#and have been having trouble finding joy in anything other than food that I know isn't good for me for months

[variantia]

BELLUM. I turn 30 on Saturday, AURORA's new album drops on June 7th, Inside Out 2 premieres on June 14th (I probably won't get to see it in theater but)

I genuinely do not think y'all are ready for the amount of FERAL I am about to be over the next month

[dunmeshi-darlings]

Hey i love your blog thank you for doing these imagines!

Can i request an half dragon beastkin reader x Izutsumi? Maybe they found them chained up somewhere in the dungeon and laios and them set them free?

Of course dear anon, and congratulations on being my first izutsumi focused ask

The dungeon held many secrets in its labyrinthian halls, Secrets of magic ancient and powerful, Secrets of Shady Deals among less than savory criminals, Secrets of viscious monsters, Secrets of life and death, But some secrets....were much darker than others.

As the group was travelling they heard a strange sound, it sounded like a person in trouble so they followed the sound to its source. It was a iron gate in the ground with a chain on it, around the gate were the bodies of various criminals who seemingly had been killed by an orc raid. As chilchuck and izutsumi listened they heard labored breathing and quickly laios broke open the lock on the chain as they opened the door, there eyes widening at what they saw

A beastkin looked up at them, They had hard reptile scales that covered there body, large clawed hands and feet scraped at the stone floor as a large tail moved behind them, large horns adorning the figures head. You looked up squinting your eyes and covering them, it had been so long since you had seen light.

Izutsumi was the first to notice, large chains were wrapped around your limbs and neck keeping you trapped in place. At first nobody moved, afraid that you were some sort of criminal or were dangerous. Laios asking you why you were down here, you explained that the thugs outside kept you chaine dup down here to show off to other people as a freakshow for coin, normally they would be guarding the gate but you heard them get attacked by orcs and they all must have died. You honestly figured you were going to die in this whole, left to starve to death.

Before anyone could react izutsumi grabbed chilchuck and jumped down into the hole. She put the half-foot down and told him to pick the locks on the chains to get you out now! everyone was surprised at how urgent she sounded, marcille asking what was going on with her. She scowls saying she know what its like to be shown off like a freak and she isnt going to let anyone deal with that.

Everyone agrees and chilchuck picks the locks as you feel the weight of the chains slide off you, you stand up showing just how tall you were compared to everyone else, cracking your neck as you breathed a sigh of joy at your newfound freedom. You tell laios your in there debt and want to help them on there adventure to save his sister, and you join them from then on.

You got along well with everyone in the group, of course laios kept asking you questions about being half dragon but you didnt mind. But it was izutsumi you seemed to be the closest with, She often spent her time being near you. The two of you chatting and talking about being beastkin. Her explaining how it was forced on her when she was a little child and cant remember anything before it. Normally she wouldnt talk about this with anyone...but your different, you get what she has been through, and she feels more comfortable with you than anyone else. You put your hand on her shoulder and comfort her telling her that your sorry she has gone through all this, and that hopefully you guys can find a cure for this curse on her.

You two began to grow closer, She moved from sleeping in the same cot as chilchuck to sleeping with you in your cot. Her commenting how your body is alot warmer than chilchuck and your perfect to lay on top of and fall asleep on. Whenever she falls asleep on top of you, you cant help but put one arm around her and drift off to sleep rather quickly, since she started doing this you have never slept better.

Whenever senshi cooks food she is always sneaking the bits she doesnt like into your portions of food, now having a place to dump the veggies she doesnt like. You are always more than happy to eat them for her, and in return you let her have some of the stuff she does like from your food. you two basically sharing food portions together.

The two of you are incredibly protective of each other, any time the group fights a monster you two are close by each other. Fighting in unison and defeating the monsters that the mad mage sends after you. And when either of you gets hurt, the other one cant relax until whoever got hurt is better. Izutsumi tries to play it off, but her tail will constantly flick as she sits next to you as marcille heals you up.

One night when you two are laying together, Izutsumi is up much later than she usually is. You could tell she was tense about something so you ask her if everything is ok. she hesitates for a moment before speaking up. "yeah it is...its better than ok, thats the problem. Ever since i met you i just...ive never felt like this before you know? ive never really cared about anyone else but myself, after all im the only one thats ever been there for me all my life...but its different with you. I cant stop thinking about you, i worry about you when you get hurt...and i hate not being around you. But it makes my chest feel tight and my head fuzzy when im around you and i keep smiling, im not used to this and i dont know what is going on. Im not used to it and...im scared, ive never felt like this and its so weird to me...i really like it..but it feels so weird i just..." She trails off, her tail flittering as she hides her face in your chest, even through her fur you can feel her blush. "i think i really like you...i really like you alot. But im scared, ive never liked anyone like this before and im scared cause im so used to just being by myself that....that the idea of being with another person all the time and relying on another person scares me, but i really want to be with you, even the idea of depending on another person scares me,but if i dont say anything its going to keep eating me alive.." she said looking up at you, You look at her stunned for a moment. This was unlike her, izutsumi was never one to be open about her emotions. She always did what she wanted and didnt care about what anyone else thought, she was a self reliant woman and other than with you she was never really the friendliest person ever. So to see her being so open with her feelings, being open about her fear and being so vulnerable was something you never expected from her.

You squeeze her tight towards you, your tail wrapping up with hers as as you place a soft kiss on her forehead. you tell her that you feel the same about her. That you love her and the idea of being with her is something you have dreamed of, and that you want nothing more than to always be there for her. You promise her that you will always be there for her and she never has to deal with the world by herself anymore.

[lady-boketto]

Hello friend, I have a request if you're up for it , it can be a as long or short as like. How would a first kiss would go between Senshi and a (gender neutral) bard?

Senshi x Gn!Bard Reader (Dungeon Meshi)

(A/n: Thank you so much for the request! Senshi makes my heart flutter so much it's crazy but anyway, Enjoy reading!)

The group finally found a safe place to rest for the night after a particular rough battle, that left everyone tired and desperate for a decent meal and a good night's rest.

As the group finished settling in for the night, Senshi found it to be the right time to start cooking a meal for everyone since he thought it would be the least he could do for the people he grew so fond of ever since he joined, his gaze softened as it shifted towards where you set up your sleeping bag, your figure already pulling out your instrument to begin to pluck some inspiration in hopes of making a new tune to play for the group.

Senshi had come to realize how much you joy you put into other's lives by soothing them with calming melodies or with a lively tune, he is a little ashamed to admit he didn't care much for your songs when he first met you but with time he has come to enjoy every note you play.

While he’s busy working away trying his best to prepare and cook dinner, he’s also listening to you play while he’s peeling or chopping vegetables with a small smile and a slight tap of his foot in beat of the tune.

Just as you play the last note to complete the song as the noise fades into the background, Senshi calls out to the group that the food is ready and he always gives before he takes, so he ends up serving you the first plate of food and then everyone else before making himself one. He loves watching everyone expression as they enjoy the meal he cooked and he especially is delighted when he sees your eyes light up as you take a bite and compliment how good it tastes, it makes him proud that he can bring you as much joy as you bring him.

It’s only when everyone is done eating and is winding down for the night, that Senshi glances once more in your direction only to find you gently cleaning and maintaining the overall wellbeing of your instrument, that he finds himself stuck in his own thoughts about his feeling towards you. Now, Senshi is a clever man and he can recognize when he has a crush but it’s another story when dealing with said crush, since he has been isolated from people and he can be quite blunt at times, he worries that some how he will say the wrong thing and you will be upset with him but that doesn’t stop him from showing you with his actions how much he cares.

You notice how Senshi seems troubled since he is grumbling how he always does when he’s thinking and offer to let him sit by your side and even offer to put him at ease with a song if he wanted but as Senshi moves to sit with you, there’s a slight alarm in your mind as he moves to take off his helmet, a simple act to make the situation more serious than you previously thought.

But as you move your legs you properly turn to face him, you are relieved to hear Senshi’s deep calming voice,

“You fought well today, I’m glad you only had minor injuries. ”

As you are thanking him for worrying about you while being slightly flustered, you notice how he seems to want to talk to you more but can’t seems to find the words to keep the conversation going, so you compliment him on dinner to which he replies with a genuine smile as he rubs his hands together nervously before you continue to talk to him while placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“I was worried about you as well, and I couldn’t let anything happen to the person who enjoy my music the most. ”

Your words catch him off guard with your words and actions as his eyes grow wider while he adverts his gaze towards the floor, before taking a moment to recollect his thoughts to think of a response and deciding that he should let you know his feelings towards you rather than let them keep flooding his mind with ‘what if’s’

“Listen, I know we've only known each other for a short time but there's something that I'd want to tell you before we continue traveling in the dungeon... ”

Senshi pauses for a brief moment to recollect his thoughts, before shifting his gaze towards the floor in front of him, becoming a bit more determine as he continues talking

"I've grown to enjoy your company more as the days pass and, how I find myself looking forward to your music and the sound of your voice... it's something I find myself looking forward to these days. "

He admits before watching for your reaction to his confession and when he finds you are as equally as flustered as he is, Senshi suddenly becomes more nervous but when he notices you are not rejecting him, he gains a more confidence to move closer to you, gently making eye contact and leaning forward

“Senshi…”

You breathe as you find yourself also leaning in towards him and your lips both hover over each other’s, you can feel the tension as you both slowly close your eyes and leaning in to seal the deal. As your soft lips find Senshi’s, he raises his hand to cup the side of you cheek as he melts more into the kiss, as you pull away for air that moment feel cut short but when you open your eyes to see Senshi’s brown eyes connecting with your own, filled with awe as his gaze flickers between your eyes and lips with a content smile on his face before he speaks, his voice filled with a fondness you can only describe as loving.

“Whenever I hear your songs, it feels like I’m home. ”

[missvelvetsstuff]

No Benefits

Bucky Barnes x Reader, Bucky Barnes x Sharon Carter

Summary: Reader and Bucky are best friends until a drunken hook up. Bucky wants a friends with benefits situation because he doesn't feel ready for a relationship but reader knows that will lead to a broken heart.

Then Sharon Carter comes to work with them.

Notes: Steve and Tony are around but retired, everything else is mostly canon

Chapter 5

Warnings: swearing, angst

It was almost 8pm when Sam sat down to eat dinner in the compounds dining room with Steve, Clint and Nat. They were all exhausted, having been awake since 3am trying to get a lead on Bucky and Sharon's whereabouts.

He craned his neck and looked around the crowded room.

"Hey, has anyone seen Cookie? I stopped by her office earlier but haven't seen her since. She has a bad habit of working through meals and bed time."

The others all shook their heads and mumbled something in the negative.

Sam frowned "I should take some food up to her, maybe remind her to get some sleep."

Nat scoffed "She's a grown woman, she can take care of herself. Besides, it wouldn't hurt her to skip a meal. Or two."

Sam gave her an off look "What the Hell Romanoff? Cookie's gorgeous as she is, why are your claws out? Still miffed Barnes was giving her so much attention?"

Nat smirked "Was being the keyword in that sentence. Watching that little social climber being iced out by the Winter Soldier has been a source of great joy for me. She should have stayed in her lane with the other nerds instead of trying to sleep her way up."

Sam shook his head "Mee-ow, Romanoff. Didn't realize you felt so threatened by her. Well I'm going to look in on her. See you around."

Sam went into the kitchen to make a plate for Cookie before heading up to her office.

Clint looked at Nat "What is your problem with Cookie? She's a sweetheart and the best analyst here. I'm gonna hit my rack while I can. Later."

Nat sat with Steve for a few more minutes before standing up. "I have some leads to look into. See ya."

Steve shook his head at his friends strange behavior but wrote it off as stress over the missing agents and dove into his food.

Sam left the elevator on the mission support floor and was surprised to find Cookie's office locked up, lights out. He figured she must have gone to bed and headed for her room. He knocked on her door and when there was no response he felt like he needed to be sure.

"Friday? Where's Cookie?"

"Agent Y/L/N left the compound with Agent Iris Daniels at 1:17 this afternoon."

"Wait, what? She's gone?"

"Yes Captain Wilson."

Sam shook his head "This isn't good. Why would she just leave?" He mumbled to himself, before asking

"Friday, did she leave any word of where she was going or when she would return?"

"I'm sorry Captain Wilson she didn't."

"Fuck! Friday, can you find her?"

"I'm on it, Captain."

"Where's Stark?"

"Mr Stark is in his lab."

"Can you tell him I'm on my way there. We need to talk. And tell Rogers too."

"Of course, Captain."

Sam hurried up to Tony Starks lab, followed by Steve.

Tony looked up "What's up, Captains? Any leads on Carter and Barnes?"

Sam shook his head "No, there's another problem."

Tony tensed "Now what?"

"Cookie is gone. She left early this afternoon with one of her analysts. Didn't leave a note or tell anyone where she went. I tried to call both of them but it went straight to voicemail. Considering the tension between Cookie, Bucky and Carter this seems to have gotten more serious. Cookie knows more about the classified workings here than anyone else. Carter might find her useful."

Steve tried to protest "I'm sure Cookie is just following a lead, I doubt she's in any kind of trouble. Just because she had a falling out with Bucky, doesn't mean he would let anything happen to her."

Tony closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Really Rogers? I know you're not around much but Barnes and Carter have effectively iced Cookie out, she's with Sam more than she's with Barnes." he rubbed his neck

"Friday, any clues where they might have gone?"

"No, boss but Captain Wilson started a search for her and the agent she left with. I'll let you know if I find them."

Sam looked at Tony "There has to be more we can do than sit here waiting for one of them to pop up in Fridays search."

Tony sighed "Friday, how did they leave the compound?"

"They took one of your cars, boss."

Tony shouted, Sam and Steve flinched "That's it, find that car."

"I'll notify you when I do Mr Stark."

Tony notified the rest of the team to suit up and be ready to go as soon as they had a location.

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

Bucky woke up with a start, he could feel that he was sitting on a dirt floor, against a cold concrete wall, wrists bound behind his back with some kind of handcuffs that he couldn't get out of. Ankles bound together as well. He opened his eyes and the room was dark with a musty, earthy smell. He couldn't see much and concluded he was probably in a basement since there were no windows.

He shook his head to try and clear it.

He remembered talking to Sharon after waking up in a cabin upstate but when he tried to remember anything else his head started pounding again and he gave up.

Bucky decided to see if he could find anything and pushed against the wall to stand up. He kept next to the wall and took small steps around the room to see if he could find a way out or if there was anything he could use as a weapon.

He bumped into what felt like another wall but he couldn't see it, even though his eyes were adjusted to the dark, and it seemed too close to be a wall. He shuffled along next to it until he came to another corner.

Bucky snapped around when he heard a door open then flinched when a light came on.

"Aahhh, you're awake finally. Your little friend is still out so we will have to wait to get started."

Bucky moved towards the voice and ran into a clear wall but could see her on the other side of the wall smiling. He growled when he couldn't push through the wall. "Sharon? What the fuck is going on?"

Sharon chuckled "Oh Bucky, poor confused baby. I'm not a Bond villain who is going to explain my whole plan while you figure out how to escape. You'll just have to wait and see. Don't worry your precious Cookie should be awake soon."

She motioned her head to his right.

Bucky felt like he couldn't breathe when he saw Cookie tied up on the floor and unconscious, in a second, smaller room with clear walls. Sharon approached her and dumped a bucket of water on her before leaving that room and sitting on one of the steps that led upstairs.

Cookie jerked and spluttered awake when the water hit her "Wh what th th the fuck?"

Sharon clapped happily "Oh good, you're awake. Don't worry, this won't take too long. I'm just so excited that we finally get to do this."

Bucky slammed his shoulder against the wall with no effect. "Dammit Sharon, let her go. She doesn't have anything to do with this. You have me, I did everything you asked so just leave her alone."

Sharon giggled "That's not true, you refused to kill her for me but don't worry, we're going to fix that today."

Bucky shook his head "No Sharon, you don't need to do this. You already have me."

Sharon sighed "Typical man, thinks it's all about him. Did it ever occur to you that the head of intel might be valuable to bad actors? Her head has so much information, more than anyone except maybe Fury."

Cookie spoke up "You're crazy if you think I'm telling you anything. I don't care if you torture me. You won't get anything from me."

Sharon laughed "You know, most of the people who say that end up spilling their guts when it starts to hurt. That's ok, I have other options. Antonia?"

A woman came down the stairs to stand next to Sharon, Cookie did a double take "Antonia? Dreykov? But that's Iris? What are you doing here? You said we-" she shook her head "You're the mole. Why?"

Antonia pulled off the photostatic veil to reveal her own face and smiled "For my father, to bring the Red Room back to its former glory. Once you're gone, I'll take your job and be able to access all the top level intel you refused to share. If you had just let me in, you wouldn't be here now."

Bucky slammed himself against the wall separating him from Sharon. "No, please. You can't kill her. I'll go with you willingly, I'll be yours, just don't hurt her."

Sharon smirked "You will come with me either way. We've been tweaking the mind control serum that Dreykov created so you shouldn't be able to break free like you have been. The Super soldier serum helped you keep waking up from the mind control but we've found a way to compensate for that so you won't even be sad your precious Cookie is dead." She winked at him "Or that you killed her."

As if on cue Natasha descended the stairs with her sister Yelena and handed a small tranq dart to Sharon "Here's the serum for Barnes. Let's get this over with before Stark figures out where we are."

Bucky stared at Natasha "Why are you doing this? Betraying the Avengers, hurting more innocent people?"

Nat smirked "I told you all of it, don't you remember? The morning after you fucked her.

***Flashback***

Bucky woke up from one of the best nights sleep he had ever had and smiled when he felt a warm body next to him, Cookie. He pulled her into him, amazed that she was here in his bed. That she wanted him too. He could tell the sun wasn't up yet so he closed his eyes and dozed off.

A little while later he woke again, needing to pee, so carefully extracted himself. When he was done he saw the time and hurried to meet Steve and Sam for their morning run.

When he got to the lobby he saw neither of them were there so decided on a short run so he could get back to Cookie. He smiled as he thought about her cuddled up in his bed and spending the day in bed together.

Before he was through the doors he heard Nat calling him. She propositioned him but he refused and told her about him and Cookie.

Nat frowned and shook her head "I have to apologize in advance then." She pulled something out of her pocket and gently slapped his neck.

Bucky pulled back "Owww, what was that?"

Nat sighed "A serum that Dreykov used to control the Widows."

Bucky looked at her, confused "Mind control? What are you doing, Nat? I- whu" he closed his eyes and when he opened them they were emotionless.

Nat grinned "Soldat?"

"готов подчиниться" Ready to comply

Nat smiled "Good boy. Now take your run, then go tell Cookie you just want sex, make some excuse up. And then stay away from her, Sharon will be here soon to be your handler. Once all is said and done, Cookie, Sharon and the rest of the Avengers will all be dead and you will be by my side. The Black Widow and Winter Soldier, running SWORD, HYDRA and the Red Room together."

Bucky nodded.

She showed him a picture of Sharon and repeated "Handler"

Then she patted his cheek "Go on, Soldat. Complete your mission."

Bucky nodded "миссия" Mission

Nat shook her head "That won't do. Soldat? I need you to act like Barnes or this won't work. Relax"

Soldat nodded and smirked "Of course, Natty. I'll take care of everything for you."

Then jogged off around the lake before heading back to the compound to break Cookies heart.

***end Flashback***

Bucky shook his head "Why did you make me hurt Cookie? I would never do that, I'm in love with her."

Cookie gasped "But-"

Sharon snapped "But nothing. I'm bored" she went into the room where Bucky was. He tried to fight her but with his arms and legs bound she was able to get close enough to hit him with the dart. She quickly backed away and Nat pushed a button that lowered the wall between Soldat and Cookie.

"Soldat?"

Bucky stood up straight "готов подчиниться" Ready to comply

Cookie cried out "No, Bucky please. Don't let her do this. Bucky!!"

Natasha glared at Cookie and clicked on a remote that unlocked Bucky's restraints "Enough of your whining. Soldat, kill her."

The Soldat nodded and then turned to Cookie who was cowering against the wall. She tried to push herself up to standing but the Soldat was too fast and wrapped his vibranium hand around her throat and lifted her up until her feet couldn't reach the ground.

Cookie looked at the cold face of her friend, the man she had loved for 2 years and rasped out "Bucky. Please." She looked into his emotionless eyes and she realized this was it, she closed her eyes and tried to say "I forgive you" as she lost consciousness.

Chapter 6

[blacklegsanjiii]

please i need more parental figure ivankov in my life PLEASE-

no pressure obv what you have is already wonderful ^^ but i am so invested in this sanji who is head of espionage, which is very fitting for someone who was supposed to be stealth black. recruits are introduced to a blonde teen who smokes too much and wears absolutely fabulous dresses and heels and think koala is hazing them when she says hes their top infiltrator. sanji takes great joy in sneaking up to them at the most inopportune times and blackmailing them with eavesdropped secrets. he and sabo and koala were all very much troublesome gremlins as much as they were respected revolutionaries

how was sanji's childhood here? raised on kamabakka, much more healthy embracement of gender and sexuality, learning all the secret recipes, taught how to cook and sky-walk and apply impeccable makeup by an array of okama aunts and uncles. he sometimes brings up stories about his growing up to the crew and everyone thinks hes just making up stories. meeting ivankov makes so much sense to them.

Sanji picked up fresh out of the dungeon and is being cared for in Kamabakka. All the Aunties and Uncles take turns dressing up and putting Sanji's make up on him. Everyone notices that this kid is so good at hiding and listening to everyone that Dragon and Iva want him trained in espionage in case he decides to join the army. When Dragon brings Sabo, Sanji is constantly sneaking in with Koala to see the new kid in the infirmary.

When Sabo wakes up and is freaked out Sanji and Koala are the ones who stay and comfort Sabo as Dragon explains what happened and where he is. Sanji keeps visiting even though he's supposed to be sleeping and Dragon finds him on more than one occasion talking to Sabo late in the night and sighing.

"Sanji, please, if Iva gets angry about taking you back to Momoiro when you're exhausted I'll never hear the end of it. Quit hiding yourself and go to bed." Dragon explains and Sanji, dressed in a pink dress and ballet slipper type shoes, pouts and blots out of the room silently. Sabo is amazed every time.

Time goes on and Sabo and Koala's favorite past times is introducing new recruits who are double or triple their age, marine defects, high ranking former government/kingdom officials to Sanji who genderfucks. They don't believe this blond kid is going to become head of espionage nor the other the CoS so they laugh at these kids. And like later in the week Sanji will drop why they left whatever and if it's severe enough Dragon or Iva or in the olden days before becoming a Warlord: Kuma will come relieve them of duty, so to speak. Sanji who goes through three packs of cigarettes a day, cooks attack cuisine and just cooks amazing food and can set his legs on fire and sky walk like Cipher Pol. Best blackmailer in the Revolutionary Army, even has shit on Dragon. Mainly being he knows Dragon has a son.

Sanji has been to several REVERIES where his family have attended but with his make up skills and the dress he's wearing? No one recognizes him. He gets the best and most important information. So when he goes to Baratie to work he uses these skills to fuck with everyone coming come through.

Whenever Nami tries to blackmail Sanji tries for whatever reason he just smiles because she doesn't have anything substantial, nothing that would harm the Army. If she goes too far when he's doing her make up at some point he just drops her deepest insecurity he knows about her and smiles and says "don't play games, Nami. You won't win against me." He even has dirt on Robin no one knows he has.

He still fully expresses his gender his identity still and Zoro is confused but Luffy doesn't care because that's his cook. No one really understands why Sanji is just like that until they're on Momoiro with Sabo and Koala and Iva and Dragon. Iva tells stories of Sabo, Koala, and Sanji getting into trouble or just mayhem. The first time Sanji sky walked around Baltigo, when Sabo first laced his pipe with haki and accidentally put someone in the infirmary. Koala talks about her long suffering watching and taking care of Sabo and Sanji where they don't even try to argue because she has the pipe.

They don't know when she got it but she has it.

Sanji tells stories of just sneaking into official meetings and just waves dropping in the halls of multiple bases. The Reveries he's been to as "security" and Sabo mentions that one time when they were like 15/16 and they went on their first mission alone. Dragon, who was off dealing with something comes in and sees Luffy and them are still here and Sabo telling them and he tries to conqueror's haki Sabo who withstands it thanks to his training, Sabo keeps telling them while giving Dragon a shit eating grin about the major marine base they exploded. And the subsequent escape with Sanji's sky walking, Koala's guidance, and Sabo holding onto all the important documents.

"HOW DID YOU EVEN GET IN???" Nami yells.

"Sometimes I go the extra mile to be pretty. And a lot of men can't resist a leggy woman." Sanji nods and Iva sighs.

"I regret letting you learn so young." They bemoan.

"You're all on desk duty for the foreseeable future." Dragon growls.

"Nah." They all respond.

[stormdragon23]

Shadows of a Mother is finally updated

After like. Half a year. Sorry

Full chapter below:

“Oh, you bought fried chicken?” Jin-Ah asked excitedly after seeing her mom enter the apartment with the familiar restaurant bag. “Did something good happen? You always say that it’s not healthy to eat fried food.”

Kyung-Hye smiled as she closed the door and took off her shoes. “Well, it’s been a while since we’ve had it, and you’ve been working hard in school.”

As Kyung-Hye was getting older and wasn’t that physically strong, she kept an eye on her health, though she didn’t have to do so as much anymore. She stayed fit from the System due to the daily quests that forced her to exercise. The quest reward from the double dungeon that made her “immune to any abnormalities in her status” was also helpful in preventing her from getting ill or suffering from anything that would harm her body.

After concluding that the reward made her immune to poisonous substances, Kyung-Hye ingested the Kasaka’s venom gland she had, and it neutralized the side effect the venom would have had on her muscles. 

“How have your classes been lately? Are you having any trouble?” Kyung-Hye asked as they began to eat.

Kyung-Hye couldn’t afford tutoring for Jin-Ah like most students in her class, but Jin-Ah started working harder in school to become a doctor ever since her brother fell under Eternal Sleep. While her kids had moments of bickering as siblings, they genuinely cared about each other, and it hurt Kyung-Hye to see how Jin-Ah looked at her brother when they visited him at the hospital.

“School’s been good,” Jin-Ah answered as she took a bite of chicken. “But Song-Yi is still considering becoming a hunter instead of finishing school. She even skipped class the other day to get a license.”

“Is she?” Kyung-Hye asked, concerned.

“Yeah, but she’s always changing her mind, so she’ll probably get over it soon.”

She knew her daughter had been friends with Han Song-Yi since they were children and had been very close. While Kyung-Hye didn’t know what kind of situation Song-Yi was in, she hoped this decision was simply Song-Yi being young and rebellious rather than a need to get some money. 

The thought of someone her daughter’s age having to find a way to make a living was distressing as she would never want to see her children have to do such a thing, and it was her responsibility as a parent to make sure that didn’t happen.

I would hate for Jin-Ah or Jin-Woo to risk their lives to make money, like the people in the double dungeon. Or the hunters in that last raid-

Kyung-Hye thought back to how her previous raid had ended. Leaving those people behind in the gate... 

“I’m going to rest for a bit, okay?” Kyung-Hye told Jin-Ah as she stood up.

Jin-Ah gave an affirmative hum as she swallowed a mouthful of food. “Are you going to eat some more chicken?”

Kyung-Hye shook her head. “No, but if you could put away the leftovers, that would be great.”

Jin-Ah nodded, and Kyung-Hye smiled before heading to her room.

As Kyung-Hye went inside the bedroom and closed the door, she took a deep breath before she lay on her bed and covered her eyes with her arm, still processing what had happened inside the gate again.

Although Kyung-Hye felt like she had no choice if she wanted to make out alive with Jin-Ho at the time and tried to go for what seemed like the safest solution, she couldn’t help but be reminded of nine years ago. 

Her husband had been a firefighter before the gates appeared. Kyung-Hye saw how Il-Hwan helped efficiently put out the fire at the college she attended and how much he cared about everyone being safe. 

They got together soon after that and had many happy moments together. After getting married, their kids only added to the joy they had in their lives. 

Her son was only fifteen when he came home to tell her that Il-Hwan disappeared inside a gate.

She felt like the world was crashing down around her hearing those words, but then she saw her children standing before her. Her eldest had tears in his eyes, already knowing his father would not be returning, while her youngest didn’t quite understand what was happening yet.

Kyung-Hye couldn’t let herself get lost in her feelings now. Not when her children needed her more than ever before.

Pulling her son and daughter close to her and hugging them tightly, she was determined to do everything possible for them to grow up safe and healthy. 

She worked as many jobs as she could get, from working as a custodian to working at various stores, putting as much energy into supporting her children. She woke up long before the sun rose to prepare for a long day of work and typically wouldn’t be able to come home until dinnertime. 

Kyung-Hye spent long hours of work, saving enough money for her kids to go to college and to provide them with everything they needed as she wanted them to live comfortable lives without worrying about money constantly.

She did have a degree of her own, but she had been a stay-at-home mom for so long, and it was difficult for her to find a job as she was older and less experienced than most people were looking for. So the only jobs she would get were ones that younger people wouldn’t usually choose.

Of course, she still had to look after herself and had just enough rest and food to keep going. After all, she needed to care for herself for her children’s sake. 

Until her son succumbed to Eternal Sleep.

Her income, at the time, as meager as it was, was sufficiently supporting the three of them. However, it was no longer enough to pay her son’s hospital bills.

Kyung-Hye had some savings that were enough to pay the initial bills, but she had to find a better job soon. The only money she had left was their college funds, which she could not use, especially when she noticed how hard Jin-Ah was studying to become a doctor after Jin-Woo was hospitalized.

Luckily, however, she discovered she had suddenly awakened one day.

It didn’t matter that she barely had any magic power and was only slightly stronger than a typical person. Any bit of power would be enough for her to be a hunter and earn far more money than any other job she could get. 

Plus, by working for the Hunters Association, Kyung-Hye could get medical aid for the cost of Jin-Woo’s life support. It had been four years since her son had succumbed to Eternal Slumber, but she knew her son would eventually wake up. It was only a matter of time. Until then, she would do anything to keep her children safe. She would do the same even if her husband were still around.

Remembering her family made her think of the Lizards in the last raid she went on. She didn’t even know what kind of families the other hunters had. Were they also parents like her and felt they had no choice but to do this to provide for them? Or did some of them feel like they had no choice but to follow what Hwang Dong-Suk told them to do out of fear they would be the next one to die?

Regardless, that didn’t mean they could tear other families apart. Not just to Kyung-Hye herself who still had a teenage daughter and a son under Eternal Slumber but also to Jin-Ho who was still a very young person with a bright future. While she hated thinking of how the hunters’ families had lost a loved one, she did what she had to in that situation. It might be selfish of her to think so, but she had to stay alive to look after her children. She made it this far and couldn’t give up now.

Thinking of the raid in this way reminded her of the times Il-Hwan couldn’t save someone in time during the various emergencies he had dealt with. While Il-Hwan put on an act in front of their kids and pretended he had a typical day at work, Kyung-Hye knew from how his jaw was clenched and how his reactions were ever so slightly delayed as if he was thinking deeply about something.

It would only be after they finished having dinner and their kids were asleep that Kyung-Hye would ask what happened. Sometimes, Il-hwan would tell her about the people he couldn’t save. Other times, he would simply hug her tightly and stay silent. 

The only thing Kyung-Hye could do to console him was to give him comforting words and to hold him, her arms barely being able to wrap around his large physique. Il-Hwan had always done everything he could to save as many people as possible and how despite his efforts, there would be situations that made it impossible to save everyone. Kyung-Hye knew well that her husband would do whatever it took to get people to safety, even if it meant risking his life.

After all, his selflessness was the reason she fell in love with him. It was also why Il-Hwan wasn’t with her right now.

Releasing a sigh, Kyung-Hye tried not to dwell on her husband’s absence and looked at her stats. There wasn’t anything she could do about Il-Hwan being gone, so she could only focus on becoming stronger to take care of her children until he returned.

HP 2830

MP 580

Strength: 43 Health: 43

Agility: 43 Intelligence: 43

Sense: 43

Available Ability Points: 2

She didn’t get much of a chance to look at it before as whenever she had enough points, she simply allocated the points in a way to keep all of them balanced. Even if she were to think about it some more, she would have done the same. She still wished there was some kind of instruction manual that came with the System instead of guessing and checking what everything meant.

Just as she was considering how to distribute the remaining points, Jin-Ah knocked on her door before opening it.

“Mom? Someone named Yoo Jin-Ho is calling for you.” “Yoo Jin-Ho?”

“Mrs. Park! Over here!”

Kyung-Hye turned to look at the sound of her voice and smiled when she saw the familiar young man with short brown hair.

“It’s good to see you again, Jin-Ho,” Kyung-Hye said as she sat down. “I wasn’t expecting to meet again so soon. Ah, thank you again for the essence stones you gave me.”

“You saved me last time, so I was really grateful for your help!” Jin-Ho responded.

“It was no trouble. We were both trying to get out of there. Was there another reason you wanted to see me?” the older woman asked. 

While it was nice to see Jin-Ho, thanking her couldn’t be the only reason why he wanted to meet with her again. She didn’t mind the young man having his reasons for wanting to see her, but she wasn’t keen on helping this young man as he got into dangerous situations.

Kyung-Hye watched as the young man braced himself before stating why he called her.

“Well, I want to make a private strike squad.”

Kyung-Hye expected as much. She had hoped he had changed his mind after their last raid, but it looked like he hadn’t. However, Jin-Ho seemed more optimistic than naive given how determined he looked, so she knew Jin-Ho was at least aware of the risks.

“Is there a reason you want to make a strike squad? I’m sure you know how dangerous hunting can get after our last raid together.”

“Uh, well,” the young hunter briefly looked away before steeling himself again before looking back at her. 

“I just need your help in 19 more raids!”

Kyung-Hye raised an eyebrow. She found it strange he needed such a specific number of raids. Kyung-Hye wasn’t fully aware of everything related to hunters, but she had picked up enough to understand what all hunters knew. 

If the last raid is included, that would be 20 total.

She remembered seeing a requirement for clearing a certain amount of gates, but that was only if-

Her eyes widened as she realized what he wanted to do.

“Do you want to become a guild master?”

Jin-Ho smiled widely once he saw that Kyung-Hye quickly figured out his plan.

“Yes, I do!”

Kyung-Hye frowned at the thought. 

“Is there any specific reason you want to form a guild?” the older woman asked cautiously. 

It was rather unusual for such a young man to want to do something so ambitious at his age.

So Jin-Ho explained how his father, Yoo Myung-Hwan, wanted to create his own guild and how Jin-Ho wanted to convince his father to let him be in charge of the guild instead of his brother.

While Kyung-Hye did want to help Jin-Ho, she was curious if there was another reason Jin-Ho wished to become a Guild Master so badly when he was this young. But she didn’t want to pry into his business, so she accepted his reasoning and asked another question. 

“How much will I get in return?” Kyung-Hye asked. While she didn’t want to demand an unreasonable sum, the amount she gets for helping him should still be enough to provide for her family. Otherwise, it would be better for her to continue raiding as usual. There was also the matter of her being prevented from leveling up, but that wasn’t as important to her for now.

Jin-Ho beamed as he took out an envelope and handed it to Kyung-Hye, who opened it and read its contents.

“It’s nice that you wanted to come exercise with me today,” Kyung-Hye commented as she did some warm-up stretches alongside her daughter.

“Well, it’s not good to just sit and study all day,” Jin-Ah reasoned. “Besides, it’s been a while since we’ve had free time together.”

Kyung-Hye smiled and fondly rubbed her daughter’s head before they began their run.

As she ran beside Jin-Ah, Kyung-Hye thought about her recent conversation with Jin-Ho again.

Thirty billion won. That was the amount that Jin-Ho had offered. I could easily pay Jin-Ah to attend college without worrying about hunting monsters. 

However, if I stopped going on raids, I wouldn’t be able to make my powers stronger. What would happen to the System in that case?

Kyung-Hye looked at her daughter as she kept a steady pace with her. While Kyung-Hye could easily run faster, these small moments she could spend with Jin-Ah were precious to her. Her daughter, as well as the rest of her family, was all she lived for.

There is also the possibility of a dungeon break happening near them, like how one had happened close to where she fought in the instant dungeon. Not to mention the possibility of something like the S-Rank gate on Jeju Island happening again. 

She had told Jin-Ho that she would need some time to make a decision and that she would give him an answer within the week, but there were so many factors to consider.

“Is something wrong, mom?” Jin-Ah asked, making Kyung-Hye come out of her thoughts.

“Ah, it’s nothing,” Kyung-Hye replied, not wanting to worry her daughter. “Is Song-Yi still wanting to be a hunter?”

“Oh, yeah. I wanted to study with her the other day, but she didn’t want to. She says it’s boring and that she wouldn’t need to know this stuff if she decided to become a hunter.”

Kyung-Hye frowned. It wasn’t good for someone who hadn’t even graduated high school yet to want to become a hunter, especially one of such a low rank like herself who simply wanted to do it without realizing how dangerous it was. Even if she did want or have to become a hunter, her education was still important in case being a hunter didn’t work out for her later.

“Maybe you could invite her over some time? I’d like to hear why she wants to be one,” Kyung-Hye asked. 

She also hoped to convince her daughter’s friend that she shouldn’t become a hunter. It wouldn’t be easy, given how Kyung-Hye knew how stubborn teenagers could be from personal experience.

Jin-Ah nodded. “Yeah, I can ask her later!”

Focusing on their run again, Kyung-Hye realized she had already run more than the quest required as she looked at the status window. However, the system continued to track how many kilometers she was running even though she had already reached the necessary amount.

That’s strange. Why does it continue counting past 10?

Kyung-Hye was puzzled at the sight but decided to see how far it would go. 

After noticing that the System stopped counting the number of kilometers she ran after it reached twice the required number, Kyung-Hye did the same for the other exercises. As soon as she had finished double what she needed to complete, she got rewarded for completing a Hidden Quest.

Another dungeon key?

Examining the details of the key, Kyung-Hye saw that the difficulty level was S which meant the dungeon it unlocked would likely be of the same level, based on the last key she got. 

While she could enter the gate since she still had the teleportation stone from last time, she had no idea what would be inside the gate. Kyung-Hye knew she was nowhere close to being as strong as an S-Rank, estimating herself to be approximately a B-Rank given what had happened in the most recent dungeon. Also, going in only to see what was inside and back out of it seemed like a waste of the teleportation stone if she needed it even more later.

After contemplating her choices, Kyung-Hye decided to save the key for when she got stronger. There wasn’t a time limit, so there was no need for her to rush into danger now.

Until Jin-Ho gets back to me, I should find another raid to go on.

[short-honey-badger]

Shore Leave 2

Fly Me to the Moon

I wanted to do a part 2 of this pretty badly, so I did it lol. I hope you enjoy some Chief smooches!

Part 1 -> HERE

Part 3 -> HERE

John is so at ease with your presence that he doesn't realize that the minutes have eased into hours, and twilight has soon descended on the city. It is a little slower now than it was earlier, and the spartan only picks up on it when he realizes that you've slowed down on your little stories, and now sit quietly by his side, face turned up in his direction as if studying him. He is used to the staring, but he feels naked without his armor, and his cheeks heat up when you don't look away.

“How long have you been in the UNSC?”

The Master Chief shifts in his seat, making you ease closer to him even if it's unintended. He can't tell you anything that may get you in trouble for knowing, but John can tell you are simply curious and so opts for the easiest answer her can give you.

“A long time.”

He isn't expecting you to snort and chuckle at him, a kind smile on your face as you reach out and gently pat his arm.

“That much is obvious, Big Guy. I get it, though. I won't pry into any secret military stuff you've got going on,” you say and wiggle your fingers at him, still grinning. You suddenly stand, and John is disappointed at the lack of warmth pressed into his side.

“What are you doing?” He asks and flicks his blue eyes up to meet your own. You must find something in them that makes you soften even further, and you offer the super soldier your hand once more.

“Well, the park is still open, and my butt is kinda numb for sitting so long. Do you want to walk with me? There is a burger stall on the other side that we can stop at for food.”

John is wrapping his much larger hand around your own without much thought, his body moving before his mind can make the decision for him. He cracks a smirk and allows you to lead him in the direction of the park entrance. You hum as you walk, and his sensitive ears easily pick the tune apart, but he can't seem to place it.

“What song are you humming?”

You perk up at the question, looking up to catch a look of curious frustration adorning your are friend's face. It's cute. Not that you would tell such a big, burly man that. You don't think John would be able to take it if you told him you thought he was cute. You should probably answer his question.

“It's an older song from Earth. Fly Me to the Moon by Frank Sinatra. My grandma was a big fan.”

John grunts in reply and licks his lips. He wants to hear your voice, but he doesn't know if that is an appropriate thing to ask someone he's only known for a couple of hours. Thankfully, you pick up on the odd silence and quietly speak back up.

“Uhm. Would you like me to sing some of it for you?”

“Yes.”

John is embarrassed by how quickly he'd spoken up. He stops in his tracks, causing you to stop as well since you still had a hold of his hand. You squeeze his fingers and look up at him in silent encouragement. John swallows harshly and meets your eyes once more.

“I would like that, if you don't mind.”

You squeeze his hand again, your smile kind and full of a joy that John isn't privy to very often. It makes him feel good having it aimed at him.

“Don't mind at all, John,” you assure him and tug his hand, “let's keep going.”

The Master Chief dips his head in a nod and follows after you. He can't help but wonder what Cortana may think of you. He likes to imagine that she'd be happy he found someone like you, someone so close to your humanity that you don't mind sharing it with others. His thoughts are quickly cast aside when you open your mouth, voice untrained and a bit scratchy, but still able to hold a tune.

“Fly Me to the Moon.

Let me play among the stars

Let me see what spring is like

On Jupiter and Mars

In other words, hold my hand

In other words, baby kiss me.”

You squeeze his hand when you sing the verse about holding his hand, and John cracks another smile at the sweet gesture. You are something else, and it almost makes him pause in his tracks when you sing about kissing. Could he do that?

“Fill my heart with song and let me sing forevermore

You are all I long for

All I worship and adore

In other words, please be true

In other words, I love you”

The Master Chief licks his lips, the lyrics of the song resonating with him in a way he hadn't expected. It's been well over a decade since he has had any type of human Interaction like this, and while the augmentations had changed his body both physically and hormonally, John was still a man. A man who longed to have something normal, even if he didn't recognize that right now. Could he ever love someone?

“Fill my heart with song

Let me sing forevermore

You are all I long for, all I worship and adore

In other words, please be true

In other words

In other words

I love you.”

By the time you've finished the song, the two of you are about halfway around the park. John hasn't paid his surroundings a lick of attention, far too focused on listening to you sing. His mind is full of the lyrics, and the super soldier finds that he wants to try something, and he has few doubts that you would object to.

“You okay, John?”

His spine quakes at the sound of his name leaving your lips. He likes that. Likes how you say his name so carefully. He glances down at you and steps forward, one foot sliding in between your own. John has never been good with beating around the bush, and he wouldn't now either.

“May I kiss you?”

If you are surprised by the sudden question, you don't show it. Instead, you close the distance between them, reaching forward to grab his wrist and lead his hand up to cup your face. You can feel the way his fingers twitch against your flesh, as if John was scared to touch you.

“I would like that.” You say, repeating his words from earlier, and it makes a tiny smirk appear on John's lips. Another victory.

John has to bend quite far to reach your lips, but it swiftly becomes one of the best decisions he's ever made when his lips meet yours is a soft kiss. He keeps his eyes open, watching your expression as he imitates what he's seen actors do in the few holovids that he's watched. You press into the kiss, lips soft and pliant as you let John take his time exploring the new sensation.

Your cheeks are pink as a rose when the Master Chief breaks the kiss, pulling away, but keeping his hand cupped along your jaw, holding you close. Your hands rest on his chest, nails caught in the material of his shirt. You give him a soft smile and turn your face to press your lips to his wrists, kissing one of the scars left behind from the augmentations.

“Thank you, _,” John murmurs and carefully strokes his thumb along your cheekbone, leaning in to kiss you one last time before he drops his hand from your face, only to grab the same hand he held earlier and tangle his fingers with your own.

Before you can say much, the sweet moment is ruined by your stomach letting out a massive growl. You aim a grin at John and tug his hand, walking forward.

“Let's go get food. Sounds good?”

John meets your joyful gaze, and you are rewarded with this beast of a man softening, his lips quirking up in a smile as he follows after you.

“Sounds good.”

[ravenbloodshot]

Lee Know- Stray Kids... Ideal Type

Body: black painted nails (bad girl + emo girl vibes), other than that I'm not getting anything specific

This is a visualized example:

Personality: He wants a person that is passionate about their life and finds joy being on this earth, like a person that knows any moment they can die so they live it up while they're still breathing. He wants someone whose experienced adversity and obstacles but now remains a stronger and more resilient person due to their past, he wants a fighter. He wants a disciplined and strong willed woman that's been through things and can even guide him to overcome his troubles, I don't think he would like the trust fund babies or gold spoon girls that haven't really been through struggle (even if he wants someone well to do financially, he wouldn't have respect for a person that didn't grind to get what they have). He wants someone open minded and experimental, like a person that even though they've never eaten certain foods or been to certain places and happen to be a bit scared they still try these new things (like a 'don't knock it till you try it" type of woman), someone who will encourage him to be less stubborn about his own dislikes or judgements about things. He does want a seductive and charming person that can have quite the influence on him even when he's not in their presence but I do see a desire for him to be manipulated by his partners attractiveness but also to not be. Like he wants his partner to seduce him into doing things he knows he shouldn't but also he doesn't want her to do that (it's a bit interesting, I assume he just likes to be enticed but not to the point of no return).

Sexual Wants: (okay, I'm again seeing he likes a bit of manipulation), likes to be tricked (or taken by surprised, doesn't have to be in a sexual sense but he'll be aroused nonetheless), power imbalances, likes to be seduced, drunk sex, (idk what it's called, but it's when a person gets aroused by another's pain, not physical pain more like emotional pain)

Attention by Doja Cat is a song that fits this readings energy

[angellayercake]

The Diary of Cardinal Terzo Four

Cardinal Terzo x Assorted Characters | NSFW | AO3 | Intro | Two | Three | Interlude

Based on this funny little article we start to read about some of Terzo’s creampie adventures in his diary.

disclaimer I know this is the farthest thing from safe sex but let’s pretend in this universe there is a special secret satanic sti and pregnancy protection just for fun

02/02 New ghouls are so inquisitive.They have glimpsed our world only from the depths of hell but that does not prepare them for having a tangible body and all that  it entails, the new sensations that it offers. They explore the world wide eyed and gorge themselves on all the new and exciting experiences on offer to them. Art, music, nature, food, drink and of course, pleasures of the flesh. Sometimes they seek out their fellow ghouls, or Siblings of Sin but the recently summoned quintessence ghoul had caught my eye. He was more reserved than some of the others, hung back and observed rather than leaping into the fray. He was tall and broad, his chest straining at the buttons of his robes when he moves and strong arms straining the taught material. It seemed I had caught his eye as well. His intense gaze was tracking my movements across the welcoming party and it would have been rude not to introduce myself. His name was Omega and he accepted my invitation for a tour of the Abbey, the gardens, the common areas, the library and of course the clergy wing. Naturally the tour ended at my personal quarters, in case he ever needed to visit me. He didn't hesitate when I invited him in and tonight he got his first taste of the joys of a tight, warm, willing human body. Creampie count: 59

19/02 Nothing makes you feel more like a rockstar than having a beautiful woman bouncing on your dick in the back of a limousine. I'm sure I will be in trouble with my fratello when he sobers from his celebratory bender and probably Imperator too but the sweet thing I picked up wanted the ride of her life. The Ghost project and the entourage which I was a part of always garners attention at these award ceremonies being the big scary spooky satanists that we are. It can other us but it also creates a lot of intrigue which is often a lot more fun. She was a typical popstar, tanned, long blond hair, and more make up then Papa and she wanted a taste of darkness. Commandeering the limo was easy enough and then I had her. I left the drivers partition open so Alpha, the lucky ghoul could watch as I stripped her and took her apart. It was easy to tell she was used to faking her pleasure. Her initial moans practised and meant to flatter a fragile ego but I soon had her shaking and gasping on my fingers until she was clawing at my cassock to get to my cock. I let her find her pleasure for a time aquainting myself with her unnaturally sculpted but still beautiful body. But then I had to show her what it is to be fucked by someone who always embraces the sin of lust completely. Creampie count: 89

15/05 She was a Senior Sister when she had arrived at the abbey. I saw so many faces come and go as I had risen through the ranks of the Clergy, it was not surprising I had seen her somewhere before, but that hadn't stopped me propositioning her. She was beautiful, confident and commanded the attention of everyone around her. I had to have her, if she would let me. I tried everything and she just laughed. She laughed! But the way she rebuffed me was so charming I couldn't even be offended. But today! Today we were  discussing party tricks, of all things. 'Do you have any party tricks Sister?' I asked innocently. 'One,' she replied. 'I can swallow a sword. Right to the hilt.' I was frozen to the spot and could feel the blush rising on my face. 'Would you like me to show you Cardinal?' I couldn't speak or move or do anything. Her hand was on my chest as she waited for my answer and I had to do something before I lost my chance. I nodded, so awkwardly it makes me cringe to remember but she was as good as her word and showed me exactly how much she could take down her throat. Her talent in this particular trick was unmatched, exceeded all expectations. So it was only fair that I showed her my party trick and if I do say so myself, I was unmatched too! Creampie count: 259

[enchantedflameandflower]

Glimmer 24/? Billy Butcher fic

My most sincere apologies from the depths of my heart for my own for always taking so long! Thank you so so so much for still reading ♥

Tag List: @2dead2function @secretdreamlandmentality

Billy Butcher Masterlist

Chapter 24

Over the next couple of weeks Addison spent every waking moment she had working on building her power from the inside, focusing on what she was truly physically capable of doing and analyzing what else might be possible. She felt strong, but still she went to bed exhausted each night while Billy worked nonstop to try and narrow down who was threatening her, confirming if it was only her, and why. He'd been able to track the hacking of the servers to the top person on their watch list, but the agent had no motive or connections to her, or anything to do with her, so they needed to find out who he was working for, more than anything.

After a few hiccups and a near miss planting more bugs, three days later found Addison holed up with Billy and MM in the surveillance van. She felt in her bones that they had to be close and she hoped maybe tonight would prove he was their rat and why he was targeting her specifically. But it had been a long day already. The plan was to take him into custody at the end of the night either way, but she had hoped they could get more information listening to him before they showed their hand.

Eventually, Billy needed a break, stepping out to grab food for everyone. By the time he came back, Addison and MM were huddled around the laptop, listening intently.

"Oy, we got somethin'?" Billy asked as he set the food down and stripped off his jacket.

"Someone came in," Addison murmured. "But so far it's just drinks and small talk."

Billy hummed, standing at the back of the dark van and crossing his arms over his chest.

It didn't take long to figure out it was a social call they were listening to and Addison sighed loudly leaning back in her chair. "Maybe they called the entire thing off."

"Doubt it," Billy muttered. "No way they go to all that trouble for nothin'. Whoever's at the top wants you dead no matter what it takes." His voice was dark and heavy and Addison pursed her lips, looking away.

"Butcher's right, Addison." MM said, glancing over at her.

"Fuckin' right, I'm right," Billy started, "and I think it might do you good to -"

Butcher's phone rang interrupting him mid sentence, and he pulled it out of his pocket, brow furrowing. "Hang about," he murmured looking at the screen, then he stepped out of the van again as he answered.

"Addison I hope you get how serious this is," MM said as soon as they were alone.

"I know, I know," she groaned. "I know it is. He's just so…over bearing. I'm not a fucking kitten, you know. I just -"

They froze as the sound of another phone ringing came over their tech.

'Hey. Yeah, uh… yeah. Listen, just a sec.'

Her and MM looked at each other, and she knew they were both thinking the same thing… No, fuck…

They both heard the sound of the front door opening clear as day. MM slammed his fist on the table, muttering, "motherfucker," and Addison groaned, dropping her head into her hands. He was going into the hall so his friend couldn't overhear. Fuck.

"Addi, you gotta try…" MM turned to her.

Addison glanced up, meeting his dark eyes. He looked so hopeful it felt like a knife in her chest.

"You can do this, Addi, I know you can."

She could. She could do this. She could do it.

Addison took a breath and closed her eyes, focusing all of her energy on finding the guy's voice in the fray of the high rise and amplifying the sound. Her heart almost stopped when she zeroed in on him after only a few moments. She lifted her hand subconsciously as if she was searching for the sound waves in the air, focusing even more, and the sound of his voice grew louder in her ears.

'…I know that and I already fucking told you I was looking, but they have a whole…"

She must've cried out in joy because then she felt MM's hand grab her arm eagerly and she nodded her head. "I can hear him. I hear him."

This was the best she had accomplished yet and she felt like she was going to burst with emotion. His conversation felt as easy to access and adjust as turning the volume knob up and down on the radio.

Addison knew, she absolutely knew, she could do more.

"MM, come here…" She blinked her eyes open and motioned for him to move closer. She had to try. He scooted toward her, his eyes curious and waited.

Addison pressed one hand to his chest and closed her eyes again, focusing on where he was spatially in this new world she had opened in her mind, and she lifted her other hand in the air, moving it just barely as if she was wafting some pleasant scent in his direction, but instead she was manipulating the sound waves.

MM froze, then… "I hear him!" MM exclaimed, shock coloring his deep voice. "Addison…"

The door to the van opened then and Addison pushed the distraction away from her mind as quickly as she could but what came next threatened to topple everything she had accomplished in the past two minutes.

"Oy!" came Butcher's sharp, hard voice, echoing in the van and cutting through her focus. "You two want a fuckin' room at the Lincoln Grand or what?"

"Shut up," Addison said frantically. She couldn't lose her concentration. She could do this.

She struggled to regain her full focus again but was able to pull herself together through sheer force of will.

"...dress. No, I'm not - ...hey it hasn't been easy! I've seen her fight y'know. Yeah, she hasn't even had an assignment since then. I told you that was your chance. I don't want to be a part - I know but I want out. She's a fuckin' supe." His voice cracked. "I want more money then. I know you're loaded. Yeah I get it. Yeah. Fine. Yeah. Got it."

The door of the van slammed shut with a thundering bang as Billy left again, and it snapped the last of her concentration. Addison huffed. At least they heard the guy come back into his apartment then, but she felt like everything inside of her had broken with the slam of the door.

"Shit," Addison muttered. She hung her head, exhausted though every cell in her body still hummed with the energy of her accomplishment.

"I'm proud of you Addison," MM said. "Don't pay any attention to him. He's just a grumpy motherfucker."

Addison shook her head. "I knew this would happen. He won't -" She swallowed and turned back to the computer. For the first time she felt like was going to break, she couldn't do it, she couldn't make it all work.

MM seemed to read her mind. "Don't give up, Addi, okay? Not on you, or him. Not yet."

She let out a heavy breath and as the buzz started to wear off with each passing minute, she felt herself grow more and more drained but she absolutely would not show it.

"This is good," MM changed the subject and grabbed a notebook, handing it to her. "We got him. Document everything you heard. I'll do the same when you're done."

She nodded, grabbing a pen and starting to write.

"I'll be back." MM stood and left the van, closing the door behind him.

But even without trying, she could hear his deep voice outside, calling Butcher’s name and she couldn't help herself, pausing to listen to what he was going to say.

”Sorry to interrupt,” Billy rumbled scathingly.

"C’mon Butcher, you know that’s fucking bullshit,” MM growled. “Do not fuck this up, man. She loves you."

Addison swallowed. Did she love him? She didn't know. Did she even know what love was supposed to be?

"Just fuck off," Butcher grumbled back, and she heard the pull of a cigarette, his heart beating just a little harder than usual. "It's none of your fuckin' business."

She heard MM take a step. "You need her," he continued, ignoring Butcher's warning. "And she needs you. You should want to support her, you should want her to be the best she can be. She's capable of so much if you just help her believe in herself."

The cigarette made a soft thud as Butcher threw it to the street. "I believe in who the fuck she is right now," he answered, his voice dark and low now. "I want her. I want her exactly how she is and I ain't askin' her to change. I want to be by her side, but you're pushin' her to play with fire, and it's startin' to really fuckin' piss me off, eh?"

"Oh, fuck that Butcher," MM scoffed. "You're just scared."

"Fuckin' right I am. I've known one thing in life, MM, and you sure as fuck know it too. Power corrupts. More power means more corruption. Look at Homelander. Look at all of the fuckin' Seven and pretty much any supe and every fuckin' corporation out there. I'm completely bleedin' right for not wantin' that to happen to Addison."

"Then be with her, you stupid motherfucker." MM's voice grew more intense as he took a breath and argued back. "Love her. believe in her, and it won't happen. She ain’t them. You said it yourself. We just need each other.”

"You think love is supposed to be all sunshine and daisies all the time, well it fuckin' ain't. Fuck. Off."

When MM spoke again, the anger in his voice surprised even her. "Fine. Then don't come cryin' to me when she leaves your sorry stupid ass."

The door to the van opened and he came back inside. Addison turned quickly back to finishing her notes. Billy didn’t follow him in and her heart dropped. She felt hollow.

As she finished her report, Addison felt another wave of utter exhaustion with a swell of hopelessness on its crest. She couldn't stop what she was working for. It didn’t matter if she loved him, because Billy would never be able to understand.

~~~

Chapter 25

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[shuttershocky]

Does the passage of time ever depress you?

You know what depressed me? Being in college with half my department branding me as an undesirable graduate because of my poor grades and trying to boot me out. I was in and out of the admin office managing an appeal every time they kicked me. I was being told things like to be on my guard because I was being watched for the smallest mistake and professors that helped me would get in trouble. It was bad enough that someone raised ethical concerns about how they were treating me.

So one day I thought I'd rather just kill myself than explain to my parents that 5 years of tuition fees went down the drain because I took a course I was warned in high school that I couldn't do. I walked from my department to the road where I knew trucks drove fast and kept nearly hitting me wherever I crossed.

I waited for a truck, stepped out on to the road, then jumped back on to the sidewalk when this seething hatred for my department and academia surged through my thoughts and I realized if I died here then they'd finally get rid of me, but if I walked back and miraculously passed the hell semester they designed, then I'd be in their faces for one more year.

The truck flew past me, so close and so fast that the wind slapped my face. It didn't even bother to slow down when it saw a student on the road.

So I went back, and with the sheer power of venomous, unending spite (and some luck), I passed all my classes while doing both my thesis (I owe my adviser my life for her being so understanding, and my thesis was a truly cool project that sent me all over the place) and my part time job for a nearby indie game dev.

During my graduation, the Dean of Engineering (who I also owe my life to) asked the crowd to raise hands if they were graduating in 4 years. Then she asked for 5. Then 6. Then 7+, with the last batch laughing nervously while raising their hands. Then the Dean said to raise those hands with pride, because even if it took awhile and even if the grades weren't perfect, graduation is graduation. You did it. You're getting that degree.

And thats when it really hit me, you know? At the end of the day, I won. A bit unfortunate that none of my professors attended my graduation, because I really was hoping they'd see me get my degree. I wanted them to see that I wouldn't be there if I didn't learn to despise my department the way it despised me.

Does the passage of time depress me? Sometimes I feel nostalgic. My elementary school is gone now, and my high school is nearly unrecognizable after renovations. I've had difficulties keeping in touch with some friends who I still feel much fondness for, and I wish I had been there during some milestones of their lives. But the passage of time itself? No.

What depressed me was being told that I was undesirable. What depressed me was being told that I was being watched for the smallest mistakes. What depressed me was seeing the years of fluking my way through scholarships and other things meant for genuinely gifted kids and not good test-takers (I was good at memorization) finally catch up to me when my ambitions exceeded my abilities.

Now I'm a working adult with a completely different job using skills I got from the various part time jobs and internships I took over my college years rather than anything I actually learned from my classes. Having a daily grind sucks, and so does things like needing to buy food and pay taxes and all other necessities that shrink your salary, but it doesn't depress me.

Every time I feel down or tired, I recall the time I fucking won and this wide, hateful, bitter smile splits my face in two. I'm still here to enjoy the years go by, seething in my trauma, but still here.

Let me just add that I don't like recommending spite as a motivation. Hatred is exhausting and soul-sucking in a way that nothing else is like, and I'm the sort of person that prefers to find even a little joy in whatever I'm currently doing. I feel like if you push yourself forward through spite, you hollow yourself out and become unable to fully enjoy the good that you find.

I can't however, say that spite isn't real damn effective.

It sure worked for me.

[random-writer-23]

Welcome Home (Poe x Gn reader)

Summary: Poe's been gone on a mission for longer than he was supposed to.

Words: 1,387

Warnings: tooth-rotting fluff, mentions of reader not eating (not eating disorder), brief description of minor injuries, allusions to sexy time cause c'mon it's Poe you can't expect me to not slip that in.

A/n: just thought I'd try my hand at writing something short for once, this has got to be the shortest thing I've ever written, and it's still over 1k words. And it took all the strength I had in me not to turn this into a full-blown oneshot. Anyway, this is mostly unedited but my last Poe thing is doing well so I figured I would feed you more Poe content. What the public wants they shall receive. Also, I'm pretty sure I wrote this with gender neutral reader, but if y'all find something not gender-neutral, lmk so I can fix it :D But anyway let me know what y'all think of my first drabble, and I might write more in the future when I feel like I haven't published anything in a long time. And as usual, all likes, comments, reblogs, and follows are welcome and greatly appreciated Also I am still looking for beta readers so if you’re interested see the pinned post on my profile for more information. happy reading my lovelies!

I paced the floor of my room, trying to figure out something to do, I could do laundry, read a book, or make lunch. Preferably that option, I hadn't eaten a proper meal in what seemed like weeks. Just snacks when the stress got too much to handle and I didn't know what else to do. The fighter squadrons should've been back by now, they were only sent on a short recon mission, they must have run into some trouble, or worse what if they were dead? I stopped my pacing and headed to the kitchen, ready to make something to eat, I had to take my mind off the quiet in the room. I opened the conservator and looked for what we had that I could use to make something to eat. I rifled through the food I had getting more discouraged the more I looked. A sandwich would have to suffice for my meal today, and I'd also have to make a list of things I'd need to get from the market on base. I mean sure I could always go eat at the canteen but canteen food everynight gets sickening, and theres nothing like a homecooked meal. I began to hum a little tune to myself as I spread mayo on my bread. When I heard a knock at the door. 

"Who is it?" I called to the person on the other side. 

"Lucy!" the voice announced, Lucy lives in the room next to me. 

"Come in!" I told her, and the door slid open revealing her standing there, hair messed up and very out of breath. "Oh dear Lucy, what happened?" I asked her my eyes wide as I moved to get her a cup of water. "Here I'll get you some water" I told her. 

"No time" She breathed heavily, hands on her knees to stabilize herself and catch her breath. I looked at her confused. 

"wha-" 

"(y/n) they're back!" She blurted out, and I froze my brain processing what she was saying. 

"They're..." I mumbled my voice going quiet as she grabbed my hand and smiled nodding. A smile quickly made its way across my face and I laughed "They're back!" I shouted giggling, Lucy grabbed my hand. 

"well let's go!" She said turning to pull me out the door, trailing me along behind her, we ran through the base to the landing bay. Only yelling 'they're back' at the people who gave us weird looks. We sprinted giggling all the way back and once we got to the landing bay, time seemed to stop. I stopped running and Lucy ran forward to greet her girlfriend, running into her open arms with shouts of joy. I didn't have to look very long for my love. I saw him immediately, climbing down the ladder from his x wing, when his feet touched the ground, a huge crowd immediately swarmed around him, and he smiled laughing as people patted him on the back congratulating him on another successful mission. He quickly turned his attention away from the people crowding around him, his eyes searching the crowd quickly. A look of subtle panic slowly crossing his face the more he searched. Until our eyes locked and I saw his instant relief. Watched all the stress drain from his shoulders, the exhaustion he didn't let show to the others wash away. I smiled a wide smile, giggling at the goofy grin spreading across his face. He pushed through the crowd around him, and they parted easily around him. Going back to congratulating each other the second he moved past as if he wasn't even there. He finally made it through all the people, and as soon as he did, time resumed and I ran towards his open arms. Once I got to him he picked me up spinning me around laughing. He put me back down, and once my feet hit the floor, he wrapped his arms around me tightly pulling me against him desperately.  As if holding me as tight as he could, would prevent me from ever leaving his side again. And if I had the choice it would. I breathed him in,  my fist clenching around the fabric of his flight suit tightly. The tears welled up in my eyes and I blinked letting them fall. I pulled away from him for a minute looking him up and down, to make sure he wasn't visibly hurt. Just to make sure he was really there, and he wasn't some illusion my mind had come up with. I pulled his helmet off his head dropping it to the floor and grabbing his cheeks turning his head looking for any sign of injuries. He had a couple of scrapes on his face, and smeared dried blood along his brow and forehead, but other than that he was fine. I touched his face, running my fingers gently along the cuts. Once I determined he was fine, I pulled him back in hugging him close, my body shaking with sobs as I came to the realization he was back and actually standing relatively unharmed in front of me. 

"You're safe" I murmured into his chest, almost disbelievingly. 

"Of course, couldn't leave my pretty girl all by herself" He smiled lifting my head with a hand under my chin making me look up at him. He wiped away my tears with one hand, and I smiled leaning into his touch. I opened my eyes and leaned in placing a soft kiss on his lips. Gently, delicately, hesitantly, pulling away and looking up at him through my lashes. He smiled and pulled me back in for another kiss, fueling this one with more desperation, gripping my waist tightly, and moving his hand from my face to the back of my neck. I wrapped my hands around his neck tangling my fingers in his hair. Smiling against his lips, he pulled away chuckling, and leaned his forehead against mine. "Maker, I love you" He mumbled, pressing his lips against me again, pulling away quickly, "I missed you" he kissed me again. "You're so beautiful, (y/n)" another kiss. "My (y/n)" another kiss, an explosion of affection. My heart fluttered, and I giggled turning away from him to hide my flushing face. "Don't hide from me gorgeous" He mumbled into my ear, only driving me further into hiding. 

"I love you too Poe" I looked back at him, placing one last kiss on his lips before his friends ran up to us cheering and screaming. He rolled his eyes at their approach, and he stepped away from me unwillingly. Not letting me go too far as he stood next to my side pulling me close to him. Finn, Rey and BB-8, came up to us Finn pulling us all into a large group hug, blubbering about how they survived another day. I rolled my eyes pulling out of the group hug with a laugh as I felt something hitting my leg. I looked down and gave a shout of joy as BB spun in a circle joyfully having my attention. I knelt down to his level giving him a kiss as well. "I'm glad you're back BB" I smiled, and he wooped in reply. I laughed, standing back up when Poe tapped my shoulders. I looked at him with a smile and he gave me another quick kiss. Finn groaned,

"Alright, get a room you two" Rey laughed,

"but not before we get a drink from the canteen" Finn added pumping his fist, and we all cheered.

"you good to celebrate" Poe leaned close to my ear whispering the question so only I could hear him. 

"Of course, you are a hero after all" I giggled, "but let's make it quick, I want to give you a proper welcome home" I smiled slyly and his eyes widened, realizing what I meant. He perked up quickly. 

"Alright let's drink!" He cheered loudly and I laughed. He leaned down to pick up his helmet, placing it on my head and gripping my hand tightly. "Maker I'm glad to be home" He smiled. 

"Me too" I replied as we followed the cheering crowd to the canteen, hand in hand, and the weeks of stress I felt washing away, and all was right in the world once more. 

--Fin--

QOTD: What is your favourite star wars movie? Mine. is either revenge of the sith or the animated clone wars movie!

Join my discord server: https://discord.gg/9bwRmtXCuB

[yelena-bellova]

Instinct: Din Djarin x F!Reader - One Shot

One Shot: Rest

Plot: Din and Y/n take a break on Kashyyyk before setting off on their quest.

Series Masterlist

Word Count: 1.5k

Warnings: none other than fluff

A/N: Wow, look at me getting two chapters out in 24 hours. Though this feels more like a one-shot, but you get the point. This is just a little piece before the chaos comes. Enjoy!!

————————

Kashyyyk offered us peace.

Peace.

A tribe of Wookiees had spotted the Crest and come to check us out. Through some lingustic difficulties, we were able to communicate to them that we were simply stretching our legs and would be gone in a few days. They said as long as we kept peace, we could stay as long as we wanted.

Peace.

The child and I sat on the edge of the Crest’s landing ramp, looking to the skies as Din ran drills with his jetpack. In between bites of fruit, the kid cooed as if to cheer him on. For only a few days practice, he was getting good.

When he landed, much smoother than the time before, I hopped off the ramp and strode towards him.

“Ready to take a break?”

“I’m still having trouble steering,” Din panted.

I chortled, he had the long term memory of a womp rat, “Yeah, I wonder why.”

“I want to try again.”

“Din, you were all blood and bruise a few days ago. You’re still recovering,” I came to him and put my hands on his shoulders, tugging him forward slightly, “Come eat. Or sit. Or do anything other than hurl yourself through the sky with fire.”

He sighed, his tell tale sign of submission. He was bending his will a little bit more know that we had confessed our feelings. A wall had come down and I’d walked right in.

We walked back towards the ship, Din’s hand slipping into mine. For something so new, it felt like we’d been this way forever. If I couldn’t still remember the insults we’d hurled at one anoher in the early days of our partnership, I might have believed it.

“Food’s in the cockpit, if you want,” I said, slightly swinging his hand.

“I’m good,” he replied, coming to sit on the edge of the ramp. The kid instnatly moved closer to him, taking his handful of fruit with. “He’s clingy today.”

“He’s been watching you with laser focus,” I smiled.

Din watched the kid eat, neither of us were used to being so adored. Children had no biases or judgements. They loved who they loved how they loved them. And the kid most certainly loved us.

“We should run one of our drills after lunch,” Din suggested.

“Mmm,” I hummed sarcastically, “Just what I want; being thrown around on a full stomach.”

“If you’re going to insist on coming up during fights-“

“I am.”

“Then we need to practice.”

Sighing loudly, I fell back against the ramp. The day had perfect weather. the sun was barely hidden behind the clouds, giving cover while still feeling bright. It was the nicest climate we’d seen in a while. I wanted to switch off the part of my brain that was telling me it was all temporary. With no war, no hunts and no Imperials tailing us, it was easy to fall into the illusion that we could make this second of ease last.

“How’s your ankle feeling?”

I tucked my chin in and kicked my foot up, “Still sore. But it’s walkable. Leave it to me to get shot by the only Stormtrooper that can actually land a shot.”

“Sharpshooter?” Din asked.

“Maybe the Empire drafted Mayfeld again,” I smugly smiled.

Din scoffed, “Had to bring him up?”

I snickered, “The thought of them rotting in a cell brings me great joy before I fall asleep each night.”

I had actively tried not to think about what we’d been throug the past few weeks. Leaving Sorgan, Calican, Din’s old crew aboard the prison ship, but it was inevitable.

“Though if you ever get tired of me,” I smirked, “You know where to find your old girlfriend.”

He sighed, “She wasn’t my-“

“Oh, relax,” I smiled, pouring water from the small container into my bottle, “It’s obvious she’s got nothing on me.”

For as different as we were acting around each other now, it still felt strange to think about calling ourselves ‘boyfriend’ and ‘girlfriend.’ The titles sounded so plain, and there was nothing plain about our relationship. We were partners, we were teammates, we had a bond that had been forged in fire. To reduce it to so mundane a title felt insulting.

“Ready to practice?” Din asked, hopping off the ramp.

Taking a deep, deep inhale, I pulled the knob from the Crest’s control board and handed it to the kid. It was the best shot at keeping him distracted while we trained.

Flying with Din came with its pros and cons. I hated the vulnerability of flying without a parachute, a strap, anything to save me from dying if Din ever lost his grip. On the other hand, I got to be wrapped up in his arms and pressed against him. In the end, my reservations didn’t matter. I was always going to choose the closeness.

“Try not to move around so much,” Din instructed as we got into position.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I raised an eyebrow, “Was my complete terror getting in the way of you looking cool?”

Din slipped his arms around my middle, my back picking up the warmth of his Beskar-clad chest. We had a few moves we were working on and they needed to be perfect before we got ourselves into any fights.

With no warning, Din blasted off the ground and we were in motion. The trees of Kashyyyk were high, so we had a ways to go before we could fly freely. Once we were in open air space, Din made a hard left, practicing making a quick getaway.

“Can you still reach your blasters?” Din asked, shouting over the wind.

I slipped my two guns out of their holsters, “Got ‘em.”

“I’m gonna bring us back down,” he said, “Be ready to roll.”

Nodding, I steadied myself against the wind. Din descended smoothly, but the view of the fast approaching ground wasn’t getting any less scary with time. However, my timing was getting better. At the precise moment, Mando dropped me, and I somersaulted to the ground, kneeling and aiming my guns upon landing.

“Nice job,” Din complimented, floating gracefully to the ground.

The adrenaline caused a prickling sensation in my palms. My legs felt like gelatin. I hoped the physicality of it would disappear, but I was, indeed, getting better.

“Eventually we’re gonna have to bring the kid-“

“No,” I holstered my blasters, “Not until we absolutely have to.”

“Which is going to happen eventually.”

“He’s already turning into an adrenaline junkie,” I argued, “We don’t need to further that any more than we already have.”

Din came to brush some dirt off my shoulder. The two of us stood there a moment, doing nothing other than staring at one another. With the change in our relationship came comfort with silence. I savored when I got to hear his voice, but there was beauty in the moments where I could just sit and admire him.

The child squeaked, turning our attention to him, and began to waddle towards the edge of the ramp. It was a good four foot fall.

“Oh gosh-“

“No-“

Mando and I both barreled toward the Crest, ready to catch him if he fell. Such was our life.

————————

Later in the evening, with the safety of the ship’s security protocols engaged, Din and I lay quietly together. The bunk we’d always taken turns sleeping in, had now became ours to share.

“We’re going to have to head out eventually,” he said, his modulate roughing up the softness of his tone. The arm around my back made up for it. “Soon.”

It was the truth I was hiding from. As easy as it was to just take care of the child, we needed to find him his people. Din and I could feed him and put him to bed, but a Jedi could show him his purpose in life.

But it meant leaving our sliver of the galaxy that brought us no hardship, no worries other than too many branches falling on the ship or a heavy storm. It meant throwing ourselves back into the flames after just clearing our lungs of smoke.

“One more day,” I replied, slowly stroking a hand over Din’s arm, “One more day to rest up before the craziness.”

He waited a moment, the only sound in the compartment coming from his gloves rubbing against my tunic. “Okay,” he finally answered.

I scooted a little closer, his arm accepting me, and pressed a kiss to the mouth of his helmet. Din leaned in slightly, the pressure of the Beskar pushing against my lips. It was the closest we could come when crammed in a bunk with the child sleeping over us. I’d take it, I’d take whatever I could get.

We settled in each other arms, his modulated breathing lulling me to sleep. In two days time, things would undoubtably get ugly again. But for now, I had everything right where I wanted it.

Instinct Taglist: @toribentleyvq @pan-ini @simp-for-corpse @spacedaddydinn @never-no-locomotive @cozyballofanxiety @miraculousreader @welcomethepedroverse @damerondala @x-judyjude-x @dindjarinsspouse @fishthemenace @aliyryun1401world @that-girl-named-alex @ssophiebirkas @jellybeanstacey0519 @elinedjarin @lycaonpictusphotography @morganlefaye13 @pancakefancake

Din Djarin Taglist: @damerondala @x-judyjude-x @dindjarinsspouse @aliyryun1401world @elinedjarin

[wouldntyou-liketoknow]

Day 13: Bloodbath

(Note: the characters you’ll be reading about here are more fan-egos that belong to me. None of them will be referred to by actual names; instead, they will be organized by the same number system as the one in ISWM. This story is NOT related to ISWM Lore at all, the numbers are literally just inspiration easter-eggs. If you know your lore, then you won’t have any trouble figuring out who each character is based off of. As usual, the amazing @sammys-magical-au helped me shape this story, and the character L7181 is a nod to one of their lovely Lixian Egos!)

(Disclaimer: the horror game IRON LUNG is the property of David Szymanski. While I did create the characters in this story—except for The Convict/Mark’s Character/M2702, technically—the story itself is obviously inspired by the game’s elements. I STARTED WRITING THIS IN SEPTEMBER, AND AS OF RIGHT NOW, MARK’S IRON LUNG MOVIE HASN’T COME OUT YET. I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING WHAT THE MOVIE’S PLOT IS GOING TO BE LIKE. THIS STORY IS NOT AN ATTEMPT TO PREDICT ANYTHING. THIS IS LITERALLY JUST BASED OFF OF AN IDEA I HAD WHEN THE MOVIE WAS ANNOUNCED. SO PLEASE DON’T TRY BLASTING ME WHEN THE MOVIE INEVITABLY HAS DIFFERENT ELEMENTS THAN MY FANFICTION. AND EVEN IF THE MOVIE GETS RELEASED BEFORE I POST THIS STORY, I’M STILL KEEPING THIS STORY BECAUSE IT TOOK A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT. IT’S JUST MY PERSONAL IMAGINING OF WHAT THE MOVIE COULD BE LIKE.)

(Trigger Warnings: blood/gore, claustrophobic environments, isolation, flashbacks/implied trauma, imprisonment, physical violence, implied self-harm, slight mentions of eating/drinking, thalassophobia, mentions of suffocation, strong language. Please let me know if I missed anything.)

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Day 11 Day 12

It felt like hours had passed since the Iron Lung was lowered into the bowels of AT-5’s ocean, and yet M2702’s stomach was still being wracked with that instinctual dropping sensation. He shifted in the provided chair, practically leaning on the control panel in order to maneuver the submarine. The bright lights were harsh against his eyes, but they were far easier to handle than the darkness at the rear of the vessel. 

He’d already had to retreat back there three times. Three stops aligned with the markings on the map, three photographs collected. That was the whole goddamn point of this voyage, after all. And each time he did, his instincts swore that something in the shadows would pin him to the floor and tear him apart. The brief illumination offered by the camera or terminal’s screen did absolutely nothing to ease that paranoia. 

The walls were so rusty that M2702 was pretty sure he’d contracted tetanus just by looking at them. 

Not that he’d have enough time to find out. 

He found himself recoiling out of nowhere, shaking his head as an oily sensation bloomed under his face to announce that a vein somewhere in his nose had burst. A thin scarlet line slowly but surely seeped down over his lips and chin. 

___

Pink.

That was the first thing he saw after his capture.

The space station he’d been dragged off to was a vast expanse of steel platforms and iron tunnels. He’d expected that, of course. It was no secret that iron was the C.O.I.’s pride and fucking joy. What he hadn’t expected was for the station’s interior—or, everything in the section he and the other convicts were being held in, at least—to be tinted the pastel color of candy. 

But it most certainly was. 

The walls, the floors, the tables lining the commissary, the intercoms in the corners of the ceilings, the plastic tubes containing very tiny amounts of freeze-dried food that were given to him and the others twice per day.

Everything. Pink.

(Even with the way supplies were dwindling, he had to admit: this probably helped enforce the strict policy against alcohol in space. Spending any amount of time here with a hangover would kill you.)

It truly seemed like the only non-rose-colored things in here were A. the headache-inducing fluorescent panels, B. the stainless steel sinks and toilets set up behind privacy screens in the far corners of the holding cells, and C. the almost scrub-like outfits required to be worn by anyone who was here against their will.

That might’ve been the part he hated the most. The goddamn uniforms. 

Before he’d been beaten to the ground at the Filament Station, he’d worn a special type of clothing made from hydrophobic materials that also happened to be reinforced and self-cleaning. Now, he had to dress in simple garb that would’ve been found on Earth: a thin, itchy gray shirt with trousers to match, as well as a pair of laceless shoes that were determined to chew blisters into his ankles with every step he took. 

To top it all off, his arms had been wrapped in a pair of black bracers, the left one adorned by a white patch that silently announced M2702 in a bold font. They reminded him of the blood-pressure cuffs he always saw in pharmacies as a child. Whatever fabric had been used to make these things, it was tough and tight; the skin hidden underneath felt so damn sore. 

But hey, at least he wasn’t alone in that particular suffering.

Hours after he’d been taken prisoner, after those stupid bastards were finished examining him and looking over his vitals, he was practically shoved into one of the station’s excuses for a cafeteria. Other people had been there—more members of Eden whom he just hadn’t worked closely enough with—milling about, all turning their heads in near-perfect unison at the sound of the heavy steel door sliding shut behind him. 

He kept his expression neutral, glaring right back as he maneuvered around the tables. By the time he’d collected his meal (a water bottle and a small vacuum-sealed package of what was apparently dehydrated chicken breast), everyone else had resumed either silently eating or having muted discussion. . .except for one.

A woman sporting a head of long, gently-curling chestnut hair. She waved to get his attention, nodded when he gestured toward himself, and beckoned him over to one corner of the area. As he cautiously drew closer, it took little time for him to realize just how petite she was despite obviously being an adult. She also appeared to be ill; her big brown eyes were watery and red around the edges, while her skin was a few shades paler than it probably should’ve been. The white patch on her left-arm-bracer read R1126.

“You’re from Eden, aren’t you?” She asked barely a second after he sat down across from her. 

He hesitated before nodding. “Yeah, I am.”

R1126 wrung her hands. “So he was right, then.” 

“Who’s ‘he?’” M2702 inquired. “What was he right about?”

“My brother. He said he saw a few people in his sleep a couple weeks earlier. The way he described one of them sounded exactly like the way you look.” She paused, glancing here and there as she drummed her nails on the table. She seemed to be bracing herself for something, like someone who knew from experience that there was a dead animal in the middle of a path they needed to take every day. “He saw the battle at the Filament Station.” 

M2702 felt his mouth open and close a few times. He leaned back, blinking and slowly shaking his head. “That’s not possible. The attack only broke out a few days ago.”

“He dreamt about it,” R1126 responded in a very exasperated manner. Her tone became rueful and concerned as she continued. “And you’re right: it shouldn’t be possible. But it’s been years since he started having nightmares. Up until now, they’ve just gotten worse, much more frequent. And the things he remembers happening in them. . .”

The seconds felt painful as they dragged by, jeering at M2702 as he stared at his new conversation partner. If this had taken place decades prior, he probably would’ve rolled his eyes at her, maybe even scoffed. Her claim was outrageous; he couldn’t just believe it.

He never would’ve believed that so many of the stars and planets could just blink out of existence, one after the other, either. 

He didn’t want to believe in something like that.

But he had to. 

That was the reason for all the tensions between Eden and the C.O.I., the reason he’d wound up here in the first place. 

“Where is he now?” M2702 wondered aloud. He wasn’t sure why he’d asked that, of all things. Then again, a person who had regular nightmares laced with a premonition or two was probably someone to look out for. “And why’re you telling me all this?”

“In solitary confinement. He was taken in two days ago, but he’s supposed to be let out sometime today.” R1126 chewed her lip. “I want you to understand. . .when you’re able to meet him. . .” 

Her eyes suddenly grew wide, the grim anxiety that’d just wormed its way into them quickly warping into panic. She gasped for air, drawing her arms closer—one hand hovered before her mouth, and the other clutched at her stomach. 

“H-He’s not a bad person, I swear. All our time in this place has just made him scared. Desperate. Paranoid. I know he doesn’t want to hurt anyone. He’s just trying. . .”

Her movements were soft as she began to rock back and forth in her seat, visibly swallowing several times as though there was a literal frog trying to climb up her throat, “. . .to find a way o-out of here. . !”

M2702 halfway rose from his chair. He’d learned the warning signs of vomiting at an early age, but his thoughts still seemed to sink through his skull for whatever reason. What was he supposed to do for her? Give her water? Alert someone else and lead them to her?

R1126 must’ve seen the way he glanced at the counters across the cafeteria, because she shook her head. “No, no. Don’t bother; even if they had the right medicine around here, I doubt they’d give it to me.” She straightened her back, gingerly rolling her shoulders as her hands found their way back to the table. “I-I’ll be fine.”

M2702 squinted at her, moving slowly as he sat back down. She sure as hell didn’t seem fine. “What’s wrong? What happened to you?”

R1126 stayed quiet for another moment. She started drumming her nails again, her eyes drilling through him with the exhausted demeanor of someone who’d developed a habit of expecting the worst of people. “I have no idea, honestly. I’ve just been able to. . .taste things in the air. And I’m not even sure what those things are.” She paused, shuddering. “But they’ve been so horrible. Even if I’ve adjusted somewhat, I just can’t seem to go a day without nausea.”

M2702 felt his brow furrow as the information sank in. He’d heard about plenty of sensory disorders in his time, but this was in a weight class of its own. The way she described her condition reminded him of how snakes could taste scents instead of just smelling them. 

Again, a voice in his head demanded to know where the logic could possibly be, to which another voice chided it for still trying to find logic in times like this. 

“It’s stuck with me for years now. Since before I was taken prisoner,” R1126 continued. Fear integrated itself with the pain and frustration in her expression. Her voice tapered down to a whisper: “I think the Rapture caused it. I think it caused my brother’s nightmares, too.” 

More silence festered between the two of them.

Eventually, M2702 thought to ask the million-dollar question: “Were you two part of Eden?”

R1126 flinched, tilting her head at him.

“Sorry, it’s just—” M2702 sighed. “I was limited to working with a specific team, and I can’t recognize your face.” 

R1126 fidgeted in place for a long, tense moment. “. . .We were traveling to Eden. Before the Rapture, we’d inherited a small ship, and we were using it to planet-hop for personal research.” Her voice hitched on Rapture, as though the word was a bundle of thorns caught between her lungs. 

M2702 knew that feeling all too well. 

R1126 took a quick, deep breath. “After we found out how all the things we’d managed to document were just disappearing, we had to keep changing course and sending out distress signals every day. Sooner or later, we remembered hearing about the tree gardens on Mars, so we figured that might be the safest place to land. While we were making our way there, we came across this station. Some of the people here answered our call and welcomed us inside. But once we explained our plans to them. . .” 

The tremor in her voice grew worse. Her eyes began to glisten, clearly more out of emotion than sickness. “They got hostile. Wouldn’t let us leave, seized our ship and everything we had left on it.” She lowered her head, furiously scrubbing her tears away before they could start flowing. 

Something awful stabbed its way through M2702’s ribcage. One part of him wanted to place a hand on her shoulder, to try and offer some support as she grounded herself. But another part ordered him to stay still, insisting that he was past the point of being able to help.

R1126 briefly ground her jaw as she resumed eye-contact with him. “I’m not sure how long we’ve been trapped here since then. It’s just gotten so hard to keep track of time.”

M2702’s train of thought came crashing to a violent halt. He and his colleagues already had their suspicions of the C.O.I. being corrupt, of its collectivist ideals being more focused on cult-esque control than conservation.

But to hear that this organization had been imprisoning civilians. . . people who had absolutely nothing to do with what was going on at the Filament Station. . .

Without warning, the same booming, metallic hiss he’d heard not too long ago raced through the air. M2702 turned in his seat just in time to watch another man being pushed into the cafeteria.

The new stranger—P0620 was printed on his left-arm-bracer—was the same height as him, fair-skinned with short, chocolate-colored hair that appeared to have been pulled on a regular basis. He gained his bearings quickly enough, fixing whoever was on the other side of that door with a venomous glare. Just as he began venturing further into the room, a blur manifested in M2702’s peripheral vision. That blur turned out to be R1126, who rushed over to P0620, tugging at his arm. P0620 wasted no time embracing her, briefly closing his eyes as his grimace melted into something that managed to be relieved and anxious at the time. Almost as if he thought she’d vanished in his absence the way so many planets and stars had. 

It didn’t last.

The duo exchanged a few hushed words, and stress came flooding back to P0620’s expression as he scanned the area. M2702 couldn’t help but slightly recoil when that gaze landed on him. P0620’s eyes were bloodshot, wild, impatient. And when he began stalking toward him, it was all too easy to realize just how calculating they were.

M2702’s instincts told him to get to his feet, to be on-guard. The other man quickened his pace, only stopping once he was a few feet away, hands half-outstretched. 

“Which side started firing first? How many casualties have there been so far?” P0620’s tone was sharp, almost searing. Despite never having known him before, M2702 could somehow tell that his voice wasn’t meant to be like that. It alone was damning evidence of trauma. “How exactly did they catch you? Did you kill anyone before that?!”

M2702 narrowed his eyes, holding his hands out in a defensive gesture. But before he could actually respond, R1126 stepped in front of him.

“Stop,” she commanded, her voice becoming solemn in time with the way her eyes hardened. “You’re not doing this again.”

P0620 sputtered, glancing back and forth between his sibling and the new inmate. “Wha—I have to!”

R1126 shook her head. “No, you don’t. And even if you did, I still can’t just let you. Not until you’ve actually calmed down, at the very least.”

P0620 took a few deep breaths. One of his eyes twitched as he began kneading at his temples. “Being calm hardly matters anymore.” 

“Not the point. You really think I don’t know how the punishments have been getting worse? It might not be much longer before those bastards start torturing you for no reason!”

“That’s why I need to get a better understanding of the visions!” P0620 threw his hands up as his voice shot through a good few octaves. “I saw the conflict before anyone else did! So, if someone involved with it would actually answer my damn questions, then maybe I could use that info to put more pieces together when the next one comes!”

M2702 cautiously stepped away, moving in order to see both of the sibling’s faces. 

“That doesn’t mean—” R1126 tried, only to cut herself off, dipping her head. She cleared her throat, grit her teeth. “You can’t just—”

A low scraping noise seemed to crawl out of her mouth. Her breathing grew more and more ragged. Both her and her brother’s eyes grew to the size of dinner plates.

“N-no—not here—I need. . !”

And just like that, R1126 collapsed, clawing at her neck as she dry-heaved on the floor. 

All the frustration evaporated from P0620’s features, replaced by panic as he cried out and knelt down beside her, trying to help her stand.

___

It didn’t matter that the front window had to be kept closed due to the pressure down here. It was pointless to have a window at all. Just hearing the gallons upon gallons upon gallons of blood churning and stirring around the Iron Lung would’ve been enough. Even if he hadn’t actually touched any of it yet, he could still tell just how viscous it was.

That wasn’t it, of course. 

Relentless heat oozed through the submarine’s framework, making its interior humid even before one of the pipes spat out a plume of steam. This almost made M2702 miss the uncomfortable chill that always seemed to be present in the space stations he’d visited before. 

That infamous metallic stench was nearly palpable in the air: to the point that he could taste it with each breath he took. He wondered if this was similar to what R1126 had been suffering through.

___

“Y’know, my training really made me a light sleeper,” M2702 mentioned. “I never had insomnia or any of the typical sleeping problems growing up. But when your job requires you to travel so far and be aware for as long as possible, you just learn to wake up as quickly as you drift off.” 

He quietly paced the floor of his cell, which almost could’ve passed for an enormous display case. Three of the walls surrounding him were glass, adorned by uniform rows of holes just barely wide enough to fit his index finger through. The fourth one, the one closest to the mattress he’d  been lying on a couple minutes ago, seemed to be made of metal. 

They were all tinted that goddamn specific shade of pink, obviously. 

“It was tough, but I managed. Can’t really say the same for the others I shared a unit with, though,” M7202 continued as he leaned against the privacy screen in the corner. “So many of them always tossed and turned for hours; that didn’t always keep the rest of the room up, but it could still be so aggravating sometimes. . .”

He peered out from behind the screen, glaring into the glass cell on the right of his. 

A woman sporting pale skin and long, straight black hair scrutinized him from behind a pair of thin-rimmed glasses.

“. . .It’s safe to say you would’ve been a problem back there,” M2702 concluded dryly, ignoring the chill that raced down his spine. “Look at you. You’re not even pretending to sleep.”

“There’s no point in doing that,” C4560 answered. While she too made sure to keep her voice at a whisper, her words still dripped with acid. “I told you: I can’t sleep anymore. No matter what I try, my brain just won’t allow it. I’ve gotten to the point where I can’t even close my eyes for long periods.”

M2702 snorted as quietly as he could. “Yeah, well, I’m struggling to see the merit in taking that out on me.”

Out of all the other prisoners he’d come across so far, C4560 was undoubtedly the most tense. 

Much like R1126 and many others, he hadn’t been able to recognize her. The first evening he’d been locked into his holding pen, he’d asked her a few questions; her replies had been terse, as well as a little too infuriatingly cryptic for his taste. (It sort of made him sympathize with P0620.)

He’d only learned three things only about her: she’d never been a member of Eden, she’d apparently been kept captive here much, much, much longer than anyone else in this particular branch of the station, and. . .right, the whole loss-of-ability-to-rest-and-not-be-such-a-damn-creep thing. 

It shouldn’t have been possible.

Even if science still hadn’t learned exactly how long a human could survive without sleep, M2702 was certain that his next-door neighbor should’ve been dead by now, with the limited explanation she’d given him. 

And yet, here she was: breathing, speaking, watching.

Not that she looked healthy at all. 

Her cold brown eyes almost looked sunken thanks to the bags that had long-since formed right beneath them. The skin in that area seemed like it held so much more pain than any bruise he’d ever witnessed before. Of course, that did nothing to change the fact that it felt like she was stabbing M2702 every time she glanced at him.

“What did the Rapture do to you?” C4560 asked for. . .what was it, the thirteenth time in just five days? 

M2702 scowled at this, marching closer to place his hands against the glass. “Where the fuck do you get off? It didn’t do anything to me.” 

She hummed, stepping forward to touch the barrier of her own cell. “No, it did. You just aren’t aware of your symptoms yet. Maybe they’ve been slow to develop for you.”

“Even if that was true, it’d be none of your damn business.” 

“Oh, you mean, just like you didn’t have to try and ask about my business when you got here?”

M2702 could feel his knuckles turning white. He then heaved a guttural sigh, lightly shaking his head. “Fine. Let’s say there’s a modicum of truth to that. How exactly can you tell that there’s something wrong with me? And how are you so sure that it’s because of the Rapture? What, were you there to see it happen? Were you the one to accidentally flip the wrong goddamn switch and set it all off?”

Other than the way she raised an eyebrow to such blatant sarcasm, C4560’s face barely moved. Sure, it was dark in this area right now, but M2702 had seen her under those obscenely bright fluorescents elsewhere in the station. And in broad light, she still gave the impression that a dozen or so vipers were coiled up together inside her head, looking at the world through her exhausted yet piercing eyes, patiently waiting for someone else to make a wrong move. . .

“I think I’ve just learned to tell,” she eventually declared. “That’s the only thing you can do when you have so much time and nowhere to go: you learn. One way or another. The process isn’t pleasant—or, it isn’t anymore, at least. But that’s all we have left.” 

M2702  felt his face soften by just a smidge. He’d only known C4560 for a few days, and he already knew that he’d never understand her or what her damage was. 

But there was absolutely no denying just how real that last statement was. 

C4560 studied him, then carefully slanted her head to the side.

“Well, I hope you manage to learn something before your symptom is ready to start working. I get the feeling that it’s gonna turn you inside-out,” she mused. “Yeah, it’ll just drag all your blood and bones and sinew out for everyone to see. You’ll survive, but you’ll have to be so much more careful with doing anything after that, won’t you?”

It was everything M2702 could do to not start shaking. “Oh, go to hell,” he hissed as he tore himself away from the glass. “Go straight to hell’s fucking boiler room.”

There was a pause.

And then. . .C4560’s lips twitched before slowly, ever-so-slowly, curling into a grin. “Hell?” She repeated. She dipped her head as a strange, quiet chuckle seeped through her lips. “Saying that makes it sound like there’s an alternative.”

The words had barely slithered into the air before a chorus of terrified gibbering erupted from across the room. For the first time all night, C4560 took her eyes off of M2702.

M2702, meanwhile, crept over to the front and foremost wall. 

“DON’T LISTEN TO THEM! THEY’RE LYING TO YOU!” P0620 shrieked. He seemed to be clawing at his head. “THEY’LL JUST TAKE YOUR LUNGS AND DRAIN THEM INTO THE ENGINES!”

It wasn’t hard to see the other row of glass cages opposite of his and the two flanking it. Through the darkness, however, it probably shouldn’t have been so easy for him to make out the form of P0620 as he thrashed and quaked on his own mattress in his own cell.

“THEY’LL TAKE YOUR EYES FIRST! THEY’LL CHOOSE ONE SET AND KEEP THE OTHER SET TO BOIL!” P0620 howled again. In the cell next to his, the outline of R1126 was very clearly shivering, digging her nails into her ears as she rocked back and forth.

“IT’LL SET THE BLOOD ON FIRE! YOU’LL BE PART OF THE OCEAN! YOU’RE NOT HIM!”

It took a couple minutes for the screaming to taper down a notch. P0620 didn’t go silent; he was still murmuring, still yelping, still trying to escape whatever was attacking him from inside his eyelids.

M2702 backed away, skulking over to his mattress before C4560 could return her focus to him. He wasn’t sure why he bothered. 

He could tell that she was still watching him through the obstacles between them. 

___

The long, droning bellow felt like icy needles stabbing into M2702’s skull.

It made his intestines burn.

It was trying to persuade his spine to tear itself out of his skin, to slither out between the rusted walls and into the ocean of gore. 

If that were to happen, he supposed his vertebrae would be right at home. 

He’d already taken so many pictures of enormous carcasses that had sunk down to the very bottom. They were just piles of bones; he couldn’t tell whether flesh had eroded away or been picked clean by smaller creatures that worked themselves into a frenzy once their meal’s original killer swam far enough away. 

It was almost a surprise that he flinched at the feeling of a droplet plopping down on his head.

Another crimson tear fell from the ceiling, landing against the control panel with a tiny splat.

And another. . .and another. . .

___

M2702 would’ve been lying if he said he wasn’t proud of himself for keeping track of the days. He knew his internal clock was suffering, and he knew that suffering would only get worse the longer he was kept here. But for now, he made an effort to go along with his new, enforced schedule. 

He’d watched more and more convicted people manifest into the space station. Most were severely wounded in one way or another. About half had been unconscious upon their arrival, and half had been awake and struggling much like he’d been.

Of the ones he’d seen being brought in, he only recognized two. He hadn’t worked with them directly, but he could remember seeing their faces, passing them in hallways back on Mars. One of them had black hair almost as long as his own, the bangs of which sometimes covered one of his warm amber eyes. The other was an adult, but still clearly younger than the majority of people around him, lean yet muscular, boasting stark-white hair and grayish-blue eyes. 

They’d quickly been labeled L7181 and E9342, respectively.

L7181 had been the only new prisoner to not outwardly fight. Oh sure, he’d snarled at the people who’d flanked him—if looks could kill, both of those bastards would’ve been reduced to decorative splatters on the pink floors—but he’d still walked in time with them, his face shifting between bitter resignation and very obvious resentment at being guided along as though he couldn’t move for himself. 

And after that, L7181 barely spoke at all. He made a clear effort to keep some amount of distance between himself and everyone else, his expression always cold, frustrated, disinterested. (Not that he could be blamed for that behavior, of course.) Even when M2702 saw that same spark of recognition in the other man’s eyes once they’d eventually settled on him. . .well, nothing really came of it, unless you counted a curt nod. 

It took what M2702 estimated to be a month before that disposition ripped itself apart. 

He’d been pacing up and down the precious few corridors he had access to—it was in between meal times right now, but the cafeteria was just too goddamn crowded for him to think—when he heard the distant screaming. 

“UUUUUAAAAGGH!” 

Now, screams weren’t at all uncommon in this place, but when the source grew closer and closer to where M2702 had paused, he realized just how. . .different these ones were. 

“AAAAIIIEEAAAAAH!”

They were horrified, desperate, almost completely unhinged.

They were nearly on-par with the way P0620 shrieked in his sleep. 

And they were all coming from L7181.

M2702 was just barely in time to duck around one shadowy corner.

“NO! NO, NO, NONONONONOOO!” L7181 careened down the hall, not even seeming to gasp for air in between his cries. “NOOOOOOOOOOO!”

A few of the station’s researchers were in hot pursuit. They shouted after him, but their words were almost totally drowned out by all the noise he was making. 

M2702 watched from his impromptu hiding spot as one of them finally caught up to L7181, hands slamming into his back, throwing him to the floor and pinning him down. L7181 didn’t stop screaming, thrashing with more energy and strength than M2702 had ever seen in him before. 

The rest of the scientists circled around him, helping the original one keep their hold. Then, as a unit, they half-carried-half-dragged L7181 further down the passage, over to the door that led to one of the cell rooms. 

M2702 didn’t know why he decided to follow them. It wasn’t even a concrete decision; from deep within his guts, a quiet voice just demanded that he take advantage of this chaos in some way. 

So, he crept along after the group, managing to slip past them all without being seen once that door slid open. He retreated around the now empty glass cages, pressing himself against the wall, trying to make himself as small as possible. 

L7181 was hauled over to the cell he’d been assigned to—one right next to P0620’s, on the opposite side of R1126’s. Still shrieking. Still fighting. One of the researchers typed a code into the keypad on the cage’s sliding door, then shoved the panicking man through.

The extra force wasn’t even needed; L7181 sprinted into his cell the second its door was opened. He lost his balance, tripping at the center as the threshold was sealed once again, but it was obvious that he didn’t care. The only thing he seemed to be focused on was movement. So, he crawled. Crawled as fast as he possibly could until he reached one corner, where he pressed himself into that space where glass connected to metal. 

He didn’t go limp there. No, he clawed at the walls, squirming with such violence that he could’ve very well been mistaken for having a seizure. 

The researchers watched him for what felt like an hour, shaking their heads and murmuring amongst themselves. Then, they finally filed out of the cell room, one by one, none of them even glancing in M2702’s direction.

M2702 stayed down, stayed hidden for another moment. Once the sound of footsteps truly disappeared from the other side of the wall, he slunk out, trudging along the space in between the rows of cages until he was hovering near L7181’s.

The convict in question was rambling now, a mess of terrified phrases set in Portuguese leaking through his teeth. His screams had gotten a bit shorter with a few more seconds between each one. “I-I can hear them! I can hear them! I CAN HEAR THEM!” 

“Hear. . .what?” M2702 called with more hesitation than he’d care to admit. 

L7181’s head shot up, his frantic eyes now fixed on the man outside of his cage. He didn’t stop spasming.

“The things on AT-5,” he eventually rasped. It truly seemed like he had to force the words out.  “The monsters living in its ocean!”

M2702 felt his heart skip a beat. The ship that’d transported him from the Filament Station to this one. . .through one of its few, pressurized windows, he’d gotten to take a brief look at the enormous pool of scarlet. 

It would’ve been impossible for anyone to not know about the sea of blood that resided on the moon nearest to this station. 

Just as it was impossible for anyone to doubt that there were lifeforms inside that sea. . .

“He means The Gongoozler,” another voice suddenly called from across the room, wracked with manic giggles. “He’s gotten a chance to listen to The Gongoozler and all the other screamy-scaley-squishies swimming around in the plasma.”

M2702 startled, glancing over his shoulder. It took an embarrassingly long few seconds for him to remember how E9342 had essentially been put in a timeout earlier. 

The young man leaned against the door in his cell; one of his eyes was swollen shut, a fresh bruise still blooming around it. His grin seemed to stretch quite literally from ear-to-ear as he surveyed his fellow inmates. “You should be grateful, y’know. I’ve always wanted to hear The Gongoozler’s call for myself! Quick, what’s it sound like? Please, please tell me!”

M2702 chewed his lip, now fluctuating between dread and irritation.

Back at Eden, E9342 had made a bit of a reputation for managing to stay positive and productive in such bleak scenarios. It was a bit odd, yes, but it’d been pretty damn refreshing at times. 

But ever since he’d been brought here, that trait had changed in an awful way. His smiles were now twisted and eerie. The jokes he insisted on constantly making were dark and morbid. And the giggles that he apparently couldn’t go five minutes without emitting sounded. . .poisonous. 

“I don’t know what I did wrong,” L7181 stammered, screwing his eyes shut. He held one trembling fist close to his mouth, biting at the knuckle of his index finger. It hardly took any time at all for him to draw his own blood. “I’ve just gotten their attention. Th-they know I can hear them. And now they’ll NEVER. STOP. MAKING. ME. LISTEN!” 

C9342 snickered and nodded along, dragging his nails down the length of his forearm over and over and over again, leaving harsh red lines in his skin. It wouldn’t be longer before he started bleeding as well. 

“People have ALREADY DIED DOWN THERE! I heard a HUMAN screaming and drowning! I-I-I heard metal being torn to shreds and scattered!” L7181 lurched forward, curling further into himself. Even his eyes seemed to be shaking, all the way down to the pupils, which had shrunk to pinpricks. “Someday I’m going to wake up outside the station! I’ll be falling as soon as I open my eyes and the blood will reach up and wrap around me and drag me all the way down to the deepest pits it has! Oh no, oh no, oh no, n-n-no!”

M2702 felt his hands tangle themselves in his hair. He reeled back from the other cell.

The world seemed to be moving without his consent.

His vision was growing blurry around the edges. 

“I’m gonna die,” L7181 choked out. He covered his face in both hands, his screams having transformed into sobs. “I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die. . .”

“Yeah, but not exactly,” C9342 mused, his face almost thoughtful as he chortled. “We all will, but it shouldn’t be too bad.  We’ll get to see each other again in six years, nine months, four days, twenty hours, thirteen minutes, and thirty-seven seconds. The time will go faster than you think, I promise! Then we’ll all be together.” He cackled, seeming to choke on his own saliva. “With The Gongoozler, of course.”

“Will you shUT UP ABOUT THE FUCKING GONGOOZLER?!” M2702 raged, halfway closing the distance as he stormed over to E9342’s cell. 

E9342 flinched, but he remained standing. His sanity-breaking smile grew even wider. “You think I DON’T WANT TO?!” He practically howled with glee as he punched and kicked at the glass in front of him. “You think I’m CHOOSING THIS?!”

He started ramming his head against the barrier with a chorus of dull, heavy thuds. Along with a loud, sickening CRACK as blood started gushing from his nose. More and more bruises were already forming on his face. But he just kept on laughing, struggling to speak or breathe. “YOU JUST DON’T FUCKING GE-HEHEHE-ET IT!”

___

With all the weight it had gained, it was no surprise that the Iron Lung was now dragging along the ocean floor rather than gliding above it. 

M2702 was up to his waist in blood. He could feel it dripping from his hair, trickling along his face. His chest heaved in and out as he waded through it. 

The air had become so thin, so rancid. He could barely even take in a full breath anymore.

He was completely enveloped by a horrific gurgling sound from the outside. 

When the submarine had first started leaking. . .the blood had been cold. Cold enough to feel like thousands of tiny knives against his skin as it seeped through his clothing. 

But now. . .now the blood was warm.

So warm.

Too warm. 

Nearly scalding.

M2702 knew that he couldn’t think anymore. There was no point. 

His brain was well-past not receiving enough oxygen. He knew he wasn’t going to resurface. 

Even so, he knew that the blood needed to be as hot as it was. 

After all, the ocean itself was alive.

It didn��t just house the individual organisms that’d been taunting him for so long, that’d  been swimming closer and closer to him and ramming the Iron Lung's outer walls with their tails or fins or teeth. 

This ocean was a living creature.

And soon, very soon, M2702 would get to join that life.

@sammys-magical-au @altegos

[sonnetsterlingwritesstuff]

I See Stars (Good Omens)

I sobbed while writing this y’all are so welcome-

Ao3 here (remember if you like the fic, support on both platforms by liking/ reblogging here and giving kudos on Ao3 😁)

Genre: Angst/ Fluff

Words: 3,823

TL;DR: Heaven has officially robbed Crowley of every beautiful thing he’s ever had. But as he’s woken from his slumber unexpectedly, perhaps he might find that all is not lost.

Crowley groaned, his vision swimming and his head pounding. He dared to pull the covers down slightly from over his head for a moment, the light flooding in and overwhelming his senses. What was he doing awake? He’d promised himself that he’d sleep for a century or two, now that he was back in his apartment. He’d take a nice, long nap, and allow himself some time for the pain to go away. Then, he’d wake up, force himself to forget about it, and go on about his life. Although at the moment it didn’t feel like there was much of a life for him to get on with.

It hadn’t hit him until he was three bottles of wine down on the floor of his apartment how intertwined their lives had been. Even if they hadn’t always been working together, if they hadn’t always seen each other, they knew the other one was there. They knew that they weren’t alone. In a sense, they’d relied on each other- sometimes as an escape route out of situations that would have gotten them into some serious trouble, sometimes just as someone who understood. But knowing that he could make his way to the Ritz and find Aziraphale waiting at a table to talk to him, to share all they’d learned… it had made existence much less miserable.

I forgive you. Out of all the things the angel could have said to him, that had to have been the cruelest. As though Crowley confessing how he really felt about something, being honest, was some form of cardinal sin. Actually, that was the way he’d always been treated for expressing his truth. First, it had gotten him booted out of Heaven, thrown into the scalding, sulphuric pits. His entire essence had been rewritten in fire, his form cast into an animal. It had robbed him of the ability to see his life’s work- the beauty of his own creation. He hadn’t thought about it for a while, but now the wound felt fresher than ever. His eyes-his snake eyes… He couldn’t see further than a few feet in front of him, much less up to the sky to see stars. She’d robbed him of his stars… and now she’d robbed him of the only other beauty in his life.

Aziraphale was much more human than he’d ever care to admit. Crowley had seen it, though. It hadn’t been very hard at all to ‘corrupt’ the angel- to talk him into partaking in the more human pleasures of life, like food and wine and music. Once he’d opened himself up to those, he’d become a very different person- a friend, almost. They didn’t dare label it that, though. They couldn’t. Once Aziraphale had, wittingly or not, put some trust into Crowley… life had become easier. Days had become brighter, music sweeter, and books all the more interesting (although they were scrolls back in those days). Crowley might even venture to say that he’d felt some genuine joy in the times he’d shared with Aziraphale. But now… it was like the angel had gone all the way back to square one.

He really should have seen it coming. Angels just didn’t get it. It was like they were programmed. No matter when or how the Almighty called, in spite of anything She’d done to them… any angel would run back into Her arms. For Crowley to think that Aziraphale would be any different was foolish. Aziraphale might have pushed some limits as to what angels were and weren’t capable of, but if he’d really been all Crowley had thought him to be he would have been shown the shaft years ago. Maybe Crowley had known that. Maybe it was why he’d liked the angel so much.

He had to stop. He had to get a grip on himself and get back to sleep. He pulled the covers back over himself, allowing the darkness to envelope him again and letting out a sigh in relief. It can’t have been very long since he crashed into the bed- he was fairly sure he was still hung over. Although maybe he was just groggy. He could never tell anymore- it was almost like he was feeling old, even though he knew that ought to be impossible. He rolled around a little bit to find a comfortable position and let the bed sink around him, shaping itself to his form. Once he was settled, he let out a soft hum, closing his eyes and starting to lull into sleep… which was immediately disturbed by a light rapping on his door.

His brows furrowed and he let out a groan. Who in the world was that? He grumbled, fumbling for his glasses and putting them on before lowering his covers and getting out of the bed. Whoever this was had better have one hell of a reason to be disturbing him during his nap. He would have missed it entirely had he been a couple more minutes into his slumber, and a part of him wished that he had. He wasn’t actually sure why he had responded- he shouldn’t have. Perhaps he was still riling for a fight- some way to get all the anger pent up within him out. Whatever the case, he was up now, sauntering sloppily towards the door and summoning a quick miracle to straighten himself up. There was no need for him to look as awful as he felt. As he opened the door, his heart stopped.

“No.” The demon sighed, before immediately moving to slam the door shut.

“Crowley, wait!” The guest on the other side of the door pleaded, catching it.

“Fuck off, Angel.” The demon growled with what could almost be identified as a threat in his tone, pushing it. “I’don’ wanna see you.”

“No… I’d imagine you wouldn’t.” Aziraphale grunted lightly, having to put quite a lot of force into keeping the door open. “I’ve come to apologize.”

“A little late for that, don’t you think?” Crowley scoffed.

The angel had some nerve, showing up on his doorstep and expecting to be welcomed. Had Aziraphale learned nothing of Crowley’s nature in their time together? Crowley had given the angel his trust- something that he did not give to anyone. Not demons, not humans, and especially not angels. He’d thought he was safe with Aziraphale, but… just as he should have anticipated, the rug was inevitably yanked out from under him right at the least opportune time. And now… now the angel thought it was appropriate to just show up to his flat with no warning. Did he really expect to be let in? Welcomed with open arms? If he’d known Crowley at all, he would know that he should have just let the demon be. It would have been so much easier if he’d just let Crowley fucking be.

“I suppose it is…” Aziraphale sighed. “But I figure… better late than never, right?”

“Not in my books.” Crowley grumbled. “Go away, Aziraphale. I’m not an angel anymore. I don’t do the forgiveness thing.”

“Please hear me out.” Aziraphale begged. “I promise I won’t be long, and then… then I’ll be right out of your hair. You’ll never see me again if you don’t want to.”

“I shouldn’t be seeing you now.” Crowley huffed, seeming to trail off into a sigh. He waited for a moment, noting Aziraphale’s unwavering effort. “You’re not gonna leave, are you?”

“No, I’m not.” Aziraphale hummed.

Crowley wavered for a moment, before letting the door open. Aziraphale nearly stumbled, catching himself quickly. A light blush spread upon his face as he looked at the demon, before it melted into the very last thing Crowley wanted to see- concern. Actually, that look in his eyes was bordering on pity, which Crowley absolutely loathed. The angel then looked past Crowley and into his flat, his breath hitching. Crowley knew what he was looking at- he hadn’t bothered to clean up the bottles yet. Aziraphale walked past him, picking the bottles up and putting them onto the nearest table. It wasn’t where they went, but Crowley would put them away later.

“So… go on then.” Crowley prompted. “Let’s just get this over with.”

“Crowley, I’m so sorry for the way that we left things.” Aziraphale sighed, his voice sounding… weird. It was a little higher pitched than usual, like he was choking the words out. When he turned to face Crowley again, there were tears streaming down his face… which was awakening instincts in Crowley that really ought to stay asleep. “I really hurt you, didn’t I?”

“You think?” Crowley scoffed, before starting to laugh incredulously. “It’s not like I confessed my love for you or anything.”

“I’m… I’m ashamed of myself, Crowley.” Aziraphale looked at his feet. “There’s no excuse I could give that would make any of this alright…”

“Right… so why are you really here then?” Crowley hummed, unimpressed.

“What?” Aziraphale blinked, looking up.

“Why are you really here?” Crowley shrugged. “Is there gonna be another Armageddon? You want me to help you go behind Heaven’s back without them noticing?”

“I’m down here to apologize.” Aziraphale frowned. “I truly regret what happened, Crowley.”

“Oh, bullshit!” Crowley scoffed. “You couldn’t care less about that- you couldn’t care less about me! You made that very clear, angel.”

“I do care, Crowley!” Aziraphale protested. “More than you could possibly know!”

“You’ve got a funny way of showing it.” Crowley glared at him.

“I just- I thought-” Aziraphale stammered.

“That I could be ‘fixed’?” Crowley rolled his eyes. “I’ve never been broken to begin with.”

“I love you, Crowley!” Aziraphale blurted out, his voice shaky. Crowley let out a half-hearted scoff at that. He wanted to believe him so badly. “I love you… and I thought that was the only way we would be safe.”

“Gabriel and Beelzebub ran off to Alpha Centauri.” Crowley pointed out in a low grumble. “They were perfectly fine.”

“We have no clue what happened after that- what Heaven might have done to them once they were out of sight.” Aziraphale countered. “I’d also love to believe that they had a happy ending, but you of all people should understand that the odds of that are slim.”

“Heaven let them go.” Crowley insisted, though he knew what Aziraphale was saying had merit. “They all agreed on it ‘n everything.”

“Crowley…” Aziraphale sighed. “If there’s anything Heaven knows how to do, it’s loopholes. I’m afraid seeing what I’ve seen I wouldn’t trust anything without a signed contract.”

“Whatever…” Crowley grumbled, hating that Aziraphale was right. He knew all too well what the Angel was talking about- he’d been a seraphim once too.

“I thought… when the Metatron offered for us to work together, I thought it was the only way we could guarantee… us.” Aziraphale tried to explain. “I know I didn’t word it right at first…”

“Understatement of the millennia.” Crowley hummed.

“But… I really think this… well it’s not all a misunderstanding, but… it's just a mess. I had no ill intentions.” Aziraphale tried. “I had nothing to forgive you for- if anything, I should be asking you to forgive me.”

“Mhm?” Crowley looked the angel over, looking for any of his tells- anything that told Crowley he might be sugaring his words. He found nothing.

“Will you, then?” Aziraphale gave a small bounce on his heels. “Forgive me, I mean. Sorry, I seem to be a little jumbled. Will you forgive me please?”

“I’ll consider it… once I get an apology.” The demon hummed, his resolve weakening.

“But I’ve-” Aziraphale’s brows furrowed in protestation before his face fell. “Oh no…”

“The dance.” Crowley demanded. “Now.”

“Must I?” Aziraphale pleaded. “We- I am not really supposed to dance…”

“Are you sorry or not?” Crowley raised a brow.

“I…” Aziraphale flushed red before sighing, sheepishly getting into position to do the dance. “You were right, you were right, I was wrong and you were right…”

“You’re getting rusty.” Crowley noted.

“Yes, well… I had hoped that you’d consider the gravity of this situation a bit much for the dance.” Aziraphale admitted.

“Nothing is too much for the dance.” Crowley stated. “Alright.”

“Alright?” Aziraphale’s eyes lit up with hope.

“I’ll consider forgiving you.” Crowley hummed.

“Well… I suppose that’s all I can ask for.” The angel sighed.

“Is that all, then?” Crowley prompted, one hand already on the door.

“Not quite…” Aziraphale admitted. “I was wondering if we might take a walk.”

“What kind of walk?” Crowley raised a brow.

“Just a stroll, among… more-than-friends, perhaps.” Aziraphale chuckled nervously. “Outside. It’s lovely outside tonight.”

“Are you asking me on a date, Angel?” The demon’s face fell into a scowl. “Do you not think it’s a little soon for that?”

“I… I miss you, Crowley.” Aziraphale admitted. “I would like to catch up- see how you’ve been since… everything.”

“I got drunk ‘n then I took a nap.” Crowley told him bluntly. “I’ve been asleep ever since.”

“Oh…” Aziraphale blinked, saddening a little. “Well, erm… I’ve news to share.”

“You did come down here because you needed my help, didn’t you?” Crowley sighed disappointedly.

“Oh no- nothing of the sort.” Aziraphale assured him. “Please, Crowley. Just come with me.”

“Fine.” Crowley relented. “But when I come back here, everything had better be as it was.”

“It will be. I promise.” Aziraphale assured him.

Crowley didn’t know why the angel was so insistent on him leaving. Perhaps it was for his own good, though- getting out and about. He never much cared for his own good, and it seemed to be catching up to him. As he walked outside, he noted a much brisker temperature, and changing colors. In fact, quite a few leaves had fallen, if the crunching under his feet were any indication on the matter. He had, it seemed, been asleep for a few months at the very least. So he wasn’t hungover anymore- just very groggy.

He couldn’t actually see all too much, especially in the darkness of the night. Just blobs of orange that crisped ever so slightly to form trees as he walked by, illuminated by the streetlights. As he took everything in, he felt something brush against his hand. He pulled it away on instinct… before finding himself confronted with Zira’s pouting face. He sighed, lowering his hand again and allowing the angel to take it. He shouldn’t have- he should have stayed angry. But, as he was learning, the heart could be complicated that way.

“I’ve always thought the fall was so lovely… God’s little effort to romanticize the concept of change.” Aziraphale considered. “I wish change were always so beautiful.”

“That’d be nice…” Crowley hummed. “So… what’ve they got you doing in Heaven?”

“Oh… right now, we’re preparing for the second coming.” Aziraphale sighed. “Absolutely dreadful business- I have to work with Jesus directly.”

“Is it coming soon then?” Crowley quirked a brow. “Is everything we did for nothing?”

“Oh no, it’s going to take at least another millennia to set everything into motion.” Aziraphale assured him. “And… and I’m putting as many cogs in the wheel as I can.”

“Are you now?” Crowley couldn’t help but smirk amusedly.

“Well… I have to, don’t I?” Aziraphale flushed red. “I can’t let this go through- I can’t be a part of… that.”

“You could leave.” Crowley suggested. “We could still run.”

“Oh Crowley… you would still do that?” Aziraphale lit up.

“Course I would!” Crowley scoffed. “I may be pissed as all get out at you, but it doesn’t change the fact that I love you.”

“I love you too.” Aziraphale beamed.

“Then let’s do it.” Crowley suggested. “We could go to Alpha Centauri, see how Gabriel and Beelzebub are holding up.”

“Oh… I’d love to, Crowley… but I can’t.” Aziraphale blushed, his eyes as genuine as Crowley had ever seen them. “I’m afraid… I’m afraid they’ve backed me into a corner, so to speak.”

“Backed you into a corner?” Crowley’s face fell, a brow quirking.

“They’ve brought the book of life into it.” Aziraphale winced.

“The Book of Life…” Crowley whistled. “You’re that dangerous, eh? That they’ll erase you from existence if you don’t play their games?”

“I wouldn’t mind so much if it was my existence being threatened.” Aziraphale shook his head gravely.

“Whose name are they…” Crowley furrowed his brows before a realization hit him and his face fell. “Oh…”

“If I were gone… well, I’m replaceable in the grand scheme of things.” Aziraphale told him. “But without you, I fear the very world which we walk upon might cease to exist. No one else could have swayed me to save this place. No one else could have protected this place as you have. And… and I shudder to think about what I’d be without you in my life. I wouldn’t want to live in that world.”

“Right…” Crowley whistled. “This is gonna be one hell of a long-distance relationship then.”

“You’d be interested in that?” Aziraphale blinked.

“Well you’re keeping my name in the book of life.” Crowley scoffed. “I can’t very well hold that against you, can I?”

“Yes, but… everything else I did…” Aziraphale reasoned. “Even I might find it hard to fully forgive me.”

“You’re right. Forgiving you isn’t gonna be easy.” Crowley sighed. What he was about to say went against every fiber of his better judgment. “But if you’re putting in so much effort ‘n all to keep me alive I suppose I could try. I’ve always had a bit of a weak spot for you anyway.”

“Oh Crowley… Thank you!” Aziraphale sighed in relief. It was amazing how expressive his angel’s eyes were. He’d never seen such profound gratitude so clearly on display. “You know… there is a reason I wanted to bring you out here.”

“What?” Crowley’s face fell.

“I have a bit of a gift for you.” Aziraphale told him. “Nothing angelic- don’t worry. I’m… I’m through with making those kinds of mistakes.”

“A gift?” Crowley repeated, his tone justifiably wary.

“I, erm… I’ve come across a few things since stepping into my position.” Aziraphale but his lip before stopping in his tracks and looking over at Crowley. “Why did you never tell me about your eyes?”

Crowley froze, his full body tensing. What business did Aziraphale have bringing that up? His jaw clenched, and his hand tightened around the angel’s. He had to take a breath to calm himself. He knew Aziraphale probably meant nothing by it. He likely didn’t even know how deeply that entire situation ran. He’d just seen something in one of silly little files Heaven had, and he had felt bad. Was Crowley shaking? He hoped not. He didn’t need Aziraphale to see that. It was bad enough he was already probably cutting off the circulation in the angel’s hand.

“What?” Was all he could manage to get out.

“Your eyes… she was so vindictive with you...” Aziraphale frowned. Maybe he did know. “All these years I was experiencing such beauty, and… I’d assumed you were seeing it with me. You of all people deserve to have been able to marvel at the night sky, but… you can’t.”

“It’s nothing.” Crowley’s voice came out in a low rumble, almost like a warning. “‘N besides, there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“Was nothing I could do.” Aziraphale corrected, clearing his throat. “I’ve gotten a good bit more powerful since we last met- perks of my new position.”

“Right…” Crowley muttered, a hint of bitterness in his tone.

Aziraphale turned Crowley to face him, cupping the demon’s face with the hand that wasn’t already laced in his. Instinctively, Crowley’s head keened into the touch, his cheeks flushing crimson when he realized what he’d done. Aziraphale gave him a soft, bittersweet smile, and Crowley felt walls start to crash that he hadn’t even realized were up. It was an overwhelming, almost warm sensation. Aziraphale’s eyes were so full of love. That’s all he could really see- those eyes. They held everything that Crowley had ever dreamt about finding in them. Finally he was catching a break.

“Let me do this for you.” The angel whispered softly.

“What?” Crowley blinked half-heartedly, head still reeling a little. He didn’t even flinch as Aziraphale took off his glasses.

“Crowley… look up.” Aziraphale’s face morphed into a giddy, excited grin. Crowley’s brows furrowed, but he obliged.

As Crowley looked up, he found that the sky was no longer one blurry black void. Rather, it was lit up with tiny, beautiful lights, crisp as could be. Stars, Crowley realized. Those were his stars. That was what they looked like way down here. His eyes welled with tears and he started to choke up, completely overwhelmed. Part of him was embarrassed- he didn’t want to be making a scene on the streets like this. But it was just so gorgeous. So awe-inspiring. He could barely tear his eyes away from it for fear of them going away.

He had to, though- there was something else deserving of his attention. His angel. Now, he’d been able to see Aziraphale just fine most of the time- Crowley had made a habit of keeping Aziraphale within his range. But there was something crisper about the angel as well- something that only added to his beauty. Then he looked past Aziraphale, noting that he could see the trees clearly now. He could see the whole street clearly.

“Oh angel…” He breathed.

“I can’t change their monstrous form. I’m afraid that’s a must for all demons.” Aziraphale admitted. “But… I could change what they’re capable of seeing- so I did. It’s the very least I can do after everything I put you through.”

“Angel… I could kiss you!” Crowley giggled with excitement. He giggled. Dear God.

“Then why don’t you?” Aziraphale prompted playfully, evidently satisfied with himself.

“Can I?” Crowley checked. “Or is Heaven watching?”

“Oh no- they don’t even know I’m here. I’m given some freedoms, so long as my job is done.” Aziraphale assured him. “Go on, Crowley. If you want to kiss me… there’s not a single thing stopping you.”

And so that’s exactly what he did. He took his turn cupping his angel’s face in his hands, pulling it close and then slowly, gently pressing a kiss on his lips. A part of him was terrified that those lips would remain as stiff as they had the last time he’d attempted this- but they were quickly quelled as Aziraphale’s lips moved against his own, cue into a smile and kissing him back. The two of them kissed under a starlight they could finally both witness, sharing a moment of joy that was long overdue. If only for a moment, it seemed as though peace were restored. One could not say how long that moment would last before it inevitably ended, but for now… it was good.

[uncannychange]

And so while still early in it, the sorceress Lady Yinyin Xianren still continued her two-week magical transformation sprint through the U.K. and whether or not people at large were noticing anything strange going on. It was impossible for Police constable William “Willy” Wilson to ignore someone striding down a street, and turning a corner into a side street while carrying a dark object trailing noticeable pale blue vapors.

Rushing to get in front of the person who of course was Lady Xianren and her book the Jade Shade Book of One-thousand and Two Changes. Constable Wilson stood in her way pointed his finger at her and commanded, “What’s this here then!?” “xiànzài nǐshì!” replied Lady Xianren, and the blue smoke washed over Willy.

In a snap Wu “Wendy” Wen Qian stood before Lady Xianren filled with the frightful knowledge that if she didn’t hurry she would be late for her shift at the Wok and Roll Restaurant where she worked and so ran past the woman with the book and headed that way.

And it was a good thing that Wendy made it in time because it was that night she was made head waitress, new fancier hat and all. Later that night after the dinner rush was over Wendy had time to think. “hear, didn’t I use to be a bobby?” she thought “And a bloke too!” she continued her thoughts in English. “我稍后会担心” (I’ll worry about that later) she then said to herself out loud in Mandarin. “As the new head waitress, I have to see to shutting the restaurant down for tonight.”

The transformation of Willy into Wendy leads Lady Xianren to think about getting something to eat. , Unfortunately all she could see was a food truck called Andy's Fish and Chips, “Ugh! British food.” she thought, but also, “Not that that is a problem,” and with a gesture and the words of power, she ate at Annie's Dim Sum on Wheels.

“Cor, but I’m tired,” thought Andy/Annie after Lady X was gone, still feeling himself thoroughly but also different. “I think I’ll close early and head home.” somehow, she had the feeling she would have a lot of explaining to do to his wife about something or other. But just exactly what, she was not yet sure.

Yinyin’s next encounter proved that, indeed, some people were starting to notice, as she was stopped by a man who introduced himself as Kevin Douglass of The Daily Telegraph who asked if could he have “more than a few words with her” about how she or someone looking like her was being described as being at a string of odd happenings, probably mass hysteria or even mass hypnosis around London but they did seem to happen where she had just been “xiànzài nǐ shì!” she replied with extra force knowing this change would take a bit more effort.

She then left the confused woman standing on the sidewalk. A few minutes later, Ding Kai-Ming came to herself and called her editor at Vogue China. “I’ve got It! I’ve got the story,” she announced. “This Fall the all-black ensemble is making a comeback!” “Now, can I write that up, turn it in and get back home to Singapore, please?”

And then there were the two London street toughs who demanded, “Your money or your life?” “How unoriginal,” said Lady X and then the “Words.” “Oh no, it's very new and original,” said Qin Qin (Kiss Kiss). “And a joy to behold!” added Yao Jung (Stupid). “The best dance troop in town!” they said together. “please come!” “Tell me where it is, and perhaps I’ll come later,” Said Lady Xianren getting the address of where their gang met so she could find them and see to it that they became a dance troop before Qin Qin and Yao Jung got into real trouble.

Then came absolute proof that The Grand Mistress, the sorceress Lady Yinyin Xianren. Was being noticed, after all, how could they not, what with London being almost street to street covered in cameras by the government? He thought he was being stealthy; to an ordinary person, he would have been unseen, but Yinyin, in her 527 years, had become very must more than ordinary.

So as a certain government worker with a “licensed to kill” was drawing a bead on her with his Anderson Wheeler 500 Nitro Express Double Rifle, she popped just five feet right in front of him, and he pulled the trigger…

...And her bright red umbrella opened up. By the time Bau… Bau Ung Jian got the umbrella down Yinyin was gone, and 00qī felt strange. Not sure what she was all about at the moment, she decided the thing to do was go to her favorite watering hole and get her favorite drink, a Dragonfly Martini. Stirred, not shaken, definitely never shaken. Well, never say never... shaken, but yes, mostly just stirred.