#I’m still struggling to figure out why he stares at certain things

[xx-sketchy-xx]

Poor poppy, a three tiered cake is simply not big enough!

[millenialfanfictionaddiction]

Comparing you to their Ex girlfriend

Kiyoomi Sakusa x Fem! reader; Atsumu Miya x Fem! Reader

Warnings: toxic behavior, swearing, Sakusa and Atsumu being big ole jerks, mention of ex’s, angst to comfort

AN: because I enjoy pain : D

Sakusa

Dating life had been pretty dull before you met MSBY’s famed spiker, Kiyoomi Sakusa. It had taken awhile to get to know him. He was a guarded and rather brass individual, not talking much to anyone outside his small circle. However after weeks of trying and being rejected, you finally were able to break thought his defensive walls. He had finally given you a chance.

Now, almost a year later, you and Kiyoomi had a well established routine. It had taken a while to figure out each other quirks, but soon you were able to function as one unit, living your lives both independently and cohesively.

However, one thing you struggled continuously to get use to was Kiyoomi’s high standards of cleanliness. No matter how hard you tried, you never were able to keep up. You knew it was a big reason why Kiyoomi and you hadn’t taken the next step in your relationship, why you hadn’t yet moved in together. It was often a topic of discussion and many times arguments. Your disagreement’s were never fully settled as you both always managed to run out of steam, knowing this was an issue that wouldn’t be quickly resolved.

You tried you hardest, watching his routine and replicating it as best as you could but it was still never enough for him. Despite all this, you loved and adored Kiyoomi and wanted nothing more than the spend the rest of your life with him.

One night, you were sitting on his couch while you watched a movie. He had been at practice all day and you had just gotten off of work. You spent most of you time at his place, knowing perfectly well that he preferred it. While it was inconvenient at times, you kept clothes and the essentials at his place to make mornings and weekends a little easier.

“They are redoing carpeting in the hallway this week,” Kiyoomi spoke as you looked at him. You knew he had been hoping management would upgrade for a while now so you were thrilled.

“I’m glad! I know you’ve wanted this for a while. You always complain about the stains and stuff so it’s good that they are finally taking notice,” you said as he hummed in agreement.

“Yeah but I’ll have to stay in a hotel for a few days because I won’t be able to have access to my apartment so that kind of sucks.”

You didn’t see this as an inconvenience but rather as an opportunity. You had been waiting to show Kiyoomi how you’ve improved your cleaning skills and you were certain that they were beyond up to his standards.

“You know, you could just stay with me?” You spoke as Kiyoomi looked at you, smiling and then chuckling. Confused, your brows furrowed as you waited for him to speak.

“No offense sweetie but I’ve seen your cleaning skills and I think I’ll take my chances at a hotel,” he laughed. You sat up, looking at him as he stared.

“Omi I’ve been working my butt off to keep my place clean. I do everything you asked and I’ve been keeping in mind the things you taught me,” you said as Kiyoomis face fell. He could tell you were serious.

“YN it’s ok. Cleaning isn’t everyone’s strong suit and it’s obviously not yours,” he replied as you stood up, offended by his words.

“I’m trying my hardest Kiyoomi! I come home, exhausted everyday and I clean. Then, instead of relaxing, I drive over here and spend my nights with you because I know you are more comfortable in your own environment!” You shout as Kiyoomi rolls his eyes m, standing up and walking past you.

“YN you are making a huge deal of this again, we’ve been over this!” He spoke going into the kitchen and plgrabbing his cleaning supplies. You knew he cleaned when he was stress, it wasn’t like his normal routine.

“Omi I’m not trying to-”

“YN just shut up ok?! Just shut up! It’s always something with you! This is always a fight and I’m sick of it! If you were half as good as Becca was at cleaning we’d already be living together!” He growled as you froze, you mouth falling slack as you body went cold. How could he? How could he bring her up? Of everything he could have said, how could he have stooped so low.

You straightened you back, tears filling your eyes as you heart began to crumble, “I’ll never be good enough for you will I Kiyoomi?” Turning on your heels, you grabbed your purse and shoes, walking out the front door.

Leaning on the counter, his anger began to grow, not at you but at himself. He couldn’t believe she had come to his mind, someone he hadn’t thought about in years. Becca had been his high school sweetheart, and he thought she was it. Unfortunately, schedules clashed and his life as a pro-volleyball superstar skyrocketed. He found less and less time for her and she had grown sick of it. Before he knew it, he had come home to an empty apartment, he spare key on the counter with a note that simply rid, “I fell out of love with you.” That was the last Tim he had seen or heard from her again. He figured she’d moved on, found someone who was worthy of her time.

The breakup had broken him in more ways than he carried to admit. He became more reclusive, pulling away from friends and family. He got in the habit of being alone, functioning without someone at his side. That all changed when he met you. You were gorgeous, funny and so outgoing. He immediately found himself attracted to you but he was scared, scare of his heart being broken again, scared he would lose something so precious.

You continued to peruse him, despite his desperate attempts to keep you away. He wanted to be with you, wanted to move on but his fear of being left alone was paralyzing. Finally, he relented and went on a date with you. Soon one turned into two and then three and then six. Your relationship happened effortlessly and he enjoyed every minute of it. He knew he loved you, knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with you but he was afraid to make that next step so he kept you at bay with his ridiculous cleaning demands. He knew they were outrageous and over the top but they protected him, they protected his heart.

He stood there, once again in silence as his breathe began to hitch. He had done it again, he had driven the person he lived away. His arms fell to his side as he reached for his phone. He pulled up your contact information and hit the dial button.

The phone rang and rang as you ignored it. You knew Kiyoomi was calling but you couldn’t bare speaking to him, you curled up in your freshly made bed as your tears overwhelmed you. The pain of her name imprinted on your brain as you sobbed.

Kiyoomi had told you about Becca, he had told you why she had left. You knew he was guarded and you were determined to do whatever you could to fix it. You hated how broken he was, how he felt he couldn’t trust anyone. It was a big reason as to why you worked your hardest to live up to his standards, thinking maybe, just maybe, he would let his guard down.

“You’re such an idiot Yn,” you cried as you covered your head up and sobbed deeply.

“Yeah, what’s up?” Atsumu answered as Kiyoomi stood in his kitchen, taking his hand down his face. He had messed up and in a bad way.

“I really fucked update with Yn Sumu. She left and I don’t think she’s coming back,” he murmured into the phone.

“What happened? Did she finally have enough of your bullshit demands?” Atsumu laughed as Kiyoomi sighed.

“We got into a fight because she wanted to me stay with her while my apartment was getting some work done. I thought she was joking but she wasn’t and I kind of threw Becca in her face.”

“You did what??? You asshole!” Atsumu shouted as Kiyoomi pulled the phone away from his ear, “I mean come on dude, YN has been dealing with your bullshit for almost a year now! She does everything you ask of her and all she wants is for you to see that. I think she’s more than shown you she can handle your ridiculous standards dude. Plus she’s probably the most patient woman I’ve ever seen. I mean, literally dealing with you is just as bad as emo Bokuto!”

Kiyoomi didn’t answer because he knew what Atsumu was saying was true. He knew his standards were high and that in a lot of ways, they were just a guard.

“You know she loves you right? She’s not going anywhere Omi. She chased you down for months and she’s stood by you for almost a year, she’s not leaving dude,” Atsumu spoke softly as a tear rolled down kiyoomi’s cheek.

“I think I need to talk to her,” he responded as he heard Atsumu mutter an “mmhmm” before hanging up. He grabbed his keys, locking up before making his way to your apartment.

You groaned as the knocking on your door became obsessive. You had absolutely no intention on answering the door in the state you were in but the person had continued to knock for well over 20 minutes.

With mascara running down your cheeks and you hair in disarray, you made your way to the front door, checking the peephole before opening it.

You saw Kiyooni on the other side, looking visibly upset. Unlocking the door, you swung it open as the smell of cleaning products wafted, hitting his nose smack in the face.

“What do you want?” You growled as Kiyoomi stood there taking you in. You looked like you had been crying, no doubt because of him and his actions. Your face was flush and your hair a complete disaster. Still, you looked absolutely breathtaking to him.

“Can-can I come in?” He questioned, rubbing the back of his head as you turned and headed towards the living room.

“Take your shoes off at least,” you said as Kiyoomi looked around. Your apartment was immaculately kept, everything clean and in its place. Dare he say, it may have even been cleaner than his own place.

Having slipped his shoes off, he headed to the couch. You had sat in the arm chair, indicating you didn’t want to be close to him. He couldn’t really blame you for that.

“I can to apologize Yn. I’m really sorry for everything I said, for how hard I’ve been on you. Honestly, I don’t have an excuse at this point. I’ve been a complete asshole to you. I’ve set my standards and walls so high that I was sure you’d never reach them and every time you did, it kind of freaked me out. I was scared of losing you like I lost her. I was scared of how much I loved you and how much I came to need you in my life. I know you don’t have to forgive me and I don’t expect you too but I just wanted you to know how sorry I am and how much I really do love you.”

Tears fell as you listened to him speak. You knew he was guarded but this was a whole new level. Tears streamed down your cheeks as your eyes met his, “I love you Kiyoomi and all I’ve ever tried to do was show you that. I know how important volleyball is to you and what happened with your ex but I’m not her. I’m not going to to fall out of love with you because your passionate about volleyball.”

Kiyoomi watched you as tears fell, he knew you were being sincere and that you cared for him. He stood up, walking over to you and kneeling in front of you, “YN, I love you and I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry I said those things and pushed you away. I’m sorry I ever gave you a chance or agreed to come stay with you. I shouldn’t have compared you to her. There is nothing to compare Yn, I love you so so much more than I ever loved her and I hope you can find it in your heart o forgive me.”

You smiled softly as you hand went to rest on his cheek, whiling a stray tear as it flowed down, “I forgive you Kiyoomi and I love you so much.”

Atsumu

Your relationship with Atsumu was an interesting one. When you first met him, you thought he was rather arrogant and annoying, not usually someone you’d date. However the more you got to know him, the more he grew on you, leading to your now 6 month long relationship. Sure it had its ups and downs but you were so in love with the un-toned blonde setter.

Atsumu and you both had extreme personalities, which was a double edged sword in your relationship. You both were extremely passionate and loving towards each other but when you fought, oh boy was it a show.

You didn’t fight a lot, usually only when things got serious or you got annoyed with his normal stupidity. You both had separate lives, somehow managing to cohesively combine them to fit each other.

Both being workaholics, you struggled sometimes to find time for each other. Atsumu was at the gym for long hours and you were at your office for equally as long but you always made weekly dates and kept your relationship fresh.

This week, it was your turn to plan your weekly date. Unfortunately for you, you’d been not only extremely run down at work but your period had just started and you weren’t feeling the best. You decided that it would be ok to keep it low key for one week since you usually always went all out. You’d order take out and watch a movie, it was simple but you knew the point of date was to spend time with your man.

When Sumu came home, he noticed you in your pajama’s chilling on the couch as you smiled at him. He looked at you, confused as to why you weren’t ready to go out. “Uh babe, we have date night tonight remember?” He said, removing his shoes and setting his bag down. He had been busy at the gym, exhausted from all the extra work he had been putting in. He was looking forward to going out, enjoying the town and spending time with his girl.

“I thought we could switch things up once! I was going to order take out and figured we could rent a movie,” you smiled as his face fell. You looked at him as he stared at you, wondering why his expression had all of a sudden turned sour

“Babe we always go out. I was looking forward to not being at home,” he complained as you stood up, walking over to him. You could tell he was growing agitated but maybe if you explained then he’d be ok.

“Sumu, I’m dead tired and my period came today-”

“Ok so take a midol or something! We can still go out Yn. You aren’t the only one on this relationship you know!?” he shouted as you reeled. What the actual fuck?

“Sumu what the hell?!? I planned a nice night in because I don’t feel well and you tell me to just take some pills and get over it?”

“It honestly sounds like you were just being lazy Yn. It’s not like it takes that much effort to make reservations or put a little makeup on. I mean you do it everyday for your coworkers so you should be able to do it for your boyfriend!” He shouted as you began growing angry.

“Well I’m fucking sorry for having a uterus Sumu! Heaven forbid I ever fucking inconvenience you with my bleeding and exhaustion but oh wait, I forgot, I’m not perfect like you!” You screamed back as he glared.

“You know, Layla never bothered me with shit like this Yn, she knew exactly what I wanted and she never argued with me!” He spat as you stared at him, mouth agape.

How fucking dare he bring her up? Layla, his perfect ex girlfriend who was a model and absolutely drop dead gorgeous. He knew bringing up her was a low blow and he didn’t even care.

“Well then, why don’t you go back to Layla then if I’m such an inconvenience,” you murmured, standing your ground.

“Maybe I will!” He shouted, grabbing his gym bag, slipping his shoes on and walking out the front door.

It took a moment, just a minute to sink in before your whole world came crashing down. Your hands flew to your mouth as you began to shake, tears threatening to spill as you quickly turned and headed to the bedroom.

You cried as you grabbed your overnight bag and began throwing clothes in it. You couldn’t believe he had said that. How could he possibly stoop so low. Of all the people, why did it have to be her? Your chest stung as you leave with the bare minimum, throwing your purse over your shoulder and grabbing your keys as you frantically made your way to the front door.

You had to get out of here, you couldn’t stay here. Not in this place, not surrounded by pictures of the two of you and definitely not as the afterburn of her name hit you. The thought of him seeking her out to comfort him chipped away at your heart, you couldn’t stomach the thought of Atsumu being with her again.

You turned, looking around one last time before leaving. The tears fell, gathering on your clothes and shoes. The heartbreak you were feeling immeasurable.

Groaning, Atsumu sat in his car thinking about the fight over and over again. He was pissed, fuming actually but surprising, it wasn’t at you. He only had himself to be angry at. He knew he overreacted, knew you didn’t deserve the shouting match he started.

He sighed, getting out of his car and knocking on his brothers door. Osamu answered, giving his twin a weird look.

“I thought tonight was date night?”

“YN and I had a fight,” he spoke as Osamu rolled his eyes.

“Of course you did,” he responded moving out of the way, “what happened in paradise now?”

“Well it was suppose to be date night and instead of planning a date, she decided it would be ok for us to just have takeout and watch a movie,” Atsumu reiterated as Samu stared at him.

“Ok and what’s wrong with that?”

“I wanted to go out but she said she wasn’t feeling good, her period or something. So I suggested she take midol-”

“Bro you didn’t?” Samu spoke, eyes widening as Atsumu stared at him.

“I mean, I guess it was kind of rude but dude I want to go out, I want to do stuff!”

“Ok but maybe Yn wasn’t feeling good. Date nights aren’t about going out, it’s about spending time together,” Samu replied.

“Yeah I guess so,” Atsumu said, thinking back to the conversation, “fuck I said something else too. Something kind of mean.”

Osamu looked at him as Atsumu raked his hands through his hair, “what did you say?”

“Fuck- I fuck! I compared her to Layla,” Sumu said, collapsing on his brothers couch.

“You compared Yn, sweet Yn, to that cunt? Dude she was such a fucking bitch and she cheated on you! What the fuck is wrong with you?” Osamu shouted as Atsumu sat down, hands going straight to his hair.

“I know I know man! Fuck I was just so upset about not going out and I- I guess I overreacted.”

“You think? God Sumu you are so stupid! YN is literally the best thing that ever happened to you! Do you realize how fucking annoying you are to deal with? How much YN puts up with? Do you remember when you found out Layla was cheating? God you were the literal worst! Sakusa, heck even Meian, couldn’t handle you!” Atsumu’s hands went down to his knees as he contemplated everything he had been through.

Atsumu had been single for almost a year when he had first laid eyes on you. After Layla had cheated, he had stuck to mostly one night stands. While they weren’t in short supply, he missed the connection of having someone to care for and love.

The first time he saw you was at a bar, dressed in a skin tight outfit he couldn’t remove from his mind. His plans for you started out like all his other plans but immediately changed when you flatly turned him down. He’ll never forget the look you gave him and the giggle followed by the words, “not in your lifetime big guy.” Those words, the look you gave him were definitely what first attracted him to you and after chasing you for months, he finally wore you down enough for a date.

He was utterly broken after his ex had left, crushed by the weight of feeling not good enough. He didn’t want that to ever happen again which is why he kept all potential flings at a distance m, never bringing them to his apartment and never bothering to learn their names, but when you came into his life, that all changed. He learned that he could love again and that not all women were like Layla.

Atsumu stood up, walking to Osamu’s door and exiting. He knew exactly what he needed to do. He needed to grovel at your feet, beg for forgiveness and pray that you’d find it in your amazing heart to forgive him.

Arriving at your shared apartment, he ran upstairs grabbing the door handle and pushing it, only it was locked. His eyes widened as he again pushed on the knob. Why was the door locked? Did you not expect him to come home tonight? The words hit him like a ton of bricks.

“Well then maybe you should go back to Layla!”

“Maybe I will!”

“Shit shit!” He whispered as he quickly grabbed his keys and unlocked the door, pushing in as fast as he could. The apartment was dark and quiet, something he wasn’t use to.

“YN!! YN!! Baby where are you?!”

He searched the entire apartment, frantically looking for any sign of you. He stopped, his breathe hitching as his mind wandered to the worst.

“No no! Please tell me she didn’t!?” He yelled, running to the closet in your bedroom and throwing it open. The blood drained from his face and his eyes began to water as he slowly backed up. Your suitcase was gone, some of your clothes also.

Scrambling quickly, he ran to his phone on the counter and quickly found your number. “Come on baby, pick up!” He whispered.

“Hello?” You answered, somber in tone and sounding like you had been crying.

“Baby? Oh thank god! Where are you? I came home and you were gone, I was so worried!” He sighed, feeling a little relieved that you actually answered his call.

“Why don’t you go back to Layla? I’m sure she can console you!” You spat as Atsumu whinced. Ok, he deserved that, he definitely deserved that.

“Baby, listen I just want to talk ok? I know I fucked up and I’m so sorry Yn. I know I overreacted and I know my words don’t makeup for what I said but I love you Yn. You are the one I want, the one who helped me to trust again. Please Yn, baby come home,” Atsumu sobbed as you sighed.

“I’m sorry Sumu but I’m not going to come home tonight or for a while. What you said was so hurtful and low. You didn’t think of anyone but yourself Sumu. I told you I wasn’t feeling well, that I was exhausted and you told me to take some medicine and suck it up! Then on top of that, you threw her fucking name in my face! You don’t know how fucking much that shattered me Sumu,” you cried, sucking in a breath as Atsumu listened. He knew he fucked up but this was by far the worst he’d ever messed up.

“Princess please, I know- I know I’m a fucking asshole and I should have never ever brought her up, I was mad and I let me anger get the better of me. Just please, please can we talk about this?” He pleaded into the phone, tears running down his cheeks.

“I’ll talk to you later Sumu,” you sighed, hanging up as Atsumu collapsed to his knees, his body shaking as he tried to process everything. You were gone, really gone.

The next morning, your phone rang as you sighed, bracing for another phone call from Atsumu. You picked up the phone, looking at the caller id as your brows furrowed.

“Hello?” You said as Osamu’s voice filled the receiver.

“Hey Yn, uh I’m really sorry to bother you but Sakusa just called me, Atsumu didn’t show up for practice today. I can’t leave the restaurant right now or I’d go check on him but I was wondering if you were with him?”

You breathe stopped, your mind functioning of auto pilot as you raced from your hotel room to your car.

“YN is everything ok?” Osamu said sounding more panicked.

“I- I left Samu! I left him alone! Oh god, Samu I was so hurt by what he said! I got a hotel room and he called me last night. He told me how sorry he was and I told him I needed time! Oh my god what if something happened to him!”

You were sobbing as your tires squealed, your foot hitting the floor as you peeled out of the hotel parking lot. The tears rolled down your face as you heart sped up, your brain automatically going to the worst possible scenario.

“YN calm down ok? I’m sure he’s fine! Please don’t do anything irrational right now,” Sumu spoke, trying to calm you.

You couldn’t answer as you speed to your apartment, parking and throwing open the car door. You left Osamu shouting into your phone as you as you quickly raced to the door.

Ramming into your front door, you threw it open and we’re greeted with Atsumu standing there, staring at you.

“YN what the hell? Are you ok?” he said as you through your body into his, bracing as you sobbed into his chest.

“Osamu called me and said that you didn’t show up to practice! I thought about our conversation last night and oh god Sumu!” You cried into his chest as his arms wrapped around you, holding you close and rubbing your back.

“Baby, hey it’s ok. I’m ok? I texted Meian and told him I needed a day off. I just couldn’t get you off my mind and the thought of even trying to push you out just hurt,” he said, hugging you tight as his eyes began to well with tears.

“Baby I’m so so fucking sorry! I can’t believe I was so selfish. I know I don’t deserve you but YN, I love you more than anything. You are it for me, the only thing I ever want.”

You pulled back, eyes softening as you quickly placed a kiss on Atsumu’s lips, “Sumu what you said was mean and hurtful and you are the biggest jerk ever but I love you so much and the thought of losing you well, it crushed me more than anything.”

“I promise Yn, I’ll be better for you,” he smiled, leaning down and taking your lips once again.

[mopeymi]

Ghost/Soap AU where ‘09 Soap and Ghost are teleported to ‘22 Soap and Ghost through some sort of enemy technology. ‘22 Ghost soon becomes infatuated with ‘09 Soap, realizing the man’s reputation he must have back in their timeline to be so well respected by ‘09 Ghost AND be a Captain. Whilst trying to figure out a way to send the ‘09’s back, Ghost spends his extra time learning from his new superior, seeing him as a highly knowledgeable man that he can learn from, more than anything.

‘22 Soap doesn’t see that, however. He sees ‘22 Ghost and ‘09 Soap spending most of their time together, soon feeling replaced and disregarded. Every time the two ‘22’s have time together, Ghost speaks of Captain Soap’s achievements, his usually cold demeanor shifting into a certain fondness Sergeant Soap feels threatened by. Soap never lets the other man know, however. He would never want his Ghost to see him as ‘jealous’ or ‘desperate’, since that’s not what was happening.

Jealousy definitely, but that he would never admit out loud. It’s just that his Simon is the only one who made him feel seen and heard, that his constant jabbering wasn’t annoying or over the top. He teased him about the Mohawk but Soap knew he was fond of the look because he would muss it up sometimes after Soap managed a particularly hard shot or they had a successful mission. The two bantered and bickered constantly, their conversations over comms somehow teetering too far on the edge of legitimate flirting. Simon was his first true friend, the one he knew would always have his back.

“Be careful who you trust, sergeant. People you know can hurt you the most.” Soap never thought he’d see the day Ghost would be the one to make him feel betrayed. Though perhaps he was being melodramatic about the whole thing. Yeah, that’s what it was. Everything would go back to normal once the ‘09s went back to their timelines.

So Soap did what Soap did best; hyper focus and hyper fixate. He engrossed himself in trying to figure everything out, struggling with certain aspects of the science and technical side, but Gaz, Price, and Laswell were a huge help. Dont get him wrong, he also thoroughly enjoyed the company of the ‘09 Ghost, but not as much as his own Lieutenant. The two spent a lot of their time together too, working hard on trying to fix the problem together, though they only talked about shallow things. He had basically been ignoring ‘22 Ghost in favor of not having to hear how much better his Scottish counterpart was.

It wasn’t until one night, Soap having not slept for around 36 hours, that his ‘22 Ghost walked in. The man grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, ignoring his tired and angry Scottish protests. He tried to wriggle himself free plenty of times, but Ghost only tightened his hold on him, moving him into a more manageable and controllable position.

They walked past the common room where the ‘09s sat, fiddling with something on an iPad. ‘09 Soap gave the two a knowing look, nudging his Ghost with his elbow and motioning to their direction. Soap was confused by the action, drawn into overthinking it and not realizing Ghost had brought them to his barracks room.

His superior unlocked the door, gently pushing the still-angry Scot in.

“Ghost, what the fuck?” He exclaimed, arms crossed in confusion and a form of protection.

“Johnny-“ Ghost began, Soap only shook his head as he made his way to the door.

“I’m busy, Ghost.” Ghost stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, staring him down until Soap couldn’t handle the eye contact anymore and ducked his head away.

“You are going to sleep, Soap.” He demanded, hand guiding the man to his bed. Soap could only stare at it the more he was pushed forward.

“Ghost, I-I can’t. I have to get it figured out, get them back and-“

“Why are you so adamant about them leaving?” Ghost cut him off, accent rough out of aggravation. Soap flinched. He finally had a chance with Ghost, alone, and he already aggravated the man.

“They just… You’re right. I should sleep.” He moved towards the bed, sitting down to start untying his boots. Ghost looked over him, standing unmoving with his arms crossed, then he bent down in between the scots legs, parting his knees gently and staring up at him.

“Why are you so adamant about them leaving, Johnny?” He asked again, softer this time. Soap could only stare back at the soft, brown eyes, willing his face not to flush. He didn’t want to answer, to lay his selfishness bare in front of the one man who had a tendency to break him down. He had earned ‘The Ghost’s’ respect and now he was about to lose it simply because he couldn’t keep his emotions in check.

“They don’t belong here.” Soap settled on saying, trying to push Ghost away so he could continue working his boots off. The other simply swatted his hands away and starting untying the boots for him.

“They have as much right to be here as we do.” Ghost stated, pulling off one boot successfully.

“Ghost… this isn’t their timeline.” Soap sighed, feeling tears well up in his eyes. Ghost was going to fight him on this, all because he preferred the other Soap. Because this Soap wasn’t established enough. All because ‘22 Soap-

“Outta your head and into the bed.” Ghost stated, somehow wrangling the Scot out of his jeans and leaving him clad in only his t-shirt and boxers. He pushed Soap back into his bed, working the blanket over him, “This isn’t their timeline. That is correct, but they’re us Johnny.”

He simply stated as he moved to take his own boots off. Soap sat up at the action, watching the other man carefully, “Have you ever asked Captain Soap how he got to where he is, Johnny?”

Soap grumbled under his breath, shaking his head no at the man and hoping he could see it out of the corner of his eye.

“The other Ghost used to be his superior, the two getting paired together on an anti-terrorism mission. Just like us, Soap.” Soap nodded for him to continue, scooting back as Ghost made his way into the bed as well, “The mission went to shit and Ghost ended up getting hurt, shot in the shoulder by a betrayer.”

Soap’s shoulder gently throbbed where he was shot by Graves. His heart thumped heavily in his chest as Ghost pulled him closer to him, tucking Soap’s head under his own and placing his chin on the crown of his head.

“Captain Soap got him back safely, the two being placed together on assignment to go after the bastard that fooled ‘em. Their Ghost was up for promotion after, but he declined since Soap had shown more initiative and better leadership skills. He didn’t feel like he deserved the position and he knew Soap was a much better man than him.” Ghost gently grabbed Soap’s chin, guiding his eyes to meet Ghost’s. Some time between laying down sand tucking Soap into him, he had removed his mask. Soap stared into his brown eyes, face completely revealed to him, “I would give up everything for you, Soap. You don’t want to be better than me, Johnny. You are better than me.”

Soap felt his eyes tear up at the admission, gaze drifting to the soft, plush lips so close to his. They moved closer together, meeting in a soft kiss. Soon after, they fell asleep. There were no more words said, none felt needed.

After that, Soap didn’t feel threatened anymore. He slowed down on his research, spending time with the other versions of themselves and learning as much as he could about their timeline to help and prevent some of the things that could occur.

No one would be prepared for the heartbreak that would happen after they were transferred back. No one knew of their own fates after.

[greg-montgomery]

Lonely

Aaron Hotchner x Gn!Reader

Summary: Just a little hurt/comfort fic. It's one of those days where nothing feels okay, but to your surprise, your boss Aaron Hotchner is there to comfort you.

Soft!Hotch my beloved <333

TW: The reader talks about struggling with their mental health.

Words: 1.1 k

It was only you who was left at the office. You thought that occupying your mind with some boring paperwork would help you distract yourself from the painful feeling on your chest. It was one of those days where something as simple as a smile was impossible to fake. It was one of those days where a headache was creeping up by you forcing your tears not to spill all day.

If someone were to ask you why you were feeling that way, you would have an extremely hard time to explain. You couldn’t even explain it to yourself. You were just feeling sad. And feeling sad made you feel lonely.

The noise of a door closing made you drop your pen and turn your head to that direction. Yes, everyone else had left, but the word ‘everyone’ did not include your boss. Ever. At least for you.

 “Y/N, what are you still doing here? It’s almost eleven,” he asked, approaching your desk. Looking up at him you immediately recognized concern in his expression.

“I thought I could just finish this all up tonight. You know, so I don’t have it on my mind all week.” You tried to sound casual, but you were pretty certain he was already not buying it.

“I don’t want you to overwork yourself. Especially for something as meaningless as paperwork. You already go through enough when we have a case.”

You sighed, figuring there was no reason to fight him on this. If you agreed he would just drop it. “You’re right.”

You started collecting your things to put them in your bag, expecting Aaron to wish you goodnight and leave. Instead you felt him staring at you in silence.

Bringing your bag to your lap, after securing all your personal things in it, you turned to the side ready to get up. You hadn’t realized that he had moved closer though - to the point where if you stood up, your face would bump into his chest. That’s why you decided to stay seated.

You looked up at him and took a deep breath, trying to calm your heartbeat that was going crazy, because he was completely towering over you.

“Y/N?”

“Yeah?”

“Is everything okay?” There it was again. That same expression of concern. You hated the way he could see right through you. Aaron was known for being able to read people – he was good at his job and you admired him for it – but it was never fun to be on the receiving end of his talent. It made you feel bare and vulnerable.

“Yes, everything’s good.”

He slowly squatted down so he could be at the same level as you. Your height difference hadn’t allowed your faces to be this close to each other before. Looking into his eyes from this new angle felt different.

“Listen,” he started. “I can understand why I would not be the first person you’d choose to talk to about a personal issue. I know I’m much older than you and might act a little like a drill sergeant sometimes, but I’m always here if you need to talk. I would love to help. About whatever it is that’s bothering you.”

You smiled sadly at him because, deep down, if you could choose one person in the world to open your heart to it would be him. But how could you randomly start talking about your feelings to your boss of all people? How does one get the chance to do so?

Except now you had the perfect chance. He was offering it to you.

“I don’t think I’m gonna make any sense, Hotch,” you answered; your voice small and ready to break.

“You don’t have to. This isn’t an exam, you know. You can just tell me how you feel. No need to explain.”

Tears started to blur your vision at his words. Your feelings for him got a hundred times more intense than they were before.

“I’m lonely,” you broke, crying properly now. “I’m so lonely.”

His hand reached out to take yours and his thumb started to move in a soothing motion. It helped.

“And I’m not saying I’m alone,” you continued. “I have my family, my friends, our team... I know I have people in my life who care for me, I really do. And I recognize how ungrateful I sound for saying that it’s not enough. But it’s not. I’m still lonely. And I’m still sad. And I don’t know why.”

“Sweetheart…” he whispered, his free hand cupping your cheek so he could wipe away the tears.

“I’m so tired of thinking I’m okay and then feeling awful again. It never ends,” you sobbed, leaning into his touch without really thinking about it. “I just feel so helpless when it gets bad. Like nothing can help.”

As soon as you finished your sentence he pulled you into his arms. The fingers of his one hand got lost between your hair, while his other hand was rubbing circles on your back. “Maybe this can help,” he said, kissing the top of your head.

You completely melted in his embrace. Your sobs got louder and your body was shaking, but it felt like release.

“Hotch,” you cried, “I just wanna be okay.”

“You will be, I promise.”

You pushed away, just enough so you could look at his face again. His eyes were red and your heart clenched at the thought of him caring for you enough to be this moved by your sadness.

His palms were cupping your cheeks again and his handsome smile made its appearance, looking sweeter than ever.

“Thank you,” you smiled back. It was through tears, but it was the only genuine smile you had given anyone all day.

“Of course,” he replied, leaving a soft kiss on your forehead. “And now…” He dragged out the sentence, while standing up.

You missed his touch already. You didn’t want him to leave you alone. But you prepared yourself for his next words. He probably had to get home to Jack, you thought.

“How about we go get some ice cream?” he asked instead.

Your eyes lit up like a kid which made him laugh.

“I know a place that’s open all night. Let me drive us there,” he said offering his hand, and you took it without a second thought.

“I’d love that.”

You started walking towards the elevator, holding hands.

“Nothing like some ice cream after a good cry, right?” he joked and you giggled.

His hand dropped yours, only for his arm to wrap itself around your neck, pulling you close to his chest.

Maybe you could learn to love the way Aaron could see right through you. It made you feel cared for and understood.

[shit-enmu-says]

Note: A couple weeks ago I posted an excerpt from a drabble I’m writing about the events leading up to Enmu becoming a demon. I intentionally left certain things vague which will be brought to light later on. I intended to portray Enmu as having been through someone with his fair share of struggles while still keeping his dubious morality and lack of empathy intact. No title for this yet. Titles are hard.

Part 1

Scattered notes and open books littered Dr. Tamio’s work desk. The man himself was slumped over a large notebook, glasses askew. His eyes had dark shadows beneath them like bruises. His chin length hair was lank from going just a bit too long without being washed. A few stray locks had fallen out of place, plastered to his forehead from sweat. A sharp knock at the door jolted him from slumber. He twitched and shot straight up in his chair, a page of his notes stuck to the side of his face.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing in here?”

The door creaked open to reveal an older man with grey-streaked hair pulled into a low ponytail. Were it not for how time had harshened his once youthful features, he and Enmu would have been near identical. Ayumu Tamio was Enmu’s older brother by fifteen years and the only surviving family he had left.

Enmu blinked slowly as his brother’s face swam into view and straightened his glasses. “Ah Ayumu-san,” Enmu said, “I was just studying, that’s all.”

“Really? Because it looks like you were slacking off,” Ayumu said, folding his arms. His brother had raised him from the time Enmu was six, more of a parental figure to him than a sibling. Though only in his early forties Ayumu’s health was failing him, forcing him into early retirement. Enmu had been training to replace him since his early twenties. It was only for the past year he’d truly began taking over Ayumu’s position, though his brother still frequented the place at times to oversee things.

“I gave you a position here because I thought you could handle it. You better start pulling your weight around here if you want me to tolerate your eccentricities.”

Enmu frowned and straightened up his notes, scattered around the desk. He fully intended on studying but passed out. His nightmares were back, the ones so uncomfortably vivid he often thought they actually happened. They always came back when he was under stress. When he awoke he scarcely felt rested at all.

Really Ayumu did him a favor waking him from that. Visions of dark shadows with clawed hands following him through the woods behind the house he and his brother shared were still fresh in his mind.

“There’s something I need you to look at,” Ayumu said.

“It is still early in the day,” Enmu spoke carefully. Ayumu demanded absolute obedience even now. It was best not to upset him. “Someone else may show up for an appointment.”

“That can wait,” his brother replied, “There is a far more urgent matter at hand.”

Enmu frowned as he stood up and pushed in his chair. It must be serious for him to call him away from his office like this. A loud knocking came from the front of the building, loud enough to make him stumble back. “May I see who’s knocking first?” Enmu asked, “They seem a bit impatient.”

Ayumu’s expression darkened. “What are you going on about?” he snapped. “That knocking just now at the front door,” Enmu said.

His brother fixed him with a cold, unblinking stare. “No one knocked, Enmu,” he said, “If that is happening again how could you possibly handle this position?”

Enmu froze. Again? He hasn’t experienced problems like these for ages. Why now? He couldn’t afford to slip up now no matter what. Especially not with what he was trying to pull off when he took Ayumu’s place as head of the family business. He breathed in slowly, allowing his expression to shift into a polite smile. “Pardon me,” he said, “It appears my little joke was in poor taste.” It wasn’t much of an excuse, but at least he didn’t sound like a madman.

“Damn it, Enmu,” Ayumu swore, “Do you have any idea how difficult it was for me to deal with the consequences of your delusions when you were younger? Don’t let me catch you making light of such things again.”

Enmu stared at the ground, unable to meet his gaze. At least he bought the story but did he really have to bring those dark, dark days up again? He wouldn’t be able to keep making excuses for himself though. He had to get this under control or the results could be potentially catastrophic.

“My apologies,” he replied, bowing his head. “Now just what was it you wanted to show me?”

[cock-holliday]

Breathless

Fandom: TXF

WC: 1,256

Fire. Why did it have to be fire? The flames licked at the walls, curling beautiful tendrils back down from the ceiling. The heat was unbearable, but the fear was so much worse. Mulder was frozen, unable to move. He commanded his body to run, to leave, but his body didn’t listen. He was trapped staring at the awful and powerful wall of death creeping ever closer to him.

At first Mulder was certain the terror was what kept him locked in place, but as his survival instincts kicked in, he screamed in his mind to flee. Then when he flexed a muscle, his body still did not move. It was as if some other force had placed him under a spell. He was terribly, horribly aware, yet his pleas went unanswered.

Mulder woke with a strangled gasp.

His heart was pounding in his ears and the feeling of deep dread continued in his stomach. His chest ached tremendously, and no matter how quickly he drew in a jagged breath, he could not get enough air.

The smoke. The suffocating smothering smoke. It must still be chasing him.

Only there was no smoke.

Mulder staggered into the kitchen, holding a hand to his chest as his body violently trembled.

Was he dying? Was he having a heart attack? Was he old enough to be having a heart attack? He was healthy enough, although Mulder was fully aware he did not take the best care of himself. He didn’t eat well, he didn’t sleep well, he didn’t go to the doctor as regularly as he should. Was the stress finally killing him? Was he going to die here on his kitchen floor? How did he end up on the kitchen floor?

Mulder pressed his back to the cabinets, drawing his knees in close. He couldn’t breathe. He wasn’t breathing.

He should call for an ambulance. He should call a doctor.

He dialed Scully’s number.

“Mulder?” came Scully’s sleepy voice, “What time is it?”

“I can’t breathe.”

He could hear the rustle of sheets; Scully must have sat up.

“You can’t breathe?” her voice was calm, to the point.

“I can’t breathe, Scully I think…I think something’s wrong.”

“How long has this been happening?”

“I don’t know…few minutes, I can’t…”

“Okay, Mulder,” Scully’s voice soothed, “If it’s been that long you are breathing, but you might be having trouble. What happened? Did you get hurt?”

“No,” Mulder shook his head, “I just woke up and…I can’t…Scully, I can’t…”

“Shh,” Scully cooed, “It’s okay. I can hear your breathing, you need to try to slow it down. I need you to take as deep a breath in as you can, okay?”

Mulder struggled to follow the instruction.

“Now hold it.”

Mulder’s eyes widened at the strained feeling in his chest.

“Now exhale.”

Mulder gasped out, his breathing going ragged again.

“Mulder, I think you’re having a panic attack.”

Mulder’s breathing slowed, “Panic attack?”

Mulder thought of his dream. The fire. Of course, it made sense but…is that really what this was? It was a dream, it shouldn’t still be affecting him like this. He’s awake. He’s safe. The fire wasn’t real. Why did he feel like he was drowning?

“Mulder…where are you?”

Mulder blinked, “My apartment.”

“Where?”

“Outside my kitchen…on the floor.”

“Okay…can you tell me three things you see?”

“Don’t wanna know what I’m wearing?” Mulder huffed with a shaky laugh.

A snort of laugh was returned on the line, “Three things you see.”

Mulder looked around, “Um…my fish…my couch…and a hooded figure looming in the corner…”

“Well, I’m glad your humor is intact.”

“For real, he has a knife and everything,” Mulder added, his heart rate slowing a bit.

“Can you tell me if you can hear anything?”

Mulder listened, frowning, “I can hear you a little.” He looked back to his fish, “The tank is…bubbling.” His eyes flicked to the front door, “I can hear the shitty electricity that's powering the lights in the hall.”

“What can you feel, physically?”

Mulder’s free hand touched the floor, “The floor under me…the wall to my back…my ass is a bit sore.”

“Sorry about your ass,” Scully snorted, “Okay good. Focus on the floor, on the wall, on the bubbling tank. You are in your apartment. You are safe.”

Mulder thought to crack a joke, to make fun of the moment to distance himself from the reality, but he thought better of it.

His heart rate was slowing, the dread was lessening, and the purposeful breathing of Scully on the phone was a soothing sound in the dark.

He was safe.

“Where’d you learn that? Med school or academy?”

“Neither. Missy taught me.”

Mulder smiled, “Missy?”

“Yeah, Missy’s always been more…holistic in her approaches, but damn if they don’t work. It helps with panic. Being present.”

“Yeah…yeah I’d say it works.”

Scully hummed into the phone and then let silence hover.

Mulder straightened out his legs, resting his head back against the wall.

“How are you feeling?” Scully asked.

“Better. Thank you.”

“Good, I’m glad,” Scully replied, relief pouring out of her words. “Do you need me to come over?”

Mulder’s heart squeezed at the offer. Scully, rushing out of bed and driving to Mulder’s place in the middle of night because a silly dream scared him. He was flattered and embarrassed at the same time.

“No, no, I’m okay,” Mulder smiled, shaking his head.

“Okay,” Scully replied, the sound of her settling back in bed rustling in Mulder’s ear, “Is there anything else I can do to help?”

Mulder chewed his lip, “What are you wearing?”

Scully snorted, “A hooded shroud.”

“Oh that was you? I thought I smelled your perfume.”

Scully let out a laugh, and Mulder could imagine the eyeroll that accompanied it.

“Well, you sound much better,” Scully added, but only with partial sarcasm. She sounded very relieved.

“I am…thank you.”

“Any time.”

“Well, hopefully not,” Mulder laughed, “I’ll try to remember your advice for next time instead.”

There was a stiffness to the silence.

Mulder swallowed.

“Recurring dream?” Scully pressed.

“Oh,” he shook his head, “No, it’s fine. It wasn’t even that bad.”

Scully seemed to be weighing his words, and it made Mulder fidgety.

“Was just a dream.”

“Dreams can feel very real. We can’t tell until we wake up, and even then…dreams can be a window into what’s troubling us. Our fears, our desires, conflicting wants, anxieties.”

“Speaking from experience?”

“Well,” Scully sighed, “Yes. Who doesn’t have dreams that stir up strong feelings every once in a while.”

“What conflicting wants are haunting you, Dana Scully?” Mulder posited, laughing a little.

Scully hesitated, and suddenly a heat began to grow in Mulder’s chest. It was one he was becoming quite accustomed to around his partner, but not something he would ever dare acknowledge head-on.

When the silence continued, it grew deafening. The sound of Mulder’s fish-tank long drowned out.

“Just…life stuff,” Scully replied, as if this did anything to lessen the tension that was so thick that the smoke in Mulder’s dream would grow jealous.

Mulder nodded, as if he understood and accepted this answer.

“It’s late,” Scully added.

“Yeah,” Mulder agreed, “Thanks again. You’re a lifesaver.”

Mulder could hear the smile in her words, “Glad to help.”

“Have a good night, Scully.”

“You too, Mulder.”

Mulder bit his lip, considering hanging up without saying it, but he couldn’t resist, “Sweet dreams.”

For a moment he thought Scully hung up by how quiet it got, but then came a quiet, “You too.”

[a-reader-and-a-writer-for-all]

A Mistake

Fandom: Top Gun, Top Gun: Maverick, Robert "Bob" Floyd, f!reader

Word Count: 2614

TW: Fluff, Whump, Hurt/Comfort, Fighting, Hangman isn't the best guy

Top Gun Masterlist

One minute everything is peaceful and calm, and then the next minute chaos erupts. Suddenly, the entire group of Top Gun trainees in the corner of the bar all jump to their feet. From behind the bar, you don’t have a clear view of what is going on, but you can hear shouting and see limbs flailing about as everyone scrambles to stop whatever is happening. You quickly rush over to the scene of the fight but there is so much commotion, you can’t see what is going on in the middle.

Remembering what Penny told you to do when these rare instances occurred, you ran back to the bar and grabbed the military-style whistle from the hook under the register. Hurrying back to the fray once more, you get as close as you can and then blow the whistle as loudly as possible.

A shrill, high-pitched screech fills the bar and all the trainees instantly stop their fighting to cover their ears. You hold the note for as long as you can and then an eerie silence falls across the bar. Taking a deep breath, you shout, “I don’t care who started it, I don’t care who was involved. You know the rules. You have fifteen minutes to collect your things and pay your tabs, then I want all of you out!”

The trainees all grumble under their breath and shoot you dirty glances, but you know they all feared what Penny might do to their bar tabs if word got back to her that they disrespected you. So, you motion to Jimmy, who had just come out of the back, to go behind the bar and ring everyone out for the night. Once he nods, you turn back to the few men still picking themselves up off the ground.

At the center of the fight, you see to no surprise that Hangman is brushing himself off as he gets to his feet. His hair looks a little tousled and there is a single red mark on his jaw that will probably turn into a bruise, but for being in the middle of the fight he seems remarkably fine.

Bob is still laying on the floor, a soft moan escaping his busted lips as he shifts slightly. Instantly, you drop to your knees and begin examining him. His glasses are bent and askew but at least they seemed to be unbroken. His bottom lip is split wide open causing a trail of blood to run down his chin. There are a few marks on his cheek and jaw that you are almost certain will turn into nasty-looking bruises in a few days’ time. And those are just the injuries you can see. He is clutching his hands pretty tightly to his side and you just hope the damage there isn’t too bad or he will need to go to the hospital.

Rooster kneels down next to you, and you can see someone got one or two good hits on him too, but he seems fine for the most part. “Hey, Bob. Are you okay?”

The WSO slowly opens his eyes and stares up at the two figures leaning over him. When he seems to recognize you, he struggles to sit up, “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” But the tight grimace of pain that shoots across his face tells a different story.

You place one hand gently on his shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay. Why don’t I look you over in the back to make sure everything really is fine?”

“I don’t want to cause you any more trouble,” he says softly, glancing at the floor.

You try giving him a reassuring smile, but since he refuses to look at you, you doubt he sees it. “No, it’s no trouble at all.” Turning to Rooster, you ask, “Can you help me get him to his feet?”

The pilot nods as you both carefully grab one of Bob’s arms and ease him to his feet. Bob is still holding his side and you can see he is favoring one foot, but he is able to stand on his own. As you give him another smile of encouragement, you hear Hangman behind you as he whispers something to Coyote, and both men chuckle. You glance over your shoulder and shoot them a dirty look, but Hangman just grins and winks at you.

As forcefully as you can while still trying to remain professional, you say, “I think I said everybody out. That includes you two.”

Hangman doesn’t break eye contact as he pulls a fresh toothpick from his pocket and slips it between his lips. Then he gives you a small nod and purrs, “Whatever you say, sweetheart.”

You resist the overwhelming urge to roll your eyes at him as he brushes past you, his hand briefly skimming across your arm. But as soon as they are gone, you turn all of your focus back to Bob. There is still a small crowd of people around the bar trying to pay, so you say, “Here, come with me.”

You wrap one of his arms over your shoulder and give Rooster a nod of thanks. “I’ve got it from here. But I appreciate your help. Don’t worry about your tab tonight, it’s on the house.”

“Are you sure? I don’t mind paying or sticking around if you need the help. Plus, I was Bob’s ride.”

“No, it’ll be okay. Jimmy can handle the cleanup out here while I look after Bob. And I pass the base on my way home. I can drop him off.”

“Okay. Thanks. But call me if something changes or he needs a ride.”

You give him a big smile. “Thanks, Rooster. I will.”

Once he exits the bar, you help Bob limp into the back office. Penny is out with Mav tonight so you know no one will bother you two back here. Once inside, you help him over to the couch and ease him onto the cushions.

“Okay. What hurts the most?” you ask, your hands on your hips as you look down at him.

“You don’t have to do this. I appreciate it, but I can look after myself,” Bob mumbles.

“I know you can. But I was in charge tonight and I feel partially responsible for what happened.”

“It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t do anything to deserve this.” Bob glanced down at his feet as his words grew even softer.

You tap his knee gently. “It’s not that big of a deal, Bob. I’m just going to look you over really quick and then I can take you home. Okay?” He nods slightly. “Good. Now, let’s get started.”

You begin by examining his ankle and side since there isn’t much you can do for either except assess the severity of the injuries. Neither looks too bad, though he might have trouble walking for a while and his side is going to be aching for quite some time. You give him an ice pack for each and it seems to help a little.

Next, you grab a fresh towel from the closet, sit down next to him on the couch, and start to wipe the blood off his chin. When you get to his lip itself, he hisses in pain as you dab it.

You quickly pull away. “I’m sorry!”

“Don’t be. I appreciate your help. You didn’t have to do this.”

“Yeah, you already said that. But I get to spend more time with you this way.” You playfully nudge his arm as he blushes deep red.

Gently, you start to clean the cut on his lip again and though he still flinches slightly, he holds himself in place long enough for you to finish cleaning it up. As you examine it, he asks, “How do you know so much about this stuff?”

“My mom was a Navy nurse her whole career. That, plus I had three older brothers who liked to play rough. Between the two, you pick up on a lot of things.” Sitting back, you say, “I don’t think anything looks too badly injured, though that foot might cause you some problems for a few days. Do you think you’ll be okay to fly tomorrow?”

“As long as I can still see, I’ll be fine. After all, I don’t really need to use my feet once we’re in the air.”

“No, I guess not. But then let’s make sure your vision isn’t going to be impaired with the damage to your glasses.”

You carefully remove the wireframes from his face. The bridge of the glasses is bent where it had been driven roughly into his nose and you can see a fairly deep gash there where the force had broken his skin.

As you tenderly begin cleaning the wound, you finally ask, “So…. are you going to tell me what the hell happened? Both Hangman and Rooster seemed involved. Were they going at it again?”

Bob tries to turn away, but you are holding his chin firmly in place. “It was nothing. Just some things were said that shouldn’t have been said and someone got upset.”

“I guess that’s not too unusual in a bar. When drinks get poured, tongues get loose and people get bolder. And why doesn’t it surprise me Hangman was involved in saying something stupid. But how did you get caught up in the middle of things? Wrong place, wrong time?”

Bob stares down at the floor as his face and the tops of his ears turn bright red. He mumbles something but you can’t quite make it out. “I’m sorry, I missed that.”

A little louder, Bob repeats, “I was the one who got upset.”

Slowly, you lower the towel you are holding and stare at him in confusion. “Wait, you got upset? Are you telling me you threw the first punch? At Hangman?!” He nods slowly, not able to look you in the eye. “Why? He says terrible stuff to people all the time. What could he have possibly said to make you attack him?”

“It doesn’t matter. He said it, I lunged at him, and you saw the rest. Obviously, it was a stupid idea seeing as I’m the one back here getting patched up, and he’s out there probably bragging about it, but it happened and now it’s over.”

“Bob, whatever he said must have really bothered you. Let’s talk about it. Maybe it’ll make you feel better.” He still refuses to look at you, and suddenly you realize why. “Oh…. It was about me.”

Slowly, he lifts his gaze. “How did you know?”

Now it’s your turn to look away. Standing up, you walk over to Penny’s desk and lean on it heavily, your back to Bob. Finally, after a moment of silence, you say, “I made a mistake a few years ago. I… I slept with Hangman the last time he was training at Top Gun.”

“Yo-you what?” Bob’s voice is full of astonishment, but what really breaks your heart is the slight anger and disgust in his tone.

“As I said, it was a mistake. He was charming and attractive, and I knew it was just a little fun, only a one- or two-time thing and nothing more. But afterward….” You turn to face the couch. “He just likes reminding me it happened. I never had any feelings for him or anything, but anytime he finds a new girl to hook up with or sees me flirting with someone else, he tends to make some not-too-subtle comments about us. Like he’s rubbing it in my face.”

Bob puts his glasses back on and gazes at you. “That’s horrible. Why would he do that?”

“I don’t know, and honestly, I don’t think he does it to be hurtful. He’s not a terrible guy, he’s just selfish and arrogant and doesn’t like to lose. I think he was expecting me to come crawling back to him for more after a few days and when I didn’t, it was a blow to his ego. So, he reminds me of what happened between us whenever he gets the chance. I usually ignore him or brush it off as teasing but sometimes he does go a little too far. So, I can imagine what he might have said tonight after all those drinks he was downing and then seeing me flirting.”

“Huh. I didn’t notice you flirting with anyone tonight.”

You chuckle warmly as you walk back over to the couch. “Yeah, that was pretty obvious.”

“What do you mean?” You don’t say anything, and it takes him almost two full minutes to finally get it. “Wait! You were…. With me?”

“Yeah. I’ve been trying for almost a week now. I didn’t know what else to do. But I guess Hangman finally noticed and that’s why he said those things about me to you. It really means a lot that you would stick up for me like you did. I’ve never had someone fight for my honor before.” However, you then thought back to the anger and disgust in Bob’s voice when you told him what you had done. “But I guess if you would have known the truth, you wouldn’t have.”

His brow furrows in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“The fact I slept with Hangman. When I told you, I could hear in your voice how you felt about it. About me.” You start to turn around, but he grabs your hand.

“What? No! Tha- that wasn’t about you! I swear! I just couldn’t believe that Hangman would sleep with someone and then say the things he did tonight. It made me even angrier knowing that it wasn’t just him being crude. That he actually…. But I promise I wasn’t judging you. Who hasn’t had a date or hook up that they regret?”

Now it is your turn for your eyes to grow wide in surprise. “Wow! I wasn’t expecting you to say that, but good to know.”

Bob blushes again. “I know I’m not as confident as some of the other guys here, but that doesn’t mean I’m totally unable to get a date.”

“I mean, I’ve been giving you signals for a week, and you haven’t made a move, so I was starting to have my doubts.” You glance at the clock and sigh, “Well, it’s getting late. And now that you’re all patched up, I guess I should take you home.”

You help him to his feet before helping him limp out to your car.

As you drive, you chat about where you grew up and how you ended up working at The Hard Deck while Bob tells you why he had wanted to join the Navy. It feels easy and comfortable, and you don’t want it to end.

But eventually, Bob points to a sign up ahead. “Um, you might want to start slowing down. The base is coming up on the right.”

You don’t respond. In fact, you just press down harder on the gas pedal. Bob’s head whips around as you blow past the entrance to the base. “You missed the turn.”

“No, I didn’t. I said I was taking you home. But I never said who’s home.” You glance at him out of the corner of your eye and are thrilled to see him beaming next to you. Reaching over, you take his hand and give it a tight squeeze.

“Are you sure about this? I don’t want there to be any regrets later like with Hangman.” Bob asks as he squeezes your hand back.

You nod, a smile spreading across your face. “No. With you, it could never be a mistake.”

Taglist: @valoraxx, @m3laniehearts, @autumnleaves1991-blog, @rule107, @vintageleather, @impossiblebagelcowboyfreak, @slutforadambanks, @americaarse, @reneki

[a-reader-and-a-writer]

A Mistake

Fandom: Top Gun, Top Gun: Maverick, Robert "Bob" Floyd, f!reader

Word Count: 2614

TW: Fluff, Whump, Hurt/Comfort, Fighting, Hangman isn't the best guy

Note: Thank you to @mayhem24-7forever who requested "Bob bar fight whump hurt/comfort"

Top Gun Masterlist

One minute everything is peaceful and calm, and then the next minute chaos erupts. Suddenly, the entire group of Top Gun trainees in the corner of the bar all jump to their feet. From behind the bar, you don’t have a clear view of what is going on, but you can hear shouting and see limbs flailing about as everyone scrambles to stop whatever is happening. You quickly rush over to the scene of the fight but there is so much commotion, you can’t see what is going on in the middle.

Remembering what Penny told you to do when these rare instances occurred, you ran back to the bar and grabbed the military-style whistle from the hook under the register. Hurrying back to the fray once more, you get as close as you can and then blow the whistle as loudly as possible.

A shrill, high-pitched screech fills the bar and all the trainees instantly stop their fighting to cover their ears. You hold the note for as long as you can and then an eerie silence falls across the bar. Taking a deep breath, you shout, “I don’t care who started it, I don’t care who was involved. You know the rules. You have fifteen minutes to collect your things and pay your tabs, then I want all of you out!”

The trainees all grumble under their breath and shoot you dirty glances, but you know they all feared what Penny might do to their bar tabs if word got back to her that they disrespected you. So, you motion to Jimmy, who had just come out of the back, to go behind the bar and ring everyone out for the night. Once he nods, you turn back to the few men still picking themselves up off the ground.

At the center of the fight, you see to no surprise that Hangman is brushing himself off as he gets to his feet. His hair looks a little tousled and there is a single red mark on his jaw that will probably turn into a bruise, but for being in the middle of the fight he seems remarkably fine.

Bob is still laying on the floor, a soft moan escaping his busted lips as he shifts slightly. Instantly, you drop to your knees and begin examining him. His glasses are bent and askew but at least they seemed to be unbroken. His bottom lip is split wide open causing a trail of blood to run down his chin. There are a few marks on his cheek and jaw that you are almost certain will turn into nasty-looking bruises in a few days’ time. And those are just the injuries you can see. He is clutching his hands pretty tightly to his side and you just hope the damage there isn’t too bad or he will need to go to the hospital.

Rooster kneels down next to you, and you can see someone got one or two good hits on him too, but he seems fine for the most part. “Hey, Bob. Are you okay?”

The WSO slowly opens his eyes and stares up at the two figures leaning over him. When he seems to recognize you, he struggles to sit up, “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” But the tight grimace of pain that shoots across his face tells a different story.

You place one hand gently on his shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay. Why don’t I look you over in the back to make sure everything really is fine?”

“I don’t want to cause you any more trouble,” he says softly, glancing at the floor.

You try giving him a reassuring smile, but since he refuses to look at you, you doubt he sees it. “No, it’s no trouble at all.” Turning to Rooster, you ask, “Can you help me get him to his feet?”

The pilot nods as you both carefully grab one of Bob’s arms and ease him to his feet. Bob is still holding his side and you can see he is favoring one foot, but he is able to stand on his own. As you give him another smile of encouragement, you hear Hangman behind you as he whispers something to Coyote, and both men chuckle. You glance over your shoulder and shoot them a dirty look, but Hangman just grins and winks at you.

As forcefully as you can while still trying to remain professional, you say, “I think I said everybody out. That includes you two.”

Hangman doesn’t break eye contact as he pulls a fresh toothpick from his pocket and slips it between his lips. Then he gives you a small nod and purrs, “Whatever you say, sweetheart.”

You resist the overwhelming urge to roll your eyes at him as he brushes past you, his hand briefly skimming across your arm. But as soon as they are gone, you turn all of your focus back to Bob. There is still a small crowd of people around the bar trying to pay, so you say, “Here, come with me.”

You wrap one of his arms over your shoulder and give Rooster a nod of thanks. “I’ve got it from here. But I appreciate your help. Don’t worry about your tab tonight, it’s on the house.”

“Are you sure? I don’t mind paying or sticking around if you need the help. Plus, I was Bob’s ride.”

“No, it’ll be okay. Jimmy can handle the cleanup out here while I look after Bob. And I pass the base on my way home. I can drop him off.”

“Okay. Thanks. But call me if something changes or he needs a ride.”

You give him a big smile. “Thanks, Rooster. I will.”

Once he exits the bar, you help Bob limp into the back office. Penny is out with Mav tonight so you know no one will bother you two back here. Once inside, you help him over to the couch and ease him onto the cushions.

“Okay. What hurts the most?” you ask, your hands on your hips as you look down at him.

“You don’t have to do this. I appreciate it, but I can look after myself,” Bob mumbles.

“I know you can. But I was in charge tonight and I feel partially responsible for what happened.”

“It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t do anything to deserve this.” Bob glanced down at his feet as his words grew even softer.

You tap his knee gently. “It’s not that big of a deal, Bob. I’m just going to look you over really quick and then I can take you home. Okay?” He nods slightly. “Good. Now, let’s get started.”

You begin by examining his ankle and side since there isn’t much you can do for either except assess the severity of the injuries. Neither looks too bad, though he might have trouble walking for a while and his side is going to be aching for quite some time. You give him an ice pack for each and it seems to help a little.

Next, you grab a fresh towel from the closet, sit down next to him on the couch, and start to wipe the blood off his chin. When you get to his lip itself, he hisses in pain as you dab it.

You quickly pull away. “I’m sorry!”

“Don’t be. I appreciate your help. You didn’t have to do this.”

“Yeah, you already said that. But I get to spend more time with you this way.” You playfully nudge his arm as he blushes deep red.

Gently, you start to clean the cut on his lip again and though he still flinches slightly, he holds himself in place long enough for you to finish cleaning it up. As you examine it, he asks, “How do you know so much about this stuff?”

“My mom was a Navy nurse her whole career. That, plus I had three older brothers who liked to play rough. Between the two, you pick up on a lot of things.” Sitting back, you say, “I don’t think anything looks too badly injured, though that foot might cause you some problems for a few days. Do you think you’ll be okay to fly tomorrow?”

“As long as I can still see, I’ll be fine. After all, I don’t really need to use my feet once we’re in the air.”

“No, I guess not. But then let’s make sure your vision isn’t going to be impaired with the damage to your glasses.”

You carefully remove the wireframes from his face. The bridge of the glasses is bent where it had been driven roughly into his nose and you can see a fairly deep gash there where the force had broken his skin.

As you tenderly begin cleaning the wound, you finally ask, “So…. are you going to tell me what the hell happened? Both Hangman and Rooster seemed involved. Were they going at it again?”

Bob tries to turn away, but you are holding his chin firmly in place. “It was nothing. Just some things were said that shouldn’t have been said and someone got upset.”

“I guess that’s not too unusual in a bar. When drinks get poured, tongues get loose and people get bolder. And why doesn’t it surprise me Hangman was involved in saying something stupid. But how did you get caught up in the middle of things? Wrong place, wrong time?”

Bob stares down at the floor as his face and the tops of his ears turn bright red. He mumbles something but you can’t quite make it out. “I’m sorry, I missed that.”

A little louder, Bob repeats, “I was the one who got upset.”

Slowly, you lower the towel you are holding and stare at him in confusion. “Wait, you got upset? Are you telling me you threw the first punch? At Hangman?!” He nods slowly, not able to look you in the eye. “Why? He says terrible stuff to people all the time. What could he have possibly said to make you attack him?”

“It doesn’t matter. He said it, I lunged at him, and you saw the rest. Obviously, it was a stupid idea seeing as I’m the one back here getting patched up, and he’s out there probably bragging about it, but it happened and now it’s over.”

“Bob, whatever he said must have really bothered you. Let’s talk about it. Maybe it’ll make you feel better.” He still refuses to look at you, and suddenly you realize why. “Oh…. It was about me.”

Slowly, he lifts his gaze. “How did you know?”

Now it’s your turn to look away. Standing up, you walk over to Penny’s desk and lean on it heavily, your back to Bob. Finally, after a moment of silence, you say, “I made a mistake a few years ago. I… I slept with Hangman the last time he was training at Top Gun.”

“Yo-you what?” Bob’s voice is full of astonishment, but what really breaks your heart is the slight anger and disgust in his tone.

“As I said, it was a mistake. He was charming and attractive, and I knew it was just a little fun, only a one- or two-time thing and nothing more. But afterward….” You turn to face the couch. “He just likes reminding me it happened. I never had any feelings for him or anything, but anytime he finds a new girl to hook up with or sees me flirting with someone else, he tends to make some not-too-subtle comments about us. Like he’s rubbing it in my face.”

Bob puts his glasses back on and gazes at you. “That’s horrible. Why would he do that?”

“I don’t know, and honestly, I don’t think he does it to be hurtful. He’s not a terrible guy, he’s just selfish and arrogant and doesn’t like to lose. I think he was expecting me to come crawling back to him for more after a few days and when I didn’t, it was a blow to his ego. So, he reminds me of what happened between us whenever he gets the chance. I usually ignore him or brush it off as teasing but sometimes he does go a little too far. So, I can imagine what he might have said tonight after all those drinks he was downing and then seeing me flirting.”

“Huh. I didn’t notice you flirting with anyone tonight.”

You chuckle warmly as you walk back over to the couch. “Yeah, that was pretty obvious.”

“What do you mean?” You don’t say anything, and it takes him almost two full minutes to finally get it. “Wait! You were…. With me?”

“Yeah. I’ve been trying for almost a week now. I didn’t know what else to do. But I guess Hangman finally noticed and that’s why he said those things about me to you. It really means a lot that you would stick up for me like you did. I’ve never had someone fight for my honor before.” However, you then thought back to the anger and disgust in Bob’s voice when you told him what you had done. “But I guess if you would have known the truth, you wouldn’t have.”

His brow furrows in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“The fact I slept with Hangman. When I told you, I could hear in your voice how you felt about it. About me.” You start to turn around, but he grabs your hand.

“What? No! Tha- that wasn’t about you! I swear! I just couldn’t believe that Hangman would sleep with someone and then say the things he did tonight. It made me even angrier knowing that it wasn’t just him being crude. That he actually…. But I promise I wasn’t judging you. Who hasn’t had a date or hook up that they regret?”

Now it is your turn for your eyes to grow wide in surprise. “Wow! I wasn’t expecting you to say that, but good to know.”

Bob blushes again. “I know I’m not as confident as some of the other guys here, but that doesn’t mean I’m totally unable to get a date.”

“I mean, I’ve been giving you signals for a week, and you haven’t made a move, so I was starting to have my doubts.” You glance at the clock and sigh, “Well, it’s getting late. And now that you’re all patched up, I guess I should take you home.”

You help him to his feet before helping him limp out to your car.

As you drive, you chat about where you grew up and how you ended up working at The Hard Deck while Bob tells you why he had wanted to join the Navy. It feels easy and comfortable, and you don’t want it to end.

But eventually, Bob points to a sign up ahead. “Um, you might want to start slowing down. The base is coming up on the right.”

You don’t respond. In fact, you just press down harder on the gas pedal. Bob’s head whips around as you blow past the entrance to the base. “You missed the turn.”

“No, I didn’t. I said I was taking you home. But I never said who’s home.” You glance at him out of the corner of your eye and are thrilled to see him beaming next to you. Reaching over, you take his hand and give it a tight squeeze.

“Are you sure about this? I don’t want there to be any regrets later like with Hangman.” Bob asks as he squeezes your hand back.

You nod, a smile spreading across your face. “No. With you, it could never be a mistake.”

Taglist: @loverhymeswith, @babblydrabbly, @lorecraft, @skvatnavle, @edwardbaldwin, @lacontroller1991, @srry-itshockeyszn, @clints-lucky-arrow, @the-untamed-soul, @inglourious-imagines, @airhogger, @piscesvancouverite, @straightforwardly, @bonnieelizabethparker, @mayhem24-7forever, @cans4dayz, @joalsglasses

[k1nky-fool]

Truth of a Parallel

Part 3: The Thirteenth Widow

Masterlist

Miguel O’hara x OC: Elisa Hannen

Pairing: M/F

Per Chapter Rating: Explicit (for violence reasons. there is no sexual content in this chapter).

Warnings: MCD (major character death), death is treated very seriously in this chapter with lots of angst. But this chapter is almost exclusively hurt/comfort.

Taglist: @gatnalien @sevikasstressball @musicmansauxcord @2downbad4dilfs @its-paprika

Gif by @prettyoatmeal

-Elisa-

To his credit, Eddie didn’t immediately freak out. His flurry of questions was held back in a much more clear minded move, but the longer he took to formulate a response, the more Elisa felt she was intruding on someone’s peace that she rightfully shouldn’t even know anymore.

“Nevermind, this was a bad idea.” Venom decided.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be here. I’ll leave.” Elisa began to turn around.

“No! I-” Eddie struggled. “I’m happy to see both of you.”

That made both her and Venom perk up. “I have a hard time believing that.”

“Come on in.” He invites her away from the window. “I suggest utilizing the door next time.”

“I don't have any other clothes.” She pointed out, and he just grabbed her a hoodie and pair of sweatpants for her.

“Something has to be wrong, he has no reason to think we’re not here to kill him.” Venom panicked, but Elisa was more motivated to distract herself from everything going on outside.

Once she was comfortably situated in his clothes, on his couch with a cold beer, offered out of the kindness of Eddie’s own heart, Elisa waited patiently as Eddie finished whatever he’d been doing before she showed up. He eventually sat down beside her, being remarkably less awkward than she anticipated.

“I feel like I have the right to know why you came here of all places.” Eddie prompted. “Not to sound like a dick, but aren’t you still dating that MJ girl?”

“No, she broke up with me sometime last spring. Apparently there's a limit to how many times your fiancée can stumble into your apartment needing extreme medical attention and begging not to go to a hospital.” Elisa said.

Eddie actually laughed. “I must have missed that class in school.”

“You missed every class but sex-ed.” Elisa pointed out.

“Not nearly as many titties as I was led to believe by a certain friend at the girls academy down the block.”

Elisa gasped in offense. “I must have just had a better education than you.”

“Yeah, I’ll say. Still, you don’t know how to answer a question.” He jabbed back at her. “Why come here of all places?”

“Why does he have the right? You didn’t have the right to your questions when he was being a prick-”

She forced herself to take a deep breath, which Venom clearly wasn’t on board with and it made her slightly nauseous. “I’m overwhelmed. I figured if I had nowhere to go, I might as well settle on the worst.”

“That bad, huh?”

“What?”

Eddie snickered. “It had to get that bad before you thought of coming to me? You’re many things, but you don’t run from your problems.”

Elisa slumped back into the corner of the couch. “Yeah, I’ve got a track record.”

“Why can’t you go home?” He asked. “You got another heart to break waiting for you there?”

“I really wish that wasn’t as accurate as it is, but I’m not dating him.” She let herself accept the defeat all while still defending herself from something that wasn’t even attacking. “His name is Miguel. He’s a Spider-Man from a different universe, and he’s here to catch something that landed here that shouldn’t be.”

He just nodded, knowing that weird stuff like this was pretty typical for her ever since she became Spider-Woman and even more so after she became Widow. “Just out of curiosity, is he hot?”

“I’m working with him, I’m not oggleing this poor man that probably doesn’t even want to be in this miserable universe.” She defended, but Eddie just stared at her as she was having trouble meeting his eye line. “... He’s not… unattractive.”

“Uh-huh.” He smirked to himself in his victory.

Elisa was exposed, but she didn’t mind. Eddie wasn’t the same as he was back in high school and neither was Elisa. But somewhere inside both of them lived two weird kids that were still friends after everything. And Eddie still bought the same trashy brand of beer that was the only brand at the mini-mart that wouldn’t ID them.

“I feel like I’ve earned at least one question.” She suggested, and Eddie made an accepting gesture. “Why’d you let me in?”

“You snuck in.”

“Prick.”

“You know what I mean.”

Eddie laughed, but relented. “I didn’t like how we left things.” He admitted. “I’ve seen the amount you swing to MJ’s apartment, so if you’re not dating her, then you’re at least still friends. I thought there was a chance we could be friends again.”

That made sense, some part of Elisa felt the same. Eddie had betrayed her, and he pretty much ruined her lives as both Elisa Hannen, and Spider-Woman, forcing her to become Widow. And yet, when she was overwhelmed, she needed to find comfort. Whether she liked it or not, Eddie was that comfort. “Were you going to reach out at all?”

“I’ve started to call you about five or six times, but I’ve chickened out every single time.” Eddie admitted.

“What’d you want to say?” She asked.

He choked on his own breath for a little before just retrying with an exasperated sigh. “I don’t know. I really just wanted to know if there was a chance you’d let me try again.”

Elisa felt her heart sink, and Venom did too.

“He could start with a damn apology for once.” Venom hissed into her head.

I want to hear him out.

“Why the fu-”

“Eddie, you used me as a popularity stunt.” Elisa challenged. “Not just my name as a researcher at Oscorp, but also my persona as Spider-Woman.”

“I know.” He accepts. “And it’s no thanks to me that you managed to get on your feet after I published the hit-piece. I did it wrong back then, so I wanna make it right now.”

“You can’t make it right.” Elisa scoffed. “It’s already been done, and it was wrong to do it.”

“I-I know. I-”

“I fixed it without you. There’s nothing left to make right.” She explained to him. “So maybe just do it right next time.”

Eddie perked up. “Next time?”

“Absolutely not!”

Elisa nodded. “It’ll take a little more to get Venom on your side, though.”

“A little? This man better start groveling, or whatever humans do when they don't want to be eaten!” It snapped, still refusing to come out and talk to Eddie, itself.

Eddie agreed without question. “I understand. And I get that it won’t be the same, but I’m willing to be a better friend this time.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it, Eddie.” She challenged, and he just kept smiling like an idiot. It was getting late, and Elisa couldn’t realistically stay the night at her ex-boyfriend’s house. “I should get going.”

Venom showed its eagerness to leave with how fast it materialized the suit over her skin and over her face. Elisa took the mask off her face and Venom soaked it back up while grumbling in annoyance in her mind.

“I’ll see you around.” Elisa took off his hoodie and sweatpants, giving him a friendly hug.

“Take it easy, Widow.” Eddie watched as she made her exit out the living room window.

“You made me hug him.”

“You’ll survive, Venom.”

“You going to face Miguel?”

Elisa knew she didn’t have another option, but she really had to know if they had been successful in tracking down Clara from 5302. She got back to her apartment and quickly got dressed, knowing Miguel was likely to show up now that her location was known.

She didn’t expect him to actually knock on the window when she sensed him land outside, but immediately, something was odd. The landing was far too quiet to be Miguel. Instead, Elisa cautiously approached her window to see who was there.

Olivia Weaver, Widow 5302, lifted a shy hand to wave at her. Despite how odd it was, Elisa opened her window and let her in. Olivia was about her height, but with a slimmer build. Her long, blonde hair was tied up on the crown of her head, being pulled through her mask to avoid a misshapen head under the mask. She took off her mask and her eyes were the same shimmering green that Elisa’s had been before Venom had bonded with her.

“Let me guess, Eddie?” She deduced. “He was a host of Venom in my universe too, and still your friend. Oddly enough, you still have Venom currently in my universe.” Olivia explained. “We knew it’d be wild when we found Elisa wearing the Widow mask.”

“You and the other twelve Widows?” Elisa asked.

“Yeah, all of us.” Olivia confirmed. “In every Widow universe, you were always just different. It’s why Venom always finds you. We were too busy wondering who would be hosting Venom if you were Spider-Woman that we never stopped to consider that maybe, Venom wouldn’t find another host.”

“Yeah well, I’ve got-”

“A track record.” Olivia interrupted, relishing in the awkward look on Elisa’s face after being easily predicted. “That’s the same line you said to me in my universe after I said Venom was only using you. Of course, not really you, but the look on your face suggests you want to throw a taxi at my face in this universe too, so maybe it’s a parallel trait.”

“Is being a know-it-all, priss a parallel trait for you?” Elisa snapped. “Miguel too shy to ask for my help, or are you here to tell me I’m not welcome in your Spider Society?”

Olivia threw something at her head at a surprising speed, but Venom moved her arm fast enough to catch it. It was a watch.

“Can you blame him? You’re intimidating.” Olivia joked.

“Wait, I thought none of them trusted Venom?” Elisa recalled quite easily, while Venom was just excited at the thought of going a second round with the Spider Society.

“Venom means a lot of things in the multiverse.” Olivia explained, “Meeting or bonding with Venom is a Canon Event. It’s just a Canon Event that is over for most of them. Peni lost her friend to the Ven#m mech. The Peter that noticed you really hurt his MJ while he was hosting Venom. Peter Porker faced a Symbiote in his universe called Pork Grind. Miguel nearly died fighting Venom in his universe. And don’t even get me started on the Venom Anomalies.”

That definitely sounded right for the reaction she got. “What about you and the other Widows? I even have the same face.”

Olivia took a deep breath. “Venom was originally drawn to my powers when it crashed. Venom and I ended up killing Oscar in my universe. That wasn’t the kind of hero I wanted to be. But it found Eddie, and he stayed hidden for a while, but when he published the Oscorp Expose, Venom took your side. And you were much more of a threat than Eddie was. You and Venom just have a different kind of bond than the other spiders do.”

“What does she mean ‘the Canon Event is over for the other spiders?’” Venom bristled.

That made her heart drop. “Olivia, is splitting from Venom a Canon Event?”

That was the question Olivia was avoiding.

It was obvious as soon as she asked it. Olivia took a moment to find the words. "It happens differently for everyone."

"Wait, we're gonna break up?" Venom panicked.

"We're not gonna break up, Venom." Elisa groaned, and focused again on Olivia. "Look, if everyone agrees that a Spider splitting from Venom is a Canon Event, then suddenly everyone I talk to is waiting for what would have to be the worst day of my life."

"Everyone's waiting for the next horrible thing to happen to you." Olivia pointed out, but when Elisa gave no sign of understanding her, she continued. "Is Oscar still alive in this universe?"

"He was locked up yesterday, I think." Elisa didn't understand what she was getting at.

"What about Dr. Claudia Connors?"

Elisa freezes. Claudia Connors worked alongside Nora Osborn in biochemistry, and her attempt at developing a method for regrowing limbs could have benefitted all amputees not unlike herself. Her serum went wrong and she became The Lizard. It was Claudia that introduced Elisa to Oscorp at all because she was the only scientist that truly enjoyed the publicity of it all. Claudia led the field trip her class had gone on.

Elisa made a cure for her, but while it worked on everyone she had turned, Claudia had been dosing herself too high, and the cure only sped up the rate it was killing her. Elisa didn't go to her Junior Prom, she attended Dr. Claudia Connor's memorial service.

"Yeah." Olivia knew the look on Elisa's face. "She's still alive in my universe. She went to your graduation party."

"Why would you tell me that?" Elisa asked.

"Because everyone just lives with it." She answered delicately. “If everyone is waiting for you and Venom to split, then they’re also waiting for me to lose Dr. Connors. For some others, we’re waiting for the Police Captain, Nora Osborn, Flint Marco. Everyone’s on a different timeline, Elisa. And after the worst of it is done, we have a support system made up of the only people in the multiverse that’ll understand.”

Elisa took a long look at the watch. “What about everyone that was ready to attack me? I doubt they’re welcoming me back with open arms.”

“They’re free to avoid you if they want, but if you guys want to sing kumbaya, then that’s up to you.” Olivia shrugged and opened the portal back to the headquarters. “But I know at least one guy that wants to try again.”

“That sounds promising.” Venom teased.

Shut up. Elisa stepped into the portal.

On the other side of the void, several spiders just stared. Some ignored her and continued on their way, and to her surprise, some even gave a polite wave. It was dark outside now, and the lights in the building were kind to her senses.

Olivia brought her back to Miguel’s platform where it had been lowered. His back faced Elisa where she noticed something interesting.

Miguel doesn’t have heightened awareness.

Venom recoiled. “Then how the hell did he pull one over on us?”

“Miguel!” Olivia called out so she wouldn’t startle him.

When he turned around, he seemed surprised to see Elisa. “You actually came back.” He noted.

“I told you.” Olivia reminded him. “Elisa was always an odd-girl-out.”

As much as Elisa wanted to pretend like Olivia didn’t know her at all, there was an obvious sense of familiarity that they had. Elisa remembered that she was in the hospital for 300 rads of acute radiation poisoning for a brief time after she was bitten by the spider. The science class that went on the trip had all made her cards, and Olivia hanged back while some more familiar faces visited her in the hospital with the class. MJ, Eddie and Holly all came to visit, but Olivia was kind enough to visit her personally, give her all the assignments she had missed, and went over her notes when Elisa didn’t understand. Elisa could only hope that her alternate self was kind enough to do the same for Olivia.

“I’m glad you came back.” Miguel said to her.

Elisa hopped up onto the platform with him. “I’m not gonna start running from my problems now.” She said, “What’s your status on the tracking device?”

Miguel’s expression didn’t give her much hope. "We may have underestimated her advancement."

“Uh-oh.”

"No chance that means we can track her tech?" Elisa hoped.

Miguel confirmed the difficult reality. “We realized she wants 4167 Carnage to find Clara.”

“Yeah, I talked to Clara Kassidy down at the station. She didn’t know who reported it, but she was able to figure out it wasn’t me. At least the two of them haven’t met yet.” Elisa supplied.

“Do my ears deceive me, or is she back?”

Olivia lit up like she was expecting this. “How nice of you to join, Peter.”

Peter swung up to meet them and glared at Elisa. “So what is she doing back, and with a watch, no less?”

“Not this wash-up again.” Venom groaned to her.

“Peter, we don’t have time for this.” Miguel argued.

“Miguel, she’s an OUCH waiting to happen!” Peter didn’t let up.

“Mind telling me what the hell an “ouch” is?” Elisa asked.

Olivia was kind enough to explain while Miguel pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering in Spanish under his breath, letting her explain. “An OUCH is an acronym for an Out of Universe Canon Hazard. It’s when either an Environmental Trigger travels across a universe and sets off a Canon Event for a spider that isn’t in their own universe in Type 1, or a spider in another universe stumbles across the right Environmental Triggers outside of their own universe in Type 2.”

Venom took offense, yet again. “Everyone is so certain we’re gonna break up.”

Elisa was just about done with this argument. “Peter, I turned you and all your spider friends into a joke because of Venom. Right now you vs. Venom is tallied up at zero to one. I’d say we’re doing fine.”

“And I’ll get your ass again!” Venom cheered to itself.

“We all loved the power the black suit gave us, but we know the cost of it is too much to justify wearing it.” Peter reminded everyone else. “The Canon says that the Spider and Venom will split. And I might not even be worried about any other Event, but if it’s triggered here or anywhere other than your universe, then we have a rogue symbiote on the loose, outside its universe.”

“It’s not his business!”

“Then we burn that bridge when we get to it!” Elisa hissed, only to be held back by Miguel.

“Elisa, stand down.” He said. “Peter, whether we like it or not, she’s bonded with Venom. Many spiders had to reach a truce with Venom to beat Carnage anyway. This might be the only way she survives this.”

Peter wasn’t happy, but at the very least, he understood Miguel’s point. He gave a warning pointer finger in return. “I’m keeping an eye on her.”

“Try it.”

“Miguel couldn’t keep a tail on me for longer than a minute, but whatever helps you sleep at night, Cryptkeeper.” Elisa jabbed, and Olivia nudged her like that was something she shouldn’t have said to their principal, but it made both of them laugh.

“Híjole chicas, we need to figure out our next move, not pick little cat fights with each other.” Miguel chastised. “Now, we can’t find her, we can’t track her, and we’re fresh out of ideas.”

“Well, I don’t usually have tracking technology in my universe, so I say we do this the old fashioned way.” Elisa suggested and Olivia let out a long sigh, likely just tired that this couldn’t be solved by the magical mechanisms from Miguel’s universe.

“Oh, but two Widows investigating a parallel identity in each other’s universes, that’s not an OUCH waiting to happen either?” Peter just gave up on trying to argue this.

“I’ll keep an eye on them.” Miguel assured him, but Peter didn’t look very impressed as Elisa opened the portal to Earth-5302.

The portal came out on a roof near the Oscorp building. “Umm, fair warning Elisa, you might want to keep your mask on for this.” Olivia warned as she brought them to one of the many balconies of the building. Elisa was worried since she recognized this as the balcony to Nora’s Office, but as soon as they entered the building, she realized exactly what Olivia meant.

“Dr. Connors? We need your help on something.” Olivia greeted with joy like this was common.

Claudia smiled, welcoming Widow warmly. Her coat was neatly safety pinned up by her bicep to keep the residual limb safe while she worked in the laboratory. Elisa was left amazed at her face. 5302 Claudia was forty-seven. Her age was showing in a way that only reminded Elisa that she had failed eight years ago. “Who’s this with you?”

“Clara Kassidy found a way to travel across universes. This is the Widow from the universe that Clara invaded, and this is the Spider-Man that knows how to make sense of that tech.” Olivia explained. “We know she was working on her research here, and Oscorp still has copies of those records. We need to see what Clara was working on before she was arrested.”

Claudia took a long look at Elisa, and even Venom could feel her anxiety rising. When she finally took her eyes off her, Elisa was relieved that she’d moved on to observing Miguel. Claudia just nodded. “Alright, I can take you to her lab and unlock it for you, but that’s as far as I go.” She warned.

“That’s all we need.” Olivia thanked her and walked beside her as they led the way to the laboratory.

Miguel stayed back with Elisa, and he was as observant as ever. “Are you alright?” He asked.

“I’ll survive.” She dismissed. Claudia looked back at them for a brief moment, and Elisa tensed and averted her eyes.

“Maybe Peter was right.” Miguel wondered.

“Shut the hell up.” Elisa warned.

Most of the laboratories were sealed off in their own rooms to avoid contamination, and it was easy to plan a route that wouldn’t leave them exposed to any of the ones that had any glass on the walls. It allowed them to just duck under the view of any of the labs that had windows to the hall.

“This is it.” Claudia announced, opening the door with her own key. She stayed by the door as all three of them passed. The police were done here and now the records were organized in the office for anyone that needed to reference her work, with Nora and Claudia’s supervision. Elisa stayed in the back as she began looking around the laboratory. It had been mostly picked clean by the authorities, but the equipment was definitely more advanced than Miguel expected just based on the expression his mask held. Elisa found Kassidy’s desk to figure out if there was anything that suggested a plan, while Olivia and Miguel were assessing the equipment and theorizing ways to locate Clara or perhaps find other evidence of her escape.

There wasn’t much left on the desk, but there was a photo of Clara Kassidy several years ago, celebrating with Nora Osborn and Claudia in front of a chalkboard covered in mathematical work. “That was the day she mathematically proved AdS/CFT correspondence.” Claudia supplied. “Everyone was quite excited, understandably.”

Elisa put down the frame and continued searching without saying a word. She opened a few drawers and pulled out some manilla folders and opened them to see plenty of research papers on a device she called The Seeker. This looked somewhat important, and Venom was also lost on how to scan something and archive it for later use. Elisa poked at her watch for a moment and found a Call Lyla button, and she reluctantly pushed it.

Her tiny, hologram form appeared in front of the watch. “What’s up?”

“Hi, Lyla. Is there a way I can scan this for archiving?” Elisa asked, and Lyla was happy to show her how to use the scanner on her own.

Claudia watched in amazement, but kept giving useful context to Elisa. “That was a paper she wrote on quantum gaps forming between multiversal planes.”

Elisa knew just enough about Oscorp’s quantum physics experiments to understand what Claudia was saying, and what it meant. There were gaps between multiversal planes, and Clara had developed a machine that could seek them out, allowing her to travel through the gaps that already existed.

“It’s interesting to see her theory proven correct right in front of me.” Claudia mused. “I’m glad there’s a universe out there that has Elisa Hannen protecting it.” Elisa flinched and turned to Claudia. “That finally got you to look at me.”

Elisa didn’t know what to say, so she just gave up, signaling Venom to drop the mask. “How did you know?”

“I know the voice of my lab assistant that I see every day.” Claudia laughed, but it was bittersweet. “Something tells me that your universe wasn’t very kind to your version of me.” She said, noting the scar on Elisa’s cheek that she had no way of knowing came from a parallel version of Claudia herself.

“You died eight years ago.” Elisa confessed. “It was an accident that I couldn’t save you from.”

Claudia smiled sadly and Elisa struggled to stop herself from becoming a scared high schooler that never got to say goodbye to her mentor. “My version of you is still my lab assistant in this universe. She’s good friends with Holly Osborn, and she’s a talented chemist.”

“Nora kept me in that position when she hired Oscar. I was still in high school at the time, so I couldn’t take your spot.” Elisa explained. “I was seventeen when you died. And only a year later, Oscar was exposed.”

“Then it seems like your universe hasn’t been kind to you either.” Claudia figured. Olivia said that the Physk hit-piece had happened in this universe, which meant that 5302 Elisa had her trusted mentor to fall back on in this universe.

“You’re so much like my Claudia.” Elisa noted, really attempting to convince herself that this didn’t mean she was talking to a ghost of her friend.

“Elisa, I know I’m not her.” She offered. “But I also know that you aren’t my Elisa. So, just let me as I am, speak to you as you are.”

Elisa let Claudia take her hands in her one left hand. “If your universe has treated you anything like I think, then I hope you know that you’re doing good. The fact that you’re here means you’ve kept going after everything, and if you’re anything like my Elisa, then I know you’re the right person for the job.”

She couldn’t hold back anymore, she just hugged Claudia like she would have if she could have said goodbye. “If you’re anything like my Claudia, then I want you to know that, even after everything, you never stopped being my hero.”

Claudia hugged back just like how Elisa remembered. “Then keep being a hero over there for both of us.”

When they finally let go, Claudia just smiled, letting her get back to scanning documents.

“Just out of curiosity-”

“No, Claudia.” Elisa warned, knowing she was just wondering what had actually managed to take her out in a parallel universe. She was always quite the eccentric personality.

“Alright, fair enough.” She accepted.

“Do you know who your Widow is?” Elisa asked.

“Ms. Weaver told me her identity months ago when she was originally investigating Dr- Ms. Kassidy.” Claudia said. “But I can’t figure out who the triangle man is. I know that’s not Eddie.” She suggested, nudging Elisa’s shoulder with her stump in an old joke. She definitely noticed something suggestive between the two of them.

“N-No, he's Spider-Man from a universe that’s ninety-seven years ahead of us with a wildly different history.” Elisa explained. “He brought together hundreds of spider people to investigate and apprehend malicious universe travelers.”

“Hmm…” Claudia mused. “Then you probably know more than me how troublesome that could be.”

That caught Elisa off guard. “Troublesome?”

Claudia was surprised she had to explain, but it seemed that she was somewhat aware of the theory of Clara’s work. “All of these spider people would be parallel identities in some aspects. I just hope you know that affecting other realities, especially your own parallel identities, might be dangerous for the integrity of that reality’s durability.” Claudia warned, and Elisa was somewhat worried now, thinking of Miguel.

She really did like Miguel, but Claudia was right. Interfering with Miguel’s reality or getting too attached to him and neglecting events that are supposed to happen in hers could be detrimental to the Canon. After all, Canon Events included events like meeting partners like Eddie and MJ, or making friends like Holly or Claudia. If Elisa got too caught up with Miguel, then her own reality could suffer for it. She didn’t need Miguel or Peter to tell her that the Canon was the very fabric of reality that they all existed on. Ignoring or trying to change it could have disastrous effects.

“I’m not dumb enough to start letting romance get in my way.” Elisa assured her.

“Well, you’ve got a track record.” Claudia laughed, and Elisa was once again surprised that she was actually happy to hear those words come from Claudia at least one more time.

Miguel and Olivia came back, happy with their own scans. “We got what we needed, we think we might know where to find her equipment.” Miguel said as Elisa’s mask crept back up her face.

“Good. I got all her research data for reference later.” Elisa offered.

“Alright, we have a trail!” Olivia clapped in excitement. “Thank you, Dr. Connors.”

“My pleasure.” She said, guiding them to the nearest balcony. “And good luck to all of you. We’re lucky to have people like you to keep us safe.”

They bid her goodbye and continued on to find where Clara had set up her equipment after breaking out of prison. Miguel kept pace with Elisa once again. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah.” Elisa answered. “I just needed to talk to her.”

Miguel didn’t press, likely understanding exactly what just happened. Elisa would just have to move on with the fact that she would never live in a reality where she could truly tell Claudia Connors just how important she was to her. But getting to hear her mentor tell her that she was the right person to protect her own reality was healing. And Elisa got to make sure that in this universe, Claudia Connors would die knowing that she was never seen as a villain to people that loved her.

“That’s good, then.” Miguel said.

The group came to a subway station, and found their way to a maintenance tunnel. The fence in front of them had a locked gate and Elisa grabbed the lock, allowing Venom to poke and prod within it to get it open without much effort.

“Gracias, Venom.” Miguel acknowledged.

Venom bubbled in excitement in Elisa. “I like him too.”

She just laughed and continued down the tunnel with the two of them. Olivia led the way, looking closely at the ground and walls to make sure she wasn’t missing anything. She likely realized at the same time Elisa and Venom did that this tunnel was essentially a choke point.

You know anything about Carnage as a member of your species?

“Carnage is a red rank member of my species.” Venom explained. “Black rank symbiotes, like me, are sent as scouts to worlds that are meant for hunting grounds, as you know. If we do not contact the base, then the planet is not viable for hunting. Red rank symbiotes are physiologically different from my rank. They have the ability to cannibalize equal and lower ranked symbiotes.”

So, did you contact the base when you arrived on my planet?

“I never got the chance to. But I don’t think 5302 Venom did either if it found you.”

“This looks like it.” Olivia announced, finding a lightswitch that did not light up the whole underground lab, but was sufficient enough to find what Clara was doing.

Only one wall was lit up by the lamp beside it. The brick was patterned with all kinds of calculations for the tech she had used to travel. There were tables that were filled with gadgets and papers, only vaguely lit up by a couple of lamps in the cylindrical, brick dome.

Elisa found a reason to be next to Miguel again. “Venom says Carnage’s rank of symbiote is known for cannibalizing equal and lower rank symbiotes. Is it possible 5302 Clara and Carnage want to destroy my Carnage?”

“It’s not impossible, but if they’re trying to kill Canon, then they’re much more dangerous than we anticipated.” Miguel noted.

“Hey, guys?” Olivia called out. They both looked across the circle to see what she was worried about. It was a very interesting contraption, being a collapsible cylinder with a lens that someone could see through. The cylinder itself was bulky, nearly the size of Miguel’s arm, and it looked at least nearly complete.

Miguel’s watch gave him a silent, buzzing alarm that he looked down at, and Elisa froze where she was.

“Something’s wrong.” Venom cautioned.

Elisa kept watching Miguel, and he dropped his wrist and put himself between Olivia and Elisa. He looked back at Elisa, but she couldn’t tell what his mask’s expression meant. His gaze turned back to Olivia, and he began to back up with Elisa, toward the exit.

“We have to get out of here.” Venom warned again.

Elisa’s own senses sent a chill down her spine and she could only do as Miguel said.

We aren’t alone in here.

Olivia had also just felt the presence that could have only been lurking above them the whole time, obscured by the shadow that lay out of reach of the weak lights.

A towering woman dropped from the ceiling, facing Olivia. Her skin was stretched with the red muscle that Carnage enhanced, and Clara wasn’t holding it back at all. It was a full symbiote takeover, and Olivia was right in front of the most dangerous enemy any Widow would ever face.

Elisa began to charge in, but Miguel stopped her. “Stand down, it’s a Canon Event now.” He grabbed her, opening a portal to leave, and leaving a drone to allow them to observe and help when the Event was done.

She followed Miguel through the portal, and they immediately opened the footage the drone was gathering.

Olivia barely dodged Carnage’s claws, but Elisa knew Olivia was smart. If any of her old classmates were clever enough to outsmart Carnage, it was Olivia.

Widow launched herself up to the ceiling, and in a moment, she proved Elisa’s assessment of her right. Olivia used herself as bait, correctly realizing that the ceiling of the brick cylinder likely came out above ground. When Carnage lunged at her, Olivia webbed the ceiling and dropped, using Carnage’s force, and her strength to kick Carnage through the brick ceiling, getting them out of the tunnel.

That was a good move, Olivia can catch it off guard out there.

“There’s no way.”

Shut up, she’ll do it.

Several more spider people ran into Miguel’s observatory to see what was happening. But when Elisa looked back to them, she realized that every Widow had heard that this Canon Event was happening for another Widow, and they all came to just hope that Olivia would be the one to tell them how to survive it.

Olivia kept running from Carnage, but it was easy to notice that she wasn’t trying to escape. She could have easily lost a tail, even if it were Carnage and Clara, but Widow’s were never known for being cowards. All of them have been knocked down no less than any other spider, but no spider, especially not Widows that had all found solidarity in their shared place in the multiverse. No, Olivia was leading Carnage somewhere.

Oh shit, I know this street.

“She’s calling on Venom for backup.” A Widow noticed. Elisa recognized her as Beatrice Jacobs.

The other Widows chattered anxiously amongst themselves, all while Elisa’s heart was beating a mile a minute, and she couldn’t tear her eyes off the screen.

She thinks I have a better chance of beating Carnage. Elisa didn’t want to think that. Olivia was one of the best. Elisa felt utterly hopeless. If Olivia thought Elisa was stronger or smarter than her, then they were all damned.

Olivia waited by a window and dodged just as Carnage’s claws grabbed at her, sending her hand plunging through the glass, and catching the attention of whoever was in the apartment. Carnage realized what had happened, and it grinned with a mouth full of sharp teeth.

The oily, black muscle completely overtook 5302 Elisa’s form. And her friend, Venom, was enraged. Surprisingly, both Venom and Olivia were able to catch Carnage off guard for a moment, and sent it flying into the ground.

Venom wasted no time going after it to kick it while it was down. Unfortunately, Carnage did not stay down for very long. It caught Venom’s neck in its claws and squeezed. Venom screamed out and Elisa had to look away, unaware that her own Venom had put her hand over her neck in an absent-minded move of protection.

Her eyes remained at the floor until the screaming stopped. Olivia had webbed Carnage’s mouth shut, and kicked it in the throat, successfully forcing it to release Venom. However Elisa knew that if Carnage was cannibalistic, even one injury from it would completely wipe out Venom and Elisa for days. Olivia kept moving fast, using her flexibility to weave the webs in a way that restrained Carnage while remaining unpredictable.

Olivia’s odds were getting better, until it all dropped at once along with the hearts of every Widow watching.

Carnage broke through the webbing. When the drone finally caught a glimpse of the outcome, every Widow braced for the worst. Olivia had been caught, and she wasn’t moving. When Carnage released it’s claws from around her neck, she just dropped. The Widows all froze in complete terror.

Clara Kassidy and Carnage had claimed the life of another Widow.

Elisa’s breathing was becoming more and more uncontrollable, and Venom was in complete disarray. It was like they were new to bonding all over again, both of them losing control of the symbiosis they balanced every day. The room began to spin and Elisa lost balance.

She could tell someone was trying to get her attention, but she brushed off their hands and just started walking away. She had to get her and Venom back together, but her heartbeat and lungs were overwhelmed without her permission, and all of her nerves went cold, even as her exhausted muscles continued pushing her forward as she sprinted, and she didn’t know where she would end up, but if it was away from her own skin, it would be far enough.

Whoever had been trying to get her attention followed her, and when they made another attempt to stop her and calm her down, Elisa jumped back away from who she eventually processed as Miguel, and they had managed to walk right out the front door, and were now in the courtyard in front of the building, beneath the city lights of Nueva York.

“Relàjate. Yo tambien estoy asustado, Elisa.” His voice was soft, not annoyed or tired, just delicate with her and desperate for her to listen like he had no idea how to speak to her. This time, when he told her, she did as he said, calming down as Miguel set her steady by holding her shoulders. Her breathing was still erratic, but it was manageable now, and her heart still rushed, but it wasn’t painful anymore.

“Miguel…” Elisa’s voice shook. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

“Elisa, please just-” He was losing her, and her heart rate began to pick up again as Venom was unsettled again.

“She was smart and strong, and if she’s gone, then I’m next, and I can’t-” Miguel just cut her off by pulling her close and falling to the ground with her. She was finally pulled from her panic as she realized Miguel was shaking too.

"Relàjate. Yo tambien estoy asustado, Elisa." He told her again, but Elisa finally realized what he was saying to her.

"Relax. I'm scared too, Elisa."

Elisa just let herself cry out there with him. Both she and Venom hated crying in front of another person, but it was far beyond either of their control by now. Not only was she terrified for her own survival, but Olivia was someone she had only just begun to know, and her life was now just gone.

"Taken from her." Venom spat from within.

They stayed like that for a moment. It was quieter than she expected. The sounds of a busy city were far off in the distance and low beneath the ground. Elisa and Venom slowly became in tune again, able to use Miguel's comfort as an anchor to reality.

Miguel eventually, reluctantly, opened his arms as Elisa released him.

"We should go check on the Widows." Elisa suggested. Miguel silently nodded and let her help him up and lead him back to the observatory.

The Widows hadn't dispersed. They all stood in a circle surrounding one Widow. Elisa had read that the first Widow to be found by the Spider Society had been Maxine Catch, but she had died in the first Carnage attack. Kat Marco was the second, and it seems to have been her duty to activate the portal to retrieve Olivia's watch so it didn't go unaccounted for. They all turned to Elisa, maskless, holding varying expressions of concern, sadness, or terror.

An overwhelming reality was coming over the room as everyone knew what this meant.

"We're next."

[ziracona]

As promised! The finale of Act I for The Kid. : ) For the Tumblr readers, as always, a day or two early. [Fate/GO AU – The Kid (pt: 1, … 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, ?)] {Some spoilers for original Grand Order run/through Temple of Time}

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Mmmph…uhg. Head…hurts. chest…hurts… I…

Slowly, I blink, open my eyes. Where…am I? I…

There was a room, for a long time, and then another, big, empty room. With a sword. And I can’t remember why. I’m so confused. I can’t remember when I am, or why, or…M-my neck! I—

I feel a panic in my chest, and try to swallow on reflex, which should hurt, but amazingly it doesn’t.

It’s…bright here. The rooms should be dark.  And I was dreaming, I think. But I shouldn’t dream…? Why shouldn’t I dream? Right. I-I’m dead. But there were memories? O-of a fight, and a girl, and a boy, and I…had…

“Oh! He is up again!”

I’ve heard the voice, but I don’t know it.

I guess I’m not alone in here. Then I’m not in the big, empty room? I’m…

I try harder to focus my vision, and clear my head. It’s so much harder than it usually is. I feel like I’m going to vanish.

“Hey! Hey—Kotarou?”

Louder, clearer. That’s my name. And I know that voice a little. It’s…the…girl? I turn my head towards the voice on my left, and there are two blurry human shapes. A man, with green hair, and a girl with red hair, like mine.

HUH!? Wait. Th—but--then—it wasn’t a dream? I—

Memories come back quickly with the visual prompt, and my mind feels a little clearer. I keep blinking, fighting to be awake now for real, and my vision sharpens. It really is her. That happened after all? Really? …And…I’m still alive?

“How are you feeling?” asks my new lord, leaning in closer, troubled, “We tried what we could, to get you more mana! I was really worried, but the doctor said you’d be alright. Just needed a little time to recover.”

“Yes,” adds the man with green hair behind her, very apologetically. He was called…I…I heard his name. …David? “I am very sorry. I ah, I wasn’t entirely familiar with your history, and when we were banishing demons, I didn’t realize I should be controlling the area of effect on my banishment. I seem to have sort of knocked the wind pretty hard out of you. If I’d realized you were half oni, I’d have been much carefuler about that. I really didn’t know. Are you feeling alright now?”

“Oh…” I say slowly as my brain makes sense of that. So that’s what happened. I guess that makes a certain…sense. “Y…Yes,” I manage as I figure it out, “I think I’m alright now.”

“Good. I’m amazed by the recovery time, actually,” comes a cheerful, friendly voice I think I’ve heard before too, recently, but a man with peach hair I’ve never seen before moves into my field of view and stoops to place a palm against my forehead. My brain wants to jerk back from a strange human touching me, after the last month of memories, but I’m too exhausted and slowed to do anything but stare with eyes that aren’t seeing quite right yet. “You must have already been run ragged from the trap they’d been keeping you in, and immediately deploying a noble phantasm, then taking a banishment spell back-to-back, that’s some spirit origin you’ve got there. I suppose assassins need some hard survivability to fall back on now and again, but even so.”

He smiles at me. I usually view people with some wariness, because it’s only safe, and I feel even more strongly that way now, but this man has somehow got one of the most open and dependable faces I’ve ever seen. He must be…the doctor. That’s where I heard his voice, over the coms.

I guess it makes sense someone like that would be a doctor. And…that…i-it means he’s definitely on our side, then. Right?

“Again, terribly sorry,” says David with an apologetic little smile.

I try to focus back on him, and give a halting nod. My head is still struggling hard to catch up with reality. I seem to be having a hard time with that, since the trap. “…Did…it work?” I ask, turning to Ritsuka as I remember things that happened before, “Your plan?”

“Yes,” she says with a smile, “We did it!”

Oh good, I think with great relief. The idea of those people still being out there does not sit very easy with me, after the last weeks of my life. Months? I really have no idea anymore, I guess. Still. It’s…over. Wow.

Over. …Really…o-over.

“Thank you,” I say, looking up as the thoughts come full circle, “You saved me.”

She nods, and smiles. “You’re welcome. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“He up an’ alright?” comes a voice I recognize more quickly as the cowboy’s, and I turn my head and see him. Actually, I take in the room for the first time too.

It’s…a hotel room, I think. A little couch and lounge area on my left, and a chair pulled close to the bed, that David’s sitting in. There’s another chair on my right, and a little dresser thing opposite me, then a hall far on my right, with the smell of food coming from it. I see a lot of the ones from earlier—the Caster and whatever was with him, over in the sitting area, but not next to each other. The green-clad archer with a hood is sitting in the chair on the right side of the bed—looks like he was reading something. The cowboy’s come from the little hallway. I don’t see the red archer and the lancer, though.

“Yes, hi,” I respond a little stuntedly as the cowboy walks over, and I remember he was speaking to me.

“Glad you’re feelin’ better!” replies the cowboy enthusiastically, clapping me on the shoulder like we’re old friends, “Had us worried there for a second! But hey—” He adds, turning towards Ritsuka for a moment, “We did it, right? That’s everyone now.”

She nods, smiling.

“Mission accomplished,” says Billy the Kid proudly, spinning his gun out of its holster and back in for show.

“Well, assuming things go well with Emiya and Cu Chulainn,” says David with interest, “Then, what does that mean for the rest of us?”

The doctor gives him a slightly nervous glance, and then looks back at Ritsuka.

“For…? You mean, after? Oh. Well…” She thinks a second. “…I dunno, I guess,” she decides, flushing a little when she looks around the room and meets eyes, which have all stopped whatever else they were doing to focus on her. “I uh. Wasn’t sure I’d get this far, so I didn’t plan far enough ahead. S-Sorry. I really didn’t uh… Well, I-I guess I thought I’d figure it out when I got there—Oh!” she adds, looking at the doctor, “Uhm. Doctor Archaman wants a chance to talk to us all about something important, though, so, that, I guess!”

The Doctor looks immensely relieved, happy even.

Huh. I wonder what this is all about? Actually…I—I don’t even really know what she’s talking about.

“And uh, after…” she says, almost to herself, and trails off, thinking.

“I-I’m sorry,” I pipe up slowly, struggling to at least prop myself up in the bed a little, and making it up against the baseboard, “Uhm. …I’m not sure I understand…what’s going on.”

The others glance at me.

“I uhm. …You said you freed me without…wanting anything in return,” I say slowly. I was going to say something else after, like ‘but you really wanted nothing else after? Even now? …What does that mean?’ but, it feels too strange to say. What does that mean, if it’s true? Do we just…get un-summoned? Have the contracts ended, and hang around until our mana is up? I’m…I feel very lost right now. …I guess I also might not be completely conscious. So, maybe I should keep my…mouth shut…

“Yeah,” agrees Ritsuka, “Sorry. I should have had a better plan than this-“

“—Hey I think ya did real well,” interjects Billy with great certainty.

“You did,” says Doctor Archaman, mind completely occupied somewhere else pretty obviously, but apparently clocked in enough to comment.

“Well. I guess we do whatever you want,” she decides, glancing at me, then the others, “I mean. I told Doctor Archaman we’d hear him out. But aside from that…” She looks back at me. “What do you want to do?”

“…W…W-what do I want to do?” I ask, very confused.

“Yeah,” she says, then glances around at the others, “I mean. You don’t have to stay, if you don’t want. But. It’s not hurting me to keep you summoned either. You could…I don’t know. Go to a theme park?”

“Huh?” says Robin, clocking in to this conversation for the first time.

“Yeah, or. I don’t know,” she says, thinking very hard, “I bet you don’t get to go sightseeing much or anything. But you could. What do you do for fun?”

For FUN?

I look at the cowboy for help, because I don’t know what to do, and he’s the only one I’ve talked to. He looks back, but the look on his own face is indescribable. It’s not a bad look, but it’s like all activity behind his eyes has short-circuited for a second.

“We don’t,” says the person whose class I don’t know, over by the Caster at the far side of the room. His voice is confused, wary almost.

The Caster on the other hand looks positively giddy. “Well I do! When I can, which isn’t usual, but hey! We don’t –what is the saying—look a gifted horse in the mouth? Let’s go do something fun! Yes! Excellent! Come on, Salieri!” He grabs the one whose class I can’t guess—Salieri?—by the shoulder excitedly, but the other man is staring so blankly at nothing he doesn’t even seem to notice.

Ritsuka looks relieved and pleased by the Caster’s response. Slightly more worried by the look on Salieri’s face as he finally registers the contact from the Caster.

I’m so confused, I think desperately.

“For…how long,” says Billy in a very strange, almost cautious voice, still looking a little like his brain has stopped.

“Uhm,” says Ritsuka, glancing at him and the rest of us, then back to him, “Well, however long you want? —I-I wouldn’t try to make you stay around, if you don’t want! I-If that’s what you’re worried about or something! But.”

“I’m sorry,” says Robin slowly, setting his book in his lap, “Are you offering to…set us up with indefinite…vacation leave?”

“Uhm. I guess sort of,” says Ritsuka uncertainly, thinking, “I mean, I did tell you Doctor Archaman has something important I promised we’d talk about, and I think he needs help with a serious problem. But. That can’t take forever, and if you all want to stay after, I uh, don’t see why you couldn’t.”

The spirits in the room all trade absolutely befuddled glances, except the Caster, who looks like he’s having the best day of his life. And I guess David, who just has a completely unreadable expression behind the unwavering smile on his face. This is the most confused I think I’ve ever felt.

“…This doesn’t happen,” I say just sort of automatically. I think I…I must be waiting to wake up still. I haven’t yet, right? This can’t be…a real thing happening to me…? Can...it…?

“Yeah,” says Ritsuka sadly, not understanding that at all, “I’m sorry most mages are so terrible to you.”

“No, I-…”

But what can I possibly say.

I try looking at the cowboy again, but he gives me a completely lost shrug, and then a worried little smile, and turns to look at Ritsuka himself.

“I-I appreciate the offer. Uh. We don’t…know how to respond, because no one’s ever said anything like that to any of us before, and we don’t have any kinda frame of reference to process it with, so we’re all gonna take just a second to kinda run it through,” he offers awkwardly, “I uh. I don’t know if that could even work. I guess you do got your big mana pool, so maybe you could do it,” he adds slowly, “But it’d be dangerous…Mages would be bound ta notice eventually—probably pretty soon. Target someone with—”

“—But with eight heroic spirits watching out for her, how much trouble could she possibly get in?” says the Caster with great enthusiasm, almost ecstatic at this idea.

Okay, this can’t really be happening, right? This is a dream. Surely, this must be a dream. I have gone completely insane from having my head half severed for so many weeks, and I’m hallucinating now to comfort myself. Right? That almost makes sense.

Yeah. I think that’s the only thing that could make sense.

Nobody would be kind to me. Not like this, anyway. People didn’t even treat me this way when I was alive.

“Well,” says David with a wave of his hand, “We are all jumping the gun a little bit. We have to make sure that things went well with the other two, and the last of Ur-Shanabi’s leadership. Make sure her parents stay safe,” he adds to Ritsuka with a reassuring smile.

Huh?

“-And there’s whatever the Doctor here has going on,” He continues with a nod at him, “But why not simply take things a little at a time, no? I mean, we really should stay a while, to be certain Ur-Shanabi does not re-form and begin doing what they did to all of us again, yes? So, it makes sense to stay a while.”

“My uh,” adds the Doctor hastily, and looking a little bit sorry, “my thing is uhm. It’s pretty serious, and…dangerous…” He looks very far away a second, then glances back up, and that sincere, just a little sad smile is there again. “But uhm. I think David’s right. Whatever else happens, take it a day at a time for now. We’ve all run ourselves ragged, the last…what’s it been?” He glances at Billy. “Forty-eight or so hours? And most of you have been through hell for weeks, or, even months. You all deserve a break. It…would be nice, to do something fun. Live a little. Heroic spirits…really never get to.” He looks both very sincere, and happy for us, and somewhere behind that, deeply, irrevocably sad, when he says it. I think…something very bad must have happened to this man, and even as not quite there as I think I must still be, I feel bad for him, seeing it.

David is looking at him, and I see almost the same sadness reflected in his eyes for a second, which surprises me, because it’s the first time I’ve had any guess what David’s thinking at all. But he smiles that same bright smile, like a shield, and the sadness is hidden again behind it. “Yes. Exactly. And you’ll come with us too! We’ll celebrate,” he adds, grinning at Ritsuka, “Something nice, for all of us! A victory party!”

“Yeah, okay,” she says enthusiastically, “That sounds great to me! Once Emiya and Cu Chulainn are back, we can ask everybody what they want to do, and figure something out—”

“—And between now and then, everyone can get some rest,” says David with great finality, still beaming.

“Get off of me, or I’m going to remove your head,” says Salieri, who I’d forgotten about, and I look over and see the Caster still hanging off him, from both shoulders now, and looking incredibly unthreatened by this.

“Please don’t antagonize him!” says Ritsuka worriedly, very threatened by this.

“I just want him to have a good time,” says the Caster, reluctantly letting go, but never dropping his smile.

“I think rest is a good idea,” says the Doctor, glancing at the spirits in the corner, and then back at those of us closer to him a bit nervously, “But uh—I don’t think we’ve given proper introductions yet. I haven’t anyway. And I’m sure all this is overwhelming enough on its own.” He shoots me a pitying look.

It is. I feel very grateful towards him.

“I’m Doctor Romani Archaman. A lot of people seem to have trouble pronouncing that, so if you want to call me Doctor Roman instead, that’s fine with me,” he continues with a kind smile, and then indicating the green-haired archer I already know as David, “This is King David, an Archer. You’ve met Billy the Kid, Gunner, and Ritsuka Fujimaru, human mage.” They nod or shoot me a smile. Billy flicks the brim of his hat up like a greeting. He moves on to indicate the other Archer, the Caster, and Salieri in turn. “That’s Robin Hood, Archer. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Caster, and Antonio Salieri, Avenger.”

Avenger. That’s…a hard class. I wish I knew what to say to him, but I don’t think he wants my condolences.

“The other two who were with us before, the Red Archer is Emiya, and the Blue Lancer is Cu Chulainn,” he finishes, “They’re out dealing with a problem right now, but I think they’ll be back pretty soon.”

“Thank you,” I reply, “I’m Fuuma Kotarou, Fifth Head of the Genji Clan. Assassin.”

There are little comments of assent or introduction from the circle, and it’s all much easier to process than the talk of infinite vacation leave. Did I imagine that? I have to have, right? I’m so confused right now. I should probably try not to act confused though. I want to be useful, to thank her for rescuing me, and that won’t help.

“Well, feel free to get some sleep if you like it,” says Billy the Kid as people disperse a little, coming over to take the seat King David was in before now that he’s vacated it to speak to Doctor Archaman, “But if you ain’t so tired, there’s good food, an’ Robin an’ I were gonna play some cards, if you want in.”

I thought I wanted sleep, but the idea of food outweighs that, and I manage to sit up a little.

“Thanks,” I say. Wait. Food? As a— “Are you…you said there is food for us?”

I look up for my Master, and she’s already vanishing into the little hall I smell food from, so I look back at Billy.

“Yeah, she’s unusual,” he says with a very proud grin.

“That doesn’t begin to cover it,” says Robin Hood, moving his chair over to Billy’s side of the bed, “But it’s completely in a good way.”

… “I…am not completely certain I’ve actually woken up again. Or that any of this is happening,” I tell them, a little worried it’s not a good idea to say that.

“Yeah, I felt that way too,” agrees Billy, nonplussed, “We never get treated ‘cept like shit. It’s happenin’ though.”

Huh. I’m still not totally sure I believe him, but. I … I guess if it’s a dream, at least it’s a really, really good one. And…even that’s quite the rare gift. We’re not supposed to dream like this anymore.

“Okay. Game’s called Faro. Easy to learn—trust me. ‘N I’ll go easy on ya,” says Billy the Kid.

“He will,” agrees Robin tiredly, “But only the first time. Then he’ll take you for all you’re worth.”

Scary…

“Ritsuka’s playin’ Bank, ‘cause I already taught her ‘n she’s actually pretty good at it,” he continues, then pauses to call to the rest of the room, “Anyone else want deal’d in?”

-------------------------

“So, be real,” I say, landing silently on the edge of the roof behind Archer and adjusting my grip on my spear, “The kid wanted us to talk to her, ‘just in case,’ but there was never any other way this was gonna go; the others sent us because they needed someone who could make sure we don’t just get her, we get all the information she had backups of too.”

“No,” replies Archer, side-eyeing me for a moment, “If the others wanted to send someone to torture out information, they would have asked Salieri to go.”

I snort. “No way; he doesn’t have the patience for that. Alone, he’d rip her head off in under a minute.”

“Look, it hardly matters,” says Archer with a sigh, turning to actually face me a little. “… What, does it bother you to be the one who seems good at this?”

“At killing?” I ask, genuinely surprised for a second, but no, that’s not what he means. He means ‘at being cutthroat’.

I consider.

“No, not really,” I decide.

He tilts his head like assent. “…Funny they’re wrong, though.”

“Hm?”

“Please,” he says, scanning the building ahead again, and then glancing over at me, “You’re not cutthroat. You picked two kids in a grail war as your allies. I’ve seen you die at least eight times in the stupidest of ways, just because there was something especially rotten you didn’t want to do.”

I can’t figure out if that’s a dig, or a backhanded compliment, or…?

“Oh, you can talk,” I decide to shoot back, because it’s the easiest response, “Under all that superiority complex, edgy shit you got going on, you’re really just a lifelong pacifist who got tired.”

Oooh, low blow. He did not like that.

For a long few seconds, he just narrows his eyes and looks at me, then he turns away, expression hard.

I think maybe I took that one too far.

“There. Top floor. See it?” he asks, and I do, immediately. Just for an instant, but the tiniest change in mana sparks in the third room from last on the far right. Hell of a bounded field hiding her, but we finally found the signature we were looking for.

“We got her,” I say, grip tightening.

He nods, eyes on the window.

-

It doesn’t take long.

I don’t know what I expected.

But it wasn’t what I got.

I forget, but he’s not like the rest of us. He’s not dragged around to mage summons off and on, and frozen on the throne otherwise. He’s in that reality marble of his, for a few moments, and then thrown out by the Counter Force to deal with some new threat. I forget that he’s not like the rest, because I see him so much. But he isn’t.

We entered the room silent, the curtain blowing behind us. Him ahead, me just behind, waiting.

He raised his sword calmly, and she saw him as she turned.

She was smart enough not to attack immediately. She knew her work well enough to recognize me and what I was, and not to recognize him and know he wasn’t one of hers. She asked.

He said, “I am an agent of the Counter Force. Sent to bring peace and stability whenever the living humans of a time throw the world too far off balance. I ensure the survival of the human race. Whatever the cost, whatever the call, whatever the reason. Without quarter, or excuse, or appeal. You cannot have aimed your hand at the Throne itself, and not expected this would come much, much sooner, than later.”

Director Ayase had nodded, slow, calm. Almost still, even in motion. “So. An answer to what happened last night that finally makes sense. I don’t suppose you people let humans off with a warning?”

He said nothing. He didn’t move. Weapon still, leveled, in the dark.

That was her moment to appeal, but she did not.

“And you?” asked Director Ayase, turning to me instead.

I raised my spear and grinned a smile of sharp teeth. “Revenge.”

“I didn’t realize that was the Counter Force’s business,” she’d said, turning back to Archer.

Expression almost blank, he held her gaze, and said, “One might say, it is our only business.”

That was her second moment to appeal. She did not.

She tried to kill him.

No equivocations, no fleeing, no apologies or attempts.

Only violence.

And she tried to kill him, not me. Not me first. Of all the things. I didn’t care enough to remember the exact words, but she said something about him still just being a glorified familiar, even if his master was the Counter Force, and she’d activated every trap ready in that room and tried to rip him to shreds. I could see on her face that she really thought she could do it, too. Certainty. As much as I’ve seen it, and as used to it as I should be, just how people with money will really, truly believe they can out-flank god herself will never cease to amaze me.

She did not.

I could have killed her, but I didn’t care who did it, and he didn’t need protecting. He was quick.

I had forgotten that he would be quick.

But, he always is. I certainly remember it now. Not quick to move, but quick to kill. Quick in the act of killing. Quick in making it over. He hit her, once, and she was gone, the next instant. Like an execution, not a kill.

I guess when your only job is revenge, that’s what mercy is forced to look like.

And it was mercy. Brutal, and ugly, and unmemorable mercy, but mercy still.

We went through the room after. He set her down, against the foot of the bed. Not undignified, not special. A neutral, basic respect. Like it was rote. And we found what we needed, and we left.

I watch him now with a little more interest, and a little less annoyance, than usual, as we head back. A flicker of mana on rooftops and through trees.

“Hey,” I say finally as we go, and he stops then and waits for me.

“I didn’t mean you got tired of being one,” I say as I join him on the rooftop. It’s getting close to dawn, but it’s still so dark, you wouldn’t be able to tell by looking. I only know because I can recognize the way it feels. “I just meant you got tired.”

He furrows his brow in I think genuine confusion, and then I see it click.

Archer opens his mouth and starts to say something, then doesn’t. I wait.

“…Is this an apology? Of some kind?” he asks finally, confused and almost amused, “Or are you insulting my level of professionalism?”

“Neither, I think,” I say, “I just think you make a poor cleaner.”

He snorts. “And who let Medea escape injured in that holy grail war where her master sold the execution right for his own servant to another contender..?”

Damn. Gonna be like that, huh?

But the tension from before is gone.

“That’s integrity,” I shrug him off completely.

“Sure,” he almost laughs. I return the grin.

Huh. This almost feels familiar too. Can’t remember any good times with this guy to be remem—

“Wait, shit, did we go fishing-?”

“What?” says Archer, completely taken aback.

“Was there like, some time we both got summoned somewhere, where that would have been a thing? For the life of me I can’t remember, but I can almost swear,” I reply.

“Why did you have to say that?” he asks, a matching look of consternation on his face as he thinks, “Damn it. Now I kind of remember that too. Why the hell would we-? Was Gilgamesh there?? AGAIN?”

“God, I hope not,” I say, “I fucking hate that guy.”

“Yeah, me too,” says Archer, thinking hard at the middle distance.

There’s a moment of us digging for old memories, and then I shake it off and turn to him, swinging my spear around to lean on it casually. “Well. Either way. At least now it’s done, and we can go back.”

“To what?” he asks automatically.

Huh. Good question. “Shit, I haven’t thought about that. Are we all just getting unsummoned?” I ask.

He shrugs.

Hm. Well. “Guess we’ll find out?” I offer, and it’s so weird a situation to be in, I laugh.

“I guess so,” he replies with what’s almost a laugh, shaking his head a little, “…I guess so.”

-------------------------

“It’s all taken care of.”

“All of it?” checks Ritsuka again, eyes huge.

“I promise you,” says Emiya with a patient smile, “They’re okay. We checked, and your brother is still out of the country. Your parents will be with family for the next month. No one who knew anything is around to do anything about it, and any records and backups have been destroyed.”

“They’re safe,” she checks.

He nods.

“Safe, and Ur Shanabi is dead,” chimes in Cu Chulainn, raising his glass of water.

She just looks at them for a few seconds in silence, then her eyes well up and she throws her arms around him, then motions Cu Chulainn close enough she can reach both, and gets him too.

“Thank you so much,” comes her muffled voice.

“Hey, you saved us from a fate worse than death. It’s nothing,” says Cu Chulainn.

“Yeah, we’re the ones need to be thankin’ you,” I chime in. She raises her head to look over at me. “I mean, I was dead! For months, I think. And you swoop in and save me, save all of us?”

“Dismantle a corrupt organization,” adds Robin, joining me.

“Yes. Save all of us, fight an impressive battle,” says Mozart from over in the corner.

“And the best part: we all made it out alive and fairly unscathed!” adds David gleefully.

I nod. That’s a damn good point. We really did great here, I think.

“…I. Wow,” she says, staring at all of us in turn with big eyes, “We really did it, didn’t we?”

“You did,” says Doctor Archaman with his soft smile, looking genuinely about as happy as we are. I can’t really figure the guy out, but no matter how he got mixed up in this, I guess he’s pretty okay.

“You helped too,” I say, feeling charitable.

He looks surprised, and then looks down and kind of smiles.

“You did!” agrees David readily, “Quite a bit! You blew the vault. Did some big magic medicine work. Ran an attack.”

“Alright alright,” says the Doctor quickly, “We all pitched in. You too. Even half dead, you really saved us there,” he adds, to Kotarou, who is watching all of this still from the bed. He’s sitting up now, and looks a whole lot better, and ain’t bad at cards, but I guess he’s probably pretty overwhelmed still. I would be, if I tried to think very rationally about everything going on, and I’ve been up the longest.

“Way to go team!” cheers Ritsuka, raising a fist. There’s a little chorus of assent or relief from everyone. Robin claps me on the back, and I elbow him in a friendly way back, and grin. Even the Avenger looks happy for the moment. Proud maybe.

“So—a celebration?” suggests David.

“Celebration?” echoes Emiya, turning to him as Ritsuka lets go.

“Yeah, it’s what she suggested. –Oh you two weren’t there for that,” I say, “But uh. Well. I’ll. Let her sorta.” I gesture, to try and pass the baton.

“Oh yeah! Right,” says Ritsuka, turning back to Cu Chulainn and Emiya, “When you two were gone, we started talking about what happens next. Uhm, I promised the Doctor we’d all hear him out, about this security situation he has at his organization. He said he could use help, if we’re willing to do that.”

They glance at the Doctor, and so does Robin beside me, and interesting look on his face. Huh. Wonder what that’s about. Maybe he already knows somethin?

“But before then, we thought we’d all go out and do something to celebrate! If—uhm, if you all feel well enough,” she adds.

We glance around at each other.

“I do,” offers Mozart with great enthusiasm.

“And she said after whatever the Doc’s got, we can all just stick around or do whatever,” I add, overtaken by a sudden Irish drive to add chaos to the moment.

It’s so worth it for the looks Emiya and Cu Chulainn both get on their faces instantly. Cu Chulainn like, triple takes, and Emiya looks like all activity behind his eyes short-circuits for about three seconds.

“I’m sorry—what?” says Emiya, trying to recover, and turning to Ritsuka. Behind him, Cu Chulainn’s eyes are just huge.

“Well, I mean,” says Ritsuka, suddenly uncertain over this response, “It’s not like I can’t sustain you, since I have so much mana. It would be really mean to just send you back to the throne, and, there’s no reason it would be bad for you to get to stick around. It sounds like you never get to do anything enjoyable, or rest, so it would maybe be pretty good. To uh…You know.”

Emiya still looks like he’s hitting error codes in his brain. Cu Chulainn has a massive grin starting to form.

“I mean—You don’t have to stay with me,” hurries Ritsuka, misinterpreting Emiya, “—y-you can go wherever you want! And if you didn’t want to stick around, that’s okay too. I just figure. Maybe you all would want uh. Want a break.”

“Well I do!” calls Mozart again, “And so does Salieri.”

Salieri turns to give Mozart the kind of look Emiya is still giving Ritsuka.

“Well shit,” says Cu Chulainn excitedly, “You’re actually serious?”

“Yes?” she says, confused.

He tries to say something, and then just starts laughing. So hard he kind of doubles over, and slaps a hand on Emiya’s shoulder to steady himself. Emiya turns and gives him a blank look for a few seconds, and then shakes his head and slowly comes back to himself, starting to smile as well.

“Are you two okay?” asks Ritsuka.

“Yes,” says Emiya over Cu Chulainn’s shaky, “Oh yeah,” through his laughter. “This just never happens,” continues Emiya, “It’s enough to apparently give someone a little bit of a nervous breakdown.”

“I’m not having a nervous breakdown,” manages Cu Chulainn as he continues to laugh, “It’s just funny!’

“It’s funny?” asks Ritsuka worriedly.

“Not in a bad way,” Robin answers for them, moving forward, “In a kind of cosmic way. It’s like being horribly cursed your whole life, only to win a 900 million dollar lottery.”

“Oh,” says Ritsuka, clearly not getting it at all, but encouraged at least.

“We can figure the rest out later, can’t we?” pipes up Mozart enthusiastically, “I say we go with the mood, and celebrate! What’s the last time anyone here has been out on the town?”

“’Out on the’—” starts Emiya, incredulous.

“Won’t that be a risk?” asks Salieri, which is the first thing I’ve heard him say in a while. It’s a wild sight, him next to Mozart, who’s a beacon’ ah light without a care in the world, n’him surrounded by an aura like he’s trying to compress all the rage and confusion and murderous intent I seen in him in battle, into a little one foot radius around his body and probably a couple ulcers, just to not destroy everything around him. Never seen someone look so clocked out in such a specific, intentional way. Kinda impressive actually. Like a bomb held together by force of will.

“Being spirits, you mean?” asks Doctor Archaman. He considers. “…Well, we—you—took care of Ur-Shanabi’s leadership. No one around should know to look out for you. What happened with Mercury, they possibly could be looking for Fuuma Kotarou, but they won’t be yet. Their priority will be figuring out who did this, and why. There’s always the chance of being spotted, by other mages, but I don’t think anywhere that would qualify as ‘out on the town’ is somewhere we’d be likely to be spotted. Or for mages to be. So…So long as you don’t do anything to draw attention to yourself.”

“Like…how we look?” asks Ritsuka.

I glance at her in surprise, then down at myself.

Oh. Haha. Yeah…The whole ‘cowboy’ thing might not scream ‘heroic spirit,’ but it sure screams somethin’. And I’m the most modern hero here, ‘cept apparently Emiya. An he sure don’t look it.

“Ah—uh, yes,” says Doctor Archaman awkwardly.

“We’ll go grab clothes first then! Something to blend in,” says Ritsuka excitedly, “I know a little shop that would be perfect, pretty close.”

The rest of us trade glances.

“Well, I’m in!” I decide, fully pumped. She turns and grins at me. Heh heh.

“I…guess?” says Emiya, almost mystified, while Cu Chulann offers something a little like finger guns from behind him, and Robin nods dissociatively.

“You already know I am!” chimes in Mozart, grabbing Salieri’s arm, “Come on, Antonio!”

Salieri just stares at him blankly. David nods sagely, and claps an arm around Doctor Archaman’s shoulder. Which is kinda hard, because he’s way shorter’n him. “You as well, Doctor! You’ve got a ruined lab coat, bedclothes, and that swimsuit, and none of those won’t grab attention.

Doctor Archaman looks chagrined.

I look at Kotarou.

“Uh…” he says when he notices, and returns the eye contact, “…okay?”

He sounds so unsure, poor guy. I’d be so lost too.

“Let’s do it,” I affirm.

Ritsuka nods. “Great! We can take the train.”

“We can?” Cu Chulainn asks her dubiously.

“No, she’s right,” sighs Emiya, “You see weirder stuff on the train.”

“Really?” I ask.

Emiya and Ritsuka both nod.

To my incredible astonishment, they’re right. We take the train, and barely get a look. I hear someone sigh. Two girls ask if they can take a photo and if David and Kotarou are cosplaying as ‘Guy and Azel’. Doctor Archaman panics and says yes. Other than that, we are left alone.

Ritsuka hops off the train and we follow her through city streets that still seem unimaginably big and full and clean, compared to what I knew. Like a maze, but, she seems to know it by heart, and we wind through the labyrinth to a quieter street and a white and blue building called 2nd STREET Total Reuse.

We get a bit of an odd look walkin’ in, but I guess the cashier ain’t paid enough to care, and Ritsuka goes up and excitedly asks a few questions about where stuff is, and the lady barely pays mind to us at all after that. I get dragged with Kotarou down an aisle, since we’re about the same height, and Ritsuka seems to be havin’ the time of her life pitchin’ ideas to us. So goofy. I can’t think of the last…ever? I guess…yeah, least as far as I remember, I ain’t ever gone clothes shoppin’, even just for the practicality of a disguise, since I was a heroic spirit. Usually if your master wants some incognito, you just go into spirit form ‘n wait.

It's fun. I never had cash to shop as a kid, but the few times when I was real little, ‘n my mom took me for fabric for Sunday clothes ‘n a treat, and the few times again once I started scorin’ as a thief, ‘n first used some spoils?

It was fun then, and it’s fun now. She’s passin’ out jackets and shoes and wonderin’ to herself out loud if it’s fine for me to keep my cowboy hat. It’s so…normal, and different, and carefree. Even just an instant in time, it’s great. Like stepping back into a day I was really alive.

Poor Kotarou looks like he’s still mentally almost 100% clocked out. I hear the others chattin. David seems to be draggin’ Doctor Archaman around the store, and the poor man’s just lettin’ it happen. Guess they must’ve really connected back when David knew him as a boy—rare to have that happen, but I guess I’d feel something like the same seein’ Ritsuka again after a long time. Mozart’s tryin’ to do the same to Salieri, and it’s a plain wonder the man ain’t killed him yet. They got a real complicated relationship. Salieri keeps arguing his clothes are actually normal enough to pass for contemporary, which might be true, because it’s kinda a dated suit, but it’s just a black suit. Mozart ain’t havin it, and Ritsuka leaves us to double-team him, and I have to assume he loses, because next time I see him he’s tiredly wearing a more casual suit jacket, and talking to Cu Chulainn by some shoes.

“You holdin up okay?” I ask Kotarou, glancing over as I’m finishin’ what I got goin’ and step back out of the changing room to see he’s still just holding an armful of things Ritsuka gave him, with his face blank.

He kind of blinks, and slowly turns his head to look at me.

“Oh. Uh. …I don’t really know,” he offers after a moment.

I nod. “It’s a whole lot.”

“Does…?” he hesitates, and considers, then looks up again, seeming more awake, “Does this all feel like it’s not really happening, to you?”

He said somethin’ like this back at the hotel, too. Guess he’s still feelin pretty rough.  “Mmm, it did at first,” I reply, thinking it through sincerely, “But I’ve been up for like, 48 hours now. Somewhere around day two, I think, I decided it must be real.”

“…Really,” he says thoughtfully, more to himself than me.

“It is surreal,” I say.

He nods slowly. “It feels like…I was going to say ‘something that would happen to somebody else,’ but, it’s not even that. It feels like something you wish could happen to even just somebody else, a little like you. But wouldn’t. Like you might say, ‘well, in another life, I got a master who just let me goof off and buy things.’”

That is a fair point.

“Guess it does. …I s’pose that means we’re livin the dream, huh?” I add after a second with enthusiasm.

He blinks. “…Does it?”

I consider again, then nod. “Think so.”

“Huh,” he says, thinking that through, “That just doesn’t seem like something that could really happen to me.”

I shrug. “Me either. But I think when somethin’ too good to be true finally happens, you just gotta embrace it whole-hog, ‘n go with your own momentum. I mean, it’s gotta be once in a lifetime, right?” I smile and nudge his arm with my elbow. “Better make it count.”

He thinks, and then smiles a little, and nods again. “I guess so.”

“I mean, we got the bad flip side of that too. Only a handful of us got trapped in death-torture device shit for a couple weeks, so, y’know. I figure we almost earned it.”

I get a real smile that time. He still looks pretty glazed over, but a lot better than he did.

“Plus—Damn Robin!” I interrupt myself, spotting him, “Lookin’ good!”

He pauses where he was about to step past the aisle, and glances at me and gives me an amused sigh and a smile. “This is literally just black jeans and a green shirt. You know that.”

“You’re wearin’ the hell out of it though,” I say.

He rolls his eyes but he keeps smiling.

“Go on,” I say to Kotarou, slapping him on the back to bring him back down to earth, and gesturing to the changing room. He nods and vanishes inside.

“So,” I say as Robin walks over, “If you could do anything in the world to celebrate, what would it be?”

“I don’t know. Get off the throne?” jokes Robin, sliding over next to me.

“I meant in a mundane way,” I say, fake miffed, “And you know it.”

“Mmm, alright,” says Robin without missing a beat, “Mundane celebration, mundane celebration…hm. Maybe I’d…Go visit the old stomping ground?” he suggests, looking surprised at his own idea.

“Like, go home? See what’s changed?” I ask.

He shrugs. “Maybe. Dunno.”

That sounds a little interesting to me too.

“What about just today?” I try.

“Just today?” he echoes, “Well…I guess I’d…” He glances at me and then grins. “Go drinkin’.”

“Yeah?” I ask.

“I mean, why not? It’s not complicated, or elaborate, but I miss spending time eating and drinking with friends between work. Just relaxing, sharing stories.” He gestures with an arm.

“Me too,” I agree, “And it wouldn’t hurt if it was somethin’ sweet! That girl gave me a chocolate earlier, and now my damn mouth can’t stop thinkin’ about the fact that sometimes food is sweet.”

“God, yeah,” agrees Robin with a faraway look on his face, “Man, it would be nice to get drunk. Not much, just a little, you know? Take the edge off.”

I nod.

“You think we can do that?”

“I mean, why not?” I say, “We’re already decided on goin’ to get food or somethin’.”

We look back out over the others we can see. Everyone but Kotarou seems to have their new outfit by now. Emiya looks so mundane dressed casually, and even Cu Chulainn looks virtually normal. It makes me almost feel like, even if it’s just for the next few hours, we’ll really get to be: people, alive, carefree. The little stuff you don’t miss enough till you’re dead ‘n gone. Doctor Archaman is up at the front with David, payin’, and they look so casual I could almost believe they’re family, doin’ something they’ve done 100 times. Any other day. ‘N Rits is over with Salieri and Mozart, trying to keep the Avenger from going insane, by the look of it. I know that, because I’ve met them, but if I couldn’t sense the mana from here, they’d just look like a couple old friends having a fight they don’t mean.

Behind me, Kotarou steps back out of the changing room. He’s got grey pants and red trimmed boots, a deep grey shirt. He could be Ritsuka’s classmate, like that.

He glances at me a little awkwardly, pushing some hair out of an eye, and tries to smile, and I feel the thought even more. We could all be anybody right now.

What a rare gift, no matter how long it lasts. I guess somebody up there’s still lookin’ out for me.

Robin looks over and smiles too, and then double-takes hard and says, “Wait a second.” He looks from him, to me, to himself. “Did she color code us??”

Huh.

I look down at my jeans and brown t-shirt. Up and over at Emiya in his black pants and dark red jacket, Cu Chulainn’s blue flannel and jeans, Mozart’s purple dress shirt and black pants and fancy green scarf, Salieri’s black suit and matching red scarf, David’s cream button-down and black pants with a little green vest.

“God Damn! She did!” I exclaim.

That’s so funny.

“Huh…” says Kotarou, looking down at himself.

“Look!” says Robin, about to lose it, gesturing towards the counter, “She even did it to herself!”

Oh damn, it’s true. She didn’t even need to buy anything, ‘cause she had clothes already, but she’s picked up a white jacket somewhere, to replace the one totaled by that trip to shreds in Ur-Shanabi.

“Well I’ll be,” I say.

“Not the Doctor, though,” says Kotarou with interest.

“David picked his,” says Robin, waving that away, “I saw it.”

From the way the poor man is wearing a slutty little white v-neck with red trim, and looking absolutely miserable about it, I am not surprised one bit to hear that.

“Come on!” calls Ritsuka from the front, seeing us and waving us over, “I think we found a good restaurant!”

I glance at Robin and Kotarou. Kotarou blinks, and then gives a shaky little smile.

“Somewhere we can drink?” asks Cu Chulainn with interest. She nods.

“Well, well, well,” says Robin, immensely pleased. He claps us both on the shoulder, gives me a grin, and heads over.

We follow.

-------------------------

“Alright, alright!” says David cheerily, sliding up to the table with my tray of drinks from the café outside.

“Hell yeah!” says Billy excitedly, taking the hot chocolate he asked for and setting it next to the half-finished glass of liquor on the table at his place.

“Seriously?” says Emiya.

“I ain’t gotta limit myself to one drink,” he scoffs, taking alternate swigs from both.

Emiya grimaces.

Yeah, I feel that. I can see drinking both, but alternating? Billy’s my boy though, so I keep my mouth shut and take another sip of the sake we were offered when we sat down. I don’t really care so much what I’m drinking, so long as it takes an edge off, and it is damn well doing that for me.

“And for you, Chavera,” says David, passing another hot chocolate to Ritsuka, who beams and picks one of the marshmallows off the top to chew on, before taking a swig. No wonder she and Billy get along.

“This is good stuff,” says Cu Chulainn, ignoring all of them in favor of the shochu he’s been devouring at a genuinely impressive rate. He’s not wrong. I’m pacing myself a little by mostly sticking with the lighter alcohol, because there is a very specific level of drunk I like to get, but I’ve had some of it too, and it’s quality.

“And dinner was amazing,” agrees Ritsuka, who’s still getting through the last of hers.

I’ve never had okonomiyaki before, but I would agree with that as well. This is pretty much exactly what I was hoping for when I told Billy how I’d prefer to spend my celebration. Go me.

“And you,” says David finally, passing the Doctor, who’s declined drinking alcohol, the last cup in the tray.

“Thanks,” he says, taking it and setting it by his plate.

“Okay, so. We’ve definitely met before,” says Kotarou, gesturing to himself and me, picking up where the conversation was before David’s return. He points to Billy and me then. “You’ve definitely met before.” He points to Cu Chulainn and Emiya. “You two have very definitelymet before. Many times.”

They give unhappy sounds of assent and turn to their alcohol.

“You’ve met, but only you remember it,” he says, indicating Emiya and me again.

Yeah. Very annoyed I don’t remember that one. Emiya doesn’t look exactly thrilled that he does, though, so probably we tried to kill each other. I guess it can’t matter now.

“You two know each other,” he continues, gesturing to Doctor Archaman, and David, “And you two know each other,” he finishes, indicating Salieri and Mozart.

“That seems about right,” I say.

“Archers really get around,” he says contemplatively.

I grin. Dunno why that’s so funny to me. Do we? Maybe we do.

“But this is your first time summoning heroic spirits, right?” he checks, glancing up at Ritsuka. She nods.

“Hell of a first time,” I observe.

“Atta girl,” cheers Billy, who is a little bit drunk.

She grins and flushes.

“It seems oddly fortuitous we’d have had so many meet each other before, and remember it,” says Kotarou with building interest, “I’m not sure I believe in fate as such, but, doesn’t it almost seem…”

‘Meant to be?’

Hm…

“Yeah, I think it’s nice,” says Ritsuka, “It’s like a reunion, in ways.”

David nods sagely and smiles. Beside him, Doctor Archaman watches that and smiles a little too, then takes a sip of his drink.

Man, I still cannot get a read on that guy at all. I’ve been trying, ever since Emiya brought it up, but. As sure as I am something is going on, for the life of me, I can’t pin down what. He seems nice. He seems normal. He seems fine, and mundane, and kind even. A little bit of a coward, a little out of his depth, but, I know he’s neither. No coward would have done what he did last night, or today, and no one out of their depth with heroic spirits can patch together a shattered spirit core. So why is he…?

And he’s damn convincing…

It makes me feel unsettled, but. Then he says literally anything, and I don’t anymore, because he’s the least worrying person I’ve ever met. It’s so frustrating. And he-

“…Is this…?” The Doctor’s face changes dramatically, almost to a disbelieving grimace. He takes another sip, and gives David an indescribable look. “Is this just a cup of warm milk and honey?”

David absolutely loses it in the chair next to him—like this is the funniest fucking prank on the planet.

Doctor Archaman is still giving him this look like he cannot believe he would do this, and I can’t get what’s funny about it at all. The hell?

“Seriously?” he asks, “Are you kidding me? You went to a coffee shop and ordered me milk and honey just to…”

He gives the sigh of someone shifting the weight of twenty years of exhaustion in the breath and shakes his head, but he almost cracks a smile too. David is just grinning elated at him.

“That’s so fucking stupid,” says Doctor Archaman, who I’ve not heard use this tone before.

“It’s funny,” argues David happily.

“Oh, whatever,” says Doctor Archaman, but he’s still drinking it.

“It’s good for you!” says David, pleased, grabbing his arm, “Makes those bones strong!”

“You’re unbelievable,” says Doctor Archaman, not looking at him, but he’s not mad anymore.

I look at Emiya. He’s watching too, and we trade a ‘Oh I saw it, but I don’t know what the fuck it was,’ look. Everything those two do just gives me more questions. Doesn’t alarm me. But the fact they’re so covert about shit that doesn’t alarm me at all, does alarm me a little. Uhg, I hate this.

Whatever, I think, turning back to my own drink.

“Well, I think it’s all wonderful!” says Mozart, circling back. He clinks his glass against Salieri’s cheerily. “Over two-hundred years, and we finally see each other again! And with the same master even! Not at war! What are the odds?”

Salieri sighs and looks at his empty cup. He sat down by me, originally, to get away from that man, but Mozart just dragged a stool over, forcibly somehow shoved it into the space between us, and is now practically in the guy’s lap. Poor bastard.

I refill his glass. He gives me a tired, grateful sigh, and downs it in one gulp. Jesus, and I used the shochu.

“Yeah, it’s real nice! I’m always happy to see Robin, and havin’ partners at all in any summon’s rare enough,” says Billy, raising his glass to me. I meet him with a smile, and we drink.

Somehow everyone kind of ends up looking towards Cu Chulainn and Emiya, I guess seeing them as the next logical speakers, and when they become aware of it, they trade disgusted glances.

“Don’t look at me,” says Cu Chulainn, “I’m never happy to see this bastard’s face. I just can’t get away from him.”

“Yeah, I’m so pleased every time a new opponent walks into the room, and it’s you again,” says Emiya, dripping sarcasm. Cu Chulainn grins.

“I can’t tell if you’re actually friends, or not,” says Ritsuka with a little worry.

“Oh, they’re friends,” says Billy the same time I say, “Friends,” tiredly, and Mozart says, “Inseparable.”

Neither of them like that one bit.

“Well, he’s not so bad I can’t work with him,” offers Cu Chulainn, deciding the meat on his plate is more worth his time than this conversation, and digging in, “Plus,” he continues, mouth chock-full, “less annoying to have him on my side, than taking way more of my time than it should to kill.”

“Yeah, that’s less annoying to me too,” agrees Emiya. I fuckin bet. I would not love to be killed by that specific lancer. He’s terrifying in combat. Even stalling against him wouldn’t be fun.

“I think it’s great to see old friends,” says David, very pleased.

“You couldn’t have even gotten shots in this?” asks Doctor Archaman, still stuck on the drink, “I…I did specifically say ‘oh just anything with caffeine,’ and you got one of the only things at a coffee shop that doesn’t have some.”

David shrugs.

“How about you?” says Ritsuka, smiling at Kotarou.

He flushes and smiles back. “Uh. I…don’t actually remember the summoning I met Robin Hood on in any detail, just that I’ve met him before for sure, somewhere. But I uh—I’m just glad to be anywhere other than where I was the last night.”

She looks happy for him, and Kotarou seems grounded by that.

“You can say that again,” agrees Billy.

“We’re all pretty lucky,” I say, raising my glass, “All things considered.” Most of the others toast that. It’s…all things considered, almost unbelievably true.

“You won’t say anything, but I know even you have to be pleased, spending time with me like life is normal again,” says Mozart to Salieri, sipping his sake happily.

“You really don’t get it, do you?” says Salieri finally, turning to give him such an exhausted look that I feel worse for him than I already did.

“Mm?” says Mozart, glancing over without a care in the world.

“I’m not happy to be here with you,” says Salieri, in great distress, “I would love to be summoned anywhere else. I am expending every amount of effort I am able, not to kill you right now. This is not relaxing and enjoyable: it is a nightmare.”

“It can’t really be that hard,” says Mozart, lowering his glass.

Salieri gets a look on his face that says Oh Yes It Fucking Can pretty clearly. The poor man looks so miserable and strung out.

“We’re having fun right now, though,” says Mozart.

“You, are having fun,” says Salieri.

Mozart sighs and sets down his cup, then shifts to face him. “Alright, Antonio. What would it take for you to have a good time?”

“You really don’t seem to grasp this situation,” says Salieri, almost amazed this time.

“You say, ‘the throne, blah blah blah, Avenger, perception, innocent monster,’” he waves his wrist in a circle, “’You’re compelled to kill me. You’re not doing it though.’ But resisting hurts? Like a command spell.”

“Not…exactly. It’s…” He hesitates, and glances at Ritsuka, then the rest of us.

“Come on,” says Mozart, “I’m taking it serious! I’m trying to help! Let’s figure this out.”

“You cannot just ‘figure it out,’” says Salieri in great distress, “It is what it is! My nature is changed. I am supposed to be the figure who kills you. I am half Antonio Salieri, and half just this concept of a man who is consumed by the desire for your murder. It’s not that ‘I’—the ‘I’ you think of, am compelled. It is that ‘I’ am made up, of multiple parts now. And not all of them are Antonio Salieri. Even if I put forward as much effort as it is possible for me, and more, I still cannot control the part of me that is not me, forever.”

Mozart watches that. For once, his smile disappears, and he looks almost concerned, or thoughtful.

“You do not ‘know’ what I am like,” pleads Salieri, encouraged by this, “because…I am not the man you knew. I am a part of him, or, he is a part of me. But the heroic spirit ‘Antonio Salieri’ and the man called that in life are not the same thing. I know, what I will do. Because I am in here, experiencing it. And I don’t…want to kill you. ‘I’ do, but the part of me you speak to, does not. But…I…I know it’s a battle I will lose. Because I have to win, every second, of every day, to not kill you. The rest of me only has to win once. Even for an instant. I am many things, Amadeus, but you of all people know me not to be perfect. I am not you.”

There is quiet around the table for a moment, everyone listening now. Thinking. Ritsuka looking so sad, and worried.

“…So, if you were ‘invented,’ to kill me,” says Mozart after a moment, thinking himself, “Would that do it?”

“What?” says Salieri.

“If you killed me,” asks Mozart earnestly, “Would that…’fix’ you? Would the rest of you go away, mission accomplished?”

Salieri looks so genuinely horrified by that. “I am not going to kill you!”

Mozart looks to the rest of us and holds a hand towards him like See??

“No! I—I mean, I will not choose to. I don’t…Amadeus-” tries Salieri frantically.

“-Would once be enough?” asks Billy.

“-No—no it would not,” says Salieri, looking relieved by the interruption, “You would return to the throne. It would not be permanent, so, I would not…cease.”

“What about the version who killed me though? Would he be fine after that?” asks Mozart.

“The-? What?” says Salieri.

“The one in the specific summons,” says Mozart, as if this is the most normal line of questioning in the world.

It’s very clear from his face that Salieri has no idea, but is not interested in this becoming a proposition even if so.

“Hmmm,” says Mozart with interest.

“…Amadeus, that would not…” starts Salieri worriedly.

“—Oh, you’re right. Leaning into your desire to murder me is probably not a good idea anyway, and I don’t want to die!” says Mozart, tone 180’d back to light again, “It’s not very fun.”

“Ah,” says Salieri, greatly relieved and a little shaken. He glances at Mozart, then takes a drink to steady himself.

“I do wonder if we could get the throne on a technicality, though,” says Mozart, picking up his glass and staring past it with great focus, “It’s worth the try, right?” He looks over at Salieri. “I mean, you are always welcome to make me die in the Shakespearian manner, and see if that would help.”

Salieri chokes on his drink so horribly I am sincerely concerned it might be killing him. Past me, Emiya chokes almost as hard, and Cu Chulainn spits his drink out and starts laughing uncontrollably. I am lucky I was between sips, and am just stuck staring at nothing and fighting for my life as I try to run that through my head without reacting. At the end of the table, I hear David hacking his lungs up too, and Doctor Archaman fighting a losing battle not to devolve into laughter.

Still coughing up his lungs, Salieri makes it upright enough again to give Mozart, who is beaming, the most pathetically betrayed look I think I have ever seen.

Holy shit.

Cu Chulainn and the Doctor are about to get to me. I am fighting not to laugh in this poor man’s face but oh my god.

“What?” says Ritsuka, deeply confused and worried. She looks from one person to another. “What? I don’t get it? What does that mean?”

“No one tell her,” chokes out Emiya with murderous intent, trying to get alcohol back out of his lungs. Which causes Cu Chulainn to lose it completely all over again, and it takes me with him this time. Billy is giving me such a confused look too, and that’s only making it worse.

“I don’t know either,” says Kotarou when she looks at him. God bless, I think, bending over the table to cover my face as I lose my struggle.

“Everything is terrible enough without you constantly mocking me,” says Salieri very quietly, a cloud of melancholy descending around him like a pillar of fire.

“But I’m not!” protests Mozart with his bubbly energy unaltered, “I mean it. I’m always down for a good time.”

I’m beginning to think Cu Chulainn, David, and I are never going to make it back off this table, and Emiya is starting to crack too.

“What the fuck is goin’ on?” asks Billy, kind of excited by this energy.

“No one tell the kid!” says Emiya again, this time in, I assume, all of our heads but Ritsuka’s, “I’m not kidding. I will end you.”

“We would have to be able to breathe to do it anyway,” I manage to think back from the table. My warrior’s heart feels Cu Chulainn agreeing with me from his own aching ribs three seats down.

“Uhm. Okay,” says Ritsuka kind of nervously, “I’m not really sure what’s going on, but, please don’t be mean to Mr. Salieri.”

“I’m not!” protests Mozart, intent, I’m sure, on making this even worse. “I love Salieri. I’m just trying to put some options on the table.”

Through the fuckin’ gasps for breath coming even from his thoughts, Cu Chulainn holds it mentally together enough to get a, “Including ‘on the table,’” through to the mental group chat before succumbing completely again, and it’s a fuckin’ murder-suicide to everyone else who knows what he’s talking about. Even caps Emiya, and I see David go back down at the end of the line.

We are strung out to be laughing like this like fucking high schoolers, I think, trying to regain any semblance of composure. Damn I hope Salieri was not one of the people who heard that.

Salieri gets up from the table and starts to leave.

“Wait! Antonio!” says Mozart, hopping right up after him, “Come back—I’m only saying it could be worth a shot.”

I consider going after them to make sure the Caster doesn’t get his head ripped off, but that now seems between them and God.

“Should I go after them?” asks Ritsuka, still completely lost.

“Uhm,” manages Doctor Archaman, who was spared Cu Chulainn’s comment, without a mental link, and is recovering faster than the rest of us, but not quite there yet, “Maybe? I’m not really sure. …I’m actually very un-sure.”

“Whoooo,” says David, wiping tears away with his palm, “What a morning, right?”

“Uhm...I guess I better should—I mean—I better. I should—I probably should,” stutters out Ritsuka, hopping up.

“I’ll come with ya,” offers Billy.

She starts to give him a grateful look, and then her expression changes.

“Everyone! Get out here! I don’t know what’s happening, but it’s really bad! Now!”

I have not heard the Caster frantic before.

“NOW!”

I am up before Salieri speaks, the others around me doing the same. I don’t know where those two went, but Mozart said ‘out,’ and we all think the same thing, and tear for the door. The Lancer doesn’t even bother, shattering a plate window and skidding out onto the street, fastest route between two points a straight line, and I follow on his heels.

I know the second I am out what they saw.

The sky.

“What?” I hear Ritsuka gasp. Fear, confusion.

Billy must have carried her with him.

I only vaguely register that.

Around us, humans in the street are pointing, whispering. Some calling out in alarm.

“Is that a bomb?” asks Ritsuka in a terror that must only come from living in the shadow of knowing what a nuke could do to a city.

It’s not though. I could feel that, if it was, even from a distance. But it’s.

It’s not heat and light. It’s nothing.

What the hell?

At the horizon ahead—

SHIT!

I turn and look, and it’s not just ahead of me. It’s behind. Left, right, all around.

Horrible, empty whiteness, at the edge of my vision. Like the world is an unfinished drawing outside the city.

It’s moving.

Oh fuck it’s moving.

Like a wave? No. Like…a scanner almost. Like a searchlight. The white emptiness on the horizon is streaking towards us, at a horrifying pace, and there is…nowhere to go.

Oh fuck. Everyone is about to die.

‘Everyone’? How big can—

“No!”

The most agonized sound I’ve ever heard.

I turn, and behind me, I see Doctor Archaman stumbling out into the street seconds after the rest of us, stuck running on human legs at a human speed.

There is an indescribable horror and terror and heartbreak on his face.

Like he’s done this.

No.

“This can’t!” He looks to David, who has gone white as a sheet, in desperation, “I-It’s not supposed to happen now! It can’t happen now! Not until the end of the year! This is impossible! There’s no WAY!”

He’s almost shouting at the sky, like he’s challenging the world itself on the reality before him.

“It can’t,” he whispers, broken and frozen in a moment of time.

Not like he’s done it. Like he…failed to stop it.

Something almost clicks in my head, but I know it’s too late now.

It is going to be too late for all of us in a second here.

No other idea what to do, I find Billy and move up, take his hand.

He’s set Ritsuka down. She’s still right by him, staring in horror at the whiteness descending on us all. When he sees me take his hand, he looks up into my face, and I see whatever he was thinking of doing, he lets go of the idea and accepts what I’ve figured out, looks at Ritsuka, and puts a hand on her shoulder.

She turns, face ghostly, and he gives her a look that says, “I’m sorry,” and she gets it too. Shaking, she takes the hand he holds out, and he pulls her against his chest. She buries her face there and shuts her eyes.

Ahead of us, Kotarou worriedly looks back at her, then moves closer and steps between her and the skyline, so she can’t see anything at all past him and Billy, and places a hand on her back.

In the streets around us, people begin to panic. Screaming, crying, standing still. Some run. I hear people deny this is happening; I hear a lot of them say ‘bomb,’ in a kind of horror I cannot being to describe.

I see Kotarou shut his eyes too, and hear him whispering words I can’t make out. I’m sure though, from the intonation, it’s a prayer.

I guess I should say one of those myself.

If there was ever a time.

“B'ní?” calls David frantically. He dashes so fast to Doctor Archaman I don’t see him move, and grabs the man’s arms. Doctor Archaman looks at him like a man drowning looks at the last piece of driftwood in a hurricane. “Think! There is a reason we met! We must have something!”

“We-?” Doctor Archaman looks at the skyline in desperation, and I see something like hope flicker to life on his face. “Archer!”

All of us look at him.

“Fuck! Emiya!” he corrects, pulling away from David to move, “Blade Works! It’s a reality marble? How long-? How many people—?!”

Emiya gets what he means immediately. “Go,” he says, I’m not sure if to him or to Cu Chulainn, or both, because both split the second he says it. He looks at me, too, like I’m meant to get something, and a second later I do. Oh shit.

“Billy!” I call as I hear him begin the incantation, “Get closer!”

I let go of him, and he grabs Ritsuka and runs.

“Please! Everyone! Anyone who can hear me! I can protect you!” calls Doctor Archaman desperately, screaming at the shop fronts and passers-by, the offices and stopped cars, workers, civilians. Anyone who could possibly hear, “Please! Get close! That thing is going to hit, and kill us all! If you get close to the man in red, we can save you! Please! Please it’s insane, I know this is insane, but look at the sky! Listen to me!” He turns in desperation and finds Mozart in the crowd, “Do something to show them!”

Mozart drags Salieri behind him and runs for Emiya, the sound of a piano suddenly in the air around him and bursts of flashing lights and sparks that mean nothing but spectacle appear around him, and people turn and look.

“Come on!” I call, shoving, trying to get people to move, “We can help you!”

It’s enough. Not for everyone, but in the face of the nothing descending on us, some people move when they see the lights around Mozart, and others follow, just to be trying, some last, desperate human attempt at life. I start throwing open doors, calling into buildings. The wall is getting here faster. On my far right, I see the Lancer who was doing what I’m doing a few seconds ago has now given up on persuasion and is just throwing people towards where they need to be.

Behind us, I hear Doctor Archaman call for Mozart to make the area of effect visible, and a second later a bright ring of gold light appears about fifty feet ahead of me. It’s much, much bigger than he made the phantasm last time. This must be the best he can possibly do.

Even so, it’s so little to a city of people. I see civilians in the street ahead of me rushing, trying to follow the shouts of, “This way!” and “Hurry! You can make it!” they are giving each other now, trying to reach us, trying to reach whatever is promising hope in the face of death like this. There’s no way they’re all going to make it.

I try. I run for them, and start doing what Cu Chulainn was. I see him far on the right, doing the same. Trying to catch people before the light, and throw them back towards the circle of gold Mozart laid for us. I try the first few times to not hurt them, but as wave of nothing tears towards us and the seconds I have left fall to single digits, I give up and just exchange broken bones for the surety whatever this awful, oppressive, horrifying nothingness bearing down us is, won’t get them.

It is like nothing I have ever seen, or felt. I dash between parked cars and am too late—watch the nothing wash over a man with his arm outstretched towards me. I see the terror on his face as it gets him. I grab his hand and pull, praying, and he comes back out of the nothing but a feeling passes from his hand into mine like my head has been ripped out by the nerve endings at the base of my skull, and left empty, and for a moment, it has been. I forget to move, or think, and the wall erasing a world reaches for us, and something grabs the back of my collar, and I am flung backwards. I hit the ground, and my head resets—pained, but still there, still my own, and I see Kotarou land with the man I saved in his arms, looking as terrified as I feel. He gives me an arm and I’m back up with him, returning to the wall of nothing now with the surety that anyone I am too late to save, is facing a fate worse than death. Somewhere behind me, I am aware of Billy and David and Salieri doing the same in other directions, Doctor Archaman and Ritsuka shouting, and Emiya reciting the last line of Unlimited Blade Works.

I grab people I don’t take time to see. I move like I have never moved before, in those last two seconds.

Behind me, I hear Doctor Archaman’s voice shout, “Now!” and I hear Emiya’s voice call out ‘WORKS!’

There is a surge of mana. People are clustered so tightly, clinging to strangers. We see the emptiness of the world erasing around us, sky, city, people, life. And as it touches us, we don’t.

Amidst screams, the landscape changes, and the sky is wrong, but it is sky. Empty, unmoving clouds, and gears the size of skyscrapers. There is a sun overhead somewhere behind the haze, and sand beneath our feet. An empty, barren hill and plateau, littered with swords like the headstones of a graveyard.

We all wait, a moment, to see if it will take. Wait for the whiteness to crack inside the grey sky here. Waiting to die.

It does not.

The seconds pass from four, to twelve, and we realize it is not going to.

We are not dead.

At least, I realize, finding Emiya, sweating, breathing hard, raised hand still outstretched, As long as the phantasm lasts.

[sirowsky]

The Lost Island

Chapter 16 - Parted Ways

Summary: You're back on the island, trying to figure out what the hell is going on, whilst suddenly standing face to face with people you've lost and grieved. Meanwhile, Marcus lands in a heap of problems of his own.

Author’s Note: My head genuinely does hurt after having spent all day wrestling with this one. I do know how to complicate things for myself, but I love this story all the same, so I hope you'll follow me through the magical mystery tour :)

Rating: Mature 18+ONLY Warnings: Cursing, angst, time-travel-headaches. Word Count: 4761 Masterlist (this story) Author’s Masterlist

   Marcus stepped out of the gateway straight into his own kitchen, and immediately called out for Missy.

   “Whoa, dad. What are you shouting for? I’m still right here.”

   She came from the living room, holding her index finger in between the pages of a book she was reading, and when she spotted him, her face turned puzzled.

   “Hey, how’d you get changed so fast?”

   He registered her questions while he stepped closer and pulled her into a hug, but he didn’t really clock the significance of them.

   “What? I was wearing this when I left.”

   “Uh… right. Are you feeling okay, dad?”

   “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just glad you’re alright. How long was I gone this time?”

   She pulled back to look at him, and he turned his head down to meet her eyes but kept his arms around her.

   “What are you talking about? You haven’t been anywhere for like three weeks. Not since that thing with the beetles in Australia.”

   He huffed a laugh, certain that she was joking. But her eyes told a different story.    At that point, he noticed that her clothes were wrong too, and that Anita should’ve been there.    He let go of her and staggered backwards, further into the kitchen, feeling panic gradually build internally as he struggled to absorb the implications of that, if it was true.    Because the unnatural beetle-infestation had happened over two months before the plane crash, which would mean that the crash wouldn’t happen until another six or seven weeks.

   “No… no, no, no… that can’t be.”

   He rambled to himself while he tried to find today’s paper, only to discover that it was indeed full of headlines that he already knew, and that the date was almost five months in the past.    Desperate to believe that it was some trick or mistake, he turned on the tv in the kitchen, which was usually set to a news-channel, but it was the same thing. He even recognized the phrases and the way they were delivered by the news-anchor in the studio.

   “No… I was thinking of the same moment! It should’ve brought me back to the same moment…”

   “Dad, you’re kinda freaking me out.”

   He abandoned the tv and went to kneel in front of her.

   “Sweetheart, I know this is gonna sound crazy, but was I in a plane-crash recently?”

   “No! I think I’d remember that. What’s going on?”

   Unable to keep his frustration in, he got up and started pacing, trying to think it through while mumbling to himself.

   “Shit… This is bad. It brought me back to before it all happened… but why? What am I supposed to do here? Nothing important happe-…”

   He stopped pacing abruptly, when something even more frightening hit him.

   “Oh, god, where the hell did it drop Pita?”

   “Wait, you’re working with Ace? On what? And why? You hate working with her.”

   He turned and just stared at Missy for a few beats. Because she was right. In this point in time, the two of you were still bitter enemies, and if he went to HQ, he’d likely find you there, doing your normal job.    Unless the portal had sent you back here too.

   “Miss, I’m sorry, I gotta go to work, and you’re coming with me.”

   “Fine by me. Someone needs to make sure they scan your brain while you’re there.”

   Once at the Headquarters, he went straight for your office, to Missy’s unending disbelief, but you weren’t there.    He took a quick peek at your itinerary and saw that you were scheduled at a meeting with Ricky, so he headed straight for R&D and Ricky’s office, stomping in without even knocking.    And sure enough, there you were, but it took less than a second for him to see that it wasn’t his version of you.    The harshness in your frame, the tight set of your jaw, the glacier of ice that met his gaze when he sought your eyes, all of it so familiar, and yet it now seemed to be hollowing him out, emptying him of everything that was warm and safe.    Both you and Ricky froze when he invaded your meeting, but it only took you a moment to regain your focus.

   “You’re interrupting a security briefing, Moreno. So, unless it concerns a serious threat; get out.”

   He couldn’t move.    Seeing you like this, so cold and hateful towards him once again, after everything you’d shared, tore his heart to pieces, stinging and flooding his eyes with tears.    He knew that it might just be temporary, that the portal might’ve just dumped him here for a while so that he could accomplish something, and that his Pita was still out there somewhere.    But his love for you had become as integral to his being as Missy was, which made the pain that he felt in that moment, as real as anything had ever been. Because right then, in that time, you didn’t love him back, and nothing he said would make you believe that you ever could.    So, what if it wasn’t temporary? What if the crash and the island would never happen now?    What if that timeline, that specific chain of events, was the only way that you could ever learn to love him…

   “I know you’re not deaf, so unless you step outside right now, I’m gonna make you.”

   “S-sorry… I’m… I’m so sorry.”

   He should’ve backed away, but he just couldn’t.    Unfortunately, though, this version of you had never seen him heartbroken, and assumed that he was playing some angle, because of course, he couldn’t actually be this emotional from just seeing you.

   “Whatever game you’re playing, I’m not in the mood.”

   You got up and came towards him, clearly intending to shove him out of the office, but as you got closer, he suddenly didn’t care that you weren’t his Pita.    He needed to hold you, just one more time in case this was his last chance, as it was beginning to dawn on him that he had no idea what the portal was doing, or what it might have planned for him.    He’d always known that he was utterly powerless against it. But it had seemed to be on your side all this time, so he’d trusted it. But now that trust was breaking, and with it, so was his hope.    Desperate to cling to whatever piece of you still existed, in any timeline, he met you as you came at him and ensnared you in an almost bone-breaking hug.

   “Oof… Marcus, what the hell?! Let go of me!”

   “I should’ve stayed. I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have run through like that, we should’ve crossed together…”

   It wasn’t you; he still knew that. He knew that this Pita would have no idea what he was talking about, but he needed to say it, in case your souls were linked somehow. In case some part of you could hear him, across space and time.

   “Crossed what? What’s wrong with you?!”

   “Dad, you’re being really creepy… just let her go.”

   Missy’s words made him feel terrible as he realized how invasive and unwanted his closeness was. He let go of you, instantly backing away, out of the office and as far as the corridor would let him without losing sight of you, breathing heavily against the sensation of his chest crashing in on itself.

   “I wish I could explain… I’m so sorry. So sorry.”

   “Dad, wait, maybe Ricky can help you.”

   Hearing her, the man got up from his desk and came out to the corridor, making Marcus realize that he’d completely forgotten about him.

   “What’s going on, Moreno?”

   He laughed, but a little hysterically, as he stared at the expert scientist, and he felt like he was being defeated somehow.

   “I’m being thrown around space and time by a sentient black rock… I think it wants my help to prevent the complete annihilation of Earth, but I have no fucking idea how or why it brought me here… only that you guys are living five months in the past, from my perspective.”

   All three of them just stared at him at first, but Ricky was quick to recover.

   “Why don’t you come with me to my lab, I’d like to take a look at you.”

   Marcus laughed again, this time with absolute hopelessness.

   “There’s no point. I already know what your scan is gonna say, which is that there’s a spatial anomaly around me that you can’t explain.    I wish I could stay and indulge you, but I need to try and figure out what the portal wants me to do before it’s too late… so that I can get back to my time.”

   He glanced at you, before adding:

   “My people.”

   None of them said anything more, although Ricky looked like he was thinking hard, while you still looked about ready to punch him, so he turned to Missy.

   “Sweetheart, I need you to stay with Ace, okay?”

   “But, dad…”

   “I’m not the version of your dad that you know. I need to get back to my time. As soon as I do, your Marcus will come back. I think.”

   “I don’t understand.”

   “I’m not sure that I do either… but it’s gonna be okay.”

   He tried to make himself believe it, so that she would too, before he picked her up and hugged her for a long moment, and when he set her back down, he looked at you.

   “I hope you won’t remember any of this, once it’s over. But if you do… just know that I’m not your enemy.”

   “In your time… we’re friends?”

   You sounded just as incredulous as he’d expect you to.

   “In my time… we’re a lot more than that.”

   He didn’t wait to see if your face would contort with disgust, he just turned away and left without another glance back.

<><><><><> 

   The wind was so loud that you couldn’t hear anything else, as you plummeted towards the ocean, having no clue how you’d survived this the last time and therefor no chance to replicate it.    But there was some comfort to the knowledge that you had survived this before, and should be able to again, even though it was hard to feel anything but panic as you watched the deceptively soft-looking surface close in on you.    You noticed the pod of orcas just before you made contact with the sea, suddenly terrified that you might hit one or more of them, which would surely kill both them and you.    But just before you hit the water, something seemed to flow over your skin, almost like the softest silk, barely even noticeable when it just brushed against you.    Whatever it was, it was beyond your control, but it had to be what ultimately saved you, because as you were pummelled against the surface over and over again, before you eventually dropped under it, no bones broke. No limbs were torn or thrown out of their sockets.    You knew that you’d been knocked out for a few seconds at least, the last time, but this time you managed to stay awake, which also meant that you felt the multiple impacts, and it wasn’t pleasant.    Thankfully, you hadn’t hit any of the whales, and just like last time, Whelma soon came to your aid, which was good because every muscle was screaming in pain.    Had it really hurt this much last time?

   “Hey, girl. I missed you… but I wish I hadn’t been forced to come back. No offense.”

   She came right up to you, nudging your hand as you reached out to her, as though you were old friends, making you wonder if she could somehow remember your last visit.    Perhaps cetacean brains had some natural resistance to space-time trickery.

   “I need to get to the creepy-ass island this time too. Can you help me?”

   She turned to position her side next to you, so you could clumsily get your sore body up on her back, and then signalled the other four orcas to join her. You assumed it was the same four that had been with her the last time, and it all felt like déjà vu.    You hoped that since you hadn’t wasted time on first travelling for hours in the wrong direction this time, you’d get to the island much faster, and tried to think back to what you knew had happened that day.    It was the day that Marcus had nearly destroyed the village, before his failure prompted the Ozsha to send the tsunami, and he’d stopped them by discovering his new abilities, killing ten of them in the process.    God, this was infuriating! You’d already done all this, already made so much progress since this day, and now it was all undone and you had to start over.    What the fuck was the portal trying to accomplish with this?    You hoped with everything you had that the damned thing had at least sent Marcus to the correct time, and not back here where everything was just terrible.    You’d already forgotten how hard it was to ride a swimming whale, through currents and waves, but at least this time you managed to stay on for the whole ride.    Getting to the island did take much less time now, so the sun was still halfway up from the horizon when you disembarked and prepared to swim the final few yards to the beach.

   “You’re a gem, Whelma. I hope you won’t have to fight this time.”

   You pushed away from her and headed for the warm sand, stepping up on dry land to find the beach intact, meaning that the wave hadn’t happened yet.    So, you took off running towards the village, to warn them.    But you’d forgotten how traumatic this day had already been for them. The roots and the acid having destroyed many of the houses, leaving most of them wandering around, assessing damage or dressing wounds and checking each other over.    You ran into the area to find a horrid-looking Marcus talking to Akela, and your heart jumped.    Partly because you were relieved that this was old Moreno, meaning yours was likely back safe with Missy, but also because you hadn’t thought about the fact that you’d see the Chief alive again.    It hit you like a gut-punch to suddenly see his bright and insightful eyes turn to meet yours, after noticing how all colour drained from Marcus’ face as he caught sight of you first.

   “Mana… Praise Kãne and Kanaloa, they brought you back to us.”

   Oh, how you’d missed that voice. How you wished that you could’ve just talked to him for a bit.    Tears filled your eyes as you stared at him, struggling to believe that this was real for the first time since the portal had dropped you back here.    You closed your eyes against the tears and shook your head for a second, trying to keep yourself sharp and alert.

   “Chief, listen to me, you have to run. The Kaiaka are sending a giant wave that’s gonna level everything in its path and I don’t know how long we have.”

   You had no idea how to convince the one super available that he had the power to stop it, since he wouldn’t have discovered his new abilities yet, but as it turned out, that was far from your biggest challenge.    Because in that moment, the only thing that Marcus was capable of focusing on, was the fact that you were alive. That he hadn’t killed you.    You remembered all too clearly how this regret and shame had weighed on him.

   “Pita… I-… I’m s-so sorry…”

   In your timeline, you hadn’t seen him until after he’d had a chance to begin healing himself from the Ozsha’s manipulation, so to meet him now, to see him still so raw and hurting so much more than he’d ever allowed you to see, was breaking your heart.    He might not yet know how important he was to you, or you to him, but you had to try and take that pain away from him, it was too devastating to witness.    You closed the small distance between you and trapped his chest against your own, ignoring the persistent ache from your bruised body, holding him as tightly as your arms would allow without constricting his breathing.    He seemed understandably confused at first, and reluctant to touch you, whether because of the state you were in, or his surprise at you apparently wanting him to. But he soon surrendered to the sincerity of your warmth, wrapping his arms around your back and holding you as gently as a delicate butterfly.    Grief rippled through him, tearing unwanted sobs up through his throat, and he buried his face against your neck, trying to muffle them, all while his hands kept moving, from your waist to the backs of your shoulders and down again.    As if he needed to make sure that you were real and not some apparition.    You wanted to explain that it wasn’t his fault and that you knew why all of this had happened and what it would lead to, but how could he ever believe it without experiencing it for himself?    And if he didn’t experience those things, would the future you knew even come to pass?    This was so fucking complicated! Why did it have to be time-travel?!

   “Mana, where have you been? Where did you find these new clothes?”

   Oh… crap. How to explain that little nugget.    You pulled away from Marcus, who surprised you by not letting go of you, instead trailing his hand along your arm, down to your hand and holding on to it as you turned back towards Akela to try and answer his questions.

   “That’s hard to explain right now, Chief, and time is not on our side.”

   He slowly came closer, keeping his eyes firmly locked with yours, and you sensed that he was seeing more than anyone else ever could.

   “I think you mean that time is not on your side. Am I correct?”

   How he was able to somehow see that just by looking at you, was incredible, but you still had no idea exactly how much he understood, so you tried to tread carefully.

   “Yes, but I don’t know why.”

   You flinched when your peripheral vision alerted you to a movement next to you, and turned your head to find his mother, Koa, suddenly standing there.    You’d forgotten how utterly unnerving she could be. But you’d also forgotten how powerful she was, in her own way.

   “You are Mana. That is why you are here.”

   Just like the only other time you’d heard her voice, it stunned you with how clear it was, but also with the uncanny sense that something was being passed into you, through her words.    It hit you like a car doing a hundred miles an hour. How had you not figured it out earlier?    Mana. Spiritual power.    This… all of this, being brought back here, at that precise moment before you hit the water, it was to help you understand how powerful your own soul really was.    It wasn’t some unknown power or ability that had saved you from being torn apart, it was your uniquely strong soul, reaching out and borrowing a little extra strength from Whelma and her family. Managing to boost itself just enough to cocoon your body in a tougher shell than your usual aura.    Just enough to save you from breaking any bones or cracking your skull open.    And that momentary connection probably explained why the orca seemed to understand what you wanted as well.    But what the heck did your soul have to do with stopping the spores?    Right on cue, now that you’d apparently done what it wanted, the portal appeared before you, and everyone else literally jumped away from it, except for you and Koa.    You sighed heavily and let your head fall into your free hand for a moment, before looking up at the fucking thing again.

   “You’re a real piece of work, you know that?”

   As usual, it just stood there, always in motion but also somehow so permanent. So inescapable.

   “Why do I need to know more about myself in order to stop what’s coming? How will that help anything? I don’t understand what you’re trying to do…”

   Marcus hadn’t let go of your hand even though he’d jumped back as the portal appeared, and now that he saw how familiar you were of it, he came closer again, tightening his grip on your hand as if he was afraid that you’d vanish.    A sharp pinch bothered your chest at the thought that his fear was about to come true.

   “Pita, what is that? What’s going on?”

   There was no use in telling him. Either this timeline would revert to normal after you disappeared, which would mean he’d soon learn all about it, or this timeline was forever corrupted, in which case you couldn’t know anything that might happen.

   “I’m not where I’m supposed to be. I have to go.”

   “No, you can’t. I-…”

   He tugged on your hand as he spoke, urging you around to look at him, but then cut himself off when he realized that he didn’t actually know what he was trying to say.    It was almost as though your connection to your Marcus was bleeding into this one the longer you were around him, because the Marcus you knew would never have been this affectionate towards you at this point in time.    That was possibly why he struggled to put words to his feelings. Because to some extent, they weren’t really his.

   “Hey, it’s gonna be okay. This is all just a weird dream. I’m gonna step into that black thing, and you’re gonna wake up and not even remember any of this.”

   You wished that what you were saying was the truth, but you also feared everything about what was happening right now. Regardless of timelines.    You feared that you’d become lost to time, no longer belonging anywhere, and that your Marcus might not even exist anymore, or perhaps that you’d just never find him again.

   “But I want to remember… because even if this is a dream, you like me here.”

   No, no, no, this was not what you needed to hear right now. Leaving him was hard enough, no matter how or why it happened.    Your eyes stung when they met his. At the very least, you had to leave him with some hope.

   “I like you everywhere, Mo. …I love you.”

   Taking advantage of his shock, you slipped your hand out of his and quickly backed away, towards the portal, only turning to face it once you were about to step through.    But you paused, staring into it through the tears that would no longer be held back, for the first time feeling unwilling to trust it.

   “Take me to him. Please.”

   The liquid just kept softly billowing, perhaps moved by the winds and currents of the universe itself.    You closed your eyes, hoping with all the might of your soul that this was the last lesson it had needed to teach you, and then you stepped through.

<><><><><> 

   Marcus stood under a tree in his own garden, staring at his house, seeing his mother and daughter through the living room window, sitting in the sofa and talking, probably about him.    Their version of him. The person he’d need to become for the foreseeable future.    He wasn’t sure how long he’d been standing there, but it had gone dark.    He was trying to think back, to remember everything that had been going on five months ago, but he kept losing track of his own thoughts, finding them drifting back to what the portal had showed him earlier that day, after he’d left HQ.    He’d been wandering around for a while, trying to figure out what to do next, what had been significant enough about this point in time for the portal to need him to come back here, when one of the smaller pieces of it had suddenly appeared.    On its own, the little black creature couldn’t take him anywhere, but as it turned out, it could still show him things.    It had climbed up onto his head, and somehow projected images into his mind. Images that would surely rob him of all sleep for a long time to come. Or possibly even drive him mad.    There wasn’t really any point in putting it off any longer, it wouldn’t get any easier to explain no matter how long he stood out there.    Stepping into the house, he was met by Missy’s voice calling for her dad, before she came running to meet him, a hopeful smile on her face that faded when she realized that it wasn’t the right Marcus that had walked in.    Anita followed behind her, but upon seeing her reaction, told her to go to her room.

   “No, you both need to hear this. Please.”

   His voice was weak and hoarse from all the crying, but he had to explain, as best he could, because there was nowhere else he could go, and no other version of him would be coming back any time soon. Meaning he was the only father that this Missy had for now.    They exchanged a look, and after Anita nodded to her grandchild, they all went into the kitchen and sat down around the table. The two of them close together, and him on the opposite side.

   “Sweetheart, did you tell Abuela what happened at HQ?”

   “Yeah. As best I could.”

   He nodded slowly a few times, once more attempting to gather his thoughts.

   “I had hoped that I was brought here in order to learn or understand something that would have importance in the future, but as it turns out, that’s not what this is about for me.”

   He paused to take a breath, trying to keep his emotions in check for as long as he could, while they both patiently waited, looking more apprehensive than confused, thus far.

   “In my timeline… something horrible is about to happen. And Pita and I are the only ones who know about it.    This portal thing, it’s trying to help us stop it, and I thought that it brought me here to find a clue, something that would…”

   Pain overtook him, stealing his voice for a moment, because as he said it out loud, he suddenly felt like the portal had betrayed him.    He cleared his throat and tried again.

   “This is all about Pita. I’m here because the portal knows everything. Every possible version of the future, and in order to prevent what’s coming, I have to stay alive.    I have to be safe, because Pita is the only one that can stop the annihilation of all life on this planet, and if anything happens to me… she won’t be able to do that.”

   Anita tilted her head to the side, but her eyes kept studying him closely.

   “So, you’re hiding.”

   “Not by choice… but yes, I suppose that’s true.    I’d give anything to go back there, to help her.”

   He was able to keep the tears from falling, but the pain refused to lessen.    Knowing that you’d be forced to face this enormous threat all alone was enough to make him wanna beat his hands bloody against the fucking goo.    He wanted to trust that it was doing what needed to be done, but how could he when the odds of your success seemed so insurmountable?    Missy could see his pain as clearly as he could feel it, and it didn’t seem to matter to her that he wasn’t technically her dad, because she came to sit next to him and hugged him.

   “I know how she feels, if she loves you so much that she’ll break without you. But I don’t understand how she can fight something that dangerous alone?”

   “Neither do I, really. I just know that it has something to do with her soul. It’s very special, and it needs to be whole when she faces her enemy, or she’ll fail.”

   “Is your Ace a super?”

   “No. Her power is something else.”

   She paused, and then pulled back so she could properly look at him.

   “Do you believe she’s strong enough to win?”

   He met her worried eyes, knowing that she’d see the truth whether he voiced it or not.

   “I want to. But I’ve seen what’s coming… and… I just can’t.”

—————

Link to Chapter 17

I'm so sorry for being so crap at updating this lately, but sadly, I haven't been feeling well. Thank you for reading, and I’d love to know what you thought :) Have a wonderful day/night!

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[imfluentinfangirlandgay]

Elevated Railways - Ch 9

Ingo has been in Hisui for two years when two children fall from the sky - with wings like his. Did they come from the same place he did?

Word Count: ~4800

Something was patting Ingo’s shoulder. He had not moved in some time, he knew, though his mind was a blank slate. He sat up slowly, wiping away the tears leftover on his face. He made sure the man’s head was situated in his lap as he looked up, his eyes heavy with melancholy. 

Two young faces looked back at him, beyond them, the backdrop of a light blue sky. They had done it. They had fixed the rift. 

“Uncle Ingo? Are you okay?” Akari asked quietly. 

Ingo simply blinked at them. “I… still cannot remember his name.” He looked down at the sleeping figure again, feeling another pang of guilt rack his entire body. 

“Why don’t you ask him?” Rei asked simply. “When he wakes up. He’s right there.” 

Ingo did not speak for a moment. “I do not know how he would react to that.” 

“No way to find out unless you try! Explain the situation to him. It’s not like you asked for your memory to be erased,” Akari pointed out, sitting cross-legged on the ground beside him. Ingo supposed that was true. 

They sat in silence for a bit. Ingo wrapped his arms around the two with him, tugging them in for a hug. “I am so proud of you two. Apologies for not being able to accompany you when you needed me-”

“You were kinda busy. It’s okay, really,” Rei cut in. The twins wrapped their arms around his torso as he expanded his wings subconsciously, wrapping them over the twins like a blanket. “It’s okay,” he repeated. 

They sat like that in a huddle on the ground for some time. Ingo could feel his eyes struggling to close, but he forced himself to remain awake. He needed to stay awake for now. There were still things that needed doing. 

Like the thing in his lap. His brother groaned. 

The three of them sprang apart, watching him intently. His face tremored, his eyes scrunching up. “What time is it?” he asked in an oddly monotone voice. 

“I’d say afternoon sometime,” Ingo supplied. The man did not move for a moment. Then his brow knitted. He opened his eyes. 

Silver. Exactly like Ingo’s. Ingo watched as the man’s eyes met with his and recognition flared to life after a moment. The eyes widened. His mouth fell open, just a bit. He whipped himself into a sitting position, getting onto his knees and staring at Ingo. They stared at each other for a long moment, not saying anything. 

“Ingo? Is it really you?” His eyes were filled with moisture, a smile on his features. Ingo nodded slowly. The figure squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again, as if he were testing to see if Ingo was really real or not. He scooched forward and poked Ingo’s arm. When he felt something solid, he lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Ingo and knocking the both of them over. Ingo’s wings flapped in displeasure as he landed flat on his back. “Ingo! Ingo I found you! I finally found you! I can bring you home!” His brother laughed loudly in his ears. Ingo could feel himself beginning to smile. He returned the hug, gripping his brother’s coat tightly. He could feel his facial wings pulsating in excitement. “Elesa misses you. Uncle Drayden misses you, where have you been? How did you end up here? I looked everywhere for you. You never came home that morning from the coffeeshop. Chandelure was so distraught. How did you… you’re…” A choked sob by Ingo’s ear had him smoothing his brother’s hair, attempting to soothe him. 

“I’m right here, it’s alright. I’m alive. I… I never thought I’d see you again.” The man sniffled into his side, hugging him tightly still. He did not seem inclined to let go. Ingo continued to card his hands through his hair, noting the small feathers interspersed. “I do not recall much, but I am certain I was not uncoupled from you by choice.”

He paused in his tears. He peeled himself off Ingo, pulling him back up into a sitting position and wiping his tears. “What do you mean ‘recall’?” The man wiped the tears from his eyes as he watched Ingo with confusion. 

Ingo sat up and averted his gaze. “I… upon entering this terminal, all of my memories became uncoupled from me. I remembered nothing about myself or my previous life except my own name. I have unraveled some things, like your existence and what my occupation likely was, but I never had details. For example,” he added, struggling to keep his voice even, “I still cannot remember your name. I want to, by Sinnoh I do, but I cannot seem to recall it.” He removed his hand from the man’s and angrily wiped at his face, trying to rid it of the traitorous moisture. He felt two warm hands grip his shoulders. He looked up in surprise, meeting the gaze of his twin. 

He was smiling softly. “I am Emmet. You are Ingo.” 

Ingo sucked in a breath. Emmet. Emmet. His name was Emmet. “And we are a two-car train,” his mouth said without confirmation from his head.

Emmet nodded vigorously, his grin wet and splitting his entire face. He let out a shaky breath. It broke Ingo. He lunged for his brother, wrapping him in a tight hold, his wings fluttering and thrumming against his back. Emmet’s arms wrapped around him, squeezing him tightly like he might disappear again. “Emmet, oh Emmet.” Ingo kept repeating his name. He never wanted to forget it again. “I’m so sorry, Emmet, I never meant to leave. I did not choose to. I did not want to forget…” He realized that Emmet was rubbing his lower back and rocking them, shushing him. 

“I have you back.” He said nothing else, but Ingo found he did not need more words. He hiccupped into Emmet’s shoulder, taking deep breaths to calm himself as Emmet continued soothing him. It felt hauntingly familiar. 

Eventually, Ingo leaned back, pulling away. He wiped his eyes again, taking Emmet’s hands. Emmet met his eyes and grinned. Then his brow knit. “Ingo? Are those real?” He pointed at the small wings on Ingo’s face. Ingo fluttered them, making his eyes widen. 

“You have them, too, Emmet. Move them.” Emmet patted his face, shocked to find he could feel his touch on the new appendages. He awkwardly moved them about, his eyes now wide as saucers. He looked up at Ingo in shock and confusion. “I have not checked on you, but I do believe we both also have these,” Ingo added, flaring his back wings to life. “I believe I did not have them until I landed in Hisui.” 

“We did not have them before,” Emmet confirmed. He shrugged his coat off, trying to look over his own shoulder. Ingo leaned over and peeked. Two small silver wings just like his own sprouted from Emmet’s back, poking through his dress shirt. 

“You have them, too. Something about the rift causes those that fall through to possess them.” 

Emmet just sat, wide-eyed. “...Rift?” 

Ingo nodded to himself. Yes, there was a lot to discuss. He stood, his knees groaning, before he held out a hand to his twin. “We have much to catch up on. First, though, I must ensure the safety of all passengers.” Emmet took his hand and stood, brushing off his coat. Then Ingo turned to the other set of twins before him. “Are you two alright? What happened up there?” 

Their eyes were darting between Emmet and Ingo still, watching the two of them. “We had to calm it, like the frenzied Nobles. Once we did, though, we got to catch it with this ball the professor made from the Chain!” Akari held up the ball proudly. It was a normal Pokeball, except it was a deep red. 

She popped it open, revealing the blue Pokemon from before. It looked down upon the group of humans before it. Ingo felt his grip tighten on their shoulders without it even meaning to. “Hi, Dialga! Are you feeling better now?’ Akari called up to it. 

My mind is cleared. I must thank you two. The voice seemed to reverberate in Ingo’s head. Judging by the soft breath he heard behind him, Emmet must have heard it, too. Being frenzied takes a toll on any Pokemon. I am glad that all of the Pokemon have been quelled by you two. He could feel the twins’ chests puff out with pride. 

“Did you bring Emmet here, by chance?” Ingo asked it. “I found him around you while you were frenzied.” 

Hmmm. The Pokemon knelt down and watched the two of them for a moment. Not that I can remember. It is possible that something else dropped him there, but the fragility of time in that moment caused him to land at that time and place. 

That made some semblance of sense. Ingo nodded as Akari recalled the Pokemon. It was silent for a moment as Ingo checked over the twins for any injuries. 

“Ingo!” He whipped his head up to see Irida running down from Cloudcap Pass, Adaman and Volo close behind her. She ran to him, skidding to a halt not far from him. “Are you alright? What happened? You just shut down.” 

“I am quite alright now, Lady Irida.” He pulled his cap down, shading his eyes. “I’d like you to meet my twin brother, Emmet.” Emmet waved at her, smiling. 

She looked between the two of them. “You remembered his name, then?” 

“I reminded him,” Emmet announced. “Ingo may not remember everything, but I can help him. He is my brother.” Emmet’s hand landed on Ingo’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. 

“Emmet, this is Irida. She is the Leader of the Pearl Clan, who took me in after I fell here two years ago. It is thanks to her that I am still alive.” 

Emmet bounded forward, startling her. He grabbed her hands in his own, smiling. “Thank you for keeping Ingo safe! He is verrry important to me! Yup!” She watched him with wide eyes as he swung her arms back and forth for a moment before letting go, retreating to his brother. 

“How did you get here?” Adaman asked as he joined them. He was watching Emmet with curiosity. 

“I was on lunch break from battling in the Subway. Someone reported a strange hole in the floor of the Subway, and I investigated. I fell in. I landed on a rock and passed out.” Emmet shrugged, his default grin still on his face. 

“Where are you from then?” Irida asked. Ingo looked at his brother. He wanted to know, too. 

“We are from Unova, the year 20XX.” He grinned more broadly. “We run Gear Station, a train station in Nimbasa City. We love trains.” Ingo’s eyes lit up. He clapped his hands. 

“Yes, that’s what I thought!” he shouted much too loudly. The younger twins both came up to him. 

“We guessed right! Is it a battle facility, too? Is that why he’s so good at Pokemon battles?” Akari asked Emmet. 

“We are Subway Bosses. We challenge verrry strong Trainers daily. We both have verrry strong Pokemon, yup.” He looked at the two with a critical eye. “How did you end up here? You have been missing for a long time. Not as long as Ingo. But a long time.” 

The children and adults all blanched. “What?” Rei asked. 

“You are Hilda and Hilbert. You were the twins that won the Champion spot in Unova. You took down Team Plasma. Then you disappeared three months ago.” He pointed at them with a triumphant smile. “In fact, I battled you both. You were verrry strong! You won against me!” His facial wings fluttered some in his excitement. 

The twins looked at each other. “We, uh. Didn’t remember anything, either. We knew our names were Hilda and Hilbert, but we changed them when we came here. It felt wrong to use them,” Rei admitted. Ingo’s eyebrows raised a fraction. 

“Is that why we get along so well with you, Uncle Ingo? Because we’re from the same time and place?” Emmet choked as he heard that title. Ingo snorted as his brother coughed out the nothing he was choking on. 

“What?” Emmet asked, his monotone voice contrasting with the frantic fluttering of his small wings and the shaking in his gloved hands as he grasped Ingo by the shoulders. “How?” He shook Ingo lightly. “How did you end up here? And why are we uncles now?” 

“It is a long story,” Ingo sighed. “I believe it would be best if we refueled first. I know neither of you have eaten or slept since the trials began. I must insist you eat something. Lady Irida, Sir Adaman, Sir Volo, you are welcome to join, though it will likely be more personal matters. Where would you two like to go?” Ingo asked them. 

“Could we go to the cliffside where you first taught us to launch? The one by your yurt?” Akari asked, her eyes wide. 

Ingo nodded. “Destination is set. All aboard!” he shouted, striking his signature pose. Emmet did it on his right, mirroring him perfectly. The younger twins laughed and copied them. Emmet grinned broadly. Ingo marched off, his brother and the twins following him as he did so. Emmet quickly marched to his side, keeping pace with him. 

“Ingo, you are slouching,” Emmet pointed out. 

“Ah, yes.” Ingo straightened his back. 

“You are still slouching.” Ingo swiveled his head to his brother. 

“Am I?” He genuinely did not notice. 

“Allow me. Arms up.” He was about to ask what he meant as Emmet crossed his arms over his chest, making Ingo mirror him. Then he whirled Ingo around, picking him up by the middle and dropping Ingo on his chest. His back popped loudly, making him groan. Emmet let him go, watching him sway for a moment. When he stood back up, he was Emmet’s height. He felt a little taller. Emmet smiled at him. “That is better.” He patted Ingo’s back. 

Ingo blinked a few times. Was that sound actually from him? How long had he been hunched over like that? The younger twins looked at him. Akari held a hand over her mouth, stifling her giggles. 

“Uncle Ingo? Are you okay?” Rei asked, his brow knitted, but his smile barely held back. 

“I-I do believe so. Give me a moment.” He stretched his arms up in the air, swiveling the upper portion of his body. He got more pops in response. He bent backwards as well, earning more. Once he was satisfied, he stood back up straight. “Sweet Sinnoh, I need to do that more often.” He felt so loose. “Let us continue. Our destination is just ahead.” Ingo strode forward, his back no longer hunched, feeling lighter than he had in quite a long time. He fluttered his wings in the afternoon sun, allowing them to soak in the warmth. 

They approached Ingo’s tent. Ingo motioned for them all to wait outside as he stepped in, grabbing some essentials and some foodstuffs before he exited the tent, rejoining them. The twins were talking with Emmet as Ingo came close to them. 

“He kinda taught us everything? At least with flying and wing care. And a lot about Hisui in general. And battles! He’s been great with filling out the Pokedex!” Akari rambled. Ingo strode up to them, sitting down cross-legged and laying out his goods. The medicines, the preening oil, and plenty of berries and some dried jerky. He motioned to the two twins. They obediently took the oil, dipping their fingers in and beginning to preen each other as they continued to chat. Ingo passed Emmet a fruit and took a piece of jerky for himself, biting off a piece as he listened. “We first met him about a month ago. He insisted on showing us how to preen ourselves because we hadn’t known how to. We asked him to teach us to fly, too, and he’s been showing us ever since. We can fly now! We’re both a little wobbly but he says that soon if we get better he can teach us stunting!” Akari waved her hands around enthusiastically, covered in the substance. 

Emmet raised an eyebrow. “Stunting? Ingo?” His smirk was not lost on the three others. 

“Well, I made sure to follow safety procedures-”

“How many times did you say you broke bones learning to fly?”

“Rei, that was during take-off and landing. Anyway, I had Gliscor around and a wild Staraptor much of the time. The stuntwork came later, when I felt more confident in my abilities.”

“Since when are you interested in stunting?” Emmet questioned. 

Ingo shrugged. “Ever since I had more free time than I knew what to do with.” Ingo took the oil and began to preen the underside of his wings. He paused. “Emmet… you don’t know how to preen yet.” He did not phrase it as a question. Emmet shook his head. “Turn around, I will tend to your feathers. I hope they did not come under too much damage while Dialga was rampaging…” 

“I can preen you next, Uncle Ingo!” Rei called out.

“I wanted to do him next!” Akari whined. 

“You can each take a wing, how does that sound?” Ingo suggested. The twins nodded in agreement, still working on each other. They had gotten quite good at the process of preening. The children continued chatting about things, moving onto their next additions to the Pokedex. Ingo maneuvered his hands through his brother’s new feathers, spreading the thin substance over every single follicle and sprouting body. Some were knocked slightly out of place, but none were broken or frayed. Ingo breathed easy. He was able to work through Emmet’s wings quickly. 

“Alright, I have finished Emmet. Would you like me to come over there so you can preen mine?” 

“Yes please!” the twins chorused. Ingo stood for a moment and shook out his legs. “Wait, Uncle Ingo,” Akari chirped, “You should show Emmet how you can fly. I know Gliscor would appreciate it.” She waggled her eyebrows at him. 

Ingo chuckled. “I just raced it earlier today. I am sure it can happen at a later time-”

“I am interested,” Emmet said flatly. Ingo looked over and saw his brother watching him with curiosity. 

“Hmm.” Ingo sat. “How about we preen first. Perhaps I can show Emmet later. I am rather fatigued from the events of the day right now.” 

“It’s only afternoon?” Rei said, his voice questioning. 

“We do not know if it was actually morning when we awoke. The sky was cracked. It happens to be afternoon now, yes, but we do not know how long we have been awake,” Ingo pointed out. He could feel their hands moving steadily through his feathers and he closed his eyes, leaning back a little and breathing in the afternoon mountain air. It was peaceful. 

“You are relaxed.” Ingo opened his eyes, looking upon his twin. Emmet was watching him. 

“I am. I always find preening soothing.”

“Teach me.” Emmet scooted a bit closer to Ingo, so their knees were nearly touching. “Teach me to preen. Tell me about where we are. I am still unclear about where we are right now.” 

Ingo blinked. He had… forgotten about that, actually. “Well, while the children are using the oil, I can explain where we are. This is Hisui, a land very dissimilar to the one we came from. Me and the twins were able to deduce that I came from a city originally in the future. Behind us is Mount Coronet, the main mountain in the region and the landmark for most other things. To the east, over there, are the Coastlands. It is home to a large bay. To the southeast are the Mirelands, full of bogs. To the southwest are the Fieldlands, with rolling hills and grassy plains. To the north are the Icelands. And in that general direction is the latest civilization, Jubilife Village. Hisui is home to two major Clans, the Pearl Clan and the Diamond Clan. Lady Irida is the Leader of the Pearl Clan, which I am affiliated with. The Diamond Clan was run by that gentleman in the blue robes we left earlier, Adaman. There is now a third group in Hisui known as the Galaxy Team, made up of immigrants from other regions. Akari and Rei belong to them.”

“Hisui is dangerous. It is full of Pokemon with great power, and Pokemon are widely feared creatures here. The fact that me, Rei, and Akari each have a full team of six is mind-boggling to most other passengers. There are many species of Pokemon, as well as three different types. There are normal Pokemon, like, say, that Bidoof down the way, there are Alpha Pokemon, which are acclaimed for their brash nature and their ability to take down much more powerful foes, and lastly are the Nobles, which the Clans revere and even worship. I am a Warden for one of these Noble Pokemon. I serve Lady Sneasler. She lives here, in the Highlands. In fact, I have not seen her since the incident at the top of Mount Coronet… Akari, Rei, did you contact her at all?” 

“No, we just walked or took Lord Wyrdeer.” 

“Hmm.” This was concerning to him. He pulled out his flute and emitted his specific tune to summon his Lady. He pulled the silver rod from his lips and waited. The hands stopped moving through his wings as they listened. Ingo stood, which prompted Emmet to stand as well. Ingo walked a few paces and blew the whistle again. 

A deep bark, somewhere close by. Ingo was about to call out when he was barreled over by something large, furred, and purple. “SNEAS!” Lady Sneasler practically ran into him, knocking him over and frantically chittering, looking him over for injuries. “Snea? Sneasler snea sneas…” She lifted him to his feet, circling him, pulling off his cap and checking under his coat, brushing lightly with her claws. When she came back around to his front, he grabbed her claws gently. 

“Lady Sneasler, I assure you I am alright. As are the twins. We are all okay.” 

She pointed with her other arm to the tip of Mount Coronet. 

“Yes, it was a dangerous battle, but everyone came out of it alive and well. In fact, there is someone I’d like you to meet.” He turned, gesturing to Emmet. “Lady Sneasler, this is my brother, Emmet. Emmet, this is the Noble Pokemon known as Sneasler. I am her Warden. She is one of the ten Pokemon that is descended from those that are believed to have been blessed by the almighty Sinnoh itself.” As he introduced her, she cocked her head at Emmet. She circled him, her brow knitted slightly. She plucked the cap off his head and poked at his sideburns, making them flutter. She put his cap back on at an awkward angle and picked him up, swinging him around, making him yell. She trundled over to Ingo and picked him up as well. 

“Snea!” 

“She likes you, Emmet.” Ingo’s voice was muffled by her fur. She set them down, Emmet grinning widely. 

“She looks like a verrry strong Pokemon.” Sneasler placed a claw on her hip and smirked at Emmet’s words. 

“She is. She cares for the Highlands and helps humans that need it,” Ingo said fondly. “She selected me as her Warden about eighteen months ago. I have been living here in the Highlands ever since.” Sneasler maneuvered Ingo to a sitting position back by the children, sitting behind him. He removed his cap for her as she carded her claws through his hair. She purred. Emmet sat close by, looking on with confused curiosity. 

“Your hair is long,” he mentioned. 

“I have not had easy access to a barber. I know there is a kind Warden of the Diamond Clan that cuts hair, but I have not yet requested her services myself.” He paused. “What else would you like to know?”

“How did you get here?” Emmet asked immediately.

Ingo furrowed his brow. “Honestly, I do not quite remember. I remember falling and then I woke up in the Alabaster Icelands with absolutely no memories except for my own name. I was found by the Pearl Clan, and they were wary of me from the start due to my mannerisms and dress. You see, Zoroark are common in the Icelands. It would not be the first time one has attempted to get into the village by pretending to be a traveler in need of aid.” He took the preening oil, dipping three fingers in and beginning to preen his facial wings. Emmet mirrored him, watching carefully as to what he was doing. “They almost did not allow me into the camp… it was Lady Sneasler that vouched for me, in fact. She convinced them that I was human, especially with the wings. It was not too long after that she selected me as her Warden.” Ingo extended his face wing out further, allowing Emmet to get a better angle to see what he was doing. “I have been here ever since, not many of my memories returning to me, if any at all. Before your arrival, I still was unable to make out most things about my past life. I could not even tell you how old we are.” 

Emmet paused in his preening, watching Ingo with wide sad eyes. “We are thirty-one. Our birthday is June 9th-”

“We are only in our thirties?!” His voice was, again, too loud. He quieted as he brought a hand to his beard. “I was convinced I was in my fifties…” 

They continued talking, catching up, and teaching Emmet how to preen properly for some time. The sun fell behind the horizon before they realized it. Ingo caught himself yawning. How long had they been awake? 

Emmet caught sight of it, too. “You are tired,” he noted. The two children stopped whatever they were saying and looked at Ingo. Ingo simply nodded. 

“It has been a very long day,” he said simply. Emmet smiled at him and stood, scooping his brother into his arms with a shout. 

“You are verrry light, Ingo.” The children laughed as Emmet carried Ingo into his tent, nudging open the door sith his foot. Ingo’s head was bobbing with fatigue. He heard footsteps behind them as the kids followed them in. Emmet gently set Ingo on the mattress he had, looking around. Ingo yawned again. He sat up, stripping himself of his coat and hat, laying them carefully on the trunk beside his bed. Then he stood and released some Pokemon, beckoning to the three other humans in the room. He grabbed some blankets and pillows and built a makeshift nest on the floor. The kids were already aware of the drill by now, Rei releasing Snorlax for them to lean on something soft. Akari released a Flareon, a Ninetails, and a Swinub. They curled around the humans, keeping them soft and warm. Gliscor cuddled up to Ingo as he moved to lay down, making him chuckle. 

“Hello, passenger. It is time to go to sleep.” 

“All aboard for Sleepytime Junction!” Emmet called softly. Gliscor looked up and noticed Emmet, cocking its head. It looked at Ingo. “I am Emmet. I am Ingo’s brother,” he said. Gliscor crooned, taking a look at Emmet from all angles. Emmet took off his coat and hat, setting it beside Ingo’s. They all got into a cuddle pile as Gliscor returned to Ingo. Ingo laid on his stomach, expanding his wings to fit snugly over everyone like a blanket. “Since when are you a stomach sleeper?” Emmet asked him. 

“Since I’ve had wings. They make it difficult to sleep on your back.” Ingo shut his eyes. He felt Emmet take his hand and Rei snuggle into his side as he drifted off. 

taglist: @ruyi-years

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[knithappens05]

[Fic] A Dressing Down

I don't do a lot of drawing, but I do write little stories about the AKA kids sometimes! Most of it isn't canon-compliant, just for funsies. This one I wrote after Diarmuid's player talked about him sharing sweaters with Moira on occasion, but it's some ColtxDee content for those jazzed about the Tiktok lore getting dropped. 8]b Enjoy!

I can’t figure out if she does this to be ironic or what.

It really was the stupidest thing he’d ever seen. Fuzzy, off-white, huge pom-pom flowers dropped on the front and sleeves, probably the back too. It looked like something someone would wear after losing a bet. But there Moira was, sitting across from him and chatting happily with Diarmuid about some cute video or something, looking totally unaware of how stupid she looked.

Whatever, it wasn’t like he cared what she wore.

But he did a couple days later when Diarmuid came back to the room late at night in the same stupid sweater. Colt looked up from the frustrating task of shoving all of his unfolded clothes into his dresser drawer and stopped to stare at the perfectly round abjurations dotting the front of that thing. Unmistakable, and Diarmuid was wearing it?

“Where’d you get that?”

“Huh?” It took Diarmuid a minute to figure out Colt meant the sweater, given the total lack of context clues. “Oh! Moira leant it to me. It’s cute!”

More beats passed as Colt processed this.

“Yeah.”

--

“I need to talk to you.”

Moira barely managed to scoop her homework and textbooks away in time before Colt could put his tray on top of them. She looked a little irritated.

“Hey Colt, yeah sure, have a seat, let me clear this for you.”

It didn’t register. “What’s going on with you and Diarmuid?”

Moira tilted her head and furrowed her brows. “Uh…? Nothing as far as I’m aware? Is he upset?”

“No,” Colt’s turn to look irritated that Moira wasn’t reading his mind.

“Okay, then… I have literally no idea what you’re asking me, then.”

He let out a short, loud sigh, looked away, tapped the table agitatedly, looked back. “Look I don’t care if you’re fucking, okay?”

Whatever theories Moira had been forming about what Colt was actually asking about, this was probably right at the very bottom. “Uhh…” She looked away for help—or verification she wasn’t going crazy. Colt took it as an admission of guilt.

“I don’t. Okay?”

“Colt I’m…” She was still struggling to figure out where to even start with this sudden and mysterious train wreck.

“But people are going to start noticing he’s wearing your shit, okay? So.” He shrugged as nonchalantly as he could, which ended up looking like it could have been a shoulder-check. So stop giving him your sweaters was implied, Colt was pretty certain of that.

Moira’s eyebrows flew up in sudden understanding. “Oh my god, no, Colt, he asked to borrow them! He’s not wearing my clothes because we’re like that, he asked and I said ‘yeah, I can’t wear them all at once, go ahead’!”

Colt softened just a little. “…Hm.”

“Why did you immediately think we were having sex? That’s like zero to sixty in two seconds.”

“I dunno. Boyfriend jeans or whatever.”

Moira looked like she was barely containing her incredulity. Eventually after enough stony silence from Colt and struggled parsing from Moira, she had to set the attempts to navigate Colt’s thought process aside—for her own sanity.

“No, Diarmuid and I are not… swapping clothes because we’re a couple and regularly undressing in front of one another. He saw one of my sweaters when he was over gaming with Achara, asked if he could borrow it, I was happy to let him. That’s it.”

“…I guess that makes sense.”

“You guess? What is with this interrogation? Why are you being so weird about some imagined meaning of borrowed sweaters?”

“Can you make me a sweater?”

For the second time in the span of three minutes, Moira felt like she had whiplash. “Wha--?”

“But like, a cool one. Not with all this shit you usually put on yours. Well, maybe a little of that.” One that Diarmuid might like. “But not a lot. And maybe a little small on me.”

Looking across the table at Moira now, Colt felt a strange but distinct cold front coming in from her direction as she stared back at him with all traces of confusion gone from her expression. She started putting her books in her bag without a word. Colt took this as a sign that he’d somehow fucked up.

“You want money? I could pay for it.”

“Ohh Colt Arvidsson, you couldn’t afford me even if you were still doing whatever the Hellions did.” Moira whipped a teal sharpie and hot pink post-its out of her bag, scribbled something on the top, yanked the note off and slapped it down on the table in front of Colt. “See you in class.”

Colt, frozen and awkward, watched Moira storm off and only chanced a glance at the note when she was totally out of his eyeline:

‘AMAZON.COM’

--

“Colt?” A light pounding at the door. “Can—can you open the door for me?”

At Diarmuid’s request, Colt quickly bounded across the room in three strides and opened the door to their room. Packages greeted him, Diarmuid somewhere underneath.

“Oh shit, let me help,” he started relieving Diarmuid of the parcels, stacking them in one hand easily.

“Thanks, they’re all for you I think? The people at the mailroom gave them to me to give to you, they said they’ve been there a few days. They’ve been emailing you.”

“I thought they’d just bring them here, isn’t that how mail works?”

“…No, you have to… there’s a mail room and you have to go get packages and mail there. They don’t just bring it to our dorm.”

“Huh.” So that’s what those emails were about.

“What’d you get? I was worried for a sec, but then I realized they were all pretty light.”

Colt started tearing apart the plastic pouches one by one, revealing sweater after sweater in navy, gray, black…

“O-oh…”

“Just thought I’d get some new stuff.”

“Y-yeah sure…”

Well, maybe Colt was turning over a new sartorial leaf. Far be it from Diarmuid to question it.

Just a little weird, for him especially, to get six or seven sweaters in April…

[rainnotliam]

I posted 447 times in 2022

That's 447 more posts than 2021!

168 posts created (38%)

279 posts reblogged (62%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@themilkyourdadssearchingfor

@spiritmdraws

@salsa-di-pomodoro

@torens-nightshift

@bl00dblight

I tagged 404 of my posts in 2022

Only 10% of my posts had no tags

#pokemon volo - 94 posts

#pokemon arven - 55 posts

#pla volo - 54 posts

#merchant volo - 45 posts

#volo is love volo is life - 34 posts

#volo - 32 posts

#pokémon scarvio - 26 posts

#cute bastard - 24 posts

#random shit - 24 posts

#fanfiction - 21 posts

Longest Tag: 120 characters

#and some requests are welcomed too if i can figure out this damn app (still struggling since spirit pulled me into this)

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Not me sobbing over this picture I screenshot over ten times

Simp energy aside, Arven my precious. Penny giggling and Nemona with that fierce yet energetic expression. Miraidon being the pet. (Yes that is my MC, Vee)

I feel like this really shows the dynamic everyone has together, and that cutscene after you leave Zero? Perfection. Nemona I thank you for that wonderful idea to cheer up Arven, and Penny for telling him his dad/mom would have a great adventure in the future/past.

This really shows that Arven did end up trying to leave those feelings behind of utter hatred for his dead parent behind. The dialogue shows that he did know they died but didn’t want to accept it. Plus before we even helped, Mabostiff was on the brink of dying. The only one who’s been there for him.

62 notes - Posted November 27, 2022

#4

Penny: I’m starting to think Arven’s a dog…

Nemona and Y/N: What makes you think that?

Penny (points at Y/N): He stares at you like a lovesick puppy, almost how Mabosstiff looks at Arven when he wants food.

(Y/N sputters Spanish rapidly under their breath)

Arven: (Literally in the other room hearing them, his face could rival a Cheri berry’s color of red)

80 notes - Posted November 29, 2022

#3

Yandere Arven head cannons (AU), credits to @weirdthinkingdragon for the idea. Possessive behavior, mentions of violence of course, slow corruption:

Arven has never had another person care for him as much as you. He loves how you always pay attention to him, and act like you belong to him.

This process would go as a pure heart to slow corruption. Just simple flirting with you from any classmates (from being Champion) first only annoy him. They’re not doing anything wrong… right? Until it gets to the point where he wants to bash their skulls into the wall, keeping them there as warnings for all others to approach you.

Arven realizes his treasure all along from the assignment of the Treasure Hunt was you. You are your upperclassman’s treasure… isn’t that sweet…?

When you’re with Nemona or Penny, even praising their skills of hacking and battling… he feels an urge to pull you away. He’ll find any excuse, from Nemona apparently teaching you a way to “cheat,” or accusing Penny of wasting your time. He doesn’t get as violent with him, as Arven knows you’d be saddened if something were to happen to your friends.

He’s quite possessive. A common phrase whenever you’re in a busy conversation with classmates is “Sorry, I’m going to have to take my stuff,” and leave by dragging you across the room.

Cuddles. Arven loves feeling the warmth of the one he treasures the most (in this au at least). He might occasionally pull you into an embrace, only to rest his head on your shoulder.

Naive mind. One thing that Arven doesn’t know, is that this behavior isn’t normal for friends. He thinks this is normal for any friend. He thinks wanting to silence others just for only attention of that certain friend is normal. He thinks it’s normal wanting to have a habit of constant obsession with friend.

Nemona and Penny don’t realize Arven’s behaviors right away. But slowly, as the middle of the year comes by… they question why some classmates, some who interact with you, ignore you. They watch, fear settling in their chest as Arven can be seen looking at those who even get near you. Near his treasure.

If Nemona or Penny realize this behavior soon enough, they might try to leave Arven behind. That means excluding him from your life, exiting in large groups, or having their Rotom phones record on.

Arven may realize what they’re doing. He will find a way to silence them from telling any teacher or Director Clavell. He will attack them if he needs to.

Question of the Day: Want me to make a Yandere Arven x Reader fic? Self insert for someone? An audience?

108 notes - Posted December 5, 2022

#2

Is it possible to make a yandare arven but kinda fluffy? Sometimes I wish the main character/reader can accept the yandare-ness (especially arven cause he been through a lot) idk so fluffy yandare arven please? 🥺

Yandere Arven, but fluff fic? Challenge accepted my friend!

Reader x Arven, of course . Slight possessive behavior, but much fluff and cuddles too!

You scrolled through your Rotom phone, absolutely tired from today. As nice as it was to have Battle Studies, the amount of training one had to go through to satisfy Dendra was energy draining. The only thing that made it really worth it was the amount of Experience Points that could level up any team easily.

Luckily, this period was language. Mr. Salvatore had mercy on class (no pun intended) and let a little of free time before class. So you decided it would be best to see what kinds of battle items would help your team in the Ace tournament.

“Leftovers would be good… but perhaps the Lucky Egg could level my team up faster?”

You questioned your decisions, torn between power or levels.

“Or maybe-”

Suddenly, there is a rush of footsteps, before your vision is covered. You drop your Rotom phone in surprise, the device landing with a loud CLACK! on your desk.

“Who is it?”

An energetic tone emitted from the question. You chuckle to yourself, before putting your own hands over the large warm ones.

“Hmm… I don’t know? Who’s very good at cooking, the soon-to-be famous chef?” You smile.

“I wonder?” The voice had a hint of amusement too.

“Arven, eres bien canijo!”

A giggle escaped your upperclassman’s mouth, as he uncovered his hands from your eyes. Arven bent down to hug you from your sitting position, burying his face into your neck.

“We’re best buds, of course you know who I am!”

“Why wouldn’t I? Arven, your voice is so soft just like that caring soul. Plus, those hands are rough from all that adventuring,” you tease lightly.

There was definitely a smile going on, because you could feel his lips curving upwards.

“I shouldn’t expect any less, that’s coming from a Champion,” Arven said. He looked up from his position, now resting his chin on your shoulder. “Que estás viendo?”

“Battle items. The Ace tournament is a lot harder, Nemona’s been training hard.”

Arven hummed, one of his hands traveling up to your hair. He ruffled it slightly, fingers gently caressing the strands.

“She’s not empujando te to do something, is she?” He asked.

Your stomach felt like jittery jello hearing those few words. Nemona had asked you to train with her but…

“No, of course not! She may be eager and happy someone is her rival, but it doesn’t mean she goes to those lengths! It’s nothing to worry about,” you manage to muster.

Arven pondered about the answer for a minute or two, before taking himself off you.

“Well, class is starting. Gotta go to my seat, see you later bud!”

He waves at you with a happy aura painting him. You smile to yourself: Arven reminded you of a joyful puppy.

A puppy that hadn’t seen light in a decade or so, ever since Turo died. Ever since Mabosstiff got injured.

You didn’t mind the way he held you especially close. After all, he had suffered through so much, the least you could do was stay by his side… right?

Well, that joy only lasted for so long. You froze as you heard the seat right beside you creak, someone sitting in it. They placed their items near yours, giving you a slightly warm smile.

See the full post

117 notes - Posted December 7, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Here’s for you Arven simps. Don’t think I don’t see you, I am one myself. Come out of the shadows my friend.

Arven didn’t want to think about the embarrassing situation Mr. Saguaro had gotten him into. He could hear the whispered remarks about him, saying “Oh, I thought he’d be a bit more on the studious side” or “Thought he had his father in him.”

Frankly it was nothing thankfully, as the students had quickly gotten silenced by one statement of his friend. Y/N.

“Escuchen, porque sólo digo esto una vez. Leave him alone, he can be his own person, not just a professor’s son!”

They ran for it, and judging by the bell, were scrambling to make it to lunch. Safely, where the teachers were.

“Cobardes.” Y/N muttered under their breath. “Arven, you alright?”

Their upperclassman looked at them with a silent gaze, only to shake his head. “I’m fine… they’re not even worth it.”

Y/N stared at Arven for a few moments, before breaking into a pure smile. “Glad to see you’re taking steps!”

“Cállate,” Arven gently nudged them in the ribs with his elbow, to which Y/N playfully did the same back. He couldn’t stay sad for long: this bundle of energy would find a way to cheer him up either way.

“I hope Nemona is there early for our table, I am star-ving!” Y/N laid heavy emphasis on their last words.

Arven slightly frowned. He wasn’t used to the battle-loving girl yet, who would used to defeat him and Mabostiff nonstop…

“Yeah. Hope she is,” he said flatly.

He didn’t say anything else as they arrived to the lunchroom, before Y/N practically ran over to Nemona, who jumped out of her seat to hug them. Arven awkwardly sat on the opposite side of both of them, as Nemona squeezed the air out of Y/N. Literally.

“Ahhh Y/N I missed you! We haven’t seen each other as much as we should beeee!”

“Me too- Could you let go a little?”

“Only a little!” Nemona pouted as she had her face right against Y/N’s. “We shall never separate as much again!” She announced.

Arven rolled his eyes, resting his hands against his face, elbows on the table.

“You make it sound like you’re dating almost,” he chuckled.

“Arceus no! Y/N is just a friend I really need,” Nemona responded as she hugged them tightly. “How’d it go in classes?”

Arven’s face heated a little, before promptly looking away. He could only stare at the lights again for so long. “Alright, I guess.”

“Oh! Mr. Saguaro mentioned about a ‘boy’ who’s really into culinary arts and then asked me for a correct answer on how to make meals tastier. But after I got the correct answer, he slipped Arven’s name in.” Y/N piped up.

Nemona and Arven looked at Y/N.

“…”

Nemona bit her lower lip, lowering her face. Her entire body was shaking, before a small giggle came out of her mouth.

“You can’t be serious-“

“Y/N! Bud, I told you not to mention anything-!” Arven half yelled, standing up as he said.

Oh.

Oh boy was that a mistake. Arven could only hear the silence filling the room at this statement, dozens of students looking at him.

He quickly sat back down.

Only to hear Nemona burst into a fit of laughter, and hear participation from others too.

See the full post

187 notes - Posted November 28, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

Oh. Well, uh…. Funny enough Volo is my most used tag yet Arven is more popular… y’all are down bad simps/j

[karapislynch]

Venture Capital and Thoughts, Much Less - Ramiberacha

Rami Beracha has started this blog to talk about the world of venture capital. Rami is the co-founder and CEO of Sosa. The issue of miscommunication is very significant. It's like a minefield. It begins seconds after our first interaction with someone and ends with an impressive explosion... The biggest error we make is that, with no reason whatsoever, we nearly always presume that there is a complete alignment in the expectations of both sides without trying to pick our partner's brain in order to figure out what his expectations of us. One thing we can agree on is that our counterpart doesn't miss an opportunity to widen this gap ..... We are not alerted by anyone. There are a variety of reasons that lead to communication issues, and the majority of them stem from our personality. Square personalities are more likely to avoid communicating with people who are liberal. People who are aggressive will struggle to align their expectations with those of passive individuals. This is simple to spot as everyone can tell that they are squared from moderate and passive from aggressive. But, they may not be aware that they are so different. Imagine if there's a gap in personality. Nobody has ever found it, warned about or investigated it. ! Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to present to you the different personality types The FULL and the half circle personalities! ! Rami Beracha The analysis designed to provide guidance for your behavior. When you go through this report, you'll be able to identify which type of personality best describes you. Also, you can try to determine your partner in the life. You might be shocked to find that your personalities are different. As Bono sang, "we are one, but we're not exactly the identical." This is a good sign because it could indicate that you've identified the root of of your divergences. If you're in the same category as me, then I'm sorry, but I'm not able to assist you in understanding why your relationships seem awfully poor. We are here... Humans are divided into two categories. Certain of us are "full-circle" types who are self-contained and is completely comfortable alone. Sure, he requires partners, yes, there is a need for a partner and yes he is in continuous search of a partner. Absolutely! It is all true ... However, he'll never be able to survive without the right partner. Once he has found his ideal partner and is ready to share his life with his - hopefully full circle - partner. רמי ברכה The other group is the "half-acircle" types. They will not let go after they've found their unhappy partner. They'll work to physically join their victim into a happy circle. The Halves won't accept anything less than staring at one another from a distance for the rest. It is impossible to make them feel more intimate than that. רמי ברכה An interesting observation among the kinds is the way they choose to leave their partners. If a partner has lost chemistry with the full circle will be let go easily by the entire circle. Half-circle people, however, redefine what 'having mutually having chemistry with their partner' to mean - 'im still holding onto this B..ST..RD until I am able to safely replace them with an appropriate upgrade'. Rami Beracha Imagine the fantastic dance that takes place when a "half" and "full" circle attempt to make each other their counterparts. They are not aware of their different perspectives. The Half makes two leaps forward, well beyond the comfort zone of his Full, who thinks the abrupt invasion of his personal space a little too frightening. So he fixes this zone-invasion-problem by making a gentle step backward. The problem is that he made the Half step out of his comfortable area ...... The Half is aware that the Full was making an innocent error, so they take another step backwards.. However, the Half soon becomes upset and begins to take a bigger, more aggressive step.. They know the reason, but since they don't know the proper language, they aren't able to adequately explain their confusion and head to the wrong directions. It could be a lot easier for them to live if they understood the difference between Half and Full. Although there isn't a single conclusion, there are some options you could do. 1. Find out more about who you are Rami Beracha 2. Find out who is your partner רמי ברכה 3. Be aware of the difference. 3. Respect that distinction! In reality, one conclusion is that is true: Live and let live.

[duskamethyst]

broken reverie.

a/n: he’s not wearing glasses in this one.

word count: 3.9k

genre: smut, nsfw, college AU

warnings: taboo rs, slapping, spanking, choking, face fucking, brat taming (kind of), slight degradation, creampie, age gap (nanami reaching 40)

pairing: professor!nanami x f!reader

summary: professor nanami calls you to his office to ‘talk’ about your terrible performance in his class.

maybe you went too far.

or else you wouldn’t have ended up in his office. 

but is this the outcome you coveted? yes.

the door creaks behind you before it closes again as you sit and wait in front of the big wooden desk. you were kind of excited when he told you to come and see him at his office earlier but now you’re having a whirlwind of emotions making your stomach churn and you don’t dare to look around to face him– even though he’s going to be sitting in front of you in a moment.

his shoes clack against the floor as he strides and sits on his chair. the air in the room feels dense when the male doesn’t say anything; as if you’re not in his presence to begin with.

he looks exasperated. a long, deep breath is emitted through his nostrils as he loosens up his tie from the collar. you only gawk at him in awe as he does so, but quickly snap out when he finally shifts his gaze at you. 

“so, are you going to tell me what’s going on?” he finally breaks the silence. the deep, husky tone of his voice fills your ear and you hope he doesn’t notice your thighs press against each other almost immediately.

“tell you.. what?” you mentally slap yourself. you’re clearly aware of what he’s insinuating but you’re suddenly lost for words. there’s a huge difference between seeing him in class and being alone together with him. it’s even more nerve wrecking than you imagined and oh god, is his ac broken? because it suddenly feels hot.

nanami raises a brow, evidently unamused. “i had the courtesy to make time for you when i should be having brunch now so i don’t appreciate you playing coy.” 

you gulp audibly, “i’m sorry, sir.”

“if it’s not clear to you yet, i’m talking about your grades.” he opens the drawer under his desk and pulls out a pile of paper before slamming it in front of you. you blink in surprise and flip through the pages, though you know you don’t need to see it when you already know what lies on them. there are a lot of red circles on the papers, namely yours, with huge unpleasant numbers on the corner ranging from 12% to 25%. 

then he takes out another file which you realize as your student record throughout your semester and the subjects you currently take. 

“i find it odd that you scored well for your other courses.” he skims through the pages. “you certainly didn’t cheat, i can tell.”

“no, of course not.”

“then, what’s the problem here?” his tired eyes bore into you as he waits for you to answer or come up with whatever excuse.

“well, i–” 

“you’re doing it on purpose.” he snaps.

it’s as if time comes to a stop. your cheeks heat up with humiliation and you can’t bring yourself to continue to look at him in the eyes. although you’re aware that your silence means compliance, you’re still jumbling up words in your head to deny his assumption. 

“are you going to tell me i’m wrong?” 

“yes– i-i mean–” you stammer.

“then enlighten me.” he glances at the branded watch donned on his left wrist. “we have time.”

you shake your head, “i have another class soon.”

“skip it.” he quickly retorts. “i’m sure you have no problems with that. your grades are doing well for that one, but certainly not mine.”

sweat starts to form on your palms as you look down on your thighs, purposely avoiding his eyes that hold nothing but so much intensity. you’re weighing between two options; to keep on bluffing or come clean. you don’t think that nanami would let you get off the hook if you keep on lying and you’d definitely be bombarded with more questions, yet the outcome of the latter would be so embarrassing and you don’t know if you can live it down for the rest of the semester.

you’ve fantasized about being alone with him but.. not particularly this way. 

gathering courage and taking a deep breath, you decide it’s best to just tell him the truth.

“you’re right,” you feel your ears burning, hands clammy. “i purposely failed your class.”

lifting up your head, you see the male grinning lopsidedly in his seat. maybe he’s pleased that you’re not wasting his time anymore, you’re not sure, he’s not easy to read.

“wasn’t that easy?” he folds his arms in front of his chest. “i have my own speculation but i wanna hear why you did it.”

“um,” you look down to your hands again, also half wondering what kind of bold assumption he has in mind. “i was dared by my friend.”

“wrong,” he scoffs. “and look at me while you’re talking.”

you sigh defeatedly and nervously fix your gaze. if you’ve learned one thing now, it’s that your professor doesn’t have tolerance for bullshit and he knows one when he hears one.

“i-i did it for.. attention.” 

“my attention?” he emphasizes, maintaining his stoic persona to mask his amusement of finding out that his speculation turns out to be indeed true.

you purse your lips in a thin line, nodding your head quietly. nanami remains to stare at you as he ponders in silence. you can hear your heart beating rapidly in your ears and you want to break eye contact so badly but you’re certain it wouldn’t be wise. 

“all that, just for a crumb of my attention?” he spits with a hint of venom in his voice. “are you happy with what you did?”

well, you’ve imagined him punishing you on his desk, fuck you raw or spank you with his belt until your ass turns red– not some serious interrogation.

“no, sir.” 

nanami props his elbows on the table, hands clasped under his chin to keep his head up. the air around him becomes even more threatening but it somehow manages you to feel even more aroused, making your toes curl in your shoes. you definitely need to get out soon.

“you know, if i have even one student failing my class, i could get into trouble and be questioned for my performance.” he starts. “to have you doing that for your own selfish incentive is unacceptable, don’t you think?”

“i’m sorry.” you mumble with meek.

“besides that, you might have to retake this course again for your next semester and it’ll waste your time– or..?”

you stay silent to let him continue.

“or you were intending to be in my class again so you can see me?” 

“y-yes.” you bashfully admit after one silent moment, knowing that lying will take you nowhere. “i’m sorry, sir.”

nanami chuckles, finding your naivety to be rather entertaining. never has he ever met a student like you, outwardly expressing their interest in him by failing their paper. he’s not too sure what you’re trying to get out of him but maybe he can put one and one together. it’s pretty common that younger women have an attraction to older men like him and your classmates are.. well, not exactly the best looking either. 

“are you?” he smirks cynically. “do you have any idea how many students i have to monitor? how tiring my job can be?”

“yes. it was inconsiderate of me. i’m sor–”

“show me.” nanami cuts you off and leans back on his chair. maybe he can push you a little bit, he thinks. you owe him this anyway.

you blink, perplexed. “what?”

“you kept saying sorry.” he undoes two of the buttons on his blue dress shirt and spreads his legs apart. “talk is cheap. show me.” 

you do a double take as he taps his thigh and waits for you to come over. you have the faintest idea of what he’s implying but your body freezes and your brain short-circuits as if paralyzed.

“you chose to lie again? you’re not really sorry, are you?” 

“no, no! that’s not it. i just..” 

an ongoing battle takes place in your mind– sure that this is a part of your deepest, darkest fantasy yet you’re just baffled over how quick nanami catches on to it. now that your debaucherous dream has become a vivid reality, you don’t know which is the right step to take. 

“but if not now, when?” a soft voice in your head whispers. if desire could embody a voice, you think this is it. gentle, yet seductive as if it attempts to give you a push to pluck and have a taste of the forbidden fruit. 

“how much longer do you have to touch yourself to the thoughts of your professor before you go to bed?”

“although this could be a one time thing, at least you’d know how it feels like.” 

you slowly get up from your seat and make your way towards him. nanami’s eyes trail up at you, down to the floor then back up at you; gesturing you to get on your knees.

you settle between his thick thighs and look up at him timidly through your lashes before you bring your hands to undo his belt.

“no hands.” he quickly demands. 

you lick your lips as you figure the structure of the belt and how you’re going to take it off without the aid of your hands. the taste of cold metal and leather instantly invades your palate as you feebly use your teeth to tug the front loop of his belt. your head shifts awkwardly side to side until you finally get to catch the buckle between your teeth, pulling it hard before the belt soon unfastens.

nanami only observes you indifferently from above, yet the large tent in front of you doesn’t conceal the excitement he currently possesses. 

you take a deep breath before you continue on succeeding your quest. you twist your neck as you find and tug on the fabric loop that holds the button.

“i know you’re a smart girl.” he praises as he rests his hand on top of your head while you struggle to lift up the zipper with your tongue and grasp it between your teeth. the simple praise inflates your confidence and you become more eager to complete your task so you can claim your awaiting prize.

with valiantness, you finally lock eyes with him as you pull down his zipper completely to reveal the huge bulge pressing against the fabric of his briefs and the tip slightly poking out from the top. 

“hm? you still have to take it out, no?” he smirks as he notices you gape at the outline of his cock. 

you quickly pull yourself together and lean back up to the stretchy band on his waist. he hisses when he feels your tongue purposely graze against the flushed tip before you pull down the briefs by force to reveal the one thing you’ve been desiring for so long. 

you press your thighs together as a dull ache forms in your core from the sight of his thick cock standing proudly in front of you. it’s nothing like you’ve ever imagined– it’s better and you’ve finally found it worth going through all that trouble of failing his class (and using your mouth to take off his pants).

“this is what you want, isn’t it?” he sneers, titling up your chin with his fingers, brushing your lips with his thumb and pulling the bottom lip apart so he can see a row of teeth.

“y-yes, sir.” you gulp and breathe as you wait for his next command. 

nanami’s lips tug into a conceited smirk, “suck.” 

leaning down your head to the base, you flatten your tongue underneath the shaft and slowly drag upwards in favor of reveling the veins on his hard cock. nanami lets out a sigh of content when he feels your tongue licking his tip and his hand tugs on your locks by reflex. you look at him as you wrap your lips around the tip, slobbering the tip with your saliva and his precum.

“fuck.” he curses under his breath and his head falls back when the warmth of your mouth finally engulfs his throbbing cock as you take most of the length inside your mouth.

you hollow your cheeks together, head bobbing up and down as you struggle to take more of his cock that you nearly choke whenever the tip hits the back of your throat, but the hand on top of your head grabs a fistful of your hair and he pushes your head down to sink all his length inside your mouth deeper. when you want to pull away, he only holds you in place and remains his cock down your throat. 

“through your nose.” he mutters. tears start to well in your eyes while your saliva just trickles down to his balls as he screws his eyes shut and relishes in the pleasure that washes throughout his body. “i needed this so bad, you know?” 

your whines only give him more stimulation and his hips jerk in response, “just wouldn’t think that a student– fuck– out of all people would choke on my dick.” he lets out a sardonic chuckle as if something just crossed his mind. “it’s wrong, but that’s what makes it feel so good, isn’t it?” 

nanami keeps you in the position as he ruts his hips slowly into your throat. his eyes are closed in concentration and his lips part slightly in fast and short pants. you work on your gag reflex as you let him fuck your mouth, enduring the sharp sting on your scalp when he tugs your hair harder– at least you know you’re making him feel good.

“if i cum in your mouth, you’d gladly swallow, won’t you?” 

you can feel his cock twitching when you let out a choke of assent from your throat but you splutter as soon as nanami abruptly pulls away his cock because of a sudden knock on the door that startles the both of you.

“get under the desk.” he urges and you quickly crawl to hide while he coughs and inches closer to his desk. “come in.”

you hear the door open followed by echoes of footsteps before it comes to a halt in front of his desk.

“didn’t i tell you to contact me before seeing me?” his voice is laced with irritation yet collected as he speaks. you can imagine the agitated look on his face, thinking it would be only natural for anyone to assume that he’s already having a bad day. and to them, interrupting the peak of his orgasm is most definitely not it. 

without a second thought, you take back his dick inside your mouth. a spur of triumph swells in your chest when you feel his body jolts in surprise. you think it’s only fair since he has choked you with his cock and what perfect timing to carry out your petty vengeance when the man is busy advising his student. 

however, nanami shifts on his seat to give you more access to take more length of his cock. he tries to stay composed as he feels your tongue gliding up and down his shaft but once the wet muscle prods against the slit, he emits an oddly sharp exhale. you can hear him almost stammering as he speaks and the way his tone changes to conceal the squelching sounds you elicit from underneath the table as you please his cock with zeal.

“so, i want you to fix the mistake and hmm..,” his hands ball into fists on the table as he takes a deep breath. “show me in class tomorrow.”

“sure. uh, are you okay, sir?” you hear the voice say. “you don’t look well.”

his eye twitches when your tongue wraps around his balls, taking one inside your mouth to suck harshly.

“yeah, fine.” he clears his throat. “thanks for asking.”

nanami only watches as his student turns to walk towards the door until the door closes behind him. once he’s sure that the student has left the door, he finally leans back on his chair in relief. 

“fuck.” he groans, glancing down at you as you look up at him innocently with doe eyes and your swollen lips wrapped prettily around his balls. yet, he looks dissatisfied more than anything. 

nanami grabs your arm and drags you out from under his desk until you’re on your feet, “i never took you as a fucking brat.” he lifts up your skirt and bites back a groan once he sees the damp patch on your panties. “did you touch yourself?”

you hum a ‘mhm’, feigning guiltlessness as he grazes his fingers on your inner thighs. 

“you’re just asking for me to touch you here, hm?” shivers run up your spine when his thumb ghosts over your wet slit and up to your clit.

“y-yes.” your breath hitches.

“begging for me to push your head on the table and ram my cock inside you?” he muses, pressing on your clit as he watches you squirm. “is that what you want?”

“please–” you roll your hips slightly to soothe the ache on his thumb but a hand comes down harshly on your ass, gesturing for you to stop in a fierce manner.

nanami chuckles mockingly, “well, that’s what exactly you’re not going to get.”

a whine elicits from your lips when he draws back his hands to his thighs and you glance at his dick; still throbbing and leaking precum from the florid tip. well, at least he hasn’t put it back inside his pants, so you still have a chance.

“come on. you haven’t shown me how much you’re sorry.”

with your inhibitions already flew out of the window, you stand in between his thighs, hoist the skirt to your waist and tug your panties to the side before squatting down to smear your slick on his dick. sparks of arousal swim through you as you grind your clit on the tip before you sink down, gasping as his thick cock stretches your cunt and down until you’re filled to the brim.

you glance at the male expectantly, waiting for him to move but he raises a questioning brow at you, “if you want something, work for it.”

not exactly what you sought for, but it should suffice. you begin to gyrate your hips slowly, adjusting to his size before you can pick up the pace. you fight the urge to hold onto him for leverage, in fear he wouldn’t appreciate the crumple on his expensive dress shirt later.

as you become more delirious, you start to hump his cock vigorously, whining like a bitch in heat as you feel every vein and ridges on his cock brushing deliciously against your walls. nanami lifts the hem of your shirt and brings it up to your mouth and you quickly catch it between your teeth. 

“the door isn’t locked, you know.” he muses, staring at your bouncing tits with half lidded eyes; mesmerized and thick with lust. “what’s going to happen if someone comes in and sees you bouncing on her professor’s cock like a little whore?”

a low, guttural sound rips from his throat when he feels your walls clenching around him in response.

“you’d like that, don’t you?” he smirks, tugging your bra down slightly and brushes his thumb against the erected nipple, making you mewl through the fabric in your mouth.

“you know you’re not supposed to do this but,” he brings up his thumb to caress your cheek. “you’re just so eager to please me, aren’t you?”

you sniffle in response, hands clutching on his solid thighs as you melt into his soft gaze before it’s gone in an instant.

“but i don’t like brats.” he sneers, drawing his hand away to slap your breast. “i don’t like people making my job harder. are you a brat?”

you shake your head, he slaps again.

“you act like one. stop lying.”

nanami tugs down the shirt from your mouth, a part of the fabric already drenched with your drool. his large hand circles around your throat while the other grips your hip firmly to roll your hip even faster on his dick. 

“oh– feels good–!” you moan wantonly, eyes rolling back as you let him control your body and assert his dominance over you.

“fuck it does.” he presses your throat tighter on the sides, restricting air from entering your lungs but your walls squeeze harder in retaliation. 

“bratty little bitch. clamping down on me like that.” he grits out and slaps across your face. what seems to be a rather harsh form of treatment, the pleasure filled sting and the lack of oxygen only fuel your arousal that you don’t even notice the way you hump on his cock has become more rapturous.

“getting off to this?” nanami slaps your other cheek before he lets go of his grip around your neck and you’re finally able to breathe air again. yet, he doesn’t spare you time to gather yourself before he promptly lifts up your hips and starts to pound inside your cunt relentlessly. 

the position causes you to tip to the front and you immediately hold on to him; face burying on the crook of his neck while his cologne fills your senses and sends you into a state of frenzy. 

“you like me using your tight cunt like that?” nanami grabs your ass for leverage, the angle allows him to fuck you so deep that you’re able to feel his cockhead kissing your cervix with each thrust. 

“y-yes–!” you cry, the pressure in your stomach building up as you inch closer to an orgasm.

“like it when i use you to take out my frustrations?” he spanks the meaty flesh; walls clenching tighter on his fat cock and more slick dripping down his balls. “you just want to be my little cocksleeve, don’t you?”

“yesyesyes– please–!” your body starts to tremble above him. “w-wanna cum–”

“then fucking cum.” nanami rams into your cunny faster, abusing the spongy walls until the pressure snaps and tips you over the edge. you moan breathlessly into his neck, while your pussy gushes and creams around his cock. 

“that’s a good girl,” he fucks you through your high, grunting and panting as he pushes through the pulsing walls in order to chase his high. “and good girls get rewarded, right?”

you hum in agreement, still dazed and swimming in ecstasy as you gawk at him with heavy lidded eyes; the sweat glistening his forehead and sharp eyes focusing on where your bodies join. 

“then you’re gonna get some huge load in this pretty pussy.” his pace begins to stutter, nails digging deeper into your skin before his cock twitches and his hips freeze as he paints your insides white with cum.

both exhausted bodies rest against each other, chests heaving as you and nanami take time to regain composure and come down from your highs. he lifts you up slightly to take out his spent cock and he tugs back your panties in place, not minding the cum that dribbles from your quivering hole. 

your legs tremble once you get off of him that you have to force yourself to find your footing as you fix your skirt while the older male pulls back his pants in place. 

“do your best for your next papers, no more of that bullshit.” he fastens his buttons and straightens his tie before raising his hands to brush against his sleek, light brown hair that’s mixed with a few strands of grey. “but if you have any problems, just come and see me in my office.”

nanami falls quiet for a brief second to contemplate and you straighten your back when you once again meet his icy gaze, “after hours.”

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