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jinkookspencil · 1 year

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superstar | jjk

you, the quiet, lonely achiever, get paired up with the superstar new student at your university for a group project... and he needs all the help he can get

description/tw/tags: ~7.1k words / jungkook x chubby (f) reader / one-shot / fluff with a tiny dash of angst / strangers to friends to lovers / university AU / this is a request, submitted by the lovely @cat123jkbunny / i hope you (all) like it! / fatphobia (details: y/n is insecure and quiet and she gets bullied for her body and is made fun of for it, with someone insinuating she isn't good enough because of her body. There is also a scene where she feels like she is ashamed to eat in a crowded place but jk helps her out of that) / clean except for kissing and swearing / this is for my fellow curvy/chubby/plus girlies, you are all beautiful and i am always here for you and i hope you like this / feedback is always welcome and it's appreciated! note: i have 2 half-written drabbles (AND even some more ideas) that emerged from this fic request, with the same couple! If you guys like this and want to see those - let me know!

┅ ┅ ┅ ┅

Please not Jeon Jungkook. Please God, not Jeon Jungkook. Anyone…. anyone but…

“….Jeon Jungkook.”

Damn it.

His name echoed throughout the gigantic lecture hall and in your skull. Out of every student in your class, did it really have to be him? The one paired assignment you had in your course had to be with Jeon Jungkook. As your professor called out the pairs… there seemed to be no one left but the two of you and the final pair, who were always together, his best friends Taehyung and Jimin. You’d gladly work with either of them instead, or anyone really….

There was nothing wrong with Jeon Jungkook… nothing at all. That was what was so bewildering about your university's superstar. Jeon Jungkook was the school's…. everything. Enigmatically the star athlete, a featured artist, a Dean’s List candidate, and even a band member on the weekends, apparently. He was the student that transferred to your prestigious university - absolutely unheard of - simply because the faculty were that impressed by him. With a reputation like that, it wasn’t long before everyone knew his name and face and was captivated by him immediately. Even the professors took a liking to him straight away - you’d grown tired of hearing them mention his name during office hours while they seemed to be getting tired of you. Every girl and guy on campus fawned over him - within good reason, you had to admit, considering his reputation and easy-on-the-eyes appearance… though you'd never stare his way for too long. The point remained:

If you went unseen, Jeon Jungkook was seen.

Being paired with him meant that whether you liked it or not, you would be in the spotlight in some way. No matter what - you’d have to talk to him, for God’s sake. You think to bolt out of the hall, find his email address, and just send him a breakdown of your responsibilities for the assignment or even an offer to do all the work yourself. You’d hate to, but if it meant interacting with Jeon Jungkook as little as possible and remaining unseen, you’d do it - what’s a few all-nighters and extra work when faced with the humiliation of talking to the school’s most popular person?

“Y/N?”

Shit.

People hardly called you by your name at university - your one friend had already graduated, so just being called would’ve startled you enough… let alone having heard it from such a hushed, singsong voice. Turning around, you see the enigmatic man standing right above you. Everything made sense in an instant. The love, seeing his kind smile. The admiration, seeing his muscles. The crushes and rumored weekly love letters he received, seeing… him.

“Hi, Y/N. I’m Jungkook,” he says, gesturing towards himself as if you’d never seen him or heard of him. “I don’t know if you know me, I sit all the way in the back? With Taehyung and Jimin?”

“Hi, I know who you are, Jungkook,” you mumble.

“Oh, cool,” he says, still smiling. “I guess we’re together! For the assignment, I mean...”

“Yeah, I guess so. You don’t really have to worry about a thing, though. I can just send you an email later breaking down what each of us should do, or I can just do it all by myself, and we’ll-”

“Oh. No,” he says, quietly interrupting you. “I… can’t have that. I don’t think that’ll work.”

You felt whatever polite expression was on your face fade at that moment… What did he mean by ‘no’?

“I want to actually work on this… I want to work on it together… please.”

You had no idea what to think at that moment, only replaying his quiet, hushed ‘please’ over and over again as he stood beside you, fiddling with his earrings.

“Jungkook, I can take care of it. You really don’t have to…,” you start, but he interrupts you again, shaking his head and sitting down beside you in the now almost empty classroom.

“No, Y/N. I..,” he starts in a hushed tone. “I’m really falling behind in this class and we have the exam coming up…. It’s not just that, it all seems so interesting it’s just that my stupid brain can’t comprehend much of it.”

Jeon Jungkook? Falling behind? Admitting to an unknown fact? Call himself ‘stupid’? Sitting in front of you, he’d finally been looking at you, his wide eyes lowered since the moment he’d approached. It was eerie too see, a look behind the curtain into the life of your community’s local celebrity when you’d been nothing but just another spectator.

“Look, I always want to do things on my own too, so I get where you're coming from...” he continues, “…and that must mean you can try to understand how desperate I am here. It’s hard to ask for help, but… I need it. I’m not lazy, I promise. I need actual… help... please.”

So that’s why.

The shock faded away in an instant. If there was one thing you might've been known for at university, it would definitely have been your grades. Strangers came and went, looking for “the fat girl at the top of the class," as a couple of students kindly called you, never bothering to ask your name. They never got consideration back or even a glance in their direction, let alone your work when they dared to ask to copy it…. but… Jeon Jungkook asked for help. Not to copy the homework, get basic instructions, or an "in" with certain professors. But help. And for the chance to work on it together.

A refusal rested at the tip of your tongue, even then, but that quiet ‘please’ was still on a loop in your mind…

How could you say no?

“Okay..”

“Yes! Good! Great, okay,” Jungkook says enthusiastically. Did he always have a wife, bunny-toothed smile? It was adorable. “Can we meet at the library tomorrow?”

“…Sure, Jungkook.”

“Perfect. Get ready, Y/N. I have a lot of questions. Oh, wait, first of all - what was that song you were humming on your way out of class yesterday?”

┅ ┅ ┅ ┅

You suspected it would be the one study session to get Jungkook up to speed and lay out the work for the assignment. But the one session turned into two, which turned into three, and before you knew it, you and Jungkook would be meeting at the library every single day.

It was… overwhelming to say the least. The workload, definitely, as well as the added time spent teaching him but on top of that… the stares and whispers nearly set you off when other students, even his own friends, Taehyung and Jimin, would murmur ineligible words when they'd spot you together in the library. It didn't slip past you that it definitely must’ve been a weird sight, the Jeon Jungkook sitting next to a nobody like you... but when you were actually with him, the world around you faded away. All that mattered was the material you knew by heart and the boy who needed to learn it. And boy, did he need to.

After an hour of explaining the material to him one day, he’d continued to stare at you blankly. “Jungkook…. Are you even listening to me?” you resigned multiple times, realizing he had a tendency to space out at random points throughout the day. It was enough to almost tempt you to ghost him and just present him with a finished assignment or a detailed lesson plan.... but when he snapped out of it, he always hit you with an adorable, child-like pout and that irresistible plea: “Can you explain it to me again, please?”

So, you resisted the urge you felt before and after study sessions, to neglect him and stop the meetings altogether. In truth, you could’ve. Jungkook would do well enough to pass... but you couldn't accept him achieving the bare minimum. "I'm trying to steal your crown," he joked on day two, proving one of the many things you and everyone else had heard about Jeon Jungkook.

Finding out something new about Jungkook was to turn the page on the most fascinating book you'd ever read with limitless pages, for it seemed as though he and his talents could be described as such. It - he - was awe-inspiring, new, and enticing in the best of ways. And at times, it felt like it was only yours to hold, for you were the person discovering aspects to him, hardly believing it been you realizing it yourself, up close and personal.

He was definitely a competitive one, that, everyone knew - but you’d realized it went far beyond sports - aiming to rival you and fellow Dean's List candidate Kim Namjoon for the valedictorian spot despite admitting he'd still be behind if he tried his hardest, just thankful to have some worthy competitors. It proved that it was real ambition that Jungkook had in him. In contrast to the rumors that he never really cared about his studies, you saw just how clever and curious he'd been, in addition to his dedication in showing up every day, even when he didn't need to. He loved everything he did and never limited himself, whereas you’d been studying as much as you could in your field only to further advance in your comfort zone of academia. When you'd revealed this to him, he, ever the competitive one, expressed his jealousy at the stability ahead of you, helping ease the countless worries you'd had about your own future.

And, you’d discovered the fact that he’s, surprisingly for an artist and musician, more in his element when it came to logic, numbers, and science - with spreadsheets, calculations, and graphs just to keep track of your progress on the assignment, though he skewed the numbers to work on the assignment further. It frustrated him most as he struggles with words, essays, and theoretical concepts, which never made sense to you, considering he felt so much and made you feel so much in return. It was never stress or anger, even on the hardest of days - he had a surprisingly relaxed attitude for such an accomplished athlete. Rather, he expressed patience and envy when you'd been teaching him, and what got you most - his awe at the subject matter… even though he zoned out often. His eyes lit up whenever he started to understand something… you could swear you almost saw stars in his pupils whenever something evidently clicked inside his brain. And every time it did, every time you felt that damned butterfly in your stomach whenever he smiled… only to leave the study session to see daggers in your direction… you had to remind yourself - you were just here to help him.

He was Jeon Jungkook, for crying out loud. You were just another person who started to like him, as everyone does.

You had to remind yourself that his eyes were ordinary, brown eyes - no matter how big and starry they'd looked on certain nights. That though you’d gotten used to the way his soapy scent blended with that of the books around you, the familiarity of the books’ sweetness on its own was just as lovely. That people were looking. That he asked to study, not to get to know you. And that he had his pick of anyone he wanted in the entire university and beyond... there's no reason he'd want to spend time with you for longer than he had to and for more than you had been spending already. Your mental reminders only worked that hard when you had work to do.

For the first time in your life, you felt like a fool. For laughing at his every joke. For continuing to study with him and not putting an end to it the first time your heart fluttered. For not stopping the crush that you had on Jeon Jungkook. Though you felt like one, you never acted like a fool in front of him - at least, you didn’t think so, holding onto that paper-thin hope to at least ground you in some way. It was just as easy to remember that the sheer impossibility of anything happening, plus the actual studying, were at the forefront. It was hard to kill the butterflies, though. They returned every day, whenever you’d bounce off one another in explanation and conversation, drifting off-topic and sometimes getting personal, when he joked around and tried to convince you that university isn’t actually the end of the world… or even when you simply sat working together in comfortable silence.

That was exactly how it was on a regular Thursday afternoon. Tucked away in your corner of the library, you and Jungkook worked away peacefully when a student you’d never seen walked up to Jungkook. A regular occurrence, seeing as he was so popular.

“Hey, Kookie,” you hear, your eyes still fixated on your screen.

“Hey, Jia,” he replies. You can’t tell if he looked up at her or not. Did he? What did his eyes say? Fuck, why should you care?

“Hey, what… what are you doing?” she says with a giggle. If your peripheral sight was to be trusted, she placed her hand on his shoulder. You shouldn’t care, but resist a smile when he shoves it away. “You’re here every day, Jungkookie. Aren’t you bored? Like… what are you doing?”

“I’m working,” he replies.

“What about her?”

Glancing at her direction, you could see it on her - Jia's - face that she definitely didn’t know your name, and you knew the stares you got well enough to know the look on her face was one of confusion or, dare you say it, disgust. Jungkook's eyes flickered down from you, before returning to his notes.

“Y/N and I have that assignment together,” he replies, “the final project for Mr. P’s class before the exam.”

“Ohhhhhh,” she says, nodding in realization. “Okay, that makes sense then,” she giggles. “See you, Kookie. Call me if you want to have some fun tonight.”

To you, it was clear as day what she meant. That makes sense. In a way, she was right. It was the only possible way Jungkook would be sitting here, with you, every single day. He never would have - wouldn’t have even known you existed - if he hadn’t been paired with you. He made sense with girls like Jia - someone he’d have fun with rather than study with and beautiful in every way society wanted her to be, starting with her model-like body to compliment his built one. That made sense, you reminded yourself.

It must’ve been a good minute since you’d done anything on your computer, so focused on making sure the pesky insects in your stomach were dead, that you barely heard your name being called repeatedly until Jungkook waved his hand in front of your screen.

“HELLO?!”

“What?” you jolt, seeing his crouched head peeking to look at you.

“I was asking if you could throw this. The trash can is next to you.”

Jungkook hands you a piece of paper, unfolded, before sitting down and staring back at his screen, this time with his headphones on. You move to throw the paper out in a hurry, almost missing what was scribbled on it.

Jia’s name and phone number.

┅ ┅ ┅ ┅

Before you knew it, the deadline for the assignment arrived, and you and Jungkook were done. After a particularly long night at the library finalizing the paper, you uploaded the document and he hit the daunting blue button titled ‘submit’.

“YES!” Jungkook cheers from behind you, having looked over your shoulder to submit the paper together. With his head right beside yours with his arm planted on the desk in front of you, the veins you’d never noticed before on full display. Just when you realized it had been too close not to get panicked, he forces your chair to spin and face him, sticking his hand out for a high-five. “We did it!”

“We did,” you sigh, meeting his hand, pushing away the feeling of it in your mind.

“Why on Earth do you look sad?” Jungkook asks. “We should be celebrating! Let’s go get fried chicken!”

“Just thinking of the exam coming up and my other paper,” you half-lie.

How could you tell him you’re already mourning the time you spent together? He shouldn’t catch on, though…

“But I guess you’re right. It is a good thing that we’re done with it.” Really, it was. The delusional thoughts would cease. Might as well say goodbye. “It’s been fun… getting to do this and getting to know you, Jungkook.”

You reach out your hand for a high-five, as he had, but instead of going to meet it, he takes two steps back, crossing his arms over his chest.

“You think you’re getting rid of me that easily?” he questions, cocking his brow.

“What?!”

“You said it yourself. We have the exam coming up.”

“Jungkook, you should be fine. You aced that assignment.”

“No, absolutely not. I want… I need you. Your presence motivates me, and when I’m with you, I feel at ease…. with the material. It’s less scary.” It’s hard to ignore how wide Jungkook’s pupils had gotten as he fidgeted with his lip ring.

“Jungkook, Mr. P's exams are beasts unearthed from the very depths of hell. If I’m being completely honest, I can’t spend all my time teaching you," you say, speaking the truth.

“I’m not even asking for that. Just let me be near or around you. I’ll be quiet and ask minimal questions in the case of an emergency.”

Staring up at him, he had the same pleading and innocent expression on his face when he first approached you after you’d been assigned together. The time you spent together only confirmed that when he bit his lower lip and simultaneously arched his brows inwards and upwards… he was serious and pleading.

“I… might kick you out some days, Jungkook. When I need to focus extra hard.”

“Kick me out, then. Say the word, and I’m gone. And on the flip side, say the word, and I’m there - with anything you need. Like…. iced coffee! I know your order by now. Iced Vanilla Latte with an extra shot of espresso.”

Jungkook retraces his steps, standing right over you. It’s only when his hand reaches out do you realize your arm is upright, your unmet high-five still in the air. His hand meets yours softly, and without a single sound, fingers and palms perfectly aligned. His skin was calloused from his paintbrush and instruments, cushioned against your soft skin, his slender fingers towering over your wide ones… Pulling your hand down, your fingers get caught in his, which slightly curved towards you before your hand slips away.

Taking a deep breath, you notice Jungkook clear his throat. Suddenly, neither of you knew what to do with your hands, but he thinks fast, stuffing them in his pockets before finally looking back at you.

“So, deal?”

“Deal,” you yield, foolishly.

┅ ┅ ┅ ┅

Thank God you were smart as fuck.

Because though Jungkook kept true to his word, it turns out it was extremely hard to focus when your crush was doing one of two things - either quietly sitting beside you in all his glory (with no distractingly helpful responsibility of teaching him) or worse, when he was tending to you. There were the iced coffees, the water intake reminders, the extra highlighters, the space he gave you when he felt you needed it - even checking in with an “I’ll kick myself out for today” on a particularly stressful night before you knew you needed to do it yourself, for some alone time. You rarely wanted it anymore anyways. His questions and interruptions were few, always pleasant, of course, and never took up much of your time. It was worth it, seeing that proud smile of his when he now answered his own questions, just making sure from you that they were actually correct. The butterflies never stopped, especially considering he now sat beside you in the front corner of Mr. P’s lecture hall, abandoning Jimin and Taehyung on the other side of the room... The random, beautiful doodles he adorned your notebook with always made you smile harder whenever you studied - he was there even when he wasn’t.

“I knew you’d still be here,” Jungkook says, walking to your desk in the quiet library. Looking at the clock on your screen, you finally realize the time.

“What can I say?” you sigh. “What are you doing here, Jungkook? Isn't today Jimin's party, or whatever it was?”

“It was, and it might've been the dullest party Jimin ever threw. I know you cruelly rejected my invitation, but honestly... I don't blame you. It was the same old stuff and people and.. here's way more fun," he explained.

"Oh, come on," you reply, rolling your eyes. "Go back to the party, Jungkook. There's no way you think studying is more fun than even the most boring party at Jimin's."

"Hmmm... you're right. I still picked you instead because I missed you." The sentence escapes Jungkook's lips so quickly you didn't have a chance to realize what he'd said before he went on. "I wish you'd come... to give yourself a break. Knowing you'd be here, I decided to come and force you to rest. I also know that you haven’t eaten yet and that we still didn’t celebrate our assignment. We really should celebrate now, anyways.”

“What do you mean?”

“You didn’t check your email?”

You move to frantically get to your laptop before he blocks you. “No, you’re done for the day. Or at least, the hour - you didn't move all day, and I'm worried. Plus, your eyes are too tired. Should I get eye drops?”

“Jungkook... what score did we get?!”

“Only a 95%,” he shrugs, acting cool and uncaring before finally breaking into a wide smile. “We did it!”

A 95% was among the highest scores you’d ever gotten at university - a mark good enough to ensure you'd be the valedictorian instead of Kim Namjoon, who you’d been in competition with ever since freshman year. Not only that, 95% was a fast track that allowed you to possibly get your work published. Shrieking, you jump up from your chair and into Jungkook’s open arms. Realizing your position in the rush of it all, with your head on his shoulder, his tucked into the crook of your neck, and his hands wrapped around your plush waist… your heart only raced faster, which you didn’t think was possible. You quickly unravel your arms from around his back, and it takes a second longer for him to do the same.

You just hugged Jeon Jungkook. Why was he red? Probably ashamed, wondering if anyone saw him hug you.

“I never thought I'd... hear you scream in the library," he laughs, turning to a paper bag he'd placed on the table when he arrived. "I brought that fried chicken to celebrate. Let’s sit a while. You still need a break from all the screens.”

“I’d love to, but I can’t… eat here.”

“Why not?”

“There are some students around. You, too.”

“So? No one will mind the smell of fried chicken. That couple over there is eating it, too.”

"No, it’s…." you sigh, feeling as though you’re finally exposing some sort of unknown truth to Jungkook, despite the fact that he could obviously see you. "It’ll only make people judge me more. Stare at me more. For eating something like this in public. It’s like I…shouldn’t… with everything I’ve got going on. Like… it’s shameful?”

“But there’s nothing to be ashamed about. Nothing at all.” Jungkook looked just as confused as he’d been when he didn’t understand something in the lesson plan, but suddenly, it shifted to his ‘got it’ state. When he finally knew what to do. “Fuck it. Fuck everyone. Sit. Let’s eat. If anyone dares to look at you…. or, God forbid, say anything... You know I'm on the university's wrestling team, right?"

You nod and laugh because everyone knew, but he goes on. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure the whole university does, so I'd like to see some punk try anything."

He goes silent, shaking his head as he unloads the bag he brought and encouraging you to eat until he'd already finished half the bucket. Hesitantly, you grab a drumstick before finally taking a bite with your eyes fixated on Jungkook the entire time. You’d have avoided his gaze, even turned away, but with his raised brows and a closed-mouth smile, desperately awaiting your review… you knew you had to give him an answer fast, and you do so after the very first bite, shooting him a thumbs up. It was really good - sweet, sour, and spicy all at once. With your second bite and his proud smile, you recall another rumor you’d heard about Jungkook long ago. That he went on a tour of all the fried chicken spots in the city to find the best one. Asking him about it, you didn’t expect to find out that not only was it true, but it was also a life-long, worldwide mission of his - “Forget all the shit I’m talented at, this is my life’s purpose,” he proclaimed, saying that the chicken he'd brought had been his favorite so far. "And I wouldn't get you anything less than the best I’ve found, darling."

You felt your face flush, knowing Jungkook must've called you that jokingly. Still, the pet name sent your mind into overdrive, more than the studying did, as you fed your delusions for a little while. Darling.

You could've sworn you were actually living in your delusions later that night when he dropped you home for the very first time. The conversation never stopped, even until you were standing by your apartment building. "Still gonna study?" he asked, staring at your door.

"Maybe," you replied, knowing you'd be too delusional to do so, and if you tried, you would only end up staring at the words and cursing Jungkook for being too perfect and making you this way.

"Well, do you want to eat ramyeon now?” he’d said with a giggle. Catching you off guard, you nearly choked on air at the double entendre coming from him, but rolled your eyes and answered with a simple “Yes” instead, only for his smile to fade quickly.

Your fat ass should not be making jokes like that when you knew damn well you wouldn’t have shot. Especially not after dinner.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Jungkook," you hurriedly say, attempting to dash inside, only for your jacket to get caught on the way in. Looking down, you realize it hadn't been the knob that stopped it but rather Jungkook's fingers, clutching onto the fabric before letting it slip away. "Sorry. Goodnight."

┅ ┅ ┅ ┅

The moment kept replaying in your head, buried in your hands on the desk, agonizing over the humiliation as a break from agonizing over the workload. You had time to agonize today, Jungkook wasn’t there yet. If he saw you like that, he’d nudge you to get out of it.

“Hello?”

Jolted by the sudden voice of a woman, you look up to see Jia. “Hi,” you say, too awkwardly even for you. “Can I help you with something? Jungkook’s not here if you’re looking for him.”

“I can see that,” she scoffs. “I came to talk to you.” In all this time, your first run-in with her had been your only semblance of interaction, though you hadn't ever spoken to each other.

“Oh… Why?”

“What’s going on… between the two of you?”

“Me and... Jungkook? He told you, we had that assignment together….”

“That’s done,” she snaps.

“And now I’m just helping out with his studies.”

“Then why did Nani see him drop you home?”

“We’re… friends, Jia,” you mutter. You’d never called Jungkook that before, a friend, but you can’t help but think it’s fitting to do so... It fit, didn’t it? Weren’t you… friends? At the very least? Or...

“We’re classmates,” you quickly add.

“Friends - that's the funniest shit I've heard. His actual friends, Jimin and Taehyung refuse to tell me anything when he left that party. They were probably concerned and unsettled by it all…. I mean, everyone here can see how much you gush over him, you know? It’s embarrassing. I don’t know how he doesn’t see it and steer clear - especially since you should come with a cattle crossing sign, seriously.”

Was it that obvious?

“We all know he's just using you for that piece of meat between your ears until the exam's over. He's not an idiot, you know? Don’t get carried away thinking anyone outside your league would be interested in you.”

An emptiness grew with the uncovering of a deep fear of yours. Of course. Of course, he was still using you, you idiot... It was just the help he needed. Neither of you could have gotten the 95% on your own... He said he needed the help... the mark... She was right. He wasn't an idiot... but wasn't the Jungkook you knew too kind to use someone like that?

It was then that your phone, lying on the desk, lit up with a message, clear as day for the both of you to read.

[from: jungkook] “i’m on my way to you rn. brought kimbap!! hope you like it. made it myself :) ”

“Pft. He knows how to keep a fat girl on his hook. You fucking whale.”

You fucking fool.

“Heyooooooo!” you hear from a short distance in that familiar singsong voice that tugged at your heartstrings. Jungkook turned a corner and finally appeared from between the shelves. “Kimbap! Wait, what the fuck is wrong?”

Shit. You hadn’t realized tears were streaming down your face. As if you could be any more humiliated. Not even able to glance his way, despite him repeating the question over and over again, mere steps away from you, you stuff your things into your bag and rush out.

The last thing you catch is Jia’s scoff.

┅ ┅ ┅ ┅

Suddenly, avoiding Jungkook was easy. That urge you had long ago, the one in line with you, Jungkook, and the ways of the world…. Your two different worlds.

He’d chased you, easily getting to you and stopping you. Repeating his question again.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” you had let out, staring at the ground. You couldn’t talk if you wanted to.

“Are you kidding? What is it? Tell me…” he says quietly, putting his hands on your shoulders. You shake them off in an instant, walking away, only for him to follow close behind. “What is it? You’re not okay.”

“It’s… stress.”

“Bullshit - I’ve obviously seen you stressed. This isn’t it. I’ve never seen-”

“Jungkook, I’m kicking you out. Keep your word that you’ll stay out,” you snap, finally turning to look at him in the crowded library. If he’d never seen you this way, you’d never seen him that way either. Hurt. You can’t see why. He got what he wanted out of you, plus you’d told him you’d kick him out….

If only it was easy to keep him out. Jungkook had always listened when it came to the material, but it was as if he never knew how to in any other regard. His texts and calls over the weekend went ignored until you finally mustered up the courage to block him. You thought that would be that - Jungkook would go back to his world, and you’d go back to yours - but on your first day back, you find him sitting on the floor at the door to the library at the crack of dawn.

You’d specifically gone that early to avoid Jungkook - who always showed up during the late afternoons or evenings after having just woken up then on his off days. Yet here he was, sitting cross-legged by the glass door you’d walked into together countless times, glancing at the handful of other students with exams and deadlines as they walked in, out, and around him. Even from a distance away, you could see how wide his doe-eyes were. And he jumps up the moment he spots you slowly approaching the door.

“How’d you know I’d be here?” you ask quietly, trying to avoid his gaze.

“You say that as if you don't practically live in the library," he says, almost amused. "If you mean how I knew you'd be here so early - I took a chance. I would’ve waited all day until I saw you… All week, if that's what it took. And I probably would've convinced Mr. P to include a note with your exam sheet if you decided you disliked me until then.”

….Shit. Sure, you’d never end up with him, but he only fidgeted with the loose strings on his hoodie when he was really stressed - a sight you'd only seen once after a supposed tough day at wrestling practice. Now, they'd been undone with a hole at the bottom of the thick fabric. Knowing you caused it...

“I’m sorry, Jungkook. I shouldn’t have…”

“Yeah. You shouldn’t have,” he grumbles before shaking his head. “No, you don’t... You don’t owe me anything. You don’t owe me your time… I should’ve stayed “out” like I promised, but… I just want to know if you were okay.”

“I am,” you barely let out. With tears bubbling in your eyes, you walk into the library.

“I don’t believe it,” he says, trailing you.

“I kicked you out, remember? Stay out. Why do you even care?" you say without turning back.

“I care about you!”

When you finally stop to stare at him, Jungkook doesn't allow you to deny him, immediately grabbing your hand and pulling you deep into the library, through the twisty, student-filled desks, between sky-high bookshelves.

“Y/N, I want you to be okay. You don’t owe me an explanation if you don’t want to tell me anything, but… that's all I want. For you to be okay and happy and... you can't lie to me and tell me that you're alright. You can kick me out as much as you want to, I promised I would let you do so, but I'll always be waiting for you right outside that door. If you'll allow me to... I'll always be here for you."

The tears come pouring out, and without a thought, you rush into him, sobbing into his chest. “Hey, hey,” he says, a hand in your hair and the other soothing your back. "I’m here. I told you I'm here.” You missed his embrace. Had assumed you’d never feel it again. You probably won’t, past this point.

“It’s okay,” he whispers, with his arms wrapped firmly around your waist as you stare up at him. “Is it the stress?”

“No, Jungkook…. It’s.. you.”

“Me?!” he says, gesturing towards himself.

“Well, no, actually… I guess it’s me,” you mumble, staring at his hands, now at his sides.

“I don’t understand, Y/N.”

“Jungkook, we need to stop these study sessions. Not for a week but… I’m permanently kicking you out, and I don't know if I have it in me to ever unlock that stupid metaphorical door again.”

“Exile, huh?" To your surprise, he nods. "At least let me know this… Am I that annoying?”

Out of desperation, you almost say yes, but you’ve been cruel enough - Jungkook didn’t deserve any of it.

“No. No, not at all…”

He pauses. “I don't understand, but if this will make you happier, all I can say in this case is… thank you. I don't about my grades as much as you do, so I'm really just thank you for all this time. I…. I liked…. I liked spending this time... spending this time with you,” Jungkook lets out, his voice breaking.

Looking up at him, you see his eyes red. Was he about to cry too?

“It won’t,” you mumble.

“What?” he asks, looking down at you as if he were looking up, teary-eyed and innocent.

You either tell him, or tell him nothing and risk…. other people telling him, along with their own added commentary on how you weren’t good enough. It would be easier just to let that happen... Letting go of him yourself, despite the pain, would be more merciful on you both. So, you do, breaking away from his embrace.

“It won’t make me happier if we stopped.”

“Then why do we have to?”

“Jungkook, we need to stop because… for the first time in my life... I’ve set myself up for failure.”

“You’re the smartest person in the entire university. How on Earth did you set yourself up to fail?”

"Because I did it by stupidly falling for the best person in this entire university. I... like you, Jungkook," you spit out, hiding your face in your hands as soon as the confession leaves your lips.

“How is that setting yourself up for failure?” he sniffs.

You can’t help but notice a shift in his tone as he pulls your hands away from your face and tilts your chin towards him. He looked as serious as he sounded.

“Jungkook, be real.”

He stares at you, confused.

“You’re.... a star. Everyone here knows who you are - you're the best in every field imaginable - sports, art, music, academia, and on top of all of that, you're the sweetest, kindest, smartest - fucking best person I, well, everyone knows. And... look at you and look at me. I make sense of everything in this world, and this doesn’t make sense. Everyone knows it. They already give us weird looks for even sitting together. I know you just needed help, and I was happy to offer it, but I thought I'd be smarter than this. I think you probably offered to be there for me as a friend. I think we're friends, right? Either way, I think I've been an idiot for even thinking of you in that-"

Jungkook's lips meet yours, interrupting your ramble, train of thought, and your breathing with a kiss.

“You think too much," he whispers against your lips, stroking your soft cheek with the back of his index finger. "You can never set yourself up for failure, genius. I like you too.”

“No.... Stop," you say, taking two steps away from him. "Jungkook, you're being mean."

"Mean?!"

It had to have been a prank. Jungkook being so committed onto getting a good grade, once again.

"You can't use me like this. And what, you'll ghost me after the exam? After all the help? Pretend I never existed?"

"You say that and call me 'mean'? Do you really think I'd do that?" he asks, letting out a huff with his eyebrows furrowed. You'd never seen Jungkook.... angry. "I would never. Not to you, or anyone. If that were the case, if I weren't so goddamn in love with you, I'd be standing ashamed, fessing up in front of you instead of feeling so hurt and angry. The girl I like really thinks so low of me?" Taking a deep breath, Jungkook collects himself. "I wouldn't spend a semester with you if that was the case. I don't know why you'd think... that."

"It doesn't make sense, Jungkook...."

“it makes sense to me,” he says, stepping towards you until he is inches away and you can almost feel the heat between your bodies. “Why does it not make sense to you? You’re clever, aren't you? What’s that theory - every action has an equal and opposite reaction? You like me, and I like you. Equal. Two-ways. Makes perfect sense to me.”

“So… you aren’t just using me for help?” you ask. "You... like me?"

“No, no, I’m not using you for your brain…." he says snarkily before tapping his forehead against yours and letting out a smug laugh. "In fact, I think you’ve been pretty stupid.”

“Stupid?!” you recoil at a word you had never been called before.

“I said pretty stupid. And by that, I mean stupid pretty - in that you're unbelievably attractive - but also pretty kind of stupid, yes. You’re smarter than this, usually…." Jungkook envelops his arms around your waist once again, trapping you. Stunned, all you're able to do is look into his eyes as he goes on.

"Y/N, I want you to think for a second… Did I really need all that help I asked for? Did I really make it onto the Dean's List when I was supposedly doing that badly? Did I really not understand? Did I really need to sit beside you while we both worked? You said it yourself, I'm among the smartest kids in this school. I’ll let you in on a secret… sometimes I used to finish up my work before you and just played mini-games on the computer.”

Jungkook's hands find your face, pushing back a strand of your hair and giggling at what must've been a puzzled look on your face. When your gaze wanders in realization, trying to put all the pieces together, his hand cups your face, forcing you to meet his eyes.

“Sure, you helped me a little bit, but it was... heaven getting you to explain things to me, especially the things I already knew. It meant I could just spend my time staring at you, getting all passionate and excited. Do you know how wide you smile when I act like I 'get it'? Or whenever I actually do. It's why I keep asking you to repeat it - I can never retain any of the new information because all my brain wants to focus on is you.

For God's sake, ask Taehyung and Jimin. Ask them how much I talk about you. Did you ever actually listen to what they say when they specifically see us together in here?"

"I assumed they were making fun of you," you mumble.

Jungkook scoffs. "Yeah, no, Y/N. They tease me for having the guts to fight but not to confess, they kept trying to pressure me to do so."

It's hard to remember that Jungkook was a trained fighter when his embrace felt so safe, you think, staring at his torso in disbelief.

"Still don't believe me? Ask Mr. P how we got assigned together for that paper.”

The sentence stuns you to your core more than anything, jerking your head up to face him.

“I never needed that much help. I just… I wanted to spend time with the girl I'd had a crush on since I got here and didn’t know how to. I like you…. I always have…. idiot,” he says, pulling you closer to him until his lips meet yours in another kiss.

Just this once, you were euphoric to be so stupid.

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hotchfiles · 2 months

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↪ day one. childhood — #marchhotchness

Childhood. What are some headcanons you have of his childhood, how do you think he was at school, at home, stuff like that, anything you can think about or have thought about.

first of all, all hotch gals and pals should read this masterpiece by @hardlyinteresting. bee captured perfectly everything i've been thinking about his childhood recently and i think she wrote it in the most beautiful way, so that's a must to understand how i think about it.

we don't hear much about his mother throughout the series and for me that speaks volumes because we do hear a good amount about his father. the only thing we know is where she was born and where she went for college. sure, hotch is a private person but for me that means his mother is a sore subject. so why?

we know his father died young, either of a heart failure or lung cancer, and that he was a cheater, a spender, a lawyer. still, even with the grievances against his father, when sean decides not to go to law school, hotch says "you've always wanted to be a lawyer, like me, like dad.", so he still looks up to his father in a way. and then sean responds with "yeah, look what that got him, death by heart failure at 47." which tells me sean blames their dad for dying young, because he left them alone with their mother.

hotch comes from an abusive home, but it wasn't their father, it was their mother. she was bred to be a high achieving socialite, she cared about appearances in the same way the mother of the episode hotch speaks about his mother, he wouldn't bring it up if they weren't similar.

by his knowledge of scripture we know he was raised catholic, probably forced fed the bible by his mother and priests who had no idea what they were actually saying because they cared more about being influential in virginia.

his mother lost control of her life, in her mind, when his father began cheating, i have a feeling he probably gambled, she took her anger out on the boys. that's why hotch tells the unsub it's only natural to grow up in an abusive home and become a killer, but some people grow up to catch them.

now, we also know he was a nerd growing up, and i feel that was his way of having control, and also when his obsessive tendencies began. when you don't have control about what your mother is going to do next, you isolate yourself in puzzles, charades and collections. your mind focuses on something else rather than the yelling of your parents. that's what he did.

he gets rebellious, obviously, as he grew up, he gets mad at his father for being a cheater, for spending their money where he shouldn't, and mad at his mother because she didn't care of him like a mother should, so he acts out and gets sent to boarding school. that's where he cleans up his act.

i believe he was the type to have a few good friends in school, the type who would sometimes get in trouble but not so much because their good grades made up for it. he wasn't shy but he was quiet, he wasn't bad at sports but he wasn't the best, he read a lot, mostly books that weren't being discussed in class and most definitely always the philosophy kid, not the numbers kid.

yes i think a lot about this man don't judge me i love him and he makes me go absolutely insane. that's why i created this event thing after all.

#marchhotchness #lari march hotchness #aaron hotch x reader #aaron hotch x you #aaron hotch imagine #aaron hotchner x reader #aaron hotchner x you #aaron hotchner imagine #criminal minds x reader #hotch x reader #hotch x you #hotch imagine #hotch scenario

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monarchisms · 7 months

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so this is the unintentional part two of that summary post i made with geoff talking about the end of achievement hunter. for this post, i'm going to try my best to sum up what michael, trevor, and joe (but not alfredo because he was sick at the time 😔) have said about what will happen in the future on the penultimate episode of off topic, #403. there won't be a transcript this time as i am busy with schoolwork and stuff, so i'll try to make this summary as filled with as much accurate information as i can to make up for it :)

so basically,

trevor starts off by saying they'll be doing the last of various series to wrap everything up. he also notes that some of these finales will be "more nostalgic"

one of the series finales that's up right now is vs episode #150: joe vs BK. the game they played is cooking mama!

after the series finale of off topic (#404 lol), the final AH video ever will be a let's play in the remastered version of burnout paradise, and the cast will consist of geoff, jack, trevor, and michael. this is a callback to the first ever AH video they did back in 2008, and it's already been filmed! trevor says it was more emotional then he thought it would be :')

michael explains that the video will essentially be a ~70-minute podcast. in it, they'll talk more about the end of achievement hunter, where the cast members have went/what they've all moved on to, and new projects that they'll working on. he also says that he thinks that people will call this video "cathartic" while comparing the vibe to their old gta v series, sunday driving

not as important, but michael said that he was mindlessly driving and turning in burnout paradise in the same way that he'd run and jump in minecraft because he "fucking hated" playing minecraft lmfao

as said before, they decided to close AH and start something new with dogbark instead of continuing like they used to. michael acknowledges that in the last few years, most of the crew had already left rt in some way or moved on to other stuff within the company, leaving just michael, trevor, alfredo, and joe as the most consistent on-screen talent by the end. *bonus bit that wasn't mentioned until later, but alongside these 4, jarren from the post team will be their channel manager for dogbark :)

as this group makes videos for dogbark, michael says that their stuff will be both "tonally different" and "very fluid" as they're still figuring it out as they go, noting that they were balancing it and AH/let's play content at the same time

michael also talks about how he's been doing what he's wanted to do at AH for a long time, but there were some things he still couldn't do within the constraints the AH crew had put on themselves

while there will be some gameplay stuff on the dogbark channel, as mentioned in this episode and the channel trailer, they will primarily focus on live action content. trevor makes a point by saying that the style/theme in the trailer will "not be pervasive throughout the entire brand", and michael adds on to that by saying the trailer "is at 100, but every video won't be at 100"

michael and trevor make a point by saying that there will be more variety, as in "a dozen little formats", not necessarily like the shows/series they made at AH, with joe saying that they're not trying to "tie themselves down" to strict uploads and such, like they were when they were previously fitting into a mold at AH

trevor says that he has seen achievement hunter, and rooster teeth as a whole, having a unique challenge ahead of them. he refers to making content that appeals to an audience who had been following them since the early days while trying to also find new faces, both out there in the audience and internally at the company, in order for AH to stay around

he also points out how difficult it is to do that with a long-standing brand that has had different eras of content, since there would be an audience with differing expectations for them. with that, it became hard for the AH crew to balance said expectations with the authenticity they tried to show in the content they created. the crew has changed as people alongside their audience, and the stress that came with it was challenging

michael stresses that the group not only chose to make a new channel completely, they also had to fight for it for a while, and wanted to slow down on AH content before properly closing/archiving the channel to create dogbark. beyond the struggles of creating something new from scratch, they now have the challenge of preparing the audience for the jump from AH to dogbark while thinking about all the pros and cons before going forward

this week (the week of september 18th) and next week (the week of september 25th) are the last weeks of new AH content. after that, there will be a 1 or 2-day break before dogbark properly starts making new content on october 2nd. trevor feels like people will get a better idea of what dogbark is after a month or two of them uploading content

finally (subject to change, of course), they want to aim for full uploads every monday and friday, with patreon-like exclusive videos with rt first every wednesday and saturday. one of the confirmed things to expect is a first-exclusive podcast. the first week dogbark officially starts, all that content will be public as a sample of what to expect, and every week after that will follow that schedule

#trevor collins #michael jones #joe lee #achievement hunter #dogbark #off topic podcast #off topic ah #long post #i sort of threw out the order in which they talk about stuff #since they come back to some points a bit later on #it'd be a bit more confusing if i let it be #there may be more i could add in the post but it's probably better to watch/listen to the first ~1/3 of the episode #for example:#there's also a bit where michael says that it's nice for the group to have complete full ownership of something #and that genuinely made me so happy #ough... if only they still weren't under rt.....#like i said before. make of all of this as you will

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graceloveswolves · 2 years

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Hey!! I love your little series for Paul and while we wait for the next part, i wanted to request for Carlisle. Where his human girlfriend wants to have a baby before being turn, and yes she saw everything bella went through but she's sure she can make it and she trust carlisle to turn her in time. But of course at first he say no, and so they fight a lot about it.... Basically a lot of angst but with fluffy happy ending (with said baby being born)

Thank you so much! I’m still working on my Paul series so stay tuned. I might have to go binge Twilight now after writing this LMAO. And yes I agree on Carlisle’s view point. He’s very empathetic but stands strong with his boundaries. I did NOT name the baby because I wouldn’t know what to name it and I wouldn’t want you guys to hate it so… But nonetheless… enjoy this piece :) I so so so appreciate requests!

——————————————————————————

Tap. Tap. Tap.

I sighed, setting down my pregnancy test onto my marble countertop.

Negative.

It was useless anyways… being in a room full of vampires all the time, someone was bound to know if I was pregnant before I would anyway. I felt tears run down my face, but I wasn’t sure what kind of tears they were. Was it sad tears? Sadness from not achieving a desired outcome no matter how dangerous and deadly it could be? Was it relief? Relieved that I hadn’t needed to break the news to anyone, no anxiety or dire plans and conversations need to be made? Or hope? Hope that I had more time to figure out what I needed to do and properly take the steps to finally getting my eternal happiness.

Maybe it was all of those things… all the Cullen’s talked about vampires having heighten emotions, yet I was as human as it got and still felt all these emotions flooding me all the time, drowning me in confusion and chaos throughout the days. Sometimes I thought it was a curse, I’ve been cursed with the hope of having what Bella and Edward have. What they achieved to do, to have both a family and an eternity with each other. Eternal peace. Eternal happiness.

What if I didn’t get what they have… I have spent many hours assessing the possible outcomes of my actions. And Ive come to the conclusion that there were three possible outcomes.

First outcome….end up like Edward and Bella. Of course, enduring painful weeks growing my baby, and chancing a rather probable death that will be agonizing and traumatic for everyone. But ending up as a mother, with a beautiful baby of my own and husband. With an eternity to spend with them as they experience the ever changing world together.

Second outcome….end up like Rosalie and Emmett. Turned with the eternity of each other, however also an eternity of knowing I will never be able to experience being a mother. Never to experience building a true family with the love of my life, creating a perfect version of myself and my eternal partner. Like a shadow of despair forever haunting me.

Final outcome…. death. Whether having the baby and dying for good, with not being turned. Or whether I die from my body giving out during the pregnancy. Leaving Carlisle and his family with a hole in their heart, and leaving him with the guilt and pain of our consequences.

Although each outcome was morbidity terrifying in there own way, I just knew if I never tried to have a baby, if I just lived my life without knowing the possibilities I have given up, it would be worse then death. It would be worse not knowing what could have been, and what life I could’ve brought into the world.

However the hardest part wasn’t deciding what the outcomes of having a baby were, whether I was choosing life or death, whether I’d be putting my entire family in danger, hell… having the baby probably wouldn’t be the hardest part either.

It would be Carlisle’s support.

He was a very giving man, very generous and kind. But he had very strong morals, and it took a lot for him to even consider entertaining a relationship with me considering I was a human and he was a vampire. He thought that I deserved a normal happy human life, with another human, with human babies and human problems like mortgages and taxes. But like Bella, I was very stubborn and knew what I wanted.

But nonetheless, this would be a whole other level of fights and long conversations ending with tears and heartbreak. I knew he felt sorrowful not being able to give me human children, I mean I was with him before Edward and Bella even met. We saw them go through almost everything we went through as two different people.

Then Bella got pregnant…

I would never forget the day we all found out, the weeks of anxiety and anger that echoed off the walls of our house for what felt like years. The bruises and broken ribs Carlisle had to fix and the blood we had to ration during the tough times. But also, the joy and excitement Bella had. Even as she was looking death in the face and spending day after day in pain, she was never scared. She was so hopeful and sure that everything would work out.

And she was right.

Amazingly, everything worked out for her in the end. She got her beautiful Renesmee, and her husband right along with her. Sure we had to go through the fits of the Volturi, but in the end it all worked out.

This sparked conversations and arguments between Carlisle and myself, many days and nights where I slept alone, sometimes in tears. I had Rosalie’s support naturally, I knew where her heart lied and it wasn’t necessarily with my happiness, but I knew if I ever were to meet death, my baby would be in safe hands.

Then there was Bella herself, who I also had the support of. Considering she went through the situation herself, with barely any support or knowledge of what could happen. She had a few conversations and advice for me and agreed I should try if I was able to accept the possible consequences.

However, Carlisle and his sons had the same viewpoint as him. They didn’t see the need to risk Carlisle’s eternal happiness with me for a small chance of having a baby. Alice too, was iffy on the situation. She saw the future and saw many different outcomes, some even including my own death.

Anyways, I simply tossed the negative test in the trash without a second look. As I wiped my tears with the back of my hand, I walked out of my room that was in my own house separate from Carlisle’s house. I barely came here, it was tiny and already paid off. But it still came in handy when I was just having human days and needed privacy. Or time to just think and be human without my adopted children or boyfriend being concerned. I was thinking I was pregnant, so I took a few days to myself at my house with a pregnancy test just in case.

But humans get old, and in the back of my mind I knew that I was running out of time for children. And I knew that turning me was in the back of Carlisle’s mind. We talked about it, a lot. And he did agree to it, but the problem was that I wanted to try for a baby before that happened. He knew that, everyone else knew it, it was just something I didn’t want to let go. Of course he opted for me to have a baby with another human or a sperm donor, caring more about my health and safety then blood relation. I mean none of his children now are related to him blood wise so obviously it wasn’t a problem for him.

But he knew that wasn’t going to work for me. But I know he still hoped I would give it up and just make peace with it.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

I felt my phone vibrating and dancing slightly on my dresser by my bed. I walked over to it and picked it up, already having a feeling of who it was.

“Hello?” I answered sweetly over the phone, which I was met with that familiar voice. “Y/n, I was missing your voice, I am guessing you are at your home. Is everything alright?” I heard Carlisle question gently. “Oh yeah, I was just taking out the trash and making sure this house is still standing.” I half joked, hoping to sway him into thinking everything really was alright.

“Well, Alice and I really miss you. I hope you plan on coming home eventually.” He teased, in which my heart dropped. “Yes of course, I’ll be there shortly. Just have to sort the mail and I’ll be done.” I lied, partly, he didn’t need to know I did that two days ago. “Okay. I love you Y/N, drive safe.” He replied, as I agreed and said the I love you too and goodbye before hanging up.

Well, Alice and I really miss you.

Shit. He knows. Carlisle was always the one for gentleness. That was his way of saying I know what you’re really doing at the house, without actually saying it. I mentally scold Alice, you would think a girl would have another girls back. But considering she doesn’t agree with me having Carlisle’s baby, and then having a vision of me taking a pregnancy test doesn’t really surprise me she would tell him.

Jokes on him though, the test was negative so whatever panic and worry he’s going through right now will shortly be ended when I get to the house. But this was too quick for Alice to have a vision just moments after I took the test. He must have been asking her to look out for me. Which granted, was sneaky, but seemed to have been a page he took out of Edward’s book. Apples and trees one would assume.

****

I sighed, taking my car keys out of the ignition and took a deep breath.

Keep the tears in. Don’t let it show. You have psychic children who can read your thoughts and emotions.

I somewhat laugh at that thought, knowing I couldn’t say it aloud thanks to their super hearing, I smiled to myself loving my dysfunctional family even when the odds aren’t in my favor and they turn against me for their adopted father.

Once I step inside I feel my heart rise, it was off. All the children are in the room, sitting down looking worried. I say children as if they aren’t old enough to be my ancestors, but still. Surely Alice didn’t tell the entire family what’s going on in my uterus. Which, as a matter of fact, wasn’t much of her business to begin with.

“Y/n dear, won’t you come with me.” My love, Carlisle greeted, opening his arm out in a gesturing way. All his children eyeing me quietly, they sat so still like stone statues. Something was definitely off.

“Is everything okay? You guys look spooked.” I questioned, looking at Edward and Bella, who were the only relaxed ones there. “Where’s Nessie?” I look to Bella. “She’s with Jake. They are doing some painting class on the Res today. They’ll be back later.” Bella smiled, looking towards Edward with that look she’s had ever since he brought her home.

“I think we should just get to the point.” Rosalie anxiously interrupted sharply, before fixing her posture and smiling softly to try and recover from her abrupt remark. “Rose.” Edward cut off, scolding a little at her, which she didn’t even bother to look back at him.

“Get to what point?” I softly asked, more worried that this was more then just one of Alice’s visions of me. Was he kicking me out? Did something happen with the Wolves? Well no, not if Nessie was on the Res. Certainly Edward wouldn’t let that stand.

“Well, is there perhaps anything you would like to share before we begin?” Carlisle questioned calmly, with a soft face, and gentle eyes, no accusing stares or anger from him. So I wasn’t in trouble, and it most likely was about the test I took this morning. But I didn’t think this involved a family meeting, but then again with their super hearing I suppose there wasn’t any point for privacy anyhow.

“I took a pregnancy test. But it was negative. I’m sorry if I scared you guys.” I half apologized, however had a bit of fire in my tone. It wasn’t something I was exactly proud to spit out in front of my boyfriends children which half of, consisted of males. But the faces in the room looked confused, and twisted with uncertainty.

Oops. Maybe this isn’t what that was about.

Well that’s embarrassing, but I seriously couldn’t have thought of anything else I could have done to be trialed against the family like this.

“But that’s not possible. I thought you said-“

“Rose.” Emmett cut her off, as they all looked to Alice and Carlisle.

“My visions are from the future, it could still be too early for a positive test.” Alice defensively stated, taking a closer step to me.

“Yeah but we don’t know if it would even show up. I didn’t take one when I was pregnant with Renesmee.” Bella said across from the couch next to Edward, who was staring at me, no doubt reading my mind.

“Is this possible?” Rosalie asked, a glint of hope in her eyes as she looked to Carlisle.

“I don’t sense a heartbeat”

“It takes 4 weeks for a heartbeat”

“Again. Future.”

“She truly didn’t know. She’s not lying about the test”

“What part of future do you not get?”

“We still got time if we caught it ea-“

“That’s NOT your choice.”

“Woah. Everyone. Please does anyone care to fill me in?” I exclaim, feeling overwhelmed by all the familiar voices talking at once. They all suddenly go dead silent, looking over at their adoptive dad for permission.

I looked over at Carlisle who looks pained, and worried. But he also manages to look calm and lovingly at me. “Y/n my love, this morning Alice had a vision. You were pregnant, and you decided to keep it.” He carefully chose his words.

“Pregnant?” I choked out, suddenly feeling very cold and nauseous. However, I also felt like I could do a thousand cartwheels of joy. Rosalie stepped up and was at my side in seconds, grasping my shoulder gently. “Here, sit down.” She guided me back down to where she was previously sitting.

“Pregnant?” I whispered to myself again, not really processing what was going on around me. “That we know of, you could not be pregnant right now. There’s one way to know for sure though.” Carlisle explained, referring to the ultrasound machine that still lied up in the room where Bella spent a lot of time in when she was pregnant.

“Do you want to go see your baby?” Rosalie smiled, excitedly rubbing up and down my arms gently. “Rose we don’t know yet.” Edward replied, a hand on Bella’s shoulder. “Oh I know she is, I can tell. She’s glowing.” Rosalie snapped back joyfully, still smiling at me with hope.

And soon enough, it was Carlisle and I, in the empty room, with dead silence as he set up the machine. Emmett had to practically pry Rosalie from the room, and she was undoubtedly near by the closed door outside the room, listening to every word.

“You don’t seem excited.” I carefully pressed, acknowledging his nervousness. “I could have just potentially killed the only woman I’ve ever loved.” Carlisle replied, but not in a harsh way with any malice tone towards me, but rather himself.

“There is still a chance I’ll be fine. Bella made it, and we have more knowledge now.” I tried to reassure. But he didn’t seem to pay much attention to my words. “Y/n, love, nothing is worth risking your life to me. Nothing.” He grabbed a bottle that resembled gel.

“This might be cold.”

I nodded, my shirt already lifted up, as I laid down on the chair. “I do hope, I could talk to you into looking towards alternative choices. If you are pregnant.” He spoke, as his eyes were glued to the screen as he pressed slightly on my stomach with the camera.

“I can’t believe you.” I angrily stated, looking at the gray and white screen, trying to soak up the moment and not let Carlisle dampen my hope. It didn’t help I didn’t really know what I was looking at, the only ever time I saw one of these was when Bella was pregnant. I looked up at Carlisle, hoping I could find some sort of answer on his face.

“Dammit.” I heard him whisper. Before lifting up the piece of plastic on my belly and setting it down, shutting his eyes. I felt happiness surge me, warming me up from head to toe.

I was going to be a mother.

“By the looks of it, you are about two-three weeks pregnant.” He quietly said, not making eye contact with me. His hands were holding the end of the machine in a deadly grip. I reached over and grabbed one of his hands, he instantly relaxed his hand and let me hold it. I looked up at him and smiled happily, waiting for him to look at me back.

“It’s okay. I know we can do this, we are going to have a baby. Your going to be a dad, after all these years.” I reminded him, suddenly realizing how Bella was so happy and optimistic. I was bringing a life into this world, I was going to give Carlisle a baby after centuries of him never thinking he would be a biological father.

“I know you are happy Y/n, but I don’t want you to have to go through what Bella did knowing that I did this to you. And we barely got to Bella in time, what if it doesn’t work? I would have killed you. I can’t bare living eternity knowing I did that to you.”

“You didn’t do anything Carlisle, I chose this. I know what I’m getting myself into, I was there with Bella. And this time we don’t have to worry about facing a war with the wolves or the Volturi. We don’t have to worry about getting blood, we can do this. I know you’re scared, but I’m not. I have never felt so happy and hopeful, I know it won’t be easy but look at Edward and Bella, they have a daughter, and we could have that too.”

He looks down at me, just staring at me with a sorrowful gaze. It was just silence between us for a few moments, it looked as if he wanted to say a million things, but then thought against it. He held onto my hand, then rested my own hand on my stomach before letting it go.

“I’m not going to tell you what to do with your own body. But I don’t support this decision y/n.” And with that, he walked out of the room. Leaving the door open, and leaving me in quiet thoughts by myself. I looked down at my stomach where my baby was growing, I smiled happily to myself,

My baby.

It felt so surreal and powerful, knowing I had Carlisle’s baby inside me, a vampires baby. I knew I should feel at least a little bit scared, knowing the bruising and broken bones that were about to come, but I couldn’t help but not fear it even a little bit. I fought so hard for this baby and I knew I could handle it, I had Bella and Rosalie, and that’s more support then Bella ever had when she was pregnant herself.

“Are you okay?”

I turned my head to the sweet voice that broke the silent room. It was Rose, her beautiful blonde hair appearing from the door. She had a smile on her face, and glowing eyes of joy. And behind her stood Bella, her tiny frame almost impossible to see behind Rosalie. I smiled, nodding to the two vampires, and gesturing them to come in.

“I guess it’s time to pick some names.” Bella responded, light heartedly trying to soften the mood. “I hope it’s another girl.” Rosalie said, resting a soft hand on my shoulder, glancing at the now turned off machine. “Carlisle will come around, he may not support your decision… but he will always support you. He loves you, we all have seen it.” Rosalie reassures, lifting me up slightly.

“Now, what would you like to eat?”

*****

It wasn’t long before my stomach started to swell up. Bella was right, it was not a human pregnancy, it was a lot faster. I looked about 6 months pregnant, my belly was slightly bruised like Bella’s was, but I had been on blood supplements sooner then she had so it was much easier.

Rosalie and I were shopping almost everyday for baby clothes until I started getting really big. Then we opted for online shopping, and eventually Alice came around and started being more involved, claiming if the baby was going to be born then it was going to be born into fashion properly.

Jasper and Emmett were betting on the baby’s gender, Jasper and Edward thought it was a boy and Emmett was on team girl with Rosalie and Alice. They have all voted on names and clothes, like a regular normal family. Nessie was excited to get a aunt/uncle however, for her sake we just said cousin, no need for technicalities.

Then there was Carlisle, who like Rosalie said, did come around. He was always by my side, asking me a thousand questions and making sure I was comfortable, not too hot or cold, if I was hungry, if I was tired, if the baby was kicking, etc.

He was even dare I say it….excited. He told a few of his close friends about the baby and would go upstairs with me everyday to get ultrasound pictures of the baby and tape them in a photo album book he had. His hands would always be gently around my belly or on my hand, asking me how I felt and how the baby felt. Carlisle also had everything planned out and written down, he was very determined for everything to go smoothly and as easy as possible.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had a broken rib here and there, and it did hurt. My stomach felt like it would burst at times, the bruised skin needed ice packs and heating pads at times. But it was a magical feeling, I knew I was doing something incredible and almost impossible.

And I knew I was getting close to the due date, we estimated it with the help of a Bella’s pregnancy even though her birth was an emergency. I wasn’t scared, or nervous. I knew that what was meant to be would be and that panicking would solve nothing or help anything. I did sense Carlisle’s nervousness though, and we had many conversations the closer it got to birth, he tried to stay strong and calm collected for my own sake, but there wasn’t a need. I had everything I wanted.

Alice had looked at my future numerous of times, and the closer the date came, the more visions she got of me living and surviving the birth, then being turned into a vampire. She of course, along with Edward, were the only two that knew the baby’s gender. I voted for it to be a surprise, and Carlisle agreed with it.

Rosalie and Alice had renovated one of the spare rooms into a nursery, using gray since it was a neutral color and there was no spoilers before I had the baby. They were both so excited, Rosalie especially. And Bella put together everything I would need for the baby, and prepped multiple bags and shelves with baby supplies and toddler stuff since my baby would not stay a baby for very long.

Emmett and Jasper even built a little play ground out in the back of the woods for Renesmee and my baby, which certainly made Nessie happy. And Edward would come by and sit with me, telling me what if felt like to read by baby’s mind. Reminiscing when it was Bella and his baby and what it was like to read his baby’s thoughts.

Everything was perfect, it couldn’t have been better.

****

Today was the day. I was going to give birth to my miracle baby, Carlisle had did the measurements and all the tests and scans and the baby was ready to come out. And fingers crossed, that it would go a lot more smoothly then Bella’s birth.

Everyone was nervous and jittery, Jasper had me questioning if he was using his mojo on me or Carlisle, probably both. But everything was set and most the family was sitting in the room with us. It was very quite and very calm, they all gave reassuring looks and feedback during the set up of the room. Carlisle was just done setting everything up then quietly looked my way.

“Are you okay?” He stated,

“If this-“

“When” I cut my lover off, looking up at him and holding his hand confidently before finishing.

“When this works out, yes, I know this is my last moment as a human. You will use the morphine, and anesthesia to put me out and then perform the C section, then turn me once the baby is out. It’s fine, you’ve told me a million of times. I’m ready.”

He looked down lovingly at me and gently rested his hand on my abnormally swollen belly. Taking in the last few moments with his human girlfriend before our baby was brought into the world.

“Are you ready?” I questioned, raising my eyebrows playfully. He smiled, before stroking my head with his icy cold hand. “Ready as I can be.” I heard his voice as he walked behind me to the machines.

I looked up at Rosalie and Bella, who were in the chairs next to me, while Alice and Edward stood behind me with Carlisle. They all looked very intense and stiff. “Alright guys. I guess I’ll see you on the other side. Take lots of pictures of my baby, Rose, make sure you share.” I joked, getting a few laughs out of my soon-to-be vampire family. Hoping to lighten the mood before I get put out.

I felt Carlisle’s hand on my shoulder, slowly guiding me to lay down on the table I was sat on. I looked up at the white ceiling, taking in the last few seconds of my humanity. I rose my hands and lifted my chin to take one last look of my pregnant belly, and felt Carlisle inject a cold fluid in my IV.

I turned my head to the side to look at him, he had one hand out, which was holding my closest hand. I didn’t even notice when he went to grab it. Then he took one last look at me, and whispered something. I couldn’t seem to catch what it was, already feeling the effects of the anesthesia.

I laid my head back on the table and noticed the ceiling getting darker, and darker. I also felt the sleepy euphoria take over my body. Then I closed my eyes and was met with darkness, my last thought of a face that I knew all too well.

Carlisle.

“I love you Carlisle.” I managed to get out before the darkness consumed me.

****

I woke up, suddenly conscious. However, it was odd. I didn’t feel groggy, or stiff. I felt alive, fresh, if you will. I felt as if I could hear every speck of dust fall inside the room I was in.

Room.

I looked around, it was a room I was unfamiliar with. It was a room with four pastel blue walls decorated with shelves full of wooden animals and plastic toys. Besides me was an old fashion white crib, with distrusted blue blankets. I was lying on a bed that looked as if was brand new, with freshly new sheets that smelt of soap and linen. Then I heard a swift sound of someone entering the room.

“Y/n. You’re awake.”

I looked up at my love, Carlisle, who had a biggest smile on his face and looked as if he would start crying. I studied him harder, I could see every piece of blonde hair on his head and every crease in his clothes. “Wow.” Was all I mustered out, soaking up the newly senses of being a vampire.

He chuckled, taking a step towards me and extending his hand. I looked down at it and could smell something, it was a mix of daisies and soap. I could also sense the warmth from it. “You have been holding the baby.” I almost cried out, looking around the room once more. Which was obviously the nursery, covered in blue.

“I’m gonna take a wild guess and say it’s a boy.” I finished, motioning quite fast around room. In which he laughed again, nodding as he took his hand in line. “How did you know.” He said before He wrapped me into a hug, in which I succeeded in not crushing him in half, which was something Bella managed to remind me about before I went under.

“I want to see him. Please.”

Carlisle looked down at me and then motioned something in the room beside us. I didn’t seem to notice it before, but now that I did I felt like a fire had arisen up my throat. I felt like tearing it to pieces and getting inside of it. It was a fridge, and I didn’t need to open it to know it was full of blood.

“Ladies first.” I heard him say, as milliseconds went by and almost ripped the door straight off the hinges and tore into a bag. It tasted amazing, to say at the least but I could tell it was animal blood. Which was good enough for me, the sooner I finished this bag the sooner I could hold my son for the first time.

“I figured you’d want to see the baby as soon as you could.” Carlisle said, gently closing the fridge behind me, motioning towards the fridge. “But after you do, we can go out and hunt down some fresh blood.” He continued, as he started leading me out the door. “How is he?” I asked, referring to my baby, looking around the halls that seemed totally different then before. I could see every speckle on the wall and hear every creak underneath our feet that I never heard before. “Great, it’s only been two days. Rosalie is soaking up his attention right now.”

We walked downstairs into the living room where I saw all my family sitting around a tiny wrapped up figure in Rosalie’s arms. They all looked at me and a few smiled while Emmett greeted me. “Hey y/n, good news, definitely not the milk man’s baby.” While Bella punched his side playfully. A few laughs came out from Jasper and Edward.

“Oh good, had me worried there for a minute. It’s not like it was an abnormal pregnancy.” I joked back, making my way towards the blue ball of blanket. Rosalie looked up to me and then lifted the baby towards me, laying him gently in my arms. I was taken aback in shock. The baby was quite literally a spitting image of Carlisle, from his hair to his cheek bones, I didn’t see a hint of my genes in him.

“Wow. Talk about Carlisle.” I concurred, cradling my baby in my arms. He was perfect, he had his tiny little eyes closed, with his beautiful little puffy cheeks, and his bleach blonde hair that was more like fuzz then anything. I could feel his warmth seep into my arms and chest, he definitely had human in him. But that’s about the only thing he seemed to get from me.

I looked up at Carlisle who was watching me and our baby. “I told you I could do it.” I teased, taking my eyes back onto my baby. Who just started to open his eyes. He cooed, reaching up towards me with a faint smile. I looked down giggling a bit, rocking him.

“Why hello love, welcome to the world.”

And in that moment, I knew I had everything I could ever have.

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lulu2992 · 3 months

Text

Uncovering the unreleased Far Cry 5 in-game Encyclopedia

The almost complete but unused in-game encyclopedia, reconstructed thanks to the oasisstrings file.

Please note that it’s still cut content, so some information might not be relevant anymore.

You can read the oasisstrings file here. Pictures from this encyclopedia were also extracted and posted by @xbaebsae here.

Part 2: Locations - Holland Valley

Gardenview Packing Facility

The last facility added to the Hadlers' apple empire. They shipped their apples throughout Hope County and beyond. When the cult went red state, the Hadlers stopped their legal threats and resorted to violence.

Silver Lake Trailer Park

A community of people just trying to do their best.

Gardenview Orchards

A part of Doug and Debbie Hadler’s apple empire. After their ciderworks facility, they expanded to a second, larger orchard: Gardenview Orchards. Then they opened the Gardenview Packing Facility.

Rae-Rae's Pumpkin Farm

Fiery matriarch Rae-Rae Bouthillier cares about two things: Prize-winning pumpkins and her dog Boomer.

Gardenview Ciderworks

The first major facility owned by Doug and Debbie Hadler. Ten years ago, they had a dream: an empire made of apples. They nearly achieved it too, until the cult forcibly took over everything they had worked for.

Bridge of Tears

It was called the Mišihrew Bridge when the railroad was still active. It’s now a rickety old train bridge and John Seed's ideal location to send a warning message to all sinners.

Frobisher's Cave

In 1970, a cougar, named "Frobisher" by the locals, killed the star pitcher of a rival baseball team. The Hope County Silver Foxes won that year and changed their name to the Cougars in Frobisher's honor.

Howard Cabin

Home of Niesha Howard, an extreme rock climber from Canada who moved to Montana to be a prepper.

Copperhead Rail Yard

Copperhead Rail was created in the late 1800s by Emmet Reaves. It was shut down in the early 70s and a lot got left behind. It became a place for kids to get drunk or bums to find shelter, then the cult bought it.

Lincoln Lookout Tower

It’s the last working fire tower in the county. A man who worked here promised to help the Strickland family fight off the cult if ever their farm was under attack.

Sergey’s Place

A hobo historian calls this place home. Nobody's seen him in a while though.

Boyd Residence

Will Boyd lives here, or at least he did. No one in the valley talks about him. And for good reason.

Strickland Farm

Property owned by the Strickland family of farmers. No friends to Eden’s Gate.

U.S. Auto

A scrap yard containing trashed cars, broken farm equipment, and even a few busted planes. Eden's Gate uses the garage to build and maintain their convoys.

Doverspike Compound

Les Doverspike was a militia nut and he built himself a bunker. Nobody in the prepper community liked him. Despite that, he was anti-cult and pro-Resistance.

Harris Residence

Mike and Deb Harris were preppers with a cunning plan to keep themselves fed after the end of the world.

Reservoir Construction Yard

Deep North Water wanted to build a new reservoir for the Holland Valley. The company ran out of funding and was chased away by Eden’s Gate.

Dodd’s Dumps

Colin Dodd used to run garbage disposal for the whole Holland Valley, and his business lot shows it. The cult intimidated him into leaving but has yet to sort through all he left behind.

Davenport Farm

The remains of a run-down farm. Local farmers let their cows graze here. Can't let good land go to waste.

Hilgard Electric Power Station

The Holland Valley's power supply is reliant on this transformer station which is controlled by Eden's Gate.

Golden Valley Gas

Once the kind of gas station that gave out free bubble gum to kids, Golden Valley is now a strategic point of gasoline and auto maintenance for the Project at Eden's Gate.

Green-Busch Fertilizer Co.

Facing a decline in business, the Green-Busch family said “yes” and sold the place to John Seed on the condition that locals could keep their jobs and work alongside Eden's Gate.

St. Isidore School

Once a religious boarding school, it was forced to close its doors by Eden's Gate.

Dodd Residence

Home of Colin Dodd, hoarder and DIY enthusiast. He never throws anything out. His granddaughter Nadine's been known to lurk here.

Roberts Cabin

Home of Joe Roberts, a hunter. He's gone missing. He loved hunting deer above all else.

Hope County Clinic

Dr. Kim Patterson provides medical services to Hope County's farmers and low-income residents, many of whom would never receive care in such a remote area.

Holland Valley Station

In the days that it was up and running, Copperhead Rail used to stop here. Eden’s Gate uses this station to catch people who try to escape the region.

Grain Elevator

As the farmlands started to collapse, the grain elevator was the first casualty. Too expensive to maintain.

Henbane River Rail Bridge

Copperhead Rail was created in the 1880s during a mining boom, and shut down in the early 70s after the industry collapsed.

Flatiron Stockyards

Bobby Budell established the stock yards in 1946, and has proudly provided farm and ranch auction services since. The economic and community base employed over 25 people at its height.

Fillmore Residence

Home of Doug Fillmore. Not much is known about him.

Dupree Residence

Home of Tommy Dupree, an idiot who used to work at Green-Busch Fertilizer Co. He got fired by Eden's Gate because he was as dumb as the crap he bagged.

Catamount Mines

Fall’s End owes its existence to the gold Orville Fall discovered here in 1865. The mine brought a generation of prosperity to the region until a suspicious accident entombed 100 men within it, forcing its closure in 1912.

Sunrise Farm

Sunrise Farm was going under, so owners Mike and Chandra Dunagan reluctantly sold it to Eden's Gate. Big mistake.

Deep North Irrigation Reservoir

Originally designed to irrigate farms, the reservoir became a liability when the cult began putting Bliss in the water supply. The Resistance sealed it up to buy themselves time.

Red’s Farm Supply

The Redler family has run this place for 4 generations, and earned a reputation for honest business. Wendell did his best to keep it out of cult hands.

Purpletop Telecom Tower

In the 1950s, Purpletop Telecom built this tower, blessing people with the wonders of AM radio. As time and technology marched forward, they were also given the American splendor of a local TV station.

Woodson Pig Farm

This place has been in the Woodson family since 1943. Current owners Andrew and Frances Woodson used their wealth to try to stand up to John Seed and fight him in court. They lost, and joined the Resistance.

Sawyer Residence

Don Sawyer came from out of town to join the Project at Eden's Gate. He restores canoes, but isn't very good at it. Visitors have sworn they've heard him swearing in Russian over those boats.

Hyde Barn

Kenny Hyde's a poor man in Holland Valley, but that doesn't stop him from loving deep fried balls. He's the proud keeper of Fall’s End Testy Festy decorations, stashing them at his barn until they're needed.

Kupka Ranch

Zip Kupka's the only one who really knows what's going on in the Holland Valley.

John’s Gate

A missile silo long decommissioned and abandoned. The locals used to call it "Area 68." Eden's Gate bought it in secret and turned it into a bunker that is in John Seed's safekeeping until the Collapse.

Security Gate

Formerly the entrance to the missile silo, it's now the gateway to John Seed's bunker. Everything taken in the Reaping passes through this checkpoint.

Steele Farm

The Steele family managed to get their kids out of Hope County, but stayed behind to try and defend their home from Eden's Gate.

Lamb of God Church

A Lutheran church. Its elderly priest was overshadowed by Pastor Jerome’s charismatic sermons. John once asked the priest to say “yes.” Not a chance. Then, the priest was gone. He had taken a “long vacation.”

Lamb of God Sacristy

The Project at Eden's Gate has turned the Lamb of God Church's sacristy into a holding place for everything they need to baptize people at the water's edge.

Armstrong Residence

The Project at Eden's Gate targeted the Armstrong family early, burning their home to the ground when Grace Armstrong refused to devote her sharpshooting skills to the Father's cause.

Bradbury Tractor Shed

A shed for tractors.

Hope County Jail Bus

Prisoners hijacked this bus but were run off the road. The wreck was left to rot in the woods. When Eden's Gate brought prohibition to Hope County, some enterprising moonshiners set up shop behind the cult’s back.

Parker Laboratories

Home and workshop of Dr. Laurence Parker, and the origin of many mysterious noise complaints.

Seed Ranch

The power of yes gave John Seed this dream ranch overlooking the Holland Valley. it has commanding views, a private air strip, and secluded soundproofed rooms for his most invigorating religious pursuits.

Bradbury Farm

The home of the Bradbury family, hay farmers for generations. The strange pattern of dead hay in the field does not impact the quality of the final product. That's the Bradbury guarantee.

Bradbury Hay Field

Bradbury Farm's hay is baled and stored here before being sold to clients looking to feed their livestock with quality hay.

Laurel Residence

Laurel family honey was a local market favorite until their bee colony collapsed and jeopardized the business. It also spooked the Laurels who sunk money into a bunker and became preppers overnight.

Eden’s Gate Greenhouse

Bliss plants are found throughout the Henbane River, but they're also found here. John Seed takes the flowers he receives by boat from the east and plants them in his greenhouse.

Seed Boat Launch

Once a favorite spot for summer frolickers, this boat launch is used by John Seed for receiving shipments of Bliss and other supplies from elsewhere in Hope County.

Rye & Sons Aviation

This plot of land was first settled in 1920 by Willard Rye. He started a crop dusting business. His sons inherited both and it now belongs to the current generation of Ryes: Nick & Kim.

Kellett Cattle Co.

The Kellett family supplied beef for 3 generations. These proud Republicans thought they recognized the American spirit in Eden’s Gate, but when John Seed asked them to serve the Project, they said “no.”

Fall’s End

After prospector Orville Fall struck gold, his small mining camp quickly grew. Decades later, his rival, rail baron Emmett Reaves, shot him dead in the streets, giving the town its official name.

Old Silo

Welcome to the middle of it.

Kay-Nine Kennels

The owner, Kay Wheeler, loved her dogs more than life itself. She bred and trained hunting and guard dogs. When Eden’s Gate showed up, the local demand for guard dogs tripled. John Seed noticed and took action.

Sunrise Threshing

A silo and shed complex attached to Sunrise Farm. Rumor has it that Mike Dunagan's stashed a lot of cool shit around here somewhere.

Redler Residence

Home of Wendell Redler, local businessman and Vietnam veteran.

Adams Ranch

Jules Adams lost her husband in an "accident" after saying no to John Seed. Her family's struggled to keep the cattle ranch out of cult hands ever since.

Miller Residence

Despite financial hardship, the Miller family refused the cult’s invitations, prepping for doomsday all on their own. When the reaping came, Jerry Miller was out working.

Wellington Residence

The Wellington family mine is an urban legend, supposedly stuffed with gold, explosives, or both depending who you ask. Generations of Wellingtons (possibly inbred) have tried and failed to strike it rich here.

#far cry 5 #hope county #holland valley #boomer #wendell redler #kenny hide #zip kupka #john seed #jerome jeffries #grace armstrong #larry parker #nick rye #kim rye #far cry absolution #will boyd

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riddler-green · 7 months

Text

Tea for three. 1

Summary: Flood consequences.

A/n: holaaa! Hellooo!!!1 I hope you have a great day, it took me a while to update because I came back from summer vacation and went back to college. Also start a Flufftober! (My AO3 ✮⋆˙)

With nothing more to comment, enjoy! ⊹ ࣪ ˖

Words: 6,120.

You looked at the ceiling of your cell while lying on your bed, wanting to distract yourself as much as possible from your current situation before falling into despair.

You thought this might apply to a psychological experiment of some sort and you are the test subject, how long will you last between two psychotic neighbors whose vocal cords can't seem to get enough?

You estimate an hour before you finally scream out of annoyance.

But just as a possible psychological experiment can also be torture, the two didn't shut up for quite some time, the Joker laughed while your other neighbor sobbed making pitiful noises. You can't believe this is the same guy who made that whole malevolent spectacle.

You peeked your head out earlier and there you saw him, lying in the corner of the doorway where you can see him, his face swollen with tears, his expression shattered. It had to be him, there was no doubt that it was the same man, the one who terrorized everyone, lying like that, as if he hadn't done everything he did.

It was strange to see him like that, like he was sorry for what he did but you know that's a slight possibility.

You close your eyes about to sleep when you hear the voice of the Joker, speaking in a way you had not heard him speak before, with a gentle voice comforting your other neighbor.

It was not a dream, you heard it perfectly, he said a riddle to your other neighbor, for what purpose?

That sounded somewhat comforting to Riddler, as he stops crying and gives a few small laughs at the riddle.

You listened to the small interaction with an uneasy feeling, you kept silent in all those hours, hiding your presence.

You wish you didn't have nightmares tonight.

A week after the flood was indescribable, so fast but still the hours were just as slow, a lot of lost personnel, and security guards asked for days off to clean up their own lives, and some people disappeared in the waves of the city. You saw it all from your new cell, you managed to see the security screens with the news already on, the guards themselves needed to know what was happening instantly. Since the Joker was transferred to another cell for almost killing a nurse, the hours have been quieter.

You saw him being led by several guards, he took his time to say goodbye to your neighbor and you, as he turned towards the cells, his haggard face gleaming, his smile rotten.

You want to talk to someone about it, but no one is available, your therapist's apartment was completely flooded and he was given a few weeks, on the other hand, Jonathan must be in Bludhaven, you're not that worried about him since he was fortunately out of town when all this happened, but still a part of you just wishes he was okay wherever he is.

Throughout that week, the news was devoted to showing the progress of the city's recovery, showing the heroic deeds of the Bat. When you wake up the first thing you do is look through the door at the morning news, see what Batman had done.

You saw reports of him saving too many people, you learned that he put your neighbor's supporters in their place in Bella Real's speech as the new mayor. You doubted Batman was the hero most said he was, but seeing him helping people made you change your opinion of him a bit.

Just a little bit.

The news was your only entertainment these days, they didn't even let you go out to the library or other spaces except the showers, you understand, that the hard blow that the city received also had repercussions in the hospital, and you fear that the little peace you had achieved in these months will go down the drain for another patient with as much fame as the Joker.

There was no worse punishment than this weird isolation imposed on you and perhaps all the other patients as a curfew to calm the waters and have less work.

You haven't wanted to interact with your only neighbor so far, you don't know him, you have no idea how evil he can be so you leave him alone and he also doesn't seem to acknowledge your existence. In the evenings he would cry, for a few hours, and he wasn't so outrageous that you could reproach him for anything, it sounded like he was trying to be as quiet as possible but you still heard him.

It was a mix of emotions, your moral conscience spun and spun like a hamster wheel in search of an answer. As much as you heard the man cry seeing him like that didn't take away from the fact that he is still dangerous. Serial killers are notorious for having a lack of empathy, he proved that point when he did that twisted game with Batman. Now, he's just another Arkham patient like you, he no longer has his mask or his people, he's left alone.

You've watched him through the glass of your door, you've witnessed his daily routine of crying, you don't say anything to him. You just watch him analyzing every single thing he does when he stands in that corner near the door.

You felt like in your college days, already graduated and working. You saw too many people in that same state as your neighbor is now, sadness and crying is normal for human beings. But to say that the man you are looking at lamenting falls under the word "normal" is wrong.

You can't help but have that clinical eye even though you no longer need it, the reaction to his imprisonment is rather curious in your opinion. His capture was supposed to have already been established, so why is he crying? out of regret? out of fear?

Before you could make any further progress in deciphering your neighbor, you were transferred to your previous cell, where you were better off. When they took you out you saw him out of the corner of your eye, he also looked at you, his face pressed against the glass, with his eyes open, you could only see him for a few seconds before the guards forced you to walk, that minimal interaction they had was strange, they did not speak at all, but his expression was communicating something. Did he know that you had been watching him all these days?

A month has passed since the flood caused by The Riddler, and half of the city has been successfully cleaned up, but the aftermath of the masked killer's anger has yet to be healed.

You have seen the slow but sure progress through the window of your previous cell, the one you have called home on the nights when loneliness affects you the most, this time you can be more at ease knowing that you have no neighbors who could kill you if you are careless.

Through the window you saw the city of Gotham, the same city you haven't set foot in almost a year, you see the reconstructions of the bridges and where the bombs exploded, as the people trying to live their lives as if nothing had happened, walking between the big puddles, wearing rain boots up to their knees and covered with raincoats.

You hear someone calling you from the door of your cell, you are so entertained with the panorama of the city that you don't even hear the first time they call you.

The second time your call sounds louder and you turn around in surprise, at the door there is a nurse with an envelope in his hand, you take a few steps through your cell and reach the nurse, but he keeps silent while he hands you an envelope with something inside through the crack of the cell door, the nurse leaves without saying anything, you thank him quietly grabbing the envelope and looking at it between your hands.

It's a simple yellowish-colored envelope with some wrinkles, you quickly open the envelope and take out what's inside.

"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" you whisper in bewilderment at the cover of the book that was inside the envelope, a certainly unusual book with a colorful exterior with the five iconic characters walking down the yellow path, you found the drawings on the cover so fascinating that you almost forgot the most important part which is to look inside the book for a message.

On the first title page, you read Jonathan's neat, fine cursive handwriting.

Appearances can be deceiving.

Below the short sentence is his signature with the first initial of his name.

It doesn't bother you, his dedications are usually that frank, they usually have to do with the content of the works he gives you, maybe he said it for the Wizard of Oz? Why was he a phony?

However you are touched by the gift, you return to your bed to start the new book in your hands, leaving the window and its view.

You hear Mr. M sigh for the third time, you want to ask him if he is okay but he is the therapist, and you are not. So you just keep silent closing your eyes and lying on the new couch in his office. You turned your head to look at him as he continued to write down whatever he was working on, you could see his tiredness, and his eyelids with dark circles under his eyes were noticeable, however, he remained level-headed but not trapped in his stoic appearance.

His stiffness is still there, but his posture is calmer, and the speed with which he writes also becomes slow and smooth, different from the small sounds of his pen moving fluidly when he gave you psychotherapy before the disaster.

There was an awkwardness in the air, apparently you only perceive it that way, Mr. M keeps writing, and you keep seeing him, maybe…

"Things are getting back to how they used to be..." your voice sounds a little hoarse due to the lack of speech these past few days, since you were isolated due to the flood talking to your therapist didn't sound so bad anymore.

"So it seems" he comments to you in a reflective voice without looking at you but acknowledges your comment, you change your lying position to a sitting one, the feel of the texture of the couch is so nice that if you continued lying down you would fall asleep.

You continue to analyze Mr. M, no words are needed to communicate something, and unexpectedly it calmed you to see your therapist in a different state than his professional and robotic self, the consequences of his private life were shown through his small gestures.

"Are you all right?" you ask without thinking too much, Mr. M is surprised to hear you stop writing to raise his head and look at you "Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking".

You nod your head at his answer even though you don't believe him, your interest remains but you don't insist. Slowly you get up from the couch to stretch your legs, the handcuffs on your wrists make contact with your skin as usual, your therapist puts down his tablet with documents and starts to look at you in silence. You walk to your favorite spot, the window of his office.

"Will I ever get out of here?" is a question you ask yourself every day when a crippling pessimism clouding your vision makes you want to hide in your bed, or when you witness the sunrises from your tiny cell window. But since the flood, those rays of hope you once had of one day getting out of Arkham are gone.

"I would like to think that at some point you will be able to complete your reintegration process, but that decision is made by different people" You hear his pen coming into contact with his notepads again, as you go back to your routine of watching the scenery.

You sigh, it was a good answer but it wasn't what you wanted to hear, again "the isolation is getting to me" you declare bitterly, leaving behind the silent treatment you once gave Mr. M.

"You will return to your lucrative activities as soon as possible, in addition to the fact that visits have already been enabled again."

No one visits you, that's a truth that hurts you, you're pretty sure Batman won't be visiting you for a long time, he must be too busy cleaning up a whole city.

"Will I be able to go back to the library?" you stop looking out the window to look at your therapist, and you see him smile kindly (something that happens very rarely).

"Of course," he replies.

Some books in Arkham's "library" have never been read, or well, touched so to speak, there are books whose pages are completely stuck together and covered in dust, with the pages a brownish color.

In your hands is one of that style, it's a children's crossword book, you estimate about three hundred pages just by looking at it, the pages remain hard and difficult to use but nothing you haven't seen before.

You try to dust it off with the sleeve of your uniform, you don't care if you end up with dirt on your clothes if it's the price to pay for being in the library again. If it weren't for the fact that there were more people in the room than you, you would have jumped for joy at the sight of the bookshelves you missed so much.

Speaking of people, you were amazed when you entered the room to see what other prisoners were visiting the library. You kept a low profile by ducking your head and moved nimbly between bookcases to keep away from the other patients who were doing their own thing.

Back to the book, it is a valuable treasure, because despite its condition, all the crossword puzzles are blank, a rare occurrence, as usually books are scratched with dedications or phrases written between pages, after all, Arkham books are donated.

You smile as you place your discovery on the book cart to be ordered, but suddenly, a screeching sound makes you almost throw the book on the floor with fright.

It was a scream of pain, you left your cart to discreetly head towards the source of the scream. You poke your head through a bookcase to see an unexpected scene.

Two patients fighting, something that happens all too often, yet you find it peculiar that no guard has separated them yet.

You watch silently as the confrontation happens, a patient threatening with his fist and another guy who tries to defend himself, you do not know what to do, in situations like these it is best not to interfere, Arkham patients are different from each other, but all are a box of surprise that you do not know what awaits you.

You recognize one of them, making your blood run cold, the man who was defending himself with his arms is none other than the fucking Riddler.

You frowned at the memory, and now that you see him without the glass of your cell separating them you contemplate his appearance in detail, glasses with a broken lens, his baggy uniform, and no doubt you notice his height, from your cell you couldn't help but notice how tall he is.

You don't recognize the other patient who looks with uncontrollable rage at the Riddler, his fist still threatening him, he speaks looking directly at him, you don't manage to hear his conversation but you don't like what might happen.

You conflict with yourself, go forward or backward, you tell yourself that you should walk away and ignore the fight, but, that empathic part of you is still alive despite the injustices that fate has dealt you.

"Hey!" you speak loudly, you take a few slow steps, the two turn to see you and you almost regret having spoken, the angry face of the unknown patient does not go away, but that does not stop you from moving towards them, now that you have the aggressive patient's attention you are not going to waste them "Could you stop fighting? guards do not get nice when there are disputes" your negotiating skills were rusty and you realized it when you talked to them, that's what happens for being alone for so many days.

You see the patient's face getting angrier and angrier, you have dealt with people with anger issues, but this is very different, you don't know this person or the reasons for his stay in Arkham, at any moment he can attack you but you just don't falter your gaze, yes, he intimidating you but he must not know that.

"And who are you?" he speaks annoyed and you open your mouth to introduce yourself but he interrupts you "Ah, I know you" his irritation changes with a sarcastic smile and he moves closer to you.

"I-" you try to say something but again he interrupts you "You're Crane's pet, aren't you?" he asks letting out a laugh, your words die in your mouth as you process what he said, you take his words off guard.

What did he just say?"

"No" you reply in bewilderment, the patient's smile growing as he hears your curt reply.

"Okay" he raises his palms in surrender but his look full of madness unsettles you, he quickly turns to look at the riddle still lying on the ground "This isn't over, freak" he points his finger at him with a threatening tone, and walks away from you, you let out a held sigh when you have lost sight of him.

You direct your eyes to the man lying on the floor, his face says only one thing: surprise. It looked like his green eyes were going to pop out of his wide-open ones, the two of you remain in an awkward silence until you approach him offering your hand.

He hesitates for a few seconds to grab your hand, but he takes it, without saying anything you help him up, and without waiting for him to say anything you walk away with your back to him.

You don't want to get involved with a man like the Riddler, someone so popular and hated, you wouldn't be surprised if everyone is plotting something very horrible for him, as they say, prisons can be a real hell. Arkham is many things, a psychiatric hospital, a prison for criminals, or the perfect place to do your clinical internship.

But you saved him from that patient, and you still can't find the reason why you helped him, you tell yourself it's just a matter of principle.

On your way back to your book cart, which is still intact, you can't stop thinking about what that patient told you.

<Crane's pet>

You thought the friendly "relationship" you have with Jonathan was discreet but from what you see it's not, so that's what they call you? How do they make fun of you? Calling you in a derogatory way Jonathan Crane's pet. Deep inside you feel that sometimes that's what you are to him, that insecure part that grows from the lack of human contact, Jonathan is a renowned person both in Arkham and Gotham, you're just a patient, why would he want to be your friend?

You haven't seen him in weeks and that's starting to distress you, you only know he's still alive because of the book he gave you, but you don't know if the flood also affected him. It's the first time since you were locked up that you haven't seen him in a long time, and although you don't want to admit it, it's affecting you.

You miss him.

You miss his visits, the times he seeks you out to see you and chat about trivial things. Despite Jonathan's firm attitude, you consider him as a confidant, your best friend, maybe something more.

All the while you stare at the doors waiting for him to come in in one of his stupidly fancy outfits and ask you how you've been doing. You pick up another old book and wipe it off with your uniform, the excess dust making you sneeze. You leave the book in its place to rub your nose, while hoping your sneeze doesn't mean a possible cold, you don't notice other person watching you from afar.

You almost trip over your own feet walking towards the visiting room, you can barely lift your eyelids and see the path clearly, a guard behind you guides you with a firm hand on the chain of your handcuffs, leading you as fast as possible towards your destination. They woke you up in the middle of the night, you're not clear on the reason, they just said they require your presence urgently, you curse in your mind as they open the metal door to the visiting room, having an idea of who your visitor might be.

When you enter the room the first thing you see is him and you make an angry sound, the guard forces you into the room and you reluctantly obey. You didn't even notice when the guard who accompanied you left.

"What are you doing here?" you ask the man in the other room closing your eyes from the glow of the lamp, you reach for the metal chair and sit down, the man across the room watches your little movement in silence "What time is it? Couldn't you wait until in the morning or something?" you continue complaining opening your eyes adjusting to the light. The night knight hasn't uttered anything since you arrived, his mysterious aura was something that intrigued you but now when the guards disturbed your sleep just to see him, you find it a nuisance.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" you ask looking at him with a frown, the faster he finds what he's looking for the faster you'll be in your bed.

"You knew that?" not a ‘hello’, ‘not a how are you?’ he goes straight to the point asking you with an accusatory tone, you look at him with confusion now what is he talking about?

"Know what?" you squint your eyes, Batman ever so mysterious, he moves closer towards the glass partition and you can see him better, you notice it instantly, there is something different about him, you don't know what it is at first glance, but there is something different.

"The flood" he pronounced in disgust.

The flood? you repeat to yourself, not believing that what he said was indeed real "You think I had something to do with that?" you question him perplexed by the conclusion he came to, without you realizing it you start scratching your wrists from the itching of the handcuffs.

"What you told me" he speaks with a serious tone "Made a lot of sense."

"And because of that I'm already an accomplice?" you're still confused, does he think you have anything to do with it?

The first time you saw the Riddler was when he was crying in his cell, nothing else.

He kept silent examining you as if he didn't know what to say, thinking deeply about his next words.

"You wanted my perspective and I gave it to you, that was all" You defend yourself looking for his gaze between his mask and his eyes covered with black dust, you thought he had changed, that after seeing him through a screen as a routine he would change.

Silence.

"I didn't know" you speak quickly, the sleep in your body has drained and the shock comes, this is not how it was supposed to be the next time you would see the masked man after so many days of seeing him on the news "I'm telling you the fucking truth" you clarify again, his silence starts to make you nervous, you sigh lowering your head looking at your hands wrapped around each other, the irritated skin stays there, you raise your head to face the coldness of the dark knight again.

"Listen Batman" you speak to him with your voice returning to normal "I don't know what made you think it would be a good idea to ask me if I did or not" You give a long groan and continue "But your visits are never just to ask me stupid questions, there's always a reason, so spit it out."

Batman takes a seat and you hear his combat boots clacking in the room, his suit would look almost perfect if it weren't for some mud stains on his cape and gloves.

"The scarecrow knew it."

You make a grimace showing your discomfort, just hearing that nickname for the person who ruined your life makes you shudder, you just can't get used to hearing it, let alone saying it, as if it were a cursed name that just by naming it something bad would happen to you. Over time you have tried to overcome that fear, but in the context of this precise moment, where Batman talks about him scares you so much that you keep your hands in the pockets of your uniform.

"How do you know that?" you stutter your words.

"Riddler's apartment was seized along with all his computers" he informs you turning to look you straight in the eyes "Conversations between the two of them were found" he doesn't bring a folder with him, the more you listen to what he tells you your face gets paler and paler "Scarecrow was aware of what was going to happen and gave him his help".

At Batman's statement, you were provoked by absolute regret, that a man with broken glasses and an ordinary appearance was interacting with your worst enemy, and you defended him.

You shouldn't have done it, if you had known, you would have ignored it.

"You still think he and I are some kind of team?" you can't help but be offended every time Batman insinuates that you're related to the scarecrow-masked man.

"Are they?".

You lose your patience when you see his seriousness, you can't stand that he treats you this way, an undignified treatment where he looks at you with great prejudice, you are not a monster, but why does he look at you as if you were?

"NO!" you shout "How many times do I have to tell you that man ruined my life, Batman?" you don't care if you look like a maniac, the person in front of you managed to disappoint you, again. "I saw you on the news did you know that? they kept talking about you, how excellent you are, the new hope of Gotham" You get up from your metal seat and approach the glass that separates them, and the man in the dark suit approaches in the same way.

"But you're nothing but a failure" you whisper to him with a frown "Face it Batman!" you raise your voice in anger, you point your finger at him touching the glass "You locked up the wrong person, the Scarecrow is still free harming this city and I'm still here!"You can see Batman practically biting his tongue in frustration, you stop your tirade in surprise at the masked man's willingness to listen to you, he had never stopped to do so before, walking away when you got angry, or insulting you when he was in a bad mood.

"You should have caught him instead of me."

The watchman avoids your gaze, lowering his eyes, you thought he would say nothing and leave "Sorry" he apologizes softly but you hear him and shake your head at his curt apology, all the while you dreamed of the day when the man he put you in Arkham would repent for the mistake he made, but now that it is reality and not a dream you perceive that those apologies are no longer necessary.

"I don't want your forgiveness," you tell him taking a seat back in the metal chair, scratching your neck and feeling the cold metal "What I want is Justice".

He listens attentively to your request and slowly moves away from the light of the room, his suit makes him blend in with the walls, but you saw how he opened the door and left the room without saying anything.

You saw him go, he didn't say goodbye and you didn't expect him to either.

You can't sleep.

No matter how hard you try to fall asleep it just doesn't work, not when the ‘argument’ you had with the city's savior filled you with uncertainty and sadness.

Even though you hated to see him, he was one of the few people who visited you, one of the few people you interacted with. It's complicated, so complex that even you don't know how you feel about him, all the time you stress the hostility you feel when talking to him, but there is also that melancholy when he doesn't come to see you.

Before you were locked up, you held Batman in high esteem, at the time he was an unknown in the eyes of the city, a rookie vigilante, but now...

You don't know what to feel anymore.

Hate, resentment, grief, admiration, all of these are what you feel when you think of the man you saw rescue so many people, a jumble of emotions that you hate to experience firsthand.

You hug the last book that Jonathan gave you, and the sun's rays say good morning while you just look at the emptiness, you just want to rest after facing Batman in the face.

Maybe you have become brave.

Brave? you? you smile as you consider that, that adjective fits Jonathan better, he is, not to the point of being a fearless giver of all, but he doesn't blink in a panic situation.

You used to think of Batman as one of the bravest people in the entire city for taking the risk of fighting crime by himself, however, at this point, he can't even stand to be in the same room as you without running away from you for the wrong he did to you.

Someone knocks on your cell door and you look up to see who the heck came to visit you so early in the morning.

"Good morning" Jonathan greets you by opening your cell door with his worker card, when he enters your cell he closes the door without a second thought, and quickly you get up from your bed and run to him.

"Jonathan!" you greet ecstatic and excited to see him after so long, without thinking of the consequences you hug him forgetting that he is a worker and you are a patient, you hear him let out a soft laugh as he accepts your embrace and wraps his arms with yours.

"Looks like someone missed me," Jonathan tells you and you feel his happiness when he talks to you and he hugs you, he takes you in your arms for a few more seconds before he pulls you apart, and the two of you look into each other's eyes, you swear you almost started crying right there, god, how you missed him.

"How are you? are you okay? were you here when the flood happened?" you blurt out several questions looking at him with concern, you realize he is still the same as the last time you talked, his smile is barely noticeable but you notice the sparkle in his blue eyes, he missed you too?

"I'm fine, all this time I was in Bludhaven, I just got back to Gotham and..." he takes the time to finish his sentence but you beat him to it "Crazy, right?" you smile bringing out your bubbly side, with Jonathan by your side it's easier to smile and joke.

"It's a mess," he says raising a hand to stroke your head slowly "How are you? Tell me what you've done".

Instead of answering him that there is not much you can do when you are locked up in Arkham, you are left wondering how to tell him the events of the month. You enjoy his hand on your head "It's a long story" you tell him and he stops touching you heading over to your bed to sit with one leg elevated and resting on the other.

"I have time," Jonathan said adjusting his glasses and waiting for you to take a seat next to him on your stiff bed.

You hesitated at first, it is not right for workers to interact in such a casual way with patients, that was made very clear to you since your first year of university, but it seems that Jonathan does not fit that rule, from the first time you met him you realized that he is not a common Arkham psychologist either, nor does he compare to Mr. M in both respect and popularity. So you put those thoughts aside and sit comfortably next to Jonathan.

"The first days after the flood were a nightmare" you start to tell your version and Jonathan looks at you with attention "Beyond the fact that they didn't let us go out to any corner of the hospital, the worst was when they transferred me to a cell next to the Joker and the Riddler," you say lowering your eyes but not your head remembering the few days you were there.

Jonathan doesn't seem surprised by what you said "So you met him" he comments and you nod your head taking your new colorful book, no more context is needed to know he was referring to the Riddler, the fresh new clinical case to study "What do you think?".

"I don't know," you tell him the truth since you found out that man knew the scarecrow you can't see him the same way "I don't want to talk about him".

"Why?".

You stopped looking at the book to see him, you know that tone in his voice, that voice he uses when he is working, but honestly, at what point is he not psychoanalyzing you?

"Batman visited me, he told me himself that he and you-know-who worked together" you confessed censoring the name of the other criminal, Jonathan notices it "The Scarecrow" he stresses adjusting his glasses from the end pieces.

You give him an affirmative murmur distracted with your book, Jonathan doesn't stop being that scrupulous man even though most of the time he will treat you as a friend, he keeps trying to apply his therapy techniques so that you will try to overcome your fear of the scarecrow, which you don't like.

"It makes sense" Jonathan looks down to see the same thing you are looking at "You know it can't hurt you anymore," he says to you in a low voice to reassure you, you shake your head, and you find no comfort in his words.

Even if he were free and you locked up he stays alive in your nightmares.

When you realize that the two of you fell into a comfortable silence in which Jonathan examined every corner of your cell, you speak again "Thank you very much for the book" You change the subject by picking up the children's story, the man next to you smiles.

"You're welcome" Jonathan accepts the change of conversation, but you are aware that his attention to your phobias is not over at all "Do you know why I gave it to you?" he asks you, and your animated demeanor returns.

"Let me guess, it must be because of the deep psychological significance each character has and their journey through Oz" you reply in a feigned voice full of pretentiousness.

Jonathan smiles but doesn't laugh, he points his finger at the cover of the book "I just wanted you to know that there are good scarecrows" You see his finger touch the image of the jolly straw man smiling next to Dorothy, you open your eyes starting to laugh.

"I know there are good scarecrows" You gradually stop laughing. "But I know there are bad too" You gently touch the cover of the book, it's nothing more than a children's story full of fantasy, in your mind you wish things hadn't ended up like this.

You turned your eyes towards Jonathan sitting so elegantly, at least you are no longer alone in this hospital.

Taglist: @ostricx @sunshinesetsstuff.⋆˙⟡♡

Thank you very much for reading! And sorry for the mistakes!*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧.

#the riddler x reader #edward nashton x reader #bruce wayne x reader #jonathan crane x reader #riddler x reader #dano riddler x reader

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otakusheep15 · 9 months

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Barbenheimer: Twisted Wonderland

Did they see Barbie or Oppenheimer?

Riddle saw neither just because he's not a fan of movies. However, Cater convinced him to see Barbie and he actually enjoyed it a lot.

Trey saw Barbie because both of his siblings wanted to go. He also went to Oppenheimer by himself because it looked somewhat interesting, but he liked Barbie more.

Cater saw Barbie because she's a girls girl of course. He originally just wanted to see it because he thought it would be cute, but he had an absolute breakdown over the ending.

Ace saw Oppenheimer because that's the more "manly" one, but he lowkey understood none of it. He only went to Barbie because some friends (*cough* Yuu *cough*) dragged him along. He'll never admit that he liked it.

Deuce saw Oppenheimer because he was interested in the more technological aspects like the bomb mechanics, but it wasn't his thing. He doesn't go see Barbie just because it's not his prefered genre, but he still respects it for what it is.

Leona sees Barbie because he's chill like that, plus Cheka wanted to go with him. He purposely avoids Oppenheimer because it sounded boring to him and he's not gonna pay for a nap when he can sleep at home.

Ruggie saw both. He was Oppenheimer first with the intent of watching Barbie after as a way to cheer himself up, but he cried more for Barbie and regretted not watching it first instead.

Jack saw neither because he's not the type to watch movies at a theater, but he does plan on watching Barbie with his sister once it comes out on DVD or a streaming service.

Azul claims he watched Oppenheimer to look cool, but he lowkey went and saw Barbie. He cried the most out of anyone and refuses to admit it.

Jade saw both. He admits to liking Oppenheimer more, but he appreciates the message and story of Barbie, and the vibes were much better in his opinion.

Floyd saw Barbie. Jade tried to convince him to watch Oppenheimer as well, but Barbie was more fun than a movie about "some dumb bomb" according to Floyd.

Kalim saw Barbie and started sobbing the moment it got even a little sad. Also, Allen was his favorite character and he refuses to elaborate when asked.

Jamil saw Oppenheimer by himself and Barbie with Kalim. He enjoyed Oppenheimer more, but that might also be because Kalim wasn't there to talk throughout the entire movie.

Vil saw Barbie because of course he did. He was probably attended the premier and had a great time watching. He did contemplate watching Oppenheimer, but decided against it upon hearing reviews.

Rook saw both. He enjoyed the story of Oppenheimer more, but he did like the vibes and messaging from Barbie. He probably liked Ken a little too much and Vil probably needs to stage an intervention of some kind.

Epel saw Oppenheimer for the same reason as Ace. However, Vil forced him to watch Barbie as well, and he did end up liking it more than he thought he would. Unlike Ace, he has no problem admitting this.

Idia saw Oppenheimer for the fun techie stuff like Deuce, and saw Barbie for the fun girlypop vibes like Cater. By saw, I, of course mean he made Ortho bring his tablet to both so that he didn't have to leave his room.

Ortho saw both because of the reasons above. He enjoyed Barbie more, but he thought both were really good and did a great job of achieving what they set out to do.

Malleus saw Barbie because Lilia dragged him along. It wasn't his favorite movie ever, but he appreciate it and learned a lot about human culture because of it.

Lilia saw Barbie because Cater and Kalim told him all about it and he had to see it for himself. Naturally, he drags Malleus, Silver, and Sebek along.

Silver saw both but fell asleep halfway through Oppenheimer because it started getting boring. He almost fell asleep during Barbie, but Lillia kept him awake.

Sebek saw both. Lilia dragged him along to see Barbie, which he liked fine, and he saw Oppenheimer with Silver, which he liked more.

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being-of-rain · 29 days

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My blog tells me that I finished reading The Adventuress of Henrietta Street around 4 years ago. That was around the time that I finished uni (and the pandemic happened) and I just stopped reading novels. Before then, I was reading the EDAs on-and-off all throughout high school and university, and got around 70% of the way through them. It's a really important series to me for a whole number of personal reasons.

So I'm really very happy to say that I finally finished a new EDA! 🎉🎉🎉 My first, shortlived attempt at Mad Dogs and Englishmen was 4 years ago, but now I've finished it! Here's hoping many more EDAs follow it. And the rest of my massive to-read list.

Mad Dogs and Englishmen was classic Paul Magrs, so it was good that I went in expecting none of it to make a whole lot of sense. Magrs really does like focusing on aesthetics, meta-commentary, and sometimes emotions over realism or strong plot logic. I really don't mind those kind of focuses, but I much prefer them with some grounding in realistic emotions and a coherent plot, which is why I'm not sure Magrs is quite as high in my list of favourite Who authors as other EU fans. I appreciate what he does with his stories, they're just not my favourite. For example, in this novel a bunch of seemingly normal clay figurines come to life for, unless I'm forgetting something, no reason at all. It's a cool sequence, but not really much more. Then the monsters lead to the kinda awful death of a minor character because the protagonists... ignored him? Forgot about him? And the novel brushes past that pretty quickly. So yeah when I read a Magrs novel, I just need to switch off my mind's logic (including, sometimes, emotional logic) and just enjoy the ride.

But having said all that, I did enjoy the ride quite a lot! Definitely more than The Blue Angel, which I remember dragged a little for me. Mad Dogs, on the other hand, really held my attention, especially when I got to the point where the Tardis team had split up on their own adventures, and all three of them were equally entertaining (A rare EDA achievement!) It's always a joy for Iris to turn up, though I wish she could've been in more of the book, and Fitz's reaction to figuring her out was so entertaining. Also, does Iris' new body in this book make her one of the first Time Lords(ish) in any media to change skin colour? Just two months before Don Warrington made his first appearance as Rassilon (It's always fun to figure out what the comics and audios were doing at the same time as the novel I'm up to.)

Anyway, the premise of the Doctor and his team investigating the various stages of a novel's adaptation into a movie to find out how and why it was temporally interfered with to turn it into propaganda for another planet's politics is fantastic. Noel Coward having such a large part in the plot was a little surprising but fun. It's interesting how Anji still feels like she doesn't quite fit this life after 10 novels now, the poor girl. And the infamous scenes where the Tardis team are stripped naked, collared, and made to crawl around by dogs, and only Anji is at all upset about that is hilarious (That just happened to be the bit I was up to when my girlfriend asked me to read aloud to her to help her fall asleep. She ended up asking me to stop because what I was reading was 'too interesting' for her to sleep to 😂)

#my thoughts #edas #eight #fitz #anji #iris

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bleedingichorhearts · 29 days

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𝕽𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝕯𝖊𝖕𝖙𝖍𝖘:

𝕬𝖚𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖗: This is funny, I used to fear this game.

𝕾𝖚𝖒𝖒𝖆𝖗𝖞: You’re suddenly assigned to the underwater city of “Rapture” that was supposedly classified as a myth; built somewhere in the 1950’s.

However, the more you worked underneath the wealthy mans’ name. The more that you realize is how things are done around this corrupt air pocket. Experiencing things that should never even happen to a sinful human.

So, when you could, without the eyes of other staff. Treated the people down here the best you could within your position. Gaining some jealous eyes, hateful eyes and even adoring ones, but what happens when that turns into a one of obsession? Possession? Devotion?

𝕬𝖉𝖉𝖎𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓: Just in case you wanted to know what a Big Daddy sounded like, here. Big, underwater tin man loud.

TW // Imprisonment, organized crime?

Pulling the black ski mask down on my head. I adjusted the bottom of it, tucking it into the black combat shirt underneath the vest. Then I adjusted the collar of the shirt and grabbed the protective goggles on the coffee table and slid it over my eyes before putting my helmet on.

Strapping the helmet on comfortably. I looked around in the living room, scanning the area, making sure to double check that I got everything. Patting myself just in case.

Hand ties? Check.

Radio? Check.

Night vision goggles? Check.

Protective gear? Check.

Handgun? Check.

Knife? Check.

Frag grenade? Check.

Rifle? Spotting it leaning on the wall, I went over and picked it up. Unloading the mag, I counted the mag full of bullets before reloading it back into the gun. Check.

Nodding to myself, I made my way out of the room and locked the door behind me with the skeleton key provided to this vintage room. Waiting for a click! I turned the key and took it back, placing it back into my front pocket for safe keeping.

Fiddling with the door, I made sure it was locked before I headed off to the elevator to start off my day in this mythical, abandoned underwater city of “Rapture.”

This city was unpredictable and dangerous; filled with mindless, mutated people addicted to this… serum called “ADAM.” Most of the people or what’s left of them became dependent on that cursed source. It’s what changed them to become those “Splicers.”

That ADAM was no joke or “cure” to mess with. I’ve seen it in the works. How the person's body shifted, screaming out in pain when they injected that long, metal needle into themselves with it. Becoming an unstable person you have never met before.

Processed ADAM or “Plasmids” were— are still a painful thing to watch a person inject themselves with, but the benefit of it was you didn’t quite get influenced by it as much as you did with raw ADAM. You also gain a “superpower” whether it is electricity, ice or fire coming out of your fingertips. Insects, or telekinesis, you had one of those out of 11 documented. Some even have been lucky enough to receive all 11.

However, such power has its side effects. You’ll need EVE to restore your ability to power such a mutation, and with many wanting to use that power, they went crazy without it. Going as far as overdosing on ADAM in hopes to power them up. Which ultimately, was probably this city’s downfall.

Though, this man called “Sol Snyder” said he will make this city prosper once more. Rebuild what has fallen, remake the city as it once was. Make it even better than it was, but the more I work beneath him. The more I disagree with his work and how he was achieving this recreation.

“Mornin’ Guard.” The host of this building greeted, handing out a brown paper bag to me. “Figured ya needed somthin’ to eat while yer’ out there protectin’ my buildin’. I never see ya bring anything with ya.”

Taking the paper bag in my hands. It crinkled throughout the empty lobby as I opened it up to see what kind of a soul this older man was.

“I got cha a classic ham and cheese sandwich and a small bag of chips with a small apple juice box. Gotta keep ya strong out there!” The man said, taking his dark blue cap off, showing his bald spot on top of his head. “I know it ain’t much, but I can’t let a younglin’ like you wanderin’ about my buildin’ without rewarding ya for yer troubles.”

I tipped my head to him in appreciation and lightly folded the paper bag back up. This meal was going to be far better than what that lab would provide. Sure, their… mush was packed with proteins and vitamins, and it tasted a little better if you added some milk with it like it was oatmeal, but it still never compared to real food.

“Glad you liked it! Now get along there! Your friend is watching for ya.” The man informed, putting his cap back on. His white hairs floofing out at the sudden replacement of the cap. His body turning around to continue his duties as the host of his building, whistling away.

What a kind, old man. Giving me a fraction of his food. Giving me a place to stay instead of staying in that lab. He was one of the first people I’ve met here. Found each other when we got lost around in the city. The many water tunnels making it a little confusing on which build was which. Many signs were destroyed and withered still.

I remember our first encounter. He was wandering the city, going through areas he hasn’t seen yet. Areas that were prohibited to civilians like him which is where I met him on the first day on the job. Immediately tasked to keep people out where they shouldn't be.

He looked so confused about where he was, looking like he didn’t put himself in a dangerous situation, but was thankful that I had found him. The fear of encountering a Splicer and having to kill one running from his mouth.

Admittedly, I tried my absolute best to relocate him back to his building while he talked about his daily things he does down here. How it was calming to live underwater and watch the fish swim around the buildings despite the threat of the Splicers. How he has to trade some items to get some necessities in return down here and I got it easy. Since I was armed and working underneath Sol Snyder. It apparently grants you more privilege.

Finally leading him the right way to his building. He suddenly offered me a room at his building that he had owned from generation to generation, and his name “Nickolas Zimmerman” or “Nick” for short.

Extending his hand out in a hopeful deal, I took it. Seeing how this underwater world really was more dangerous than it sounded from up above and 'Nick' here sounded like a good person. I could see why he offered me a room without having anything in return. He wanted to feel safer.

Turning back around to my own duty’s. I continued my way through the city. Going through the glass water’s tunnels that provided a safe way to travel from building to building without having to drown or get pressurized from the water. Great underwater scenery too.

There were high kelp stalks reaching almost halfway on some of the tallest underwater buildings here. Neon signs glowing and flickering out in the water, pointing to whatever that building held. The water was murky, but that’s what you get for being in an underwater city. Most of the time it was a clear blue-ish green. The bottom of the sea untouched, unless there was a school of fish swimming about like some tuna or if you’re lucky enough an occasional whale or shark.

I question how one built such an underwater city without it exploding by the pressure? How did they get oxygen down here? How did they make this city without drowning? This city was made in the 1950’s. I’m sure they didn’t have the right equipment back then for them to not have a casualty.

A whale-like groan shook me from my thoughts as I stopped and looked over through the water tunnel. A Big Daddy mining away at some rocks. His harpoon drilling into the solid object, creating a brief rise up of sand on the bottom of the sea.

If I remember correctly, this was an Elite Bouncer. Judging by how he had red stripes over his suit and his hand is equipped with a harpoon rather than the original drill. He was assigned in this selection of the city to remove or collect the minerals here for improvement for the city.

The Bouncer groaned again. His bioluminescent pothole's flickering to a yellow then green before he jumped. His form floating seamlessly through the water to come closer up to the tunnel. Bring up the sand beneath his boots when he landed.

Bringing my hand up against the glass. I could feel the vibrations this Big Daddy gave off as he rumbled. His whale-like call going through the glass, giving me goosebumps as his free hand slowly came up on the other side of the glass. Practically engulfing my hand in his shadow. Leaving me impressed once more on how much bigger these beings were.

These beings were very interesting to me. How much bigger they could get. How they seemed so slow, yet so fast at the same time. It was an almost freaky thing to think about. How such a thing of old scuba armor could make such a loud sound of a whale. They were supposed to sound haunting, but they never could to me.

I found them more… comforting.

A buzz reminded me of my own assignment today. The small tablet on my wrist lighting up. The slight annoyance souring my mood. With a sigh, I tapped the glass in a goodbye. Leaving the Big Daddy to do his assignment while I had to go do mine. A low, longing moan leaving him as I moved away from the glass. Heading for the “Welcome Center” of the city.

“Ah! Glad you’re here.” The female scientist greeted, shoving a man in nothing but a dirty white, medical dress towards me. His chains on his wrists clinking together as he stumbled forward. “Take this subject here to Fontaine Futuristics and it shall be assorted from there.”

Taking the man from his arm. I steadied him back up on his feet. Feeling how skinny this man had gotten on his arrival here. He must have been lean and well-fed before being sent here.

Wait, Fontaine Futuristics? What did this man do to deserve such an ending?

“Well? Get along, it’s best for them to get there earlier.” The scientist said, waving her hand at me. Shooing me off.

I inhaled, annoyed by this scientist's attitude already as I grabbed the bag on top of his head, pulling it off of him.

Static, jet black hair came out of the bag first then his steel blue eyes that blinked around quickly. Trying to readjust to his new surroundings. His cuffed hands holding onto my arm for support despite him being a head taller than me.

“Hold on, why are you taking the bag off its head?” The cocky scientist asked, looking up at me from her clipboard. Her brown eyes sternly looking at me through her rectangle glasses like I was stupid.

“Would you prefer a healthy subject? Or a poor one?” I countered the arrogant scientist. Watching how her eyes darkened, glaring at me.

“Hmmph! It’s not like it would survive anyways.” She huffed before turning around to go who knows where. Probably to go report me like she always does.

Gently pulling the man forward. I led him into a bathysphere and selected my destination to “Arcadia” before I could go to “Fontaine.” The bathysphere jerking before it closed the door and sending us off to Arcadia.

“W-Where... am I?” The man hesitantly asked after a moment of silence. His eyes looking at everything but me. Unsure if he should be asking questions.

“You are in the northern Atlantic Ocean, west of Iceland.” I responded, shifting my weight. The sound of the water flowing against the bathysphere filling the background noise.

“I’m… in the ocean?” He spoke, puzzled. Watching as we moved through the water. “How is that possible?”

I hummed, shifting my weight again as the bathysphere stopped us at Arcadia. The whole sphere shaking before settling down and opening the door.

Grabbing a hold of the man again. I pulled him forward and led us both to a different bathysphere and selected for Fontaine. Going through the same shaking process of it starting up before going through the water.

“…What did you do to be brought here of all places?” I broke the silence. Knowing that people that were criminals, insane or political dissidents were to come here and deserve such a fate.

“I…I killed a household… with my bare hands.” He admitted, looking down at his cuffed hands.

"Ah." That would do it.

“I…I thought I was going to prison?” He questioned, glancing over at me. Looking almost sorry about what he had done, but that’s how they get you I suppose.

“This… is similar. In a way.” I answered, taking the man by the arm again as the bathysphere shook and stopped. The door opening for us to get out.

The man hummed this time. Following me wherever I pulled to lead him. Going deeper into the building of Fontaine and into Fontaine Futuristics.

“And what’s this place?” He asked, looking around him once more.

“This is your prison. Your cell. Your recreation.” I said, reciting that last part from an old, repeated recording. Leading him into a hallway.

“My… recreation?” He hesitated, looking at the long hallway filled with armored cells. Whale-like calls and groans leaving them.

Passing the cells, the man observed the Big Daddy’s inside of them. From Bouncers, Rosies, Rumblers, and Lancers. Each one looking different from one another by body shape.

Bouncers were shorter, but heavy. Their entire torso, covered by a giant metal carapace. Their helmets studded with 8 lit potholes. A drill attached to its right arm. Meant to drill the deep-sea rocks for city expansion, just like the Elite Bouncer I saw on the way here.

Rosies were a bit taller than Bouncers. Their upper torso covered by a higher type of metal carapace, their diving helmets welded to it and three large lit portholes for them to “see.” They typically are equipped with large Rivet Guns and are to restore panels and windows.

Rumbers were almost the same as the Rosies. Just more mobile, less armored and supposedly set with RPG’s, but for… civilized purposes they do not have them.

Lancers are slimmer, slightly taller, and decorated Big Daddy. They hold an Ion Laser as a weapon and are ‘supposedly’ to be a ‘finished’ version of the Rosies.

It makes me wonder what the unfinished or unsuccessful ones were.

“What… are they?” He asked, looking between the many blocks and different variations of Big Daddy’s.

“They are called Big Daddy’s.” I responded, slowly taking him down the corridor.

“What’s their purpose?”

“A selective few mine the minerals on the ocean floor. Another repairs or builds more to the city and some are to bond to little sisters.” I informed him of what I know. A Big Daddy groaning out at us as we passed his block.

“Little sisters?”

“I believe, that is enough for you to know.” I stated, opening another section of the building. The screams of people echoing down it making the man tense up in my arms.

“Am I... supposed to become one of them?”

“I do not know what they will have in store for you.” I said, tugging him forward when his 'fight or flight' nerves kicked in. Pulling him further down the hallway. “I just transport and protect.”

A curdling scream made the man jump. His eyes looking around for the source. Any chance to find a way out of here.

“That— those are men. Screaming men.” He uttered.

I didn’t say anything except lead him in his cell watching as he observed his new surroundings. His new home. His new death bed, unless he was lucky.

“It's… scary here.” The man admitted, shivering in his spot. Either by coldness or his fear. “Please let me out. I’ll do better.”

“I... can’t be sure of your survival.” I spoke, my heart clenching in my chest. This wasn’t right. It never was. “You cannot be sure of your survival.”

“Please? I’ll do better, I promise.” The man begged, his form stumbling a little closer to me. His chest quickly rising up and down, on the verge of hyperventilation.

Quickly taking the side of his face with my hand, I shushed him. Moving my thumb up and down his jawline when he slowly accepted the gesture, nuzzling into my hand.

“Please, I’ll do better.” He begged again. His glossy eyes looking up at me.

“You know I cannot." I whispered, not trusting my voice nor the cameras that are set up around the area. "Look at me, I put you in this cell."

A whine left his throat like many others before him. His face nuzzling back into the palm of my hand. A rouge tear falling down his cheek.

“I will try my best to make this more of a… agreeable experience for you.” I stated, thumbing the tear off his cheek. My tongue twisting in my own mouth, jaw clenching, trying not to cry myself.

My heart could only clench harder in my chest as the man sobbed into my hand. The weight on my shoulders growing increasingly more heavy.

𝕽𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝕯𝖊𝖕𝖙𝖍𝖘 II

#bioshock #bioshok infinite #fanfiction #big daddy #big daddy bioshock #x reader #reader insert #bioshock x reader #old horror game #introduction?

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