#that probably made a really ugly metal thud

[daryl-dixon-daydreams]

Words: 2,193 Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Reader Reader pronouns: she/her Era: the prison Warnings: none really Summary: Y/N falls ill and Daryl goes to make sure she's okay, only to discover her cell is empty. A/N: Just a short and sweet fic! For all you fellow migraine suffers out there! Requested by: @winchestershiresauce and anon!

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“Gettin’ real sick of staring at these ugly fuckers,” Daryl said, smashing the end of the metal rod in his hand through the chainlink fence and into the brain of a particularly loud walker. He watched carelessly as it crumpled to the ground and was immediately replaced by another.  “Yeah, well—” you jabbed the crowbar in your hand into the temple of the seemingly endless infected clamoring at the fence, “someone has to do it.” You paused for a moment as your head suddenly swam. Daryl immediately noticed.  “What? Ya alright?” He thought maybe you looked a little pale all of a sudden, which was strange considering the sweltering heat and humidity. He was sure he was red-faced and he knew he was soaked with sweat.

You squeezed your eyes shut for a moment and shook your head. “It’s nothing. I’m good.” You resumed your thankless and grim task, picking out another infected dead one to put down. You felt Daryl’s eyes on you for a moment longer before he turned back to the fence. You wiped the sweat from your brow with the back of your hand and pushed on, but it was only a few more minutes when you felt your vision start to change and the familiar stabbing pain began to grow behind your eyes. Daryl watched as the crowbar dropped to your side and you froze again, squeezing your eyes shut, a grimace wrinkling your brow. “Hey—s’goin’ on? And don’t feed me some bullshit about how you’re fine,” he drawled. He watched your fist clench around the iron crowbar. “Just—just a little too much sun probably. I’m just gonna go get some water and shade for a bit. I’m fine. Really,” you said, opening your eyes again and turning to look at him. His eyes were narrowed as he peered back at you, concern obvious on his face. “I’ll walk ya up—” “No. No, Daryl, I’m fine,” you reassured him, forcing out a light laugh. “Just keep at it down here. I’ll see if Glenn or Maggie can come down. There’s too many walkers. We need to cut this herd down or we’ll lose the fence,” you said, already walking backwards toward the gate. “I’m fine,” you tossed out one more time, forcing a smile that you knew wasn’t entirely natural. He watched you turn and let yourself through the gate, taking the alleyway between the fences back up toward the prison. Hopefully you just needed to rest a little while... He continued to work on thinning the herd for a while but found himself distracted. Neither Maggie nor Glenn came down to help and it was possible they were just busy, but he found himself fixating on an intrusive thought that you’d collapsed somewhere of heat exhaustion on your way back to the cell block. He finally decided to take a break himself and make sure you were alright. He could see if anyone else was available to help on the fence too. The archer didn’t find you anywhere on his way back inside, collapsed or otherwise. He breezed into the cell block, stalking past Beth who had Judith in her arms. He slowed as he neared the cell you’d claimed and was surprised to see that it was empty. He spun on his heel and headed right back out toward Beth. “Hey. Ya seen Y/N come in here?” “She came through a little while ago, but she left again,” Beth said. “But ya did see her?” Daryl asked again. Beth nodded. “Yeah. I saw her. Why? What’s goin’ on?” She saw worry in the archer’s expression. “Any idea where she went?” Beth shook her head. “No. Daryl, what’s goin’ on?” “Nah, nothin’. She just—she was out on the fence with me and said she wasn’t feelin’ well. I just wanted to make sure she was alright. I was thinkin’ I’d find her in bed but she ain’t there.” “Oh,” Beth said. There was something like a realization on her face and Daryl paused. “What?” “Nothin’,” Beth said again, averting her eyes back toward Judith.  “Ya ain’t a good liar,” he said, a little annoyed that she obviously knew something she wasn’t saying. “C’mon. Spit it out,” he said, flicking his fingers at her. Beth looked up at him again and still seemed unsure. “It’s just—she doesn’t really want anyone to know...” “Know what?” he pressed. Beth looked hesitant, but the look on Daryl’s face convinced her to spill it. “Sometimes—she—she gets migraines. They can make her real sick,” Beth said, bouncing Judith on her hip. “Only reason I know is because I saw her leavin’ with her pillow one time real early in the mornin’ when I was up helpin’ with Judith.” “Leavin’? Leavin’ to where?” “She needs it dark and quiet... so I think she goes to one of the other cell blocks,” Beth said. “But she really told me not to say anythin’.“ Daryl stood stunned for a moment. “One of the other cellblocks?” Beth nodded. “Ya mean with those bloodstains and shit all over the place?” Beth shrugged. “I told her no one would care but she insisted I didn’t tell anyone anythin’.” Before Beth could ask him not to let you know that he knew, his broad shoulders were already disappearing back out the door. Daryl checked two cell blocks before he heard the sound of you being sick. He pushed through the cellblock gate, which creaked lazily on its hinges, and found you huddled over a bucket. You rinsed your mouth out with water and didn’t notice him standing in the cell doorway until you had sunk heavily back down on the edge of the mattress. You startled a little and Daryl watched your expression and body language just sag. 

“Great...” you muttered. “Did Beth rat me out?” you asked, sliding further back onto the bed and wiping a shaky hand across your clammy forehead. “On a scale of 1 to 10, how disgusting do I look right now?” you asked, leaning your head back against the wall behind you and shutting your eyes. Daryl was just about the last person you wanted to see you like this. He watched a flash of pain flit across your face. “‘bout a 5,” he drawled, stepping into the cell. You cracked one eye open to take in his expression and saw that although one corner of his mouth was quirked slightly upwards at his joke, he mainly looked concerned. You closed your eyes again as the light coming in the high cellblock windows made your head throb.

“I’ll be okay. I just need—if I can get to sleep, sometimes that stops it...” You pinched the bridge of your nose, feeling the thudding of your pulse beneath your fingers. “Sometimes?” Daryl repeated. You didn’t respond and he moved farther into the cell until he was standing at the side of the bunk. “I thought it was yer head. How come ya got sick?” he asked. You took in a deep breath and tried to let it out steadily. “If the pain’s too intense sometimes it can make me nauseous.” Oof. Talking was not helpful. “Mmm.” You shook your head. “Can’t talk.”  “Hmm...” Daryl considered you for a moment. “Scooch. And lie down.” You looked up at him, surprised, through bleary eyes, the aura of your migraine distorting your vision uncomfortably. “What?” “Ya heard me,” he said, his tone soft. You obeyed and shifted closer to the wall, settling down on your side. Daryl squeezed himself in beside you, sitting up with his back against the wall, legs crossed at the ankle.  Your eyes were closed, but he still saw your expression tighten as waves of pain crested and fell. “What can I do?” he drawled quietly.  You shook your head. “Just—nothing...” you murmured, feeling a hot wash of shame spread over you. The next moment your eyes shot open as you felt Daryl’s fingers running over your hair, following a strand gently, brushing lightly over you. You peered up at him in surprise and he immediately pulled his bottom lip in between his teeth and chewed it anxiously. His fingers left you for a moment. “Uhh—s’that... help?” he asked, his hand hovering above you. You nodded and closed your eyes again, just in time that you didn’t see how red Daryl’s cheeks and ears suddenly were. “Actually, yeah. That helps...” you sighed. His fingers landed in your hair again and resumed their gentle movements. He watched your breathing slow and deepen, and you seemed to sink more heavily into your pillow. Once you were asleep, Daryl carefully slipped from the cell and returned with a blanket for you, covering you over gently. He debated about heading back to the main cellblock, but the idea of leaving you there alone bothered him. Ya shouldn’t be in a fucking prison to start with, but alone in that cellblock that still held signs of unspeakable horrors? That was out of the question. So, instead, he slipped back onto the edge of the bunk, setting his back to the wall again, and settled in next to you. Maybe it was the hard work out on the fence earlier, but he was soon asleep too. When you woke up many hours later, you were surprised to see Daryl beside you asleep. his head nodded down toward his chest. He’d stayed there next to you? That whole time? He woke as you stirred a little, leaning up on an elbow and peering up at him, rubbing your eyes with your free hand.  “Hey,” he said, feeling suddenly awkward and climbing off the bunk and onto his feet. “How ya feelin’?” You nodded. “Better. Thanks. Just... a bit hungover,” you said wearily. The sharpness of your migraine had faded to a fuzzy kind of ache, and your whole body felt fatigued. “Hungover without the fun of gettin’ lit in the first place? That’s some serious bullshit,” he drawled, leaning back against the wall behind him, arms crossed over his broad chest. “Yeah, tell me about it,” you said, swinging your legs over to sit on the edge of the bed, the blanket falling from over you to land in a soft pile. “Thanks...” you murmured again, feeling that creeping wave of shame rising in you again. Daryl must have sensed it because you could feel his blue eyes on you, studying you, and you glanced up at him. “Why didn’t ya tell me?” he asked. “I mean, why hide it?” He looked around the empty cellblock and his eyes landed on the bloodstains on the floor outside the cell you were in and the piles of trash nearby. “This ain’t where ya should be when yer sick. Ya should be back where—where we can take care of ya...” He’d almost said “I” instead of we, and he felt his heart start pounding.  You hung your head and stared down at your hands. “I don’t want to be a burden...” you said quietly. “It’s better if I just deal with it. Alone.” Daryl scoffed and you glanced up at him. “Tha’s stupid. Ya ain’t alone. Ya got a family. And ya ain’t a burden cuz ya get sick. Ain’t yer fault. Can’t control it. Ya didn’t choose it. It’s the shit hand ya been dealt.” You shrugged and peered down at your hands again, anxious. “This why ya had to back outta that run the other week at the last minute? And—that time when we were out tryin’ to track that horse?” Your jaw clenched and you nodded. “Usually I know when they’re coming on. Sometimes I have more warning and sometimes hardly any at all... Before the world went to shit I had a couple medications that really helped, but—can’t exactly walk into a pharmacy now and fill a prescription,” you said wryly. “It’s fine. I manage them. But... I know it makes me weaker...” “Weaker? Nah. That ain’t true. If anythin’ it makes ya stronger cuz ya gotta deal with that pain.” You shook your head. “No. What if I’m out there and one hits me? That’s a weakness, Daryl. It’s dangerous.” “Mmm,” Daryl hummed, chewing on his bottom lip. He seemed to make some decision at that moment and straightened up. “Look. From now on? If yer gettin’ sick, ya just tell me, alright? No matter where we are, I’ll always make sure yer safe. If we’re outside the fence, we’ll find someplace to hole up. If we’re in here, I’ll make sure ya get to bed and that everyone keeps fuckin’ quiet so you can rest—well, ‘cept Lil Asskicker, but can’t do nothin’ about that,” he drawled.  You managed a half smile. “Daryl, you don’t have to—” “I know I ain’t gotta, but that’s how it’s gonna be. Like I said, yer not alone.”  You were a little overwhelmed at the moment and you felt a bubble of emotion forming in your chest. You cleared your throat and tried to gather yourself for a moment before you looked back up at him. You knew there was no point in arguing. “You’re the boss,” you said, when you finally met his blue eyes. He rolled his eyes at you in response.  “Alrigh’, we both know that ain’t true... C’mon. Let’s get ya somethin’ to eat,” he said, tilting his head in the direction of the cell door.  You smiled and took in his broad shoulders and strong arms, feeling another rush of heat in your chest. The softness inside that badass warrior always melted you and you had readily come to the realization that he was simply your favorite person in the world. And soon you planned to tell him so.

#daryl dixon fanfiction #daryl dixon x reader #daryl dixon twd #the walking dead #twd fanfics #daryl dixon drabbles #daryl imagines #daryl x y/n #fanfics #writers of tumblr #twd drabbles

[spooky-raccoon]

Well Deserved Cuddles (Karl Heisenberg x F Reader)

I absolutely can and have been thinking about this for days so thank you @sirlsplayland​

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        Karl Heisenberg wasn’t one who usually asked for something.  He just tended to either make what he needed or work on getting what he wanted.  Especially, when it was from someone else.  Unless it was something explicit of course.  He was a man of consent after all.  With his new helper as well he was very keen on making sure she was comfortable. She had been pretty helpful and good with the tools he had provided her which he admired.  The two had gotten close in the months they had been working together.  Sometimes extremely close.  Right now was different though and he couldn’t quite figure out what it was. He didn’t want to take her to his chambers to bump uglies, but for sometimes what they would do afterwards. Cuddling, maybe some tender kisses. Just the sweet stuff.  He didn’t know how to go about asking though and that was making him feel antsy.

        He stood up from his worktable and strode his way over to her room where she did her part of the work. She particularly enjoyed coming up with new schematics and testing on smaller scales if they would work.  He found her hunched over the table, a pencil in hand and a drafting T ruler in the other.  A radio on the corner was playing some oldies she had managed to find CD’s of in some junk piles one day.  He could even hear her humming along mostly in tune. That was her way of being in thought and part of him felt he could take a step back to go back to not bother her. It was probably just silly and bothersome to interrupt for something trivial like cuddling.  He didn’t get a chance though.

        “Either that’s a lycan at my door, a Soldat who’s lost its way or you Heisenberg.  Two of the three I’ll smack out of here with a broom.” She set her pencil down and turned, a smile on her face that he had seen before, but now caused his heart to thump in his chest.  “How goes your end?”

         “Oh you know, the usual. Slow and steady, but I think it’s coming around.  Your fancy schmancy detailed paperwork helped out a bit on a part that had me lost.” Heisenberg leaned on the door frame, looking to play cool and relaxed.  His hat tilted back, and he let his sunglasses slide to the front of the bridge of his nose.  “How about you there?  Seem to be really into it and you know, I’d hate to interrupt you.”

        That laugh of hers and the way the lamp on the table hit her face made it light up even more.  “You and I both know that’s not true, Heisenberg. You seem to enjoy coming in when work is heavy, but work is going well.  Just finishing up some last details though I was thinking of taking a break to give my eyes a break.  I’ve been at it for a few hours now and they could use it.”

        “I see, I see.”  He flicked his head to knock his hat back in place and he pushed his sunglasses back up.  “Well, I was thinking that maybe, well.  You and I could, perhaps.”  A frustrated huff escaped through his nose, and he raised a hand up in an annoyance, at himself for the most part that he just couldn’t get the words out.

        A brow raised on her face when she realized he was almost fidgeting and when some of the smaller bits of metal around him started to vibrate.  “Did you want to have some fun?  Is that what you want to ask?”  She leaned against the table, her hands linking together.

       “No, no.  Not that.  I was thinking that we could, maybe, if you wanted to of course.”  He took off his glasses with one hand and ran the other over his face, resting over his eyes.  “I can’t for the god damn life of me figure out why this is so hard to ask for God’s sake.  I can ask you if you want to do the damn horizontal tango with such damn ease, but this is so damn difficult.”  Larger bits of metal joined the smaller pieces and it started to hover at around shin height.

       “Well, for one, calm down and collect your thoughts.  You don’t think too well when you get antsy like this.  What is it you want?”  She stood up from her chair and went up to him.  That seemed to only make his heart pound faster and swore if it wasn’t for the sound of the metal maybe she could hear his heart thudding away as she put her hands on him arms.  “Go on, Heisenberg.  Spit it out, I know you can.”

        He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.  He ran the sentence a few times in his head and when he opened his eyes again he was looking down right at her.  “Would you like to come back to my chambers to maybe… cuddle….  with me?  Just cuddle. No funny business.”

       She looked surprised by his question, but the look went away and was replaced by something gentle. Something sweet and it made his worry of asking start to melt away.  “Yeah, that sounds really nice.  I could use some cuddling right now.”  She linked her hand with his and the two made their way back to his room.

       The bed squeaked as the two got comfortable on it and for a moment he wasn’t sure what to do. Usually, after sex things just slipped into place like it was a step.  She seemed to though and she laid her head on the crook of his chest and shoulder with her arm draped across his stomach.  One of her legs laid over his while his arm went to hold around her back with his hand pressed into her lower back.  “Your heart is racing, you know that?”  She sound amused; her fingertips making absentminded patterns that he could feel through his shirt.

      “Yeah, yeah, just ignore that.  It’s nothing to worry about.”  He gave her a gentle pat on her back, nothing mean but to just hopefully get her to drop the topic.

       She was quiet for a good while and the two had just enjoyed the comfort of each other’s arms. Though, she looked up at him and he had already been looking down at her to just admire the moment.  His heart had calmed a bit, but now started up again. “Were you nervous to ask me to cuddle with you, Heisenberg?”

       He sighed and knew she would pester him about it if he didn’t give an answer.  “Yeah, yeah I was doll face.  I just didn’t think you would want to, and it felt, well, silly to just ask for it without having sex.”

      “Heisenberg, that’s not silly.  I promise.” Her hand reached up to his cheek where she ran her thumb across his cheek bone.  “You can ask me any time, alright?  No need for the nerves.  You’re pretty nice to cuddle with if I do say so myself, and I do.  Relax that chrome casted heart of yours for me.”

       His heart this time skipped a few beats, but he did indeed calm down.  “I’ll see what I can do.  Now, relax. You said so yourself that you’ve been busy for hours.  You deserve to rest those pretty eyes of yours.”

       “And you deserve to have this.”  Her arm went back around him, and her head went back to where it had originally been. Perhaps she was right.  Maybe he did deserve the love that was dangled in front of his face for years and ended up being lies.  He would have to think on it like everything else, but for now he would enjoy this.

#karl heisenberg #karl heisenberg x reader #karl heisenberg x fem reader #this man needs a solid month of cuddles #just non stop #he needs some loving #resident evil village #re8 #re8 karl heisenberg

[starr-fall-knight-rise]

HASO, “A little Race.”

So this is a little story setting up for some stuff in the future.

A few of you on the discord server mentioned an interest in learning more about the criminal element within my universe as well as a couple other ideas which I would love to incorporate, so I hope you like where this is going :)

Adam turned heads as he walked through the station. Glowing, grungy neon lights lit him up from either side though the forest of bodies parted before him like a sea. Everyone here looked more than a little unnerved at his presence, and hurriedly scampered away into the dark allies upon the station.

It wasn’t a big place, A trading hub  not so far from the metallic belt, so many of these people probably weren't here for illegal reasons, but based on his time getting to know the criminal underbelly of the universe, he also knew the station’s real reputation. And he knew the man he was looking for was likely to be here. 

He would have disguised himself as Kell, but thought better of it. He wanted to keep that disguise in his arsenal if he ever had to go undercover again, and this wasn’t a moment  he needed to be undercover.

Behind him Sunny walked at his shoulder, holding her pearlescent spear in one hand.

She really made an impression on people these days, and he found it more than useful to have a saint on his side.

He walked down the hallway through a set of doors and then into a wide cargo bay. Someone was playing rap music somewhere, and he could hear it echoing  off the rough metal. Graffiti tagged the walls on almost every surface, including the floor, and the rattle of metal on metal drowned out whatever lyrics there might have been. He stepped further into the room as out of place as he had ever been.

Adam had never been involved in criminal affairs. Beside his brief stint as Kell and his  accidental time in the Turma Prison, he had been a straight arrow all his life. He had never done drugs, never stolen anything, never been arrested. And it certainly didn’t help that he had to run here from an appointment with Admiral kelly, and so was still wearing his UNSC uniform, which was pristinely pressed, light grey  and caused him to stand out like a drop of white paint against a black background.

The music crew louder as he stepped inside.

The room was full of shuttles, or some of them were shuttles and others were more accurately jets. Some of them were old, held together by paint and duct tape, while others glowed sleek with outlandish new paint jobs that included skulls and flames and chains. A group of men and women sat off to one side. The women wore very little, just string bikini tops and cut off jean shorts. One of the women, with long dark hair tied back in a ponytail was wearing jeans and a spoked leather jacket.

A lot of the men wore baggy pants tank tops, with lines of tattoos crawling up their arms and necks.

Similar looking people loitered around the ships tinkering with the engines and polishing surfaces already too shiny to need polishing.

The  woman was the first to see him, sitting up straight with the rattle of leather and spikes, “You don’t have any business here, Get out.”

That caused the others to turn and look, and the group of people bristled like an angry dog, forming into a tight group shoulders wide, arms out chests puffed up.

Adam stopped a few feet away.

“I want to speak with the man called Donovan Red.”

“Ol Donni ain’t here.” One of the men said, spitting onto the floor, “New git!”

“I know he’s here. His ship is parked in the hanger on deck E.”

A couple more men had wandered up to join, and he spotted the tell tale sign of weapons shoved hastily into their pants.

He held his hands out to the sides, “Listen, I just want to talk.”

“Then come  back with a warrant, pig.” ONe of them snapped. The guy was an ugly looking thug with a completely shaved head and bare chest. He had a pot belly from drinking, but he still had one of the girls hanging off his arm shying behind him from for protection.:

He sighed, “I’m not here to talk with him about any of his activities as legal or illegal as they may be. I’m not interested in what he does or who he does it with. I am here to ask him a favor.”

There was a shift about the room, and the woman from before stood up resting a hand on her hip, “The golden boy of the UNSC wants a favor from old Donni.” She barked a laugh and the men and women behind her laughed too.

“”In your dreams, boy.”

The group turned laughing and he felt his insides churn a bit with rage. He went to take a step forward but took a deep breath and stopped, “He will want to reconsider.” they ignored him, “If he does me a favor that means I owe him, Think about that, one of the most powerful men in the GA or the UNSC and I will owe him a favor.” he raised his voice, “Your boss would have to be pretty stupid to avoid an offer like that.”

There was a pause around the room, and then Adam felt something cold press up against his temple, “And you have to be pretty stupid to call him stupid.”

Adam turned his head just slightly feeling the barrel of the gun pressed below his ear.

As he moved the gun moved. Sunny hadn’t bothered to deal with the guy, and he knew why almost immediately.

WIth one lightning fast move he reached up and slapped the gun out of the man's sloppy grip. It clattered to the floor and went spinning away under one of the shuttles. Adam then stepped back and elbowed the man in the face. The man staggered back and Adam finished him off with a kick to the sternum that sent him flying back into  a barrel, which tipped over with an echoing thud and rolled slowly away.

He turned back to the others who were hastily reaching for their weapons, “The next person who points a gun at me is getting a spear through the throat.” Sunny stepped forward with a hungry look on her face.

The group paused, “You’re UNSC, you can’t do that.”

HE crossed his arms, “I won't be doing anything, but I can’t guarantee that my partner here won’t.” 

There was a pause in  the room as everyone nervously looked between each other.

“Why don’t we all just calm down.” The voice echoed in from the back, and the entire group turned to see a man walk up through the isel.

Donovan Red was shorter than Adam had expected, but still fit. He wore a tight black T shirt that bulged around his biceps, and when he walked he walked with the confidence of a man not used to being out of control.

The man walked right up to him, unperturbed by their height difference  slowly looking him up and then down. 

“You shouldn’t have come here, Cinderella.”

Adam raised an eyebrow, “Cinderella/”

The man shrugged, “Yeah, you got that vibe, all dressed up like a princess.” He nodded to Sunny, “And hanging out with woodland creatures.”

Sunny did not look amused, 

“Actually that would be snow white, or sleeping beauty, as I recall Cinderella only talked to mice.”

The man snorted, “My apologies for now knowing my princesses better, Cinder-ellla.”

Adam didn’t respond, didn’t back up. Instead he inched forward so he was towering over the man, “Look I’m not here to bother you or your men-”

“Too late for that don’t you think, princess.”

The men and women behind him laughed.

Adam sighed, “If you will let me finish. I assume that you got off your ass and came over here because you heard what I was saying to your cronies?”

Adam stood his ground as the entire group inched in. It was partly out of show, and partly because he knew sunny and him together could take this crowd easy.

Red looked up at him with his head tilted to one side, “Tell you what.”

He stepped back and turned to look at his men, “I’ll talk to you about your little favor, but-” He held up a finger, “Only if you prove yourself worthy of my time.”

Adam sighed. This was going to be good.

“And how, exactly do I do that.”

“Simple,” The man said with a smirk, “You just have to win a little race.”

***

Eris looked up at the pictures on the wall. There were a lot of them to choose from, and she spent some time wandering around the living room looking up at all the images. She knew these people, or at least it felt like she did.. Through Adam’s memories she knew Martha: intelligent and protective, Jim: strong and loyal, Maya: sweet and adventurous, Jeremy: friendly and changeable, Davide: perfect and charming, Thomas: a general hot mess, but someone who cared deeply about things.

She remembered all of them, but at the same time that felt like invading their privacy. 

They didn’t know her, so it wasn’t fair of her to claim to know them.

She sensed someone behind her and turned to find Martha looking up at the pictures with her. She pointed up at one and Eris followed, “that was last christmas together before Adam went to space.” She sighed and shook her head, “A lot has changed since then.”

Jim followed behind and held out a cup, “Can you eat human food? Sorry if you can’t I just assumed.”

She took the cup, “No its ok, myst of my  insides are human.” She had taken off her hoodie and now let it rest on the back of Martha’s rocking chair.

Jim went to stand next to his wife and looked Eris over with his head slightly tilted.

Eris hid behind her long dark hair, hair that reached past her butt. She wore it long, not only to hid behind, but because she thought it might help to cover the starborn ribbons which trailed from her back.

“You know what Martha, she looks a lot like Maya doesn’t she.”

Martha turned to look and Eris shuffled her feet, “You know what, I didn’t see it before but she does. She elbowed him, definitely has the Vir family nose.”

He grunted, “Be glad she got the nose and not the ears.”

Martha motioned her to take a seat, “Why don’t you sit down and tel lus what brings you all across the galaxy.”

Eris sat shyly on the edge of her seat nervously running her hands through her hair.

“Well….. um , nothing really it’s jus that. I had been taking care of the other hybrids and…. And well I kind of got burnt out and couldn’t do it anymore, so I…. wanted to start living for myself you know?”

The two humans nodded sagely

“But I didn’t know where to start. So I thought I would get to know my roots a bit better. I am half human….. Well DNA says a little bit more than half human, so I thought I might start with you.  Iwanted ;to see Adam, but he seems to be gone, and I can’t reach him.”

Martha nodded, “It has been harder and harder lately especially after.”

Eris’s eyes widened as she read the thoughts forming in the woman’s mind, “Someone is trying to kill him!”

The two paused, but then got back into stride without so much as a look between each other. Eris kicked herself. People always hated being around her when they knew she could read minds. 

Here she was driving people away again.

“Yes…. someone has attempted to kill him in the past. We aren’t sure if it will happen again, but we dor worry about him.”

Eris felt her insides go cold, she could feel it through the mental link to his parents, and she could feel it inside herself as well.

Adam Vir couldn’t die, not before she got to know him better, and certainly not if it was going to hurt his parents, who were some f the nicest people she had ever met.

She had to do something.

[bad-behavior]

Lester: A Light Novel

Chapter: 1

Content Warnings (Writing and Art):

Blood, Lady Whump, Gore, Torture, Manhandling

This is my first shot at doing something story related in the whump community, so here it goes!

Lester likes to think he’s got it together. He’s got a decent salary and pays his bills on time. He may not have friends, but has plenty of acquaintances so socializing isn’t off the books. He even makes a living doing what he loves.

Torture.

He just wishes torturing people didn’t need so much cleanup.

Lester wipes a brow before scrubbing mercilessly with a sponge at the rust and dried blood caked on the metal workstation.

He squeezes the sponge dry in the sink, and then moves on with a damp rag, soaking up the excess juices to reveal the shiny surface. Tracing a single finger across the squeaky clean countertop, he frowns.

The salesman had told Lester the workstation was stainless steel. Apparently, it’s not.

He stands up, stretching, then walks to the closet to grab a mop and bucket.

While holding the smelly mop in one hand, he uses the other to push the bucket of murky water to “the chair”.

The “Chair” was Lester’s favorite tool of torture. There isn’t inherently anything special about it, but it has been with him since he began his role with the Blightbloods. The base of the “Chair” is adjustable, and can be cranked up taller, shorter, and Lester’s favorite, drawn backwards into a laying position. Perfect for working on the mouth and eyes. The straps on the arms of the chair are made of heavy duty premium leather, and the seats are covered in a smooth vinyl, making it easy to wipe up any unwanted spills.

He dips the mop in the water, and then slaps the wet fabric on the ground, pushing body fluids and debris to the floor drain.

He sighs. Cleanup is Lester’s least favorite part. The chemicals mess with his lungs, but the boss refuses to get an actual janitor. He sucks in a small, strained breath, before hacking dryly into an elbow.

He stifles another cough as he dumps the rest of the water into the drain. He’d rather not be seen coughing up a lung. Lester already had to slit a coworker’s throat after a joke about his short stature and noodle arms, just to gain the respect of the other guys.

Blood splattered from the mans neck, following the knife as it cleanly sliced through and exited flesh. The man gulped like a fish as blood bubbled from his lips. Bright red spilled all over his hands as they scrabbled frantically at the gushing wound on his neck. Finally his legs buckled, eyes rolling back into his head, and he crashed to the floor with a resounding thud. The previously jesting eyes locked on Lester quickly became ones of horror and shock. Lester brandished the bloody knife in his hand, droplets of blood painting the glint of metal, rolling off, and plinking to the floor one by one. He cracked a rare smile.

Lester licked his lips at the memory, savoring every moment he could recall. It’s not something he’d like to forget anytime soon. The feeling of power, and the lust for more. The guy ended up ok after some intensive care, but Boss probably won’t tolerate a move like that a second time.

Just as Lester had put the cleaning supplies away, the metal door swings open with an ear-splitting creak. He whips around, to see Armond bumbling in with a tied-up young woman in tow.

“Lester, my man!” Armond bellows before pushing the woman into the chamber with a laugh.

Her arms are twisted behind her with rope, so she can’t soften the blow as she smacks into the ground face first. Letting out a soft groan, the woman slowly rises to her knees, showing a fresh bloody nose and a split lip.

Lester nearly sees red. He spits out,

“Really? Didn’t the Boss tell you I don’t do two sessions in a row?”

Armond crosses his muscular arms.

“Eh? I haven’t heard that anywhere. The Boss was having a really hard time cracking this one so he said to take her to you.”

Lester opens his mouth to retort, but is cut off by a sudden need to cough. He tries to clear his throat to mask it.

Armond looks at him with narrowed eyes, a devious grin plastered on his face.

“Unless there’s something else going on.”

Lester’s jaw drops in feigned disbelief. He scoffs in disgust.

“Uh, no! I’ll handle it.”

He motions with a hand,

“I’m tired of seeing your ugly mug, so just leave already.”

Armond glares at Lester,

“Don’t. Kill. Her. We just need her to spill on a neighboring organization. Food is scarce nowadays, and we don’t need anyone taking our local supply.”

He pauses.

“Also I’m not ugly. My wife thinks I’m beautiful.”

Armond whips out a middle finger before slamming the door.

Lester looks down at the woman on the floor. Her sunburned face is smudged with dirt and grime, and her dark hair stained and matted. If looks could kill, he’d already been dead by her ebony eyes.

Might as well get this over with.

Taglist:

@hurt-the-innocent-ones​ @cupcakes-and-pain​

#whump #whump writing #whump drabble #whump art #whump comic #whump community #blood #tw blood #tw: blood #gore #tw gore #tw: gore #lady whump #tw lady whump #tw: lady whump #torture #tw torture #tw: torture #whumper #whumpee #manhandling #tw manhandling #tw: manhandling

[barnes-dameron]

can i request din and the reader getting married?

Connected

Summary: After a struggle with a bounty, Din realizes that he wants to spend the rest of his life connected to you.

Word Count: 1.6k

A/N: This takes place before the events of season two, more so in the middle of season one...when Mando still had the Razor Crest. Btw, the reader is female

***

The feeling at the bottom of Din’s stomach wasn’t so much from nerves, but more from anticipation. He kept an iron grip while piloting the Razor Crest, alongside laser focus when flying back to the planet his covert is on. It wasn’t so much as a heat of the moment decision, but rather one he thought of for some time and proposed the idea to you in a moment of weakness.

He thought back to the time when he returned from a hunt some time ago. The bounty got away from him, and he sustained several injuries. There were times when he was returning to the ship that he didn’t think he would make it back. The bounty skimmed him with a blaster fire at his uncovered side, causing him to bleed out with every movement. Every stride caused his head to spin, and his step to stumble. Din practically collapsed when he returned, his body making a loud thud when his beskar armor collided with the hull’s metal floor. He remembered your face when you looked down at him, even when his vision started to blur. While you were dressing his wound with bacta, as the cool substance was being applied, he was reminded of his weakness, and how he could barely make it back to you or the Child. And that reminder caused his heart to ache. It wasn’t until after a quick nap from his exhaustion and blood loss that he revealed his desire to spend the rest of his life with you. The flood of relief from your excited acceptance overwhelmed him enough to forget the pain and failure of his hunt. In return, he was filled with joy and victory in capturing your heart.

When the dull planet of Nevarro came to view, excitement started to bubble within Din, though he would never show it. Part of his profession, he must keep his emotions in check. He got up from his spot in the pilot’s seat, and made his way down to the haul. Din’s heart warmed when he saw you with the Child, a sight he treasured and thought back to often.

“We’re almost there,” Din said, grabbing your attention so he could see your beautiful eyes. “We should probably get everything together.”

“Already done,” you responded proudly as you placed the Child on a nearby crate.

Though you couldn’t see it yourself, Din smiled underneath the helmet. Truth be told, the one thing that caused Din both excitement and anxiety was being able to reveal himself to you. He longed to look at you without the visor, and use his naked eyes for once. But of course the fear of rejection nagged him. What if he wasn’t what you expected? What if you found him ugly and unattractive at all? What if you decided you couldn’t love him? Though he tried to put these thoughts aside, knowing you weren’t that kind of person, his insecurities still got to him.

The walk to the covert’s entrance seemed so long to Din even though he made this journey so many times before. But now, it was different. Din carried a bag that belongs to you, something you wanted to wear for the ceremony that was a tradition on your planet. The cradle floated alongside the two of you, the Child beaming. The little womp rat must’ve caught wind of what you two are about to do.

His heavy footsteps could be heard by his fellow Mandalorians as he descended down the steps into the tunnels while yours were quieter compared to his. Not wanting you to be intimated from his armor clad companions, he placed a hand on the small of your back leading you to the Armorer while making sure the Child was following close by. Din couldn’t help but swell with pride as you walked beside him. The helmets from the other Mandalorians turning to watch the three of you, and Din knew that none of them can have you. You were about to be his, and he was about to be yours.

The Armorer’s bronze helmet gleamed in the fire light as she turned to see Din, his fiancee, and foundling at the entrance to her forge. She set aside the hammer she was holding, and moved to face Din and his aliit.

“You have found a riduur,” she said, rather than asking a question.

“Yes,” Din replied, moving his hand to rest on your hip while pulling you closer to him. “We came here to say our vows with witnesses present.”

“Of course,” the Armorer responded. “This is the way.”

“This is the way,” Din declared.

He led you out, and showed you to a room where you could change before turning away to leave to give you privacy.

The tunnel was lined with the covert’s Mandalorians from the entrance to your room all the way to the end with Din and the Armorer. Din took a deep breath as he watched you emerge. You were wearing a traditional wedding dress from your culture, and Din could understand why it was so important to you. The color was perfect against your skin, and made your beauty glow even brighter. Din struggled to breathe since the sight of you walking towards him took his breath away. The smile on your face caused him to blush and yet again he thanked the Maker for the helmet. When you finally reached him, he took your hands in his, feeling the warmth you radiated through his leather gloves. He squeezed your hands in reassurance before taking a deep breath.

“Mhi solus tome,” he began, his voice steady and proud. “mhi solus dar’tome.”

He watched as you opened your mouth, repeating the words he said while switching your gaze from him to the Armorer then back to him. He gave a quiet hmmm of laughter when you stumbled a bit. The Armorer repeating the mispronounced words slowly to make it easier for you.

We are one whether we are together or apart,

“Mhi me’dinui,” he declared, then listening to you echo his words.

We will share everything,

“An mhi ba’juri verde,” Din vowed, holding your hands a bit tighter as you reiterated his words, tears brimming in your eyes.

And we will raise our children as warriors.

Din pressed his forehead to yours as the applause from the small audience echoed throughout the tunnel. A smile spread across Din’s face as he moved his hands away from yours to then rest on your hips.

Despite the muffled noise from the other Mandalorians, the room you and Din occupied was quiet. The Armorer suggested for him to take the room to consummate the marriage, reassuring him that the Child will be well taken care of. But even though the little guy was cared for, Din couldn’t help but feel the bundle of nerves at the bottom of his stomach. This is the moment he has been both dreading and waiting for.

Din stood near the entrance, his hands hanging awkwardly at his sides while he looks you. Your smile was bright as your eyes softened at him, your husband. He was your husband, and you were his wife. That simple fact was enough to give Din the confidence he needed.

He approached your waiting figure, placing his hands on your hips once again, an action that was slowly becoming a comfort mechanism for him; reminding him that you will always be there for him...with him. Din looked down at your face, your features soft and glowing. He took a deep breath, reaching one hand up to grip the bottom edge of his helmet. While slowly lifting up the beskar helmet, he sees how different things are with his own eyes instead of through his visor. Din took his helmet, and placed it on the bed nearby.

He took in the features of your face, admiring the way the light in the room illuminates the color of your eyes. Your lips look so soft and smooth, something he hasn’t noticed through the helmet. But Din was distracted when you reached up a hand to touch his cheek. He nearly died due to the contact, the feeling so foreign yet welcoming. Your fingers trace along his jaw before rubbing them over the stubble he forgot to shave. He closed his eyes from content, savoring the pleasure of your touch.

“Y/N,” Din whispered, opening his eyes. “I know I’m probably not what you expected and-”

“You’re right,” you interjected. For a brief moment, Din’s heart sank to the floor as his fear was about to unfold right in front of his eyes. “You’re better than what I imagined.”

And just as fast as it fell, his heart began to beat again, faster even knowing that the love of his life put all his fears to bed. It was then that Din smiled before leaning down to feel and see if those lips were as soft as they looked.

His lips were gentle at first, testing the waters, but it was you who pressed harder, causing Din to press your body against his. His lips moved against yours with expertise, like a choreographed dance, as if it was meant to be. You licked the seam of his lips, begging for his mouth to open. Din took this new opportunity to plunge his tongue into your mouth, exploring and savoring your sweet taste. Even though this was Din’s first kiss, it didn’t feel like it. At least, not with you. It wasn’t until you pulled away that Din realized how much he missed the feel of your mouth already.

“Wow,” you breathed out. “You’re really good with your mouth.”

“Yeah?” he asked. “That’s not the only thing I’m good at.”

***

Taglist: @tangledlove27 @absurdthirst @caswinchester2000

[livelivefastfree]

have you been working on any new fics?? (your stories are wonderful, ive drowned myself in polyburners thanks to you 😔 its a good place to be)

Not really anything new, although I’ve been picking away at some older ones that I never finished!  Namely the plot-heavy sequel to my telepathic soul-bond superhero AU, the intimidatingly complicated sequel to Save A Horse, Ride A Dragon, and my Burnerswap AU where the villains are all our new Burners and the Burners are villains.

Unfortunately since I’m a nurse work has been kind of stressful recently and also my brain only likes to focus on one thing at a time which is currently original novel things.  So process is pretty slow, haha.  But I’m glad I could bring more people into the polyburners fold!

I do feel bad that I haven’t had the energy to post much for a while; revamping my burnerswap doc is the most recent thing I’ve gotten work done on, so here’s a little bit of scene-setting!

Deluxe is a mass of spires and platforms, shimmering in the sunshine outside Red’s window.  Red stares up at the ceiling, at the pale golden glow of sunlight on the pale polymer.  He can hear the sound of someone loudly imitating an electric guitar, and faint thumps and thuds through the wall; Duke is taking his traditional lengthy shower and using up all their precious hot water.  From the smells drifting up from downstairs, Jacob is already up and in the kitchen experimenting.  Kaia is probably upstairs on the roof, tending to her plants, and Abraham had to go back down to the undercity last night.  His absence is a hole; no sound of him talking to Jacob in the kitchen, working out irritatingly on Red’s balcony, yelling at Duke for using up the water.  There’s always something slightly off, a little bit wrong, when part of their team is missing.

Red sits up, buckles his patch on over the remnant of his left eye, and pushes himself up out of bed to see what’s for breakfast.

Jacob is stirring something in a pan when he Red arrives.  There’s a heaping basket of miscellaneous vegetables on the counter next to him, so probably Red’s in for some kind of veggie abomination this morning—but it’s a veggie abomination Red doesn’t have to make and then burn, and he doesn’t really have a sense of taste anymore, anyway.  Red drops into a chair, and Jacob piles up a plate of fried vegetables and sets it wordlessly down in front of him.

It’s quiet for a while. Red eats as much as he can manage, and Jacob knows him well enough not to frown when Red has to push the plate away half-eaten.  

“Quiet night?” he says, eventually.

“All quiet in the pit,” Red says, and goes to the cooler to fish out a nutrient shake instead.  “No calls from Abraham.  No alerts, no bots, no Dragon.”

“Mm.”  Jacob shakes his head, making an unconvinced grumbling noise.  “They’ll come.  They always do.”

Red can’t argue that. He stayed on the edge of the platform until the small hours of the morning, looking down into the dark city far below, watching every gleam of light and flicker of movement, waiting for the first flash of red glass eyes or matte metal claws.

The others drift downstairs eventually, one at a time; Duke grimaces at the vegetable mess, but Kaia piles in with every sign of enjoyment.  Red sits back and listens to Jacob and Duke bicker, Kaia’s laughing jabs at both of them indiscriminately, and lets the sunlight soften some of the harsh, nauseated fatigue.

He doesn’t realize he’s beginning to drift off, but when his comms light up red with an urgent chime, it startles him badly enough he almost drops his drink.

“Come in,” Abraham’s voice says, flat and low.  “Red.”

“Copy,” says Red, and pushes himself up, already moving. The rest of his team reorders around him, Jacob heading for the garage, Duke and Kaia immediately running for their rooms, their weapons.  Red picks up his gloves, feeling the circuitry inside thrum hotly against his palms. “Incoming?”

“How did you guess,” says Abraham dryly.  “Three Climbers.  Two on North Side, one coming up from the East.  And she’s sending up the Dragon.”

Red falters in mid-step, then growls and heads down the staircase to the garage, taking the steps two at a time. “Can you make it up?”

“I can try,” Abraham says, but Red knows that tone to his voice, rough and grim.  “I think she’s targeting the medical complex on platform 18.  Don’t get distracted.”

“Don’t tell me what to do,” Red says, and Abraham gives a brief bark of a laugh and then cuts the call.

--

Deluxe looks beautiful in the sunlight, if beauty is something to pay attention to; Red has seen it a thousand times, growing up from the old undercity of Detroit like an indescribably huge tree made of silver and marble.  The platforms that make up the city itself look almost fragile from a distance, hovertech and superlight polymers, gleaming with solar panels and greenery.  The massive support structure that holds the city up grows dirtier and more patchwork as it descends into the bristling thicket of ancient, blocky concrete buildings.

Whole civilizations have made their homes on the platforms along that winding trunk.  Around its base, built onto the rooftops of old skyscrapers, Red can see the distant gleam of the Casino King’s sprawling compound, gaudy with red and gold floodlights.  There are urban legends about an entire lost city, one that made its living in among the building-sized struts and cables themselves, before some unspecified calamity cut all communication with them short.

Some of the midway settlements are against Kane, some of them are only indifferent, but Red can only assume that trying to bargain her way through was too much trouble.  Kane took matters into her own hands, and had her R&D invent the Climbers.

Red has eyes on one of them now; a long, low shape, slinking across the platform.  Six-legged, with four glowing eyes each, moving with an unnerving, artificial grace—the mechanical nightmare-offspring of a wolf and some kind of insect.  The tips of their claws hum faintly, lit up—plasma-cutter edges, sharp enough to sink into the polymer like hot knives through butter.  Red is a platform above them, out of their field of vision, but he’s seen the way the things scale vertical surfaces, faster than anything that size should be able to move.

As Red watches, one of them opens its mouth, showing hundreds of needle-sharp fangs lit hellish red from the inside, and lets out an awful, scraping snarl.

“I’ve got eyes on one,” Red says, keeping his voice low.  

“Yeah, yeah, we see ‘em over here too,” Duke says, tight and sharp with bravado.  “Easy.  Let’s get it done!”

“I’ve got your back,” Kaia says.  “Let’s show these things what—”

“Hey, Red,” says a voice, and something taps Red on the shoulder.  “Tag.”

The moment of shock is enough to freeze Red in place for a single fraction of a second, and that’s a hesitation he can’t afford.  A blunt edge slams into his ribs, knocks him over off his feet; he rolls, comes up on his feet again and sends out a blind shockwave of energy—throws himself to one side as a staff sweeps past where his ankles were, and this time when he lashes out he feels the impact strike true.

The Dragon of Detroit takes the hit and lets it bowl him backwards, turns the motion into a back-handspring and comes to a skidding halt, shaking overgrown brown bangs out of his dark eyes.  He’s laughing, smiling as wide and wild as he always does; the deep scar that stretches crookedly from his cheekbone to his chin twists his smile into something just slightly crooked and bitter, but his laugh sounds irritatingly, insultingly genuine.

“Chilton,” Red snarls, and the man spins his staff behind his back and sweeps a bow, grinning.  

“I’m guessing you’re not interested in doing this the easy way, kid,” he says, and Red clenches his fists, lightning crawling up his arms.  “Yeah, I didn’t figure.  Can’t say I didn’t try.”

“The fuck I can’t,” Red snaps, and Chilton huffs out a breath and shakes his head, ever-present smile never fading.  “If you really cared about not hurting anybody you wouldn’t be working for that—”

It’s the flicker of Chilton’s eyes that gives it away, and the faintest sound of scraping metal; Red dives to one side on instinct, just in time to avoid the snap of jagged metal jaws and six sets of wickedly-clawed feet.  He comes up swinging, lands a few solid hits; the Climber shrieks as one of its legs spasms and cracks, red lightning and dented metal grinding in one of its back legs.

“Backup!” Red snaps into his comm, and then there’s only the fight.

He’s being distracted, he knows it even while it’s happening, but he can’t break his focus away long enough to care.  Chilton is gone, he has to be raiding that medical compound, and Red is stuck here, fighting some stupid robot—

“Heads up!” yells a voice, and Red glances up and then back-pedals abruptly as a huge, blocky shape comes rocketing off the next platform up and drops like a comet onto the Climber’s head.  The back half of the bot gives a meaty crunch as Jacob’s construction rig lifts back off of it, leaking nasty, thick, black fluid as it tries to drag itself forward on its two remaining legs; Red steps forward, grimacing in distaste, tears a dented plate away and buries his hand in the things neck to deliver one final, merciless jolt.  The Climber whirrs, gives a gurgling growl, and finally goes still.

“Jumpin’ Josephat,” says Jacob, from inside the clunky, ugly cube he calls a hovercar.  “You still in one piece down there?”

“Where’s Chilton?!” Red says, and then jerks and looks up at the sound of a laugh, echoing off the white walls and walkways around them.  

The Dragon is standing at the very edge of the platform, silhouetted against the sky; he makes eye contact with Red, brief and grinning, one hand on the side of a stolen transport pod. Then he throws off a brief, mocking salute, and launches himself backwards off the edge of the platform into thin air, vanishing over the edge.

“Criminy,” says Jacob weakly, because Jacob is an 80-year-old man in a 20-year-old body.  

“Fuck,” Red hisses, and slams a fist down on the ground, leaving lightning-jagged scorch marks across the white polymer.  Takes a few breaths and repeats, “…fuck,” soft and hoarse, poisonous in his mouth.

“Yeah,” says Jacob, and his boots thump softly as he slides down, his hand settles carefully on Red’s shoulder.  “C’mon. Let’s get back to the others.”

#AltU: Burnerswap #the work on the SAHRAD sequel is mostly planning because the content itself needed a structure before I could actually start #I'm ngl there's enough work involved in finishing that one that I don't know how/if I'm going to be able to get it done #but I'd like to #the superhero one is actually like #WAY closer to being finished than either of them #but the remaining stuff is stuff that I'm having trouble cleaning up and closing so I'm stalled out SIGH #oh man tho when I finish it up...THE DRAMA...... #Anonymous

[softly-savage-mint-yoongi]

Estiferous;

es.tif.er.ous /adjective/ Producing (much) heat. Pairing: Chanyeol x f.reader Rating: angst Words: 3k I spent the entire day in a seething rage about certain events that happened yesterday and so, this was born. In part because the lovely @saebyeog-i just adores him with her entire being and we’ve not stopped talking about everything wrong with the entire situation and how much he deserves to be LOVED.

“Good morning on this fine twenty-ninth of October! It’s a chilly one out there ladies and gentleman. Those gray skies are here to stay today, and it looks like the rain will be steady through most of the evening,” says your partner from his place at the left side of the table. He glances sidelong at you as he turns back to his notes, “Ah, Y/N you’re looking so happy about that!” You blink once, caught in your daydream and stumbling for a response. Looking at the cameras positioned in your direction, you quickly recover, “Even with the chill and the rain I just love this season.” The man beside you gives a flamboyant chuckle that turns your gut, “What do you love about it?” “The colors,” you reply with honesty directed toward your viewers, “They’re like fire. The last reminder of the Summer warmth.” Your co-anchor touches at his in-ear briefly, “Oh, speaking of fire, take a look at this!” He spins his chair to face the large monitor that serves as the background of the studio, “Breaking news of a rogue Evolved out on the streets!” The way he says the words fill you with horror while you force your body to turn. On the screen, a shaky, grainy video- clearly from a cellphone some yards away- shows a disaster scene. Dusty clouds and smoke drift in thick and thin wafts across the screen, and the back of a tall and gangly man comes into view. Immediately your body stiffens as you watch his frame against the backdrop of a burning building. There is no air in your lungs, turned to stone as you absorb the video progression. Whoever filmed this is clearly terrified, by their deep breaths and coughing, high on adrenaline. There’s a barricade of fallen metal. You hear the man taking the video shout in warning, whispering an ‘oh my god’ as a dozen large steel pipes fall on top of the man he’s filming. Some grunting and distressing sounds pass the few seconds it takes for the next moment to come. Through the smoke and dust renewed, something glows faintly at first beneath the pile of metal. Then, between the haze, the video catches a form rising from them, accompanied by the sounds of heavy metal banging against the ground. One glows to a white-hot redness before bending and falling from what appears to be the Evolved’s hand. ‘Holy shit, what kind of monster is he.’ Says the owner of the recording in a choked whisper, clearly filled with absolute terror. You’re still frozen to your chair with your heart thudding loudly in your chest as you watch the rogue man change. Gently at first as if he appears to be lit on fire slowly, until everyone watching realizes he is engulfed in flames of his own making. Oddly, he checks over both shoulders before he takes off into the burning wreckage of the building. The moment the video ends, your co-host whirls back toward the cameras with too much enthusiasm, “Amazing, aren’t they, folks? What a world it has become!” He pauses, looking over some new papers that had been passed to both of you. Looking down at your own, you read the words as they’re said by your partner, “Wow! Looks like this video was taken by someone who had just escaped that building with their life! Then this Evolved showed up right before the fire department.” It makes you jump as another video pops up on the screen behind you, of two children animatedly talking, albeit a bit hoarse. ‘It was amazing, like PSSSKKKHHHHHHAAAAA!’ says the smaller one, throwing his smoke-stained hands up into the air and then coughing. The larger child nods along enthusiastically, ‘Yeah, yeah! This guy came and grabbed the metal stuff in the way and, and-‘ he tries to find the words but needs to stop for a drink of water from an woman that coddles them both on a hospital cot. ‘-and he melted it all away like this. Hhhhnnngggg!-‘ he says, clenching both of his tiny fists and squeezing his face tight to make a bending motion. The smaller one interjects by jumping off of the cot, ‘and then he helped us outside.’ He looks sad for a moment before he shrugs and adds, ‘But I think he was shy ‘cause he wouldn’t come outside with us.’ ‘Go find the firetruck!’ hollers the older boy in a mocking tone. ‘But what do we say to the man, boys?’ the person filming asks, clearly the father. ‘Thank you for saving us!’ the boys chime together with grins too big for their cheeks. You smile to yourself, thinking of the kindness shows to these two children in such a scary situation. It doesn’t last, as hell breaks loose with the very same video of the Evolved across several social media sites. Tweets and Instagram shares and YouTube reaction videos. A few that are impressed to see such power from an Evolved, and a rogue one no less. Although much more common in today’s world than generations past and protected under their agencies, they are still the minority. Most of the buzz around the now viral video is alarming. Hateful spews of threats and accusations that this rogue started the fire himself. Calling him Hellspawn, or the devil himself. Threats and ugly words thrown around out of fear and jealousy. A few demanding the Manifestation Rehabilitation Center arrest him and lock him up so he isn’t a danger to society. “You heard it here first, Channel sixty-one news station. We’ll be right back,” says your co-anchor. He stands from his chair and adjusts his tie, stretching his back, “What an awful creature,” he comments dryly under his breath. It’s enough for you to catch. “What did you just say?” you ask him from your seat, back straight as a spring board. He looks at you blankly, and you decide in that moment that you hate his over-gelled slicked back hair and his tie is the ugliest shade of puke green you’ve ever seen. “Come on now, you know that thing probably started that fire. It’s lucky everyone made it out alive, but what about the damage?” It takes you a moment to consider his words and if he is really standing here in front of you or just a dirty apparition, “Excuse me?” He has the audacity to sneer, “What?” “That ‘creature’ you just called him, is a person! He didn’t ask for that manifestation!” you scream at him. The director and camera coordinators all jump, spilling coffee and turning back toward you at the news table. Even your co-host seems to fumble for words at your outburst, “Are you really so small minded? You’ll jump to that conclusion without all of the information?” He raises his hand at you to speak, “It’s probably true though. Looks better for the news at least. You saw how quickly it we-“ “Stop talking! This is unbelievable! You want to know who the real monsters of this world are?” your anger is rising like acid up the column of your throat, “You are! People who only care about their fucking money or their fucking story or their five fucking seconds of fame!” You spit more words at him before he can make a rebuttal, “You don’t give a shit about the people your stories might hurt? Are you so content with yourself that you don’t have an ounce of shame for the words you say about others? Are you serious right now? Have a bit more compassion for humanity!” He laughs. The man within striking distance of your palm actually laughs. It is as the phrase ‘I don’t care.’ Leaves his lips that your palm meets his cheek. It stings harshly, but your refuse to let it show. And then you walk out, flinging your fistful of notes in the air to scatter about the news studio as your heels carry you sharply across the floor and out the door with your coat and purse. ______________________________ “Unnie, I’m so sorry.” You mumble, wiping at your tears and sniffling to keep them at bay as you walk. On the other end of the line, a woman coos at you, “Don’t worry about it. Are you okay?” You feel terrible. Channel sixty one was the only news station that would even look at your resume straight out of college, and only on Yoora’s word that you were perfect for the junior anchor position that got you in the door. A year later and you were promoted to anchor, gleefully dropping the ‘junior’ title from your work. Thankful to her as always, you feel even worse as you admit that you walked out. “I just quit,” you say in one breath, “Unnie they were talking about Chanyeol.” The other end of the line goes quiet for three seconds, “Where is he?” You sigh, tilting your head to hold your phone between it and your shoulder so you can unlock your car while the other holds your umbrella. “Not sure, but I have a feeling I know. I’ll text you when I find him. I’m just… I’m really sorry after all of the hard work you did for me.” She hums, “Seriously don’t worry about that. We’ll figure it out later. For now, just make sure he’s okay, please.” “On it,” you whisper, ending the call as you situate yourself in your car. With both hands on the wheel, you take off in the direction he’s most likely to be. _________________________________ Nearing late afternoon, you’ve decided there’s only one place left to find him. His G65 is tucked nicely under the foliage of a large tree. It’s the only one left in the parking lot when you pass by the only other car on their way out of the park. You don’t bother checking your phone. He’s not answering anyone’s messages or calls and he’s turned off his location. Luckily, you had your gym bag in your car, intent on having gone today after work. Running shoes and a hoodie are much better for this kind of weather as you hunt for the man you love. It doesn’t take long to find him, since the park is scarce otherwise and he never carries an umbrella. He only ever needs to for the sake of his attire. Pulling open your messages, you text Yoora that he’s safe. You save her the detailed description of your lover; sitting on a bench with his ear pods in and the length of his legs spread out into the walkway, comfortable in his slouched position. He’s wearing his scuffed-up converse, favorite jeans and a large gray hoodie. One hand, large even from a distance, is extended in front of him. You know, even from this distance, he is watching every droplet evaporate from his skin. It is obvious in the Summertime, in the way his body steams as if it were asphalt when he doesn’t care to regulate his external temperature. You smile when he lets the hand drop to his lap and his head lulls back against the bench. He exhales into the chill, a gently puff of humid white from his volcanic chest into the late October breeze. It pulls a quiet laugh from you. His head rolls in your direction, and he is not surprised to see you standing ten yards away. His expression doesn’t change, but you know it isn’t personal. His cheeks, usually high and glowing, have deflated to sag near the down turned corners of his lips. Although he still exudes warmth, it makes your heart feel chilled. As you approach, traces of his tears become evident, pink around his round eyes- staring up at you from his resting spot. “You okay?” you ask, moving your umbrella away from yourself to shield him, “Your clothes are getting soaked.” A dissatisfied hum is your only reply at first, until he sits up and grabs your free hand to tug you closer. In his hold, you let him guide you to stand in front of him so he can comfortably wrap his arms around your hips. Leaning his head into your stomach, Chanyeol sighs. “You know you saved someone, Chanyeol.” You speak the words into the breeze with such conviction, letting your free hand raise to pet his hair. Even without the sun, you are happy to notice you can still see the auburn riding the waves of his chestnut curls. “It doesn’t matter. So many more hate me for starting a fire,” he mumbles into the thickness of your hoodie. Dropping your umbrella, you sink into a squatting position between his knees and revel in the warmth of his skin against your palms where they touch his cheeks, “But you didn’t start that fire.” He groans, voice cracking with stress, “Everyone thinks I did. It’s all that seems to matter. They are making jokes about it, too.” “I don’t think you did.” For the first time, he meets your eyes. Hesitantly, “I know.” He pulls you back up against him, hugging you into his larger frame as if you were his favorite stuffed animal, but commits nothing to the conversation otherwise. “What if you signed with an agency?” you wonder aloud. Sure, conversations had come and gone about it before, when they first began gaining popularity and legitimacy, but Chanyeol had always shrugged it off for the sake of keeping his manifestation private and doing what he wanted. He hadn’t thought that far about it, thinking there would never be a need to expose himself. “Might have to now. Still don’t want to,” he admits. “Why did you risk yourself then?” He lifts his chin and tilts his lips onto yours briefly, “The kids. They wouldn’t have made it.” The words are sobering to you, as they probably were to him. “You did that for them?” He takes a deep breath through his nose. It’s clear he is exhausted, “Would you have?” “Without a second thought.” You wrap his head in your arms again, leaning down to kiss at the crown of his head and inhaling his scent. Smoky and warm, tinged with the fresh rain. “That’s why I think you should find an agency.” Chanyeol hums, squeezing you tighter, “Later. For now, let’s go home and forget about the world for a while.” He kisses you again, “Thank you for finding me.” “I will always come to find you. I just want you to be safe and happy and loved,” you remind him gently, stealing a kiss on your own from his perpetually pouted lips. He takes your hand and stands, giving you the tiniest smile- just an uptick at the corner of his lips- at the happy sound you make when he squeezes your hand in his. It is unusually warm, like always. He takes the umbrella from your other hand, looking every bit like a normal couple trying to shield themselves from the chilled rain under one small piece of fabric. Chanyeol stops a few feet from the gate you came through, and his hand grows hotter in your hold. Enough that he lets you go and subtly moves you one step behind him, “Can I help you?” Lost in your thoughts, you hadn’t noticed a man leaning against the grill of Chanyeol’s Mercedes. He’s wearing a black overcoat, bucket hat, and dark sunglasses. Even without the weather, he is immediately suspicious. The man smiles, lifting himself from the car and uncrossing his arms. He looks down and back up, lips twisted in a smirk. Not quite cocky, but almost. Chanyeol must be able to feel something off because he reacts with one small puff of flame from his breath. You don’t miss the way he spreads his fingers wide with the hand he keeps in front of you, alerted by the way his fingertips become daker pink and then red as if sunburnt. The man approaches gracefully, and something feels a little cold. You watch, transfixed and a little afraid of the way the rain doesn’t quite seem to touch him. “Easy there, let me make this a little more comfortable,” he says mysteriously with a quick look around. You immediately notice the way the sound of rain on your umbrella has stopped. Chanyeol noticed too, and hesitantly moves the umbrella. Above your heads, the rain is not suspended. Upon closer inspection, you can see it is moving around you three instead. “See? Now she won’t get wet, right?” says the man, grinning. He removes his sunglasses and lifts his head to meet Chanyeol’s eyes. “Can I help you?” Chanyeol asks again, a little less polite than before. The man, clearly an Evolved, clears his throat and holds a card out to your boyfriend, “My name is Junmyeon. CEO of JM Enterprise, an agency for Evolved.” Your lover stills, relaxing from his threatening posture. You peek around him, curious, “Wow.” Junmyeon smiles at you, “I’m particularly selective in recruiting myself. I’m looking for a partner whose manifestation is complementary of my own. Natural element types if you will.” “Are there more?” Chanyeol asks quickly, his curiosity getting the better of him. Junmyeon smirks again, a bit lopsided. “A few. Currently, five including myself. I’d like you to make it six.” “I’ll think about it,” Chanyeol agrees a bit reluctantly, clearly finished with the conversation. He takes your hand once more and moves past the CEO toward the cars. “Oh, and miss Y/N?” calls Junmyeon. Both of your heads whip back around to face him. He holds his sunglasses with both hands, sliding them back over his eyes, “We could also use someone of your journalist talent, since you’re looking for employment now that you quit.” You squeak, trying to ignore Chanyeol’s wild eyes boring into the side of your head, “You quit your job?!”

#chanyeol x reader #superpower!au #chanyeol drabble #chanyeol fanfiction #exo fanfiction #chanyeol angst #in true fashion as of late... JUNMYEON WOULD NEVER #i had to because it makes me feel better #and chanyeol is a whole ass softie but protective babie #AN: this is totally unedited sorry not sorry

[redhawtriot]

kiri n the reader have a platonic relationship, but every once in a while they'll get together in secret n watch movies together? its their little thing, bcuz when they watch romcoms (which is smn i definitely see kiri secretly liking) they both get a bit sappy during it n only trust each other to be that emotionally vulnerable around? kiri doesn't want to look weak n the reader is usually reserved they both feel comfortable ugly sobbing n huggin it out together b4 swearing not to tell a soul

Tip Jar ☕- Not expected but always appreciated💞

This was so much fun to write😂 I added a lil twist and made the reader BAKUGOU’s TWIN SISTER!!

I feel like you probably wanted this to be really cute, but I don’t think I translated into that well…. 😅 but I really I laughed a lot though, so I hope you enjoy it half as much as I did! ❤️

Thanks for the great request!

HnM💕

Tectonic Plates and Platonic Dates.  (Kirishima x Reader (friendship))

You could honestly never get over how absolutely pathetic you probably looked as you sat a sobbing, wet mess in Kirishima’s bed. 

The two of you had seen your fair share of these kinds of things since your friendship began not too long ago; however, no matter how many times you witnessed it, it would still bring tears to your eyes when the girl towards the end of a rom/com would almost loose hope in her significant other, just to be swept off her feet in the end. 

Like, how many goddamn fight scenes and heartbreak soundtracks would it take before you had a heart of steel? The world may just find out how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop first. 

“Sally totally deserves better than this man, but I want them to find happiness so bad, bro,” Kiri whispered as he scooted closer to you in his bed to hand you a tissue, “Why did he give me such a tough ultimatum? Not manly at all, dude,” he finished as he shook his head and solemnly retreated deeper into his covers for comfort.

“Yeah, fuck Harry for making my eyes hurt,” you quietly replied with a choked sob before blowing your nose into the towel. 

God, if only Bakugou could see you now. How would your brother think of you, his tough-as-nails, older twin– reduced to a ball of tears next to his best friend by corny cinematography. 

Damn good corny cinematography. 

But that’s beside the point. Damn good or not, it was absolutely dire that the two of you kept your scandalous rom/com meetings a secret. Kirishima being the human embodiment of manliness would never dare bruise his masculinity by watching the “About Time”, and the mature, big sister of the all-mighty Bakugou twins would never forsake feminist movements of the last 70 years and watch crap like “Hitch” or “Love Actually.”

So why did you two have to catch each other at the premier of Mama Mia 2 a few months ago?

Little did you know that that day would only be the beginning to many secret meetings between you two closeted cornballs. What had started out as an accidental (and awkward) interaction at the movie theaters turned out to birth a series of the most classified operational meetings of the century. 

A secret tradition that was about to bust wide the fuck open.

Both you and Kirishima nearly jumped out of your skin as three loud knocks were heard at the door, 

“Kirishima, bro, I know you’re up!” Kaminari’s voice sounded on the other side of the door,  “Nobody, goes to sleep this early on a Friday night unless you’re Bakugou. You gotta look at this tiktok Sero and I just made!”

You immediately threw the laptop off of your lap and jumped out of the bed. You threw a frantic glance at the door and your heart dropped even further when you noticed that it was unlocked.

You two had been so damn discreet— you had staggered your departures from the common area, you alternated rooms frequently, you made sure that you both had palpable alibis for your absences.

All that work, and you were about to be foiled because you forgot to lock the damn door. 

“Bro, Iida walked in the middle of it!” Kaminari continued with a laugh before you heard the door knob shift.

Your heart violently thudded against your chest as the metal knob began to turn. You painfully whipped your head back to Kirishima, before spastically grabbing him and desperately throwing him off of the bed toward the door, “Do something!” you harshly whispered as you threw him a pleading glance.

“I- uh… NO!” Kirishima yelled toward the door, halting the movement on the other side. His eyes darted between you and the knob, “DON’T COME IN I’M…” the boy’s eyebrows rose to the top of his forehead as he tried to find his next words, “… Naked?” his voice trailed off in a high pitch and his shoulders came up for a shrug as he searched your expression for approval. 

He found nothing of the sort.

“Oh my fucking God,” you quietly exclaimed as you threw your hand to your forehead with a loud smack. 

“Wait, was that… Y/N’s voice?” Kaminari quietly questioned to himself on the other side of the door. Your soul just about escaped from your being as those words reached you. 

Oh, my god. There is no god. 

You snapped yourself from the utter horror of the situation and snatched your soul from its attempted escape before storming up to the door– lightly swatting Kirishima on the back of his hard head as you passed him, “No one is naked, Kaminari!” you whispered as you swung the door wide open to reveal to room’s contents. Kirishima nervously waved to the flabbergasted Kaminari with a slight chuckle from the ground where you had thrown him, “Take a look for yourself,” you gestured behind you with your lips awkwardly pressed against each other.

Kaminari reluctantly waved back to Kiri before his eyes settled onto your face. He stared at you for a moment with his head tilted, as if he were intrigued be something. Right when you were about to open your mouth and ask, “What?” he spoke up again,

“Are you okay, Y/N? Your face is really flushed and your eyes are red,” your mouth fumbled over itself as you tried to find an explanation, but suddenly, Kaminari got a look in his eye. The blond practically giggled to himself as his mouth tilted up into a mischievous smirk, “Just what were you two kids doing in there? huh, Y/N?” he said a bit too loudly, igniting your jaw to fly wide open,

“No, no, no! Denki!”You composed yourself almost instantaneously as you heard rustling from the room next to Kirishima’s. You waved your hands frantically in front of the blond in front of you. You tried to hush him as he continued, “Shhhhh! No!” you pleaded in a whisper as your face shriveled in terror.

He continued regardless of your impending doom, “Was I interrupting something, Kirishima?” He wiggled his eyebrows as he called out passed your distressed form and toward the redhead who was just then beginning to stand to his feet, “Does Bakubro know about you and his sister?” You could have killed his wanna-be Pikachu headass right then and there,

“Be quiet you idiot! He’s gonna hear y–”

Your words were interrupted as the door next to Kirishima’s violently swung open and banged harshly against the wall, “THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY ABOUT MY SISTER?!”

Your hands moved to rub your temples in preparation for the oncoming headache that was heading your way as your twin brother furiously marched out of his room. 

As soon as you made contact with your brother’s familiar fiery eyes, your entire body tensed up as if to prepare for fight or flight. You never stood down from an altercation with your little brother, but in this moment as you watched disgust and horror flash across his expression at the idea of you and his best friend sneaking around, you wanted nothing more than to shrivel into nothingness in the corner of the room like a dead spider. 

So yeah, it seemed as if flight might just be the best option. 

Your twin seemed to be at a loss for words as he tried to absorb the scene in front of him, but he quickly snapped out of his trance and re-immersed himself in his usual rage, “What the hell is going on here, shitty hair?!” he growled as he stormed up to Kirishima and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. 

“You fucking neanderthal, get the hell off of him!” you squeaked as you tried to peel Bakugou off of poor Kirishima. 

“Bakugou, man, it’s not what it looks like,” Kiri nervously laughed as you continued to futility attempt to free him from your brothers clutches. 

Kaminari could be heard laughing in the background off all of this madness, “Oh yeah,” he mused, “because by the looks of that messed up bed, it looked like you were getting all cuddly and snugly with Y/N.”

“WHAT?!” Bakugou screeched, causing Kirishima’s ears to slightly rattle.A guttural growl tore it’s way from his throat as his grips on Kirishima’s collar became tighter and he began violently shaking the boy– a steady stream of curses and death threats flooding out of him as he did so. 

Bakugou was straight up about to shake the last three brain cells that he had right out of his skull, “BAKUGOU CUT IT OUT RIGHT NOW!” You screeched as your face began tingling, “I AM ABOUT 3 SECONDS AWAY FROM KICKING YOUR ASS!”

Kaminari pracctically fell to the ground in laugher, only pausing when you threw him a very heated glare, “Don’t you laugh! You’re gonna catch these fists too, assdick!” Kaminari’s fits of laughter only intensified with your words.

Ass dick. What the fuck did you just say….?

Things literally couldn’t get any worse.

“What going on?” Sero’s approaching voice sounded from down the hall, “What’s with all of the commotion?”

Fucking great.

“None of your damned business!” both you and Bakugou sounded simultaneously- his being much more aggressive than your own. 

“Kirishima and Y/N were having a moment,” Kaminari gave a half-assed whisper to Sero.

“Kiri, you sly dog,” the second half to the same idiot replied causing Bakugou to shake the Kiri even harder. 

“I swear it’s not like that at all, you guys! Honestly!” Kirshima blurted out, gaining a glare from Bakugou as he quit shaking him– a sign to continue speaking and explain himself, 

“Y/N and I were just chilling out. I guess it’s kinda ridiculous that we have hid this for so long but…” he anxiously scratched the back of his neck.

Oh god, you were about to be outted. Revealed. Exposed. Fuck, you weren’t ready for this. There were still so many good movies out there to watch, but you would never get the chance to do so with your twerp of a brother breathing down your neck— ridiculing you for being such a sissy.

Kirishima what the hell are you doing?! They can’t handle the truth!

You stared at Kiri with wide eyes as he continued with a goofy smile plastered onto his face, “We have this… thing where we meet up and watch–”

“PORN.” you blurted out without thinking. As soon as the words flew of your mouth you could feel your face become red-hot with embarrassment.

Kirishima’s face heated up as well as he struggled to find words, “…what…?”

“what?!” Kaminari and Sero simultaneously cried out.

“hWHAT?!!” an unholy screech erupted from Bakugou’s throat as he disgustedly snatched himself away from Kirishima. 

You were so embarrased that you didnt even notice your face was literally burning up as smoke began to steam from your cheeks. It seemed as of the five of you gawked at each other for years before a sudden shift within your skin clicked in place and a loud explosion enveloped the room as you literally blew your top. 

Your quirk was similar to your brothers, except you couldn’t control your oxidation as spontaneously as Bakugou could, and you could also oxidize sweat from anywhere on your body. This meant that you were basically the human equivalent of a match wherever you rubbed your skin. 

It also meant that when you got extremely flustered or overwhelmed, sometimes your quirk would activate, much like Bakugou’s, and oxidize the massive amount of facial sweat you tended to grossly compile in anxious moments and effectively explode your own fucking head.

The four men stared in shock as the smoke cleared from your skull, revealing your seriously pissed off face “GET. THE FUCK. OUUUT!!” you growled wildly. 

The three stooges looked at your enraged being in terror as your brother just scoffed and sent you a irritated glance. You just wanted to wipe the stupid look off his bratty little face, “ALL OF YOU!” you commanded as you violently shoved Bakugou out of the room onto his butt.

“WHAT THE FUCK,” he screeched.

“Yes, ma’am.” dumb, dumber and dumbest all three replied as they tried to hurriedly flee away from the crime scene. 

You quickly grabbed dumber by the arm, “Not you, Kirishima,” you groaned in annoyance before swiftly yanking the boy back into the room and closing the door to lock it. Bakugou barely missed catching the door.

“Y/N!!! FUCKING LET ME IN!” Bakugou snarled as he banged against the door, “NOW! you idiot! I’ll blast this door straight to hell! Shitty hair, if you wanna keep this door I suggest you let me in right the FUCK now! Don’t you touch my shitty sister!”

You ignored all of his psychotic rantings as you tried to find the comfortable position that you had been in in bed before shit had hit the fan. You calmly opened the laptop up and pressed play on the movie.

Kirishima whippped his head back and forth from you calmly on the bed to the raging shadow of a wild creature just under his door, “Are you… sure this is okay? I don’t think that door will hold much longer,” he couldn’t help but smile a little at the ridiculousness of the situation.

“Good thing the movie only has 10 minutes left,” you tried to shrug off the embarrassment and return to the bliss of rom/com, “Now. I am gonna finish the damn thing. If you wanna leave be my guest.”

Kirishima gave one last glance toward the booming door before walking over to settle down into the bed next to you, “I think I’ll stay here,” he laughed.

“Good choice,” you replied as you looked up to him with a smile.

And you finished the movie even with your feral twin brother making furious, animal-like noises just on the other side of the door. 

#my hero academia #mha imagines #boku no hero academia #mha imagine #bnha imagine #bnha imagines #kirishima imagine #kirishima x reader #eijirou kirishima #kirishima eijirou #bakugou #kastuki bakugou #bakugou’s sister #sero hanta #denki kaminari #kaminari x reader #sero x reader #kirishima x bakugou #platonic

[star-whores-a-new-hoe]

Rescue Mission // Obi Wan X Reader Forever Series: Part Six

Summary: You attempt to rescue Anakin and Obi Wan from the evil clutches of the separatists, but hurtful secrets get reveled in the process.

Word count: 3K

Warnings: Angst, fighting, violence, pining, cussing, Typos probably.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!” You whispered hurriedly under your breath as you made your way through the dark, ominous jungle. Clutching your blaster tightly, you stepped over vines and branches, your ears and eyes straining for any sign of movement. 

Your heart was beating rapidly but you did your best to suppress your nerves and focus on the task at hand. You were unable to shake the foreboding  feeling of being watched by something waiting in the looming darkness. 

‘I am literally the least qualified person in existence to be doing this!’ You thought to yourself. The immense metaphorical weight of this situation felt heavy on your shoulders.

 Your feet ached like you had been walking for an eternity and you could feel your shirt sticking to your sweaty back, but you didn’t let your guard down for even a second to adjust it. 

‘What’s gonna happen if I don’t find them?’ You thought. ‘Or worse, don’t find them?’ Shaking those thoughts from your head, you pushed onward. ‘Keep a clear head, like Obi Wan trained you to do.’

Finally, your ears were met with the sound of movement off in the distance and you swore you could make out a faint light off in that direction. Pausing, you held your breath, straining your ears so that you could listen to  the sound of robotic footsteps and metallic voices filling the eerily quiet jungle. 

Despite the immense heat, you felt a shiver of fear run down your spine. A sense of panic that began to course through your veins but you did your best to push aside your emotions. 

‘What do I do, oh fuck, what do I do?’ 

You stopped and took a deep breath, absorbing the warm jungle air.

‘What would Obi Wan do?’ 

You did your best to recall everything that Obi Wan had ever told you about his missions. How he handled hostage situations and tight spots.

Finally, you decided that the best scenario was to locate the two Jedi and get them out as quickly and quietly as possible, not in the process alerting anyone.

‘Besides, I kind of dout that there really is a senator, probably just a trap to get to Ani and Obi.’ You slowly moved towards the sounds of the enemy. Once you got closer, It was very apparent that you were immensely outnumbered. Hundreds of battle droids marched about in a bright, makeshift camp.

You crouched down behind the thick jungle brush and strategically scouted out where the Jedi were most likely to be, making mental note of where the enemy were most clustered together.

Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted what looked like the only other living thing there. A tall, wrinkled, green man in a headdress who was conversing with a battle droid.

In the hopes of overhearing the location of Obi Wan and Anakin, you moved closer to the two. 

“The Jedi are on the other side of the clearing Viceroy Gunray.” The droid said in a high pitched, metallic voice.

“Excellent, our trap worked perfectly! Soon we will be rid of two of the most troublesome Jedi in the order!” 

In the bushes, you placed your hand over your mouth, not wanting to take the risk of them hearing your heavy breathing. 

“Tell the droids to be ready to exterminate in thirty minutes.” The man (If you could even really call him that) continued.

“Roger roger!” The droid said before walking away.

‘Next step,’ You thought. ‘Spring the trap.’ 

                                                           ***

Obi Wan And Anakin sat back to back, wrists and ankles tied together, lightsabers just out of reach and four droids standing guard. Quite a familiar situation for the both of them.

“How did this happen, we’re smarter than this!” Obi Wan mused to himself. 

“Do you think Y/n is coming master?” Anakin asked, tossing his head back in a feeble attempt to get his curls out of his face.

“I suppose she is.” Obi Wan didn’t want to let on how terrified he was for your safety, how much of a failure he felt like for getting captured and leaving you to brave the dangers of jungle alone. 

“Look, I know you’re worried about Y/n but she can handle herself.” Anakin told him reassuringly. “She’s stronger than you think.” Obi Wan nodded in response, even though Ani couldn’t see it. “Besides, She’s had training. She knows how to handle that blaster.”

“Well if by some miracle she saves us, I don’t think we will ever hear the end of it.” 

Anakin smiled. “Her ass is on the line too, without us she has no one to fly her home.” 

“That’s definitely some motivation.” 

For a time they sat in silence. There wasn’t much need for them to panic as there was no immediate danger, But the thought of you trying to find and rescue them on your own had Obi Wan on edge. 

Suddenly, there was a soft rustling from the bushes  a few feet behind them. He and Anakin turned their heads just in time to see you stealthily crawl towards them out of the brush. You reached them and used a small knife that you had to cut their hands and ankles free. 

“Hi.” You said to Obi Wan, face beaming, your voice barely above a whisper so as not to alert the captors.

“Hello there.” He was beyond relieved to see you here unharmed and alive, but he knew you all still had a long way to go before you were truly safe. 

“Almost didn't recognize you with the black eye.” Anakin said before jumping up and using the force to grab both light sabers, handing one to Obi Wan as he stood up.

“Come on let's go.” You said motioning back the way you came, hoping to get away before the droids noticed that the Jedi were free. 

“Y/n,” Obi Wan said earnestly. “We must attempt to capture Viceroy Gunray, he is far too valuable an asset to let escape.”

 You pursed your lips, obviously not happy about trying to fight your way through a droid army. 

“If you feel more comfortable you can head back to the ship-“ 

“Fuck no!” You said indignantly, “I’m not leaving you guys” With all the gumption you had, you said,  “Let’s do this.” 

Anakin smiled at you before turning on his saber. “Good call.” 

***

You weren’t entirely sure how you got split up from the two Jedi but in the chaos of the fight it was pretty much bound to happen. So there you were, in an isolated clearing without any droids, a foot away from Viceroy Gunray, blaster pointed at his chest.

“They want you alive.” You said, demeanor unwavering. You were thankful that your voice sounded so tough, inside you were completely freaking out.

Viceroy Gunray scoffed at you as you stared into his cold, slimy eyes. 

“And you are going to bring me to the Jedi? Some little girl with a black eye-“ his sentence was suddenly cut off by your fist colliding with his face, throwing him to the ground with a harsh thud. 

“There, give your eye a few minutes and we’ll match.” He coughed as he propped himself up onto his elbows. “Don’t move.” You commanded, sanding over him, your blaster still aimed at him.

“It’s odd, too see a Jedi fighting without a light saber.” 

Your brows furrowed in confusion at his words. “I’m no Jedi.”

He gave you an ugly smile “Our spies say something different.” 

You stared at him, perplexed. “W-what…” 

At that moment, Obi Wan and Anakin broke through the brush, breathless, with light sabers still ignited in their fists. You kept your gaze on Gunray, waiting for an answer.

“Has Obi Wan not told you?” He chuckled. “It seems someone is force sensitive.” 

You whipped your head around to stare at Obi Wan incredulously.

“I'd stop talking if you know what's good for you viceroy.” Anakin said, coming forward to apprehend him with some holo cuffs. You slowly backed away and lowered your blaster in a dazed sort of way.

“The droids are all taken care of and-” Obi Wan began but he was interrupted by you.

“Obi, what was he talking about.” You watched him avert his Ocean blue eyes from you.

“Obi-” Your voice shook with confusion and anger. “Is he...I...You knew?” The sound of utter hurt in your tone wounded him more than a blaster bullet to the heart. 

He swallowed thickly before regaining his composure and putting away his saber. “Let us discuss this when we return to the ship.” 

                                                          ***

The walk to the ship was tense and quiet. You walked ahead of the two Jedi, Gunray in custody, your seething rage leaving a path behind you that even the most untrained of Jedi could sense.

As you stomped your way into the ship, Obi Wan and company in tow,  you felt your anger boiling up within you, ready to overflow at any minute. 

Fists clenched, You whirled on Obi Wan, Anakin awkwardly walked past you into the pilots seat with Gunray. 

“Explain.” You said. There was a commanding harshness to your tone. 

“The Jedi council has known that there was a possibility of you being force sensitive. They made the executive decision to not tell you for-“ 

“Don’t you dare fucking say for my own safety!” Your white gripped knuckles shook with anger. “Besides, telling me obviously didn’t do anything to prevent the enemy from knowing.” 

“I was simply doing what was best for you Y/n.” 

“No! You were doing what was best for the council! If you would let yourself feel a goddamn emotion instead of following everything they tell you too maybe you would have figured that out!” There was no stopping you now, everything you wanted to say to him was spilling out. “I trusted you! I’m literally in another dimension or world or whatever! I’m alone and I trusted you to be with me and to...to…” You stammered for the right words. “To not keep things like this from me!” I You could feel tears of emotion prickling up in your eyes. ‘Don’t let him see the pain!’ You reminded yourself.

Obi Wan was speechless.

You turned you back to him and crossed your arms in a fetal attempt to calm yourself. The presence of his eyes lingered on the back of your head.  those words stung, hitting him deep in his heart. You could hear his heavy footsteps walk to the front of the ship, leaving you by yourself. When you were satisfied you were alone, you let the tears and silent sobs of pent up emotion and confusion roll down your cheeks as you stared out at the stars from the ship’s window, The same stars you had admired with him on the way there.

***

When you landed back on Coruscant  you fully intended to head back to the apartment and sulk, ‘maybe I could catch a ride with Anakin after he takes care of Gunray. Lord knows I don't want to be near Obi Wan right now.’

As the doors to the ship opened and afternoon light flooded into the ship, you walked out onto the platform. To your surprise, Masters Yoda and Windu stood waiting. You headed towards them, you could sense that they were there for you.

“Y/n, We have much to discuss.” Windu said to you.

“Indeed we do.” You anger was apparent in your voice. 

Windu turned to Yoda. ���Why don’t you oversee everything with Gunray?” He suggested. As Yoda walked away Obi Wan came to join the two of you. 

“What do you need to tell me?” 

“We’ve deciphered part of the book.” your face was illuminated with shock.

“And?”

“Why don’t we discuss this somewhere more private?” Windu suggested.

Crossing your arms in defiance you said. “No, I’ve waited six months dude and I’m not waiting a second more, spill.” 

Windu was slightly taken aback by your abruptness, yet none of that shone through his stone cold exterior. “The book is written in an old Jedi code, one that has not been used for quite awhile. It speaks of a person from another world coming to ours and what they must do to find out how to get back.” 

You held your breath, not daring to believe it. “Yes?”

“It tells of a planet and a ritual, we are working on tracking the plane now but we do expect it to take awhile.” 

You could hardly believe it, standing on the platform, the wind blowing in your face, you stared out at the space city you had learned to live in these past few months. All that could change soon.

“There is however, a grave warning.” Turning your gaze back onto Windu, you prompted him to go forward. “The ritual appears to be very dangerous, there is a high risk in death in attempting it. The council has decided it is up to you to choose to go through with it or not.”

“I’ll do it.” You told him without a moment's hesitation. You felt a warm hand on your shoulder and turned to look at Obi Wan, his concern obvious on his face.

“Y/n, You would be putting your life at risk.” 

You stared into his eyes, yours hard and devoid of emotion. Shrugging his hand off your shoulder you said to him. “There is nothing for me here.” You knew your words would hurt him. That's why you had said them. ‘Perhaps that was too much.’ Before you considered our actions too much you turned away from the two and stormed away.

***

It had been a week since you came back from the mission and you still hadn’t talked to Obi Wan, instead letting stubbornness take the wheel. In the meantime, you had taken up your training  sessions with Anakin. 

“You know,” Anakin said tentatively as you stretched out your sore muscles. “I think there’s someone who wants to have a little chat with you.”

You felt your jaw clench with annoyance as you sat on the floor, reaching for your toes. “I’d rather talk to that Gungan right.”

Anakin came over to sit down next to you. “Look, you can't pretend to be mad at Obi Wan forever so what’s the real reason you don’t want to talk to him? I Know what he did wasn’t the best but he feels really bad”

You scoffed and sat up as well. “How can you tell, he doesn’t really show any emotions.”

“Well neither do you.” His words connected something in your brain, like two puzzle pieces coming together. All the times you had pushed your emotions deep down flashed across your mind. Why? Because you were scared? 

‘Why don’t I let them see the pain?’

You contemplated his words for a moment. “W-What if I’ve burned all my bridges?”  bringing your hand up to your face, you gingerly touched the healing black eye, remembering how hard Obi Wan had tried to protect you during that incident. “I was really harsh, what if he doesn’t want to be... friends?”

Anakin bit back his frustration at neither of you being able to admit your obvious attraction for one another. “I know my master like he’s my own brother, and I know that he will never give up on someone he cares about.” 

You sat there in silence for a minute, letting feelings of regret wash over you. But in the middle of all that regret there was a glimmer Hope. 

Anakin put a reassuring hand on your shoulder. “I’ll let him know that you want to talk, Alright?”

You nodded. “Alright.”

                                                             ***

You stood near the edge of the balcony, elbows braced on the railing, letting the cool night air flood your lungs while you stared up at the stars. Stars that didn’t belong to you.

You could sense Obi Wan behind you before you noticed him physically. You could feel his presence behind you, leaning in the doorway that led back into the apartment. 

“Hi.” You said, not turning around. You were too ashamed to look him in the eyes at the moment.

His footsteps echoed against the ornate tile of the balcony as he made his way towards You. He rested himself next to you against the railing.

“Hello there.” you swallowed hard and looked down at your hands, anything to avoid eye contact. “I thought about what you said.” You let his words fill the tense air between the two of you. He took your silence as a sign to continue. “I’ve been trained by the Jedi for most of my life, I've been trained  to repress all emotions, to do anything to keep my feelings at bay. But your words made me realize that perhaps the jedi aren't right about everything, that repressing emotions can lead to more harm than good.”

You were honestly shocked at how open he was with you. “I suppose you must be rethinking a lot? That must be tough.” You said fidgeting with your fingers.

“Extremely.” He answered. After a short silence he asked “Do you still want to go through with the ritual the book talked of.?” 

Biting your lip you nodded. “I-I have to, I can’t just leave my world behind, my family” you paused. “I am sorry though, about saying there was nothing here for me. That was a lie, I really do care for you.” you could sense him smiling.

“You do understand how dangerous it is? You’ll be putting your life at risk.”

“Isn’t that what you do everyday, General Kenobi?” He let out a chuckle before the silence of the city swept over the two of you again.

 You used all the courage you had to look him in the eyes. “I want you to know that I’m here for you while you figure stuff out and that i'm sorry I was so harsh on you, you were only doing what you thought was right.” He looked back down at you with his ocean blue eyes, filled to the brim with kindness. “And you're not alone with repressing your emotions. I’m terrified of people… well, of you seeing how… hurt I get. I don't want to be a burden so I just act like nothing is wrong, or sometimes even lash out at people.” Obi Wan put his large calloused hand on top of yours. “I need to start showing people how I feel.”

“Seems that you and I are in the same boat,  how about we work on that together, Hmm?” You held your breath for a moment, as you looked up at him, relishing in the feeling of the soft breeze through your hair and Obi Wan’s hand on top of yours. Tentatively, you brought your free hand up to softly cup his cheek, your fingers softly stroking the hair of his beard. 

“Obi?”

“Yes?” 

You leaned forward slightly. “This is me showing you how I feel.” You leaned forward and pressed your soft lips into his, letting the emotions you had harbored for him for months break free. He brought his hands to your face and deepened the passionate kiss, letting all his feelings and emotions flow out. You could sense him in the force, letting go of everything that held him back, letting himself be freed. 

You reluctantly pulled away from him, breathless and panting. Your face glowed with a beautiful smile and you thought to yourself, ‘Finally.’ 

 Tag List: @fangirl-on-bitches @whovianayesha @scarlettsoldier​ @Million-dollar-legs @thetreandtessa 

#star wars #starwars #star wars prequels #Star Wars fanfic #star wars fanfiction #obi wan kenobi fan fic #fanfiction #fanfic #x reader #obi wan x reader #forever series #obi wan kenobi #obi wan #Star Wars Obi Wan #star wars obi wan kenobi #obi wan clone wars #Obi Wan fanfic #obi wan fanfiction #series

[appreciatethefoolishness]

BUNNY TROUBLE | 01

01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07

― pairing: Jeongguk x reader  ― genre: fluff, future smut, (kind of) hybrid!jeongguk, bunny!jeongguk, magical wishes, Taehyung!best friend, crack/humor lol I tried, swearing ― word count: 5.9k  ― summery: A quick decision to save a hurt bunny on the side of the road might not seem like a big deal to many people, Y/N doesn't think much of it either and decides to take care of the little male rabbit but what she doesn't expect is when he one night turns into a human and hell breaks loose...  

― A/N: So today’s my birthday so I thought what better way to celebrate it than uploading the first part of the series I’ve worked on for a little more than a week now? I hope you like it and I’ll start writing part two as soon as possible! posted: June 23, 2019

don’t post/copy my work without my permission © 

“So what are you gonna do now?” Taehyung’s low voice filled your ear as you walked down the long sidewalk.

A heavy sigh left your lips, the cardboard box in your hand was impossible to ignore and just reminded you of how bad your day had been. Not only did you burn your breakfast, miss the bus which made you late to work but you also lost your job today.

“Honestly, I’ve no idea,” you answered, feeling how your eyebrows furrowed together, “I don’t even know why that evil hag fired me in the first place!”

As Taehyung could see your facial expression through the phone he laughed, “Maybe ‘cause she’s evil?” and you snorted at that, sure your boss, or more like ex-boss, was a bitch but did she really have to take her anger out on poor you? “Anyway, do you want to come over? My shift ends soon so maybe we could watch a movie, maybe that one you told me about a few weeks ago?”

“Oh, you remember that? Then yes, please I just want to forget about this day ever happened.” You whined and threw your head back to see the dark sky above, even the gray clouds matched your mood today. “I’ll go to you now.”

“Great,” you could hear his smile, “see you later, bae.”

“I told you not to call me tha-”, you started saying but he had already hung up on you making you roll your eyes. “Taehyung!” you exclaimed but you couldn’t keep the corners of your mouth from turning upwards. Your best friend was such an idiot, you thought shaking your head before turning off your phone and putting it in your pocket.

You tried to keep smiling but it was difficult, you just lost your income and would have to start searching for a new job as soon as possible and who knew when you would be hired again?

“Aish,” you hissed before kicking a small stone lying in your way and watched how it rolled away toward the ditch on the side of the sidewalk. You didn’t really think much of it and kept walking but a strange noise made you stop in your tracks. A weak whimpering sound made you turn your head and look down, a gasp fell from your lips and you dropped the box.

“Oh, God,” you whispered as you got down on your knees to get a closer look at the little bunny, his black fur was covered in red liquid and dirt and your heart sunk immediately. He had an ugly wound on his back, it was a deep jack and though you weren’t a vet you could tell just by looking at it that it required medical help. “What happened to you..?”

You didn’t know if the bunny was still alive until he moved his small nose to whine measly, his big brown eyes were teary when they locked with yours. His ears were flat against his head, he ground his teeth and his whole body shivered as if he was cold. His eyes were pleading and you didn’t even need to think before you had picked up your box again to throw out the inside material so all the papers flew everywhere and your stapler and shit landed on the ground with a thud but you didn't care. You tried to take a deep breath to calm yourself down and cupped your shaking fingers to gently lift up the dying animal in your hands and you noticed how small he actually was, he could fit in your hands without any problem so he couldn’t weigh more than just 1 kg.  

You could tell he wasn’t a wild hare but a pet rabbit which only made it even more difficult to bare and as warily as you possible could you placed the animal in the box. You felt a little dizzy standing up and looking down at the mess with all your office supplies lying on the ground before you but you couldn’t care less, you were already fired and would probably not be able to use that stuff anyway for a long time. And without wasting any more time you started speed-walking toward your best friend’s workplace.

“Shh,” you hushed the small thing as he whimpered again and it almost sounded like a sob, “you’ll be okay, Bunny, I’ll save you, just hold on.” You mumbled feeling his starry eyes on you and you swallowed hard to prevent yourself from crying, you just couldn’t handle seeing animals hurt.

A few minutes later you were pushing up the heavy door with your back and storming into the empty waiting room, totally out of breath. “TAEHYUNG!” you called out with a panic-filled voice as you moved toward the room where you knew the needed equipment where.

“What?! What is it!?” he yelled back and opened the door to the room, his eyes were wide making the white in them pop matching his doctor coat. You didn’t have time to answer as you rushed passed him into the room and put the box on the metal bed.

You turned to him, flushed cheeks with your chest going up and down. “It’s a b-bunny… he’s hurt!” you shuttered as Taehyung shut the door and you could clearly see how his brows pulled up in confusion but without questing he ran up to the bed to examine the little creature.

With his latex gloves, he gently picked the coal colored bunny up to put him on the bed tissue and started to look at the sore. The bunny tried to jump into the box again and yelped as he tried to escape Taehyung's grip when he started to touch the bloody wound and you bit on your thumb nail uneasy. “Where did you find him?” Taehyung asked as he made a face and moved with the bunny toward the tap to run warm water over his back which made him whimper again and your breath got caught in your throat. Even though you just met this rabbit today you felt thousands of things for him.

“O-on the side... of t-the road.” You said but you couldn’t keep your eyes from watering. “Will he b-be okay?”

Taehyung hummed, “Yeah, though it’s a deep wound so I have to use stitches.”

A surprisingly growl rose from the back of the bunny's throat as he jumped out of Taehyung's hands but before he could get any further your best friend had caught him again and the rabbit hissed.

“Yes, please do.” You tried to blink away the unleashed tears from your eyes which made Taheyung looked up.

“He’ll be okay, ____.” He said, seriousness covering his features as he gave you a reassuring smile. “I promise.”

You nodded and let him continue the rescue by applying some anesthetize before taking out a curled needle, needle driver and some medical thread to start stitching. You helped to hold the bunny down and as your hands touched his shaky figure he stopped struggling and just high pitched whines escaped from his little mouth. Taehyung worked quickly but precisely, each stitch was carefully sewed and you had never seen him so focused on one task, his brows were furrowed and hands steady.

"What do you think hurt him?" you asked as he snipped the thread and backed away from the bunny to clean all his tools in the sink.

The now free rabbit looked up and turned his head to look around the room and when his gaze fell on you, you expected him to immediately run away but unexpectedly he jumped into your arms instead. You were surprised to say at least but were quick to wrap your hands around his body and held him against your chest, your heart fluttered at the action.

"It looked like a laceration so probably some other animal but I have no idea," Taehyung replied with his back turned to you. "By the way, how did you know it was a guy?"

"Um," you were still puzzled by the closeness of the rabbit, his whimpers had stopped and his face was now rubbing against your collarbone. "I don't know… I just guessed."

"Well you were right," he said and turned around with a smile on his face and it only brightened when he saw the bunny in your embrace, "and the little guy seems to really like you."

You grinned before gently bringing your fingers up to pet your new friend’s head and he didn't protest as he just closed his eyes and cuddled closer to you. "Oh, he's so cute." You cooed and the fur felt so soft against your fingertips, "aren't you the cutest? Yeah, aren’t you are a cutie, Guk?"

You didn’t know what that name came from but you liked it.

"Guk?" Taehyung's repeated and his voice startled you a bit, "shouldn't you give him a proper name?" he teased. "Guk is too short, give him a full name."

You playfully rolled your eyes at him, "okay then, this is Jeon…," you trailed off as your inspiration died halfway through and Taehyung lifted his eyebrows as in a gesture for you to keep going, "Um, Jeon...jeongguk. Yeah, Jeon Jeongguk."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I like it," you defended yourself toward his uncertain voice.

"Okay, then go for it."

"I will," you sassed back but not even a second after you remembered something important, "but wait why are we even naming him? What if he already has an owner?"

Taehyung sucked on his bottom lip before shaking his head making his hazel mop of hair move like waves. "I doubt it, he doesn't have a collar on and neither seems to be chipped."

"But then… what are we gonna do with him? He needs a home." You mumbled and Taehyung gave you that look again, "what?"

"Well, maybe his new home is much closer than you think." He said with a glint in his dark eyes.

"You mean…," you started but he didn’t let you finish.

"Yeah, didn't you talk about being jealous over pet owners? Well now are one." And Taehyung’s words became more true then you first though because a few days later Jeongguk moved into your apartment and you couldn’t be happier.

But of course, not everything brought you joy especially when you tried to work, Jeongguk was, for lack for a better word, an attention whore. Not that it was a bad thing, you loved how much he wanted to spend time with you and seemed to adore everything you did but when you had to focus on writing your CV your bunny’s constantly honking sounds and running did not help at all.

“Oh, God,” you mumbled as you moved your fingers away from the keyboard on your computer. You were sitting in your living room on the couch with Jeongguk energetically jumping all over it, trying to get your attention and well, it certainly worked. “Sweetie,” you sighed and reached out to stroke his silky fur and he purred in victory as he got what he wanted, “you must let me do this so I can send it in to more companies and eventually get a new job, you know I can’t take care of you if I don’t earn any money.” Jeongguk tilted his head just slightly as he was listening to you, “yeah, so be a good boy and stay still for me or go somewhere else and play, okay?”

And after that, he sat quietly beside you only licking and nibbling on your hand from time to time but it didn’t bother you and you finished writing and editing your document rather quickly and after you pressed the last ‘send’ button you were done.

“Okay, now we’ll just wait and see how it goes,” you announced, closed your laptop before placing it on the coffee table in front of you and turning to the bunny again, “and you’ve been such a good bunny and deserve some well-earned cuddles.” You cooed, brought him up against your chest and he immediately started humming while you petted him. “How’s your wound by the way? Is it healing nicely?” you asked and moved your fingers to be able to see the stitches across his back, “Ah, it looks good, we just have to wash it again today and soon we’ll remove them and you’ll be like new!”

A few hours later of you two watching TV (A bake off because for some reason you loved watching them even though you never baked) and Jeongguk seemed to also find the screen with all the moving pictures interesting. Just like you he liked carrots but without the dip, obviously, but he took the word ‘like’ to the next level, he nibbled so passionately on the orange sticks you gave him that had to stop before he ate too much.

You hadn’t said it out loud yet but Jeongguk had become such an important part of your life these last few weeks and you couldn’t remember how you managed to survive without him before. He always made you feel less lonely and brought out a smile on your face when you felt devastated due to being unemployed. You two fell into a daily routine almost immediately with him waking you up early in the morning by running around your apartment before jumping on your bed so you would pet and feed him as soon as possible.

In the beginning, he used to sleep under the dinner table or in his indoor house that you and Taehyung had built together but after a while, he started to creep up on your bed to sleep beside you. Of course, you were surprised, especially after you asked Taehyung and he confirmed that no, it was not normal for bunnies to sleep beside their owner, but mostly thrilled and happy but who wouldn’t if a cute bunny wanted to cuddle you to sleep? It almost seemed to be too perfect to be true and soon you discovered that living with a hormonal rabbit had its flaws...

As the dark silence slowly swept you into dreamland a weird feeling on your leg made you open your eyes and you stirred awake. Dazed you reached out to the light on your nightstand to turn it on and when the brightness lit up the room the sight that greeted you would certainly be hard to forget.

“Oh, my God, no!” you cried out as Jeongguk humped your leg. His small hips were thrusting against your bare skin and you quickly lifted him up in the air, separating him from your body. “Stop, we're not the same species! It doesn’t work that way!”

He kept thrusting in the air for a few moments before he realized he wasn’t grinding on anything anymore and he stopped.

“Bad r-rabbit,” you tried to school him, “don’t do that!”

Your stern voice worked surprisingly well and his ears flattened on his head and he whined apologetically and tried to bump his nose against you. You learn from that night that he hated disappointing you and every time you had to lecture him he took it to heart and tried to never do it again but the thing about him humping you- he couldn’t stop it. It was his instincts telling him to do it and you didn’t see yourself spaying him anytime in the future.

Except Jeongguk’s never-ending rutting against your body parts and the sexual aspect to it so was company something he loved. He followed you around everywhere you went and when you had to leave the apartment he always tried to make you stay by protesting, whining and ‘blocking’ the door as best as he could but as soon as you returned home again he would attack you with licks and cuddles and his previous sulking would be long forgotten.

“Oh, hi sweetheart!” you exclaimed as you opened the door to walk inside and an energetic Jeongguk greeted you by jumping up and down.

You put down your two grocery bags to see your little bunny running circles around your feet in excitement as he made happy honking noises and a bubbly laugh rose from your throat.

“Did you miss me?” you cooed and scrooched down to pet him, “I was only away for an hour, why do you always act like I’ve been away for years?” you giggled as he started to climb up your body with his cute paws and then licked your hands and whatever he could reach. “Ah, Guk!” you shrieked and fell on your back and he continued to lick, nuzzle and nibble on your skin.

“Why does it always feel like I’m the third wheel nowadays when I visit you, ____?” a voice a few meters away made you throw your head back on the floor to see an upside-down Taehyung standing in your doorway.  

He was dressed in his normal clothes or the most normal Taehyung’s style could be‒ a t-shirt with a simple print on it and jeans. When he wasn't in his vet/doctor coat he usually wore designers like Gucci and Prada. In the beginning you were confused from where he got all that money to spend but eventually figured out that people used their money differently and that’s how.

“Ah, Tae!” you said still slightly laughing and stood up with the excited bunny in your hands, “I promise you’re not, right Jeonggukie?” you asked and held him up toward your friend’s face but instead of agreeing with you he started hissing and kicking to get out of your grip. Surprised you quickly sat him down on the floor but instead of running away he jumped in front of you in a protective manner and grunted hostility at your friend, “What are you doing, Guk? It’s only Taehyung, you don’t have to do that.”

Jeongguk didn’t flinch when you leaned down to collect him but kept hissing and grunting toward Taehyung who looked like a question mark. You tried to calm the bunny down by holding him against your chest and pet him but he still wouldn’t stop glaring at your best friend.

“That’s so weird, he didn’t do this when my mom was here yesterday,” you mumbled as Taehyung closed the door behind him and removed his shoes.

“Maybe he’s just really protective of you, you know in his eyes you’re his and when another guy comes over he might get a bit aggressive? I don’t really know, rabbits aren’t my specialty.” He shrugged and you laughed.

“Oh, that’s so cute!” you said and turned Jeongguk around so he was facing you and he immediately stopped growling, “Too bad you need Tae, otherwise who will remove your stitches, huh? Isn’t that why you’re here?”

Taehyung was already half-way through your kitchen with your grocery bags in his hands, you hadn’t even noticed because you had been too busy talking to your pet and you hurried to his side. “Yeah, but also to make that move night that never happened happen.” He said and opened your fridge to start packing in the milk and eggs you had bought.

“Oh, really?” you carefully put Jeongguk on one of the counters before leaning down to help him, “that’s dope.”

He froze midway through his movement and slowly turned to you with eyebrows slightly pulled together, “Did you just say ‘dope’?” he asked and you could clearly hear the judgement in his voice.

“Yeah, what about it?”

“Oh, wow… I don’t think I can look at you the same way anymore, bae.” He sighed falsely disappointed and shook his head and without hesitating you hit him with the leek in his face.

“If I can’t say dope then you can’t call me bae!” you snorted amused as he rubbed his cheek that had took the hit, “You should call your girlfriend that not me!”

He chuckled and moved closer to you so you had to lean against the stove while he was towering over you, “Why would I want a girlfriend when I already have you, my love?” he also had made his voice much lower and huskier as you gripped the leek in your hand tighter.

A moment passed with you two just staring at each other, his arms were on either side of you trapping you against his body but it was soon over when you burst out laughing. Taehyung’s eyes narrowed like they always did when he smiled and showed his straight teeth.

“Aish, you’re such an idiot,” you giggled and pushed him away, “no, thanks.”

He jokingly winked at you while smirking making you laugh even more but what you didn’t notice was how his smile slowly faded and eyes dropped when he turned away to keep stacking stuff in your fridge. The rest of the evening was spent trying to hold Jeongguk back from biting Taehyung when he cut the bunny’s stitches and to get him to calm down but he would still give your best friend the evil eye every chance he got. And another thing that happened was in the middle of the movie when Jeongguk decided to hump you again but this time with Taehyung as a witness.

"I know _____'s pretty but can’t you at least try to keep it in your pants?" Taehyung chuckled as you tried to pry the bunny off your knee with loud complaints leaving your mouth.

"Jeongguk!" you made an attempt to sound harsh but he didn't even flinch as he kept thrusting against your hand and grunting lightly. He looked at Taehyung with his big brown eyes as he kept going as he wanted to claim you as his but the other male just kept laughing not understand a shit about Jeongguk's intention. "Stop it!"

"He's much more feisty than I first thought," he snickered again and you sighed.

“Oh, tell me about it.” Eventually, you got the bunny to stop by hugging him and stroking the bottom of his long ears and he rapidly calmed down and started to grind his teeth showing how much he loved your affection. "You know, the humping is kind of cute in a weird way." You spoke after a while and Taehyung just shook his head at that.

"I repeat; I can't look at you the same way anymore," he joked and you hit him with the hand that didn't hold Jeongguk. "Ouch! What was that for?" and you just shrugged. "Anyway, instead of talking about your weird rabbit what about the meteor shower that will take place in two weeks?"

"The meteor-what?" you asked and turned to him.

"Yeah, you know shooting stars and shit like that," he explained with a small smile on his face, "Wanna go to Han River and wish for some money with me?"

You snorted before caressing Jeongguk's fur again, "sure but don't expect the wish to become true."

"Oh, trust me, if you really want something, anything’s possible."

The next week passed with you going to different job interviews and after a particularly long one, you couldn't wait to come home to be able to complain to Jeongguk about it. He was a good listener and cuddle buddy who didn't seem to mind all your endless talk about life and shit like that.

You were thankful you had remembered to bring an umbrella with you as you walked toward your apartment. The rain hit the shelter above your head with small tapping sounds and the sky had slowly turned from a light blue color to a gray one.

After fishing out your key from your pocket and unlocking the door to open it you were met with nothing. There was no bunny attacking you with kisses or anything like that- just dead silence.

"Jeongguk?" you called out and closed the door behind you with a thud. "Jeonggukie?? Are you here?"

This had never happened before, he usually waited for you in front of the door and this absence made you anxious. You dropped the long-forgotten umbrella on the floor and swallowed hard, you started looking for him with your heart beating a little faster then usual.

"Guk?" you said again but softer, after searching through your bedroom without any success you felt how your voice began to shiver.

Panic rose up from your stomach to your chest and the constantly whipping against the windows by the rain only added to the pressure. Lightness blinked through the apartment for a millisecond making you look outside to the storm and a moment later thunder rumbled in your ears. You almost didn't even notice as you walked into the living room still looking for your Jeongguk and a small whine made you stop. It came from under the couch and you were quick to get down on the floor to check if he really was there. He usually only hid under furniture when he wanted to chew on it but this time it was for a different reason.

The heavy weight lifted from your shoulder by the sight of him even though he looked so small and pitiful with his long ears covering his eyes. His whole body quivered when more sobs leaked out of his mouth.

"Oh, baby~," you cooed and reach out to touch him but he shied away as more lightning and thunder struck through the apartment. "Are you afraid of the thunder?"

He whimpered again and your heart broke, just like the first time you saw him he looked scared and frightened but this time you didn't know what to do. To force him out of his hiding place didn't seem like a good idea at all and it wasn't like you could turn the storm outside off. Hesitantly you sat up to lean against the couch, still with your hand under it to let him know that you were there for him. Another thunder thud wrecked through the room which made Jeongguk hiss terrified at it and the heavy feeling in your chest increased. Without thinking about it you started humming comforting to your bunny just like your mom had when you were a kid and dreamt nightmares.

Soon the humming turned into soft words falling from your lips, you weren't a singer, far from it, but you could hold a tone or two. You didn't know if it helped the poor bunny anything but you kept singing lowly with the rain in the background, the song was from the radio that you had heard a few days ago and it had calmed you down so why wouldn't it work for Jeongguk too?

You didn't hear any growling or sobs as you skipped the part of the song you didn't remember the lyrics to and focused on the chorus where you confidently mumbled the lovely words out in the air.

Honey it's true

There ain't nothing I can do

'Cause there's no place

No place like you~

You didn't know for how long you sat there and sang but after a few minutes you felt something soft against your fingers under the couch and you soon realized it was Jeongguk's little nose. He rubbed his face, butt his head against your hand and licked on it before quickly crawling out to jump on your lap. His ears were still pushed back but his eyes didn't wander when the thunder attacked again and just looked at you with the stars in them shining brightly as he cuddled closer to you. You didn't even need to say anything as you embraced his petty form, letting him rest in the space between your breasts, where your heart was. Even though there were many questions surrounding your bunny like the ones about his wound and his oblivious fear of storms, you still didn't know exactly how he got hurt or from whom neither the reason why he reacted so strongly toward the thunder, maybe he was traumatized? Either way, you hugged him tightly and kissed his head.

"I'm here," you whispered between heart beats, "you're okay."

Tae not his bae✨: Today, 19.36

Sorry I know it was I who suggested it but I can't come tonight and watch the stars with u :(

_______________________________________

You: Today, 19.38

What? No :(( Why did something happen?

_______________________________________

Tae not his bae✨: Today, 19.38

Im so sorry Something came up and I have to work overtime tonight Again I'm sorry but I hope you can enjoy the stars without me

_______________________________________

You: Today, 19.42

It's okay Tae Don't worry about it I won't forget to wish for money for you ❤️

_______________________________________

Tae not his bae ✨: Today, 19.43

Yes love u Wish for big cash I don't want small change ❤️❤️❤️

_______________________________________

You: Today, 19.43

Yeah yeah Luv u too 💞

_______________________________________

You looked down at your phone with a crease between your brows. You didn't like the thought of him overworking himself and the fact that he would miss the thing he had seemed really excited about. With a sigh you started to remove the makeup you had applied for going out to the Han River, you figured it was better to stay home, you didn't feel like going out alone without your friend anyway.

"So it's only you and me now," you said turning in your chair to Jeongguk who laid on your bed watching you. "Wanna go to the balcony with me?"

The sky was just as beautiful as Taehyung had promised, black with thousands of shining stars lighting it up and the small moon stood stately in the middle of everything. With a glass of wine in your hand and the other stroking Jeongguk's fur while he laid comfortable in your lap as usual, you waited for the meteor to start falling.

"Wasn't it typical that Tae would diss me at the last minute?" you mumbled out loud and took another sip, letting the bitter taste of the red liquid paint the inside of your cheeks. "Now I can't tell him but I think I might get one of the jobs which means I finally can spoil you! I'll buy anything you would like, hmm…. what 'bout carrots? Or I don't know, what does a bunny want?"

Jeongguk looked at you with his intelligent eyes as his nose twitched and his cuteness caused you to coo at him. "I'm so lucky I have you, Gukkie, you know?" you sputtered before leaning down to give him a kiss on his head, he ground his teeth making a purring sound almost like a cat as you leaned back again and chuckled lazily, "you know, sometimes I just wish you could speak to me just like I do, then you could tell me what I should buy for you..." you sighed, feeling a little light-headed from all the alcohol, it was your third glass and you didn't plan on stop drinking anytime soon. By coincidence, you looked up and realized that some of the bright dots had started falling, "Oh, Jeongguk, look! Shooting stars!" The bunny followed your finger that pointed at the sky and hummed lightly, he didn't care about the stars like you did as you clasped your hands together in front of you before closing your eyes, just like a prayer, "If you exist you great God in heaven," you began shouting as the cold air hit your face making your hair fly in the wind, "please give me and Tae-Tae some money, we need it!"

The rest of the night contained you admiring and taking pictures of the wonderful sky while finishing the bottle of wine and talking to your pet. Jeongguk couldn't speak but it was clear that he was worried about your drunk ass, though you tried to convince the little one you were okay being tipsy didn't help your case at all. You later fell face plant on the bed and Jeongguk was quick to jump up beside you as you two fell asleep.

“Good night, baby boy~,” you faltered and snuggled your way under the duvet and the small rabbit nestled closer to you, "Sweet dreams…"

The next morning you woke up with a hideous headache and feeling extremely warm, too warm and with an unfamiliar heavy weight on top of you. Half asleep you whined by the unfamiliarity and tried to move away from it but a strong arm around your stomach forced you back to the warmth again.

"Huh?" you muttered, laying on your back and turned your head to the side to see a guy's face only a few centimeters from yours.

At first, you didn't react, still weary of sleep and a pounding head, and just stared at his obvious beauty. His features were delicate, dark brown brows barely visible through his bangs, in the same color, that covered most of his forehead. His eyes were closed as he slept making his long eyelashes stand out more against his honey skin, his button nose, and sharp jawline- he looked just like a model. He snored lightly, his pouty lips parted and you took notice how the guy looked to be around your age or maybe a little younger. As your eyes eventually drifted lower to his naked torso it was like the lightning struck you and you suddenly remembered the situation and your eyes sharply widened. With a high-pitched scream, you fell off the bed and took the duvet with you.

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" you exclaimed as you struggled to stand with the thick blanket wrapped around your form.

The pretty guy stirred in his sleep, his eyelids fluttered as he slowly propped himself up onto his forearms and when he did that you noticed his clothes or more like his lack of clothing. "What? What's the matter?" he questioned with hooded eyes, his voice was raspy with sleep and surprisingly sweet and calm, unlike you who felt your whole chest rising up and down with the adrenaline pumping through your veins.

In survival mood you grabbed the first thing you could reach which was a book from your bookshelf to point at him with it. "STAY AWAY, I HAVE THE FIFTH HARRY POTTER BOOK AND I'M NOT AFRAID TO USE IT!" you threatened and backed away while eyeing the naked guy. "I'M ASKING AGAIN; WHO ARE YOU AND WHY ARE YOU NAKED??"

The stranger who had awoken from all your fuss rubbed his eyes before opening them fully and your breath hitched. Big sparkling dark eyes that seemed almost too familiar but it couldn't be possible… "What do you mean?" he asked, brows furrowed behind his bangs and tilted his head to the side just like someone you knew all too well did, "How can you not recognize your own bunny?"

When those words left his rosy lips the thick book slipped from your hand and landed on your foot but you didn't even flinch at the pain as you stared at him.

"J-jeongguk?" you breathed and your jaw fell slack.

"Yes?" he smiled but it quickly died on his lips when he saw your horrified face. Hesitantly, he followed your glance at his body and froze, his doe eyes widened and he gasped before locking eyes with you again. Jeongguk's expression mirrored your own, fear and confusion mixed together as he looked back at his hands to examine them and then up again meeting your eyes. Together you screamed so loudly your neighbors probably woke up to wounder what the hell was going on, and well you asked yourself the same question.

What the actually fuck?

#jungkook fluff #jeongguk fluff #bts fluff #jungkook bunny #bunny!jungkook #jungkook!hybrid #jungkook hybrid #jungkook rabbit #jeongguk bunny #bunny jungkook #jungkook smut #jungkook x reader #jungkook x you #jeongguk x reader #jeongguk x you #bts smut #bts hybrid #bts fanfiction #jeongguk #jeon jeongguk #jeon jungguk #BTS jungkook #jungkook fanfic #Jungkook Fanfiction

[ambientstars]

Can we please get the one with fire posted first? I’m curious! 🤔

A dance between fire and love (13th Doctor x reader)

Warnings: character death (and I guess fire? If that’s not obvious)

Note: I can only apologise for this. My heart hurts too and I’m gonna go sit in the corner now and think about what I’ve done.  -    -    -

Today was the day. The end of the world. It had been a long time coming, inevitable.

The Master had finally done it, beat his own record of truly horrific acts. He knew just how precious Earth was to The Doctor, so in his spite, he set the entire planet on fire and stole the TARDIS so that you, The Doctor or anyone else couldn’t escape from the now burning rock.

You and The Doctor took shelter in your home, more specifically your bedroom, the fire coming into view just over the hill. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.

The surrounding fields adorned by tall, proud sunflowers were engulfed in flames. The once green grass turned to soot on the burnt ground. The fire travelled quickly, making a path to the cabin. Who knew how long you had left? Neither of you wanted to take a guess.

The Doctor moved across the room towards your record player and silently looked through your collection, using her fingers to quickly and carefully move the sleeves along in search of the perfect song.

Despite your lack of time before the fire caught up to you, she took her time. She remained calm, composed, something that gave you a slight bit of comfort in your pounding chest.

“Dance with me.” She reached out her hand once she had chosen a record, her smile soft and the music light.

You knew that inside, she was scared. Scared for the destruction, the pain, the loss of her favourite planet, but most of all, scared of losing you.

It went without saying that although she’d most likely suffer some damage to her body, either externally from the flames or internally from the smoke, she would regenerate and go on living.

She’d be scared and alone on a planet turned to soot with no way out. No hand to hold or shoulder to cry on, no one to talk to or grieve with.

Sure, she could walk the world in search of parts to slowly build another machine, but even that wasn’t guaranteed to work and where would she go after that? Her home had been turned to rubble, just like this one was becoming, and her reliable ship had probably been dismantled by force by now, the poor thing.

After countless years and multiple attempts, The Master had finally succeeded in bringing her the worst torture she couldn’t even bring herself to dream of.

You took the offered hand and allowed her to pull you close, your bodies flush against each other. Her arms encircled you, holding you tighter than she probably meant to and so you held back with the same vigor.

The hot air gently whirl-winded around you as you danced in slow circles. Heads on shoulders, chests together, fingers entangled. Your feet effortlessly moved in perfect rhythm, never missing a beat.

You both had your eyes closed, but you could see as clear as day. The Doctor projected images into your head and you saw the precious memories, the countless laughs and every opportunity you had snapped up to be with each other, dropping everything to have each other close.

It was bittersweet, reliving the memories and enjoying the feeling they brought you, but also knowing that you’d never get the chance to make more.

Your adventures had been incredible. You’d seen the world from outer space, met species unknown to mankind and watched the stars die and fade, only for a new one to be birthed in its place to shine for an unfathomable amount of years.

The melody of the song began to fade against the crackling and the roaring of the wall of flames, now just outside the window.

You squeezed your eyes even tighter shut, willing your ears to focus on the words, mumbling along to keep the concentration.

The Doctor had played this song on board the Tardis before and just like now, she had asked you to dance. As uncoordinated as she was, when she let her body move freely, she moved with a smoothness that could only come from a soul completely fuelled by happiness.

You had danced with her for hours, staying close and moving slow. It was intimate and full of love, skin innocently on skin and smiles pressed into each other’s shoulders. You would miss that day the most, the day you really connected with The Doctor on a deeper level.

The glass of the window nearest to you shattered into small pieces, the wooden frame allowing the fire to enter your safe haven.

Both of you flinched at the ear splitting sound, but didn’t dare let go or lift your heads.

Hands gripped sides tighter, breathing became quicker and sweat began to bead on goosebump adorned skin.

The smell of burning overcame your nose, the polished wood of the cabin walls, the soft fabric of bed sheets and the chemical bubbling of plastic - all of it burning into cinders.

“Doc,” you whispered, not daring to bring your voice up to the volume of the destruction around you. “I love you.”

Salty tears stung The Doctor’s eyes as they welled up. Her throat tightened, the pain hardly noticeable over the ache in her heart. “I love you, more.”

You had spent many years joking around about where you would end up when you died, always hinting that you would be spending the rest of your afterlife with the big man downstairs, but here in this moment you were truly scared that it would come true.

The Doctor was pure, full of light and the only goodness you had known in this world of pain and ugliness, she was definitely going somewhere meant for angels, but would you be joining her? You silently prayed that you would.

“Was I a good enough person to get into heaven?”

Your movements slowed, the dance confined to a small corner that the fire hadn’t reached yet. Smoke was filling the air, the oxygen travelling to and from your lungs grew thick, irritating the soft flesh of your insides.

You knew that The Doctor didn’t believe in all that. She had travelled across the universe right until the end, she had gone in every direction possible and she made it very clear that all there is after life is darkness and sleep, no heaven or hell. Only stars and space, and the souls of passed ones between them.

“You know I-“

“I need to know.” Coughs forced their way up your throat, the metallic taste of blood tinged your tongue as the delicate lining of your oesophagus tore from the pressure. “Please.”

The Doctor could feel herself becoming light-headed, her concentration on the song, that had changed to something slower, slipping more and more with every second.

“Yes, of course!” She wanted to elaborate, describe all of your incredible qualities, let you know that wherever you went, she would go too - but her words failed her, her mind swimming in a smoky haze.

You decided not to argue, you didn’t want your last moments with your best friend to be used up disagreeing.

Your feet began to trip over each other, legs weakening, the dance uncoordinated, barely one step at a time. You both knew this moment was coming and accepted your fate, but neither of you were prepared for just how gut wrenching the feeling of slowly falling apart in each other’s arms would be.

You were the first to fall, your weak knees giving out. You hit the ground with a thud, your protective reflexes unable to do their job with the lack of clean oxygen in your system.

The Doctor quickly followed, bracing herself on her hands just in time to not hit her head on the floorboards. Even the body of a timelord couldn’t withstand the blaze of annihilation.

Her eyes snapped open in reaction, but her vision remained black as the room was completely full of thick, dark smoke, and in her surprise she inhaled the poison deeply, her lungs rejecting it with violent coughs.

Your hand blindly grabbed hers and she held on tight. Deciding she’d be more comfortable lying on the floor where she wouldn’t have to use up all her energy just to keep herself steady, she laid down next to you, the person she loved so dearly, your shaking hands keeping contact.

You couldn’t hear the music now, not over the roaring of flames and the cracking and crumbling of wood. You wondered briefly what The Doctor’s favourite song was and if you’d even be able to understand it.

The roof fell in on itself in the corner of the room opposite you, the force shooting settled dust and soot back up into the air. You watched absentmindedly as it floated back down again, feeling some fall onto your face and knowing that you were breathing it all in with every shallow breath.

“Look at me.”

You used all your strength in your rapidly weakening body to turn your head and look at The Doctor. Her face was almost unrecognisable with it covered in smoke residue and ash, her hair frizzy from the humidity of the atmosphere.

Under her eyes were wet spots and you knew that she had been trying her best to hold back tears, but a few had slipped past. The crease between her brows was deep with concern, but she smiled reassuringly anyway, her teeth sparkling white in contrast to the rest of her face.

“You’re gonna be okay.”

“You’re a bad liar.” You laughed a little, but it only encouraged a cough to tear at your chest, followed by another and another.

The Doctor patted your back to assist as if it would help, but you appreciated the gesture and it was nice to have her hand on your back again.

She moved hair away from your eyes, her thumb stroking your cheek ever so gently. “I’m sorry.”

Your head pounded and your insides burned, your body becoming useless and the taste of metal sat heavily on your tongue.

“Not your fault.”

She shook her head, rejecting the statement like it was a lie. “If I had just fought harder against him. If I had just kept you safer. If I-“

“Doctor,” now it was your turn to comfort her. “You couldn’t have done anything more.”

Again she shook her head, but this time remained quiet, her bottom lip between her teeth.

Your vision was starting to blur at the edges. “What will you do next?”

As she began talking, your hearing gave out. Your eyes fell completely closed and you couldn’t move your muscles. You wondered if you were even still breathing.

Already you missed her voice, her northern accent and the hundred words per minute. It would always bring you comfort in your hardest moments and right now was definitely one of them.

It was quiet now, peaceful. The darkness had taken you in, holding you close in a thorough hug that relaxed your soul and allowed you to fall limp against it.

You were calm at last and blissfully content. You felt as light as a feather and your thoughts were finally clear and free from pain.

It felt just like those last few seconds before falling asleep in bed. All cosy and warm, quiet and numb, your mind winding down into unconsciousness.

The last thing you remembered thinking about was The Doctor. How she had saved you from a life of evil and shown you the wonders of the universe, and that you could live a wholesome and fulfilling life just like you had dreamed of.

You hoped that whatever may come to her now, it was good. If you could feel in this moment, you knew that there would be a pain in your heart at the thought of her continuing to suffer and cry all alone, she was the last person who deserved that.

She didn’t believe in angels, said they were a fairytale, but you made the decision in your final moments before nothingness, that you would be her guardian and protect her for as long as she was still breathing. And even after then.

#13th doctor #doctor who imagine #jodie whittaker #doctor x master #thirteenth doctor x reader #13th doctor x reader #thirteeth doctor

[starr-fall-knight-rise]

Humans are Space Orcs, “Animal Planet, Treats”

Another quick one of these for you this morning. Hope you all like it and have a good day. 

-

“Good hungry human, now drop the nice TV caster, drop it, I SAID DROP IT! Mendex hit the floor with an unceremonious thud. The human lowers its head looking very displeased, as it shuffles it’s feet across the floor. The other humans look on in agreed displeasure eyeing Mendex as he scrambles across the floor and goes back to cowering behind his camera crew, where he would have preferred to be for the past few minutes, instead being snatched up by the ravenous looking humans, who are now baring their teeth at him hungrily.

“Keep that thing away from me!”

The doctor turns wagging his hand at the human, “bad, bad human. You bad naughty human, we do not eat guests!” 

The human sticks it’s mouth tentacle out in response, and even the doctor seems a bit nonplussed at that. The human appears to be very smug with itself.

Doctor Krill turns to look at the crew, “I should probably feed them before they get more aggressive, come on, they will be much more docile once they aren’t hungry anymore.”

Followed by a nervous group of TV casters, they make their way down the dark Tunnels of the human hive. It is more than a little creepy, the walls are lined in a thousand tubes and panels of metal. They wonder what sinister things could be carried inside those pipes.

What did the humans store in their dark places.

What did they hide in their dark places.

More strange animal noises up the hallway. The camera crew pulls back hiding behind the doctor who walks up with the humans. He pats them on occasion, and they circle around him and their alpha.

THey come to a halt just then looking up the hall.

Another group of humans has rounded the corner, and both groups stop.

“Oh no.” Krill whispers.

“What do you mean oh no?” One of the crewmembers snaps camera shaking so badly in his hands that he almost tips it onto the floor. The footage will probably be unusable. 

“Another, rival group of humans.” He glances back at them, “They often fight each other for dominance. The smaller humans will try to gang up on the alpha for territory .”

“H-how do we know they want to do that.”

“Oh, you see that big ugly one at the end of the hall, yeah, that one, he always tries to take territory from the alpha.”

The camera shakily zooms in on the opposite end of the hallway. The human that stands there is just a bit shorter than the alpha with dark fur, and a few shades darker skin. He makes some sort of noise, and the alpha chirps back. They stand there for a second before the rival shakes himself and crouches low to the ground.

“Everyone RUN!” Krill shouts.

He didn’t have to ask the crew twice, as they turn and book it off down the hallway. Behind them they can hear the ravening roaring of the fighting creatures and the clatter of feet on metal as they charg after each other.

They can hear the strange repetitive revving noise from behind, though, for the life of them, none can remember what it meant.

They roll down the halls nearly getting themselves lost when Krill yells.

“Hurry, this way!.”

A few of them nearly skid into a wall before backtracking and rounding another corner following hurriedly after the doctor as the sound of fighting receded into the distance.

“Don’t worry, we will be safe through here.” 

They break through the open door and….

And found themselves standing at the front of a room, surrounded on all sides by wide-eyed humans.

There must have been at least 100 of them.

“Everyone, stay very still….” THe doctor whispers, “These humans are eating  so they are likely to be relatively docile  do not make any sudden moves, and do not disturb their food whatever you do, a human will hurt you  over food.”

Following after the doctor, the crew move a little further into the room as the humans shift in their seats, a few of them standing to get a better view of the intruders. They do not feel safe at all here.

“Do you think the others will… follow us.” Mendex stammers glancing back towards the door. So far cowering behind his crew members had been beneficial  but now, nowhere is safe, and he is starting to feel the heat. His fear is not out of place though, as the rest of the crew huddles in back to back with each other facing outwards towards the staring humans. They were trapped in no uncertain terms.

They can see the humans now, glancing back and forth between each other with what must be hungry expressions. None of them can read the human faces, but they know enough to know they were about to be eaten.

A few of the standing humans move slowly forward cutting in closer to their small huddled group.

They circle fro the outside, and the camera follows them as they move focusing in on the powerful, lithe movement of their muscles expanding and contracting under layers of rubbery skin.

“Ok, everyone must remain calm.” The doctor began, “There is an easy fix to this.” The others turn around to stare at him like he is insane, but he does not heed their expressions as he reached downwards pulling something, seemingly from nowhere and brandishing it at the humans.

The aliens stare  on in confusion.

It is a colorful cylinder maybe seven inches long  and when he flicks up the lid it makes a curious popping noise. The camera zooms in again exposing a strange set of runes down one side.

The humans stop in their tracks looking on with their strange, wide eyes.

“Everyone, hold out your hand.” The doctor announces, “quickly, quickly, they won’t wait forever.” 

They scramble to do as told holding out their hands as the doctor moves by tipping the little container over their open palms and puuring….. A strange set of brightly colored orbs onto their hands.”

Once finished, doctor Krill takes his place at the head of the group and clears his throat, “Alright everyone, here is how this is going to work. WHat I have given you are treats made especially for humans. Humans love brightly colored sugary things. Now, what you are going to do, is your are going to hold your hands palm out to the humans and allow them to take the treats. This does a couple of things. The number one being that, humans love food, and they are liable to like anyone who gives them food. Maybe if the human likes you very much you can pet them, and rest assured that they will not attack you after that.”

Ok, that seemed simple enough.”

Closing their eyes, and holding out their hands the camera crew sat with bated breath just waiting for the humans to devour them hole. Maybe they would take a test bite first to see what they tasted like, maybe they would just come in for one big chomp and have it over with.

It was too scary!

They just couldn’t look!

And then one of the humans acted. Shrugging its powerful muscled shoulders once, it reached down and plucked some of the brightly colored treats from one of the quivering aliens tilting back their head and dropping the colorful orbs straight down their throat and swallowing goal. Once one human had done so, a group of other humans moved in to join in. it wasn’t a silent affair. The humans chattered to each other happily, and even towards the aliens.

“Its working.” Someone breathed  and the entire group slouched with a relief so palpable it could have been bottled. 

“Go on, bet them, I am sure they will not mind.” And while a few of the humans had backed out of range, the vast majority stayed behind. A small human, probably a female with deep set hazle eyes and short tawny hair sat at the center of the group and allowed them to stroke fingers through her fur letting off that strange revving noise every now and again, “See look at that, what a good human. Such a good and nice human.” Krill handed over the colorful tube, and the human accepted with great glee separating the colored orbs into groups before eating them one color at a time, “Humans can be relatively docile when well fed. Now, a little lesson on humans is that they are primarily omnivores, which means they can eat both plant and animal based material and pretty much everything in between. Go ahead and assume that if you can eat it, a man definitely can “ He stroked the tawny human’s head 

“Now humans are a very strange creature, and when it comes to attracting other humans, things tend to get a little more complicated. Humans like to rub themselves with strange and interesting oils to make themselves smell better to other humans. A human’s natural musk tends to be unpleasant even to their own species, so those that hide it best are the ones that tend to get ates. Honestly humans don’t really tend to smell on their own, but the bacteria which they attract do tend to have that problem. I would suggest washing your hands after touching a human.

The enthusiasm died somewhat with that statement.

“However, a good human tries to keep themselves relatively clean. Additionally humans like to line their nests in many soft things, in order to sleep. It is a tendency for humans to be attracted to and to collect shiny objects. If a human really likes another human, they will often try to bribe the affections of another with the shiny objects which they have collected. It is more than common for humans to wear shiny objects around their wrists, hands and necks. However, some humans do not like shiny things but will accept any form of bribery involving food. However, be careful when interacting with humans around food because they will become very angry if their food is stolen or tampered with.” 

Looking around just then, it is clear that they have drawn a crowd. Humans than had been sitting on the other side of the room had approached to closer chairs, and looked onwards as if they were listening to the conversation.

The human in the center of their circle had now finished of the treats and was content to be patted on the head by the other crewmembers who were quickly warming up to her.

“As you can see here, humans are very curious, so curious, in fact, it is one of the issues with their species related to survival. Humans like to explore their new environments by touching things with their hands and their mouths. They do this, because human hands and lips are the most sensitive parts of their bodies and can detect minute changes in the texture of a surface. This is also a way in which humans bond, by touching each other, and in certain cases touching their mouths to other humans mouths.”

The alien crew made faces.

Krill nodded “Do not try that ever, not that you would ever want to, but humans are very disgusting creatures, and they have more cells or bacteria on their bodies than they have human cells on their bodies. In essence , humans are a hazardous waste issue, and should be dealt with accordingly.

The aliens pulled back a little from the human they had been petting.

She seemed very unsatisfied and moved closer forcing them to go back to what they were doing.

“Oh yes, also it is important to make sure your human is getting the proper amount of attention, praise, and reward for the good things they are doing.”

“Good human,” Someone muttered to the human they had been patting.

It wasn’t a moment later that they were all alerted to a sound in the hallway, turning to find the alpha returning form the hall alone and, seemingly triumphant. In his hands he carried…. What appeared to be the things humans tended to wear on their feet.

He walked over and dropped them by the doctor who looked down and then back up at the human who hissed something unintelligible.

He turned to look at the room, “And here you see it, the human has succeeded in his fight for supremacy over his pack. And he has brought back a trophy to show that he is one.” He turned to look at the group very seriously, “Humans often steal each others shoes once a fight for dominance is over. Since they stand on their feet, the shoe is often one of the hardest items of clothing to stel, and requires the other human to be off their feet and in another vulnerable position.”

They glanced between each other nervously, “What happened to the other human?”

“The other human? Oh, well exactly what you would expect.”

“What should we expect?”

“I don’t know, whatever you expect is exactly what it is.”

There was a pause before, “They ate it!.”

The doctor frowned glanced up at the human paused shrugged, “Yes. Taking off the shoes makes it easier to cook and eat, but he isn’t likely to do it until later, so we don’t have to worry about seeing that.”

There was no need for them to see it.

They were already imagining. 

[maverick-werewolf]

Whumptober 01 - Stargate Atlantis, John Sheppard whump

Because I have 0 shame and I love Sheppard whump (because I love Sheppard and he suffers so beautifully; sorry, John), I’m going to give this Whumptober thing a whirl! I’ll be doing SGA and my main two original worlds and writing pretty much whatever I feel like based on the prompts.

Starting with SGA, though.

No 1. LET’S HANG OUT SOMETIME Waking Up Restrained | Shackled | Hanging

Used all three prompts for this one. You can also read it here on AO3. Enjoy!

(Writing is below the cut)

------------

He awoke with a start. A violent jolt, one that made something over him rattle so loudly it pierced his head. Everything hurt, ranging from a dull ache at the back of his skull to a more generalized, deep-set pain of exhaustion everywhere else.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, John Sheppard wondered: how many head traumas had he been through in his life?

That wasn’t the most important question, though. Barely a few seconds later, his sluggish senses came back to him just enough to realize exactly what kind of a pickle he was in – flat, cold floor under his back. Shackles around his wrists, set tightly enough to bite into his skin. More shackles around his ankles, clamping down hard, but at least he still had his boots on. And a blindfold around his head, covering his eyes.

Gingerly, John tried to move. The various aches flared, and something above his head rattled. No, not above his head – above his arms, actually. Shifting, John tried to give his arms a tug. Weak as the effort turned out to be, it rewarded him with more of that loud rattling that felt like someone poking a knife in his ears.

Another chain. He tried to picture it: one around his wrists, over him – hanging from the ceiling, if he had to guess. So he was ready to be strung up. Great.

As for the rest of it, everything around him, he could only conjure up images of some dark, dank castle dungeon out of a fantasy flick. From the smell of mildew and the occasional, distant drips of water, it didn’t seem too far off the mark.

Okay. He had to get his bearings. Taking a deep breath, John tried to push away the pain pounding in his skull and shifted in the restraints again. Nowhere you haven’t been before. Yeah, because he’d been tied up so many times in his life.

Usually it wasn’t chains quite this heavy-duty, though… and at least some of the last chains had been nice enough to come with leather cuffs that didn’t try taking chunks out of his wrists. But here he was, laying in the floor probably catching pneumonia and taking a mental tally of the best and worst bindings he’d been in during his stay in another galaxy. Alright, so what were his options—

Clunk.

John went rigid, held his breath, and listened. Something moved nearby. A deep thud, a clang, and then the chain rattled again. Started moving. Oh crap.

It lifted him by the wrists, dragging his arms straight up in the air. And for some stupid reason, John struggled. Human nature, probably, since he knew full well he couldn’t actually do anything. All that did was make the shackles on his wrists bite down harder, and he promptly calmed himself and went still again.

Slowly, it hauled him farther up, pulling his arms out taut above his head until it made his shoulders protest and let a deep ache settle heavy into them too. His hands got twisted up in the shackles, held at an awkward angle above his head, the metal cutting into his skin. Didn’t take long for him to feel hot blood start oozing from around the restraints. Then even more, trickling in eddies down his arms.

With his hands a lost cause, John tried moving his feet instead – which almost made him cry out. Even one jerk of his legs, tensing the muscles in his lower body, put that much more pressure on his wrists. And as for his feet, they went nowhere – another chain rattled and he could barely even lift his legs a few inches before some other restraint kept them from going further.

He was hanging there like those drying hides he saw in Athosian camps: pulled taut, bound one end and the other. At least his limbs weren’t splayed out, though. Silver lining – arguably.

Maybe if he broke his thumbs, used the blood to lubricate his hands, he could slip them free. At least there didn’t seem to be anything or anyone else moving around in here with him. Another silver lining. It was almost a pretty sunset by now, he lied to himself, as feeling steadily drained from his arms – except the sickly tickle of blood running down them to remind him they still existed – even as he began to try contorting one hand…

Then something moved.

Nearby, somewhere in the darkness, something creaked. A door swinging open. It hit the wall soon after, a heavy slam that rattled its hinges. Faintly, light spilled in from somewhere just off to his side – he could barely see it through the blindfold. Setting his jaw and trying to control his breathing against how much it all hurt, he listened carefully.

Breathing. Harsh, grating breathing from a very inhuman throat. Something shuffled toward him, something else in chains that rattled. Those labored breaths drew closer and he smelled a stench, something familiar, something he couldn’t ever quite fully get out of his mind…

The stench of a Wraith’s maw. He’d recognize it anywhere.

Damn.

Instantly, hot and cold panic shot up his spine, made him go rigid and have the restraints hurt still worse. Against his better judgment, against any cool logic years of experience and a general – outward, anyway – attitude of calm had always afforded him, he squirmed again.

Frustration and no small amount of rage pushed the fear aside and had him struggle just enough to remind himself there was no way he could get out of this right now. Just one hard jerk of his chains to prove a point to himself: that he was screwed, and that wasn’t really his own fault. And to prove to whatever Wraith stared at him now that he didn’t want to go quietly like some—

Wait. Chains.

The Wraith was in chains too.

So they were both prisoners. A few quick flashes of Todd tumbled into the ugly pile of half-panicked thoughts that filled his head, and he tried to croak out a few words. Turned out his throat was so dry he could barely speak, and he had to swallow hard, almost choking on nothing as his throat clicked at him and he tried to find anything to… actually say.

“Rotten luck, huh?” he managed to grate out in a rough drawl, sounding like he had just finished gargling gravel. “What’re you in for?”

No response, just a harsh, rattling breath and a fresh waft of half-rotten stink from that… mouth.

No way this would work.

“That’s the way it’s gonna be?” John said, listening as the chains rattled again and the Wraith took a few more heavy, shuffling steps forward.

No response again. Without another word, John braced himself. Why the hell did he have to be helpless, left hanging here like a free meal, feeling pathetic? Even if he went down fighting, even if somebody was watching and making sport of it, he would rather have that over being completely unable to even try saving his own ass—

He could almost feel it now, almost see it – see the feeding hand as the Wraith raised it. Something like anticipation welled in his chest – terror of the sheer pain, bracing for it but also for the intoxicating rush he knew came with it. He knew it, he hated it, and he set his jaw against the inevitable scream because he already knew nothing hurt like this—

The sharp rapport of gunfire split the room, split his ears, and split the Wraith. P90 fire, fully automatic. Someone unloaded right into the thing. A splatter of blood barely reached him. The Wraith let loose some wild sound between a cry and a roar just before a familiar buzzing thwump heated the air next as Ronon’s gun discharged once, twice, three times.

Something fell down in front of him into a heavy, meaty heap, with the faint squeak of undoubtedly black leather: the Wraith. It had been so close, so close he almost wondered how they had managed to shoot it and not hit him.

With more difficulty than he would ever admit, John tried to collect himself. A few voices rang in his ears, approaching him, along with familiar labored breathing: Rodney. Not just the way he panted but the way he felt. Smelled. That sure did sound weird. Maybe it was leftover from that time John had turned into a bug…

“Oh my God, he’s covered in blood,” Rodney declared, voice shaking.

“He’ll be fine,” Ronon said next, from somewhere a few feet away. Probably covering the room, making sure nothing came at them.

“The lever is here,” said Teyla from somewhere else in the room. “Support him when he is lowered, Rodney.”

“Suppor—? What, me? Yes, yes, okay,” Rodney answered. Under his breath, John heard him mutter, “Oh God there’s so much blood, this is disgusting…”

Then there were hands on him. Hands and arms. One set Rodney’s, one Teyla’s; he could tell. Gently, they lowered him to the floor, before he finally swallowed hard again.

“Anybody wanna get this off my face?” he said as wryly as he could manage. There wasn’t much humor in it.

“Oh, God, I’m sorry, why didn’t I think about that?” Rodney blurted, pulling the blindfold off as John also felt Teyla’s gentle touch around his wrists, carefully unlocking the shackles there. Apparently, somewhere, they had managed to find some keys.

“We’ll get the bastard who did this,” Ronon offered rather generically but with genuine feeling from where he stood, watching them maybe a little too much instead of the doorways he was supposed to be covering. Coming from him, it meant a lot. John knew, like everybody else, he wasn’t exactly a words and feelings kind of guy.

“First,” Rodney said, “we’ve got to get him to the infirmary.”

For his part, John blinked and tried to get his eyes to focus. Dim as the light was, it was hard to see to begin with, even without a head wound, his heart still pounding in his ears, and general disorientation. But he made out Rodney crouched over him on one side, Ronon standing nearby with both hands still on his gun, and Teyla leaning over him now.

“Are you still with us, John?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he rasped. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Rodney scoffed and threw one bloodied hand in the air. “’Fine,’ of course he says he’s ‘fine.’ Perfectly fine, Lieutenant Colonel Blood Loss…”

As they finished unshackling him and slowly, one on each side, hauled him to his feet, John licked his lips finally took a deep breath that wasn’t borne of trying to steady his emotions and not be scared out of his mind.

And he used it to say quietly, hoarsely, “Thanks.”

#whumptober2020 #whumptober #no.1 #shackled #waking up restrained #hanging #Stargate Atlantis #SGA #Stargate #John Sheppard #writing #fanfic #fanfiction #blindfolded #sensory deprivation #Rodney McKay #Teyla Emmagan #Ronon Dex

[sapphirestarxx]

Through the Night

Chapter 3

Also posted on my AO3

Tag wall. Let me know if you want to be added to the tag wall!

@lavendertwilight89 @hnnwnchstr @cstormsinukagblog @ravisk @superpixie42 @fawn-eyed-girl

It had been decided to meet at Sango’s apartment and from there they all would search out the location of the rune with Kagome guiding them. Kagome had said that there was an overwhelming feeling of malice coming from the point of origin...more than had been present at the abandoned ruin they had encountered a week before. While there could be no way of knowing exactly what had occurred at the previous attacks, this was undeniably worse than what they had already come across. Whatever this was it was big.

Miroku had been the first to arrive, armed with his holy staff and sutras, and waited while Sango got dressed in her demon slayer gear. Between the staggering evil Kagome was sensing and what was known about the runes, they all wanted to be prepared for the impending altercation that was sure to take place. 

He hadn’t had too many dealings with the slayers before, seeing as his line of work dealt almost entirely with the spiritual side of supernatural problems. Despite this he knew the outfit was a complicated mix of leather, armor plates at the vitals and joints, with various vials and compacts of poisons and powders tucked away into hidden spaces. While he knew in theory what the outfit consisted of he had never had the pleasure of seeing it worn in person, especially not by someone with Sango’s stunning physique.

When Sango exited her bedroom Miroku sucked in a breath at the sight. That skintight black leather that clung to her every curve...it was beyond enticing. There was something so incredibly sexy about it he couldn’t help but take in every inch of her lush form with his gaze. In that moment he knew he would let her do anything to him she wanted and he would enjoy every second of it. Even if it was just her kicking his ass.

He forced himself to drag his eyes away from her body to her face and saw she was looking at him. Something shifted in her eyes and he could tell she knew exactly where his thoughts had gone. He hadn’t exactly been subtle about checking her out but he was a man with eyes and she was exquisite. 

“I like the pink.” He told her, opting for something safer than what he was really thinking. ‘You’re fucking hot and that leather makes me want to do bad things to you.’ would probably not have gone over well. The plates of her armor were a pretty shade of rose and he wondered if it was a concession to her femininity or if it was just her favorite color.

“It’s my favorite color.” Sango admitted after a slight pause confirming his suspicions, and Miroku knew she had probably expected another one-liner out of him. “I know it sounds kind of frivolous but it makes me feel more confident on the job.”

Before he could respond there was a knock and they could both hear Inuyasha through the closed door.

“Hey! Hurry the fuck up, will ya? Let’s get going!”

“Inuyasha! Would it kill you to be a little patient?!” came Kagome’s admonishment.

Sango and Miroku shared a look at their antics, a small secret smile between the two of them before she went to the door, opening it.

“There ya are. What’s the hold up?” Inuyasha said without preamble. The beads for his human glamour were back around his neck but because they all had seen his true form it had no effect on any of them. The glamour only worked so long as a person was unaware of the reality. Once that illusion was dispelled it no longer had any effect.

Kagome was standing beside him in clothes more practical for fighting than her usual attire - jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. A bow and quiver full of arrows was slung over her right shoulder and a look of determination was on her face. Around her wrist was a bracelet that no doubt was disguising her weapons from view of the average passerby.

“We’re ready.” Sango reappeared by his side, her hair tied back in a high ponytail and he noticed the large weapon hoisted across her back, almost as tall as she was. It was in the shape of a boomerang and if he had to guess he would say it was made of demon bone, with brown leather straps at both ends to grip it. Such a weapon had to be heavy but she carried it with ease. He became impressed with her all over again.

Setting out, they followed Kagome, letting her take the lead as she focused on the location of the rune. She had explained that it gave off a feeling, almost like an aura that allowed her to trace it across the city. Finally, she stopped outside of what looked to be a condemned warehouse in the more run down part of the city just as the sun was setting.

“It’s here. I feel it.” Kagome’s voice was full of trepidation. 

Even without her words it would have been obvious. The sheer evil emanating from the place was palpable. As a whole they all readied their weapons and approached the structure, Inuyasha taking the lead. Considering he was the most resilient of the four of them no one fought him on it. The heavy metal door, rusted with disuse, swung open with a creak. 

“Inuyasha, we should be careful. We don’t know what’s waiting for us.” Miroku warned.

“You think I don’t fucking know that?” The half demon scoffed. “Besides this aint nothing I can’t handle.”

‘I wish I had that kind of confidence.’ Miroku thought, sighing.

Cautiously, they entered. Immediately upon crossing the threshold the scent of blood was unmistakable, even to Miroku’s human nose. Shafts of the remaining light of day crept forward from the busted out windows along the walls, helping to illuminate the emptiness inside. It stretched wide, the remnants of what was probably once a bustling business years ago. But the years hadn’t been kind to the place, cracked concrete and chipped paint accentuated by spots of mold and mildew. And worst of all, the decaying bodies towards the back wall, cast halfway into shadow. Underneath the stench of blood was the fetid smell of rot.

“There’s so much blood. Those bodies...” Kagome said in a slightly horrified voice.

“Yes. Likely killed by whatever demon is currently inhabiting this place.” Sango said, her expression grim.

“Where the fuck is it though?” Inuyasha growled.

As they warily made their way deeper inside Miroku’s eyes adjusted to the darkness and he suddenly noticed the thick cobwebs all around. At first he had discounted them as merely vestiges from the deterioration of the place but there were so many, the strands thicker than anything a normal spider could produce. Now that they were closer he could see the dead bodies were pale and bloated, and almost as white as the filaments of web they were cocooned tightly within. Red stained the floor around them where no doubt the victims had struggled before being overtaken by the spider demon. 

Next to the carcasses were white sacs with bulges that shifted every few seconds, ensconced in more web. There had to be at least twenty of them that Miroku could see and it made his skin crawl. They could only be one thing. Spider egg sacs. This was going to get messy.

“Spider demons. Such nasty things.” Sango commented beside him.

“Ew! Are those…?” Kagome didn’t finish the question but they could all see where her line of sight was. She had also noticed the eggs sacs and was staring at them with revulsion. 

“It’s just some fucking spiders. Big deal. I’ll squash them then hunt down the bastard that’s behind all this.” Inuyasha said with his usual bravado.

About midway into the building they still hadn’t seen any sign of the rune but it was a big place. Wherever it was, no doubt it was feeding all the negative energies straight to the person responsible for orchestrating this carnage. Blood sacrifice was the strongest source of power for black magic so Miroku was hardly surprised but it made the scene no less disturbing.

He felt something wet drip onto his shoulder and, with a bad feeling, turned his head to look. He reached up with his free hand to dip his fingers into the fluid and inspect it although he already knew. Blood mixed with some kind of clear fluid…

Sango glanced his way and noticed what he was looking at then locked eyes with him. Understanding dawned. As one they turned their eyes upward and the scene that greeted their gaze was an even worse horror.

More corpses hung from the ceiling suspended from strands of spider silk, dripping blood and what was possibly the remnants of the demon’s poison. The ceiling was covered with the largest spider web he had ever seen and right in the middle of the net was the mother spider demon. It was huge, her body glistening and black, legs splayed across her massive web. The humanoid head had a mane of black hair and was wearing an ugly sneer full of teeth, red eyes trained right on them.

“Look up! It’s on the ceiling!” Miroku called out.

Sango slung her weapon from her back, preparing to throw it while Kagome yelped and Inuyasha readied his sword. The spider demon scuttled from its perch towards the wall where the other bodies and eggs lay, moving with surprising quickness. 

Sango threw her weapon with a battle cry of, “Hiraikotsu!” and the spider demon leapt from the ceiling to the ground at the same time, narrowly avoiding it. The demon knocked it with one of its legs throwing her boomerang off course and into the egg sacs. It landed with a thud and there was the sound of the sacs ripping. Black bodies began pouring out of them.

“Shit. I had a feeling this was going to happen.” Miroku said in resignation as they watched the spider demon babies crawl towards them. There were hundreds. 

“Get them, my children!” The demon hissed as she used her legs to rend the remaining egg sacs open, and the whisper of thousands of legs and bodies scurrying around filled the air.

“Fuck, if I could use the Wind Scar this would be so damn easy.” Inuyasha griped as he leapt forward to meet the mother spider in battle. Miroku agreed; with the modernization of everything using an attack that powerful risked leveling the entire building they stood in, and possibly part of the surrounding structures. Not to mention exposing demonkind to humanity, which would have serious repercussions.

“Inuyasha!” Kagome called out, running after him while casting her gaze about, no doubt still searching for the location of the rune in the huge place.

“Miroku, we should let Inuyasha handle the mother spider and take control of the babies!” Sango called as she drew her sword, cutting a path through the demon spawns, trying to make her way to where her main weapon, Hiraikotsu, lay.

“I was about to suggest the same thing.” Miroku agreed, swinging his staff as they began to be overtaken by the massive outpouring of spider babies. Hundreds. Possibly even bordering on a thousand...the sheer number of them was overwhelming. Miroku took a moment to wonder what would have happened if they hadn’t discovered the scene...the city would have been literally overrun.

Numbers were against them, that much was becoming apparent as they fought against the press of bodies. Miroku’s shakujo burned with holy power where it struck the demons, but there were just so many. Next to him Sango was wielding her wakizashi with expert skill, her movements smooth and practiced, but for every two she cut down ten more took their place. It was never ending. He reached into the jacket he was wearing and pulled out a set of holy sutras and flung them at the demons, activating them with his spiritual powers. The move took out a considerable amount but it was like a drop in the bucket for how many they still faced.

“Miroku, cover your mouth and nose!” Sango suddenly called, and he instantly obeyed, trusting her and creating a barrier with his power to shield them. Without him noticing she had equipped her slayer mask, retrieving a vial of some kind of poison from one of her hidden pouches. She threw it down upon the ground and into the swarm before them. It shattered, releasing a blue cloud that began to spread across the demons. Where it touched the demons started to convulse and cease their movements.

Taking advantage of the momentary reprieve they rushed forward. There were still hundreds attempting to crawl and bite their way at them but they continued to move, Miroku throwing out more sutras and slamming his staff down into the fray while Sango hacked away at them. Even though the situation was serious he still wished he could take a moment to simply stop and watch her. Her movements were so fluid, like a dance of death, and it was captivating.

Just as they had almost reached their goal, the webs all around them shifted suddenly. Shooting out from behind them the strands wrapped themselves around Sango’s leg. Miroku saw it coming and attempted to break the hold with his shakujo, and while it severed part of it, the filaments burning from the holy power, they still held firm. More webs shot out and knocked him to the side. Sango attempted to cut away at the web surrounding her with her sword but more just took their place. As she was dragged upwards more encircled her arms, trapping her movements. She struggled against her bonds and they just gripped her tighter. 

“Sango!!” Miroku cried out, his heart missing a beat.

Kagome had run after Inuyasha when he leapt forward to fight the spider demon head on. Spiders sickened her but she forced herself to concentrate. This was no time to be acting scared. She had a job to do. Besides, she had Inuyasha with her. Even though his attention was being taken up by his fight with the mother spider she trusted that he was fully aware of her safety. Or at least she hoped he was. Preparing her bow with an arrow she stood by and attempted to hone her senses. Where was it…?

There.

“Inuyasha! The marking! It’s back there, on the far wall!” Kagome yelled, already on the move. Almost instinctively she knew she had to destroy it. Break the connection that had been formed between the corruption taking place here and where all that negative energy was flowing. Right now it was a conduit, feeding power to the person at the other end of the spell.

“I’m a little busy here!” Inuyasha shouted back, blocking a strike from one of its legs with his sword while flipping to dodge another one coming at him from behind. With a grunt he sliced his sword to the side and severed one of its legs, diving beneath its abdomen to slash at the vulnerable underbelly. Screaming in pain at the dismemberment, it rose up on its two back legs, the thing faster than it had any right to be, and avoided his attack. 

“Dammit!” Inuyasha cursed, rolling to his feet in one smooth move and vaulting to stand atop it just as webs shot out to surround him. They wrapped around his sword arm, cutting off his downward swing.

“Inuyasha!” Kagome stopped, taking aim with the arrow already notched onto her bow. She fired and the arrow flew true. Leaving behind a trail of pink it shot towards its target and struck right at the point where the strands were connected to Inuyasha, freeing him.

“Cutting it a little close there, don’t ya think?! You almost hit me!" He called to her as he avoided more webs.

“Except I didn't! A simple thank you would be nice!” She snapped back.

Inuyasha didn’t bother to reply as his attention was consumed again by his fight with the spider demon; so Kagome continued on her way to the rune. As a priestess she could take care of herself and clearly Inuyasha didn’t need or appreciate her help anyways. 

She was almost at the back wall where the rune was engraved into the concrete when she became aware of the sounds of scuttling behind her. Looking over her shoulder in horror and already knowing what it was, Kagome saw the demon spider babies advancing on her. With a surge of adrenaline she raced the rest of the way and reached it just as the demons reached her. In one smooth motion she grabbed an arrow from her quiver and notched it as she turned around firing, facing the onslaught. It cut a path through the swarm in front of her and she breathed a sigh of momentary relief.

Her sacred arrow didn’t stop them from coming though, and she found herself firing arrow after arrow. No matter how many she killed there were more to take the place of their dead siblings. The rune needed to be destroyed, she knew this as well as she knew her own name. Finally, with a cry of frustration she stopped in her assault and slammed her right hand onto the rune, her left hand still gripping her bow tightly. Her power flared, engulfing the bow in the pink halo of light with her spiritual power and simultaneously channeling power through herself into the rune to purify it. 

Using her bow as a focus Kagome formed a barrier around herself. Where the demons hit it they burned but that didn’t seem to stop them. They kept pressing in on her until they killed themselves, suicide by purification, and more crawled over the ashes to continue the charge.

Gritting her teeth she maintained her barrier while she turned her attention to the mark her right hand was pressed upon. Again she felt that thick oily sensation of evil coating the back of her throat and she fought against it. It almost seemed to reach within her attempting to taint her with its malevolence and Kagome only intensified her power, refusing to be corrupted. She was gaining ground, but with her focus split between the preservation of her barrier and the purification of the rune she couldn’t destroy it. This would require everything of her, and she simply wasn’t able to do that if she wanted to keep her barrier up.

‘Screw that.’ she thought, ‘I’m stronger than this. I can do this.’

“Sango!!”

Sango heard Miroku’s cry as she was lifted up by the webs wrapping more and more tightly around her. With her arms trapped she could no longer swing her wakizashi to free herself, and it hung from her hand, useless. Dammit. She hated spider demons.  

Triggering the hidden blades at her wrists, the curved knives sprung out and sliced through the strands enveloping her arms. In the same breath she pitched her weight forward and used her now-free sword arm to cut through the remaining webs that had captured her leg. No longer restrained she continued the movement into a somersault as she fell, resheathing her blades in the process. It was a long way down and she risked spraining her ankle but it was better than the alternative; become another sacrifice for the spider demon and her children.

She let out a soft oof as she landed, but it wasn’t the landing she was expecting. Instead of the shock of landing on hard concrete vibrating up her legs as her feet struck the ground she felt strong arms wrap around her and a very masculine grunt rumble through the warm chest she was pressed up against. Miroku must have caught me… she barely had time to think. Before she could fully register the position she found herself in, the spider babies began to encroach upon them.

“Sango! Are you ok?” Miroku’s voice came right by her ear, his breath hot. With one arm still braced around her he used the other one to swing at the demons while setting her down onto her feet. One of the demons managed to avoid his staff and jumped at him, landing on the side Sango was not being held against. Miroku let out a pained sound and Sango quickly slashed down at it with one of her wrist blades but not fast enough. It fell away, the damage done and Sango could see the blood beginning to spread from where its tiny fangs had pierced him. 

“Miroku!!” 

“I’m fine.” He told her as he held out his shakujo and focused his spiritual power on the formation of a barrier. A thin blue shield encircled them, but despite his words Sango could see the beads of sweat forming on his temple and the strain on his face. The spider babies continued to attempt to get at them but with Miroku’s power protecting them they were untouchable.

“I’m sorry but to keep you inside my barrier I have to keep you near.” Miroku told her, still holding onto her and beginning to move them forward. “Inuyasha should defeat the mother spider soon and once we retrieve your weapon you can impress me some more with your slayer prowess.” He joked weakly.

“Miroku…”

The spider bite had to have had some venom to be affecting him this much, and she felt guilty. If he hadn’t taken his attention away from the fight to catch her he wouldn’t have gotten injured. As they made their way to where her weapon lay she could feel him begin to lean more heavily on her. It was concerning. Finally they were at the wall where her Hiraikotsu lay amongst the corpses and empty egg sacs. She lifted her weapon up and turned to Miroku. His entire side was stained red where he bled and his face was pale.

“Keep your barrier up, I’m going to fight them.”

Before he could respond she left him propped against the wall and slipped from his arms to face the demons. In one smooth motion she threw her weapon and cut a swath through the hordes facing them.

‘Stupid fucking modernization of the world and stupid fucking demons.’ Inuyasha thought in irritation as he fought the mother spider. He hated not being able to use his sword’s full power; what use was the thing if he couldn’t even use it like it was meant to be used? Yet again, he would have to rely on himself but that was nothing new.

The damn thing kept chittering at him maniacally every time he missed and it was pissing him off. He was over it. It and all its damn babies needed to die and they needed to die now. Finally gaining the upper hand he leapt upwards, dodging more strikes from its remaining five legs and the gnashing of its fangs. A wave of web shot out at him and caught his left arm in its grip but wasn’t enough to stop the killing stroke of his sword. With one final slash Inuyasha beheaded the mother spider, putting an end to the fight.

“...Ba….kiiii…..” The demon croaked before the life faded from its eyes.

The webs around his arm loosened at the death of their mistress and Inuyasha pulled them off of him in disgust. Mission accomplished, he turned his attention to his companions.

Sango was throwing that giant boomerang weapon around killing spider babies left and right and Miroku had a barrier surrounding him, looking the worse for wear. Inuyasha could smell his blood and the demon poison but his friend was still alive so he figured any worrying could wait until the danger had passed. He turned to them and called out, “Hey! You guys good there?”

“Doing great, Inuyasha. Thanks for asking,” came Miroku’s sarcastic response. 

Sango didn’t bother to reply and just kept slaying demons, and Inuyasha had to admit she was damn good at what she did. She moved like a well-oiled machine.  

Where was that damn girl though…?

“Hey! Where the fuck is Kagome?!” 

Even as he asked the question, Inuyasha could smell her scent coming from the opposite side of the building.

“She followed you when you decided to fight the mother spider.” Miroku answered, his breathing more labored now. 

Inuyasha wasn’t listening anymore, was already running towards the far wall where he could see Kagome. The pink glow of a barrier surrounded her while she held her ground against the horde attempting to break through her defenses. What the hell? It was his job to protect her, his duty and she ran off with a whole host of demons on her tail. Did she have no regard for her own safety? He grudgingly admitted to himself that she was doing a good job of keeping them off of her but she couldn't maintain it forever. She had to know that.

He made quick work of the remaining demons and Kagome released her barrier with a gasp of relief. She opened her eyes fully and he was swallowed up in her gaze for the space of a heartbeat. She annoyed the hell out of him but damn if she didn’t find ways to get under his skin, and not always in an unpleasant way.

“Hey what exactly do you think you’re doing here, huh?” He demanded.

“Destroying the rune.” She answered shortly, turning all her focus onto the aforementioned rune her right hand was placed over. It was a nasty piece of work; he could smell the black magic pouring from it in waves. It was acrid and foul. If Kagome said it needed to be destroyed then he trusted her enough to believe her. Trust…

As he sheathed his sword his thoughts went back to that day she had invited him into her bedroom. She had told him she trusted him implicitly. And she had said it so easily, with no hesitation like it should have been obvious. That wasn’t something he was used to hearing, especially not from someone like her - a priestess. Sure he had an agreement with her family but it didn’t guarantee something like trust. That was something that didn’t come to him easily and it was difficult for him to understand how she could extend something as precious as that so readily.

Kagome’s power flared and she focused everything she had on the purification of the rune. Now that Inuyasha had killed the rest of the demons she didn’t have to split her attention and power in half trying to accomplish two things at once. She had been getting close, but it was definitely taking its toll on her. Her legs were starting to get wobbly from her sustained assault.

With a final burst she poured her all into the rune, purifying it and rendering it useless and inert. As the purity of her power consumed the black mark Kagome heard a scream of outrage echoing inside her head. 

‘You meddling little girl...you and your friends are next…!’ a shrill feminine voice shrieked. And then it was gone and she was alone inside her own head again and she was so tired.

Kagome took a step towards Inuyasha and before she realized what was happening her legs gave out. All at once the exhaustion of the confrontation hit her and her vision went a little fuzzy. She had used more energy than she realized, fighting a battle on two fronts for as long as she had.

Warm arms enveloped and supported her while she struggled to regain her bearings. Inuyasha. With a sigh she buried her face into his chest for a moment. She just needed a moment. Surely that wasn’t too much to ask for. 

“Kagome! Hey, Kagome!! Don’t you faint on me!”

There was genuine concern in his voice and she thought she must really be tired because she had to be imagining it. This was Inuyasha, afterall. With an effort she opened her eyes and lifted her head, pulling back slightly to meet his golden gaze. For a moment she was speechless. He was looking at her in actual worry, brows creased. As she stared he moved one of his hands to cradle her face.

“Hey! You ok?”

“Yes. Just tired...used a lot of power.” She finally replied.

At her answer he removed his hands from her and she felt bereft for a moment at the loss of his touch. Her strength was returning though so she was able to stand on her own two legs again. It was over. For tonight anyways.

Sango finished off the last of the demons with a speed she didn’t know she possessed. There was an ever present worry for Miroku in the back of her mind as she fought and the quicker they killed these demons the quicker they could get him patched up and healed. The guilt continued to eat at her. If she was a more talented slayer the webs would never have even caught her and Miroku would never have been injured.

When the last one lay in its death throes Sango rushed back to the monk’s side as he dropped his barrier, removing her slayer mask while settling Hiraikotsu across her back and kneeling beside him. He looked at her and gave a weak smile and she didn’t return it. There was no way she could smile seeing him like this.

“Hang on, Miroku.” She told him as she wrapped one of his arms around her shoulders and stood, helping him to his feet. He leaned on her heavily, his breathing ragged in her ear.

“My dear Sango...is that worry in your voice for me?” He quipped. 

“Yes. And shut up. Now isn’t the time to be making jokes.”

“Sorry.” He laughed feebly. “But I’m honestly touched by your concern.”  

Before she could respond again Inuyasha and Kagome had made their way to them. Sango felt relief at the sight of the rest of their companions. Now they could get out of here and get Miroku the treatment he needed.

“Miroku! What happened?” Kagome gasped as she caught sight of him and noticed his condition for the first time.

“Probably got bit. Idiot.” Inuyasha answered but he said it mildly, no heat in his words. He came around to the other side of Miroku and helped Sango support his weight.

“He’s not an idiot. It was my fault.” Sango snapped, not in the mood.

“First your concern, and now you’re defending me...am I dreaming?” Miroku joked. 

“I swear, if you keep making jokes I’m going to drop you.” Sango warned.

“Like I said-- an idiot.” Inuyasha remarked. Sango didn’t argue with his assessment this time. Miroku sighed in defeat.

“What are we going to do about all these demon corpses? There’s just so many.” Kagome worried. “If someone were to come upon them…”

“I’ll call the slayers in the morning and get them to take care of the removal of the bodies.” Sango replied. “Right now I’m more concerned about Miroku.”

“Of course. He comes first.” Kagome agreed. “Where should we be taking him?”

“Sango’s place is closer than mine.” Miroku input, his voice strained. His hair was damp with sweat.

Night had fallen across the city as they emerged from the abandoned warehouse. They made their way to Sango’s apartment as quickly as they could, avoiding detection from all human passersby. Fortunately thanks to the shroud of darkness night offered it was easily accomplished. Once they walked into her place she and Inuyasha brought him to her bedroom and laid him down onto her bed.

After he was settled Sango removed his jacket and grabbed a pair of scissors from her kitchen drawer to cut off his shirt so they could see the full extent of the damage. She had Kagome go grab her first aid kit while she set about her task. 

“I hope you weren’t too attached to this shirt.” She told him as she began to cut the material away.

“If you wanted me naked in your bed all you had to do was ask.” Miroku joked back weakly.

“I thought I told you now wasn’t the time for jokes.” Sango replied sternly. Inuyasha was right. He was an idiot. Nevertheless, the fact he was still able to crack his one-liners was a good sign and she took a little comfort in that.

Once she was done removing his shirt she took a good look at his chest and grimaced. It was bad. The wound on his left side was still oozing blood, but worse than that and much more concerning were the streaks of purple radiating out from the site of the wound that spoke of the infection from the demonic poison. This would require a purification or it would spread to his heart and likely kill him.

Kagome returned with the first aid kit and got her first real look at the wound. “Oh no. I’m going to have to perform a purification,” she said, confirming Sango’s thoughts.

Inuyasha roused himself from where he leaned against the open bedroom door. “With what power? You’re already wiped out from the fight! You almost fainted, or did you forget?”

Kagome scowled. “I’m not that weak. I’m a Head Priestess, or did you forget? I just needed a moment to collect myself and I’m fine now.”

“Can’t we take him to the shrine and get someone else to do it?” Inuyasha argued.

“There’s no time!” Kagome burst. “Do you want him to live?? Because if I don’t do this now he’s not going to. I know you’re just trying to look out for me because that’s your job but I’m perfectly capable, ok?”

Sango glanced at Miroku and saw his eyes had closed, his breaths coming in short pants. 

“Isn’t Miroku supposed to be your best friend?” She asked, growing a little angry with Inuyasha. She couldn’t fault him for trying to protect Kagome, but at the expense of his best friend?

“Hey, don’t get me wrong. Of course I don’t want him to die. That stupid monk and I go way back and I’ve saved his ass more times than I can count. It doesn’t mean I don’t care what happens to him but my obligation to Kagome and her family comes first.”

“I’m not arguing with you about this.” Kagome told Inuyasha. She knelt on the left side of the bed and placed her hands over Miroku’s wound. Sango sat on the edge of the bed on the other side and before she could think better of it grabbed Miroku’s hand, holding it tightly. It was cool to the touch. 

Memories of a similar situation with her father were surfacing in her mind. Against her will she was starting to become emotional. Miroku had put himself at risk to catch her, to protect her. Why had he done that…? The man had only known her for a week. She barely gave him the time of day and yet he put his life on the line for hers. More and more it seemed she may have misjudged him. 

Kagome set about purifying the spider bite, a pink glow coming from her hands as she focused her power into his wound. Miroku grimaced and Sango imagined it had to be painful. His eyes opened and locked with hers and she couldn’t bring herself to look away from his indigo stare. She wondered what she looked like to him right now. Was her face as open and vulnerable as she was feeling inside at that moment? 

Several long minutes passed and finally the demonic poison from his injury was gone. Finished, Kagome stood unsteadily and Inuyasha came over to help her. Without a word he picked her up and she didn’t protest. She had to be bone tired. Sango noticed how carefully Inuyasha cradled her in his arms and wondered if perhaps there was something there between them after all. As the half demon carried Kagome from the bedroom Sango turned her attention back to the monk lying half naked in her bed. He was still looking at her, but there was the smallest smile playing across his lips now. Swallowing, Sango released his hand and went to get the first aid kit left on her dresser. He let her hand go after one final squeeze.

Carefully, she cleaned the wound and wiped away all the blood. She tried to keep her ministrations professional and definitely tried not to notice how perfect his abs were as she worked. He had an undeniably nice body and she was a woman so she couldn’t be blamed for appreciating it, she told herself. It was perfectly natural.

Reaching a hand under his back she prompted him to sit up while she wrapped bandages around him. He placed a hand on her shoulder to steady himself as she patched him up. When she was finally done she helped him lay back down and she could see the exhaustion on his face. This night had definitely taken its toll on him. 

Without thinking she reached a hand up and stroked his hair, wiping away the sweat and brushing his bangs from his forehead. As she started to withdraw her hand he caught it with one of his own. She glanced at him in surprise.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to continue holding your hand.” Miroku told her. Searching his face she found no trace of his usual humor. It was an honest request. Blushing, she swallowed and nodded her consent before finding her words.

“I suppose. After all, it’s my fault you were injured.”

“Sango. Don’t blame yourself.” He told her seriously, then smiled, “Besides, I had to protect that flawless body of yours.”

“Go to sleep before I knock you out myself.”

“As my lady wishes.”

Sango rolled her eyes but she didn’t let go of his hand. His eyes closed and eventually his breathing evened out into the steady rhythm of sleep. Vaguely she heard the door to her apartment open and close and could only assume Inuyasha was taking Kagome home. Her own eyes began to grow heavy and before she knew it she was asleep as well.

Gradually she began to wake up, and her first thought was to wonder when her pillow became so firm. Not that it mattered, whatever she was resting upon was warm and comfortable and she gave a soft sigh of contentment and burrowed in deeper. A hand brushed through her hair gently and with a jolt of realization the previous night came back to her. She gave a soft gasp as her eyes opened and the hand stroking her hair stilled.

“You awake?” Miroku’s voice asked.

She had passed out next to him, her chest pressed against his side, her head on his own very naked chest, still holding his hand. The intimacy of their positions was not lost on her and she blushed as she slowly lifted herself up to look at him. Hesitantly she met his eyes and her heart began to pound so hard she wondered if he could hear it too. There was none of his usual teasing flirtatiousness present, instead she saw a gentle affection...and heat. She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry.

“Good morning.” He said, and his accompanying smile made her breath catch.

“M-morning.” She managed. “I’m sorry, I...I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.” This was so embarrassing. She should get up right now but she couldn’t seem to make herself move.

“I assure you I’ve enjoyed every second of it.”

“I...I’m...” ‘I’m sure you did’ she wanted to say but couldn’t get the words out.

If she leaned forward just a little more...their lips would touch. It was such a tempting thought. And she knew he wouldn’t mind in the slightest. His lips looked so inviting and she licked her own reflexively. His gaze shifted to her lips at that and Sango held her breath. She couldn’t believe how much she wanted to kiss him. Hadn’t she decided she wasn’t going to give in to him and his flirtations? It was a bad idea but it didn’t make her want it any less.

With an effort she pulled away and although she thought she saw disappointment in his eyes he let her go. For her it wouldn’t be just a kiss and she wouldn’t do that to herself. It was dangerous how quickly he made her forget her self control. Distance. She needed distance.

“I’m glad you’re ok. I need to go call the slayers about the demon corpses. And take a shower. I’m sure you need to get home.” She said and hastily retreated from the bedroom before he could say anything else.

Barricading herself in the bathroom she made the call to her father and when she was done with that she stripped down and turned on the water. She knew she was being ridiculous, not to mention obvious about avoiding him, but she couldn’t face him right now. Her heart was still beating way too fast. Leaning against the wall she waited until she heard the door to her apartment open and close before she relaxed. He was gone.

Good. That would give her time to compose herself. Next time she saw him she would have herself back under control again. Her walls would be back up and she would no longer be thinking about how his lips would have tasted or how it had felt to be pressed up against him. Even if she was starting to...feel things for him, she wouldn’t let it show. She refused to consider the possibility that she was more than just a challenge to him. If she did that she might start hoping for things and that would be even more dangerous.

~☆~

Kagome finished dressing in a navy sweater and a simple gray skirt that landed mid-thigh and exited her bedroom, needing to talk to Inuyasha. He had said he had something important to tell her last night but she had been so damn tired he hadn't had a chance before she passed out. Her heart beat a little faster at the thought of how he must have carried her home and, more shockingly, tucked her into bed. Thinking about it made her blush a little. It was so at odds with the side of Inuyasha she was most familiar with-- brash, gruff, and kind of a jerk.

As she finished her descent down the stairs she heard the voices of her grandfather and Inuyasha. The half demon’s voice abruptly cut off at her appearance.

“Oh, there ya are. Finally.”

“Good morning. What’s going on?”

“Kagome. Inuyasha has just told me something concerning.” Her grandfather said.

“Does this have to do with the thing you said you needed to tell me last night?” She asked.

“Yeah. When I killed the demon it said somethin’ right before it died. ‘Baki’.” Inuyasha replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kagome’s face scrunched up in thought. “Baki? What does that mean, though?” Something suddenly occurred to her. “Oh! I almost forgot to tell you. Right when I destroyed the rune I heard a voice in my head. Like it was talking to me through the connection I had made.”

“What?! Why didn’t you say something sooner??” Inuyasha demanded, and Kagome could tell it was out of concern for her but it still annoyed her. She couldn’t help but poke the bear a little.

“I was a little busy passing out in your arms if you recall.”

“In my arms?” 

“That’s right. Or did someone else carry me home and tuck me into bed?”

“I-I--...W--whatever!” He sputtered, reddening a bit. “What did the voice say?”

Kagome couldn’t stop the giggle that came out, earning herself a glare. That was fine. He cared, if only just a little bit and that was enough for now.

“It was a female voice. She called me a meddling little girl and said me and my friends were next.”

“A female voice, you say?” Her grandfather asked, and they turned to look at him. “This only confirms what I have feared.”

“Grandpa, what is it?”

“Years ago there was a beautiful and powerful priestess...but she became too greedy, too vain. She turned dark. After she was found to be practicing black magic she was cast out from her shrine. Her name was whispered about throughout all the shrines as a warning. I believe the spellbook missing from our own shrine was taken by her. It seems she is now consorting with evil demons, but that is hardly surprising.”

“How do you know it’s this dark priestess, though?” Kagome questioned.

“Because Inuyasha told me the last words of the demon. ‘Baki.’ The name of this dark priestess is Tsubaki. It is too much to be a coincidence.”

“If she’s making deals with demons now then how did she manage to steal the spellbook? The aura of the demons on her should have kept her out despite her spiritual powers. They would be too tainted to break through our wards, after all.” Kagome pointed out.

“She must have an accomplice. It would certainly explain how she was able to manage so much chaos in such a short amount of time.” He replied.

Kagome was quiet for a moment. All the pieces of the puzzle they currently had were starting to fit together. 

“Hey, old man.” Inuyasha spoke up. “Do you have any idea what she’s tryin’ to achieve here?”

“Tsubaki craved power as well as eternal life and beauty, or so they say. She is a jealous and vain woman, and very dangerous. I would imagine this is all a means to accomplish her ends. It's hard to say.”

“So how do we find her?” 

“I think I have an idea.” Kagome said. “There’s a location ritual I can perform. I already know the signature of the runes she’s been leaving behind. I can use that and the residual energy left behind from the telepathic connection she opened up with me.”

“She threatened you and you’re just gonna open yourself up to her??” Inuyasha exclaimed. 

“Then what do you suggest?” Kagome shot back.

“Not that!”

“That's not an answer!”

“I don’t like it.”

“Well I’m not going to sit around and let people get hurt when I could do something to help!”

“Listen, it’s my job to protect you. Kinda hard to do that when you keep throwin’ yourself into harm’s way.”

“Then protect me. Stand guard. Do whatever you have to do. But I’m performing this ritual. You can either help me or get out of the way but you’re not going to stop me.” Her tone was fierce. She could tell Inuyasha was surprised at her vehemence, and to be honest she kind of was too, but she wasn’t going to be kept on the sidelines of this fight. She wanted to do her part.

“Fine.” The half demon finally relented. “This is fucking stupid but fine. If you insist. But I’m gonna be with you the whole time.”

“That’s what I’m counting on.”

#Through the Night #Inuyasha #MirSan #Miroku x Sango #InuKag #Inuyasha x Kagome #SanMir #MiroSan #finally getting to the action!!

[stonebreakerseries]

Day 2: Mercy + “That’s the easy part”

Day 2 of @oc-growth-and-development​’s OC-tober challenge and the @fictober-event​. Another successful merging of the two prompts, which I think paired rather well today!

Series: Stonebreaker (Original Fiction) Characters: Sylda & Valesha Warnings: descriptions of blood, language

“Act natural. We’re being followed.”

Sylda’s spine stiffened, her shoulders rising, her grip on the leather-wrapped bundle tightening as she clutched it to her chest. “What?” she breathed. She didn’t dare speak louder than a whisper, ears straining, hairs rising on the back of her neck and arms. On either side, the walls of the buildings rose two storeys high, their crumbling stone and sun-bleached wood giving the alley a ghostly, forgotten appearance. It was unsettling at the best of times, yet alone in the middle of the night. “Val, you’d better not be messing with me. This isn’t funn--” 

Beside her, Valesha continued her ambling stroll, one hand buried in her pocket, the other swinging casually by her side. Lanky, with knife-cropped hair and a face full of sharp angles, most readily mistook her for a young man. Wandering about after dark in her loose shirt and trousers only enhanced the effect. While Valesha’s posture gave nothing away, it was the look she shot, dark but burning like hot coals, that silenced Sylda mid-sentence.

“Shut up,” Val hissed. The hand in her pocket shifted slightly, adjusting its grip on something. “Behind us. Left side.” The silver light from Anayh, the smallest but brightest moon, cut the alley at an angle, illuminating the taller woman’s head and shoulder. “Just keep walking.”

Mustering the faintest of nods, Sylda did as she was told, continuing forward, heart stammering. Her arms and legs seemed to vibrate, palms sweating as nervous energy coursed through her. The awkward bundle pressed to her chest suddenly felt uncomfortably heavy. Uncomfortably obvious, like a beacon to every thief and cut-purse looking for an easy mark.

Gods above and below, why did we have to take the alleys? 

It wasn’t their territory. The Copper Hawks owned the rooftops - everyone knew that. It made for risky travel and easy escapes, the two often balancing each other out among their less skilled members, but serving the veterans well. But some jobs didn’t lend themselves to running along ridges and leaping between eaves. This time, it was the weight of the parcel and the delicacy of its contents. One wrong step on a rooftop, and the entire job would have been for nothing. She didn’t even want to imagine Davros’ face if that happened. No, Sylda was not going back to the nest empty-handed. Not again.

Never again.

“Drop!”

Valesha’s voice was a whip, cracking through the alley. Immediately, Sylda threw herself forward, twisting mid-air to keep the satchel skyward. Her back struck the broken cobbles, a shock of pain ringing from her spine to her teeth as she clutched their prize to her chest, both arms wrapped over it like a scaly creshek guarding its egg. Inside, she felt something creak slightly, but nothing seemed to to crack of splinter. Maybe it was true what everyone said, and The Errant Queen really was watching over her.

Or maybe the goddess was just biding her time.

Even as Sylda fell, Valesha was moving. She spun, heel grinding against the ground, her hand a blur as it snapped from her pocket and sent something bright and curved whistling into the dark side of the alley. Sounds pierced the thrum in Sylda’s ears; a yelp of shock, a wet wheeze, boots scrabbling frantically over dust and stone. Valesha, now facing into the alley, already had the tip of another talon jutting from between her thumb and forefinger, arm poised for a second throw. Sylda used to fall asleep to the sound of her practicing, the thud of the curved metal biting into wood strangely comforting as she hit her mark over and over again.

This time was no exception.

As Valesha positioned herself in the center of the alley, Sylda pushed herself further towards the street, careful not to lose grip on the leather-wrapped bundle. Distance is your friend, girl. Find it. Strike from it. Flee towards it. Just past Val, two shapes were moving, one stumbling out of a side alley, the other hanging back, hesitant to follow. As one of the figures - a man with stringing black hair and a close-cropped beard - spilled into the light, he fell to his knees, hands groping at the side of his neck. Throat tight, Sylda could only watch as he tugged - once, twice, three times - the warning on her tongue unable to make it past her bloodless lips. 

Don’t. Don’t try to pull it out.

On the fourth try, he succeeded. Val’s talon ripped free, the hook halfway up its length tearing through flesh, taking a chunk of his neck with it. The silver light made the blood appear black as it sprayed then pulsed in hideous gouts from the wound. The man, panicking, tried to stem the flow, but his hands were clumsy and shaking. It was over in seconds. With a final judder, fingers straining, eyes wide with shock, he slumped to the side. Limp. Lifeless.

There was still one more.

“Last chance, little rat.” Valesha’s voice was colder than the steel at her fingertips. She had never been a warm person, but something about her, half-washed in moonlight, a corpse framed by the stance of her legs, sent a shiver across Sylda’s skin. “Run back home before I change my mind.”

The sound of footsteps fading into the distance was Sylda’s only clue that their second tail had taken Valesha’s sage advice and fled. Breathing hard, she slowly struggled to her feet as Val knelt beside the dead body, hands patting along his limbs, hunting for hidden pockets, pieces of paper, something to sell. By the time Sylda was standing again, her breathing leveling out, Valesha had returned empty-handed, a sour look pinching her narrow face. “Fucker could have at least had some sicets on him,” she muttered, then held up her bloody talon. “Look at this shit. By the time we get back, it’ll be all dried on. I’ll be stuck for hours scratching it off.”

It was a little hard to feel sympathetic, all things considered. Luckily, Val never wanted anyone’s sympathy, yet alone Sylda’s. Muttering darkly, the woman shook it once, scattering tiny droplets on the alley wall, then shoved it back in her pocket. Lovely.

As Valesha beckoned her over to check the parcel, Sylda found her eyes drifting back to the corpse. She’d thought he was an old man, at first. The way he moved seemed stilted, like the grind had set itself deep in his bones. But up close, she could see she was wrong. Lying in a pool of black, his skin was still smooth, his hands dirty and stained but unmistakably youthful. If she had to guess, she might have placed him in his mid-twenties. Certainly no more than thirty dry seasons.

And now, he was dead.

She supposed it wasn’t so bad. Most barely made it halfway before meeting similarly ugly fates.

“Sylda?” Valesha’s voice tugged her attention away from the body. She was frowning, her dark brows angled sharply down as she readjusted the bundle’s leather wrapping. “What’s the matter with you? You’re acting like you’ve never seen blood before.”

Of course she had. As much as any of the others. Probably almost as much as Val, who had been in this business from the day she could walk. But, strangely, it wasn’t the dead man that had her so unsettled.

“You let the other one go.”

Val stepped back, jaw tightening, expression closing off. “So? Got a problem with that?”

They started walking again, faster than before, not wanting to linger. Even though most of the grey coats patrolling the streets turned a blind eye to murders among thieves, it was still never a good idea to be caught with a fresh body. You never knew when one of them might actually feel like doing their job. Swallowing, Sylda hurried to keep pace, Val’s long legs leaving her scampering.

“I just… didn’t expect it, that’s all.”

“Yeah? Why not.”

This was dangerous territory. Sylda had to choose her next words carefully unless she wanted to be sleeping alone for a turn or two. “It’s just… you always say that if you’re going to make a kill, you’ve gotta do it once and do it right. Mercy just seems…”

Sylda trailed off, knowing she was toeing a very fine line. Luckily, Valesha seemed strangely willing to continue the thread. “It seems like taking the easy way out.”

Feeling a little sheepish, Sylda just nodded. It wasn’t that she thought mercy was weak. It as just... unusual, given who they were. What they did.

“C’mon, Sylda.” Val shook her head sharply. It was clear she was still on edge, all senses on the look-out for trouble. “Killing some idiot in a back alley? That’s the easy part. That sorry bastard didn’t stand a chance. But knowing when to let them go…” Pausing to check their surroundings, the pair exited onto the street, crossing quickly before slipping into an even narrower alley on the other side. “Mercy’s a lot harder,” Val continued, finishing her thought as they made a left, then a sharp right, losing themselves in Yelen’s tangled warren.

In a way, Sylda supposed what she said made sense. Death was just death. Letting someone live had a lot more uncertainty involved.

“I guess he might be a problem, in the future.”

Val nodded. “He could be.”

Sylda glanced across, regarding her partner for a moment. The moon was higher now, and the shadows rushed to full the hollows of Val’s cheeks, making her appear unusually gaunt.

“But you don’t think he will, do you?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Why?” She adjusted her grip on the package, arms starting to ache now that the nervous energy had worn off. “I just don’t get it. How can you know something like that?”

“I never know. I just… get a feeling, sometimes.” As their surroundings grew more and more rundown, they slipped under a section of broken wall, only a few feet between its crumbling base and the dust-covered ground. Val paused on the other side to take the bundle from Sylda, allowing her to navigate the tight space. “This one tonight? He was just a fucking kid. Couldn’t have seen more than ten or eleven dry seasons.” She shrugged and, to Sylda’s quiet dismay, passed the bundle back once she was through the gap. Turning, thrusting her hand back in her pocket, Val led the through the abandoned building’s ground floor. “I guess I just ask myself: will killing this person make my life easier? If the answer is ‘no’, then...”

She shrugged, the gesture seeming to suggest the conversation was over.

Unfortunately, Sylda had always been good at ignoring those kinds of cues.

“What if he comes looking for you?”

Val scoffed, the sound echoing around the broken building. “Then he’s an idiot and I’ll go ahead and finish him off. But I really don’t see that happening. Do you?”

If he was as young as Val claimed, Sylda supposed she had a point. Besides, the kid hadn’t exactly caused them any trouble. Gods, he didn’t even bother trying to help his companion as he bled out in the alley. Knowing the way of the streets, there probably wasn’t any kind of bond between them. Just necessity. A set of eyes to watch your back, and report back if you die. Such was the way of things.

They walked in silence for a time, both women lost in their own thoughts. Sylda’s were split between her own doubts and the ache in her arms, but Val seemed unusually troubled. Her hand shifted in her pocket rhythmically, and Sylda could imagine the motion of her fingertips as they traced the talon’s wicked edge. One wrong move, and she’d be adding her own blood to the mix. She liked to play those sorts of games; test herself in strange, unsettling ways. Inevitably, she would slip up, then spend the rest of the evening glaring sullenly at her bandaged fingers.

Nope. Not on my watch.

“Well,” Sylda said, rolling her shoulders as they finally reached the last stretch of their journey, “I guess one good thing came of letting that kid go.”

“Oh yeah?” It was nice to hear a bit of humour back in Val’s voice. Her dark brown eyes flicked across. “And what’s that?”

A playful smile spreading across her face, Sylda nudged her with an elbow. “You don’t have to spend the night scratching blood off two talons.”

Rolling her eyes, Val groaned. But she slid her hand out of her pocket, reached across, and draped her arm over Sylda’s shoulders, so she figured her tasteless comment had been worth it.

“Wow. Morbid,” Val said. Then she grinned, and immediately set Sylda’s heart into an energetic flutter. “That’s why I like you.”

#oc-tober #fictober20 #sylda #valesha #sylda valesha #prompt #sylda prompt #yelen #sylda yelen #I've been meaning to spend a bit more time fleshing out Sylda's backstory #so this feels like a good opportunity to do it! #and i actually remembered to tag properly this time unlike day 1 lol #StonebreakerSeries #sylda writing #valesha writing

[noythe]

If a thing loves, it is infinte

A small story that I wanted to rewrite, to honor the mighty Vergil and his son. Reader is the mother of Nero.

Originally posted on Ao3, hopefully it is not too awkward. 

Pairing: Vergil/Reader

Warning/Tags: Canon-Typical Violence, Torture, Slow-Burn, Awkward-Romance, Lots of Angst and Fluff

Chapter 1 Hell on Earth

There once was a man, feared and respected. Loved and hated just the same.

There was life and death, pain and happiness.

But despite every terror there was on the mortal world, there was some unholy powers, trying to rule.

But what should be ruled, if there was no one left?

There was a group of Hunters, known and led by the famous son of Sparda, Dante.

The Devil May Cry.

But what of the Legends if they go mising?

Heaven, Earth and Hell, what would be the missing piece in this chaotic mess?

The world was a mess.

Where once had been peace and the wonder of creation, was only despair and terror now. Angaelic beings have watched over the mortal realm long enough. Demons only caused chaos, destruction and pain. All they cared for was ruling the world only causing despair. No matter how often humanity had been at the brink of utter destruction, there always was someone to take a stand. One of the most honorable ones had been the Dark Knight Sparda. Had he once been the right hand of Mundus - the king of the underworld - he realised that justice needed to be brought to the world and rebelled against his king, defeating his army and sealing him away along with his own power, leaving him on the human world.

To take revenge upon Sparda, the Demon King ordered his loyal monsters to elimnate Spardas family, murdering his kin. During this attack, his mortal wife Eva got killed, the twins she had born and raised for a few years survived but lived through the trauma differently. And neither of them had a pleasant memory of it. Just loosing everything. Home and family. Years have passed and while one of the brothers became a danger for the world always seeking for more power, the younger twin became a hunter - later creating Devil May Cry.

Hunting Demons and fighting his brother over and over again that was something that never changed, no matter how many years passed. But of course even this time peace didn't last forever.

And again the world needed someone to save it. And one of them was Dante, the now legendary Hunter. Earning  himself quite a name over the past decades as a proud Son of Sparda, wielding the Rebellion and mastering many weapons over the decades. A new demon King alone would have been not a big deal, not for Dante if there wouldn't be that gruesome Demon Tree, now taking a hold of Red GraveCity. Emerging from the ground, raising high into the sky and slowly taking his childhood home apart. Dante did not take this job alone. By his side were Trish and Lady, the most dangerous Women the world had seen so far. If there was someone out there to cut the tree down, it would be them.

But for once, the Son of Sparda went missing.

And that murderous tree was still standing, sucking the blood out of the humans living in that city and as much as the military tried to protect the mortals of Red Grave, their strength was far from enough. And whatever manged to survive the roots, probably got devoured by demons or killed by debris and everything that got thrown around. But if the Qlipoth would collect enough blood, it would grow a single fruit that was forbidden and powerful. Fullfilling the true desire of Urizen: Endless Power, making him the new true King over the Underwold. But also it was rare. Only once every thousand years it could grow.

Over two thousand years ago it had been harvested by Mundus, and the tragedy that followed then lead to this day. But without the Devil Hunter, how should they prevent the tragedy to repeat itself? Maybe mankind never learned from it's mistakes... But for the divine and cursed, there was no such rule. As they remembered it all. Stored in ancient tomes and memory, never to be forgotten. Always to be told, even if mortals no longercared, They forgot so fast, life always passing by in a blink.

But not everything was lost. It was just a matter of time and perhaps a young Devil Hunter needed, who was desperate to beat the Demon on his stupid throne, polishing his ugly face. One failure was enough for the kid named Nero. Even after being called a 'Dead-Weight' he tried to help those that couldn't protect themselves, but for that he had to get stronger first. Recover. He was not all alone, yet it might took a little longer than he wanted to, knowing that this was not his final goal. He wanted Urizen. But after loosing his right arm, there was a lot for him to get used to.

And while the impulsive boy cursed Nico and her way to drive that van, the annoying screeching of a bird echoed through destroyed buildings over broken streets and people turned to dust.

"Ey, V! Ey, EY! Are you listening?", Griffon complained, landing on a broken door that was about to break in, caused by the weight of the monster bird. "Of course.", the thud of a closing book followed and the slender man moved into the direction of the bird, accompanied by the constant sound of his silvery cane, hitting the ground to support his steps.

"There's so much pollen here, I might be starting to be allergic!", the bird continued loudly and faked a sneeze.

"But as long as there might be a chance to find someone who is alive, we can buy the boy more time." "Time, time, time. Always the same chatter, You gotta move! Maybe we should get a vacuum. Ey V, can ya use one if I find one? Nah..Whatever.  No time for that, r-rrrright? ", the annoying voice askeed and distanced itself from V, the door finally breaking down as he left his fomer spot and revealing another room that was abandoned and covered in dust and pollen, the remainings of a couple was laying on a bed, their bodies curled around each other, trying to comfort themselves in their very last moments. V just silently passed the room, watching the pair dissolve into a cloud of pollen. It was all Urizens fault. So many lost souls, innocent humans forever gone, who would remember them? For a while it was all quiet and calm - until there was Griffons voice once more.

"Yo! V! You gotta see this!" Silence. "Seriously! I think someone's alive!" That actually made him hurry at least a bit. V knew that he certainly wasn't in shape to run around like the boy Nero. It actually took him long enough, that Griffon met him halfway, urging him to move faster. "Hurry, Shakespeare." The building was too fragile to bust through walls, the risk to injure or kill whoever survived was simply too high and V was on a 'Be-Nice-Trip'. Perhaps they couldn't save everyone, but every single soul that survived, was one less to feed the Qlipoth, even if he was not really the biggest fan of.. helping. It was simply odd for him, Griffon didn't really understand that. Didn't matter, he had a contract with V and did as he said.

His cane scratched over the ground now and then as he made his way over the rubble, trying very hard to not fall over his feet as he barely had the strength to keep up that fast. The screaming of Griffon got louder with every step, that bird certainly growing impatient with every moment that V didn't show up. Griffon flapped his big wings in front of a door, yelling annoyed as the black haired man finally made it to his side. The thing that had kept Griffon from the potential survivor was a door. V rolled his eyes and raised hsi cane to tap against the door. "Are we playin' ''Knock, knock'' or what? Now is not the time,V!", The Bird teased V.  But there was no sound coming from that room, not a single reaction. A black giant cat manifested in front of him and dashed against the door. It had been quite stuck, the frame no longer in shape but at least the door open.

And this had been the only option to get a look inside. He had tried to open it the normal way. But with a malformed frame and all the roots around it of course wouldn't be that easy. V huffed as he finally entered the room, having a quick look around. It had been used as an ballroom, he mused. A few big round tables at the side, surrounded by the equal amount of chairs. Unless they were flipped around, destroyed or pierced through by the Qlipoths roots. The giant chandellier in the middle of the room was no longer intact, half of the luxurious golden branches were wrapped by roots , a few glass shards below it, silvery petals and to Vs surpris: fresh drops of blood. Griffon was flying around and stopped in front of a tall window that was halfly covered by curtains. The drops gathered,until there was stain - as if something had been dragged along. More roots blocked the way outside, but he assumed that whoever had been a victim of the Qlipoth, was outside most likely about to die. Even if the blood was not complely dry.. If there was hope..

The painful scream of a woman pulled him out of his thoughts and made him pick up his cane once more, Griffon already looking for a clot of blood that could help them to make it through. Not in this room. But perhaps in the one below, as some of the roots had made their way through the ground. If they hurried, they might made it in time, finding whoever was standing against the Demon King as well. Chances never were big, but they had to start somehwere, he would meet Nero soon enough. A little detour would not change much, if he was honest. Shadow and Griffon at his side he hurried out of the room again, Shadow dissolving into mist below his feet to make V move without effort and much faster than before. Every second did count. Another scream, followd by a grunt. Metal that was hitting against a solid surface, Over and over again. But with time the beating got less, rapid. As if someone was loosing their power  or the will to fight back. It took him a good while to actually reach the exit of this place, having to face a few nasty demons on the way, but of those he and familiars quickly took care of and finally were able to proceed and stumble outside, walls behind them cracking and breaking down as the support of the roots slowly vanished, now that they were cut off from blood sources. It was bright outside, the sun still fighting against the looming shadow that was cast by the growing demon tree, clouds and rain usually controlling the mood of the day. So it was indeed a surpise that at least for once the sun made it's way through and reached the ground.

And there you were, in the middle of group of Empusa, blood dripping down the right side of your face, a deep cut hovering over your brow. You certainly had seen better days, like everyone who was alive lately in Red Grave City. Your hair was a mess, sprinkled with dirt and blood and stuck to your face. And it was you  who had been fighting, the weapon of choice a rusty pipe that nearly was as long as your entire arm. But to be fair, against the sheer amount of enemies you barely had a chance and every kind of weapon would do. Countless bruises showed up wherever your clothes had been ripped into shreds, your arms and legs suffering from deep cuts as well. It was not exactly a surprise that a civilian wouldn't make it among the Empusa. But it also explained the lack of your strength.

The pipe slipped from your bleeding hands and you forced youself to kneel down and pick it up, smashing it with a feral scream into the next Empusas head. V had the urge the help so he did send his familliars to support you. Those beasts were not a challenge for Griffon or Shadow, but they had to be careful not to injure you by accident. Your reflexes were so slow and it probably was just the adrenaline that kept you standing. "Ahah!", Griffon laughed and smashed against one of the demons, making sure to avoid your arm as you still tried to hold your ground. For a human you didn't do so bad. It could be better, but considering that you were a mere mortal in that mess of this city this was outstanding. With the help of Shadow and Griffon it did not take long and the fight was over, your breathing uneven and fast as the adrenaline still rushed through your veins. You nearly dropped your weapon of choice as Griffon sat on top of it, eying you closely.

"So Missy, why aren't you out of this city?", the bird asked and you seemed unfazed by the fact that there was a speaking bird. But if there were armies of demons attacking a city - a speaking bird should be the least of your worries. "No time." you panted and tried to brush some of your hair back but only made it worse. Ah right, the blood. "Perhaps you should leave now, while you can.", the young man suggested and you turned to the raspy voice, eyes staring at him.

"Your bird...is speaking, Sir.", was the reply you gave him as the said bird landed on his outstretched inked arm. For a while he held your stare, before the corner of his lips twitched up into a smile. "That he does indeed.", the bird ruffled his feathers and tried to present himself proudly. But you barely watched the bird, trying to flex your fingers and try to get a solid grip around the pipe again.

"But it would be best if you take your leave as soon as possible. We can offer you an escort, if you wish.", the man insisted while the bird complained that they had no time for that. But the man just assured the strange coloured avian that it was fine and you breathed through. "I am capable of taking care of myself, I am sure you have something else to do..", a polite decline but your muscles were sore and the cuts needed to be tended to. If there was a spot that wasn't close to falling apart you actully could take a minute. Running water would be great. And bandages. Maybe you should have thanked them. But your mood was as low as it could get. These insects were disgusting. And bug spray did not exactly help. A rusty old pipe wasn't working that well either.. "Let's go V! Missy doesn't need any help and the boy's waiting for us."

You wanted to wave them goodbye, wishing them a safe journey. You wanted to assure them that you could manage. But the ground started to shake and rumble below your feet, the street tipping to the side as another root made it's way to the surface -looking for another source of blood to feed the Tree. But while Griffon pulled V out of danger, you weren't so fast. The fair skinned man turned around as soon as he had solid ground below his feet again, risking a look to see if you made it as well."Oh shit, V. Guess that's it for her." Your upper body was pierced by one of the roots, the bloody tip facing downwards, your life essence slowly dripping down the plant. The impact left no air in your lungs to scream as there just was the shock and pain. The pipe creating a clattering sound as you let go of the weapon, closing your hands around the sharp end of the root as you tried to pull yourself from the pointy end, desperatlly forcing your muscles to make it work. No, you were not done yet. There was no fucking way that you would be stuck on a root and bleed out, No. Fucking. Way. V and his familiars moved again, hurrying to find the source of the root and destroy it. Even if Griffon was pretty sure that you wouldn't survive this. No one would survive that, humans dried out in no time and fed the Qlipoth by that.

"Slice them." Shadow moved quickly through the horde of monsters, Griffon cackling as he unleashed his power upon the enemies. You didn't know where they went but after a felt eternity, you lost your balance as the root dissolved and released your body. Coughing and spitting out blood you sank on your knees, watching the blood pool around you. The taste on your tongue was sweet and coppery, your breathing uneven. "Shit.", you cursed and blinked desperately to keepy our eyes open. You were well aware that if you closed your eyes now it would take long to open them up again. It was getting so cold. So dark. So painful. Slumping to the side you felt blood plastering your skin, starting to dry as you slowly drifted off. You couldn't give up now. There was so much that you needed to do. So much that you wanted to get done. You were going to be fine. Not. But there was not a minute that you could waste on that thought. You couldn't give in. Death was not a option.

"Ey, Shakespeare! She is still breathing!" A warm hand gently moved your chin to the side and your eyes fluttered open once again. Dark green eyes looking down at you. Was there the hint of a smile? Indeed. "Don't worry." What a gentle voice. Maybe it did sound a little different. Maybe just now, maybe it was something familiar... It was hard to tell with the drumming in your head. And while you felt incredibly light and comfortable right now, there was something that just seemed wrong. You didn't notice how the old phone in the distance was used to call for a Van that would pick you up, as he had more..pressing matters to follow. But there was something calming in his voice, as he nearly promised you that you would be fine. And while he waited, sitting right next to you Shadow curled around your form kept you warm company. V pulled the book from his jacked and started to read for you. Voice soft and melodic it was absolutely calming to listen. Neither V or Griffon knew if you would survive this and In case you would loose your life here, he at least stayed by your side  reading  poetry to you. Sometimes, even if only for a short moment of being wake you thought that he sounded as if he was sorry. But then there was the melodic tone again, enevloping you like a blanket, helping you to drift into so much better moments. Now and then a breeze graced your skin, whenever Griffn circled around to check for the Van or your state. What was it now, that made you cling to your life? It was your goal. Your memory, your dream.

"Seems like she doesn't want to die. Reminds me of someone. huh.", You wanted to return something, but your lips didn't move as you wanted to and your tongue was heavy. Your entire body was sluggish and unable to follow even the easiest command. At least somtimes you managed to move the thumb of yours. Just a bit forth and back, trying to focus on the nerves to not loose consciouness. That at least was a battle that you managed to win - no matter how much this man was reading to you. Another felt eternity passed and then even you could hear the sound of brakes, a car that rushed over the broken street and just came to a stop mere centimeters away from you. You would have been unable to move anyway. But that V at least hadn't seemed worried about that part. The sound of the cane retuned and stopped just right next to you.

"It does seem like she can make it." Did he sound relieved? It was so hard to tell right now. "Yo, chickee- out of my way!" Once again you felt even lighter than before, noticing the scent of cold smoke that now surrounded you like a cloud. Your feet bumped against a wall as you got carried somewhere, hearing a woman swear over and over again. At least she didn't try to make it worse, considering the state you were in anyway. "No peeking!" The arms that held you before awkwardly let go of you as you were placed on some sort of bench, your head hitting the rest for the back with a dull sound. And there was another curse from the woman as she tried to have a look at your wounds.

"This Lady had been hella lucky," Your forehead started to burn as something was applied on your cut, followed by a gauze. Same for your arms and legs. Tiredly you groaned and forced your eyes open, it took a good while to focus on something. The room was filled in a big cloud of smoke and the lightning was everything but good for the eyes. But it didn't take long and you noticed at least where you were. Inside a car: a van.  And the woman you looked at seemed friendly. Or surprised that you woke up so soon and stared at her. "Mornin' Sweety. You should take a good nap and I'll drive that Van to the border of tRed Grave, Here's no place for ya."

As much as you wanted to insist, a blanket was laid over you, carefully tucked into your side and it was so heavy and warm.. You didn't have an interest in fighting back anymore. It was so warm and cozy and the pain slowly faded. Still you noticed the constant chatter between the woman and the bird. Now and then the voice of the man breaking through the silence. But you weren't surprised that it was not quiet for long. The door to the Van got closed, a lighter was used and then the engine of the car started to howl. It didn't matter that you were supposed to sleep, your mind tried very hard to stay awake. And in the end, you lost. The next time you woke up, the car was no longer making a milkshake out of you. You felt much better than before. The pounding in your head was gone and the pain in your chest as well. Your skin itched caused by all the dried blood.

"Ey, sleeping beauty is awake!" You slowly tried to sit up, only to be hit with a towel right in your face. "take a shower, sweetie. Just go to the back of the Van." The woman introduced herself as Nico, before she started to fiddle around with a box. Besides the towel she also handed you bandages and some clothing that was not your size but at least it covered more of your skin, that what you were still wearing right now. "Thanks..", you muttered, overloaded with all the stuff that was given to you and bumped your head on a cabinet as you tried to get up. Oh great. The bird started to laugh with a cackling sound and you just growled weakly while squeezing yourself through the Van. Shower..Shower. Ah! Hidden behind that corner. It took a while to arrange yourself, telling the bird to not even dare to peek. V - apparently the guy that had saved you, didn't seem to be type to do something immodest. But the Bird.. Tsk. Stripping out of your clothes you stepped inside the shower, playing around  with the handles to adjust the temperature of the water. While trying to find the perfect setting for yourself, you took of the bloody bandages. The skin underneath was mostly smooth, the tissue of the your skin had been knitting itself together pretty fast. Only a few old scars showed up on your arms, legs and between your shoulder blades. The only scars that you still could feel.. But at least you managed to keep them out of the sight of strangers, so no one dared to ask.

Finally bare you used the water, working your hair with something that was supposed to be shampoo. But it took nearly forever to even get the all dirt out of your hair. The water remained red for a good while, just slowly turning lighter as the water turned cold. Leaning your forehead against the wall you breathed through, allowing the cold water to run over your back, the steady feeling of water drumming on your skin was able to comfort you. You couldn't even remember when you had your last shower. It didn't matter if the water was warm or cold. You just wanted to feel clean, wash all the gore and blood away. You could not stay here forever. Even if the thought was temping, so you hurried to clean yourself up as fast as possible and picked  the towel to rub yourself dry. This probably had been the best shower you ever had taken. Or at least in the last few weeks. Reaching outside to grab the clothes you stared at the bird and the bird stared right back at you.  Was that thing serious? Throwing the blanket at that thing you cursed it, promising it to make some soup out of it as you harshly grabbed the clothes and slammed the cabin of the shower again. Empusa? No problem. But a Demon Bird that had been waiting infront of the shower for you to finish?

Creepy as fuck. With damp hair and dressed you made your way outside and crossed your arms in front of your chest., judging the avian with a look, that made him flee with a screeching sound and landing on the shoulder of his master. "Whass' up, Missy? Afraid to join us?" Well, that didn't work as planned..You certainly wouldn't tell the bird that an apology was in order.. Instead you turned your attention towards the woman at the drivers seat and smiled grateful.

"Thanks for the shower..and the clothes. I will return that kindness to you." "It's fine, Miss. Got the boy to pay for me, ain't that right, V?" The man just huffed and agreed quietly, but didn't look up from his book. He simply turned the page and hit the demonic bird with the length of the cane to stop him from doing more nonsense. Or you really would make some soup out of him. Nico took a pull from her cigarette and leaned over her seat as she eyed you while puffing out some smoke.

You hated the smell, but she had cared for your and still planned to drop you off at the border of the city. As if there was a way for you to leave this place. You weren't done yet. No. The new Demon King needed to be stopped. And there still were people out there that could be saved. And you were able to protect yourself... Just not like this, "Lookin' much better without all the blood.", Nico hummed and eyed you really closely. Did she notice? The eyes behind the round glasses were sharp, but if there was something your host saw, Nico didn't mouth it all.

"And your overall state seems to be fine. You recoverd fast,", the mysterious man mused and you knew that you had to think of a story about that really, really quick. Unless they let the topic drop. By the looks of it he had a contract with demons. That you could see clearly.. But desperate times...

You shook of that thought and turned back to Nico who just inhaled deeply to start talking. "We'll move on tomorrow. If ya want, take a walk outside. V needs to clear the street for me." "Why don't you do that yourself?", the Bird asked and ducked as Nico threw some packaging at the Bird, who simply dissolved into ink and got absorbed by V's body, the small box meeting black hair. He didn't look all to happy with that situation, but you decided to indeed take a walk outside and leave them alone with the discussion.

It was darker than before, cloudy and even a bit chilly. The Van was rusty and severally damaged, now that you actually had a chance to have a look at it.

With a sigh you tried to fix the pants that you were given. Loose fit at least.. But maybe you needed a belt for them soon. Unlike the Van, the air smelled like rain. You couldn't help but inhale deeply. It certainly wasn't smart to get out with damp hair, but a cold in times like these couldn't be worse than demons and Trees from the Underworld. The street the Van was parked in was meant for one way only and there were some roots in the way, ah - the ones V had to get out of the way.You wondered how far...Oh. Nevermind, you could see the tree from here. A few fragile buildings left and right, cracked ground and so many inncoents that were dried out and leaving only shells behind. The bodies would dissolve fast enough and there was nothing you could do. Only keep the fallen in your memories. How many families were ripped arpart? If the Gates of Heaven would open for the victims?

Walking around the Van you hummed a familiar tune, until you were interrupted by a cloud of black ink, slowly building itself into that bird from before. "So..Miss.", you leaned against the Van and looked up to the Demon, his wings nearly hitting your face as he started to fly in front of you. "What is it, chicken?" "You're not human, are ya?" Raising a brow you crossed your arm in front of your chest and looked up to the bird. "What makes you think so?", was the only reply he would get. Griffon cackled and sat on top of the Van, ruffling his feathers proudly. "Your not dry like a raisin", he squeaked and used his beak to hit your head. As if to play 'Knock-Knock' .. Did his master not know about that birds own mind?

"It runs in the family." I was not even a lie. Just not the entire truth. But there was no reason to explain yourself to a Demon. "Nah, Nah. Not good enough, you hear me? You might fool the others, but you can't follow a Demon. Not the mighty Griffon!" That saved you the introduction. Griffon.. Didn't ring a bell in your head. Leaving the spot at the Van you took a few steps and turned around to face the avian, the hint of a smirk on your lips. "Smart little bird. But does it matter? There are more important matters to focus on." He cackled and there was electricity in the air, his position towards you didn't seem to be friendly at all. "Need to know if you cause any problems for V. So?" His eyes focused you and something was shifting in the air. Demons. "Listen, Demon.. We wish for the same. And now get your master, things are getting ugly."

The street indeed filled with all the nasties, you were unable to count the amount of demons, but thankfully V was leaving the van and regarded you only with a look, telling you to stay inside. "You just recovered, it might be best...to sit this battle out." "Don't worry..V. - I shall be fine." "You can't be serious, now Ihe two watch you both?! I'm not getting paid enough for this shit!" This time you smirked for real, but didn't even plan to go back inside. That bird was right. But thankfully he didn't know about your origin or the abilities that lurked deep within you. There was more to this world than just Devils and Demons.

It was time to bring back the light to this city.

#DMC5 #dmc5 vergil #dmc5 nero #dmc5 dante #vergil #vergil sparda #Red Grave City #I am not really good at writing okay #Dadgil #How could I not? Just look at Vergil #hes so hot #he is so fine #and aged like fine wine #send help #dmc dante #v dmc5 #dmc sparda #dmc nero #Own Writing #eva sparda #So much angst incoming