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candycandy00 · 5 months

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Roses in the Sky - An Original Alien x Reader Story Part 6

In a future where humanity huddles in decaying domed cities controlled by alien invaders, you and your best friend Anna work as make-shift nurses in a tiny clinic run by the young doctor Terrian. The city is ruled by the aliens' violent, half-breed offspring who serve as brutal overseers. You and Anna have always tried to avoid these overseers at all cost, but your life is changed when one of those same terrifying offspring is brought into the clinic, injured and unconscious.

This is an original Alien (well half alien) x Fem Reader story! I hope everyone who enjoys my fanfiction will give this a shot! Any feedback whatsoever would be loved! I’ve already written this story so it’s not going to delay my fanfics. Just thought I might post chapters of this between fanfics if anyone is interested.

Slow burn, as this is a novel-length story, but there will be smut in later chapters! Also: violence, blood, rape attempts, death of side characters, etc.

Vartan nearly knocked you over as he stumbled inside, holding onto the wall as he made his way through your kitchen and to the living room, where he fell onto the couch.

You closed and locked the door behind him, then hurried over to the couch.

"What are you doing here?"

He looked up at you, and for first time you could see a hint of annoyance on his face. It was both frightening and comical. "They asked me to leave the base. So I came here."

"They threw you out?"

He laid back on the couch, making himself a bit more comfortable, though every move still seemed painful. "Yes, that is basically true."

You were holding your forehead. This was ridiculous. If the neighbors happened to see Vartan on his way in, the whole building would be in a state of panic.

He glanced to the side. "You do not have a television?"

You frowned. "No, I'm not that rich. And besides, I don't even like watching movies. Wait, why did you come to my apartment? For that matter how did you know where I live?"

"I followed you home. And you are the only human I know."

You couldn't help but feel a little bit special upon hearing that. How many girls in the city could say a half-breed knew them well enough to crash at their place? But you tossed the thought out of your mind. "You know Terrian too. He has a really big house."

"But you are the one I followed," he said simply, as if that explained everything.

You sighed. "Alright, you can stay as long as you need to, but please don't go walking around in the hallway or anything. The other people in the building might have heart attacks if they spot you."

Vartan nodded.

"And," you said carefully, "there's one more condition to staying here."

He looked you in the eyes again. "What is it?"

You felt a little scared. You just couldn't get beyond the fact that you were talking to a half-breed. You took a deep breath. "You can't punish anyone while you're staying with me. No matter what."

He raised his eyebrows, and you flinched, as if expecting him to jump up and decapitate you. "And what will you do if I punish anyone?"

You hesitated for a moment, then built up your courage and said "I'll throw you out!"

Vartan stared at you in response, and you could've sworn an extremely faint smile had tugged at his lips for an instant. "Very well," he said, "I will abide by your rules."

You blinked. A half-breed was agreeing to your rules? It was beyond bizarre. You shook your head and walked into the bedroom, where you pulled out an extra blanket and took one of the pillows from your own bed. You brought them to him, and he politely thanked you.

Once he was comfortable again, you waved to him and told him goodnight, going into your room to change into pajamas. You opened your door a crack and peeked into the living room, but it was too dark to make out anything more than a vague shape on the couch.

It was a very restless night, as you had trouble sleeping while knowing that a half-breed was lying in the next room. Your mind was going crazy, telling you that he was different, that he was kind to you and had gotten himself into trouble for your sake, but at the same time reminding you of how callously he had murdered Miranda's parents only a few days before. You couldn't decide whether he was a gentle boy or a barbaric monster.

In the end, you fell asleep just a few hours before sunrise, and so overslept terribly the next morning. What little sleep you got was plagued by nightmares, of your parents screaming, of following a tall, black-clad stranger in the snow. You don’t even remember what snow feels like, but in your dreams it was bitterly cold.

You climbed out of bed and staggered into the kitchen. Vartan was at the table peeling an orange. His jacket was gone and, to your embarrassment, so were his pants. He wore boxer shorts, plain black cotton. He looked up when you entered the room. "Is it alright that I took an orange?"

You nodded, still a little disoriented. You were wearing a tank top and a pair of knit shorts. It was nothing scandalous, but you felt a little self-conscious so you held your arms over yourself and stepped toward the door.

"There is no need to be embarrassed," he said, biting into the peeled orange, "I have seen you in less."

You remembered your first time meeting him, in the clinic while you were in your underwear, and cringed. You had almost forgotten it. You turned around to face him. "Right, about that, I have another rule. You can't... um... do anything... to me."

He looked highly confused. "Do anything?"

"You know, what you half-breeds do to humans all the time. Um, how did that girl put it yesterday... 'enjoy'?"

Vartan obviously understood now, and you were more than a little embarrassed.

He took another bite of the orange. "I will do nothing to harm you."

You sighed in relief. "Great, I'm glad we cleared that up." You sat down at the table and grabbed an apple from the bowl of fruit, biting into it without peeling it. "By the way, I wanted to thank you for what you did yesterday. You really saved us, Anna and I."

Vartan nodded without a word.

You watched him for a moment while chewing the apple. "I'm curious though, why did you do it?"

"I already explained. You saved me, I wanted to save you in return."

"But when you spared Miranda, I mean, the little girl a few nights ago, you said your debt had been repaid."

He was looking at the half-eaten orange in his hand. "I am... not on the best of terms with those three."

"Oh. I see. So going up against them wasn't exactly new?"

"Correct," he answered. "I have fought with them many times."

"Why?" you asked, the question slipping out of your mouth before you thought.

"I believe Celeste, the girl you met, harbors feelings for me that one half-breed should not have for another."

Your jaw dropped. "You mean she has a crush on you?!"

"Yes, I believe so. And the others, Aden and Marcel, harbor those feelings for her. As such, they despise me."

You laid the apple on the table, too intrigued to eat. "Wow, so they're jealous of you! But why would she attack you the way she did? Why would she allow them to?"

Vartan looked at you, surprised. "Why would she not?"

"Because she's in love with you, isn't she? You don't hurt people you love!"

"We do not understand the feelings of humans," he said. "If we somehow come to experience them, we do not know how to react to them."

You looked back down. "Oh," you said, then looked at him sharply. "But why don't the half-breeds get together? Why don't they ever date each other or get married or anything?”

Vartan looked positively shocked by your question, his expression even going beyond mere raised eyebrows to include wide eyes and a gaping mouth. "That is forbidden! We can never touch each other in that way!"

You were quite surprised yourself. "Why not?"

Vartan settled back into his usual expression. "I'm not sure. We've been told from the time we were children that we must never, ever mate with fellow half-breeds. Doing so would be punishable by death."

"Wow, that's a really harsh rule. But I guess that explains why you guys fool around with humans so much."

"Yes," he replied, eating his orange again and seeming strangely uncomfortable, "We were told to satisfy our physical desires with humans."

You placed your elbow on the table and leaned over, supporting your head with your arm. "But don't you guys ever want something more? More than just a physical thing? How do you get any pleasure from it when the human obviously doesn't want it?"

Vartan was focused intently on the orange, as if purposely avoiding your eyes. "We were told that humans are hormonal creatures who always desire physical pleasure. We were told that the humans wouldn't mind, that they would be happy to satisfy us, because we are pleasing to their eyes."

You wee positively amazed to be hearing all of this. Finally things were starting to make a little more sense. "But couldn't you figure out that humans didn't want to be used?"

Vartan suddenly stood up from the table. "Do you mind if I use your shower?"

You blinked, caught off-guard. "Oh, sure. There are some towels in the closet in the hall."

He stood up and pushed his chair in, then cleared the table of the small mess he had made with the orange. It really struck you that he was unbelievably polite. You wondered if half-breeds were raised to be that way, or if this was simply a personality trait for him.

You heard him open and then close the closet door, then listened as he walked a little further down the hall and into the bathroom. Then the water came on. You resumed eating while you waited, and he eventually emerged from the hall again, but this time he was without the boxers. You nearly choked on the apple, but stood up and quickly backed away, covering your eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Please put your clothes on!" you cried.

"Why? You have seen me nude before. Why are humans so bothered by such things?"

You slowly removed your hands from your eyes, but looked straight at his face. He looked genuinely curious. "Because things like this should be reserved for couples."

"Why?"

You thought for a moment, trying to come up with the best way to word it. "Well, it should be special, when two people who are in love see each other naked for the first time. Exposing yourself like that is like revealing your deepest secret."

Vartan's puzzled expression made you realize that you had indeed worded it wrong. "Wait, that didn't come out right. I mean, even with people who are not in love, you want to save that 'secret' for when you decide to become intimate."

"So, humans do not allow anyone to see them nude unless they are intimate?"

You rubbed your forehead again. "No, that's not exactly it. I mean, doctors see you naked, but that's for medical reasons. It's different. And when you're a kid and your parents see you naked, like when you're taking a bath. Or if you're spending the night with your best friend and you change clothes in the same bedroom, it's not a big deal. But, when it comes to someone you're attracted to, it makes you shy about it, so you only want to show yourself to them when you trust them to not be judgmental and..."

You trailed off, noticing that Vartan's look of confusion was gone and he was instead staring at you intently. "I see," he said, stepping into the living room. He returned a few seconds later, buttoning his pants. "I suppose I no longer have a secret to reveal."

"What?"

Again that faint smile seemed to flash across his face for the briefest of moments, but it disappeared just as quickly. "You're not going to the clinic today. Are you going anywhere else?"

"Terrian's house. He gave me a new job."

"What kind?"

You raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you really interested or are you making conversation?"

"I am interested."

"He wants Anna and I to be his new maids. I know he just wants to give us a reason to take money from him and come to his house, so we won't feel like we're robbing him, you know? But I hope he doesn't make us wear uniforms again."

"The white outfit you were wearing at the clinic, that was a uniform?" he asked.

"Yeah. Terrian picks them out. I think he has a costume fetish or something."

"Does he not make you feel uncomfortable?"

You laughed. "We know he's just joking around. Yeah, he likes to see us in cute clothes, but he would never do anything inappropriate. In fact he's ridiculously protective of us."

"Yes, I saw that," Vartan replied. "He was quick to attack me when he thought I was doing you harm."

You laughed again, and in the back of your mind you wondered when you had reached the point that you could laugh with a half-breed. Your eyes drifted to the clock on the kitchen wall. "Oh crap, I'm really running late now. I better get ready."

You hurried to the hall, grabbed some towels, and took a quick shower. You dressed in the bathroom, having no desire to go prancing into your bedroom with nothing but a towel on while Vartan was there. He promised he wouldn't do anything, but you decided it wouldn't be a good idea to tempt a half-breed, despite the circumstances.

You fixed your hair and even dabbled on a little makeup and perfume, things you normally never bothered with. When finished, you looked in the mirror and asked yourself why you were trying so hard to look good. Was it because you wanted Vartan to find you attractive? But you had gone to such lengths to avoid attracting that sort of attention from him.

But what was wrong with it if you liked him?

You took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom. You grabbed your bag from the counter in the kitchen and stepped into a pair of shoes by the door. You glanced into the living room, where Vartan was sitting quietly on the couch.

"Um, I'm leaving now. If you decide to go out, lock the door behind you. There's an extra key on the table by my bed so you can get back in. Remember not to let anyone see you in the building, okay?"

He looked up at you and nodded, then waved as you left.

You arrived several minutes later at Terrian's house. You usually visited in the evenings, after they closed the clinic, so seeing it in the daylight, under the red-tinged sun, made the huge house look a little scary. Now you understood why he often asked you and Anna to come live with him.

You walked up on the porch and rang the door bell. A few minutes later, you heard footsteps and the door suddenly flung open. There stood Anna, positively fuming, in a frilly french maid costume that was obviously bought for Halloween many years ago. You wanted to laugh, but then it occurred to you that you would probably be wearing that horrendous getup too. You grimaced.

"He's gone too far this time!" Anna said loudly, stomping her foot as she talked as if to emphasize every word. "Look at this! I look ridiculous!"

"It's not that bad. I mean, it's kinda cute."

"It's awful!" Anna cried.

You opened your mouth to respond, but heard Terrian's voice ring out from within the house. "Is she here? Send her on up to get her uniform!"

You paled. "Well, at least you won't look awful by yourself." You stepped inside and began climbing up the stairs, dreading what you would see when you reached the top.

Tag List:

@scrumptiouslampwobblercop

#alien x reader #alien x human #x reader #x reader stories #original x reader #original fiction #scifi x reader

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theterribletenno · 3 months

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Accidentally came up with two new primary elements as a joke, Entropy and Quantum, and then went to the trouble of making all of their new secondary elements because I like to torture myself.

Entropy status: Decay (reduces enemy armor & max shields by 30%, subsequent applications reduce by an additional 5% up to a maximum of 75% reduction at 10 stacks. Lasts for 6 seconds, successive stacks refresh duration.) -Vulnerable: Grineer, Corpus, Narmer -Resistant: Orokin, Sentient, Murmur

Quantum status: Probability (increases Quantum damage dealt to the enemy for 6 seconds by 15% per stack up to a maximum of 150% at 10 stacks. Successive stacks refresh duration.) -Vulnerable: Orokin, Sentient, Murmur -Resistant: Grineer, Corpus, Infested

Entropy + Toxin = Rot Rot status: Rotting (Deals 50% of the base damage as Rot damage per second over 6 seconds after a 1 second delay, reaches a maximum of 10 stacks. Successive status procs at 10 stacks will cause the oldest stack to deal all remaining damage at once and be removed. Each stack has its own duration.) -Vulnerable: Grineer, Kuva Grineer, Orokin, Narmer -Resstant: Corpus, Amalgam Corpus, Sentient, Murmur

Entropy + Heat = Implosion Implosion status: Concussion (Causes target to flinch and staggers movement for 1 second, also reduces enemy accuracy and attack speed by 30% plus an additional 5% per stack up to a maximum of 75% at 10 stacks lasting 6 seconds. Each stack has its own duration. Every time Concussion procs there is a 2.5% chance per Concussion stack that the enemy will be ragdolled for 6 seconds.) -Vulnerable: Corpus, Corpus Amalgam, Orokin -Resistant: Grineer, Kuva Grineer

Entropy + Cold = Vacuum Vacuum status: Suffocation (The enemy is stunned, becoming unable to move, attack, use abilities, or perform most other actions for 3 seconds, subsequent applications will increase duration by 1 second up to a maximum of 12 seconds at 10 stacks. Subsequent applications will refresh duration.) -Vulnerable: Grineer, Corpus, Narmer -Resistant: Sentient, Murmur

Entropy + Electric = Antigravity Antigravity status: Weightless (10% chance per stack to cause the enemy to become lifted, stacking up to 10 times. At 10 stacks lifted chance is 100%, lasts for 6 seconds, subsequent applications will refresh duration.) -Vulnerable: Grineer, Kuva Grineer, Infested, Deimos Infested -Resistant: Corpus, Corpus Amalgam, Murmur

Quantum + Toxin = Cognitohazard Cognitohazard status: Mind Link (Every time an enemy affected by Mind Link takes damage 24% of the damage dealt is copied and dealt to all other enemies affected by Mind Link. Each successive stack increases damage shared by 4% up to a maximum of 50% at 10 stacks, lasts for 6 seconds and subsequent applications will refresh duration.) -Vulnerable: Grineer, Kuva Grineer, Corpus, Amalgam Corpus -Resistant: Infested, Sentient, Narmer, Murmur

Quantum + Heat = Disintegration Disintegration status: Disintegrating (Deals 50% of the base damage plus the enemy's original armor value as Disintegration damage per second over 6 seconds after a 1 second delay. Stacks are not limited and each stack has its own duration.) -Vulnerable: Corpus Amalgam, Sentient, Murmur -Resistant: Infested, Deimos Infested

Quantum + Cold = Dark Matter Dark Matter status: Gravity Well (Enemies within 3 meters are pulled closer to the affected unit/s, subsequent applications increase this range by 1 meter, reaching a maximum of 12 meters at 10 stacks. Each stack has its own duration.) -Vulnerable: Infested, Deimos Infested, Orokin, Murmur -Resistant: Sentient, Narmer

Quantum + Electric = Antimatter Antimatter status: Volatile (Increases critical and status chance against the affected enemy/enemies additively by 30% plus an additional 5% per stack up to a maximum of +75% at 10 stacks. Successive stacks refresh duration.) -Vulnerable: Grineer, Infested, Sentient, Murmur -Resistant: Corpus, Amalgam Corpus, Orokin

Entropy + Quantum = Unreality Unreality status: Reality Break (Deals 35% of the base damage as Unreality damage per second for 6 seconds after a 1 second delay. Stacks are not limited. Each stack has its own duration. Additionally, every time Unreality procs Reality Break the most recently applied status effect other than Reality Break is copied and re-applied.) -Vulnerable: None -Resistant: None

#warframe

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fictionfixations · 3 months

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im BACk at the wuthering waving

ngl i really want to join scar he seems very interesting (unfortunately we dont have that choice. no but IMAGINE a game like this but choices we make matter. like like yknow uhh. i mean the only one i can think of rn is like. detroit become human, which has a bunch of branching paths. so like imagine a choice can lead to a wildly different outcome. and so like. we can choose to trust scar or something. IMAGINE. i mean that'd probably go into spoiler-y territory considering idk one side might say something, the other might say something contradictory. or like something that players on a different path dont learn so its complicated. and also probably very hard to actually do. but i just. really adore games like that ngl)

yes i havent even made it to 1.1 yet LMFAO

anyway i dont know what they did but oh my god its so much less laggier (the only thing of note is that im stuck in the loading screens for longer. but i mean honestly i have other things i can do in the meantime while waiting so its not a big deal)

like. i can. actually go through cutscenes and its not just slideshow bullshit that i have to go watch someone else go through it for the cutscene (you know the cutscene where we see general jiyan(?) fighting while we're like nowhere near him? there was so much delay cause it was struggling to shift to jiyan cause it was showing the other stuff with i think the tacet discords? instead so the voices were playing and im just sat here like wtf is going on i dont even see yall what are you doing)

and and i can actually fight and know that my failings are not that its lagging me so i cant dodge. its just that im bad at dodging LOL

also i cant remember but im pretty sure you cant dodge by jumping i think youre meant to dash from it but uhm

i briefly played the solo leveling game so i keep pressing space to either start sprinting or to dodge an attack. which. its kinda funny cause i find myself pressing space playing hsr which is a game you cannot jump in. man, the confusion of playing games with different buttons for actions so when you switch to another you press the wrong button. funniest shit ever ngl (i remember i played genshin and like this one roblox game. decaying winter. and. so they had different buttons for picking up stuff, cant remember which one was e or f. but so. i press the pick up for genshin button out of habit. and then it causes me to place down a bomb LMFAO. i cant pick it up. and if i press f again [its more if i hold it but still] it explodes so i have to pray i didnt spam it, or pray that i didnt accidentally stick it on me because that can happen haha. ..or even that i didnt stick it on a teammate on accident cause friendly fire is a thing)

i feel spoiled though cause hsr and solo leveling have auto so i can just chime in occasionally while something else fights for me. but its like. games like wuwa and genshin (and solo leveling because even with auto i control me. i just have it on because i tend to forget to use like the skills) you have to spam attack. so my hand hates me LMFAO (me typing all this out doesnt help either but uhm i dont know the meaning of giving my hands a break)

anyway pulling plans: Jinhsi, Scar (hopefully), and Camellya..? i think? the the the flower person who called us a seed LMFAO (i keep wanting to think of her as phantylia because for whatever reason the name 'camellya' is hard to remember so uh if i ever misspell..)

also another thing of note. it kinda keeps tripping me up when the dialogue advances without auto. i mean it makes sense cause its going through it along with the character's movement so its not like they can just stop them from moving waiting for you to go to the next dialogue box

but sometimes im doing other stuff and listening to the dialogue but im going to go back to read it because a mix of voiced dialogue and reading the dialogue myself helps me remember best

but uh i get distracted. very easily. so sometimes i need to reread it multiple times to get it to stick, so i kind of wished wuwa had like a log that you could check to go back through peoples dialogue during the actual convo.

genuinely cant remember if its been like that in 1.0 but to be fair theres only so much room (and its still readable anyway)

i wanted to try speedrunning to act 7 (tbh i dont think im even at a high enough like union level(? i think thats what its called) to go through most of the story) but ive underestimated how tired id be

its probably so pixel-y im sorry its cause i dont play full screen so its all smaller-ized (and probably because im playing on the lowest graphics)

but like im sorry jinhsi its just. scar. is. so. cool. AGHHHh

off topic but it always bothers me how in slowed down scenes like this or where characters are in a sort of stasis where they're doing an action but its slowed down for whichever reason (you can see it in anime a bunch) and the character talks a shit ton and im just sat here like how are you speaking that much in this time frame what ???

like the card cant be moving THAT slow can it?? or if so couldnt someone just strike it down before it hits or something?? maybe i shouldnt be trying to apply logic to this. or maybe it is possible and im just very tired so i cant think straight idk

now this is in no way a complaint (i do like this scene) im just nitpicky and have never had the opportunity to express my thoughts about things like this ngl

anyway uh. upside to wuwa in case this turned out to be a very negative post (in which oops)

its never . i. cant recall the terminology. you know when too much is running and your laptop just turns everything off abruptly?

its never done that solo leveling has (and now i never play it without a fan) hsr has but only when ive put it at high graphics cause i wanted to experience it if genshin has, i genuinely cant remember

i cant read roman numerals except 123 idk what act this is but wooo im stopping here now

#wuthering waves #wuwa #thoughts #i get so off topic #what do you expect its like 3 am

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sixhours · 7 months

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Chapter 25 - The Ghosts of Babylon

Series Chapter Index | Read on AO3 | Complete

Rating: Explicit, 18+, here be smut and violence Series tags: Joel Miller x You, Joel Miller x Reader, Joel & Ellie, mostly follows canon, LGBTQ+ characters, y/n is bi/pan, y/n is ~45, violence, pregnancy, abortion, medical trauma, emotional trauma, panic attacks, sex work, suicide, smut, slow burn, angst with a happy ending, hurt/comfort, romance, no use of y/n, reader has longish hair, Joel can lift you, smallish age gap (~11 years), I've probably forgotten some so please let me know <3

~*~

A blizzard hits in mid-February, delaying your exit that much longer. Joel is restless, ducking in and out of the house just to watch the snow fly, as if scowling at it could make it pass faster. You join him at the door after several rounds of this, stilling him, hand at his elbow.

“There’s always one last roar. It’ll melt.”

You know he’s thinking of Ellie, of Tommy and Maria…of home. You’re thinking of it that way, too, although you’re not sure what you’ll find when you get there. Neither of you talks about it, but it’s always there, the uncertainty ahead of you.

Instead, you throw yourself into planning for the journey ahead. You’ve stared at the maps long enough to commit the routes you need to follow to memory. You try to rebuild your strength, eating even when the taste and texture of venison make you feel sick.

He’s found a branch that makes a perfect walking stick, using his knife to shape the wood and carve a handle into the top. He finds some old sandpaper in the barn and spends an inordinate amount of time smoothing the wood until it’s velvety. He presents it to you with a gruff shrug and brushes off your thank-you with a scowl.

“Just don’t want you fallin’ over.”

Sometimes you feel almost normal, almost…whole. Maybe it’s the promise of better weather, slowly thawing you from the inside, or the thought of a future where you don’t need to hide. You think Joel notices, too, because he’s stopped watching your every move, stopped acting like the sight of a loaded gun might send you back over the dark edge.

~*~

You set out for Jackson on the first of March, when the snow is barely a thin white blanket on the ground and the air holds the faintest promise of warmth. The travel is easy at first. At the end of the day you’re tired, but the fresh air and movement feel like a reawakening, like coming back to yourself.

But the closer you get to your destination, the more your collective imagination weighs on you, drawing you into a muted, terrified silence.

It doesn’t help that the land around you is mostly uninhabited, but you still see infected in the distance, lone figures staggering across a field or lurching through the trees–strays that shouldn’t be this far out from civilization. You take turns on watch at night and try not to camp in the open if you can help it.

You find the crater about forty miles outside Jackson, exiting a swath of forest at the outskirts of the settlement’s patrol area to find a vast, blackened gash in the earth.

“Jesus,” you breathe, standing at the edge of the torn earth with Joel gripping your hand like a vice.

The remains of bodies litter the landscape, charred black by some kind of fire or explosion. Some are infected, you can tell by the bulbous shapes on their heads, but others...it’s hard to tell. An upturned FEDRA van creaks in the wind.

You exchange a look, but there’s nothing to say.

That night, you make camp at an old patrol outpost, a former hunting camp in a state of abject decay. It hasn’t been used in months if not years. You try to convince Joel to keep going through the night, unable to get that scorched-earth scene out of your mind, but you’re struggling to keep up, your bad ankle dragging with every step.

“We don’t know what we’re gonna find up there. Need to save your energy.”

Over a meager dinner, the candlelight etches worry into every line on Joel’s face. He takes the first watch while you pretend to sleep. You should be exhausted with all the miles behind you, but your mind spins in circles. Finally, you get off the mattress and put water on the portable stove to boil. You take two mugs of hot water and pull up a chair next to Joel. He doesn’t say anything, just takes one of the mugs with a nod of thanks.

“God, I wish this was coffee,” you sigh.

He taps his mug against yours in a toast. “I’d even take that instant shit.”

“I told you, desperate times,” taking a sip, wincing as the liquid burns your throat.

He’s lost in thought, rubbing at his lower lip with one thumb.

“I told her, y’know,” he rumbles softly. “Before I left. I told Ellie…about what happened…at the hospital…with the Fireflies.”

“How’d she take it?”

He takes a deep, shaky breath. “She said…she thought she could forgive me for that. Someday.”

Someday.

You cluck your tongue. “She’s your kid, Miller. She’s stubborn as hell…but she’ll forgive you.”

His eyes are hazy with longing and regret, and you know the words won’t be enough until he can hear them from her lips.

“Jus’ gotta get back,” he whispers.

Neither of you sleeps that night.

~*~

When Joel realizes how close you are to Jackson, he involuntarily picks up the pace, rushing to get to the top of the last hill where you’ll be able to see the settlement in the distance. You let him go ahead, and find him standing at the crest with his hands on his hips, breathing hard.

“Sorry, had to–had to know,” he gasps.

“I know,” you say, squinting across the valley, half expecting to find another blown-out crater, relieved to see the town walls standing.

“Still there,” he breathes. It’s quiet, but there’s movement. It’s too far away to tell if that’s a good thing yet. And you haven’t encountered any patrols, which is concerning.

His hand finds yours and you squeeze it reflexively. Almost home.

The descent into the valley takes longer than it should. You’re still awkward, stumbling along with only your walking stick and occasionally Joel’s arm for support.

As you approach the settlement, your unease grows. Joel senses it, too, and he unshoulders his rifle when you’re half a mile out, shooting you a sideways glance filled with apprehension. This close to Jackson, someone should have seen you by now.

Then the wall looms on the horizon, and you watch the doors open. Riders on horseback are filing out, coming toward you, but you can’t tell if they’re friendly. You pull the handgun out of your pocket as Joel seats the rifle at his shoulder.

~*~

You recognize Ashbury first, and the relief is enough to make your knees weak. You stumble gracelessly into Joel’s side.

“It’s them.”

He sees it, too. Then the riding party surrounds you, two dogs and their handlers bringing up the rear. Your hands go up by force of habit, as do Joel’s. He lets the rifle drop and hands it over silently.

The dogs circle your ankles, sniffing for signs of infection, and when you’re cleared, you’re escorted back to the gates amidst the circle of riders. You can almost feel Joel thrumming beside you, eyes fixed on the entrance as the gate slowly creaks open.

Then you hear her before you see her, a flash of burgundy and gray with a shock of auburn hair streaking toward you.

“Joel!”

He stops short, clutches your hand like a lifeline, breath caught in his throat.

“Joel!”

And then she’s tackling him, and he’s sinking to his knees in the middle of the street with his arms around his daughter. He’s murmuring through tears, baby girl , cupping her face in his hands and grinning, then pulling her back into him.

“Don’t cry, asshole,” she mutters over his shoulder, but you hear the catch in her voice and see the glimmer in her eyes.

You’re home.

#fanfic #fic recs #the last of us hbo #joel miller #the last of us #joel and ellie #joel miller x reader #joel miller x you

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xploshi · 2 years

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Sonic Frontiers: The Review

I normally fucking hate sonic, in fact I have a sonic plushie that I regularly attack and shred with my many teeth when my wife gives me diarrhea from her shitass cooking. However, upon booting up Sonic Frontiers, it took approximately 4.3 seconds longer than usual before I snapped and lunged at my already heavily damaged plush sonic, delighting at the fear in his quivering little eyes as I gripped him around the neck with both hands until my knuckles turned white, breathing wetly through my gritted teeth until flecks of saliva were being propelled at his pitiful face, absorbing into the fabric like his many stockpiled traumas.

an additional delay of 4.3 seconds between booting up the game and attacking my Sonic introduces a very crucial concept: This game does something right.

After calming down and guzzling my many medicated calm-down-capsules, I sat back to drink in more of Sonic Team's """hard work""", revelling in the art team's bold decision to make the game look frighteningly like real life. The first area, Kronos island, with its almost disgusting resemblance to the grassy alpine plains of the planet we walk on, broke my perception of reality to such a degree that I tore the disc from the console with my bare hands and crushed it into dust from some sort of primal fear awoken in me.

After purchasing another copy of the game, I gradually grew to accept its visual style. Before long, I had trained myself to violently squeeze my sonic plush instead of destroying the game disc whenever the realism of the grass really started to upset me. The enormous robots Sonic has to fight to progress through the game almost pushed me to my breaking point, as my ceaseless nightmares about a robot uprising occurring within our near future immediately forced themselves to the forefront of my mind. 8 panic attacks and 79 bottles of hard liquor later, I was ready to continue playing.

The boss you will eventually run into, Andrew the Hedgehog, only appears after collecting all 446 eggman statues. (Eggman is absent in the game aside from these collectible statues.)

In order to damage him, you need to target each of his 4 large quills and yank them until he has a mental breakdown, weeping silently on the grass and begging to be left alone. This reminded me of all the times I've kicked people's dogs REALLY HARD with studded doc Martens on my peaceful afternoon walks whenever the smell of the breeze really begins to max out my anger stat. (video game reference)

After that, The credits began to roll.

This is the shortest Sonic the hedgehog game in recent memory, taking only 900 hours to beat. (7509 hours if you're going for all the collectibles). most of your time with this game will be spent gathering Eggman Statues, or watching the now iconic (and incredibly memeworthy ) 34 hour long cutscene where Sonic struggles to butter a piece of toast in his decaying apartment shortly after divorcing tails. I woulve managed to absorb the emotional weight of this scene, if at the 14 hour mark my wife hadn't brought me an abhorrent bowl of soup that caused me to vomit my guts out and weep on the carpet, semi-paralysed from the abdominal pain. I barely had the energy to throw our cat at her head like I normally do.

I was totally overloaded with emotions as the credits washed over me. I glanced over at my sonic plush, his stuffing spilling out onto the floor. He had a look in his eyes that seemed like "please... no more..." Which I of course took as an invitation to skewer his head on the iron fence outside and incinerate him with a blowtorch for all my neighbours to watch.

FINAL SCORE: 9.9/10

#sonic frontiers #sonic the hedgehog #video game #game review #review #sonic #journalism

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hopefulatrocity · 1 year

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From The Ashes-Chapter 11

Note: Oh gosh, I keep getting deep into these chapters, please note that these chapters are twice as big as the first chapters in this story so it's taking me a bit longer to pop them out. I'm sorry for the delay but I just want to make sure everything is perfect! Thank you @loganlostitall for beta reading!

Banners: @liminal_creations

Dividers: @firefly-graphics & @omiyours

Chapter CW/TW: Past rape/noncon, past child abuse/neglect, anxiety attack, depression, allusions to child loss, transphobia(Shane), Panic

Prev / Next / Masterlist

By the time Daryl, Kismet, and Pheonyx made it back to the farm, the sky was just starting to turn orange. The blazing heat from earlier had dulled to a barely tolerable simmer. Crickets were starting to sing their evening song and fireflies were beginning to float around the fields surrounding the farmhouse. Sometimes Pheonyx was amazed at how nature could continue on, and could remain so normal, despite the carnage and decay that had taken over the world.

Kismet walked lazily beside them, having worn himself out with all the walking and tracking throughout the day. He didn’t even wiggle when Pheonyx picked him up to lift him over the barbed wire at the outlet of the woods.

The three walked together until they reached the split rail fence that bordered half of the main yard of the house. Kismet ducked under the lowest rail and Pheonyx hopped over the fence with ease. Daryl landed beside him a moment later.

The area where the tents were erected that morning was quiet. Only a few of Daryl’s group were moving around, the majority of them were sitting around a small campfire where a large pot was being stirred by Glenn. Low conversation could be heard from the distance between the men and the group, nothing distinct but it was the sounds of multiple people that had Pheonyx’s muscles tensing. These people seemed okay–Shane excluded–he knew that. But he couldn’t help the instinctual reaction to turn tail and run back to the solace of the woods.

A furry head butted into his hand, forcing him to put his attention on the dog at his side, instead of the people congregating on the property.

Daryl had seen the difference in Pheonyx the moment the sounds of T-Dog, Glenn, Shane, and Andrea chatting floated over to them. The calm, relaxed man was suddenly stiff as a board and gripping the straps of his backpack with a white knuckle grip. Kismet made a small whine of concern and pushed himself into Pheonyx’s space, moving the man’s attention away from the campfire in the distance. His inked shoulders slumped a small bit, but the tension was still there.

Daryl felt the urge to chew his thumb, unsure of what to do, but both of his hands were occupied. One was gripping the strap of his crossbow. The other held an old beer bottle– he’d found it on the way back to the farm–that he was using as a vase for the Cherokee rose he picked for Carol. The rose Pheonyx had picked, and handed to him as a promise, was currently tucked in between the folds of the map resting in his breast pocket. Daryl didn’t understand why he did it. All he knew was that when he went to put both roses in the bottle for Carol, he couldn’t part with the smaller stemmed one. The way the younger man had handed it to him, offering words of hope, made an impact on him. He’d grown up around people who offered empty promises. Mama who said she’d stop drinking but never did. Pa who said he’d wouldn’t lay a hand on him anymore when he was sober. Merle who made a pact with him to never leave but not even a year later joined the military and left him alone. Social workers who promised to help him if he told the truth but never followed through. He’d learned not to trust promises. They always lead to heartbreak. But the way Pheonyx had looked at him, had spoken softly and told him that they would find Sophia, made Daryl believe him. He knew, even if they didn’t find the girl, Pheonyx would do everything in his power to try. When he was holding Pheonyx’s rose, he knew he couldn’t give it away. So, when Pheonyx wasn’t looking, he’d pulled out the folded map, and stuck the rose between the thin creases. The map-slightly thicker than it had been before- resting against his chest offered a piece of comfort that hadn’t been there before.

“‘M gonna talk to Carol. Tell ‘er what we found. Do ya-”, Daryl paused, not sure of how to ask. “She might like ta hear ‘bout the bag. Give ‘er some hope. Might be better comin’ from ya.”

Pulling his eyes from the campfire in the distance, Pheonyx took a moment to register what Daryl said. He nodded, grateful for the distraction. The older man inclined his head away from the tent area towards the RV his group brought. Thankfully, it was in the opposite direction of the camp. They began to walk over that way, with Kismet trotting on their heels. As they got closer, a figure appeared on the RV. The man with the bucket hat, Dale, was sitting on top of the large vehicle in a beach chair. He had a hunting rifle in his lap and was looking out into the fields with a pair of binoculars. A little bit of the anxiety in his stomach, the kind that constantly gnaws at his gut no matter the circumstances, lifted. Having someone on lookout for shadows, when Pheonyx couldn’t be there, was a huge relief. He worried for his family, especially in their state of denial, but he couldn’t be there 24/7 to watch for dangers.

Dale lowered his binoculars, having heard the trio approaching, and offered them a smile.

“Any sign of her?”, he asked, taking his hat off and wiping some of the sweat off his forehead.

Pheonyx looked to Daryl, waiting for him to answer his group member, but the man simply grunted and nodded, not elaborating. Awkward silence ensued and Pheonyx coughed, dragging Daryl’s attention to him. He raised his eyebrows and inclined his head towards the man on top of the RV, silently telling Daryl to talk to Dale.

With a roll of his eyes, Daryl spoke shortly, “The mutt found ‘er trail and led us ta an ole’ house she musta stayed in. Gonna head out early tomorrow ta keep lookin’.”

Pheonyx didn’t think it was possible but Dale’s smile widened. The old man replaced the hat on his head and said, “It’s nice to have some good news after the last few days. Carol’s in the RV. Been trying to keep busy all day. Hopefully, this news will help brighten her day a bit.”

As expected, Daryl simply grunted and opened the RV door to go in. Kismet pushed himself in front of the archer, and slipped inside. Daryl cursed as he stumbled a bit, the dog not knowing his strength knocked him off balance. He caught himself on the door and shook his head before stepping inside.

Pheonyx offered Dale a smile of apology for Daryl’s stand-offish attitude and followed the other two inside.

Both Daryl and Pheonyx noted the smell of household cleaners when they entered the small living space. The counters around the vehicle were practically sparkling; dishes were drying in a rack by the small sink; the windows were streak free and glimmered in the evening sun. The younger man hadn’t seen the inside of the RV before but he guessed that Carol had kept busy by cleaning the space top to bottom. He silently whispered a plea to the Earth that Kismet didn’t completely destroy the place and undo the poor woman’s hard work. The dog was tired but he always managed to cause trouble no matter what level of energy he had.

Kismet trotted into the back of the vehicle and a small giggle let the men know where Carol was. They both took a few steps forward , still managing to keep distance between each other despite the small aisle.

Pheonyx smiled as he looked over Daryl’s shoulder and saw Kismet nuzzling his head into the woman’s lap, the mending she had been doing laying to the side. The dog’s tail was wagging but it was very delicate, as if he could sense that he needed to be gentle around the petite woman in front of him. Carol looked up and striking blue eyes met his own. Despite the short gray hair on her head, she looked young. Hardly any lines marked her face and the smile on her face was bright and girlish. There was an underlying sadness in her eyes. But her daughter was missing. It was understandable to be downhearted.

“I’m sorry about Kismet. I was gonna have him stay outside but he slipped in before I could say anything,” Pheonyx said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Oh, he’s fine.”, Carol said meekly. She rubbed Kismet’s head and scratched his ears, taking comfort from the softness of his fur. “Sophia always wanted to have a dog but Ed, my husband, hated animals.”

Pheonyx responded without thinking, “He sounds like a dick.” Daryl whipped his head to look at the younger man behind him, shocked–but also amused– by his bluntness. Pheonyx’s eyes widened as he realized how callous his words sounded, considering her husband had just recently died. “I’m sorry-”

“He was a dick.” Carol cut in, chuckling. “We haven’t officially met. I’m Carol. Thank you for volunteering to look for my Sophia.”, at the sound of her daughter’s name, tears filled the woman’s eyes and she used the hand not touching Kismet to catch the drops that fell.

Pheonyx felt Daryl tense at the sight of the emotional woman and he understood the feeling. He wanted to run from the RV and go hide in the stables. But he couldn’t do that. If anything he was one of only people on the farm who could empathize with her. So, he sucked in a breath and muttered an apology as he wormed his way around Daryl. The other man flinched, not expecting the movement. Pheonyx sat down on the bed a foot away from the willowy woman and held his hand out in an offer of comfort. Carol gladly took it and encompassed his calloused hands with her small soft one. Brain set aflame with the need to run from the strange touch, Pheonyx swallowed down his fear and gave her fingers a small squeeze. Kismet whined and moved his head to lay in the spot between them.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t find her today,” he spoke softly and looked into her sparkling blue eyes. “Kismet was able to find her trail and he led us to one of the abandoned farm houses on the far ends of the property. Daryl found a cabinet that we think she slept in, and the empty cans of food that were still wet, so we're probably not even 24 hours behind her. She has supplies now too-”

“Supplies?” Carol questioned.

“The first month after phone lines went down, I set up bug-out bags on areas around the whole property. Just in case something happened to the farm. One of those was at the house. It has a week's worth of food and water, a pop up tent, and a hunting knife. The bag was gone when we got there and the only tracks in the house were hers. We don’t have to worry about her getting dehydrated or being hungry anymore. We just have to catch up to her,” Pheonyx chose not to mention worrying about shadows. Sophia had a knife now, but that didn’t mean she knew how to use it. They just had to hope she managed to avoid them or learned how to fell the corpses quickly.

A light sniffle came from Carol’s nose and she pulled the entwined fingers up to press a kiss to the back of his hand, right over the skull tattoo. A light blush overtook Pheonyx’s face and he ducked his eyes. It wasn’t physical attraction. Carol was beautiful but the aura she radiated was purely motherly to the young man. The soft kiss had been imbued with such maternal love and tenderness that he felt his chest clench. It was the kind of affection that he had always yearned for from his own mother. After finding out that her first husband was abusing Pheonyx, his mother had distanced herself from her oldest son. She was there to clean his wounds but she wasn’t there to prevent them. She held him at a distance and no matter how much he tried to pull her closer, she always ended up farther away. Pheonyx always thought it was because she felt guilty that she hadn’t noticed or stopped the abuse when it started. He felt like in order to protect herself from the gnawing culpability, she had to create a wall between herself and her son. It wasn’t an excuse. It was simply an explanation. She had stepped up a bit when he was in the hospital six years prior but by then it was too little too late. And now that she was dead, he didn’t think he would ever get to feel what maternal care truly was. But Pheonyx felt it now. Maybe that was why he felt the anxiety bugs– that had been crawling across his skin where Carol touched– disappear. It filled a hole in his heart that time had never managed to fix.

“Thank you. I can’t thank you both enough for doing this. For even believing that she’s okay.” Carol reached over to the bedside table and grabbed a tissue, using it to wipe the tears trailing down her cheeks. “Everyone keeps telling me things will be fine. That we’ll find her. But I can tell they don’t believe it.”

“I bel-”, Pheonyx looked to Daryl, who was trying to make himself look smaller to avoid the emotional conversation happening in front of him, and corrected himself. “We believe it. We’ve already decided we’re heading out first thing in the morning to look again.”

There was still a look of doubt on her face, the kind that lingered after losing all hope and Pheonyx cleared his throat. He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, trying to think of a way to comfort her that didn’t involve telling one of his biggest losses. But he couldn’t. So, for the first time in 6 years, Pheonyx opened up without saying the words, “You’re feeling alone right now. There’s people surrounding you and you still feel like the only person for miles. They’re there but they don’t understand. A part of you is missing. A piece of your heart. A piece of your soul. They’re able to go on about their life like nothing’s happened. But you’re still trying to figure out how to simply breathe when there’s a hole in your chest where they used to be.” The hand holding his tightened and the look Carol gave him was empathetic. She knew without hearing the words that Pheonyx could understand the type of loss she was dealing with. All signs pointed to Sophia being alive, but that didn’t change the lingering doubt that filled the woman’s mind. Sophia was missing and there was a chance it was too late. So, Carol was filled with grief for a child that could be dead but also hope that they’d find her well and safe. “You’re strong, Carol. We just need you to be strong for a little longer.”

Daryl watched the interaction between Pheonyx and Carol with awe and fear. Fear because he didn’t know how to handle other people’s deep emotions. He hardly knew how to handle his own. Awe because he saw Pheonyx give Carol the hope he’d been trying to offer for the last couple of days. Daryl never considered himself to be a particularly smart man. His Pa always took the time to tell him how stupid he was, at least 2 or 3 times a day when he was around. But he wasn’t blind. He noticed the look of shared grief between Carol and Pheonyx. The way the older woman gripped the younger man’s hand a bit tighter. Had Pheonyx lost a child? He didn’t look much older than his sister, Maggie, or even Beth really. But Daryl also knew that age wasn’t a reliable determinate for having kids. Most of the people he grew up with started having kids around 14. Although that could be attributed to a horrible sex education curriculum and lack of resources for free birth control. The way Pheonyx had spoken though, seemed to leak empathy as opposed to sympathy. Daryl could only conclude that he must have lost a child, whether it be his own or someone close to that. The younger man had mentioned losing his brother and mother early after the world fell, but didn’t mention a kid. Not that he expected the man to bear all his losses to him when they’d only met earlier that morning.

Sniffling a small bit, Pheonyx stood up. He gave Carol’s hand one last squeeze before releasing it. Kismet’s tail began to wag in earnest and the appendage thudded against the wall in a fast rhythm.

“I’m gonna go find Rick and set up a plan for tomorrow.” Pheonyx said before facing Daryl. He had to stop himself from getting lost in the man’s deep blue eyes and averted his gaze to the bottle in his hand. “All yours, Apollo.”

He slid past the other man, being careful not to touch the archer, even though his body screamed at him to do so. Having passed Daryl, Pheonyx recalled Kismet, wanting to give the others their privacy. Also not trusting the dog to not get into trouble without him there. Over Daryl’s shoulder, Pheonyx saw Kismet give Carol’s leg one last nuzzle before shoving his tank of a body between Daryl’s legs. The dog was wholly unaware of his size and Pheonyx had to withhold a snort as Daryl barely managed to catch himself from falling over.

Blue eyes followed Pheonyx’s form out of the trailer, trying not to focus on the curves of his shoulders and the outline of his backside in the dirty jeans hugging sharp hips. A small cough had him jerking his head away from the direction of the RV door towards where Carol was sitting. He was met with a slightly amused gaze and a singular raised eyebrow. Blistering heat trickled up his shoulders and over his neck. Avoiding the questions that surely would follow, Daryl placed the bottle on the table near the bed. Thankfully, the distraction worked and he didn’t have to come up with excuses for why he couldn’t stop staring at the younger man.

It didn’t take Pheonyx long to find Rick. The man was sitting on the steps of the house's wrap-around porch. He was still wearing his Sheriff’s uniform and stuck out like a sore thumb compared to his grungier looking compatriots. His star badge glinted orange, reflecting the light from the setting sun. Seemingly lost in his own head, Rick didn’t even notice Pheonyx until he was right in front of him. Kismet whined happily at seeing the familiar man and pushed his head into Rick’s lap forcefully. Despite the intense look on his face a few moments before, a bright smile crossed over his face. Light blue eyes–that Pheonyx couldn’t help compare to a certain archer’s–glanced up at him.

“How did it go?” Rick asked while scratching Kismet’s ears.

Pheonyx relayed the information that they had gotten during their search, the same things he had told Carol just moments earlier.

“Daryl and I are taking Kismet out at first light to pick up her trail again,” he finished, taking a seat on the porch next to the Sheriff. Kismet wiggled his butt happily and shoved his head into Pheonyx’s lap.

“I can’t tell you how nice it is to have some good news for a change. Knowing she has some supplies is a huge weight off our shoulders. I’m sure Carol is grateful as well,” Rick took a deep breath of relief. “Shane, T-Dog, Glenn, and I are all ready to set up the search grid tomorrow.”

Pheonyx grimaced a little bit, thinking about the complications that came along with more people searching, “I talked with Daryl and he agreed that we should wait to do a full search party for Sophia.”

“Why? Isn’t it better to have more people searching? Cover more ground?” Rick asked in confusion.

“A few reasons. The main being that I worry about others getting lost or hurt. I don’t have enough maps with my traps labeled to hand out to everyone. All it takes is one shadow sneaking up to get someone stuck on a spear or to fall into one of the burn pits. There’s also dangerous terrain that could be difficult for you all to handle,” Rick nodded with his reasoning so Pheonyx continued. “Kismet is still in training, his attention span isn’t always great. I worry that if we have a bunch of people out searching the trail will get messed up or the overlapping scents will confuse him.”

Rick was silent for a moment, thinking about what Pheonyx had said, “All right. I trust you. Is there anything we can do in the mean time?”

“Rick. It’s a farm. We have 50 head of cattle and 4 horses. There is a never ending amount of work. Especially if I’m out searching all day. Taking up my chores would be a huge help,” Pheonyx scrubbed Kismet’s ears and the dog’s tongue rolled out in happiness. “Besides, might be good to show Hershel how useful extra hands on the farm can be.”

“Yeah, he’s already asked us to leave as soon as Carl is better,” There was a note of fear in the older man’s voice and he rubbed his face with hand in frustration. “It’s bad out there, Pheonyx. I don’t know how long we can make it on the road. I can’t take my son back out there. I just can’t.”

“Look, I’m not trying to make excuses for my stepfather. He’s bull-headed on the best of days. But, he’s a good person. I think, with enough time, he will change his mind. I’ll lean on him a bit. For now, help around the farm, follow his rules, let him get to know all of you, and maybe have Carl make puppy eyes at him.”

The joke worked and Rick chuckled lightly. “Speaking of Carl. He’s been asking to talk to you. He’s up now if you want to go see him.”

Before he could answer, Kismet grumbled and turned his head to woof at the Sheriff.

Rolling his eyes, Pheonyx patted the dog’s side. “Mind if I bring Kismet in? He likes kids.”

“Of course. He’d love that. We lost our family dog about a year before all this started. He had spots like Kismet’s so Carl named him Domino,” a wide smile broke across Rick’s face as he reminisced on the old mangy dog that Carl had pulled in the house when he was only 5. He’d held onto the dog’s dirty neck and cried until Lori finally relented on keeping him.

Standing up, Pheonyx left the man to his thoughts and walked around the house to the back door. It would have been easier to go in the front door, which was only a few feet from where he and Rick were sitting, but he wanted to steer clear of Hershel.

Avoidance was fruitless. He knew he would have to talk to him sooner or later. Especially if he was going to put in a good word for the group to stay on the farm. Talk? More like argue, Pheonyx thought with an internal sigh. Ever since his mother and brother’s death, he’d avoided confronting Hershel on his skewed views on the shadows. He walked away when the subject was brought up, and tried to ignore the groaning from the barn. The few times he tried to change Hershel’s mind had ended in shouting matches. Which ultimately led to Pheonyx having a PTSD-induced panic attack in the stables each time. So, he fixed the outside of the barn as much as could, reinforcing rotten boards and surrounding the perimeter with barbed wire. It wasn’t foolproof. Eventually the old wood would splinter and the shadows would be freed. He just hoped it wouldn’t be before his step-father changed his mind about the status of the infected.

Kismet reached the back door before Pheonyx, and started to claw the base of the screen frame, probably eager for dinner. He opened the door for the dog, letting him pass and run into the kitchen. There was a light thud and then the sound of his youngest sister’s giggling filled Pheonyx’s ears. While he wasn’t as close with Beth as he was Maggie, the sound of her voice and happy aura always managed to help alleviate his anxiety. A small smile was already gracing his face before he even crossed the threshold of the door.

Kismet had managed to knock Beth to her knees and was covering her face in slobbery kisses. Hands covered in soapy bubbles and purple shirt soaked with water, she had been in the middle of washing the dishes from dinner when Kismet practically tackled her. Pheonyx waited a moment before stepping around the kitchen island to save his sister from the dog’s assault of love. He grabbed the leather collar around Kismet’s neck and gave a gentle tug.

“Kizzie, leave Beth alone.” Pheonyx scolded lightly. Kismet whined but acquiesced to his owner’s command. He walked off and helped himself to the water dish in the corner.

Pheonyx held out his hand to help Beth up. She smiled widely at him, the sunshine of her soul warming his chest.

“Thank you, Nyx. He’s a big teddy bear,” she said before turning back around to the sink to continue washing the dishes. “We already ate dinner but if you’re hungry, there’s some of that chicken you’ve been marinating. We also got some green beans and potatoes from the garden in the fridge too. I would’ve saved you some of ours but there wasn’t much left after feedin’ Carl. I gave the leftovers to Rick and Lori."

“That’s fine, Bethie. You know I like to cook and they probably need the food more than I do,” Pheonyx leaned against the counter next to the sink.

Beth bent back a bit to look out the kitchen door, checking to see if anyone was listening. She lowered her voice slightly, “I don’t think they have enough food to feed everyone. I heard Rick and Shane talkin’ about it when I went in to give Carl lunch. I told Daddy but he told me not to get into their business.”

The worry and sadness in her voice was evident. Beth had always been the most benevolent one of the family and he knew the idea of people going hungry didn’t sit well with her.

“Hershel is trying to distance himself. Don’t worry. I have some food stored in the barn from my runs into town. I’ll let Rick know he’s welcome to it. Once we find Sophia, I can do some more hunting and we can share that with them too,” Pheonyx placed his hand on her shoulder in comfort and leaned forward to press a kiss to her temple.

She leaned into him and wrapped one arm around his waist to hug him. Pheonyx instinctively flinched but his muscles relaxed when he reminded himself of who it was. When Beth pulled away, he saw the glint of sympathy in her eyes and he avoided her gaze, wanting to avoid any pity. While he knew Beth would never pity him, old habits die hard.

“I wanted to go see Carl,” he coughed, trying to brush off the awkwardness he felt.

“He asked about you earlier so he’ll be happy to see you. I took him some of Shawn’s comics, so he’s been busy readin’ those all day.”

“Thanks, Bethie.”, Pheonyx squeezed her shoulder and patted Kismet’s side as he passed the dog, who had placed himself in the door that led into the dining room. A jingle of the buckle on Kismet’s collar and click of nails on the tiled floor let Pheonyx know that the dog was following behind him.

After dinner, Hershel usually spent an hour or two in his office reading. The past few weeks, his book of choice was mostly his bible. For many people, the rising of the dead dissolved any notions of faith in a higher power. In the beginning of the outbreak the news streamed videos, between images of the dead eating people, of mobs burning churches and piles of bibles in anger. It was something Pheonyx could honestly understand. That anger was something he had felt the majority of his life. How could god, someone who supposedly personifies love and forgiveness, attack his creations so blatantly? And if it was the devil who actually brought the carnage upon the world, how could god just stand by and let it happen? For Hershel though, he found the outbreak and the loss of his family members to be tests of his faith. The atrocities that nature flung at their feet had steadfastly strengthened the old man’s beliefs. Pheonyx took a moment to be appreciative of the older man’s dedication to schedules and his religious upbringing. Simply for the fact that he wouldn’t have to run into his stepfather and engage in another verbal spar.

Before Pheonyx reached the door, he stooped down to Kismet’s level and pointed a finger at the dog’s bulky head.

“Behave,” he said sternly. “I know you love kids but Carl’s hurt. You don’t know your strength most of the time.”

He swore that Kismet rolled his chocolate eyes at him before huffing and trotting into the makeshift hospital room where Carl was staying. Shaking his head, Pheonyx followed behind him and looked in the door.

The room was much cleaner than the day before. Sheets stained with blood were replaced by clean linens and the only medical supplies that could be seen was a tray of clean bandages and alcohol located on the bedside table. In the bed, a small lump was under the blankets but in the place where a head would be was a bright comic book being held up by elfin hands. The sound of Pheonyx’s foot stepping on a squeaky floorboard had a pair of blue eyes, mirror images of Rick’s, popping over the top of the pages. Carl closed the comic book and set it on his lap before smiling widely at him. It took only two seconds for the boy to notice Kismet, who was wiggling his whole body with glee at the sight of the child. Nails clicked as the gentle giant began to tap his toes and he grumbled with impatience.

“Dad told me there was a dog! What’s his name? Can I pet him?”, Carl asked excitedly, trying to sit up more. He groaned in pain though and placed his hand on his side.

Pheonyx moved to the boy’s side quickly, “Careful, bud.”

He clicked his tongue and Kismet trotted to his side. Seeming to sense that the kid was in pain, Kismet gently pushed his head into Carl’s hand offering a lick of comfort.

“This is Kismet. You can pet him all you want. He loves to be touched so you’d be doing him a favor.”

Although it seemed impossible, Carl’s smile got even wider as he scratched Kismet’s head and ears. His hands looked like doll’s hands compared to the dog’s prodigious skull.

“We had a dog that looked like him. I named him Domino because he was covered in spots. He liked to steal our neighbor’s newspapers and chew them up. It made mom so mad. Dad and I thought it was funny though,” Carl’s eyes sparkled as he looked up at him. “Are you Pheonyx? Dad said you had a lot of tattoos. I’ve never seen so many before! They’re so cool. Did they hurt? Which one hurt the worst? If I could get a tattoo, I would get the Batman symbol right across my chest. I think my mom would be mad though,” Carl’s button nose scrunched up at the thought of making his mom angry.

Pheonyx chuckled at the boy’s enthusiasm and endless stream of questions, “Tattoos do hurt. More or less depending on where you get them. The ones on my ribs hurt the worst though. And you are right. Your mom would probably be furious if you got a tattoo right now. Wait until you’re 18 and see how you feel then.”

Carl nodded and Pheonyx took a moment to take stock of his appearance. The boy looked much better than he did the day before. Almost 24 hours before, Carl had practically blended in with the white sheets on the bed, skin pale white from blood loss. Today, his skin had pinkened up a bit and the clammy look had been replaced by simple sweat from the humid Georgian air.

“Dad said you’re helping look for Sophia. Thank you. She’s my friend and I’m really worried about her. I wish I could help search. While I was sleeping, I dreamt that she was hiding in a cave and I’m the one who found her.” A sad look passed over his face and he averted his gaze to Kismet, who was drooling from contentment at being rubbed.

Pheonyx sat in the rocking chair next to the bed. “You know I donated blood to you right? Your dad gave more than me but I gave some when you first got here.”, he flipped his hand over and showed his palm to Carl, a small scabbed cut was in the center. He’d cut it when he was sharpening his knife the previous morning, “I also helped hold pressure on your stomach when you got here. That means I got your blood in my cut. Do you know what that means?”

Carl shook his head, not understanding what Pheonyx was trying to say. So the older man continued, “That means we’re blood brothers now.”

“What are blood brothers?,” the confusion was evident in the boy’s voice.

“Well, it’s a pact where two people promise to protect each other and treat each other like real brothers. Most people cut their palms and press their cuts together to share blood. So, ours is a little different. But I think that makes it a lot stronger.”

“So, you’d be like a big brother for me? And I’d be your little brother?”, Carl asked, his eyebrows still scrunched a bit in confusion. When Pheonyx nodded, the boy’s face relaxed and brightened. “I’ve always wanted a brother!”

“As your blood brother, I’m making you a promise that, while you’re healing, Kismet and I will do everything in our power to bring Sophia back since you can’t be out there searching for her yourself. You have to make me a promise in return though.”

Eagerness spread on Carl’s face and he nodded, “Anything!”

“You have to promise to take it easy and to do everything Hershel says so that you can get better. Is that a deal?,” Pheonyx held out his fist to the younger boy, waiting for an answer.

Carl thought for a moment before smiling and bumping his fist against Pheonyx’s. “Deal.”

When Pheonyx told Daryl that he didn’t make promises often, that wasn’t a lie. He tried to avoid them. Because promises often led to disappointment. And as someone who endured a lot of that disappointment growing up, he couldn’t handle the thought of inadvertently giving that feeling to someone else. Despite that, he had made more promises in the last two days than he had in his 28 years of life.

The two of them talked for a little while longer. Carl spoke of his school and how he used to play soccer. Pheonyx told him about his siblings and his work at a tattoo shop. The conversation was normal, all things considered. Kismet had left at some point to beg for dinner from Maggie or Beth. Eventually, the boy’s eyes began to droop, and the sun outside had almost completely disappeared. Pheonyx gave the boy another fist bump and promised to come see him again after searching for Sophia the next day.

He was lost in his thoughts as he turned from the doorway towards the front door. So lost that he ran directly into a wall of muscle and his body immediately tensed when a large hand gripped his bicep tightly, cutting off the supply of blood to his fingers. His heart began to race and he looked into the angry brown eyes of Shane. The man’s eyes were narrowed and his body language was threatening.

“The hell were you doing in there?”, he growled.

Despite the fear flooding his body, Pheonyx held his ground, staring dead in the other man’s eyes, and gritted his teeth. “Talking to Carl. Do you have a problem with that?”

“Yeah. As a matter of fact, I do. You stay the hell away from that boy. Filling his head with fucked up ideas. You hear me?”, the grip on Pheonyx’s arm tightened. He could practically feel the blood vessels bursting in his skin. The only blessing was that Shane was gripping the arm that had the realism styled tattoo. With the colors and full distribution of ink across his arm, the inevitable bruise wouldn’t be very noticeable. It didn’t take a genius to figure out the meaning behind Shane’s words. The “ideas” that he didn’t want Pheonyx sharing with the boy. Shane didn’t want Carl to know Pheonyx was trans. The reason being, the idea of being trans was seen as something deviant or impure. And that if a child learned about it, they would be tainted in some way. It was a stupid thought–being transgender wasn’t a disease–but it was something that Pheonyx was familiar with. When he came out, several family members from Hershel’s side lamented his braveness for coming out but asked him “politely” to not speak about it in front of their children. The excuses ranged from “they wouldn’t understand” to “they’ll get the wrong ideas”. They feared that if they learned what being trans was, then they might come out too. Or that they might have to have an honest conversation with their child.

“I hear you. But I’m not going to listen to some neanderthal throwing his weight around like he owns the place. Last time I checked, you’re not Carl’s father. The second Lori or Rick say they don’t want me around their son, I’ll oblige but until then I’ll hang out with Carl anytime he wants,” Pheonyx’s tone was lethal. Despite the shivering in his muscles and the screaming in his mind, he wouldn’t back down.

A welcome voice sounded by the door, “Is there a problem here?”

Shane turned his head to look at the person speaking and Pheonyx used the distraction to jerk his arm from the man’s tight grip. Blood rushed back to his fingers and he resisted the urge to massage the area.

Rick stood a short distance from them, eyes narrowed on his best friend.

“No problem here. Just having a chat.”, Shane smiled, acting as if he didn’t just have Pheonyx cornered.

Pheonyx opted to not rock the boat, knowing it would just cause more problems for the group’s standing on the farm. If Hershel knew that Shane had acted like that with his step son, he wouldn’t hesitate to throw them out.

“No problem at all, Rick. Just having a conversation. Man to Man.”, Pheonyx smirked and placed a condescending hand on the taller man’s shoulder. The sharp look Shane gave him was worth the probable consequences of poking the bear. “I was just heading out. I’ll be in the stables if you need anything.”

Without a backward glance, Pheonyx walked around the Sheriff and left through the squeaky screen door. The fresh air hit his face and the adrenaline that had been running rampant through his body disappeared. A lump built in his throat and he had to stop the tears from running down his face. Shane’s hate was bringing up a lot of memories that Pheonyx thought he’d moved past. But there he was, trying not to see the flickering light in the alley as it created shadows, making the men look taller than they were. Trying not to smell the ripe stench of garbage and body odor. Trying not to hear their vile words whispered in his ear. Trying not to feel their fingers digging into his shoulders and tearing at his clothes. Trying not to remember the taste of blood filling his mouth, mixing with the bile that lingered from their attack.

We’re gonna fix you, sweetheart. Just gotta show you how to be a woman.

The voice floated in his brain like ash after a wildfire. No matter the distance from the flame, it still lingered, staining his thoughts black.

Taglist: @dixonsboy19, @edgyboi10000, @yoongibaybee

#daryl dixon #twd daryl #daryl x oc #twd fanfiction #daryl dixon x oc #daryl dixon x omc #daryl x omc #the walking dead #daryl dixon fanfiction #daryl dixon x ftm oc #daryl x ftm oc #daryl dixon x trans!oc #daryl x trans!oc #daryl x male oc #daryl dixon x male oc

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depressedhouseplant · 7 months

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Just Fucking Write - Day 47

Prompt: More Apocalypse Fic!

Connected to:

Day 31

Day 34

Day 38

Day 39

“Is he gonna die?” Taehyun looked at Chanhee.

“I mean, I wasn’t in school to become that kind of doctor, but he’s lost a lot of blood and has some pretty significant damage to major organs. I’ve done the best I can with what I have though,” Chanhee replied.

“That didn’t answer my question,” Taehyun said.

“I honestly don’t know. Zombie attack victims die within 24 hours regardless of the extent of their injuries, but you said you didn’t think it was zombies?” Chanhee asked.

“Gyu and Yeonjun were too busy arguing to listen, but they didn’t act like any zombies I’ve seen before,” Taehyun replied.

“How so?” Chanhee thought back to his conversation with Changmin about zombie behavior.

“There were a couple things that were off. First of all, this was a pack of 8. I’ve been on scouting missions since this whole thing started and I’ve never seen a pack of more than 6 and at least one of them is almost completely decomposed. All these looked, I dunno, fresh? Every pack I’ve seen has varying levels of decay. I’ve never seen a pack of ones that looked like they died within the past six months. I know Freshies can move fast, but the two that attacked Kai moved like they were alive. There was no delay in their reaction time,” Taehyun explained.

“Do you remember where they attacked you?” Chanhee asked.

“Yeah,” the younger man nodded.

“Were you able to kill them?” Chanhee continued.

“Yeah,” Taehyun confirmed. “I got all of them.”

“Get Changmin and Sunwoo and take them to where you were attacked,” Chanhee instructed.

“What? Why?” Taehyun’s eyes went wide.

“I have a theory,” Chanhee looked back at Kai.

“Which is?” Taehyun prompted.

“You weren’t attacked by zombies. You were attacked by humans,” Chanhee replied.

#just fucking write 2k24 #the boyz fanfic #txt fanfic #apocalypse au

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oviraptoridae · 4 months

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here’s what ur gonna do. ur gonna make a sine wave frequency-modulated by white noise. instant attack short decay low sustain long release. put a super resonant bandpass filter on that shit. like resonant enough it starts self-oscillating. season with a long delay and reverb, to taste. and baby, That’s Sounds

#filtered noise is not at all a new concept it’s just good #a lot of sounds on shores of i are crunchy organic noise and texture with a bunch of self-oscillating resonant filters on em #squawks

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lunyzare · 2 years

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Curious what do you think Madara and Nagato’s relationship would have been like Madara had taken Nagato as baby ?

Hello anon, my apologies for such a delayed answer. 💜 The reason this answer took so long is because I just couldn't think of anything smart to say, and I had no idea how to approach this ask at all. But without further due, let's begin:

Okay, I'm honestly not sure if Madara would take Nagato as a baby, more probable option in my eyes is he would take him in, after Nagato lost his family because of Konoha nins attacking his home.

This, of course, means that Nagato is traumatized by the event, and that could therefore mean he would be much more inclined to follow through with Madara's plan. Unlike Obito, Nagato also seems like a character who wouldn't mind sacrificing himself for Madara's revival (given he sacrificed himself for the Konoha Shinobi).

Nagato, much more than Obito, also seems like someone who enjoyes spiritualistic/relegion beliefs (given he outright calls himself a god), and is willing to follow these beliefs, because he values them deeply. This is why I think Nagato could have potentially believe Madara is the "god" who will save humanity from its own decay and disaster.

Nagato seems to value father figures, teachers and people who provide him with answers and directions much more than Obito. Nagato, through out his fight against Naruto, not only remembered Jiraya several times, refered to him, but also tried to explain to Naruto that he is actually trying to do what Jiraya always wanted, Nagato (sort of) still followed his old teacher's lead, albeit in his own way. Obito on the other hand went against Madara's plan multiple times, created a war that, if memory serves me right, was never part of Madara's plan in the first place, barely respected him even, and afterwards directly stated he never wanted to follow Madara's lead anyway. From Obito, I felt much bigger desire "to be the one, the savior", than from Nagato, who seems much more willing to be lead by others.

One thing, that Obito and Nagato have in common is that they both hid their true identity, although, again, I personally see a bit of a difference. Obito tried to supress his identity (as in he said he doesn't want to be anyone), whereas from Nagato, I sort of got the impression he still very much valued his identity – as while he accepted an identity of a god, the path he chose was still very much formed by the identity...of himself. I am trying to say Nagato was much more in touch with himself (at least that's how I personally saw the characters).

I wrote all of this, because the differences between Obito (the one who had a relationship/connection with Madara, however flawed it might have been) and Nagato might help to illustrate the possible relationship between Nagato and Madara.

Now, with Obito, we could see Madara believed in his abilties – we could see that when he said he's sure Obito certainly has a plan (he even said so twice, if I'm not mistaken) – and even joked with him a little bit. And I can imagine it could be the same with Nagato.

Now, at this point, this will be moving more towards the headcanon category, but I think the fact that Nagato essentially has Madara's eyes, would play a huge role in their potential relationship. I can imagine Madara telling Nagato about how the eyes he has will "pave" the path for the better future, how those eyes are eyes of the savior of the world.

One thing that would probably be different about their relationship is that Nagato, while powerful, is not an Uchiha. One of the main reasons why Madara even asked Sasuke whether or not he wants to join him was because they are both Uchihas, so that might change how he would view Nagato, as an non Uchiha.

The fact that Nagato seems to be more loyal to the cause though, might on the other hand cause Madara to rely on him a bit more, to open up, to trust him, as I believe Madara values loaylity. Madara needs people to have faight in him, he needs them to trust him, trust his decisions, and if Nagato showed that undying trust and respect, that might be something Madara would appreaciate.

Nagato, in his fight with Naruto, also showed he is willing to connect with others, that he is willing be empathetic with others, and that again would change his relationship with Madara. Who actually tried to understand Madara (other than probably Izuna)? Nobody, right? Well, I think it would definitely mean something had Nagato actually tried to create a connection. Again, it could mean Madara would open up a bit more.

BUT, here's the thing: Nagato would still have to sacrifice himself to revive Madara, and Madara knows that. So it is a huge question how much he (Madara) would be willing to let Nagato close to him. Because while I know Madara can be harsh in his pursuit of his goals, I do not think he would be completely unphased by sacrificing a loyal child he himself would raise.

This ask took way too long for me to answer (life just...happened), so I'm not even sure if you even want to still read this, anon, but in any case, I hope the answer was satisfying.

Luny out 💜

#madara #madara uchiha #nagato #character analysis #naruto meta #naruto headcanons #(sort of for both)

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saingirl101 · 1 year

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The Ravening War Gif LiveBlog - Episode 3 (SPOILERS)

What do you mean the season is basically half over, what do you mean this series gets super dark already vague comments from the cast on twitter, the season just started.

Anyway who is ready for TRW to hit us with a bunch of suffering.

As always spoilers below the read more:

The queens initial plan about using raphaniel as her father:

Lou finally getting a nat 20:

The continued refrain of Come On Provolone:

Brennan channeling a youth pastor when giving colin a bardic inspiration:

Karna immediately speaking in Deli's mind and spooking him:

Abria doing the episode namedrop:

Anjali using her special ability to see the inside of the carriage:

Colin naruto running to attack the figures by the carriage:

Colin proceeding to do cool as fuck shit with his attack on the guard:

Karna having bowel shaped elderich blasts:

THE FUCKING RANDOM BANANA GOING FOR A SUNDAY ROW:

THE REVEAL THAT WE THOUGHT THAT ITS CANDIANS IN THE CARRIAGE:

The banana boat guy having a random soldier die in the water next to him:

Raphaniel eating it on his jump:

Colin murdering the banana boat man:

Amangeux saving raphaniel with silvery barbs:

DELI CHARGING INTO THE CARRIAGE AND FINDING OUT THE GANG WAS SENT TO KILL PAMELA ROCKS:

PAMELA ROCKS HAVING A UNIQUE ABILITY WITH POMPOUS MOCKERY (pretty sure its just a flavor text overlay to vicious mockery but yknow):

BRENNAN GETTING THE KILLING BLOW ON QUEEN PAMELA ROCKS AND THE FIRST HDYWTDT:

The fucking visions Raphaniel gets after killing pamela:

ABRIA GETTING A HDYWTDT ON THE CANADIAN SOLDIER:

LOU GETTING HIS MOMENT FINALLY THIS CAMPAIGN WITH A HDYWTDT ON THE REMAINING ROYAL GUARD IN THE CARRIAGE:

karna using the water steel dagger to finish off the gummy bear knight:

something spying on the group and karna/deli killing the MOLD creature AND LOU ROLLING 2 FUCKING NAT 20S TO HIT IT AND IT POISONING DELI:

Deli discovering the heart of the calorum world in the mold creature's cave:

Raphaniel freaking out after casting detect thoughts on the pulsing glow and collapsing:

THE FDA SHARING THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO DELAY THE HUNGRY ONE FROM EATING THE WORLD BY USING DEATH AND DECAY:

THE FUCKING ARCHBISHOP CAULIFLOWER IS ONE OF THE FDA:

ALL OF US AFTER THAT EPISODE:

MATT MERCER GOING INTO EPISODE 4 AFTER ALL THE INSANITY OF EPISODE 3:

#the ravening war #the ravening war spoilers #the ravening war episode 3 #the ravening war Yonder Where the Fruit Do Be Lyin #the scrumptious scoundrels #bishop raphaniel charlock #queen amangeaux epicee du peche #karna solara #colin provolone #thane delissandro katzon #dimension 20 #dimension 20 the ravening war #dimension 20 trw

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candycandy00 · 5 months

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Roses in the Sky - An Original Alien x Reader Story Part 7

Slow burn, as this is a novel-length story, but there will be smut in later chapters! Also: violence, blood, rape attempts, death of side characters, etc.

Terrian was standing in a chair changing a light bulb when you reached the first upstairs bedroom. He was wearing jeans and a plaid button-up shirt that clung to his body. His feet were bare, and it was the first time you had ever seen him without his hair pulled back. With his glasses off, lying folded on the bed, and his hair falling across his shoulders, he almost looked like something from the cover of a romance novel. You were surprised that he could be so handsome.

When he noticed you, he jumped down from the chair and grinned, instantly shattering the previous image as he was missing a few front teeth, a result of the attack on the clinic, and suddenly looked very ridiculous. He pulled on his glasses and reached for a package on the bedside table. He reached it to you with a wide smile.

You opened it and reached your hand in, pulling out the pieces one at a time and laying them across the bed. Among them was a short black skirt with white ruffles underneath and a small black top with white lace trim. There were black stockings, white gloves, and a black choker-style necklace.

"Go ahead, try it on!" Terrian said brightly.

You gave him a dirty look. "It's disgusting."

"It's adorable! Didn't you see how cute Anna looked?"

"You're such a pervert,” you said, rolling your eyes at him.

"Oh, come on. Give an old man something pretty to look at while he bides his time."

You frowned. "You're twenty-nine."

Terrian laughed and exited the room, shutting the door behind him. You locked it, then changed into the costume. It really wasn't as bad as you and Anna made it seem. In fact it actually was cute. But complaining endlessly about the uniforms he picked out was just another way to joke around. Another way to keep your minds from thinking about the world around you.

You walked outside, where Terrian and Anna were waiting in the hall. Terrian practically squealed with delight when you emerged, hugging you tightly.

"So what do we have to do?" you asked, shoving Terrian away.

He handed you and Anna each a sheet of paper. "That's your list of chores. Do them together or split up, it's up to you. Just finish it by the end of the day!"

You groaned as you looked over the list. It was huge and full of lengthy tasks. The two of you decided to do the work together, and as you scrubbed down the bathroom walls, you told Anna about Vartan.

Anna dropped the rag she was holding. "So he's staying at your house? Sleeping on your couch?!"

"Yeah."

"And you're okay with that?"

You stopped working. "I don't have much choice, do I? You said it yourself, we owe him big time. He came to me for help. I couldn't just make him leave."

"That's true. But be careful, he's still dangerous."

"He, uh, promised not to do anything to me,” you said.

Anna's eyes widened. "Seriously?"

"Yeah," you replied, "and he explained why half-breeds are such hormonal monsters. Turns out they're not allowed to mate with each other, and they were raised to believe that all humans want is sex."

"Wow. That does explain a lot."

You picked up Anna's rag and reached it to her, then picked your own up and returned to scrubbing the wall. "Anyway, I guess he'll be staying with me for a while."

Anna was still watching you. "Are you falling in love with him?"

You faced her. "Of course not! He's a half-breed!"

"But he's different. Haven't you noticed? He acts almost human."

"Yeah, maybe," you answered, focusing on the wall again. You had noticed, but you were trying not to think too much about it. He could turn on you at any moment, and you’d only be hurt if you’d started to think of him as human.

The day carried on and the two of you worked hard, cleaning and scrubbing and dusting. In the afternoon Terrian called you to the kitchen where he gave you and Anna lunch. You explained the situation with Vartan, and all he had told you, to Terrian.

"You don't seem very surprised," you said when Terrian had little reaction to your story.

He laughed nervously. "Oh, it's very surprising. I just didn't know what to say."

You and Anna looked at each other suspiciously, but then shrugged and returned to your work. You made your way through the upstairs bedrooms, and at the end of the hall came to a set of stairs leading to the third story of Terrian's house. Anna looked over the sheet of paper. "The third floor isn't on the list. I don't think we have to clean it."

"Maybe he just forgot to write it down," you said.

"Or maybe he doesn't want us up there."

You looked at Anna. "Why not? You think he has secrets?"

Both you and Anna stared at each other for a moment before grinning. "Okay, we have to go up there now!" Anna said, starting up the stairs. You glanced back down the hall to make sure Terrian wasn't around, then followed Anna.

The third floor was dark and dusty, and all the doors were shut. They looked as if they'd been closed off for years. You felt a tiny bit guilty for exploring an area he hadn't told you to enter, but then again, he hadn't specifically told you not to go up there either. Suddenly Anna nudged you.

"Look, there's light coming from under that door."

The very last door on the right side of the hall was closed, but indeed there was light visible beneath it. The two of you crept up to the door quietly and pressed your ears against it. You listened for a moment, hearing nothing.

Before another second passed, a feminine voice from the other side of the door said, "Terrian?"

You jumped back, looking at Anna in shock. She wore a similar expression. You nodded to her, and Anna slowly twisted the doorknob. She then flung the door open and both of you peered inside. You gasped, your hands over your mouth.

In a bed in the center of the room laid an incredibly beautiful half-breed. Her hair was auburn, hanging long in soft waves that dangled from the sides of the bed. One eye was aqua blue and the other was so dark brown it seemed black. She was dressed in a pink frilly night gown, something Terrian had obviously chosen. But the horrifying part was that from the knees down, she had no legs. There was an iv hooked up to her right wrist, and she looked frighteningly weak.

Her eyes grew large when she saw you and Anna. She reached a hand toward you, and the two of you shrieked as you dashed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind you. As you ran back to the second floor, you faintly heard a small voice calling for you to wait.

You and Anna stood on the second floor, panting. "Who was that?!" you asked, still unable to get over the shock.

"It was a half-breed, but she looked so weak! Do you think Terrian is holding her prisoner here?"

You shook your head. "No, he's not like that! He always makes excuses for half-breeds. He wouldn't hurt a flea!"

Anna had flopped down into a sitting position on the stairs leading to the first floor. "We think that, but what if we're wrong? What if she's the half-breed who killed his father or something? What if he captured her and he's performing experiments on her to learn about half-breeds and ultimately take revenge?"

Your hands were on the sides of your head, clutching your hair. "And what if, now that we've seen her, he'll kill us to make sure we never tell?!"

Terrian stepped into view at the bottom of the stairs and looked up at them. "What are you girls talking about?"

Anna jumped up and eyed him nervously. "Nothing," she said, "we're not talking about anything."

"Oh? But I thought I heard-"

You took a deep breath. "Anna, we should tell him. She'll tell him anyway if we don't."

Terrian's eyes widened. "She?"

"We saw her," Anna said, looking down.

"Her?" Terrian asked, sweat beads forming on his brow.

"The half-breed," you answered. "The one you keep on the third floor."

Terrian paled and gripped the railing on the stairs. "Oh... God... you really saw her?"

"I'm sorry!" Anna said. "We shouldn't have gone to the third floor without asking you! We promise we won't tell anyone!"

"Yeah, we'll never breathe a word of it to another soul!" you cried.

Terrian suddenly seemed to regain his composure, and he began walking up the stairs, his eyes downcast. "Well, it's too late now. You've seen her."

You and Anna looked at each other in horror, then watched as he approached. You flinched when he reached you, but he simply walked on by, toward the stairs leading to the third floor. He turned to look at you over his shoulder. "Come on up, we'll explain everything."

"We?" you asked.

"Nariah and I.”

You glanced at Anna again before the two of you slowly, cautiously followed him back up the stairs. You ended up back in the room you had found the half-breed in, and she looked up brightly when you entered the room. "Oh, Terrian, so you know they found me," she said.

He nodded, smiling to her. "It's alright. They won't tell anyone about us."

He looked back to you. "This is Nariah," he said, gesturing toward the half-breed. "And Nariah, these are my nurses. Well, maids now."

Nariah smiled. "I'm glad to finally meet you. Terrian has told me so much about you two."

You were stunned. Anna was speechless.

You struggled to find words, finally asking, “Terrian, what is she doing here?"

He sat down on the edge of the bed and took Nariah's hand. The casualness of it all made you feel dizzy. "I found her in an alley two years ago," he began. "A group of half-breeds had torn off her legs and left her there to die. My first instinct was to walk away and pretend I hadn't seen her. One less half-breed to worry about, right? Back then, I was still bitter. But something told me to help her. I secretly brought her to my home and bandaged her wounds. She was unconscious for three days, but when she awoke, she explained her situation."

Nariah took over from there. "I got into an argument with several of my kind, and they called me a traitor. They intended for me to die in the alley, and I feared that if they ever found me alive, they'd immediately kill me. That's why, when Terrian offered to let me stay here with him, I accepted."

"Nariah isn't like other half-breeds," Terrian told you, "Well, she was at first, but over the past two years she's become so much more human than Pagoda. I hardly think of her as a half-breed anymore. To me, she's just a lady who needs caring for."

Nariah smiled up at him, and to you they resembled a couple who had been married for years.

Anna's hands were shaking. "That's why you always defend their behavior," she said accusingly. "That's why you feel more comfortable around them. You've been living with one all this time."

"Anna," Terrian started, but Nariah placed a hand on his arm to stop him.

"Terrian has told me much about you, Anna. He told me you're a strong, courageous girl who has survived many horrors. I don't know the details, but I know you were hurt by my kind. I'm sorry for what you've been through. But Terrian has been hurt by those like me as well. At first, he didn't trust me. I didn't trust him. He only tended to me when it was necessary to keep me alive. But the more we talked, the more we came to understand each other. He has taught me much about humans, and I understand now how wrong I was in the past. Please forgive me. Please forgive Terrian for keeping such a secret."

Anna stared at her, her frown melting slowly away. "No, I'm sorry. It's none of my business anyway."

She turned and left the room. You glanced back at Terrian and Nariah, who looked worried. "I'll talk to her," you told them, heading for the door, "And it was nice to meet you, Nariah."

You made your way through the hallway and down the stairs to the second floor. Sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall was Anna, her face buried in her knees and her body shaking with sobs.

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