#and the worst part is before it gets any better were heading for a cliff in the free fall i will realise im better off when i hit the botto

[roscoe-me-and-this-fuckin-kid]

the world tried to burn all the mercy out of me but you know i wouldnt let it. the world tried to burn all the mercy out of me but you know i wouldnt let it. the world tried to burn all the mercy out of me but you know i wouldnt let it. the world tried to burn all the mercy out of me but you know i wouldnt let it. the world tried to burn all the mercy out of me but you know i wouldnt let it. the world tried to burn all the mercy out of me but you know i wouldnt let it. the world tried to burn all the mercy out of me but you know i wouldnt let it.

[honeygrahambitch]

"I once had a very stupid fight with my wife." Will says as he watches Hannibal pouring the Sauvignon blanc in their glasses.

"Not that stupid if you felt the need to bring it up now." Hannibal said as he lifted his gaze from his glass to Will. Even though they've been together for a few months now, he still felt something inside himself getting triggered every time he would bring her up.

As if she would materialize in front of them and take Will away from him. Again. He was not sure if he preferred it when Will called her "Molly" instead of "my wife". Both felt like the screech of chalk on a blackboard.

The term "wife" however, made it feel less personal since it only highlighted a title given by a piece of paper. Mundane. Profane. The piece of paper was not enough for Will to stay with her. The problem with that construction was therefore not "wife", it was the possessive pronoun "my".

Well, technically she was Will's wife until their marriage would get terminated. But Hannibal didn't want Will to use "my" for anyone. And this has been something which has started from before going to prison and before fleeing to Florence.

Quite territorial of him to gain his man back and still act that way even when they had literally jumped off a cliff together. No piece of paper could beat that.

"It's the wine that reminded me." Will explained.

Hannibal arched an eyebrow. What did Will mean by that? He hadn't even had a chance to drink yet, how could the wine bring back such memories already?

"You know, me and Molly hardly ever fought."

Hannibal blinked a few times and tried to keep a neutral expression on his face. There it was, the name as well.

"I don't think, in fact, that this was a fight either. Now that I think about it, my confrontational style is not what a wife is looking for."

Hannibal looked at him with interest, not missing the way he said "a wife". So general. So unimportant. A wife like any other wife, nothing unique.

"Your confrontational style is indeed too passive for a wife." He agreed. "Passive and acidic."

From threatening him with a gun, to almost stabbing him, to starting his therapy again, to "dropping the mic", Hannibal was sure that Molly hasn't even experienced a small percentage of what Will could be capable of.

Will hummed as he picked up his glass and stared at his reflection in the clear white wine.

"So what happened?" Hannibal asked, now interested.

"She paired the fish I caught that day with the wrong wine."

Hannibal parted his lips slightly and didn't take his gaze away from Will, searching him from head to toes. "Was that a problem? To you?"

"No, but it would have been a real problem to you."

Hannibal felt the need to bring his own glass to his lips.

"You wouldn't have made such a mistake. And you wouldn't have brushed it off. You know, Molly - she's a g&t type of person. So it wasn't that big of a deal to her. And I laughed it off."

"But it wasn't that easy."

"It wasn't that easy and she noticed that it was deeper than that. It was not that I was trying to play the alpha male, trying to teach her how to drink wine. She was smart, she knew that was not my intention." Will said.

"So what followed?"

"The reason why we functioned for those few years was exactly because she knew not to get too close. We were both aware she wouldn't like it if she did. Which kind of sounds pathetic since marriage involves all that "for better and worse" thing."

"An overused statement which people are nowadays taking for granted." Hannibal added. "Your marriage did not entail the "for worse" part, did it?"

"Out of mutual convenience. Since "my worst" was something both of us wanted to stay away from. We had all the good parts. So instead of trying to figure out why I was so bothered by her poor choice of wine, she told me to go buy the right type of wine if I disagree with the rosé. And we both laughed."

"And did you?" Hannibal asked, a bit amused, a bit bitter.

Will looked around the room and then looked at him only. "Here I am, I did exactly what she said. Went for the wine that could be properly paired with myself."

Hannibal knew that at that point every effort to keep a neutral face would be futile. He was beaming right there, under Will's gaze.

[missluthorwillseeyounow]

Ooh I'd love to hear 27 for Lena 😂

27. What’s the worst gift they ever received? How did they respond?

For Lena, the worst gift was no gift at all.

Her first birthday at the Luthors, and the little girl woke up with the first tiny bit of hope and happiness in her little heart.

Her birthdays, as far as she could remember in her young life, were always happy days. Not grand, in any sense. But the tiny cottage by the cliffs would be filled with a warm, rich scent of the sponge cake baking in the oven, and her mother would always let her sneak a small piece before the cake was even decorated. The sponge would be buttery and soft in Lena’s mouth, and when she exclaimed at the taste, her mother would get a soft look in her eyes and cup her cheek gently, wiping crumbs from her mouth.

No matter how lean the year had been, there would always be a present waiting for Lena at the table, lovingly wrapped by her mother's hand in shiny paper. Most times it would be a cheap pair of shoes or a plastic toy or an old book from a thrift shop - all her mother could afford - but Lena would treasure each as if it were gold.

But where were they now? Discarded by the Luthors as cheap trinkets the minute she moved into their household.

But today, she has a little bit of hope. After all, her mother always showed her that birthdays are special days.

Lena waits at the breakfast table. Lex is at boarding school, she misses him dearly. Lionel is already at LuthorCorp. Lillian has spared a rare moment to sip her morning coffee before heading out the door, and Lena's spirits lift in anticipation.

But nothing comes. No acknowledgment as the maid approaches with her lunch box and book bag. It's not even Lillian who bids her farewell, but rather the housekeeper who tells her to hurry along or she'll be late for school.

Breakfast comes and goes, and Lena is ushered into the family limo without acknowledgment.

She keeps her expectations low throughout the school day, but a little part of her looks up each time the door opens. She knows better than to expect any of the Luthors to come in with cupcakes and balloons or anything like that. But a small message, any sort of acknowledgment would be welcome.

Nothing comes.

School is dismissed and Lena is too. She is sent to her room to do her homework and brush up on her reading. Her Latin teacher comes and goes. Her organic chemistry tutor stays for an hour and talks about chirality and stereoisomers, but mentions nothing about birthdays.

Her last hope clings to life at dinner.

She's too scared to bring it up to Lionel. The man who had picked her up and flown her to the States is more interested in the portfolio he's reviewing at the table. Lillian is similarly distracted by some documents at her side. The entire dinner is silent and distracted, work taken to the table just to avoid talking to the people they share a house with. It certainly can't be called a family.

Lionel retires early and the only two people left are Lillian and Lena. The little girl waits as the maid clears the plates and disappears around the corner.

She summons her courage and musters a small smile for her new mother, who doesn't even look up to see it. "It's my birthday today."

Lillian’s annoyed gaze flicks up at her, her grey eyes almost bored. "Is it? And did you expect some sort of congratulations for that?"

Lena's mouth snaps shut, and her eyes lower to her lap.

"Do you suggest we reward something as trivial as being born? Should you get some award for merely existing?" Lillian arches a fine eyebrow. "Accolades are for achievements, Lena. Birthdays are not achievements, and hardly worth any sort of offering. If you're looking for some sort of distinction or praise for merely existing, you're looking in the wrong place. Let me know when you've achieved something worth commemorating."

But you gave Lex his own lab for his last birthday. Lena bites the thought back, knowing better than to say anything. Instead, she turns back to her plate.

The rest of the meal passes in silence.

[auspicioustidings]

Firewatch 13

Summary: All good things come to an end.

Words: 2.3k

CWs: Significant peril (and there's a cliff hanger about it so wait for the epilogue if you'd rather not deal with not knowing the outcome)

You curled up in Johnny's bed, both sad and happy that he was on night watch. Could you have stayed away if he wasn't? Honestly you weren't really sure anymore. This was just so fucked up now. What happened down the line if they got what they wanted (and was it only them that wanted it anymore)? Did you just stay here forever and never see another person? What happened if you got pregnant? Despite your reluctant care for these men you couldn't live like that. You couldn't entertain any idea of a happily ever after like this - the locked up girl was the start of the story not the end.

Johnny's room was like him, warm and a little chaotic. He had a gaming PC setup, disconnected from any Internet of course. It wasn't password locked even now despite you being mean the first night you were in his room and deleting a bunch of his saves. It had caused a fight when he got back and realised although by that time you had already had time to cool off and feel a little bad about being so petty. So you quietly apologised and when he continued yelling Simon had grabbed him by the scruff and dragged him out. You didn't know what he did, but they came back an hour later and Johnny was calmer. Said sorry for yelling. 

It was always Johnny that you wound up having screaming matches with, although it was easy to forgive one another it seemed. You just had the same short temper, easily setting one another off. If you were very honest with yourself which you tended not to be these days, part of you hoped Price would intervene when you were screaming the house down. A very large part of you. The part that craved the way he had made you feel when he had bent you over his desk and spanked you. Your head had never been so clear and calm before and you wanted to feel like that again whenever things started to get overwhelming, but it wasn’t like you were going to fucking ask your captor to take you over his knee.

The idea was making you a little flustered and well… you had kissed Johnny today. Would it be any more dangerous to get yourself off in his bed? It had been a while and you were pent up and you’d be quick. You lay and listened for a moment for any sounds in the cabin but there were none. Dosia would be out in the woods at this time. Everyone else was in bed. Simon’s bed was right on the other side of the wall from you and you couldn’t hear anything, so he must be asleep. You slid your hand down, biting your lip as your fingers dipped beneath your waistband to gently get yourself feeling good. 

You huffed when you couldn’t find a good rhythm. Shouldn’t this be like riding a bike? Still, it wasn’t like it felt bad, it just didn’t feel as good as you wanted. But you could get yourself there you were sure, just needed to get wet and the slide of your fingers would feel better. You were finally getting into the groove when there was a light knock at the door which was typical really. 

“Come in” you called, not at all happy about it.

You were under blankets and had obviously removed your hand from your underwear so it wasn’t like anyone would know what you had been doing, not even Simon when he slid into the room and closed the door behind him. 

“What?”

“Sounded like you were having a nightmare.”

Ah. Fuck. That stupid satisfied grin told you all you needed to know as he walked over and sat on the bed. So much for nobody knowing what you were doing. God what did he have supersonic hearing? 

“Must have been.”

“That right?”

“So your stupid little pact thing is still going then?”

“Remind me.”

“Stupid wee bonnie thing, your naw going tae cum until ye get permission from every single one of us” you mimicked in your absolute worst impersonation of a Scottish accent.

Simon snorted at that and his hand shifted to follow the shape of your body over the blanket before taking your own hand and bringing it to his mouth, kissing at your fingers that had just been on your body. 

“Don’t remember agreeing to any pact.”

“...you’re not fucking me.”

“Fair enough sweetheart. Getting you off on the cards?”

The thing about Simon was that he was always blunt with you. He didn’t dance around things like the others sometimes did, he always just asked exactly what he wanted to. It sucked when he used it against when you were trying to be annoying, not letting you keep winding up Price with saying you didn’t like any of the options he was putting forward for food and instead point blank asking you to name exactly what you wanted down to the ingredient list. And he didn’t have any polite filter, when you had mumbled about wanting a razor he had asked in front of everyone if it was "for your cunt”. Kyle had nearly choked on the apple he had been eating. 

You considered, narrowing your eyes at his amused look. 

“It’s a one time thing.”

“Uh huh.”

“Nobody else can know.”

“Not gonna be me that tells them.”

“I’m not sucking you off either.”

“Want you to jack me off at least. Only polite.”

“Fine. Not on my face.”

“Tits?”

“You’re pushing it Riley but I’ll allow it.”

“Magnanimous of you. Now open your legs, going to eat you out for fucking hours.”

He was not kidding and he was stupidly good at it. He was true to his word as well in that he didn’t tell Price or Kyle anything, didn’t need to with how loud he managed to get you, only chuckling when you smacked him after the scrape of his teeth made you yelp loudly. You let him stay after.

–

“Quit yer bitchin’ Johnny.”

“Naw, shan’t. Move the fuck over.”

“You’ll wake her up.”

“Then I’ll fucking tire her back out, move!”

You grumbled and shoved at Simon to get him to move. You didn’t care who was in this bed as long as they shut up and let you sleep. It was lovely and warm in between them.

–

“Oh shut up Kyle.”

“Didn’t say anything luv!”

“You were thinking it very loudly.”

You were not enjoying breakfast one little bit. Johnny was still in bed, Simon was smug as hell and Kyle and Price were definitely looking at you with amused ‘how was last night?’ looks, Kyle’s being particularly loud. Dicks.

“Come on little bird eat your pancakes, need to get your energy back after-”

“After what?” you hissed at him.

“...nothing.”

“That’s what I thought.”

You shovelled pancakes into your mouth like the most petulant child on the planet and ignored their chuckling for the rest of the day.

–

“You could just ask you know.”

Price was leant on the kitchen counter when you went to make yourself a cup of tea. The cabin was quiet with the other three off to town (which you were always upset about. You wanted to go into town). It had been a few weeks since you had fucked up and despite a mighty effort from both Johnny and Simon you had refused to do so again. They were winding you up something awful though and it had only gotten worse when Kyle joined in. 

Heated glances, brushes of hands against your waist and thigh, lewd comments whispered right into your ear, them walking around in a towel still wet from the shower. It was annoying the life out of you and you were snapping more and more, ready to boil over and explode.

“To go into town?”

“You know that's not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean John?”

You both stubbornly stayed silent as you made your tea. You could outlast him, you could.  You drank your tea in silence. You settled on the sofa to read a book in silence. You got up to wash your empty mug in silence. You settled back in to continue reading in silence. And all the while he stayed where he was, leant back with his arms folded watching you. Waiting.

“...you can do it again” you mumbled, annoyed and embarrassed. 

“Hmm?”

“I'm not… it's not me asking. I'm just saying you can.”

“Right. And if I did and you wanted me to stop?”

“Red.”

“Orange if you need less.”

“Green if I need more.”

“OK” he agreed as he finally moved to come sit next to you. “Over my knee little bird, let's unwind you.”

It would be annoying that it worked except you were too boneless and relaxed after to hold on to the feeling.

–

“Doesn't this bring back memories?” Kyle grinned as he sprawled on the sofa in the watchtower.

You just rolled your eyes and wandered the small space, taking in the view properly since you had been distracted last you were here. You had asked to go on the overnight firewatch, desperate for a change of scenery after months of the cabin and the same walking route, and it had been his night. 

You suspected the only reason they had allowed it was because they knew you were on your period given that you had to ask them to bring you supplies. As much as sex would probably help, you were very much just a grouchy, sleepy lump who was very apparently not going to be partaking in such things right now. Kyle could tear his clothes off and you didn't think it would affect you. 

“Uh huh, near death, kidnapping, make out session. Truly a thrilling trilogy.”

“Aww luv come here.”

“Shouldn't you be watching. For fire” you deadpanned as you nevertheless went to flop on top of him.

“We’ll make a fire fighter out of you yet!”

He played with your hair like he knew you liked and the warmth of his body felt lovely. Whenever you shifted to try and get comfortable he would move exactly where you needed him to be no matter if it put him in an awkward position or not.

The walk up and down the stairs for the bathroom was God awful but probably good for you. But the real star of the show was walking the little balcony perimeter of the tower. The stars were so beautiful out here. It should have made you cringe at the cliche of it all when you said as much and he agreed they were beautiful while not taking his eyes off of you.

It was strange, but it actually made you feel happy. Neither of you spoke about that kiss you shared under the stars after, leaving that secret for the tower to keep. 

–

“Dosia! Where's Dosia?!”

You were frantic and couldn't listen to them. Not when they were telling you to leave. Not when Price was dragging you up the path by the arm and you could barely see through tears. It was all happening too fast. You were laughing at Kyle trying to teach Johnny how to flip a pancake, you should still be doing that.

“Forget about her! You need to run, now!”

You had never heard him sound like that and it scared you. The sound of the fire rapidly ripping through the trees was deafening, the sky red with embers and the smoke already starting to choke through. Simon had sounded the alarm 10 minutes ago having spotted smoke from far in the forest and already it was rapidly spreading, all of them kitted up and heading out to try and contain it while the planes deployed to tackle it from above. 

You were clinging to Price's arm. He couldn't go back that way. You didn't want him to go that way. That way was the fire. Why were they all going towards the fire?

“Look at me! You are going to run as fast as you can ok? And you're going to make it to town safe and sound.”

“I- n-no! You told me I was staying! I’ll tell everyone you took me and you’ll be in trouble! You- you need to keep me!”

“You won our bet” he said, grabbing your face and kissing you like he knew it was the last time. “Now for once do as you're told and go!”

You couldn't stop him and you were too terrified of following him as he pulled his mask on and went towards the danger, so you did the only thing you could do and followed his instructions. You could barely see through tears and tripped at one point, hearing the roar behind you as you froze on your hands and knees, wondering how they could ever survive. It was only a biting and clawing Dosia bursting from the trees to spur you to your feet that got you going again.

When you got to town the place was being evacuated as fire trucks were racing in from the nearest fire houses and planes were starting to streak overhead. One of the locals spotted you, damn surprised to see a dead girl emerging from the trees with cat in tow. They bundled you up in a shock blanket and put you in the passenger seat of a car with Dosia in your lap to get taken to the next town over. You found yourself watching the forest disappear in the rear view mirror, the ashes of your cottage still a stain on the edge. You wondered if their cabin would be the same. You wondered if they would be the same. 

The bet wasn't your win at all. Price might have finally come to regret bringing you to the cabin, but you had forgotten there was ever a time you hadn't wanted to be with them weeks ago. And now you weren't sure how you were going to learn to live without them.

[writing-till-i-am-dead]

Tylyn oneshot

“We need to go on a supplies run,” Ashlyn said. “We need more ammo, batteries for the flashlights, gas for the car, and better protective equipment.”

They all groaned and sinked deeper into the couch, wishing they could just spend their Saturday resting. 

“No complaining. This is necessary for survival. Now, I’m going to separate us into 3 groups. Logan and Aiden, you guys get us batteries and gas tanks.”

Aiden smiled at Logan, who tried to remain calm, but was terrified deep down. 

“Ben and Taylor, you two get the protective equipment.”

“Yay!” Taylor exclaimed. “Grocery run, Ben!”

“So that leaves us?” Tyler asked in an annoyed tone. 

“Yep,” Ashlyn said, equally unhappy sounding. “We’re in charge of ammo.”

“You don’t sound enthused either. Why pair us up then?”

“I just used a random name picker to make the groups..”

Tyler groaned and him and Ashlyn began to put their shoes on to run this stupid errand. 

“I’ll drive,” Ashlyn said. 

“Oh, hell no. Not after what happened last time I was in a car you drove.”

“Seriously?! We’re not gonna be driving from a monster trying to kill us. You’ll be fine!”

“I’ll drive,” Tyler said darkly with that tone that says he’ll just be a stubborn ass about this to the end. 

“Fine,” she said, tossing the keys to him. 

They got in the car and drove in awkward silence to get their supplies. 

They reached a pawn shop that specialized in guns and ammo. 

Ashlyn pulled out her hunting license as her and Tyler looked for what they needed.

Tyler grabbed several packs, Ashlyn glaring at him. “All that’s gonna be really expensive. Put some of it back.”

“Wouldn’t it be smart to get as much as we can get?”

“Just put a couple away,” she said, annoyed. 

He grumbled under his breath as he put a few away. They eventually went to the front to pay and went back to the car. 

“So where are we gonna plant this stuff?” Tyler asked as he started the engine. 

“The forest. Somewhere we can find easily, but can’t be tampered with.”

They drove to the edge of the forest, Ashlyn tying up her hiking boots. 

“We’ll have to look for the spot we were at last night and we can put the stuff there. And then we can send those coordinates to the others.”

“Right..” Tyler was always taken off guard by how responsible and level headed Ash was at all times. As much as he hated it, he found it admirable. 

The two walked through the forest and eventually reached the area they were at the night before. 

“It’s weird..” Tyler murmured. “To be out here.. not running for our life…”

“Well, there are wild animals out here like bears and coyotes. So it’s still technically not safe.”

“Way to calm my nerves,” he said sarcastically. 

They looked around for a good spot and along the way, they struck up awkward small talk. 

“How was the hospital?” Ashlyn asked. 

“It was fine.. the food was probably the worst part.”

Ashlyn chuckled ever so slightly. “Yep. That we can agree on.”

“You’ve been to the hospital?”

“Ya. Multiple times when I was younger.”

“….You gonna tell me, or-?”

“Migraines. Real bad ones that caused me to pass out.”

“Oh, really?” Tyler had no idea she had to deal with stuff like that. 

“Another side effect of my curse.”

“Curse?”

“My ‘super hearing’ as Aiden puts it,” she said, rolling her eyes. 

“Ah. Right…”

Another moment of stifling silence. 

“I’ve also been to the hospital before..” Tyler said eventually. “Things like sprains and broken bones.”

Ashlyn let out a soft breath, sounding like a half-laugh. “Ya, sprains are the worst. I’ve dealt with those because of dance.”

“Oh. Ya, I forgot you did ballet.. that’s cool.. you ever do any performances?”

“I just do it for the exercise and because it’s fun. Performing isn’t really my thing..”

They eventually stopped walking, looking around their area. “This area looks familiar..” Tyler said. “But I can’t quite name it..”

Ashlyn nodded in agreement. She found a steep cliff and went over to it. Her breath got caught in her throat and her blood ran cold after what she saw. 

“Ashlyn? What’s up-“ Tyler stopped in his tracks once he saw it. 

The tree. 

He felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He remembered his organs mangled on the branches and the blood dripping down to the grass as the red moon glowed like a blood splatter in the sky…

He backed up, clutching his sides as he tried to keep himself from vomiting. 

“Tyler!” Ashlyn exclaimed as Tyler began to sink to the ground. 

She grabbed him by his shoulders in an attempt to steady him. 

“Don’t throw up,” she urged him. 

“Great advice!” He yelled, panicking. 

He grind her teeth and got to her knees to be at his eye level. 

“Tyler, you’re ok!”

He didn’t, couldn’t, hear her. The world was spinning and all he could see was crimson red, like when he was forced to stare up at the moon that night…

Ashlyn placed a hand on his stomach. “Tyler, look at me. You’re ok..”

He looked up, seeing her green eyes, hard and worried as she tried to remain calm. That sense of calmness, steadiness, managed to help him. 

He followed her breathing and his heart rate slowed to a steady pace. 

After he calmed down, a wave of exhaustion hit him. He rested his head on her shoulder, trying to keep his breathing steady. 

Ashlyn was taken off guard, but didn’t pull away, instead continuing to try and comfort him. She pat the back of his head and continued to instruct his breathing while also lifting him back to his feet. 

“Cmon..” she said. “Let’s hide this ammo and then go home.”

He nodded slowly. 

She looked down at the tree and lead him to it. 

She looked up at its branches and scoffed. 

“This is one ugly tree..” She pulled out a pocket knife and stabbed at the bark. She stabbed, and stabbed, wood chipping off and burrowing into her hands. 

She let out one final grunt as she left the knife stuff in the tree. She then turned to Tyler, who was looking at her life she was crazy. 

“You give it a try,” she said. “This tree..” She looked up at it. “It’s.. it’s pretty ugly..”

He couldn’t believe she was trying to cheer him up. It was a different form of cheering up, but it was Ashlyn’s way to show she cared. And that’s all he needed, maybe..

He pulled the knife from the tree and stabbed at it. He remembered that night, that horrible night. But he also remembered his friends rushing to his aid. The way they all hugged him at the hospital. The way Ashlyn had hung over him at the hospital, unable to say what she really thought. But her stare had said it all:

I do care about you. 

He eventually stopped, his wrist hurting. The tree looked like someone swung a full ax into it once or twice before leaving it. 

Tyler took deep, heaving breaths before turning to Ashlyn, who had her arms crossed and a half smile on her face. 

She tucked the ammo into a hollow in the tree before turning back to him. 

“Let’s go home.”

“Ya…” 

As they approached the car, Tyler stopped. 

“Ashlyn.”

“Hm?”

He pulled the car keys out of his pocket before tossing them to her. 

“You… you can drive..”

She blinked in surprise before letting out a breath in amusement. “Ya.. thanks.. now get in..”

He nodded slowly, climbing into the passenger’s seat. 

As they drove, Tyler wasn’t afraid anymore. It was like a new beginning started, even if it was small. 

All he had to do was trust Ashlyn. 

[tipsyleaf]

𝔹𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕒 𝔾𝕠𝕠𝕕 ℝ𝕦𝕟 [𝔼𝕟𝕕]

DI!Leon Kennedy x Reader

Summary: Leon finally wakes up...

Words: 1.5k

Content Warning: kinda Cliff hanger end (sorry not sorry), talks of loneliness and emptiness

[Previous Part]

Masterlist

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. A whole lot of nothing.

He huffs in irritation, rubbing the exhaustion from his eyes as he shuts the filing cabinet with his hip. An hour of searching this entire room and nothing.

I'm getting too old for this job...

Glancing over at you, he turns his flashlight off, walking over as he slips it into it rightful place in his pocket. Leon leans on the desk, moving closer down to your level.

"Anything interesting?" You shake your head.

"Nothing useful. Just a bunch a money transfers and employee back and forth... You?" You look up at him from the desk chair. Frustration written across your face.

"They cleaned the place out. Not a single scrap of anything useful."

"You still got that flashdrive with the copies of anything we could get off from the servers that wasn't blocked by a password?" Leon nods, giving you a curious slide eye.

"Why?"

"Claire is gonna want copies of everything we could find. Especially if this is another outbreak contained to Havana. TerraSave would appreciate it."

In the moment all he can think back to is Alcatraz and the hell that day was. How he could have been turned himself if it wasn't for the luck of Rebecca showing up at the right exact time with a vaccine.

With the life he's had alone, he wouldn't wish that on his worst enemy.

He softly shrugs with a nod. You were right, whatever information you could find in the moment was important. If you didn't gather it, it just be destroyed to save face for the bioweapon creating organization you were investigating this week.

You look over at the rows of servers, blue lighting up against the wall, grinning you look back at Leon.

"You feel like destroying shit?"

"What did you have in mind?" He smirks watching you reach into your holster pouch and pull out a grenade.

"Boom boom?" He breathes out a laugh, grabbing your shoulder and giving it an approving squeeze.

"That's my girl, I'm teaching you well."

Within minutes you were both rushing out of the room, the clunk of the grenade echoing as it bounced across the floor. The sliding door to the room shutting behind you both as the loud BOOM pierced the air.

Causing the metal door to indent outwards and slowly clang onto the floor. You stare at the door rocking back and forth on its indent. Leon looks at you, giving a nod of approval right before the hallway turns into a flashing red color and sirens start blaring.

"Okay, maybe that wasn't the best idea!" He yells over the loud screeching.

Both turning you hall ass back the way you originally came in. Stopping in your tracks you both look as a metal gate closes over the end of the hallway, you're only exit.

"Son of bitch..." You mumble, turning to look at him. He starts looking around, trying to formulate some kind of plan.

Leon pushes a door open gesturing for you to come over, stepping to him you see a staircase going up.

"I guess you could say, things are looking up." You groan at his stupid remark he definitely thinks is funny.

"Boo, hiss. Bad joke." You push past him and start up the stairs.

"Oh, like you could do any better Smartass." He quickly follows, keeping up with you. Making it to the first landing you turn and look back at him.

"Did no one ever tell you? You can't trust stairs Leon, they're always up to something." You feign irritation as he smirks.

"God, I really am teaching you well."

"Shut up."

You two travel up the stairs, checking each door, finding it locked. Until reaching the 5th and final floor.

Reaching the landing you both notice the door is wide open. Leon draws his weapon, you following suit as you step into the hallway, noticing the mess of papers across the carpeted floors. Office doors all left open for all the world to see. Most likely when the building was originally evacuated not long after everyone arrived.

"Looks like everyone really was in a hurry to get the hell out of here."

"I doubt anyone's left up here," Leon adds, looking into a nearby office, "and we don't really have all the time in the world to search every room. We need to get back to the group."

"So what's the plan then?" Watching Leon he steps around the corner, you follow behind without much thought. Soon you both approach a set of double doors and press them open.

Walking in you're met with a long hall, metal grates beneath your thick boots as you step in. The red lights from before illuminating the area. You both look to the sides of the rails seeing that there's a high drop on both sides.

"I knew we'd find this eventually," Leon looks at you, his eyes filled with accomplishment, "this is the long stretch we saw connecting the office to the hospital side when we arrived."

"Oh, good find then Kennedy."

Continuing forward you both holster your weapons and start walking the long stretch. Clanking fills the hallow room as you both walk.

"Do you think they cleared the hospital completely?" You question, glancing at Leon in your peripheral.

"I'd assume so. Though Chris hasn't contacted me like he's supposed to so-" Leon's cut off by a loud metal scrapping with a wet gurgling sound rattling against the walls.

You look up at the wall to your right and see it. A disgusting gooey looking monstrosity with 4 long tentacle like arms, clinging to the wall. It shrieks before lunging and missing you both and wetly slopping onto the metal grates behind you.

Taking off towards the end of the walk away you both draw your pistols getting ready to fight it. Leon turns and fires at it, pushing you to keep running towards the exit.

Hearing him to pop shots you turn seeing it quickly making it's way across the high ceiling, directly for you. You aim and fire a few shots, hitting it and blowing a hole in one of it's long arms.

Before you reach the exit the monstrosity drops in front of the door blocking your way to freedom. It swings it injured arm out, wrapping your legs up swiftly, Leon shoots at it's arm, your gun goes flying from your hand and off the platform.

Being jerked into the air you feel a crunch in your leg, shooting pain going to your ankle as you scream in agony being waved around, your body flailing like a rag doll as gun shots continue to pop through the air.

The beasts arm finally snaps off, sending you over the edge of the walkway and into the dark abyss below. Screaming for help as you plummet into whatever lies below.

"NO!" Leon looks over the rail seeing you disappear almost instantly into the darkness below. Finally hearing a loud crash a few seconds later.

Looking at the thing in his way he makes the quick decision to just do what he knows best...

Blow it to hell.

Grabbing his own grenade her grabs the trigger and pulls the pin throwing it at the monster. He jumps over the railing diving into the dark as he hears the explosion blow above him.

Darkness... He's surrounded by darkness as he hopes to live, for the first time in a long time he cares if he lives. He needs to know if his partners okay...

Being swallowed by the only black he sees the hole you've made, you laying lifeless on tile right before he almost lands next to you.

...

The darkness soon breaks... Being replaced by a bright blinding light.

A blinding florescent light.

Leon cracks his eyes open, looking down at himself. A white hospital blanket pulled up to his shoulders and a thick fleece gray blanket covers his lower half.

I'm in a hospital?

To his right she sees a heart monitor, IV bag dripping liquids into him and a tiny thin tube leading somewhere to him.

The hell happened to me...

Looking to his left, he sees you. Curled up in an arm chair asleep, covered by a black blanket. Your hand holding onto his for dear life.

"mmm..." He can't really talk yet, but he weakly clenches his hand around yours. Giving the strongest squeeze he can manage in his weakened state.

Your head lifts slowly, sleep invading your eyes as you swore in your sleep your felt something. Looking up at Leon you see his head slightly turned towards you, blue eyes on you, brightest you've seen them in these past grueling week.

"Leon!" Darting up from your chair, you lean over him. Staring at his eyes as you study him to make sure you aren't having some cruel dream.

"Where..." His voice is so hoarse as he tries to talk, you stop him.

"Don't, don't talk... Just let yourself wake up." You look at the table grabbing the nurse call button and start pushing it a few times.

"You're at a rehabilitation hospital in DC... There's a lot to explain."

A nurse and Dr. Owens comes in as you take a seat, watching them do an exam on Leon as he responds the best he can.

It took a while for Leon to be able to respond properly, his doctor doing more scans, tests and anything possible to test his abilities.

Sadly you both found out that Leon would have to relearn how to walk again and get his strength back up. Both very possible through physical therapy.

...

But through it all he still has you. From being in a wheelchair at your retirement dinner, moving him into your tiny apartment to keep an eye on him and watching him take his first steps again without assistance.

An now, 4 months later, he still has you by his side. Making sure he's taken care of and cherished like he's supposed to be. He knows he's loved, he's never felt this loved before in his life.

Even now as you walk out of the restaurant you went to for his 40th birthday. A day you made a huge fuss about, something he probably wouldn't have done if you didn't make him enjoy himself.

You look up seeing him walk out, cane pressing against the sidewalk with a soft click as he waltzes over and sits next to you on the bench.

"You okay, Hun?" He nods with a smile, messing with something in his pocket. He looks nervous almost.

"I just don't get why you made such a big deal out of today." Leon looks at you, letting his cane go and holds onto the edge of the bench.

"It's your 40th birthday, Dumbass. Of course I'd make a big deal, the day is all about you." You smile watching his eyes light up, hands gripping the bench. Squeezing rhythmically, almost like it's a stress ball.

"Well," he begins, looking back at you with an inviting smile, "what if I don't want my birthday to be only about me?"

Your eyebrows wrinkle, confusion falling on your face before he starts fiddling around in his jacket pocket.

"You know, for the longest time I've felt lonely. Years, it's been years. Since before we met. Before I started working for the government."

"Leon, what's-" He cuts you off before you can say anything else.

"Please, let me talk. I promise I'm going somewhere with this." He sounds serious, nodding you shut up and let him go.

"I guess you could say that I felt empty. Tried filling the void with... a number of different things. Nothing ever made me happy or feel whole... Until I met you."

He pulls his hand out of his pocket and covers his hand with his other hand. Not taking his eyes off you.

"You were such a hard ass when we met. Didn't let me breathe wrong way without putting me in line. But, I liked it. I liked that you were blunt and not afraid to speak your mind or call me stupid. Especially if I was being stupid... And it made me feel like someone truly had my back. After all the shit I've been through."

A soft pop sound comes from his hands, a blue cap falling from his hands. Bouncing across the ground a few feet away.

"And then you told me you loved me. An proved it... Proved that I could depend on you. Stuck with me through recovery, even if the past few months have been a personal hell for me. You really showed me what it was like to be loved. Loved by someone who wanted the best for me and actually cared."

Finally, he moves his hands reaching into a small white cup, pulling out a plastic ring with a giant fake diamond on it. You gasp soft, looking at it your eyes start welling with tears. A few slipping out and leaving wet streaks down your cheeks. His smile grows larger, looking at you fondly. Like he always looks at you when he thinks you don't notice him.

"Now, I know it's nothing *fancy* and we can get you something real. I just haven't had the chance to leave your side and get something... not 50¢."

He grunts, sliding off the bench and to the ground, bad knee up and his good leg under him. Taking your hand you give a wobbly smile.

"I don't want to spend another day where I can't call you my wife... My actual wife. I don't want anybody else. Just you... Just you and me. Just the two of us."

He takes a deep breath, holding the ring up.

"Will you marry me?"

[herharmonyenemy]

ACOTAR Headcanons

Rhys: 

Has had a skincare routine since he was a teenager. His mother taught him. 

And hair care (gels n everything)

Has like 15 university diplomas. 

Waxes. 

Has the highest bodycount. Everyone wanted to sleep with the crown prince (then highlord), and being as arrogant as he was, knew he had the females (and males) head over heels for him.

Plays piano because he’s a rich spoiled old money kid

To this day he sometimes blurts out some unchecked spoiled comment without realizing it. Cassian punches him as part of the deal. Once the archerons caught on, they also take turns. 

He once got a face piercing (nose/lips) just to spite his father. He got punished but kept it until he became highlord. 

Did a lot of things to spite his father actually. Including but not limited to: growing his hair out, dying his hair, getting a diploma in something not very legacy/bloodline like (sports medicine?), painted his nails (black ofc), got drunk in poor people bars like Nesta (when she learns about this…), and started wearing his shirts open to show his chest (which stuck until present day). 

Does in fact read smut. The best way for him to learn is by reading, so teenage rhys decided to read about sex to be better. It worked, but he got an interest in smut and still reads from time to time. Nesta never lets him live it down for the rest of their lives. 

Is the kind of person to correct your spelling and grammar. However, someone once did it to feyre and he responded that as the person to teach her to read, he is the one to correct her. 

Gift giving is his love language. 

Would watch game of thrones in modern and criticize every move. 

Doesn’t know how to do any chores. Feyre forces him to learn 

Doesn’t like animals only because he formed a bond with a dog when he was younger and when something happened (died/ran away) he cried and his dad told him to man up and it’s only a dog 

Out of all the highlords, he’s the worst at controlling his beast once it’s out but he’s the best at keeping it in 

Knows other languages (as hofas proved)

Is actually religious. 

Is a clean freak. Doesn’t even sit on the bed with his everyday work clothes unless sheet are already going to be changed. 

Had a stuffed animals that he brought to the Illyrian camps when he was 8. Cas learned and threw it off a cliff. Cas gave another stuffie for rhys’s 18 birthday, which was put on a shelf for the next 5 centuries. Nyx now plays with it. 

Picky about food. Feyre jokes that it’s a red flag. Once Rhys learn human slang and what a red flag is, he fixes it. Although Feyre laughs when he makes a face at the brussels sprouts.

Gets his fashion sense from his father, who also likes high quality pieces. 

Also gets his eyes from his father. 

Has toxic dating history that az and cas disapprove and hate 

He was like Simon from Bridgerton as a child: He learned to speak very late, which is why his father was borderline abusive and didn’t pay attention to him. He didn’t learn to speak until right before he went to the camps. Only amren knows, but rhys told feyre after nyx was born. 

Actually the nerd of the group but he hides it 

Wins the prize for best mouth action

Insecure about his ears since he grew up around Illyrians 

The first to learn how to tie shoes, so he was the designated shoe tie-er. Many jokes were made about the crown prince on his knees, mainly through Cas.

Az:

least body count - but he could actually hold a relationship for longer then one night.

As we already know, the kindest bat boy

Trims. 

Also got piercings with rhys so he wouldn’t be alone. 

Writes in all caps 

Doodles when he’s doing something on autopilot 

Knows hand placement 

Drinks way too much coffee

Had the most pimples as a teenager. 

He was the most romantic out of the three. While cas and rhys were going through their “never getting married, forever the bachelor life” phase, az was still after romance. 

Loves bread 

Loves loves loves traveling 

Is good at gymnastics 

Very good at winged eyeliner. When it’s eyeliner time, everyone goes to either az or feyre

Wins the price for best downstairs action

Likes watching the sunset

Always wins the scavenger hunts cas organizes 

Cas: 

once had a buzz cut. Happened because of a dare but he ended up being fine with it. 

Au natural

Has worst handwriting but doesn’t care. Rhys complains that it’s so bad he can’t read it (he can) 

Wears a chain necklace from time to time. After mating, he doesn’t take it off. (Nesta likes when it swings in her face) 

Out of the three, has the highest rice purity score. Az is kinky, and rhys is up for anything. 

Makes the most dad jokes 

LOVES fruits. And veggies. Eats the healthiest out of the three. 

Morning person. He used to wake up rhys and az at the crack of dawn to go hiking. 

He has a hair care routine - more complicated than rhys. Those locks aren’t just magically there. He oils his hair at least once a week. 

Wins the prize for best hand action 

Insecure about his nose 

Best at making scavenger hunts 

Has slow metabolism so whenever he eats really fast he falls asleep right after the energy high

Once used az’s toothbrush to annoy him, ended up using rhys’s. Being the clean freak he is, this started a war among them. 

100% takes dramatic showers like those scenes in movies

All three: 

on the camp, there was another trio that was everything they weren’t (pure blood illyrians from a noble line, got favored). The day comes when those three meet the archerons and the girls think they just want to be friends and the boys get jealoussss

Rhys takes them shopping. He’s up on the mini stage getting measured and tailored and cas is drinking on a couch. This is their gossip and complain time. 

They all speak Illyrian when they want to speak secretly. They never taught mor no matter how many times she asked because “it is a boys club” thing 

The archerons catch on and they eventually learn with help from bat boys, who then momentarily regret it because they don’t have a secret language anymore, but it’s the archerons who know crack the dirtiest jokes in Illyrian. 

When they were younger, they would share notes via this charmed journal that would winnow to whichever one wanted to write in it. Centuries later one of the archerons finds it and the boys jump over each other to get it from the girls cause it’s filled with teenaged thoughts (another headcanon)

They have a synchronized dance 

They used to have beach days but gradually stopped. They started again once the sisters said they have never been to the beach

They used to share a bed when they were younger. It was a hard fit, but rhys slept in the middle since he can disappear his wings. 

Cas and az didn’t leave rhys alone the first week he was highlord. Even in moments of silence. One of them was always within arms reach

They slap each others butt. At first it was a joke, but it became a competition of who could surprise slap the hardest. 

Once, az’s ex made moves on rhys, and rhys took the chance. This lead to the biggest fight between the two (up until the elain situation) until cas asked if they were going to let a girl get in between them. They made up and the next day rhys found out she was only with him for the power. Az comforted him when he cried. 

Engaged in locker room talk. Shared tips on sex. 

Rhys and az wear eyeliner/kohl on special but informal parties. Cas always smudges it so he’s quit. 

[thesmurfchick]

Comparing the Adventure Kids with the Survive Kids (Part 1)

(Aka, yet another shmuck making comparisons to Adventure because I’m unoriginal)

Everyone pretty much knows what the parallels are by now, so I’m making this post just to jot down similarities and differences that I find interesting between them. This isn’t to say these characters are all the same or that the Survive cast are supposed to be seen as reflections or copies of the Adventure cast -- this is just for fun :)

I’ve read some beautiful and in-depth analyses of Aoi, Shuuji, Saki, and their Adventure counterparts, as well as how Ryo might factor into the group. I don’t think I can do it any better, so their sections will mostly just consist of regurgitating info that’s already been written by people who already did all the work. Please read those posts by @shihalyfie and @digisurvive (as well as their other posts) if you haven’t already! They’re linked above!!

Before we start, let’s talk about the main contrast overarching all the characters:

Adventure kids were chosen for their heroism to save the world Vs. Survive kids are normal kids chosen to be sacrifices

Before we go into the character pairs themselves, I wanted to talk about this contrast first bc I love it

I LOVEEE seeing all the posts that theorize which Survive kid would have which crest, but I also notice that, with the exception of maybe 1-2 characters, not everyone agrees on who should get each crest

I’m sure the Adventure kids also have moments that embody the crests other than their own (can’t remember any off the top off my head), but I actually like this ambiguity(?) because it shows the difference between why/how the Adventure kids were chosen vs. why/how the Survive kids were chosen

Basically, the Adventure kids were chosen specifically because they had traits that would help them cooperate and fight for good (to save the world even!)

You can see this through their general selflessness and bravery even from Episode 1!

Despite being stranded in a strange world, and then attacked and backed against a cliff by a giant beetle monster, ALL of them are against their new diggle babies risking their lives to protect them and even try to hold them back

Takuma had a similar moment when he first meets Koromon, but none of the other Survive kids do

And that’s because the Survive kids are just normal kids; they're not meant to be heroes, they weren’t “chosen” for a grand purpose -- they were chosen randomly to be sacrificed by a crazy godlike being out of anger and hatred

Because of this, the characters can end up losing their sanity and becoming the worst they can be, or they can somehow fight through all that and come out as incredible people

Love that :)

Check out all the other character pairings here:

Aoi and Sora (Team Mom)

Minoru and Koushiro (The Lancer)

Saki and Mimi (The “Chick”/The Heart)

Shuuji and Jou (Team Dad)

Ryo and No one (Sixth Ranger)

Kaito and Yamato (The Rival)

Miu and Takeru (The Baby of the Bunch)

Takuma and Taichi (The Leader)

One of the first things that stood out to me when trying to find The Trope for each of the pairs is how most of them don’t really embody the trope I chose that much. Some of them might not even embody them at all (such as Kaito not being a “rival” in the traditional sense, if any; or Shuuji not being much of a “team dad,” at least not at first) and some might not really be the first trope people think of when they see that character (Koushiro as “the smart guy” vs. “the lancer”).

But I think Takuma and Taichi both embody “The Leader” pretty well, albeit in very different ways. Shihalyfie talks about it best regarding Taichi here and here. Here are some of the similarities and differences I found interesting:

Both are decisive/make good decisions under stress

As the designated “gogglehead protagonist” this is pretty much a given lol

Taichi has always been good at leading the group forward and making (mostly) good decisions while the rest of the group might be too scared, tired, or shocked about their current circumstances to think about moving on

By contrast, Takuma is good at remaining calm under pressure (biggest example is when the school is targeted by Dokugumon, and everyone’s freaking out except for him)

This is especially notable given how early on in the game it is

But his decision-making mainly lies in hearing out what the group believes (as the Survive kids are noticeably more assertive and decisive about how to handle their situation than the Adventure kids) and choosing to best among those options

Basically, Taichi tends to make decisions on his own accord, whereas Takuma (at least at first) usually waits until he’s called upon/becomes the deciding voice before he chooses

That probably has more to do with the group dynamic (Adventure kids were more passive/cooperative vs. Survive kids were more decisive and emotional)

Both help keep the group together

One of the most important aspects of being a leader is being able to keep the group together

It’s part of why Shuuji kept failing; he often disagreed with the group’s majority decisions, and his hostile behavior would push them away

Taichi keeps the group together in a literal sense -- look how quickly they fall apart when he goes back to the real world

The only exception to this is Yamato in the Pinocchimon arc, but that’s mainly because of Yamato’s own issues that he’s been dealing with from the start

By contrast, Takuma is very aware of everyone’s emotional states and keeps the group cooperative and on the same page, but the group doesn’t automatically separate after he’s gone

It’s mostly because they can’t go anywhere because of the fog, but I still feel like they would’ve stayed together if given the choice

I think another interesting contrast is that Taichi considers everyone’s skills and knows how to delegate tasks, whereas Takuma considers everyone’s thoughts and hears out every opinion before making a decision himself

Both have Agumon as their partner

This is kind of hard to explore deeply (at least for me), because the main reason behind Takuma getting Agumon was because Agumon was the most popular choice

More specifically, Habu says that he was the digimon “a wide range of fans will easily accept”

You could say Takuma was meant to be similar -- he’s the type of person who can get along with a wide range of people, both accepting and being accepted by them

Taichi’s Agumon is similarly hard to talk about because he doesn’t really have much of a personality on his own outside of Taichi (but maybe I’m just not getting the cues)

I’ve found a couple of posts about Taichi and Agumon’s partnership here and here, but they don’t say much about Agumon himself other than the fact that he’s often on the same wavelength as Taichi

The best I can glean from this is that Agumon is just a very straightforward digimon; simple, genuine, and not having to be read too deeply to be understood

I suppose you could say it’s the same for Takuma and Taichi, both of whom are fairly straightforward people who don’t really hide how they’re actually feeling

Both are introspective and will reflect when they’ve done something wrong

Takuma’s introspection is very clear (he considers multiple different options before responding to people or making a choice; he’s slow to action early in the game because he’s thinking so much; if someone disagrees with him, he considers their perspective and wonders if he's in the wrong)

Taichi’s is not as prominent in comparison, but he thinks and considers a lot throughout the series

The most notable (to me) is how after every major argument with Yamato, he’ll stop and question whether he’s the one being wrong or if he really is being insensitive vs. practical

When he’s out of his element, he’ll also acquiesce to anyone who knows more (usually Koushiro)

Taichi’s introspection actually surprised me when I watched Adventure for the first time in Japanese (I watched the dub as a kid, but barely remember anything about it)

Taichi tries to power forward on his own without consulting other options Vs. Takuma will hear everyone out and tries to respect everyone’s feelings before deciding

Taichi’s insistence to keep moving has to do with his abundant energy (aka his physical ability to keep going for a long time) as well as a practical need to do what they need to before the enemies can win

Although he can be impulsive and brash, his main focus when barreling forward is practicality -- if they don’t hurry, the enemies might win and they’ll destroy the world

If people are feeling hurt or sad in the process, that’s unfortunate, but the enemies won’t stop just to let them grieve, so they have to keep going

By contrast, Takuma, as stated multiple times above, always respects and considers other people’s emotions (well… unless you choose the dialogue options that don’t)

Takuma himself is a sensitive and emotional person, so he’s also shared the group’s emotional states when things got especially bad (ex. Ryo’s death), but he’s pushing himself because the group needs him

Even when he advises the kids to put their feelings on the back burner, it’s always with empathy, rather than just sheer practicality

Aoi and Sora will be next!

[kendsleyauthor]

Cliff and Oliver sharing a bed!!

(And Zia if you want 😉💓)

((MORE LIKE Oliver and Zia sharing a bed and the bed is Cliff and they all care deeply and tenderly about each other 😜 Anyway, OT3--))

The Hunter, The Healer, and The Harlot

“I swear, Oliver, if you don’t hold still, I will put you to sleep for a long, long time.” Zia snatched his wrist and spoke through gritted teeth. Pursing her lips, she waved her other fingers over his forearm, gradually knitting the wound shut.

The cut had been unfortunate collateral damage during a dead-end mission. There were no more fairies to be rescued at the warehouse a couple of towns over, but there had been lingering armed guards and a close call. Oliver had slashed himself escaping through a shattered window.

He had haphazardly healed it himself, and Cliff wasted no time in getting him back to the Safehouse—and Zia. She pitched a fit when she saw the poor healing job. Cliff had ushered them to his room since it was closer to the entrance than the healing ward.

“Good to know I’m not your worst patient, Zee.” Cliff rested his head on the pillow, watching the pair of fairies on the nightstand. A soft smile quirked on his lips as they squabbled.

“You’re a close second,” she groused, throwing a narrowed-eyed look at Cliff. “And much harder to hold down.”

“I’m not trying to be difficult, just look what I mean—” Oliver yanked his arm away, eliciting another agonized groan from Zia. “How come when I do it like this, there’s always a scar?” He murmured the healing incantation and waved a hand over the half-healed cut.

“Because you’re doing it wrong!” Zia wailed in distress and buried her face in her hands. She peeked between her fingers. “Cliff. Help. Please help before I strangle him.”

Oliver paused mid-spell to scoff. “Strangle? Sure You’re too sweet to—” The rest was cut off as Cliff sat up halfway and snatched him from the nightstand.

Any resulting protests died when Cliff pinned Oliver gently to his body, just below his chest. The squirms subsided almost immediately. He doubted Oliver would move even if he weren’t pinned on his back. 

“There,” Cliff said, flashing a smirk at Zia. “Shuts him up every time.”

“You do this to shut me up?” Oliver said, halfheartedly offended. He hummed. “Never mind. I won’t complain.”

“Seems effective.” Zia cracked a smile at the sight, flitting over. “Turn his arm over.” She nodded as Cliff flicked a finger and presented the back of Oliver’s forearm. “Perfect.”

She practically straddled Cliff’s index and middle fingers to reach the wound—inadvertently leaning over Oliver and sandwiching him between herself and Cliff. Oliver, for his part, contentedly turned his head to rub his cheek against Cliff’s shirt. Then he peeked up at Zia, and Cliff spotted the corner of a dizzy smile on his lips.

“I have something incredibly inappropriate to say,” Oliver announced. He sighed. “But I think I’ll just savor the moment.”

“And we thank you for that.” Zia seemed in much better spirits now that she didn’t have to strangle him. 

As she spoke the incantation, Cliff gingerly brushed her side with his thumb to keep her steady in her awkward position. She unabashedly leaned into his touch, and he swore he could feel her breathing slow to match the pace of his steady breaths beneath her. 

When she was finished, she flopped over beside Cliff’s hand and gave a heavy sigh.

Cliff chuckled and ran a fingertip across her forehead to swipe her hair out of her eyes. “I think being around Oliver makes you more dramatic,” he said.

Oliver, freed from Cliff’s hand, sat up and touched the healed wound. There was no trace of it other than a faint redness. “You’re incredible, Zee,” he sighed. “You should come with us next time.”

“So that you can comfortably throw yourself at every shard of glass in sight?” Zia laughed wryly. “No thanks.”

He waved her off. “Sharp objects can’t resist me, that’s not my fault. But really, really. The three of us would make such a great team. Think of it! The hunter, the healer, and…” Oliver put a hand on his chest and smiled prettily. “The harlot.”

Zia gave a beautiful whoop of laughter. “They’ll sing songs about us for generations to come.”

“See? It’s a good idea.” Oliver inspected the back of his forearm again and looked slightly less enthused. “You know… this actually would have been a great spot for a scar.”

Cliff delicately grabbed Oliver’s wrist and squinted. “You’re not wrong.”

“Stars.” Zia’s grin dropped into exasperated annoyance, but the aggravation didn’t quite reach the light in her eyes. “I’ve had enough. I’m heading back to the ward.” She stood on Cliff and stretched her arms and wings. “I prescribe you both with bed rest. Goodbye.”

“Oh, please. You know you’re in no mood to fly off.” Oliver stood and was by her side in an instant. “Why don’t you stay?”

Her face flushed. “I couldn’t.”

Cliff felt like a very dramatic play was being enacted on his torso. He cupped a hand beside the pair of them. “You could,” he said. “Plenty of room.” But he wasn’t holding his breath—Zia behaved as though the healing ward was her only source of oxygen.

She bit her lip and looked between them. “I don’t know…”

“Zia, dear.” Oliver took her hand. “You were in the ward before we left, you were in the ward when we arrived, and I’m sure you will be in the ward when Cliff and I meet some embarrassingly stupid death. You’re the best healer in the world, and all we’re asking for is a few moments for you to rest with us. Please.”

The melodramatic dumbass even kissed the back of her hand and clutched it to his chest, hitting her with the most pathetically puppy-eyed look in existence.

She gaped at him a second, and then gave a bemused laugh. “Fine.”

“Are you kidding me?” Cliff sat up a little, making the two fairies lose their footing and slide down a few inches—he dropped a hand to stop them. He pouted at Zia in particular. “I invite you to take a break all the damn time, and he gets a freakin’ yes just like that?”

She shrugged. “He’s very convincing.”

“You were pissed at him just a second ago!”

Oliver threw his arms around Zia’s shoulders, hugging her tightly. “She got over it. Besides, look at me. Who can stay pissed at this face?”

Cliff rolled his eyes.

Zia grinned teasingly. “I can leave if you’re that offended.”

“No,” Cliff said immediately.

He cupped both hands around the fairies and laid back down. After a brief pause to contemplate where to set them, he brought his hands higher and tucked the fairies near his neck.

As he eased the pressure, he smiled faintly at the sensation of them adjusting around each other and settling against him. His eyes fluttered shut at the sound of their hushed laughter and bickering about whose limbs should go where.

When they finally stopped moving, Cliff brushed a thumb down to feel them. He recognized Zia’s pixie cut and the scars on Oliver’s wings.

Cliff let out a slow, contented sigh. He couldn’t keep them safe every second of the day—but here and now, he could shield them from the world behind his hands.

((A/N: Your Honor, I love them.))

[darcymariaphoster]

Part One

When Mathias had finally gotten the guts to ask Lukas out, they had gone to a bookstore and bought the worst books they could find for each other. They'd swapped the books and made a date for two weeks later to talk about them. They met in a coffee shop and went on tangents. Mathias poked fun at how many sticky notes Lukas had stuffed into his book. They planned another outing to a bookstore, and did it again. It became a sort of ongoing thing for them, and the relationship was borne out of books and coffee.

But they never talked about what they were, and they never progressed the way that Mathias thought they would. The way he wanted them to. They were stuck in some sort of friendship, bordering on something else that neither of them would name. And maybe that's why he decided to text Lukas one night, ask if he wanted to go on a hiking trip with him over the weekend.

He had this glorious idea in his head of how the weekend would go. Maybe it was Saturday, maybe it was Sunday; it didn't matter because it was sunny. There was a spot not far from his house that he knew about. There were plenty of trails around the area -- many that he hadn't explored yet. He thought that would be where they went. Because, you know, he'd asked Lukas out so he should be the one to pick where they went. He thought. All the way up until Lukas agreed and replied, "Sure. I know the perfect place."

Of course he did.

Mathias sighs as he flops back onto his couch, resting one arm over his eyes. Yeah, he agreed to let Lukas pick the place. He hasn’t been pining for all this time to say, “Oh actually, you can’t do that to me.” He has a funny feeling that he’d let Lukas do just about anything, and he’d go along with him. 

For better or worse. Probably worse.

~~

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” Mathias asks Lukas, though he doesn’t really mind the travel. He’s only been out this way a few times, and never for a hiking trip. He likes the way it looks and feels out this way. The problem is, however, that he’s noticed the trajectory of this trip. He doesn’t come this way on purpose, if he’s honest. The mountains are this direction and he generally makes a point to avoid heights. He’s not about to tell Lukas that he doesn’t really want to go on a mountain, however. 

Lukas does one of those sort of smiles, where Mathias knows that he’s smiling but if anyone else saw him they would have no idea. He loves those sort of smiles. “Not until we get there. Don’t you trust me?”

Mathias stares at him for a moment longer, just admiring, before he turns his attention back to the scenery flashing by. There’s a lot of green, he has to say that about the area. He likes the water alright, and he enjoys the beaches. But there's no way in hell that he would go near the cliffs. The heights have always been too much for him. “Yeah, of course I trust you,” he replies easily. Such a weird concept, in all honesty. It’s only been a few months, after all. He is pretty good at falling head first, though...

The drive is a rather quiet one, though Lukas relinquishes the radio to him after a bit. They chat here and there about whatever comes to mind, and he thinks again that he’d do pretty much anything for Lukas. He can’t help but notice that the ascent up the mountain doesn’t seem all that bad -- he hardly notices it, actually. They haven't taken any weird curves that show him how high up they are yet, and that's probably for the best.

“Are you really telling me that you have never been hiking this way?” Lukas finally interrupts the silence as they pull into the parking cove. 

Mathias laughs as he gets out of the car. Actually being on the mountain isn’t so bad, at least not while he’s far away from edges and can only see what’s in front of him. “I am really telling you that.” 

“What kind of hiker are you?” Lukas grabs his backpack from the back, pulling Mathias’s out as well so he can shove it at him. “I hope you’re not one of those who does backpacking on flat trails and calls it a hike.” Mathias puts his backpack on slowly, trying to decide what he wants to say. But Lukas doesn’t let him answer, apparently deciding that his statement was more rhetorical than anything else. “Let’s go then.” 

Mathias braces himself as he follows Lukas towards a trail. “Are we going very high up?”

Lukas shrugs nonchalantly. “Probably.” He glances over his shoulder at him, expression rather coy. "Trust me. I come up here all the time." 

“I do,” Mathias laughs, taking a few broad steps to catch up to him. “Are you testing me? Is that why you keep saying that?” Lukas seems to have no intention of answering that, either, and promptly changes the subject to the books they’ve been reading instead. He doesn't mind; the idle chit-chat is nice with Lukas, and it keeps his brain occupied so he can't overthink the heights situation. They weave about, and Mathias never notices when they stray from the normal trails.

However, after some time, he notices that he is definitely feeling the difference between his normal hikes and this…ascent. He isn’t about to quit, or say that he can’t manage, at least not yet. But Lukas proposes that they stop for a bit, and he jumps on the chance. “Tired already?” he teases, mostly in a vain attempt to distract him.

Lukas hesitates slightly, seeming to zone a bit as he stares through the trees for a moment. “Absolutely not. I could hear you wheezing behind me.” He throws Mathias a rather playful smirk before he takes his backpack off and takes a swig of water.

Mathias looks about himself, a bit in awe over the canopy of trees above them and the birds and insect sounds around them. He never gets tired of listening to nature. "How long have we been out here?" He glances at his watch as he asks.

"Hard to tell," Lukas mumbles distractedly and Mathias pays him a bit more attention. "I don't normally pay attention to the time when I hike. Do you?" Mathias shakes his head, studying Lukas a moment longer. "What?"

"Nothing, you're just being extra serious." Mathias raises his hands in mock surrender before finding a boulder to sit on. "You good?"

[luckyshotwrites]

Part 4 - We're 'definitely' not there yet

Contents (Warnings/Mild spoilers): Cliff making "good" on his deal. (g/t, safe, soft vore, goofiness, and lore dips)

Wordcount: 3,100+

Tune for this Chapter: None to report

Side note: None to report

_______________________________________________

Cassie

Muggy.

That was the word Cassie would use to describe it.

At least the air isn’t stagnant. She didn't smell anything inside him. He did say he hadn't eaten for a while. Cassie assumed, though she knew nothing about Kuna anatomy. This in and of itself shouldn’t be possible. 

Her skin didn't tingle, her airways didn't burn with each breath, nor did any part of her feel injured or even bruised from its journey. I'm not harmed at all. She lifted up her drenched arms. The worst I feel right now is heavy.

Her digits strummed across the slick crimson luminescent folds. This matches the color of a Kuna's eyes. She didn't like comparing the two. Cliff's eyes are seaweed green, it occured to her unlike most Kuna, specifically the ones that took her stuff, Cliff didn't have red eyes. Odd.

Cassie pushed on the inner flesh until it squelched—the noise caused her to shiver. What am I going to tell them when I get back home? I let myself get eaten by a Kuna?

She kept her mouth closed, even though the constant reminder of where she was made her want to shriek. The opening she came in from looked so much smaller and tighter—she knew she couldn't force her way back up if she wanted.

And she could feel it, under her bare feet, the exit that'd lead to the parts of Cliff's body she'd NEVER want to explore. I should be grateful, this could be worse. She said in her head. Hold on, no. I should not be grateful for this. I shouldn't be here in the first place. He could have taken money.

Cassie knew it'd take a while before she could saved up, or she'd have to sell her things to pay him anyway. And she'd hate to depart with the few scrolls she had. Yokai were hard for her to catch.

Temporary meal. She banged the back of her head on the flesh, repeating that same line. I was a temporary meal for a Kuna. She was stuck on repeat. A bit of dignity and pride had been stripped from her. "Rest" he said. How can I rest like this? She questioned, being rocked like a baby. She figured he had hopped onto his mount.

“What’s got ya movin’ now, Cassie?”

His voice rained down from above. Anytime he spoke, he sounded slightly muffled due to the thump of his heart and the soft, light squelches from his stomach pulsating.

It makes little sense that we can hear each other. She wanted to ask, but she had a feeling he wouldn't be able to answer.

“You’d be restless too, like this,” Cassie remarked.

He got quiet again.

It'll be over soon. She told herself.

As the rocking continued along with her boredom, she surprisingly started to find herself nodding off.

Her suddenly tightening space recaptured her attention. His stomach walls were hugging against her legs pressed up against her chest. What's going on?

“Cliff?” She uttered, softly. 

Cassie listened for his voice and all she heard was him humming again with a tune of enjoyment. Then, it was accompanied by his walls squeezing her a little further.

What is he doing?!

“Cliff!”

…

Cliff

He got her stuff together, putting it in his satchel that he had on Kackles. His beast got up, throwing out its arms into the stone to stretch. It gave a loud, "hrmph." Or its version of it. I know you wanna rest. Two more hours.

He flicked up his hand, letting it cruise to the creature's underbelly, its only soft and malleable spot—as long as it wasn't angry. He scratched it and smirked as Kackle's back leg started to kick, and it growled playfully.

He had to be careful with how much he leaned—he didn't want to crush her. Afterward, he gestured to the water, but Kackles didn't seem thirsty.

"If you get thirsty on the ride back," Cliff rolled his eyes, and got on his mount now that it was in a better mood. They set off. He brought out his compass to direct him to the nearest town.

It took a while for things to settle inside him too. He'd check up on her every so often because she was quiet.

Not like he wasn't used to the tranquil, soft noises only given off by nature or Kackle's occasional gruff coos, but knowing and having someone traveling with him made him want to say something to her. What would I even say? His eyes drifted down to his open vestment, it'd be weird to talk to you since you're kinda in there.

It was the first time he had someone traveling with him in a while, helping him conquer his slight loneliness—and he ate her.

His left hand let go of the reins, and his right maintained its grip. His fingers gently touched his core. This is so very different.

His mind leaned into the full feeling. You feel pretty satisfying in there, Cass. The thought stunned him— he feared he said it out loud. He didn't hear anything back, so he hoped it had stayed in his head.

She did move slightly—he felt her every shift. He could even tell the difference between her legs, back, and hands. The small nudges at his flesh were tender, almost warming, while the bigger ones caused Cliff discomfort.

A pressure that threatened to break its way from his body. He didn't know if she could, and the idea of finding out wasn't preferable.

When things are calm, I can see why people eat Stunted. Cliff shut his eyes and played with the shape. That, combined with the constant swaying and bobbing of his mount, lulled him into his own bliss.

He definitely heard his name. Maybe it’s Cassie cursing it or something. He straightened up, and the tune he realized he was humming stopped when she yelled it again. 

“It keeps getting tighter in here, what are you doing?”

His focus shifted downwards.

In the midst of his delectation, Cliff's hand had been pressing into her.

“Sorry, uh—” I’m not gonna tell her I was enraptured by this. “I was a little bored.”

She grumbled back—Cliff didn't pick up on any words.

He removed his hand and grabbed the reins. 

The exterminator fought to keep his hands on the leather. One hand so desperately wanted to cradle the unfamiliar yet pleasant weight.

He knew this would be his only opportunity to do it, too. There was no way he'd have another chance like this. Anytime he ever saw one of them, they were always with powerful people. A Stunted was never alone.

Next time I gotta make sure the Stunted ties their hair up. He chuckled to himself.

Throughout the rest of the ride he still did consistent check-ups, about every twenty minutes. And then they finally arrived in the city, Fuda.

Everything glowed so brightly as the sun nearly dipped under the horizon. Lanterns were alight, capturing the eye of everyone they passed with twinkling seals. They painted them at their centers to keep the Yokai away, at least those of weaker descents or newborns. 

He got a few looks with his Vipkey—they weren't often used as mounts. Cliff was just lucky that most beasts seemed to like him. Or in his case with Kackles, he showed up at the right time.

The stone streets were filled with folks with painted faces, long silken dresses, and celebrational suits. Though, amongst them, maybe because Cliff was used to spotting them , there were "outlaws". They had a special way of presenting themselves. Either they had brandished marks of their clan where others could see, exposing their torsos, or they harshly stared at others who did so.

There must be a festival going on. But what's got so many clans here? He trusted Kackles to take a clear path through.

Cliff's eyes quickly caught the Kabuki mask that hung on a girl's hip proudly. You're basically telling everyone what you do. He always kept his Oni one hidden away. Not that it'd matter even if I used it.

They were nearing the town's river, where he could see the floats ahead. They were getting ready to send them off sooner or later. Oh right. It finally clicked. Today's shrine dedication day. No wonder the clans are all here.

The shops lined up across the river, as well as vendors that had stands between the gaps were all shouting to get business from passersby. The edge eased away once he took in the fruity, sweet, and pork searing smells.

His let his hand touch his stomach, I should let her out. I could get some free food today if I toss my title around. He fiddled with the idea in his mind. He didn't feel hungry. Well, she hasn’t been moving too much, so she's probably sleeping. He'd have plenty of time to have dinner later. It would be a shame to wake her. 

He thought, selfishly, rubbing a hand across his core. Yeah. I should wait, check out a few things first. Make sure it's safe.

Cliff walked further along the river, admiring the sights, talking to a few who seemed interested in his mount. Kackles did bring in the conversations.

It was then he heard her voice. “Are we there yet?”

Guilt brushed its ugly head against his face. He pulled away from those asking about Kackles. They were too distracted rubbing his belly and telling him sweet things anyway.

“No, not yet. Still got a little bit longer, go ahead and get some more rest.” He said quietly, patting his abdomen.

“I can tell the difference between you riding your vipkey and walking.” 

He didn’t know there was a distinct difference. He debated if he should play around by doing the same rocking motions, but he couldn't make a fool of himself.

“Do you expect me to spit you up in the middle of town?" That'd be embarrassing. "I gotta find somewhere nice. You’re gonna wanna another bath or at least a cleansing pod, right?” 

The only thing that sprung into his mind from Cassie after that were incoherent mutters. 

He smugly smirked and poked at his abdomen, “is that some sass I’m hearin’, little miss Cassie? You know I charge extra for complaining.” 

“Extra what? Time?” She was getting uppity. “You can’t just make up rules like that!”

He laughed. “They aren’t made up rules. People generally don’t complain when someone's helpin' them out.” Cliff said. “So, keep sassing me, Cassie. I’m a man of my word.”

She sighed. “Fine, just find a place to do it and let me out, please.” 

He nodded. “Will do.” Don’t worry now, Cassie, I’ll find us a room after a little more exploring. 

He turned on his heels to meet with those playing with Kackles again. Cliff knew he'd be at a disadvantage if Cassie got too rowdy, so he couldn't keep prolonging this feeling.

He waved them off and decided to walk to the nearest inn, which, to his pleasant surprise, doubled as a gambling den.

Cliff set Kackles up outside next to the other mounts and grabbed his satchel from him. The others near his were definitely more preyish beasts.

He sternly turned to his friend. "Now listen, these are friends of the people inside. I don't want to come out and see you chompin’ on a few of ‘em." He made sure to hold Kackles under his jaw so he was listening. "If you play nice, I'll get you your own feast tonight, got it?"

Kackles growled lightly and Cliff could tell by the excited tail wag that he understood. He nodded Kackles off, tipping his hat and got up the stairs to enter the building.

Hoots and hollers from different tables serenaded his ears. Whether they were aggressive arguing or the happy cheers, both made a smile curl on his lips. He felt at home.

The ordinates hung from above, jingled with the names of the winners. Some being showered in commemorative blessing oils. It was an extravagant thing for those that weren't skilled in magic means or possessing a natural barrier of protection against the corrosive properties of most Yokai.

He made sure to mind the servers tending those on the pillows at tables, and quickly admired the painted backdrops of the mountain of first sight.

Cliff's eyes touched over the games he passed. He looked at the cards of a few poker hands, or his focus changed to the people playing cho-han. He almost went to sit down to play a game. He stopped when her voice chimed in.

“Where are you? I hear a lot of noise.”

Cliff stepped near the sliding panels that led to what he read as the bathing and sleeping rooms. He tapped his abdomen. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head, I’m findin' us the perfect place.” He felt a jab at his insides and winced. “What was that for?”

“I'm starting to think you’re prolonging this."

Maybe a little. Can you blame me? You compliment me well in there, Cassie. He wanted to say—he anticipated she'd unleash a tiger's fury if he did. He contained his comments and civilly tried the nicer approach, “I gotta get us a room to let you out."

"Fine."

She conceded too easily. It enabled Cliff to speak further. "Ya know," he looked over at the people, finally seeing the innkeeper staring. He turned his head for a moment and tried to whisper, "others might be lookin' to try ya if I let you out when the town's so populated. Maybe you should—"

“You're not going to convince me to spend the night in here!” 

Cliff hadn’t even thought that far. He only wanted another hour.

He said his thoughts aloud, “that’d be nice.”

He immediately felt her backlash and stumbled. A few patrons looked his way, he steadied himself and lowered his hat over part of his face, flustered. He held his stomach lightly, “I’m jokin’.”

He eased her after taking a breath, “I want to get drinks and eat some real food at some point tonight." That wasn't a total lie. "I’ll let you out, as soon as I get a room and rest for a while."

“Cliff!”

He flinched and chuckled, nervously. “I’m just pokin’ fun at ya, now stop pokin' me-!” 

…

It took some time. He got a room for the night, one with a view of the mountains that looked too far to touch. And one of the city, at least one half of it, as the other half was reserved for the view over the river.

Those were all taken tonight.

A knock at his door called his attention. He haplessly dropped the satchel down near the bed on the floor, and walked around the table with cushions around it. He moved the paper door back, and poked his head through to see one of the workers.

"Your bath is ready," she chirped.

"Thank ya, sweetie." Cliff tipped his hat as she handed him the robe and towel.

He had to disrobe before heading down there. They were on the first floor along with the gambling den.

He got undressed, neatly folding his clothes into a pile and leaving them on the bed. He got in the robe and made his way down the hall and steps.

Besides the fact that he wasn't wearing much, he felt the most bare without his hat. He kept touching his hair, missing its embrace.

His feet pattered down the wooden steps and shuffled across the floor toward the bath room, which matched the number sewn on the towel.

The hall was always noisy—occasionally there were people cheering, crying, or viscerally screaming out in pain. It depended on the severity of the curse enveloping them.

Those that wanted a simple bath to be clean used cleansing pods, a spore that when completely crushed, added to water, and splashed on a person cleaned their body right up. While baths like this that Cliff paid for, these were for more than cleaning your body of filth. These would purify every part of you.

It was the reason why he paid for it. It would not only clean Cassie, but his neighbors wouldn't be the wiser if there were any complications during the process.

He entered bathing room number 10, shutting the panel behind him as he checked for anyone else. Not a soul. Time to come out now, Cassie.

Cliff walked near the water and waited. Oh. He stared down at his abdomen and dropped his shoulders. How am I supposed to get her out? Do I try hacking her up?

He brushed a hand at his throat. That's going to hurt, ain't it?

The exterminator whined in his head. Cliff, how come you didn't think of this? Why didn't I consider the "getting her out" part? He groaned and put his hand to his face.

I let my hunger get the best of me.

He sighed deeply. "Hey, Cassie?"

"Yes?"

"I've been thinkin'..." I'm dumber than most critters.

"It's been well over two hours!"

I know that. He held a smile, anxiously. "It's pretty late, wouldn't you rather have a fresh day tomorrow? That way you can—"

The little tiger didn't like that at all. He hunched over holding his stomach. "C-Ca-ssieeeee!"

She ferociously fought. It made him drop to his knees at the water's edge. She's going to rip me open, ain't she?!

“I can’t waste anymore time in here! I had important stuff with my pack that they stole!” she exclaimed.

Not that Cliff could pay much attention. His stomach clutched against her in defense. “I-I’ll l-let yo-, s-sto-stop!”

She started to slow down but it was too late. His stomach squeezed her tightly and began pushing the contents—her—up. His hand over his mouth did nothing to stop her.

Her body forced its way up his throat, and made his jaw expand to expel her. A little more painfully than it was swallowing her.

He heard her splash into the water below his head, and eventually his arm lost the strength to hold him up. His head fell to the ground, resting on the stone.

Cassie swam back up and coughed, barely able to get herself out of the water.

Cliff wanted to help, but barely could eye her.

He was utterly abashed with his body bent over, his robe no longer hiding him properly, and she could see him cradled over in a mixture of pain and a little sweetness tasting her again.

“You really had to be rough, huh,” he croaked.

“You were planning on keeping me in there longer! It’s been, what, four hours now?”

Cliff grumbled, “three at most.” 

Cassie squinted. Partially due to her inability to see given their distance, and because of his lie.

"Okay, four." He sat up and fixed his robe, “sorry about the way I’m dressed."

“I’ve been inside of you, that’s-” Cassie shut her lips, turned her head, and jittered. She regained herself, “we're done. So, can I have my glasses and sandals back?"

“My room,” Cliff stumbled up, planted his feet firmly on the ground. A defeated look masked his face, “they're in my room"

…

Thank you for reading! And have a swell rest of your day, folks! :D

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Wild Escape Master Post!

[thewayhavenchronicle]

Hey! First, I’m so sorry to hear abt the menstrual pain!! Periods are the worst especially when you’ve got really bad cramps :((

So for distractions! For the otp ask, if you’re answering the questions themselves how about 41-45 for Ruth x Ava? Or if you want something to expand into a fic, one of any of those!

I hope you feel better soon!

thank youuuu have. many ava/ruth fluff snippets ;w;

41. Which one would take their jacket it off and drape over the other one because they were visibly shivering?

Ruth nearly jumps out of her skin when something heavy and warm settles over her bare shoulders -- though she almost immediately feels silly as strong, familiar hands settle on her shoulders and then run down her arms, sending warmth washing over her in their wake.

Tired after the weird charity gala the Agency had talked them into attending, she leans back until her head is resting on Ava's shoulder.

Ava says nothing, arms settling around her with a soft contented sigh.

They'll have to leave eventually -- definitely have to say goodbye to the investors and the Council and whoever else she'd been introduced to tonight before she's truly off the hook -- but she doesn't care.

For now, they are both content to stand in the moonlight and watch it dance on the pond and fountain below them.

And that's enough.

42. What's their favorite type of weather to enjoy together? (getting snowed in together, watching thunderstorms, etc.)

Ruth loves the summer in Wayhaven.

It's a strange sentence to think, even to herself, as summers had always been the worst part of the year when she was growing up nearby. All that time having to find things to do to stay away from her home when her dad was home, all that time having to face the fact that she didn't really have friends -- it had been miserable.

Now, it's the best time of year for her to talk Ava into spending time with her, just the two of them.

And Ruth isn't sure she's ever happier than she is when she's on the open road with Ava, wind in her hair, casting adoring glances at Ava's beautiful profile.

They always drive to the same place -- a cliff overlooking the sea. It's more remote than the park they'd first gone to, so Ava is always so much more comfortable to sit close beside her, shoulders brushing with every breath they take. When the sun finally sets, they often stay a little longer, lying back in the grass and watching the stars and talking about... anything. Nothing. Everything.

The way Ava smiles when they're alone like that feels just like the summer sun on her skin -- sends that same warmth washing over her like a hot shower, until all she can feel is that twinge of joy and pride that comes with being able to make Ava smile, even a little.

...she's in far, far too deep to fight this now, but she can't find it in her to regret a single second of it.

43. Who would give their life for the other without a second thought?

Oh, they both would. This fact makes both of them very upset. Don't feel like writing the angst rn but IT'S COMING in my fic eventually.

44. Who would dance in the kitchen making dinner? Would the other join in or watch from the doorway?

Ruth nearly startles when Ava's arms slide around her waist, though she laughs as she tilts her head to give Ava access as she presses a line of kisses to Ruth's throat.

Ruth had been humming along to the music playing from her laptop as she cooked dinner, aware of the Commander in the next room keeping an eye out for her, but uncaring enough to actually change her plans for the night. They'd been getting closer recently, crossing that unspoken line between friends and.... something else more and more.

She's still not used to the amount of pleasure she gets from such simple, soft kisses as Ava rests her chin on Ruth's shoulder and begins to sway to the music.

"...you're so beautiful," murmurs her lover, nose brushing at the corner of her jaw. "I adore you completely."

Ruth shivers visibly in Ava's arms, making them both laugh.

"You buttering me up for something, Commanding Agent?" Ruth asks, but there's no malice in it, only a gentle tease that makes Ava chuckle.

"No," Ava says truthfully, swaying a little more meaningfully, a little more purposefully now. "I just wanted to be near you."

Ruth's heart squeezes painfully in her chest, but she smiles anyway, turning her head to press a kiss to Ava's cheek.

They don't say anything else for a long while, though eventually Ruth does move her meal off of the stove and they dance a little more formally. Ava's eyes are unbelievably soft as she twirls Ruth around the little kitchen in her tiny apartment and for a little while, nothing else in the world exists but the two of them and the hazy glow of contentment surrounding them.

45. Can they fall asleep without the other?

Ruth nearly shrieks when a pair of arms wrap around her in her sleep.

The stranger crawling into her bed pauses, pulling away a little and mumbling half-asleep apologies, and the familiar lilt of a soft British accent makes her relax again. Ava sinks into the mattress behind her, burying her face in the back of her neck, muscles heavy with tension that slowly seeps from her frame as she breathes in the smell of Ruth's skin.

"...alright?" Ruth asks after a moment, too sleepy to ask a full question, patting gently at Ava's hand settled on the mattress next to her stomach.

Ava sighs, curling around her a little more. "Bad dream. I'm fine now."

Ruth hums, and a distant part of her investigator mind does a few quick calculations. She knows vampires don't sleep much, but Ava's done this every few days for the past week or so now.

"Having a lot of bad dreams lately," she breathes.

She can feel Ava frown against the back of her neck as the arm around her waist tightens even more.

"...very observant of you, Detective," Ava mumbles at length, though there's a playfulness somewhere in her voice that makes Ruth snort.

Shifting so that she can lie on her back, she coaxes Ava to rest her head on her chest, slipping her fingers against the back of her neck and stroking gently as her other hand settles against Ava's upper arm, thumb lazily running back and forth against her skin where her sleeve has rolled up.

Ava melts into her and Ruth grins into the darkness. Sleep begins to tug at her again, but she mumbles with the last of her awareness, "I've got you. Sleep."

Whatever Ava mumbles in response is lost as Ruth drifts off again, though she thinks it might have been French.

...

"Je t'aime, mon cœur."

[sweetingseva]

hii

i was looking at your evajacks playlist and i thought Turn it Off by Paramore would be a good add in??

"I scraped my knees when i was praying, and found a demon in my safest haven"

the church!!

"and the worst part is before it gets any better were headed for a cliff, and in the freak fall i will realise im better off when i hit the bottom"

the cliff in tbona obviously 🤭

i love your account and playlist so excited 4 acftl <333

Hello, thank you for the suggestion and your words! I have added the song into the playlist! 💗💗💗

ACFTL is soooooo close, YAYYY! 🥳

[nemotheenvisionist]

Obsessing over Turnip head from Howl's Moving Castle

DISCLAIMER: I haven't read the book yet so this is purely based off my knowledge of the film :)

Also, SPOILERS I guess

Imagine you're a prince in the middle of a war with another country and one day you get turned into a scarecrow with a turnip for a head, you can't speak and can only really hop about, but you can think and feel as always, and the only way to break this curse is with true loves kiss. Seems like a fairy-tale. Well one day you're hopping around the hills just outside one of the towns your kingdom is attacking against your will, but you get trapped upside down in a bush with no one to help. When suddenly this elderly woman lifts you up out of the bush and insults you, before walking into the mountains which makes you think she must be from the town, and although she insulted you, she still helped you from being stuck so you decide to tag along. Not like you've got anything better to do. She's a little annoyed but asks you to find some shelter from the harsh winds, and wanting to help her, you go to find the one place that could actually come to her instead of making her walk anymore, she's old after all. She's a little nervous of course, who wouldn't be in Howl's house, but she thanks you for finding shelter. Before you part ways she loses her scarf but luckily you quickly get it back. Not long after you end up trapped in one of the joints of Howl's house, but to your luck that same woman helps you up, with the aid of a little boy, although she seems younger than before. Maybe that's when it hits you, this woman is also cursed, and you feel a little curiosity and kindness towards this woman. You decide to help her with her chores that day as a thank you and you watch her, she seems happy and that joy she gets from being mundane is beautiful to see, and for once, after being alone for so long, you feel connected to her, feeling her burden but sensing her hope that fuels you to stay with her. But then one day it's pouring down with rain and you find her once again, and she's crying, and it hurts to see her like this, her tears mixing with the rain, so you grab an umbrella and shield her, you wish you could offer more comfort but there isn't much you can do. The next time you see her she's crashing a plane into Howl's house, so you rush over to see if she's ok, which thankfully she is. But she's moving, and thanks to your own curse, you can't follow. You wish you could say goodbye, you don't know when you'll see her next and by this point you've figured out you love her, all of her, no matter how old or young she looks, because you've seen all the kindness, caring, and love that she seems to shine like a star. Which hurts you even more when the next time you see her she's panicking, she's frightened but she's still trying to do what's right as she takes out the fire demon and the house implodes. You watch as the house crumbles around you as water is thrown on the fire and you're separated once again from her, if only you could have reached out for her hand. But you keep her family safe, because that's what she would have wanted. She comes back thankfully, but as she releases the fire demon to the skies, the platform crumbles over the edge of a cliff and you'll be damned if any of them die now, after everything. So you give yourself, your body, the only part of yourself that could move at all, to save them, and it hurts so much, it's probably the worst pain imaginable. But that doesn't matter because she kisses you, the love of your life, the light in your lonely days, and you feel yourself change, and you're you again! The curse is broken! You're so happy, you finally got your fairy-tale ending, and it really is poetic, two cursed people from opposite ends of a war meeting and falling in love... but then you watch her. You watch how she is with the wizard, how she smiles, how she hugs him, how she clings to him, and you wish it were you. You feel your heart breaking but you can't show that, because it would hurt her to know how much it hurts you that she doesn't love you the way you love her. So you let her go, because you love her, and you only ever want to see her happy, even if that means it's not with you

[klillaah]

Miss me more – for my sake

⚠️Warnings: Hallucination, heartbreak, sadness, suịcide attempt.

- I don’t understand you, after all these years, why did you want to meet here?

In the park? In a...public place?

- Seriously, Ellie. It was our favourite bench. We used to watch the stars from here.

Poe. You need to let go.

- I can’t.

Or you don’t want to.

- FOR GOD'S SAKE! YOU'LL DISAPPEAR!

Maybe. But, before you try to do it, think of the people who will stand at your grave asking themselves, what have they done wrong?

- How can you be always so calm?

I am calm because I need to save you from yourself. Or, at least, I try to.

- Have I gone insane?

You have not. Not yet.

- Great, then, if I jump before that, I won’t have to experience it.

Poe, you need to let go. You need to let me go.

- But I...I don’t want to. I want to follow you into the paradise.

Poe, you have no idea what comes after death.

- Like nobody else. It’s better than the gray and bittersweet weekdays which just get worse and worse.

It can be better. It will be better. If you didn’t avoid any kind of help. Or the medicines.

- I DON’T WANT DRUGS! – he shoots up from his seat.

These are the good types of drugs.

- Yeah? For what? Insomnia? Depression? Suicide thoughts? Skizofrenia? Or all the symtomps I have of 5 different mental ilnesses? I...don’t need them.

Yes, you do.

- Ellie, you don’t understand.

Maybe if you explained, I’d.

- I can’t describe this...this is just...like an endless madness. I feel like I am in a fucking circle. I manage to get better somehow, but then, the worst is back, and it punches me on the face even harder than the last time. I can’t stand it anymore.

You can. You are stronger. You are stronger than I was.

- Yeah, you had stage 4 cancer.

Hell, Poe. Fighter pilot, war hero. My hero. You need so much more than a few miscoded cells to stop you.

- Don’t say this. I am not a hero.

Once someone is a hero, always stays one. You saved thousands of lifes.

- Yeah, I killed a few hundred to save thousands.

Poe. Answer me honestly. What made you really happy? Before we met?

- Flying.

And why?

- What do you mean why?

Why were you happy while flying?

- Because I was free. In the cockpit, everything is so much easier. If you shoot somebody, or a whole ship down, for that matter, you just push a button, pull a few levers and you’re further from death you’ll ever be.

Then fly again.

- I can’t, I would need to go through the phisical and mental test again. Maybe I’d pass the phisical part, but the mental...everybody would know I’ve gone insane. I don’t want them to know. „Once a bright star which lost its shine”, they say.

You aren’t insane.

- Yeah, and what about you? I just imagined your funeral? Or your parents faulting me for your death?

Yes, Poe, I am not real. I only exist in your head anymore. For the rest of the world, I am just a pile of ash in a hole under the ground.

- Not for your parents.

Maybe not. But they have eachother. They started to move on. I was just one from their 5 children.

- Yeah, the one I love.

Used to love, Poe. You can’t love a dead person.

- Yes, I can. I miss you, Butterfly. Your smile, your laugh, your touch. I want to feel them once more.

I am sorry, love, but that’s not possible.

The man thinks for a while as he walks closer to the edge of the cliff. From there, he can look down to the bright lights of LA. Yes, now he understands why it is a popular spot for suicide.

- I wanted to hear you one last time, Butterfly. – he pulls a few pills out of is his pocket. – They say, if you take these, everything surrounding you disappears. You won’t have doubts anymore. You’ll feel calm. Deadly calm. But, the sounds in your head doesn’t disappear. They never do. Just you.

So, you really want to commit suịcide, huh?

- I am sorry, Butterfly. But I want to be with you, up there, or down, I don’t fucking care. My world is whole only with you.

I am always with you. – she points at his heart – in there. In your heart.

- Mhmm...probably. – he takes two of the 4 pills.

Do you believe in soulmates?

- Yeah, I used to. We are something like that, right?

I think so.

- Why didn’t you tell me?

That I was pregnant?

- Exactly.

When I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreas cancer, I went to the doctors to check the baby. I didn’t expect a diagnosis like that. The baby wouldn’t have even survived.

- Neither of us did.

The pain...is it gone?

- Well, not completely. It takes four pills. But, you were right before, Butterfly.

About what?

- Everybody moves on. I am the only one who couldn’t.

So, we are finally here? You agree with me?

- Ironic – he chuckles – but yes. I am so sorry, Butterfly. You deserved better than me.

You had PTSD. It happens to most of the soldiers, they're just too proud to admit it.

- Ah, yeah, I start to remember how you always knew what was in my head. Just like now. Except, now you’re exactly in my head.

Well, yeah, life has humour either.

- It definitely does. – he takes the remaining pills. – Soon, I will be with you, my Butterfly. And with our baby. – he smiles.

She smiles back, before she starts to fade away. A distant memory...the sweetest of his.

- Tonight I will fly with you in heaven, Butterfly. Or in hell. Suicidals go there, they say. It doesn’t even matter. Because you make every place so much better they feel like literal paradise.

- Hey! Get down from there! – a park guard shouts at the man who’s standing at the edge of the cliff; but he doesn’t hear it. He doesn’t feel, hear, see or sense anything anymore. Just the worn out picture in his hand; his beloved. He drops it into the dirt alongside with his identification tag, so the police officers won’t have to pull it from his dead, unrecognisable body.

The guard walks closer, and when he sees what’s happening, he starts to run, to catch the man and stop him from killing himself. But, this time, death commands silence in the last minutes of this poor man’s life. The guard trips over a bigger stone, and he hits his head in the bench, instantly fainting. Death gives the so craved peace for him, which he couldn’t find since he had to stand at his own soulmate’s grave.

Then, in the next moment, he falls towards to the bottom of the cliff. Then, only a lazy thud can be heard, after that the all-so comforting silence. He might have fallen, but his soul flew highly above the clouds, finally, with his beloved soulmate and daughter.

The guard wakes up not so late after. He speaks into his radio on his chest.

- Leutainant Connix, 315647, I report another suicide from Beverly Hills’ edge cliff. Mid-aged latino man. He left behind a picture and his identification tag. – He walks to the edge and picks them up. – His name was...Poe Dameron. Fighter pilot Commander Poe Dameron of Long Beach freedom fight, to be exact. I don’t think I need to say more about LA’s hero.

- Copy, Connix. This time, his face will be in the first paragraph of LA Times. Fifteenth suicide this week, am I correct?

- Yeah. - he sighs. - And it is only Wednesday.

”Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.

Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow

From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—

For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore—

Nameless here for evermore.”

/Edgar Allan Poe – The Raven/

If you like this fanfic, please reblog, like or comment! Feedback is everything for me.

[asa-m-holland]

A S A H O L L A N D - " T H E H O O K "

Underboss for Jolly Roger , Children's Book Illustrator

46 years old , He / Him , Homosexual

FULL BIO BELOW.

PLEASE CHECK TWS BEFORE PROCEEDING TW // Homophobia, medical malpractice, electroshock therapy, religious trauma, medical trauma, head trauma, murder

BIOGRAPHY .

Asa came into the world with a hard-working mother and a father hellbent on success. While he and his sister spent their childhood in a cozy cottage near the cliffs on the outskirts of Dublin, their father was worming his way into the Irish government. Conor Holland wanted to be in the cabinet, and that meant making sure he had the perfect family... and Asa's rebellious teenage nature, coupled with his secret homosexuality found out through secret magazines and love letters under his bed, meant that he was a huge liability. So Asa was sent away to a troubled teen's home at age 15 - a place that could take minors and sculpt them into whatever their parents wanted. Extremely religious, strict. He was made to believe very early on that any anger is not tolerated, and neither is his attraction to men. It only worsened from there. Asa's rebellion ran deep, but his father's stubbornness ran deeper. When he didn't seem to be 'reformed' as his father wanted, Conor Holland forged medical documents and sent him away to a psychiatric facility. When they started to suspect anything, he'd be sent to another. Asa spent nearly 20 years in and out of mental hospitals. White walls, little cups with his daily medications. Sedated, lethargic, and isolated. Some locations were better than others. Some were complete hell. Meanwhile, his father benefited from an absent son who was so tucked away, so hard to find or learn about, that he could even be claimed to be dead. St. Irene's was the worst. After medical malpractice with defunct medical equipment and out-of-date experimental treatments, Asa was left worse than ever. An electro-convulsive therapy machine was used on him in hopes this could cure the issues outlined by the ever-growing list of mental maladies his father had assigned to him by force. But with St. Irene's over-crowding, he was sent back to his father. This time, Asa made sure he couldn't be sent back, and took a hammer to his father's head. An unfortunate housefire 'took the life of' Conor Holland, member of the Irish cabinet. And Asa fled to London with his father's secret stash of cash. It was the court case of St. Irene's v. Holland that got Asa noticed by the Jolly Roger. A carefully crafted take-down of the corrupt institution he'd been subject to for years. Old letters, polaroids, prior patient testimony. Asa had forged the most airtight condemnation of the institution completely on his own - and won a huge settlement for his troubles. The place was shut down, the owners and some of the doctors locked up. Suddenly, Asa Holland was an asset. A smart man whose father seemed to 'disappear'. After he'd been looked into, he was pulled into the Jolly Roger, starting with some general consulting and aiding in organization. It didn't take long for him to get into killing. He'd already done it once and loved the way it felt. So why not a few more, for pay? And soon enough, he was moving up, and up. Now an Underboss, Asa Holland is noted as "the Hook". Named after the captain in Peter Pan, Asa has 'hooks' in many parts of London. He 'hooks' people into the Jolly Roger who intrigue him... and just like a fishing hook, he keeps them there until he decides to rip free. If he ever does...

HEADCANONS .

-Asa can be an incredibly off-putting individual, due to his time away from ‘society’, as well as the head trauma he's experienced. While he tries to make conversation with others, it is clear he is still figuring out how to make friends and to have relationships.

-His flat is an eclectic and beautiful mishmosh of art, plants, and his 5 cats. He collects many items from the antique stores that Jolly Roger works out of, and its on display beautiful in his artsy space. It's here where he has his own private art studio for his books - he works as a childrens book illustrator.

-While he is an enigma wrapped in another enigma, Asa can be a kind person. He often is thoughtful in small ways- having everyones’ coffee orders pegged on his bulletin board in his office, sending small and odd cards for birthdays and events.

-Asa is covered in tattoos. He often wears suits when working that covers them all, but in the past 10 years of his time in 'society', he's collected ink all over his arms and legs, shoulders, back, and chest.