#so he'll hopefully figure out that's a warm spot

[kedreeva]

Indie is sulking about the cold weather

#peafowl #peacocks #birds #indie #my pets #i turned on his heated perch today after getting the thermostat set up #so he'll hopefully figure out that's a warm spot #and spend more time in the coop #instead of out in the wind like some kind of fool #he's from the south and this is his first michigan winter #and he isn't as beefy as my birds #Been slowly putting weight on here though

[fandomfaeofveryfewf4cks]

ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/52424179/chapters/132621133

part 1: https://www.tumblr.com/fandomfaeofveryfewf4cks/734441798135676928/mobius-stands-under-that-tree-for-a-long-time?source=share

. . . . .

The image of Loki glowed brighter as Mobius got closer, but it was so blurry and kept fading in and out, like he wanted to stay, but kept getting pulled away.

"Loki?," Mobius aked. "Loki, can you hear me?"

The image glowed brighter, particularly his eyes. They glowed a gold deeper than the sunlight. Mobius took that to mean "yes."

"How are you here? Can you speak through this... thing?" Honestly, what was this supposed to be?

As he said that the image started to flicker and fade. He thought he could see Loki almost perfectly before he disappeared entirely. "No!" He put his hand against the glass as the last of the green left the window, leaving a warm buzz tingling the skin of his palm. That was more than a little strange.

Was Loki trying to reach out? Why now? Mobius had spent weeks trying to find a way to reach Loki, get any word through. Of course it's as soon as he leaves the TVA that Loki finds a way to get word to him. Though, it obviously wasn't easy. How did he do it?

Mobius sighs. He's going to have to go back now. He needs to talk to O.B. to get answers and let B-15 know because they agreed to keep in touch and to let each other know if and when something happens.

He adjusts the settings for the time door and goes through. He steps into the TVA and there's a room full of the bustling people he had last seen a day ago. He walks down the hall and it doesn't take long to find B-15. She spots him. "Mobius! What's wrong? You just left!"

Ordinarily, Mobius would make a crack at how she was just saying he'd be missed, even though he knows she's just saying this because it's concerning that he'd be back so soon. But there is, in fact, reason to be concerned about him being back so soon, so he'll just get to the point.

"I saw Loki."

"Please tell me you're talking about a variant or past version of Loki."

"Nope, I'm talking about our Loki, the one holding the multiverse together in a dimension none of us can reach."

"Okay. Let's hope this doesn't mean the multiverse is going to turn to spaghetti again," she says as she starts walking. Mobius follows her. They end up at the lab where O.B. and Casey are overseeing a team of people to work on devices that would hopefully make all their jobs easier. Currently, they are huddled together over a counter full of notebooks discussing plans for what Mobius is pretty sure they said was a Biotemporal Energy Conserver at some point, though he doesn't remember what exactly it was supposed to do.

O.B. looks up. "Mobius! You're back! Has the multiverse started to spaghetti again?"

"No," Mobius says, "But Loki has found a way to show himself to me through a sort of reflection in a window. It was only for a moment, but he was definitely there, and it was definitely him. Which means there's got to be a way to contact him."

"What could have kept him from contacting you before now?" Casey asked.

"Lots of things," O.B. responds. "First of all, Loki is weaving together branches that are infinitely being created and each one needs to be woven in as it's made so that it doesn't break off and die. Secondly, I'm sure it takes a while to get used to before feeling like you can even try diverting your attention to something else."

"Still, he exists in a place outside of time and you said he had figured out how to control his time slipping, which is why he was able to bring all the branches together. If he can go essentially anywhere in time, couldn't he have contacted us sooner, even if it would have been later for him?" Casey asks.

"The TVA also exists outside of time. Maybe that caused some sort of interference," B-15 interjected.

"Yes!" O.B. exclaims. "His magic, focus, and potentially life force, are all being put into the time lines. Since the TVA doesn't exist on a time line, he couldn't reach us. But Mobius stepped onto a timeline, allowing Loki to reach him."

"He must be having difficulty sparing any of his power for anything other than keeping the multiverse alive - which, when said allowed is pretty understandable; that's a lot to handle - if the best he could do was show a momentary reflection of himself," theorizes Casey.

"But none of this explains how we're going to get him back," Mobius exclaims, running a hand through his hair, tiredly.

The room goes quiet. O.B. is the first to break the silence. "Mobius, even if we find a way to contact Loki, the fact that Loki can barely even contact us at all is not only evidence suggesting it could be near impossible for us to contact him without a power source to match his, but that it would be impossible to take him away from the branches without them falling apart and being destroyed. We might be able to reach Loki, but we almost certainly can't bring him back."

Mobius can't help but look away dejectedly. B-15 puts a hand on his shoulder. "I know that seeing Loki probably gave you a lot of hope that we could bring him back. But you were just starting to let it get through to yourself that we couldn't. We'll try to reach Loki, but you should be careful not to backtrack too much on processing the loss of Loki, even if he's not fully gone."

Mobius sighs, his hands on his hips as he nods at the floor. "I know," he says, "Sorry, I didn't mean to phrase it like that. I just got caught up in all the emotions."

"You don't have to apologize for that. We know how you feel." She pats him gently but firmly on the shoulder and smiles at him, sadly and sympathetically. He smiles back as best he can and pats her hand back before taking a breath and standing up straight.

"Alright, so where do we begin?"

. . . . .

There's so many branches, so many universes, worlds, people. There are so many people. So many of them are remarkably similar to one another and it's fascinating how many of them dislike each other for precisely the traits they have in common.

But so many of them are different too. It truly is endless, how many possibilities there are for even one singular person on one tiny world, in a single universe, in a single branch. It's never-ending, always changing, and always moving.

"It's so easy to get lost in this," Loki thinks. When there's nothing to do here, but sit and watch over the timelines he's putting quite literally everything he has into keeping alive, it's easy to let your mind wander to their beauty, and all the intricacies of the secrets and stories they each hold.

But still, he aches. In fact, his heart aches and yearns far more than it ever had before. He almost misses the days when loneliness was so easily disguised by anger and villainy. His envy and distrust carving into his heart like the knives he believed were the only form of love he could ever have for himself. At least then, no one was able to convince him otherwise and therefore, he couldn't be disappointed by someone betraying him or grieve for someone taken from him.

Besides, even then he knew he didn't deserve love. Betraying people was his entire character and he made Thor grieve over him many times. He enjoyed it; he reveled in it, back when Loki was always behaving like a child throwing a tantrum, desperately wanting to not be forgotten or ignored. That was back when Odin's opinion of him was all that he really lived for, even if he would have loathed to admit it.

So much has changed since then. Since the day he let go of his father's scepter and fell through the cosmos to eventually meet Thanos. Since failing to take over New York and getting captured by his brother and his obnoxious friends. (Even if he can now somewhat understand why they'd fight so hard to protect the world they care about, most of them are still obnoxious in Loki's opinion. Especially that Tony Stark chap. Not to mention, he will never forgive the Hulk for throwing him around like a rag doll.)

Even the one thing he never expected to change changed. For the first time in his rather long life, Loki actually had friends. It should be impossible, but after getting everything he'd ever known about how time and reality work flipped on its head so hard it probably had a concussion, he had to save the universe with a group of random people, who would become most dearest to him, even dearer to him than himself. And these people would teach him how to care about others and do so good a job at teaching him this that he devotes the rest of his eternity to protecting them all at the expense of his happiness.

And he had happiness. He had thought he could have even more once they saved everyone. Sure O.B. and Casey would probably settle into a life of technological advancements and B-15 would continue dedicating her life to protecting people in the ways she does best, not unlike the way Loki ultimately has. Obviously, Silvie has made her choice already.

But Mobius. Maybe Mobius would try to find his life on a timeline, or even just a life on a timeline that he'd like to settle for, but Loki doesn't think that will be enough for him. He's had so many talks with Mobius. In the centuries it took to learn all that O.B. knew, he'd be lying if he said he didn't sneak in a few breaks to have odd chats with his friends, more often Mobius than anyone else.

He was just so easy to talk too. Too easy, really. He had to practice serious restraint in finding time with Mobius through those centuries, and still, he couldn't keep away entirely. No one has ever made him feel so safe and seen and wanted as Mobius has. Seeing Mobius smile at something Loki said made all the time slipping worth it. He really wishes he could see that smile again, but he hasn't been able to find any of his friends on the time lines. He tried looking for the TVA, but it was a struggle to take his focus off the timelines without it falling apart.

But then, one day, he felt something familiar. He had grown used to the instinct to reach out to all the variants of his friends. B-15 was a pro-wrestler champion on one timeline. Casey had been a struggling painter. He'd seen O.B. as a president, a school janitor, and "The world's smartest slug," complete with glasses. He'd glimsed countless versions of all his friends, but none of them were his friends. This was especially true with Mobius. He'd occassionally find "Don" and check on him, just to see even a glimpse of his Mobius. In fact, Don was who he mainly talked to through the centuries because he didn't want to risk affecting Mobius', memory too much.

But this feeling. This was far more familiar than any of the variants. It was even closer to Mobius than Don. Could it be?

Loki searches through the branches with his magic until he finds Mobius, standing in front of the house he doesn't remember living in. He doesn't want to spook Mobius by just popping in (He also doesn't want to pull away from the other branches, lest everything falls apart again, but you know, priorities.), so he uses the tree covering Mobius as his eyes, and the sunlight warming his back as his ears, watching through the golden rays as Silvie breathes in the freedom she now finally has and listening through the creaking of the bark as Mobius says the next thing he plans to do is to just wait there and "Let time pass."

Loki can feel Mobius' sadness, so he urges the sun to shine a little bit brighter both on Mobius and through the leaves of the tree so they throw a peaceful tint over the area. There's a reason he's always liked green. It has a calming effect on people. He watches Mobius take a breath and just stand there.

It hurts to see him like this. So still and not being pulled towards any particular directi- oh never mind, he's started walking towards the jet skis. Time is a speedy little rascal, isn't it?

Mobius has an idea, and what Loki thinks is the most depressed excuse for a smirk, crosses Mobius' face. It's not difficult to figure out what he's planning on doing.

For someone who lit up so brilliantly when talking about these watercrafts, he seemed to approach the thought of finally getting to take one for a spin like it was a chore. Just another thing to check off his list for the day. Hopefully, he'll cheer up a bit while actually on the jet ski.

. . . . .

He did not cheer up much from actually being on the jet ski.

And now he was moping into a bowl of salad! Honestly, Loki is still getting used to the bizarre way time seems to pass for him in this realm, especially when it seems to change up every time he interacts with a branch, which is especially frequently. However! Surely, it has been some time since he left. Right? Maybe? It really would be helpful if he had multiple clocks for each realm visible at all times, with big glowing signs that say "you are here" as those mortals from Midgard have taken to putting on their maps.

Either way, he had hoped Mobius would have at least started to get past...well, everything. He had dropped life at the TVA and was now free to go wherever and do whatever he liked. He can have a life now. He ought to make the most of it.

He watches Mobius look at the salad bowl like a kicked puppy watching its favorite toy get incinerated (not that Loki has ever seen that specific scenario).

Ah. This is the first time Loki has seen any of his friends from the TVA. They last saw him walk through a portal holding a bunch of time branches and looking resigned to a miserable fate. "There could be a slight possibility," Loki thinks, "That they don't have any solid evidence that I'm alive and well... This could be worrying for them." Loki sits with an admittedly obvious realization that he probably should have had as soon as he found Mobius or Sylvie, for about a second.

Then Mobius gets up and starts fiddling with a tempad. "Oh shit," Loki says to himself before sending his energy to a nearby window reflection and a breeze to draw Mobius' attention to it.

He can affect things on the branches from where he is to an extent. Mostly it's just making illusions, shifting light, and some minor elemental control, like causing breezes or shifts in tide. Now he projects his image through the glass. He hasn't tried to put anything of himself onto the other planes and timelines yet. Now's as good a time as any to try.

The image is there enough for Mobius to see him. However, as Loki gradually makes the image clearer, he suddenly feels a shift on his plane. The branches rumbled as Yggdrasil (he's taken to calling it that because, I mean, come on. That's basically what it is, isn't it? A grand tree made up of space and time, holding all the realms together? What else was he going to call it?) creaked side to side ever so slightly.

But however slightly, it's an absolutely massive tree, so any movement it makes causes a bit of an upset. Luckily, it didn't seem to affect the actual branches, at least not outwardly. Their lights didn't flicker. None of them were broken. He was going to have to send his consciousness through them all to make absolutely sure they were alright. But then he hears Mobius call to him.

"Loki?"

Instantly, his attention comes back to him, but he's careful to keep hold of the branches more purposefully. It seems pretty okay. He's looking at Mobius, but can feel the branches in his hands and on his back, wrapped around him. They feel calm. Interesting. Mobius does not feel calm. Woops. He tries to make his image clearer as it had faded further, but then he takes in the details of Mobius' face. He's looking at Mobius through his projection now. The Loki he sees is him as he is. Mobius looks worried...and tired. Maybe he shouldn't have interfered. Mobius just got hold of a life where he was free to do as he chose, away from the TVA and all the baggage that comes with being manipulated and dragged around by what are essentially Time Gods. Now, Loki is just popping back into his life randomly to cause an upset in Mobius' quest for contentment?

He should've thought this through more carefully. He pulls the window image away. and gets a glimpse of Mobius reaching for him. Oh, that hurts. But also, not? He doesn't want Mobius to be distressed, especially not by him, but at the same time, that's proof, isn't it? Proof that Mobius cares about him.

Oh, what is he doing? Yearning for the attentions of a human who is truly better off without him. Loki knows perfectly well the sort of things that happen when he and his kin interfere with the lives of mortals. The results are almost as bad as the catastrophic tragedies that happen when they get more personally involved and attached to them.

As he feels Mobius leave the branch, presumably to go to the TVA, he realizes he needs to consider his next steps carefully. But first, he should really check on the branches more thoroughly to make sure they're okay after Yggdrasil's little earthquake. Spacequake? Timequake? Whatever.

He looks through each branch without trying to enter it like he had just done with Mobius. He doesn't know how long it takes to get through them. He doesn't know how long it takes to do anything anymore, but he does get through them and there's no more to be concerned about than usual. What there is to be concerned about is what Loki's going to do about Mobius.

But there isn't much concern to be given before Loki hears Mobius' voice clear as day, calling out to him on one of the timelines.

. . . . .

Part 3:

https://www.tumblr.com/fandomfaeofveryfewf4cks/737291662539309056/loki-mobius-called-out?source=share

#loki fanfic #loki x mobius #lokius #loki series #loki post season 2 fanfic #fanfiction #how about that #i wrote a part 2 #finally #hopefully there'll be a part 3 #we'll see

[slayagami]

i. midoriya

bashful pro-hero midoriya to the coffee shop’s barista ):

part 2 (soon..)

which is true. you do notice him, how could someone miss an attractive costumer with bright green hair and curls covered with a white cap? you'd be stupid not to notice. you took note the first day he walked in, his lips pursed in thought as he looked though the menu on the wall. a total hottie. and he came often, ordering the same thing, sitting in the same spot. I mean, he came often because it was good right? you'd like the believe so. when he ordered his drink, you added a little more extra milk foam and two more pumps of syrup than you normally would; he seemed like the type with a sweet tooth. and after a while, you began writing a thanks of the cup sleeve too, a way to show you acknowledge him. maybe he wouldn't get it, or maybe he didn't care, but you had hope. hope in the way he watched you work, meticulous and precise. you hope he notices the writing on the cup sleeve, or the fact that you take a little more time on his order. you hope he notices something different about the cup today, you’re written number instead of a ‘thanks’. with a gentle voice, you placed the cup down on the counter and called him. almost embarrassingly, you turned around and prayed for the best, letting a breath of air you didn’t know you held.

izuku gratefully took the cup into his car, almost cradling it and he bowed politely in your direction. he sat in his usual spot, emerald eyes trailing your figure. he smiled, feeling shy and nervously glancing down towards the cup. he noticed the writing on the cup was different, a set of numbers instead of your gratitude. an action that flushed his face red in excitement and bashfulness. the tips of his ears flared before quickly (almost desperately) pulling his phone out and typing in the number, fast to text first.

unknown: hey! are you the barista who put your number on the cup sleeve?

rush hour started. he knew you’d be busy so he decided to leave, ears still red, and wait until after his patrol shift to check his phone again and see your response (hopefully).

and you did. almost as soon as you opened your phone and saw the message. you screamed, jumping lightly on your toes and erupting your lips into a huge smile.

midoriya loves the hidden coffee shop down the street from his house. he loves sitting at the one-person booth in the corner with his back facing the window, watching the customers. he loves waiting in line with his white cap hung low on his eyes, a horrible attempt to hide his identity as pro hero deku. he loves walking up to the counter and warmly greeting the cashier, ordering the same warm cup of coffee every time. he loves watching you behind the counter, nodding at the order and getting to it, your hands moving swiftly while adding in the syrups and foaming the milk. he wasn't sure what you did to make his drink taste so good, in fact it's the only coffee he'll ever get now. sure, barista's have a certain drink recipe they have to follow for the store, but he swears yours is just different. he even came on your day off, several times, just to see if maybe all drinks from this store taste the same or if the other baristas can't make it well. they were good, he'll give them that, but it wasn't yours. he loves the way you make it, and he loves the way you call out his order and place it on the empty counter with the sleeve having a hand-written 'thank you!'. a small gesture, but he knows its yours. he also knows out of the hundreds of drink you make a day, you only take out the pen from your pocket on his order. maybe you know he's Deku, or maybe all you know is he's a regular with the same order, but you definitely notice him. he knows it.

#kiwi’s works. 🧃 #izuku midoriya #my hero academia x reader #midoriya x reader #my hero academia #THIS IS SO CUTE #deku #izuku x reader #midoriya fluff

[flowerslut]

No. 26 NO ONE LEFT BEHIND Separated | Rope Burns | “Why did you save me?”

Rating: M for discussion of mature themes. Words: 3518 Summary: Jasper was raised from birth to be the perfect Fire Nation soldier. He just never thought that title would become synonymous with "murderer". So, like the coward he is, he runs. He'll figure everything else out along the way. (Hopefully.) Avatar the Last Airbender AU.

A/N: I... don't typically enjoy writing crossover AUs. Not my cup of tea. But I had ATLA on the mind last month and couldn't resist. Enjoy this little snippet of a daydream I entertained a little while ago. (But don't expect any continuations, please.) This story contains talk of war crimes, genocide, imperialism, and sexual assault.

DOOMED

Lightning cracked across the sky again and Jasper glared out into the rain. There was a space between the roots of an overgrown tree and the western wall of the cave that sunk down low, and the water was slowly creeping further and further across the rock. If it kept up like this he’d have to move further inside.

Not only was he unwilling to sleep on a wet floor for another night, but he couldn’t risk his hiding spot being illuminated by something as traitorous as the sky.

It was bad enough he’d been forced to light a fire to keep the girl alive.

At that thought he turned and glanced out of the corner of his eye confirming that yes, she was still there and yes, she was still unconscious.

But not dead. Thankfully.

He walked away from the entrance then. As far as hiding places went—as far as crappy caves that peppered the mountainside went—it was a fairly decent spot. The mouth of the cave was only a couple meters tall and barely a meter wide; well, if you didn’t count the tree that ate up some space along the edge. It was only big enough for people (or animals, he reminded himself tensely) to crawl in and out, but only if they knew where to look.

Thankfully, Jasper had always been good at finding places to hide.

When he made his way back toward the fire his frown worsened. He hadn’t gathered enough wood before nightfall and now there was no possible way it would continue burning through the night. The world was too wet and it was simply too cold to let the flames die down completely.

Of course, he could keep himself warm just fine. Now the problem he was faced with was curled beneath his cloak, shivering even in unconsciousness.

He stepped forward and quietly kneeled down, reaching forward to lift the material only slightly. Enough to see that she hadn’t bled through the bandages around her head, nor had her lips turned blue.

Yet.

Continue reading on AO3

#whumptober2022 #no.26 #Why did you save me? #twilight #atla #fic #jalice #twilight fanfiction

[electrivolt]

@rockheadcd​ asked : Roark simply watches from the comfort of pillows and haphazardly scrunched up blankets, gaze pleasant and soft as the other seemed to be rummaging for something in particular in the closet. He head tilts slightly—yeah, those are certainly his sweatshirts and jackets alike, what's he doing? "Which one were you looking for in particular today?" he asks playfully, although he'll give him the best answer he can. After all, they may as well have started the habit earlier than people would have expected.

To think at one point they'd had borrowed clothing out of necessity.. now it was simply the reminder and the comfort they both sought out very specifically. Roark had seen it in the way hands gripped into sleeves, how he'd often had a head against his chest, how eventually those chilly hands made their way into a wide pocket, stealing up natural warmth. Roark had done so with how easily he'd fallen into letting his arms pull Volkner to him, whether he was sitting or standing, how he'd nuzzle into fluffy blond, cheek pressing into the few warm spots held by folded hood, how he'd pick up a shed garment the moment it was dropped if the layer made sense to hijack for the rest of the day. Admittedly, he doesn't quite remember when he'd taken Volkner's unique signature and memorized it by heart, but.. he wasn't anything short of enamored watching his partner do the same.

( he really looks like a furfrou looking for his favorite toy )

For the moment, he buries his face in the pillow nearest his chest, and it backfires. It's got both of 'em on it. A reminder that they didn't particularly choose to be separated—they shared everything, everything, just about anything and everything. It's the beauty of selfishness and trust as much as it is a little bit of possession and a little bit of being with one another at all times.

When Roark brings his head up, he hears a thought that tumbles its way into the forefront of his mind as he watches Volkner hunt for something that may as well have belonged to him—he didn't think he was capable of wanting to drown in someone so damn bad. "Oh right, there's laundry we forgot about, too." And if neither option sufficed, well, Roark was right there.

He doesn’t even really think when he starts searching, honestly— such a habit it has become by now already, it comes that naturally this far into things. To be quite honest, he wasn’t even thinking of what exactly he had decided to look for the moment he opened the closet, and yet there he is now, buried between piles of clothes, letting his hands guide him and discard clothing that is clearly not fitting whatever need his mind has thought of.

Maybe he’s in the mood for something warm and cozy, just the right degree of softness to be completely comfortable before slipping back into bed and in the arms of his personal heater. Yeah, that sounds like it’d work wonders right now.

“Where’s your hoodie? The dark one with the fossil.” Volkner could consider himself somewhat of an expert by now in Roark’s clothing— that one would work just fine for his needs. And maybe Roark would have to go back to Sunyshore at some point in the near future just to get it back, who knows. ( any excuse works, right? )

And back into the closet he goes to keep looking— he truly is determined to find it now, isn’t he? Well, he needs to be wearing something that will keep him from turning into an ice type when Oreburgh can be this unforgiving with its temperatures. And he still needs to figure out a way to survive the snow up north in his reckless and stupid rush to agree to Roark’s wishes to go there at some vaguely close point in the future. Him and his stupid brain and his even stupider blind love, the things he has to do— well, one thing at a time, hopefully he’d figure out how to get accustomed to increasing cold just enough to watch his love’s smile warm as the sun the moment they stepped somewhere else, the two of them and no one else, nothing more to think about than him.

( ... he really is smitten. more than he’d ever admit. )

Least his search does prove to be successful once his stubbornness lets it come to an end, soft hoodie found and he’s already hurrying to slip it on. Even in moments like this when so little weighs him down, it’s as if a burden he wasn’t aware of is taken off tired shoulders, visibly relaxing with so little already. Volkner knows well the reason, regardless— the scent still caught in the fabric is so undeniably Roark’s, it’s like being enveloped by him all over again. He could never get tired of this feeling, of having him so close and never letting go again, comfort he’s longed for, for far too long already to tire of it so easily.

Volkner doesn’t even take notice of that hint of a smile on his own lips, taken as he is in that brief moment.

Finally, he does remember that there is someone still waiting for him, a much better option than the hoodie alone, warmer and more loving too. And finally he decides it is, in fact, time to slip back into bed, making his way through all the blankets that were definitely only piling up in bed because of him and his shivers until he finds Roark again— and there is no hesitation there, arms already wrapped around him and pulling him close to return the gesture. This really felt like home, by now.

“I’m back— did you miss me?” The grin in his voice is unmistakable. What a little shit he can be.

( and yet this is exactly what roark likes, isn’t it? )

#〔 ask . 〕 ϟ i will not fall ; i will not fade ; i will take your breath away . #〔 ic . 〕 ϟ i will shut the world away . #rockheadcd #// perish #hands you a furfrou

[randomgamefan]

Hey local Inscryption fans, guess who it is-

I should probably name this fic outside of playtester AU, huh? Regardless, I'm finally done with chapter 2, and chapter production is going rather smoothly! Thanks to everyone on the discord for helping with inspiration and reading this over in beta version! It means a lot!

You may also see this on A03 sometime soon! Oh boy! Anyways, hopefully you all enjoy!

previous | next

Tldr: Luke has already gone through the five stages of grief and just figured he'll roll with whatever's going on

Luke found himself once again across from Leshy, the man handing him a simple four card deck - a stoat, two wolves, and a river snapper. Luke studied the stoat for some time, but found nothing odd about the card as he played it against Leshy. 

The introduction was short and sweet, as expected, Luke gathering an extra tooth for his troubles. Leshy gave a nod, pulling out a wooden figurine of a man with orcish features, dressed in seeming military attire and carrying a large axe. With a sudden snap, a large map depicting a thicket of woods was unrolled on the table, the figurine placed at its beginning

"You find yourself in a thick forest, a single path in front of you." Leshy commentated, allowing himself to get into the theatrics. Not that it was minded, Luke rather enjoyed how much life the scrybe put into his game. “There is a light fog, but not enough that your immediate path is blocked.”

Luke reached out, moving his piece forward. Leshy dealt three cards. “Three of the forest’s inhabitants approached you. The deadly adder, able to kill with one bite. The undying cat, which will not die when sacrificed. The clever beaver, building up dams wherever he goes.”

After careful consideration, Luke added the cat to his deck. In early game, it wasn't much, but late game he often found it invaluable. 

Leshy simply nodded at his choice, allowing Luke to move forward and warm one of his creatures by the fire, before finding an abandoned pack on the road.

The pattern was familiar and easy enough to adapt from his previous playthroughs of the game, so the closer Luke got to the prospector, the more he felt his arrogance getting the better of him. Knowing how the game works, he could afford to take moves a bit too dangerous, and found himself succeeding. 

At least, until his last battle before the prospector. 

Leshy laid out two grand firs on Luke's side of the field, before putting down a grizzly and a sparrow on incoming. The memory hit Luke like a truck. This battle was one that Leshy used to teach Luke how losing worked in his game- but no, he could win this, for sure! He had a lot more experience playing against grizzlies, and could do something about this!

"It is your turn." Leshy's voice snapped Luke out of his thoughts, and he cleared his throat, putting down the stoat in the one spot not blocked by the grizzly. He'd put the cat's sigil on the stoat, so the move itself was good, though Luke wasn't sure what more he could do. He broke a squirrel bottle to block the grizzly for the time being, before ringing the bell

One damage to Leshy. He could do this.

Leshy nodded, playing another grizzly to counter the stoat, Luke gritting his teeth as he looked the older man in the eye. Well, guess Leshy had his mind set on how this would go. "I'm not going to win this, am I?" 

The older man chuckled lowly at this comment, with a simple, "I suppose not, at least with your current setup."

Luke huffed. He didn't exactly like feeling cornered, but let Leshy get his damage in, wanting this battle to be over. That didn't take long. 

"You lost. Fetch me the candlestick by the door, would you?"

Luke nodded, standing from the rather uncomfortable wooden chair. Would it kill Leshy to invest in something that wasn’t made of pure wood? As he stepped forward to grab the candlestick, Luke glanced out the small window on the door, the woods stretching as far as the eye could see. He found his thoughts drifting to beyond the woods - he'd seen outside the cabin on the way in, and it was remarkably similar to Leshy’s cabin that he'd seen while playing the intended version of the game. So, logically, if he'd walk the other direction, Luke could find Grimora. He'd love to have a conversation with her, since she seemed to know the most about him when the files were being deleted. Oh, right, and he’d love to hear more about how the plan even worked, that might have helped it turn out the way she wanted.

Luke shook his head, snapping himself out of his thoughts. Candlestick, right, he wanted to see how the rest of this session played out. He blew out one of the two alight candles before returning. 

"I'm aware how the mechanic works." He told Leshy, simply getting a nod in return from the old man. 

"Then, shall we continue?" Leshy grabbed the scroll, unrolling it and allowing Luke to replace his figurine in its spot, before moving forward to the prospector fight. 

Leshy seemed to disappear for a few seconds, though Luke could tell he was grabbing a couple of props before dimming the lights in the cabin, lighting two candles in the small fake skull he kept. A strange sound began playing, one Luke identified as.. a pickaxe, ringing against stone. Where was that coming from? The props were set up on either side of Leshy as he began his narration.

"The trees seemed to close in around you as a chill mist descended. In the distance, you could hear the clinking of metal on stone. A hobbled figure stood in your path."

Leshy raised a carved mask to his face, a familiar etching of one of his subordinates. 

"Heeee-hawh! 'twas the Prospector!" Leshy called, doing a surprisingly good impression of the man Luke met outside the cabin. With that, cards were shuffled, and the game began. 

Luke found himself lucky to know the gimmick of the prospector, sorting his hand to save his best cards for the second half of the battle. His plan currently was just to take care of that coyote, which wasn't an issue with the stoat Luke drew. He was also able to play a raven egg on the pack mule's spot, something that quickly became invaluable to him. 

The round went off without a hitch, Luke finding himself with a Raven and a stoat ready to attack the next turn, the stoat taking out the coyote easily. Since Leshy was just playing a mole man on his next turn, Luke took a squirrel, and, using the undying sigil on his stoat, played a wolf. 

Might as well get this first round out of the way easily.

He watched the scale tip all the way over, Leshy giving a nod and removing the teeth. 

"Thar's gold in them cards!" Leshy called out, switching all of Luke's side of the field for the gold nuggets. Luke grit his teeth - he knew this was coming, but he still felt himself getting nervous and impatient at his complete inability to play. He reached for his deck, needing a bit of luck for his plan to-

The game was suddenly interrupted by the sound of the cabin door swinging open, crashing against the cabinet and rattling the old safe with an awful cracking sound of breaking wood. Leshy and Luke both looked over in alarm, Luke dropping his cards all over the table. 

There Grimora stood, her hair partially falling out of the hat she wore, clearly offset by wind or.. actually, from the looks of it, she ran here. Her long, old-fashioned dress was caked in mud at the ends, her face was flushed over, and her hand quivered on the doorframe from, well, probably adrenaline. Overall, the older woman appeared frazzled

"Leshy! I need you to-" She cut herself off, taking a moment to realize he was, well, clearly in the middle of a game. 

Confusion washed over Grimora's expression, and she began looking around the cabin. The setup for the prospector battle, the cards across the table, until her eyes locked on Luke.

The moment they made eye contact, Grimoras face dropped in.. shock? It was a reaction Luke wasn't quite sure how to read, simply because Grimora was quick to glance away and clear her throat. 

"Need me to what?" Leshy responded, taking off his mask and setting it aside, his tone turning a bit monotone and bored. It wasn't something Luke was used to, Leshy was always very expressive in his storytelling. 

"I need you to come with me, we need to speak, all four of us." She glanced at Luke again, but didn't allow her eyes to linger. "Clearly, something is wrong in this situation."

Leshy, though he seemed indifferent to the situation at hand on the outside, sighed and got up from his table. "Alright, as long as we can do it somewhere that's not P-03's factory. I'm not quite comfortable with that place considering... recent events."

"And I'm sure they'd say the same about your cabin." She remarked, before glancing once again at Luke.

"You may come, if you'd like."

Luke nodded wordlessly, standing up from the table and moving to follow Leshy out of the cabin.

Once outside, Luke glanced up, noticing the sun starting to rise in the background. 

Well, guess one thing made sense in the world right now. The sun always came back up.

And hopefully, this meeting could help him make sense of the rest.

#inscryption #inscryption playtester au #inscryption spoilers #luke carder #leshy #grimora #p-03 #the prospector #hmmghh this took so long #FORGOT TO TAG THIS POST WHEN I POSTED IT TOO #I have no brain #hi i see you lurking in my tags #thanks so much discord peeps i appreciate you so much

[darklymelanatedstories]

Hope you like this intro to:

Hide and seek (ft Goku)

Part 1

You kept as still as you could–despite your uncontrollable shaking–steadying your breathing as not to hyperventilate.

Breath in...breath out...breath in...breath out

The only thing you could hear was your breathing in this unbearable silence. Where was he?

Last you saw him, he was counting to 10. But you didn't stick around as you started running as soon as he reached 2.

You tried to control your sobbing and quietly prayed that he wouldn't find your hiding spot. It was dark and cramped on an especially dark night. Hopefully he'd miss you if he ever were to come by, if you just kept still.

Breath in...breath out–

Then you heard it.

The sound of a broken twig and crunched leaves as his footsteps became known, followed by the loud clanking of chains that spoke wonders of its intended use. You could hear his goofy chuckle, that which once brought you joy now brought you chilling goosebumps.

"Ready or not, here I come!"

~

"Found you, (Y/n)!"

A shriek left your lips as you were tackled to the ground.

"Goku! Goku, let go of me!"

You rolled around the grass in a fit of giggles and laughs as you tried to push the spiky haired man off your smaller form.

"Not until you give it."

"Never!"

Still struggling to free your self, you thought up a plan that was sure to work...and if it didn't then you'd die from embarrassment.

With Goku looming over you, you cupped his face with your hands, closed your eyes and hoped for the best as you leaned forward.

"What are you doing?"

You froze. Your lips just a kiss away from his and the man of your dreams was watching.

"Uh," You immediately pushed Goku off your form and jumped up from you spot. "Hey Vegeta. We were...uh just wrestling."

He raised an eyebrow at you. At that moment you could've died from embarrassment and you'd be happy because the last thing you'd see is Vegeta.

"Wrestling with your lips? Or actually was it tongue wrestling?",he teased.

"Well..."

"It's (Y/n)'s distraction technique to put her enemies off guard." Goku said, placing a hand on your shoulder. His way of saying that he was backing you up. "I gotta say it sure did the trick for me." He chuckled and you couldn't help but notice the light blush on his face.

"Uh huh, so if you two idiots are done with your little games," he then turned to look at Goku. "We have a match to get to."

And with that, he left.

"Sooo Goku–"

You were immediately cut off when Goku started rummaging through your backpack that you left on the ground. Realizing what he was looking, you rushed over to him but it was too late.

"Aha! Found it." He raised the box he found, up in triumph while using his other hand to stop you from trying to take it.

"Sorry (y/n)",he said before making a run for it, with you chasing after him.

"Goku, get back here with my donuts!"

•••

After chasing Goku and failing to get your donuts back, he made you a deal that if you stayed to help him prepare for his match against Vegeta then he'd give you your donuts back.

You didn't really have anything else planned so you decided to stay and help him warm up, also while trying to find where he hid your donuts. Priorities, right?

You were currently holding the giant punching bag still while Goku sent a flurry of punches so fast and hard that you thought you were the punching bag. The reason for his sudden aggressiveness was because of all the eyes that were immediately on you he moment you walked into a gym full of thirsty male wrestlers.

"Oh, sorry. (Y/n) are you okay?",he asked when he realized he almost punched you.

"Yeah.",you reassured. "It's nice not having you going easy on me as usual."

"But you know I'd never hurt you."

You gave him a smile and playfully punched him in the arm. "I know, big guy." You stood on your tip toes to match his height, your face dangerously close to his. "So does that mean I can wrestle today?"

Goku blinked comically before he chuckled. "I don't know (Y/n)."

"Aw." You crossed you arms and pouted. "Can I at least have my donuts?"

"Yo guys I found a box of donuts. Let's eat!"

Goku's eyes snapped towards the donut thief and you noticed him somewhat trying to forced back the scowl. You figured it was because someone found the donuts so you paid it no mind. You ran over to hug Yamcha and chow on your donuts like the world was coming to an end. Unaware of the burning glare a certain spiky haired man has been giving Yamcha. Though he kept his mastered fake smile whenever someone came near him.

It's no secret that Yamcha has been after you for a while now. Making no effort to hide his feelings or keep his hands to himself. He'd always make up an excuse to be around you or to have you to himself even if it was for something like watching a movie. You never really picked up on his flirty nature since he was like this with most women and you thought nothing of it but seeing him so much as touch you made Son want to cut Yamcha's hands off, break both of his legs and literally kick what's left of his ass with them.

He hated it. He hated that he loved the idea of having Yamcha scream in agony. Goku was a nice guy. He is a nice guy. Most loved in the city.

Goku had tried to convince Yamcha to leave you alone with some lame excuse but Yamcha wouldn't give up.

He watched as you laughed at whatever Yamcha just said while he wrapped your arms around you in which you thought was a loving brotherly manner.

6 weeks.

6 long weeks of seeing that shit and he was tired of it. It would end...tonight.

•••

Walking over to his car in the dark, empty parking lot, Yamcha couldn't help but feel uneasy, as if he was being watched. And the more he tread towards his car, the harder the feeling felt. Reaching for his keys in his pockets, he pressed a button that lead to what was music to his ears.

beep beep

Now sure his car was only a few steps away, his nerves slowly calmed as he quickened his pace.

"Haha, what was I so worried about. No one is here but me.",he tried convincing himself.

"10"

Yamcha immediately stopped in his tracks at the sound of the sudden voice seemingly echo in the parking lot.

"9"

"What?!" He started freaking out as he heard it again. The voice sounded so familiar but he was too scared to find out who it was.

The voice chuckled. "8"

"Who are you?!",Yamcha yelled only to be answered by another number.

"7"

"Fxck this!" Yamcha started jogging to to his car cautiously as his eyes searched the darkness for any other signs of life.

"6...5... You better be running the opposite way Yamcha because if I find you...no one else will."

Increasing speed, now running to his car, he tried to ignore whatever it was that was speaking to him. Once he reaches his car, he'll be fine. He'll be fine. That's what he keeps telling himself.

"4...3. Yamcha turn the fxck around before I kill you~",they sang.

They were delusion if they thought that would happen. Yamcha was getting to his car if it's the last thing he does.

The mysterious voice was soon heard laughing as soon as Yamcha touched his car.

"2.."

A horrific thought came into Yamcha's mind of seeing this person in his car.

He cautiously opened his door, his guard up just in case.

"Oh thank God!",he shouted after letting out a breath of relief. He jumped into his car in excitement. "Yes, I made it, now let's get the fuck out of–"

BOOM!

An explosion seared the air and earth in large expansion of smoke and flames leaving only a few large burning scraps of what used to be Yamcha's car.

~

Fixated on the glorious sight from his hiding place, he couldn't help but let out a derange cackle.

"Nothing like a bomb to make everything lit!",he joked to himself, clapping his hands excitedly to have gotten another victim in such a long time. Though he had to admit it wasn't as much fun as chasing after his prey in a nice little game of hide and seek but it was exceptional. He wouldn't waste all that energy on Yamcha.

Letting out a content sigh, he composed himself as he wiped a tear of joy from his eye. "I've missed this."

Looking back at the tiny destruction he's caused, he scowled at the thought of seeing that bastard Yamcha again. To think that one wrong move could have destroyed their friendship so fast that it'd have to result in manslaughter.

No regrets.

"I warned you Yamcha but you just had to go after my (Y/n).",he said. "You aren't the first and you certainly won't be the last. (Y/n) is mine and anyone who thinks otherwise better hide, because once the countdown ends I'll come seeking. And when I do, you better pray to Kami that I don't find you."

#goku x reader #goku #yamcha #vegeta #kakarot