overpoweredmumu

[overpoweredmumu]

Samantha's eyes flashed with fury as the stranger's rude comment cut through the air, a snide remark that struck a nerve. Without thinking, she lunged at them, fists clenched and ready to strike. Her heart pounded with adrenaline as she closed the distance, her mind focused solely on making them pay for their words. But just as she was about to make contact, a strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back with surprising force. "Samantha, stop!" a voice demanded, dragging her away from the startled person. She struggled against the hold, her anger still burning hot, but the grip was unyielding, forcing her to take a breath and regain control.

Samantha's fury only grew as she was pulled back, and she twisted in the grip, her voice a snarl. "Let me go!" she shouted, her eyes blazing with anger. "You think you can just drag me away? Who do you think you are? I'll take you down, too, if you don't get out of my way!" She strained against the hold, her body tense and trembling with rage.

[overpoweredmumu]

Mina sat at the worn wooden bar of The Drunken Duckling, a cosy pub with dim lighting and the hum of quiet conversations filling the air. Her fingers traced the rim of a half-empty glass of wine, her cheeks flushed with a warmth that hinted she was a little tipsy. She swayed slightly on her stool, a soft, contented smile playing on her lips as she chuckled at a joke the bartender had just made. The amber glow of the old-fashioned lamps above reflected in her eyes, giving them a dreamy, faraway look as she savoured the pleasant haze of the evening.

[overpoweredmumu]

Luna couldn't help but smile at Yunjun's decision. "Florian it is, with Bud as his nickname. I like it."

She noticed his worry and softened her gaze. "I know it's hard to think about, but we have to make sure. If Florian does have owners, we need to find out. If they’re not good to him, we can figure out what to do then. But we have to give them a chance first."

Reaching out, she gently squeezed his shoulder. "We'll take him to the vet and see what they say. No matter what happens, we'll make sure Florian is safe and loved. That's a promise."

She smiled reassuringly. "And hey, if he ends up being ours for good, we’ll make sure he has the best life ever. Deal?"

Yunjun listened to the names that left her lips, coming to circle in his brain. They repeated in his mind, until: "Florian." He said. "But Bud is his nickname!"

He felt pinned by her stare, as if he'd already forgotten to do it - which, honestly, wasn't impossible. "I won't." He promised, with a smile. "Oh." He hadn't even thought about that. "But what if he does have owners and then they're not very good to him."

[overpoweredmumu]

Milo watched Nico, his eyes following the movements of his hands as he signed. With a steadying breath, Milo signed back, his movements deliberate and precise. "Thank you." He appreciated the information about The Duckling Pub, even if it was given reluctantly.

Turning his attention to the supplies, Milo nodded and moved towards the corner cupboard as indicated. He mirrored Nico’s actions, carefully placing the wooden breaking boards in their designated spot. As they worked, Milo glanced back at Nico, grateful for the unexpected kindness. "I owe you one," he signed, a sincere smile on his lips. "Do you know him then? Patrick, that is." The male asked, wondering if he could get some kind of idea of the type of person Patrick was.

Honestly, his surprise was fair. "Quick learner." He signed back, with a small shrug.

Nico waited, and then, when the man's hands moved again, watched his careful signing. Hm. "Shit." He said, aloud. Death was not an easy thing to deal with... and something told Nico if this was an important message from this guy's mother's deathbed, then it probably wasn't a fun thing to pass on. Then, realising he'd only verbalised, he signed: "Shit." Nico paused for a moment, trying to decide what to do. If his brother had asked anything of him before his death, Nico would have done anything he asked, honestly. "Check The Duckling Pub" He told him, against his better judgement. Paddy could handle himself, anyway. And this kid didn't seem like trouble anyway.

He looked around at the rest of the supplies. "Sure." He pointed over towards the corner cupboard. "These go over there." And he grabbed one stacks of the wooden breaking boards from the table.

[overpoweredmumu]

Samantha's eyes flickered with amusement as she followed the direction of his sword. She raised an eyebrow at the assortment of practice weapons, a mixture of disappointment and excitement playing on her features. "Not quite what I was hoping for," she murmured, more to herself than to Nico. "But I can work with it."

With a confident stride, she approached the storage cupboard and surveyed the selection. Her fingers danced over the various options before settling on a wooden sword. She lifted it, testing its weight and balance with a few swift movements. Satisfied, she turned back to Nico, her eyes alight with a dangerous glee.

"Let's see if you can keep me entertained," she smirked. "And don't worry, pretty boy, I’ll make sure to leave you in one piece… mostly." She moved into a ready stance, the wooden sword held with the familiarity of someone who had wielded deadlier weapons countless times before. Her gaze locked onto Nico, a predatory glint in her eyes as she waited for him to make the first move.

Nico's lips lifted at the corner, a smirk finding its way to his face. "Toys, then." It had been so long since he'd had a challenge hand-to-hand... or sword-to-sword. He gestured towards the storage cupboard at the far end of the wall. His sword, with the slightest hint of her blood gleaming at its edge, pointed toward it. "Pick your poison." There wasn't an armory in here - most of the weapons there were wooden or plastic in some regard. He couldn't have children using actual weapons. But there were swords, axes, and bows that were perfectly capable of killing a man... in the right hands.

[overpoweredmumu]

Teddy smiled, nodding at her choice. "A great classic! A powerful feminist book. I could speak about it for days, but I won't chat your ear off, don't worry." He replied, getting the impression she wasn't someone who wanted to be trapped in a conversation with a stranger for longer than needed. "No, as much as I love it, I would say my favourite is Frankenstein."

"Modern, yes, of course. I think I have just the one!" He told her before running his fingers across the books, looking for the one he had in mind. "Aha." He said, pulling it out when he found it. "The Thirteenth Tale. I think you might like this. It's another gothic novel." Teddy turned and walked back to her, passing her the book.

Considering his question for a moment, she thought about the novels that she returned to time and time again. The ones that resonated with her the most. "Jane Eyre." She said, finally, a book she had read many times in her captivity. She resonated with the themes within the book. "Is this your favourite?" She asked after a moment.

Odessa watched as he walked towards the bookcases, scanning the novels that sat upon them. She'd read each of the books that he suggested. If not once, then many times. "I have." She pondered for a moment, before asking: "Is there anything modern?"

[overpoweredmumu]

Luna tried to keep a straight face, an appearance of strictness, but it was hard to keep the fond expression from her face as she saw him smile. "Hmmm," she tilted her head thinking, "What about Cosmos or Bud... Oh, wait! What about Florian... or Basil." Luna bit her lip, struggling to stop herself from just listing and listing possible names. "Do any of those take your fancy?"

She nodded with a smile. "Don't forget!" Luna warned him with a pointed look. I wonder how old he is. It might be worth taking him to the vet, too, to make sure he isn't chipped or something. I would hate to think we are stealing someone's cat."

Yunjun offered a wide, mildly embarrassed smile, a hint of pink tinting his cheeks. He couldn't not feed the little guy. "Yep." He nodded with pride. "It's a boy. I checked."

Yunjun looked at her, then at the cat, who was a little muddy - what with tipping over the plant pot. "Right." He nodded. "Top of the list! I'll bathe it and... no flees. So... I need to go to the petshop, then. And get stuff for it."

[overpoweredmumu]

Luna chuckled, watching her brother's excitement with a fond smile. "Of course, you've already been feeding it," she said, shaking her head in amusement. "I should've known."

She bent down to pick up the cat, cradling it gently in her arms as she considered his suggestion. "Something floral or nature-y, huh?" She scratched the cat under its chin, thinking for a moment. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

She looked at Yunjun smiling. "And since you’re so excited about taking care of it, you can start by giving it a bath later. You need to make sure it's clean and doesn't have flees. Consider it your first official pet owner duty."

Yunjun wasn't sure what he was expecting, but he did expect to have to plead his case a little more. "I'll take care of it." He nodded, smile bursting back onto his face. "I've already been feeding it." He admitted. "But, cleaning. Yep. Got it." He was practically bouncing with energy. They'd never had a pet before. Which, honestly, was probably for the best while they were growing up. It'd have probably ended up buried or something and then they'd have been scarred for life.

He watched as his sister interacted with the cat. "I was thinking we could name it something floral...or like nature-y."

[overpoweredmumu]

Esmerelda managed a small, shaky nod as she listened to Nico. His awkward but sincere attempt to comfort her meant more than he probably realized. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice still trembling. His words, rough around the edges but genuine, struck a chord.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "It's hard not to care about what other people think," she admitted, wiping away the last of her tears. "But I appreciate you saying that. It helps." She glanced around, the cool air and Nico's presence gradually helping her feel more grounded.

"How did you get dragged into this?" she asked softly, wanting some kind of distraction. She took another deep breath, starting to feel a bit more in control.

Nico's eyes moved to take in their surroundings as he listened to her. He wasn't really sure what to do. You couldn't learn this from just watching a video... maybe. Either way, he hadn't. But his gaze returned to her when she confirmed that she didn't want to be alone. He swallowed and nodded. "I'm here." He said, low and squeezing a hint of attempted warmth into his usual void tone. He shook his head. "No." She didn't have to apologise to him. He could suck it up.

"This, for you, is shit. So feel shit." Probably not the trained-response that she should have had. "And don't give a fuck about me. Or anyone else."

[overpoweredmumu]

"And I thought I was supposed to be the smart one. If you take that from me, I'm not sure what I bring to the group," Teddy pouted. "Oh, for sure." He agreed, nodding.

A chuckle fell from his lips as he watched James' display. "Hey now, I never said that! I'm all for fun! I'm just demanding some more love for your old buddy."

"Honestly, I think I've cracked the puzzle." He laughed with a shrug. "I'm sure this is better than whatever shit is outside this wild dream."

"The truth?" James mimed being hit by a bullet and almost committed to the act by falling straight to the floor. But, in the end, he did catch himself. "Okay, okay. I'll be prim and proper James from now on. No fun with Teddy." He offered his friend a wink.

[overpoweredmumu]

Teddy smiled gently, noting the weariness in her eyes. "Wow, so you're a big reader. What's your favourite book?" He asked, hoping that the distraction of talking about books would help ease whatever was troubling her.

"Of course, a recommendation it is." He walked slowly toward the bookcases. "Let's see what we can find." As he reached the shelves, he scanned the titles thoughtfully. "Have you ever read The Hobbit? Or Alice's Adventures in Wonderland? Oh, there's also The Secret Garden."

Odessa nodded carefully, remembering the small collection that counted as a library in Lake Grimstone. They had most of the classics and she'd read through them, finding that being pulled into other worlds - no matter how broken - helped her feel a little less internally broken. "I have lost count." She said, wearily, but offered a small smile too.

She gave a start when the man stood up. Her eyes wide, she watched him. "I..." She looked towards the bookcases, the endless amount of books on offer there and nodded. "A recommendation. Please."

[overpoweredmumu]

Closed Starter: @cxndyflvss

Yara wandered the city like a lost puppy, unable to find rest. Her body refused to be still. Her feet carried her relentlessly through the streets, and her mind constantly raced with thoughts on how to find her baby. Her eyes scanned every face, searching for any sign or clue, any familiar figure from the time she and her baby were taken.

As she walked down a bustling street, she suddenly noticed a familiar face and froze. There he was—Marco, the man she once considered a friend during their harrowing time trapped on Lake Grimstone. Memories of their desperate pact to escape together flooded back. They had sworn to never abandon each other, yet when Marco managed to flee, he left her behind, a betrayal that still stung like salt in an open wound. Anger surged within her, propelling her forward.

Without hesitation, Yara stormed up to Marco and slapped him hard across the face. The sharp sound of the impact silenced the market around them. "You rat bastard! How could you?" Yara spat, her voice trembling with rage and hurt. "We made a pact, Marco! We promised to leave together, or at least to come back for one another!"

[overpoweredmumu]

"In case you can't tell, I'm in the middle of something, so I can't talk. Come back later." Teddy whispered quickly to the person who had just occupied the seat next to him.

[overpoweredmumu]

Teddy adjusted his hat, a mischievous smile playing on his lips as he watched her jump. "Oh, sorry about that! I didn't mean to scare you. I was just passing through," he said, tipping his hat in a playful manner. Don't ask. It would take all day to explain," he stated, referring to the disguise he wore, which could all be traced back to James and Pads.

"Name's Teddy, by the way. Didn't expect to find someone as wired as me this late," he chuckled, eyeing the coffee cups. "I was undercover, but it looks like I might need to switch tactics if I'm giving people heart attacks." He winked, clearly enjoying the chaos he unintentionally caused. "But seriously, maybe ease up on the caffeine before you start typing faster than the speed of light."

         How   many   cups   of   coffee   has   she   had?   More   than   three   …   in   the   last   hour   or   less.   It   was   way   past   time   for   her   to   be   off   of   work, and home where her daughter should be.   Her   fingers   were   still   clicking   and   clacking   on   that   keyboard   though   as   she   entered   papers   into   the   system   by   hand.   She   always   did   it   by   hand.   Just   because   computers   could   always   screw   stuff   up   but   she   believed   that   she   couldn't.   Tamsin   is   buzzed   on   the   caffeine   as   her   eyes   dart   around   the   screens   and   papers.   “OH   MY   GOD!”   she   would   nearly   scream,   hand   immediately   holding   her   heart   as   it   raced   not   only   with   being   startled   but   also   the   caffeine.   “You   scared   the   hell   out   of   me,”

[overpoweredmumu]

Yara looked up at the woman, raising a brow. "Who shit in your Cheerios this morning?" She asked, wondering what had her wound so tight. It was quite possible the stranger was also an escapee, given the state of her face and her mood, but that was no excuse to take her pain or anger out on others who would have been going through the same things. Or there was a possibility she was just a regular guest in the hotel, which made her attitude even less understandable.

         Kaia   is   bitter,   merely   staring   down   at   the   plate   of   breakfast   in   front   of   her   while   she   absentmindedly   picked   at   the   sores   on   her   skin.   Bruised   and   cuts   litter   her   beautiful   tan   skin.   Blood   had   been   washed   away,   but   it   didn't   help   the   scabs   that   were   coming   to   seal   up   the   wounds   for   internal   healing.   There   was   some   form   of   a   pout   on   her   lips,   her   face   looking   sad   or   discouraged.   Her boss had been convinced that the bruises would make her story more realistic and that the so called Saviours would be more sympathetic, then again they're not the one who had to walk around dealing with the pain.    “Shut   up   …   “   Kaia   would   say   randomly   as   she   casts   her   eyes   towards   the other.   ”You're   breathing   too   loud."

[overpoweredmumu]

Yara watched the cat fixate on the crib. She gave a small smile, appreciating the companionship. As the breeze flowed in from the window she'd just opened, the cat's attention shifted, and she saw him leap onto the windowsill, his small body poised to leave.

"Wait," she whispered, her voice breaking. She reached out instinctively, but it was too late. With one last glance at the crib and then at her, the cat slipped through the crack and disappeared into the night. Yara stood frozen, her outstretched hand slowly falling to her side. The room suddenly felt emptier, the silence more profound.

She turned back to the crib, her eyes filling with tears. She walked over, feeling the familiar ache of loneliness settle deep within her chest. She had hoped that maybe, just maybe, this little cat could fill the void, even if only for a short while. But now, she was alone again.

Sinking into the chair beside the crib, Yara stared at the empty space, her thoughts drifting to the baby and James—to the life they could have had. The hope she had briefly felt faded, replaced by the overwhelming sense of loss. "What am I going to do?" she whispered to the stillness, her voice barely audible. The room's emptiness seemed to echo her words, offering no answers, only a reminder of her loneliness.

Finished

James maintained his gaze on the crib. Watching. Waiting to see if he could spot sight of his child, beyond just the little head poking out. Course, he couldn't jump into the crib and move the blankets aside. But, he could hope. And wait. He could hear her open the window, but didn't look up. Only when he felt the breeze come in, did he tear his eyes away from the baby. He needed to leave. If he stayed, he was about to do something stupid. And he shouldn't do anything stupid. He needed to speak to Teddy. And Paddy. Both of them. It was good to get options. So, the moment the coast was clear, he leapt from the drawers he'd been perched on, onto the window sill. With one look back at the baby, and at Yara, he jumped through the crack in the window.

[overpoweredmumu]

Samantha's smile twisted into something darker, feral, as she leaned into the blade slightly, letting it bite just enough to draw a thin line of blood. The pain was a familiar friend, a grounding sensation amidst the chaos that always simmered beneath her surface. "Dealer's choice, pretty boy," she purred, her voice dripping with anticipation before stepping back. The thin line of blood on her neck was a stark contrast against her pale skin. "Let’s see if you can keep up." Her eyes never left his, the challenge clear.

Nico looked up at the new addition to the room, and tilted his head. "Hm." Something about her tone and the look in her eyes made him both sure that she was not joking and that she underestimated his own abilities. That intrigued him. More so, even, when she stepped closer to him, allowing the metal to graze her skin. So close it might have scared any onlookers. Hell, it might have scared him if he were not so interested in her offering.

"Do you want to play with toys, or hand-to-hand?" He asked her, straight to the point as ever. He allowed his sword to remain against her skin, as he asked the question.