#Chell always tries to make them sleep outside BUT THEY ALWAYS COME BACK…..

[sp00ky-sh4rk0]

Ugly freakin beasts bro,,,,

[im-hqlover]

Dinosaur Trainer - Chapter 1 - A great opportunity?

A/n - Oh, hey guys! I finally managed to write something, uhul! And now a new fanfic! I decided to write this because I already searched the entire internet for Owen Grady x Reader, and I think I’ve read practically all fanfics xD So, I decided to write my own! I hope it looks good and you like it! See you at the end of the chapter =D

(none of the images used on the aesthetic belong to me, credit to their creators)

Synopsis: Y/n has a quiet life in Montreal, works as a waitress and works as a volunteer in an animal shelter. In what appeared to be just a normal day, one of your friends comes with great news about an unmissable job opportunity... be a dinosaur trainer. What could go wrong?

Warnings: Killer dog mentions, take sleeping pills, thoughts of possible death by dinosaur, possible english errors. 

Pairing: Owen Grady x Reader

Y/n = Your name

Words count: 4232

Next chapters: Coming soon

Taglist: ( @sarcasmismyfirstlove​ I don't know if you want to be just part of the taglist for AM / RAU, or for DC fanfics, or for all my fanfics, so let me know)

If you want to be part of my taglist, please let me know!

Y/N's INFO:

Gender: Cis-Female

Sexuality: Straight 

Height: Short 

Weight: Not Defined 

Skin Color: Not Defined 

Hair Color: Not Defined 

Eyes Color: Not Defined

Other details? Y/n is myopic

(I hope I have put all the information, let me know if i forgot something)

=-=-=-=-=

5:30 am - Thursday, July 19, 2012 - Montreal, Quebec, Canada. - 18˚C

The sun's rays started to appear slowly, starting to illuminate the city and consequently my room, but it wasn’t necessary the sun or my alarm clock to wake me up, because in a way my body had already gotten used to waking up at that time. I don't even know why I keep putting my phone on to wake up since I always wake up before, but that's not important.

I got up quickly from my bed when I saw the time on the cell phone, I then went to my wardrobe and grabbed my waitress uniform, my underwear and a bath towel, of course. 

I took a hot shower, but tried not to take too long; as soon as I dried my body, I put the towel on the laundry basket, I put on my underwear and my skirt, but before I put on my shirt I took the dryer and dried my hair until it was not soaked, otherwise my uniform would be completely wet, comb my hair quickly and tie it in a bun, I put my shirt on, I brushed my teeth and then took one last look in the mirror, observing my appearance, I think I was fine. 

Leaving the bathroom, I go to my wardrobe again, but now to get a jacket, since at that time outside it was still kind of cold, and in addition I took a spare suit and put it in my brown cross bag. I went to the nightstand and took out my cell phone, putting it in my bag too, so when I left my room, I saw that Kodi was lying on my couch.

- Kodi! Get off the couch, now! - I command when I approach the couch, and he gets up quickly leaving the place. 

I went to the pantry and picked up the packet of food, and then filled the Kodi bowl that didn't take long to start eating. I filled his other bowl with water too and then I wash my hands after I pet him, I grab the keys that were on the key holder on the wall near the door. 

- Bye Kodi, I'll be back at night. - After saying goodbye to my dog, I go out into the building's corridor and close the door to my apartment.

I walked down the corridor until I reached the elevator, and as always it was empty, not that it was a problem, since I preferred it when it was empty. I pressed the button to get to the ground floor, grab my cell phone and see that it was already 6:03, I had 27 minutes to get to work. It didn't take long for the elevator to reach the hall, I got out and walked the big carpet that led to the entrance/exit door of the building, and when I get there the doorman opens the door for me.

- Bonjour. - I greet him before going through the door. 

- Bonjour mademoiselle. - He reciprocates with a smile, when I go out I take the earphones from my bag and connect them on my cell phone, putting the song It's time - Imagine Dragons, and so I leave towards the subway, the path was smooth, there weren't as many people on the streets as there were last week, but there was already considerable car movement. 

I look around me, seeing the sunlight reflecting the various buildings, houses, trees, and everything that was there, leaving everything as if it looked like a beautiful painting. I give a little delighted sigh, no matter how much I walk there every day, the way the sun reflected differently each day left that path in such an incredible way, that made me always want to make a painting of it, well, who knows, maybe someday. 

In less than 10 minutes I arrive at the subway station, going down the stairs and then going through the turnstile, I didn't have to wait long for the subway to arrive, because in almost two minutes it was already there.

I get into the blue car and realize that there were already some people over there, however there were still several empty seats, but I decided to stand up since I knew that in 5 minutes I would reach my point, so it was not worth having to sit.

Tonight Tonight - Hot Chelle Rae was playing when the subway stopped, and I got out of the car as several people got in, some bumping into me, but nothing more than normal. 

I walked up the stairs until I reached the surface again, looking at my cell phone, 6:23, I had 7 minutes to get to work, so I started to walk faster, lucky for me that the path to the cafeteria I worked in was about 5 minutes from the subway, so I managed to get there in time. The cafeteria had its door open when I arrived, but the front sign still said it was closed, so staff could get ready before customers arrived. 

- Good morning y/n! - One of my colleagues, Lilly, who was at the counter greeted me as soon as I passed her.

- Good Morning. - I replied as I passed the employees' entrance so I could get to my closet and leave my belongings there, and also pick up my apron. 

The apron as well as the rest of my uniform had a brownish tone that reminded me of coffee, I put it on and looked at myself in the mirror, fixing it so it wouldn't be bent, and as soon as I finished I did a quick tidy up of my hair that was messed up by the wind. 

Leaving the staff area, I go to the counter, and notice that the sign on the door was turned, announcing that the cafeteria was open, so it was likely that some customers would come soon. 

The cafeteria I worked for wasn't a franchise, and it wasn't the most famous in town either, but here in the neighborhood a lot of people liked to come here, have coffee, eat some sweet food, read some book, talk to coworkers, relax, and anything else that normal people do in a coffee shop. 

But I must say that lately the cafeteria hasn’t been very busy, and maybe the reason is that it was summer, and not everyone liked to drink coffee in the heat, so the period that would be considered the busiest would be in the morning, which is when people normally have breakfast. 

I took a pencil and put it in my ear, curling it in a few strands of hair so it wouldn't fall out, I took my notepad to take orders, and I was leaning on the counter, talking to some colleagues while there was no customer to attend, and I took advantage and made myself a coffee because I hadn't had anything since I woke up.

The day passed quietly, nothing much, just another ordinary day serving customers, talking to those who were the most frequent, taking a break for lunch, and then going back to work until 03:30 pm, and when I finished my work, I took all my things and went to the subway, but not to go home, because my work was still far from finished. 

I work as a volunteer in an animal shelter, I give them food, water, baths, brush hair, play with them, and also what I do most is training the dogs. 

When I started at the shelter about three years ago I only took care of the basics, but one day when I was just playing with an elderly dog, one of my colleagues saw what I was doing and asked me how I managed to teach a trick to an old dog, and I just shrugged, because I didn't know exactly what to say, it was like training a trick for any dog for me, I just had to be more patient, but I didn't think that was an impossible task, but for many, teaching tricks to elderly dogs was a lost cause. 

Since that day, my colleagues have talked to me with some professional trainers who have given me more in-depth instructions to help me train other dogs too, in addition to teaching me necessary things like animal behavior and other things, of course I had learned several things, but in a way I was more of an amateur who liked to understand dogs and train them, but after three years of doing that, I kind of became a dog trainer, something I never really thought I would ever become.

When I arrived at the shelter I realized that it was almost 4:00 pm. I opened the glass door, and the receptionist said good afternoon, and I responded by saying the same. I walked to the bathroom so I could change my clothes, putting on denim shorts that went up to about half of my thigh, and a dark red shirt with a sunflower print, I also applied a deodorant, and then I put everything in my bag and left the bathroom, going in the direction of the cabinets that served to store the employees' belongings, and so I put my bag there. 

Leaving there, I went to the big patio, where there were some people visiting to maybe adopt a dog, there were some colleagues of mine who were talking to customers, others bathing some dogs, some chasing dogs that were fleeing the bath, and so on. As soon as I got there, some dogs came to greet me, and I bent down to pet them. When I went to the pantry to get some snacks, Emy, one of my colleagues, and also one of my friends, came up to me and started talking with her usual animation.

- Hey y/n! How are you?

- Hi Emy, I'm fine, how are you? - I start looking for the snacks, while Emy kept talking. 

- I'm great! Mainly because I have great news for you! - I quickly turn to face her, before continuing to look for the dog cookies. 

- What kind of news? 

- You remember Dusty, don't you? The Rottweiler you saved. 

- Yes of course. The good news is that he was adopted? - I find the big canine cookie jar and turn around, facing Emy, and then looking at the dogs around me, just waiting for me to give them some cookies. 

- Oh, no. Unfortunately nobody was interested in adopting him, you know, his reputation as a killer dog is still around, so people don't have much courage to even get close to him. 

- But… so what's the good news? - I open the cookie jar, taking out one and looking at the dogs in front of me, motioning for them to sit. 

- Well, I told a friend of mine the story of how you managed to tame the dog that nobody thought would be able to become tame. - I nodded for her to continue talking. - And he was impressed with that and wants to meet you in person, to know about your skills, and who knows to offer a special job for you. 

- Special job? What kind of special job? - I threw some cookies at those who sat down. 

- Do you know Simon Masrani? 

I stood for a while thinking about the name, I must have heard of that name, actually in the surname, but I couldn't remember who that could be. And while thinking about it, one of the dogs jumped in my hand to get the cookie, but I managed to dodge it before he could get it.

- Hmm, I think I've heard of it, but I don't know who it is. 

- Well, Simon owns Jurassic World, you know, the dinosaur zoo. - I nodded my head. Of course I had heard about the famous dinosaur park, who doesn't know? It's like talking if you've heard of Disney parks, you may never have been there, but you know it exists. 

- Yes, the dinosaur park. 

- Well, he told me that he is looking for new dinosaur trainers, and that's when I commented about you, and he believes that you can serve for the job. - I stood there, looking at Emy. 

- Are you serious?

- Of course, it's the purest truth, I swear.

- You know, it's not just because I managed to tame Dusty that it means that I can train a dinosaur. 

- I know that training a dinosaur has nothing to do with a dog, but Simon Masrani himself says that you can be the person he is looking for! And y/n, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity!

- No, no, no, no way. Dinosaurs were a mistake and it is impossible to train them. A dog is already difficult to train, now, a dinosaur?! A being that can make you into pieces in seconds? No, no way, I can't do that. - I motioned for the dogs to spin, and just like before, for those who succeeded I gave them a snack. 

- Okay, okay. I know that, but you can at least try, can't you? I mean, what do you have to lose? 

- Huh, my life, maybe?

-… Okay, maybe you're right, but who said you would train a carnivore? It may be an herbivore. 

- If he became interested in me because I tame a killer dog, I am almost 100% sure that it is for something dangerous, that is, a carnivore.

- Okay, but there's a problem…

- What problem?

- I already told him that this weekend you would travel there to see if you would accept the job. 

I turn to face her, and I can feel the anger rising in me, but I try to stay calm. 

- You... did what?

- Y/n, I thought you would accept that, you always say that you love training dogs, especially the most difficult ones, so I thought you would like this challenge. 

- But how can you say that I would go there without even warning me first??

- I'm warning you now.

I close my eyes, taking a deep breath, trying to stay calm. 

- Dinosaurs aren't dogs.

- Y / n, I'm sorry I didn't warn you, but do you think about the opportunity you would have? How many people would like to have this job? 

- And why are you trying to convince me to accept this? What do you get with it? 

-...

- Emy, what do you get out of it? What is the purpose of this? The life is mine, and I am perfectly fine with my life here and my job.

- I know this is going to sound stupid... but... I wanted to have this job, but I can't, because not only do I know nothing about dinosaurs, as I suck at how to train an animal, so I wanted to refer someone I knew so that if it worked… Simon would be happy with me, and I don't know, maybe I would get closer to him. 

I soften my expression, I already knew that Emy was interested in a guy who was very close to her, but that she thought she would never be able to be with him, and I remember her very well saying that she was getting too old to have a boyfriend, and that as a single mother her chances fall even more, and among many other dramas of her, and then I told her that I would help to stay with him, and now she's talking about the Simon Masrani, I'm pretty sure it's him she's interested in. 

I didn't know exactly what to say, so I was thinking for a few seconds, I remembered when I met Nathan, and that if it weren't for Emy I would never have stayed with him, even though he have moved and we broke up, in a way, I owed Emy.  

I take a deep breath, I look at the dogs that are still there, waiting for the next order, and then I look at my friend and say. 

- Okay, I can maybe give it a try. 

- Oh really? - The smile comes back to stamp her face. 

- But I can't promise anything. 

- Ah this is amazing!! - Before I could react, Emy hugs me tightly, not letting me breathe. 

- I… am… out of breath. - I say and she walks away from me, and take a deep breath looking for oxygen. 

- I'm just going to do this, because I owe you one. 

- Do you owe me? Owing what? 

- You helped me stay with Nathan, I think it's fair to try to help you stay with Simon. - I shrug, and then I realize that when Emy hugged me, several cookies had fallen and some dogs went there to eat. 

- Thanks y/n. I'm sure you will do well there.

- I hope so. - And so we finished our conversation, she going to who knows where, and I continued with the training of the dogs and taking care of them until the sun started to disappear on the horizon, meaning that it should be more than 08:00 pm. 

As it started to get dark I go to the closet and grab my backpack where all my belongings were, I put the bag on my left shoulder and then say goodbye to my colleagues, leaving right afterwards in the direction of the subway. 

The whole way back home I listened to music, which helped me a little bit to reduce stress, I couldn't stop thinking about Jurassic World, and how crazy it all was and that would probably it would be my death, as I was sure that being around dinosaurs wouldn't be a good idea.  

And speaking of dinosaurs, I also couldn't stop thinking about a work school of Hailee, my ex-boyfriend's daughter, that I helped her do, which was about dinosaurs, where she had to make a model of her favorite dinosaur, but she couldn't decide between 6 dinosaurs which one was her favorite, so we did what we called the "Mini Jurassic World", with all of her favorite dinos.

I smile a little when I remember that, I will not deny that I missed Nathan and Hailee, but there was nothing I could do, Nathan had to move because he had got an unmissable job opportunity, and at the time I was very busy with Dusty, and I couldn't leave him when the training was finally starting to work, we knew that a long distance relationship wouldn't work, so we had to break up.

When I realized I was already at the door of the building, looking at my cell phone I see that the path took almost 50 minutes, nothing more than normal. I open the glass door and clean my shoes before walking to the elevator, entering I press number 8 and the doors close, even if it didn't take long for the elevator to go up, and even though I use it every day, I can't help feeling cold in my stomach every time. 

The metal doors of the elevator opened, giving me relief that I had no problem. As I walked down the corridor I rummaged in my backpack for my keys, and as soon as I found them I put the silver key in the door lock, that in a few seconds was opened and when I went in I ended up being knocked over by Kodi, who jumped on me and licked my face.

- Kodi! No! No licking! - I chuckle while taking him away from me and then wiping my face and getting up.  

- Come Kodi, inside. - I order and he obeys me entering the apartment and I lock the door again. 

Before anything else I put water and food for Kodi since he was done with everything, and even before I finished adding the ration he was already devouring it. After I saved the dog food pack, 

I went to my room to get comfortable clothes and a bath towel, I took my cell phone too and put it on Youtube so I could listen to some music while taking a shower. I was so engrossed in the music and lost in my thoughts that I spent almost half an hour in the shower, at least I was a little more relaxed. After I got dressed I went to the kitchen and started preparing some pasta and sauce for my dinner. 

While waiting for the pasta to be ready I turned on my TV, passing through the channels I stopped at random one, since there was nothing going on that interested me. I lay for a while on the couch, with Kodi lying on the floor beside me, until my cell phone rings meaning it was time to finish dinner. 

I walked to the kitchen, added tomato sauce to the pasta, and waited a few minutes until it was ready, putting a quantity of the food on my plate, I also go to the fridge and get a piece of fried chicken that was left over from yesterday and put it in the microwave to heat it up. 

As soon as it was ready, I put it on my plate with the pasta, I go back to the fridge taking a bottle of coke and a glass from the cupboard, putting both on the table, but I had to go back to get a fork and a knife because I had forgotten. 

Dinner was quiet, with only the low sound of the television and the occasional sound of Kodi's paws in the background. 

- Hey Kodi. - I called him and he raised his head to look at me. - I have a new job opportunity… to train dinosaurs, but... I don't know, I don't know if I should do this or not, because, first of all, they are dinosaurs! You know, I always thought it was a bad idea for us humans to bring them back to life, I mean, it's an extraordinary thing for science, and I can't say that dinosaurs aren't fascinating but… they are dangerous! if this Simon was impressed with me why I managed to train Dusty, something tells me it’s not to train a tame herbivore, but a dangerous carnivore. Second, I have no idea how to deal with dinosaurs! I don't even know anything about them, I have no training in dealing with animals! I just… I think I was lucky to have managed to train Dusty, and I don't think I can deal with a prehistoric being just because I have tamed a killer dog. 

Kodi looked at me, paying attention to what I was saying, I sigh. 

- I wish you could talk so you could help me. - I support my head in one of my hands, watching my half-eaten plate of food, starting to cool. - I don't know what I do.

Kodi places his cold snout on my right foot, he always, whenever I felt nervous, anxious, worried, or any other feeling of distress, he always put his snout on my foot. 

I didn't even notice when a tear ran down my cheek, I was scared, that's what I was, scared and insecure. Fear that training with a dinosaur would end up killing me, and insecure that if I get this job, I won't be able to domesticate this dinosaur, and thus end up disappointing everyone. This job really was a great opportunity, but would it be worth it? Could I do that?

I decide it would be better to finish eating my food before it gets cold, and as soon as I'm done, I wash the plate, cutlery and glass, leaving them on the drying rack. I take a plastic pot from a drawer and then put the leftover pasta in the pan, placing it in the refrigerator so that it can heat up the next day. 

I go to the bathroom, brush my teeth and do my necessities, after washing my hands I go to the kitchen where I left my cell phone and I pick up it, going to my room and putting it on the nightstand, plugging it into the charger. I hear footsteps and see that Kodi came to my room and lay down on his bed that was next to my bed. 

- Good night, Kodi. - He growls slightly in response, and then I lie down laying the blankets over me, but to my unhappiness I was unable to sleep, even though I had used up all my energy. I sigh in lament, and I see on my cell phone and it was almost 00:00, that is, if I slept now I would have a maximum of 5:30 sleep, but I knew I wouldn't sleep now, so I rolled over in bed because it was better than looking at the ceiling.

When sleep hasn't come and I see on my cell phone that half an hour has passed, I get up from bed,  which caused Kodi to get up too and follow me. I walk around my small apartment arriving at the kitchen where I kept my medicines and I made myself take sleeping pills. I just hoped I could wake up with the alarm clock and not be late for work.

- Come on Kodi, let's sleep. - I say while gesturing for us to go back to the room, and he followed me quietly.

=-=-=-=-=

A/n - Hello again! I don’t know if it got really good, because I kind of didn’t completely get out of my block, but I hope it looks good.

I know Jurassic World itself hasn't appeared yet, and neither does Owen, but I ask you to be patient, because I like to (try) write things more "in detail" and not so fast so that things make more sense and to try to bring a greater immersion into the story (I don't know if I'm doing it, but I'm trying my best), but I already plan to do the second chapter in Jurassic World, so just have a little patience.

Also, also, this week I will be without class for the whole week!!! UHULLL!!! This means that I will have some time to write some things...

I hope you enjoyed, and please let me know if this has any english error.

By the way, tell me which dinosaur do you think y/n will be a trainer, and believe me, I can surprise you with the answer ;)

Until the next chapter!

- Ina -

Masterlist

[spaceyraccoon]

beneath the willow tree

I decided I wanted to go ahead and share a couple pieces of the first Portal fic I actually ever started writing, but never finished. My husband and I came up with a lot of content for it and I did end up writing a few of the scenes, my favorites which I will share below. They are unpolished, unedited, and indeed unfinished, but I still had a lot of fun writing these.

This story was going to be titled “Beneath the Willow Tree”. In it, Wheatley crashes back down the Earth and is found by, what seems to be, the last human alive - an 11/12 year old boy named Tommy, who has been living by himself, suffering from anxiety and depression, and trying to survive in the wake of his parents’ deaths. Wheatley ends up convincing Tommy to take him back to the lab to find “the really good jumper lady” so he can apologize to her. So the two head off on an adventure together.

We had a lot planned, and since I’m not going to finish writing it, I’ll give the spoilers - Tommy was found by Chell after her escape from Aperture. He was three years old at the time, his parents had just been killed, and he was extremely ill himself and near death. Chell took him with her, carrying him on her back, until they found one other human - a man - who was able to help Tommy. The three of them became a family - Chell and the man tried to have children, but Chell suffered through many miscarriages before she ended up becoming terminally ill (from her exposure to toxins at the lab) and dying. The man ended up dying at a later point as well. What was not known at the time Wheatley and Tommy came together was that the same lady Wheatley was looking for was Tommy’s adoptive mom, Chell, who had already died by that point. She was buried beneath the willow tree behind the house where Tommy lived, giving the story its title.

Anyway, here are the bits I did write that I am happy to share. I know it’s a shot in the dark, but if anyone likes this fic idea enough and wants to write it, please go ahead - you have my blessing! :3

---

"You know what I think the hardest thing in the world is? Convincing yourself of.. well, anything good, I guess," Tommy said quietly. Beside where he sat beside the boy, Wheatley shifted slightly, blinking at him as he listened, for once, in silence.

Tommy let out a sigh as he continued, "It's like-.. You get so used to things going wrong-.. You get this voice in your head that says everything is always going to go wrong, no matter how hard you try, and before you even actually try, you give up. Why even bother trying when everything is always going to let you down in the end? May as well cut right to the chase. Does that make any sense?"

It took Wheatley a moment to realize that the kid was asking for his input and he started, "Erm, well, no, not really..." He saw the crestfallen look start to materialize on the boy's face and he hastily moved to add to what he said, "I mean, technically, it's hard to actually 'give up' if you haven't actually tried in the first place, yeah? And- And as for hearing voices in your head, I think, if you are hearing voice insi-.. well, obviously hearing voices outside your head is quite normal, I think, unless you are by yourself, then no, it isn't normal. But then if you are hearing voices outside your head, then that means you are not, in fact, by yourself. Er, got sidetracked there, but anyway, point is, if you are hearing voices inside your head, point being, you should probably get that checked out," he finished with a little smug shake.

He shifted his gaze over in slight surprise when he heard a small scoff come out of Tommy. "I guess that makes sense," he stated, his tone completely flat, seeming to focus extra hard on pushing dirt around with the stick.

"What? It's not like I didn't tell you I wasn't good at giving pep talks."

Tommy pressed his lips together and his brow furrowed in what was a distinct look of annoyance, "You didn't."

"I didn't? Coulda swore I did, way back-.. In any case, I've said it now and that's what counts."

"Right."

"Look, if I've said something to offend you-.."

"It doesn't matter. It was just a silly thought. I mean, here we are, middle of nowhere-.."

"..-Somewhere, actually."

"...-somewhere, no idea where we're going-"

"-the lab - that's where we're headed - the lab-..."

"...-Fine, going to 'the lab', whatever. We still don't know what we are really doing-..."

"-Sure we do, we are looking for the lady-.."

"Right, but we don't even know who we are really looking for-.."

"Have I mentioned that she's a really good jumper?"

"Yes, but what does that even mean?"

"Jumper. Not like a jumper jumper - or I guess you might call it a sweater, but- jumping. You know, like jumping up and down. She's really good at it, jumping," Wheatley said with a quick nod while lifting his bottom eyeplate up in his version of a smile.

"Okay..." Tommy said with a sigh, "Continuing what I was saying - all of that, and we don't even know what really awaits us when we get there."

Wheatley's conciliatory expression - if you could call it that - suddenly changed from one end of the spectrum to the other, "Er... Now probably wouldn't be the best time to tell you that we may come face to face with the sociopath AI that runs the place, would it?"

Tommy's thoughts were brought to a dead stop, "WHAT."

"Nothing! Nothing, forget I said that, there is nothing at all to worry about. I'm sure it'll be fine, She probably won't even know we're there if we go in the back way."

"WHAT," Tommy repeated, aghast.

"MY POINT IS-.." Wheatley went right on without missing a beat, "You think we are just going off willy-nilly, and okay, fair enough, maybe we are a bit, but- Good news! We actually know a lot more than you think!" He accentuated this "good news" of his with with a happy, energetic waggle of his handles.

"...How?"

"How? I just told you. We know exactly what we're doing. We are in the middle of somewhere, heading towards the lab, looking for the Lady - who is a really good jumper and has brain damage, hard to miss - and-.. and we are at least moderately prepared for the sociopath AI that may or may not be still in charge of the place and who may or may not find us and kill us."

"What was your point again?"

"My point? Oh, yes, my point! The point is, uh... Actually, I forgot my original point. But my point now is that we are not wasting our time by trying, and yeah a lot could - probably will - go wrong, but, um, either way... here we are..."

He trailed off awkwardly, fidgeting around in the moonlit darkness as his words hung in the air.

Tommy let out another sound that sounded like a mix between a scoff and a laugh, Wheatley could not tell which. At last he said, "You know... in some really messed-up, round-about way.. that mess you just spewed actually makes sense."

Wheatley, taking that as a full-on compliment, wiggled himself into a more upright position, proud, "Of course it makes sense, I said it, didn't I?"

"Right," Tommy said with a small snort, rolling eyes, a gesture that Wheatley completely missed during his moment of inflated ego.

---

Something was exploding outside of the tent, Wheatley was sure of it. When the noise had first pulled him out of his sleep mode, he had thought it was simply the sound of the kid's snoring. Really, the noises that came out of that kid while he slept concerned Wheatley and he rather thought he should get that checked out, but seeing as they seemed to be fresh out of doctors (or any other humans, for that matter) he could only hope that the noises were normal, as the kid had assured him (rather sheepishly), and that he would one day get used to them.

Be that as it may, it was difficult to get used to something as loud and foreboding as whatever it was that was going on outside the tent right at that moment. It sort of reminded him of the loud and foreboding rumbling noises the reactor core had started making there at the end of his time at Aperture - not that he had been paying them much mind at that time, if he was honest, and also was not something he wanted to be thinking about, despite the fact that that was precisely where they were headed and why they were sleeping (well, why Tommy was sleeping) in this little tent to begin with. But it couldn't be the reactor core. Could it? Outside, on the surface, did not have a reactor core. Right?

Another rumbling noise, this time closer, terrorized him right out of his promise to the kid that he would be quieter while he was trying to sleep and straight into his "I must say something, anything, lots of things, to fill the silence (although things were most definitely not silent at the moment)" mode.

"Okay... It's okay. We're okay here. Everything is fine. Absolutely nothing to be worried about. Probably something completely normal, like, uh... whatever is normal that makes noises like that, things like, um.. oh, trains for one. Could be a train. Perfectly normal to hear trains on the surface, isn't it? Definitely not the- a reactor core, though. Pft, ridiculous. There's no reactor core on the earth. Or it could be bombs. Maybe bombs."

Wheatley's panels flared out in alarm and his optic shrank down to a pinprick.

"Bombs! Oh no, what if it's bombs? How could it be bombs? Oh, bloody-.. who cares how it could be? It's getting-... Little mate?"

The core swiveled in his spot at the end of the sleeping bag on which the kid slept and faced said kid, his casing shaking in alarm, "Little mate, I don't mean to alarm you, but- ... I keep hearing these, these sounds. Sounds like, explosions, maybe? Yeah, that's what it sounds like, explosions, happening... Just outside the tent. Rather alarming. I mean, I did say I didn't want to alarm you, but okay, yes, I do mean to alarm you, it's- it's getting rather close now. Tommy?"

He paused for at least as long as a personality core such as himself was able to pause before rocking himself into a slight roll and nudging against the kid's leg, "Tommy, please. Are you still alive? If so, wake up. It's- it is quite close now, something is. Still don't know what it is, but it is- Any minute now and it will be right up on us."

After a few seconds of this activity, he finally managed to rouse the kid, but not before getting an annoyed grumble out of him, "What are you doing? Cut it out. I'm trying to sleep."

"Oh blimey, finally! Had me worried, concerned, for a second there - thought you had died."

"What are you talking about?" groused the kid in return, clearly neither touched by the sentiment nor at all aware of the urgency of the situation and that what sounded like their inevitable, veritable doom was fast approaching.

"Erm, as I've been trying to tell you, but you, doing that sleeping thing that you humans tend to do, apparently have not been listening," - Wheatley could just make out a pair of young, yet weary, eyes narrowing at him from the other end of the sleeping bag - "I keep hearing these noises outside the tent. Like- explosions, or something? I don't know- I honestly don't know what it is, but it's something big and it's headed straight for us."

Tommy pushed out a sigh of pure annoyance, "What are you-.. I swear to God, if you are just freaking out over nothing like-..."

He was interrupted by what indeed sounded like an explosion and his eyes popped wide open like Wheatley had never seen before. His voice, moments before having been full of ire, suddenly went flat and weak, like someone letting the air out of a tire.

"Oh no..."

His quiet whimper was made mostly to himself, but of course Wheatley heard as well - and, of course, began to panic even more.

"'Oh no?' Oh no! What do you mean, 'oh no'? 'Oh no' is bad! It's something bad, isn't it? What is it? Can we make a run for it? Hurry, pick me up and let's get out of here!"

Tommy didn't seem to hear him and instead buried himself further into his sleeping bag, curling up and whimpering, "No, not now. Not now…."

"What are you doing? We have to get out of here before it gets us, whatever it is! It sounds fast! We can leave everything behind, we'll make do, just grab me and let's go!"

"It's not going to help…" whimpered Tommy from under the covers, "We can't outrun it. It's-.. It's best if we just stay put and ride it out."

"Are you mental?! Listen to how bad that sounds!" Another crash that only served to further emphasize his point, "Ahh! Just listen to that! Listen to that! It's almost on top of us now! Bloody hell!"

"I-It's just a thunder storm.. Nothing to worry about… We'll be okay, just need to-.. need to stay calm."

Suddenly there was a particularly loud boom and they both screamed.

"Oh that sounded bad! That sounded REALLY BAD!" Wheatley cried.

"Stop freaking out, everything is fine!"

"THIS IS NOT FINE AND I'M NOT FREAKING OUT YOU'RE FREAKING OUT!"

Another bang and suddenly Tommy was grabbing Wheatley, not without a grunt of effort, right off the end of the sleeping bag and clutching him tightly on his lap.

"WHAT ARE YOU DO-... Oh..." Wheatley decided he liked sitting here - he felt the least bit safer, at least. "You know what, never mind, keep holding onto me."

---

(Here they had just come across the Companion Cube Chell left behind after her escape.)

Wheatley did not trust boxes - in any form. For one, they had a tendency to hide things - somethings smelly things, sometimes scary things, sometimes things that you would rather have left alone and stuck in a corner to rot for the rest of eternity. Whatever things they contained, these things were generally not good. Secondly, they had a tendency to fall over and strike you with their sharp corners - Wheatley rather felt that spoke for itself. But the worst thing about boxes - the absolute worst thing - was that sometimes they took your place in someone else's life.

Such as where Wheatley found himself now, eye narrowed begrudgingly (not jealousy - nope - just begrudging) as he watched his small human (emphasis on HIS) loading up an Aperture Science Weighted Companion Cube into HIS spot on the four-wheeler.

Tommy, "Wheatley, why are you talking to the cube?"

Wheatley splutters, "I am not! Absurd! Definitely not talking to the cube. But if, say, I was in fact talking to the cube - which I am not, mind you - it would only be to remind it to know its place."

Tommy, "Know its place? Like, what, on the back of the four-wheeler there?"

Wheatley, "Well, yes, there, but also not to go getting any big ideas."

Tommy, "...Right. Well, let's get going. Don't want the cube going and getting any 'big' ideas."

Wheatley, "Yes, Right, good idea. Let's go."

---

Tommy was sitting at the foot of her bed, unable to keep himself from watching the unnatural, ragged rise and fall of her chest. He just had to keep watching, to make sure she would keep breathing, because he knew, he knew that if he were to look away for even a second, she would stop breathing. He was sure that if only he could keep watching her - forever, if he must - she would be okay. She would be okay, she would get better... she would not have to struggle to take those last, rattling breaths the way his sister had before she died...

He snapped back into focus at the sharp, metallic tang of blood on his tongue. His tongue probed the inside of his sore cheek and found the source of the blood, where it continued to press in an effort to stymie the flow. Strangely, Tommy found that he did not mind the taste of his blood as much as his tongue did.

A slight rustling sound brought everything back into focus. Immediately forgetting about the inside of his cheek he had gnawed open, Tommy shuffled up on the bed, careful so as not to jostle his mother too much, closer to where she was now blinking blearily at him, as though her ability to focus was now as much of a struggle as everything else was for her. She had never looked so distant, so weak, to him and that honestly frightened him more than anything else he had ever encountered in the world, wild and unforgiving as it was. She had always been strong, always been his rock, his protector, his everything... What was he going to do without her?

He must have said as much out loud, because he saw her lips move in response.

Alarmed and knowing how physically uncomfortable speaking had always been for her, he said, "Mommy, please don't try to talk. It'll make you more tired."

But his mother was nothing if not stubborn. She gave him a grim, determined look and surprised him with her strength, even in her condition, by placing an arm around his shoulders and drawing him in closer. Tommy knew that it had to be something important. He placed one arm around behind her, using the bed to prop himself up and taking away the need for her to use so much of her strength to hold onto him. He leaned forward, closer so that he could hear her, even as the heavy scent of (death) came rolling off of her and gently seeped its way into every one of his pores, sending an involuntary shudder through him.

The words she spoke were so soft, so succinct, but even though Tommy had to struggle to hear even at such close proximity, he could make them out. And he never forgot.

"Be brave."

He felt himself choke on a sob before he could even try to hold it back, "Don't-..."

He wanted to tell her that he was not strong. He had never been strong. She had always been the strong one. She was always the one helping him, comforting him, guiding him. When had he ever helped her? He was too small, too little, too helpless and ignorant and weak. He couldn't even help her here, right now, as she was withering away and in pain from some unseen force. And even if he could see it, what exactly could he do?

She seemed to understand all of this even though he did not say it - she had always been good at reading and understanding him. Her grip around his shoulders tightened again, bringing him in even closer until their foreheads touched.

[lovemesomesurveys]

“I’m going to stand on the ground like a skyscraper”

Is there a necklace that you wear all the time? No. I haven’t worn a necklace in years. How often do you wear skirts? Never. Do you enjoy baking? I used to, especially during the holidays. I haven’t done any baking the past few years, though. Do you have a large kitchen? No, it’s really small. Is anything sore on your body at the moment? Of course.

Do you like 3D movies? No. Where were you 3 hours ago? Sitting right here on my bed. Have you ever heard of Hot Chelle Rae? Yeah. I liked a couple of their songs. Do you know where Poland is? I know it’s in Europe. Are you afraid of dying? Yes. Are you wearing socks right now? Always. Do you speak your mind? I keep a lot to myself. If you found a wounded bird, what would you do? I honestly don’t know. I’ve never encountered a wounded bird. Ever rode on an elephant? No. Have you ever had braces? Yes, but not for my teeth.

“Cause I finally realize that I can’t get you off my mind”

Have you ever eaten a crayon? No. Do you like strawberries? Yeah. I haven’t had any in years, though. Wrestling or boxing? Neither. When's the last time you went to the mall? Last December. Have you ever gone Christmas Caroling? I have, actually. A few of us from the psych club I was in at my community college went caroling one year to a few different nursing homes. It was nice, they seemed to enjoy it. What song do you never get tired of? There’s numerous songs that will always be a favorite of mine. Do you have a favorite chef? No. Do you know who Travis Pastrana is? Yeah. What song pumps you up and makes you feel good? Hmm. What's bothering you right now? My back and the fact that I don’t feel well.

Favorite flavor of gum? Minty flavors. Does your school have air conditioning? How many mirrors do you have in your home? 5 that I know of for sure. That doesn’t include handheld mirrors, though. What does your wrapping paper look like for presents this year? I haven’t bought any, yet. Do you like Jay-Z? I’ve only liked a couple of his songs. However, the Linkin Park and Jay-Z collab album was/is dope.

“we’re gonna party like it’s your birthday”

What time was it 14 hours ago? 5:30PM. What's the craizest thing that happens in your hometown? Uh, high crime rates. :X Have any of your friends ever stabbed you in the back? Yes. What's your favorite city? Beachy, touristy cities throughout California. Have you ever laid on a hammock? I think I have as a kid. Who's the most famous person you met? Jamie Lee Curtis. Have you ever had a boyfriend/girlfriend stolen from you? No. Where do you want to live someday? Near the beach. I’d love to have a beach home one day. Do you like your eyes? I wish I had blue or green eyes instead. Do you wear a watch? Nope. Do you like peanut butter? Yes. Do you tan easily? If I spend a day at the beach I’ll sunburn and then it turns into a tan. That’s the only time I spend a long period of time outdoors. Do you have sensitive skin? Yes. Do you care if people smoke/drink? Not in general, no. If it becomes a problem then yes. Has anyone ever gives you roses? Nope.

“every little thing that you do, I’m amazed by you”

How many hours of sleep did you get last night? Sigh. I dozed off around 5AM and slept until 7AM and here we are now at 7:53AM. I don’t understandddd. D: I’m going to definitely attempt more sleep, but I have to call my doctor soon. Do you hate it when babies cry? If it’s loud and excessive it gets overwhelming and annoying. Would you like to get snake bites? (the piercing) Not now, but I wanted them back when I was like 16.  Would you move to a new state/country to be with the one you love? That’s one of those situations I’d have to be in to know what I’d do. It’s hard for me to even imagine cause I’ve never even been close to that before. It’s also hard for me to imagine ever moving far away from my family. I think I’d try to work something else out to be honest. Like, maybe they wouldn’t mind picking up and moving here? Why would I have to move?  What is your name? Stephanie. What do you plan on buying in the future? Christmas presents for my fam soon. Who is your favorite "That '70 Show" character? I don’t have one. I actually watched that show during its original run, but I tried again years later when I was older and couldn’t get into it. There is a mummy behind you. What do you do? Uh, run? What do you think of Miley Cyrus? I like her. Do you tend to think you are always right? Absolutely not. What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbies. I was obsessed. Do you think more about your funeral or wedding? Uh, neither.  Dinosaurs or unicorns? Unicorns, I guess. You need new jeans. Where do you go? I haven’t bought a new pair of jeans in years. I’d probably look at JCP first since that’s where I used to get them. I always found the perfect fit there. What do you think about Maroon 5? I like a lot of their music.

“someone pinch me, I must be dreaming again”

Have you ever snuck into an R-rated movie when you weren't old enough? Nah. How many Emily's do you know? I don’t know any. Have you ever slept in a tent outside? No. What's your favorite kind of Girl Scout cookie? I like all of ‘em really except for the coconut ones. Their newer cookie, Lemonades, are quite delicious. What do you hear at the moment? An ASMR video. Why do you think a lot of people left Myspace for Facebook? Facebook became cooler for some reason. I remember not wanting to make the move at all, I thought Facebook was lame lol. I just did it because everyone literally left. I don’t know about everyone else, but when it happened for me it was soon after graduating high school and Facebook was for college students, so I guess we just graduated from Myspace or something. *shrug* It’s crazy how quickly it flip flopped, though. Myspace became lame and now we all kinda laugh about it. Do you watch the Olympics? Nope. Have you ever been to Minnesota? No. What's the strangest thing you've seen on TV? Hmm. What do you miss most about elementary school? I miss being elementary school ages the most, but also school was fun back then. I liked the projects and music class and this thing called field day that we did on the last day of school every year that consisted of like relay games and whatnot. It was fun. Anything funny happen to you while you were at Wendy's? Uhh, no. I very rarely even go to Wendy’s. It’s been awhile. When's the last time you picked up a stick? I have no idea.

How often do you have camp fires? Never. I’d like to do bonfires in the fall.

“honestly, I haven’t been happy for a long time”

How long has your computer been on? Hours. Do you like chips and salsa? I used to love chips and salsa. I can’t eat spicy food anymore, though. :( Do you have any pictures of the guy you like? There’s no such guy at the moment. Ever touched a fish? I don’t think so. Maybe as a kid with my pet fish. When's the last time you uploaded pictures onto Facebook or Myspace? I uploaded a new profile picture last month on Facebook. Do you have any band-aids on right now? Nope. Ever had a blister? Yes. Not fun. Do you watch the show The Hard Times or RJ Berger? No. Have you ever voted for anything? Yeah, for elections and other smaller stuff. Do you like high top shoes? I can’t wear them cause they’re hard for me to get my foot into. Do you think those nerd glasses are cool? What are nerd glasses, exactly?

Do you own any t-shirts of your favorite band/singer? Yes. Have you ever worn a tie? No. Have you ever made dinner for someone? No, cause I don’t cook. Do you only listen to your muisc loud? No. I like to listen to it at a comfortable level. It varies, but never super loud.

“my give a damn’s busted”

Have you ever taken drama class? I actually did take two drama classes in community college. :O Shocking, I know. Have you ever rode a mechanical bull? Nooo. That would be very dangerous for me to do and I’d never even attempt it. Have you ever played on a basketball team? No. Ever stayed in a motel? Yes. What number was your jersey in high school? I didn’t have a jersey, I didn’t play any sports. Have you ever choked on something? Yes. I had one really traumatic experience that changed how I take my medicine ever since. That happened almost 10 years ago now, but ever since I’ve had to crush my pills. When I tried taking pills again not long after it happened, it literally felt like my throat was closing up every time and I was terrified of it getting lodged again. That day was really scary, my dad literally almost had to put his finger down my throat. Do you wear a belt? Nope, I only ever wear leggings. I’ve actually never worn a belt before, though. Do you have a rug in your room? No. Do you go camping during the summer? Nope. I have no interest at all in doing that. Do you carry a purse everywhere you go? Not anymore, but I used to. In most recent years it was a mini backpack. Where's your favorite place to get coffee? Honestly, I’m a basic bitch and just go to Starbucks, ha. It’s nearby and convenient and yeah. Plus, people hate on it but I actually like it. *shrug* I get really into it when they come out with their winter drinks, like they have now. I wish we had a Tim Hortons so I can see what that hype is all about. What's the last time you searched on Google? When’s the last time I searched on Google? Earlier. Which of these singers have the best voice: Katy Perry or Usher? I think they both sing well. They’re very different, you can’t really compare. What food is your weakness? Boneless garlic parm and lemon pepper wings from Wingstop. How many unread emails do you have right now? I don’t feel like checking at the moment.

[sarcasticgaypotato]

(( It’s more angst. For necromancer au with @bondibee )) GLaDOS was fine.   Her life was different than before, but GLaDOS was fine. Chell avoided her, but… that was fine. It wasn’t. GLaDOS only saw Chell once every few days.  When the vampire absolutely needed to feed, she’d seek GLaDOS out- GLaDOS made never made herself hard to find, offering herself up more than willingly- spend the few minutes it took to drink her fill, and then disappear off into the castle to lock herself away in the cellar again. And now, with Chell’s teeth growing in, and this newfound venom in her bites, the whole process had just gotten more efficient, and faster.  GLaDOS often could rarely get in a ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ before Chell was gone and GLaDOS had nothing but the bite on her neck to remember her by. She didn’t even remember the last time she had said ‘I love you’ to anyone but an empty room. But this was just… what Chell needed. This was her choice, she was still just settling in, she needed space.  Sure it had been months but these things took time.  Chell was still adapting to this new life, and once she did, things would go back to normal.  She might still need blood to survive, but she’d be able to scoop GLaDOS up in her arms, hold her, love her.  Kiss her with that mouth instead of always biting, perhaps actually hold a conversation again. That day hadn’t come yet, but… it would. GLaDOS had to keep telling herself that. She studied Chell as best she could, despite having to do it from afar. She poured over books, recorded her findings, ran as many tests on saliva and blood as was possible, and threw herself into whatever work would keep her busy enough. Whatever could keep her brain busy. Distracted. Because it was when she was sitting in bed alone, with nothing to do and nowhere to hide that everything came crashing down. When she looked at the empty spot that Chell had once claimed, the ever so slight indent in the bed where the former knight had used to sleep every night, with her arms wrapped oh-so protectively around GLaDOS’s much smaller frame. When she pressed her face into the pillows on Chell’s side, hoping to still catch some trace and remember the scent the woman had possessed before the stench of decay had taken over. When she clutched said pillows, digging her nails into the fabric, and letting a hoarse sob be pulled from her throat. That was when her world crumbled on top of her.

Sometimes it was easier to be furious. To scream, to punch the headboard of the bed, to throw books and papers to the ground, to smash an inkpot against the far wall and watch it shatter, to curse whatever powers that be for doing this to her. Angry at the world, angry at Chell, and angry at herself, her failures. Rage was easy. It burned hot and fast and sapped her of her energy.  She got all her fight out, and then collapsed into bed, too exhausted to stay up and think anymore. It was the sorrow that was far, far more difficult. When the weight of her actions settled upon GLaDOS’s shoulders, like boulders they slowly began to crush her under their weight. Suddenly, breath came hard and heavy, like her lungs had filled with fluid, and she choked and sputtered, trying to gain a grasp on herself and her senses. Tears cut paths down her cheeks, burning her skin with their shame like acid, and staining her sheets as a mark of her weakness. Her cries echoed throughout the halls, the cold stone walls warping and twisting the sound. A mournful, lonesome howl, heard by all the castle’s inhabitants, no matter how hard some of them tried to bury themselves away where they could not listen. It was one such night when GLaDOS found herself interrupted by a knock on the door. Only for a moment did she stall her sobs, hold her breath to listen to the sound.  A metallic knock. A strange, empty sound. She knew to whom it belonged, and it wasn’t the person she wanted to see.  But even as she ignored it, the knocking did not cease.   Eventually, without her sending them away or letting them in, the door cracked open regardless.   GLaDOS pressed her face into the pillow she was holding it, letting it muffle her ragged breathing and soak up her tears, pointedly ignoring the not-so-quiet clanking footsteps trotting up to her bedside. “...Go away.” Her voice was far raspier than usual-to the point where she found herself bitterly thinking about how much it reminded her of Chell’s typical gruffness- and she hated the way it wavered despite her attempts to hold it steady. Several ethereal chirps met her in response, hollow and distant, despite coming from directly beside her.  But she was not met with the sound of clunking footsteps leaving her room. Instead, she heard the shifting of metal. GLaDOS looked up, eyes embarrassingly red and puffy, and was met with an outstretched hand, and a piece of parchment, sealed with wax. Beside her bed were two suits of armor. The two polished, shining metal figures were lively with movement, shifting in place, tilting their helmeted heads.  But no humans resided within. Thin wisps of colored smoke escaped their otherwise empty joints, and nothing but a faint colored glow resided in the place their faces should’ve been. She was responsible for the two of them. Needing someone to practice with before she brought Chell back to life, she had wanted to test the waters.  So, she pulled long dead souls from beyond, and shoved them in suits of armor, curious to see how they would react. To say they were shells of their former selves was an understatement.  GLaDOS had no idea who these two might’ve once been, as nearly everything about them was destroyed in her first fragmented attempts. But she would not have called them complete failures.  They were sentient, but blank slates. Easy to shape into the creatures she needed them to be. Helpers around the castle, someone to fetch her supplies, hold open a book, or just… listen to her talk. The time before she succeeded in bringing Chell back was a lonely one.  A corpse that followed her commands with nothing but deafening silence, able to stand next to GLaDOS while she spoke, listening, but unable to really hear. These two were a bit of a relief.  They could not speak any real language, but their chirps and chatterings became something that GLaDOS could roughly translate the meaning of.  She had longed for intelligent conversation partners, but… at the time she had been able to settle for someone who was just able to listen, comprehend, and earnestly respond of their own free will. When she finally succeeded with Chell, GLaDOS thought… she wouldn’t need these two anymore.  She’d have someone to help with her studies, someone to talk to, someone to fill the lonely void. Of course, just because someone can be with you doesn’t mean that they will. And so, as time passed and Chell never truly returned to her rightful place at GLaDOS’s side, the elf decided that perhaps these two experiments could stay.  They kept her sane, if she was ever there in the first place. But this, this was new.   They had never come into her room uninvited like this before, and last she checked, neither of them knew how to write. So, letting surprise and confusion momentarily block out her grief, she look the letter that was being offered, and carefully began to open it. Upon unfolding the parchment, she realized that there were several sheets, each covered front and back with surprisingly neat handwriting that she did not recognize. But the name, signed on the last piece of paper that had fallen to her lap as she tried to sort through the pages, that she couldn’t mistake. Chell. GLaDOS’s heart caught in her throat and she looked up to her two metallic companions, looking for some kind of answer. They chirped, pointed to the letter, then pointed at the floor.  The cellar, deep underneath their feet.  Then, they gestured to themselves, then to GLaDOS. Chell sent them with that letter for GLaDOS, just recently. GLaDOS stared at the two of them for longer than intended, uncertain what to say or how to react.  It was only after the taller of the two chirped again, and nervously pointed at the letter that GLaDOS snapped herself out of it, and began to properly read the thing. The suits of armor shuffled out of the room, but even as they closed the door behind them, GLaDOS knew from the lack of their loud footsteps moving down the hall that they were waiting just outside, no doubt curious as to what GLaDOS’s reaction would be. Normally she would’ve ordered them to leave, but as her eyes began to scan the first paragraph in front of her, all thoughts of the two nosy spirits instantly left her mind. GLaDOS would have never known what to expect from Chell’s writing. They had lived together, rarely apart long enough to warrant writing letters to each other.  Even if Chell had never been the most talkative sort, she had spoken with her actions.   If GLaDOS were asked to assume what Chell’s writing ability was, she would’ve ranked it average at best, if not slightly below.  Someone who rarely played with words off their lips no doubt would have difficulty spilling them onto a paper. But as GLaDOS read the carefully crafted letter in her hands, she realized that she could not have been more wrong. Whatever words were trapped behind tightly closed, icy cold lips, was all here. Thoughts that stewed in that brilliant head of Chell’s, feelings that still lived in a no-longer beating heart. Nothing like Chell’s current avoidance, her letter seemed to want to never leave GLaDOS’s focus.  Chell filled each page with sentences more flowery and poetic than the last, clearly making no attempt to edit or shorten her thoughts as she solidified them with ink. It was the most beautiful thing that GLaDOS had ever read, and by far the most painful. Paragraph after paragraph, Chell lamented her existence.  She wrote of how she longed for life as she once knew it, even if only for one day that she could spend in GLaDOS’s company, in complete safety.   She told of how she wanted nothing more than to gather GLaDOS in her arms, and hold her tight to make up for lost time, but feared nothing more than doing her elven lover any more harm than she already was. And what hurt the most- what brought fresh tears to ruin her recently dried eyes- was just how much Chell wrote ‘I love you.’ As if the undead woman were attempting to make up for the lack of the spoken phrase all in one letter, as if it could fill the empty that her absence had created. No letter could replace Chell. No words, no matter how gorgeously crafted, could be as good as simply having Chell in her arms again. But that did not mean that GLaDOS clutched the papers any lighter, or that she wasn’t holding them close to her chest as fresh cries were pulled from her throat, bittersweet in their tone this time, although just as painful. They were all she had now, the last reminder of the person that lived beneath the hunger. The lover inside the undead, whose influence could poke through in writing, but not when they stood face to face. These letters could never be enough, but for now they had to be.

[kimpossible1977]

He Cums Back

A/N: This is in relation to the post by @thehonorablekingerik. It’s not exactly the same but the post reminded me a lot of it. The event surrounding this story is true. I was only 17 when i wrote this. Enjoy.

 I turned eighteen four months before my ex-boyfriend died.  He called me on my birthday asking for sex to celebrate.  I was thankful that he remembered, but I turned him down. He was crazy for thinking that I would lose my precious virginity to someone that I doubted even loved me anymore. We dated seventh, eight and tenth grade. Granted all the times we broke up were my fault, except for the last time. The last time had been his fault, for the very first time. So I moved on without him, my senior year coming to an end. But then I got the phone call that Alexander was dead.  After going to his funeral earlier that afternoon, I lay surrounded by the purple comforters of my black metal day bed, listening to the Quiet Storm on the local radio station and the real storm going on outside of my window.  My mother and step dad were asleep in the room next door to mine, having long retired. The only light in my room came from the florescent flower inside of a black box lamp that played sweet nursery rhyme music when wound up.  There was a crash of lightening and then the doorbell rang. I wondered who it could be this late at night. I checked the clock in the dark hallway on my way to the door. It was one in the morning. This wasn’t like me; it was way past my bed time. I opened the front door, the door that lead directly from the living room to the outside, and a gust of cool air hit my bare legs.  All I wore was a black t-shirt with my high school’s mascot on the front. I had forgotten to grab the matching sweatpants. Luckily for me, there was no one there. I cut the porch light on and looked around. My Golden Retriever, that sat guarding the back door that lead to the kitchen, came around form the back porch to see what was going on. I shook my head, explaining away my actions to him, and closed the door. Maybe I had fallen asleep without knowing it. I must have heard the doorbell in a dream.  I went back into my room closing the door, gently as possible, behind me.  I turned around ready to go back to bed, but there was a dark figure standing right in front of me.   I opened my mouth to scream, but a large hand covered my lips.  It was Alexander.   “Don’t scream” he said taking his hand from over my mouth.  I tried to back out of the room, but the door was closed and there was not enough space to open the door. He seemed to be all around me and I was trapped against the wall. “This is just a dream,” I said  squeezing my eyes shut and I began to cry.  “Does this feel like a dream?” He asked.  And then he kissed me.  His lips were soft and warm, unlike when I touched them just this afternoon while he lay in his casket.  I thought about the casket and tried to scream again, but his wet tongue was running back and forth over my lips. I felt my body tremble and give way to him.  Alexander pressed his full weight up against me.  He had always been built like a Mack truck with bulging muscles in his arms and thighs. I could also feel the hardness of his dick pressing against my left thigh through his baggy jeans.  “What are you doing here?”  I whispered enjoying the tongue lashing he was giving my neck. He always loved to suck and lick on my body, even when we were way too young to be doing the stuff that we did. But I loved it even more. His pink tongue gliding over my skin felt like heaven then and it did now.   Alexander let go of my body and looked into my eyes. “I just came to get what’s mine,” he said plain and simple. My firth thought was that he was going to kill me. I shut my eyes tightly and silently prayed because I was way too young to die. My poor mother would find me in this room, her only child, dead! But I opened my eyes, when I realized I was still alive, and watched as he walked over to my bed and began to undress. First his shoes, then his t-shirt, then the jeans.  Finally his eyes met mine as he removed his boxer shorts. He was erect and at full attention.  “Come here,” he commanded and as if in a trance, I did. I couldn’t speak and the urge to scream had left a few seconds ago as he held my hand in his and looked as if there was something he needed to say. Instead of talking though, he gripped my waist with his long dark fingers and pushed my body back on to the bed. He lay down on top of me and kissed me deeply. We played tug of war with our tongues as he caressed my thighs with his strong hands. I could feel them smoothly travel past my black silk panties to my stomach, then on to my breast that eagerly awaited his touch.  He squeezed first as if testing the ripeness. Then his fingers found my nipples. They were hard and sensitive before he even touched them by gliding his thumb over each one, then squeezing them between his thumb and forefingers. I moaned and squirmed under his weight.  Alexander sat up suddenly and pulled me up with him. He removed my t-shirt, leaving me in just my panties. He grabbed my short hair, pulling my head back so that my neck was fully exposed to his mouth. He attacked my throat like a vampire leaving the skin tight and sore. I knew little red marks would eventually form on that vicinity of my body down to my chest.  I could feel his eyes burning holes into me as he licked first the right nipple. I moaned trying my best to be quiet, I had no desire to for anyone to find me in this states. Not only was there the fact that I was making love in my mother’s house, but I didn’t really know who or what I was making love to. There had to be a special place in hell for this kind of stuff.  My nipple was growing so tight it was becoming painful.  His tongue was strategically placed in between my breast now as he fondled both nipples before moving his mouth onto the left one.    “Lay down,” he said coming up for a just a little air. I lay down, closed my eyes, and felt my panties being slipped off with just one finger. They were unwrapped from around my feet and tossed to the floor. There were more soft kisses on my lips, prompting me to reach out and caress his swollen dick. But he pushed my hand away and whispered, “No,” into my mouth, simultaneously removing his tongue and gliding it down the length of my body. At my pussy, he stopped to plant soft kisses where stubble had formed from a close shave. His lips wrapped around mine as if they were kissing him back while he held my thighs completely apart so that he could attack my clit with a hungry viciousness.  This was the first thing anything like this had ever been done to me. I hoisted myself up on my elbows to get a good look at his head working between my legs. His face burrowed deep into my pussy as he lapped away at my clit like it was his last supper. I felt the tingling start in my toes. I curled them up and tried to lift my butt up off of my cold sheets to get away from Alexander’s tongue, but he held me down with his body as he inserted his middle finger into my sopping wetness. His tongue and hand worked together as I came a sweet and agonizing cum on his face and finger.  I lay back on the bed exhausted, but not ready for this to end. My breath, once labored, was slowing down to a normal pace until I could feel his tongue the trail that my cum made from my pussy to my ass. He was licking me clean, even lifting my leg up and over my head to get the job done thoroughly. All I could do was claw at my bed sheets when his tongue began to probe my hole, in and out. Probes became sucks and I felt my heart stop.  Alexander sat up on his knees and spread my legs even further apart. They seemed to be all over the bed by now, numb. He pulled my body by my hips to him and wasted not a second, thrusting tenderly into me. I tried my best to get away from the dull pain as he penetrated where no man had gone before, but he gently pulled by body back to him again. Sweet pain turned into the feeling of fullness that seemed to incase more than just my womb, but my whole being as he rode my body. I watched him watching the meeting of pussy to dick over and over again. Effortlessly he put my limp legs over his shoulders and methodically rubbed my throbbing clit.  I shuddered as I felt myself exploding again. For the first time, a moan escaped him as I came on his dick, wetting him and warming him, he began to move faster in me. His thrusts were deep and strong, sweat mingled with sweat, and his moans became louder as did mine. My parents in the next room were totally forgotten.  His embrace became tighter and I could feel his muscles tighten as warmth seeped into every crevice of me. “Mmm,” we sighed breathlessly into the drenched skin of each other’s body.   “I love you,” Alexander whispered into my ear as he collapsed on top of me. His warm breath covered my face. His cum mingled with mine and dripped down my thighs. The only thing missing was the beating of his heart.  I woke up the next morning alone and naked in my bed. I hurried to put my shirt on and conceal my lower body with my disarrayed bed covers just as there was a knock at my door. My mother opened the door without an invitation. She eyes me suspiciously. I felt guilty. “You sure were making a lot of noise last night.”  I shook my head. “I just kept having the same dream over and over again. I didn’t sleep very good.” I flopped back down on the bed, put the covers over my head and pretended to try to retrieve my lost sleep. She closed the door.  I smiled to myself as I leaned over the edge of the bed and retrieved my panties from under it. That’s when I saw Alexander’s clothes on the floor along with his shoes. I picked up his shirt and breathed the scent of him deeply into my lungs.

© 1995 Chelle Morgan

[frostedpuffs]

A Simple Suggestion - Ch.9

A Simple Suggestion Summary: Breaks from patrol often allow time for Ladybug and Chat Noir to talk and be themselves. But when a silly joke starts to seem all that…well, not silly, the two find themselves considering something neither of them had ever before: moving in together. The tricky part is still keeping their identities a secret. Rated: T+ Pairing(s): Ladybug/Chat Noir, Adrien/Marinette

Chapter 9 - A Few Days Away Word count: 8,541 Also read on: ao3

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Moving day would soon be upon them.

Marinette patted her cheeks with her bare hands, her breath coming in quick, silent gasps. The nerves were starting to get to her in a way that made her stomach wrestle uncomfortably with her throat. She squinted her eyes shut as she stood in line at a coffee shop, the warm, bitter scent of coffee beans and fresh pastries filling her nostrils and making her head spin. It was all sort of overwhelming, the smells and sounds and thoughts swimming around in her head, and she just wanted to pick up the lattes the morning models had ordered and get back to work before her boss, Gabriel Agreste, complained about her elongated absence.

Three days. There were merely three days until she and Chat Noir—her partner, her most trusted friend and colleague—would be moving into the same apartment together.

Together, she mused, we're moving in together, holy shit-

"What can I get for you?"

Snapping out of her reverie, Marinette looked up to see that the barista (who looked like she could use some caffeine herself from the dark bags that hung underneath her eyes) had asked for her order. Which, at the moment, completely eluded Marinette's mind. Scrambling to open up the memo note on her phone where she'd written the orders down, she read them off one by one, getting a simple mocha frappuccino for herself to sip on during the walk back.

(She needed her caffeine too, after all.)

At least it was a short walk. The coffee shop was only seven minutes up the road from Gabriel and was a favorite for most employees.

As she waited for her order, Marinette sat at a table by the window. The sun was shining so brightly outside that she had to glance away from the street due to its reflection off of the adjacent shop's window. She went to rub her eyes—because, damn, she was tired—but stopped herself right before her knuckles brushed her skin. Right; she was wearing makeup. There would be no smudged eyeliner today, no sirree. Not when she was about to head back to work and see Adrien all prettied up in a spring suit he'd be modeling for the company's latest fashion magazine.

Continue reading on ao3 or under the cut! ↓

Adrien had offered to pick up the coffees himself, but Marinette declined. She was, at the moment, just a seamstress who fixed loose threads or tears in fabrics on models' clothing, so being gone for less than a half hour wouldn't be too much of a big deal. Besides, it gave her time to collect her thoughts.

A bird chirped outside. Marinette watched it flutter from one of the many trees that adorned the city sidewalks as she waited for her coffee.

Her first month at Gabriel had been interesting, to say the least. Though she and Adrien didn't get to work in the same room too often, they still got to see each other almost daily. Whether from bumping into each other whenever Marinette accidentally dropped something on the floor or taking an outing to a fabric shop, they spent whatever free time at work they could together. Sometimes, if it was a slow day, they would just sit in the employee lounge talking, laughing and making everything feel right. Their friendship has been saved by the job, coincidentally. Now they got to enjoy each other's company whether they wanted to or not.

(And Marinette did. Marinette wanted to spend time with him so bad.)

A sigh fell from her lips.

The job was exhausting on its own, somedays. From the constant running around in search of supplies or up and down the elevators to fix a model's frayed clothing, Marinette often found herself needing to take a couple minutes during the day just to catch her breath.

At least her workplace was nice at its core. Her pay had substantially increased from when she was working retail. She no longer felt guilty in treating herself to a nice dinner or new sewing supplies every now and then, and she even had the ability to bring gifts home for her parents every once in a while. She loved that she could surprise them with something nice when she returned to the bakery at the end of the day, weary but ultimately very happy.

Marinette sighed as a beam of sunshine washed over her. She relished in the few moments of quiet she could attain just from a simple outing to a coffee shop. Soon she'd be on her way back to work, where the hustle and bustle of the spring season would crowd her every thought and movement until she clocked out at five and was welcomed home by her forever-loving bed.

"Marionette?" a voice called, causing Marinette to open her eyes (which she hadn't even realized were closed.) "Is there a Marionette here?"

Oh, please. Rolling her eyes, Marinette stood from the table and slung her purse over her shoulder as she walked to the counter, taking the to-go carrier for the coffee with a grin and a polite, "Thank you." She didn't bother correcting the barista, as there wasn't really any point to it—the place was packed and she was probably just as overwhelmed as Marinette was herself.

The walk back to Gabriel was short. As a gentle breeze blew through the air, Marinette hummed a light tune while trying to distract herself from the impending anxiety that would no doubt assault her physically by the end of the night due to her move in a few days. Right now she had to focus on work. Work, work, work, work.

(And she did not, by all means, need to focus on the fact that she and Chat Noir would be sharing the same living space within three days. The idea that all of her personal belongings besides her bed and a few pairs of clothing had been stashed away in boxes wasn't what she needed to think about at the moment. Really, knowing that she'd be sleeping in the same house as her long-time partner and friend wasn't what should be on her mind!)

There was an instant chill as Marinette walked through the imposing glass doors at the front of the massive building that was her workplace. Gabriel always had a cold air to it no matter what the weather was like outside. Suppressing a shiver, Marinette stepped inside the elevator and pressed the button for the eleventh floor, tapping her foot as she waited to reach her destination.

She wondered if Adrien was still up there, looking so prim and proper and handsome. He probably was. The thought made her heart skip a beat.

The coffee carrier was warm in her hands. Her fingers felt slightly numb from the temperature.

In all honesty, Marinette really had tried to get over her near decade-old crush, but it'd been to no avail. She'd long since come to terms with the fact that she still held feelings for him. And even if she wanted to hide them from herself, it would be damn near impossible when she saw him on an almost daily basis. They often went out on their lunch breaks together—most of the time with other co-workers, but sometimes alone—and said hi whenever they passed each other in the halls. There was no way Marinette would have ever been able to deny her feelings with that type of proximity.

She had to remind herself that they were friends again. Good friends. And just that fact alone made her feel at peace with herself.

As she re-entered the room Adrien had been in for his shoot, she was blinded by a brief flash of white light, nearly dropping the lattes in the process. Marinette blinked fiercely for a few seconds to rid the spots in her vision. The shoot must still have been going on from the looks of it; bright yellow lights glaring on the scene and cameras flashing in front of three models—one being Adrien—as they posed in front of a backdrop of a field of flowers. Adrien sat in a chair while two girls (whose names Marinette could barely remember) posed at his sides.

They all looked so ethereal. They really did. The girls were gorgeous and Adrien—

Well, Adrien was like… Like everything that was great in the world. Like sunshine and spring and goodness.

"Marinette's back!" one of the models cheered. It was one of the two girls that were posing with Adrien—her name was Chelle, Marinette recalled with a sudden burst of memory. As she approached Marinette she held up the bottom of her orange dress and pushed her long brown hair over her shoulders, thanking her extensively for the coffee. "You have no idea how badly I need this right now. I feel like I'm about to drop dead."

Marinette laughed. "That would be unfortunate." Her eyes widened as Chelle dipped her head back and drank half of the latte like it was a shot of alcohol.

The second model came to her side, a taller girl with dark, curly hair donned in an orange dress much like Chelle's. Marinette hadn't met her yet. She must have been new.

"Thanks," the girl said. She took a sip of her coffee and let out a long, heavy yawn. "Oh, it's too early."

"It's ten in the morning, Amelie." Adrien stepped out from behind the cameras with a grin almost as bright as the suffocating lights they were under. Marinette had to take a step back to simply admire him. He was dressed up in a gorgeous spring suit; a blue flannel underneath a light beige blazer with blue jeans and matching belt. His hair was purposefully mused and his eyes—

His eyes shone like summer itself. Marinette reluctantly repressed the sigh she so badly wanted to emit.

Adrien gave her a smile that showed his dimples as he gently took the last latte from her hands. "Thanks, Marinette. I—we really appreciate it."

Amelie nodded. Her ringlets bounced with the movement of her head. "We do. I stayed up way too late last night to be awake right now."

Tossing the to-go carrier in the trash, Marinette chuckled after she took a sip of her frappuccino. "I've been up since six-thirty."

Adrien shot her a smirk. "Overachiever."

Marinette gave a good-humored roll of her eyes.

The models finished their coffee and resumed their shoot while Marinette stood the side and observed. It was one of her favorite parts of her job and a definite perk; she got to see fashion spreads come to life as the models posed and were photographed. The fact that Adrien was in most of the shoots made it even more fun.

(Not because she was attracted to him, of course, although that was a bonus; the real reason was that he'd occasionally make a funny face in her direction, or mouth something that only she could understand. It was difficult at times to explain to the photographers why she had suddenly burst into a fit of giggles.)

Adrien was too cute for his own good sometimes. Funny, too. His sense of humor was terrible in an endearing way.

Thoughts drifting, Marinette let herself wonder for just a moment how Adrien's life was going outside of work. They did talk every now and then of course, but he never mentioned much about when he was moving in with that girl he liked or even if it was still happening. Would it be a thing soon? Or did they already live together? She didn't know. And it wasn't really any of her business anyway.

What did their apartment look like, she pondered? Was it big? Pretty? It was probably pretty. But so was her and Chat Noir's place, too.

Excitement bubbled within her stomach as she thought about the apartment she and Chat Noir had picked out. Her fingers fiddled with the skirt of her floral-patterned dress.

They had toured it separately a month ago. She had gone first to check it out—and goodness, was it gorgeous inside, albeit a little small—and Chat Noir had gone after to sign the lease. It was a beautiful place with high floor-to-ceiling windows and a spacious living room where they could easily fit two love seats or a single couch, and although the bedrooms were quite tiny, they were quaint and exceptionally cozy. Marinette had chosen the one with the most space and the best lighting (which Chat Noir thankfully had no problem with) and the thought filled her to brim with untapped enthusiasm. She needed room for her designing, after all. At least Chat had reassured her that he didn't mind.

Though it only had one bathroom and didn't have a large terrace like she was used to, it did have an extended balcony that stretched across both bedrooms with enough space for some plants and a couple chairs. There was plenty of room for her flowers outside and even in the interior since enough light reached the living room and her bedroom that they could grow with ease.

It was a wonderful little apartment. Full of sunshine and warmth a feel of home.

As for how they would split the bills, they'd decided that Marinette would give Chat her half of the rent each month in cash and the rest (like groceries and utilities) they would figure out once they were settled.

It was a learning process. They both were still kind of clueless, but Marinette had her parents (or even Alya) to help with any rut she might find herself in.

Her parents had been so understanding when she'd told them she was moving out with Adrien instead of a stranger. They were happy, too; glad their daughter had a friend to live with instead of someone they'd never met before. Her mother adored Adrien and trusted him almost as much as she did Alya. Though they were a bit skeptical that she and Adrien weren't dating (as the lie had only been necessary for Adrien's father) they understood that the two were moving in together as friends until any future developments, if there were to be any.

And although she felt horrible for lying to her parents about who her roommate was, it was unfortunately very necessary.

"You still with us, Mari?" Adrien teased from his seat.

Startled by the sudden sound of his voice, Marinette regarded him with a playful glare as she gave a show of sticking out her tongue.

Eventually, she was called out of the room the shoot was in and had to rush down to the sixth floor of the building where a deep tear in an evening gown critically needed fixing. After that she was sent all over the building for the next few hours, sewing and critiquing and offering her assistance until her legs felt like jello from trekking across the entirety of the Gabriel headquarters. Once she'd retrieved some designs from Gabriel's office itself to send to the design team (since they desperately needed more), she collapsed into a cushioned chair in the employee lounge with a long, fatigued sigh.

Whew. She couldn't wait to move in with Chat Noir. Her job was so exhausting sometimes that coming home to one of his massages would feel like heaven.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket.

Adrien - 2:03 P.M. Want to meet for lunch? I'm taking my break in 5 minutes

Marinette couldn't help the smile that split her cheeks. Her face warmed at the thought of spending her lunch break with Adrien. Where would they go today, she wondered? Maybe to a little deli around the corner for some sandwiches, or perhaps somewhere a tad nicer for a more dignified meal. It was such a nice day that she hoped wherever they went they would be sitting outside on the terrace so she could feel the breeze on her skin and see the sun sparkle in Adrien's eyes.

Minutes passed as Marinette sat lifelessly in the lounge chair before she realized it would be best to present Adrien with a response.

Messaging - Adrien - 2:07 P.M. Sure I'd love to!

There was a brief feeling of regret as she pressed the send button. Was that too excited of a reply? Did she seem too eager to spend time with him?

God, Marinette, you probably freaked him out, her mind hissed.

Ah, no matter. She waved the thought away with a nervous shake of her head.

Things would be fine.

Probably.

The two of them ended up meeting at their go-to café right around the corner. Their conversation was simple for the most part, added with the occasional joke or friendly comment, and only interrupted twice when the waiter asked for their orders and brought them their food. They'd both ordered chicken caesar salads and were given a pitcher of water to share.

The atmosphere of the café was nice. There was soft music playing on the overhead speakers and the sun outside was pleasantly warm. A light breeze danced through the air, but it wasn't strong enough to cause any disruption. Marinette smiled as she stirred her straw around in her glass.

Adrien looked so handsome dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans with his hair all mused. He seemed a little tired, but it was kind of working for him.

She felt her cheeks flush as she looked away.

"I love weather like this," she said after a moment. Her gaze moved up from the table to meet Adrien's green, green eyes. "Don't you?"

Adrien nodded as he swallowed a bite of his food. "Oh, yeah. Not too hot and not too cold. That's why spring is my favorite season."

"It's also the busiest season for you, I'm sure," Marinette countered with a grin.

"True," Adrien said. He leaned back in his chair. "But it's nice. I get to meet new people and have new experiences, even if it is exhausting sometimes."

A small gust of wind swayed through the café terrace, caressing the red awning that jutted out from the wall and causing leaves to scatter across the pavement. Marinette's face scrunched up as a couple strands of her hair flew into her mouth and she narrowed her eyes as Adrien let out a laugh full of mirth.

"You try having long hair in windy weather," she said. "This is why I never wear it down."

Removing the hair-tie she usually kept on her wrist, Marinette pulled her hair back into a high ponytail, much like how she kept it when she transformed into her alter-ego. It was easier to manage that way and kept it from obstructing her vision.

She didn't catch the way Adrien squinted his eyes at her for just a brief second, or how he cocked his head to the side as if he was feeling some sort of odd recognition…

The waiter came to take their plates once they'd finished their food. Marinette watched as Adrien refilled their water glasses.

"Thanks," she said, taking a sip. She swirled the water around in her cup before asking, "so, has your dad been bugging you about the whole relationship thing at all?"

For some reason, she couldn't meet his eyes once the question fell from her lips.

Adrien shook his head. "Not really. I mean, every now and then he'll ask about you and wonder what you're up to and when we're going to have dinner again, but for the most part he's been pretty quiet. Except for the last few days, that is."

Marinette raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Reaching back to fiddle with the hairs at his nape, Adrien shrugged. "Yeah. I'm moving out really soon so he's been a little 'concerned' I guess. He just wants to make sure I'm doing the right thing."

Ahh, so he was still moving in with that girl.

"And I know I am," he continued, pausing for only a second to take a drink, "because it feels right, you know? Like, I have this feeling in my gut that this thing is what I'm meant to be doing. It's another step in my life I'm taking so I can move up to where I want to be. And I'm happy I'm doing it."

Wow, he… He put that in words better than Marinette could have herself.

"I feel the same," she said. "My parents are kind of worried about me leaving the house, but… I know I'm doing the right thing. It's time for me to get on with my life and get somewhere."

"And you have been," Adrien told her. A proud gleam shone in his eyes. "You've got yourself a job you deserve now and I know that in no time you'll be moving up the ladder and become one of my dad's lead designers. You've got a lot of talent and so much potential, Marinette. I can't wait to see what you're going to be doing in five, ten years."

Were there tears in her eyes? Marinette felt like there were tears in her eyes. There probably wasn't, but she honestly felt like she could cry from the stuff Adrien was saying. To hear that coming from him, well… She wanted to just leap across the table and shower him with kisses.

Deciding that probably wasn't the best option, Marinette opted to reply with words instead of physical affection. "Thanks, Adrien. That… That means a lot to me."

Adrien's smile was blinding. "It's just the truth, Marinette."

"S-stoooop," she laughed, covering her face as it flushed all the way to her neck and ears. "Quit it, Adrien, you're gonna make me cry."

"I'm sorry," Adrien chuckled. He reached across the table and Marinette nearly squealed at how soft his hands felt as they enveloped her own, pulling them away from her face in such a gentle motion that it felt so- so surreal, like… Like she was dreaming.

"Are you?" Marinette teased.

Adrien grinned. "No, not really. I've gotta show support for my friends, right? I mean, besides Nino, Alya and Chloé, you're one of the only friends from collége and lycée that I've actually kept up with. Er, sort of."

"Sort of" being that five-month period where they hadn't spoken a word to each other.

Speaking of Nino and Alya, that reminded her…

"Since you mentioned Nino," Marinette said, a flicker of anticipation rising up within her chest, "I assume he told you the news?"

The way Adrien's face brightened and how he sat up completely straight told Marinette exactly what she was hoping for. She smiled knowingly.

"What news?" Adrien laughed, placing his hands on the table. "The fact that they're moving back to Paris in a few months, or the other minor detail that they're going to have a baby?"

"It's so crazy!" Marinette exclaimed. "I can't believe Alya's already two months. And that they're coming back to Paris after their baby is born is so- so exciting! I can't wait to see them again. I really can't."

"I kind of wish they were back already," Adrien said. He finished off the last of his water and frowned at the empty pitcher. "But I guess we could always fly up to see them."

"Oh, no doubt," Marinette said. "I've actually been thinking of doing that now that I can afford it. I've never been to America. It should be fun!"

"We should plan a trip, then," Adrien offered. "We could fly up together when we get some time off. Probably after the season is over."

Marinette felt something combust inside of her. "Th-that would be perfect."

The brimming enthusiasm that overtook her every other thought made Marinette fidget in her seat. It was amazing way. So amazing in fact that all she wanted to do was just stand up and scream to the world that her best friend was going to be a mother, to have a baby, and… And it was wonderful! And she and Adrien were going to visit soon!

Alya was going to have a baby and it was wonderful. It really, really was.

Except... It made Marinette kind of sad, in a way. She couldn't be there for Alya while she was going through whatever pains pregnancy brought her. Of course, Nino would be, but… It was different. She was her best friend. She wanted to be there.

(And part of her, just a tiny, itty-bitty little part deep inside of her was feeling the slightest bit of envy that Alya had managed to find someone who loved her so dearly enough to want to marry her, to give her a beautiful engagement ring and have a child with her. And Marinette felt a pit of sorrow in her chest because she was still single at twenty-one without ever having a real successful relationship.

But this wasn't about her. It was about Alya and Nino. And that was what was most important.)

After lunch—which Adrien had paid for no matter how much Marinette insisted he didn't have to—the two of them walked back to work with a peaceful air between them. They bid their goodbyes as they clocked back in, Marinette watching Adrien as he went up to his father's office while she herself stayed downstairs to find the bathroom.

As she stared at her reflection in the long mirrors of one of many of Gabriel's pristine bathrooms, she sighed. The dejected feeling that crawled up her body had certainly been unexpected. As well as the fact that she had found herself—just for a short moment in time—imagining what it would be like for her and Adrien to have a relationship like Nino and Alya did.

"Pull it together," she told herself, tapping her cheeks with a splash of water. "You can't keep getting distracted by pretty boys like Adrien and—"

She caught herself as the name of another boy she knew almost slipped from her tongue.

"—someone else," she finished. Marinette wiped her hands on a paper towel. Well. That was enough thinking for one day.

Once she'd collected her nerves, Marinette left the bathroom with a focus stronger than before and went through the rest of her workday determined to butt out any distractions that came her way.

She was strong. And she had good things to look forward to. Many, many good things.

"On your left!"

Adrien vaulted himself out of the way with his baton as Ladybug zipped past him, red-and-black spotted Lucky Charm in her hand. His transformation was three minutes from falling and the night's akuma—Switchblade, as he liked to call himself—stood fifteen meters above them atop the roof of a two-story ice cream shop. The place had been quaint before the akuma attacked, and it appeared to be family-owned, which was unfortunate because Switchblade had just sliced the building completely in half.

Adrien watched as one side of it crumbled to the street. The red-and-white striped awning bent and tore.

Ah, well. At least it was late and past closing hours.

"What kind of villain just carries around a gigantic blade?" he asked the bronze-coated man, running in step at his Lady's side. He leaned down and cupped his hands together so she could use his palms for leverage to leap into the air. "That's not very knife of you!"

His pun went ignored. What a shame; it was a really good one.

(Haha, "knife of you.")

"Chat Noir, focus!" Ladybug shouted down at him. Once she landed in front of the akuma, she used her Lucky Charm (a stepstool) to trip Switchblade as he lunged to grab her. Ladybug darted out of the way with her yo-yo just as the villain fell to the ground and made quick work to swipe the infected business card from his metal pocket before ripping it in half.

Adrien's eyes widened as the blade Switchblade had been holding came for him. He took two steps to the right, watching with a confident smile as the weapon stuck itself in the sidewalk with a springing sound. Jeez, how lame. The akuma were getting easier and easier to defeat these days. That, or he and Ladybug were just getting even better at their job than they already were.

As Ladybug purified the tell-tale butterfly that flitted out from the shredded remains of the business card, Adrien joined her at the front of the collapsed ice cream parlor and yawned. Man, it was late. Papillon had no business causing an akuma at eleven-thirty at night. What was Switchblade's deal, anyway? Who gets mad that their expensive, custom-made knives weren't selling well at nearly midnight? Shouldn't that have been a problem for like, tomorrow…?

The area was restored as Ladybug heaved the step stool into the air. There wasn't much of a celebration, though, and her obligatory shout of "Miraculous Ladybug" was surprisingly monotone.

After they comforted the akumatized victim and sent him on his way, Adrien patted a hand against Ladybug's back and smiled at her weary expression.

"Rough night?" he asked, chuckling as Ladybug let out a loud, drawn-out groan. "Oof, yeah. Looks like it."

"It's been a long, long day," she said, dragging her gloved hands down her face. "I had just clocked out from a nine- hour shift and was so ready to take a shower and go to bed after packing up the rest of my things and then all of a sudden Papillon decides to be a huge dickhead and screw up my sleeping schedule."

Their Miraculous'es beeped in unison. They regarded each other a reluctant frown.

Pointing to his ring, Adrien asked, "Meet up at the Tower in fifteen minutes?"

Ladybug's affirming nod was all he needed. "See you then, chaton."

Adrien used the last minute he had to his transformation to leap over several rooftops until he found himself in an alleyway between a liquor store and a small Italian restaurant. As the flash of green enveloped him, Plagg fizzled out from his ring and plopped into his hands with a high-pitched mewl. His whiskers twitched as he squirmed and complained.

"I'm so hungry," Plagg whined, kicking his feet. "I can't believe I was woken up from a nap for this."

Adrien cupped one hand over the other as a person walked by them on the sidewalk. Poking his head out from the alleyway, he glared down at Plagg once the coast was clear. "Shush," he whispered. "We're in public. We're right next to a restaurant so I'll get you some cheese if you stay quiet."

"It better be good cheese," Plagg hissed.

Rolling his eyes at his kwami's antics, Adrien slipped out from the alleyway and stuffed his hands (and Plagg) in his pockets, ignoring the way the tiny god nibbled at his fingers in resistance. He entered the restaurant with a smile on his face and was thankful it was small so that no paparazzi would follow his tail.

A heavyset woman with thick blonde hair greeted him and told him he could sit wherever he wanted and that she would be with him in a moment, so Adrien gladly took a seat and looked around. It was a nice place with warm lighting, paintings of Venice on the wall and an array of red chairs and booths. The floor was gray tile, and above him, Adrien noticed that each shade covering the lights over tables had a different yet equally as intricate design.

He never had chances to eat out at hole-in-the-wall places like this. If he didn't have plans to meet Ladybug, he might've stopped for dinner.

As he gazed over the menu for a simple cheese appetizer he could give to Plagg, a thought struck him. He sat up with a contemplative grin. If Ladybug had just clocked out from a nine-hour shift, she must be pretty hungry, right?

"Hey Plagg," Adrien whispered towards his pocket, thankful that the place was pretty much dead due to the late hour. He lifted the menu up just in case. "What kind of food do you think Ladybug would like?"

Plagg poked his head out from Adrien's jeans. "You can never go wrong with cheese."

"Does she even like cheese?"

"Who doesn't?"

Adrien frowned. "But she could be lactose intolerant and I would never know."

"Adrien." Plagg gave him a flat look. "Look around. This is an Italian restaurant. A lot of their food has cheese. Just get her something."

With a sigh, Adrien turned away from his kwami to scrutinize the menu. He wanted to get something good; to let her go to bed with a tasty dinner in her stomach and a smile on her face.

He hadn't expected choosing a meal for her to be so hard, though.

"Well, whatever you choose, hurry up," Plagg mumbled from his pocket. "I'm hungry."

Despite his selfishness, Plagg had a point. Adrien had promised he'd be at the Eiffel Tower in fifteen minutes and he still had to wait for whatever food he ordered to be made. Granted, the Tower was only a good five minutes away with his transformation, but he didn't want to keep his Lady waiting. She was the impatient type.

As the waitress asked for his order, he decided on a simple chicken parmesan for them both with a side of garlic knots (and some cheese bread for Plagg.) Ordering it to go, he waited only ten minutes before it was ready and made a quick stop to the liquor store on the way out to pick up some champagne for he and his Lady to share. They needed to celebrate, didn't they? They were taking a big step in their lives together. That warranted a little drinking.

"Here," Adrien said to Plagg as he offered him the cheese bread once they were back in the alleyway. "Eat up. The Lady's waiting."

Plagg gobbled up the appetizer, voice muffled from his mouthful as he said, "Whatever, loverboy."

Adrien was only six minutes late by the time he arrived at their usual meeting spot. At the sight of Ladybug resting against a metal beam with her eyes shut and chest slowly rising and falling, he smiled warmly. Such a tired little 'Bug. He almost didn't want to wake her. But then her food would go to waste, and that would be no good.

Sitting down next to her, Adrien gave her shoulder a gentle nudge with his own. "Buginette," he cooed, giving her a second bump when she didn't stir. "Ladybug. Wakey-wakey."

Ladybug mumbled something under her breath as she scrunched up her face. "What?"

"I brought food. You hungry?"

Blinking open her eyes, Ladybug looked down at the brown paper bag he held in his hand, her stomach responding accordingly. "Oh, shit. No way!"

Adrien nodded. "Mhm. Want to find somewhere more comfortable to eat? I happen to know of a restaurant terrace that's empty after hours." It was only a few minutes away. He'd stopped there himself a few times to relax after a long day of stress. The atmosphere would be good for them—Ladybug especially.

The place was adorned with string lights that never turned off, and roses as red as wine planted along the terrace railing and seating area. It was behind a taller building so they could happily have their privacy. And, to make things even better, it had a beautiful view of the city skyline. Adrien had never eaten there during its open hours, but he figured it wouldn't do any harm for him and Ladybug to stop by after closing, especially if they weren't going inside. Nobody would even know.

"Come on," he said. "I'd offer to carry you, but my hands are a little full."

Ladybug laughed, but the exhaustion was clear in her voice. "I don't think I'd let you carry me, chaton. I am very capable on my own."

"Aw, even when you're tired?" Adrien's lower lip jutted out in a faux-pout.

"Especially when I'm tired," Ladybug said with a smirk as she stood. "If I fell asleep in your arms, I'd probably be trapped forever. Your hugs are like death-grips."

Adrien produced his baton from his back, extending it to his full height. "Nonsense. My hugs are just extra loving."

Ladybug twirled her yo-yo in her hand and shook her head, her lips curling upwards into a wide grin. She looked around, and Adrien was mesmerized by the way her ponytail swished with each movement of her head. "So," she said, one hand on her hip, "where is this terrace you're taking me to? Better not be too far. I can smell that food from here and it's making me hungry. What did you get?"

"You'll see," Adrien responded. With a cock of his head to the left, he signaled for her to follow him.

It only took them a few minutes to reach their destination, and as they landed, Adrien had to place a hand on his Lady's waist to keep her from stumbling. Gosh, the poor thing was so exhausted these days. It was like she didn't get much sleep anymore.

"You okay?" he asked.

Ladybug gave a wave of her hand to dismiss it. "Fine," she said. She opened her mouth to say something else but closed it again as she began surveying the area. The blue of her eyes reflected the lights into Adrien's own, and as he pulled out a chair for her to sit at, she was captivated by the sight of the city sparkling over the horizon. "Wow," she breathed. "You know, I've lived in Paris my entire life and you'd think looking at it would eventually get boring. But it doesn't. I still find myself amazed every now and then."

Adrien could understand how she felt. While living in the city was something he was used to, looking at it was something different entirely. Especially when it was just he and Ladybug like this.

His own stomach rumbled as a reminder that he hadn't eaten since two that afternoon. He'd been so busy at work that he hadn't even noticed he'd forgotten dinner. Part of him was thankful he had, or else he might not have been able to share a meal with his favorite person.

(And said "favorite person" was looking so beautiful, as she always did.)

"Alrighty," Adrien said as he took a seat across from her, scooting in the metal chair. "On the menu tonight for one gorgeous Ladybug and her stunning partner, we have two small side salads, a chicken parmesan to share, and an order of garlic knots with some champagne to celebrate. How's that sound?"

Ladybug placed her chin in her palm as she watched him unwrap all their food. "God," she said, voice quiet from weariness. "Marry me."

What.

Eyes darting up to meet his partner's, Adrien felt his heart beating in his throat. He was sure his mouth was hanging open but he felt too numb to confirm whether or not it was. Lady—Ladybug was tired. It was probably just a joke! No, no, it was definitely a joke. There would be no way that Ladybug would actually ask him to marry her—

Ladybug reached across the table to place a hand on his chin, her eyes glowing with something Adrien couldn't decipher. He could feel the heat of her hand through her suit and it was driving him insane. As she smiled at him, his heart melted into a puddle deep within his chest. His stomach felt like it was vibrating, a-and when her thumb stroked his jaw, his whole body tingled.

"Chat," she said, voice like honey.

Adrien swallowed audibly. "Y-yes, Ladybug?"

She pushed his chin up so his mouth would close. "Your mouth was hanging open. You'll catch flies like that."

Adrien's expression crumpled. Of course.

Shrugging it off with a smile—because he was happy to be in his Lady's company nonetheless—he delivered Ladybug her food and placed the side of knots between them, setting his own meal in front of himself. Just as he was about to open the champagne, he frowned, realizing that they had no flutes to drink from. He snorted at the thought of them both just passing the bottle back and forth to take swigs like some drunk teenagers at a lycee party.

"You think the owners of this place would get mad if I snuck in to grab us some glasses?" he asked, pointing backward at the glass doors with his thumb. "Unless you fancy drinking straight from the bottle."

"So long as you wash them, I think it'll be fine," Ladybug chuckled. She poked at her food with her fork. Adrien was thankful that plastic utensils had been placed in the bag for them. "Hurry back though."

"I'll be back in a twitch of a whisker," he said, throwing a smirk back at her as he stood from his chair. He didn't ignore the way Ladybug playfully rolled her eyes at his choice of words.

Slipping inside, Adrien wandered around the tables, thinking it looked quite odd to see all the chairs stacked on top of them in the dark. He made his way to the kitchen, where he glanced around for any sort of cups or glasses. His night vision was a wonderful aid in searching in the dark as it was pitch-black where there were no windows. Fumbling around, he pulled two champagne flutes from their holders and whistled as he walked back out into the light of the terrace.

"I hope I don't get charged for breaking and entering," he said with a laugh.

Ladybug snorted. "I think you'll be fine."

They shared their dinner with a relaxed air about them. The night was quiet as Adrien poured his Lady a glass of champagne, and he grinned as he held up his flute to signal a toast. "To us," he said. "For taking the next step in our lives."

Ladybug gave a soft laugh in response. She clinked her glass against his own. "To us. Bien joue, kitty."

"Bien joue." Adrien took a sip of his drink. It bubbled pleasantly against his mouth. "Three days."

Ladybug's face was full of light. "Three days."

As he watched his partner's ever-so pink lips brush the edge of the cup, Adrien's heart fluttered in his chest. What he'd give to be able to kiss her when she was like this: bathed in moonlight with a sleepy sheen to her eyes, which sparkled underneath the faint yellow glow of the string lights that were hung so delicately above them. He smiled when Ladybug took a sip of the drink and his heart swelled when she—his beautiful, beautiful Lady—rubbed at her heavy eyes with a sigh so sweet that Adrien wanted to capture it with his lips.

He could feel himself falling into a pit. Falling, falling, falling without ever a hope of clawing his way back up. But he wasn't afraid of that. If he fell into the amazing pool that was Ladybug, there'd be no reason to come out. If Ladybug was his fate, then, well… So be it. It would be the gentlest demise he could imagine and he would welcome it—welcome her—with open arms.

"Chat?"

Adrien blinked in surprise as he came out of his stupor. Ladybug was looking at him with a sly grin on her face. He smirked in response. "What?"

"What'cha thinkin' about?" she asked, and the way she placed her head in her palms with such an endearing expression made Adrien shiver.

He could do nothing but offer a shrug in response. His gaze fell to his food. "Definitely not a pretty girl."

"Sure," Ladybug chuckled. She gave his boot a gentle nudge underneath the table. "Let's go with that."

A silence fell over them. It was as calm as it was short, and as their food was finished and most of the bottle of champagne drained, Adrien was finding himself feeling freer and looser, allowing his body to relax into the back of the chair with his stomach full and mind at ease. Across from him, Ladybug was slumping in her seat. Her fringe hung in front of her eyes—which were closed—and her cheek rested against her knuckles, arm propped atop the back of the chair and legs spread in an exhausted (if unladylike) position.

Adrien didn't mind, though. He'd seen Ladybug at her worst and this was far from it.

Welp. By the looks of it, it was time to go home.

There would be more nights to spend with her in the future. In three days, to be exact. Within a mere seventy-two hours, he and Ladybug would be piling boxes of their belongings into their apartment, in their own rooms, where they'd live their lives for the next one, two, five or seven years or even more depending on where life took them.

Heck. Maybe they'd stay there together eternally.

Which… Was a ridiculous thought, really. Because, well, Ladybug had a life and so did he, and if they happened to come across a career opportunity and had to move or fell in love with someone else (although Adrien doubted he would ever fall for someone other than his Lady) there would be hitches in that idea. Big hitches. Like, instead of hitches, there'd be gashes because the idea was so stupid and so absurd that there was no way either of them would end up staying in that tiny apartment forever, right?

(And, even if his dream did come true where he and Ladybug married and had a family and knew each other beneath the masks, they would move to a bigger home eventually, where they would have enough rooms for at least two children and plenty of land for their kids to play in, and perhaps some space for a few cats. But that all would depend on what his Lady wanted.)

Feeling his eyes begin to droop, Adrien caught himself before his head smacked against the table.

Ladybug's laughter came from across him. "I almost just witnessed a casualty."

Through a yawn, Adrien said, "If I died here, you'd be the one cleaning up the mess."

"Psshh." She gave a nonchalant wave of her hand. "I could just Lucky Charm you back to the living. I'm sure I could bend the rules to somehow bring a fellow Miraculous user back from the dead. Tikki could make that work with some type of weird magic shit."

Adrien chuckled. "Wow, my Lady is so talented. Not only is she a famed superhero with awesome powers and devastating good looks, she's also a modern necromancer."

Crossing her legs with a confident grin, Ladybug nodded. "You know it, Chat Noir."

"What if I came back all gross, though? Like, as a rotting cat-zombie." Adrien rested his elbows on the table as he breathed out a laugh. "Like my tail and ears are fused to my head and I have no hair and my hands have fallen off."

"That's okay," Ladybug said. "I'll still live with you so long as you promise not to sneak into my room at night and gnaw on my leg or something. I need legs."

"Fair point."

Ladybug stretched her arms high above her head and sat up straight, piling the trash from their dinner into the brown paper bag the food had come in. Fixing her ponytail, she adjusted her position so she was more comfortable before sitting criss-cross on the seat. "Okay," she said matter-of-factly. "Time to get serious for a moment: I've got everything besides my mattress and like, two pairs of clothes packed. I wanted to let you know that I do have some outfits for us to wear and the masks are ready. So I can give those to you on Tuesday."

"Tuesday," Adrien sighed, his heart beating fast and face warming with excitement, "Tuesday is moving day. Wow. It all feels so fast, but like… A good fast, you know?"

Ladybug nodded. "I do."

They gazed at each other for a moment too long to be completely platonic. Adrien allowed himself to relish in that thought, just for a little bit.

"I'm happy we're doing this," he confessed. "I mean, really. I couldn't imagine myself comfortably living with anyone other than you. I mean, realistically, you're like… My best friend. And I'm really excited to live with you. And I know things are going to be hard and we're going to have some difficult times and may even get tired of seeing each other so much but like… I'm okay with that. I'm okay with us figuring our shit out together and being able to hang out without worrying about our Miraculous running out or an akuma kicking our ass or waiting on patrols just to see each other."

"We don't even patrol," Ladybug laughed. "That's our clever cover-up for chilling together."

"I know," Adrien chuckled, laying a hand on his Lady's, "but I'm serious. I'm really glad we're taking this step together and I'm… I'm happy to know you, okay? I'm glad I know you."

He felt slightly awkward spilling his guts like that, but it was the truth. He loved Ladybug and he loved that they were going to be sharing the same space and learning about each other more than they had ever imagined.

While it was true that Nino was his best friend, Ladybug was… Different. A good different.

"You're such a sap when you've been drinking," Ladybug chuckled. She squeezed his hand within her own and Adrien melted.

"I know," he said, fully admitting to it. "I can't help it though, Buginette. You make me feel stuff."

"'Stuff?'" she asked.

Adrien offered a simple shrug. His cheeks heated to an uncomfortable redness. "Stuff."

Patting his hand, Ladybug smiled, her face bright and eyes full of somethingso warm and soft that Adrien felt like he could just die. "You're a silly one, minou."

He grinned. But I'm your silly minou.

Oh, if only Ladybug knew what kind of "stuff" he really felt for her…

"I think it's time we both went to bed," Ladybug said. Adrien mourned the loss of contact when she pulled her hand away and stood up from her chair. "You've been such a sweetheart tonight, Chat. Thank you for dinner, I…" Her face grew pink as she smiled. "I appreciate it more than you know."

Adrien rested his head on his forearms. "I appreciate you more than you know."

Ladybug gave a playful roll of her eyes, but he didn't miss the way her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red.

"Goodnight, Chat Noir," she said with a final finger-brush to his nose, "I'll see you Tuesday morning, bright and early."

Breathing in deeply, Adrien brushed his fingers over her own before ever-so-gently grasping her hand and placing a loving kiss on her knuckles. The fabric of her suit felt smooth underneath his lips and cool against his skin. He smiled against her and practically swooned at how she reached up to comb her fingers through his hair in such a soft, wonderful motion before producing her yo-yo and giving him a wave.

"Tuesday, kitty."

Adrien winked. "Tuesday."

[immunetoneurotoxin]

INCOMING TRANSMISSION

The progression of time inside Aperture always seemed strangely nonexistent. Dealing with the repercussions of such a strange phenomena weren’t at all pleasant to cope with in the long run, either. Sleep itself was a luxury in this facility, amongst other things that were vital for adequate human survival. Everything contained within these walls were not meant for long-term human shelter. Things down here consisted of purely artificial constructs -- down to the simulated rays of sunlight beaming down from the cracks in the ceiling, or the hard light bridges long fall boots would run across during tests. Void of any contact with the outside world or any human presence but her own, being inside Aperture felt like being in an entirely different world.

But it was all part of the deal Chell had wagered with the AI in charge. Shelter from the unmentionable horrors of a war-torn surface above in exchange for testing and occasional labor in cleaning up the mess she was responsible for. It wasn’t that Chell wasn’t grateful she was even let back in for refuge in the first place, but she had good reason to be as frustrated as she was. What felt like endless hours of backbreaking labor would be enough to wear anyone out, even with an endless supply of adrenal vapors pumping through one’s system.

And while she hated to admit it, GLaDOS was right. Even her facility was a better place than the surface, and Chell could easily testify to this. She was the one who practically came crawling back for refuge, having to face the humiliating defeat of seeking out the facility she’d once tried so desperately to escape in the past. But everything down here was nothing she couldn’t handle. The surface on the other hand, was a whole different story. A horribly traumatizing one, at that. But despite the relative safety she had in Aperture, that didn’t mean she never had her off days down here.

Of course, today was one of those days.

After what seemed like several full uninterrupted hours of wandering the old abandoned office complex by foot in lieu of portaling around, she found herself growing increasingly restless and bored with the task of retrieving some long lost files vital to the facility’s upkeep -- or so GLaDOS told her. She didn't really hold any interest in the technicalities or specifics of the aforementioned documents, only doing the job because she had to.

In collecting the stack of confidential papers that’d been hidden away in the safety of their dusty manilla folders, Chell tucked the old files under her arm and made way back towards the way she came.

Or, at least she tried to.

The lack of familiarity with the lower office complex made it easy to disorientate her sense of direction, the same sterile white walls greeting her at every turn. Unlike the rest of Aperture she’d already gotten acclimated to, these claustrophobic areas were the least pleasant to wander. While she was used to ambling through the vast maze of Aperture’s maintenance shafts or test chambers, the office complex was the lesser traveled route. One she currently found herself having a hard time trying to get out of.

With a disgruntled sigh, Chell faltered in the middle of a one-way corridor, eyeing the sealed door at the end of the hall. Didn’t she just come from this way?

Creasing her brows in confusion, she readjusts the folders in her arms and glances around at her surroundings, struggling to find a sense of familiarity amidst these same old halls, seeming to repeat over and over again.

But the most unsettling aspect of this misdirected journey was the blatant lack of surveillance cameras anywhere.

It shouldn’t have put her on edge as much as it had -- assuming it was just sleep-deprived paranoia causing her to feel that way. After all, there were plenty of areas she'd ventured that didn't have them. A familiar gut feeling urged her to turn back and find another way, but something posted high above a corridor entrance had caught her attention before she could even take heed to her own subconscious warning.

And she practically did a double-take at the words.

AI REPAIR / CORE MAINTENANCE - SECTOR A

Her eyes curiously locked onto the nearly-dilapidated sign, as if she’d find the answer if she stared hard enough. Hesitance stopped her from moving forward in the direction, but the longer she stood in place contemplating whether or not to proceed, she ultimately found curiosity overriding logic.

She was curious to see what secrets “Sector A” withheld. Forget going the other way.

With any luck, she would probably find an elevator this way anyways. Maintenance areas tend to be generous with them, so she figured it was better to cut the guesswork and find out first-hand.

Tucking the files tighter into her arms, she gave into the urge to explore, venturing off into the sector’s uncharted territory. The halls echoed with the metallic sound of her footsteps, the clinical office corridors soon enough merging with that mechanical ambiance of Aperture she was used to when she found her way inside the maintenance wing.

It was… much more massive than she expected. The corridors lined with broken observation windows made for an unsettling sight of the abandoned workstations behind them, the overhead lights barely lighting the halls apart from the glowing red emergency lights dimly illuminating the path ahead.

Slowly advancing down the hall, she came to a halt at the end, finding herself at the threshold of a looming entranceway into to the sector. The access control lever had long since been mangled beyond use but luckily for her, the thick metal door had been permanently set wide open as a result of a malfunction from the severed controls. So of course, she took the opportunity to take a little peek on the inside, in all her curiosity in seeing what resided beyond.

The moment she stepped inside, Chell found herself enthralled by the unusual sight -- so unused to seeing so many cores in one room. Not since the last time she’d seen the dozens of those corrupted cores carelessly piled up inside a glass enclosure.

But this was different. And intriguing.

Wandering further inside, her eyes drifted over towards the scattered parts of a broken core perched atop a long-abandoned workstation, making for quite admittedly a slightly disturbing scene. While it wasn’t exactly the stuff of nightmares, it was still unnerving to see the innards of a lifeless core scattered across the table with discarded tools. Not the most welcoming sight ever.

However, adjacent to the workspace appeared to be the main computer terminal of the maintenance central command. The display screens shone bright with error alerts or malfunctioning rows of text -- clearly an unfortunate side effect that came with the years of no proper use.

But Chell couldn’t help but investigate out of curiosity, analyzing each computer interface glitch with unreadable warnings or flash with awaiting commands. And she knew she shouldn’t tamper with things that didn’t belong to her, but the bright blue screen alight with a prominent, untouched command was far too tempting to ignore.

PROCEED WITH LOCAL CORE REPAIR? _Y / N

Her eyes glanced back to the lifeless core at the receptacle behind the display glass with a sort of tender curiosity. Although it didn’t look as broken as some of the other discarded cores perched atop workstations did, It would be interesting to see what exactly a core repair with this one entailed. Perhaps it was in internal disrepair? With all the machinery looming over it, it was bound to be an interesting sight -- considering the intricacies Aperture seemed to be remarkably good at with its advanced robotics.

Her eyes glanced back to the lifeless core at the receptacle behind the display glass with a sort of tender curiosity. Although it didn’t look as broken as some of the other discarded cores perched atop workstations did, It would be interesting to see what exactly a core repair with this one entailed. Perhaps it was in internal disrepair? With all the machinery looming over it, it was bound to be an interesting sight -- considering the intricacies Aperture seemed to be remarkably good at with its advanced robotics.

She loomed a finger over the enter key, glancing back at the screen with mild intrigue. It wasn't often she came around these parts -- why not get a quick look at the assembly process before heading back? It was far too tempting an opportunity to pass up.

Pressing the enter key without a second thought, the screen immediately flickered to life, generators and unused machinery suddenly humming with activity at the received command.

// INITIATING REPAIR AND TRANSFER TO LOCAL CORE I_D_S_003 WARNING: DO NOT SHUT DOWN.

Paying little heed to the activation message on the screens, Chell’s gaze drifted over to the empty core in the repair receptacle, watching with rapt attention as the bundle of wires connected to the core’s internal components twitched with an electrical current, sparks emitting from the roused repair machinery at work. The intricate drills that descended down to the core whirred with activity, making quick work in disassembling and repairing the core’s inner mechanical parts in a matter of minutes. She’d even rested her elbow against the desk, resting her chin in the palm of her hand whilst she took in the sight with interest -- almost admiring the bot’s quick handiwork.

It would’ve definitely made for an intriguing sight, if not for the words that suddenly flashed across the computer screen when the repair was done.

REPAIR COMPLETE. TRANSFER SUCCESSFUL. CORE ONLINE. . . // REBOOTING CORE 003: INTELLIGENCE_DAMPENING _SPHERE

Wait -- What?

A breath immediately hitched in her throat at the display, the folder still tucked underneath her arm nearly spilled from her faltered grip, almost scattering across the floor if she hadn’t grabbed them from falling right away. The loading bar on the screen showed a half-completed booting sequence and immediately, Chell panicked. Her eyes went wide with alarm, quickly scrambling back to the control panel with heart-pounding haste. Oh God, what had she just done?

Carelessly tossing the manilla file somewhere on the surface of the desk, Chell immediately scanned over the series of buttons and triggers coterminous with the bright display screens above. She frantically searched for something -- anything that would terminate the process. Her fingers jabbed at every accessible button in front of her, hoping it would reverse or undo the activation sequence.

But she barely had the time to figure it out or even comprehend what was happening before the core’s optic came alive with a familiar bright blue glow. And for a moment, her eyes locked onto the uncomfortably familiar sight with bated breath. Her hands faltered at the controls, dread falling upon her quicker than it took to breathe.

With a sharp intake of breath, Chell reached for the file and swept it up in her hands, struggling to tear her eyes away from the core behind the glass. Should she just flee and pretend this never happened? That sounded like a good option. What use would the core be trapped behind a glass wall -- not to mention, stuck in the terminal? If she couldn’t reverse this mess, than she could just walk away and pretend it never happened.

And she absolutely could, too. She damn well had the chance.

But she didn’t. She stood her ground, lingering undecided like a deer caught in the headlights. What was she thinking? She couldn't walk away from this.

She needed to do something.

[sweet-christabel]

A Trusted Friend In Science

FF.net: (x) AO3: (x)

Chapter Thirty-Five - 2035. Return.

Doug barely had time to yell before Chell disappeared in a flash of excruciatingly bright light. He squeezed his eyes shut with a brief exclamation of pain. Barely a second later, the room dimmed beyond his eyelids, but it took a moment for his vision to return to normal. The ship was gone, along with the gangplank and the two workbenches that had been closest to it. Chell was gone too.

He felt numb. Knees giving out, he sank down, lowering Wheatley to the floor. His mind raced as he tried to process everything that had happened. It had happened far too fast, had stolen his breath. She was gone.

She was gone, and he had no idea what to do.

He felt a sudden urge for the companion cube’s silent support, but he’d left it in the back of Gordon’s truck. He was lost. All his plans for the future had involved her in some way. How was he supposed to go on alone?

But then there was a cough.

He looked up with wide eyes, acute hope elbowing its way past his defences, halting all coherent thoughts.

A pair of hands reached up to grip the edge of the dry dock. Chell hauled herself up on wobbly arms, soaked to the skin and shaking badly.

Doug shot clumsily to his feet, accidentally kicking a yelping Wheatley in his haste to help her. Ironically, the dry dock was full of water, the surrounding area wet. Chell’s trembling limbs were making it difficult for her to scramble up, and he clutched her arms, helping her pull herself out of the dock. She was breathing hard, looking to be teetering on the outskirts of shock. Heart in his mouth, he placed a hand either side of her face, studying her stunned expression.

“Chell,” he said in a choked voice. “Are you hurt?”

She shook her head slightly, muttering, “Bruised.”

Letting her go, Doug shrugged out of his jacket, draping it around her shoulders. She clutched it, nodding her thanks.

Gordon appeared in his peripheral vision, and he turned to see what the bespectacled man had to say.

“Get her outside,” he ordered quietly. “The sun’s still pretty warm for this time of year.”

Doug nodded in agreement, reaching out to help Chell to her feet. Before they could stand, however, an irate Kleiner stormed up, followed by Alyx, who was plainly trying to calm him down.

“What have you done?” Kleiner demanded, glaring angrily at Chell. “Do you have any idea of the time and research that went into that thing? The experiments aboard are–”

Doug lashed out with a growl of irritation. “Back off, old man!”

Chell’s hand on his arm stopped him from saying anything more, but there was a glint of amusement in her eyes.

Gordon stepped in to talk evenly with Kleiner, giving them an opportunity to leave the hangar. The sun was gentle on their skin as they left the shadow of the doorway, and Chell turned her face towards it, eyes closed. Doug sat with his back against the wall, knees bent, while Chell settled between his legs. He traced paths up and down her arms, trying to warm them.

“It was like before,” she mumbled, breaking the peaceful silence away from Kleiner’s ranting.

“Before?”

“When I…shot a portal on the moon and I was pulled out. The only thing I had to hang on to was Wheatley.” Her voice grew quieter as she recalled. “I never told you this, but right before GLaDOS saved me, Wheatley…told me to let go.”

Doug glanced at her in disbelief, a sharp flare of anger darting in the pit of his stomach. “He did what?”

“He panicked,” she explained with an awkward shrug. “That’s no excuse, I know, and I still find it hard to forgive him, but…he doesn’t handle panic very well.”

“Even still, that doesn’t mean he gets to order you to die.”

Chell nodded in acknowledgement. “I know. But it’s done. I only mentioned it because this time he yelled at me to hang on. After you did it first, admittedly, but he did it. But even still…it just brought all those memories rushing back. I fell unconscious almost immediately after GLaDOS dragged me in the last time, I never had time to really deal with what I’d gone through. So this time…” She shivered violently, and Doug pulled her closer. “I guess that’s why I can’t stop shaking now. I wasn’t in the water long enough for it to have an effect like this.”

“It’s okay,” he soothed her.

At his words, she shook her head, and he turned her face towards him with one hand.

“It is,” he assured her, meeting her gaze. “You’re the strongest, most tenacious person I’ve ever met,” he told her, drawing a smile. “But it’s okay for you to feel like this. Everyone does sometimes. It’s not weakness, it’s your body dealing with what it needs to deal with in its own way so that you can carry on being strong.”

“And I haven’t had a near-death experience in a while,” Chell put in quietly.

“Uh…no, I guess you haven’t,” Doug agreed. “Which is…always good.”

Chell gave a snort of laughter, resting her head on his shoulder.

“I was so lucky,” she said thoughtfully after a moment of silence. “The portal closed just before it would have pulled me through. I think the water pouring in knocked me off course.”

 Doug said nothing, his mouth set in a grim line as he considered what might have happened, what almost had happened but for circumstances. They sat in silence for a long while, until Chell’s trembling lessened, then stopped altogether.

“Are you okay?” he asked her when she fidgeted and sat upright.

She nodded, wrinkling her nose. “My butt is wet,” she complained.

Doug raised his eyebrows. “Not really sure how I can help with that. You’d better hope that Kleiner will let you use his shower.”

Chell shot him a wry look. “After you shouted at him and called him an old man?”

He grimaced, already regretting his brief annoyance. “I probably shouldn’t have done that,” he admitted.

“It’s okay,” Chell said with a grin. “It was very…chivalrous.”

By the time that the others joined them, Kleiner had calmed down enough to listen to what the former Aperture employees had to say. Despite his obvious interest in Wheatley, (who did not seem to appreciate being fawned over), his face was pinched in a steady expression of disapproval, which only let up when Chell invited him to the labs. Taking advantage of his apparent intrigue, she took the opportunity to ask about the shower. While she was gone, Doug told Kleiner all about GLaDOS, making sure to leave nothing out. If Kleiner, Gordon and Alyx were going to insist on accompanying them to Aperture, he wanted to make sure they did so with their eyes open.

The plan worked a little too well. Already impressed by Wheatley’s technology, Kleiner was unable to contain his fascination with Aperture, and spent the entire journey talking about it, pausing only for food, sleep, and necessary human functions. By the time the group reached Ishpeming, Doug could have quite happily strangled him. Chell kept diplomatically silent, but he could sense her annoyance. Wheatley, who spent the journey perched on Doug’s lap, was suspiciously quiet too, clearly disliking the fact that he was no longer the mouthiest personality in the vehicle.

They attracted a lot of attention when they drove into Ishpeming. Doug wasn’t at all surprised by that. There were few cars in the town, and none that looked like Gordon’s modified Jeep. Still, the thought of the blur of faces peering at them all when they emerged had him grimacing. His medication kept him clear-headed, but large crowds still made him nervous, and he avoided being the centre of attention where possible.

At Chell’s direction, Gordon pulled up not far from Trevor and Gerry’s house, and the group scrambled out of the car, stretching their stiff limbs. Doug glanced around for familiar faces, spotting curtains moving in several windows. Then the front door opened, revealing Gerry’s frowning countenance. Doug offered him an awkward wave, and the older man’s expression cleared at once.

“Doug?” he called out. “It is Doug, isn’t it?”

He wasn’t sure if Gerry was having trouble recognising him or if he had forgotten his name, but he smiled warmly. “It is.”

“I thought so! We never thought we’d see you again.” Leaving the front door open, Gerry jogged over.

“There’s some business to clear up,” Doug explained. “At Aperture.”

Gerry nodded in understanding. “Well, you know Trevor and I considered leaving after what you told us, but this is our home. We decided to take our chances. And truthfully, nothing’s really happened since you left. Brad and Trish went out looking for the entrance to Aperture, but they couldn’t find it.”

“Good,” Doug said succinctly, frowning.  

Gerry sent him a smile. “I know. You told them not to. Did you come alone or did you bring lovely…”

Chell jumped out of the back seat right on cue, prompting Gerry’s grin to widen.

“Chell!”

She beamed back. “Hi, Gerry.”

“You can talk!” he exclaimed, making her laugh. “Oh, that’s wonderful!”

“It’s certainly easier than writing everything down.”

He appraised them both with a searching glance. “You both look well,” he commented, sounding pleased about the fact.

“We are, thanks,” Chell replied. “Although,” she added with a shrug, “it wouldn’t be hard to improve on how you first saw us.”

“Well, I didn’t like to say,” Gerry shot back, eyes twinkling. “Neither of you are bleeding this time, so I’ll take that as a plus.”

They shared a laugh, then Gerry froze, his mouth falling open in stunned surprise.

“Is that…? Oh my god, it is!”

Chell and Doug exchanged an amused look.

“Gordon Freeman!”

Gordon turned at the mention of his name, hiding his pained expression admirably well. He gave Gerry a cordial nod.

“Ohmygosh!” Gerry squeaked, hurrying around the car to shake Gordon enthusiastically by the hand. “Mr. Freeman, I am such a huge fan. It’s an honour to meet you.”

“Thank you,” Gordon muttered politely.

Chell stepped up to Gerry’s side, cutting in and stealing his attention to give Gordon a few moments’ grace. “We’re all heading to Aperture in the morning. We were hoping you’d know of a place we could crash for the night.”

Gerry managed to tear his star-struck gaze away just long enough to tell them about a new guesthouse that a friend of his had opened. The group followed him to a large house in good condition, its open doorway guarded by a sleepy-eyed cat. They fully expected to trade work or goods for their rooms, but Gerry’s friend settled happily for Gordon’s autograph. Alyx quietly fumed about the attention, knowing how much Gordon hated it, but Kleiner seemed openly amused. Doug felt a pang of sympathy for the famous man, but he couldn’t deny that it was a good price to pay for three rooms.

They all gathered in the dining room in the morning for breakfast and disputes. It had been decided that Chell and Doug would leave Wheatley with Trevor and Gerry, but Gordon was arguing that Alyx should also stay. Alyx was, of course, in vehement disagreement. Doug sat cradling his coffee cup between his palms, listening to them fight it out while trying to seem invisible. An equally silent Chell and Kleiner had apparently decided on the same tactic.

“I’m not trying to belittle you,” Gordon said for the third time, his quiet voice weary. “I just think we need to put the baby first.”

Alyx pulled a disapproving face, but she seemed to be in partial agreement. Her hand hovered over the bump beneath her shirt even as she stood up for her independence.

“I know better than anyone how capable you are,” Gordon went on gently. “But we said things would change when we became parents. This is one of them.”

“I’m not far along enough for it to make drastic differences to my lifestyle,” said Alyx.

“No, but if this place can be as dangerous as Doug and Chell have said, I don’t want you or the baby anywhere near it.”

Alyx opened her mouth to retort, but the newest Freeman took matters into their own hands and stopped the argument in its tracks. Alyx gave a gasp, pressing her palm to her stomach.

“What?” Gordon said, instantly on alert.

“It kicked,” Alyx told him, eyes wide. “It’s never done that before.”

She seized Gordon’s hand, placing it on the spot where the baby had made its presence known. Gordon smiled as he felt it.

“I think our child agrees with me,” he said softly. “Don’t you?”

Alyx gave a heavy sigh, but nodded. “Okay, fine. I’ll stay here. Happy?”

“Yes.”

She glanced away, and Doug tried to look engrossed in his coffee, aware that Chell was doing something similar next to him.

Wheatley spoke up from his position in the fruit bowl. “You’re definitely leaving me behind, right?”

Doug nodded. “Yes, don’t worry.”

“Oh, I wasn’t worried, mate, wasn’t worried. Just, uh, you know, wondering.”

“Of course,” Doug said dryly.

Following Wheatley’s accidental talent at ice-breaking, chatter started up around the table. Doug turned to Chell.

“What about you?” he asked quietly. “Are you worried?”

Chell swallowed the mouthful of toast that she was chewing, turning to him with a thoughtful expression. “Um…no, I don’t think so. I’m wary, but not worried exactly.”

He nodded in understanding. “I feel the same way. Sort of…anxious to get going and get it over with.”

“Yes, exactly.”

“Do you think we can find that hut again?” he spoke up, swirling the dregs of his coffee around his mug.

“Guess we’ll find out,” Chell said with a shrug. “It’s not like we have a choice anyway, GLaDOS specifically told us to go in that way. There must be some structural issues with main reception.”

“I, uh, think that might’ve been my fault,” put in Wheatley. “From when I was…redecorating. It’s entirely possible that I may have accidentally melted the stairs in that part of the facility.”

“Melted the stairs?” Doug repeated incredulously. “How do you accidentally melt something? You know what, I don’t want to know.”

“Actually it was for security reasons.”

“Security reasons?” Chell queried, one eyebrow raised.

“Yeah. I thought if anyone tries to break in, a whopping great hole in the floor would be a good deterrent. I tried to move the stairs elsewhere, but it didn’t quite work out. Turns out the incinerator doesn’t make for a good storage room.”

“No kidding,” Chell muttered.

“Oh, don’t mock me, lady,” Wheatley said irritably. “You’re just sitting there smugly with your cup of…whatever that is, you’ve never tried to run a bloody massive science facility, have you? You’ve never, y’know, thought to yourself ‘you know what, there’s this great big room with loads of free space, perhaps I could store things in it’, then found out that said room is actually full of fire. Melted six flights of stairs, two small offices, and a bunch of water coolers that were just hanging around. Bit of a pain, really. I had plans for those.”

Chell backed down with a quirk of an eyebrow, choosing not to ask what sort of plans involved multiple water coolers. She fell silent for the remainder of the meal, clearly lost in her own reflections in anticipation of the trip ahead. Doug found himself doing the same, although he chose not to dig too deeply. He was afraid of what he might find.

Before long, they were bidding Alyx and Wheatley farewell and climbing back into Gordon’s car. Alyx’s expression was once of severe disapproval, but she didn’t argue.

“If you can’t talk to this thing, kill it,” she commanded firmly. “I’m not bringing up a half Freeman child on my own.”

Gordon valiantly repressed his smile, nodding instead. “Deal.”

Wheatley eyed Chell and Doug with a small, nervous movement. “Um…just…be careful, I suppose. And, uh…maybe tell Her that…I’m sorry for what I did.”

“Are you actually sorry or are you just trying to make her stop wanting to kill you?” Chell asked with obvious curiosity.

“Both,” the core answered at once.

Alyx shot him a bemused glance, and he shifted to look up at her.

“What?”

“Nothing,” she replied with a sigh, lightly tapping her fingertips on his outer shell. “At least I’m going to be entertained while we wait, right?”

Gordon starting the engine drowned out Wheatley’s indignant reply. He leaned out of the open window to shoot a quick “See you later” to Alyx.

“You better,” she responded curtly, her tight smile taking the edge off the words.

Gordon nodded to her, then pulled away from the guesthouse. Doug felt a flutter of apprehension as they finally got under way, casting a glance back at where the companion cube sat silently as ever. He didn’t miss having to rely on it, but it did seem quiet without its voice sometimes. Chell wasn’t quite as talkative, although her advice was just as sound, and she put his mind at ease much more effectively.

In the front, Kleiner started up his enthusiastic speculation once again, but as Gordon picked up speed, the rush of wind through the Jeep’s open sides snatched his words away. Doug was grateful for that. He needed to focus on staying calm, and silencing the small part of him that was aghast at the thought of trusting GLaDOS.

If we don’t show trust in her, she has no reason to trust us, he reminded himself.

But at the back of his mind, he knew he would never quite forget who had killed his co-workers, just as he was sure Chell would not forget who killed her father. GLaDOS, he was sure, would not forget their betrayals either. As starting points went, it wasn’t a particularly promising one, but at least they were on somewhat equal footing.

Beside him, Chell was equally quiet, the breeze whipping strands of hair out of her tidy braid and sending them dancing across her face. She scowled but let them be, knowing that trying to tame them would be a losing battle until the car stopped. Her thoughts looked as solemn as his own, and he hoped he hadn’t made a huge error of judgement about GLaDOS’s sincerity.

Well, I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

A/N: I'll be taking a break for a week or so. We're fast approaching the end, and I've reached the point where I don't have chapters already completed, so I'm afraid you'll have to bear with me. Also, I apologise for leaving you with a filler-ish chapter.

Truthfully, work has become incredibly stressful in the last few weeks. I’m not coping at all well. My anxiety has spiked higher than it’s been for a long time, and it’s making it very hard for me to concentrate on creativity or fandom things. I’m doing my best. I will not abandon this story. But I can’t promise weekly updates for the last few chapters.