#[Fading Works {TBD}] | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

heevanly · 1 year ago

Text

LATE NIGHT TALKS : LEE HEESEUNG (이희승)

𝐬yn. : being the host of a college late night radio talk show was a passion project since freshman year of college, but now as a senior, y/n hadn't expected the fame it brought to herself on campus... but maybe it was the recent string of murders that caused more tuning in than ever seen before.

𝐰arnings. / 𝐭ags. : (18+!). small series. gore. horror. college au. similar to a murder mystery au. swearing. mentions of wanting to vomit (no vomiting occurs). humor. mildly suggestive. no smut. main character death. side character death. heeseung and jay are manipulators. jay and heeseung have a small argument. enha members as main / side characters. lsf members as side characters. ive members as side characters. pet names used mockingly (baby, sweetheart, honey). more to be added as parts come out.

𝐧ote. : warnings are just overall, not everything mentioned is in this part in particular (like 98% is tho). also welcome to my first fully published work, i hope you guys like it. everything is also in lowercase, not sure why but that's just how things ended up happening haha.

𝐭aglist. : @livsateez @velvethana @ilyjxdz

WC : 6.7k

Part Two. (TBD)

walking towards the music building on your campus was always the worst trek for you. it was the furthest building from your on-campus apartment and it was a combination of uphill walking, stairs, and loose gravel sidewalk that for some reason the school had yet to get fixed. you kick a loose rock and grumble incoherently, watching the rock hit the bottom stair leading up to the building. letting out a sigh you begin walking up the last of the stairs that leads towards the building.

the night was serene at least, a bit chilly but it was still early spring, you’re just glad the hoodie you’re currently wearing is enough to block out the wind blowing past every so often. with the last bit of sunlight fading behind the horizon, you scan your fob into the building’s sensor, unlocking the doors.

a small noise crunches somewhere from behind you and your head immediately turns in the direction of the sound yet nothing is there. eyebrows furrowing, you rescan the fob and head inside the building shaking your head, “i hate walking at night, curse heeseung and his off-campus apartment, if only he’d pick me up.”

you head into the hallway that holds the elevators that lead into the basement. it’s never been the most ideal location to record, but it offered a few rooms that had equipment and space you needed to borrow.

after the trip down from the elevator you walk into the room the four of you have continuously used for the radio show. setting your bag down you start cleaning up the space, trashing old papers left behind, wiping the tables, doing simple tests on the mics to just make sure they work, overall just getting the place ready. you leave jay and jake's stuff mainly untouched, as they have their own way of setting up the lights, mic sensitivities, and what all else.

the door opens up behind you as you continue to do tasks around the rooms, not bothering to look at the door, you glance at the clock instead, “hey guys, you’re a bit earlier than when you normally get here.. we still got an hour.. but since you’re here could you,” your voice quiets down as you turn to address whoever was behind you directly, however no one is in the room.

“what the hell,” you mutter out scratching your head, “i swear i heard the door open.”

you quickly scan the room you’re in, checking under the table to see if one of the four decided to fool around a bit. seeing no one under there you move to the other room where jay and jake usually stay in, but no one is seen there either. a sense of unease begins to grow in your stomach but you decide to keep yourself busy by finishing up tasks in the room. printing out the schedule and loose script for the recording, you skim through, making sure you didn’t leave anything out and once satisfied you set the schedules and script in heeseung’s and your spot.

the clock reads 9:27 pm and you sit down on the couch, getting comfortable, getting ready for the other three to walk in at any moment. your phone rings and seeing jake’s contact pop up, you answer.

“hey jake, what’s up, did something happen?”

jake clears his throat on the other side, “y/n! glad you answered, couldn’t get a hold of heeseung, but i told jay already- wait is he there yet?”

“er, no.. well at least i don’t think so.” you scan the room once before playing with the charms on your nails.

“what..?” jake asks, confusion in his tone, “you don’t think so? y/nnie i hate to break it to ya but i think you’d know if someone was in the room with you.”

you let out a puff of air out through your noise in fake annoyance, “yes i’m well aware of that jake sim. but i heard the door open up behind me a little bit ago and i figured it was one of you guys stopping in a little early but no one was there so..”

“well.. i’m sure it’s just your pretty little mind playin tricks then, anyways jay should be there soon though, he left the flat a bit ago- oh right! since he isn’t there i guess i should tell you. i can’t make it tonight, forgot i overscheduled myself with my plans so i have somewhere else i need to be tonight.”

“what? jake why didn’t you say anything earlier today? i mean it’s fine, i got the room mainly all ready anyway but a warning other than being like five minutes before you get here would’ve been nice.” you click your tongue in annoyance to further drive the point in. frankly, you didn’t mind that much but teasing jake a little bit was something you couldn’t pass up.

you hear jake give a dejected sigh and stifle a laugh, “ok listen i know i know, i’ll make it up to you i promise but just this night i can’t make it alright?”

“yeah yeah, you have fun with your plans or whatever.”

jake chuckles, “oh i will, see ya y/n.”

the call ends just as jay walks in, he gives you a little wave and sets his stuff by yours, “here like always, before everyone else is.”

you drum your nails along the couch’s arm rest as you watch jay get situated in the room, “someone has to get everything ready, and it sure ain’t gonna be jake with the way he bailed on us tonight. and we’re lucky if heeseung shows up 10 minutes before we go on air.”

jay lets put a small laugh, “he told you he’d be gone? thought i was gonna have to be the one to tell you.”

“nah he told me, think he’s trying to get a hold of hee right now too.”

“eugh, good luck to him then.”

you raise your eyebrows in understanding, “yeah.. anyhow i printed out the schedules and cleaned everything up so..”

jay sits in his seat and turns to you, “you emailed me my schedule right?”

“yup, did it before i left my apartment.”

“perfect, alright you go get set up and i’ll test your mic and make sure feedback is clear.” upon hearing jay’s words you get up from the couch and move to sit down in your chair, jay gives you a thumbs up and you test your microphone, “test test test.”

jay fiddles around with a few notches and motions with his hand to try once again, “test test test.” you repeat into the microphone, which you receive a thumbs up and lean in your seat. all thats left was to wait for heeseung.

a few minutes later and he walks in, dragging his bag behind him, “woah dude you look like shit.” jay says, looking heeseung up and down.

“this assignment for prof kim is killing me,” heeseung groans out, exasperated, “i swear she wants me dead.”

your jaw drops slightly at the look of heeseung, “have you slept recently?”

heeseung drops his bag with everyone else’s, “just did, i was supposed to work on the assignment, fell asleep, woke up and sprinted over here.”

his hair was all tousled up and his shirt was slightly stained but his jacket managed to cover most of it up and his pants looked as if in some places dust or dirt got smeared onto it.

jay does one more look at heeseung before turning around in his seat, “alright well man, go get situated next, we’ll test your mic.”

heeseung simply nods before walking to his seat next, once jay gives him the go ahead he speaks up in the microphone, “test test.” jay gives the thumbs up to heeseung and you look up at the clock, 9:58 pm, almost time to go live.

you turn to heeseung, “you sure you’re alright? if you’re that tired i can handle doing a night alone.”

hee gives you a small smile, “promise im all good, that nap was like.. one of those ones where you wake up not knowing who you are or where you are kind, so i’m like.. oddly rejuvenated right now. think i could even fight off a werewolf and win.”

blinking once and then twice you look at him and slowly nod your head, “oohhhhhh kay mister tough guy.. whatever you say..”

“you not believing me is not very kind you know.” heeseung frowns, his lips forming a pout.

“i know, oh-! we’re going live.. 3.. 2..”

"welcome welcome welcome toooo SCU 101.85, you’re currently tuning in to the 10 o’clock pm talk show. i’m your host y/n and i’m here with my co-host..” you turn away from the microphone and glance at your co-host, lee heeseung.

“heeseung.” he speaks up into his microphone, shuffling a few of the papers around.

“and it’s currently a friday night, it’s 67 degrees out with a small breeze too so make sure you wear that jacket!” you chirp.

heeseung snorts and you pass him a look which he returns with a shrug, “you just sound chipper.. s’all.”

“ah.. well our ratings have been going up again.. it’s better than we’ve been seeing these past four months.. so.”

the past four months have been rather difficult for you and heeseung and the radio show. when you started this project sophomore year, it had just been you and your roommate kim chaewon, your ratings were steady in the beginning but had started declining after two months, which made your at the time co-host and roommate, quit. you don’t blame her, you nearly stopped too, which was before heeseung hit you up asking if you still needed another co-host.

accepting his help was the best thing you had done, his roommates jake and jay were all about the technical jargon behind running a radio show, which the reasoning was apparently the three had thoughts about starting a podcast but couldn’t get the timing right to actually get it started, so here they were willing to help you out.

production took off and the four of you found yourselves seeing steady viewers and got to even open a talk line, which was a segment that both you and heeseung took seriously, finding fun in chatting with anonymous students with various complaints they had of others, professors, relationships, or whatever else going on in their lives.

then, out of nowhere four months ago, the viewers started thinning out, causing your small team of four’s good feelings to falter. having been used to success it was shocking to be randomly met with a hard wall and seemingly, no way of getting out.

heeseung and your’s efforts were all in vain as you tried advertising the radio talk show, you had chaewon talk to her friends about spreading the show, heeseung talked to about it to his other friends and also had them spread the word. jake would mention it at his part time job, and jay even mentioned it at a small on-campus event, which he texted that he was never doing again out of sheer embarrassment.

heeseung hums, “well.. i could imagine people have been feeling a bit safer because of us, due to…” he trails off.

right, there's been a few recent deaths that have plagued not only your campus, but the town. you claim they’re very obviously murders while heeseung’s been claiming it’s been various unfortunate accidents. so far the death toll has hit only four, two on campus, one at a campus nearby, and one on the outskirts of town.

“the murders.” you finish his sentence off, gravelly.

heeseung rolls his eyes, but remembers that the listeners can’t actually see that, “you’re so obsessed with these being murders,” he teases.

“well.. it’s quite obvious, no?” you ask, tilting your head a little bit.

“ehh, i wouldn’t really say so, besides the two on campus cause they were ruled as a murder-suicide. regardless that was two months ago and the one at KTU was concluded to be an unfortunate accident.. shit what did they say about how she died again?” heeseung racks his brain, trying to remember how the girl from KTU died two weeks ago.

you scatter your papers around, “wasn’t it something about a lab issue..? their school got to close down because of it, that’s.. uh.. kind of all i remember about that.”

“oh you’re going to hell, haven’t you been following this whole thing since the murder-suicide on campus..?” heeseung laughs loudly and you slump in your chair, embarrassment flooding your system.

you sit back up and clear your throat, “in my defense..”

heeseung accusing points at you, “you! don’t have one.”

“pause, yes i do! rude…. my defense is that the fourth one’s been throwing me off with this whole thing, that i focused a little less on the third girl.” you huff out.

the fourth death was the weirdest in the whole thing so far, it happened a few days ago and it’s been the only one where the person involved wasn’t in the same age range and died supposedly.. well.. naturalistically. it had been a middle aged man, who was on his way home from work. apparently the report and the news claimed his tire gotten flat and when he had gotten out to check on it, he had been mauled by a pack of wolves wandering through.

the police and how they concluded it just didn’t make sense to you, you stayed up for two days trying to determine it all. first, wolves hadn’t been sighted in that area for several months so a random pack coming through didn’t make sense. second, the blood inside the car, how did it even manage to get in there if the man was supposedly outside? the third rea-

heeseung snaps his fingers to try and get your attention back to the talk show, “hey, y/n, quit thinking about it, you’re just gonna make yourself paranoid.. or worse.. really obsessive over this.”

you sigh, biting at your lip as you mull over his words, “my bad, i just need to stay up on all this, our viewers need the information, they deserve the best after all.”

“and the best of the best is from two college seniors..?” heeseung raises an eyebrow.

“absolutely!” you respond, “we’re the only ones giving multiple sides to these events and ways to stay safe.”

“i’m sure the news have been doin all that too though.”

“pff, news schmooze,” you wave your hand at heeseung, “college students don’t care about tuning into the morning news before classes or turning the evening news on, we’re a source of entertainment AND murder mystery, and that’s what eats up.”

“you’re greedy, y/n, soo greedy.” heeseung shoots a grin your way, a way to let you know he doesn’t mean it.

trying to stop a grin from making its way on your face, you roll your eyes, “oh suck my dick lee heeseung.”

“gladlyyy..” he sings out, wiggling his eyebrows and chuckles into his microphone.

“you’re a freak..” you gather your papers back up and glance up at the clock, 10:26 pm, time to open up the first talk line segment of the night.

you give a small nod towards heeseung and he nods back and clears his throat, “well well well SCU you are listening on 101.85 and it’s rolling up to 10:30 pm, we got a two minute sponsor for y’all and when we come back live, our callers will be up discussin’ random whatever with us. give us a call at +82 70-5208-6001 and see if you’re lucky enough. again that is +82 70-5208-6001. see you soon.”

both you and heeseung give a thumbs up to the room in front of you and jay switches your sets off, rolling the sponsor. a few seconds pass and before you’re able to turn to heeseung to just casually chat, the switchboard for the phone calls light up, more so than you’ve ever seen before.

turning to heeseung you give him a look of wonder, his eyebrows are furrowed as if hes wondering the same thing you are, why are there so many callers tonight? jay clicks off the sponsor and puts on a jazzy song before stepping into the room, “what’s up with the callers tonight?”

heeseung looks up at jay, “not sure bro, we’re just as confused as you are. we haven’t seen anything like this before.”

the calls keep coming through, lighting up the board until nearly all have popped up, indicating that people are on the line waiting to chat.

jay takes a glance at his set up and back at the two of you and the board, “well you guys got about a minute before we go on air, can’t keep them waiting for too long so just…” he sighs and runs a hand through his hair, “just… i suppose keep their talking segments shorter..? man i wish jake was here right now he could help weed through the callers with me on my end.”

heeseung raises an eyebrow at jay, “he’s not here today at all? i thought he was just late?”

“nah, up and bailed last second, said somethin’ about a date but i think he’s lying.” jay rolls his eyes, “30 seconds, you’re both up soon.”

jay closes the door and you look over at heeseung, frowning “why the hell did he schedule a date during the same time he’s supposed to be here? he told me it was important, not that a date isn’t but i was thinking something with his parents or.. i don’t know..”

heeseung mulls it over for a few seconds, “i mean unless he was planning on bringin her home..”

“dude.”

“it’s jake we’re talking about, y/n.”

“okay, yeah you’re right, well you wanna go first with the calls then..?”

heeseung nods, the on air button lights up and he clicks on a random caller, “hey lucky number one, congratulations you’re on air with us on STU 101.85, what’s your name?”

“hey guys it’s yunjin!” yunjin’s voice is heard through the speaker.

you sit up in your seat a little bit, “oh my god, hey girl! thanks for calling, how you been tonight?”

“same old same old, prof jeon is an asshole still and said my submitted designs lacks the ‘creative theme’ of what he asked for. the problem is, is that he gave us no theme, aside from it being wearable. so i based it off of 1960’s greek spring chic wear and now he’s denied my third design.”

heeseung nods his head, “we’ve heard from other fashion design majors that prof jeon is the worst, i guess this goes to show to any sophomores and juniors to not finish your semesters as a senior with prof jeon.”

yunjin scoffs, “you could say that again, i wish i took prof song’s class, apparently shes at least nicer with going about denying designs.”

“isn’t she tough to impress though..? i hear her students always come back with lower scores than those who take prof jeon?” you ask, “wouldn’t that be.. worse?”

“oh you’re right.. ugh just don’t be a fashion design major, worst choice ever.”

heeseung lets out a laugh, “alright well we’re gonna let you go and head to the next caller, good luck on the rest of your assignment.”

a hum is heard through the speaker, “yeah i should really get to finish on working with the fourth design, you guys have fun, i’ll still be tuned in too.”

the line clicks and heeseung switches to another caller, “and listeners that was miss yunjin, another senior here at STU, you may have seen her around workin tirelessly at the sewing machines in the fashion department, so send some luck her way for dealing with prof jeon. now we got our next caller with us, you’re on air!”

silence fills the studio and jay looks at you two through the window, mouthing a “the fuck?” and you two shrug, confusion on the both of your faces.

“uh.. dude? you there?” heeseung looks annoyed as he shuffles around in his seat.

more silence fills the room and now you can also feel annoyance creep into your body, “hey, listen if you’re not gonna talk we’ll move on. not sure if you stepped away from your phone at all or what kind of prank you’re trying to pull but you can cut it out, it’s not funny and it just holds us and everyone else up.”

“..01101000,” a gravelly, raw voice crackles through.

heeseung sits up, “okay i’m changing the caller, you’re a weirdo and can get off our line.”

the voice continues, “..01100101.. 01101100–”

heeseung cuts the line, cutting the voice off too.

“freak.” you mutter, “what the hell was that?”

heeseung shrugs, “sounded like binary code, probably someone from comp sci deciding to pull a prank on us.”

“well they’re not funny, that was weird and kind of scary.” a shiver runs down your spine as you think about the voice that crackled through, whoever it was managed to perfectly replicate fear in their voice.

“oh don’t worry, i can protect you.” heeseung winks at you.

“i think my chances of survival lay better with jay, hee.” you look down to choose the next caller as heeseung makes a noise of offense, taking your words to heart.

“he would not-”

you connect to the caller, “and you’re the third caller of the night, thank you for spending your night here with us at STU 101.85, may we get your name?”

“uh, yeah hi it’s yang jungwon.. i’m a sports medicine major.”

your eyes lit up in recognition at the name and voice, “oh yeah! you’re on the journalism club right? i’ve seen you there frequently.”

“yeah, thanks for helping us out, y/n. uhm, you know i wasn’t positive that i’d get picked so i guess i’m unsure of how to say this.”

heeseung leans closer to his mic, “what do you mean, jungwon?”

“uh, well it’s just, that last caller and then the mysterious figure on campus is what i wanted to talk to you about."

that made you sit up straighter in your seat and from your glance at heeseung, his interest piqued as well.

“go ahead jungwon, we’re interested and i’m sure all the other listeners are too.” you give the green light for jungwon to essentially take over the whole talking segment.

jungwon takes a deep breath and you can hear some shuffling in the background as he gets ready to speak,“okay well, i’ve been staying late on campus for the last week because i work on the sports section of the campus news website right? and i’m not sure what’s been going on but i’ve noticed this shrouded figure walking late at night. they seem to be following any student late at night leaving the stem building.”

you look up at jay and then over to heeseung, the both of them listening to jungwon’s words intently you look back down at the board as jungwon continues, “i think it’s cause they often stay behind the latest right? i’m not sure, i felt it was better to be here and say it as a warning, in case the man was dangerous.”

heeseung speaks up, “you’re saying something now? didn’t you say it’s been the past week?”

jungwon is silent for a few seconds before breathing out, “okay yeah i figured someone would ask that, honestly i thought it was a prank at first, especially because it was a costume the person was wearing.”

“costume?” you ask, “what sort’ve costume?”

“it was that ghostface costume, you know like the scream movies one?”

“ghostface?” heeseung asks, skepticism in his tone, “you saw a dude in a ghostface costume? in spring?”

jungwon clicks his tongue, “that’s why i didn’t say anything, because it just sounds stupid. i really thought it was just a prank someone was pullin on a friend.”

you nervously pick at your nails as you think about jungwon’s words, “you’re saying something now though aren’t you? what made you change your mind?”

jungwon hesitates before saying anything, “the call.”

you raise an eyebrow, “what’s the call got anything to do with the ghostface random?”

“i.. got a weird call yesterday night, it was the same voice that just called you guys. honestly if i wasn’t seeing the costume dude on campus i wouldn’t have thought much of it or if i wasn’t tuned into the radio show tonight.”

“why don’t you go to the police or campus security? dude like campus security should and would kick the guy off campus, even if what he’s doing is harmless, he’s being creepy.” heeseung sighs out and rubs his forehead a little.

“i did, they think i’m sleep deprived and seein shit, apparently they can’t find ‘any evidence’ that supports that someone's walking around being weird so they think i just need more sleep.”

“what about that phone call? isn’t it logged?” you’re honestly a bit worried for jungwon, something weird is happening, the murders, the calls, and the shrouded costume ghostface guy.

jungwon speaks a bit faster, trying to get all the information he can into the hands of however many people are listening, “thought it was, i re-called the number two days ago and it just immediately disconnects, then the number was gone from my phone yesterday. poof up and deleted from my call log.”

“oh what the hell..” you breathe out, heeseung looks pale as he listens to jungwon’s words.

“dude.. does that not remind you of the damn scream movies? like at least in some way?” heeseung shakingly asks, “it literally sounds like you’re being hunted jungwon.”

a clang is heard and a quiet “fuck” before some shuffling, “sorry dropped my phone, you kinda freaked me there with that heeseung.” jungwon lets out a sardonic laugh.

you turn to heeseung and lightly smack his arm, “no for real, why would you say some shit like that.”

heeseung splutters, “well.. like does it not? i don’t want to sound grave or mean about this right now but genuinely this shit sounds like jungwon is in danger.”

“not helping, dude.” jungwon speaks into his phone, voice low.

“no he’s got a point jungwon. with what hee’s talking about, you could really be in some serious danger. i mean a famous point of scream was the calls to the victims and if you’re really seeing someone run around in the ghostface costume..” you trail off unable to voice the rest of your concerns aloud.

“well thanks for helping me out you two,” the sarcasm in jungwon’s voice is clear and you flinch out of guilt. you didn’t mean to freak jungwon out a bit more, he really wanted to just warn people on campus who were out late. “regardless thanks for warning everyone on this, listeners tell your friends or if you know of any late night students, tell them they should be careful on campus now if they’re out late, just in case. jungwon this goes for you too you know?”

“yeah i know, i’m already off campus now so i should be fine.”

heeseung picks at his jacket’s sleeves, “still man, sounds like you gotta keep yourself safe anywhere.”

“i will, thanks for letting me stay for a while longer than you normally let your callers on.” from the background noise going on in jungwon’s call it sounds like someone coming in through his door, “i’ll go ahead and get going now, my roommate brought food and we’re gonna eat, thanks for having me guys!”

jungwon ends the call and you glance up at the clock which reads 11:07 pm, “alright we have time for one more caller, normally we’d have ended this by 11:00pm and done another segment at 11:30pm as you are all aware but i guess we’ll just have one long talk segment today. heeseung you wanna do the honors for the last lucky caller.”

heeseung nods and clicks on the next caller, “lucky number four, you are live with us at STU 101.85, you get to be the last call of the night with us, anything on your mind that you’d like to chat with us about?” heeseung and you are met with heavy breathing into the phone’s microphone.

“hello..?” you call out tentatively and heeseung groans out beside you, “alright i’m really getting sick of the people who decide to prank us.”

the breathing stops abruptly at heeseung’s words and your breath hitches in the back of the throat. you’re unsure as to why the caller made you nervous, heeseung is right, prank calls have been weirdly often tonight, this was the second one of the night after all. heeseung’s hands reach to change the caller and that’s when a weird low static sounding voice filters through, “don’t hang me up, lee heeseung.”

heeseung stops his movement’s mid way and your head whips into his direction quickly, the voice continues, “why don’t you put your hand back down. we’re going to chat.” heeseung quickly obliges and fear has overtaken everyone in the room, jay from where he is, is even frozen from the voice.

“much better. thank you for having me on your lovely radio show. you know, i’m not exactly the happiest at having been the last caller, but i suppose only the best are chosen as the final right?” the voice takes a shaky breath before continuing, “y/n,” you freeze as your name comes out, “don’t you think being the final one is best too..?”

you don’t answer, unsure if that’s the best course of action, you just can’t bring yourself to say any words at this moment, but the mysterious caller decides he’ll make you answer, “answer me y/n. you get to choose the fate of someone very important tonight after all.”

your blood runs cold at his words, eyes shaking and tears even start to brim, you stutter out, “what.. what do you mean?”

“i’m so glad you asked honey, let’s bring out my special guest out.” the sounds of a muffled cry and cloth are heard before jake’s voice faint and hoarse comes out of the phone, “let us go man, just please let us go.”

you gasp loudly, heeseung slams his fist down at the table, and jay upon hearing jake’s voice runs into the room, a look you’ve never seen before on his face, either of their faces. jay looks like he may faint yet angry while heeseung looks as if he’s never experienced anger in the way he’s had before.

“i’m sure you know now who is with me.” the voice chuckles and you can hear some crying from a girl as well in the background, “i managed to get a two for one deal tonight for you all.”

“the fuck do you want with us?” heeseung grits out and the caller laughs.

“it’s not so what i want with your group, it’s what i want done with you, lee heeseung.”

heeseung’s bravado falters slightly, “what are you talking about? what could i offer you?”

“i wanna know why.. scratch that i think.. everyone here tonight deserves to know why actually, about the things you’ve done for your beloved radio show.”

you slowly turn your head to heeseung and he’s pale, hands slightly shaking, “hee? what is this guy talking about?”

heeseung looks up at you, pupils blown wide in fear and you feel your heart break at how scared he is, you know you’re not much better either, “i.. i don’t know, this doesn’t make any sense, i.. there’s.. i don’t know.” he’s panicking and you reach over to grab his hand to calm him down some. his hands are clammy but given the situation you understand, you squeeze and he squeezes back.

the voice scoffs, “oh please, get that fake shit out of my face. heeseung knows what he did sweetheart and if i were you i would think twice about holding his hands when all they know are acts of violence.”

jay speaks up before you have the choice to ask what they meant, “i’m calling the police, sick freak.”

“ah ah ah..” the caller tuts out, “if any of you three call the police, your beloved pal jake is getting gutted. i’ll even string out his body parts so prettily for you. send some lovely pictures, y/n you’d appreciate my art for you? right?”

you frankly feel like throwing up and you shake your head frantically, “no.. no..”

the caller lets out a cackle and speaks in a mocking tone, “aww… poor thing is so scared, heeseung why don’t you comfort your poor girl, after all you’ve done sooooo much for her.”

“fuck. off.” heeseung snarls out, hand not holding yours gripping the table and the strength behind it shocks you.

“no fun, either of you, jay’s always been a bit boring anyways, wanting the police involved in our fun so early. however i’m aware we are live.. so i guess we should speed things up. besides jake here i have someone important to jay here. say hello to jay.”

the sobbing girl is heard more clearly and the pit in your stomach is ever growing, the feeling of vomiting coming back tenfold, “why.. why are you doing this.. please i never did anything to you, please please please, let me go i won’t say anything. please j-”

a loud bang and a shriek is heard and jakes voice is screaming, “stop! stop just let her go, man. what is wrong with you?!”

some more shuffling and the caller is heard better, “what’s wrong with me? me..? you were the one who brought your dear friend’s ex out on a date.”

jay slams his hands on the table, leaning forward, “my EX? you were out with fucking yujin?”

more sobs from yujin, you suppose, comes through the phone, “i’m sorry, i’m so sorry, i wanted to make you jealous. i wanted you back, that was it i’m sorry i’m so sorry.”

rubbing his jaw, jay paces around the room, shouting out a “fuck” and slamming his fist against the wall, “jay! this isn’t the time! this asshole WANTS us to act like this, you’re playing into his hands!” heeseung calls out, standing up quickly, “he WANTS you to get angry, he’s enjoying this.”

“yeah?” jay spins around and lets out a shaky laugh, “really? and how do you know that heeseung? you know this guy or something? i wouldn’t be surprised considering you’ve got some fucking secrets of your own now.” jay jabs at heeseung’s chest and he stumbles back in surprise.

you put your head in your hands and yell, “stop! just stop you two! a sadistic killer has jake and yujin and you’re fighting?! what the fuck. just what the fuck?!”

“yeahh.. you two, what the fuck..?” the voice giggles, “you should be more like y/n and focus on the two that’s with me. maybe you can make y/n’s job easier and help her with her choice.”

your whip your head up, tears streaming down your face, “what the hell do you mean help you, you sick fuck?!”

“that’s not very kind now baby… and i mean helping me choose who i kill for everyone tonight of course.”

oh. oh no. no no no no no. absolutely not, you would not choose that, there’s no way you could bring yourself to do that. you shakingly look at the board and whimper out a “no” which the caller barks out a laugh in return, “i’m afraid it’s non negotiable. if you don’t.. i choose at random then and the other person lives with the information that they were saved because of me! or… i just kill both.”

the two men in the room with you freeze at the information they’re hearing, heeseung slowly walks to you, pushes your mic away and crouches down to your level, putting his hands around your body to help the tremors going through your body, he rubs your back soothingly and jay’s jaw clenches as he angrily blows air out of his nose.

heeseung lowly whispers into your ear, “it’s okay y/n.. you.. you gotta do it.. you can do this.. make the choice.. it’s easy right..? you don’t know yujin.. jake needs to be saved y/nnie. jay will understand.. yujin cheated on him anyways.”

you’re not sure why heeseung is calmly telling you this information, you’re not sure why jay won’t look at you directly, you’re not sure why it has to be you that makes this choice, but as heeseung whispers more into your ear about how you can do it and he believes you’d make the right choice you start thinking that doesn’t matter and heeseung’s right. jake needs to be saved. jake is your friend. you don’t know yujin. yujin was a bad girlfriend to jay. you don’t question heeseung’s whispers, you don’t question heeseung at all.

“jake..” you quietly mutter out.

“what was that? i couldn’t hear you..?” the killer sings out and you almost throw up for what feels like the thirteenth time that night.

“jake..!” you speak up a little louder and heeseung squeezes your body comfortingly, “i choose to save jake.”

yujin screams in anguish and you flinch in guilt. “excellent choice, y/n. saving your friends.. how heroic.” the killer praises and you put your head in the crook of heeseung’s neck, wishing this nightmare would just end, he just rubs your back, but you miss the grin he sends jay’s way.

the phone is set down and you can hear yujin plead for her life with the killer, “i just did what you wanted! you said.. you said j- no no stop don’t come any closer i swear i swear no one will know. let me go please. please. i’m sorry,” she cries louder and starts pleading to you all, “jay please.. convince her to save me. jay please we can be happy again. no. no. no! NO! JA–”

the wet sounds of a knife meeting flesh is loud, yujin’s cries become louder and you breakingly sob into heeseung’s shoulder, he grips your body stronger and continues to rub your back. the squelch noise of multiple stabs into yujins poor body ring in your ears. her choked back sobs and cries as her throat fills with her blood causes your sobs to bellow out even louder, heeseung whispers that everything’ll be alright, his constant whispering so soothing you try to focus on them instead of yujin’s dying noises.

it feels like an eternity later but the noises quiet down and all that’s left is silence in the room and the killer’s heavy breathing. “thank you, for allowing me the opportunity to give you and your listeners a show.”

more silence fills the room and you can hear jay’s footsteps in the background pacing once more but you don’t dare look up, an irrational fear that the killer is in the room with you playing in your mind.

heeseung’s eyes darken as he looks down at your shaking body, the small whimpers you let out ignites a fire in his body that he’s only ever gotten killing others and he has stop the smile from forming on his face as he thinks how quick you were to just trust him. his eyes flicker towards jay as he turns off the equipment in the radio show, jay nods once everything is off and they’re no longer live.

the voice speaks up once more and your body stills, having believed the killer dropped the call, “you’re always so sweet y/nnie. so so so kind. the best player for our games. sweet dreams.”

you slowly lift your head in confusion but a small pinch to your neck makes your head drop back down, your eyes blearing together as the only thing you can make out is heeseung’s necklace and white shirt, the feeling of his steady breathing and whatever just stung you luring you into the dark and away from the sick and twisted situation.

361 notes · View notes

neuvistar · 1 year ago

Text

BIOHAZARDOUS ! signed: satoru gojo . wc 2.3k

— featuring ┊satoru gojo x fem!reader (bits of suguru)

— warnings / content warnings ┊all consensual! heated arguments (quite literally heated), mentions of cheating, toxic behaviours (don’t date red flags guys), car sex, vaginal fingering, titsucking, riding, he’s kinda mean here ngl . 18+ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT. | 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐆𝐎 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐔’𝐒 𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐄? (tbd soon.) tags. @yuutx

— a/n ┊ok guys ☝️🤓 so the whole point of this title is kinda ironic… yk how the definition of biozardous is like it’s toxic n shit n poses a threat 2 humans??? YEAH. it’s like how toxic n stupid people poses a threat 2 everyone bc of their toxicity n how it’s dangerous (don’t get into relationships w red flags guys 🙅‍♀️) this is also a make-up post for not posting my silly tattoo artist blade sooner but it’ll be posted at some point!! AND guys i love gojo i swear i don’t see him like this at all!!! this was jus created all bc of that one frat boy art i saw 😢

suguru crossed his arms over his broad chest, his hard stare drilling into one of the motorcycles he was inspecting. he chuffs out a gentle laugh, knowing exactly what was wrong with the bike before leaning down with his screwdriver, unscrewing a few screws here and there. his ears picked up the sound of footsteps, glancing to his side.. his eyes follow your every movement, a mixture of gentleness and curiosity in his gaze. he watches as you turn away from his direction, packing your bag thoroughly. he can't help but take in the view of your hair. you’ve.. always been beautiful to him, but his thoughts are quickly pushed aside as he clears his throat and calls out to you, “leaving already?” his gaze was soft, soft as they always were, the creaking of the metal echoed through the garage while you gathered everything.

“yeah, my boyfriend’s pissed. i didn’t tell him i was working for you here,”

“yeah? he’s that type of guy?” suguru cocked his brow at you, holding the screwdriver firmly against his palms, “y’know, sweetheart.. i’m not sure if you can handle satoru. listen, i’ve heard some things about him. i know i can’t be judging your new relationship but i don’t think he’s good for you.” you pause, eyes lingering momentarily on him, lips curving into a grin. “i’ll be fine, suguru. i know he’s far different from you, but i think i’m alright, thank you for checking up on me.”

suguru’s eyebrows furrow, the hint of concern marrying his otherwise stoic facade. he nods, walking over as his towering stature looms over you, offering a semblance of protection despite the bond that faded away between you and him. "alright, i believe that.” he waves a hand dismissively, shooing away any lingering doubts or fears, even as his own heart rate accelerates with the aspect of more challenges, he was worried about you. he watched you finish packing, holding the bag firmly against your side, “i’ll be off then. i’ll see you tomorrow.” just as you were about to exit, suguru immediately took your hand in his, rubbing his thumb against your skin, “wait.” he stared at you with a sense of worry, pressing your hand against his cheek. “.. if you ever want us to go back to how we used to be.. i would accept that in a heartbeat. you know that, right?”

“yes. yes i’m aware.”

“ … i’m glad.”

…

yet to your dismay, your boyfriend saw and watched the entire thing while he was inside his car, seeing it all unfold right infront of his eyes. satoru bit the side of his mouth, clenching his jaw as frustration flowed through his veins. you had a lot of explaining to do.

you knew he saw, you knew that fact for sure. you were dreading every step you took to his car, but you couldn’t afford losing your composure now.. you had to act natural. once you opened the car door, you were met with a familiar silence that caved in between the both of you. three.. two.. one..“well, i hope you come bearing good news.” and.. there it was. you couldn’t help but glance towards his direction, a firm yet smug expression on his face. you sat there with your knuckles all white, from how tightly you were gripping your bag. “satoru.”

satoru groaned, rolling his eyes at your stern tone, knowing you were about to ramble him on how he shouldn’t be jealous because of something small like this. "you think i’m blind, huh? i’m practically a natural, baby," he retorted, attempting to lean against the window of his car beside him, "still not over him?" his grin was crooked as he tried to hide the smugness. "you think you found someone better than me?”

“toru, why are you always like this? every single damn time, it’s getting repetitive.” you turned away from him, staring off into the sunset, his voice ringing inside your ears. “i could say the same thing about you, [name]. you go crazy even at the sight of another girl being in my presence. so i think this is even.. am i right?”

“does that girl you hooked up with a few months ago count as even to me just speaking to someone i used to be acquainted with? you’re insane.”

"oh, come now," satoru drawled with a click of his tongue, rubbing his temple. you knew you were getting on his nerves, but that didn’t matter in a situation like this! "you don't seem to understand what i’m sayin’ at all. she was just a hook up. nothing more. it’s been months, baby. plus, weren’t we on a break?”

“nothing more? are you just disregarding the fact you practically cheated on me? even if we were on a damn break, that doesn’t mean you can go whoring around with another woman behind my back. are you fucking sick?”

despite the irritation twisting his face, satoru forced a smile. “and i suppose you're here to save poor, fragile me from my own recklessness? how cute." he chuckled softly, his eyes filled with mockery. "if you really cared, you wouldn't be working for your ex when i told you not to.” your body paused, frozen in place. amidst the silence, he could tell there was pure frustration radiating from your body. you glanced at him, raising a brow. “excuse me? why are you dragging suguru into this.. he hasn’t done anything!”

satoru raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming on his lips as he noticed your reaction. "he has. he dated you.” he chuckled dryly, shifting uncomfortably on the car seat. "working for suguru?" he let out a low whistle, shaking his head. your boyfriend’s smirk widened, turning into an annoyingly charming grin. "or maybe you're just another pawn in his grand scheme, huh?" he leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest, his expression challenging. "whatever. just do your job, babe. don’t bother fucking around with my business. tell suguru i said hi. and next time, bring some smelling salts for when he faints from surprise that we’re still together.”

unexpectedly, the sound of the seatbelt unbuckling rung through satoru’s ears. his breath hitched when he felt your hands pull on his shirt, tugging him towards you with a cold look in your eyes. “me working for someone i am not romantically linked with at all is nothing compared to you going out with someone you hooked up with months ago.” you leaned even closer.. “i’m not afraid to break up with you, right here right now..” satoru snorted at your words, barely suppressing a laugh as he took in your delicate display. hm. you were smaller than he was, that’s for sure. “your determination is almost impressive," satoru spoke, leaning forward slightly as his crystal gaze drifted downwards momentarily before locking with yours again. with a sardonic grin, satoru tilted his head at your words looking amused. "you need to separate us? sure thing, doll. just like you need to separate yourself from suguru’s puppet strings.”

you were tired of arguing. you knew one thing and one thing for sure, you were not gonna stay here with him. atleast not for long, until you have the last say in this. “then if you wanted to break up, you could’ve just told me straight up. don’t waste my damn time like this.”

"oh, believe me, i’ve considered it," satoru retorted, chuckling softly. "but then i’d lose all this fun, wouldn't i?” he gestured vaguely around his car, a smirk playing on his lips. "maybe i just like this sort of thing. it keeps things interesting. and besides, where would you be without me?” his gaze flickered to you, holding your stare for a moment. "i’m taking you home after this. i’ve got more important things to do than argue with my girlfriend who thinks she's got me figured out."

“i don’t want to figure you out.” you argued, the tone of your voice held such rage.. it was almost enough to break through him. “fuck you and your ego. you’ve done nothing but ruin every single relationship you’ve been in, yet you complain? you’re a fucking jerk.”

“whatever floats your boat then.” he muttered under his breath as he sank back onto the car seat, his body screaming at him to rest. but there was no peace to be found, not with his mind swirling with thoughts of the long heated argument you both just had.

… quite literally, heated.

now this.. you didn’t know how you even ended up like this.

“fuck, satoru…”

you were seated on his lap, breathing heavily with your shirt all ruffled up, your breasts in display for him like eye candy as satoru sucked on your delicate nipples. your skirt hiked up to your stomach as he held you gently. satoru groaned, his lips still wrapped around your nipple, fingers probing deeper into your warmth. he released your pert nipple with a pop, trailing kisses down your chest as he slowly slid a finger inside your heat, licking his lips at the damp feeling of your slickness coating his digit. “shit, you're so wet for me, baby," satoru whispered against your ear, his voice thick with amusement. your boyfriend then added another finger, stretching you out. with a slow, steady motion, satoru’s fingers pumped within you slowly inch by inch, allowing your body to adjust to his digits. satoru devoured your moans, he knew he wouldn't last long with you all pretty like this. he reached up and cupped your face, thumb brushing against your cheekbone in a gentle caress.

“satoru, you fucking jerk…” your breath hitched your breathing grew completely ragged and uneven, your skin flushed and your eyes fluttered shut. yet, satoru couldn't help but smirk as his fingers delved deeper inside you, drawing out your moans that were like perfect melodies to him. “you’re so tight, baby," he murmured, his voice low and seductive.. coated with lust. he wanted more of you. he could feel his cock twitch painfully against his briefs, desperate to free itself from its confines. “makes me want to bury myself inside you right here, right now." he paused, letting the words hang in the air between them, “right infront of your workplace. it’d be nice if suguru caught sight of this, wouldn’t it?”

your boyfriend’s cock throbbed the more he spoke, desperate to be inside you as soon as possible. satoru’s mouth was completely busy, his tongue lavishing attention on your sweet nipples as his fingers danced within your folds. he could feel your arousal building up through your aching body as you trembled with pleasure, and it only fuelled his own desire. he sucked harder on your nipple, slowly pushing another finger deeper inside your wetness, crooking it slightly to hit that sweet spot you loved so much. “you’re not really mad at me, aren’t you?" he whispered, his breath hot against your skin. "you like feeling me inside you, making my cock feel good like this. after all… that’s why we’re dating, right?” … this asshole. you could feel his other large hand cupping your breasts, thumb brushing against the nipple he was licking just a few minutes ago. "i could do this all night, y’know?" he murmured, his voice husky with desire, “keep your pretty little stubborn ass right here, right in my lap, and never let you go."

“you should let me go.”

“oh but i won’t.“ his eyes locked onto yours, with a slow, calculated motion, his fingers were now replaced by the head of his cock. true inch by agonizing inch, he pushed inside you, feeling your tightness enveloping him, and he knew he was lost. “you know why? this pussy is too good for me to give up to someone else.”

“satoru!” you gasped out loud as you felt his member slid inside your entrance, the uncomfortable space of the car taking a toll on you as your ass nearly pressed against the steering wheel.

"wow, look at you," satoru soothed, his voice low and cocky as he held you close against his body. “taking it so well like always," he whispered as his lips brushed against your ear. his hips rocked gently as he pumped his cock deeper into your warmth, the car creaked and groaned around the both of you. satoru savoured the feel of your body wrapped around his, swallowing your moans and gasps of pleasure. “shit.” his fingers dug gently into your hips, holding you firmly in place. the sounds of your passion mingled with the rustling of your clothes and his.. the soft moans that escaped your lips were enough to hypnotize him, he’d always been obsessed with them. satoru’s hands roamed against your body, tracing your breasts, the dip of your waist, the swell of your hips. his lips pressed against yours deeply, his tongue dancing with yours as he picked up the pace of his thrusts, cock thrusting deeper into you with each pass. you hated how your body responded to him, your own hips meeting his, and especially how your pussy was squeezing him tight as you came messily all over his cock, your sweet moans muffled against his lips.

satoru’s own orgasm washed over him, his body tensing as he emptied himself into you, the feeling of you enveloping him like a velvet glove drove him to the edge, making him want to ruin you once more a second time.. but he can wait. the taller male’s breath came in ragged gasps.. holding you close against him, heart pounding in his chest. “such a sweet girl like you shouldn’t be with me, babe. i almost feel bad for you,”

…

“you know i’m trouble, don’t you?”

#ᖭི༏ᖫྀ maryse’s diary ૮꒰˶˃̵ ^ ˂̵˵꒱ა #gojo <33 #finally wrote abt my glorious king everyone clap it up #jujutsu kaisen #jjk smut #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen smut #gojo smut #gojo x reader #gojo x you #jjk gojo #jjk x you #gojou satoru x reader

326 notes · View notes

monopersona · 3 months ago

Text

Midnight Blues

Years after their divorce, they still act like strangers despite the ties that bind them: parenthood and work. When she wears the blue velvet gown from one of their last happy memories to the hospital gala, Zayne realizes some fires never die. They just burn hotter in the dark. The one where they cave in. Just once.

Zayne x OC. Post-divorce, exes, parents, coworkers, ANGST, kind of implied smut? My goodness, they're a mess. 2023 words.

A/N: I'm back with a fic! I've always wanted to write about Zayne. But true to me being me, of course it had to be angsty. I do have a longer draft exploring their relationship over the years, which I may or may not eventually post (TBD although I've been neck deep in this one for the past week tbh lol), but for now I wanted to post a little something from that world. Enjoy!

You can read on ao3 here

Zayne didn’t want to be here.

Unfortunately, the board of directors had made it clear his presence was non-negotiable. He would have to endure a few hours of pretending to be agreeable, acting like he cared about the donors beyond their wallets. Part of the job, he reminded himself. Part of being chief.

The gala unfolded in predictable monotony: champagne flutes clinking under chandeliers, hollow laughter echoing through the hotel ballroom near the hospital. A snooze fest, according to Zayne. He had dressed in his black tuxedo with a cummerbund and bowtie, all dressed up to the nines for this. He made sure he looked the part: polished, prepared, and ready to coax a few donations out of deep pockets. An hour in, and he was already dreading every second. Still, he forced himself to make conversation, smile when appropriate, nod like he was listening.

The old Zayne wouldn’t have entertained this kind of nonsense, but he wasn’t the same man he used to be. A lot had changed. One being the way he kept sipping the whiskey from his glass, a habit he’d picked up in the years since she left when he needed something to dull the ache.

And when the giant doors opened again, he felt her before he saw her.

Mona stepped into the room with a kind of grace only she carried. And for a moment, everything else—the live jazz band, the glittering chandeliers, the soft murmur of conversation—faded into an insignificant buzz.

She was midnight incarnate. That’s the only way Zayne could process it. Midnight in a gown cut from velvet, catching the light softly like night sky. Midnight blue, deep enough to drown in. The hem grazed the floor, but the slit rose high enough to reveal the curve of her thigh as she moved slow and deliberate, like she wasn’t trying to be seen but silenced the room anyway.

The sleeves clung to her arms down to her wrists. A string of pearls framed her collarbones, each one catching the light, resting just above the swell of her breasts. He tries not to look, but he can’t.

The back of her dress dipped low—too low, he thought—sliding down the length of her spine until it disappeared just above her hips. He remembered zipping that dress up once, fingers fumbling, her laughter warm in his ear. A reminder of better days.

Mona was stunning. Devastatingly so in the way only she could be: effortless, unbothered, barely trying. Her usual curls were pulled up into a sleek twist with a few soft strands escaping near her temple, her neck exposed and elegant. Her pearl earrings matched the necklace. Simple and classic.

He finds his eyes lowering to her dress again. It had fit her differently once. He remembered her frowning at her reflection, tugging at the fabric. “It’s a little loose,” she’d said. Now it hugged her like it had been made for this version of her. Not the girl he married at twenty-two, but the woman she had become now at thirty—grounded and full.

The years had softened her in all the right places, and something primal twisted in his gut. Time hadn’t dulled her beauty, but it had deepened it significantly. And he hated himself for staring. For remembering what it felt like to touch her in that dress. To take it off. To lose her. But what he hated the most was how it pulled him straight back to five years ago, a memory he still treasured.

They were in a taxi on their way to a wedding reception, the air cold even inside the car, the city lights painting the windows in streaks of gold. Mona took his hand, intertwining their fingers together.

“I have something to tell you,” she said softly.

Zayne turned, expecting hospital gossip or a new study breakthrough. Instead, she pressed his palm to her stomach. He didn’t understand at first, but then she bit her lip, trying not to smile, and something inside him stilled.

“You’re pregnant?” he whispered. They had always talked about having children when they were older and maybe in their early thirties, but something about this moment... Zayne never felt more assured that it was the right timing.

She nodded. He immediately kissed her, overwhelmed with joy in the backseat of that taxi. The driver said nothing. The world kept moving. But for Zayne, time stopped.

He exhaled slowly, but it didn’t ease the tightness in his chest. His fingers curled tighter around his glass. Too many memories. Too much.

Across the room, Mona stood with a champagne flute and a polite smile, listening to a man Zayne didn’t recognize. It didn’t matter (but it did). They ran into each other all the time at the hospital, even worked on many cases together. But something about tonight made him look at her a little different; the kind that didn't make him want to look away. All he could do was stare at her, his own guest long forgotten.

Her posture was more deliberate now. Shoulders squared, chin lifted, a smile edged with something practiced. Almost sharp. She wasn’t the same girl who kissed him in the rain outside their first apartment. Not the one who ran a soothing hand down his back when he couldn’t sleep. She wasn’t his anymore. Yet something in him stirred. Slow, familiar, and dangerous.

Mona’s back was pressed against their bedroom door, breath catching as the dress slipped to her hips. Zayne slid his hand beneath the velvet, his mouth tracing fire along her throat.

“Zayne,” she gasped, nails digging into his shoulders “You’re the one who wore this dress,” he murmured against her skin.

She laughed—bright, unguarded—her head tipping back. “Well, don’t ruin it.”

He kissed the corner of her mouth. “I’ll try.”

She smelled like jasmine. He breathed her in like home.

Across the ballroom, the man leaned in and said something that made Mona smile. Not a wide one, but the one he knew she made when she was trying to act like she wasn't impressed. Zayne knew that smile. The way she tilted her head slightly. How her eyes flicked down before meeting the other person’s again. It was the smile she used to give him.

Zayne finished his drink. It burned going down, but not enough.

He shouldn't have been watching her like this. Not like she still belonged to him, like every memory wasn’t already etched into the back of his mind like a scar he couldn’t stop picking at. But there she was, smiling like it never ached, like she hadn’t once screamed at him in the kitchen as their infant cried in his hold, hadn’t packed her things in silence while he sat on the floor and said nothing, hadn’t looked at him that last morning, eyes full of hurt, and said, “I can't do this anymore.”

He hated how easily she wore elegance now. You could never tell that she had once been the girl in his sweater falling asleep at the library table with a pen in her hand and three textbooks open beside her. Or the girl who was so overwhelmed the first time they had kissed he could feel heat radiate off of her. He hated that she looked happy, or at least composed. But Mona had always been good at tucking her emotions beneath the surface until they boiled over, and Zayne had been the one to learn that the hard way.

Her hand brushed the man’s arm. It was light and barely there. Maybe it meant nothing. Maybe it meant everything. He shouldn’t have cared, but he did.

And just when he was about to look away—when he told himself to stop and move on—Mona glanced up. Their eyes met, and for a moment, neither of them moved. Her gaze didn’t widen. Her mouth didn’t twitch. She just looked at him, calm and unreadable, like they were strangers meeting for the first time.

Then she turned back to the man beside her, said something and smiled again. And Zayne felt his stomach sink. Because even now, after everything, he still selfishly wanted her to look at him like she used to.

He didn’t stay long after that. Made some excuse to the attending beside him; something about an early shift or prep rounds, though they both knew it was bullshit. He just needed to leave. Needed to stop looking at her like he was still hers to ruin.

He didn’t remember walking to his car. Just the cold night air, the thud of his shoes on pavement, and the weight in his chest that refused to lift. By the time he hit the freeway, lights streaking past in a blur, he told himself he’d outrun it.

But she knocked on his door sometime past midnight.

He almost didn’t answer. Just stood there, heart pounding, staring through the peephole. She was still in the same dress. Dark velvet adorning her curves, hair a little messier now, heels dangling from one hand. And her eyes, soft in the way they only were when she was about to lie beside him. Or when she was about to say goodbye for the day.

No pretense. No shield. Just Mona.

He let her in without a word.

They didn’t talk. Not with Amara sleeping quietly in the room next door. The last thing they wanted was to answer questions on why Mama was at Daddy’s house when she had already fallen comfortably into the pattern they had now, where every Wednesday she goes to Daddy’s house and every Sunday Mama picks her up from Daddy’s office, although her own was only a floor above in the same building. They didn’t speak about the man she’d been with, or the whiskey still clinging to his breath. She moved towards him slowly, like she expected him to stop her. But he didn’t.

When she kissed him—hesitant, then certain—it felt like coming up for air after drowning underwater too long. They didn’t sleep much. But they did, eventually. Bodies and hearts tangled in silence and regrets they couldn’t count, in a bed that was once too familiar.

She had left before sunrise without a word. Only a soft kiss to his temple and one last lingering look before she headed for the door.

The next morning, Zayne returned to routine. He made sandwiches the way Amara liked them, packed her sketchbook, and double-checked that the bento boxes were ready for their picnic by the park.

He wasn’t thinking about the night before. Or at least, he tried not to. That was until Amara caught something in her hands.

“Daddy?”

He looked up from the lunchbox. She was held up his tuxedo jacket, bunched awkwardly in her small fists. “Why is this here?”

Zayne blinked. The jacket had been left draped over the sofa last night, discarded in the blur of frantic hands and breathless kisses and everything he didn’t want to explain.

He opened his mouth, but she was already pressing her nose into the fabric. “It smells really nice,” she said. “Like flowers.” His stomach turned.

Amara frowned thoughtfully, sniffing again. “Like jasmine. Did you go to Mama’s house?”

Zayne stared at her. She was a carbon copy of him, save for Mona's thick lips and curly hair. He couldn't get past the innocent curiosity in her voice and the way she held the lapel like it held answers.

He swallowed and forced a smile.

“No, just a garden,” he lied.

Amara shrugged and dropped it back onto the couch. “You should put it in the laundry. There’s glitter on the top.”

The memory came again. Mona’s lipstick staining his tuxedo, trying to quiet her moans as his hands pleasured her like it was muscle memory.

He let out a quiet laugh, barely holding it together. “Yeah. Probably should.”

But he didn’t. He folded the jacket carefully, smoothing the crease down the front, and set it aside like it was a sacred relic. Like it meant more than it should.

Because maybe it still did.

A/N: And there we have it. Please do let me know what you think! I'd love to hear your thoughts. If you'd like to read more healthy dynamics (lol) and love Sylus, check out my master list here. Have a great day/night, and thank you for reading!

#lads fic #zayne #zayne x oc #zayne fic #lads zayne #li shen #lnds zayne #zayne love and deepspace #angst #lads x oc #zayne smut #lads smut

43 notes · View notes

captain-space-kin · 7 months ago

Text

Realized I had never posted about my ninjago OC on my tumblr before. This is Natori, she’s my plasma ship child for Wayward Son! She’s kinda in canonicity limbo/alternate timeline land (cause going back to rework her into everything would be a lot of work lol). First image is of an design idea for her season 2 part 2 appearance (she’s 7-ish there), and the second is just a silly goofy idea I wanted to draw.

Still working out her lore and everything but she’s the elemental master of Aether (she can make portals among other tbd things)! But feel free to ask questions about her she’s my pride and joy.

Tag list under the cut!

@Inspectorghoul @fading-through-existence @juniperjellyfish @carmelo-san @lightningchicken

@crying-over-cartoons @officercooks @mywasasi @ashclouds366 @basicallyjaywalker

@finn-m-corvex @garmaballs @nyaskitten

#ninjago #ninjago OC #Natori OC #ninjago au #wayward son AU #Dragons rising #zane julien #zane ninjago #kai smith #kai jiang #kai ninjago #Jay Walker #Jay ninjago #cole brookstone #cole ninjago #captains craft #captains crew #plasmashipping #polyninja

105 notes · View notes

obsessedwithlarkin · 28 days ago

Text

WELL-KNOWN DANCERS COMPETING FOR PROTÈGE AT RADIX NATIONALS (per studio)

AVANTI DANCE COMPANY:

• Kalliope Lindstrom - Runnin' Down (Junior)

• Rosie Zahoul-Sans - Moon River (Mini)

• Presley Loomis - Stay (Teen)

ALLEGRO PAA:

• Arina Bryzgunova - Gloomy Sunday (Mini)

BLA DANCE ACADEMY:

• Chloe Todman - Wild Is The Wind (Mini)

BOBBIE'S:

• Peyton Root - Beat In My Heart (Mini)

CANDANCE STUDIOS:

• Mila Hiatt - Ave Maria (Junior)

• Violet Rush - The Letter (Teen)

CLUB:

• Isla Gardner - Vanquish (Junior)

• Mikayla Isler - How Come You Don't Call Me (Junior)

• Lily Knopps - This Bitter Earth (Mini)

• Shale Herrera - Raincatchers (Mini)

• Navy Forrest - I Love You (Mini)

• River Sergerman - TBD (Teen)

• Sophia Schiano - TBD (Teen)

DC2:

• Gage Davis - Wherever I May (Teen)

DANCE DELUXE:

• Brighton Taylor - Buisness Of Love (Junior)

• Lauren Allison - Moi Elsie (Junior)

• Eva Gonzalez - Shallow (Junior)

• Emily Collins - Sorry It Had To Be You (Junior)

• Remi Skidmore - The Raid (Junior)

• Aleeza Quireshi - Hover (Junior)

• Aria Bongiorno - Heavenly Bodies (Junior)

• Kennedy Lyell - Amayzing Mayzie (Mini)

• Azury Romero - Rose's Turn (Mini)

• Adelina Quintanilla - Covergirl (Mini)

• Aracely Lee - Rise Warrior (Teen)

• Vanessa Soto - Cloaked By Raven's Wings (Teen)

DANCE STUDIO C:

• Lillian Simonton - Stone Angel (Junior)

• Gwyneth Woods - Dance With Me (Junior)

• Hinkley Lucas - My Discarded Men (Mini)

• Harlow Snow - I Dreamed A Dream (Mini)

• Gabriella Daschievici - Charge It Please (Mini)

• Delta Tomasik - Washed (Mini)

• Adalynn Simonton - Living Beneath My Soul (Mini)

DANCE UNLIMITED:

• Ella Venerio - Searching (Junior)

• Amaya Rodriguez - Answer Me (Mini)

• Bella Cianni - Echoes Of Purpose (Teen)

DANCE XPLOSION:

• Juliette Balija - This Will Be (Mini)

• Genevieve Balija - You Can't Stop The Beat (Mini)

• Aurielle Balija - Where Or When (Teen)

ELEMENTS DANCE SPACE:

• Talia Mempin - Black Lake (Junior)

• Kira Chan - In Portofino ( Senior)

ELITE PERFORMANCE STUDIOS:

• Kenzie Wright - Drag Shift (Junior)

EPIC DANCE COMPLEX:

• Avery Altobelli - Sacred Stillness (Junior)

EVOKE:

• Addyson Paul - Uncharted (Junior)

• Elise Carlson - The Rising (Mini)

• Victoria Martinez - Silent All These Years (Teen)

• Holand Fraley - Diva (Teen)

• Coltrane Vodicka - Concorde (Senior)

EVOLVE:

• Gemma Holmes - Patenipat (Junior)

• Mya Lanigan - All I Wanna Be (Junior)

• Sam Evans - I Found A Body (Senior)

GATEWAY:

• Colette Sutzman - Echoes (Mini)

JBP ENTERTAINMENT:

• Stella Brogan - TBD (Junior)

• Georgia Beth Peters - Suffering (Teen)

JWDA:

• Lilah Gow - Change The Angle (Junior)

K2:

• Aspen Roberts - Little Secret (Junior)

• Abby Viramontes - Do You Feel Real (Junior)

MATHER:

• Ava Guttman - Nature Boy (Junior)

• Leighton Brandt - Don't Get Around Much (Junior)

• Hadley Schulz - I Gotcha (Junior)

• ChaCha Shen - Body Language (Junior)

• Skye Harrell - All That Jazz (Junior)

• Nyla McCarthy - Dreaming Awake (Junior)

• Audrina Mossembekker - Of Another Life (Mini)

• Alexa Rauth - Titanium (Mini)

• Hayden Goren - Can't Take It Out (Mini)

• Sienna Morris - Veil (Senior)

• Kennie Shen - Blue (Senior)

• Maddie Ortega - Brave And Crazy (Senior)

• Delaney McCarthy - I'm Blue (Teen)

• Helena Olaerts - New York, New York (Teen)

NOR CAL DANCE ARTS:

• Alana Gordon - Spirit Fade (Teen)

OCPAA:

• Kourtney Gampol - My Discarded Men (Junior)

• Eden Roberts - Speaking (Mini)

P21:

• Madelyn Nasu - Women's Work (Junior)

• Madison Ng - Lore (Junior)

• Liv Matson - Leaving (Mini)

• Gracyn French - Seduces Me (Senior)

RENNER DANCE COMPANY:

• Tinsley Wallace - TBA (Junior)

SPOTLITE DANCE STUDIO:

• Dakota Casteel - New York New York (Junior)

• EmmaKate Caires - Sophisticated Lady (Mini)

STARS:

• Camila Giraldo - The Artist Within (Junior)

• Zoey Martinez - Becoming (Junior)

STUDIO 1:

• Kenly Carver - Daises (Junior)

STUDIO X:

•Brielle Arias - Quitte Pas (Junior)

• Kate Matthews - Bang Bang (Junior)

• Baileigh McJimson - Hater (Mini)

• Emery Bourne - Fallin' (Mini)

SUMMER'S DANCE WORKS:

• Camryn Conrad - Cry Me A River (Junior)

• Collette Conrad - You're So Vain (Mini)

SUMMIT DANCE SHOPPE:

• Hadley Morse - I Am Human (Mini)

TEMECULA DANCE COMPANY:

• Piper Dufour - My Tears Are Becoming A Sea (Mini)

THE ACADEMY:

• Patience Hughes - Lady Power (Teen)

THE COLLECTIVE PHX:

• Tenley Anthony - They Ran In Silence (Junior)

• Avery Stromberg - Awaiting (Mini)

• Kenny Opaska - Whisper (Mini)

THE COMPANY SPACE:

• Stella Marcodes - TBD (Junior)

• Vivian Marcodes - TBD (Mini)

THE MOXIE MOVEMENT:

• Alexa Paul - Suspicion (Mini)

THE SIX COMPOUND:

• Sophia Tooles - My Power (Junior)

• Bronson Arvillaga - Head In The Clouds (Mini)

THE VISION DANCE ALLIANCE:

• Caitlyn Polis - Don't Worry Baby (Senior)

THECREW:

• Starr Castro - Maybe This Time (Junior)

UTAH FESTIVAL BALLET:

• Ruby Taylor - Forgotten (Teen)

YYC DANCE PROJECT:

• Kinsley Stella - I Can't Feel (Teen)

34 notes · View notes

toodelusionalforreality · 1 year ago

Text

Absolution

Azriel x Reader(N)

Summary: Two lovers separated out of necessity finally reunite, only for a brief tryst.

A/N: This is an experimental piece of work. I'm testing a writing style, so feedback is welcome. It's an extended universe for a plot I was working with details tbd but doesn't involve much plot here. So it should be an easy read. This is my first ever Tumblr publish and it's scary!! So be kind. Hope you enjoy!

Word count: ~4.5k

Warning: NSFW, 18+ SMUT, f!receiving, m!receiving(barely), sappy start+spicy middle+angsty end (i guess), voice kink, p in v. Mentions of OC other than reader[not enough editing/proofreading/formatting]

Azriel stepped into the room desperately holding on to the moment, afraid Crone Mother would change her mind. N sat on the balcony—like every evening, on the floor, her legs crossed, her hands clasped in her lap. The curtains came alive with the touch of a gentle breeze to guard her from him. Her sheer dress melded with her body under the radiance of the fading sun, her skin aglow as if made of stars and gold. Summer flowers adorned her hair, tucked into the braid that unravelled after the day’s practices.

His shadows peeked over his shoulders and swarmed his hands buzzing with excitement. With each silent step, he prayed he didn’t break her trance. He settled before her—bringing his knees to his chest, he rested his elbows on them, and his wings tucked tight to his body.

The hue of the setting sun made everything heavenly about her—soft, ethereal. Wisps of hair teasing her cheeks, the knowing smile on her lips, the slight flutter of her eyelids under his stare. A sigh escaped Azriel’s lips. It was a worthless attempt to hide his presence from her, the one who held the sight.

Azriel wasn’t a fool to waste the mercy bestowed upon him after months of longing to be close to his beloved. He stretched on the floor, his head finding its rightful place in her lap, and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her scent and warmth made their bond burn brighter and he sighed in contentment.

After long minutes, N rested her palm on his head. Her fingers carded through his hair, and her nails scratched his scalp the way he liked. A thumb teased the shell of his ear and his wings responded with a sudden tremor.

Azriel smiled. He buried his face into her thigh. Air shifted around them as her body answered to his touches and breaths. Despite the need clawing in his chest, he chose to wait a few minutes, to savour the comfort of her simple touch.

N broke the silence. ‘How was your day?’ Her voice was as sweet as ever.

‘Long. Excruciatingly long,’ sighed Azriel. ‘I started with your friends from the armoury today. Until your mother sent me to the gardens.’ He remembered the smile on the older woman’s face when she took him away from the others. A secretive, mischievous one. ‘She enjoys testing me a bit much. She made me tend to your roses.’

N laughed, the sound sending a shiver through him. ‘That must have been a vision. Maybe she’s exacting revenge for how you treated her back home.’

Azriel’s heart thudded in his chest. Home. No matter what Crone Mother said, N had one home. It was with him, in Night Court. ‘I think she’s forgotten all that. She’s more interested in stealing you from me.’ His arms tightened around her and his shadows whirled around them emphasising their master’s possessiveness, ‘But I don’t mind. As long as she lets me be with you for a while.’ His lips twitched. ‘Did you know everyone here addresses me as your mate?’

Another laugh broke through her lips, ‘They're not wrong.’

‘No, they are not.’ Azriel finally looked up. Her eyes were already on his face. ‘I’ve been called many names over centuries. Shadowsinger. Spymaster. But this one,’ he leaned up to her face, ‘I like the most. To be known as yours before they even know my name.’ He got to his knees and trailed a knuckle along her jaw. ‘I’d like that for the rest of my life.’ Their bond strummed a tune so loud that rendered him senseless. ‘I want to have a life with you. A home, a family. Anything you want, any way you want. As long as you want that too.’

‘You mean that.’ N stated as if she needed to reassure herself. She stared at him with a mask of impassivity on her face that almost rivalled his own as a spy. Then, she smiled. ‘But I’ll have you know there will be more tests from Crone Mother.’

'I’ll suffer anything for you,’ he murmured against her lips. ‘So that’s a yes?’ N nodded before her eyes sparkled with mirth. ‘What is it?’ His senses warned him, his shadows stood alert on his shoulders.

‘Well, technically, we’re married.’

Silence fell between them. Azriel’s fingers left her skin.

‘What?’

N shrugged. ‘Do you remember the first time we duelled?’ Her voice was steady but her hesitance broke through at the sight of the male who sat frozen in front of her. ‘You made me bleed. You proved you were my equal. And, it all happened after the bond snapped for you.’

Azriel remembered that day. He had wanted to impress her. It was the day he felt the warmth of her breath on him for the first time. For days and nights to come, he relived those moments until his skin prickled with heat.

N’s unsure laughter died soon when he didn’t even blink. His shadows retreated. His end of their bond quietened, alarming her.

Finally, he said, ‘All this time you were my wife?’

Her breath stuck to her throat. ‘According to our custom, yes.’

‘And you kept that a secret.’ His wings flared behind him to their full glory and his eyes narrowed. ‘What did we discuss about your secrets?’

N leaned back, ‘Was I supposed to tell you all this when I had your blade to your throat? I’m not sure you’d have been open to that conversation.’ Her voice reeked of confidence but Azriel saw the facade waning in her darkening eyes.

Memories flitted through his mind—visions of her from the instant he laid his eyes on her to the present. Every misfortune they endured, every second they spent in love, every. . .

He stalked her on his knees, his hands on either side of her. He hissed, ‘You slept with those males after that.’ A sound escaped his throat, a rumble deep from his chest. ‘My wife slept with other males to spite me.’

N stared at his lips and swallowed thickly. She hurried back, her hands slipping on the smooth marble under her. 'Azriel,' she whined wincing at the way her body welcomed her impending doom.

Azriel inhaled sharply. ’You like that? When I call you my wife?’ He chuckled darkly. His lips whispered against hers, ‘Of all the things you kept from me, this is the worst. You’re not getting out of this easy this time.’

N pleaded with her eyes. Her breaths shuddered. ‘They are watching.’

‘Then they’ll know my actions are justified.’

Azriel dove for his kill but before his hands grasped her, she faded away. Her airy laughter echoed in his ears. She stood in the middle of the room—her hands gently clutching her skirt to free her feet, her braid coming undone over her shoulder, teeth sinking into her plump lip—a vision of devilry and seduction.

His eyes flashed up to hers with a glint. His shadows who wanted vengeance of their own circled his shoulders and arms with a frenzy. N was in trouble and she knew it. She turned to run only to be met with his hard chest emerging from a dark mist.

‘Did you really think you could get away?’ He caressed her cheek, ‘There’s no escape from me. You should know that by now.’

N slid her arms around his neck. ‘Back then, we barely knew each other. I didn’t want to scare you.’ She looked into his eyes. ‘I’m sorry.’ She sent every ounce of sincerity in her being through their bond, still he kept his end cloaked.

Azriel pulled his arms away. Dark amusement shone in his eyes. ‘As if a silly apology is going to save you.’

N smoothed her palms over his chest. ‘I know.’ Her lips brushed against his skin, littering his face with soft pecks. ‘I know,’ she kissed the corner of his lips, moving closer and closer to the centre as she breathed the words, ‘I’ll make it up to you. For every secret.’

Even as N pressed her body into his, Azriel stood unmoved with a cruel smirk on his lips and his hands by his side. Her fingers wandered over his sculpted torso before unbuttoning his shirt. The shadows on his shoulders swayed, watching, waiting. The regal female who made others quiver with fear grovelled for his forgiveness, and his wretched heart grew giddy with power and pride.

Azriel itched to grab her waist and bite her lips until she bled for him again. A true victory in this duel. He closed his eyes in a wasted effort to tame his thoughts. At the first touch of her cool fingers on his bare chest, he almost gave in.

His eyes snapped open the moment N pulled her lips away. She dropped to her knees, her fingers dancing on his hips. Pressing a kiss below his navel, she inched her hands between his legs and fondled him with the heel of her palms. The warmth from her hands seeped through the cotton, which he was forced to wear upon their arrival, promising him the pleasure that awaited him.

In all the years with her, Azriel treated her lips as a relic–sacred and holy–a crown jewel in the trove that was her body. Something to be guarded, treasured, worshipped. He never had to take her mouth the way she offered to him to reach for the stars.

N smiled sweetly. The goddess who witnessed every vice and virtue under the sky knelt before him with love in her heart and devotion in her eyes.

Enchanted, Azriel watched her. His lips parted with a shaky breath. Their bond blazed with emotions he couldn’t name. At that moment, he knew there had never been nor ever will be a male more blessed than he was.

His scarred hand cradled her cheek tinged with a soft blush. She leaned in, closing her eyes, trapping his hand between her shoulder and face. She sighed. She kissed his wrist, his palm, his fingers.

Azriel couldn’t decide which was in more pain—his heart or his cock. Both, mere toys in her hands.

N grazed her lips against his clothed hardness and Azriel closed his eyes. His head fell back. A gasp escaped deep from his chest when her tongue soaked him through the fabric. He couldn't remember why he wanted to punish his sweet mate. He was close to breaking already and all she did was tease.

A sharp scrape of her teeth along his length had him bury his hand in her hair softer than the flowers that tumbled down her breast. He hissed in warning as his eyes held hers in a glare.

‘I want you to look at me,’ she smiled. That damned smile that masked her every cruelty.

Too much time had passed since they felt each other’s skin. Months, almost a year of not seeing each other, not holding each other. And there she was ready to worship him with her entire being if only for a night until their time ran out. Every move of hers had his heart wring in pain, the desire through the bond overwhelming and consuming his soul.

His shadows swooped down and pulled her to him. Azriel crashed his lips onto hers before her feet rested on the ground and stole every little breath from her chest. His shadows brought them to her bed, delicate and soft fit for a queen, like her.

He pried the cord that held her dress together below her breasts. His lips ventured south leaving a trail of red on her neck and chest while N rewarded him with her moans. Shadows, ever obedient, parted her dress to make way for their master’s hand to relish the smoothness of her skin. He caressed every inch of her body with his marred hands except where she ached for him the most. She pleaded and moaned, guiding his hand between her legs.

‘You shouldn’t have lied to me,’ he growled, letting his canines scratch her jaw. ‘You know how I feel about secrets, don’t you?’ A sob left her lips as the back of his fingers teased her entrance with the barest of touch. ‘Is this what you call making up? Crying and moaning until your husband fucks you?’

N froze. Her eyes stared into his with unspoken emotion that radiated clearly in their bond instead. ‘Azriel, please.’ His hand came down hard between her legs. She arched her back beautifully for him as a silent gasp escaped her lips.

Azriel memorised every pull of her muscles. ‘You should’ve known better.’ He slipped his fingers in and out, barely past her entrance, coaxing moans out of her. Her wetness had his mouth water. He undid his pants enough to ease himself out and thrusted into her in a single move.

They were perfect for each other—masochists at heart, denying themselves release until the day for their reunion drew closer and closer. N reached a hand out and clawed at his chest. Her eyes widened and soon glazed with pleasure. Her lungs ached for air. Her body begged to escape the feral male whose only intention was to devour her body and soul. Yet, she wrapped her legs around him.

Azriel waited panting, his heart losing its rhythm, shirt clinging to his back. N tugged him closer with her heels on his ass. He growled, baring his teeth. He grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her to his chest. Her eyes fixated where his hips snapped against hers, where they were finally a whole. Each of her whimpers nudged him to quicken his pace.

He felt his release closing in. ‘Is this what you want?’ She looked up, mewling for him, her eyes burning with tears. Too soon. He pulled out of her weeping cunt and dove in with his tongue.

N cried out his name, sweeter than any melody she had ever sung for him. Her body slumped on the bed. She sought for leverage, her hands fisting the pillows. As she felt her fingers grasping at reality, shadows weaved around her wrist and pinned them above her head.

Azriel watched his mate’s body collapse and crash at his ministrations. He dug his fingers into her thighs tearing them open. Her bright eyes pinched shut before she met his crazed ones. With her chest glistening with sweat, her neck reddening, and her teeth sinking into her wet, swollen lips, she came.

Watching her body shiver with every lick of the evening breeze, Azriel rid himself of his clothes. He leaned down to kiss her lips, but she stared dazed. He laughed and nipped at the insides of her bicep, clearing the fog in her mind. Her arms flushed red as blood rushed back. Her fingers twitched and his shadows trickled along them. She came alive with whines when he slipped his fingers inside her.

Her desire came in waves through the bond. A groan rose from his chest, a guttural rumble. Even after his transgressions, she only wanted more, more of him. N clenched around his fingers at the sound. Azriel chuckled darkly into her ear. N curled into herself and clenched again. A renewed glint came to his eyes as he stared into hers.

‘She likes my voice, does she now? I always wondered. . .’ He lowered himself between her legs again, his second haven, the first being her embrace. A series of soft ‘please’ escaped her but the lust in her eyes told a different story, the bond sang a different tune. And he chose to heed its calling.

He wrapped a hand around her thigh and pushed the other aside with his shoulder. He didn’t want to miss this one. It was no new knowledge. He always had his suspicions, years of practice in observing the unobserved. But to finally see it with his own eyes, he was desperate to witness it. He wanted it to be true, he prayed for it to be true.

The room was filled with nothing but N’s silent pleas. Her wetness glistened in the last lights of dusk promising him an elixir crafted just for him. A fresh wave of arousal rolled over her body. Azriel hummed, breathing in the scent.

‘So pretty,’ he exhaled. His eyes took in every flutter that invited him back. ‘You like being praised, don’t you?’ N moaned fighting against the shadows that held her hostage. Azriel pulled her close by her hip and inhaled—loud and deep—his nose almost touching her.

‘Always wet for me, eager for me.’ His voice softened, his taunts dying as if his anger was meant for N and not her cunt, ‘I missed you so much. I can tell you missed me too,’ he pressed his lips to her thigh, his eyes unwavering, ‘by the way you wrapped around me, by the way you swallowed me.’ His cock throbbed at his own words.

He rasped, ‘Look at you, teasing me. Do you want a kiss?’ He flattened a hand on her abdomen, his fingers stroking deliberate patterns. ‘My tongue, my fingers? Hmm?’ Her hip jerked up for more and he pressed a kiss to the arch above her clit.

'Azriel, please. I want more.'

‘So wanton, so needy.’ A wisp of shadow licked her entrance once and N closed her eyes. Her hips moved in tandem as if she could materialise what she needed out of thin air. ‘So beautiful.’ Azriel grazed a thumb along the junction where her leg met her hip. N fell back with a groan.

‘You want me, don’t you? You never lie to me,’ another kiss to her thigh, ‘You can’t lie. Unlike N,’ his eyes finally caught her desperate ones. For a moment, he almost felt tyrannical to let the wicked smile pull at his lips. N threw her head back and circled her hips again.

‘That’s it, pretty. Show me how you’d fuck me. Show me how beautiful you are.’ His tongue trailed a line alongside his thumb, ‘Come for me.’

Her legs went taut around his shoulders. Her toes dug into his back next to where his wing emerged from. When her stomach sank in, Azriel shoved two fingers inside and held it there as she unravelled with a choked moan.

Pure, perverse pride filled his chest as his mate bucked and thrashed at the impact. Azriel was sick—sick at heart, sick in his desires. He never denied it. But it hardly felt a sickness with N trembling with his fingers inside.

Having lived through the horrors he did and committed unspeakable sins over his lifetime, Azriel knew there was no absolution for him. Nor that he cared. He already had his heaven, right there, in front of him, basking in the afterglow of pure pleasure.

He nuzzled his nose into her thigh to steal a little more warmth from her exhausted body. He brushed his cheek against her, closing his eyes, savouring the moment before his primal need destroyed the only person he loved the most. He hummed satisfied, pressing the lightest of kisses to her skin, his pathetic attempt to atone for the wicked he unleashed upon her. His heart should cower in shame and guilt, yet it swelled with love and hunger.

His name, whispered once, tore his attention from his perverted thoughts. He never cared for what he was called. But in her sweet voice, a sacred chant uttered in the confines of their chamber, he liked no word more than his own name. His shadows answered her call, smoothed over her sweat-covered body apologising for their master’s sadism, burning her skin with their delicate coolness. Some mercy, for they were no better than him.

Azriel brushed a thumb along her cheek gathering her tears away, a tender kiss placed in their stead. He smiled like a gentle lover. He parted her lips with his fingers soaked in her essence and slid them past her teeth.

With hooded eyes, N looked up at the male who sought the remnants of her soul clinging to her body and sucked on the tips. Her tongue rivalled the wetness between her legs. She was a true seductress.

Azriel lapped at his fingers and the lips sheathing them alike, tasting her whole at once, embracing the insanity he fought to stave off for so long. Even when he slipped his fingers out of her mouth, even when he pressed his body onto hers, even when he lined himself to her welcoming heat, he didn’t break the kiss like her lips were his only tether to reality.

N stilled beneath him. Another tear slipped from the corner of her beautiful eyes. Azriel was cruel, but he was capable of loving his mate right. He wrapped a hand around her shoulder and smoothed a palm over her hip. He inched in slowly into her pulsing cunt, ‘Give me one more, love. Just one. For me?’

His mate, ever merciful, nodded. The adoration that flowed through the golden string between their hearts reflected in her eyes. ‘Please,’ she said breathlessly, ‘please, Azriel. I want to touch you.’

The one whose dangerous hands slit throats of the most feral of males and females with grace asked to touch him so sweetly. How could he deny anything to her?

His shadows didn’t wait for his instructions. They released her arms and slid over to the skin their master left unattended, staking their claim on her body. Azriel reined them back only to lose control again. She made him jealous of his own shadows, ones meant to serve him, ones who forgot their place around her.

A long sigh pulled his focus back to her. Too exhausted to hold him like she always did, N ran her hands along his sides. ‘I missed you.’

‘I missed you too.’ Azriel lifted her thigh higher and wrapped it around his waist ripping a whine from her throat. He did miss her. He missed everything about her. Her raw devotion to him, her pure heart, her unconditional love.

As he moved deeper and deeper still, he felt it. The echo of a song he knew too well, one of love and longing that kept them connected through the times of separation. Beyond the familiarity of its thrum, he recognised something else.

Like catching a flicker of light after being lost in the dark for long. Like the first time he gained control of the darkness he was born with. Like the first time he tasted his freedom. In her arms, everything made sense. His breaths strained.

Tears flowed freely from her eyes. ‘I missed you,’ There was a tremor in her voice. Azriel soothed her with his own declarations but she shook her head, ‘Don’t make me leave you again. Please, I can’t live like this anymore. I can’t, not without you.’

Azriel always believed he loved her more than she could love him in her lifetime. His petty display of jealousy and temper, a proof of his love. What an arrogant fool. His heart ached for failing to truly see his beloved’s feelings for him, how deep it ran in her veins, how it destroyed her while it breathed life into him.

He pulled her close, enveloping her in his comfort, and his wings draped around them.

‘Promise me, Azriel.’ She closed her eyes, ‘Please.’

‘I’m here now,’ he caressed her cheek. He left kisses on her forehead, eyes, cheeks, and finally on her lips. ‘I’m here. I’m with you, love. I’m here.’ And at those words, N let go one last time leading him to his release.

Azriel left his shaking mate in the bed with a kiss when he came back to his senses to draw a bath. He stood by the door of her bathroom and watched his shadows tickle the skin below her ear. A light chuckle escaped her lips as more chased her hand. It was a sight he was used to and missed dearly.

N smiled at him as he carried her in his arms. Her body shivered at the first touch as Azriel lowered her into the tub. She tugged at his wrist, and he joined in. She leaned her back into his chest and closed her eyes. The water washed her exhaustion away while his hands massaged her tender flesh. Her eyes struggled to stay open and she sank deeper against him. As he dried her tenderly after, she watched him with an easy smile.

Azriel carried her out to the bedroom and paused. Fresh sheets lined her bed. Sweet fragrance of jasmine lingered in the air. Lit candles stood on windows and her desk. Moonlight streamed past the drawn curtains. His shadows failed to notice, too lost in her as he was.

‘I told you they were watching,’ N said, her voice quiet and tired.

He eased her into the bed and pulled a blanket over her legs. He traced the marks of red on her stomach and between her breasts, marring her pristine skin—still a masterpiece—complete, perfect. ‘Do you think they’ll let me near you again after seeing what I’ve done?’ He couldn’t stop the smile that cruelly tugged at his mouth.

N groaned, throwing a hand over her eyes. ‘I’m pretty sure Mother Aarzu is already dissecting how you wrecked me for her next seduction lesson.’

‘Well then,’ Azriel laid beside her and pulled her to his chest, ‘I’m willing to contribute more to these lessons. They sound very necessary.’

She glared from behind her hand. ‘Mock all you want but your brothers are worse. I bet Rhysand was listening to your thoughts the whole time. And they are already planning on ways to taunt you.’

Azriel lifted a brow. He opened his mouth to defend his ability to guard his thoughts when his brother’s laughter echoed in his mind. ‘Your shields are pathetic when she’s around. They went down the moment her lips were on you.’ N flinched in his arms and he knew his brother invaded her mind as well for his next words, ‘Thanks for the show. Quite an. . .inspiration.’

N scoffed, ‘I don’t know why we do it behind closed doors.’ Her words had his mind conjure ideas already. A frown appeared between her brows. She looked at him sharply when she felt a hardness pressing into her hip, ‘We’re not doing that.’

Azriel laughed aloud. Something he hadn’t done in a while after he sent his mate away. ‘Anything my wife wants,’ he teased. He cradled her face against his chest and kissed her eye. ‘Anything you want.’

#azriel #azriel x reader #azriel fanfiction #azriel fanfic #azriel x reader smut #azriel x reader angst #azriel angst #azriel smut #azriel shadowsinger #azriel spymaster #azriel acotar #a court of thorns and roses #acotar #acotar fanfiction #acotar smut #acotar x reader #acotar x reader smut #azriel x y/n

188 notes · View notes

woodlandeelf · 4 months ago

Text

woodlandeelf's masterpost

Hey there! I’m known on here as woodlandeelf, and woodland_elf on AO3, but you can call me 'soph' (they/she) if you like. woodlandeelf isn't my personal blog, it's 100% pure grade-A Dragon Age content.

If you want to support me via donation/leave a tip, you can buy me a coffee on my Ko-Fi page!

Art Commissions are currently ON PAUSE until after July 1! Updated Commissions Info to come!

[My Art tag] [Sketch/WIP tag]

Below the cut are tag links & AO3 links for my various Dragon Age fics. All my fics are archive-locked, to prevent bot scraping. Will update as required.

Fanfic:

The Atomic Age Series (AO3) (tumblr tag)

Most prominent among my AO3 bibliography is probably my Modern AU Dragon Age series, which I started about ten years ago (cries) with Flour, Ink, and Salt. The series contains stories set with all my canon heroes, their love interests, and includes some head-canon side-ships that are canon to me, personally. Timelines and dates don't align with the canonical 9th age timeline, because this is my playground and it's my rules. The two main 70k+ long fics are completed, with side-fics still in progress (working on it!) Flour, Ink, & Salt - M, Female Mage Lavellan/Cullen Rutherford, Tattoo Parlour & Bakery AU [complete] Once more with feeling - M, Female Mage Lavellan/Cullen Rutherford, sequel to Flour Ink & Salt When we were young - T, Female Cousland/Alistair, University & Politics & Parliament AU Blood, Spirit, & Steel - M, Rook de Riva/Lucanis Dellamorte, Modern Crow Assassins [complete]

the hours (AO3) (tumblr tag)

Lost Hours - M, Rook de Riva/Lucanis Dellamorte, In-Canon and Post-Canon, Getting Together, Bottom Lucanis Dellamorte. What started as a series of vignettes in the lost moments between action in DA:TV has turned into a labour of love. Lost Hours includes lots of post-canon content now that Dragon Age is 'for the fans' and I can do what i want with the rest of the story. Lost Hours features the same Rook, Brynnor de Riva, as in The Atomic Age, but with a slightly different (and in-canon) origin story. [complete] after hours: rest - T, Rook de Riva/Lucanis Dellamorte, Fluff, Domestic, one of the Lost Hours b-sides [complete] after hours: control - E, Rook de Riva/Lucanis Dellamorte, PWP, Dom/Sub undertones, Kink Negotiation, or the one where they get REALLY into it [complete] when seconds become years - M (for language & mature themes &etc, no sexual content), Pre-Rook de Riva/Lucanis Dellamorte, Viago de Riva & Rook de Riva, the Brynnor prequel no one asked for but I wanted to write anyway. Explores Brynnor and Viago's sibling dynamic. [complete] overheard in the fade - T, Rook de Riva/Lucanis Dellamorte, when Rook overhears Lucanis tell Davrin that he's let some marks live, she (rightfully) gets upset about it [complete] after hours: close one - E, Rook de Riva/Lucanis Dellamorte, after a botched assassination attempt ruins Lucanis's beard and Rook has to help him shave it off, Rook has complicated feelings about vulnerability, then she has to peg him about it [complete] after hours: legacy - M, Rook de Riva/Lucanis Dellamorte; aka, the really long fic that deep dives into the question of "what would happen if Brynnor and Lucanis decided to have kids?" and "would it make them better?" and the answer is "no, not exactly." [complete]

know me inside out (AO3)

Rated E, Andarateia Cantori/Viago de Riva; a relationship study told through Viago's very confused mind, AKA the teiago abortion fic that still makes me weep about these two in love

in every galaxy, another fight (AO3) (tumblr tag)

Rated M, pairings TBD; aka, the Star Wars AU fic that nobody asked for.

The Orlesian Job (AO3) (tumblr tag)

Rated M, Rook de Riva/Lucanis Dellamorte, Andarateia Cantori/Viago de Riva; The heist/murder/revenge modern AU with excessive gambling and serious exes vibes

the places you are (AO3)

Rated M, Fenris/Female Mage Hawke, one-shot. A love letter to two idiots and a city constantly on the edge of destruction. [complete]

Heaven has been filled with silence (AO3)

Rated T, technically there are ships but they take a back seat to the plot. Plays with the Multiple Hero Origins theory wherein Evelyn Trevelyan barely survives the Conclave, but doesn't get the anchor and become the Herald. Disabled main character, Trevelyan-as-companion AU. Started this almost ten years ago after i received a concussion and needed to re-learn how to string thoughts together, and i'm still slowly working on it. Creatively I think this is my magnum opus but i'm dragging my feet on finishing it. Funny enough, I started writing this before Trespasser DLC came out, so the fact that Evelyn loses her arm was quite a coincidence!

Caution, steep ledge (AO3)

Rated T, Unspecified Rook/Lucanis Dellamorte, one-shot musings on why Lucanis backed out of that almost-kiss. Wrote it in the middle of the night in a fugue state before I even played the game. [complete]

#masterpost #about

20 notes · View notes

crystallizsch · 7 months ago

Note

*Note that this mini event takes place in the future, years after the character's have graduated and left Night Raven College. Lydia and Silver have two kids by the time they get married, Ryuumi (their adopted son, age 6) and Momo (their biological son, age 4) They live in Briar Valley (specifically in the house Lilia raised Silver in), with Lilia visiting/staying over often (he basically lives with them lol ♡)*

You open your mailbox one morning to find a letter, wrapped in twine and wild flowers. Your name was written neatly on the front, with small drawings in crayon surrounding it (done by a child). Inside the letter was an invitation, inviting you to a joyous occasion.

Lydia and Silver are getting married, and you're invited! ♡

The wedding and reception will be held outdoors, in the woods near their home (essentially their backyard lol ♡). The wedding will have chairs on each side of the aisle for guests to sit, decorated in soft pinks, blues, and gold (alongside the natural plant life). The reception will have tables and chairs, along with a dance floor and buffet (that will be catered).

Since this mini event takes place in the future, think of this as a fun opportunity to imagine what your OC and OC x Canon's future will be like! Maybe they're married, or have kids of their own? Or maybe they're separated, and have a reunion at the wedding?? 👀👀👀

Is your OC attending as a guest, or are they part of the wedding? Like a bridesmaid, or groomsman, or even being Lydia's hairstylist for the day! It's up to you ♡

There's no dress code/requirements either! It's moreso what you think your OC / OC x Canon would wear if they got invited to a wedding (or were apart of a wedding party!) ♡

Once people start responding to their invitations (whether it be with art, writing, etc) I'll write some scenarios to go along with it, and tag you when it's posted ♡

Thank you! ♡♡♡

AWH THIS IS SO CUTE 😭💖

of course yuusha accepts!! (also thanks for giving me an excuse for showing jamil and yuusha’s totally happy canon timeline post-NRC ehehehe)

Yuusha started working as staff at NRC after graduation (her job is still TBD but I still want her to be connected to Ramshackle dorm somehow but uh anyways-). She was also invited as a bridesmaid and a hairstylist.

Yuusha, upon receiving the invitation, immediately calls up Ace and Deuce and finds out that they have been invited as well. It seems that a lot of classmates back in NRC were also invited. It'll be a like a reunion.

Somehow the topic of Jamil got brought up. Yuusha had not talked to him after graduation. It was as if he just disappeared.

They promised they would keep in touch. But the messages from Jamil became less and less frequent until he never responded again.

And Yuusha had not thought about him. Until now.

♥️: Dude, why'd you have to bring him up?

♠️: Sorry! I was just wondering... But if I see him there I'm gonna-

♥��: Stop talking. Hey, Yuu. Call us when you need anything.

💜: ...Thanks, Ace. See ya both later.

Yuusha hung up the phone and sighed.

🐈‍⬛: So what did those bozos say.

💜: Nothing. It’s not a big deal, they just brought up Jamil.

🐈‍⬛: Yuu, I haven’t heard you say his name in years.

💜: You make it sound like he’s someone who musn’t be named.

🐈‍⬛: Because he is.

Yuusha throws her cup at Grim in frustration, knowing that the direbeast will just catch it with his magic.

💜: Do you think he’d even be there? Would he even… bother. He hasn’t reached out to me in years, why would he show now? Knowing I'll be there... Would he know I'll be there?

🐈‍⬛: Well if he shows up, I'll roast his butt like I did Kalim's all those years ago.

💜: We'll make that Plan B.

Yuusha collapsed back on her seat and stared at the invitation. She absentmindedly fiddles with the feather on her hair tie. No, his hair tie that she left him all those years ago.

After a long moment of contemplating and just letting the feelings sink in, she managed to promptly make the feeling fade away. Yuusha found herself giggling.

🐈‍⬛: What's suddenly so funny? Are you finally losing it?

💜: .....Hey, do you think we can bring [REDACTED] as a plus one?

🐈‍⬛: That was a quick switch-up. That birdbrain? Yuu, what do you even see in them.

💜: They’re charming, okay.

🐈‍⬛: Here we go again.

💜: Shut it. Just let me have this.

🐈‍⬛: If it makes my henchhuman happy then sure.

#[—✦ chatting #-✧ lovely writing by others #(💜) yuusha tala #postnrc💜#-✦—]#I CAN NEVER MAKE THEM HAPPY HELP #also iago oc mention ehe #no i still have zero plans for them other than yuusha’s future love interest (and jamil’s childhood best friend)#“what is with you and love triangles”#<- SHHHHHH LEAVE ME ALONE #also. SHEEP WHEN YOU DO A RESPONSE YOU CAN IGNORE THE WHOLE IAGO OC SUBPLOT AHGKLDS #i just wanted to include it just for fun #(✧) my art

29 notes · View notes

masterserris · 8 months ago

Text

Submas Fic: "We Will Meet Again" CH.1

Hello! My friend @eusouomar (Ingo) and I (Emmet) have been working together on an rp timeline and thought to make it available here and on ao3! I will be making a master post later for this, but for now! Here it is! We have... uhh... a few hundred pages to edit and process and it isn't even close to being done yet.

This timeline is based on the concepts of Yin (Ingo) and Yang (Emmet) reincarnating through the ages, much to the surprise of the twins, and how to move forward knowing this and getting their lives back to normal after bringing Ingo home from Hisui. Shenanigans and fluff and angst ensue. Let it be known a happy ending is always the goal and the inevitable future. Enjoy!

Notes: NO SHIPPING in this fic.

General Warnings for the fic as a whole: strong language, depictions of mental illness, addiction, grief, violence/gore, character death, self harm, suicide mentions

MASTERPOST (TBD)

START (HERE)

NEXT CHAPTER

Ingo hit the floor way too hard. The stone was cold and unforgiving and the wind was strong up here. Familiar. But that was soon replaced by the radiance of the sun on his back and a figure kneeling down to help him up. In the pure blue sky, when Ingo looked up he saw the tear filled eyes of his long beloved mirror image. His twin, Emmet.

Ingo shivered at the rush of ice in his veins. It took him a bit before he pushed himself up to a sitting position as someone bent down to help him. It was him! The man in white! Ingo had seen him in faint memories and dreams but here he was as clear as a photograph. "I...I know you." He told him. "You have my face."

“Yup! I sure do, Ingo! I am Emmet! Your twin! Don’t you remember?” He leaned in to embrace his dear brother and warmth flowed from his heart. His love, his joy, it was infectious. Never had his smile been this bright or this grateful to finally have his sibling back from beyond the expanses of time and space. He had finally done it! Take that, all you haters and deniers. Emmet never gave up and now everything was right in the world. Almost. “I suppose you did hit your head kinda hard when you landed, sorry Ingo.” He pulled back a bit to inspect his face and body. How old he had gotten! A beard! Tattered clothes! His pearl clan tunic! “It seems we have a lot to catch up on, yup!” He said sheepishly.

Emmet. Being hugged by someone like he was precious made Ingo's heart swell. He had been so alone for so long. It was almost perfect. Still there was something wrong, deep inside of him. Something out of balance. "My twin." He repeated. How could he have forgotten? "You're my younger brother." He frowned, "But not that young. Something is wrong."

“Yeah, I’ll say! You’re old, Ingo! It’s only been 5 years, how come you look like you’re 60???” He pulled his hat off of his head and gasped. “AND YOU’RE BALD???”

"Five??" Ingo asked shocked, "No, no. I arrived in Hisui thirty years ago." Ingo frowned at the removal of his hat. That was precious to him! "No! Return my possession at once!"

“30!!” He balked at that and handed back his hat, stunned into silence. T-there was no way! “H-hold on you mean you’re… no, no it can’t be!” He couldn’t be an old man already, he had just brought him back! He couldn’t lose him to the ravages of time again! “Dialga! Fix this mess, please!” Emmet tossed out a pokeball to summon the master of time. It gazed down at him with a calm demeanor. “Is.. is it true he has aged 30 years!? It can’t be! Please, Diagla, return his body to the same age as mine! I won’t lose my twin again! Not if we can help it!” The gem on its chest began to glow and Ingo felt the vigor of youth return to his body. He was 30 again. Right there with Emmet as a mirror image. His scars wouldn’t fade, but his hair grew back and his beard faded. “Muuuuch better! Thanks pal!” He beamed the god of time a bright smile and it huffed in amusement.

Ingo put his hat back on with a huff. Really. "Lord Dialga!" Ingo knelt quickly in front of the pokemon. Did this mean that the Diamond clan was in the right all along? Was Dialga almighty Sinnoh? Then he felt his bones strengthen, his old stamina returning. Ingo was by no means a weak man at sixty, not when he was fighting for his survival and climbing cliffs but being back at thirty was a whole new feeling. And this man who claimed to be his twin spoke so familiarly to a literal god. Ingo remained kneeling.

Emmet stifled a laugh. He did his research and knew the Diamond and Pearl clans worshiped Palkia and Dialga, but to see it from his own brother was a little amusing. “It’s alright Ingo, Dialga is a friend.” He patted the pokemon’s shoulder lightly. “No need for that here. You are among friends. And here, this is actually for you.” He handed him a pokeball. Inside it was the lord of space, Palkia. He could feel it, the tug, the pull, the familiar essence that flowed through it.

"For me." It was a modern pokeball, much different from the wooden ones he used. He could feel the pokemon inside of it, the strange pull that Ingo couldn't really describe. He got up to his feet still in his clan tunic and tattered clothes. "You said you were my brother?" He confirmed.

“Yuuup! I am Emmet! Emmet Kudari Gray! And you are Ingo! Ingo Nobori Gray! We are the Subway Bosses of Nimbasa City! Our uncle is Drayden Gray, gym leader of Opelucid City in Unova! Man, you must have a bad concussion to forget so much, maybe you should sit, it isn’t safe. Maybe we can ask Palkia to take us to a hospital and get you checked out.” He was a bit worried at these huge gaps in his brother’s memory and went to his side, his hand on his back gently.

"Gray." He said reverently, "This whole time I never knew what my clan name was and it's Gray. Drayden, is he our clan leader then?" He asked Emmet. Ingo Nobori Gray. He finally had a last name and a middle name as well!

“Clan? Clan??? We don’t really use that word anymore, brother. We just say family. You are family.” He smiled and hugged him ruffling his hair as he did so like old times. “And I missed you so verrrrrry much! You’re my other half! It was impossible to live without you!”

Ingo felt warmth bloom in his heart as Emmet ruffled his hair. It felt so familiar and comfortable. He really enjoyed being hugged as well. He was about to ask what a subway was when Emmet spoke again about missing him and...oh. That was right. Ingo remembered the hidden temple deep in the mountains and what he had found there. He was missing half of himself. Could Emmet be his other half? "Then...then you are Yang?" He asked him.

“Then I’m what?” He looked at his brother, puzzled. “What are you talking about? Oh dragons, we really should get you to the hospital. I hope your brain isn’t bleeding.” There was a worried expression to his smile as he plucked the pokeball out of Ingo’s hands to toss and reveal Palkia. “Hello friend! Uhm, I was wondering if you could please take us to Hearthome’s hospital! It seems he might have a bit of… brain damage…”

Hmm, maybe not. Still after a hard landing like that perhaps he should see a doctor. Ingo gave a respectful bow to Palkia but for now would not give anyone any trouble.

Emmet smiled as Dialga returned to its pokeball and Palkia gently warped space to place them at the entrance of the hospital before also returning to its ball. Hearthome. A thriving city full of beauty and warmth at the foothills of Mount Coronet. Emmet took his hand and guided him inside to get checked in. Oh! He had to text Elesa that he had made it! This was great! She was asleep right now, but that was fine, she could find out in the morning. Emmet would remain by Ingo’s side the entire time, just glad to be with him.

"So, let's start with what you do know." The doctor had told Ingo as he sat there, "What's your name?" "I am Warden Ingo of the Pearl Clan." Ooookay. The doctor wrote something down, "And how old are you?" "I think I'm..." Hmm, Dialga did take a few years off his age, "Thirty?" "You don't know?" "I don't know when my birthday is." Ingo confessed, "I like the summer season the best so that's when I celebrate but I think I'm around thirty years of age." "Huh, okay what do you do for work?" "I am the warden to Lady Sneasler." Oh yeah this was bad, "Any family?" "None that I recall." Ingo said not wanting to do this anymore. He was embarrassed by how little he remembered.

Emmet's smile was strained. He had told the doctor they were brothers, their names, their ages, it was all over the news after all these years about Ingo disappearing. Even here in Sinnoh, a simple web search would tell them all they needed to know. This was definitely Ingo Gray. And it hurt to know he had lost it all. Every last memory, gone. He said nothing, he didn’t want to interfere with the doctor’s work and influence Ingo’s answers.

It wasn't to fill out paper work. It was to see how much of Ingo's memory was intact and the answer was not a lot. "Okay, we're going to let you rest a bit and I'm going to talk to your brother." The doctor told him kindly before taking Emmet to the hall.

Emmet gave Ingo a glance and a nod. “I’ll be back! Just rest please!” As he closed the door behind them he sighed sadly, already knowing how badly this was going. “Give it to me straight, doc.”

"We're going to need to run some imaging tests. See if this is brain damage or a traumatic event. Does your brother or family have any history of neurological disorders?" The doctor asked.

“Nnnnot that I know of!” He thought about it some more. “Welllll… it is generations removed, but we are technically related to the Mad Liberator of old Unova. No one knew what was wrong with him, but he definitely wasn’t all there,” he said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head as the old portrait in the museum came to mind. He looked a lot like him. Both brothers did.

"Okay well there's two possible options. If there is damage to his brain this might be a permanent condition. If it's an organic rather from trauma it will begin to worsen. If there is no damage to his brain this may be a psychological blocking than a medical problem which means that some of his memory may begin to return." The doctor told him giving it to him straight, "We can begin to do some memory training in that case. Has your brother been through any traumatic events?"

Emmet nodded numbly at his words; the truth of the matter stung him. “Well, you see it is a reaaaaaallly long story, but you know the myths about Palkia and Dialga? They are true. Ingo was lost in Sinnoh’s ancient past, about 200 years ago when it was still called Hisui. That’s why he’s wearing the Pearl clan tunic and talking about being a warden and all. Because he was.” He pulled out his phone and opened the article he had bookmarked. From a history book. And there Ingo was next to the rest of the Pearl clan.

“I rescued him from the past with the help of Dialga and some friends. It might have scrambled his brain, but he seemed to remember some things when I spoke to him. I believe his memories are in there somewhere, I have to believe. I won’t give up on him. We can make him well again!” There was a determined look in his eyes as his aura flared to life. Burning bright, he would not give in, not when he had finally found his twin after everything they both had been through.

It was a hard story to swallow but Emmet had the articles and facts to back him up. "Hmm, well we will still scan him just to be sure and maybe do a few cognitive tests. In the meantime I'll see about getting him a memory board. His memories may be still in there but he has trouble accessing them. You should talk to him about what he does remember, encourage him to recount his time in Sinnoh."

“Right right. And we have to get his death certificate revoked. I suppose I can do that when we go back to Unova, but in the meantime I don’t suppose you could get the ball rolling? With his blood work and fingerprints, that is. Birth and death certificates were a common thing at a hospital. But it wasn’t everyday one had to be revoked. He likely would have to take Ingo to the police station back home and do this again, but having extra verification couldn’t hurt!

"We can do that after the tests." The doctor wanted to make sure that Ingo was okay first, "But after that we can begin his verification process yes. I'll be back a little later." He gave Emmet a nod and left him to his own devices.

Emmet sighed to collect himself, prepping his mask again and smiled. “Everybody smile!” He said to himself quietly before opening the door and returning to Ingo’s side.

“Hello brother! They are just going to do a few more tests to make sure you are healthy! And see if your noggin’ is alright!” He patted Ingo’s head lightly with his gloved hand. “Some scans, some blood tests, some fingerprints, nothing too scary, right?” Emmet pulled up a chair to sit at his bedside and gave him a reassuring smile.

“I suppose you are wondering how I even got you here aren’t you? It’s a long story, but I can keep it brief.”

Perhaps it would be safe to let Emmet start talking. Maybe hearing him out would allow this to go smoother. "That thought did cross my mind." Ingo admitted, "How did you get me to the future? Was it with Master Dialga's help?"

“Well, yes and no! Let’s see, do you know this person?” Emmet pulled open his camera roll to show him the person who saved Hisui from disaster. The one who had calmed Palkia and Dialga at Spear Pillar and defeated Volo.

“They come from our time and were sent back to Hisui not unlike how you were. After returning to the present and releasing the four creation pokemon, they knew they had to help you come home too. They took me to the museum and told me everything. It was… quite the shock! But with a little help, the Azure flute and some directions, it led me to Spear Pillar. I guess it used to be the Temple of Sinnoh back in the day. Anyways, they asked Dialga to send a message to itself across time. When I played the flute at the temple, there was this… glowing stair leading into the sky. Arceus was there. The creator. I… I have to admit, this part is a little surreal and hazy. I forget what exactly it said to me, but I knew it asked me what my greatest wish was. It was you, brother! They brought you back! And Dialga brought itself and Palkia here! Dialga would stay with me and Palkia will guard you! We will be safe now, no more worries, no more tears! I woke up on the ground at the temple with both of them standing over me. They are verrrrrry nice you know! Really patient too! I’m sure you’ll get along just fine! It was shortly after that you fell out of the portal, heh. I’m sorry about that. About how hard you must have hit the ground. Whoops.” Dialga in the past had made arrangements to help Ingo leave Hisui. Not that there was anyone left to remember that. Ingo’s memories were scattered from both trips, poor man.

"That person!" Ingo said recognizing the photo, "Yes, I know them well. Battling them was helping me start to remember things. A partner who wielded flames, a man in white. 'I like winning more than anything'." He sighed looking up at Emmet, "But you...you're not who I'm looking for, are you?"

“You mean Chandelure?” He handed Ingo her pokeball. “She was your first pokemon, all the way to a little Litwick, and yes, that is me! I sure am a man in white and do verrrrrry much like winning more than anything, yup! All true! But… I’m a little confused by what you mean if I am the one you are looking for. I’m your twin, your other half! We have always gone together! Explain, please!”

"Chandelure...yes! I had a Chandelure! She was my ace pokemon! My oldest and main partner." Little bit little it was coming back to him. Emmet had been so kind to him already. He deserved an explanation.

"When I was in Hisui I was..." Hmm, maybe he shouldn't unload too much on Emmet, "I was sick. Lady Sneasler found me in the snow and took me to a warm place to recover. It was a temple deep in the mountain devoted to the concept of Yin and Yang. I found I could activate the Yin part. It was something no one else could do. I think...I think I have something to do with Yin and if that is so then I should go and find Yang. Perhaps that person will have the answers to the questions I have."

“Oh!! That old story! Yes, I have heard of it before but!” He stared at Ingo with renewed curiosity. “You are the vessel of Yin??? No way! That’s so cool! Does that mean I’m…?”

Yang? The thought finally crossed Emmet’s mind and it filled him with a flood of good and horrible feelings. It was like getting sucker punched. Not now! No hallucinations now please! He fought back his mind, seeing Ingo in front of him helped with that.

“Maybe! One way to find out! Do you remember where this temple is?” He fished into his pocket. “They also say Yin and Yang have these with them, but truthfully, they are old family heirlooms! After the whole crisis with Team Plasma and all stealing them from the museum, heh.” Held the Light Stone and Dark Orb out to show him. “The white one is yours!”

"It is said that Yin and Yang are born as twins." Here Ingo frowned, "It's also said that they're destined to fight one and kill one another....are you alright? You seem pale." He blinked at the the light stone, "This...I remember this is associated with Reshiram." He took it from Emmet and felt a sort of warmth from the stone.

“And the black one is Zekrom! Yes, that’s right Ingo! But I’m afraid you have the legends wrong! You see, our ancestor stopped the nasty cycle of hatred! The Mad Liberator was said to be a bearer of Yang and had restored balance to Yin by placing it in his proper vessel! That’s what his memoirs said, but everyone thought he was just crazy! Looking back, well, I think there is merit to his words!! Yin and Yang aren’t bad or good! They are just opposites! Time, heat, light, the sun, land, creation, destruction, all are Yang! And Yin is water, space, the cold, darkness, emotion, and life! Unova has lots of legends on those, yup! Read lots about it when I was looking for you! Didn’t have anything to do with us, though, I thought, but I guess I might have been wrong! Yin and Yang were a perfect duo until Yin broke away from Yang! That’s when everything went to shit and history gets fuzzy with the details. I dunno how much of all of that is true. There might be a book that really explains things, but I haven’t really looked.”

"Hmmm." He thought on that some more, "Do you believe it? That I am Yin and that you are Yang?"

He shrugged. “It could be true. Lots of weird things have happened to us, yup! Stuff that you can’t really explain! I uh.. Sometimes see things and I take medication for it, but it makes me wonder if it's maaaaagic.” He waved his fingers in a silly manner before becoming serious again. “No, but I’m not sure. I’m certainly willing to find out! But first, you need your tests and your rest. You have to maintain your engines and do your safety checks. And Ingo? Smile!”

There was something blooming, on the edge of familiarity. "You smile a lot, don't you?" He asked Emmet.

“Yup! Always smile for the passengers! You always had a resting bitch face, though, haha! It scared some folks, but really you are the heart of the subway! Everyone missed you soo much, yup!” He poked Ingo’s cheeks with both fingers to make him force a grin.

“But everyone loves you so much! And they love your smile too, even if it is rare! They will be overjoyed to see you. I know it.” Emmet nodded and gave him a truly warm and happy smile. “And if we are Yin and Yang, it doesn’t change a darned thing! You’re still my brother and we Subway Bosses are still a set! Always! Forever!” He cheered.

That flashed another memory though not one of his life in Unova. "I was battling that person." He told Emmet, "I swore I would interact with all pokemon until I found the place where I belonged. Our face match, our coat, our hat." He felt Emmet stretch his cheeks and found himself chuckling regardless, "Emmet cut it out."

Ingo doubted he would've been comfortable with anyone else from Hisui touching his face like that. "It had been so long. I thought my clan had given up on me or exiled me."

“Haha, nope! Just a little lost! But you are found again! And we will go home and everyone will smile again! Elesa and Drayden and Peters and Stefan and Megumi and Isabelle and Drayton and… Well! Everyone!” He removed his hands from his brother’s face and clapped them together in glee.

“It has been verrrrrry rough without you, brother, but now things will be great! Even if we have to jog your memories slowly back together. It might even be a little fun doing all of our old hobbies together! I can’t wait to take you to the ballpark with Elesa! Or back home to uncle!”

"My home station." He had one now and people who had missed him. Those were a lot of people and he would have to learn who they were or re-remember them. His brother seemed so happy to see him again.

"I missed you, you know." He told Emmet, "Even when I barely remember you, didn't know your name, I missed you deeply."

His heart melted a bit at that. “Aww Ingo…” Emmet pulled him into a soft hug.

“You know how much that means to me. After all these years for both of us. I’m so verrrrrry glad to have you back! I would do anything for you, anything. I mean it.” He pulled back to smile happily. “I love you lots, yup! A matching set! Do not separate ever!”

He ruffled his brother’s hair playfully. “Oh and we will get you new clothes, you have spare coats and hats back home, don’t worry.”

There was a knock on the door by a nurse. "Mr. Gray? It's time for your tests."

It took Ingo a moment to realize she was speaking to him. After some testing he was back in his room with Emmet.

"Okay." The nurse told him, "I have here a memory board that you're going to help fill out with your brother."

"A memory board?" Ingo asked.

"Yes, it has some of the basic facts of your life to help reaffirm information and hopefully trigger old memories. Let's fill it out and then you can rest for the night." Ingo nodded and looked down at the board.

"So...my name."

“Ingo Nobori Gray,” Emmet nodded.

He would be slow, keeping it at Ingo’s pace when he was comfortable to move to the next topic. He was a supportive brother, always there for him. Always wanting to help Ingo’s ideas succeed. Make his dreams real. He sat there next to him, a faint warmth and love emanating from him. Comfort. Support. Love. Understanding. Patience. This was a place of healing.

His real name. He was still Ingo inside but now it had more to it. Ingo wrote it down in his messy handwriting.

"Age and birthday." Ingo frowned, "I...I think I am thirty but," He turned to Emmet, "I can't remember when I was born." Well since they were twins when they were born. He had wondered for thirty years what day was his birthday.

“August 8th,” Emmet said softly. We are 30 years old.”

So he was born in the summer and he was 30! Sort of. A little not-smile graced his lips at as he wrote on the board. He didn't have any memories coming back yet but writing all of this down was a major comfort. Ingo was finally getting answers. "Where do I live?"

“We have a condo in Nimbasa City. In the Unova region.” Emmet smiled patiently. It was summer right now, they would have their birthday in a few weeks. He would make sure that it was a good one. One to truly remember.

"My occupation. You said I'm a subway boss? What is a subway?" Ingo asked.

Oh dear.

"W-well, hmm.... how to put it. You know what a wagon, a carriage is, right? Well imagine a huge one of those, bigger and longer than this room and made of metal with seats in it. And imagine a bunch of them all linked together in a line. And they all go on a path made of metal tracks on metal wheels. It moves with the power of electricity to transport people and pokemon and cargo from place to place, usually underground. Hence 'sub' and 'way' for path. We are the bosses who run them in Unova! These tracks lead to all of the other cities, but the main station is in Nimbasa. Gear station." He hoped he didn't confuse him too badly.

Ingo listened patiently to Emmet's explanation and something flashed in his mind. He and another little boy playing with a train set watching it go around. In Hisui train fever had already gripped the Galar region. "Are you talking about a locomotive? We run an underground locomotive? I love locomotives!"

“Yes! Yes exactly!!” He clapped his hands together. “The best! Perfect! That’s the brother I know! We have always loved trains since we were kids! Heh, one of our autistic hyperfixations. That and pokemon battles.” Emmet was grinning ear to ear.

"That's why I spoke so strangely! I'm a train conductor!" Ingo said. It was like all of the pieces were coming together. "I love battling. Winning. One cannot know what happens after winning until winning. Those words though...what do they mean? Autistic hyperfixation?"

“O-oh! Haha, it’s kind of a medical term. Some people are born and act differently. Their brains work differently. We are like that! It was hard for us to pick up on certain social cues and..” He trailed off. Explaining his life was hard, you sort of just had to experience it.

“It doesn’t matter. There are a lot of people like us. We are just odd compared to others. And a hyperfixation is like a special interest. It’s something you just reeeeeallly like and can’t stop thinking about. A hobby, but deeper, something that really hooks its claws in your brain and heart and demands your attention. And it brings you joy! That’s trains for us!” He tried to keep it light. He wasn’t a medical professional either. He only had his own experiences to go off of.

"And pokemon battling!" Ingo agreed, "Or, at least it is for me." He looked down at the board and wrote down his occupation, "Next item says marital status. Am I married?"

“Nnnno? Not here in the present. Did you get busy in the past? Do I have to worry about your great grandchildren running around??” Emmet teased him, it was clear that he wasn’t in any relationships by the way he asked that.

"No. None. I never had any interest." Okay that was simple. Single. Only two more to go! "Next is...family. Well I have a twin brother! Do we have any other family?"

“Well, technically not any immediate family. Our parents died when we were verrrrry young. Those memories are rather distant. But! Uncle Drayden took us in! And we have a lot of cousins! Drayshon, Aris, Drayton, Lily..” Wow, that was a long list. He just kept going, huh?

He felt tears begin to form in his eyes. After so many years of being alone. Not only did he have a brother but a large family? "Do you think they will like me?"

“Oh Ingo…” His heart broke for his brother.

“They love you, adore you. They were so upset, inconsolable without you! You should have seen how mad they were when….” His smile fell for the first time and the words died in his throat. He swallowed heavily before shoving his mask back into place.

“I mean, once we get you checked out here we can go home and facetime them! They will be elated! We have to get you checked out of here first, though.” Emmet smiled pleasantly. It was a good plan. Not too much rushing but neither was it procrastinating.

"How mad they were when what?" Ingo asked. But then Emmet switched subjects. "It would be nice to see my family. I wish I knew what they looked like. Facetime?"

“Oh sorry, it’s a way to communicate. Like a phone call but with video.” He pulled out his phone. “You’ll see. Basically it lets people talk face to face across great distances. The wonders of modern technology, right?? Heh. In the meantime, I can show you some pictures!” He pulled up a family photo, naming everyone and pointing them out.

The nurse gave them some time alone as this may take a while. Ingo's not-smile began to grow into a real smile as Emmet reintroduced him to family. His family who loved him! He leaned against Emmet's side. He wasn't kidding when he said they had a lot of cousins! He was going to have to make a family tree to remember who was related to who! How recent were some of the photos?

They were from before Ingo disappeared. Emmet didn’t really take photos after he was gone, though there was one of him and Elesa celebrating their birthday together. Emmet looked very tired in that one. Worn out. There were pictures of exhibits and legends related to Sinnoh, and landscape photos from his traveling the world to find his brother.

He stopped at a picture of Emmet with a woman. Emmet didn't look anything like he did now. This Emmet looked exhausted and worn out. "You've gone to many museums. You look different."

“I had to do my research! Lots of interesting things to learn about old stories, yup!” He glanced back at his own picture and quickly looked away. He couldn’t stand seeing himself.

“That was a long day, I was verrrrrry tired.” It wasn’t a lie, but it clearly wasn’t the whole truth. He was glad he didn’t have any other pictures of himself from these past few years.

Hmmm, well Ingo could always ask later. "Now one last question. My pokemon. This is easy! Alakazam, Tangrowth, Probopass, Machamp, Magnezone, Gliscor, and Chandelure."

“Hehe, more than that, brother!” He pulled out his belt to show Ingo his pokeballs. “Crustle, Garbordor, Klinklang, Haxorus, Excadrill and last but not least, your newest edition: Palkia! Lot’s of friends, yup! All good partners to have!”

His old friends. Ingo took the belt reverently. His old friends. He looked down at the completed memory board. It was only a snap shot but it was more than what he had started with. "Thank you." The former warden looked up at Emmet. "I couldn't have done this without you."

Emmet snorted and ruffled his brother’s gray hair, fluffing it up. “This is nothing, brother. You’ll see. We complete each other. Make up for when the other is feeling down. Share the workload and take care of our home. The Subway Bosses are a set! Do not separate!” He made and X with his forearms and smiled. “Now, you should eat dinner. And sleep. Hopefully tomorrow we will be set to go onto our next destination.”

He chuckled at having his hair ruffled again. They would share a dinner and settle down for the night. Ingo slept deeply even though he was in a strange new world. How did Emmet sleep?

Emmet wanted to keep watch over Ingo, worried that if he closed his eyes he would disappear again. But eventually he nodded off in his seat at Ingo’s bedside, completely knocked out. His hat pulled down over his eyes and his breathing soft and steady.

Ingo slept soundly through the night and woke up when the sun shone through the window. He stretched his arms and back before slipping out of the bed to stretch his legs.

Emmet strolled back into the room a hot cup of coffee in his hand full of cream and sugar. He could drink it black like Ingo often did, but his sweet tooth demanded something nice. "Gooooooood morning Ingo!!"

"Good morning!" Ingo greeted Emmet. He was much more used to tea than coffee bit he did recognize the drink. He got up from off the floor.

“Doing some stretches I see? The hospital floor isn’t the cleanest place to be doing that, brother.” He took his seat and crossed his legs, checking to see if Elesa was up yet and had responded to his texts. Hm, not yet. Ah well! She must be verrrrrry busy.

“Before we go home, I’d like to stop by the church and then if you want I’m sure we can find that old temple you were talking about. Then our home destination! How does that sound?”

What did cleanliness have to do with it? "That sounds like a good route. We should refuel with some breakfast after our discharge." He nodded getting up and dusting his hands off. Surely he would be discharged soon.

“I saw some muffins in the lobby,” he said, standing again to go with him, “Oran berry flavored! You know, we have a lot to catch up on! I traveled verrrrrry far to get here, I even went to Johto once to look for Celebi to bring you home! She, ah, took one look at me and fled. That was not fun, yup. But hard work brought us together again! So I am glad! No hard feelings!” His smile was as bright as the morning sun as he took a sip of his coffee, letting it warm his insides.

Oran berry! Why did that mean something to him? Still, he followed him to the lobby once he had signed himself out. A magazine on a coffee table caught his attention. "Did Nimbasa City Subway Master Kill His Own Twin? The Chilling Truth Behind Ingo Gray's Disappearance." That was him! His name, his city. With a frown he opened it to read.

Emmet hummed as he signed the papers for Ingo at the front desk, glad to be free. It was a brand new day, a brand new future! “Well Ingo! Ready to go??” He turned to him with a smile.

Ingo looked up from the magazine. "Emmet, what is this?"

“That’s a magazine! They print the news in…. It….” He read the title and his stomach dropped. He snatched a copy off the table and read it furiously, his hands bunching into tight fists as he crinkled the paper.

“Um! Excuse me brother! I have to make a phone call! Please wait here!” He marched outside to call Elesa. He was furious beyond measure. The sunlight grew intense in its morning rays, beating down on the land.

“THEY CAN’T PRINT THIS, IT’S ILLEGAL! ELESA, LOOK AT THIS! KILLING HIS OWN TWIN? AGAIN, AFTER 5 YEARS THEY KEEP BRINGING THIS UP! LOOK AT THE PHOTOS I SENT YOU, HE’S BACK! I AM SUING EVERY LAST ONE OF THESE ARC-DAMNED MOTHER FUCKERS! JUST YOU WAIT AND SEE!”

He paced around so very angrily, wanting to pull his hair out. He threw this hat on the ground and kept marching back and forth with a purpose, his eyes like daggers. He never acted out in front of people, but up here alone in the alley way was a different story. Oh, there would be hell to pay for this. He would come back home with Ingo, happy and triumphant. Vindicated. Exonerated. And he would make their lives hell for what they put him through all these years. All the police questionings. All the interviews. He was sick to his stomach thinking about all of it. So sick he couldn’t eat right now or he might throw it back up. He needed a good while to calm down before he could go back inside. His pokeballs wobbled a bit on his belt in worry, but he ignored them. He needed to vent.

Ingo was going to ask but then Emmet was out the door. He wanted to follow but also didn't want to lose the good will of the one brother he had. After a bit Emmet would get a phone call from Elesa.

He should have known better than to bother her right now. He sighed and answered. “Hello Elesa, sorry for bothering you.”

"You're not bothering me and even if you were that's not important. You found Ingo! I just got your voice message though so I haven't listened to it yet. How is he??"

“The doctors here in Hearthome checked him out. He is healthy but his memory is gone, Elesa. He remembers only bits and pieces but! There is hope! He seems to remember more and more as we talk, yup! He even smiled! This will be great, you’ll see! I will call our family when we get back to Unova. We are going to make a few pit stops but we should be back in Nimbasa today! Isn’t it great!?” His smile returned as he thought about their happy reunion.

"Thank the dragons. So you were right about him being in the past?" Given everything that Emmet had gone through. All the whispers, the vandalism, the hospitalizations. Elesa imagined that if she was in Emmet's shoes she would be deliriously happy. "After you tell your family we should let the media know. Clear your name."

“I’m going to sue the ever living fuck out of them, don’t worry dear Elesa. Also… don’t listen to that voicemail. They printed a new article today and I’m still trying to cool off. I’ve been doing so verrrrry well I don’t want to slip backwards. I’ve been taking my meds and I slept last night for most of it!!” In recent months, especially after that trainer gave him the Azure flute he had been keeping his spirits up, his hope renewed. Yang was the essence of determination, it wouldn’t let him quit. “I hope I don’t scare him…” he said in a quiet tone, his peppy smile dropping a bit.

"Oh hun." She sighed. Elesa would probably listen to it anyway but it helped that Emmet sounded more in control. "Don't make the mistake of pushing him away either. He's your brother. He's going to love you no matter your past."

“Hah. Doubt. He… he doesn’t remember when Plasma attacked or knows about my incidents yet, Elesa. T-that I… that day…” The day he was stabbed. Subconsciously, he rubbed at his scar in his chest. “Elesa,” he whined sadly, which was uncommon even for her to hear. “What if he is disgusted by me? After everything?”

"I don't see Ingo becoming disgusted at you." Her voice was gentle and patient with him, "Maybe disappointed, worried, or upset on your behalf but not rejecting you. Even if he did, and he won't, you still have your family. And me."

The thought of Ingo being disappointed in him made his gut twist and his heart sink. But Elesa said she would be there for him. He had to stay brave. Everybody smile!

“I don’t know what I would do without you, Elesa. You’re my best friend, yup. Couldn’t ask for better. Thank you. We will take things one step at a time down these tracks until we arrive at the destination called joy. I’ll see you soon in Nimbasa, okay?”

"Okay, call me when you two are back okay?" She asked him, "Take care of him, and yourself."

Ingo now poked his head out of the door looking at Emmet, "I saved you an Oran berry muffin." He told him.

“Will do, yup! See you soon!!” He hung up and was putting his mask back into place, a brave smile for his brother! He turned to march inside when he saw Ingo there.

“A-ah! Brother! Sorry, I had to make a call! I hope I didn’t make you wait too long!” Stop being so nervous, would you?

"It's okay. I was worried." Ingo told frowning, "You're upset." Somehow even with his smile he could tell that Emmet was very upset. This smile was a mask as if to protect himself. "Are you okay?"

“Yes, I am fine, brother. These… ‘journalists’ as they call themselves should be ashamed of writing such slander, it pisses me off.” He would give him that truth as he slammed the crumpled magazine into the dumpster without a second thought. Emmet walked over to Ingo, relenting in his bad mood. “Sometimes even words can hurt. They have, at least.”

"Do you want a hug?" He asked opening his arms to offer him one. Emmet looked like he needed one.

His knee jerk reaction was to say no, but his heartache said yes. Emmet walked over letting his mask fade and he pulled his brother into a warm hug, letting his shoulders finally sag with how emotionally burnt out he was. It was good to have Ingo back.

“Heh, sorry for being a mess, I should be the one helping and comforting you in this strange new world you are in. It was just hard, ya know? Those y-years without you.” Don’t cry. Emmet sighed and let it out, his pent up emotions.

“I’m just so verrrrrrry glad to have you back, Ingo. I was losing my mind without you.” It was no exaggeration, either. “Just glad to be a set again.”

Ingo's strong arms wrapped around his brother and held him tight. It was in his nature to rock while hugging not only to soothe the person being hugged but also to self soothe.

"That doesn't mean I can't comfort you too. So am I. It...makes me feel…," He paused looking for the right word. Only one phrase came to mind and it not made sense given his newly discovered profession, "makes me feel like we're finally a two-car train."

“We are, brother, we are. Let’s not become decoupled again, okay?” He patted his back warmly. “Heh, we still need to get you a new coat, this one has seen better days for sure. Let’s get back on track, shall we?”

"Mm." Ingo nodded letting him go. "My coat? I can't give it up. They told me so many times that I should but it helped me feel powerful and safe."

“Oh, we can keep it, brother. Maybe we can even put it in a glass case at the museum, but I mean from day to day. You can’t be a Subway Boss in rags, you’ll be out of uniform!”

He did have a point. It was something to consider. He presented the muffin. "I saved this for you."

“Oh!!! Thank you!” He accepted it gratefully. “It would be foolish not to refuel. Now, are you ready to go to the church of Sinnoh?”

"The church in Sinnoh? What is in the church?" He asked crossing over to Emmet's left side. Despite all these years it felt instinctual.

“You’ll see! It’s sorta like a modern day temple!” He led the way,. It wasn’t terribly far from the hospital. He tried to eat the muffin as they went, but he struggled, relying on forcing it down. Soon, though, they arrived. It was tall and beautiful, stained glass capturing the morning light. The creation trio welcomed patrons in. Inside were rows of pews and an altar to Arceus. Behind the altar was stained glass of the creation of the world, a shining light above Mount Coronet. It was not unlike the fracture in the sky above the mountain in the days of Hisui.

“I’m not… exactly religious, but I did pray before going up to the summit. I can’t help but return here to give my gratitude.” Emmet kept his voice low to not disturb anyone else.

The trio, the altar, Mount Coronet. Much of the temple was beautiful and peaceful. Then there was a flash, a memory, of a dark being with white eyes. Then a long dark serpentine thing with red eyes glowing in the dark. Ingo gasped and paled.

Emmet noticed and put his warm gloved hand on Ingo’s shoulder instinctually to comfort him. “Are you alright?? What’s wrong?”

"I thought I saw... I'm sorry, I thought I saw something." Ingo shook his head. He walked a little bit forward looking at all the gorgeous art here.

Emmet gave him a smile and let his brother explore. He held much awe himself when he was here, though he had been alone at the time.

It was deserted when he arrived in Sinnoh, when he made his prayer here. His voice was hushed at the time, no mask needed here. He kneeled in the front row of pews before the altar and laced his fingers together in solemn reverence.

“I am Emmet. I admit I have never really done this before, but perhaps that should change. I have never directly asked for help before, though I am sure you have heard my cries all these years. Thank you for guiding me here, for having that person give me the Azure flute. I-I’m not really sure what it is for, but it feels important. I have to follow this feeling, guiding me to the summit. Ah, I’m rambling…”

He was quiet for a moment and thumbed his recently received Arc necklace with the symbols of the creation trio on it. It oddly gave him peace. He usually wore it under his shirt away from prying eyes. Emmet then gazed up at the painted mural on the ceiling of Arceus.

“I haven’t asked for much, but please. Please let me find Ingo at Spear Pillar. I will give you anything, everything. Even my very soul.”

The memory faded from Emmet's mind and he went to kneel again. He wouldn’t speak out loud, but his gratitude would be palpable. “Thank you,” he murmured. He had encountered followers of Arceus before, usually a quiet bunch, but always welcoming. Not a cult going banging on doors, but always had their doors open to those in need. He felt weird around them, like they all looked at him funny. Like they were watching him. Then there were the Sons of Yang. They were nice too, but more vocal and pressing on their beliefs that the light of the world was the true path. It didn’t seem like a wrong point of view, but much to their chagrin he steered clear of those types. He had a brother to find, not get hooked into a cult of light. After taking his moment to give his thanks he would rise and rejoin Ingo.

Ingo followed him to a pew and knelt with him. He was quiet offering his own little prayer of gratitude but letting his brother pray in peace. After they were done he asked Emmet in the pew, "Should there be another member of the creation trio?"

“There is, but it’s a tough story. Much of it was erased. Giratina was a child of Arceus that was banished for something awful it did, or so it is said. It was violent. No one knows what actually happened. I feel kinda bad for it. They say it is exiled in another dimension. Must be lonely there.” Maybe it could be forgiven, in time.

Ingo nodded. "Shall we begin our departure?" They needed to start to head out to find the temple.

“Yup! But uh… Any idea where this temple was? Do you think Palkia can find it?”

"I think I can find my way back." Ingo replied, "We need to start heading to Mount Coronet first."

Emmet shrugged as they headed outside. He held Dialga’s pokeball and spoke to it. “Hey pal, could you fly us over to the temple of Yin and Yang? Ingo says he remembers where it is.”

Ingo stood by his with his hands behind his back. Would the steel dragon happen to know where it was?

Much to the surprise of the pedestrians, Diagla lazily emerged, yawning. “Awww, sleepy head! The god of time doesn’t like getting up early??” Emmet teased it lightly and the dragon blew its hot breath at him in a sigh of amusement. Silly human. It loafed down so the twins could climb onto its back. Emmet scrambled up and offered his hand to Ingo.

Ingo took his hand and climbed up on his back. Riding the dragon god of time; if only Drayden could see them now! He hung on to Emmet afraid of sliding off.

It was a little nerve wracking, Emmet had never done this before either, but it felt familiar. Like riding a bike after letting it sit for years collecting dust. Dialga rose to its feet and with a lunge forward leapt into the air with majesty. Emmet held on tight to the spikes running down Dialga’s neck as Hearthome shrank below them. The wind in their hair, he had to hold his hat down to keep it from getting blown off. The dragon angled towards the mountain. It in fact remembered when the temple was built long ago. Of course it knew where it was. The view was gorgeous. From here they could even see to Sunnyshore City and the marshes of Pastoria City where the Diamond clan once lived. Glittering lake Valor between the two cities, having recovered from being blown up by Team Galactic those years ago. They disappeared from view as Dialga flew over Solaceon town and towards Celestic town.

It was all still here and yet irrevocably different. The land and mountains were the same but the cities were new. Tears started to form in Ingo's eyes again and there was a profound sense of loss in his heart. The world he once knew no longer existed. He had a memory of him and another young boy. Something had happened he couldn't quite remember what. Maybe they had lost a toy.

An older girl held them both and sang softly to them, "Let's go in the garden You'll find something waiting right there where you left it lying upside down. When you finally find it, you'll see how it's faded the underside is lighter when you turn it around. Everything stays right where you left it. Everything stays but it still changes ever so slightly, daily and nightly. In little ways, when everything stays." Ingo rested his chin on Emmet's shoulder contemplating this.

The dragon and Emmet quietly listened to the man sing and the three of them together felt that pang in their heart of loss. Poor Ingo, all of his friends in the past were now gone. It must have hurt terribly for the man. His brother would silently offer his condolences. Emmet couldn’t place his own feelings, however, and he furrowed his brow trying to remember, but nothing was coming to him. He imagined a bunch of different places. A graveyard? A desert? A beautiful manor? A battlefield? As soon as these images popped up they vanished again, leaving him more desolate and confused. Dialga, however, knew. The eternal dragon remembered it all.

It gave a low cry in its throat in sorrow and mourning before continuing onwards. The march of time only pressed forwards. Rigid as metal and unyielding. It took and destroyed and consumed all, and yet made room for new creation in the past’s place. The great cycle given form. Yang.

Up here among the clouds the sun was pleasantly warm compared to the cool wind and so was the mighty heartbeat of the dragon. It carried them faithfully down to the outskirts of Celestic town and alighted on the ground with hardly a sound. It was gentle, despite its enormous size, as tall as a house. Dialga hummed and lowered itself so they could disembark and head inside. Emmet hugged its neck in thanks while it decided to nap in the sunshine.

It had been hundreds of years but for Ingo only weeks. It was a place he often retreated to when he was at his lowest. He slid off the dragon and began to approach. He gently slid his fingers along the door.

Emmet followed him, not really recognizing anything about this place. He stuck close to his side and kept an eye out, his silvery eyes glinting in the darkness.

"This is it." Ingo told him opening the door. This place had long been abandoned. "This is where it all started." He pushed it open noting the faded carvings and peeling paint. In the center was a large carved stone of the Yin Yang symbol. Two opposing forces balanced, each containing the heart of the other. Ingo walked toward it silently.

Emmet had seen the symbol before of course. People knew about Yin and Yang worldwide. Still, he followed his brother over to the stone. “So, you were here in the past? You mentioned it before briefly.”

"Lady Sneasler brought me here one winter in Hisui." Ingo told him. "She wanted me to see this. It felt so familiar to me and it was so cold outside." He gently touched the stone watching as the half he touched turned into a deep black color. "They say Yin is cursed."

“Cursed? I thought it was the other way around. Yang was doomed to walk the world for a thousand years without its proper half. Anguish only followed until it found the proper vessel of yin.” He watched as it pushed that deep dark color and was mesmerized. Carefully, he put his own hand up to the stone on the other half. There was nothing at first. At first….

"Not that kind of cursed. The other kind. Yin is darkness, evil." He felt himself frown at the lack of response from the stone. Still, there was nothing he could do. He would have to move on.

“Darkness isn’t evil, brother. Winter is a time of rest as is night. Shadows are casted by the light. Even if you are yin, I still love you. I am still your twin and I will stay be your side. Forever! Promise!” He gave him a smile and the stone started to heat up under his hand. “Ah?”

With a blinding brilliant light the stone shown with the light of the sun, bathing the cavern in pure light. Emmet wouldn’t lie that it blinded him a bit, he shut his eyes and shielded his face with his other arm. “W-what is this?!”

It was like a flash bomb going off in his face. His own hand came up to protect his face waiting for the two energies to settle. The yang cooled from the power of yin and faded down to a nice glow. The two finally balanced and settled.

Ingo began to open his eyes carefully before seeing the gentle glow. Serene and balanced. It would stay that way until they both removed their hands. This was what he had been looking for. "Emmet, look!"

“Uh, yeah Ingo, I see it too. So… I would ask what this means but I think the writing is one the wall.” Literally. “We are the new incarnations of yin and Yang??”

"It appears so." He removed his hand and watched the light fade. "Then this is but one of many lifetimes. Is that why I ended up in Hisui in the first place? Did I serve some greater purpose? Should I have stayed there?"

“No!” Emmet yelled suddenly. “Nono, you are meant to come home with me!” He was adamant on that and clenched his fists in stress. Not anger, just fear of losing his brother again.

Seeing his brother's distress Ingo put up his hands in placation. "Shh, I did not mean to upset you. Whatever my purpose was my tracks have led me here. I will not desert you, Emmet."

He calmed his breathing, remembering his therapy sessions to deal with panic attacks. Deep and slow. In and out. Wheewwww. He let out one final breath and tried to smile for his brother. It didn’t really work.

“I-I’m sorry, please don’t s-scare me like that… I’ve waited so long and worked so hard to see you again, I couldn’t stand for you to go.” It might just kill him, in fact. He wouldn’t say that, though. The thought of losing Ingo again was crippling. Again and again. Never again.

“I’ve had too many nightmares of it. I don’t want to ever think about it again.” He shook his head. Some nightmares were more real than others. A guillotine came to mind. An arrow. Train tracks. Twisting visions near and far. He had to blot them out of his eyes one way or another. His meds help at least with the waking ones. Emmet held out his hand.

“Let’s get out of here. I hope you feel better now, right? Found what you needed?”

His mask was slipping but the hurt behind it was real. Emmet sounded so fragile and vulnerable in that moment. There was an urge in Ingo to try and protect him from that hurt. He wanted to keep him safe and happy, even from himself.

"Yes, it's confirmed some things I've suspected." He told Emmet and slipped his hand into his. Giving it a squeeze he asked, "What is our next destination?"

“Home, brother. Home.” Emmet blinked as he stepped into the daylight, his eyes adjusting. What he saw was Dialga staring down at him, no longer napping. It gazed at him with piercing eyes and spoke in his mind. “AT LAST. WE ARE BOUND AGAIN.” He clamped his hands around his ears at the booming voice but it was not vocal, it was mental. Telepathy. At the same time Palkia emerged and stood next to Dialga, speaking only to Ingo. “YIN. I AM GLAD TO BE WITH YOU AGAIN, OLD FRIEND. YANG AS WELL.” Its tail twitched in a suppressed bit of joy.

"You mean in Unova?" He stopped when the lords of time and space were suddenly before them. Ingo should be freaking out. It's not normal to be telepathically talking to legendary pokemon. Most people would give their right hand for this. And yet Ingo felt strangely okay with this, not overwhelmed at all. He looked to see how Emmet was handing this turn in events.

Emmet clutched his head and feel to his knees. He squeezed his eyes shut to keep out all of the sights and sounds that kept rushing to mind. Familiar ones and distant ones alike. He had this problem before, sometimes even as a child. When the doctor asked if there was a family history of neurological disorders he totally forgot to mention his own. Surely if they peeked at his records they would balk. He screamed as it came rushing to him like a tidal wave crashing over his body.

“HMM. TOO WEAK YET. HERE, ALLOW ME.” Dialga lowered its head and gently touched Emmet on the brow to lessen his pain. He couldn’t take it away completely, but the dragon could help. Gradually, his agony lessened into quiet sobs and he hushed down, hiccupping and trying to hold it together.

"EMMET!" Ingo was down with him as his brother screamed. Oh dragons, what was this? Ingo held him close but his mind was racing with thoughts of his own. It was like nothing he could do could fix this. Then Dialga worked his magic. Ingo remained unusually silent.

Emmet dry heaved and struggled to compose himself. He held onto Ingo for dear life, his body hot and flushed, but his brother was cool to the touch, soothing. He leaned his body into his arms and began to catch his breath. His heartbeat slowing and getting back under control.

He rubbed Emmet's back as he dry heaved. He felt so hot as if he were running a fever. Ingo pet his hair and began to rock again. His voice was very soft, people would think he was not capable of being this quiet, as he sang a song, "Dark for the sunrise, clouds for a blue sky, space for the traveling star. Strong from the inside, you're still my lifeline. I feel you wherever you are." It was a song that he had remember even in the highlands of Hisui. He didn't know where he had learned it, or from who, but it remained in his head along with his first name.

Emmet stilled as he heard the song. “We’ll meet again..” He knew that song too, somewhere deep in his soul. It soothed his ache, hearing it and Ingo holding him close. Yang knew peace and the world shifted with it back into balance, all thanks to Yin. “Thank you, brother.” he said softly.

Ingo tried to give him a shaky not-smile but he couldn't. He was so worried for Emmet. He had been fine since he touched the stone yin yang. "Perhaps we should get your engine checked out before we depart for home. Safety first."

"Nnnnnngh," He wanted to argue. Emmet wanted to go home. "But I promised Elesa we would be back today, nothing's wrong with me brother, I've had these before..." Not this severe, but it was true.

"You have?" Ingo said surprised. He didn't remember, no couldn't remember. He frowned at his own lack of memory. "So this wasn't caused by what we experienced in the temple?"

Emmet didn’t have his mask on. He had to be honest.

“I see things, Ingo. I have since my youth, but it only got worse with age. It was mostly fine, though, just distracting. It was after you left that… that I started hallucinating a lot. I was seeing you over and over, but you weren’t really there.” He squeezed his brother’s shoulder for strength, “They put me in the hospital after some things happened. Put me on medication. I...I don’t know what that was just then, a flare up from what we just did?”

Emmet shook his head. He didn’t know. “I’ll be alright. I just need to take it slow. We should go home, okay? Rest.”

"What...what if it's me?" Ingo asked, "What if I'm the one making you sick. I'm parasitic to you!" It would bring to Emmet a memory. An ancient hurt that would lead only to the desert.

"It's me! I'm the one making you sick! I'm parasitic to you!"

“No! I need you! I need your power to calm these visions. I can see the future! We are supposed to be one!”

"Brothers aren't supposed to hurt each other! They don't make each other sick. We're not bound by fate, but our choices."

Emmet felt a wave of queasiness come over him again from the memory being blasted into his brain. It made his nerves catch on fire and his muscles tense in fight or flight.

“NO! You’re wrong!” He was almost as loud as Ingo got, unable to help himself. “Never say that! Don’t! It’s not true!”

That life. That first life way back when. It kicked off the thousand years of pain. The true pain. It hollowed Yang out like nothing else. He shook his brother silly.

“DON’T YOU DARE!!! YIN STAYS WITH YANG! YIN STAYS WITH YANG!!” Dialga growled in agreement and Palkia shifted uncomfortably.

Ingo nearly jumped out of his skin at how loud Emmet became at that. He had no memory of that lifetime nor any idea how hurtful his word choice was. Then Emmet was shaking him yelling about how yin stays with yang as if the two could ever be separate from each other.

"Em-Emmet!" Ingo tried to get in a word edge wise and place his hands on his twin's shoulders to keep from being shook so hard, "I'm just saying logically-"

“SHUT UP AND STOP IT!!” Emmet cried out in anguish. “Don’t go anywhere! Not you, not yin! None of it! Just stay!”

He let go of Ingo, reeling back on himself from such a wild outburst. He was getting derailed and out of control. At this point, he was scaring himself. He felt his head swimming with his ugly thoughts that he worked so hard to keep under control all these years. He had made so much progress and it was all falling apart! Emmet needed to calm down. “L-let’s go home, brother. Please.”

What on earth...?

"Okay. Okay. Our next terminal will be home." Wherever that specifically was. Ingo turned to Palkia. "I would be grateful if you could set a course for Unova. My brother needs to rest." He told the lord of space.

Even Dialga looked scared, it quietly returned to its pokeball and Palkia nodded. It nuzzled Ingo in comfort before raising its claws together to warp space and bring them to the rooftop of their condo in Nimbasa. It was around 5am, just before the sun began to peak above the horizon. He huffed as he fell on his ass when they landed. Palkia cooed at Ingo softly in reassurance before returning to its pokeball.

“T-this way, brother.” Emmet would lead Ingo down the stairs and unlock the door to their condo, showing his brother where his fresh clothes and bed was before flopping on his own and burying his face in the pillow. Hyoughhhhh… all the wind went right out of his sails.

The nuzzling helped with his frayed nerves. For now, he silently followed Emmet down the stairs and oh. This was where he lived, they lived. A fresh set of clothes, including his old jackets. It was a good thing he owned several then! He had been worried about giving up his. When Emmet collapsed and pressed his face on the pillow Ingo slipped out of the room.

Their apartment was clean and neat as a whistle, just the way he left it with perhaps some more books. Just…. don’t look in the office. Emmet heard him walk off but tried to keep it calm. He wouldn’t leave the place…. right?

No. Right now Ingo was busy looking at their photos and mementos. Emmet could hear him walking around but never the door opening.

Emmet relaxed a bit, he was just. Exploring. It was natural. He hoped he kept the office door locked, though. His brother didn’t need to get blasted with all of…. that. Some fresh clothes, a shower, a little rest… it would do the both of them a lot of good. As for the photos there were plenty! Them on their first day of work together, family photos, pictures of them growing up with their pokemon, it was all very sweet. Elesa was there too! And Skyla! She had a crush on the boys, but given that they were aroace, she respected their boundaries. It was a nice place and clearly filled with love.

Hmmm, this door was locked. Wonder what was in there? Ingo kept moving on though because there was a lot to see here! Oh, there was him with Litwick and Emmet was holding a Tynamo. Maybe it had evolved like Litwick had. A black-haired woman and a red head...hmmm, more cousins? They didn't have family resemblance though like the other women in the photos so maybe they were girlfriends? Finally, there was silence in the condo but not because Ingo had left. It was because he was opening and closing the fridge door. Technology was a marvel. Bravo!

Emmet heard him rustling around and a smile crept to his face. As long as he didn’t set the place on fire, it was fine. His amusement grew with how many times he opened the fridge. Silly!!! Silly man!

It was cold! Cold without any ice! Imagine all of the food that could be preserved with such a device! He helped himself to a pecha berry before closing the door for a final time and beginning to move around the room again.

There were various bags of pokemon food, train models, all sorts of things. Emmet’s extra set of keys were on the counter. What else did Ingo do?

Hmmm. He took the set of keys and opened the front door to their condo.

Emmet perked up at that, raising his head form the pillow and listening closely. Don't jump to conclusions. Wait. Don't be obsessive. Possessive. Don't lose it. But Ingo didn't remember anything, he can't wander out like this! Relax. Please relax. He isn't going anywhere; he is just looking around. You'll see. Emmet waited.

Ingo didn't want to head far. He knew how dangerous it was for people to get lost in the highlands and being lost in the city could be dangerous as well especially since he didn't recognize any of the landmarks. No, he would go down the street. Oh there was a corner store here! That was good to know although he didn't have any money on him.

Then down the street in the opposite direction. Yes, this was a huge city. Very easy to get lost. He would have to be careful. Ingo walked back to their building and the door opened again signaling his return into the condo. Oh! There's a balcony. He hadn't noticed that until he was directly across from it. That would give him a good view of the city!

Emmet’s heart sank as Ingo’s footsteps faded. He leapt out of bed ready to dash after him, but he stopped himself. He had his pokemon with him. He had Palkia with him. And more importantly, he felt this tug in his chest. He knew Ingo was still close by. Breathe. Let him be. This was a new place for him. Relax.

Emmet untensed his muscles with some effort and sighed. He went out to the balcony to smoke, man did he need it. He couldn’t do that at the hospital and so much had happened during their trip to the church and temple. Now he could finally rest.

Oh! There was Ingo walking on the street! And then the other way! And right back home. Emmet tapped the pack of cigarettes for another for his third one that morning as Ingo came back inside, he turned his head as he saw him and smiled with the sunrise glowing behind him. “How was your little adventure?”

"Quite informative and worrisome. I'm afraid I have a lot of relearning to do." Ingo admitted coming onto the balcony with him. His nose crinkled at the smell of cigarette smoke. He didn't remember his brother smoking. It was beautiful up here watching the sun rise up from the dark. "Are you feeling better?" Ingo asked him cautiously.

Emmet leaned back in his chair, blowing a cloud of smoke away. “Yes, I think so. Being home helps. You being here helps. It’s just been an emotional rollercoaster for me. A little bit of time getting back into a routine will help, I think. Big unplanned changes always did throw us off and make us panic. Autism can do that to you,” he replied with a soft smile.

"I always did prefer a schedule. I suppose now I will have to learn a new one." Ingo replied sitting in the other chair. "There was something you said earlier that I didn't quite understand about yin staying with yang."

“Hmm??? Oh… I.. I don’t know. A lot was flashing in my brain at the time. Maybe it was a past life trying to tell me something. That we shouldn’t be apart. It sure felt that way.” He shrugged.

"That implies that Yin could separate from Yang. I wasn't aware that such a thing could be possible." Ingo pointed out.

Emmet shook his head. “I don’t know either. Your guess is as good as mine. All I know is that I get this horrible… pang of hurt at the very idea of it. Whatever it is, I don’t like it. I want things to stay just as they are. No need to change it. We are a set. The best, perfect! Yup!” He took another drag.

Ingo nodded at that thinking about everything that had happened in the last two days. "Where can we get water to bathe?" He asked his brother. It might feel nice to have a proper bath to celebrate this new beginning.

“Ah, in the bathroom there is a shower.” He said nonchalantly. He waited as Ingo didn’t move. “.....you don’t know what that is.”

Emmet pulled a long drag on his cigarette to finish it and put it out before heading back inside, beckoning his brother to follow him. He opened the bathroom to show him how things worked.

“Alright, this is a sink. You lift this lever for water to come out, see? To the right is cold water, to the left is warm water. That is a toilet. You lift the lid and… relieve yourself in it. Then you push down this handle to flush it away. That roll of paper there is to clean yourself. That can be flushed away along with your waste. And this,” he pulled back the curtain. “Is a shower. It’s the same as the sink but for your whole body. Lift this and water will come out from that nozzle up at the top. Here are the towels to clean yourself off. This is shampoo, you lather it into your hair to clean it. If you want, you use this, which is conditioner. It goes in your hair after you rinse out the shampoo, it is to strengthen your hair and make it vibrant. And this is body wash. It’s basically soap for your whole body. Scrub good! Once you start the water, step inside and pull the curtain closed. I can put your clothes in the wash and bring you fresh ones.”

"Ah, thank you." It was embarrassing how much he didn't know, how much he had forgotten. He titled his head down so that he wouldn't meet Emmet's eyes for this. "I'll be out momentarily."

“It’s alright, brother,” he said, reading his expression. “It’s alright to ask for help.”

Emmet closed the door behind him and waited for the water to start and the curtain to close before yoinking his old clothes. Yeesh, they had been through a lot. He placed neatly folded fresh ones in their place and closed the door again.

The hot water felt good on his sore muscles. It gave him a moment to just relax. Now it was around 6am, about the time that Drayden had been rising and getting ready for the day if Emmet wanted to call him.

Ohhh boy, would dad freak out? Was it too early for the poor man’s heart? Fuck it. He couldn’t in good conscience make him wait any longer. He put on facetime, hoping he would pick up.

Drayden had just sat down with his morning coffee when he got the facetime call from Emmet. His nephew hadn't been well since Ingo's disappearance although he had been doing a lot better since two years ago. Still things never felt quite right between them since the funeral. Drayden wasn't going to abandon him though and answered the call. "Emmet."

“Heyyyyyy dad, I’m back from Sinnoh!” He said sheepishly, testing the waters. He was still scared of him. After getting into that fight, it was always stiff between them. And yeah, the funeral. Or lack thereof.

"Glad to have you home." He told him. Truthfully he was, although the Dragon Master was still concerned about Emmet's inability to move on. He had always been worried about the boys codependency on each other but at the time had chucked it up to their experiences in the foster care system. Now those fears seemed to have come true. Maybe if he had insisted on separating them. "Did you have a good time?"

“Well, yes and no. I did bring back a souvenir! A reaaaaallly good one! Here’s a hint!” He held up Ingo’s tattered old hat.

Dragons. It looked like a beat-up old subway hat like Ingo would wear. He was trying to be patient but he didn't really feel like guessing games, especially this early in the morning. "Emmet, just tell me what you got."

Emmet twirled it around on his finger with a grin. “C’mon, you’re no fun.”

"Emmet, have you been speaking to your therapist about this?" Drayden asked with a sigh deciding to cut to the point.

Emmet cocked his head to the side. “I go every two weeks, dad, I haven’t been skipping out.” He stopped twirling the hat and held it steady.

"Have you talked about your grief?" He asked him concerned. He didn't want to use the words 'moving on' because he knew how it upset his son but that was exactly what he was talking about.

“We talk about it all the time,” he said a little pointedly. “And you never did guess. Boo. Well, I’m happy to tell you I found him. I brought him back. Ingo.”

He felt his heart break. Drayden didn't enjoy this at all. It broke his heart when Ingo disappeared and it kept rebreaking every time Emmet got sick. "Emmet, we talked about this."

“I’m serious, dad! I found him, see??” He pointed to the old hat.

He could feel a migraine coming on. Drayden hated walking on eggshells like this. He was worried that something he did or say would set Emmet off and try to hurt himself again. Then he would have to bury two sons. "You found Ingo's old hat." He would concede that much. Ingo meanwhile was finishing up his shower. His skin was starting to get pruney so it was time to come out.

Emmet slammed his fist on the table. “Just give me a minute, would you!?” Calm! Calm. Calm yourself. “He’s just in the other room, you’ll see.”

Drayden would wait. He was scared of what Emmet might do if he hung up since he was clearly already agitated. Maybe he was fighting the inevitable but Drayden never met a fight that he back down from in life. That fighting spirit was what kept him young. He gave Emmet a nod to signal that he would wait but to be honest he wasn't expecting much.

A few moments passed in uncomfortable silence. “Ingo, are you finishing up?? I have someone you’ll love to meet!”

"Coming! One moment please!" Ingo called out still dressing. Finally he came out in sweat pants and a baggy shirt. Drayden felt his jaw drop.

"Ingo?"

Ingo blinked, "I'm sorry. I've seen your face in photos but...the doctors say I have memory problems. I'm sorry."

“Ingo, this is uncle Drayden. He raised us, so we call him dad. See? I told you I brought home a good souvenir!” He snickered to himself seeing his wide expression.

"I see." Ingo took a seat in the chair next to Emmet, "I'm pleased to meet you again."

"Dragons, Ingo. Where have you been lad? We were so worried for you." Drayden said softly. It melted Ingo's heard to think about how he and Emmet must have been so worried about him.

"I was in the past, in Hisui. I had no memory of where I had come from or how to get back home. I have only recently arrived at this station."

“Put it mildly dad… I reached across time and space to bring him home, just like I said I would.” Emmet spoke softly and tears glistened in his eyes. He wasn’t mad, he was right and now everything was where it needed to be. Home.

So much was going through his mind right now and to be fair it was a lot to take in. The boys had been like sons to him ever since his own younger brother died. Losing Ingo felt like losing Watson all over again except worse. There was no closure, no space to grieve between Emmet's bouts of madness and the lingering hope in his heart that maybe Ingo was still out there. "Emmet, I'm so sorry."

It was rare for his father to apologize. Even rarer to him. His voice was wavering, so unlike the dragon master it caught him off guard.

“It’s okay, dad.. We’re back. We’re finally home. You should come visit soon. I need to take Ingo to the police station here today and maybe if he is feeling up to it, follow me around Gear Station. See Elesa again.” Emmet looked up at Ingo. “What do you think?”

"How about we go tomorrow." Ingo suggested, "I think I need to rest for today. It has been a lot. I will feel ready to reroute tomorrow."

"Just...take care of each other." Drayden said, "And please call. I'll call your cousins, let them know you're both home and okay."

“Alright, dad. Sounds good. We will be here, always.” Emmet looked up at Ingo with happy eyes.

“Yes, a lazy day of rest would do us good. Hmm.” His eyes flicked around the apartment. “I suppose you have questions about your new surroundings!”

Ingo gave a wave as Drayden hung up to allow them to rest. He needed to call his other children and grandchildren anyway.

"I do but after everything..." Ingo paused. Emmet would still be here when he woke. He could hold off for now, "I think I just want to take a nap." Hopefully his twin would not be offended.

Hardly. “Alright. But if you want to explore or need an explanation, just ask. There is no shame in asking for help, brother.” He gave him a warm smile. “And if you want something to eat, I will be more than happy to make it for you.”

"Thank you." Ingo replied gratefully getting up. "My bed is the other correct?" He moved to rise and gave another stretch for his back.

“Yes, yours is the one with the black sheets. That whole half of the room is yours,” he called out from the table in the main room. When Ingo opened the door he found his pokemon waiting to snuggle.

Oh! Ingo felt himself begin to smile when he beheld Chandelure again. His partner with the mastery of flames.

"Hello, old friend. I'm sorry I kept you waiting." He held her face as she gave a happy cry. Haxorus bent down to lick his hair while Excadrill and Crustle pulled at his pant legs. "Goodness! Patience all of you! Let me lie down and rest and I promise you will then all receive your due!" He also let out the pokemon he had caught in Hisui. Hopefully the two will become friends soon. What was Emmet up to?

Emmet scrolled on his phone for the news and texted Elesa that they were back home safe and sound and were going to rest for the day. Tomorrow they would head to Gear Station. Emmet wondered what to do for food. Heck, they could even order something and have it delivered. Maybe they really just needed a lazy day. He went back out to the balcony to finish his pack of cigarettes, watching and listening to the sounds of the city as morning began to shine strong.

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

End of chapter 1

#ingo #emmet #submas #Fic: We Will Meet Again!#drayden #nobori #kudari #elesa #subway boss ingo #subway boss emmet #this is not ship stuff! none of that here!#pokemon

27 notes · View notes