#they would stop at nothing to make themself stronger

[angeltownn]

You crown bearers are all the same. Nothing without your adoring Followers. Ratau wasn't like that. He stayed true to who he was. You'll NEVER live up to him.

Shrumy story

Based on Shrumy’s dialogue when you meet them for the first time :3

#cult of the lamb #cotl #cotl fox #cult of the lamb fox #fox cult of the lamb #ratau #cult of the lamb ratau #cotl ratau #cotl shrumy #shrumy #shrumy cotl #ratau cotl #ratau who ran away because he couldn’t bring himself to go through with a sacrifice #the lamb who embraces their position and eventually does the same to him #they would stop at nothing to make themself stronger #even if that means losing their only friend #I’m so normal. I’m so normal. I’m so normal. I’m so normal. I’m so normal about them. I’m so normal. IM NOT NORMAL

[the-broken-pen]

“You’re going to blow out your arms,” the villain observed. They watched as the hero merely grit their teeth, shoving themself through another pull-up. It looked painful, and if the sweat slicking the hero’s brow was any indication, it was.

They waited for the hero to let themself drop from the bar and accept the villain was stronger. But they didn’t.

Three more pull-ups, and the villain stepped in.

“Hero,” they said slowly. “You’re about to tear the ligaments in your arms. You need to stop.”

The hero blew out a shuddering breath. Struggled for purchase, fighting gravity—and let themself drop.

The hero’s hands were bleeding, calluses torn open by the bar. The hero didn’t seem bothered when their own hands shook so much that their blood began to splatter on the gym floor.

For a moment, the villain could only stare at them.

Shit.

They didn’t know how to handle this. They knew the hero was dedicated. They knew the hero was strong, and perpetually trying to be stronger, but they hadn’t thought…

They hadn’t thought the hero would be so willing to tear apart their own body for success.

It was supposed to be fun, the villain thought. They felt a little sick as the hero pressed their palms together to soothe the bleeding, an action that was practiced and familiar. As if they had done this before.

The hero reached for something in their bag, smearing blood on the side, and pulled out a roll of blue electrical tape. The villain didn’t understand why, until the hero tore a strip off and made to wrap their hands with it.

The hero would be the death of them.

They crouched in front of the hero, plucking the electrical tape out of their hands.

“What are you doing with this?”

The hero blinked at the villain like they were the strange one in this situation.

“Wrapping my hands?”

The villain hissed in a breath.

“With electrical tape?”

The hero flushed slightly, looking down at their bloody hands. They looked close to tears.

“It…sticks to skin, really well. And it doesn’t move, either, when you move your hands or wherever else, even if you’re fighting. Plus, blood doesn’t make it come off, at least, not for a while.”

The villain blinked at them.”

“Blood doesn’t make it come off,” the villain repeated, processing. The hero nodded, reaching for the electrical tape. The villain settled it out of reach.

“Not if you wrap it right.”

Dimly, the villain realized that meant the hero had done this enough times to have it down to a science.

“And you couldn’t use a bandaid?” The villain asked incredulously. The hero shrugged a shoulder, then winced at the motion.

Yeah, the hero had absolutely blown out their arms.

“Bandaids move—“

The villain hushed them.

“Be quiet for a second.”

The hero, wisely, went quiet.

The villain rubbed a hand over their face, then studied the hero for a moment. They took one of the hero’s hands into their own, studying the damage.

“Why did you do this to yourself,” the villain murmured.

“What do you mean, why,” the hero snapped. “It’s my job.”

“Your job is to save people,” the villain corrected. “Not destroy yourself.”

“I’m not destroying myself—“

“You are.”

“Shut up—“

“Hero.”

“I need to be better,” the hero snapped. Their voice rang out across the gym, echoing into the rafters, and they both froze. After a moment, the hero spoke again, voice soft. “I need to be better.”

They said it like they needed the villain to understand. The villain wondered who they were really saying it to—the villain, or themself.

“Better than who?”

“Everyone.” It was hushed, like a secret.

The villain watched them, waiting.

The hero took a shaky breath

“My whole thing is being the best. I have always been the best. That’s the only reason I matter. If I’m not strong enough, then I am nothing, so I need. to be. better.”

The hero had started crying, very quietly, like they were afraid to take up too much space.

The villain was not equipped to handle gifted kid burnout.

“There’s more to you than just being a good athlete,” the villain said hesitantly, and the hero shook their head.

“No. There isn’t.”

“Hero.”

“Can you give me back my electrical tape?” They hiccuped to contain a sob.

“No,” the villain said firmly, and then the hero really was sobbing.

“You don’t understand—“

The villain didn’t. Not really. They had never been the kind of talented that the hero was.

They wondered now if maybe that was a blessing.

“I don’t,” the villain agreed. “But I do understand that you’ve saved half the city, and you give everything you have to give, and you always do your best.”

“But I-“

“No.” The villain stopped them. “You are doing your best.” They tipped the hero’s chin up until they met the villain’s eyes. “And it is enough.”

The hero froze, eyes darting over the villain’s face. They wondered if anyone had ever said that to the hero, if whatever mentor they had was giving them anything other than orders to be stronger. Be better. Be more.

The villain had some new targets to take care of, it would seem.

For now, though, they had to take care of hero.

“We’re going to go wrap your hands,” they said softly. “And then we’re going to take care of your arms, and you’re going to take a nap.”

The hero nodded, watching them like they were some kind of good, selfless person.

“And if I ever catch you using electrical tape again, so help me, I will put you six feet under.”

That startled a laugh out of the hero, and they let the villain guide them to their feet.

“Fine.”

The villain turned to them. “Okay?”

Are you going to be alright?

The hero seemed to understand.

“Okay,” the hero agreed.

Yes.

And so, it was.

#writing #writing community #snippet #angst #heroes and villains #ficlet #writblr #writing prompt #hero/villain #hero whumpee #exhaustion #overworked #villain caretaker #whump #kind of #in case you’re wondering. yes you CAN do this to yourself. it’s completely possible #essentially what happens is if you do a motion (a pull-up) more than your body is capable #it gets mad. this is different from training till failure. this is to failure and then beyond #so while you started using the correct muscle groups you those muscles get tired and despite the tired you don’t stop #so then your body switches to muscles it SHOULDNT BE USINF and then you fuck up your elbows (in the case of pull-ups) #and then you can’t straighten your arms for a week bc the ligaments and tendons and all the little movement parts want to keep it curled in #I’m not a doctor #I’m just a gifted kid who was an athlete who got burnt out and destroyed her body lmao #this is possibly maybe based on true events that occurred #anyways. I’m not a doctor but you can use electrical tape on wounds. yes it sticks. yes it stays. it’s honestly very useful. #electrical tape > bandaids #do not do anything listed here it is BAD. do not blow out your muscles it hurts. properly clean ur injuries. I beg you. #don’t get injured at all #thank you to my friend who went “pull-up’ competition and then watched me create this angst #love u besties. drink water. go to sleep. summon demons. ❤️ self care

[ellieluvr420]

Change (Abby Anderson x reader)

They had her, the love of your life, they had her and they were going to die for it.

Your actions weren't even conscious anymore, acting only on instinct, adrenaline-fuelled rage that drove you to the point of insanity. There was nothing in your way because anything that tried to stop you was slaughtered, infected dropping left right and centre until the horde that they had lured to you was laying in a pile behind you. Your clothes drenched in blood, slowly drying and staining your skin until a new layer covers it as the next wave flies at you.

People this time, but it made no difference to you. The only person your mind could register was her, so when the sharp edge of your axe dug into the poor man's neck that made the mistake of running at you, the squelching feeling only made you more exhilarated. You rip the axe out of his neck and the splatter of blood that paints you and the floor tastes as sweet as honey to you. Two men go down as your gun fires twice.

You keep walking, your pace never slowing, and as two more soldiers walk in front of you with their hands up a sick smile plasters itself onto your face as you dig the axe into one's abdomen as you shoot the other straight in the throat. Their time to surrender was over, they made their bed and now they can lay in it for all eternity.

The closer you get to her the stronger you feel as you leave a trail of bodies behind you, your path stained red. You swap from your handgun and axe to your assault rifle as you see a large swarm of soldiers running at you. When you had stumbled across the gun hiding from other passers by you felt like you had won the lottery and as the melody of screams fills your ears while you watch them drop to the ground like flies, you only felt luckier. You had never been violent, you were forced into training to be a soldier but now you understood how it feels, the bloodlust, you would never stop. Not when you've got her back, not ever, anyone that isn't her would die if they crossed your path from now. You would never lose her again and if your soul had to wither away for that to happen you would give it up in a second.

The thundering bangs of bullet after bullet leaving the chamber of your gun made you dizzy, faint almost, the power surging through you was enough to make you feel like you weren't human. A whole wave of soldiers down, just like that. Commotion sounds from behind you and without even glancing backwards you light a molotov that you had been saving for an occasion like this and chuck it behind you. There's that melody again, the harmony of shrieks and cries for help, the smell of burning flesh invades your nostrils and to you it smells like a freshly baked cake. They shouldn't have taken her but they learned their lesson too late.

You push forward further and further until you reach the building you knew they were keeping her in. She's yours and she'll be with you soon. "I'll be there soon baby." You mutter to yourself as you change the magazine of your gun to a fresh one before slamming it into the glass of the locked doors, another barrier between you and her demolished. You're barely through the shattered door when you hear the footsteps of countless soldiers running to their deaths. You imagine some of them being sure this would be the mission that set them apart, that made them a hero, and then you imagine their families being informed that the fucking idiot got themself killed because they underestimated you. You're a different person to who you were when you were a part of the WLF and Abby is too and they were too stupid to see that when they took her from you.

You both made the plan to run and you weren't prepared to give up the dream any time soon. You were leaving and she was leaving with you, even if you had to kill every member of the WLF and reduce their bases to rubble, so be it. They chose this. The thundering footsteps got closer as you took cover behind a wall and raised your gun, ready for the first wave. The continuous thud that accompanied the firing of your bullets was music to your ears and as the hallway goes quiet you advance further. A shriek fills your ears and your blood runs cold because even in a state of distress you'd recognise her voice anywhere. You're so close.

You follow the sound until you're outside the room you know she's being held in. You sling your gun over your shoulder and brandish your axe as if it's made bespoke for your hand. You slam the door open and before even looking at the love of your life you bring the axe down into Isaac's head, over and over again until he's unrecognisable. You stand from his lifeless form, breathing heavy and eyes crazed before they soften as you make eye contact with her. She's here, really here and you could feel her soft skin caressing yours as you undid her binds and gave her your handgun. "Ready babe?"

"Let's go." You raise your gun once again as the crashing of soldiers coming straight at you sends shockwaves through your body. The more blood you spilled in your escape, the more you wanted to stay to spill more but Abby's hand gently pulling you toward the gate that let you run to your fantasy rips you away from the carnage you had left in your trail.

You had wanted to leave to find peace but this feeling had a funny way of changing you.

If blood wasn't spilling, you would never be at peace. Abby watched you change right in front of her eyes, you became a blood-thirsty monster and all she wanted to do was help you get your fill. You left for peace and peace for you both ended up being bringing death and destruction to whatever crossed your path. Darkness overtook you both and you revelled in it.

Bloodlust had transformed you into angels of death, falling further from grace with every body that dropped before you.

erm idk i needed some female rage vibes rn and instead i came out with something minorly psychopathic, akneewayz

#abby the last of us #abby anderson x female reader #abby anderson x reader #abby x reader #abby anderson #abby anderson tlou #abby tlou #tlou abby #abby anderson fanfic #abby anderson fic #abby anderson tlou2 #abby anderson x fem!reader #abby anderson x you #abby anderson x you smut #abby x you #Spotify

[taegimood]

Minjiiiiiii okay this has nothing to do with Prince Beomgyu that I've been previously talking about, it just fits Gyu the most? I think?

Prince Beomgyu is revived by magic after his untimely death. The kingdom rejoices! Beomgyu, who despises magic, doesn't. He vows to find the person who performed such an ungodly act, spiteful and ungrateful of the one who thought themself almighty enough to play with fate.

The trajectory of the future that sorcery has saved is changed. Prince Beomgyu's thirst for the vengeance against magic and those who wield it is stronger than it had ever been before his death, and all the things that were to come for the kingdom are laid to waste in its wake.

dun dun duuuun

ME, THE BIGGEST SLUT FOR FANTASY AU’S, HAS ARRIVED 👹 (🧚🏼‍♀️ anon wya) i mentioned this in our dms already but this ask makes me think of bbc’s merlin one of my FAV shows hhhhhhhh

prince!beomgyu raised in a family that sees magic as the greatest form of evil, where it’s forbidden to mess with sacred fate, so naturally he’s ingrained to think the same.. setting out to Burn The Witch fr BUT THE BEST PART BEING: reader is the one who used magic on him, having kept her powers hidden all these years — reader who beomgyu has a history with, who he used to love beyond all else before circumstances tore them apart. strangers to best friends to lovers to enemies (but are they really?)

apparently not, because reader would rather risk exposing herself and dying a harrowing death than to lose him. not again. not like this. not where she can’t follow.

when she sees the carnage that beomgyu lays loose on the kingdom, however, the killings of magic-users and innocents alike, she knows that she needs to confront him. she needs to stop this.

the confrontation after so many years.. so many emotions, love and spite mingling in beomgyu’s heart to the point where he can’t even tell the difference, his hand trembling like a leaf as it grips the hilt of his sword while his icy glare bores into you from where you stand before him. does he want to throw you to the bed and claim you or does he want to drive his blade through your heart? neither of you know for sure.

this could end either way.. fucking out all the anger and pain and buried love against his sheets with your daggers to each other’s throats; or one of you laid bleeding out into the hard, cold floor.

but which will it be? is there really a difference?

#ask mj ♡ #txt #txt x reader #txt thoughts #txt fantasy au #txt royalty au #beomgyu #beomgyu x reader #beomgyu thoughts #mj’s hard thoughts #beomgyu fantasy au #prince!beomgyu #taegimood #mootie cee! 🪷

[galaxyshine24-7]

Just thought of something angsty, so how would the NRC staff + the overblot crew react to MC overblotting themself? Now they didnt use any of the drugs (why would they? They’re already strong themself without it) it’s more like they were forced to overblot. Like a sniper shotting the drug to them, but the drug isnt any normal drug. The drug instantly cause the user to overblot and become monster like, something akin to mara struck from HSR. And correct me if im wrong but when someone overblotted they’re aware on what they are doing right? Let’s have the MC be mindless :) again something similar to mara struck.

Since we have already establish that MC is honestly much stronger than all of the mafia, their teachers are going to have to fight them because with the overblot making them much stronger, they’re a damn powerhouse. Wonder how that would turn out..

Also you can decide if MC dies or simply just in a brink of death ;)

Hope you like the idea ^_^

(I honestly think that at the end of the Twisted Wonderland game, Yuu overblots some way somehow.)

Silver Bullet Yuu would overblot in a self-sacrificing sort of way. Things are going down in Grim Court and Yuu takes the most drastic measure to get everyone out alive. Someone shooting Yuu with a gun would be very interesting maybe they jump in front of it to stop the big bad from powering up and Yuu overblots instead.

Also, I wouldn't say Yuu is more powerful than the other mafia leaders, but they do know how to give people a run for their money.

Thank you for this ask it's going to be so much fun.💖💖💖💖

Overblot Silver Bullet Yuu

Ash falls from the sky as the gangs raise their weapons at the threat. Everyone has undergone a beating, but nothing like the wounds the threat has pouring down their body. The ruins of NRC have become a battleground, small fights break out over the campus, but the main one is soon to come to an end.

The threat backs away as the current gang leaders and leaders of old old close in. Yuu stands to the side clutching their wounded arm as Grim hisses beside them. Sweat rolls down their brow looking back and forth from the two forces. It's finally coming to an end all the bloodshed and pain is finally over. What was this all for? Power? Fame? Is the cost of lives this insignificant? Yuu's stomach twists in knots anger and sadness fill their being. One thing is for sure this life can never be for them, but seeing the eyes of their friends fill with determination to protect this broken home is something they can't turn away from.

That is when the notice a glim in the distance.

A sniper.

The threat smiles wickedly as wisps of magic surround them. They open up their arms like an embrace, proclaiming the end of all those who stand in their path. Yuu's body moves before they can think, jumping in front of the line of fire as they feel something pierce their chest.

"Y/N!" Crowley cries, It's been years since he has called them by their real name but before they can take it in the world turns black.

Overblot Crew Reaction

Riddle Rosehearts🌹

It happened so fast that the Heartslaybul leader didn't even get time to blink as he watched Yuu's form get covered in black ooze. For once the dorm leader was speechless. He takes a step back feeling fear creep up inside him. Yuu's cries of pain ring through his mind. Ace and Deuce yell for the bartender, but Riddle orders Trey and Cater to hold them back. Yuu's form grows as he watches it towering over the threat. There is no rule on how to handle this situation, but Riddle is determined to do anything to get Yuu back.

Leona Kingscholar🦁

Leona sees Yuu race across his field of vision already knowing what will happen. Jack yells over the noise trying to tell Yuu to hold on.

"Herbivore!" he cries knowing a person who has never interacted with the magic drug can't handle an overblot. By that point, Leona is sweating trying to figure out what to do. It will only take seconds for Yuu to lose control and he doesn't know what will become of them after. Leona readies himself and his members for anything. He can tell the real fight is about to start.

Azul Ashengrotto🐙

Azul is always one step ahead of his opponents, but to think the threat would try to cause themselves to overblot is something he never would have imagined, and Yuu jumping in front of the bullet is something he can't even fathom as he stands in terror. Azul doesn't even care that he heard the bartender's real name. At this point he could learn all about Yuu, but he could lose them altogether, and that is something he won't allow.

Jamil Viper🐍

Jamil raises his weapon jaw clenched. Kalim stands by his side eyes full of tears as Yuu starts to overblot. He can't let it end this way, he still hasn't thanked them for all they did for him. He won't let it end this way, he will use every power he has to see Yuu alive at the end of the day. He owes them that much.

Vil Schoenheit👑

It takes Vil so much strength to hold Epel back watching his friend forced to overblot. His experience with it is the worst he could ever feel, and he can't imagine what it must be like for Yuu. The potato he has watched and grown with writhing in pain and anguish does something to Vil. He knows Yuu will lose control and he won't stand watching his precious potato become rotten.

Idia Shroud🎮

Idia will not let another person he cares about fall to an overblot. He gets his weapons ready telling everyone to prepare themselves for what's to come. Ortho stands next to him holding his hand tightly. Back then he had no power, but now he knows what he can do. Whatever it takes he will cure Yuu once this is all over.

Malleus Draconia🐉

He wasn't fast enough. He should've seen through the threats plan. How can he lose one of his only friends? His anger is unimaginable, a lighting strike hits the sniper burning them to a crisp. Nothing will stop Malleus from destroying all those that hurt Yuu. They have given him nothing, but kindness, and he can't imagine losing them ever. For once in his life they treated him like a regular person even after finding out who he is. He owes Yuu a life debt as he steps forward in front of Yuu's overblot form as he hears the sound of Sebek screaming behind him. Till the very end, he will never turn his back on his friend.

NRC Staff Reactions

Dire Crowley🎩

He falls to his knees. He has failed again to protect those he cares about. His poor friends and now their dear child. Tears stream down his cheeks watching Yuu succumb to the overblot. How dare he call himself a headmaster when he can't even protect his dear students. It takes Crewel to get him to snap out of it. He at least needs to see this all through. He owes his friends and he owes Yuu that much.

Divus Crewel🩸

No, this can't be happening, not his puppy. That he helped raise, it was like yesterday when Crowley introduced them and how small they were. He will not lose them! He almost kicks Crowley for falling to his knees. Right now they need to snap Yuu out of this overblot whatever it takes. It is time for these stray pups to prove themselves worthy.

Mozus Trein📚

It pains Mozus to see the small child he taught how to play piano, and to dance, and sing become a beast from overblot. He stands his ground trembling, he sees Yuu just like he did his daughters. He helps Crowley off the ground encouraging him to continue fighting. He knows they are the only people Yuu can call family and it is their responsibility to help their child in times of trouble.

Ashton Vargas🧤

He isn't one to dwell on emotions, but seeing Yuu sacrifice themselves stirs something unimaginable in him. He cracks his knuckles clutching his fist as he steps up to overblot Yuu.

"You better give me a challenge kiddo. Otherwise, we are going to have some serious training after this."

Vargas was always a man of action not words.

Sam💀

He always knew his little imp was full of surprises. Now it is time for him to get serious. He supplies the group with his arsenal of gadgets. Even getting help from his friends on the other side. He made a deal with his little imp long ago and he plans to keep his end of the bargain.

#twisted wonderland #twst silver bullet au #silver bullet au #disney twisted wonderland #disney twst #twisted wonderlandxreader #asks

[shadowcatzone]

xingyue child after all the trauma (tm)

Xingyue child buying/sharing lunch with yanqing bc the stupid kid used all his money for swords again and didn't buy food. Despite knowing probably that if they keep feeding him he'll keep wasting all his money on swords rather than starving once or twice and then learning his lesson.

(They probably get any money spent back from jing yuan but don't tell yanqing)

Xingyue child adjusting yanqings age like a slider depending on who asks and what will get them the most benefit out of it. Wanna go to some sort of amusement park? He's 9 so he only pays half. Wanna watch a martial arts movie? He's 14 actually so old enough. Wanna get out of trouble quickly? "Sir, i'm just the attendant of jing yuans young son. You'll have to take any complaints to his father."

(They might get in trouble with jing yuan for this, but they're rather scolded by their "uncle" than a stranger)

Xingyue childs first priority being bailu, second priority yanqing. If something, anything, goes wrong, they'll pick up bailu, (and yanqing, if necessary) then make a run for either the artisanship commission or divination commission.

(Then they'll wait any danger out on a rooftop or in the forge until jing yuan or yanqing come pick them up)

Xingyue child playing with bailu. Neither of them really needs to pretend that they're younger than they actually are, but they will. Both are over 18 technically. Neither is fully grown. Both will absolutely throw a temper tantrum if only to throw off suspicion. Then they'll shit-talk about the preceptors.

(Included but not limited to: playing in yanqings room when he isn't there, playing in jing yuans room when yanqing IS there, playing in the study when jing yuan isn't there.)

Xingyue child trying to fight (and defeat) dan heng, ultimately getting defeated without dan heng making a single attack. Man's just dodging while xingyue child exhausts themself and ultimately falls on their face. Decides that dan heng is mean and will never fight him again (until the next opportunity arises) pouting all day afterwards.

(Jing yuan says he could at least block them. Dan heng claims that would be unfair, considering he's much stronger than them. Jing yuan sighs, dan heng is as stubborn as dan feng)

Xingyue child insisting on calling blade "yingxing" or "dad". That's a problem(tm), kafka never had to fix blade that often, not even during/after the story quest on the luofu.

(Because no one wants to leave the child alone with blade, even though he hasn't done anything to the child and it's unlikely that he will)

Xingyue child most likely picking up smithing (and tinkering) like yingxing and so they try to. Create. But they want blade to show them how, look at what they made, how is it etc. Nobody wants that, least of all blade, but the moment dan heng says he doesn't want it, blade will willingly go, if only to upset dan heng.

(Dan heng will be forced to go as well, to make sure "our child is okay. I mean, your child. I mean, my- no- their child. The child of dan feng and yingxing." Cue beet-red dan heng)

Bonus: xingyue child happily working in the forge, concentrating so hard on whatever they're making. Meanwhile, blade making out with dan heng, occasionally stopping mid-kiss to tell xingyue "you're doing great, keep it up." "Careful with that part, it can be difficult. You'll know what i mean" "just a bit more... [xingyue], heat the metal up a bit more.". Also, pushing his fingers into dan hengs mouth, to make sure he doesn't close it.

(If xingyue child noticed any of that (most likely not) they didn't let it show)

Also, cue blade abruptly stopping when he hears xingyue child call out "done!" Then runs over excitedly. Blade pretends nothing happened. Dan heng pretends the forge is too hot.

#hsr yanqing #i'm eating gilbird #xingyue #hsr dan heng #hsr dan feng #hsr jing yuan #hsr bailu #hsr blade #renheng #honkai star rail #hsr shitpost #hsr headcanons #hsr imagines #hsr imbibitor lunae #//xingyue child

[why-what-no]

Over The Years

Pairing: Morpheus x Immortal!Reader

Warnings: Death, Grief

Summary: Morpheus’s lover is a new immortal, having to deal with the death of their last living relative.

Requested by: @kaifloof

As Morpheus returned to him and his partner's chambers after a day of work, he was filled with worry at the sounds from inside. Small sobs and sniffles came from (Y/N), their back turned to him as they sat on the bed. 

"My love?" He asked, concerned. Hating to see his lover in pain and wanting to do something to fix it. 

They flinched slightly at his voice, having been to busy crying to hear him enter. "I'm fine." (Y/N) sniffled, wiping the tears from their eyes. Still not facing him. Not wanting him to see them crying. 

However, Morpheus just stepped close. Reaching out, he took one of their hands in his. He had moved them slightly so that he stood in front of them, looking in concern at the heartbroken look in their reddened eyes. 

"You aren't." He kept his tone and his expression gentle. "Do not lie to me. You do not need to do that. What is wrong?"

He wanted to wrap his arms around them, but knew it would be best to wait until they made the first move. The last thing he wanted to do was make his partner uncomfortable in a time like this.

“I…” (Y/N) couldn’t hold back their sobs, holding their hand over their mouth to hide. “I can’t…”

“Breath.” He told them softly. “You’re safe.”

They nodded quickly, gulping at the air. Trying to calm themself and to stop Morpheus from looking so worried. “I… my sister… she.” They took another deep breath. “She died. This morning.”

Now Morpheus knew what was going on. His lover had only recently become an immortal, not even being a century old. Given immortality by Death as a gift when (Y/N) and Morpheus had fallen in love. But their sister had been their last living relative, their last connection with the mortal world.

Morpheus has watched them lose several people over the decades, holding and comforting them as they grieved. Morpheus had known their sister dying would be as bad, if not worse than all those other times. However, he had hoped it would be a while until her death had arrived.

“I have no one left.” They weren’t crying anymore, having tired themself away from tears. Looking at him with that sad look that broke his heart.

He gripped their hand tighter. “You have me. You have everyone in the Dreaming. They all love you. I love you.”

“I know, I know.” They shook their head dismissively. “I just…”

“You just what?”

“My old life is gone.” It was just that was a new realization to them. As if the truth of immortality has just hit them. “There’s nothing left of it anymore.”

It was at that moment that (Y/N) finally moved closer to Morpheus. Pressing themself to his chest so that he could wrap his arms around them. To pull them into a tight hug. He traced shapes over their back with his fingers to relax them and pressed kisses to the top of their head.

When they finally calmed a bit more, he spoke. “It’s not true.” He told them. “There’s still one thing left.”

They stepped away for a second, but still gripping his arms. His touch keeping them stable in this awful situation. “What. What’s left?”

“Your love.” He told them simply. “Everyone you lost, you still love them so much. Death can’t take that away.”

(Y/N) looked at him, processing his words. Lip trembling, eyes still as watery as they had been when Morpheus had arrived in the chamber. But there was something else in their eye. Something stronger than the fragility he saw previously.

“What if I forget? Over the years, I mean? What if I stop loving them?”

Morpheus understood that fear. But he still loved people that he had lost centuries, millennia previously. “I’ll remind you.” He promised (Y/N).

They reached up, pulling him into a kiss. “Thank you.” They told him, the first light of hopefulness breaking though the sadness in their expression. “I love you. You said you loved me before… well, I love you too.”

Morpheus chuckled, pleased that they remembered that. “Of course.” He nodded, kissing them again. “I know that.”

Their love would last the whole of their immortality. For him and for those others that they have or lost.

Taglist: @stygianoir @minetticatinwonderland @fangirlmary

#the sandman #the sandman x reader #the sandman dream #the sandman dream x reader #the sandman morpheus x reader #the sandman Morpheus #morpheus x reader #Morpheus #dream x reader #dream #dream of the endless #dream of the endless x reader

[masterqwertster]

For the Hurt/Comfort Subclass prompts, either... Battlerager Barbarian oooor Trickery Cleric for Ashton and FCG~?

Ended up doing a smidge of both in a Volition Mission Gone a Bit Wrong AU Battlerager Barbarian: Doing something that in retrospect was a very bad idea in a desperate attempt to help them. Trickery Cleric: They’ve been lying and saying it doesn’t bother them for just a little too long.

Ashton doesn’t regret what he did. How could he, when it saved Grass’s life?

So no, they don’t regret digging deep into those immense wells of ancient and mysterious power lying within them to make their own miracle to steal the aeormaton back from death. Not when there are no gods on Ruidus to grant a miracle or even fucking help just a little bit. Fuck, Ashton told Evontra’vir that they’d stomp on Fate, they wouldn’t bow to it, so of fucking course they’d bull their way through Fate to take back their friend. Fuck the consequences.

But Ashton would be lying if he claimed the resulting consequences of digging deep aren’t freaking him the fuck out. 

They can’t revert to their genasi form. Ashton has tried and tried, but the most they’ve gotten is that condensed gemstone form that is supposed to shatter back into a genasi, only now it shatters as their larger elemental shape bursts forth once more. And that has to mean fucking something. Ashton just hopes to fuck that it doesn’t mean they’re going to be lost to their powers like so many of the other Hells have to worry about. They don’t feel like they’re losing themself to anything, like any part of what makes Ashton Ashton is missing or consumed. But it’s undeniable that something has changed within them in a way that can’t be put back to how it was before.

Yet Ashton has been telling the others that he’s okay. Because he is. His chronic pain is gone (it doesn’t feel real. He doesn’t feel real). He’s so fucking strong in his more titanous form, stronger than he’s ever been. He can burrow through earth, leaving a tunnel for others to use if he wants, and sense the vibrations and shape of the earth around him, which is so fucking useful when they’re all fucking around underground here on Ruidus. Why wouldn’t Ashton be just fine with this form being permanent?

So what if he stands out in a crowd more than ever, towering and hulking as he is now? Does it matter if he’s scared that the next bit of battle rage magic will become permanent too? Or maybe worse, leave him forever randomly cycling through its different forms? Surely it’s not a problem that he’s so fucking scared that this isn’t permanent and how the return to his old self will drop him to the godsdamned floor at the worst moment possible?

Ashton is fine. They just need a little space. That’s why they’ve burrowed themself a little nook in the Volition’s base that’s just big enough to fit them without sinking into stone with a small, unobtrusive entryway that they don’t actually fit through, providing them with air while leaving them cozily (what others might call claustrophobically) surrounded by earth.

Ashton is fine. (Maybe he’ll believe that if he repeats it enough times)

___

When Fresh Cut Grass overhears some of the Volition members fearfully talking about slight tremors in the tunnels, they know they’ve finally found a clue as to where Ashton has hidden himself away. 

It takes a few pointed questions and some half-believed reassurances that he can get the tremors to stop for FCG to get actual directions to where he needs to go. 

The tremors in the tunnel he’s been directed to hardly seem to be worth the fuss the Ruidians were making of it. They’re enough of a rumble to be felt, but they barely rattle FCG. Hardly the kind of thing to herald an imminent collapse of the tunnels. But maybe little tremors like this are bad when you’re fully underground? Or maybe the Ruidian’s understand such tremors as heralds of bigger things to come, or of a burrowing creature’s approach?

Regardless, Fresh Cut Grass knows it’s nothing he needs to fear. After all, he can already see the small cave entrance filled with jade stone. 

Heading over on a slightly wobbling wheel, FCG crouches just the slightest bit to fit into the little entryway. They reach out a metallic hand and lightly place it on… whatever part of Ashton is in front of them (FCG thinks it might be a leg, but they’re not sure).

Ashton flinches.

It has Fresh Cut Grass pulling his hand back like when a flesh person touches a hot stove. He knows Ashton said their new form doesn’t hurt like what he felt in their head months (or is it just over one month) ago. That it doesn’t hurt at all. But Ashton has been trying so hard lately to be someone the rest of Bells Hells doesn’t need to worry about, to be a strong pillar of support the rest of them can lean on, so FCG can’t help but doubt just how true that is in this moment. 

FCG supposes they’ll have a chance to reconfirm that in second, as rock scrapes and grinds as Ashton shifts and moves to bring his face into view of the entryway.

“Grass?” Ashton asks, something quiet and tremulous in his voice. There’s damp streaks down his face originating at his glowing, slit eyes.

“Smiley day, Ashton,” they reply, their own voice going soft. Fresh Cut Grass… doesn’t quite know where they want to start this conversation, so they say the first thing to come to mind, “You were givin’ the locals a bit of a scare, shaking the ground like you did.” 

Ashton winces, and honestly, FCG can feel himself doing the same because that is not how they wanted to open this up at all. It only gets worse as Ashton starts to pull back, probably about to slide away into the earth where no one here can follow. But FCG manages to get a grip on one of the spikes of stone protruding from Ashton’s shoulders, and it’s enough to make them still and stay.

“That’s not– It’s just how I managed to find ya, seeing as I’m tapped for magic an’ you made your own hidey-hole here,” Fresh Cut Grass lamely explains, earning a silent, wary nod in response. 

“If… if you want me to leave, I will. But I wanted to thank you, again, for bringing me back, and to let you know I’m here, if you want to talk about it. ‘Cause I know you’re not doing as okay as you’re sayin’,” FCG steadily plows on, hand slowly stretching forward to cup a large cheek and thumb through a tear trail. 

A shaky breath escapes Ashton as they lean into Fresh Cut Grass’s hand, another tear sliding down as they close their eyes.

“...I’m so fucking scared, Letters. I don’t know what all this fucking means, or when the other fucking shoe is going to drop. And I’m so fucking scared it’s going to get one or all of you killed,” they quietly confess, more tears falling loose.

“Oh, Ashton,” Fresh Cut Grass murmurs, getting their friend’s face in both hands and pressing their foreheads together. They can feel the small tremors transferring from stone to metal.

“It’s gonna be okay. We promised to look out for each other, you and me, and all of Bells Hells together. We don’t leave anyone behind, and we pull each other back when we need to. We’re not goin’ anywhere. I’m not goin’ anywhere,” FCG reassures them.

Arms of stone move through the walls around Fresh Cut Grass to pull him in. In a moment, FCG finds himself encircled by the stony form of his friend in whatever space they carved out for themself. The tremors of muffled sobs rattling through his chassis as bulky arms tighten further around him until the metal starts to groan and he shifts just a little uncomfortably. 

“It’s gonna be okay. I’m here,” Fresh Cut Grass whispers, returning the hug as much as he can.

#MQ&A #subclass hurt/comfort prompt #MQfic #ashton greymoore #fcg

[silver-ink-iron-words]

Thank you all so much for these kind words. Especially to the person who's been binging my stuff lol. I truly hope you enjoy this next part

---------

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

A Bird in the Hand, Part 6

The villain’s gardener, it seemed, had a sense of humour. Red roses like blood, angel’s trumpets heady with poison, black halloween pansies littering the ground. It was precisely what the civilian would have come up with if they’d been asked to design a landscape that screamed “evil.”

“Are you cold?” the villain asked.

Of course the civilian was cold. It was autumn, and they were in a t-shirt. But they weren’t going to say as much. These walks on the grounds were all they had left.

There was a movement, and they looked up in surprise. The villain had removed their jacket, and placed it on the civilian’s shoulders.

“You need to tell me when something’s wrong,” the villain said, pushing their wheelchair forward. “How else am I meant to reward good behaviour?”

There was another plant, kept in the villain’s greenhouse – the sundew. Brightly colored, and vibrant, bathed in a glistening substance reminiscent of morning dew. With its beauty and sweetness, it attracted a variety of insects. By the time the insects understood that they were trapped in the sticky substance, there was nothing to do but writhe, as the thing’s tentacle-like arms slowly wrapped around them. Digestion took several days.

The civilian looked between the villain and the jacket, and slowly wrapped it around themself. They’d been procrastinating on asking their question, afraid of the consequences. But maybe it made no difference. Maybe they were already stuck.

They slowly took in a breath, and released it. “I make you stronger, don’t I?”

The villain stopped pushing the chair.

There was a beat of silence. Two. Three. The civilian opened their mouth to apologize –

“How did you figure it out?”

The confirmation slammed into the civilian’s gut like a sledgehammer.

“It was your fight.” They worked to keep their voice even. “I couldn’t figure out how you won. [Hero]’s always been so much stronger. And then I realized, the only thing that changed between the two of you was, um, well . . . ”

“Was you.”

The civilian nodded.

The villain moved to stand before them. They didn’t look angry, but the villain had never needed to look angry to hurt them. The civilian struggled to not glance away.

They shouldn’t have spoken. But they hadn’t thought they’d actually be right. They were never right. What was the villain going to do now? Would they think this information gave the civilian an advantage, and punish them for it? Did it give them an advantage?

Maybe.

Maybe, if they could just figure out how they were giving the villain strength, they could . . .

“I can see you, you know,” the villain smirked. They drew closer. “Trying to work out all the little knots.” They placed both hands on the arms of the civilian’s wheelchair, and loomed over them. “I hope you realize, this changes nothing.”

The civilian swallowed, and leaned back away from the villain. “Of course.”

“You think I don't know you?” The villain crouched down so that they were eye-level. “You're imagining that if you figure this out, you will have leverage over me. That you may even be able to free yourself. But don’t you see, [Civilian]?” They ran a hand into the civilian’s hair. “That is never, ever going to happen.”

The civilian closed their eyes, and held back a frightened whine. “Yes, [Villain].”

“Always so, so clever,” the villain mused. “It makes me picture all the different uses for such a clever little mouth.”

The fear was a knife blade racing up the civilian’s skin. They held still, and waited for the shoe to drop.

And then, a thought occurred to them. Their clever mouth, their speaking, their . . . They opened their eyes.

“It’s my voice.”

The villain froze.

The long conversations. The late-night singing. How had it taken the civilian this long to put two and two together?

Did it strengthen all powers, or just the villain’s? Did it have any other effects? Maybe, just maybe, if they resolved to never speak again, they could weaken the villain until –

The villain yanked hard on the civilian’s hair, eliciting a yelp.

The villain smiled, savouring the sound. “And what if it is your voice, love? You’re never going to go quiet on me. I know all the best ways of making you scream.”

The civilian took in the villain’s gleeful stare. Horrible dread washed over them, as they finally accepted the one fact that had been so plainly obvious from the very beginning.

A day was never going to come, in which the villain didn’t want them.

The civilian’s watery gaze met the villain’s. They couldn’t, wouldn’t let themself cry. “Can we at least tell my family what happened to me?”

Suddenly, they heard a soft thunk. Both the villain and civilian turned to look.

Embedded in a tree, not far from the villain’s head, was a familiar cerulean blue dart.

“[Hero],” the civilian gasped, barely above a whisper.

The villain jumped up, summoning their shadows. They searched the trees with wild flickering eyes.

The civilian’s heart swelled with hope for the first time in days. The hero had come back for them. The civilian was going to be rescued. They were finally going to be –

They felt a sharp prick.

“Oh.” The civilian slowly reached up. Touched the space just above their collarbone. Pulled out a dart. “Not a rescue.”

The villain glanced down to them, and their expression washed with terror.

It was the last thing the civilian saw, before they titled forward.

Part 7

#villain x civilian #heroes and villains #whump #whumpblr #kidnapping #captivity #whump drabble #whump series #civilian x villain #hero x civilian #civilian x hero #villains and heroes #writeblr #writing snippet #whump writing #villain #hero #not a prompt

[yandere-daydreams]

The concept of a main character yandere (crazy hair colors, distinctive outfit and hairstyle, unbridled power) falling for a background character (real ass hairstyle with a white t-shirt and jeans) is so hilarious to me because just. The difference.

tw - slight dehumanization, implied kidnapping/conditioning, obsessive behavior, and delusional thoughts.

to be fair, it started out as more an... irritated fixation, at first, an infatuation born of annoyance and agitation and fueled by very, very little else. i mean, they put so much effort into everything they do, work themself to the bone to constantly advance and improve and train and train and train until they're just a little stronger, just a little faster, just a little more capable than they were, the day before. you, on the other hand, seem perfectly happy to live your meager little life. you're always in the background, always just barely in their peripheral, and you never go out of your way to do much of anything, just barely skating by on the aspirations of other people, of people who actually want to change the world. there's nothing noteworthy, or unusual, or exceptional about you, but that's the problem. you're not special, and yet, you're in the same place, working toward the same goal. you're not special, and yet, they can't stop thinking about you.

they've confronted you, before, caught you alone and voiced their doubts as to your dedication, but you never do any more than laugh and agree and brush them off as soon as they're forced to let you go. you're happy with yourself, too, content to just barely scrape by while applauding all of their many, many accomplishments. you never try to get close to them, to buy for their favor with compliments the way other, less self-satisfied extras do, but that only makes it worse. it's as if you don't know what you are, a leech attached to more ambitious personalities, as if you genuinely don't care that you're nothing more than a drain on people trying to really make progress. you do exactly what they'd expect you to, offering kind words when you catch them visibly upset or attempting to calm them down on the rare occasion they let their composture falter. you try to talk to them, try to be friendly, as if they'd ever have time for something as useless as that, and no matter how many times they turn you away, you're always civil, always there when they look for you. they can't get rid of you, but they might be able to do something else.

there's potential there, they can see it, but it's so deeply buried, they can't begin how much time it would take to uncover, how much energy they'd have to spend on turning you into something else, something more fitting of someone they've decided should be so close to them. months, maybe, or years of trial and error, of continual metamorphosis until you deserve to be by their side. it'll be difficult, but don't worry.

they'll work hard enough for the both of you.

#yandere #yandere x reader #yandere imagines #yandere prompts #yandere theory #general

[fics-n-stuff-n-stuff]

Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia Gray Fullbuster/Juvia Lockser Levy McGarden/Gajeel Redfox

all fairy tail characters basically

Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic

Follows Fairy tail but with my own twists set in modern day

Fluff and Angst

Romance / Friendship / developing feelings

Lucy has new spirits I checked constellations and gave her ones I thought were cool

Summary

Lucy is thrown into a world she didn’t know existed. Join her as she unravels this new world full of magic that brings adventure, romance and destruction along with it.

———

Just a modern re-telling of Fairy tail following its arcs with a few twists and turns along the way💞

You can also read it here

————————————————————

Chapter 19

"You found it." The man said with a hint of relief in his voice as he moved to walk closer to them.

Natsu's form tensed up as the man approached with slow, hobbling steps and moved a step to the right, so his whole body was standing in front of Lucy.

"Who are you? And what do you want?" Lucy asked as she moved to watch the man over Natsu's shoulder.

The closer he seemed to be, the stronger a feeling of sorrow seemed to envelop Lucy. His existence was screaming agony, and it was like she could feel a part of it.

"I was hoping that you would find it before anyone else figured out where the other half was buried." The man kept talking, ignoring her previous questions as he took careful steps towards them.

"Though I see that you had some company before I made my way here." He commented as he looked over to where Helena's body was tied up.

"I don't like attacking someone who can't defend themself, but if ya don't stop walking I'm not gonna have a choice." Natsu's voice cut through the clearing, making the man stop in his tracks and turn back to look at the pinkette.

With his nose raised in the air he sent an unimpressed look towards her partner, Lucy saw him scoff slightly before turning his gaze towards her.

"Of all the people to team up with, it had to be him?"

The question was directed towards her, but Lucy was too scattered by everything that's happened so far and majorly pissed at how this person was treating Natsu to realize that he was addressing her as if they know each other.

"I don't see how that's any of your business." She shot back at him with a small glare.

He seemed to think himself above Natsu, and Lucy didn't like that. "Now, I'm going to ask again. Who are you, and what are you doing here?" She asked him as she moved to stand next to Natsu instead of behind him.

"My name is Loke, I'm the one who sent the job request to Fairy Tail." Loke answered her after a few moments of pondering and Lucy's mind went into overdrive at his confession.

He's the reason they're here?

Who was he to do such a thing? He wasn't working with whoever possessed Helena, that much was obvious.

But what were his motivations then?

"Why did you do that?" Natsu asked that question as Lucy was busy spiraling in her mind.

"There have been whispers of a spirit summoner for months, I didn't believe it myself until just before the New Year. It was around the same time that Franmalth took possession of Miss Helena." Loke explained his actions as he motioned to the unconscious woman, but they still made no sense.

"Franmalth? That is the creature possessing her? Why is it after Leo's broken key?" Lucy asked the man, if he knew the name of whatever took over the head curator, he must know more of what was happening.

"I have many suspicions about what their plans could be, and I promise it is nothing good. Which is why I needed you to find the second half." He said, trying to take a step forward, only for Natsu and Lucy to take a joint step back.

Loke let out a sigh at their actions and raked a shaky hand through his hair.

"None of that explains who you are and why you sent out a fake job to our guild." Lucy noted sharply, crossing her hands and raising an eyebrow in Loke's direction.

Did he think to just hobble his way into this clearing, declare he was the one to send them on a fake job, and expect them to, what, trust him?

If Lucy was honest with herself, she doesn't trust a word out of his mouth. He was hiding something, she could see it, feel it.

Her words seemed to amuse him, as he let out a pained laugh, holding his stomach as he did. "I haven't explained much, you're right." He answered simply, but it was vague enough for it to be frustratingly familiar.

Getting answers out of him was like trying to get information from her spirits.

When they answered her summons that is.

Yes, she was still mad at them.

"If you're not going to tell us anything, why bother coming here?" Lucy tried a different approach this time, hoping that if she prodded enough, she might find something that would set him off.

"I came here to assure myself that it was indeed you and that you located both halves of the broken spirit key." Loke answered, but there was something about the way he said it that sounded rehearsed.

She could picture him reciting the same words to a mirror.

Narrowing her eyes Lucy went to walk towards him.

Natsu's hand caught her arm before she could take a step, but when she looked back at him with a determined look in her eyes he let go without a word.

Trusting her, and his own instincts.

"See, the thing is, I don't believe you."

Lucy said as she took small, slow steps towards Loke.

"The art of telling half-truths is hard to master. But once you do, it's easier to see through other people's bullshit."

There was a look of shock on his face at her words, and Lucy only smirked in return.

"That's not the proper language for a Lady." Was the only response she got from the man, and it made her laugh.

"I see no ladies present. Just two partners, an unconscious possessed woman, and a dying man who can't seem to tell the truth." Lucy said as she stopped a few steps in front of him.

There was a sadness in his eyes as he started back at her that she didn't catch across the field, and the feeling of anguish was even stronger, now that they were only a few steps from one another.

"If it is what you truly desire, I will tell you the truth. There are no consequences anymore, as you said I am dying." Loke told her, with a hint of depreciation in his voice.

Lucy was partially stunned by his comment, and she felt bad for phrasing it like that and throwing the words at his face.

It wasn't very compassionate of her, whatever his reasons for lying were, she didn't think they were for evil.

And he was still dying.

Everyone deserves a chance to explain themselves.

Everyone in Fairy Tail gave her a chance after what happened with Phantom Lord, Loke deserves the same courtesy.

"Okay, I want the truth, we want the truth." Lucy told him as she looked back at Natsu.

He was surprisingly silent throughout her whole exchange with Loke, deciding to observe their interactions and intervene if necessary.

He nodded back at her and started walking towards them.

"Yes, We would like the truth." He said as he pressed his front against her back, and propped his chin on the top of her head.

Lucy rolled her eyes at his behavior but was glad for the proximity. His warmth always called out to her when they were near.

And it was below freezing in the clearing.

Loke was once again slightly put off by Natsu, but when Lucy shot him a glare, he opted not to comment and instead started talking.

"Franmalth is one of Zeref's demons." He started with that, and Lucy felt a shiver run through her spine at the sound of the name.

"I already put those pieces together." She told him with a flat look.

Loke let out a chuckle at her before it turned into a coughing spree. "Sorry, that's been happening a lot more recently." He said as he moved to stand, somewhat straight.

"I believe he was after the key so that they could use the residual magic left in it."

"Who is 'they'?" Lucy asked, feeling like he was going to gloss over it if she didn't.

"They, are his followers, more than just the demons he's created. There is a threat coming." Loke said ominously, and Lucy felt Natsu stiffen from behind her.

Loke turned to look at him, and this time there was none of the hostility in his gaze. "You can sense it." Is all that he said.

Not a question, but an acknowledgment.

"It was why I used what was left of my magic to send that fake flyer to your guild. There were, as I mentioned, rumors of a Spirit Summoner in Fairy Tail. So I took a chance. It was imperative for you to find it before Franmalth."

Lucy was unsure of what to think of all this yet, there is more to this story.

He was still holding back.

"How were you aware of the key's location? And of what importance is its safety to you?" She asked as she crossed her hands, moving back into Natsu more.

There was a twitch to Loke's eyebrow at her question and he let out another sigh, before moving to sit down.

"If we're gonna do this, I might as well get comfortable. No use swaying on my feet."

He waited for a few moments to see if they would join him, before sighing again.

There was a pause, where all they could hear was the crashing of water, and the birds singing around them.

"I was, cursed, almost 14 years ago. The circumstances around it bound me to Leo's key. It was my duty to watch over the broken pieces. One half was donated to the museum by Lord Jude before I could do anything."

His posture was slumped as he talked, head turned to the right looking at the trees. "The other I managed to take and bury here." He told them staring off into the distance as if caught in a memory.

Lucy watched him as he talked.

He was telling half-truths again, but there were more details this time. She was getting closer.

"That's still not the truth, we're getting closer though. Why were you cursed? I thought my mother had all the zodiac keys before she died, so how do you fit into all of this?"

Loke seemed to be shrinking into himself with her every question, he lifted his head for a moment and his eyes were filled with tears.

"Please, Lucy, don't make me." He pleaded with her, and she was once again struck by how he addressed her as if they knew each other.

"Who are you?" Lucy asked, feeling frustrated with his carefully chosen words.

Talking to him felt like listening to a script being read. He was prepared for her every question, each answer parried with a carefully crafted and frustratingly vague response.

He said he would tell her the truth and she would settle for nothing less.

"He's a spirit." Natsu's words shocked both Lucy and Loke to the core.

Loke's face was horrified as he turned to glare at her partner, Lucy in turn moved her head to give him a confused look.

"What do you mean?" She asked, looking between him and Loke.

"I couldn't smell it till he was close enough, and even then it took me a second to place it, over all the death and decay that's covering him. But it's there, just like all your spirits." He told her with a shrug and Lucy turned back to look at Loke.

She carefully studied every part of him.

His hair was severely disheveled, but if she tilted her head she could see what looked like ears. His suit was well made, tailored to fit like a glove, and even tattered and sullied, you could tell it was high quality.

It reminded her of the suits that Capricorn wears, the quality looks the same, and so does the material.

That would explain why she seemed to be able to feel his pain, though it's never happened with any other spirit until now.

The look in his eyes, when they met, solidified her thoughts even more.

"You are Leo." She stated bluntly, not giving him a chance to deny.

He let his head fall into his chest at her words, his shoulders curling in on themselves even more as he started shaking.

No, not just shaking, he was crying.

Lucy was stunned for a moment as she watched him weep, feeling his sorrow with each breath.

What had finally made him snap? Was it the use of his name?

Pushing through the assault of feelings Lucy found herself taking a step towards him.

"Leo, please, you need to tell me what is going on. What happened, how are you here, if your key is broken? Why is it broken? Why are my spirits keeping secrets?" Lucy rambled out before she could stop herself.

She needed to get him to calm down first, but there was a sense of urgency driving her.

She was tired of half-truths, she needed answers.

"Please." She tried again, begged.

"I- I'm so sorry Lucy." His words were barely audible through the muffled sobs, and it made her heart clench at the desperation in his voice.

Lucy turned to look back at Natsu, who was as stunned as she was by the turn of events, he shook his head at her, raising his hands in defeat.

She turned to look at the leader of the Zodiac Spirits and crouched down in front of him.

"Leo." The sobs had ceased by this point, but he was still shaking like a leaf.

He was still dying.

He took a few deep, calming breaths before sitting up as straight as he could and looked at her with such sorrow, that it made Lucy want to weep with him.

"I- I was cursed in a way, that wasn't a lie." Was the first thing he said, his voice was a bit rough as he spoke. "For killing my previous master. My key was broken, I was cast out of the spirit realm and left to roam this one until death takes me."

Out of all the things Lucy could have expected, this was nowhere on the list.

A spirit killing their master.

That was not something Lucy thought her spirits were capable of.

"There are other spirit summoners?" She blurted out and immediately regretted it, out of all the things to ask.

Leo tensed at her question and looked back down at the snowy ground.

"You are the last living spirit summoner, Lucy Heartfilia." He told her with an almost sharp tone that she knew wasn't aimed at her, but at himself.

"What happened then? How did you kill your summoner? I know my spirits, and I know that none of them are capable of killing me." Lucy said as she moved to stand back next to Natsu.

"14 years ago, I helped your mother perform a spell that has been forbidden, and in doing so, was a direct cause of her death."

It was as if someone pierced her heart.

She felt like she couldn't breathe, and for a moment everything went still. It was just her and an almost forgotten memory of her mother, bedridden but still smiling at her.

"But, my mother didn't die 14 years ago, that's around when she got sick. She died three years later." Lucy told him, as she scrambled trying to put the pieces together.

"And why was she performing a forbidden spell in the first place?" She asked, mind numb at this point. With every answer received, a thousand new questions bloom.

It was all just too confusing, and she was tired.

This day has felt endless.

"It was paramount for that spell to be cast. The repercussions of it drained Layla of not only magic but life energy."

"I tried talking her out of it." Leo let out a bitter laugh. "I knew it was in vain, but it was my duty, as one of her closest friends to try." He kept talking, voice unsteady as he did.

"You know what she said to me? 'If you're not going to help me Leo, I'm going to do it on my own.'" The chuckle he let out this time was genuine, the smile on his face fond as he remembered Layla.

"If she had done the spell herself, she would have died instantly, with my help, we had hoped she would survive." His voice cracked at the end of the sentence, and he took in a deep breath to steady himself.

"When it was all over,  we were convinced that everything went smoothly. It was only after a couple of weeks, when she started getting sick that we realized it only gave her so much time." He was crying again, but his head was high, and he tried to reel himself in.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Lucy." He kept repeating as he shook with tears, and probably a fever as well. "Please forgive me!"

Lucy was even more confused now.

The story that Leo is telling her doesn't speak of him killing Layla, if anything he's the reason she got to spend three more years with her.

If there was one thing that Lucy remembered about her mother, it was that Layla Heartfilia was a stubborn woman. If she had set her mind to casting that spell, her life was a price she was willing to pay.

So why was Leo cursed? 

Or maybe the better question is, who cursed him?

"Leo, I'm sorry, but, you, this.." Lucy trailed off as she tried to gather her thoughts. "This is bullshit!" What she realized was that she was angry.

Here he was, on his knees on death's doorstep, sobbing and begging for her forgiveness, for something that wasn't his fault.

He was dying for trying to save her mother, dying and cast out of his realm, left to rot for years.

And Lucy was livid.

"Who did this to you?" She almost growled with rage, taking the spirit and her partner aback with her sudden mood shift.

She didn't notice that she was channeling her magic as her emotions started overtaking rational thought.

Light was swirling around her as she thought about the 14 years of agony that Leo had endured.

"Who gave themselves the authority to make such decisions? Because I have to say that this is the stupidest thing I have ever heard in my life!" She was laughing now, it sounded a tad maniacal, but Lucy was past the point of caring.

Leo stared back at her, mouth open and eyes wide in shock.

He had not expected this reaction from her.

"I want to speak with whoever thought that putting the person who saved my mother through years of torture was a good idea! Because frankly, they sound like an idiot!"

Lucy was yelling by this point, feeling fury at what she'd found out.

The thought of Leo, alone and suffering for all these years made her blood boil with rage. He has lived 14 years blaming himself for her mother's death.

How dare they?

With no further thought, Lucy moved her hands to dig through her pockets and pulled out the broken key.

Looking at the pieces in her palm she felt like there was only one thing left to do.

"I refuse." Lucy said with determination as she turned her gaze back to Leo.

Her magic was still surrounding her and she felt it intensifying with every second that passed.

The key pieces started glowing in her hand, and she moved to bring them together and channeled all her power into them.

"I REFUSE TO LET YOU DIE!" She yelled as she willed the key to fuse back together.

"NO! No! Lucy, you can't do that!" Leo yelled as he tried to get on his feet, stumbling through the pain as he fell over.

"You'll use up all your magic and die trying, please!" He was on his knees, pleading with her but Lucy refused to listen.

There was nothing he could say to get her to stop now. Her mind was made up, she would save him if it was the last thing she did.

"I am not dying today, and neither are you!" She shot back at him, channeling more of her power into the key.

Unbeknownst to Lucy, all of her spirits started appearing by her side as she focused her power on restoring Leo's key.

They materialized one by one until they were surrounding her, their teary gazes meeting Leo's huddled form.

"You.Will.Mend." Lucy said through gritted teeth as she glared at the key, putting all of her magic into the bond that could be felt between them, and with a sudden shockwave the key clicked back in place.

Lucy stumbled back several steps, feeling the aftershock of the blast as her knees buckled. Thankfully there was a warm hand around her waist, steadying her.

Blinking through the sudden haze, Lucy looked down at her hand and was half-stunned to see Leo's key fully intact.

"I did it." Her voice came out small, her chest heaving and her breath shaky as she continued staring at her palm.

The feeling of joy lasted for half a second before the earth started shaking violently underneath them, Lucy turned her head with a panicked look to where Leo was huddled before the blast.

She found him standing a few meters from them looking down at his hands with wide eyes and confusion. Lucy watched the spirit pat himself down as he realized what had happened.

A weight lifted off of Lucy's shoulders as she noticed how healthy he looked.

His cheeks were no longer hollowed out, she could see the colour on his face, his suit was intact, hair was styled in a way that pronounced his ears.

After several moments of inspecting his newfound body and strength, he turned to gaze at her with a mix of awe and disbelief.

"How did you do that?" His voice was small as he asked and Lucy wasn't given a chance to answer, not that she really had one, when everything around them stopped shaking and came to a sudden halt.

The birds froze mid-air. The Waterfall behind them was suspended in place, the whole clearing was left in a deafening silence.

Lucy turned and looked around for the source of the spell, only for the sky itself to part above them.

There seemed to be a different sky from beyond the crack, with a giant man looming over them.

His eyes were sharp, and his mustache twitched as he observed them. "Who are you to question my authority, little girl?" The man spoke, his voice booming through the clearing.

At his presence, Leo seemed to freeze in place, not daring to move a muscle.

Natsu was ready for action the moment the giant man spoke, but Lucy stopped him by putting a hand on his shoulder.

This was her fight.

She couldn't explain why, but she felt no fear looking at the giant, even with his booming tone and glare.

Still fueled by anger, adrenaline, and a sense of justice Lucy glared right back at the giant man, refusing to stand down or be intimidated.

"I am Lucy Heartfilia, the last of the Spirit Summoners. It is my duty to protect the keys, treat the spirits bound to them with honor and respect, and use our magic to help those who need it."

She stated proudly as she walked forward, passing Natsu and making her way to the middle of the clearing.

Her posture was regal as she stepped forward, shoulders back, head held high and she looked at the giant man head-on.

"And who are you, to think you can just leave Leo in agony for years? Over something that was not his fault!" She shot back at him.

"You know not what you speak of girl!" He warned, but Lucy was passed reason. "Do not test me, I am the King of the Spirit Realm, it was my authority to do so."

Lucy only half faltered at his admission. 'King of the Spirit Realm?' She scoffed at the thought.

'Some King, to leave his subject in such a state.'

No, Lucy was not backing down. This wasn't right, Leo did not deserve the punishment he received, and to hell, she would fight the King if she had to!

"My mother would have cast that spell whether he helped her or not." Lucy said with conviction.

"Now tell me, Your Majesty, would have it been better had he let her die?" She shot back, curling her hands into fists as she tried to control her emotions.

"What he did helped her live." She argued through clenched teeth. "And your decision to do this to him is frankly inhumane." Lucy finished with a glare in the King's direction.

There was a moment of silence as she finished her speech and Lucy knew that she was trembling with adrenaline.

She heard footsteps from behind and then Natsu was at her back, his warmth was enveloping her as he offered his support without a word.

Lucy let out a sigh, grateful for his proximity, and welcomed the grounding effect he had on her.

Leo, Lucy could see from the corner of her eye was frozen in shock and fear as he stared at the man in the sky. It seems like he hasn't moved a muscle since the King appeared.

"Lucy Heartfilia, you say." The King's voice boomed through the clearing, bringing everyone's attention back to him.

He seemed calmer as he observed them, and there was a mischievous glint in his eyes as he stroked his mustache. "It is an incredible thing you have done here Lucy Heartfilia. Giving a spirit its key is something no one has done since the very first summoner."

A gasp echoed through the clearing and Leo's head snapped to look at her in awe.

"She was the first to call upon the stars, and pull them from the sky." The giant continued with his story as he looked down at Lucy.

"The keys were formed by her power. Shaped to represent the opening of doors between our realms." There was a wondrous tone in his voice as he spoke of the first Spirit Summoner, and Lucy was amazed by the tale.

There was nothing written on the origin of her powers, and she felt privileged to learn how the connection between the stars and her family came to be.

"In her lifetime she formed many bonds with many spirits, and when she passed away, her bloodline continued to thrive.

You remind me of her. She was a dear friend of mine." There was a twitch to his lips as he spoke before he turned his gaze to Leo.

"Leo, the lion. You have been given a second chance, I suggest that you do not waste it. My official rule is that you pay your sentence by serving Lucy Heartfilia."

His tone was serious, but the wink he gave them put everyone at ease.

"I hope we meet again, old friend. Thank you for caring about the spirits enough to challenge even me." The Spirit King addressed Lucy with a smile.

"There are great and terrible things in your future, Daughter of the Stars and Son of Fire Dragon King Igneel. I hope you are both ready for what is to come." And with an ominous warning time seemed to restart.

The crack in the sky was gone, leaving behind a picturesque sunrise.

"How did he know about Igneel?" Lucy heard Natsu's strained voice from behind her, but she was suddenly too tired to react in any way.

With the adrenaline leaving her body, all Lucy was left with was her exhaustion and the empty, almost cold feeling coming from where she could usually feel the tingling of her magic.

There was movement from behind her, and she could hear Leo and Natsu's voices getting louder, but she couldn't focus on what was said.

Everything was slowing down again for Lucy, and she let herself fall into the abyss.

* ********* ********** ********** ********* *

"There are great and terrible things in your future, Daughter of the Stars and Son of  Fire Dragon King Igneel. I hope you are both ready for what is to come."

Natsu froze the moment the stash-faced man mentioned his father, trying to figure out what he meant by the warning.

Before he could say anything, in a blink of an eye the man was gone, and time seemed to be back to normal.

Tightening his grip on Lucy's waist, Natsu moved his glare to the no longer dying spirit.

"How did he know about Igneel?" He growled at him, if these spirits had any clues as to where his father could be, Natsu needed to know.

"I don't have the answers you want." Leo sneered his way as he turned to look at him and Lucy.

"But you know something, now tell me! He is my father. Tell me what you know!" Natsu shouted at him, feeling the control over his anger slip as he glared at the orange-haired prick.

"I don't answer to you! Honestly, it is beyond me what she sees in yo-" The spirit was cut off mid-sentence when Lucy suddenly collapsed in Natsu's arms.

There was a flash of pain in his gut as she fell into his hold, head lulled on his shoulder as he held her.

"Wha-? Luce? Lucy!" Natsu yelled frantically as he moved to pick her up.

He could see her chest was moving up and down, her breaths were shallow and her skin was unhealthily pale.

The usual glow she had around her was fading fast, making her golden hair look dull in the morning light and Natsu felt like he couldn't breathe for a moment.

There was a bubbling pain forming in his gut as he watched her light go out.

Holding back a curse, Natsu turned his wide-eyed gaze back at Leo for

answers. "What's happening to her?"

"She used up too much of her magic."

Leo's voice sounded as shaky as Natsu felt at that moment. "This- this is what happened with Layla when she cast the spell. I told her not to do it. Stupid girl." The spirit said through tears as he watched the blonde in Natsu's arms slowly fade away.

A feeling of dread crept its way to the back of Natsu's head, along with the growing pain in his gut as he cast his gaze down to his unconscious partner.

His brain was fizzling as he tried to think of something he could do, maybe if he could remember all the lessons about sensing and estimating a person's magic.

It isn't something he even needed when fighting. Natsu always went head first and all out, no matter the opponents' strength.

This was different.

This was Lucy.

He moved to connect their foreheads and focused on his magic.

Not really knowing what he wanted to do, Natsu continued channeling his magic and aimed towards Lucy.

There was an unexplained, unspoken bond between them.

It's been there from the moment they met, and he hoped that this would work.

It has to work.

He will not let her die, she said she wasn't dying today, and he wasn't going to let her.

He didn't know if he could, there was no world without Lucy.

He stayed like that for what felt like hours, pooling his magic and trying to create a bridge between the two of them.

There was no guarantee it would work, Natsu barely knew what he was doing, healing magic and fire do not mix well but there were no other options left.

It took him by surprise, it started as a slight zap from where they were connected before it unfurled into a fluttering sensation in his stomach, and he could feel tingles all over his body as her magic flowed through him.

Natsu moved his head back in shock, and stared down at Lucy, only to witness the colour slowly come back to her face and her breath even out.

He felt like a weight lifted off his heart and the pain in his gut disappeared as a little spark of his fire began to burn her magic back to life.

"That was incredibly stupid of you." Looking up he saw Leo's unimpressed eyes stare back at him.

He had forgotten the spirit was there.

"I don't even know what happened." Natsu answered truthfully as he stared back at him.

All he knew was that Lucy dying was not an option, so he did what he could until they could get back to Fairy Tail.

There was a scoff from the Zodiac Leader, and Natsu was getting tired of his attitude.

"You'll see with time, it was too late to begin with. But now you've sealed her fate, and yours too."

#fairy tail #fanfic #nalu #fairy tail nalu #lucy heartifilla #natsu x lucy #fairy tail fanfic #fairy tail fic #ft nalu #nalu fan fiction #nalu fan fic #nalu ff #nalu fanfic #nalu fanfiction #nalu fairytail #naluweek2023 #nalu fluff #fairy tail ff #fairy tail fanfiction #natsu x lucy fic #natsu / lucy #natsu/lucy #natsu dragneel #natsu dragon slayer #lucy heartfilia #fanfiction

[weirdmorefics]

Hi!! Could I please request a stranger things imagine where the reader (Elevens younger sibling) feels like el doesn’t see R as a sibling figure, and so constantly puts themselves in harms way to prove themself. And one day, they almost die and let’s it slip on why they’re acting the way they are, and El assures the reader that they are siblings and is worried about reader and protective?

x sister!reader

If You Ever Do Anything Like That Again I’ll Kick Your Butt

Pronouns- She/Her

Word Count- 1,090

Summary- The Mind Flayer tries to attack Eleven but the reader protects Eleven and gets seriously hurt. 

I can't believe I am here again, putting my life on the line. Just so I can finally convince El finally sees me as a sister. I will do anything so El knows that I am her family even if it means dying I am just so tired. I am really not sure how much longer I can keep this giant nasty monster from killing us. El is helping she is the stronger of the two of us I hope I will be as strong as her one day. I stand behind her trying to hide the nosebleed from over-exerting myself when I see the monster go for her leg. Before I can think I push her out of the way and the monster grabs me instead.

I am flying in the air swinging around with no control. I hear everyone screaming like crazy. Eleven has used all her energy already so she tries to pull me down physically and Mike comes to her aid then the rest join in trying to yank me back to the ground. My whole body is quaking in fear I want to scream so badly but nothing will come out.

Jonathan screams for nancy to shoot it and I want to scream that will just make it angrier but all that comes out our anxious labored breaths and tears from my eyes. This frozen feeling happens to me a lot even in the lab it would happen where I felt so much fear I could not move or speak. I think papa would call it a panic attack.

Nancy shoots and I can hear the bullets woosh by me and I think this may be my end. If I die for Eleven will she see me as the sister I see her as? Nancy screams Lucas’s name and he starts trying to chop the monster apart with an axe as Nancy shots more. They start pulling on my arms even harder it feels like my arms will be ripped off and I will fly into the night sky as the monster tears me apart.

Lucas chops one of the monster’s limbs off causing me to fall to the ground with it. I am exhausted I just want to close my eyes and wake up from the nightmare and go back to eating egos with El. Eleven tries to talk to me but the words don’t make sense in my mind. Her eyes widen when she looks at my leg. I follow her gaze to my leg and see part of the monster still attached to me. With little energy, she has left she yanks it off with her powers. My voice is back due to the blinding searing pain that causes and all I can do is scream until my throat hurts.

Eleven looks angrier than I have ever seen her and she turns around and faces the monster. She screams and holds her hands up toward the monster. I can’t really see what is going on right now my eyes are blurry from the tears and pain but I hear the disgusting noise of flesh ripping. I see Eleven fall from exhaustion I try to stand to catch her from falling but my leg will not function. Mike luckily catches her but this just makes me feel like a failure of a sister. Why can’t I protect her as she protects me.

Max and Lucas help drag me to my feet and help me limp outside as Mike carries Eleven. Nancy and Jonathan are screaming go over and over as they rush us out the door and slam it behind us. We all scramble into the car and Eleven is still knocked out as I whine in pain.

Mike screams to nancy, “drive”

We arrive quickly at a store and Nancy and Jonathan break the door so we can get in. Max and Lucas help me inside as Mike helps a groggy El in. I can’t stop groaning in pain. Nancy and Jonathan are ransacking the shelves and giving orders to everyone. Max and Lucas set me gently on the ground and pull my pant leg up.

I see Eleven’s eyes widen and Max gasps “Oh shit.”

I groan in more pain it just keeps getting worse and I really think I might die here.

Nancy says she wants to clean the wound but Max corrects her and tells her how to treat it properly. I honestly don’t care how they do it I just want it to stop.

“Eleven hold this keep pressure,” Max orders seriously.

I scream as El puts pressure it is just making it worse. Eleven quickly looks to Max to see if she is doing it right and Max nods. Max lists more instructions to everyone but everything sounds distorted to me.

Everyone leaves to get supplies except El who continues to keep pressure on my wound. It starts to feel a little better now that I am sitting and I think the bleeding is not as bad now.

Eleven looks at me seriously, “Why would you do that?”

“Do what?” I shrug

“Push me out of the way? It was going after me first,” she frowns.

I sigh trying to think of some lie so I don’t sound like a dork but I just say the truth anyway, because I mean this wound is probably going to kill me tonight anyway what do I have to lose? “Eleven you're the only family I have I know you don’t see me as a sister but I see you as one. You always protected me in the lab it was about time for me to return the favor.”

Eleven look suddenly very angry... I did not think it would upset her maybe I should not have said it after all.

“What do mean I don’t see you as a sister? You were the only one who even talked to me in that lab! You have always been my sister and that’s why it’s my job to protect YOU because you are the little sister.” She shouts at me.

I smirk “You think of me as a sister?”

“Of course! You mouth breather!” she says affectionately and hugs me.

“Ow,” I say quietly.

She quickly let go, “Sorry.” Then she gets serious again and points at me “ And if you ever do anything like that again I will kick your butt!”

I grin widely at her and nod and she grins back and we giggle together.

#eleven x reader #stranger things fanfic #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things imagine #stranger things one shot #jane hopper x you #jane hopper x reader #stranger things x reader #stranger things x y/n

[saltydumplings]

Right- uh, your snippets are awesome, I see that you’re in horny jail, and I should probably join you, but currently, uh, could you write anything with the villain having siren like powers and the hero just falling for their spell every single damn time they meet, and being able to break free from it but just choosing not to because it makes them feel safe, and relaxed and-well-if they get something out of it too then I guess you’ll have some company in horny jail-

Request #4

OOOOOO THIS IDEA WAS SO COOL!! I HOPE I DID IT JUSTICE!

Cw: slightly suggestive, addiction

The hero was walking a fine line between addiction and love.

They knew that - were well aware that their decisions weren't exactly normal; that the other heroes certainly didn't seem to feel the same appeal to the villain's power that they did. They wondered about that sometimes. Did it feel different to them? One time they'd heard another hero describe the sensation as terrifying, saying that being under the influence of the villain's power was like having their mind split in two - the fear and anxiety of not having full control over themself overwhelming within the moment. But that wasn't what the hero knew it to be like...

Bliss.

A fantastic warmth that encompassed them completely; waves of calm that washed over any worry and smoothed out each rigid point of stress. The hero felt like they were floating - tucked away safe and sound, not to be disturbed; held softly within a dream that they never truly wanted to awake from.

Perhaps they were just more sensitive to the villain's powers. It was certainly a strong possibility and the other heroes had been quick to deem it as the problem. The hero was the only one to have never successfully broken free from the villain's influence. And while that was true - while the hero would simply nod their head and tell their superiors that that was exactly the case - the real crux of the matter was that the hero had never actually tried before. They didn't want to try.

This led them to another thought: what if that was where the other hero's made their mistake? If they didn't fight the villain's influence so violently maybe - just maybe - they would experience the same bliss the hero could never shake from their mind.

Everything had been getting a little stressful of late. Crime rates were spiking and it all just felt completely out of the hero's control - every failed attempt to save the day simply another weight put upon their shoulders. They were starting to lose their grip, they could sense it: they pushed themself harder and yet made more mistakes; they worked the extra hours but it gained them nothing and all their superiors had to say to them was to do better. Train better. Be better.

Due to their clear weakness when it came to fighting the villain, the hero had been posted in a quadrant far away from them, well out of reach of the other's territory...but that didn't stop them from breaking protocol.

They did it about once a month without anyone noticing - sometimes twice if they were truly desperate. They would walk straight across one line of territory to another, moving unseen through hidden alleyways and taking winding paths well out of sight of the regular patrol routes, trespassing through five other quadrants that they weren't assigned to all for the sake of a few hours of bliss.

And it was worth it. Every. Single. Time.

It was worth it.

The hero let their cape fall down onto the floor as they entered the abandoned warehouse - coming to stand at its centre, closing their eyes and simply...waiting.

A minute passed, then another. They waited and waited until finally they heard it: the villain's song. It was a sweet, melodious hum; slow and so, so soft and beautiful - there were times when the hero heard it that they thought they might cry.

The sound grew closer, stronger, and the hero sighed in relief as they felt that first caress of the villain's influence overcoming them. Their muscles relaxed, their mind grew clouded and yet clear - the hero felt like they could think straight for the first time in days. Hands stroked up the sides of their waist and the hero all but melted into the villain's hold, the warm press of the other's chest against their back grounding them better than any of the agency's doctors ever could - better than any medication the hero had ever been prescribed. Lips brushed against their neck and a wave of heat swept through them, intoxicating, breathless, perfect.

They were addicted. They knew that - knew that that was exactly what this was.

But knowing wouldn't stop them from coming back. And as long as the agency remained blind - as long as the villain was willing to give them what they wanted - the hero would continue to come time and time again.

The corruption of their loyalty was a small price to pay for the bliss that the villain could give them.

#writing snippet #heroxvillain snippet #heroxvillain #hero x villain #hero #villain

[bootleg-parable]

Factor of Feeling ; A Parable Progression

Shiloh was generous enough to grant themself this moment of silence. Although it was just another out of what felt like thousands, this moment was different. They slipped their cap from their head and tried slicking the messy frays of their hair back into place. The gel was dry again.

It was always so quiet when they returned to the house. Moving between here and the busy environment of the station was enough of a contrast to put a man into shock. Shiloh was no exception. Even Archie had stopped rushing forth to greet the officer in their arrival. There was nothing that was worth anything anymore.

Not since Donatello’s disappearance.

Shiloh could marvel endlessly at the bizarre and undivulged way of his vanishing-act, but no answers came from the stream of questions they might have asked. This was a mysterious case, and one that bugged Officer Pamello to the ends of the Earth. Nobody held enough of a grudge against Donnie to flat out kill him, and if any quarrell of the sort existed, Shiloh hasn’t come across a single thread of evidence yet. As far as they knew, their best friend had simply slipped off the face of the Earth and left no traces to track back to an answer that could have offered solace.

It absolutely broke Shiloh.

They had enough energy to hang their hat by the door and make their way to the living room, where they sat themself for what would probably be the rest of the night. They’d tried day in and day out to stop the grief from getting to their head, so that they might better focus on their job, but this calibre of pain rivalled that of duller extremities, and became too hard to fight. But why? Shiloh did this kind of work for a living. They have seen things that eyes should never fall upon. They have dealt with horrific cases that humankind should never be crazy enough to commit. Why is it that, out of their entire line of work, this was the hardest case to break, but the quickest to break them? It all felt impossible to understand. Donatello could still be out there. He could be hurt. He could have been abducted. Shiloh couldn't do anything about it. They felt so...helpless.

Every possible scenario in Shiloh’s head made their eyes sting until they could hold the dam no longer. They fell in on themselves, slouching over on the couch with their face cupped in their hands. Every tear was absorbed into their gloves. Every sob was muffled in the fabric. In any normal situation, they would have been disgusted; touching their face with these filthy accessories. But right now, nothing mattered. Sorrow was so much stronger than they were. It only took a healthy 5 minutes of ugly sobbing for Donatello’s collie to come creeping out of the shadows, staring upward at Shiloh with round, worried eyes. Shiloh flinched and sat up at the rough-furred figure that moved into their vision, but they were smart enough to recognize Archie with ease.

“Oh– Archie, I’m so sorry,” They apologised, and they scooted over when the hound hopped onto the couch beside them. “I’m probably stressing you the fuck out.”

Archie lowered her head onto Shiloh’s lap, resting her paws out in front of her. She understood better than any other human-being just how hard this loss was to get around. Donatello was her owner. Shiloh knew that they were rather close.

They ran a hand along her back and used the sleeve of their opposite arm to wipe their face. “I promise we’ll find him, okay?” They took off their gloves to cradle Archie’s face properly in their hands.

She licked Shiloh’s nose. They smiled. A little.

“I promise.”

Teller found such joy in looking through all of the different hardcovers along the bookshelf. Each one felt like a different memory to him, and while some might have been more sombre than others, every recollection got a small grin out of him. He set certain books aside on the desk at the end of the shelves so he could sort, clean, and file one section at a time. He wasn’t usually granted many visits to the in-office library in between work hours. Coming back to it was nice and all, but it was filthy. There probably wasn’t an inch of the room that wasn’t coated in an asthma-inducing layer of dust. Teller glanced down at the tail of his coat. Just as he suspected, the very end of it went from a deep brown to an ash-grey. He scowled.

“Well, that’s just dandy.”

He’d definitely need to wash it when this was all over with. A lint roller would have done fine, but Teller would’ve felt dirty without giving it a proper cleaning. User called him “nit-picky” once. He was starting to see it now.

He lifted a book from the shelf and blew on the surface of its cover, revealing brilliant shades of red and gold beneath the horrendous layering of grime. He regretted his previous choice in an instant, because that exact grime flew into the air around him, and he inhaled just about half of it.

“Oh b– ack!– bugger.” He wafted the debris from his face and stepped back, using the cuff of his sleeve to clean his glasses. “You’d think this place was abandoned.”

He opened the book and flipped through the pages, trying to remember what this scripture was about. He could tell a lot of the books by heart, but there were a few of the bunch that needed a look-through to jog his memory. In his scanning over the text, someone’s finger moved tauntingly up the back of his neck, and at first it had startled him, and he yelped before clapping an embarrassed hand over his mouth.

Teller shook his head and laughed in spite of himself. There was no coworker of his that would’ve done that. It made the identity of his visitor so obvious. “Hah hah. You’re very funny, User.” He fixed his glasses back into their correct placement. “You can’t scare me. But I applaud your valiant attempt.”

The suspect behind him leaned over and took a breath before speaking, and with the sound of their movement alone, the elder man could tell that this person was taller than him. His eyebrows knitted together. Strange. User wasn’t taller than him, that was for damn sure. Who on Earth? The voice that came from behind him was low and close, hovered just over his shoulder. Teller shuddered at it.

“Are you scared now?”

There was also no coworker of his that sounded like that. He turned his head quickly, and he froze up in the shadow of something nonhuman with a figure that blended perfectly into the darkness, except for its brighter, yellow details that were enhanced by the lights. It didn’t have any arms. . .or legs. Or a face, for that matter. Teller mouthed the words “what the hell”, but he couldn’t find his voice to say them aloud. That’s when whatever hand that’d grazed him earlier struck him, and the whole of his sight went to nothing but flashes of black and white. He hit the bookshelf behind him and fell to the ground with a flickering and torturous pain that was making quick and easy work of his head. The pounding of his own heart filled his ears alongside a nightmarish ringing. He tried to scream- to call for any kind of help- but the initial shock of seeing that thing completely stripped that ability away from him.

He wondered if User would break his silence to scream if the other really had to.

For now the elder man could only writhe on the ground in one of the most extreme feats of anguish he’d ever experienced. Every conception in his head fell to pieces. He couldn’t think. He couldn’t even move on his own will. Through the blood in his sparkly vision, he could see that mammoth of a monster coming toward him. He couldn’t ask himself how it managed to walk without any legs while still being in contact with the ground. One of its hands extended toward him, and Teller felt himself get dragged- none too gently, mind you- across the floor. That gnawing ache in his head was starting to drive him to numbness. Fear was no longer worth his perception. That scream that he tried to belt earlier escaped him as a meek groan; the first sound that he’s been able to make since this started.

The earth-shaking thud of the bookshelf collapsing from his impact fell on deaf ears as he slipped into a very comfortable blackness.

User’s panic was loud and alive when he ran into that library. Finding Teller in some sort of trouble was a given- even if it was something stupid- but User had prayed that it wouldn’t actually be anything serious.

Seeing his friend in a puddle of blood beside a fallen bookshelf could certainly be labelled as “serious”. The red smear across the tile told User that Teller must have dragged himself away in time before the bookshelf landed on him. It was lucky that only the end of his coat suffered the gravity of the fall. User worked the other out of the trench for now- he could come back and get it when the time was better suited- and hauled him to the room that they were in before. He should have gone looking for help, but if nobody showed up after the walls shook from the shelf, then what was the point? That’d be a waste of time, and time was always of the essence.

The ground will have to do, User thought to himself while he tried putting Teller back down, gently, but with haste.

He knew Teller would despise him for it, but he removed the jacket loaned to him on his arrival and used it in place of a towel to stifle the bleeding. The jacket belonged to Teller, after all, and he knew that blood was a tough stain to scrub out, especially on white fabric. This jacket was probably going in the trash, after this.

Hopefully he won’t mind.

…

Hopefully he lives. 

User patted the unbruised side of Teller’s face for any sliver of a reaction. What even happened? What the hell kind of organising was Teller doing for this to be the outcome? User didn’t see a ladder…did he? Maybe Teller fell off of it. But that didn’t explain the shelf coming down with him. The elder man was a mystery that carried more mysteries with him, and all of them were endless.

Please wake up.

This couldn’t be it. It was too soon. It was too sudden.

Tears were burning in his eyes. Crying felt like absolute battery acid. User always hated it. He hated how it felt. He hated how it looked and how it sounded. And all of the reasons that a person might start crying.

He hated it.

But he couldn’t even choke it down. His heart was bigger than his body. He wasn’t as tough as Teller was. Not a single version of Teller ever cried in front of User, not even as they were dying. How did he do it? How was he so effortlessly…himself? User could rack his mind for answers for every eternity that he was stuck in, but he’d probably never find a good one.

What would the next Teller be like if this one died? User didn’t want to lose him so early on. But the jacket was already soaked, and Teller was paler than he was when User found him.

This wasn't working.

…Please wake up.

#the stanley parable #tspud #narratorverse #bootleguser #tsp stanley #tsp narrator #bootlegstoryteller #bootlegentity(: #bootlegentity #bootlegshiloh #writing #writer

[bluerose5]

Stargazing with shavik??? Pretty please??

Love them! Just a couple of soldiers in a post-war galaxy. 🥺

~~~

There came a time in life when the war ended.

The soldiers came home, laid down their weapons, and took a breath.

For once, the impossible seemed possible. Species all across the galaxy banded together. All of Commander Shepard’s hard work finally paid off, and that unity survived into the aftermath of the Reaper War. Recovery efforts were extensive; but for the first time in a long while, hope persevered.

There would come a time when Shepard’s help would be needed again. Of that, they were certain.

And when the call came, they would answer.

For now, however, they were going to enjoy the peace while it lasted.

Calloused fingers reached out at their side, brushing lightly along the tips of tall grass. Each blade danced in the cool, evening breeze, their color slightly washed out in the darkness of night.

Echoes of the past whispered through each individual blade of grass, the effects of the Cipher growing stronger with each passing day. Slowing to a halt, Alyx let their eyes slip closed, and they listened.

Flashes of memories played out like scenes out of a movie. Children chased flying insects native to the area. Young lovers sprinted through the fields with breathless grins. Fires roared while the geth trampled past the destruction left in their wake. Ghosts of an empire cried out as their home was annihilated.

Alyx hadn’t even realized they were holding their breath, not until they felt fingers brush against their own.

They inhaled sharply, and fresh air brought in a rush of oxygen along with it, causing their head to spin.

The memories they could sense around them were replaced with familiar ones, most of them equally as chilling, but familiar nonetheless.

Alyx opened their eyes to stare at Javik.

It was still so strange, seeing him outside of his armor, experimenting with different styles from various species. Civilian attire suited him, though, especially the looser, lighter fabrics that he seemed to prefer.

In spite of themself, Alyx smiled.

Javik spared them a glance, lips parted.

“What?” he asked.

They immediately shook their head.

“It’s nothing.” He leveled them with a curious stare, so Alyx shrugged. “I was just thinking that this is where we first met.”

"That, it is," he replied, then snorted after a second. "Don't tell me you're feeling sentimental, Commander."

"And if I was?" they countered, never one to back down around him. "Would that be so bad?"

He considered that, fingers twitching.

"No, perhaps not." 

For the first time since Alyx knew him, everything about him was so gentle. His voice, his eyes, his touch.

When he reached out to take Alyx's face in his hands, Alyx surrendered to all of the emotions, thoughts, and memories exchanged between them. He traced every single detail, fascinated, and Alyx let him.

Eventually, he asked, "Tell me. What do people like us do when there is no war to be fought?"

A fair enough question. He had been born into battle. It was all he knew when he went to sleep, and it was the first thing he woke up to in a far-distant future.

Alyx knew a time "before" war, but their time on Earth sometimes felt like a battlefield in and of itself.

They placed their hands over his, stopping them in their path, and squeezed.

For that moment, he sounded so lost, and that feeling echoed through Alyx, both of them feeding into the feeling.

That didn't mean they couldn't at least try and make sense of the uncertainty.

"When the war is over, soldiers must find a new purpose," Alyx explained in a whisper. "Easier said than done, I know, but we have to keep going. We build a new life."

They glanced back over their shoulder, the lights from the colony twinkling like stars themselves.

"That's what Eden Prime has always been, right? A beginning and an end. A place where our old lives ended and our new ones began." They took a deep breath to steady the tremor in their voice. "It was where the Reapers' war on this cycle first started, so… I don't know." They gave a half-shrug. "I felt it was fitting to end the post-war victory tour here, to remember those lost."

Even then, off in the distance, they could hear celebrations in full swing. While there was still much to rebuild, scars that needed to heal, the colonists were more than happy to have a reprieve away from all the devastation that had been inflicted upon them, time and time again. They were given a chance to focus on all of the good that life had to offer, so they seized the opportunity.

They definitely earned the break, and then some.

"Figured this was our chance to put the past to rest," Alyx said. Hesitantly, they wrapped their arms around him, but Javik accepted the embrace without complaint. "Together."

Golden eyes stared down at them. For a split second, he glanced towards the colony, humming low in contemplation.

"Together," he said with a hint of finality. "But let's take a walk. You mentioned on the ride here that it's been a while since you've seen the stars from planetside."

"It has been," they stated, wrinkling their nose ever so slightly, "and Earth wasn't exactly known for its views when I grew up there. Too much pollution at the time."

Not to take into account its condition when Alyx was last there, but neither of them mentioned that.

Javik tugged them along instead.

"Then, let's go." He coaxed them away from all of the noise. "We're not going to see much this close to the settlement."

"Yeah," Alyx agreed, "although, if we want the full impact, then we have a long trip ahead of us."

"That's never stopped us before."

"You're right."

And it wasn’t going to stop them now.

They tangled their fingers together, and they set off into the night.

They lost track of time after a while, but that mattered little to them. They continued walking, hand in hand, no matter how many times they faltered.

Cybernetic scars split open Alyx's skin in little, web-like cracks, but they hardly felt as self-conscious about them now as they did when they first woke up after Project Lazarus. The violet lighting glowed, penetrating through the haze of darkness.

Each step forward revealed how Alyx favored one side while walking, a noticeable limp to their right leg that never really went away after the war.

Their right arm was completely prosthetic. Metallic at the moment, but it worked well enough for them.

There were scars from burns that never quite healed right, and pain always lingered, even if nothing more than a dull background noise.

Alyx coped with it as best as they could, took it all in stride, or so they let on.

It was their reminder of all that they had survived, the sacrifices that they made to get to where they were.

It was a reminder that they were still alive, that they got an actual chance to live.

Neither one of them said much throughout their journey, but the unspoken exchanges through touch said enough.

Once they reached the top of a hill that overlooked the main settlement, they came to a stop.

"Shall we have a seat?" Alyx asked, waving towards a spot on the ground.

Javik grumbled, but Alyx knew him long enough to know when he was about to start trolling.

"You mean you didn't bring anything for me to sit on? Unacceptable. I'll have you know that I do not need to settle for these types of condi—"

"Oh, shut up."

With a shove of their biotics, they knocked him onto his ass.

Before he could respond, they were already snuggling up to him, their back to his chest. As they squirmed their way in between his legs, they took his arms and wrapped them around themself, a smug smile upon their lips.

Javik huffed, disgruntled yet fond.

"I think you just like to push me around."

"I like to put you in your place," Alyx corrected, their expression coy. "'Pushing you around,' as you call it, is a part of that at times, but I certainly don't hear you complaining."

A lone grunt of acknowledgement, followed by a pointed silence, was answer enough.

Alyx snickered, nudging him lightly.

"Now, hush. Enjoy the view with me."

Not a difficult order to follow. Away from all the light and noise, the night sky lit up in delight. Stars came out of hiding and brightened for their audience, glittering like precious gems. 

Alyx mapped out that portion of the sky in their mind, seeking out familiar constellations with the eagerness of a child.

Even the soil held onto fragmented remains of those who came before, explorers that charted their course through the vast sea of space.

Perhaps that could be their new purpose. To explore, instead of fighting. Even the Milky Way still had a lot of untouched areas, ready and waiting to be seen.

All things considered, staring up at those stars reminded Alyx how small their corner of the universe truly was.

It might make their lives seem insignificant to some in the grander scheme of things, but Alyx thought that it emphasized the importance of their home all the more, to have so many willing to fight so hard to preserve the integrity of a speck of dust that was lost amongst the sandstorm.

Parting their lips, they released a shaky breath.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" they whispered.

"Yes, you are."

A solid beat passed before they fully processed that, startling even themself by laughing aloud.

"I meant the stars."

"Oh." He sounded extremely unimpressed compared to before. "Then, yeah, they're alright."

Alyx couldn't help but to grin, even as they rolled their eyes.

To think, they had traveled all over the galaxy, met so many people, but they found their solace in the arms of a Prothean. An alien outside of his time.

And while they might not ever be the types for grand gestures or flowery words, they had something that simply worked for them, and that was all that mattered.

Understanding, familiarity, belonging.

Alyx wouldn't trade that for anything.

Turning in his arms, they captured his lips into a kiss. They knew that it was still strange to him, to show affection in such a way, but he never hesitated to kiss them back.

Roaming hands quickly sought out bared skin, so many words communicated at once yet left unsaid.

Right now, they might feel like a couple of worn-out souls, left floating adrift on their own, but Alyx had faith in them. They'd find what awaited them beyond the uncertainty.

Even those lost at sea could one day happen upon a shore.

When the time was right, they wouldn't hesitate.

They would take that first step towards solid ground, towards stability.

And they would do so together.

#mass effect #mass effect trilogy #alyx shepard #themshep #genderfluid shepard #javik #shavik #bluerose answers #bluerose writes

[incorrectinfinity]

I have been hinting at this for over a year now. Now it's finally here.

My full Timekeeper backstory

Buckle up mother fuckers

(ALSO REBLOGS ARE REALLY REALLY APPRECIATED THIS TOOK SO LONG)

Extra Info

Setting: around ~1940's time period technology and style wise, Croissant at this point has no idea what the TBD is but is a plane mechanic training on becoming a pilot. She lives in California (RIP/j) and is friends with Hero Cookie and has a crush on Sandwich Cookie (could be anyone else if you don't like the ship), they're all in their mid twenties. String Gummy Cookie doesn't even exist yet to the story btw.

Info you need to know: the Blessing of Time is what I call Timekeeper's yellow eye thing. You can get it if your eye gets vulnerable to the vacuum of time and you have Time's favor. If you don't you can get blinded (in some cases temporarily others not), spared, or lost to Time itself, think of that like being sucked in a black hole. Once you get Blessed once you cannot get Blessed again (if you get one eye only you can't get the other). The Blessing provides the ability to open time portals and do time blinks without tools. It's special abilities are immunity from time paradoxes and the ability to escape time pockets. Also if you learn it's power well enough you can learn how to stop aging, neat stuff. It affects other physical aspects like causing rapid hair growth or hair yellowing if there is prolonged exposure. Also you can see every timeline at once, which is a bit overwhelming, but you can learn to control and ignore it over time.

Time Infection is a symptom that occurs when a recent/open injury is exposed to a time vacuum. It hurts like hell but instantly seals the injury which can prevent blood loss. It looks like the thing on Ruler's face (or Timebreaker's arm). It has a small chance of spreading beyond the initial injury over time but it is incredibly rare.

Part 1: Croissant Cookie

Croissant was just living their life, building and repairing a variety of aircrafts, getting the hang of piloting controls when it happened.

Boredom.

Every day felt the same, nothing felt special. It was just day in, day out, time passing on as they moved along with it. Sometimes things would change up, like maybe Hero would visit and give them suggestions. Maybe they would go to Sandwich's shop after work. Maybe Cosmos Gear would spill oil on the ground and change up their routine a bit. But those joys and struggles merely made the feeling of monotony come back stronger.

It was agony.

Nothing mattered, even when they got their piloting license, it was just another thing prolonging the inevitable.

That is until Croissant tried something new. They used some of Hero's advice and ideas and changed them up a bit. Nothing special really, anyone could've done it. But it was *something* new.

It was barely anything, a simple pet project. A car that could move without the use of gas!

They finally decided to test it....

And found themself in 1972.

.

Part 2: Something New

After realizing they had no idea what had happened, they calmly parked the car (which looked like nothing compared to the ones that they saw on the street around them), turned off the motor, and LOST THEIR MIND. Where were they!? What had happened!? Why did everything look so weird!?

After their crisis they decided to look for answers. They passed by a newspaper stand and found a clue, November 23rd 1972. Thirty years in the future. They bought the newspaper, which seemed awfully expensive, and tried to get some sort of clue of what was going on. None. They went back to their car and found it surrounded by strange people. They walked up to them, and immediately got arrested. Oops.

They were still just trying to grasp a sense of what the hell was going on when they were questioned. They were informed that they accidentally built a time machine, they were in the custody of a facility that prevented time anomalies called the TBD, and that they had a choice to make.

Go back to their life knowing what the TBD was and be under surveillance by them to be sure that their existence is kept secret.

Or join them as a mechanic, have access to their old life but keep the TBD secret all the same. But, if they do tell anyone the consequences would be more dire.

Old life of monotony or new life of excitement, it was barely even a choice.

.

Part 3: The TBD

To say it was a learning curve would be one hell of an understatement. There were new guidelines, new people, new everything! If was overwhelming, stressful, scary, and the best moments of Croissant's life. With the unknown brought experience, with the people brought friendships, with the new brought exhilaration. Hero and Sandwich just thought they had a hell of a promotion, the kind of stuff that requires secrecy. Life was good.

After a few months they finally got a rhythm in their work, a sense of how the TBD operated. It was like a machine, the separate parts seem to make little sense, but when put together all were necessary.

They learned about history, past and future, they learned about the beginning, the Millennial Tree, the Great Dragon of the Future, a web of mystical beings that balanced the flow of time. The magic hidden in every day life!

Eventually they built up enough confidence to go back to their first time craft.

The "car" hadn't been touched in months, the poor thing had so much potential and now Croissant was ready to bring it there.

Their old pet project was coming back from the dead.

.

Part 4: Rebuild

When they weren't at work they worked on their pet project. If they weren't doing that they were with Hero and/or Sandwich. There was so much excitement they could barely even sleep. There was always something exciting to get into, always something new!

But one day, something changed.

Sandwich had asked to talk to them, in private. She confessed that she'd developed feelings for them over time, and that even if they didn't end up together she wanted to be honest about how she felt. To say Croissant was excited wouldn't cover it. They said that they felt the same way, and their relationship grew from there.

Life continued on. Over time Croissant felt bad about keeping the truth from Sandwich, and finally asked upper management if they could tell her, and at this point Croissant had shown that they were an integral part of the TBD and a very trustworthy employee, so they agreed.

Sandwich obviously questioned this but eventually believed them after being shown some evidence. She had to adjust to it a bit but eventually she just kinda accepted it and agreed to keep the TBD hidden.

Croissant was still working hard on their own projects, after calling the time craft done they decided to move on to a more comfortable pair of goggles for the TBD employees to wear. An easier project than an entire time craft but still important! After prototyping and experimenting for a few weeks they finally had a working model, now it was just time to test it.

.

Part 5: Blessed

The test went well!

Of course trying it out in a time void wasn't the only thing they had to do to make sure they worked well, but still! A working prototype was very handy. After another few weeks it was time for the final test.

It was just like normal, it worked well! And then it happened, a lense cracked.

Exposure.

They lost conscious immediately.

This was it, they were done. They were going to be ripped to shreds, spread across time, remain separated until the sun combusts, and be in conscious agony the entire time. Their hubris had finally caught up with them. Their endless desire for more in life brought about their end. Kind of poetic if you think-- wait they were alive.

Their auto emergency response in their aircraft turned on and brought them to their home timeline.

They woke up crashed in an empty field. At least they think they did. They couldn't tell. Not because they couldn't see, but because they could see everything.

Every possible outcome that could spawn from where they layed. Some where they had died, some where they got up immediately with nothing but a few injuries, some still where they were still unconscious, some where they looked incredibly different, and some where they weren't in the crash site at all. They stayed in that field for a long time, everything was happening and everything was visible. They saw beautiful things, horrible things, impossible things. All at once.

They had achieved the Blessing of Time.

As they remained there, they thought about a lot of things. How they got here, how everything in their life had been foreseen how most of those things have resulted from incredible luck or insane coincidences. About how their attempts of control were meaningless. About how their life was meaningless.

They don't know when they lost consciousness again.

.

Part 6: New Normal

When they woke up they could see better They found themself in a TBD hospital, their time craft had set off an emergency beacon. Besides the Blessing, they only had minor physical injuries. Their craft was worse for wear but it still worked without much issue. Their exposed eye though, that's where things were strange.

Their brown iris turned yellow, their pupil was replaced with a swirl, their sclera was slightly red. Very much not normal. Croissant had to hide it, people would ask questions that they couldn't answer.

Hero would ask questions they couldn't answer.

The cookies at the TBD and Sandwich would be the only ones to know. It's for the best. They were given an eyepatch at the hospital, maybe they could make one of their own later.

When they were about to leave the hospital they were informed that they had been unconscious for three days, and nobody had been told where they were. Lovely.

They immediately went to go see Sandwich and explain what had happened. She had been understandably terrified when Croissant had been gone without a trace for three days, but she regained composure after Croissant explained what had happened. She still didn't fully understand what the Blessing meant or did, but to be fair nobody truly does. They told Hero that a stray bolt had shot out of an engine due to unregulated pressure and had hit them near enough to the eye that it'd mostly blinded it. He didn't ask many questions about the incident after.

Now it was about adjusting. They had two weeks off work (it was going to be a month but they cut it short themself) and they learned what affects the Blessing had on them. They felt constantly on edge, they sometimes lost control and had visions, they found it harder to sleep and eat, and overall it Wasn't Great. But after getting more and more used to it, they decided to test their new abilities.

It started with blinks, which they learned they could do on accident (they were walking in a hallway and then suddenly found themself on the roof). They figured out how to move certain distances and directions and soon they were barely even walking around their workshop. Then it was portals, not an accident. They had read about it many months ago and decided that there was no harm in trying it themself. They were harmed, of course.

It took longer to figure out than the blinks, but when they did they immediately lost consciousness, to add insult to injury it was barely even a portal, it was only around the size of a tennis ball. But they were ecstatic, they made a PORTAL. With their HAND. It was just another skill to learn and master.

All things considered, were ok. They took it slow. They were ready for things to go back to normal, and maybe they could. Hell, maybe even better than normal. They were alive against the odds, and they weren't letting their life go to waste.

.

Part 7: Promotion

[Two months later]

It had been a relatively good month, nothing had gone catastrophically wrong so far which was a good sign! The only thing they noticed is that that their hair was starting to look pale, but they accounted that to general stress.

This was the first period of time they'd had in a while where things could be described as "good." They saw less visions, had less accidental blinks, and their ability to open portals was improving with every attempt! They also learned to balance their work life with their personal life for the first time, like, ever so that was pretty nice. They had good relationships with the people at the TBD and their friendship with Hero had never been stronger, they were even talking about moving in with Sandwich.

And then, like all things do, it changed. Not for the better, not even for the worse, but things did change.

The Director retired. Croissant hadn't known them well but she seemed nice, if a bit eccentric. She had done a good job despite barely being there which had to be worth something.

But now it was time to pick a new Director, and to their surprise, Croissant was a candidate.

Croissant had no idea how that even happened,* but they had apparently applied weeks ago and it was too late to back out according to HR. Well then, ok. Croissant barely payed attention to the election, it was no use worrying about.

And then they won it.

They were the Director now. Yet another learning curve to conquer. They had the promotion of a lifetime, the only promotion they didn't want. But it was far too late to back out now.

Their TBD friends seemed to act more timid around them, it hurt. Hopefully it wouldn't be like that for long. They wouldn't be someone to be afraid of, they'd just be a person like everyone else. Trying to do the right thing like they'd been doing for what felt like thousands of years now. It was overwhelming and stressful but it was just one more thing to help evade the endless pit of monotony they fell into oh so long ago.

After a few days they gained a sort of rhythm. A different rhythm than the one they had before, but it was something. Croissant's life had taken such a sudden left turn they were practically grasping at straws at this point. Every new day brought upon a mountain of paper work to sort through, it felt like there was no time for anything. The balance they'd built had been thrown off, but it wasn't anything they hadn't seen before. Croissant might've been a position they didn't feel qualified for, but that's how they felt when they began at the TBD. They were determined to succeed.

And they did.

Miraculously they did, they regained control. It felt easy, almost too easy, just a bit of patience and a lot of learning, but they did it. With their balance regained, Croissant finally got to work on improving the TBD.

First of all, don't kidnap potential employees. That seemed like a no brainer.

Secondly, and this saw some push back, start to be more honest about the existence of the TBD. Allow employees to tell those closest to them the truth if they wanted to. Of course it would be regulated, you needed permission, but maybe that would make the TBD feel less like a secret government organization and more like a place of safety regulation instead, less intimidating.

But Croissant wasn't the only one who got a promotion. Sandwich had been making strides with her sandwich shop and even started talking about multiple locations! But there was something she was hiding, something that she didn't even think would happen, but it did.

She had received investments, big ones. With them she could open a shop out of state, it was an opportunity she couldn't give up.

The catch was that as her business moved, she moved with it. She had to move.

And it was finally time to tell the truth.

.

Part 8: The wave

Sandwich brought Croissant to the beach, somewhere beautiful. Somewhere neutral.

Sandwich told Croissant what had happened, most of which they already knew. They were as excited as Sandwich was, but then Sandwich confessed what she had kept from them. She had to leave, and she wanted to know if Croissant was willing to go with her, and they couldn't. Sandwich understood, but she also knew a romantic long distance was practically impossible for her.

Their romantic relationship was over.

And in the weeks that followed after Croissant lost their balance again. They began working more and more, ignoring other responsibilities. When Sandwich finally left, they said goodbye with Hero. In that moment, knowing that it was truly over, they felt a piece of them die.

They let work completely run their life. Wake up, eat, work, sleep, repeat. Sometimes they didn't even leave their office for days on end. Their hair became a pale yellow, it was longer than they'd ever had it before, but they didn't care enough to cut it. If Croissant couldn't take care of themself, they would take care of the TBD. That was their only priority. So they started working on something that could help them do it.

Months passed by, and at this point, the monotony that they had experienced so many years ago had began to creep back in. They barely left the TBD now, and someone had started getting especially worried.

.

Part 9: The inciting incident

Hero had been having it rough as of late. He had recently lost most of his arm forearm in a battle with Cyborg that nearly cost him his life, so he had to build a completely new one. He had to say goodbye to one of his closest friends, and his other friend... was in a "complicated headspace."

Hero Cookie hadn't even heard from Croissant in months. He had even heard from Sandwich that they hadn't responded to any of her telegraphs, which seemed especially strange. It was clear Croissant needed time to process, despite what they tried to tell him, but it had been a very long time. Croissant was the most reliable person he knew, the fact they'd ignored their friends for so long was concerning. So he decided to visit. He'd sent a letter saying when he'd come over, no response. Only more reason to go.

He arrived at their apartment and miraculously they were home, they never seemed to be home. The apartment itself had seen better days. There were papers everywhere, some with blueprints for machines that he could barely even process, others forgotten paperwork (that seemed pretty important). There were machine parts on the ground, like they'd dropped a box or something and didn't bother picking them up. And Croissant themself seemed undeniably... different.

Their hair was much longer than it was since he had last seen them, it was completely blonde, and instead of their classic braid it was held in two loose loops. And they answered the door without their eye covering. Hero had never seen anything like it, their iris was a golden color with a white swirl. Clearly not the result of a bolt.

They welcomed him in warmly, they didn't seem surprised to see him in the slightest. Hero thought that confirmed that they'd been purposely ignoring him and Sandwich's attempts of contacting them, Croissant was hiding from both of them.

They both sat on the couch and Croissant immediately began the small talk. Something felt off. They seemed almost too eager to lead the conversation, which seemed didn't really feel like something that would be out of the ordinary. It was something about how they talked that seemed almost scripted, like they'd been practicing. That was when Hero noticed the letter he sent on a table, completely unopened, barely even touched.

How did they know that he'd be there?

That's when he took control of the conversation.

Where had they been? Why were they ignoring their friends? What the hell happened to their eye? What were these blueprints? What was their secret job?

And after a long pause, they answered them all truthfully.

Working. They didn't matter. They were Blessed. A personal project. They were the director of the Time Balance Department.

That only left Hero with more questions than answers, so Croissant elaborated.

They had been lying to him for years, they were not a pilot or a mechanic in the traditional sense. They specialized in "time crafts," machines that can withstand the void of time and were powerful enough to open time portals. The Blessing was a side effect of eye exposure in a time vacuum, it could allow them to do a few special abilities, and they'd been lying about it for a long time. Their special project was a unique time craft that worked without having to use something similar to a traditional vehicle. When they showed him the final prototype it looked similar to a pair of scissors, just much larger.

It was at that moment Hero realized how desperately Croissant needed help. Time travel??? He practically refused it.

He shifted the conversation a bit towards how they were actually doing. If they were they eating, if they were sleeping, the last time they had talked to anyone, how often they were spending working on their project. This time Hero didn't get a relevant response. All he got was a short sentence.

"I'm leaving this timeline, and I'm not coming back."

They said it with venom in their voice, it went silent. They continued, they said that there was nothing left here for them but pain and boredom. Here was actually the only thing keeping them here, but he had apparently made his choice. There was nothing left here.

Hero couldn't react before they opened a portal.

They both stood in front of it, a swirling oval that lifted off of the ground, it seemed impossible, it was so flat it looked two dimensional. Croissant said their farewell, but as they stepped towards it Hero's instincts kicked in. His mechanical arm had multiple uses, and he had a hidden blaster in the wrist.

Croissant turned back right as the blast came toward them.

It hit dead in their good eye, and shot them through the portal with their scissors just as the portal closed. They were gone. Hero was alone in Croissant's apartment. Hero had just killed one of his closest friends.

What had just happened?

.

Part 9.5: Sandwich Cookie

It had been a long day. As Sandwich got home from a business meeting they were greeted with a letter from Hero.

As she read through it, she found it harder and harder to process what the words said.

When she finally understood what it meant, it still felt unreal.

Then it hit. The understanding hit like a tsunami.

Croissant was dead, and Hero had killed them.

She collapsed on the floor in tears.

.

Part 10: Timekeeper Cookie

Croissant woke up in a ticking void, if a void could have a floor. Their eye hurt like hell, it didn't even work. The noise of ticking clocks drilled into their ears. They thought about what had just happened while on the cold floor of the void as their injuries were slowly consumed by time infection. As they thought through the pain reality set in. This wasn't a normal time vacuum, it wasn't even a time pocket, time pockets don't make noise. Where were they? From what they could see it was... purpley. Oh what did it matter anyway? Nothing mattered. If they live, if they die it will all continue the same. The only people they had truly made an impact on were traitors, they'd known about this possibility for a long time. The possibility of Hero crossing the line and asking questions he doesn't want to know the answer to. They studied how that conversation could've gone over and over, but in the end they couldn't change the outcome. They were too afraid to look beyond it that possibility, the future was a mystery even to them. So now what? There's nothing left for them at their home timeline. Maybe it's a shame, or maybe it's an opportunity.

No oblivious old friends to meddle with things they don't understand. No need for relationships that end for unfortunate reasons. No responsibilities to manage. No taxes to pay. No people to please. No planes to crash. No innocents to fail.

All they had was the TBD and they knew it. They were painfully aware. They looked at their prototype from across the floor. As they did they saw other versions of themself in the same situation, sometimes there were people with them, sometimes they were in a different void, but all of them knew what they had left behind. And they all new the gift they had been given, the gift of a fresh start.

Croissant got up. Croissant. Hm. What use did that name serve now anyway? Croissant. It didn't describe them at all anymore. If this was going to be the mark of a new beginning, they might as well start there. Hmmmm, oh!

Timekeeper got up and limped over to their pride and joy. The thing that would get them out of here. The thing that would change their life forever. But before they could touch it, they heard something strange.

L̴͓̀ḯ̴̡͖v̷̞̗́̀ė̸̡̩,̸̭͖͝ ̸̱̭̉y̶̭̍͋ͅȏ̴̹u̸̙̜̓n̶̡̖̒g̶͉̔͝ ̸̭̓ò̷̡ń̷̙͚̚e̵̻̦̋

A voice had appeared from the ticking. A loud, booming voice that came from no where. It was hard to understand, and impossible to know where it came from, but Timekeeper understood what it was.

They were in the living breathing presence of Time** itself.

And as the ticking returned to its normal rhythm again, Timekeeper smiled. They had Time on their side. They had the most powerful time craft at their disposal, and they had a lot of fun to be had.

No more hesitation.

No more rules.

No more Croissant Cookie.

Timekeeper used their precious weavers, and got back to work.

*the previous Director was another Timekeeper Variant. They signed Croissant up for it themself. Timekeepers are the worst.

**Yes Time is a living thing in this universe, no it is not a cookie lmao. It has no real physical form besides a floating eye.

Oh and Hero's blaster is weak. Powerful enough to take out an eye, not powerful enough to take out a brain. Also by the end of the story Timekeeper had been working at the TBD for around seven years, ik it's not clear in the story but I am not writing seven years worth of character growth I am TIRED.

Ok: what just happened?

So basically Croissant was ruined mentally because of the break up. They gave up on trying to have any sort of healthy balance with their work and personal life. And once they got back into a cycle of just working, after a while it got boring again. The most exciting thing they have experienced because monotonous. That ruined them. They began trying their best to make it more interesting. Peeking into the future with their Blessing, blinking everywhere, learning how to float, and working on their own project: the Time Weavers. During this period they began realizing how small and insignificant their life was. They were having one hell of a terrible time.

After seeing the possibilities of Hero's visit, it terrified them. They began prepping for it weeks in advance, but it didn't do much. Most of the situation was out of their control anyways, besides one thing.

Turning back.

How does Clockmaker fit in this?

Clockmaker is a Timekeeper variant that emerged when Hero decided to actually use his brain and shot Croissant into a wall instead of the portal. They actually got help and learned to actually enjoy life. After a while they began to forgive Hero for taking out their eye and they rebuilt their friendship!

There are other endings where Croissant is shot through the portal but is actually found by Fire Sprit or Eternal Tree (a version of Millennial Tree me and my brother made a long time ago)

That's pretty much it, thank you SO much for reading. This is the longest thing I have ever written by FAR and I just wanna thank you for sticking with me through my spaghetti thoughts.

And for those who are curious:

4.7k words and 27k characters

#infinity's cookie run lore #cookie run #cookie run ovenbreak #timekeeper cookie #🎀.txt