#but i would've liked to see her crystal collection...

[probablyaseamonster]

p!smp Guqqie is a rich lesbian who is canonically dyslexic and noncanonically autistic and who loves collecting crystals and I love her sm

[boneempress]

yellowjackets s2 finale spoilers~

I get that a lot of people are upset at the finale for various reasons, one of which is that Misty is the person who did...you know. Putting aside the implications for Natalie's role in the story, I want to talk about Misty because I think it was a crucial turning point for her and I think she had to be the one to do it for her story to progress.

Halfway through season 2, teen Misty learns Crystal is really Kristen and trades this for a secret that she wildly misjudges as being of equal import. Realizing her mistake, she threatens Kristen, who steps back and falls off a cliff. This death both is and isn't her fault; she didn't really mean to kill her, and she didn't actually touch her. It was an accident. She has an out. And, crucially, she gets away with it: no one else is witness to it, Kristen's body has yet to be found.

Fast forward to the hunt, Misty was the one who pulled Natalie back from trying to save Javi. I suspect she probably realized that saving the group's best hunter was the, objectively, most "rational" thing to do for the group, all else aside. (This is the first of multiple times we see Misty steal Natalie away from death before the wilderness finally comes to collect.)

So when Lottie picks Natalie as her successor, and the girls all give their own versions of fealty, Misty's is this incredibly dramatic bow that Nat laughs at. But Misty is dead serious, because I think she is taking this deadly seriously. The wilderness gave her a purpose she never had before so she trapped them all there within it, and Nat is its favorite. Whatever her reasons, I think this is the moment Misty dedicates herself and her life to Nat. It's why she looks so fucking pleased when Natalie shows up in her living room pointing a rifle at her, 25 years later.

Fast forward to Jessica Roberts. Misty tells us that fentanyl is her weapon of choice because it is legal and it looks like an overdose. Moreover, she doesn't just inject Jessica with fentanyl and fake the death afterwards; she injects the cigarettes, and she lets Jessica choose them. Because, after all, those cigarettes would've killed her anyway, a lot slower. So she does what she needs to do, but she still maintains a distance. And she gets away with it.

In season 2, several people have implied to adult Misty that she has serial killer vibes, and it seems to confound her in spite of the multiple deaths she's responsible for (that we've seen.) She goes into a sensory deprivation tank and concludes that she's a "closer" who cleans up messes for her friends - so that she can be useful to them again like she was in the woods - and she will do anything that that entails. She doesn't questions her methods or motives or do even the slightest bit of self-reflection. As horrible as the Crystal incident was for her, a part of her (like Shauna) has always been drawn to violence until it gets too close and personal to her. She was excited when she cut Ben's leg off and when she watched Shauna beat the shit out of Lottie.

So when it comes time for the hunt again, Misty has loaded up a needle with some drug, either phenobarbital or her favorite fentanyl. She will kill if she has to, for the good of the group. When Lisa threatens Nat with a gun she doesn't hesitate and goes in for the kill.

Only, purely by the good will of Natalie for Lisa, Misty misses her target, and she kills her best friend (again) instead, accidentally frames clean and sober Nat for a relapsed drug overdose, the person she pledged fealty to, the person she was willing to die for, the one person in the entire world whose death could possibly make her stop and question herself, wonder if maybe using violence to solve all her problems is a bad thing, if maybe bringing "it" back with her so gleefully was NOT a good thing. Maybe, just maybe, she will start thinking about the dark and terrible secret she hides - the black box she destroyed and doomed all of her friends with. Part of the reason adult Misty is so fun to watch is because of the delusional levels of self-confidence she possesses, and this is the one and only thing that I think could really shake her to her core. Crystal's death got pretty close when she was 17 and had a lot less armor, but Natalie is someone she has been trauma bonded to for 25 years. She gets away with it in the eyes of the law, yet again, but she knows what she did, and that she can never take it back. She has to live with it. She has to live with the worst possible consequence that playing with other people's lives could have for her.

And that's why it had to be Misty.

[unkillable-gays]

It's very bizarre that they have the whole scene of Emma (little Victorian ghost girl) asking for the boys' help, and Edwin negotiating with her, just to never mention her again!

I get that it was partly just to establish how they normally do business at their agency, before it all gets disrupted. But she's also the only reason any of us meet Crystal at all, and that anything in the show happens!

Emma is established to be manipulative and tight-fisted, but she's still willing to shell out...something to have them help Crystal, which would indicate that she cares about her. But we never see the two of them reunited, even though I'd imagine the boys wouldn't be able to collect payment until after they've solved her case.

Not to mention!!! Emma KNOWS Crystal! (Even if only a little!) When Crystal's memory is erased, and she's despairing not knowing anything about herself, why doesn't she, OR one of the boys, seek Emma out to ask her about Crystal's background?

AND none of Crystal's reclaimed memories contain any trace of Emma! Given that they both seemed to be "mean girls", they could've gotten up to some fun hijinks together! Did the writers just forget about her?

idk... I get that Emma was just a plot device, but it seems like it would've left far fewer questions open to just have her say, "some freaky psychic is acting crazy and terrorizing me/other ghosts, " rather than "please help my good friend 🥺"

[whoreforsplatasha]

Jealousy (Jinx x Female r)

Part 5

series contains- *smut, violence, obscene language*

3rd person

current story time:  8:30 am

Jinx slipped her circular goggles on and blasted her speakers full volume; she began working on her 'butterfly bombs' and took her abstracted screwdriver and dissembled some parts of it. Jinx bobbed her head at the music 'get jinxed' and  continued her creation when Silco entered her room.

"jinx" he called, she didn’t hear him and continued to work on her gold like butterfly bombs. "JINX" he repeated himself starting to lose patience, even after shouting, jinx still didn't hear him over the loud music. "JINX!" he yelled and smashed her music player with his fist angrily; "that's meee" she spun around smiling.

Silco sighed and massaged his temples. "I need you to collect some cargo from an airship in Piltover for me" "is sevika coming?" silco hesitated, "yes she w-" "i'm good" jinx replied a little too quickly. "jinx i need you to do this mission for me" jinx stayed silent. "you’re the only one i can trust to carry this out" again jinx stayed silent. He sighed again, "it would've been a great learning experiencing for you working with someone close to your age" jinx shot up at that statement. "you mean su- uh y/n will be there too?" Jinx asked enthusiastically. "yes i thought it wou-" jinx cut him off, "i'll go, what time do we leave?" Silco stood there shocked for a few seconds questioning himself of jinx's sudden agreement. "9 o' clock" jinx nodded and shooed him out.  Still processing what had just occurred Silco went back to his office to make arrangements for their mission.

                                                                                         . . .

your pov

9:29 am

"y/n you and jinx will guard the cargo on the right and I’ll make sure everything else runs smoothly" I nodded and hurried down the mini staircase leading to the bottom of the ship. I ignited my lamp and used my eyes to scan the room for any sign of possible threats. I heard whispering and the hairs on my arm stood up, I gulped. "jinx? is that you?" I took a step forward when I felt something brush my back; I shrieked. "heya sugar" I let out a breath of relief "what the hell" "did i scare you?" she pouted. "you’re so annoying" I rolled my eyes. "hm that's funny, then why do you always check me out whenever I see you?" I blushed and caught myself checking her out again. She smirked, "n-no i don't check you out ha you wish" she softly smiled. "maybe i do sugar" she walked closer, towering over me. My insides started heating up and my cheeks went red. She leaned in and so did I, now our lips were less than an inch apart. "but if you think i'm annoying i'll stop bothering you" (your fav cock blocker ;)

what the actual fuck, does she like me or not? oh no.. i think i'm falling for jinx. this makes everything so much harder

"firelights! they're here!" one of our men shouted. Jinx grabbed me and pulled me to the back of the piles of crates. She blew my lamp out and jumped effortlessly on her lift (the thing she rides on in this scene) we heard gunshots go off followed by a weird crystallization sound. Two firelights came down to where we were, holding a torch "oh no she's here" one of them said fearfully.

damn she really does have a reputation huh?

The firelight holding the torch threw it on the ground revealing the swing jinx had previously pushed with the marking BOOM underneath it. Jinx hung upside down and let the lift carry her between them while sneakily attaching 6 bombs, 3 on each. Seconds later an explosion was heard and purple smoke erupted from the trap door. I followed jinx out and she took a few steps out of the smoke. She blew her bangs out of her face, crossed her arms and put on the most innocent looking face, "hi"

jinx's pov

I caught the two bombs y/n threw and extracted both pins with my teeth, I threw them at the onlooking firelights and used my handgun to take out the rest. I saw y/n successfully shoot and kill a couple firelights, I smiled and continued taking them down. I saw the leader of the firelights pouring some sort of flammable liquid over the shimmer shipment and a masked guy ready to ignite it. I quickly ran up to him, knocked his mask off and grabbed his wrist. But it wasn't a guy.. it was girl..with pink hair.

Images and memories started flooding my head, "vi?" I was relieved that my sister was alive until I heard the voices from that day. "I can't lose you" "why did you leave me?" "because you're a jinx" my expression changed from shocked to hatred. The girl look at me confused and used my shocked expression as an opportunity to ignite the flames setting the cargo on fire. She then struggled to get out of my grip, I let her go then shot her before she could get far. "no!" I heard a voice shout, I stood there panting when I saw the leader heading towards me. I took out my minigun and began firing aimlessly accidentally shooting my crew.

your pov

I saw a few firelights headed for me so I took my own gun and shot them. Some I dodged others I attacked; I was looking for jinx when I observed her just standing there gripping unto someone's wrist, she looked like she had just seen a ghost. She eventually shot them after the damage had already been done. Silco is going to kill her.

"you should've seen it, she fired on us" sevika complained. "they're always mishaps in a battle, the firelights were her target and most are dead" silco excused. 

i- is this bitch fr. 

 "it wasn't a mishap she froze up and lost her shit, i could've handled those brats. she's a problem and we all know it" "we?" he turned his chair so it faced us. "who's we?" sevika stayed silent. "i expected more from you than void excuses, it was your job to make sure things went smoothly; you failed me" he looked at me "don't fail me again" sevika grunted and left with me following quickly behind her.

he kept making excuses for her, she's his weakness but i can't hurt her i don't want too. but it's the only way my mother's love or her's.

[camusscigarette]

Violets for Roses:

Le Prologue:

{The one where Hannibal catches a glimpse of Bedelia's old life}

TW: Fainting(?) If continued more trigger warning will be mentioned!

❦

It was a quiet evening. Colder than usual but none the less pleasant. With the flames crackling in the fireplace, eating away at the dried wood. A bottle of Champagne 'Taittinger' left open in a bucket of ice, with a tray of charcuterie well presented rests on the coffee table, barely touched.

Hannibal observed Bedelia as she holds the crystal tall glass of champagne by the flute, in-between her index finger and her thumb. She was slightly more dissociated than usual and less guarded, even in his presence and her own home. It intrigued him. She was never this dissociated nor careless. He knew her as a smart woman with wits and seductions to her ploys and her traps. She was like a Black Widow. Dangerous and Beautiful. Yet deadly somehow.

He couldn't call her a Siren because Bedelia did not play on Illusions nor did she play with her looks. She was more than beautiful and her aura radiated coldness and that is all. She wasn't a Coquette because Bedelia never offered him Satisfaction and delayed it. She wasn't a Charismatic because she showed no interest on Playing the role of a God. Showed no interest in swaying someone off their feet. No aura of sexual energy in the air. If he were to describe her as a seductress, she'd be 'The Star'.

“The Star is a fetishized object. Most people are too complex, reactive, and moody to let us see them as objects. The Star’s power is that they can become an object, and see themselves as one.” He recalls reading once.

And what terrified him about it was that..an object can be used to kill. And Bedelia had proven to him that if pushed far enough..she wouldn't hesitate to fight back and win. He has seen it with Neal Frank, and it both excited and terrified him that she somehow managed to fall into trap and give into her bloodlust. So she reminded him of a Black Widow. Easily crushed yet lethal when stung by it.

"You have a fascinating book collection" He noted, looking now over her book shelves in the living room. His eyes skimming over the book covers before they stopped on a certain collection. "You have Dostoevsky, Nietzsche and Camus all stacked by one another. Existentialism, Nihilism and Absurdism. What I consider to be the three stages of life" He chuckled quietly as he stood up and walked closer to the shelf, his fingers lightly caressing the hardcover of a certain boom. "You have them each in their respective language." He noted again, slightly surprised as he read the russian titles for Dostoevsky, the german for Nietzsche, and French for Camus. "Impressive. You speak all three?" Turning around to face her, he found her lip corners slightly turned upwards.

"I was fluent in all three. Now I can only speak French" She said quietly as a small smile graced her lips.

"I did not know you spoke Russian" To say he was intrigued is quite the understatement.

"I had a Half Russian, Half German Nanny growing up" She lied smoothly, he had to give it to her it was quite believable with the way her body language was relaxed yet her eyes held a sense of nostalgia seemingly triggered by her words. But he knew better. "She taught me quite a lot , and after she died I tried to learn more by reading Russian Literature as well as German Literature. Eventually reading Nietzsche in German was tiring enough so I replaced the books to English but the few ones I had that were in German are stored here. Russian was much easier because I spoke it more than I spoke German. And french..well..My father is french as you already know, so.. It's quite the easy language and the only one I still speak fluently in" The backstory added to her lie was the cherry on top, and he would've applauded her if he didn't want to play dumb.

"May I borrow one of your books?" He asked, picking 'La Mort Heureuse' off the shelf, a rather interesting yet absurd book written by Albert Camus. The original version of 'The Stranger' if you wish to see it that way.

"Sure. As long as you take delicate care of it" She murmured against her glass of champagne before downing it in one shot. She stood up surprisingly on steady feet, despite having had mixed wine from earlier session that day with champagne and ha d drank it all on an empty stomach. "If you'll excuse me" Her voice slightly hoarse as she walked towards the bathroom, leaving him all alone in her living room, Infront of all those books.

He began to look at each book, flipping through the pages carelessly until a picture fell from one of them and it was a picture of a woman holding a small child in her arms, Black and white, the faces barely visible but the woman whom he assumed is the mother of the babe had some similar face features that reminded him of Bedelia's. He flipped the Picture over and to his surprise..

Stalingrad, December 3rd 1928.

It read. A sense of dread filled him for the first time and he flipped the picture almost immediately, his eyes analyzing the faces as much as he could, but the picture was far too old for him to decipher a thing. He returned the picture to the book it fell from and picked another, flipping through the pages hoping for something until..

‘James,

I am writing you this letter to inform you that yet again I have given birth to a daughter. It terrifies me to the core that I had given birth yet to another weapon , once again, for Ivan to use against me and the world. I pray to our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary that he shows them mercy. You know how our world is. The Red Room won't stop until they are ontop of the world. They won't stop until their reign returns, and that itself terrifies me.

I can not decline the fact that the birth of my newest daughter didn't make me a bit happy. Natalya is excited to have a sister, and I'm considering naming her Yelena. She has Ivan's blond hair, unlike Natalya whom has my red hair. But none the less she still has some resemblance to me. I can only hope that she turns out strong like her sister, or I'll have to lose her like I lost Anastasia. In a week I am expected to return to the field while Madame Boleslava watches over the babe, and Natalya is already in training. I can only hope that one day, you and I, my dearest soldier can escape this hell hole before it'll be too late. And my worst fear will come true. The Red Room would've won and we have become slaves.

Yours faithfully,

Dahlia’

He was confused. He was more than confused as he re-read the letter once more. Who was James? Who was Dahlia? Why are they mainly russian names in this? What is the Red Room? Who is Ivan? Slaves? What does it even mean? And most importantly...What did Bedelia have to do with all of this and why does she have possession of such a thing?

His usually high functioning brain and his unique intellect seems to have given up on him, as he couldn't even put two and two together, and to make it worse, he flipped the letter again and it read.

Stalingrad, May 17th, 1939.

He closed the book immediately and put it back in place as he heard the sound of Bedelia's heels getting closer. The letter folded neatly and tucked away into the inner pocket of his blaze as he took back his seat and grasped the glass of champagne, downing a full shot of the drink as he kept the book he chose in his lap. He looked un-bothered. His body language not betraying a thing as Bedelia approached him, fixing her skirt, pulling at the hem of it as she sat back down in her seat.

A moment of silence reigned over the room before he eventually broke it.

"I never thought you to be the kind to speak multitongues" He said carefully, pouring himself another glass of champagne.

"It's nothing interesting" She said dismissively.

"Am I right to assume you grew up wealthy, no? It would explain the lavishing lifestyle you have about yourself and your exquisite taste in dressing" He couldn't hide his smirk as he eyed over her form in that Channel suit she was wearing.

A dry chuckle escaped the blond woman's throat as she offered him the faintest of smiles. "You are right to assume so"

"What was your father's work that made him the wealthy man he is?" His curiosity was getting the better of him and if Bedelia suspected a thing she did not comment on it, only offering him a raised brow at the sudden questioning.

"He was a Doctor. Neurosurgeon to be exact. He worked in France, Lebanon and Italy. He stayed more in Lebanon because during the Mid 70s till very early 90s a Civil war had broken through and he made lots of money there" She said simply, almost nonchalantly.

"So you spent your childhood in Lebanon?" He asked curiously.

"I was in a boarding school in Switzerland." She said again. Her answers to him felt overused. As if she had prepared this conversation long ago and a sense of dread filled him once more, thought he masked it pretty well.. something in Bedelia's eyes terrified him yet intrigued him more and more.

He felt the urge to reach for her.

To caress her cheek before his hand would soon wrap itself around her throat and squeeze out the answers he desired out of her.

But he knew that it was a dangerous move of him to commit. As the lies and stories she could be hiding behind her tales could be quite.. unfathomable.

Yet, his feet carried him to her and he sat besides Dr Du Maurier on the couch. His hand reaching out for her cheek, thumb caressing her under eye.

"What games are you trying to play, Hannibal?" She asked him coolly, her eyes searching his though no signs of emotions nor an upcoming reaction was portrayed on her face. Everything hidden behind her cold mask.

"Who are you, Doctor Du Maurier?" He asked leaning his face closer to hers as she did not budge."What secrets do you hide my Dearest Bedelia?" He asked again, their lips mere inches apart.

She knew that he was trying to seduce her into speaking, but she was far smarter than he'd give her credit for. Her hand rested on the back of his neck, eyes staring deeply into his, letting her grey blues portray a sign of faux fear and before she struck him.

A tight pinch to the Vagus nerve and he was out in seconds.

"Crétin" She mumbled as she pushed him off of her. Grabbing one of his arms and his leg before she threw him on her shoulders and carried him to her bed with ease. Removing his clothing and keeping him in his boxers she did a fast job of removing her own clothes and putting on a nightdress as she sat on the other end of the bed.

Tucking the gun beneath her pillow she turned to face his unconscious form before she said quietly. "Doux Rêves".

And her eyes did not fall shut.

She remained awake. Observing him. Until the Sun rose eventually.

[oneforthemunny]

i know we said before on your other blog that rockstar!Eddie had songs for his girls, but since the Zarah blurb what are Nepo!Babys songs for them?? Like slipping through my fingers is Zarahs forever. Do Sicily and Sienna have separate or was it just easier to sing to them together so they have one?

also what do we think all of the girls’ hyperfixations are? Like I love cows and lemons or something Idfk

so persephone's I feel like would be the basic kinda lullaby song like "my girl" or something I think they'd both sing that one to her because it's quite literally one of the only ones they know.

then kensington would get like "you are my sunshine" because they've expanded their horizons. nepo baby kinda sings that ironically bc kensie always cries lmao.

the twins... like they don't really get a song song like the others lmao but eddie is a big fan of singing the bridge (?) of 'enter sandman' to them where it goes "hush little baby, don't say a word. and never mind that noise you heard. it's just the best under your bed, in your closet in your head." and they love it. idk. he thinks it's funny so it works.

zarah's obv got hers not that she needed much of a song to soothe her.

vega... didn't get a song really, except like "viva las vegas" but eddie would change it to vega and she thought that was really funny.

persephone was an ocean kid for sure. we kinda hc that zarah was, but I've changed my mind it's persephone. she would totally be rattling off facts and drag them to aquariums and shit.

kensie went through a stage where she was very into collecting rocks when she was like seven. like she just wanted geodes and stones and crystals and rocks and no one really knew why lmao.

sicily and sienna didn't really have one specific hyperfixation. I feel like they would've been big into the jonas brothers for a while (which made eddie want to bang his head into a wall bc it's all they'd listen to). but they're kinda all over the place.

zarah I feel would get really into house plants and keeping them alive. for whatever reason she's really good at that. like grows her own inside and studies them.

vega has a different hyperfixation every week. depends on what she watches or feels like tbh. she wanted to learn how to cook after seeing ratatouille and eddie was like alright and then he had someone teach her lessons and she was like... yeah I'm out lmao. weirdly obsessed with true crime and shit like that... which concerns eddie and nepo baby a lot lmao.

[deouxess]

i bleed in amber

ambessa raids a city in ionia, beheads a child, and you comfort mel.

tw: beheading, gore, mentions of blood.

mel has always known of her mother's brutality. it itches in the back of her skull, the thought that she comes from a line of murderers.

the great medardas.

or so they call her family of savages. still, she doesn't let it bother her. she never thought she had to see it. she never expected to be forced to face it upfront. she always presumed that that would be left to her brother; the eldest, the heir, the less weak of the two.

she was always more of a diplomat than a fighter, even more so than her brother. the least she thought she would have to do was give the penalty of death and leave it in the hands of others. and she would've come to terms with that and the guilt it carried because such is the life of a medarda.

mel wishes she'd have anticipated the outcome.

you survey the estate's properties and damages while mel rambles on about how much she's learned of the country. you hum to indicate your concentration then give a nod to your footmen and motion them away before you interrupt her. an exhale leaves you as you screw your eyes shut to stave off the incoming headache. she's not going to like this.

“mel, dove?”

“yes?”

“what will you do under the circumstances that we have to dispose of a native?”

as chief consort, overseeing mel's education and her progress with her tutors are your obligation. so is asking rational, relevant questions like these. that didn't mean you enjoyed it. she didn't falter and quickly answered with;

“strip them of their possessions and send them elsewhere.”

she turned to you with a practiced coolness and a look of hope in her eyes, sure that her answer would please you. you steeled yourself for your next question as you drew out a breath and shut your eyes.

“what do you do in the circumstance where we must be rid of them completely?”

you can hear the wind blowing the weight of the portiere softly as the air tenses. you can tell she's tense. she looks you in the eye as she combs her brain for answers and comes up short. finally she offers an answer.

“public execution.”

with slight dourness in her tone. you both pause and for a moment, her eyes flash with something. hurt?

“I never meant to—”

“your eminence? lady medarda awaits you in the cathedra.”

you nodded and turned to mel.

“how about you head there first and i'll follow? i've got some things to finish up.”

you surmised you could give your apology another time.

you swore the whole room was gold with the way it illuminated. the crystal roof that reflected the aurulent doors were ingenious. or they would be, once the blood was scrubbed off the walls.

“he offered me a gold coin for every—”

“weapon you had collected from the fallen? we know dear, you've told that one already.”

“not to her.” she turns to you and gives you a half smirk before turning back to her second born. you could say your relationship has improved since the enthroning situation. in fact, she hasn't tried to kill you since. you stand behind her and hear mel prattle on excitedly about the image their figurehead should have. the child looks to her mother for approval with hope in her eyes as ambessa smiles down at her.

"perhaps she could be my daughter.”

she looked so shocked you struggled not to laugh.

“you would give me a throne?”

“i will give you the world child, if you prove you can take it”

your attention shifted to the door, if it could even be called that, stood two guards and.... a girl, it seemed? the wind blew heavily while ambessa seemed to ponder over her.

“what should we do with her?”

ah, a test. an opportunity.

“she won't be any trouble for us. strip her of her possessions and send her to the far colonies.”

you knew that wouldn't do it for ambessa.

“she is a symbol of the old regime. we kill her now. if we do, we spare needing to kill thousands in her stead.”

it's a mercy you suppose, only killing one to possibly save the lives of others. but it's too much for her, you can tell. mel's lithe body shakes like a leaf as she wavers and searches for something, anything to palliate her mother.

“we could show the people we are merciful.”

her voice shakes, the poor child. and you walk forward to hold her steady. ambessa walks away, and for a moment all is well as you both let out a breath. before ambessa turns and slashes the child's throat. her head falls clean off her shoulders and you hold a hand to your mouth. mel begins to shake again and you grasp her shoulders.

“breathe, schatje, breathe.”

you whisper in her ear as you hold her close. she stands stock still and lets out a squeak as she watches the blood pool, her eyes wide. ambessa turns to you both and her eyes flick in between the two of you, huddled together like frightened children.

“a wolf has no mercy.” she advises before walking off.

[plutvisual]

i bleed in amber

ambessa raids a city in ionia, beheads a child, and you comfort mel

tw: beheading, blood, gore, brutality, and shame

mel has always known of her mother's brutality. it itches in the back of her skull, the thought that she comes from a line of murderers.

the great medardas.

or so they call her family of savages. still, she doesn't let it bother her. she never thought she had to see it. she never expected to be forced to face it upfront. she always presumed that that would be left to her brother; the eldest, the heir, the less weak of the two.

she was always more of a diplomat than a fighter, even more so than her brother. the least she thought she would have to do was give the penalty of death and leave it in the hands of others. and she would've come to terms with that and the guilt it carried because such is the life of a medarda.

mel wishes she'd have anticipated the outcome.

you survey the estate's properties and damages while mel rambles on about how much she's learned of the country. you hum to indicate your concentration then give a nod to your footmen and motion them away before you interrupt her. an exhale leaves you as you screw your eyes shut to stave off the incoming headache. she's not going to like this.

“mel, dove?”

“yes?”

“what will you do under the circumstances that we have to dispose of a native?”

as chief consort (as well as the only one), overseeing mel's education and her progress with her tutors are your obligation. so is asking rational, relevant questions like these. that didn't mean you enjoyed it. she didn't falter and quickly answered with;

“strip them of their possessions and send them elsewhere.”

she turned to you with a practiced coolness and a look of hope in her eyes, sure that her answer would please you. you steeled yourself for your next question as you drew out a breath and shut your eyes.

“what do you do in the circumstance where we must be rid of them completely?”

you can hear the wind blowing the weight of the portiere softly as the air tenses. you can tell she's tense. she looks you in the eye as she combs her brain for answers and comes up short. finally she offers an answer.

“public execution. to send a message.”

she says with slight dourness in her tone. you both pause and for a moment, her eyes flash with something. hurt?

“I never meant to—”

“your eminence? lady medarda awaits you in the cathedra.”

you nodded and turned to mel.

“how about you head there first and i'll follow? i've got some things to finish up.”

you surmised you could give your apology another time.

you swore the whole room was gold with the way it illuminated. the crystal roof that reflected the aurulent doors were ingenious. or they would be, once the detritus was scrubbed off the walls.

“he offered me a gold coin for every—”

“weapon you had collected from the fallen? we know dear, you've told that one already.”

“not to her.” she turns to you and gives you a half smirk before turning back to her second born. you could say your relationship has improved since the enthroning situation. in fact, she hasn't tried to kill you since. you stand behind her and hear mel prattle on excitedly about the image their figurehead should have. the child looks to her mother for approval with hope in her eyes as ambessa smiles down at her.

“perhaps she could be my daughter.”

she looked so shocked you struggled not to laugh.

“you would give me a throne?”

“i will give you the world child, if you prove you can take it”

your attention shifted to the door, if it could even be called that, stood two guards and.... a girl, it seemed? the wind blew heavily while ambessa seemed to ponder over her.

“what should we do with her?”

ah, a test. an opportunity.

“she won't be any trouble for us. strip her of her possessions and send her to the far colonies.”

you knew that wouldn't do it for ambessa.

“she is a symbol of the old regime. we kill her now. if we do, we spare needing to kill thousands in her stead.”

it's a mercy you suppose, only killing one to possibly save the lives of others. but it's too much for her, you can tell. perhaps you should step in, calm them both down. while you ponder mel's lithe body shakes like a leaf as she wavers and searches for something, anything to palliate her mother.

“we could show the people we are merciful.” she begs,

her voice shakes, the poor child. as you walk forward to hold her steady, ambessa walks away, and for a moment all is well and you both let out a breath. that's before ambessa turns and slashes the child's throat. her head falls clean off her shoulders and you hold a hand to your mouth. mel begins to shake again and you grasp her shoulders.

“breathe, schatje, breathe.”

you whisper in her ear as you hold her close. she stands stock still and lets out a squeak as she watches the blood pool, her eyes wide. ambessa turns to you both and her eyes flick in between the two of you, huddled together like frightened children.

“a wolf has no mercy.” she advises before walking off.

fucking brute.

[silverstream2]

Related to the fragment below, but I feel like the most hurtful thing Dante could say to Modeus about the whole Urizen situation in 5 (this'd be after Dante woke up from his super long nap) would be to stay out of it (in the case below, in Nero making a decision on how to handle Vergil), "Because you're not family".

Because Modeus has all this past history with Sparda, and that effects how he sees Vergil/Urizen, and what he thinks Nero and Dante should do about it. And Dante doesn't want to hear/deal with any of it (Dante, putting a hand over Modeus' mouth and growling at him with glowing red, demonic eyes: "Keep your mouth shut. Not another goddamn word, do you hear me? Keep your bullshit to yourself."), because he spent his whole life cleaning up after his father's messes and being punished for shit his father did, he doesn't want the same for his son/Nero.

The way Modeus reacts to it, Dante could've stabbed him and caused him less pain. Modeus doesn't flinch, tho- you don't, with fellow demons. Flinching shows weakness; it just makes the pain worse. So does begging, or crying. (Sparda: "If you're going to die, face it with some fucking dignity!") That and crying draws attention- a predator could hear it and show up to wonder what the noise was. Show up to investigate and eat any injured prey.

___

WIP from Modeus' past with Sparda. Put stuff I might wanna add or that adds context in brackets:

"... and we were both so close to calling him, 'Father'. [And I wonder, sometimes, if he was ever... If he ever would've- if he had ever been close to thinking of us as-] So close to maybe [being a family]..."

But none of us said anything."

____

"Yours?" Gwen asked [Sparda], pointing back to us [Modeus and Baul]. She had been talking about her own children. Sparda paused for a beat, giving one of those slow blinks that was just a bit too off to be entirely human, like he wasn't used to only having one eyelid per eye.

"No," he said. "They're my apprentices."

And Modeus had hugged his book to his chest, and noted the weight of the sword at his hip as he shifted his weight in what wasn't quite- but that he wished could be- a flinch, and tried to pretend like that didn't sting.

___

Also just. The general concept of Sparda being the first demon outside of Baul that knew about Modeus love for the Human Realm and the humans' creations, like their books, and being supportive of it. As something more than a tool of Mundus' war, too, eventually. Someone that shared Modeus' fascination and respect for the humans, and even nurtured and encouraged it. Which is a big thing, given how much power and influence Sparda had back when he was still Mundus' right hand man.

___

Set back when Sparda was still working with Mundus, and Modeus and Baul were still working under "Lord Sparda" as his soldiers, back when Baul and Modeus were both younger (maybe older teenagers? Or the demonic equivalent of):

Sparda catching Modeus reading a human book or studying human architecture or something else the humans made, and Modeus expecting to get yelled at and punished for it, maybe even killed and eaten. But instead Sparda just smiles in a way that manages to be gentle despite the other demon's sharp teeth, and reaches out one gauntleted hand (Don't flinch. Don't beg, or cry out. All those things just make the pain worse. Go still, go quiet, those things are safe. Like a stone, something that doesn't feel anything.) to, surprisingly gently, ruffle Modeus' hair. And maybe it's just Sparda's power, but his hand feels warm. And his tone is chiding, but surprisingly warm, and kind.

"Put the book down, Modeus. You can read it more later when we get back. I'll even show you how to store it in an archive crystal, if you want. Human books tend to wear out over time, especially in the Underworld- they last so much longer if you put them in a crystal. You can start your own collection."

[hoperevive]

@halofcrged sent, [GROUND]: during a moment of intense emotional stress, the sender gently takes the receiver's face in their hands to ground them until they're calmer again.

the apothecary was closed to the public while corbin was off taking care of something super secretive. since halston had no musical obligations for the next week until her next scheduled show, she was taking care of the counter for those few select clients who'd be let in regardless of whether the door was locked or not. that meant it was the perfect time to go through all the older books to see if she could find anything that would help with her idea on fae portals.

a tome written in the unseelie language was hidden in corbin's personal collection. since she'd been given permission to use whatever was in the store, the witch didn't think twice before pulling it off the shelf and setting it at the table generally used for tarot readings.

the book opened with an audible pop as something in the energy shifted. every finger tingled at the tip, crawling up her arm like an army of ants. rather than try to shake it off, though, halston tried to ride the wave of energy.

maybe she should've waited for kerrin. or, maybe she should've had corbin unlock the contents. darkness swallowed her whole and she was a five year old sitting in the middle of a ring of mushrooms again.

helloooOOooOoooo little one.....

a hiss that still haunted her nightmares was accompanied by a pair of yellow eyes in the fog. there'd bee a smile and the shine of sharp teeth beneath the moonlight. when it jumped, though, it was a hooded figure that pushed her back onto the hardwood floor of a bar she frequented. the voice was mumbled, deep, and had her heart racing. in the depths of her dream, though, she could hear the repetition of the words found in the last letter. those same yellow eyes peered out from beneath the black cotton hood, holding her down.

and halston screamed.

she jerked awake with enough force to make her stumble out of her chair. the book, candle holders, incense bowl, and several crystals all went flying when the witch accidentally grabbed onto the altar cloth to try and stop the fall she didn't even realize was happening.

if it weren't for large, warm hands engulfing both her cheeks, she probably would've started screaming.

" i'm okay, " halston whispers with a grip on both john's wrists that clearly said otherwise. her eyes flutter closed so she can try to calm her breathing. without thinking about it, her head tilts to the side as if trying to absorb more of his touch. " i'm okay. i don't know what happened. i wasn't expecting a magical lock on the stupid book, " the witch chuckle sounded as hollow as she felt just then. " but, that also tells me there could really be something in there. just need to figure out what that is. "

[emotionallydrainedtrash]

Can I request a fluffy Joe Mazzello x fem. reader oneshot where it’s their wedding day and reader thinks back to when her and Joe met in college and how it was love at first sight? Also, after the marriage ceremony, can you include them having their first dance together as a married couple?

A/N Oh god this is adorable.

This is so cliche and a bit long so apologies in advance. 🤭

Lover

Joe Mazzello x fem! Reader

Warnings: Fluff

Masterlist + Request Info

You stood in front of the mirror, a vision in lacey, crystal white.

Your eyes fixed on your engagement ring, the memories of your relationship with Joe swimming through the diamond. It was the morning of your wedding to Joseph Mazzello and you couldn't believe the day was finally here.

As you reminisced, one particular memory came to mind: the day you met.

It was pouring down with rain at the University of San Francisco, the cold chilling you to the bone, and you forgot your umbrella. Your winter coat was doing its best to stem the freeze as you ran to your bus stop, but it was soaked through, rendering its efforts useless.

You sheltered under a tree for a moment to catch your breath and when you looked up you realized you had no idea where you were.

The rain was so dense and heavy it was bordering hurricane territory and your hand probably would've vanished had you stuck it out. You relied purely on muscle memory to move you around campus each day so now that you couldn't see a thing and had to think about your whereabouts, you were completely lost.

The sound of brakes screeching in the unintelligible distance alerted you that your bus had arrived, and you groaned when you heard the rumbling of the engine as it pulled away. So, you'd missed your bus and your only other means of transportation was on the other side of the school and wasn't set to arrive for another hour. You also had no idea where the other side of the school was at this point.

Deciding to wait under the tree in hopes of the rain clearing so you could locate yourself and eventually the next bus, you leaned against the trunk and sighed frustratedly. A few minutes had passed before you heard someone calling your name. Squinting your eyes and scanning the area, they fell on a blurred figure a few yards away.

"Y/n L/n is that you! Is there even a person there?"

You yelled back confirmation, and the figure ran towards you. You grinned when you recognized Joe Mazzello from your Film & Television Studies class holding an umbrella. I must clarify. This was the first time you'd officially met. You were working on the same degree, and you shared a couple of classes.

"Hey, I thought I recognised you. I saw you book it when it started raining and wondered why you didn't just grab your umbrella. Looking at the state of you however, I'm gonna assume you forgot it."

You nodded in embarrassment. He grinned and shrugged off the warm parka he was wearing, handing it to you and collecting your sopping wet one. Thanking him with a smile, he asked what your plan of attack was, and his face contorted in mild horror as he discovered you intended to, "subject yourself to even more of this hideous weather." His words, not yours.

"You're kidding right? I'm sorry, I know we're not too well acquainted with each other, but I insist, come stay with me in my dorm for the night. My roommate moved out the other week so there's a spare bedroom if you want it. The weather's only gonna get worse in the next half hour and is supposed to stay like that for the next 2 days. I just don't like the idea of someone out here for another hour. They're recommending people stay off the roads you know."

So, you did. You and Joe christened your friendship over pizza and study notes. He rifled through drawers and found some smaller clothes for you to wear for the remainder of your stay. You slept in the spare bedroom and awoke to the smell of bacon and eggs being cooked, grateful for the fact that neither of you had any classes that day.

It was such a simple event in your life, but it meant the world to you now. Wiping away a stray tear before your makeup artist freaked out and powdered your face down again, you forced yourself back to reality and checked the clock, hearing a knock on the door.

It was time.

Oh. My. God. Mrs. Y/n Mazzello. Every decision over the last 8 years had led up to this moment. Joe had his arms wrapped tightly around your middle while yours were fastened around his neck. The two of you swayed together in time to the music, blocking out the gathering of family and friends surrounding you.

Taking your hand in his, Joe spun you out and spun you back in before dipping you and planting a kiss on your lips. The crowd whooped and whistled but neither of you took any notice as you guided each other across the floor. When your fingertips brush over your husband's ring, you couldn't help but grin.

"What are you smiling at Mrs. Mazzello?"

"Your wedding ring Mr. Mazzello."

Joe brought your hand to his lips and kissed your own ring before pulling you close to him once more to kiss you sweetly as the song ended and your families cheered.

"Thank God for that damn hurricane."

-Sarah💛

[caranox]

Flash Fiction Friday Prompt #181: Crystallized @flashfictionfridayofficial

Crystallized Heart

Gaia rubbed down the goosebumps trailing up and down her arms. Funny how she didn't grab a jacket on her way out the door because she couldn't fathom going that far, not to mention how her running would've kept her warm enough.

But every call of her brother's name into the echoey alleyways and down dimly-lit streets of strangers only yielded frowns and snickers, like they'd all known where he'd gone and refused to tell her.

It wasn't until she heard the small splash of boots dropping into puddles behind her that she stopped to catch her breath, heaving when she spun around to face one of the very last people she wanted to see right then.

Sullen and huddled in his black leather jacket, he kept still like her own shadow with that damned red thread linking them together by ring fingers. The urge to cut it grew with every second he lingered, her blood boiling beneath her skin.

"What do you want?" she spat.

"You're looking for your brother, right?"

She hesitated, choking back the venom on the tip of her tongue--the prideful part of her that wanted to snap back and say she didn't want help from the likes of him. This was to find the one person she cared about in this world. She refused to let someone else stand in the way of their relationship again.

So, she nodded, and then he took her here.

A garage.

If he was trying to be romantic, it wasn't working, and if it was meant to be funny, it wasn't a very good joke.

The rainwater seeped in from the street, past the shuttered garage door, trailing along the cracked foundation as she bounced on her heels to keep herself warm. All while he idly wandered along the shelves, red thread dragging behind him.

What she wouldn't do to trade him for family right now.

The back door clattered against the concrete wall, and Gaia turned to take in the girl hovering in the threshold. Instead of addressing Gaia, she shot the boy an accusatory glare. "You brought her here? When you said someone needed help--"

"Please, just help her out," he said.

The girl's lips pressed into a thin line with a huff, letting the door slam behind her as she strode over to a toolbox resting on one of the shelves lining the far wall.

Don't pity me, Gaia thought as she shot the boy a glare, but he kept his eyes fixed on the other girl.

She lugged the toolbox to the middle of the garage and dropped it just outside the puddle reflecting the harsh fluorescents. A couple of snaps and she tossed the lid back to reveal a collection of crystals.

"Come here," she ordered, pointing for Gaia to stand across from her.

Gaia's sneakers squeaked as she took her place and watched as crystals were picked out and held up in the light with thoughtful frowns.

"What did you say to him?" she asked with her brows knitted together. "You reek of guilt."

Gaia's heart crushed in her chest as she recalled sitting next to him on his bed. She wished she could take that moment back--regretted the words that slipped from her, telling him to surrender his happiness in favor of what everyone else wanted.

And you had the audacity to call him selfish when you've done nothing but fend for yourself over the past few weeks.

Gaia cleared her throat, fighting back blurred vision. "I pushed him away. That's all you need to know."

The scrutiny from her fluctuated Gaia's want to lash out or drop to her knees and sob. But the girl stood, green-black malachite in hand, and held it out between them. "Take it and think of him."

Her fingers trembled as the cool stone fell into her palm. The world fell away to eerie quiet, dulling the sound of cars rushing through sheets of water and the thump of bass from the bar down the street.

All of it was replaced by a familiar voice trapped inside her mind. Please, I'll do whatever you ask. I don't have anywhere else I can go.

Pain shot through her hands like they'd been torn open, and the malachite fell, colliding with the puddle and shattering. Small, sharp pops sent her dancing back with a screech as the water crystalized in front of them, the damage quickly spreading along the trickle coming from under the garage door.

A warm hand steadied Gaia, and she ripped away from the boy's grasp. The girl, however, simply blinked in surprise.

"Well," she said. "I guess that's one way to track someone. But you definitely owe me a new malachite."

[project-xviii]

THE AWAKENING

AKT II

24 November 20XX

8:25 am

In the morning hours the trains of rail world were surprised by a beautiful display. Overnight crystals of ice had formed on the buildings and surrounding growth, reflecting the humble sunrise light. The street lamps had turned off and the only light was coming from the warm morning sun.

"It's quite beautiful, don't you think?" Victor gazed upon the crystal covered flowers.

"it sure is." Alf replied.

The two trains were on morning duty. Lately there was some ruckus recalled near their homes and they were made responsible to check If anything had gone missing.

Victor looked at the tablet he was holding and checked off sertain tasks.

"Has Mikhail brought the iron yet?"

"Yup, i saw him park it in the storage closet."

"Alrighty. And Igor? Has he brought the energy balls?"

"Yup. Genie took the Energy Balls and put them away in their own storage."

"Sweet. And what about Janne?"

"i didn't see her but i saw the fuel she brought in the shed next to maxie's wagons."

"how lovely." He put down the tablet. "That should be all for now."

Alf sighed tiredly. "We got a few calm hours before the railers arrive."

"Railers? At this temperature?"

"Sadly the cold came earlier this year then expected, which could mean that this winter might be greater than any before."

"Gosh, how bad is it expected to be?"

"Worse than it should. I overheard Gary and Jeffreys conversation about it not so long ago. They said that because of the worsened conditions we might need to collect more resources. Concidering the current weather it will be much harder getting them than usual."

Alf viewed onto the empty land. Despite it's beautiful nature, he knew deep down that it was a lie to cover an ugly truth. Victor turned to him worried.

"hey i know its harsh but we'll make it!" Victor tried to cheer him up. "We already managed to beat a deadly virus, so why should a little cold wind stop us?"

"You're right." Alf replied. "Besides, If it was a bit too much for me to handle you would've been there to help me, am i right sergeant?"

Victor was shocked at first at the comments, but soon started laughing afterwards.

"Where'd you find out i was a sergeant?"

"Oh i overheard how you and Igor we're talking about how much you miss your glory days." He answered in a joking matter.

"You sly fox." Vic commented.

"i like to see myself as one." He said as he rolled back his head, as If he was showing off his beautiful none existend hair.

They both loudly snickered as they tried not to laugh. If their laughter woke up a rather grumpy orange train, they would've been forced to shovel the snow for the entire evening.

"oh you." Victor sighed.

10:46 am

"Ugh..." Maxie held up her heavy head. She looked at her phone with blurry vision, all of the alarms she set up were ignored due to her heavy sleep.

Looking at the time she had realized that she overslept breakfast aswell, her stomach wasn't pleased.

She layed back her phone on the nightstand next to her bed, before burrying her face into her pillow.

"i should've went west..." she angerly mumbled at herself.

As she layed in bed burried into her pillows and blankets she heard her phone ring. She rolled out of bed, picked up her phone and answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Oh thanks goodness, i was getting worried."

"Sal? Is that you?"

"Yes it's me. I was looking for you in the morning but i couldn't find you anywhere. Are you alright?"

"Yeah im good." She yawned. "I came back really late yesterday and i was extremly tired from the journey."

"that's good to hear. i Just wanted to tell you that Kay wanted us to meet in the tower, appearently there's something really important he wants to tell us."

"At what time should we be there?"

"Before 11, why?"

"BEFORE 11, OH CRAP!"

"Maxie is everything oka-"

"YEAHYEAHI'LLSEEYOUTHEREBYE-"

Maxie quickly ran out her door, slaming the door shut and jumping straight onto the tracks. The rails sparked as they made contact with her wheels. And like that she sped off.

-

"God damn it." Genie growled as she read the reports.

"What's wrong?" Kay approached her.

"It's the weather. In around a month there's going to be a massive snow storm." She pointed towards the screen. On it it was visible how a massive grey cloud was howering towards their home land. In some places large red exclamations were shown, indicating that a tragedy might accure there. "This cloud has been forming in the tundra for quite a while, once it hits us we will be in quite a lot of danger. Not to mention the damage it's going to cause."

She paused and looked over the recourse records. "If we want to make it we need double the resources."

"Double the resources?!" The blue train blurted.

"Yes." she added. "What we have already is enough for 2 Months, that should last us till January."

"That... doesn't sound bad. Its enough to last us till the end of winter."

"Well yeah. The problem is that the fields will be growing resources in march and the rest will start blooming in the early april."

"Gosh." Kay skratched his head. "Thankfully we still have a month left till the great cold."

Suddenly the elevator doors swung open with three familiar faces inside. The youngest of them ran towards Kay and embraced him with a big smile.

"Kay! It's so nice to see you again!" She cheered.

"it's nice seeing you too, Selly." Kay hugged her back. His eyes then wandered towards the elevator.

"Alf! Victor! Man it's been a while!" He let go of Selly and welcomed the two.

"Yeah man," Victor answered. "So much's been happening lately, you have no Idea. Have i told you yet how a deer got a hairdrier stuck in it's antlers and was running wild with it?"

Genie stood in the back and sighed. "You literally saw eachother five days ago..."

"Ah man, i would love to hear it, but maybe later, we got some serius stuff to talk about." He walked to Genies desk and picked up a few reports.

"As you may or may not know, this years winter is going to be much more challenging than any before. Since we can't predict what might accure, we need to get more resources just in case of a tragedy."

"I've heard about it." Alf replied. "Gary told Jeff that because of the conditions we might need to get more stuff."

"That's right, however it won't be as easy as just collecting a few more Energy Balls. Genie's done the math and it turns out that we need to double our stuff."

"Double it?!" The three gasped.

"And we have to collect it in less than a month." Genie added.

As the three trains were collecting their thoughts, the elevator doors swung open once again to let out two young trains. Both were heavily breathing because earlier they were running as fast as they could towards the tower.

"Hey guys." Duck wheezed. "Sorry that we're late."

"it's alright you two." The orange train remarked.

"Did we miss something really important?" Maxie asked as she exited the small space.

"I guess," Selly responded. "So far we were told that the weather conditions have gotten much worse and that we need to collect double our stuff."

"And at what point are we now?"

"i think we are supposed to discuss a resolution now. Soooo does anyone have any suggestion how we can get more stuff in less than a month?"

Silence fell over the building. The clicking of the moving clock arms was getting louder and clearer by every second. Victor rocked back and forth, while the tiles under his feet squeeked. After a moment of silence Duck opened his mouth to say something, but he quickly realized that his Idea made no sense. So he closed his mouth and kept thinking.

"What about..." Alf started. "What if we build a few Greenhouses."

"Greenhouses? You mean those small buildings made of glass?" Duck tilted his head.

"Yup. They are often used to grew vegtables during colder seasons. If we build a few we could harvest some food before the great cold, but also during it."

"That's a great Idea!" Selly shouted. "But where can we get so much Materials?"

Genie answered. "Don't worry about the materials, i'll get them in no time, just tell me when you need them."

"i'll make the calculations and i'll try to send them to you by... Saturday, is that alright?"

"That would be great." She replied.

Genie took her schedule and wrote a few notes to remind herself to buy the stuff. As she was writteng, the red train glanced over at Kay. "Would you mind helping me build it Kay?"

"Sure i'd love to help."

"And what about us?" Duck quiered in the back.

Genie continued writting on her board as she replied. "You can get the materials for the finished Greenhouses. Basically different seeds, some big pots, bags of proper soil, stuff like that."

"Can i bring some watering cans?"

"Yeah sure. What about you Victor?"

The big lad scratched his head. "Uh... I guess i could get the soil. From what i know the best soil lays somewhere in the south west region. the journey would probably tire you out so i'll do the job for you guys."

"Oh! Oh! Me and Maxie could get the flower pots. Maybe we might meet Janne's grandma and ask her for some advice." Selly cheerfuly suggested. "What do you think Maxie?"

Maxie didn't respond. Her head felt as if it was spinning and she could barely hold it straight.

"Maxie? Are you alright?" Alf turned to her with a worried expression.

"i'm alright, just a bit... tired." she replied.

"You've been real quiet so far." Alf gently petted her head. "Is something on your mind?"

"No, no, i'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah im sure." She murmured as she wiped her sleepy eyes.

"You know were all here for you if you want anything."

Maxie nodded as a response. She was angry and tired. Tired because she hadnt slept enough and angry that she hadn't taken a different road backhome. She remembered the icy rails and the snowfall the night before. She remembered the empty land and the conversation with Janne. That's when something popped back into her mind.

"Well... There's one thing that im a little worried about."

"What is it?"

"it's the Monster."

"MONSTER?!" Selly shrieked. "W-w-what Monster?"

"Y'know, the monster from the roaring mountain."

"The old war zone?" Victor elaborated. "I've never heard about a monster being there. Sure there happened a lot of messed up stuff but im pretty sure there was no literal monster. How did you even come up with that?"

"I didn't come up with it, Janne told me about it. I wanted to take a shortcut but she stopped me before i could."

"You tried to go through the old war zone?"

"Y-yeah," she embarassedly stuttered. "B-but it's empty land anyway, so theres no way something bad would happen to me."

Vistor sighed as she finished telling him that. He came forward, kneeled before her to come to her level and explained: "Maxie, i understand that you are very brave and that you are willing to take on anything, but you really shouldn't go through that zone. Sure it looks very safe and calm but you should take note that wars had taken place there. Beneath the surface are massive murder weapons and mines that could severely hurt you, and i don't want that. So please, don't go there anymore."

Maxie looked into his sad blue eyes. She didn't want to make her friends so worried. They cared so much about her, it would shatter them to know she was gone. Never in a million years would she ever want to hurt them like that.

"Okay." She nodded.

"Thank you." A sigh of relief formed on his face.

"And even if that Monster attacks us," Kay sung out. "We'll always be right besides you, right guys?"

"Yeah!" Duck exclaimed. "Once i enter the battle, the Monster will scream like a little girl! High pitched screaming "

Laughter broke out between the friends and they couldn't bring themselfs to stop. Even Genie who was mostly grumpy had let out a chuckle. Duck continued to dance in the center presenting how he would fight while holding a toothbrush for a sword. Soon he aswell started laughing at his presentation.

"Alright Boys." Genie calmed herself. "You should get going, the railers are going to arrive soon."

"You're right, you're right." Alf and Victor were still collecting themselfs as they walked to the elevator. "See ya downstairs."

Soon enough Duck and Selly also managed to control their laughter. They bid farewell and drove to their destinations. As Maxie was leaving to find a task, Kay catched up and asked If she was willing to help him rescue a few animals stuck beneath the snowy blanket. She happily agreed. They bid their goodbyes to Genie and they were on their way.

In the evening after a hard day of work, both the trains and railers admired the beautifuly lit homes. While the trains were working some railers decorated houses with golden and silver lights to enlighten the atmospehre. After all the stress and hard work, the little surprise was very appreciated.

23:06 pm

Far away from the warmth and safety the trains lived in, deep in the core of the unwelcoming mountain, a glutonous soul was kept behind walls of grey steel. Their prison had become a home of their suffering and agony. Hundreds of crows that they so deeply cared for were picking the bones of the corpses that had fallen before their massive frame generations ago. Their tiny friends would smash the bones with their beaks and claws into tiny splinters that they could easily carry. They than fluttered towards the beings jaws, and shoved the shards inbetween their teeth. Due to the heavy muzzle that was wrapped around their head they could neither eat nor see. Despite the ravens kindness they still remained hungry. Gallons of saliva and blood drooled from it's mouth, coating their muzzle and chains.

Its body and legs were wrapped in spiked chains that had dug wounds into their flesh, refusing to let it heal or scar up. Their arms were swinging above their head which were cuffed to massive stone pollars. These were covered in a shield of ice, making them look like glacial figures.

Their heart was extremly powerful and determend to live. Despite their starved and near death state, their heart beated loudly like a massive bell in an abandoned church.

As the sun fell behind the hills, the beings tiny friends flew back to their nests, preparing for another night of dread. most of the nests were build inside the pillars, however at this time they were unsuited for their rest. So with no fear or hesitation the crows hopped onto the beings shoulders and cuddled themselfs onto their neck, forming a soft and feathery scarf. The being calmly tilted their head and nuzzled their snout onto them, tenderly warming them with their affection.

As the moon rose up the being hummed a soft tune that silenced the birds and drifted them to sleep. They soon felt how their mind was dazing off aswell, allowing them to escape their agonizing prison for a short period of time.

And so the cell was filled with loud silence with only the creature's hearts beating being able to hear, as it echoed through the mountains build and escaped into the night...

[the-consequence-of-imagination]

I need to learn how to mod because I wish I could have both Lucretious's dress and Mamzell Amira's circlet, but afaik neither are available in the vanilla game OR in any existing mods, and folks like AnteMaxx who have mods adding items to the game get enough requests as it is, so I would feel bad adding onto that.

I also want to add Kay's hourglass ring, which should be considerably easier since it won't require dealing with 3D stuff. I need to figure out the story behind the ring though in order to decide the enchantments for it. I originally went with it just being enchanted to cast Toll the Dead, but I think I want it to be more... significant.

One of Kay's parents was a clockwork soul sorcerer, so maybe the ring is an heirloom? In which case, any enchantments should be based around time (unfortunately, the spell list for Clockwork Soul doesn't seem to have any particularly fitting spells, but they can take from the wizard spell list anyway).

Or maybe Kay made the ring herself during her time in the Crystal Spire, in which case it would probably only have cantrips/low level spells on it, but the "theme" would predominantly be time but there can be some necromancy in there too.

If she received it from The Raven Queen upon the sealing of their pact & of dubbing Kay as "The Horologian" (I've gone back & forth on whether she had this title before or if she got it from RQ, but based on He Who Was & a letter I found after killing him mentioning another Shadar-Kai with a phrase for a name, I think I'll go with the latter), then it would lean more toward necromancy with a side of time.

I'd like for her to have a circlet with a time theme to it, since her armor is death themed, so maybe the circlet is the heirloom?

She definitely received her armor from RQ. Given that RQ is a common choice for Hexblade, it would make sense for her halberd (I originally was going to go with a greataxe, but I like the look of the in game halberds more than any of the axes) to be from RQ as well; and even if Kay had a weapon before (she never really fought anything before, so any polearms or axes she collected were purely for decoration), it would've been accidentally left behind like her spellbook. All she brought with her was whatever was on her.

So! If her armor and halberd are from the RQ, then they can have the necromancy theme. The circlet & ring are from before the pact; the circlet can be an heirloom from her mother (a clockwork soul sorcerer, & protector aasimar) and the ring could be something she made while at the Crystal Spire. (Briefly considered the ring being from her father, a grave domain cleric of Kelemvor & tiefling that I haven't decided if he's descended from Mephistopheles or Dispater, but her looks take more after her father unlike me irl & with her stuff from the RQ, having the ring be from her father would feel unbalanced).

With that decided, I need to decide what effects these things have! Unfortunately, there is no cohesive list of time based/themed spells (they're scattered across the different schools of magic, though it seems there's more in transmutation that any other?) so I'll have to dig through & make my own list. I'll also look at the effects of vanilla items themed after necromancy (as well as the necromancer ring from Mudd's Rings). Idk if I'll do anything with the other slots; I like the gloves from the Basket mod having a teleportation spell, but if I find vanilla gloves with effects I want, I might see if I can copy those onto Kay's bracers.

[unprofessional-bard]

Don't Push It, Pt. 1

Unprofessional Bard's Masterlist

Part 2 (1/2)

Based on this request.

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female!Reader

Warnings: Age gap (the reader is 26 and Joel is 53), a lot of teasing/sexual tension, implied romantic feelings.

Summary: It's been going on for years. They both know better than to act on their feelings, but patience starts running thin when a few boundaries are crossed.

Word Count: 5.280

Author's Note: Okay y'all so I am a whore for Joel with long hair and I unintentionally made this into a fix-it au where Joel is alive. Also, the reader is going to have some OC characteristics to fit the scenario better. Finally, this fic changes POV's a lot, so I'm gonna clear that up:

• ----R and below: The reader's POV.

• ----J and below: Joel's POV.

• ----B and below: Both POV's.

The fic starts off with Joel's POV.

Enjoy!

gif credits: nikolai-stavrogin

"Hey, Joel," Dina called over to the man sipping coffee on his porch.

"Mornin' Dina," He replied as his daughter's girlfriend walked over to him. Her baby bump had grown a little more and it never failed to put a smile on Joel's face.

"There's a little trouble with the patrol today," She said. "Jesse won't be able to make it to patrol with (Y/N)."

Shit.

"And they're askin' me to fill in?" He sat up a little.

"Yup, Maria told me to ask you if-"

"No problem, sure, I'll do it." He spoke nonchalantly, then asked if Jesse was alright. Dina told him she wasn't sure, that it must be something important for him to miss patrol, which made Joel nod: "You told (Y/N) too, or...?"

"No, but she's gonna be there regardless. I doubt that she knows."

"Alright, thanks Dina," Joel got up and she smiled in return before walking over to Ellie's place.

It was wrong. By the lord it was wrong, but he couldn't help it. You were fierce, confident, determined and disciplined; qualities he came to appreciate in time, but a bit differently only when it came to you. He shouldn't want you, an unknown source in his mind kept telling himself, but he did. He didn't know why, he never found himself being attracted to a woman your age, yet you had him under your spell. Oh the things you did to him...

Worst part was, he couldn't have you, whether he liked it or not. Nevermind the fact that you were too young for him, you probably didn't want him anyways- despite the crystal clear signals he got from you. It was just how you were, though: A little physical and perhaps a little flirty, but he could just be confusing that with your confidence.

Or he could be overthinking everything.

Joel readied his backpack, but realised there was still a little more than an hour before the rendez-vous, so he decided to head over to your place to tell you about the news to kill some time. After he made it there and knocked on your door while calling your name a couple of times, which were left unanswered, your neighbour curiously looked over the fences and called over to Joel: "She left a while ago... For the gym, I think."

"Thank you," Joel smiled politely and earned a wave from the lady in return. He took his time as he walked over to the gym. After he arrived, he looked around for awhile to spot where you were, but when he found it, the sight almost made him choke.

There you were, ankles crossed as you pulled yourself up and chin over the barfix with closed eyes, a frown and a clenched jaw. Sweat laced the sides of your face and Joel's eyes wandered lower: You were wearing a sports bra and matching shorts which hugged your frame tightly and the sun was shining directly onto your muscles, which the lord himself carved out and were also sweaty, but Joel didn't care - it made you look more attractive, if anything. You let out a huff and lowered yourself down, while he tried to collect himself. He didn't want to disturb you so he decided to wait until you finished...

...but you didn't seem to be finishing any time soon. He didn't want to look like a creep as he stood there and waited, so after you did another pull up and let yourself down, he cleared his throat.

----R

"(Y/N), here you are."

Had you not been already hanging, you definitely would've fell when you heard Joel's voice reach your ears. You opened your eyes to see him slowly approach you, his stupid thumb stuck in behind his stupid belt.

You hated it: You hated finding this man attractive and you hated your guts for occasionally flirting with him - him, who probably would never look at you the way you looked at him. He liked you, of course, he enjoyed your company but not the way you wanted him to. You hated that you had a crush on this man, who became even more gorgeous as he let his hair grow over the last few years, you also hated how he neatly parted it to the left.

Patrol with him was both a treat and a curse at the same time. You got to spend time with him, which made it a treat, but when you watched him- saw him in action, how aggressive he was, heat started to pool between your thighs. He was so rough and precise as he was smart; he always knew what to do under any circumstance, so you almost never worried when you went out with him. He made you feel safe, praised you and played with your heart when he responded to your flirting and nothing came out of it.

You hated it because your little "crush" on him was pathetic, for someone as confident as you. Sure, you teased and flirted with him, but one praise as simple as you did well today and you'd be melting on spot. You even tried to get with other people to distract yourself, to no avail. They weren't Joel.

None of them could ever be Joel.

"Good morning!" You said with a high pitched voice, reflecting your struggle to keep yourself up.

"To you too," He chuckled at your state and watched as you pulled yourself up slowly. "Hey, listen. Jesse ain't gonna make it to patrol today so I'm fillin' in for him."

----B

The way you faltered a little didn't escape him: "Why? Is he okay?"

"I dunno, but I'm sure he is. Something important must've come up," Joel informed you, not wanting to worry you as you seemed to care about him. A lot. Ugh.

"Tsk," You breathed out and closed your eyes to focus on keeping your head above the metal bar.

Joel then spoke again: "Yeah, I was just here to let ya know."

"Okay, well-" You exhaled audibly and suddenly let yourself go. The force of the action sent you flying a little and it almost made you bump into him: "Woah, oh, sorry-"

"Woah there," You both chuckled at the same time. Joel held you by your elbows to help you balance yourself and your heart rate picked up pace when you realised how close your face was to his chest a moment ago - the chest you wanted to get your hands on: How muscular was he? How many scars did he have there? How would it feel to run your fingers through the hair as you ro-

"Uhm, yeah, as I was saying," You snapped yourself back to reality and took a small step back, disappointed by the way his fingers let go of your arms: "I'm done here, just need to do a couple of stretches, then head back and take shower."

"Right. Well, I'll see you at the gate, then?"

"Uh, sure, yeah."

You didn't know what else to say other than stay. You wanted him near you and around you, you wanted to show off to him and you wanted his attention, so you had to think quick.

Joel didn't want to leave either, even though you were going to spend the whole day together. He still nodded and turned around to leave. It was then, when a brilliant idea crossed your mind: "Actually, Joel?" He turned around, gave you a soft look that made you want to run up to him and kiss all over his face. "Could you help me with my stretches?"

If he'd been drinking or eating anything, he most definitely would've choked: "Help you?"

"Yeah," You flashed a smile at him. "It's simple, you just gotta press me down and keep me in place." The widening of his eyes, puzzled face and his tense posture made you shy. "Eh- Normally, Jesse helped me with them."

True. Some stretches required someone to push your body to its limits - when you worked out alone, you stuck to simpler stretches, but right now, you needed a reason to have him by your side.

Joel was torn between leaving, like a responsible person who knew when to walk away would. He was responsible, yes, but his moral compass was thrown out of the window whenever you joined the picture. So far, he wanted to think he was handling his emotions well- by not acting on them and not talking about them.

Now, however, it was as if he was facing the last straw. He had a few boundaries left to cross, and this was one of them.

"Plus, I'm a bit tired to do them. Will you help me?"

Lies. All lies.

You'd been doing these stretches for long enough, even though you'd worked hard, you weren't tired at all. Joel thought this to be the case, so he tried to go around it: "You sure? I mean, how're you tired?"

"I've been training like hell this morning," You settled on the mat. "I don't wanna do these stretches, but I have to. I'm not in the mood to pull a muscle today."

That was good enough for him really: "'Kay," He sighed. "What do you need me to do?"

Your eyes glowed in excitement before you faced forward and explained: "Im gonna lean forward, like this-" You extended your legs forward and lowered yourself down. "All you gotta do is press on my back and stop me from moving away for a few seconds."

A few seconds which felt like five minutes, truth be told.

As soon as he touched your bare back, you sighed, then forced it into a hiss. He immediately retreated his hands, thinking he hurt you, pushing the ludicrous idea that you might have moaned away immediately.

His hands were big and a little cold comparing to your skin which was on fire after the workout, but you'd be lying if you said you didn't do that on purpose. You straightened up and looked at him with an innocent smile: "Your hands are cold."

Not cold enough to make you react like that, obviously.

Joel offered an awkward chuckle from the back of his throat: "You're gonna have to deal with it, missy."

And deal with it you did- barely. Christ, that was a bad idea, your worst one yet. To have his hands on your bare skin, pressing you down made your cheeks burn and mouth hang open as he kept you in place. You almost didn't hear him when he spoke, too busy trying to comprehend the size of his hands and how they'd feel around your throa-

"How many of these do you gotta do?"

"Uh, dunno," You blurted out. "Not too many."

Joel was partly glad, it felt so wrong yet it was just a simple act of help you could've asked from anyone. After 20 seconds of staying like that, you straightened. You went into a head-to-knee position and gave him an okay to press you down again.

You switched to the other leg after half a minute, but you were running out of ideas. There weren't any positions left that you could use his help with, so you played one last card to ruin him: "More."

"W-What?"

Good riddance.

"Press a little harder," You pretended to focus and tried your best not to smirk, knowing you had him where you wanted.

"Oh- hm," He cleared his throat and pressed a little more down on your back. If your plan hadn't backfired and made you almost moan through your teeth, everything was going accordingly.

Joel went to pull back, but stopped when you added: "It's been a while since I did these..."

Christ.

"That enough?" He slowly retreated his hands and stood up, watching you lean up where you sat.

"Yup, that'll be it," You smiled and blinked a couple of times. If Joel had known better, he would've thought you were making him do that, then being all cute on purpose-

It was going to be a long day.

----R

Patrol with the older Miller went as normally as it always was. Part one usually went like this: Meet up at the gate, get your rifles and horses, ride out, reach checkpoint one and sign your names. The road to checkpoint one didn't have any trouble, it usually never did. It was more quiet between you two than usual though. Had you gone too far?

"So, uh," You said once the two of you mounted your horses again. "You coming to the dance tonight?"

"What?" He snapped his head in your direction, looking clueless. "What dance?"

"Well, not a dance exactly but- you know what I mean?" You started riding. "The adults only event?"

He looked really distracted, a bit tense even: "Oh, right. You know those ain't my thing."

"I know," You nodded with a soft smile. "But I haven't seen you in any event ever since you decked Seth."

"Decked?" Joel chuckled bitterly at the memory.

"He deserved it, and more, that prick," You rolled your eyes, making him chortle.

"And nobody managed to shut up about it for the whole month," He sighed with a gorgeous yet tired smile on his face which you managed to see just in time. "So, no thanks. I'll pass."

"Aw, come on," You whined. "You can't avoid coming to these events forever. Please?"

He gave you a confused look, his smile slowly disappearing but not in a bad way: "Why?"

A good question. Oh, no reason, just wanna try and make a move on you, quite possibly jump your bones if it all goes well.

"I wanna make sure you haven't lost your ability to socialise." You offered.

"Really? Why, you're my momma now?"

"Ew, no," You both laughed. "Can't I be sure my friend is alive and well occasionally?"

----J

Friend.

A word that made Joel stop and think.

You saw him as a friend, huh? Two people, with clear sexual tension and an obvious age gap between them- Friends was an awkward description for him, but it was better than nothing.

He opened his mouth to reply, to insist that he was indeed alive and well, but you stopped him: "You know what I mean."

The conversation was making him a little distracted, he noticed, so he decided to keep his mouth shut until you reached checkpoint two. You didn't press him on, which was also a delight. That's another thing he liked about you: You knew your bounds- in patrol anyways. Or maybe it was because you got to know him well over the time, knew what he liked or not.

Part two went quieter too- infected and conversation wise. Not even a single runner was on sight as you swept through the small cabins and houses. Except for the occasional clear's and nothing here's, you didn't say anything else. Joel itched to talk to you, about anything to break the silence, but he was too lost in thought.

When you finally made it back to Jackson, you finally spoke up: "So? You coming?" He chuckled, mostly out of relief, then you added: "I found a new outfit, I wanna know what you think."

That caught Joel's attention. With a curious smile, after handing over your horses, he asked: "What outfit?"

"You'll see... If you come." You smirked, your close proximity making Joel's heart race.

"Don't get your hopes up," He sighed with a small grin and tucked his thumb behind his belt, the other one gripping the strap of his rifle.

"You're the worst," You punched his shoulder with mock upset, making him chortle and stumble a little to the right. "Anyways, I'll see you tomorrow then."

Joel remained quiet, then you walked away with a soft smile gracing your lips. The words sunk deeper than he would've liked, a sudden wave of guilt soaking his guts with regret, even though you didn't sound disappointed or upset. Lips pursed, he watched you hand your rifle to Peter and sign off, then leave; his steps coming to a halt as you did.

He just might check out what was up at the dance tonight, if he could successfully move himself out of his comfort zone in the following few hours.

----R

"Well well, look who it is," Tommy grinned when you approached the doors of the pub. The night had settled across the sky by the time you stepped outside your place. The sound of music and chatter of the people from inside filled your ears.

"Yours truly," You smirked. "It's crowded in there huh?"

"It sure is," Tommy said as he turned around to lead you inside. "Adults only events tend to attract more people, as y'can guess. Don't you look pretty today."

"Why thank you." You smiled playfully: "For no one, but myself, at that."

You lied through your teeth. You had dressed up in the silly hope that Joel would actually show up. You had been planning on it ever since you came across the item wrapped around your hips in an abandoned clothes shop a few weeks ago, and this event was the perfect excuse for you to wear it. For him.

"I ain't sayin' nothing!" Tommy raised his hands up in defense. "Figured that much, haven't seen anyone catch your interest in a long time."

Ha. Nice.

The atmosphere was lively and the air was warm, full of energy. Chatter and dancing went about the packs of people scattered across the space, but you couldn't see Joel, much to your disappointment - you weren't surprised though. What surprised you was Jesse suddenly showing up.

"Where's Ellie and Dina?" You asked after a while of teasing him about missing patrol.

"They decided to stay behind, I guess." He shrugged.

"What can I get y'all?" Tommy smiled, suddenly appearing behind the counter. Without waiting for an answer, he filled two glasses and pushed them towards you. You and Jesse looked at each other for a brief moment, before knocking it back at one go. "Woah there..."

A round of laughter later, you felt someone's presence behind you, then they tapped you on the shoulder: "Hey, (Y/N)!"

Much to your disappointment, once more, it was a boy named Mark. He was a year older than you, had no features whatsoever matching Joel's prettier ones and he took an obvious liking to you, which in truth you didn't appreciate, even though he wasn't weird about it or anything. You faked a smile and turned to him a little: "Hi."

"Good to see you," Sure. "How, uh, how are you?"

"Busy, actually," You pointed at the glass Tommy was refilling for you.

"Mind if I join?" He made himself comfortable on the stool next to you.

"Yeah. I do." Your smile never faded but your words were laced with poison.

He looked between you, Tommy and Jesse, mortified at your answer: "W- Heh, well, would you wanna dance later, then-?"

"No, I don't." You spoke calmly and turned to face Jesse again, only for him to move to tap you on the shoulder, which Tommy stopped from happening.

"Why don't you go home, huh?" He grabbed his wrist firmly, but not hard enough to leave a bruise of course. "The lack of oxygen in your brain's clearly stoppin' you from understandin' a word as simple as no."

You looked over at the younger Miller, a stern look on his face which seemed to make Mark piss himself. Suddenly, an even deeper voice was heard behind the boy: "I advise you to listen to him, son."

You turned completely in your seat to see Joel grabbing Mark by the shoulders, making him jump, then remove him from the seat carefully. Mark's legs were quick to oblige, making him walk towards the exit, but Joel held him in place: "A-ah, what do you say to the lady?"

"I'm s-sorry, (Y/N)," He nodded quickly. "I'll never disturb you again, I promise."

"Good boy," Joel patted him on the back, which sent him running to the door. Your cheeks were suddenly burning and you couldn't help but smile shyly.

"Tsk, what a jackass," Tommy nodded disapprovingly as Joel took the now empty space next to you.

"You decided to show then, huh?" You smirked at Joel.

"Yeah, figured you'd break someone's wrists and make 'em eat it," He chuckled, tipping his head at his brother in a greeting -God he looked so handsome, was that a new shirt?- before he continued: "Decided it'd be a shame to miss it."

You giggled and lightly pushed at his arm, almost immediately feeling the muscles underneath the rolled up sleeve of his blue shirt: "I'll take that as a I came because you asked and I listened for once." The exchange, obviously, didn't go unnoticed by his brother and Jesse, which made you sit upright suddenly: "Tommy was the one who was gonna break his wrist anyways..."

"Nobody gets to disturb anyone here, especially right in front of me," He said and slid a glass to his brother.

Jesse joined in: "I doubt it, but should he ever-"

"Aw, you guys are spoiling me," You grinned and waved your hand down, pressing the other onto your chest.

----J

You looked beautiful. You were wearing a plain, dark green, mid-thigh, flare skirt; which could pass as a miniskirt, but Joel was no fashion expert. You always did come up with the rarest clothing items (like your sports set that morning), so he wasn't surprised that you happened across the skirt. You also had a simple, white, v-neck t-shirt on- which all in all was the reason you left Joel speechless: You could be wearing something as simple as these, but you'd still look so damn pretty.

A few minutes later, after Jesse and Tommy disappeared in different directions and you were finally left alone, Joel spoke up: "Is this the-"

"What made you-" You gave each other a brief look before chuckling: "You go first."

"Ah, I was gonna ask if this was the outfit you wanted me to see," He said, briefly looking down to point at your skirt.

He watched you run a hand through your hair and bite your bottom lip before answering: "Yeah..." You got up and stuffed your hands in your pockets, which made Joel's heart sizzle. "What do you think?"

He gave you a genuine smile: "I think you look beautiful."

The shock on your face made Joel panick a little, but when you offered a shy little smile, he relaxed: "You- Really?"

He gave you a single, slow nod in acknowledgement, his smile grew bigger when you beamed at him and offered him a quiet thank you, then sat back. You were staring hard at your glass, clearly avoiding his gaze and he found it rather cute, but didn't comment on it.

He was looking forward to chat with you, after all, you were the reason why he showed up, but you were unfortunately dragged away by a couple of friends, Jesse included...

To dance.

An upbeat song he didn't recognise started playing, putting you and another boy, Mick, to action. Everyone backed away to give you two space, then started off with what seemed to be something you'd been practicing for a while. You mirrored each other's moves, it was similar to some folk dance he'd watched way before the outbreak, but it most definitely wasn't a folk dance. Your arms linked occasionally, hands on your hips as you crossed each other's legs with fast movements and other types of moves Joel couldn't name if he tried, but it was organised and fun to watch. It wasn't intimate, too, just a silly little dance as you called it minutes later when you finished and walked to the bar for a drink. You didn't stay long, though, just downed your drink, winked at him and went back to the stage where you and Mick (but mostly you) stole the show.

It went on for two more rounds, to the point your t-shirts were absolutely soaked and your legs couldn't take it anymore. Joel had a particularly hard time in his seat, watching your skirt float around your thighs made him feel embarrassed with himself. Tommy even went as far as to tease him about his constant squirming, but a glare from his older brother was enough to shut him up.

The last dance finished off with you in Mick's arms, leaning back in his hold and closing your eyes with laughter. Everyone clapped you both, which earned you a kiss on the cheek from Mick- which you returned. Joel's jaw clenched unintentionally, even though you and him didn't appear to be more than friends.

Stop. Stop it, you idiot.

He couldn't care less about these types of things, drama about who's dating who and whatnot, but when it came to you he naturally grew curious.

He watched you, eyelids struggling to keep themselves open as Jesse led you and helped you onto the stool, next to Joel once more. You huffed and giggled, eyes closed with sweat droplets on your forehead. He couldn't help it when his smile grew wider at your tipsy state.

What he didn't see coming was the sudden hand on his thigh and your back against his arm, letting your head drop onto his shoulder as you let out a brief laugh: "Never let me dance and drink at the same time again."

Joel didn't know what to say, he quickly looked around for Jesse only to find him already gone and a couple of people staring at the both of you. With a rush of panic, he responded: "I don't think I'm the one you should say that to, darlin'."

Your hand and the rest of your body immediately retreated when you jumped at his voice: "Joel?!" You looked a little embarrassed and he couldn't help but smirk. "Uh, where's Jesse?"

The question almost made him scrunch up his face, but he patiently waited until the end of the conversation, which was after you've walked away to find the boy in question and he was alone with his own thoughts... Jealousies...

"He dropped you off and went over there, I think." Joel nodded to the direction he thought Jesse went off to - he didn't see though, he was too busy focusing on you when your fingertips had brushed somewhere dangerously near his crotch.

"Huh," You stared around to find him, but Joel figured you were too intoxicated to actually see that far. "You need to stop wearing the same clothes."

He raised a brow at that: "You tell him that."

"Oh I will," You grinned mischievously and suddenly grabbed Joel's glass of whiskey from his hand, then downed it at one go before he could intervene.

"Hey!" He tried to grab the glass from you but you leaned back. "I think you've had enough for the night."

"Says who-?" You pouted and at the very same time, lost your balance, realising that you leaned a little too back. However, Joel caught you; one hand on your arm, the other on your waist and he pulled you back - he didn't know if you did it purposefully, but you practically fell into his body: "Oh! I'm sorry-" You laughed, not looking sorry at all. "Thanks, Joel," You purred, extending the 's' and the 'l' at the end of each word as you grabbed onto his biceps. "You saved me."

"Pfft," Joel couldn't help but let his hand linger on your waist as he made sure you stood in place. Your eyes met when you lifted your head from his chest - the meaning behind his hazel gaze and your own was similar and it lasted for what felt like a whole minute, while in reality it was no longer than a few seconds.

You finally let his arms go and he took it as his cue to remove his hand from your waist (which, for a moment, felt like it had been glued there): "So... You enjoying yourself, old man?"

Joel sighed through his nose, amused at how the alcohol in your system was slowing your speech, then went back to how he had been sitting before you came. Just when you asked, the smooth, familiar tune of Ain't No Sunshine started playing. After all the excitement, a slower music felt nice: "Sure. You?"

"Oh I sure am," You nodded and leaned back against the counter with something of a triumphant smile.

"I can tell," Joel replied, then without turning his head, side eyed you. His stare later on moved down to your skirt. "Why'd you get all dressed up for, really?"

"Huh?" You blinked, not processing if he was asking what you thought he was.

"I, uh- just never took you for the skirt type."

"Is that so?" You asked, eyes widening. "Well, just trying on a new outfit..." You looked down and bit your lower lip, making Joel's heart skip a beat. He mentally kicked himself for not leaving right then and there and continuing to talk to you: "There's actually another reason."

"Hm?"

"There's this guy," You turned towards him, placed your arm paralleled across his on the counter and leaned forward a little, pretending to look around. His fingertips scratched against the wooden surface of the counter at the mention of this guy in question. "I don't know his name, but maybe you do?"

He just raised a brow when you looked at him innocently: "He's a bit old, around this tall," Your hand went back and forth in the air as you tried to size the man's height in your mind. "Has pretty, long, graying hair with an also graying beard... A little scar on his nose," You looked at him and leaned in a little more, invading his personal space but not touching him, then pointed at the exact spot on your nose and it was then, Joel realised, that you were indeed describing himself. "He's wearing this blue shirt and, honestly, it would look better on him if he opened another button or two."

I know, I know

Hey I oughta leave young thing alone

But ain't no sunshine when she's gone

He wanted to counter, tease you back, lean down and taste your lips, then place a kiss or two on your neck and bite it softly just to hear you moan quietly into his ear- he also needed to get his shit together, as much as he wanted to do all of that.

He couldn't quite believe his self control when he leaned away from you, especially since the tip of your noses almost touched and he felt your hot breath on his lips. He cleared his throat and quickly looked around to see if anyone was looking- no one had seen the rather intimate interaction so he spoke: "I don't know who that is."

The disappointment on your features was like a knife twisting up in his guts. You blinked a couple of times, but didn't lean back: "S- Sure you do..."

"I don't," Joel insisted, his voice stern. "Maybe you should look for someone else."

Your disappointment turned into embarrassment and anger, making you frown and lean back: "Excuse me."

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone

And this house just ain't no home

Anytime she goes away

And with that, you got up and stormed away, leaving Joel wanting, aching and ashamed.

Anytime she goes away

Anytime she goes away

Anytime she goes away

[pain-suffering-even]

alright, but what if Jin-Woo revived the sword guild members?

what exactly would happen? he probably would've kept Min Byung-Gyu if Baek didn't ask for him to be spared, so its not a stretch to assume he'd try and revive Goto + the others. What would happen?

And more importantly... how would Reiji + those who survived react?

Jin-Woo's made humans into shadow soldiers before - Iron is one, and Byung-Gyu was nearly one. so it's clear turning or reviving humans isn't much of a moral issue to him.

i could see Jin-Woo turning Goto because he's relatively strong, and Jin-Woo has the option of making his shadow soldiers stronger, so Goto would be a relatively good investment as monsters in gates usually aren't as strong as him. i could also see him justifying turning Akari, as she's a skilled healer, Kei because they're a mage, and Ippei cause he's an assassin. the rest, while regular fighters, are also pretty strong - so, if he's already turned those four, he'd probably turn Kenzo, Mari, and Tatsumi anyway.

... but Jin-Woo is a relatively high profile hunter. and he's smart - he knows Reiji and the others think the rest of their members have died, and all hell would maybe break loose if they found out Jin-Woo was using them as his soldiers. so he'd probably just use them inside gates and such, maybe tag a few onto the shadows of others for protection.

he's not totally heartless. would he maybe eventually come clean to Reiji about the nature of their friends? it's not like Jin-Woo can let them roam free, as he's their leader/king/liege/etc but he could probably pull a few strings and allow them to protect their old friends by staying in their shadows. and i can't see Reiji getting too furious with Jin-Woo at keeping this a secret; we saw Choi, Baek, Lim and the others in the Jeju raid react to Jin-Woo's powers and ultimately think yeah, turning off the camera was a good idea, because reviving the dead is sort of... an odd power.

but then, we see how Iron/Kim still has a bit of a personality as a shadow solider; and Byung-Gyu, for the few seconds he was a soldier, had his own drive, as Jin-Woo commented on how he didn't even need to give him an order to start healing Cha Hae-In. so... would the draw sword guild members... still be the same, perhaps?

how would death treat Goto? i can't imagine his competitive nature completely dying out, but maybe he's got less bloodlust, or more of a caring outlook on the lives of his members? or, would he care less about them? honestly i like to think he'd get more mellow; a lot of his problems are gone now, and his sole purpose as a soldier to listen to Jin-Woo, whose orders mostly consist of 'kill these monsters' 'protect these humans' 'stay in this persons shadow' 'do not try to kill Beru' 'collect these mana crystals' 'Goto this is the last time i ask you to not kill Beru' and so on.

we didn't get to see much of the others personalities, but! would Kei's ability to smell mana go away, as it's a human trait? or would it become manageable in some way? because now that Kei is essentially made up of mana/shadow, i'd imagine they eventually... get used to the smell of mana? and, with Akari as a healer, could she have the ability to heal the other shadow soldiers, or would they not count as they aren't human? would Jin-Woo thus only keep her on hand for any injuries his family/civilians suffer?

also, this isn't important, but i wonder what color they'd glow as humans, and in general, how they'd look. it seems to be blue for all of them, and doesn't seem to change like Igris' color, unless their color just changes when Jin-Woo makes them strong enough... so would Goto glow purple? and the rest blue? and, since it seems Iron and Byung-Gyu kept what they were wearing when revived, it means they'd all forever be outfitted in their raid uniform for the Jeju raid, and Kei would be stuck with their gas mask as well. Akari would come with her battle axe, too. would she and Iron be axe friends? ae enthusiasts?

would Goto invisibly lead the draw sword guild, maybe? i said before they were very useful summons, but we know Jin-Woo keeps the cream of the crop on hand and the rest as fillers in his army + soldiers to keep in others shadows to swap places at any time. so would he eventually allow Reiji, Minrou, Kanae, and Atsushi to permanently reunite with them and keep them in their shadows? and, thus, would Goto somewhat go back to a normal life? is that even possible? honestly, i personally like to think so. maybe he can't eat, or not have any human needs, but Beru was an ant, yet he enjoyed history dramas; so we know it's possible for them to still feel joy and happiness. Goto might be a little different after time spent as a shadow soldier, but he'd still be a tad bit human.

... anyway. this is woefully long, but i'll end it here. this has been brewing in my mind for a hot second and i needed to get it out. i still have more ideas but i'll simply add on later.

please!!! share any of your thoughts! i tried my best to keep these things in character or so, but i wouldn't mind y'all going wild with this idea or adding your own thoughts. i really was debating adding some stuff between Reiji and Goto but for now i'll try and keep it sorta realistic. i do hope you enjoyed!