#MAN this is so different from gameverse

[infizero]

AWWWWWWWWW

[ganymedesclock]

Hello! I hope your week has been kind to you. May I inquire of your thoughts about IDW Eggman written by Ian Flynn? I noticed his reference in one of your posts, and i would like to know how you feel about the direction Ian is taking the Sonic characters in in the Sonic franchise. I would also like to know what you think about Surge and Kit, the product of Dr. Starline's unethical experimentations. Mimic, the traitorous mercenary as well if you don't mind. Remind yourself to eat your meals regularly and to maintain a limber body!

I admittedly haven't gotten to sink my teeth in IDW- I'm currently following through @thankskenpenders' take on archie which I would like to finish before I start that. What I have seen is promising, but I don't consider myself educated to speak on those characters. I think Surge, Kit, and Mimic have very fun designs and seem to have a lot of potential, and I love the way the former two (and Starline himself) are nods to classic glitches.

As far as IDW Eggman, as I've said, I'm very interested in what Flynn and Stanley do with him! They're definitely a bit darker than I've always liked my take on Eggman- my formative Sonic game was Sonic Adventure 2, which featured Eggman as a protagonist in his own right, albeit a "dark" one. I've always liked the idea of him as half-honorable, and it's a balancing act to frame that with just how brutal and ruthless he can be. But I've grown to be fond of that- I think half-honorability stands out a little more when the other half is that... coldly efficient.

As I said in the post, I think it's interesting to take Eggman as someone who may have had noble intentions as a 'fixer' once but who's gone a good few strides further than that. In a warped way, he always 'helps'- but you may not appreciate his help. I think that plays well with him as a manipulator and a trickster who tends to play people against each other for his own profit and amusement- if he's always harmless or always terrifying that's a potentially fine character (there's much I like about SatAM Robotnik after all!) but it doesn't really hit me as Eggman in the same way.

Almost everything I've gleaned secondhand about the Mr. Tinker arc is fascinating to me because of that. Especially the way Sonic confronts Eggman afterwards, and makes it clear he isn't opposed to Eggman regaining his memory (Sonic is not someone who likes to take power or options away from even his worst enemies) but upset that Eggman threw away everything he had as Mr. Tinker, to which Eggman replies, almost wistfully, that that kind of life was "peaceful"- but he's got bigger fish to fry.

As I said in a previous post, at the end of the day, Eggman's meant a lot of things to a lot of people, and while I'll always have my own takes on the Sonic cast, the biggest thing I can hope for is that new versions of the story will experiment further. That willingness to try new things boldly is, in my opinion, one of the things that's kept the Sonic franchise as youthfully full of vitality as it is. I can't really find it in my heart to hate any version of Eggman- they've all got something going for them, from the silly to the horrifying to the aforementioned half-honorable to the completely vile.

[darlingpoppet]

Where The Dead Forget — Chapter 8: Glory

Hades Gameverse Memory Loss AU | Achilles/Patroclus | E | Chapters: 8/22 | Words: 87,923 (Ch 8: 16,680) words)

Chapter 8 Summary: A treatment of the Scyros episode from the Achilles myths. Patroclus is called upon to honor his allegiance to war, and Achilles is keen to join him, for the sake of love and glory. His mother Thetis, however, has different plans.

Excerpt:

“Father,” Achilles began, “We have been told there are tidings you wish to share with us.”

“Indeed,” Peleus said. “I have called you both here—however, these are matters that primarily concern Patroclus.”

Next to Achilles, Patroclus’ bowed head lifted.

“Me?”

“Yes,” Peleus answered him. “I have just gotten word of a disturbing incident out of Sparta—a grievous crime in violation of the sacred customs of hospitality. Prince Paris, son of Priam of Troy, has abducted Queen Helen, the wife of Menelaus, son of Atreus. And since Helen’s former suitors from all over our kingdoms had sworn by oath to honor and protect their union, King Menelaus, along with his older brother, King Agamemnon of Mycenae, have called upon all those men bound by that oath to assist in ensuring Helen’s safe return to her rightful place.”

Achilles turned to Patroclus, astonished by this news. Patroclus, however, did not seem to notice him. He lowered his head once more, closing his eyes as a small, knowing smile appeared on his face.

“Ah,” he said simply.

“They intend to wage war against Troy?” Achilles asked, turning back to address his father. “And you mean to tell us that they wish for Patroclus to join them? Because—“ he blinked, quickly putting the pieces together, “—because he is among those who made the oath?”

“That is correct,” Peleus answered.

Achilles turned again to Patroclus. “I did not know of this.” He hoped his tone did not come off as aggrieved, even if he did feel a considerable degree of shock.

Patroclus looked back at him, his expression solemn, but strained.

“I am sorry. I did not mean to keep any more secrets from you. The truth is, it is something I simply did not think would ever come to pass, so I had put it out of my mind completely. I was so young then—not even ten—I had petitioned for Helen’s hand at my father’s behest.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I did not have a choice back then… and it appears I do not have a choice in the matter now, either. So I shall go, and honor my duty. I suppose since I am no longer a prince, it is simpler this way. I have no army of men at my command, so I will be able to leave at once for Mycenae on my own.”

Achilles shook his head.

“What are you saying, Pat?” he exclaimed. “What in all of the heavens and earth makes you presume that I wouldn’t come with you?”

Patroclus’ eyebrows lifted, eyeing him seriously. “I presume nothing. You are not bound to this war,” he said.

“But I am bound to you, aren’t I? You are my dear companion, and my duty to you is just as important as your duty to myself. If this is something you must do, then of course I will be by your side to protect you, and keep you company. And it does not matter that you are not a prince, without an army to call your own. You are a Myrmidon now—one of us. If you have no contingent, then you may share mine, and together we will muster the most splendid army in all of our kingdoms!”

Peleus, who had been listening to their conversation all the while, appeared delighted. He grinned handsomely.

“A magnificent plan, my son,” he said. “Of course, the kingdom of Phthia would be honored to do right by Patroclus, and extend its means to assist the Atreides brothers in their righteous cause. The both of you shall secure glory and victory for yourselves, and for us all. How particularly fortunate you are as well, Achilles. A man could not ask for a finer gift for his coming of age. You should be very pleased.”

Achilles nodded, flushed with pleasure and excitement. “There, Pat, you see? We all love you. And I don’t just mean those of us here in this chamber. Every one of us in Phthia.”

Patroclus eyes darted between father and son, both of them smiling widely at him with warm enthusiasm. At first, he appeared almost stunned by this, but then he bowed his head once again, his eyes glistening.

“Thank you,” he murmured softly, his voice tight with barely suppressed emotion. “I am grateful.”

Read the rest here:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43292178/chapters/150227206

Previous Chapters: 1. Drown | 2. Grief | 3. Grace | 4. Weakness | 5. Together | 6. Guilt | 7. Known

[lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom]

Gameverse Yoshi Vs. SuperShow Yoshi

So the canon of the games and the canon of The Super Mario Bros. SuperShow are obviously 2 separate canons. However, some people do think they fit into the same canon. So I wanted to point out all the ways the 2 differ, also cause it's fun talking about Mario lore.

This will begin various posts I will make about the differences between the SuperShow and the Games. So to start off I'll be addressing the main Yoshi.

The Main Yoshi's origin and behavior differs drastically in the SuperShowverse from the Gameverse. So in the Super Mario World cartoon Luigi finds a Yoshi egg and out of it hatches a Baby Yoshi which is the main Yoshi. While in the game Mario is the one who finds Yoshi not Luigi, and Yoshi is already full grown and was trapped in an egg cause of Bowser's curse. In addition the Main Yoshi hatched at the end of Yoshi's Island DS and the beginning of the Yoshi Story.

In the SuperShowVerse Baby Yoshi uses his tongue to eat "man-eating catepillars." In the Gameverse Baby Yoshis don't start off using their tongues.

SuperShowverse Yoshi when older talks and acts more childish, with Peach even calling him "just a baby." As stated before GameVerse Yoshi is fully grown.

The SuperShowverse also lacks the other Yoshis from Super Mario World aka Yoshi's other friends who Bowser also cursed. The main ones being Red, Yellow, and Light Blue.

Yoshi is also established to be afraid of water in the SuperShowverse while his Gameverse counterpart has no fear of water.

[thestayathomedragon]

This thing is so much more massive then I ever thought it would become. You'll have to forgive any mistakes in English and Spanish you may find. As well as any risks I've taken that at the time I thought were worth taking. I don't know when I'll be able to stomach reading this again after fighting with it for weeks now in order to fix anything I missed so I'm sorry in advance.

There are probably some tags that also need to be updated but I'm tired and I just want this posted and done. I'll get to those sooner than later I hope.

Anyway if you're still willing to read this monster of a chapter (11,000+ words) and open to yet another AU I appreciate it. :3

I want to scream "I love you" from the top of my lungs (but I’m afraid that someone else will hear me)

Time is luck and I wish ours overlapped more or for longer…

The first time he laid eyes on Luis again after all these long years, Leon realized just how much he had forgotten about the other man.

He had forgotten what color Luis’s eyes were, smoke gray, and how big and expressive they were. He had forgotten the curve of the man’s jaw and the way the dark curls of his hair fell around his face. The bend of his lips when he smiled. He had even forgotten the sound of his voice, deep and lilting, with just a little hint of a rasp. Probably from those damned cigarettes he had always been so fond of.

It had been a long time. Ten years? But really, who was counting?

Leon also realized pretty quickly that the only thing he truly remembered about Dr. Luis Serra Navarro was how being with him made him feel.

“Hey.” He said softly in greeting and he couldn’t help but cringe internally because he knows these were not his first words to the man.

“Hey…” Pale eyes blinked a few times trying to adjust to the light shining directly into his face. Then Luis smirked and said, “Got a smoke?”

Leon couldn’t help the stupid grin that spread across his face at that. “No… but maybe we can find you one?”

He was already working on cutting Luis loose and as soon as the man was free Leon held his finger up to his mouth and showed him the flash bang tucked in his coat.

Luis looked confused but then his eyes widened in response to something… or someone behind Leon. “Close your eyes.”

The first meeting with Mendez went quite differently this time because Leon was expecting him.

A flash bang in such an enclosed space wasn’t a great plan, but it was the best Leon was able to come up with on the fly. It was, however, enough to incapacitate the big bastard long enough for them to get past him.

Leon rushed Luis up the ladder first and to his surprise the other man stuck around to help him up in kind. They took off together with Mendez not far behind them. Then Leon suddenly remembered the trip wire he disarmed on the way inside and used it to blow their stalker to hell.

“Merida!” Luis wheezed, trying his best to keep up with Leon. Leon made sure to check on him often but then, “Hey, wait!” He heard Luis’s yell but it was too late.

Pain exploded in Leon’s leg, it was nearly enough for him to pass out on the spot. “Fuck!” In his hast and attempt to make sure Luis kept up, he had completely missed that bear trap.

Luis could have kept going, he looked like he was considering it, but instead he cursed under his breath and doubled back for Leon. “You better be worth it, yanqui!” He hissed.

Leon was in too much pain for a quip and Luis was too distracted by his fight to get the bear trap open… Which meant neither of them saw the axe wielding villager until it was too late.

“Luis!”

Leon didn’t feel a thing when Mendez finally caught up to him.

[You Are Dead. Reload Save? Quit?]

“You alright?”

He still expected Luis to try and run at the first opportunity, but the man surprised him by sticking around again this time. Leon thought that maybe since Leon hadn’t gotten his ass handed to him in front of the guy by Mendez this time that maybe he trusted him enough to watch his back. They were currently taking shelter in a rundown shack that was more of a storage shed than somewhere someone would actually live.

“Si? You?” Luis’s voice was back to normal. His breathing had evened out.

“Yeah. I’m good. No sweat.”

“So… got a name, Yanqui?”

Leon smirked, “Yeah. Leon Kennedy. You?”

“I’m Luis Serra. Seems you… me… picked the wrong spot to vacation, eh?”

“You could definitely say that.” Leon huffed, chuckling.

It had been ten years since Leon had traversed the village of Valdelobos and that had not been with Luis at his side. The man knew his way around much better than any map Hunnigan could have provided him. The extra fire power had made it much easier to make it through the valley full of “Ganados” as Luis had taken to calling them.  

“I heard chatter about your missing senorita…” Luis whispered after they had successfully ducked and slinked passed some patrolling Ganados “Then later… I saw some of them dragging someone into the old church. It isn’t too far now. That way. But first… we’re gonna need to make a pit stop.”

“We need a key, right?”

Luis looked at him with a raised brow. “Si.” He said slowly. “It should be in the Big Cheese’s house.”

“Big cheese?”

“Si. Very Big Cheese.”

“Oh.” Leon grimaced. Now he remembered.

“That beauty there is our ticket in.” Luis said gesturing to the Eagle Emblem Leon had tucked in his coat. They had been able to snag it on their way through the valley.

They would have to be quick about it.

They were in fact not quick enough about it.

It went almost the way he remembered, only this time the injection Leon had been able to avoid in the old cellar of the Navarro house was revisited upon him in the Mendez home.

“Fuck.” Leon hissed, hand to his neck. “Fuck!”

“Shit! Shit!” Luis panicked, going pale as a sheet as he paced the room. Apparently, after injecting Leon, their hulking assailant no longer saw a point in sticking around.

“Hey, hey! Calm down.”

“No. No, you don’t understand.” Luis hissed and snatched his arm away from him.

“So, take a minute, calm down and explain it to me.”

And so, Luis did.

On the way to the lake, Leon couldn’t help but notice the looks the other man was giving him.  

“Why didn’t you ask me how I knew about the plaga?”

“Huh?”

Luis narrowed his eyes at him.

“Uh, you’re from here, aren’t you?” Leon had been trying not to be too obvious about exactly how much he knew but he was becoming impatient. In his hurry to get through the same nightmares he had already experienced there was no doubt that he had let a few things slip.

Luckily, Luis didn’t press the matter. It wasn’t like they had a lot of time for chitchat while they tried not to be beheaded by a bunch of plaga infested villagers after all.

When they finally made it to the boat and onto the lake, the fight with the giant fish monster or salamander monster, according to Luis, went about as well as it always did.

They made it to the church battered and bruised but with key in hand. And when Leon tried to yell for Ashley, Luis was quick enough to stop him.

“What are you doing?!” He hissed. “You want to tell everyone we’re here or something?”

Leon rolled his eyes. He already knew there wasn’t anyone else here at the moment but kept quiet instead and conceded that the Spaniard may have had a point.

For some reason with Luis there, his first introduction to Ashley Graham went a lot smoother than he remembered.

This time he had to catch Ashley and Luis when they jumped out of the window. He not only learned what Luis’s giggle sounded like right next to his ear, but he and his back also learned that Luis is a lot heavier than he looks.

Having Luis for back up as they fight their way out of the church should have been a boon to their side and it had been up until Ashley slipped on the rain softened ground and the other man went to help her.

Leon turned just in time to see the Molotov burst against Luis’s back.

“Oh shit.” He gasped and it was pure reflex that put that bullet through the head of the bastard that threw it.

But it was no use.

Ashley’s shriek of Luis’s name was the last thing Leon heard.

[You Are Dead. Reload Save? Quit?]

This time they weren’t able to avoid ending up in the cabin after they save Ashley from the church.

Although Leon did remember this time that there was a way from Ashley’s hiding place that would allow her to get upstairs to the door outside and unlock it. Which meant that the fight didn’t last nearly as long. Which meant that they got out before the Bull-head guy showed up.

This turned out to be unfortunate for multiple reasons but mostly because during their run from the cabin they crossed paths with the bull-headed bastard on the way to the wooden portcullis-like gate with Ashley having led the way. They are all startled by the appearance of the hulking Ganado, but Luis was fast enough to push Ashley out of the way. However, he was not fast enough to get himself out of the way in time to avoid taking a blow from the bastard’s oversized sledgehammer.

“Oh god! Luis!”

Ashley was still sprawled on the ground where she landed. Leon hesitated for a split second before he returned his attention back to the hammer wielding son of a bitch but it was just enough time for him to be grabbed from behind by a group of Ganados from the cabin.

“Leon!”

He swore he heard the Bull bastard laugh as he swung again.

[You Are Dead. Reload Save? Quit?]

“I’m fine. I’m fine!” Luis hissed, pushing Leon away from him. “Tenemos que darnos prisa! Tienen a la princesa!”

Leon could admit that maybe this time he may have been a bit more overprotective of Luis than he should have been. He was so worried about Luis that Ashley had been easily snatched right from under their noses.

“What the hell is wrong with you, yanqui? Don’t you have a job to do?” The other man said before he took off in the direction they had seen Ashley being carried by the village chief Mendez.

Luis was rightfully furious. He had also been risking his life to protect Ashley too after all.

Leon knew that Luis was right. That he had to get his head back into the game before someone took it off. And Leon had every intention of doing so up until there was a flaming barrel of fuel was thrown Luis’s way and he had only a split second to decide what to do.

The choice was a lot easier than it should have been.

[You Are Dead. Reload Save? Quit?]

Leon spent days with Luis and it was just as he had always quietly suspected all these years. Luis was the one that had slipped right through his fingers. The one that got away.

Leon tried not to dwell on it every time. He did have a job to do. Ashley was the priority. And he didn’t have to do much to convince himself of that. Of the three of them Ashley was the one that least deserved what was happening to her. And surely, she needed him more than Luis ever had but it didn’t make his failures any easier to stomach. Every time he watched Luis die another part of him went with the other man.

He didn’t even want to consider what happened to Ashley every time he failed her.

So, Leon took these chances and instead of losing his patience with the other man this time he actually listened when Luis talked.  

Leon wanted to know more about Luis, and he knew he had to earn the man’s trust in order for him to do so. Leon learned just how similar they were. Apparently, Luis had lost his family at a young age as well and had also used that as fuel to work his way through school and to the top of his class. And though Leon had never gone to college he had done the same when he joined the police academy.

Apparently, neither of them felt comfortable enough to bring up their history with Umbrella but he could tell that Luis was suspicious of just how much Leon knew about his past.

And where the Leon of the past had been irritable and stand-offish, the Leon of now wasn’t nearly as uptight as he had been during their first meeting. And because of this, this Leon found that he and Luis actually had a similar since of humor. One that apparently consisted solely of dumb puns and corny one liners.

It also did not help that it turned out that they both seemed to have a competitive streak. It had quickly become a competition of sorts to make each other laugh. Ashley didn’t seem to find their brand of humor quite as funny as they did. She called their particular brand of humor ‘dad jokes’ or something like that to which both he and Luis took offense.

Was she calling them old or something?

“I gotta say, you aren’t what I expected when you told me my dad sent you,” Ashley had told him once, giving him a small smile.

“Well, I guess I’ve just been through enough stuff like this to still have a sense of humor about it now.” Leon had shrugged and then ruffled her hair as he walked back to reclaim the lead in their little trio.

“Hey!” Ashley had squawked in outrage and tried to swat his hands away. Leon snickered as he went on his way.

He had started to notice that he and Ashley’s relationship had developed a lot easier this time around and was grateful for it. It made it a lot easier to keep track of her and her confidence seemed to grow a lot quicker than it had before.

“Oye, Sancho! That’s no way to treat a princess!”

Leon nearly tripped over himself the first time Luis called him “Sancho”, his heart squeezing a bit in his chest. When Leon snarked back and called him Don Quixote the other man immediately laughed at him and corrected his pronunciation. Though the smile on Luis’s face had been worth the embarrassment.  

From then on Leon did his best to keep the three of them together as long as he could.

---------

The first time he and Luis kissed was right after the minecart. Leon, high off the adrenaline making him jittery and reckless, just decided to hell with it and went for it. He just grabbed Luis and kissed him.

And to his relief the kiss was enthusiastically returned.

Honestly, it wasn’t actually much of a gamble at this point because if there was one thing Leon had noticed during his extended interactions with Luis was that the man was a terrible flirt. And apparently, had been the entire time, every time. How Leon hadn’t noticed when they first met, he had no idea.

Perhaps it was because he was a lot more attuned to the Spaniard this time. Now it seemed like Leon noticed everything Luis said or did and now it was just so obvious in retrospect.

It was actually kind of funny how oblivious 2004 Leon Kennedy had been versus 2014 Leon.

When they finally broke apart for air they just stood there for a bit, both of them grinning like fools. They stared into each other’s eyes like a pair of love-struck teenagers, their heads pressed together, noses almost touching. It was the happiest Leon had felt in so long that he could almost forget they were still in the depths of an ancient insect mine in the middle of nowhere Spain with Luis Serra of all people.

His therapist would have loved this.

He could hear her now. Something, something, trauma bonding… something, something.

“Mierda, Sancho. If I had known you were like this, I would have tried something hours ago.”

Leon couldn’t help but laugh like an idiot because Luis was pretty fucking cute when he blushed. “Well, now you know, cowboy.”

Leon also learned that while Luis Serra could dish it, he most certainly had a bit of difficulty taking it.

“Don’t go all shy on me now, Quixote.”

And if only Leon had a way to physically capture the way the other man’s eyes lit up in delight at the use of that nickname so he could revisit it over and over again.

Instead, Leon had to make do with a desperate attempt to capture the image into his memory.  

“I have to say… I didn’t expect you to be so receptive to my advances, yanqui.”

Luis was probably right to have been surprised by Leon’s reaction to his advances he supposed. The Leon of 2004 had been a young man forced into a military that had enacted a policy that was unfriendly at best and downright hostile at worse for someone like him. So needless to say, he hadn’t exactly felt encouraged to explore his possible bisexuality back then.

That Leon, forced onto a leash that had been at its tightest at this point in time, would have been very surprised to find out how his older counterpart turned out.

It took a hell of a lot of willpower, but he was finally able to pull himself away from Luis now that he finally had him. But they did still have to make it out of these mines. And Leon still had to make sure that Krauser didn’t get the drop on them and that the man didn’t get a chance to get to Luis.

Not to mention the fact that they still had to find Ashley before it was too late.

Ashley was still the priority. She had to be.

But that didn’t mean there wasn’t something else he could do to ensure Luis made it out of here alive as well. So, before they moved on, Leon was able to convince Luis to take off his jacket and trade it for Leon’s body armor.

Leon argued that if Saddler had sent someone after them this would be the perfect time for them to get the drop on them and he wanted to make sure that Luis was safe.

Luis objected at first of course. Leon was the one that the president sent to save his daughter and he couldn’t do that if he got himself killed because he tried to protect Luis. Leon assured him that he hadn’t gotten this far just because of a vest.

Luis acquiesced but not until he got Leon to agree to wear his jacket.

The fight with Krauser goes a lot differently this time around.

Leon remembered that the son of a bitch was a lot cockier the first time they did this. However, this time the major hadn’t gotten the chance to literally stab Luis in the back first. Now he had to deal with both of them at once. And the Leon he was up against now wasn’t the 27-year-old former rookie the major was accustomed to.

This Leon was a battle-hardened veteran with an additional ten years of experience under his belt.

Leon had insisted that Luis hang back and cover him with his pistol and the Spaniard was just as good of a shot when it really counted as Leon remembered.

He could tell when Krauser realized he wasn’t going to win this fight. When he realized that he couldn’t get in Leon’s head the way he had planned.

“He was after the amber.” Leon had said once Krauser had retreated.

The look on Luis’s face was one of shock and then resignation.

Sometimes, Luis told Leon about his deal with Ada. Sometimes, it never came up. Sometimes Leon ran into Ada. Sometimes he didn’t.

“Don’t ask me how I know.” Leon sighed, this time it never came up. “Just… keep it safe,” turning to the other man and giving him a meaningful look. “Alright?” He knew that Krauser wasn’t the only one who was trying to get their hands on it. And he wanted to make sure that Luis knew it, only breaking eye contact once Luis nodded in agreement.

It was a rare occasion that Luis was speechless, and Leon couldn’t be more grateful that the other man had chosen now to clam up and listen instead.  

“C’mon. Hard mode is just beginning.”

---------

The first time Leon actually looked at himself in a mirror he was surprised by his reflection. He had almost forgotten what he looked like back then and was fascinated by his baby face. A grinning Luis came to stand next to him and he couldn’t help but wonder what Luis would look like in ten years.

Leon gave him a soft look.

“What is it?” Luis asked although the only answer he got from Leon was another quick kiss.

“Nothing.” Leon shrugged.  

They fought Salazar together because Luis wouldn’t let Leon leave him behind, and surprisingly it went a lot smoother than Leon remembered it.

Not only did he give Leon the same taunts as before, but Salazar also now has some for the “traitor” Dr. Serra as well.

Leon found that he was unreasonably curious to hear what the little shit had to say about Luis. Mostly he found that Salazar was obsessed with Saddler, which he was already quite aware of. And that he had taken it upon himself to be upset on Saddler’s behalf that Luis had the nerve to not only reject the plaga but to remove it. Or as Salazar called it, “clawed it out like some rabid animal”.

But what had actually given Leon pause was that Salazar seemed to be particularly outraged that his Lord Saddler had chosen Luis over all his other and decidedly more loyal subjects stand beside him.

And that… was unexpected.

Leon had seen the way Luis’s face as fallen when the mold son of a bitch spit out that particularly jab.

After the fight with Salazar was finally over, Luis looked pale and stricken. And before Leon could ask him…

“It’s nothing. And I don’t want to talk about it.” Luis said. He wouldn’t even look at him. Instead focused on checking his pistol and making sure it was reloaded. With Leon’s vest on he almost looked the part. Almost.

“Uh… okay.” And Leon had to remind himself that there was still so much he never got a chance to learn about Dr. Luis Serra Navarro.

The scar he’d seen on the other man’s chest had taken on a whole new meaning.

Luis had to have been desperate to get that plaga out. Willing to go through unspeakable pain to do so. Not that Leon wouldn’t have also done the very same in a second. But Luis was a scientist, a researcher, not a battle-hardened soldier. For him to choose to put himself through something like that…

Leon felt ill.

---------

Running into Saddler again was an experience. For once this time Luis was with them and it pretty clear that the man was petrified at just the sight of the decrepit bastard.

Which was rather unfortunate since Luis was the only one of them not currently infected with las plagas. Which also meant that he was the only one of them currently not under Saddler control.

“D-don’t. Don’t t-… Luis.” Leon grit his teeth as he tried to fight just to get the words out. That was different. He remembered that he hadn’t been able to speak at all before. Even if it was strained. He still couldn’t move an inch, however.

And poor Ashley was once again standing in front of him… them fighting for her life. And that son of a bitch had his eyes on Luis the whole time. Not even bothering to give he and Ashley his full attention as he put them through hell.

Ashley and Luis.

He had failed them both. Again.

“L-lord Saddler…” Luis had finally found his voice and it sounded just as terrified as the man looked. “Please…” But before he could get a word in…

Leon flinched when the first shot went off. The sound of the disciple standing to the left of him falling was louder somehow. But then things played out a bit differently then Leon remembered because for once… Luis was with them.

“N-no.” Leon hissed.

“Please. S-stop.”

Saddler’s smile was chilling.

“Do you think I don’t know what you’ve done, dear boy?” His eyes were still on Luis. “I can sense it in their blood. You’ve tried to poison them against me. What lies have you told them? What heresy have you spread, ungrateful child?

“I had such great hopes for you, my little lamb. But there are only so many times I can turn the other cheek. You’ve been given chance after chance to learn the error or your ways and still… you persist.”

“Lu-Luis… You n-need to…”

Saddler didn’t even bother to look at Leon as he willed his hold on him even tighter.

“Lord Saddler please… I never meant to…”

The withered old bastard raised a hand and this time both he and Ashley screamed out in pain. Luis fell silent immediately.

“I offered you a most coveted seat by my side and this is what I receive from you in return for my generosity? You… Dr. Serra aiding in the massacre of your own brothers and sisters at the side of these American heretics?”

“I’m not sure,” Luis’s voice was so small. “What you want from me? I’ve already done what you asked.”

“That is true. You have… in part,” Saddler said as he paced around Ashley standing beside her and suddenly the gun in Ashley’s hand moved to point at Luis instead. “But you forget what I desired most of all…”

“N-no… I don’t…”

“Your fealty, Dr. Serra! I require your complete and utter devotion, my child… To our lord of course.”

Shit. No. “Y-yeah… r-right.” Leon wheezed as once again the invisible hold on his chest squeezed tighter. It was clear what Saddler was really after and it was even more stomach churning than Leon could have imagined.

“But that, my dear boy, is something I now see you aren’t capable of. What a pity and such a waste!” Saddled rested a hand upon Ashley’s shoulder. “What is it they say, my child?” The sickly son of a bitch actually chuckled as Ashley’s panicked cries increased, “An eye for an eye?”

“No! Wait!”

The next shot went off and then there was the familiar sound of a fallen body and Leon was helpless to do anything to stop it.

Ashley’s mournful sobs filled the room as all that Leon could do was continue to tremble with rage as all he was able to manage were a few tears of his own.

Leon knew that had Luis had the chance he would have moved to block the next shot. He also knew that even at this range the body armor would have protected them both, no problem.

But Luis did not get that chance. And this time Ashley did not miss.

[You Are Dead. Reload Save? Quit?]

They didn’t even make it past the giants this time.

All of Leon’s previous failures had begun to weigh on him. He was tired and desperately trying to ignore the feeling of defeat that loomed on the horizon. He had just gotten the hatch open underneath the first Gigante after he had made sure that Luis was out of the way. But it seemed that they both had miscalculated just how much of a reach one of those bastard’s had even while sinking into a pool of molten ore.

Leon could do nothing at that moment but stare in disbelief as the hatch closed. “O-oh g-god.” He gasped and fell to his knees. “Fuck.”

Unlike Leon, the armored of the two giants didn’t waste any time mourning the death of its partner.

[You Are Dead. Reload Save? Quit?]

The mine cart was getting old. Leon knew he was being unreasonably cranky but if Luis had to ride that thing as many times as Leon already had he would understand where Leon was coming from.

But Luis didn’t know what it was like to ride the minecart so many times, because Luis never remembered.

Thank god.

Luis got to live his life over and over again. Completely oblivious of the horrible way he had just died the time before.

Leon, of course, wasn’t so lucky.

Leon also hadn’t been lucky enough to dodge the novistodor that had been hiding to the left of him.

“A little help here!” He hissed as he wrestled with the chittering son of a bitch.

“Now, Sancho what would you do without me, eh?”

The thought alone turned out to be plenty to throw a PTSD ridden Leon off balance enough that he didn’t even see the novistodor intent on taking advantage of Luis’s vulnerable back until it was too late.

“Luis! On your six!”

“Eh?” Luis yelped as he was practically tackled by the giant insect.  

Leon’s struggle increased in his panic to get to the other man in time. Finally, he was able to dispatch it with a blade through its eye just in time to hear Luis’s panicked screams reach a fever pitch.

Leon turned over just in time to watch as not one but two of the monstrous bugs tore into Luis, tearing him apart right before his eyes.

The other man’s screams stopped abruptly, leaving only the sound of the insects as they fed and the sound of Leon’s harsh breathing echoing throughout the cavern.

Leon wasn’t sure what killed him this time, but he had a good idea.

[You Are Dead. Reload Save? Quit?]

Leon knew he had been acting strangely this run.

He knew that he had been a lot more paranoid and overbearing than usual. Protective of Luis in ways he had never been in the past. And somehow Luis seemed to know he was not quite himself.

Luis, unable to see that Leon was only trying to look out for him, grumbled more than once that what Leon had actually been doing was treating him like a child instead of trusting him as his partner in this.

Luis argued that he was just as serious about helping Ashley as Leon was and Leon would see that if he, “Saca la cabeza del culo para que puedas oírme.”

Leon didn’t know what that meant, his Spanish was regrettably not as good as it used to be due to disuse, but by the context of their argument and the look on Luis’s face it couldn’t have been complimentary.

“Watch your mouth, amigo.” Leon hissed.

“You’re kidding.” Luis snorted in response and shook his head. “Lo que sea, amigo.”

Their ongoing argument eventually came to a head when they lost Ashley to one of Salazar’s bug bastard bodyguards. Each of them then turned their frustrations with each other onto the hapless cultists that dared stand in their way.

Leon had been able to avoid getting infected this time, so the plan was to grab the stashed vails of suppressant and the amber sample, then get Ashley and head straight to Luis’s lab.

Hours later, covered in sweat and other such bodily fluids, the two of them clumsily stumbled into some long forgotten sitting room, the furniture covered in a thick layer of dust. They were all over each other, practically attached at the lips like two dimwitted and horny teenagers.

Adrenaline pumped through their veins and made them dizzy and dumb with lust.

“This the sort of shit you’re into eh, yanqui?” Luis sneered at him. “Your government training screw up your wiring or something? Es cierto?”  

Leon answered by shoving the Spaniard down onto an ancient-looking sofa. A plume of dust erupting into the air.

“C’mon then, querido. You can tell me. I don’t judge.” Luis’s snickered and only served to grate on Leon’s nerves even more. He’d forgotten how irritating this asshole could be in his obsession with saving his life.

“Do you ever shut up?” Leon growled before shoving at Luis’s shoulders and following him down, clambering onto him to straddle his narrow hips.

“Why don’t you give me a reason to, yanqui?”

Insufferable. But Leon was grateful for the distraction. Having Luis in his arms again like this after so many failed runs had made Leon feel things. Things he didn’t think Luis was ready for. As far as Luis was concerned, the two of them had only known each other for less than a day, so he knew that there was no way that Luis felt the same. And Leon could accept that. The other man just wanted to have a good time.  

But even still, Luis’s stupid little giggle had cracked Leon’s heart wide open and he was helpless against the flood of emotions that brought.

“H-hey… Gimme some space, eh Sancho?” Luis’s chuckled, his face flushed adorably. If Leon didn’t know any better, he might have thought the other man looked nervous. Luis grumbled at him as he wiggled out of his jacket.

His white dress shirt had already come loose out of his jeans and had ridden up to expose a wide strip of the tanned skin and the thick dark hair spread over his belly.

He looked up at Leon from beneath unfairly long eyelashes and bit down on his swollen bottom lip. “You just gonna stare,” his voice was low and smokey, “Or are you gonna help me out here?”

Luis arched his hips up enough to dislodge Leon from his waist pushing the other man back enough to reach his own belt and unbutton his jeans.

“Whatever,” Leon snorted gracelessly before grabbing a hand full of the other man’s jeans. He tugged them off with enough force to nearly pull Luis off the sofa with them, leaving Luis in just his wrinkled, filthy dress shirt and boxer briefs.

Luis cackled and flailed around for anything to hold on to. “A little rough don’t you think?”

“Oh, you don’t like it rough?” Leon asked, eyes roaming over all the newly uncovered skin now on display. And he might have been a little impatient. It had been a while even by his standards and even then, none of them even came close to Luis Serra Navarro.

“Could have fooled me. Fuck… You’re gorgeous.” Leon said out loud before he could stop himself and Luis just could not resist preening for him.

It was more than obvious that Luis knew just how attractive he was. He had never been particularly shy about it. And at that moment, he just laid there, sprawled underneath Leon. Watching him with dark eyes as Leon fumbled with belts and clasps, pouches, and holsters like a loser, all while he leisurely stroked himself off. Snickering at Leon, who might have been a little distracted and a little frustrated with one particular strap that had decided to be difficult.

Leon rolled his eyes and tugged hard enough to hear a ripping sound. He sighed. To be fair when this version of Leon Kennedy had gotten dressed this morning it had been for a mission and not for… well… this.

“You okay there, cowboy? Need some help?” Luis seemed sincere enough, even if there was laughter in his voice.

“Nah, I got it. You just keeping laying there and looking pretty.”

“Oh, that I can definitely do.”

Leon had the feeling that Luis would have given him a mock salute if his hands weren’t already preoccupied.

Finally, he got the damn thing loose and tossed it. “Some help you’d’ve been anyway.”

“Hmm… I do have another one ya know.” He said raising the hand he’d had resting behind his head for show.

“Yeah, well…” Leon’s voice was muffled by the end of one of his fingerless gloves that he was currently using his mouth to pull off.

“C’mon, Sancho!” Luis growled in a way that could almost pass for a whine. The Spaniard apparently had grown impatient with Leon’s quiet contemplation of his hip bones. “Are you trying to torture me? We don’t have all night.”

Leon looked down at him, really looked at him, taking him all in.  

It felt silly to even think it but, Luis truly was a dream come true.

One that he was willing to fight tooth and nail for, no matter how many times it took.

“Por el amor de Dios, Sancho…” Luis, ever impatient, wrapped one of his long legs around Leon’s waist. He used his foot at the small of Leon’s back to pull him forward so he could grab a handful of blond hair and tug him down for a kiss.

And then he gracelessly shoved his other hand down the front of Leon’s now open pants, into his underwear and wrapped those long fingers around him. Leon groaned loudly into the other man’s mouth, his hips twitching forward on reflex.

Leon struggled to push his own pants down his thighs before he wrapped both of his arms around Luis and pulled him impossibly closer trying to press every inch of their skin that he could together. They both moaned in unison. Luis adding something in Spanish that Leon’s muddled brain couldn’t be trusted to translate so another groan was all he could muster in return.

Luis, just as loud and expressive as he was with anything else, answered back with another groan of his own.

Leon knew the Leon of 2004 wouldn’t have had a clue what to do with the beautiful and very willing man underneath him. Leon was not proud of the man he’d been back then. He knows that Luis had been right to be wary of flirting with him.

It had taken years to untangle that particular fucked up mess of anxiety and self-loathing the military had left him in.

The Leon S. Kennedy of 2004 would have been too freaked out by the fact that there was another dick so close to his own to do anything worthwhile about it. But luckily for both of them, the Leon of 2014 was now fucked up in a new and more interesting ways and now had no time to entertain such bullshit. Which meant that now he had more than enough experience in that department. He was well over his bi-panic phase and was seated quite comfortably into his bi-disaster phase.

And now that he had another chance and an even younger body to use to his advantage and he was not going to waste it.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t nearly enough time to do all the things to Luis that he had been dreaming of. And this certainly was not his ideal venue for such a thing anyhow. There was also no time for any meaningful preparation. They would have their first time together but for now they would have to make do with the borrowed time and space they had.

“Oh f-fuck, Luis!” Leon groaned into the crook of Luis’s throat, shuddering at the spark of pleasure that shot up his spine when Luis rolled his hips up against his just so.

If he were honest, there wasn’t enough time for any of this. But after everything he had gone through, everything he had seen Luis go through, he wasn’t about to pass up this opportunity. If Luis was willing to risk it then so was he.

Luis babbled something low in Spanish that Leon was still in no mental state to translate, whimpered right next to his ear and it was like the sound vibrated down Leon’s spine and right to his dick. He was already leaking a crazy between them and this only made even wetter. It was more of a blessing than a curse however, seeing as they probably weren’t within a hundred miles of any proper lubricant.

Every slip and slide of their skin was electric and addicting. Every increasingly desperate sound he was able to pull out of Luis only made him want more.

“Joder. Por favor... eres tan buena. Estoy tan cerca, cariño.” Ended with a whine that Luis would probably never admit to Leon would be playing on repeat in his mind for years to come.

“God, you’re so fucking hot.” Leon slurs the words, rocking his hips back into Luis’s in time, their cocks slipping against each other perfectly. He had to admit that the Spanish, the accent was really doing it for him. He was practically drooling against the side of Luis’s neck before latching on to spot right underneath his chin dragging his teeth a bit before sinking in.

The other man giggled in response to the praise and it was simultaneously the most ridiculous and most endearing thing Leon had ever heard.

And well, that was Luis Serra Navarro in a nutshell, wasn’t it?

That thought only made Leon hold on to him even tighter.

When Luis came it was with the softest, most fragile sound Leon had ever heard.

And Leon was an absolute mess for this man, twitching and cursing through his own orgasm not a but a few moments later.

As they laid practically on top of each other on a sofa that definitely was not big enough for two grown men of their stature and panted against each other’s sweat damp skin, Leon couldn’t help but try and catalogue every moment of what they had just done together.

Okay, maybe he was more than a little obsessed.

Curled into Luis’s side, Leon watched as the bastard smoked leisurely. His thick, dark hair was wild, a few sweat soaked strands framed his handsome face, eyes closed and long, lashes fluttered against high cheek bones. The Spaniard looked the epitome of vice and debauchery and Leon adored him for it.

He knew in that moment that he had done the right thing coming back here again… and again… and again. Damn the risks. Leon would burn the whole world to the ground if it meant he got to keep this beautiful man. If he got to have him for the rest of his life, he would do anything.

And wasn’t that a dangerous revelation.

Just how far was he willing to go?

They could just leave now. They could find a boat. Leave this place together. No Ada. No… Ashley.

No Ashley.

Leon couldn’t lie and say he hadn’t ever considered it.

What if that was the solution? What if that was the only way to make this work?

He wasn’t infected. Luis wasn’t infected. They were free. They could just go.

They didn’t even have to go back to the States. They could go anywhere. Change their names. Start over.

Leon had made plenty of unsavory connections in his time as a lapdog for the government. It wouldn’t be difficult.

“Leave the girl. She’s lost no matter what.”

Luis even told him about the amber this time. Maybe they could even get Ada to help. It wasn’t like Leon didn’t know how all of this was going to play out anyway. He had lived it many times already. One way or another Ada would get the amber, maybe at least this time Leon could get something out of it.

Before all of this, he had missed Luis sure, but he had barely known the other man. The despair of never having gotten the chance had been enough for him to risk his life over and over again just to try and save him. But now that he did know Luis, Leon could not fathom what lengths he wasn’t willing to go to get what he wanted.

He had lived years past this point in his life already. He knew that there wasn’t anything to look forward to if he continued down the same path.

Leon cuddled even closer to the warm body lying next to him and buried his nose into the other man’s hair. Underneath the smell of sweat and smoke he could smell a lingering hint of the other man’s cologne and it calmed his hectic thoughts.

Even if Leon could somehow stomach the idea of leaving Ashley here on her own to fend for herself until they realized that Leon was gone and sent someone else to try and save her, there was the matter of convincing Luis to go along with it. And wasn’t saving Ashley the reason Luis was even here with him right now? Luis could have left them both high and dry hours ago. Found Ada and left with her with neither of them none the wiser.

But he had stayed. Because it was the right thing to do. Or… as Leon had heard him say many, many times by now…

“I just want to feel good about myself. Make amends. Something like that.”

“En qué estás pensando, mi vida?” Luis didn’t even bother to open his eyes when he offered Leon a pull from his half-spent cigarette. To which Leon answered with a curious quirk of his eyebrow before he took the man up on his offer. “Puedo sentirte pensando desde aquí.”“Qué crees que estoy pensando?” Leon asked bravely after he exhaled curls of smoke into the air above them, laughter in his voice. Luis always teased him mercilessly about his accent. Although lately he’d had nothing but time to practice. Luis naturally became his unwitting teacher whenever he was tired, or upset, or excited.  

“Creo que estás pensando en mí, por supuesto.”

Leon just hummed as he traced gentle patterns into the soft dark hair on Luis’s stomach. The other man shuttered delicately against him, and Leon couldn’t remember ever having felt so content in this life. It was pretty ironic considering where they were.

Luis squirmed again. Ticklish then. Leon filed this information away for another time. But at that moment, he couldn’t help but notice how beautiful Luis was. It was like years had melted off of him. Leaving behind a man that Leon had only gotten small glimpses of before from behind tired eyes and feigned bravado.

This was the Luis that the man hadn’t gotten the chance to be. Here was a man still obvious of all the ways Leon had failed him and probably would fail him again until he finally got it right.

Would Luis forgive him if he knew what he was considering?

They had spent so much time together now that Leon already knew the answer.

Nonetheless, this was the first time they had gotten this far. Leon couldn’t help but feel hopeful that his time might work out. That he would finally figure it out. A way to save both Ashely and Luis.

“You think I’m gonna give up that easy?”

“I’m going to get you out of here, Luis.” And Leon was proud of the way his voice had not cracked there. “You and Ashley.”

Mist gray eyes blinked open, a contented smile on the handsome face. “Damn.”

Leon’s face fell and confusion took over. “What is it?”

“It’s… it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.” Luis said all of sudden he looked bashful.

“Nothing, huh? I just made a bold declaration. A grand gesture.” Okay, maybe it was more of a grand promise of a grand gesture. “Don’t get all shy on me now, Don Quixote.”

Luis’s eyes lit up like the moon on a clear night. “Don… Oh, my sweet Sancho. Now I know for sure that I want to keep you.”

Leon chuckled, realizing that though this was not the first time either of them had used such pet names for each other, neither of them had ever said them like this.

“How could you know so well the key to my heart, querido?” Luis’s hand on the back of Leon’s neck pulled him in so he could kissed him deeply. “You’ve done it now.” Luis kissed him again. “Now you’ll never be rid of me.”

Leon smiled into yet another kiss, “Promises. Promises.”  

“Hey, does this make me like one of your Bond girls?”

Leon choked on his laughter, “What?”

God, Leon hoped he was right.

---------

Krauser’s knife had cut through Luis’s belly like butter. And the sound that came out of Leon’s mouth was one that isn’t even recognizable to him as being human.

The bitterness of his failure and despair consumed him as he watched Luis stumble in a daze as he tried and failed to hold onto his own innards. Krauser, more considerate than Leon ever remembered him being, was kind enough to let Leon watch as his partner fell to his knees and coughed up a mouthful of blood so dark it almost looked black in the low light of the cavern.

“Sloppy!” The major growled and Leon was still so stunned and horrified by the sight in front of him that he didn’t even notice when his own throat was slit.

Krauser tutted before he sauntered away with his prize. “What a disappointment.”

[You Are Dead. Reload Save? Quit?]

When Leon finally does kill Krauser, Luis held him as he cried.

The victory and sorrow was short lived, however. Because less than an hour later Leon found himself on his back as he slowly bled out into the dirt, his fingers going numb as they stubbornly held on to Luis’s limp hand. A plan for what he would do differently next time was already taking shape in his fading mind.

[You Are Dead. Reload Save? Quit?]

“Hey, hey! Luis! Talk to me! What are we looking at?”

“I… uh…

“Hey, look at me. I’m right here. You’re not alone, alright. Not anymore. We’re partners, yeah?”

“Partners?” Luis looked surprised, confused. Shit. Luis was bleeding from his hairline from a wound on his head. Leon couldn’t even remember if they had even talked about being partners this run. Did they even go to the cabin this time?

“Yeah. And I need my partner right now. Run me the plan again. From the top.”

And he did. He even only slurred his words a little. Only slipped between English and Spanish a couple of times but Leon had gotten it for the most part.

Now, Leon lay there on the ground, his laughter near hysterical. He was bleeding from a wound that would eventually kill him. Fuck it all. Luis’s plan had actually worked. Or it would have worked if Leon hadn’t fucked it up.

“Sh-shit.” He wheezed. “Luis? Fuck. Luis!”

“Fuck. I’m sorry. I’m s-sorry.”

[You Are Dead. Reload Save? Quit?]

One minute he was ushering Ashley through yet another wooden door, the next he was being flung through the air. The only other sign he got that something had gone oh so wrong was the sound of Luis’s choked off yelp of surprise and Ashley’s scream.

“Oh…shit! Luis?” Leon crawled to the edge of the cliff. “You gotta be kidding.” Voice cracking in a mixture of exhaustion and defeat. He wasn’t even able to see down far enough to find him.

“Leon!”

[You Are Dead. Reload Save? Quit?]

They were on their way to the chief’s house when they realized that they weren’t going to be able to outrun the bastard with the chainsaw. But Luis was the one who got clipped by him this time. All because Leon was too slow to reload his shotgun.

In a frustrated rage, Leon unloaded every round he had into the bastard’s face though in end it did nothing to bring his partner back. Instead, all it did was leave him completely out of ammo by the time group of Ganados out for his blood caught up to him.

[You Are Dead. Reload Save? Quit?]

This time they were separated by the explosion in the town square and for some reason the bell tower fell in between them.

And that just didn’t make sense.

This had never happened before, and Leon just couldn’t understand how it could have happened.

They had done this dance so many times now that they were almost in sync. What had they done differently this time? What had he said to make Luis think it was a good idea to walk just that few feet to the right without him?

He could rack his brain all he wanted but in the end all he could do was listen as the pack of infested wolves finally caught up to Luis on the other side.

Digging his hands into his dust covered hair, Leon sobbed out in defeat. Then he took a calming breath and then another before he found a spot on the ground to sit and calmly wait for his turn.

[You Are Dead. Reload Save? Quit?]

"Ay, Dios… Ay, Dios… Mierda! Lo siento, lo siento mucho, mi amor."

“It’s o-okay. H-hey it’s okay, Luis. I’ll… I’m gonna c-come back for you, okay. I’ll… I’ll come back.”

“Leon?”

“J-just wait for me… please…” “Ay, Dios! No, no... Por favor, no. Q-que voy a h-hacer...”

[You Are Dead. Reload Save? Quit?]

Luis shouldn’t have even been down here. The Verdugo was supposed to have been his fight.

[You Are Dead. Reload Save? Quit?]

Leon had lost count of how many times he had done this by now. How many times he had found himself stood in this very room. Usually, he was with Luis, but they had been separated by bad luck. Salazar had Ashley. Leon was just so frustrated that he knew he had become extra snappy.

He had done this dance with Ada before. It was one of his clearest memories of Spain. Seeing the woman again after six years of nightmares and regrets. Leon really hated how attached he could get to people who never gave a shit about him in the first place.

He could only hope that Luis would turn out to be different.

But right now, he was tired and because of that he had been sloppy.

Ada hissed when his knife sliced into her arm. And Leon is shocked by the sight of her blood on his blade. It’s not the first time he’s seen her bleed, but it is the first time he was the one responsible for it.

“Fuck.” He sheathed his combat knife and is already moving toward her to help before he can think that his help may not be wanted at all.

But Ada made that clear with the gun pointed at his chest and the look of surprise she made a poor attempt at hiding with a scowl.

“Not a bad move. Real smooth.” She still had her gun trained on him though, her eyes hard. He can see that her arm is still slowly bleeding. At least the cut wasn’t deep enough for serious damage then. He wasn’t going for the kill after all, but he had never meant to hurt her either.

“Let me…”

“I’m fine.” She looked embarrassed if he were being honest.

He had been very much in his own head since he lost Ashley and lost track of Luis. Fighting on auto pilot. It was dangerous and stupid he knew it but he was so thoroughly compromised and Ada seemed to just know that something was up with him.

Her script was the same, however. She tells him to leave Ashley. But what he wasn’t expecting was when she told him that she knew about him and Luis.

Leon was too shocked to convincingly deny it and she just looked at him with something like pity in her eyes. She tried to convince him that Luis was trouble and that he couldn’t be trusted. That Leon should get away from him while he still could.

Which was rich coming from her.

“You’re kidding, right? You’re telling me not to trust someone?”

“I would know, wouldn’t I?” She said, grunting when he wiped away the blood to reveal the cut underneath. She had finally given in and let him try and patch her up. His way of apologizing and her way of getting close enough to him to speak right into his ear her poison against whatever spell she believed Luis had put him under.

“I know about him working for Umbrella… Just like you did.”

She doesn’t look surprised at that. It was old news after all.  

Leon scoffs. “I’m well beyond that.”

Ada sniffed and sized him up. “I suppose you are.” She gave him a look and now he knew for sure that she knew. “That’s a shame. Still the same Leon S. Kennedy I know and…”

They both still when they hear footsteps on the other side of the door. Leon would know them anywhere and Ada didn’t seem concerned once she took note of Leon’s reaction.

“Sancho? You in here?”

Ada give him her usual mysterious and cryptic non-goodbye just in time for Luis to find Leon alone.

“Hey, c’mon I know where they took our princess.”

They made it all the way to Saddler only this time Luis died in the sanctuary mere feet from his laboratory.

Ada made her appearance too late to stop it from happening and Leon couldn’t help but wonder if that had been a case of unfortunate timing or a part of her plan all along. Not that it really mattered anymore now.

This time when she yelled for him to move, he didn’t. She would just have to watch this time as Saddler ends him too.  

[You Are Dead. Reload Save? Quit?]

[Quit]

“What?”

“What the fuck…”

He stumbles out of the machine. Catching himself on the slick stainless steel. He stands there for a moment, staring at his hands. His vision is blurring, there are tears in his eyes.

“Leon?”

It was Salazar this time. Luis had pushed him, but he hadn’t been fast enough to get himself out of the way in time. The moldy son of a bitch just wouldn’t give Leon the chance to get near enough to Luis to try and stop the bleeding.

“I need to go back,” he says quietly. “Send me back.”

“Wait. No. I’m not just going to keep…”

“Send me back!”

The doctor gives him a stern look. “I said. No.”

“Every time! Every fucking time!” Leon stops and takes a breath, then another and runs his hands through his already messy hair. “Every time he dies it’s because of me.”

The face of the woman standing in front of him is unreadable. She is quiet for a moment before finally speaking again.

“If that’s true, what do you plan to do to change that, huh?”

Leon looks back at her like she had just said something vulgar.

“If he’s just going to keep…”

“I have to go back.” Leon pleads. “Dr. Dawson, listen if I just…”

“Leon… I can’t just keep sending you back. I told you… this technology isn’t exactly well tested. You shouldn’t even be here. I shouldn’t even be here!”

“Well, think of this as your tests. I’ll keep being your guinea pig… or lab rat or what the fuck ever. You got a waiver for me to sign or something?”

“What am I supposed to tell the DSO when this goes wrong? Huh? Because it’s going to go wrong, Leon. I mean look at you. You’re barely keeping it together as is!”

“Please. I’m this close to figuring it out. I know it.”

“What if there is no figuring it out. What if… what if he’s supposed to die?”

Leon’s eyes were bloodshot, red rimmed and sunken into dark circles. He looked haggard and completely hollowed out. Like he was already a bottle in and half way though another. He was so tired he was even slurring his words.

The two of them had been at this for quite some time. And there was no telling how long he had been spending back there every time before he came back.

“No. No he’s not.” He is not proud of the way his voice cracks then but he’s too desperate for pride now. “The only reason he…” He licks pointlessly at dry, cracked lips. “The only reason he didn’t make it was because he was trying to help me.”

“And that’s supposed to change somehow?”

“I won’t let him this time.”

“You said it yourself! You already tried that! And every time he…”

“It’ll work this time!” Leon yells. “It has to.”

“What about you?”

“I don’t care about me!” Leon said.

“What about Ashley?”

He pauses at that, blues eyes widen like he had been slapped.

“I… I can’t do this.” He hisses from between grit teeth. “I can’t keep doing this. Living like this.” Leon slumps down into a chair nearby, his head in his hands. “It’s… it’s not fair.” His shoulders are shaking, he’s trying not to be obvious about it but it’s clear he’s crying. “You don’t understand… h-how fucking miserable this is.” He growled the words, spitting venom, his hand clenched in front of him. “To have to keep feeling like… this! To be this close…”

She sighs and takes a seat in front of him.

“So… you’re just going to trade Ashley for him?” She asks, already knowing the answer. “Because you told me that Doctor Serra was the only reason you and Ashley Graham made it out of Spain in the first place. If he doesn’t help, then… Then what?”

“I… I know what to do now. I can just…”

“Okay.” She said leaning back in her chair, spreading her hands as if to say ‘go on’. “What’s the plan, Agent Kennedy?”

The silence that spread between them tells her all she needs to know.

“Leon…”  

“What do you want me to say? What do I need to do to convince you, huh? I’ll do it.”

“Well, you could actually listen to me for starters.”

The look on his face isn’t enough to deter her.

“I never told you why I started all this in the first place, did I?” She says, purposely not looking right at him. “You’re not the only one who’s lost people, y’know.”

Leon looks up at her, sniffling.

“I tried too. And tried. And tried. And tried.”

Another tear escapes those big, sad blue eyes and rolls down into the stubble on his chin. It truly does hurt her to have to do this. She had hoped that maybe he could have succeeded where she had not. But now she see how much more damage she’s done, and she wishes she could take it all back. She’s let this go on much too long. She feels sick with what she’s done. Dangled hope in front of a desperate man, only to snatch it away again.

Still, maybe she could at least do this much.

“It was no use. There was always something I didn’t see until it was too late.” She shrugged. “It was like… no matter what I did, it was always going to happen. The only thing I did was watch her die over and over again in new and more fucked up ways. I just made it worse every time.”

“No.” Leon shook his head. “NO. Just because you couldn’t do it doesn’t mean…”

“I’m not going to keep doing this to you, Leon. I’m not sending you back again!”

Leon pushes up from his chair so fast she doesn’t even have time to register that his hands are now balled up in the lapels of her lab coat, her feet dangling inches off the ground.

“Sh-shit! Leon!” She has somehow let herself forget just how tall and intimidating the government special agent was.

“I’m not asking.” He growls, spittle spraying her face. “I’m a fucking… government s-sanctioned k-killing machine. What is the point of all of that shit… they put me through if I can’t even save one person that’s important to me for once?”

“Leon…” She says slowly reaching up to grip one of his wrists. “I know… I know it hurts. So much sometimes that you can’t breathe, right? But…”

“He’s saved my life over and over again and I can’t even save him once?” His grip on her falters, her feet once again on the ground. “He’s just a fucking scientist. I’m the soldier. What’s the point then, huh?” He gestures to the machine. “What’s even the point of this if you can’t use it to change anything?”

“Maybe… that is the point… that there isn’t a point. Or a reason. It just is.” She shrugs. Or as much as she can in his grip. “I couldn’t watch her die again. And… I don’t think you can do it again either.”

They’re in a standoff. Neither one of them is willing to back down.

“He wouldn’t want you to do this.” She says finally.

“How do you know what the hell he’d want?” He said finally releasing her with undo force, she stumbles back only a step. A frown on her face. She’d been reckless. She had read his profile. But she hadn’t been allowed access to his psyche evals. She understood why but still she shouldn’t have gone through with this.

“Because if he’s done half the things you said he has, then I know enough.”

She watches something change behind his eyes then. And suddenly, without saying another word, he leaves.

“Leon! I’m sorry!” The knot in her stomach gets heavier.

That wasn’t the look of a man that was willing to let go of anything.

---------

It was either the neighborhood bar or home and since Leon wasn’t exactly in the mood to be seen by anyone right now, home it was.

It’s just after midnight when he stumbles into his apartment and goes to the bathroom to wash his face. He feels like shit and looks like shit according to his fingerprint smudged, toothpaste splattered bathroom mirror.

“Just another day in the exciting life of special agent Leon S. Kennedy.” He snorts and goes to take off his fingerless gloves and stops cold. He looks at his hand in shock.

There is a silver ring resting on his ring finger.

He blinks at it dumbly.

---------

“Nervous habit?” He nodded toward Luis’s hands, where the other man was absently twisting one of the rings on his finger.

Luis’s laugh was nervous one. He had been caught. “You noticed, eh?”

Leon chuckled softly. “Only a bit.”

“It helps.”

“Oh?”

“You should give it a try.” Luis smiled at him, and something grew warm low in his belly at the sight. He really shouldn’t have been entertaining this, but he was a weak man.

“Here.” Luis said and reached for his hand. Leon allowed it and watched as Luis slipped one of his rings onto his finger. “There. Now we both have one.” He could tell that Luis was trying to appear suave and nonchalant but the blush that was dark enough to be seen on his deep tanned skin was more than a bit telling.

Leon remembered thinking, “This guy can’t be serious.”

---------

Back in Leon’s cramped bathroom in front of his dirty mirror, he is trembling with emotion. He twists the ring gently on his finger and stares at it with blurring eyes. The first sob of many breaks through pushes through.

How is this possible?

“What’s the point if nothing ever changes?”

What is there between us, if not a little annihilation?

[just-absolutely-super]

#JustLanHikariThings

a few of my favorite Lan things (gameverse)

General:

The way this kid gave 0 fucks about fighting off evil organizations that could KILL people. Even impulse control Megaman is just like, “Yeah Lan let’s show them who’s boss!”

His response to anyone doing bad things is essentially, “You’re a terrible person and I’m gonna stop you.” And then he stops them!

Literally oversleeping like every day despite Megaman literally yelling at him to wake up (king tbh)

Trespasses practically everywhere because his loved ones were put in harm’s way and anyone who messes with Lan Hikari’s loved ones will catch MEGA’S HANDS

Chaud in almost every BN game: Stay in your lane and let the Officials handle this

Lan: How about I don’t?

MMBN:

Literally decided to take on a crime syndicate without an official NetBattler license because fuck you it’s the right thing to do!

Fought off actual flames coming out of his oven with a squirt gun

Stole his dad’s government ID so he can have access to the water plant in order to confront said crime syndicate

He reformed Higsby just by telling him joining WWW for rare battlechips was dumb

Got freaking electrocuted trying to pull down a lever so Elecman would quit healing himself

After finding out his dead twin was really his Navi all along his first response is to apologize to Megaman for bossing him around for literal years

Mayl essentially tells him she has a crush on him and the poor oblivious boy is just absolutely DUMBFOUNDED

After Wiley told him that Lan’s grandpa beat him in a science contest so now he wants to kill everyone Lan basically called his shitty motive out and said Wiley’s loss wasn’t his family’s fault

MMBN2:

Practically failing a semester (or at most has a C average) except for Virus Busting (THIS KID BECOMES A SCIENTIST WHEN HE GROWS UP)

He wanted to research a different country and get a penpal from said country on the grounds that he wanted to eat their food (KING TBH)

Fought off a swarm of bees with a stick, a newspaper, and a lighter with 0 help from his friends

His first time overseas and he gets mugged....3 times

Keeps saying Mayl is “just a friend” but will have romantic dreams about her

Volunteered to captured a poisonous spider with 0 hesitation because he’s Lan Fucking Hikari

Freestyle rapped in order to get whiskey...yes really

Easily convinced his dad to let him go to a town with lethally high levels of radiation to take down a mafia because fuck you he’s Lan Hikari and this is the right thing to do

Managed to survive 100k radiation

Used the power of brotherly love to operate Megaman with his heart

MMBN3:

STOLE THE KEY TO BREAK INTO HIS SCHOOL (it was to make sure Dex didn’t fail his homework but still the AUDACITY)

Fucking Y E E T S his navi like a fucking POKEBALL at a man

He’s apparently good at calligraphy???

Falls for the, “Hey look over there!” trick

Jumps from a 2nd story window into the ocean in order to reach a hospital’s basement because he’s Lan Fucking Hikari

Caught a condor to return to the zoo

Calls Megaman out for being reckless on obtaining the GigFreeze even though the entire list proves that this gremlin has no room to talk

Gets gunned down by a tank with a built in machine gun and just...side steps it so he can jack into it

FUCKING KICKED A STATUE OF WILY OFF A LEDGE I FUCKING STAN HIM

MMBN4:

Can’t enter an area because it’s not open to the public? TRIES TO HAVE HIS NAVI BLAST IT OPEN!

An employee from said area shows up? HAVE YOUR NAVI KICK HIS ASS THEN TAKE HIS ACCESS CODE

NetBattled a gang because his new punk friend needed help

Gets involved with a mafia….again…

GETS HIMSELF FUCKING KIDNAPPED LAN NEVER GO TO NETOPIA EVER AGAIN

Got goaded into putting his hand in some wall relic thing’s mouth (with a slight risk it’ll be bit off) in order to prove he wasn’t lying about being in a tournament

Had Mega take on a soccer (I’m sorry, “footbomb”) challenge because some rando trash talked them

Swore revenge on an actual military official because he punched Lan in the stomach

CONVINCED AN ACTUAL MILITARY BASE TO LET HIM--AN ACTUAL 12 YEAR OLD--TAKE ON AN ACTUAL MILITARY MISSION

Insulted a master chef by saying his mom’s curry was better

ACCEPTED A CURRY COOKING CHALLENGE EVEN THOUGH HE DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO MAKE CURRY

WON SAID CURRY COMPETITION BY USING LOVE AS A SECRET INGREDIENT

KNOCKED THE FUCKING MAYOR ASIDE WHEN HE GOT IN HIS WAY BECAUSE HE HAD TO STOP AN ECOTERRORISM PLAN AND THAT’S HOW LAN FUCKING HIKARI ROLLS

Had Megaman get some cyber beer and cyber jerky so they could learn how to break rocks...I wish I was making this up

Braved a blizzard and almost froze to death so he could stop some asshole from freezing the entire earth (and this ISN’T PART OF THE GAME’S ACTUAL VILLAIN’S PLOT! THE GUY WAS LITERALLY JUST BEING AN ASSHOLE BECAUSE HE WAS HOT!)

MMBN5:

Literally kept the fact he’s a part of the NetAvengers a secret from his mom and friends until almost the last minute, which wasn’t very hard apparently

Like deliberately disobeyed his mom about being safe because if you think Lan Fucking Hikari isn’t going to find a way to save his own dad you got another thing coming

Was initially refusing to listen to Dusk’s demands to show off his and Mega’s battle capabilities, but agreed after he was called a wimp

Called the actual family dog ugly fdjksfldjs

Took down 100 dummy samurais so he could bypass a castle’s security system

Unfortunately not a whole lot of other moments but that’s because Lan’s chaotic nature is challenged by his equally chaotic teammates:

#JustTeamProtomanThings

Chaud fakes an attack on SciLab so he can see if Lan has what it takes to be part of the NetAvengers (because saving the world 4 times just doesn’t really cut it I guess...)

Tesla literally almost killed 3 children because she was stressed and thought drilling in an abandoned mine would do the trick

Charlie decides to cause problems on purpose just to test Lan’s capabilities and CHAUD WAS IN ON IT

Charlie also took out Nebula’s evil server thing but decided to attack Lan and Mega anyway because he just really wanted a rematch I guess

Fyrefox almost got away with theft because he just REALLY wanted his fireworks business to thrive okay?

Jasmine said fuck your precautions I’m going to the Undernet and there’s nothing anyone can do about it!

She also continues to say fuck authority, and if Lan won’t have the balls to go after Nebula then she and Meddy will!

#JustTeamColonelThings

Baryl--like Chaud--fakes an attack on Scilab to test lan and the entire time Lan is just like WHO ARE YOU?

Dusk also causes problems on purpose for the sake of testing Lan but he’s an assassin so that kinda makes sense for him

Ribitta goes to the Undernet because SHE NEEDS TO MAKE A KILLER NEWS STORY LAN THINK OF HER CAREER LAN

Goes to the Undernet again because dammit Lan if you won’t be a leader and avenge Colonel then SHE WILL

MMBN6:

Was prepared to fight off 5 security bots when they wouldn’t let him into his new school

Was willing to take on those same security bots who were burning the entire school down because this isn’t Lan Fucking Hikari’s first rodeo

Considered that an actual penguin could be a pelican...

Would have jumped into a pool full of jellyfish had impulse control Megaman not stopped him

Almost got fucking TAZED because he was yelling and touching a tree (IT MAKES SENSE IN CONTEXT....KINDA)

Sleeps in class when there are security cameras watching him (THIS KID BECOMES A SCIENTIST WHEN HE GROWS UP)

Tried to pull a Mary Poppins with an umbrella to jump down a tall ledge...the umbrella broke

Basically took an assassination class... (Gregor version)

Nearly threw hands with the mayor (he had it coming tho)

Took down a NetMafia...again (request post-game; but for real how does this keep happening to him???)

Put off leaving a building that was about to blow up because he was reforming the franchise’s long running villain

REFORMS THE FRANCHISE’S LONG RUNNING VILLAIN BY CONVINCING HIM THAT THERE REALLY WAS STILL GOOD IN HIM AND HE COULD BE A GOOD SCIENTIST AGAIN THIS ABSOLUTE PURE CHILD

Other:

Decides to investigate a bad vaccine after his dad tells him to stay put because sorry dad I’m Lan Fucking Hikari and this is the right thing to do! (Network Transmission)

Saved the Waterworks plant from Iceman (again) not just because it’s the right thing to do but because if he didn’t he would get any dinner that night (Network Transmission)

BEAT UP A GROWN ASS MAN (Battle Chip Challenge (his route))

Okay this kid does all this bullshit but the one thing that knocks him down is the fucking common cold (Battle Chip Challenge (Mayl’s route))

Lied about WWW stragglers being at the BattleChipGP to impress his #1 fan and when that proved to be true he tried playing it off that he knew all along before Megaman outs him (Battle Chip Challenge (Kai’s route))

Literally calls a powerful being from space an “Arm Navi” and when corrected he tells it to shut up (Operate Shooting Star)

Becomes a memetic badass 200 years into the future (Operate Shooting Star) including but hopefully not limited to things such as:

having an IQ of 300

Being efficient in every sport (soccer in particular)

Making goals in soccer against 11 players (presumably single-handedly)

has a signature move called a LanPunch and it’s never specified HOW THIS CAME ABOUT

Literally comes into Dex’s house uninvited with a strange boy from the future and jacks into a wall clock WITHOUT AN EXPLANATION TO DEX (Operate Shooting Star)

BEGAN THE PROCESS FOR HARNESSING THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP (Star Force Megaman 2)

[aqqleshiqqing-archive]

hang on freya mentioned seeing blue in a cape i need to talk about that .... forgive me

i didn't grab enough images of blue in a cape but this man walks around in a cape for YEARS and no this is not him being edgy (at least I hope so PFFPTT) i think that's just his preferred attire when he goes alone, and... well... he's always alone so.... but I do like it because he's written completely differently from the cocky gameverse blue we all know and love... he's a loner but he's a very intelligent and smart man. in the early days he really outsmarted red and i respect that. he's the most drippy one out there too

[epicspheal]

Cactusverse Timeline: Legends Arceus

So I thought it’d be a good idea to talk about the happenings for cactusverse during the Hisui era. Like much of cactusverse, it’s very gameverse compliant as far as how the plot unravels with a bit of Pokespe and Anipoke influence weaved in (and that’s moreso in regards to worldbuilding rather than narrative beats). There are some parts of cactusverse that I mishmash things together (Hoenn and Alola Events) or significantly alter (Kanto Let’s Go), but again mostly compliant. So starting from the beginning we have the Hisuian era and there’s really two main major differences from the established canon. The first is that our protagonist Akari is actually not isekai’d into Hisui. Akari is actually one of the last members of the Celestica people who pretty much exist on the fringes Hisuian society much like Cogita. After seeing Hisuian Snow, I realized that the MC didn’t really need to be from another timeline to show that humans and Pokemon can work together. Akari actually lived in Jubilife village is somewhat aware of her Celestica heritage from her parents, but with an intense desire to join the survey corps to learn more about Pokemon. The night before she runs into Laventon she does have a dream-vision from Arceus and wakes up with the Arc Phone and a message to seek out all Pokemon. She ends up running into Laventon and catching the three starters with ease which impresses him enough to vouch for her to Cyllene. There’s less mistrust of Akari compared to the game canon because she was from that time (and didn’t fall from the sky) but the mistrust is still there. Akari is a little bit too honest and mentioned the strange visions she got from Arceus and of course showing off this Arc-Phone definitely catches the eye of Kamado and he starts having Beni tail her and her family. Her mom however, was not at all pleased with her going out and joining the Survey Corps. Her mom has had previous nasty run ins with wild Pokemon and has a intense fear and distrust of them and doesn’t want her child to get hurt. Overall things progress through the plot with the Diamond and Pearl clans beef and the worry over the frenzied nobles. One big this is that for Akari, the Old Verse that she finds with Ursaluna is of great importance again because of her heritage. She’s well aware that her heritage is being lost and her mom in particular wants to learn more about their heritage but is unwilling to go out into the Hisuian Wilds again because of the aforementioned fear. As Akari quickly moves up the ranks and helps to quell the Frenzy Nobles she becomes the star of Galaxy Team Kamado grows even more suspicious of her especially as she continue to display such prolific talents and speaks about her visions. Both Irida and Adaman are very fond of Akari however, with Akari and Irida becoming especially close.

Eventually she learns of Ingo, the man who fell from the sky in the Pearl clan but also of three others who were said to have fallen from the sky. People from the Galaxy team, as well as the Diamond and Pearl clans all report of three individuals around the three great lakes of Hisui. Like Ingo they seem to have fallen through time and possess terrifingly proficiency at wielding Pokemon calming the Alpha Nobles that guard “whatever is in those caves”. They speak of a lady of Lake Verity who could wrestle with the likes of Ursaluna but also calm the raging Gyarados that dwells within the lake. She commands a strange Pokemon...large and green monster with a flower on its back

They speak of a man at Lake Acuity who complains a lot about the cold but is as agile as the wind when wielding a sword and holds vasts amount of knowledge. He too wields a strange Pokemon...a large blue turtle with what resembles pirate ship canons protruding from its shell.

They speak of another man who dwells at Lake Valor. Silent but with fierce resolve, commanding Pokemon with just a single look. He wields yet another strange Pokemon...a large red winged draconic creature with fire emitting from it’s tail.

All is going well with Akari until the rift over Mt. Coronet expands and Kamado already thoroughly paranoid, decides to banish Akari and her mom. Her mom is of course absolutely terrified to be out in the wilderness with the Pokemon but Akari is determined to clear their names. Her mom’s attitude does begin to change when she sees the little Shinx try to cheer Akari up. Volo eventually finds the two and takes them to retreat with Cogita and they learn of their mutual shared heritage of being Celestic people. Akari ends up going out do the trials of the lakes, choosing to partner with Irida. She first decides to go to lake Verity where she meets the Lady of Lake. She says her name is Leaf and she tests Akari with the Alpha Hisuian Goodra she wields along with the strange Pokemon she calls Venusaur. Akari wins and receives Mesprit’s Plume. Leaf tells her of a time “where humans and Pokemon stand side by side in friendly combat” and disappears in a flash of light Irida suggests going up north to Lake Acuity next so that’s where they go next. Akari then meets the man of Lake Acuity who says his name is Blue. Once again another battle ensues with Blue commanding the Alpha Hisuian Zoroark and the strange Pokemon he calls Blastoise. Akari wins and receives Uxie’s Claw. Blue speaks of how vast the world is and how it’s many mysteries can be solved when humans and Pokemon put their trust in one another and he too, disappears in a flash of light Finally Akari and Irida go to Lake Valor and they meet the man of Lake Valor. No words are spoken and a battle immediately ensues with the man wielding Overqwil and the strange fire lizard. Akari also wins this battle and receives Azelf’s fang. Akari questions the man and he speaks, telling her name is Red. He speaks the name of the fire lizard, calling it Charizard...and then he too vanishes Akari, Irida eventually head back to the Ancient Retreat and to her surprise her mom after having long convos with Cogita seems to be less weary of Pokemon. Seeing this as progress Akari has Cyllene’s Abra teleport one of the Pokemon she caught from the ranch, the Shiny Ponyta she caught before working to create the Red Chain, catching Dialga and Palkia and closing the rift for good. Kamado, seeing how utterly wrong he was does profusely apologize. Akari and her mom both forgive but Akari and her mom decide to stay at the Ancient Retreat wanting to learn more about the Celestica Heritage and still hurt by Kamado’s actions. Kamado understands that but still reinstates Akari as a member of the Survey Corps, a compromise Akari is willing to accept. Relationships between people and Pokemon rapidly begin to improve after the rift is sealed.

Akari hangs out with Rei, Cyllene and Laventon on a regular basis but begins to spend more time with the Diamond and Pearl Clan especially. She begins to get close to Ingo who is slowly regaining more of his memories. He eventually speaks of the Wielders from the Lake from what he remembers of them, mentioning they were all “Champions” at one point in a far off land. More importantly he begins to remember his old team and his twin Emmet. Akari still gets visions from Arceus and begins to seek out the rest of the Pokemon in Hisui as well as the plates with the help of Volo until he betrays her and tries to have Giratina destroy her and her team. She manages to defeat him and he disappears but not before vowing to complete his goals no matter how many centuries it takes. Eventually Akari manages to catch all of the Pokemon and upon playing the Azure flute meets Arceus. An epic final test of strength ensues and Akari emerges victorious. Arceus is pleased of her strength and was glad of its choice to choose her to help mend the relations between people and Pokemon in Hisui. Akari mentions Ingo to Arceus and asks for a favor since she won: to have him sent back home to his own time. Arceus obliges and Ingo is returned to the modern day.

[onlyonetruth]

10 Characters, 10 Fandoms, 10 Tags

Tagged by @bestillmyfastbeatingheart (Thanks!)

Ookido Green/ Blue Oak (Pokémon gameverse)

He stole my heart when I was like 4, never gave it back. I love him with ardent passion to this day. The first game did him dirty, so I'm really glad about the revisions to his character TPC has made over the years because they have added dimension and complexity to him. The reason I'm fixated on the rivals to lovers troupe. Major inspiration in my sports life.

Nakahara Chuuya (Bungo Stray Dogs)

The angriest chibi sheepdog around. *slaps back* This bad boy can pack so much trauma in him. He's a mess but his mental fortitude and ability to forgive (even when he claims there won’t be a second chance! lol) is quite impressive. His arc is far from over though, so I'm dying to see what the story has in store for him. Will he actually end up slowly tainted by the darkness he's surrounded in? The uncertainty gives me life.

Yato (Noragami)

Dramatic, goofy character with a dark past? yes, please. The burdens of the gods are quite interesting and I would love for him to be right about placing his faith in  Hiyo-chan and survive so he can say "b*tch, you thought." to his father.

Arataka Reigen (Mob Psycho 100)

The Greatest Psychic of the Century, Twink Supreme, Ultimate DILF, True Babygirl. He's known by many names but, in Mob's words, Reigen Shisho is a good guy. He's a refreshing MC character for a shounen and BONES was right to thirst for him.  

Kudou Shinichi (Meitantei Conan)

Cheeky bastard #1.  Can't mind his own business and lacks self preservation but that's fine, he has a quick mind and has amassed a small army of overqualified people who enable and  keep him alive. Mild sadistic streak when it comes to a certain thief, but he's a tsundere with a soft spot for kids and dogs. A total keeper.

Kuroba Kaito (Magic Kaito)

Cheeky bastard #2. I love his veiled kindness and his mischievous, chaotic side the best. I'm glad we could get his own point of view in the cases he crosses paths with Conan because I just live for the contrast of his suave persona in DC vs. barely holding it together thanks to crazy luck in MK. He deserved better when it comes to the Touichi is actually alive fiasco, though.

Igirisu/ Arthur Kirkland / England (Hetalia)

Fav character of one of my oldest fandoms after Pokémon. Thanks to him I met who is my best friend to this day and  had lots of fun back then. Many fond memories of this fandom so he has a special place in my heart.

Mitsurugi Reiji/ Miles Edgeworth (Gyakuten Saiban)

Seeing him go from his pretentious bratty self to his slightly less pretentious, kind daddy self was a pleasure. It started with unnecessary feelings and it progressed to the admission of "that man" still shining brightly in his eyes. He got really nice character growth and development.

Hijikata Toushirou (Gintama)

Supposed to be the cool stoic character but no  one can stay cool in Gintama and his hilarious shortcomings made him quite endearing to me. Sadists magnet.

Matsuoka Rin (FREE!)

I'll admit the drama these guys had going went completely over my head, like most competitive sports anime character's drama does, but his personality is just my cup of tea so I find him adorable. I like reading about him in different AUs more than in canon though.

Umm, since I’m a hermit I never know who to tag, but I'll try for once... @hayaku14, @hiromiikunn (If you're not interested or have already been tagged, please ignore this.)

[antiplanets]

LORE / HEADCANON DUMP

*this is all pretty canon compliant + taken from all of his different sources but mostly focused on the platinum gameverse.

PERSONAL cw : referenced child neglect

— ✦ cyrus akagi is legally considered dead. he disappeared for several years with no word to anyone after the events at mt. coronet, thus it was assumed he died in the distortion world. obviously, some people knew where he was but he didn't come back so it was a missing persons case that's time expired. his assets were distributed among his commanders.

— ✦ it's essentially canon but he suffered from very bad parental neglect, to put it gently. he was a very smart child, but very, very isolated. he was very lonely &&. found it hard to connect with other people his age. this is directly correlated with his warped worldview (that emotions are the root of evil, and it would be best if we simply don't have them) as he was taught showing emotions would only lead to abandonment &&. being ignored through the actions of his parents. he developed the I Have To Remake The World To Save Everyone From Themselves part of the thought process later when he learned more on sinnoh creationism.

— ✦ cyrus cut ties with his parents && left sunyshore as soon as he possibly could. he has had no contact with his family since.

— ✦ his first pokémon was sneasel. she is one of the only pokémon cyrus has that isn't caught in a master ball; he didn't have the technology available at the time.

— ✦ post-distortion world he now has a rotom and a cleffa (i am likely going to talk about his pokémon &&. rotom another time, this is already a long ass post).

— ✦ i write cyrus as a trans man because i'm trans &&. i project /lh this doesn't really have much to do with his characterization, but i do enjoy the idea of him becoming fixated on space at a young age &&. purposefully naming himself after the sun.

— ✦ he has (ALMOST, i genuinely think all of the galactic commanders are college drop outs) finished degrees in both engineering &&. astrophysics. his original goal was to become an aerospace engineer, but he became hyperfixated on sinnoh creation mythology &&. in turn, the physical, literal remaking of the world rather than just space exploration as a means to his ends sometime along the way.

— ✦ he maintains a connection with giratina, though it's not a relationship he has any control or say in. i think it took some kind of a liking to him — it definitely could have just killed him at spear pillar instead of taking him to the distortion world to hang out — and sees him as just a silly little guy instead of someone on the verge of ending the world. i like to think it jumpscares him in reflective surfaces on occasion.

TEAM GALACTIC cw : cults, doomsday references

— ✦ team galactic was an energy company, originally, founded by cyrus at age 22. their main goal was making advancements in energy tech, specifically in regards to aerospace.* the original name of the company was galactic energy technologies (in his research on creation myths, i'm sure he stumbled across mentions of a certain galaxy expedition team and their interactions with dialga and palkia. i think he took the name from them and just tweaked it a bit). the business was obviously successful, enough to have multiple buildings &&. research facilities across the region. *as an aside, i'm not a tech or science guy, really, so if i sound stupid talking about stuff in that realm it's because i Am stupid about it.

— ✦ this was sort of the reason they were able to be pretty out in the open with their plans, even with their Overt crimes. being able to transport live bombs was easily disguised as transporting harmless tech like they'd been doing for years; most people didn't think twice about the galactic hq in eterna city because to them it was just the people they paid their electric bill to, not some weird doomsday cult.

— ✦ team galactic in the state cyrus left it before he disappeared was Very cult-y. there's the overtly religious overtones of cyrus' plans — remake the world with the current gods that exist to become god in the next. but it's also the only way he could have gotten people to follow him. he isn't charismatic in personal relationships / friendships but he is appealing as a leader / authority figure. it also let him be vague enough in his plans that people would still follow him and he wouldn't have to really tell anyone what the fuck was going on.

— ✦ his current plans are mostly obscure. the end goal is still the same, but for the short term he's trying to get acclimated to the real world &&. real people again.

tl;dr he's an (ex-?)cult leader everyone thought died but is like sort of okay now. yippee

[infizero]

GREEN LEARNING TO CARE FOR HIS POKEMON LIKE RED DOES IM SO CRAZYYYYYY

[itsamepatches]

finally watched the fnaf movie 💃

likes, "eh"/didn't care for, and spoiler stuff below if you're curious about my thoughts, I guess

If I need to be honest, I knew by the trailers and comments from movie-goers that the animatronic characters wouldn't be the center-focus; thus, I'd probably not care too much for the movie despite it being FNAF, but thankfully that wasn't the case too much :B

likes: *) Abby is such a sweet kid, and I like her relationship with Mike please give her tons of crayons, fun, and love Mike - keep being a good big bro *) the animatronics were so fuzzy and a wonderful sight in action from Chica winking, her and Bonnie giving a security camera an evil look, Foxy being Foxy, Bonnie giving a thumbs up to Abby after falling, and Freddy giving a dirty look at Mike for hugging Abby, the acting for the non-human characters were great :'B *) carl is the best cupcake *) I hope Doug goes on to a more successful case now since Aunt is d3ad or a vacation at least *) Matthew was a joy to watch as Steve/William and please, please let this man always come back - (special mention especially to his Springbonnie entrance) *) Vanessa,,,,,,cute lady 😳 *) the Balloon Boy figure appearing out of nowhere and scaring someone three (3) times is hilarious *) the ending theme being TLT's FNAF1 song is amusing

"eh": *) I love Vanessa, but I didn't care too much about her being seen in a sympathetic light, which, I know doesn't make sense because she's different than FNAF gameverse Vanessa, but I like the idea someone mentioned that she's a k1ller as well but never showed it, like she willingly helped William, well, off the Missing Kids - this is probably a really unpopular opinion for the movie character 🙇🏻‍♀️ *) I found out there were a few callbacks to characters and events related to the FNAF books, and like how I felt about them being present in Security Breach, I Do Not Care

overall, I liked it, and I can't wait for the sequel! :B

[damadisangue]

He never bend the knee. For no one.  He never begged, never kneel down. 

Only for her. 

And yet, in front of her, he is a different man monster.  He is cruel and ruthless and merciless, but with her he is almost human. 

Almost. 

He genuflects at her feet, observing her face tinged with a vague blush - a wrong modesty, which makes her human and fragile too. And she's beautiful, Alex. She is beautiful, his sister, pale and white as the snow that persists in devouring the world - harsh and implacable as what dwells in their hearts, between their ribs. He bends down between her thighs, touching her pink and smooth cunt - so pretty. 

So his. 

Alex lets out a moan when he kisses her, just above her mound, and then licks her - tasting her desire, her need.  And nothing in her (in them) is gentle: not her hips, angular and thin, nor her breasts, small and which he can easily squeeze in the palm of his hands.  She is like him - all teeth and bites, a remorseless and unmerciful creature - and yet

yet

she is soft between her thighs, dripping and welcoming.   He thrusts into her, swallowing her moan and sighing when Alex accepts him, pulling him towards her and moving with him - her naked body covered in marks from his teeth and her cunt tight around his cock, hot.  Wesker takes her face between his thumb and forefinger, thrusts into her until there's no more space between them - until the Uroboros opens around them like a crown of thorns and feathers, crawling along her legs, her hips, in her hair, coaxing the back of her neck in the extension of its master's will. Alex opens her mouth, breaking his breath - murmuring his name.  She invokes him and he answers - always. Such sweet prayer, he had told her once, before Alex smiled, cutting into his skin and heart - mixing their blood and flesh, love and obsession. Alex comes, drags him down with her orgasm - she tightens around him and he follows, unable to stop.  The god in him shines, the man in him bleeds - for her: with her.  The brother in him finally finally finds peace in her arms.

Another beautiful masterpiece from the lovely @madbedlam

[zoekrystall]

My twt timeline is partially filled with the new pokemas alt bc it got officially revealed and fanart next to the important stuff and it is wild how it has been a decade and I can still turn into a blushing mess and feel my temp rise it's ridiculous how much power a single fictional pretty boy got over me fuck. I might be aroace irl but reg the aro part am I not immune to a select few fictional guys. You can really figure out who fronts by testing this I remember having been such a mess on my 18th birthday when I replayed w a friend and some wine. I cannot think of a single other char that makes me that incapable and like sure I'm kinda into obey me again and lucifer is my dear there but it's so whatever in comparison. I started stardew valley and like harvey you're cute but by 99% of fictional guys it's just out of boredom. Maybe wilson from don't starve ages ago ig I recall having read a lot of x reader on good ol wattpad *shrugs*. All I know is I realized I have a thing for science dudes ig esp when we take my only ever miracle irl crush into consideration who was our class science nerd who I gen still think abt a fair amount,, anyways this ain't about him everyone hope I get my husband once the event drops without falling into bad habits again or I will combust <3

I'm getting more and more over it now I think the discovery gets it's one year anniversary or already did but I had zero idea how to proceed reg this aspect when being a system got found out w a fictive of him I remember I felt like dying out of embarrassment even tho it was already who cares and I can easily differentiate esp since the relationship is so different but man it's still weird sjsksk. It doesn't get used since then but I still got that dakimakura from an artist on deviantart in 2017. All I know is fandom space is smth w this bc both extremely different reactions to specific kind of fanart and such comments get avoided completely. A single specific ship sure whatever literally following multiple artists and reason my twt acc even exists him single it's closing eyes pretend I do not see and scroll away unless maybe for once I am single fronting then it's forgetting what the fuck I wanted to do again and brain needing as much reboot time as the oldest pc ever. Also ngl the ig relationship difference between the char w me being a mess and fictive which is way more purely parental/familial I'd argue is a bit funny.

Also quick note exclusive gameverse talk I do not like that specific anime part at all I could rant abt aniverse and that one specific fit in one ep makes me scream I hate it sm

Anyways uh back to grinding for the dlc in case the talk abt that academy in sv being hard is true I will schedule this post so I forget and won't delete it. If you find me not writing the char name down then boy you should see the messages I sent an old friend for years abt him bc me often not being able to even write it has been going on since forever. high school level crush for real jsksk.

[thestayathomedragon]

This thing has like two different 'verses living in it now. The "Luis is back because of some unique plaga infection he got as a kid" 'verse and the "Luis is back because Leon made a stupid deal with a devil" 'verse. I really need to come up with better names for these. This one is part of the latter.

you put the ‘fun’ into dysfunction.

Leon hadn’t known Luis very long before the man was taken from his life just as quickly as he’d entered it.

In fact, they had only just met. The first hours of their budding relationship were spent fighting for their and each other’s lives in arguably the worst place on Earth at the time.

Because by the time Leon had shown up in search of “Baby Eagle”, the once idyllic, if not a little backwater, birthplace of Luis Serra Navarro had been turned into a nightmare hellscape. All due to a rather virulent parasitic infection and the death cult that worshipped said ‘rather virulent parasitic infection’.

Leon couldn’t help but feel little sorry for the guy even if he had become a bit of a pain in his ass.

During his journey through the village, Leon slowly accumulated bits and pieces of the place’s history. This of course included bits and pieces of Luis’s history. Though, never enough to get a full picture of the man but more than enough to learn that Luis probably wasn’t as carefree as he tried to portray. Opportunities to talk were few and far between. But that really didn’t stop Luis from trying. And somehow it didn’t stop Leon from getting attached. As much as he tried to fight it at first, the man grew on him. No matter how irritated Leon got with him, Luis just seemed to take it in stride. He seemed to enjoy needling Leon just get a rise out of him.

And Leon knew he could be a little hot headed when the mood struck him. And Luis struck him. Over and over again.

It probably didn’t help that he was also fighting off a quickly advancing plaga infection at the time.

In a fit of frustration, Leon had snatched the other man up by the collar and asked him what his problem with him was.

Luis had actually looked confused and maybe just a little hurt. And that’s when Leon realized it. Down in the caves, after having spent almost an entire day in this place, he realized that Luis had probably spent days, weeks, years in this place.

How long had it been since he’d had another normal functioning human being to talk to? Someone he could trust that wouldn’t try to use or kill him at the first opportunity?  

Being the only person not currently being piloted by a giant arthropod (Yes, Luis taught him that word. And yes, shut up.) must have really sucked. Definitely not because of the ‘not being piloted by a giant arthropod’ part but more for the running and hiding for your life from locals that probably knew you back when you still wore diapers part.

Talk about traumatizing.

If Leon had been chased through Raccoon City by his old babysitter while wielding an axe at him, instead of a bunch of, though no less unfortunate, strangers, he would probably be a lot more fucked up than he already was.

Leon figured that Luis probably talked so much because he finally had someone to talk to.

From that point on, Leon went a bit easier on the guy. Which was a lot easier to do once he’d had the man’s suppressant in his system. And once he did, he found that the guy was actually pretty funny. And thoughtful. And a lot smarter than he initially let on. Maybe there was something to that ‘I’m the brains and you’re the brawn” comment. Luis was apparently some kind of genius after all. Formally, one of Umbrella’s finest according to Hunnigan’s files. And not that Leon wasn’t still wrestling with that revelation, but the guy was still surprisingly easy to like.

Not only that, but Luis was actually pretty competent in a fight. He’d saved Leon’s ass more times than the military trained special agent wanted to admit. Though, if he were the kind of man to keep count, and he was, he’s say he’d still saved the other man’s hide more. Nonetheless, Luis had more than earned his keep. The former cult scientist was always ready with extra ammo when Leon needed it. Where he kept all of it in that form fitting jacket of his, Leon had never figured out.

When their trek through the maze-like caverns of the mines ended up stretching out to over a day, they found themselves with a lot of down time surprisingly. He’s gotten a few more bits and pieces of Luis’s life practically handed to him. It was like the guy couldn’t stand the silence and Leon didn’t really have the heart to keep telling the guy to shut up anymore so he listened. Luis told him about the village before all of this. About his grandfather, the man in the picture he’d found at the cabin where they had first met, and the boy in the picture of course had been Luis.

“You were a blond?”

Luis chuckled, “When I was a kid, yes. It got a lot darker as I got older. My grandfather said my mother had been the same way.” He shrugged.

Leon could see it. The man’s hair still had a few strands here and there of dark golden hair.

He wasn’t sure why, but Leon started to share more of his own life in turn. It turned out that the two of them had more in common than they ever would have imagined. Too bad it was all the fucked-up shit.

Which included their own personal grievances with Umbrella. Though, they both danced around that shared trauma. It was a little too close to the surface still it seemed. But they had easily bonded over all the rest.

The other man’s company was a comfort in the too quiet hours they spent in those mines. As much as Leon tried to ignore it, he recognized that look that Luis got sometimes. He’d seen it in the mirror almost everyday for years now. It was so many things… too many things honestly, but the most prominent of those things was loneliness.

It was the first time Leon felt like someone could understand him. Luis had lost his entire family entirely too young as well and had been forced to fend for himself at a young age. Though Leon had experienced losing his own family as well, he had at least been lucky enough to be taken into the system. He never would have imagined he would have ever been grateful for his experiences in uncertainty of the foster care system until he realized Luis had not had that same option. Leon couldn’t imagine having to feed, clothe and house himself all his own as a preteen. The guy was actually a lot tougher than he looked as it turned out. And though Luis didn’t go into details at the time, he had hinted at having to do some things that he wasn’t exactly proud of to get by.

Leon didn’t push. A man had a right to his secrets. Leon certainly had plenty of his own he had no plans on sharing.

Instead of dwelling on his childhood, Luis chose to focus on his university years. Tucked away in some off shoot of the tunnels, hiding away from their pursuers before continuing their journey. Luis quietly detailed his experience as having to take jobs here and there to support himself while he attended school. Even with the stressors of having to do it all on his own, Luis had still been able to earn his Graduate degree and Doctorate by the time Leon was finishing up his police training. Luis had been hired on by Umbrella before the ink was even dry on his diploma.

“So, you really are some sort of super nerd then, huh?” Leon asked while smirking at the other man, feeling uncharacteristically playful toward his unexpected companion.

Luis had chuckled in response, his usual good nature still holding strong despite their current situation and the turns their conversation had taken. “I suppose so. Didn’t have time to waste. And you were some copper in a sleepy little American town.”

Leon’s smile waned a bit then but tried to keep up appearances. “I wouldn’t have exactly called it sleepy.” And left it at that, he was still trying to process, trying to make sense of what he’d read about Luis in Hunnigan’s report and what he’d learned of the man during their time together.

“I’m just trying to make myself feel better…”    

Maybe one of those things was quite a bit of guilt too.

Leon could admit that he might have started to like the guy more than a little bit by then. He told himself that he was just impressed with Luis’s spirit. That they man hadn’t just given up despite his dire circumstances. Leon could admire a man that who was willing to put in the work. To keep getting up after being knocked down over and over again.

He could definitely relate.

But it wasn’t like they were best friends or anything like that just because they had shared a few stories here and there. They were just two people forced together under extraordinary circumstances. Leon was more than familiar with this scenario.

Trauma bonds.

After Raccoon City he’d been shuffled off to a therapist who had talked about it with him more than once. Claire, Sherry… Marvin… Ada. They had come up in session more than once though not by name. Still, they had become some of the most important people in Leon’s life. People who he had gained through some of the worse times of his life. People he loved so fiercely that it scared him to think about sometimes. He’d already come to terms with the fact that Ashley was sure to join those ranks soon enough but now it seemed that Luis would now also be added to that list.

“What are your plans after all this?” Leon had asked the former cult scientist turned cult defector.

Luis had given him a little smile then, dark gray eyes glinting in the low light, the purple glow of the Merchant’s light reflecting off his skin making him look soft and otherworldly.

He hadn’t thought that far ahead, Luis had said then. And for the first time Leon thought that maybe Luis didn’t think he would make it out of this place. Even after fighting all this time on his own well before Leon had shown up. Leon thought that maybe the other man thought that there wasn’t any point in making plans.

Luis had thrown his lot in with Leon and Ashley instead of leaving on his own. Even now that he was free of his own plaga infection, Luis still chose to stay and risk his life to help them and because of that Leon decided then and there that he’d make sure Luis made it out this too.

If only yet another member of Leon’s fucked up trauma family hadn’t felt differently.

The last leg of their journey saw the two of them go on a quite frankly insane journey through the remainder of the mines, traveling by a barely controlled minecart. Luis’s idea. Leon had thought the man had finally lost what was left of his sanity to suggest something so ridiculous. But without any other idea of how they could travel the impossible terrain on foot and the fact that they were running out of time, Leon had quickly given in.

It had been a truly unique experience. The two of them had exchanged wild glances more than once during it. Luis cheering the other man on when he made a particularly impressive shot while they raced along the track while being pursued by infected minors and chainsaw wielding maniacs. The grin on Luis’s face was infectious. He’d even crowed that it was ‘kinda fun.’

Leon might have agreed with the man a little at that point, but he’d kept it to himself. He had a feel that Luis might have figured it out anyway if the look on the other man’s face was any indication.

The last mad dash through the final bit of the mines on foot while fighting off a horde of man-sized bugs, had left both of them nearly mad with adrenaline. Neither of them able to believe that they made it through in one piece. Both of them grinning, high on their hard-won seemingly immortal status.

Leon was hesitant to admit it at the time but it felt… nice… not having to go through these horrors alone. To have someone there to watch his back. And well it helped that that someone wasn’t half bad to look at. He surprised himself with that thought and quickly pushed it aside. He really should know better by now.

Though all it took was that intrusive thought and one faulty elevator and things between them quickly skipped right on from ‘hesitant associates’, past the tentative bonds of a new friendship and careened just as wilding as their ‘trusty’ minecart into something else painfully familiar.

Leon wasn’t a stranger to ill-advised romantic entanglements. Ada may have been the first, but she certainly hadn’t been the last. Though, to be fair, romantic was probably a generous description for what took place in that elevator.

Leon wasn’t exactly that shy, rookie cop floored by a kiss from a beautiful FBI agent anymore.

If there was one thing his years of grueling military training and the deadly missions that followed had taught him, it was confidence in the body he had worked so hard on and well, that you didn’t turn down a hot Spanish scientists no matter what gender they happened to be. And you especially didn’t do it when you weren’t sure if either of you were going to make it out of this alive.

It could have been his last chance to get laid after all and Luis looked like he might have known a thing or two about getting laid.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t noticed the way Luis looked at him sometimes. Especially since Leon had done his fair share of looking himself. It certainly hadn’t helped that Luis wasn’t exactly subtle about showing off the goods. Leon could blame it on the adrenaline rush. The heat of the moment. Any and all the excuses he needed to end up in Luis’s pants were welcome.  

So, as these sorts of things often do, one thing led to another, then another, then another other. The culmination of those another others being Leon pinning the other man against the nearest flat surface and fucking his brains out.

Afterwards, Leon remembered that there was definitely a reason that he at least tried not to mix business with pleasure.

He had this annoying habit of getting attached.

Though, to be fair, Leon was probably well on his way to ‘attached’ long before Luis shoved his hand down the front of his pants and his tongue down his throat.

What really surprised him, however, was how normal it all seemed afterward. How normal Luis had been about it.

This had become a bit of a problem.

Leon had finally come to terms with the fact that Dr. Luis Serra Navarro was not Dr. William Birkin. He wasn’t some evil, sociopathic, mad scientist trying to turn him into his next fucked up bio-engineered nightmare.

He was just some guy. Some insanely smart guy who had tried to do something good, failed and instead got caught up in some really fucked up shit… twice now. And now was doing what he could to make up for it while he still could.

Luis was just some extremely unlucky guy.

And Leon liked him.

He liked him a lot.

Leon thought that he might even miss him when this was all over with, and they had to go their separate ways.

Turns out he’d been right.

[mariinara]

Int.) FERRUM ARDERE (Karl Heisenberg x Fem! Reader Series)

A/N: Hey, guys! This is a series I've been brainstorming the fuck out of for a long time. Heisenberg has been living in my head RENT FREE and I'm afraid I'm going to have to share how feral I am for trash man magneto here. Apologies :") xx. It is also worth noting that the updates to this one will be mainly posted on my AO3. I'm really aiming for weekly updates, so let's hope for the best! I promise this story is going somewhere, but this introduction basically ties to the end of the story simultaneously. We're gonna be going FULL CIRCLE here, guys. Patience.

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence, Smut, Body Horror, Gore.

Fandom: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)

Additional notes: These events take place pre-game. Reader was also dating Chris Redfield for a long time before disappearing.

Story Summary: You thought that being a BSAA operative was as tough as your life could get, yet going rogue with your squad against direct orders to prove a point somehow stirred you towards more trouble. A trained soldier, a skilled combatant, and once a brilliant biochemist, your power proves futile in the village of horrors you've stranded yourself in.

And when it comes to Karl Heisenberg, your abilities made you nothing but a fine addition to his "metal army". Brainwashed of nearly every pleasant memory from your past life, you're forced to comply with Heisenberg's wishes to build you into a merciless killing machine– His finest creation.

With his plans of taking down Miranda appealing to you, playing his game was no problem, but when your perception of each other changes, it only makes your mission to reach the finish line even more challenging..

Word Count: ~1.1K

INTRODUCTION, CHAPTER ONE, CHAPTER TWO

Never in his life did he think that he would end up in iron shackles.

The sheer irony of fate almost made him laugh, but the only thing he could muster was a grin that he couldn't fully maintain, so he was stuck with a pained grimace across his face.

Beaten, battered, depleted, completely powerless against the thickly gloves hands that had vice grips on his upper arms, ushering him further down the sickeningly unfamiliar hallways. Sometimes, his body weight grew heavier– rooted him to the ground, and he'd get a not-so-very friendly shove from one of the soldiers on either side of him.

But he didn't fight back.

He didn't think he could, anyway.

He felt naked without them. Completely vulnerable and – dare he say – a tad human. 

It was so foreign to him that he couldn't focus on any other feeling. He couldn't rip himself away from the confusion that riddled him. 

The only emotions he's ever been intimately familiar with were rage and unadulterated hate towards those who wronged him.

But this..? This was completely different, and Heisenberg felt like a domesticated puppy who's been abandoned in cruel streets that knew no mercy, just being kicked around like nothing.

Funny enough, it reminded him of his bitter "childhood". When he was first introduced to Miranda. It left a sour taste in his mouth and caused his nostrils to flare and his head to hang low, his wrists twisting gingerly in his cuffs

Completely out of his element, he complied as he was ushered into a dark room, and let out an almost inaudible groan when he was forced to sit on a chair across a small table. 

He only glanced up at his keepers and raised his hands to rest them on the tabletop, his breaths so calm and free of obstructions, sounding like a metronome that counted every passing second. 

His eyes were fixated on the table, and his ears caught the sound of heavy boots periodically walking closer. Then the boots were walking around him, in a slow, organized circle, and he stayed still, as if he were thrown in a shark tank with the minimal objective being: "Do not get fucking eaten."

Finally, the sounds that nearly drove him crazy stopped, and in his peripheral, he caught an outstretched hand, gloved fingers gripping a dangling light switch before pulling down, nearly blinding Karl.

He could only hiss through his teeth and look away quickly, his eyes screwing shut as he let out a shaky breath. 

A chair was then being dragged to sound purposely annoying, like the person was deliberately being un-fucking-bearable. Like they knew that Karl was teetering on the brinks of madness, his nerves ablaze with confusion and frustration.

He finally worked up the will to look forward. Once identifying who the interrogator was, his eyes were immediately glued past the person, indignantly. His chest rose as he sucked in a deep breath, and he breathed out with a fury that was bubbling deep within, but couldn't find a way out. Like Karl had lost his voice– his fire.

The person crossed both arms on the tabletop, then nodded once towards a soldier, who instantly dropped what looked like a voice recorder between the two, then pressed on one of the buttons. 

"February 9th, 2021..  Time reads 0 nine-hundred.. This is Captain Redfield.. and I am about to.." A heavy sigh escaped him, already detecting how difficult Heisenberg was going to be, "..conduct my investigation with.. Subject 2901.." Chris stared at Karl like he was a puzzle that needed to be deciphered. Narrow eyes and a tilted head as the light bulb above them swung gently, casting threatening-looking shadows on Karl's face, "Heisenberg..", Chris started, leaning forward on the table, his hands intertwined together, "I'm afraid you're gonna have to cooperate. For everybody's sake."

Karl's eyes suddenly flickered towards Chris, and he stared right into his soul as he tilted his head at him, then bared his teeth to smile at him incredulously, shaking his head as a short-lived, bitter chuckle rattled his chest, "Is it for my sake, Redfield? Because.." He leaned over to look Chris dead in the eyes, before whispering: "I'm pretty sure you have all your henchmen in here to protect you from me.." He answered, lowly, his voice scratchy and groggy. He realized that those were the first words he's uttered since he's been extracted from his previous location, "Even though I'm in–" He raised his hands to wiggle his fingers, "– Fuckin' shackles, huh?" He snorted, slouching back into his chair again, his shit-eating grin ever present and his facade still up and strong.

Chris took a deep breath that spoke volumes of his thinning patience, then let it all out, "It's over, Karl." His tone suggested that he didn't want what he'd said to be that obvious in the recording, and he shook his head slowly, "You can let your guard down.."

Heisenberg frowned at Chris, the corner of his mouth twitching up in annoyance at the mere notion of being told that he was finally "safe". It seemed preposterous to him– Just absolutely unfathomable.

Against his better judgement, Chris made sure to let the following words slip out with as much sincerity as possible, "The threat now is beyond both of us.. We might've started out against each other.. but now, we need to unite against the common enemy here." When Karl fell silent and contemplative, Chris sat back to seem less imposing, "I need you to tell me everything you know about the burnt Miranda files.."

He watched Heisenberg's eyes falter and his shoulders fall. Saw as his eyes became fixated on the burns along his bare arms– violent prints where panicked, burning hands once gripped him. He prodded at the open wound inside of his bottom lip with the tip of his tongue, the metallic taste serving as some sort of reminder. 

"Where is she?" Karl asked, never tearing his eyes away from the irritated prints on his skin.

Chris's brows furrowed, "Who?"

Heisenberg's eyes only darted up to give Chris a look that screamed: "Don't act stupid". One that threatened that he wouldn't consider cooperating with Chris and his squad, even if it killed him. 

The Captain of the Howling Wolves sighed, "You cooperating right now will lead you right to her. If anything, this is for her.." 

If it were under any different circumstances, Karl wouldn't have appreciated Chris's cryptic response and would've lashed out on him. But he didn't feel like he had much of a choice. He didn't know whether he'd see you at all after all of this has blown over. Whether or not Chris was being honest wasn't something he could test out freely. This wasn't his "lab" and Chris wasn't a rotting cadaver.

There was only one choice.

And Heisenberg picked it over playing with fire, surprisingly.

So, with a sigh, he straightened up, his head held high for Chris to get the message that he'd agreed to his terms.

"Where do you wanna start, then?"