#And that nothing hints at the existence of this lake more than someone being able to take joy in or find value

[featureenvyproductions]

Going to forever keep advertising my shit with tropes because do I have to? No. Am I too "stupid" to do it another way? No, not really. And as you've all seen, I also am perfectly capable of writing real blurbs and do write real blurbs. But I think it's fun to make the pic with the tropes anyway and have that around too. And also it keeps the pretentious people away. The sort who don't understand reading is not always for taking a "discomfort" vitamin because they A) are privileged enough to not have discomfort every day of their life to need to escape from or B) are fresh out of college and haven't discovered the joys of/have been shamed OUT of reading as a fun low pressure thing they can do to escape when they're fucking tired (and they think this sort of thing is new with fanfic and not more or less how "trash" lit like romance novels are marketed), as opposed to reading as some sort of Moral Duty To Be Deep that was instilled in them by a middle aged straight white English professor who thinks one can fulfill this by writing 10 pages about books where people scream at each other, have affairs with young women, or Make Up A Guy to warn people about things that Could Happen (that *cough* already happen to marginalized people *cough*) Anyway it's my version of a scarecrow. Firing shots to keep the rent low. Come take a seat next to me in the dumpster my fellow raccoons.

[heimdallsbraids]

Blood of Mine | Ch. 2 (Heimdall x fem!reader)

Summary: Life is pretty simple. Survive the harsh conditions of Fimbulwinter in Midgard, trade with your dwarven friends in Svartalfheim and – avoid the shit out of Odin’s most loyal lapdog? If word reaches the All-Father about your blood-bending origins, you’re doomed… (Hints of Avatar: TLA, but not a crossover)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Profanity, mentions of death

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Chapter Two: The Offer

As much as you hated it, shivering underneath layers upon layers of clothing was becoming second nature to you as you slowly plodded your way across the frozen Lake of Nine with two freshly caught rabbits slung over your shoulder. It was a lot less than what you wanted – no, expected – from today’s hunt, but it’s not like you would’ve been able to hike a deer all the way back to camp without your sled.

Thanks to your father, he’d all but given it away to a couple of raiders during your last visit to Svartalfheim, ultimately leaving you with no form of transport around Midgard. No form of transport meant a hell of a lot more work for you to keep the trade afloat.

“Sure, Dad. Just donate the sled. I mean, why the Hel would we need that piece of crap anyway?” You mumbled under your breath. “Should’ve just stayed in Niðavellir and worked for Durlin full-time – perhaps toss a cup of mead in that stupid Aesir prick’s face the next time he visits.”

Several weeks had gone by since your unfortunate run-in with Heimdall in Svartalfheim, and you hadn’t been back since. Durlin had become mighty antsy that another event like that would happen and had all but forbade you to return so as to let it blow over. You attempted to voice your protest by visiting the realm the very next day, but you only made it a few steps out of the mystic gateway before you were shoved right back in and sent on your merry way. You understood why he was being this way, but it didn’t make it any less frustrating.

He was one of the only souls who knew your mother, Randi, personally before she died. She was a powerful Valkyrie who served under the former queen Freya many years ago before she was killed in the midst of battle - or so you'd been told. You were only young when it happened, but it left a gaping hole in your heart that could never quite be filled.

Frankly, to this day, you have no idea how your father managed to land someone like her, but here you are - and wielding a dangerous power thought to no longer exist, at that: blood-bending. An extremely rare power it was; the ability to control a person or being from within, to tear them down from the inside as if they were nothing but a clump of wet sand. As far as you knew, your mother didn’t harness those same powers but rather passed them down through a long line of descendants – and even that was difficult to get a grasp on.

Unfortunately, this paints a giant red target upon your back for power-hungry people like Odin. If he were to get his hands on you, especially during this fragile window before Ragnarök, you and many others were doomed.

Luckily, no one but a tight-knit group of family and friends – including Durlin and Lúnda – knew of your circumstance, having taken an oath the moment your mother discovered the power flowing within your veins. But that didn’t make it impossible to find out if one dug deep enough. Hence, why you are lying low in Midgard under the guise of being a simple, mortal tradeswoman. With a few dwarven friends, of course. Your Vanir roots were practically non-existent to those who didn’t know you, and that was just the way you liked it.

“Dad?” You called upon making it to the cave where your crew had set up camp. Waving to the few who noticed your arrival, you quickly headed to where your shared tent was. You called out once more, basking in the warm glow of the fire outside, “Hey, you in there?”

A groan of ‘mm in ‘ere,’ was your only confirmation before the retching sounds began.

You grimaced, “Ugh… when is this ever gonna stop?”

As expected, there was no response to your jab, only more retching. The soft part of you considered heading inside and comforting him with some water and a small serving of soup to regain his strength, but that thought was immediately snuffed out the second you laid today’s excuse for a hunt on the makeshift bench near the tent.

Gonna have to go hunting tomorrow, too, you grumbled inwardly.

You set to work skinning and preparing the rabbits for the camp cook. It should suffice for a couple of days’ worth of rations if everyone spaced it out, but they weren’t exactly on the large side, so you weren’t holding your breath. You were in the midst of fixing up a flask of fresh water when a familiar voice floated through the camp.

Shock coloured your features once you spotted the culprit, “Durlin?”

He looked relieved to see you as he marched past a handful of curious locals, ignoring their puzzled expressions. He never visited the camp. Hel, even Midgard was a rare outing for him these days, the dwarf all too happy to stay nice and cosy in his home realm.

“How’s Björn?” He asked, finally reaching your workstation.

“Throwing up.” Your lips formed a thin line. “Now, why are you really here?”

“Straight to the point, eh?” He muttered, looking around before voicing lowly, “Something’s come up. I need you to come back with me.”

You folded your arms across your chest, quirking a brow at him. “I thought I wasn’t permitted.”

“I wouldn’t be asking if it wasn’t… urgent.” He pressed, glancing around once again. Come to think of it, he did look more rattled than usual.

“It can’t wait?”

He shook his head.

“… Fine,” you conceded. “You’re lucky I like you.”

He anxiously waited as you readied yourself, choosing to poke his head inside the tent to greet your dad. Disgust was written over his face as you finished packing your things and left the meat with the cook. The trek to the mystic gate felt longer than usual, your short friend barely uttering a word as he ushered you in.

“Are you going to tell me what’s happening, or are we playing some sort of guessing game?” You asked, blinking rapidly as your eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight of Svartalfheim.

“There’s someone who wants to meet you.”

“You’re being awfully cryptic, you know?”

His expression remained grim as he led you straight to the southern docks, bypassing his home and the safety office. A tall figure stood with their back to you, all on their lonesome as they observed the calm blue waves lapping at the jetty. A dark brown cape with green and gold accents flowed over their shoulders, granting them a mysterious air of superiority. Upon hearing your footsteps, they turned around. It was an older man you didn’t recognise. With an eyepatch.

You glanced down to Durlin. "The Hel?"

He only shook his head.

The confusion on your face must’ve been clear as day because he regarded you with a light chuckle.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why I’ve asked to meet you. The name’s Odin.” It suddenly felt like a stone was lodged inside your throat. He continued, “Your friend here tells me you’re struggling to make a living. Something about your father?”

“Yep.” You responded, narrowed eyes never once leaving Durlin’s, even as he looked anywhere else but at you.

Odin sidled forward, placing a gentle hand on the dwarf’s shoulder. “Now, now, no need for the hostility. Durlin was simply worried for your wellbeing.”

“Sure,” you offered, finally regarding the taller man with a forced smile. “But I’ve managed this long on my own. I’m sure I can hold out a little longer.”

He chuckled once again, “Determined. I like that.”

He placed his hands on his hips, a tiny grin stretched across his lips as he regarded the water once again. You couldn’t help but stare. For some reason, you’d had a grander image of the God painted in your head. Perhaps taller? Less old-looking even though he had centuries upon centuries on you.

“I wanted to offer you a place working with my merchants in Asgard, perhaps expanding the trade when the time is right. I’ve heard you’re pretty nifty in the kitchen, too. Lord knows Gladsheim could use a little shake-up with the food.”

Your mouth fell open. Just how much has Durlin blabbed about you? Here you were, weeks with no communication whatsoever between the two of you, and now all of a sudden Odin himself was inviting you back to Asgard with him? As a chef, no less?

No… this is bad news. I’ve got to stay away from him. You eyed the dwarf beside you once again. I’m gonna have a stern chat with this little shit as soon as-

Your chaotic train of thought was interrupted. “Having doubts? To sweeten the deal, I’m more than happy to discuss a working wage – with enough to send home for your father, of course.”

He had you there. Money was a constant problem over recent years, what with your father draining most of it away on his pick of poison. That, and his lack of assistance with the trade certainly didn’t help either.

You mulled it over carefully. He didn’t seem to know who you were other than the fact that you were a struggling Midgardian with Durlin as a friend. Perhaps it couldn’t hurt to give it a try - if only to get you and your father out of the sticks?

“I’ll give it a shot.” You agreed, but before he could say anything else, you added, “On one condition.”

“You name it.”

“I, uh, I could do with some new clothes. Mine are kind of…” you trailed off, scratching at the back of your neck in embarrassment.

“Consider it done,” he smiled, reaching over to place an arm on your shoulders. “Shall we head off then?”

Durlin’s worried face was the last thing you saw before you were enveloped in a dark flurry of screeching ravens.

[calummss]

Time | Gilbert Blythe

masterlist

summary: time can fix a lot of things if you let it

words: 1.5K

requested by: anon

It’s been six months since Gilbert Blythe left. Six months without the boy you love so dearly. Six months without your friend. Gilbert had made short notice plans only days after his father’s funeral. When John Blythe died it felt like a never ending fog swept across Avonlea. You remember Mr. Blythe from your childhood. He was a very kind man that took good care of you, so when the news of his passing had arrived at your parent’s house you felt a heavy pit in your stomach. You were saddened by his death and couldn’t imagine what Gilbert was going through and sent him a pie the same day, knowing he would have a hard time preparing food for himself. It has been months since you attended the funeral and you remember it like it was yesterday.

‘Y/N dear, make sure to wear your black straw hat.’ your mother called up to your room.

You grabbed your hat and gently placed it on your head not wanting to mess up your curls. You took one last look in your mirror and hurried downstairs to see your father, mother and younger brother waiting for you. You quickly grabbed your shoes and tied them up.

‘I sure hope Gilbert’s okay,’ you spoke into the room feeling uneasy about the next couple of hours.

‘You’ll be able to see for yourself once we arrive.’ your mother said, adjusting your hat. She placed her hands and your shoulder and smiled.

‘Come one now, the carriage is waiting.’ your father announced and opened the door to reveal a coat of snow that painted the countryside. You stomped through the snow and sat yourself to the far left of the carriage as your mother, father and brother followed. The coachman lightly whipped the horse and you were on your way. When you arrived at the Blythe’s family burial site you saw the carriage that pulled Mr. Blythe’s casket towards the hole. You also saw Gilbert leading the line of people. You saw the pain in his eyes. His sparkly brown eyes were now dull, and glossed with his salty tears. His cheerful smile with those dimples you so loved, disappeared and weren’t to be seen. His posture was slouched and his head hanging from his shoulders on a thread. Your family and you respectfully walked up to the crowd that was gathered for a prayer in honour of his father. You saw Anne, Diana, Ruby, Jane, Tillie and Josie, all spread out throughout the crowd. You locked eyes with Anne and gave her a warm quick smile before turning away. When the service was over everyone gathered at the Gilbert House for some tea and conversation. You stood next to your mother, plate in your hands but you weren’t in the mood to eat. You set it aside and walked around the house to look for Gilbert. He probably needed someone to talk to. Once you searched around the house and almost gave up, you saw him outside in the front yard. You grabbed your coat, scarf and hat and rushed down the front steps.

‘Gilbert!’ you yelled after him.

Gilbert turned around with a surprised face, yet his eyes still carried his sadness within.

‘Are you leaving?’ you pushed your hands deeper into your pockets.

‘I can’t stand being in that house. Everyone wants to comfort me but I just want to be left alone.’ he confessed.

His hat draped over his forehead making it hard to make out his facial expression.

‘Where are you going?’ you asked him as he didn’t seem to stop walking.

‘I don’t know, the lake perhaps.’

‘May I join?’

He nodded and continued to look straight ahead.

After some time you arrived at the small lake in the forest you always went to after school in the summer. Everyone would meet up to bathe in the sun kissed water but everyone was happy and enjoying themselves. Today’s occasion was the opposite. You sat on a tree trunk and pulled your gloves from your pockets. Gilbert sat next to you and stared at the frozen water. He found comfort among the empty woods. You felt like giving him alone time and told him that you were going back to the house. That was the last time you saw Gilbert. Days after he packed his things and left on a ship. He left a note with a few details so that Avonlea wouldn’t erupt in fear of a murder or some sort.

During the first three months you would leave letters at Gilbert’s house in case he came back unannounced; just like he left, but you stopped soon after, after you realised that he wouldn’t be coming back for a long time.

You were peacefully sleeping in your bed when a loud thud awoke you. Your eyes were squinted due to the sun rays shining on your face. You got out of bed and started to get ready. Anne would be arriving any minute now. You always walked to school together. It was safer and more fun. When you rushed out of the door you saw Anne waiting on your doorsteps with an extra bottle of milk. You walked to school and noticed a large crowd gathered in front of the doors. Noticing the rest of the girl you walked up to them to ask what was going on.

‘Ruby!’ you called out and saw her spin around with a big smile on her face. ‘What’s going on?’

‘It’s Gilbert!’ she cheered loudly.

Your eyes went wide as you stared back at Anne. She had the same look painted across her face.

‘What do you mean ‘Gilbert’?

‘My uncle who works at The White Sands Hotel said that Gilbert passed through the place. Supposedly he was working on a ship!’ Ruby’s face was gleaming with joy. ‘He was covered in coal ashes.’

‘Is, Is Gilbert here? At school?’ you asked intriguingly.

‘I haven’t been inside but I don’t believe so. He’s probably at home.’ Diana chimed in.

You had to see him. You just had to. Knowing he was back and not knowing if he’d part again you ran back towards the forest. You made your way through the foggy woods and ran up to Gilbert’s house. You went up to the door and knocked on the door like your life depended on it. A few seconds later a man, whom you’ve never seen before opened the door.

‘Hello, who are you.’ he said in a strong accent.

‘Is Gilbert here?’

‘Yes, he is.’ the man smiled at you before he shouted at the top of his lungs. ‘Gilbert! There’s a girl wanting to talk to you.’

‘I’ll just come in.’ you smiled before slipping through the door.

‘Y/N?’ Gilbert sounded surprised. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘What are you doing here?’ mimicked him.

‘It’s good to see you.’

Gilbert seemed happier than the last time you saw him. His teary eyes were now filled with joy. He seemed...okay, and you didn’t want to take that away from him but he couldn’t just show up and pretend like nothing happened.

‘Why did you leave?’

Gilbert’s back stiffened and shifted onto his other leg. He looked down at the floor not making eye contact with you.

‘Can you at least look at me.’ a hint of disappointment and annoyance coating your words.

‘I needed to get away from here.’

‘You left without a goodbye and you left without telling anyone. Do you know what it feels like? To see your friend leave you behind?’ you raised your voice. ‘You could’ve at least told me. I didn’t know when you were coming back. I thought you left me!’

‘Y/N, I’m sorry but I wasn’t in a good headspace and needed distance from this god forsaken town.’ he stormed past you. The man that had answered the door was long gone. Only the presence of the two of you filled the cold house.

‘Distance from me?’

‘I never said that.’ his irritated voice erupted from the back of the pantry.

‘Sounds like it to me!’ you yelled back, angrily stomping after him.

‘Why are you picking a fight with me, Y/N.?’

‘A fight?’ you stared at him in disbelief. ‘Picking a fight with you? I came over because Ruby was swooning over your return and I came here to make sure it was true. To-see-if -my-friend-who-left-me-without-a-trace-of his-existence-came-back!’ you snapped in one breath.

You had enough and quite frankly didn’t know what to do anymore. The person you loved so dearly had hurt you in a way that you couldn’t understand. Gilbert sat down at his wooden table and stared at you for a few seconds before talking.

‘What can I do?’ he said.

‘What can you do? I don’t know, what can you?’

‘Y/N, I’m serious. I don’t want this friendship to end over this.’

‘You think I want this? I’m just upset that you left me if you hadn’t noticed.’

‘Please tell me what I can do.’ he pleaded out.

He stood up and took your hands into his. His brown eyes stared into your as your breath hitched.

‘I-I don’t know.’ you confess as you slid your hands out of his and turned your back towards him. ‘Nothing can fix this except time.’

You walked towards the door looking back at Gilbert once more.

‘Time can fix a lot of things if you let it.’

[eyeless-cunt]

taking advantage of the fact that the request are open haha, how would the creepypastas react if they killed their s/o accidentally? thnks love, much love 4 u

you woke up and and chose enternal suffering

TW: Death of the reader, blood, gore, angst, depressive thoughts, hintings of panic attacks, mentions of suicide,....necrophilia....?, mentions of pills, paranoia, delusions :), ect.

Jeffery:

I'm Honestly not even sure how he could have accidentally killed you? He never takes you with him when he goes out to...do his things. He certainly never raised a knife towards you and he would never kill you out of anger. So how did this even happen?

He blacked out. He was just sitting with you, laughing about nothing important. That's all he can remember. So where are you? And whose blood is he covered in right now? It's brown and crumbly, signiling that it's been a good few hours since he came into contact with it. Where are you? He wants to see you, ask what happened. He never even noticed he was holding a knife washed in blood until he stood up, the object falling from his loose hand. Did he kill someone? When? Where? Where's the body? Where are you? Is this a dream? Where are you? He turns in circles, looking for a body. Where are you? He smells that familair scent in the air--that smell that arises from the corpses he mutilates. Where are you? He peeks behind a close by tree, expecting to see a random stranger of whom may have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Where are you?

THERE YOU ARE

Wobbiling legs, vacant eyes, a shaky hand outstretched towards an all too familar body. Why are you here? What's wrong with you? Shaky breaths, his heart that seems to stop for a whole few seconds--and suddenly—all too suddenly, the realization of what he's done hits him so hard he loses the feeling in his legs, falling beside your weeping corpse as you stare him in the eyes, filling him with a sense of glorified dread. The emotions that his brain can't seem to comprehend are flooding in all at once and far too fast, crippiling him with something that escaped him the night he killed his family. How did this happen? Why? What? Confusion and horror seeps into his bones and shoots him down, peircing his lungs in a way that leaves him gasping for air that he just can't seem to hold onto.

Jane:

She was just too obsessed. She went too far without looking around at her surroundings. Her hunt for Jeffery pushed her too hard. Before she knew it, she was standing over a body that she shouldn’t have been. As soon as she did it, her spiked anger flushed out of her system, a cold bucket of realization and horror washing over her. Immediately, apologies spew out of her mouth from behind her mask. She hurt her s/o out of pure anger of which she didn’t try hard enough to control. She’s so sure that you’ve just been knocked unconscious—she’s positive that your bleeding head wound isn’t fatal. No, you’ll be fine. Huh? Where’s your pulse? What?

Her nerves flare up, horror spiking back up again; as if it never went down in the first place. She’s not a delusional idiot. She doesn’t try to shake you awake. She won’t call out for you, expecting a response. Jane doesn’t pray to a dead god in the hope that you’ll awaken and smile at her, saying that you forgive her. That you know it was an accident. That you still love her. No. What she does is bury your body. She reflects the blame onto someone else. Jeffery. You were arguing with her about her continuous hunt for him. You told her that you wanted her to stop—you wanted her to forget. Jeffery caused this. He was the subject of the argument. He’s taken yet another person from her.

BEN:

How did this happen to him? To you? He should have been more careful. He should have known this would happen sooner or later. He should have stayed away from you. Why was he like this? Of course this happened to him, to you; the person he loved most. It was fine. It was alright. You were having fun. He was so happy just to be able to spend time with you. Why would he let you put in the plug? So close to him? He naturally collects electricity. He knows that. So why would he let himself stand so close to you as you plugged in the controller.

A lapse in judgement. He forgot. He was too focused on the way you looked today. You had only woken up an hour ago, a messy appearance still making his dead heart race. That’s no excuse. How did this happen to him? He knows how. So why can’t he feel anything? Why can’t he move his limbs? Why does he feel worse now than he had when he was drowning at the bottom of a lake? Why is he feeling like that but also simultaneously feeling nothing at the same time? Did he break? Yeah. Staring down at this body, he starts to think he might have broke. He might have just died again. He wants to die again. Please let him die again.

EJ:

He was careful with you for years. He had to be. He could break a hand just by holding it so easily. He could lose to his cravings and sink his teeth into your neck at any time. He could rip your head off with no effort at all if he were to brush your hair with anything other than small, fleeting and gentle touches. So how did this happen? He’s always been so careful. His eating schedule always revolved around you. He would have to leave for a few days so he could eat away from you, so he usually held off on leaving for months if he could.

He knew he shouldn’t have. Spending more time with you at the cost of your own life wasn’t worth it. It wasn’t logical. If the hunger got too persistent he could go feral, accidentally killing you in the process. It wasn’t logical. He knew it wasn’t logical to stay with you longer if he was hungry. So why did he do it? How could he let this happen? The cold realization that he really did lose control hits him, the feeling in his limbs quickly leaving. Static. That’s all he could feel. Numb static. You’re everywhere. He wasn’t careful enough. He lost out to his feelings for the first time in hundreds of years. And you paid the price. It was his fault. It’s his fault. It’s his fault. HE DID THIS TO YOU.

He can’t function. The control he’s been holding over himself for a good thousand years breaks. He regresses back into what he was before he gained control. He no longer wants to have control if it leads to him falling in love with someone only to kill them later when he loses it again.

LJ:

He can’t even remember how this happened. The trauma blocking the horrible memories works fast. All he knows is that you’re leaking blood all over a table he doesn’t remember being here yesterday. All he knows is that you’re dead and he did this. He did this. No. No he didn’t. He didn’t. He wouldn’t. He would never hurt you. Who did this? He didn’t. Events take a morbid turn when his abandonment issues take a turn for the worse.

He won’t let the body go. Your body. He won’t let you leave him. So he holds you forever, just like he promised you he would when you first met all those years ago. He holds you through the decomposition process, he holds you until you’re only scattered bones. He holds you until your bones are dust and you’ve been gone longer than he can remember. He says to not worry. He likes holding you. He’ll hold you like this forever. Don’t worry. He’s sure you were so scared. Don’t worry. He’s got you. Don’t worry.

Masky:

He ran out of pills at the worst possible time. The paranoia hit him all at once, making him tape the windows and glue them shut, block the door, place a camera in all the doorways. He keeps seeing things. He keeps seeing the tall man in the darkest corner of his room. He needs more pills. But he can’t leave or the tall man will get him. He’s sure of it.

You just chose the wrong time to come over. You couldn’t have known. He didn’t even realize it was you. It was so dark. The pipe in his hand was slick with sweat. All too suddenly you’re on the floor bleeding out and his chest is heaving, air seemingly desperate to avoid him. The lights get turned on. Huh? Why are you—why? Why are you on the floor? Where is that blood coming from...? Like coffee to a drunk person, the sight of your bleeding out form sobers him—paranoia and hallucinatory visions seeping out of his veins. An almost unparalleled confusion makes him back away from you, making him trip over his steps. He can’t grasp what’s exactly happening at the moment. It takes him a few minutes to realize that his s/o is indeed bleeding out on his floor—and by then it’s far too late. He’s incompetent. His incompetency was the cause of your death. His cowardice. He was so weak it ended your life. That’s how he sees it.

Hoodie:

He can’t even believe he let you get into this situation with him. He was supposed to protect you. He was supposed to be strong enough—stable enough, to protect you. He was supposed to be able to keep his sanity so that he could keep you safe. He took his pills. He stayed away from the woods when he was with you. He stayed in public places with you, and never met at night. He always had a tape recording—so how did it go so wrong? He tried so hard. He tried so fucking hard to keep you safe. So fucking hard.

He thought it was okay to take a short walk with you. You weren’t even close to the woods, it was still a semi-public place. No one was out, and while that made him uneasy, he didn’t question it. He should have. He should have grabbed your hand and taken you to fucking McDonalds or some shit. Maybe a nice stroll through Walmart. Just not here. Not alone and outside. He put you in this situation. It was his fault. He didn’t mean it. He’s never been angrier in his whole existence. He doesn’t worry, he doesn’t fear. Hoodie isn’t scared of anything. But looking down at a corpse that once belonged to you, he finds that he does indeed fear one thing. The end of your life.

Toby:

As far as he’s concerned you never died. What? What do you mean you’re holding a funeral? For who? What? What do you mean? My significant other is sitting right beside me? Is this a joke? It’s not very funny. Can you please stop calling me delusional? Hallucinating? What the fuck are you on? Do you want me set you on fire?

No. You never died. In fact, he’s looking at your smiling face right now. You’re like the sun. So bright it hurts, but so pretty. You’re telling him about your day, although he finds it odd that you’re talking about work again even though you’ve been sitting in this field with him all day. You’re a bit inconsistent and confused these days, but that’s okay. We’ll get through it together. Just like we always have. You promised, remember? Together forever, even through death. <3

[sexysilverstrider]

Burning Ambition (Teppeilumi)

  Everything was dark.

  Stench of spit and blood filled the room. His vision was terrible blur, he could only make out faded images of the ceiling above. A gulp was attempted. A painful cringe was obtained. Breathing grew harsher, weaker. Heartbeat became slower, quieter.

  How amusing.

  As one lone figure lay breathless on the cot, a sudden smoke of black and deep red loomed next to him.

  Huh, was all the smoke hummed. Two slits formed on the entity, colours a demonic crimson. It witnessed the pitiful being. The other patients around it were fighting for their lives as well, completely unaware of the existence that had solidified next to the aging soldier.

  It had no mouth, yet a smile formed inside the flickering smoke.

  The poor soldier was on his last seconds. Once he drew out his fifth breath, all that would be left was a disgusting corpse.

  One breath.

  You are nothing but a pitiful mortal… A silent echo whirred into the soldier’s ears. The shadow hovered closer, looking down at the dying man.

  Two breaths.

  You lack motivation. The two slits widened, crazed as it glared at him. You lack perseverance. And for that, you do not deserve my attention. The darker line below the slits shook, cracked to what one could guess was an eerie smile.

  Three breaths.

  However, It’s ‘smile’ widened, you attract the traveler’s interest. The shadow tilted slightly. The man wheezed weakly.

  Four breaths.

  And I—The shadow reached out for his right hand—am interested in the traveler.

  Five—

----------

  This couldn’t be possible.

  “O-Oi!” Paimoun shouted, body floating as fast as it can to catch up. “Wait—Wait up!” she wheezed, one tiny hand reaching for her fast friend. And yet Lumine didn’t hear her. She couldn’t. For her mind was wholly clouded by the shocking news that was brought up by Gorou.

  “Her Excellency saw it with her own eyes and even did a full check-up on him.” Gorou’s words shrilled clear like a siren. “She even used her healing abilities to ensure that…you know…he’s not an undead or possessed.” His statement only made her run faster and faster.

  Minutes felt eternal, and when Lumine finally arrived at the headquarters in Sangonomiya, she wasted no time and slammed the doors open.

  The scene she made caused shock and confusion to both soldiers and locals alike. All eyes were on her, but a pair of dazzling golden starlight were on the man at the far end of the headquarters.

  Him.

  “Teppei!”

  Once his name escaped her lips. Once those warm brown eyes met her own. Lumine could feel her legs give out and her body flashing forward.

  Even with a gift bestowed upon him, never would he have anticipated the traveler’s tackle.

  “Oof!” His body was thrown aback, yet awareness and newfound strength allowed him to stand his ground instead of falling on his butt. Arms spread open. Eyes widened immediately. Legs shaking still from the impact, Teppei quickly tried to straighten his back with someone hugging him for dear life.

  “You’re alive…”

  Her voice was muffled, breathing brushed against the material of his shirt. “I—what?” Bafflement still bursting in his mind, he tilted his head downwards. All he saw was a sight of golden blonde. All he smelled was a scent of warmth and wind.

  “You’re alive!” Without warning, Lumine snapped her head upwards, meeting his shocked gaze. “You’re alive!” Statement now booming with baffled laughter, Lumine once more nuzzled her face into his chest.

  The scent was tickling his nose. Burning red in his cheeks.

  “I uh—” Realization kicked in; they were very, very close. “I-I am!” Words sputtered into a stutter, Teppei gave two thumbs up with arms still spread to the side.

  Laughter bubbled within her chest, tickling his own.

  He prayed that she didn’t hear his manic heartbeat.

  “I’m so glad…”

  The laughter was short-lived, however, as her voice lulled to a whisper. “Traveler?”

  “So…so glad…” Her hug tightened. Voice now broken to a slow, woeful murmur. “I’m glad…” A strain scraped through gritted teeth. Golden eyes were squeezed shut to prevent a fearful sight.

  A short gasp popped her lips to feel his embrace.

  “I’m glad too…” His voice was a gentle whisper, meek and shaky. “Very, very glad…”

  Cheek rested against his chest, Lumine pursed her lips and released a heavy sigh. “Mmm…” His arms felt hesitant around her petite body at first, but fear dissolved into relief once she felt his hug tighten.

  “Aww!”

  Relief, however, exploded into wild embarrassment once they realized they weren’t alone.

  Immediately both broke their hug, faces now flushed red and hearts thumping wildly against their ribcages. A pair of golden and brown targeted towards the two people standing before them. One had his face covered and body shaking in silent amusement. The other had her hands clapped and positioned adorably next to her cheek.

  “I’m so happy to see that smile back on your face, traveler!” Kokomi gleamed, her smile sincere yet laced with a hint of mirth. Gorou still had his face covered, though it seemed that his fit of giggles had ceased—for now.

  Ah, what a fool she made herself to be.

  “W-Well,” Trying her best to dig out of her hole she had made, Lumine straightened her posture and cocked her head upwards. “Why wouldn’t I be? To know that my friend is alive is more than enough to make me—”

  “How dare you left Paimon at the back!”

  “Ack!”

  Alas, before Lumine could save face, she wasn’t able to realize and stop Paimon from crashing into her.

----------

  In all honesty, Teppei still thought that he had died and gone to heaven.

  “It’s…real.” Tap, tap. One finger gently tapped onto the glass of the Vision case. A simmering shape of fire burned brilliantly inside the object. The longer he held it, the more he could feel warmth sipping into his body. One hand holding the Vision, he flipped his other hand left and right.

  There were no wrinkles. No drained colours of deathly blue. The same warmth could be felt into his palm. The same pulse could be felt inside his veins.

  “Still reeling it in?”

  Her voice was a brilliant beacon that lit him up. “Uh—yeah!” The answer stuttered sheepishly, Teppei looked at the traveler. Her smile was ever present. Her eyes gleamed gloriously like stars that he often basked in awe.

  Those stars now shined closely to him.

  “I just…” It’s been an hour since their reunion. After witnessing a scolding from Paimon to Lumine and apologizing endlessly to Lady Kokomi and General Gorou, both he and the traveler decided to rest by the lake near the headquarters. Peace wasn’t an option yet, however, as the tiny, floating being started shooting endless questions that he still found no answers to.

  “You have a Vision now!? You’re a Pyro user?! Holy moly you can control fire! You got blessed by the Gods! How? When? And you look like you’re back to your real age! You’re no longer a withering, dying old man!”

  It was truthfully amazing how Lumine handled Paimon on a daily basis.

  After trying his best to give an explanation that might work, Paimon finally reached an understanding and let him breathe.

  That, or she was hungry which made her fly off to the kitchen to recharge herself for more questions later.

  Either way, Teppei was grateful for the silence.

  Now all that’s left were him and the traveler. And while he knew she had just as many questions as her small friend, he was just glad that she allowed him to recollect his thoughts first.

  It had been a good 20 minutes. Reality still hadn’t set in.

  “This is mine…right?” Once again he looked at her, eyes clouded in hope and fear. Will it disappear? Am I actually dreaming or dead and this is just my mind giving me one last mercy? These questions bounced in his mind from the moment he woke up from the agonizing slumber. “It’s—I’m not holding someone’s missing Vision, right…?”

  “Teppei.”

  His body shivered briefly to hear such a gentle tone.

  Pupils dilated to see her hand, small yet callous, cupping his left hand. Quickly he looked at her again, not realizing that he had dropped his gaze back at the Pyro Vision.

  Her smile was radiant as the sun.

  “That is yours.” Reassurance sang melodiously into his ears. Her fingers curled his own, cupping the warm Vision closer. “You have a Vision.” Distance became a mere hindrance to her, so Lumine scooted closer. It was then that she saw his hair, dark as the day she first met him. His cheeks were rosy. His eyes shined brightly. No wrinkles cursed his skin. No fades of pale blue scrapped his face.

  He looked back to how he was before. Better even.

  Giddiness bubbled within her again. Though caution and confusion loomed inside her brain at the possible impossible, Lumine decided to gulp those fears down first and rejoiced at his living.

  Living. Alive.

  “You’ve received favours from the Gods.”

  It took a while for Teppei to get used to his new powers.

  While those words stung her tongue, clawed through her throat, what matters to her right now was that he was alive.

----------

  One couldn’t hone it so magnificently in a span of a day after receiving a Vision. Though Lumine wouldn’t know; she technically never gotten one.

  But as a month rolled by, and after rejoicing with his friends and teammates, Teppei easily bounced back as Captain of Herring I. Excitement fuelled his veins once he finally got the chance to wear his new uniform. A small logo in shape of a herring was stitched at the back, bare and open so proudly for everyone to see. His teammates now somewhat revered him as a miracle who came back from the jaws of death. And while a part of him felt bashful and slightly proud of the statement, Teppei knew he couldn’t gloat—at least, not too much.

  This was a gift by the Gods, after all. He was grateful. Truly. Whether or not the Vision he received granted him what was once stolen by the Delusion, Teppei knew this was something that shouldn’t be taken so lightly. Or rudely.

  A few more weeks flew by, and as a Vision bearer, he was now given a special task to train and hone his powers. And while that didn’t seem like a problem—in fact, Teppei was more than excited to train with General Gorou and Kazuha—he did feel the nerves kicking in when Lumine volunteered to join in the practice as well.

  “Alright!” Her right hand reached forward; immediately, her sword appeared seemingly out of nothing. “Show me what you got, partner!”

  Ba-dump!

  He really needed to have a talk with his heart later about the traveler calling him that.

  “Right!” Enthusiasm and anxiety spiralled together, Teppei hovered hands close to each other. Slowly, he tried to manifest the weapon into his hands. Apparently, according to General Gorou, Vision bearers were able to dissolve their weapons with their powers, enabling an easy access to it especially when they’re in a pinch. When Teppei heard of this fun fact, he was over the moon; what a very coincidentally accessible way!

  However, it was easier said than done.

  It took many, many, many tries. And finally, after a…few failed attempts, he was able to conjure up his lance.

  It took a few seconds—better than a few minutes, Teppei figured—the weapon finally materialized in his hands. “Got it!” Like a puppy, he beamed. Flickers of flame swerved around the lane, yet Teppei felt no pain.

  If anything, he felt elated.

  Never one to give up or step down, he concentrated again. This time, patience and practice showed its results as ribbons of fire wrapped around the lance. They decorated every so prettily, tickling his arm. Careful as to not position his lance near anyone besides his opponent, he posed a battle stance.

  “Ready when you are—” Brown eyes stared at her. His battle posture ready. His heartbeat sang madly. “—partner!”

----------

  Sometimes, he needed to remind himself that his own flames couldn’t technically hurt him.

  It was amazing. Jaw-dropping. Stunning even that he could stare at it for days. The tiny flicker of flames danced on his palms, hypnotizing him with such a sight. He curled one finger. Then another and another. His fingers went thru the fire. It gave such a tickling warmth, soothing both his palms and heart.

  “Heh…” A quiet chuckle peeped through smiling lips. Sitting alone by the lake, he slowly curled his fists, extinguishing the flames within. It tickled, he thought. Once again, he opened his hands, revealing clear skin that bore flesh, not bones.

  His heartbeat raced. Excitement. Fear. All whirled in his mind. Silently, he took a deep breath, then exhaled carefully as if relishing on each breath that coursed through his throat.

  He was alive. Living.

  Everything could change in a blink.

  Bringing that reminder close to his heart, Teppei nodded once. A new resolution formed firm. Stronger. Clearer. If this truly was a gift by the Gods. If this was truly a test he needed to fulfil and succeed, then he must carry on.

  Yes. One fist raised in the air. A smile curled confidently under the shine of the moonlight. I can do this!

  As one man basked on his goal, one woman stood from afar, hiding behind a tree and gazing at him with eyes a woeful glow and lips a tight purse.

  “Gift by the Gods.”

  The words sent a shiver down her spine. Burned fire in her chest.

  Gratitude burst brightly every time she saw him. But Lumine knew: not everything came without a price.

  The Archons she had met so far were nice, welcoming—although Ei had a rough start when they first met, both were slowly moving forward together to fix the future. But that was the thing that concerned Lumine the most.

  Not everyone would be sensible and sweet like Venti and Zhongli. And even with them, after having met Dainsleif and the unfortunate reunion with her dear brother, Lumine had to keep her guard up.

  He looked so happy. So alive.

  Ba-dump…

  One hand placed where her heart ached.

----------

  Some Vision bearers honed their powers until they were able to conjure up new skills. Some were able to form powerful shields. Some were able to heal and cure. Some even had the power to freeze even the mightiest of hilichurl chieftains.

  In Teppei’s case, he would soon find out that skills were sometimes found or created when one was put in a desperate situation.

  “Watch out!”

  All happened too fast. The moment he saw a samurai plunging his way towards her, Teppei could feel the wind and rain against his face. He saw Lumine turning around to face the enemy. He saw Lumine swinging her sword in hopes that it slices the samurai before his own could slice her.

  While he was not as fast as the traveler, he was quick enough to reach out for her.

  Quickly he tugged her left arm. Taken aback by the sudden force, Lumine felt her body being pulled backwards. Everything happened in mere blinks. Panic sinking in, Teppei stomped one foot forward—

  FWOOM!

  CLANG! CRASH!!

  A burst of fire shaped around them. The ringing clash of steel against solid fire reverberated amidst the heavy rain.

  The impact clearly took the samurai by surprise. The newly-formed shield ironically took Teppei’s and Lumine;s breaths away.

  Golden met brown. Stupor froze their body still. The shield was still active, still enveloped around them like a dome of flames. Lumine gawked at the tall captain, awe and bewilderment being her method of communication. It seemed Teppei understood her language, for both now shared their speechless conversation under the brilliant dome.

  “Um…” he gulped. “You alright?”

  She blinked once. Twice. “Yeah!” Laughter burst out amidst the stupor. “I’m fine!” One to easily register reality quickly around her, Lumine readied her battle stance again. The shield around them burned brighter. As eyes inspected the area around her, she realized that the same samurai that attacked just now started to stagger and stumble. His sword sheathed into the ground. Though donned in a helmet, Lumine could see him crouch slightly as if he was trying to catch his breath.

  He didn’t get hit by anything else after that. And the impact wasn’t as severe. If Lumine remembered correctly, the samurai only crashed against Teppei’s shield—

  Another realization jolted in. And her guess was swiftly proven correct as she felt an aura of strength pumping into her veins.

  It would seem Teppei would be excited to learn his newfound ability.

  For now, as both captains locked eyes and nodded, Lumine decided to break the great news later after they finished this battle.

----------

  Sangonomiya was truly a breath-taking place.

  Giant shells that stood proudly in the center of the land. Waterfalls that shined and gleamed every time it hit the surface. Even the lake was a like a beautiful mirror, revealing clear images of those who look upon it.

  However, as beautiful as the place was, it did have one flaw when it came to nightly weather.

  Maybe Ei was feeling at peace after their little tour, which would explain the soothing wind that blew past her. And while Lumine was happy to know that that might be case, unfortunately, her body would say otherwise.

  “Hey there, traveler!”

  Her head turned at the voice. Golden eyes caught the sight of the lone soldier who kept dancing in her mind lately. “Hi,” was her reply, short and sweet, yet enough to ring a bell of joy at his presence.

  Her bliss was a reflection to his.

  “May I join in?” His directed his hand at the empty spot next to her. A giggle was heard. A shaken head was seen. Smile curling swirls at the corners, Teppei took a seat on the bench. “Where’s your flying friend?”

  “Sleeping.” Another short reply, but not curt. Her head turned to one of the tents in the camp. “She had a big dinner so decided to call it a night.”

  “I see.” Brown eyes glanced at the tent, then back at her. “Why are you still up, though?” Curiosity led him to the question, but he didn’t realize how rude he might have sounded before he could stop himself. Teppei then flustered to see her eyes widen, probably offended, probably hurt that he thought she was some sort of child.

  “W-Wait, no I mean—” Both hands raised and waved. “I was just curious since we kinda had a long day and—”

  Laughter ceased him from making a further fool of himself.

  “It’s okay, Teppei.” One hand that stayed near her mouth slowly lowered down to her lap. “I understand. I just don’t feel sleepy yet.” The smile on her face grew genuine. It always seemed to be whenever he was around. “I just want to enjoy the night a little longer. I have a lot of energy compared to Paimon, anyways.”

  The joke got through him. A laughter was given as a response.

  “If she heard you, she would be mad.”

  “Which is why I’m saying it to you.”

  How light her chest felt whenever she talked to him.

  The conversation came smoothly. Teppei talked about his daily task as captain. Lumine responded with topics of her commissions and part-time role as captain as well. While the matter with Raiden Shogun had been resolved, there were still some internal conflicts that required attention. Lumine knew it would take some time to figure out a way to get to Sumeru, so she figured she might as well stay in Inazuma for a while. Who knows? Maybe she would find more information about her brother—

  “Achoo!”

  “Traveler?”

  A sneeze broke their conversation and her thoughts. “O-Oh,” she sniffed, “sorry. It just gets a bit cold in Sangonomiya that I kinda forgot to bring a coat.” Hands rubbed her prickling arms. Yet she didn’t feel like getting up. Not now. Lumine enjoyed talking to Teppei. The stress in Inazuma sometimes got to a point where it was unbearable, and the Herring I captain was one of the people who was able to lighten the burden in her chest.

  It seemed Teppei had the same idea about her as well.

  “Oh…” Thoughts whirled in his mind. Suddenly, an idea flickered in seconds. “I can go get a coat for you if you like! Don’t want my partner to be sick now, huh.” He laughed, cheerful and honest. Hands pressed on the bench, he started to get up. “I’ll be right back—”

  “Wait.”

  His body froze at the feel of her hand around his fingers.

  Brown and gold looked at their hands. Brown and gold then looked at each other.

  “Ah!”

  In unison, they gasped. Lumine immediately retracted her hand while Teppei dumbly plopped himself back onto the bench.

  “You don’t have to!” Heat kissed her cheeks as their roles were now reversed. “I’m not that cold. And besides, ever since you started sitting down, it actually feels warmer—”

  Foolish was an act that bounced back between the two.

  Realization kicked in. Fast. It was obvious in the blown pupils of his eyes. It was clear in the beautiful burst of red in her face.

  Sadly, Teppei was quite quick to catch up on things too. “R-Really?”

  Slim fingers curled slowly. Hands were still raised near eye-level. “Well…” Ah fuck it, she thought. “Really.” She figured there was no harm in being honest. Maybe some shame. “Maybe it’s because of your Vision, but you feel a bit…warmer than normal people.” Thankfully, she had seen and faced this sort of phenomenon with Amber and Xiangling. Although she technically had never hugged Diluc, the man did once offer her his jacket. And wearing it felt warm and toasty, so that was good enough research for her.

  His short laughter brought her attention back to him.

  “I do feel warmer than usual ever since I woke up from that long sleep.” A sheepish reply accompanied the growing red in his cheeks. “But I make sure this time that it wasn’t anything dangerous. Her Excellency said that it’s normal for a Pyro user like me to have some extra body heat.” White teeth gleamed beneath the moon’s glow. “You can say that I’m like a walking heater.”

  More laughter joined in, but it was one-sided this time.

  “Then…may I sit closer?”

  The laughter died down immediately, bafflingly.

  He couldn’t believe what she said. She couldn’t believe what she said.

  “If that’s alright with you…?” The question was timid, sheepish, bursting with shame. Lumine was ready to bolt off the bench and excuse herself for the night. Why would she ask him that, she wondered? The man was of pure heart ever since she met him. He was an honest friend, an enthusiastic one at that. Like most of the people she had met, Teppei’s intentions were true and genuine which became the very reason she was getting close to him—

  “I…don’t mind.”

  The wild tornado of feelings in her mind died down once she heard his reply.

  Those golden eyes were no match for the stars above. “Really?”

  Excitement was real in her tone. The sight of pure joy made his heart burst anew. “Really…” He sounded sheepish, bashful, yearning. One breath. Maybe two. Once he reassured himself that he was calm and collected, Teppei scooted closer. “It’s the least I can do for my partner.”

  She always hated how her heart cracked to hear that term.

  Sorrow was short-lived, hidden behind layers and layers of relief that she practiced over the centuries. “Thank you.”

  He always loved how his heart skipped a beat to see her smile.

  Slowly, the distance between then shrunk. Only an inch teased between their pinkie fingers. In seconds, Lumine could feel the warmth—his warmth. It truly felt soothing. Calming. Yet it also gave her a tiny surge of strength that tickled her stomach. She loved it. She adored it.

  She only wished she had more time to cherish it.

  “Thank you, Teppei…” Her voice mellowed. “For showing me around the Resistance. For helping me out in battles.” Silence was his response. A welcome for her to say further. “For pushing me to end this terrible Vision Hunt Decree.”

  His left fingers clenched rigidly next to her.

  “For coming back alive and well…” Her voice started to get slower. “For inspiring me…” Her eyes started to get heavier. “For cheering me up when I feel…down…” Her head bobbed forward. “For…” A yawn broke out, “being there…”

  Body acting out of reflex, Lumine leaned her head against his left arm.

  Her actions stunned him back to reality. As she talked to him—as if she was talking to herself—Teppei felt hypnotized. Brown eyes were fixed on her like trance. Healthy heartbeat skipped at the sound of her melodious voice. It wasn’t until he felt her body so close to him that Teppei almost jumped with face full of red.

  Silence hummed around them.

  The captain looked at her, entranced and bewitched by such a sight. “That’s a lot of thanks, partner…” Voice a shy murmur, he brought his free hand up to his face. A long sigh escaped his lungs. His right hand remained on half of his face as he stared forward.

  His whole body felt as if he was burning.

  Brown eyes glanced at the sleeping traveler next to him.

  But honestly, His left fingers twitched, stretched until his hand held her right hand, it doesn’t feel bad.

  The mad drumming of his heart echoed in his ears. The soothing sound of her voice kissed heat in his cheeks and neck.

  It doesn’t feel bad at all.

  “Sweet dreams, Lumine…” His left hand gently squeezed her right hand. His face slowly leaned closer to her to memorize every detail, to cherish every moment he had with this fated encounter.

  Ah, he thought, smile soft and shaky, I’m in trouble…

END

[sisterspooky1013]

Liquid Courage & Promises Kept

Rating: Teen and Up

Words: 3558

Read it on AO3

Tagging @today-in-fic

December 20, 1999

She’d been standoffish lately. Well, she’d been standoffish today, yesterday she was actually borderline flirty. He was having a hard time reading her from one day to the next, unsure if the difference in her demeanor was real or if it only existed in his head. At times he was sure she returned his affection; the flutter of her eyelashes over her icy blue eyes and the slight part of her pouty lips appearing as an invitation, and he’d almost accepted it several times. Almost. Something always got in the way; a knock at the door, the ring of a phone, the sting of a bee or the sudden aversion of her gaze, self consciousness dragging her back inside herself and away from him. He thought he could see the internal struggle in the set of her shoulders and the tuck of her chin. She wanted him as much as he wanted her, but she couldn’t admit it to herself, and he wasn’t going to push her. He’d waited this long, what was a bit longer?

Today, the typical relief that comes with a Friday afternoon was overshadowed by her businesslike demeanor, the perfectly polite but impersonal way she answered his questions, and the thorough but unemotional way she engaged in conversation with him. The more she withdrew, the more he advanced, grasping for some feedback, some response that soothed his feeling of rejection.

“Any big plans this weekend?” He inquired, resorting to small talk, which they typically didn’t need.

She didn’t look up from the file she was reviewing. “I’m getting dinner with an old friend from undergrad tomorrow. That’s about it.” Her tone was flat and disinterested, but not annoyed. She didn’t ask him about his own plans, not that he’d have had anything to share.

“Scully….are you okay? Did I do something?” He hated the whiny tone in his voice, the insecure way he sought her validation.

She looked up then, her brow knit in confusion. “No, why do you ask?”

“You just seem kind of…off? Distracted maybe? You don’t seem like yourself.”

He saw her sit up a bit straighter, just a touch more life enter her eyes. “Sorry, Mulder. I’m fine, it’s just been a long week I guess.” She offered him a thin smile. She was placating him, that he could tell, but he still wasn’t sure why.

He returned her tight-lipped, not at all genuine smile, nodding. “Glad to hear it.”

They finished out their workday, she wished him a good weekend and left the office quickly, before he had the chance to attempt walking out with her. Part of him wondered if “dinner with an old friend” was a euphemism; did she have a date? Maybe she was going out with an ex? He’d certainly been less than supportive (not to mention mature) when he’d been aware of her going out with someone in the past, so it would make sense that she’d hide it from him. Heaving a defeated sigh, he locked up the office and headed into a weekend full of boredom and misplaced jealousy that he didn’t have any right to feel.

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

Saturday he had slept in, played some basketball at the Y, and stopped by to check out the Gunmen’s latest research to pass the time. It was now half past 8 and he realized he hadn’t eaten dinner yet, so grabbed his keys and headed to a restaurant in DC that had the best burgers, in his opinion. The fact that Scully was probably out on her date right now entered his mind at regular intervals, and he pushed it away, wanting to give her space to have an actual life outside of him and The X Files. Regardless of his feelings for her, above all else he wanted her to be happy, even if it was with someone else. The thought of having to meet some guy she was dating and act like he didn’t want to rip his face off made his stomach turn.

He parked in a 15 minute space just outside the restaurant and headed into the lobby. It was a busy Saturday night crowd, noisy and boisterous with various sporting events playing on several TVs and people shouting over each other to be heard. He placed his order, to go, with the hostess and then leaned against the wall to survey the scene while he waited. It was hard to say what made him feel worse, the families with children dragging french fries through lakes of ketchup, or the couples with their heads titled close together in intimate conversation, oblivious to anyone and anything but each other. His solo status was always painfully obvious in a setting like this. Most of the time it didn’t bother him, but today, knowing Scully was somewhere with someone else, it felt like shit.

And then he heard a laugh ring out like a bell. It was a sound he knew in his bones. One that, while infrequent, was a balm on his soul. Well, usually it was, anyway. But when he turned toward the sound and saw Scully, one hand to her chest while the other lay flat against the table top for stability, leaning toward the recipient of this sweet sound with her teeth bared in a joyful grin, his heart sank. She looked completely incredible, her hair mostly pulled back with a few strands loose around her face, a blue v-neck sweater clinging to her tiny frame and showing just a hint of cleavage. She was leaning in closer to a man whose back was to Mulder, removing the hand from her chest and placing it on his arm as she practically fell over in hysterics. He had never seen her like this, and envy twisted in his rib cage. Who the fuck was this guy that could make Scully laugh like that? He forced himself to look away, to stare at the gaudy rainbow checkerboard tiles on the floor. He checked his watch to calculate how much longer it might be before his food was ready and he could get the fuck out of here. Mercifully, the sound of her laughter subsided and he willed himself not to look that way again; he didn’t want to see something he’d never be able to erase from his memory.

He was doing such a good job pretending she wasn’t there that he was genuinely startled when he felt her cool hand thread around his elbow, linking his arm in hers. He looked to her and saw that her eyes were glassy and a little bit red. She was drunk.

“Come here often?” She drawled, her smile and the weight of her body leaning against him sending a wave of electricity down his torso.

“I might ask you the same” he countered, working very hard to seem casual, though he probably didn’t need to, given her state.

“Come sit with me.” She ordered. The contrast between her behavior at work yesterday and the open, seeking way her eyes roamed his face now was jarring. He was so confused by her signals.

“Nah, I don’t want to intrude. You’re out with your friend.” He couldn’t bring himself to say “date.”

She waved her hand in the air, brushing away the concern. “It’s fine, Mulder, he wants to meet you, come say hi.”

So she’d talked to her date about him? He wasn’t sure whether to be relieved, flattered, or weirded out. He turned to tell the hostess where he’d be before allowing her to pull him by the arm over to her table. As they approached, a second man sat down at the table, appearing to have just returned from the bathroom.

“Guys, this is Mulder!” She said with a level of excitement that seemed, to him, to be unnecessary.

“Mulder!” They both repeated as though they were reunited with an old friend. One was tall and blonde with an athletic build, the exact kind of guy he’d expect Scully to be interested in. The other was shorter and lean with a bald head and calloused hands. After an awkward beat where he looked at her expectantly, Scully remembered her manners and began introductions.

“Mulder, this is Rob, he and I were good friends in undergrad” she motioned towards the tall blonde man, and then to the shorter, bald one. “ This is his husband, Michael.”

A grin spread across Mulder’s face as he understood that this was most definitely not a date. He stuck out his hand and shook both theirs enthusiastically, agreeing to Scully’s insistence that he sit down as she stole another chair from a nearby table.

“I have to pee” Scully announced suddenly, leaving the table. Mulder looked after her in amused surprise at her lack of decorum. This was a side of his partner he had not had the pleasure of seeing yet.

Mulder stood to remove his coat, noticing Rob discreetly flick his eyes over his body as he did so. He always appreciated being checked out, even if it wasn’t from his target audience. As he sat back down, Michael spoke.

“It’s nice to meet you Mulder. Dana has told us so much about you.”

Mulder smirked self-consciously. “Nothing bad I hope.”

“Nothing that we can’t see with our own eyes” Rob remarked, giving him another once-over with an appreciative nod of his head. Michael jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow.

“Sounds like you do a lot of interesting work together” Michael offered, distracting from Rob’s remark.

“Uh, yeah, something like that” he responded cooly, seeing the hostess approaching with his order.

Scully returned from the bathroom and plopped down beside him dramatically, putting her hand on his thigh. He eyed her skeptically, but didn’t move it.

“I gotta go, I’m parked in a 15 minute spot. It was good to meet you both. You’ll make sure this one gets home okay?”

“Of course” Michael answered, sliding his arm around his husband’s shoulders. “Rob is a drunk Dana whisperer, from the stories I’ve heard.”

“No one wants to hear those stories” Scully warned, draining her glass. “Anyway, I’m going with you, Mulder.”

Mulder looked at her quizzically “oh are you?”

She gave him a coy smile and nodded, her eyes bleary from the booze.

“How about I take you home instead, party girl.” He stood and put his jacket back on.

Scully shrugged, accepting this alternative, and hugged her friends goodbye. Rob held on to her a little longer than Michael, whispering something in her ear that made her giggle before she told him she’d call him tomorrow. They left the restaurant arm in arm, and when they reached his car outside he opened the door for her to climb in first.

“So chivalrous” she mused, beaming at him.

He shook his head and laughed at her condition. In the moment, she was the antithesis of everything he knew her to be. The Scully he knew would roll her eyes and pity this blatant show of flirtation. Throughout the 15 minute drive to her apartment, she continued to paw at him, sliding her hand up his thigh until he batted it away. He settled on holding her hand, which seemed to make her happy and distracted her from more nefarious contact. When he pulled up outside her building, he expected her to get out and go inside, but instead she turned to him and asked “aren’t you going to walk me to my door?” It seemed to be asked in earnest, absent any innuendo, so he agreed. She held on to his arm and leaned into his side as they made their way in, her footing unsteady in her heels. He took her keys and unlocked the door for her, his feet planted firmly in the hallway. He was intrigued by her behavior and he could admit that he was very turned on by it, but she was drunk, and there was no way in hell he was going to take advantage of that.

“Come inside” she suggested, pulling on his arm.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Scully. You get some rest, call me tomorrow and let me know you’re alive. I’ll bring you some coffee and a breakfast burrito.”

She pushed her lower lip out in a little pout and stepped toward him, sliding her arms up his and on to his shoulders. The height of her heels compensated quite a bit for their usual discrepancy so that she only had to stretch a tiny bit for them to be face to face.

“What cha doin, Scully?” He asked, his mind telling him that this was a bad idea, while his body urged him to proceed.

“Just giving you a hug. Is that allowed?” Her voice was sultry and smelled like whiskey.

“A hug. Sure, I guess that’s okay.” His hands found her waist. Just a hug. They’d hugged hundreds of times.

She slid her hands around his neck and pressed her cheek to his and the rest of her body followed, breast to chest, pelvis to pelvis, thigh to thigh. This was not their typical hug. She was draped over him, her breath hot on his ear. He was afraid if this went on much longer, she’d be able to feel how much he wanted her. She pulled her head back, keeping the rest of her tucked against him, and looked at his face. God, she looked beautiful, if not a bit out of it. He willed himself to pull away, but he couldn’t, not yet. She leaned in and brushed her lips across his. Electric. His body tensed, knowing it couldn’t go on. Next she pressed her soft full pout against his lips, her fingers digging into his hair. He sighed, and then pulled away, stepping back from her, breaking contact.

She looked at him with a mix of embarrassment and confusion. Not wanting to send the wrong signal, he took both her hands in his. “You’re drunk, Scully. It’s not right. I don’t want you to do something you’re going to regret tomorrow.”

She held his gaze, her eyes watery and tired. “I won’t regret it, Mulder.”

“Well if that’s the case, kiss me sometime when you’re sober and I promise I won’t turn you down.” He was smiling at her, captivated by this moment where he felt like he could say anything, where they could be completely honest for once.

“Why haven’t you ever kissed me, Mulder?” There was sadness in her voice. Regret.

He took a breath before responding. “I guess…I wasn’t sure you wanted me to.”

“I do. I want you to.” He was afraid that he was about to find out she was a tearful drunk.

“Okay, I promise that I will. Soon.”

She nodded solemnly, and he pulled her into a hug, a real one, with her cheek squished against his shoulder and her hair tickling his nose. Keeping his hands on her shoulders, he stepped back and looked at her, asking “are you going to remember this conversation tomorrow?”

She blinked slowly, her eyes working to focus on his face. “I think maybe not.”

He laughed, stepping through into her apartment and leading her to her bedroom, where he waited outside the door as she changed into pajamas. Once she was tucked safely in bed with a glass of water and a bottle of Tylenol within arms reach, he went out to the kitchen and got a piece of paper to leave her a note. By the time he returned to leave it next to the glass of water, she was already asleep.

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

Scully woke in the morning to find her mouth dry and sticky. As she sat up, her head lurched and squeezed her brain in protest. She looked around, unsure how she got here. The last thing she remembered was spotting Mulder at the restaurant, and then….nothing. Turning to check the time, she was relieved to see a glass of water and she chugged it down, stopping halfway to take two of the Tylenol; she must have put them there before she went to sleep. As she turned to drape her legs over the side of the bed and prepare to stand, she spotted a slip of paper on her nightstand and unfolded it.

Hey Party Girl,

I’m willing to bed you have a mean hangover. Whether you remember it or not, I did promise you a breakfast burrito. Call me when you’re awake.

Mulder

Her eyes went big. Mulder was here? She felt strange not being able to remember it, and hoped she hadn’t done anything embarrassing. First she dragged herself to the bathroom to brush her teeth and then took a shower, pulling last night’s mascara from her eyelashes. As she stepped out, already feeling a little better, the phone rang.

“Hello?” She cringed at the volume of her own voice.

“Hey pretty lady, you make it home okay?” It was Rob.

“Apparently so, though I don’t remember much of anything. What happened after Mulder showed up?”

Rob chuckled softly and her stomach turned. What had she done? There was a scuffling sound on the other end of the line and she could hear Michael say “stop torturing her!” Before he wrangled the phone away from Rob.

“It wasn’t that bad, Dana, Rob is just being a jerk. You got a little handsy with him then told him to take you home. We could tell he wasn’t going to take advantage of you.”

“Uh, what do you mean by handsy, exactly?” She was starting to feel nauseous.

“I think you had your hand on his thigh and you were making some serious bedroom eyes at him, but that’s it, at least at the restaurant. I can’t speak to what happened after you left.”

“Oh god” she whispered.

There was more scuffling and then Rob was back on the line “Look, honey, it’s clear that you both want to be with each other so I don’t see the issue. Just get over yourself and fuck him already.”

“Right, thanks Rob, that’s really helpful.” She rubbed her free hand over her throbbing temples.

“It was good to see you, Dana. We should do it again sometime.”

“Yeah, it may be a while before I can stomach alcohol, Rob.”

“You know my number. Bye.”

He hung up and she replaced the phone on the receiver, dropping her head into her hands with a groan. Dragging herself to her bedroom, she put on sweats and a t shirt, brushed her hair, and then flopped down on to the couch, already predicting it would be a wasted day. She was too old for this. When she heard Mulder’s familiar tap tap on the door, she considered staying very quiet until he went away, pretending not to be home.

“Scully, I know you’re home, your car is outside.” She heard him call out. Fuck.

Fluffing her hair a bit as she walked to the door so she wouldn’t look like a drowned rat, she opened it and found him looking adorable in jeans and a blue sweater, a paper bag in one hand and a steaming cup of coffee in the other. Her eyes went big at the idea of food and she realized she was starving.

“Well it’s clear the burrito is welcome, do I also have permission to enter the premises?”

He was grinning at her in a way she found both endearing and infuriating. She hated not knowing what had happened. Taking the bag and cup from his hands, she turned and walked to the couch, leaving the door open as an invitation for him to follow.

“Thanks” she muttered, taking a sip of the coffee before setting it on the table and unwrapping the burrito.

“How are you feeling?” He asked, eyeing her curiously.

“Like I drank way too much” she returned without looking at him.

He nodded knowingly. “Do you remember…everything?”

She shot him a wide-eyed look. “What is there to remember?”

He shrugged “nothing, just wondering.”

“Look, Mulder, I don’t really remember anything after you showed up at the restaurant and if I did something embarrassing I’d rather you just tell me now instead of dragging this out. So what did I do?”

He shook his head nonchalantly. “Nothing, Scully. You were very pleasant, actually.” He smiled at her and she knew there was more to it, but he was taking the path of allowing her to remain blissfully ignorant, and she was thankful for it.

He turned on the TV and they sat quietly and watched the news while she ate and drank, slowly feeling more human as the minutes passed. He saw her check the time and took that as his cue to leave, and she walked him to the door.

“Thanks, Mulder, both for getting me home safe and for breakfast.”

“Anytime. You really don’t remember anything, do you?”

She gave him a rueful look while shaking her head slowly.

“Well, in the event that anything does come back to you, I want you to know that I intend to keep my promise.”

“That really means nothing to me Mulder, but thanks I guess?”

He chuckled a little, then turned and left her to nurse her hangover in peace.

[twilightprince101]

The Train, Purple Lightning and “Fate”: An Infinity Train Theory

NOTE: This contains HEAVY SPOILERS for all of Infinity Train! Putting this under a read more, but tl;dr, I think the train has a way of predicting when things will happen-but not entirely be correct.

I was going back and rewatching Infinity Train Book 1 (Mainly bc I love the show and wanted to relive it) when I noticed something interesting. At the end of episode 9, when Tulip decides to fight and is racing to the Engine, we get a glimpse of the sky and see hints of purple lightning

Which was pretty cool as an effect, but then I remembered something: I’ve seen this lightning before. And if you’ve just watched the Book 3 finale, I’m sure you know what I’m referring to.

But it wasn’t just here either, it was also in another scene with Simon earlier. The one where he shifts from “okay he’s a shit but kinda ok” to “motherfucker unlimited.”

After thinking about it for a little bit, I went to Book 2 to look around, and sure enough, the lightning was there too

I’m going to reiterate: I’m rewatching all of Infinity Train, and the purple lightning throughout the entire series only appears this prominently during these scenes.  (May I reiterate: this prominently. I am aware that it can be seen in a brief flash in the very first episode when that random passenger gets sucked into the vortex, but it’s barely as noticeable as these three instances)

At first I thought the lightning was just a cool effect to reiterate the tension and weight of these dramatic scenes, and to be honest it very well could be. However all of these scenes where the lightning appears have something in common.

They all take place during times of great change not just for these characters, but for the entire train and its system as a whole.

Let me break it down and explain it one at a time.

Season 1: The lightning appears as Tulip is taking a stand against Amelia and her reign as Conductor, resolving to overthrow her and save Atticus.

This one is relatively simple, all things considered. Amelia has reigned as Conductor for 33 years (as noted by OneOne in the documentary shorts), and now that Tulip is going to fight back and bring OneOne back to the engine, her reign is soon going to end and things are going to go back to normal

Season 3: Simon, after committing so many atrocities, gets his number up so high that it has nowhere left to go on his body, giving him the highest number in existence.

(I’m doing season 3 before season 2 bc it’s shorter and relatively simpler than its big brother, you’ll understand soon)

As twisted as the train may be, we all know that its base premise is that it helps those it deems as needing help, teleporting them onto the train so they can sort out their problems. But as we’ve seen with Amelia and The Apex, they don’t technically have to. Aside from the threat of being stuck on the train forever, there’s nothing stopping them from fucking about and ignoring their problems.

Throughout Season 3, the Apex assumes that because they are destroying the cars, OneOne is trying to fight against them and put them back on track. However, as Amelia clarifies, he doesn’t even know that they exist.

Despite the fact that their numbers have been climbing in the complete opposite direction, the train hasn’t logged them down as anomalies or glitches in the system, they’re still considered normal passengers. It could be assumed that, like Grace and Amelia, they’ll all eventually come around and get the numbers to zero.

But then of course... Simon happens.

Considering our limited view of the train and its history, we don’t know if the numbers really can go higher or if other passengers have done the same thing in the past. However if he is the first, the fact that Simon’s number literally had nowhere else to go, reaching the highest possible limit, this goes against the train’s whole philosophy of “helping people.” There is now a clear flaw in the system that can no longer be ignored.

(As for the other instance with Simon, we’ll get back to that)

Season 2: Mirror Tulip (AKA M.T. (AKA Lake)) and Alan Dracula are waiting for one of the passenger pods so they can hijack one and get a number to get off the train

From what we’ve seen of the train and how it works, it seems clear that everything is made to revolve around the passengers. The cars are made to help people realize stuff about themselves, the numbers are made to represent their own personal growth and the denizens are made to assist them throughout their journey.

But that’s the thing: These denizens are made by the train. Every car that is created, the denizens are created alongside it. They are literally made to be the NPCs of the whole system and are made to assist passengers. OneOne even says so in the final episode of Book 2.

“Your passenger.” Not “Your friend” or “That one guy,” he specifically says “Your passenger.” Somehow, despite already helping Tulip with her problems, MT was assigned to Jesse.

And we’ve even seen this in other circumstances too! Tulip had Atticus to help her with a bunch of her stuff, and Grace had Hazel to make her realize that “Nulls” were people too. If they weren’t there, they wouldn’t have gone through their whole character arcs and back!

(As for how MT got assigned to Jesse despite already having “served her purpose” for Tulip, we’ll get back on that later).

But back to the point: The Denizens are created for the passengers by the train itself. So its whole deal with helping people grow and giving them an exit? That’s a luxury only reserved for passengers. It doesn’t see the denizens as “real people.” 

So Jesse refusing to leave MT behind, returning to the train so he can get his friend back? The train literally cannot fathom this turn of events and literally begins to break down.

It’s only through MT outsmarting the entire system and resolving OneOne’s broken logic loop that she’s able to escape, leaving the train for good.

But the fact that she’s even able to get off is crazy in of itself! We may not know how long the train has been around for, but the fact that the train began to broke down at MT wanting to leave means that this has to have been the first time this happened. And now that it’s shown that it can be possible for one denizen to leave the train, that opens the door for every single other denizen on the train! If they can “get a number,” they can leave the train.

Not to mention, Lake’s presence in the human world now gives people concrete proof that the train exists. If the train has existed for as long as humans have been alive, then that means there has to have been some rumors about it. And now, with a living girl made of chrome walking around (and a girl without a reflection), it is impossible to blow off those rumors anymore. The train is real.

So what does all this mean then?

The purple lightning (bet you already forgot about it now, eh?), throughout the series, has only showed up during these moments.  Tulip brought back OneOne, MT proved that denizens can leave the train, Simon proved that some passengers cannot be redeemed.  All three of these instances were points of great change in the train’s system, that will drastically alter things to come.

But why does the lightning only show up here? Is it that the train’s world can somehow sense when big things are going to happen? Or is it something deeper, like it can tell the future, and that’s how the passengers get “assigned” denizens? Well... I think it’s kind of a more complex system than that.

It’s painstakingly clear by now that the train is extremely flawed with the way it does things. Nothing is stopping passengers from staying on the train forever, it can whisk away people that are probably no more than 7 who are still developing as people, it’s possible for passengers to never change and make their numbers reach infinity, it doesn’t account for all the trauma that the train itself can leave on the passengers after they leave, it cannot fathom denizens wanting to get off the train and passengers wanting to help those denizens getting off the train and, in the case with Amelia, it’s possible for anyone to overthrow OneOne and take over as Conductor of the train.

However, I think these flaws show something very important. The train itself isn’t some sort of balevolent god that wants to help people become better, nor is it a malevolent one that wants to wreak havoc. It’s a giant machine.

Each car is made from different orbs, programmed by the Conductor (whoever that may be) to be whatever they like. The train’s helpers are all machines. The entire system itself runs on code. Very outdated code.

This is how I think different denizens are “assigned” to the passengers. I don’t think the train itself can see the future, but it can make predictions based on pre-existing data. Whatever passenger gets whisked to the train, they have their entire history and internal angst calculated and carefully analyzed. After running through their problems, the train can figure out exactly what that person needs in order to grow.

In the case of MT being Jesse’s “assigned Denizen,” while also technically being Tulip’s, here’s how I think it went down: After MT left to go her own path, the train kept her in mind as she went about her business, reassigning her to be someone that can help passengers grow. When Jesse got onto the train, it assigned MT to him and sent him in her general direction in his pod.

As for why exactly he didn’t get dropped off in the same car as MT, Jesse needed a bit of time to adjust and had to befriend Alan Dracula while MT wasn’t there. So when MT was asleep, the train moved the car Jesse was in right before the “Family Tree” car and let the rest of its predictions run its course. We do know its possible for the train to move around cars after all, with passengers on it.

But just because the train is good at predictions, it doesn’t mean they’ll always be 100% accurate. Remember: the train runs on very flawed logic. It isn’t always correct with how the passengers will act (Again, see Amelia and the Apex). So bringing this back around to the purple lightning, I think we found our answer.

The purple lightning represents moments when different aspects of the train completely fly off from their “intended course.” 

The train likely wasn’t thinking that Tulip could be its savior, especially with Amelia as the conductor. It likely thought that, as soon as her exit appeared she’d leave for good. But instead, she stuck around and went to save her friend. Tulip stuck around longer than predicted.

The train doesn’t see its denizens as actual people, thinking that as soon as passengers resolve their problems they’ll leave without a second thought. So MT going off on her own to get a number, along with Jesse coming back for her, both of them defied what the train thought was possible.

Then Simon. Simon, Simon, Simon. Out of everything the train could have predicted, it couldn’t have predicted him. 

The first time he broke from the train’s “intended course” was when he killed Tuba. We already know that Hazel was likely Grace’s denizen, since she was the reason that her whole view on the denizens had changed. But I think Tuba was meant to be Simon’s denizen (at least, his second one since The Cat abandoned him). With how helpful she was in The Colored Clock car, helping him escape and being the key to leaving the car, she was likely going to be Simon’s ticket to learning to trust “nulls” again. 

But then... yeah.

The second time he broke was after his fight with Grace. Despite abandoning her, betraying her, trying to kill her several times, Grace still saved him when he was about to fall. The train likely predicted here that Simon would see the err of his ways, pull an Amelia and go on the path of redemption.

But then...... yeah.

The third-and final time-was when he got what he wanted and got the number to end all numbers, likely bigger than the entire train expected. He had gone so far down the rabbit hole that there was nowhere else to go. Every chance he got to become a better person, he rejected. Simon himself is definitive proof that the train’s prediction system is flawed.

Each of these big moments reflects a gigantic flaw in the train’s system. It doesn’t expect these passengers to do the things they do, go off course from their intended destination. Like I said, the system relies on very outdated code. But now, having each of these situations be resolved, it knows how to deal with these issues going forward. A passenger can leave however they want, anyone can leave if they have a number, and most importantly, its prediction system needs fixing if it wants to keep helping passengers.

The train itself is a very, very strange beast. It’s kind and cruel all at once. But at the end of the day, it’s just a big computer doing its purpose. But this computer is old, outdated, extremely touchy. Each time these offshoots happen, it gives the chance for that code to be rewritten. And it’s very likely that it’s going to commit to these changes. For if it doesn’t... well... 

Let’s just say a lot more sand is gonna be added to this desert.

[jungcity]

𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥. | iii

word count: 7k

“my soul 

chose yours 

and a soul 

doesn't just 

forget that”

— b.m.

“This is absurd!”

There was only one thing you wanted to do tonight; curl in your bed and watch korea dramas until your eyes sore from the radiation. But as you roll the wires of the hair-straightener free, all you could do was sniff the tears that was threatening to spill from your eyes.

Yuqi laughed loudly behind you, helping you unroll the knotted wires of the straightener. “Are you seriously gonna cry right now?” She cackled from seeing your frown that could almost reach your chin.

“I don’t know what’s got to my mind. I am seriously the stupidest person to ever exist in the world!” You screamed.

Yuqi’s laughed went louder while patting your back. “No one told you to grab your boss and introduced him as your boyfriend in front of your ex-boyfriend, sis,” Yuqi said, giving emphasis to the word ‘boyfriend’ before continuing, “… so yes, deal with the consequences.”

While praying for the ground to swallow you whole before you hear the honk of Jaehyun’s car in front of your house, you reminisced the insanity of yesterday.

It was a great sunny day. The weather wasn’t too hot, nor it was too cold. Wildflowers are blooming in the grass, with the wind carrying their petals into the air. You smiled, picking one and continuing your walk towards the bus stop with a flower in your hand.

It had been a month since Yuqi was discharged from the hospital. Her recovery had been incredibly fast. Unfortunately, she needed to drop her entry to the archery team— but the coach told her she could always try-out whenever she regained her full-strength. However, the topic is still on debate inside your home, since you didn’t want to see your sister looking as pale as a ghost on a hospital bed again.

Of course, you did not have any choice— again— but to stay in Jung’s Fiscals. Out of compassion or you-don’t-know-what, Jaehyun did not give you too much headache when it came to filing a loan. You were able to pay for all the hospital bills and other expenses such as medicines because of that.

You realized that this life won’t give you any chances to choose the way you wanted to live it. It had felt as if life itself decides for what was going to happen to you. You shook your head and ran from the negative thoughts. The day is bright and the sun is smiling softly at you, you have no reason to be pessimistic. Especially now that Yuqi is all well and far from danger.

There was only one thing that was persistently nagging on your system. Looking at the view outside while the wheels of the bus rolls down the highway, you think about your dreams. Nothing mysterious has happened after you dreamt about the lake— where you heard Jaehyun’s voice calling for someone named Aurora. You have no inkling about who she might be, or what she is to Jaehyun’s life. But there is a high chance that she is nothing but a part of your imagination. At first, you wanted to ask Jaehyun about the name, but his face welcomed no conversations for things other than business. And it felt absurd to ask him about your dream. He obviously has no responsibility to indulge himself to the visions that you see every time you drift asleep. Besides, you couldn’t risk him calling you delusional nor weird.

However, it’s been a month since you last had a peculiar dream. After the lake, all you dreamt about were shallow visions which you easily forgot the next day. It made everything more sinister, for you still remember every detail of the dream you had about Jaehyun. Before you lose your mind from too much thinking, the bus halted in front of Jung’s Fiscals. You gathered your things and departed the vehicle.

Surprisingly, the inside of the lounge gave off a warm atmosphere, so unusual from its grim and quiet surroundings the whole two months you have been working there. You supposed it was your mood that was taking in the bright sides; of the smiles and greetings you were too occupied to notice because you have always struggled every day to please your boss.

Soojin was on her usual place in the front desk, giving you a wave before continuing on her work.

Jung Jaehyun arrived thirty-minutes after you. As usual, he didn’t spare you a glance when you greeted him. It was not like you were expecting him to. Slowly, in the past eight weeks of working for him, you have already got a hold of his frowning, shouting, and disappointed looks. It almost felt like he doesn’t get into your nerves anymore. But sometimes, he still does. Especially right now.

“Where the fuck did you get this coffee?” He scanned the mug in his hand. You narrowed your brows at him. Surely, there wasn’t anything wrong about its taste. You have tasted the coffee for five times, resulting to five spoons waiting for you in the sink. The same taste still lingering in your mouth.

“Sir?”

“Nevermind. Book me a flight to London, send flowers to Johnny Seo— the dick’s giving me too much shit for not going to his gallery’s opening yesterday,” he said the last sentence to himself, clearly frustrated of his friend bumming him out. You quickly typed the important words into your mobile phone, careful not to misspell nor mistyped anything.

Johnny Seo owned a gallery fifteen-minutes away from Jung’s Fiscals. You knew about it when Mr. Seo visited Jaehyun to force him to go. He is a man of a great posture; tall height with lean muscles. Based from your first impression, he is the friendly-type of guy. He even invited you himself when you brought them drinks.

“And—” he paused. You looked at him, anticipating for his next command. Two minutes, of him looking at nowhere and two minutes of you waiting for his mouth to say something. He was completely speechless in his seat, his mouth a thin line and his eyes emotionless.

“Sir?” You decided to break the silence. Albeit not looking at you, his mouth said the order.

“And… make sure the painting from France will be delivered straight in my house tomorrow.”

You jotted the details of the parcel, and mentally reminded yourself to contact the delivery company for Jaehyun’s orders. When you returned to your table, you transferred the notes into the tab that was provided for you. You were halfway into the notes when you received a text from Soojin.

Yuta’s visiting TODAY! Make sure to look your best, bih! 😉

You emitted a silent gasp. Yuta’s arrival wasn’t on your to-do-list for today, and you have no plans to meet him. Soojin hadn’t given you any hint about his arrival, obviously planning to surprise you with the presence of your ex-boyfriend. And she succeeded. Darn it.

You frustratedly typed in the address of Jaehyun’s house into the mail that you created. Shutting your eyes and taking a deep breath, you think about all the possibilities of what could happen later. Soojin’s surely going to give you hell if you stand her up. And you won’t give Yuta the satisfaction of thinking that you still haven’t moved on from your feelings for him. You weren’t trying to be ‘bitter’, you just have no tolerance for cheaters. But for the sake of the friendship that is entwining the three of you, you will go.

Lunch time approached in a dashing speed. For the first time in your whole life, you dreaded the time of eating. There was a pit resting in your stomach by thinking about Yuta. Sure, there is a small part of you that wonders about his whereabouts now, but that curiosity isn’t enough to relive the friendship you once had.

The elevator door tinged, and a smiling Soojin came out. You grunted— there was no running from it now.

“What’s that face, Y/N?” she cooed before sitting on the chair in front of your table. You rolled your eyes at her, showing that you have no time for her teasing.

“C’mon! It’s been years, babe. Don’t tell me you still haven’t moved on?” Soojin raised her perfect brows at you. You threw a crumpled paper her way, earning a loud laugh from her. But it quickly receded as she realized that she was in the same floor as Jung Jaehyun.

“Of course I have moved on! But this meet up, it doesn’t sit well with me. And I don’t understand why are you so eager to see him, not like you didn’t slap him across the cheek when I told you he’s cheating on me,” you reminded her. She, indeed, slapped Yuta before that you feared his teeth would fall off from his gums.

“Like I said, it’s been years. Aren’t you excited to see our old friend?”

No. Yes. Maybe.

“Whatever, Soo. Where is he now?”

At your question, Soojin’s phone buzzed on the table. She mouthed ‘Yuta’ before sliding the green button. “Oh! Nakamoto! Yes, yes. Oooooh! I see that you’re a rich man now! Okay, I’m with Y/N now.” You winced at your name being said to Yuta. “Yes! Okay, okay. Got it!” Then she finished the call with a playful grin plastered on her face.

“He’s already here. And he’s gonna treat us to the nearest restaurant, c’mon!” Soojin dragged you to the elevator, chanting stories after stories as you both walked into the lounge and into the restaurant five-minutes away from Jung’s Fiscals.

Your heart was hammering against your chest as Soojin led you inside. As you passed the door, Soojin sharply turned on you— suddenly fixing your hair like you’re her doll.

“Alright! Let him regret letting you go.” She grinned. You were about to tell her that it’s you who practically let go of Yuta because of his cheating ass when a tall man stood in front of you.

“Yuta Nakamoto!” Soojin squealed, boxing him into a tight hug.

Yuta laughed in her shoulders but his eyes were directly looking at you. You tried to be polite and stretched your lips into a thin smile.

He looks more matured now. He does not look like the playful Yuta with studs almost covering the skin of his ear anymore, but a man who knows what he wants in life. His hair— tied in a neat man bun— is still the white that you remember. Maybe he continued to dye it that way, you will never know. When they pulled away from each other, Yuta spread his arms at you. You reluctantly spread yours and gave him a hug too.

The three of you settled in a four-seater table in the corner of the restaurant near the entrance. Yuta tried to sit beside you but Soojin pulled him beside her and into the seats in front, leaving you sitting alone opposite from them.

“Oh, I need to go to the bathroom,” Soojin said. You widened your eyes at her and she repeated the same expression while gathering her purse. You mouthed the words I’ll kill you before she disappeared from your sight.

You tried your best to ignore Yuta’s furtive glances by skimming the menu. But it was clear by the atmosphere that his tongue was going to say something soon. And he did.

“You looked good, Y/N.” He smiled at you. You chuckled at him, trying your best to sound natural. Once, those smiles were enough to let the butterflies in your stomach stir.

“Yeah, you too.”

He licked his lips, placing the menu on the table and suddenly grabbing your hands. You were too shocked to withdraw, so you let him hold it while looking straight at your eyes.

“Y/N, I know… I know I fucked up. I’m not gonna deny that. But I just wanna say sorry, for the pain that I’d caused you. And I…” He breathed before continuing, “… I came back for you. I… fuck— I still love you.”

You blinked at him, mouth going dry because of his apologies and revelations. Yuta’s eyes were glimmering with something that you could only identify as hope. But his statement didn’t even reach your heart.

It’s not even ten-minutes of you reuniting together. Heck, your butt doesn’t even feel warm in your seat yet. But here he was, ruining everything. However, even after his fucked up declaration, you still tried to gather yourself and remain composed in front of him.

“Don’t fool around Yu—”

He interrupted you by tightening his hold of your hand. “Just give me a chance. I’m a change man now, Y/N.”

Where on earth is Soojin?

“Yuta that is not the problem—”

“Please, Y/N?”

You sighed. This is what you have been telling Soojin all along the way, but she didn’t listen.

“Yuta, I don’t know about that.” You tried to meet his gaze, just so he could see that you were on your edge.

“Why? Soojin told me you’re single. Do you have anyone in your life right now?” He pleaded. You are so going to kill Soojin. You inhaled deep breaths, shutting your eyes. When you opened them, someone caught your attention.

He entered the restaurant like it was his own; with his expensive suit shouting the authority in his every step. His hands on both of his pockets— his eyes coldly scanning the crowd. A faint scowl deepened on his lips as his line of sight slid on to you, sitting and staring at him.

I’m not doing it. You told your brain, but your body seemed to disagree. For you sauntered up to Jung Jaehyun and linked your arms with his. His eyebrows creased, but you smiled widely at him, forcing him to walk to your table.

Stop, Y/N. You still have the chance to save your job and put an end to this nonsense. If your brain could scream, it probably would. But your lips seemed to have a life on its own when it said, “Yuta, this is my boyfriend Jung Jaehyun.” You turned your head from Yuta to your boss. “This is Yuta, my old friend.”

Your smile could reach your ears now, silently praying that your boss would go along this madness. Jaehyun smiled back at you— but you were sane enough to sense the danger between those pearlescent white teeth.

“Let’s sit.” You offered. He was now sitting face to face with Yuta. If your ex-boyfriend was devastated by your announcement, he showed no sign of it for he stretched his arms towards Jaehyun.

“Yuta Nakamoto,” he introduced himself, smiling. Jaehyun stared at his hand for almost a minute. Sweats started to form in your forehead but you let out a sigh when he finally took Yuta’s hand and shook it lightly.

“Jung Jaehyun,” he said. His face had an amused expression as he stared at Yuta, who is now scanning the menu.

“Damn it! I think my stomach’s—” Soojin stopped dead on her tracks, her eyes widening at the sight of her boss sitting beside you. You smiled at her, far too wide to be called natural. But she only widened her eyes.

“Oh, you’re back,” Yuta chimed. He stood up to let Soojin sit on her chair.

“We have Y/N’s boyfriend joining us,” Yuta declared. Soojin almost lost her balance.

“B-boyfriend?” She frantically exchange glances between you and Jaehyun. You swear you were going to collapse soon. But Soojin’s surprised reaction slowly receded to that of an understanding one.

“Oh yes! Ha-ha! Jung Jaehyun, right?! Long time no see!” Soojin even reached for Jaehyun’s shoulder and tapped it lightly. What the fuck? You almost wanted to scream at her, grabbing her hands away from Jaehyun. He looked at his shoulder, to the spot where Soojin touched him and you swear both of you would be dead meat later.

Your orders came— stopping Jaehyun from his quest to burn Soojin with his eyes— and the four of you shared a deafening silence with only the clanking utensils providing the sound.

“So, what do you do these days Jung Jaehyun?” Yuta decided to ask.

You glanced at Soojin, who choke on her food. She looked at you with after-this-we-are-fucking-dead eyes.

Jaehyun was silent for a moment, and you thought he was never going to answer when he wiped his mouth with a dabbing manner and said, “CEO of the building five-minutes away from here.” Then he added, “You?”

Well, that was unexpected.

“That’s cool. I am an actor and a musician in Japan,” Yuta said before biting his food.

You swear you almost heard Jaehyun scoffed, which made your head turn to him so sudden you thought your neck would snap.

“Actor, huh? Suits you.”

They refused to look at each other as they talk. You felt the tension rising up by Jaehyun’s last statement, for Yuta stopped on his chewing. Soojin kicked your shin below the table. She, too, felt the atmosphere as it thickens.

You cleared your throat before Yuta could retaliate. “The salad is good! Try it guys!”

Soojin seconded your motion. The two men snapped their heads to each of your direction.

“Try it, Jae.” The nickname tasted bitter in your mouth. You have witnessed as the same bitterness transferred to your boss’ expression.

“Thanks, chérie.”

There. That pet name again. You tried so hard not to let them notice the tremble of your hand as you leaned a little closer to Jaehyun to put salad on his own plate.

“Are you free this night?” Yuta suddenly voiced, glancing in each of you surrounding him. “Let’s go clubbing tonight. The drink’s on me.” He winked at Soojin, who excitedly shifted on her seat.

You gave Jaehyun a sideway glance, but you couldn’t make up his expression for he was drinking a glass of water. You nudged Soojin below the table. She only widened her eyes at you.

If there was one thing the both of you haven’t done together in a while, it is clubbing. You were absolutely sure that she was not going to bail on Yuta in this adventure.

“That sounds exciting!” Soojin cheered, clapping her hands together.

Yuta looked at you. “How about you, Y/N?”

“I don’t think—”

“We’re going,” Jaehyun declared.

And that is why you are wearing something out of your comfort zone tonight, with your sister straightening your hair.

“Tell me what happened after lunch,” Yuqi teased. You rolled your eyes but told her the story nevertheless.

Soojin couldn’t stop bowing in front of Jaehyun when the three of you returned to the building you thought she was going to cry. Jaehyun only waved her off without saying anything. Then she dashed to the front desk, throwing an apologetic look your way.

The ride inside the elevator was harrowing. Jaehyun’s arms were crossed against his chest, with you fidgeting beside him.

“I’m sorry,” you quietly voiced.

Avoiding both your reflections on the silvery façade of the elevator, you decided to look down at your shoes instead. He didn’t say anything, but you seriously need to make sure that he was not going to fire you.

“You don’t need to go tonight. I know you’re a busy person. And I’m really, really sorry for dragging you into this—”

“You talk too much.” He shifted to face you. Suddenly, you felt the atmosphere warming up inside the elevator.

A finger touched your chin. Then you felt your face as it slowly lifted to meet Jaehyun. You could swim into the depths of his eyes but you were afraid to drown. How could someone be as beautiful as him? You couldn’t believe someone’s face could be as flawless as his; with his perfect brows, to his nose, and to his lips. His skin bore no scar— only perfection.

“See you later,” he breathed. Only then you realized that your faces were utterly so close your lips could almost touch.

“You can stop drooling now,” he said, walking away from you. Your hand flew in your mouth, checking if you were indeed drooling. Shutting your eyes of frustration as you didn’t feel any liquid beside your lips.

But of course, you hide that information from Yuqi.

“Wow! You looked pretty!” She cheered while looking at your reflection in the mirror. Your frown never ceased. It only deepened when you heard the loud honk of a car outside.

“Oh! The CEO is here!” Yuqi singsonged, tickling your sides. You slapped her hands away before walking outside to meet Jaehyun.

Your breath caught in your throat as you see him leaning on his car wearing a casual outfit; white shirt paired with black pants. To be honest, you’d thought he was going to the club with his usual suit and black shoes. He looked much younger in his clothes now, fresher even. The tight atmosphere surrounding him seems to vanish.

You pinched your skin, diving back into reality.

“Yuqi, please take care. Call me if you need anything!” you told your sister, a silent warning exuding from your mouth. She nodded like a puppy while hugging the door frame, trying to get a glimpse of Jaehyun amidst the thick bushes of plants covering the gates.

“I’ll go now.” You shook your head. Yuqi waved you off with a flying kiss.

Jaehyun took a last sip of his blunt before tossing it into the nearest trashcan and walking around his car, not even bothering to open the door for you. You rolled your eyes and pulled the car door open for yourself.

Cigarettes After Sex is blasting through the speakers as you slump into the bullet seat. You have never imagined Jaehyun listening to music, but you guess you really can’t judge a book by its cover. And you enjoy a good music once you heard one, so the ride to the bar weren’t as horrible as you’d expected it would be.

No words were spoken the whole ride, not even when you entered the establishment. Booming electro-pop sounds filled the whole place, making your heart jump together with the speakers. You adjusted your eyes against the LED lights, trying to search the crowd for Soojin and Yuta. Jaehyun is on his way to the counter, leaving you to search alone.

A girl waved at you from the mezzanine floor of the bar. You squinted your eyes to see her face. It was Soojin. You waved back and motioned your hands to where Jaehyun was sitting, taking a shot of tequila.

“Sir—uhm— Jae, found them.”

You bit your tongue of the informality that rolled from it. That is one of the things you were not sure of tonight— formalities. And you have no idea how Jaehyun would have reacted to you calling him by his name, maybe he would really terminate you after this night. He threw you a sideway glance, one brow rising with a shot glass kissing his mouth. You quickly turned your back on him and started walking to where Soojin was.

Oh, what dread greeted you once you have reached their location. Both Yuta and Soojin were sitting on the red sofa— and because they preferred the furthermost seats, all that was left was a one-seater plush sofa. You felt Jaehyun’s presence behind you. He, himself, halted on his tracks as he noticed the only remaining seat. Both of your friends scanned the surroundings, with Soojin ploddingly covering her mouth— slowly realizing the predicament you were into.

Despite the nervousness already coating your body, you tried your best to stay calm. But Jaehyun doesn’t seem to share the same calming technique as you, for he walked to the one-seater, sat on it, looked at you, then tapped his lap.

“Here, babe.”

Babe? What on earth? You widened your eyes at him, hoping that he could see the warning against the pulsing lights around you. His lips turned into a coy smile, showing you that he was enjoying himself right now. Of course, Jaehyun would take every chance to settle your hash. You should have known better.

“There’s no more seat left but here on my lap,” he added.

You saw in your peripheral how Soojin choked on her own saliva. You swear you’d kill Jaehyun once this is all over. You really would, and probably he would do the same to you. Tightening your hands on your purse, you whispered a silent prayer  to the saints who might be watching and listening to you now, then trudged the distance between you and Jaehyun with a heavy heart.

“You can sit here, Y/N. I’ll fetch my own,” Yuta interrupted before you could sit on Jaehyun’s lap. He was smiling while tapping his seat between Jaehyun and Soojin. You glanced at Jaehyun. He had that impish look on him as he stared at Yuta; like he was a toy he wanted to play.

“Y/N, what are you still doing standing there?” Soojin waved her hands, encouraging you to snap out of your reverie and finally sit beside her.

You sat uncomfortably in the plush sofa, glancing at Jaehyun every now and then. There was boredom in his eyes as he looked at the surroundings— of dancing bodies and couples making out in the corner.

“Is he okay?” Soojin whispered. You looked at her and shrugged. Since you have never seen Jaehyun inside a bar before, you really couldn’t tell whether he was fascinated or stultified by the happenings around him. Either way, you ignored him and started drinking when Yuta came back, with a waiter carrying a seat for him.

Soojin leaned onto you again. “Let’s have some fun and leave the boys to have their manly talk.”

You answered her with a stupefied look. But she already got her arms linked to yours, pulling you up from your seat.

“It’s time for us to have some girls’ night, so I hope you both won’t mind!” Soojin flashed the two men her white and perfect teeth.

Yuta glanced at Jaehyun, and then back to Soojin. “Enjoy yourselves while the night is still young.” He smiled.

Soojin suddenly slapped his arms. “You sound like an old man!”

Then she pulled you down the stairs and into the throng of dancing bodies. Soojin screamed before diving into the crowd, pulling you with her. The both of you started to dance, leaving both Yuta and Jaehyun behind.

—

Jaehyun stared at the crowd, his eyes fixated on you. He regretted going to this awful place the moment he stepped in and heard the blasting music, but maybe his night wouldn’t be a waste if he kept on watching you losing your shit into the music.

He took another shot of the liquor, wincing for it didn’t even make his throat tighten. The boy in front of him making everything worth wincing for.

Yuta took a swig from his own bottle, gulping down almost half of its content before looking at you again. The way that he tried to worship you with only his eyes made something inside Jaehyun ticked. Nothing would happen if he won’t break the ice. Taking another shot from his glass, he decided to worsen the tensed atmosphere coaxing their surroundings.

“You’re not human.”

Yuta gave him a sideway glance. “Yeah?”

“Yeah? I can smell your fae shit from a mile so you better cut the bullshit and reveal yourself to me now.”

Yuta seemed taken aback by his words. And that was when Jaehyun knew he already caught the bird. “Are you on drugs? Listen man, I don’t know what’re you talking about,” Yuta said, looking for you in the crowd.

Jaehyun leaned closer— eyes as cold as a dead corpse as he pinned down Yuta with a stare. “You do know what I’m talking about. And I know what you are. But you, you don’t know what I am.”

Jaehyun does not miss anything. Not even the slightest twitch of Yuta’s jaw by his last sentence. He doesn’t know how this fae in front of him hides his pointed ears and he does not give a fuck. But he couldn’t let Yuta sit there and not know that he was in the presence of The Fallen, and that someone more powerful than him could sense behind his glamour.

Yuta have him a calculating look then, the fae senses of him piercing through Jaehyun’s soul. Yet he couldn’t seem to figure out what creature Jaehyun truly is. He was devoid of anything human and monstrous— not a vampire nor a lycanthrope, certainly not a warlock— that much was for sure. In the depths of Yuta’s sleuthing, he found something immaculate, hateful, and eternal. And those feelings only belonged to someone who is older than the world itself— of a creature once descended into heaven, standing beside the Almighty Himself.

“Lucifer?” Yuta whispered incredulously.

Jaehyun continued staring at Yuta until the latter shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I see that you’re not as dumb as I’ve expected.”

The fae accepted Jaehyun’s taunting— not that he could do anything other than that in the presence of Lucifer. He should have sensed it earlier, when they ate together. But he was so enraptured by meeting you again he did not had any time to sense that something was amiss.

Giggling, both you and Soojin made your way back to Jaehyun and Yuta. Soojin was the first one to sit back on her place beside the latter. While you slowed your steps, drinking in the intense atmosphere between the two men. What happened?

Soojin was laughing merrily as she told Yuta stories about your little adventure in the dance floor. You giggled with her but before you could take another step, Soojin’s feet suddenly blocked the way, making you trip on your toes. A loud gasp escaped your lips before you closed your eyes and waited for the drop to happen. But a pair of strong hands caught your arms— balancing you. Your nose bumped against hard muscles. When you looked up, you saw Jaehyun gazing down at you.

The world suddenly stopped along with your body. You stared at his eyes, heart beating loudly against your chest. His face, mere inches away from you that you could feel his breath fanning your cheeks. Just like in your dreams— when he guided you towards the center of the hall to dance with him.

To hell with the rules, to hell with the barriers separating you and Jaehyun— for the first time in your whole life, you have never wanted to kiss someone as you do right now. It wouldn’t hurt to let those lips touch yours, right? You closed your eyes, slowly tipping your toes to reach those invitingly red lips when a pair of strong arms grabbed you away from Jaehyun.

It happened so fast. You slammed into someone’s chest yet again. You opened your eyes to see Yuta looking at Jaehyun with enough fire to burn the whole building, arms wrapped protectively around your shoulders.

“What the hell, Yuta?!” you screamed and tried to wiggle yourself free. But he only tightened his hands on your shoulders, causing you to wince. Soojin was stoned in her seat, with her fingers wrapped around the glass of vodka. The people around you started to watch the scene unfolding before their eyes with excitement which annoyed you.

“Enough of this game, Y/N.” His tone was serious, and his eyes never left Jaehyun.

Jaehyun worked his jaw. “Let her go.”

Yuta tensed but he didn’t stir. Which you think amused Jaehyun even more.

“I don’t take orders from you,” Yuta spat.

Jaehyun raised his brow, a smirk playing on his lips. His eyes bearing a darkness you have never seen before. A darkness that could summon lightning and storm or break the ground open. It sent chills down your spine. He does not look human at all.

He walked languidly towards Yuta, and only when they stood face to face did Jaehyun let himself talk.

“You dare defy me?”

Every words was slow— like he was tasting the dominance dripping from his mouth. Yuta’s grip on you slackened. Before you knew it, his fist already collided against Jaehyun’s jaw. You gasped along with the people watching on the sidelines. Bouncers ran to where you were located and tried to get a hold of the two men. Jaehyun jerked away from their hold before wiping the blood off the side of his lips.

Soojin was quick to wrapped her arms around you, but Jaehyun grabbed your arms again. The both of you walked towards the exit with you barely catching up on his long strides. He pushed the button on his keys, and his car made a sound.

Jaehyun opened the door for the bullet seat. “Get in,” he commanded.

“No.”

By your answer, he stood there, staring at you. The intensity in his eyes made your heart skip a beat, but you stood your ground. What the hell happened inside the bar? To him and Yuta? And where would he bring you? You have enough questions in your mind not to go with him now.

“Get. In.” He insisted, every word laced with authority.

“Make m—”

“Trust me, chérie. You wouldn’t want to finish that sentence,” he interrupted.

You shut your mouth, blinking. Jaehyun raised his brow, motioning you to get in his car. Sighing, you lazily sat on the bullet seat. Complete silence enveloped you as there was no music playing to carry the uneasiness away. You glanced at Jaehyun every now and then, and every time you do, he was checking on the split on his lips.

Albeit not knowing the true reasons of Yuta’s rage, guilt still rests in the pit of your stomach. You have also known Yuta as a troublemaker when you were still in college. Trouble has its way to cling onto him, and you always find him brawling with another student in the fields of the school every now and then. It is a surprised that he graduated on time despite his records. And now that you think of it, you guess old habits really die hard.

Jaehyun stopped in front of your small apartment. Both of you never said anything as you opened the door and made your way out of his car. But you held on to the door, not letting it close behind you.

You bit your lips, turning to face him, “Let me at least tend to your wound.”

“There’s no need.” Jaehyun tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

“Please.”

You were surprised to see him open the door beside him and depart his car. Maybe you have never expected him to oblige that easily. He followed you inside the apartment and into the living room. At first, he was reluctant to sit on the sofa.

“You can sit, Sir. We clean the house every day.” You rolled your eyes. Rich people are annoying.

Quickly, you knocked onto Yuqi’s door. When she didn’t answer, you gathered the first aid kit at the drawers located in the kitchen, then poured some water to the glass and served it to him.

You sat beside your boss, then you started pouring alcohol to the cotton balls and started dabbing it on his split lips.

His eyes bore into your face, making you uncomfortable. The redolence of tequila mixed with mint wafted your nose as he spoke, “You should be careful around that boy.”

“You can’t give me orders outside work, Sir.” You exerted a bit force in dabbing the cotton ball, but he didn’t even wince.

“I absolutely could, chérie.”

You snapped, “Stop calling me ‘chérie’.”

“Why? Because it makes you nervous?” He held your wrist, pinning you with his gaze. He was right. It does makes you nervous, but you would never let him see that.

“Ha! Of course not!” You scoffed.

You tried to free yourself from his grasp, but he only tightened his grip. It feels like déjà vu. But unlike the other time, there was no buzzing of phones and dreadful news to stop what was bound to happen.

Before you could even blink, Jaehyun’s lips crashed into yours. Shocking waves of electricity traveled your body. Tickles ran down your head to your toes. His lips moved, and you melted with the feeling that you moved your lips too. It felt like a spark, a slight push to drive Jaehyun mad— for he deepened the kiss, hunger and intensity mixing with it. The cotton ball fell into the ground, along with all your senses. Every ravenous kiss you answered with the same fierceness. You bit each other’s lips, tongues colliding inside your mouths—

Jaehyun immediately pulled away, with a curse escaping his mouth. You blinked at him. The kiss you shared leaving a blackhole into your system.

“Fuck.” He stood up, pacing back and forth. Then he picked up his keys and walked away.

The wheels of his car screeched against the asphalt road. You let him go, because what else could you possibly do?

—

The sound of heels colliding with the floor filled the whole of Jaehyun’s penthouse. He never needed to turn to see who had arrived.

“My prince.” The woman said mockingly.

Jaehyun scoffed, “Chaelin.”

The woman poured liquor to the spare glass lying on the table, then she joined Jaehyun in watching the cars and streetlights below the silence of the city.

“The newborns has been taken care of,” she started.

“Good.”

“Good? You didn’t even bother to visit, knowing that Taeyong is out of the country doing God-knows-what.”

Jaehyun chuckled and gave Chaelin a glance. “What did he say?”

The woman lifted her middle finger. “This.”

He ignored the vulgar gesture and walked straight to where the liquor was located, turning his back again to the woman. “Taeyong isn’t a vampire Primus for nothing. And those newborns are the result of their wanting to spread out their dying legacy,” Jaehyun stated.

“And they are doing an absolute great job on it,” Chaelin added.

Taeyong has been recruiting humans to join his clan of vampires for hundreds of years now. His newborns are usually those who became too tired to be normal. And no, he does not force and bend their necks to sip their blood. Taeyong has a peculiar sense of doing everything in order, so he made a document to be signed by the humans who wanted to be vampire before they go through the process. It’s not a secret that newborn vampires are the wildest breed of netherworlders, so Taeyong made bars that would keep them until it’s safe enough to let them roam around.

His vampires does not harm humans. No one would dare. For he vowed to chop their heads off himself if they dare lay a hand on a person. So they mostly feed from animals. But a dent was made by his newborns when Taeyong flew out of the country to attend whatever bullshit that needed his presence. His newborns almost killed a man, sending Chaelin to fix the mess until their Primus arrived to kill them.

That was the same argument Chaelin and Jaehyun talked about two months ago, the one he suspected you heard.

“By the way, did you give the ointment to the girl?” Chaelin asked, crossing her legs into the futon.

“Doyoung gave me too much shit when I asked him for that. He even forced me to pay five aurum for it. Five. Aurum.” Chaelin emphasized.

Aurum is the money netherworlders used as their currency— the Latin term for gold. And netherworlders refers to vampires, warlocks, lycanthropes and such.

The aurum has the same color as gold and it’s similar to coins, with a circle embossed on it. One aurum is enough to buy (not rent) a small apartment if used in the human world. It’s not a surprised Chaelin has gone a little bonkers to the payment Doyoung insisted her to pay.

Doyoung is a warlock, residing in the forest. He actually owned a mansion in the middle of the forest, and that is where he often does magic. And Chaelin deserved an applause for traveling there alone.

“You went alone?” Jaehyun asked.

Chaelin checked her long nails. “Of course not. I brought Jeno with me. I know it would please Doyoung to see his favorite pup.”

“But Jeno won’t be pleased if he heard you calling him pup. He could be the next alpha.”

“Jeno isn’t as easily insulted as you, Jaehyun. And you can’t talk about that while Johnny is still alive and leading the pack.” The woman rolled her eyes.

“Whatever, Lilith.”

“It’s Chaelin now.”

“Why? Does it hurt to remember how the Almighty banished you from Eden and literally replaced you with a girl named Eve?”

“Watch it, Lucifer.” Chaelin’s warning earned a chuckle from Jaehyun. “As far as I know, we were both banished.” There was enough venom in her tone that made Jaehyun halt, suddenly remembering the glory he once had.

“And you must know that I don’t bow to the wants of a patriarch,” she added.

“It’s what the Almighty wished you to do, promising to forgive and make a place in heaven for you if you oblige.”

That was true. The Almighty will forgive Chaelin and lift her punishment once she agreed to be loyal and faithful to Adam. But she refused, over and over again. She was lucky, Jaehyun thought, for the Almighty still wanted her in heaven. Unlike him, who He banished beyond redemption.

Chaelin stood up and made her way to the door. She veered the door open before saying, “I don’t want to redeem myself. He could punish me all over again. But I, I won’t falter. For my pride is higher than the heaven, itself.”

Jaehyun shook his head. But he completely understands the woman. He sat on one of the stools in the kitchen counter, breathing in the silence once again.

“Chaelin,” he called out. The woman turned on her heels to hear what he was about to say.

“There’s a fae bastard roaming around. Make sure he’s taken care of.”

He doesn’t need to turn sideways to see the silent nod the woman made. Then the door clicked close.

Chaelin and him— two creatures molded from the same clay. She was casted out of Eden, and him out of heaven. But unlike when Jaehyun was exiled from heaven— all bloodied and bruised— Chaelin had a triumphant smile in her when she walked out of the paradise and into freedom. Chaelin wasn’t even as powerful as Jaehyun, but she was way more happier.

Into the dead of the night, with only the moonlight slipping into the floor-to-ceiling glass of Jaehyun’s penthouse, he thought about you. About the kiss you shared.

It was foolish of him to let the wanting overcome his senses. But the curve and plumpness of your lips made it hard to hang on to his principles. And before he knew what he was doing, he’s already cupping your cheeks, kissing you with a hunger he didn’t know lay quiet inside him. Yes, he’s kissed and bedded women after all those years of loneliness because of Aurora’s death, but he never once felt something as he did when your lips collided with his. He kissed and kissed you, and for the first time, Aurora’s face flashed in his mind. It should bother him, but no matter what he tells himself, kissing you didn’t feel like cheating. Despite all of it, he still wanted to get rid of your taste in his mouth. So he grabbed his phone inside his pocket and dialed a number.

“Get that pretty ass on here, Mina.”

—

[latenightsleuth]

When You're In The Pocket

(Image: https://shaylaraquel.com/blog/gsk )

I have been reading through Michelle McNamara's blog, True Crime Diary. Around 3 am, I found this gem in a blog titled, Criminally Underreported (Date Published 12.09.07):

"An important part of True Crime Diary’s mission is to care for neglected cases by reexamining them and making them known."

McNamara speaks to the media driving interests by availability, while allowing other cases to go unsolved because the public simply did not know about the story. This seems to drive her selection of cases discussed. And what a rich layering of discussion it is.

Michelle McNamara, left and former deputy editor of LA Magazine, Nancy Miller.

Image: https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/michelle-mcnamara/

This appreciation of underreported cases brings an open, earnest examination of possibilities. Some, we now know, were not true connections. For a true appreciation of McNamara's style, check out another blog entry Date Published 03.17.08 titled, Evolution Of A Story, blog #129:

One of the ways I find stories to write about is by using Google Alerts. I put in key words like “homicide” and “missing,” for example, and Google sends me news stories that relate to those topics. Some stories I delete immediately for lack of interest, or because the case takes place too far away, like Australia, and I don’t think I can add much to it.

Other stories I file away for later; they glimmer with the promise of something intriguing, and I save them for when I have time to dig deeper.

The other day I decided to revisit a brief and cryptic story that appeared on February 26 out of Missouri. I'm glad I did. Pulling on the strand of available but sparse information unraveled a darker, much more complicated story, one that hints at a most unusual serial killer.

The article describes the exhumation of a 47-year-old Missouri man who died in 1992. The man's death was unremarkable at the time, and no autopsy was done. But now the FBI is reexamining his death. The article says the FBI is also looking into at least two other deaths in Utah that might be related.

Another story about the exhumation was similarly vague, but had a more provocative title: "Could Missouri autopsy lead to serial killer with Utah ties?"

The FBI was being tight-lipped, but I knew I could probably connect some dots through online research. It's exciting when you know only certain facts about a breaking case and then go digging, uncovering small, seemingly innocuous details --- a message left on a memorial guestbook, or an announcement about a job change --- that you arrange to reveal an incomplete, but ominous, picture. The most mundane fragments of everyday life can take on new meaning.

That's what happened when I went digging in this case. I won't name names --- the official investigation is still ongoing and has been characterized to me as “sensitive” --- but because I plan on writing about the case again in the future, I’ll share some of what I discovered.

The first thing I did was look up public records related to the exhumed man. I quickly found the name of his wife at the time of his death. I’ll call her Alice.

I noticed Alice has used at least three last names, suggesting several marriages. I looked up her known addresses, and found that sometime after her husband’s death in Missouri she moved to another state: Utah. The focus of the investigation became clearer.

Alice was definitely living in Utah by 1999. A brief announcement in The Enterprise, a business journal based in Salt Lake City, reported in June, 1999 that Alice had been appointed executive director of a local chamber of commerce. The announcement listed her last name as something other than the exhumed husband's, and mentioned that Alice had been a former member of an Iowa chamber of commerce.

Using the last name listed in The Enterprise and the town in Iowa mentioned, I found a listing for a man who is roughly the same age as Alice. Records indicate Alice and the man are related or associated in some way; because she had his last name, I’m assuming it was by marriage. I couldn’t find an obituary for the man, so I’m not sure if he’s still alive.

So it appears that between her husband's death in Missouri in 1992 and her subsequent move to Utah, Alice was married, likely for the second time, in Iowa.

But by 1999 she was in Utah. That year she married a man I’ll call Randall.

An online search of Randall’s name reveals him to be a much beloved man in his 60s who lives about an hour and a half from Salt Lake City. A young boy lists Randall as his inspiration, because, despite Randall’s mechanical heart and amputated leg, he “always lives life to the fullest and makes everything fun and exciting.”

Randall was born in 1943 and served in Vietnam. He had six children with his first wife, and worked for many years as an industrial engineer. In 1976, he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1999, he married Alice.

In 2003 Randall had a heart attack, and was given a Left Ventricular Assist Device. He was a popular figure in his neighborhood, telling everyone about his miracle heart and passing out candy to the children.

I know this because it’s in his obituary. Randall died, “quietly at his home,” on January 4, 2007.

Three weeks later, Alice’s father died. He was 82, and his death doesn't appear at all suspicious. But his obituary does help fill in some blanks about Alice's early years. Her father was in the United States Air Force during WWII, and then settled in the small town in northeastern Missouri where he grew up. He and his wife had Alice and a son, who appears to have died during adulthood. Alice’s father owned and operated a garage in town for nearly forty years.

Alice gave the eulogy at his funeral.

At this point I’m getting a clearer picture of Alice. The leadership role at the chamber of commerce and giving the eulogy suggest a confident, possibly even extroverted woman. I know she had four children and at least two, possibly three, husbands. It appears that later in life she became a Mormon.

I’m assuming the FBI is investigating the first husband’s death in Missouri, and Randall’s, but I don’t know about the third one. It could be the second husband, or some other associate of Alice’s.

Her children appear to be well-adjusted --- married, thriving in various careers, athletic and bright. I study a picture of a sweet, smiling, white-haired older woman holding a child on Alice’s son’s blog. She is attractive and appears in good shape for her age. The accompanying text describes a visit from “Grandma.” The wife in the family refers to her own mother in other pictures, so it's likely this is the husband's mother. This is Alice. She hugs the toddler, looking like a kindly Mormon grandmother. She looks nothing like a serial killer.

But a hint of tension exists. Alice’s son’s wife has posted a photo album of the family's Christmas vacation in Utah. Her sister-in-law, Alice’s daughter, leaves a terse message: “Where are the pictures of (husband's name) side of the family?” There’s no answer.

Two out of Alice’s four children are in medical-related fields, including respiratory therapy and sleep studies. I don’t know why that unnerves me, but it does.

I track down someone who knew the family in Missouri when the first husband died. She tells me his death was a total shock. He was “the kindest man you could ever meet.”

Alice told everyone it was a heart attack and chose not to have an autopsy done.

People always thought that was odd, the source says.

Full article: http://truecrimediary.com/index.cfm?page=cases&id=48

Image: https://www.abc10.com/article/news/how-michelle-mcnamaras-book-renewed-interest-in-the-golden-state-killer/103-545774228

Tenacious, oh, yes. It took a while of digging, but I was able to find the story eluded to in the blog entry. You really get an idea of her excitement level and her thought process. McNamara was home here.

Keyboard crusader: the true-crime writer Michelle McNamara turned cyber-sleuth when she began following leads on the Golden State Killer, a serial rapist and murderer who terrorized California from 1976-86 COURTESY OF PATTON OSWALT

From: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/how-to-catch-a-serial-killer-from-your-bedroom-diy-detective-michelle-mcnamara-pursued-a-notorious-murderer-without-leaving-the-house-qh6bkk9p9

[earth-ambassador-jim]

Lost Souls: Story 8

The Ones We Hail -Part 1

Lost Souls Summary: Merlin awakens early from his sleep. He decides  that he doesn’t want to leaving anything to chance and kidnaps the young  James Lake Jr. to began training his Trollhunter as early as possible.

Barbara  is determined to hunt down the man who kidnapped her son. In her  efforts to get her son back she finds a strange old radio that speaks to  her in a woman’s voice. The radio leads her to an underground society  of shapeshifters.

Mother and son meet again years later as strangers on opposing sides.

AO3 - Fanfiction

~~~~

Kanjigar paused to look at the glowing engravings of the wall. His brief examination told him they depicted stories from the past. Blinky would have loved them but there were other things to focus on right now… such as how to get through the circle of spinning blades that cut him off from the main area of the tomb.

After a bit of trial and error Kanjigar was forced to use the sword he’d brought with him to block them. It groaned under the forces exerted on it slowly beginning to twist and deform.

Truly a waste of a good weapon, Kanjigar thought as he dropped into the chamber below.

He straightened up and then stood in silence for a moment. The cavern he was now in was made entirely out of giant clear crystals the likes of which he had never seen before. They grew from the walls in all directions as far as the eye could see. Each one was more massive as the crystals that formed the steps to Trollmarket. The sheer magnitude made him feel small.

A violent shriek of tearing metal followed by a resounding clang tore Kanjigar’s attention away from the wonder before him. The blades were spinning again. Kanjigar bend down to pick up the hilt of his sword from the ground. After a moment’s hesitation he placed it in his pocket. There would be no going back now. He squared his jaw and set out to travel through the maze of crystal. According to the map Merlin’s chamber would be at the very bottom.

~~~~

Keeping his bearings proved harder that he expected. It seemed that the crystal had grown since the map was created.

Eventually he found what he was looking for. The Trollhunter had never been so glad to see bare rock in his life. He slid down the final section of the crystal and landed on the grey path. He shoved the map into his pocket. As he drew in a breath of air, he found it stale. He had no doubt he was the first one to travel here in a millennia.

He had been right about the crystals growing. The tunnel itself was crossed by their clear shafts. The Trollhunter was forced to duck under and climb over many of them. Given enough time the chamber would become completely inaccessible. He wondered how hard they would be break through.

Kanjigar ducked under a final crystal and stopped.

Before him on a slab of stone, lit from above by a beam of light, lay a humanoid figure. It was unmoving and covered in cobwebs and yet untouched by the decay that mankind was so prone to. The chamber was silent; not the slightest hint of a breath disturbed the somber atmosphere. Kanjigar rested his hand over his heart and bowed his head briefly. He had no doubt that this  was Merlin.  

Reverently he stepped forward to look at the man before him.

As he did so a strange urge came over him.

He drew out the box containing the parts of the amulet and laid hold of the blue stone. Moving slowly and breathlessly –almost in a trance- he turned back to the prone body before him. He held the stone over it.

Blue light shot out of the stone and entered the mouth and eyes of the still man.

He took a step back waiting with uncertain anticipation.

Nothing happened. The chamber remained still. Frowning Kanjigar took a step forward.

The man’s eyes snapped open and he shot upright with a strangled scream before choking on the spider webs that had been over his mouth.

Kanjigar stood there awkwardly, not quite certain what to do, as the man coughed and hacked violently.

After a while he finally stopped and settled back down on the slab. He turned his head and gazed at the troll before him. His eyes wandered up and down his body before his eyebrows went up.

“Are you the Trollhunter?” He asked.

“Yes,” Said Kanjigar before remembering his formalities. He quickly dropped to one knee and bowed his head. “Kanjigar son of Tarigar at your….”

“Yes, yes. At my service. I already know who you are,” The wizard said dismissively. “I was simply surprised to see you here. I had been expecting someone else.”

“Who…”

The wizard held up a finger. “One moment.”

He swung his legs off of the stone slab. Kanjigar hesitantly rose from his kneeling position and watched as he vigorously started stretching, releasing a symphony of pops and cracks. Where humans supposed to make that much noise when they moved?

“Who were you expecting?” He finished when the wizard finally stopped stretching.

“Your successor,” The wizard said nonchalantly.

“My…”

“But that’s irrelevant now,” Merlin went on. “What is relevant is when we are… now let me see…” He held his hands together and started to mutter to himself. Green light glowed in his eyes and between his fingers. “Hmmm. Yes, yes… Ah! I see.”

Merlin smile and clapped his hands together scattering the green magic like sparks of fire.

“It seems you’ve woken me early… About twenty-five years early to be precise.”

“I’m sorry,” Kanjigar said slowly still a bit caught off guard. Merlin was really not what he was expecting.

“No harm done,” Merlin waved a hand at him, turning toward the entrance. “I’m used to adapting my hands to others’ meddling. In fact I believe this may prove to be a boon.” He nodded, stroking his beard. “Yes. This will open some new possibilities.”

He started walking and Kanjigar followed. The two walked in silence out of the crypt and back into the large chamber of white crystal. After a while Kanjigar decided to bring up what he had come here for.

“Would you be willing to assist me with something,” The Trollhunter asked carefully. He didn’t like asking for help, but... “Bular and his changelings are still free but continue to be a plague on both Troll and human-kind alike. I have the DayStone –which can protect me from sunlight-, but the human population is such even at night I risk being seen. To venture out in the day would be idiocy.”

Merlin paused and glanced at him.

“Do they not still abide by the pact?” He asked curiously.

“I don’t believe they remember it anymore… or even the existence of trolls. They have invented weapons that even a troll should fear, so I believe it is better that we remain unknown rather than risk open war with them.”

“I see,” Said Merlin, stroking his beard. “That was bound to happen eventually. I assume that you want a way to move unnoticed?”

Kanjigar nodded.

“I’ll see what I can do,” Merlin said turning forward again and walking. “You are my champion after all. I fear I shall often be busy, but I should be able to make some time to give you assistance. I will occasionally need yours after all so it’s only fair I give a little something.”

“Thank you,” Kanjigar breathed out. Relief slumping his shoulders.

With Merlin’s help he would finally be able to end the fight against Bular and the changelings. Then he would be able to stop worrying about his son becoming involved in this. He would be finally able to rest.

He followed the wizard as they left the stale air of the crypt behind to seek a route back to the surface.

“Ah here it is!”

Kanjigar pulled himself up the crystal behind Merlin and found himself on top of a platform of sorts. In the center of the flattened crystal was planted a staff.

“Is that the Staff of Avalon?” Kanjigar asked in a hushed whisper.

“Indeed,” Said Merlin.

He started to reach for it and then paused.

“You should really be wearing your armor,” He said pointedly.

Kanjigar blinked and then fished the box out of his pocket.

“I’m afraid I cannot. I had Vendal take it apart in order to find you.”

“Eh? Oh yes, I forgot about that,” The wizard said. “Give it here.”

Kanjigar handed the box over and Merlin quickly set to work assembling the amulet.

“There.” He put the final piece in place and handed in back to the Trollhunter. “Now we’re ready.”

Kanjigar watched him curiously, amulet still in hand, as he pulled out his staff and held it aloft.

“Ah! It is good to have this back,” The wizard said in a pleased tone. He turned back to Kanjigar. “Do you remember where the entrance is?”

“Yes…”

“Good! Let’s get moving then,” He said giving his staff an experiment swing. “If we run we should be able to reach it before the whole thing collapses.”

“What…”

The crystal beneath them let out a loud groan before it began to tilt.

~~~~

Author Notes:

Kanjigar mini-arc time! (This was going to be one chapter but it was getting way too long. Anyway I really wanted to post something. Working full time really cuts your freetime down let me tell you!)

I'm rather fond of Kanjigar for some reason. I headcannon him as a bit of a lawful good paladin type. I think his time watching and interacting with Jim got him to loosen up a bit.

Anyway I believe there's a saying about meeting your idols that Kanjigar is going to wish he'd known and heeded. Also "Demons" by Imagine Dragons is a huge mood song for this fic.

[multimetaverse]

HSMTMTS 1x10 Review

Act 2 was a great finale that capped off a great season though somewhat marred by Disney censorship. Let’s dig in!

Finally Ricky and Nini have found their way back to each other. Sweet callback to Ricky lighting Nini up with his phone as Nini does the same. Breaking Free was great though I had to keep pausing during the EJ to Ricky transition because it was so cringey. Ricky and Nini really do have the best chemistry on the show and it shines through this ep. Joshua did a great job improvising Ricky’’s confession to Nini as did Olivia reacting to it. Tim mentioned in an interview that originally Ricky was supposed to tell Nini that he thinks he kinda you knows in a callback to the premiere but on set he realized that it was too cheesy and decided to let Joshua come up with a confession based on memories of his and Olivia’s real life friendship. That was certainly the steamiest kiss we’ve yet seen on Disney + but it was well earned

 It speaks well of Tim that he recognized that his own writing wasn’t good enough and that he trusted his actors to take charge. It also goes to show how much of a difference it makes having the showrunner actually on set in Salt Lake, whether that was Tim or Disney’s decision. It’s a sharp contrast with Andi Mack where Terri the showrunner was based in LA and only rarely visited set while Michelle Manning was the producer in charge in Salt Lake, a split which I think hurt the show in some ways

That rainbow heart sign from the Mathew-Smith family was lovely. It’s great to see Seb’s family of Utah farmers being so supportive. This also confirms that Seb is out to his family, and since Miss Jenn seemed to greet Carlos’ father near the beginning of the ep it’s likely that Carlos is also out to his family

A historic first for Disney with a Seblos cheek kiss. Though of course while it’s progress it still isn’t equality. It’s not so much the Rini kisses that really drives home the inequality since they’re the main couple and were always going to kiss in the finale but rather it’s the Redlyn kiss. It’s not like Redlyn has gotten any real development nor did their story line really need a kiss so early. They got to kiss simply because they’re straight. That being said, it does once more show that the limits are looser on Disney +, we never would have gotten even a Tyrus cheek kiss on Disney Channel

Unfortunately Disney for the second ep this season released promotional photos of Seblos scenes that were cut from the episode itself. It’s not queerbaiting in the traditional sense but it is baiting the audience as they know that a lot of people are very invested in Seblos and seeing that rep on screen and Disney is willing to use that to draw in viewers while cutting the actual on screen rep down. What’s worse is that if it wasn’t for Disney itself letting us know that these scenes existed we’d never know that Seblos scenes were being cut. And of course, it’s a waste of time and money for the show to film these scenes only for them to be cut. A big complaint with Seblos this season has been their lack of development but that seems to be less on the writers who are in fact giving them more scenes then on Disney which is cutting them down to the bare minimum

It’s all shameless triangulation on Disney’s part, trying to be progressive but not so progressive as to alienate conservatives. It’s not like any homophobes are still watching the show after Seblos got together. So far it seems like the Disney censorship on HSMTMTS is coming mainly in post production like it was in Andi Mack S2 with the cut bash mitzvah scene and the edited look back which is awful but is still better than the much heavier censorship we saw in Andi Mack S3 that was coming in pre-production when things like Cyrus being able to talk about his feelings for TJ and vice versa were just never being written. Hopefully Seb being a main character in S2 means that the censorship lessens at least a bit or at the very least stays in the post production stage

In an interview done early on in the season, Tim talked about sometimes taking giant leaps and some times taking small steps in terms of the representation on the show and know we have a much better sense of what that means in practice. There was the giant leap of Seblos getting together at Homecoming and the small step of them kissing on the cheek. Afaik Tim hasn’t addressed the Seblos cheek kiss which is probably for the best and if he does I hope he has the good grace to not lie to the audience about his ability to have gotten an actual Seblos kiss approved. I do think we’ll eventually see a Seblos kiss though I think the earliest that could happen would be the S2 finale

Very telling that Ashlyn assumes EJ is behind Ricky’s exit and not a good look on EJ’s part to not tell Miss Jenn at least that Ricky left. . Good for him though for playing to lose and giving up the role of Troy to help Nini and Ricky. Confirmation that he paid for Gina’s ticket and we got our first Hell Yeah on the show. I don’t like it but it does seem like that scene was set up for Portwell in S2; at the very least it seems like Gina may have started to feel something for EJ

Pour one out for those poor audience members having to sit through that trainwreck of a second act. You know you’re really in trouble when you have to send your choreographer out there as an understudy

I loved Big Red’s little xylophone during the intermission 

Nice to see Nini and Gina end on a friendly, supportive note. Hopefully that continues next season

Kudos to Olivia and Matt for really selling the high school theatre actors barely keeping it together on stage aspect of the performance. Nini and EJ have so little chemistry that it’s almost hard to remember that they were dating for several months

Mr Darbus’ office set looked great. Nice touch to have Miss Jenn mouthing the lyrics to Wondering off stage

Lynne really sucks. Can’t say I’d miss her if we don’t see her in S2

Will be interesting to see how Miss Jenn and Mr. Mazzara save their jobs

Realistically I don’t think Nini’s performance was strong enough to earn a spot at YAC; someone like Gina or Seb would have been a much more credible choice imo. Nice touch to have the Dean leave through one door and Ricky the other

Now that the season is done it’s hard to see any traces of whatever more mature direction former showrunner Oliver Goldstick wanted to go in. The whole season seems very coherent and consistent in terms of tone. We did learn from Tim and Olivia that her song All I Want was a re-shoot so maybe it was a replacement for a song or scene that was pushing the envelope more than Tim and Disney wanted

One thing that may or may not be connected is that EJ’s panic attacks from the original character breakdown made no appearance this season and who knows if we’ll ever seen EJ having panic attacks or suffering from anxiety. Disney seemingly had no trouble showing Jonah’s panic attacks on Andi Mack which is doubtless where HSMTMTS took the idea from but it’s also true that Jonah’s anxiety story line was abandoned halfway through S3 and though it’s likely just the result of bad writing it can’t be ruled out that Disney got cold feet over focusing on mental health in both Andi Mack and HSMTMTS

Looking Ahead:

One benefit of this review being so late is that we now know the spring muscial! Beauty and the Beast which seems to suggest that all future musicals will be Disney owned properties

Tim also confirmed that they will still be incorporating songs from HSM 2 and 3 into the show which will certainly help pad out the 16 extra songs they’ll be doing in S2. Having 12 eps will be a big help to the show; 10 eps just wasn’t enough to properly deal with all the characters and plots

HSMTMTS really turned out to be a delight and while I think S2 will be as well there are definitely potential issues ahead that will need to be deftly dealt with. Nini either going away to YAC and then coming back to SLC or just not going to YAC is probably going to be wrapped up in an unsatisfying manner. In all honesty this kind of plot would have worked much better if it had been saved for Nini’s senior year

Whatever plan Ashlyn is cooking up to keep Gina in SLC is also probably going to be poorly done as there’s no reason Gina’s mother would willingly leave her daughter in another state

EJ is either leaving the show after he graduates or they’re going to have to contrive some way to keep him around East High in future seasons

Seb now being a main will be interesting, if nothing else to see what Disney’s limits are. Tim has hinted at their being drama for Seblos in S2 and I hope that it serves to develop them and is not just a means to keep them apart so there can be two gay mains but no gay relationship. As an aside Tim revealed that Joe originally auditioned for EJ which is wild; it’s funny that both Joshua Rush and Joe Serafini auditioned for EJ when neither of them had any realistic chance of being cast

I have no strong feelings on the cast list for Beauty and the Beast though I do think it’s likely that either Kourtney or Gina end up playing Belle as I think having a black girl play Belle is just the type of subversion that would appeal to Tim. Miss Jenn did say that she wanted Kourtney to come speak to her over break and while Gina is a bigger character I’m not sure if Sofia’s singing is quite good enough to carry the lead in the musical while I think Dara’s definitely is 

I’d say it’s very likely EJ ends up either as the beast or as Gaston since he’s in what should be his last semester. And if Gina also gets a big role it would make it easier to play with Portwell in S2. If EJ is the beast I could see Seb getting Gaston in another subversion of expectations. Regardless I think with Seb now being a main and with Joe having one of the strongest voices in the cast that he’ll play an important role

Until next season Wildcats

[exhaustedfander]

First Comes Love: Chapter 12

Oh boy, we’re getting into the final stretch of this story! Only one more chapter after this! I’d love to hear what you think.

a03 link

1  / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / ?

Word Count: 2,496

“What if he doesn’t show up?”

“Remus, you and I both know that’s preposterous. You two proposed to each other on the same day, for crying out loud! He’s crazy about him and you’re crazy about him. Or maybe just crazy, in general, I can never tell.” 

Remus delivered a well-deserved shove, earning an overdramatic gasp.

“Okay, but what if – what if he’s woken up and decided he doesn’t want to go through with it? What if clarity struck him that he doesn’t want this? Jesus, Roman, what if he stands me up at the alter?!”

“Easy, there, brother dear. You’re sounding a lot like Panic! At the Everywhere,” he said, placing a hand on the small of his brother’s back. Remus stared at his reflection in the mirror, cringing at the unsteadiness of his stance.

“I can’t tell if comparing me to your boyfriend is an insult or a compliment.”

“I’m saying, there’s nothing to be worried about,” Roman said as soothingly as he could manage. “You and Logan are simply meant to be,” – he sang that bit, eliciting a groan -, “To so much as think that our resident nerd would stand you up at the alter is prosperous and you know it.”

“But what if –.”

“No more ‘what ifs’, thank you very much,” Roman interrupted, “Remus, Logan is deeply, and madly in love with you. You could walk out there wearing nothing but a filthy potato sack and he’d still think you were the most beautiful thing to walk the Earth. Luckily, for a trash man, you clean up pretty nice.”

Remus stared intently at his reflection. The suit he wore was a dark forest green, the shirt beneath an only slightly more unsettling lime, the black and green tie (good lord, it was a lot of green, not that Roman was surprised) a nice striped pattern. Remus’s usually unruly hair was neatly combed, and he looked quite a bit more presentable than usual.

“You think so?” Roman couldn’t help but be stricken with a pang of surprise. Normally, Remus didn’t give two shits what anyone, save for Logan, thought about him, or his appearance for that matter. But now, in a moment of unjustified, but understandable, panic, he was genuinely asking.

“Of course I do,” Roman said, taking his hand off of his twin’s back, “You look wonderful, Remus. And – we’re twins, so I’d be a little concerned if you looked that much worse than me.”

“Everyone knows I’m the better looking one,” Remus said, a hint of a smile appearing on his face. Roman barked out a laugh.

“We’re identical!”

“And yet my point still stands.” Roman huffed out a breath.

“I’m supposed to be the cocky one, I’m supposed to be the romantic one, stop stealing my bits!”

“And yet you’re still not engaged. Before we know it, your dear emo nightmare will have been swept up by another, far better man.” The smile that stretched across Roman’s face is sure to spell trouble. “Okay, why are you looking at me like that? Did you guys get engaged and not tell me? Because if so, fuck you.” Roman stuck a hand in his pocket, fishing out a ring box.

“Is that so?” Roman asked, popping the box open and showing his brother the amethyst ring inside.

“Son of a bitch, you’ve finally decided to stop being such a little pussy, huh?” This time Remus was the one who received the shove.

“Keep talking like that and I’ll propose to him in the middle of your wedding.” Remus narrowed his eyes.

“I would kill you where you stood.”

“You’re all talk, brother dear.”

“Oh yeah?” Remus asked, uncapping the green nail polish he’d applied to his finger and waving the brush near Roman. “Keep talking like that and the suit gets it!” Roman pressed a hand to his chest, glaring at his twin.

“You wouldn’t dare.” Remus glared right back.

“Try me, bitch.” Roman scoffed, holding his hands in the air, backing away from Remus who was still dangerously wielding the polish.

“Okay, okay, I surrender!” Roman said, hands guarding the front of his ruby red suit, “I’m not actually going to propose to Virgil at your wedding, for God’s sake.”

“I wouldn’t put it past you.”

“You wound me!” Roman squawked before he caught sight of the look in his twin’s eyes. “Hey, it’s going to be okay. This is one of the best days of your life! You get to promise your undying love for one of my best friends, which can admittedly still be kind of weird to think about, but it’s great! You guys are great. A power-couple, as far as I’m concerned.” Remus’s lips curled into a faint grin.

“Yeah… we are pretty great, huh? I didn’t… I never thought I was the kind of person to get married. I was sure it was the bachelor’s life for me, y’ know? I figured I was always gonna end up alone.” Roman placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder, compassion glimmering in his eyes.

“But you haven’t,” Roman reminded, “You aren’t alone anymore, Remus. You have Logan, and me, and our friends. You’ll never have to be alone again. You –,” Roman paused his speech, seeing tears beginning to haze Remus’s vision, “Oh no you don’t! I just did your makeup, and I refuse to have it ruined before the ceremony has started. Don’t you dare get all soft on me.” Remus sniffed.

“I – I can’t help it. Before, I was all angsty thinking I was some kind of fucking lone-wolf or something, and then I met Logan. And – and you were back in my life, and I had friends, and – everything’s so different, Ro. It’s a g-good different, but still… still weird, sometimes.”

“And you can cry about it later!” Roman insisted, earning a watery chuckle from Remus. “Stop it or you’ll get me starting too, and you’ll be late for your own damn wedding.”

Remus and Logan had only been engaged for five months, yet the wait had been grueling. Honestly, when they woke up the morning after their engagement, there was a moment where they, briefly, considered a Courthouse Wedding.

“We could be married tomorrow,” Remus had said, “Wouldn’t that be fucking awesome?”

“It would be nice to call you my husband as soon as possible,” Logan had said, despising the fact that he was actually considering it.

“Oooh! We could get married in Vegas! Drive down, get hitched, and get rich!” Logan had rolled his eyes, though the gesture was full of nothing but fondness.

“That’s a terrible idea and you know it. Also, you're a terrible gambler."

“C’mon, Dragonfly, live a little!”

“We’re not getting married in Los Vegas.”

“Ugh, fiiiiine. But you’re no fun!” Logan had chuckled at that, pressing a kiss to Remus’s lips.

“So I’ve been told.”

In the end, the couple decided that a proper wedding was what they wanted, even if it meant they’d have to wait a little bit longer to officially call themselves husbands. They wanted their friends to be a part of the celebration, and while they were by no means looking for opulence, a fairly nice venue was on their wish-list.

The one they’d found was outdoor, near a gorgeous lake with sprawling greenery and they couldn’t be happier with it. In all honesty, Remus would be content with marrying Logan in a rat-infested dumpster so long as he promised to be his, but that wouldn’t exactly be ideal.

But now, here he was, about to tie the knot in a beautiful location, about to promise forever to the love of his life. Remus figured he was allowed to freak out, at least a little bit.

“It’s just about time to go,” Roman said after Remus had a few more minutes to collect himself, “Are you ready?” Remus took a steadying breath, giving his reflection a final once-over before nodding, his head bouncing up and down a touch too erratically.

“Yeah… yeah, okay, I’m ready.”

If someone had told Remus a few years ago that his brother would walk him down this aisle at his wedding, he would’ve called them crazy. But now, stepping out into the picturesque spring day, his arm looped with Roman’s, he couldn’t be any more grateful.

The music swelled as the twins walked down the aisle. Remus’s eyes grazed over the guests, his wonderful friends looking back at him with so much love. And then, his eyes met Logan’s, and his heart stopped.

Logan wore a Navy-blue suite, his tie a pink and aqua floral pattern. Logan was often so insistent on the fact that his wardrobe, especially as a teacher, was to make him look as professional as possible (aside from the Unicorn onesie, but that was rarely spoken about), so he usually forwent wearing fun patterns. Seeing him now, though, Remus would have to make a point to mention how amazing he looked in it. How amazing he looked in general.

“Hey,” Remus said quietly, once the chatter of the guests had died down and the minister began speaking. Logan gave him a look that absolutely melted his heart into a gooey, sticky mess (Remus wondered what it would look like if a human heart really did melt. It would be fantastically gorey!) and muttered his own greeting. It took absolutely every ounce of Remus’s self-control not to grab Logan by the lapels and kiss him with every intense, sappy emotion that roared inside of him.

“We are gathered here today to witness the union of Remus Knightly and Logan Sanders,” the minister announced, but immediately, Remus felt like his ears were plugged up with cotton. All he could focus on was Logan, stunning, incredibly, way too hot for his own good, Logan. The sun shone down on them, bathing his fiancé in a light he dared to call heavenly as if all that touched Logan was divine. Remus certainly thought so. So much as looking at him was prompting tears, but it seemed Logan wasn’t in much better shape, his eyes becoming misty behind his glasses.

Remus was only able to snap out of once Logan began to deliver his vows, desperately wanting once again to kiss him breathless.

“Remus, I’ve told you innumerable times how much I struggle to comprehend my emotions,” Logan began, his voice already beginning to waver, “for so long, I considered feelings the bane of my existence. It didn’t make any sense to me, and it all felt so complicated and strange. Today, not much of that has changed. I still struggle greatly with comprehending my emotions. But that doesn’t distract from the fact that I am madly, frantically in love with you.

“Before you, I never imagined what it would be like to wake up beside someone and feel… such unabashed joy. You make me laugh, utilizing a sense of humor I never thought I would indulge in. You make me feel so good about myself, just by being yourself,” Logan said, tears beginning to slip down his cheeks, though Remus wasn’t too far behind him, “You’ve taught me so much, my love, and you’ll never know the extent of how much you mean to me.

���I cannot imagine anything better than calling you, my husband. Domesticity is not something I considered for myself but now – now I crave it. I want to wake up beside you every day of my life. I want to watch documentaries together and cuddle on the couch, I want you to read me your books in every voilent detail, I want to kiss you for as long as I’m able. I love you, Remus Demetri Nightly, with every bit of my being, and to be yours is something I know is one of the best things to happen to me.”

“F-fuck, Dragonfly, how the hell am I gonna get through this after that?” Remus asked through a watery laugh. Thirty minutes ago, Remus was terrified of the eyes that would be on him, and the prospect of Logan deciding he didn’t want this after all but standing before him, such fears dissipated.

“You’re perfect,” Remus said, taking one of Logan’s hands in his own, “You’re absolutely perfect, and I’m never going to stop saying it. You’re the smartest, most beautiful, incredible person I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing, and sometimes, I still can’t believe you fell for me. I hadn’t been happy for so long before I knew that, and y-you brought me so much joy, the moment you were in my life.

You’ve brought me love, a feeling I d-didn’t know I was capable of truly feeling. You brought my brother back to me,” Roman was sobbing somewhere in the crowd, his fingers laced tightly with Virgil’s, “You’ve brought light into my life. I didn’t know if I’d ever be hopeful again b-but I am! I’m hopeful for the life we’ll lead, f-for the things we’ll do. I’m hopeful for anything, as long as I’m with you. I love you Logan Sanders, and I’ll tell you every chance I get for as long as I can. I’ll do everything I can to give you the world, because you deserve it, e-every bit of it.”

Tears rolled down both of their faces, their smiles unbreakable. There was an exchange of rings, slipped onto their fingers, and glimmering in the sunlight.

“Do you, Logan Sanders, take Remus Sanders to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?” Logan nodded; his teary eyes trained on Remus.

“I do.”

“Do you, Remus Knightly, take –.”

“Yes, of course, I fucking do!” Remus interrupted, earning a laugh from several of the guests. The officiant sighed, rolling with it.

“By the power vested in me, I pronounce you Husband and Husband. You may kiss the groom.”

Remus surged forward, his hands gripping Logan’s tie and pulling him into a deep kiss, the cheering of the guests ringing in their ears.

Later, there would be tearful speeches and endless hugs. Roman would give a sappily embarrassing best man's speech (And not propose to his boyfriend at Remus’s wedding, thank god. He’d wait another day to do that) that made Remus’s fondness and annoyance of his brother swell in tandem. Later, Remus would shove cake with green and blue icing in Logan’s face, only to earn the same fate. Later, they’d share their first dance under the moonlight, hoping for a lifetime of shotty footwork and stifled laughter. Impressively, Remus only stepped on Logan’s feet twice. Later, they’d do so much more, accomplish all that they wanted.

Now, though, they embraced, holding each other as though they’d disappear the moment they let go.

“I love you, Logan Knightly-Sanders,” Remus whispered in his ear, kissing him ardently.

“And I love you, Remus Knightly-Sanders,” Logan responded, intent on never stopping kissing if he could help it.

=+=

Taglist:

@nadiestar 

@unoriginalgayboyalex 

@maryann-draws

Please, let me know if you’d like to added to my general taglist! I’d be happy to add folks! 

[witchyclispe]

Master Of Balance

Posted first on ao3! Check it out there too!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22412821/chapters/53549695

Chapter One 

The Princess and Elder Mechanic 

Rysheladon, one of the coldest planets in the galaxy . The planet was so cold most ships tend to stay far , FAR away from it . Coldest it has ever gotten was below -647 ° which to the people and creatures who inhabit the planet was slightly more than a walk in the park. Thirteen months of winter in a year with only one for spring , two for summer and one for fall , you kinda get used to the never-ending "freeze your ears off" weather.

The planet was on the very edge of the outer rim , almost past it . Rysheladon seemed very similar to Earth yet instead of 75% being water, 80% of the planet had enormous trees that overlooked even the tallest of buildings. They seemed to touch the stars to the citizens who resided there. Often there had been tales the elders would tell the young-lings of their ancestors reaching the stars through the spirits of those very trees. They would call the trees spiritus trees because of the stories.

In these large forests resided many terrible and kind creatures . Large beasts to the smallest of insects that would enchant the unsuspecting traveler if you weren't careful enough , which is why the people of Rysheladon decided to dig underneath the cold surface and make home below away from the cruel weather up top . Though not all could afford to live below so others created tall civilizations atop the surface . For traders of any kind lived above whether they were wealthy like the people below. Only the rich or royalty were able to live beneath the surface . The royal family lived the largest tunnel and cave systems in the below, while the poor people above lived in the terrifying and never ending sea of forests .

Many years ago there had been word of the eldest daughter of the royal family coming to bear a child , but a child with no father. So she had been cast out to raise her child alone and in the cold harsh land above. Never to return unless the child was dead . The eldest princess was to bear the weight of the throne and craved that power unlike anyone in her family ever had before so when she had been tossed out , the eldest daughter had been devastated.  She hated the being growing inside her . Each day closer to the child's birth gave the princess more hatred and anger towards it so she came up with a plan. No one would miss this child, so why keep it? She could easily leave the infant to the storms and creatures of the forest so why shouldn't she?

That was how the eldest princess decided on giving her own child up to die . No remorse , no love , not even a hint of guilt in this poor woman's soul for her own child . But you see, the reason she wasn't happy with the child was because the infant would have no father.

That is because the princess had never been in bed with a man before .

Yes this child had absolutely no father. So how did it come to exist ? There was no logical explanation to it. The child should never have existed yet here it was , growing inside the poor, angry, and abandoned princess. Months ago she had felt an energy consuming her while she slept but never once had she been bedded . Doctors checked just to make sure, she was indeed a virgin soon to give birth to a baby but what the hell kind of baby would it be if it had no father?

Soon the baby was born, it was a baby girl with small tufts of dark hair on its fragile head. The baby seemed perfectly human, and almost resembled her mother completely . Except for the small birthmark on its back which looks oddly like a sword of sorts, a Jedi's sword? No, she must have been losing it .

After resting for a day she haphazardly swaddled the infant in a blanket and walked towards the forest. Not caring that the baby had not been fed yet , not caring that it wailed as if it were dying. 'Soon, soon the child would know death' the princess thought to herself as she walked deeper into the forest until she found a small frozen over lake . One of the only lakes she'd ever seen. It was beautiful , but a dangerous area even for an adult . Quickly the princess settled the baby on a frosted over ledge and wrapped the baby up once more for good measure . She then stood up and started to walk back out of the dreaded forest , never once turning back to look at the now sleeping baby girl.

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Quietly walking along the trail he had made in the forest , an older man who appeared to be around 60 years in age started to trot along through the thick woods . He hummed a small tune to himself as he walked . Nothing pretty but still had meaning to him, His name was Percival the machinist . Or that's what people had been calling him since he was much much younger.

His humming quickly came to a stop when he heard what seemed to be the wailing of an infant. Why was a baby out here? He quickly started walking towards the sound, an infant should never be out in these woods , he thought to himself . Surely he heard the crying get louder as he came closer to it . When he appeared by old Lake Ziosashra and saw the small bundle wrapped up on a stony ledge he moved to assess the situation.

"Aw why hello there little dear. " Percival called to the infant as he reached down to pick it up . "Well I'll be damned… who would've let such a beautiful little baby like you out here , huh?" He cooed to the bundle in his arms . The child seemed to calm down quite a lot just by being held,'T his baby can't be more than a few days old. Why is it out here?' , Percival thought to himself . He looked around seeing that there was most definitely no one else around. " Guess I'll just have to figure out how to keep ya myself huh? Is that alright, little moon? " the old man asked the baby , knowing that it wouldn't understand him but he smiled happily at the smiles and giggles that came from the child.

" Guess that's a yes. " he chuckled to himself.  Quickly and carefully, he made his way off the stone ledge to the ground below with a nice crunch as his feet hit the snowy terrain. Making his way back to the trail he looked down at the little one calmly babbling to itself . "Well we have to give you a name don't we dear? And figure out if you're a little girl or a little boy… " he looked at the lake as the sun lit up the frozen top . Such a beautiful , great big lake.

He untucked the blankets from around the baby , quickly taking note that the baby he has all but suddenly decided to care for was a girl . " Hm…. Why don't we call you… Ziosa?" He said wrapping the baby back up to conceal it from the wicked weather around them. The baby made a strained noise almost like a yell of sorts . Percival laughed a little , " Apparently not. Little moon doesn't like that . Well we can figure that out later , for now let's get you out of this cold . " , the old man said walking to the trail he had just been on minutes before he knew what would happen.

'The force surely does work in mysterious ways .' Percival though as he made his way to his mechanical shop and home. All the while holding the baby girl close to himself as if to shield her from the cold weather .

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Once Percival had made it to his home he set down the small infant on a makeshift couch of his, quickly taking off his multiple layers of jackets and cloaks to fight against the cold world. After that he started a fire in the fireplace that was about 10 feet away from where the bundle of blankets sat on the couch. " lets get it a little warmer here why don't we. " Percival said to no one in particular in the room . The baby girl babbled as if to respond to his words .

Once the fire had been started he walked to his room to find a few thicker blankets and saw one on the end of his bed . " I'll need to find her clothes later…. This'll do for now", again talking to himself. You do that a lot when you've been basically alone for 30 years, all except for the occasional customer and many many ships that needed repairing in his shops garage .

Walking back out to the living room he picked up the girl out of the ragged old blankets and quickly swaddled her to the best of his abilities . He'd never taken care of a kid before but damn he had always wanted to raise one . Just never found the right woman to settle down and have a couple of kids with. He rocked the baby in his arms for a bit, humming the same tune he had been just before he found her. Apparently it had lulled the girl to sleep because the next time he looked down, he saw that she was fast asleep nuzzled in his arms.

Percival's heart could almost burst at that moment . He really needed to think of a name for her but he's a mechanic not someone who's creative, in all honesty he could hardly make up blueprints of his own personal projects . Slowly and carefully, he placed the sleeping baby down on the couch again. He then placed another blanket on top of the swaddled little girl hoping that she'd stay warm with all the blankets and the roaring fire that was going.

Suddenly there was a very loud knock on Percival's front door , he almost jumped out of his skin at the random knock . He wasn't expecting anyone today and it was his only day off which usually meant everyone would leave him alone. Again the very loud knock sounded from his front door , he checked to see if the infant was still asleep , which she was . He grumbled a bit walking towards his door and opening it, " What the hell do you want it's my damn day off-"

"Don't start fussin' at me old man I'm just here with ya groceries like usual." , a tall woman said . She had long black hair that hit that hit the middle of her back, half of it braided in sections. Her skin was a dark blue with green in areas. " alright alright Arthala get in before you make me freeze the last bit of life I have off.",Percival said as he moved to the side to let her come inside. " Like ya have much of that anyways , Percy. " , the woman better known as Arthala said walking in .

Percival quickly closed the door and locking it walking over to check on the baby again as Arthala started talking ,"Its colder than usual out there. People in the city say it's goin' to break records tonight so- what are you doin' perc? " , Athala looked up from her place by the door to see Percival bending down and tucking in something to the couch . " Ah oh yeah… so I was on my daily walk and found something near Old Lake Ziosashra ." , the man said now standing up straight and looking at the very tall woman who now stood in his small kitchen. "Something? Oh please tell me ya didn't find another dying bird , ya could get sick.", Athala said looking at her friend .

Leaning down , Percival carefully picked up the bundle of blankets and you could practically hear Arthala's jaw drop. " You found a baby!?" , she yelled . " Will you be quiet!? Yes I found a baby , she was left all alone and abandoned near the lake. " , Percival whisper shouted walking towards the  kitchen swaying the child back and forth to keep her asleep.

" Why would you bring a baby home? You can hardly take care of yourself !", the tall woman said coming closer to look at the bundle of blankets her friend held . "What was I gonna do, let the bats eat her? Someone had already abandoned her… I mean look at her. She's just so beautiful I don't know why anyone would ever leave a sweet thing like this out there to die ….. I just had to bring her home 'Thala" , Percival told the woman standing beside him . "She is quite cute… but how will you take care of her? She can't be but only a few days old… " , Athala asked .

Percival tried to think about what he would do on his walk home . "Honestly 'thala I have no idea yet but i'm going to keep her. I'll just make up what to do on the way ." , he said quietly still rocking the infant . " You can hold her if you want to." he told his friend who was transfixed on the sleeping girl. As Athala nodded he slowly placed the baby in her arms. "Oh look at ya, aren't ya just a beaut? " she cooed to the girl. " Does she have a name yet Perc? " , " No… still thinking about that but you know i'm not creative. Got any ideas? " , Percival replied as he looked up to his friend. " If she was found near lake Ziosashra… why not Zio? Or maybe 'Ziorah' . Rah means ethereally beautiful to my species and she surely fits that description…" , Athala said to her friend.

Percival smiled looking down towards the sleeping infant that was snuggled up in his friends arms, " Ziorah… that sounds perfect. Alright little moon, I dub you Ziorah… my daughter. "

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Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed chapter one of this story involving my baby girl Ziorah! Please feel free to share and comment any feedback you have or even questions! I'd love to hear what you have to say! If you'd like to see what Ziorah looks like please check out my instagram! I'll hopefully make this story into a comic with time but for now I'm writing it out and making some art of certain parts. Hope you've enjoyed this first chapter!

More to come soon!

[corinthbayrpg]

NAME. Sofia Morales AGE & BIRTH DATE. 48 & November 3rd, 1972 GENDER & PRONOUNS. Female & She / Her SPECIES. Fury of Tisiphone OCCUPATION. Diving & Surfing Instructor FACE CLAIM. Lindsey Morgan

BIOGRAPHY

( tw: death ) Sofia Morales was born on a stormy November night, as the second child of Maria Morales  who was a relatively well-known painter. Her mother had been born and raised in Toluca in Mexico, but after getting an art degree that her parents frowned upon, she started traveling the world to find inspiration for the landscape scenery paintings she did. Eventually, her mother decided to settle down in the small village of Étretat in France, where she had met the first love of her life, a man who worked with finances, and loved to go sailing in his free time. Sofia’s father had already been a single dad before meeting her mother, raising his son on his own after their mother left them for another man. As neither of them really believed in the concept of marriage, they never wed, but it didn’t slim their love in the slightest. Sofia hardly got to know her father though, as he died in a sailing accident when she was merely two years old. While she always noticed his absence, she had hardly any memories or recollections of the person he was, and therefore never properly had to grieve his death like her half-brother and mother did. 

Until Sofia was eight, her mother raised the two of them on their own. Which was actually quite the chaotic experience. Her mother was a chaotic person in general, not the kind of mother who prepared lunches or always remembered the appointments for her children – instead she often forgot about time and space when she was working on a new painting. She never forgot about her children out of malice, and they were aware of that, but at times it wasn’t easy for the two. They spent a lot of their free time at the small beach in Étretat, where Sofia immersed herself in books, but mostly enjoyed the ocean. Maybe it was a leftover of her dad’s DNA in her that she enjoyed the waves so much. She could swim better than she could walk at a young age, and her brother taught her how to surf quite early on in life. She also took a sailing course, despite her mother’s hesitations about it. As long as she was surrounded by water, Sofia was happy. 

Shortly after Sofia turned twelve, her mother then introduced a new person into their lives. She had met a woman named Valerie Dupont at one of her art expositions and instantly fell in love. While the women mostly tried to keep their relationship a secret from the public eye, it was two weeks after Sofia’s birthday that her mother introduced Valerie to her children. From one day to the next, she suddenly had two mothers. While her brother and her were hesitant at first, they quickly fell in love with this woman just like their mother had. She was kind, warm, welcoming – she remembered to make lunches, used Sundays to bake cakes, and was exactly the kind of person the three of them needed in their lives to give them some structure. She also already had a daughter that she brought into the family, making them a true patchwork match. Soon enough, all four of them would go to the beach, leaving Sofia’s mother behind to do her paintings, and suddenly Sofia had a woman and a young girl cheering her on when she was chasing waves with her surfboard, and taught her younger sister how to sail a small boat.

What none of them knew was that her step-mother was a witch, and so was her daughter. To this day, Sofia isn’t quite sure how they managed to hide it from them for an extended period of time, but back then, she had no clue something like the supernatural world existed. Any hints, any slip ups from the two, had gone unnoticed. She didn’t believe in Gods, or any other creatures aside of humans, or really just anything that was remotely out of the ordinary. No, Sofia liked nature, and lived in a very human reality. She loved to go camping, to go hiking, to be out on the water – anything that was taking place outside made her happy. She wouldn’t sleep with her windows closed, not even in the coldest winters, just because she felt like she was suffocating without any fresh air coming in through her windows. 

In general though, her life was blissfully peaceful. Sofia couldn’t say she had much to complain about. After leaving school, she worked two years as a surfing instructor in Éterat, simply because she didn’t want to leave her family. Sofia had never been someone to make too many friends, her family being the most important part of her life, and therefore that was the part she didn’t want to be too far away from. But she always dreamt of studying, and her mother and step-mother eventually managed to talk her into making her dream come true. That was how she left the small town in France to study biology at a university in Zurich, with a minor in marine biology, making her dreams of one day working in and with nature a reality. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree she was incredibly proud of, and went on to do her master’s degree in Iceland, where she mainly did research on whales’ behavior and also sustainable biology. Afterwards, she started working in the research field, spending a lot of her time on boats or by the ocean in different countries all over the world. During that time, she hardly saw her family, something that left a gaping hole in her heart.

And that was the reason why for Sofia’s twenty-eighth birthday, her only wish was for their family to go on a camping trip together. It was during that weekend that everything changed for her. The weekend started out perfectly fine, it included a hike to a smaller mountain nearby, they took silly family photos, even took a small swim in a tiny lake near where they built their tents. In the evening, they made a bonfire, and eventually crawled into their tents to sleep.

Sofia woke up in the middle of the night, and at first, she wasn’t even sure what woke her up. Then she noticed that the sleeping bag next to hers was empty. She had shared her tent with her step-sister, and decided to go check if everything was alright – more on instinct than out of real worry. But Sofia stepped right into the scene that looked like it came straight out of a nightmare. At first, she only noticed the unmoving body of her own mother on the ground, covered in blood, and only afterwards she lay eyes on a silhouette that was bent over her sister, who was also unmoving and incredibly pale in the dusty moonlight. Sofia was moving before she had really decided on what to do, tearing the vampire’s body away from her sister’s form, screaming in the process. It was an uneven fight, of course, and by the time her brother appeared from his tent, Sofia was unable to walk, one of her legs feeling as if it no longer belonged to her body. She was covered in blood, her own and those of her family members. Her brother ended up being thrown against a tree, a cracking noise making her think that he, too, was no longer breathing. It was then that Sofia first found out that her step-mother was a witch, as she started to use the earth around them as means of protecting them from the vampire. Roots grew around them, encaging them to make it impossible for the vampire to get to them. But in the process, she forgot to protect herself, and was pulled into the woods. Her screams could be heard everywhere in the valley, and when the magic in the roots fell away and they fell to the ground in ashes, Sofia thought this was the end.

Sofia dragged herself to her sister, bending over her, only to find her unmoving and unbreathing. It was then that she cried out for help, furious and full of a need for revenge as Sofia believed that within a matter of minutes, she had lost her entire family. And that was when Tisiphone appeared to her, offering her the opportunity to become something more than what she was, to be able to pursue revenge for what had happened to her family. Blinded by her pain, she did not hesitate before accepting her new role. Sofia was a quick learner, both when it came to her new abilities and everything else there was to know about the supernatural world. It was two years after she had first met Tisiphone that she located the vampire that had killed her mother and younger sister, and paid him back for the crimes he committed with a wooden stake to his heart. She also beheaded him afterwards, just to make sure he was dead and unable to stay alive.

After the incident in the forest, it turned out that her step-mother and brother were still alive. They were severely injured, but recovered from the physical injuries – the emotional ones are some all three of them still carry with them every single day, and have only bound the little family even tighter together. Sofia still vividly remembers that night, dreams of it all the time, and as a reminder she got a tattoo on her thigh where the vampire had left his biggest mark, a reminder of the two people she had lost. The murder of them is what kept her moving through the past years, and still keeps her going these days, trying to fulfill her duty as a fury and make sure no other families will be ripped apart like hers. While she wanted nothing more than to stay with the remaining parts of her family, as a fury she felt restless. She bought a small RV and started using it as a means of moving from one day to the next. Most of the time she’d sleep in woods or by the ocean, where she felt most at home.

Sofia came to Corinth Bay at the call of Tisiphone once more, to join the other furies in trying to help with the veil being torn. Unsure about how long she will stay, she found herself a room in an apartment, and a job as a diving and surfing instructor down by the beach. But her focus hasn’t been on her true passion for a long time, instead she is trying her hardest to use the abilities she has been blessed with, and protect those around Corinth Bay who can’t protect themselves.

PERSONALITY

+ adventurous, responsible, loyal - impatient, opinionated, impulsive

PLAYED BY LISA. GMT+1. She/Her.

[nothingeverlost]

Fic: Henry Gold (9/?)

Summary: Regina asked for Gold’s help in procuring a child, but when he held the wee boy in his arms he couldn’t give the child up.  Ten years later it’s Henry Gold who arrives in Boston, looking for Emma.

This chapter: A storm comes to Storybrooke.  Emma meets the stranger.  Gold looks at dogs

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3/ Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7 /  Chapter 8

II

“You alright?”  Emma waited until Henry was out of the room, carrying his breakfast to the dining room, before asking.  Gold had been limping around the kitchen more than usual.

“Storms make my ankle ache more than usual. It’s going to be a brutal one.”  Gold carried his cup of tea and toast into the dining room.  “Henry, not stopping at your castle today.  It’s straight home, and I’ll close up early.  We can do a movie night, if you like.”

“With popcorn?” he asked hopefully.

“Popcorn and a lake of butter, as long as there’s no complaints about vegetables with dinner,” Gold promised.

“Speaking of storms Graham said something about sandbags.  I better get going if I’m going to pick up coffee before meeting him at the station.”  At some point she was going to have to buy a coffee pot, but that felt like assuming a little too much.  Her own brand of toothpaste in the bathroom was one thing, but an appliance on the counter was something else entirely.  Now that she was staying in town they were going to have to have a serious conversation about her finding a place of her own, or at least paying rent.

“You’re invited to join us for movies, but I’m going to assume you’ll find yourself otherwise occupied.  Storms generally mean extra work for Graham.”  Gold glanced at his son.  “If you’re not able to come home tonight I’m sure Henry would appreciate a call at bedtime.”

“Will do.”  She wondered if she would have thought of it without prompting.  She wasn’t used to anyone waiting up for her, but somehow the last couple of times she’d been out late Gold had always been waiting.

She got to the diner just before seven-fifteen, plenty of time to order coffee and a couple of muffins before she had to meet up with Graham.  Bran muffins had to be better for the heart than donuts.  She was surprised to see Mary Margaret at one of the tables, considering she didn’t have long to get to school if there was anything to set up for class.  She was about to go over to say hi when the door opened and David came in, ordering two coffees.  It was too bad she hadn’t gotten to Mary Margaret first because the exchange she had to observe between her and David was painful.  It also wasn’t the first time she’d seen them staring at each other.

“Good book?”  Emma had enough time to slide into the chair across the table from Mary Margaret.  The teacher looked almost surprised to find a book on the table, as if she’d forgotten it completely.  Not surprising, since it seemed little more than a prop. 

“What?”   The lack of food on the table was telling too.

“Graham mentioned that David got a job at the animal shelter now.  He looks like he’s doing better.”  He wasn’t unconscious anymore, which was points in his favor.

“He starts work at eight and works until five.”  Mary Margaret glanced over her shoulder, where the street was now empty.  “Except on Friday he left early.  I saw him picking up Chinese food for him and Kathryn.”

“You don’t seem like the stalking type.”  Emma raised an eyebrow.

“I’m not a stalker.  I just know his routine.  It’s a small town.”  Mary Margaret looked down at the book she hadn’t actually been reading.  “Maybe I’m a little bit of a stalker.  I can’t stop thinking about him, not since that night at the river.”

“He’s married.  I know things were pretty intense that night but he has a wife and he’s chosen to be with her.”  He seemed to settle into the life he’d had before the coma with surprising speed.  

“I don’t know how to get him out of my head.”

“Maybe the first step is not getting coffee here tomorrow.  Do something different.  If you don’t see him every day maybe you’ll think about him less.”  If out of sight out of mind worked she would have forgotten almost everyone she even knew, but it was the most practical advice she had to offer.

“If only there was a magic cure to make you stop loving someone,” she said with a sigh.

II

“If only there was a magic cure to stop hating someone.”  Emma sat at her desk trying to look like she was busy, which was hard given that she only had a couple of pieces of paper to shuffle.  Regina had come in a few minutes ago to ‘find out’ how preparations for the storm were going.  While Emma had actual things she needed to do she wasn’t leaving Graham alone in the same building with Regina.  She was leaning over the desk in a way that was clearly meant to offer a view of her chest; her outfit was not designed for keeping her warm in a storm.

She knew enough about Graham to be able to see that he was beyond uncomfortable and rounding the corner to high blood pressure.  Regina didn’t know how to take a hint.  “Hey Graham, if you’re ready we have that thing we need to do.”

“I’m sure whatever it is you can handle on your own, deputy.”  

“We have a storm coming, Mayor.  I’m sure it’s in your best interest if the town is prepared for any possible problems.  Wouldn’t want you to have to field questions about why there weren’t any sandbags available or why no one was monitoring for potential flooding of the river.”  Graham looked noticeably relieved when Regina stood up and turned her attention to Emma.

“When you’re done playing with sand there’s a new man in town.  I want to know who he is and why he’s here.  And how long he’s staying.”

“Why?  It’s not against the law to visit Storybrooke is it?”  Emma thought of the stranger they’d seen on the motorcycle.  

“I didn’t say to arrest him, I said find out why he’s here.  If he is here to cause trouble I would think you would want to know, especially since I saw him speaking with the young Gold boy this morning.  I would say that you should watch out for bad influences but I’m afraid it’s too late there.”  Regina smirked as she looked at Emma before leaving.

“Too bad this storm isn’t a tornado.  I know the perfect candidate to have a house fall on them.”  Emma wanted to ask Graham if he was alright, but they were still sorting out what it meant to work together and she didn’t want to bring up something so emotional at work.  Instead she started humming ‘ding dong the witch is dead’ as she headed out to check on the families that lived farthest from town.

II

The only dogs at the animal shelter were too small or too purebred.  When he’d still been a man, so many lifetimes ago, he’d owned large mutts meant to help with the sheep.  Bae had loved playing with them.  If he was going to get a dog for Henry it was going to be something that could go for walks and keep up with a ten year old.  If it also happened to be big enough to attack an evil queen all the better.  Regina had never been very fond of dogs.

“I can take any of them out if you want a closer look,” David Nolan offered.  He’d settled into his new job quickly, his years on a farm tending animals showing even though he didn’t have the memories.

“No, thank you.  None of them suit.”

“Perhaps if you tell me what you’re looking for I can give you a call when we get new dogs?”

“My son is turning eleven in a few months.  It seems like a good age to learn responsibility with a pet.  I don’t want anything so small it could be confused with an overgrown hamster or so over bred it doesn’t know it’s a dog.  Something that doesn’t like to chew on leather shoes would be a plus,” he smiled wryly, knowing he would sacrifice any item in his closet if it made his boy happy.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea.  I had a dog when I was his age.  Prince was my best friend,” David smiled nostalgically, remembering a dog that never existed.  Gold resisted rolling his name at the ironic name.  It was almost as ridiculous as Snow’s cursed name being Blanchard and his own given name being Gold.  Like Regina the spell she’d cast lacked subtlety. 

“I’m sure he was.  You may call me if anything suitable comes in, but don’t leave a message.  I don’t want my boy to find out and ruin the surprise.”  It had been a while since Henry had mentioned a dog, but he begged Archie to walk Pongo often.

“Of course Mr. Gold.  I…”

“David.”  A gust of wind came into the room when the front door was opened, rustling papers and bringing a reminder of the coming storm.  It also brought in Mary Margaret, carrying a shoebox.  Gold looked down at his watch; Henry would be walking home from school, and he needed to head for home.

“I think we understand each other, Mr. Nolan.” He might as well have been talking to the walls, for all the attention he was getting.  Charming only had eyes for his true wife.  Gold stepped back.

“There was a dove caught in wire.  It’s hurt.”  She held out the box in offering, but neither of them were looking at the box.  Outside there was a storm brewing but it didn’t seem anything compared to the electricity between them.  It took a lot of power to keep true love apart.  For the present, though, there was nothing he could do to bring Emma’s parents back together except leave them alone and wait. He quietly left, walking out just as the rain began.

II

The high school gym was a designated shelter.  Emma stopped by to make sure it was unlocked.  She found Leroy inside, grumbling as he unfolded cots.  Since he was drinking coffee and not alcohol she left him alone. Graham had already arrested him twice since she’d become deputy; apparently he was the jail cell’s most frequent visitor.  Emma didn’t have time to find out if there was a story behind his frequent drinking.  As she was walking away from the school she saw Kathryn Nolan out in her yard, hand on her fence.

“Looking for something?” she asked.

“My husband.  David should have been home from the shelter an hour ago.  He’s not answering his phone, but he has trouble remembering it.  He didn’t carry one regularly before the coma.”  Kathryn frowned, one hand holding up her umbrella and the other holding her coat closed.  “I need to go look for him.”

“He’s probably still at work calming the animals or something.  I’ll look, okay?  You getting caught in this storm isn’t going to do anyone any good.”  Emma worried that David had wandered off again.  She couldn’t deny that she was also worried that when she found him he wouldn’t be alone.  She’d seen the way he looked at Mary Margaret; it was too similar to the way Mary Margaret looked at him.

“Thank you, Deputy Swan.  That would mean a lot to me.”  Kathryn sounded worried.  She sounded like a wife.  Emma felt guilty knowing that her relationship might not be as solid as she hoped.

“It’s Emma.  Just Emma.”  Titles never did sit well on her.  “Why don’t you give me your number; it will save me having to call dispatch to get it later.”

She left a minute later, waiting to make sure Kathryn went inside.  The rain was coming down harder and the wind was picking up; the fewer people outside the better.  Emma headed straight for the animal shelter only to find the doors locked and only a few dim lights on.  She checked at Granny’s, picking up a couple of coffees for herself and Graham.  No David.  On her drive back to the sheriff’s station she tried calling his cell, but it went directly to voicemail.  She tried not to make assumptions when Mary Margaret didn’t answer either. 

“Everything alright?”  She observed Graham carefully before handing him the coffee.  He wasn’t that long out of the hospital and she wasn’t crazy about the fact that he had to be running around in a storm.  His jacked was dripping from its place on the coat rack.

“The river is starting to rise.  I think we should go check on Michael Tillman and a couple of other families that live close to there.  They might need to spend the night at the school.”  He wrapped his hands around the paper cup.  “Thanks.”

“Give me just a minute.”  It was hard to tell the time with the storm darkening the sky earlier than usual, but when Emma looked at the clock she could see that dinner time had come and passed.  If they were heading out again phone calls were going to get harder to make, and she had a promise to keep.  “I need to say goodnight to Henry.”

“Tell him I said goodnight too.”  Graham went back to his desk, giving Emma space to make her call.  She wouldn’t have minded if he’d stayed closer.

II

The storm raged until the early hours of the morning.  At least three trees were reported down, one of them crushing a Ford Pinto.  Kathryn Nolan had called to let her know that David had come home just before midnight.  Five families had been evacuated to the school, including Michael and the twins.  Fortunately the power held, which kept things from getting too hard to manage.  By four am Emma and Graham were both able to crash for a few hours of sleep on the beds in the cells.  It was almost eight when Emma woke to find Graham already up.

“Breakfast?”  Dinner the night before had been hastily eaten sandwiches, and Emma was starving.  The single stale donut she found in a box wasn’t appealing.

“There’s a couple of things I need to check on.  Meet you there in a little bit.”  Graham pulled a clean shirt out of his file cabinet, not bothering to turn around when he stripped off the one he’d slept in.  Emma had seen him without a shirt, but when doctors were trying to save someone’s life their bare chest didn’t have the same meaning.  How he managed to keep so nicely toned when he ate donuts and frozen meals she didn’t know.  It was a good thing she’d already made plans to leave, because it would be easy to stick around and the last thing either of them needed was a make out session at work.

“Sure.”  Granny’s was close enough to the station to walk as long as she wasn’t going anywhere right after.  Emma figured it was a good chance to survey Main Street and make sure nothing was damaged.  It was a good chance to call Gold and see if he and Henry were interested in breakfast too.  He promised they would meet her at the diner in fifteen minutes, which meant she had enough time to drink a cup of coffee and wake up a bit.

“Coffee’s on the house, Emma.”  Ruby started pouring her a cup the moment she walked into the door.

“You’re a saint.”  She hadn’t realized how cold she was until she picked up the mug.  

“Not something people usually call me.  The opposite, maybe.”  Ruby grinned and pushed the cream in Emma’s direction.  

While she doctored her coffee Emma glanced over at Sidney Glass who was sitting at the counter, but rather than coffee he was nursing a drink.  “You going to order a side of bacon for that whiskey?”  

“Didn’t sleep yet,” Sidney muttered before throwing back the rest of his drink and stumbling for the door.  Emma had to wonder how many drinks he’d had.

“He’s walking,” Ruby commented as she watched him leave.  

“Are you sure?”  Glass didn’t look in any condition to be behind a wheel.  She might hate the article he'd written but that didn’t mean she wanted him in an accident.

“Positive.”  Ruby held up a key that dangled off a Storybrooke Mirror keychain. 

“Thanks, I would have worried.  I’m going to grab a booth, alright?  Henry, Gold, and Graham are joining me.”

“Take any place you like.  I’ll start on the hot chocolate with cinnamon.”  Ruby headed for the cash register when someone came up with their bill.  Emma headed for the window; Henry liked the booths overseeing the street best.  Sitting in the first booth was the stranger she’d seen the other night, the same one that was bothering Regina with his presence.  Emma paused at his table.

“So you decided to stay.”

“For the time being.”  The stranger leaned back to look up at her. “So you’re a cop, huh?”

“Yeah.”  The title deputy settled easier on her than cop, but she supposed there wasn’t really a difference.  If only her social worker could see her now.  

“Am I breaking some law I don’t know about?  You seem very curious.”  He seemed very smug.  She wasn’t sure if it amused her or annoyed her.

“Just wondering what you were doing talking to Henry yesterday morning.”  She wondered, too, why the Mayor had been paying so much attention, but he couldn’t answer that.

“Is that the kid you were with the other night?  The one that came up asking me questions about my bike and why I was in town?  Is he always that curious and precocious?  Reminds me of someone else I’ve met recently.”  He looked pointedly at her.

“Aren’t most kids curious?” she asked without caring about the answer.  She didn’t need a stranger speculating about how similar she was to Henry.

“My bike broke down and I was fixing it.  I didn’t go looking for him.”  The stranger took a sip of his coffee.

“What are you looking for?  You came to Storybrooke for a reason.  The box on your bike, it looks like it was designed for something specific.”  It was clearly important enough to him that he’d taken it off his box and brought it into the diner.  It sat on the seat next to him.

“It’s awfully frustrating not knowing, isn’t it?”  Annoying, Emma decided.  The smug thing was definitely annoying.

“Only if it’s something I need to worry about.  Like you said I’m a cop and this is my town.”  She said it before thinking about just what the words meant.  Her town.  It was true and it was weird.  She’d never belonged in a place before.

“Is it illegal to carry around a box in these parts?”

“Yeah, totally,”  Emma said with an eyeroll.  “I don’t really care, as long as I know it’s nothing dangerous.”

“Depends on how you look at it.  Some people might say it’s one of the most dangerous things in the world.  I’ll make you a deal, though.”  He set down his coffee and turned more in the booth so he was looking straight at her.

“What?

“Let me buy you a drink sometime and I’ll tell you what’s inside.”

“You want to buy me a drink?”  He wasn’t bad looking, and was probably close to her age.  Not long ago the leather jacket and the air of impermanence might have been worth a drink and even a few nights before moving on.  Now, though, she thought of another leather jacket dripping dry on a coat rack and a ‘thank you’ that had almost been a goodbye.  Still, a promise to have a drink didn’t mean she was promising anything more.  Hell, it didn’t even mean she was drinking alone with him.

“Yes.”  His grin was amused and shallow.

“Okay. A drink it is.”  She crossed her arms, looking pointedly at the box beside him.  He lifted it up, took a key from his pocket and unlocked it.  Emma wasn’t sure what she was expecting but it wasn’t a typewriter.

“Really?  Sometimes dangerous?”  She shook her head.

“The power of the written word can change history and topple kingdoms.”  The line sounded rehearsed.

“So you’re a writer?  What does that have to do with Storybrooke?”  He didn’t look like her idea of a writer, but she’d never given it much thought.  Still she would have pegged someone like Archie as more of a writer, based on sweater vests alone.

“I find this place provides…” he glanced out the window.  “...inspiration. Don’t you?

“Wait. Have you been here before?”  She wasn’t sure she was comfortable with that.  Stranger wandering through and stopping for a bit was one thing.  Someone with a plan was another.

“I didn’t say that.”  It was a cagy answer.

“But…”

“Hey Emma.”  Focused on her conversation Emma didn’t hear Henry until he was running up to her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

“Hey kid.”  She wrapped one arm around him.  

“Did you see the tree that fell on Moncton Street?  Dad says it’s lucky it didn’t fall on a house or anything.”  

“Pretty lucky.”  Emma picked up her coffee cup.  “Let’s go get a table.  I’m starving.  Graham should be here soon.”

“Awesome.”  Henry dashed off to claim a booth.

“Don’t forget that drink,” the stranger said as she started to walk away.  Emma was sitting in her booth before she realized she hadn’t gotten his name.

II

“Dad let me have popcorn and ice cream last night.  And I got to stay up late to finish a second movie.  It was awesome.”  They walked home after breakfast, Henry chattering most of the way.  Emma was glad to see that Gold seemed to be walking easier now that the storm had passed.

“That sounds pretty cool.  Did you…”  Emma stopped as they turned the corner.  Henry’s castle was gone.  Two tall posts remained, but the rest of the boards were on the ground under a fallen tree.  Crap.

“Dad.”  Henry froze, color draining from his face.  “My castle.”

“I’m sorry, son.”  Gold wrapped his arms around the boy, cradling Henry’s head to his chest.  “We can build something new.  I know it won’t be the same but you can have a new castle.”

“I’m so sorry Henry.”  Emma stayed back, unsure what she should do.  After a moment she stepped forward and rested a hand on his shoulder.  They stood together until Henry was ready to continue home.

[komahinasecretexchange]

Title: The Day After The Future

Author: @ninashiki

For: @coockiedrop

Rating/Warnings: T, multiple brief descriptions of the carnage of the Tragedy

Prompt: Komahina go back in time to stop the Kamukura project and prevent The Tragedy!

Author’s notes: The prompt allowed me to be extremely self indulgent, with both Nagito and Hajime’s relationship and how much they had improved and grown since getting out of the simulation. I’ve also always enjoyed time travel and I hope I did one of my favourite fanfiction tropes justice! It was definitely difficult having to figure out what young Junko would be like but it was a fun challenge ^_^ I hope you enjoy your gift!!

The sun was shining brightly, with no clouds to be seen in the sky at all. It almost felt as if Hajime kept staring into that deep blue, he would end up being engulfed forever. Sucked into a sky that no longer existed in his future. Their future.

It was funny to Hajime how that clear blue sky was something so alien to him, although it hadn’t even been over a decade yet since the tragedy had happened. It was like the only thing he had ever known was the polluted red tinge he saw every day. Being able to see the sky he missed oh so much allowed him to release a breath he didn’t even know he had even been holding for all the years since the Tragedy started.

Nagito noticed the relief on Hajime’s face. It was obvious he enjoyed being back in the world he used to know. The ability to not have to worry about being able to breathe, or when the next Monokuma bot would pop around the corner was something they always took for granted before the Tragedy.

He was happy for Hajime, but he couldn’t help but feel slightly bitter. He still lived in fear of his daily life sometimes, and that would never change whether they were in the past or the present. Hajime had tried to convince him that his fear was unnecessary, now they were together. Now they had both their luck to rely on. But anxieties never leave the person they trouble. The Tragedy may have changed the world, but Nagito was always unsure whether it changed him… For the better? For the worse? Was he still the same as his teenage self? He didn’t want to think about anything like that… It was time to remind Hajime of the mission they came to accomplish.

—

“Why don’t we make a date out of it?” Hajime asked, eyes dilating while passing by shops that no longer existed, flowers which had gone extinct, and the hustle and bustle of people who weren’t killing each other in the streets. Being able to walk through a whole city without a single dead body showing up was refreshing, and a luxury the two hadn’t been able to partake in for so long. “We could go to a cafe, then the library, and then get lunch, and I’d really love to see this one museum… The paintings in it all got trashed…” He continued for a while.

“Hajime, you know we need to go find Junko,” He hummed while staring lovingly at his boyfriend. “If we spend all day doing whatever we like we won’t be able to find her anymore. The chances of her coming willingly with us are low unless she has no sense of self-preservation.” He looked at the street, with so many cars passing by. Who knew cars would no longer be used? Who knew streets would just become a place to dump bodies? Who knew?

“You know that’s possible. We’re talking about Junko here. It doesn’t matter that she’s only eleven years old. I’m sure she’s already obsessed with despair,” Hajime’s red eye twinkled, “…and I know where to find her already.”

Nagito turned around and spread his arms and grinned, “Of course you do. You’re the ‘Ultimate Hope’ now, aren’t you?” Hajime blushed at this. “I don’t really identify with that label, Nagito… And now, well, it’s totally meaningless.”

“Reserve course student Hajime, Ultimate Hope Izuru Kamukura… It’s all going to disappear once we’re done here.” Nagito wistfully looked at his boyfriend.

Hajime stared back at him. He took a deep breath and looked away. He watched all the people walking around him, minding their own business, unaware of the fact that the world would end in less than a decade… it was obviously worth it. There was no way it wasn’t. The Tragedy never birthed an ultimate hope, the world just stayed scarred. Future Foundation worked hard every day, but it wasn’t like the world was somehow better off because of the Tragedy. It wasn’t like it was worth going through all that trauma just because there was more hope than despair now! It wasn’t like billions of people dying was worth the hope Nagito desired during his time as a Remnant of Despair. That was something even he understood by now. They both knew now that being able to erase all of that is more important than anything. More important than love or hope or anything else.

“Yeah, it will. So…will you take me up on that date idea?” It’s more important, but…

Nagito laughed sadly, cheerfully, hopefully. “Alright then…of course!

They say Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,

And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.

—

The two of them were holding hands, metal on skin, walking around a random park. It was sunlit and pleasant, with a lake that sparkled as bright as Hajime’s feelings for Nagito. They enjoyed the walk until they sat down at a bench that looked upon that same radiant lake. Nagito laid his head upon Hajime’s shoulder.

“Nagito… Can I ask you a question? I think I understand already, but I want to hear the words from you.” Nagito lets him know for the millionth time he can ask him anything. He promised to be honest - ever since he woke up. “Why… Why did you decide to come with me? To change the future? You realize that if I - if we succeed… all your efforts aiding despair to see a stronger and better hope come out would be pointless.”

Nagito sat up. “It was always pointless,” Hajime nods in affirmation. “I don’t agree with my past self anymore. I suppose I have changed, haven’t I? When I watched the recordings of the killing game after I died…you proved me wrong. You proved Junko wrong. As long as we try new things, even difficult things, everything will turn out okay. Those were your own words, Hajime. I’m chosen to believe in you since I heard those words. If I had really been there - I would have allowed you to completely smash my values, my way of thinking, everything. Maybe there’s no hope inside me. Maybe there’s no hope inside you. It doesn’t matter. If I’m forced to keep living… I’d rather keep moving forward towards the future.”

Hajime’s eyes had started watering. He grabbed onto Nagito tight and hugged him as hard as he could… “A-ah, you’re squeezing me…I’m not sure I deserve this sort of reaction.” Hajime’s face moved closer to Nagito’s, and he whispered, “Of course you do. All I’ve ever wanted was for you to learn that you can have a future. That you deserve to live. That you can start to be happy…You’re worth so much, you’re priceless…” Nagito chuckled a little awkwardly, feeling embarrassed while his cheeks flushed. Hajime cupped Nagito’s face, stroking his cheek with his thumb, and kissed him deeply.

Nagito started to get teary as well. For so long he had felt as if he could never be close to anybody, to be important to anybody. He felt as if his life was completely worthless in every way and the only way he could do anything useful with his life would have been to throw it away. He had no one to ever tell him otherwise.

As they pulled apart, the two longed for each other even more. They caught their breath, and Hajime ran his fingers through his lover’s hair. “Have I ever told you how handsome you are, Nagito?”

“Quite a few times, actually. But I… I don’t… I wouldn’t mind hearing it again.” Nagito said, with a hint of a smile. Hajime was really happy to hear him make an effort to stop being so self deprecating… The future he worked for truly was coming true.

“You’re incredibly handsome, and I would never want to be with anybody else.”

“Anybody? Not even…? Even after we change the future?” They both knew who Nagito meant.

“Nah. Nobody else. You’re the one I love, Nagito. That will never change. Whether we manage to change the future or not, I’m going to be right by your side the whole way.” Hajime looked at Nagito with so much love it was almost overwhelming.

“Y-yeah, I understand,” he stammered. “I love you too, Hajime. Even before we got out of the simulation…I really…liked you.” Something about Nagito truly admitting how he felt so brazenly made Hajime embarrassed, despite the fact that Hajime did the exact same thing a minute ago.

“Yeah…I can’t believe I didn’t realize it back then. I was kinda a dumbass?” Hajime laughed awkwardly. He got up from the bench and extended his hand out towards Nagito. “Come on…we gotta go now. Sadly.” Hajime’s red eye twinkled, and his tone sombered.

Nagito took his hand and got up as well. “She’s around here, actually. I made us sit here to wait for her.” Hajime explained. Nagito did not like the idea of confronting the person he hated most in the entire world, especially not a supposedly innocent version, a child. He did not like the idea of doing anything to a child, if necessary. He did not like the idea of fighting someone who wasn’t on equal terms as him. But they were never on equal terms with Junko in the first place.

—

She was right there. Sitting on the swing, slowly swaying back and forth. She didn’t move, except occasionally kick the ground to make sure the swing wouldn’t stop. Despite the fact that she was only 11 years old, it was clear who she was. Her hair was still surprisingly blonde, and her face was the same; albeit a younger version of it. Her clothes were in tatters, ripped in places and extremely dirty as if she had been living on the streets for at least a month. She looked especially bored in such a way that made it seem like she had nothing to be concerned about at all.

Hajime and Nagito didn’t know what to say or do or even how to react at all. They looked at each other and silently decided that the first thing they should is just walk up to her and say hello. What else could they do?

Nagito was the one who had any experience at all with kids, and so he came up to her first, with Hajime trailing behind. Junko noticed that he was in front of her, blocking her view of the rest of the kids in the playground playing (who clearly were avoiding the swings like the plague).

“Is today the day a pedophile finally decides to come and kidnap me? Or is all you want a picture of my panties?” Junko suddenly interjected like what she just said was totally normal, without even looking up, completely shocking the two men.

“N-No??” They both said in unison. “All we’d like is to talk to you for a little bit. Uh, your clothes seem really dirty. Are you alright? Are you safe?” Nagito asked.

“I’m fine, fine, fine!! It’s not like I ran away from home to test my own limits! How long can I survive with only my own skill set! It’s really fun, you know! Adults don’t understand. Don’t call the police, or do, or don’t, I don’t care…But maybe you should check yourself before you wreck yourself since I don’t think two adult men coming up to a random eleven-year-old is normal behavior.”

It was just an assault of words on the senses. Nothing about what she was saying made sense.

But that’s what was expected from her.

“So…you have a skillset? Are you good at analyzing the world around you?” Hajime asked. “By the way, my name’s Hajime, and he is Nagito. As Nagito said, we just want to talk to you for a bit.” Hajime had to shift the conversation in his favor somehow. They had an advantage - great knowledge of Junko…and she had nothing on them.

Junko stared at Hajime’s heterochromatic eyes, and his awkward, slightly nervous smile. She stared at Nagito’s shuffling, and his ability to look at everything except her. It was clear that she was somehow in trouble, that information about her was needed, that these two somehow knew about her analysis talent, and that she could easily run away - and they would let her. She wasn’t going to, not until she knew what was going on.

“Yes, I am just PEACHY perfect at analyzing the world. That’s why I test my ability for how long I can stay homeless before I need to run back to my parents. Being homeless feels awful, and having to run back is so embarrassing… I love that feeling of failure, you know? That feeling when your heart completely sinks to the bottom of the sea? I don’t know why…It’s like, the opposite of gambling. I want bad things to happen, you know? And that’s why I let strange men talk to me in the middle of playgrounds!” She cheerfully added.

“Hey, can you please stop calling us strange? We really need to talk to you, and your uh…love of despair doesn’t seem to be very helpful for your existence as a human being, don’t you think? And hey, what about school? Do you still go despite living in the streets?” Hajime was starting to feel annoyed. Eleven-year-old Junko had nothing on the Junko he knew, the one who causes billions of deaths. The one who caused so much pain on all his friends, who caused Chiaki’s death. The one who put every motion in place that led to Nagito’s sacrifice.

He hates her with all of his being. But he hates Hope’s Peak Academy even more.

“Well, ya see, ya see, of course, I still go to school. Everybody bullies me because I smell terrible and look terrible and have a terrible personality but I just bully them back! Isn’t that fun? And I personally think that yeah, maybe I’ll end up dead sooner or later but wouldn’t that be the greatest worst feeling of all time? Like, finally I’m gone, right? Or maybe not, but I won’t know until it happens? Isn’t that scary! But you know school is so boring, and life is so boring, that all I want to do sometimes is use my talent to bully the world. How would I be able to accomplish that sort of thing…etcetera etcetera etcetera? I’m just…too bored.”

“Because the world is too easy to understand?” Nagito chimed in.

“Yeah…hmm…where’s the Tardis? That British thing?” She smiled.

Hajime couldn’t stop a small feeling of dread from creeping up his spine. “What do you mean, “Tardis”? What are you talking about?”

“Hajime…the Tardis was the machine the Doctor from the series Doctor Who used to time travel.” Nagito hurriedly explained to his boyfriend, someone who wouldn’t a reference to an English show.

Ah. Hajime’s eyes instinctively widened. “How did you kn-? Wait, fuck. Shit!” His heart sank to the bottom of the sea in that one moment.

“I didn’t know! I didn’t at all know! But how would you know things about me I haven’t even told Yasuke about! Time travel? Really? Really! Haha!! Oh, I wonder how it works! I need to know I need to know! I need to know right away!” Junko jumped off her swing and giggled hard. Her glee at discovering that something like time travel was actually possible was…unnerving to both Hajime and Nagito. She wasn’t full of despair, she was just happy. The girl even rambled about she enjoyed despair - but right at this moment, she was happy, and excited even, and hopeful to learn.

“Junko…You feel happy right now, yeah? Doesn’t that feel good? So why do you try so hard to fall into despair? To make others despair? Why don’t you just realize already…that despair is no more unpredictable than hope is.” Hajime couldn’t say nothing. He shouldn’t have, but there was nothing anybody could do to stop him from letting his endless questions flow out.

As he did so…Junko’s dancing and jumping and smiling instantly stopped - as if she froze completely.

“I…I’m happy…? And it felt…g-good.” Her eyes slowly widened. “It’s something…I don’t understand yet.” She blinked. Once. Twice.

“Junko…there will always be things you will never understand, no matter how awe-inspiring your talent is. I learned that the hard way. Ultimate power isn’t infinite, and maybe it was never ultimate in the first place. There are things to look forward to even if the world around you is too easy to understand. Plenty of things are still rewarding even if you do understand them.” Nagito spoke to her in a gentle tone.

Small, little, and innocent Junko plopped down on the ground. She brought her knees to her chest and looked up at Nagito.

“I just want to be able to feel good without knowing, knowing, knowing, knowing, I’ll feel good ahead of time. Always knowing. I’m so sick of it. I’m so sick of life.”

“Sometimes the fun of life is knowing you’ll feel good. It’s okay to be able to predict things, and knowledge isn’t bad. But even then, there are still plenty of things the world doesn’t understand yet. Have you ever thought about pursuing a career in physics? The deep ocean? Neuroscience? There are so many things humanity doesn’t understand. Don’t you think you’d be able to have fun, Junko? Don’t you want to find out how we managed to time travel over here?” Hajime doesn’t know if what he’s saying is getting through to her. But he desperately hopes it is.

Junko stared at Hajime again. It almost felt like she could see straight through his soul. He wouldn’t be surprised if she could, with her talent.

“I think…you two strange men are actually…right. I never…I was prepared to make things worse around me. There was nothing around me worth protecting, or saving, and me neither too. I guess I could actually…help the world while learning, couldn’t I? But you’re right that there are still some satisfying things to accomplish. It’s not like just knowing how is enough to climb a mountain. You still need oxygen. You still need tools. I…I’m sorry. I’m really…”

“We can’t forgive you. Sorry, Hajime, I’m speaking for you, but I know how you feel already. The things you end up achieving in the future are atrocious and reprehensible. I’m sure you’ve already figured that out by now, why else would we be here, speaking to you? But we accept and acknowledge your apology. The only thing we require from you…is to not make the world end. We know you can find a way to live your life without despair. You don’t need it, Junko. You don’t need to hurt people. You don’t need to hurt yourself,” Nagito glanced at Hajime,” It took me a long time to figure that out myself. But I managed to. And I know you can as well.”

Junko’s eyes started to water. Water and water, until a few tears fell until she started to sob and sob. She said nothing. All she did was cry. Nagito patted her head softly. At the end of the day, was all Junko needed someone to talk to? Someone to treat her with the kindness she didn’t treat herself with? Someone to convince her that life was worth living?

She eventually stopped. She rubbed her eyes and continued to say nothing.

Hajime had to break the silence. “We have to go back to our future. It’s probably going to be very different, and who knows if we’ll even be able to remember this. Can you do us one favor?”

Junko nodded.

“We’d like you to use your talent to expose Hope’s Peak Academy for the corrupt school it is. There’s a project that’s going to be started in a few years called the Kamukura Project,” Nagito grabbed Hajime’s hand as he said this, ”The project is an attempt to push every single talent they have researched on inside the brain and body of one regular student. It…It almost destroyed me,” Hajime shivered, “In the future we came from, instead of exposing this and the corrupt school, you instead use the school to create despair, and use that despair to end the world. You know what you can accomplish, Junko. Please choose a world where you can keep learning and exploring and holding onto that feeling of happiness. Thank you.”

And within a blink, the two strange men had vanished. Leaving Junko to wonder whether or not the whole thing had been a dream…but whether or not it was, it doesn’t matter. She knows what she has to do now.

—

They were still holding hands. It was the future, and they were still together, and they still remembered everything.

That was terrifying and exhilarating, and oh god they need to check the news NOW. But first, they took a look around their surroundings. It was…clean, and pretty, and while there weren’t people around, there were no bodies in the street. No Monokuma bots to be seen. And the air was obviously breathable.

A good sign, but they needed more to be sure of what they had done. It wasn’t like they had any sort of phone on them. It would have interfered. So they walk and walk, and they come across a store with televisions playing - a news channel.

And the headline said: “Junko Enoshima, president of Future Foundation, finally convicts corrupt Steering Committee for their unethical project to create an artificial ‘God’”.

Junko hadn’t caused the Tragedy.

They find their way back to the apartment they were living in together before their time travel, and it’s still there, and the landlord still recognizes them and it turns out when they grab their phones from their bedside table that all of their friends are alive and healthy, and happy. Even Chiaki is alive. She’s alive. The first thing Hajime did was call her and talk to her. All he did was ask her how she was, and she was fine, and it was kind of a shock remembering how human Chiaki was always a bit different from AI Chiaki but he’s so grateful she’s still with them all.

They look through the news of the last decade. Everything is pretty much the same until Junko got accepted into Hope’s Peak. She spent the entire time trying to dismantle the school. She had used her talents to make the entire school body oppose the Steering Committee it seems, and while that was happening, class 77-B had just spent their time making friends. Hajime had been in the Reserve Course, but the Kamukura Project was discovered publicly before anything bad could happen. The school then had to do damage control, and all Reserve Course students got to keep going to the school for free…

No killing game, no Monokuma… They just got to have the school years they deserved from the beginning. And during that time period?

Hajime and Nagito still fell in love anyway.

“I shouldn’t have underestimated you. You really meant it when you said you’d be my side the whole way.” Nagito couldn’t stop himself from embracing Hajime, pushing him to sit down on top of their bed. “You still didn’t believe me at that time?” He exclaimed with disbelief and kissed Nagito’s forehead. “To be fair…it’s pretty incredible. You wouldn’t think all of this would work out so well, would you? It’s like I’m as lucky as you…I must be, right? Considering the fact that I have you as my boyfriend.”

They kissed. Nagito lovingly caressed Hajime’s cheek. “I suppose in this timeline you really are just a Reserve Course student…” Hajime laughed. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I don’t care about that anymore, you know? I believe in myself now. I’m…proud of myself. I’m proud of you!” Hajime beamed. It was a smile that could lift up anybody from the depths of despair.

“That’s not fair…If you say that, I really will never be able to stop loving you…!” Nagito laughed, hard, like he finally got to let go of a breath he had been holding since he was a child.

“Hey, Hajime…Do you think this was destiny? Or chance?” Nagito asked, smiling coyly.

“You know it was neither,” he grinned. “We decided to keep living on as ourselves, despite everything, and that determination was rewarded. We created our future together, Nagito. Don’t we deserve it after everything?” He cockily said.

“I doubt it. You don’t even have a talent, Hajime…” He winked.

Hajime murmured in Nagito’s ear, “Oh, I don’t? I’m pretty sure I have a talent for kissing you…”

“Aha, well you better show me the extent of your talent then….!”

THE END