valley so that Rand will be able to approach. There's a pretty intense battle scene and then Aviendha takes charge of organizing all the channelers so that they will be able to hold the valley for as long as Rand's task takes him.

43. ...Thom and Moirine apparently also got married off the page? When did they have time? Did Mat perform a quick ceremony before he teleported himself on top of Pips' back and then teleported himself to Ebou Dar?

Hmm, I wonder (should we make it that far) if this will be Siuan being the watcher outside Shayol Ghul instead of Thom? It kinda would make more sense for that person to be a channeler anyway.

44. As they enter, Rand's wound from Ishamael begin bleeding. As per the prophecy. His blood on the rocks of Shayol Ghul. He goes into the cavern holding Callandor and linked with Moiraine and Nynaeve.

spoilers through the epilogue

(* Tuon’s people are violating the terms of the treaty in the epilogue. They comb the battlefield afterwards and are enslaving any channelers “who are not Aes Sedai”. That’s not the deal she made. The deal was they could not take “any who are not in your own land” and none of the fighting for the Last Battle took place in Seanchan-held lands. As of the epilogue, Tuon is already in violation of the agreement. And the sul’dam who takes Moghedien makes it clear that they’re snapping up any channelers that they suspect “won’t be missed”. There are many channelers among Rand’s allies who are not Aes Sedai -- Asha’man, Wise Ones, the Kin, the Windfinders. So, yeah... Rand isn’t getting his “hundred years of peace” because the Seanchan couldn’t last even a single day post-Last Battle without breaking their word.)

(** So... Rand is lying to Cadsuane and the readers in his scene with her, because he IS making plans to potentially survive the Last Battle -- we know that he has Alivia set up a 'post-death' escape plan for him. So this part is more interesting on reread, because Rand has to walk the line of not giving away to Cadsuane that he does hope to live, because part of his 'post-death' plan is retiring into obscurity. I don't have any issue with Rand lying to Cadsuane here, I just wanted to note it)

It remains so weird to me that Sanderson & Team Jordan decided to go the ‘deserter’ route rather than the ‘negotiator’ route with Mat. I’m honestly scratching my head to try to figure out the narrative benefits of doing things this way. Nothing about Mat’s approach into Ebou Dar requires him to skip Merrilor and abandon his people, and many things would make a great deal more sense if Mat had gone to Merrilor: Mat doesn’t seem to want to be here and yet he’s forcing himself to do it every step of the way, so it would make sense if something was actually driving him to take the actions that he’s taking (guilt over Caemlyn). He still could have easily had sex with Fortuona here if he’d been sent by the Merrilor council, so that’s not why we broke the story to get him here without letting him reconnect with his friends.

What could the motivation be? I am unlikely to ever get the chance to interview Sanderson or Harriet or anyone else on Team Jordan, and no one else appears to have ever asked him about any of this, so I am going to have to speculate.

What are the story effects of having Mat desert Team Light & the Band (off the page)?

It means that anything complicated about the Seanchan gets avoided for the first ten chapters and the focus is entirely on the Westlands' feelings and worries.

Mat's emotional connections appear to have been cut off or muted.

What does it gain to simplify and cut off Mat’s Westlands emotional connections?

Is it a case of ‘writing to the epilogue’? If I recall correctly, Mat doesn’t seem to care at all about his Westlands friends or family in the epilogue, so were his emotional bonds destroyed in-between books so that it wouldn’t be jarring that he doesn’t go to his friend’s funeral or that his only concern post-Last Battle appears to be his own skin and appeasing his owner-wife? But why not write that as part of the text? Why not show us the process of Mat disconnecting from his friends?

Is it another instance of Fortuona’s delicate toddler feelings being coddled (not by other characters but by the narrative itself)? If Mat comes to her still having other loyalties, then she definitely would be upset and would probably throw a tantrum, as we’ve seen from her before (she gets pretty close as it is). One of the largest annoyances of how Jordan (& now Sanderson) has written the story around Fortuona is feeling like the narrative itself is tiptoeing around her and bowing to her and trying to kiss her feet (if the narrative played fair with Fortuona & the Seanchan, they would be a lot scarier and a lot less annoying -- like they were all the way through Winter’s Heart, in fact, because Crossroads of Twilight is really when the narrative really started pulling its punches with the Seanchan).

For whatever reason, it remains such a baffling choice. Because all of Mat’s complex (and often ugly) feelings about his marriage and the Seanchan are still there, bubbling under the surface and poking out from time to time, but the heart of his character -- his relationship with any character other than Fortuona -- got strangled off-screen. Such a strange choice.

I do think that it’s likely that the show will do much better with this relationship, if they do decide to commit to it, because the bones of what Mat & Fortuona could have been are really fascinating. But wow, the execution just shits all over any of the better possibilities. What a waste of potential.

#wot #wheel of time #wot reread #wot book spoilers #wot spoilers #wot amol spoilers #wot a memory of light spoilers #mat cauthon #rand al'thor #seanchan warning #egwene al'vere

106 notes · View notes

pebblysand · 9 months

Note

Hi can you do me a prompt? Cause I LOVE your writing! 💗

Ginny comes home from the 2014 quidditch world cup-reporting after a long long time away from harry and kids!

did it take me two and a half years to fill this prompt? yes. as evidence that no one should ever lose hope.

spring rolls, pizzas and curries

Tonight, after she gets home - after a smiling kiss hoisted up to the corner of his mouth, tippy toes and tight hugs to the kids - after a warm shower and a change of clothes, they'll order in.

It's the end of summer, that year. Leaves wilting in the trees; the wireless runs repetitive adverts for Hallowe'en decorations and this morning, when he headed into work, Harry noticed an irreversible sort of chill in the air; when Ginny comes down later, her hair wet over her shoulders, she'll be wearing a jumper. Lily and Al will soon hound her with questions, about the World Cup and about Namibia or about something else, and James will hurry into the kitchen too, just as she will pour herself a large glass of wine. He will be loud and lanky and almost-teenage. 'Where's food?' he'll ask, then.

And: 'Well, hello, Ronald,' she will laugh. Say.

Chinese, Indian or Italian - the kids will have their pick. It's a long-standing tradition in the Potter household since the dreadful winter of '09, when James had the flu and Lily was sniffling and Harry spent five days battling family germs on his own until Ginny came back from a work trip to save them all. He tiredly sunk into the couch next to her and: 'You should have stayed there,' he observed. Sighed like a headache. 'You're gonna catch it too.'

She shrugged. Smiled. Laid her head on his shoulder. He didn't have the heart to push her away. 'Let's order in, yeah?'

Harry will phone in. Everybody's favourites memorised like the faded lines at the back of his hand. There will be noise - James arguing with Al over the TV remote, Lily talking to herself, playing with her animal figurines and toy soldiers. She's built a whole ranch with Playmobils in her bedroom: fake horses and fake cowboys and fake fences - her magic makes it all move of its own accord - it's a bit of a nightmare.

The kind of nightmare Harry doesn't mind having.

They'll eat pizza on the couch or nems from clear plastic boxes scattered across the kitchen table, and the kids will fill Ginny in on everything she missed. Lily won't stop chatting and 'Mum' this and 'Mum' that, and James will say: 'Oh, will you shut up for once?' One of them - or both of them - will automatically throw back: 'James, don't talk to your sister like that.'

There will be second servings, thirds. Harry will smile and laugh, and feel like a weight lifted off his chest the moment she opened the front door just as easily as he will later clear the plates, with a simple wave of his wand. Ginny will go up to unpack, and he'll try to convince the kids to go to bed - with moderate success. James will try to convince him he needs a new broom, with no chance of success. Al will wandlessly tie his brother's shoelaces together before quietly retreating to his bedroom, a loud tumble ensuing with his victim falling flat on his face at the top of the staircase. He will deny having done any magic the next morning.

'Prove it,' he'll say.

Harry will want to smile (like a headache, too).

And, you know, he wonders - sure - but he's not jealous. Being jealous of his own kids would be fucking weird and, anyway, he's over it, now. He's even stopped being bitter. Ginny hasn't stopped being angry but there's something almost comforting about it, about her anger and her capacity for unrelenting outrage when they sent Petunia a card last Christmas and she wrote back: Please, take me off your mailing list.

'Cunt,' she said.

He winced or cringed, he's not sure. 'Yup.'

He's not jealous - not bitter - but he does wonder. He wonders and thinks of James. So, so tiny, in Ginny's belly. The first time he felt a kick against the tips of his fingers and held his breath - like, forever. And Ginny, who asked why he couldn't sleep, that night, watched him puff cigarette smoke out the window. 'I'm nervous,' he said.

'I'm the one giving birth,' she laughed.

'What kind of father do you think I'll be?'

He thinks of James and he thinks of Tom, sometimes. His palm against the skin of her stomach was sweaty - like warm, summer nights.

And, he looks at the kids and he wonders. What it would have been like. Growing up like that.

With them, you know?

He thinks of James again. Of James and of Albus and of Lily. He wonders if they know. That he's happy. That they're happy. That he's not jealous or bitter or angry. And, that love tastes like food. Like strawberries on Ginny's lips, and spring rolls, and pizzas and curries.

#hinny #hinny fic

73 notes · View notes

wuahae · 9 months

Note

congrats on 1k!!!!!!!!!!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 i was wondering if I could propose: seungcheol + 12:17am + the swings at the park down the street? hope you have a great day!!!

[00:17] / swings at the park down the street

the night air sits a little chilly on seungcheol's skin, his t-shirt and jeans not doing much to keep the warmth on an september night. if he looked on the bright side, seungcheol supposes it's a good thing the alcohol comfortably buzzing in his system lets the cold turn into more of a cool breeze, but on the other hand...

"cheol, i think the world stopped spinning!"

seungcheol sighs, turning his head to you. you turn back to him, eyes shining bright as you lean your head on the swing chain. his jacket runs a little too big on you, the ends of the sleeves covering your palms as you hold onto the swing. "do you wanna go for round 2?"

"we have to go home," he chides, exasperated.

"oh relax," you wave off, pushing up the sleeve to take a good look at your empty wrist. "it's only um... 11:00! live a little!"

seungcheol whips his phone out, the time on the lockscreen glaring at full brightness. "it's midnight."

you pout, kicking the bark beneath your feet sullenly. your right heel comes flying off, landing somewhere between the park bench and the see-saw. "lame..."

seungcheol gives you a flat look, making a mental note to pick up your shoe before you leave the park. “you barely made it out of the karaoke bar in one piece, and you want to go for a round 2?”

“well i’m here, aren’t i? perfectly fine and normal!”

“really? what street are we on.”

"you know i'm bad with directions!"

he resists the urge to run a hand down his face. the only reason seungcheol even agreed to coming to the college mixer with you is because he knew you wouldn't fare well if left on your own. the last time you went out drinking, you threw up in the bushes a couple feet behind the street vendor, and the time before that, you'd drunk-dialed him at 3:00AM in tears, and when he managed to get out of the house wearing mismatching flip-flops ready to find you, your friends had managed to grab the phone from you and tell him that you were only crying over a stray cat that wouldn't bother to give you the time of day.

and of course, he was there for you both times, and all the times before that, which only meant that he needed to be there for you this time too. (seungcheol tries not to think about the implications of that statement for too long, otherwise he'll start feeling as stupid as jeonghan's judgemental looks tell him he is.)

you narrow your eyes, waggling your finger at him. "so are you gonna tell me about it?"

"about what?"

"the mixer!" you exclaim. "i saw nayoung making googly-eyes at you the whole time. did you get her number?"

seungcheol pauses. "who?"

you throw your hands in the air, exasperated. "um, lee nayoung? literally every guy in our year would pay to get her to even look at them for five seconds, and she was looking at you all night. for free!"

frowning, seungcheol tilts his head. “doesn’t ring a bell.”

you lean back on the swing, and seungcheol readies himself in case you lose balance and fall backwards. "you're so hopeless, cheol. i keep inviting you to these things cause everyone keeps calling you painfully single, but we end up having this conversation every time. isn't there anyone you like?"

yeah, he bites his tongue. you.

he could say it. he could say it right now. maybe if he said it, then it would be like ripping off a bandaid. quick—not quite painless, but it had to be better than existing in this weird limbo where he's the first one you call when you're drunk and you're the first person he thinks of telling when anything good in his life happens. if he said it, no matter the result, at least he wouldn't have to keep it a secret anymore. at least you would know.

but instead, seungcheol says:

"it's late. we need to go back."

there's a brief pause, one where you shift in your swingseat and the cold metal presses against the skin of his palms as he wrestles with the weight of everything he's squashed down inside him, yet again.

“…can we at least get fishcakes on our way home?" you ask, and you at least have the decency to sound a little sheepish about it.

your shoulder moves slightly, jacket slipping off your shoulder. seungcheol sighs, walking over to adjusting it, before zipping it up fully. it would only get colder through the night. he really was an idiot.

"yeah. the usual?"

#hope you like it!!#seungcheol x reader #svt x reader #svt x you #scoups x reader #svt imagines #seungcheol x you #scoups x you #1k event!

44 notes · View notes

chronicowboy · 2 years

Text

"So, did you finally..." Eddie trails off, raising his eyebrows with every second of silence that passes between them. Buck just blinks at him, the barest hints of a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Did I what, Eddie?" He asks, all wide eyes and fluttering lashes. Eddie can't decide whether he wants to punch him or offer a belated helping hand.

"Did you, you know," he sighs, rolls his eyes, "donate?"

"I did." Buck nods. His responding grin is just ever so slightly off-centre, plasticky and brittle, but convincing enough that Eddie wonders if he's projecting.

"Okay." Eddie breathes because he's not quite sure what else to say.

He knows what he wants to say. A million different things ranging from what the fuck is going on in your head to are you sure this is a good idea to how long is it going to take you to realise that you're more than just spare parts to please take it back. A million different things in between the why did Hen know before me and the why does this feel like last year all over again and the why does this hurt more than a bullet to the shoulder.

So, its not that he doesn't have anything to say, its just that he's not sure what he should say. Because there's a fine line he always walks with Buck: sometimes he pushes and Buck begrudgingly listens, sometimes he pushes and Buck pushes right the fuck back.

And ever since Buck flew after Chimney on a fucking bike of all things, Eddie's had the distinct impression that Buck has been trying to run away from him. If Buck wasn't, well, Buck, Eddie would be waiting for a formal letter of resignation and a new partner.

"So, your vow of celibacy is over?" Eddie asks when Buck has been staring at him for too long. His skin is itchy under his Henley and he tries not to think about the day last week that Buck walked into the gym, saw Eddie there and then immediately changed back into his uniform. He can't think about it now he has this new information or he'll go insane and quite possibly throw himself off a bridge—or into Buck's bed.

"Yeah." Buck breathes a sigh of relief, but there's something fragile about the humour they're both trying to maintain. Eddie resolutely does not think about Buck in a sterile room with a hand on his— "Thank, God. I'd never make it as a priest." Eddie is suddenly assaulted by an image of Buck in all black and a dog collar—and theeeere's the Catholic guilt.

Fuck, he never should have let May talk him into watching Fleabag.

"The woman handed me two porn mags." Buck huffs down at his beer. "A female and a male one." Eddie does not choke on his next sip, thank you very much. "It was weird, but, I guess, maybe they just don't try to assume?"

"Mhm." Eddie clears his throat of the high-pitched lump forming there. "Did you even need the magazines after five weeks?"

"Barely." Buck snorts a startled laugh, blue eyes shining with something that looks like delighted shock as he stares up at Eddie.

"Have you," another cough. Fucking lump in his throat. "Have you heard from Connor and Kameron?" Eddie's really hoping that his voice didn't come out as venomous as he wanted it to.

Because he has nothing against Connor and Kameron. Absolutely nothing at all. Come on, Eddie can't kid himself, if he had the opportunity to get a little blue-eyed Buck running around, he'd jump at the opportunity too. And, like, he's seen what Buck does to a kid seven years late and just nurture, no nature, so he knows that it'd take anything short of an apocalyptically bad childhood to turn Buck and Kameron's—Buck and Kameron's—child into anything other than human sunshine.

So, really, he has nothing against Connor and Kameron. He's kind of in awe of them, if anything, because they actually had the guts to do what Eddie couldn't. And he should be thanking Connor because he was the one to bring Buck to LA, to bring Buck to the 118, to bring Buck to him and Chris. Its just...

Eddie's never been good with listening to Buck's self-deprecation, or seeing any sign of the people who have made Buck feel like less than he is, or facing up to the reality of Buck thinking he's expendable, defective parts, a sacrificial lamb. He's never been good at it. And now Buck's giving another piece of himself away for nothing, to someone who he's barely spoken to over the past few years, for absolutely nothing in return. Sure, that generosity is one of the things Eddie loves about Buck—sue him!—but sometimes its dangerous. And Connor and Kameron are taking advantage of it.

Okay, maybe he has the teeniest tiniest bit of dislike for them. It definitely doesn't have anything to do with the way Buck had blushed when Eddie had asked just a friend? about Connor. Absolutely nothing at all, no siree! Good for Connor! He just doesn't like that Connor showed up, ordered a beer and asked Buck for his sperm. Or the fact that Connor and Kameron had showed up to his work when he hadn't answered his phone like he wasn't a very busy firefighter with a crazy schedule. That's just fucking weird and kind of inconsiderate, especially considering that was how they'd all found out about Buck's... philanthropy.

(Sure, maybe they'd eavesdropped, but that wasn't on them.)

And like. Who the fuck spells Cameron with a 'K'?

But Eddie doesn't have anything against them.

Really.

"They said thanks." Buck nods, his brow furrows then smooths out in under a second. Eddie sees it, he always sees it.

"Buck." He murmurs.

"Don't." Buck swallows the last of his beer, pats his thighs, and stands. "I should get going."

"Buck, don't—"

"You've gotta pick Chris up in a couple of minutes." Buck shakes his head, as clear of a dismissal as Connor and Kameron's thanks. Eddie doesn't give up so easily.

"You could come with me?" He suggests, hating the hope in his voice. A month ago, he wouldn't have had to hope, he would have known that the answer was a yes. But he follows Buck to the door which means he sees the exact moment his best friend freezes with one hand on the hallway wall. "Chris would love an impromptu movie night—"

"I can't." Buck snaps. He doesn't turn around, but Eddie hears enough of a waver in his voice to know that there are tears building in his eyes. "Eddie, I can't."

And Buck walks out of the door before Eddie can catch the first piece of his breaking heart.

He should have pushed.

281 notes · View notes

mysticstarlightduck · 6 months

Text

OC vs A Cockroach

Omg this is such a funny concept LMAO, thank you so much for the wonderful tag, @doublegoblin!!!

Tagging: @the-mindless, @writernopal, @cabbojage, @oh-no-another-idea, @crowandmoonwriting, @lassiesandiego, @quisyop, @gummybugg, @tabswrites, @clairelsonao3 and @exquisitecrow

Rules: Rate your OCs on how well they’d fare against a cockroach

I'll go with the main cast of Enchanted Illusions for this one!

Cailean Telkerly - 4/10 Once he sees the roach, he'd try to look tough and unbothered to seem cool in front of Agatha at first all like "I can handle this (says he, visibly disturbed and from a considerable distance)". Like, he might - emphasis on might - actually get the situation under control if he can smack the roach with a broom or something from far away.

But then he would fail miserably at it once that mfer roach starts to fly - like the fear is evident, it's a run-for-your-life. He'd leave that room so fast. I give him those 4 out of 10 points solely because he would try to keep it cool before the roach flies. My boi would be jumpier than a cat in the rain like "Nah, man, hell nope, I think this is the bug's house now, let's just move".

Evangeline Daemitya - 10/10, I'm talking about the most nonchalant, cold reaction ever - solely for the fact that, with her magic, she can disintegrate that bug or teleport it away with a snap of her fingers. It surprises people to no end, because they usually expect her to be terrified of bugs due to her noble background but she actually doesn't mind them - she even has one of those weird dead insect collections.

Vincent Sharppe - 8/10 He is the kind of guy to pick the insect up in a jar or piece of paper and set it free far away outside of his home without saying a word, but whose soul would leave his body should the insect touch his skin or start flying around - he'd still spend a week complaining about it either way.

Harriet Sharppe - -2/10 She actually has a deep phobia of insects, so it doesn't go well whenever she sees one in her home, especially if it is a roach. Harriet can handle any kind of monster and dark magic spell thrown her way, but would have a full-on nervous breakdown if she saw a roach in her room, no one runs faster than her in that situation. She won't enter the room until the cockroach is properly terminated (and she has proof of it), which ends up being Vincent's job, because she will not get close to the insect on her own.

Clarence Van Sterlling - 6/10 Would attempt to become friends with a roach. There's a 50% chance that he'll suceed, and a 50% chance the roach will just scuttle away further into the room and never be seen again. Will be heartbroken - for five minutes - when Thaddeus inevitably stomps the cockroach until oblivion.

Thaddeus Lockhill - 11/10 It's as if he senses the roach's presence before it even has the chance to think about flying away. Then it's over. There's no roach, only its squished remains on the floor - which are quickly cleaned up. Thaddeus carries on afterwards like nothing ever happened. This all takes place in a total of ten seconds.

#writing #writeblr #writers #writerblr #character writing #my wips #my characters #my writing #writers on tumblr #oc vs a roach #wonderful tag game!#funny

21 notes · View notes

irudowb · 7 months

Text

Phantom pt. 2

an: i made a part 2 because i felt like it

warnings: 18+ smut, sex, sex with feelings, confessions (sort of), kissing, swearing, fluff, no use of Y/N, fem!reader, like two other characters are in here.

lowercase intended

fic is below cut

he couldn't take it. how on earth is he supposed to see you after what he did last night. he could barely sleep a wink. the thought of seeing you after what he did last night grew far too embarrassing. more embarrassing to the fact that while he showered afterwards, he let himself indulge further.

he glares at his work outfit on his floor. he could just… put it on, go to work and pretend you're not there. no, ignoring you won't do any good, you'd dig into his very soul to figure what's wrong and why he's acting weird. just the thought of you looking his way has him shivering. yeah, absolutely not. this is not happening. he'll just call in. yeah…

crawling across the tatami mats he grabs his cell and calls kunikida, but as he hears the ringing, he freezes. what is he supposed to do. it's kunikida. he's not going to give atsushi the day off just because he so asks. he rushes to the bathroom right as kunikida greets him. he shoves his fingers down his throat, naturally, his body rejects them. he returns the greeting with insistent gags and heaves. what… the fuck is he doing?

"…atsushi?"

the line is silent for a few moments before atsushi croaks, "hey, kunikida!" he sniffles then coughs which turns into another gag. he can hear kunikida physically cringe.

"…yeah, absolutely not, don't come in."

"are you-?"

"there's no way i'm letting you come in with that. just… get better by monday." kunikida promptly hangs up.

atsushi is left with the dial tone ringing in his ear for a second before a wide smile etched across his lips. this is the first time he's pulled this stunt, and truth be told; he's proud. he's definitely not the type of person to skip work. besides kunikida, he likes to think he as perfect attendance, however, there can be… exceptions.

he wipes his face while mentally patting himself on the back, somebody get him an oscar.

now, he thinks, he just has to get himself back in proper shape before monday. it was friday, so he just had to avoid you all weekend. easy. he'd stay in, get into a new show, entertain himself to, completely and wholly, forget about what transpired. who was he even thinking about, he chuckles to himself.

his plan worked. until sunday rolls around.

being holed up inside all weekend was actually a lot worse than he thought. so, sunday morning he decided to go on a run, the fresh air would be nice, and moving his limps for more than five steps to the kitchen and back to his futon would be best.

on his way back, kyoka asks him for 'those cookies with the jelly filling' - she didn't know the name. atsushi laughs at the message before responding with a thumbs up. the market was on the way back anyway, he didn't think it would be much of a hassle.

but he also didn't think you'd be here. still in your pyjamas.

granted, it was early in the morning, there were five people in the market at most.

here you both were, face to face, in the juice isle.

he was not ready to see you, not yet! those beautiful eyes he so dreaded seeing, boring into him. you're talking to him but he can't understand a word you're saying. his mind so suddenly broke down the cage he built up, memories within.

it's only been three days and it feels like it's been months. yeah, he definitely wasn't ready, maybe he should take monday off too, maybe even quit, move to a different province, continent even.

wait, why are you looking at him like that?

"atsushi?" oh, that voice. he feels sick, dizzy with want.

"hi." he lets out, a little breathless; dazed.

"hi…?" you tilt your head looking at him quizzically from head to toe. "were you listening?"

"no."

"oh…kay, um." now why do you look confused?

oh.

"oh! no-uh, yes! i mean, sorry uh- sorry. i'm sorry, i just, um, have a lot on my mind. yeah…sorry." nice save, atsushi.

you squint your eyes at him while shifting your basket from one arm to the other. "are you feeling alright? you look very flushed." your tone is gentle but inquistive and atsushi wishes the floor would just eat him up, chew him like a piece of gum then spit him back out.

"i'm good! yeah, no i'm alright, i just uhh went on a run." not a lie, but he didn't have to tell you that the run wasn't even that strenuous, if anything it was a leisurely jog.

"i see…" you fix him another glance before shaking your head. "anyway, what are you doing here so early?"

"kyoka wanted me to pick up some jammy dodger cookies." he holds them up like they're evidence to a case.

"they sell those here?" your eyes light up and his knees feel wobbly. it was never this bad before, he wants to slap himself but at the same time he doesn't want it to end.

he hums, "yeah, want me to show you?" and you nod.

he trails with you as your finish your shopping, devolving into a, finally, normal conversation like you would everyday. the cashier rings up your groceries as you continue your conversation with atsushi.

"oh, by the way, how was work on friday?"

he tilts his head in question.

"i feel like i should be the one asking you that. i didn't go." a surprised noise escapes you.

"i didn't go either, i ended up catching a fever. it's gone now, but i didn't want to risk the others getting sick if i did get worse."

oh…

"are you feeling alright?" he steps closer.

"hm? yeah, yeah i'm all good. it was only for one day, it was kinda bizzare." you mindless explain, tapping your card to the pos machine. it's then that he notices you paid for his (read: kyoka's) cookies. you hand them off with a smile.

he walks you home, just like any other work day. he finds you two in the same position standing outside your door, only this time you don't lean up to his cheek, you instead say, "do you wanna come in?"

his mind immediately screams 'yes,' completely forgetting kyoka waiting at home for him. but… he's sure she can wait, whatever it is you two were gonna do in there he was, maybe, sure it wouldn't take long. he opens his mouth about to answer when the most logical piece of his mind scolds him for thinking that way. he closes his mouth again. is he really sure he wants to be in closed quarters with you? jesus, he thinks, he's not an animal. he'd have to get serious help if he can't control himself.

you stare at him with furrowed eyebrows trying to grasp why he's as stiff as a board, gaping. softly smiling, "you can stop by later, i'm not doing anything." finally pulling him out his minds discussion.

he exhales, matching your smile in thanks. he promises to come over when he has the time, before turning on his heel to hurry home. you laugh, turning your key, your dog barks. opening the door, she jumps and barks happily seeing your face, you mock her just as happily, shutting the door behind you.

when atsushi gets home, he starts properly weighing his options, being around you still could be awkward, this morning may have just been luck. but at the end of the day, he's your best friend, and you're his. he doesn't want to go over and have his own emotions fuck with it. he's going to be a normal human being and hang out with his best friend and NOT blurt out that he's in love with her and ruin months of bonding.

kyoka greets him at the door from where she sits at their kotatsu. he hands her the cookies, smiling softly as he watches her eyes light up. he excuses himself, easily being reminded of his sweat stench when he walked in. maybe it was best he didn't walk in to your apartment right away. now he has the time to make sure he looks good.

after his shower, he slips on a skin-tight white long sleeve and loose fitting casual black pants. stepping in front of the mirror, he tries to see himself from an outsider point of view. he looked… great, actually. atsushi gives himself a goofy smile trying his damnest to ignore what you'd think.

stepping out into the main room where he finds kyoka in the same spot. he notices, half a row in the cookie container gone, walking by he pops one into his mouth.

she looks up from her book and looks over his form. "you look nice." …happy, even.

he turns his head from looking in the fridge to her. "thank you." he poses dumbly, making her purse her lips hiding a laugh. he walks over sitting down on another side of the kotatsu, sneaking one more cookie. atsushi lets her know that he'll be seeing you later. this wasn't out of the norm, she thinks, what was out of the norm, was him practically dolling himself up for you. she wasn't stupid, she knew what it meant, she was just curious if he did, though she never brought it was. she was ready to talk about it whenever he was.

they talked for a while before kyoka got a message from yosano begging her to come shopping with her. yosano mentioned in the message that you had declined, atsushi had to stop the smile from ripping his face in half at the implication that you denied because you were waiting for him. he knew it was silly but that didn't stop him.

kyoka left and he sat around for a few minutes psyching himself up enough to walk over. whatever happens, he will not mess this up. he repeats those words a few times over staring at himself in the mirror before giving himself another confident smile, walking out the door. -

he was not nervous, he was never nervous, not when it came to you anyway.

so…

why is he not knocking?

he's right here. right at the door, just knock.

he exhales and raises his hand. three knocks and on the first one your dog barks from within. a few seconds and he hears you calm her down. his heart nearly beats out of his throat, swallowing it back down right as you open the door.

"hi!"

"hi."

your dog barks from between your legs and atsushi greets her as well.

"hi, ima! i missed you!" he feels your eyes on him, staring, he can't help but bask in the attention, unknowing.

"sorry! come in," you widen the gap, letting him in. ima, your dog, dances between his legs excitedly. squatting down to pet her, her tail lashes back and forth excitedly, hitting his hand - you notice, lacking their regular black fingerless gloves.

he stays entertained with her for the moment as you make your way to the kitchen asking, "can i get you anything?"

"eehh, i'll take a water, please."

he starts running through ima's training quietly, 'roll over,' he'd say, 'spin,' then finally, 'sit.' he claps happily at her, "good girl!"

you return back to where he is and hand him a glass. "i made some snacks, i wasn't sure." he walks out of the entry way (shoes off) with ima on his trail, sitting himself down on the couch.

"no worries, i don't think i've ever said no to food. i'm-"

"always hungry." you walk to the couch and give him a knowing smile, "i know."

he smiles back shyly but watches you sit down next to him.

from there, you delve into conversation, topic changing here and there.

you had just finished explaining telling the difference between predator's and prey's just from looking at where their eyes are located on their head - it was brought up when atsushi was telling a story of when a crow landed in front of him one day and starts staring him down, atsushi explained that he felt like a prey despite being three times the size of it. though, suddenly you remembered something.

"you mentioned early at the store that you missed work on friday as well, what happened?" you asked. he was completely unprepared for the question. of all the things he thought over when he was psyching himself up earlier, this was the LAST thing he thought you'd ask. "i know you're not the type of person to miss work, even if it is completely reasonable." he hears the scolding tone by the end but he's too lost in his head trying to think of a proper excuse to respond.

"umm, yeah. i ended up running into akutagawa after i dropped you off. we had a little scuffle, i wanted to take the day off to heal." not a half bad excuse, he thinks, before your eyes widen and start berating him with questions like, 'are you okay?!' 'what was he doing?' 'how did you get away?'

he holds his hands out in front of him in defence. "i-i'm okay! we fought for a bit before he inevitably said i 'wasn't worth his time'." perhaps it wasn't best to fill your mind with lies about something that didn't even happen. granted, you didn't like akutagawa anyway, but there's no need to feed the frustrations more.

you cross your arms and huff in frustration. "he really gets on my nerves. at the same time, i know where he's coming from but doing unnecessary things like that is so out of league, even for him." you glare at the wall like he's standing there ready to fight.

he chuckles nervously, hands dropping to his knees. you suddenly turn to him, leaning in close. he backs away slightly, but you relent. "are you sure you're okay?"

he exhales a low breath. "yeah, i'm sure. it was a few days ago, i was fully healed the next day." his timeline didn't fit, from the time he called in sick and from when he "healed," didn't make sense, he knew that, he knew you knew that too, but you didn't say anything.

you look him up and down as best as you can from where you're both sitting on your couch before nodding. "good." you pull back from his space. he has to physically restrain himself from trying to reduce the distance again. in the back of his mind, he can hear byakko growl at him, but he pointedly ignores her, only increasing her sounds. 'calm. down.' he closes his eyes for a moment, taking a breath. he's thankful you got up to refill your tea otherwise you would have dug into his soul, worrying over him.

you come back a moment later. "let me know if you get, like, actually hungry. i can order in or something." he nods as best as he can without it looking forced or shaken.

you two settle down after that on a show you picked up together. sometimes he would come over, sometimes you'd go over and watch, some days you would watch it over facetime just wanting to be in your own homes but still close in a way. it's an interesting show, something about law, atsushi was intrigued and really liked the show, but he had a hard time focusing on it right now.

his eyes are on you. your hair tied back with a black clip giving him the, oh so stunning view of your side profile. side burns lead his eyes down to the expanse of your neck, byakko purs at the idea of marking it, teasing up and down between your pulse point before ever gently sinking-- atsushi stands up suddenly, before you can ask if he's okay, he rushes out words, all you catch is 'sorry,' and 'bathroom.'

he has half a mind to close the door gently as to not draw more attention to himself. he glares so deeply in the mirror he's surprised it doesn't crack. 'can you keep it in your fucking pants for five minutes?' he feels byakko nudge his mind's eye as an apology but he knows it's not real. 'jesus, you really are an animal.' his words are rough but oddly affectionate. at the end of the day, byakko is him and he is byakko. some days (like today) he hates it, but it's who he is, somewhere deep in his mind he knows he wouldn't change it for the world.

composed, he walks back out, silently waving off your worried gaze with a smile, sitting back down next to you. just, ever so, slightly further away you noticed. your lips speak before your mind does. "atsushi?"

he turns to you with a questioning glance.

you didn't even know what you wanted to say, fumbling, you ask, "do you want to pause it?"

he looks confused but shakes his head, "no, that's okay."

you say 'okay' with an exhale, beelining your gaze back to the T.V. you feel his eyes on you, it feels like it's eating you inside out. unconsciously, you lips your lips, comforted by the wetness now coating your lips.

atsushi's soul is practically screaming, he should - needs to say, something, anything. this time around, byakko beats him to the punch. "come here." the words so quiet you wouldn't have heard it if the show didn't choose to be quiet right at that moment. you slowly turn your head to face him, his eyes certain but somewhere behind them it's unsure. you slide a little closer, bringing one leg up on the couch to make it easier to face him.

"what?" your tone genuinely curious.

shit, guess he can't keep it in.

atsushi leans in a bit, he whispers, "tell me to stop and i will."

before you even have time to vocalize your confusion, his lips are on yours. for a few moments you don't move. you pull back slightly, still very much in his space, catching his eyes with yours. quickly, atsushi starts forming an apology but before he has the chance to speak, you push back onto his lips, desperate. he makes a noise, strangled between a groan and a growl, whatever it was, it shoots down your spine to your hips.

his hand shoots up to the space between your cheek and the base of your neck, keeping you locked onto his lips (not that you wanted to leave). the show completely forgotten by now, you straighten your back, bringing your other leg up and sitting on it. his other hand reaches your knee, fingers digging into the crevice trying to pull you closer. you softly bit his lower lip, asking - begging - for more.

"fuck…"

he breaths your name against your lips, he brings your lips back together feverishly. he successfully brings your leg closer to him, but you decide its not close enough. without breaking the kiss, you swing your leg across his thighs settling yourself in his lap, hovering over him. both of your hands encase his face deepening the kiss.

he pulls back but a second later his lips are glued to your neck, your hands weave to the back of his neck, pulling and tugging the loose strands. he utters your name again against your skin and goosebumps dance along your entire body. he smiles into the junction between your neck and shoulder. hands meet your knees, slowly raising themselves higher, one hand hooks behind your thigh keeping you close. his fingers dig into your skin as if to consume you. a quiet moan slips past your lips, you feel an exhale against your shoulder and instantly know he's laughing at you.

desperate for control, you tug on his hair pulling his head back to you, slotting your lips once again. he curses against your lips, you swallow them up before they have a chance to escape. you grasp his forearms keeping them where they are, and find yourself nipping at the line of his jaw and down his clavicle. his head falls back against the couch allowing you more access.

"shit…" the words are followed by a breathy moan. you nose down the side of his neck and it's your turn to smile.

"who knew you had such a dirty mouth."

his eyes widen as he pants. it's nearly impossible now for him to form a coherent thought. your hands drop from his forearms and reach down to the hem of his shirt, playing with it, letting him know where you're at, not wanting to go to fast.

his mind is somewhere else, he pushes back into the plush couch before ripping it off himself. you're immediately back on him, this time planting butterfly kisses to his collarbone and shoulder. "i don't think i told you, but you looked good in that shirt."

the compliment goes straight to his dick. his hands find your hips. just as you did him, he digs the tips of his fingers up into it, desperate for your skin. you lean you head back looking into his eyes, both panting. you put your hands on his and guide them further up under your shirt. he takes the hint before removing it completely. the skin of your torso completely opposite of his - he notices. clear of any scars or blemishes, he thumbs and fingers everywhere he can, mapping it. he doesn't have more time to dwell on the differences between you two before you catch his lips again, this time more softly.

you grind and rock you hips into anything you can from your position. he takes notice and palms your hips, guiding you.

"god, you look so beautiful." you whine, frustrated at the lack of friction and desperate for more than you were a few moments ago.

"bedroom." you demand and he doesn't need to be told twice before standing up and wrapping you legs around his waist. you squeal and giggle, placing a hand on his shoulder. he gives you a smile.

he places you on the bed, gently, like you're a piece of fine china. your legs frame his torso as he plants his hands on either side of your chest, hovering over you. you wriggle around, getting comfy. he watches you with a fond smile.

"…what?" you push back into the mattress, trying to escape his blinding gaze.

"have i ever said you're beautiful?"

you squirm, "you just did earlier…"

"i mean before that. like have i ever. at all?"

this time you do pause, genuinely thinking. he hadn't. but you didn't mind, you weren't the type of person to feed off of other people's compliments. you knew you were pretty, you didn't need other people to say so. if other people didn't think so that was fine with you because they're subjected to their own opinions. granted, it is nice to hear compliments every now and then but you never beat yourself up about it.

"no." you speak plainly.

he really was an idiot, he thinks. he leans in close, brushing your lips against his whispering, "you're beautiful. you're so pretty it hurts. i can't go a day without thinking about you. i want to see your face when i go to sleep and i want to see it when i wake up. god, and you're so stunning in the sun," he plants kisses between his words every now and then, covering your face with his lips.

your eyes glimmer with tears, but you laugh, turning your face to the side trying to escape his wrath. "'kay, okay!" he begrudgingly leans back to look at you again.

"i love you." he speaks with so much certainty it nearly freezes you in time.

you exhale a shaky breath, a smile stretches across the expanse of your face. you grip his face pulling him down to a proper kiss, an 'i love you too' is brushed across his lips. he rushes his lips back onto yours in response, leaning in close, your chests connect.

he brings his lips back down to your neck, this time not blocked by clothing. he gently grazes his canine below your ear, you tremble and pant at the implication. reaching down between your bodies, you trail a finger up his erection through his pants. growling, he bites down on the corner of your jaw, not enough to break skin.

"please…" you whisper and he shivers so deep you feel it travel through him and onto you. he moves his hands down to the waistline of your pants, pulling back to silently ask permission. your own eyes swim in approval before he slowly slides them down, his eyes watching his own hands. contrasting his movements, once your pants reach your ankles you hurriedly kick them off. chuckling, he places kisses to your collarbone and down your chest. arching your back, you reach behind, unclasping your bra. he wastes no time latching himself back to you, worshipping you in every way. his hand crawls up from your calf to your thigh.

he continues down, his eyes watching your face the entire time. therefore, he sees your pleading eyes, but does nothing to hurry. if anything, he goes slower. he kisses the skin just above the hem of your underwear and whine lowly. had you not been looking, you would've missed the tug of his lips, threatening to smile. he takes the line of your underwear into his teeth before letting it go to slap back to your skin.

"atsushi!" you whine louder at the treatment.

"there it is…" both hands on your hips pull your underwear down your legs. you move to lock your legs together, shy, but atsushi places himself back in between, nipping the side of your knee as a punishment. leaning up he kisses the fold where your thigh bends at your hip, leading the kisses to the inside of your thigh, giving the other side the same treatment.

your hand finds his head, softly scratching his scalp. looking up again, he sees you just the way he thought you'd look. hair sprawled across your pillow, face flushed, panting. he smiles into your skin.

"atsushi, please…" and who is he to deny such a pretty request.

he lays kitten licks to the hood of your clit. but you, ever so attentive, keen at the attention, head falling back to the pillow. he pulls back slightly to lay his tongue flat against your entire heat, bringing his tongue back up to flick the top. back arched slightly, you moan freely.

he continues the slow treatment, his fingers soon joining the mix, they tease your leaking hole, pushing in and resting in your heat as he sucks and flicks your clit. you wriggle your hips trying to find movement on your own. his free arm is thrown across your hips, stilling them. you keep his treatment locked away for now, eager to give him the same, torturous, behaviour. his fingers finally move, curling, driving into you slowly.

you open your eyes, looking down at your lap, finding him boring his gaze into you, face flushed in red. at this moment, he picks up his speed, essentially pushing you back flush to the sheets. moaning so loud you can feel it bounce off your walls and back into your own ears.

atsushi hums into your heat, the vibrations making you very aware of the knot that tightens in your abdomen. "fuck… atsushi, wait." he must be aware because he hums again, picking up his speed. groaning, your fingers tighten in his hair, your thighs shake, toes curling. with one final moan that devolves into a loud whine of his name.

it takes a moment for your vision to clear, but you quickly look down to your hips again.

ah.

there he is.

he nuzzles into your thigh, lips messy with his own spit and your fluid, a small smile ajorned with it. "you sound so pretty moanin' my name like that." you throw your head back, hands covering it in embarrassment.

he lets out a sympathetic laugh before crawling up your body, his face inches from yours. your hands falls back from your eyes but still covering the lower half. his eyes twinkle in apology but you whine indignantly. he kisses your hands; where your lips would be.

"when did you become so vulgar?" your words are muffled but he understands.

he shrugs with an ever growing smile. he's literally the worst. fine, you think, two can play at that game.

your arms quickly wrap around his neck, bringing him down to a kiss, he lets out a surprised noise, but kisses you back. in this moment you take the time to flip him over, his back hits the mattress with a soft 'thump' and you straddle his hips. folding yourself over, you kiss him softly, playing with the band of his loose pants.

"these need to go." you whisper.

"yes, ma'am."

you help him shimmy out of them, boxers along with them, sitting back down on his thighs, you stare at his (very hard) length. committing every colour, vein, and blemish, to memory. "s-stop staring." surprised by his sudden shyness, you lean forward kissing him, he accepts it greatly, moaning into your mouth as your nails gently scratch down his stomach, hovering near the space where his erection twitches against his thin abdomen.

"you're so pretty it hurts." repeating his words from earlier, he playfully bites your lower lip in response. "i never want to look away." your hand sprawl across the expanse of his chest, unconsciously paying more attention to the scars.

"fuck, if you don't touch me right now, i will explode." his eyes dance in humour at his own words, but you know he has some truth behind them. you let yourself take in his flushed face, panting, biting your lip, you ghost your fingers over his skin from his chest, all… the way… down… atsushi deep groan shakes your core.

you're shook with unease that, maybe, he might take things back into his control. but you feel his hands on your thighs, rubbing up and down slowly, telling you, he's enjoying the treatment. regardless, you don't make him wait any longer. you lay a single finger to the tip of his cock, twitching at the attention, dragging your finger down to the base. his hips jerk slightly as he lets out a low moan.

you grip the base softly, but tight, watching his face scrunch, trying to restrict his own hips from moving. he utters your name with his eyes closed, head against your pillow, one that you'll probably never look at the same but never get rid of.

your fist moves up, slowly, to the tip, squeezing out the precum. hmm, you wonder. folding over, you kitten lick the fluid that beads. he lets out a gasp, his hips jerking up against his will. his head shoots down to look at you. from there, he sees you smiling, smugly. fighting back a curse, his hand squeezes the fat of your thigh.

a moan is ripped from him as he feels your lips wrap around the tip, tonguing the stretched flesh right below the tip. oh god, he feels dizzy.

"stop. i need to be inside you right now. please… shit, please!"

before he even finishes, you're moved up, knees on either side of his hips. grasping the base of him lining yourself up. you freeze.

"…what?" fuck… he sounds so hot breathless.

silently, you crawl off of him and reach for your nightstand cabinet. sraddling his hips once more, showing him the square gold foil.

atsushi scolds himself so loudly he's surprised you don't hear him. "thanks, sorry."

you laugh, easing the tension. "don't apologize, i nearly forgot too."

opening it with your teeth (that did not need to be so hot), gently rolling down his dick. grabbing his base again, you, finally, finally, sink yourself down. atsushi throws his head back, refraining from bucking up into you. you pause a few times, panting, adjusting, before you hips are flush with his.

your head drops forward, moaning softly, squeezing around him experimentally. nails digging into his stomach, you'll have to remind yourself to apologize later.

he lets you take this at your own pace, but, god, is his patience wearing thin.

slowly, you raise your hips, right before his erections escapes you, you slam your hips back down.

"fuck!"

biting your lip so hard it turns white. your hips shake and tremble, planting your hands on his stomach, you raise up again and come back down, rolling your hips.

"fuck, just like that." the praise fuels you, repeating the motion faster this time.

leaning forward, you lay your chest flush with his. his arms wrap around your waist, planting his feet, he fucks up into you. distracted by the feeling of you, ever so warm and soft.

"you feel so good, ah, ff- shit," you meet hips with fervor, biting the skin of his collarbone.

'please, please.' his cock hits you perfectly, "please, please, please..!"

"c'mon… that's it." his heavy breath against your ear pushes you over the edge. clinging to him desperately, squeezing all around him, his moans mix with yours, falling off the edge together.

your chests push and pull against one another, eagerly grasping for oxygen. he returns to earth at the feeling of your lips leaving lazy butterfly kisses across his neck. he smiles wobbily, eyes fluttering. you trail your kisses up his jaw, his cheek, his nose. turning his head, he finds your lips on his, hand reaching up, keeping you in place.

your dog suddenly barks from the doorway, atsushi leans up on his elbows as you sit up, both staring at your dog widely. she tilts her head quizzically at the two of you. your eyes shoot back to atsushi, watching at him blankly, there's a small tug on the corner of atsushi's lips and it opens the floodgates. laughing, you're suddenly aware that atsushi is still very much inside you. the odd feeling of him still sheathed inside while laughing, cuts you off, jerking your hips up, with a helping hand on his hips.

"ah, fuck…" hissing softly before laughing again. he lays his hands on your hips helping you.

"you didn't shut the door." you lay on your stomach beside him, burying your face into the blanket.

atsushi, still laughing, says "i didn't know i had to!"

"well, now i've scarred my dog for life." he leans over, laying a gentle kiss to your shoulder. sitting up he ties the condom, throwing it away before shooing your dog out of the room, this time, actually shutting the door.

he crawls back onto the bed, kissing the back of your thighs and up to your shoulder. "'m sorry." he mumbles into your skin. turning your head, you playfully glare at him.

his fingers trace over your bare back, faintly, you can feel him spelling out his name. "all is forgiven if you take me out later."

"done!" he rolls you back over, planting his lips all over your face again. he backs away giving you the same fond look from before. "i wasn't lying earlier."

it takes you a moment to catch what he's saying, but you play dumb anyway. "about what?"

"that, i love you. i don't think i ever didn't love you. from the moment we became friends, i knew it was you."

you hold his head in your hands, smile stretching with each word he says. pulling him down to a kiss that soft but powerful, easily reciprocating his words.

"i just," he takes a breath. "i'm still new… to all of this. but i'll learn, i'll learn to understand. i just need time, so don't…" leave. he didn't want to be selfish, but when has something this good ever fell into his hands? and who was he to let it slip through? it's too much all at once, but he wants to wear it. keep it on his body, at first it's always uncomfortable; like a bracelet, but over time his skin adjusts. he'll get reminded of it everytime he feels it shift, but instead of the beginning it's a weight that he'll remember forever. he wants that to be you.

you lay a feather light kiss to his nose. "oh, atsushi. i'm not going anywhere. we'll learn together and individually, but we'll always be there for each other."

he wraps his arms behind your back, digging his head into your chest, laying flat. "thank you." it'll take time, but he knows that he'll become the best version of himself for you and for him.

#atsushi nakajima #nakajima atsushi x reader #x reader #bsd #bsd atsushi #bungou stray dogs #armed detective agency #fanfic #two shot #kunikida doppo #kyouka izumi

26 notes · View notes

billthedrake · 1 year

Text

BIG DADDY (PART EIGHT)

It was a novel, fun vibe between me and my high school buddy Kevin. McConnell had flown down for a long New Year's weekend in Austin.

"Had to get out of the fucking cold," he growled in his Jersey accent when he called to tell me he was coming down. He asked if I wanted to come to the city and stay over for an old fashioned guy's weekend. I hesitated, because Cheryl was over 8 months along in her pregnancy, but she insisted I go have some fun.

Now that I was alone with Kevin in his hotel room, I was glad for guy's night in the city. There was still a naughty thrill to fooling around with my good friend, and I knew Kevin felt that times five.

"Can't believe I just got Brennan-fucked," he grinned, pleased with his new coined term as he lay back on the bad, watching my naked body as I rejoined him in the bed after taking a post-fuck piss. I half expected things would be weird between us now, but we just rode the thrill.

"You seemed to like it," I said as I slid back under the sheets, cozying up to Kevin's gym-toned body. Cocky, maybe, but also checking in with my buddy.

"I did," he said thoughtfully. "I tried bottoming a couple of times wasn't crazy about it. Leave it to Big Man Nick to make me love it."

"We shoulda done this back in high school," I said with a hearty laugh.

"Damn, man," Kevin sighed. I could tell he was battling some emotions, and I felt a little bad for teasing him. We kissed some, and I enjoyed feeling the cum-covered, sweaty torso of my friend as he felt up my muscle, before reaching down to grope my cock. "You think you got another in you, Brennan?" he asked, clearly getting worked up again.

"Like a kid with a new toy, huh?" I laughed.

"Pretty much, man... you got a beautiful cock, Nick."

I felt that said dick firm up to steel hardness in his grip. "You keep that up, buddy, and the second round is gonna come sooner rather than later."

Kevin grinned and let go of my dick, instead wrapping his arms around my waist and hoisting my body up onto his gym-toned body.

"Ooof, you got some strength buddy," I laughed.

My friend bit his lips playfully and nodded. "You don't know how many times I dreamed of us in this position back in high school."

"You crushing out on me, Big Guy?" I said, feeling nervous about what his answer would be.

"Hell yeah, I am Brennan," Kevin replied. "But it's cool. I know where I stand. I'm not gonna make demands on ya, ever, bud." He looked up in my eyes and I could feel his body relax, except for his cock which throbbed against my own crotch. "Listen, I've been holding out. The reason I'm down here is to scope out a place to live."

"For real?" I asked. It was the last thing I expected.

"For real," he said. "God Nick, you didn't tell me Austin was Jersey expensive," he laughed. "Even worse, maybe."

"It's a little better further out," I explained.

"Fuck that," Kevin said. "I've had my life on hold for too long living someplace I didn't want to live." My buddy seemed to be getting more contemplative. "I need something different. Dad was pissed when I told him I was quitting the business, but he'll get over it."

"Damn, McConnell," I hissed. "You really are moving."

"Oh yeah," he said. "I'm gonna fuck my way through all the Texas cowboys I can score. Make up for lost time."

"It's not really cowboy country here," I started to say.

"Don't spoil my fantasy," Kevin winked. "And cowboy or not, they sure grow 'em big down here."

I didn't have any objection there.

Kevin's hands were caressing my sides and his legs were spreading, letting me scoot in between them.

"You gonna fuck me again, Brennan?" he asked.

I nodded, getting horny again for sure. "Yeah, McConnell, I'm gonna fuck you again."

***

Come January Cheryl gave birth to our daughter. Iris Jessica Brennan. A healthy and happy baby. I was over the moon, and so proud of my wife for how great a mother she was.

I'd negotiated paternity time with Big Daddy when he promoted me to CFO. Mark ribbed me like hell for taking it, and truth was I still went in once a week and checked emails to delegate stuff that needed delegating. But R.C. Pool Supply would be fine, and some things were more important.

Unlike the Bryant men, I did my best to help out with everything. Not only the Dad stuff of setting up the nursery and babyproofing the hell out of our place, but waking up in the night to feed the baby, or cooking for Cheryl when she was too exhausted. I was glad to be there for both of them those three months.

But holy hell, those first months made the pregnancy dry spell of our sex life pale in comparison. Cheryl still wasn't ready for vaginal sex and her postpartum hormones made sure she wasn't up for anything else either.

"Sorry honey," she apologized one night as I held Iris as we sat on the couch. "I know we haven't had sex in a while... I'll make it up to you, promise."

I missed it, missed it a lot, but my schedule usually meant I could go over to Randy Slocum's before he went on shift. Sometimes it was a quick BJ stop while I ran errands, but often I'd have that cop strip down for a longer session in his bed. Maybe because I wasn't fucking Cheryl, I liked to do Officer Slocum nice and slow, missionary, lots of making out before I put my legs on my shoulders and fucked that rack of Texas beef.

I was even getting more romantic with Dan Bryant on our three-times a week gym meet ups. Forgoing the shower quickies and settling for some time in the back seat of his SUV.

"I remember what it's like with a newborn," my brother in law chuckled after he came up from a particularly intense blowjob, my cum deep in his stomach. "You doing OK, Nick?"

"Better now," I smiled. "You're the best, kid," I said in my best bedroom voice before leaning in to kiss Dan softly.

The ex-football player got a goofy, shy smile and said softly. "I just like making you feel good... after all you've done for me."

My dick stayed hard and twitched again as he said that. I don't know that I did anything for Dan other than fuck him. And be his friend. But I ran my hands up along his business casual polo shirt, feeling the hard muscle beneath, and some of that natural padding.

We kissed again, a little more excitedly.

"You gotta get back to the office?" I asked him, now eager to get off a second time. Like I say, I'd been pretty backed up.

Dan shook his head and smiled, those baby blues drawing me into another kiss.

There, in the back of his SUV, I took my time. Rimming Dan's hot, muscular ass, then giving an extra dose of spit on his pucker. That would be all the lube we'd get, but it did the trick. Dan Bryant was hungry for dick and he took me with some gentle coaxing. Pretty soon I was nailing him hard and fucking a load out of his balls.

"God, Nick!" he grunted as he did his best to catch his sperm in his hand. I gripped his hips tight and pounded my seed into him. He'd be going back to the office good and wet down there, for sure.

I was in a real fucking good mood as we uncoupled and wiped off with some spare napkins from the glove compartment before getting dressed again.

"So Nick..." Dan said, almost nervous to bring it up. "Courtney's baby... it's yours isn't it?"

Dan's wife was five months along now and showing. I promised Court I wouldn't tell Dan, but I also didn't want to lie to my brother-in-law and buddy. "What do you want me to say, Dan?" I replied.

He nodded. "If it's gonna be anyone else, I'm glad you're the father," he said softly, blushing as he admitted it.

"You're the father, buddy," I tried to assure him. "No matter whose seed it is."

He flashed me a game smile, like he was trying to convince himself of that. Then he shrugged. "I guess I'm not man enough for Courtney."

I could read all of his self doubts and troubles and anxieties in that moment. Never living up to Big Daddy. Never being honest with himself. He was trying to be honest now.

I patted him on the shoulder, squeezing that bulk affectionately. "You're all man, Dan. You just happen to like dick," I explained.

That made my brother-in-law smile, a real smile.

"But can I give you a bit of advice?"

"Yeah, Nick," Dan replied with a puppy-dog eagerness.

"Courtney... well, you don't need me to say this, but your wife, she's the kind of woman... well, you need to give her a lot of attention, Dan. Even if you have to think of me when you're fucking her. If you don't, she'll get that attention from other men."

"I can do that, Nick," Dan said, surprisingly chipper to take my advice.

This was a fucked-up family, and I was part of it now.

We'd talk more as we opened up to one another. Over golf games and business trips and guys' weekend getaway to Dallas to see a Rangers series. But that would come later. For now, Dan and I just knew we were solid. Somehow, Courtney's pregnancy had brought us closer. No matter how much a heel I'd been, Dan loved me. And in my own way, I loved him, too.

***

Cheryl wasn't kidding. She made things up to me. I'd already started back at work when her libido came roaring back. We had morning sex, and I got a welcome home blowjob, and after putting Iris to bed at night, we fucked again. My balls were well drained, and there was no more Randy Slocum time. I even apologized to Dan, but he got it.

"That's cool, Nick. I've been taking your advice... with Courtney. We're kind of having our second honeymoon, even," he said to me as we got changed from our lunchtime gym workout.

I slapped his back. "Glad to hear, buddy."

But the man most thrilled about Cheryl was Big Daddy. He came over almost every night. Presumably to see his granddaughter, but he never left without fucking Cheryl, or at least getting head from her.

We started fucking her together. Me and Mark, side by side, in the bed, taking turns. It was incredible. Watching his big beefy body in full rut, oversized and overpowering his petite daughter, making her orgasm. Then feeling his hands on my more athletic build as I fucked on his father cum. Then kissing both my wife and father-in-law in succession.

As hot as it all was, it made Cheryl happy. My nympho wife had returned and she had both the loves of her lives to keep her satisfied.

I gave them a night together and went over to Dan's for some brother-in-law time. Courntey was over at Mrs. Bryant's, and Dan and I made the most of it. We made out like teenagers in his man cave and slowly stripped down.

"God you have an incredible body, Nick," Dan hissed. "I... I think about it when I fuck Courtney." Then he looked up at my with a lewd grin. "Sometimes I fuck her like you fuck... she loves that."

"I bet she does, buddy," I growled, taking the initiative to pounce on his beefy body and wrestle him to take the top position. Dan was rock hard beneath me. By the time I was fingering his pucker, I felt any resistance melt. "You gonna make me proud, brother?" I teased. "Gonna be a good cunt for me?"

"I'm your cunt, Nick," Dan answered in a heartbeat. "Anytime you need."

I pushed my dick in and we both let out a heavy grunt.

***

I knocked on Mark Bryant's office door. It had been a half hour since the receptionist had gone in for a "private meeting" to take care of my father-in-law's needs. It was my turn for a private meeting.

"Come in," he said, but I was already stepping inside and shutting the door behind me.

"Brennan!" he greeted me. "How's everything going?"

"Good, Mark," I said, plopping myself in one of the leather-upholstered chairs.

He gave me a look. He knew something was up. "Here for business?" he asked.

"Not exactly," I said. "I told Cheryl, but I wanted to make sure you knew. Whenever we have another baby, there's gonna be a paternity test. And I better be the father."

That caught Big Daddy off guard but he gave me his best poker face. "Or else?"

I laid down my royal flush. "Or else I'm making public another paternity test."

That got him mad. Face beet red mad. "What the hell... you blackmailing me, punk?"

I shrugged, not letting his harsh voice get to me. "I call it insurance. You may run things around here, sir, but my home is my castle and I run it. Got it? "

He grinned at my audacity. "Not a lot of men talk to me that way, boy."

"I'm not a lot of men," I replied. "I honestly don't care what you think of me... but I need to know... we got an understanding?"

Big Daddy nodded, and his flush anger turned to a knowing grin. "I'm just glad you're on my team, Brennan. You got some killer instincts."

I smiled and stood up. "Hope to see you this evening, sir. Cheryl's usually up the wall in heat by 5, so maybe if you could leave a little early today."

I could tell that turned the big man on. "Anything for my princess," he growled.

***

I made sure Cheryl was on the pill. I monitored it, and she knew, making sure to take one in front of me from time to time. I think she was scared I'd mess up things for her and Mark. We talked about having another child in three years' time. I wanted Iris to have a younger sibling, but with enough years spacing out our kids so it didn't seem like a frickin' day care around the house.

So I wasn't concerned when I started working later hours. I'd been stepping into the CFO role at the office and while I enjoyed the responsibility and the pay, I was getting home around 8 at night more and more. Big Daddy would already be gone and I'd have a nice wet creampie to eat out of my wife's snatch, while she clawed gently at my hair.

"Yes, Nick, oh yes, babe! Oh GOD!" she'd cry as I'd get her to cum with my tongue. There were some real advantages to having a nympho wife.

****

Dan was traveling on a couple of sales call, so I was spending my lunch time in that favorite abandoned parking lot. It was winter, a real winter week, even in Texas and I leaned back in the driver's seat while Officer Slocum blew me.

It had been too long, and I'd forgotten how hot he looked in full uniform, his cap resting on the dashboard. I gripped the nape of his neck and thrust up into his throat. God help me, the cop knew how to take it.

I was getting turned on so I just went for it, fucking Slocum's throat till I was blasting off.

Randy slurped my prick as he pulled off, sucking off the mucus-y spit and sperm and cleaning me off before giving it a final kiss. He was flushed from excitement when he leaned up. "That was hot, Mr. Nick," he grinned. "Nice." He was a couple years older now than when I first got a blow job off him, and he had aged out of those rookie looks, but still looked young and beefy and fuckable. He pulled a napkin out of my glove compartment and wiped the excess spit from his chin and lips before putting his cap back on.

"I guess I should tell you, Mr. Nick... this will be the last time for us."

God help me, Randy Slocum has gotten some self respect, I thought. "That's cool, Randy," I said, as I wiped off my prick and tucked it back in. "If you ever change your mind..." I offered. Something about getting a cop who can take a throat fuck had me not wanting to stop with Slocum cold turkey.

He grinned. "It's not that, sir... It's just, Jess and I are moving to Austin. I lined up a job with the PD there."

It actually took me a second to put two and two together. Maybe because it never occurred to me that Kevin McConnell was such a sly player. Good for my buddy. I reached over and squeezed that muscle through his uniform shirt. "Best of luck, Officer. Just one last request..."

"What is it, Mr. Nick?" Slocum asked.

I grinned. "Just treat my buddy well," I said. "He deserves a little extra service."

Randy laughed, amused I'd figured it out. "Can do, Mr. Nick."

#drakestories

105 notes · View notes

moonbyunniee · 2 years

Text

rise and shine, beloved (it's a new day)

description ➵ genshin characters waking you up in the morning

characters ➵ kaeya, zhongli, sucrose, beidou

cw ➵ fluff, kaeya's is a little suggestive 😉, ik that sucrose is pretty young (she's 18 but just in case) don't think anything weird about her in her part okay!!

a/n ➵ okay so this time my friend helped me choose the characters, hence the random assortment! i'll be writing two female characters this time too! i've never written a female character so here goes nothing!! enjoy 🤍

kaeya - 凯亚 ➵

when kaeya wakes you up, it's always in a teasing, flirty way

imagine him locking you into a cage, ensuring that there's absolutely no way you can get out

before leaning down and kissing your neck and face and basically anywhere else he can reach

in his opinion, you look so adorably innocent, even more so when you're sleeping and you can't defend yourself

he'll whisper close into your ear with his deep, husky voice, cool breath hitting against the shell of your ear

"hehh...y/n, wake up...unless, of course, there are other activities you'd prefer doing in bed?"

he would watch as you struggle underneath him

trying desperately to get up, tiredly rubbing your eyes and muttering under your breath

"get off me, kaeya...you're too heavy," you mumble wearily

of course, kaeya doesn't get off you and instead proceeds to tease you from above

laughing and teasing you about how cute you look

and of course, how much he loves you <3

he'll get off once he knows you're getting annoyed

and immediately kisses you some more so you don't stay mad at him

"you look beautiful this morning, y/n! ahh...it's such a pleasure to wake up beside you every morning!"

zhongli - 钟离 ➵

much the opposite of kaeya, zhongli will allow you to have a more relaxed, peaceful start to the day

he'll wake up at the crack of dawn because that's just the type of person he is

and after doing his meditation

he'll come back to the bedroom

and sit beside you, likely ready with scented reed diffusers and a good novel, simply reading before you wake up

you stretch and yawn, tired but at ease by zhongli's calm presence and that atmosphere he's so thoughtfully set up

"my gorgeous y/n...shall i start to prepare breakfast for the two of us today?"

the second you wake up and are ready to start the day, he'll bustle around making the bed

and just being a gentleman in general <3

he'll probably pull together an extravagant eight-course breakfast for you, ready with all of your favourite breakfast items

zhongli will also find pleasure in brushing through your hair

and bringing you flowers for no reason except for that he loves you <3

he'll also pick out your outfit with you, something practical for that day (i'd imagine he'd make a chocolate brown suit, kinda like his lol)

"my darling y/n, you look absolutely breathtaking. care to take a stroll with me?"

sucrose - 砂糖 ➵

sucrose is a shy, reserved and timid person...if that's what you want to call her

so she'll probably not know how to wake you up

sucrose will lie in bed, glancing over at you and blushing furiously every five seconds

because she just doesn't know what to do

should i wake y/n up...or should i wait until they wake up themselves? let's go through the probabilities here...

she would then proceed to work out the mathematical and logical percentage chance of you getting up yourself, if you'd be better off with her waking you up, and so forth

so when you wake up, it's probably because she's been whispering nonstop to herself

just lying there beside you, twisting her wrists and glancing over at you

whilst also admiring how beautiful you are from this close

"ah! y/n...i'm so sorry, did i wake you up? i-i didn't mean to!"

it's not like sucrose is terrified of you or anything like that, she just doesn't want you to have a lack of sleep because of her

she cares wayyy too much but in the cutest way possible

she tugs on her short minty-green hair and bites down on her bottom lip

you laugh and pull her closer to you, making her flustered

she buries her head into your shoulder, mumbling her apologies for waking you up

so you have to pretend that you woke up on your own even if you're just lying to make her feel better

"it's okay, sucrose...i just woke up on my own."

sucrose will finally calm down and whisper under her breath (but you hear it anyway)

"i wish you were sleeping just a little bit longer...i could keep staring at you from up close..."

beidou - 北斗 ➵

beidou is a strong and independent woman and she will do anything to show it

but around you, she allows herself to be mellow and sweet as well

so it's no surprise that she wakes you up with a mixture of sweet and spicy

something like a mix in between kaeya and zhongli (but more on kaeya's side)

she'll probably nudge you ten thousand times all over your body, trying to wake you up

and she'll also rip off the sheets, making you cold

"y/n!! wake up...c'mon, there's new parts of the sea yet to be explored, and i'm taking you with me!"

when she notices you shivering, she'll immediately jump into bed again and pull you close

whispering apologies into your ear

her hot breath fanning over you

while she also gives you affirmations to start your day like "c'mon, y/n...you can do this, just try and get up!"

eventually you get up and sit up in bed, rubbing your eyes

beidou will immediately pull you back into her

leaning against the head of the bed

and stroking her fingers through your hair

"i love you so much, y/n...now, let's get going! maybe we can grab a cold beer or two after the day's work..."

#genshin impact #genshin #genshin impact fluff #genshin fluff #kaeya #kaeya fluff #zhongli #zhongli fluff #sucrose #sucrose fluff #beidou #beidou fluff #kaeya x reader #zhongli x reader #sucrose x reader #beidou x reader #genshin x reader #[☁️writes]

364 notes · View notes

odiesbun · 1 year

Text

Its just my old work, sorry.

There may be errors in the text, as my native language is not English. Thank you for your likes!

WARNINGS: fluff, mentions of sex(?nsfw?), a little weird humor from the author and your author just wants kisses.

Number of characters in the text: 4916

♡Chan♡

- Shoulders.

Chan really likes to cuddle, so when your back is against his chest while he's making music, he'll always leave a few kisses on your shoulders.

In fact, he's willing to kiss every part of your body several times, showing how much he loves you, but he still prefers shoulder kisses.

Besides the shoulder, sometimes he might kiss your neck or behind your ear.

"Haha, baby, you don't have to ask for my kisses, I'll still kiss you every five minutes because I love you soooo much."

In a demonstration of his love, he hugs you even tighter and leaves more kisses on your shoulders!

♡Lee Know♡

- Lips.

Minho would go crazy if he kissed you on the lips one more time, but he keeps doing it almost minute by minute.

If you let him, he'd kiss you every second, knocking all the air out of your lungs and making you gasp.

Plus, Minho knows a lot of kissing techniques, so he can start with a simple smack on the lips and end with a passionate kiss.

For Lee Know, kissing on the lips is most important because he considers it the most intimate thing, plus, you both like it.

"Aah, come on, your new lipstick is driving me crazy! Why can't I kiss you right now!"

♡Changbin♡

- Hand brushes.

Just imagine Changbin kissing the back of your hand and you'll know what I'm thinking right now.

In fact, Changbin is a big romantic who kisses your hand every time you give him your wrist.

For example, you walk up the stairs to your apartment and before letting you in, Changbin gallantly asks for your hand.

"My lady, would you allow me to take your lovely hand? Thank you, you are so kind to me."

YES, Changbin has a probable fetish for your hand, but let's not talk about that now…

♡Hyunjin♡

- Top of the head.

Hyunjin loves kissing the top of your head because his height is tall enough that he is able to kiss you right there!

Kisses on the top of your head from Hyunjin are always spontaneous and you don't know when to expect them.

He can just get up next to you while you're sitting on your phone, cooking or doing other things and then just kiss you on the top of your head and just walk away.

"I just like doing this, do you mind?"

And he knows very well that you will NEVER mind him kissing you.

He's a very crafty boy.

♡Han♡

- Neck.

Well, I just think that Jisung would be a fan of kissing your neck, not only intimately, but romantically, as a show of affection.

Like Hyunjin, he makes those kisses spontaneous.

You're just watching the movie as Han starts kissing your neck and smiles contentedly.

You're like ???

"Oh, no, it's nothing like that, I just like kissing your neck because you're so cute!~"

But EVERYWHERE he prefers to kiss your tummy. It's a little weird, but yes, he LOVES doing it.

♡Felix♡

- Cheeks.

Felix really likes your cheeks, no matter what they look like or if they have freckles on them. He really LOVES them.

Kissing your cheek in your relationship is not only a welcoming gesture, but also a comforting gesture.

When you're sad or not feeling well, Felix sits affectionately beside you on the bed, gently hugging you and kissing your cheeks.

"Baby, are you feeling better? Yes? I'm glad my kisses are helping you, then I'll do it a lot more often!"

And Felix is just as okay with you kissing his cheek back. Especially on the spot where he has freckles.

♡Seungmin♡

- Temple and forehead.

These kisses are so sweet that Seungmin will melt every time he kisses you there and watch your reeks intently.

Since Seungmin isn't very good at expressing his love with words (well, personally I think so), he'll probably show it through actions.

You'll sleep peacefully and he'll walk around the bed whispering about how sweet you are and kissing you on the temple and forehead.

"Oh, honey, I'm so lucky to have you, I love you so much."

Well, he also kisses you on the temple as soon as you wake up.

I just want a kiss on the temple ;(

♡Jeongin♡

- Stomach and Chest.

Jeongin often lies on top of you, so kissing you on your chest and stomach has become a regular habit of his.

You're watching something on your phone as Jeongin suddenly falls on top of you and kisses your belly, giggling mischievously.

At first it seemed rather ticklish and you were both embarrassed, but later you got so used to it that Jeongin kisses your stomach and breasts more often than his lips.

"You're just so soft here, I can't help but kiss you… Can I call you my bun because you're so soft and sweet?"

#stray kids #stray kids reactions #stray kids fluff #stray kids reaction #kpop reactions #kpop #odiesbun

90 notes · View notes

psychocharlie · 9 months

Text

Electric Dream Machine 2.0

Disclamer: the song I used here is NOT mine. The song is called Kill you by Dethklok. All rights to the song belong to Dethklok and Brendon Small. Please don't throw me in Mordhouse's secret prison for this, I used it just for fun. The post with song lyrics is here and the previous AU post is here.

The day after that conversation about Uncle Jack, Charlie doesn't show up at Paddy’s. Dennis thought he had managed to calm him down and put the matter to rest, but apparently it didn't go as smoothly as he'd hoped.

When Dee asks about Charlie's absence, Frank shrugs and talks about trying to get him out of bed, but he didn't want to go and said he'd stay home in bed. And in fact, the oldest member of the gang assures him, he's been kind of weird and moody lately, and even stopped playing Nightcrawlers. A heavy sigh completes the last words, and Frank's frustration is visible to the naked eye.

– Anyway, – he continues, – I figured I'd better leave him alone, the guy deserves a day off.

Mac rushes to go check on his best friend, but Dee stops him:

– Where the fuck you going, asshole? Frank said our guy's in a bad mood today and you got the empathy of a toothpick.

– YOU THINK YOU BETTER, BITCH?! – Mac is outraged, he immediately turns to yelling, and the usual Gang’s bickering begins. Dee retorts that, unlike Mac, she has no plans to go bothering Charlie, who just needs to be left alone for today.

Dennis watches this silently with his arms crossed over his chest. Yes, he wants to see Charlie. Yes, he needs to find out how he's doing and try to calm him down somehow. But he's already too wary of spending too much time with Charlie, especially for Mac. Mac is possessive and jealous of everyone. He’s jealous of Charlie because he's his best friend; he's jealous of Dennis as his roommate and, almost obviously to Reynolds, as the object of his unrequited crush. And because of his jealousy, he becomes increasingly unstable. So Dennis didn't want to provoke him any further and kept quiet.

– Will you two just shut the hell up for a second?! – Frank didn't often raise his voice, but he was really tired of Dee and Mac's pointless arguments, and his concern for Charlie seemed to get the better of him. – You two are just going to piss him off, so unless you want something thrown at you on the way in, stay out of it. – Frank stops talking for a moment, opens a beer can and turns to Dennis. He takes a big sip and looking at him a little too intently. – If you want to go and check him out, let Dennis go. You have a strange way of calming him down, – the man says that words directly to him, – maybe he'll even want to join us at the bar afterwards.

And that's it. This is exactly what Dennis was waiting for, without interfering in the Gang's arguments. That things would somehow work out so that he would be sent to Charlie's and he wouldn't look suspicious in his concern for the janitor.

– Yeah, you're right, I'll go see him.

Only Mac explodes with resentment again, like a kid who's been robbed of his candy.

– But Charlie's my best friend!

– Nobody takes your best friend away, you prick. - Dennis snorts and heads for the exit, thinking that he should do something to distract Mac before he gets even more irritated.

***

When Charlie hears a knock at the door, he hesitates to open it, and Dennis stands under the door for another five minutes, knocking and begging Charlie to open it. He finally gives up and lets the visitor in, but immediately returns to his couch without even looking at him, muttering «don't bother me» instead of saying hello.

A very peculiar picture appears before Dennis's eyes: Charlie, wrapped in a blanket, sits on the edge of a couch that looks like a battlefield, with a synthesizer and a coffee table piled high with some junk. On the table are two half-empty cups of what looks like very strong brewed tea, empty beer bottles, an open can of glue, a can of spray paint with a sock on it, and most importantly, a notebook covered with incomprehensible scribbles and crooked drawings. Charlie was writing something down, but no one could make out his notes but himself. Well, maybe Artemis, if she's lucky.

Dennis looked from the messy table to Charlie himself, disheveled, unwashed, with red, watery eyes and a face stained with colored markers. Charlie Kelly had always been known for his disregard for personal hygiene, but now he looked as if he hadn't washed his face since he was born. And he was clearly wasted from the chemicals and alcohol.

– Hey, buddy, what are you doin–

– Shh! Shut up, and let me work, I told you! – Charlie shushes him and starts tapping his fingers on the table. Not paying any attention to Dennis anymore, he mumbles something to himself, barely audible. – I don't want to...have to...kill you.

Reynolds can barely hear anything, and he moves closer, listening to his friend's faint murmurings. – They'll fnd out... I... feel blue, – Charlie slurring some words and quickly sketches something incomprehensible and schematic in his notebook, lest he forget.

– Are you writing a song? – Dennis connects the dots, sits down on the couch next to his friend, and gently touches his shoulder. But Charlie, lost in the creative process, seems to have forgotten that he's not alone, because the touch startles him so much that he jumps up, screaming.

- I'm sorry, man, it's okay, it's me. It’s just me. – Dennis frowns, a little startled by this sudden and intense reaction, and moves away from Charlie so as not to stress him further. The disheveled man still doesn't answer the question, instead he brings the jar of glue to his nose and inhales a few times. He hands the jar to Dennis, grumbling to himself that he can't think of a follow-up.

Dennis resignedly accepts the glue, closes his eyes and breathes deeply over the jar, trying to ignore the swarm of restless thoughts in his head, mixing with Charlie’s quiet mumbling.

– Like to take all the skin off your face.

Dennis opens his eyes and places the glue on the table. His hands are shaking. He seems to got out of huffing glue, which is why his head starts spinning so quickly after just a few minutes of deep breaths he makes over the glue jar. And the dizzy head makes the whole thing even more surreal.

He looks at Charlie: his movements are jerky, sometimes he taps his drunken fingers on the synth keys, playing something, but he's displeased – «no, no, no, not like that, it sounds like shit!» – and he looks like a big sad moth under his old brown blanket. – Like to take all the skin off your face.– He repeats it again, picks up the melody, and finally seems to find the right sound, because a triumphant smile lights up his face. He plays the melody again, repeating the same line a third time, tasting it.

Mesmerized, Dennis watched the process, no longer interfering. There's something beautiful about this spectacular sight.

– Like to smash all your... brains, – Kelly continues to mumble, scribbling crooked letters in his notebook, but this time he has some difficulty. – Like to smash all your brains... all your brains... Shit! – man slams his fist on the table, unable to find the right words, and the beer bottle falls and breaks. But the sound of breaking glass suddenly evokes some interesting associations in Dennis.

– Like to smash all your brains with a... vase? – Dennis asks quietly, touching Charlie's hand with his fingers to get his attention. His touch is as gently as possible. The janitor's eyes widen, and he stares at Dennis for a few seconds, his pupils so damn dilated that his eyes seem almost black.

– Like to smash all your brains with a vase. – He repeats Dennis' sentence twice, tastes it on his tongue and nods contentedly. – Yeah, yeah, that's good!

After that, Charlie stopped seeing Dennis as a stranger and even perked up a bit, allowing him to join in the creative process. Lines are written, fanciful pictures are drawn in Charlie's imagination, a simple but appropriate melody follows the words, and Dennis feels like he's stuck in one of his strange dreams. The pictures Charlie's imagination paints are both strange and bloody. It's unlikely, Dennis thinks, that he himself could come up with an epithet about a fly laying eggs in a dead body, but Charlie, with his abstract imagination and strange ideas, does, and Dennis really likes these macabre line.

He gives in to the urge, and during the simple playback between these lines and the next, he jumps off the couch and dances around singing «Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!» like those old glam rock songs he used to listen to in college. Well, not just in college. He still likes to listen to good old Guns n' Roses, Kiss, Mötley Crüe, Queen and of course his main idol since he was a teenager – David Bowie.

And Charlie, unexpectedly, appreciates the impulse, nods enthusiastically and smiles at Dennis, letting him know that he'll leave it in the song. Later, Dennis adds a few more «danceable» moments to Charlie's lyrics in the same way, enlivening them and giving the otherwise somber lyrics some drive. But the author himself doesn't mind, he starts to have fun either, even though he continues to pour his anger into the lyrics. And Dennis belatedly, but still realizes for whom and what about this song is written.

He does, but he keeps distracting wasted Charlie with more cheerful melodies. Kind of therapeutic, huh? There's a reason Dennis studied psychology. It works.

Charlie's song is creepy and bloody, but not in a realistic body horror way, but in a cartoonish way: absurd in its cruelty and non-obvious methods and instruments of murder. The mere desire to break his face with ice cream cone is worth a lot. Weird, cartoonish, but undeniably violent. For some unknown reason, Reynolds finds Charlie's out-of-the-box thinking very inspiring. And the whole situation - writing a song together, Charlie, gloomy and now cheerful, glue, spray paint, beer, disheveled hair, dancing together – it all seems so vaguely familiar to Dennis, as if it had all happened once before... a very long time ago. But it all feels so pretty familiar. He's sure he's seen it before.

– Oh, that was a great song, man, –Charlie says, almost falling on Dennis due to the amount of inhaled chemicals and beer in his bloodstream. But at least he's quite happy now. – Thanks for helping me out. I like the way it turned out.

And then Dennis remembers why this moment seemed so familiar. Years ago they had written and even performed Dayman in a similar way. Oh shit. – Yeah, that song is real rock 'n' roll, man, you're a talent! Too bad Electric Dream Machine doesn't exist anymore, we could even play it on stage.

– Noooo, – mooed his friend, already half on his shoulder, shaking his head languidly from side to side. – No one can hear this song. Only you. You know why. You know. – Charlie's voice becomes more and more slurred as he slowly falls into a sleep of exhaustion and glue.

The smile fades from Dennis's face, erasing any trace of his former mirth. The song, though it was catchy and fun despite its somber lyrics, still reflected real emotion, serious emotion, and was a heartfelt wish from Charlie for Uncle Jack, who totally deserved it.

When Dennis looks at Charlie again, he is already asleep on the couch, hugging the blanket with a silly smile on his face. At least that makes Dennis happy, at least he's not dreaming about something creepy and bloody. He finds another blanket on the floor, covers Charlie and moves the junk-filled table and the synthesizer away from the bed so that his friend won't knock it all over when he gets up to take a leak. Then he leaves quietly.

***

– Hey, Dennis, did you go see him? How's he doing? Still won’t leave the house?

Of course, Reynolds is greeted with questions when he comes back. He calms everyone down by saying that Charlie is better now, but he fell asleep, which is why he didn't join him at Paddy's. The gang is somehow satisfied with this answer and he's left alone.

But Dennis still has some lines from Charlie's new song running through his head. And he can still see his friend's sleepy but momentarily serious face repeating «You know why. You know». And then Uncle Jack's face appears. Deep in his thoughts, the man doesn't notice that he's humming.

– I don't want to have to eat you

I won't fit into my swimsuit.

– What are you singing there? – he's called out by Dee, who's already slowly getting ready to go home.

– Mm? – Dennis flinches in surprise and shakes his head. – Nothing, just a song, Dee. Just a song.

Dee shrugs and just walks away while Dennis stares at her leaving for a long time. Then he turns around and goes into Paddy's office, locking the door behind him. There he goes through the drawers for a long time, goes through old newspaper, takes some, also takes scissors, a sheet of printer paper and starts to cut something out.

After a few minutes, he has a crooked inscription made of different-sized letters cut from newspaper headlines, which says: «I know what you did».

#iasip #charlie kelly #dennis reynolds #serial killers au #charlie and dennis are murder buddies #charden #headcanon #Dethklok – kill you #songfic

13 notes · View notes

armulyn · 1 year

Text

Four months ago, listening to dark and epic songs such as I See Fire and Battle Scars and with the Wingfeather Saga on the mind, I opened a doc and wrote, as you do, just to let off some steam. What came out was a weird amalgation of different AUs of the saga that I'd plow through five pages of each and then switch tacks.

None of them are complete, seeing as the Wingfeather Saga is so wonderfully (and infuratingly) written that any attempts to make things better usually end in the utter decimation of the plot, characters, and/or themes of the saga.

Now, a month and a half post my last edit to them, I decided quite elegantly and maturely, what the heck? and decided to try letting one out.

So, what if Artham actually did find the way back into the Deeps after finding the water from the First Well?

Fun fact, this is the 'The Warden and the Bear King' WIP from that ask game a while back.

[SPOILERS ABOUND. THROUGH BOOK 3 I THINK.]

Artham finds the cavern back into the deeps of Throg about two months after exiting, and rushes in without hesitation. Maybe it's the same one he left from, maybe it isn't, but either way it's twisting, unwieldy, and difficult to get the seed-husk of water from the First Well through unspilt. Hours he winds through passages, through burrows, and through endless doubts and shrieking voices warning him to go back.

He makes it to the dungeon eventually, and he freezes at the sight of it. Music is playing nearby— he'd thought he'd heard it ten minutes ago, but he'd told himself he was imagining it!— Sing the song the voices start, and against his will his lips start to move a bit... Terrified, he flees like mad, and he might have reached the surface once more had not a clatter from behind startled him.

He'd dropped the seed-husk.

Sprinting back, he frantically picks it back up, but nearly all the water has drained away, only a few drops left. He paws at it, trying to push the trickle of water back into the husk, the useless talons scraping awfully on the stone like nails on a blackboard. It's hopeless, so eventually he gathers his strength and tattered courage and presses on with what few drops he has left. He has to find Esben now, he tells himself, refusing the voices that press upon him at the name, for it is only a matter of time before he loses the rest of the water, the only thing that stands between him and utterly failing the High King yet again.

Back into the dungeon, closing his ears forcefully against the pulsing music, ducking behind cages when a Fang wanders through, searching for Esben. When he finds him, the king is in a newly reinforced cage, further back from the exit than it had been before. They've taken precautions, but precautions are nothing to a properly motivated Throne Warden, and the cage door cracks open within seconds.

"Esben," he chokes, and his brother starts. Esben's face is as he remembers it— bearded with fur, grey bubbled skin breaking out in patches, dazed pain in his eyes— but a wonder in them as well. "You... came back." he croaks, and Artham has to dash away tears to see the chains properly. He'll break them in a moment but first— "Aye," he says, "Now drink this."

He holds the battered seed husk gently to Esben's mouth. He watches carefully as his brother drinks the few drops eagerly— they probably haven't given him water for days, he fumes— and then leans back against the cage wall, exhausted by this small exertion. But there isn't time for rest or to wait until the water takes effect, and Artham hauls him to his feet. They stumble together from the cage, through the dungeon, Artham supporting almost all of Esben's weight, and thinking that if they happen to trip and fall then they would never manage to get up again. He prays with breath he can't spare that they won't trip.

Artham has always been tall, and his strength had been renowned in years past, but he has languished in a dungeon for— years, surely. He is stronger than Esben, but two months of frantic wandering, eating whatever he can and constantly moving hasn't improved his strength so much as his endurance. Thankfully, by the time the dungeon turns back into winding caverns and tunnels, Esben seems stronger, and can walk on his own. Neither of them speak in the pitch darkness, each moving as if in a dream with only each other to remind them they aren't. Artham holds tight to Esben's hand with his left arm, and the other wraps around Esben's side, even if his brother doesn't need his support any more. He doesn't want to imagine losing hold of his brother, here in the darkness. They stumble past a patch of blooming flowers and vibrant grass sprung from the cold rock where Artham had dropped the water from the First Well.

Under a pitch-black sky they stumble from pitted stone onto night-darkened grass.

They spend perhaps a week in the Blackwood, journeying west at a stumbling pace. They grow stronger, with daylight, food, water, and companionship. Sometimes other cloven shamble past them, but always wild and untamed. Artham and Esben don't have any water from the First Well left, nor anything else to envy, and so they're left alone for the most part. In the bright sunlight, Artham can see what he'd missed in the dark of the deeps. Throughout their steady trek, the water was working upon Esben, and his face seems clearer, the grey mottled skin gone and the patchy fur a golden-brown color that matches his hair. He looks a little odd, a little bulkier and more bear-like than before, but he has come back to himself, he is Artham's little brother, and he is not broken but healed.

The brothers have a lot of time to talk on their westward journey.

At first, Artham has trouble keeping back the high-pitched gibbering his voice and words keep trying to become, especially when Esben is quiet or contemplative or otherwise not talking. Esben is alarmed when it starts, which sets Artham off even more, which turns Esben’s alarm to worry, and it all ends in a mess of I’m sorrys and heart to hearts and confessions.

Once the brothers lose each other for an entire six hours.

Artham had gotten panicked, and in his sleep-deprived state he’d run away from the familiar man who called him by name with the blue eyes that filled with pain and memories at times— his fault, it was his fault—

Esben trails him at first, tracking his brother’s panicked flight through the loamy soil, but it isn’t safe to journey alone in the Blackwood, even in broad daylight, and soon he stops to consider his options, perched high in a tree where he had fled from the reach of a toothy cow. Artham would calm down soon, and probably panic and retrace his path. Esben was on said path, and if he kept shouting his name from the tree where the many creatures of the wood couldn’t reach him…

Artham refuses to stray more than ten feet from his little brother’s side for the rest of the Blackwood.

In the original story, Artham had stowed away on a Fang ship to Skree, following a tiny pinprick of light that told him the children of the king were there. He had nearly starved in the hold, but made it to Glipwood only five years after the fall of the Shining Isle. Now, with his little brother at his side, he has more to think of than himself.

They take refuge in an abandoned cottage a few hours from the edge of the Blackwood, shifting through debris for anything useful. Artham finds an intact glass vial in the kitchen, but the last of the precious water had gone toward Esben’s healing, and so he tucks it, empty, among their scant belongings in the hope it might be useful.

Esben had decided, in the first clear-minded rest after their exit from the deeps, that he was not going to ask Artham about what happened to Nia and the children. He barely remembered anything about that day, beside sitting down to lunch to the sound of Nia’s laughter as she tried to coax little Kalmar to eat. Janner had been excitedly relating some epic adventure from his day to his Uncle Artham, whose strained face of the past week eased somewhat while he listened.

Then the Fangs had come.

After Esben had been taken captive, ripped away from the room of the Fane of Fire and force-marched to the dungeon, he had caught sight of Artham being shoved into one of Rysen’s well-kept cells. Seeing the fear in his brother’s eyes, the Throne Warden had shaken his head, mouthing they’re safe. That was the extent to which they had communicated for the four years of captivity in the deeps of Throg, for Esben had not been bound for the cells but rather to an interrogation room, and they were kept separate on the march to Throg. In the deeps, they had not spoken at all, both consumed by the dreadful music and their own demons.

Esben had been given a front-row seat to his brother’s breaking, though they had only glimpsed each other once in a blue moon. He could hear the Stone Keeper taunting Artham with food, with freedom, with a snatch of sunlight. He could hear his brother shouting his name, and receiving no answer. He could hear his brother muttering in his sleep, in his waking hours, mumbling and shrieking as if the voices in his mind had taken over his speech.

Artham was the one they focused on, for they knew they could count on the king to break. What had the king ever done, besides rule from the protecting shadow of the Warden? What had the king ever done to protect the kingdom, while the Warden waged wars with his own strength and the strength of those loyal to him? What had Esben ever done, besides falling to the Fangs the moment he tried to fight without his brother by his side?

The Stone Keeper came and went from Artham’s side like a scuttling shadow, but she never paused by Esben, for which he was shamefully grateful. The dark of his cell and the silence was never broken save by what peeked in from without, as the days turned and his brother went mad and Esben began to think he was forgotten by even his captors. His only companion was the music that echoed in the dungeons and crept into every forgotten corner, and filled his head to chase away the silence.

His brother, Esben decides, has gone through enough. He isn’t going to ask and possibly bring back bad memories. He isn’t going to ask about the tears that had watered Artham’s fierce eyes even as he was shoved into a cell, even as he mouthed they’re safe. He isn’t.

Sitting at the dilapidated table of the abandoned cottage, Artham tells him anyway.

#the wingfeather saga #wingfeather saga #artham wingfeather #esben wingfeather #although forever incomplete i actually had fun with these #and quite like them #so here's one of my favorites #there's like. at least five separate AUs. that are literally all #'how many ways can I mix up who gets off the burning Anniera and how and how long does it take to find each other???'#also the Crack Armulyn Theory We Don't Talk About #wingfeather spoilers #present tense and pseudo-bulletpoint because weirdly that's the format that Works for AUs #don't ask me why #my writing #writing #the wip title for this (before the real one) was 'wingfeather bros' because i am abundant with imagination obviously

22 notes · View notes

tenebraevesper · 6 months

Text

Five Nights at Freddy's: Salvaged, Night 17: Not Here All Night

''In the past they said that they stuffed you in a suit. You know, the cover up story sounds kinda cute. Just remember now that everything's gonna be fine, because your darkest thoughts are all in your mind. Now before I leave I just remembered we found a toy. A freaking robot with brains, oh what a joy! So I'll pass you recordings of the original voice. See, he'll never leave you be, so just listen, you don't have a choice!''

– Not Here All Night by DAGames (Five Nights at Freddy's 3)

xXxXxXx

Sam was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. It was late in the night and it was thundering outside, but, despite being tired, she couldn't fall asleep. Her arm itched a little, wrapped up in new bandages. The smaller scratches were almost healed, while the bigger one was still red, albeit also healing. She hoped that it wouldn't leave a scar.

She then got up, realizing that this didn't work and sneaked out of her room, going towards the guest room, or rather, Springtrap's room. He was reading one of the novels he had borrowed from her, looking surprised when he saw her entering the room.

''Sam, are you okay?'' he asked, approaching her.

''Yeah, but I can't sleep,'' Sam said, yawning. Springtrap didn't look convinced, as she looked quite tired, but he decided that he could entertain her a little. Sam sat down next to him, yawning and looking sleepy. Springtrap tilted his head, looking at her.

''So, is there anything you want to talk about?'' he asked.

''Honestly, I don't know,'' she replied, sighing and leaning back. ''All I see is those animatronic parts, although, for you, those are probably like literal body parts.''

Springtrap cracked a smile.

''I know that it is weird for you to see unfinished robots, but I'm used to that,'' he replied. Sam yawned.

''Yeah…'' She closed her eyes. ''Anyways… about that…''

''Sam, you really should go to bed,'' Springtrap told her. ''You're exhausted.''

''Yeah, I am, but I still can't sleep,'' Sam said dryly, opening one eye. She sighed. ''What I wanted to say is that I just can't stop thinking about that room with those animatronic parts. To be honest, whenever I close my eyes, I just see myself trapped inside that room.''

''I see… Do you have any nightmares?'' Springtrap asked her.

''No… Not really…'' she said in a tired tone, her eyes closed. ''I… I don't think so…''

Springtrap kept quiet, noticing her breathing deeply.

''Try to relax a little,'' he said in a calm and gentle tone. Sam nodded slightly, but it didn't seem as if she registered his words. ''You're safe at home, and rest assured, nobody is going to lock you up in that room in the factory. At least not as long as I am here.''

While he was sure that she had fallen asleep due to exhaustion, he still left her like this, even when she leaned against his shoulder. He wasn't really certain how to react to the fact that she was pretty much using him as a pillow, but he decided to let her be. Once he was sure that she wouldn't wake up if he moved her, he gently picked her up and walked over to her room, placing her in her bed and putting the blanket over her. He observed her quietly, his eyes glowing in a faint purple.

You shouldn't be the one to worry about what's going on.

His attention then turned to the window, as lightning illuminated the sky. Seconds later, it was followed by a thunder. Springtrap figured that a heavy rainstorm was coming, wondering whether Sam had any plans for the next day. While she might already have something in mind, he thought that it wouldn't be a bad thing to take a little pause.

Deciding to address this tomorrow, he walked towards the door, only to glance back at Sam. She looked quite peaceful and he didn't want to disturb her. However, he was a little reluctant about leaving. What if she has some kind of nightmare? I know that Emma won't be happy about this, but I think I should stay just in case.

He sat down on the floor next to the bed and glanced at Sam. So far, she was fine. He sighed, leaning against the bed frame, looking at the window when he heard the thunder again. Big drops of rain started to hit the window, with the wind blowing. It may have been strange, but there was something calming and refreshing in listening to the rain falling outside.

xXx

The next morning, Springtrap was at the kitchen. Emma had already left, with him assuming that she went to work. He remembered that she was quite satisfied when Sam picked her up from work the previous day, and she didn't really question them about what happened. Springtrap still had trouble wrapping his head around Emma not being upset about what they were doing.

Sighing, he focused on not burning Sam's breakfast. He was waiting for Sam to wake up in order to discuss what they would do next as, after waking her up early the previous day, he figured that this time, he should let her sleep. He looked at the black device he held in his hand, examining it closer.

The device had a switch on the underside, as well as a plug-in on one side. Turning it around, he also saw a dial with a plus and minus sign on each side. Curious, he was tempted to flip the switch, despite having no idea what might happen. However, reflecting on his past mistakes, he knew that he shouldn't make impulsive decisions. He clenched his fist, knowing that it would be smarter to wait for Sam to wake up and ask her for her opinion, before he decides to test the device.

After he had set the stack of pancakes on the table, he sat down and waited for Sam to come down. Staring at the food, he couldn't remember the last time he actually ate something. Sure, it wasn't bad to be practically immortal and not having to worry about everyday necessities, but he sometimes did miss the fact that he couldn't eat, drink or sleep. This was just a piece of the price he payed when he decided to accept this fate.

A few minutes passed and he looked up when Sam walked into the kitchen, looking chipper and having seemingly slept well. She looked a little flustered when she saw Springtrap.

''Before you say anything, I didn't fall asleep because your speech was boring or anything like that-'' she said. ''I mean, you're quite the opposite of boring…''

''Sam, you looked like a sleepwalker last night,'' Springtrap replied, sounding a little amused. Sam sat down, eyeing her breakfast with a hungry look on her expression. ''I doubt you even remember what I told you.''

''I think I do…'' Sam tried to remember what he said, but her mind was blank. She sighed, only to flinch when it suddenly thundered. She looked through the window outside, with rain pouring down heavily. ''When Mum said that it would rain, I didn't expect this.''

''So, do you have any plans for today?'' Springtrap asked her.

''No,'' Sam replied. ''I don't really want to go anywhere while it's raining like crazy,… unless there's something you want to do?''

''No, that's why I asked for your opinion,'' Springtrap said, then placed the black device on the table. ''I wanted to test this out.''

''I thought you'd already examine it,'' Sam said, picking it up and looking at it.

''I figured it would be better to wait for you,'' Springtrap replied. ''That is, in case something goes wrong.''

''Do you already have an assumption about what this thing does?'' Sam asked him.

''A few, but unless I activate it, I won't know,'' Springtrap replied as she gave him the device back. ''We found a similar device in Ricky, but I don't understand why only Ricky and Raven have them.''

''You know, when we went over those documents that had the animatronics' blueprints, there were also dates on top of each one. Ricky and Raven seem to be the first that were created, at least as a concept,'' Sam said. ''Although, it still doesn't explain why only they have those devices.''

''I assume that Connor was the one who put them there, but that still doesn't answer why only them. Even the endoskeletons at the factory didn't have these devices,'' Springtrap said.

''Well, Raven is already different from the other animatronics, while Connor seems to heavily associate himself with Ricky, so…'' Sam trailed off, shrugging. ''In any case, we have a Big Bad Wolf lurking in this town, ready to tear down his next victim.''

''Those kinds of people will always exist, Sam,'' Springtrap told her in a dark tone. ''Besides, considering what I did in the past, I'm not better than him. As a matter of fact, I'm even worse.''

''You're right, but still, there is a difference,'' Sam said, with Springtrap giving her a confused look. ''He's a wolf, you're a fluffy bunny.''

Springtrap snorted, having to admit that she was actually right in that sense.

''Smartass,'' he said, as he watched her finishing her meal and cleaning up. He got up, showing her the device as they walked into the living room. ''Anyways, let's try this out.''

He then flipped the switch.

''Aaghrr!''

The moment he did that, static suddenly appeared before his eyes, with a buzzing noise ringing in his ears. The device fell out of his hand as he fell on his knees, clutching his head in pain. He screeched in agony, feeling as if his head was going to explode.

What is going on?!

Suddenly, the painful headache subsided, with him looking up. Sam stood in front of him, holding the device.

''Springtrap, are you okay?'' she asked in a worried tone.

''I am now,'' Springtrap replied as he got up, rubbing his temple. He felt a little dizzy. ''At least we know what this thing does.''

''Yeah, it causes you pain,'' Sam said sarcastically, looking at the device. ''Are you sure about this? I mean, I did hear some buzzing sound, but only barely. However, you…''

''I felt as if someone was driving a drill into my skull,'' Springtrap said, extending his hand, with Sam reluctantly giving him the device. He examined it. ''It seems as if this device operates only on a frequency that can be registered by animatronics.''

He messed with the dial, flipping the switch again. This time, he heard the buzzing noise again and saw faint static, but it wasn't as bad as before.

''You can regulate the frequency,'' he said as he slowly turned the dial towards the plus sign, with the static and the buzzing increasing and becoming more and more agonizing to deal with. He then turned it off, feeling nauseous. He sat down on the couch, waiting for the static to fade.

''I don't think you should turn that on again,'' Sam said, looking at the device that Springtrap still held and then glancing back at him. ''What is this device even supposed to be?''

''I am not completely sure. However, it seems to be created to irritate an animatronic's senses, making them unable to function properly,'' Springtrap said.

''Okay, but why would it be inside Ricky and Raven?'' Sam asked.

''I don't know,'' Springtrap said. ''It could be possible that it is used to control the animatronics.''

''You mean, like some kind of controlled shock?'' Sam said, with Springtrap shuddering as he remembered Mike using a taser on him in an attempt to keep him at bay. He nodded.

''Only that this one is more subtle. You said that you barely sensed it,'' Springtrap added.

''So, this black device was created only for animatronics in order to irritate their senses and make them unable to function properly in order to control their behavior. Humans can sense it, albeit only barely. Only Ricky and Raven have those…'' Sam summed everything up. ''Wait, I don't know about Ricky, but it would make sense in Raven's case. I mean, we have established that he was possessed at some point, and the device would be necessary to make sure he won't harm someone.''

''Speaking of which, Sam, could I get a look at the photos you took while we were at the factory?'' Springtrap asked.

''Sure,'' Sam replied, with the two going upstairs. ''I assume you figured something out.''

''No, but there's something I need to see,'' Springtrap replied. ''I feel as if I missed something.''

''You did say that everything at the factory is quite chaotic,'' Sam said as she opened the door and the two entered her room. She then turned her laptop on. ''I'm not surprised that you feel like that.''

She then opened the file with the photos she took last night and turned the laptop so Springtrap could see it. She then went through the photos.

''Wait,'' Springtrap said, when she opened the photo of the room with the animatronic parts. ''Could you zoom it in on that torso?''

''Okay…'' Sam bit her lip, setting the photo. The torso looked rather generic, with brown fur and, now that she looked more closely at it, huge stitches on the top of the torso. Next to it was an arm covered in brown fur, with holes on the joints.

''Could you just focus on the parts that are similar to this one?'' Springtrap asked her, with Sam nodding, examining all the photos in detail. ''Look at this, is that a rib cage?''

''There are two,'' Sam said, circling another one with the mouse. One of the rib cages was yellow, while the other one was grey, with red fur patches on the top of the torso. She then noticed something in the shadows, looking like a messily tied red bowtie.

''Something doesn't make sense here,'' Springtrap said. ''None of the mascots at Ricky's have these kinds of color schemes.''

He and Sam exchanged glances, as it dawned them what exactly those parts might be. Sam shook her head.

''Okay, wait a sec… Let's first state what might as well be pretty much confirmed,'' Sam said. ''We found a guy, the security guard from Ricky's Wonder Shack, murdered and left at Freddy's. We know that he was probably murdered at Ricky's after hours by Ricky's actor, Connor. Why? We have no idea. He might've seen something he wasn't supposed to see.''

''Connor may have worn one of the suits, specifically the Ricky suit, in order to avoid getting blood on himself. After all, there were enough of those costumes, so people probably won't notice when one goes missing and just assume it was taken to get cleaned,'' Springtrap added. ''He may have been the one who also turned the cameras off.''

''In any case, he's a creep who considers the animatronics his friends. He may just be acting, but honestly, it still strikes me as strange,'' Sam said. ''Now, about the animatronics; while Dahlia, Virgil, Quentin and Max seem to be normal, Ricky and Raven have this black device that irritates the senses of an animatronic. It is also possible that the device may have been used to control them.''

''Now, Raven was never supposed to be part of Ricky's Wonder Shack, having been decommissioned due to an accident at the Machinations Factory. Still, he ended up in that hidden room behind the stage,'' Springtrap continued. ''We also know that Raven had been possessed by a spirit of someone who probably died at the factory. However, we don't really know what exactly happened.''

''Still, we do know that there is a connection between Connor, Raven and what occurred at the factory,'' Sam said, with Springtrap nodding, looking a little lost in his thoughts. ''Will?''

''Someone died at that factory. Someone's soul was tied to the Raven, probably causing those accidents that led to the animatronic to become decommissioned. I believe that, once they decided that he wouldn't be part of the group, they put him in the boiler room, probably to melt him down and use the metal for new parts, but they didn't for some reason,'' Springtrap said, glancing at Sam.

''It could be that, if Connor indeed once worked at the factory, he was aware that something was wrong with Raven, and wanted to keep him close, which might also be the reason why he kept him at Ricky's Wonder Shack. Once we found him, he decided to move the Raven back,'' Sam added.

''I assume he knows that Raven was haunted at some point, but that he doesn't know that the soul had abandoned the animatronic, with the AI having merged with whatever remained from the soul,'' Springtrap said, glancing at the photo. ''We also know that he's probably trying to create haunted animatronics, or at least something similar. Not to mention, he uses different kinds of animatronic parts, but there are some that don't look like they belong to the animatronics from Ricky's Wonder Shack, but rather…''

He frowned, glancing at Sam, who looked back at him with a serious expression.

''You made animatronics that looked friendly, but were killer machines,'' she said darkly. ''However, these are just killer machines.''

''Not only that, but going by the animatronic parts we saw, he is trying to make animatronics that are similar to Freddy, Bonnie, Chica and Foxy,'' Springtrap added, with Sam returning to the photo of the room where they found the tanks and the huge sickle-like, or rather, hook-like object.

''Okay, but, why would he do that?'' Sam asked, with both her and Springtrap being confused. ''As far as we know, he hates Freddy's and the mascots. Also, the endoskeletons we found didn't look like they could fit those parts.''

''Honestly, I don't know what this guy is planning,'' Springtrap said, feeling a little frustrated. He felt that the answer was obvious, but there were still some key components he didn't understand. ''It's as if there are two puzzle pieces that just don't fit together, no matter how you place them.''

''I guess it cannot be helped, especially considering that we still don't know everything and that all we have are assumptions and theories,'' Sam said in a comforting tone, with Springtrap giving her a questioning look. ''William, what is currently going on is not your fault. This is the fault of a deranged and delusional person and, while you might think that there are similarities, you are nothing like him.''

''Why do you think that I am worried about that?'' Springtrap asked, trying to sound amused by her question. However, his expression turned serious when he saw Sam's look of concern. ''Am I that easy to read?''

''Sometimes you are, sometimes you aren't,'' Sam replied. ''I'm trying my best to pick up on whenever you feel upset, since you're not really willing to share how you feel.''

''I'm sorry…'' Springtrap muttered, aware that he was better at concealing his own feelings and creating a new persona in order to interact with society, rather than just being honest about how he felt. It was simply easier that way and people never questioned him. However, with Sam, that was hardly possible to hide how he felt.

''It's fine,'' Sam replied. ''Sometimes, it is interesting to see whether I can figure out how you feel or not. It's worth to just see your reaction.''

''I guess there are still other things I need to work,'' Springtrap said. He remembered his conversation with Henry, aware that his old friend didn't really believe that he could change anything about his behavior and attitude. Even the entity mocked him whenever he refused to act like his past self.

However, he was confident that he could prove them wrong.

xXx

Connor was at the room with the costumes, having been told by the manager to clean up the Ricky suit as a child had accidentally spilled soda on it and they couldn't let the animatronic walk around with a dirty suit on. Truth to be told, he was a little annoyed that the management denied him any interaction as Ricky until the suit was clean.

He knew that he deserved to be one of the characters, as no one else was fit for this kind of performance, but he didn't have much of a say in it. Of course, he still held the strings here, as he knew that he was the only one capable of dealing with the animatronics. Whenever they malfunctioned, he'd be asked to fix them, but that was it. There was no praise for his work, although, he didn't want any from someone who couldn't appreciate his abilities.

''In the end, it is only you and me,'' he said, holding and looking at Ricky's head. ''I am sorry that I had to move our friend back, but it was necessary.''

He placed the head back on the desk, stroking it gently. His eyes narrowed as he thought about his co-workers, knowing that he was an oddity among them. None of them understood his strange affinity for the robots. It was quite hard to find someone who would be awed by his ideas and achievements, but he did feel that he had found someone like that. Still, it would take a while until he could show them what he had managed to accomplish. He wanted it to be perfect.

However…

He couldn't stop thinking about that strange animatronic. He was fairly certain that the robotic bunny belonged to Freddy's, but he was quite sure that he had never seen a mascot like this one. There were times he wondered whether he had hallucinated the animatronic, but he looked too real to just be some kind of delusion. Musing about it, Connor put the mask on.

He needed to be careful while planning his next step.

xXx

Sam winced when it suddenly thundered.

''What is wrong with the weather today?'' she muttered. ''This one sounded like a bomb went off above our heads.''

''It will eventually stop,'' Springtrap told her. ''Although, I wouldn't want to be the one who got caught outside in such weather.''

''Me neither,'' Sam said. Apparently, after their conversation about Ricky's, they two had decided that they wouldn't go anywhere, as the weather conditions were terrible. Therefore, they remained at Sam's room, talking about random stuff. Springtrap gave Sam a strange look as she suddenly went quiet, as if remembering something.

''Are you okay?'' he asked, with Sam looking up at him and smiling.

''Sure, although…'' She sighed. ''Okay, maybe I'm not. At one point, after school, I ended up without a ride while it was pouring outside, as Mum was away on a business trip. One of my former friends told me her mum could pick us both up and that I should wait for her. Well, I did wait for her… for three hours.''

''What happened?'' Springtrap looked surprised.

''I called her and she told me that she couldn't find me, so she left. When I finally arrived at home, I looked like I fell into a swimming pool,'' Sam said bitterly. ''Even my backpack and my books were wet. When I called her later, she told me it was my fault for not arriving at the meeting spot at the time we agreed to. Once I told her that I was there, she played dumb, telling me that I was lying and that we were supposed to meet somewhere else.''

''Honestly, I would really love to have a word with your former friends,'' Springtrap said, with Sam noticing the irritated look on his expression. ''I'm quite sure that they would understand how hurtful their pranks were and apologize to you after a quick conversation.''

''I do believe that they would, although I don't want to bother dealing with them,'' Sam replied, knowing well that Springtrap would probably threaten them and force them to apologize to her. She smiled. ''I'm just happy that you're my friend.''

''At least I'm a better friend to you than I was to Henry…'' Springtrap's ears twitched.

''I can't argue with that,'' Sam said, with Springtrap lowering his head. ''Still, you're obviously doing better now, which is a good thing.''

''You aren't doing bad yourself either,'' Springtrap replied. ''Someone would think that, after going through all of that, you'd stop trusting people.''

''Honestly, I do want to trust people. I mean, I know that I should be wary of others, but it's annoying when you're constantly cautious, unsure whether you can even approach a person safely,'' Sam said, looking at Springtrap. ''I'm glad that I can at least trust you.''

''Sam, I…'' Springtrap trailed off when he saw Sam staring at him with a look of uneasiness on her expression. He sighed. ''I know you're annoyed by my self-deprecation, but I'm just being honest here. I don't trust myself, even though you do. Hell, even Emma-''

''Even Emma what?'' Springtrap froze, turning around only to see Emma smiling smugly as she leaned against the door. He frowned.

''How long have you been listening to us?''

''Long enough to know that you seriously need to work on your confidence,'' Emma told him, then looked at both of them. ''Why are you even here? I thought you'd be out, exploring places.''

''Water and robots don't mix well together,'' Springtrap replied.

''I assume you based that on personal experience,'' Emma said, joining the two. Sam and Springtrap exchanged glances, wondering just how much she knew.

''In any case, we're not going anywhere during this kind of weather,'' Sam said.

''I know,'' Emma replied, with Sam figuring that her mother was trolling them again. ''Don't worry, I just came here to tell you something and then I'll leave you two alone.''

''Just take your time,'' Sam said sarcastically. Emma winked, still smiling. While looking at both of them, and feeling a little lost, Springtrap had to wonder just how did Emma manage to be so calm about the whole situation and accept whatever Sam was doing as something normal, only to realize that Emma was probably considering this as normal. After all, she did state her opinion on this and just let them do whatever they wanted, as long as they followed the conditions she gave them.

''Me and Cassie are going to visit an old friend of Cassie's tomorrow. Sadly, her grandmother died about a week ago and she told us that there were a few things she wanted to get rid off, so she offered us to come to her place and take whatever we find. Apparently, her grandmother was a passionate collector,'' Emma explained.

''Are you sure about this trip?'' Springtrap asked her in an ominous tone. ''Last time you decided to visit someone to buy something, it didn't end up well.''

''At least I spend my time learning from my mistakes rather than just reflecting on them like you do, Afton'' Emma replied, with Springtrap's eyes flaring purple as he glared at her. She grinned slyly. Sam, who was looking at each of them, was on the verge of facepalming, feeling that both could at least try and improve their current situation, rather than try to mess with each other.

''Still, reflecting on your mistakes helps you understand why you made them in the first place and how to prevent them from happening in the future,'' Springtrap replied.

''I guess you're right,'' Emma said after a little pause, shrugging and leaving the room. Springtrap was a little confused about the lack of quips, as well as her calmness, hoping that she would finally leave him alone. To his dismay, she didn't. ''Oh, and before I forget; I heard someone walking through the house last night.'' Both Sam and Springtrap froze, nervously looking at Emma, who put on a confused look. She crossed her arms, putting a finger on her chin, as if she had no idea what was going on. ''Of course, I might've been just dreaming. Right?''

''Um, sure…'' Sam said, laughing in a nervous manner. She and Springtrap felt their anxiety skyrocketing when Emma suddenly gave them a death glare.

''I hope so,'' she said, closing the door. Sam and Springtrap glanced at each other, looking disturbed.

''She's a nightmare,'' Springtrap said in a quiet tone, as if fearing that Emma would overhear them.

''Even though she has a point… I agree with you,'' Sam said.

Both winced when it thundered again.

xXx

Connor rose an eyebrow when he saw a figure standing in the rain next to Ricky's Wonder Shack, holding an umbrella and looking frantically at their phone. He recognized the person as Bella, who seemed to be in trouble. He drove next to her on the empty street, lowering the window.

''Do you need a ride?'' he asked.

''Oh, thank God!'' Bella looked relieved. ''I thought you had already left!'' She quickly got into the passenger seat, folding her umbrella. ''My roommate had a family emergency and couldn't pick me up, so I was only left with the option to walk back home.''

''That's unfortunate,'' Connor replied. ''You won't mind if I do a little detour? There's some work I need to get done. I can drive you back home after I have finished.''

''Go ahead, I won't mind,'' Bella replied briskly. ''I'm just glad I don't have to walk back home during this weather.''

Connor nodded, with the rest of the ride being in silence, as Connor wasn't really talkative and Bella was focused on texting someone on her phone. She did lift her head once they stopped in front of a gate that led to a strange building. Lightning illuminated the sign above the gate.

''Machinations Factory,'' she muttered, looking at Connor. ''Why are we here?''

''As said, I have something to do. If you want, you could join me,'' Connor replied, taking the umbrella from the back of his car and a pair of keys. He then unlocked the rusty lock and opened the gate, looking at Bella. She was unsure whether to follow him, but she had no idea how long he would be inside that building. She also didn't feel exactly safe being left in this strange area she didn't recognize. Taking a deep breath, she took her umbrella, joining him. Connor smiled as she followed him, while Bella clutched her smartphone tightly, as if it was a safety blanket. He then unlocked the front entrance, with the two leaving their umbrellas there.

''What is this place?'' Bella asked. ''How come you have the keys for it? Are we even allowed to be here?''

''I used to work here and I look after the building,'' Connor replied, walking over to a nearby office and taking a flashlight from the desk. ''Unfortunately, the power is still out due to a broken generator, so we'll have to use this.''

''I have my own,'' Bella said, holding up her smartphone as she turned the flashlight on. She then followed Connor, wondering where he was going. ''So, what is this factory?''

''It used to make animatronics,'' Connor said.

''Ah, I see,'' Bella muttered. ''This is where Ricky and the Misfits were created, right?''

''Exactly,'' Connor said, giving Bella a curious look. ''Say, what do you think about them? About Ricky and his friends? Aren't they fascinating?''

''Well, they are robots capable of interacting with people. Of course they're interesting,'' Bella replied, with Connor looking pleased. ''Although, I'm not really interested in them.''

''Really?'' Connor's eyes narrowed, the joy inside him perishing like an extinguished flame.

''To be honest, they're kind of creepy,'' Bella added, not noticing the change in his eyes.

''I see,'' Connor said half-heartedly. ''I think they're quite special.''

''What is, according to you, so special about them?'' Bella asked him, feeling chills crawling down her spine when she saw Connor grinning.

''I'll show you,'' he replied. Bella shuddered, with a voice inside her head screaming to leave now. After all, she didn't know Connor that well and she had no idea where she was. I should've called an Uber…

Still, she followed Connor, hoping that that voice in her head was wrong. He didn't force her to come here and he didn't look like he would object if she just left. Aside from that, Bella was quite sure that she would get herself lost in the factory.

''Don't worry, I just wanted to introduce you to my friend,'' Connor told Bella, snapping her out of her thoughts.

''Well, that's nice…'' she said nervously, following him to some kind of boiler room. Inside it was a furnace, with a strange-looking animatronic sitting inside it, leaned against the wall. ''I-Is this your friend?''

''Yes, he is,'' Connor replied, crouching next to the Raven. Bella gasped in surprise when the animatronic started to trash suddenly. ''Don't worry, he won't hurt you. He just hasn't figured out how to stand up.''

''Who is he? Why isn't he at Ricky's Wonder Shack?'' Bella asked.

''Unfortunately, he was decommissioned before he could appear on stage,'' Connor said as he stood up. ''I told him I could make him better, that I would correct the injustice that had been done to him. I'm the only one who understands him and he's the only one who understands me.''

''Connor, I want to go home,'' Bella said, trying to keep calm, but she was shaking. ''Please…''

She shivered when she saw the cold look Connor gave her.

''Do you really think that he's not worth it?'' he asked.

''N-No, I mean… I don't know… I just want to go home, please!'' Bella pleaded. ''I am not interested in any of this!''

''So, that's how it is,'' Connor muttered. ''You really hate them, don't you…''

''No, I never said that!''

''You're lying!'' Connor yelled at her, storming out of the room. Bella fell on her knees, hearing the steps echoing through the hallway. She was in shock, not understanding what was wrong with Connor. Why is he so obsessed with those animatronics?! They're just machines!

Feeling sick, she got up, entering the hallway and searching for the exit. Even though she hoped that Connor would calm down a little, she didn't want to deal with him anymore. As she walked down the hallway, she noticed that one of the doors was open. She peeked inside, hoping to find some kind of exit, only to gasp upon seeing numerous animatronic parts inside it. What freaked her out the most was the brown bear mask with the black top hat that was placed on the desk next to the door. Its eyes would flicker eerily, as if it was possessed by something.

She stepped back, only to bump into something. Turning around, her eyes widened as she saw Ricky staring back at her with bloodshot eyes. Something silver flashed, and her scream died in her throat as she staggered back, falling on her knees as her fingers feebly reached for the knife in her chest.

''You will learn to appreciate them,'' Connor said proudly, grinning underneath the Ricky mask. ''I have managed to bring my partner back and I will do the same to you. You won't have to suffer anymore in this pathetic body.''

''Y-You…'' Bella stuttered, with blood flowing out of her mouth. She fell down as the world around her turned black. Connor stared at her blankly as she stopped moving, the blood that was flowing out of her chest staining the floor. He crouched next to her, observing her glassy and lifeless eyes.

''It won't hurt,… I promise.''

Links:

#Previous Chapter

#Current Chapter

#Next Chapter

#Five Nights at Freddy's: The Untold Story (Masterlist)

#Five Nights at Freddy's: The Untold Story #Five Nights at Freddy's: Salvaged #fnaf #five nights at freddy's #william afton #springtrap

3 notes · View notes