#Functional Medicine Distance Medicine

[drshook]

What is Functional Medicine Testing?

Functional medicine tests are a way to assess the underlying causes of a patient’s health problems. Functional medicine tests focus on treating the body as a whole system, rather than individual symptoms, and helps to identify underlying imbalances that can be addressed for lasting health benefits. A functional medicine practitioner looks beyond medical history and physical exams to explore…

[miserycanary]

WHAT YOU'RE MEANT TO DO ᡣ𐭩

pairing: alpha!Simon 'Ghost' Riley & workcaholic omega fem!reader

synopsis: you've lived your whole life without any problems due to the status of being beta, and you liked it that way. It doesn't interfere with your work, and suddenly you're informed you're an omega? That can't be.

tags: small arguments, smut like.. actually, dumbification, slight size kink, belly bulge, hair pulling, praise, degradation, breeding kink??, daddy kink, slight overstimulation if you squint, spit kink if you live in delusions

You had a routine you religiously followed. The day starts with waking up at 4, never having trouble getting up because you always look forward to work. You leave the apartment you share with your boyfriend at 5:15— maybe later than that when Simon feels clingy and asks you to stay for that day. You’ll indulge for 5 minutes before pressing a kiss on his chapped lips, promising you’ll come home early for him which seems to satisfy him. 

Now you knew something was wrong when you woke up, exhausted, and all your bones weighed like a ton. Thinking back to last night, the clock displayed 10:15 when you finally resigned to bed, even unable to satisfy Simon (which he understood), opting to cuddle with you and nosing around your neck.

Your groan woke up Simon, his muscled figure making the bed creak as he followed your figure almost dragging itself to the bathroom. “Sweetheart?” he calls out, worry evident in his voice. “I’m fine, baby. Just feeling a little under the weather. Nothing some meds won’t fix,” the reassurance slips off your tongue easily despite all the alarms in your mind begging you to rest. 

Your breathing got labored as your body tried to function. Your lover seems to have taken your word for it and went back to sleep, making you crack a smile.

Finally, you managed to get ready.. at 5:40. On the way, you could feel stares pointing at you. Did you smell? ‘Did I shower? I.. forgot. No, no... I did..’ you think to yourself, putting your things down on the table and letting your legs rest. “What kind of fucking sickness is this?” mumbling to yourself. Your eyebrows furrow, cursing at the world and complaining about the medicine not taking effect. 

Time seemed to go fast but unbearably slow. It seemed like you could only recognize snippets throughout the day. Next thing you know, you hear your boyfriend’s worrying voice coming from your phone. Since when did you call? Nevermind. You hung up. Your mind flashes forward and the bright shine of your laptop looks back. For quite some time, you don’t recall moving, just looking dazed. ‘Water. I need water’ You finally snap back to reality, standing up. The world suddenly swirled and you found yourself on the floor. 

‘Oh, shit. I-I need to get up... Fuck, my legs won’t move'

Tears swelled in your eyes, feeling helpless as people started to crowd you. Amid the commotion, a thundering voice booms out, calling for you. “Y/N!” Suddenly, all you could feel was the cool feeling of your boyfriend’s skin on yours. His scent fills your senses. God, you could live off this. “Babe.. why are you here?” you look at him, sighing in relief when you feel his palm pressed against your cheek. “You called me, slurring your words.” His voice was so deep and rough, you thought. Involuntarily, you squeezed your legs when you felt something gush in between. Your period? No, no.. too early. Unaware, everyone seemed to catch up to what’s wrong with you. Everyone rushed to distance themselves from you when Simon held you protectively, hiding you away from everyone and glaring at those who seemed to look at you like prey ready to be devoured. 

Before you lost consciousness, all you could think of was you forgot to save your document. Then the next thing you wake up to is your apartment’s ceiling and the clattering from your kitchen with heavy footsteps. You could only assume it’s your boyfriend trying to cook. “Ghost..?” you call out, voice hoarse. In an instant, he was by your side with water in hand. “Hi, baby,” he starts, pushing the glass near your lips. You whine when you can’t even move to take a sip, and he melts at that. With gentleness, he tangles his fingers in your hair and pulls your head back, tilting the glass. “Open,” he commanded, which your body seemed to obey, your mouth opening and letting the cold water relieve your parched throat. As some droplets escape and cascade down your cleavage, you moan as it momentarily relives the heat your skin radiates. 

“Love...” your boyfriend starts with the tone you know he uses when it’s about something that will upset you. “You’re required by the doctor to stay home for 2 weeks,” he continues, which finally tips you off. “No! I-I have a project due in 5 days, okay? I just need some paracetamol.” Insisting, you move to get up but you feel your boyfriend’s palm on your waist pinning you down. “No, bunny. You’re staying.” You glare at him in return. A part of you was aware that he was doing this for your sake, but you were too stubborn to let him. “Ghost, stop. I’m not in the mood for any lovey shits, okay? Just let me be,” you snap. Usually, when you get this pissed, he lets you be and just rushes by your side when you inevitably pass out due to over-exhaustion. This time, he doesn’t. 

His stare was firm and commanding unlike the usual. Your Simon was soft, always there to clean up your mess. He never forces you to rest nor to listen to him— even if it is for the better. “Bunny, it’s not normal sickness, okay?” he still calmly explains, brushing the stray hair away from your face but you only slap his hand away, still frustrated. Seeing that you’re getting an attitude, he sighs and kisses your temple. “Do you know what your secondary gender is?” At his question, you stare at him like he asked you if you know the sky is blue. “Fucking hell, Ghost. Of course! I told you this the moment we met. I’m a beta, okay? Can you let me go now?” you hissed, attempting to raise his heavy hand of your hand yet he persisted and pressed harder. “No, princess,” he looks away in contemplation. “I rushed you to the doctor earlier, and… your testing was a mistake. You’re a freshly developed omega and it was advised you.. naturally let your heat happen.” 

There were a few beats of silence before you cackled, tears forming in your eyes. “Yeah, right, babe. As if. Can you just fucking let me go?” The news of you being an omega sounded fake— because it is, you scoff. “I’m not joking,” he mumbles with a new profound authority. After realizing he was serious, everything came crashing down on you. This couldn’t be. You loved being a beta. It doesn’t interfere with your life. You can’t be an omega. You can’t! No, it’s fake. This was a joke! Heats?? You?? No, no. That’s not true– 

“Y/N! Breathe!” Simon’s voice snapped you out of your haze, looking down to see your nails pressed so hard on his skin that’s letting out droplets of blood. Sobs were robbed out of your body, refusing to accept the change in you, yelling at your boyfriend to let you go. His figure immediately wrapped itself around you, pressing your face on his chest and nuzzling your head. “Calm down, bunny. It’s fine... Just calm down,” he soothes, putting his hand under your shirt to rub circles on your burning skin, and trying to get your breathing to match his. His shirt was drenched with tears but he didn’t mind. He muttered endless praises in your ear about how brave you are, and how you’ll be fine because he’s there. Ghost is there for you.

“I’m here, sweetheart” he cooed, pressing a kiss on your ear and laying the both of you down on the bed. He covered you entirely with his figure, protecting you from the world. With a final hiccup, you lose yourself to sleep and exhaustion, settling down and letting yourself be vulnerable with him with his pheromones blanketing your senses as if he’s the only thing there.

Waking up with a gasp, a layer of sweat covered your whole body when your attention was suddenly redirected to the wet spot below you that seemed to seep into the bedsheets. Hot panic took you over and you suddenly felt ashamed. Did you pee yourself out of nervousness? Clamouring, you stumble as you try to wipe the spot away, whimpering when another sudden gush dripped down your legs which woke Simon.

“Sweetheart? What’s up with ‘ya?”

You cry, rushing to his side and throwing yourself at him while apologizing profusely. “I-I’m sorry! Baby, I’m sorry... Please forgive me. I didn’t know!”

“Calm down, calm down.. tell me what’s happening,” his voice immediately calmed you down, your hands still clenching tight on his shirt and sticking your face in his scent gland. In an instant, the strong smell of whiskey, ground, and cigar invaded your nose but you welcomed it. The aroma calms down your nerves and allows you to talk without tumbling over your words. “I-I.. peed,” you mumble in shame that surprised your lover, but it seems the situation clicked in his head and he only responded with a chuckle. 

“No, baby... You didn’t pee,” he sighs, grabbing your waist and sitting you sideways on his lap, while he scoots backward to lean on the headboard. “It’s something omega releases in substitution to lube,” he starts his hand slowly peeling away your shorts, revealing your soaked panties. “This is slick,” his finger swipes along the covered lips of your pussy, a string sticking to his pad. He brings his soaked fingers near you when the smell suddenly hit him. You smell like cherry-fucking-pie.

‘Fuck, she smells so sweet. No, I need to be patient. It’s her first heat’ he thinks while he watches your eyes observe with fascination. He nosed around your scent gland taking in your pheromones that sent blood rushing to his dick. His hand pulls your panties to the side to directly flick on your clit, pressing his thumb down and circling. You whimper, holding onto his shirt as your legs instinctively close. Everything was heightened. It felt like you’d come any minute just from your clit getting pressed down.

“Spread them.” As if your body was possessed, your thighs separate, allowing Simon to completely slip off your underwear and press a single digit inside of you. The reaction was instant. Your back arches and your toes curl in pleasure, red chipped nails digging into his bicep, but he was too immersed in watching your pretty cunt take what he gives you to even care. “Good girl,” he praises, pressing his lips against your ear. Tilting your head to the side, you attempt on taking cover on his bicep, but Ghost only grabs your face, tilting it back. 

“Daddy needs to hear you, princess”

Your moans got higher as he added another finger and pumped them, borderline abusing your cunt. But you needed this. How else will you take your alpha’s massive cock? Looking down on you, he melts as babbles and whines were the only things you could muster. Your body writhes in pleasure, eyes rolling back in pleasure. “S-Simon! I’m... a-ah!.. close!” Feeling your release climbing, your pussy clenches around his digits while urging him to go faster; just a little more push to your climax. A scandalized gasp was ripped out of you when he suddenly stopped completely. “No, how do you ask to cum properly?” his voice grumbles, squishing your cheeks while your face is soaked with tears. “I wanna cum, Simon. Please please please–” he cuts you off, tightening his hold on your face and pressing his thumb hard on your clit. “No, not Simon.”

With that, you finally realized the key to your release. “Daddy, please. I wanna cum, please. P-put your fingers in again. Daddy, please” you whine, a hand releasing his bicep to place itself on his nape, pulling him down so you can messily press a kiss. Satisfied, he plunged 3 fingers in, forcing your cunt to take it. “There we go. Was that so hard, princess? Was it hard being polite to daddy?” he teases, pressing down on your sweet spot. His tongue licks around your mouth, sucking on the wet appendage and letting his saliva trickle down into yours.

You felt so tight around his digits, and the thought of how you’ll feel around him made his cock ache. The hard-on pressing against your lower back which lifted as the coil inside of you snapped. He watches with adoration as you soak his fingers and the bedsheets, a sense of accomplishment bubbling up inside his chest, making precum dribble out of his tip and stain his sweatpants. “Good girl,” the praise slips off his tongue absentmindedly as he sneaks a hand behind you, untying his pants and pulling it down just enough for his cock to spring free.

Still high from pleasure, he manhandles your body to the position he wants. Pushing your body forward so your face is planted on the sheets with your hips resting on two-stacked pillows. Amid pleasure, you got brought back when overstimulation ran through your nerves, feeling Ghost’s cock fill you up, inch by inch. You didn’t even realize when he had taken his bottoms off. The only thought running through your head was him, his smell, his overpowering pheromones, and his cock. God, his cock was driving you crazy.

“Babygirl, you need to loosen up,” he orders, slithering a hand under you to swirl around your clit. “No!.. oh! s-sensitive!” you whine, sobbing onto the pillow. “I don’t care, sweetie. You had your fill, now daddy needs his. Won’t you be a good girl and help me? I promise I’ll reward you,” he mutters, his chest pressing on your back. Driven with the need to be good for him, you let your cunt relax to take him in.

Slowly rutting his hips, he tries to thrust more of his cock inside of you. “Slowly, baby. Breathe for me. There we go. Perfect,” he groans, pressing his forehead on your nape when he finally felt himself completely buried inside your hot, wet cunt. “Such a perfect pussy. You want to make me proud, don’t ya?” You only whine in response, then a loud moan ripped out of you when you felt a subtle bulge on your stomach which got pressed down onto the pillow under the weight Ghost was putting down you. “Fuck, you’re so small, aren’t ya? Such a perfect cocksleeve. What a behaved slut for me.” Without a warning, he snaps his hips, thrusting in and out of you without mercy; like a carnal animal with the intent to just breed. God, this is heaven. This is where he’s supposed to be. With you, inside of you.

“I’m gonna fill you up so good, ma” he moans, your voice matching his. “Ah-ah-ah! Fast! Too fa— oh! Too fast,” you sobbed yet it felt so good. Every sense of yours was drowning with the thought of your mate, of Simon. You were so lost in pleasure, hands sprawled out on the sheets and gripping, trying to crawl away from the overwhelming pleasure. Ghost only clicks his tongue, putting his hands on your waist and pulling you back, filling you to the brim again.

“Daddy was too lenient on you huh? Maybe I need to keep you here. You won’t ever need to use that pretty head of yours, worrying about nothing, sweetie. I’ll do everything for you, okay? Your alpha will do everything for you.” You feel him pull back with the tip catching on your rim. As if given a break, you take a breath but suddenly everything was knocked out of you when he bottomed out with one thrust.

“F-fuck, you feel amazing. You just need to be good to me, okay? You just need to be a good mama for our children, stay at home, and let me use your pretty pussy when daddy needs to relieve stress” Pinning your waist down, it was like he actually sees you as a personal cocksleeve, using your body for his own release.

Thrusting faster, Ghost’s moans start to pitch higher, his hand tangling itself in your locks to pull your face from the pillow. Locking lips, he moans louder while pressing down on the bulge in your stomach, helping him get closer from the fact you’re so small— so easily to manhandle and to use freely. Maybe he should actually just keep you here. You won’t need to work. No need to stress that pretty head of yours over trivial stuff. He just needs you to stay with him.

The thought of you being swollen with his baby and staying inside the apartment waiting for him was the final thing that sent him to the edge. His tip spurting out cum filled you up to no end, kissing the entrance of your womb as he buried himself as deep as possible. Your hands scramble to hold onto something, afraid to get lost in the pleasure; scared of being a slave to the mind-numbing pleasure. You dig your nails on his thigh, sobbing and moaning in pleasure as his release triggered another of yours. Feeling so full, Ghost finally stopped cumming and lets you go. His spent body collapsing alongside you in exhaustion. Silence ensued between you guys, basking in each other’s presence. After a while, he got up to grab a towel to clean you up, knowing you’d be insatiable once your omega instincts completely settled.

Feeling his lips kiss your temple, his rough yet sultry deep voice (or maybe that’s just your love for him talking) telling you to relax made you purr. As you watch him take care of you, scrubbing down both yours and his spent off your body got you thinking. Maybe this is where you’re supposed to be. Doing nothing but behaving for your lover, keeping Ghost happy.

꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱: AHHHH!! It's my first full-length fanfic which happens to be my very first explicit and descriptive smut. Please be gentle with the criticisms!! Also, do you guys want a König version? Please comment if yes.

dividers by @cafekitsune

Please reblog!! Ask is open!

⟢ taglist is open!! Comment if you want to be tagged in the next posts.

check out my other works in the masterlist: ୭!

[cy-cyborg]

Tips for wring amputees: its ok if your amputee can't repair their own prosthetics

There's a trope in fiction for amputees to always be these mechanical geniuses who can make and repair their own prosthetics, endlessly tinkering away and improving them. This isn't a particularly trope, and i dont think its harmful or anything, but in reality, prosthetics are REALLY, REALLY complicated, and a lot of amputees cant do their own repairs. And thats ok. Like, prosthetic creation and repair is way, way harder than I think people expect. Well outside the skillset of your standard mechanic, handy man or craftsperson.

People who make and repair prosthetics are called prosthetists. To become a prosthetist, most countries around the world today require you to have completed a bachelor's degree in specifically in prosthetics and orthotics, which covers not only how to make a prosthetics (and orthodics) but a great deal of medical knowledge, physics, how different forces impact "non-standard" bodies, the additional biological wear-and-tear that comes with being an amputee and so much more. This will qualify you to do the job of fitting/making the prosthetic socket (the part that attaches to your body) and putting premade components together to make a functioning device. On top of this, many prosthetists are also expected to have artistic skills, sewing skills, good physical strength and dexterity, IT skills, and more recently, knowledge of 3D modelling and printing.

You want to make all the high-tech components the prosthetists put together to make the full prosthetic? The requirements for that vary country to country, but most will require at least some level study in the field of engineering and/or medicine, on top of what was already required for the prosthetics course.

The reason for all this is because even "basic" prosthetics are extremely finicky, and messing up one thing will have a domino effect on the rest of the body, especially in more complicated prosthetics. It can also result in people getting severally injured if anything is even slightly off. many leg amputees for example end up with spinal issues due to extremely minor issues with their prosthetic that weren't caught until years later, and by then the damage had been done.

Some amputees do learn to do basic repairs. This is most common in places like the US, where a visit to the prosthetist can cost hundred to thousands of dollars (depending on your insurance), but it's also quite common in rural parts of countries like Australia, where cost isn't an issue but access is due to vast distances between major cities. I was personally in this category; as a kid, my nearest prosthetist was 6 hours away. My prosthetist was able to teach my dad, who later taught me, how to do some of the simple repairs, but we still needed to go in every few weeks for the more complex stuff (Kids prosthetic need more adjusting than adults because they're still growing. Also I was rough on my prosthetics and broke them a lot lol).

But even after being taught how to do repairs and having my prosthetics for 20+ years, I only ever did these sorts of repairs to my below-knee prosthetic. I will not do any repairs of any kind to my above knee leg, which is much more technologically complex. Every time I tried, I made it worse to the point where the leg was unusable. I just leave those repairs to the guy who went to university to learn how to do it, and sometimes even he needs to send it off to someone with even more specialist knowledge when it's really badly messed up lol. Last time that happened Australia post lost the package. Not really relevant to this post, I just find the idea of it being sent to the wrong place by accident hilarious, it was one of my more realistic legs too so someone probably had a heart attack when they opened that package lmao.

Anyway, back on track lol.

This isn't even touching on the fact that on some more advanced prosthetics, many features are actually locked behind a security barrier only prosthetists can access. My prosthetic knee has an app on my phone I can pair it to, that allows me to change certain settings and swap between certain modes for different activities that tell the leg to change its behaviour depending on what I'm doing (e.g. a mode for running, a mode for cycling etc). but most of the more in-depth settings I can't access, only my prosthetist can, and he can only gain access to those settings with a security key given to him by the manufacturing company that requires him to provide proof of his credentials to receive it. I don't really agree with this btw, something about being locked out of my own leg's settings makes me feel a bit of an ick, but it's set up like this because people used to be able to access these settings and they would mess with things to the point their leg was virtually unusable. Because altering one setting had a domino effect on all the others, and a lot of folks weren't really paying attention to what they were messing with, all their prosthetists could do was factory reset the whole leg, which causes some issues too. Prosthetic arms are often similarly complex, as I understand it and have similar security barriers in place for more advanced arms. I don't know for sure though, so take that with a grain of salt.

All this to say these are incredibly delicate, finicky and complex pieces of equipment. There's nothing wrong with having a techy amputee character who can do their own repairs, but in reality, that is pretty rare, and its ok to have your character need to see a prosthetist or someone more knowledgeable than them. It's a part of the amputee experience I don't see reflected very often in media. In fact, the only examples I can think of in fiction (meaning not stories based on real people) where this is reflected are Full metal alchemist.

technically I think Subnautica Below Zero also mentions prosthetists are a thing in that world, but its a very "blink and you'll miss it" kind of thing...in fact I did miss it until my last playthrough lol.

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

Who said it during the Bon Vogaye S3 interviews? "We click". Was it Jimin or Jungkook? Either way, it's clearly mutual and and we've heard iterations of that throughout the years in other contexts, particularly in terms of work ethic.

The first night they spent in Connecticut at that cabin in the woods showed us a different facet, in a more domestic realm. The delegation of each role during cooking pointing out what the other one likes, knowing exactly how to prepare something based on a word. It was like a well-oiled machine that has been functioning for ages. It also gave us a taste of what was to come the next evening when Jungkook cooked pasta, an entire scene worthy to dissect.

But what stood out to me more was what happened next. I know we've all joked and talked about poor Jimin and his stomach bug. A very unexpected topic, but here we are. The level of candidness might have felt surprising (at least for me initially), but they are also guys and perhaps coming from a place socially and culturally in which it's not unusual.

But it did contribute to that element of authenticity I mentioned in my first post about the series. I want to digress a bit here because the entire situation reminded me of a conversation I had perhaps more than a decade ago. I was talking to an acquitance about elements that are usually kept out of films, part of the mundane. What is left out of the story due to its lack of relevancy. And he said that scenes of people urinating are common in films, but we don't see/hear people taking a shit, or even talking about it. Yes, the language was that crude. (And no, Salo doesn't count). Shortly after, Godard's Adieu au langage was released and if my memory serves right, it had that exact scene that my acquitance was talking about. I don't think it was a matter of authenticity, the film was a lot more complex than that in its experimentation, but it did go as far as to show somehow the hidden parts of human behavior on screen, now suddenly at a forefront.

What's the purpose of that in a travel show? What does it say about the choice to show it and about the people? In variety content including surviror type, travel or even food show, issues connected to the body are not something foreign or unusual. But in AYS, it's about the length and how it became a way to show the care a person has for the other and consequently becoming another example of that authenticity.

Both Jungkook and Jimin kept a light tone over Jimin's progressive state of sickness, but in no circumstances has Jungkook ever treated it like he needs to keep his distance. The man was sitting in bed, telling Jimin it's alright, while he was fighting for his life in the bathroom.

Despite keeping a light tone, in Jungkook's case it's often about his actions. His own way of showing that he cares more than what appears to. He might laugh and joke that Jimin is dying, all the while being the one to give him the medicine. He keeps on making jokes as he goes outside, only to immediately decide to build a stone temple so Jimin can get better.

I found it all very moving. I know it might also seem trivial, but I choose to see some gestures for what they appear to be a sign of: complete comfortability, with no uneasyness or shame or lack of aknowledgement. It's a result of seeing that person going through everything and knowing that person intimately, at whatever level any of us choose to interpret it.

To be continued...

[valeriele3]

Hiii, I saw your post about reopening requests and I was wondering if you could do Rook Hunt x Reader when the reader gets sick? (Like maybe from the flu or a cold but nothing life threatening)

Rook Hunt x GN!Reader

I apologize for the massive ooc T-T I don't know how Rook speaks

"Trickster, you need to rest."

"I refuse."

"This isn't a matter you can refuse. You're ill; you need absolute rest."

"But I'm perfectly fine, Rook! See, I can move around like normal." You move your arms around as if to show that you're functioning like normal.

"Non!" he says sternly.

And.. now you're here.

Stuck in bed.

Missing your classes

All because that damn hunter kidnapped you and locked you in here.

"Make sure to drink your medicine, drink a lot of water, and most importantly, rest. I'll come back to check on you when time allows me to."

Normally, you wouldn't mind missing a day or two

since you could always ask your friends for notes and the lessons weren't that hard. You could always easily catch up.

But here, in Twisted Wonderland, you couldn't afford to even miss a single class.

Sure, some classes are fundamentally the same as the ones in your world, but at the same time, they are so different.

Your friends who're in the same class as you aren't much help either.

Sure, you can probably ask someone else for help, like Riddle, for example; he'll do an excellent job at making sure you're caught up with everything, but he's strict. Way too strict for your liking.

You're practically stuck in your own "home" until a certain 3rd year student who likes stalking people comes to "free" you.

All you can do for now is wait..

"Have you drank your medicine?"

"Yes"

"Water?"

"Yes"

"Rest?"

"..Yes..?"

He looks at you in disapproval.

"And here I thought I told you to rest properly."

"But I did! I even took a nap!"

"And how long exactly?"

"Ten minutes!"

He sighs, "C'mere." Reluctantly, you went closer to the man.

He places his hand on your forehead, checking your temperature.

"Oh my, you're burning up! Come, lay down." Hurriedly, he forces you to your bed to lay down.

"Stay there"

"I'll make some soup for you."

While waiting, you can gradually smell the soup coming together.

You can feel yourself drifting to sleep.

The stress and tiredness that have been accumulating seem to have finally hit you.

By the time his footsteps were within hearing distance, you were already in a deep sleep.

Creak

Step

Step

The footsteps halt. He looks down at you and places the tray carrying your food and medicine on the bedside table.

Slowly, cautiously, as if afraid any kind of movement or sound might wake you

He leans down and presses a chaste kiss on your forehead.

'Sleep tight, Mon Ange. I'll be here the whole time you need me.

By the time you woke up, it was already the next day.

Your fever is now long gone.

It amazes you how quickly it went away. It just took one day. It makes you wonder what the people here put in their medicine for it to work so effectively.

Hearing a noise from below, you get up from your bed.

Slowly, you go down the stairs, making sure that the wood doesn't creak as you do so.

You grab your trusty broom and head towards the source of the noise: the kitchen.

You prepare to hit the intruder when suddenly your broom is knocked out of your hands and you are put in a headlock.

"Oh?"

'ROOK!?' You scream internally.

Rook immediately lets go and apologizes. "I sincerely apologize; my body had reacted before I could even think."

"It's..Cough..Alright, cough what're you even doing here anyway?"

"Hm? Do you not remember? I came by yesterday to take care of you."

You try to recall the events that transpired yesterday.

Albeit it's a bit blurry, you now do remember Rook coming by.

"Ah, right, right, you did."

"I'm surprised you haven't left yet, Rook."

"How could I simply leave behind someone who is obviously not in their perfect state?" he says, a bit overdramatically.

Pausing on his words as if remembering something, he says

"Ah, the food. Go sit down; it's almost finished cooking."

As the first light of dawn filtered through the sheer curtains, the cozy breakfast nook was bathed in a warm, golden glow.

Just you, him, and the light that passes through the window, casting a warm and comforting atmosphere

The scene is serene.

You don't know what it is, but, for some reason, you don't want this to end.

You wish to stay in this serenity a bit longer, hoping that time will pause for even a second more to enjoy the scene you have before you.

.ೃ࿐Reblogs are highly appreciated! ^^

[shalotttower]

Darling, Darling

Title: Darling, Darling Fandom: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) Summary: The way he cradles you to his chest is almost reverent, like you are something precious. Bubba delivers a lesson after you tried to run away. Word Count: 1500+ Characters: Bubba Sawyer x Reader (female) Notes: Captive Reader, murder (implied), blood and gore (implied), violence, spanking, yandere Bubba Sawyer, cannibalism (mentioned), kinda NSFWish?

The way he cradles you to his chest is almost reverent, like you are something precious, delicate. Something to be cherished. Hands capable of ripping through flesh with ease carry you down the hall, careful not to bang your feet into corners. He doesn't want to hurt you. You know he doesn't, but it hurts anyway. Everything hurts.

Covered in dust and god knows what else, this house is in terrible shape and it reeks - of old colourless wallpapers, age and grime, of grease and smoke and slow decay. No one cleans here, at least from what you've seen. You make an effort not to look into the surroundings; there's a head on a coffee table and it's enough to make bile rise in your throat. So you focus on a single abstract spot in the distance.

"Please, I want to go home," your mouth feels dry when you speak.

He looks down, concerned eyes and messy hair, then shakes his head. Bubba Sawyer doesn't talk. Well, that's not entirely true. He makes sounds, noises. Squeals and grunts. He hums and whistles sometimes, but doesn't form words like you do. Whole and functional sentences don't come to him, which is likely a product of both genetics and childhood environment.

"Please."

With a quiet whimper he presses his face into your hair, and speeds up. The mask he's wearing today belongs to a young woman, or what once was a young woman, now it's merely skin stretched to a degree it shouldn't be.

No. No, you can't leave; Bubba pats your head to make a point - this is home.

"You can't keep me here," you rasp.

He smooths your back and makes more sounds, muffled by the leather; but he can. He can keep you, Drayton said so. He asked. Begged. Pleaded to keep you and Drayton said yes. Not before hitting him with that thick broom - ouch - but it was okay, because Bubba got to keep you. You're the first girl he has like this, the only girl he has like this since Nubbins died. Bubba misses Nubbins, but maybe with you he won't miss him so much anymore.

He needs you to see, to understand. To not run again.

Up, up the stairs you go, past framed pictures in the shades of brown, grey and black. Past the bathroom with peeling paint, stained bathtub and old medicine cabinet. Upstairs smells better than downstairs, cleaner somehow. The first time he brought you out of the basement was terrifying, you thought that was it. A filthy kitchen and walls caving in - the last thing you'd ever see. He gave you one of his grandmother's nightgowns instead, it had a faint perfume smell. The ruffles reminded you of lace wedding dresses from vintage movies. Bubba tucked you in next to himself, like you were a doll or a teddy, and you spent the whole night staring into the darkness, listening to his loud snores. It was warm, better than sleeping on the floor.

The mattress creaks when he sits you down.

His room is a simple space with a single bed and a shelf, crammed with objects that catch Bubba's eye. There's a crucifix on a wall; the irony of it even being there is almost laughable.

You look up. In a white-frame window the sun is setting, and nothing but miles and miles of cornfields surround this house.

You are in the middle of nowhere.

If he once decides that you're not something worth keeping around but food, then it's over. No one will ever find you.

A sob wrecks out of your throat. He crouches, and before you know what's happening, wipes your tears. Hushing and cooing and gently pressing his big hands to your cheeks. It would be so much easier if you could hate him, if he hurt you out of some deranged and violent instinct. But no, Bubba doesn't do any of those things.

He looks at you like you hung the moon and stars, he tries to care for you. Brings you flowers and plates loaded with food which you can't eat, because one look turns your stomach upside down. Because you know what is it, and he...he just doesn't understand why you keep refusing - Drayton always cooks nice meals and Bubba loves his cooking too.

He feeds you warm milk and bread, applesauce and boiled chicken breast cut into small pieces. Watches you chew with careful attention, lips smacking, tongue peeking out as he copies the movements of your mouth.

You feel sick.

He brings you gifts - broken toys, jewelry snatched from dead women, trinkets found in trash cans or discarded by the roadside. You wear some, because if you don't he gets upset and his shoulders sag. It's like kicking a puppy, and it's so...twisted. Everything about this is twisted, like some grotesque play.

Bubba doesn't hurt you.

Unless Drayton tells him to.

He hates this, when Drayton tells him to, because "you're getting uppity and spoiled". It's confusing - you're not spoiled. You behave well most of the time, eat chicken and never call him names, you're warm and soft and let him hold you at night. He likes that a lot. Bubba thinks it might be love, it's fuzzy inside when you're close, like in those shows Grandpa and Grandma used to watch before they gone still.

But Drayton is the oldest, he's smart and knows best.

You whine softly into the pillow as Bubba slaps your backside and whimpers too each time a croak of pain wrenches from your mouth. He wishes that he didn't have to do this, but you need to learn and be good, not try to run, otherwise Drayton might take you away. Bubba doesn't want this.

Your panties dangle around your knees - blue, lace trimmed - Bubba finds them very pretty, if it was in his power he'd give you all the pretty things to wear.

He swallows and raises his hand.

The flesh jiggles under his palm as he spanks you. Bubba counts in his head - Drayton said seven should be enough - one, two, three, four-

He tries to be gentle, but his strength is not used for being gentle. He has spent most of his life doing manual labor. With bare hands he can kill food. The soft skin of your backside changes color quickly into a bright shade of pink, and Bubba squeezes it for a moment, trying to soothe the sore area.

It doesn't help, tears rolling down your face keep wetting the pillow. He wants to scoop you up and cuddle, press kisses to your cheeks, but Drayton told him no. No kissing or hugging until you learn; "she is manipulating you, dimwit".

Your breath comes out ragged in uneven hitches, Bubba doesn't like how miserable you look, small and fragile on his bed. When your sounds subside to quiet, intense sobs, he makes a distressed whine. He feels bad, so very bad, but maybe next time you won't try to leave.

Six. Seven. Done.

Your poor bottom is bright red and raw looking, Bubba pats it carefully. He rubs cool cream to your skin, the one he snuck from Drayton's drawer, making sure to get everywhere before pulling your panties up. You smell nice - sweaty and salty like after work on a hot day.

You always stop talking to him right after. For the rest of the evening, the next few days or sometimes a whole week, and it's awful. You don't eat chicken, the pretty trinkets lie discarded and you won't even look at him.

It hurts more than Drayton and his broom do.

Bubba sits beside you on the mattress for several minutes, waiting. Waiting until you turn - just a little bit - so that he can tap your damp cheeks dry with a towel and maybe feed you apple slices dipped in honey. If you'll let him.

You don't.

Eventually you crawl under the blanket, stiff and quiet, back facing him. His throat burns, you're mad, you don't like Bubba anymore. Dread unfolds at the bottom of his stomach as the sky outside starts darkening, every time he gets scared that this will be it, that you'll hate him forever from now on.

Hesitantly, he climbs underneath the covers, settles on the very edge of the mattress and wriggles a bit closer every five minutes, in case you'll change your mind and want a hug - the lesson is delivered, so it doesn't matter, Drayton won't know anyway.

But the time passes and turns into an hour, yet still you don't move, not even a peek over your shoulder. He waits longer and then a bit more. His heart drops when Bubba realizes: you fell asleep without saying goodnight.

He watches your back rise and fall, then reaches across the bed to stroke your hair. Somehow his arm curves over your frame, and before Bubba knows it, he moves you closer, closer, up against his chest. Your breath is shaky and rough, but he holds on tight, the same way he'd clutch his favourite things.

Tomorrow Bubba will bring you flowers, some tulips because they are pretty like you, and maybe you'll be less angry. Maybe you'll eat apple slices and sit on Bubba's lap by the stove while Drayton cooks dinner, and won't try to run again. He hopes you won't.

[worriedvision]

A taste of your own medicine - Lyney

Gender neutral reader, contains spoilers for the Fontaine archon quest. Unhappy ending.

--

"Do you trust me, my dove?" Lyney asks, you eyeing the suspicious concoction Lyney asked for you to take.

"...Lyney, can you have some with me? It looks kinda...ominous, why am I the only one taking this?" You ask, not reaching for the bottle.

Lyney seemed to think hard about what he was going to do next. Either he would take this medicine and show you it was safe to consume - although it would be painful - or he would have to push you away unless you take the medication.

He couldn't afford to lose his knowledge of the House of Hearth, knowing this was a large part of him. Hell, he was next in line for taking charge.

"If you don't take this medicine, I'm afraid to say I won't trust you." Lyney lies, you grasping the bottle.

Before drinking, however, you open the bottle and sniff it. Taking another look at Lyney, he looks worried. You assume it's the idea of him having to break things off if you don't take the medicine, so you take the concoction.

--

The next few days are absolute agony. No doubt in your mind, it was the medicine. You couldn't figure out how it felt, other than an agonising burn. It was like it was charring you inside out. Lyney had grown distant as well - usually, when you were too poorly to leave the house your boyfriend always ran along to see what was wrong.

Yet, he hadn't shown up.

You did, however, read articles about people's experiences with a mystery concoction, all sharing the same things you were experiencing. You know some of these people, not able to pinpoint where from, and you began to think of why.

It was incredibly painful for you - you wanted to cuddle your boyfriend while you cried through your pain, however he wasn't there. You whittle it down to him being busy, so you try not to worry too much about it.

He told you he would trust you if he took the medicine, so why hasn't he spoken to you afterwards?

He has to love you, you did what he wanted! There wasn't anything to signify a worsening of the relationship, perhaps your hesitancy hurt him?

On the fifth day of your pain, you hear a knock on the door, and your boyfriend had finally showed up.

You cry out and you pull him in, cuddling him as tight as possible as he chuckles nervously. You didn't get why he was so nervous, but he made a serious mistake.

He dropped a document describing the exact medications function, as well as a list of individuals who took the medicine.

It was the same names as what you saw in the papers.

Reading the paper, while still cuddling your boyfriend, you see the medicine was to erase the individuals memory of the Fatui - including people you previously knew.

It all made sense - Lyney was distancing himself from you, he didn't even think of taking the medicine. In hindsight, you should have questioned him on why he was giving you a random medicine in more detail...

You shove your partner away, no longer feeling relief but rather betrayal. Lyney gasps, hitting the ground with a dull this as he looks at you wide-eyed as you begin to bawl.

He scrambled to his feet, doing a crawl as he does so, babbling apologies at you as you back up.

"You came here as the last night to see me before I forget you!" You scream. "You just wanted some reassurance that I didn't hate you for abandoning me for leaving me alone!"

"I realised too late my mistake, and I wanted to-"

"Lyney, you shouldn't have even thought of doing this to me in the first place! It...it hurts! It's been horrible for me, and you thought I wouldn't feel empty suddenly forgetting you!" You huff, Lyney choking up as he looks at you with puppy eyes as he begs for you to hug him.

"I'm sorry I put you through this. I should have known better, I should have explained!" Lyney weeps out, seeing no evidence of you thawing.

"Get out, I hate you!" You yell, grabbing your boyfriend and pushing him out of your place. He turns around, tears streaming down his face as he begins to open his mouth for more meaningless apologies.

Seeing the paper on the ground, you pick it up and flick to your name out of curiosity.

'Although not a member of the Hearth, individual _ has been considered a hindrance from the perspective of a member of the Hearth.

His request for dosage has been approved, however only after taking the medicine has the member realised his regret. We, unfortunately, have no reversal for this medication. Member has been advised to stay away from this person, to allow an easier transition to no knowledge of the House of Hearth.'

You begin to try, the achingly dull feeling as you begin to feel the memories fading. Hearing Lyney knocking again, you grab the paper and give it to him.

"Leave me alone. I'm not your property, and you were never responsible for my life."

[jakescakeislateforourdate]

Kiss It Better

Dirtyhands is no stranger to brawling, he returns to the slat with his face bruised and knuckles bleeding, hoping for a little refuge from the intensity of the barrel.

No warnings just hurt and comfort as well as a briefly shirtless Kaz

Enjoy this garbage!

...

Kaz Brekker sucks in a sharp breath, pain shooting up his side and across his chest as his lungs expand. He leans heavily on his cane, hand clasped so tight over the crow’s head he worried the metal would be crushed in his grasp. He smacks his lips and endures. He still has the trip up the stairs to suffer through. 

The sweet aroma of the Slat welcomes him as he stumbles inside. But it does little to sooth the ache in his ribs and calm his burning skin. Hands all over him. Water rising up over his shoulders to suck him under. They’d touched him with their disgusting bare hands. He felt sick. He clearly relives the sweaty hand squeezing his throat and closing off his windpipe. 

Warm drops of sweat bead along his forehead, some find their way down his spine. He clutches the banister and lifts one foot at a time. The climb is painfully slow and he has to stop several times to quell the epicenters of agony blooming all over his exhausted body. 

He’s about halfway up when another fair of footsteps begin to accompany his. You ascend the worn steps much faster and are by his side in seconds. You don’t touch just listen. 

Kaz refuses to look into your eyes. He knows how upset you get when he’s hurt. You may never say anything because you understand how the Barrel functions but he can see it in your eyes and if he looks now his guilt for worrying you will overwhelm him before he gets to his office. 

You tread in the silence with him, your presence helping him find some sound mindedness. The waters begin to recede finally. Breathing becomes a little easier. 

He climbs and climbs until, at last, he leans upon his office door. “May I come in?” You ask quietly. Kaz only nods. He’s grateful for your companionship and he needs it now more than anything. 

He all but falls inside, grimacing and gasping when his muscles seize up. This when you step in. You reach out, with just the tips of your fingers, and prod his waist ever so gently. The touch is meant to guide him towards his wing backed chair that he likes to lounge in after rough days. He tenses but responds. He takes the final few steps that cover the distance from the door way to the chair, and slouches into the cushy leather. 

Not being able to miss his pain, you search he medicine cabinet in his bathroom for some paint medicine and fill him a glass of water. Kaz mutters a “thanks” and swallows down two of the pills. 

Next is cleaning up the cuts and tears in his skin. There’s a small laceration beneath his left eye, the blood already coagulating. You soak a clean cloth in rubbing alcohol and wrap it around your index finger. “Is alright if I clean you up, Kaz?”

Kaz nods again and tilts his back into the leather. You press the cloth first to the cut. His lips twist and eyes scrunch closed. You rub gently, it’s small so there’s no need to dig and soak or really even bandage.

You examine the rest of him: a busted lip, bruised throat, and bloody knuckles which are now revealed from the removal of his gloves. He tosses them onto his  desk and sighs. You set to work on his lip. A flicker of motion draws your eyes away from the stained cloth and angry skin. His eyes are open, watching you. Trying to figure out why you still care so much.

Once his lip is cleaned, you crouch down and begin to scrub at his knuckles. You don’t hold his hand, simply pin it between his knee and the cloth. Blood and ripped skin come away from the peaks of his hand. Internally you cringe. You can practically hear his teeth sanding away at each other as he fights down the pain. 

You take a break from his hands, Kaz lifts the hem of his shirt so you can check his torso for cuts. There aren’t any meaning his heavy coat cushioned his ribcage enough to keep the skin from splitting. But still, the dark purple splotches stretching over the delicate skin of his ribs breaks your heart.

“No need to look so blue.” Kaz grunts. There’s a slight smirk gracing his lips, the swollen fat, busted lip twitching.

You raise a brow, “Can’t help it. You know I hate this.”

“Can’t stop it.”

“Can’t I!” Your snap makes him chuckle.

“What? You gonna strap me to this chair, shackle me to bedposts?”

“Don’t tempt me.” You grumble and this makes him smile. 

“You know how easily I can pick locks.” He straightens up a little, proud.

You toss ideas around in your head, “I could kiss you. That’d make you stay put for a while.”

This wipes the grin off his face. Now it’s your turn to laugh. Dirtyhands is practically pouting. He drops his shirt and rests his chin in his palm. “Whatever.”

Kaz’s weakness is always a tender subject. You’ve never actually used it against him and he trusts you not to. But still, it’s not fair how badly he wants to kiss you but can’t. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if your lips were a weapon that left him defenseless for a little while. 

If only to have that one kiss. 

You set in on the knuckles of his other hand. A long snake-like scar trailing across the skin. You’ve never found out where it came from but it’s always caught your attention. 

As Kaz watches you work, he recalls something. A very distant memory of his mother kissing his scraped palm. He’d tripped and scraped it on the gravel roads while out helping Jordie. His mother and dabbed at the torn up skin like you were doing now, and then when she had it all bandaged she placed a loving kiss on the meat of his palm. He remembered how comforting the gesture was.

He thinks of your lips.

He watches you wind clean white bandages over his reddened knuckles. You won’t actually be touching his skin. 

The kiss-

“Darling,” He begins. You’re certainly not his mother. But you are perhaps the only refuge he has left. “Will- willyoukissitbetter?”

The words spill out so fast you almost don’t know what he’s asking. But then you see the blush spreading on his cheeks. His gaze drops from yours. He’s bashful.

You smile and scoop his palm carefully into yours. You bring his knuckles to your lips and lay a kiss onto the bandages. Kaz blushes impossibly deeper and turns into his other palm, hiding from you. 

“Give me the other.” You demand and hold out your hand expectantly. Kaz glances sideways at you and drops his other palm into yours. You kiss the knuckles of this hand, this time laying a quick peck to each curved bone. 

The waters are at his feet but Kaz will win this time. Victory will be his and maybe, just maybe, he’ll have a kiss as his trophy. 

You kneel before him, replacing his hands over his knees, “Anything else?”

Your eyes glitter, not like the stars, but like the flickering candles in the windows of the Barrel. There’s an enveloping solace to them. He’s drawn in and fallen prey to you. 

Dirtyhands has been properly succored. 

He taps his blackened eye. Wringing his fingers nervously. What will your lips feel like on his skin? What if he can’t handle it? 

Then you are there. Your warm breath fans over his throbbing cheek. So lively. Your lips brush tentatively across his cheekbone before finally coming to rest just beneath the cut. Kaz closes his eyes and revels in the proliferating amenity in his chest like creamer in coffee. 

Then you’re pulling away and the water fills your absence.

Come back! 

He wants to call to you.

Don’t leave me!

You survey his expression, monitoring his emotions the best the you can. His walls are falling apart and he cannot scrape together fast enough to keep you out.

His hand cups your jaw, his head tilts, he pleads silently for your sympathy. Just the compassion he has never found in the Barrel. All in a kiss. 

Your beholden eyes never leave his as your chin tips forward. Your lips slot against his. Through the blood of his pulsing lip and the bile in his throat, he tastes glory.

The splendor and conquest spread from your tongue, onto your lips, and flood his insides. He melts like chocolate, heart thundering against his chest. He can’t breathe, whether it’s from the panic or the joy, he can’t decipher. 

The length could not dampen the kiss. Kaz has gained ground. His shaking hand leaves your jaw and you part. He wants to kiss you again but he knows he’ll over do it. So you thanks you. He leans back in his chair and smiles at you, finally relaxed. 

You’ve given to him freely and in time he’ll return it. But most importantly he’s found that you cannot defeat him through touch. “See.” His grin grows mischievous. “You could not keep me here if you tried.”

...

Dear Reader,

          Thank you for reading this post. If you liked it your are welcome to checkout my masterlist as well as request. Feedback is always welcome. If you have any questions you are free to ask and once again, thank you for reading. Have a nice day.

                                                      -the author, Lady

[loliflwrs]

Valeria Garza Sick HCS

hopefully this is better than my first post, enjoyyy😘

(she’s taking care of you in this)

definitely gets very upset when you don’t take your medicine

no complaints, you’re staying in that bed until you are better

is not sensitive to bodily fluids/bodily functions obviously

does not need or own a thermometer

she does the hand on forehead thing

but she tries to keep her distance for her job’s sake

it never works out she’ll give you anything you want

she will make you sleep on top of her as she rubs your back

will hold your hand tightly, maybe even too tight

follows you everywhere even goes into the bathroom with you

also makes some DELICIOUS soup 😩

you WILL be spoon fed stop complaining

will praise you if you eat it all

okay that’s it :)

[enquire]

Mystic Moonshade

I think I finally figured out what to do with Mikako, so here we are.

This design was a little more out there, as I went for making her a zebra/okapi/pony hybrid!

My intent was to give her a connection to other forms of magic, and give her a bit of a mysterious vibe. The one zebra in MLP we get, Zecora, is an expert in potions and obscure medicinal magic/plants, and is a general example of a pony who uses alternative magic in a way.

I think Equestria's non-unicorn based magic; things like alchemy, potions, charms, earth pony and pegasi magic, curses, magical creatures, and of course, spirits, ghosts, and the like, would fit in well with the 'ultimate excorcist' talent. So Moonshade is an expert in all things supernatural, and obscure. (since magic is an everyday thing in Equestria after all) Still focuses most of all on the departed, but she has a lot of knowledge /interest in various stuff.

Her okapi aspects came from wanting to give her extra horns (which might be capable of producing some slightly different magic) and because the markings give here a bit more a mysterious vibe which I liked. It's a bit more detailed, but I think it's fine for now at least. Her unicorn horn functions the same way any other unicorn's would.

Anyway, on to her little background info segment:

Mystic Moonshade is passionate about Equestria's strangest and most unknown phenomena. Ever since she got her cutie mark, she's been uncovering secrets and solving mysteries; from hauntings to ancient artifacts, Moonshade explains the unexplainable. Either via science, magic, or through healing the hearts and minds of the ponies involved.

She's discovered and named several new creatures, placated spirits, and even managed to lift the decades old curse or two. But her biggest strength might not lie in the supernatural, but rather in soothing the hearts of those faced with the problems and occurrences she is called to solve.

When she was just a filly far too young to remember her parents or where she came from, Moonshade fell into a river and almost drowned. She was swept far away, only managing to survive by clinging to a hollow log.

She was spotted by a pony named Spark Stardust, not far from Canterlot, who immediately dived in after the tiny filly. After rescuing Moonshade, he brought her home to stay with himself and his son, Gizmo.

She couldn't offer any explanation as to how she had gotten there, or much of any information about herself beyond her name. The Equestrian Guard opened an investigation into her parents, but without much to go off of, and a huge distance potentially between Canterlot and where she had fallen into the river, they had very little success.

No pony ever came forward looking for a missing filly matching her description, and the leads quickly ran dry. After a year, Moonshade had already begun to become a part of the Stardust family, so when the time came that Moonshade was officially labeled an orphan, Spark decided to adopt her.

It took some time for Gizmo and Moonshade to adjust to it, but in time, they became extremely close. Nowadays, the two of them are often seen together, and both support the other in any way they can. Gizmo has created multiple inventions in order to help Moonshade in her work, including a arguably effective ghost detector, and a more practical set of very durable saddlebags with locks for when Moonshade comes across an item with less than stable properties, or that is particularly valuable. Meanwhile, Gizmo's go-to unicorn for help testing his inventions is his sister. They have participated in many experiments together, both scientific, magic, and everything in between.

Gizmo's inventions often rely on magic as much as science, and most of his knowledge on the subject came from Moonshade. He also has gone on many of his sister's quests and travels, helping her bust myths and the occasional ghost.

Moonshade has an uncanny ability to read other ponies. While she cannot read others' thoughts, or anything like that, she can sometimes sense more hidden emotions, and other things like that. If Moonshade says somepony is giving her a bad vibe, it's probably with good reason. This leads to her both being an excellent judge of character and being very good at noticing when something is wrong. For example, she was the first one to pick up on and understand Saber's invisible wounds even though he almost never lets a single glimpse show on the outside. She also has a knack for sniffing out secrets.

This ability of hers only gives her insight into where to direct her attentions, though; it doesn't reveal all, and in fact can sometimes be altogether unhelpful, as the feeling that something is wrong without being able to pinpoint what can be quite frustrating.

Moonshade is more of an extrovert than her brother, being fine with meeting various strangers for her work, and the one responsible for introducing her brother to many of his acquaintances and friends.

Out of the group besides her brother, she is closest with Thrift, as the three of them were childhood friends. She also managed to get Ember to warm up to her impressively fast, despite them not knowing each other for as long or and living in different places. The two of them bonded over their penchant for unraveling supposedly unsolvable puzzles, and reading. Whenever Ember visits Canterlot, she makes it a priority to spend time hunting through the cities many bookshops with her.

Moonshade is not as close with Saber as he is with Gizmo, but they are still good friends, and with Gizmo and/or Thrift often around they are often drawn together regardless. (and happy for it) Saber is one of the few ponies Moonshade often finds herself spending time with in comfortable silence.

It's not like she and Clover aren't not friends, but for some reason, there always seems to be a bit more distance between them, and Moonshade is a bit bugged by the fact that she knows very little about him compared to everypony else. Despite him being very close with some of her closest friends, she is more familiar with most of her acquaintances than she is with him. And for whatever reason, they never seem to end up one on one, either.

I think that's it for her! I always start these background posts thinking 'I don't have enough lore for this one yet' but then end up filling up the post by the end haha. To be honest, I struggled a lot with her design, and going a more unique route helped me land somewhere, but I'm still not entirely sure about it. I'll have to think about it.

Also, I think "mystic" moonshade is alright, but perhaps another first name could be better. Also, Spark Stardust for Hanzo is still up in the air. I'll see if it sticks... I wanted he and Gizmo to have a family naming convention that fit with Stardust Industries, but it is a bit unusual to have the exact same word in their names by MLP standards... I was going for something like the Pie family names, but I'm not too sure about "Spark." It's just okay.

Saber Frost, Cold Steel, and Radiant Ember are my favorite names so far. Coming up with pony names is surprisingly fun. It's great when I can get some phonetic similarities in as well haha. (Radiant Ember - Rei Mekaru anyone?)

[justagalwhowrites]

Lavender - Ch. 45

You, Joel and Ellie make your way into Salt Lake City. A continuation of Lavender Ch. 1-44 found on Tumblr here.

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female Reader

Warnings: Mild canon-typical violence. No use of Y/N. Minors DNI, 18+ only.

Length: 5.4K

“I’m just realizing,” you said as you walked alongside Joel and Ellie. “I was not very well traveled before the outbreak.” 

“You’d made it a few places,” Joel frowned a little. “Got out of your hometown and shit, more than you can say for most people…” 

Ellie frowned, too. 

“Wait,” she said. “Most people would really just… stay in one place? Even when they could leave?” 

“Oh yeah,” Joel said. “Most people just stuck where they were. I moved to a different town from where I was born but same state. Doc made it a lot further than me.” 

You shrugged. 

“Just for college,” you said. “The point is, this is the furthest west that I’ve ever been. How strange is that? That it took me until the end of the world to get to this side of the country…” 

“But you had planes!” Ellie gaped at you both. “You could go in the sky and you just didn’t? What the fuck, man?” 

You and Joel both laughed at that. 

It had been one of Ellie’s better days. She was rabidly curious, asking about a million questions as you closed in on Salt Lake City. Judging by the mile markers, you only had one more night of sleeping on the road before you made it to the Fireflies’ facility - assuming this one wasn’t abandoned too, anyway - and it had been a really good last day on the road. 

The thought was strangely bittersweet, a sense of finality to your looming arrival in the city. You wanted to get Ellie to the Fireflies. You wanted to start work on a cure. It had been so long since you’d been in a lab now, part of you was itching to get back into it. Hell, getting back to doing anything but the minimum when it came to medicine sounded incredible. 

But you didn’t want to change anything about your time with Joel and Ellie. You’d even be fine living on the road forever if it meant the three of you got to be together all the time. The Firefly compound was an unknown. You weren’t sure if they would LET you stay together - though you doubted Joel would let them separate you. But if their doctors wanted to keep Ellie in a contained environment for a while to make sure she didn’t come down with anything while they drew samples, you weren’t going to push back on them. You’d come too far to quibble over something so small. But you still dreaded it, not being with them all the time. 

It reminded you a little of the feeling in your stomach when you first started adjusting to the QZ with Andrew. You’d become so used to functioning with him glued to your side, constantly watching each other’s backs for danger and killing to keep the other alive, even a room’s distance was disorienting and anxiety inducing. The makeshift medical camp was a rude awakening when you’d arrived, that much you knew even though your memories of it were vague at best. You remembered arriving to the QZ, your arms firmly around Andrew’s waist and his arm around your shoulders, clutching onto each other. You were covered in blood, your shotgun dangling from your arm. They’d had to pry you apart to examine you both and it was like someone was ripping away a part of your body. You’d tried to ease yourselves into some separation after that. Different rooms for a bit, a few hours in different buildings after that. It took months to sleep apart. 

You didn’t think it would be that extreme this time. You knew better what to expect, for one. For another, you’d all been living with the damage dealt by surviving the end of the world. Ellie had been born into it. Who Joel was now was forged in it. You, it seemed, had just melted into it, who you were finding little paths through the chaos like water through cracks in cement. You would all get through this differently, but you could get through it. That you knew. 

It also helped that Jackson was waiting on the other side. You weren’t sure how long it would take to get there, but you’d get there. There was a house with a room that Ellie could make her own - you’d paint her a solar system in a corner and constellations on the ceiling. There was a kitchen where you could make the cookies you’d been baking for so long you had the recipe memorized. There was a porch where Joel could play guitar. There were kids Ellie’s age she could meet and laugh with and maybe fall in love with the way she deserved to. There were people to play cards with and drink with and have inside jokes with. There was life there, life that was worth living outside of just the three of you. 

You just had to get there. That’s all. 

“Flying wasn’t that special, Gremlin,” you said smiling a little. “It was expensive and they tried to cram in as many people as possible so they made as much money as they possibly could. And you had to get to the airport hours early so they could search all your stuff… Really, it was a hassle.” 

“Is that why people didn’t do it?” She frowned. “Go places, I mean.” 

“Travel cost a lot of money,” Joel said. “More than most people had just lyin’ around. Stayin’ home was a lot easier and a lot cheaper.” 

Ellie scrunched her face. 

“Everyone acts like before was so fucking great but a lot of it sounds shitty,” she said. “Why make it so not everyone can do the cool shit? That’s dumb.” 

“I agree,” you smiled a little. 

“I hope it’s better this time,” she kicked a piece of asphalt. “Once there’s a cure, I mean. Like I know it’ll take a while and shit, they’re going to have to make the thing and then give it to everyone and whatever but I hope they don’t keep the shitty stuff from before.” 

Joel looked skeptical so you jumped in before he had a chance to. 

“We’ve never had a chance to kind of reset humanity before,” you said. “We might be able to make things way better than they ever were before. Who knows.” 

“That’d be cool,” she nodded. “Then at least it’s not like all this shit was for nothing, you know?  Like… yeah, it was all really fucked up for a while and people did really messed up things to each other but in the end, we did something good with it. You know?” 

“Yeah,” you smiled at her a bit. “I do.” 

The three of you called it a day about 15 miles from Salt Lake City. You knew if you kept walking for a bit that you’d probably find a house to stay in for the night but Joel seemed to have the same mindset as you. One more night, the three of you, camped out on the road. You’d be with the Fireflies tomorrow night, in a place with a roof and beds and doors, but the sky was clear and the weather was - relatively - warm. One last night under the sky, just the three of you, before the world changed. 

Joel built a fire and Ellie shot a rabbit. You got the last of the herbs you’d grabbed from Bill and Frank’s to dress the animal up a bit, making it feel like something special. You played poker around the fire, Ellie cleaning out both you and Joel. 

“If Vegas is ever a thing again, you need to go,” you said as you got the cards picked up. “You’d ruin the casinos’ day.” 

“Should start a poker night in Jackson,” Joel said. “She’d hustle half the damn town before anyone got wise….” 

You convinced Joel to sleep through the night and let you and Ellie split the watch - something you were counting as a win. He’d been pushing himself too hard since you’d left the cabin. It had taken you just over a week to get this far and he’d pulled two all night watches in that time and covered at least half of all the others.  You weren’t sure if it was paranoia, if it was fulfilling some need to look out for the two of you until he physically couldn’t do it anymore, if he had a bad feeling and he was doing everything he could to defend against the source of it. He wasn’t talking to you about it so you were just trying to keep an eye on him the best you could. He was more fragile than he looked, you knew. You’d wait until you were safely with the Fireflies and had some time alone before you really tried to get anything out of him. 

But letting you and Ellie handle the watches without him was a change. You hoped it meant he was doing better, that he was starting to feel like he could relax. You pressed yourself against his front as he headed to his sleeping bag for the night, reaching up to scratch your fingers through his beard before tugging his lips to yours. His arms slug around your waist and he pulled you close and you smiled against his lips. 

“What’s that for?” He asked when you pulled away eventually. 

You shrugged. 

“Just love you is all,” you said. 

“Love you too,” he kissed your forehead. “Wake me up the second you think somethin’ might be wrong, got it?” 

“I promise I won’t try to handle a damn thing all on my own,” you rolled your eyes a bit and he lay down beside the fire to sleep. 

The watch was quiet and still, nothing raising any alarms for you, even when you took the short walks around the perimeter of your little camp. It was pushing 4 a.m. when Ellie started jerking in her sleeping bag. You frowned, watching her for a moment to see if it passed. It didn’t, her thrashing getting worse as she whimpered. You knelt beside her and set the rifle out of reach before you gently touched her arm. 

“Ellie,” you said quietly, calmly. “You’re OK Baby Girl, you’re OK…” 

She jerked awake and shot upright, throwing your hand sharply away. She was panting and gasping for breath, her eyes wide and glistening with tears in the light of the moon and the dying fire. She looked at you for a moment before it was like something in her cracked and she choked out a sob, her head falling onto your shoulder. 

“Oh, sweetheart,” you said softly, putting your arms around her and tucking her head beneath your own. “You’re OK, I’ve got you. You’re OK…” 

“It felt so real,” she hiccuped into your neck. “I thought…” 

“It’s OK,” you said when she trailed off. “You’re OK, I’ve got you. You’re safe. We’ve got you, not going to let anything happen to you, OK? You’re safe.” 

She nodded but tucked herself tighter against you. You just held onto her, rocking her as her sobs faded. 

“Want to talk about it?” You asked when her breathing had returned to a normal pace and it felt like her tears were no longer soaking your shirt. “It might help. I’m here for you, you can tell me anything. I’ll even keep it from Joel if you really want…” 

She pulled back from you a little, looking you in the eyes. 

“Yeah?” She sniffed. “Because I know it’ll just hurt him and….” She sighed heavily. “I really don’t want to hurt him.” 

“He’d much rather you talk to him than hold onto all that hurt yourself, Baby Girl,” you tucked some of the hair that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear. “But I don’t have to tell him if you don’t want me to.” 

She looked over at Joel who was snoring lightly, his deaf ear facing up as he lay on his side. 

“You could bring a marching band through here right now and I doubt he’d hear,” you smiled a little at her. “It’s OK. What’s bothering you?” 

Ellie’s eyes searched yours for a moment before she took a deep breath, looked down at her hands and began. 

“Back at Silver Lake. After…” she said, taking another shuddering breath. “After they took you away, David… He tried talking to me, saying shit about how he thought I was dangerous. Said he wanted to fuckin’ lead with me, that I had… that I had a ‘violent heart.’” 

She put the last two words in air quotes, all but spitting them out. You took her face in your hand and stroked her cheekbone with your thumb. She sniffed. 

“He said he’d call off the hunt for Joel and let you go if I cooperated with him and I thought about it…” 

“Oh honey,” you touched your forehead to hers as she stared at her lap. “We aren’t your responsibility…” 

She nodded a little and you sat back from her a little. 

“I knew you’d say something like that,” she laughed once, darkly. “Knew Joel’d be pissed that I even considered it… So I broke David’s fucking finger instead.” 

You laughed once and smiled a little. 

“Good girl,” you said. She looked a little proud of that. 

“They didn’t like that so…” she took another shaky breath and stiffened a bit, her small hands clenching into fists. “They tried to kill me, like they were going to eat me… I bit David, told him I was infected, used my scar…” 

“That was so smart, Baby Girl,” you said when she felt quiet. “You did so damn good…” 

“He didn’t really believe me,” she shrugged. “Not after a minute. I… I killed the man he was with and ran and he followed me and… Doc, he…” 

She swallowed a sob and your hand slid from her face to the back of her neck, holding her gently. 

“It’s OK sweetheart,” you said softly. “You’re OK…” 

“He tried…” she choked on the words for a moment. “He said he was going to keep me, that he liked the fighting…” 

“Oh honey,” you were trying not to cry for her, for this girl you should have been there to protect and instead you let them take you away from her. 

“I killed him,” she sniffed, meeting your eyes for the first time since she’d started talking. “Before he could do anything, I… I more than killed him. He didn’t have a face anymore and it… I…” 

You tugged her against you and she pressed her face into your shoulder as you rocked her gently, running one hand up and down her back. 

“You’re OK now,” you said softly as you held onto her. “You’re safe. It’s OK…” 

She cried there for a minute before she pulled back from you again. You held her face in your hand, drying her tears with your thumb. 

“None of that is your fault, OK?” You said gently. “You did what you had to do - what they MADE you do - to protect yourself. There was nothing you could have done. It was always up to them. They were monsters and you did what you have to do to monsters and that’s OK.” 

She nodded and wiped her face with her shirtsleeves. 

“Doc?” She said, her voice wet. 

“Yes, Baby Girl?” 

“What if…” her voice broke for a moment. “What if part of me… liked it? Liked hurting him? Because… I…” 

She trailed off but kept her eyes on you, wide and pleading. 

“That’s OK,” you said quietly. “It’s OK if protecting yourself made you feel good. That’s OK. It doesn’t make you a bad person because you liked hurting an actual bad person who deserved whatever you did to them and more. OK?” 

She sniffed and nodded and she leaned forward, against you. 

“I don’t want to do that again,” she sniffed. “I really fucking don’t…” 

“I know,” you said softly, holding her close. “I’m so sorry you had to do it then. We’re going to make sure you don’t need to do it again. We’re going to take care of you, we’re going to protect you. We won’t let anything happen to you.” 

She sniffed and nodded and you held her for a while longer. 

“How are you feeling?” You asked quietly eventually. “Any better now that you’ve talked about it?” 

“A little, I think,” she sniffed and straightened. “What time is it? Time to switch watch?” 

“Not yet,” you lied with a soft smile. “Go back to sleep for a bit, OK?” 

She nodded and lay down, curling in on herself a bit. You stayed close to her for a bit, waiting for the cadence of her breaths to shift to sleep. You watched her like that, her face peaceful and relaxed. 

You should have been there to protect her. Should have been there to make sure no one came close to touching her. Should have made sure she didn’t need to kill anybody. That had been why you’d wanted to come with her to begin with, to protect her from what you knew was out here in the way you hadn’t been able to protect Jessica all those years before. Ellie was alive but you hadn’t kept her safe, not really. The failure of it sank through your chest and into your stomach like lead. You hadn’t done your job and it was Ellie who would need to suffer the consequences. 

You let Ellie and Joel rest, leaning back against a tree, watching them both. They were so much more fragile than either of them would admit to being, both of them hurting from the worst things that life could do to a person while trying so hard to be strong. It threatened to swallow them. You weren’t great with a gun or a knife, you weren’t good at hurting and killing and all the things the apocalypse seemed to demand of survivors. But you were good at taking care of people, at helping them. You could take care of them in the ways they needed, help them find their way back to the versions of themselves that were buried deep under the rubble of this life. You could spend your existence doing that, you thought, and it would be enough for a full life. Loving them through it all would be enough.

*** 

If Ellie had been more herself, Joel would have started the day by chewing you out. You were still awake when the sun came up, clearly tired but keeping your eyes open, on guard. 

But Ellie was distant and detached when she woke up a few minutes later, only answering questions with a shrug and staying close to your side. 

“You gonna tell me what happened last night?” He asked, voice low, when Ellie stepped away for a bathroom break. You were on the edge of the city now, so close to your final destination. It settled like a stone in his stomach, the bile of uncertainty and change setting him on edge.

“Not my thing to tell,” you smiled a little sadly at him. “But I’ve got it covered. It’s OK.” 

“Don’t like you stayin’ up all night,” he grumbled. “Pushin’ yourself too hard…” 

“But it’s fine when you do it?” You asked, brows raised. 

“My reaction time with a gun when I’m half asleep is better than yours when you’re wide awake,” he said flatly. 

“Well I didn’t need the gun so it’s a moot point,” you replied, a little smug. “But pick a fight with me about it later, when we’re in for the night. Ellie…” 

He nodded once. It was a day where the kid needed extra care and attention. He still wasn’t sure what caused it but he saw the signs of it. You and Joel hadn’t really talked about it but you both saw it happening. You’d trade off trying to engage with her, trying to make sure she wasn’t closing herself off too much, trying to get her to eat something and drink enough water. It gave Joel a new appreciation for what Tommy must have done for him in the early days of the outbreak, just after he lost Sarah. He was only alive because of your voice in his head and his brother’s kindness. 

“Here we go,” Joel said, coming out of a camper he’d been rummaging through for supplies. “We can play this tonight. Want to kick my ass at something besides poker, this is it…” 

He held up a copy of Boggle. Ellie just kind of nodded. 

“Kicking your ass is fun,” you said, looking at her as you said it. “And I bet we could get him to make things interesting…” 

That at least caught her attention and she raised her eyebrows at you. 

“I learned the other day that he’s willing to put an a-cappella performance of a song on the line,” you said. “We could experience a live, one night only, Joel Miller musical event…” 

Ellie smiled a little at that. 

“I’ll let you bet that,” Joel said, just happy to get some sign of life out of the girl. He’d be willing to be a lot to make that happen. “Gonna have to put something good on the line yourselves though, big risk for me…” 

“First choice on canned goods for a week?” You asked. 

“I’ll take that,” Joel said, glancing down at Ellie as the three of you continued on. Her smile had faded already. He shared a look with you, the shadows of Salt Lake City looming over you. 

“Well there’s a tall building there…” Joel said, looking up at it, trying to gauge its structural integrity. 

“So we’re going to cut through that building there, go up the tall one and take a look around?” Ellie said, voice flat. 

“Well, actually,” Joel said. “I found some dynamite back there. Figured we blast our way through and then…” 

“Shit, really?” She looked up at him. 

“No,” he smiled a little. “We’re gonna do what you said. But my way would’ve been fun, right?” 

“Yeah,” she smiled a little back. It didn’t reach her eyes. 

Joel led the way through the building, keeping an eye out for some sign of humanity - or infected. But there wasn’t much of anything. 

“Didn’t realize it was this bad out west,” you said as you picked your way through the rubble of the structure. “I know I had no reason to but I always kind of thought the east coast got the worst of it…” 

“Dallas didn’t fair well, either,” Joel said. “Didn’t stay there long, that’s for damn sure, but half the fuckin’ city was a crater. Texas Stadium was in one piece, they were tryin’ to set up somethin’ there when we cut through but half the buildings were gone.” 

“I wonder what other countries did,” you said. “If they did the same things we did or if they did something different and if they did any better in the long run…” 

Joel spotted a ladder on a ledge and a possible way up and through. 

“Hey, Ellie,” he said, distracting her from her tracing patterns in the dust with the toe of her shoe. She looked up. “Think that might be the route. If I give you a boost, can you get that ladder down here for us?” 

“Yeah,” she nodded with a tight smile, coming over to him. “Boost away.” 

She climbed up him, stepping off his leg to his hands to his shoulders as she clambered up. She started lowering the ladder down when something got her attention. 

“Oh wow…” 

She dropped the ladder and it fell with a clatter to the ground, you jumping forward to try to catch it before it hit Joel. You missed. 

“Jesus, Ellie!” He called after her, scrambling for the ladder. You backed up, looking up to the space above with a frown. 

“Can’t see her,” you said as he got the ladder set. 

“Better not be gettin’ herself killed,” he muttered, rushing up the ladder with you close behind. 

“Guys, come on!” She yelled as Joel pulled you up the rest of the way. You both looked at each other for a moment. This was easily the most excited you’d heard her since Silver Lake. You weren’t about to argue. “Hurry! We’re gonna fuckin’ miss it!” 

You and Joel both ran after the sound of her voice and found her standing at the edge of the broken side of the building, a giraffe standing in front of her, watching her with almost as much curiosity as she was watching it. 

“Oh shit,” you breathed, a wide smile spreading over your face. 

“Don’t scare it!” Ellie looked over her shoulder to the two of you. 

“We’re not,” Joel said, slowly and cautiously breaking off some greenery that had started taking over the dilapidated building. He held it out to Ellie and she took it. “Go slow…” 

She smiled and held the twig out. Joel broke off another one for you and you took it, watching as the animal wrapped its tongue around Ellie’s leaves. 

“Woah!” She looked at you. “You see that?” 

“Yeah,” you smiled, sounding oddly choked up. “Their tongues can be almost 2 feet long, they use them for reaching high up leaves…” 

Joel looked at you and you shrugged. 

“Elizabeth was learning about giraffes when we left,” you said. “She was telling me all about them. She thought the tongues were particularly cool…” 

“Because they are,” Ellie said, voice full of wonder. “Hey there!” 

The giraffe apparently decided she had enough and started off, Ellie following along the edge of the building, you and Joel trailing behind her until she stopped at another gaping hole in the structure. Giraffes roamed the grounds below, long necks bobbing as they walked. 

“So cool,” She breathed, smiling. It reached her eyes this time. “Can’t believe people wouldn’t travel just to have a chance at seeing shit like this…” 

Joel looked out over the city, spotting what he thought would be a good route to try for the hospital and just watching Ellie and you enjoy the giraffes. You stayed up there until they were all gone, the ground below just grass now. 

“C’mon,” Joel said. “Should keep movin’.” 

Ellie kept the glow after the giraffes for a bit, but it was easy to see it start to fade. The wonder and joy couldn’t stay forever, not in a world like this one, not in a place like this. 

But it could in Jackson. If it could stick around anywhere, it was there. 

“You know,” he said as the three of you walked. “We tried, the three of us. We really tried to find the Fireflies, get you this far…” 

“Yeah,” Ellie nodded. 

“Found the first spot without their help,” he continued. “But they’d left. Lookin’ for this one now and not seein’ much of a sign of ‘em…” 

Ellie shrugged. 

“Probably just trying to hid from raiders or FEDRA or some shit,” she said. “That’s what we do.” 

“Yeah, sure,” Joel nodded. “But…” 

Ellie stopped walking and turned to face him. 

“But what?” 

“Baby Girl,” Joel looked at her, this girl who had - in the span of just a few months - become as central to his being as you were. He sighed. “You’ve done so much. You don’t need to do any more. We can just turn around, go back to Jackson. We can do it right now…” 

“And do what?” She frowned. 

“Just live,” you said. “You don’t have to do anything else but that, sweetheart. I promise, you don’t. You don’t owe the world a damn thing…” 

“But everything we’ve done,” she said. “Everything I’ve done… It has to mean something, right? It has to be for a reason. It can’t… It can’t all be for nothing.” 

“It kept you alive,” you said. “That’s all it’s ever been about…” 

“I’ve been given this… thing,” she said. “I’m special, right Doc? No one else is out there like me?” 

“That I know of,” you nodded. “Yeah. But that’s true even if you weren’t immune, kiddo…” 

“I can’t not use it,” she shook her head. “I mean, Doc, you’ve always said we’re here to love people. How am I supposed to do that if I could save the world and I just… don’t?” 

“It’s not supposed to be at the expense of yourself, Baby Girl,” you said gently. “We don’t know what’s waiting for us there but…” 

“But we should find out,” she said. “If I can save people… I want to. I’m special for a reason, right? It has to be for a reason, all of this has to be for a reason.” 

She turned to keep walking and the desperation spread through Joel so fast he spoke without fully thinking. 

“I was the one who missed.” 

Ellie froze before turning around, looking at him. He took a deep breath but kept going. 

“No one shot at me ‘cept me,” he said. “I was the one who missed.” 

You stepped closer to him and slipped your hand into his. 

“What…” Ellie’s voice trailed off. 

“Sarah died,” he said and he looked at you. “Thought she was gone, too….” He looked back at Ellie. “Didn’t seem worth it. I wanted to be done. I was sure, never been more sure of anything in my damn life so I…” 

He took a deep breath. 

“I flinched,” he said. “Part of me… part of me knew I’d find her again…” He gave your hand a squeeze. “But that wasn’t enough. Not for a long time… Anyway, what I’m tryin’ to tell you…” 

“I know what you’re trying to tell me,” she said, giving him a tight smile. “So time really does heal all wounds?” 

“Wasn’t time that did it,” he said. “Baby Girl, you’re enough all on your own, immune or no. You don’t need to do another damn thing, you just keep livin’ and that’s enough.” 

She watched him for a moment. 

“I’m really glad that didn’t work out, Joel,” she said quietly. “But we should keep going.” 

He nodded slowly and Ellie turned to head further into the city. You pressed a kiss to the scar at his temple and he took a deep, shaky breath. 

“If we haven’t found ‘em by tomorrow…” he said. 

“I know,” you said softly. 

The two of you caught up with her quickly. 

“I think this calls for some shitty puns,” Joel said. 

“Excellent puns, you mean,” you corrected him. 

“You asked for it,” Ellie smiled, slinging her backpack around to her front and grabbing the book out. 

“Oh this is good,” she looked at the two of you. “People are making apocalypse jokes like there’s no tomorrow!” 

Joel smiled and shook his head and you snorted. 

“Not too soon?” She asked, turning the page. 

“That’s just topical,” Joel said. 

“I think I need a new line of work,” you said, looking at Ellie. “And making mirrors is something I could really see myself doing…” 

“Ohhhh,” she groaned. “That one’s so bad!” 

“Is it?” You crinkled your nose. 

“Here’s one,” Ellie said. “One of my favorites, you’ll have to guess why… Moon rocks taste better than Earth rocks. Know why?” 

“Why?” Joel asked. 

“Because they’re meteor!” 

“No,” Joel shook his head as Ellie laughed. “Uh-uh, that one’s bad…” 

“That one’s perfect!” She replied. “It’s a pun and it’s about space, you literally cannot get better than that.” 

“That’s a three of 10,” Joel said. “And that’s bein’ generous.” 

“What!” She shook her head. “No way, at least a six, probably an eight….” 

Joel only heard the canister hit the ground because he turned his head to look at you, the clatter of the metal on the pavement making him pause. 

“What…” you began but Joel moved fast, grabbing your arm and Ellie’s and throwing you both behind him just as the canister exploded. 

The last thing he heard was you screaming his name before he passed out. 

A/N: Yup. We're here. We're too this point.

Canon is going to diverge next chapter as we close in on the end of this story but get ready for *drumroll* FERAL JOEL!

Because next chapter is all Feral Joel all the time.

And we love that for us.

There is a taglist if you'd like to be added BUT we're really closing in on the end here. I think this story will be wrapped by the end of the month. I will add you if you'd like, however!

Thank you for being here and sticking with this story! I've loved every second of this adventure with you. Love you!!

Taglist: @paleidiot@ayamenimthiriel@ginger-swag-rapunzel@drewharrisonwriter@flugazi @pedropascalsbbg@taoyuji@starstruckmusiciansartghost@splendsay@bigboiseason123@jpbplvr @ashleyandring @mrsyixingunicorn10@sloanexx@ninaminaromina @lady-bellyn @hufflepuffriver @sarap-77 @storyarcscribe @mellymbee @jasminedragoon @lemonmeli @reds-ramblings@arizonadaydreamer@mumma-moonchild@blackroseguzzi@candypeaches16@kittenlittle24@wrappedinfiction@oatmeaiboy@pedritosdarling@winchestergypsy90@imnotdatboii @lalalalemonade11 @maknimuk1@mrsdarcyinlovewithbuckybarnes@pedrosaidsheispunk@commanderawkward@n7cje@elliesgirlll@tsunamistorm123@spookyxsam@leeeesahhh @anoverwhelmingdin @untamedheart81 @pedropascalfan221 @pedr0swh0r3 @pedrobae@fifia-writes@fatima-marisa @acf2023 @1soff@encephalitiskat @ashleymsnodgrass @karlinspace

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

I was wondering if you could explain how the Matrix actually... works? Is it more like a Time Lord artificial afterlife, or just a collection of knowledge? Do you ask your dead housekeeper for her cookie recipe, or do you just access it like Google?

Absolutely!

How does the Matrix work?

Think about Wikipedia.

Now, imagine if Wikipedia had detailed profile pages of every single member of the human race that had lived since its inception in 2001 (around 7.5~ billion individual, heavily detailed profiles).

Then, imagine each profile page had a little downloadable file that was that person's consciousness.

Next, think about how every person's knowledge gained in their life is spread throughout that Wikipedia on every single subject.

Now, think, 'What if Wikipedia had a plugin that could tell you future events based on all the information it has from all these people's experiences?'

Finally, put all this into a cool little weird video game that uses virtual reality.

If you can imagine that, you're pretty close.

💻 Functions of the Matrix

Knowledge Repository: The Matrix acts as an archive, containing the lived histories and profiles of every Time Lord that's lived, and all the knowledge they gained in their life.

Quick Updates: Living Time Lords are biologically connected to the Matrix, able to access the information at will (except if you've been a bad Time Lord, of course). When they die the Matrix automatically creates their profile page when they die, so their entire life goes to the Time Lord Wiki for the benefit of all.

Simulated Reality: If entered, the environment is a simulated reality where the personalities of deceased Time Lords can continue to exist. This can make it seem like a kind of artificial afterlife where you could potentially interact with past or future incarnations of Time Lords.

Predictive Tool: The Matrix generates prophecies and foresees potential futures, guiding Time Lords in making informed decisions about potential timelines.

Physical and Astral Projection: Time Lords can also use the Matrix to project their images across spacetime or within the confines of a TARDIS, communicating across vast distances or even between different temporal phases. Isn't that handy?

🔐 Security and Integrity

Despite its advanced capabilities, the Matrix isn't infallible. It can be tampered with, and its data can be manipulated or stolen, which is considered a helluva crime on Gallifrey. The Matrix also uses various safeguards, like Cloister Wraiths and living fibre optic cables that act like firewalls to protect its most critical data.

🔑 Access and Interaction

Access to the Matrix varies; it can be through physical terminals, via direct neural connections, or by using artefacts. Once inside, users can navigate a realm where physical laws are malleable and where their thoughts can shape reality because anything is possible.

🏫 So ...

In practical terms, if you're deadset on finding that cookie recipe, the Matrix could definitely provide access to that knowledge, either by allowing you to interact with the housekeeper's stored personality or by just retrieving the information like a search engine. Alternatively, you could shirk your holiday in Disneyland and jump right into the Matrix to spend a day being attacked by virtual blancmanges and Victoria sponges until you find what you need.

Related:

What is biodata?: What biodata is and what you can use it for.

Factoid: How do Time Lords biologically stay connected to the Matrix?

Hope that helped! 😃

More content ... →📫Got a question? | 📚Complete list of Q+A and factoids →😆Jokes |🩻Biology |🗨️Language |🕰️Throwbacks |🤓Facts →🫀Gallifreyan Anatomy and Physiology Guide (pending) →⚕️Gallifreyan Emergency Medicine Guides →📝Source list (WIP) →📜Masterpost If you're finding your happy place in this part of the internet, feel free to buy a coffee to help keep our exhausted human conscious. She works full-time in medicine and is so very tired 😴

[princess-of-thebes-1995]

Baby Trap

This is an extra chapter after the final battle. Spider is with Jake. Neteyam is alive because you took the shot. 

Since your little love confession to the Colonel, things have been smoother.

The recom Navi gave you privileges, such as a television in the bedroom and your own personal vegetable garden. And best of all, the Colonel hesitantly allowed you to take medicine for insomnia and depression. With the advance technology and advances, you now have the best stuff.

The branches of the army got the best stuff on Earth. So, you got medicine that so far has no side effects. The colonel wasn't stupid. He would feed you the pills in the mornings and evenings before sleeping. He didn't trust you after your attempted suicide.

He gave you scissors to trim his hair and the remaining kids under his supervision. He for some reason also banned coffee. Even decaf. But you were too scared to argue. Oh, well. Your medicine made you mellow. So, you don't think you need coffee to function. 

The colonel would also for some reason act more strange. He would buy you baggy and loose clothes. You didn't wear them. He just hanged them in the closet. Oh, well. At least he started taking care of your half breed Navi twins even more. 

One day, you were in the supply store of the base and asked for pregnancy control pills since you recently ran out three weeks ago.

"I am sorry, Ma'am." The receptionist looked scared. "The colonel gave me orders to not sell you birth control pills. You are banned from all contraceptives till He says so."

……….

You quickly walked back to your room. Thanks to Quaritch making you suck his dick in public, you tried to not be seen. You hated being in your room all day. Now, the one time you left your area of the base besides your kids' rooms and the kitchen, you got one of the worst announcements of your life. 

That jerk wants more kids!?

His human death made you raise triplets on your own. His job hunting Jake made him too tired for the twins. Now, another baby? Sure, physically maybe almost all women your age loved being pregnant due to the body changes and hormones. But, it lasts only nine months.

You shouldn't be hasty. Maybe there was a misunderstanding.  You should talk to Quaritch first.

......

You were washing the dinner dishes after serving your family and Lyle.

The colonel was watching TV while laying down on the bed.  He would shower after he eats with Lyle and the family. He came out fresh and was waiting for you to join him in bed. He tucked all the children to bed.  

You finally finished with the dishes and then took a quick shower. You showered twice a day. In the morning because you always had sex with quaritch at night.

And after cleaning the kitchen at night. To be fresh for your husband after working all day.

You came out to the bedroom.

Quaritch turned off the TV and held one arm out open for you. You crawled next to him and he kissed the top of your nose. He placed his chin on top of your head and held you close.

"Um, honey. I went to the supply store."

The colonel curiously looked down at your lovely face.

"The receptionist told me you forbade her from selling contraceptives. Is that true?"

The colonel nodded like it was natural. "Of course you shouldn't take pills."

You then sat up and separated from him. The colonel looked annoyed from the distance. He beckoned you back to his embrace.

You then got off the bed and stood next to it. The colonel narrowed his eyes at your disobedience. He gave you a warning look.

"I don't want any more babies." 

 "Remember what I said at the gym? When you sucked my dick?" He sat up from his position and swung his legs over the bed. "You no longer have an opinion. You will obey me."

Your eyes pricked with tears. "Five kids is enough."

The colonel got off the bed and stood to his height. "Don't lie. You love being pregnant. Minus the nausea. Besides, I have a feeling you might betray me again. I will fix your attitude."

You began to shake. You thought…

"You thought after that make up fuck we had last night will change my decision?" He sneered. "I said I love you. But, I don't trust you."

You began to back away and he menacingly followed you. Mocking you.

"You drugged my drink, you took my kids away from me, and you almost killed me multiple times. I would have killed you if you were not in my heart."

You sobbed and told him that he baby trapped you. 

The colonel grabbed your shoulders and slammed you against the wall. To his level your legs were lifted off the ground. 

"Says the gold digging whore who seduced me to help those science bitches years ago. You claim to be an independent woman. But you're a fuckin joke. A spoiled and entitled brat who uses her good looks and cunningness to get what she wants. You would always use your pretty face to persuade others to all your demands. But not me."

He breathed hard. "You're the weakest and most pathetic girl I ever met. You're everything I hate in a woman. I met real independent and tough women like Walker, Zdinarsik, and general Ardmore. But sadly, I fell in love with you of all people."

You felt his words shatter your heart. 

"You hate loving me?" You whispered. 

He nodded with a clenched jaw. "You ruined my fuckin life."

[sanest-bsd-delegate]

High Enough

Oneshot: You were a runaway, and his obsession never left you. Fyodor x Reader Idk guys how do you even cop up with this man's personality Masterlist Please look at the request rules in masterlist before requesting.

Oh

Oh

Oh

Oh

"Well well well, look what we have here" Fyodor commented as you took a seat in front of him.

"I am here for delivering the information regarding the recent attacks, don't take this meeting otherwise" You commented, passing him the envelope regarding plans to demolish the ability users.

"I don't like anyone better than you, it's true" Fyodor commented, placing his hand above yours which seemed to be kept above the envelope

That moment you knew shouldn't have come, because all the memories worth spent together came crashing down on you, years flashing down in seconds.

“I'd crawl a mile in a desolate place with the snakes, just for you” Fyodor said as he hugged you close, almost as if he was threatening to choke you to death but you all knew well he wouldn't be able to.

Oh, I'm an animal, hand me a tramadol, gimme the juice You are my citadel, you are my wishing well, my baby blue, oh, oh

He was obsessed with you. The first time you both met, was at the age of 17 when you seemed to bump into him for the first time, running away from your house which wasn't even your home.

He offered you a place to stay, and something you could soon call it a home. Alas, your beauty and personality captured his eyes, which was never to leave his mind.

Time passed as you both filled each other with nothing but your presence and company. It was one of those nights you couldn't have forgotten.

“I used to like liquor to get me inspired” You were drunk and whenever you drank, you couldn't differentiate anything. All seemed strange yet familiar but always felt like a new environment with new people, rather a new person.

“But you look so beautiful,” Fyodor silently commented to himself, as he smiled while you were busying waving the glass of alcohol above your head. “my new supplier?” you said clearly drunk, asking for more as you continued to speak,

"I used to like smoking to stop all the thinking" you paused, clearly looking as if you experienced a headache, but shaking off the feeling you continued, "But I found a different buzz, what is you thinking either ways Fyodor? "

"The world is a curse, it'll kill if you let it" he said, sighing as you dropped down the makeshift couch you had near you at the moment.

"I know they got pills that can help you forget it" You joked, as you threw your legs up in the sky, letting the alcohol mess up your brain and functioning.

"They bottle it, call it medicine" He commented, as he took you in his arms to stop you from throwing another silly body movement.

"No silly i was talking about the thing but you know what?"

"Hmm"

"But I don't need drugs" you whispered, slowly being in a fetal position with him, as your body merely inches apart.

"Cause I'm already high enough" And with that you kissed him, still unaware of this occurring due to being drunk.

That moment you knew, it was a wrong move. Day after, regaining your conciseness, you soon came face to face with Fyodor. At first the relationship was normal, ongoing and easy? But you couldn't shake off the feeling of uncertainty which increased each day. He was acting more possessive and maniac then usual.

"You got me, you got me good" He says while kissing your head.

"I'm already high enough" You joked back as you kisses his cheek.

"I only, I only, I only got eyes for you" He whispers before closing the minimal distance between your lips, his getting tighter then usual as he kisses you passionately.

It was all burning, one moment you were just accidently bumped into a guy and the other moment the area of city was on fire. You had just apologized to the guy for your actions, and in return just brought him his coffee back in the same store where Fyodor had to have his meeting. You were screwed being seen by other guy.

"Do you see anyone other than me?" Fyodor said as he carefully traces your jawline, his eyes showing pure jealously which you swore wasn't even healthy.

"Baby, please" You said, "Let me explain"

"I'll take a hit of whatever you got" He said, walking in the room and playing himself to play his cello.

"Maybe two, maybe three" He said smiling widely, tracing the strings of cello like soft fabric.

"Oh, you're phenomenal, feel like a domino, fall to my knees" He continued, as his words rang your ear. You were slowly losing your sanity with this guy. His words seemed to get the best of you. and if you fall into his words again, you would be nothing but a soulless body for a puppeteer like him.

"I am a malady, you are my galaxy, my sweet relief," He slowly opens his eyes as he stared at your soul, having his smile creep up little by little.

"oh, oh, oh" You cursed mentally, you could escape if you want right now but he was at the door now as his hands traced the door knob, which he twisted to lock up the room.

"I used to like liquor to get me inspired" He was coming close to you know.

"But you look so beautiful, my new supplier" You were getting scared as he seemed to come close. This was getting out of hand.

"I used to like smoking to stop all the thinking" His face was merely an inch apart from yours, "But I found a different buzz"

"The world is a curse, it'll kill if you let it" He told, holding your hands which seemed to be cold with fear.

"I know they got pills that can help you forget it" he said, as his hands travel to your face, brushing of your hair which seemed to come in front of your eyes.

"They bottle it, call it medicine" You gained a little confidence to speak up.

"But I don't need drugs" he whispered, as he started to close the gap between you two.

"Cause I'm already high enough"

You were running away again, this time away from the place you called home, away from the man who's sanity lies nowhere you could call a human and away from the lover who once was yours.

"You got me, you got me good" you whispered to yourself, as you found a shelter in nearby motel. His words rang in your ear as if he was just behind you speaking.

"I'm already high enough

I only, I only, I only got eyes for you"

"Don't try to give me cold water" You spoke to Fyodor harshly knowing to well you will be seeing this man soon. What were the odds that you both had to work for the same organization.

I don't wanna sober up

All I see are tomorrows

"Oh, the stars were made for us" Fyodor said, as he stood up, walking towards the exit of the café with the envelope, before whispering to you,

I'm already high enough

You got me, you got me good

"I'm already high enough" He whispered, his hands on your shoulder as he held it tightly, "I only, I only, I only got eyes for you"

Oh

In that mere time, the voices in you head started to ring again, his words repeating like a broken record.

I only got eyes for you

Oh

Oh

I only, I only, I only got eyes for you

Look guys, even i dont know what I write half of the time but this, Writing this was hawt af

Music: High enough by k flay

[somer-writes]

ugh ok ok ok i am running wild with this gloom infection concept so i wrote a bunch of stuff down before i forget. subject to change bc im kind of just spitballing as of rn

CW for horror/gore/outbreaks of illness/discussion of violence

Twilight

19

Comes from Ordon. Ordon was one of the last places for the gloom to reach. Twilight’s not sure if he’s the only one left, but he’s searching for the others despite the village being more or less destroyed.

Was infected with gloom, was “cured” in Faron Spring (read died and resurrected via light spirit shenanigans)

Instead of Twili markings he has gloom scars. He keeps his left arm in wraps where the gloom left his bone exposed at his wrist and upper arm. The wounds are just kind of there and don’t seem to get better but aren’t getting worse. They no longer give him pain and don't bleed. He also has scars on his cheeks/forehead. The whites of his eyes are a little dull

Gloom did weird shit to him! He doesn’t see well but he has sharp smelling and hearing. He’s very slow to bleed so can sustain more damage but is also very slow to heal. Sunlight’s not great for him and he's pyrophobic

Gloom infected people don’t come after him anymore

Around large groups of infected he sort of joins the mob but can be brought out of it with distance

Somewhat forgetful

Brawler - will use improvised weapons or just go fully barehanded against infected

Wild

17

Comes from Hateno

Got trapped in a house fire set by a neighbor, managed to survive through divine intervention

Lost his memory, covered in scars. The scars cause him mobility issues

Selective mute as a trauma response

Long hair :D but more like TotK length and not LU length

Agile - good at climbing, uses a compound bow and hunting arrows (or makes his own in a pinch)

Wanders aimlessly without a home to attach himself to or people to look for

Makes elixirs/good cook

pretty reckless, enjoys looting to find Good Ingredients XD

Wars

23

From Castle Town

Military background - one of the few survivors of the initial outbreaks

Had to put down a lot of his own men and civilians

Very outwardly aloof and avoidant of his trauma

Control issues, compulsive need to be "hygienic" (sometimes to the point of harm)

Adept with firearms and will use improvised weapons to spare ammo

Left Castle Town to go to Outset Island

Wind

14

Outset is mostly untouched by the gloom, but the island is quarantined

Mainlanders tried to flee to the islands and it caused chaos leading to riots

In the chaos of the riots, Aryll was mistakenly taken to the mainland and Wind went after her

Really good at making and setting traps

Terrified of the infected

Gloom

Outbreak caused by Ganon’s tomb being unsealed and his curse being unleashed

The gloom is spread through bodily fluids like blood or spit. Most commonly it’s spread through biting and scratching

Gloomhands can also spread the infection and expedite it into hours rather than days

Infected wounds can be treated with brightbloom seeds which only grow in the very gloom infested depths under Hyrule which makes the medicine hard to come by

Gloom slowly rots the infected while they’re alive. It also degrades mental capability such as cognitive function and sanity. Progresses very similar to dementia except it causes aggression and violence

Gloomhands are borne from several infected corpses piling in one place

Gloom scars are called “gloom burn” because they resemble burn scars. A lot of times the flesh doesn’t entirely heal with successful treatment

The Chain

They converge at Lon-Lon through coincidence

Tasked by Hylia to beat Ganon and end the curse

The Zelda’s all wield light magic which can cure gloom infection and with enough strength (usually through multiple of them gathered) can reverse the effects of gloom and create safe oases

Aside from needing to mull over the rest of the chain, i'm also considering appearances from Midna, the resistance, ravio & hilda, and phantom ganon

the map will be mostly based on totk with some adjustments. modern contemporary setting with fantasy elements.

[possessionisamyth]

Here's some RE Separate Ways analysis that isn't about shipping because I like Ada. I'm happy her DLC actually focuses on her, but some of the takes I'm seeing are Insufferable. Main statements in bold for ease of reading and skipping purposes.

-Wesker and Ada haven't been working together consistently for the past 6 years. This dripless bitch is calling Ada every five minutes to babysit her. I don't think that's the relationship dynamic of someone you're regularly employed under, and when it is, Ada is not the type of character to tolerate that behavior for 6 years. We know Ada is a contract worker. We can understand she's worked for Wesker on and off, but she's a freelance agent period. She must've done enough jobs for Wesker that he feels the need to check on her and have this constant reporting in to make sure she stays on task since he's clearly used to her not always following his orders. He 100% hired her for this assignment because he knew the situation and compared to the other options, she had the highest survival chances. Which, he was right. High risk, high reward.

Sometimes Wesker's babysitting works: Ada holding Luis at gunpoint when he tries to negotiate saving Leon and Ashley. Sometimes he knows when to step away: "Keep your dog." All of it is in the effort to get what he wants. Look, he let her live. He worked with S.T.A.R.S for years and wanted them all dead. If he worked with Ada regularly and she pulled this shit with the amber, he would've had that helicopter blown out of the sky. There's always some restraint with personal distance, especially with a guy who thinks so highly of himself.

-Luis is a drama queen. In the regular game, Luis acts cool and under control to the best of his abilities around Leon and Ashley. It's a part of his newly found hero-complex even though he does still know when to ask for help: "save me prince charming!" In the DLC, we see the real side of Luis. The one who's scared, and dramatic, and knows when he's not shooting with a loaded gun so to speak. When Ada tells him to leave her to fight, he does. He wants to help, but his respect for her abilities sends him fleeing like she orders him to. Also, like every scientist, he has zero self-preservation! He ran into a fire that clearly would kill him to get medicine. And the exchange afterwards? "No! Now you'll all die!" "Make some more medicine." "Oh..yeah...I can do that. I do have that ability."

The flamenco dance. "Are you mad at me???🥺 You're mad at me!😭" This man understands Ada can kill him without blinking, but still can't keep his composure around her. This is such a fun dynamic to explore in fic for expansion stories and "Luis lives" au's. The DLC gives him breaks to freak out and panic, whereas the main game holds the "cool persona" moments after Leon saves him. Even his dying words to Ada. This man is bleeding to death and still can't shut up. I love him.

Okay, that's all I gotta say about the loser men. Now for the star of the DLC. Ada. :)

-Ada "Sans Undertale go into my eyes" Wong. The methods Ada uses in the DLC are fun and appropriate. It's not invasive and in your face unlike another agent, but more subtle. She can track footprints, fingerprints, gauge the safe distance required for her grappling hook, and she knows when she needs to fight and whens he needs to run. Her practicality has always been the cleanest of the entire cast due to her being a spy, but this time we actually get to see this trait utilized through her tools.

-Ada is silly and quips her own jokes to get through it. Something I'm not seeing anyone talk about including the aeon people who are claiming anything they can get, is this specific humor parallel between Leon and Ada in the remake. Both of them have gone through the horrors of Raccoon City. Both of them went right back into very difficult military in function style work which always has a body count. I talked about Leon's humor coping mechanism here [X], but to hear Ada do the same thing? I feel like they went under the radar because they don't sound as stupid as Leon's quips, but they are still so stupid. "Nighty night." "Lights out." "Bring me a real challenge next time." "Now look at the mess you've made." "You think that gun will be enough?" She and Leon even share the same "Next," line!

If I had 80GB to spare on the game, I'd see just how many more I could get out of her. Like, these are dumb as hell. She's found a method to cope with the horrors she's witnessing that just so happens to coincide with Leon's. I'm not saying this as a marker of whatever romance you've tossed them in or even to diss any other romances. What I am saying is that they have a similar type of mental illness resulting from trauma, and they ended up using the exact same coping method despite never seeing each other.

Ada fans who hate Leon! This opens a door for you when it comes to character analysis and how Ada deals with her PTSD and/or depression! Run through it RIGHT NOW!

-Ada's infection pulls a lot more weight than it seems. I've seen some people say Ada's parasite should've been removed the same as Leon's and Ashley's. (Which is an extremely unsubtle argument to get them all in the same room for your shipping nonsense.) However, something I noticed with the DLC were the parallels to the troubles in RE2. The Black Robe/U-3/Pesenta monster is the first time where we get to see Ada dealing with a stalking enemy. Due to RE4 being so much more plot-lined streamed to maintain the flow of gameplay, these events were not allowed to be random, but the narrative purpose remains. Ada gets to have a stalking enemy in her DLC like Claire and Leon did in RE2 with the addition of a hubris check.

The hubris check? Well, Ada has never been infected until this DLC. In the original games, she can step back and watch people die because she doesn't know what it feels like. Now she knows what it feels like. The lack of control. The pain. The slow turning. Her job has had her flirting with death for years, but not in a way she can't fiddle with the odds. A parasite is not something a person can distract with words. The action to steal the amber is backed up via personal experience not just a morality code slapped on. The addition of Wesker's correction to "billions of causalities" means she's included in that number and just cements her incentive to flee. She's not doing this for Leon. She's not doing this for Luis. She's doing this for herself, and if it so happens to help other people then it is what it is. After being on both sides of the coin when it comes to viruses, she can no longer function as entirely impartial to the work she's doing.

-Ada doesn't ask for permission but asks for forgiveness. Don't take this phrasing literally. She doesn't ask Wesker to forgive her. What this means is that she'll do something before asking, and if it upsets people then she'll course correct. Her job is not the kind of job where she needs to take orders for every action she implements which is why Wesker calling every five minutes was annoying as hell. In the OG RE4 she kind of argues with Wesker for Leon to live for "his usefulness", but it's swiftly shut down until it's convenient to Wesker for Leon to live. This forces her to sneak around and betray Wesker multiple times to save Leon secretly, and the concept rightfully gets thrown into the garbage for the remake DLC.

The scene in the bedroom where Wesker tells Ada not to become a liability after taking her blood? Ada doesn't fight to get her shit back. Some people said this was flirting. Wrong. This is Ada seeking forgiveness after the fuck up of passing out in the middle of an active field by letting Wesker walk off with an infection sample. She then makes sure not to fuck up a second time in the same way, and she doesn't. She learns the signs of her parasite so in case she does pass out again, she'll be somewhere much less conspicuous. She listens for the changes in her environment and the feelings in her body and prepares herself for what's next.

-Ada saves Leon and Ashley for Luis' sake. I stated earlier that Ada's action to take the amber was for her own sake but ends up helping others. This is the exact situation going on when Luis talks about getting the suppressant. She needs the suppressant in order to do her job and kill the black robe so she can heal. It just so happens that Leon and Ashley need the suppressant for survival reasons too. They are an afterthought until Luis dies.

We watch Ada question Wesker and his plans all throughout this DLC, and she comes to her own conclusions after her experience working with him. She could've gotten the amber back and let the whole place blow into smithereens like Wesker intended. Who cares about the president's daughter? Who cares about another dead federal agent? Luis did. He cared so much he died for it, and just like that other clown in Raccoon City (aka her), she got emotionally attached. If there was anything she could've done for Luis to make his death mean something, it was this act.

-Ada sells Leon's jacket. This isn't analysis, but I thought this was funny as hell. ACAB! No exceptions! Freeze your tiddies off, Leon! I don't give a shit!

-Ada's new outfit is still better than her old one. It's still not the best they could've given her. I'm also not speaking from a fashion point of view when I say this. In the OG RE4 we see Leon in a jacket which is forcibly removed to show off his pecs to the ladies, but it clearly marks a colder time of year. OG RE4 Ada has arms out, legs out, and tits out because a hoe never gets cold. The sweater dress for the remake re-establishes that it's colder here because even Luis doesn't lose his jacket. Ashley doesn't lose her jacket either until they yoink it off her for ritual reasons. I still hate that the thigh high boots have that heel and would prefer the flats, but that's going to be in the complaint paragraph below.

-Capcom sexism at play once again. I don't give a shit about rigs and motion capture or whatever, her walk cycle was 2 adjustments from being full Bayonetta, and I hate it. The ass shots? Disrespectful. Her heels didn't have to be that high. Never heard of a kitten heel? They exist. The people who worked on RE3 Remake and worked on this DLC sure love to make a woman vomit don't they? Why the fuck was she so clean the entire game? She was being thrown around and tossed in the dirt a lot, but this woman's skin is shinier than a waxed apple. Either she has some wet wipes on hand, or god forbid women get filthy. Absolutely zero reason she shouldn't have been looking as rough as Leon by the time she gets on the helicopter! No reason at all!

That's all they wrote! I love Ada. I loved this DLC, and I loved the dynamics going on here even though I hated every time Wesker was on screen or opened his mouth at all.

As much as I would love to expand this post and go further into the changed Ada and Leon relationship, I frankly hate all the takes I've been seeing so much on either side of the Aeon debate. I hate the ongoing conversation around it so much that I don't know if I want to discuss this at all. The Aeon should've gotten this if not for Luis and Ashley side and the Aeon is dead side going back and forth with each other? All of you put on your clown noses! None of you are looking at this situation objectively to see where the lines cross and where they run alongside each other, and frankly I'm tired! I could clear this whole table off so both of you can get exactly what you want based on what you're not actually interpreting from this media, but I won't! Kill each other!