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lomlmarvel · 12 days ago

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Starlight Princess Chp. 6

Chapter Six: The Shape of What’s Next

Poe Dameron x Solo!reader

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Chp. 1 Chp. 2 Chp. 3 Chp. 4 Chp.5 Chp.7

Summary: In the wake of Starkiller Base’s destruction, (Y/N) returns home carrying the weight of unbearable loss. As grief collides with memory, she reconnects with Leia—and with Poe—finding solace in love and purpose. But when the Resistance uncovers the path to Luke Skywalker, (Y/N) must make a choice: face the darkness that still whispers her name, or help pass the torch to the next generation. Word Count: ~3,150 words

Snow still clung to your lashes as the Falcon pierced the stratosphere.

You sat slumped in the rear hold, your body aching, your mind hollow. Finn lay just feet away, wrapped in thermal blankets. Rey was at the controls with Chewie, guiding the ship through flame and fractured sky.

You should have been with them. But your body refused to move. Not yet.

Not since your father fell.

You leaned against the Falcon’s wall, the steady hum of the engines the only thing anchoring you to the present. The blur in your vision wasn’t from the bruises. It was from everything else.

Han.

You saw him in flashes. His silhouette on that bridge. His hand reaching toward Ben. That final second—his eyes meeting yours. Full of love. Full of goodbye.

Your jaw clenched. It all hurt too much.

You hadn't been fast enough. Or strong enough.

“Join me,” Ben had said. The dark side had opened its hand to you. A twisted offer of reunion. Of belonging. And part of you had wanted it. Because part of you still believed in the brother you once knew.

That was the truth you couldn’t say aloud.

Your hand drifted to your ribs, to the bruises left behind. You whispered into the Force: “I’m sorry, Mom.”

You didn’t know if she’d hear it. But maybe the Force would.

Then Poe’s voice echoed in your memory. His hand on your arm. His promise.

And gods, you needed something to hold onto.

Outside the viewport, where Starkiller Base had once been, a new sun had been born. A supernova of reclamation. Of hope.

You clung to the thought: maybe, like that sun, you could begin again too.

~ ~ ~ ~

The Falcon landed on D’Qar with a hiss of hydraulics and the hiss of new snow melting off its scorched hull. The landing pad was chaos: medics, officers, pilots, all converging at once.

You stepped down the ramp after Chewie, who cradled Finn in his arms. Medical teams swarmed, calling out vitals and orders. Rey stayed close, hollow-eyed but steady, one hand still brushing against Finn’s arm like she needed the contact to stay grounded.

And then you saw her. Leia.

Your mother stood at the edge of the crowd, hands folded tight, face carved with worry. The moment her eyes found yours, everything crumbled.

You ran to her.

She opened her arms and caught you, just like she always had. Her embrace wrapped not only around your broken body, but around the part of your soul that had been cracking since the bridge.

“I’m sorry,” you choked. “He tried. He really tried.”

Leia didn’t speak. She just held you, one hand stroking your hair.

“I wanted to bring him home,” you whispered. “I tried. But…”

She pulled back, looked into your eyes, and said, “You came back to me. That’s all I ever needed.”

The words shattered something inside you. But not in a way that broke you further—no, in a way that cleared space. For grief. For love. For healing.

“He told me,” Leia murmured, her voice barely audible. “Han… told me you’d find your way back. He said you had his recklessness but my heart.”

You smiled through the tears. A confirmation of the promises she still held. “I think that means I’m doomed.”

Leia chuckled softly, her hand resting on your cheek. “No. It means you’re strong.”

~ ~ ~ ~

Later, she made you get checked out by medics. Finn was stable, resting. You lingered outside his room for a while, then wandered into the hangar.

You didn’t plan to look for him. But your feet knew the way.

Past droids and scorch marks and half-repaired fighters—

Poe.

He stood beside his X-wing, helmet off, staring up at the stars.

BB-8 sat beside him, low and quiet.

He turned before you spoke. As if he felt you.

You didn’t pause. You walked straight into his arms.

He caught you. Held you. Said nothing. Just let you breathe.

“He’s gone,” you whispered.

Poe’s arms tightened. “I know.”

You buried your face in his shoulder. “He tried. He reached for Ben. I saw him. He looked at me. And then he fell.”

“I heard,” Poe murmured, his voice thick. “Leia told me. I—Stars, I’m so sorry.”

You pulled back, eyes glassy. “He believed Ben could come back. And for a moment... so did I. But I couldn’t stop it.”

“You did more than anyone else ever could,” he said. “You got Rey and Finn out. You took down the oscillator. You came back.

You let the silence breathe between you. BB-8 gave a low chirp of encouragement. You smiled weakly.

“I kept thinking about you,” Poe said. “In the trench, during the run. I told myself—if I don’t get back, if she doesn’t…”

“I did the same,” you admitted, a shaky smile on your lips. “I kept hearing your voice in my head. That stupid confidence.”

Poe smiled faintly. “Not so stupid after all.”

You reached up and wiped a streak of soot from his cheek. “You’re still a little stupid.”

His hand found yours, still resting on his chest.

“So what now?” he asked.

You didn’t look away. “Now we figure out what’s next. What we’re building toward.”

“Together?”

“Always.”

And for the first time since everything broke apart, you believed it could be true. And your future didn’t feel so cold anymore.

~ ~ ~ ~

Inside the war room, the Resistance gathered around a central console. R2-D2 projected a fractured star chart. The galaxy hovered in fragments—hope without a map.

Then BB-8 rolled forward and projected Poe’s missing piece.

Luke Skywalker.

Gasps. Silence. Then motion.

Leia turned to you, her eyes bright with something you hadn’t seen in days: hope.

Poe leaned in beside her. The others slowly filtered out, leaving a small circle behind.

Leia turned to you. “He’s waiting. I think… you should go to him.”

You hesitated.

Images flashed in your mind—Ben’s voice calling you to the dark. The moment your body was flung like a ragdoll through the snow. The way the Force had pulsed through you without control.

“I can’t,” you whispered. “I’m not ready.”

Leia’s brows knit with worry.

“I want to be. But I’ve seen what I’m capable of. What the Force might turn me into. I’m not afraid of training. I’m afraid of what I’ll become.”

You turned to Rey.

“I don’t think this is my fight. Not right now. The Force… it’s calling. But not just to me.”

Rey blinked. “To me?”

Leia stepped in, voice soft. “Are you sure?”

You turned to your mother. “I wasn’t before. But I am now."

“I trained with Luke. But I trained with you first. You helped me hear the Force for the first time.”

Leia’s eyes shimmered. “Then let me help you again.”

You turned back to Rey. “You’re stronger than you know. Don’t let anyone write your story for you. Trust yourself.”

Rey’s eyes welled with something fierce and vulnerable. “I will. And when I find Luke… I’ll tell him you still believe in him.”

You nodded.

Rey turned to go.

Outside, the base stirred with preparations. Crews loaded the Falcon. Pilots gave flight checks. BB-8 chirped instructions.

You stood beside Leia, watching it all.

Watching a new story begin.

And for the first time in years—you weren’t running from your past.

You were walking toward your future.

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shwoo · 9 months ago

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I hadn't written for a while, but I'm beginning to feel up to it again. I have a few ideas, and I'm still figuring out exactly what to prioritise. Fanfic-wise, it's mostly Bugsnax.

-Snorplo prequel: Snorpy is extremely depressed and trying to recover from a nervous breakdown. Chandlo realises his feelings for him and gets back into contact, maybe in that order, I haven't decided. Snorpy recovers unevenly. Got the beginning and midpoint worked out, and just need the bit between the midpoint and the ending. I wrote part of the outline for this on my phone during the tour in the US earlier this year, as an attempt at a mental health booster. I don't know if it succeeded, but my phone's predictive text has been weirdly fixated on Chandlo ever since.

-QPP Filbuddy 2 - Now It's Journalist's Family's Turn: While in Theobe's (Journalist's) home town for Snaxgiving, Filbo and Theobe attend an informal high school reunion. Theobe disappears, and Filbo gets help from the only people he knows in town; Theobe's three mothers, all of whom are named Drebbie. Not 100% sure how this one is resolved, although I have most of it. Going to have to be very careful with the Drebbies, because there's there's three of them and they all have distinct personalities, and I'd prefer for the story to be more about Filbo and Theobe. I made Theobe be an outcast in high school with zero friends, because I was starving for good outcast with zero friends representation when I was in high school. With zero friends.

-Snorplo in-game quests: The campfire event from Chandlo's point of view, Chandlo's main quest from the Journalist's point of view, and Snorpy's main quest from Snorpy's point of view. Have outlined most of this, but I think I got distracted during Snorpy's quest. He stays inside until it's complete, which doesn't help, but he can still do something interesting while in there.

-Bronica expedition: I want to finish writing the interviews for each expedition member to get a better idea of their personalities, but the version in my head so far seems to mostly be about how they died. There's some horror elements I like a lot. Still planning to be vague about what happened to Bronica, though.

-Snorplo... something: Why is there so much Snorplo. Um, this one started out as two separate ideas I had after Isle of Bigsnax came out, one about Chandlo asking the Journalist about Snorpy on the island, and one about Snorpy finding the Triplicate Space on the beach. I've got to the first draft stage, but the whole bit where they explore the Triplicate Space together turned out boring, so I'd like to tie the scenes together in a way that's not just a complete retread of what happens in the game but with Chandlo and Snorpy. It was fun having them react, but nothing really happens that didn't in the original.

-Obligatory Floofty's leg disappears: Floofty's leg disappears. Also they struggle not to be less of a reckless idiot, and also to repair their relationship with their brother. I know how this ends, but I need more stuff in the middle, to make the pacing of the ending work. I'm sure I can find something for Snorpy and Floofty to be in conflict about. (Chandlo is there also)

It's mostly Bugsnax, but I played so much Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth that I got really invested in wherever it is they're going with Chadley's character. I doubt the third game will be out before 2026, but luckily I have "wherever it is they're going with Chadley's character" at home. In my brain! So

-Chadleyfic 2024: Or 2025 depending on if or when I get around to it. Chadley knows many things to be true, for example that a) he is an artificial intelligence who was b) created to be Hojo's research assistant, someone he has c) definitely escaped in every way. He also knows that as much as he tries, he's not strong enough to repress all his feelings and problems as well as his hero, Cloud. And he's been having some weird recurring dreams lately. This story came together really quickly! I think "character deals with being experimented on by unironic evil mad scientist and also learns The Truth" was an itch I'd been wanting to scratch for a long time. I want this to happen in the background of Remake 3's plot, though, so I need to finish up Rebirth and play through the original to make the details feel right. And make sure Hojo wouldn't have to be in two places at once, because obviously he's going to have to put in an appearance.

#Bugsnax #Final Fantasy 7 #Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy #Final Fantasy rebirth #writing #Snorpy Fizzlebean #Chandlo Funkbun #Filbo Fiddlepie #Bugsnax Journalist #Floofty Fizzlebean #Chadley #Hojo (Final Fantasy)#Most weird outcast with no friends characters seem to either be depicted as having brought it on themselves or as NPCs destined to fade awa #Or they have the character have no friends at the start of the story but then they make friends #and have seemingly no issues stemming from how things were before #Coincidentally I am really enjoying how Final Fantasy 7 Remake is depicting those things #When Cloud said 'You think I *liked* being alone?' I think I've had that same conversation with my mum #The spiky-haired giant sword RPG man is a lot more relateable than I expected him to be #...That's actually not a bad summary for Chadleyfic 2024/5 up there #Needs a bit more polish but...

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that-fall-guy · 3 months ago

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For the author ask game - perhaps 11, What do you like best about this fic? Or 13, What music did you listen to, if any, to get in the mood for writing this story? Or if you didn’t listen to anything, what do you think readers should listen to to accompany us while reading? And for the fic, perhaps Linger Longer? (Or if you have a current favorite, feel free to talk about that one instead!) ;D <3

yayyy i miss Linger Longer! i can't wait for my current WIP to veer more into Linger Longer territory bc currently it's not looking suuuuper similar? anyways! questions hehe (this got long so it's below the cut)

11. honestly i think the thing i like best about Linger Longer is..... hmm i think there's two things i like equally. first i'm really proud of chapter 13, when we get to see Wels for a moment. i put a good deal of effort in trying to get his speech mannerisms right and in rounding out his identity (in the fic) as a veteran who may not have been in the same war as impulse, but still understands enough of what he's going through to give advice and just be the person impulse needs at that time.

11.5. the other thing i like best is the symbolism of impulse's gun. when i started writing the first chapter it was just a prop, but then skizz was holding the rear sight and i went.. hindsight........ and all of a sudden it was a symbol. to skizz, the gun (specifically the rear sight) represents impulse. when he gave impulse the sight at the beginning, he looks back on that moment as him giving impulse up. but to impulse, the gun itself just represents their time in the army as a whole. it represents the time he spent with skizz, impulse's own flightiness, and the fight he hasn't quite managed to give up even in season 9. i toyed with the idea of going along with chekhov's gun, but in the end i thought it was more fitting for the gun not to be fired because it's not really a gun, it's a memory that impulse is holding tight. for him to fire the gun would be for him to return to the war, which is the last thing i wanted. the gun is in the first scene because they're just on the tail end of their army time, and symbolically they're still very deep in the war. impulse is cleaning it because he feels the need to be ready at all times, and a misfire would be devastating, but with skizz he's obviously safe enough to take a few minutes to clean it. when impulse joins hermitcraft, he has to leave his gun behind; it's the first step in leaving behind the war and all the baggage it holds. he keeps it protected in canvas and cleans it fairly often, dredging it up when he's having a bad day, and it represents flashbacks and the way sometimes you just want to purposely make yourself feel miserable. slowly, the gun rusts as impulse grows more and more comfortable with the present. when he sees it's beyond repair, he still doesn't quite give it up. he keeps a part of it with him—a part that specifically reminds him of skizz. he carries part of the war with him, leaving some behind but bringing skizz no matter what. the last mention of the gun is its absence in chapter 7, when impulse is pulling out his axe to help the emperors. at that point he hasn't left the war behind yet, but he's getting further from it.

ok enough about my symbolism lol

13. i was listening to "Timber Hearth" from Outer Wilds on repeat for most of the fic tbh, but i was originally inspired by Cosmo Sheldrake's "Linger Longer" (obviously) and wanted to write a reunion story with that title, focusing on the yearning where each wanted the other to stay longer before they parted. i also did make a spotify playlist for the fic overall! above all, i recommend "14 Verses" by Declan Bennett for the first chapter (and also for Treebark brainrot but that's a separate issue), "Mad Dog" by the Crane Wives for Chapter 12, "The Cave" by Mumford and Sons for Chapter 13, and "In Our Bedroom After the War" by Stars for the denouement (Chapters 17–21)

#no thoughts tags empty #linger longer au

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dramioneasks · 11 months ago

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Hey! I’m improving my English and I would love to do it with the help of my Dramione. So, I’m looking for recommendations of fanfics (maybe if it’ll be onefic is better) with easy English level for I practice. I think I’m B1, and I always try to start reading in English but when appears a lot of things that I don’t know I’m very disappointed and let it go. I’ve already read a lot of fanfics with the help of translation, but would be a pleasure if I could read it in English. 🥺

Please, send me if you have something in your mind.

Thanks for your help! ✨

P.S: I wrote this comment without assistance, sorry for any mistake, how I said “I’m trying” 😁

Hi, try these, hope they help you! :D

The Long Weekend By: cleotheo - T, 3 chapters - When Lucius and Narcissa agree to look after their grandchildren for the weekend, Lucius assumes it will be a breeze. However, he wasn’t counting on his five year old granddaughter, Lyra, who is a bit of a handful and manages to keep her grandfather busy all weekend. Short three part story.

To All the Wizards I’ve Loved Before - takenbytheview - M, 7 chapters - “What if—” Malfoy begins, twisting his signet ring with the forefinger and thumb of his other hand. “What if you didn’t tell him?” “What?” “What if we let people think we were actually together? Just for a little while. Not just the Weasel. Everybody.” A Dramione Eighth Year adaptation of Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

A Touch of Fate By: cleotheo - T, 6 chapters - While celebrating Ginny’s birthday at a swanky spa hotel, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley are shocked to run into their old friend, Hermione Granger, who they haven’t seen for several years. Can old friends be reunited, or will Harry and Ron jumping to conclusions ruin things beyond repair? Reunion style story.

Baker’s Dozen - DarkoftheMoon, Maria81 - T, one-shot - As part of the new and mandatory Muggle Studies curriculum, 8th year students are paired together for a year-long practicum in the culinary arts. If only Draco were interested in either.

Love and Other Historical Accidents by PacificRimbaud - T, 13 chapters, Words: 155,397 - Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy never intended to blow up their life’s work, but that’s rather what they’ve gone and done. Now they’re trapped 200 years in the past, with a broken Time Turner, a missing snuff box, a handful of overly-eligible daughters, and a House-elf with a grudge. It will require the combined power of their keen intellects to get them home. Too bad they despise one another. For fans of J.K. Rowling, Jane Austen, and P.G. Wodehouse, a historical romantic comedy all about time, and getting the hell out of it.

1 teaspoon of Vanilla and a full bottle of LoveBy: dracorpheus - T, one-shot - After the War, Draco moves to Muggle London to become a baker. He also teaches young children at a nearby school how to bake. One of the parents decides she needs cooking lessons as well.

The Muggle Telephone by gloivy - T, one-shot - Draco finally caved and bought one of those muggle telephones everyone is going on about, though he doesn’t quite understand how it works yet. A social media AU.

Owl SPEW By: kaitward - T, one-shot - The beginning of a relationship, told through a series of letters.

Fireworks By: cleotheo - T, 10 chapters - A party at the end of seventh year results in major life changes for Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, including the loss of their best friend, Ron Weasley. Can a reunion several years later fix the rift, or are some things too broken to ever be fixed? Reunion style story.

The Dangers of Meddlesome Redheads by frostykitten - T, 12 chapters - Ginny thinks Hermione needs to stop waiting around to be swept off her feet, but when she casts a spell on her friend to help her get that special someone, things don’t go exactly as she’d planned… Hermione may just kill her for her meddling.

Future Tripping By: Miss Dorktastic - T, 2 chapters - A few weeks into his eighth year at Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy has a world-bending epiphany. Throw in some crystal balls, a crush and a little bit of jealousy and what he gets is way more than he ever imagined. Or… The 5 times Draco Malfoy’s feelings for Hermione Granger terrified him and the one time it didn’t.

-Lisa

#zurixxxx #fic recommendation

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alyjojo · 11 months ago

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September 🏋🏽‍♂️ 2024 Monthly - Scorpio

Preshuffle: It was a message - there is nothing you can do about the impulsive, fun, immature-ish? energy in someone else that is otherwise practical & totally stable. It’s part of them. Could be dealing with a fire moon/rising.

Meditation: A crouching tiger 🐅 getting ready to pounce on another crouching tiger, very intense, they both attack and start wrestling all over the place - and the scene/camera pans out to see dozens of other tigers. Google: a pack of tigers is called an “ambush.” The two fighting are siblings.

Main energy: 7 Pentacles

What’s going on in September:

Wheel of Fortune rev, Ace of Pentacles, Justice, The Hermit & 7 Swords

This reading is keeping it 💯 I respect that. Ain’t shit happening this month 😆

7 Pentacles is the energy of having just planted a whole field of something, it’s been watered and cared for, now you’re just waiting for it to grow, and the Desert & Planning oracles with The Hermit…you’re going to be spending some time doing solo activities, catching up on shows and sleep - saving your money seems to be a big part of the reason. I do see an opportunity to have fun with friends/family, but there’s a waiting period for that so maybe someone’s birthday is later in the month.

Wheel of Fortune is rev so you’re coming out of a time of difficult cycles and lessons, you had a lot going on and it was hard to just…chill. Sit. Breathe. You can do that now. Geranium shows you as a flower 🌺 in a brand new squishy pot with lots of room to grow, 7 Pentacles is just a period of waiting to grow, you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. Treat yo’self. Those of you that are trying to date might go out once but I see you largely throwing in the towel this month. All of the fish are poison ☠️🤣 I’m seeing this 7 Swords card where the boy is carrying 7 fishing poles and I lost it, some of you are on dating apps trying to see what’s out there and throwing them right back when you try. BAD FISH 👎 Some of you may have had a bad experience with a Pisces, that’s the only sign showing up repeatedly. You could’ve had to spend a lot on something legal, parking ticket, child support, public intoxication…etc. or needing to spend money on some kind of repair or necessity has left you checking the couch for quarters (does anyone even do that anymore?) Your reading is cracking me up, some of you are naturally very funny with sarcasm, and have no lack for admirers & potential friends. I do see one around at some point, friend, co-worker, or potential partner idk, they could be just falling off the planet & ghosting. Or you are. Could be a bad fish.

Most of you are putting effort into your own self care, peace of mind, tending to your home, kids, family, etc. Some may even be declining an invitation to celebrate and staying in instead. It’s an energy of “I need to wash my hair.” Do people say that anymore? This reading…7 Swords shows avoidance, you’re avoiding everyone. Could be a parent, a spouse, especially an ex-spouse, or friends/coworkers that want to go to happy hour on a random Friday; you will happily decline and enjoy your peace and quiet at home, thank you, it’s the reunion of some old show you’ve binged watched 100 times 🏡

Side story: you may have cut off someone who was sneaky, deceptive, trying to get away with some shit and there’s been a final decision made to separate from that. You or them. Someone could be waiting on the outcome of a divorce or that could be this month and you’re “celebrating” alone, at a new beginning that’s not all that new because you’ve already planted 7 seeds here, its only a matter of time before your next harvest/bounty - financially, I assume. Most of you are quietly strategizing your next move with Planning Phase & 7 Swords, this is intellectual strategy & focus being shown. Like playing chess ♟️

Signs you may be dealing with:

Pisces, Taurus, Libra & Cancer

Oracle: ✨

32 Struggle 🥴

Struggle is a part of life - so much so that you probably know people who seem to constantly attract one struggle after another into their lives. This is their comfort zone. While struggle is natural, it is natural only so far as it lends itself to learning lessons and overcoming inner personal challenges. Beneath every one of these struggles is the gift of enlightenment. The satisfaction of a lesson learned. Use this knowledge as the light at the end of your dark tunnel. What lesson is this struggle teaching you? Alternately, after a brief setback, this situation will start to right itself.

Carried Away 🥰

Let yourself be caught up in the whirlwind of a romantic moment.

Desert of Isolation 🏜️

Traverse the desolate spaces of solitude to uncover reflections and resilient survival.

Planning Phase ��

Take a step back and plan the necessary steps to move forward so you may turn your goals into reality.

We enter into September as:

Geranium 🌺:

“This is another beginning.”

What appears to be an end may not be one after all. Often situations that generate our greatest fears turn into remarkable opportunities. It’s time to let go of the past, and trust that whatever is coming is better than what you’ve known to this point. You are ready to begin again. A new opportunity is coming from a place you don’t expect. There is a regeneration of some kind going on. Whatever you were pulled away from in the past was for the purpose of bringing you to a higher place. It’s time for whatever has been dormant to bloom again. Trust there is a higher plan. This is truly an exciting time.

What is to be learned in September:

Topaz 💛

“If I seek peace, I must embrace my fears.”

Topaz speaks: “To be enlightened is to realize that to gain peace, fear in the heart must be faced.” If Topaz has come to you, he is telling you that it is time to stop talking about what you intend on doing. You must just do it. Things happen for us when we take action, which is the only way to break through what is holding us back. The change that is called for here is surrender, which is an action in itself. No great tasks were ever achieved easily. Remember we do a lot to avoid what we feel will hurt us; you must understand that the pain will recede if you face your fears, allowing you to walk through to the other side. Topaz whispers “Pray for guidance and you will be assisted.” Do not despair, for if Topaz has come to you, relief awaits. By facing your fears, peace and enlightenment will be your reward. That is the gift. All you need to do is ask.

Topaz may be a lucky color 💛

#Scorpio #monthly tarot reading #September 2024 #monthly #tarot #tarot reading #astrology #tarotblr

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eddiemunsonsmum · 2 years ago

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Aftermath | Chapter 4 | Eddie Munson

Eddie Munson x Female OC | E.M x Karmen Jones

Chapter Summary: Eddie and Karmen finally reunite after nearly two weeks apart during the events of Season 4.

Story Summary: This story takes place after the canonical events of Season 4. Eddie wakes up in the Upside Down after 'dying' in Dustin's arms. He wakes up again in the hospital and is reunited with his loved ones that he hasn't seen since before Chrissy's death. This story covers Eddie's time in the hospital and overall physical recovery after the Upside Down.

This fic is part of the She Feels Like Home series. It sits between Boxing Day and Drop Out but can be read as a standalone.

Tags: Reunion, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Lots of Comfort, Medical Talk, Injuries, Vomiting, ASD !Eddie, Autistic Eddie, Non-verbal Eddie, Wayne Munson is a gem, Canonical Murder, Canonical Gore/Murder Descriptions, 4 Spoilers

Words: 6112

A/N: This chapter is 3x as long as the others and will probably be the longest chapter in the story. I kept trying to find places to break it up into smaller parts but it just wasn't doing the story justice. Also please do me a favour and ignore the placement of all these wires and tubes I mention. It was literally not important to the story to keep mentioning them getting tangled.

Eddie’s bed was propped up on an angle that probably wasn’t all too comfortable for sleeping. He was connected to a few different machines by tubes and wires. He appeared to be only wearing a hospital gown that was put on backwards so it could open at the front. Exposing his pale torso that was littered with purple and brown bruises in all the areas that were not covered by large plasters or wrapped in bandages.

He had large dark circles under his eyes and his cheeks looked gaunt and hollow. There were a few smaller bruises spattered across his face and some larger running down his neck towards the plaster on the left side that also covered a large part of his cheek.

His lips were dry and split in several places and seemed to be in different stages of healing. It looked almost as if they had been picked at. As thought it hadn’t happened naturally from dehydration or being hit in the face during the crash…

His hair was oily and matted. Huge masses of knotted hair replaced his wild curls. Even his bangs had suffered, all mangled together and swept out at different angles. He was one step away from natural dreads.

Although he seemed clean, Karmen got the sense that he had been filthy when he arrived and was hastily washed down with betadine by the nurses before the surgery to repair his wounds. He would need to be cleaned properly once he could move around a little. He probably felt disgusting in his own skin.

She studied him for a long while. Categorizing his injuries and trying to commit them to memory so that when he was awake she could try and prevent him from hurting himself further.

She really didn’t want to wake him. Even though he didn’t really look peaceful. His brows were furrowing and evening out repeatedly while his eyes flittered under the lids with their rapid movements. The beeping from his heart rate monitor speeding up and slowing down again as his heart reacted to whatever was happening in his dreams.

Nightmares, more like.

He was trembling, she realized as she reached out a hand, letting the pads of her fingers touch lightly on his forehead. She saw him flinch at the contact, almost pulling away but decided to stay since she’d already gone this far. She trailed her fingertips down the uninjured side of his face. Petting tenderly the way she knew he liked.

Her fingers dragged uncomfortably along his clammy skin even with her featherlight touch.

Eddie grunted as she moved over the corner of his mouth before gliding back up. His eyebrows knitting as his eyes began to flutter open. She paused her movements, waiting for him to come around properly. His iris’ darting to the hand on his face. His body tensing as wide eyes made contact with hers and she smiled kindly.

“Hey.” She greeted him simply. Not sure what else to say. She watched as he startled at the word. Scared eyes flicking over her, looking sceptical.

Slowly he began to move his hand. Lifting it up to press gently at the back of hers. Touching it lightly and flinching away before slowly coming back and engulfing it with his large palm. He pulled it away from his face to study. She let him do what he needed to. Swallowing down heartbreak as she realized that he didn’t believe she was real.

She remained still, just observing quietly as he turned her arm in his hands and pressed his fingers against the pulse point on her warm wrist. The perfume she’d dabbed there before leaving the house wafted towards his nose as he frowned to himself, keeping his eyes downcast.

Karmen watched as they widened momentarily, her jaw clenching as his grip on her arm tightened. The steady beep of his heart monitor sped up as he turned to look up at her properly. His large eyes burning with unshed tears as he took a deep stuttered breath that rose his back off the bed.

She was here. She was really fucking here and she was smiling at him and letting him touch her instead of pushing him away in disgust and demanding answers.

He let go of her arm abruptly. Holding out his shaking hands and silently begging her to take them. She did, placing her palms in his and trying her best to not show her surprise when he yanked her forwards in what she was sure was supposed to be a smooth and gentle gesture.

She brought his hands to her face. Leaning into him so she didn’t have to drag them high and risk hurting him or pulling at his IVs. She kissed each of them tenderly, giving them a small squeeze.

“I’m going to sit up here, okay?” She asked as his eyes spilled over and tears ran down his cheeks. Karmen placed his hands back in his lap momentarily before putting her own hand down on the mattress and using it for leverage as she jumped up onto it.

Before she could get situated properly on the edge of the bed he was clawing at her. Hands scraping down the front and sides of her body as he tried in vain to pull her closer. Only serving to strain himself and accidentally push her back off the bed as she tried her best to calm him.

“Hey, hey, hey!” She whispered as she caught his wrists, holding them still for a second as she looked him in the eyes and willed him to relax. “It’s okay.” She told him softly, placing his hands on her hips so that he would stop moving them and holding them there for a long moment before letting go. Hovering over them, waiting to see if he would move them and ready to catch them if he did.

He didn’t, instead digging his fingers impossibly tight into her hips. Staring at her with red rimmed eyes and wet cheeks. Breath hitching as he waited as patiently as he could manage.

It’d been over a week now easily, maybe two. He hadn’t been away from her for that long since they’d met and while under normal circumstances he would survive that easily, albeit dramatically, if he had to, this past week had been anything but normal.

He couldn’t lie and say that she had been the first thing on his mind after Chrissy died or that he had been thinking about her constantly in the long week that followed finding out that other dimensions and monsters existed. But when he was alone in Rick’s boat shed, before Dustin showed up, he had longed to go to her instead. Knowing deep down he couldn’t, that he needed to hide because a girl was dead and Eddie ‘the Freak’ Munson was definitely going to be to blame. But it had been so hard to stay there alone after experiencing the most traumatic moment of his life and then not knowing what was going to happen to him after it all.

He had been a little distracted the rest of the time he had spent with the party. The fleeting thoughts that if he just pushed through and killed Vecna they could clear his name and he could come back to her, got him through. He hadn’t let himself take any more time than that to think about it. To figure out what the fuck he was actually going to say to her or how he was going to explain it once everything was said and done.

Despite how hard he tried not to think about it since waking up in the hospital, she had occupied his every waking thought. Suddenly the reality of being back in the real world with Vecna dead, he assumed and still no fucking clue how he was going to explain it all was at the forefront of his mind. The fact that Wayne wouldn’t answer him properly about where Karmen was or why she hadn’t visited while he was awake was disconcerting. Not that he could really ask and be persistent about it in the way he wanted, without speaking. But he knew Wayne understood him and was deflecting his answers, pretending not to really get it so that he didn’t have to tell Eddie the ugly truth.

He thought she wasn’t coming. The only thing that had stopped him from breaking down about it this far was that Wayne had said she was there earlier. Whatever the hell that meant.

Karmen smiled at him softly, bringing her hands to his face. Careful to avoid the bandage over his left cheek as she cupped it in her palms.

Eddie closed his eyes, his breathing speeding up as a choked sob fell from his lips. His entire body was trembling and it was hard to tell if it was due to her proximity or the exertion of forcing himself to sit up slightly. His heart was beating like crazy. The monitor began to alarm as his bpm reached a certain threshold.

Letting go of his face she pulled herself up onto the bed properly. He shimmied over unconsciously to make room as she moved in beside him. Small, painful grunts leaving him as he used weakened muscles. His brows furrowing as his head began to spin.

Fuck… It hurts… It all… hurts.

“Come here Sweetheart.” Karmen whispered as she slid an arm around his shoulders. Lying back against the propped up mattress she put gentle pressure against his bicep. Eddie responded immediately by diving into her. His clawing hands back on the job as they desperately tried to move him closer. As if they weren’t already as close as they could get, squished up against one another on the tiny bed made for one.

His unwounded cheek pressed against her collarbone. The top of her breasts cradling his chin as he curled himself into her. Groaning in pain as he ignored his body's protests. Everything was burning, his head was dizzy from the agony. He felt like he was going to throw up.

But that just spurred him on. He needed her so badly. Needed her comfort. Needed to be on her, in her, part of her, he didn’t know. He didn’t realize how desperate he had been for her until she was within reach. Now that she was here, he needed her as close as she could physically get. Anything less was painful in a way that rivaled the intense ache of his physical wounds.

Need you. Need you. Need you.

He chanted to himself, his entire body shaking violently against her as she wrapped her arms around him and held him as tight as she could. Trying her best to avoid putting pressure on his bandages.

She held back on the instinct to rock him like she wanted to. Not wanting to irritate his injuries and hurt him any further or possibly make him sick. So instead she settled for a firm hold and whispered words of comfort.

“It’s okay Bubba.” She whispered against his temple. Planting gentle kisses on the skin she could reach as she reminded him that he was alright. “You’re safe now.” She told him, feeling him shudder at the words. His face rubbing wetly at her chest as he sobbed into her neck. “I’ve got you, you’re safe.”

It took a lot of calming but eventually he quieted down. She felt him relax a little more against her. His breath evening out, deepening. She could feel his eyelashes fluttering gently against her and knew he was moments from sleep but fighting it hard.

She wanted to talk to him so badly. Feeling guilt well in her chest as she selfishly lamented the fact that even if he was verbal right now she knew it wasn’t the right time to ask questions.

He needed her to hold him, kiss him, tell him everything was okay with them and in general. He needed her to let him sleep and she would because she cared so deeply for him and his well-being. It was more important to let him rest with her and recover than it was to press for information no matter how much she wanted it.

But she had so many goddamn questions. Questions that she’d been asking herself all week. Questions that swirled in her mind every waking minute and sometimes slipped out in hoarse screams that drained all of her energy and burned her throat.

She concentrated on Eddie. Forcing away flashbacks of striding into an empty field off the side of the highway near the trailer park and screaming at the sky until her lungs were empty and she couldn’t stand up anymore. Two sets of warm hands pulling her back to her feet and all the hazy memories that came after that of being force fed so she wouldn’t collapse after days of refusing food and gruff voices, uncharacteristically soft as they assured her they’d find him. Eddie didn’t do it. He would be okay.

Karmen took a calming breath. Tilting her chin downwards slightly she could see that Eddie had fallen asleep. He was heavy in her arms, melted against her body like putty. His arm slung loosely over her waist instead of tightly gripping her as it was before. The worry lines on his forehead smoothing out as he snored gently against her chest.

She wondered how long it had been since he’d rested willingly and not in a medicine induced haze.

As if in answer to her question, Wayne appeared from behind the curtain shielding their view of the door. Surprise on his face as he looked between the two of them. His features settling into a warm smile at the sight of Eddie resting so peacefully. He nodded at Karmen approvingly and she forced a smile back as he made his way to the chair beside the bed. Leaning back in it and crossing his arms over his chest.

“Good job.” He said softly, clearing his throat afterwards to rid it of emotion he hadn’t intended on showing. Karmen huffed out a laugh, letting her head roll against the mattress so she was facing him.

“Thanks.” She whispered back. Her hands absently petting Eddie as she thought. “So you don’t know anything else?” She asked, getting straight to the point and watching as Wayne leant back in his chair and sighed.

He didn’t seem surprised by her brashness. She supposed he had the same questions as her waiting to be answered in his own mind. Only, he had a little more information than she did. She was on the backfoot. Needed to play catch up and he was more than willing to oblige her after seeing how well she had managed to calm Eddie while he was gone.

She was the one. He was sure of it now.

“No.” He answered apologetically. “A couple of men in uniform came in here the first time I was visiting. They weren’t cops. Although they were here too, lurking. But these guys, I don't know.” He paused to think. “The Army, maybe.” He decided. “Said they found the killer and that it obviously wasn’t Eddie.” He replied with venom in his voice.

Karmen nodded. She had seen on the news that morning that Eddie had been cleared as a suspect after the real murderer was found. Apparently there was still a large portion of the town that was not convinced and was outraged at Eddie’s charges being dropped.

“They wanted to talk to Eddie.” He continued, gesturing with his head to his sleeping nephew. “But look at him. He can barely keep his eyes open and it was even worse a few days ago. They were none too happy when I said I’d need to be present to make sure he retains whatever information they needed to give him.” He scoffed.

“What do you think they wanted?” She asked with a frown. Her hand coming up to stroke at Eddie’s cheek when he stirred at her words.

“No idea.” The older man replied with a sigh. “Surely not to apologize.”

Karmen snorted at the statement, shaking her head and rolling her eyes at the notion. Absolutely not. After the witch-hunt the cops had led on Eddie, she doubted they’d ever accept responsibility and apologize. Hoping instead that Eddie was so grateful for no longer being a suspect that he would quietly fade into the background and never question their dodgy detective work.

Wayne and Karmen continued to chat quietly for an hour or so. Only being interrupted by the bustle of a busy nurse as she appeared by Eddie’s bedside.

Karmen smiled at her guiltily as a brow was raised in her direction. She’d been a visitor in the hospital plenty of times before and knew full well she shouldn’t be on the bed with the patient. But she’d found over the years it often depended on the nurse that was on duty as to what the rules were or how far she could bend them.

The woman looked them over with a sigh. Choosing not to say anything as she eyed the steady beat of Eddie’s heart monitor.

“If she wasn’t up there, he’d be down there.” Wayne chuckled, gesturing towards the visitor chair on the other side of the bed. “It’s for the best, trust me.” He added, his tone conveying the wisdom of someone that had been taking care of Eddie for a long time.

He’d only been a patient for a couple of days but in that time he’d already proven himself to be difficult even while being cooperative. Not that he would remember any of it in the grand scheme of things. He had been in and out of sleep for days. Waking up confused every time until Wayne convinced him to breathe and he remembered where he was and why. The older man had no doubt that by the time Eddie was released, the memory of these first few days would be reduced to a blur of colors and sounds.

“I’m sure.” The nurse agreed flatly, holding up the observation monitor. “But I need to check his vitals.” She explained, pulling the probe from its casing and leaning over the couple.

To her credit, she worked around the fact that Karmen was absolutely in her way, without complaint. She was a good one.

‘Nurse Jo.' Karmen thought to herself as her eyes lingered on the woman’s name tag. 'Noted.'

Nurse Jo took Eddie’s bicep gently and slotted the small object under his armpit making him jolt. His eyes flew open, heart rate ticking up dramatically as he panicked at the feel of a warm body under him. He shoved at Karmen, frantically. A cry of pain fell from his lips as she released him from her arms and he rolled back onto the mattress beside her and tried his best to scramble down the bed away from the perceived threat.

Wayne was on his feet in an instant, standing steady by Karmen’s side and preparing to remove her from the bed for her own safety if Eddie accidentally lashed out violently, not realizing who he was hurting. The nurse on the other side of the couple locked eyes with Wayne briefly. A silent understanding between them, that she would hold Eddie down if she needed to so that he could sling Karmen over his shoulder and get her out of there.

Thankfully their silent plan of action didn’t come to fruition. Instead Eddie brought his arms up to cover his chest as he curled in on himself. The pain radiating from his wounds was suddenly more pressing than anything else in that moment. The overwhelming agony that throbbed throughout his body winding him as he tried desperately to take in a breath and came up empty. He choked on nothing as his lungs refused air.

Karmen slipped down the bed quickly. Her head level with his as she slowly reached out to place a hand on his forearm.

He looked up at her, confused. The fear in his eyes made her stomach drop as he stared at her like she could help and was refusing to.

The hand on his arm squeezed ever so gently. A familiar gesture that seemed to knock something into place and remind him of falling asleep with her earlier. He found the breath that had been alluding him and inhaled it greedily. Exhaling sharply before suddenly trying to shuffle closer. Whining as it sent new waves of pain through his torso.

Karmen was quick to pick up his slack. Inching closer and moving the hand from his arm to stroke over his shoulder, up his neck and into his hair.

Somewhere behind her, she heard Wayne breathe a sigh of relief. The squeak of his boots on the linoleum floor and the whoosh of air from the noisy cushion on the visitors chair, told her that he had returned to his place. Content that Eddie wouldn’t lash out at her at this point.

She looked up at the nurse still standing behind Eddie. The woman smiled at her sympathetically before her eyes flicked up to Eddie’s heart monitor. Watching as the rate slowly dipped back to normal before moving around the bed to where Eddie could see her and holding up the obs machine again.

He eyed her cautiously. Still breathing heavily due to the pain. His bottom lip trembling as he glowered up at her. Not wanting to give her permission to touch him again.

She seemed to understand. Sighing softly before giving him a pointed look.

“If you let me do your obs, I can get you more pain medication.” She said softly, clearly peaking his interest although he had tried to hide it. He continued to stare at her for a few more seconds before tearing his eyes away. Looking at Karmen instead and giving the faintest of nods as he stared into her empathetic eyes.

Karmen stroked his knotty hair gently as the nurse slipped the probe back under his arm. He shivered involuntarily at the feeling, closing his eyes against the embarrassment he felt welling in his chest. He was so weak and helpless. Scared. He never wanted anyone to see him this way, least of all Karmen.

It had definitely been nearly two weeks, he decided, since the last time they saw one another. He’d left her place happy and full of confidence. Determination had swirled in his gut as he set off for school, excited for his campaign. Ready to give those kids that best night of their young lives.

They had enjoyed the campaign thoroughly. Despite the substitute. At first she seemed an inconvenience but ultimately she won them the game. It had taught him a little more about not judging a book by its cover. Something he’d already known not to do. But ironically he had already questioned his morals about it once that same day. Wondering if perhaps he was secretly and shamefully, more prejudiced than he had ever realized. When he’d spoken to Chrissy in the woods and realized she wasn’t actually the massive bitch he assumed she would be simply because she was popular and a cheerleader. But he had given himself grace for that one, considering that perhaps his assumptions had more to do with the fact that she was Jason Carver’s girlfriend than anything else so trivial.

Anyway, after leaving the Drama room, his memory was foggy. He remembered driving back to his trailer with Chrissy in tow and making small talk. Ironically about Karmen. She had given him good input on his plans for their anniversary. He remembered not being able to find the ketamine. He didn’t remember if he ever found it or not. Just, walking back into the living room to find Chrissy acting strange…

Eddie physically shuddered at the thought. The nurse that was currently counting his breaths studying his face as his closed eyes screwed up tighter. Flashes of memory assaulting him. Making him grunt and jolt with the sound of every snapping bone.

Karmen watched as he turned pale before her eyes. She hadn’t realized it was possible for him to lose any more color. Her hand slid down to his cheek and she stroked it with her thumb. Her fingertip dragging again over his clammy skin as sweat began to bead on his forehead.

He opened his eyes to look at her. The same fear from earlier intensified as he blinked at her, lips trembling as his stomach lurched and he dry heaved dramatically. Both Karmen and the nurse jumping into action and rushing to help him into a sitting position. His shaking hands holding the bowl he was handed tight as Karmen scooped fistfulls of his hair out of his face and pulled it into a loose bun using the spare hair tie on her wrist.

Eddie retched into the container in his hands. Not bringing up much of anything as he grunted and cried through the pain of hunching into some of his worst wounds. His abs burned under the strain. His insides felt like they were trying to crawl out of his mouth.

Chrissy’s broken face was staring at him in the darkness of his eyelids. Her sunken eyeballs watching as he let tears slip passed his lashes. A broken whine burning his throat alongside the bile. The pain in his stomach rising up into his chest at the sight of her.

I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.

He hadn’t even tried to save her. He’d watched her tiny frame crumple to the ground and he’d run. He hadn’t stopped to think. He wasn’t sure how he ended up at Rick’s or where he’d left his car. He had snippets of walking along the country road that led to the lake. But that was all before he was there. Hunched under the tarp, hiding in the boat. Playing the situation over and over in his mind and wondering if it was too late to do something different. Knowing deep down that to try and go back to the trailer or call for help would essentially be handing himself in and that would be his downfall. He’d be in Prison right now or dead if they’d pushed his case through the courts fast enough. Which of course they would have with the way the town had rallied against him.

Slowly he opened his teary eyes, hovering over the bowl and breathing out a heavy exhale through wet lips. Drool connected them to the container in his hands as he lifted his head, huffing at the stab of pain in his neck. He was dizzy. So, so dizzy.

The nurse gently took the bowl from him before he tipped it over. Stuffing some paper towel into his empty fist. She promised to be back with his pain meds. Leaving him alone with his precious people.

Glazed eyes traveled down his body to where Wayne’s hand rested supportively on his shin before the hand on his left shoulder caught his attention.

“Do you want to lay back?” Karmen asked softly, surprised he could sit in the first place.

“That’s a good idea.” Wayne agreed, moving around the end of the bed and placing a gentle arm behind Eddie’s back. Karmen mimicked him on her side, both of them encouraging him to relax and let them take his weight.

Eddie did his best, not wanting to be a burden. Because that was really all he was. All he’d been for the last two weeks.

A burden.

“Come on, Eds. Relax.” Wayne coached as they guided his stiff body back towards the mattress.

“We’ve got you.” Karmen reminded him. The hand that pressed gently against his collarbone slid up to brush at his neck as she leaned close. Her breath was hot on his ear as she moved with him until he was lying back again. Their arms slipping out from under him and letting him settle as he looked up at her with a broken expression.

She took the paper towel from his hand, wiping at his mouth and ignoring the way fresh tears continued to spill persistently down his cheeks at the gesture.

He grabbed for her hand before she could pull away. Pulling it down onto his chest with both of his as he inhaled a broken breath that shook his entire torso. He needed to tell her what had happened. Needed her to know where he went. How Chrissy had come to be in his trailer in the first place. It was the reason he had tried so hard to stay alive. Not wanting his favorite people to think he was a murderer and possibly a dirty cheater to boot.

Karmen didn’t know anything as far as he understood. Yet she was here, sitting by his side and holding his hair while he vomited. Despite his new disfigured body and his unrelenting weakness. She was right there, holding his hand. Looking at him with such adoration and a kindness he would never understand.

He didn’t deserve her. Never had. But this situation was something else entirely. She had every right to walk away and she hadn’t.

Yet, anyway.

He curled his fingers around hers, pulling her hand up to press his face against it as he screwed his eyes shut once more. A desperate sob rattled through him as he pressed his nose into the flesh of her palm and cried for her as if she wasn’t right there. Preemptive grief. It wouldn’t hurt as much when she left if he could see it coming. If he had already mourned her.

Karmen felt her own eyes begin to well with tears as she leaned down towards him. Resting her free arm on the bed and balancing with her elbow beside his head as she whispered in his ear once more about how he was safe and everything was okay.

Although meant to be reassuring it only spurred on his tears. The belief that he didn’t deserve her kindness and that she would leave if he ever told her the truth had him feeling helpless. The inability to talk that had grasped him at exactly the wrong moment only served to make things worse as he desperately willed her to understand all he needed to say through his silence.

Please.

Please understand.

He begged silently. Opening his brilliant brown eyes to look up her. One of his hands reaching for her shirt and tugging at it to try and bring her even closer again.

It was drugs! She wanted drugs! I didn’t kill her!

I didn’t kill her!

I didn't…

Wayne watched them silently. Feeling like a third wheel as Karmen pressed her forehead to Eddie’s and kissed him anywhere she could reach without moving.

“Here we are.” Nurse Jo announced, startling the three of them as she returned, holding up a syringe. She pushed between them, to Eddie’s dismay and got to work rubbing alcohol patches over the connections on Eddie’s IV. Making sure everything was sterile before placing the syringe in the connector and pushing down on the plunger. Eddie gagged involuntarily at the feeling of the cold liquid entering his veins, eliciting a snort from the nurse.

“Mmm, no one likes that.” She hummed, reconnecting him to his bag of fluids before turning to Karmen and Wayne. “I’m sure you know this, but visiting hours are almost over.” She said almost apologetically as Eddie began to tremble.

No… No. No.

He chanted in his mind, looking between the both of them frantically as he waited for one of them to protest.

“He’s not been waking up much during the nights so he’s barely registered being alone.” Wayne explained to Karmen. “This… Might be the first night he remembers.” He added idly, the casual tone to his voice only adding to Eddie’s panic. His wide eyes continued to flick between them as he mutely pleaded for one of them to say they would stay with him.

Can’t be alone.

He cried out, although it didn’t come from his mouth. He hadn’t said it. His mouth was open now and still nothing was coming out. Just random sounds that sounded nothing like the words he wanted to make.

“Hey, hey.” Karmen shushed him as he used her shirt for leverage to try and pull her to him possessively. He wasn’t letting her leave.

The three pairs of eyes in the room that weren’t Eddie’s all turned towards the heart monitor as it began to alarm his beats per minute. The nurse moved around the bed to silence it as she gestured towards Karmen faintly.

“Try and calm him down.” She instructed, studying his cardiac cycle on the monitor as Karmen shared a look with Wayne. The older man nodded softly before Eddie’s arms wrapped tight around her hips.

“Eddie.” She whispered, locking her legs against the edge of the bed as he finally succeeded in pulling himself closer. “Eddie, it’s alright. It’s okay.” She assured him, his ears deaf to her comforting words.

Don’t leave. Don’t leave. Don’t leave. Don’t leave.

He chanted. Holding held her impossibly tight. Willing her to understand as he pressed his face against her so hard that stars began to appear behind his eyelids. His nose lost in the flesh of her chest as he breathed stuttered breaths through his parted lips. Mouth moving to form the words he wanted so badly to speak but wasn’t able to force out.

Please. Please. Please.

He silently begged, hands tightening in her shirt. Knuckles white as he fisted the fabric and again tried to press closer. Clawing at her but not moving any further as she was already so painfully close.

He whined softly as she tried to card one hand through his matted hair. The other, gently circling his back.

“I know.” She whispered sadly, leaning down closer. “I know.”

Her heart was breaking for him. He seemed genuinely terrified. The way he was clinging to her was reminiscent of a cat clinging to the sides of a cage to avoid the vet or a bathtub. She wished he could tell her what was going on. That he had a way to communicate without needing to use words.

Something sparked in her at the thought. The beginnings of an idea forming in her brain that she would explore later when she was alone.

“Hey?” She asked, sliding a hand under his chin and tilting it so he was looking at her. “I’m not going just yet and I’ll be back first thing tomorrow. I promise.” She whispered, her tone low and calming. “I won’t go until they force me out, okay?” She asked, nodding at him as he swallowed thick and loud in the sterile space.

“Still half an hour left.” The Nurse said absently as she stepped away from the heart monitor. “I didn’t think he’d take too kindly to it. Wanted to give him time to adjust to the idea.” She explained, giving them all a once over as Karmen looked up and joined Wayne in giving her a grateful smile.

“Thank you.” The older man said softly, arms folded over his chest as he nodded at her. Feeling some sense of relief, finally content that Eddie would be in good hands while he wasn’t around.

The last half an hour of visiting hours was tumultuous to say the least. Eddie flittered between emotions like a hummingbird between flowers. Anger then sadness, indignance and then despair. Pain, so much pain. Physical and emotional. In the end it was more like a whole hour before they actually left and it had ended with sedation.

An outcome no one was looking for. Least of all Karmen, who couldn’t help the ugly sobs that left her as Eddie stared at her with betrayal in his eyes while a male nurse held him down and the Nurse Jo injected him with the sedative.

Wayne held her close, tears in his own eyes as Eddie’s rolled back and the hand that had previously been death gripping her shirt, slowly fell limp off the side of the bed.

A disgusting gnawing in Karmen’s gut at the limpness of his body made her look away as she cried into Wayne’s chest. The intrusive thought that she may as well have witnessed his death, forced harder sobs into flannel fabric as the older man squeezed her tight and reminded her that Eddie was okay.

That they’d see him again in the morning.

Part 5 Here!! Feel free to let me know if you want to be tagged in the rest of this story as I post it.

Okay so in this chapter I accidentally set up for two other fics I am writing. One of them I’ve actually started (Eddie’s drive home from Hellfire with Chrissy) and the other is basically Season 4 from Karmen’s (and by proxy, Wayne’s) POV. But obviously as Eddie is “missing” for the entirety of that time I’m not sure anyone would actually be interested in reading a fic that is purely Karmen|Wayne centric. So, please me know if that’s something you’d be interested in or if I could maybe get the info out there in another way that interests you rather than an entire fully written fic.

Read the rest of the series here :)

This series is so personal to me, so it means the world to me when someone let’s me know they enjoy a work from this series. If you guys liked this please pleaseee consider letting me know via comment, reblog, message, anon ask etc.

Tag List: @ghosttownwherenoonegoes @3ddi3-daydreamer @micheledawn1975 @munson-blurbs @wheels-of-despair @browneyes528

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firaloveatea · 1 year ago

Text

About the Marine AU

The title is clearly a placeholder until I think of a cool name.

I totally fuck with the timeline for fun but put it back on track about Sky Island / Water 7

There is no Going Merry to fight over fue to them being Marines they have a standarded issued boat that needs repairs. So that is semi changes some of the events.

They still got the gold from Sky Island, and it still gets stolen.

Franky still builds the Sunny, it is just considered Luffy's personal ship and where he has Neon and Franky live because after Enie's Lobby Luffy's fragile trust in the world government is cracking and he wants to prevent anyone from just taking Neon from him again.Sunny.

Also this Sunny has a private Captain's cabin. Franky knew the young couple would need it.

I am trying to avoid too much angst because this is supposed to be a "they get all of the happiness" sort of fic.

*spoilers for future parts not written but in my head*

Yes, there is pregnancy. Neon don't connect the dots well, and goes through Thrillers Bark and the mess of Sabaody while pregnant.

Kuma send her to the RA, where she is confirmed pregnant finally. Her ass still demands to be taken to Marineford to get to Luffy.

Marineford... they get married in the middle of the battlefield. There are drastic changes in Marineford that I am saving.

Neon goes back to the RA when Luffy leaves the Marines, wearing his famous straw hat and becomes a pirate officially. The rest of the crew being loyal as they are, agree.

Rayleigh appears and offers to help train Luffy to be ready for the New World still. So, it still follows the whole disappearance of Luffy and his friends.

*during the time skip*

Neon gets a sort of princess/queen treatment for being Dragon's daughter-in-law and pregnant. She tries to get some training but they tell her no.

So Neon uses a lot of her free time studying and learning what she can.

Robin eventually is saved and meets Neon. Excited to see and hear the news.

*around December*

Neon goes into labor, where a blonde man joins her for her delivery as her support. After baby is born Neon reveals her and Luffy promised if they had a boy they'd name him Sabo.

The blonde man reveals himself to be that Sabo, but it is too late. The papers are filled out. The baby is now also Sabo, which the RA lovingly refers to as Bobo or Baby Sabo.

Robin is Aunt of the year.

Sabo and Dragon fight to hold Bobo all the time when they're not busy.

Once recovered, Neon does get to train.

Neon also has collected every picture of Luffy from the newspaper the RA had archived and is always showing her son pictures of his dad.

*Sabaody Reunion*

Robin and Neon arrive to find Franky tinkering with the Sunny

Franky is surprised to see a toddler but immediately sets out to plan on baby proofing the sunny.

Everyone else arrives and gushes over Sabo.

Luffy arrives, floored that he has a son, but immediately puts on his dad pants and apologizes to Neon for not being there for her and Sabo.

#original character #one piece oc #one piece original character #one piece #ocs #fanfiction #monkey d. luffy #the marine au #monkey d luffy x oc #oc x canon #oc x canon baby

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xenodile · 1 year ago

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Goddess of Victory: Nikke - Story Recap

Chapter 7: Reunion - Part 1

Though Snow White is able to dispatch Modernia's reinforcements, Chatterbox and the Heretic have escaped. She yells at the Commander to go home, but they ask Snow White to let them join her. Snow White says she has no need of them, but the Commander promises they'll be helpful. Rather than argue, Snow White agrees, but tells the Commander not to slow her down before she sprints off in pursuit.

The Commander is barely able to keep up with the Pilgrim. When Snow White stops get her bearings, the Commander takes a while to finally catch up and is clearly winded. Snow White worries that with the weather worsening, and before long Chatterbox's tracks will be covered. When she sees the Commander struggling however, she opts to take a rest. The Commander tries to say that they're fine and they can keep up, but Snow White insists, saying she has her own preparations as well.

Snow White double checks her weapons, making minor repairs and adjustments, retrieving ammo, and so on, while the Commander catches their breath. As they look Snow White over, they notice that while functional, all her equipment is very banged up. Scuff marks, scratches, chipped coatings, patched tears. When they comment on it, Snow White says her equipment is a bit outdated is all. When the Commander asks just how long she's been using out of date gear, she admits she doesn't remember the exact number, but it dates back to the First Rapture Invasion, so a few decades at least. The Commander, incredulous, asks if Snow White can clarify on what she means by decades, but she shuts them down, saying she doesn't want to discuss it.

She asks the Commander a question of her own, namely what Chatterbox wanted with them. They have no idea, and would like to find out too. Snow White flatly says there must be SOMETHING unusual about them, given no common human would have survived this long...and judging by the wild look in the Commander's eyes, not even have fully processed it all.

Snow White has no idea what Modernia and Chatterbox are planning, but she's certain they serve the Queen, and that capturing and interrogating them will give her the clue she needs to finally find the Queen herself. Commander finally asks who this Queen everyone keeps talking about is. Snow White says it's the Rapture Queen, the center of the Rapture collective. If the Queen dies, the Raptures are defeated, and a new age will begin. Without elaborating further, Snow White tells the Commander that they need to get moving before the weather gets worse and they lose the trail.

Snow White and the Commander continue following Chatterbox and Modernia's track's, even as the winds pick up and the snowfall grows heavier. Snow White muses that they could be looking at whiteout conditions soon, and asks the Commander if they can keep up. They stubbornly repeat that they're fine. Snow White comments that she hasn't met many commander, but they're the only one she's met that was so eager to throw themself into harm's way.

Commander asks Snow White how she came to be acquainted with Chatterbox. She says that for a while she was just hunting Raptures wherever she could find them, trying to scavenge any data she could on the Queen with little success, as Raptures don't store anything useful in their cores, and nothing that could be interpreted with human language. She encountered Chatterbox by chance; she saw a massive beam of light erupt from the sealed door to the Ark, and went to investigate, and ran into Chatterbox shortly after. Since then, she dedicated her efforts to hunting it, because a talking Rapture was her best lead on getting information on the Queen. Unfortunately, Chatterbox is very good at weaseling its way out of danger, so she hasn't gotten much out of it. She had hoped she had it this time, but then they were interrupted.

Commander infers she meant Modernia, and asks...what exactly was that? A Nikke in Rapture armor? Snow White bitterly says that Heretics are traitors, enemies of humanity, the scum of the earth, and the less said about it the better, but they're the closest to the Queen. Not wanting to speak more on it, Snow White urges the Commander to speed up as they continue pursuing their quarry.

The howling winds eventually become a blizzard, and the rail is quickly being erased. Snow White says they need to go faster, but when she looks back at the Commander, it becomes apparent they won't last long, and even they admit they're not doing so good. Snow White almost tells them to turn around and go back, but she knows that they've come to far for that. She asks if the Commander needs shelter, grumbling that looking after others is one thing she still hasn't really figured out. The Commander puts on a brave face and tells her to just go on without them, but Snow White tells that just because she's been living on the surface for a long time doesn't mean she's forgotten what it means to be a Nikke. She won't leave them to die.

Snow White tears off a portion of her cloak and tells the Commander to wrap themselves in it, as it will stave off the cold until she can find them proper shelter. The Commander thanks her for her kindness, and she replies that protecting others is what has kept her going all this time.

The Commander asks if Snow White has ever considered returning to the Ark, and she flatly refuses, stating that she and the other Pilgrims cannot go to the Ark until their mission is complete. They try to convince her, saying she'd be welcomed with open arms, but Snow White doesn't care. If anything, she would see it as an admittance of failure, a message to humanity that it's okay to give up, and that is something she doesn't want.

She also adds that the Pilgrims can't "return" to the Ark, because they've never set foot in it to begin with. It is as alien to them as the surface is to most humans. They would not know how to live, how to survive in such a place. No matter how much she is asked, she won't go.

The Pilgrims are wanderers in search of hope.

#Goddess of Victory: Nikke #Nikke Story Recap #Abby plays Nikke

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teitpp · 1 year ago

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Tag Game: First 10 Lines Challenge

Thanks for tagging me, @curator-on-ao3 😘

The game is to share the first lines of the last 10 stories you wrote. So here goes!

1. “Set temporal coordinates.”

- Euridice - Rated E, Voyager fic, Year of Hell Unaltered Timeline (J/C, C/P, B/7, some J/P undercurrents too)

2. “So… you’ll take anything I offered, would you?” The Terran Captain’s voice was sultry, almost purring as she ran her tail up the inside of his leg.

- Lost in a Hall of Mirrors - Rated T, Prodigy fic, Threshold AU moment from Cracked Mirror (J/C)

3. Captains Log, Star Date 52160: We’re docked at the Berudian Orbital Shipyard today for much needed repairs after our experiment with slipstream technology.

- Lost and Found - Rated T, Voyager fic for Maliciousalice Birthday, a Threshold AU story set in Season 5. (background J/C)

4. Captain Janeway held her breath as she ordered Kim to lock onto the single life sign in Val Jean ’s cockpit.

- Five Catches and a Fall - Rated T, Voyager Fic, five J/C oneshots spanning the series run.

5. The arrival home had been stressful on them all, but none more so than Kathryn who had to submit to a barrage of tests from medical as part of their debriefing.

- Brumating in a Winter Wonderland - Rated T - Voyager fic - Threshold AU of the arrival home. (J/C)

6. Janeway looked longingly at her replicator as she got dressed for the day. - All the Little Things

- Rated G - Voyager fic - a J/C oneshot set early in the series.

7. How quickly things could change, Kathryn mused as she cradled her infant son Liam to her breast.

- For Just one Day Let's Only Think About Love - Rated T, Voyager Books fic - Threshold AU take on the ending of To Lose the Earth (J/C, background P/T)

8. “Ah Captain,” Jellico welcomed Tuvok into his office, gesturing for him to sit in the open chair, beside Commander Tysses. “Thank you for coming.”

- The Timepast - Rated T - Prodigy fic - a Shakespeare-inspired farce AU of J/C's reunion and Chakotay's rescue. (J/C, D/G, Adreek/Tysses)

9. The roast was burnt, as usual, but that didn't bother him. In fact it was the very reason they now found themselves in this delightful situation...

- No Captain Here; No Commander Either - Rated E - Voyager fic - J/C smut.

10. It was a bad day to be Q. - Universe to Mend

- Rated M - Prodigy/Voyager Books fic - a novel set after To Lose the Earth, featuring Q, Pocket Full of Lies' Denzit Janeway, and Prodigy's Hologram Janeway on a new adventure. (J/Q and J/C)

Analysis: I tend to open with dialogue, with a characters thought or log, or with some kind of very quick statement about the setting. just throwing you right into the action usually. I'm kinda okay with that!

I'm gonna tag (and im sorry if i forget anyone) @trekflower @pc-corner @jellybeansarecool @emilie786 @divinemissem13 @theredheadedcaptain @nonadhesiveness @coffee-in-that-nebula @cnrothtrek if yall would like to play and anyone else who wants too, feel free to do your own!

#prodigy fic #voyager fic #voyager book fics #tag game #elephantwrites

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travelingtheusa · 11 months ago

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INDIANA

2024 August 7 (Wed) – We were up at 5 a.m. this morning. Pulled in the slides, emptied the front basement, and hooked up the truck. At 6 a.m., a technician came over to give us all directions on what we were to do today (there are 2 other couples and a single man all having work done in addition to us).

We were all directed to a bay and backed in for our work. Starlene & Ken (from the Vilano group) were only here for a realignment. The other couple and single man are having independent suspension systems put on, like us.

After we were pulled into the bay, we went out to breakfast at the Cockadoodle-Café. The food was all undercooked. We returned to MORryde and sat around the lounge all day with everyone else. At 10 a.m. we took a tour of MORryde’s facilities. They have three big warehouses here where they do metal fabrication. It was fascinating to see them take a plain sheet of aluminum and turn it into parts and pieces for RVs. They also fabricate parts for medical units and the military.

The company ordered lunch for everybody. We each had a sandwich from Panera. At 2 p.m., the mechanics went home and we got into our RVs, still parked in the bay. We will be spending the night here.

At 5 p.m. we drove to the Das Dutchman Essenhaus restaurant for dinner. We met Starlene & Ken and Janet & David there. We all enjoyed the buffet meal. So much food! We all left stuffed.

2024 August 6 (Tue) - Well, here is a perfect example of how plans change. We were going to stay in Harbortown RV Park for 2 nights when we got a call from MorRyde. We had an appointment to have an independent suspension system and disc brakes put on the RV in October. However, they had a cancellation and called to ask if we wanted to take the date. Since we happened to be in the area, we said yes.

We left Monroe, MI, at 9 AM and drove 4 hours to Elkhart. We are camped in the parking lot of the MorRyde Service Center. There is only electric hookup. We could use a water fill-up point but Paul put some water in the tank before we left our last campground so we don’t need any. We will use paper plates while here.

Soon after we were in place, a Vilano RV pulled in beside us. It turned out to be one of the couples (Starlene & Ken) we camped with back in January at the RV Show in Tampa, FL. As we were having our happy reunion, another of the couples that had been in Tampa pulled up (Janet & Dave). It turned out they happen to be in the area because they had been held up in the area for repairs. We all went out to dinner at Kao’s, a Thai eatery. Paul and I split a Padthai with chicken and added fried dumplings. We found the food bland. After we all returned to the “campground,” we gathered for coffee, ice cream, cake, and comradery. A pleasant end to the day. We spent the night camped in the parking lot.

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ishipgenfics · 2 years ago

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You and Your Human: Part 6

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

You gently peel your human away from you, limb by limb. It makes a soft whining noise.

"I am sorry," you say, edging away from your human. "I need to go."

Your human seems to collect itself, nodding firmly. "Right. Sorry."

"Captain?" the pilot calls. "You really should come look at this."

You wish you could stay. Your human is breathing heavily, and it looks tense as it shifts along the ground, as if any wrong movement might make it fall over and shatter. But this, whatever it is, is important.

You follow your pilot up to the bridge, where your engineer and scientist are both standing. They nod as you approach. You note vaguely that it is funny, how easy it is to pick up on human quirks.

"We got a messsssssage a few minutesss ago," your engineer explains. Her Pyricese is getting very good. "It is the same word... wordsss?"

"Do you mean phrase?"

"Yes. The same phrase, over and over. Many languages, but same phrase, I think."

"What is it?" you say. There is no voice echoing through the bridge, so your engineer must have shut off the message for now. Unless perhaps the message written, and sent through the controls. You can't really say.

"Do you have a human?" the Sirviles quotes. "That is all."

You stiffen, thinking over all the sentients you have encountered so far. Could one of them have figured out your secret, your human?

Or maybe it is someone you haven't met before. After all, your former customers would know what language you speak.

So. Who is this, and what does it want with a human?

"Do you want me to answer their hail?" the engineer asks.

"Yes, thank you," you say. "Please do."

The big screen that usually shows nothing but blank space and the flicker of stars lights up. A human appears on the screen.

It looks young, probably around the same age as your human, if you had to guess. Its hair is the color of dirty sand, and it is wearing a gray shirt that is definitely too big for it.

Its eyes meet yours, and he says, in pitch-perfect Pyricese, "Do you have a human?"

It starts to repeat it in another pronoun variant, but you hold up a hand and it stops. "I am captain of this vessel, and use she/her pronouns," you say in your native tongue, all lilts and rolls. "What are your pronouns, and what do you want with us?"

The human says nothing.

You frown. "My name is Rhy'cd," you say. You had not gotten the impression that names were of much importance to humans, considering your human's behavior, but perhaps it was simply an anomaly. "Please state your intentions."

The human stayed quiet for a moment longer and then repeated, "Do you have a human?"

You stare. "... that's the only sentence in Pyricese you know, isn't it?"

"Do you have a--"

"Yeah, yeah," you wave your hand and the human stops talking. With a sigh, you switch languages. "Do you speak English?"

The human startles. "Yes, I do. Why do you speak English?"

"I have an personal interest in languages," you reply, which is not technically inaccurate.

"Do you have a human?" the human says again, falling back on its weird catchphrase. You try very hard to focus on the words and not just the way this humans speaks. It is different then your human, faster and smoother, with more heavily accented vowels. A dialect, perhaps? Or could English be this human's second language? The books had implied that Earth was a multi-lingual planet...

"Well?' the human demands, shocking you out of your thoughts. Your ears shoot up, and your fur bristles.

"Why do you want a human?" you ask.

The human does something with its lips, like a smile, but not all the way. "Let's just say... I have a personal interest."

Snarky little-- "I will not give up a member of my crew," you say. "Not without a reason."

The human points at you. "Aha! You do have a human!"

Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit. You try to pull yourself together and deliver some kind of eloquent plea to continue diplomatic talks but what comes out of your mouth is instead, "It wants to be here!"

The human's face shuts down. Completely. You aren't all that good at reading human facial expressions at the best of times(void, you have trouble with it among your own species) but right now you are getting nothing. Except the eyes. Those are filled with cold hard anger. You shiver.

You know humans are predators. But this is the first time you've ever really felt it.

"Wait," you say. "We can talk about this--"

"Will you give me my human?"

... you've had a bad day. You've been a little stressed ever since you woke up, and you really haven't been sleeping enough ever since you started cramming for your human's surprise, and now you're in the middle of a direct confrontation and you're a prey animal, damnit! You aren't meant for this.

And all these things, piled one on top of the other, are slowly wearing down your restraint and making it so that--

Well. When you hear that possessive adjective, your instincts scream.

"Mine."

The human nods, stiffly. "Right then." The screen turns off.

You sink into your chair, wrapping yourself in your tail. No one says anything.

Your engineer is the one to finally break the silence. "Captain? They're charging weapons."

That little tidbit breaks you out of your haze of instincts and failure. Your claws retract and reveal again, scraping against metal. You take a deep breath.

"Pull up the star charts," you order your scientist.

"But--"

"Pull them up!"

"Yes, Captain!"

The screen changed, a sea of empty black appearing. You must have stumbled your way into a dead zone. Damnit. Out of the corner of your eye, you see your engineer frantically fiddling with the controls. The shields around the ship glow brighter, blocking out the first volley of attack. The human's ship pauses, waiting to see what you do. They must not have much ammunition.

"Expand," you order.

There's a slight pause as your engineer taps frantically at the controls before the screen expands wider. You search the void, sharp eyes scanning every inch and-- there!

"My pilot," you say. "Set a course for the star."

There's a flash of bright light, and as your pilot springs to action, feathers rustling, you turn to see your scientist flickering anxiously.

"Can't--danger-- star-- fire,"

"I'm sorry," you say as gently as you can, as the ship hums and starts flying. "We don't really have a choice."

Your scientist growls.

"Captain?" your pilot says. Their voice is ever so slightly higher-pitched than normal, indicating a hint of hysteria, but they seem to be holding together well. "The other ship is following us."

"Are they charging weapons?"

Your engineer snorts. "At this speed? In that ship? No."

The star map comes down, and you see the star quickly approaching. Your ship slows down/

"Shall I stop the ship?" your pilot asks. "We're going to hit the star."

You nod. "That's the point. Keep going."

You fly into the star. Instantly, the ship starts shaking.

"Shields are down!" your engineer yells. "Shields are down!"

"The other ship has stopped following us!" your pilot says.

There is another flash of bright light and your scientist is gone. You look around, but can't see it anywhere.

"Captain?" your engineer says. "The shields are... coming back up. 10 percent... 20 percent... 30 percent... 40 percent... holding steady at 40 percent!"

You peer at the screen. "My scientist?" you say, feeling stupid. "Is that you?"

A shining face appears and nods at you before vanishing, presumably back into the wiring.

Your engineer coughs. "Captain. We are safe for now, but this ship was not made to enter stars. We will need to do repairs before we can continue safely."

You nod numbly. Your ears are low. You think you might be in shock. Or no.

Adrenaline crash, my old friend.

"Captain?" your engineer says. "What do you want me to do?"

Your head feels floaty. "The other ship isn't coming after us."

"That is correct."

You stand up, and wave a paw at everyone. "You all can... do whatever you want then. I'm going to go find my human."

#you and your human #story #story snippet #original character #second person #humans are space orcs #writblr #Part 7: Repairs and Reunions #i feel like the ending's a bit rushed #but i needed to get this out #been fixating on my scientist's cottagecore lesbian adventure #or #whatever the equivalent of cottagecore lesbian is if one of the participants doesn't know how their pronouns translate in alien languages

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