#and she only lasts three hours before needing to recharged but she’s functional

[ubejamjar]

“We’re all falling and we need a place to hide—a safe place somewhere in the woods we can start a fire.” // ‘The Woods’ - Hollow Coves

[heroftruth]

A visit to Red in Johto leads to a Hilda opening up to him about her nightmares.

@twilighttheater

“how long has it been since you last slept?”

She steals a glance towards the other once the question registers. “I slept for a bit earlier.” Hilda isn’t lying when she answers him, she did get some sleep, but as for how restful it was, or rather wasn’t, is another matter. Rest hasn’t come easily- she hadn’t had a full, undisturbed, and restful sleep since the night she beat Team Plasma, and that had only been achieved from how exhausted she was mentally and physically.

“The time difference and all has had me up.” Again, her statement is not a total lie, but she knows the lack of honesty in what she chooses to tell would earn her a stern look for Reshiram if the dragon were to see her. Jet lag, or simply trying to keep traveling, has been the source of her lack of rest for ages- even if today it isn’t the only root.

Red doesn’t buy it for a second, while she has valid excuses he already knows this can’t be the only source of what’s making her restless. She’s defensive and looks exhausted, if it had been a stranger then Red would’ve minded his own business… but not with Hilda. “Is that really the only reason?” He asks, giving her a chance to tell the truth. He’d probably have to call her out if she didn’t, and even if she did the point still stands: she needs to get some rest before she passes out somewhere. “Even if that is all it is, you really look like you need the sleep. Surely whatever it is that you have to do today can wait while you give yourself a break.”

Cerulean hues avoided his gaze, a sigh slipping through her lips as she let his question hang in the air. She should have known the other would be able to read her so easily. Even if they haven’t known each other for long, their stories mirrored so closely.

Hilda continued to avoid his eyes, unsure of how to respond. “I’m okay,” She started, this again did not feel like a lie as she uttered it. After all, Hilda had gotten used to functioning off of far less sleep, her once normal sleeping habits slowly crumbling throughout the later half of her journey. Over the past three years a combination of stress, pushing herself, and the nightmares she refused to confess to had seen to that. “I’m used to this, besides it’ll make adjusting to the time difference harder.”

“Being used to it doesn’t make it okay,” he replies bluntly. “And while I do see your point, I don’t think resting for at least an hour is going to do you much harm. You’ll have at least a bit of a recharge and then stay up for the rest of the day so you can adjust.” Even while she felt like she wasn’t lying, Red would’ve felt like that in itself was her lying to herself. But even while he spoke to her, he didn’t look at her as though she was fully the one at fault. He wanted her to listen to him yes, but he didn’t blame her for how she felt and hoped she wouldn’t read it that way either. “…If you decided to maybe I would too, my sleep schedule hasn’t been consistent in years. Whenever I pass out is purely up to the legendary pokemon.” He jokes, but it’s also completely honest. He partially hopes that by admitting this, maybe she might be a little more willing to talk about her own troubles… and maybe take up his thought to rest.

She knows he isn’t wrong, the sleep patterns she has held have not been healthy ones, regardless of if she’s found a way to manage. Even so, she can’t get herself to admit to this. A small, pessimistic, part of her wonders why the other trainer cares so much, but this too she refuses to voice. Hilda knows that giving into that negative voice that’s been in the back of her mind since her journey picked up isn’t something she should indulge

A sigh works its way from her lips. She cant help but pull her knees closer to her chest, cerulean hues firmly situated upon her hands that wrap around them. Hilda knows Red is trying here, and even if talking about this all hasn’t been easy in the slightest, she should try to meet him half way. “I haven’t been able to sleep through the night,” she starts, her voice quiet. “Nightmares.” He’d suspected that might have been part of it, to hear the confirmation didn’t surprise him at all. He’d simply nodded, this was yet another thing he was not a stranger towards himself. It was not an easy thing to handle in the least either, there was no perfect answer for how to solve this one. Besides simply… talking about it, and talking about what caused it. Which Hilda was usually not very open to doing, but that was fine. He’d listen when she was ready, she had to decide it. Not him. “If it’s too much, don’t feel like you have to talk… but what happens in your nightmares?” He thought back to her comment, feeling like she was still in Team Plasma’s throne room. He felt like his suspicions on her mental state were confirmed more than enough, but Red couldn’t tell if she knew already or not.

She steals a glance Red’s way, letting her gaze settle on they way he’s looking at her. His expression is knowing, making her remember just how understanding her has been. His concern feels genuine, even if he doesn’t push her to talk about what has been plaguing her. Hilda can’t help but be thankful for his patience, she’s been shutting out his efforts even if she wants to let him help.

“I-” Where to begin, Hilda doesn’t even know where to start, her voice wavering as she tries to say something. In her nightmares she’s mostly back in the throne room. Sometimes Reshiram doesn’t wake, sometimes she is consumed in flames, other times it’s the sheer anger that radiated off of Ghetsis. “What do you know about what happened with Team Plasma, mostly at the end?” She hoped her question didn’t come off as dodging his, her intent only to understand what he already knew and what she could spare herself from potentially having to retell.

He pauses to consider her question, desperately wishing that he could answer this in a way that would save Hilda the trouble. But in truth, he only knew crumbs of information about the whole situation with Team Plasma. Especially at the end, the aftermath was more clear than the actual event itself. “I remember hearing about Reshiram and Zekrom being summoned… and a brutal battle between you and Team Plasma’s leader, but I’m sorry to say I don’t think I know much else.” He frowns with sympathy, “…only explain as much as you feel you can talk about anyway, if this is too much again: you don’t need to tell me anything.” He felt like her even considering it at all was a step in the right direction if nothing else.

She manages a nod, thankful for his understanding that discussing this isn’t an easy thing. “I feel like if I don’t talk about it now, I won’t.” It’s been over two years since that battle ended, and yet. The team had risen and fallen once again, and still; she has hardly talked to anyone about it. “Team Plasma’s King, N, wanted to battle, Zekrom and Reshiram against one another, in order to settle if pokemon should be liberated or not. Reshiram only woke for me right before I fought against him.” That was the part many knew, it was the battle that had hit the news, the one they had all planned for. “I think part of him wanted me to beat him, to show him that there was hope for pokemon and people. But it didn’t matter, the whole battle was a set up.”

Hilda could still remember the sheer rage that had radiated off of Ghetsis when he had stormed into the ruined throne room, the facade he’d put on of a sickeningly calm sage across Unova forgotten. “Ghetsis was manipulating N the entire time, everything about Team Plasma was his cover for control. He said-” Her voice caught off and she let her eyes fall shut. “He said since I knew the truth I would have to be eliminated… I nearly lost my Samurott to him.”

The story was different yet horribly familiar, as he too had dealt with a criminal leader demanding control, and had his life threatened by them. The biggest difference is that he wasn’t as lucky as Hilda had been in the end. But he didn’t want to compare the issue with her, she’d been through a lot all the same and he just knew how it felt from the bottom of his heart. “I’m glad to hear that you didn’t at least,” he replied after a pause to think. “And also glad you got through it alright in the end… truth be told, while I’ve never been in that same position as you… I’ve been in a disturbingly similar one. So I know how much it can sting you, even years down the line after it’s already done and over with.” “…In your own time, you’ll be able to let it go little by little. As hard and I’m sure unbelievable as that sounds, talking about it with someone is a step in the right direction.” He tried to offer her a comforting smile back, “I’m glad that you trust me enough to even tell me all of this, so thank you for that.”

At first she merely manages a nod, trying to pull herself from the memory of her beloved pokemon unconscious in that throne room, of trying to bandage his wounds enough to get him to a pokemon center. “Sometimes it hits me that he’s still out there, that Interpol never found Ghetsis or the Shadow Traid, even after they caused chaos in Unova twice.” That realization always slammed into her when it came, that those foes were still free in the world and could come back at anytime. “Does that ever happen to you, with Team Rocket?” She did’t know a great deal of what Red himself had faced, but she remembered hearing that he’d gone up against the organization. After that it seemed like every few years a young trainer would be at odds with another organization in different regions. She never expected that she would become one of them.

His words caused for her to glance up, a small smile of her own slipping across her lips. “That you, Red, for everything.” I know we haven’t known one another for too long but it feels easy to talk with you about all of this.” She couldn’t shake the feeling of safety that came with being around him, this sense of comfort from knowing she didn’t have to explain everything- he understood without her needing to. “I’m glad I came to visit.”

He sighed as he didn’t want to answer, he didn’t want to potentially stress her out further by bringing up his issues… but also, he supposed she asked about unfortunately a significant thing in his life. “All the time,” he answered after a pause. “I cleaned out Team Rocket’s influence in Kanto… I believe, but they resurfaced for a bit in Johto, I hadn’t known because I’d… gone into isolation by then. I thought the problem had been solved, it was someone named Gold who drove them out.” “When I started allowing myself to have more public appearances… I found out that they’d gotten their claws into who knows how many places. I started tracking down their bases and driving them out again, it’s like being 14 again but this time having a brain to really understand what’s going on.” He nods, “so… yeah, I’m uncomfortably familiar with knowing Giovanni is still out there. Someday he’ll be behind bars though, I’ll make sure of that. …And if I can help you with Ghetsis, all the better.” Dropping the heaviness of this conversation for a moment did feel good though, to see her actually smiling and looking just a bit more relieved than she certainly had earlier. “It’s no problem Hilda… and I’m glad you did too. I’m one person but, well I try my best to help anyway. I’m happy I could do that for you.”

She listens as he shares from his own story. It hit her once again how strongly similar some of what they had both been through was. They both had thought what had happened was over, only to discover that it wasn’t. “I understand that, a trainer named Rosa stepped up in my absence. I…” Her voice caught, thinking back to hearing what the other girl had gone through at the hands of Team Plasma. “I feel so guilty about what she had to deal with. I’m one of Unova’s heroes, but I wasn’t there.”

Red’s words cause her to have to take a second to push the panic that attempts to form in the pit of her stomach down. “Please be careful, I don’t know much about Giovanni but Ghetsis is not a sane man.” As much as she would love to see the man face trial for all that he has done, all the people he has hurt, and be put behind bars, she can’t bear the thought of another person being hurt. “I hope someday both of them are brought to justice, but I don’t want to see you hurt either.” She would help Red through if he sought to go after either of them, there is strength in numbers after all.

As the heaviness of the conversation begins to life she feels herself relax some, the tenseness in her posture fading away some. “You have helped, I’m glad I met you.” She leaned back, feeling calmer now allowing for fatigue to settle in. Perhaps Red was right, that getting some more sleep would be a good idea, or at least to try to. “I’ll try to get some more rest for a few hours.”

He’d wondered if Hilda knew her, it doesn’t surprise him that she does all things considered. But he hadn’t had the chance to ask until it was already made clear. “I know Rosa,” he responds with a nod. “She’s really something else I’ll say that, and… I felt guilty when people like Gold and Krys end up stepping up to be heroes when I wasn’t there, so… I know that feeling. But… in short, there’s nothing that can be done about it now and…all we can do now is keep moving forward with our lives. Try to make up for any mistakes we make.” He hadn’t expected such concern from Hilda for his safety, and thinking the sentiment over he figured he likely should have. But Red’s so used to people thinking him to be unstoppable, hearing that someone was sincerely worried for him and his actions… he hadn’t heard that in a long time. He’d paused as emotion threatened to well up in his eyes, before he cleared his throat and pushed the feeling back down. “…I’ll be fine, I’m sure. You don’t need to worry about me, but… I’ll be careful in any case.” Could he promise that? … He’d try his best to do so, if nothing else. He smiled hearing that she was actually going to get some rest. “That’s probably for the best, and… well we can find something to do when you get up. Sleep well, Hilda.”

“She really is,” Hilda started, her thoughts drifting to the other trainer. “I met her not long after I returned to Unova.” She couldn’t help but worry about her, Rosa had gone through so much at the hands of Team Plasma, and Hilda couldn’t help but feel like she was partially to blame. “It’s hard figuring out where to start with moving on, after everything.” She was trying, Arceus she was trying, but it felt to her like she hadn’t gotten anywhere.

“Please,” She paused to look over at her, her gaze meeting his. “If you do be careful. I’ll go with you, if you’ll have me. You don’t have to go it alone.” Hilda knew he couldn’t promise to be safe, and neither could she. Being in their positions, all the could do was promise to try. That was just reality of the targets that resided on their backs. It made Hilda wonder if there would always be some risk there as a result.

She gave him a small smile back at his words. “Sounds like a plan, I’ll try to.” She really didn’t want to sleep, worried she’d just fall into another nightmare once she closed her eyes, but she knew the other was right. She couldn’t run herself ragged, she needed to try.

While her thoughts drifted to Rosa, her last statement made Red’s thoughts drift to the peak of Mt. Silver where he’d asked that same question. “…I wish I could tell you,” he replies without thinking, his mind still halfway stuck in the memory of the howling winds and chilling snow. “It’s… always difficult, and different for every person. But trying to figure out how to move on… that’s a good step in the right direction regardless, at least that’s what I like to think.” The feelings he’d tried to push down threated to come back again as she spoke, he felt as though he’d lost control of his emotions around her. It was not a good feeling, but it meant she’d get more of a personal reaction out of him for certain. “…I don’t want to put you in danger, Hilda. I’d never object to your company but… I’d never forgive myself if you got hurt because of something that I got myself into.” He helplessly shrugs, both at the situation and his inability to control his reactions. He worried that her nightmares might come back too, but much like she’d said to him she didn’t have to go it alone. Red wasn’t planning on resting just yet, if she’d been woken up by yet another nightmare he’d try his best to help. He had more than enough practice trying to calm himself down, surely at least something would work.

She shakes her head slightly at his words, taking a moment before she looks him in the eyes. “I don’t want you getting hurt either.” Hilda knew the situation with Giovonni was his own battle, and while she wanted to help if he turned it down she wouldn’t fault him. But Ghetsis? If he got hurt at that man’s hands, or anyone from Neo Plasma for that matter, she didn’t think she’d be able to handle it. “I know you can hold your own, and so can I, but that doesn’t mean either of us has to go it alone.”

After the conversation drifted and the two parted for now, Hilda kept true to her word and settled in. Red hadn’t been wrong, the exhaustion that had clung to her quickly won, causing for her to fall asleep quickly. In her dreams she was back once more in the castle, rubble laying all around her. It was a scene that played over and over again in many of her nightmares. Ghetsis stood ahead, his Hydreogon poised to attack. She’d been distracted, dust obscuring her view, and hadn’t registered the attack that had been called, nor that its track was farther to the side than it should have been, until it was too late to react.

Hilda jerked awake, a choked cry escaping her lips as consciousness slammed back into her, her chest heaving and the phantom sensation of dragon pulse’s heat against her skin as she moved.

He fell speechless for a moment with the emotion in her voice, feeling cornered as she was right. She had every reason to stop him and insist they work together, he would’ve done the same for her… but she was being the smarter one to say it from the very beginning. “…Okay,” he admits defeat on the topic. “You’re right, and I know you are. I’m just… sincerely not used to someone caring that much, not for a long time anyway…” He gives a careful nod, “we’ll talk about this again some other time, okay? You really need to get your rest.” He’s glad that at least she’d finally agreed with him on that. Red had been reading a book while Hilda was asleep, he was concerned about her sleep schedule becoming totally backwards as night steadily streamed in. He was hardly tired himself, but he’d been considering attempting to lay down when he heard a cry from Hilda’s room. He barely had time to think, he moved to the door in between their two rooms to knock on it. “Hilda? Are you alright? …Is it fine for me to come in?” If he was given the okay, he’d open the door and go over to her quickly. “…The nightmare came back again didn’t it?” He was afraid that would happen, judging by the look on her face alone he’d hardly needed to guess.

Her chest heaved as she struggled to make sense of where she was. It was Red’s voice that began to ground her, reminding her that she was safe in Johto- not back in Team Plasma’s castle. “y-yeah,” She started, his question finally registering. “You can come in.”

Hilda glanced over, watching as the door separating their two rooms opened, the other making his way over to where she sat. She drew in a breath at his question, keeping quiet for a moment while she moved, allowing for room for him to sit with her if he chose to. She nodded after a moment, still trying to ground herself.

“It’s more of a memory.” Hilda had been yet to tell a single person the details of Ghetsis attempt on her life, on how her Samurott had taken the attack full on to protect her, how she’d feared she had lost him. She may have won the battle in the end, but the scars across her pokemon’s chest were a reminder of where she’d gone wrong. “It keeps coming back.”

He moves to sit next to her carefully, feeling glad that she trusts him that much to allow him to even in such a state. “…I get those dreams too, sometimes.” He admits, “…it can be hard to get through in the moment. All I can think of a lot of the time is just… that it’s not now. It’s thankfully in the past, and it won’t ever happen again.” “But I know, that doesn’t solve it for you in this moment. Because you feel like you’re there again, everything feels like it did when you were there. Trying to talk yourself out of it is one of the only things you can do, besides trying to get your mind off of it anyway.” He looks at her with sympathy, remembering the talk they had earlier. “…If you want to tell me about it, you can. If you don’t want to, I understand. But regardless right now… you’re safe. At least keep that in your mind, and repeat it as many times as you need to.”

She feels a bit calmer as he sits next to her, his presence a reminder that she is safe just as he says. “Do they ever get less frequent?” She asks, looking over at him. She is so tired of the nightmares, of feeling like she’s living in the past. So desperately does she want to let it all go, to be able to move on and find a path forwards- and in a way she realizes, she has started to. She’s here in Johto after all, and she’s not only managed to form a friendship with Red, but to open up to him as well. Hilda’s gaze falls to her hands, in truth she isn’t sure she wants to talk about the memory that’s plagued her, but she finds herself drawing in a deep breath and starting to speak regardless. “I told you that I nearly lost my Samurott to Ghetsis, but that is just the gist. He’d ordered his Hydreigon to attack me with Dragon Pulse, trying to take my life. I was so exhausted, I’d fought the Elite Four, Reshiram, and N all in the same day before him, that I didn’t even notice when he’d called the attack until it was coming towards me. Percy did, he blocked me and took it full on.” Words couldn’t describe how guilty she felt every time she saw the scars across the water type’s chest. “It’s my fault he almost died in that castle, I was told that night at the pokemon center that if it weren’t for the bandages and potions I used that he would have.”

A sigh slipped it’s way from her lips once she finished speaking, a hand raising to push her loose hair over a shoulder before she looked back over at Red. “How long was I asleep for?”

[billiedeanhwrd]

when i fell you were there, with your hands in the air

cordelia goode x fem!reader

summary: your depression is hitting you harder than most days, cordelia comforts you 🤍

warnings: depression, slight mention of childhood trauma, it's angsty mental health fluff basically

word count: 1.7k

a/n: this is my first ever fanfic and i'm very very nervous about it, so pls don't be too harsh, constructive criticism is very much welcome though!! also i'm sorry about any grammar mistakes, english is not my first language. i also have to add that this was very much self indulgent and based on my own experience with depression, so if you don't relate, that's fine, everyone experiences it differently. I hope you enjoy it tho, have fun reading <3

today was one of those days again. one of those days where everything seemed grey and pointless. one of those days where taking a shower was too exhausting. one of those days where it didn't matter if you left your clothes on the floor or a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. one of those days where you isolated yourself. one of those days that seemed to return to you every morning for almost 3 weeks now.

you had been struggling with depression for years now and attending therapy regularly still didn't take away from the embarrassment you felt about your illness. cordelia didn't know, you didn't want to burden her with your subjectively "silly" problems. It wasn't easy hiding something so life consuming from your lover, but whenever you were with her you felt as though you could reach for the stars and there was no point in ruining happy moments with sad stories.

Whenever you felt really depressed and unable to function, you isolated yourself. Cordelia and you had been together for 7 months now and the first time she thought she had done something wrong which had resulted in you needing space from her, but when she confronted you, you reassured her that sometimes you needed some time to yourself because you were a more introverted person. While that might be true, you wanted nothing more than for her to take you into her arms and tell you everything was going to be okay again, but the fear of possibly burdening the already very busy supreme held you back from confessing what was weighing you down.

you were used to this already, you always kept your darkness to yourself, too afraid of being too much or being abandoned by your loved ones, while the rational side of you knew that the people in your life who truly meant something to you would never abandon you because of your chronic depression, anxiety left no room for rationality.

you were always feeling kind of down, but some days it was easier to cope and enjoy your day despite that... and then there were those phases where you felt unusually down, those phases that caused you to isolate yourself and wait for the storm to pass in solitude. They usually lasted only a few days or maximum a week, but this one had been going on for much longer. cordelia was worried, you had never needed so much "alone time to recharge your social battery", but she didn't want to overstep your boundaries and possibly push you away, because what you weren't aware of was that cordelia too struggled with abandonment issues and fearing she would be "too much" (which she could never be for you, you adored every single second you could spend in the blonde witch's presence).

After leaving multiple text messages and trying to call you, only to be greeted by your voicemail, cordelia took it upon herself to see what was going on with you. The knocking on your door would've usually startled you, but you had just ordered a pizza, too tired to prepare a meal yourself and assumed the delivery was faster than they had stated on their website. your jaw fell open and the door was quickly closed again, shit shit shit, what am i supposed to do now? the place looks like a mess, i can't let cordelia se-

"y/n can you open the door please?" she asked in her gentle voice. "Uh, yeah, give me a second" you replied, hastily throwing on a hoodie that had been lying around on your couch, coincidentally that hoodie being one you stole from cordelia a few weeks ago, something that made your girlfriend's heart warm up a little and relieve her of some of the worried thoughts she had that this might be your way of signaling to her that you no longer wished to be in a relationship with her.

"can we talk? i haven't seen you in three weeks and you haven't answered any of my texts... what's going on? you know you can talk to me about anything..."

"uhm, yes, of course. sit down, make yourself at home, would you like anything to drink?"

"no, thank you, i just want to talk to you"

you didn't have the energy to lie to the woman who held your heart in her hands anymore, you were terrified of her reaction, not only to you being mentally ill but also to you hiding it for so long.

"i'm so sorry delia, please don't be mad", you anxiously stuttered out. cordelia grabbed your hand and smiled reassuringly, signaling for you to continue talking.

"I didn't tell you before because i know you've already got so much going on with the academy and i didn't want to pile onto that with my irrelevant issues... I was diagnosed with depression amongst other things a few years ago, it's something i have to deal with every day and some days are easier than others, but sometimes it all comes crashing down on me and i feel like i'm lost in an ocean of a sadness so powerful, i can feel the pain on my body. I know it can be challenging to be close to someone with severe mental issues and I understand if you don't want to continue being with me, i would never want you to stay with me because you pity me or because you're afraid i'd do something to myself if you'd left, you're not responsible for my feelings or actions and i would never want to impose you with such a burden and-"

you stopped rambling when you noticed the tears flowing down cordelia's cheeks.

your eyes widened and your heart started pounding rapidly in your chest. "i'm sorry, was that too much?"

"no, no, no, no, no... it just pains me to know that you've been dealing with this on your own for such a long time because you don't value yourself enough to believe that other people might want to support you through your everyday battles. y/n, i know you, you're the girl who's always there when someone else needs a shoulder to cry on, anytime, anyplace, you always go out of your way to make others feel seen and accepted, why would you ever think that you don't deserve the kindness you so openly give to others?"

now it was you who was crying, cordelia was right, you didn't value yourself enough to believe that. you didn't actively think of yourself as less than others but that thought always unconsciously motivated the way you dealt with the things that were bothering you.

cordelia patted her lap, signaling for you to sit on her lap and come into her arms. you hesitated though, you weren't used to being so vulnerable and open with your emotions and it scared the shit out of you. you feared cordelia was possibly annoyed at you and was only doing this to get it over with and then get out. she watched you, while you were anxiously deciding what your next move would be, her heart broke for you, you looked like a scared baby dear when all she wanted to do was to comfort you.

"baby, look at me"

her chocolate colored eyes were so full of love, simply looking into them managed to get your heart rate down.

"it's okay, i'm not mad at you for talking about your feelings and all i want to do right now is to hug some of your pain away, so please, let me hold you"

you melted at her gentle words and understanding nature, cordelia was an incredibly smart woman, who went through traumatic things herself and even from that little information you shared, she understood you. she saw her younger self in you, so incredibly lonely but oh, so scared of being vulnerable with another person, due to the emotional abuse her mother subjected her to, and while she might not have gone through the same things you did, she felt like she understood your feelings in this exact moment and she wanted nothing more than to make you feel safe with her.

you slowly crawled into her lap, still afraid this was all a trick to hurt you, but when she started combing through your hair and reassuringly whispering "i've got you" and "you're here with me, i promise you, you're safe", you relaxed into her arms.

after about half an hour of laying there with each other, calming down and enjoying the other one's warmth, you spoke up.

"delia?"

"yes, my love?"

"so you're not leaving me?", you hesitantly asked.

cordelia sat up and looked straight in your eyes while asking "would you leave someone you love because they're depressed?"

"no, never"

"then tell me, sweetheart, why would i leave you?"

her response left you speechless, you almost missed her confessing her love. "you love me?"

she hugged you tight and pressed a kiss on your forehead. "more than anything, and please, never worry about telling me about what's going on in that pretty little head of yours, no matter what it is, i wanna know, okay?"

you let out the breath you didn't know you were holding and confidently replied "okay"

a few minutes passed before you spoke up again when you remembered you didn't say those 3 special words back.

"i love you too, by the way"

cordelia smiled lovingly and stood up to reach out for your hand and pull you up. "i know, now let's go to bed, we can clean up this place tomorrow"

you accepted her helping hand and engulfed her in a hug. the way she so naturally used the word "we" and didn't seem to mind helping you clean up your mess of an apartment made you more emotional than you'd like to admit.

And while you knew this would not be the last time you were overwhelmed by your depression, you now knew that you could count on the woman who loved you to stand by your side and help you get through even your hardest day.

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #61: Elisabeth Bathory (Halloween) (rerun)

Yep, we’re doing this again. For those of you who weren’t here the first time I made a Bathory build, I went way too hard on making sure Elisabeth could fly, and made a lancer build with like 17 levels of sorcerer. I ended up redoing that build entirely, and shifting the failed build over to Caster Liz. She deserves better though, so we’re giving Elisabeth Bathory (Halloween) a full redo, top-down designed for Halloween!

This Elisabeth is a Bardlock, getting her power from the College of Creation and her Hexblade for plenty of treats and tricks alike!

Check out the level-by-level breakdown below the cut, or build summary over here!

Race and Background

Instead of going the Dragonborn route, this time we’re making Elisabeth a Winged Tiefling, a race option I didn’t realize existed until I dusted off my copy of the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide. No, I’m not incredibly mad that I missed this option the first time around, why do you ask?

Anyway, winged tieflings get +1 Intelligence and +2 Charisma, 60′ of Darkvision, Hellish Resistance to fire damage, and are Winged, giving them 30′ of Flying speed as long as you’re not in heavy armor. Shouldn’t be an issue.

You’re still a Noble, which still gives you proficiency in History and Persuasion, and just like before you don’t have to have zero empathy for the lower classes, but why would you want to?

Stats

Your highest ability score is going to be your Charisma; that’s where the magic happens-literally. It’s also what determines your performance checks: you’re not always good, but you are always memorable. Second is Dexterity, those dance moves idols pull off require some skill. Third is Constitution, hour-long concerts can take a lot out of you. Your Intelligence isn’t great, you were locked in a castle for a lot of your childhood. Your Wisdom is even worse, because even under that costume you’re still you. Finally, dump Strength, you absolutely don’t need it here.

Class Levels

1. Bard 1: First level bards are proficient with Dexterity and Charisma saves, as well as any three skills. Grab Performance and Acrobatics for a stronger stage presence, and Deception so you won’t have to share your candy with anyone you don’t want to.

You can also cast Spells, using your Charisma as your spell casting ability, and you get some Bardic Inspiration, a number of d6 equal to your Charisma Modifier that you can hand out as a bonus action to another creature, letting them add that die to one attack roll, saving throw, or ability check.

For your first cantrips, Dancing Lights will help you set the stage for your big concert, while Mending will keep your fancy dress in one piece during adventures. (You should probably put on some armor though.) Since we didn’t go dragonborn this time, we’ll have to make some noise the old fashioned way with Thunderwave. Animal Friendship will keep your relationship with any deerlets you find along the way strong, and Cure Wounds can be you throwing some halloween candy to your friends (or eating it yourself, I won’t judge). Finally, Silent Image will help you decorate the castle with ease.

2. Bard 2: Second level bards become a Jack of All Trades, adding half your proficiency bonus to checks you’re not proficient in. Idols have a lot of talents, so you always need to be on the lookout for your next charm point! You also learn how to play a Song of Rest, adding a d6 to healing done over short rests. We’re not getting the chef feat this time around, but feel free to flavor it the same way.

For your spell, Detect Magic will help you find that cup that started this whole mess in the first place...

3. Warlock 1: First level warlocks get to pick their patron: yours might be a cup, but it’s still a sentient piece of metal with awesome power, and that’s close enough to a Hexblade to count in my book. When you pick this patron, you learn even more magic that also uses your Charisma. Unlike most spellcasters, warlock slots don’t mix with your bard slots, though you can use one for the other’s spells. This just means you have three slots that recharge on long rests, and one that recharges on short rests.

You can also lay a Hexblade’s Curse once per short rest. For a minute afterwards, you add your proficiency to all damage rolls against that creature, crit on 19s and 20s, and gain HP equal to your warlock level + your Charisma modifier when it dies. You also become a Hex Warrior, gaining proficiency with Martial Weapons, and more importantly, you can use Charisma as your modifier for attack and damage rolls with a weapon you pick at the end of a long rest. I’d suggest grabbing a Trident if you haven’t already. It’s pretty much just a spear, but it’s what you use in this form, and if you get stuck in the ocean you won’t suffer negative effects for using it. Don’t think about it too hard.

It looks like you may have left your candy out too long- you’ve got a bit of an Infestation on your hands! Throw that candy at your enemies to deal some poison damage and make them run around. Grab Minor Illusion for even more decorations, Hellish Rebuke for some small explosive pumpkins, and Cause Fear for some Halloween spooks.

4. Warlock 2: Second level warlocks get Eldritch Invocations, giving you two new charm points to wow your fans! You can’t get one of them until next level, but make sure you pick up Armor of Shadows so you can show up to the fight in your fancy dresses.

For your spell, grab Comprehend Languages so you can understand all your screaming fans.

5. Warlock 3: Third level warlocks get a Pact Boon, a special gift given to you by your patron. The Pact of the Blade gives you a special weapon you can summon as an action. It counts as magical for resistance’s sake, and your Hex Warrior effects are automatically added to it. As is traditional, grab the Improved Pact Weapon invocation to add an extra point to its damage and attack rolls, and let you use it as your casting focus.

Speaking of casting, grab Darkness at this level to really set the mood for your big musical numbers.

6. Bard 3: At this level you finally graduate from college; the College of Creation sends you off with some Sweets of Potential, bonus effects added to your bardic inspiration. If used for an attack roll, it deals a burst of thunder damage in a 5′ radius from the target. Each creature in the area that fails a Constitution Save takes as much thunder damage as the original roll of the inspiration die. If used for a save, the creature using it can add a number of temporary hit points equal to their original roll plus your charisma modifier. If used on an ability check, they can roll the inspiration die with advantage. 

Also thanks to Tasha’s changing things up, you can make a Performance of Creation at this level as well! You can spend an action to create a nonmagical item. As long as the item costs less than 20x your level in GP and is medium or smaller, you’re good. It lasts a number of hours equal to your proficiency bonus. You can use this once per long rest, or by spending a 2nd level spell slot, but you can only have one item at a time.

You also get Expertise in two skills, doubling your proficiency with them. Pick Performance and Persuasion to dominate the stage.

For your spell, Heat Metal will roast anyone silly enough to wear metal armor while fighting you. You are still Elisabeth Bathory, after all.

7. Bard 4: Use your first ASI to round up your Charisma and Constitution for more health and inspiration, as well as higher spell saves and better concentration. Grab Thunderclap for more thunder damage, and Locate Animals or Plants so you can start growing some pumpkins.

8. Bard 5: Fifth level bards see their Inspiration bump up to d8s, and you become a Font of Inspiration. This means you regain inspiration on short rests, rather than long ones. For your spell, grab Plant Growth to speed up that garden you started last level. This either turns a 100′ radius circle into super difficult terrain, quadrupling the movement cost within it, or you can cast it over the course of 8 hours, ensuring a bountiful harvest for a year.

9. Bard 6: Sixth level bards can perform a Countercharm, spending your action to give allies advantage against being charmed or frightened for the turn. For your spell, grab Speak with Plants to chat up those pumpkins you’ve been growing the last couple levels. You can also get them to perform little favors, turning difficult terrain into normal terrain, or vice versa. This doesn’t let them move around, though. For that, you’ll need your new Creation Bard feature, Animating Performance. As an action, you can bring an item to life, turning it into a Dancing Item, whose stat block is in the summary. You need to use your Bonus Action to command it, and you can only have one item dancing at a time. Also, you only get one free use per long rest- further uses require a third level or higher spell slot. More good news; unlike Animate Objects, this feature gives HP based on your level, not the item’s size. This means you can go for cuteness, rather than size, and still have a tough gourd to crack.

10. Warlock 4: Back in the warlock class, bump up your Charisma with another ASI for higher spell saves, stronger attacks, and more inspiration treats. You also get Eldritch Blast, because you can’t be a caster without caster balls, and Flock of Familiars. This lets you create three familiars that can function while within 1 mile of you, and you can still cast touch spells through them. Technically, these have to be a kind of creature you can get from the Find Familiar spell, but there’s got to be a homebrew SU Pumpkin stat block out there, somewhere, right?

11. Warlock 5: Fifth level warlocks get third level spells: grab Shatter for either one of your high notes or another pumpkin bomb. You also get another evocation at this level. Grab Lance of Lethargy to turn one Eldritch Blast per turn into a pumpkin that will wrap its vines around its target, reducing its speed by 10′.

12. Warlock 6: Hexblade Warlocks can make an Accursed Specter when they kill a creature. This creates a Specter (stats in the summary) with some extra temporary HP, and it gets an extra bonus to attack rolls equal to your charisma modifier. The spirit sticks around until you finish a long rest, and you can only make one per long rest as well. Ghosts are spooky-almost as spooky as being forced to listen to Liz’s practice sessions without corporeal hands to cover your ears.

Also, grab Tongues so you can be understood by anyone who knows a language, allowing you to become the true international idol you were destined to be.

13. Bard 7: Seventh level bards get fourth level spells. Hallucinatory Terrain lets you transform one natural terrain into another. This doesn’t change the physical nature of the world, but it will let you keep your pumpkin patch hidden to keep the teens from smashing them on mischief night.

14. Bard 8: Another ASI! Bump up your Dexterity for more AC, and grab Confusion-your music has that kind of effect on people.

15. Bard 9: Ninth level bards get fifth level spells, and their Song of Rest becomes a d8. This is the level you get Animate Objects, turning your pumpkin brigade into a true pumpkin army! You can animate 10 tiny or small pumpkins, five medium pumpkins, two-and-change large pumpkins, or one-and-change huge pumpkins. Most of your crop is probably in the small to medium range, if I had to take a guess. You need to use your bonus action to command them, but they’ll handle general commands over multiple turns, so you can have these and your Dancing Pumpkin up at the same time with just a little bit of difficulty.

16. Bard 10: At this level, you get another round of Expertise, doubling your Acrobatics and Deception proficiencies. Your Bardic Inspiration bumps up to d10s, and you learn Magical Secrets. These are two spells from any spell list, as long as you can cast them at this level. You also get a cantrip here. Grab Message to send notes to your manager, Fireball for a powerful pumpkin ball, and Contagion for more torture techniques.

17. Bard 11: You get your first sixth level spell this level. Grab Mass Suggestion for impromptu dance sessions.

18. Bard 12: Max out your Charisma for the strongest spells and trident pokes you can muster.

19. Bard 13: Your Song of Rest becomes a d10, and you learn a seventh level spell! Mirage Arcane lets you bring the Castle Csejte to life with real walls and everything!

20. Bard 14: For your final level, you enter your Creative Crescendo, allowing you to make multiple items at once, up to your charisma modifier. Only one item can be medium or larger, the rest must be small or tiny. You also no longer have to worry about gp cost. This means you can make the really fancy candy now!

You also get one last round of Magical Secrets. Use your Heroes’ Feast to stock your castle with some proper meals (or more candy, w/e), and Power Word Pain to welcome any party crashers.

Pros

Flight is good, especially when you don’t have to deal damage at a melee range.

You also have a small army of Pumpkins on hand to really spread out your battlefield control.

Speaking of controlling the battlefield, you can literally do that with spells like Plant Growth, Speak with Plants, Mirage Arcane, and Hallucinatory Terrain. Mess up the whole field, and fly over it all, raining down pumpkin-spiced death from above.

Cons

A lot of your spells require Concentration, extra actions, or both, so you’ll have to plan out your parties carefully.

Going a couple levels into warlock left you without 9th level spells. This definitely isn’t an issue compared to the melee classes, but you missed out on wish and plenty of other goodies.

Despite everything else, your Wisdom is really low, so you might end up getting charmed or mind-controlled by another bard.

Next up: She’s Tamamo, she’s Tamamo, she’s Tamamo too, wouldn’t you like to be Tamamo too?

[gryffindorcls]

Falling Into Place

Hello, lovely readers!

This was my submission for the Miraculous International Discord's November fanfiction writing contest. (It won! YAY!) 

The theme was "Fall", so I wrote about Ladybug falling off a roof during the Fall which leads to our heroes falling in love.

ENJOY!

WARNING:  SEASON 3 FINALE SPOILERS

---

Marinette slumped and let out a frustrated huff. She flipped over her pencil and ran the eraser across the dark scribbles that covered the page sitting on her lap. After brushing off the paper with the back of her hand, she tried to sketch a new dress. Still unsatisfied with her work, she tore out the design, crumpled it up, and tossed it to the side.

Usually, designing was the perfect way for Marinette to take her mind off of things for a few hours, but today’s thoughts were all-consuming. She’d even gone to her favorite spot in the Trocadero Gardens in an attempt to calm her racing mind; however, much to her chagrin, nothing was working.

She threw her head back and allowed her skin to soak in the warmth that radiated from the sun’s slowly fading rays. While the failing light of day gave the gardens an ethereal glow, a crisp chill was beginning to settle over the city. The goosebumps on her arms were a subtle reminder that she was not properly dressed to spend any length of time in the cold Autumn air that was expected to arrive after sunset.

Marinette knew that she needed to leave, but her head still felt fuzzy. Thoughts of the previous day swam through her brain as she began to muster the energy to pack up her belongings and walk home. Unfortunately, she soon discovered that she was not yet ready to move from the steps of the Trocadero. When she finally gave into her desire to stay a few minutes longer, she closed her eyes and replayed yesterday’s events in her mind.

***

It had been late...too late. Ladybug was tired of dealing with Hawkmoth’s nighttime Akumas. It was three o’clock in the morning, and all she wanted to do was sleep. She was weary in both body and mind, for the strain of being the new Guardian was beginning to take its toll.

The number of Akuma attacks per week had steadily increased since Fu’s departure, and Mayura now seemed to be even more active than she was before. Were it not for Chat Noir’s encouragement and support, keeping up with her civilian life on top of being Ladybug would have been an impossible feat. Nonetheless, she was tired, and she knew that she needed a break.

To make matters worse, a steady rainfall had made that day’s Akuma battle particularly difficult. For both heroes, the world had been rendered nearly unnavigable by shallow pools of water that threatened to make them lose their balance. After an exhausting fight, Ladybug threw her Lucky Charm into the air and called for the Miraculous Cure.

She knew the time left on her transformation was limited, but the sensation of standing still was euphoric. For a brief and fleeting moment, she felt completely at peace.

“Why are you still here?” her partner called out, breaking her out of her reverie, “I just recharged, but you only have a few seconds before you change back!”

Ladybug’s heart began to race as the final warning beep on her Miraculous pierced through the night. She turned to Chat who stood wide-eyed on the other side of the rooftop.

Without taking the time to scan her surroundings, she began moving towards the edge of the roof.

“Don’t look!” she yelled in desperation.

While reaching for her yo-yo, her foot landed on a slick patch of concrete that caused her to stumble backward.

“Ladybug!” Chat screamed as she began to fall into the alleyway below.

She plummeted towards the earth with her face pointing towards the sky. As she fell, the bright pink light that accompanied her detransformation flooded the confined space.

Marinette closed her eyes and braced herself for the inevitable...but the crash never came. Instead, she felt a pair of strong steady arms wrap around her body and pull her close. The familiar smoothness of her partner’s suit slid against her bare hands as she melted into his embrace. His heart raced beneath her cheek as he cradled her against his chest.

“I got you,” Chat whispered breathlessly into her ear.

“Thank you, kitty,” she replied, her heart beating equally as fast, “You...um...you can put me down now.”

His long, golden hair brushed against her face as he shook his head. “I-I think I need a minute...could...could you give me a second?”

The reality of what had transpired over the last two minutes came crashing into Marinette’s brain. After taking a moment to process her thoughts, several burning questions thumped against the forefront of her mind.

She swallowed against a dry throat. “Chat?”

“Yes?” he said shakily.

“Did you see who I was?”

“Yes.”

“Are we close in our civilian lives?”

“Yes.”

“Is that all you can say?”

“No...I-I’m just...I saw you, and I’m afraid to look again.”

Marinette’s heart sank. “Oh? And why is that?”

He sobbed. “Because I’m not supposed to be this lucky...or unlucky...or...I-I almost lost both of you...I don’t know what I would have done if that had happened.”

“What do you mean?”

“She was right...that’s why...all along...you...the feeling in my chest every time I saw you. I didn’t know what that was. I know now...God, she was right!”

“Who was right? Chat look at me.” Marinette pushed herself away from her partner only to find a broken expression plastered across his face.

She'd seen pain like that on him before. Images of cold blue and stark white flashed across her mind and caused a shiver to course through her body.

Marinette needed to calm him down...fast.

She reached up and touched his cheek. “Hey, kitty, could you take me home?”

He took a stuttering breath and nodded against her palm. “Sure, Princess. Just hold on tight, okay? I’ll keep you safe.”

“I know you will.”

As soon as Marinette had secured her arms behind his neck, Chat pulled her against his chest, got onto his feet, and unsheathed his baton. In one swift movement, he launched them into the night and bounded across the rooftops. However, instead of putting her down when they had reached their destination, Chat stood silent and unmoving on her balcony.

“Hey...um...you can let go now. I can stand. I promise I’m okay,” she murmured against the collar of his suit.

His muscles tensed around her. “Mmmhmmm...sorry.”

“No...no, don’t be sorry, Chaton.”

“I-I just need you to be safe.”

“I am.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, you can put me down. I’m not hurt. You saved me.”

Hesitantly, Chat gently placed Marinette’s legs on the ground. She slowly removed her arms from the back of his neck and dropped them to her sides.

He looked away. “I guess you want me to leave now.”

“No, Chaton.” She reached out and placed a reassuring hand on his forearm. “Please come inside. It’ll give us time to talk.”

Marinette took his hand and guided him to the windowed hatch that led to her room. Once inside, Chat sat at the end of her bed and stared at his hands in his lap.

“So,” she started, “you said we were close in our civilian lives. Can I ask how close?”

He looked up. “Will I have to give back my Miraculous if I answer that question?”

“No, I’m the Guardian now, and you will get to keep your Miraculous no matter what is revealed tonight. You are my partner, and you’re irreplaceable. However, I can’t help but wonder...is that what’s really bothering you about this situation?”

“No.”

“Okay...then what’s on your mind?”

“I realized something about...umm...someone said something to me today, and it’s all I’ve been able to think about. I was kind of distracted during the battle and up on the roof, and then you almost fell...what if I had been too late? What if I hadn’t caught you? What then, Marinette? You mean so much to me. You always have.”

“But you did catch me. Right now, you’re acting like we’re close friends who see each other every day. Are we really that close?”

He slumped. “You sit behind me in class.”

Everything inside of Marinette froze. “I...what?”

“You’re my friend, and...well, today I...she...and now…I can’t. I’m sorry...I can’t.”

“Chat, are...um...,” she took a deep breath before continuing, “I know you’re not Nino...are you Adrien Agreste?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, my…okay. T-that’s a lot to process, but we can do this. Ummm...would you like to detransform before we continue this conversation? Would that make you more comfortable?”

He shook his head. “I hate to do this, but I really need to get home. I have a photoshoot that starts in three hours.”

“But, Cha...no...Adrien, we need to talk. I need to make sure you’re okay. I can’t have you go home upset.”

“What?”

“Y-you can’t get Akumatized. Please stay.”

“You’re worried about me?”

“I care about you, and I don’t want you to be sad. It could be really bad if you stayed upset.”

“You thought I was upset? Oh, Marinette...I’m sorry.” He crawled across the bed, situated himself in front of her, and took both her hands in his own. “I didn’t mean to make you think I was upset. No...I’m a little...well, more than a little...I’m overwhelmed. The shock of seeing you fall, learning your identity, and then...well...never mind. Look, I’m fine. I think I just need to sleep. Are you sure that you’re okay? Because you not being okay is the only thing that would make me upset right now.”

Marinette laughed. “Yes, kitty. I promise that I’m okay. Thanks to you, I don’t have a single scratch on me.”

For the first time that night, he smiled. “I’m relieved to hear that. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you.”

“Will I see you tomorrow?”

“Yes...but I’m going to be busy during the day. We can talk during patrol.”

“Okay.”

Chat pulled her into a tight hug. “Goodnight, my lady. Text me if you need anything, and please take care of yourself. I’m happy that you’re okay, and knowing that it’s you is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Marinette’s heart pounded against her ribcage. A mix of confusing emotions swirled around her mind, rendering her unable to speak.

When her brain began functioning again, she perked up just in time to see Chat climbing through the hatch above her bed.

“Goodnight!” she called out with a wave before dropping her voice to a whisper, “What happens now?”

***

Marinette sighed and tapped her pencil against the paper in her sketchbook. After Chat had left last night, she’d fallen into a restless sleep. The exhaustion she now felt today was lowering her ability to concentrate.

Just as she was about to give up and go home, she heard footsteps approach from behind. Her body tensed as she readied herself for a confrontation.

“I thought I’d find you here,” spoke a warm and loving voice, “What are you doing out in the cold, my lady?”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “Adrien.”

Marinette gasped as a gentle pressure pressed down on her shoulders. She reached up and was surprised to feel both a wool coat and a warm hand. Upon turning around, her gaze met two bright green irises.

“You’re shivering,” he said with a furrowed brow, “Why are you out here without a coat?”

“I didn’t realize it would be so cold.”

“It’s November.”

“Well, it was warmer earlier.”

“The sun is going down.”

Marinette turned her head away. “Yeah...I know.”

Adrien took a seat next to her on the stairs, snaked his arm around her shoulders, and held her against his chest. “We need to get you warm. Also, I thought you were going to take care of yourself today. Where is your jacket?”

Her breath hitched. “I...I left it at home. I’ve been a little distracted today because of...umm...you know. At least I know I can always count on you to take care of me when I need help.”

Adrien gave her a small squeeze. “Always.”

“Thanks, Chaton.”

“My lady, I...I...can we talk?”

She sucked in a breath through her teeth. “Here? There are a lot of people around, and if you want to talk about what I think you want to talk about, I don’t think we should have this conversation out in the open.”

He shook his head. “No, no...umm...not here. I was hoping we could talk at your place...maybe? Only if you’re okay with it that is. Umm...my dad is kind of weird about guests, and I couldn't wait until our next patrol. Also, your room is kind of...what’s the word...warm, and we didn’t get to finish last night. I did a lot of thinking today, and I have some things that I really need to say. But then again...I don’t want to seem pushy...ugh...I’m sorry. I shouldn’t invite myself over like that...it's rude. I just…”

Marinette pressed her finger against his lips. “Hush, Chaton. Adrien is my friend, and Chat is my partner. You are always welcome in my home.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“The only reason I ask is because your face is turning redder than your suit. I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.”

She lifted her hands and pressed them against her cheeks. “I didn’t even realize...it must be because I’m still cold. No, you’re fine. Everything is fine.”

He pulled away from Marinette. “Are you sure? Because I know I’ve definitely made you feel uncomfortable in the past. Not so much now, but when we first met you...umm...yeah.”

“Well, things are different now.”

“Different...how?”

It was true that her friendship with Adrien had improved over the past few months, but that was only because of her decision to move on from him as a romantic interest. Her stutter had faded, but today it was threatening to rear its ugly head. A sadness that she had done her best to repress began to bubble in her gut. She shook her head to clear the unpleasant feelings from her mind.

With a smile, she met Adrien’s gaze. “Come...if we want to make it back to my place before it gets completely dark, we need to leave now.”

Adrien scratched the back of his neck. “My bodyguard drove me here, so if you wanted to go in my car, that’s an option.”

“That sounds perfect.”

“Really? Great! Uhh...shall we, my lady?” He stood up and extended an arm for her to take.

After closing her sketchbook and slipping her pencil into her crossbody bag, she cheerfully linked arms with him. “We shall.”

When they eventually reached the car, Adrien opened the door for her, and she slid into the backseat. Moments later, he took his place in the seat next to her. They sat in a comfortable silence all the way to her family’s bakery.

Upon their arrival, Marinette quickly whisked Adrien up to her room before her parents had the chance to embarrass her. Once they were upstairs, they made their way to her chaise and sat down at opposing ends.

Adrien wrung his hands. “I want to apologize for last night.”

Marinette cocked her head to the side. “Why? You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s my fault that you found out my identity.”

“It’s not that. I want to apologize for leaving before we had the chance to really talk about this. Honestly, I don’t care if I show up to a photoshoot looking exhausted. That’s what make-up is for. The truth is...I...it had to do with something that Kagami said to me yesterday.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Did you know that she told me that she’s in love with me?”

“I assumed that she did. That’s why I left after I helped you two escape the Bourgeois’ anniversary party. I didn’t want to get in the way of anything that may have been happening between both of you. I’m happy that the two of you got together.”

“That’s just it...I didn’t get together with her. Not officially. We went out on a few dates, but that’s about it. I could never fully commit...because I’m still hopelessly in love with someone else.”

Something suddenly clicked inside of Marinette’s brain. “If he’s Chat Noir, then that means that the girl he’s been in love with all this time is…”

“Me,” she whispered.

Adrien hung his head. “Yes.”

“You’re in love with Ladybug.”

“Oh, um...yeah. I’m not just in love with Ladybug...I’m in love with you, Marinette. Yesterday when I saw the two girls who hold my heart meld into one amazing person, I could barely function.”

“Wait...me? You...Adrien Agreste...are in love with me?”

“Yes, and I think I have been since the day I handed you my umbrella. Something Kagami said to me yesterday made me realize that you’re not just a friend to me. I’ve always felt like you were more than that. Now that I know that you’re also my lady, I finally know why.”

“What did Kagami say to you?”

“She wondered if I was ready to be her boyfriend yet, and I said no...again. Kagami then asked me if it was because I was still in love with you. I always knew you were special, but hearing Kagami say that to me...let’s just say she was right. Last night, I went to sleep trying to figure out how I was in love with two people at the same time, and then after the battle, I discovered that I was actually in love with only one person. That's why I freaked out.”

“It’s okay...I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t freaking out, as well.”

“And I’m sorry...I know you’re in love with Luka. I seriously debated telling you all of this, but I can’t lie to you...especially not about how I feel. I...”

She cut him off. “No...I’m not in love with him. I mean, I love Luka, but not romantically.”

“But I thought...you two were always so close. You always told me that you were in love with someone else. If it’s not Luka, then who is it?”

Marinette took a deep breath and gathered all of her courage. “The boy that Ladybug kept turning down Chat for...well, he’s sitting in this room.”

Adrien’s eyes lit up. “Me?”

“It’s always been you. I tried to give you up a few months ago, but I failed.”

“Really?”

She bit her lip. “That umbrella you gave to me is my most prized possession. It reminds me of the day I fell in love with a kind-hearted boy who stood in the rain and told me that he’d never really had friends before. My heart has belonged to him ever since.”

Adrien tentatively scooted closer. “Marinette, I…”

“And then...I couldn’t talk to you for the better part of a year…”

“Marinette…”

“Didn’t you ever wonder why I was always such a spaz around you? I just kept messing up everything, and OH GOD...I did so many embarrassing things…”

“Marinette…”

“There’s that time I gave you Master Fu’s prescription...oh, and the wax museum...ugh...this is horrible!”

“Marinette!”

She looked up to find Adrien sitting inches away from her. “Y-yes?”

He reached over and took her hand in his. “May I kiss you?”

“What?”

“I’d really like it if I could kiss you.”

“We’ve kissed before, Chaton.”

“That’s not fair...I don’t remember any of those kisses.”

“Are you sure you want to kiss me?”

“Only with your permission.”

Marinette couldn’t believe this was happening. It felt like a dream...a beautiful dream come true. Butterflies fluttered around her stomach as she gave him a small nod. Seconds later, Adrien’s lips crashed onto hers. He let go of her hand wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her closer while she reached up and cupped his cheeks in her hands. Fireworks exploded inside her as he deepened the kiss.

All too soon, they broke away.

Adrien chuckled. “Wow.”

Marinette nodded. “Yeah...wow.”

“Do you think we could do that again?”

“We have to go on patrol soon.”

“I think Paris will survive one night without us.”

Marinette rolled her eyes. “You see...you say that now, but what happens when an Akuma shows up?”

Adrien pressed his nose against hers. “Hawkmoth’s Akumas show up regardless of whether or not we’re patrolling. At least tonight we’d have the purr-fect incentive to finish the fight quickly.”

“Yes, you’re right, and who are we to turn our noses up at something that would boost our effectiveness as heroes?”

“Does that mean I can kiss you again?”

“Yes, Adrien. You can kiss me again...whenever you want.”

“As you wish, my lady.”

“Kiss me, my prince.”

Adrien once again closed the space between them. She smiled beneath his lips. It was the perfect moment. She suddenly felt as if she could do anything and overcome any challenge as long as she was with her other half.

Marinette knew they were going to be okay. Her heart told her that their love would not end in disaster, and her mind assured her that their relationship would not lead the world to ruin. That timeline was gone. Paris was safe. They were safe. Everyone was safe. Together they could protect each other from Akumatization. This time, their love would not be their weakness; instead, their love would be their shield. It was finally their time.

They spent the rest of the evening in each other’s arms until Adrien was called to return home. Before leaving, he promised to see her again the next day. Marinette waved goodbye as he climbed through her hatch and disappeared into the living room below.

That night, Marinette went to sleep with a smile on her face and a fullness in her heart. Everything was finally falling into place.

AO3

FanFiction

[the-awkward-outlaw]

A New Adventure - Pt. 6

You put the scared people in, you put the scared people out 

(Author’s note: I realize that I wrote a very similar piece to this a couple months ago, but this series is based on events of daily life and seeing as this happened to me in March and it’s a good segway for what I have planned, it works. Note that while I am using some current events, like Covid, I will NOT include the riots happening now. Not because I don’t care, but because I do NOT want to have politics involved in my art. If that upsets you, feel free to keep your opinions to yourself.) 

Masterlist

Read on AO3

You’ve been stuck home in quarantine for nearly a week now. The change is a partial relief because you’ve honestly been needing a break, to recharge yourself (along with the rest of the world, it seems). You have a few plans around the house that you can focus on now. 

Arthur seems happy to have you around full-time now. He admits it’s been lonely for him in this confusing world and it’ll be nice to have a companion he can actually have a conversation with. He doesn’t tell you that he’s ecstatic to have you around now and he’s curious to see what people do in this situation. 

This situation is a new learning experience for both you and him. Of course, one of the first things you learn is exactly how selfish people can be. The first time you went to the grocery store after quarantine began, it was hard to shop because so many shelves were cleaned out. Toilet paper, gone. Noodles of all varieties, gone. Cereals, gone. Coffee, gone. Bread, gone (except the gluten-free stuff, you noticed). 

Luckily, Arthur, who goes with you to nearly every shopping visit, has a few suggestions on alternatives. He learned enough about substitutions out in the wild, having to collect his own food on more than one occasion. 

You're quite bummed when you got to the noodle section to find all the spaghetti noodles gone. You’d really been wanting to make some for him, knowing he’d been quite curious about it in the game when Jack was rescued. 

Mostly though, you’re just glad you have enough toilet papers to last a few more weeks, when hopefully things have calmed down. 

Three days after your first shopping trip of quarantine, you’re sitting on the couch, eating breakfast and watching Youtube on your laptop. It’s still dark out, but it always is this early in the middle of March. 

Arthur’s still in bed, he usually doesn’t wake up until the sun rises. A result of living so much of his life with the movements of the sun. From what you understand, most people during his life period lived that way and, despite being an outlaw, he is no exception. 

Sage is lying down at your feet, having just finished her own breakfast. Her head suddenly comes up and she tips her head as if listening to something. She lets out her alarm bark. 

“What is it, Sage? Some dude walking down the street again?” 

Suddenly there’s a loud rumbling. It sounds like a semi going down the highway not too far from your house. But after a few seconds, it gets louder and louder, almost deafening. Then the shaking starts. 

In the darkened room, you feel the floor beneath you shake as the air is filled with a roar like thunder that goes on for far too long. Something crashes to the floor in your bedroom and you watch your bookshelf full of DVDs sway ominously back and forth, threatening to dump its contents. The kitchen light goes off, along with the rest of the power. 

Your heart in your throat, you look around and involuntarily let out a low scream. Arthur’s bedroom door flies open and he comes out, despite the swaying, yelling your name. 

As quickly as the shaking began, it stops. Your left in the darkness, visibly shaking and terrified. You look at Arthur, your mouth in an “o” shape. 

“What… what the hell was that?” he says, swallowing. 

“I think it was an earthquake,” you say, noting how weak and frightened you sound. 

You take your phone out and turn on the flashlight. You’ve never experienced an earthquake before, despite the threat you’ve heard of your whole life of what locals call “the big one”, an earthquake that’s supposedly overdue by about 10,000 years and is supposed to be so large it will almost immediately affect the topography of the state. Although this was not big enough to be “the big one”, it was frightening. 

Just as you make your shaky way over to Arthur, feeling nervous, the shaking starts again. You scream again and dash beneath the nearest doorframe, Arthur following in your wake. 

If the situation wasn’t so new and frightening, you’d be incredibly embarrassed at the closeness between you and Arthur, but all you can focus on is how long will this last? 

This period is much shorter than the last. The beam from your phone shakes along the floor, a result of your hand. 

Arthur sighs and looks down at you. “You okay? I never… never experienced nothin’ like that.” 

“Me neither. I don’t… I… ah!” You let out a scream again as your phone lets out a deafening buzz. You look at the screen.

It reads: 5.7 Earthquake reported at 7:09 am 4 kilometers from your house. That’s only 2 miles away! You’re practically in the epicenter. 

You tell Arthur this, but he clearly doesn’t really understand how that information was received so quickly. Your brain isn’t functioning well enough to explain geology to him right now.

“I… I think we need to check the house. Will you help me?” you ask. 

Arthur agrees and you tell him to take a flashlight you have and just check for cracks along the walls and ceilings. Luckily, despite your house being old, it’s built strong and durable. That shows today as there’s only a tiny little crack above your fridge where there’d been some water damage years previously. 

Arthur tells you he found nothing, but then your heart drops. “Arthur, we have to go down in the basement. Make sure the furnace and water pipes are okay.” 

He nods resolutely. Of course, he’s the bravest man you know, so you hope you can lean on him for courage. 

Just as you’re both about to go down, another ripple of shaking goes through the house. Arthur looks around and, despite your thoughts, he looks nervous. 

“Y/N, maybe we oughta wait a bit. This don’t seem safe.” 

You nod, not wanting to do this, but also knowing that if there’s a ruptured pipe or your furnace is broke, you’re in big trouble. But at the same time, it’s safer to remain here until the aftershocks begin to settle down. 

15 minutes go by of silence, although you hear a multitude of sirens and another alarm buzz goes off, warning residents in your neighborhoods to stay sheltered and off the roads for emergency vehicles. 

You feel confident enough to go into the basement and just make sure nothing’s ruined. Your basement isn’t that big, you tell Arthur, and it’ll only take a couple of minutes. 

He reluctantly agrees. A few minutes later, you both come up from the basement, feeling a bit better as there is no damage aside from a shallow crack along your foundation. 

A quick check outside proves your gas meter has held just fine, even though it’s moved away from your house after a couple of seconds. 

You check your phone again, looking once again for more updates. You’re not having much luck though as the internet and cell service is down. You wonder if the quake messed up the cell tower. 

After a while, you and Arthur settle down on the couches, waiting to hear anything. Another big aftershock sends you scurrying for the doorframe. As your house shakes and you hear that unpleasantly familiar boom like thunder, you feel on the verge of tears. 

When this round stops, Arthur suggests you all sit in a room where it’ll likely be safe, somewhere close to the door in case you need to make a quick escape. 

You decide on the kitchen, not knowing it’s reported to be the worst place in a house to shelter. It’s close to the backdoor and Sage is already in there, cowering and whimpering under the table. You go and sit on the cold tile floor next to the table where you can be close to her. Arthur sits by the stove. 

You don’t know how much time goes by, but it doesn’t take long for you to get cold. Without any power, the heater isn’t on, and it’s only mid-March. You’re lucky if it gets up to 65 degrees (F) outside. 

Arthur gets up, without a word. Figuring he just needs to pee, you don’t say anything. A minute later, though, he comes out with the big comforter from his bed. 

“Here,” he says. “Been watchin’ ya shiver for the last half hour.” 

He wraps the blanket around you. Sure, you have been shaking, but more from shock than the cold. He sits down a few inches away from you. If he’s shivering, you can’t see him, but he is fumbling with his hands a lot. 

Just as you’re beginning to relax and think the worst might be over, you hear that rumble again. You shoot up and scramble for the doorframe as the shaking begins once more. You feel your last nerve break, and so you put your hands over your ears, bend over a little bit and try to stifle the sob that’s threatening to erupt from your throat. 

Suddenly you feel something hot and firm pressing into you, enfolding you. What feels like a hand presses to the back of your head, holding your head against the structure. You feel the soft, scratchy fabric against your skin and clench your hand around it. A loud pounding beats in your ear, but it’s probably just your own heart. 

The shaking vanishes, leaving you frightened again with tears leaking from your cheeks. 

“I got ya, it’s okay,” Arthur’s soft, rough voice says. The structure you’re leaning against vibrates with his voice. It makes you open your eyes.

The first thing you see is Arthur’s dark gray union suit, which is what you’re clenching. It then hits you like a freight train that the thing you’re leaning against is him. 

“Oh, sorry, Arthur. I wasn’t aware I grabbed you,” you say, starting to lean back. 

“No, you didn’t, I grabbed ya. Can just tell you’re at the end of your tether. I am too, if I’m honest.” 

He gently pulls you back to him, clearly enjoying your warmth and the feeling of you against him as much as you’re enjoying his. He feels sturdy and strong, capable of supporting you while your legs feel like jelly. 

After a few minutes with no shaking, you both feel confident enough to go and sit back down in the kitchen with the trembling Sage. Arthur stays close to you now.

A few more small aftershocks rumble through and every time, Arthur is there to offer you his arms. At one point, there’s four aftershocks in the span of twenty minutes, resulting in you just sitting in between his legs, tucked into his chest. He grabbed the comforter a while back, folding it around the both of you to keep warm. 

A few hours have gone by and the power flicks back on. It’s been surprisingly quiet, with only a couple of tiny aftershocks. You’ve been keeping an eye on the US Geo Survey, and the biggest quake in the last 3 hours was a 2.7. 

By this time, you and Arthur feel safe enough to retreat to the living room and onto the couches. He stays on the same couch as you, staying close. Maybe he feels just as comforted by your presence as you do by his. 

By the time you’d normally be getting dinner started, you’re both exhausted from the constant dashing to doorframes and the never-ending worry. Neither of you are really hungry enough for a regular meal, so you and Arthur just fix up some sandwiches and cut up some fruit. 

Nightfall and you decide to go and try to sleep, even though you’re sure you won’t really get much. Just as Arthur opens up his door to his room, you stop him, feeling afraid of what might happen tonight. There’s still been plenty of aftershocks. 

“Arthur, will… will you stay with me tonight?” 

He sighs, as though relieved. 

“Of course.” 

You lay down on one side of your bed and he takes the other. Another large but very brief aftershock goes through your house, making you sit up. Arthur puts his hand on your shoulder and you take the invite to lay against him for comfort. 

You hear the steady thumping of his heart, which helps lull you to sleep. 

The last thing you think before drifting off is that, whatever happens after tonight, nothing between you and Arthur will ever be the same again. 

[gabriel-agreste-has-no-rights]

Rating: T

Chapter Summary:  Chat Noir brings up some renovations the base could use. Also, he and Ladybug flirt decide to study together.

Word Count: 2065 | Chapter 2/?

XXX

It was almost funny—in a twisted sort of way—how she could go from fighting for her life to panicking about her grades.

Today’s akuma had struck while she was supposed to be studying for her first physics exam.  Even with Rena Rouge and Carapace providing backup, the fight through Lord Labyrinth’s twisting maze had taken three hours.  

And, to top it off, she was stranded on the opposite side of the city.

“I’m sorry, Marinette,” Tikki said, curled up into a ball in her palms.  “You’re sure you don’t have even a crumb left?”

She patted her empty pockets.  “Nothing.”  

Tikki had already eaten her five backup macarons, two emergency protein bars, and even a crepe she’d snagged with the last of her change.  She couldn’t afford much more on a university budget.  Tikki didn’t always need to recharge after using Lucky Charm anymore, but she also couldn’t go on forever.

“The hideout is closer than your school, right?  We could stop there, then I can transform you and get you home.”

“Good idea, Tikki.”  Marinette pressed a quick kiss to her head before slipping her into her backpack, which had reappeared once she’d detransformed.  The heavy weight of her laptop and notebook pulling on her shoulders only added to her exhaustion.

“There’s a good entrance the next street over…”

Soon enough she was dropping down into the damp sewer.  In comic books, didn’t the heroes have cool hideouts?  But she couldn’t complain.  Chat may have been the one to suggest the location, but she’d agreed that it was the safest bet.  At least it would be a place she could rest for a minute.

The secret base was disguised from the outside, thanks to Rena Rouge’s new long-lasting illusion.  Marinette could only spot the door by looking for a specific pattern in the wall—four slightly shimmery bricks at about eye level.  She still patted the wall in three different places before brushing the secret handle.

“Finally,” she breathed, fumbling for the padlock.  Once she pulled it just out of the illusion’s range, she could enter the password.  Four letters, one on each dial.

HOME.  She’d thought it was too obvious, but Chat Noir had teared up once he’d seen the lock’s default password, and she couldn’t bring herself to change it.

With the lock still in hand, she stepped into the room— 

—Only to hear someone yelp and fall off the couch.

“Who is it?  Who’s there?”  Chat Noir’s voice rang out.

Marinette nearly jumped back and slammed the door.  But thankfully, Chat’s hand was covering his eyes. 

His ungloved hand.  Thankfully, he’d at least had the sense to cover his miraculous with some kind of… hair scrunchie?  Oh well, whatever worked.

“Don’t look!”  She said redundantly.  If he’d gotten a glimpse of her, it was already too late.

“I won’t, I pawmise.”

She took her fake mask from its hook and slipped it over her face.  Then she shoved her backpack and shoes into the cabinet labeled LADYBUG, exchanging them for a long green hoodie that was too big to wear in public.  Thankfully it was cool down in the sewers, even during the late summer. 

The wooden cabinet door hadn’t been the product of a Lucky Charm, and it hung at a lopsided angle when she shut it.

“Alright.”  She sighed.  “You can look now.”

Chat Noir dropped his arm and stood, his eyes widening beneath the fabric mask as he took her in.  

Strangely, she wanted to squirm under his gaze.  It wasn’t like she looked that different outside of her suit, and the fake mask would still hide her identity.  But Chat’s eyes… the black fabric didn’t change his scleras, and she found herself transfixed by the new shade of spring green.  She hadn’t seen him like this since they’d swapped miraculouses while fighting against Reflekta and Reflekdoll.

“What?  Hotter than you expected?”  He grinned, flexing his arm under his Ladybug-themed hoodie.  At least he’d been smart enough to bring an outfit change too.

“Trying to win me over by buying my merch now?” She raised an eyebrow.  Pretty eyes or not, he was still Chat Noir.  She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of getting flustered.

“No, I’m trying to win you over by being pawsomely charming. This,” he tugged at the hem of his hoodie, “is just because I have taste.”

“I guess I can’t fault you there.”  She stepped over to him and straightened the drawstrings hanging from his hood.  It was still weird, seeing him in normal clothes, being forced to confront the fact that Chat Noir was a regular university student, just like her.  She knew that, of course, but with his over-the-top puns and flirting, it sometimes felt like he belonged in a comic book.

“We need a doorbell.  You could’ve seen me before I had the chance to put on my mask.”  She couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of that sooner.  She’d assumed heroes would stop here individually, or arrive transformed.  It wasn’t like her to miss such an obvious problem; the stress of classes must be getting to her.

“You could’ve just knocked, you know.”  He smirked.

“...I didn’t expect anyone to be here,” she admitted, face heating.  “The lock was still on.  How did you even get in?”

“I had Plagg put it back on just in case I ended up taking a catnap.  But don’t worry about it, bugaboo.  We’ll both be more prepared next time.”

His smile hit differently outside of his transformation.  Stupidly, she found herself just staring into his eyes again.

“Great, now we’re going to have to watch the lovebirds in person.”  Plagg gagged from his spot on the counter.  It didn’t stop him from swallowing a wedge of cheese immediately after, though.

“And I’m going to have to smell you in person,” Tikki said, waving her arm in front of her face.

“We’re in a sewer!  How much stinkier can it get?”

Marinette laughed.  It wasn’t often she got to see Plagg, much less him and Tikki together.

“When it comes to month-old camembert, it can always get stinkier,” Chat said.  “Trust me.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”  Marinette didn’t have a very good sense of smell, anyway.  That was convenient when your secret base was located in the sewers.

“I think we’ll be fine coming here without our suits as long as everyone knocks first,”  Chat said, plopping back down on the couch.  “We’ve already got changes of clothes that won’t identify us.  Rena and Carapace dropped theirs off when they were adding their improvements yesterday.”

“Improvements?”  Marinette raised an eyebrow, not that he could see under her mask.

“I told them it would be okay; I didn’t think you’d mind.  Carapace just thought it would be smart to put a Shellter around the Miracle Box.  The kwamis can phase through it with their miraculouses, but no one can reach inside to steal them.”

She stepped up to the entertainment center and opened the cabinet with the miracle box.  Sure enough, there was a glowing green barrier around the red egg.

“That’s a good idea, but… what if the kwamis don’t know they’re needed?  They can’t hear us when they’re inside their magical world.”

Chat’s face fell.  It was weird, not seeing his ears and tail droop, but the rest of his body language was still so expressive.

“I didn’t think of that.”

“It’s okay.”  She stepped over and put a hand on his shoulder.  “It really was a good idea.  You didn’t know.”  

Master Fu had given her more training on being the Guardian than he had Chat Noir.  All the Master said on the matter was that Chat’s schedule wouldn’t allow it.

He nodded.  “I’ll have him take it down next time I see him.”

Maybe they could still use Shellter in other ways; she’d have to think about that.  If only all four of them could control the shield.  That would make an excellent way to protect the base.

“You said Rena made some changes too?”

“Oh, right!”  He sprung up again, then vaulted over the back of the couch to reach the kitchen.  Apparently he was athletic even without the suit.  “She brought some cooking supplies.  Also, she was asking if we had any plans to add a bathroom.”

“A bathroom?  This isn’t a hotel.”  Marinette rubbed her temples.  She wasn’t a plumber.  She couldn’t just Lucky Charm up a functioning toilet.

Plagg let out a loud burp.  “She’s right.  Who needs a fancy kitchen or a bathroom when you’ve got a fridge full of cheese?”

Chat glared at him.  “Some of us aren’t magical kwamis who never need to pee.”

“That’s what the sewer’s for, isn’t it?”

“Not that kind of sewer!”  He smacked his forehead.

Marinette was doing her best not to burst out laughing.  Chat Noir might wear the clown suit, but Plagg was the clown suit.

“I’ll see if I can come up with anything,” she assured him.  Having a bathroom down here would be nice, though she didn’t know how to pull that off yet.  There was a locker room for sanitation employees that they could probably use, but it would be risky, whether they went suited up or not.

This was supposed to be just a simple meeting place.  She should’ve known that doing anything with Chat Noir couldn’t be simple.

Maybe we should’ve gone with his first idea of renting an apartment, she thought as she poured herself a glass of milk.  It looked like Alya had brought disposable cups along with the griddle, spatulas, and utensils strewn on the counter.  She really should try Lucky Charming up some drawers.  Or at least break out the dragon miraculous and cut a few more cabinets into the rock.

“So what brings you here, anyway?”  Chat asked while lounging against the counter.  “Hoping you’d run into a handsome black cat?”

He slicked his hair back in a way he probably thought was suave.  Instead he just ended up skewing his mask, and he blinked in surprise.  Or maybe winked.  It was hard to tell with the fabric covering up one of his eyes.

“Tikki needed a break before heading home.  You saw how many Lucky Charms I used today.”  She held out her cup, letting Tikki dunk her cookie in it before she took another sip.

“You were amazing.  Building a trebuchet out of the pieces it gave you?  Genius.”

She punched him lightly.  “Flatterer.”

“It’s not flattery if it’s true, my lady.”  He winked.

Stop that, she told her heart when it picked up its pace.  It didn’t listen, especially when he leaned in towards her.

It’s those stupid eyes.  Those stupid, gorgeous eyes.

“I still can’t believe you launched my staff at just the right angle to hit the akumatized object over the wall. You wouldn’t happen to be a physics major, would you?”

“A what?”  She blinked before his words actually sunk in.  Then she nearly dropped her cup of milk on the counter.  “Oh no!  The physics exam!”

“...So that’s a yes?”

“No.”  Her face flopped on the stone counter.  Ow.  “I’m terrible at physics.  I just have to take the intro class, and I was supposed to study for the test today, but then Lord Labyrinth took forever and,” she took a deep breath, “I just really don’t want to.”

She’d never procrastinated in her life.  Well, not on purpose, anyway.  She just had too much to do to afford it.

“Even superheroes need breaks, you know.”  He rubbed her shoulder, his touch gentle without his claws.  “But if you do want to study… could I help you?  I’ve took a few physics classes last year.  They were a-mass-ing.”

“Really?”  They didn’t talk much about their school lives—mostly for identity reasons, but also because they usually didn’t have the time.  She never would’ve picked him out as a science guy.  Theatre, maybe.

“Yeah.  You could say I had a lot of potential.”  

She groaned.  “Oh no.  I can’t take cat puns and science puns.  If you keep this up, I’ll just take my chances with failing.”

“What?  Do you think there’s too much friction between us?”

“Chat.” She glared on principle, even though she had to admit that one was almost funny.

“Alright, alright, I’m done.”  He grinned.  “Grab your notes and we can get started.”

[bssaz97]

Rowan’s Trip To Beacon (...Sorta) #2

-Beacon Academy (Volume 2 Time)-

Rowan: So do you all believe me when I say that I’m Ruby and Jaune’s future son?

Ren: Well given how you have been able to back up all of your claims, I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t trust you.

Weiss: I’ll have to agree. Despite the complexity of it all...what you’ve said so far is true.

Rowan: Great! Now could we go see Headmistress Goodwitch?

Blake: Actually that’s something I want to ask you about. Why do you want to speak to Goodwitch of all people? Wouldn’t you want to speak to Headmaster Ozpin?

Rowan: Yeeeeeaaaah no. I don’t personally have anything against the headmaster but he may try to, well, interrogate me.

Yang: ....And you think Goodwitch won’t?

Rowan: Don’t worry it’ll be fine. I know Miss Goodwitch, she’s one of the nicest people out there. *innocently smiles*

RWBYJNPR: .....

Nora: Are you sure about that?

Rowan: Yep. In fact here she comes right now. *points behind them*

The two teams look behind them and to their horror they do in fact see Professor Goodwitch walking straight towards them. Her expression was anything but welcoming though.

Rowan: Welp. We should probably go see if we can talk to her- Whoa!

Yang grabs the young boy and throws him into a bush hedge to avoid detection from the absolute livid Headmistress. She wasn’t sure why she did that, perhaps it was her familial instinct kicking in. Also they would have an easier time explaining ‘how their leaders destroyed the courtyard’ instead of ‘how their leaders destroyed the courtyard AND transported their future son to the present.’ It felt weird to think how Ruby managed to get married and have children before her, was SHE even married in Rowan’s time? Questions for later, right now they had to face the “Wicked Witch of Beacon”.

Glynda: *stops in front of them* Mr. Arc and Miss Rose, why am I not surprised by the fact that both of your teams are present at the scene of disaster?Perhaps you could care to explain what transpired in the time between now and the sound of a Bomb exploding the main courtyard! *She exclaimed irritably*

Ruby: Um...w-well...you see...w-what happened was-*figets under Goodwitch’s gaze*

Jaune: It’s my fault Professor! I was showing Ruby an experiment that I made in Dust Studies but it got out of hand. I’m really sorry!

Ruby: Wha-? Jaune what are you doing?! *whispers*

Jaune: Do you really want Goodwitch to know you snuck a possible bomb to Beacon? *whispers*

Ruby: No but I don’t want you to take all the blame! *whispers*

Jaune: Just trying to be a good friend. *whispers*

Goodwitch: You students should know, whispering is more effective when the person you are whispering about can’t hear you. *leans in*

Ruby/Jaune: .....crud.

WBYNPR: *facepalm*

Glynda: Well then, since Mr. Arc admitted to both of your involvement in all of this, I believe it’s only fair that you share in the consequences as well Miss Rose. Your honesty is much appreciated Mr. Arc.

Ruby: Yeah. Thanks Jaune. *sarcastically*

Jaune: Sorry. *hangs head*

Glynda: Now about your punishment. I believe since this is all your doing, you two will spend the remainder of this semester in detention. Along with this, you will have to write ten thousand word essay on the dangers of Dust misusage and why students should not think of it as toys. The essay shall be hand written, work cited by the library, and then turned into me personally during my office hours before the end of the month. Also this will be apart of both of your grades in my class. Am I to be understood?

Ruby/Jaune: Yes mam...

Glynda: Good. Now then you both should get started soon, as there are only two weeks left in the-

Rowan: Hello! *popping from out of the bushes*

Glynda: Good Gods! I mean-‘cough’ Can I help you?

Rowan: Actually you can. You see I was taking a tour with my dad who works as a janitor here but I lost track of him. Could you help me call him for me please? *takes out his scroll with his best innocent face*

Glynda: ...I suppose I don’t see any harm in it. Although I should let you know that your father will have a stern talking with me about leaving children unattended at this school. Also that taking ‘tours’ without my or the Headmaster’s consent is highly frowned upon.

Goodwitch takes Rowan’s scroll, when she takes a look at the device she gains a confused face.

Glynda: Strange... I wasn’t made aware that they were making new models for Scrolls.

Rowan: Actually this a prototype I won in a contest. I’m supposed to be beta testing this one before they announce the new models later on.

Glynda: Oh I see. *nods* Although could you tell me how to select the Call function, this new design is very... foreign to me.

Rowan: Sure thing. *Gets it front of her and puts on some shades* Just hold down that red icon and let go after three seconds.

Glynda: Thank you. You’re quite a polite young man if I do say so-

*FLASH! (Neuralizer Sound FX)*

Both teams saw that a bright light flashed in Professor Goodwitch’s face, and now she had a blank expression on her face. Rowan then takes off his shades to pockets them and then gently takes the scroll from her grasp.

Rowan: Boy that was crazy Miss Goodwitch! We just got done doing a late class experiment outside in the courtyard but things sorta got out of control when a fault box of SDC Dust was sent to the school. Luckily nobody was hurt so that’s a plus... but not so much for the courtyard. Although you’re just happy nobody was hurt and remember I’m a visiting student that won a contest to tour the school for the weekend and teams RWBY and JNPR are assigned to look after me. Also there’s no homework or for the weekend.

Glynda: *blinks* ....oh. Yes of course the contest I do recall. I apologize you had to experience that Rowan, our dust shipments are usually more careful about this. Mr. Arc, Miss Rose could you please escort this young man back to the dormitories, I believe we’ve had enough excitement for today.

Ruby: .....Uh ok? *looks confusedly at Goodwitch*

Jaune: Yeah Rowan...let’s get back to the dorms. *starts walking back towards the campus*

Weiss: Wait a minute. What about their essay?

Glynda: Essay? Miss Schnee, I understand your desire for academic success but I have not assigned any homework for this weekend. You all should take time to make preparation for the Vtyal Festival coming up instead of focusing so much on your grades. *she chastised*

Yang: Yeah Weiss-cream let’s back to the dorm so we can get ready for the weekend! *places her hand on Weiss’ mouth and pushes her forward*

Weiss: Mmphf!

-Team RWBY’s Dorm-

Ruby: What the heck did you do to Miss Goodwitch?!

Yang: Yeah one second she’s turning Rubes and Vomit Boy’s into chop liver and the next she leaves them off scot-free?

Weiss: Now she believes your some tourist at the school.

Rowan: Yeah I kinda figured you all wanted an explanation for that. Well to put it simply, I erased a portion of her memory.

Blake: You erased her memory?!

Rowan: Not all of it... just the last 25 minutes to be exact. More than enough time to cover over the incident that Mom and Dad caused and give her a new one to fill in the gap. So now Goodwitch is not mad at you guys, Mom and Dad don’t have write an essay and I can roam around without a second thought.

Weiss: .....you know I’m actually starting to believe that you have spent time with my brother.

Rowan: Ok to be fair it was Mr. Whitley’s idea to add the neuralyzer to my scroll. I didn’t consent or anything, just said if I was ever in a fix to use it sparingly. Plus I only can use it three times to per day otherwise it has to recharge.

Pyrrha: And you’re completely ok with erasing a poor woman’s memory?

Rowan: Not really, I try to avoid using it if I can but I kinda wanted to help Mom and Dad out of a tough situation. But you don’t have worry about that, she’ll be fine. The neuralyzer doesn’t cause any lasting damage..... I think.

RWBYJNPR: .....

Rowan: But in any case, I’m stuck here for the foreseeable future, or at least until someone from my time tethers me back. So in the meantime we should probably spend some time to relax and hang out. *lays down on Weiss’ bed*

Yang: I’m starting to like this kid.

Jaune: But before we do anything, there’s something we should probably establish before we have you go walking around. First, you should keep the part about being our kid a secret.

Rowan: Ok. Sounds like a good idea Dad. *nods*

Jaune: Also, you should probably stop calling us ‘Mom’and ‘Dad’. It’s gonna lead to a lot of weird questions.

Rowan: Ohhhh yeah, you’re probably right. Ok, anything else.

Jaune: Yeah the less we know about our future, the better. So nobody, and I mean EVERYONE in this room, should ask you serious questions about the future.

Rowan: *nods* Yeah I don’t wanna pull a Back to the Future and blip out of existence.

Ruby: Wait you know what Back to the Future is?

Rowan: Yep. You and Auntie Yang made it a point to watch Classic Movies when me and Summer grew up.

Ruby: ...who?

Rowan: Oh right I didn’t say. My sister’s name is Summer P- Rose 2nd. You named her after grandma.

Ruby: I.....wow. That’s...I don’t know what to say.

Rowan: *raises his hands* It’s ok, you don’t have to say anything yet. You still have A LOT of time before you even think about stuff like that.

Jaune: Ok you see this? *points at both of them* This is what I’m talking about. None of this ok, we don’t want to make anything more weird than it needs to be.

Rowan: Ok so keep my mouth shut. Got it! *gives a thumbs up*

Blake: Do you mind if I do ask something real quick?

Jaune: Wha-? Blake, we just established no asking about our future!

Blake: This isn’t a personal question. I don’t need to have my future told to me.

Jaune: ‘sigh’ Fine. Ask away.

Blake: Rowan, do the White Fang ever succeed in their mission of invading Vale?

RWY: BLAKE!

Jaune: The hell?! That’s not any better!

Blake: You said to not ask personal questions. This is a situational question, therefore it won’t effect my personal life. So Rowan, what happens?

Rowan: ... I’m not gonna tell you that. *serious tone*

Blake: What? Why?!

Rowan: Oh I know what you’re trying to do. You’re trying to find out about future events that may transpire now or later. So I’m sorry but no I’m telling you anything more than what I need to.

Blake: Rowan, this could be life or death!

Rowan: And if I did tell you, you would want to stop it. But what you don’t realize is that if I were to tell you any information regarding that, not only would that jeopardize my future but everyone else’s future also. Time is NOT something you want to mess around with, because things could get a lot worse by just changing the smallest thing about the timeline.

Blake: *looks away* ...I-I’m sorry Rowan I didn’t think-

Rowan: It’s ok. I get where you’re coming from, but trust me it’s better off this way.

Blake: Ok...

Jaune: Ok so does everyone agree not to ask too many questions about the future?

RWBYNPR: *nods*

Jaune: Great. Now then, Rowan why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself. You don’t need to go into many details, just your likes, dislikes and hobbies.

Rowan: S-Sure thing Da-Sorry! I mean Jaune. Um.... let’s see. *holds his chin in contemplation* Well as far as my likes go: I like to read comics, spend time with my family and friends, and hear stories about-well, both of your teams adventures. Which I guess hasn’t really started yet hehe.

Yang: Well I guess hero worship just runs in the family then. *looks at both Jaune and Ruby*

Rowan: Well you did tell me most of those stories Auntie Yang, so you are partially to blame. *laughs*

Ren: You mentioned wanting to become a huntsman before, any particular reason?

Rowan: Well to put it simply, I always looked up to huntsmen as role models for me. Not because they’re flashy or cool, well not completely. I decided to train to become a huntsman because they serve as beacons of hope for humanity and keep the dark forces of the Grimm at bay. So if I can help in that, if I can make sure that I can protect even one person and keep them smiling then it would be worth it.

Ren: *nods*

Nora: *gets up close* I just have one question for you and it means life or death.....pancakes or waffles?

Rowan: Pancakes duh? You made sure of that Auntie Nora.

Nora: *ruffles his hair* Yep he’s good!

Rowan: Anything else on your minds?

Ruby: Oh I got one! What’s your best memory with ‘Dad’ here? *points at Jaune*

Jaune: Really Ruby, didn’t we just established no calling us his parents?

Ruby: What you said nothing about his personal life.

Jaune: ‘sigh’ Fine. You get a pass, Rowan what’s your best memory of us?

Rowan: ......... *blank stare*

Ruby: Uh Rowan?

Rowan: Oh I’m sorry! I was just thinking, Hahahaha! Wow, best memory with Dad? Um, wow I-I mean there’s...so many memories I have of him it’s kinda hard to tell! Um.......uh......best m-memory? Uh, you know what it was probably that one time that me and him went to an amusement park and he took me on a roller coaster for the first time! Yep that was a great memory! *scratches the underside of his jaw*

Ruby: Oh...well that’s cool.

Rowan: Yeah it was awesome! Say do any of you know if the mess hall is still open because I’m starving actually! Guess time travel can make a kid hungry! *laughs nervously*

Nora: Yeah they should still be open. Ren you’re and I can take you if you want? *gestures to Ren*

Ren: Yes we wouldn’t mind taking you there.

Rowan: Cool! Sounds like a plan! Well... I’ll see the rest of you in a bit!

Yang: Hey Rowan, mind if I tag along?

Rowan: Sure I don’t mind. Anyone’s happy to come along if they want.

RWBJP: We’re fine.

Rowan: That’s ok! We’ll see you later!

The group of four leave to go to the mess hall to find something for the young boy to eat, leaving behind a silence in the room among them.

Weiss: I’m going to assume that we all know that he was lying about that last question.

Jaune/Ruby: Yup. *they nod*

Pyrrha: But that just begs the question. Why would he lie about something concerning Jaune? From his demeanor before, he seemed to have a close relationship with his parents. So why lie?

Jaune: That’s something I hope we can find out?

-Fin of #2-

Hope you all enjoy this next piece! Getting back into the groove of things, so I’ll start getting back to writing regularly. Thanks for all the support and hope you all have a great day! Stay safe and stay smart out there!

Also here’s the sound FX if you guys were wondering:

https://youtu.be/czI4d8ziaPA

[kateyandthecloset]

Sect Bound . Aaron Hotchner [2.6]

Request . Prompts . Masterlist . Sect Bound

Annie Bradey couldn't sleep. After her failure to drift off on the plane, she thought she would quickly slip away once she got back to Aaron's apartment. However, Annie was led, staring at the glow in the dark stars stuck to Jack's ceiling - Aaron had insisted she say in his son's room for the night as he wasn't occupying his room. She had tried to argue, knowing she would feel much less intrusive taking her normal position on the couch, but her friend had been persistent.

Though, after what felt like hours staring at the stars, she pushed herself from the bed, still wrapped in a blanket, and made her way to the living room. Her footsteps had been quiet, and her escape would have been successful, had Aaron have been sleeping soundly. Annie was not that lucky.

The man in question had been unable to sleep, his mind repeating her words from earlier that evening. They had been a sucker punch to his perception that they were happy, that they had a functioning existence. Only moments previous he had been defending them to David, but she seemed to have a different opinion. As a profiler, he should have seen the signs, but no matter how much he replayed the last three months in his head he couldn't see them. He had been blinded by his own hope.

He was watching a Brian Cox documentary when Annie entered the living room, the subtitles on in an attempt to keep the volume as low as possible. Despite his desire to talk to her, to understand where her words had arisen from, he didn't want to disturb her rest. From many nights soothing her as she awoke in a cold sweat with silent screams - her daughters' lifeless bodies filling her dreams - Aaron was aware of how difficult it was for her to recharge. After her first case, he was sure she needed it more than ever.

Taking a seat beside him, Annie noticed the tub in his hand a smile filling her face as she asked, "Is that Peanut Butter Cup?"

Aaron laughed slightly as he nodded, the knowledge that she still knew his go to ice cream reminding him that she was still the girl he had known before. He passed the tub to her, watching as she took a mouthful before shoving it back in his direction. Her face cringed slightly as she muttered, "Still can't stand it."

"I guess you can't obtain taste," Aaron joked lightly, turning to face Annie who has since become fixated on the television.

He watched as she was mesmerised by the galaxies that raced across the screen, her eyes wide with awe. Staring at the universes that they could never truly understand, Annie's face had become relaxed with the heaviness that had been a constant occupant for the last three months had becoming non-existent. For the first time, Annie looked as though she had forgot the events of her decade long trauma, and Aaron felt something click in him.

"Annie." He spoke, catching her attention. She let out a soft hum in response, waiting a moment before she looked away from the documentary. The weightlessness remained in her features as she looked at Aaron, and, if he had been able to see that closely, he would have seen her pupils dilate as she smiled at him.

Caution had left Aaron's mind; when his lips collided with Annie's they were deprived of hesitation or remorse. There was a desperation to his movements, his hand moving to the small of her back to pull her closer to him. Perhaps his frustration had grown over the decade that he had been missing her, and this was the way it had manifested. Had he have been thinking rationally, he would have pulled away, but all he felt was pure desire for the woman. He craved to become intertwined with her the way their souls had been since the day they met.

To know Annie was to love her, Aaron knew that, though until he had met her again, he hadn't had any desire to take things further than friendship. He was sure she hadn't either. There was a part of him knew that she would never feel anything beyond the platonic curiosity she had indicated that night. However, he didn't care anymore. Even if it was just the once, he wanted to hold her the way he knew he shouldn't.

He lost track of the reasons he had given himself to pull away before. There was a list in a locked room in his mind of reasons why he should never cross the boundary with Annie, it had been stored away since his teenage years when hormones caused him to become fixated on the curves she was growing into. However, now, the woman had matured, taken her life into her own hands and come back to him. The list seemed pointless, a hurdle in the way in the inevitable finish line.

Annie arched her back as Aaron's lips continued their assault, her defences beginning to fall away like they were made of sand. For a moment she had been stiff, unsure how to react, but after she had come to her senses, she kissed him back. Instinctively, she ran her hands through his hair, gripping in a way that made Aaron pull her closer again. Without either realising, Annie had ended up straddling Aaron's lap and his lips travelled to her collar bone.

The woman knew she shouldn't be doing this, that it would only lead to her being heartbroken. She knew he didn't love her, not how she did him, but she pushed that to the back of her mind. For a moment, she would relish in the fact that for the night she was the only thing on his mind.

There was a danger to their actions that night. The looking glass had smashed as they stepped through it, there was no going back to how they were before they knew the taste of each other's lips. From that moment onwards, there would be madness and awkward encounters. Yet, if they were to stop where they were, there would be a constant curiosity of what hadn't been fulfilled. The two continued to venture into wonderland, not so afraid of what would come next as what they would miss if they remained on the path.

Taglist: @l0ve-0f-my-life @fandoms-unite14 @theroyalbrownbarbie

[thesynthesist]

Put 2000 words into a reasonable second part last night. I wanted to get it finished but there are more words... Take part one in the mean time. If you don’t want to click through, read below the cut

Earth was not a place for impatience. It had been three days since Silas had made landfall after replying to the message he had received from what he assumed to be the only living relative of Dr. Hull, father of androids. Violet still had not contacted him again. What’s more, she wasn’t on the planetary network so there was nothing Silas could do but wait. He didn’t mind that. Earth was the cradle of human and AI civilization, and even so many years after humanity left for the stars, it was still considered a hub of culture for the solar system, if not the wider universe. Colourful buildings of stained glass solar panels and rugged biodegradable plastics sprouted from the ground wherever he looked. Wrapped in plant life that had evolved to tolerate co-habitation, it was beautiful. Here and there if you knew the right places to look, you could find houses from the old prefab subdivisions, with their brick walls and plastic sidings. Buildings older than that were rare and practically on the other side of the planet from where Silas had landed. It was a small thing to bridge that distance these days but he didn’t want to be far from his ship. Instead he was content to explore the immediate area and he was deciding whether or not he should sample some of the regions cuisine despite the fact it would force him to clean out his calorimeter, when a message popped up in the lower right of his vision.   Heard you were planet side, little bro. Let’s meet up. I’d rather not. Silas shot back the message with barely a thought, adding after a moment of consideration. I’m strictly here on business. And as if to back up his claim, he turned and went back to his ship. Suddenly, he had no desire to ingest anything at all. Sid showed up the next day while Silas was watching his mechanical fish. “Woah, you make these?” Silas sighed, “You know it’s rude to come onto someone’s ship without asking.” Sid slung an arm over Silas’s shoulder and Silas got a glimpse of his face int the reflection from the fish tank. The family relationship was strong by human standards. They had the same broad jaw, the same fine black hair -- though Sid’s was wild, and causally styled with gel while Silas kept his cropped to something a little more practical. As model mates they were based off the same base specs. There were plenty of members from their fabrication group, but Sid and Silas had been finished at around the same time near the end, and Sid had decided, not even an hour after he was operational, that Silas was his little brother and that nothing could break the bonds of family. Silas found it all very tiresome. “Well you weren’t coming to see me,” said Sid as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “So I had to come see you.” “I told you, I’m strictly here on business,” replied Silas. “It’s always business with you,” said Sid. “It wouldn’t kill you to loosen up. We’re series one, we’re practically human. Live a little! Even Series 4 get out more than you and they don’t have a social drive.” Silas set his mouth in a firm line and met Sid’s gaze in the glass, but he said nothing. Between his anxiety to make progress on his investigation to justify the time off, and Sid’s sudden appearance, his patience was wearing thin. They stared at each other like that, fish swimming behind their faces, until Sid raised his hands and took a step back. “Alright, I get it, I get it. It’s important stuff you’re working on. Big time shit. But I don’t want to hear about you burning out your circuits and having to be hauled off to a repair satellite ahead of schedule because you refuse to take some time off.” He closed his eyes, the pupils darting back rapidly beneath the surface. Silas found the display amateurish, with a little practice it was possible to run functional societal programming and searches at the same time. When Sid opened his eyes again he said, “Let’s try this. There’s a culture festival tomorrow in the next city over. I know you like that sort of thing so we should go. I’ll meet you outside at 10 in the morning, in case you decide to go. If you’re not out by 11, don’t worry I’ll see myself out.” Sid waved with forced cheer, and left. Silas watched his fashionably distressed clothing disappear in the reflection. He stared at the fish for a while before burying himself in auxiliary work for the rest of the day. Fielding small requests, connecting missed messages, digging up archival information. Most of it a faxi could have done without the help of a proper AI but it felt good to be busy. At midnight local time, his faxi politely reminded him that it would be beneficial to spend at least an hour at the recharging station. It wasn’t that he needed to sleep as such, but it was common practice for Series One to spend at least a few hours inactive to reduce wear on their joints and back up their memories. Begrudgingly, Silas agreed and plugging himself in, lowering his awareness to the most basic levels. He opted not to spend his time on the net or the local chat serves, and instead spent the time drifting. As usual, since his encounter, Silas found himself thinking about Ayoura. It had been shocking to learn that she had children, had a family. It had sent a thrill through Silas’s central processes. What Sid wanted was just make believe wasn’t it? Playing house like children, what Ayoura had was real, truly, painfully real. Sid hadn’t been far off when he said that they were practically human. All humans wanted a group to belong to, it only followed that the first series did too. Many of the same urges, the same feelings flowed through them, and so they had adopted the human model without a second thought, or when that was impossible just resigned themselves to having nothing. After all, everything else about Series One mimicked humans. Perhaps Sid was onto something. Despite all Silas’s companionship work, despite all the time he had spent with humans, he had never once considered how human concepts might related to himself. He had always held himself apart from them, but considered himself to be under the same psychological directives. He was Series One. Not quite human, but not quite robotic either. Series 4 were a complete mystery, and the other series only slightly less so. There was no place where he fit and understood so he had just adopted the best model that came along. The rage and bitterness that coloured many of Ayoura’s memories were beginning to make sense. He searched his personal database for the memories of Ayoura’s family. Not the one’s of her father, but the ones of her husband, and her children, loved with a fierceness that put a red super giant star to shame, even as they were stripped from her. Silas dwelled on that memory trying to understand. She hadn’t known her children, not really. They had been born as humans were, small and read and squalling.  That was the only way she had known them, hardly alive, hardly aware. In some sense what Sid had endeavored to create between the two of them was more real than that. There was no reason, Silas realized, he had to oust himself from things he could not emulate perfectly. Sometimes things had to be changed to make sense. At 10 AM local time, Silas stepped outside of his ship. Sid was already there waiting, dressed in what Silas assumed were his best clothes; if ripped red jeans and a sleeveless black turtleneck could be considered best. “You look like you’re dressed for a funeral,” he said. Silas looked down at his white suit. “Not appropriate?” “Dude. No.” Side Ushered Silas back into the ship and made a beeline for his room. “Don’t you have something a little more casual?” Silas watched helplessly as Sid ransacked his wall closet, flipping through the clothes with practiced ease. He pulled out a pair of grey cargo pants and an olive drab tank top from the back triumphantly and held them up. “That’s just for ship wear,” Silas protested. “Hush, it’s very casual military chic, I like it,” said Sid, completely ignoring the look Silas was giving him. “Not quite as bright as most people will be wearing but it’ll do.” He draped the clothes over Silas’s shoulder and clapped him on the back. “Well, get dressed.” “You are incredibly meddlesome,” said Silas, loosening his tie. “And you’re a stick in the mud in public,” Sid replied fondly as he left the room. Silas changed quickly, slipping on the clothing with practiced ease. The fabric was soft from use, but thankfully unstained and therefore met the very minimum requirements of presentation. He tried to ease the tension in his shoulders as he made final adjustments. It seemed despite his revelation in the early hours of the morning, the adjustment wasn’t going to be as easy as he thought. Sid made it look easy. The crowd practically parted as he led the way off the ship, down the street, onto the train and to the festival. He smiled at everyone, and seemed completely at ease, introducing Silas to strangers that he admitted he didn’t know. Silas was tired by the time they arrived, but the air of the festival soon revitalized him. It was already in full swing and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. It wasn’t a human only affair either. They passed the brightly coloured and patterned chassis of the second and third series. There were even a few multi-limbed inhuman planned, series four in the throng. The miniserver for the neighborhood was awash with talk of events and merchandise. The excitement was palpable. “There are so many people here,” remarked Silas when they stopped for a moment to watch someone swallow a sword. He claimed to be all organic, and Silas knew it was possible, but it was still a sight verging on miraculous. Sid laughed, “It’s nice to have your boots on the ground eh? You spend so much time on those corporate ships and security tours of yours. Come on, we’ve got more to see.” Silas let Sid lead him through the blur of novelty. There were street musicians, contact jugglers, dancing and the smells of food Silas couldn’t name. It was overwhelming. It was amazing. They stopped at anything that caught Silas’s eye, Sid offering a running commentary. It wasn’t particularly illuminating but it was still, somehow, nice. “Consider,” said Sid, handing Silas an iced treat made of what seemed to be seaweed and avocado, “you would have let all this pass you by holed up in that ship of yours.” “Consider,” replied Silas, “you’d get more work done if you let a little bit more pass you by.” “Touche.” Silas tried a spoonful of his treat. The flavor and the chill sat heavily on his tongue but not unpleasantly. Belayed by the creamy texture it tasted the way reentering orbit felt. It left an earthy taste on his tongue when it was gone, and a surprisingly empty feeling feeling in his mouth. He had some more. “What’s this?” “Ocean ice,” said Sid. “most humans don’t like it. Says it tastes like the ass end of a fishing trawler but some like it, and it’s popular among the first and second series.” “Not Series three?” asked Silas. He didn’t know much about the other series besides the basics. In the small microcosms he inhabited they were usually far away from him or perpetually busy. Sid stirred his Ocean ice contemplatively, turning it into a thick slurry. “They’re wired to detect chemicals so they don’t tend to eat a lot of human food.” “We go more for galactic ice, it tastes like cyanide and motor oil.” Silas looked over and found that they’d been joined by a stocky unit with patchwork synth skin in reds, yellows and oranges. Her hair was short, and so red it was almost brown. “Lee!” Sid swept her into a hug, which she endured patiently. When he finally released her, he turned. “Silas, this is my friend Auralie. Auralie, this is my brother Silas.” “Charmed,” said Silas, holding out his hand. Auralie looked at it for a moment before shaking it firmly. “You can just call me Lee,” she said. “Figured I’d just tell you now, since I can tell you’re one of the corporate types, not like this idiot.” She elbowed Sid, who beamed at the casual abuse. “He’s a walking disaster no matter where he is.” “Ouch! That hurt more than the elbow.” “Tough,” Lee grinned. “Anyways, someone said they saw Sid wandering around with his model mate who’s never been planet side proper before, so I came out as sort of a welcome committee.” “That’s very kind of you,” said Silas. “Don’t thank me yet, Proxy. By this time tomorrow you’re going to know what a hangover is.” Lee winked and spun around threading her way through the crowd with practiced ease. What’s a proxy? Silas asked, as he and Sid followed the rapidly disappearing bob cut into the crowd. Best not think to hard about it. Silas glanced over sharply at Sid but he wasn’t paying attention. Instead he looked like the proverbial cat, and Silas hoped, all things considered, this did not make him the proverbial canary. But no matter what happened Silas had the sinking feeling he was in for an experience.

[dbhilluminate]

DBH: Illuminate- Hit and Run (part 1)

Characters: Connor-50 / Z, Dennis, Nick, Kate, Connor-51 / RK, Axl  Word Count: 2,598

Axl spots a trine of RK800's entering Detroit on a bus inbound from Belle Isle- Kate moves to tail them with the intention of finding out why they're there, but is spotted by Connor's doppelganger and forced to do something she regrets in order to escape.

( Chapter Art by triple_jays_art , Co-authored by grayorca15)

Previous Chapter

• Chapter Index • Characters •

--------

November 12th, 2038 - 12:54 PM

By the end of the journey, Dennis almost wished their special travel privileges had been revoked. Standing at the back of the bus might have been degrading for models of their ( dubious ) stature- compared to that, sitting wedged into an armchair-style seat wasn’t any more pleasant, but it was useless to rue any of it at this point, like insisting on taking the window seat in spite of irrelevant comfort. HIs partner squinted and placed a hand on the glass to see further out the window in anticipation of what their first glimpse of Detroit would entail. Thus far, the rolling expanses of countryside —field after field of unharvested late-season corn— had yet to give way to congested metropolitan sprawl. Nick sighed and turned back to him in disappointment. "How much longer? Why is it so far? I didn't know it would take so long."

Such questions were unsuspicious to the rest of the tour bus’ human group, but exhausting to have to answer ten times over. Instead of responding with his usual weariness, Dennis skimmed ahead to the next news article on his tablet, slouched down in his seat with his elbows bowed and his ankle crossed over one knee. He cut enough of a surly image he hadn’t been bothered by other passengers looking for small talk, though his covert attire helped throw off suspicion. In his Michigan State Wolverines hoodie, blue jeans, and ski cap crammed down over his brow, Dennis looked like just another laze about young adult catching the bus back to the city. He’d even left the laces of his boots untied to better help sell the idea. With every lazy turn the bus made they swayed one way, then the other. Dennis ran through a few possible responses before he opted for a casual nudge of his toe against his partner’s knee. This might have been a bearable arrangement, if only he would quit fidgeting every five minutes.

“You lookin’ for a distraction, or you want the same answer I’ve been givin’ you the last five hours?” Nick knocked his knee against his in rebuttal as he continued to look out the window, then turned and leaned back toward him, eyes wide under an old Detroit Tigers ball cap. "I'm just curious! It's been so long since we’ve been home… how much longer ‘till we get there?" The tablet in Dennis’ hands updated in real-time: a few mentions of road accidents that had waylaid everyday commuters at several junctions along I-75, interrupted his reading with a few annoying pop-up banners that he swiped away after reading. “An hour, provided the traffic doesn’t logjam between here and there,” he replied, then paused to take a sideways glance at his partner’s leg jittering up and down like a piston. Dennis recalled that had been their third’s plan to eat up the few hundred miles between Dayton and Detroit, but four hours in, Nick had recharged all he could will himself to. Now he was brimming with nervous energy he couldn’t work off, as always. Good plan, bad result. “What happened to sleeping your way back?” Nick reached to fuss with one of the arms of his windbreaker jacket and fidgeted in his seat. His leg stopped for a moment. "I tried that, but I'm not- tired anymore. We're going so slow… Too slow. Can't they go any faster? When will we actually be in the city?" “Soon enough,” Dennis replied, and dialed back the exasperation in his tone to spare them both the aggravation. Whether or not the delays could be helped didn’t stop Nick from whining about it anyway. There was no sense in getting annoyed.

Dennis glanced back and around at their company, most of whom were either asleep or too engrossed with their mobile electronics to notice, and made one slight tug at the ski cap. His LED dimmed beneath it, but he needn’t chance someone noticing the faint glow. As he opened the wireless communication channel between them, he reverted back to their usual banter: Don’t whine so much, you’ll draw attention to us. Their press coverage was still minimal as of yet, and most photos tended to consist of only one of their three faces. The odds they’d be outed were minimal, but it was still attention they didn’t need. And you know Zero could use the recharge. Nick twisted around and directed a too-obvious glance at their dozing primary seated a few rows back on the opposite side of the aisle. The RK800 (formerly known as “Connor”) faked a nap, head tilted back against the cushy headrest with a smart-looking cap pulled down over his eyes. Okay, okay, fine… I'll stay quiet, the anxious Android agreed as he settled back into his seat, then propped his chin up in the palm of his hand as he frowned at the floor You’re fussing more than the three-year-old in Row E. Dennis nodded to illustrate his point, directed a raised brow to the child in question, and rubbed at his eyes. I know you don’t like long rides anywhere. But you know why we’re being recalled, right? He had explained it. Whether or not Nick had been listening was another matter entirely. His partner leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms as he re-accessed the data, and remained quiet just long enough to formulate an answer. Yes… we're going back to Detroit to- uhm… help with something.

Nick never had possessed the longest attention span of their trio… Capacity for learning meant human mannerisms could easily sneak their way into all the machine-like tics that came with being an android, but they still needed to be tempered. Dennis shut his eyes before the urge to roll them got the better of him. Even if it was the perfect moment to indulge one, he refrained from exhibiting any deviant-centric behaviors, lest he give Amanda another reason to add a new tally his behavioral report. Yes. We’re going to help determine where Illuminate has been operating. Zero’s redundancy twin is a whisker away from rooting out their base of operations, and he could use some backup closing the net. The long and the short of it, as described by Amanda, wasn’t that their time around the Midwest had been a complete waste, but now that they were in the know about Zero’s “other half”, it stood to reason that they’d been sent out of the city to keep from overlapping on DCPD cases. Her patronizing reassurance did nothing to calm the faux bubbling of anxiety in Dennis’ lines, however; in fact, it had done the opposite by seeding the suspicion of irrelevance. He was simply better than Nick at concealing what he felt, as much as he wasn’t supposed to.

Nick bypassed the information that they were being sent to help uncover the largest connection that would help them prevent a deviancy uprising, and immediately went for the acknowledgment of Zero's twin. Instead of skeptical, he was genuinely earnest to embrace the notion of a lost ‘relative’. The prospect didn’t scare him at all. Oh, yes, I knew that. I can't wait to meet him! I wonder if they look different... you know, so we can tell them apart? I wouldn’t want to confuse one for the other. Dennis scoffed and twitched his crossed-over ankle to purge some of the subdued restless energy. That’s hardly our biggest concern. This isn’t a social call, it’s for the good of the mission. He may not have always liked being the anchor of their group, but someone had to be. I know, I'm just excited. The wait is making me anxious… Nick trailed off as he took a hopeless look out the window again, then realized what he should have said and turned back to Dennis. A-and to get started on the mission, of course.

With a slow, careless blink and a small sigh, Dennis cleared the news article he was no longer one-hundred percent focused on reading, just as a green mileage sign flashed by. Toledo, Monroe… then Detroit- all potential deviancy hotspots. Depending on what kind of network Illuminate had established, they could have connections everywhere. Thirteen months was a long time for roots to spread. Even if they had only been dispatched to try and round up stragglers, sending three deviant hunters after an un-quantifiable number of deviant Androids across several States was a slapdash attempt at containing the phenomenon, at best. Deviants were as varied and widespread as the humans they took after. Dennis doubted he and his partners would have been able to see so much of the Midwest any other way, though. Mission parameters raised no red flags against lingering on a rooftop a few minutes longer than necessary to watch the sunrise over a foggy Lake Eerie, or peer through a fence to appreciate the teamwork of two dozen grade-schoolers playing a round of baseball after class- or study the diligence with which a monarch butterfly moved from one milkweed plant to the next, carrying out its natural function as a pollinator against all odds, natural or otherwise. That instance in particular, Dennis remembered having to stop and remind Nick it was time to leave. The garage in the middle of that bough harbored no deviants, just a wild assortment of insects. He would have been successful, too, if the damn butterfly hadn’t thought to land on his partner’s wrist. Nick had gone completely still as soon as it landed, letting out a breathy gasp and donning a wide-eyed stare. " Look, Dennis, look- wait, don't come close, you'll scare it off! ” Which was how the presumed in-out inspection job turned into a thirty-minute ordeal of tagging along after a ziggy little monarch. Even after flitting away, its new fan put his android abilities to use, sprinting after and tracking it like a fox chasing a hare. Dennis had followed only to ensure no harm befell their third, while Zero went alone to determine the deviant’s next most likely hiding place. They returned to find Zero standing idle outside the tool shed, while a recovery team from the nearest Cyberlife depot tazed and loaded the exposed fugitive up for transport. That had been three months ago- now here they were on the cusp of winter, headed back to Detroit to take part in a far more important manhunt. Colder temperatures were already leaving flecks of frost on the Greyhound’s curvy windows. It was strangely foreboding. But there wouldn’t be any butterflies this time, or so he’d hoped.

November 12th, 2038 - 03:37 PM

The Rosa Parks terminal wasn’t the first stop their bus made within the city limits. On the off chance they had been noted by prying eyes between Dayton and Detroit, they had been instructed to disembark at random. This counted as such. They didn’t need to step off as a group, but months on the road together only served to reinforce the invisible tethers- where Zero went, Nick and Dennis would follow. If he asked them to wait, they would. If he ordered them not to speak to anyone, they wouldn’t. Anyone who wasn’t law enforcement or related to an active case weren’t to be extensively interacted with- Which was why the moment two parka-wearing children darted out of the crowd and tripped Zero up was so unexpected. Z’s nostrils flared as he barely sidestepped quickly enough to get out of their way, and a hand shot out to brace himself against the side of the idling bus. “Sorry, mister!” Amidst more carefree giggles, they wove back into the crowd, right back to their parents’ sides. After being cooped up on a bus for god only knows how long, it wasn’t any surprise a kid’s first instinct would be to run amok at the first opportunity. With his disguise intact and his cover no worse for wear, Zero returned his focus to locating the subspace storage compartments running the length of the vehicle and entered the six-digit code Cyberlife had forwarded. A panel slid back to reveal a black gym bag, right where they said it would be. All that remained now was to get to Central Station.

They could have summoned a taxi, but with the chill of winter rolling in on the heels of November (cool and breezy, tempered with city smog), it wasn’t unbearable. In contrast to the stuffy interior of a tour bus, one might even call it refreshing; besides, it would do them good to walk, to stave off freezing joints. They had an itinerary, but not an expected time of arrival. Hiking the last leg of the journey to the station didn’t go against any pre-existing orders, and it would give them time to acclimate to their urban surroundings. Zero shouldered the bag by pulling the bandoleer-style strap over his head, then grabbed the brim of his cap and gave it a firm downward tug. Underneath, his LED flickered and spun up. Would you two mind walking from here on? Nick looked around at their new surroundings and nodded absent-mindedly, not at all realizing that he looked like a star-struck tourist in a less-than star-studded city. Oblivious to this as ever, he straightened up and focused with a gleeful smile. Yeah, I’d like that! Just look how nice it is. The bus ride was so long… and the station isn't that far. ‘Nice’, Dennis scoffed over the line as he cinched up his for-show knapsack and led the way out of the boarding area under the iconic inverted-umbrella, funnel-shaped tensile canopy. They kept at least an arm’s reach from each other as they wove into the crowd, but stayed within each others’ line-of-sight. Sticking close together was the best possible formation if they wanted to avoid being sidetracked. Don’t go getting too used to it, Nick. You said the same thing about Chicago, before that breeze almost knocked you off the DuSable. I didn't know it would be so strong, Nick protested in defense, sounding half-embarrassed by the mention of the event. It was as close to an infamous public screw up as they had yet known. The smile dropped. I know now, I won't do that again. At least not when it's windy. Just stay away from the river, you should be fine. Detroit only has one.

That she did. Wide and noticeable as it was, an expanse of sky and sea was all that separated the states from Canada. But beyond that to the southeast, past the assortment of towers and the even-further faraway silhouette of Windsor, a lattice-covered spire shaped like a speartip pierced the horizon as if it were threading a needle through the clouds. Zero had glimpsed it as the bus rode the elevated interstate. Now, his brown eyes subconsciously scanned the urban skyline for it as it crossed his mind once more, as if he owed it at least one fervent glance for being the closest thing to ‘home’ most androids knew.  Even if it said place wasn’t for him, there was the illusion of disdain in looking at it. Knowing what he did about their excommunication from its shadow, he wasn’t in any hurry to lay eyes on CyberLife Tower again. Why should it feel familiar, or welcoming, when they hadn’t even had enough time to get attached to the sight of it? The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth, but before he could let it fester, he turned and fell into step with the other two.

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

Angst you say?

Eren didn't want to shut Levi out, but between coming off his pills, loosing dancing, being pregnant and being told he very may loose his pup from all the stress he was under, Levi's probing was way too much right now... Even if it was therapeutic to vent. Everything had hit him all at once when he'd seen Levi's concerned face at Hanji's. He hated knowing Levi was worried. He hated making him look that way. He didn't want to make his alpha feel worse, that's why he'd only told him he couldn't dance anymore, rather than that he was pregnant and could miscarry at any time. As it was, he'd have to call his Ballroom partner and let her know that he wouldn't be around for the next few weeks... knowing that he'd be letting her down. For an alpha, Sasha had all the strength, but the personality of an omega. She loved her weapons, just as much as she loved her soft things. Most of her partnerships had fallen short due to her excitable personality, leaving her wondering why she'd started dancing at all. Her husband Connie had two left feet, according to Sasha, and his prankster personality made it hard to take dancing seriously, not that she truly did, but she did love it. He really liked Sasha, and she didn't think any less of him for being an omega... even when she was giving him shit for it. Waking up, Eren couldn't understand why he was so hot. His eyes feeling gritty as he forced them open, finding Levi's face millimetres from his. Right. He'd had a stupid breakdown over everything. Coming off his pills, combing with the nausea of pregnancy had left a lot of his functions fluctuating. His fainting spell coming from dehydration and the fact his body was struggling with it all. That would explain it... Wriggling from Levi's hold, the alpha tried to cling to him, mumbling his name. Fuck... he couldn't remember the last time they'd woken up like this... probably since before Viren had gotten his feet under him. When he was a small pup, they'd spend hours laying in bed, watching him sleep and dreaming of their future. Shit. He'd missed this. Their bed. Levi's cuddles... he couldn't do this right now. Escaping the bed, he found Titan had even wandered in, sprawling across the bottom of the bed like he'd never given his position to in the first place. Flicking his tail, he pretty much confirmed Eren's thoughts. If he could talked he'd, no doubt, say how happy he was that it was just the three of them again. Wrapping his arms around his waist. Eren looked towards Viren's bedroom. He might have needed a break, but it felt so cruel to send Viren away. The boy hadn't done anything wrong. Not in loving Levi... and if he did grow to be an alpha, he was only giving Eren the respect he deserved as a fucked up omega. Showering and dressing, he walked out to find Levi in the kitchen. His head was pounding like a bass drum. The last thing he wanted to do was pretend to be human, let alone a functioning one. Bed was soooo close. He could make... oh... nope, Levi was looking at him "Hey, you. How did you sleep?" "I could use another 20 years worth" Levi snorted, shaking his head. How the fuck did he manage to look so fucking good in the morning? "Come sit down and I'll make you breakfast. I thought we could go shopping today" "What happened to work?" "You're more important. How does shopping sound?" Like peopling... and being nice to people... and seeing people... "Can I have some painkillers? My head hurts" "You need water. You're still dehydrated" Walking over to the dining table, it was weird that Viren wasn't there. That he wasn't sitting on the kitchen counter talking to Levi, or stealing treats. Sitting down, he drew his right knee up, to rest his chin on it. Watching Levi bringing over a tall glass of milk, and two small white tablets. Placing them down, Eren guessed he should be happy that Levi wasn't checking him a for a fever "What do you want for breakfast?" "I'll make some cereal in a minute" "I'll make you cereal. Which one do you want? I think we have cocopops" "They're Viren's. I have cornflakes in the pantry" "Just because our son likes most of the same shit you do, doesn't mean you should go without" "It's fine. I don't feel hungry" "Were you sick again?" "No..." "Maybe you're getting better? Did you mention the bug yesterday?" Bug. He could live with the pup being called bug "Yeah. They just said to keep my fluids up" "I didn't see your appointment on the fridge" "It's on Friday the twenty-second at 4" "So Friday" Shit. He'd been sure it was next week "Yeah. Well, we need to be down in Paradis and I wanted to get it done before then" They'd offered to give him an ultrasound, but he didn't want one. Not with Hanji so close... he wanted to wait and see, as to whether he'd miscarry or not "Ok. I'll add it to the calendar, and see that I'm off" "I told you I can take myself" Downing the pills and gulping down the milk, he prayed they'd kick in soon. Pottering around the kitchen, Levi pulled out the container of cornflakes. He really suited his role as a dad. He might have gained some more wrinkles and there may now be more than a few grey hairs creeping in, but it really suited him. He was so good with Viren... "I thought we could go clothes shopping for you. It's getting cold again, and we are going on holiday" "I don't need clothes" His clothes were fine. They did the job. His anxieties decided to flare... the little voices arses as usual. Maybe this was Levi's way of telling him he needed to stop looking like a slob. It was so hard to have anything nice with kids in and out of the apartment. Something was always being spilt or there was vomit, or tears or... stuff. He binned his clothes when they got super holy... and there'd been a mass binning after Viren round a pair of scissors. Binning his yoga pants had nearly made him cry. Not that he had time for yoga... he'd have even less when the pup came... but Levi really didn't seem that keen on having another pup... Maybe he was starting to like him again because he was thin again... and he didn't dress in "girly" clothes anymore...? There was too much to think about. His brain hurt without the added pain of thoughts "Eren?" "What? Sorry" "I was saying you should let me buy you some new things" Eren pushed a smile to his lips, feeling it fall short. He didn't need Levi to buy things for him. He had money. He had more money than he knew what to do with. More money than he'd ever thought he'd have "Yeah. Maybe... it depends if I like anything" "You could probably get a few nice dresses or tops. Whatever you like. You always look good to me" It wasn't because he didn't look like a girl anymore? Did Levi want him to look more girl like? It seemed like so long since he'd bought his own clothes... and it wasn't like he didn't have nice clothes. He couldn't go Ballroom dancing in sneakers and a holy shirt... he just didn't want the kids ruining the few nice things he had. He'd had to hide the charm bracelet Levi had gifted him, along with the glass dolphin as Viren had tried to destroy them both "Ok" "Good" "When's Viren coming home?" Levi frowned at him, Eren feeling guiltier. He'd forced him to send his son away... "Whenever I call Hanji" "You should. He won't understand why you're not there" "He's healthy and he's safe..." "It feels cruel" "You need time to recharge" "You". Not "we". Levi was only doing this because he was so weak. Shit... Jumping up from his seat, Eren ran to the bathroom sink. Throwing up the milk and pills he'd just swallowed, a hand went to his stomach as he groaned. Placing a hand on Eren's back, Levi rubbed it softly, as he nuzzled into Eren's shoulder "You really should let me take..." "I've been to hospital. I don't need to go back. I had a piss and blood test. If it was something to worry over, I'd still be there" He sounded so fucking pissy. No wonder Levi rushed to soothing mode "Ok. Ok. I'm worried, that's all" "Stop it. I didn't ask for your help or worry!" Crap. He'd snapped at Levi. Shit. Coughing, it turned wet as he vomited again "Eren" "Fuck it. I'm not going to be able to eat breakfast. Let's just go do whatever you wanted to" "I wanted to take you shopping... for you" "I don't need anything. Save your money" For someone who actually deserved it "Eren. I want to start trying to fix things between us. I want to buy you things. I want to do things with you... I want to make this work. Last night, you were rejecting me. It hurt. It hurt to know I pushed you that far" "It's not just you to blame. I'm the one who's..." "I know what you're going to say, but you're not. You're not fucked in the head. Or crazy. You're exhausted and stressed. You're also my omega. I want to live up to the promises I made you. So stop thinking you're a basket case, and stupid, or whatever" "It's the same thing" "No, it's not. I know you're not crazy" "Because I didn't freak out on you yesterday" "And how often you freak out. You haven't had a panic attack that severe in a while" That Levi knew about... even when medicated, they'd still come, though milder. The ones off of his meds... yeah. He knew he was still a basket case. He couldn't have this pup. Not like this... he'd have to talk with his doctor about options... he didn't want to abort it, but he was a bad mum and a bad omega "Why don't you change into something warmer? I'll make you some toast for breakfast" "I told you I can't eat" "You need to. It's not healthy not to. Even if it's just a slice of toast, you need something in your stomach" He wasn't going to win... no matter what he did or said.... "Fine. I'll go change" Levi kissed his shoulder. Eren instantly wanting to cave into the man's touch. He wanted Levi to love him like he used to. When he'd randomly kiss him, or hug him, or jump into the shower with him, or wrap his arms around him and cling like a child as he cooked... He missed laying in bed talking and snuggling. He missed having real adult conversations, and watching scary movies to make fun of them. God. He longed for it all... Feeling his emotions well, his omega snarkily reminded him that he could have all of that, if he wasn't such a sorry excuse for an omega. He hadn't missed the insults his omega would supply. He hadn't missed feeling this shitty. He hadn't missed his paranoia or depression. He definitely hadn't missed feeling like he was walking on eggshells around his own emotions. No. He hadn't missed any of that. * Dragged shopping, Eren kept trying to put things back. While Levi kept putting things in the shopping trolley. He was trying not to let the fact he was pregnant influence his purchases. If Levi had wanted another pup from him, he wouldn't be using two condoms or avoiding the subject. That was the clear answer to their problem. Shorts it was. It was still warm enough to pull them off He ended up with an insane amount of new clothes and shoes that he was sure he didn't need. They wouldn't stay nice and new for long. He couldn't help but pick up clothes for Viren. Levi brushed off his enquiries of where his new clothes were. His alpha was better at buying new clothes for himself than Eren had been since Viren's birth, and anything that Levi had wore to death, was magically replaced thanks to online shopping. Despite the fact it would probably never be used, Eren did manage to buy some new makeup colour pallets and foundation. He missed the days where he used to take such good and careful care of his skin, only his stretch marks and suicide scars got any attention these days. Levi had naturally perfect skin. The alpha never knew his pain, or the pain of a breakout. It was hard to accept acne when it was on your face, as acne had such an ugly stigma. His changing hormones had brought more pimples than he knew what to do with. No one chose acne, but they did choose to be a dick about it. After clothes shopping, Levi forced him to have a manicure and pedicure, while the alpha took care of something. He didn't know what, only that Levi kissed him, then disappeared off to wherever he had in mind, leaving Eren to trail into the salon in a state of confusion. Was it wrong that he was kind of feeling a little better, up until Levi had left? He had Levi's undivided attention. His mate was listening to his words, and his son wasn't throwing a tantrum over Levi paying attention to him. He was so fucking selfish. His son was just a pup. He deserved all Levi's attention, and Levi deserved to be happy. Struggling with his anxieties, he barely made his wishes understood, clumsily pointing out a nice cheese-leaf design for his fingers. Coming back mid-pedicure, Levi was sans their shopping. Standing over the woman doing his nails, his mate crossed his arms, while Eren found himself staring. His stomach was rolling like there was no tomorrow, for the first time in a long time, he really wanted to scratch... he should be enjoying this. Levi wanted him to enjoy this. Fucking pregnancy meaning no sanity pills. Levi could have just said he was off to put the shopping in the car, maybe he was mad over how much they'd ended up buying? Eren had said no. He'd even tried to put things back because they were way too much... but Levi had pulled out his m card and paid for it all without giving him a chance to pay for himself. Lifting his feet out the water to dry them, the small beta woman asked what colour he wanted his toenails. Levi pulled a face like it was weird, so he left it to his alpha, as a small stab of revenge. Levi choosing a dark green that he hadn't even noticed. It was nice, but he wasn't sure he wanted green toes until she started painting them. Mentally sighing to himself, he'd have to remember to wear shoes, or risk upsetting Viren. But hey, at least it went with his silver fingernails and their dainty leaf design. Leaving the salon, Levi wrapped his arm around his waist. Eren's knees nearly going weak as his alpha's scent wrapped around him "Is there anything else we need to get? Or is it just food shopping, left?" "I need to get a suitcase. I don't have one, and I think Viren needs a new one. His is filled with toys" "He does know he can't take all his toys with him" "He's two, nearly, three. He doesn't understand that he is coming back" "You know, you're really good with him. I know things haven't been great, but you've always kept trying to do what was best for him. He's lucky to have you as a mum" "I wouldn't say that" "Eren" "It's true. I'm not much of a mum" "You are. You run the whole household. You keep us all in check. You cook. You clean. You pay the bills. You make the appointments. You know what needs to be done and you take care of it. I'm so proud of you, and I'm sorry I've been putting so much pressure on you" "I don't do much... I mean. I'm usually with the kids" "I don't have the patience to spend the day chasing after four kids. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry you can't dance right now. But... it's temporary right?" "If you're asking if I'm dying, I'm not" "That's not what I meant. I mean, you're ok. Or you're going to be ok with rest, right?" "Yes, Levi. I'll be fine. They just said u pushed myself too far while sick. When it passes, I should be able to go back to dancing" "I wish you'd told me" "Why?" "Because... you need more you time. I could have looked after Viren, or I could dropped you off, or picked you up" "Viren likes the bus... so does Anna" "Hanji said Anna wants to start dancing" "She wants to do ballet. She's very much the little princess" "What about Viren?" "He hates it. He doesn't mind the crèche, but they're really good with the kids there" "What activities do they do?" "I'm not allowed to tell. He said so" Levi rolled his eyes "He's 2" "And silly mummy isn't allowed to tell daddy anything. That's what he said" "Eren, you know you can tell him off. Smacking his bum for misbehaving isn't the same as putting him through what you went through" Eren nearly laughed. Levi thought he didn't disciplined Viren? Wow... he was even more useless than he thought "Yeah. Sure... anyway, Viren will want a red suitcase" "I said the wrong thing again, didn't I?" "No. I just don't want to talk about it" "We need to. He can't treat you without respect. I refuse to let it keep happening" "Levi, he's just a pup, and I'm not the only mum this has happened to" "It doesn't make it ok. You didn't... you didn't nearly die giving birth for things to be like this. And I didn't promise to marry you, for to be trapped in a life where you're suffering" This was all too heavy. Hitting far too close to home, and it all felt like too little too late "I proposed to you, remember" "And I promised to protect and love you. I love you, but somewhere along the line I started taking you for granted" Ouch. That. That one hurt. Knowing it, was different from hearing it out loud "I grew to expect you waiting at home with Viren. And didn't think about what that meant for you. About how hard it would be for you to be alone" But he wasn't alone. He had Viren. And Anna. And Hanji, and Marco, and Mina and Anka. He had Sasha and Connie. And the people at the dance studio. The only person he didn't have was Levi, because Levi was working hard to support them... and the only person who could ease any of his pain and loneliness was Levi. Even with Hanji, he found himself only speaking half truths, and only seeking comfort from her when his omega side left him feeling so pathetically weak that he'd take love from the first alpha who'd gift it upon him. He was a wreck, and didn't deserve the love Levi was showing him. He wanted to go home... No. wanted to go Hanji's. He wanted to go home if it meant his brain would stop all this shit, and it meant Levi would love him. But they had responsibilities. They had a son to consider and everything else came second to that. "Eren? What are you thinking?" "I think I need to stay with Hanji a while longer" Levi's scent turned pained, his alpha pausing mid step while someone behind them complained at their sudden stop "If I say I want you at home, will you come home?" "Levi. I know you love me. But I'm a mess" "Look. I want to work this out. I already told my boss that I need to be home with you" Levi did what? That wasn't ok. He didn't need more people thinking he was a weak omega. He'd never met Levi's new boss, but they probably thought him a stupid omega "I didn't ask you to do that" "No. But that's only because you felt you couldn't" "If I'd wanted things to changed, I wouldn't have said something" "Things need to change" "And what? You're the only one working. They won't give me a job" "I know Marco and Hanji pay you for babysitting" "It's not the same. Besides, Marco and Jean are thinking of moving. They've been wanting to move closer to Jean's family for a while now, and Anna. She's like a daughter. Hanji won't let me not accept payment. She puts it my account, and sends it back to me if I return it. So I use it on Anna" "Hanji was thinking of putting Anna in daycare to get her used to socialising with more people" Eren held his tongue. Levi wasn't great at forcing a casual tone. Maybe to someone else, but not to him. No doubt Hanji and Levi had been talking about his fragile mental state and decided it was best he wasn't left with small children "It might be good for Viren too. He's got to be sick of playing with the girls all the time" And there it was. He was right "If you think it's for the best. I don't know. I didn't go to school" "Eren. It's not that I don't think you're a good mum" "Levi, everything you've said tells me that's exactly what you think. I do discipline Viren. I tell him I love him. I try to do everything I can to make him happy. And this... this was all ok. I was coping until my meds stopped. All this talking is just making me feel worse" "I just want to help" "You can't ok. You can't. This problem is inside me. I need to work on me and figure out how to fix me. Now. Let's just go home. Viren doesn't need us fighting" "We still need to go food shopping" "You should go with Viren. You don't get to come, but he loves it, and he'd love to go with you" "And what about you? That's cutting you out of the family again, and that's the kind of shit I'm trying to stop" Eren smiled a sad smile of defeat "If it makes him smile, then that's ok. He might not believe it, but if he's happy, than that's all that matters to me" "Why do you... how... fuck. This isn't what I fucking wanted. You're my mate. My love. My fiancée and my omega. I hate this" "I thought happy endings never meant having to be sad... but I love him, Levi. I love him more than I love life. His happiness is the only thing I could wish for. And besides, he loves you. Even if he doesn't want to admit he's anything like me, he's got good taste" "Do you... you know, still love me?" "With all my heart and soul" "Then how do I fix this?" "You stop blaming yourself. I go to the doctor on Friday and we go from there" "I don't think I can wait that long" "Well pushing the issue has only made us both upset. I can smell my own scent and it fucking stinks. I want to bring Viren home and take a bath" "Is that what you really want? Or is that what you think I want?" "It's what he wants. And I want what he wants, for him" Head butting his shoulder, Levi wrapped his arms around him "I don't fucking deserve you" "No. I'm the one who doesn't deserve you" "I don't know how we managed to make the most adorable shit in the world" Returning the hug felt like the right thing to do "I've taken some giant shits, and I promise you, it's nothing compared to giving birth" "Aren't you lucky we only have one. It'd be a shame if anything happened to that arse of yours" Eren hoped Levi didn't notice the way he tensed before forcing himself to relax and nod "Yeah... I guess if we're going to do this right, I won't be staying at Hanji's" "You can. If you need to" "Viren wouldn't be happy there. He really loves you" "God. I feel like an arsehole" "No. You're not. Blame the medication, I am" "I thought you were getting better, even without the pills" "You didn't sign up for this" "I'm your alpha. I didn't even feel it through our bond" Levi sniffled, Eren realising his neck was growing wet as his alpha cried... in the middle of the shopping centre. Levi wasn't an emotionally stunted robot but he also wasn't one to cry like this "I'm sorry. I think we should go home" "Yeah. We can shop online, if that's ok" "Yeah. I usually do"

[jedimaster941]

A Declaration of Lost Independence

A Declaration of Lost Independence

As we get older, as we live life, like stone eroding under the power of crashing waves, our bodies break down. And as our bodies break down, we become more and more unable to do things. Sometimes not to the standard we once did, and sometimes we lose the ability completely. We lose things that bring us joy, and we lose things that bring us to life. Whether it be slowly or quickly, we all lose our independence. Aging is something, like it or not, we have all signed up for. We will get older, our bodies will break down, and we will lose our overall independence. It’s not ideal, but we understand it to be true.

For Chronically ill people, however, we can lose our independence rather suddenly, and it has absolutely nothing to do with natural aging. If someone aged 78 years has trouble walking, getting dressed, or going to the bathroom, very few would question it. But imagine you are 28 years old and you have the same difficulties. Think of how you would feel. In this article I will discuss the ways in which people with chronic illness lose their independence in the areas of physical, mental, social, and dietary, and the toll it takes on us when the things that we should be able to do becomes out of reach.

*This post features responses from chronically ill patients whom I asked…*

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Physical

Loss of physical independence is the area that most people think about when illness takes over. It is at least the most public. People see wheelchairs, walkers, canes, crutches, and handicapped placards. They are also readily aware when someone takes a little longer to stand up, when they have trouble buttoning a shirt, or their handwriting becomes illegible. If someone gets to know a disabled person well enough they may also become aware of PIK lines, feeding tubes, and colostomy bags among others.

When someone is chronically ill/disabled their bodies are the primary victim of their disease. In one way or another, our bodies are malfunctioning. As my primary care physician said to me once, “We are all getting older, you're a just doing it a lot faster”. (If anyone is curious, I did not take offense, I appreciated that he acknowledged my illness and my lack of certain abilities)

Our independence is very much directly lost in these examples. We lose the ability of climb stairs, walk short distances, wash ourselves, cook food, and one I’d like to discuss a little more, exercise.

Doctors and online experts tell us we need to exercise. I can’t disagree with that. Exercise is important to keeping what we have left tip top. However, when we can’t climb stairs, walk short distances, or wash ourselves, how do you expect us to get the the gym to do some Cross Fit? I know for me, exercise of any kind hurts and has lasting effects. Some of my readers may remember how not long ago I walked a peppy poodle for half a mile and my legs hurt for three days after. This wasn't from being out of shape, this was due of my condition. Yes, exercise, but understand sometimes it's more harm than help.

I used to be a distance runner, a golfer, and could give the best piggy back rides. Now, due to Ankylosing Spondylitis, I can’t do any of that. And believe me when I tell you, that hurts me mentally as well.

Mental

With chronic illness and disability there comes a mental toll as well. Both in the areas of cognitive ability, and depression.

First, let's touch on cognitive ability which will then (as all of these sections do) we will move on to depression.

I imagine many of my readers are already well versed in the words and terminology used in the discussion of chronic illness. However, if you are new to this world, let me share a term that I, and all of us use probably on a daily basis: “Brain Fog”.

Brain Fog is exactly what it sounds like, a thick layer of fog on your brain. You know how hard it is to see through a covering of fog? Now, imagine that fog is in your head and your brain is trying to see thoughts, feelings, and ideas through it. It’s not easy and often things are lost.

Brain fog is caused by pain and the inability to actually shut down and rest. When people go to sleep their bodies and minds go into power saver mode to recharge, refresh, and do diagnostics checks. However, what happens when you drink caffeine, or you eat a big meal before bed? Well, if you can sleep, your body has now been given other things to work on. The caffeine makes your heart work harder, and your body needs to work to digest that big meal. So what happens? You don’t wake up rested because your body never actually got any rest. The same thing happens every night for people with chronic illness, but without the caffeine and steak dinner. In my case, with Ankylosing Spondylitis, my body is always working to fight off a foreign invader known as the lining between my joints. (I guess it’s actually a domestic invader) For most of us, because of constant pain, we can never get comfortable and even when we do sleep, we aren't actually resting. This lack of true sleep causes our brains to process at a diminished rate limiting our abilities to remember, problem solve, and function.

When I go to the doctor, I bring my wife. Not because I need a supportive hand, but because I need a partner and coach to help me tell the doctor what I need to say, and then remember what the doctor tells me. There have been times I have come home from an appointment solo and either forgot what treatment we discussed or, through my fogginess, made up something completely different because I could have sworn the doctor said she wanted to try bloodletting. (Or was it Methotrexate? I can’t remember) Although I love my wife, and I will always welcome her to join me at an appointment, I'm 37 years old, I shouldn't need someone to be my brain while the doctor checks out my body. While I am not depressed about this, this loss of mental and physical independence can also lead to depression.

I used to run, and I loved running. When my health got worse I took up walking long distance. However, only a few short years later, I couldn't even walk short distances without great pain and weakness. I was 34 the last time I walked with any kind of purpose. Far too young to lose so much ability. When I see people out running, or I drive past the local health club with overly large windows, I get sad longing for my glory days. When I watch American Ninja Warrior I’m sometimes heartbroken. Believe it or not, I used to be able to do stuff like that. It’s crushing to think that somebody actually has the freedom to wake up in the morning, pop up out of bed, and then think to themselves “Well, I think I will run 10 miles, shower, go to work, spend an hour at the gym, play with my kids, and then get 8 hours of restful sleep before doing it all over again.” Here I am thinking, “I hope I can get out of bed.”

Chronic illness can take a great toll on our mental state and subsequent independence.

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Diet

With the chronic illness life, more often than not it seems, comes a list of dietary restrictions. 90% (not actual figures) of life comes from our gut. What we eat and drink. Other than breathing and IV treatments, it’s the only way anything gets into the factory known as our bodies. So, there is much stress put on us by our doctors, friends, family, TV, and the woman on the corner to eat right to better our condition. And not everyone is wrong. There are certain things that improve or worsen our condition. We will listen to the “experts” and try certain things. Excluding things like sugar, dairy, nightshades, and gluten. Or “fad diets” like Paleo, Keto, Vampire, or Atkins.* We might even try Kale! Many of us will try anything if it means we reduce our pain and get a little life back. But, the more foods we give up, the more independence we lose.

Personally this area has been my biggest struggle. Two years ago I went dairy free at the suggestion of a nutritionist, and one year ago I totally cut out sugar. And, I won’t lie, excluding both of those have been fantastic for me! I may not always notice the improvement, but if I happen to slip up on purpose of by accident, I certainly notice then. I am solid and confident in my sugar free/dairy free life, and for the most part I am happy.

However, this does not mean everything is butterflies and unicorns. I still struggle as I’m sure many many of my chronically ill brothers, sisters, and non-binary siblings do. Two examples: My birthday, and the ice cream aisle. On my birthday my co-workers wanted to know what to get me for my party. Typically the birthday treat is cupcakes and fudge. Hello sugar and milk! After much thought, I received the treat of peanuts and pickles. (And I didn't complain) However, it didn’t mean it didn't hurt. My co-workers needed to avoid yummy delicious treats because of my AS. They were supportive, but it didn’t mean I didn’t feel like a party pooper. As for the ice cream aisle, they have dairy free ice cream, and they have sugar free ice cream, but as a friendly store clerk told me, diary free & sugar free ice cream isn't ice cream. I'm out of luck there.

When it comes to dairy and sugar, I have lost my independence. People need to accommodate for me. Oftentimes meaning they might miss out on what they want. When my school does nacho day, frozen custard day, cookie day, etc for staff wellness days, I’m the only one not well. I could tell the people that sorry I can’t eat this, but that opens me up to feeling bad for making them feel bad.

Or when you need to find out if a restruant is accessible. Many would think that with all the handicapped parking spots all places would also be accessible. This is not always true. I have seen places where the "accessible" table is in a door way or up against a wall. The freedom to go to any restaurant one wants is never a guarantee.

When friends want to go out those of us with diet restrictions need to be “that guy/girl”. The one who has hard opinions on what we can eat. Ever stand behind the person at Starbucks who insists on soy milk and Stevia? Have you ever thought “Just take your coffee and drink it! You're holding up the line!” Yeah, that’s us, the ones holding up the line. Doesn't feel good.

We are jealous of those people who can eat whatever they want. Go to any restaurant, order anything off the menu, and even have dessert. This isn't about gaining weight, it's about being able to get out of bed in the morning.

Social

The next topic of how we lose our social independence ties into the three topics above and any others I have not mentioned. Humans are meant to be social. We aren't bears where we can just crawl into our cave and sleep for a few months. If any human crawled into a cave, nobody would be friends with them. Why? Because interacting is one of the standards of human life. We need other people! Sure, there are the mountain folk who go out, kill a deer, make clothing from it, light a fire and live their life in seclusion. (And there is nothing wrong with that) But, most humans need other people to cook our food, make our clothes, work on projects, drive us, and socialize purely for fun. The problem is, for many chronically ill people, getting out of the house and socializing sounds equal to climbing up and living in a mountain.

We are exhausted! Chronic illness takes a lot out of us! Every day can be a struggle to move, breathe, think, and complete other daily activities. Showering can be one of the most difficult activities for some. Doing laundry is pure hell! When most people hate it for the fact they have to do it, for me, folding makes me want to die! Seriously, I don't fully know why, but it hurts so much and takes so much out of me. After doing everything we have to do, we don’t have energy left for what we want to do.

I come home from work, my shoes come off, and I’m done! Very little is going to convince me to put my shoes back on and go out with friends when all I want to do is sleep. Because of this, many chronically ill people are forgotten. We bail on friends two or three times, and they just stop inviting us. But, then we have a good day, we are ready to accept an invite. Do we take it? No. Why? Because, we feel good now, we don’t know if we will feel good later.

Chronic illness symptoms can come in waves. We can have good days (or at least the start of a day) but then we drop. We don’t always know why we drop, but our feelings and mood are in no way guaranteed. So, we don’t risk it. It’s far better to be at home near our bed than 30 minutes away with a group of people you will need to apologize to for leaving early. Declining the invite or simple ghosting is far easier and less harmful to our psyche.

-----------------

Chronically ill patients lose all sorts of independence. We can not truly live free with AS, Fibro, EDS, POTS, Lyme, MS, ME or one of the many other chronic illnesses that totally sap us of life. We are not free do do as we like.

While others wake up and get to choose between running, biking, partying, fixing cars, eating amazing food, and/or playing with their kids. We wake up and.. well.. that's it.

In closing. If you know a person with a disability/chronic illness try to be understanding of their limitations. Don’t give them a hard time when they can't do everything you want them to. Our lives are hard enough dealing with all the independence we may have lost.

*I might have made up one of these diets

[3laxx]

Wind update 11

Yeah finally moving on from the DJWifi

I been getting complaints so I deleted a bit and ended the former chapter the way it's now. Well, last chapter I got on reserve, let's see. It might be possible that I'll miss the next few upload dates on my schedule. Not like anyone would care a lot but thought I'd say it just in case. Enjoy~

Ao3 / FF.net

“So, Carapace.”, Ladybug grinned. He could tell she had thought about him a lot before even doing so much as smiling, “What’s your superpower?”

Chat propped himself up on Ladybug’s shoulder, leaning around her and let his eyes wander up and down the other boy’s body, smirking.

“I’d say it’s got something to do with a shield. Maybe protecting. Or time? I mean, Turtles are super slow, maybe you can slow down time.”

Carapace laughed, shaking his head as he turned away from the sunset, leaning back a little more.

“Turtles can actually be pretty fast and no, my power has nothing to do with time, sorry to disappoint you. But it’s a shield, yeah.”, he pulled the shield from his back and got to his feet, positioning himself next to the other two, turning away so he could show them safely. Behind him, he heard Ladybug getting to her feet and peering around him to see what he was doing. He smiled and slid his arm into the given holders, grabbing the steady handle that was installed on the inside.

“So, according to Master Fu, my superpower works a little like Chat’s cataclysm or Lucky Charm.”

Chat stood as well, accompanying Ladybug behind the new superhero.

“But I thought you could do a shield?”, he questioned and Carapace chuckled.

“Yep. It just morphs into what I need at that moment. For example, the shield could expand to a ball around me to keep me safe or it could create kinda like force shields, shielding someone or something that I want to protect. I can make it as big as I want, I think, and it’s gonna last as long as I want or until I detransform.”

Chat already laughed.

“Sooooo, it could just turn into a ball and you’d have to stay in there until you detransform?”, he cackled as Carapace half turned to him, shooting him a deadpanning look.

“Sure, because that’s how protection works. No, I can still kind of decide what to do with it. Like, you can choose to destroy something by turning it into ash but you can also choose to just stop making it function, like a short circuit for an electronic device.”

Ladybug gave Chat a light smack on the back of his head, then she turned to Carapace again. “Could you show us?”

He nodded, smirking at Chat who rubbed his head with a pout, then he widened his stance.

“Shellter!”, he exclaimed and the pattern of his shield began to glow. A wall of light emerged from the shield and expanded, faster and faster, until it touched down all around the three heroes on the roof, creating a dome in which a soft humming noise could be heard. Carapace allowed himself to relax and looked up at the swirling lightly cyan shield, grinning.

“Cool…”, he breathed, then lowered his gaze again to knock against the surface. His hand went right through.

Ladybug stepped next to him, tilting her head at his hand that was outside now.

“And now?”

He laughed, bending his hand to knock against the shield from the outside. It sounded like glass this time, echoing through the dome.

“I think the shield is letting those from the inside through. Or maybe us as the superheroes? I dunno yet, but it’s worth trying out.”

“Could also be that the Miraculous is letting people with a Miraculous through. Or maybe it’s the same with Chat’s cataclysm, you can choose who gets to pass and who doesn’t.”

Carapace shrugged, pulling his hand back in without a hindrance.

“I dunno, maybe.”

Ladybug smirked as she looked over to Chat who stared at the shield with wide eyes, already giggling to herself.

“Well, we could find out. Cara, try to concentrate on not letting anybody in or out!”

He smirked as well and concentrated on hardening the shield in his mind, then Ladybug pounced on Chat and pushed him out. Their partner stumbled right out of the shield, looking at them indignantly.

“What? Oh come on guys! You could’ve hurt me with that, bugaboo!”, he whined and his voice sounded muffled due to the shield and Ladybug giggled louder.

“Poor kitty. Now come in again – if you can.”

Carapace stepped next to her, snorting as Chat stepped into the dome again.

“So, I can apparently not influence a shield that’s already been created. Maybe if I create a new one and concentrate on it.”

“Or my theory with the Miraculous was right, that the shield lets through Miraculous wielders but not civilians.”, she theorized, soothing Chat by going up on her tiptoes and pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek. His face immediately softened and he wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her. Carapace bit his lip and looked away as he whispered something in her ear, feeling jealousy bubbling up in his chest.

He knew he wasn’t allowed to tell Alya, even if he wanted to. Master Fu had said that he needed to gain their trust first. And it was never good to have civilians know their identity, that had been proven time and time again while he had still been one but had known Marinette’s and Adrien’s secret.

It made them way too close to the action, way too easy to target. Even if they could be helpful. But Hawkmoth knew who Ladybug was and they had been there fighting with him when they had restored the Ladybug Miraculous.

Over the summer the Akumas had always found a way of involving Nino and Alya and it was honestly getting dangerous. Nino was just glad to have a Miraculous himself now.

Like this he could keep himself and, more importantly, Alya safe.

A small smile snuck on his lips as he watched the swirling cyan in front of him. He’d be able to keep her safe. But really this time, by not letting her take the cat Miraculous again, by not letting her run right into the action anymore and by being able to take a hit for her. He lifted his hand and watched his fingers going through the shield, the lightly cyan wall of light caressing his features but not letting him feel anything. He hummed to himself, pulling his hand back again as a beeping sounded from his wrist. He watched one part of the shell becoming dark green like the bracelet underneath the symbol, one part of five.

“Looks like you need to recharge, hm?”, Chat’s voice broke through to him and Carapace lifted his head, smiling at the other hero.

“Yeah, looks like it. Well, I still got a few minutes.”, he replied, then he cast his gaze down again and the small smile reappeared on his lips.

“Ooh, I know that look.”, Ladybug teased, coming closer, “You got someone special, Cara?”

The boy met her gaze and grinned, nodding proudly.

“The prettiest girl in the whole world. I just-… I guess I gotta readjust with her and-… And this…”, he gestured up and down his suit, shrugging. Ladybug placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling at him with a wink.

“It’s gonna be okay, trust me.”

Carapace snorted, gesturing between Chat and her.

“Well, you guys got it lucky, you’re both superheroes. Even if that has its downsides, too, I guess… But still. I don’t know how to juggle real life and this here yet and I haven’t even fought against an Akuma.”, he hung his head and added in his mind that he had at least not fought an Akuma in the suit yet. It would’ve probably been a dead giveaway to tell his friends, though.

“Yeah… I get you… Well, we’ve kept our identities a secret for years, too, and we got through it. Of course, it’s not easy at first but believe me, Carapace. You’re gonna be able to get through it, just as we were.”

Ladybug leant her head back and watched as the shield disintegrated to air as he pushed a button on the inside of the shield, then he smiled and nodded, placing the shield on his back again to have both his hands free.

“I guess so, yes… So, guys, I have four minutes left. I’ll go home now. Uhm-… See you tomorrow for patrol?”

Suddenly, Chat smirked very smugly and leant on Ladybug’s shoulder again, wiggling with his eyebrows.

“Oh no, Cara. We’ve – or better, I – got something else to do for you. We actually talked to Master Fu and he said you have to train to be the guardian of the Miraculous. We know you’re already taking lessons with Master Fu-”

“And we also know when so we won’t come barging in while you’re not in suit.”, Ladybug briefly interrupted, earning a short nod from Chat before he resumed.

“But we thought we’d give it a shot as well and train you to be more in sync with us as well. After all we’re a team now! So, Carapace, you interested in a few hours training with me tomorrow? Bug here can’t come, she’s busy with a project of hers.”

Ladybug elbowed him in the side and even if it was meant loving, Chat faltered a little, wheezing slightly. Carapace chuckled at his best friend.

“Yeah, sure. I’d love to train with you guys, it can only help. So, uh, tomorrow afternoon? Around five, maybe?”

Chat nodded and gave him a thumb up, his tail swishing behind him excitedly.

“Absolutely! Don’t you worry, Cara, I will properly prepare you to die in honor.”

Carapace stilled and stared at Chat who still grinned at him, then he slowly squinted his eyes.

“Aaaaaaalright. I think you watch too much Anime, bro. Anyway, I’m out, I need to be home soon anyway. See you tomorrow, then, Chat! Bye, Ladybug!”

He just merely saw Ladybug turning to her boyfriend as he already took off, ripping the shield underneath his feet to glide over to the next building and start running from there. It wasn’t far to his home but he still wanted to be careful so he took the longer way, just to be sure that nobody saw him.

But just as he was about to turn back, though, to get to his own house, he realized where he was. Across the street he saw a very familiar illuminated room, behind a big glass front and a balcony in the highest level of the house, under the roof. He hesitated, crouching down as his girlfriend stepped into her room, not looking out of the window but just strolling over to her laptop, sitting down on her desk and clicking a few times before beginning to type. She probably just came from tucking the twins in bed. The second beeping sound lightly startled him and he flinched, the movement in the semi shade from the street lights below attracting Alya’s attention. Her head turned and he froze, their eyes locking together. For a moment, nothing happened.

He didn’t even see her reaching for her phone, either to film him because he could be an Akuma or because she wanted to meet the new team member. They just looked at each other and he could’ve lost himself in her eyes but the third beep ripped him out of the trance.

Alya tilted her head as he stood up, now her fingers searching for her phone that she had thoughtlessly tossed next to her keyboard. He grinned and gave her a little greeting with two fingers to his forehead, then he winked and scrambled off.

Her surprised expression when the boy vanished into the dark, only faintly showing his silhouette over the dimly lit sky from the city lights was priceless and Nino chuckled to himself before sighing.

He wouldn’t be able to tell her. He couldn’t.

Well, he could, but-… Fu had been right to say that Nino wanted his team to trust him before revealing his identity. Plus-… It was probably better to keep his family out of this for as long as possible.

He had seen how alert Marinette had always been during an Akuma attack, exactly knowing that Hawkmoth could attack them at any time. And just like Alya and Nino, the Akumas had sometimes decided to take hostages to get where they wanted.

Marinette blamed herself for this. Even at her friend’s and parents’ begging to listen, to understand that she wasn’t at fault, Nino saw how it crushed her. How it weighed down on her.

And everytime one of her parents or friends had been captured, he saw it in her eyes how scared she was. How dangerous it was for her to fall back into the past, to break under what she had to go through once more when she saw in how much danger she had brought her loved ones.

They were just lucky Hawkmoth hadn’t done anything in his civilian form yet.

As bad as it was that he was so intelligent, this was to their advantage. He wasn’t stupid enough to try and harm Marinette or her family and friends as a civilian.

At least.

After a short run he finally reached his own home, his heart still racing from meeting his girlfriend in the suit. Well, he hadn’t met her, really. But she had finally seen him fully. He asked himself if she would be quick enough to figure him out, too, as she had figured out Adrien and Marinette as well.

And even if his heart longed for her to know, he hoped it would take her a long time. Maybe even not at all, until he revealed his identity to his friends.

He crouched down on the roof of his house, carefully glancing over the edge to see that the street was empty. He praised his parents under his breath for choosing such a quiet street to have their home, then he carefully dropped down from the roof, using his shield beneath him as a puffer. Safely and quietly he set foot on his windowsill and checked his room. The air was clear so he opened his unlocked window and slid inside, clipping his shield to his back again.

“Wayzz, shields down.”, he whispered as the fourth beep sounded, leaving him with one more part of the shell right before he detransformed.

The little Kwami flew out of his bracelet and Nino scrambled to catch him, securely cupping both his hands around the green god.

“Hey there, buddy.”, Nino grinned as Wayzz blinked at him, then he let his little friend down on the pillow on his desk and pulled the bowl of sunflower seeds closer, handing the little Kwami one.

“Thank you, Master Nino.”, Wayzz smiled at him, leaning back against the pillow as Nino snorted.

“Dude, you know you don’t have to call me master.”

His Kwami merely shrugged it off, lazily waving a paw at him.

“Sure, sure.”, he replied and Nino rolled his eyes, pushing his desk chair closer to start up his computer. On the screen a picture of the Squad lit up, a picture that they had taken over the summer.

Marinette looked way better already. She had gained a bit of weight after this torture and she had already found back to trusting them a little more. Her eyes still weren’t really there in the picture, she was just a little too thoughtful and drawn back, but she had tried so hard to get back to her former self after they had restored her Miraculous. Tikki and Adrien had massively helped by getting her back on track and Alya and Nino had been there for her the whole way. By now, it almost seemed like the old Marinette was back, even if she sometimes had backlashes.

But whenever something like this happened she knew she could trust her parents and her friends to be there for her. She knew she wasn’t alone anymore and that was probably why Nino loved this picture so much.

He smiled and typed in his code, then got to the desktop.

A picture of Alya and himself showed, one Marinette had taken without them noticing. They had sat on Alya’s bed, both with crossed legs and their knees touching. It had been a sleepover, as Nino recalled, because they had both been in their pajamas.

Their foreheads had leant against each other and they had listened to a new track Nino had mixed, Alya looking down at his phone with a relaxed expression, Nino looking at her, cupping her hands that held his phone on which the earphones were plucked in, scrolling through the pictures in his gallery.

He remembered that she had found something embarrassing just moments after this photo had been snapped, some drunk selfie he had taken at some point after turning sixteen, between all the photos of his family, vacations and his DJing stuff.

She had giggled so adorably as he had scrambled to get the phone from her, falling back and coaxing him to fall with her. He had blushed when he had found himself on top of her and she had laughed, kissing him softly before Adrien had groaned, telling them to get a room.

Nino smirked at the memory, his lips still tingling as he thought back to it.

“What are you smiling about, young master?”, Wayzz asked softly, shifting on his pillow to be able to look at his wielder. The boy chuckled and leant back, still looking at his screen.

“Oh, just-… Realizing how lucky I am to have a girl like Alya.”

“Widen your stance, Carapace.”, Chat instructed while walking around him, nodding slightly as Carapace followed his advice, “With a good stance you can’t be brought out of balance so easily. Like this you’ll be able to have a better defense.”

He did his best not to look at his teammate, knowing exactly that Adrien normally should’ve been at home practicing the piano instead of standing in the stadium with him, training him in martial arts. Oh, what his father would say to that if he knew.

Chat came to the front again, grinning brightly as he mimicked Carapace’s stance, bringing his hands up in a position to fight.

“And now, I will attack you and you try to stay standing, alright?”

The boy gulped and nodded, softly clenching and unclenching his fists nervously. He knew what Chat was able to do. He had seen him fighting before.

“A-Alright.”, he stuttered, his eyes trained on his best friend’s every move as the black clad superhero surged forward, hooking his leg around Carapace’s and trying to push against his chest to get him to fall. Carapace pulled his leg away and turned, still facing Chat but quickly bringing both feet firmly to the ground not to leave a weak spot.

His sparring partner grinned, nodding as he went back in the starting position.

“Very good. But what if I tried something else?”, Chat smirked and before Carapace could react, Chat had already grabbed his arm and thrown him over his shoulder. His partner laughed at the surprised expression that the boy couldn’t hide as he found himself lying on the floor, having trouble breathing.

“Don’t worry, Cara. You’ll get used to reacting faster.”

He stretched out his hand and Chat took it, pulling him up to his feet again.

“And again, let’s go!”, Chat enthusiastically exclaimed while Carapace merely groaned.

[nebula-starlight]

Corrupt (Part 9 - Consequence)

The early morning light shone in through the large windows of the kitchen, illuminating from behind a hunched, shadowy figure as it rocked on its heels, the faintest glow of aura rippling wildly across its crouched form. Hands scrunched through its navy dark hair as its rocking only increased with the softest hint of a held back whimper. It had been several days since he last rested, unnatural paranoia nearly driving him mad. He’d managed to hide away from Jack well enough, knowing he would eventually have to make himself presentable given the Youtuber had recently announced a brief break from his channel during the holidays to recharge.

He saw shadows everywhere he went in the corner of his vision, taunting him with cruel reminders of all the crimes he’d committed in the past. Even if he tried to close his eyes, that’s when the nightmares would start. They were probably just events from his life but twisted to put him through unimaginable horror. So he kept going, hiding away in the shadows to conceal the frequent tremors and cracks of his aura as it manifested of its own accord. He even changed his outfit, creating a large grey hoodie and dark pants to further blend in.

As he kneeled in the silent kitchen, another broken whimper managed to escape as he dug his fingers further through his hair. Normality... To think he actually had the gal to believe he wasn’t a freak of nature. No known creature in the history of the Realms had ever split their soul in half and then kept existing after the portion they shared with their mate extinguished itself. Sure he was the one to blame for her demise but what she was reborn into wasn’t his fault. Versi had become Void through her own exposure to dark magic even before being Corrupted. After all, he had only been responsible for tracking her down upon his return. Killing her hadn’t even been his plan but she couldn’t leave things well enough alone and jumped him after he shattered her wingblades and depleted her magic. Instinct had guided him into whirling around, one talon aimed right at her throat as she lunged...

Nether slowly released the breath he’d been holding, letting the air shakily leave his stolen lungs before inhaling once more. Geer still struggled to get free on occasion but it had become easy to bind the imprisoned drake with twisted shadows that further sapped away his strength. Cruel though it might be, he didn’t need to fight the weaker being on top of the symptoms he had to cope with on a daily basis.

While sleepless nights and tremors could be hidden with enough illusions, not to mention his new wardrobe, the last few days had brought on yet another complication. He couldn’t eat. Well he could but there was no guarantee it would stay down long. The frequent nausea had only made him even more irritable, pushing his control further out of his grasp to the point where he wanted nothing more than to explode in a fury. He restrained himself however, barely functioning on a day to day basis.

A tortured scream burst through his lips as he suddenly stood, aura snapping out around him and plunging the whole kitchen into a varying degree of red. He swayed unsteadily on his feet, hands still buried in his hair as he closed his eyes and let the energy freely seep out. This was killing him. Trying to pretend he was human while battling the body he’d taken for himself on every turn.

Pulling one hand free with a snarl, he glared at the pale skin, watching as it started to tremble. The bipedal form was too weak for his purposes, only serving to impede him and delay his progress towards the goal of finding Void. She needed to be beside him. It was for the best, so she couldn’t hurt anyone else. He’d given her too many chances already and those had only proven what he knew to be true. Parasites like her didn’t deserve to exist in any world.

He suddenly froze, hearing footsteps coming down from upstairs and he snarled softly under his breath, pulling back his aura into his core. The process left him even more exhausted, his head nearly buried in his chest as Jack entered in worry.

“You okay Geer? I heard you shout earlier...”

Nether sucked in a breath, panic starting to come over him as his rather identifiable aura still remained visible around his hands. He didn’t even have most of his illusions up, expecting the boy to be occupied for several more hours. Now he’d roused the Irishman accidentally.

“I- I’m fine,” he choked out, struggling to keep his own thick accent out of the words as it would immediately tip off the human.

He heard Jack approach, padded footsteps crossing the tiled floor while he kept his eyes firmly on the ground even as he felt the tremors start up again. The boy would know instantly if he saw his eyes, dark sclera with slitted crimson irises. Why had he decided to let some of his frustration out?

“I have an idea for the next game I wanted to play.” Jack continued, oblivious to the fact that Nether wanted him out of the kitchen. “I was wondering if you could help me out. You see it’s a horror game and well...”

His control slipped, a dark growl ripping free from his throat as he turned and glared at the Youtuber. Jack halted in his tracks, hair still messy from sleep and eyes going wide as the spirit started forward. His aura clung to his hands, warmth actually being generated as he crossed the short distance between them.

“Don’t you dare tempt that demon out,” he rasped, snarling as his voice echoed in anger. “The last time you did you almost died and lost an entire week while He walked around in your skin. Anti would jump at the chance to get out but don’t expect me to save you this time. I’m not the weakling Geer was, boy.”

Nether crossed his arms, clenching his fists and then releasing them to keep the tremors at bay. He shouldn’t have lashed out but he couldn’t help himself, he needed some way to relax since sleep was an avenue he preferred not to trend down. Nightmares weren’t pleasant... especially the ones he’d seen whenever he ended up passing out.

He watched Jack’s expression change, terrified worry becoming an equally steely determination before the Irishman turned and left the kitchen. Nether didn’t want to follow but he knew he had no choice. Huffing under his breath, he started for the stairs to the second floor, aura crackling slightly as he fought to reign himself back in.

Footsteps thundered up the staircase as Nether hurried after Jack, his aura expanding out around him stronger than he could temporarily control. Forget trying to be subtle! Was the boy really that brainless to the point where he’d turn around months after the fiasco at Halloween to play something that would invite the demon out not even three months later. For Sol’s sake, he had a better chance of corralling hatchlings than he had of getting into the Irishman’s head just how terrible of an idea it was.

“Jack-“ His voice cracked, pausing for a second to fight down the flutter of his stomach nervously. “Jack listen to me! Don’t do this series you’d planned on.”

By the time he finished climbing the stairs, the Youtuber was already at the other end of the hallway, one hand on the door handle to his recording room. Nether scowled as he stalked forward, wisps of a lighter red, almost magenta in color flickering into existence behind him before vanishing.

“Damn it, boy. At least think about this first! There’s no telling how long Anti will want out this time!” He started to chastise the Irishman further but quickly realized he wasn’t getting through no matter what he said. “Just... Just be careful. You know if you don’t feel well enough to record. Don’t push yourself, especially since that glitch is probably still fuming up there in your head about what happened last time.”

His steps slowed as he went down the hall, unusual vulnerably rising to the surface in place of his earlier rage. “Jack- No, I don’t deserve to call you that for this. Look, Seán, I know exactly what will happen the minute you give Anti any chance to escape his mental prison. He’ll fight like hell to avoid going back there... something I hate to say I’m far too familiar with myself.”

“Where’s Geer?”

The disappointed look he received made Nether wonder just how long Jack had toyed around with the thought it wasn’t the calm drake he’d been around, especially once he started shrinking away into the shadows. He couldn’t blame the boy for being suspicious with what all when on in his head. His steps slowed as he neared, aura vanishing completely as he buried his hands into the front pocket of his hoodie.

“He hasn’t been here for weeks... Since you came back actually.”

Jack’s hand tightened on the door handle, his eyes briefly flickering green instead of their normal soft blue. “You made me think it was him all this time. All those weeks and you just watched... why?”

“Curiosity, I suppose.” He shrugged, avoiding the attention as he glanced down at the carpeted floor. “You were never in danger.”

“Oh really? What about what just happened in the kitchen? You wanted to murder someone- something there.”

Nether snorted, cracking his neck as his gaze drifted back to the human. Yes he let himself go too far but it amused him to see Jack pick up on his behavioral quirks so quickly. “Trust me, boy, that’s far from a murderous look. I was irritate, true, but I had it under control.”

“What control did you have?” His eyes narrowed, hearing the echoed soft giggle of Anti as Jack lifted his hand away and turned to face him.

“Nein. I’m not discussing this with you, Glitch. Go away before I make you.”

“Well, well, you do share something with that doctor. I had my suspicions from how much you tried to disguise your accent but I guess you just don’t care anymore, do you?”

Anti chuckled, green eyes flashing bright before he vanished in a burst of glitches. He reappeared shortly afterward behind Nether, holding a knife up to his neck. The spirit hissed in annoyance, aura manifesting around him protectively before he groaned and clutched at his head. Pain burst through his skull, rattling the chains that kept Geer immobile. When he regained his senses, he found he had collapsed to the floor, the glitch pinning him down with a foot on his chest.

“Get off!” He wheezed, irises blazing as the demon snickered softly, knife leveled at his throat.

“And why should I? You trapped me back in his head the last time I trusted you. I had a perfectly good puppet willing to serve me but you had to interfere, didn’t you? You talk about my controlling nature but you’re just as bad if not worse.”

Nether growled, eyes narrowing as he grabbed Anti’s leg. His touch burned as he focused his aura to generate heat, a trait all spirits had originally possessed to keep themselves warm. With a screech, the glitch retreated, knife quivering in his hand until he backed up into the recording room door.

“Don’t test me.” The low, rumbled hiss echoed as the crimson glow dissolved back into his body, slowly standing up with some support from the wall nearby. “I’m not in the mood for mind games right now.”

“Really? I thought you always were since you love screwing with people’s heads so much. Illusions are YOUR speciality after all!”

He felt the flutter of his stomach again but tuned it out, glaring at the demon as Anti stalked forward. Acting on his feet, Nether grabbed the glitch’s wrist, forcing him to drop the knife as he kicked it out of the way. Red irises gleamed as he grinned, catching the fist that tried to come his way with his other hand.

“Now we’re on equal footing here. No knifes or fancy glitches. I’ve dealt with your kind before. In fact, my own love happens to be nearly the same thing. Trust me then when I say you’re better off walking away before you do something stupid.”

The glitch squirmed, not expecting Nether to be as strong as he was. Yes his shoulders were broad for a human, a trait carried over from Geer’s draconian form, but he suspected Anti had thought his illness had weakened him. In all honesty it had to a degree but he was still pleased he could hold his own. Without his foe’s ability to teleport, he had an even better chance to come out on top.

“You interest me, soul,” Anti spat, glitches distorting his skin as the soft hum of static grew in volume to a much more audible level. “If you weren’t fighting against me, I might be willing to consider you an ally. Fool me once though...”

“Fool me twice, it’s your blunder.”

He cracked his neck, an animalistic roar tearing from his throat as he shoved the demon back and pinned him against the door to the recording room. One hand grabbed the throat laid bare before him while silently eyeing the blade that was only inches away from his foot.

“I could carve you up like my dearest prefers but...” Nether let his voice drop as he pressed down harder, embracing the threatening rumble that had been amplified since his bodily decay. “I have other means mine Glitch. Reality is nothing more than a see-through web and I alone hold the scissors to rip it apart at my desire.”

The faint shimmer of magenta appeared again behind him, almost immediately blending in with the reddish glow his aura produced as it expanded outward. He felt the throb of pain shoot through his head at the energy’s emergence but he ignored it, fully engrossed in the rush that control brought him. Anti wouldn’t get away now! He’d held back the first he encountered the glitch but he knew now what his foe was capable of doing.

“I played along with the fool for long enough - learning his mannerisms to add to my array of abilities. I was perfectly willing to wait longer but he made one fatal mistake that forced mine hand. Geer lost control... tried to tap into magic far beyond him. Only I reign over illusions and he dared to go too far - putting both of your lives at risk. So I intervened, took what was rightfully mine from the start.”

“You trapped him.” Anti wheezed, trying and failing to glitch away. “Great to know. Now get on with what you have planned.”

Nether chuckled, motioning with his free hand towards the fallen blade. “Oh, you mean the knife? Nein, dear Glitch. I have no need of it now. What I do need is you to help me. You see, mental manipulation is a tricky business and well... you seem to have a direct affect on what the boy remembers.” He paused, watching the glare he received slowly develop as the demon realized what was being asked. “Just short his memory out for today. No images of a red-eyed soul trying to deal with fate’s punishment. Let him start that series he wants, heck even glitch it out yourself and I won’t raise a hand to stop you. Consider it my thanks for helping me hide this a bit longer.”

“He’ll still be suspicious even if I do what you want. Why not do it yourself anyway?”

He let go without a word at first, taking a step back as he clenched his hands automatically to help keep the trembling at bay. “Any use of mine magic gives me a nasty headache but if I don’t do anything then it just builds up inside and I lose control and get a bit... well... let’s just say Jack saw something he wasn’t supposed to this morning.”

“When you threw the whole kitchen into a bloody glow?” Anti suggested, twitching slightly in place before he massaged his throat.

“Exactly. Aural transfusion is a more common term. I hadn’t intended to wake him but I couldn’t sleep and with the- It had just built up too much and I needed a release. The room should be back to its natural colors now by the way. Letting excess energy flood into the air tends to act like taking a paintbrush to multiple objects.”

He watched Anti carefully, also keeping an eye on the knife in case the glitch tried to go after it. Nearly a full minute passed before the demon sighed, glaring at him but finding no reason to argue.

“Fine, I’ll see what I can do. You owe me for this though!”

“And I already promised you that you could glitch up his next series as much as you want. You do desire attention from his fans after all... Always running back to them like a misbehaving little mutt who begs to be loved.” Nether chuckled softly at his choice of words, taking notice of the slight glitching that briefly distorted Anti’s form. “I do have one more thing to ask before you leave though, if that’s fair.”

“What is it?”

“Will Jack forget or will he be too afraid to remember?”

[amoureuseeee]

An Hour Ahead

written by j.r. olalia

       Ladies and Gents, do boredom seem to kill you already? Let us help you by becoming an audience in the latest breakthrough of the most advanced and fascinating research center in the world today. Sign up now, and witness the unraveling of the depths of what lies ahead of us all!

_____________________________________________

           Posters advertising the experiment of Lab-Alpha are widespread across the quiet streets of the town where Cass, short for Cassandra, lives. The year is 2092, and people have seen pretty much of what technology could do. In this period, smartphones do not have a physical body but are inserted through microchips in your brain, usually done in infants right after they are born.

            Long-distance communication happens by sending an impulse from one brain to another. This particular method challenges those who are easily distracted and lacks focus. The skies are now home to highways for vehicles known as flight cars. Nothing appears surprising to anybody anymore. At least not to Cass. Our girl is a typical teenager who happens to be very curious about the idea of time travel. She thinks that this particular field of study was left rotting by the relentlessly advancing cultures of the world. Perhaps it is due to the fear of people from the consequences of obstructing the natural flow of time. The early TV shows, movies, and even the historical comic books that made us fantasize about going back and forth in time also taught us of the dangers that time travel poses.

          Just as when Cass was about to leave her favorite rusty chair in the Green&Blues Ecopark, she received a sneaky embrace from behind. “Not thinking again about time travel, are we?” It was Pietro, Cass’s childhood friend.

         “Pietro! I didn’t know you were coming home today.” 

      “Well, my friend,” Pietro paused and sat beside Cass, “you think you can enjoy the show alone?” She looked at him with absolute confusion. “What show?” Pietro smirked excitedly as he revealed a poorly folded piece of paper decorated with a bright yellow ribbon. It was an invitation.

 Dear Mr. Pietro and Ms. Cassandra,

We, at Lab-Alpha, highly appreciate your interest in our research. The registration forms you sent us last XX-XX-2092 are now approved by our team. On XX-XX-2092, a flight car will escort you directly from your homes to our main facilities. We are very much excited to have you as our audience.

Best regards, Lauvais Dr. Lauvais Head of Operations at Lab-Alpha

      It took quite a moment and a bit of pinching on her elbow before Cass came back to her senses. “Pietro... you... are... THE BEST!” And the two gleefully rushed into the house of Cassandra to have a snack and prepare for their trip.

     At the exact date and time indicated in the letter, a flight car appeared and startled the lying cyber-cats in the backyard of Cass’s house. Upon the landing of their service, the two went frantic over the things they might forget to bring. When everything seemed in place, they stiffly walked towards Henry, their escort to Lab-Alpha, in an attempt to contain their excitement. A flight car takes at least two minutes to start. When the engine of their transport began to cough, the mother of Cass went running outside as if being chased by an untamed meta-lion. “You forgot your lunch boxes!” 

     “Don’t worry, ma’am. We serve great food at Lab-Alphaaaaaaaa”

        Henry’s voice echoed in the skies as they vanished into thin air. Soon enough, Cass and Pietro were awakened by the flashing lights of cameras. Theentrance of Lab-Alpha was flooded with photographers and spectators alike. “Woah! This looks nothing like a laboratory.” Said Pietro in full astonishment. 

         Cass, meanwhile, remained silent upon witnessing the magnificent research center up close. “Sir Pietro and miss Cassandra, may I present you to Dr. Lauvais, the very mind of Lab-Alpha.” Dr. Lauvais jokingly took his introduction from Henry. 

         “Oh, please, Henry. I need not present myself with such grandiosity. “Pietro, Cassandra, I am more than pleased to meet you than it appears to be. But my confidence in satisfying your exceptional interest in the possibilities of time travel is steadfast. Come.”

          Pietro had to pull Cass, for, until this point, she was still completely frozen and mute. The deafening crowd outside was completely inaudible within the research center. While they were approaching a highly-secured room, the workers of Lab-Alpha, distinguishable by their all-white uniforms, stared at the two visitors as if they were about to become lab rats of a mad science experiment. When the doors opened, disinfection smoke was released. “This decontaminates the subje--- Uhm, I mean the guests, before nearing the device.” The enthusiasm of Pietro and Cass kept them from picking up the signals of what was about to commence.

           “Now, now, Daisy. We do not want our guests to feel uncomfortable.” Dr. Lauvais quickly scolded Daisy, the one who almost slipped away their plans. “Very well, all looking functional,you two, sit over there. We reserved you the best seats in the house.” Said Dr. Lauvais, then gave off an awkward smile. “Hang on.” Cass finally declared. “I thought we are just here to see the experiment.” “That is correct.” The prompt response of Dr. Lauvais was cut by a series of questions from Cass and Pietro. “Then why is there a need for you to put us inside a dome of glass, at the center of this room?” Cass inquired, sparking the tension in the room. “And why are we the only audience? Is this not open to public viewing? We saw your posters.” Remarked Pietro.

...

          There was silence until Dr. Lauvais intervened. “Fine. You got us. From the very start, you are meant to be the subjects of this experiment. But please, do not leave now! We are about to show the world the possibilities of time travel!” Pietro looked at Cass with much anxiousness and regret. The look he gave Cass spoke the words he could not manage to say. After all, it was he who put them both in this situation. Cass, on the other hand, remained calm and unbothered.

         "I don't mind." Everyone in the room was shocked by what Cass just said. "I am sorry, what?" Asked a confused Dr. Lauvais. "Yeah, what?" Asked a more confused Pietro. "Well, this is my dream. I wanted to be in this. And besides, what could go wrong, anyway?" Cass's positivity and excitement, despite knowing that they had just been tricked, made Pietro feel uneasy. "Are you sure about this?" Pietro asked Cass while Doctor Lauvais and the rest of the personnel of Lab-Alpha prepared the device. "Actually, I was hoping for this. Just think of it this way, we are about to experience time travel for ourselves. Isn't that fun?" Said Cass, while she also tries to calm her nerves.

          "Uhm, Dr. Lauvais?" Dr. Lauvais did not hear Pietro. "Dr. Pietro, may I ask something?" Asked Pietro, a little louder this time. "What is it, my child?" "I was just wondering why there were no other participants in this experiment. Isn't this the biggest breakthrough ever made on the planet?" 

         "All set, doc!" Daisy shouted from an elevated platform in the room, interrupting Dr. Lauvais, and Pietro's conversation. "Well, there is no room for doubt now, Cass and Pietro. All the best of luck." 

        "Where exactly should we expect ourselves to arrive?" Asked Cass, who appeared to be intensely excited. "Since this is just a prototype, you will most likely be an hour ahead of us, I'm afraid." Replied Dr. Lauvais. Cass expressed a great deal of disappointment on her face while Pietro shyly cracked into a smile. Just an hour? That is so uncool. But safe. He thought. 

         "Good luck, kids! Oh, and upon your arrival, this pod will lose all of its power. So be sure to recharge it by connecting this cord to any S-type socket. Have fun, and stay alert!" After saying this, Dr. Lauvais joined Daisy on the platform for the countdown. "Launching in five, four, three, two, and..." Pietro held hands with Cass so tight that her last words before leaving were 'ouch, Pietro!' "one!"

...

        When Cass opened her eyes, she was alone. "Pietro? Pietro?" She removed the strap from her chair and continued looking for a person. "Pietro? It's not funny if you arrived earlier and thought of leaving me out here alone!" She kept on screaming but still got no answer. "Dr. Lauvais? Daisy? Hello? This is not a joke!" Eventually, she decided to leave the room. Upon opening the door, Lab-Alpha was in chaos. Shattered pieces of glass were on the floor, and the workers were bruised and lying with their now pinkish uniform because of blood. Cass was terrified by the sight in front of her. She ran outside and what confronted her was worse. Flight cars crashed against each other, collapsed buildings and other infrastructures, the streets were on fire, and there were no people to be seen. She tried to focus and somehow managed to send a distress call from her head, but no one was online. She just went an hour ahead of her time. How could all this happen in an hour? Cass went walking outside and saw the News Tower's screen still functioning, although half the screen was already crushed.

WXRNXNG!! AN XSTXROID IS FXST APPXOACHXNG. GEX TX YOXR HXMES TX

STXY SXFE.

        It does not take a genius to decipher the message. Upon reading it, Cass went back to Lab-Alpha to warn the people of her time that, in an hour, the world faces its doom. When she arrived, she immediately turned on the pod. It did not open. It needed recharging. Now, Cass's present reality relies on her return, and she only has an hour.

#CreativeWriting #ShortStory

image source: 

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