#but lo and behold I had an adrenaline wave that kept me up just long enough to finish

[thevegetablewhichnoonedaresname]

MAY 6TH, 2023, 2:37 AM: FREEDOM

*for a week, yay for summer classes

[peytons-place]

⌜‧ ˔ ✧ʾ Is that LIANA LIBERATO walking down the streets of Blackrock Cliffs? Oh no, it’s just PEYTON MURRAY-JONES, a TWENTY-ONE YEAR OLD CISFEMALE that works as a BABYSITTER/HOSPITAL INTERN. She has been around for TWENTY ONE YEARS, ELEVEN MONTHS, AND TWENTY SIX DAYS and she seems to be PERCEPTIVE and COMPASSIONATE. Someone said she is also SHELTERED and INTROVERTED.⌟

hi hi hello! ‘tis i, your friendly neighborhood spider-rach, and i am so excited to introduce you to my bae, peyton. she’s currently one of my go-to muses to write, so i’m excited to bring her to all of you! if you’d like novels, please feel free to read her (very long) bio, but also you can find a bunch of info about her under the cut! also please like the thing/reach out if you want to talk connections/plot because i am such a sucker for plotting kaycoolbye

CW for Chronic Illness!

Peyton Ava Murray-Jones definitely belongs to the “looks like a cinnamon roll & is also a cinnamon roll” grouping (though i would actually call her more of a neutral good than a lawful good but that’s besides the point)

She was home-schooled through her senior year of high school but this past May she graduated from UC: Santa Cruz with a BS in biochemistry

She’s was on a pre-med track & will be taking the MCAT in the early spring in preparation for med school applications

She currently has an internship at Blackrock Hospital and babysits Ches Elswood’s tiny human ( @cheselswood​ )

She’s also studying & trying to get a jump-start on her applications & trying not to burn herself out because that’s definitely happened before but what are the chances it’ll happen again?

But I am #gettingaheadofmyself !!

Peyton is the daughter of two Blackrock natives who were both Blackrock High alums

Her parents are also one of the #tokengaycouples in Blackrock & like...they’re just a lot basically

Phoebe (mom #1) loves music more than like anything & runs Murray’s Music Shop in downtown Blackrock

Stella (mom #2) is always chasing an adrenaline rush from some sort of adventure whether that’s white water rafting or skydiving etc.

Peyton’s younger sister is named Reagan

Reagan is a genius & I mean that literally

She is basically a mathematical prodigy & at six years old was doing math far beyond the level of her ten-year-old older sister

She is sassy and blonde and great -- like think an older version of Mary from Gifted pretty much

Peyton has chronic lyme disease

She contracted it at age 3 when she & her moms camped out for a night in Colorado during a road trip

The whole camping thing was unexpected & also Peyton was three & it’s hard to tick check a three year old & it was flu season so like...basically the symptoms went unnoticed because no one really thought much of the fever and fatigue

But when Peyton’s hearing practically disappeared overnight her moms knew something was up & lo & behold Peyton had that telltale rash on the back of her neck

Peyton still gets waves of exhaustion/fatigue (especially when she’s stressed and overworking herself) but really the only symptom that has been constant since diagnosis was her hearing loss

Peyton wears hearing aids but she doesn’t love them; though it was great for college lectures when she could connect them directly to professors’ microphones, they don’t do so well during normal conversations where everyone is talking all at once, & they can get uncomfortable

Peyton is fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) & English (because that was her first language) but has a preference for ASL just because its easier for her to understand & the vibrations of her own voice in her head while she’s got her hearing aids on just makes her really uncomfortable

If Peyton is ever talking to someone who doesn’t know sign language/doesn’t have someone around to help aid with interpreting she can/will talk to people, she just doesn’t make a habit of it when she doesn’t need to if that makes sense?

She’s really good at reading body language, like she’s fluent in it, just because a lot of work she has to do in following conversations has to do with facial expressions & body movements, not to mention ASL is a really expression-heavy language

Peyton’s also pretty good at reading lips. She can’t do it from all the way across a room or anything, but if some random person is facing her, speaking clearly and not at too fast of a pace, Peyton can pick up maybe 60-70% of what’s being said. With people she knows well, that percent can increase to almost 90%, but it also decreases when people are mumbling/not facing her/speaking too quickly

Basically, in times of chaos, Peyton appreciates being kept in the loop via ASL if possible

Peyton’s moms are complete helicopter parents -- even though Peyton’s turning 22 in five days, she has less freedom than a typical high schooler and it’s no bueno

The fact that winter 2018 was one of the worst seasons for Peyton since she was diagnosed with chronic lyme probably didn’t help, if anything her moms are more hesitant to let her be an actual young adult

Peyton’s really just trying to take things one day at a time but her plate is overloaded and she’s stressed because she just wants away from her parents and out of Blackrock

(Here’s hoping that, one way or another, she realizes there are oh-so-many reasons to stay)

Wanted Connections include: Anyone who knows ASL/wants to learn ASL (bc cute plots are cute), childhood next door neighbors and/or family friends who Peyton would have actually seen during childhood (she didn’t get out of the house much), crushes (mutual or non-mutual; can be any identity of human bean bc Peyton #lovesall), an internet friend (kind of meta i know but peyton was totally the kind of person to keep a blog), maybe someone who works at the Murray family music shop so she knows them because they work with her mom? basically i’m connection trash please come love me & my babe!!

[azurella-blog1]

Wires: Chapter One

Jughead Jones x Reader

Prologue | Chapter Two | Masterlist

Summary: A heinous act has transpired in Riverdale. The sudden, calamitous fall of a beloved Blossom member. And you’re tangled up in it. You being associated with the ordeal has a major effect on the way things play out. People - specifically cynical loner Jughead Jones - are gradually becoming more and more skeptical of you so you’ve got to play your cards just right. But at what cost?

 You groggily stared back at your reflection in the small makeup mirror you were using to examine yourself with from your warm bed and squinted at the sad sight of yourself. Just as you thought, you had dreadful eyebags due to not being able to sleep last night, the adrenaline of the first day back to school was much too distracting for your mind to relax. You were incredibly nervous. But who wouldn’t be? You gently reminded yourself.

 You gave a long yawn, stretching your arms far out and reluctantly pulled yourself off the bed and from the safety of your blankets. You were a little out of it at first but you quickly managed to regain your balance. The once dark chilly room was now lit up with sunlight gleefully gleaming from the windows. It was slightly cold without being huddled up in a blanket burrito, but the light that found it’s way onto your back was delightfully nice and warm.

 Must’ve been a pleasant morning.

 You began to stumble towards your closet before throwing it open and carefully started picking out a well put together outfit for your first day. Something casual but nice, nothing too flashy.

 You slowly got dressed, still a bit hazy minded from just waking up but nothing some hot coffee could fix. At the mere thought of coffee, you immediately perked up and hurriedly managed to pull your socks and shoes on.

 You made a quick stop by the bathroom, brushing your messy hair out, styling in a certain way you liked and put some makeup on until you decided you looked decent enough. You glanced at the time on your phone, 7:20 AM. You were immensely relieved upon seeing that. You had plenty of time to pour yourself a hot cup of coffee, walk to school and put everything that you needed to in your locker.

7:40 AM.

 The air outside was pleasantly warm and the wind was a bit chilly just as you had expected. You didn’t live far from the school, thankfully, so it wouldn’t be much of a walk.

“Yo!”

 You blinked and turned around at the sound of someone calling your name. You were greeted with the sight of a dark haired girl excitedly running towards you. You abruptly stopped walking, waiting for her to catch up to you. When she did, she bent down, placing her hands on her knees and panting. “Oh my,” She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before propping herself back up and faced towards you. “God.”

 “Hello to you too, Marcy.” You raised an eyebrow at her with a small smirk and started walking again.

 Marcy was a close friend that you had made last year. She was a tall and lanky girl with tanned, sun-kissed skin. Short, choppy black hair and chocolate brown eyes. Said girl walked along aside you but strangely enough, didn’t say anything. Instead, the taller girl stared at you with an unreadable expression. But judging from the way she was holding herself and the way her fists were slightly clenched along with her eyes being narrowed, you could easily tell she was upset with you.

 “What is it?” You sighed.

 “Hey, hey - what?!” She yelled in confusion, dramatically throwing her arms back. You gave her a pointed look and her shoulders slumped. “I-I didn’t even say anything.”

 “What is it, Marcy? You can tell me anything.” You gently pressed, genuinely curious to know what was wrong. She frowned, staying silent for a moment, gathering her words you presumed.

 “Well.. It’s just, uh,” The taller girl paused, biting her lip. You both pushed open the doors to the school together, the doors shutting behind you two with a soft click. “Y-You never answered any of my messages! Me and Eve were really worried bout you, y’know? I mean, especially considering everything that’s happened..”

 She trailed off and your heart ached but you kept a neutral expression etched across your face.

 Fuck.

You never intended for Marcy to get worried about you. That was the last thing you wanted. She didn’t need to be. You were perfectly fine.

 As you arrived to your new locker, you stopped and turned towards her with the biggest smile you could manage. “I’m fine, Marcy. And I’m sorry for ignoring you. I was incredibly busy over the rest of the summer, you understand how my mom is.”

 There was an awkward silence as she stared at you in shock for a few brief seconds.

 You stared back at her, unsure of what to do.

 Suddenly, a bright smile came upon her features. “Alright! Apology accepted. I gotta blast but don’t let your mom overwork ya too hard, okay?” Marcy firmly told you, her hands on your shoulders.

 “Okay.” You nodded, smile still intact on your face. She curtly nodded back, letting you go with an “Alright, alright! Catch ya later!” before she spun herself around and strolled off. You stared at her retreating figure until it disappeared amongst the small crowd. Once she was out of sight, you immediately allowed the smile drop off your face and let a deep sigh push its way past your lips. Shoving the things you needed for your new locker out of your bag and into said locker proved to be an easy and short task.

 You organized with the place of things neatly until you were completely satisfied with how it looked and slowly flickered your exhausted gaze down to the schedule placed in your hands. You clenched your fists, the paper easily crumpling up slightly underneath your harsh grasp. Algebra was your first hour. Of course. What a great way to start school every morning, you thought with a small, bitter frown.

You neatly folded the paper back up and placed it back into your pocket for later use.

7:58 AM.

 You chose a seat that was on the far right side of the room but towards the front. You could easily view people but still see the board and such fairly well which you were pretty happy with.

 A small wave of other students entered and found their own seats, all you could recognize except for one. A stunning girl with soft looking pure black hair that reached down to her shoulders. She had an expensive looking pearl necklace wrapped around her neck and she was dressed quite elegantly. Her eye makeup was amazing, you had to admit to yourself. That eyeliner could kill a man. A new, rich girl moved from a big city, you concluded. But for what reason? Family issues perhaps? She did have a certain aura around herself, something she was hiding.

 You brushed it off.

 Whatever it was, surely you’d know it by the end of the day. This school was known for gossiping and you’d catch wind of it soon.

 “You any good at algebra?” You blinked in confusion, turning your attention to your right and it was indeed the new girl talking to you. She had chosen the seat to your right much to your surprise.

 “Sort of. It’s not exactly my area.” You smoothly answered, eyeing her.

 “Ah, I see. I’m more of a Shakespeare kind of gal myself.” You glanced down at your notebooks and indeed, your very own copy of William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ was peeking out from underneath. She was observant, you noted. Which was a trait you could definitely admire. You briefly entertained the idea of telling her that no, it was not yours but you decided against that. “I’m Veronica Lodge, me and my mom just moved here in Riverdale from New York.”

 You hide a smirk of victory and instead, you simply nodded and told her your name in return.

 “Did you grow up here in Riverdale?” Veronica questioned, placing her head in her hands as she gazed at you, curiosity gleaming in her dark brown eyes.

 “Yes. Both of my parents grew up here as well.”

 She opened her mouth to reply, only to be interrupted by the bell loudly ringing, reminding everyone that classes are beginning. The teacher started doing a role call and you couldn’t help but feel somewhat disappointed.

 Veronica Lodge seemed like an interesting person.

3:30 PM.

 The last bell had just rung, everyone was buzzing about, either eager to meet up with their friends or to just go straight home. You were apart of the latter. With a heavy sigh, you shoved your science textbook into your locker before none too gently slamming it close.

 “Are you going to the back-to-school dance?” Lo and behold, you were greeted with the sight of Veronica Lodge and Betty Cooper. When your eyes meet with the blonde, you swallowed back your nervousness and glanced back towards Veronica. Veronica Lodge, who’s father had been arrested due to being convicted of fraud and embezzlement so her mother decided to move back into her hometown along with her daughter.

 “No. Not exactly my area,” You repeated your very own words from your last encounter. Veronica chuckled at your blunt response and uncrossed her arms, letting them hang loosely from her sides. A sign of relaxation, you observed, she was relaxed in your presence or just plain confident. Maybe both. Could just be high hopes though.

 “Well, if you do decide to go, me and Betty,” She turned towards Betty with a grin and Betty gave a nervous smile back before they both looked at you again. “are going to be there and we’d both love to see you.”

 “You should totally come!” Betty insisted.

 “Maybe.” You didn’t plan on going.

 “Veronica! Betty!”

 Your stomach dropped.

 You recognized that voice. And judging from the tense expression on both Veronica’s and Betty’s faces, they did too.

 Cheryl Blossom strutted up to Veronica and Betty with a sickeningly fake smile plastered across her face. The two girls shared a look before smiling back at the red head.

 “Oh-! I didn’t notice you there.” Cheryl pretended to just now notice you and faced you.

 “How are you holding up?” She asked you in fake concern, Veronica and Betty may have bought the act but you sure didn’t. Cheryl has always been so easy to read. Ever since you were kids.

 You didn’t say anything.

 “Wait, what do you mean?” Veronica frowned in worry. You didn’t like that look. You didn’t want anyone’s pity.

 “Oh, don’t you know?” Cheryl tilts her head and raises her eyebrows in mock surprise. “Her and Jason used to be the best of friends.”

 Veronica slide her gaze from Cheryl to you in slight shock and Betty avoided your gaze. She knew, you realized. That was bad. Very bad.

 “I don’t see why that should matter seeing as that is common knowledge.” You didn’t meet her eyes. Just like Betty had been doing with you. This was your first mistake, you realize. Signs of weakness, building up her confidence and ego.

 “Well, Veronica is new here, isn’t she?” She shot back without hesitation, crossing her arms over her chest and taking a step closer to you.

 “I still don’t see how that information would be of importance to her.” You refused to back down. You knew you were right.

 “I think it would be of great importance to Veronica to know,” Her voice was rising with every word and you could feel your chest beginning to tighten. You knew what was coming. Second mistake. “To know how you and my brother ba-”

 “Cheryl, that’s enough!” Veronica grabbed the red heads arm and glanced back at you in immense concern. The rising panic was clear across your face. That mask had broken.

 “Sorry, I-I’ve gotta go.” You pushed past Betty, mumbling out another apology.

 Everything started feeling blurry and unreal, as if reality itself had began to slip away from your grasp. You felt out of control. Nothing felt right to you at all.

 You shoved the girls bathroom door open and barely just had the strength to see if anybody else was there as well before you fell to ground leaning against the wall, letting out quick, shallow breaths.

 You let out a choked sob and punched the hard floor with your fists, not caring about the hot, blinding that shot up your arm.

You wanted nothing more than to disappear at that moment.

[tsaritsaa]

Flares

Gladio x Reader

Summary: A test subject of the Niflheim empire, you escape their clutches with a handful of young women in tow, racing towards Insomnia in search of a better life only to discover it in cinders. With magitek on your tail, you fear there is nowhere left in Eos for you to hide, when you stumble across the men that would bring peace and light to the nation once more.

Word count: 3,709

Chapter One: Someone’s Out There

                                       The fire's out but still it burns                                And no one cares, there's no one there. . .

Your foot collides with the side of the truck, sending sharp shooting pain through your toes as you let out a cry of frustration. You’d broken down in the middle of scenic nowhere, utterly exposed out in the open. A giant piece of Niflheim machinery in Lucian territory would raise questions and incite investigations from BOTH parties, neither of which boded well for you or your party ( currently huddled in the depths of the stolen vehicle ) It set the hair on the back of your neck on end, as if thousands of eyes had been fixated on you since you had fled your captors.

For weeks you had traveled cross country, following desolate winding roads, through ghost towns to reach your destination, and for what? To break down right at Insomnia’s doorstep? It was laughably unfair, and indeed a harsh bark escapes your lips as you limp around to check the smoking engine once more. It had been too easy, gone too smoothly. It was only a matter of time before something awful occurred. Lo and behold, the moment had arrived.

You knew little about automotives, confined with your sister and a handful of others in labs where you were prodded and injected and drawn from like animals. It was a miracle you had gotten as far as you had, relying on half forgotten memories for information. Smoke, however, you knew for certain was never a good thing. Nor was the odd spark that flickered through the white plums, or the odd hissing that accompanied it.

With no one to ask for assistance, you could only pace furiously beneath the late afternoon sun in fury, swearing under your breath all the while. One of your companions – Valora – had poked her head around the side of the truck moments earlier, asking in dour tones if you needed any help. She was more qualified than you to be handling any sort of machinery, given that she had been a part of their enemies infantry her whole life. With a sulky shrug shoulders you had stepped aside to allow her room to poke around beneath the hood.

“It’s shot.” She called after several seconds, coughing as she was engulfed in fumes. That much seemed obvious, but still, you had hoped you were wrong.

You scrub your face with the palm of your hand, turning your gaze from the ruined truck to the impossibly blue horizon. It would be getting dark soon, the bright yellow of the sun was already bleeding into orange. You had learned the hard way not to be caught out in the open at night. Your blood turns to ice at the thought of the monstrous creatures that had materialized out of the shadows. You’d heard their terrible howls in Zegnautus Keep from the cell they had kept you in, ghastly noises that chilled your blood and haunted your nightmares. You had never seen them at  their full capacity until you had fled, until one of them had descended from some void amid flames. With few weapons at hand, facing them was out of the question. You had only slipped away with what you could carry; and with two children in tow, it wasn’t much.

“What do we do then?” You call over your shoulder as Valora slams the hood shut with a grunt.

“Dunno… I’ll scout ahead and see if anyone can give us a hand.” she told you “If not I’ll steal a car and we continue that way.”

You nodded absently, a frown creasing your brow as you watch her haul one of the guns out from beneath the front seat. A jolt of anxiety shoots through your heart as you watch her retreat through the brush. Splitting up in any measure never sat well, regardless how well the pair of you could look after yourselves. You could not look after the others by yourself, nor could she. There was no point stopping her though, her determination was nearly frightening, and she was right . You needed help.

With a heavy sigh, you plop onto the ground by the front tire, resting your weary head against the rubber. Less than thirty minutes out in the open and you had already begun to burn, the telltale ache settling across your face and neck. Yet another grievance to take up with the Astrals, you think as you dig booted toes into the dirt.

Better you than your sister though. The moment your mode of transportation had come to a sputtering halt, you had ordered she and the children into the back of the rig without a second thought. Marina argued long after you had slid the door shut behind her, uncaring that her bellyaching fell on deaf ears. She was pregnant , and far along at that. One of your many motivations to reach the sanctity of Insomnia as soon as possible, fearing the simplest actions might induce labor. After several minutes of peevish muttering, she had quieted and chose instead to keep their two charges occupied and quiet. 

Six year old Agatha and two year old Levina were the only other captives you had managed to free on your way out. You had overheard of their abduction, so similar to yours how they had been cruelly ripped from their family to be trapped and experimented on. It weighed heavily on you that you could not rescue more from the clutches of the empire, that they were still rotting behind iron bars or twisted into something far worse.

You did what you could though with what little time you were granted. That had to count for something, right?

A shout sends you tumbling back into reality with a sickening crash, nearly hitting your head on the side view mirror in your haste to get to your feet. Cautiously, you peer over the hood of the car, eyes narrowed through the smoke. Some fifty yards away you could make out a handful of shaded figures ( none of them bearing Valora’s familiar figure, thank the Six )  They appeared to be fighting some strange four-legged animals; lithe ferocious ones you could not recall seeing before.

Your heart was still pounding madly in your chest as you waved a hand to clear the smoke. Was that the direction your companion had ventured though? Was she in trouble? You didn’t waste time pondering it, ducking once more behind the car to riffle around for another stolen gun.

Before your fingers manage to close around the grip, you are viciously tugged backward, flung several paces before landing in a graceless heap in the dirt. The force knocks the breath from your lungs, cutting off the cry for help that had formed on your lips as a beast descended on you. Jaws snap inches from your face as you flail helplessly beneath it, razor sharp fangs catch on your palms sending droplets of  blood raining across your face, into your eyes. The thought of your sister coming to your aid intensifies your struggling, unwilling to put her in harm's way should she deem it necessary to step in and rescue you.

You roll to your left, trying to catch the animal unawares, and you think it works for a second.  You have the upper hand as you fight to keep all appendages out of its drooling mouth. The severity of the cuts you were receiving didn’t bode well. Potions were the only thing you had run out of almost instantly en route out of Gralea, leaving the girls no choice but to avoid confrontation at all cost.

The creature refused to let up, snarling and clawing at your exposed arms, determined to make a meal out of you. It seems to relish the taste of your blood, whetting its appetite as is beared down harder. Droplets of sweat had broken out across your forehead and a cry of pain escape your lips as teeth hit bone. You couldn’t keep this up, you weren’t strong enough. Pure adrenaline had gotten you this far but you were fading fast as more and more blood was sapped from your veins.

Just as your arms were about to give, a roar met your ears and the animals eyes went wide. You could only stare as keened in agony before it collapsed on top of you, dead. In the midst of your struggle, you hadn’t heard the heavy footfalls bounding towards you, nor had you see the glimmer of steel as the great sword cut through air and beast. You don’t have time puzzle over the swiftness of the actions for long, groaning as the full weight of the beast begins to crush you ( like it hadn’t been heavy enough while it was still breathing )

“Hey, you still alive?” Peeking past tufts of fur, you can see a veritable GIANT towering above you, bending down to haul the corpse from your prone form. Dazed and winded, his words incite a frown as you glance up at him – nearly cricking your neck in the process –  as you heave yourself into a sitting position. Were you alive? Did it matter? 

“Yeah, ‘m fine.” Your voice is gruff and laden with suspicion, wincing as you attempt to shrug your shoulders. Yeah, THAT felt dislocated. 

Amber eyes are critical as they take in your gory, disheveled appearance, giving a snort of disdain at your blatant lie. Still, he backs off as you clamber to your feet, grinding your teeth as your hands make contact with the earth. They’re trembling horribly, and you can only pray that there was no lasting nerve damage. How had things fallen apart so fast? 

“Good, now you can tell me what your business is in Lucis.” And just like that, his broadsword is pointed in your face, leaving you as helpless as you had been moments before.

You gape at him like a fish out of water, momentarily offended before realizing you were clad in military fatigues and standing beside a vehicle of their sworn enemies. He has every right to be suspicious of you, you try to reason with yourself, despite your growing trepidation and ire.

“I’m not one of them.” You say quickly, raising crimson stained hands in a gesture of peace “I stole one of their rigs so I could get home and I got stuck.”

“ Huh .” He rumbles in reply, disbelief clear in his voice and his body language. Still, he lowers his weapon and wordlessly reaches into a pocket to produce a potion for you “You’re either the worst soldier in the infantry or you’re actually telling the truth.”  he snorts before looking over his shoulder.

“That’s the last of ‘em!”  His voice is so loud and deep you nearly levitate off the ground a few inches in alarm.

Narrowing your eyes, you carefully work the bottle open with your teeth and allow the magic inside to do its work, sighing as the deepest cuts begin to mend. Split, red skin gives way to pink and white scars. In a week or so they’d be just like new, or so you hoped. Feeling slowly begins to return to benumbed digits, which you flex experimentally. Stiff , but at they should be fine in the long run. At least you still had hands to heal. A chill races down your spine at what a close call this experience had been. You couldn’t imagine losing one, or both of your hands.

You look up again as dead grass crunches under boots, eying the three men that padded around the truck towards you. In spite of your pain, you are instantly on guard, feet planted firmly and bloody fists clenched. You had no plan of action, no possible way to escape should these men decide you were a threat, but you’d be damned if you didn’t put up a fight.

“What the hell are you doin’ out here anyway? ‘Roads a good mile and a half east.” The strangers tone is accusatory and makes your hackles rise as you look up at him in annoyance. It wasn’t like you had asked to be attacked, if anything he and his friends had practically lead the monsters to you. 

“What are YOU doing out here?” You bite back as the trio comes within earshot, taking a cautious step backwards the nearer they draw.

“Hunting.” That comes from a man with soft black hair and an even voice. He meets your glare steadily, arms crossed over his chest. You wanted to snarl at them all for staring at you so. Anything to wipe away the mistrust that emanated from them in waves. In their faces you saw the same disgust harbored in that of the Gralean doctors and scientists. They all looked down their noses at you like you were some lesser thing; unworthy of their attention.

“Yeah! Sorry you got caught in the crossfire there.” Well, maybe not ALL of them. The peppy blonde seemed far more curious than hostile. You might even detect a small trace of concern in those electric eyes as they spy the streaks of blood that mar your clothing. It was probably the most genuine thing anyone had said to you since you were a girl... 

“Is there a problem here?” The tension is momentarily broken as Valora’s voice cuts through the air like a knife. Five pairs of eyes flick round to stare as the brunette trudges forward, gun raised  and expression wary.

“I don’t know, is there?” The raven haired man replied again. To you he seemed to bristle like a porcupine, quills ready to launch at the slightest hint of danger, the way spiked locks fluttered in the breeze it was almost humorous. Regardless the menacing vibe he attempted to drive in her direction, Valora remained impassive as she moved to stand protectively in front of you.

“Nah, we took care of the trouble, see!” Pipped up the perky blonde again, the toe of his shoe prodding the dead monster that lay forgotten beside them. He looks almost nervous as he turns to face his friends, shifting from foot to foot “They don’t look like anything ‘ol Aldercapt has sent our way so far. They aren’t daemons or magitek. ” 

“Indeed.” The bespectacled man intones thoughtfully as he looks between you and Valora. You’d nearly forgotten his was there, overshadowed by his louder companions as he silently assessed the situation “That doesn’t mean they are not a threat. But perhaps we might give them the benefit of the doubt?” 

You weren’t quite as ready to be so obliging. They could easily be the type of bounty hunter that would ship them back to the empire for whatever gil they could scrounge. Your own misgivings surpassed theirs thrice over for all the abuse you had suffered. It should not be you convincing them of your integrity, but vice versa.

“Look, we don’t have time for this. If there’s a problem just fuck off, alright? You don’t bother us, we won’t bother you.” It comes out harsher than you intended and blondie takes a small step back, hurt flashing across freckled features. If you hadn’t felt backed into a corner, you might have felt bad for snapping at him so, especially when he had just defended you.

 “Woah, hold your chocobos.” The mountainous man groused, blocking your path with his weapon as you make to stride back towards the truck. “You said you got stuck. If you’re not some Imperial scumbag, we’ll help you out, alright?”

“Do I look like a goddamn robot?!” It echoes around the clearing and you wince, running the back of your hand over your eyes. You might have said more, might have taken a few seconds to calmly explain your situation had your blonde defender not turned white as a sheet as he glanced behind you.

“Speak of the devil and he shall appear...” The man in glasses all but growls as a javelin materializes in his hand. Your blood runs cold as a great shadow appears over the barren earth follow by the hum of engines. The sharp breeze lifts your hair from your shoulders as you turn to face the craft that glides towards you.

“ Shit… ” You curse viciously, whirling around to sprint past the quartet, slamming your fist against the side of the rig in cadence “EVERYONE OUT, NOW.”

“Wha--??” You don’t bother sparing the baffled men a second glance as you rifled around beneath the front seat to pull out the gun you had been searching for prior. Valora was already behind the vehicle, rolling the metal door open before leaping inside without any preamble.

Turning on your heel, you see their eyes flick between the truck, you, and the fast approaching ship in confusion. Valora reappeared with a pack over her shoulder and Levina in her arms, feet hitting the dirt with a heavy thud before turning on her heel to offer a hand to Marina. Your sister’s movements were slow, burdened by her swollen belly as she clambered to the ground with a huff. Agatha crawled out next and was immediately scooped into her arms, squawking and whining in confusion as the two adults turn to you for instruction. 

The urge to laugh bubbles up in your chest at the utter shock on everyone’s face, adrenaline bordering on hysteria. From the dumbfounded look on the man who had rescued you, to the openmouthed wonder displayed by the blonde. Clearly none of them had expected such a wild turn of events. 

“What’s going on?” Marina shouted as she caught sight of the newcomers, clutching the child to her chest as though they might attack unprovoked. No one bothers to reply her, not when she glances up seconds later and finds her answer right on top of them. Ashen-faced, she grabs at Valora’s arm as if checking to see that she was still there.

“Don’t just stand there, RUN!” You yell desperately as the aircraft’s ramp begins to lower and Magitek troopers descended like flies on rot. 

“There’s a campground less than a hundred meters from here!” The spectacled man shouted over the roar of the engines. Valora nodded sharply before sparing you a fleeting glance to gage your reaction. It was their best bet and the only option she could perceive. If they stayed they could be captured again,  and that was utterly unacceptable. With a jerk of your head, the women are off, sprinting across the vast plane as fast as their legs would carry them. You watch for a brief moment, anxiety threatening to overwhelm you before the click of armor brought you back to the present.

The four strangers had already thrown themselves into the fray, their shouts almost gleeful as they took down each soldier with ease. You had no business in a fight like this. You were a damn lab rat, not a fighter. They wanted your womb and your blood, not  your strength or valor. They had told you as much, conditioned you to believe it until it was ingrained into your brain. You very nearly drop your weapon and trail after the others, but your legs are frozen. Your first step out of  that compound was your greatest act of defiance. You had freed your body from their clutches, it was high time you began to free your mind. You were more than you were conditioned to be.

Hands begin to tremble as you point your weapon at the nearest trooper. Narrowing your eyes and gritting your teeth in concentration, you pull the trigger. The first shot misses and you swear as you draw their attention, metal bodies shifting as they stomp towards you. This was good though, wasn’t it? The closer they got the easier they would be to take out. In theory any way. You hadn’t expected so many to converge on you at once, assuming the gentlemen ahead of you had the situation well in hand.

‘Shit, shit, shit!’ you’re reloading your weapon as fast as you can, raising it in the nick of time as one of the troopers meets you head on, blasting it away  from you as it raised its sword above its head. Dodging to the right, you narrowly avoid another blade as it sinks into the side of the truck, so deeply embedded in the steel that it makes you feel faint. Another shot and that one too is out for the count, collapsing backwards with a mighty crash.

To your dismay though, as you curl your finger around the trigger yet again, you find you are out of ammunition. You curse loudly again, an undignified shriek falling  from your lips as another imperial charges at you. Swinging the gun wildly, you manage to dislodge its helmeted head from its body in one fell swoop. Effective, but not perfect. It continues towards you a few paces, arms outstretched before crumpling at your feet. 

Before you the men are take down what appears to be the last foe with such gusto you quirk an eyebrow. At least they’re having fun, you supposed.

You allow yourself to relax as it too falls to the ground, wiping the sweat from your forehead as you lower the semi useless gun to your side. If you could get them on your side, you might just survive this ordeal. If not, well, you wouldn’t stand a chance against them. This little kerfuffle had made that  fact abundantly clear. 

“If you guys really wanna help –” You begin as the make their way back to you, cutting yourself off when a sharp pain rips through your abdomen. You gurgle weakly, looking between the men as they let out a holler of surprise, and the blade that pierced straight through your body.

So fast had it happened that you barely had enough time to react, dropping to your knees as bright red splashed across the dust. Time seems to slow then, and it takes them years to reach your side, decapitating  the rogue trooper that had slipped up behind you. The sharp clash of metal on metal is suppressed, your vision beginning to blur as you fall onto your side.

The darkness that had snapped at your heels all these miles had finally caught up your you, dragging you back into the abyss. You had little choice but to follow, eyes fluttering shut as you were swept away.

AN: Sandy Cheeks voice: WELL HOWDYYYYY. Me @ myself: don't post this at midnight when you're half asleep also me: posts this shit at midnight when I'm half asleep. I'd like to apologize in advance for everything.

This is my first ever reader insert fic so please bear with me as I try to figure my shit out tbh. Beginnings and introductions are always weird and awkward I had to fight so hard not to just put their damn names in 'cause I'm running out of synonyms for 'men' and 'strangers' you feel me? ANYWAY I've wanted to cram my love of Mad Max: Fury Road into a fic for the longest time, and FFXV finally presented me with the opportunity.

BUCKLE THE FUCK UP KIDDOS, ITS GONNA BE A WILD RIDE FROM START TO FINISH.