#anyway so much of appearance is presentation and i finally figured out how to manage my hair and that’s a game changer for me

[joelsgoldrush]

swore i heard you whisper that you preferred us like that

joel miller x f!reader / 5,8k words

summary: you ask joel –the quiet, distant joel– to teach you how to ride a horse. they say the eyes are the window to the soul, and it must be true, because when he really sees you, it´s like he finally understands what you feel for him.

warnings: smut 18+ let’s pretend joel never left jackson, porn with plot, no use of y/n, age gap (reader is in her late 20s, joel is 56), grinding, oral (f receiving), fingering, masturbation, pet names, unprotected p in v (don't try this at home ok), dirty talk, soft!dom joel (sort of???), a bit of angst/feelings, joel gets all babygirl around reader, ellie appears for like a minute, mediocre attempt at recreating joel's southern accent (sorry in advance)

a/n: hello??? well this is my first fic ever so bear with me, i'm still new to all this. also english isn't my first language so i'm afraid there may be mistakes (mostly when it comes to collocations bc i hate them and they confuse me), buuuut i'm learning obviously and if you find anything that should be corrected PLEASE TELL ME thank you :) i'd appreciate if you told whether you liked this story (idk what to call it tbh) but if you don't it's more than fine! anyways thank you so much for reading if you come across this fic, i hope you like it! i've spent a week writing it bc finals season is killing me <///3

here's my masterlist in case you want to read my other works :)

"Oh, my drunken southern star / How you tried to hide in darkness / Slipped from orbit / Now you’re dangerously close / Come out, come out from all your hiding out / We’ll dig in our heels, salute the battlefields / Where our broken hearts were born."

What is it that he has?

You used to ask yourself that question every night as you went to bed. On some occasions, you couldn't manage to come up with an exact answer. There were too many reasons that disclosed why a man like him lingered on your mind, even in those moments that were supposed to be for you and only you. Sleeping more than three hours a day was definitely something you needed tremendously, but still, the not-so-rational voice inside your head kept on bringing his name up without fail, disturbing your rest.

Joel Miller. Was it possible to feel like this? Like you knew somebody without having exchanged more than five words with them? Sure, there wasn't a single person in Jackson who wasn't aware of his existence. From whispered rumors in the streets to stories that intended to give his reserved personality an explanation, Joel became a real talking-point among those in the commune. Years ago, when the world was still just a floating ball in space, he would’ve frightened you, being the kind of person your parents used to warn you about as you started to grow older.

He walked a certain way, as if he were holding the suffering of many lives in his hands. Always on guard, prepared to fight those who defied him. Hidden knives in his pockets, a gun between his fingers, the trigger too tempting to be pulled at any time given. His hair was a mixture of brown and gray, and you swore that the latter was only becoming more prominent as days went by. 

Suddenly, your pillow felt too uncomfortable, your hands fisting the fabric of your t-shirt while you kicked the blanket resting on top of your bare feet. A sigh escaped your lips, the taste of something you couldn't even distinguish on your tongue, your unsteady breath being the only sound to be heard in that noiseless night. 

You were having a hard time figuring out how you felt about Joel (if there was anything to feel in the first place, since he barely remembered your face and there you were, fantasizing about him instead of sleeping.) Maybe you liked how he presented himself, how bossy and persistent he looked the times you caught him patrolling around the zone. Or perhaps it was his character what charmed you in the first place, and the fact that, deep down, a different side from him remained completely unseen.

He was handsome, too. Tall, broad shoulders, aquiline nose. His arms looked majestic in every single piece of clothing he wore, his tanned skin shiny enough to reflect the very same sun. And his legs… you were sure they were muscular like the rest of his body, because of all the physical effort he did. You had  heard that he worked as a contractor before the pandemic, which made a lot of sense. Once or twice you had paid attention to his hands and–

Then, a familiar feeling sinked in. Warm began spreading through your belly, your thighs involuntary clenching together. “Fuck,” you muttered in a low tone, keeping your hands glued to your sides. Another motive not to think about Joel: he made you feel… things. Certain things that you hadn't felt for anyone in a very long time. You preferred to think that it was probably due to the fact that you were touch-starved, and not because you found yourself deeply attracted to him. Never had you ever been a sexually active person, so why now? Why did the mere image of Joel in your mind turn you on? 

He’s strong. I’m alone. I feel the need to find someone who’s willing to protect me. That’s it. No other reason.

Your internal monologue was lacking in arguments, but it was definitely something you could work with. As if on cue, you found it hard to keep your eyes open, your limbs not feeling as if they were yours anymore. Next thing you knew, you were asleep.

That night, you dreamt with Joel.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

In a small cabin, you taught children how to paint and draw. Maria believed it to be helpful for their psychological development or something like that, and you had agreed to do it. A good way to spend your free time– that’s what it was. Plus, you liked children; some would even choose to include you in their drawings, and that small gesture just warmed your heart.

There, you met Ellie, a teenager whose basic vocabulary consisted mostly of profanities. 

And boy, you loved Ellie.

It was hard not to, actually. She was like a breath of fresh air, with her jokes and instant charm. You two became attached in a short time, and she reminded you of a younger version of you, just a lot braver. Although in this world it brought her benefits, you sometimes wished she wouldn’t have gone through all that shit. Those eyes, which squinted as she laughed if you tickled her sides, were the cemetery of many buried memories. You wondered how she managed to put a smile on her face despite her past and the horrible things she had seen, hoping it was genuine and not a mask.

“Look!” her voice brought you back to reality. Blinking in her direction, you realized the amount of paint you had dropped onto the floor, a red stain already forming on the carpet. “Are you okay? You seem off.”

“I’m fine! Just a bit sleepy today, that's all,” you got closer to where she was lying down, her fingers moving the brush you had gifted her in different directions. Squatting a bit, you placed a strand of hair that didn’t make it into her ponytail behind her ear. “So, what are you painting?”

She smiled warmly, and her teeth catched her lower lip momentarily. “It’s not finished, okay? Don’t freak out. I know you’re a perfectionist.”

“I’m not…” you tried to explain yourself, but ended up choosing to be defeated. “Maybe you’re right. Anyway, may I see it?”

The canvas was in your hands a few moments later. Ellie spoke beside you, her words mixing together in a sign of embarrassment. “It’s for Joel. Figured I could do something nice for him, you know? I don’t– I think I need to start over. His eyes look kind of strange, don’t they? They’re so close he looks like a cyclops.”

“Don’t say that, kiddo. This is… it’s beautiful,” your index finger traced the lines framing his jaw, the shades of his skin perfectly achieved. You held the painting even tighter, afraid of breaking it for a second. He wasn’t frowning like he normally did; Ellie had painted him smiling, and the crinkles by his eyes matched his age. Surely you must have spent more time than necessary staring at it, ‘cause then Ellie continued talking.

“Well, you know what they say: The student has become the teacher.” 

You handed the canvas to her, a smirk taking place on your face. “Yeah, I guess I’ll stop teaching you if that’s the case.”

An hour or so later, someone knocked on the door. As both of your hands were occupied (a more formal way to say that they were dirty with paint), you screamed “Come in!”, and Ellie covered her painting with an old, muddy curtain you used to clean the tables in which the children worked. You were about to ask her why she had reacted in that way, until you turned around and saw him.

Joel was there, as every other Wednesday. In your cabin, standing right in front of you. And you didn’t even look presentable. His hair looked messy, a couple of locks stuck to his forehead with sweat. “Hi,” he said shortly, meeting your gaze and attempting to shake your hand, but you avoided contact.

Showing him your hands, you held your palms in the air as an indication of the still fresh paint on your skin. “Sorry. If I were to accept the gesture, I’d leave you a stain.”

He retrieved a bit, adjusting his glove. “It’s okay. Safety first.”

That was supposed to be a joke, you noticed tardily. The silence in the room persisted until Ellie appeared from behind your back, already putting her coat on.

“You were supposed to pick me up in half an hour, asshole.”

His mouth snapped shut for an instant. “I missed you too. How was the class?” 

Ellie lifted her shoulder in a half shrug, looking in your direction and proceeding to jerk her thumb toward Joel. She didn’t want him to see the painting. “Fine as usual.”

“Can I see what you’re–”

“No fucking way!” she accentuated the word fucking, drawing him closer to the door. 

“Why not?”

“Because it’s not done.”

“But–”

“No more questions, Joel. Let’s go! Say bye!” Ellie handled him like a baby, which made you giggle.

Though you saw Joel raising his eyebrows, so you stopped laughing. 

Soon, they left and the cabin returned to its familiar quietness. A sigh erupted from your chest, and you allowed yourself to fall on top of a chair.

At least you could say you had actually talked to Joel for once.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

It didn’t surprise you that you wanted to see him again.

Not in the “you-turn-me-on” way, but in the “you-seem-interesting-and-i-need-to-find-out-why” one.

He had something. Something so magnetic and indecipherable that kept pulling you towards him. Something that made you look for his presence in every crew, and not sensing what it was only made your wishes to dissect him grow bigger. There was a tiny probability that he was an idiot with a pretty face. Who knew? You definitely didn’t, and that needed to change. You deserved to know if pining over that man was worth it or not.

That chain of thoughts led you to look for him the next day, almost trembling with eagerness as you asked him the most stupid and unexpected question you could have imagined.

“Would you teach me how to ride a horse?”

He looked at you as if you were out of your mind, opening his mouth a few times and then closing it before he actually replied to you. “You’re tellin' me you don’t know how to ride a horse?”

“Tried it a few times, but failed and now I really want to learn to do it properly,” you swore his eyes were trying to decipher if you were saying the truth or not. “Ellie told me that you could probably make some time to teach me?”

“So Ellie's in charge of my schedule, I suppose?” you froze on the spot, and he must have noticed it because then his expression dulled. “Sorry, sweetheart. It was a joke. I've been told I'm not the best humorist.”

Sweetheart. You could’ve died a happy girl.

“Look, why don’t we meet up tomorrow after lunch? I'm sure it won’t take us much time. Not a difficult task, y’know?” he stroked his beard, apparently thinking you understood what he was talking about. 

“Sure. Thank you, Joel. My name’s–“

He didn’t let you finish. “I do know your name,” and before leaving, he repeated: “I’ll be here tomorrow. You know where to find me.”

To say that you slept without interruptions that night was an understatement. Each hour seemed to become longer the more you glimpsed your watch. Your heart drummed inside your chest violently, and you feared that someone else would be able to hear it if they got close enough to you. 

After having lunch in the same spot as every other mundane day, your legs took you to the stable. You took a shaky breath, expecting him to appear out of thin air, but fifteen minutes went by, and there was still no sign of Joel. Pressing your forehead against the wooden door, you wrapped your arms around yourself. “What was I even thinking?” 

“Hey.”

You looked to your side and– there he was, already getting inside the stable and inviting you to follow him. Joel petted one of the horses, clicking his tongue. His fingers caressed the animal’s back, and when he shot a glance at you, he didn’t ignore your disturbed expression.

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of horses.”

“I’m not afraid of them,” you laughed awkwardly, eyeing the horse, which stared at you with those big and strange eyes. You raised your hand to mimic Joel, but that just made the animal move further away from you. “I guess it’s mutual. We don’t like each other.”

Joel smirked, guiding you outside. “It’s a damn horse. I don’t think you can tell whether he likes you or not. You gotta change that attitude of yours,” he murmured as he got on top of the horse, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Treat him well and he’ll be nice.”

At first, Joel taught you the basics: how to position yourself for balance, get your legs in the right position, hold the reins properly. A little bit of help coming from him was needed for you to mount the horse. He got down on one knee, patting it as if it were a mounting block. “Come on. Step on it.”

No need to ask me twice, you thought as you did what you were told, and once you were grabbing on those reins for dear life, you observed him with curious eyes. “Now what?”

“Now…” he pressed his hand into one of the horse’s sides, and afterwards, the horse began to fucking trot and you cried out, a high-pitched shriek slipping from your mouth. Joel laughed maliciously, almost hypnotized by the scene. “Now is when you learn how to ride a horse!”

“This isn't funny!” you screamed, the horse still very much entertained with the way you were jerking on top of him. “Stop!”

You couldn't believe how he kept… cracking up. Joel touched his stomach, shaking with laughter. “You’re a natural, can’t you see it? I’m havin' the time of my life here.”

“What I can see is that you’re an idiot! Cut the cackle and help me!”

But he didn’t move a single muscle. Instead, he remained still, that smug look never abandoning his features.

The bastard. “You’re gonna make me beg? In this situation?”

Crossing his arms while teasingly grinning at you, he added: “Wouldn’t hurt to try.”

“Joel Miller, will you help me? Pretty please?” your hair was getting in the way, and you could taste it as you insisted. “Is that enough for you?”

It was, actually. He helped you get down from the horse, his thick fingers digging into the mushy skin of your waist. It shouldn’t have felt that good, but it did. You were supposed to be angry at him for setting you up and still, by touching you for a microsecond, he had transformed you into something malleable.

Sadly, that feeling didn’t last much longer. “Didn’t know you were a man of manners. Should’ve told me beforehand.”

“Didn't know you could scream like that. I hope you didn’t freak anyone out.”

The two of you continued to practice until nightfall. A thing you also learned, apart from horse riding, was that Joel was a determined man. Everytime you tried to quit, he stopped you, making it impossible for you to rest. You stared at him, rubbing the back of your sore neck with a grimace. “I’m tired. Can we go back?”

“One more time.”

“Joel–”

“Trot a couple of meters just one more time, and that’s it for today. Can you do that for me?”

You tried not to pay too much attention to his choice of words, although it was basically non-viable. He looked sinful, and you longed to shut him up with a bruising kiss. Again, a hopeless option. Your hands itched to touch him, to feel his stubble, rough and coarse under your thumbs. How could you stay focused when the man you had been daydreaming with for the last couple of months was bossing you around? 

Despite your inability to clear your head of any of those thoughts, you managed to accomplish what he had asked you to do. “Well done,” he offered you his hand to dismount the horse and you accepted it, sighing as you stretched out your arms. “We should take him back to the stable,” Joel suggested, giving you the impression of being pleased as you told him you were coming with him.

Inside the stable, he relocated the horse into one of the many stalls. Unbelievably, the place didn’t smell like absolute shit, which was what you were expecting from a barn. “Thank you for the lesson,” you told Joel once he was done with the horse.

“Anytime,” he scratched his jaw, the dim light making his dark eyes look, if possible, even darker. “It wasn’t that bad, was it?”

“No. You were right,” your heart thrummed with every word that he blurted. His presence was addictive. You were never the one to have any bad habits, but deep down, you recognized that he easily could develop one. “I thought you were less talkative.”

“So did I,” for an instant, he pressed his lips together, forming a tight line, as if he had said something he shouldn’t have in the first place. “I think I didn’t ask you this before: but why now? I mean, why did you wait so much time to learn how to ride a horse? Everyone in Jackson seems to know how.”

You cleared your throat, his piercing eyes peering at your movements. “I guess I thought it wasn't necessary back then, before all this. It's one of those things that you don't even consider until it becomes inevitable. I used to believe I had a lot of time left when I was younger,” you had never talked about this with anyone else. There was something so intimate about this conversation, how Joel stood seemingly tongue-tied in front of you, as if he were taking notes of what you were confessing to him. “I remember being a kid and not wanting to use my toys sometimes because I kept waiting for the right moment. But then…”

“You realize there’s no such thing as the right moment,” he finished the sentence for you, and you bowed your head. “Life can end at any moment, especially in a world like ours. That’s why you always gotta do what you wish to. We never know what’ll happen tomorrow.”

“Live for today, hope for tomorrow? That’s your creed?” you tried to mock him, the tension in the stable far from evident, but he didn’t move.

“It’s the way I try to live my own life. I don’t like being left with the desire to do somethin’ I could’ve done earlier. Too old for that.”

Maybe you were gradually losing it. Perhaps just a little. It couldn’t be a coincidence, right? Had he noticed how you acted around him? Were you that obvious?

“So, you would advise me to just…”

“Do whatever you feel right, sweetheart.”

That raspy sweetheart made you give in.

His eyes. His penetrating, gleaming eyes scrutinized your face at the same time you closed the distance between your bodies. From there, you were able to see every freckle, every small detail that you hadn’t previously acknowledged. He parted his lips, as if to speak, but no words other than your name came out. One of your hands made its way up to his cheek, cupping it, feeling the warmth his skin radiated. His head immediately leaned into your touch, like a moth into a flame. 

You kissed him, unable to keep waiting. It took him what felt like ages to kiss you back, his fingers tangling in your hair. He absorbed your whimpers, pressing your back against the nearest wall. Maddening– it was the perfect word to describe how being kissed by Joel felt like. When you thought he was going to draw away from you, he just held you tighter until your lungs implored for some air. Your knees had never felt this weak, and you found yourself grabbing onto his shoulders, already feeling the places where his stubble had left its trace in flames. 

“Joel…” you mumbled against his lips, detaching your mouth from his. Your erratic breaths seemed to sync together like a melody, and you tugged at the collar of his jacket. 

He knew, could see it on your features. “Wanna go to yours?”

Joel took you home. The moment you set foot in the cabin, he closed the door behind him, his hand lingering on the handle as he contemplated you from a distance. You took your coat off first, starting to unzip your pants. There was silence long enough to hear crickets in, the moon up in the sky being the only bystander of your meeting. His eyes roamed the newly exposed skin of your legs and you observed him gulp. 

“Did something happen?” you asked him, a flush crepting up your face. Taking a step forward, one of his hands came to rest on top of yours.

“No, it’s just that– Are you sure you want this?”

Crinkling your nose, you uttered: “Why wouldn’t I?”

“I’m just too old for you,” he warned you, running a knuckle down your cheek. “You should be with guys your age, y’know? Not with an old man like me.”

“I want you,” reassuring him, you got rid of your t-shirt, and the fact he was still dressed up from neck to toes lit some kind of fire inside you. His calloused fingers fiddled with the strap of your bra until it slipped off your shoulder. “This is what I want. Please, Joel.”

It turned out that Joel Miller certainly was a man of manners.

You couldn't help but moan as he grabbed you by the waist, dragging you to the couch by the window and straddling his lap, his hard-on finding its place beneath you, pulsing and in need of more. His tongue brushed yours ever so often, and your eyes rolled to the back of your head as his teeth latched onto the skin of your throat. Joel groaned, the sound, low and primal, having its desired effect on you, your hips involuntarily grinding against his in a delicious but tormenting rhythm that already had you on the verge of tears.

“Joel, please,” you managed to plead, not knowing precisely what you were asking for. His hands cupped your ass, imprinting his fingerprints on the soft flesh, forcing your hips to go harder and harder. The harsh fabric of his pants was definitely going to leave a mark on your cheeks, and thinking that helped you realize that you were the only one –almost– naked. You reached for the buttons of his denim shirt, your lips hovering over his. “Take your clothes off?”

He did the rest himself, throwing his jacket to the floor. When he got to his jeans, he cocked his head. “Why don’t we move this to the bedroom, if you’re so goddamn needy?” The few guys you had been with had never been very talkative during sex; there was even this one specific boy who had asked you to not make a sound while he fucked you. 

But Joel wasn’t like them. It was just starting and you had already realized that he had a dirty mouth, an expectant look on his face every time he waited for your reaction to his words. “Now you’re quiet, huh? Thought you wanted me to fuck you, darlin',” one of his fingers pressed down on your clit, stimulating it through your underwear. He sighed, stopping his movements and pressing the damp pad of it against your lower lip, urging you to taste yourself. “You’re wet, baby. So fuckin’ wet. Have you been like this all day? Bet you would’ve let me take you right there in the forest.”

“Oh my God,” you whined next to his ear, your whole body trembling with desire. “Take me to bed,” you begged him, and next thing you knew, he was grabbing you as if you weighed nothing and heading towards your room. 

Not knowing how, you kept your hands to yourself until he placed you on top of the bed. Joel shoved his jeans down and you didn’t think twice– you stroked his length, the fabric of his boxers only making the slow drag of your hand more satisfying. His long fingers circled your throat, and you moaned as you kept eliciting exquisite noises from him. “Let me take care of you,” his dilated pupils carved holes in your being, his grip doing nothing to cease the ache between your legs. “Please, baby. I need to make you feel good. Been thinkin’ about this for so long.”

“What?” you slowed down your pace, looking up at him through your eyelashes. “You wanted me?”

“Why do you think I began to pick Ellie up from your classes, huh? Because I’m a good, generous man?” Joel parted your knees, getting closer to where you required him the most. “I’m sorry to ruin this, but I’m far from good. Just wanted to see you and your pretty face. Didn’t know if we were on the same page until you came lookin' for me, askin' me to teach you how to ride a damn horse,” you hadn’t noticed your bra was missing till he cupped one of your breasts, flicking your nipple between his fingers. “I’m sure there were many other people you could’ve asked to teach you, but you chose me, didn’t you?”

“Don’t want anybody else,” your lips chased his, a drop of sweat already rolling down your temple. “I didn’t– didn’t know you noticed me.”

“How could I not? If you could only look at yourself like I’m doing right now… You’re a sight, sweetheart, all spread out for me,” removing your panties, he kissed the skin where your inner thighs met, his tongue darting out to draw imaginary figures on your flesh. His mouth was just inches away from your cunt, and you had to tell him.

“Joel?”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ve never– nobody has ever done that for me.”

He seemed to understand what you were referring to. It made you tense a bit, despite the fact that you were completely naked in front of him, basically begging him to tear you apart. Still, the realization that you weren't as expert as him hit you out of nowhere. Yeah, it was all fun and games, kissing and touching probably the hottest man you had seen in your almost three decades of life. But said man was a lot older than you, and he had lived his best years in the real world, not this fucked up version you grew up in. You were sure he had been with many different women, which wasn’t a problem– you two were nothing.

“Nobody has ever tasted ya’? That’s what you’re tryin’ to tell me?” you nodded quickly, shoving a strand of his graying hair back away from his eyes. Joel chuckled languidly, squeezing your hips. “Do you want me to? It’s okay if you don’t. We can try somethin’ else.”

“Please,” you’d have time to embarrass yourself later, thinking about the amount of times you had repeated that word. But certain moments were to be lived only once, and though you hoped it wasn't the case, you had to take the chance. “I want you to.”

Four words. It took Joel four words to disappear between your legs, licking a hot stripe up your folds. You nibbled on your bottom lip, a loud moan filling the void of your dorm. He drew sweet patterns in your cunt, discovering a part of you that no one else ever had, and you couldn’t help but to grind against his face as he dipped the tip of his tongue into your entrance. Breathing wasn’t a necessity anymore. You felt as if all the air in the world was being punched out of your lungs, the knot in your belly growing tighter the more Joel spent his precious time keeping you entertained.

At some point, he focused his attention on your clit, circling it over and over again, making you shudder. Suddenly, the pad of his middle finger tested the waters, and he slowly slid it into your cunt, earning a strangled whine from you. Burying your hands in his hair, your glossy eyes looked for him for a second. You shouldn’t have done that, because as you took in the sight of Joel with his own eyes closed, browns knitted, your nostrils flared, and you wondered if it was even possible to want somebody that much.

“Joel, wait, I’m– fuck,” your jaw went slack and you scrunched up your face, two of his thick fingers nudging that spot that made you see stars. “I’m close.” 

“That’s a good thing, sweetheart. Don’t know why you say it in such a dry tone,” his mouth curved into a smile, his chin and stubble shining with your slick. 

Your chest rose and fell with rapid breaths. “I don’t want to come yet.”

“But you will.”

A thing you also learned, apart from horse riding, was that Joel was a determined man.

“Joel–“

“I’ll make you come with my mouth, and then with my cock,” dizziness was starting to blur your vision, your eyelashes fluttering with every hard thrust of his fingers. You glanced up to the ceiling, tears filling your eyes. “Think you can do that for me, be my good girl and come twice?”

You bobbed your head. It was official: he was going to make you come.

Drawing in a long breath, you could feel the unbearable pressure in your core. His name sounded like a prayer on your lips, chanting it in the same way some people expressed their devotion to a certain God. You had your own personal deity, whose tongue accomplished to push you to the limit, licking every drop of your release as if it were a special kind of forbidden elixir.  

Your shoulders sagged and you relaxed under him. Joel kissed you, an open mouthed and filthy kiss crowning that moment as you panted. Through the cotton fabric of his boxers, you felt his hard-on poking your thigh. Shoving his underwear down, you took him in your hand, hot and just big, stroking him for real this time. You twisted your wrist at the tip, and he slumped forward, almost crushing you with his entire body weight, his breath dampening your neck. “Wanna fuck you, baby,” he croaked, his hips chasing your touch.

Out of all the scenarios you had ever imagined, none of them included being split open by Joel. You had a very vivid imagination, but no amount of creativity would’ve prepared you for what his cock would feel like inside of you. He bottomed out, his arms shaking where they rested on each side of your head. Joel’s breath quickened as he pulled out, just letting the tip, and then thrusting into you again.

“Fuck,” you didn’t recognize your own voice. It was even hard to decipher if you were still alive or dead from how magnificent he felt.

“So good, sweetheart. You’re so good, such a good girl,” he groaned, fucking deeper into you. His cock pulsed inside you, your cunt squeezing him. “Can’t believe how– how tight you are. You’re gonna make me lose my f–fucking mind.”

It was just too much. You hadn’t even recovered from your last orgasm before Joel started pounding into you like his life depended on it, the obscene sound of skin slapping skin ringing out in the room. 

“You gonna come, huh? Gonna make a mess?” you could sense he was also close, his pace faltering as seconds went by, words slurring together. He pressed his forehead against yours, clenching his fists and taking in a sharp breath. “Fuck. I’m not gonna last much longer, baby.”

Come inside, you wished to tell him, to feel his seed dripping out of your greedy hole, painting your walls. But you weren't on the pill; it was also the first time you were sleeping with Joel, and you didn’t know how he would take the… suggestion. “Close,” you yelped instead, tears shimmering in your eyes as Joel’s body hovered over you like the most perfect eclipse. 

His thrusts became more frenzied, if possible. “That’s it, darlin’. Come for me,” your gaze fixated upon him, his eyes flickering with hunger. “Wanna see you when you soak my cock.”

Your body went limp, your orgasm hitting you like a truck. Soreness took place in your throat as you moaned his name through the aftershocks, fireworks exploding behind your eyelids. Going rigid, you let go of Joel’s shoulders. He pulled out, mumbling something you didn’t quite catch. You fisted his cock, trying to give him the release he so yearned for. Joel kissed you, messy teeth and saliva taking part of it. Heavy on your hand, his dick twitched as you squeezed the base, roped of his warm cum splattering your belly. The scene reminded you of a painting; he was the talented painter, and you his blank canvas, waiting to be signed with his name.

It was the turn of silence now. None of you said anything for a while, until Joel used his boxers to clean up his cum from your stomach, smiling apologetically at you. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” your fingers delicately traced the contours of his chest as he reclined, enveloping you in the embrace of his strong arms. “Will you stay?”

Please say yes.

“Only if you want me to.”

Moral of the story: learning how to ride a horse can actually be nice if your teacher happens to be Joel Miller.

[magnoliataylorr]

William Afton NonCon

It was a late, Friday afternoon, and you and your dad were expecting his old friend, William Afton, to show up to the house at any moment now. 

Your dad told you that William was having troubles with his wife, and that he needed a place to stay for the weekend. And since you remember William being one of the sweetest, funniest guys you had ever met when you were just a kid, you were happy to make him feel at home. 

But you hadn’t seen him in years, so a part of you was a little nervous too. 

It wasn’t long before you heard a knock on the door from your room. It was getting dark, so you were just lounging around in a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt. You decided to change just to look a little more presentable, putting on a pair of low rise carpenter jeans and a fitted, off the shoulder long sleeve. A little sliver of your mid-drift was exposed but your outfit was still fairly modest. 

As you emerged from upstairs, you saw him. Tall and thin, William stood at at least 6’3, basically towering over your dad. His hair was dark and perfectly styled, he even snaked a few fingers through it as he spoke to your dad. 

You stopped in your tracks, taking in his appearance. You had never noticed how attractive he was. It intimidated you. 

“Oh, here she is!” Your dad chirped. William turned around so you could now see his face. Wow. His jawline was sharp, almost as if it could cut glass, and his cheekbones were high. His nose was straight and defined, and his eyebrows were thick and low, almost menacing. His silver eyes bored into yours as he stared at you, before flashing a charming smile that sent butterflies swimming in your stomach. 

“Well, look at you,” he said, his voice calm and collected, “You’re all grown up now!” 

You laughed nervously, intimidated by his appearance. “Hi Mr. Afton!” You finally managed to spit out words. 

He laughed, shaking his head. “Nonsense,” he teased, “Call me William.” 

“O-Okay William!” You exclaimed, gulping. You hated yourself for being attracted to a man so much older than you, but how couldn’t you be? 

“I was just telling William that we’re about to eat dinner,” your dad said, “You feel like ordering in?” He asked. 

You shrugged. “Sure, anything sounds good,” you answer. You felt William eyes still burning holes into you. You couldn’t lie to yourself — It made you a little uncomfortable. 

Your dad ended up ordering some Chinese food, a classic that you and your dad order quite frequently, and soon headed to the bathroom, leaving you and William alone in the kitchen. 

“So, tell me, what does a girl like you do for fun?” William asked you, leaning over the island counter, eyes piercing through your soul. 

Your heart raced. Something about him made you extremely nervous. “Uhm, well,” you started, racking your brain, “I like to play soccer, I play varsity at my school.” 

William smirked. “Varsity, huh? How old are you now, anyway?” 

“I just turned seventeen,” you answered. 

“Huh,” William huffed, looking you up and down. It made your body shiver in discomfort. Whether it was his smug look or attractive appearance or even both, something about William made you extremely on edge. “You look much older than seventeen,” he chuckled. “You must have all the boys at school fighting for your attention, hm?” 

You blushed, looking down with an awkward laugh. “No,” you mumbled. 

“Oh, really?” He questioned, his expression still smug, “No boyfriend?”

You shook your head, feeling humiliated. Was he trying to embarrass you? William opened his mouth to say something else, but quickly stopped himself when your dad walked in. 

“So, William, what’s new? Haven’t seen you in what feels like years!” Your dad said. 

William and your dad began talking, and you figured you could leave them alone until dinner came. As you retreated from the kitchen, William’s eyes locked with yours, and he gave you a small smirk before looking back at your dad and continuing their conversation. 

You went back up to your room and quickly put on a sweatshirt. The way William was looking at you made you feel like you were basically naked. You figured that most of his time here you would either spend in your room or outside the house. Even though you were wildly attracted to William, he somehow managed to make you feel very unsafe. 

It was only a matter of time before the food showed up. Your went back downstairs and made yourself a plate, attempting to go back up to your room. But your dad insisted you stay. 

“Don’t be rude,” he told you, “We have a guest.” 

You paused, looking over at William who smirked at you. You forced a smile and gulped, sitting down next to your dad and across from William. 

The three of you made conversation, and you tried your best to ignore William’s stares. He brushed his foot up against your calf a few times, but you chose to ignore that too. You quickly finished your food and asked to be excused to finish your homework, even though you had already finished it earlier. 

Your dad excused you and you went back up to your room. You chilled in there for a little bit before taking a shower and changing into your pajamas. Usually it got very hot in your room at night, so your pjs were very exposing. But it didn’t matter to you, you were only sleeping anyway. 

A few hours passed until you finally fell asleep. But right downstairs, William was still wide awake. Your dad had gone to bed earlier too, but William couldn’t stop thinking about you. He had already gone to the bathroom to touch himself while thinking of you, but it just wasn’t enough. 

So he creeped upstairs, navigating the way towards your bedroom. He slowly opened your door and peeked through. His pants tightened at the sight of you sprawled out, asleep, wearing a loose tank top that had ridden up, exposing a little bit of your tummy, and a pair of boy shorts. 

His jaw clenched. Your body squirmed a little, you were dreaming. He grinned at the sight; You looked absolutely perfect. 

Without another thought, William stepped into your room, closing the door behind him and locking it. His heart raced with excitement as he approached your bed, staring down at your body. The covers were completely off, exposing you fully. 

“You poor thing,” he mumbled to himself, slowly climbing onto the bed over you. His hands explored your thighs, tracing his fingers gently against your soft skin. You shivered in your sleep, which only added to William’s arousal.                                  

He groaned to himself a little as he carefully adjusted himself against you, slowly grinding his clothed hard on against your crotch. He slipped his hand under your back and pulled you closer to his chest as he grinded into you further. 

He sniffed your hair, inhaling your sweet scent. He moaned a little, not caring if you woke up or not. If anything, he wanted you to wake up. 

His hand roamed over to the zipper of his pants. He effortlessly took them off, releasing you from his grip and sliding his hand down his pants, taking in your tiny frame. He found you so sexy, so helpless, so small. 

He stroked his dick a few times, mumbling your name to himself. God, the things he wanted to do to you. 

As he touched himself, his free hand tugged at your boy shorts, pulling them down and exposing your pussy. 

How perfect. You were all shaved too. 

William chuckled to himself, just as impressed as he was excited. He lined himself up with you, brushing some hair out of your face to take in your beauty. 

You were almost too good to be true. You were made just for him. It’s a shame he hadn’t gotten the chance to do this before, but better late than never. 

Slowly, he slipped himself inside of you.

“Wake up, princess,” he groaned in your ear as he began to fuck you slowly. 

Your eyes fluttered open, and he grinned, quickly taking your wrists in his hands and pinning you down so you couldn’t escape. 

“W-What—“ You were confused at first, but then you realized what was happening. “N-No, William, please stop—“ 

“Fuck, say my name again,” he muttered, his grip tightening onto you even more. 

“N-No, please! Dad! Da—“ 

He quickly covered your mouth with his hand, shaking his head with a few clicks of his tongue. “Oh, no no no,” he taunted, licking his lips, “Your father’s sound asleep. You’re stuck with me, sweetheart.” 

You sobbed into his hand, which only pleased him further. Fear gripped you more and more as the minutes passed, and he groaned into your ear, mumbling your name. 

“Fuck, you’re so tight,” he moaned to himself, then looked you right in the eyes. “You must be so scared, huh?” He grinned, his eyes flashing a wicked glint. 

You shook your head, eyes wide with terror as he continued to fuck you slowly. 

“Fuck,” he muttered, shaking his head, “You’re so much better than my wife.” 

You continued to sob, mind reeling. You were still in utter shock. You just wanted it to be over, but he was going so slow that you figured he had barely even started. 

His head dipped into the curve of your neck, planting a few soft kisses. “You’re my special little girl,” he whispered, his hot breath on your skin sending shivers down your spine. 

The more he fucked you the less your body tensed, and you eventually gave up the fight. 

He chuckled. “Giving up so soon, hm?” He teased, his hand leaving your mouth and moving down to grope your chest. “Not even gonna call out for your daddy to save you?” 

You just laid there and let it happen. You figured it was helpless to scream for help. Your dad’s room was all the way downstairs and he was a deep sleeper. There wasn’t a chance you’d be saved anyways. 

When William realized that you had truly given up, he let out another laugh, speeding up the pace. 

“That’s a good girl,” he groaned, “You make it so easy for me.” 

The arousal was beginning to set in, which you hated but you were almost thankful in a way. At least it was some form of lubricant to ease the pain. 

But your tears still wouldn’t quit. You closed your eyes, not wanting to see his face. But he didn’t like that. 

“Open your eyes sweetie,” he whispered, but you refused, shutting them tighter. “C’mon, open your eyes for me. I shouldn’t have to ask twice.” 

So you obliged. You opened your eyes, and he grinned, licking the tears off your cheeks. 

“You know, I could fuck you for hours,” he told you, his grip of your breast tightening. “A tight little thing like you must a virgin.” 

You stayed quiet. You hoped this was a nightmare but you knew it wasn’t. You just wanted to hold onto some kind of hope that this couldn’t be real. 

You could feel him getting closer and closer to finishing, and in a way you were grateful. At least it was almost over. 

“I’m getting real close sweetie,” he panted, almost sounding humorous, “Just a little bit longer. You can handle me for a little bit longer, can’t you?” He taunted, his hands brushing up and down your waist and stomach. 

You shook your head, but he just laughed. 

“Awe,” he pouted, “That’s just too bad.” 

He groaned in pleasure as he fucked you harder and harder before finishing inside you. He collapsed on top of you, holding you down while breathing heavily. 

“Fuck that was good,” he mumbled, groping your breasts once more. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve fantasized about that.” 

You laid there, shaking, mind reeling with shock. 

“W-Why?” You finally say, letting out another sob. 

He grinned, brushing your hair out of your face. “Because,” he said, “Why not?” 

[mentallyisekaid]

「 ✦ Fatui Harbingers x Signora's Sister! Reader, PART 1 ✦ 」

---

[Part 1] Part 2 Part 2.5. Part 3 Part 3.5

Pairings: only hinted/platonic (will change to something "more" later on if I decide to make more parts)

Warnings: spoilers regarding Signora's lore and a certain event in the Inazuma Archon quest, possibly some spoiler-ish stuff about other things too

Word count: 2.7k

This fanfic will include direct quotations from "Teyvat Chapter Interlude Teaser: A Winter Night's Lazzo" that belongs fully to miHoYo. I'll write these quotes in bold, so copyrights won't haunt me like Khaenri'ah lore :)

---

Even among the Harbingers, not much was known about the Fair Lady's (may she rest in peace) younger sister, except for the fact that you existed and had somehow managed to live for over 500 years, just like her. They were all aware of Signora's special circumstances that had made her essentially immortal, but Celestia knows how you had done it?

This is why you'd become something of a urban legend among the lower ranking members of the Fatui. Maybe La Signora had just been delusional, some of them thought - maybe there wasn't a sister, at least not anymore.

You were fine with that, though. You'd never wanted anything to do with your sister or her morally dubious organization anyway.

But she was still the only blood relative you'd had left, and now she was gone.

Attending her funeral was only appropriate.

You arrived at the grand doors of the cathedral, stopping for a moment to adjust the expensive-looking cloak that someone had sent you along with the invitation to the ceremony, requesting you to wear it. Much to your displeasure, it had the Fatui Insignia on it, though you were slightly more bothered by the fact that they'd somehow figured out where you live...

Or maybe they'd known all along.

But even if the invitation wasn't just out of courtesy, you had only showed up because Rosalyne was family, and only to pay your respects.

Their agendas meant nothing to you.

Pushing the doors open, you marched inside, the click-clack of your high heeled boots echoing in the eerie silence.

Curious gazes followed as this visitor, shrouded in mystery, made her way through the aisle - some of them curious, others a bit doubtful - but you ignored them.

Sitting down in the front row, you crossed your legs, leaning back with your eyes glued to the coffin highlighted by faint moonlight. A girl with child-like, seraphic features was leaning her head on its surface, singing a calming tune...

Spooky.

"Well, I never... this must be the Fair Lady's rumored sibling? And here I was starting to think you wouldn't make an appearance, dear."

You sighed, really having hoped that no one would bother talking to you; you had nothing to say to any of them. But for Celestia's sake, you still had some manners...

Glancing over your shoulder at the man who had just addressed you, you gave him a slight nod.

"It does seem my arrival was rather tardy. My apologies."

The man who you recognized as the Regrator, also known as Pantalone, chuckled a bit.

"No matter, it is rare a pleasure to finally meet you~"

"Likewise."

For a moment, your eyes wandered over each of the present Harbingers, these... co-workers of your sister's, before returning to stare in front of you just as indifferently as before.

You spoke a few more words, though.

"Everyone else as well, I suppose. Oh, and please pay no attention to my discourtesy... A lovely night for a funeral, is it not?"

Your charade was poorly put together, and intentionally so; you didn't know these people anymore than they knew you, but it was already clear that no one was here to pay their heartfelt respects for Rosalyne's memory, much less to exchange pleasantries.

A funeral? No, this was nothing but theatre - and here comes the first actor...

"We have gathered here today to remember our dear comrade. In honor of her sacrifice, all work should halt for half a day as the nation mourns her passing."

Hearing these words come from Pulcinella, the Mayor of Snezhnaya himself, you mentally scoffed. So now these crazy diplomats justified mistakes as sacrifice?

Pantalone seemed amused by this declaration, though you noticed a shadow pass over his face.

"Hehe, merely half a day... People say that Northland Bank's true currencies are blood and tears... But Mayor, even speaking as a banker, that sounds a little unconscionable."

Well, it was as you'd expected? Even in this situation, the Harbingers only cared about their own agendas, and Rosalyne would've been the same way.

The next words belonged to someone you found a bit more familiar.

"You speak of her as if you knew what she had to go through," the silver-haired woman started, a derogatory look in her dark eyes.

You glanced curiously at her. This was surely Arlecchino? Out of the Harbingers, your sister had seemed to trust her the most, so you assumed they must've shared some sort of a closer relationship.

The Knave noticed you gaze, and gave you a small nod before continuing.

"Rosalyne died in a foreign land. But you heartless businessmen and dignitaries, always with a convenient excuse to remain in the comfort of your homeland... You couldn't hope to understand. So why don't you keep your mouths shut!"

"Ah, bravo...~" you commented with a small chuckle, your sudden boldness slightly surprising some of them.

It seemed that La Signora's hardly known sister was indeed an interesting individual?

The ginger sitting on the other side of the aisle apparently found your remark entertaining, since he gave you an amused smile. But he threw his comrade's a much sterner look.

"Hey, c'mon now, even I don't think this is the right time or place for a fight."

Tartaglia, the infamous maniac always looking for a fight? Present~

"Utterly risible," a blonde woman scoffed from her place, sitting on the arms of a weird looking robot. Sandrone, you presumed.

And naturally, the oh-so righteous Capitano also had his opinion to share.

"Though her methods tarnished her honor, Lohefalter's sacrifice is still a great pity."

You sighed, shaking your head. There they go again, degrading her death as a mere sacrifice.

"Her loss shall not hinder our progress," the Captain continued, disregarding the matter. "But Dottore, what of Scaramouche --,"

...to which the crazy Doctor answered something incomprehensible.

Right. They weren't even talking about Rosalyne anymore. By now, the whole ceremony had turned out as a complete farce, and you wished nothing more than for Celestia to nuke it with another one of their divine nails.

Someone else had had enough as well.

"It's time to end tonight's foolish theatrics. This time, you have no captive audience."

The Jester's voice echoed menacingly in the cathedral, silencing his fellow Harbingers.

You gazed at him from your seat, raising an eyebrow when he gave you a look as well. In that short moment, unspoken words were shared between the two of you - after all, he knew things about you that the others didn't.

In any case, the speech went on for a while after that. Pierro's exaggerated sympathies, the Damselette needling Dottore about his segments, and... well, you weren't really listening anymore?

Once they finished and scattered from around the coffin, you silently walked over, placing a few frostbitten Cecilias on top of it. They were flowers from your homeland, though to you, Mondstadt was a memory at least five centuries old.

"Pretty flowers," a soft voice came from beside you. Columbina was back to presumptuously leaning on the casket.

You gave her a sidelong glance.

"Well, they're frozen to death by now - but that somehow fits the moment, no?"

"Mh-hmm~"

The ceremony was seemingly over, though you could still sense their presence. Your back was facing them, but it felt like they'd moved closer to the coffin again - or, perhaps, closer to you...

"I don't believe anyone has yet offered their condolences to this poor child," Capitano remarked solemnly, disregarding the fact you were chronologically speaking a living fossil.

Tartaglia sighed, "She doesn't want us to, I think."

You turned around to face them, crossing your arms.

"Well, firstly, you're calling me a child about 500 years too late. And no, I don't need your pity. It's hard to see your last family gone, but we weren't that close to begin with. Besides, Rosalyne knew full well what she was doing - when agreeing to a duel before the Shogun, and when joining the Fatui in the first place. You reap what you sow, and that's that."

The Doctor chuckled. "La Signora would surely turn over in her grave if she heard that."

"Let the dead rest, Zandik," Sandrone scoffed.

Columbina had scooted next to you.

"Poor thing~", she sang in that eerie voice, tilting her head. "How long have you been living by yourself? Maybe you could have Signora's former chambers in the headquarters."

Hmm? What a laughable suggestion, you thought. She was obviously toying with you.

Arlecchino gave the Damselette a warning look.

"Such a thing is something only the Director can decide. Though," she gave you an unreadable look. "I wouldn't be against it. In Rosalyne's honor, of course."

The usually ruthless Knave's comment was found somewhat unexpected among her comrades.

You gave her a weird look.

Something was clearly going on, the atmosphere was strangely expecting and you didn't like it in the slightest. It seems the theatrics weren't over after all?

Pantalone was gazing at you, an amused smile on his lips.

"You look a bit lost there, dear. Don't worry, Pierro will explain some things to you in a moment~"

You frowned. So, there was more in the game here - that letter wasn't just an invitation to the funeral of a sister you hardly even cared about, you'd doubted as much from the beginning.

Not that it really changed anything. As already mentioned, you'd only come for the ceremony...

And now that it was over, there was no reason for you to stay.

"That won't be necessary," you stated, nodding curtly. "I will be taking my leave now. Goodbye."

Your cloak shuffled as you walked past them, heading toward the exit. However, Childe, who had been standing the closest to the doors, now moved to block your way.

You looked up at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Tartaglia, right? If you could move aside, that would be much appreciated."

"Sorry, no can do, girlie," he laughed a bit, scratching his neck in an awkward manner. "Boss wants to have a chat with you, so I can't just have you leaving like that, now can I?"

"Right," you sighed. "Well, I don't really care..."

You rudely moved past him, reaching the doors and about to push them open, when you suddenly felt a hand on your wrist. And the grip they had wasn't exactly gentle.

Glancing over your shoulder, you saw Childe still wearing that stupid smile of his but there was now a shadow over his usually cheerful expression.

"Look, you seem like a smart girl." His voice was soft and menacing at the same time. "Things don't have to get ugly here, if you just cooperate a bit."

Ugly? Oh, you could make things turn ugly.

But this wasn't the right time for that - not with the majority of the Harbingers present. It's not like you had a death wish, for Celestia's sake... though, it did seem like Tartaglia was only half serious about what he had said?

You looked past him, seeing the other Fatui diplomats standing there, all with hardly readable expressions on their faces. Your gaze stopped when it reached the Jester. If this was about Pierro having something to discuss with you, you were fairly sure you knew what he wanted anyway...

So, no harm in amusing him a bit?

"Ha. Well, it seems like I have no choice, then."

Childe smiled. "That's more like it."

He started making his way toward the front of the cathedral, while still holding onto your wrist - basically, he walked you back there like a toddler. After all, you might've had a change of heart any at any given moment and sprinted out of there like a lunatic.

You awkwardly sat down on one of the seats, wrapping the cloak around you tigther. The Harbingers were now standing in a semicircle in front of you, gazing down at you like their you were property. Pierro took a step forward.

"Now then, Y/N Lohefalter..."

"You are going to ask about my Visions, right?" you asked rudely. "As in, plural. Both of them. Is my assumption wrong?"

Pantalone chuckled. "Well, aren't you clever, my dear~"

"No, I always knew Rosalyne had told you, which is precisely why I tend to keep a lower profile than this. There's no reason to be so melodramatic over a couple of Visions."

Dottore seemed amused by your remark.

"But most humans never receive one. Yet, here you are, blessed with two."

"That, or cursed" you pointed out.

The Jester had allowed this interruption, but all it took was one gaze of authority from him and even you realized it was better to watch your mouth around this man. You tilted your head slightly downward.

"This assumption you made isn't necessarily untrue," Pierro stated in a low voice. "But it's not the whole truth, either."

It wasn't?

You heard footsteps approaching and carefully glanced up at Pierro who was now standing mere inches away from you. Things were getting more interesting, that's for sure.

"I asked you to come here today out of respect for Rosalyne's memory, and of curiosity toward the fact that you indeed bear the power of both Cryo and Pyro, much like your sister, albeit without a Delusion. My intention, however, was also to make a request of you..."

The Jester suddenly kneeled before you, his gesture confusing you. The infamous Director of the Fatui, kneeling before you?

You gave him a doubtful look.

"And what might that request be?"

"To put it simply, I want you to take Rosalyne's place as one of the Fatui Harbingers."

"...come again?"

The other Harbingers didn't seem surprised in the slightest.

You shook your head.

"You want me to join the Fatui?"

"We've been keeping a close eye on you, Y/N Lohefalter, ever since the Cataclysm and Rosalyne joining our ranks. Back then, she herself made the request that should she ever perish, you'd be asked to take her place."

"Ha," you chuckled. "That does sound like one of her selfish whims... but still, why would you even consider such a thing?"

You looked at Pierro, tilting your head.

"Can you really trust that my agendas align with yours?"

"Every person in this room has their own ideals and it has not proved to be a problem." The Director nodded. "You need not but work in the name of the Fatui, and swear your loyalty to the Tsaritsa. Of course, the latter is expected of you as a citizen of Snezhnaya anyway."

You crossed you arms, contemplating this unexpected proposal.

"And if I refuse?"

This earned displeased looks from the other Harbingers. Pierro's solemn expression, however, never faltered.

"It's far beyond my dignity to be forceful here. That would be disrespecting Rosalyne's legacy, and risking to make you a powerful foe of the Fatui."

He paused for a while.

"But I should also clarify that with the kind of power you hold, you are facing but two choices - to be with us... or against us."

So that's how it was going to be?

You'd almost forgotten that Pierro was still half-kneeling in front of you; even though one of his eyes was covered by a mask, his gaze held such intensity that you were completely enchanted by it for a moment.

And to think you'd make this kind of a decision on a whim, just like she once had - you really were more similar to your sister than you'd care to admit...

You sighed, standing up and glancing at the other Harbingers.

"Is this how he recruited you as well?"

Sandrone made a 'hmph' sound, "hardly."

"Heh, to think the Jester would kneel in front of someone?~" Pantalone commented. "You're quite an impressive girl, my dear."

"Then again," Dottore chuckled, "she has yet to witness the crueler side of the Director, no?"

Are you sure about that?

Tartaglia sighed, "now, now, don't scare her away..."

Pulcinella and Capitano didn't seem too amused by their comrades' antics. You, on the other hand, had their undivided attention.

Columbina was sleepily humming along to some tune, giving you discreet glances.

Arlecchino shook her head.

"Pierro still awaits for an answer, Y/N. Despite of what he may seem like, the Jester is not a man of great patience. It's time for you to decide."

You furrowed your eyebrows.

"..."

"Then, I'm in?"

But for the love of the Tsaritsa, you had no idea what you'd just gotten yourself into.

[androgynousblackbox]

How To Lose A Lucifer In 10 Days. 22 [Appleradio, Radioapple]

Step 22: Capture him

That room of Heaven hadn't had a lot of use on the best of days. There was usually no need for it. But for the day in particular there was needed a perfect understanding of the situation and for that, everyone needed to be on the same page. As if to commemorate the particularity of the situation, for the first time in a long time atriles that normally would be empty now were full.

When the last relevant figure appeared, all murmuring stopped immediately, leaving a expectantly silence. The figure approached the center of the room and they evaluated all the presents, row by row, adjusting his glasses.

"Where is Michael?" was the first sentence of the archangel Gabriel.

One hand lifted from the upper rows. Since it was the only one up, Gabriel made a gesture to allow the angel to speak.

"Waiting to go" provided helpfully Uriel. "He is all ready now."

"Does he even know what he has to do?" Gabriel saw the same hand elevating on the air and made a gesture to allow the word.

"Go to hell and look for Lucifer!" aported Uriel, which raised some more murmurs from the lower rows.

Gabriel sighed, pressing his brow. This was exactly what he was expecting to avoid with the meeting. He applauded once, a loud sound that reverberated against the walls, calling back the attention to him.

"That is not all" said, gathering patience. "Can someone please pick go pick him up?"

Ten minutes later, Raphael came back with an annoyed archangel just behind. Gabriel stared at them until they were placed on their respective seat. He pointedly ignored all the huffing and scoffing from Michael. Only after finally there was silence again, he extended a pointer from his robe, making appear a huge light blue screen behind himself.

"As some of you know, a month ago or so I received a prophecy that a great power coming from hell was on the horizon. A power big enough to destroy Heaven. Yes, I know" said at the exclamation and shock on his audience. "However, it wasn't a sure thing so it still could be prevented. In order to gather information on the situation, we contacted an embassador that we had send to hell many years ago and was ordered to stay there precisely if something like this happened" Gabriel pointed to the screen, where two picture of a minor angel appeared. On the right it was the last known picture of the angel, happy and smiling, and on the left was the last picture they could get from him as they made contact in hell, appropriately not smiling so much anymore and with more than a few scars to show for. "He never actually fell and therefore never became an official resident of hell, making him immune to the authority of the king and out of his knowledge. He has managed to survive by pretending to be a bird kind of demon and staying out of trouble, patiently waiting for the moment he was to be called for. When all of this is over, he is due returning back to home. He… hasn't stopped repeating that we can't stand it anymore on each one of his transmissions."

Uriel lifted her hand again.

"What is his name?" asked, curious.

Gabriel blinked slowly. He looked at the screen again, realized he had never put that bit of information between the one he did add and frowned. Off the top of his head he had no idea either. Well, that was slightly embarasssing.

"That is not important right now" said, after clearing his throat. "Anyway. Because of him being there, we have managed to gather the following" He made a bunch of gesture in the air. The images on the screen dissapeared to be replaced with some short phrases. "First, there is apparently something called original stones that are said to be extremely powerful. Powerful enough to concede any wish anyone could want, even immense power if wanted. Our ambassador came to find out about it by being around the gang of some minor sinner with a canvas for a head who bragged about it. This same gang was later whipped out entirely by Lucifer, leaving no dammned witness behind" A wave of shock and horror passed through most of the audience. Gabriel let them to zimmer on the cruelty of their fallen brother, that he would even attack his own subjects, before continueing on the same clinical tone. "Because of this, we have deduced that Lucifer is after this cursed item to give himself that power. Some of you might be asking, why now? It has been millenia since his falling. Extermination has been suspended until further notice and it was mutually agreed upon in the first place. If Lucifer was looking for revenge, why wait this long? In order to explain this I have to tell you all that I just lied."

On the screen there was again the pictures of the embassador, now duplicated. The after versions had some minors differences.

"The angel that came from Heaven to stay in hell that brought us this information" explained Gabriel, touching one pair with his pointer, "and the angel that stayed in hell from another very similar dimension that gave us the why. As you can see, even the placement of most of their scars are the same. The second one of the ambassadors came to find out the same information by working in a company in hell above a mall where Lucifer, under a disguise, and a companion of his were in search of that item as well. Once again, that ambassador barely managed to escape total anhillitation by managing to fly off a window while Lucifer's companion whipped out the entire floor under orders of their king. This companion" added, flickering his wrist to brought on the picture of a smiling demon walking along some park, buying meat at a butcher shop and laughing maniacally while dark tentacles born out of the ground doing something out of frammes. Each of those images was slightly pixelated and wrong, but it was enough to give a general idea of how the subject look like, "is officially known as Alastor Morningstar. The radio demon, as he is called among other sinners" The screen now showed a gangly, tall beast picking up moving figures off the street to carry directly into a an open smiling mouth. "On that other dimension, there was never a Lilith that would fall alongside with Lucifer. Therefore, Lucifer ended up choosing this sinner as his husband to give his chosen last name to. One can only assume that it was because of the levels of violence, chaos and destruction this single sinner was capable of, Lucifer thought him worthy to keep around as an attack dog whenever it was convenient. We don't know for sure how many lives this single soul has taken, but a lot would probably be a understatement."

Many other pictures of confirmed victims of the radio demon were spread through the screen. Most of them were pixelated on the most gruesome parts to avoid having the entire council to endure something that disgusting. A few were entirely pixelated to the point that it was impossible to tell what was on it and only a portion were just the image of a sinner crossed with red crosses. Despite the precaution, though, the horror and repulse could be heard all through out, with more than a few gagging noises. Someone commented that of course something capable of all that would end up in hell.

The hand of a slightly nauseous looking Uriel was up in the air again.

"Yes?" Gabriel pointed at her.

"There is no pictures of Lucifer and this radio demon together? So we don't have to keep seeing that…" added, wincing.

"No, we don't actually" Gabriel still took the images off the screen. They had already done their job to show off how truly monsterous this soul was, which only made Lucifer look all the more dangerous in return. "They are not open about their relationship in hell. We don't really know why. When the other embassador got told the true name of this sinner and why he was with Lucifer, he had no idea. Lucifer apparently is not big in public appearences as it was so he wasn't entirely sure if the king was alive. Clearly, Lucifer prefers to work in the shadow to arrogantly carry on his evil actions without anyone to bother him."

The entire council murmured a more calmed agreement. That made perfect sense for them.

"The day of the last Extermination, unfortunately for them, this sinner was proven to not be unfallible as he succumbed under the attack of their Adam" The screen showed a picture of the first man weilding his golden axe/guitar in the air, making horn with his other hand. "Adam however made a mistake. He attacked the princess of that world, a hellborn" A image of Charlie with two tiny antlers on top of her head, one eye two tones red and green stitches at the corners of her mouth flashed on the screen, awkardly waving at public on a clip before showing her fist fighting a woman in a red suit during what appeared to be a news report. More evidence of how unhinged hellish beings were like, up to the royalty. What else could anyone expect from the daughter of Lucifer?" This gave that Lucifer permission to intervene, just like it happened here. According to our reports, the difference was that Lucifer went berserk over all exorcists. I won't overwhelm you all with visuals of that horrible day. Just know that by the time he was done, only one exorcist was left alive. She was send back to Heaven with one single message to deliver."

The screen flashed the words This is the price for my sinner, alongside a picture of Adam's opaque halo and Lute coming back to Heaven through a portal, alone, moments before having a breakdown in front of Sera. Unlike the ambassador, Lute was a face that they knew and could easily sympathize with. Coming back without Adam had been already a hard blow to deal with for the one they knew, but to lose all her companions in one single encounter? It was hard to even imagine the impact something like that could have. Not to mention just the sheer amount of brutality required to carry out such a swift elimination of heavenly forces.

"A horrible violent act that could have and should have ended right there" continued Gabriel. "But it didn't. For some reason, the soul of the radio demon end up redeemed on their Heaven. As some of you might remember, a soul of our dimension also made it up to Heaven" Sir Pentious, in his new angelic form, smiled awkwardly for them to see. It was big news when it first happened and then the novelty passed, becoming just another part of their daily life that they had no way of understanding or controlling", but after some careful interrogation we determined that we was, in fact, a good soul. A little bit egotistical maybe, but not evil. That other dimension, instead, had something else entirely. Even the mortal soul agreed."

Gabriel made a quick dismissive motion, bringing up a recorded video from the office building of Heaven. They all could recognize a Sera sitting at the table, the placement of their coffee maker and even every pierce of furniture there. The only new and different addition was the person sitting in front of her. For the most part, it wasn't easy to miss that had to be related to the original radio demon, with almost all colors lighter and green eyes that glared at Sera without any reservation. From some speakers at the sides of the rooms, they could hear the voice of the demon himself talking:

"Before that, I had enslaved more than a hundreds souls, killed way too many people I cared to count and consumed the flesh of my fellow sinners happily. Sometimes while they were still alive. As you can imagine, with such a colorful existence, this turned out quite a shock for me."

A moment later, came the reply from Sera:

"Giving up your life for the sake of a loved one is a very good redeeming quality."

"Oh, I wasn't intending to do that" The radio demon almost sounded amused at the idea. "If anything, I wanted to heal quickly to get back and finish the job with Adam. Now I will have to comfort myself knowing that my husband at least did it for me."

"Nevertheless, you did. You gave up your life for the sake of your child. Not all parents would have done the same. You should be proud of that" was the reply.

"What is this? If you are trying to convince me that I somehow actually belong here, I am afraid you are wasting your time, dear. I have lived enough in hell to know that is my true place. I knew it even when I was alive too and didn't even believe on it."

"Please, I need you to be aware of this" said Gabriel to the whole room. "That Sera was merely trying to follow the will of the powers that send that soul to Heaven, to try to make sense of it for herself and that soul to make his staying on Heaven all the more easy. Don't take her words as an endorsement of the true character of the demon. She had no idea who she was talking to, and yet, she still spoke to him with kidness all the same. If anything, we should praise her for her trying to be welcoming for someone who so openly talked about the most horrific acts imaginable like they were a mere hobby. To further demonstrate how much of a mistake it was to send him there, this demon repayed the gentle disposition of Sera with nothing but crude and hateful words. I only provide these so we are all on the same page about what kind of monster we are dealing with. When offered with eternal bliss in paradise, a fate the rest of humanity would be more than glad to accept, this is how he responded."

The Alastor on the screen had stand up and thrown his chair to the floor, his hands shaking over the table as he stared at Sera while showing off his teeth in a clearly menacing gesture.

"Spare me that bullshit" Many exclamations of horror were heard around. More than a few angel took their hands to their chests, horrified and dissaproving. "I don't know what kind of order you think you have here, but I want no part on it! Send me back now or I swear for everything you hold holy that I will show you a piece of hell that you will never forget!"

A surprised gasp ran through the presents at the truly heinous display. Gabriel nodded with such sentiments. He gave them a moment to digest it properly, to sit with the words alone.

"Long story short, he did good on his promise" added, now showing another video.

Multiple video footage appeared through out the screen, all despicting a different zone of Heaven being light up on fire. Across many of them, before the fire appeared, they could see a white figure flying across the sky and letting fall bottle out of a backpack carrying on his hands. The responsible was covered up by a hoodie that made it difficult to see their face. Only the last image showed their profile, standing on a park. The tall ears standing out from their head was a dead giveaway, even if they couldn't also clearly Lucifer standing in front of the then winner in a posture that looked about to pounce like a feral creature to Sera. She instead looked to calmly stand there, hand over her chest.

"We are not showing it for obvious reasons" continued Gabriel, "but outside of the frame of this image there was a summoning circles with a sacrifice. A lamb cherub's blood was used in order to cause this scene to happen. A innocent whose only interaction with the radio demon before then was to try to help cheer up poor new souls in their adaptation center. A place where the radio demon was send to, only to cause grief and trouble for everyone around him despite the hospitality they tried to show him. He was let out the center when five months have passed, after he had convinced Sera that he was a truly reformed soul that only wanted to belong in Heaven. As you all can see now, that was just a lie. In preparation, the radio demon was actually gathering his resources to make as much of a disaster as he was capable and keep everyone distracted in order to commit this crime against creation. Just to rub more salt to the wound, after ignoring all the attempt of Sera to appeal any sense of compassion they could hold, Lucifer ordered that wretched soul to sign his soul away to him. Effectively spitting on the incredibly miracle that had been completely wasted on him."

The last footage started moving again, speeding up to Alastor already having his shackles on. That alone was already enough of a shameful display. Soul owning by anyone lower than their creator was such an evil and disgusting concept that of course could only come from Hell, from the same creature that was laughing after another one was added to his collection.

"FREE WILL, BITCH!" were the words that the entire room could hear, coming from Lucifer himself, before he grabbed Alastor and they were on top of the summoning circle.

Some indignation started crossing among the repulsion for such crude language from someone already so crude. It wasn't enough for the devil that his trusted soul had caused such destruction around him, he also had to rub it in by bringing up the first sin he had consciously created for humanity. The sacrificed lamb was a censored pixelated detail on the side.

"That is how that Sera also find out the fate that their Adam had after being defeated in battle" followed up Gabriel, clearing his throat and giving himself a moment. This time not to give more effect, but rather because he could barely say the words without feeling something that he could only describe as sick. "Lucifer had eaten his body. In revenge for taking out a sinner's soul, something that was well within the right of Adam to do in the first place, according to the term agreed upon for Extermination. He said that anyone else who tried to bother his family in hell would recieve the same fate."

He let the weight of those words to properly fill all the present audience.

"That is not even all" sighed at last, bringing up more footage from the outside of the pearly gates. This some all full with the presence of a bunch of sinners appearing after open portal. In front of them, leading them on, a woman with a big hat and black eyes without pupils. "These specific kind of sinners are a special kind of horrific. They eat other sinners down in hell. Lucifer threatened to have these same soul devouring new winner souls before htey could ever enter. All in exchange of extorting Sera out of a piece of information he had no business requesting, regarding one of the winner souls his companion came in contact with during his stay. As you all probably have deduced by now, there is no limit to the depravity this Lucifer won't sink into if it's for his own disgusting ends. On that opportunity, it was only the bravery of Sera and resolution of Saint Peter who kept the situation under control until Lucifer got what he wanted and returned Hell. It could have ended a lot worse if only he got into a whim."

This time the hand of Samuel, the archangel of forgiveness, extended up hesitantly and Gabriel gave him permission to speak.

"But that was their Lucifer, right?" said slowly. "Not… ours. I can't see our Luci being so…" He made a vague gesture in the air before he just shivered.

"That is the thing" said Gabriel, regaining his composure. "Given how closely both of those dimension are in pretty much everything else, there is no reason to believe that if the circumstances would have been right, our… the Lucifer of this reality would have acted the same. The fact that both me and the other Gabriel had the exact same prophecy was already alarming on itself, but then we got confirmation that Lucifer was indeed in possesion of a power bigger than he had before. All courtesy of the Queen of Hell herself."

On the screen, the image of Lilith appeared, frowning. She was standing alone on the designated place to recieve meeting between Heaven and Hell, speaking through a communicator hanging from her neck. She was given that in order to keep the communication lines open, in case she could offer valuable information. On that ocassion, she did.

"A soul can be redeemed after all and none of you thought to tell me? I had to get confirmation myself from a trusted source! You know how much this means for Hell, for these souls, to be given a second chance and you didn't thought it was important for us to know!" The image froze right there.

"As we have established, soul redemption can happen. We are not sure as to why or how. Maybe we just aren't mean to know at all. In any case, since this is an issue that mostly is pertinent to Heaven, this was indeed something that was meant to only be known by those already in Heaven. There shouldn't have been any way for Lilith to know about it. Unless the Lucifer we were just talking about and his companion had told her as such. After this exchange happened, we got in contact with the ambassador from the other reality to know that a Lucifer still existed there. But now nobody was using the radio tower from which Alastor Morningstar had been broadcasting without fault until then. If now that failed winner and his respective Lucifer were in our reality, then there is no telling if we could be in danger to receive Lucifer's revenge just as much as their respective Heaven was. Of course we authorized the ambassador in our reality to do anything in his power to avoid that Lucifer and his companion to reach those stones. Likewise, the other reality did the same. As some of you might know, travelling across dimension is a immense power that has only been granted in very few opportunities. If those two had gained it already, we were running out of time."

Gabriel willed another image to appear in the screen, that of what looked to be an abandoned warehouse.

"The ambassador asked for our own power to help him create a big enough distraction to keep them occupied. There was supposed to be a meeting on that place to exchange one of those stones for their hellish currency. A small time invisible spell later, the ambassador got the stone and send it to us, where we could destroy it properly. As for the pair, they were trapped inside of a pocket dimension. Normally, Lucifer would have no bigger issue coming out on his own so we had to add a feature to make sure they would stay there. Samuel set it up himself."

"I did!" apported the archangel of Love, without raisig his hand in his enthusiasm. "I made a spell that activated a illusion that was the opposite of my virtue! I thought it would be the best to keep Lucifer and his damned companion entertained and won't want to leave at all!"

"You made a spell out of indifference?" asked Jophiel, interested on the design of that as the archangel for breauty and creativity.

"I couldn't really think how to work that in" recognized Samuel, scratching his neck. "The other opposite of love would have to do then! Fear! You can't love something if you are afraid. It creates doubt and paranoia! The spell is meant to bring out things they would think are the scariest one to happen. Their worst nightmares come to life! Of course, for most people this would be a horrible traumatic thing to witness! But if those hellish being are so awful as to enjoy doing all those horrible acts they commited, then it should be like a dream for them! One they won't want to wake up from!"

Many voices of approval lifted from the audience. That was some flawless logic if they ever heard one.

"It should have worked" said Gabriel, nodding his head. "It did, for a few hours at least. We all appreciate Samuel's help on this task. However, according to the latest report from the ambassador from Hell, when he went to check again on the pocket dimension it was empty. Lucifer and his companion were supposed to keep dreaming until the prophecy became obsolete and now they were gone again. It should have taken them a great deal of magic to pull that off. Maybe they had a secret stone all along that we just didn't know about or Lucifer had done something already to his companion to allow him to break free from the dream. Whatever the case, the prophecy is still active and we can't risk Lucifer reaching that kind of power. Any Lucifer with it is a threat that we must take care of immediately."

"That is what I was about to do when I was dragged here!" commented Michael, groaning in the end.

Gabriel huffed, not amused.

"We all need to be properly informed about the stakes here" reaffirmed, holding his hands on his back. "We are all aware of that we are not supposed to mess with Hell without Lucifer's knowledge as ruler of that realm, but these are special circumstances that require especial measure. Until we can be absolutely sure that neither of them are going to destroy Heaven or the prophecy no longer applies, we have to aprehend the devil. The other Heaven is willing to take them in, as the threat started out in their reality, and we have provided them with our remaining exorcists to carry out to Hell. We are just meant to bring those four to be locked up, nothing else" emphasized, directing a especially pointing look to Michael. "They might deal with punishment and pain down there as a daily interaction, but we are different than that. Better than that. Yes?" added, noticing the hand raised up of Uriel.

"Isn't Hell like… dependent on Lucifer?" asked. "Shouldn't the place crumble without him around? If the soul of the wretched aren't going to Hell, wouldn't they be coming here directly?"

Some worry started passing over the presents. Gabriel lifted two hands to calm them down, bringing up the attention back to him.

"This is not meant to be permanent" clarified, firm. "It's just until we have taken care of the threat. It could take a few days, at most. In any case, both Lucifers have heirs that can take the ruling of their respective realm until we can safely send them back. Not to mention the queen will still be there, so there shouldn't be any issue. Hell will keep standing and all the mortal souls that have chosen evil as their primary motivation will keep receiving the fate they deserve. We don't have to worry about another monster like the radio demon landing here with us. He and Lucifer will be properly handled on the other side."

Uriel still had something else to say. When Gabriel gave her the okay, she pursed her lips.

"Should we be really sending the exorcists to that other Lucifer after he… killed them all already? Isn't that just sending them to be killed again?"

"They are soldiers, they know what is up" apported Michael, irritated at the implication that they wouldn't. "Their only purpose was to go there and eliminate sinners. If they aren't doing that, they aren't playing their role anyway."

"We need a sure way to bring Lucifer out to be captured" explained Gabriel after a sigh. "On both extermination days, he came out when the princess was threatened. Both radio demons were also confirmed in the same place that same day. Once we are sure that is them, then we take them out of Hell to the other Heaven. They will be waiting for them there."

"I could be doing that right now if I wasn't here!" said Michael. "I know all this stuff already! I am ready to go!"

"You can't go without the permission!" replied Gabriel, elevating his voices before remembering that was bad form and forcing himself to calm down. "Apologies, everyone. I didn't mean to yell. But after everything I have told you now, I do hope you understand how dire the situation actually is. Not only Lucifer, but also that mortal soul that is now under his direct control. You all have seem the crimes this Alastor has commited, down to the creation of their princess that broke with the natural order of life and death. A sinner that already died shouldn't be able to reproduce, but they didn't care. They don't care about anything that is worth protecting. If that is how one single mortal soul under Lucifer can be like, then Lucifer can't be left to his own devices. We need to take care of this. Is everyone here present in agreement of Heavenly forces going to Hell to take out both its ruler and one of its subjects?"

There was no a moment's hesitation as everyone present lifted their hand. Michael's was one of the first. Gabriel lifted his own too.

"Then it's decided" said, finally giving Michael the go ahead gesture.

"Finally!" Michael sighed, standing up from his seat and dissapearing on his own portal to do his job.

It had been exactly five minutes since they landed on their right reality. The stones that the king brought were powerful, but tended to be imprecise, so when he wished for them to go to the hell they came from, it didn't account for the exact location and send them to the edge of the city. But as soon they put their hooves out the portal that open up for them, Lucifer knew it was the right place. The sensation of lightness from losing his crown completely dissapeared, his connection to that hell came back as if it never went anywhere.

Five minutes that they had to celebrate between the two of them, before going to the rest of their family, when suddenly an alarm could be heard the entire ring. Five minutes in which Lucifer allowed himself to think on making a feast for everyone at the hotel, on taking out the cannibal meat, on preparing the best dessert possible, before all of that had to take a seat away from him.

Even from where they were they could see the origin of the alarm. The big sand clock tower that used to mark each Extermination Day, taller than most building around it, so no one could ever missed it. The same tower that it was supposed to remain without use because they were supposed to be finished with all of that already. The clock itself that counted the hours for the next Extermination had stopped a while ago, but the alarm itself was working perfectly well.

Lucifer looked at Alastor and instantly knew he was aware of what that meant. Without losing any time, Lucifer opened up his own portal to the center of towen and passed through with Alastor hand in hand. The entrance for the exorcist had opened up as well as a bunch of the angels clothed in black came out pouring out.

The panic on the streets was evident. This was supposed to happen. Everyone thought this whole business of extermination was deal with already. Their king had told them so, hasn't he? People were trying to find refuge on any building, sewer, garbage can or place that could keep them out of sight. Even imps or other hellborn Lucifer could see were running to get out of the way. Were they always that afraid during Extermination Day too? Did they know that now the deal was off? That was never information given to the public, precisely to avoid any more panic. Lucifer felt almost embarassed to think that this was probably just the most logical response to such an event.

"They are going straight to the hotel again" commented Alastor at his side, following the trajectory of the exorcists.

They weren't even pretending to attack anyone else.

Lucifer barely had a moment to register his words when the figure of his husband started enlarging, growing bigger, heavier, until his hooves were creating cracks on the street. Some passerbies and cars ended up crushed as he made his way to the hotel. Lucifer teleported a few meters in front of the building, where he could see them approaching, commanded by an angel with a silver mechanical arm yelling her lungs out. Just how many of them they had in stock? But if he started asking himself question, he was never going to end.

"Do you want to play, little birds?!" called Lucifer, opening up a bigger portal right above himself. "Hope you don't mind I bring some fun of my own!"

A big black claws grabbed to the sides of the portal as Alastor pushed himself through. A ear piercing growl full of static noises was heard as the portal was stretched out, accomodating the massive demonic form of Alastor with his full wings out.

Lucifer flew up to grab at the black antlers, shooting down a pair of exorcist with finger guns. The first one let out a pained sound as the golden wound on her side bleed out, but the second one just passed through his attack like it was nothing. Because she wasn't really there.

"Some of them are not real!" yelled Lucifer to the ear that he had the closest to him, that twitched in recognition of his voice. "I can't see which one are or aren't without getting closer! I don't have the authority for that!"

Alastor growled to the sky and resolved if he couldn't see directly what was worth attacking or not, then he was just going to expand his attack range to cover up as many targets at once as he could. His long fingers closed around a bunch of exorcists as he closed his hands together on a crushing clap. When he opened up his hands again, only two bodies were bleeding gold on his palm, destroyed while their wings were barely twitching. Lucifer barely managed to kill another one real before another bunch more passed him through, dissapearing in thin air when touched. From the open portal even more coming in.

Alastor had seen a few reaching the hotel and let out a screeching sound. One so high pitched that cracked almost every windows at the hotel, but that was nothing that Lucifer couldn't repair later with a snap of finger. The little trick worked anyway to let him the figures that stood to hold their heads and complain at the sudden pain, unlike the illusions that kept going like nothing. There were definitely a lot more fakes, which made it all the more easy for Lucifer to point at the back of their heads or chest to take them out quickly.

Alastor walked to hold the sides of the hotel, that now was reaching only to his stomach in that form and flapped his wings as strong he could. The impulse of the wind pushed all the exorcists back, real or fake.

"Good thinking, babe!" praised Lucifer, still shooting as much as he could, before a protective forcefield started to expand over the hotel and rise up.

The exorcists that end up trapped inside were quickly delt with. Then it was just them, giving them a moment to breath.

"Lucifer" The voice of Alastor came out breathy, distorted. One of his hands applied to his stomach. "I need… energy."

It took a second for Lucifer to understand what he was actually saying. The baby was making him feel the limit of his magic.

"On it!" Lucifer flew down. Alastor moved his palm out of the way and Lucifer slipped between the space of his button, grabbing to the fur there like a presistent flea under the shirt. He pressed his entire body where he could see the white spot, until he was right above it. "Sssh, it's okay, sweetie. Papa is here. Dad just needs to protect your sisters for a little bit longer. Everything will be okay" cooed, sending his magic through his hand and making sure it was going exactly where it needed to. Above he could hear Alastor letting out a sigh, obviously relieved. "You got papa all worried for a moment there, little buddy. We just need to take care of those ugly birds and then you can both rest, alright?" He kissed the flat stomach in front of him, as if he could do it to the forehead of the baby already. "We are lucky that papa is so cool and strong, aren't we?"

"Alastor?!" sounded Husk from some window in the lower floors. Through the little space where Lucifer could see the outside, he saw the red and black figure passing by as he flew to reach the face of the demon. "Did Lucifer came with you?"

Lucifer wanted to respond, but the sigil still wasn't as brightly green as he felt comfortable with, so he stayed in his place. Make sure that their baby was safe was more important than answering questions.

"He is close by" responded Alastor. "Where are Charlie and Emily?"

"They were going out to see a guy for the stones! I assume that worked if you are here."

"So they aren't here?"

"I imagine they were on their way back when this whole bullshit started. It hasn't even been a whole year yet!"

Lucifer could feel the sudden change of movement from Alastor as he turned around. When he popped his head outside, he saw his husband lifting an arm to will the whole barrier down.

"Wait, wait, wait!" called, sending a extra amount of energy before he came out flying. Husk looked dumbfounded them to see him basically appear out of nowhere, but that wasn't Lucifer's focus now. "Babe, I can call them here! It's okay!"

Alastor lowered his arm and nodded, giving them the chance. Lucifer flew back to the ground and lifted his hand, searching through his connection with Hell the distinctive energy that made their daughter. Slowly, he started to get a mental image of the vehicle where they were. They were stuck in traffic on the highway, coming back from the palace. He opened up the portal in front of them and immediately turned the limousine off, so the wheels wouldn't move. Despite how careful he was trying to make the transition, the vehicle still bounced over itself when hitting the ground.

"¡¿Qué puta carajo está pasando ahora?!" yelled Vaggie through the window, face to face directly with Lucifer. She blushed a bright gold, almost covering her mouth. "S-sir…"

"Hey, Vaggie!" greeted Lucifer, genuinely happy to see her. "We are back!"

"Papa?!" was the scream that quickly followed up the opening of the front doors, just a second before Emily threw her arms around Lucifer and squeezed tight, as strong as she could. She was just as tall as Charlie so Lucifer's head still wouldn't reach above her shoulder. Up in Heaven angels were not used to physical affection, since they could constantly see each other's love as clearly as their faces. But down there in Hell Emily had quicly taken to that form of expression, easier than anything else. Only a moment later she separated to squish his face, taking a second look. "You are our Lucifer, right?"

"Yes, sweetie" managed to say Lucifer and then chuckled when Emily hugged him again, returning the gesture the best he could.

It was amazing to think it had only been months since he accepted her as another Morningstar, and he had truly missed her presence just as much as everything else. Home wouldn't have been complete without all of his daughters around.

"Dad?!" Charlie came out of the other side of the vehicle. The ground shook as Alastor made his way towards them. Suddenly all three of them were grabbed on the huge claws of Alastor and lifted to his face, nuzzling them. After Alastor let them stand up again, Charlie noticed Lucifer through her own tears. "PAPA!" squealed, running over the palm of Alastor and jumping to the other to reach him.

Lucifer also went to catch her, worried when he saw her stumbling, receiving her directly into his arms.

"Duckling" Lucifer laughed between his own sniffles when Charlie nuzzled her head against the top of his. Lucifer reached out with his tail to Emily, managing to get her arm to pull her closer. Charlie was openly sobbing now, while Emily was still trying to keep her cheeks clean. "I missed you two so fucking much, girls" Lucifer took a deep breath and pulled out his wings, with the full intention of wrappping his arms around the two taller girls's necks. He kissed both of their faces over and over, as if he could never have enough of them. "My favorite ducklings in the whole fucking universe. You have no idea how much I wanted to be back to see you all again."

Charlie let out a incoherent mess of sounds, holding onto to Lucifer like she had just wake up from a nightmare and was a kid again, needing the comfort.

"We missed you too" translated Emily.

Lucifer sniffled with a smile, bringing her closer. There other matters that required their attentions, but just for a moment he let himself enjoy this, just suck it all in the wamrth of his family finally reunited. The wagging of Charlie's tail and the presence of her cute tiny antlers on top of her head were never as comforting before, just like the freckles on Emily's face or the calm low white sound that signaled Alastor's content. It was like he was finally allowed to fully breath in, a weight he didn't know he was carrying up until then finally letting him go.

"I love you both" assured Lucifer, kissing their forehead as he took their hands. "When all of this is over, remind me there is something important, and good, we need to talk about."

"Lucifer" warned Alastor, frowning.

"It's a good thing!" insisted Lucifer, giving them a final, extra hard, squeeze. "For now, we have to take care of some birds. I know this is all coming out of nowhere for you too, so you can just step this one down. Al and I can take care of them between the two of us, right, babe?"

Alastor nodded. Charlie gasped.

"What? What are you talking about?" She pulled from the chest of her father to stare at him like he had suggested to throw someone out of the rooftop. "We are not leaving you alone to deal with it."

"Sweetie…" started Lucifer, but Charlie was already shaking her head.

"No, forget about it! I defended this place one time, I can do it again!"

"And I am not a small kid either" protested Emily too. "I know I haven't received any training, but I can still fight! You all have done so much for me, I should be able to do this one thing!" added, turning to Alastor's gaze too.

Lucifer groaned and looked over at Alastor, but all his hopes were squashed when his husband just sighed.

"We can't stop them, darling" said Alastor, going down in one knee to bring his hand to the ground again. "Very well, but if you end up hurt wait on a side until Lucifer can heal you back. Don't make it worse for you. Can you manage that, dear?"

"Of course I can! Papa will try to keep an eye out" assured Lucifer, helping out the two of them to jump out of Alastor's hand back to the floor. "Charlie, get your shield as fast as you can. Emily, don't get too far away."

As both princesses nodded their head, Vaggie came out flying from a window in the hotel towards them.

"I have it! I have the thing!" announced, landing next to Charlie to give her the shield. She already had her own spear in hand and offered a sword to Emily. "I am sorry, that was the only other weapon I had left from the last Extermination. The rest are just bullets or bombs. Angel and Cherri already grabbed those."

"It's okay!" Emily took the sword, holding it firm on her hand, even though her face was clearly showing how she didn't really know what to do with it. "I-I will manage somehow! I can do this!" said, making a pose that didn't immediately screamed hardened warrior ready to make head rolls.

The trembling of her legs was just the finishing touch. Lucifer bite his lip strong, resisting the urge to send them both back inside the hotel again. He already figured that it was going to be useless.

"Good luck, sweeties! Papa and dad are right here if you need us" said as Alastor was standing up again, carrying him only him now. "We are not letting any of those come close to them, right?" confirmed over his shoulder.

"Obviously, dear" Alastor lowered his hand when Lucifer pulled out his wings, remaining in the air by himself. "To be quite honest, I was wishing to see what a Lucifer allowed to fight during a Extermination is like so, in a way, this is ideal to satiate my curiosity. Until now I only had second hand words. Are you going to be as bloodthirsty as they made you out to be, love?"

"Oh, did you?" Lucifer smirked, lifting an eyebrow. "Then I better make sure to give you a good show, babe."

One of the claws of Alastor gently ran down the space between his wings, making him shiver and let out a small giggle.

"Can't wait" grumbled the monsteruous voice of his husband.

"Are you two seriously flirting right now!?" protested Husk, flying across the sky. "Don't we have better things to think about at the moment?"

"Glad to see you too, Husk!" answered Lucifer back.

"Yeah, yeah. Gonna serve you a sweet drink as a welcome after this!"

"I will hold you to that!" Lucifer smiled to Alastor, who was glaring to Husk as he reunited with Angel Dust in the ground. "Everyone is ready, babe."

Alastor nodded and lifted his hand. The forcefield around them started going down. Before it went fully down, Lucifer flew bye with his own claws stretched out to rip through the middle of the exorcists he could reach and make dissapear those that were fake. To those he did managed to hurt, Lucifer went through again to pull out their inside out.

"Babe, here!" called, dragging the screaming exorcists, each in one hand, until he could send them through a portal directly to the open jaws of his husband. The teeth of Alastor closed shut, licking his lips after. "How is it?" asked Lucifer, taking out the head of three exorcists and using the body of one of them to hit another.

"Not that strong. Keep them coming and maybe I will find one worthwhile" growled Alastor, swatting away an attack that was going to Emily.

She was wildly moving her sword around, barely seeing through half closed eyes, and let out a loud yelp when the sword end up piercing a surprised exorcist that was facing Husk.

"Sorry!" screamed at hearing the pained sounds from behind.

But she soon remembered what side they were on when the exorcist still tried to attack her with her own spear. Before there could be any contact, Lucifer appeared to perforate the chest of the exorcist with one hand and squish the golden heart in his fist. Lucifer send the dead body to Alastor, not before grabbing the sword to give it back to Emily.

"Sweetie, try not to lose it again, okay?"

"Sorry, I got scared for a moment" admitted Emily with a blush, gripping her weapon with two hands. She haven't noticed yet the splatters of golden blood across her face. "It won't happen again, papa!"

"Good girl! Papa will make your favorite dessert later!" Lucifer patted her head and flew away. "You are doing amazing, sweetie! Love you!"

"I love you too!" yelled Emily, running up to Angel Dust dealing with two exorcists at once. "GET AWAY MY HOME, YOU BUNCH OF FUCKING MEANIES!"

Lucifer sighed with barely contained pride. The feeling only lasted until he realized that he had lost sight of Charlie. Vaggie was still there, fighting, flying around some very long and langly legs covered by red pants. He blinked again, looking up.

"Charlie?" called, doubftful.

Charlie, now a lot taller of what she was before, screeched into the air as her claws break through the air, destroying fakes and real exorcists that fell to the ground where Vaggie could finish them off. Lucifer saw her smile stretched out across her face, now entirely surrounded by her green stitches, as her black antlers extended at the sides like long delicate fingers.

"The fuck?!" laughed, flying up close to her. "Since when is this a thing?"

Charlie finally noticed him and chuckled behind her stitched mouth. One of her eyes was glowing red with a slit yellow pupil, while the other was entirely if not for the red dot that followed where she was looking.

"Now, I think!" said, the sound coming out even if she didn't open her teeth. She grabbed a exorcist in her hand like a fly that was bothering her for a while and throw it to the floor. After Vaggie cut their throat, she turned to Lucifer again. "I just let it out I guess! How do I look?"

"Fucking awesome!" said Lucifer, sincerely. "Al! Alastor, babe, look Charlie developing her powers!" yelled.

Munching on the body of another exorcist he had caught on his hand, Alastor turned around and stood there, taking in.

"It's weird, isn't it?" said Charlie, now self conscious at the resulting silence. "I can't see my own face so I don't know really know."

The ground shook again as Alastor extended his long legs to them. He was still taller by two heads in comparison to Charlie, just like their actual sizes on their usual forms, so when he reached out his hand to Charlie's face up he still needed to bend to be at her eye level.

"You are, without question, the best thing I have ever seen in this or any other life" assured, leaving a kiss on her forehead. Which in that form meant a brush of his teeth against her skin. "I am so proud of you, my little fawn."

Charlie sniffled through her watery eyes and hugged the eldrich abomination that was her father, wrapping him up on her long skinny arms.

"Aww, this is nice" sighed Lucifer, when suddenly an arrow passed right at his side. Alastor grabbed Charlie back and moved her to a side, the arrow continueing its trajectory until it inscrustrated on the wall of the hotel. Lucifer looked down to himself, where he suddenly felt a new sting, and saw a long wound where that weapon had hurt him. "What the fuck" He wasn't supposed to be hurt by mere angelic steel. Only something much more powerful than that should be able to cut his skin.

When he turned around, he suddenly understood the reason and his stomach dropped down to the last ring in Hell.

"Al" called, expanding his wings as if that was going to cover his family. "Babe, I need you to take out Charlie, Emily and everyone else out of here."

"Papa?" asked Charlie. "Are you… hurt?" She let it out as if she never thought she would be saying those words.

"It's okay, sweetie!" Lucifer tried to give her a smile, coming out with a grimace instead. "Just stay with dad away from here, alright? I will come find you later."

"Lucifer" warned Alastor with a low growl.

"It's okay" insisted Lucifer, already moving up. "Just stay away for a bit. It's fine."

But he didn't feel fine at all as he approached the one had had shot at him and was preparing a second arrow, made entirely out of magic just like his bow. The archangel Michael narrowed his eyes when he saw him approach with his hands lift up.

"Lucifer" aknowledged the angel, lifting an eyebrow. "Not gonna lie, I thought I would have to go out looking for you."

"So this is whole bullshit is for me?" Lucifer chuckled without a trace of humor. "Kind of a waste of resources, isn't it? If you all wanted a meeting so badly, you could have just asked. I am a reasonable man, we could have seen something."

"After the stunt your companion pulled when he was given some grace?" Michael shook his head. "You are lucky that I am only instructed to take you with me."

"After what you made him go through, you are lucky he only killed one cherub" pointed out Lucifer, frowning. "Or what, you are going to tell me that he burned someone's favorite blanket?"

"Yeah, try to give one of you wretched souls a second opportunity. How evil of us" Michael rolled his eyes. "Whatever, I didn't came to debate."

"No, of course not. Just threaten my family and scare the shit out of my daughters. I can see why you are the good guys now" Lucifer allowed himself to smile at that, despite the fear that was insisting on gripping his chest with an iron grasp.

Out of all of his brothers they could have send, why did it have to be Michael? Not only the stronger among all of them, also the one with the hardest head that all of creation had ever seen. There was no reason to argue against with that being, just a direct order that had to be fulfilled.

Michael clicked his tongue.

"Still don't know when to give it up, huh? I guess that is exactly how you end up here in the first place."

"Hey, jackass" Lucifer spat, his lip twitching on the side. "I don't know if you noticed, but I am not fighting you, aren't I? If you only came for me, then fine, I will go. But call all your little buddies off first."

Michael looked at him, still with his hands up in the air, no weapon or shielf that his eyes could see.

"What makes you think you get to put the conditions here?" asked even then, crossing his arms.

"It's not a condition, it's a fucking courtesy" said Lucifer, tensing his teeth together. "If you want me to go with you, all of them were entirely unnecessary. You are all just causing a mess for the sake of making a mess, outside of any agreement or warning any of you ever gave. If I am cooperating, the least you could do is return the favor. Not to mention, maybe stop killing your own senselessly? Like, shit, you know I could kill them all again if I wanted to."

"Hump" Michael huffed, no doubt taking notice for the first time the stains of golden that Lucifer had sprayed all over himself, from his hands to his face and his chest. The only blood that was actually his was on the side, seeping into the white fabric of his coat. "They are not ours anyway" Michael shrugged easily, approaching him. Lucifer did his absolute best to not flinch when Michael extended some golden scuffs. "If you want to end this sooner, that depends on you."

As if he haven't done already that thousands times while trying to communicate to Heaven. He should have known he wasn't going to listen not even to that. But it was that or let this pseudo Extermination continue on until Michael felt bored enough to intervene as well, which wasn't an option at all. Lucifer lifted his wrist and Michael barely moved his wings on his direction, when an abrupt screeching sound made him cover his ears, pulling back.

Fuck, they had taken too long.

"Lucifer Morningstar!" was the growling of Alastor as he flew right to them.

"Oh, right. He was supposed to come to" commneted Michael, as if he did just actually remembered that detail, and if Lucifer wasn't already pale as paper, he would have turned into a ghost at hearing.

"What" asked, for the first time unable to contain his rising panic. "You wanted him too?! Why!? You already have me, why do you need him?"

"Right now? Because he is way too loud!" yelled Michael against the static sounds that were only getting more deafening with each second. In one blink of the eyes, Michael dissapeared out of his sight. When Lucifer turned around, he saw a quick flash of a golden portal opening just behind Alastor and suddenly Alastor jolted, still floating in the air because of intervention of Michael's magic holding him. "There. Finally I can think!" Michael sighed, brushing his hair back.

Lucifer teleported in front of him, grabbing the front of his white robes with long claws. On top of his head, a sphere of fire was burning between his horn as he stabbed Michael with a glare from his entirely red eyes.

"The fuck did you to him?!" demanded, puffes of black smoke and fire coming out of his mouth. "I swear for our father, Michael, if you hurt one single hair out of him I will make you pay with so much more blood I ever spilled."

Michael pursed his lips, annoyed by the whole display. Having him so close now, Lucifer once again was reminded of how small he was compared with his brothers. Michael still took him a whole head more in stature.

"I just send him to sleep, calm down" said the archangel, flickering his forehead. Lucifer groaned, showing his teeth. "He didn't seem in a cooperative mood, so didn't left me with much of a choice. Are you coming now or there is something else I have to deal with?"

Lucifer huffed black smoke out of his mouth, but one look at the giant sleeping form of his husband took his will to fight out of him. Alastor had no idea how close he was to having something so much worse happen to him. It could still happen if Michael got into a especially bad mood. Just because he was ordered to bring the two of them over, didn't mean that he couldn't take a few liberties as to the state they could arrive in.

"Fine" said, letting Michael go.

The archangel grabbed his wrist and put one of the scuff on.

"Wait! What do you think you are doing?"

Lucifer's blood ran cold inside of him at the voice. How could Emily's voice be reaching then when she didn't even had her wings out?

"Oh, come on" sighed Michael, rubbing his brow as Emily stand in front of him, holding her sword and floating in the air with a new pair of wings that looked darker and pointier than the one she would have originally, before they burned. In any other circumstance, Lucifer would have been proud to see her flying again, reclaiming her fallen atributes on her own terms like him had to do too, but now it was just making him dread even more the reaction Michael could have. "Hey, don't I know you?" asked the archangel, giving her a second look.

"Seriously?" Emily protested. "I have been in Heaven for thousands of years! I have been in countless meeting with you!"

"Mmmm. Yeah, I don't know what to tell you" Michael shrugged. He finished putting the scuff on Lucifer, pulling the golden chain that came out of it. "Hey, retreat!" called over to the exorcist. There weren't many of them left, but those that did came back through the portal, ignoring them just as much as the giant form of Alastor between them. "Now we can go."

"No, you are not!" Emily flew to them, lifting her sword, but stopped when Lucifer flew right in front of her. "But they can't do that!" argued before he could say anything. "There was no permit or agreement for this Extermination. If you didn't know about it, then they just invaded Hell and are now kidnappig the king and his consort! That is not fair!"

"Oh, just so you know, I totally have the permission of Heaven to be here" said Michael, now sounding bored. "I would have come sooner if it weren't because I had to get it before."

"Heaven has no juridisction over Hell!"

"It does if it's necessary."

"What does that mean?!"

"It means shut up!" Michael groaned, rubbing his face. "Luci, control your fallen."

"She is the princess of Hell, you won't speak to her like that" Lucifer glared at the archangel, who returned the gesture with the same intensity, until Lucifer turned his gaze first. He floated over to Emily and put a hand on her shoulder. "Sweetie, you have to come back to Charlie and make sure the hotel is still standing. We are going to be okay, but you have to let us go."

"This is kidnapping" insisted Emily, still indignant herself but sounding less secure now. When Lucifer didn't waver at all, her eyes started to plead before opening her mouth again. "Papa, we just got you. Both of you."

"I know" Lucifer looked at his hands, trapped on that angelic restraint. He resolved that fuck it, that bullshit was not going to impede him to hug his daughter and he lifted his arms to bring Emily between them, patting her back. "I will try to bring us back as soon I can. I don't know what they want, but at least it doesn't seem they try to hurt us for now. I need to you to stay here and be strong for Charlie, okay? Tell her I am sorry."

Emily, after a while, wrapped him back.

"Are you sure there is nothing else we can do? Maybe I can use one of the stones?" whispered in a low voice.

The stones that had gotten them in a bunch of problem already. Frankly, if Lucifer could stop just thinking on those damned stones for one whole day then that was going to be a true blessing for him. But more than that, the stones made from her falling were not as powerful. If Heaven was already to their wit's end to do all of this, then who is to say they couldn't escalate if provoqued? Just the fact that Michael was there was enough to worry him. No matter how powerful Emily was on her own, Michael more than likely be able to just whipe the floor with her and Lucifer would never allow that to happen.

"No, it's fine. We will come on our own" assured, kissing her cheek and lifting his arms again. "Save those stones for an actual emergency. It be over sooner than later."

Emily still didn't looked convinced, eyeing at Michael like she still wanted to get a swing at his head, but she did end up nodding.

"Treat them well!" said to Michael with a frown. "It would do horrible for diplomatic relations if the king and his consort are mistreated!"

"Good grief, you sound like Gabriel" Michael groaned, turning around to pull on the chain of Lucifer. "Let's go. If I am not going to fight everyone, then too much time I have wasted already."

Alastor's form floated next to them, back to the portal. As they were about to appear on the other side, Lucifer realized that Emily was still floating there and he send him a little wave. Before the portal closed, he was relieved to see her wave back.

[bullet-prooflove]

The MissingPiece! Series Part Two: Cabin In the Woods - Luke Alvez x Reader

Tagging: @celilice1 @kabloswrld @xoxabs88xox @crazy4chickennuggets @anime-weeb-4-life @rosaliedepp @storiesofsvu @desert-fern @99-reasons-to-live @legit9thlunaticwarrior @niya12 @yehhdh @cupids-lover @teti-menchon0604 @telepathay @julieelliewrites

The Missing Piece Series:

Part One: The Missing Piece

Luke was already bolting from the SUV before Tara pulled up in front of the Noah Billingham’s cabin. There were a thousand protocols he should be following but all he could think of was how much time they were losing, how much they had already lost. His SIG was in his hand, fitting his palm like an old friend as he strode towards the cabin with purpose.

Penelope managed to track this place down through the server that Billingham had been livestreaming your entire life to. Your landlord had been stalking you for years, installing cameras throughout your apartment so he could watch every single intimate detail. It sickened Luke to think about what he had seen, that those private moments between the two of you were fodder to fuel Billingham’s fantasy.

It was the move that finally triggered him. The fact he wouldn’t have the access to you anymore, that you were taking that step with someone else. It had ruined the carefully crafted narrative that the other man had constructed inside of his head. That’s why he had abducted you, he had wanted to turn the story he’d told himself into a reality. He wanted the full-on girlfriend experience, even if you were an unwilling participant.

The heavy door to the cabin was thrown open, bathing the rotting wooden porch in warm light. Luke’s gun was up when the silhouette appeared in the doorway, his finger tightening on the trigger.

It took his brain a moment to focus, to process what he was seeing. There was screaming and yelling around him, but he holstered his weapon anyway. He held his palm up as he approached the figure in the white blood stained, silk nightdress. The knife glinted in the light from the cabin, the stench of copper in the air. His dark eyes met yours, his voice low and soothing.

“Baby, I need you to put the knife down.”

Your hand trembled, your eyebrows furrowing into a frown as you stared on him. The knife tumbled from your grasp, clattering as it hit the slats beneath your bare feet. The screaming was still ongoing, the shrill cry of someone in agony. It took Luke a second to work out it was coming from inside the house.

“Are you hurt?” he asked you, maintaining the same tone as he took shaky steps towards you. His eyes were studying you, searching for scratches, cuts, anything that would explain the blood that stained your skin.

“I stabbed him.” You told him, despondently. “He tried…”

You couldn’t force yourself to say the words and Luke’s heart broke.

His strong, loving arms furled around you, drawing you into the shelter of his comforting form. You collapsed against his body, your fists gripping his plaid shirt tightly. You buried your face into his firm chest, inhaling his familiar masculine scent, pine and cedarwood. It washed over your nerves as you breathed it in.

The relief was imminent, touching you again was like having a rush of narcotics pursing through his blood stream. He clasped you tightly as his team darted past you and into the confines of the cabin. His lips brushed the apple of your cheek as he whispered sweet endearments against your skin. You felt so fragile right now, so exhausted, so dilapidated.

"Tell me that this is real." You breathed in that low, frightened voice of yours. "Tell me that this is happening, and I'm not still trapped in there, making this up."

It hurt him to hear the cracking of your tone as you struggled to comprehend the bridge between reality and hope. He wanted to go in there and end Billingham’s life for what he’d done to you but he didn’t because you needed him, you were the most important thing in his life and you needed him to be here and present.

"This is real, beautiful girl." Luke murmured as he cradled you close. "I’m here and this is real."

He closed his eyes as he held you, his fingers combed through your hair, a gesture that  he knew reassured and calmed you. His heart thudded against yours through the fabric of your clothes.

"I love you." You mumbled as you tilted your head so that you could meet his gaze. "I don't think I said it before you left."

"I know." Luke told you, his voice rough with emotion as he saw all the hurt that was fracturing you deep inside. "I always knew."

You had never looked so vulnerable, dressed a white silk nightdress that didn’t belong to you in the cold Washington night.  He stripped off his windbreaker and wrapped it around your shoulders, it dwarfed you, swallowing up your form completely. The scent of him clung to the collar, the lining still warm from his body heat. He wrapped his arm around your shoulders before guiding you back towards the SUV.

“Come on.” He murmured, his lips brushing over the side of your head. “Let’s get you somewhere warm.”

Love Luke? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[knightyoomyoui]

The 1% Of Chances | TWICE Jeongyeon x M Reader Fanfic : CHAPTER 2

A/N: This chapter might be very sensitive to some readers there and I'm very sorry already for putting this topic here. I mean no hate for Jeongyeon 'cuz ofc she's my bias and I love her plus I just want to express it so much here in this one.

You couldn't react any other else but to express your utter shock.

Standing in front of you was THE Yoo Jeongyeon herself.

A K-Pop idol.

Member of one of the most successful girl groups in the history of K-Pop industry known as TWICE.

Your ultimate bias.

That wasn't the only part that left you too stunned to speak, let's add also the fact of what you just heard from Sadness who was beside you declaring something you never thought that this fate would arrive in your life.

You are her new personal manager. YOO JEONGYEON HERSELF IS YOUR CLIENT AND YOUR IDOL PLACED UNDER YOUR PROTECTION AND GUIDANCE.

You want to ask to yourself whether you heard it wrong, dreaming or hallucinating... but it doesn't seem like all of it anyways, because you and her silence and serious stare through each other got interrupted by Sadness doing a fake cough thrice.

"Uhh anyways, yeah hello too Jeongyeon.", Sadness said after clearing her throat after those streak of coughs. Both you and Jeongyeon snapped out of trance as senses were quickly reactivated by Sadness' voice.

Yup, Jeongyeon halted too when her pair of precious brown eyes landed at your towering figure looking very presentable and innocent standing in front of the door.

"You can now have your turn, YN.", Sadness nudged you in the shoulder causing you to look at her first before returning your gaze back shyly at Jeongyeon.

"H-hi... M-Ms. Yoo. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm LN/YN, your newly employed worker of JYPE and member of the management team under your group and also assigned as your new personal manager. H-hope we can get along p-pretty well.", you gulped hard out of your batch of stutters due to the intense shyness and nervousness you're feeling.

I mean, you're freaking talking personally in front of your bias you never thought would finally happen once in a blue moon in your entire life. Who wouldn't feel the same way in your situation?

"H-hello too, YN-oppa. Pleasure to meet you too, please take care of me well manager-nim.", Jeongyeon bowed in reply to your greetings.

She lend you her free hand leaving it hanging into the gap between you and her. Your eyes widen and body shook a little as you felt the tensiness curse through your blood.

You slowly accepted it and felt her firm grip around your hand while both were shaking their hands in acknowledgement.

You blew some little air to atleast freshen up yourself and try not to panic out from your bias' touch. After seconds of handshake, both released each hands and exchanged smiles through one another; although yours was mixed with a bit of awkwardness as what you're thinking of how your appearance is to her so far.

Sadness noticed all your uncomfiness while talking to Jeongyeon. Since she knew what caused you to act like that, she chuckled before helping you to loosen up your nervousness by grabbing your shoulder and shook it gently.

"You can do it.",  she whispered to your ear which made you flustered and blush slightly knowing what she meant about that. Jeongyeon was also starting to find how hilarious you look right now, as she probably guessed it that you were being teased by Sadness because of the possibility that you seem to be a fan of their group... especially to her.

"The girls are there inside?", Sadness asked Jeongyeon, pointing towards the space beside Jeongyeon as she refers to the other occupants living with her in the dorm.

"Yes, noona. They're at the living room.", Jeongyeon said, looking sideways to get a quick peek at the two other members behind her.

"Can we enter for a while? YN can introduce himself already also to them then let's save the rest for later.", Sadness suggested. Jeongyeon followed right away as she stepped aside more to provide more space for you and Sadness to walk and enter the dorm.

You followed Sadness behind while you're still stiffened as you can sense Jeongyeon's presence behind you.

Reaching the living room, all three of you stood aligned at each other as you observed together with them these two girls sitting in the couch. One was watching a K-Drama on the TV while the other was building a what it seems to be a Harry Potter LEGO set.

Jeongyeon called the attention of her two busy friends respectfully. "Girls, Sadness noona and my new manager is here."

They twirled their head right away, pointing their sight at Jeongyeon but it was replaced instead through you which garnered their curiosity.

"Hey, girls. How's the day doing so far?", Sadness asked.

"Kinda bored but thankfully the series was making me attached more on my seat."

"Doing fine, noona."

"Alright, so you heard Jeongyeon mentioning who's with us today.", Sadness pointed her hand at you as if she's presenting you to them. You took it as the cue to repeat again your introduction which you did minutes ago to Jeongyeon.

"A pleasant morning to both of you, Ms. P-Park and Ms. Myoui, I am LN/YN your new manager in D-division 3 Management Team under TWICE settled more as a personal one for Ms. Y-Yoo here. I hope we can get along well.", you bowed and cleared up your throat once again as you composed yourself to get rid of the unnerving feeling that's distracting you.

Jihyo and Mina both noticed how uncomfortable you look in your position and being the leader who gets to always speak first to let know the rest if there's any concerns or troubles, she unhesistantly figured something based from her observation on your movements.

"YN oppa are you okay? You look kind of very flushed and uncontrollably moving your body.", Jihyo concerningly asked you whilst keeping her laughter at the same time at how she finds it kinda funny seeing you like this.

Luckily, she and Mina were two birds in one stone. "You're a fan aren't you?", Mina teasingly asked you. Jihyo nodded and smirked as they waited for your answer.

Jeongyeon looked at you with a smile and you sweared that you're forcing yourself not to look at her direction cause if you do, you'll melt in an instant at her tender expression.

Sadness, Jeongyeon, Mina and Jihyo. All four are now looking at you as you sighed first before cackling a bit at how noticeable you are when you're being like this.

"Y-yes I am, Mina sunbaenim.", you shyly answered.

"Aha! Knew it.", Jeongyeon snapped her fingers in victory. You blinked rapidly as you heard from her that she can observe it from you since earlier and she was keeping it to herself.

You became even more embarassed at how weird you looked near at your bias. "So we got a ONCE also in our place. Great! We'll definitely get along very easily.", Jihyo enthusiastically remarked. Mina nodded and giggled at the fact.

"Nice to meet you by the way, YN.", Mina  respectfully bowed her head for you which you did the same and to Jihyo who returned to you the favor.

"Don't be shy to interact with us okay? We are family here and ofcourse you're now part with us, everyone should build strong connections to each other, right?", Jihyo reminded.

"You look very fascinating also that you can be such good friend too, oppa. So yeah, I agree with Jihyo unnie here. We are always open for you to talk with.", Mina followed.

You smiled warmly at them. Their great personality didn't shocked you anymore. They are like this anyways whether they are in front of the cameras or away from it. Since the beginning they are just being real to themselves and that's one of the reason why you stanned them.

You can relate to every single one of the members but there's one of them who turned out more as your ideal woman.

Jeongyeon looked at you and gestured a nod of assurance as she also believed to what Mina and Jihyo said. You smiled back in appreciation too for her.

"Oh, the schedule is less than an hour left.", Sadness looked up to her phone. "You can continue talking soon but for now we have some duty to do. YN and Jeongyeon, we have to go now for a while okay?"

"Got it." "Alright, unnie."

Sadness went first exiting the dorm after saying goodbye and receiving take care messages from Mina and Jihyo which both sent the same for you and Jeongyeon.

Now reaching the parking lot where the driver was vibing through his playlist inside the van while waiting for the three of you, he went his focus back on the steering wheel when Sadness alarmed him by opening the slide door whereas Jeongyeon got prioritized first on entering.

Now in the middle of the ride, you are sitting beside Sadness while Jeongyeon was using her phone. You can't help but to take a peek many times at Jeongyeon's side profile. It returned you back to disbelief again that you do have a job now and what's even more better is that it made got stuck beside with your bias throughout important times.

Too clouded with your thoughts as you watched the surroundings around the streets of Seoul being passed by the van you're sitting in currently, you didn't even picked up right away Jeongyeon's signal to you as she poked your thigh for the 3rd time.

You looked to her and "hmm"-ed in curiousity as to why she's calling your attention. Jeongyeon pointed at the vacant seat beside her where her bag was neatly placed atop, requesting you to sit beside her which you cautiously accepted.

Now sitting altogether from your own sides, Jeongyeon dropped her phone in her lap and looked at you who's getting quiet and awkward again in this situation.

"I'm bored, so... can we talk instead?", Jeongyeon said. Great, now you have to participate in a 1 on 1 conversation with your celebrity crush.

"Go ahead, Jeongyeon sunba-"

"Enough with the honorifics, just call me Jeongyeon normally because I want us to be friends okay?"

"U-understood."

"Okay, so hmmm... lemme think of questions first.  Wait, you confirmed that you are a ONCE right?"

"Yep."

"How long have you been stanning us?"

"Since SIXTEEN.", Jeongyeon got amazed at your loyality and determination to stay with them throughout these years of being an idol.

"Woah. That's impressive. Thank you for supporting us since from the beginning, YN. I really meant it a lot amd for sure so do the others too."

"No problem, you guys were the reason why I got interested in K-Pop genre after all, so I can't just leave the one who introduced me into this whole new world of music."

"Makes sense. Okay, well you're a longtime ONCE I see... now can I ask, who's your bias then?", Jeongyeon crossed her arms in anticipation while wearing that snigger as if she's teasing you on your expose.

You gulped heavily as the day has finally come to reveal it.

"I-It's you, Jeongyeon.", you admitted. You quickly leaned away from looking at her gorgeous face which the latter blushed hardly at the mention of her name being your main pick.

To be honest, she kinda know it already where back from the door of the dorm and after she fist saw you along with Sadness, Jeongyeon can tell that something is troubling you whenever your eye contacts within her.

"Woah, really?!", she acted. "I'm honored to be your bias then.", she laughed wihich urged you to go the flow of her mood too.

"You chose the right member properly. I won't have you get disappointed on me.", she joked.

"Well, you never did Jeong.", Jeongyeon was touched at your serious response to her supposed to be a humorous statement.

"How about you, want to ask me some couple of questions?", Jeongyeon urged.

"Oh o-okay...", you went silent for a moment before switching your vision back from the ceiling of the van to her as you ended your thinking process.

"Well... how are you doing these days? Is there a problem that's been bothering you that affects your daily routine like example... during work, at home, something?", you asked to her. Jeongyeon was astounded. Out of all the questions you had to ask, she didn't expected that the first thing you would chose is to check up on her.

"I'm doing well these days. I feel like I've gotten stronger, more happier and confident around with my members and with our ONCEs too."

"That's great to hear then. I mean... I- I don't know, when you got into your anxiety and i just 2 years ago I became very worried about your health state at that time. And as a fan, all ever wanted was for you to get your recovery smoothly. It did, and I was very happy to see you appeared surprisingly in the 2021 SMA if i'm not mistaken.", Jeongyeon listened to you more focusedly as you continue to speak.

I know you suffered and went through a lot during your recovery phase and I felt bad for you so much that you keep on apologizing to us ONCEs just because you have to take a break after attempting to pour your whole hardwork just to catch up with after after not being in the ICSM promotions. You didn't have to do that, Jeong. No one was here to be blamed.

And we didn't care about it. I... I just wanted you to be okay, Jeongyeon.", you finished your words as Jeongyeon stared at you, completely speechless at everything you just said. But that wasn't the only thing that made her tongue stuck on the back of her throat.

You didn't even realized you had a teardrop fell in your eye at the last words you said.

Jeongyeon smiled wholeheartedly and grabbed your hand laying on top of your lap. She leaned in front of you which took you aback.

Pursing her hand near at your face, you felt the tip of her finger and her knuckles swiped the teardrop and the wet stain across your cheek.

"I-i'm sorry... I didn't know I c-"

"Shhh. It's fine. I get it. Emotions took you a lot. You were being very sincere at your concern towards me after everything I went through during my hiatus.", Jeongyeon smiled.

"Thank you very much for your kind words, I truly felt overwhelmed. And with that, you just earned my motivation to get to know you more and much better... I want to have a friend with someone like you, YN.", Jeongyeon maintained her adorable smile looking straight at you as she offered to you an invitation regarding her available friendship you can have with her.

"I would be very happy to be your friend too, Jeongyeon."

"Nice!", Jeongyeon exclaimed. "I assure you that you'll get the same treatment as what you do to me, YN. I can't be the only one especially when you're being kind to me."

"Sure. I don't mind at all anyway, all I got to do is to fulfill my responsibility being your manager and a friend at the same time. When it comes to you, only you is more than enough, Jeongyeon."

Jeongyeon grinned widely after hearing that. "Let's talk more while the ride is still on, cmon... wanna hear my Spotify playlist. Maybe you have some artists here that you like."

"Oh, sure. I'll show you mine too after."

Meanwhile, Sadness was secretly watching the two of you finally starting to build up closeness to one another especially with the reason you just spilled to Jeongyeon for immediately prioritizing her well-being first made it very understandable and glad for her that they did picked an amazing manager already for Jeongyeon.

10 minutes of discussing your preferred genres and artists with Jeongyeon as both presented each other's Spotify playlist to entertain each other while waiting, the van finally made its stop in front of a building.

You assisted Jeongyeon on hopping down the van before you and Sadness placed her in between while walking through the entranceway.

Meeting and greeting all the production team including the director for today's photoshoot which you figured out right away after seeing the cameras and the set, the three of you entered the make-up room.

Sadness started to supervise your actions as you began to help as much as you can for the stylists to prepare Jeongyeon before sitting at the couch too as you think that they can manage it already by theirselves.

While using your phone, you can't help but to catch a glimpse of Jeongyeon's face reflected in the mirror. She looks so freaking more beautiful if you see in with your own eyes than in the screen, you thought.

Standing outside the room, Jeongyeon emerged with her first outfit which perfectly suits her so much. It made you jaw-dropped at her accentuating etheral beauty not only with her look but also by the sculpture of her body being traced and supported by the outline of her dress.

She may not be the same as what she looked in 2020 but the truth of her being attractably beautiful never changed withing your perspective.

"Do I look good, YN?", Jeongyeon asked fof your opinion as she stood beside you.

"When did you weren't?", you simply answered. Jeongyeon threw a playful cruch on her face as she slapped you softly at your arm before heading to the set.

During the photoshoot, you watched how Jeongyeon easily followed everything what the director was suggesting her to do on the poses and she would ended up slaying all of it.

She changed through different attires too throughout the filming which were all made from the same brand and you are running out of words to compliment her already because she's already the personification of every words that is synonym to the word "glamorous".

Taking one last shot, the director proclaimed the end of the shooting as it  finally wrapped up successfully. Everyone including you clapped at Jeongyeon's hardwork which the humble idol returned the same.

Changing back through her casual Taylor Swift Reputation album designed black T-Shirt and sweatpants, she went beside you who's checking out some hot topic in Twitter.

"Psst, join me for a dinner tonight."

"E-eh... only us?"

"Yup, because I will head my way out now you two. I still have some more tasks to complete for tonight.", Sadness spoke as she overheard your conversation which she knew already it already because Jeongyeon and her talked about her being unable to join them tonight on the way home.

You and Jeongyeon bid goodbye to Sadness before leaving both of you alone again. "What do you say? My treat."

"Yours? J-jeongyeon, you don't have to. I can pay-"

"Just leave it to me, I can spend anytime and how many I want only with the help of this black card here with me. And you don't have to pay me back. Treat this as a way to... you know, celebrate our friendship?"

You sighed as you already can tell that you have no match for this woman here. "Okay. I'm in."

"There you go! Cmon, let's go to the van now. I have this recommended restaurant gave to me by Momo that I want to try."

You and her did ate at this Japanese restaurant for dinner and proceeded with a very energizing conversation about every random topic both can relate with. It's as if with the way both of you speak through one another was very comfortable and with full freedom to do so.

The mood kinda shifted when Jeongyeon brought what happened earlier during the shooting as she asked you something about it again.

"YN, what you said earlier when I asked you how do I look at my outfit. Was that true?"

"Ofcourse it is. You nailed it as usual when it comes for photoshoots. That's why everyone thinks you could be very successful if you enter the modeling industry."

"Is that so? Well... I... I thought...", you noticed that Jeongyeon lowered her head after halting in her words as she kept on spinning the chopstick in her sushi on the plate.

"What is it, Jeongyeon?"

"I just have these thoughts that I won't do well anymore at these sort of things.", that caught your attention. "I still have these doubts with myself and confusion as to why was I got picked to be the endorser for this brand knowing that I don't look as beautiful anymore compared before when I got placed into hiatus. My entire body changed.

I was aware of the hate i'm getting in the social medias after the press revealed my newer look through the photos ever since I returned back in active. Even some ONCEs probably doesn't like how I look today I guess and it's my-"

"NO.Jeongyeon. NO.  We are not going through that again. Please.", your voice became stern and sharp as you had enough of the negativity coming out from her mouth.

"Jeongyeon, you don't have to overthink about it. Those are just haters being nonsensical, ruthless, toxic and even worse, being a bunch of bodyshamers. Who the hell cares if you gained more weight than before?

Everybody knows including most of the ONCEs and me know you didn't wanted it to happen but you have to do it for the sake of providing the recovery you're taking into for your health.

If you only know how much of us were very amazed and proud of you that you could manage to fight through all of the hardship and rebuild yourself even better than before by looking healthier.

Jeongyeon, you don't need to lower down the way you see yourself. You are still beautiful to my eyes. To everyone's eyes. That's why the brand chose you. Through this, you could even change the standards when it comes to beauty in K-Pop industry. Even better, you can inspire other too behind the story of what led you into this.

So please, don't tell yourself that you lost that charm you once have before just because your figure changed. IT NEVER LEFT YOU, Jeongyeon. Until now, you're bringing it with you because you were born with it already. If only they could just leave you alone and learn to accept who you are.

Don't let those negative feedbacks bring you down. Always remember that ONCEs including me always believe and support you no matter what happens. WE love you with just the way you are. Your happiness will always be our happiness too."

Jeongyeon just listened and watched you pour out the frustration with teary eyes. It's been only your first day and yet she can see at how obvious you are as such a down to earth person.

"Thank you... thank you so much, YN. That meant a lot to me", she smiled gratefully to you.

You stood from your seat and walked near at her. "May I?" She nodded and you began to comfort her with some gentle pats on her head and a side hug that she found very relaxing and motivating.

Now reaching the dorm as the driver sent you two home safely, thanking him for that too; you halted when Jeongyeon finally stood in front of the door.

"Thank you so much, YN. What a way to start our friendship, right? I really had a lot of fun today."

"Me too, Jeongyeon, and I agree with what you said too."

"I gotta enter now, goodnight and bye YN!"

"Bye Jeongyeon. Goodnight!", she gave you a high-five as she giggled before she finally entered her sweet abode.

After seeing the door got closed in front of you, you heaved a huge huff of air at how unbelievable this first day you had in your new job.

You walked back to your dorm while rewinding all the moments you had with Jeongyeon today that puts a huge smile on your face thinking about it.

[true-blue-sonic]

Hot take: I prefer Silver's chemistry with Amy than with Blaze. I think the idea with Blaze is that she's Silver's braincell, sort of like a Red Oni Blue Oni situation? But in '06, I liked how Silver and Amy meshed. Silver was deadset on his mission, but Amy managed to distract him with his enthusiasm. Amy is boundless energy, while Silver is focused energy. Silver was ready to kill for the good of mankind, but Amy made him reconsider with her unshaking faith to Sonic - surely, if she trusts him that much, he cannot be evil, right? Also I really love that scene of Silver marveling at the beauty of the desert, which I think fits with Amy's optimism.

I guess this is my way to say that I wish they interacted more and silver wasn't joined at blaze's hip lol

Strongly agree | Agree | Neutral | Disagree | Strongly disagree

That's an interesting take! ^-^ Here I must readily admit that I do really enjoy Silvaze and I like seeing Silver and Blaze interact, so though I understand why people feel they're paired up too much, I don't mind it myself. But especially the English dub of '06 appears to awkwardly show Silver as being heavily dependent on Blaze: in the Japanese version he doesn't seem to say "I wouldn't know what to do without you!" in his finale, for example. And Blaze doesn't call him "pretty insecure"; iirc she used a term that states he just brashly rushes into something without thinking, which fits WAY better with Silver's personality. When he ends up in the past for the first time, he's kinda awkwardly running around calling for Blaze... for two seconds, and then he's off on his mission first and foremost. Not much insecurity there XD So the concept that Silver needs Blaze or she is The Holder Of The Braincell (which, based on what I've heard about '06 complaints, isn't present much in the game anyway lol) isn't conveyed so strongly: at most, her encouragement that something must be done to save the future is what gets him out of his rut and back to action. I think that shows better what Silver needs Blaze for: the difficult decisions, things that clash with his black-and-white worldview, and to temper his brashness. Not so much because he cannot carry himself on his own and needs to be handheld, haha.

Here I find it interesting that Amy is almost like a foil to the situation between Silver and Blaze, in a way. Blaze firmly encourages Silver to keep going, but it is also clear that Silver is the one making the final decision to do so. Whatever Silver decides, Blaze follows. Contrary to that, Amy comes literally bursting in, yoinks Silver entirely off-balance both literally and figuratively, and then forces him into something he does not agree to while giving him zero room to protest. But indeed, I think Silver got inspired by the beauty of the world and perhaps also Amy's enthusiasm, and thus decided he wanted to help her too (because he's a sweetheart <3). I think that they go well together, but generally, I'd really liked to have seen more of them together. They don't team up for long: after Silver tries to kill Amy for the first time and they have their fallout, they just don't interact anymore. Plus, in the final story they don't talk to each other at all either. But what we did see is nicely as you described, indeed! Amy is The Heart of the group, so it makes sense that she could shake up Silver's resolve and show him there's more to this discussion that only the world. (Unrelated but I looooooove how that loops right back to Silver's finale, where he is now the one choosing Blaze over the world, just like Amy with Sonic. Hmmm it's so good I adore how Silver's story culminates in him learning also he has someone he finds more important than the world.) So overall, I like the chemistry between Silver and Blaze because I don't entirely see it as presented in the English version, but I'm intrigued by what Amy and Silver have going on as well. Their interactions are limited, but I like what we've been given! ^-^

[spring-demonx]

Made it Through Charade Maniacs (finally)

I think it might be due to the repetative-ness of the prologue and having to skip a bunch just to get to the route, or maybe the route order I followed (Iochi>Banjo>Akase>Ebana>Futami>Chigasaki>Gyobu>Dazai>Haiji)

I started losing motivation to play and just wanted to move on to the next game I wanted to play. Maybe because I was only really interested in 2 or 3 of all the LI's? I genuinely couldn't care as much for the rest, but also wanted to know the truth what was going on, so I tried pushing through regardless〒▽〒 I couldn't buy into some of the romances either since it just felt too much of an afterthought in some cases on how to handle it? I don't blame though, the main plot really is to investigate and figure out how to make it out, really. But still;;

The true end didn't start as I feel it usually goes, with players having to start again from the menu once more. It was new and I didn't know what to expect, and I only realised that was the true end/The Truth™️ until I had finished everything, lol. I love how they gave valid points as to how each cast member is suspicious, and showing darker and more serious sides to them. Really kept mel guessing who the Producer and Sponsor were!

Ebana

Ebana's route I couldn't care for because I just didn't like his character enough to even pay attention and just skipped majority tbh. Though, I did manage to read some key info anyways.

Futami

WTF EVEN WAS THIS?? That was a dumpsterfire, and I was SO relieved that even Iochi was fed up with the MC, bc even for how naive or overly-trusting she is, she was absolute stupid and in denial even after everything that happened right in front of her. I'm glad it showed he wasn't willing to change through to the end, but I still hated and cringed at the "romantic" scenes bc I just personally could not get into it. Futami fans, you can gladly have himXD

Tomose

Honestly thought I was going to enjoy this since sucker for childhood friend trope, but this was not it for me

Dude literally forced himself on her (thank gods MC actually did smth and slapped him, much deserved)

I can do obsessive and yandere type characters, but this was just annoying and made me so frustrated for many reasons

Iochi

Enjoyed the storyline, didn't see the twist coming

The intimate/romantic scenes were very nice and had me blushing kjfksd

I love they never got answers or tried to categorise or make focus of Iochi's gender. It was very refreshing for these characters

the epilogue had me going "That's it?!" though, bc it rlly just feels like they skip a bunch just to exposition dump in these epislogues sometimes

Gyobu

I knew I'd love him, I was right. I loved him even MORE in his route, even in Dazai's (was that guy even present at all in his route?)

I loved his design most besides Iochi's. WE WERE ROBBED OF MORE PONYTAIL

He's so cute when he becomes all bashful

actually considers and works with (on equal stance) with MC and respects that she wants to trust others. "You do the trusting. Leave me the doubting". Other LI's tend to really chastise her (I don't entirely blame them, but they tend to completely shut her down)

I love his dynamic with MC, love that he's the multi-faceted characters who goes after the truth solo

I like his moto that 'the more you doubt, the more trustworthy you are' type thing

Dazai

Where to start? It felt like he wasn't around the heroine much in his own route. Gyobu appeared more and it made me miss him ToT

I get what they were trying to do, with the "we already had a pre-established (non-romantic) relationship together" thing, but there was just so few moments of bonding or anything to buy into

Was interested in seeing why he seems to be fan fav, he might just not be my cup of tea bc it was just...ok¯\_(ツ)_/¯

WHAT IS WITH THE STUPID GOLDFISH THING😭 That felt like that was supposed to be the most emotional bond moment for them, but it just felt so weak (and silly. like, "WHY should I care?") imo

Please actually SHOW there's emotional connection in these scenes? It's like, I know there's supposed to be because that's what's being told. But I felt none and it was practically only the same moment they kept bringing up over and over again, like they didn't anything else.

I would have liked to see more of Dazai's unrequited love, build more reason for me to care about the stakes and get invested in the pair

Haiji

Kinda obvious he wasn't actually kid bc they kept bringing up the whole "he looks too old to be" to not have any importance

I did not expect the direction it went

Chigasaki

This was a sweet route, I was interested in the character and why he's so apologetic and what exactly he feels guilty for

I slightly spoiled myselt from r/otomegames, liked how it went regardless

HIS HAIRSTYLE BACK IN THE ORIGINAL WORLD IS CUTE AND HE LOOKS AMAZING

I want to give this man a hug. He needs it, and deserves them all

Akase

Voiced by Saito Soma, how can you dislike?

I liked his energy

Felt a little OOC in a route or two

I honestly can't remember much from his route atm

His love for family and stuff very sweet

Really felt his hatred and anger w/ said family situation

[historia-vitae-magistras]

I am currently trying very very hard to be good and do my grad school work diligently. But then you posted and my willpower disintegrated.

He didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence. Rhys didn’t knock, he never did. Privacy hadn’t been much of a concept when they were young.

I love these little behaviors they keep and how... lived in? it makes them and the world feel. They've adapted to each new cultural norm to some extent, but some things from how they grew up stay with them. And there's also something about Rhys having this little quirk and Arthur remembering why he does that feels... I think intimate is the word I want? There are literally a handful of people on earth who'd even remember the era Rhys grew up in, and even fewer who went through it with him and would be able to connect those norms to his present behavior. IDK - point being I liked those lines a lot.

The world had long been spinning with Alfred as the axis, but a glance left, beyond him to Matthew and she let decades collapse and he suddenly had both of them in arm.

He squeezes them. Jack is so tall, warm and bundled into a sweater and unusually solemn. He’s too bloody big to hold properly but Arthur tries anyway, suddenly desperate for the certainty of the physical. But Zee he could still hold, if only barely. It was awkward, how long he held on. He didn’t want to let go. Three children in his sight, two in his arms. Three. That'd been normal once. No longer. Zee hugged him harder than she normally did, usually giving one quick and then slipping away. She knew what was in that box.

I can't quite wrap my head around what I want to say about this scene, but I will attempt.

The world's been spinning around Alfred because of actual geopolitical stuff. The British Empire collapsed and America became the center of the Anglophone world. That's a level that they as personifications operate on - politics does inform who they have relationships with and how those work. Jack and Zee aren't just more distant with Arthur and Matt because of all the messed up interpersonal stuff, but because politically Alfred is more relevant to their lives.

But that level isn't actually relevant here - whatever's going on with Alfred, it's not changing the way the world works. So this thing where they're reverting back to how it was as kids, with Arthur being dad and being able to hug them, that's purely on the emotional side. They're upset about Alfred going missing and they're falling back to the earlier dynamic, not because they've gone back to the geopolitical reality that created it, but purely because of emotions.

It's... I highly doubt I've managed to get a point across here, but it's a lot. Something about them being people with free will and individual emotions independent of what they represent, and also them being people who worry about each other and fall into old patterns when they're stressed even though the origins are fucked up and they're all fucked up too.

He jolted, seeing his second son, tall and sharp where his mother had been— His fist went down by his side. “There was some evidence—” He couldn’t quite say it.

Arthur is NOT having a good time lately. First they dig his corpse from the axe incident up, then mom appears when he's not ready for her, then it turns out Alfred's missing. And it's all connected. No wonder he's drinking so much, it's like someone sat down with the intention of crafting a scenario that would cause him as much emotional distress as possible. (Not that I'm accusing you or anything... XD) Also, I'M SO EXCITED THAT I CALLED THE AXE! I realized as I was reading that the title was definitely a clue, but whatever, I'm giving myself credit. I CALLED IT! And now I am bouncing off the walls waiting to figure out how Alfred's going to be relevant to this incredibly traumatic event in his father's history.

“He finally let them open up the back garden for a testpit hoping they’d find some old knickknacks and they found two corpses. And one’s him.” Rhys said.

Love that Arthur let the archaeologists in because he was hoping they'd do all the work to find some of his old stuff

Also love Rhys just casually explaining that this dig found two corpses and one belongs to the guy standing right there. I know their lives are weird, but that one's so weird that the casualness tips into absurdity.

Zee said more, arching her hand over his spine. He couldn't hear her words but he remembered that blow.

The description is, as ever, absolutely fantastic. I could really feel Arthur's stress and how he was getting lost in the trauma in that moment.

“You don’t have to do this.”

Arthur’s head turned sharply. Matthew was suddenly there, from nowehere. At his sister’s elbow, opposite Rhys. He’d put himself where he always been once upon a time. Between his father and his siblings. Mortar between the bricks.

Again, just... them reverting back to these dynamics is killing me. It wasn't a good thing that their "family" existed, and it sure as hell wasn't healthy (probably still isn't), but there's something about the way the world got knocked off its axis and they all fell back into it. In some ways it's sweet (because there is genuine, if very complex and uncomfortable affection) and in other ways it's unnerving because it's caused by Alfred's disappearance. They're all working together, in this fucked-up-but-very-effective unit, but there's also the constant reminder that it doesn't (shouldn't) work like this anymore and they're doing this because something's gone very wrong.

His hand went to his back and he conceded to gravity, falling into a chair. “I’ve dug up the back garden at thousand times since ten-eighty-something. My corpse hasn’t been rotting under the bloody tudor rose for a thousand years. Your brother slid out of reality and whatever that is,” He pointed to the bones. “Slid into it.”

I am absolutely hooked on this story for so many reasons. I want to know why they got swapped, I want to know why there was some kind of time delay where the bones arrived before Alfred got yeeted, I want to know how Alfred connects to that very specific trauma of Arthur's, and I am so fucking excited to see all of it play out with the Anglos trying to deal with not only an emotional situation, but an emotional situation where Arthur is one of the most affected. (And I'm desperately curious to know how Alfred fared after attempting to trade a NASA patch for a ride to the Ren fair... to a bunch of actual medieval warriors.)

This is fic is absolutely amazing and I am so glad you're continuing it, I love it so much!

THANK YOU THANK YOU SO MUCH 😭 new chapter soon I always feel rotten for answering late without having another one but 💚💚💚 thank you.

[spring-lxcked]

some notes on mr. john "jack" overton

vaguely mysterious owner who does not do public appearances (will show up pretending to be an employee or just a random person though because Ego)

very present in the pizzap.lex, which employees know, but guests never see him (they actually do, but he's quick to lie and claim he's a technician/etc)

gets away with lying about being the owner because the employees know he does this and they just figure he's a private person who doesn't like the spotlight

known for being eccentric and pretty withdrawn, but like. in a Wacky Fun Way lmao. still seems as friendly, but he's not really putting on his Classic William Af.ton Persona anymore

absolutely does not give a fuck anymore, will stab you to death without any warning just because you're alone with him and pissed him off. has only gotten better at covering up employee deaths

if you bring up william af.ton/the "stories" about the older pizzerias, he'll act like he isn't that familiar with them, but he's delighted on the inside

still has insane fashion and isn't questioned because it fits the glamr.ock vibe

long hair don't care—

not only does he make a new spring bon.nie costume (a la glitch), but at some point he like. starts feverishly working on making a new sprin.glock suit because he "has to do it"

sorry losing my mind over the idea of glamr.ock golden bon.nie. but like. a springl.ock suit. years of improving his skills making animatronics has gotten him here

"he built another spring.lock suit after getting almost killed?" we're talking about william af.ton jack overton here. also it's better built but STILL

literally has no life outside of the pizzapl.ex and his "work." will lie about this. his only thing now is rebuilding his family (or reclaiming if, for example, mike is alive)

lives in a family home with enough rooms for his kids. lives there alone. isn't there often because it's too quiet. still doesn't fully blame himself for that.

as for the pizzapl.ex being built over the PS pizzeria? shrug. without william definitely dead, i'm not sure it's likely mike would be able to move on. regardless, if the PS pizzeria exists, william DID build over it on purpose. goes down there obsessively without any real purpose because it has that connection to both michael and henry

not opposed to having van.ny kill/kidnap for him, but largely prefers doing it himself when possible

this man is teetering on the edge of sanity at all times and i'm begging you to give him that final push LMAO

glitch is fully under his control, although still a semi-sentient AI

does everything he can to hide his springl.ock scars since they're not, uh, easily explainable given how long springlo.ck suits have been out of commission

okay fun facts that are actually fun now:

has a, like, rolodex of coffee orders. was never a black coffee drinker much anyway, but enjoys the Starb.ucks experience. will pay ten dollars for coffee and then bitch about "the old days" and then order more tomorrow.

may vary by portrayal/dynamic, but generally actually likes the glamr.ocks?? like, he felt genuine sentimentality for the funt.imes, and this sort of thing extends to the glamr.ocks (particularly if he made them)

despite everything, does actually enjoy running the business and wants it to do well. i mean, this was always the case, but the man really hasn't got much else going for him anymore. something something his major goal was immortality and now he's achieved it so... what next?

definitely wants to or HAS expanded Fazbe.ar Entertai.nment beyond the Pizz.aplex. this may include other pizza.plexes, smaller chains, or just related businesses not directly managed by him

if you find a picture of william af.ton and comment on how weirdly similar they look, he'll laugh it off very awkwardly and then plan your murder

EDIT: call him jackie. do it.

[symphonyincoordination]

Hello!! Curious what your thoughts are about mail call 3?

That’s nice of you to be interested, thank you 😊 I don’t suppose they’re terribly hot takes or anything, but here you go. Since I have perpetual Klinger brain they all revolve around him I’m afraid. Essentially, this episode isn’t particularly kind to him but doesn’t seem to realise it.

It doesn’t bother that nobody believes Laverne is leaving him at first, because it true that isn’t out of line with his previous get-out attempts. But then when he completely goes to pieces at the movie and still most people…don’t seem that bothered? If um. If my friend stripped off at the cinema I’d probably at least check with them I reckon. He does get some concern from Colonel Potter and Father Mulcahy, and a little from Radar when he goes AWOL. But none of the other characters take any interest in his distress, at least as far as we see.

Now, OK, they the have their own storylines going on. But the conclusion of the episode presents things as though the 4077 helped Klinger through getting dumped and he’s happy that he has them? The family concept is specifically invoked twice, once by Radar and once by Klinger himself. He says he may not have a family anymore in Toledo but at least he has his Mash family. Which, sweetie no, famously you have a very large family at home! Who are always shown to be very supportive!

No one actually helped him through his personal crisis. He left camp still completely upset, and calmed himself down by entirely by himself. Everyone is happy to have fun with him once he’s managed to do that, but at his lowest point he’s rather left alone. And I think this episode is possibly the most shaken we ever see him (I’m sort of discounting that time he tried to kill Frank with a grenade because although it is strictly speaking canonical, it’s only his second appearance and totally out if step with how he’s portrayed in every other episode, so I feel it’s a case of them to having the character figured out yet). There may be other examples that I can’t think of, but it’s definitely up there. So it’s especially sad to me that they aren’t there for him.

It’s also just occurred to me that his getting divorced doesn’t…really go anywhere to the best of my recollection. I know it does come up again. But compare it with Margaret’s divorce, which is treated as an ongoing character arc, as much as that happened in sitcoms of that era. Which I love for her! But Klinger suffers a huge betrayal and heartbreak, and the finale of Mail Call Three treats as though it’s all resolved now, he’s fine now because he has his found family to help him through. Only they didn’t.

To be clear, I don’t mind characters being jerks to each other! However the disconnect between what the narrative is telling me happened vs what actually was shown on screen is frustrating to me. There’s also, you know, that general trend of Klinger being treated poorly especially as the series goes on. And I don’t like it because!! He’s great! I love him a whole lot! 🥰 So maybe I’m biased, but everyone should have been nicer to him. Or at least, fine, don’t have the characters be nice to him but don’t pretend that they were!

Anyway. I do like the scene between Hawkeye and Radar. It’s cute, they’re cute. As an aside, I like that Radar talks about setting up Daniel Pierce with his mum. It reminds me of how he’s keen to establish a relationship between his family and the Winchesters in The Party. People talk a lot about whether characters would stay in touch after the war. Things like that make me think Radar would make an effort to keep in touch with people, especially because we do see him write to the 4077 at least once I can think of. I also like Radar and Klinger’s interaction at the beginning, when he’s trying to get his letter. More cute!

Oh and one thing I do like is the way they tie Klinger’s mood to his clothes. He starts off in a dress, then literally tears it off when he reaches his breaking point. He stays in uniform when he’s at his lowest. And then once he starts feeling happier he’s back to dressing his best 💖 I think that’s interesting, plus extremely relatable!

[tirorah]

My picks from the June 2023 Next Fest

In June 2023 there was another Steam Next Fest, and I've finally managed to play all of the demos I'd selected.

Keep in mind that these are my highly personal picks; I mostly explored the turn-based RPG category, as I'm currently not feeling up to much direct action, brain-breaking strategy, etc. (And certain genres are so popular that some good demos will be reported on anyway.)

So, without further ado, here are the games that I liked this time around!

The setup for this one is quite straightforward: You play as one of three heroes-in-training and embark on an important quest through the fantasy land of Alteria. Pretty standard stuff, but it stands out in two ways:

Choosing your hero isn't a simple character swap; it's a perspective shift. These are branching storylines and each character has their own challenges to overcome. And because there are choices for you to make, it's interesting to see how you shape your chosen hero compared to the version you see when you're not in control of them.

This is also a very well-rounded experience. Gameplay is smooth and intuitive, presentation is great, etc. I especially liked how efficient the script is; dialogue makes sense and there are no long world-building monologues to be seen. I encountered some bugs, but those were symptoms of an early build and some of them have already been fixed.

Release date: In Early Access by now, 20% off until 12 July

Yes, this is a meme game, and sometimes you can really feel that, especially in the opening minutes. But this game has genuine charm to it. Sure, you die in one hit, but it's also a story about a wimp slowly learning to stand up for herself and work toward her dream. Crazy, but heartfelt at the same time.

As for gameplay: combat is turn-based and takes place on a grid, where each move expels one turn. The tactical challenge is to use positioning and your arsenal to bonk the enemy into submission before they can pulverise you. There's also an element of rhythm to it, as you need to time button presses to bonk your target more.

The beginning can be rough if you're not into the game's brand of insanity, but give it a shot anyway if you can. It was well worth it for me.

Release date: To be announced

A game about a time loop and the effect it has on a person. In a world that's frozen in time, it's up to Siffrin and their merry band of friends to defeat the King and save everyone. Easier said than done, though, and each failed attempt weighs on their spirit...

A really charming game, with clearly-defined characters, good group dynamics, and an arresting art style. The battle system is Active Time turn-based, but what's super fun is the damage types: Rock, Paper and Scissors. Yes, really. You need to analyse an enemy's appearances or their method of attack to figure out their weakness.

It also has a big focus on mental health though, so make sure to check the content warning section on the itch.io page before playing this.

Lastly, I should mention there's a prototype for the game, called Start Again: A Prologue. This is a somewhat short experience, basically a proof of concept that turned into a complete game. You can buy this if you're interested.

Release date: 2023

Do you like tabletop RPGs? Then this one could be for you! You take control of one of six groups of adventurers, each on a pilgrimage for their own reasons. It's up to you to guide them through a dangerous world...with your faithful dice!

I honestly needed more time with the story and characters to really get a feel for if I liked them or not, but the gameplay is, simply put, engrossing. Dice rolls play into every aspect of this game, from exploration to dialogue checks to combat. Playing this game truly feels like a journey full of potential secrets to uncover.

If you decide to try this game, be warned that this is still in development (like all of these demos). I found the UI rather rough to work with. This is being worked on and I'm confident there will be many improvements in this area.

Release date: Q4 2024

I was a few minutes into the demo when I entered my first battle. A big, red WARNING sign pulsed on my screen, and a giant robotic bee appeared out of a sci-fi hell portal. The protagonist hefted her gun, brandished her sword, and sprung into action as the battle theme started pounding in my ears. I grinned.

LunarLux is a prime example of how a strong visual and aural style can immediately capture one's attention. Fortunately, that's not all it has going for it. While the script isn't that tight and the characters seem rather standard for now, the gameplay is just a whole lot of fun.

Although this is a turn-based system, fighting involves timed blocking and grid-based dodging. And there's a factor of resource management as well; you'll need to work out how to go on the offensive without running out of MP and shield charges. This is not only essential to keep yourself alive, but also factors into your battle rating. Want an S-rank on this fight? Then don't get hit.

Oh, and you have a jetpack that you can fly around with. Just to let you know.

Release date: 2023

This one is an interesting recommend from me, as I found myself stymied by a progress-stopping bug 30 minutes into my playthrough. That's a pretty bad oversight, and yet I can't say it soured me on the game. All it did was cut me off, and that's a shame.

This one has no combat system; instead, the primary gameplay loop is about exploration. You can use your tracking skills to find animals in need and befriend them, and you can piece together clues to solve the secrets of the land.

The narrative has a rather standard mystery setup, but what makes it stand out is the setting: ancient India. This lends the game a completely different feel from a lot of other fantasy RPGs. The time period (and great soundtrack) gives everything a mystical feeling, while the location gives us oft-underutilised cultures to work with.

I want to see more of this.

Release date: 2023

Much like Luminera, I need more time with the story to see how it'll pan out; as it stands, the demo is a true vertical slice and just drops you into the middle of things while avoiding spoilers. The characters definitely have some personality to them though; I liked them.

I have no other criticisms; the game looks and sounds great, and because you can climb and swim around, there's more verticality in the environment design compared to most of the other games on this list.

Combat is smooth and fun; it's turn-based, with each of the three characters getting one action per turn, the order of which you can decide yourself. Each action you take also reduces the action counter for each enemy; deplete it to 0, and the enemy will attack. Sometimes they'll have a big attack charged up, and you'll need to hit them with certain damage types to either reduce the attack's power or cancel it entirely. You can also time your button presses for blocking enemy attacks and increasing the power of your own, but this isn't mandatory.

Finally, there are equippable relics that alter the game experience. The demo has two: one makes the game easier, and the other provides clearer feedback for timing button presses correctly. This kind of modular difficulty is great and more games need it. Especially if you consider how many of the games on this list feature timed button presses; great for interactivity, not so great for accessibility.

Release date: 29 August 2023

Last but certainly not least, it's...not a turn-based RPG at all. No, this is a visual novel. But it's a damn gripping one for me!

Your character is a newly-transferred security officer on a small ship: the JFS Gun-Dog. Your mission? Reconnaissance and backup. But of course, nothing is ever that simple; things are afoot. I don't know what things exactly, but I sure want to know! And your character's traumatic past won't make the challenges you face any easier.

There's a somewhat lengthy tour of the ship for character introduction and world-building purposes. Obviously, if you're playing a visual novel, you should expect copious amounts of words. It's just not the most elegant way to handle things. However, I believe the great atmosphere, interesting characters and narrative are worth it, and there were plenty of fun moments during that section.

Note: The Steam page refers to the main character as male, but you can choose your name and pronouns (he/him, she/her or they/them).

Release date: Coming soon

---

That's it for this particular Next Fest! Please give these demos a try if possible.

And remember: If you like what you see, wishlist the game in question! This helps out indie developers a whole bunch.

[kyogre-blue]

I’ve finally managed to finish the second playthrough of the main storyline for Liyue. It was... torturous. For Inazuma, I’m going back to afk’ing the storyline. I can’t take it. 

Anyway, I’ve been trying to formulate my thoughts on Liyue for the last few days (as I dragged out actually finishing) because it’s such a weird chapter. 

As much as I hate to say it, I do think Liyue is the worst written part of the archon quest. There are nuggets of potential there, but they are utterly eclipsed by its many, many failings. 

One thing I kept puzzling over was that... ok, so I am now on board with the rumor that the writer team changed, at least in part, between Liyue and Inazuma. (It’s even possible they changed toward the very end of Liyue’s creation and parts of Liyue were finalized by the new team, but this would be too hard to pin down.) 

Inazuma to Sumeru is very clear line. They have the exact same core issues but Sumeru seeks to mitigate them somewhat, whether because the writers are addressing the criticisms or because they had gained some experience and just tried to do better. And on the other hand, Mond and Sumeru/Inazuma are just entirely different on every level. 

But what I couldn’t figure out for a while was how Liyue fit into this because on its surface, it wasn’t particularly like Sumeru/Inazuma OR like Mondstadt. 

However, after some consideration, I do see where Mondstadt and Liyue have the same issues, and what Liyue lacked that made Mondstadt work (or at least work better). 

What made Mond work was that it centered on characters and an emotional narrative. 

Mondstadt is about Venti in large part, and Venti is eminently likeable, with a larger than life personality and lots of antics. Venti is also very deeply concerned about Dvalin, which translates to us becoming concerned about Dvalin. He is a sad child, hurt and crying and being manipulated. The story of Mondstadt is about saving Dvalin because we sympathize with him. The rest of the cast also has clear personalities and is present in a lot of what happens, further helping things.  

Liyue does not have this. There is no emotional core or drive. 

Zhongli is still present in good part, but he is never particularly emotionally involved in what’s going on. He is written to be mysterious, which means he can’t give us much to work with. Childe is similar, he’s present but has no emotional investment we can share in, just detached scheming. The rest of the cast have one scene to introduce themselves, and then vanish until the final battle. Everyone’s motivations and actions are played as mysteries and uncertainties, making it hard to care about any of them in particular. 

This means that Liyue is written almost entirely on the basis of this mystery plot, but the plot is extremely weak. There are numerous instances of things happening without logical justification, and the actual events or actions that would set up the mystery all occur off screen, relayed to us second or third-hand. Some concepts and motivations aren’t even introduced until the same scene they’re resolved in, and the stakes are entirely ambiguous and ill-defined. 

Without that emotional connection to Venti and Dvalin, the story has nothing to carry it forward. 

With this key difference in mind, it’s easier to see the smaller similarities in writing, both good and bad. 

The way politics and Fatui scheming are presented are actually quite similar. In Mondstadt, they are also largely secondhand and relayed to us by Jean or Diluc. It’s just that in Mondstadt, they’re more like window dressing and excuses for less relevant points, since the main story is about Dvalin anyway, so this doesn’t stand out as much. 

Additionally, in the rare cases where they do appear, Liyue still writes the characters in a way that imo makes them more distinctive and... defined than in Sumeru. Zhongli is certainly presented as smart and knowledgeable, but we mock him quite often and he still walks headlong into the cocogoat situation. Childe is outwardly amiable but his eavesdropping is clearly conveyed and we never forget that he has separate motivations. Ningguang’s friendliness and social adeptness is very noticeable when you keep in mind that she’s a politician and, as Keqing puts it, “would talk everything out” because that’s her forte. It’s extra funny when she does stuff like directly lie about Rex Lapis coming to her in a dream (before he actually does lol). Even the funny animal buddies get characterized when they start squabbling after Osial. 

There’s just a certain deftness to the character writing and even the plot beats we do get that I think is missing from Inazuma/Sumeru. 

However, it’s worth noting that Liyue and Inazuma both have a similar issue where the writers seem to struggle with converting their story into a game, with actual gameplay. Liyue Act 2 is basically nothing but going to an NPC, buying a thing, going to another NPC, and Inazuma is a lot of that too, especially in the beginning. Ritou was another buearocracy simulator in a long time of those. 

That said, I do regret that the writers switched. No matter what, we’d have to put up with the writing team learning and improving over several chapters, but I think it’s easier for writers to get better at doing plot than it is to get better at doing characters. So I would have preferred that they correct on Liyue’s failure to fill in the outline of its plot rather than Sumeru/Inazuma’s failure to write characters in a meaningful way. I genuinely feel that, while it was worse, Liyue at least had more potential. 

But of course, there’s nothing to be done about it. 

[gardenofbookworms]

august's monthly: from bee and rose

The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson

▪︎ fantasy/historical fiction novel ▪︎

there are candle flames, flickering constantly, struggling to stay lit in their harsh environment. there are wildfires, raging on and burning down everything in their path. and then there are sparks. sparks create fire, whether it be the flickering candles or blazing wildfires or something somewhere in between.

no one knows where the spark came from or why, but it did, and it changed the lives of everyone who it touched. rin’s spark gives her the ability to jump to different moments across the plane of space of time. her wife, odette, can heal any injury. their friend, mauve, can see glimpses of the future as it is currently set to play out. together, the three women run the circus of fantasticals, a safe haven for those with sparks. they travel across the country, offering a single night of dazzling enchantment to those who step into their tent.

the world around them is still struggling to comprehend world war i: the great war, the war to end all wars, the war when the widely feared spark made its appearance. but at least it’s over now. there can never be a war greater than that one…right?

most people think so. but one night, while the circus of fantasticals is traveling to its next destination, mauve sees something terrifying: a possibility of another war, one that will destroy the fragile home they’ve built in the circus. at the same time, rin’s haunting past begins to catch up to her. the circus king has finally tracked her down, and now, he wants her back. there is no chance he will let her escape this time.

threats surround the circus from all sides—past, present, future. and although the threesome will try to keep their home standing and its occupants alive and well, there are no guarantees in a game that traverses the boundaries of time and space. there’s no way to know that they can stop the looming war and keep the circus alive. but they have to try. and sometimes, that means going back to where it all began…

▪︎

from bee

after skimming through this book for the first time in a while, i realized how much of a nightmare edward is. he can control you? huh? huh? huh? like, he could tell you to drop dead (and didn't that happen? or almost?) and you would, no questions asked. nothing’s more fucking terrifying than having your free will manipulated like that. it’s sort of haunting the way dawson takes quiet manipulation and spins it to the extreme with edward’s spark. there’s a lot of things that rin reverts to doing throughout the course of this book because of him—say what you want, but that’s completely justified.

anyway, onto a different (lighter) topic: a circus! the gays! the minorities! and they're all a family! seeing rin slowly try to do her best in the mother role is heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. how do you parent a kid whose personality blazes so bright, like an uncontrollable fire? that’s what she has to figure out. and on a related subject: kell and charles are so fucking cute oh my god—seeing their relationship subtly progress in the background was probably my favorite part of this whole book. what do you mean he saw his face and crashed into a pole and a person? what do you mean he wanted to stay even if it meant dying? what do you mean—

from rose

the first two, three chapters of this book took me three weeks to get through. then, at some point, i ran out of other things to read, picked it up again… and holy shit, i’d underestimated it the first time. the first bright thing is set in a magical circus, which could easily make the whole plotline feel far-fetched and out of touch with reality. but dawson manages to take the people in that circus, and make them feel like any other group of people working together to try to achieve a common goal—in this case, show the audience the night of their lives. add that to the historical aspect, the forbidden romance, and the air of magic and mystery? boom, the deal is sealed for me.

and then, of course, we’ve got what bee just mentioned: the circus. not the magical part, but the complicated relationships, the gay panic, the ringmaster struggling to keep the whole thing together—they are a family. watching relationships develop and shatter, seeing each character figure out where they fit into the fabric of the circus, and all the stolen romantic moments… guys, this is what i live for. and yes, charles and kell are absolutely fucking perfect together.

▪︎

bonus: spotify playlist!

[marquis-of-writeblr]

20 Questions Writer Questionnaire

Tagged by @saturnine-saturneight

Is writing a hobby or way of life?

Still just a hobby, but I want to make it much more a part of my life. Getting off to a rough start, but this blog is part of that plan.

A journal full of writing notes or a clean, completed manuscript?

Hmm… I'd say 50/50 probably? During the planning stages, to figure out aspects of the world or my characters, I'll use notebooks as something like scratch paper to sketch things out (sometimes literally) before writing them up in digital documents. But all those notes are largely just for the sorts of things that could cause continuity errors. A character's appearance, the geography and climate of a location, etc. When I sit down to write, it's usually by opening a blank document and just writing by the seat of my pants.

Who (or what) is your writing inspiration?

Oh that's a tough one. There's a couple of authors who I look up to in aspiration, usually for stylistic reasons; Pratchett, Tamsyn Muir, Diana Wynne Jones…

But honestly? I think most of my inspiration comes from the people I think fell short. Like… "Okay, you had a couple good ideas here and there, but the overall story is just… so disappointing. Let me see what I can do with these pieces."

Oh! One work that does fall on both sides of this fence is Final Fantasy IX. Its world manages to feel so incredibly real to me, and I love how it manages to maintain an incredibly personal and intimate tone for all of its characters, even as the plot builds to saving all of reality from the manifestation of entropy (not kidding, the "Not Alone" sequence that kicks off the third act still makes me tear up). But it still has shortcomings inherent to being a turn-of-the-century JRPG, and not all of its characters get all the narrative attention they deserve. But writing a story that I can conceive as an improved version of FF9 (whatever medium it winds up being) is probably my number one writing goal.

Which is worse: someone you "idolize" reading your first draft or listening to you sing?

Probably singing? I'm not horribly self-conscious about it - I did have some lessons once (a long time ago) - but I pretty much always want people to read my writing, if only to give me feedback on what they did like, and what I might do better.

Has writing from someone else's POV ever changed your own perspective?

…Not unexpectedly. I'll actually sometimes do a little bit of writing as an exercise specifically to explore certain points of view. So like… usually, if my mind changes due to writing from a particular character's POV, I started writing with the intent to see if my mind might change. Granted, that's pretty oversimplifying of the process, and mind-changing tends to be pretty gradual and slow, anyway, but…

Tumblr, AO3, LiveJournal, or FFN?

AO3 and Tumblr. I've been active on Tumblr for years, though I've only recently started writing on it. Meanwhile, I've been reading fic on AO3 for ages, and …very occasionally post stuff to it. …I really ought to post a new chapter to my Freyatrix fic, thinking about it…

AO3 wordcount, and are you satisfied with it?

3,744 and I'm not horribly stressed about it, but as I mentioned in the previous answer, I should see about maybe hitting 5k soon.

What movie/book/fic gripped you irrevocably?

Counting games under this.

Final Fantasy IX, as previously mentioned

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

The Last Unicorn

The Locked Tomb

The Fallen Gods series by S.D. Simper

Backwards to Oregon by Jae

Heaven Will Be Mine

The Clinch by Nicole Disney (specifically for teaching me to appreciate present tense narration, which I had previously been firmly opposed to)

Carmilla and all its adaptations and spin-offs

The Harrietta Lee series by Stephanie Ahn

A Memory Called Empire

the mountain of unfulfilled potential in Warcraft has haunted me since I started writing

and a whole host of honourable mentions that I'd be listing all night, if I started

There will also absolutely be two or three things I think of tomorrow that I'll be slapping myself for having forgotten, but... alas.

What’s the highest compliment you’ve ever been given, and have you been given it?

I can't think of any single compliment I've been given, but the number of times people have complimented the flow of my writing has stuck with me.

What defines your writing style?

I think it's that flow, again, mostly. Whether it's action or description, I have a feeling I have a fairly signature way of handling it. I think I also have a knack for maintaining characterization.

Gonna pull the "I'm still new here so don't yet know a lot of people, so all of my followers may consider themselves tagged, if they wish." thing again.

[scarletwritesshit]

Hypnosis Mic ⛝ Code 45 ⛝ Chapter 3: An Odd Job

One of Jyuto's coworkers approached him at his desk and slammed a newspaper down in front of him. Jyuto looked at him in disgust, eye twitching out of frustration and built-up stress.

"Ain't this guy the Mad Trigger Crew fucker you hang out with?" he mocked, pointing to a mugshot of Samatoki on the front page.

"You think I don’t know about this already?" Jyuto snarled, not exactly in the mood for games at the moment. "I didn't come here to listen to your shit. Now scram before this cup of coffee ends up in the last place you’d want a scalding mess on your body.”

"Ey, got your panties in a twist I see? You do realize that a cop has no excuse being all buddy-buddy with the yakuza, right? Why's the little maggot’s punishment bothering you so much?"

This shit is none of his business. Why the fuck is he all of a sudden so interested?

"That doesn’t concern you, but it does concern your wife that you cheated on her and I have solid proof of your months long affair,” Jyuto snapped back.

"Hey hey now. Not so loudly. How did you even know about that?" the man desperately whispered, begging him to quiet down.

"Should I tell her for you, or would you rather do the smart thing and leave me alone?"

The man backed off and left Jyuto alone to his...quiet suffering. With one distraction gone, Jyuto continued shuffling around the evidence he had abandoned two nights ago. Perhaps it would be refreshing to once again take a look at the evidence after a short break and hopefully allow for him to finally connect the dots.

But there was nothing. All situations reconsidered multiple times lead back to the same loop of never-ending questions.

He probably should've concluded this a while ago, but the only remaining explanation was that there is still a major piece of the puzzle missing from all known facts. Jyuto cannot even begin to pinpoint a base of operations, and the cases seem so widespread and erratic around Yokohama that not even a vague pattern is present. He would absolutely have to put it on hold, especially with so much progress already made, much to his dismay. There was, however, no other choice.

He began to neatly gather up the paperwork as well as save all digital reports when the head officer approached him.

"Giving up already?" he barked, displeased with the lack of progress over the past few days.

The hell does he mean already? I've been working at this case for literally days.

"Not enough evidence. The supporting details are strong, but a crucial link still appears to be missing," Jyuto explained.

"Should've expected as much, but I thought you of all people would be able to figure it out. Guess I set my expectations too high."

Is this fucker even aware of the scope of the cases he is supposed to be handling?

Jyuto was about to give the man an earful when he was cut off before he could even speak.

"Doesn't matter right now anyways," he said, slamming a few papers on a desk. "This has higher priority right now anyways." 

Jyuto looked over at the report. The cases traverse division boundaries, which is never a good sign. Any case in Shibuya, Osaka, and elsewhere that are taken up by Yokohama’s department usually foreshadow a much larger problem.

This one was in Ikebukuro, a division which has its problems handled pretty well handled by Ichiro Yamada. So why is this case coming to Yokohama?

"A hacker has been prying into Yokohama's private business, and we've managed to pinpoint a location though the process of..."

Jyuto rolled his eyes as the head officer began spewing out some technological nonsense. He didn't give two shits how the hacker was found. That wouldn’t benefit him one bit.

What he needs to know is where his target is located.

"...right here," he finished, pointing to a very clearly colored red dot on the map. Jyuto glanced down and immediately recognized the location.

"This is the location of Odd Jobs Yamada, correct?" Jyuto asked.

"It is indeed, which is why I'm sending you to discipline those kids. You’re better suited for this seeing as you have had more personal experience with those Yamada brats.”

Is he really just sending me to be their personal babysitter?

Jyuto couldn't object. At least, not right now. Sure he could always threaten to leak the officer's involvement in the handling of drugs to the public, but was it really worth it just to be petty?

Jyuto seriously considered it, but he didn't let his frustrations get the better of him. He merely rose from his desk and grabbed the documents.

"Understood. I will set out shortly."

"Good. Make yourself useful for once."

As soon as the officer was done with his orders, Jyuto almost followed him out of the office completely, until he had realized that he had left his handgun stashed in his desk. That was one thing he made sure to never forget, not because it held any form of value, but because the punishment for being caught with a weapon is far beyond what any local station could offer. Being sent to the capitol for god-knows-what they would do to you is a thought far more terrifying than death.

He was usually far more attentive in regardless to the whereabouts of his gun, but maybe this time, Jyuto didn't want to remember it. Seeing it only reminded him of Rio, who was an expert in all things firearms and weaponry.

It wasn't helping him beat the scarring image of Rio's rotting body out of his mind. Nevertheless, he stashed the gun in his inner pocket and took off for Ikebukuro. The car ride was once again painfully quiet. He had to keep the radio off in order to be prepared for any incoming calls, otherwise, he would’ve tuned into some quiet music.

With nothing to occupy his mind, he was once again reminded of his fallen comrades.

He felt horrible for leaving Rio to decay in the wilderness, however, he simply couldn't bring himself to haul his body away without the chains of guilt weighing his ankles down. Not to mention the smell was unlike any unholy concoction he had smelled before, and the stench would linger in his car for weeks.

He would have to return eventually to give him a proper resting spot. Rather than be seen as an unfortunate victim left for the animals to clean up, Jyuto would want to honor Rio like soldier he was.

No, he is a soldier. Even if the circumstances of his death were unfortunate, he still bore the weight of Yokohama on his shoulders alongside Jyuto and Samatoki.

And Samatoki...his methods were a bit...unconventional. But he knew the streets inside and out, and kept his territory safe with his life.

He played a crucial part in defending the women who would otherwise be weary of Rio and Jyuto.

He quickly shut down any violent threats with his raw strength.

But now, he finds himself of the wrong side of justice, and his reign as king of Yokohama's streets has come to an end.

All so sudden and without any form of warning…

It was unsettling knowing that Rio could've been dead for weeks without either of them finding out.

On top of that, Jyuto simply felt empty without those two. They were massive headaches, but they bought him something to look forward to every day, rather than waking up to the same old daily cycle of bullshit. Healing the wounds they left behind was going to be an entire problem on its own.

Jyuto would have to suffer in silence.

No one else knew Rio or Samatoki like he did.

Those two were the only people he could tolerate to grab a drink with after work.

Now those days were a thing of the past.

Jyuto must've spent more time lost in his thoughts than he was aware of, because when he looked ahead, a sign welcoming drivers to the Ikebukuro division was approaching.

Hmm, I seemed to have been spaced out for longer than I thought. I'm already in Ikebukuro, he thought. He once more glanced at the map.

That is indeed Odd Jobs Yamada. Why on earth would it be linked to a hacking problem apparently major enough for Yokohama to get involved?

Jyuto wanted to hesitate turning down the street, as something felt...off about the case.

I can only assume that the Buster Brat got himself into some deep shit this time.

He parked inconspicuously, out of sight from Odd Jobs Yamada. He wasn't about to alert whoever may be in that building immediately. Jyuto was going to have to act first and fast.

If it’s anything that he has learned about computer people, it’s that they know everything.

They know what's logged and what isn't.

They know how to modify said logs without a trace.

They know how to cover their tracks.

And if the culprit even catches a hint of Jyuto's presence in the building, evidence could be destroyed with the push of a button.

The door was surprisingly easy to pry open. Considering how their base of operations was located in such a shitty part of town, he figured that the security would be tighter. It was as good of a barrier as a scrap of metal. Perhaps the security didn't lie in the physical barricade between them and the streets, but in the technological advancements that monitored the premises.

If that were true, then Jyuto really didn't have much time at all. He quietly searched every room looking for traces of occupants, until the second upstairs room he happened upon was closed, and presumably locked. He could hear the faint sounds of a rather noisy mechanical keyboard as well as an occasional mouse click.

No doubt about it, his target was hiding behind that door.

With a quick body slam, he sent the door flying off of the hinges to reveal perhaps the most impressive (and terrifying) computer setup he'd seen in his life.

12 monitors.

At least 3 desktop units.

All under the control of Saburo Yamada.