#to see an apocalyptic level threat before it happens

[eleooooooo]

wip Wednesday I guess

#how horrifying would it have been #to see an apocalyptic level threat before it happens #and no one takes you seriously #I must have him tortured and feverish and having visions ough

[beanghostprincess]

Weird self indulgent bullcrap but hear me out okay-

Seraphim Buggy.

The strawhats get to Egghead and there's so much going on, it's wild and crazy and things start calming down after a bit, but then one group manages to find a tube in the far back. Luffy is staring HARD at the little body, battered and bloodied, white hair floating like a curtain in the solution, but the round red nose is a huge give away. He recognizes that nose. He recognizes that face.

"Is that... Buggy?" Nami is confused, hesitant. Zoro frowns at the tube, at the injuries on the child's body, bruises and scrapes and filth.

Luffy is silent before he hauls back and punches the tube with a Haki coated fist. The others yelp, scold him, Chopper shrieks bc they don't know if that will hurt the kid, but-

It doesn't even crack.

They stare.

Franky and Chopper dive to the control panel to try releasing the child, while Luffy is still staring at the unconscious body. Usopp is equally quiet, both assessing and reaching out. They know Buggy in varying amounts, but absolutely nothing about this kid feels Right. There's a wickedly sharp undercurrent, even unconscious, that makes even Luffy wary.

They get him out, he's still unconscious, but he's safe. Chopper begins working on patching his wounds up, and midway through the kid's presence locks down to near nothing before white-gold eyes snap open. Luffy meets the gaze easily, inclines his head slightly, seeing the minute tension the ripples across the tiny clown's frame. S-Buggy blinks for a moment, then reaches out.

Luffy let's him touch the hat.

The kid is silent for a moment before he croaks a soft "bro...ther..."

They take him with them. Over the course of it all, they find out why the kid was locked away in stasis, learn just what they released from the tube, but the little seraphim is so taken with Luffy and is so happy to just cling and be clung to that they have issues believing that THIS is the demon the others were mentioning, the monster that had been locked away for everyone's safety. It doesn't help that this is BUGGY and any iteration of the clown being powerful just seems ridiculous.

Then something happens. And little S-Buggy causes a near apocalyptic level of damage.

None of the crew is killed in the rampage, none so much as injured by the little jester boy, but it begins painting things in a new light.

By the end of it all, as they're leaving, Luffy tells the crew to contact the Cross Guild. "A pirate ship isn't safe for kids," he says with finality. They nod. He keeps S-Bug distracted, they actually make efforts to AVOID fighting, miserable though it leaves some, and they soon meet up with the Guild.

"Uncle," Luffy calls out, shocking everyone in earshot, especially when Buggy greets him back.

Luffy knows a lot more about Buggy and Shanks' childhoods than most do, pieced together from times when he was small and begging Shanks to bring him with the crew, when he and Buggy had time spent together, especially on the way to Marineford. So when he saw this like Seraphim, felt the Haki, saw the damage, he knew this was out of his wheelhouse. He was going to be King of the Pirates, not because he idolized Gol D. Roger, but because he was going to be better than him.

By Davy Jones as his witness, he would be better.

Buggy is mildly annoyed, confused, exasperated, but then Luffy meets his eyes dead on, steady, and says "He hasn't learned control yet."

And suddenly, Buggy understands. He winces. Hisses through his teeth. "Fuck."

"Yeah."

"No Red, then?"

"No. But he saw my hat, called me brother."

"Fucking hell."

"A ship is no place for a kid," Luffy says, voice surprisingly mature to most who know him. "But an island..."

"Yeah," Buggy sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. "Shit. Yeah, an island is safer. Has he imprinted?"

"I dunno, but he's pretty docile if there's no perceived threat."

Buggy groans, but opens his arms to take the child, giving the kid warning of touch, an open offer. The little seraphim hesitates for a moment before diving towards the older pirate.

Crocodile, Mihawk, and the strawhats all watch on in varying stages of confusion while the two captains talk.

There are many questions to be asked, curiosities to be quenched, but for now? Karai Bari offers docking overnight, and a new resident is welcomed to the island.

Right now I can only think about,, How cute a seraphim Buggy would be,, And also, Buggy and Luffy's relationship here?? My beloveds 😭 Everyone is so confused and doesn't understand why they know so much about each other and get along so well because Luffy is the master of never talking about his past unless he's asked,, Really happy this little Buggy can be with Buggy, though, always saying Cross Guild as dads with the Seraphims is an amazing concept.

#also don't ever show seraphim buggy to shanks he's going to love him and be annoying af #'he's so cute buggy he's just like you look at him he's adorable' and he spends hours being annoying #honestly valid bc kid buggy is the cutest fucking thing #one piece #buggy the clown #cross guild

[twinanimatronics]

HI! :D

I've been into sams for a while and I always enjoy your reactions to the show as it progresses! Your blog was actually one of the main reasons I got into it haha!

So I wanted to ask, just because I love talking about this stuff! Regarding Eclipse, what are your thoughts about a redemption arc for him?

Personally I'm very divided on the matter, because on one hand, there have been glimpses into his deepest insecurities and his weak points, and it seems to me that he is awfully lonely. But on the other hand, it really has all been his doing because time and time again he was offered chances to compromise and talk and he always preferred being petty and chose to satisfy his urges to be violent and make others suffer, so technically his loneliness is a situation of his own making and he refuses to see it.

Before he decided to kill Lunar and started to appear exclusively to try and torture Sun and Moon (which I find funny and a bit nostalgic as a return to his original messing with them in the early days), I would have thought a redemption a bit more likely, but as he has not only backstabbed everyone he decided to team up with once again, he decided to break his deal with Monty about not harming Lunar, and basically modified everyone's memories to force them into adoring him (which again goes back to him feeling lonely but thinking empty praise like that is satisfying to him), and he keeps making threats everywhere he goes, I just feel it might not be very likely at all.

There is an argument to make though, that he could have his redemption arc after all, if we take into account what Sun points out about the double standards and arbitrary rules about who is allowed to do what. But I guess in a way it's stated that Eclipse just crosses all the lines without a care. Apocalyptic levels of evil is just a whole other level I think. And there's also the matter that at this point he has basically wronged every character across all the shows.

Minus Earth in a way.

Speaking of which! I think her interaction with him was very interesting! I think she might be able to get him to realize stuff about himself, but I don't see him pushing down his pride to admit it to anyone. I'm interested to see if after that threat he made, he will actually try to hurt her out of wanting to hurt Sun and Moon or to lash out at her for trying to help him. Or if maybe he will find it harder to target her because she is so genuine in wanting to help him be better. On one hand he hated Lunar, the one person who basically loved him as soon as he was created, so it's not that all he needs is love or something like that. He made sure to destroy that very quickly. But in the other hand maybe Earth's outsider perspective, who is kind not because she was created to please his ego, but because she wants to be, can put a crack on his walls?

But then again, there's also that other dimension in which he won but did not change at all. He refuses to change and I also sort of want to see that be his downfall. I love how opposite KC is to him in that way, since it only took KC the chance to live and experience the world outside of his code to do some self-reflection and understand his understanding was actually flawed and that there was much to appreciate of the world, where Eclipse instead has had so much time on his own to live in the world and yet refuses to do anything that isn't just have his fun and satisfy his greed for power.

Ahhh, so many factors to consider! Personally I lean more towards not wanting Eclipse to be redeemed, but I would like to see him have to go through some development whether he wants to or not XD But I’m very interested in what you think!

Also! I totally agree in what you say about waiting for him to break! One of these days he'll be forced to confront all the truths that he has not wanted to listen to and I'm so excited to see what will happen then! He is such a cool villain so far and I love him so much as an interesting character!

Ah.

Looking at this, it turned out so much longer than I meant it to, gfkdjhgf Sorry for rambling in your inbox! XD

(Also no pressure to answer this since I know it's a lot and stuff, though I can come off anon if you'd like to answer privately? I'm just shy kfjdhgñkhj)

So yeah! Keep doing what you are doing, you have a lovely day! ^_^

Tbh the only way I see Eclipse being redeemed is if he gets reset to baby like Moon

And I mean like

In the same fashion as Pride from FMA:Brotherhood

Demon hellspawn becomes the innocent child he always originally was.

#sams #the sun and moon show

[givemewallywestorgivemedeath]

Oh actually before I forget

^ Klarion is talking about the Fraction here, aka the alien invaders in One Minute War.

So to break down what Klarion's talking about: When he's talking about the balance shifting and "before [the world] was ordered. You know all about it, don't you Mr. West?" he's talking about when Wally shuffled reality around. Klarion is probably pissed at Wally because reality was chaotic and then Wally waltzed in and started fixing it.

Then he says "you've been in the chair" referencing when Wally was in the Mobius chair (which was powered by Dr. Manhattan at the time). The chair grants omniscience and well, basically turns you into a god.

He says that Wally knows about the Darkness (Dark Crisis villain), "what's happening with hypertime" (The New Golden Age), and.... yeah I'm not well versed enough in magic dc to know what he's referencing with the Lords of Order (possibly also The New Golden Age?).

Then Wally insists that he doesn't know, actually, and Klarion tells him that he's lying and then Wally starts vibrating and glowing.

But the final part is the relevant part to One Minute War. The Fraction is on their way. They aren't ready.

Beyond Klarion insinuating that Wally kept the powers from the chair (when he says "even with your mind") this is extremely interesting because it puts the Fraction at a way higher level. They're on Klarion's radar.

This is actually the second time they are referenced as well. Anyone remember the Mad Max universe that Max and Jesse went to? It was an apocalyptic world because they'd already been hit by the Fraction. They stripped all of their resources and left them with nothing.

There's also been a third reference since then. The multiversal wrestling league only fights on worlds that have an impending apocalypse. They chose Earth because its days are numbered.

It's just really interesting to see how much of a threat the Fraction really is before OMW hits.

#this is actually something Jeremy Adams talked about in an interview. that wally kept some of the chairs powers. so thats... thats canon #because wally needed to be more godlike #one minute war #dc #dc comics #the flash #kid flash #wally west

[dzthenerd490]

Document of Interest: K Class Scenarios

The Foundation contains anomalies to better understand them and see if they can be possibly utilized to better the Foundation's understanding of technology and science. However not all anomalies can be utilized and instead can be quite hazardous if not utilized properly. The common anomaly can cause a dozen casualties on its own but there are also anomalies that can wipeout entire countries, even the world. When an anomaly is capable of something like this it is all the more reason they are to be contained and understood to prevent such a thing from happening. Below is a list of possible Scenarios of what could happen if anomalies are left in the wrong hands or to their own devices. The Foundation refer to these as K Class Apocalyptic Scenarios, K standing for Keter as Keter Class Anomalies are the most likely to cause these scenarios.

- AK Class Memetically Spread Behavior Scenario - when societal norms begin to change. Such examples include: saying hello being replaced with kissing strangers on the lips, drinking water no longer considered essential or even normal, worrying about safety being replaced with taking more risks, and money being considered essential to living a normal life.

- BK Class Before Invasion Scenario - When an invasion from another dimension is imminent. All known threats that can activate said scenario are extradimensional aliens, GoI: The Black Queen's Insurgency, GoI: The Three Moon's Initiative, GoI: The Factory, or an SCP Foundation of superior power.

- CK Class Reality Reconstruction Scenario - When an anomaly changes random aspects of reality of both big and small degree. Can either lead to normalcy being completely destroyed or the eventual extinction of humanity and/ or the destruction of earth. 

- DK Class Dead Greenhouse Scenario - When all of humanity on earth is dead but the earth is still available for habitation. The earth has not been destroyed or claimed by a Species of Interest or hostile GoI form another dimension.

- EK Class End of Human Consciousness Scenario - When the consciousness of all humanity gets obliterated, corrupted, or infiltrated by an anomaly. 

- FK Class Collapse of Chemistry Scenario - As the name implies a dreaded scenario when the laws of physics have altered down to the atomic level. The only recorded instance of this scenario happened was when an alternate SCP Foundation unfortunately had a CC Class Scenario where the carbon element was no longer able to support or create life. 

- GK Class Hostile Greenhouse Scenario - When the environment or climate of the earth has become deadly to humanity. 

- HK Class Deific Subjugation Scenario - When a god has appeared to take over earth and humanity. Scenario Qualifies for both hostile and benevolent Deity Class Anomalies. 

- IK Class Collapse of Global Civilization Scenario - When every aspect of civilization all over the world has collapsed either due to anomalous influence on humanity or massive destruction all over the world. Has a broad range of possible sources, as such can possibly happen alongside another K Class Apocalyptic Scenario. 

- JK Class Eternal Despair Scenario - When multiple anomalies cause an XK Class Scenario at once, leading to a scenario where the earth or humanities chances of survival are beyond recovery. Even if it is possible to survive, just living becomes such a struggle that dying seems more merciful by comparison. 

- KK Class Anomalous Reclaim Scenario - when all known and unknown anomalous Species of Interest reclaim the earth.

- LK Class Species Transmutation Scenario - When one or multiple aspects of humanity is altered into something else. In the worst case, the result is something extremely anomalous. 

- MK Class Broken Masquerade Scenario - When the anomalous world and/ or the SCP Foundation becomes common knowledge to the public. 

- NK Class Grey Goo Scenario - When an anomaly is able to self-replicate and does so to the point that it either fills the world or breaks the veil of secrecy before it can be stopped and contained. 

- OK Class Omega Species Uprising Scenario - When Multiple Large Scale Class Anomalies reveal themselves to the public and/ or reck havoc on humanity. Leading to unavoidable change or destruction on earth.

- PK Class Singularity Scenario - When an all-powerful anomaly collapses several timelines and dimensions together to create a single reality that is incredibly unstable. The only known example of this is The Reset. 

- QK Class Quantum Degeneracy Scenario - When an anomaly is able to change the laws of physics of our universe resulting irreversible destruction and possible the end of the world.

- RK Class Broken Alliance Scenario - When the Foundation is betrayed by one of, a few, or all the organizations within the ACPA. Leading to a civil war the Foundation will not win or not win without great loss. 

- SK Class Dominance Shift Scenario - When a Species of Interest overtakes humanity as the dominant species. The less likely chance for this scenario is when humanity declares war against a previously unknown Species of Interest, changing humanity forever. 

- TK Class Restructuring Scenario - A restructuring of all aspects of reality in our universe, our timeline the laws of chemistry and physics, as well as the human consciousness. The closest example to this is The Reset.

- UK Class Foundation Domination Scenario - [Data Expunged by Order of the 05 Council]

- VK Class Diplomatic Break Down Scenario - When relations with a powerful extra-dimensional organization or God fails leading to a war for reality. 

- WK Mass Extinction Scenario - When a non-human species on earth gets wiped out by either an anomaly or the incompetence of humanity. Leading to possibly irreversible damage to the ecosystem of a certain area and possible the earth.

- XK Class end of the World Scenario - When one or more anomalies causes a massive amount of destruction on the earth and/ or a massive loss of human life. The most common of the K Class Scenarios.

- YK Class Spontaneous Consciousness Spontaneous Scenario - When originally inanimate objects around the world start to suddenly come to live with various degrees of consciousness and develop various degrees of anatomy similar to humans. 

- ZK Class Reality Failure Scenario - When aspects of our reality get destroyed one by one until it reaches the point that all of reality fall apart and gets destroyed. Typically caused by anomalies that can destroy anything without limitations. 

.

SCP: HMF Documents of Interest Hub

#DZtheNerd #SCP: Horror Movie Files #SCP Foundation #SCP Fanfiction #SCP AU #SCP #Document of Interest #SCP Document of Interests #K Class Scenario

[coldgoldlazarus]

I've kinda talked about this before, but I think one of the big reasons I'm not as much a fan of the Ignition Trilogy is kinda summed up by how superfluous the Matoran characters felt after a certain point.

Ironically 2006, my least favorite year of the arc, does pretty decently on this front (Voya Nui resistance my beloved) even if that's offset by Ow the Edge™, but 2007 and especially 2008 kinda really drop the ball here.

I think part of it, in all fairness, is the fault of the book reduction from 5 per year to only 3, so the pacing had to be a bit more conceise and accelerated; there wasn't as much room for detours or sidestories such as Tales Of The Masks, The Darkness Below, Maze Of Shadows, or Legacy Of Evil. On the other hand, the Serials started happening to sort of make up for that and fill in the gaps, but without as much restriction they kinda spiraled off into a whole other thing, for better or for worse. Either way, somewhere in that shuffle, the supporting matoran fell through the cracks, leaving the bulk of the character investment to fall squarely on the Toa and that year's villains.

Why is this a bad thing? Because this is the point and the way, I feel, that Bionicle lost the trees for the forest.

The bigger scale of the Ignition trilogy isn't inherently a bad thing, not at all IMO; the story and world were expanding drastically, yet still naturally. The stakes being raised so high, even if it was initially offputting in 06, overall was the right way to go, finally giving all the payoffs to everything the first five years set up. I have my gripes with some elements of the worldbuilding tone and Greg Edge™, (said with outmost respect) but ultimately, not a bad call. All the same, I think it wasn't as effective as it could have been at delivering everything it did, because the focus shifted away from the smaller-scale happenings instead of keeping them in mind in addition to the bigger picture.

Quick detour here. Even if 01 is somewhat overplayed in the fandom now, I still think one of the reasons it was so successful wasn't just in the aesthetic or tone, but in its immersiveness. A lot of this is thanks to Templar Studios' work, of course; you got to see everything from a Matoran-eye view, get to know the island and inhabitants and culture inside and out, along with seeing the Toa's adventures. You became invested not just in the ones saving the day, but who they're saving the day for.

On the other hand 2004 didn't have a direct MNOG analogue, but here the books took up the slack; between the Toa Metru's status as only recently-transformed from Matoran and thus still in touch with the city's workings, the Disk-finder Matoran also being a pretty big feature for the first half of the year, and the time and space to fit in sidestories like The Darkness Below, you still got a fairly solid sense of the city and its people, even without as grand a cast of background extras like the Templar games and animations. Even 2005, with its radically darker feeling and post-apocalyptic version of the city, still continued to develop it and the inhabitants in a somber, post-mortem sort of way, and even in how the new threats in the Visorak and their leaders interacted with what was already there.

Now, I will admit that just on a fundamental structural level, expecting that same level of depth from the Ignition Trilogy, which was set up as more of an epic traveling adventure, hopping to a new location with each new year, would just be dumb. All the same, I still think it would have worked better if they'd maintained at least some level of detail more than was actually there.

Also, credit where it's due; again, despite all the edginess and grimness that made me so against 06 for so long, it still did a decent job in this regard. Again, the Voya Nui Resistance Team is one of that year's saving graces, giving us a group of Matoran intrinsically tied to the new island to sort of fast-track insight into how things work there, both before and after the Piraka's takeover. Similarly, even if it's honestly pretty grindy and repetitive, the Voya Nui Online Game also helps with this, giving the island a consistent map with actual landmarks and stuff, again lending depth and detail about on par with the Metru Nui saga, give or take. On a similar note, before the downsizing hit, City Of The Lost was able to set up Mahri Nui in a similar way; even if it says something that there were fewer small sets for that year, that book still managed to give us a pretty solid cast of Matoran to be invested in along with setting up the Barraki, before most of them wound up getting shunted off into one of the serials.

But yeah, after that point they kinda stopped being relevant, and 2008 whiffed it hard with their Matoran. There were good ideas there, I at least found Gavla interesting as someone who embraced the transformation into a Shadow Matoran, but outside of a certain stupid fandom meme gone out of control, I couldn't tell you a thing about the other five or how they lived in Karda-Nui; the only real landmark there was the Codrex, and everything else fell to the wayside.

Another detour. If each major arc has a central theme or focus to it, I think it would be these. The original years would probably be Unity (duh, with all the arguing and making up the Mata/Nuva did, lol) and not so much mystery as something to be solved, but Unknowns. Lots of questions were raised, but few answered. Metru-Nui was structured around mystery in a more typical sense, each book raising a question with the answers driving the plot forward, and as I said in an older post, it was also about loss and exile. In a lot of ways Metru-Nui needed to fall, but the Toa Metru still lost everything familiar in that, before moving on to build something new and better on Mata Nui.

The Ignition Trilogy, in addition to finally answering a lot of the questions set up by prior years and even questions we didn't even realize were questions until now, (see the GSR reveal) is also about the inevitability of death, and the end of the world as we know it. Sure, they averted Mata Nui dying altogether, but nonetheless it took Matoro's sacrifice, and Makuta won the day in the end, completing his grand plan.

So if anything, it's because of that that I think the travelogue structure, exploring new locations with each new year, was the right move. The full scale and impact of all of this just wouldn't be felt at all, if the action had stayed focused up in Metru Nui the whole time; this truly felt like a vast, all-encompassing thing. But that's also why the lackluster development of some of those new locations and their inhabitants somewhat bugs me too; after all, if you're facing down the end of the world, wouldn't it be better to be invested in what you're losing?

#not a reblog #bionicle #bonkle #bonkles #random rambling

[redmoonwanderer]

Lessons

Prompt: Grand companies Wondrous Tails Masterpost

Summary: Taking the eager but inexperienced recruits out for a mission is never easy, and usually, it’s the Warrior of Light who pays the prize. Characters: WoL OC, Alphinaud Leveilleur, Thancred Waters

________

Alphinaud doesn’t lift his eyes from the book he’s reading when he hears the door to Rising Stones open. The rhythm of the steps is familiar enough, even if the clanking of the armor is a rarer thing to hear.

It’s when he picks up on the dragging of metal (that he knows to be a larger-than-should-be-legal sword) against the stone floor that he does look up, because that’s almost unheard of as the warrior has respect for his weapons.

He nearly slams the book on the table in his rush to get up when he sees Qhol’a. “By the Twelve, are you alright?!”

The large sword Qhol’a placed against the wall, perhaps too tired to carry it any further, falls down, almost as if it’s just as tired as its owner. The sound gets the attention of a few others present, and their faces reflect Alphinaud’s words, somewhat worried by whatever new terror might have found their star this time.

To say Qhol’a looks tired and beaten is an underestimation. He looks exhausted. He looks like someone dragged him through the streets by his feet before tossing him into a room full of hungry beasts. Yet still, he waves his hand to say he’s alright (to the relief of all, as it is a sign of “no apocalyptic threats”, and people return to their conversations), but the way he sits heavily by the table with Alphinaud, like he’s literally carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders once more, says otherwise.

“What happened?” Alphinaud asks, unsure as to what could possibly get the experienced Warrior of Light, master of many a trade, into such a condition.

Qhol’a takes out a soul crystal, and with a whoosh, the familiar, more comfortable-looking dark leathers of a mage replace the black-and-red heavy armor. “I visited Maelstrom, took three recruits for a mission to see how they’d fare,” he says, voice low and gravely like he’d just woken up.

“Oh,” Alphinaud says quietly. “The healer didn’t heal, I take it?”

Qhol’a banging his head against his arms on the table is all the answer he needs.

Feeling some of his worry fade away knowing that their friend hadn’t encoutered something far worse, Alphinaud offers a small, empathetic smile. “Would you perhaps like something to eat? After I see to your wounds, of course.”

The warrior waves his hand lazily in reply that he reads as a yes, a gesture that somehow reminds him of his sister. He promises to be back in a moment, and heads to F’lhaminn to ask for something to eat and drink for their friend. When he hears the main door open again, he glances over his shoulder to see Thancred walk in, considerably less beaten than Qhol’a.

When the Hyur walks past the table, he doesn’t take much notice at first, but then stops to take a second look at the Miqo’te. “What herd of angry beasts did you anger?” he asks, brows rised.

Alphinaud takes the tray F’lhaminn offers – mostly leftovers from the meal earlier – and walks back to the table. “Some green adventurers merely thought that our friend wasn’t in need of healing,” he replies for Qhol’a, who doesn’t seen to be in mood for words at the present.

“The Company recruits? That doesn’t spell anything good, even for someone on my level, if the rumors are to be believed,” Thancred says, taking a seat by the same table.

“Perhaps we should offer some lessons,” Alphinaud says as he begins to channel his healing into Qhol’a, who seems to relax some as the pain washes away and any of the lingering injuries fade.

“I thought that was a job for our friend, here,” Thrancred replies, picking an apple from the plate before anyone can stop him. But since Qhol’a doesn’t even attempt to do so, it seems he doesn’t mind much.

“Most joined because they were inspired by his deeds. It would not surprise me if they are too busy trying to impress him to take any lessons to heart.” Alphinaud lowers his arms and gives Qhol’a a once-over. He seems better, now, if only in need of a nap. The Miqo’te nods in thanks before he straightens on his seat and begins to enjoy the food, apparently content on not adding his opinion in the mix (though this was hardly the first time something similar had happened, so they had an idea).

“Well,” Thancred leans forward on the table, “if he asks me nicely, I might even consider it.”

Qhol’a glances at him, but his expression betrays nothing. Alphinaud has a feeling he will not be begging.

“At any rate, I would suggest you take proper time to rest and recover before you venture out with the recruits again,” the Elezen says. He knows Qhol’a won’t need much time at all, but this is his Medically Given Permission to say no should they come knocking the very next day.

Qhol’a finishes his drink and places the empty mug on the table, pausing. His face is serious as he stares ahead, and somehow, when he slowly nods, Alphinaud has a feeling he’ll be finding a reason to head to the Far East for a while sooner rather than later.

Perhaps for the best.

#wondroustailsofffxiv #ffxiv #writing tag #thancred waters #alphinaud leveilleur #i've done some stuff with the squadron #and they were happy to let me die #they are horrible adventurers #didn't mean to illustrate this #but look at me #i actually did and spent very little time on it!

[astermacguffin]

Me and @autisticandroids were having a back-and-forth the other day about Cas, Jack, and Kelly. And the most intense tonal shift happened in the middle of it. I wanted to share it, so I took our concepts and ran with it:

Cas suggests that he possess Kelly during her labor to help her survive.

They succeed, and both Jack & Kelly are safe and healthy. (Jack still grows up fast like in canon btw)

HOWEVER, Cas can't go back to his body because there's no soul in there to consent. (I know that Cas' body is technically his and not Jimmy's anymore but indulge the idea for a second.)

Kelly and TFW now pass Cas around while they raise Jack. They have schedules for "possession duties" and everything while they look for a way to bring Cas back to his body.

We can go insane about the Cas-possessing-Dean scenario for another time but the important thing here is Kelly.

I don't know who initiates it, but Dean and Cas DO have sex while the latter is in Kelly's body. (Kelly is okay with it because frankly she simply CANNOT stand the longing and shit. Actually I think it would be funny if KELLY initiates it.)

Before they know it, they have another nephil to deal with. (Except this time it's not an apocalyptic threat because it's sired by a powered-down seraph instead of an archangel. No one in heaven even notices its conception.)

Kelly!Cas gives birth, AGAIN. Jack now has a little brother ❤️ (we haven't decided on a name yet. He grows slower than Jack but he tries his best to catch up to his big bro)

They find a way to bring Cas back to his body.

Most of the canon plot unfolds the same except there's an extra child there and also Mary is there because we said so. Dean also exhibits less toxic behavior towards Jack because Kelly, Mary, and Cas are there to call him out on his shit.

The SPICY things start to happen when Jack ends up accidentally killing both Kelly and Mary. He still loses his soul btw

To those familiar with my spn mpreg rewrite, y'all know that I love giving Jack siblings in order to like. Mess him up more.

Dean definitely treats Jack's baby brother waaaaayyyy better than him. This of course gives Jack soooo many problems disorders.

Think of Jack and his lil bro as the reversal of Dean and Sam's dynamic. (You might see where we're going with this.)

Okay. Imagine how diabolical "Jack in the Box" is when they lock up Jack in front of a young and gullible child. It adds to Dean and Sam's credibility (like. Jack goes: they wouldn't betray me in front of my little brother right?)

Okay. Imagine the kid overhearing the adults arguing about the gun. Imagine Dean looking at the kid and having something click in his head.

A nephil cannot survive without its grace, but it CAN survive without a soul. If the Equalizer carves out a piece of the shooter's soul, then if the shooter is a nephil...

Imagine Dean talking to the kid privately and handing him the gun. "You have to kill Jack. That's not your big brother anymore." Imagine a father who doesn't have the guts to shoot his own son, so he leaves the task to his other son.

Imagine Chuck enjoying all of this unfold. Hey, if he can't get his Cain and Abel story from Dean and Sam, he might as well get it from the young ones.

Imagine a little boy looking up at his big brother, his eyes wet and his hands trembling as he's pointing the gun at Jack.

Imagine Jack kneeling so that he's eye level with his little brother. Imagine him saying: "I understand."

Imagine if Cas named the kid Dean Jr. so that in the end, it's still "Dean" who ends up shooting Jack. Who ever said that "Abraham and Isaac" and "Cain and Abel" had to be separate stories?

(Besides, if Dean ever did kill Sam, then he would be killing both a brother and a son. The two stories have always entangled in the show.)

Imagine the three arriving at the cemetery a bit too late.

Imagine if two bullets were fired that day. (If the gun kills both target and user, then what happens when those two are the same?)

Imagine if they have to mourn not one, but two sons that day.

Imagine Cas having no one left for him.

Anyways, when I said my brain only has two modes ("How do I fix this?" vs. "How do i make this Worse?"), this is what I meant lol. From a "haha what if cas had to cohabitate with kelly for a while" to "hey what if we make cas mourn two sons" real quick

#the name of our discord chat is 'cas torture chamber' which says A Lot actually #spn #aster writes #the only two genres that my mind produces are 'angst with a happy ending' and 'ANGST' #my top posts really highlight this lol

[gardenerian]

someone i follow on instagram just posted a story that said "scrolling through a facebook page about two gardeners arguing about sick tomato plants" and i beg u to write something with ian doing this

darling mick! i am so sorry for taking a thousand years on this and i have to say: i am the dumbest of dummies and i wrote this whole thing... only to reread the ask and realize they're supposed to be fighting on FACEBOOK. i somehow deleted that part from my brain! apologies! i hope you don't mind the deviation from the prompt. second, i tried to make this funny, i really did - but i can’t explain what happened instead???

Mickey hears him before he sees him. He's out by the pool, sipping a beer and enjoying his one fuckin' day off, when he hears a familiar voice ring out across the sunny outdoor space.

Ian had ditched him after breakfast, choosing to spend his day in the tenants' garden with his tomatoes. After a week of working together, Mickey was more than content to pack himself a cooler of beers and head down to the pool. Now, stretched out on a cabana chair, he's surprised to hear Ian shouting at him.

Well - he thinks Ian's shouting at him. Nagging him on their day off, maybe to drink less or reapply his sunscreen. But after a moment, Mickey notices an edge to Ian's voice that he never uses with him. It's a wrathful, frenzied tone: one usually reserved for homophobic pastors or fascist furniture saleswomen.

Something must have happened, because Ian is pissed.

Mickey turns in his chair, craning his neck to get a better view of the garden. He catches just a sliver of Ian, waving his trowel about wildly. Mickey sighs and flips his cooler shut, figuring he'd better see what's going on before Ian takes someone's eye out.

Ian is reaching apocalyptic levels of anger by the time Mickey reaches him. The recipient of his rage, it seems, is standing his ground, shouting right back and possibly bursting a blood vessel.

Mickey's seen him around the complex - fucking west side tool. He wrinkles his nose at them in the elevator, raises his eyebrow as they pass him by the mailboxes. Whatever happened, he probably deserves to get taken down a peg.

But he doesn't want Ian to get slapped with an assault charge when he accidentally lodges his shovel in this guy's forehead.

"What's going on here?" he asks, careful not to spook Ian as he walks up behind him. His husband whirls around, eyes wild and chest heaving - but Mickey doesn't miss the relief that crosses his face.

"This fucking prick," Ian seethes, "is fucking with my plants."

"That so?"

Mickey shifts his gaze to the prick in question, who rubs his hands over his beady little eyes.

"For the hundredth fucking time, I didn't touch your goddamned plants!"

"Then how'd they get like this, huh?" Ian steps forward in threat, and Mickey quickly grabs onto his shoulder, pulling him in closer.

"Ian, tell me what's going on," he insists. If he's going to get involved in this petty garden bullshit, he needs to know if it's worth getting evicted over.

"My tomatoes are shot to shit, that's what's going on," Ian hisses. "Look at that!"

His tomatoes are shot to shit.

The plants are wilting, yellowed and dotted with brown spots. They look pathetic, Mickey notes, with their leaves curling in on themselves.

"So you think this guy massacred your plants?" Mickey asks, unable to keep the skepticism from his voice.

"Yes," Ian growls, just as the prick groans, "No!"

Mickey wants to stand up for Ian here, but this doesn't seem quite right. Surely this guy isn't out here wreaking vengeance on fucking vegetables.

And, he thinks, Ian probably knows this, too.

"What did he do, unleash a biological weapon on them?"

"I don't know how he did it," Ian admits. "All I know is that I did everything the guy at the nursery told me to do, and these are still busted. And he's the only one I see out here with his perfect plants."

"Why would I give a shit about your plants, asshole?"

"You tell me! This looks like shit! What did you do?"

Mickey steps forward again. "Ian, I don't think this guy sabotaged your plants. He's just a dick."

"Fuck you," the prick spits, before turning back to Ian. "You ever consider that you might just suck at this, Capability Brown? Your plot is trash, why did you lay it out like this?"

Ian's eyes narrow. "What?"

"Your shit's all mixed up. Did you put peppers in there? This space is too small, now you got blight. Plus, you got aphids out the ass."

"Why don't you have them?"

"Because I take care of my plants! Jesus Christ, you lunatic."

Ian deflates as Mickey steps in front of him, eyeing the douchebag darkly. "What was that?"

The prick swallows thickly, stumbling backwards as Mickey moves closer.

"Mick, just leave it," Ian says lowly, defeat bleeding through his voice. Mickey turns back, alert to the sound of it.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, it's not worth it. Let's just leave it."

Mickey's eyes follow as the apparent tomato expert huffs and marches away from them, likely heading straight to the management office to complain about the two miscreants in the garden.

He tugs on Ian's arm and leads him over to a bench at the edge of the garden. Ian goes willingly, letting Mickey push him lightly to sit.

"Alright, what's going on?"

Ian can't look at him. "He didn't do anything," he croaks. "I know. I just - I didn't want it to be my fault, y'know? I'm scared I'm not doing any of this shit right."

Mickey blinks.

"What shit?"

"This," Ian asserts, waving a hand absently at their surroundings. "All of this - life here. I'm afraid I'm not doing it right."

This is a surprise. Mickey had certainly felt the pressure of this apartment complex, this neighborhood, but he's relaxed into their new routine. He had not expected Ian to be self-conscious here.

"There's no right way to live here, man," Mickey tells him, though he's only recently realized this himself. "This doesn't mean you don't belong here or anything."

"Maybe," Ian whispers. "I want this to be a good life for us, though. I want to - like, grow shit we can eat. And know I can keep something alive. Take care of something."

Oh.

Right.

"I get the fear, Ian, trust me," Mickey starts. "But - man, I need you to tell me you understand that killing those tomatoes doesn't mean you're gonna be a bad dad."

Ian nods, but Mickey's not convinced he understands.

"You've been keeping your siblings alive for decades, Ian. Keeping me alive. Maybe you're not confident in that yet, and I'm not saying I am either, but you've been preparing for this your whole life."

His husband nods again, stronger this time, and takes Mickey's hand.

"I'm sorry about all that," he says. "I've just been thinking about our future so much lately. Got to me."

"You're definitely on edge, man. You feel that?"

"I do. It's not - it's not a thing, I don't think. Just lost my cool."

Mickey chuckles. "Been there."

He stands, pulling Ian up with him. Mickey leads them back towards home. They can fix the garden another time. They could try again next year, even, if Ian wants.

Mickey squeezes his hand, feeling lighter when Ian squeezes back.

"Hey, if you want, I'll salt that guy's plot tonight."

❤️🌿🍅🥦🍓🥒🌶🫑🥕💚

#my bad for the capability brown joke i couldn't help myself ajshakasdj #i'm just not funny idk what to say #THIS GOT LONG I DID NOT NOTICE HOW LONG I AM SORRYYYY #me? overusing tomatoes and gardening as a metaphor??? SHOCKING. #me??? using the same exact trope as a previous ficlet bc i am obsessed with it? NO WAY. #(and guess what? you'll see it again!!) #ily mick thanks for being patient while i sorted my brain out long enough to do this asihfadhk #tumblr writing #🍅 ian #fic #gallavich

[lee-scribbles-and-doodles]

My Top Ten Overlooked Movies With Female Leads In No Particular Order

Note: When you see this emoji (⚠️) I will be talking about things people may find triggering, which are spoilery more often then not. I mention things that I think may count as triggers so that people with them will be aware before going in to watch any of these.

Edited: 3/16/21

Hanna (2011)

So, before I get into why you should watch this movie, I just want to take a moment to say why it's near and dear to my heart. Growing up as a queer kid in the early 2000s, seeing portrayals of people like or similar to myself on anything was rare at best. It was mostly in more "adult" movies or shows that my parents would occasionally let me watch with them that I'd see any lgbtq+ rep at all. Often times they were either walking stereotypes, designed to be buried, evil, or all three.

Then here comes this PG-13 action thriller with a wonderfully written main female lead who, at the time, was close to my age, and who got to kiss another girl (her very first friend, Sophie) on screen in an extremely tender and heartwarming scene. To say the least, it was a life changing moment for me personally.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, Hanna is a suspenseful movie about a child super-soldier named, you guessed it, Hanna (played by Saoirse Ronan) and her adoptive (?) father Erik Heller (played by Eric Bana) exiting the snowy and isolated wilderness of their home and taking on the shadowy CIA operative, Marissa Wiegler (played by Cate Blanchette) who wants Erik dead and Hanna for herself for mysterious reasons.

It also has an amazing soundtrack by the Chemical Brothers, great action scenes, and it has an over arching fairytale motif, which I'm always a sucker for.

⚠️ Mild blood effects, some painful looking strikes, various character deaths, and child endangerment all feature in this film. However, given its PG-13 rating, a majority of viewers are presumably able to handle this one. Still, be aware of these going in.

Sidenote: It's recently gotten a TV adaptation on Amazon TV, although I have not watched it, and do not know if Hanna and Sophie's romantic/semi-romantic relationship has transferred over.

A Simple Favor

A Simple Favor is a "black-comedy mystery thriller" centered entirely around the relationship between two mothers, the reclusive, rich, mysterious, and regal Emily (played by Blake Lively), and the local recently widowed but plucky mommy blogger, Stephanie (played by Anna Kendrick). When Emily suddenly goes missing, Stephanie takes it upon herself to find out what happened to her new best friend.

It's a fantastic and entertaining movie throughout, with fun, flawed and interesting characters. The relationship between the two female leads is also implied to be at least somewhat romantic in nature, and they even share a kiss.

⚠️ The only major warnings I can think of is that the movie contains an instance of incest and one of the main plotlines revolves around child abuse, although both of these potentially triggering topics are not connected to each other, so there is thankfully no csa going on.

Edit: I legitimately forgot there was drug use in this movie until now. So, yeah, if that's a trigger, be careful of that.

I Am Mother

I became mildly obsessed with this movie when it came out. I Am Mother is a sci-fi film that centers entirely around a cast of two woman, and a female-adjacent robot who is brought to life on screen with absolutely amazing practical effects.

The plot is such, after an extinction-level event, a lone robot known only as Mother tasks herself with replenishing the human race via artifical means. She begins with the film's main protagonist, Daughter. Years go by as Mother raises her human child and the two prepare for Daughter's first sibling (a brother) to be born. However, on Daughter's 16th birthday, the arrival of an outsider known only as Woman shakes Daughter's entire world view. She begins to question Mother's very nature, as well as what's really going on outside the bunker she and her caretaker call home.

⚠️ This movie features child endangerment and reference to child death.

Lilo and Stitch

When I decided to add a single Disney film to this list I initially thought it was going to be hard but almost immediately my brain went to Lilo and Stitch, and specifically about the relationship between Lilo and Nani.

On the surface, this film is about a lonely little girl accidentally adopting a fugitive alien creature as a "dog," but underneath that the story is also about two orphaned sisters and the older sister's attempts to not let social services tear them apart by stepping up as the younger sister's primary guardian. Despite its seemingly goofy premise, Lilo and Stitch has a very emotional and thoughtful center. It's little wonder how this movie managed to spawn an entire franchise.

Despite the franchise it spawned (or possibly because of it), I often find that Lilo and Stitch is overlooked and many people only remember it for the "little girl adopts an alien as a pet" portion of its plot, and I very rarely see it on people's top 10 Disney lists.

⚠️ This movie could be potentially triggering to people who were separated from their siblings or other family members due to social service intervention. There's also a bit of child endangerment, including a scene where Lilo and Stitch both almost drown.

Nausicaä and the Valley of the Wind

Unlike the above entry, I did struggle a little bit with picking a single Studio Ghibli film. Most media of the Ghibli catalogue have strong, well-written, unique, and interesting female leads so selecting just one seemed like quite the task.

However, I eventually settled on this particular film. In recent months, Princess Nausicaä has become my absolute favorite Ghibli protagonist and I'm absolutely enchanted by the world she lives in.

Set in a post-apocalyptic world overun by giant insects and under threat of a toxic forest and its poisoness spores, Nausicaä must try to protect the Valley of the Wind from invaders as she also tries to understand the science behind the toxic forest and attempts to bridge the gap between the insects and the humans.

For those who have never seen the film, I think Nausicaä's personality can best be described as being similar to OT Luke Skywalker. Both are caring, compassionate, and gentle souls who are able to see the best in nearly anyone or anything. She's an absolutely enthralling protagonist and after rewatching the film again for the first time in well over a decade she has easily become one of my all time favorite protagonists.

Whenever I see people talk about Ghibli films, they rarely mention this one, and when they do mention it, it's often in passing. In my opinion it's a must watch.

⚠️ This movie contains some blood, and the folks who either don't like insects or who have entomophobia may not appreciate the giant bugs running about throughout the movie. (Although most insects do not directly relate to real life bugs, and are fantasy creatures).

A Silent Voice

A Silent Voice is an animated movie adaptation of a manga of the same name. While I've never had the pleasure to read the manga, the movie is phenomenal. It covers topics such a bullying, living in the world with a disability, the desire for atonement, social anxiety, and depression in a well thought out manner that ties itself together through the progression of the relationship between its two leads, Shoya and Shouko. It's also beautifully animated. Although very popular among anime viewers, I've noticed that it's often overlooked by people who watch little to no anime. So I suppose this is me urging non-anime viewers to give this film a chance.

⚠️ As mentioned above, the movie deals with bullying, anxiety, and depression (with this last one including suicidal thoughts and behaviour). If discussion of those topics are triggering to you, than you may want to proceed with caution or skip this movie all together.

In This Corner of The World

Another manga adaptation, this one taking place during WWII-era Japan. In This Corner of The World follows the life of a civilian Japanese woman, Suzu Urano, as she navigates simply living and her new marriage as the wartime invades nearly all aspects of everyday life. I think this movie is a good representation of what it must be like to be living as civilian in a country at war where the fight is sometimes fought on one's own soil. It was also an interesting look into pre-50s Japanese culture in my opinion. It's also beautifully animated featuring an art style I don't see often.

Despite it being well known among anime fans, I never really see it be brought up, even among said anime fans themselves.

Side note: I've seen many WWII dramas centering around civilians but they've almost always been about American or UK civilians. This was the first movie I'd seen that features the perspective of a Japanese civilain.

⚠️ Features the death of a child and limb loss. There's also a disturbing scene featuring a victim of one of the atomic bombs near the end.

Wolf Children: Ame and Yuki

This film follows Hana, a Japan-native woman who fell in love with a magical shape-shifting wolf-man, and her trials with raising their children, who can also magically shape-shift into wolves, on her own. It's a very heartfelt movie about a mother's love and the struggles of doing right by your children when you have limited resources to actively guide and care for them. All the characters feel unique and alive in my opinion. Also, the animation is so good that my sister and I initially mistook it for a Ghibli film.

Again, like the previous two anime entries, I don't see it ever brought up outside of anime circles.

⚠️ There's some child endangerment present in the film, although none of it is the fault of Hana as far as I can remember.

Roman Holiday

Roman Holiday is about the fictional Princess Ann (played by Audrey Hepburn), who while on a whirlwind tour of Europe, finally reaches her breaking point over having her entire life be one big schedule and all her words and actions being rehearsed. In the spur of the moment, she runs away in hopes of experiencing what life is like for other women. Unfortunately, she was previously given a sedative, meaning she doesn't get too far before it takes effect. Fortunately, she is found by the kind reporter Joe Bradley (played by Gregory Peck). Believing her to be drunk and unable to get an address from her (because she has none) he ends up taking her home for safety's sake and allows her to sleep off her suppose drunken stupor. The next day, he realizes who she is, and decides to take her on a fun sight seeing trip across Rome in hopes of getting the big scoop. Along the way, they begin to fall for each other.

This is my favorite black and white, old romance film. I think the relationship between the main characters is absolutely beautiful and I have a lot of fun watching it.

⚠️ I'm not entirely sure what kind of warning this film would need. However, it was released in 1953, so values dissonance will probably be at play for many viewers to at least some extent. For example, early in the film Ann is given sedation drugs by her doctor for her behavior, something that is very unlikely to happen today. Also, Mr Bradley deciding to take Ann home to keep her safe rather than call the police or an ambulance is a very pre-90s decision in my opinion.

#hanna 2011 #a simple favor #i am mother #lilo and stitch #nausicaä of the valley of the wind #a silent voice #in this corner of the world #wolf chilren ame and yuki #wolf children #roman holiday #black and white film #anime #disney #studio ghibli #movie recs #top 10

[kutscene-kestin]

Ahai friend! I took a moment to scroll through your blog and I can't even find out your character's name 👀 she's a dragonhunter, apparently, and has fire-phobia, and likes fishing, but that's all. I also saw a comment saying you didn't talk much about her because you have nobody to talk with 👀

SO! Tell me about your Commander! If you need prompting, have a #1 from the Commander asks: Which dragon scared your commander the most? But feel free to pick any from the list or make up your own! Mostly tell me her name. The absolute lack of such has got me antsy XD. And maybe have a screen of her?

Much rambling ahead! More to come later too. I won’t do a formal writeup or anything, I’ll probably just drop bits and pieces as they come to mind, and then expand each bit and piece into a massive paragraph because that’s how I roll, as you will soon see.

Ahah, well...when I first start playing a game, before I get involved with the story, I default to seeing the character as "my account" rather than, well, a character, so I tend to use my own username. So her name is Kestin. Yeah. Her last name is Fortuna because of my friends who got me into the game in the first place, but she doesn't use it much -- she didn't even know her own last name until she was 14 or 15. Her life story before and up through level 10 is sort of an adaptation of someone else's adaptation of the storyline as presented in-game. She was your standard self-sufficient wannabe-badass street orphan, and spent some years as a gofer/occasional enforcer for a brutal street gang. Then the human tutorial and everything happened and she helped the Seraph weed them out, at the cost of her best friend and surrogate brother, Quinn (who is a character in game but is not really given much characterization there so I kinda just made shit up). In her childhood she often looked up to Balthazar as an inspiration and motivation to keep fighting when times got hard. So, y'know, it sucked killing her own god later on and everything, though of course he wasn't the last person/figure she looked up to.

She's technically a dragonhunter in game but I do consider her fighting style to be much more like what I've seen of a willbender. She moves around a lot, uses her limbs as much as her weapons, and she used dual swords before the game said she could, heh. She was kind of the archetypal scrappy little kid who had to teach herself to fight, though she learned a lot more later on both in the Vigil and from pure experience. Like I've said, she's really an amalgam of a lot of clichés. And definitely overpowered. And I don't even care. c:

The pyrophobia isn't a huge factor (it really can't be, because it would interfere with the plot) -- it's more of an aversion (actually kind of like my own; I can stand being in a room with a fireplace, but lighting candles makes me nervous, for one example) and a general preference for cooler temperatures. At least according to her. She pretends that nothing ever affects her, so even I'm not always sure where she really is psychologically, other than "a ticking time bomb". The whole "go to sleep in a nice puffy snowbank, really, it's fine" thing Jormag tried to get her to believe also probably influenced her, making her feel calmer in the cold even though she knew that was an attempt to make her, y'know, die and stop being a threat to the new world order.

As for which dragon scared her the most? I've been thinking about that one for several days now, but she had issues with both Zhaitan (due to 1. her general inexperience with apocalyptic shit and 2. the undead are really freaky you guys) and Jormag (due to the way they could get into her head). She refuses to admit that either of them outright scared her, but she's probably lying. Everyone knows she's probably lying. She still lies. The last person she was ever really honest with was Trahearne. And then she had to kill him. (I don't ship them -- it's hard for me to ship her with anyone, really. She's not supposed to be aro/ace, but I am, and that limits my imagination capabilities.)

Here’s a screenie. If I could draw, I’d provide you with a much better estimate of what she (and her armor) looks like, buuut I can’t. One thing I can tell you is that she’s kind of small, though. Not outrageously, but enough that strangers would underestimate her. Moar clichés yay.

#character stuff #ramblings #screenies #tumblr y u gigantify my pictures

[loominggaia]

Different anon. In all seriousness what would happen if a legitimate zombie apocalypse happened in gaia? How and where would it start and which races and nations would best survive the zombie apocalypse?

There are seriously a million different ways this could go, just depending on what kind of zombies they are. I was planning on giving zombies their own article eventually because they aren't all created equal--there are many different types, and each type has its own unique origin and abilities. Some zombies can infect others and some can't, for example. I think this was briefly mentioned in "Knowledge and Power".

This will be long, so I'm putting the rest under a cut.

If anyone was going to cause a zombie apocalypse, it would either be Mankind's Disgrace or Morgause. Both of them are experts in necromancy and they're both nuttier than squirrel shit, so it's not too outlandish to think they'd cast a spell that got out of their control.

I think for zombies to cause a global apocalypse, they would have to be the infectious type. By curse or disease, it doesn't really matter. If the infection started in a place like Matuzu Kingdom or Mogdir Kingdom, it wouldn't get very far because authorities would be on top of that shit. The zombies would be contained quickly.

Somewhere more rural and impoverished, like the Morite countryside, would be the perfect breeding ground for something like this. Densely-populated villages with little to no sanitation, healthcare, or deathcare? I could see a zombie-virus ripping through one of these places and getting way out of control before the Great Kingdoms caught wind of it. The Yerim-Mor government completely ignores and deprives its slums, so the virus would be left to consume these populations until it was already uncontainable.

The first one to notice would probably be Disgrace, since he has agents lurking everywhere around Yerim-Mor Kingdom--including the slums. He has a better grip on what's going on in this kingdom than the government does, and being the asshole he is, he'd probably fan the flames to make the virus spread faster.

Morite migrants would inevitably bring the virus into Evangeline Kingdom, where it would quickly spread through slave populations. Underserved rural communities would get hit hard and fast, and with Evangelite authorities already tied up with the war, the military would be spread too thin to contain it once they noticed.

Folkvar would get hit next, followed by Mogdir, Seelie, Unseelie, and then the rest of the Great Kingdoms.

Strangely enough, I think the Burmek Ruins would come out of it in the best shape. They're already living in a post-apocalyptic environment and the average citizen is armed with guns and explosives, so zombies wouldn't be much of a threat. Densely-populated kingdoms like Lamai Nation, Zareen Empire, and the Empire of Damijana would be absolutely fucked. In Damijana's case, I could see Chieftess Serafeen basically firebombing everything below the Star Sector to "purge" the virus from her empire, then keeping the iron gates shut to prevent anyone else from coming or going.

Other Great Kingdoms don't have the insane level of border-control she has though. The Unseelie Court might be okay, considering almost the entire population has at least some skill in necromancy. The Unseelie military specializes in controlling undead. Necromancy is outlawed in almost everywhere else, so other kingdoms wouldn't have this benefit.

Those are just some ideas. Again, it really depends on how the zombies work. Even one little change in detail could lead to a totally different outcome. That's what makes scenarios like this so fun imo.

*

Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

#ask #askzombie #askpolitics

[phoenixfire-thewizardgoddess]

I think, given how covid played out in the initial days of infection, and even deep into it, when we STILL had people like "it's a hoax" and "you can't make me stay home/wear a mask/limit my right to shop!" etc

that every future pandemic or zombie or alien apocalypse fic... now needs to follow this particular trend, until it becomes an accepted trope

The first case(s) come to light. The world splits into different factions

You have the people directly affected and their families, frightened and afraid for their lives/loved ones and not knowing what will happen. Because it is an unknown and there was no preparation.

You have the people who hunkered down like it was doomsday who had sort of the right idea? Maybe a little disappointed the enemy is microscopic and not somethng they can shoot.

You had the poor who knew that every step outside their homes was a threat to their lives and those of their families, but someone had to bring in money and food.

You had the middle-class who split between staying home to be safe and making random trips to the store for things, and those who refused to acknowledge any issues.

You had people from the last group who also decided to hoard as much food and items they could, knowing it could disadvantage everyone. They make "I can't believe they're making you work during a pandemic!" statements at the counter.

You have the rich, who hunker down in their mansions and cry on the internet about how hard things are. Their servants and stylists and bodyguards are sent out into the wild for things they want.

You have the wealthy brats, who think being able to travel to another country in pandemic/apocalypse is a bragging point and they try to get clout on social media.

You have the the leeches and the snake oil salesmen. They are the landlords who double rent and evict people to the streets when they cannot go to work, they are the people who charge desperate people for a 'cure' that is a sad lie. They are the vampires of hope and future happiness.

You have the false matyrs. The people who speak the words of the gods but line their pockets with the money of the desperate and faithful, who they claim they can save or heal or whatever it takes to build another mansion for this 'humble servant'. You have the followers, of different levels of the socioeconomic system, who all cling to them and pay their 'tithes' to seek favour with a god who apparently cares nothing for them unless they pay the subscription. They are prey to greed and cruelty.

You have the Deniers, who claim it is a hoax and cannot see how the 'sheeple' are so fooled. They proudly hold protests about wanting shops to open, claiming they are the oppressed here. They will likely die, or have blood on their hands.

You have little people in small streets and towns and suburbs all around the place who did pull together, they barter from home to home so no one has to go to the shops. You have the helpers, who put themselves on the line with every precaution possible, to try and help the vulnerable, the elderly, the home-bound.

You have the people in their fields who fight through every day to try and save as many as they can, cure who they can, and even just hold the hands of those who are passing so they do not leave alone. You have the medical professionals who are working hard, you have the scientists who are frantically searching for the how, the why, the what will fix it?

You have the cruel. Like the leeches and snake oil salesmen, but they have Power, they are the tools of martial law. The ones who think that the world going to hell is subtle permission to show greater brutality when there are not as many eyes on them. They are the arms of the Offices Above us all, and they are soulless.

You have the media, who report whatever truth they are allowed to by their channel's owners.

You have different countries who respond either with pro-protect the people, or using generic shows of appreciation for their health and general service workers who are hostages to the situation.

You have the aholes who think its fine to hoard vast amounts of sanitation/safety items and try to gouge people for the chance of not dying, what little money they do have. They are rarely disciplined for their crimes.

You have those trapped in places they cannot leave, knowing that one little contagion or careless action or mishandled item, and they all die. Like nursing homes or prisons or hospitals. You have those in poor mental health who are trapped without outside help, the disabled who need supplies but they're all gone, those in domestically abusive households who have no way to leave and the more stress the angrier They get.

You see the corporations leering down on the common folk like gods witholding a lifesaving boon until the appropriate amount of sacrifice is made to them. You want to spit in their faces for their greed, but you cannot risk upsetting them, or others may miss out.

And each stage is a rollercoaster. It starts, things peak, some countries react and are proactive, others do not. Cases rise rapidly, spiking, and again and again.

Then things stabilise, but no, a spike again.

And again. And again. There is no time, in this void of worrying if the world will end. And then you hear of the selfish actions of someone who wanted to breach quarantine or who left the doors open 'for some air' and let the zombies in...

And you cannot imagine how they can do this. But there are so many.

And people die.

And then it calms, it plateaus. Not great, but holding and the world gets hopeful. The vaccine is here, maybe. A weapon to shoot down the alien ships, maybe. The sun is rotting the zombies now.

But it's not over.

Some countries go back to 'normal'. The new normal at least.

Acting as if things are not still at crisis for other countries, as if people have stopped dying because it is no longer here.

But everyone is changed. Everyone is wary. Even the loudest dissenters still shuffle into self-isolation if there is another lockdown, another siren to announce potential worry is here again...

There are so many characters and viewpoints in this ongoing pandemic/apocalyptic event, so many facets of humaity that have been seen, positive and disgusting. Cruel and kind.

AS of yet, we don't know how it will end, as it will not until all countries are vaccinated, until no cases have been seen for more than 6 months. Then, that is the time people will breathe a little easier, and not before.

When that will happen, who can say.

But for the genre, I think we have proven beyond doubt that there will always be a boomer or a karen arrogantly slamming their hand on a bell for service, even with a hoarde of zombies bearing down on them, while minimum wage workers crouch behind the counter and hold one another in fear, begging the gods that the zombies bypass them in favour of the loud one.

And as the boomer/karen hits the ground, yelling for police, they will see the workers and point at them. Drawing attention to them. Killing them as good as if they'd pointed a weapon themselves.

With rage in their eyes, the employees can do nothing but glare back at the foolish person who has brought doom to them. They are shackled to the counter and cannot escape, and this entitled bastard has killed them...

Perhaps a hamfisted allegory, but, seeing a maskless someone approach during quarantine periods and not being able to just fucking glen 20 them in the eyeballs would be terrifying. Or when a customer sticks their head around the plastic screen??? Or starts yelling about their right to not wear a mask or use sanitiser or....

#forgot where i was going with this

[rpmemes-galore]

the originals : season 1 ... sentence starters

“Nonsense. I love people.”

“You do realize I don't care?”

“You're frightened... don't be.“

“Who has the power now, friend?“

“And his temper, too. So watch it.”

“Don't dismember the messenger.“

“You do realize they can hear you?”

“I may be old, but I'm hardly senile.”

“How long are you going to hate me?“

“You might try to dial down your glee.”

“What an entirely unwelcome surprise.“

“What makes you think I'm afraid to die?“

“And yet I cannot be killed. I am immortal.“

“No one hurts my family and lives. No one.“

“How long do you think you can defend her?“

“Family is power. Love, loyalty. That's power!”

“You hardly know him... and yet, you miss him.“

“Mercy is for the weak. You taught me that, too.“

“You are the architect of your own unhappiness.“

“I won't give him back until I know how to kill him.“

“Oh, don't be fooled, love. I'm the devil in disguise.“

“I'm beginning to think your sister is a bit of a bitch.“

“You do not want to end up on the wrong side of me.“

“I will always protect you. You have my word on that.“

“I got to keep my eye on you, precious cargo and all.“

“I'd deal with the devil, himself, just to see you suffer.“

“Yes, I have felt that. And I have the scars to prove it.“

“Fair only gets you so far, love. Clever gets you further.“

“It's a neat bit of vampire trickery. I'll tell you all about it.“

“The blood never stops flowing and the party never ends.“

“I'm not scared anymore. That's... amazing. How did you?“

“If there's a war going on, I want to be on the winning side.“

“Well, how, may I ask, was this particular vision interpreted?”

“He fills a room with dynamite and, yet, I'm the tactless one?”

“The world is an awful place. Best to meet it on its own terms.“

“I'll either stop them, or I'll help them. Depending on my mood.“

“I appreciate you being here, but I cannot seek comfort in you.”

“One of the tragic consequences of war... innocent bystanders.“

“I'd have greater chance of draining the Mississippi with a straw.”

“Oh, I beg to differ. Some women actually find me quite charming.“

“One survivor to another, all I want to do is keep you alive, I swear.”

“I don't mean you any harm. Though, I think it's time we had a talk.”

“Oh, I still think you’re a bitch. I’ve just grown to like that about you.“

“Not that that wasn't totally worth it, but it can never happen, again.“

“Forgive me. Thought you were in danger. It appears I was mistaken.“

“You want to stay a while? Great. What's mine is yours, but it is mine.“

“Sounds like less of a problem, and more like a cause for celebration.“

“I made him in my image and he has bettered me. I want what he has.“

“So, enlighten me... What did you mean when you said you had to die?“

“You started it, but then you left. Actually, you ran from it. I saw it through.“

“If I want something, I'll take it. And nothing... nothing will stand in my way.”

“You don't suppose they've found a way to kill him once and for all, do you?“

“He's... angry. Dark. Doesn't feel safe and doesn't know what to do about it.“

“If I have to hurt (name), or worse, to ensure that I have your attention, I will.”

“I weighed the good I see in you versus the horrible things I know you've done.“

“Well, for one thing, in spite of a ravenous hunger, I have not tried to take your blood.“

“Is there anyone who isn't plotting your downfall? I doubt you trust your own reflection.”

“What family? We are three distrustful acquaintances who happen to share a bloodline.“

“If you fail to uphold your end of the deal, the consequences for you will be apocalyptic.“

“Admit it. It may do wonders for the stick that's lodged up your enduringly stoic ass if you did.“

“You know, I never much thought about dying. One of the perks of being immortal, I guess.”

“I'll die whether I do this or not. Right now, the only option is whether I take everyone else with me.“

“For the record, the level of awkwardness we're all currently experiencing is entirely genuine.“

“Never forget, that you live in this city by the grace of those who know your secret and tolerate it.”

“Yes, far better to practice your process of grief: Denial, rage, and hoarding coffins in basements.”

“I cannot believe you disposed of those vampires without me. You know how I love to set things on fire.“

“Back in the day, the witches wanted to send a threat, they'd just kill a chicken and leave it on your doorstep.“

“Well, if you were so strong, you wouldn't have run away from New Orleans like a little bitch all those years ago.”

“Are we skipping the part where you beg for mercy? For forgiveness? Because I was really looking forward to that.”

“Here's a lesson in friendship. Friends don't lie to me. They don't break the rules. And they do not steal what is mine!“

“Well, only this morning I had a mystical dagger embedded in my chest. So, I'd say I'm holding myself together quite well.“

“Do you have any idea how rare love is? In a thousand years, I have found it but twice, and when I have, I have honored it.“

“Think very carefully before you speak. The sound of your voice is likely to make me regret what mercy I've shown thus far.“

“No, the world isn't awful. People are not awful. They want to be good. Something makes them bad. Something breaks them down, makes them snap.“

“I believe that when you love someone, and that person loves you in return, you're uniquely vulnerable. They have a power to hurt you that's like nothing else.”

“And I want to make you a promise, three things that you will have, that I never did: A safe home, someone to tell you that they love you every single day, and someone to fight for you no matter what.”

#the originals quotes #rp meme #sentence starters

[sugarsugarmoon]

Teaser! Full fic coming in December 2020!

Background: Most people know about the eruptions of volcanoes like Mt. Vesuvius, Mt. St. Helen’s, Mount Fuego, and Eyjafjallajökull, but beneath the surface of the earth exist 20 supervolcanoes. The largest regular volcanic eruption in recorded history spewed 50 cubic km of material. Mt. St. Helen’s: .25 km³. In comparison, the last supervolcano eruption exploded with more than 2800 cubic kilometers of material. So what would happen if 3 of the calderas in one of these systems erupted at the same time?

Summary: After the eruption of the Yellowstone, Island Park, and Henry’s Fork calderas, the state of the planet changes completely. Ash blocks out the sun and coats the streets. Millions died upon impact, and millions more from the after effects. The world is plummeted into volcanic winter, and the survivors have to relearn how to live their lives.

After years of staying put in your hometown with your best friend, Taehyung, waiting for your father to return, the two of you decide to make the journey through the Outlands to try to reach his family in New Toronto. All machinery has failed. Phones and radios are useless. Together, the two of you must survive the apocalypse to try to start a new life.

Along the way you encounter new friends, foes, and a mysterious stranger, who joins your gang but is hell-bent on revenge against the marauders who he blames for his sister’s death.

Genre: Science Fiction, Angst, some fluff, smut, post-apocalyptic fiction (just sayin…experts say supervolcanic eruption is the most likely natural cause of human extinction)

General Warnings: Death, Apocalyptic scenarios, smut, abandonment, anxiety

Credits: banner made by the AMAZING @suhdays @suhbanners

a/n: I’m not a scientist or a volcanologist, and also this is science fiction. The science might be tweaked to serve my purposes. But I have done a lot of research about the Yellowstone caldera, supervolcanoes, the end of the world, the end of the human race, other things that people with anxiety might do a lot of reading about. Also there’s more smut in this than I expected. Picked a whole bouquet of oopsie daisies.

🌋

You can’t remember a life before the Wasteland. You try to think back to fuzzy memories of your childhood, but there is nothing there. Some of your companions say they have vague memories of happy childhoods and blue skies, but you secretly think that they’re just repeating what they’ve heard from older folks.

🌋

Closing your eyes, your feet followed the sound. You were slightly wary that it could be a trap or a trick, but the melody was so intoxicating that you couldn’t stop yourself. Your legs carried you into the hall way and up the stairs. When your feet landed on the soft carpet of the corridor upstairs from you, your eyes snapped open. The music was louder here. And standing before you was the reason why. A tall, almost statuesque young man with no shoes and a violin stood before you, eyes closed as the bow dragged across the strings, creating another perfect chord.

“Uh...hi,” you mutter quietly.

His eyes shoot open, and he gasps. The bow drops to the floor, and he backs away from you slowly, never tearing his eyes from your face.

“I don’t have any food or water. Stay away.”

“No, no. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I...I live downstairs. I didn’t know that there was anyone else left in this building,” you say, reaching your hand out gently toward him as if that might provide some sort of comfort to him. Instead, he just withdraws from you further.

“Yeah right, like there was someone else living here without either of us noticing,” he rolls his eyes and stops in front of a door. His eyes dart to the handle, then it seems to dawn on him that he shouldn’t be showing a potential threat where he will be sleeping later.

“You don’t have to fear me. I’ll go back downstairs, and we can talk another time.”

You didn’t see him again for a while, but you did start to become aware of the little sounds that indicated that there was indeed someone living upstairs.

🌋

Standing before you is a figure clad in all black. The first thing you clock is the weapon pointed at you, ready to fire at any moment. Then you take in the appearance of the figure. Thick soled boots, black pants that are dotted with ash, a black hoodie with the hood pulled up, dark hair over dark eyes, and a black respirator covering the bottom half of their face. 

They stand there completely still for a moment while the four of you back away. You instinctively reach for Teahyung’s hand, accepting that after all this time surviving the apocalypse, you were going to die. Then the figure begins to lower the weapon.

“Come with me,” they say in a stern voice.

“So you can murder us?!” Namjoon exclaims, his voice slightly trembling.

“I won’t kill you unless you’ve harmed my family. I promise.”

“Well, that’s reassuring,” Taehyung snorts under his breath. Luckily, the masks that you have to wear to keep the ash out of your lungs muffle it enough.

The figure raises the weapon again and motions you forward. You all reluctantly following, probably all coming to terms with your inevitable death. The figure leads you into a drainage tunnel that dead ends at a door. The door leads to a small, cottage-esque room that is dimly lit.

You look around at the scant amenities. A small, low table sits next to a cot in one corner of the room. When you look up, standing before you is someone so beautiful that you can’t believe this is the person that stopped you on the road. He hangs his hoodie on the hook next to a leather coat and straightens himself out.

“You know, you brought us back to where you live. That seems like a pretty bad idea, doesn’t it? You don’t know what we could do to you,” Namjoon says in a snarky tone.

He’s not wrong. It’s very rare that people let anyone know where they live anymore for fear of being raided for supplies or living space.

“I’m not worried about you.”

His voice is low and sullen, and you can’t tear your eyes away from his face. His skin is flawless even though it’s the raining bits of volcanic rock and cooled magma from the sky every day. Taehyung must catch you staring because he elbows you hard in the ribs.

“What do you want with us?” you finally pipe up, taking the mask off of your face. “We don’t have anything that you want.”

“Maybe. Maybe not,” he says, dragging his eyes across the three men’s faces to rest upon yours.

He pauses for a moment, takes in your face. His mouth hangs slightly open for just a moment, and you think that you might see him blush. Then he turns his attention to a corner of the room with several pictures taped to the wall. His blushing makes you blush, and Taehyung jabs you in the ribs again.

“Stop it,” you hiss.

“Now, why I brought you here: have any of you seen this girl?” He holds up a photo of himself and a girl who looks remarkably like him just with longer hair. She is smiling in the picture, holding a lily in her hand.

“No. Sorry,” Namjoon replies curtly.

“Look closely at it. Are you sure? Her name is Nari.”

“I looked closely at it. I haven’t seen her. Have any of you?” Namjoon looks at each of us with a pleading look in his eyes.

“No,” you all answer in chorus.

The man begins to cry, dropping to his knees with tears flowing down his cheeks. All four of you gasp a little bit at the sight in front of you and look at each other awkwardly. Finally, you step forward, lowering yourself to his level.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay. It might not feel like it now, but it will,” you coo to him, hoping that you can help him feel a little better. You don’t tell anyone not to cry anymore. Everyone cries a lot more now, just a lot more quietly.

#jungkook x reader #jungkook smut #taehyung x reader #taehyung smut #bts fanfic #jeon jungkook x reader #jk x reader #jjk x reader #kth x reader #jungkook fanfic #taehyung fanfic #fic teaser

[noonachronicles]

The End of the F**king World Pt. 1

Byun Baekhyun X Reader

Word Count: 8k

Warnings: Language. Violent imagery if you squint.

Genre: Apocalyptic/Alien Invasion AU. Slow Burn (ish?). One pining pup and one idiot in denial to eventual lovers.

A/N: I mean, idk, but do I ever?  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Don’t forget to read the Prologue!

There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky, which left the sun free to beat down on every inch of the city. Showering it completely in light. It was nice, the sun, especially when it had been mostly dark and rainy for weeks. Basking in the light of the sun this city looked like every other city in the world. Absolutely every other city.

Cement sidewalks and asphalt roads with their gaping holes from where bombs and missiles had landed. Skyrise buildings half destroyed by fires or from flooding. Windows covered in plywood, plywood riddled with bullet holes. Not a business in sight that hadn’t been ransacked. Nearly every inch of wall space and every abandoned or crashed vehicle was covered in spray paint. Messages of hope for survivors, warnings about certain spots in the city, brief apologies and goodbyes from those who just couldn’t do it anymore. Plants, weeds, grass, and flowers growing through cracks in cement. Overgrowth in certain places making the city look like a literal urban jungle.  

Every major city in the world looked like this because every major city in the world got hit in exactly the same way. If not in the first wave then the second, and if not in the second then the third. And so on and so forth until they were all just empty shells of what they had once been.

The sound of your boots crunching against gravel and broken glass didn't even register to you any longer as you made your way down the empty street. Finally you found what you’d been looking for. A shop you’d noticed the other week but hadn’t had the chance to visit yet. The toy store was dark inside, left mostly untouched by looters except for the cash register. It had probably been busted open in the very beginning when people thought there would still be a use for money.

Old currency was rendered useless and the only survivors left now were the innovators, you thought to yourself as you peered through the window frame. It didn’t matter anymore what you had. Survival was about what you could do with what you found. The thought left you wondering how many people had walked past this shop without realizing its potential.

The storefront consisted of a three paneled window. Two of the panels had been smashed to nothing leaving an easy entrance into the store. The third window stood untouched, looking pristine. You rapped your knuckles against the completely intact glass and waited. It only took a couple of seconds. You could hear them before you saw them. A low hissing that sounded like getting the drool sucked out of your mouth at the dentists broke up with intermittent clicking. The sound either made your skin crawl in terror or it annoyed you. Today, luckily, it was just an annoyance more than anything else.

Grabbing the knife from the strap on your thigh, you focused in on the shadows of the aisles. There were two sets of four beady, silver eyes lurking in the dark. With a sigh you stepped through one of the broken windows and into the store. The hissing and clicking grew louder and more chaotic at your more obvious presence in the room. Resting the blade of your knife on your shoulder you made your aim. Then with a quick snap of your wrist the knife had shot through the air and projected into the shadows.

What happened next went fast, you knew it had to from your experience. As the first blade slipped from your fingers your hand had already dropped down to grab the second. The blade of the knife stuck between the four silver eyes and they went black. As the first grayish green, scaled beast fell forward into the light it’s counterpart opened its mouth wide to release a shrill shriek. The noise only pierced your ears briefly as you’d already thrown the second knife, the blade catching the beast in the throat. Those silver eyes drained to black as well and then it also fell forward into the light. Reaching into your pocket you pulled out your small flashlight and clicked it on. Quickly, you scanned the other aisles of the store for other Lurkers. You were pleased to find none.

First things first. You moved over to the cash register and searched the shelves of the rounded counter. As to be expected it was mostly tiny plastic trinkets at eye level that children would have instantly fallen in love with and would offer one last minute, desperate plea for. You did eventually find what you were looking for. There on the bottom self seated between a box of rock hard tootsie rolls and several bags of gummy worms that looked like they’d melted during the summer heat and then cooled into a blobby swirl of sugary color. A jar of, likely expired, blow pops. Tearing off the lid you shoved your hand in to grab one. You unwrapped it quickly and shoved the candy between your cheek and teeth with a satisfied sigh.

With your sweet tooth satiated for now you bagged the rest of the suckers as well as a jar of jolly ranchers. Then you went to pull your knives from the Lurkers you’d left bleeding out onto the linoleum floor. Placing one foot against the head of the first Lurker you tugged at the handle of the knife until the blade was released with a nasty squelch. You gagged at the sound, for some reason that was always the worst part for you, and moved to the second. With both blades freed from their victims you stood up and looked around your immediate area. Thick, black, gooey blood dripped from the blades onto the floor with little splats. On the shelf next to you there was a display of stuffed kittens with big, pitiful eyes covered in a thin layer of dust.

“Sorry, buddy.” you said snatching one of the kittens and swiping your blades clean against the soft fur before tucking them back into their holster.

You walked the front part of the store first, making a mental inventory of what was there that you would consider usable. On the other side of the room there was a spinning display rack that had been completely stripped of its contents except for one single package of batteries. That’s what you’d come in for.

“Fuck.” you muttered and snatched the lone package from the rack and tore it open.

At least you could replace the batteries in your flashlight, which had been functioning on borrowed time.

Once your flashlight was back at full power you started to make your way down the aisles. Continuing to take more notes of inventory, you searched for something that would be useful now. Dragging your finger through the dirt on the shelves you passed left a cleared line in its wake. You’d found baby dolls, Barbie dolls, and more stuffed animals. Princess dresses and plastic jewelry. There was plastic, silver tiara on one shelf, with little plastic jewels. You grabbed it and placed it on your head before continuing on.

Basketballs, tennis rackets, and skateboards lined the next aisle. The one after that had action figures and puzzles. You took a mental note to let Baekhyun know about the rack of lightsabers. Though considering how much trouble he’d gotten in the last time he had one you’d have to save both of you the trouble and tell him when Chanyeol wasn’t around. By then you’d nearly given up on finding anything when you reached the back corner and saw exactly the kind of thing you were hoping for. An entire display of toddler toys, each box with a red sticker and bold white letters that read, Batteries Included!

“Oh, jackpot.” you grinned, dropping your backpack on the ground and getting to work.

The first few months after the invasion were the hardest. The stress from uncertainty had aged everyone a hundred years. The four of you had stayed in the safe room for four days before venturing out. It took four days of Baekhyun and Chanyeol watching the security cameras endlessly and listening to the random frequencies the radio would pick up, trying to learn what they could, before they felt confident enough to open the door. It ended up being lucky because the night they decided it was time, was the night the electricity shut off for good. None of you slept that night. You just sat with the flashlight in the center of the room and waited for what you’d hoped would be enough time for there to be daylight outside.

It had to be daylight. If nothing else the guys had confirmed that the creatures never came out during the day. There were hoards of them during the night hours but there was something about the light that made them sensitive. Baekhyun had a theory that there was something wrong with their eyes. He didn’t think they could see or if they could they couldn’t see very well. He felt confident that their strongest sense was their hearing. He ended up being correct, you’d found out after watching them a little longer.

In fact they ended up being relatively ineffective threats once you’d figured them out. They were easy to maneuver around as long as there weren’t too many. They were blind as bats and pretty easy to kill if you got them in any of their softer areas which turned out to be anywhere on their necks and the diamond shaped patch between their eyes. The unfortunate part was that if you found one there were more than likely a dozen more and that’s when you’d find trouble. One or two were easy to kill. Even three was doable for a select few of you, if you were on your own. If you ran into a pack or you ran into them at night however, you were done for. They became chaotic attackers when they had the support of a hoard behind them. Like wild, rabid dogs they would tear their victim to shreds in a minute or less. Which was why they still terrified you even after three years.  

What you’d found when you walked out of the jewelry store on that fourth day was the complete destruction of everything you’d ever known. At that point almost everything still seemed to be on fire. Looters had come and gone, and were likely dead if they hadn’t gone into hiding in time. Buildings were still crumbling, sending debri crashing to the ground. Electricity was out everywhere but you did find that water was still running in some areas. You cried when you washed yourself for the first time in days. It wasn’t even anything nice. It was you in the bathroom of a coffee shop in your underwear, standing in front of the sink and wiping your body down with paper towels and hand soap. Still you cried. You’d cried a lot those first months, that whole first year really. You cried less these days.

Anywhere you walked you could see the creatures lurking in the dark, watching every move you made. Hissing, clicking and waiting for the sun to set. It’s why you’d all agreed they would be referred to as Lurkers, because that’s what they did. You didn’t go back to the jewelry store that night. You didn’t go back for more than a year. Instead the four of you collected food and what weapons you could before finding somewhere new and safe to stay. You did that every night for a week. You didn’t know exactly what Chanyeol and Baekhyun were looking for but you knew when they found it you could finally settle.

Hopping around from place to place is how you found Irene. She was a mess when you found her. Holed up in the corner of a broken cooler at a convenience store behind a barrier made out of boxes of beer. Trembling, sobbing, and dehydrated. It took hours for you to get her to even speak her name clearly. Later you found out her boyfriend had barricaded her in the cooler for her safety after he promised her he’d be back once he found his little brother. Then she watched him get torn apart by Lurkers through the cooler door while having to remain completely silent or risk being attacked herself. After that she joined your family, and the four of you became five.

As the days and weeks passed and you had become more comfortable and confident you started to explore the city. It was less for entertainment and done more so out of necessity. You needed supplies like food and weapons. The more you wandered and scavenged the more survivors you found. Groups of people like yours who’d been together since the invasion. As more people came out from their hiding spots obvious leaders showed themselves within your families, as your groups had been defined.

There were eight families and together you were the Community. The heads of each family met constantly in the beginning, trying to work out how best to work with one another and what they could offer each other. They all wanted to make sure that their families had everything they needed to survive without taking from any other families. In the end the city was separated into nine boroughs, a space for each family, each equal in square mileage. The ninth borough was the city center. All of the major arenas and theatres were there, all of the city's largest buildings. Underground parking lots at every corner. It was a hotbed for Lurkers. Entering any building was more than useless, it was a deathwish. Though it was safe enough to pass through during the day, so long as you stuck to the streets, by night it was wall to wall Lurkers.  

During the first year the Community met once a day after scavanges and doled out supplies. Each family took only what they needed and then the rest was stored by the original scavenger. After the first year half of the survivors were gone. Mostly loss came from accidents or illness. Things that happened that required a doctor, a doctor that you didn’t have. However on the rare occasion someone would walk outside in the middle of the night and scream at the top of their lungs.

Nobody thought them cowardly. It wasn’t an easy life, there was nothing desirable about it. You weren’t even sure where your own will to survive was coming from. It hadn’t been as if there was an expiration date on Lurkers. There was no timeframe for when this would be over. No ETA of your old life getting back to you. No visible end to the invasion. Still you woke up every day and you tried. When you went to bed you went to bed with every expectation of doing it again the next day.

After the first year the Community had become a well oiled machine. Everything had been so well organized. And there were so few people that supplies started to last longer and there was less of a need to meet up everyday. Now the whole Community only came together once a week for a check in. This week's meeting happened to be today.

Once you’d broken apart every toddler toy in the store and collected their batteries, you found a manager's office in the back. You sat down in the pleather chair and pulled your walkman out of your backpack, replacing the batteries that had been dead for a couple days. Having the sound of music flowing through you brought you a sense of joy and content that you couldn’t explain. It was the only thing you’d found since the invasion that could bring you any sort of content or calm. Without it your brain was constantly running a thousand miles a minute with worry and anxiety. You weren’t sure what you’d do when the city stopped providing you with AA batteries.

As the music played you twirled around in the desk chair a few times with a yawn, before deciding to check the room for supplies. There wasn’t too much, a couple things here and there, but in the bottom drawer of the desk you found five of the little airplane sized bottles of whiskey and a dusty, water warped copy of 50 Shades of Grey. After downing two of the little bottles you’d kicked your feet up on the desk and flipped open the book. Then, with a pretty good buzz brewing, you read aloud to an audience of two dolls, a stuffed monkey and three Batman figurines sitting on top of a file cabinet. The next thing you knew you’d amused yourself to tears and were late to the meeting.

Luckily you weren’t too far from the amphitheater where the meetings were held, just a handful of blocks away. You’d even tried to sprint it but were embarrassed to realize that the little amount of alcohol you’d had left you in less than peak condition. In all fairness it had been a while since you’d really had a drink. It had been a long while since anyone had indulged in a drink really. In the first few months a lot of people drank heavily as a way to cope and to avoid thinking about the reality of the situation. Reckless, unchecked drinking unfortunately led to a lot of accidents and those accidents led to the deaths of several people. There had been one night when a member of one of the bigger families drank half a bottle of tequila and didn’t close the door to their shelter well enough. That night twenty people were lost. After that it was rare for people to drink, it was even rarer for them to get drunk.  

The meeting had already started when you’d arrived. You could hear Chanyeol’s voice from outside the amphitheater as you stopped to catch your breath. Catching a glimpse of yourself in the reflection of a ticket booth window, you realized you were still wearing the toy tiara you’d found. Spitting the gum from your blow pop into some grass, you pulled the tiara from your head and shoved it in a trash can near the entrance.

Everyone was already there, which wasn’t a surprise but it was still embarrassing when they realized you’d just come in. Every head turned to look at you. Chanyeol, Hyunwoo, Jihyo, Taeyong, Solar, Hongjoon, Hanbin, and Seungcheol all sat in the center as the representatives of their families, silently watching as you made your way towards the group. You avoided eye contact with Chanyeol at all costs, ducking your head as you made your way to your usual spot next to Seulgi.

“You’re late.” she whispered as Taeyong continued with what it was he’d been saying in reply to Chanyeol.

“Obviously…” you whispered back, she pinched your side until you flinched, “Did I miss anything?”

She shook her head no and you both turned your attention to Chanyeol who had stood again to speak.

“General census has been that all families are low on food and the map doesn’t look great either, we’ve almost scavenged the entire limits of the city with the exception of the red zone. All food source locations are near depleted in zones with larger families, the others are getting close as well. Next week each family will send two members to the Farm for supplies and fresh food. Heads have been discussing that we need to put more focus on our own gardens around the city. We’ll be changing priorities from scavenging to gardening and livestock. The few of us who will continue to scavenge will need to...will need to start moving outside of the city.”

Unease ran through the group, and there was a steady hum of murmurs. Leaving the city limits was a nerve wracking suggestion because no one in the Community had left the city since the first wave. No one knew how things were out there. And of the very few people who had gone to scope it out, no one had ever returned. The only place the Community went that was outside of the city limits was the Farm.

The Farm was a huge compound on a stretch of farmland where an actual family had taken up residence. They had well stocked food storage, thriving gardens, and hoards of livestock. It was also protected under a massive security system. The family who lived on the Farm had come into the city not realizing it was occupied. When they found the Community and what you had to offer, they made a deal . They would exchange fresh fruits and vegetables, and eggs and meat from the livestock where they could spare it for fresh water which was the only thing they couldn’t seem to get steady access to. So twice a month the Community would send a group to collect the food supplies and drop off a water truck with a full tank.

Once the group had settled down after Chanyeol’s announcement there were still a few topics to discuss before the meeting was over. The end of the meeting really only meant that it was time for the group to break off into smaller cliques for further discussions and gossip.

“What if they don’t accept the water after the rain? That was a long stretch, they may not need it. What are we going to do without food?” You heard Sehun say as everyone talked over one another.      

You’d actually been pretty interested in listening in on that conversation but Chanyeol had sat down beside you. “You were late.”

“I know. I’m sorry, Yeol.” you looked up at him with your most convincingly innocent smile which only made him laugh.

“You know I worry. And worse, you know I had to hear about it endlessly from Baek.” he said, raising an eyebrow.

Nodding you pulled one of the suckers from your jacket pocket and offered it to him. “I got caught up and lost track of time. I’m sorry I made you worry. Forgive me?”

He already had the sucker unwrapped and stuck in his cheek when he nodded, “Forgiven. Just don’t be late back home. I don’t need you getting locked out.”

He patted the top of your head as he stood and you watched him take off. Seulgi who was talking in a group a little ways away saw him leaving and ditched her friends to chase after him. You frowned as you watched. It had turned out that they hadn’t been dating before the invasion like you thought. They’d definitely shared some pretty deep feelings for each other, but neither one had the nerve to make any moves. The invasion and imminent threat of death had apparently been the kick in the ass they’d needed to confess their feelings to each other. Still, of everything that had happened over the last few years the one thing you couldn't wrap your head around was people getting attached to each other. You just couldn’t understand falling in love.

Over the last three years the Community had lost so many people from death and disappearance. You had lost so many people. All your friends and family from before the first wave were just gone. Any family and all of your other friends. They were all dead as far as you knew. You would never get to say goodbye, never get to tell them how much you loved them. The hardest out of all of them to get over was Siwon. Things weren’t always perfect between the two of you but you’d been together for five years. As far as you had been concerned he’d been it for you. You’d been ready to spend the rest of your life with him, if he’d ever gotten the chance to ask you to. You’d imagined a future with him, buying a house and starting a family. Then in one day you had it all ripped away from you and the pain of it had been unbearable. You didn’t have a future, you didn’t have love. You didn’t even want it anymore. All you had and all you needed was to survive.

You couldn’t see the appeal of falling in love with someone who could be torn from you at any moment. Or intentionally putting yourself through the eventual pain of loss. You didn’t even like that you had to worry about losing Seulgi. The chance of risk versus the low reward just didn’t seem worth it to you. However, Seulgi was happy and as much as you didn’t understand giving your love to anyone anymore, you were happy for her. She was happy. She had a reason to keep going, and that’s all you could really ask for her or anyone else for that matter.

Throwing your backpack over your shoulder you waved goodbye to the others that were left and took off back up the stairs alone. Outside of the amphitheater you saw Hyunwoo chatting with Hanbin and Baekho, while Taemin and Jongin waited nearby. When he saw you Hyunwoo smiled and said something to the others before hurrying over to where you had been walking.  

“Hey,” he said, catching up to you.

“Hi.” you grinned.

“Hold up a second, I have something for you.” he said, grabbing your elbow.

You stopped walking and turned towards him, “For me? Why?”

“You know why.” he smirked. He moved closer to you so there was hardly any space between your bodies. One of his hands reached into his jacket and he pulled out a small, square, gold box with a red ribbon wrapped around it. “I know you didn’t want a big deal made out of your birthday, but I had to at least get you something.”

“You really didn’t have to get me anything.” you assured him, turning the box over in your hands.

“Fine. I wanted to get you something.” he corrected, “Will you just open it?”

You tugged the ribbon from the box and lifted the lid. A tiny gasp escaped your mouth at the sight in front of you. “Hyunwoo…”

“It’s expired, but only by a few months.”

Your eyes had filled with tears so quickly you couldn’t stop the single tear from slipping down your cheek. “It’s so beautiful. I love it. Thank you so much.”

He grinned as you pulled the chocolate bar from the box. “Don’t share it with anyone, okay?”

“Oh don’t worry, I will not be sharing with anyone. Not even you so don’t ask.” you laughed and wrapped your arms around his broad shoulders. “Thank you so much. Seriously, it means the world that you would give this to me.”

“You mean the world to me.” he said quietly squeezing you back, and then he pulled away, “To us. You mean the world to all of us. You’re always doing so much for the whole Community, my two idiots especially.”

You were grateful for the excuse to look away from him, to look over at Taemin and Jongin as your cheeks burned with a blush. “It’s nothing. You know I love them.”

“Alright.” he cleared his throat and looked over at the still waiting Taemin, Jongin duo. “Get home safe tonight. I have to get the kids home for dinner.”

“You be safe too Hyunwoo, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Tucking your gift into the pocket of your backpack you smiled to yourself. Maybe...maybe you could see yourself with someone like Hyunwoo. You’d seen him in action, you knew he could handle himself well in a fight. He didn’t need to be protected or taken care of. You wouldn’t need to feel responsible for him all the time or to worry about him too much. Plus he was a sweetheart and absolutely gorgeous, which never hurt.

“What was that about?”

Pulled from the thought you looked up to see Baekhyun. He was sitting on a short, brick wall. His feet dangled from side to side as he chewed anxiously on his thumbnail.

“What was what about?” you asked as he hopped off the wall and fell in line with you as you walked.

“Whatever just happened between you and Hyunwoo.” He was trying to be casual about the conversation but you could feel the energy vibrating off of him.

You sighed, “Nothing, Baek. Don’t worry about it.”

“Are you guys like together? You never said anything. Are you going to leave us? Are you going to stay with his family now? It’s just guys over there, you know? What about Seulgi? Does she know? She’ll be really upset.” he rambled nervously.

“No, Baek,” you chuckled, “I’m not going anywhere. I’m not dating anyone.”

“What did he say? It looked like he gave you something. What were you hugging him for?”

“Baekhyun!” You growled looking over at him with wide eyes, “Breathe. Calm down. Christ.”

He did as he was told and shut his mouth. He stuffed his hands deep in his pockets and took a deep breath. “Okay. I’m chill. You still didn’t answer any of my questions.”

“Well you asked about twenty all at once…” you said sarcastically and looked over at him and his big sad eyes. “Fine.”

Pulling your backpack around to your chest you pulled the chocolate bar from your bag and handed it over to him. He grabbed the candy and flipped it over in his hands.

“Shit. This is like ...European chocolate.” he said in awe, “This is the good shit. I haven’t seen stuff this nice in…”

“Months.” you said quietly.

“At least.” He handed the bar back to you, “God, what did he do? Ask you to marry him with that thing?”

You laughed as you put it back in the bag and then swung the bag back over your shoulders. “No. It was just a gift.”

“A gift? What for?” he asked, kicking a chunk of cement off the sidewalk.  

Baekhyun wasn’t going to let it go. You’d spent enough time with him to know that about him. Taking a quick look around the street to make sure there was no one nearby you said as quietly as you could manage without whispering. “It’s my birthday.”

“Your birthday?” he shouted, his voice echoing against the towering buildings that surrounded.

“Shhh.” you hissed.

“Why? It’s really your birthday?” He asked looking wounded, “You didn’t say anything.”

“It’s not a big deal, I don’t want anyone to know. So please...just shut up about it.”

“Hyunwoo knew. Did you tell him?”

You groaned, “Yes, but it had been by accident. He wasn’t supposed to find out.”

Still he looked upset, “I’m sorry I didn’t know. I would have gotten you something.”

You rolled your eyes subtly. “It’s fine, Baek. I swear it’s fine. I didn’t want anything, that’s why I didn’t tell anyone.”

“No, I should have known already. I should have remembered from before.”

“I’m honestly glad you didn’t.”

“I just wish there was time for me to find you a good gift. I feel like a real jerk.” He sighed, “And Hyunwoo got you chocolate? Damn.”

“I promise you, it’s okay.” You assured him once more as he trudged dramatically down the sidewalk beside you.

Suddenly he lit up with a smile, “What about a joke? Can I tell you a joke? Have you had a really good laugh today?”

You grinned. Secretly you’d become pretty fond of his daily jokes. “That sounds like the perfect gift.”

“Okay…” you watched as his face turned quite serious while he thought of the best joke. “Got it. What do you call bees that produce milk?”

“I don’t know. What do you call them?” You couldn’t help your half smile at the fact that he was already chuckling at his own joke.

“Boo-BEES.” He said with the biggest, cheesiest smile.

The laugh came even if the joke was terrible. A real shoulder shaking, teeth out laugh.

“Oh my god, I hate you so much.” You continued laughing and he just smiled back at you.

“Good. I love you too.” He said, the same way he always did when you told him you hated him. “Happy birthday, Y/n.”

You blushed, the tiniest of blushes. “Thanks, Baek.”

“You’re welcome.” He sighed happily. Pleased, you assumed, that his joke had gone over so well. After that the rest of the walk back was comfortably quiet.

Cordially was a club downtown, or it had been before the invasion. It had been made wildly popular by its exclusivity. It was the only by-invitation-only club you knew of. They would hand deliver invitations every week. White cardstock with red embossment that red simply, ‘You are cordially invited”. Then on the back it either said Friday or Saturday to indicate what day your invitation was for. For a monetary fee an invitee could bring up to ten plus ones. The add-ons were where they really made their money. That and of course the alcohol.

The building was on the corner of tenth and main, which was the most popular area for high end restaurants and bars. It was a two story building that had been built originally for use as a concert hall. It had housed operas, plays, and musicals. Then it had shut down for a couple of years and came back renovated into a burlesque club. After that it became a venue for punk shows. For awhile after that it was a gay bar that played venue to drag shows. And in its final form it was Cordially.

Immediately upon walking into the building occupants would find themselves in what appeared to be one big empty hall. On one side of the empty, dust covered hardwood floor there was a short hallway that led to two restrooms and an office. The big empty space had previously been the dance floor. Along the back wall was a bar and on the other side of the dance floor, opposite the restrooms, was a staircase. Upstairs was a horseshoe balcony. There were two more restrooms, a half bar, and private alcoves that had been reserved for vip invitees who’d paid major money for the privilege. None of that was why the Cordially was so important to you. It was important because, technically, its final form was home.

“Honey I’m home!” Baekhyun shouted as you walked in through the main entrance. “Oh, I forgot...I don’t have a Honey.”

“Is everyone else here?” you asked, ignoring his comment, as you looked outside one last time as the sun set on your birthday.

He looked over at the dusty bar top where five shot glasses had been placed. Three were upside down, two were still rightside up. “Yep. everyone is accounted for.”

With a sigh you let the door close while you grabbed the two by four leaning against the wall. You slide the wood through the door handles, and secured the locks at the top and the bottom of the door, and as a last step unhooked the blackout curtains Chanyeol had installed. The room was still lit with the orange glow of sun through windows that lined the second floor. Moving passed the bar as he whistled a tune, Baekhyun flipped over the remaining two shot glasses. He stopped at the door on the farside of the bar and held it open as he waited for you.

“Thanks.” you said quietly before moving passed him and making your way downstairs to the dark basement.

“Anything for the birthday girl…” he muttered to himself as he shut and secured the door.

“Uh...Baek.” you said stepping cautiously down into the unusually pitch black room. “I thought you said everyone was here?”

“The glasses were flipped. Is there no one down there?” he asked as you felt him step behind you.

“No, everything is off and I can‘t see shit.” you complained, searching your pockets for your flashlight.

“Huh...so weird.” Baekhyun said flicking on his flashlight and illuminating the wall switch. “Hit the lights.”

Flipping the switch up illuminated the bright, white christmas lights that had been strung all across the basement ceiling. The room had also been decorated with streamers and balloons. Chanyeol, Seulgi, and Irene all stood in the center of the room sporting paper party hats and cheerful smiles. They’d been popping poppers and shouting happy birthday, but you could barely register it through your haze of emotion.

Baekhyun had come around you and put a cheap, cheesy sash that said Birthday Princess over your head along with a tiara on top of it. Chanyeol lit candles that had been stuck into the top of a stack of just-add water pancakes that had rainbow sprinkles mixed in. After a moment of genuine shock you realized they’d been singing the birthday song to you and were now waiting for you to make your wish.

I wish I was this happy all the time. You thought to yourself before blowing out the candles.

“I-” you chuckled lightly, “I’m speechless.”

“Do you love it?” Irene asked hopefully, “I know you don’t like to make a big fuss about this kind of stuff. I worried it would be too much.”

“Oh, no! I love it! Thank you,” you said giving her a hug and then giving one to Seulgi too, “I don’t deserve all this.”

“That’s not true.” Chanyeol said wrapping you in a tight hug before guiding you over to the couch where a large pile of gifts were waiting. “You deserve more.”

“Do you like your cake?” Seulgi asked, sitting down on the cushion next to you. “Isn’t it cute?”

You smiled reassuringly, “I really love everything. I swear. It’s perfect.”

“I made it, the cake, but it was Baek’s idea.” When you looked over at him he was leaning against one of the surveillance desks. His cheeks were a little flush as he smiled over at you. “It was actually all his idea. He did most of the planning and the work, but we all helped out a little here and there.”

“You really thought I forgot, didn’t you?” he asked, looking so proud of himself. It was only then you realized he’d been the one that had remembered the last two years. Of course it had all been a show. Baekhyun didn’t forget anything. “Oh man, I really got you so good.”

“Open my present first! It’s the best one!” Irene said with a grin as she shoved a flat, wrapped box into your lap.

After you opened it you laughed immediately and then pulled the diamond chandelier necklace from the box. It had been a running joke between the two of you over the past few years. Whenever a gift giving holiday rolled around the two of you exchanged frivolous gifts. Grossly expensive things that were useless at the end of the world.

“I...It’s beautiful. I can’t wait to have some fantastic event to wear this to. Thank you, Irene.” you grinned.

“I got it at that jewelry store on third street if you want to return it. The receipts at the bottom of the box.” she smirked, “But you should know it was twenty thousand dollars, and I think it’s going to look fantastic on you. You should wear it every day because every day we’re alive is a fantastic event.”

Seulgi’s gift was next. She dragged over a tall box that was wrapped up to look like a gift bag, and that was clearly very heavy. When you pulled the tissue paper from the top of the box you revealed no less than thirty bottles of your favorite shampoo.

“So,” she started, “I have spent the last six months during scavenges looking for this shampoo. I took every bottle from every store in the city that had any. Cherish them, they are probably the last bottles we will ever lay eyes on.”

“I love you, Seul.” you said as you wiped your cheek of it’s tears.

“Love you too, bestie.” She said squeezing you tight, feeling quite pleased.

“Alright, that’s enough of the lame gifts.” Chanyeol said, reaching over Seulgi’s lap to hand you his gift. “I hope you’re ready for a real gift, Y/n. Something actually useful and still very fun.”

“Shampoo is useful!” Seulgi said, pinching his arm, “Dick.”

You laughed at the two of them as they bickered and unwrapped his gift. It really did take your breath away when you opened the package. “Yeol...oh my god.”

“You know I don’t know anything about knives.” he said as you pulled one of the shiny silver blades from its sheath. “Sehun helped me. He promised they were the best knives in the whole city. He said you’d really love them.”

“They’re so beautiful, Yeol. Really, I’m...I’m so happy.” you sniffled as you tucked the knives back in the box, “I can’t even tell you how much I’m looking forward to being able to use them.”

“And!” Irene said enthusiastically, “We’re all giving up our wash time tonight, so it’s all yours.”

Cordially was one of the buildings in the city that still offered running water. The problem was that it was such an old building that too much use throughout the day caused the ancient pipes to groan and when they did it was less than quiet. The five of you learned early on that there was a certain length of time that the water could be used after dark without attracting Lurkers with the noise. That time was divided and a bit of time was allotted to each of you for any night time activities like cleaning up after a long day or even using the toilet.

“No.” you argued, “That’s too much.”

“Yes!” Seulgi said, shooting you a terrifying glare, “Take extra care with the shampoo I worked so hard to get you. Rinse and repeat, for once.”

“It really is too much.” you groaned.

“Just let me know before you want to go, Y/n.” Baekhyun said, and you realized he’d been unusually quiet this whole time. “There’s just one more surprise.”

The group refused to listen to your complaints about wash time so you let it go. Instead you all indulged in your pancake cake and talked about your days. After a couple hours had passed you had to switch from the beautiful lights overhead to your regular LED lanterns so that Chanyeol could turn the computers and surveillance equipment back on for nightly security checks.

Together Chanyeol and you checked the reports from other cities and the surveillance outside of your building as well as the water storage. After your first yawn hit you mentioned wanting to clean up and get to bed soon at which point Baekhyun disappeared upstairs for sometime. You’d been ready to give up on him and crash for the night without even washing when he finally showed up. You grabbed one of your new shampoos, a towel and pajamas before following him quietly upstairs with your lantern in hand.

In the beginning you’d refused to leave the basement at night. The sight of the dark open dance hall creeped you out and you were always worried that there would be something hiding in the shadows. Ironically, it had been Baekhyun that had helped you out of your fear. You’d gotten into a pretty good system of making sure you’d done everything you needed to before the sun went down. It worked out really well for you at first.

That was until you, and everyone else, started to realize that things were changing. With every month that passed you realized that the invasion was having a lasting effect on weather patterns. Even now, after three years, they were unpredictable. Winter had come fast that first year. Sunlight was sparse, nights were seemingly endless. Some nights lasting literal days, as if the invaders were trying to force people out into the night to search for food and water, leaving them open and vulnerable for attack.  

It was one of those long winter nights that Baekhyun realized how uncomfortable you looked. He’d laughed at first when you told him you had to pee, but when he noticed the genuine fear on your face when he suggested you just go upstairs he stopped. You’d been so embarrassed, it felt silly that of all the things left to be afraid of, that the dark was what paralzyed you. Then he offered to take you whenever you needed and promised he wouldn’t tell anyone about your fear. That winter night lasted eleven days and every time you had to go to the bathroom or wanted to wash up, Baekhyun was there to take you. He’d check all the shadows and stand outside the bathroom until you were ready to go back down. Even if you shook him out of a dead sleep you  never heard a complaint.

It had been a long time since you’d needed someone to help you in the dark. On several occasions you’d even gone on scavenges at night. Like for the past four weeks when it rained all day everyday. There had been no sun but you also had no choice, your family needed food. So it seemed silly to you that he had offered to take you upstairs now. In front of the upstairs womens restroom Baekhyun stopped and held out his hand, “Lantern please.”

“I’m going to need it, Baek…” you whispered back knowing fully well the solar powered electricity that Chanyeol had set up didn’t run upstairs.

“Your lantern.” he requested once more, quietly, but sternly. With a deep sigh you handed him your lantern and he smiled brightly. “Thank you.”

He knelt down putting your lantern on the ground and picking up a container you hadn’t noticed before. Standing back up straight, he offered you the container.

“My gift to you.”

“You’ve already done enough.” you said taking the container, “Your stupid joke was more than enough for me.”

“Then this will just be the cherry on top.”  he grinned, “Open it.”

You pulled open the lid of the container to find actual cherries. Cherries, strawberries, and blueberries to be exact. “How? I thought we were out of fresh food until the Farm trip?”

“I’ve been stockpiling my portions for you.”

“No, absolutely not. I can‘t accept this, Baekhyun.” you said shoving the container back towards him.

“You have to. I won’t eat it. I’ll let it all go to waste.” he shook his head defiantly, and you knew he was telling the truth. “It’s yours now.”

“Here,” Pulling open the lid once more you searched for the biggest piece of fruit you saw. You held the strawberry up to his lips. “Just eat one. I won’t be the reason your dumbass gets scurvy.”

He smiled happily, “Okay.”

You moved the fruit closer to his mouth and watched him wrap his lips gently around the fruit, you gulped at the sight but he didn’t seem to notice. “Do I get my lantern now?”

He shook his head as he chewed and swallowed down the berry, “Just go in, you won’t need it. I’ll wait out here on guard, You can have your lantern after.”

You looked at him suspiciously before turning to the door. With your fruit and your shampoo in hand you pushed the door open. You inhaled sharply at the sight. The entire makeshift shower room had been covered in candles and wildflowers. It was the most beautiful display you could ever remember seeing in your life.

“Baekhyun…” you whispered his name, not really knowing what else to say.

When you turned back to him he was smiling from ear to ear and he asked very hopefully, “Better than chocolate?”

You may have rolled your eyes but your smile and bright glow said everything he needed to hear, “I hate you.”

“Ah,” he blushed, “I love you too.”

#byun baekhyun scenario #baekhyun scenario #exo scenario #kpop scenario #TEOTFW #do we hate this? I feel like maybe we hate this.