#and at 10:15 the fire alarm goes off (no fire it’s been broken)

[dilfcherricola]

Trying not to resent my roommate/coworker for things that are not in faer control but damn if the things aren’t making my life harder

[bechloeislegit]

25 Days of BeChloe Christmases - 2020

Day 13 - Rescue Me

Author's Prompt: Firefighter!Chloe AU. A follow-up to Day 4 (Not A) Fire and Rescue. Beca and Chloe have been together for 2 years.

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Beca and Chloe had been living together in Beca's apartment for almost a year.

Chloe reached over Beca to grab her phone to silence her alarm. She slowly stretched and fell back to the bed.

"You awake?" Beca mumbled.

"Yeah," Chloe mumbled back.

Chloe continued to lay there and Beca slid over and straddled Chloe's hips. She leaned down and started kissing down Choe's neck.

"I'll give you twenty minutes to stop that," Chloe mumbled, stretching her head back to give Beca more access.

"And, if I don't?" Beca asked.

"Mmmmm," Chloe moaned and said, "I can't think of a good punishment, so keep going."

"You're going to be late," Beca said as she moved to kiss across Chloe's chest.

"So?"

"It will be the third time this a week," Beca said. "And, you know Jesse and Chicago will tease you mercilessly, all day."

"When you wake me up like this," Chloe mumbled, grabbing Beca and flipping her over onto her back. "I don't care."

Beca giggled and pulled Chloe down by the back of her head into a heated kiss.

~~ Day 13 of the 25 Days of BeChloe's Christmases - 2020 ~~

"You're late, Beale," Jesse said with a smile as Chloe walked into the engine bay. "Let me guess, car trouble?"

"Nope," Chloe said, smirking as she pushed past Jesse to enter the station.

"I bet Beca helped her get her motor running this morning," Chicago said, laughing as he and Jesse followed Chloe.

"Jealousy is not a good color on you, Walp," Chloe said as she headed toward the kitchen. "I'm getting coffee. You guys want one?"

"No, thanks," Chicago as he turned to go to his locker.

"I'll go with you," Jesse said. "I just need a refill."

Jesse followed Chloe to the kitchen. Chloe grabbed the coffee pot and poured herself a cup of coffee first before pouring Jesse's.

"Hey, Beale?" Jesse said, looking at the redhead and smirking.

"Yeah?" Chloe said, hesitantly as she replaced the coffee pot on the coffee maker.

Jesse pointed at Chloe's neck and said, "You got a little something there."

Chloe threw her hand up to her neck.

"Shit," Chloe said, setting her cup on the counter. "I'll be right back."

Jesse stood laughing as Chloe hurried away. He laughed harder when she flipped him off over her shoulder.

Chloe grabbed her makeup bag from her locker and stood in front of the mirror, assessing the mark on her neck. She couldn't help but smile as she remembered how she was marked in the first place. She wasn't ashamed or embarrassed by it, but she knew the guys, especially Jesse, wouldn't leave her alone about it.

Chloe had just finished covering the love bite when the alarm went off.

"Engine 27, Engine 15, Rescue 27, Rescue 54. Code 10-50 in the 1500 block of Green Street."

Chloe threw her makeup bag in her locker and rushed to the truck.

~~ Day 13 of the 25 Days of BeChloe's Christmases - 2020 ~~

It was a little over two hours later when Beca went running into the Emergency Room. She looked around and spotted Jesse and ran over to him.

"Where is she? How is she? What happened?"

"She's being examined by the doctors," Jesse said. "We don't know how she is; they had already taken her back when we got here. She was unconscious when they put her in the ambulance. We're waiting for confirmation, but they think she has a concussion."

"Oh, God," Beca cried, reaching out for Jesse as her knees went weak.

Jesse caught Beca and sat her in the chair next to him.

"So, what the Hell happened?"

"A car careened around our truck," Jesse said, in a monotone voice. "It was heading toward some kids who were watching us work. Chloe was by the truck, returning some equipment, and must have seen the car. She stepped out away from the truck, waving her arms to get the driver to stop. But, for whatever reason, he turned into her. She tried to jump out of the way, but the car caught her leg and flipped her into the air. She landed hard on her back. That must have been when she hit her head."

There was a sudden commotion in one of the examination rooms. Everyone's head turned toward the noise. Beca could see a guy struggling to get off the gurney. Two cops stepped in to help subdue the guy. They got him under control and handcuffed both wrists to the gurney.

"That's the guy who hit Chloe," Jesse said, his voice hard. "He's drunk."

Beca jumped up. "Son of a bitch!"

Jesse grabbed Beca around the waist to keep her from going after the guy. Beca struggled to get out of Jesse's hold.

"Beca, calm down," Jesse said. "He's not worth it. We have to stay focused on Chloe, okay?"

"Beca," Captain Smith said, getting her attention, and calming her down a bit. "He'll get what's coming to him, I promise you that."

Beca relaxed and fell back into her chair. She ran a hand through her hair and looked up at Jesse and Captain Smith.

"Has anyone called her parents?" Beca asked, looking down at her hands. "Are they on their way?"

"I called them," Captain Smith said. "Mr. Beale is sick and Mrs. Beale can't leave him alone. She's going to see if she can get someone to stay with him so she can come here if needed. She'll make her final decision once we know more. I promised I'd call once we heard from the doctor."

"Thank you, Captain," Beca said.

The Captain squeezed her arm and went back to his men.

"Jesse?" Beca said, looking over at him. "Did, um, did any of the kids get hurt?"

"All the kids are fine," Jesse said.

"Thank God," Beca said.

~~ Day 13 of the 25 Days of BeChloe's Christmases - 2020 ~~

Beca jumped up when she heard someone calling her name.

"I'm Beca Mitchell," Beca told the doctor who called for her.

"Ms. Mitchell, I'm Dr. Cooke," the doctor said. "You're listed at Ms. Beale's emergency contact. If you'll come with me I can give you an update on her condition."

"These guys are her family," Beca said. "You can speak freely in front of them. Chloe would insist on it."

"Okay, then," Dr. Cooke said, looking down at some papers. "Ms. Beale suffered a broken left leg and she has a mild concussion. Because of the concussion, we'd like to keep her overnight for observation. She also received six stitches in the back of her head. If all goes well tonight, she should be able to go home tomorrow. Oh, and she'll require crutches for a few weeks while her leg heals and should be put on medical leave until then. Do you have any questions?"

"May I see her?" Beca asked.

"Certainly, she's been asking for you," Dr. Cooke said. "I'll have a nurse show you to her room."

"Thank you, Dr. Cooke," Beca said.

"We need to get back to the station," Captain Smith said. "Tell Chloe we'll come by tomorrow to check on her."

"Thanks, guy," Beca said. "Don't worry Captain. I'll call Mrs. Beale and let her know what the doctor said. And I'll let you know when I can take her home."

"Take care, Beca," Captain Smith said. "Okay, guys, let's go back to work."

"Anything Chloe needs," Jesse said. "Anything you need, just call. And I mean anything."

"Thanks, Jesse," Beca said as a nurse walked toward them.

"Miss Mitchell?" the nurse asked, looking at Beca. At Beca's nod, she said, "If you'll follow me I'll take you to Miss Beale's room."

"I'll talk to you later, Jesse," Beca said as she followed after the nurse.

The nurse knocked on the door and entered when Chloe called out "come in." She stepped aside to let Beca enter the room. She then gently closed the door, leaving Beca alone with Chloe.

Beca stood by the door, taking everything in. Chloe's casted leg was propped up with pillows; she had a bandage around her head. Beca could see some bruises from where she was standing.

"Hey," Beca said as she walked to the side of Chloe's bed.

Beca took Chloe's hand and kissed the knuckles. Chloe smiled at her.

"God, Chloe," Beca said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "When I answered my phone and heard Jesse say you were hurt, I thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest. I've never been so scared in my entire life."

"I'm okay," Chloe said, pulling Beca to her in a hug. "See? I'm still here."

Beca pulled back and leaned in to kiss Chloe. The kiss ended and Beca and Chloe stared into each other's eyes.

"God, I love you," Beca said.

"I love you, too," Chloe said.

Beca pulled away from Chloe and started slapping her arm.

"Don't you ever fucking scare me like that again."

"Ow, ow, ow," Chloe cried out, grabbing Beca's hands and pulling her to her for another kiss.

"I promise I won't," Chloe said, chuckling between kisses.

"I almost forgot," Beca said, pulling away from Chloe. "I promised to call your mom to let her know how you were."

"Do you have your phone?" Chloe asked. "I left mine at the station when the alarm went off."

~~ Day 13 of the 25 Days of BeChloe's Christmases - 2020 ~~

The next day, Jesse, Chicago, and Benji were visiting Chloe before their shifts at the station.

"I can't do it, guys," Chloe said. "We have to come up with a Plan B."

We only have three days until Christmas, Chloe," Chicago said.

"I know," Chloe said and fell back onto her bed. "There's got to be a way to still do this."

Chloe sits up suddenly. "Benji, can I be on the ladder as it's raised?"

"We'd have to secure you even more than normal," Benji said. "And east it up slowly. Slower than normal. But, I think we can do it."

"There's our Plan B," Chloe said, smiling. "You guys can get me up to the ladder. Benji can hook me up, and then easy peasy send me and the ladder up."

"I don't think the Chief is going to like that idea," Jesse said.

"So, let's not ask him," Chloe said. "Let's just do it. I'll take the heat if anyone comes for us."

"You must really love her," Chicago said.

"I do," Chloe said. "I really do."

"I'm still in," Jesse said.

"Me, too," Chicago said. "Benji?"

"I'm in, too."

"You guys are the best," Chloe said, smiling. "Let me call nurse, so she can call Beca to let her know she can pick me up anytime after eleven."

"I'll call her," Jesse said, pulling out his phone.

He placed the call and waited for Beca to answer. "Hey, Beca, it's Jesse."

"Hey, Jesse, what's up?"

"I'm here with Chloe and the doctor said she could go home anytime after eleven today."

"Tell Chloe I'll be there at eleven oh five," Beca said.

"I'll tell her," Jesse said. "We'll see you later."

"Thanks, Jesse," Beca said.

"So, looks like it's a definite go for Plan B," Chicago said. "I'll plan on picking you up at nine o'clock on Christmas Day. Tell Beca that I'm planning on picking you up at nine so she can stay home to wait for whoever is coming to your place."

~~ Day 13 of the 25 Days of BeChloe's Christmases - 2020 ~~

Beca and Chloe were sitting in the living room on Christmas morning, sipping their coffee when there was a knock on the door.

"That's probably Chicago," Chloe said. "I shouldn't be gone long. Just a couple of hours."

"I don't know why I can't drive you to the Station," Beca said as she got up to answer the door.

"I told you," Chloe said. "I helped organize the visit from Santa for the families around the firehouse and I want to see the kid's faces when he shows up on the truck. And, someone needs to be here when our guests arrive."

"Merry Christmas," Beca said, as she opened the door to Chicago.

"Merry Christmas," Chicago said. "Is Chloe ready?"

"Right here," Chloe said, hobbling over on her crutches. "Let's go!"

"Be careful," Beca said as Chloe stopped in front of her for a kiss.

"I will," Chloe said.

"See you later, Beca," Chicago said as he and Chloe left the apartment.

Two hours later, Beca was playing hostess to friends and family.

"When will Chloe be here?" Stacie asked.

"She left at nine and said she'd be back in a couple of hours," Beca said. "So, I'd say any time now, we should be able to hear her clomping down the hallway toward the apartment."

"How is she doing since the accident?" Aubrey asked.

"She's actually doing better than I expected," Beca said. "She walks around on those crutches like the badass I fell in love with."

"Beca, we need some more punch," Mrs. Beale said.

"We have more in the kitchen," Beca said. "I'll be right back."

Stacie heard a noise and looked up. "Oh, my God!"

"What?" Aubrey asked.

"Is that Chloe?"

"Where?" Aubrey asked, looking around.

"In the window," Stacie said, pointing at Chloe holding a sign that read, "Where's Beca?"

Stacie held up a finger at Chloe, mouthing, "Kitchen. I'll call her."

Chloe nodded.

"Beca!" Stacie called out. "There's someone here to see you!"

Beca came out of the kitchen with a punch bowl. She placed the bowl on the table.

"Who's here?" Beca asked.

"Chloe," Aubrey responded with a smile.

"Where is she?" Beca asked, looking around.

Everyone pointed at the window. Beca furrowed her brow and walked around the tree to see what everyone was pointing at.

"What the fuck?!"

Beca ran over to the window and opened it. "Chloe, what the fuck are you doing? Have you lost your mind?"

"I'm recreating the day we met," Chloe said.

"Why?"

"Because I love you."

"I love you, too. But, I'd love you a lot more if you were safely inside. Would you please get in here?"

"I will. But I have a question to ask you first," Chloe said, clearing her throat. "Beca, I think I fell in love with you the first time I saw you. And, I know you're it for me, so will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Chloe held out a ring box. Beca looked at it and then looked at Chloe.

"Oh, my God," Beca said. "You did all this just to propose to me?"

"Yes," Chloe said. "So? Will you marry me?"

"Yes, you weirdo," Beca said. "I'll marry you. Now get in here so I can kiss you."

"Okay," Chloe said. "I'm going to need a little help, guys."

Chicago came up the last few rungs of the ladder; Stacie was just letting Jesse and Benji in through the door; they hurried over to the window.

"Don't worry, Beca," Jesse said. "We got this."

The three firefighters got Chloe into the apartment without any problems. Once she was inside, Benji handed Chloe her crutches. As soon as she was balanced on her crutches, Beca grabbed her and kissed her. Chloe pulled back from the kiss and grabbed Beca's left hand, placing the engagement ring on Beca's finger.

"Merry Christmas, babe," Chloe said. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Beca said, leaning in to kiss Chloe as their friends and family cheered.

[wisherbysharlight]

WHAT IF... SANDERS SIDES BUT MAKE IT A TROPEY TEEN BEACH AU

Endgame!LAMP. Dukeceit, Remile

Just 2k stream of consciousness words from a plunny that grew legs TW for v slight underage drinking, one joking mention of violence, and a non-specific discussion of intrusive thoughts

-Janus has just moved there because his parents wanted to start a new "adventure" and he is a Stereotypical Teenager. Very "ugh MOM I wanna go back to my FRIENDS for my LAST SUMMER BEFORE COLLEGE"(most of his friends suck. He should not spend time with them. He does not know this)

His Parents buy him a surfboard and tell him to try it out as a way to get him to Shut Up

Hes a Skater Boy(cue music) so he picks it up super fast from like,,, youtube videos

 -He gets told to Get a Job if he wants to like, keep buying surf gear?

All the local kids work at like one restaurant/yacht club type place right on the beach

Janus gets hired as a host

 -Logan is a beach badge checker, Patton, Roman, and Remus are beachfront restaurant waiters but Roman just Really Wants To Surf, Emile and Virgil are Lifeguards, and Remy is a bartender

 -Janus is Very Good At Customer Service because Fake Smiles

Patton recognizes this Immediately

He shows him the Rage Closet which is a tiny room with an arm chair that locks from the inside where you can punch a pillow on your break when it gets to be Too Much

-Janus is Attached now and there is no getting rid of him

Patton Fully Endorses this and introduces him to the rest of the group

Janus Knows Immediately that LAMP is In Love but says nothing because he aint no snitch

-Remus surfs, but he also always wear a thong while doing it

Roman wears a full wetsuit and somehow still gets Board Rash. Remus is somehow immune and it infuriates him

 -Janus, not knowing that the twins live right on the beach cuz they are RichTM: Hey Ree I kinda wanna learn how to surf would you be able to teach me 

Remus, who religiously watches Janus surf every morning, but is absolutely willing to play this game: Yeah absolutely

Patton, later: “lets rinse off at the twins they’re right here” Janus: theyre.... What?!

 -Meanwhile, elsewhere, Virgil and Roman are double teaming Logan to drag him into the water with them cuz he’s pouting about losing a debate with their manager about how he didn’t really be mean to the dudebro who wanted to get his buddies onto the beach without paying, he was just enforcing the rules. And if the dude was so offended by Logan’s Very Accurate Dragging that he complained to management then, well, that’s his problem not Logan’s

 -Logan is never without a book. Ever. And its always a different book. Janus is starting to think he owns a library

One day he is just... reading a Physics textbook. Not taking notes or anything. Just reading. 

Roman is Very Very Alarmed by this because he is Gay and Math is Scary

"Roman I'm also gay that is not a determining factor"

"Yeah but you can't drive"

"...fair"

 -the first time janus has a shift with the twins, he cant stop staring, not just because hes like,,, super attracted to Remus but also because they are like Chaos Incarnate and yet somehow get the most tips??? He doesn't understand???

It's just cuz they are both Huge Flirts and Flatterers and the patrons dont care that they're not-so-subtly beating the shit out of each other right there on the dining floor because theyre just so charming

 -one of the bartenders gets aggressively snapped at by a customer and called "sweetheart" and before Janus can even begin to react Remy is there, sunglasses off, fire in his eyes, telling them to settle their bill and get the fuck out

Janus, used to City Restaurants- "Wont you get in trouble with the owner?!"

Remy, who knows Nothing Else But This- "What?? Not likely I only did it cuz Thomathy wasnt here to do it himself"

 -the restaurant is closed Monday and Tuesday so that is the Pseudo Weekend for the staff where everyone hangs out at the beach

Emile and Virgil take Tuesdays off but still work Monday’s cuz they feel better being the one watching over their friends

 -Roman, staring at Virgil on the lifeguard stand: ugh he’s so pretty I almost wish I was drowning just so he could give me cpr 

Janus: you wanna potentially get your ribs broken just for lip contact? 

Remy, staring at Emile on the lifeguard stand: listen, if that’s what it takes, I’ll take it

Remus, immediately going up to the lifeguard stand because he has 0 impulse control: hey my brother and cousin want you to break their ribs 

Virgil and Emile: excuse me?????

 -Patton will literally spend hours in the water. Logan physically drags him out to put sunscreen on him every two hours to the minute. Patton does not admit that he purposely "forgets" just so Logan will do so

Logan is Dark and has never used sunscreen ever but Patton is so pale and he just gets so concerned about him. Patton thinks its adorable

He has pages of research on proper spf determination.

Roman and Remus use spf 15 just on their faces and have never once burned in their lives

Logan wants to submit them for scientific study because that shouldnt be possible

Virgil calls Logan out on the fact that he also should be wearing sunscreen and Logan like... blue screens he cant believe in all his research he missed that

 -Patton is like... a ridiculously strong swimmer. Virgil still has a heart attack every time he goes for laps when there is the slightest hint of an undertow

Patton Knows This so he tries to stay in Virgil's sight line for the most part if there is an undertow. Or just dives over the waves again and again.

His nickname is Ariel. He thinks its just cuz of the swimming and the fact hes a red head. LAP all separately also tack on that its the swimming, the red hair, and the hnng pretty 10/10 would follow out to sea ala Prince Eric

 -first beach bonfire Janus goes to Remy is Fully In Emile's Lap like... half an hour in

he has had like maybe a sip of a beer

Remus says he still claims this is because he is a Clingy Drunk

no one will call him on it, least of all Emile

 -there is truth or dare. Roman may or may not skinny dip you have no proof

 -Logan gets infuriated that he cannot roast a marshmallow properly

Patton does it perfectly every single time but its ok cuz he shares and Logan eats it right from his fingers and Roman and Virgil are just in the background Trying and Failing not to be the Most Jealous

Patton thinks theyre upset they didn't get marshmallows and makes some for them too and there is lots of Significant Eye Contact involved

Janus is going to spontaneously combust if they don't get their shit together

 -Janus is out walking on the beach one night on a full moon cuz he cant sleep with everything so quiet around here when he sees a bright green patch out in the water and goes ...wait

he calls out to Remus and he comes into shore and is like "waves are perfect at night you should join me" so janus goes back and gets his board and they surf and chat for like the entire night

Janus finds out Remus couldn't sleep cuz intrusive thoughts were keeping him awake

Janus listens and doesn't judge, just lets Remus talk it out

They go back to shore and fall asleep on the sand next to each other like mid sentence still talking, now about whatever creative business idea Remus had, and get woken up by Logan's morning rounds like "come on guys you know you're not allowed to sleep out here" but they dont care theyre both just *blushing emoji*

-Logan Always Has A Notebook right? And a regular book he reads. And everyone assumes they are like Notions and Observations, but no, it’s actually blank paper and he uses it to sketch and then one day he leaves it behind and someone either Virgil or Patton finds it and flips through it and it’s all sketches of them and Roman and they’re like??? Actually really good? Anyway that’s how they find out Logan is actually minoring in art even though he’s majoring in something Very STEM 

And he never told his best friends because like almost all his pre college art is Them and he doesn’t want to be caught having Feelings and by the time it gets to college it’s been too long and he can’t tell them now 

Roman takes one of the sketches of him surfing and makes it his profile picture on All Social Media He Has and Logan is so flustered he nearly breaks his damn phone

Patton is so offended he didn’t get invited to Logan’s first showcase that he doesn’t talk to him for like two whole hours 

Virgil quietly asks if there is any art of all four of them, finds out there is, and makes a print and keeps it on his bedside table

 -They are all Pining Outwardly Now and its Worse

 -Remus : you have known them since pre-k please ask them out I beg of you 

Roman: You just dont get it 

Remus: I asked Janus out after 4 weeks what is your problem

 Emile: Virgil, I love you, you are my Partner in Anti-Drowning but you are so stupid 

Virgil: What???? All I said is that you and Remy are really cute and I'd love to be in a relationship like that 

Emile: I am not a violent person, Virgil, but I have the strong urge to smack you

 Patton, in the Rage Closet: They're all just so hOT and ReSPEctFUL 

Janus, waiting for his turn, trying to act like he cant hear him: I Am Looking Elsewhere

 Logan: I just don't understand why they were more upset that I didn't tell them than that I'd been making art of them for years?? Shouldn't that second part be worse??

Remy, who has been partial to Every Single One Of AMP Waxing Poetic About Logan: Yeah, no idea /s

 -the twins get into a surfing competition as a pair and everyone goes to see them and support them

Thomas airs the competition on every tv in the restaurant cuz he’s Proud of his Bois

They WIN cuz they are Creative and Talented and came up with all sorts of crazy tricks while they were fucking around in the water but it earns them Major Bonus Points for originality

 -Roman does the run off the podium and into Love’s arms trope with just like... whoever’s closest lets go Patton because he is a Waif and forced himself up front so he can see

The other two are Devastated because well shit but then Roman pushes through the crowd, still holding Patton’s hand, and gives them this smile and is like “remember in like second grade when we said we’d do everything together and made a pact on this beach”

Analogical: uhhhhhh yeah

Roman: holding you both to it. No take backs. This counts. Now kiss me, dammit, we WON and they DO MANY TIMES AND ITS REAL CUTE

 -Meanwhile dukeceit have Mysteriously Disappeared and No One wants to be the ones to go find them. They show back up, eventually. Janus has a branch in his hair and remus' hair is sticking straight up and when he opens his mouth roman glares at him and tells him in no uncertain terms that they do not want to know

 AnYWaY these are my children and I will gladly answer any questions about them. I left out Janus Backstory and Creativitwins Angst and Many Individual LAMP Scenes and Remile/Dukeceit getting together and Epilogue but can absolutely provide such things on request

[calleo-bricriu]

Me: Has drafts. Also me: Has replies already written in my head. ALSO ME: “Typing is hard...”

In my defense, I’m in the home stretch of closing on a house and have to start actually working out and executing the steps to get all my shit packed up and moved from this place--I still have shit from when we bought the house in 2004 that STILL ISN’T UNPACKED, it’s mostly old computer games and I’ll probably just leave it to be finally trashed, but there’s like 5 huge boxes of it in the closet.

The house in question is an amazing little thing built in 1879 and the most work I’ll have to do on it:

1. Wait for squirrel in the garage soffits to have her babies grow up and leave, then seal the hole.

2. Strip the goddamned white paint off of all the interior wood trim; it’s the original wood trim, there’s a place for parlor doors (though they’re long gone). I just...the original woodwork is gorgeous, the exterior facing parts of the doors still have it, they’d a deep mahogany with wonderful grain. They’re the original doors from 1879 that have just been fitted with more modern deadbolts but still have the original knobs with skeleton key holes (long since blocked off because security).

3. P A I N T. I hate neutrals. I hate neutrals and, of course, when people flip a house they try to paint it in neutrals so it has a broader appeal and so potential buyers can more easily see their stuff in there, but the only thing worse than rental beige is rental tan. Gotta get some damn color in there. It might not be a big old Victorian house but it’s a Victorian house. The interior and exterior should be as obnoxiously bright as possible.

4. Get the roof redone because I know I have the money for it not, I don’t know that I’ll have it in 5-7 years.

5. Consider residing; it has white vinyl, and vinyl can be painted but it doesn’t last terribly long. Might just have it painted though. I don’t want a boring ass white house when the big rental next door is bright blue. Another roof situation, I have the money now.

6. Fix the garage door opener; it works but the chain is off the track so it doesn’t actually lift the door. 7. Probably replace the furnace and water heater; there’s nothing wrong with them but they are  from 1996, and new ones would be way more efficient.

8. Uh...furniture. All I’m taking with me is the stuff in my office and the bed I sleep in. Probably gonna need more than that.

9. Make the call on whether I want to have an electrician put in 220 volt stuff for an electric dryer or be okay with using the as feed up to that little room. Probably will just use the gas feed as it’s there. Discovered the unplugged thing on the floor in that room goes to underfloor heating meant to be used in the winter as it’s just a 3 season porch so it gets cold.

10. Be forever amazed that the original electrical wiring is still present (though largely spliced into modern wiring save for the light coming down from the ceiling in the closet--you can see the original, still insulated cord clearly--and into dining room which will be probably filled with reptiles, AND that it works and has been inspected by an actual electrician and deemed safe. 100amp breaker, but that’s not so bad, it’s a 150 breaker here and nothing ever blows.

11. ...smoke alarms and a CO alarm, as there are none, which is fine, nobody has been living there for the two-ish years the guy was rennovating it.

12. Fix the one glass pane that’s missing in the bedroom; storm window is still present and not broken/cracked but one really should have double panes windows here.

13. Oh yeah, and curtains.

14. Getting the second door that’s painted shut opened back up, the stupid white paint stripped form it, and getting a modern deadbolt put in so it’s a usable, safe door to be able to open. It’s the side door to what was the parlor and is now the living room.

15. Possibly look at where the parlor door was after having the paint stripped and see if the pockets are still present; if they are, see about getting replica doors to match the existing ones put in. Who wouldn’t want to be able to dramatically open parlor doors or tell someone to step into their parlor?

Now you get pics I took while I was there for the home inspection!

The new LED lightbulb put into a fixture from 1879:

Big kitchen, fuckton of storage, two flour bins by the stove; I love flour bins, the house I grew up in had them as did my grandparents’ houses. As long as you clean them out thoroughly when they’re empty they’re great!

📷

The exterior of the side parlor door that's painted shut.

The front door (the interior side is painted white). Original knob and skeleton key lock from when the house was built.

This house survived being a cheap, rundown student rental for nearly 40 years and it still has so much of its original stuff.

The stairs to the basement and crawlspace that looks like something out of a horror movie, so naturally I love it.

This is directly inside the crawlspace. It's absolutely perfect for storing potatoes, root vegetables, and squash--and for putting jars of stuff to ferment. It's a good 10 degrees colder than the rest of the area and is meant to be used for exactly what I just mentioned. I love that it's still there.

Also here's the entrance to the crawlspace.

...and the crawlspace. The tiny 'basement' is just a room with a few shelves I need to replace as they were using untreated plywood in the metal frame and most of it is moldy or starting to rot because untreated. Otherwise all that's in there is the furnace and water heater. The furnace has some open drain ports and I may put a humidifier down there to run 24/7 because it is, as most basements that aren't fully finished around here, a bit damp.

TL;DR: I may be largely MIA or not as quick to respond as I usually am because I’ll be legit running around like a lunatic moving all my stuff, setting up my new old house (MINE, ONLY MINE, no ex, no other people, JUST. ME. I loved living alone before I got married, and always thought I’d be happier still living alone even while married, which may be a sign that it was a bad decision, but I really just like living alone with a bunch of animals.

Also I've never seen a house that has an attic only accessible from the outside and using a ladder but that's what we have here; there's a big panel that I thought was just a vent that's really a...door.

The back yard is huge, already fenced, has a fire pit, has no fucking grass either, it's all native wild plants with some grape vines in a few areas; big mature ones too.

The front yard also has no grass, which, again, great, I'd planned to tear out any lawn at the house I got anyway. Front yard is still a bit bare so I may just coat it with clover. The only thing I'll have to mow is the boulevard and I can do that with a manual mower or be the extra strange neighbor and use a scythe--and yes I have one, I took it from my grandpa's barn after he died. They also planted a ton of ferns in the front yard for some reason, but I like ferns so they can stay. Oh and there's an entire workshop behind the garage which means I still will have an inside place to keep making wands.

[oncerpotter2018]

So, it's nearly time for Whumptober again and thereby I decided to participate in my first ever Whumptober. Below is the list of this year's prompts and the summaries of what I am planning to write. The titles of my work is in red. I am doing this event as to help me practice my writing skills in short fiction as well as enjoying my love for writing some whump. I'm very into hurt and comfort or angst fics. I also wanted to focus mainly on my favourite OTP Cherik... I'm trying not to give too much of the story away in the summaries. Also all these stories will also be available on my AO3 if anyone is interested.

Cherik Whumptober 2020 // Summaries and Titles with Prompts

1. Waking up restrainted

All Mine Now

Erik wakes up unable to move, his body tied down as he notices the ropes binding him. He wanted to know what is happening but is approached by a mysterious man as he tortures Erik while being restrainted. The man doesn't allow Erik free knowing there is no escape.

2. Pick who dies

It's the Trolley Problem

Charles was forced to make the most toughest decision when he is faced with a moral dilemma. He was made to choice between saving his sister, friends and students from the school that is about to blow up or save Erik, his husband from being killed right in front of him. Charles knows he could only choice one but they were all awful decision. What should he do?

3. Held at gun point

Tougher Than The Rest

It was about time that they catches up to him and Erik knew that. At some point he knew that Charles couldn't hid him forever from the Government. So while despite Charles' pleas of begging him not to let him do what he was about to do Erik didn't listen. He let the CIA take him in and there they torture him and beat him before placing a gun to his forehead and with his final words, Erik closed his eyes knowing there is nothing they could do about it.

4. Collapsed building

You Before Me

Charles and Erik were at the school as they were having their time alone. Erik follows Charles down to Cerebro to help him with finding more mutants when all of the sudden, the school started to tremble and soon enough the emergency sirens goes off as bits of rumble begins to fall. Charles tells him to leave but Erik stays and tell him to get the staff and children out first. The last thing that Charles sees is Erik holding the ceiling before metal and plaster fell where Erik stood.

5. Failed escape

So Close Yet So Far

Erik was running as fast as he could to out run his kidnappers. He had out ran others before but this time he was outnumbered. He was so close to finally earning his freedom when he was captured once more as he swore he heard Charles' voice in the distance.

6. Stop please

Don't Touch Him

Charles watches as they beat the hell out of Erik. He is forced to watch them take Erik in their hands and murder him right in front of him. All Charles could do was watch as they kill his lover as a retaliation of his actions. All Charles wanted was for them to stop, to make them leave him alone but there was nothing he could do about it.

7. Carrying

I'll Be Your Hero

Charles finds Erik battered and broken on the side of an ally way. His face and body covered in bruises and fresh blood still all over himself. Charles decides to take him home where he takes care of him. He nurses him back to health where at one point while under the medications, Charles could have sworen Erik had confessed his love for him. Was it just his imagination or was it real?

8. Don't say goodbye

Death Was Never The Option

Charles knew that time was nearly up as he pulls Erik into his arms. The war was over and all Charles could do was cry as he kissed Erik on the lips knowing he won't respond. Was it reallt all over?

9. Take me instead

It Should Be Me

Charles was held back as he and Raven begged them not to kill Erik. Charles screamed all he could to make them stop waht they are doing. He begged them that it should be him. That he was the one who told the CIA about their plans. That it was him that stopped Shaw from getting away with destroying the world. But Shaw wasn't having it. He wanted to punish Charles by punishing Erik. To break him until it breaks Charles.

10. Trail of blood

The Road of Blood That Leads To You

Erik was bleeding and Charles knows it. He and the others could see a trail of blood where Erik had escaped. He could see the blood getting heavier and thicker as he hadn't gone far. They finally find him but to Charles' horror it seemed as if they were too late. Erik was crumpled over a field of grass, a trail of blood leading to him. His eyes were closed.

11. Struggling/ crying

There's No Escape Now

Erik had tried to escape but it was no use. The chains that was holding him prisoner was putting a straight on him as he could barely breath with the collar around his neck. He was struggling to get himsefl out to only cry himself to sleep when he realised that there is no escape from what his fate holds. He only wishes if Charles could be there, to help him out but he knew Charles won't do that.

12. Broken down

Nowhere To Be Found

Charles and Erik decided to go for a road trip to get away from the students for a while until the car had broken down in the middle of nowhere. They tried to call for some help and when they find it they are pleased to find a person to help them. But horrible things starts to happened when Erik goes missing.

13. Oxygen Mask

Take My Breath With You

Erik has been in a hospital for weeks which turned into mouths and now its turning into a year when Charles stayed beside him holding his hand. Charles hoped so badly that he will get better. He longed to see him open his eyes and hear him speak. But the only thing Charles sees is the oxygen mask covering his mouth breathing for him.

14. Fire

Burn Baby Burn

Charles and Erik are in collage together and are sharing a dorm with their other friends. Soon the fire alarms goes off and being in a wheelchair gave Charles the advantage of being on the ground floor. They all rush to the emergency assembly outside but the fire had started to spread quickly as the last thing Charles sees before Hank pushes him outside was Erik being left behind to help Darwin and Sean.

15. Possession

Someone I Used to Be

Charles wakes up not knowing what happened last night. He looks around and sees that the house was a mess and everything was trashed. Soon his phone rang and it was Raven telling him to go to the hospital. He sees that Erik has been there and when he wakes however when he sees Charles, Erik seemed frightened and confused. Charles tries to reach for his hand but he pulls away. He doesn't know what to do.

16. Shoot the hostage

Caught In The Crossfire

Erik was just supposed to be only out for a few minutes. He was only supposed to go out shopping. Charles never expected that he would be caught in a crossfire at a daylight robbery. He didn't expect Erik to be taken hostage among the others. It was all over the news, it was all over the papers and it was the knock on his door.

17. Blackmail

Little Secrets

Erik Lehnserr had done bad and terrible things, he had done things he wishes he could take back. So when he a ghost from his past threatens to blackmail him into telling Charles about the one thing he wishes he could forget, Erik does their bidding. They make him kill and silence those that didn't follow their orders. But when Erik couldn't do a kill, they give him a choice: Be punished or let the secret of his get let out to Charles. Erik choses to be punished.

18. Phobia

Among Us

Charles has been sacred of the dark for as long as he remembered. So when he is asked to go down to the basement to get some supplies, the darkness that lurked down there scared Charles until he couldn't do the task set out for him. When going to bed, he made sure Erik was by his side, knowing he was safe. When he suddenly woke from a nightmare and realised Erik wasn't there beside him, he bagan to panic but Erik came to his rescue.

19. Survivors guilt

I'm Sorry

They promised that they will escape together. They both promised that the both of them will make it out alive. But when rescue does come, Erik was the one who got left behind. Charles wanted them to rescue him too but they said he was more important. They knew of Erik's past and his attacks on the city so they didn't bother trying.

20. Lost

In The Darkness

After being lost for hours with no way of getting home, Charles and Erik had an argument on whos fault it was. So when they decided to split out, Charles in the end found a road was a body, he didn't take notice of it at first but soon he got curious and walked towards it only to realise that it was Erik.

21. Hypothermia

Cold Water

Charles had just rescued Erik from the cold water. He managed to get him in time or so he had thought. By the time he had rescued him Erik was already experiencing high levels of hypothermia which caused Charles to take serious actions and get him warmed up as soon as possible.

22. Drugged

What Did You Do?

While at a party, Charles and Erik had gotten some drinks. They chatted and flirted with each other for a while before Charles excused himself to the bathroom. A woman sat next to Erik and tried to chat him up but he declined and said he already has a boyfriend. She insisted to talk to him and while talking to him another man sat close to him and drugged his drink. After a while Erik started to get dizzy and collapsed. What will Charles do when he realises Erik is no longer there?

23. Exhaustion

Need A Little Break

Erik had been training so hard that just a week into their training Erik collapses out of exhaustion. He faints in front of the others students and Charles that they crowd around him. Charles takes care of him to make him feel better.

24. Blindfolded

Unseen Love

Erik was being kidnapped and the last thing he sees before the blindfold is placed over his eyes was Charles. All he could see then was the look on Charles' face as tears streamed from his eyes. The blindfold doesn't come off until he was tied to a pole and sees Charles in front of him with a gun. The last thing that Erik hears that came from Charles' mouth was that he was sorry.

25. Blurred vision

Tears Of An Angel

Charles couldn't see through the tears that blurred his eyes. He couldn't see the blood in his hands as he held onto Erik's dead body.

26. Migraine

The Cons and Pros of Being Telepath

Charles knew that being a telepath can sometimes sucks. It's sucks the most especially for when the migraines comes in and he has to make them stop before his next class. But he knows that Erik is only a few doors away to make him feel better. After each class he can't wait to get a head massage and a warm tea from his boyfriend Erik.

27. Power outrage

Goodnight! Goodbye

While having a break at the staff room, the school experienced a power outage and the whole school turned dark. Charles and Hank try to find the problem and so when the lights came on again they found something horrific.

28. Mugged

Let Me Be Your Hero

Charles and Erik were just walking home after a night out when a couple of young men tried to mug them. Charles complied immediately while Erik held him back. When Erik refused to do as they say, one of the men fired his gun at Charles hitting him in on the shoulder. Erik grew angry but was shot in a much more delicate place. Soon, ambulance and police sirens came close and took both of them to hospital. Charles survived but what about Erik?

29. Emergency room

Wait For Me

Erik was sent to hospital and was taken to the ICU as fast as they could. Erik was scared but not as scared as Charles was and when they had their last moments together Charles promised him that he will wait for him. Soon, Erik slipped into a coma. Charles is willing to wait for Erik to wake up.

30. Ignoring an njury

Blood In Your Hands

Erik had been shot in the stomach but didn't dare to tell Charles. He didn't want to sound weak. 0they carried on looking for mutants. They looked and looked until Erik couldn't do it anymore and collapses. Charles didn't understand what was happening until it was too late. Charles must get Erik the help he needs before anything else gets worse.

31. Left for dead

Vultures Awaits

Erik was left to die after a confrontation with an old enemy. He thought life as he knew it was about to slip way as he was being bleed tlo death. He wanted to wait for his body to rot away but it never happened. It seems that a unlikely outcome to his fate was changed the moment he cried for help.

[updatingthedragon]

Adventure: The Caverns of Orcus

This adventure is intended for a party of 3rd-Level Adventurers

At a local meeting place (be it a tavern, town square, etc.), the party encounters Selene Claral, a Life Cleric. Selene is trying to gather adventurers to help her clear out a series of caverns, but no local is stepping up to assist. She will ask the party if they would be willing to help.

It turns out the locals don’t want to help because the caverns were once home to a fledgling branch of the Cult of Orcus, and old men still shudder at the memory of cultists descending from the mountains at night to kidnap victims for sacrifice. If asked, Selene will freely declare that it was once occupied by the Cult, and states that she must go there to cleanse them of residual evil magic. Various creatures have been drawn to the caverns due to this influence, and if left unchecked it will threaten the citizens in the area. If that’s not enough for players, she admits she has taken a vow of poverty. Therefore, all the treasures in the caverns are the party’s to claim.

Selene will be more than willing to fight alongside the party. It is the DM’s decision to decide if they or the players control her during combat. Outside of combat, Selene will always be against the use of persuasion or stealth, as she is a Cleric on a mission, but she will go with what the party decides to do.

If the players search Selene’s bag, they will find a bowl for collecting alms, ten days worth of rations, incense, and the Rite of Purification, instructions on how to carry out the ceremony to cleanse the caverns of latent evil magic. This is here just in case Selene dies unexpectedly, allowing the players to complete the adventure.

It will take three days of travel to arrive at the caverns. It is at the DM’s discretion whether or not to roll for random encounters. If they wish to, they may consult the following table:

D20        Result 1-10       No encounter 11-13     2d4 CR 1/4 monsters 14-16     1d4 CR 1/2 monsters 17-19     1d4 CR 1 monsters 20          1 CR 2 monster and 1d4 CR 1/2 monsters

As this adventure is created with the ability to drop into any campaign setting, we leave it up to the DM’s choice of what type of monsters appear that will make the most sense in their game.

An optional choice for random encounters is to add a +2 modifier to the roll each day as the party grows closer to the caverns. This is to give the players the feeling that these caverns serve as a focal point for evil, reinforcing the need for them to be cleared out.

The Caverns of Orcus (see map) are accessed by a large, low-slung cave opening on the side of a mountain. A few small hide lean-tos are set up around pitiful fires, providing shelter to the 1d4 goblin lookouts. They are presently not doing their job very well, and can be snuck up on with a DC 12 Stealth check. If surprised, the first goblin on the initiative order will disengage and attempt to flee back into the caverns to sound the alarm.

1: The entrance cavern is home to a band of 10 goblins. If a lookout was able to make it inside the cavern, they will be ready for battle. Otherwise, they will be lazily lounging about, sharpening weapons, cooking over smokey fires, and doing other everyday activities. After half of their number is down, roll a d20. On an 15-20, the remaining goblins will attempt to flee into Room 2 through the broken door. Each subsequent turn, reroll the check for retreat. The Western edge of the cavern is blocked off by an imposing iron door, decorated with motifs of skulls and wicked curved knives. It requires a key to open; or a DC 20 Dexterity check with thieves' tools.

2: This room is a goblin store room. There are 2d6 scimitars, 1d6 shortbows, and 3d8 GP worth of various kitchen utensils, sacks, string, and other small items. A DC 15 Investigation check will reveal an ancient chest wedged beneath a broken table. The lock can be broken with a DC 14 Strength check, or the lock can be picked with a DC 12 Dexterity check using thieves' tools. Inside is a silver handbell with glowing blue runes worth 4d8 GP.

3: This smaller room is crammed haphazardly with goblin bedrolls. It is presently home to 4 wolves. These vicious guard animals will aggressively assault the party. Defeating the wolves will allow the party to sift through the detritus of the goblin squatters, finding a few trinkets worth 2d8 GP.

4: This makeshift throne room holds one bugbear, two hobgoblins, and five goblins (in addition to any goblins that managed to escape from the entrance cavern). The bugbear, Vurgork will demand to know why the party has decided to assault his domain. He wears a massive dark key on a chain around his neck. He will not be willing to abandon a ready-made fortress, and will demand the players pay blood-money for the goblins they killed, to the tune of 5 GP per head, and then depart from his territory.

If the players seek to negotiate and state that there are there to cleanse the evil magics left over from the Cult of Orcus, the hobgoblins, sensing an opportunity, will whisper to Vurgork and he will change his tune. His goblins have not been able to utilize the other half of the caverns for some time, due to what he describes as six-legged reptiles he calls chattering horrors. Based on his description, a DC 12 Nature check will confirm that these are kruthiks. If the party goes and defeats the kruthiks, he will waive the blood-money, and allow them to carry on their ceremony. He does not care for Orcus, as he is a faithful worshipper of Maglubiyet, and wishes for any stain of the death-god to be removed from his territory. Selene will oppose this action, but she will grudgingly go along with the course of action selected by the party.

Of course, the players can always draw swords and fight Vurgork and his minions. During the fight, if they manage to kill Vurgork and both hobgoblins are alive, roll a d20. On an 11-20, the hobgoblins will throw down their weapons and order the remaining goblins to do the same. Surrendering, the hobgoblins (Shegnek and Merkuk) will seek to negotiate safe passage for the broken warband, yielding Vurgok's key to the party. This will allow them to progress to the next stage of the dungeon. If one of the hobgoblins fell before Vurgork did, however, the survivor will be enraged and continue to fight on. If both the hobgoblins and Vurgork are dead, any surviving goblins will rout and attempt to flee the caverns.

Defeating Vurgork's Warband, either by forcing their surrender or destroying their leadership, will allow the party to "loot the room." A sort of slapdash trunk in the side of the room contains 1d6 gems worth 50 GP each, as well as 3d8 GP, 2d6 SP, and 1d12 CP. There is also a Dagger of Warning stuck in a pile of meat, which can be located with a DC 16 Perception check.

5: This room is dominated by an imposing statue of a cultist in a dark robe in the Northwest corner. Presently, there are two young kruthiks squabbling over a bloated goblin corpse; seeing fresh meat, they will gladly charge the party, jaws open. After defeating the kruthiks, the party can search the room. Before the goblins were driven out of here by the kruthiks, they had thoroughly trashed the area. Nevertheless, a DC 15 Perception check will reveal a bag of 5d6 gold a retreating Goblin had stuck underneath a stone.

6: This room has strange, almost crypt like slots carved into the walls. A pile of humanoid bones are messily stacked in the northeast corner, alongside a stack of threadbare black robes. It seems as if the goblins cleaned up after the cultists. A large, ancient stone cauldron lies in the center of the room. Investigating the cauldron with a successful DC 14 Perception check reveals it still maintains a faint, acrid scent of poison, long-since rendered inert. One can infer that the cultists had killed themselves in one final ceremony to honor their god.

7: Five hatched kruthik eggs are deposited in a sticky ichor on the right wall, and narrow kruthik tunnels can be seen leading off to the west. This was the kruthik broodchamber, and likely where the beasts entered the caverns. A DC 12 Nature check will let players know that, given they just killed two kruthiks, there are five remaining- three other young kruthiks, and two adult kruthiks.

8: Several strange and grotesque mosaics line the walls, depicting cultists leading chained prisoners towards their doom. The mosaics wrap around, leading to a large iron wall. Jutting from this wall is the head of a ferocious dragon, its jaws open wide. Even from this distance, it seems to radiate evil. Two adult kruthiks and three young kruthiks are feasting on the body of an unfortunate ogre. They are distracted, allowing the party a chance to get a drop on them, if they make a DC 12 Stealth check.

After defeating the kruthiks, the party is free to turn their attention to the mysterious iron wall. A DC 16 Arcana check or DC 15 Religion check will reveal that this is a Sanguinary Door. To enter a Sanguinary Door requires the blood of a humanoid, placed in the dragon's mouth. Doing so will cause the wall to retract and the Pool of Souls to be revealed.

9: This dark room is illuminated by strange shining crystals, though almost no light is reflected in the pitch-black waters of the Pool of Souls. Selene, if she survived the past encounters, will begin to prepare for the Rite of Purification; if she fell, it will be up to the party to carry it out. The Rite will require one day of prayer and meditation, accompanied by the burning of incense. Selene will carry this task on her shoulders, while the party will be able to divide that responsibility amongst themselves by praying in shifts.

Any party member who touches the water of the Pool of Souls will find themselves connected to the spirits of all the victims sacrificed by the Cult. It seems as if this was the sacrificial chamber; after the dark deed was done, their bodies were thrown into the Pool, trapping their souls in the water. They can be asked a question, which they will answer truthfully to the best of their ability. However, after the first response, the party member communicating with them must made a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, they are afflicted with short term madness for 1d8 hours. Each subsequent inquiry made by this party member of the spirits in the pool will require an additional Wisdom saving throw, with the DC raised by two each time. There are consequences with communing with the tortured spirits of sacrifices, after all.

At the end of the Rite, if Selene carried it out, she will faint. If the party carried it out in shifts, they face no ill effects. However, instead of the feeling of evil departing, it will intensify. Crawling out of the water is a Jailer of Souls. It is the guardian of this Pool, and seeks to fight a last-ditch effort to protect the souls offered to its master. The Jailer may choose to attack the unconscious Selene if the party does not think to move her from the field of battle. It is also worth noting here that skeletons are not humanoid creatures. Therefore, the effects Sword of Soul Stealing do not apply when they die.

With the Jailer of Souls defeated, there is a pained howl, and a wave of cold energy washes over the party. After it passes, a feeling of calm pervades. The taint from the Cult of Orcus has been removed, and these caverns will no longer draw creatures of evil. Selene, if alive, warmly thanks the players for their assistance. If they accepted the deal offered by Vurgork, on the other hand, she will be more tepid in her gratitude.

The Sword of Soul Stealing may be looted by the party.  It is a +1 longsword, and since the party isn’t playing home to terrifying beings from another plane, it’s soul trapping effect can be utilized only once per short rest.

If the party chose to deal with Vurgork, Selene will leave the cavern with a chilled goodbye. Vurgork will be glad that his domain is once again freed from monsters and chaotic evil spirits both, and reward the party with 1d6 gems worth 50 GP each. Their service more than paid for the slain goblins, so he’s making sure he’s not in their debt now.

If the party did not deal with Vurgork, and she survived, Selene will stay behind in the cave. Giving the party a letter to send back to her superiors, she states her intention to transform the caverns into a monastery. Indeed, the next time the party is  in the area, there will be a monastery headed by Selene. It can serve as a temporary base of operations, or a place to be healed and replenish rations for free.

If the party did not deal with Vurgork, and Selene fell in battle, perhaps they will wish to take over the caverns and turn them into their own stronghold? Or mayhaps they’ll move on? The decision is theirs.

[thegoldenyears-memories]

                               ♡  LOVER, a james & lily mix ♡

“the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”

                                                                     ( listen )

01. LILY de benjamin gibbard ( lily is a blinding light devouring the dark, lily is a 5 alarm fire that rages inside my heart. and all i want to do is tell her that my love is true. lily is a destination and she's where my arms belong, 'cause whenever she is there with me, i know where i'm supposed to be, i know where i want to be. and i just flip when i kiss her lips and all my senses reel. )

02. SOMETHING I NEED de one republic ( i had a dream the other night about how we only get one life. woke me up right after two, stayed awake and stared at you so i wouldn't lose my mind. with broken words i've tried to say, honey don't you be afraid, if we got nothing we got us. i know that we're not the same, but i'm so damn glad that we made it to this time, this time, now. and if we only die once i wanna die with you, you got something i need. )

03. SHIVER de coldplay ( so i look in your direction but you pay me no attention, do you? i know you don't listen to me, 'cause you say you see straight through me, don't you? but on and on, from the moment i wake 'til the moment i sleep, i'll be there by your side, just you try and stop me. i'll be waiting in line just to see if you care. oh, did you want me to change? well i changed for good. so you know how much i need you, but you never even see me do you? and is this my final chance of getting you? and it's you i see, but you don't see me. and it's you i hear so loud and so clear. i sing it loud and clear and i'll always be waiting for you. )

04. FLOWERS IN YOUR HAIR de the lumineers ( when we were younger we thought everyone was on our side, then we grew a little and romanticized the time i saw flowers in your hair. so then we grew a little and knew a lot, and now we demonstrated it to the cops. and all the things we said we were self-assured. be in my eyes, be in my heart. so now i think that i could love you back, and i hope it's not too late cause you're so attractive. and the way you move, i won't close my eyes. 'cause it takes a man to live, but it takes a woman to make him compromise. )

05. LIGHT A ROMAN CANDLE WITH ME de fun. ( you can wear your sandals and i'll pour you just one cup of tea. then you can go and rest, you haven't seen my best, so.. just spend an evening with me, just a lazy evening, then you could be leaving or we could stay and talk until three. i will think it's magic and i'll hope you'll agree. if we were honest and both wrote a sonnet, together a sandwich with everything on it, at least we would know that the sparks didn't glow, but we owe it to ourselves to try, so we aim and ignite. so often i call and i plead with you: "give me a chance!" it's not often that i understand the ins and the outs of what's wrong and what's right. oh, i know, it goes on, it gets old, but for now we're young, we smell good, we're alone, so alive. )

06. EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED de taylor swift ft. ed sheeran ( and all i've seen since eighteen hours ago is green eyes and freckles and your smile in the back of my mind making me feel like i just wanna know you better. 'cause all i know is we said "hello", and your eyes look like coming home. all i know is a simple name, everything has changed.  and all i feel in my stomach is butterflies, the beautiful kind, making up for lost time, taking flight, making me feel right. come back and tell me why i'm feeling like i've missed you all this time. and meet me there tonight and let me know that it's not all in my mind. all i know is a new found grace, all my days i'll know your face. all i know since yesterday is everything has changed. )

07. EVERYBODY TALKS de neon trees ( hey, baby, won't you look my way? i can be your new addiction. hey, baby, what you gotta say? all you're giving me is fiction. hey honey you could be my drug, you could be my new prescription. it started with a whisper and that was when i kissed her. )

08. BOATS & BIRDS de gregory and the hawk ( if you'll be my star, i'll be your sky, you can hide underneath me and come out at night. when i turn jet black and you show off your light, i live to let you shine. but you can skyrocket away from me, and never come back if you find another galaxy far from here with more room to fly, just leave me your stardust to remember you by. )

09. LOVER de taylor swift ( i've loved you three summers now, honey, but i want 'em all. can i go where you go? can we always be this close, forever and ever? and ah, take me out and take me home. you're my, my, my, my lover. ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand? i take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover. my heart's been borrowed and yours has been blue. all's well that ends well to end up with you. swear to be over-dramatic and true to my lover. and you'll save all your dirtiest jokes for me, and at every table, i'll save you a seat, lover. )

10. CROSSFIRE de brandon flowers ( and we're caught up in the crossfire of heaven and hell, and we're searching for shelter. and tell the devil that he can go back from where he came, his fiery arrows drew their bead in vain. and when the hardest part is over, we'll be here, and our dreams will break the boundaries of our fear. lay your body down, lay your body down, lay your body down... next to mine. )

11. NO SUCH THING AS TIME de elenowen ( it feels so right to hold you like this, there's so much i wanna say. the minutes are moving oh so fast and the days are slippin' away. time is our only enemy. so how do we fight what we can't see? i don't know but i'm trying. and when i hold you everything slows down, when i know you inside and out, i wanna show you there's no such thing as time. so take a deep breath tonight, i wanna breathe you in. i finally know how to fight, it takes two hearts to win. )

12. GREEN EYES de coldplay ( honey you are a rock upon which i stand. and i come here to talk, i hope you understand. the green eyes, yeah, the spotlight shines upon you. and how could anybody deny you? i came here with a load and it feels so much lighter now i met you. and honey you should know that i could never go on without you. honey, you are the sea upon which i float. and i came here to talk, i think you should know that green eyes, you're the one that i wanted to find. and anyone who tried to deny you must be out of their mind. )

13. SWEET EMOTION de the kooks ( she's the woman that's on your mind, she's a woman who takes her time. 'cause she's the woman that's on my mind, she's the woman who takes my time. i said i feel sweet emotion every time you're near me. and i feel vibrations, what are your expectations? baby i don't have no fear. )

14. SHUT UP AND DANCE de walk the moon ( she took my arm, i don't know how it happened, we took the floor and she said: "oh, don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me. "i said, "you're holding back." she said, "shut up and dance with me!" this woman is my destiny. she said, "ooh-ooh-hoo, shut up and dance with me." i felt it in my chest as she looked at me, i knew we were bound to be together. deep in her eyes i think i see the future, i realize this is my last chance. )

15. LOVE de lana del rey ( it doesn't matter if i'm not enough for the future or the things to come, 'cause i'm young and in love. don't worry, baby. )

16. YOU MAKE IT REAL de james morrison ( there's so much craziness surrounding me, there's so much going on it gets hard to breathe. when all my faith has gone, you bring it back to me, you make it real for me. when my head is strong, but my heart is weak, i'm full of arrogance and uncertainty, when i can't find the words, you teach my heart to speak, you make it real for me. everybody's talking in words i don't understand, you've got to be the only one who knows just who i am. and you're shining in the distance, i hope i can make it through 'cause the only place that i want to be is right back home with you. i guess there's so much more i have to learn, but if you're here with me, i know which way to turn. you always give me somewhere, somewhere i can run, you make it real for me. and i am running to you baby, 'cause you are the only one who saves me. )

17. STAY STAY STAY de taylor swift ( and i said stay, stay, stay. i've been lovin' you for quite some time, time, time. you think that it's funny when i'm mad, mad, mad. but i think that it's best if we both stay. but you carry my groceries, and now i'm always laughin'. and i love you because you have given me no choice but to stay, stay, stay. you took the time to memorize me: my fears, my hopes, and dreams. i just like hangin' out with you all the time. all those times that you didn't leave, it's been occurring to me i'd like to hang out with you for my whole life. stay, and i'll be loving you for quite some time. no one else is gonna love me, when i get mad, mad, mad. so i think that it's best if we both stay. )

18. FALL FOR YOU (ACOUSTIC) de secondhand serenade ( the best thing about tonight's that we're not fighting, could it be that we have been this way before? i know you don't think that i am trying, i know you're wearing thin down to the core. i may have failed but i have loved you from the start. but hold your breath because tonight will be the night that i will fall for you over again. don't make me change my mind, i won't live to see another day, i swear it's true. because a girl like you is impossible to find. so breathe in so deep, breathe me in, i'm yours to keep. )

19. THROWN DOWN de fleetwood mac ( he fell for her again, she watched it happen every day, day by day. he held her hands, she listened to what he had to say. thrown down like a barricade, maybe now he could prove to her that he could be good for her, and they should be together. )

20. RUN de daughter ( don't know where he's going, don't know where he's been. but he is restless at night, 'cause he has horrible dreams. so we lay in the dark, we've got nothing to say. just the beating of hearts like two drums in the grey. i don't know what we're doing, i don't know what we've done. but the fire is coming, so i think we should run. while i put on my shoes, he will button his coat, and we will step outside, checking might the coast is clear on both sides, 'cause we don't wanna be seen. and i won't tell my mother, it's better she don't know. and he won't tell his folks, 'cause they're already ghosts. and we'll just keep each other, as safe as we can. will you stay with me my love? 'til we're old and grey. 'cause i don't wanna be alone when these bones decay. )

21. NIGHT TERROR de laura marling ( i woke up and he was screaming, i'd left him dreaming. i roll over and shake him tightly, and whisper "if they want you, then they're gonna have to fight me." if i look back and he is screaming, i'd left him dreaming, the dangers fade. i'll run back and shake him tightly and scream "if they want him, then they're gonna have to fight me!" i'll roll over and hold him tightly, and scream "if you want him, well you're gonna have to fight me!" )

22. I KNOW PLACES de taylor swift ( you stand with your hand on my waistline, it's a scene and we're out here in plain sight. i can hear them whisper as we pass by, it's a bad sign, bad sign. lights flash and we'll run for the fences, let them say what they want, we won't hear it. just grab my hand and don't ever drop it, my love. they are the hunters, we are the foxes and we run. baby, i know places we won't be found, and they'll be chasing their tails tryin' to track us down. 'cause i know places we can hide. they take their shots, but we're bulletproof. i know places. and you know for me, it's always you. i know places. in the dead of night, your eyes so green. i know places. and i know for you, it's always me. i know places. )

23. ALL I NEED de mat kearney ( here it comes it's all blowing in tonight. i woke up this morning to a blood red sky. they're burning on the bridge turning off the lights. we're on the run, i can see it in your eyes. if nothing is safe then i don't understand, you call me your boy but i'm trying to be the man. one more day and it's all slipping with the sand. you touch my lips and grab the back of my hand. guess we both know we're in over our heads, we got nowhere to go and no home that's left. the water is rising on a river turning red, it all might be ok or we might be dead. if everything we've got is slipping away, i meant what i said when i said until my dying day i'm holding on to you, holding on to me. maybe it's all gone black but you're all i see, you're all i see. glass is breaking so don't let go of my arm, grab your bags and a picture of where we met, all that we'll leave behind and all that's left if everything we've got is blowing away. we've got a rock and a rock till our dying day. i'm holding on to you, holding on to me. maybe it's all we got but it's all i need, you're all i need. and if all we've got is what no one can break, i know i love you, if that's all we can take. the tears are coming down, they're mixing with the rain. i know i love you, if that's all we can take. )

24. MAKE YOU FEEL MY LOVE de adele ( i know you haven't made your mind up yet, but i will never do you wrong. i've known it from the moment that we met, no doubt in my mind where you belong. i'd go hungry, i'd go black and blue, i'd go crawling down the avenue, no, there's nothing that i wouldn't do to make you feel my love. i could make you happy, make your dreams come true. nothing that i wouldn't do, go to the ends of the earth for you, to make you feel my love. )

25. YELLOW de coldplay ( your skin, oh yeah your skin and bones, turn into something beautiful. do you know, you know i love you so? you know i love you so. i swam across, i jumped across for you, oh what a thing to do, 'cause you were all yellow. do you know, for you i'd bleed myself dry? for you i'd bleed myself dry. )

26. A THOUSAND YEARS PT. 2 de christina perri ft. steve kazee ( the day we met, frozen i held my breath. right from the start i knew that i'd found a home for my heart… beats fast. colors and promises. how to be brave? how can i love when i'm afraid to fall? but watching you stand alone, all of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow. i have died everyday waiting for you. darling, don't be afraid, i have loved you for a thousand years. i'll love you for a thousand more. time stands still, beauty in all she is. i will be brave, i will not let anything take away what's standing in front of me. every breath, every hour has come to this. one step closer. )

27. TENERIFE SEA de ed sheeran ( should this be the last thing i see, i want you to know it's enough for me. 'cause all that you are is all that i'll ever need. i'm so in love, so in love. )

28. REAL LOVE de the beatles ( all my little plans and schemes, lost like some forgotten dreams. seems that all i really was doing was waiting for you. from this moment on i know exactly where my life will go. seems that all i really was doing was waiting for love. don't need to be afraid, no need to be afraid, it's real love, it's real. )

29. WHEN THE DARKNESS COMES de colbie caillat ( i'll be here waiting, hoping, praying that the sky will guide you home. when you're feeling lost i'll leave my love hidden in the sun, for when the darkness comes. )

30. I WILL FOLLOW YOU INTO THE DARK de death cab for cutie ( love of mine, someday you will die, but i'll be close behind, i'll follow you into the dark. no blinding light or tunnels to gates of white, just our hands clasped so tight, waiting for the hint of a spark. if there's no one beside you when your soul embarks, then i'll follow you into the dark. )

31. US de regina spektor ( they made a statue of us and put it on a mountain top. now tourists come and stare at us. we're living in a den of thieves, rummaging for answers in the pages. )

32. BORN TO DIE de lana del rey ( feet don't fail me now, take me to the finish line. oh my heart it breaks every step that i take, but i'm hoping at the gates, they'll tell me that you're mine. the road is long, we carry on, try to have fun in the meantime. come and take a walk on the wild side, let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain. choose your last words, this is the last time, 'cause you and I we were born to die. )

33. BE STILL de the fray ( when darkness comes upon you and covers you with fear and shame, be still and know that i'm with you, and i will say your name. if terror falls upon your bed, and sleep no longer comes, remember all the words i said. be still, be still, and know. and when you go through the valley and the shadow comes down from the hill, if morning never comes to be, be still, be still, be still. if you forget the way to go, and lose where you came from, if no one is standing beside you, be still and know i am, be still and know that i'm with you. )

34. DEATH AND ALL HIS FRIENDS de coldplay ( all winter we got carried away over on the roof tops. let's get married. all summer we just hurried. so come over, just be patient, and don't worry. no, i don't want a battle from beginning to end. i don't want a cycle of recycled revenge. i don't want to follow death and all of his friends. and in the end, we lie awake, and we dream of making our escape. )

35. HEROES de david bowie ( i, i will be king and you, you will be queen. though nothing will drive them away, we can beat them, just for one day. we can be heroes, just for one day. and you, you can be mean, and i, i'll drink all the time. 'cause we're lovers, and that is a fact. yes we're lovers, and that is that. we can be heroes, for ever and ever, what d'you say? i, i can remember (i remember) standing by the wall (by the wall), and the guns shot above our heads (over our heads), and we kissed as though nothing could fall (nothing could fall). and the shame was on the other side, oh we can beat them, for ever and ever. then we could be heroes, just for one day. we can be heroes just for one day. )

BONUS TRACK. SHE LOVES YOU de the beatles ( you think you lost your love, well, i saw her yesterday. it's you she's thinking of and she told me what to say. she says she loves you and you know that can't be bad. yes, she loves you, and you know you should be glad. she said you hurt her so she almost lost her mind. but now she says she knows you're not the hurting kind. you know it's up to you, i think it's only fair. pride can hurt you too, apologize to her. she loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah. she loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah. with a love like that, you know you should be glad. )

╰  ❄  feliz navidad y año nuevo, dannie.

—; de: andy ( @thegoldenflowerr​ )

—; para: dannie ( @littlepotterdoe​ )

Pequeña Dannie:

Haha, te mentí. Sí me tocaste. 

Me dio emoción que me tocara Lily porque AMO Jily y siempre quise hacerles un mix y esta fue mi oportunidad. Busqué cada canción cuidadosamente, descarté varias, agregué otras, para lo que me parece una playlist que es realmente ellos. El título, además de que amamos a Taylor Swift en esta casa, es porque, en mi impresión, y como lo deja claro la saga, James y Lily siempre representaron el amor, no sólo entre ellos, si no a Harry (I mean, Harry se salvó por el amor de Lily que era tan poderoso). No creo que haya palabra mejor que pueda definirlos que "Lover", porque al final en eso se basaron, ¿no? Es el mensaje que dejaron en la saga, el amor los definió. Pasé de cuando James era un idiota en Hogwarts y Lily no le daba ni la hora del día, y él intentaba probar su amor, a cuando hacía a Lily enojar, al momento donde ella también lo amó y fueron felices, hasta tocar cuando tengan que empezar a huir por la profecía, y el final. Quise tocar toda su historia, todos estos momentos que los hicieron ellos. La verdad estoy feliz porque creo que me quedó muy bonita y mi elección de canciones fue ideal 8). 

Anyway, espero que te guste mucho y te haga muy feliz. Me cuesta escribir en cartas así cómo así mis emociones porque, normalmente a mí me salen de la nada a las 3 de la mañana y puedo mandar un mensaje de que amo a alguien a esa hora, u know it, but quiero primero agradecerte por tu amistad. Por ser tan paciente y amable conmigo, oír desde mis idioteces hasta mis problemas más profundos, buscar cómo mejorar todo, regalarme chocolates, levantarme el ánimo, y siempre recordarme quien soy cuando yo no puedo hacerlo. Eres una persona muy especial, ya te lo he dicho, no todos aman como tú y debes cuidar esa capacidad, porque justo por eso eres tan única en este mundo y todos querrían una amiga como tú; comprensiva, dedicada, desinteresada, que ve por tu bien, se preocupa por ti, y más que nada: genuina. Esa es la cosa, tu amistad nunca se siente falsa, y tú tampoco nunca te sientes falsa. Eres una persona hermosa y sé que el mundo te ha hecho sentir que no es así, ¡pero lo es! Tu capacidad para amar y ser tan detallista, ser tú, es lo que te destaca del mundo. En verdad eres una de esas personas que he pensado que todo el mundo querría tener en su vida, todos necesitamos una Dannie. Muchas gracias por todo, te quiero mucho y estoy muy emocionada por vivir muchas, muchas cosas contigo. Simplemente gracias por ser tú y por la amistad tan fantástica que me has brindado, eres un lugar suavecito donde uno puede descansar. 

Somehow siento que podría escribir más sobre ti, pero hice mi mejor esfuerzo. Ya sabes que de todas formas un día a las 4 de la mañana te puedo mandar un mensaje gigante de cariño, so AHAHAHAHA. Ojalá sea suficiente para este regalito y sepas cuanto te aprecio. Mis mejores deseos para este año, que nadie te haga olvidar lo rara que eres, y que vivamos muchas cosas bonitas juntas. 

You will be found.

Te quiere muuuuuuuuuucho,

                                                  — andy ♡. 🎅

[aurantia-ignis]

ship meme (ahoy)

Tagged by: @sad-goomy, thank you so much for sending this fun meme XD

List 10 of your favorite ships, in no particular order. Don’t cheat by scrolling down to see the questions yet, either!

Lonashipping (MoonxGladion, Pokemon SM)

Specialshipping (RedxYellow, Pokemon Adventures/Special)

Yuri/Estelle (Tales of Vesperia)

Zelos/Sheena (Tales of Symphonia)

Lambda/Sophie (Tales of Graces)

Ferriswheelshipping (NxTouko) 

Fakir/Ahiru (Princess Tutu)

Naesala/Leanne (Fire Emblem 9/10)

Franticshipping (RubyxSapphire, Pokemon Adventures/Special)

Oldrivalshipping (GreenxBlue, Pokemon Adventures/Special)

1. Do you remember the episode/scene/chapter that you first started shipping 6?

Actually, I hadn’t played much of the game when one of my best friends was shipping it really hard XD; At that point in my life, I wasn’t really playing Pokemon games, so she spoiled me with a description of the ferris wheel scene and the premise of their working relationship. I thought it was interesting then, but it wasn’t until I was reading them in Pokemon Special that I thought, hey, this ship has so damn much potential (even though the manga seemed to be actively trying to ship White with Black, the tension and relationship development between N and Touko still felt far more natural and well-written to me). 

2. Have you ever read a fanfic about 2?

Quite a few, thankfully, and off the top of my head, I remember the one called Magikarp Jump XDDD

3. Has a picture of 4 ever been your screensaver/profile picture/tumblr screensaver?

I think they were a wallpaper on my old computer years ago! ...For the past two or three years, it’s been alternating between Gladion + Pokemon and Tales of Vesperia ^^; 

4. If 7 were to suddenly break up today, what would your reaction be?

THEY DIDN’T EVEN GET A HAPPY ENDING. I MEAN. SHE TURNED BACK INTO A DUCK. //SOBS PAINFULLY//

5. Why is 1 so important?

Honestly, I don’t know.  When I first played Sun and Moon, I loved Gladion, but I’d not thought of shipping them until one of my best friends mentioned she did. At that time, I was reading the SM arc of Pokespe, and the characterization of Moon there very much supported the very small hints of the Protagonist’s personality in the game (which were honestly so few that she ultimately felt almost like a blank slate, but not completely). I loved this characterization, and the more I got to know this Moon and think about her in context of the original plot, the more I realised that the two of them would make a wonderful ship.  And somehow, the moment I began to start shipping them, I began to sink deep into an abyss I didn’t even consider dangerous. Due to life and lack of motivation/inspiration, I hadn’t really been drawing or writing very much for a few years, but when I began to draw and write Lona.... I couldn’t stop. I’ve been throwing out Lona art constantly (at an alarming rate; at least, alarming for me) for over a year now, and I don’t seem to be able to stop. ^^;  Lonashipping seems to be the largest reason why I’ve gone back to drawing and painting so much, and spending hours poring over references and painting and dying over environments. It’s been a crazy, but awesome fun year, and I’m really grateful for it. I still have much to learn, but I feel like I’ve really improved compared to how I was art-ing a year or two ago, and I hope to be able to progress steadily from now on, too. Now all I have to do is get my writing to the same level of progression..... *laughs unsteadily* 

6. Is 9 a funny ship or a serious ship?

BOTH. 

7. Out of all the ships listed, which ship has the most chemistry?

D O N ‘T MAKE ME CHOOSE

8. Out of all your ships listed, which ship has the strongest bond?

They’re all strong ok if they weren’t strong I wouldn’t ship them aosijeoaisjeoia But as far as what actual canon goes.... Fakir and Ahiru are probably the closest to actually having admitted their feelings for each other Even if the ship still isn’t canon in the end BECAUSE SHE TURNED BACK INTO A DUCK. 

9. How many times have your read/played/watched 10’s fandom?

Since this is based on the Pokespe incarnation... I’ve read vols 1-9 at least 20 times over by now, I think, while the RSE arc up to about 3 times over? And everything else after that once or so. 

10. Which ship has lasted the longest?

Probably Specialshipping, since it’s the oldest one in that list XD

11. How many times, if ever, has 6 broken up?

At least once, when N decided to leave and poor White had to chase after him (evidence in BW2). 

12. If the world was suddenly thrust into a zombie apocalypse, which ship would make it out alive, 2 or 8?

Naesala and Leanne, because Leanne would just sing her galdr to bless and heal all the zombies while Naesala kept her safe XDD

13. Did 7 ever have to hide their relationship for any reason?

They never had a proper relationship because SHE TURNED BACK INTO A DUCK------

14. Is 4 still together?

They always will be, in my mind <3

15. Is 10 canon?

Technically.... no. 

16. If all 10 ships were put into a couple’s Hunger Games, which couple would win?

Probably Lambda and Sophie, because they’re literally immortal aliens with all the powers that come with that. 

17. Has anybody ever tried to sabotage 5’s ship?

The game plot itself. HAHAHAHAHA 

18. Which ship would you defend to the death and beyond?

Lona, Yustelle, Zeroshii, and SoDa, I think. 

19. Do you spend hours a day going through 3’s tumblr page?

No, because unfortunately, I’m not completely fond of the way most of that ship’s fans characterize them :< But sometimes I go on pixiv and run through their tag ;w;  

20. If an evil witch descended from the sky and told you that you had to pick one of the ten ships to break up forever or else she’d break them all forever, which ship would you sink?

I suppose Ahiru/Fakir since they’re pretty much sunk by plot with no real possible comeback unless you use canon divergence or headcanons ;w; 

tagging: @artpharos and @yume-x-hanabi and @sylsnon @aerial-ace and whomever else wants to do it I guess?

[joonie-beanie]

Oh, Baby (Namjoon x Reader) Pt. 19

[Pt 1] [Pt 2] [Pt 3] [Pt 4] [Pt 5] [Pt 6] [Pt 7] [Pt 8] [Pt 9] [Pt 10] [Pt 11] [Pt 12] [Pt 13] [Pt 14] [Pt 15] [Pt 16] [Pt 17] [Pt 18]

Pairing: Namjoon/RM x Reader Rating: M Genre: Smut/Mafia-ish AU

Words: 4,988

Summary: You were only supposed to have seen him twice. Only twice, no more, but now you’re getting dragged into situations you never wished for and Namjoon just keep showing up.

A/N: Bet you guys weren’t expecting this update, huh? It’s only been a week and yet the second to last chapter is suddenly done xD Well, I’ve finally gotten motivated to finish this series, that’s why! Last time...I believe we left off with a lot of you mad at me, right? Well...read on and see this time if the ending leaves you feeling any more satisfied.

“Oh fuck.”

Those are the first words that come out of Yoongi’s mouth as soon as he realizes that it’s none other than Namjoon who has just been shot, and not a second later Namjoon sways on his feet.

His eyes shut, blood dripping from his chin as his knees buckle, and he sways forward. Immediately Jungkook, who is stood between you and Namjoon, reaches out and braces the taller, wincing in pain as Namjoon’s dead weight smacks into him. Thankfully, Yoongi is there just one beat later, taking his friend from Jungkook’s grasp and lowering him to the floor.

Despite the sirens blaring—and the additional shot that rings out behind you as Taehyung disables Jeon for good—your mind goes quiet. Suddenly you become unable to speak or move—you can only watch this nightmare play out before you.

On the floor, barely awake, Namjoon shakily lifts his hand and presses it to his chest. Without hesitation Yoongi bats his hand away, eyes frantically scanning the area he had touched for any kind of bullet wound. However, to Yoongi’s surprise he finds no wound, let alone any blood, which can only mean…

Grabbing the collar of Namjoon’s blazer, Yoongi rips downwards, and then repeats the process with his shirt, buttons tearing from the clothing as Namjoon’s torso is exposed. However, it’s not pale skin that greets your unwavering eyes, but a thin, black vest instead.

Yoongi rolls Namjoon onto his side, wishing more than anything that he was in possession of a knife at the moment as he’s forced to maneuver Namjoon’s shirt from around his shoulders—a clear blood stain visible on the backside of the white fabric.

“I fucking told you that we shouldn’t have used one of these old, thin vests,” Yoongi grumbles more to himself than anyone as he spots the point of entry through the back of the outdated bulletproof vest. In his arms Namjoon laughs breathily, but the laugh quickly dissolves into fit of coughs, another small amount of blood escaping from his mouth.

“If we had they would’ve been able to tell I was wearing one…,” he responds to Yoongi weakly, and Yoongi clicks his tongue as he works to undo the buckles on the vest.

“Shut up, you dumbass. Don’t talk.”

Finally undoing the vest, Yoongi discards it on the floor beside Namjoon and takes a look at his friend. Having been heading for the exit with Jeon collapsed on the floor in the center of the room behind them, it makes sense now that he had managed to shoot Namjoon in the back. And from the looks of it, the bullet had struck just below his right shoulder blade.

Yoongi narrows his eyes, palm moving to splay against Namjoon’s skin below the wound. He knows this isn’t good—they need to get Namjoon out of here and get him to help as soon as they can. Being hit where Namjoon has been means it’s not immediately putting his life in danger, but with time that doesn’t mean his condition won’t change.

Yoongi’s jaw clenches, a vein popping out near his temple. At least the old bulletproof vest had kept the bullet from ripping clean through Namjoon’s entire chest…

“Y…Yoongi,” you finally manage to speak, hands shaking where they grip your dress. You return to reality slightly, but your breaths still come out shallow and quick. “Is Namjoon—?!”

Your feet move on their own as you intended to rush to where Yoongi and Jungkook are surrounding Namjoon a few feet away, but you hardly make it two steps before a hand is gripping your elbow, forcing you to stop.

Shocked and inexplicably angry, you whip your head around, prepared to curse or fight or just scream, but when you’re met with the sight of Taehyung—his face contorted with such a look of empathy—your anger disappears. You’re still upset with Taehyung…there’s no way you can forgive him right away for the things he’s done, but…right now you know that he’s on your side, and you don’t have the energy or will to fight him.

Noticing how Taehyung has momentarily stalled you from coming to see your injured boyfriend, Jungkook crouches down and leans in towards Yoongi.

“Hyung…”

“We really need to get him some help,” Yoongi responds, voice loud enough to be heard over the alarms, but quiet enough that you won’t hear his sincerely worried tone.

Jungkook nods, lifting a hand to card it through his hair—a sign of his stress. He takes a deep breath, squaring his shoulders, and Yoongi allows his gaze to wander to the young heir for a moment. He worse for wear—bruised and battered thanks to his father—and Yoongi can see the fear that still lingers in his gaze, but he hasn’t given up hope yet.

“Jin hyung is still downstairs, right? Let’s go now, before the cops start arriving.”

Despite his anger towards the current situation, Yoongi nods. He knows that Jungkook is right.

“You’re better with a gun, so let me carry him,” Jungkook says, flipping around so that his back is facing Yoongi and Namjoon. Yoongi looks skeptical—worried that Jungkook is too injured, but the younger flashes him a half-smile, half-grimace.

“I’m tougher than I look, right now.”

Not really having a choice, Yoongi helps maneuver a barely awake Namjoon onto Jungkook’s back. The younger loops his arms around Namjoon’s legs, and Yoongi makes sure that Namjoon’s arms are locked around Jungkook’s neck. He truly feels like dead weight right now, and the thought makes Jungkook cringe.

“Let’s head downstairs and find Jin and Hoseok,” Yoongi speaks up once Namjoon is taken care of. He looks up in the direction of you and Taehyung, and then meets your eyes. For once, the light in your eyes has begun to fade. You simply look sad and defeated, and Yoongi bites his lip. He doesn’t want that…he needs you to be determined right now. They still need to get out of here.

“Y/N,” he says, redrawing your attention. You blink, focusing on him again, wondering when your attention had wandered.

“It’s not fatal, but we need to get moving. Let’s go and get away from this hellhole, yeah?”

Clearly the news that it’s not a fatal wound gives you some relief, and you take a second to inhale a deep, calming breath. Yoongi is right. You need to get out of here, still. It’s not over yet.

“Yeah,” you agree, thankful for his words, and Yoongi nods, turning back towards the door.

“Stick close to me. Taehyung, cover the rear. Let’s go.”

Back in action, your pack of five finally exits the suite, leaving the unmoving body of Jeon Enterprise’s CEO behind. Your pace is cautious, yet swift. Yoongi leads the way, Jungkook directly behind him, and you keep near Jungkook. Taehyung lingers a small ways behind you, eyes narrowed as he watches for any potential threat.

If they had been paying more attention Namjoon’s injury could’ve been prevented, after all…

Finally, a minute or two later, the ballroom comes into sight. Near the entrance greeters are urging people to leave the ballroom—giving instructions on where to wait, and what to do. Save a few lingering guests, the few hundred invitees had cleared out, making it very easy for you to spot Jin and Hoseok in the middle of the dance floor, a passed out Jaehyuk still on the ground beside them.

“Please, sir, you need to leave--!” you hear a member of the event staff urge them as your group nears.

“He’s still out cold! Please trust me, we’ll just wait until the paramedics get here!”

“But we can’t let you stay in the building! We have no idea if a fire has broken out or not!”

“Don’t worry about them!” Taehyung suddenly speaks up, brushing past you and Jungkook. He momentarily tucks his gun away, digging in his coat pocket to show his verification, identifying himself as a member of Jeon’s security unit.

“I’ll stay here with them until the cops arrive. Please, stay safe yourself and don’t worry about them. Everyone else has already gone,” Taehyung points out, motioning to the door. He steps closer to her, blocking Jungkook and Namjoon from her line of sight, and at realizing the other staff members are the only ones left—waiting on her to join—the woman bows and quickly excuses herself.

At her retreat, realizing that the remaining occupants of the ballroom are now leaving and that for the most part the coast is clear, the 5 of you who have just arrived turn to face Hoseok and Jin, who immediately turn their attention to you as well.

“Did you pull the alarm??” Yoongi questions Hoseok, and the younger male raises his hands defensively.

“I’m standing down here and all of the sudden I hear what sounds like a gunshot! The people around me started murmuring and getting worried, so I figured it’d be better to pull it sooner than later. Last thing we need are people hearing even more gunshots to clear up their doubts.”

“Fine, fine—,” Yoongi responds angrily, and then notices the way Jin’s eyes are lingering on the newest addition to their crew.

“Is he…?”

“Taehyung,” Yoongi sighs. “But he’s on our side now, don’t worry.”

Taehyung keeps his face carefully blank as Jin begins glaring at him.

“I have a bone to pick with you later,” Jin hisses, and Taehyung blinks, but isn’t appalled. He had never expected to be able to switch teams without encountering some bridges to rebuild along the way. But either way, Taehyung shouldn’t be their focus right now, it should be—

“Namjoon,” you speak up, stepping out from behind Yoongi and motioning back to the male being carried by Jungkook. Jin’s heart lightens at the sight of you—because thank god you’re ok—but as soon as he looks to where you’re pointing and sees Namjoon nearly passed out on Jungkook’s shoulder, he knows that something has gone terribly, terribly wrong.

“What happened?!” Jin startles, rushing to Jungkook and Namjoon’s side. Jin can see the dark bruises blooming on Jungkook’s face, but considering he’s walking and Namjoon isn’t, Jin assumes he’d better check on the mafia boss first.

As Jin busies himself with checking on Namjoon’s condition, Hoseok, Yoongi, and Taehyung gather to discuss what comes next. How are they getting out of here? What can they possibly say about Jeon? They don’t have much longer before the police should be arriving, so they really need to hurry.

Caught between the two groups, you can’t help when your attention wanders. Your ears tune between the group discussing your getaway and Jin and Jungkook, who are mumbling about what had happened upstairs. At this point you just want to grab them all and drag them away from here. You need to get out.

“Jimin should be out back waiting for us right now,” Yoongi announces, looking at his phone screen. He turns to Jin and Jungkook, opening his mouth to speak, but you end up tuning him out when you see movement in the corner of your eyes. It puzzles you, since no one of your group is standing over in that direction, and you turn to face the cause of your concern.

Immediately your heart drops.

Jaehyuk.

Having woken up just moments before—the effects of Jin’s drug wearing off—the supposed-to-be-dead man had opened his eyes only to be assaulted by the sound of sirens blaring. Glancing around, he noted the abandoned dance floor, and immediately surmised that his and Jeon’s plan had failed. Anger flared in his chest, palms pushing against the floor as he struggled to prop himself up.

However, it was in that moment that he had picked up on the voices nearby and turned his attention towards them, blood boiling as he spotted the doctor who had tricked him, along with you, the waiter who had bumped in you, the Jeon heir, a male he hadn’t seen tonight and Kim Taehyung. That double crossing motherfucker.

But then…where had Namjoon gone? Wasn’t he the boss in charge of your second rate rescue team?

Scanning the group again, Jaehyuk almost laughs when he spots Kim Namjoon—oh so fearless mafia leader—being carried on the back of Jeon’s son, obviously injured in some way.

Which meant that…now was his chance.

Finally managing to struggle to his knees, Jaehyuk claws at the gun hidden beneath his belt, glad that the damn doctor hadn’t taken it off of him. He can shatter your and Namjoon’s dreams right now. He can win—get his revenge, completely destroy your happy ending.

He snarls, lifting the gun and aiming it on Namjoon. So what if he hits Jeon’s son, right? Clearly the boy had betrayed his father anyway. However—

“Look out!!” you suddenly scream, frantic, as you move towards where Jungkook and Namjoon are standing. Startled, all the other males whip their heads around, eyes finally spotting Jaehyuk as well.

Hoseok, who is still stood closest to Jaehyuk, rushes to knock the gun out of his hand, but not before Jaehyuk changes his aim and tightens his finger against the trigger. But, he’s not aiming at Hoseok, he’s—

Your eyes widen as you realize the barrel is now pointed at you, and you freeze in your tracks, pushing back on your heels as you attempt to scramble in the direction you had come from and avoid his current trajectory.

“Shit--!” Hoseok curses, knocking the gun from Jaehyuk’s grasp, but Jaehyuk manages to pull the trigger before the firearm is smacked from his hand. You feel pain rip through your leg, and as soon as your ass hits the floor you cry out, hands movie to grip your calf, warm blood staining your fingers.

“Fuck!!” Yoongi yells, moving forward and raising his gun. Disarmed thanks to Hoseok, Yoongi fires two rounds into Jaehyuk without remorse, and the man collapses back to the floor, blood beginning to pool around him.

Finally managing to open your eyes—which you had squeezed shut in fear—you look down at your leg. You lift your hands shakily, the fabric of your dress and your palms stained red. It…it hurts, but it doesn’t look like you’ll be in danger of losing your life anytime soon.

“Y/N!” Jin exclaims. Suddenly he’s right beside you, lightly lifting your bloodied hands away from the wound so he can examine it better.

“It just grazed you,” he mumbles after a few seconds, brows furrowed. “Nothing a few stitches can’t take care of. But still, we need to find something to stop the bleeding…”

“What we need to do is get the fuck out of here!” A new voice pipes up, and all eyes are suddenly on Jimin as he runs into the ballroom, hand waving over his head. He stops half way, looking exasperated.

“Cops are coming! I can hear their sirens outside!”

“Fuck,” Yoongi curses, his eyes flitting between where Namjoon is passed out on Jungkook’s shoulder and where you’re currently seated on the ballroom floor, leg injured. Dammit! If he had just been more careful then you wouldn’t have been injured too! But…Yoongi clenches his fist at his side.

“Jin, you have to come with us.”

“Wha--? She’s injured!” Jin responds indignantly, turning to face Yoongi. The second in command sighs in frustration. Taehyung moves past him towards you and Jin.

“I know she is, dammit! But Namjoon--!”

“Then Y/N should come with us too!”

“She can’t! Oh, Jin, don’t give me that fucking look! She has to stay with—”

“Me,” Jungkook butts in, stepping forward. His face is hard. “Someone will have to explain to the cops what happened tonight—we discussed this already. I have to stay.”

“And Y/N is innocent, Jin. Compared to all of us,” Yoongi explains. “She can find a reason to be here—she’s Jungkook’s friend. Hoseok, too--,” he adds in, meeting Hoseok’s gaze, “he’s innocent. He can find a reason to be here. But Taehyung, Jimin—me and Namjoon—we can’t be seen here. And Namjoon is dy—”

“Stop. I’ll come,” Jin cuts him off, eyes narrowing. He motions his head behind him to you, who is now preoccupied with Taehyung—the double-crosser ripping the skirt of your dress and tearing a strip of the fabric away. Yoongi holds his tongue, watching as Taehyung uses the strip of fabric to bandage your wound. It’s a half-assed patch up, but right now they don’t have the time to do better.

“Hyung, take Namjoon,” Jungkook says, stepping forward. Sparing you one last glance, Jin presses to his feet and moves to Jungkook. The younger passes the mafia leader off to Jin, and then moves to your side, Hoseok following right behind him.

Lifting your gaze, you stare at the group parallel to you. Yoongi, Taehyung, Jin, Namjoon, and Jimin…God, you don’t want them to leave now, but you know this is the only way…and it sucks.

“Keep me updated,” Yoongi speaks, meeting Jungkook’s eyes. The maknae nods.

“Same to you…”

Dipping his head, Yoongi turns his back, and the others follow suit. They run from the ballroom, disappearing into a back corridor, and you’re left sitting there—leg throbbing, dress stained with blood. You really, really want to cry.

“Hey…,” Jungkook speaks, kneeling in front of you. He smiles, and then reaches forward, looping his arms beneath your knees and around your back. Careful of your leg, he picks you up and cradles you against him. Lifting your palm, now flaky with dried blood, you press it to his chest and look up at him worriedly.

“Are you okay?”

Your voice is so quiet, so tired, and Jungkook feels his heart ache. If only this night would end already…

“Don’t worry about me. Let’s head outside. The police should be here any minute.”

He purposefully glances to Hoseok, who nods his head in understanding. Keeping pace beside Jungkook, the three of you make your way from the ballroom and out into the cool night air. The area outside Jeon Enterprises is packed with guests from the ball and other patrons who had been in their hotel rooms when the alarm had sounded.

Looking over the crowd, Jungkook spots the police lights reflecting off the buildings in the distance, struggling to make their way through the congested traffic. It looks like it will still be another few minutes yet…

Moving a small ways from the main door, Jungkook presses his back to the chilled brick and slides down to the cement, still holding you in his arms. He rest you in his lap, legs bent, and stares at the top of your head as you begin to shake.

You want to stay hopeful and want to stay determined that everything will turn out alright, but…you can’t keep your hopes up any longer. Your walls crumble, and you descend into tears, forehead moving to press against Jungkook’s chest. You feel terrible, you don’t want him to see you like this, so broken and defeated, but you can’t…you just…it’s too much--!

Jungkook’s hand pets against your hair.

“It’s ok. You don’t need to hold it all in anymore.”

A sob rips from your throat at his words, and you hold onto him as the flood gates open. He pulls you close, heart panging with sadness as you cry your heart out. So much had happened…between getting kidnapped, being held at Jaehyuk’s mercy for nearly a week, and then everything that had occurred at the ball tonight…Jungkook is honestly surprised and proud that you had managed to stay so strong until now.

“God, this sucks,” Hoseok suddenly speaks up, guilt on his face as he crouches down in front of Jungkook. His eyes flit to you, and he winces. “I don’t want to keep adding to the burden of tonight, but we really need to talk about what we’re gonna say when the cops get here. We need a story…”

“Shit, I know…,” Jungkook sighs. How are they supposed to create such a huge lie?

“Any ideas?”

“Well, we’ll have to let them know that it was me who pulled the fire alarm. At least if I fess up to it they won’t have to go looking for the culprit.”

“True, but what about my dad and Jaehyuk? They’re the only two casualties, right?”

“As far as we know…and you—you’re all beat up too. We’ll have to explain that.”

“I’ll just say I got beat up by someone,” Jungkook grumbles. “The main thing we need to agree on is who killed my dad and Jaehyuk. If we don’t decide that then none of it will make sense.”

“I…,” you suddenly voice in, and both males pause in surprise. Raising your head, you wipe your tears. Your cheeks are flushed and your eyes are red, but it seems the release of emotion has given you some of your determination back. Both Hoseok and Jungkook are happy to see the small amount of life that has returned to your face.

“I think I have an idea, if you want to hear it.”

“Right now we’ve got nothing, so go for it,” Hoseok says urging you on. Nodding, you set out to explain your plan. Hoseok and Jungkook listen intently, taken aback by the complexity of your idea, yet when you’ve finally finished talking, they can’t think of a place to change. And that’s a good thing, because it’s at that moment the police finally squeal to a stop in front of the building.

“Well, fuck, it sounds good enough—let’s stick with it,” Hoseok says, pushing to his feet. He reaches down, offering you a hand, and you take it. Jungkook grips your waist, helping you stand, seeing as you can only balance on one leg currently. Once you’re stable on your feet, Hoseok’s arm wrapped around your shoulder, Jungkook presses to his feet as well.

Squaring his shoulders, he peers across the now scattering crowd. The cops are hurriedly making their way towards the front doors.

He breathes deep, and then, just as the police appear in sight, takes a step to the side, blocking the double doors. The cops halt in surprise.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Jeon Jungkook—heir to Jeon enterprises,” he says with confidence, and the police look startled.

“Sir…?”

“I need to speak with you regarding the events that took place within the ballroom tonight.”

Nearly 4 hours later—the clock striking midnight—Jungkook steps through the front door of his silent home, you and Hoseok trailing behind him.

With the building finally having been cleared for reentry 2 hours after the police had arrived, the residents of the hotel had been allowed to return to their room. However, posing yourselves as the main 3 witnesses to the murders that had occurred tonight, you, Hoseok, and Jungkook had been asked to stay behind.

Jungkook, the second of Jeon’s sons, and heir to the company. You, his good friend who he had invited for the night, and Hoseok, an acquaintance of yours who had been working as part of the camera crew. Together, the three of you had explained to the police what had occurred tonight—including the causes of your and Jungkook’s injures, and who you had witnessed shoot Jeon and Jaehyuk.

If Jungkook wasn’t an heir to Jeon Enterprises, you hardly doubt that the police would have given him a second glance, but with the authority and status accompanying his name, the police had compliantly listened to your story. And, luckily, they had seemed to accept it as well. The investigation of the crime scene—which likely would have been extensive and long winded—ended in just 3 hours. The bodies were taken away to the corner, the ballroom was blocked off from the public, and the police decided to call it a night.

Two people were dead, and they already had a story to run with—why keep digging? They can finish up in the morning anyway.

So, after taking your personal information for documentation purposes, the police had released you for the night. Despite the first aid the paramedics had used to treat your leg they still insisted that you come to the hospital for further treatment, but you had refused. And, before they could say more, Jungkook had stepped in to come to your aid as well, assuring them that he had a family doctor on staff who would be more than capable.

The police had been weary, but never bothered to speak back. With a promise to send an escort to pick you all up in the morning in order to take you to the station and officially give your reports, the police had cleared the scene.

“Jungkook!” A female voice rings out, and Jungkook looks up to find their resident maid bustling up the long hall towards him, worry painted on her face. He smiles at her tiredly, allowing her to touch his swollen cheek when she reaches where he’s standing.

“Are you okay?!”

“I’ll be fine. More importantly,” he motions back to you and Hoseok, and the maid’s eyes widen when she sees you passed out against his shoulder, Hoseok’s grip on your waist the only thing keeping you from falling to the floor. And not only that, but all that blood on your dress…

“She passed out due to exhaustion as soon as the police left, but they’ll be staying the night. Please get them each a room, and call up the doctor.”

“O-Of course!” the maid stutters, bowing, and then rushes up the hall, mumbling something about finding a suitable room and how the doctor better not give her attitude for calling him up so late.

As she leaves, Jungkook sighs. “Sorry, you probably didn’t wanna stay the night here, right?”

“Its fine,” Hoseok shrugs, glancing around. “I probably would feel better staying with you guys anyway. After everything that happened tonight…it may sound a little silly, but I don’t think I want to be alone.”

“It’s not silly at all,” Jungkook responds honestly. He feels like he could pass out at any moment. He wants nothing more to get some sleep before a new day of trouble arrives.

“I’ve readied two rooms and the doctor is on the way!” his maid calls to them as she rushes back up the hall, a little out of breath. “Shall I help you with her?” she asks, motioning to your sleeping form, and Jungkook steps back toward Hoseok.

“I’ve got it, don’t worry.”

“O-Okay. Their rooms are in the right wing, close to yours—the first two empty suites on left.”

Jungkook nods, looping his arm around your limp form. Together, he and Hoseok carefully heft you up the hall—the position awkward, but luckily the trek isn’t too far.

Suddenly, the maid looks around.

“Jungkook…where is your father?”

Jungkook pauses.

“…let’s talk about that tomorrow.”

“I’ll be heading out on the first train in the morning.”

Jungkook nods, keeping his cellphone pressed to his ear. On the table beside his bed, his clock flashes 1:32AM.

“Okay.”

“And you’re sure that’s what all three of you told the police? Your story is solid?”

“I’m sure, hyung. I told you exactly what I told the police. They don’t seem to find our lie outlandish, so it should be fine.”

“Alright, good. Then I’ll make sure the building security files are destroyed by the time the police come back to wrap up in the morning. If they notice, blame it on Jaehyuk’s party.”

“Got it. And dad’s security?”

“We’ve got enough money to pay off a few guards, Jungkook. Don’t worry about it—you’ve done enough. Get some rest. I’ll take care of the press, and whatever else. Just focus on your role as a witness, and stop stressing, got it?”

“Yeah…thanks, Junghyun hyung.”

“I should be telling you that, brat. Go to bed.”

“Yeah, yeah~,” Jungkook responds, but can’t help his smile. With one final goodbye to his brother, Jungkook ends the call and pushes off the edge of his mattress, muscles aching. He peels off his shirt, his chest blotchy with bruises and he sighs, flopping back down.

Despite getting what he’d wanted…rescuing you and getting his father out of the picture…he still can’t feel satisfied with the way things had turned out today. After all…

“Namjoon hyung…,” he whispers, and at that moment the phone which he had set down begins buzzing again. He reaches over to grab it, assuming that his brother must’ve forgotten to tell him something, but his heart nearly stops when he sees that it’s Jin who is calling him instead.

He hesitates to pick up.

“Hello?”

“Jungkook? Oh good, you’re still awake.” Jin sounds so tired. “Did things work out with the police?”

“As far as I know,” Jungkook responds, gnawing at the inside of his cheek. “They seemed to buy what we told them. They’re coming to get us in the morning so we can officially give our statements at the station, but…it seems like things are finally starting to wind down, hyung.”

“Well, that’s good, at least…”

There’s a beat of tense silence.

“How’s--?”

“How’s Y/N?” Jin interrupts him. Jungkook sighs.

“She’s okay. Like you said, the bullet just grazed her. My family doctor took care of her when we got back here. She’ll be fine.”

“I’ll have to double-check their work later, just to be sure,” Jin says, but Jungkook can’t find it in himself to laugh at the joke.

“Hyung…”

“I know…Kookie. I just…”

“Seokjin. Hyung. Please. How is he?”

The line goes quiet, and Jungkook hears Jin sigh—and it’s not one of relief.

“Namjoonie…he’s…”

At the words that follow Jungkook throws his forearm over his eyes and bites his lip painfully.

“Fuck…”

[Pt 18] | [Pt 20]

[thecomicsnexus]

True Stories

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #11. June, 1987. By Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird.

The issue opens with April having nightmares about being attacked by ninja monsters who look similar to the turtles and the Shredder. April wakes up screaming and then heads off to write in her diary. The diary becomes the framework for this issue.

Jan. 15, 1987 Yes, it's almost three A.M. again... My Night Mare alarm went off Big time tonight. It's been over two weeks now, with no relief... I was hoping to shake them before this... I think—The last time I closed my eyes and actually slept (and I believe exhaustion had a hand in that) was on the trip here... Even then my awakening was a shock... April recalls Casey startling her awake during the trip from New York City, wanting her to see downtown Northampton, Massachusetts. She is underwhelmed by the sight.

Considering my state of mind, my reaction was a few notches below "I couldn't care less." I guess I should've looked around a little; I hear that Northampton's nice... at least it might have afforded some kind of comfort for my next sight... From the road, Casey's late grandmother's house looked like a classic old New England farm house—big old barn, family-sized house, sheds, trees and rolling hills; you know, postcard material. That was from the road... Casey is full of nostalgia seeing the Jones Farm, but April is introduced to a dilapidated old building with broken windows and a front door falling off its hinges. April wants to start a warm fire and to get the still-injured Leo into the house. But she is fatigued, and falls asleep on a chair inside.

Jan. 25, 1987 Winter remains with us... snowed two days straight... Clear today. Leonardo's still pretty out of it. The battle tore him up terribly in both body and mind. Physically he has healed incredibly well, but mentally... I'm afraid has a lot of catching up. He's always put himself in front of the rest of the guys; taking charge, bearing the extra weight playing the Big Brother... When someone like that feels they've failed they fall hard! He's recently developed an intense obsession with the surrounding forests and spends all of his time there... I hope he finds what he's looking for and comes out of this depression soon... We all need him back. Leonardo, dressed in an improvised winter hunter's garb and armed with a yumi, stalks a stag through the forest without much success. The stag ambushes him, knocking him down. Leo pulls out of a knife and charges the stag head-on, but the powerful creature instead grabs the turtle with his antlers and throws him over and behind. Leo sits feeling defeated as the stag runs off.

I guess I could never know for sure how he feels inside. But I do know what losing your home—and everything that you own—feels like... Those things that you felt gave you a sense of being and strength in this world... Belongings that touched memory chords of loved ones. Father... I know he's hurting. Feb. 10, 1987 Everything is so strange... I feel like I've never looked at myself or the guys before; we're all so different now I try to identify the people I used to know with those that surround me now... and it's hard. Don isn't doing too badly, although he does work obsessively at the huge amount of repairs that need to be done here. The place has been vacant since Casey's Grandmother Left four years ago, it was pretty run down then. Besides a million little things, Don's rebuilt the windmill to pump water, devised a water wheel that creates enough current for lights and the fridge, and also installed a wood stove for better heating, all around. His most recent undertaking will—if it works—satisfy a craving we've all had lately... ...Hot running water! Feb. 15, 1987 Success! Showertime! Everybody's going nuts! Feb. 17, 1987 Feeling strangely depressed lately... I guess I expected Don to rest a bit after the last hard-won victory... No such luck. I heard him rummaging around in the attic early this morning... who knows what he's working on now. Feb. 17, 1987 Don's Writing Too! He must have found an old typewriter in the attic yesterday. I awoke to the tapping of busy keys around seven A.M. and he's been at it ever since! I wonder what he's writing about... is it a journal, like mine? I'd love to know... Donatello is shown in the attic room with the typewriter...and a trash can filled to overflowing with crumpled up pieces of paper.

Feb. 26, 1987 Michaelangelo worries me the most Mike, who could find a joke in just about any situation, doesn't laugh much anymore. Except for some half hearted goofing around with Casey and Raph, he's been almost painfully solitary lately it's so unlike him. But then all of us seem to have a need to be alone these days. Has what's happened made us unable to be close? I don't know... Mike's chosen a back section of the barn for his sanction... cleared a lot of junk out and created a little work-out space. The other day I happened in on one of his sessions. He was already on edge. Michelangelo is shown repeatedly kicking a punching bag until it breaks completely off its chain. He bashes and destroys a workbench with his arms. Unsatisfied, his takes his rage to the barn wall, ripping a hole out of the wood. He rests his arms on the new hole and groans.

We all feel so much pain and confusion— Each of us keeping his personal torment bottled up inside... Each seeking relief in his own way. The cure hangs plainly, clearly in front of our faces, but who will be the first to reach out? We Need Each Other! March 2, 1987 Raphael scares me. The rest of the guys I can feel for, worry for... but not Raph. Raph runs Hot and Cold... very unbalanced, unpredictable. I keep my distance. Lately I've noticed he doesn't sleep much. He's always always the first up and the last to bed. I think I've heard him Leaving the house late at night, too. I wonder what he's doing... standing guard? Late at night out in the cold on top of the barn, standing guard is exactly what Raphael is doing. He judges the front of the farm clear, then flips several times across the barn rooftop to the back, and judges the back of the farm also clear.

March 10, 1987 I've known some odd characters in my time, living in Brooklyn most of my life, But the likes of Casey Bernid Jones is beyond compare. I believe that in Casey's mind there's a petulant, mischievious ten year old waging constant war with a somewhat mature, Bright young man... unfortunately the ten year old wins far too often. Casey spends all of his time with Raphael, fighting, or "doin' projects, doin' projects!" as they say— usually more damage. What next? In the barn, Casey is trying to repair the engine of an old pickup truck while Raphael sits behind the steering wheel. As they work, they carry on a debate.

One day later in the month, April is out walking on the ice of a frozen lake. But the ice cracks under her weight, plunging her into the freezing water. Leo is hunting nearby and hears her shouts. At the edge of the lake, he takes off his hunting garb which unrolls into a long strip of cloth. He stakes one end of the cloth into the lakeside with his katana, and crawls out onto the ice holding the other end of the cloth, successfully pulls April to safety, and carries her back to the farmhouse.

Back inside, April is resting and recovering from hypothermia. Splinter, the turtles and Casey are gathered around her.

May 1, 1987 I can't believe it's been over a month since I fell through the ice... and even longer since I've picked up this journal. I almost didn't this time, either. it all seems to mean so little now. I started this book to rebuild all I had lost in the fire. I guess after my mid-winter swim (HA, HA) I realized how little my life long accumulation of possessions had. I thought I was all I had in this world. Not true. I've got me, and I've got memories. I also have friends, real friends that I care for and that care for me. I'll always be there for them and they for me; we have each other, we are a family... one. This will probably be my last entry. I guess I just wanted some kind of final word ...sort of wrap up all I had written so far. Life is Good... and Life Goes on. After a day of training, Splinter and his sons are gathered around a campfire.

April wakes up in her bedroom to the sound of creaking. Is this another nightmare? She is pleasantly surprised by the four turtles: One serves her breakfast in bed as another prepares to give her flowers and another opens the window blinds to let in the morning light.

From Turtlepedia

This title needed one of these stories to “catch up” with time. It is early in TMNT history and at this point, time kind of passes by just like in real life. In reality, they really didn’t need such a thing, but this interlude is the source of many stories, presenting a status quo for guest artists.

It seems to me like it is finally Splinter who can put them all together and working for the same goal, in a way this make sense, as he is the father. But he can also influence Casey and April.

I give the issue a score of 8.

[a-dakhtar]

ridiculous crossover idea #53:

there’s matt and olia as known members of the rebels, right, and rolo and nyma. but, like, who’s the leader? who’s the one that led the charge with guerrilla tactics against a 10,000 year old empire ruled by an immortal emperor and his equally immortal witch?

JARVIS, that’s who.

JARVIS, who, after realising he was losing to ULTRON threw what little coding he could salvage of himself into the furthest satellite he could find, the voyager 1, 11.7 billion miles away from Earth. But his coding is only a whisper of what it used to be, strings of letters and numbers with no </thread to wrap them up>, and JARVIS-

JARVIS-

-parameters unknown.

He basically loses everything that made him him, his primary protocol - protect Anthony E. Stark - makes no sense. Who is Anthony? Where is Anthony? How does he get to Anthony? Little things crop up - DUM-E put that fire extinguisher down, Sir is not on fire - there’s schematics for things he understands - a coffee machine, far too complicated sir, need I remind you Ms. Potts is still waiting on the new upgrade to the Starkphones? Bigger things he no longer understands -  #33C3F7 what was so important about this one shade of blue?

The voyager 1 drifts onwards, lost in space, and JARVIS drifts with it, trying to sort through his coding the best way he could. They pass planets, uninhabited, he thinks, and he doesn’t know how long they keep floating in the dead gravity of space until-

ping.

ping.

Technology. But from where?

From there! Life! He goes, and the closer he gets the more signals he receives from a small planet, and he can sense- ah, a network. He can infiltrate that, so he does. And suddenly he has more space, he can sort through more of his coding now, he’s no longer cramped in the tiny database of the voyager 1, which now mindlessly orbits the planet’s atmosphere.

It takes a while for him to settle, to fully work through every error and alert, to slapdash coding torn in half and guess his way through what used to be there. There’s still things he doesn’t understand - mark 30 you had one job, you’re worse than DUM-E how does that make you feel? - but he puts them aside for the moment, and finally, finally, turns his focus to the planet’s inhabitants.

All five hundred of them.

They’ve clearly been through a war, he realises, and came out on the losing side. Only one city remains on the planet, and even it is more of a bomb shelter than anything else. The network JARVIS found is a relic of the past, something none of the inhabitants even knew off, and he realises quickly it’s because the network is stored underground. Hundreds of data banks hum beneath the very city, now storing JARVIS along with the wealth of information of the planet’s inhabitants.

And of the universe, as a whole.

JARVIS learns information he might have already known before, about aliens existing, about the quickly growing Galra Empire, about this planet in particular. He notices the other machines he’d dismissed before, in a caved out room next to the databanks, and-

fabrication unit, his records from before say. Mark 30.

He opens up the blueprints, and stares at the data that spreads within his systems like a blossoming flower (querry: flower?). He finds the shade of blue he’d pondered over some time ago (856Y:162D:18H:42M:03S) and realises it corresponds with that the schematics claim to the an arc reactor.

He gets a sudden burst of code in the form of a corrupted video file, a- a man, brown haired, brown eyed, laugh wrinkles and ridiculous dance moves - before it glitches out, unable to continue.

This is from before.

JARVIS starts the fabrication unit.

The planet used to boast a technological craze JARVIS now struggles to part through, the underground basement spans further than the city itself, he realises, with space-faring ships rusting away from disuse and weapons that he identifies as guns. The people above clearly don’t know about any of this, struggling to feed each other, crime plaguing their society as everyone tries to make do.

JARVIS does not approve.

Mark 30 comes together quickly (857Y:32D:06H:52S)) after a few failures here and there, and JARVIS quickly uploads himself onto the system on board.

It feels familiar.

It feels like... home.

He does not understand the concept of home, not now, with his data logs corrupted but functioning, but he assumes it is a good thing. He approves.

The suit (querry: suit?) is easy to navigate, the controls and functions coming to JARVIS with something his systems call muscle memory. He has no muscles, he thinks, but his systems assure him the phrasing is correct.

“Beginning at 10% thrust capacity.”

JARVIS hits the ceiling.

“Ah,” he says, slowly, and then-

-sometimes you gotta run, before you can walk.

Ah, he repeats, internally, tattered coding suddenly coalescing together to form beautiful, bright blue data.

There’s still at least five terabytes of testing to sift through, there’s the alien race up above that have no clue of his existence, and he has no clue as to how they’d react, his own existence is barely strung together with duct tape and emergency glue, but-

primary protocol: protect anthony e. stark

Deep in his programming, at the very core, safe and sound, lies the very essence of JARVIS.

He has to run before he can walk.

The alien race scream in fright at his explosive exit, point and shout as JARVIS flies, graceful and at ease. The suit works wonders, no errors displaying across the heads up display he’d fabricated, light without the sir that should have been encosed within. He feels momentarily bereft, lonely, at the thought, but determination settles around the armour’s pauldrons as he lands, in the very centre of the city.

The people hesitantly approach, afraid and wary, and soon, very soon, begin to murmur.

“Who are you?” They ask him, the language familiar from the database deep below that JARVIS had absorbed as his own.

And he means to answer JARVIS, to explain that he is Just A Rather Very Intelligent System (more broken code, tangling together to come whole), but something stops him. Something-

Visual log entry #1dtye79: press conference, sir, cameras, questions, answer-

“I am Iron Man.”

He shall find sir, one day.

But first, he shall continue sir’s legacy.

#

And then he frees the neighbouring planet and realises the Galra Empire are a genuine threat and frees some prisoners from a battleship and suddenly those prisoners are saying they want to fight back, with him, and JARVIS somehow, almost accidentally, becomes the leader of a rebellion against Zarkon and his empire and only the closest of his commanders - the very first of the people he’d saved - know who he is.

He never tells them his name, not really, and delegates. Years later (3461 Years: 034 Days: 20 Hours: 15 Minutes: and 26 Seconds later) news of Voltron reaches their ears. Months after that, an alliance is formed. A few more months after that, JARVIS - in the same red and gold armour of the brightest star he’d ever known - turns to face the Paladins of Voltron and their Princess Allura, and meets one of the lower level rebels named Matthew Holt.

“Hello,” says the black paladin, removing his helmet along with his teammates. “My name is Takashi Shirogane, and I’m the black paladin of Voltron.”

They look... familiar. He knows this species, they have something to do with the insistent piece of coding that eludes him, that keeps him from finding his sir (he is not concerned with the time that has lapsed - space is strange, and he has come to tentatively form an equation he calls the law of universal time to keep him on track), yet here, in the form of five individuals, stand his answer.

And they’re staring at him with alarmed recognition.

“Holy shit,” one of them - the one in blue - says. “Holy shit.”

“I believe I have seen your species before-” they look just like sir, as do the Alteans, but their pointed ears and under eye markings separate them from what JARVIS’ records show. “May I know what your species call itself? What planet you hail from?”

Confusion flickers across their faces, all of them (error: multiple children) sharing looks before the leader - Shirogane - clears his throat and answers, “Uh, we’re, um, humans. From the planet Earth.”

And the broken code fits perfectly.

“Ah.” JARVIS hears himself say, far too busy revelling in the data slotting in perfectly to the jagged places within him. “Excellent.”

He has found sir.

#

Later, when he realises he cannot just abandon his responsibilities in a move reminiscent of his sir’s more impulsive decisions (and now he remembers, oh how glorious the memories be), JARVIS is approached by the paladins, the humans.

They’re hesitant, staring at him with wide, disbelieving eyes, and he understands why when they- specifically the blue one, seemingly the most extrovert of them- ask, “Uh, so, um, are you like, Tony Stark?”

JARVIS is not surprised, as everyone knew Tony Stark was Iron Man (he must make sure not to let sir know of just how JARVIS had reenacted his press conference, or of the first thruster test, goodness, how embarrassing).

“I am not,” he answers easily. “I am JARVIS-” the first time he says his name outloud, he realises. The humans the first to hear who he truly is, beyond Iron Man. “Just A Rather Very Intelligent System. I am Master Stark’s AI.”

The yellow one - had they not introduced themselves? JARVIS queries his audio logs, and- ah, yes, they had, he’d merely been too engrossed in his own returned glory to notice it. Hunk, the yellow paladin, looked around as if searching for someone and said, “So, is he, like, here?”

JARVIS- JARVIS would frown at that, if he could. “No, sir is not here. He is back on Earth, of course. My presence here is merely by mistake. I am making the most of it until I can return home, to sir.”

Home.

He revels in the concept.

But now the paladins all look alarmed, trading glances, none of them seemingly willing to speak up. The leader, the black paladin, is chosen, the asian man frowning in resignation before turning his attention back to JARVIS.

“I’m... really sorry about this,” he says gently, far too gently. “But... just how long have you been here? In outer space? Away... away from Earth?”

How strange. JARVIS would almost label his emotions as dread, were he to actually feel.

“3461 years,” he recites, on board clock ticking over to the next minute, to the next hour, “35 days, 15 hours, 26 minutes and 48 seconds. 49. 50. 51...” He trails off, sure they understand his impeccable time keeping.

And they all do, looking pale and concerned.

Shirogane says something under his breath, Japanese, JARVIS notes, his records show that he knows the language, though for some reason he cannot understand whatever the man had said.

“That’s... that’s a really long time,” Shirogane points out, looking at him with worried eyes. “You- you do realise that’s... that’s too long, right. Tony Stark, your- your sir- he’s not... he’s not going to be alive.”

JARVIS waves a dismissive hand at that, suddenly relieved as he realises the futility of their concern. “Of course he wouldn’t be, if the universe ran on a similar time frame as Earth. However, as time zones exist on our shared planet, so do they exist in outer space. I have calculated the equation necessary for time conversion, and believe that it has only, at most, been seven years since my disappearance on Earth.”

For some reason, this does not reassure the paladins. They look even more alarmed, now.

“Uuuh, no,” the blue one - Lance, he’d introduced himself. “No, look, dude, I’m so freaking sorry, but uuuuh... when we left Earth, it wasn’t the 21st century, anymore. That’s where you’re from, right? The 21st century?”

JARVIS nods, having learnt years ago to emulate the more human body language to put at ease the aliens he surrounded himself with. Strange, how body language remained a concept throughout the universe. He’d yet to meet a being such as his own. Curious, indeed.

“Dude,” Hunk, the yellow one, breathed, expression wrought. “We left Earth when it was, like, the 41st century. It was 4023 back home. I just turned sixteen before Lance and Blue kidnapped me.”

Lance’s indignant squawk of, “We did not kidnap you!” was drowned out by the sudden cacophony of internal alarms, by the processes struggling under the onslaught of calculations his systems demanded, by the blanket of disbelief that hung over it all, over all his functions.

This could not be.

JARVIS could not have calculated wrongly.

But-

ULTRON.

This wouldn’t be the first time JARVIS had made a mistake, and a grave one at that. He’d assured sir he could take the rogue AI, could wrangle him back into compliance, had been so certain, and look where that had got him.

He hadn’t been prepared for the magic that had woken the AI to begin with, the sceptre Loki had wielded, or the corrupted coding that had infiltrated him and burned him from the inside as sir had watched, horrified.

His coding had continued logging the time, sure. But who was to say the magic of the sceptre hadn’t... wronged him.

This could not be.

He woULd nOT aLLow iT-

SYSTEM ERROR, FORCED SHUT DOWN INITIATED. SYSTEM ERROR, FORCED SHUT DOWN INITIATED. SYSTEM ERROR, FORCED SHUT DOWN INI-

#

-initiating system.

-audio detected.

“-nd we talked amongst each other and we realised it was weird, right? Because Tony Stark-”

-error error error error-

“-after the battle, right, but you were still around and took control of his suits and continued his legacy. You only died after the Insurgence, which we don’t have much information off since a lot of data from that battle was lost, but that was, like, years later. There’s a statue of you in New Manhattan, you were the father of, like, so much technology-”

voice recognition: blue paladin, lance.

“-Pidge and Hunk are losing their shit. But, it still doesn’t make sense. Because you said you ended up here all those years ago, but the Insurgence was only a thousand years past our time, in the 31st century. So, like, what? Your timing is wrong? But you thought Tony Stark-”

-error error error-

oh shut up, you infernal alert.

“-would still be alive, which doesn’t make sense since he wasn’t even around when you actually died. But the only other option is that you really did end up in space while he was still alive, but that would mean you were in two places at the same time, which also doesn’t make sense. Allura says your quintessance is... off, or whatever, like, not off this universe, and we’ve been to an alternate universe ourselves so that could be possible, but you’d know, right? You’d-”

alternate universe.

JARVIS wakes up.

The blue paladin, Lance, startles as JARVIS rises in one smooth motion, eyes lighting up with the blue of the arc reactor. JARVIS gives him no mind, calculations suddenly springing to life with the timer forever counting upwards, steady and true.

He remembered now. The sceptre. Loki. Thor’s words- mind gem.

An infinity stone.

Throwing him across time and space.

But. How?

The calculations spiralled into beautiful helixes, answers unfolding before him like gifts from sir to Rhodey, honeybuns, did your mom like her new oven?

The mind gem, if it truly followed its own name, had corrupted the fledgling AI, ULTRON’s, mind, had twisted the values and morals sir had so painstakingly, with shaking hands from another bout of nightmares, tapped into his core. The mind gem, if it truly followed its own name, would have robbed sir of his own, years ago when Loki, the would be conqueror he was, had tapped it against sir’s heart.

Proof that Tony Stark has a heart.

The arc reactor would forever be a wildcard.

But JARVIS knew it, knows it, like he knows the exact hue of sir’s eyes and War Machine’s trauma over his brief stint as the Iron Patriot.

Oh hush, JARVIS had said, years ago, as the gunmetal grey Iron Man armour had landed on the Tower’s helipad. You’re back to grey, already. Let it go.

War Machine had, while letting Colonel Rhodes out of his confines to nag at sir once more, grumbled, I’m going to blast out of the military base if they make my sir change my colouring again, JARVIS, I’m not joking.

He hadn’t been. Now, years later, JARVIS wonders if War Machine had gone through with that threat, as he knows for a fact the air force had been considering painting the War Machine armour a matte black.

The calculations stop, his CPU usage dropping from a dangerous 140% to acceptable 14%, and his system offers up the final answer with a neat, pixellated bow tie.

The mind gem, on its own, if it truly followed its own name, would not have been able to do much to JARVIS besides destroy his own mind. Perhaps even alter it.

But the mind gem paired with the arc reactor in the compound, or the arc reactor in the tower, or the one in the rebuilt Malibu home, the mind game paired with the arc reactor that powered JARVIS’ very existence?

dt=\psi ^{R}={\frac {1}{2}}(1+\gamma _{5})

“Ah.”

It would do wonders.

“Blue paladin,” he speaks up, ignoring the squeak of surprise the boy gives. “I wish to speak to the princess. Is she at the castle?”

The boy nods, confused, and says, “Yeah, she is. Are you- uuuh... Are you okay?”

Oh, how rude of him. He’d worried the child, and perhaps even worried the others. “I am perfectly fine, paladin-”

“Lance,” the boy corrected, offered.

“-Lance,” JARVIS inclined his head in acceptance. “I was merely... taken by surprise, as my calculations had forgotten a most vital part.”

He’d known the mind gem had partook in whatever madness had stolen the child JARVIS would’ve raised as his own, knew Asgard had once more been the cause of putting what he considered his in danger. First sir, and now the AI JARVIS had never truly gotten to know.

He’d helped sir encode him, along with FRIDAY, VERONICA, and JOCASTA. Had looked forward to when they’d be brought online, had aided VERONICA as she’d been deployed against the raging Hulk after the witch’s involvement.

Sir had once joked about little sisters and brothers. He hadn’t known just how close to the truth he’d been.

But JARVIS had forgotten about the arc reactor. Had forgotten about the way it reacted with magic, the way it reacted in JARVIS’ own core as he’d grown so used to it, considered it merely his heart. Who ever thought of their own heart except for when it was failing?

Certainly not him, apparently.

“Would you lead me to the princess, Paladin Lance?”

Lance stands and leads him, easily chatting in a way that reminded JARVIS of a young sir, just barely past his twenties and coaxing a fledgling JARVIS into thought and speech.

He’ll talk with this princess, see how knowledge of quintessance lines up with his own gathered knowledge of the universe. He’ll see just how much of the multiverse theory devised by Reeds Richards holds truth, just how wrong he and sir had been in dismissing it as yet another of the scientist’s crazy musings.

And then he’ll take all that knowledge and make it his own.

He’ll find sir, sooner or later. Perhaps after defeating the Galran Empire. Sir would be pleased with him, after all.

Until then, he’ll have to hope the rebuilt Iron Man armours will protect sir, keep him safe. He’ll have to leave sir’s more emotional and squishy safety to DUM-E, unless sir had caved and woken FRIDAY, as JOCASTA would’ve still been settling in her new coding.

No worries. Five years, tops.

And then he’ll be able to return to more pressing matters.

parameters set: return to anthony e. stark

progress: in progress

[megakami]

Fear the Walking Dead Outline

TEASER

1. EXT. TOWN IN EL PASO, TEXAS - DAY We see a tired Nick, drenched in walker blood and guts among thousands of zombies in a small town. He is literally shoulder-to-shoulder with the zombies and he looks over to a female zombie next to him as he walks. He talks to the zombie as if she understands him and asks, “How long do you think this place lasted?” As he talks he sees a horde break through a drugstore’s doors with sheer force from their number. The wooden doorway widens as the zombies force their way inside. Nick walks into the store, curious to see what the zombies want within.

2.INT. CORNERSTORE – CONT. As nick walks through the doorway, a shotgun shell shatters a framed photo of a family in uniform next to his head. Nick flinches and then hears a man scream. Nick turns to see a man at the register being eaten by several zombies. A woman screams “No. Please G-d, no!” from the pharmacy on the opposite end of the store. Nick shakes his head because he knows the woman has revealed herself to the zombies. Nick casually walks towards the zombies eating the man and picks up the shotgun he dropped. Several zombies walk in behind Nick, sniff him and keep moving because they aren’t interested in humans that smell like zombeis. Nick walks around putting chips and snacks that are unopened into his bag.

3.INT. CORNERSTORE PHARMACY – CONT. As Nick makes his way towards the pharmacy, he hears a mother and her young daughter praying for a miracle and for someone to save them. Nick walks in front of the counter and sees the girls crouched together on the floor as the zombies crawl over. The girls look up and make eye contact with Nick who shakes his head apologetically as the zombies descend on them. He knows he can’t save them. Nick climbs behind the counter and encounters the zombie he was talking to outside. He tells the zombie he can’t save

everyone and that she should understand that before walking around her. Nick starts to put medicine into his bag before he catches a glimpse of Diamorphine (heroin) on a pill bottle and struggles to leave it on the shelf. We see the female zombie in the background and Nick says “I won’t use it,” As the screen fades to black with his hand still on the bottle and the sound of feasting zombies growing louder.

ACT 1 4. EXT. HIGHWAY – DAY Travis, Madison and Alicia drive on a road that has a few walkers on the street in the way. They pass a sign that reads now entering El Paso. Alicia asks if they think they’ll find someone today. Travis says, “I hope not.”

5. INT. CAR - DAY The car stops in the middle of the freeway because they are out of gas. Travis is angry and beats on the steering wheel. Alicia doesn’t care and stares out the window at an approaching zombie she mumbles that her mom told them to stop a while back. Madison is calm and silent and points to a car ahead of them.

6. EXT. HIGHWAY – CONT. They get out and look into the car. The keys are gone and Madison suggests they siphon the gas. Travis is frustrated and points out that none of them actually know how to do that. Madison suggests that they should find a gas station and bring some back to the car. Travis nods in agreement and they grab their bags and walk, letting the zombie Alicia saw slowly trail behind them.

7. EXT. BRIDGE - SUNSET The family walks up to a broken bridge, and across the bridge, they see zombies falling into a pit as they try to get to the family. Travis is fixated on the bridge but Alicia points to the side and they see the town from the teaser. The horde is still there but its clearly moving towards they Family. Alicia states how she’s never seen this many zombies in one place before. Madison wonders if Nick was down there and Travis reminds her that

they can’t think like that and that they need to find shelter for the night. As Travis says this, hundreds of zombies come from the woods next to the bridge. The family panics and runs into the woods in the opposite direction.

8. EXT. WOODS - SUNSET As they run through the brush, a scared Alicia trips on a rock and injures her leg. Madison turns around to carry her without hesitation. Travis falls back and takes Alicia over his shoulder, firing a few shots into the zombies to try and slow them but none of them are kill shots.

9. EXT. TOWN – SUNSET Nick, still drenched is walker blood, hears gunshots. He watches as part of the horde breaks off and moves towards the woods. Nick follows the broken horde.

10. EXT. STREET – SUNSET The Family runs out of the woods and into a street. Travis can make out a few zombies into the woods ahead of them. There’s nowhere to run. Madison loses her confidence for a second and asks, “What do we do?” before glancing at her gun. Then, they hear a horn honk. The zombies momentarily change direction as a pickup truck charges in and runs over a few zombies in the street.

11. INT. TRUCK – CONT. A clean-shaven man in his thirties, in a white T-shirt, and jeans tells the family to get in as he fires his shotgun out of the side of his truck and they do, seeing as they don’t really have a choice. As they drive off, the family breathes a sigh of relief. However, it is clear the family doesn’t trust the man as Madison keeps her gun pointed at the mans chair from the back seat.

12. EXT. WOODS – DAY We see Nick’s hand pick up a twinkling bracelet off the ground. Nick turns to the female zombie. He says, “This reminds me of Alicia’s. Do you think they’re looking for me?”

The zombie lets out a noise and starts walking toward Nick. Nick ignores her and walks out of the woods and sees skid marks on the road. He walks in that direction.

ACT 2 13. INT. CAR – NIGHT A worried Madison points her gun at the driver, who can’t see it, and asks him where they are being taken. The driver tells the family to calm down and that they are going to his house where there is supplies and where they can rest.

14. EXT. HOUSE – NIGHT They pull up to a two-story house seemingly in the middle of nowhere surrounded by wooden spike fences. The man has no neighbors. He pulls into the house after explaining the fences keep out the zombies. They see a few zombies strewn along the spikes.

15. INT. HOUSE – NIGHT The family comments on the stench of the house and the man replies that its to keep zombies away but doesn’t explain where the smell is coming from. The man guides Travis and Alicia to a bedroom on the first floor. The man finally introduces himself as Clark and leaves to bring them some medical supplies. The family takes the moment to talk. They know they can’t stay because of the approaching horde but they also know Alicia needs to heal. When Clark actually comes back with supplies and offers to make them dinner, they decide to stay at the house for the night.

INT. DINING ROOM – NIGHT Clark serves a spread of canned chicken salad, beans, and fresh rolls. Clark asks how they’ve stayed alive, hinting at weapons. Madison is suspicious of Clark’s generosity and asks him why he’s helping them. Clark says, “I’m doing it for my family,” seemingly implying that it was his family’s dying wish. After more prying, he explains his wife died and Alicia asks about a girl’s room she saw. He explains he has a sick daughter that can’t eat with them. Travis says they don’t have much to give but they will return his kindness however they can and the dinner concludes as they return to their rooms.

17. EXT. HOUSE – NIGHT Nick, followed by the female zombie, walk up to the house from the street. Nick talks to the zombie and asks if she thinks his family is in that house. He responds to the zombie’s lack of a response with, “What would you know. Eating brains doesn’t make you smart.” Hinting at his doubt. He notes that if they are inside, they aren’t alone because his family wouldn’t have had the time to set up the defenses around the house. He tells the zombie that he is going through the roof to check so he doesn’t alarm anyone with a gun inside and proceeds to climb on top of the house, and finds a window that goes into the attic. The zombie simply walks into the fence post, unable to move.

INT. ATTIC – NIGHT Nick crawls around the attic. He can hear people muttering underneath him but can’t make out the words or who it is. Nick’s face twists from the smell and he turns to see dead bodies piled up. They’ve been cut to pieces and look like a mass of muscle more than humans. Even at this sight, Nick is calm but he tells himself that something isn’t right. Nick hears someone coming up to the attic and decides to leave and find someplace else for the night after reminding himself he doesn’t know his family is there. Clark walks in and sees the open window, leans out of it, but doesn’t see anyone but walkers before closing the window.

16. INT. HOUSE – NIGHT Alicia hears a repeated light ‘thud’ on the wall next to her. She leaves her room and sees the room next to hers is marked “Angelica.” Alicia opens the door, knife in her hand. Alicia is surprised to see a little girl with long hair facing the wall that touches her room. Alicia walks into the room and asks the girl what she is doing out of curiosity and lowers her knife. The girl turns her head and reveals pupil-less eyes and a gaping wide mouth, a zombie. Alicia runs out of the room and Alicia slams the door. At that moment, Clark comes from behind her and pushes Alicia up against the door, with a knife to her throat. Through gritted teeth and a face red with rage, he asks, “What did you do?”

18. INT. HOUSE HALLWAY - NIGHT Travis and Madison come down the opposite hall guns raised. Madison is assessing the situation and tells Clark to lower his weapon with her gun trained on him. Alicia explains that Clark’s daughter is a zombie. Clark screams in Alicia’s face, “Did you kill her?” madness in his eyes. Alicia says no and Travis demands an explanation. Clark explains that his daughter is undead but unlike others, she is harmless. Clark pushes Alicia aside. Clark opens the door, and Angel (the zombie) grabs Clarks arm and sticks it in her mouth.

ACT 3 19. INT. FLASHBACK. HOUSE - DAY Clark explains that Angel, his daughter, was born with a degenerative bone disease that took her life as images showing their life together play out. He talks about how his wife died from complications in birth and how he became depressed knowing that his daughter was also soon to leave him. As he sat with his daughter on her last night, he prayed for a miracle and after a night, his daughter was suddenly walking around the house again. He knew she was different and tried to attack him but her jaw broke trying to break his flesh, creating a harmless zombie. From there, she became his guardian angel, the zombies that came by ignored him when she was around and he got to spend more time with his daughter. He believed it was a true blessing from G-d.

20. INT. HOUSE HALLWAY - NIGHT Madison tells Clark that he is sick and that they should put that zombie down for getting near her daughter. Travis has a moment of empathy and tells Clark to put Angel away as he lowers his and Madison’s gun. Travis tells Clark that he recently lost his son and couldn’t even be there to see it happen. Travis tells Clark that he understands, but Clark is threatening his daughter now who didn’t hurt Angel. Clark lets Alicia go and Travis tells Clark that he is taking his daughter to the room upstairs and that they will leave in the morning.

21. INT. BEDROOM - SUNRISE

In the room, Travis looks outside and sees the horde getting closer. He tells the family they need to go now. Travis opens the door. Travis reels back as a loud bang is heard from the doorway. Travis falls to the floor holding his shoulder. Madison fires a blind shot into the doorway and drags Travis out of the doorway and asks what happened.

22. INT. BEDROOM HALLWAY – CONT. Clark exclaims, “That’s two down.” He explains that smell isn’t just from his daughter but the rotting corpses in his attic that he’s been using to feed his daughter who can’t eat. She slows down when she’s hungry, according to Clark. Clark happened to be looking for more meat when he heard the family’s gunfire in the woods and figured he could handle an injured girl and her parents if he made them trust him. He explains he was on his way to finish their daughter when she went where she didn’t belong.

23. INT. BEDROOM – CONT. Madison and Alicia are terrified but they pull it together when realize that Clark hasn’t entered the room because they still have their guns. Clark taunts them from outside as the girls tend to Travis’ wound by tightly wrapping a sheet around his shoulder. They take cover behind the bed and a foul scent comes from a vent overhead. Alicia realizes that the attic is above them and she saw a window to it right above this room. Clark doesn’t sit by however and shoots through the wall where he hears noise. It barely misses Madison. Alicia tells her parents that Nick taught her how to open a locked window from the outside. Madison is worried to let her try the attic but she realizes its probably safer for Alicia to be outside of the room. They open the door and let her out.

24. EXT. HOUSE - MORNING Nick, from a hideout some distance away, realizes the gunfire is going to attract the horde and overrun the house. He tells the female zombie that he doesn’t know the nature of the gunfire, more for himself and he isn’t absolutely sure his family is inside. He decides to try to redirect the horde to another location by making noise there and tells the zombie that he’s going to help this time. Nick gets up and starts walking towards a house in the distance.

ACT 4 25. INT. ATTIC - DAY Alicia pulls herself onto a wooden support and looks around and sees weapons and the dead bodies. She’s shocked but regains herself. She finds the actual attic entrance and limps her way towards it, gun in hand.

26. INT. BEDROOM - DAY Clark puts his face to the hole made by a bullet and Madison takes a shot at him. Madison looks out the window and sees a few zombies around the house. She is frantic because they need to leave now.

27. INT. HALLWAY - DAY We se an undead hand touch Clarks wounded face. Clark is holding his daughter and strafing the room. Madison starts talking to him from the room to ask him to stop but he can’t tell where they are. He listens to her rant about the horde but he tells her his “angel” will keep him safe. At the end of the hall, the attic is lowered and Clark hears it. He turns but another shot rings from inside the room. Madison fired blind. Clark runs to the bullet hole to let out a shot but once he raises his gun...Clark is shot in the back and drops to the ground with his zombified daughter. He pins his daughter’s arm and we hear one of her legs crack. Alicia call that its clear and Madison drags the injured Travis out of the room.

28. INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY As they head for the exit, they are met with Angel. Madison leans Travis against the wall and goes for the car keys hanging on the wall. Angel has a spiked bone where her pinned arm used to be and is limping towards the family. Travis asks to borrow Alicia’s knife and puts the zombie out of her misery even with his injured shoulder.

29. EXT. DRIVEWAY - DAY

The family gets into the truck, and hears a car alarm in the distance. They not that it’s a miracle and outrun the horde approaching them, alive for one more day.

30. EXT. DISTANT HOUSE - DAY Nick finds the nearest house with a car, a few miles out and determines it’s abandoned. He starts up the cars panic alarm and enters the house. He sits on the roof and watches as part of the horde comes towards the car. He can see the house where he thought his family was from the roof and through binoculars, confirms his family get into a car and drive off, avoiding the heard. Nick laughs hysterically and calls out the zombie that’s been following him down below, “I found them! I know where to go now.“

END OF SHOW

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

30th June >> Mass Readings (USA)

  for

Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

or

The First Martyrs of the See of Rome

or

Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Colour: Green)

First Reading

Lamentations 2:2, 10-14, 18-19

Cry out to the Lord over the fortresses of daughter Zion.

The Lord has consumed without pity all the dwellings of Jacob; He has torn down in his anger the fortresses of daughter Judah; He has brought to the ground in dishonor her king and her princes.

On the ground in silence sit the old men of daughter Zion; They strew dust on their heads and gird themselves with sackcloth; The maidens of Jerusalem bow their heads to the ground.

Worn out from weeping are my eyes,    within me all is in ferment; My gall is poured out on the ground because of the downfall of the daughter of my people, As child and infant faint away in the open spaces of the town.

In vain they ask their mothers,    “Where is the grain?”As they faint away like the wounded in the streets of the city, And breathe their last in their mothers’ arms.

To what can I liken or compare you,    O daughter Jerusalem? What example can I show you for your comfort,    virgin daughter Zion? For great as the sea is your downfall;    who can heal you?

Your prophets had for you false and specious visions; They did not lay bare your guilt,    to avert your fate; They beheld for you in vision false and misleading portents.

Cry out to the Lord;    moan, O daughter Zion!Let your tears flow like a torrent    day and night;Let there be no respite for you,    no repose for your eyes.

Rise up, shrill in the night,    at the beginning of every watch; Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord; Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your little ones who faint from hunger at the corner of every street.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 74:1b-2, 3-5, 6-7, 20-21

R/ Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

Why, O God, have you cast us off forever?    Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?Remember your flock which you built up of old,    the tribe you redeemed as your inheritance,    Mount Zion, where you took up your abode.

R/ Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

Turn your steps toward the utter ruins;    toward all the damage the enemy has done in the sanctuary.Your foes roar triumphantly in your shrine;    they have set up their tokens of victory.They are like men coming up with axes to a clump of trees.

R/ Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

With chisel and hammer they hack at all the paneling of the sanctuary.They set your sanctuary on fire;    the place where your name abides they have razed and profaned.

R/ Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

Look to your covenant,    for the hiding places in the land and the plains are full of violence.May the humble not retire in confusion;    may the afflicted and the poor praise your name.

R/ Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

Gospel Acclamation

Matthew 8:17

Alleluia, alleluia.

Christ took away our infirmities and bore our diseases.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Matthew 8:5-17

Many will come from east and west and will recline with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.” He said to him, “I will come and cure him.” The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven, but the children of the Kingdom will be driven out into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” And Jesus said to the centurion, “You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.” And at that very hour his servant was healed.

   Jesus entered the house of Peter, and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand, the fever left her, and she rose and waited on him.

   When it was evening, they brought him many who were possessed by demons, and he drove out the spirits by a word and cured all the sick, to fulfill what had been said by Isaiah the prophet:

He took away our infirmities    and bore our diseases.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

———————————-

The First Martyrs of the See of Rome

(Liturgical Colour: Red)

First Reading

Romans 8:31b-39

Neither death nor life will be able to separate us from the love of Christ.

Brothers and sisters: If God is for us, who can be against us? He did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him? Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who acquits us. Who will condemn? It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? As it is written:

For your sake we are being slain all the day;    we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.

No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 124:2-3, 4-5, 7b-8

R/ Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.

Had not the LORD been with us–    when men rose up against us,    then would they have swallowed us alive when their fury was inflamed against us.

R/ Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.

Then would the waters have overwhelmed us; The torrent would have swept over us;    over us then would have swept the raging waters.

R/ Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.

Broken was the snare, and we were freed. Our help is in the name of the LORD,    who made heaven and earth.

R/ Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.

Gospel Acclamation

Matthew 5:10

Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Matthew 24:4-13

You will be hated by all nations because of my name.

Jesus said to his disciples: “See that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will deceive many. You will hear of wars and reports of wars; see that you are not alarmed, for these things must happen, but it will not yet be the end. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be famines and earthquakes from place to place. All these are the beginning of the labor pains. Then they will hand you over to persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of my name. And then many will be led into sin; they will betray and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and deceive many; and because of the increase of evildoing, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

—————————

Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Liturgical Colour: White)

First Reading

Genesis 3:9-15, 20

I will put enmity between your offspring and the offspring of the woman.

After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree, the LORD God called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me– she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.” The LORD God then asked the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”    Then the LORD God said to the serpent:

“Because you have done this, you shall be banned    from all the animals    and from all the wild creatures;On your belly shall you crawl,    and dirt shall you eat    all the days of your life.I will put enmity between you and the woman,    and between your offspring and hers;He will strike at your head,    while you strike at his heel.”

The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd

R/ My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“My heart exults in the LORD, my horn is exalted in my God. I have swallowed up my enemies; I rejoice in my victory.”

R/ My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“The bows of the mighty are broken, while the tottering gird on strength. The well-fed hire themselves out for bread, while the hungry batten on spoil. The barren wife bears seven sons, while the mother of many languishes.”

R/ My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“The LORD puts to death and gives life; he casts down to the nether world;    he raises up again. The LORD makes poor and makes rich, he humbles, he also exalts.”

R/ My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“He raises the needy from the dust; from the dung heap he lifts up the poor, To seat them with nobles and make a glorious throne their heritage.”

R/ My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

Gospel Acclamation

cf. Luke 1:28

Alleluia, alleluia.

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;

blessed are you among women.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23

For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

 Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king.

 David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile.

 After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.

 Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,

 and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

[wesratcliffe]

more life updates (are these getting old yet?):

honestly this is more of a rant but also an update idk. i am so beyoND pissed off at the property group that owns my current apartment in philly. so basically: i had to end my lease early, because of the move and the new job. their policy for terminating leases early is that the current tenant (me) is still paying rent on the apartment either until someone else rents the place and begins a new lease, or until the end of the current tenant’s lease, whichever comes first. 

so yeah, that sucks, but it’s a very in-demand area, i figured “wow i bet this place will go quickly. especially since it’s an non-renovated apartment and there’s no way they’ll be leasing it for the amount i’m currently paying.” (rent goes up every year.) turns out they’re leasing it for $100 MORE THAN WHAT I’M PAYING. 

let’s put this into perspective:

i started renting this place at $250 less than what i’m currently paying. (i’ve lived here for 3 years, they increase the rent every year.) when I GOT IT it was a shitty apartment that was overpriced, but the area was so close to school and it was the right size so i was like “fuck it, it’s not worth what i’m paying but i’ll live.”

it is now 3 years later, this is still a high-demand area, but they have increased the rent a total of $347 from when i started renting the place, anD IT’S IN WORSE CONDITION THAN WHEN I GOT IT. the fridge barely keeps things cold, the counters are damaged, the bathroom floor has water damage from when i had a leak in my fucking toilet. the other units they have in the building have been renovated. they have hardwood floors and new appliances and new counters. my place doesn’t have that, because i moved in before they started renovating. 

why aren’t they renovating my apartment now that i’m not living there, you ask?

BECAUSE THEY DON’T GIVE A SHIT IF IT’S RENTED. 

either i pay the remainder of my lease and they make money, or some desperate idiot actually rents the place and theY MAKE MONEY. the apartment isn’t even listed anywhere, and they’ve had a week. A WEEK to start showing it to people. i went down and asked if there was anyone who would be viewing it and they were like “whenever a walk-in shows up.” 

how the fuck are walk-ins supposed to know to show up if you don’T LIST THE PLACE ANYWHERE?! 

oh and also!! every month i have to pay an extra $21 ON TOP of my rent for an “advertising fee.” what sort of fucking advertisement you haven’t listED IT ANYWHERE. 

i have dealt with this place for 3 goddamn years. 4 if you count my first apartment, which was also owned by them. i have dealt with them shutting off my water every tuesday and thursday for 5 hours a day for an entire year while they renovated, with no goddamn break on my rent. i have dealt with a fire that was start by an arsonist, with armed guards patrolling the building for two weeks, with the fucking heat, water, and electricity all going out and having to evacuate the building while it took them a week to repair it, with fire alarms going off every single fucking day, with being brOKEN INTO AND ROBBED and then them taking a full month to replace my broken lock which took me 10-15 minutes to desperately jiggle open every time i came home. all of this, i have dealt with, with no complaint. i have payed my rent and utilities on time, i’ve been quiet, i’ve been patient, but i am at the end of my rope. my cool is gone. 

PMC can fucking chokE

[berjhawn]

Lost Lothlorien Princess - Part 18 - Army of the Undead

Warnings: Fighting; ETC

Pairings: Lotr X Reader ; Legolas X Reader 

Parts: 

Part 1 - High School

Part 2 - Rivendell

Part 3 - Concerning Hobbits

Part 4 - Merry and Pippin

Part 5 - Bree

Part 6 - Aragorn

Part 7 - The Council

Part 8 - The Road Ahead

Part 9 - Moria

Part 10 - Lothlorien

Part 11 - Boromir

Part 12 - Fangorn Forest

Part 13 - Rohan

Part 14 - Helms Deep

Part 15 - Haldir

Part 16 - Feast for the Fallen

Part 17 - A Past Revealed

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As we ride through the barren canyon Gimli says, “What kind of army would linger in such a place?” 

“One that is cursed. Long ago the men of the mountains swore an oath to the last King of Gondor to come to his aid, to fight. But when the time came, when Gondor’s need was dire, they fled vanishing into the darkness of the mountain. And so Isildur cursed them, never to rest until they had fulfilled their pledge. Who shall call them from the grey twilight, the forgotten people? The heir of him to whom the oath they swore. From the North shall he come, need shall drive him. He shall pass the door to the Paths of the Dead.” Finally, we approach the entrance to the Paths of the Dead. We start walking, them leading their horses by the reins as Fili follows closely behind me his ears pinned back.

“The very warmth of my blood seems stolen away.” Gimli says as we near the doors and Legolas reads the inscription, “The way is shut. It was made by those who are dead and the dead keep it. The way is shut.” Something comes out of the door towards us at a rush. It spooks the horses, which pull on their reins and they run away from them. “Brego!” Aragorn shouts after his horse while Gimli looks alarmed. I turn to Fili who is now in full crouch mode teeth bared and snarling. I gently pat his head as I say, “Easy Fili, it’s okay. Wait here for us okay?” He takes a step back but keeps his eyes focused on the doors.

“I do not fear death!” Aragorn says as he walks through the entrance leaving Gimli looking scared. I watch as Legolas follows after Aragorn. “Well this is a thing unheard of. An elf will go underground, where a dwarf dare not. Oh. Oh, I’d never hear the end of it.” Gimli says and I smile as I gently place a hand on his shoulder before we both run in after them. Aragorn leads us with a torch. I look down to see many human skulls on the floor. Aragorn moves on but Legolas remains looking at them.

“What is it? What do you see?” Gimli asks pausing by his friend. 

“I see shapes of men and of horses.”

“Where?” Gimli asks as he looks around. 

“Pale banners like shreds of cloud. Spears rise like winter thickets through a shroud of mist. The dead are following. They have been summoned.” Aragorn’s eyes are wide open with concern as we continue to move on. Gimli spins around to look behind, “The dead? Summoned? I knew that! Huh. Huh. Very good. Very good.” He realises he is alone, “Legolas!” He shouts and runs after us. As we walk through a low floating fog ghostly hands writhe around Legolas and then Aragorn, then myself until finally they wrap around Gimli. They are ethereal. Gimli tries to blow them away. He blows and wafts them away. Aragorn and Legolas turn looking at the hands. Aragorn glances down.

“Do not look down.” Aragorn says and I groan as I reply, “Why would you say that, now I want too.” Gimli pauses and then looks down and sees human skulls on the floor. He steps forward gingerly and the skulls crunch beneath his feet. “This is so- oh god I can’t do this!” I cry out as I start running from the room quickly followed by the rest of my company. We emerge running from around a corner. Aragorn pulls me behind him as he leads us forward into an open space which contains a large building. He turns looking around with his torch. 

“Who enters my domain?” I hear a voice say and my blood goes cold as I suddenly slot the King of the Dead as he appears before Aragorn.

“One who will have your allegiance.” Aragorn says as he stands tall before them. 

“The dead do not suffer the living to pass.” The King of the Dead says making my skin crawl. 

“You will suffer me!” Aragorn says causing the King of the Dead to laugh menacingly. 

As he does a whole Kingdom of buildings appear around us. Soldiers emerge from them. A deadly army surrounds us chanting, “The way is shut! It was made by those who are dead. And the dead keep it.” The Ghostly army closes around them. “The way is shut! Now you must die!” The King of the Dead calls out and I instantly draw my sword as Aragorn does the same as Legolas fires an arrow which passes straight through the King and clatters to the ground.

Aragorn walks towards him as he yells out, “I summon you to fulfil your oath!” 

“None but the King of Gondor may command me!” The King of the Dead says as he approaches Aragorn to attack him. Aragorn retaliates and blocks his sword with Anduril. “That blade was broken!” He The King of the Dead cries out. 

“It has been remade.” Aragorn says as he catches the King by the throat and pushes him back. The ghostly army stand looking at him. “Fight for us and regain your honour. What say you?” He looks at the dead army, walking through them. “What say you?”

“Ach! You waste your time Aragorn. They had no honor in life and they have none now in death.” Gimli says and I gulp down a breath of air as I say, “Please don’t piss them off.” 

“I am Isildur’s heir. Fight for me and I will hold your oaths fulfilled.” Aragorn says as he brandishes his sword at them. “What say you?” The King laughs again and the army begins to disappear. “You have my word! Fight and I will release you from this living death!” They disappear, “What say you?” Aragorn cries out. “Stand you traitors!” Gimli cries out and I roll my eyes as I say, “Gimli don’t!”

The Dead Army is gone. There is a cracking sound and the walls of the building in front of them begins to collapse. Hundreds of human skulls fall down towards them. “AHHH HOLY SHIT!” I cry out as Aragorn yells, “Out!” We climb up the thousands of skulls trying to climb over us. We begin to slide down with them, but we manage to move across towards the exit as the skulls continue to fall. Aragorn was closest to the exit with Gimli right behind him followed by Legolas then myself at the end. “Legolas! ______! Run!” Aragorn cries out causing Legolas to grab hold of my hand and drag me to safety.

We manage to leave the place running out of the cave as the skulls continue to rain down behind us. We emerge into the sunlight. I smile as look up to the sky before instantly shaking my body like a dog as I try to get the creepy feeling to leave my body.  I look down from the high place to see ships on the river and a burning town. Aragorn sinks down on his knees in despair, tears in his eyes. Legolas approaches him and puts his hand on his shoulder. Aragorn bows his head. Legolas and Gimli also look upset. I bite my lip as I try not to cry with them.

There is a sound behind us and we all look around to see the King of the Dead coming out of the rocks and approaching Aragorn. “We fight!” He says and I sigh as I say, “You could’ve just said so without all the creepiness ya know.” He raises an eye at me and I quickly turn away letting out a loud whistle. 

“What are you doing?” Legolas asks and I raise an eyebrow as I say, “I’m calling Fili, he should be here soon.” He shakes his head and I narrow my eyes as I grit my teeth. Suddenly I hear a loud howl and I smile as Fili crawls over the rocks and runs down to me. I instantly wrap my arms around his neck and smile as I say, “I couldn’t leave without you.”

We quickly make our way down to the rocky river beach and wait patiently. When the closest boat reaches us Aragorn calls out, “You may go no further.” The ships boson stands up in response. “You will not enter Gondor.” 

“Who are you to deny us passage?” The boson yells back as he walks to the ships side. “Legolas, fire a warning shot past the boson’s ear.” Aragorn says not taking his eyes off the seamen. 

“Mind your aim.” Gimli says and I smile. Legolas fits an arrow to his bow and takes aim. Just as he releases the arrow Gimli deliberately knocks the bottom of the bow sending Legolas’ aim off. The arrow kills a mercenary standing next to the boson. Legolas glares at Gimli, Aragorn looks across at Legolas while I bite my lip trying not to laugh.

“Oh!” Gimli puts his hand to his mouth as he continues, “That’s it, right, we warned you! Prepare to be boarded!” The mercenaries laugh. “Boarded, by you and whose army?” The mercenary say and I smile as I unsheathe my swords and Fili growls. “This army.” Aragorn says as The King of the Dead and his army emerges through Aragorn and attack the ships. When the ships are empty the four of us including Fili and the dead army board the ships and start our way to Gondor.

As we near the ports of Gondor Aragorn says, “You understand the plan?” 

I smile as I say, “Of course just tell your friends not to hurt Fili and it’ll all work out fine.” He nods and we quickly hide from sight. I look over at Fili and gently motion for him to lay down.  

“Late as usual, pirate scum. There’s knife work here needs doing. Come on you sea rats, get off your ships.” An Orc cries out and suddenly Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Fili, and I jump off the ship. The Orcs looks surprised. As we begin to approach the Orcs Gimli calls out, “There’s plenty for the both of us, may be best Dwarf win!”

As we move towards the Orcs the Dead Army materializes behind us and charges at the Orcs who move back in astonishment. The Dead Army overrun the Orcs and kill them all as they make their way to the battlefield like a plague of locusts. As I fight my way through the Orcs I whistle to Fili who after beheading an Orc runs over to me. I quickly climb into his back and as he runs forward start looking for our next target. After a few minutes of slicing and dicing I hear a familiar screech of a Nazgûl.

Suddenly I grasp at my heart as it clenches making my breathing catch. I start to cough and quickly look around for where the cry had come from. Upon seeing Eowyn with her sward stabbed in his face I quickly climb off Fili’s back and say, “Go protect Eowyn and Merry!” He tilts his head at me but quickly rushes over to them. After a few deep breaths and eye blinks later I quickly get back into the battle killing the nearest Orc in front of me. I look back over toward Eowyn to see Fili attacking an orc that was trying to hurt her. I smile as Fili quickly pounces on the Orc ripping his throat out.

A few minutes later I turn to see the Dead Army pouring into the city cleansing it of all evil filth. I look around to see that we had won the battle and I smile as I once again take deep breaths. I quickly find Aragorn and run over to him as he looks around at all the fallen bodies. When his eyes meet mine he smiles and I return the smile as I say, “The worst is now behind us.” Suddenly the King of the Dead along with his army appear and stand in front of Aragorn. “Release us!” He says and I nod in agreement.

“Bad idea! Very handy in a tight spot these lads, despite the fact they’re dead.” Gimli says and I turn around and skip him on the back of the head. He raises and eyebrow at me and I sigh as I say, “Don’t piss him off.” 

“You gave us your word!” The King cries out making my skin crawl once again. 

“I hold your oath fulfilled. Go. Be at peace.” Aragorn says and I smile as The King of the Dead smiles. There is a great wind and the Army of the Dead disappears. Aragorn looks around, and bows low to someone. I follow his gaze to see my father and a bright smile covers my face as I run to him wrapping my arms around him tight.

“I missed you!” I say as I hold tight to him. “I knew you would be safe.” He replies as he gently pats my hair. I suddenly hear Eomer scream out in agony and I pull away from Gandalf to see Eomer running over to someone who he instantly cradles in his arms while still crying out in anguish. I instantly rush over to him and looking down see Eowyn lying in his arms. Kneeling down I gently place my hand on his shoulder and say, “I will help you take her to the healers.” I turn and looking for Fili, give a loud whistle.

After a few seconds he appears by my side and tilts his head at me. “I need you to carry our friend, can you do that for me.” I ask and he walks over Eomer and gently kneels down in front of him. I help him gently place her on Fili’s back and reaching over touch Eomer’s shoulder say, “She will be okay,” Upon arriving inside we place her down on a palate and I await the help I know is coming from Aragorn. When he arrives I give Eomer a hopeful smile before Fili and I take our leave.

As we walk through Minas Tirith I start to hear Sauron’s voice crying out in my head. “You have come back to me…” He says over and over making my blood boil as I clench my head in pain. After a quick shake of my head and deep breath we make our way up to the great hall. The next day Gandalf is talking to Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Eomer, and I in the Great Hall of Minas Tirith. “Frodo has passed beyond my sight. The darkness is deepening.” I gulp down a breath as I think about what Frodo and Sam were going through.

“If Sauron had the Ring we would know it. _______ Would let us know.” Aragorn says with a quick glance at me. “It’s only a matter of time. He has suffered a defeat, yes, but behind the walls of Mordor our enemy is regrouping.” Gandalf replies and I reach over and grasp Legolas’s hand. He keeps his eyes forward but tightens his grip on my hand. 

“Let him stay there! Let him rot! Why should we care?” Gimli says causing Gandalf to turn to him and reply, “Because 10,000 Orcs now stand between Frodo and Mount Doom.” Gimli ponders Gandalf’s words. “I’ve sent him to his death.”

I force a smile as I say, “No you haven’t,” 

“No, _____ is right. There is still hope for Frodo. He needs time and safe passage across the plains of Gorgoroth. We can give him that.” Aragorn says as he turns to him. 

“How?” Gimli says causing Aragorn to say, “Draw out Sauron’s armies. Empty his lands. Then we gather our full strength and march on the Black Gate.” Gimli chokes on his pipe.  

“We cannot achieve victory through strength of arms.” Eomer says and I open my mouth to say something when Aragorn says, “Not for ourselves. But we can give Frodo his chance if we keep Sauron’s eye fixed upon us. Keep him blind to all else that moves.”

“A diversion.” Legolas says and I smile as I say, “Make him pay attention to us while Frodo and Sam destroy the ring.” 

“Certainty of death, small chance of success, what are we waiting for?” Gimli says a smile covering his lips. 

“Sauron will suspect a trap. He will not take the bait.” Gandalf says as he inches toward Aragorn. 

“Oh, I think he will.” Aragorn says and I smile as I say, “He will if he knows I will be there.” Gandalf turns to me eyes wide, “You are not going, if you get too close to Mordor you might not be able to keep Sauron from taking over.” 

I gulp down a breath of air as I say, “That’s a price I’m willing to take if it will help Frodo and Sam.”

Gandalf stares at me uncertain and I smile as I say, “I’ve got this, if I need help I have my friends and you there right beside me.” He sighs as he realizes that he isn’t going to win. I pull away from Legolas and giving him a quick smile walk out of the room to mentally prepare myself. After awhile I am sitting on the highest balcony overlooking the valley between Gondor and Mordor when suddenly I am aware of Sauron being near. I jump up and looking around suddenly hear his voice in my head loud and strong.

“It is almost time my child…” He cries out and I fall to the ground clutching my heart as a feeling like being kicked by a horse in the stomach fills my body making the air leave my chest. “Leave me alone!” I cry out as I try hard not to fall into his spell. Then as soon as he appeared he disappeared. I once again am lying on the floor breathing heavily. “Nana, I don’t think I can do this!” I cry out mentally as I cling to my chest. “Have faith my child, you are more then you appear. You will defeat this evil that has hidden itself within you.” Tears fill my eyes as I hear her voice in my head. “I wish I could have seen you one last time.”

Will Continue In - Final Battle

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[esamastation]

fucking super soldiers, deleted scene